Author's Note

It took me a while to map out how this chapter would go. I hope I didn't disappoint. Enjoy!

New World, New Life

The world seemed to be coming back to Erik. It seemed like he had died and came back to life after a century or more. He stirred as he slowly gained control of his senses, little by little. First, he heard the crackle of a nearby fire. Next, he found himself shivering and frigid even under the warm blanket. His coat was also damp and stiff from the partial drying. The rest of his senses would take a bit to come back to him, seeing as his head still ached badly from the blow he suffered earlier.

He gradually felt dizzy and nauseous as his vision returned to him. The world was spinning and he felt his gag reflex acting up, but he forced it down. Erik slowly let his eyes open on their own and tried to sit up, immediately regretting it when a stab of intense pain shot through his head and body making him groan and whimper loudly.

Erik was now breathing heavily and tried to fend of the tears that stung his eyes. They had been brought of by the pain he was now going through. He kept whimpering as his body began to shake from the pain and cold air from outside the cave. As he tried to pull himself back together, he heard a gasp and the rushing of hooves across the stone floor. Soon, gentle hooves wrapped around him and began stroking his coat softly. A soft, almost motherly voice cooed into Erik's ear, trying to comfort him.

Erik just sat there and revealed in the moment, hoping it would last forever. But, like all good things, it ended too quickly. The hooves slwoly pulled away and one slid under his chin to make him look at his comforter. He was taken aback as his gaze rested on the face of a young pegasus mare wih magenta eyes, black, dark gray, and gray mane and tail, and a orange-ish yellow coat? A brown coat? It was hard to tell from the light of the fire cascading off of the walls of the cave.

She was wearing a safari hat, like what a human would see tourists where to Africa, and some kind of green explorer uniform. Her cutie mark looked to be a compass. how interesting. The mare above Erik giggled when she followed his gaze, he just blushed and looked back up at her. "Sorry." He said as he looked down at the hard, cold floor.

"Its fine." She said with a warm smile. "You wouldn't be the first young colt I've caught staring at my sexy flank." The mare joked.

"Yeah." Erik sadi, not knowing what else to say.

"So, feel better now? " The mare asked while giving Erik a shoulder-hug with the foreleg still around his back.

"Not really. Everything aches and hurts." He moved and groaned for effect.

"I bet. After the fall you had and the tough blows you suffered, you are lucky to be alive." She had a look of concern on her face, meaning she was very concerned for Erik. "Anyway, you should be better in a week or two, as long as you rest. My name's Daring Doo, by the way." She said, holding a hoof out for Erik to shake. "What about you?" She added after a moment of hesitation.

Erik looked away and said nothing. He hadn't though of giving himself a pony name. What kinds of names did they use anyway?

Daring Doo lowered her hoof, noticing the distant stare in Erik's eyes. "Do you have a name?" She asked, breaking him from his thoughts.

"No. I never really knew my parents. They both died when I was little and I was just cast out to live on my own." It was an outright lie, but Erik hoped that she would buy it.

Daring Doo gapsed and opened aand closed her mouth, trying, in vain, to think of something to say. "I'm so sorry." She finally said. "That must have been horrible. I'm guessing your dad was a unicorn and your mom was a bat-pony? It would explain why you look like and why the died."

Erik's eyes widened as he took in what she said. "What do you mean? What do I look like?" he began looking himself over, seeing that he had bat wings, a horn in the middle of his forehead, slightly furry ears, and fangs in his mouth. He gasped. " That does explain a lot." He said quietly.

"Yeah. I'm guessing you got your eyes from your mom too?" Daring Doo asked with a slight smile tugging at her lips.

"Wait, my eyes?" Erik said with a confused look.

"Yeah, just look." She said as she hoffed him her compass. She was right. Erik had bright red-slitted eyes that resembled a cat's.

"Wow." He said more to himself then to her.

"I think you look great. Also, you don't have a mane or tail, so you might want to get a suit or something to cover your... uh..." She fidgeted with the last few words, gesturing to Erik's bottom half.

Erik blushed furiously and quickly covered his lower half with the blankets. "Don't be ashamed, you look great and even cute." She smiled at him, reassuring him. Erik still blsuhed and kept the covers over him.

"I'm not comfortable with showing myself." He said as his blush began to die down again. Daring Doo just chuckled and stood up.

"Yeah. Honestly, I'd be embarrassed too if I looked like a colt, but had the parts of a filly." Erik froze at those words. Did he really have girls parts? He quickly lifted the covers and gapsed, quickly lowering them back down with horror. Daring Doo turned back to him and gave him a look of sympathy.

"Its okay, Bronze. We'll get you to the Princess in a few days and we can get this sorted out." She said, doing her best to smile like nothing was wrong.

Erik nodded, then caught what she said. "Bronze?" He said with a quizzical look.

"Yeah. Since you don't have a name, I fugured you need one. Bronze Shield?" She asked, looking at him for an answer.

A smile graced his lips and he beamed. "I like it. Thanks, Daring Doo." He said, still smiling.

"No problem." She returned the smile. She noticed he was still shaking and trotted over to the pile of extra wood. She grabbed a piece with her mouth and brought it over and laid it on the dying fire, blowing and stoking it to bring it back to life. Once it was going again, she trotted back to Bronze and pulled him, along with the blankets, closer to the fire, smiling as she laid down beside him.

"What are you doing?" He asked as she slid under the covers with him and pushed him to lay on his good side, seeing less bruises on said side. She brought him close and wrapped her wings around him underneath the blankets, adding more warmth to the shivering colt.

"Keeping you warm." She simply said as she nuzzled his cheek affectionately and pulled his head lcose to her chest. When she felt Bronze relax and nuzzle back in her embrace,her thoughts began to return. 'Why do I feel compelled to help this strange colt? I just feel like this is what I'm supposed to do and it just feels... right.' Her thoughts ended there as she heard and felt the light breathing of the colt in her forelegs. 'Those thought can wait until tomorrow. Right now, I need sleep.' A yawn escaped her mouth as she slowly drifted into the blissful land of dreams. Knowing very well that she had a big trip ahead of her the next day: getting the unique colt to the Princesses.