Chapter Uno
“And then I heard that Susan and Bobby broke up, and I was like 'What, again?!' Susan is such a slut! Just last night she was sleeping with Ricky!” an extremely high pitched voice said in my ear through my cell phone. I let out a silent groan. Her voice was loud and piercing, even when I hold the phone away from my ear as I was doing.
“That's real interesting, May, it really is,” I deadpanned as I tried to keep my eyes on the road in front of me. It was raining hard, it was past midnight, and I was dog tired. I really didn't want to hear my girlfriend's “troubles” right now, but I needed something to keep me awake.
“But that's not all, Rebecca! Johnny called me up and he must have been drunk because he kept telling me all kinds of things, it was really weird and it kinda scared me,” May continued to rant on.
I really couldn't care less what these people did. They were all her friends and half of them didn't even like me. Not that I like any one of them. They were all too preppy. Sure May was preppy too, but she was pretty hot. I often times wonder how I got with a girl like May. Then she speaks and I remember. It wasn't so much her voice, but what she talked about. It was either some guy named Shawn or a girl named Sharon. I honestly don't know why I’m still dating her. She's annoying, loud, disrespectful, and I’m pretty sure she's cheating on me with this Johnny guys she keeps talking about. I think it's because I like the companionship. It's pretty hard to find a girlfriend in a small town if you're a lesbian. But that's all going to change. I'm moving to a bigger city with my friend, Brian. He has a pretty big apartment that he offered to share so long as I can keep up with rent. It'll be great for my projects.
“Rebecca! Are you even listening to me?” May screeched over the phone.
“Yeah, babe, I am-” I thumbed the end call button and threw my phone on the passenger side seat, “not.” I rub a hand over my face, taking a second to wipe my eyes, trying to keep myself awake. I couldn't take anymore of her. She was best handled in doses. Small doses.
I was driving on a pretty dead highway. No cars in sight, and lush green forest on each side of me. I turned up the radio, it was playing some pop song from the radio, and picked up my cold cup of coffee and took a swig.
I hated driving alone. It was so boring, with no one to keep your attention. After a few minutes of driving I was tempted to call up May again, but I decided not to. I thought of other people to call. Brian was asleep, Hector was working, Sara never answered her phone, and Emily didn't have a phone. A stray though came to me. I need more friends.
Well, I had plenty of friends. Sure they were internet friends, but they still counted. Right?
I picked up my coffee again and drank the rest of it in one go. I tossed the empty cup on the floorboard, it joining the 20 or so discarded Kit Kat wrappers. I have an unhealthy addiction to Kit Kats. Still looking at the road I lean over and open the glove box and more Kit Kats fell out of it and onto the floorboard.
“Shit,” I muttered as my eyes shift from the road and the Kit Kats on the floorboard then back again. The road ahead of me was straight and I didn't see any cars. Not that I could see far anyways. My headlights only let me see about twenty feet ahead of me and I needed to get them changed.
Satisfied that I had a straight enough road ahead of me I quickly ducked down and reached for a fallen Kit Kat. I groped around amongst the discarded Kit Kat wrappers for a whole one. Once I felt my finger touch a whole one I quickly wrapped my fingers around it and pulled myself upright.
I looked back at the road. “Shit!” I yelled as I quickly jerked the wheel to the right, narrowly avoiding the car that came out of nowhere. I heard the car honk as I passed it. “Holy shit!” I hissed as I turned around, looking at the red tail lights fading into the dark. I quickly spun myself around again and took a deep breath. I could feel my heart threatening to bust out of my chest. “Jesus that was scary!”
It took a few moments for my heart to calm down. When it finally did I came to a realization.
I lost my Kit Kat.
“Dammit!”
I drove past a giant green sign that said there was a bed and breakfast only a mile away.
“Oh thank God!” I silently said. Finally there was somewhere I could get some sleep. Damn I needed some rest.
~>~<~
The bed and breakfast was a rather small, homey looking building. It looked about three stories high and it had a sign on it saying “Terry and Terry's Bed and Breakfast” and underneath it it had a smaller sign that said “Vacant”. The parking lot was just a gravel lot that was currently a milky gray. Only three other cars sat in the parking lot and I parked far away from them so I wouldn't risk scratching my car. I don't trust other drivers. I turned off the ignition and popped the trunk. I reached back to the back seat and grabbed a dark blue hoody and slipped in on before gabbing my keys and stepping out into the rain. I flipped up my hood, locked my car, and ran around to my truck and pulled out a duffel bag. I slammed the truck down and ran towards the door that had a neon open sign lit up in it's window and ran through it.
“Jeez,” I let out under my breath as I shook out my sleeves, water flying from my sleeves. I pulled my hood back, took off my tan military cap and shook off it's water before replacing it on top of my head, and walked towards a receptionist desk and dinged a little bell on the counter. A few seconds later a little old lady came shuffling into view.
“Oh dear heavens, you're soaked!” she cried when she saw me.
I let out a forced laugh and put ton a fake smile. “Yeah, I was hoping you had a room available for the night?”
“Of course, of course,” she said pulling a book out from under a drawer in the counter. She opened it to a page and put on glasses. “Let's see here, room 3 is open and it's $25 a night.”
“Perfect,” I said as I reached in to my pockets and pulled out some crumpled bills. I gave her a twenty and five ones. I signed a check-in book and got a key with a big number three on the tag I asked if she could get me up it the morning and she said that she would do her best. I thanked the lady, who's name I didn't even ask for, probably Terry, and headed into the foyer. A staircase sat in front of me. A wave of tiredness wash over me and I groaned to myself and stepped onto the stairs.
I trudged my feet up the carpeted steps, my clothes were soaked and I was dripping water everywhere, but I didn't care. I adjusted the duffel bag on my shoulder. I reached the top of the stairs and turned right and walked until I found door number 3. I put my key in it's lock and unlocked it. I stumbled through the door, closing it behind me, and let my duffel bag drop on the floor. I didn't bother to turn on the lights as I wouldn't need them. Though there was just a little light coming from the window.
I tossed my cap onto the table, stripped off my jacket and let it fall to the floor. I undid my button up shirt, letting that also to fall to the floor. I stepped on the heels of my sneakers to get them off, stripped off my socks, and pulled down my pants. I left them on the floor as well. I reached behind my back and undid the clasp to my bra and tossed it on the table and climbed into bed, pulling the heavy blankets over me.
I nuzzled my cheek into the soft pillow and let out a deep sigh. I felt a little uncomfortable still in my damp panties, but I was didn't care. I fell asleep in minutes.
~>~<~
Knock knock knock
“Dear? Are you up?”
“Ngh?” I mumbled as I slowly nuzzled the pillow.
Knock knock knock
“Dear?”
“Yeah?” I mumbled out loudly.
“You asked me to wake you dear?”
“Uh,” I said as I opened my eyes. It was a little brighter in the room than last night. I rubbed my eyes and sat up on my knees on the bed. “Thanks!” I yelled.
“You're welcome! Breakfast is downstairs!”
“Thanks!” I yelled again. I check my watch and saw that it was 8:00. Right on the dot. I slowly crawled out of bed and stumbled to the light switch by the door. I flicked it on and immediately regretted it. I slowly cracked my eyes open, letting them adjust to the light. I stumbled to the bathroom and flicked on the light in there. I took off my crummy feeling underwear and did my business. After I was done I opened the bathroom pantry and pulled out a fluffy white towel and set it on the toilet lid. I took a very refreshing warm shower that I really needed.
I wiped the fog off the mirror and looked into my reflection. I had orange hair that was cut so it evenly hung just past my ears all around my head, my bangs were parted in the middle. I had bright green eyes with freckles that covered my nose. I was about 5 foot 3 and 129 pounds, last time I stepped on a scale. I was kinda short, but incredibly cute. I worked hard for that too.
I cracked my neck and left the bathroom, grabbing my underwear and the towel off the floor and headed back into the main room. I tossed them on the messy bed and grabbed my duffel bag off the floor. I opened it and dug out some clothes. A white t-shirt, men's blue jeans with the heels worn out of them, socks, and a bra and panties and a hemp belt that had frayed edges. I put them on, then I put on my sneakers. They were still wet but I didn't have time to throw them in a drier. I stuffed the clothes I discarded all around the room in my duffel bag, after taking my wallet, keys, and phone out of my pants pocket and putting then in my new pants, and zipped it close. I picked up my hoody and pulled it on.
I threw my duffel bag over my shoulder and grabbed the room key. I left the room and as I closed the door I let out a big yawn. I headed down the stairs and took a left into a carpeted dining room type of room with five small rounded tables with three chairs at each table. There was a young couple sitting at a table chowing down on plates of food and an old lady reading the newspaper. It was the same old lady who I checked in with last night.
“Are you leaving dear?” she asked when I stepped into the room.
“Yeah, I gotta get out of here. I have to hit Jamestown by noon,” I said, handing her the key back.
“Oh, please tell me you at least plan on eating something. You're as thin as a rail,” she said, walking to a bar that had food on it. It seemed as though this old lady was a caring type of woman.
“Sure, I can't pass up the most important meal of the day, huh?” I asked with a smile as I picked up a couple of muffins. “Though I’m going to have to eat on the road.”
“Oh, well, have a safe drive, dear. It's still raining hard out there,” the old lady said.
Damn, it still was. I think it even started raining harder. I flipped my hood up and ran for my car, a light purple 1970 Dodge Challenger. It was my fathers car when he was 16 and he fixed it up for me when I tuned 16, four years ago. It took a few tries to get the engine running but when it did I was on the road again. There were more drivers on the road but there weren't as many as there would be on a normal day. I turned on the radio and tuned it in to a weather station.
“...flooding around Yellow county and in some parts of northern James county. Sorry folks but it seems this storm will last for a few more days. I advise you to stay in-”
I turned the radio back to the pop channel that I was listening to last night and let out a big groan.
“Perfect,” I mumbled under my breath and pinched the bridge of my nose. Just what I needed. I moved my foot around and I hit something small and rectangular. A smile broke over my face. Just what I needed. I quickly reached down and picked up the Kit Kat. With one hand on the wheel I tore open the Kit Kat with my teeth and took out a bit bite.
“Mmm,” I hummed. It was heaven in a candy bar. Normally I wouldn't like chocolate but Kit Kats are an exception. Though I probably should be eating the muffins. I’ll eat them next.
I threw the wrapper on the floorboard along with the others. I didn't like to dirty up my car, but I don't really have much of a choice. Oh well, I always clean it on the weekends. I picked up a muffin that I set on the dashboard. I picked off the wrapper with my teeth and took a bite of it. Carrot. Interesting taste, but not bad at all. I sorta felt like a rabbit eating it. I took another bite out of it and was slowly chewing when suddenly I heard a loud screeching sound, like metal on metal. I dropped the muffin out of surprise. Then my vision was full of bright light. The sound got louder and it started to seem like it slowed down, distorting itself.
Then nothing. Nothing but darkness.
~>~<~
Soft. So soft. Something under me was so soft. It was like a cloud, just less wet. It was amazing. Though my head was aching a little bit. It didn't hurt but it was incredibly annoying. I slowly cracked open one eye and let light flood my vision. Apparently the opening of my eyes cued the rest of my body to wake up because I was as stiff as a board. I let out a groan and stretched out my arms, trying to get the blood moving again, then sat up.
The room I was in had white walls with yellow trim, an empty hospital bed besides my own that looked like my own just smaller, a wooden bedside table that had a lamp, a glass of water, and a book on it. There was a window but the curtain was drawn and there wasn't a window on it. I reached for the water and drank it all in one gulp. I was incredibly thirsty. I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head.
The last thing I remember was driving while eating a muffin, a screeching noise, a bright light, then waking up in this hospital. At least I think it's a hospital. It had to be a hospital but I was still wearing my clothes from earlier. Weren't they suppose to take your clothes off and dress you in a paper gown with the back open so the world can see your butt? I wasn't sure, I've never been in a car crash and needed to be taken to the hospital unconscious.
My legs started to get pins and needles and just stretching them out wasn't working so I got the idea to stand up. It wasn't like I was hooked up to any equipment. Not that there was even any equipment in the room. Now I was certain there was suppose to be equipment in the rooms.
I lightly shook my head and gripped the side of the bed and swung my feet over the edge. They even left my shoes on. I stood up and almost went straight back down, but I caught myself in time. I could feel all my stuff in my pockets but my hat was nowhere in sight.
I took a deep breath and stood straight. I cracked my back and only almost fell twice. My legs felt kinda numb but with pins and needles, and they felt strong but they wouldn't hold my weight too well. It was a very weird feeling. I took a slow step forwards and when my foot hit the ground I could feel more normal feelings shoot through my leg. I took another with my other foot and again I was getting more feeling back into my legs.
Rattle rattle
I looked up at the door just as it was opening.
A small horse walked in. I had to blink a couple of times. The small horse was dressed in a white lab coat with what looked like a brown toupee on and it had light brown fur. I also caught sight of a mark on it's butt. It looked like one of those medical staffs with the snakes on it. I slowly raised an eyebrow in question at this hospital's sanitary policy.
“Damn,” I muttered under my breath.
“Oh, thank Celestia you're finally awake!” the small horse said, chuckling to itself, a smile upon it's face. “Princess Luna wasn't even sure if you would live or not.”
I couldn't do anything but stare and open and close my mouth like a fish out of water, trying to find words as my brain made sense of the situation. A horse just talked. I would say I was probably dreaming, but you can't feel pain in dreams. My brain was trying to find something to do when it stepped forwards.
“Um, ma'am?” it asked.
My brain had finally found something to do. That was to make my body let out a high pitched scream and take a giant step back, fall onto and over the bed and land head first on the hard ground.
Chapter Deux
“Ow,” I hissed as I put a hand to the back of my head.
“Miss?” the horse thing said. My eye grew wide and I immediately began to scoot back as fast as I could away from it, until my back hit the wall, then I flattened myself against it. It hesitated then took another step forwards.
“B-back off!” I shouted, my voice wavering. I was breathing heavily through my nose and I kept eye contact with it. Thankfully, the horse thing took a step back.
“Ma'am, I need you to calm down,” it slowly said in a calm and gentle voice.
“I am calm!” I hissed at it. It muttered something I couldn't hear.
“Please miss, I need you to calm down,” it said again. I think it's a he, what with his manly voice. “I'm not going to hurt you.”
“What the hell are you?!” I yelled at him.
“If you will calm down, I will answer your questions,” he said. I opened my mouth to tell him I was calm again, but my brain had finally caught up with me.
It reasoned that I should stop yelling as it would get me nowhere. It sucked that my brain was right sometimes. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself.
“O-ok. I am calm,” I said with my inside voice. My voice shook a little still, and I was still breathing heavily, and I was still flattened against the wall, but not as much as before.
“Good, now as for your question as to what I am,” he said, a kind smile on his face, “I am a pony.”
“...a what?” I asked, perplexed.
“A pony, now what are you?” he asked, tilting his head to the side, like a curious child.
A question for a question? Alright.
“A human. What's your name?” I asked, getting more and more curious now that I was not freaking out. He wasn't all that scary actually.
“My name is Cuddle Buddy.”
Yeah no he's not scary at all. I though as I started to giggle softly. This seemed to peeve him a little.
“Well? What is your name?” he asked.
“Sorry, um, Rebecca, Rebecca Marsh,” I said, clearing my throat.
“And I have the funny name,” Cuddle Buddy muttered, just loud enough that I barely heard him. I decided to ignore that.
“So, am I dead or something?” I asked. Cuddle took a step forwards. “No! You stay where you are!” I quickly said. Cuddle widened his eyes but still took a step back.
“Ok, well no you're not dead-”
“Then how are you talking?” I interrupted him. It was his turn to be confused.
“Huh? What are you talking about?” he asked, with a raised eyebrow.
“You're talking, aren't you?” I asked.
“Yes, just as I have for years. But what do you mean how am I talking?” he asked.
“You are an animal, you shouldn't be talking,” I stated.
“Hmm, well I think one of the princesses would be better at answering that,” he said. He looked around for a second and let out a breath and sat on the floor. Just sat down, not getting a chair or anything. Though I suppose he wouldn't need a chair. “Any more questions?”
“If I’m not dead, then where am I?” I asked.
“Equestria.”
“Equestria?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. I was having a little trouble understanding. I let out a breath and unpeeled myself from the wall. I still leaned on the wall, but at least now I wasn't flat on it.
“How are you feeling?”
“Huh?”
“Any nausea, headaches, vision loss, anything?” he asked, an unreadable look upon his face.
“What?” I could only ask.
“I'm your doctor,” he said. He pointed to a badge on his coat. “See? This means I’m a doctor.”
“Oh,” I said. I shook my head, “I know.”
“You know?” Cuddle asked.
“Yeah, the doctors where I’m from do the same thing,” I said, sliding my knees to my chest, and hugging them. It was something that I did when I was in a situation I didn't understand.
“Hmm. So, anything? I need to know,” he said, concern in his voice now. I wasn't sure if it was true concern or not.
“Oh, um, a slight headache.”
“Is that all?”
“Well, the back of my head hurts,” I said, putting a hand to the back of my head and wincing slightly.
Cuddle stood up. “May I look?” he asked, gently.
“Um, sure?”
Cuddle smiled and took a step forwards. I didn't freak out so he started to slowly walk towards me. He was next to me in a few steps and I slowly turned by back to him. I could hear him hum lightly and gently brush my hair to the side. I flinched lightly but let him continue. He was surprisingly gentle with hooves.
“Well, there's no blood, and it doesn't look bad,” Cuddle said, stepping back. I turned back towards him. “But you are going to have a nice goose egg, and I imagine it didn't do much for your headache,” he said with a smile.
I found myself lightly chuckling. “Yeah.”
“Is there anything you need? Are you hungry?” he asked.
“I'm really thirsty,” I said.
“How about I get you some water, and get something for your headache?” he asked.
“Uh, yeah.”
“Great, would you like to get back in bed? Or you could just stay on the ground, whichever you prefer,” Cuddle said.
“I think I’ll get in bed,” I said with a small chuckle. I stood up and so did he. I moves to the bed and sat, while he went to the door.
“I'll be right back,” he said, flashing me a smile then he slipped out.
Then I was all alone again.
I didn't know what I was to do. I felt my phone through my pocket and dug it out. It had half battery life and... four bars? I quickly pulled up my contacts and hit a random contact to call and put it up to my ear.
“We're sorry. But the number you tried contacting-”
Out of habit I hung up.
Bullshit. She always has her phone activated. I thought to myself. I picked another contact but it said the same. I went through my whole contact list but it all said the same. I even tried the emergency numbers, but still nothing.
“Dammit!” I said, frustrated.
“Huh?” a voice asked making me jump. I looked over at where the voice came from and saw Cuddle was back, a trolly in front of him.
“Oh, uh, nothing,” I said, putting my phone back in my pocket. Cuddle rolled the trolly in front of me. It had a pitcher of water on it, next to a stethoscope and a paper cup with a pink round pill in it.
“Well, your water and painkiller,” Cuddle said. I grabbed the pitcher and refilled my cup that was on the nightstand. I picked up the pill but stopped, giving it a look.
“Don't worry, if we wanted to kill you, we could have when you were asleep,” Cuddle said, with a friendly smile, sensing my hesitation. Oddly enough it did ease my worry. I put the pill in my mouth and drank the water. Then I refilled my cup and drank another. Then another. And one more. Cuddle was watching me with an amused smile.
“Er, sorry,” I said, suddenly embarrassed.
“It's fine. May I?” he asked. I looked over and he held up the stethoscope. Well I guess the word would be held. It was just kinda stuck to his hoof, not falling off or anything.
“Uh, sure,” I said.
“Alright,” Cuddle put the ear pieces in his ears and put the other end on my back. “Breathe in,” I did, “and out,” again, I did. He did this in three other places and he was done. “Well, from what I can tell, you seem fine.”
“I feel fine, I guess,” I said.
“Well, I suppose now the princesses would want to meet with you,” he said, putting the stethoscope back on the trolly.
“What are they like?” I asked. I'm not sure why I asked this question first.
“Well, they both are a little taller than you, Princess Celestia is white with a diluted-”
“No no, I mean, like what are they like, personality wise?” I asked.
“Oh,” Cuddle said, a smile appearing on his face, “They are the kindest, most caring creatures this lovely planet could ask for.”
“Ah,” I said, a smile appearing on my own face. “Okay, I think meeting them would be a good idea.”
“Good, I will go get them,” Cuddle said, taking the handle in his mouth and turning to leave.
“Actually,” I spoke up, making him turn his head with an eyebrow raised, “could I come with you?”
“Of course,” he said. I stood up and walked towards him. I set my cup on the trolly and let out a breathe. “Nervous?”
“Uh, yeah,” I said, fiddling with my fingers.
“Don't be, nobody will hurt you,” Cuddle said with a smile. I smiled back and let out another deep breathe. “Could you get the door for me please?” I quickly opened the door and Cuddle went out and I followed.
The hall we walked into looked like normal hospital hallways. Clean, white tiles on the floor, clean, white walls with a few doors along them. Cuddle turned right and I followed. Even though I couldn't see any other ponies, I still walked kinda close to Cuddle. We walked a few feet and Cuddle stopped at a door, and scooted the trolly to the side.
“Come with me,” he said, walking further down the hall and I followed.
We took a left and I saw another pony. It was pink with a deep red mane that was pulled back into a ponytail, with a paper hat on its head that had a red cross on it, and a... horn on it's forehead? It was sitting behind a desk, reading something. It looked up when it heard our footsteps, and had the look of surprise on it's face.
“I'm taking Rebecca to see Princess Celestia, will you sign her out?” Cuddle asked, stopping at the desk.
The pony, I figure it's a she, snapped out of her dazed look and started to shuffle through the papers on her desk. She found a clipboard and her horn light up in a pinkish glow. A pen got engulfed in the pinkish glow and it lifted and started to scribble on the clipboard. I just kinda stared at it with wide eyes, not really believing in what I was seeing.
“Uh, I need you to sign here,” she said, the clipboard and pen floating in front of me. I silently grabbed it, my eyes still wide. I looked at the paper and saw an 'x' with a long line next to it. With a shaking hand I placed the pen in the line and wrote my signature. I handed it back to the pony and looked at Cuddle, who looked like he was holding back laughter.
“Thank you Tulip,” Cuddle said, walking away. I quickly followed him. We turned another corner and found a set of white double doors. He pushed one open and I quickly walked ahead of him, but stopped when I was suddenly greeted with grey stone walls, big windows letting in light, and a few wooden doors leading other places.
“Whats wrong?” Cuddle asked, suddenly by my side.
“Huh? Oh, nothing. I just wasn't expecting...this,” I said, raising my hand.
“Oh, well we keep the hospital cleaner than the rest of the castle,” Cuddle said.
Castle?
We continued to walk down the corridor and I could help but look out the windows. It looked like a big city out there.
“So, why did you freeze up?” Cuddle asked, suddenly.
“Huh?” I asked.
“You froze up when looking at Tulip,” Cuddle said.
“Oh, I just wasn't expecting... whatever that was,” I said.
“Magic?” he asked, looking up at me with a raised eyebrow.
“That was... magic?” I asked. It was my turn to raise an eyebrow.
“It was a basic levitating spell, yes,” Cuddle said.
“How?”
“How what?”
“How can she do magic?” I asked.
“Well, she's a unicorn.”
“A...unicorn?” I asked, hesitantly.
“Well yeah. Wait, do you know what a unicorn is?” Cuddle asked, stopping and looking up at me.
“Well, kinda,” I said with a shrug.
“Kinda?”
“Well, where I’m from, unicorns are mythical beasts,” I said, “and so are talking ponies! To be honest, I don't even know if I'm all right in the head right now!” Cuddle just gave me a puzzled look.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“W-well, all this?” I asked, my voice shaking again, I raise a hand and gesture to all around us. “All this can only happen in a fairy tale!”
“Well, I can assure you that this is no fairy tail,” Cuddle said, sitting down.
“That's exactly what something from a fairy tail would say!” I argued. “This whole situation is completely ridiculous!”
“How so?”
“Well, where I am from this doesn't happen!”
“It doesn't happen here either.”
“Yeah but you have magic.”
“So?”
“So you can blame it on magic!”
“True,” Cuddle said, putting a hoof to his chin.
“See? You have that excuse. I don't.”
“You don't?”
“No. There is no magic where I'm from,” I said, letting out my breathe. I could feel my face getting red from my rant.
“Are you ok?” Cuddle asked, upon seeing my red face.
“Yeah I’m fine,” I said, taking a few deep breaths, trying to fan myself with my hand. “I get over heated really easily.” Cuddle just nodded. I took one last deep breath and straightened myself out.
“Ok, let's go meet the princesses,” I said.
“Just like that?” Cuddle asked.
“Yeah, just like that,” I said. Cuddle shrugged and stood and together we started to walk some more.
“So what else can I expect?” I ask after a few steps.
“Well there are three main races, earth ponies, like myself, unicorns, like Tulip, and pegasi, like this guard up here,” I looked forwards and saw a white pony in golden armor. I also saw white wings folded at his sides, and he was staring forwards. “Then we have other races like Griffons, dragons, alicorns-”
“Alicorns? Like the horn of a unicorn?” I asked, confused.
“No, an alicorn is a pony with both wings and a horn. They are very powerful beings and very rare. The Princesses are both alicorns and they have been here for thousands of years,” Cuddle said, shaking his head lightly. “I would tell you more, but I think that it would be best if the Princesses were to tell you themselves.”
“Right,” I said. “So what can you tell me of where I am?”
“Well you're in Equestria, city of Canterlot, Royal Castle, South wing,” Cuddle said said.
“Smartass,” I muttered. Cuddle heard and smiled. “How much further?”
“Not much further,” Cuddle said.
We walked for a little bit longer until we went through came upon a door that was elegantly designed. The door lead to a grand foyer of sorts, it was huge, with just as elegantly styled doors leading to more places, and a big set of wooden doors stood open to the outside, and across from it on the other side of the room was another set of big wooden doors that were closed. Two guards, each white in golden armor, stood at each door, as still as statues.
“Come on, just through these doors,” Cuddle said, walking to the big set of wooden doors that were closed. He stopped just before them and nodded to the guard on the left. The guard turned and cracked open the door and slipped inside for a few seconds before returning. He nodded once and returned to his post. Cuddle turned towards me and flashed me a smile. “Come on.”
Cuddle pushed open the door and walked in and I walked in after him. I was taken back at how amazing it looked. The walls were a pinkish purple with painted glass windows. The floor looked like a milky mirror, reflecting everything in a sort of distorted way. There were plain wooden doors on the wall to the left, and pillars along the walls. In the middle of the floor was a red carpet leading up to a throne.
There was one pony sitting on the throne, it's coat was as white as snow, her mane was long and billowing in the nonexistent wind, colored a diluted rainbow. It had golden things on her hooves and a golden collar around her neck. It also had a very kind smile on it's face. I could tell it was female, no male anything would look like that.
“Please rise,” she said in a motherly voice. I was slightly confused but then I looked over at Cuddle who was previously bowing.
“Princess Celestia, I'm sure you know why I am here,” Cuddle said, walking up to Celestia. I hesitantly followed. “Rebecca here has finally woken up.”
“Thank you, Doctor Cuddle,” Celestia said to Cuddle with a nod of her head. We stopped at the foot of her throne. Celestia turned her head to look at me and nodded her head at me. “It is a pleasure to finally get a chance to talk with you, my name is Celestia.”
“U-um, yeah! It's, uh, nice to meet you, Princess Celestia, my name is um, Rebecca, Rebecca Marsh,” I said, my voice shaking and my breath was heavy again. Clumsily bowed my head.
“Please, don't be so nervous,” Celestia said, her motherly voice and caring smile, calming me down some. I took a few deep breathes to help me calm down even more.
“Sorry, I just wasn't expecting...well any of this,” I said, my voice still wavering a little.
“Hmm?” Celestia hummed with an eyebrow raised slightly, prompting me to go into detail.
“Well, you know, waking up in a world that can't exist,” I said.
“Can't exist? I'm afraid I don't understand,” Celestia said, with a curious expression on her face.
“Well, where I’m from, somebody can't just be teleported or whatever it was that happened, to another world or dimension, or wherever the hell this place is. We don't have magic to blame it on. So this has to be a dream, but you can't feel pain in a dream, so this must be a hallucination, making this place nonexistent,” I said, my face heating up again.
“That could be true,” Celestia said with a nod of her head.
“...Huh?” I asked, perplexed.
“What you say could be true. You could be hallucinating all of this and I could just be a figment of your imagination,” Celestia said, a smile on her face.
“But are you?” I asked.
“Do you think I am?”
“I-I'm not sure.”
“Hmm,” she stood up and walked down from her throne, stopping in front of me. “Would you like to go for a walk with me?”
“Um, sure?”
Celestia just smiled and nodded her head.
“Princess?” Cuddle spoke up.
“Yes?”
“Am I excused?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Of course,” Celestia said with a nod of her head. Cuddle gave me one last smile and he turned to leave. Celestia started to walk to the side of the room with the doors on them and I followed. She chose the door that was on the very end and opened it up with her magic. She smiled and swept her hoof, indicating that she wanted me to go first and I did. The hall looked much like the hall outside of the hospital and I just waited for Celestia. She walked through the door and started to walk to the right, and I quickly followed.
“So, how are you feeling?” she asked.
“Um, fine I guess,” I said. We walked a few more steps in silence.
“You seem to be handling this rather well,” Celestia said, taking a moment to look at me.
“Oh, well,” I could feel my cheeks turning red, “you might not say that if you were there when I woke up.”
“Oh?” Celestia asked, her smile turning into a smile of amusement.
“I may have screamed,” I mumbled, looking everywhere but at Celestia as my cheeks heated up. I heard Celestia giggle softly.
“Well, I imagine that I myself would scream if woke up in a world completely different from my own,” Celestia said, looking forwards again. We turned left.
“Is that what you think?” I asked.
“Hmm?”
“That this is a whole different world?”
“I thought that I was just a figment of your imagination?”
“Well, my mind is screaming at me to say that you are not real, but everything else is telling me that you are,” I said, shaking my head. “If you aren't real then I’ve gone crazy.”
“Well they say that the craziest are the most sane.”
“Who says that?” I asked.
“The crazy ponies,” Celestia said, chuckling.
“Oh,” I said. We walked for a few more seconds in silence. “So, do you know a way I could get back?”
“Hm?” Celestia hummed, turning towards me.
“Back home?”
“Oh,” Celestia said, her smile leaving her. She took a deep breath. “No.”
“...oh,” I said, my breath catching in my throat. Celestia stopped and turned towards me, putting a hoof on my shoulder.
“I am terribly sorry. Even if we were able to make a spell that would be able to take you back, we have no idea where your world is located at.”
“Oh,” I said again, a heavy weight settling in my stomach.
“But that doesn't mean that we won't look,” Celestia said with a smile. I smiled back but that's all I could do. Celestia took her hoof back and stood. “Come, I would like to show you were we found you, it's not far.”
I nodded and together we continued to walk.
