3 They Called me Beta

After a few minutes, the tears of deepest despair had washed over him, his fears, sorrows, grief and guilt slowing receding, carried away like so much rift wood by the tide. His mind started to clear.

He felt tired, fatigued, yet... light, as though a great burden or weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The weight lifting not just from his body, mind and heart, but his very soul. He finally knew no more tears for his life. He no longer truly doubted the value of his own existence. This was one of the miracles of Equestria... self-forgiveness. He knew for a fact, he would shed no more tears for his former existence... that was in the past, as far as he knew.

When he looked up, finally, he saw a shiny red apple floating before him. A moment later he saw behind it, realizing that it was in the mouth of the beautiful blue pegasus pony. She wore what looked like a friendly, kind smile, as she nodded her head, offering the apple again. He smiled, and took the apple, bisecting it with his claws, and offering (the half that had been in her well-meaning mouth) to her as thanks, and friendship.

Giggling, she accepted the apple. The sound was like purest music to his weary ears. A sound he never thought he'd hear again, but now, he knew he would hear for the rest of his life. Still giggling, she sat her haunches down on the ground, looking at this strange "stallion" before her. She felt strength from him. It was strange, even to her... but she liked him. As he munched on the sweet, juicy apple he looked thoughtfully at his lovely lunch mate. Her breath was oddly sweet and pleasant. Her scent, so strong this close, was like a passing storm: cool, refreshing and reassuring.

"So... I'm in the world of... Equestria?" he asked. She nodded "And I'm... WE'RE in the forgotten woods?" he asks again, to a nod, her rainbow colored mane moving down her lovely neck. "So... um..." he trails off blushing some as he realizes he doesn't even know her name... She notices this fact too and giggles some more, smiling, enjoying the change in atmosphere, and seeing this side of him. His strength of self was returning to him with every moment. "W-what's... um... your name?" he finally blurts out, embarrassed how lame he seems to be around her... Was she really that beautiful?... Yes, she was.

Smiling warmly at him, she stood, stretched and shook her bottom and multicolored tail free of grass, she then fluffed her long wings and feathers. It was then that he then notices the mark on her haunches, he then noticed her hind legs, haunches and began to blush more at her um... natural beauty. Quickly, he turned his head to focus on anything else.

Seeing his gaze on her haunches, Rainbow Dash assumed he was looking at ... "That's my Cutie mark" she said, shaking her rump proudly, drawing Beta's gaze once again to her behind... A cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt... "It's beautiful..." Beta said, unsure if he meant the mark or her behind... probably both, he realized. The mark was so strange.. It was as thought it was glowing through her fur from her skin, and yet it was as though it was dyed in her fur in such a way it always showed.

"Strange..." he whispered, almost to himself. Looking up, she got a concerned look on her face.

"What’s strange? Is my cutie mark ok?" she asked worriedly, looking back to her left then right haunch.

"Wha? Oh... no, no, no, your mark is fine, I think?" Beta replied, realizing he was worrying her needlessly. "It’s just... strange to me. How it always shows no matter what angle... I can see it clearly..." he said, now looking intently at her mark only.... TRYING to look at her mark only...

Then he looked back up into those strong, beautiful eyes... "What's a cutie mark?" he asked, still a little confused about how that was related to her name, and to why it looked like that on her.

Her jaw dropped at this question, not fully grasping that he wasn't from 'around here'... then she shook her head and replied "A cutie mark is only the most important part of being a pony! It defines who you are! Everypony has one."

She paused, seeing the mild confusion in his eyes... "Oh... Sorry... you're not from around here, are you?" she asked, suddenly dawning on her that he was not from Equestria... for one, he had something covering his hind legs. "And what's that?" she asked a little abruptly, nosing towards Beta's pants.

"What, my pants?" he asked, hoping she hadn't noticed his bulge earlier

"Yeah, that... why are you covering up your fur? It looks weird. Do you have a cutie mark?" she added bluntly.

Blushing a bit, Beta couldn’t really give an answer... aside from 'Because it hides how attractive I think you are'... "Umm... where I’m from, it's normal to cover yourself with clothes... human's don’t have as... convenient anatomy as ponies do" Beta said truthfully.

"What do you mean? What’s a who-maan?" she asked. The idea of clothes weren’t foreign to her, however, pants were.

"J-just trust me... it's probably best I have pants on, ok?" Beta added lamely, to which Rainbow Dash giggled and nodded.

"Ok, pant guy" she then blushed a little and blurted out "Will you show me your cutie mark later?" somehow that seemed like it would be an intimate thing between his people... and she was curious as to why his anatomy was less convenient than hers.

"So um... you were going to tell me your name?" Beta changed the subject quickly.

"Oh yeah, I'm..." she started before flapping her wings in one great motion lifting and then zooming her straight up, causing a part in the canopy, allowing light to shine down. A moment later she was flying across the water from a fair distance towards Beta. Before she got too close, she whooshed her wings in front of her, bringing her to a complete stop mid-air, for a moment, as some of the stream water flew into the air around her, caught up in the light creating a powerful rainbow, clear and well defined, all around her... "I'm Rainbow Dash! And I’m the fastest pegasus in all of Equestria!"

"And I see you’re modest, as well as beautiful" Beta added, followed by a very bright blush by them both. Beta hadn't meant to say such a bold thing, and Rainbow Dash wasn't used to hearing such a glowing compliment. Most colts were intimidated by her brashness and skill… by her ability even. She was used to amazement at what she could do, and taunting when she failed.... but... such true appreciation for herself as a pony... it made her feel... warm.

"So.. um... what's YOUR name, tall, blue and rabbity looking?" she asked, playfully walking up to him and nosing him in the chest. She inhaled his scent and found it did not disagree with her at all.

"M...my name?" ‘of course this had to happen.’ he thought bitterly. He’d almost forgotten his own name, while trying to forget his past. And all of a sudden he was a world away... literally, as though back to the lab... somehow telling her his name meant admitting he was..."Beta" he blurted out, as though getting unpleasant business over with. "They called me beta at the lab... beta... test. second... test..." his fragility returning faster than a flash flood destroying a newly built town; the egg shell thin fragility had returned. Rainbow Dash saw that somehow this was returning him to that place that nearly killed him a moment ago. she didn’t like this side of him and she knew she needed to change the subject again quickly...

"I'm a hybrid... part fox" he said, lifting his tail in his paw, almost in a trance, as he looked down at it for a moment. "part jack rabbit" as he then slide his paw around his ear, gently bending it "and part... human" he finished, tapping his chest, and thumping one leg on the ground, as though to show humans are bi-peds... two legs. Rainbow Dash carefully walked a little closer to him. He looked like finely blown glass and that the slightest breeze could shatter him forever. Rainbow Dash liked him and be damned if she'd let him break.

Rainbow Dash exhaled on him and brought her eyes level with his. She touched his nose with hers and made him focus on her 'What beautiful eyes' he though, slowly returning from his place of pain. He was here in Equestria with this beautiful mare, NOT back in the lab. He inhaled shallowly and caught her scent, so sweet, like rain after a big storm. "My..." he began to see her again, he inhaled deeper, closing his eyes, drinking in her scent. His back straightening as life returned to him, his fragility once again banished… gone.

He then looked at Rainbow Dash, his eyes clear, strong, and no longer frail and broken from his past life. "I am Beta. I am a Kitsusagi... the fox rabbit." smiling, he offered his paw in friendship, smiling. "How are you?"

Giggling and happy to see him like this... stronger... Rainbow Dash sat on her haunches and put her hoof in his paw and shook it. "nice to meet'cha Beta. Welcome to Equestria" she finished with a slight bow, unable to fully contain her giddiness at overcoming this trial with him. She liked him. She wasn't exactly sure why, but she liked him.

Beta looked around, and for the first time in his life[, he] truly felt free. He realized his aches and pains were gone. His gut wound wasn’t bothering him. He looked around the forest with renewed interest and optimism. Turning his head [slightly]slighting toward Rainbow Dash, he asked “You say this is the lost forest?”

“Yes it… OH NO!!!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed “I’ve nearly forgotten my duties in Ponyville!”

Beta looked into her eyes, truly smiling for the first time. “Go on, I’m ok now… Thank you so much. Please don’t let me keep you from your duties.” He then mustered up his courage, walked over to her and kissed her on her nose before his good sense could stop him. What she did for him stirred very strong emotions in him towards her, and he had to show her…

Rainbow Dash was stunned and giggled before she shot straight up through the canopy, then towards Ponyville, blushing furiously, in not the straightest line. ‘H-he kissed me’ she thought, smiling while her blue-furred cheeks turned purple from her blushing.

Blushing and stunned by his own actions, Beta stumbled back a little, following the beautiful pegasus pony’s flight trail towards... Pony... ville? Still in a bit of a daze from kissing her nose, he inhaled deeply before moving on, taking in her scent. He made a mark on the ground pointing towards Ponyville, before he began walking in that general direction. He wanted Rainbow Dash to be able to find him in case she returned here before he found her again.

Beta then inhaled the scents of the forest after closing his eyes. Tasting and noting every small detail, before exhaling, opening his eyes with a smile and saying “Hello World”