Chapters I am lost. I am cold. I am scared. Someone help me please.
That is how I start, not the story but how I start. I wasn’t born, I was just… there, in a dark damp forest. It seemed like it had rained a while ago, though I have been there for days. Not sure how I am not dead from lack of hunger and water. I probably should have died a few days ago. I don’t know anything that could hint where I am from, but I do know cold, warmth, wet, dry, many things. I just don’t ever remember feeling them… ever, but I have dreamed of something. I was something, a creature with two legs little fur except my head had lots. But I can’t sense anything but sight. When I wake up I see myself as a, dark blue almost black horse with a horn and wings. I can fly and use magic, which is cool I guess. Anyways, after a long journey this the dangerous forest I came across a town. And that, is where our story begins.
Daniel peered through the bushes out to the excited villages. Ponies of all colors and personalities wandered the streets… or flew over the roofs, what ever style of travel they have they seemed happy. Something he has not yet experienced, but knows of. He saw a particular filly with dagger pupils much like his own, except they have… light blue irises surrounding them. Even the whites of her eyes was tinted a lighter blue. Daniel has green dark green irises with a very light green on the whites of his eyes. He stared the black filly with interest, and… something else he has not yet discovered. He does not know what the feeling was. If he does he doesn’t know that the feeling he is feeling belongs to that feeling (have I said “feeling” enough). He began to step out into the light. He felt something wet splash across his coat. He glared down at the rippling puddle that had soaked his fur, then a look of surprise crossed his face as he saw his eye pupils turned round like all the other pony’s eyes. He stepped into the shade and they changed back. “Interesting,” he thought. He began to walk towards the active town.
He noticed that quite a few ponies would glare at the small black filly. Was it because she had wings and a horn? To avoid being the center of attention he slipped into the backyard of a house and grabbed a blue jump suit. It covered his wings nicely. He started following the black filly admiring her features.
Daniel is falling backwards. Three no four fillies ran right through him to the black filly. “Hey Nyx,” they had shouted. “We are having a sleepover at the cutie mark crusader clubhouse!”
“Want to come join us?”
“Yes! I just need to check with Twilight to see if she will let me.” He resumed following her too a big oak tree.
He watched as she talked to a purple unicorn inside of what looks like a library. The library door opened and he ducked his head into the bushes. The black filly happily trot out the door. He poked his head out of the bushes and watched her go down the road.
He was about to start following her but when he attempted to step out of the bushes he tripped on one of the branches and face planted onto the welcome mat. “Oomph,” he groaned as he turned his head to the side to see if anyone had noticed. The black filly was staring at him with curiosity. Daniel quickly shot up and whistled as he walked around to the back of the tree. His eyes were looking back as his head was facing forward.
“Why are you following me?” Daniel yelped when he noticed the black filly right in front of him. He quickly recovered from his startled phase.
“Wa-what are you talking about,” he lied quickly.
“Uh huh, where are you from?” Daniel began to sweat. A wagon pulled by with words reading “Diamond Crest.”
“I am from… Diamond Crest! Yeah that’s it.”
“Never heard of that place.”
“Yeah well it’s very far from here.” She raised her eyebrow, he could see sparkling turquoise eyes reflecting the sunlight… STOP THAT!
“What is your name?”
“My name? It’s Daniel.”
“Pleasure to make your acquaintance Daniel, my name is Nyx, Nyx Sparkle.”
“Pleasure to make yours as well ‘Nyx, Nyx Sparkle’,”
“Ha Ha very funny.” She then noticed his flank was blank. “Hey you should join the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”
“The cutie what now?”
“Cutie Mark Crusaders. They are a group of small ponies trying to find out what their special talent is so that can get their cutie-mark.” Nyx showed her’s for an example.
“Is that where your sleepover is?”
“So you were following me!” Daniel face hoofed. “Why?” she asked.
“I don’t know really. I kind of had this uncontrollable feeling making me want to follow, protect you I guess.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“Exactly. I don’t know why I just… was.”
“Any ways do you want to come join us.”
“I don’t know, I really new here.”
“Perfect!” Nyx grabbed his hoof which made Daniel get this warm feeling. She lead him over to the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse. It sat atop an apple tree will a rope ladder dangling of the side. “Wait here.” Nyx climbed up the ladder and went inside, several minutes later he saw five heads look over the railing of the clubhouse balcony. Then they went back inside. A few minutes later they climbed down the ladder and walked over to me.
“How would like to become a Crusader?”
“Yes, I guess?”
“You will have to overcome some tests firsts. They will start tomorrow at school.”
“But you can join our slumber party.” Daniel smiled.
“Thank you.”
Daniel went inside the Clubhouse. It was very nice looking. Nyx came in as well making everything even more beautiful. WHY AM I THINKING THAT!? Daniel shook his head from those unknown thoughts. Nyx motioned Daniel inside the clubhouse. “What should we play first?”
“Truth or dare,” said the orange pegasus filly named Scootaloo.
“How do you play that?” asked Daniel.
“It is a game where one pony asks another pony if they want to do a truth or a dare. If they chose dare they have to whatever dare the pony says to do. If they chose truth, the other pony will ask a question and they have to tell the truth, or in some cases, show them the truth.”
“I will go first!” shouted a pure white mare with a purple and pink mane. Her name was Sweetie Belle. “Daniel, Truth or Dare!”
“Dare… maybe.”
“I dare you to… what the heck!” They all looked at her in confusion. “Your eyes are just like Nyx’s except green.” Nyx’s eyes widened. She walked over to Daniel.
“I swore you had normal eyes like all the other ponies.”
“I found out that when in the light my eyes are round and in the dark they are slits.”
“That’s so cool.”
“Thanks.” Daniel smiled proudly.
“Run around the clubhouse.”
“Why?”
“Because I dared you to.” Daniel shrugged and did it. Then he flew back to the clubhouse.
“What was the point?”
“I couldn’t think of a good one.”
“Truth or dare?” Daniel asked Nyx
“Truth.”
“Where are you from?”
“I am actually from the Everfree Forest.”
“Everfree? Like the forest over there?”
“Yeah I was born from a spell.” Daniel’s eyes widened just a bit. Was he born the same way, no he has dreams of another home.
“My turn, truth or dare Daniel?”
“Truth,” Daniel replied.
“Where are you really from?” Daniel gulp. She knew that he wasn’t really from that place (that never existed).
“I was from… I can’t remember. I found myself in the Everfree Forest but I don’t think I was born there. I have something else I have to show you.” He slipped off his vest to reveal two feathered wings.
“Y-you are an a… an alicorn!?”
“So that is what they are called.” Nyx looked and Daniel. She was, well shocked at most. Surprised, astounded, whatever you want to call it. Daniel figured an alicorn is quite a rare thing to come across.
“I bet you are the first male to be an alicorn. Pretty much every princess is an alicorn. I was one but was not a good one at all.”
“Oh. What happened?”
“I made the sun stay down for about a week and scared ponies out of their minds.” Daniel was a little taken back.
“Oh, huh.” At that an orange earth pony came up into the tree-house.
"Alright y'all it is time to get some shut eye."
"All right Applejack." Applejack left the tree-house. All the little fillies climbed into their sleeping bags. Daniel then realized he didn't have something to sleep in.
"Psst Nyx. I don't have anything to sleep in."
"I think I have *yawns* another one in here somewhere." Nyx dug in her saddle bag. "I can't seem to find it. I'm sorry."
"That's okay. I've slept on many hard surfaces. I am used to it," Daniel said sincerely.
"We can share mine if you want. Twilight had an extra big one just in case I got scared while camping." Daniel blushed. Thank you Nyx, you have been very kind to me."(Stop smiling you dirty people).
"TIME TO GET UP EVERYPONY!" Daniel, and the CMCs jumped at the loud out burst. "Y'all gonna be late for school." Daniel yawned and rubbed his eyes. He crawled out of Nyx's sleeping bag. The time it took him to get up, Nyx was already awake and ready.
"You coming Daniel?"
"Yeah just a moment." Daniel rolled up the sleeping bag and tucked it in its case neatly. "Thanks Daniel," said Nyx.
"No problem." Daniel and Nyx exited the clubhouse.
"Hurry up, breakfast is getting cold," Applejack announced. "You don't look familiar. What's your name?" Applejack had stopped Daniel in his tracks. Daniel looked up at the taller pony.
"Me? My name is Daniel, I'm uh..."
"He's a new friend from our school," Nyx interrupted. "We invited him to the slumber party."
"There wasn't any funny business was there?" Nyx and Daniel blushed and shook there heads.
"No, no there wasn't."
"All right then, go on and get you breakfast." Daniel swore that Applejack was glaring at him the whole way in(like I said, nothing happened naughty people). Nyx and Daniel walked to the back of the barn. All their friends were eating at the table. He couldn't even list off how much stuff was there. Apple pie, apple pancakes, apple cider, etc. as well as the apple family themselves. Daniel stared in awe. "Well are you going to eat that or just stare." Daniel sat down and dug in. "You sure can eat for such a little pony."
"This is so good, I have never tasted anything like it." Applejack chuckled as the black filly devoured food platefuls at a time.
"Your appetite rivals Pinkie Pie's by quite a bit."
"Pinkie who?"
"Where exactly are you from?"
"Uh..."
"You have never heard of Pinkie Pie? She hosts the most fantastic parties in all of Equestria if not all of them." Applejack's 'where exactly are you from question was rhetorical to Daniels relief, so she didn't expect an answer
~~~
"Got everything Apple bloom?"
"Yup, thanks big sis."
"Come on y'all let's go." A wagon pulled up with a some school fillies talking and playing. Nyx, Danial, Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle, hopped into the wagon. The three stallions in the front galloped at full speed. Two fillies in the back were throwing a ball back and forth to each other. Daniel sat in a sit with Nyx. A few minutes later he felt something rubber hit him in the back of the head.
"Hey!" but when Daniel turned the fillies seemed as if they had not done anything else... except when they burst out laughing a few seconds later.
"Those two like to just be annoying. Just ignore them," Nyx advised. Daniel grumbled under his breath. He saw in the a reflection of a metal bar holding that was holding the wagon up, that the two were readying another shot. Daniel watched them throw the ball towards him, but instead of hitting him, he ducked down and the ball passed over. Daniel lifted his head up and turned towards the two fillies. They pointed towards each other cowering. The ball bounced off the other side of the wagon and hit Daniel in the back of his head again. The two fillies burst out laughing. Daniel picked up the ball with is magic and hurled it at them at high speed. They dodged it and watched it go back and get skewered by his horn. They tightened their lips together trying not to laugh but failed miserably. Daniel however was not amused. He slouched in his chair so his head was below the top of the chair. Nyx used her magic and took the deflated ball of his horn.
"So far things aren't going so well for me." Nyx was toying with the rubber turning it into a solid rubber bouncy ball.
"I told you to ignore them." She passed the rubber ball to Daniel. He bounced it against the floor of the wagon watching it go up and down. Up, down, up, down... "Hey Daniel. Look what my teacher gave me," a little boy ran towards Daniel on two legs. He was holding out a red bouncy ball.
"Wow, that looks really nice Luke. How did you get it?"
"Well since it is my birthday today I get a toy from the present box."
"Well isn't that nice right Daniel?"
"Yeah sure, whatever mom..."
"Daniel, Daniel, Daniel..." Daniel snapped out of his trance breathing heavily. "Daniel! We are at the school. Are you okay?" Nyx said.
"Yeah yeah, I'm fine," Daniel said shakily.
"Are you sure you are doing fine Daniel?"
"Yes, it's just..."
"It's just what?"
"Nothing, just nothing."
"You are starting to worry me."
"Trust me I am fine," Daniel gave a reassuring smile.
"If you say so Daniel. Just don't be afraid to tell us something. We can help you," Nyx assured him. They walked into the school house.
~~~
"All right class we have a new student in our class. His name is Daniel and he will be joining us this school year and hopefully more to come. Why don't you pick a seat to spend the rest of your school year in." Daniel looked over the class. Two ponies, one pink and one silver were staring at him dreamily. He looked over to the right and saw his friends smiling and beckoning him to sit in the seat next to them. He smiled and walked over there happily. He failed to notice the two fillies that were dreamily staring were now glaring daggers into the hearts of the CMCs.
"Did you see that? They think they can take any pony they want."
"We need to teach them a lesson Diamond."
"Yes, they must learn that they can't just steal our popularity by making others like them more."
"We need stop the blank flanks once and for all. But how are we going to do that?" Diamond looked across the room, there sat a bucket of blue pant.
"We may not be able stop them, but we will at least have one of them." Diamond Tiara motioned toward the paint bucket and ladder." They both grinned devilishly.
Daniel sat at his desk with his hoof on his chin while his elbow was on his desk. He wasn't really paying attention to anything. Some of his mane blew on to his face. Daniel made and O shape with is mouth and blew the strand back into place. A piece of paper was slipped onto his desk. No it wasn't a note from a classmate, it was a paper full of questions and boxes to answer them in. A dark blue aurora formed around Daniels pencil and was lifted off his desk. Daniel examined his pencil a bit before sharpening the tip of it with his magic. I set the pencil led on the top of the page and stared at the questions reading them to himself.
"What is the answer Daniel?"
"It's uh... 25?"
"Yes five times five is twenty-five." Daniel's hand was holding a skinny pencil and wrote the answer in the question box. "Multiplication works like this..." Daniel came out of the trance.
"3 times 6 is 18," Daniel whispered to himself. He started doing the problems. Then he came across a different answer. "Division... 5 divided by 2 is... two and five-tenths." He began zipping through the questions. Addition and subtraction was easy for him. He finished his paper. He and Nyx at the same time started walking to the teacher and handed her the papers.
"Two perfect scores so far. Well done you two. You may return to your seats." About half an hour went bay in silence. "Time for break, you may go outside and play." Everypony ran out the school house doors to the back play yard. As Daniel exited he heard a, "Psst." He turned his head and saw the two fillies that were looking at him earlier in class.
"Um... hi?"
"Hello, my name is Diamond Tiara and this is Silver Spoon," Diamond Tara introduced. "We were wondering if you could help us with something." They lead Daniel to a ladder that lead to the top of the roof. On the top was a bucket of blue paint. We need you to push that over when we tell you to."
"But won't I get in trouble?"
"No, Ms. Cheerilee wants the roof the be blue and told us to do it but we don't want to get dirty."
"Well, okay if you say so." They went over to the edge.
"We are just looking to see if any pony is there." They peered over the edge until they saw a certain black filly coming out of the doors with her friends. They quickly backed away. "Now." Daniel shoved the bucket of paint. It splashed down roof.
"Hey what the heck!?" Diamond and Silver Spoon ran leaving Daniel. They turned and saw Daniel with a bucket at his hooves on the roof. He backed away slowly. They looked at him betrayed. He couldn't stand it any more and ran off.
~~~
The end of recess bell rang. On the fillies rushed back inside so they wouldn't be late. Daniel got inside at the very last second. his 'friends' were glaring at him. "I didn't know... Diamond and Silver tricked me."
"Yeah they did and they were no where to be seen! Consider yourself unfriended. Go crawl back into the forest where you came from." Daniel's eyes watered. He berried his face into his arms. He was tricked, tricked and now he has no friends, tricked, now he has nothing. "Just dump the bucket and you're one of us," said a big kid in a blue shirt.
"Okay, that's not so hard." He dumped a bucket of fish and in rolled down the roof. And landed on 3 kids. They looked up to see Daniel holding a bucket. He dropped it realizing what just happened. Tricked.
Daniel snapped out of trance. School has ended. His eyes were red and puffy. He burst out the school doors and ran towards the forest in tears.
"Oh that was so perfect, Daniel is ours now," Diamond snickered.
"That was the best thing ever," Sliver Spoon agreed. Nyx was walking by going to her home. "And they think Daniel did it. We did it good."
"We tricked them all." Nyx's eyes shot open
"Daniel..." her head snapped towards the trees, "Oh no." She dropped her bags and began running towards the Everfree Forest. "He was telling the truth." Nyx was running as fast as she could possibly go flapping her wings to give her a little speed. She reached the Everfree looking up to a tree the towered over her. "I wish I would never go in here again." Nyx ran inside the forest.
"Daniel!" Nyx's shouts echoed across the forest. "Daniel come out please. You were right." Nyx kept going deeper into the forest. "Daniel... *gasp,*" A timberwolf jumped out from behind a tree. Two more appeared fro behind. Nyx was surrounded. They revolved around her coming in closer every rotation they make. Nyx tried using her magic but it was still too weak. "HELP!" The timberwolves were about to pounce when a flash of light appeared right next to Nyx. She felt a hoof on her shoulder and then she teleported.
She reappeared in a familiar castle. It was the abandon castle. Smoke Spiraled around her but then dispersed. "Why are you here?" Daniel was right behind her. He looked as if he were crying for days. There were lines under eyes from tears dripping down. His eyes were red, puffy, and had bags under them, his mane was a mess, and his voice was groggy. "Daniel, I'm sorry. You were right, I heard them talking about you and what they did. Please come back." Nyx's eyes slightly teared up. Daniel stumbled over to Nyx. Nyx quickly ran over and caught him. His head was burning hot. "We need to get you to a doctor."