Our Days are Bright

by penelopunch

An Odd Sense of Clarity

Sky. Ground. Sky. Ground. Sky—

Opening up my wings in a panic was a bad idea. Amateurishly attempting to catch an updraft to stop my fall was even worse. Rather than allowing me to glide safely down to the ground or even lift myself back up to Cloudsdale, my unsteady wings caught a large gust in just the perfect way to send me spiraling head over hoof.

I don’t know how long I’ve been falling and my senses are all overloaded. I’m certain I’m screaming, but I can’t hear myself over the roar of the wind. In truth, my voice might have given out in time with my stomach. The constant flipping and the rotating visuals everytime I open my tear-filled eyes is all too much, and I had quickly lost a hold on my lunch.

It’s hard for me to form any coherent thoughts in my state, but a handful manage to make their way through the storm of my mind.

What’s happening? Everything stings; My wings. My eyes. My throat. Am I falling? Why hasn’t anyone caught me yet? Where’s Rainbow? Am I going to die? Mom? Dad? Zephyr?

I flail my legs rapidly, and attempt to grab onto a few small clouds as I fall past them. All I manage to do is pull them apart in my panic. One more flip, and the ground is very close now.

Too close.

Realization of my situation hits me all at once, and my mind fills with an odd sense of clarity in these last few moments. Oh, I get it now.

The leaves of the trees seem to brush against my coat lovingly— apologetically, as I plummet past them.

I didn’t deserve these wings.

I close my eyes.

…

…

… Um…

Having previously cleared my mind before the impact, the thought didn’t come to me for a while that… something was supposed to have happened.

Aren’t I supposed to be in pain? A lot of pain? Or… maybe I’m dead? That’s it, I must be dead. I’m dead and it was quick and painless. And I suppose death is just a constant cycle of thoughts about death and whether or not I’m avoiding thinking about the fact that I’m somehow still alive. Oh.

I instinctively let out a heavy breath that I didn’t realize I was holding and attempt an intake. I fall into a sudden coughing fit as my shredded throat and lungs refuse to work. Involuntarily opening my eyes as the fit goes on, I see that I haven’t actually touched the ground yet. I’m resting on a floating bed of pinks, blues and yellows. Some sort of mobile grouping of colors.

Insects… my mind conjures once the coughing fit dies down. I clear the tears from my eyes to get a better look at my situation. It’s a… migrating colony of colorful flying insects? They’re… pretty! I wonder what they’re called?

The group begins to break apart, and I flap my wings to keep momentum with them. I try to ignore the pain as I do so. Gliding up close to one to get a better look, I can see just how correct my previous thought was. These creatures are gorgeous! The shape of their wings, the color, the intricate and natural design, their delicate nature and the strength to save my life by grouping together…

…They saved my life…

The thought echoes around my head as I slowly settle onto the ground proper. They… saved my life… I’m alive…

The insects encircle me as I’m lost in thought, and my eyes drift around in wonder. Tears begin to spill down my cheeks once again as the reality of it truly hits me. I stretch my hoof out, and as if on cue the same one I was observing earlier lands upon it.

“Thank you…” I say with the most genuine gratitude I’ve ever felt. Seemingly accepting my thanks, the insect flutters its wings and flies off. The rest of its colony spread out among the trees and bushes.

Watching them as they go, I finally take note of my surroundings. A forest. Or… perhaps a glade? Cloudsdale schools don’t teach too much about the surface, but they’re interesting enough lessons to me that I can recognize that much. Trees naturally grow in large groups. Large enough groups are considered forests. Forests are littered all over the surface.

Forests are easy to get lost in… the thought enters— unwelcome, into my mind. I could be anywhere…

Before that thought could inspire my fifteenth panic attack of the day, my ear catches the sound of singing. Not pony singing, no. Birds.

My eyes drift over the branches above me until I spot what I’m looking for. A bird’s nest! Cute little baby birds stick their heads out towards their parents, who are giving out the most gorgeous calls. We get birds up in Cloudsdale, of course, but these ones look completely different. These birds are just as colorful as the insects, and just as gorgeous in their own way.

More fly by overhead, and I follow them until I notice the heads of some small furry creatures poking out of a hole in a tree. I stop moving as they spot me, my breathing slowing to a crawl. A few moments pass, but they seemingly determine that I’m not a threat. They come bounding down the tree and over towards me, their bushy tails trailing behind them.

These must be squirrels! I realize. They make their homes inside of trees and forage for food around them. I didn’t know they were so quick!

Bunnies too, I recognize from books, begin to hop out of the bushes and make their way across the glade. They’re so, so much cuter seeing one now face-to-face.

I stand and stare in awe at all of the forest creatures that have suddenly made an appearance. They’re all positively adorable! Seeing them all, my mind finds a measure of peace that has been eluding me all day. I settle my legs underneath me with a sigh and just… watch them.

The animals notice it before I do, but after a second I hear what has suddenly made them all stop moving. A loud and violent boom echoes across the sky, shaking the ground beneath me. I let out a yelp of panic.

What was that!? I think in terror as the animals all dart to-and-fro towards their various hiding places around me.

Turning around, I see what appears to be a rainbow— a big rainbow, making its way across the sky. A brief thought of the friend I left up in Cloudsdale enters my mind before the shaking in the ground intensifies. In a panic I launch myself into a bush and cower with a group of bunnies. They look just as scared as I feel.

Eventually the shaking stops, and I pick myself up out of the bush. Looking up at the sky, I’m shocked to see just how clear it is. The colorful wave must have cleared away most of the clouds the pegasi had positioned in the sky this morning.

“What in… What in Celestia’s name was that?” I ask, the question directed at no one in particular. So much has been happening today, and it’s all becoming very difficult to process. The quiet that fills the glade after things settle reminds me of the bunnies in the bushes, and all of the other critters that went into hiding.

…and who must all still be worried that something bad is about to happen.

A sudden sense of urgency fills me at the thought. I have to let them know that things are fine now.

This place… it’s their home. They deserve to feel safe in their home.

Over the next few minutes I find myself rooting through various bushes, branches, holes, clouds and even ponds. I find all of the animals in their hiding spots quickly enough, but what I’m truly proud of is just how calm and collected I’ve been able to keep myself for them. The last thing they need right now is more panic.

The animals all settle down once I assure them that things are alright, and that the danger has passed. Each new one I help follows me from their hiding spot and attempts to find their panicked friends so I can assist them too, and I’m more than happy to.

Once all of the animals I can find are calmed and the urgency that was driving me is no longer present, my legs suddenly collapse out from underneath me. I try to pick myself up once more, but I’m unable to find the strength. It hits me just how utterly exhausted I am, even though I’m certain it’s no later than noon.

My vision begins to blur as I look around at all of the gathered critters. Every last one that I helped gather around me, looking at me with… respect?

Huh… That’s new… I think to myself before yawning.

My heart fills with pride as they all encircle me, finding their own places by my side to lay down and rest. It’s almost as if…

Almost as if they’re telling me this is my home too…

I giggle at the thought as I rest my chin on the grass. A genuine smile spreads itself across my cheeks and refuses to leave. My eyelids close as I listen to the calm, rhythmic breathing around me.

There’s just something about what I’m feeling right now. I feel… warm. I feel loved. I feel like I belong.

“Goodnight, everyone…” I whisper to them all. “Thank you…”

Barely even recognizing the tingling warmth spreading across my flank, my mind slips away into peaceful unconsciousness.

---

“But he’s hurt!”

My first thought upon waking up is to take note of just how dry my mouth is. My second is that my cloud bed isn’t as soft as it normally is, which is strange. My third thought is the realization that there’s somepony shouting, and even in my delirious state I can tell that it’s not a voice I recognize.

“Y-you beasts! Let me pass right this instant!” the pony shouts, their voice shaking.

I crack open my eyes, which proves to be a much more difficult task than I had anticipated. Judging from the color of the sky, the day had passed from afternoon into evening. Slowly tilting my head I recognize the trees and my animal friends, and I realize that everything that had happened earlier in the day wasn’t just my usual anxiety-induced dream. Looking beyond all of the critters, I spot what I assume to be the source of the voice.

A young pony just a bit shorter than me stands on-edge, facing down the crowd of animals that are surrounding me in a protective circle. It takes a second to recognize their coat’s natural color, as the pure white of it is stained heavily with dirt as well as various cuts and bruises. Their purple mane too— Oh! White and purple are a very pretty combination, actually!— has lost every last trace of what its usual shape must look like, instead splayed out in every possible direction in a hopeless mess. This pony has certainly had a rough day, though I could also say the same for myself.

The pony huffs in frustration. “I am telling all of you. That pony is hurt. You need to let me help him!” they say in an attempt to reason with the angry crowd of critters. In response, the animals let out a number of protective cries and squeeze tighter around me. The pony’s expression only grows more agitated, and their horn— wait. What? Their horn?

The unicorn’s horn ignites in a light blue aura, and I hear a crack as a small but hefty branch floats down from the tree, coated in the same shade of blue. It floats threateningly in the air between the two parties.

“If you do not let me pass right this instant, then you will give me no choice!” they say, giving the branch a couple of swings. A couple of the squirrels look at each other nervously, and suddenly I’m inspired to action.

“Wait!” I shout. Or… try to, at least. I can barely find my voice and it just comes out as an involuntary croak. It’s enough to catch the unicorn’s attention, though, and suddenly they’re addressing me.

“Oh! You’re awake, thank goodness!” they say in a rather overdramatic fashion. “Are you quite alright?”

“I…” my voice fails again, throat too dry to form any proper sounds. Instead I decide to stand up, and my muscles scream in response. I collapse back to the ground with a yelp, and my animal friends rush to my side.

The unicorn is forced to keep their distance as the critters help to pick me back up and support me as I hobble over to the small brook nearby. I reach my head down and take a few greedy gulps of water. It tastes different from the water extracted directly from the clouds in Cloudsdale, but not a bad kind of different. It’s simply a new kind of different.

Having wetted my throat, I turn back to the unicorn. “Please… don’t hurt the animals. I think they’re just trying to protect me…” I plead with them, my voice finally escaping my throat.

“Well… of course. I wouldn’t dream of actually causing them harm,” they reply. To prove their point they toss the branch away. “I can’t say that I’ve ever seen animals err, protecting a pony before and so this situation has caught me a bit off-guard. I happened to spot you collapsed in the clearing as I was passing by and, if you will forgive me for being blunt, you don’t look good. You need to have those injuries looked at.”

Injuries…? What injuries? I think as I look down at myself. My legs are covered in just as many scrapes, bruises and cuts as the pony in front of me. Oh… No wonder I feel so sore…

“Alas, your little… friends here have been preventing me from assisting you with those. Could you please call them off so I can at least inspect you closer?” they ask.

They speak in a manner unlike any other pony I’ve met before, as if everything they say is part of some kind of theatrical performance. The strangeness of it has given me a bit of pause, but my general impression is that they truly don’t mean any harm.

I look down at the little critters surrounding me and assure them that it’s fine to let this other pony pass.

“Ah! Thank you very much,” the unicorn says as the animals reluctantly break apart their protective ring.

They begin to trot towards me, and as they close the distance I can better make out their features. Their eyes are a vibrant blue, complementing the rest of their natural colors, but they’re framed by heavy eyebags. And although they’re trying their best to hide it their steps are uneven as well, likely brought on by their own rough state. Their cutiemark is… no, it doesn’t seem like they have one.

At least we have that in common, I think to myself as they stop right in front of me.

They begin to reach for one of my front legs, but I pull it away on instinct. “Oh, apologies,” they say, looking up at me. “I merely wish to inspect your injuries. May I?”

I scan their face for any last-minute signs of deceit, but I don’t notice any. They just seem tired. I nod for them to continue and offer my leg forward. They take it with a grateful smile and begin inspecting my cuts and bruises. As they do so, my thoughts begin to drift towards the nature of the unicorn in front of me.

Seeing them this close, I realize just what I’ve been doing this entire time. I’ve been referring to this pony strictly as “they” and “them”, and it’s easy at this distance to tell exactly why I’ve been unconsciously doing so.

Their features lack any sort of… gender about them, same as their voice I’m now realizing. I can tell that this pony is a bit older than me, maybe by one or two years, and I was taught that young ponies at that age typically begin to show physical changes that point one way or the other in regards to their gender. Not this pony, though. Their body is smaller and lithe, and their features undefined.

Maybe it’s a unicorn thing, I think to myself as I eye the horn on top of their head.

Thinking about all of this… my thoughts inevitably shift into uncomfortable territory, and I suddenly begin to feel very self-conscious about my own body. Too big compared to this pony next to me. Too… wrong. I pull my wing back as they grab it. I really don’t want them to touch me anymore.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t hurt you, did I?” they ask, concerned over my reaction. I don’t think I can say anything right now so I softly shake my head, my gaze transfixed on a random tree in the distance. “Well, alright then. I must say though, how do injuries like this even occur? It’s almost as if you fell from the sky or something.”

The tree has a lot of leaves. They’re all very green.

The unicorn sighs. “Regardless, I believe you should be fine. Some simple first aid and bed rest should do you good, and I do mean bed rest. I can’t imagine the ground is all that cozy based on how you were struggling earlier.”

They keep talking.

“Is your home nearby?” they ask.

I shake my head.

“Where exactly do you live?”

…

“Your parents’ names?”

I look down.

“...Your name?”

I shuffle my hooves.

The unicorn takes a few moments to respond after that point. “Hmm… well, I certainly can’t leave you alone here in the forest with the state you’re in. Come along!” they command.

I lift my head and watch as they trot a short distance away, following the brook upstream. They turn back around once they notice I’m not following them, and I look back down to avoid eye contact. I know what kind of expression they’ll be wearing at this point anyway, so I'd much rather just not even bother.

Please leave. Please, the thoughts enter my head merely to fill the silence. I’d understand. I wouldn’t want to deal with… this, either.

Hearing them trot softly back to my side, I hold my breath. They stop just a wing’s length away and stand there quietly for what feels like an eternity.

Please…

“My name is Rarity,” they finally say, their voice unexpectedly gentle. My gaze drifts over their hooves; dirty and cracked. “I’m not sure if you can tell right now… but I’m an absolute mess."

They laugh at that, and I spare them a glance. It’s the kind of laugh I heard my parents using after Zephyr was born.

“It’s funny, really. I normally hate the dirt— despise it, even. I’ve been dragged through it all day, and yet… I’m happy that I was,” they continue, lifting up one of their hooves to inspect its marred surface. “It was scary, and I was unsure what was going to happen to me… but after everything I believe that it has given me an opportunity to change something.”

An opportunity to change… my thoughts echo as one of the squirrels wraps its tail around my leg. I give the top of its head a couple of light scratches, and it squeaks happily at me.

“...For the better?” I ask, just barely loud enough for the other pony to hear me. They giggle softly at the question.

“Yes. For the better,” they reply. “Only with a little bit more effort, though.”

A sigh escapes their lips at that. “Anyway, my point is that I know you’re struggling. You’re far from home and you’re hurt. Having a random unicorn show up and start pestering you probably hasn’t helped much either, but… I think that's OK.”

"...For you to be pestering me?" I ask, joking despite myself.

"For you to be scared," they clarify.

I tense up at the accusation, and force myself to meet their gaze. To my surprise, their expression doesn't carry the trademark judgement of my peers. The unico— no. Rarity instead wears an expression of simple understanding. The rebuttal I was preparing dies in my throat.

“It’s OK for things to be tough right now. For you to be unsure,” they continue. “It’s OK, because… I think that’s what life is. Things are going to be scary and tough and dirty, and we have to be OK with that. Mostly OK, that is. Personally I can’t wait to take a nice long bath.”

Seeing the look I’m giving them, they smile sheepishly. “Sorry, moving on… It’s also OK to accept help when it's offered to you. I promise you that I’m not going to lead you anywhere strange. Right now what we both need most is some first-aid and a roof over our heads. Do you think you can trust me long enough to get you patched up, at least?”

I turn back to my animal friends as Rarity awaits my response. I only just met them all earlier today, but to all of those cute little critters I’m like family. They told me in no uncertain words that I belong here. Maybe…

…Maybe I should learn to trust more… like they did for me…

“Um… yes. Yes, I think that I can do that,” I give my reply. Rarity simply smiles at that and turns to follow the brook once again. I give one last goodbye to my animal friends before following after.

“Thank you again, everyone. I promise that I’ll be back to visit again soon, OK?” I assure them. They all wave me off with various chatters and squeaks. A smile can’t help but find its way onto my face after everything. I lean down and scoop as many of them into a hug as I can manage. “Goodbye for now!” I tell them before dropping them back onto the ground.

I turn around and trot after Rarity, who stopped to wait for me. “Truth be told… that was one of the most adorable things I’ve ever seen,” they tell me as I reach them. I blush at that and try to change the subject.

“So… Rarity?” I inquire as we begin to make our way towards our destination. They hum and signal with a look to continue with my question. “Where exactly are we going?”

“Ah!” comes the overly-theatrical response that I’m still having trouble growing accustomed to. “Yes, well, my Nana lives nearby. I’ve been staying with her for a while, and I was actually heading over there when I found you passed out just now. I figure it’s the best place for you to stay for the night.”

I digest that information as we continue on our way.

Their relative lives in the woods? Is that normal?

Eventually my thoughts turn back to my traveling companion, however. Specifically their name. Her name might be more appropriate, though. Rarity isn’t exactly a name I would expect a boy to have, and it’s not like I have any more clues than that. Asking which pronouns they prefer seems rude for some reason. It’s not a question I’ve ever heard anyone at school ask, anyway.

Maybe I can figure this out if I probe a bit further.

“Rarity. That’s a very pretty name. Very… feminine?” I blurt out with as much social grace as I can muster. Rarity gives me an amused expression.

“Well, I should hope so! I did pick it myself, after all,” comes the matter-of-fact reply.

‘Picked it myself’? What? How does that even… My mind is having trouble processing that statement. That isn’t something that I’ve ever heard a pegasus up in Cloudsdale do before. Is that something ponies do on the surface? They pick their own names?

“...Huh,” is all I can say after that revelation. At least I know now that Rarity picked that name specifically, so it’s likely that feminine terms are appropriate. Her it is.

Rarity suddenly rushes forward as we near a break in the treeline. “Here we are! Come on, we’re almost there!” she shouts. I pick up my pace and rush after her.

Breaking past the treeline, we both enter into a large open field. The brook continues onward, winding underneath a small bridge that connects both sides of a dirt path. On one end of the path, off in the distance, I see the buildings of a quaint little town. On the other end, backed by the treeline of a much larger and darker forest than the one we just left, sits what appears to be our destination.

A simple cottage, framed by the gold of the evening sun. The sight causes me to slow my pace. It’s beautiful in a way I’m having a hard time describing.

It seems so peaceful… I think as I take in all of its features. The surface is different from how I imagined. Ponies can just live like this? They can just… exist?

I'm suddenly hit by the realization that I’ll eventually need to leave and go back home to Cloudsdale… and for some reason that thought leaves me terrified. It’s where my home is, my family, Rainbow and everything else that I’ve experienced and come to cherish throughout my life. It’s all there, back up in Cloudsdale.

…All of it…

I think I’m suffocating.

Seeing the look on my face, Rarity steps in front of me and holds out a hoof. “Remember, it’s OK to be scared.” she assures me. I stare at her hoof as I take in her words.

“Just a little bit of effort… Right?” I ask in a whisper.

She blinks at that and smiles at me. It’s a toothy kind of grin, and far more natural than the practiced ones she’d given me earlier. I’m reminded of Rainbow Dash.

I spare it no second thought, and hoof-in-hoof we make our way towards the cottage.

Comments

[Clickety-Whinny]

YOOOOOOO! I'm loving this. The part where you address Rarity having to hoof it back home by herself after the trip was very good.

The way you portrayed Fluttershy slowly deciding to use female pronouns was grand- you made it sound really natural.

Also, the part about Rarity choosing her own name- is she trans too? That's sweet...

[The Local Rat Queen]

This place… it’s their home. They deserve to feel safe in their home.

this feels big and introspective on her part

“Well, I should hope so! I did pick it myself, after all.” comes the matter-of-fact reply.

Hold up....

That was a really nice and sweet chapter, i am loving the story so much, and i relate to Flutter's a bit to much lol.

[VioletsInSpring]

Absolutely in love with this story right now! Keep of the wonderful work!

[penelopunch]

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[Ice Star]

This is really fucking good and I super-duper can't wait for more.

[JayMission]

Love this so far!! Keep up the good work! The dialogue and characterization is especially good.

[StellarAlignment]

"I didn't deserve these wings..." im gonna cry

I absolutely adore the way you rewrote So Many Wonders. You managed to perfectly capture the awe and adoration of the song while turning it into a coherent thought stream and causality chain.

[jagged203]

This was so good and sweet and cute! Rarity was so soft and gentle with Fluttershy and I love Flutershy's feelings about the animals