Author's Note

How long has it been? Technically it would be half a year since I last updated, but that's just because I deleted some chapters, and it's because that ark itself was going to take too long to finish, and - I think this counts as a run-on sentence, oh well - I wanted to get to other shorter, but still fun arks.

I got no good excuse for not updating earlier. So I will spare everyone the details.

One thing I will guarantee though, is that I will focus on only writing on this story. Writing the other stories was fun, but I missed writing on this one.

That's all I have to say after being absent for so long. I know it's irony somehow, problem is, I don't know what type.

But please, write a comment, and tell me how bad or good I did in this chapter. Remember, criticism helps writers improve.

I Survived my First Day

* ??? POV *

If I had to say how my first day in this pony world was, it would be something like this: Longest day of my life. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’m both physically and mentally exhausted.

The long walk to Blackwood – the name of the town I went to – was a-lot longer than I thought. My coat was sweaty all over. I was hungry, and I had no idea who to ask for help. Problem after problem kept emerging ever since I set foot – or hoof – in that town, and I, unintentionally, managed to become a suspect in a theft case of a highly valuable gem of some King. Looking back, I had it coming; I was an outsider – an outlander, like they said – so they had every reason to suspect me after something like that happened.

With that said, I never, ever, want to go through something like that again. …But maybe she would like to. It’s hard to tell by her size, but every time she talked, and the look in her eyes, it was like watching one of those cold detectives from TV in real life.

The thought of a cute little pony sitting on a leather chair behind an office desk, elbows right at the edge, hooves tapping each other, and to complete the picture, she’s wearing a sinister grin. Typical cartoon villain, but it’s still funny, “Heh,” that got a small smile out of me.

“Why are you laughing?” The sound of a girl made me yelp and jump back.

Had I been paying attention, I would have noticed Flash Cache – a yellow pony that only reaches my shoulders, white short mane and tail with a gray streak on both, sky-blue eyes and a cutie mark of a square-shaped camera in mid-flash – walking out of the dead forest – with its tall, withered trees that appear more like wrinkled rocks – from earlier today.

“Your answer?” I flinched lightly, but I bet she noticed. Those eyes of hers make me feel like a mouse under a hawk’s gaze.

“W-Well I… I,” I just noticed it, but I raised my hoof in reflex.

“Never mind,” she closes her eyes; I’m not really sure why. “Ten minutes.”

“Huh?” All I had to say.

She opened her eyes, but they seemed less threatening than before, “It took around ten minutes to get to the cottage you mentioned.”

It’s true that I didn’t go back into the forest where I nearly die, faced off a living nightmare and met ghosts… did I mention I nearly died?

“I-I really don’t get it,” I pressed my hooves around my head, afraid it’s going to break from all the craziness I had to survive. “T-This place, was, like, alive when I woke up! There were big trees a-and everything. They were so big t-that I couldn’t even see the s-sky, a-and they were glowing celeste too! I’m sure!”

“The color matches the one in the investigation.”

“Huh?” I removed my hooves from my ears.

Flash walked towards the side of an aged sign that – with much difficulty – says ‘Forbidden entry to Sunshine Forest’.

“How do you know the trees’ color were celeste?” She asked without looking at me.

“L-Like I said, they were when I woke up, b-but then…” I swallowed the lump in my throat, and hoped that by saying her name she wouldn’t appear, “Nightm-mare Moon c-came, and after she became a… p-p-puff of smoke, the forest… was d-death like this.”

“…I believe you.”

“B-But it’s true!” I know I’m not crazy! “The t-trees were Celeste a-and then I-I meet met this family. A m-mother and a-a child,” I took a breath so I wouldn’t stutter, “I’m still a-alive because of them. P-Please believe me, I’m n-not crazy!”

She snapped her head in my direction, “I said I believe you!”

I flinched back.

*Sigh* The little pony rubs her temple, “Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”

R-Right, all I told her was that I woke up in this place. Thinking back, that’s what made her decided to take me here. …A little bit against my will, but that doesn’t really matter now, “T-That’s all.”

“Then let me get this straight,” Flash moves her gaze over mine, “You woke up in this forest, encountered Nightmare Moon, was rescued by a mother and her daughter, then the forest returned to its ‘death’ state – as you mentioned – after the Mare on the Moon turned into a puff of dust.”

“S-Sounds crazy, I know.”

Her unreadable expression isn’t helping my nerves, “I did say I believe you.”

“Oh, right.” I rubbed my foreleg while moving my gaze elsewhere, “C-Can… I ask something.”

“Go ahead. It’s only fair.”

“W-What happened here?”

I figured it’s something bad since she’s taking her time. I dared meet her gaze again, but she has closed her eyes, as if thinking. “Let me tell you a story.

“Around three years ago, there once lived a family recognized as Goldenwood, and with the power of all three tribes, they were able to restore forest, grow plants where the ground was barren, and were one of the first publically known families to manipulate magic found in nature.”

Her eyes opened, looking intently at mine, “Do you understand so far?”

“Y-Yeah,” ‘Somewhat’.

Her stare makes me quiver on the spot, “…Due to them always being on the move and having no affiliation to any group, the ponies that caught sight of them always asked for their skills. They complied, but after asking for a fair exchange in return.”

Curiosity got the better of me, “W-What kind of exchange?”

She smirks, “Information, bits, food, whatever they can offer.” Her lips returned to a thin line; her eyes however, remained serious, “But, they got greedy. One day they got the idea of strengthening their magical ties with Animus.”

“A-Animus?”

Now, I know I stutter a lot, but I still got good eyes, and I’m sure I saw a scowl that lasted a moment, “…My mistake. I forgot I was speaking to an amnesic.”

That last word was a little higher than the rest… was it anger?

“Animus is the continent you’re in. Let’s first get back on topic before discussing anything else.” Her expression filled with some irritation, “I haven’t finished telling you Goldenwood’s history, and we’re already delving into basic geography.”

“R-right, sorry.”

It was small, but I noticed when her nose flared, “One day they got the idea of strengthening their magical ties Animus. They could only accomplish it by finding an area soaked from ground to earth with magic. Being practical, they could’ve settled in a town or even in a dessert since magic is contained in our every surrounding. But realistically, Sunshine Forest was the perfect choice. It existed for over 800 years, one of the oldest – and one of the three – forests to remain intact.”

Her gaze delves back to the forest long enough for her to say, “Until three years ago.”

I understand magic is valuable in this world, just like air would be – maybe even more - and the way she’s making it sound, this place seemed very valuable.

“Theories come and go. Varying from the simplest as group of bandits assaulting them one night and setting the forest in fire to eliminate all traces of evidence. Then to the most craziest as Animus transforming the forest’s air into fire, burning down Goldenwood’s research and the ponies that tried to tap into arcane magic, leaving-” she motions at the forest with a hoof, “this behind as a sign for us not to pass our natural boundaries.”

I stared at her slack-jawed. To which she quickly rolls her eyes.

“You have to be a special kind of dumb to believe that.” My cheeks reddened from embarrassment, but thankfully Flash went back into the previous topic as a grin becomes present, “But my theory falls under theirs. The Goldenwood family were no pushovers. They had the magic to revitalize forsaken orchards. I have little doubt they managed to accomplish something, but it must’ve had an adverse affect on the forest. I have no doubt that much is true.”

“B-But how are you sure?” Curious…again.

With an unamused look, she taps at her throat twice.

It took me a moment to realize what she was insinuating. I held a gasp as my hoof shot up to the scarf around my neck. “T-This-”

She raises a hoof for me to stop, “This once, I will pretend you ‘forgot’ to tell me such valuable information,” her eyes move to the side while her eyes opened up slightly, “and to be fair, I didn’t form the connection until thirty minutes after our encounter. I was handling a different case at the time, so a miniscule detail like this forest’s trees glowing celeste was not a priority to remember.”

‘Most of that sounded like an excuse.’ A terrifying thought crossed my mind, ‘it’s a good thing she can’t read minds.’

“I digress.” Her eyes shift back to mine, and they went back to their unreadable stern gaze, “That scarf you have matches the same light that was written in an old report. Mind you, that report didn’t mention an item with a sheen of celeste, and even going off the assumption that somepony omitted such information, I doubt it would have been left behind for some random pony to find.” She walks over to me, and without asking, she places a hoof over my scarf. My body becomes stiff for an odd reason, but I feel a steady pressure where her hoof is at,

“W-What are you-”

“If you stay quiet, I might tell you.”

I did as she… ordered. Seconds passed by as that pressure surrounded the parts underneath the scarf.

“I was right. The Goldenwood Family managed to transfer raw magic into an item composed of wool.”

I gulped, not sure she really noticed, “R-Raw magic?” Hopefully a conversation might get her to step away – I don’t have the guts to tell her to back off, especially a girl.

“Raw magic comes directly from the land. It’s unfiltered. Primal to its core. It’s the densest magic known to ponykind, and if the process wasn’t already difficult, they used a scarf – a soft material – as a container for high density magic.”

“I…Is that really so though?”

“Let me bring it into perspective.” She says while her hoof is on my scarf for… whatever reason, “It’s much easier for the common unicorn to enchant an item directly from their own magic - using a water infused magic solution also works – and the success rate are always – if not mostly – one-hundred when combined with a hard object like swords, armor, spears, etc.”

She doesn’t try to hide the gleam in her eyes, and to be honest, it makes her look more terrifying, more-so by the close distance, “Unicorns, by natural law, are considered to be the superior species, yet what do they have to show. The only unicorn that’s globally known is Star Swirl the Bearded. Each new generation of pegasi keep exceeding the limits set by the previous ones, and earth ponies expand on what their ancestors left them. The average unicorn, is capable of simple magic shot and levitation, and aside from being talented at a certain area, less than one percent is capable of using Arcane magic.”

I forced a smile, “Um, F-Flash, I think… you got sidetracked.”

A frown quickly overtakes her expression. I worried I angered her because of the obvious ‘pissed off’ look on her. Then as quickly as her emotions shift, now it’s back to her serious-self that scares me, “The point I was trying to make. It’s hazardous to infuse nature magic into something that can be ripped apart by hooves. The fabric can very well explode by pulling a loose thread.”

I dared not move as a sudden cold took over my body.

“Relax, you’re safe.” If the voice was soothing in any way – or at least friendly – I might have… but something else does. My body loosens up as a sense of safety puts me at ease. “If not, you would have turned into fragments hours ago.” That’s… good to hear.

The following seconds are spend in silence, but it ends after she removes her hoof and steps back, “So that’s how they kept it from breaking apart. Aside from being a complicated process, the scarf is now acting as a beacon. Radiating the excess magic to create a ward around the user – for what purpose? I don’t know – then for that magic to return to Animus, and absorb the magic naturally found in the air. It’s very similar to the water cycle, much like...” Flash’s brows furrow, “Like a providence.”

I feel dumb not knowing a lot of the words she’s using. I…I feel like a kid, and worse of all, an outsider, or – using the right words – an outlander.

“Judging the dumb look on your face, I should explain what a providence is, and the type of magic of surrounding your scarf.” I lowered my head with some embarrassment showing on my red cheeks, “But it will be short, or we will be standing here all day.”

I further lowered my head, hiding my eyes behind the mess of my hair. Mane actually. “It’s not easy for me too.”

“…Right. Sorry. Force of habit.” Her tone makes it hard to know if she’s genuinely sorry or not, but I do feel better if I pretend she is. “Think of a providence as a private property: can be the size of a town, or can have the length of a mountain. And spare me the skepticism look, count yourself lucky I’m telling you this. Outl…tourists, aren’t even told about this for two reasons. The first reason is simple, they aren’t native to this land, so we have no obligation to share anything with them unless it’s convenient. The second coexists with the first: there’s no need for them to know.”

I’m sure my concern shows, “But… isn’t that… like mean.”

Flash rolls her eyes, “Think – for instance – you live in a nation that no one wants to enter because it is considered dangerous. While other nations commence on trade, we weren’t given a damn. I bet the locals in those lands don’t know we exist, and if they do, they must have heard of the most hideous crimes that only takes place in these lands, or the cults that threaten the wellbeing of thousands, or maybe the inside wars that elders face in order to remain in power! For the choice of thousands of imbeciles, the entire populace of Animus is deemed too dangerous to interact! So excuse us for not caring back in return!”

I could feel my ears fold down as I tried to make myself a little smaller, “I-I’m sorry. I d-didn’t-”

“Know? Of course you didn’t.” *Sigh* Her gaze lowered to the dry, cracked ground, “I do mean when I apologize for… snapping at you. That was my screw-up. Should have remembered you’re amnesic.”

She mumbled a few words, but I managed to hear the word “idiot”.

Is she… scolding herself?

Her gaze went back to mine, “That scarf you are wearing. I know it’s a ward, but I can’t tell what it is for. It’s powerful, that much I’m confident of.” She raises a hoof, stopping me from asking, “Ward is a form of protection, but not necessarily a barrier – a magical construct acting as a shield. Think in the lines of repelling an intangible force, such as bad luck, hexes, and some dark magic.” There’s a slight change in her gaze, but I noticed it as a sinister glint “What you possess, could as well be sold for hundreds, maybe even thousands of bits. Just about anypony would sell such an item without second thoughts.”

I grew sick from the thought. Doing something like that felt wrong. I shook my head, “I-I don’t feel comfortable doing something like that. I… I just can’t sell a gift.”

She raises an eyebrow at the word gift, but lowers it before saying “Shame, I know a stallion that would’ve given us a great price for this.”

I swallowed the distaste that gathered in my throat, then a small thought came to mind, “What about t-the thing. T-the thing with the, um, hoof.”

“Heh,” she laughs! And smirks at me! That’s unnerving, “You remembered. Maybe that head is not as empty as I thought.”

Unsure whether to take it as a compliment or an insult, I opted with a “T-Thank you?”

“For nothing.” Her lips turn into a thin line, “…All I can tell you, is that it’s a Specialty from my tribe. Understand that telling you more would be divulging secrets, and I won’t become the first pony from our tribe to leak three generations worth of information.”

“Oh, okay,” I admit I was a little sad, she basically meant I can’t be trusted, but I understand her reasons. We barely know each other as is.

…I think... that’s the end of our business here. That leaves one more thing, “S-So… now what?”

She looks at me with an arched eyebrow, “What will happen, is that you’re coming with me.”

I blinked, “E-Excuse me?”

She responds to my soft tone with a snort, “You walked out where the biggest, unsolved anomaly ever took place in Animus, and that’s not taking into account your experience in this forest. As of right now, you’re my prime lead in this mystery.”

My eyes couldn’t have gone wider if I wanted them to, “Me… a lead?”

“Don’t know how, don’t know yet, but you’re involved, but in the strangest case you aren’t.” Her smirk sends a shiver down my spine, “You’re a walking mystery with a common case of amnesia, but giving your circumstances, your case is far from normal. So I’m going to help you.”

“Help me?”

“Of course. Think of it as a mutual relationship. In fact, it is one. It’s no secret you’re alone and got nowhere else to go.” I nodded meekly, “You can travel with me, and in return, I can research you using any means I see fit.”

I gulped, “For e-example?”

Flash waves a hoof in dismissal, “No need to worry, but I’m going to have to use unconventional methods if I plan on finding some answers. I wouldn’t be using them if I had no other choice. Understand, I doubt we will find a relative of yours any time soon.”

“T-True,” I survived my first day in this world, but all I did was get exhausted and almost got myself arrested. …Aren’t I forgetting something?

“Night is coming,” she stated, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I looked up, and the orange sky has become several shades darker, slightly brighter where the sun is about to set. I stiffened as realization hit me, ‘I was supposed to meet him!’

I snapped my gaze back to her, but she has her head turned, glare focused on the dead forest. It looks like she focused on something. I thought of leaving her be because she looked deep in thought, but I’m in a rush at the moment, “S-Sorry, but I was-you, see-I was supposed to-”
“Quit stuttering for a minute!” She interrupted harshly. Her eyes never leaving the forest, “Take a deep breath and form the words in your mind before speaking.”

I moved my lips to form some kind of reply, but failed. So I followed her suggestion – sounded more like an order actually.

“I… was supposed to meet with someone at a hotel because… because he was going to take me to a place where I could get help. I-I think he said Creepyparlor.” Her little ear twitched. I’m sure I saw that.

“…”

“Um, F-Flash, what’s wrong?”

“…I doubt he will be there.”

“But… why you say that?”

“At what time did you agreed to meet?”

I looked to the side, to see that the sun is half-hidden under the horizon, “Before the day ended.”

“…It’s around an hour and forty minutes if you trot to Blackwood. Assuming he’s there in the next thirty minutes, how long do you think he’s going to wait there? Ten minutes? Twenty? Thirty? Perhaps an hour if you’re lucky, but you can be sure he will leave before you make it.”

“That… you may be right.” How could I forget something like that? …Well, I don’t want to shift the blame around, but it was a hectic day, so… I’m kinda allowed to forget some stuff. …That was a terrible excuse.

“Think of it this way. You don’t have to explain to him that you’re a pretty-colt.”

I blinked. My body turned rigid as a heat gathers on my cheeks. The embarrassment died a little since she’s still not facing me, “H… How did you-.”

She cuts in with a neutral tone, “With this height, whether I want to or not, I can often see the… package, or lack thereof on certain ponies.”

I can’t tell how red my face is at the moment, but the heat extended throughout my face, and my tail shifted to cover my… package, on its own.

To tell the truth, I don’t know how much time passed. In truth, it had to be minutes, but my mind run with dozens of scenarios of what exactly she saw, and for how long. The thought of buying pants was also there.

When the excess of blood from my head starts receding back where it belongs, the first thing I notice is Flash is walking towards me, “We’re leaving. Our business is done here.”

“Huh?” Is all I get out. She doesn’t look at me in the eye, even as she walks past me. I turn, but before taking my first step, she stops.

“Now that you’re with me, you will need to get used to be constantly on the move. I normally spend my time traveling, but often stop at town or cities for supplies, and – if it’s needed – offer my skills for payment.”

“O-Okay. But… does that mean w-we have to g-go now?”

“Yes, there is nothing else to gain from this place, your story was the only piece of information that exists. Let’s go.”

She resumes walking, and I follow behind. Should I tell her? A little weak voice in my head asked.

She will think I’m crazy, another voice countered. This one sounded more confident, strong, but comforting. I became lenient to listen to this little voice instead. But… it’s better to tell her now than later.

W-What if she thinks I’m crazy! Fear entered the voice that suggested I should tell Flash.
Think of what she may know, or what she could investigate. She’s going to help us, so she has to know. Logic, something I never fought against.

“Um… Flash.” My low voice actually got her attention.

She stops before turning her head. One eye looking at me, but I mean looking at me as if I were a book, “…Will you tell me, or are we wasting time.”

I looked away, but forced it to return back to her, Be brave. Be brave. Be brave. My inner voice sure didn’t sound brave, but the mantra did help, “I… I-I want…to say… something.”
She raised an eyebrow, but waits for me to continue.

“I… I want to say… I want to say that,” I’m human, the words got stuck in my throat in the form of a lump. I swallowed, hard, “I… I wanted to tell you.” It becomes difficult to maintain my gaze on hers. Instincts tell me to look away from the issue, and hope it forgets about me.

A soothing warmth develops in my chest. I felt the tension in my muscles loosen up; my heartbeat slowed down, letting me think of the situation more clearly. I’m alone. I need help, and… honesty is the best policy to gain trust. …Bad excuse, again, but I need something to keep me going.

“I… I’m human.”

I stood my ground. Waiting for the mock laughter or pure disbelieve she-

“Is that all?” She asks with an unchanged expression.

I blinked. Took the next seconds to process what just happened, “…Y-Yes, that’s it.”

“Then let’s resume clopping. We have too much ground to cover if we want to reach Jacktown by noon.”

She turned her head back, but only got one hoof forward as I shouted “Wait!” What compelled me to do that? I got no idea.

She seemed to freeze in place. No words, no twitch from her ear or tail. I felt incredibly nervous, and… afraid something will happen to me physically.

“Three times,” a shiver ran down my spine from her steel tone, “three times you forgot to tell me something vital. Let’s move.”

“W-Wait!” Seriously, what’s with me today?!

She stopped in mid-step and had to put the hoof down, “What is it this time?” Her voice was strained as anger boiled underneath it.

Worse of all, I was the one who caused her to be angry, “I-It’s that-” Don’t stutter. Talk slow. “I-It’s that… you don’t think… I’m crazy or a-anything.”

Only a light breeze answers me. I could feel the heartbeats through my chest. It only got worse as Flash turned her head the enough for me to see her sharp glare, “Without that scarf, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, and for your own safety, don’t mention the word human in public. In myths and folklore, that word is often associated with the occult and dark magic, so whenever a large tragedy ensues for unknown reasons, most will think it’s the work of a human. As if it’s a force rather than a living being.” Her eyes flickered to the side for a moment, looking at something behind me, “Maybe it’s both.”

She resumes her trotting without me interrupting this time. I took one final look behind.
Even with the short distance now between us, the decayed forest still has an intimidating presence, but I also remember how beautiful and mysterious it looked. It’s just too much of a contrast from the real thing, that the image in my mind took over, but after a blink of my eyes, reality focused back in.

I don’t know what caused it, but it’s true that me – a human – appeared in unexplained circumstances. Whatever happened to this forest, was the same thing that brought me there?

Knowing that it’s impossible to answer it now, I gallop my way to Flash to make up for the seconds I spent standing still.

All I can hope now is for me to avoid trouble and let Flash on her own when she works, but knowing my luck so far, I can only pray to come out with a few scratches.

*??? POV*

Tonight’s black sky looked especially brighter. Could it be the stars? None look any more special than yesterday. Is it the blue and purple nebula with their radiant colors? That’s not it either. They are certainly lively with their different shades, but it doesn’t strike as… eye-catcher today.

“Hmmm, perhaps it’s the air. It’s… lighter. Maybe Animus recycled its bad chi.” His voice, no doubt its of a grown stallion, its also soft with a hint of natural playfulness. “Not bad timing! Good karma come my way!”

Coins jingle as he shuffles on his makeshift bed of coin bags.

His coat color is that of a dark leaf, baby blue mane that ends below his ears, sky blue eyes, and a cutie mark of a cat print with the color of soil.

He’s wearing a lazy smile, hooves behind his head as he lies over his earnings. Tom Trace knew he picked the right place to sell his chi harvest. To most, the plants he sold to the ponies would look exotic for their glowing petals, but for those who know, they’re a great source for restoring nutrients. However, if the soil doesn’t lack them, it can be used for… modification on the land itself.

“I should feel bad for myself. These good ponies gone through enough these last three years without their main chi supplier. But hey, have to make it worth for my Elder or she’s going to skin my hide. …I might want to stop talking out loud. That ain’t healthy.”

He lets his thoughts wonder to distract himself, but then remembers the reason why he’s trying to eat time.

His smile now gone. Tom raises to a sitting position. He looks around. His cart, which he’s on currently, is in front of a two story building that was a popular hotel for tourists because of its neutrality in tribal warfare – was – but the family that owns the mini-mansion was happy enough to give him a seat at their dinner table, with payment of course.

He shrugs, “Five more minutes are no big deal.” Five more minutes turned to thirty, and low snores filled the silent air.