Kindled Change

Chapter 4: Restless

The sky is filled in fire and brimstone. Ash is swept up by the wind creating a black rain. A malicious orange light fills the darkness, flickering violently and creating monstrous shadows. My lungs are filled with smoke. As I cough, more smoke enters me. Heat emanates from all around me. I can't withstand the pain.

The sounds hurt as I listen. They are loud, screeching and cracking. The words they whisper are harsh and ruthless. They know no morality, and they scream out into the night, taking the stars away with them.

The ground is covered in black ash. I feel the softness of the ash, but it is rough, and it hurts to even touch it. Embers still remain within them, and it burns me, the soles of my feet.

I try to open my eyes, but the heat and ash make them water. My vision is blurry... I... I am blind. Truly blind. I can only see the silhouettes of the flames around me, and slowly my vision is fading. My eyes are gauged by the flames and pain strikes me again. I want to scream, but my lungs hurt from the smoke. I want to run, but the fire and embers cover the ground and walls. I want to cry, but it is drowned out in the angered sounds. Despair...

"Hurry! Take her and get out of here, she's badly injured!"

~~~

I awake short of breath, panting for what air I can fill my lungs with. Warm tears roll down my cold numb cheeks. Though they are empty of feeling. Without consent. I don't feel anything for them, yet, they fall... fall into the puddles on the ground causing small ripples on the tranquil surface, creating a chaos both beautiful and disturbing.

The sun begins to fall again, and I am void of feeling. My body is exhausted and I can move it ever so slightly. I can only shift my head sideways to see the puddles on the ground. I feel like nothing, strange as that may sound. I'm not sure of why I am here, of what happened. All I know is that I am. In the middle of the forest... alone...

"You seem to be awake. What a relief, I was worried sick that you might have have never regained consciousness." The voice is smooth, gentle, and almost motherly. I want to shift my gaze, but my body is tired. I don't need to do so, for the voice comes to me. In front of my eyes, I see another pair of eyes. They aren't mine. It isn't the reflection of myself. They have a violet hue to them. They are comforting... That feeling... "Are you alright...?"

There is that voice again. I'm not sure what it is saying. Now however, I know it comes from those violet eyes, and that violet shape on top of me. I'm not entirely sure what to think. All I can do is seep back in thought. Those eyes are... I'm not sure what they are. They are pleasant. This warm feeling inside me... it isn't like the one from before. This is different... I stare at them. The colors and the shape. They have an allure to them, and I can't help but lose myself. The voice is gone, and all I have for company now are these gazing eyes that are not mine.

The eyes suddenly vanish along with the violet shape and I am left alone once again, lying still on the grass, waiting for something. I hear strange sounds. Unlike what I've heard before. My body is numb, but I can see and I can hear, at least that is something.

"You are pretty hurt. Some of the wounds were too severe for me to use magic on, so I had to use a little concoction to heal it up. You're lucky I found you out in these woods. It isn't safe for a pony." These words... I understand them, but I don't know what they are speaking of. Or speaking to for that matter. I don't know the meaning of these words. Just an arrangement of words. I am not sure of their purpose, but it is the same voice from before, and they are speaking out to someone. "You regained consciousness an hour after I began treatment. I'm not even sure how long you've been out here. Though it seems I found you fast enough to prevent infection in the wounds. Hold on tight for a second, I'm not going to lie, this will sting very badly for a few seconds, or even minutes. Here it goes."

A slight tingling sensation begins to adjure into my right leg. I feel almost relieved as I regain back feeling again. My body becomes less and less numb. As it does however, the tingling begins to... hurt? More and more until it becomes unbearable. The stinging hurts my leg, and I am afraid. What is going on? What is happening to me...? I try to move my body in hopes to ease the pain. Something warm and soft pushes me down, impeding me from moving. I am frightened.

The eyes return, and in them is an expression of concern, of worry... and it infuses a sort of panic in me. The pain is too much. I need to move... I don't feel safe. Why? I'm not sure. Those eyes say that I'm not safe. They are filled with troubling thoughts. I'm not sure of anything. I'm not sure why there is panic in me. I'm not sure why I am trying to get away, struggling to move. I'm not sure if moving will ease the pain, it seems to make it worse. I'm not sure if the eyes are the ones that caused it. I'm not sure...

"Oh, please don't move. Just a little longer. Don't worry, please. It'll be fine." That voice... is it... is it speaking to me? The beating of my heart slows to a crawl, and my panic subsides as the gentle voice allures me once more. All I can do is breath heavily and look at the eyes that were now infused with a bit of pride. Proud of itself maybe? So... it was talking to me? "Does it hurt still?" And that is when I take notice. I am not. So it really was talking to me. What is it that is speaking to me? Wait... no... who is it that is speaking to me? "So, a simple yes or no. Gotta make sure, I had to make due with some of herbs and I'm afraid that it didn't work properly. So does it hurt?" It is waiting an answer... from me? All I can do is stare at those wondering eyes. I shake my head. I'm not sure what that'll do, but I do.

"Great. Well, you can understand me. In that case, let me properly introduce myself." The purple figure lets go of me and moves a bit farther away. "I am Twilight Sparkle. It is rather odd that we've met in these circumstances, but by now I'm sort of used to it. I hope I didn't hurt you by restraining you. You are still very much hurt, and I would suggest not moving for a while."

Those words pass through me. I know it's name, but that is all I really understood. Why is it speaking to me? I'm not sure. I have regained a bit of my strength now that my sense of touch has returned to me, and I do the great effort to lift my body up so I can sit up right.

"Oh, please, I really suggest you lay down a bit longer. You are in no condition to make any stressful movements."

My unbroken line of sight against those eyes break as I notice the puddle beside me. A figure rests in the chaotic water. A yellow figure similar to the purple one, a darker shade of yellow as a mane. What is this thing...? No... who is this thing?Those eyes... they are a bright yellow... and... these are my eyes... I slowly lower my head towards the water. It... is it really me? I look down at my legs. So... it really is me... The yellow in the puddle matches my coat... but... this isn't my face...

"So uh... who are you?" I turn back towards Twilight Sparkle. It asks me who I am... I am... I am not sure really. I only stare back, thinking, waiting for it to do something. "Well uhm... let's start with something else. Where is your home? Do you have any parents or family around? How did you get here anyways?" These are questions I do not have the answer too, as I do not understand them. Home? I shift my gaze towards the grass and earth. They dance in the soft wind. This... was as close to home as I could say. I do not have words to say to it, nor words I can say to myself, so I do not speak and silence fills the gaps of trees once more.

"Well uh... uhm I'm sure you can tell me later. When you are ready, we should get out of here. It isn't safe in the Everfree forest. I've never met a pony who comes through here willingly, and I only asked because I was wondering if you had a purpose to be here. I've fixed you up a bit and all you need now is a bit of rest, so we can skip going to the doctor when we get to Ponyville where I live. So how about it?"

A reason to be here? Well... I'm not sure. I still do not have an answer to its questions, but I nod. I'm not sure of what it is speaking of. Doctor? Ponyville? Well, I suppose I won't be alone. It almost feels nice... as if it cares about me... of what happens to me. This warm feeling... it's nice... Sort of like a fever, but without the pain. It fills my cheeks as Twilight Sparkle holsters me up onto it's back. I've slept a while now as the sun is already in sunset. I've been asleep all day, but somehow, I still feel sleepy, and the warmth of this Twilight Sparkle is comforting and soothing.

I close my eyes. I'm not sure of anything right now, but at least I'm not alone...