Ever been run over by a cart? No? Well then I guess I can’t really explain how I felt when I woke up other
than being in intense pain. I opened my eyes, and burning sunlight just about rendered me blind. I
closed my eyes for another few seconds. When I opened them again, the sunlight, while still painful, was
bearably so.
The first thing I saw was that I was at the bottom of a rather tall cliff. Why in Luna’s name I was down
here I couldn’t remember. Come to think of it, I couldn’t remember much of anything. I cringed, thinking
too hard seems to make my head hurt. Well, almost everything I do at this point makes some part of my
body hurt.
I moaned as I forced myself to get my legs under me. Much pain I assure you. Somehow I was even able
to stand… for about a second. Then crippling pain forced me back down on the ground. I looked around
again. Around the base of cliff, the forest receded about a good fifty tail-lengths, which was good for me
since landing on a sturdy tree branch would have surely snapped my spine in half… then again so would
falling off a cliff such as I did. I was no doctor, but I am sure that fall should have killed me, even with the
wings attached to my back. Something to figure out later, right now I needed to find help.
With much pain, I got to my feet one more time. Pain threatened to overwhelm me once more, but I
gritted my teeth and walked/stumbled toward the nearest tree. By the time I reached it, I almost passed
out multiple times, but to go down again ran the chance that I might not get up again. So instead I threw
all of my weight against the tree, using it to keep me supported upright until the pain subsided enough
for me to repeat the process to get to the next tree and then the next one. It hurt… But it would get me
out of the forest sure enough.
After a good hour of stumbling tree to tree, I managed to see a cabin in the woods. I let out a sigh of
relief as I rested against the tree I was leaning on. Then I thought about a part of my glorious plan that I
kinda forgot to think about before. What the hell am I going to say to whoever finds me when I don’t
even know what happened myself?
Well, worrying about it right now will not get me help. So instead I pushed off from the tree and started
hobbling toward the next tree. About halfway over to the tree, I hear a sharp twang and then I feel
something pierce my flank. With the already existing pain, the sudden pain of having something
embedded deep in my flesh was just a little too much for me to handle and I promptly passed out and
fell over like a sack of potatoes.
Waking up after blacking out is an interesting experience. However, the second time waking up after
blacking out is just annoying.
This time the pain wasn’t as great. In fact it was more a dull ache than actual pain. However, most of my
body felt like I was wrapped like an old pony mummy. Beyond that I was relatively comfortable. I
opened my eyes and saw the old worn wooden boards of a cabin ceiling. I looked down at my body and
saw rough cloth bandages covering a fair majority of my body including my tail and my wings, which were currently strapped to my back. I was also laying down on what seemed to be the only bed in the
room. I let out a quiet moan as lay my head back down on the pillow.
Considering it was even harder to think than when I woke up the first time, I assume I was under some
kind of drugs. Looking at the state of the room and the bandages, it was probably an herbal remedy any
self-respecting woodspony who lived by himself would know.
I didn’t have much time alone to my thoughts; I heard some hoofsteps as someone entered the room. I
turn my head to see who it was and I was greeted with the sight of a burly Earth pony with a bow in his
hooves and arrows on his back. Oh speaking of those arrows, one of them was currently nocked and
drawn on aforementioned bow with its tip pointed at me. Looking past the bow, I took a better look at
the pony wielding it.
His coat color was that of a deep forest green, not really surprising considering the fact that he seemed
to live alone in the woods. His mane and tail were a much darker shade of green, almost black but not
quite. I couldn’t make out much more since he had a cloak draped over the rest of his body. Surprising
enough, it was also green. Green seemed to be a common theme with this pony.
“Good, you’re awake.” The forest pony spoke with a gruff voice. “Can you understand me?”
“Of course I can understand you.” I replied with a rather weak and strained voice, which hurt of course.
The pain kept showing up like a crazy marefriend who is constantly nagging you for something.
“Well, can’t exactly say you are a normal pony.” He still didn’t lower the bow.
“What are you talking about?” I was genuinely confused, beyond looking like a lost I fight with a pack of
timberwolves there wasn’t anything wrong with me.
“Beyond the draconic eyes, wings and tail you mean?” He used a rather sarcastic disbelieving tone.
Well, of course I knew about that, but that was norm… a large spike made of pure pain just rammed
itself deep inside my brain. Images flashed through my brain, images of a younger version of myself
getting bullied because of how I looked. Images of a faded forgotten memory of older mare who had a
fowl look on her face.
I finally broke free from memory lane. I was breathing heavily (and hello again pain). “I’m a kirin” I said
between gasps. “Half pony, half dragon.”
“What’s wrong?” He asked, letting the bow string slack, but not yet removing the nocked arrow.
“Oh nothing, I just fell off a cliff and lost my memories.” I quipped.
“Well, that’s a shame. If you promise not to burn down the house, I can see about getting you some
food.” He removed the arrow from the string and put it back in the quiver. Then he turned around and
left the room. That didn’t add up. I may not remember… anything, but that small image rush made me think that most
ponies didn’t just accept such an odd pony such as himself. But if he was going to offer some shelter,
then I sure wasn’t going to turn it down. He returned a few minutes later and a certain smell drifted into
the room that made my mouth water… but it was also one that raised a few questions.
“Why would a pony like yourself have meat?” Sure, I ate it, but then again there is that whole ‘part
dragon’ thing again.
“Don’t get me wrong, I can’t eat it. But there is a Griffon village on the edge of the forest and the meat
and hides from the creatures I hunt make for good trades. Not to mention living this far from civilized
ponies means I don’t have to care. So do you want the meat or would you rather me get something
else?”
“Oh no, that will just fine, I’m just surprised. That’s all. Most ponies would be appalled to do such a
thing.”
A dark look crossed his eyes. “Killing some forest creatures is hardly the worst thing I’ve done.” The tone
of his voice spoke that it was a subject best not talked about. He unwrapped the meat and set it over
the fireplace. “I will say that even though I can, I’m not exactly a master at preparing such food, so don’t
expect much. The little I know I observed while attending in a meal at the village I mentioned earlier.”
“Why are you doing this for me?”
“Well, I do owe you for shooting you with an arrow earlier, not to mention you were already wounded.”
He turned the meal to prevent it from burning. “By the way, I don’t think you’ve introduced yourself.”
“Well, neither have you, but since you saved me, I’ll indulge your request. My name is…” And then I
realized that I didn’t know what my name was. This amnesia was really starting to bug me.
“I thought you took a hit to the head, can’t remember can you?” He thought for a moment. “Your
injuries must be more severe than I thought. I’ll have to get the healer from the village to take a look at
you. In the meantime, how about Lightning? I noticed you had a lightning-shaped scar that covers your
right eye. Unfortunately, you didn’t have a cutie mark or I would base it off that.”
I gave him a hard stare, “Just because you are okay with the meat-eating, fire-breathing half dragon,
doesn’t mean that the others will. As for the name, I like Lightning so you can call me that if you would
like.”
“Lightning it is, my name is Leaf Tempest. Tempest will do just fine. As far as other residents in the area,
you would be right in a pony town, but griffons respect strength and dragons are some of the strongest
creatures in any land. Unless you give them a reason not to, you will not have a problem with the
village.” He took the meat off the fire and pulled out a small jar. “You are still not well, So I’m going to
add some of the herbal medicine to your meal. It might taste a little bitter, but it shouldn’t affect the
taste that much. However the medicine will probably knock you out again.” I nodded and he added the medicine to the food and then bought it over to me. I took it and with that he left the room, probably to go fetch the healer.
I was a lot hungrier than I realized, and before too long the whole steak was gone. It didn’t have much
flavor beyond the bitter taste of the medicine, but it was food nonetheless. It didn’t take long after that
for my eyelids to feel heavy and for me to fall asleep once more…
