> A Simply (Not So) Simple Life
>  by Neon Icy Wings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: The First Anxieties
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Waking up is generally an unpleasant thing. Being forced to leave the comfort of your bed, losing out on a good dream. Waking up generally doesn't include howling wind and feeling ungodly wet.


My eyes snapped open in a panic, what due to said ungodly wetness that turned out to be torrential rain. I was still groggy, mind in a panic of uncertainty and tried to shakily get to my feet only to flail face first back into the mud that had been my resting place, unbeknownst to me.

The wind blew, harsher than I ever knew it to. It blew so hard it threatened to blow me down again as I tried to do anything to orient myself. Even trying to get to my knees, to elevate myself and take stock was difficult, but quickly manageable under the furious beating of my heart.

I tried again to crack open my eyes against the wind, rain and mud, blinking rapidly to clear my vision. My sight was greeted by trees and green, an entire forest which caused me to shake further. Not only were outright forests rare around my area of living, but what trees we did have looked nothing like what I saw around me.

I couldn't keep up with the information overload and confusion, so I tried my best to compartmentalize and prioritize what I could, and started crawling to even the simplest form of cover from the elements. Even the simple act of crawling threatened to break through my prioritization, as crawling forced to the forefront of my mind just weird my entire being felt at that moment. I powered through it all the same.

After managing to crawl to a rather sizable tree that blocked, at least, a partial bit of the rain, I pushed myself up to lean against its trunk. Despite finding a minor respite in the literal storm I could only shake. Shake from the cold, my muscles aching from the physical and mental stress, and the terrifying fact that when I pushed myself up I couldn't feel my fingers. Even at my body's most numb I could always feel the numbed area in some capacity, feel them in a way that acknowledged their existence and yet as I leaned against the tree, huffing air like it was life saving water, I couldn't feel my fingers, hands or feet.

I probably should have checked on them faster, but I always was amazing at procrastinating. And the mere thought of losing my hands and feet scared the crap out of me. They were important. I needed them.

Sadly, I couldn't afford to procrastinate too long. Hypothermia was almost certainly a threat to me, at least my medically ignorant ass assumed so. Cold and wet equaled bad and eventually dead, was all that mattered to me.

I grimaced and raised what should have been my hand into my view, only there was not a hand, but a stump. A too big stump that was some sort of dark blue. Managing not to panic, probably from a combination of 'survival mode', fatigue and sheer brain halting confusion, I noted that it wasn't that my hand was cleanly chopped off followed by my entire arm swelling up, but rather something most impossible.

That was a fucking hoof.

Of course my brain jumped to the most likely reason, namely, that I had somehow been taken from Earth, transmogrified into a pony of yet unknown subspecies and tossed into the Everfree. My brain probably made the connection in less than a second, if only because my brain likes to play "Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon" but with literally anything that it processes.

Really it should have been obvious, what with the snout jutting from my face, but I will defend myself slightly, as I thought it was just the mud.

In an attempt to orient myself properly, I began monologuing to myself. "O-okay..." I said, in a much different voice than I was used to, so different I could tell even underneath the roar of the storm, "Kidnapped. I-in a fashion. Gotta.... gotta get out forest. A-and the-en... fuck if I know." I mumbled to myself as I attempted to stand in my new equine form. After stumbling to my hooves, and standing against the pelting rain and whistling wind, I realized I had no idea where to go. Some boy scout I was, though to be fair my troop kinda fell apart once I got to it. And I didn't even get to destroy it. Sad recurrence that.

With no idea of where to go, hell I doubt I could have seen the north star, if it even existed in Equestria, or god forbid I was even in Equestria... Well, I could always use moss. Maybe. Unless magic moss grew on the east side of trees. Throwing what ifs away and focusing on survival, I just knew I had to find some sort of cover from the storm, and hopefully find Ponyville, or at the very least a Ponyville alternative.

Either way, I stumbled my way in a random direction through the forest, trying not to be weirded out by how my body felt. A coat of fur didn't exactly stop me from feeling naked, especially against the storm. A few times I just narrowly avoided bashing my skull open with my lack of fine motor functionality. That was fun.

I just kept stumbling on until I came across a river. The rain was doing a poor job of washing away the mud, so what the heck? I slowly made my way to it, and after the tedious process of washing the mud off my face without hands to cup the water, something I already sucked at, I peered into the water tiredly.

And wouldn't you know it, I was staring back. Or at least I assumed it was me, as it was a watery reflection constantly disturbed by the rain, and most importantly, was not human.

It was quite surreal, all things considered, not helped by me all but blocking out the oddities of the moment to preserve my sanity, and physical well being I guess. What stared back at me was a teal pegasus. Teal fur, eyes, only thing not bloody teal was my fucked up mane, and that was only due to it being fifty percent black, or at least dark. Though to be fair, the teals were at least different shades. But, to top it all off, barring the possibility of having become insanely effeminate, the universe deigned me a mare.

Well, fuck it, I decided. I had basically lost my humanity, so losing my set of equipment in the same magic tomfoolery was the lesser of the emotional screwery that day. As much as I wanted to continue to stare at my own reflection like a Greek myth I forget the name of -didn't it inspire the word for narcissism?- I still had to get out of the forest. Or just find shelter. Not dying would be nice. I did my best to stand, with the presence of my wings being shunted to the forefront of my mind, and I did my best to ignore. Feeling out a whole new set of limbs and nerves in the middle of a forest amidst a storm did not seem like a good time.

I was in the middle of deciding which random direction to wander when I heard growling from behind me. I grimaced at the all too real cliche I was set in, and slowly turned while muttering to myself, "Please, just b-be a small thing pretending to be big..." Sadly my prayers to the god of comedy to present a kitten or something went unanswered, and instead behind me stood one obvious Timber wolf. I use the term obvious as there is never just one Timber wolf.

All in all, while I was scared, my fear was washed out by the pure rage I felt at the whole situation and it culminated in three words and a single act, "Fuck you universe." And then I booked it like the purple monster from Ao Oni was trying to play tag.

In the back of my mind I somewhat remember the conflicting advice of wild animals often leaned towards 'no sudden moves unless the animal suddenly moves,' but I would rather risk running than be wrong and end up flanked by the too intelligent flora fauna.

If the sounds that tore after me through the rain was any indication, I made the right choice. As I barreled over rocks, roots and logs, the wooden scraping and clunking of multiple wolves sounded far too close for comfort. I thanked god, Celestia, Discord, Faust, whatever deity or semi deity, real or fake, that existed in Equestria, as I somehow managed to actually run with minimal error. If it had fallen the other way I would have been scrambling and flailing myself to death for an audience of wood. But I had not the time for new found faith, I had running to do.

I had no real plan as I ran, only occasionally taking a sharp turn out of paranoid fear the wolves would lay an ambush, and on a particularly muddy turn I even hazard a glance back, my heart jumping for joy as my pursuers slipped in the mud, giving me some precious distance. Unfortunately, looking backwards while running in a forest is a pretty dumb thing. I wasn't sure what it was, but I hit or grazed something and a sharp pain lanced through my right wing as branches thrashed at my face. I did my best to ignore the pain, merely grimacing as I yanked my head forward and pumped my hooves harder. A difficult task as a set of nerves I had never felt before had flared into a constant awareness in my mind. It did provide important information to me: Wings are freaking sensitive.

Even as the sounds of pursuit died off, my sharp turns somehow actually working, I kept running with no intention of stopping any time soon. And I kept running and running, until I couldn't tell if it had been minutes or hours. I was not going to give Murphy a single chance to enforce his law if I could help it, and that pissed Murphy off something fierce if the Timber wolf flying at my face was any concern. I guess the pack got bored waiting for me to fall into a false sense of security.

In a panic and with no time to think, I did my best to skid to a halt, only to fall onto my back. Reacting purely on instinct, I channeled years of the general advice about using an opponent's weight and momentum against them and reached up with my hooves to try and throw the wolf off with the momentum from its leap. It didn't go perfectly, but basically slamming a wooden wolf head first into the ground and causing it to slide through mud away from me was at least a little cathartic.

The universe must have decided I didn't deserve a break though, as I frantically scrambled to my hooves, the pain and fatigue made themselves all the more apparent. My right wing lay limp at my side, my muscles screamed and lungs ached, all the while a slightly dazed and mostly pissed timber wolf shook its head to dislodge mud while a gaggle more were barreling towards me and the lone wolf. And of course the only slightly dazed one I had thrown into the mud was larger than the rest. Larger, closer and probably the strongest and or fastest.

I knew I couldn't outrun that one, it was able to get directly in front of me while I ran full tilt after all. Even then, the pack didn't so much as look winded while I was at my limit. I licked my lips, the coppery tang of blood coming back on my tongue and once again my fear was displaced by rage.

I was not going to die alone and unknown in a goddamn forest by bundles of enchanted firewood from a fucking cartoon show!

"Fuck you!" Throwing flight right out the window along with any lingering self preservation, I threw myself at the bigger, dazed wolf with a yell. I think I confused it more than anything, after all, if I were a giant wooden wolf, I too would be dumbfounded if my wounded prey ran towards me and rammed me back onto my side.

I pressed my advantage, my rage induced mind focused on subduing the most immediate threat, not at all caring about how the rumbling of the pack had stopped. I did my best to disable or restrain its limbs, and pressed its left pair of limbs into the mud, while trying to hold off its front right leg. I had to sacrifice any attempt at holding off its other back leg, instead focusing on keeping a secure stance to not be thrown off too easily, and I don't know if it was irony or what, but its back leg honestly didn't do much damage at first, merely flopping and flailing ineffectually in confusion.

Luckily the timber wolf's clawing seemed mostly to be instinct, as it honestly looked like it was confused, but that confusion didn't stop its front paw from tearing at my right shoulder, but it did give me an opening. And to be quite honest if I was actually thinking clearly I probably would have taken too long to decide my course of action. Luckily, drunk on rage, adrenaline and fatigue me just said "Fuck it" and bit the timber wolf's neck.

The Timber wolf did not take kindly to that.

It thrashed and flailed as much as it could within my terrible, terrible grasp, its single unrestrained leg actually becoming even worse at clawing me, though it catching me across the flank once or twice only served to make me even madder. I continued to tear into its neck, hoping that losing its head full of glowing eyeballs would kill the damn thing. Even as it tried and came dangerously close to yanking its trapped limbs from the muddy prison I pressed them into, the wolf tried to claw at my face with its somewhat free front paw, but only managed to rake them across my shoulder, again and again.

The continued damage to my right foreleg and shoulder was agonizing, forcing me to scream into the torn wood in my mouth, the earthy texture of bark mixed with some kind of sappy goo that had begun to leak. It all combined into pain, rage and tiredness that caused my body to tense. My back leg started to slip, the Timber wolf had almost thrashed out of my grasp and my right 'arm' was quickly failing, the claws coming closer and closer to my head. In a last ditch effort to do just about anything, I reaffirmed my grip on its throat and tore backwards with all my might, and with a sickening combination of a squelch, a tree being eaten and gurgled howl, I fell back, onto my injured wing as some of the sappy goo joined the rain on my person.

I screamed, much like how my wing was screaming at me and spat out the chunk of Timber wolf that muffled my agony, along with the torrent of goo that had slipped into my mouth. Quickly, I returned my vision to the big Timber wolf, only to see a smoking husk of wood, its only movement being that of a few branches and twigs falling away, whatever power holding it together nullified. I struggled to my hooves, far slower than before, unable to revel in my partial victory as the presence of the other wolves required my attention.

I wasn't sure what I expected, but the Timber wolf pack cowering away from me was a pleasant surprise.

Panting, I bared my teeth, and with no energy to yell, I simply growled. The Timber wolves luckily didn't press their advantage, turned tail and ran, leaving me alone with the smoking wooden body in the rain. I sagged, my heart still beating at incredible speed, and glanced at the pile of wood. I spit at the pile, residual anger and rage barely able to motivate me beyond the simple, spiteful act.

Looking around the area, I actually saw a break in the trees, and, for the first time in Equestria, I smiled. My hooves were like lead as I hobbled towards the break and eventually found myself under the dark gray sky that continued its downpour. Despite my fatigue, despite my injuries, I forced myself up a hill, determined to see some light at the end off the damnable tunnel I had been thrown in against my will. Determined to see the promised prize that came with becoming a pony. Once I struggled to the top, I stopped and stared, and for the first time I could tell for sure, tears of joy slid down my face, lost amongst the rain.

Before my very eyes stood the unmistakable town of Ponyville. Its fantasy mishmash of buildings surrounding its iconic town hall. A place I had intimate knowledge of, a place that brought me joy back as a human, and the place that was going to save my life.

Sadly, I took a literal step too far, and my vision wobbled and darkened; my smile never leaving my face, as Ponyville toppled out of sight, replaced by grass.

And then nothing.


—


Rainbow Dash growled as she flew through the storm, an emergency weather meeting had been called, forcing her to fly all over Ponyville. She landed, less than gracefully in front of Ponyville General, which was greeted by Nurse Redheart quickly opening the doors and ushering the pegasus in. "Oh, thank Celestia you're here Rainbow Dash! Where in Equestria did this storm come from?"

"Wish I knew! All anypony knows is it's a huge Everfree storm that popped outta nowhere!" Rainbow said as she shook off the rain, enjoying a moments respite from the storm.

Redheart glanced outside the window in worry and awe. "So, I'm guessing everypony is on lock down until the storm passes?"

Rainbow nodded before lightly wringing her mane. "You got it. They needed the fastest pony in Ponyville to spread the word." She then glared out the window herself, "Almost makes me regret being the fastest in Equestria. Almost." Rainbow stretched lightly and groaned in annoyance, "And I still have to fly to Sweet Apple Acres. Gotta let Applejack know before the worst of the storm hits."

Redheart's eyes bugged out for a moment in surprise. "It's going to get worse?"

Rainbow chuckled at her reaction, "Told ya it's huge."

"If it's that big, no wonder the weather team didn't just break it up."

Rainbow shook her head at Redheart's words. "Even if it were small, we probably wouldn't touch it. Everfree weather is weird. We'd have more fried pegasi than drops of rain." She glanced warily out at the storm, "Hay, I bet you could throw all of Cloudsdale at that storm and you wouldn't make a dent."

Redheart let out a sigh. "Well, thank you for letting us know, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow shrugged as she stepped towards the door, ever so slightly hesitant to venture back into the wet storm. "No prob, just doing what needs awesome to be done."

As she braced herself to take off a thought occurred to nurse Redheart, "Wait. Isn't Sweet Apple Acres all the way across town?"

Rainbow blew a sigh of annoyance at Redheart's words, "Yeah, I thought I'd have more time, but the storm almost seems like it's speeding up." She gave a quick wave to the nurse, "Stay dry." Before bolting out into the storm.

She had flown for some time, and had been forced into slowing down, having to balance speed and caution as lightning struck around her and winds constantly threatened to throw her around. She grumbled to herself about the lack of speed until a strange sight gave her pause. She stopped her flight to get a better look. "What the-" She looked on in shock as a muddy, sappy and most terrifyingly, bloody mare hobbled out of the Everfree and up a hill.

Rainbow's eyes twisted near shut at the sight of the poor mare's mangled wing. Rainbow knew from experience that it was possible to look worse than it was, but it did not help the mare's pitiful look. Well, as pitiful as a smiling bloody mare could look. At least until she keeled over at the hilltop.

Rainbow shook her head and dashed down to the unknown mare. "Hey! A-are you okay? Are ya even..?" Rainbow refused to finish her thought as she landed, but sighed as she neared the mare and saw the slow rise and fall of her flank.

A crack of thunder startled Rainbow Dash, almost causing her to take flight, but it did remind the pegasus of her mission all the same. She quickly glanced between the crumpled mare and the still gathering storm. She didn't know if she could bring the mare to Sweet Apple Acres or the hospital before the worst of the storm hit. With how the lightning and winds were like, and carrying another pony, either destination would leave both of them out in the open for longer than Rainbow was comfortable. She took the unconscious mare onto her back, knowing she couldn't leave the pony behind, not thinking once about the blood, mud or sap that would get on her, as she quickly thought about the nearest location she could get to.

It took nary a moment, for as soon as she started glancing around, the answer came to her. She took off into the turbulent sky once more, heading for her new destination. "Sorry AJ! But this can't wait!" She said to herself as she darted passed the Everfree and straight to the nearest, and safest, place she knew.
> Chapter 2: Head In The Clouds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Things were strange.


I drifted... somewhere. That part was just fuzzy. All visuals were either non-existent, not worth remembering, or blurry as hell. Wherever I was, the blurry realm was mostly pain and tiredness. I couldn't even work up the energy to groan or try to move at first, I couldn't even tell if I had been aware of it at all times, I was so out of it.

The only way I could describe it was like a vague state. Not fugue state, vague. Like I was vaguely awake and vaguely asleep, an in between of consciousness where I vaguely felt the warmth and comfort of wherever I was. I think.

I groaned, I was sure that time, as I tried to force my eyes open. Eventually I managed to and... I was in the forest? Was-wasn't I just in the forest? I shook my head and winced at the sun as it blasted my eyes. I got to my hooves and sighed, I coulda sworn I got out of the forest, but it would be easier this time, I guess.

I started walking through the serene forest, rolling my shoulders as I did so, shrugging off the sleep. Really, the forest was quite beautiful all things considered. And sunny. Lots of sun at the time, which was surprising to a degree. Calming really. Lack of birds was disconcerting, but I'd take what I could get. I mean, the Everfree wasn't the most hospitable place, so feeling somewhat safe was nice, and helped the serene sense of terror.

As I glanced around, a river came into view quicker than felt normal. A sense of foreboding hit me from the river, in a way I couldn't explain, as I looked at it from a distance. Choosing to avoid the river was a no brainer to me and I chose to walk faster.

After the river things felt wrong, well, wronger-er. Like eyes I couldn't see were plastered all around me. A pressure bearing down on me. I just wanted out of the forest.

I was uncertain for how long I plodded, the moonlight pouring through the canopy casting doubt upon the forests beauty to me. Whatever, Ponyville awaited anyhow. I hoped

The trees seemed to twist and twine the longer I walked, looking for an exit to the forest. The foreboding creeping at the edges of my mind started to get to me, and I began to try and not look around me anymore, keeping my eyes locked firmly ahead. Out of sight and all.

Sadly that didn't really work. The very presence of the forest drilled into my head, to the point it almost felt like my body was shaking, even if I actually wasn't. A phantom shaking, as it were.

Passed the phantom shaking, the unseen eyes that still haunted my mind, and finally, a light shone out from a breach in the never ending trees. I ramped up my speed, wanting out as fast as possible, and as I neared the light seemed to shine ever brighter.

But the phantom shaking only grew worse, I almost tripped. I felt out of breath, felt terrible for no reason, not aided by the strange feeling in my neck. I wretched towards the ground, shaking all the more, even when I focused my vision to see the green sap dripping down from my mouth.

A force that came from within wrenched my head up as I gagged on the green. Slowly, my jaw painlessly stretched as a large brown figure crawled toward the sky from my mouth. The bark cracked as red eyes twisted around to glare at me. I fell backwards as the Timberwolf howled in my face, fear clutching at me so hard I barely noticed when my head connected with the carpeted floor.

My eyes snapped open as I slowly realized I was thrashing around in a grey and white, furnished room, if the blurs were right, with two thoughts running through my recently awoken mind: Oh, yeah, this is real, and I almost died.

The thrashing was, all in all, strange considering my new equine form, and painful as my flank and shoulder quickly reminded me of their pain. The aching in my hoof was hard to explain, though. It was around then my ears finally eased up and I heard another voice for the first time, as I highly doubt howls and growls counted as voices.

My head whipped around from my awkward place on the floor, and through the blur of recent nightmare awakening adrenaline a blue form loudly spoke quite close all things considered. At least it wasn't an angry tone upon their tongue.

I shook my head, trying to clear it as I tried to reorient myself. While my vision did clear up a bit, things were still quite blurry as I tried to stand up, hissing slightly at accidentally dragging my injured wing between myself and the ground. My shoulder also screamed at me, causing me to stumble. I forced down a growl and left weight off my right hoof and looked again to the blue blur. I noticed the pony must be rubbing their face, to which I quickly connected to my stinging hoof. "Agh... I-I'm sorry. I, ugh, I-"

"Nah, nah, it's not that big of a deal. Are you okay? I mean, beyond dragging yourself out of the Everfree, covered in mud and blood?"

... I know that voice.

I shook my head again and opened my only slightly hazy eyes to see Rainbow Fucking Dash standing right in front of me. My stomach did a happy somersault, a familiar feeling I often got when gazing upon amazing fan art, primarily in the lighting department, and good GOD! Not only was seeing a bonafide real life pony, that pony being bestest pony being itself a wondrous bonus, but actually seeing a friendly, if slightly injured, face really put into perspective how beautiful the world of Equestria was.

Rainbow was of course Rainbow, but as for my perception of reality, she looked very much similar to the show, just with the obvious bells and whistles a Saturday morning cartoon with alternate movie style couldn't quite capture. Her fur was more defined, the lighting put Ray Tracing to shame, and if anything the colors seemed to pop much much more. Guess my giant ass eyes have an appropriate amount of rods and cones for catching the waves, or whatever science they were dictated by. Or it was magic, could always be magic. A part of me felt I should have noted the giant eyes before, but another part reminded part one that it was raining, muddy and was the Everfree.

I quickly tore myself away from my idle musings to answer her question. Nothing worse than a creepy first introduction, you know. "Well-l, better than... I could have been." I winced as I began to flex my body as it were. Never one for idly standing around, I needed movement, and instinctively flexed my body, which disturbed my hurt wing, causing me to realize it was tightly bound and bandaged. As was more of me than I had realized.

Rainbow spoke up as I winced. "Oh yeah, I, uh, might not have done the best job, you know, cleaning or patching you up, but I made extremely sure your wing was good. Guess that flight camp first aid stuff wasn't worthless after all." She looked oddly proud for one admitting information she didn't bother to memorize was, in fact, quite helpful. Either way, my stomach flipped again. A future of flight was potentially before me. As was my potential teacher who would most likely send me to my crashing comedic doom.

I gave a calming sigh, glad to know I was somewhere within canon, and Everfree aside, was relatively safe. "Thanks, b-by the way. I woulda hated to die to exposure after getting away from the Timber Wolves."

Rainbow's eyes grew slightly as she tilted her head. "Timber wolves?"

Wait, fuck, how much should I know? Are Timber Wolves common ish knowledge? But, the Everfree was treated with more terrified reverence in episode two. Wait, what the horse balls is my backstory?! "Uh..., g-giant wolves made of timber?" Rainbow looked mildly horrified at the description, and for some reason I forged onward, and said in an almost monotone, "I bit the biggest one's throat out after running for a long time."

I think I broke the Dash if her expression becoming a mixture of awe and disgust was any indication. "Whoa..." Aaaand then her expression became slightly guarded. "Wait, why were you in the Everfree anyway? Nopony goes into the Everfree." Yet, yet is a very important modifier there.

But, I didn't have any time to create an alibi, besides, any backstory fabricated would eventually fall apart. For god's sake I was in a Saturday morning cartoon show, if I got close to any main character I would become an episode on trusting your friends 'because they will love you for who you are' or some shenanigans. So I told the greatest lie of all time. A slice of truth. "I was- I, was..." I poured the thoughts of my past life, losing my family, my town, my country, my world, the very basis of self with no proof my world having ever even existed. The history and the world that was all but lost to me, I poured it all to the forefront of my mind, all the loss, and felt my chest clench. "W-wait, where- I... I, I, I!" I instinctively stamped on the ground, almost stumbling from the act, "I don't know. I don't know how I got there. I-" My acting was working, Rainbow's guarded expression was falling, "Who... am I?" I didn't know why I asked that question. As my thoughts raced and the emotions I tended to keep nice in tidy inside a bottle, in a void, ran rampant, I lost myself a tad within the act.

I took deep breaths, my face turning to the floor as I was caught off guard by the emotions I dredged up, but heard Rainbow over my lapse in attention. "Oh. Oh, horse apples." Rainbow took a few steps towards me, and for some reason, more instinct I guess, I took a hobbled step back. "Uh, well, you were probably flying when the storm hit! Stick with me, and I am sure that somepony looking for you will find ya, especially if you hang around me! I promise on my awesomeness that I will help you find out who you are!"

Well, that was a one eighty, but in my still emotional mind it was actually quite the rousing speech. I sniffed, finally drawing my eyes back to her face. "Really?" I asked quietly.

"Of course!" She replied, flaring her wings in a lovably pompous way. "I-I mean, I can't just watch somepony walk out of the Everfree, covered in sap and blood, after biting out the throat of a wood wolf, and NOT help can I? I bet if you knew who you were, you'd be almost as awesome as me. Hay! By the time we find out who you are, with my help you'll easily be twice as awesome than you started."

I did not know what I was buying at that point, but it sounded promising. "W-well, that d-d-does sound nice."

Rainbow Dash appeared proud of her abilities to bolster her own ego alongside anothers as an attempt to bolster their spirits. "That's the spirit!" And we kinda stood there awkwardly for a minute, I couldn't really blame her, I was a stranger, partially pretending amnesia, but hey cut me some slack, not knowing if I could ever return home, what would happen if I was ever found out, the terrifying possibility of having to choose one way or another... I had a lot on my mind at the time. "Well, uh, it's kinda early, and while I would like to just go back to bed, I have something I needta deal with today and might as well just... do it. I got some food if you want some breakfast." Rainbow said, pointing with her wing to another part of the house.

I blinked, only then feeling the fact I hadn't eaten for who knows how long. How long was I lost in the Everfree anyway? "Uh, sur-e. I-I'll be a sec?" I said, somewhat unsure.

Rainbow didn't seem to mind as she shrugged and started to leave the room. "Sure, I'll pour ya a bowl of Feather Flakes." That sounded equally disgusting and appetizing somehow. Such is the magic of Saturday Morning fictions, I mused. As I almost drifted back into my mind she spoke again from the doorway. "And I'm serious. I will help ya find out who you are, okay?" She smiled, such a trusting smile, and left, and although the words were reassuring and nice, my chest still clenched in guilt. I was lying to her, and she was placing her loyalty in me so much, so easily. I would have to make it up to her someday. If I was ever able.

Alone, not sure if 'at last' was apt, I turned about to inspect the room more closely. It was quite plain, all things considered. The walls appeared like a dark smooth stone, causing me to wonder where the hell I was, as it didn't look like anywhere I remembered from the show. The room was a bit sparse, without an exact idea where I was, at least beyond 'Somewhere Ponyville' I didn't know if it meant anything. As I looked around I saw a second doorway, a bit opposite from the one Rainbow had just left through.

I moved toward it, curiosity taking hold now that I was somewhere, presumably safe, wincing as I put a bit too much weight on my right hoof. As I peered in, it was revealed to be a bathroom. Quite simple all things considered, tub, toilet, sink with mirror. I was too out of it still to fully absorb the implications, nor would I have wanted to, were I at normal brain levels. I took the opportunity to look in the mirror, to see myself, no longer obscured by rain.

As I stepped into view of the mirror's reflection, I saw myself clearly for the first time. Teal, teal, teal, with a splash of black, my mane still a mess, but not horrid somehow. I looked over myself, with aid from the mirror to see the extent I was bandaged. Bandages were wrapped tightly around my right foreleg, shoulder, flank and of course my bum wing, reminding me of the aching pain that lingered below the bandages. Like a cat scratch somehow, a lingering heat. There were also a few scratches on my face but were hard to see under my fur.

I took in my physical features more, though considering my notably human outlook, I couldn't quite speak to my appearance. Whether I was a tomboy, girly, soft or hard featured, I couldn't tell. I was a freaking pony.

I gasped lightly as an idea struck my mind. Freaking ponies have cutie marks! Did- did I? Surely not, I assumed. I quickly shifted, growling as I once again put weight on my injured leg as I attempted to swing my booty into view of the mirror. After mild complications in terms of locomotion I moved my flank into view of the mirror, expecting to find it bare.

Only a strange image was there, purple and teal swirls of light flanked by wings of either crystal or ice. The wings looked kinda badass though.

But, I had no idea what the fuck that meant. I had a cutie mark -which itself is an odd feeling, differently colored fur and all- and had no idea what it meant. What, was I suppose to reflect beams of various colored light? Don't worry Equestria! I am here to channel the Elements of Harmony's blast like the freaking Flash!

I scowled at the unexplained cutie mark. An abhorrent marker of growth in Equestrian society I had not earned in the slightest and probably would never know the truth of. If I still existed in the world, I thought, I would refuse to converse with the Crusaders about my cutie mark. Unless I was bored. Or stupid. I experienced tree sap once, sucks, yeah, no amount of boredom would tempt me against tree sap again.

Cutie mark a disappointment, I turned my attention to the next most pressing part of my body: My singular still functional wing. I was stressed out about my wing. An entire set of muscles, bones and nerves I had never had before in my life was something, and best when out of my immediate thought process. As it was at the forefront of my mind, it kinda freaked me out, as I stared at the bundle of feathers not bound to my side.

I felt along that side of my body, kinda like if you tried to wiggle your ears or nose, and my wing started to move. It was so-o-o-oh weird! I gently extended my wing, at least glad to see it didn't look terrible, like I didn't need to preen or anything. Yet. But having new nerves felt fucky. I snapped my wing back to my side and tried my best not to think about my changed nerves. The more I thought about my new body the more I felt like I was going to disassociate or something, which would have been a new experience.

Instead, I clumsily trotted out of the bathroom, hoping some kind of breakfast would distract me from my body by producing new problems to haunt me with. As I passed through the doorway Rainbow exited from, I noted it looked a bit similar to the guest room I was apparently in before, but much more extravagant somehow. Blue-ish chiseled walls and marble-esq pillars as part of the wall. Curved, triangular windows finally came across my view, revealing blue skies, white clouds and a rainbow freaking waterfall. As my eyes flew about the room, a second story and stairs leading there, and even a statue of a pegasus, probably a Wonderbolt. I simply stood in awe. "This place is fancy as fuck..."

A laugh rang from a room nearby, causing me to tense and then wince as my wing stressed against its binds. I twisted towards Rainbow's laugh, my face heating up from being heard. "Hah, that has got to be the best compliment I've ever got about this place." I followed the sound of her voice to a simple kitchen. For some reason I felt proud that Rainbow had a kitchen, and I didn't know why. "Come on, have a seat. Figured you'd wanna pour your own milk though."

I focused more on the table. Rainbow sitting on a stool on the opposite side from me, with a second stool placed somewhat haphazardly on the other side, a white bowl filled with white frosted looking cereal laid before me, and dare I say it looked quite tasty. Too bad I didn't know how to freaking grab anything. Hooves, my worst opponent.

No time to worry, until a reason was thrown in my face, I moved to and sat on the stool. A spoon and carton of milk laid before me, and instantly the anxiety of my lack of thumbs began to overtake me. I instantly regretted not suffering through understanding my functioning wing, because having a wing hand would be real nice right now. If wings even worked like that. Welp. Time to fake it til I make it.

I slid the milk over to myself, it was a stereotypical carton box type with a screw on lid. Perfect. Even if I'd only seen orange juice in such a box. I braced the carton and awkwardly twisted the cap with downward pressure, ever worried I'd just crush the box, but luckily the cap screwed off and lightly fell to the table. I then miraculously managed to grip the carton between my hooves, shoulder glaring at me, and poured just a bit of milk onto my -what did Rainbow call them? Feather Flakes?- without issue. I had no idea how I'd get the cap back on the milk though. I had a brilliant plan though.

I 'absentmindedly' pushed the carton and lid towards the middle of the table while keeping my eyes on my cereal.

Faking stupidity to navigate social situations! Works hardly ever, but god I had to try.

I glanced over to Rainbow to see if I could glean any pointers on how to use spoons, only for Rainbow to be using her wing. On the one hand, yay wing hands, on the same hand that is now a hoof, oh no. I basically said 'screw it', and just gripped the bowl between my hooves. Not that comfortable, but hey my new face was kinda made to eat like this. I lifted the bowl to my face and took a generous enough bite of the cereal. And wouldn't you know it, it was actually pretty good. Good ol' sweet frosty over layer, but even the crunchy cereal itself had a flavor I couldn't instantly place. Better than the ones that were basically edible cardboard, I supposed.

Once more Rainbow chuckled, and I flinched, luckily only a little bit of milk leaped over the edge of the bowl. Seeing my flinch Rainbow tried to calm me, still chuckling. "Nah, nah, it's okay. I do that sometimes too. Can't do it in public, though. Ponies judge all because it's 'not mature.' My food, I eat how I want."

Ah, a mare of culture I see.

Knowing I was in friendly company who wouldn't judge me, I returned to my food. I would have commented on, well, anything Rainbow said, but words failed me. Granted I was also absorbed in the utter terror my teeth gave unto me. I swear my mind had to be obscuring my understanding of my new body until the parts were thrown in my face. Although, it probably wasn't just my teeth, but every minor difference I had yet to fully absorb.

We ate in silence for quite some time. I could have tried to say something, but I had no idea what that something could be. It didn't help that I think Rainbow started to get a bit antsy, probably in the same boat as me. I couldn't really imagine what was going through her mind in that moment. You take an injured stranger home with apparent amnesia and they act a bit strange, if relatable, only to leave you with no conversational openings. And you can't expect the amnesiac to start conversation.

"So, where am I?" But that doesn't mean I, the fake amnesiac shouldn't try.

Rainbow stopped munching, seemingly surprised by my question. "Ogh, riht." She said with a full mouth. She swallowed and continued. "The whole amnesia thing. You limped out of the Everfree, huge forest. Now you're in my house near Ponyville." If I were an amnesiac I would appreciate knowing the names.

I gently crunched some more cereal myself as I thought of more awkward topics to ask. "Is Ponyville a good place?"

Rainbow shrugged at my question. "Kinda subjective. It's no Cloudsdale, but it's good. Has good ponies. Weird stuff happens sometimes, though. And, ya know, living near the Everfree can get on your nerves."

I blinked, in thought, was the Everfree really that bad? I couldn't tell if it was some location based version of 'characterization marches on' or what. The show only, well, showed two times to my memory that the Everfree was hyped as a weird monster factory and weather naturality. Else the Everfree was hardly an issue or that concerning from what I could recall, pony eating Timberwolves aside.

I almost wanted to ask if the Everfree was that bad, but considering I was wearing bandages because of the forest I kept my trap shut on that front. I wanted to ask what would come next. The next step in the day. For me. But I feared the answer. I always feared tomorrow, even if tomorrow was my only escape at times.

I ate my damn Feather Flakes.

The rest of breakfast passed without much anything, really. I finished my cereal, as did Rainbow. Decent food, but the atmosphere could use some work.

Rainbow got up from her place at the table and stretched. "Well, enough avoiding things." I considered that an ominous thing to say as she seemed to be heading to the front of the house, and I glanced to our bowls. A strong urge to quickly throw the bowls into the sink rose within me, but another urge to not step on any toes battled it.

In the end I quickly, if carefully, followed after Rainbow, wincing with an occasional step. "Where ya going?" I asked, eloquently.

Rainbow stiffened slightly and turned to me, almost seeming like she both did and didn't want to go. "I, um..." She took a deep breath and sighed, "I have to go apologize to somepony, and I need to get it over with before, uh, before..."

I blinked, mildly in thought. Who could she need to apologize to? Was this an episode I was intruding on? I decided to press. "Because if you don't do it now you'll chicken out?"

Rainbow flinched, practically reacting as if I had swung at her. "I do not chicken out! I am awe-some!" She sorta yelled, her wings flaring slightly and her voice doing that cute voice crack. Well, it would have been cute if she wasn't glaring at me.

Time to course correct. "So you need to go apologize because you're too awesome to chicken out of apologizing?"

"Y-yeah. I can't let somepony think I'd chicken out of taking responsibility. I'm too awesome, to-to let that happen."

Huh, something was eating at Rainbow. It at least warranted some kind of worry from her. My interest piqued, I decided to delve head first into this whole, well, acquaintance thing. So long as I didn't fuck something up. "Well... what do you need to apologize for?"

Rainbow shuffled her hooves a little, before making up her mind on something. "Listen, it'll be easier to tell you on the way, so can we just go?"

Man, she was impatient. Understandable. I nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

She seemed relieved that I accepted so easily and practically burst through her front door. I quickly followed and immediately started to stumble. Somehow I forgot Rainbow lived in a freaking cloud mansion, well, less forgot and more didn't exactly recognize what being in Rainbow's house exactly meant. And the house was really high up by my standard. Then again, my standard for 'too high for my liking,' tended to be the second floor of tall buildings and looking out a window.

Shaking my head lightly, I steadied myself. I didn't even think having both wings free would settle my unease. Oh, and walking on clouds is weird, but that was secondary to being high up with no safety.

"Uh, are you okay?" Rainbow asked.

The cloud felt funny under my hoof as I turned to her and saw her look of concern. Taking a deep breath I nodded lightly. "Yeah, yeah, just- just not used to being up high I guess."

Rainbow winced and gave a look of sympathy that tore at my guilt over lying. "I guess that amnesia took whatever altitude experience ya had. Uh, we'll work on that later. Hop on." She said, flaring her wings and crouching a little. I presumed she was going to give me a flying piggyback ride to the ground.

I approached her and tilted my head. "Uh, so ride on your back down to the ground?"

She smiled and stretched a little in pride. "Yup! Until your wing heals up I guess I have to be your ride of awesomeness!" Sales pitch solidly sold, I clumsily clambered onto her back. Avoiding her wings, while having a solid hold on her, while not feeling weird was a balance I barely attained. "Hold on tight, we're goin' down!"

And down did we go. She leapt from her cloud home and began to glide down, while I did my best to not touch her wings and still my beating heart that was quite nervous from the unsteady ride and blowing wind. For a moment I almost felt the splatter of rain and could have sworn I was in the forest for a third time.

Luckily the glide down was relatively quick and before I knew it I was back on solid ground, after almost falling off Rainbow Dash from my clumsy climb down from her back. She caught me though, so it was okay. "Whoa-oa. Careful. Can't have ya roughing up your wing more, right?"

I shook my head to steady myself, just feeling off in every way. "Y-yeah. I don't want my wing bandaged for longer than it needs to be."

I turned to her expectantly and she did not disappoint. "Alright! Now off to... Sweet Apple acres." Her bravado deflated quickly from the high of helping me down, to the apparent low of going to see Applejack?

I was confused. "So... explain on the way?" I gestured randomly, prompting her to head in the right direction.

Rainbow seemed to steel herself and nod, beginning our journey. I followed after her best I could, not that bothered when she didn't immediately dive into the reason she had to apologize as it gave me time to enjoy the scenery. The path we walked had a great view of Ponyville's surroundings. What appeared to be small, snow capped mountains in the distance intrigued me, the vibrant green trees and grass pleased me. The land around Ponyville was beautiful in the early morning light, if a tad scuffed from the storm.

Amidst my sight seeing Rainbow gave a light cough, drawing my attention. "Okay. I need to say sorry to my friend Applejack... and it's a little awkward." I tilted my head but let her continue. "You see, last night the storm hit Ponyville hard. I was supposed to fly around and let ponies know it was an Everfree storm and not a planned one. Sweet Apple Acres was the last place I was going to hit up and, uh, the storm got worse faster than I thought it would, and that's when I found you."

Oh. Oh. I could tell where she was going, and I didn't like it. "When I found you, I didn't know if I could get to Sweet Apple Acres while carrying you, so I flew you home instead. And seeing how much the storm wrecked everywhere else-" I followed her gaze around and it didn't look bad to me, but I was the newbie here. "- I don't wanna see what the farm looks like."

I felt terrible, honestly. If I wasn't an idiot and passed out from pain and exhaustion I could have followed Rainbow to Sweet Apple Acres or something. At the very least avoid bad blood between two friends.

As I let my thoughts fly I could have sworn I felt my heart clench. What if I drove a wedge between Rainbow and Applejack? If the farm took too much damage Applejack could refuse any explanation whatsoever and I could potentially be responsible for the doom of Equestria through the sin of surviving.

I think Rainbow saw my discomfort the knowledge brought me, that I was the reason for this visit, and wanted to calm me. "Hey, hey! Uh, it's not your fault." Doubt. "No matter what happens between me and Applejack, and her family, I would never have left you out like that. Besides, I doubt the Apples would have liked it if I left somepony out in that storm. I just-I just have to say sorry for not being fast enough."

Aaaaand guilt amplified. Gah. "I don't know what to say." I mumbled. "But, I wanna help. This apology, something beyond, I wanna help." I couldn't bring myself to look at her at the moment, especially as a thought crossed my mind. "I-I-I mean, I owe you my life."

The landscape drew my eyes as I said that last bit, not wanting to see her reaction to my words, although I did hear it. With a light chuckle. "You don't owe me anything. But, help? Well, I won't say no to that right now." I finally turned to her to see a friendly smile staring back. It somehow lessened and intensified my guilt.

Eventually we found ourselves before the acres of apples, and things did not look good. Apples, whether once ready to be harvested or too early I couldn't tell, littered the ground. Debris had found its way into the trees, branches were broken, either barely attached or plain on the ground, even thick ones. The worst was one full on tree had somehow tilted and fell onto a path that led into the farm proper.

Rainbow did not look good after that. She took one more deep breath and began to trudge toward where the barn and farm house of the Apples stood. As we neared I saw two ponies heading our way, which confused me a bit. Even from the distance we were at I could plainly tell it was Big Mac and Applebloom. Unless there was some other tall red stallion and small yellow filly I didn't know about.

Once we got close enough Applebloom waved excitedly and proclaimed greeting. "Hey Rainbow Dash!" Although she did give me a quizzical glance, she seemed more interested in Rainbow at that moment.

Rainbow waved back, giving a more subdued hello. "Hey Applebloom, Big Mac." Said stallion nodded in acknowledgement. "Where are you two going?"

Applebloom sighed dramatically. "Applejack wants Big Mac to take me to school today. Ah think she's worried Ah might trip and fall on a branch or somethin'."

Big Mac shrugged at Applebloom's words. "Eeyup." I merely blinked and glanced around, easily seeing yet another tree threatening to fall. I think Applejack had the right idea.

Applebloom finally laid her eyes firmly on me, curiosity burning within them. "Who's that?"

I did not know what to say to that, luckily Rainbow saved me from saying words just yet. "Long story. Speaking of Applejack, where is she right now?"

Applebloom looked a little miffed at her question being dodged, but pointed to the barn all the same. "She's doin' somethin' in the barn. She didn't like the look of the farm this mornin'."

Both Rainbow and I winced at that, Rainbow recovering first. "Well, we don't want to keep you from school. Talk to you later Applebloom, Big Mac."

"B-b-but, what about the new pony? And what-" Applebloom complained.

Big Mac rolled his eyes, though sported a small smile as he picked up his sister and put her on his back. "Eeyup." He said to Rainbow and continued on the path out of the farm, ignoring Applebloom's complaints.

After we watched them go, Rainbow practically stealthed up to the barn, looking absolutely terrified. I didn't know exactly what I should do, but I tried to comfort her. I gently patted her shoulder with my injured hoof, if only so my injured hoof wasn't the only one keeping me standing. "I'll try to stop her if she tries to break you."

Somehow Rainbow looked a little better. "Wish me luck." She said, before approaching the barn door in a few hesitant steps and knocking upon it. "H-hey, Applejack? I need to talk to you."

Not a second later the barn door absolutely blasted open, hitting Rainbow in the face and sending her flying clear across the yard. I could only stand in shock as my vision went from the groaning, laid out Rainbow back to the barn entrance where a completely incensed Applejack stood.

Until she started stomping towards Rainbow. "Ya no good feather fiend! Look what ya did to my farm!"

I was sorta panicking at the tone of her voice. Let's just call it 'Ready and willing to annihilate.' At least she didn't seem to see me.

That was until I sprang between her and Rainbow, my single unbandaged wing flaring on its own while my hurt wing struggled against its prison. "S-stop!" I freaking whimpered.

And the only response I got was applejack snorting in rage and pawing at the ground as if she was going to charge me.

I kinda wanted to cry at that moment.
> Chatper 3: Hooves On The Ground
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


 I had no idea what to say, what I even could say.


Not only due to the guilt, but seeing one of your favorite cartoon characters begin to angrily stomp towards you really takes your tongue away. “R-Rainbow didn’t d-do this!” A factual statement, at the very least.

Applejack just snorted and continued her death march towards me.

It appeared facts mattered little here.

“Weather don’t just blow in with a mind of its own!” Applejack ground out through clenched teeth.

It was then I pondered, why was taking away weather’s autonomy a magical act? But I couldn’t dwell, angry Apple approaching aggressively. I shook my head, “Everfree weather does.” I said, my voice sounding weak.

That fun little fact didn’t seem to deter the angry farmer much, Applejack did glance to the side, her face shifting slightly, but only just before her angry eyes locked onto me again. “Well, if it were an Everfree storm, then surely the ‘fastest pony in Ponyville’ coulda gotten here and warned me to brace my farm!”

I glanced behind me, only to see Rainbow still kinda out of it. Seriously, how freaking hard did Applejack hit her with the barn door?!

With a quick swallow I turned back to the mad farmer. I wasn’t too sure if Applejack would actually hurt Rainbow any, but she’d do some seriously dumb things staked on pride and family in the future as things stood, and I still didn’t know when I was. Midway through the series, even just after Nightmare Moon, sure, it might just be a friendship problem, but what if I was sometime before? An angry Applejack before forging a close bond to Rainbow could spell quite a bit of pain.

I knew what I had to do. “Rainbow couldn’t tell you about the storm because she was too busy saving my life!” I yelled, voice cracking, whether from the still lingering guilts tied to the situation before me, I as the catalyst, harbinger of broken apple trees, or fear. Perhaps it was simply just a feeling of being overwhelmed by my already existent dislike of social situations.

Applejack finally stalled, face awash in shock at my shout. My lungs ached slightly, as I allowed myself to relax ever so slightly in the face of peace. Hopefully. “What? What happened?” She said, worry entering her voice, replacing her anger as she quickly took her hat from her head.

Shit, I wasn’t prepared for a show and tell, uh, “I-I don’t remember how. I woke up in the Everfree, got-got chased by Timberwolves, bi-it out a Timberwolf’s throat,” That got Applejack’s attention, honestly the look of shock would have been hilarious if my brain wasn’t in overdrive, and, you know, not the greatest memory of staring into death’s eyes from the knife’s edge, “- I finally got out of the forest, but passed out. Uh, Rainbow probably picked me up not too long after that, ‘cause…” I glanced around the apple farm, “I couldn’t have made it if the storm did… this.”

Applejack’s expression fell into a look of sympathy that tore a lash of guilt through me, “Oh, oh darlin’ I am so sorry.” With a grunt she rammed her hat back onto her head as she began to approach me again, far friendlier this time, “Gosh I am a stupid pony sometimes. Just look at ya!” I tried to interrupt her, because she was not a stupid pony, but she spoke on regardless, “How can I be ticked over my farm when somepony I’ve never seen before is wrapped in still bleedin’ bandages, vouching for Dash like this?”

I was going to try and placate her, try to stem the flood of her guilt over her more reasonable emotions, I mean a stab at your livelihood is not easy to be calm about, but her comment on my bandages drew me up short on responses. Glancing quickly to my bandaged flank, indeed a spot of crimson had formed, once more showing I was not careful and probably opened the wound at some point. Careless. “Huh.”

Applejack scoffed, “’Huh’, she says. Well, can’t believe how narrow sighted I was being. I feel I should thank ya for snappin’ me out of it.”

With a shake of my head I tried, once again, to help her not feel guilty, I was literally the reason it all happened. Stupid passing out. “Th-there’s no reason to apologize. Your anger was perfectly justified.” I said, lightly noting the slight sound of movement behind me.

And by the look on Applejack’s face I said the wrong thing. “Perfectly justified?! Ain’t no way being mad about somepony’s life being saved is justified! Now, don’t get me wrong, I am a bit ticked over my farm still, but, well dang it if I can’t be mad at Dash even if I wanted to be. But, enough about me, what’s your name?”

Completely swept up in the chaos, I answered without thinking. “Neon.” It just slipped out. Sure, it might be a tad odd to default to an internet handle rather than the name given to you on a certificate, but over time I had come to see my self made name as a bit… more. I wouldn’t have legally changed my name or anything back on Earth, but, let’s just say I never instinctively flinched upon hearing someone call out ‘Neon’.

“Ugh, oh hey! Cool that you remember your name at least!” Oh, yeah, I was meant to have amnesia. Welp, not the worst situation. And of course NOW Rainbow decides to come back to the land of the living. But, I couldn’t be too annoyed at Rainbow when her demeanor shifted as she turned from me to Applejack. “Oh, uh, hi Applejack.”

The flickering embers of Applejack’s fury were still dying, so there was the faintest hint of an edge to her reply, “Hello Rainbow.” The silence that followed hurt my ears, or at least it would look like it as my attention was sharply drawn to feeling my new ears laying back and flat against my will.

Eventually Rainbow took a deep breath and let it out, “Listen, I’m sorry AJ, the storm came outta nowhere, then it just kept getting bigger and faster, and my routing sucked, but when I was heading to the farm, I saw her pass out in front of the Everfree and I kinda panicked and-”

And Applejack’s embers of anger seemed to snuff out rather quickly, as she cut off Rainbow’s rambling apology, “Oh, stow it, Dash, you ain’t got a thing to apologize for.”

Rainbow seemed to flip flop between ecstatic Applejack wasn’t angry with her, and somewhat shocked, “Bu-but your farm!”

Applejack heaved a sigh, and shrugged her shoulders, “Honestly, now that I’m thinkin’ more clearly, I doubt your warning woulda made a lick of difference.” A smile, though small, found its way onto her muzzle, “And, well, I’d say your routing was pretty perfect, all things considering.”

Now the shock had completely taken over Rainbow’s face, and mine as well, as I found myself speaking next, “But… if Rainbow prioritized your farm, wouldn’t you have been able to at least mitigate some of the damage to the farm?”

Rainbow snapped a wing out, pointing in my direction, which slightly startled me, “What she said!”

Applejack’s smile, maybe didn’t widen, but it strengthened somewhat, “’Cause, if ya came here first, you woulda missed this here Neon’s time of need. I might be down apples, maybe even a few trees what can’t be saved, but what’s a few apple trees if it means a pony was saved?”

Rainbow and I blinked, surprised by the turn things had taken, “That went better than expected.” I said.

“Tell me about it. And hey, you remember anything else along with your name at all?” Rainbow asked me, causing me to tense.

I shook my head, “N-no, don’t think so.”

Applejack quirked an eyebrow, “Wait, remembering? So, you can’t remember near anything? How’d that happen?”

The moment she became curious I had to use all of my willpower to not immediately break out in shakes and sweat of nervousness, a mantra playing in my head over and over ‘please don’t be a lie detector, please don’t be a lie detector.’

Luckily, Rainbow took over for me, “We don’t know.” She said, before rubbing the back of her neck, “Well, I didn’t really dig that deep. She was in rough shape and couldn’t remember much,” She puffed out her chest and smiled, “And I promised to help her get back on her hooves and find out who she is. Ya know, beyond just having a name.”

Applejack hummed and tipped her hat to me, “Well, best wishes to ya, hope you can remember more sooner than later, but I really should get back to fixing up my farm. Celestia knows it needs it.”

It was there that I made a split second decision, based mostly on my still lingering guilt, “I’m willing to help if you want it.”

I could feel Dash do a double take in my direction, “Oh! U-uh, same! I’m down to help, too.”

As predicted, Applejack immediately flinched and started waving us off, “Nah, nah, ya girls don’t need to do that. Me and Big Mac can handle this just fine. Besides, don’t you need to do weather management stuff, Rainbow?”

Dash rolled her eyes, “Sure, you can, but you can also accept it. And I got the day off after last night, something about hazard something or other. Which works for me, I wouldn’t wanna do heavy flying after yesterday anyway. Can’t go wrecking my wings, can I?” I got the feeling Dash mostly wanted to help so she could feel like she helped AJ after everything. So, we were in similar boats.

“Really letting us help would go faster, as it would, alone, skip the argument phase of us going back and forth, and instead we’d jump right into doing the act.” I said, ever so slightly monotone.

Applejack started and stopped saying something a few times before just hanging her head and sighing, “Ugh, fine.” She then jabbed a hoof at me, “But no heavy liftin’ for you missy! Got it?” I nodded, just happy she wasn’t being stubborn. Something to dissect later. With another muffled sigh she said, “Well, I guess a few extra hooves cleaning up the farm would help, then me an’ Big Mac can deal with the big stuff a bit later. Come along you two, iffen you wanna help, you’re doing it right!”

With that, Applejack began trotting off while Rainbow hung her own head and grumbled, “I wanna be mad, but I really can’t.”

We then set to work, and in all honesty, it was pretty basic. So basic, there was hardly any heavy lifting. It was mostly picking up limbs, logs and fallen apples. Apparently Applejack and Big Mac had already been collecting apples from the ground to see if they could be saved. From my apple uneducated perspective, I would suggest tons of apple sauce. But what did I know? Considering my amnesiac backstory, I wasn’t going to suggest too much.

But, yeah. I did a lot of gathering. Gathering sticks and medium size limbs into bins, putting apples into baskets which were carried off by Dash or Applejack when they grew full. I also had a minor existential crisis when I realized I was picking apples up with my hooves. Really, the only thing that stopped me from stopping and freaking out was the anxiety laden thought of being noticed. Or falling behind and leaving Dash to deal with everything when I was the one to volunteer us.

As we were cleaning up the farm, and making decent time, as the sun was still out and things didn’t look quite like a warzone anymore, I had to deal with another social situation. Big Mac came back.

I tried to be sociable, I mean I was on his property, even if it was a bit awkward making conversation with someone who was damn near picking up and replanting a tree single handedly.

“Hi.” I said lamely. He simply waved back, you know, while holding the weight of a leaning tree with the other, “We kinda forced Applejack to let us help clean things up.”

He nodded as he expertly grounded the tree, “Eeyup.”

I briefly pondered what his life’s total word count was, “Well, if you need more hooves, feel free to ask. Though, Applejack told me no heavy lifting, but I’ll help where I can.”

With but another simple nod and, “Eeyup.” Our conversation came to an end. I think I was going to get along just fine with Big Mac, if we ever interact on a semi regular basis.

A few hours later, I assumed at least, the sun was finally setting, me, Applejack and Rainbow Dash stood in front of the barn. Applejack looked much more majestic compared to Dash and I, sweaty, dirty. I could have sworn my fur was matted. I was tired as hell, but, oddly accomplished.

“Well, would ya look at that.” Applejack said with a smile.

Rainbow was still breathing a little more than usual when she spoke, “Yeah, I thought it would never get done.”

I, meanwhile, felt like my lungs were giving out, and I hadn’t even done the hardest bits, “I’m, hah, dying.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes and batted me with her wing, light but noticeable, “Oh, shut up, it was your idea.”

“And a good idea at that. It probably would have taken me an’ Big Mac a few days to clean things up, let alone begin rightin’ some trees already.” She turned to us and gave us a positively warm smile, “Thank ya, sincerely.”

“Thanks, hah, for letting us, hah, help.” I lightly snarked.

Applejack gave a laugh, “Ha! No kiddin’. But, I won’t keep ya’ll any longer. Remind me to pay ya’ll back for this sometime.”

Rainbow chuckled and waved her wing in dismissal, “Ah, no big deal. See ya later AJ.”

Rainbow began trotting away and I followed with a sigh, “Nice, hah, meeting you Applejack.”

“Stay safe ya’ll!”

I let out a sigh of relief, the tension of work leaving my shoulders, “I feel like I ran through the forest again.”

With a groan, Rainbow mildly agreed, “After all that, I’m gonna have to get you new bandages, and the day ran out, so, not wrong. But, thanks Neon.”

I quirked an eyebrow and glanced at her, “For what?”

She snorted a stifled laugh at my words, “Come on. You threw yourself in front of me to talk to Applejack, and got her to let us help. I mean, I woulda wanted to help anyway, but, I might not have, you know, found the words.”

With a tilt of my head, I kinda got it, but kinda didn’t, “I just did what felt right?”

She gently nudged me with her shoulder, a smile prominent on her face, “Most ponies would have run screaming if they saw AJ that mad. I know she wouldn’t actually hurt me… I think. But you just jumped right in there, talked her down. I would have fumbled my words and made a mess of things.”

I was going to respond before narrowing my eyes, “Were-were you not actually stunned?”

She winced a little and averted her gaze, “Welllll. Maybe.”

My first instinct was to be angry, but the combination of her looking actually a little scared and downright adorable melted through those thoughts easily. So, I instead chuckled and returned the shoulder bump, “Guess you owe me then.”

A slightly indignant look overcame her, “Well, I saved your life and gave you Featherflakes.”

I smiled a bit smugly and turned my nose up a little, “Well, that’s expected, like you said, unlike most ponies I jumped in front of an angry apple farmer and found your words for you. Obviously that makes you my eternal servant.”

Laughter belted out of her, unable to keep up her indignation, “You wish. I won’t be your servant, buuuuut, I might let you to be a friend.”

“Oh, ho ho, ‘might,’ she says. After I saved her multicolored tail.” I snarked with a smile.

She rebuked me with a smug smile, quite effectively, I might add, “Ponies wish they could save my tail, it isn’t something that happens often.”

I leaned my head back, enjoying our banter, “Maybe you should let it happen more often.”

“Ha, why would I do that?”

Glancing back to her, my smile softened, “Well, look at me. My fabulous tail being saved lead me to meeting you.”

It looked like she actually mulled it over before shrugging, “Nah.”

Tilting my head back in her direction, I asked, “Why not?”

She met my gaze, smile still firmly in place, “’Cause you’d just take up all the tail saving opportunities.”

I let out a playful scoff, “Well, of course! It’d have to be me. Someone else would get it wrong.”

That got another bout of laughter from Rainbow, strengthening my smile. “Well, we’re back at my house.”

And indeed she was right. Granted it was a flying house so for the oblivious it’s not that hard to miss. Which brought a thought to my head, “Uh, Rainbow?”

“Yeah?” She answered, nonchalantly.

“How do I get back up there?” I asked, placing my bandaged wing in full view.

She honestly looked a bit stumped, “Uhhhh… oh. I think I’ll need grab a few clouds, kinda hop you up slowly.”

Another thought came to my head, “Actually, how did you get me up there last time anyway?”

“Adrenaline.”

You know what? Fair enough.
> Chapter 4: Head Into Town
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


My sleep was dreamless, or at least I failed to recall the dreams, which I didn’t really begrudge all that much. One nightmare of a Timberwolf wrenching itself from my gullet was one too many anyway.


The rest itself was alright, I admit, but after a painful near death experience and cleaning an apple farm not that far afterwards, the pain finally caught up to me. My muscles ached, so, so much, but I was in a new world, so there wasn’t time to stay in bed. Even if my muscles wanted to out vote me.

I winced as I placed my bad front leg onto the floor, not helped with this being the first time I actually got out of bed as a quadruped, without falling from a nightmare at least. Sucking it up, I powered on and put my good front leg out to stabilize, which only caused me to wince more as its muscles were also quite angry.

Finally free of the bed, I sighed, and then stilled. I had no idea what to do next. I was in a new world, I had no home on this world, no real way to my real home. I didn’t know what to do. Not for today, not for tomorrow. I felt… trapped.

I mean, should I go to Celestia, just say, 'Yo, I'm human, can you send me back?' And pray for the best? A part of me was torn. Younger me from a few years ago would have jumped to Equestria and not looked back, granted there was a huge pull on current me towards Equestria, though I hated to lose my human life, my family, my friends.

'But what of the new friends, the found family you could make?' A thought whispered to me. It felt a lot easier, what since I was standing in Equestria, a pegasus who was at least on decent terms with Rainbow and AJ. To forsake a dream, an escapist dream true, felt loathsome to do. How many would kill to stand where I stood? How would a younger I have killed to stand right here?

An angry twin thought wisped through my mind, 'And what of the possibility you're in a grimdark fic You definitely weren't canon, what else isn't?' A terrifying thought indeed. I still didn't know when I was. There could be ample time for me to either die, or for obscene alterations to make themselves known to me, or, god forbid, I accidentally make the obscene alterations.

Oddly enough, going home if I could might be a less perilous and more stable life decision... I sighed, that was a lie. Earth was just as perilous. Perhaps more so in some regard. At least in Equestria there are designated good guys to counter the dark. Equestria had the benevolent dictator of Celestia. Earth had corrupt politicians, overbearing religious zealots who demanded freedom of religion that ironically refused freedom from said religion, and so much worse beyond, with no rainbow nuke to blast them with.

I turned my head to the cloud wall and frowned. Should I try to go home? Could I even? Which world, which life held more promise, more love, more peace of mind? Was it wrong to even try to quantify? Could time move differently between them? Was I thrown not only through space, but through time? Unending questions swirled my mind, with no clear paths to answer.

But one stuck firmly in my mind: Is the grass only greener right now, that I'm on this side of the fence?

Finally, a knock on the door jolted me out of my stupor. The knock was followed by silence, so, feeling awkward I limped over and opened the door, revealing Rainbow who too looked a tad awkward, “Hey, just came to see if you were up and, uh, wanted breakfast.”

A good question, I gave it a mediocre answer as I stared dumbly, “Uh, sure.” Come on, it was far too early for me to have to face the reality of ponies.

Once again, our breakfast was a quiet affair. Me the fake amnesiac, her the awkward host housing said fake amnesiac. I already wasn’t someone for small talk, but I also hated silence, doubly so I hated breaking them. Back home there were TVs as background static at least, here, the mere munching of featherflakes. Granted, being a fake amnesiac, I didn't really know what an amnesiac would think to have small talk about. Luckily it was a quick breakfast and Rainbow flew me down, at least partially answering my conundrum of not having anything to do.

“Alright, listen, I need to go help the weather team today. After the storm it was kinda agreed on that we’d triple check any and all planned weather around the area. Ya know, looking for any other Everfree clouds, seeing what kind of weather we need to schedule and where to make up for the Everfree storm, it’s a lot.” She drifted off a little, and kind of winced, “So… I can’t really, uh, look out for you today, I guess. But, I figured you’d wanna check out Ponyville and stuff sometime anyway, and since I don’t wanna leave you hanging in a cloudhouse you can’t get down from, and all, so.” She kinda shrugged, looking a bit guilty. Which in turn made me feel slightly guilty too.

I waved a hoof dismissively, “It’s no issue Rainbow. You’ve got work, I can’t fly yet, it all adds up.”

She sighed and stretched her neck like it was stiff, “Yeah, but it just feels wrong leaving you on your own for some reason. Like, yeah, you apparently put the beat down on a Timberwolf, super kick flank by the way, but you still haven’t healed, I feel like I should have given you a tour of town, just something, you know?”

Gingerly putting a hoof on her shoulder, I gave her the gentlest smile I could, which I had no idea how adequate that was, but I tried, “Rainbow, I don’t blame you for a second, and you shouldn’t either. You’ve already gone far beyond what I’d expect anyone to do. You can have many, many days that don’t revolve around me. Hell, I didn't really expect one day to even slightly revolve around me. In fact, please spend your time however you want, I’d hate to drag you down any.”

My words seemed to at least ease something in Rainbow who gave a small, if conflicted smile, “Fine. Well, uh, that way is to Ponyville, kinda hard to miss even from ground level,” She said, pointing a hoof indeed towards the not that distant buildings I saw from my slow exit from the forest, speaking of which, “And that way is where the Everfree is. No matter how much of a bad flank you are, please don’t go there on your own, okay? Well, I guess it’s kinda obvious not to, the storm and, uh well you, all came from there, but still.”

Nodding and keeping the same smile, I did my damndest to reassure Rainbow everything was fine, “I got it Dash. I’ll wander around Ponyville for a while and get back before nightfall, sounds good?”

Seeming less ruffled, Rainbow bounced her head in agreement, a much brighter smile adorning her face, “Alright! I doubt I’ll get off work too early today, so take all the time you want to sightsee. See ya later!” And with that she leapt into the air and flew off, quite majestically I’d say.

Welp, hooves on the ground and no duty to which I was bound, I began to meander my way to Ponyville. All in all, the town definitely looked a little worse for wear. Roofs had holes that certainly looked to have been made by tree branches, everything just had a grungy look to it, and the closer I got, the more it seemed like clean up was only just nearing completion. And that was all just what I could see from a distance.

As I got nearer, the finer details of Ponyville were finally visible to me. Ponies were milling about, either making rudimentary fixes to damage the surrounding buildings took, or were still cleaning up the remaining debris that plagued the town. I briefly flashed back to my life back on Earth, where we luckily never had to deal with heavy storms like that.

I cringed slightly, for some reason a lick of guilt passed through me that I couldn’t explain. I supposed the correlation of me arriving right as a big storm did set off some alarm bells. A human being transported into Equestria, a storm of at least decent strength. Maybe whatever power that punched through reality to bring me to the land of ponies kicked off an Everfree storm as a side effect. I mean, it would make some bit of sense, human from earth where weather does its own thing lands in the land where everything does its own thing. Comparative to the pony world at least. In the end, whether the weather was tied to me or not, it was out of my hands. Hooves, whatever.

Presumed nonsensical guilt aside, the sight of mildly mangled roofs and slightly tired ponies made me wonder how often Everfree storms were. Couldn’t be too frequent, but I was no meteorologist. Then I wondered if Rainbow Dash technically counted as a meteorologist when I finally noticed someone calling out to me.

I blinked, somehow not expecting to really be of note to anyone. Turning, I saw an aqua unicorn, Lyra right? Or did she get an ‘official’ name? Lyra, until proven otherwise, cantered towards me, breathing heavier than would be normal, well, I guess she was probably helping clean things up.

“Hey!” She huffed, slightly out of breath, “You’re new in town, right?” Lyra said, looking, I don’t know, excited? Something like that.

It felt odd to be approached for some reason, introverted previous lifestyle probably didn’t help. Especially not when someone with Lyra’s expression approaches me. Hell, if anything I thought Pinkie would have been the one to randomly approach me. Luckily I was saved by Bon Bon who totally had an ‘official’ name that I couldn’t remember for the life of me. Said Bon Bon trudged over, scowling lightly, “Lyra! Why’d you just run off like that? We aren’t anywhere near finished with all this Celestia forsaken cleaning!”

Lyra to her credit did look a bit bashful, but come to think of it, yeah, that was a good question. “Oh! Sorry Bon Bon. It’s just, I saw this new pony, and felt like I should come say hi.”

Bon Bon seemed close to face hoofing honestly, though had a calmer tone when she next spoke, “Lyra, on any other day I wouldn’t be that bothered, but can you at least let me know you’re going to borrow some of Pinkie Pie’s energy before running off without warning?”

Wincing slightly, Lyra nodded, “Ah, yeah, sorry Bon Bon…”

Giving a sigh, Bon Bon patted Lyra’s shoulder, “Oh, I guess it’s fine in the end. Might as well greet the new pony.” With that she turned to face me, a slight smile growing on her face, “Hello and welcome to Ponyville. I’m Bon Bon, and this unicorn who leapt before looking is Lyra. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you!” Lyra echoed, excitedly.

I blinked once, then twice and thrice, finding the back forth from a few seconds ago just odd. It’s one thing to see the interaction as something cartoon, imagining it from a tv or other screen, but to see it in person, reality, right in front of me, well, it just felt weird. “Uh, hi? I’m Neon?”

Seemingly not put off by my hesitant response, Lyra began inspecting my bandages more closely. “Geez, what happened to you? Were you caught out in the storm or something?”

Doing my best not to stall, I shrugged, and winced as I flexed sore muscles, “Uh, kinda? It's a bit of a, well maybe not a long story but an odd one. I woke up in the Everfree during the storm and-”

Bon Bon cut me off with a wide eyed stare of shock, “You were out in the Everfree and the storm? By yourself?”

I decided, in for a bit, in for two bits and forged on, maybe forcing down a small smirk as a trollish attitude overtook me, dearly hoping for a funny reaction from them as they heard my first day, -night?- in Equestria, “Yeah, the Timberwolves didn't make it any easier.”

Lyra joined Bon Bon's stare, more fear and worry than incredulity though, “Timberwolves did that to you?”

Learning from my shrug and refuting the urge to, I simply nodded, “Yeah, bad luck right? I got chased for Discord knows how long, got cut off, only got lucky by stunning it and scaring the rest away by biting its throat out.”

Now that left the two mares before me stunned, Lyra seeming in awe while Bon Bon just looked lost, “You bit out the throat of a Timberwolf?” She asked and I nodded, “And that scared away the rest of the pack?”

“Well, that's what it looked like. They were kinda cowering, and I was really tired so I sort of growled at them and they hightailed it out of there.”

Bon Bon then became flustered, shaking her head lightly, “But-but Timberwolves reconstitute!”

Lyra quirked an eyebrow and turned to her friend, “You know how Timberwolves work?”

Bon Bon just became even more flustered, and seemed to almost take a step back, only to force herself not to, “Ah, well, it's just- know those things you hear about randomly and they stick in your head?”

I nodded happily, knowing exactly what she meant, “Ah, cultural osmosis! Passively seeing, hearing, learning until you have a bunch of broken and jumbled informations and factoids with no source?”

She stood a little still before pointing a hoof at me with a little smile, “Yes. That exactly. It's just, everything I heard about Timberwolves seemed to be that they don't really... die, they're just stunned and pull themselves back together, or worse. Stunning one would not cause the rest of a pack to run away, it-it just doesn't make sense- and you bit out its throat?”

“Yeah. It got a bunch of gunk in my mouth.”

The two stared, soaking in my story. Lyra turned her eyes back to my bandages with new weight to her sight, “So, the Timberwolf did that?”

Grimacing I nodded, the trollish attitude passed, their reactions weren't as funny as I thought they would have been. Shame. “It hurt like a- like very bad. Shame on me for underestimating the sharpness of naturally occurring predator wood.” I blinked for a moment and tilted my head, “Well, I presume naturally occurring.”

Lyra went back to staring at my bandages while Bon Bon took a step forward, a tint of worry in her eyes, “What happened next? After the Timberwolves ran away?”

I sighed, and continued, “It sucked. I was muddy, bloody, tired, being battered by wind and rain. But once I saw the break in the trees, and climbed the hill, saw Ponyville just within reach, it was like a weight was lifted from my shoulders.” Lyra looked like she was on the edge of her seat at a good movie, while Bon Bon seemed more worried about my description, “And then I fell on my face and passed out.”

Bon Bon blanched at that, “You passed out, bleeding and alone in that storm? Who picked you up?”

A genuine smile crept across my muzzle, “Rainbow Dash. She said she saw me leave the forest and rushed me to her home when the storm was getting worse.”

Scrutinizing my bandages a bit more, Bon Bon tilted her head, “Well, good to know Rainbow Dash can make good decisions in the heat of the moment. What happened next?”

I shrugged and winced again, grumbling slightly about my muscles, “I woke up from a nightmare, kinda, well, slugged Rainbow from that wake up call.” Both of them stifled laughs, I presumed at the mental image of me hitting my savior was a tad humorous, “From there I had breakfast, accompanied Rainbow to Sweet Apple Acres so she could apologize-”

“Apologize for what?” Lyra asked.

I felt my face scrunch up from the memory, “Well, Dash found me when she was heading to Apple Acres, so she wasn't able to tell Applejack about the storm.”

Bon Bon and Lyra shared my grimace, with the latter saying, “Ooh, yeah, the storm only got worse through the night. Though I don't think there was much the Apples could have done to brace their farm that late into the storm, I doubt Applejack would have cared. She's the type of pony who'd march into that storm and start tying down trees without a second thought.”

“She smacked Rainbow with a barn door.” I said in deadpan, causing the two to flinch, “Yeah, I kinda had to talk her down from her anger. I don't think she would have seriously hurt Rainbow. I think.”

Lyra didn't look so sure, “Not to slander Applejack or anything, but when anything comes between her and her farm, I feel sorry for whatever is between her and her farm.”

“Well, after I explained everything, Applejack calmed down and apologized to me of all things.” I said, a bit of incredulity seeping in.

Bon Bon mulled on that thought for a moment before nodding, “Yeah, that sounds like Applejack.”

Continuing ever on, I said, “After all of that, me and Rainbow helped Applejack clean up her farm some. I couldn't do heavy lifting or anything, but it felt nice to help considering I was kinda the reason she didn't have any warning.”

“I'm guessing Rainbow Dash let you stay with her?” Bon Bon guessed.

Nodding, I confirmed, “Yeah, she's been really helpful.” I said, turning my gaze to glare at my bound wing, “Granted, getting up and down from a cloud house without being able to fly is a bit of a pain, but can't complain.”

Lyra smiled and gestured with a hoof, “Well, I'm just glad you aren't that worse for wear.”

Seeming to think for a moment, Bon Bon changed the conversation's course, “Wait, you said you woke up in the Everfree, right?” That pulled away Lyra's smile, replacing it with a look of confusion.

Blinking, I nodded, “Uh, yeah.”

“So, if you woke up there, were you... camping in the Everfree, or, what? 'Cause nopony goes in or out of the Everfree.” Bon Bon inquired.

Her words brought me pause, “Nopony goes in or out of the big, not so far away forest?”

Lyra shook her head vigorously, “That place is just terrifying and unnatural.”

Bon Bon kinda waved her hoof haphazardly, “Well, some ponies go in, like I think some ponies, very very few, have business in there, but most ponies try to avoid making a habit of going in there, as your bandages can attest. Which just begs the question, what were you doing in there?”

I shook my head, quickly aligning my bare bones amnesiac story in my mind, “No idea. I woke up mid storm with no idea how I got there, no memory of really anything. I just randomly remembered my name when talking to Applejack.”

“Oh, that's terrible.” Lyra cried.

Bon Bon seemed to agree, “Definitely a bad situation to find yourself in. You don't remember anything else?”

“Just everything since waking up, and my name. Nothing else stands out.” I responded.

She sighed and scratched at her mane, “That sucks. So, were you just checking out the town now?”

“Rainbow had weather work to do after being off yesterday, and since I can't fly right now, she let me down so I could get to know Ponyville. I mean, it's not like I have anywhere to go, anything planned. Well, no plans that I can remember.”

Bon Bon grimaced, “Not to be too doom and gloom, on top of not being a doctor, but I worry that this kind of memory loss isn't really something you can, well, cure.”

Matching her expression, I couldn't help but wonder if my lies would come to bite me in the ass, “Ah, hadn't... really thought about that.”

Lyra jumped in, seeming to try and lighten the mood, “Well, so long as you'll be here, I hope you'll find Ponyville a nice place to stay, lost memory or no.”

Bon Bon's grimace changed to a small smile, “That's right, and if you need anything, don't be a stranger. Even if Ponyville isn't in the best shape right now, and can be odd on the best of days.”

A feeling of comfort came over me, an aura of friendliness easing the dark atmosphere the conversation had turned to, “Thanks. I don't know what the future holds but, I think I could imagine worse situations.”

Pulling on Lyra a little, Bon Bon seemed satisfied with my response, “Well, sorry for jumping you out of nowhere, Lyra and I really should get back to cleaning and repair.”

“Oh, yeah! Talk to you later, Neon.” Lyra supplied as the two went back to what I had distracted them from.

I waved goodbye, leaving that interaction feeling a tad positive all things considered. Just nice to know at least Lyra was friendly, so maybe Ponyville was a welcoming place, well except for zebras. Granted that was assuming Lyra didn't just sense my humanity somehow. Highly improbable and silly? Maybe, but reason went out the window the moment I woke up in a living cartoon.

Distraction by friendly ponies aside, I continued my sightseeing. As I walked along, seeing ponies toil with the trash and debris, a part of me wondered if I should offer any help. I mean, I did help Applejack but we were associates by then. And I was motivated by guilt. Not too sure how many ponies would like a random bandaged pony offering to help. Might just be my aversion to social anything, that and I didn't know how big Ponyville actually was. Felt a tad stupid for not taking in the town's size better after that.

Almost as stupid as when I brainlessly rammed into a pony. Even before I could utter an apology, I heard something slam to the ground and the pony I just ran into yelled intensely behind grit teeth. Swinging my head around in surprise, the other pony angrily pressed their face against mine, obscuring my sight with purple glasses.

“Why don't you watch where you're going, flankhole?!” She screamed.

Well, I thought, that was a new curse I hadn't expected. Didn't really expect to be yelled at, so sure shows me. I didn't even apologize, I was just caught so off guard I could only stand there as the ever so slightly trembling Vinyl Scratch, I assumed, breathed almost raggedly, frankly I almost feared she was going to punch me, but instead she simply growled and went around me, her horn alight.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to let out some of the tension that encounter injected directly into my soul. It didn't really work. It was my first day in Ponyville, I was expecting happy colors, quaint architecture, the feeling of my soul leaving me as the town I came to enjoy leapt directly into my eyes.

Instead I somehow screwed up so bad the silent Bob yelled at me.

Fuck.

With a sigh, and intentionally refusing to look at where I assumed ponies to be, I continued my walk to nowhere. Once I was sufficiently away from prying eyes of those who would have glanced at me from the unicorn DJ's fury, I finally looked around again. With quite a few anxious twitches forward to ensure I didn't make, oh I don't know the Doctor hate me. I think he had an official name, but I was in emotional pain.

I finally recognized a building properly, granted it was both easy and hard to miss the living tree library. I wondered if Twilight was in there, or if it was vacant. At least its continued existence narrowed the timeline for me. Though that did mean my neck was on the chopping block of one Tirek, but at least he didn't have a rainbow of darkness, so it balances out.

Refraining from entering the library, I was not in the mood for annoying more ponies, I continued on my trudge. Well, if I was honest, my real reason for not wanting to try Golden Oaks Library was the fear of finding somepony other than Twilight in there. There was nothing tangible about that worry, none that I could put words to adequate enough to justify it at least. Perhaps it was about being in a realm of unknown, perhaps it was a fear of messing something up.

Reason regardless, I passed by the library tree.

It was still difficult to really do some sightseeing, the ambient fear of being stared at ever lingering clashed with the much more present fear of running into another perturbed pony. That meant that most buildings sorta blurred together.

Unless they were a giant gingerbread house. Sugarcube Corner stood before me, in all its sugary glory, and honestly it didn't look all that worse for wear. Yeah, it looked like it had a hanging sign that got yoinked into the storm, but nothing major. Lucky.

A feeling thrust through me and I carefully glanced around. If that was Sugarcube Corner, then where was the Party Pony baker that doth reside inside? When I wasn't jumped by Pinkie, I allowed myself to relax. Giving the bakery one more look, I shrugged and moved on. Sure, I felt a lot more at ease with the idea of going into Sugarcube Corner, but I didn't have any bits to really justify going in. An experience for the future I suppose.

While seeing Pinkie's home and base of employment did make me feel better, for some reason, but I still felt awkward and on edge. Ya know, 'cause of the ever present and hopefully won't become a core piece of myself fear of the stuff around me. Really, that just split my mind into three annoyed camps. Which activated a fourth annoyed camp as I couldn't just hide out in Rainbow's house since I couldn't even fly.

I stopped walking, standing alone in a relatively clear area of Ponyville, of both buildings and debris. “I gotta find a way to murder my brain.” It was then a scream sounded from nearby, “Well, speaking of murder.”

Interest piqued even more once I realized the scream was rather familiar, and had come from Rarity's Boutique all but cemented my decision that dealing with that was far more fruitful than plotting my brain's murder. I rushed on towards the tent-like building and carefully opened the door, as, Murder or no murder, I ain't destroying a door.

Once I burst onto the scene I glanced around, and saw, who else, but Rarity, sitting near a stack of boxes. Upon the tinkling of the bell above the door, she turned around, her pained expression changing to one of confusion. “Uh, I heard screaming.” I supplied, lamely.

She sniffed and shook her head, “Oh, I am terribly sorry. It's just... ugh.” She turned back to the container that was in front of her, “I thought I had found everything that tacky storm had ruined, haaaa, but alas, not only were more fabrics ruined than I thought, but it even managed to reach some of my premium, expensive stock as well. It's just a travesty!”

I stepped closer and winced at the sight of the fabrics. What was before me had obviously once been pristine rolls of fabric, but now they just looked like they were recently dragged from a river, though that did make me wonder something, which I voiced, “I'm not fashionista so forgive my ignorance, but can't you clean it so it's usable?”

Rarity sighed a tad dramatically, “Perhaps some of it, it will just be heaps of work, and even if by some miracle it is left none the worse for wear, I don't know if I could in good conscience use it in a dress or other apparel. It just doesn't seem right to use refurbished fabric in brand new apparel. Though, I suppose refurbished or not, I could find some sort of use for it.” With a second shake of her head, and a shove to the box, she turned towards me, “It is just quite disappointing. But, you have my thanks for coming to check on me, even if it wasn't an actual emergency. It does put my mind at ease knowing ponies such as yourself are about should something actually serious arise.”

For some reason that brought on a crushing feeling of shame. I didn't run in because it was the right thing to do, I ran in because this was pony land and Rarity screaming. If this was Earth and I heard a scream, my first instinct would be to get the fuck away with heaping doses of paranoia that I'd get unlucky if I called nine one one, and 'fail' their pseudoscience guiltiness over the phone test.

“Uh, well I didn't actually do anything. I just came to see what was up.” I said, trying to discard the unearned honor Rarity had tossed upon me.

She simply chuckled however, “Oh, I won't be having that. You took time out of your day, especially in the wake of the storm to check on somepony. That's more than most would do. But, regardless, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you before, I am Rarity, might I ask you your name?”

Suppressing a sigh, I obliged, “I'm, Neon Icy Wings.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Neon darling.” She said before seemingly taking me in fully, she tilted her head, “Hmm, your bandages seem a bit worn, let me help with that.” As she spoke a bundle of clean cloth floated into view, surrounded in the sparkling light of magic.

Attempting to not be enraptured by the show of magic, it was quite pretty, I tried to decline the offer, “Oh, it's no issue at all, I've barely noticed my bandages really.”

Rarity scoffed and approached me, looking over my old dressings, “Nonsense, bad bandages are hardly something I can let you walk away with. You came to help me, let me help you.”

My brain roared and my anxiety spiked as Rarity invaded my personal space with her well intentions. Digging further into logic, I tried one last time to deflect her generosity as I took a step back, “B-but, you already lost so much fabric, I can't in good conscience take what you have left!”

This did bring her pause, well that and I think she didn't want to charge forward if I really didn't want her help, but she still spoke, "Regardless darling, I simply must insist on helping you, that is to say, give back in some way. You're covered in a decent amount of wrappings, and so I'd think a helping hoof would go a long way. I would just fetch my first aid kit, but... I don't think I have the bandages for this particular job, so.” She simply levitated the clean fabric with a kind smile.

I let out a sigh and sat down, “Fine, fine. These bandages are probably due for a change anyway.”

Rarity sat next to me and gently began to undo the bandages on my shoulder. It was then that I realized I hadn't paid much attention when Dash redid them last night. As Rarity began to peel it away, her eyes widened, and I couldn't blame her. A decent patch of my shoulder and top foreleg was just long and sometimes inter-crossed claw marks that, while not actively bleeding, still looked pretty fresh.

“My word dear! What in Equestria happened to you? I knew it had to be somewhat bad, but this?” Rarity said, concern laden in her voice.

A part of me wanted to be a bit annoyed, but upon seeing the wound first hand, I couldn't bring myself to. “Uh, it's kind of a whole thing, so the simple, quick and probably poorly worded version is thus. Woke up in the Everfree during the storm, chased by Timberwolves, out flanked by a Timberwolf which attacked me, I killed it somehow scaring the others off, passed out when I got near Ponyville, currently have memory issues.”

Rarity blinked, glancing back down to my wound, “Well, that certainly answers my question. I am at the very least glad you made it out, maybe not unscathed, but alive. But if you passed out during the storm, why dear, what happened next?”

“Rainbow picked me up, with some cost to Applejack's farm, but Dash got me out alive and has been looking out for me.”

She smiled at that information, “That's good at least. If anypony were to find you out in that dreadful weather, Rainbow was more than likely the best pony for the job.” Curiosity sated, she resumed carefully stripping away, what I probably should have expected to be, dirty bandages.

For some reason, an incessant thought got lodged in my head, “You know Rainbow?”

Chuckling, Rarity continued her work, but graced me with an answer, “We have a mutual friend. While we don't get together too often, we don't exactly share too many interests, you see, she has been kind enough to help me from time to time, even if she does complain about having to stay still for too long.”

“Huh, wouldn't expect her to offer to do so in the first place.”

Upon fully removing one of the bandages at last, Rarity shrugged, “It is still rare, but having a pristine athletic build for fittings is such a gift.”

We lapsed into silence as she really got into the process. Really seeing my wounds forced them to the front of my mind, the light sting of them being revealed to the open air. It was an odd feeling overall.

Eventually Rarity pulled the fabric taut in her magic, and gently but firmly began to wrap it around me, isolating my wounds once more from the outside elements of the world. It felt snug and nice, even with the newfound presence the claw marks had in my consciousness, though that presence was happily placed alongside the comfort the new binding brought with it.

As she worked amidst the silence, she spoke up once more, “Perhaps it's a bit intrusive of me to ask, but are you feeling alright, dear?”

Not expecting that, my eyes flicked over to her, “Huh?”

She didn't lift her gaze, simply continuing the work as she spoke, “I was just wondering if you were doing alright after everything. A harrowing experience, with memory problems to boot, it all just sounds like a lot if you ask me, so, I felt it pertinent to ask.”

I blinked and turned my gaze away. “Huh.” I mumbled.

Really, I had put some thought into things, but at the same time didn't. Truth be told, I think a part of me tried to semi distance myself from what happened in the forest. Detach myself from it. Acknowledge it happened, tell it to others, just... don't think about it beyond that. Just didn't have much cause to dive back into it mentally.

Memory wise, well that was a nonissue. A lie. Granted the whole, 'in a new world with no immediate way back, do I even want to' situation took precedence over that, but with no way to reasonably address it, aside from minor pondering I was mostly just trying to ignore it. A mixture of feeling like I couldn't address them, and wanting that to be the case so I wouldn't have too.

I finally spoke, my voice, not wavering, but maybe a tad off, “I honestly don't know. It feels like... a lot to deal with right now. If I even can.”

Rarity hummed as she laid more fabric on me, “Completely understandable, dear. I'd say you're quite strong to have gone through all that, and wounds aside, come out none the worse for wear.”

Didn't feel strong, but I'd take the compliment.

“But dear,” She continued as I turned to her again, “If you ever need a set of ears to talk to, don't hesitate to come by. Alright?”

Her gentle smile was positively glowing, matching her compassion. “Thanks Rarity.” Felt kinda dumb responding with just that, but I didn't know what else to say.

We fell back into a conversational lull until the binding was finally set, I gently flexed against the fabric as Rarity smiled at her handiwork, “Doctor I may not be, but I'd say that is adequate workmareship.”

I nodded in agreement, “Yeah, it definitely feels nice. Didn't really notice before, but this feels much better.”

Rarity happily brushed her mane to the side with a hoof and smiled, “Well, I do only use the best materials.”

“I still feel bad for taking off with this fabric without paying and hardly doing anything. But, thanks for this.” I gently strained my wing against the new constraints, yup still hurt, but it also felt oddly comforting. Hell, for all I knew the fabric was magic, so no questions from me. Turning to Rarity, not really sure how to feel, but I supposed I leaned more to grateful than not. “Well, sorry to have kept you. Didn't mean to take up so much of your time.”

“No problem at all. Now, I don't want to keep you. Don't be a stranger, it would be nice to talk when there's less going on.”

Ironic, as unless time moved oddly, I could only assume things would be going on more and more. “I'll try to come by and say hello, though my memory isn't the best when it comes to social things sometimes.”

She chuckled at that, “Then I shall attempt to reach out from time to time. Have a good day.”

“You too Rarity. Stay dry.” With that odd detour done, I stepped from the Boutique back into Ponyville, still not sure how to feel. At least my wing felt more snug for some reason. It felt nice. Though, meeting Rarity did put my whole excursion to town into perspective. Mainly that it was basically just a bunch of faf.

Continuing my wanderings, paranoia of repeating the Vinyl incident aside, I realized I didn't have anything to do. No obligations, no life. No purpose. It was then that I really felt like an invader, the feeling leaping to the forefront of my mind. What was I meant to do? Sure, a basic soul searching question, but it just felt wrong. Wrong to step along the simple town road of Ponyville, wrong to have spoken to Rarity, to wear, well, be bandaged in her fabrics.

My mind began to churn again with a million and one thoughts, a thousand and two worries, when a flash of Pink took up my vision.

With a quick pseudo scream of shock, I stumbled back, only to be greeted by a cheery voice, “Oh, sorry to startle you, but I was just so excited to finally find ya!” Pinkie Pie said with an almost literal glowing smile.

It was all so sudden, my brain hadn't even caught up to what was happening. “Find me?”

She snorted out a laugh and tried to bounce only to grimace slightly, instead choosing to kind of bob in place, “Yeah! I got this super feeling that somepony was in town that I've never met before! Kinda weird, but hey! I won't complain! But that whacky storm blew on in and threw everything all over the place!” She grumbled and glared at the sky, “Hate to say it, but your 'Welcome to Ponyville Party' is gonna have to wait. I haven't even thrown the 'Yay, the Storm Didn't Kill Us Party,' yet.”

I think my very consciousness got fried from mere proximity to Pinkie, as I could only muster a meager, “What?”

Pinkie trotted up to me and put a hoof on my shoulder, a serious look on her face, “Don't you worry, before you know it I'll have your party up and running, ready for partying! Just after all this post storm stuff blows over. Anyway! I gotta get back to the Corner, still got some cleaning and party planning to do. I'll see ya when you least expect it!”

And with that she walked away with pep in her step. With a small groan, I let my head tilt back, pointing my eyes to the sky. Maybe it was just the events of the day, me still getting my bearings in a new world, but running into Pinkie was draining.

As my gaze beheld the sky, I was greeted by a quick rainbow trail that flew behind the titular blue pegasus. The sight of a familiar pony, even if it was mostly as a speck, and mostly an individual I knew in an almost voyeuristic way, it still was a comforting sight that asked me to wave in greeting, even if I knew it was a fruitless idea. She was far too high up, and I too much of an indistinguishable dot to discern among the many ponies of this Ville.

The sight flew my mind away from the uncertainty and the oddity. With a small, kinda painful flex of my bandaged wing, and slight flare of my good wing, I imagined what it was like, to soar through the heavens on your own power. The veritable canvas of cloud and sky that could be beheld.

I felt myself become calmer, almost freer at the idea, and dearly hoped Rainbow would teach me how to fly. No idea how she'd take it, if a pegasus with memory issues would also suffer loss of flight capability, but I oh so wanted to fly. Even when I was human, I never even climbed a tall mountain, let alone board a plane.

A nagging part of me badgered on about how I might enjoy flying too much and use it as an excuse to abandon Earth, but it was only a small part, drowned amidst the wonder of the mere idea of flying like a pegasus.

Granted, said wonder kept my eyes off the road for so long I collided with another pony, that kinda brought the mood down.

I let out an 'oof' and stumbled back, while hearing the soft sound of something hitting the ground. With a groan and rubbing my face in annoyance, I apologized, “Sorry, sorry. This is the second time I've run into somepony.”

“Ah, no problem. If anypony knows what it's like to run into things it's me.” The mare said, in a pleasant voice.

Removing my hoof from my face I looked at her properly, and huh. It's Derpy. Or is it Ditzy? Muffins? The grey furred, blond maned, wall eyed pegasus who seemed practically jolly was dressed in a brown shirt and hat, carrying a saddlebag full of packages and mail. It was so nice to not have another angry pony on my case. If I had made Derpy Ditzy Muffins Hooves Doo angry with me, I'd have half a mind to walk back into the hell forest.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I said, “Oh thank you. I still feel bad for bumping into somepony earlier and making them drop something. Getting called a flankhole really isn't a good way to start your day, especially when I bump into a second pony in the same day.” With a quick glance to a package that had fallen on the ground, I cringed, “And, make them drop something too, Dear... everything.”

The mail mare winced and nodded, “Ooh, that one's harsh, but don't let it get ya too down, okay? Some ponies got hit by the storm worse than others, but that doesn't make your honest mistakes less honest, right? Has your day only been being called a flankhole?”

The question put a block to my shame, replacing it with confusion, “Uh, no? I met and had a nice talk with Lyra and Bon Bon, and Rarity helped me with my bandages...”

She beamed a positively beautiful smile, “See? Bad things may happen, but usually there's a bit of good that can weigh against, then everything's not bad at least. Right?”

“Huh.” Well, she had a point. Actually made me feel a tad not worse. “Thanks, uh, I'm Neon, what's your name?” I said as I picked up the fallen package and handed it to her.

She took the package with a smile and a nod, “Oh, I'm Muffins, though sometimes I go by Ditzy, nice to meet you! But I gotta get these packages delivered before it gets too late, bring a few smiles to some ponies while I'm at it. Maybe I'll see you around, Neon.”

I simply waved as she trotted away, and looked to the sky again. Huh. The day had really gotten away from me, and in such odd ways at that. I hadn't meant to run into Rarity or Pinkie, but then I also didn't mean to be called a flankhole by a DJ. Bleh. Still, Muffins' little chat left me feeling overall better about the day. No need to focus on the angering emotion, I met some nice ponies, and that should be what's remembered.

My mind quickly jumped back to seeing Dash, which made me think about heading back to the Cloudominium. It was getting late and I didn't want to occupy Rainbow's time more than I had to. So, I about faced, and began tracing my steps back to where I came from.

As the sun's rays bled across the ground from its setting position, I noticed less ponies working about. Completely understandable, most of them had probably been toiling away all day, not to mention the day before which was probably rougher. The ponies of Ponyville had definitely earned their rest.

With less wandering eyes upon me, and less chance to bowl somepony over, things felt much nicer, like I could appreciate the town more with less distraction, anxiety, and more openness. Maybe on a better day, you know, one not following a freak and devastating storm, Ponyville would be more fun to wander around.

Eventually, I turned my brain cells away from sightseeing and toward specifically making sure I was heading down the right road to the right cloud. Sure, a veritable mansion in the clouds should be obvious, but I bumped into two ponies, I wasn't going to underestimate my bad luck.

Luckily, though, it didn't take me long to locate the home in the heavens. Honestly, despite not really doing anything beyond walking and intruding, I felt tired, so the idea of lounging about in a cloud house was positively divine.

But then my divine hopes of lazy lounging were skewered by one rogue thought as I craned my neck up to stare at the vacant house with no Rainbow in sight. “How the fuck do I get back up now?”