My body shook with fright. I could not tell if the fear I felt was my own or if I was being smothered my the fear of those around me. I also felt confusion, concern, curiosity, and a multitude of emotions that were not as strongly felt but their combined weight tried to crush me all the same. My cloak must have fallen off at some point. The cloak was given to me by my parents as a child and was made from fallen leaves. It had a few minor enchantments on it to keep it from decaying and protect it from flames. What really held its value for me was the enchantment that suppressed the emotions around me.
I am what is called an Advanced Empath. What this means is that I can feel the emotions of those around me or cause them to feel what I am feeling. My ability to feel these emotions is exceptionally strong to the point where I can feel what someone is hundreds of yards away. I have even been known to feel physical sensations like touch or pain if strong enough. Without my cloak and enough people around I have a very difficult time telling my emotions and everyone else's apart, sometimes to the point where I feel like I can't breath.
I struggled to open my eyes but I must have ben crying my vision had become blurred with tears. I tried to stand up but my body wouldn't respond properly. There must have been more people around me then I thought to impair me so swiftly, I had to get my cloak back, but I couldn't do it on my own. If someone else cold retrieve it for me though... "P-please....m-my.... cloak..." It was I was ably to choke out before I couldn't take it any more,
I began to cry openly as I held my knees to my chest the best I could. I could hear voices around me but in my state they sounded muffled as if I was trying to hear them through a pillow. I wasn't sure how long I lay there but it felt like an eternity.
Something soft was laid on top of me, covering me from head to toe. Slowly the weight of all the emotions was lifted from me until it became bearable. My shaking had subsided and I sighed with relief. Finally I could think clearly. I could still feel the emotions around me but they simply brushed up against me instead of trying to crush me from all sides.
I didn't want to move. I was tired from the ordeal and I wanted nothing more than to sleep, but I also didn't know where I was. My arrival here was sudden and I am sure that I owed someone an explanation. I tried to sit up but my body still didn't feel right, like I bent in different ways than I should. After a little bit of experimenting I was able to find a position that was mildly comfortable. I tried to adjust my cloak so I was wearing it properly, but my hands felt numb and I couldn't get a grip on it. I opted for trying to get my head out from one of the edges while doing my best to keep the cloak wrapped around me. Odd how it felt larger than usual.
As my head emerged from the cloak I blinked a few tears from my eyes and took a look at my surroundings. The floor was made of a white marble that shined in the light from the windows. The windows were large, reaching from near the floor to almost the ceiling and had murals of scenes he did not understand. A long red carpet led from the entrance, up a golden slope and ended at what he could only assume was a throne. The place looked like it belonged to royalty.
"Are you alright?" A soft female voice addressed me from my right side. I turned my head towards her as I responded. "I think I should be alright now miss...uhhhh." I held that last part out a little longer than I would have, but the sight of her had surprised me. She appeared to be a tall white horse with wings and a horn. Her mane and tail was a rainbow of pastel colors that flowed in an unseen wind. Upon her head neck and hooves she wore golden jewelry that appeared to be of noble or royal attire. She looked at me with a face of concern.
"I am Princess Celestia. Are you sure you are alright? Let me have you escorted to a guest room. I will have food brought to you and perhaps you should get some sleep, you look exhausted. When you have recovered I would like to ask you some questions."
I looked around the room and realized that the other people around me were of a similar species to the princess except some had either wings or a horn but not both. I looked down at my self to give me a second to think and realized that the shape of my body seemed of. I lifted up the edge of my cloak wit my arm a bit to give me a better look at my form and saw that I had taken on the same form as those around me.
My change didn't surprise me that much considering how I got here, but it did disturb me nonetheless. From the princess I felt a mix of worry, curiosity, and concern. I assumed the last two were for me and I felt grateful. The Idea of food and sleep sounded wonderful and I needed a bit to sort things out with myself; I figured I should take her up on her offer.
"Perhaps that would be for the best." I tried to stand up again, this time compensating for four feet instead of two. She nodded to me, turned around, and began to walk toward the exit. "Follow me then, and we'll make sure you get settled in for the night." She said this as she made a motion with her head. Shortly after, two guards came to either side of me, I assumed to make sure I did not stray from the path.
As I took a few steps forward to follow I promptly tripped over my own feet. I stood up and tried again, but was met with similar results.
I Looked up at the guards. "I may need a bit of help. I can't seem to walk correctly." If the guards were annoyed they didn't show it. They simply sandwiched me between them and somehow held me up as we followed the princess. It was a slow process and I stumbled several times but we eventually made it to my room.
The room was large but only contained a bed with a nightstand, a dresser, and a tall mirror. The guards helped me onto the bed and I adjusted my cloak in hopes it would stay on me as I slept. The princess turned to leave the room and stopped a moment to say one more thing. "If you need anything, there will be a guard outside your door. Just call for him. I will see you tomorrow sometime after breakfast to talk to you." She left and the guards weren't to far behind her. I fell asleep before the guard had closed the door.
