I woke up from what seemed like the best night’s sleep ever. However, this was the first time I had ever been dizzy from waking up, I could barely keep my head up. Apparently I had nausea too, I didn’t like long distant travels and it sure did feel as if that is what happened. From all this confusion, I decided to get up, only to find out my body had other plans.
I was kneeling on both my hands and feet. This didn’t feel right. Of all poses my body chose to autonomously perform, it chose this pose. Suddenly I realised my limbs were unnaturally long. I could tell they were long because my head was significantly higher than ever before. Okay, I thought to myself, I guess it’s time to stand up.
From all this dizzyness, I realised I needed support to help myself up, or I would just drop again. As I tried to get up, I looked down to see where I would place my hands for the added support, I lost my balance almost instantly and dropped anyway. Whatever happened to me must have been really potent. I think I may have been drugged! Whatever it is, I sure don’t feel like myself… wait a second!
My thoughts slowly became clear and the nausea disappeared. I was finally sane enough to move. But what I saw was no hallucination. “Oh my…” I spoke quietly to myself, as I stared at my hands. “Are these… hooves?” “Aaaaaaargh!” I screamed, at least that is what I imagined. I slowly got back up and decided to look at myself. I was standing on four hooves, what used to be my abdomen was much more bigger and bulkier, and I could finally see that I was some kind of horse.
I couldn’t tell if I was exactly a horse. From my memory, horses looked very different compared to what I was supposed to be. Also I was quite short for a horse; yet too tall for a human on all fours. If I remember correctly, I would say I am a -- a pony?! This was way too overboard for me to even comprehend what was happening.
Suddenly I heard deep rumbling noises not too far from where I was causing me to start taking notice of all the ambient sounds of my surroundings. The wind was whistling softly, there were thick and heavy trudges through what sounded like mud, and things were rustling through the leaves of the trees and bushes. And then it hit me -- it was way too dark in here.
I slowly took a few steps, which felt strangely casual, to wherever I could get myself to. It was way too dark to analyze the forest for a good enough route which could potentially lead me to the exit. I noticed I could hear hooves hit the ground making clap sounds so I decided to stop. The sound stopped with me, which gave me the indication that it was me. Phew! I was worried, I had never seen a place like this on Earth, nobody had.
As I was blindly walking through the forest, I had started to wonder why I was here in the first place, not to mention why I could barely remember anything. I couldn’t remember what I did the day before and I couldn’t remember my own family.
Moments later, in what could have been a forest, I was starting to see more clearly which meant there was a sky light not far from here. The excitement of actually finding an exit had gotten me trotting my way through the forest, but I still had the thought that this could have been a false lead. I had to keep my hopes up.
I made it! And I was correct, well almost. The results were much better than expected. I found the opening of what was actually lighting my way through the forest. It had a path leading to what looked like open hills, and a cottage. Wow, this place actually looks a lot better than how it looked like back home, or was I in the dark too long?
Clip clop! Clip clop! I knew that wasn’t me which meant somebody else was coming with their horse. If anyone saw a talking pony that used to be a human being, I would never live a normal life ever again, neither would anyone believe me. So I hid. Clip clop! “A-a-angel? Are you… here?” stuttered the quiet and timid voice.
Chapter 2: The Mysterious Mare
I don’t think I have ever heard someone as timid and shy as her, but I don’t blame her. This place is scary as heck. Wait, why is she looking for someone called Angel when she is riding a horse, or a pony for that matter. I guess she’s an animal lover. I peered around the corner of the rock I was hiding behind. She was gone.
But that’s impossible! She just spoke only a second ago right after she stopped riding her pony. From what I thought, she had left her pony to stand there staring into the forest. In that moment, I noticed there was something strange about her pony. Something very strange.
She had a pi-- No, I was the cleverest person in my class, I need to do this properly. She had a light grayish gold coat with a muted-rose coloured mane. Her mane was gently brushed to the side with-- with… beautiful curls adorning the ends. Is it me or did her owner spend her time giving her make-up? Although she does look very pretty.
Wait, why does she look like she is scared? I asked myself. It’s like I can see raw emotion just by looking at her face, as if she were… human. “Angel, the forest if too dangerous for you.” the quiet and timid voice tried shouting. It spoke. I had never seen anything like it, a pony that could speak. So, there was no little girl, it was her! I decided it was time I got up from hiding, besides, my legs were aching from sitting in that painful position. I had completely forgotten that I was a human no more.
I walked towards her and asked “Excuse me, but do you know where I am?” hoping I wouldn’t scare the quiet and timid pony.
“Aah!” shrieked the pony that was supposed to be quiet and timid. “Oh, it’s only a stallion.”
“I’m sorry if I scared you, I just don’t seem to know where I am.” I said, reinforcing my question.
“Oh, you don’t need to apologise. But one thing is for sure; you don’t want to be here in the Everfree Forest.” exclaimed the washed out-yellow coated pony, “The moon’s almost up. You should come with me and rest in my cottage tonight, there's no time to discuss anything, hurry.”
I decided to follow her, even though I’ve never met her before. I was taught to never trust strangers, by someone who I had currently forgot. “Pardon me, but what did you say your name was again?” I asked.
“My name is Fluttershy, and I didn’t tell you my name until now,” Fluttershy pointed out, which I then blushed with embarrassment. “If you look just over there you can see my cottage.”
“Oh yeah, that’s the cottage I saw when I found my way out of the, Ever-- Ev-- the forest. That’s yours? Why do you live so close to such a horrible place?”
“I didn’t move here to live near the Everfree Forest, I moved here so I can live with the my wonderful critters and Angel Bunny,” explained Fluttershy, “Talking about home, here we are.” So that's who Angel is, a bunny. We arrived at her front yard. Wow, this pony is almost as sophisticated as us humans. She has a house, yard, garden, and she even has a chicken coop. She then invited me to enter the the cottage.
"Would you like some tea?" she asked. Umm, tea... I don't really like tea. What should I tell her? "Or would you like some herbal tea?" That sounds pretty good, besides, I've never tried it before.
I responded with "Yes, I'd like some herbal tea." A couple of minutes later, she came with both our herbal teas, which were on a tray which was in her mouth. So that's how ponies carry things, they used their mouths. "Here you go-- I'm sorry, I don't know your name." What! Oh sweet Luna, what do I tell her. I could come up with a name like her's but that would sound stupid. Wait a minute, who's Luna?
"My name is..." I struggled to come out with an answer.
"Yes?" Fluttershy asked. "What is it, and how did you end up lost in the Everfree Forest?" Great, a chance to change the subject!
"I really don't know how I ended up in the forest unconscious, because all I remember is that I woke up really confused with nearly all my memory gone. There are only a few things I remember, for example, I use to be… a human.”
“You were unconscious? Aw, you poor, poor thing.” she said, while sympathising for me. She then paused for a few seconds, I never knew why.
“Oh my goodness, you look like you have a huge bruise on the side of your head.”
“How can you tell? I feel fine,” I stated.
“No, you’re not fine. I can tell because you have a bump right below your ear and it’s very noticeable.” Fluttershy replied, “How did I not notice that before?” Wait, a bump? I lifted my hoof and felt the area Fluttershy said I had the bump on. Although it was hard to feel it, and my balance was being challenged the whole time I lifted my hoof, I felt it. The bump felt very familiar, and painful as I touched it. Slowly, a vision crept into my sight and I started seeing myself dragged into what looked like a tornado. I remember now! I was caught in a storm and then I blacked out. Still this doesn’t explain why I ended up here.
“Hello? You should go get some rest. You can go and sleep in my bed, I won’t mind.” Fluttershy suggested.
“Oh, okay thanks. Are you sure?” She nodded. So I went upstairs, which also felt very weird, and went into her bed. After a whole day of getting moments rushing in my head for no reason, my mind was blank. I couldn’t think of anything.