I was starting to lose my mind.

Every single tree was exactly the same as the other. I was lost and the sun was about to disappear.

There wasn’t any pony in kilometers (fortunately and unfortunately for me) to ask how to go to Ponyville. And I was already habituated to the pain of my broken wing, but that wasn’t exactly good.

And just when I was starting to mourn with rage, I saw a light. Not metaphorically. It really was a light. I get off the ground and I walked to it, cleaning all the grass of my hair. What I couldn’t clean was the blood… and that will draw the attention of other ponies even more. I hid my injured wing with my hair the best I could, but that wouldn’t help me for a long time…

Ponyville was just ahead. From above you could see the sunset bathing the village with its light, and the lanterns in the streets began to light for not letting the ponies in the darkness.

I was on a gentle hill; all I had to do was walk to be in the middle of civilization again. But there was something that was intimidating me and was making me doubt if I should go to Ponyville or go to somewhere else. I didn’t remember to see that imposing castle there. But… given that the sun was about to hide, I had no other choice but seeking for Lyra and beg her to let me stay with her, just for tonight.

Suddenly, I remembered the stuff that the humans gave to me. Because I really loved “Red Riding Hood and the Wolf”, they gave me a riding hood of the same color. I wear it as fast as I could. Maybe that will attract the attention in a village where I know they’re not used to wear clothes, but that’s better than blood. They’ll believe I’m just a traveler, nopony will see my wings or my broken wing either.

I started to walk to the town while I saw the moon rising. I gulped when I thought of what would happen if sometime, somepony really tries to kill Princess Celestia. Maybe Luna would do Celestia’s work… or maybe she will try to bring back eternal night… again.

When I arrived to the village, I noticed that it was prettier than I remembered. Even in the night, the small place seemed to be full of life. The castle contrasted a lot with the town hall. Everypony was walking around the village, with happy mood or just deep in thought. For the first time, nopony left their stuff to come and greeting me. Why did I never hide my wings with something? The truth is that the idea to hide what I really am was disgusting for me, but… Well, considering my current situation, it’d be the most logical next step.

Suddenly, I really wanted to seek for my old friend and greet her. I had a lot of time I didn’t write to her, and surely she will be happy for see me too. But I wanted to go to the hospital too because of my wing.

I was afraid to get closer to anypony. The paranoia was starting to be like my own shadow; despite I know that nopony knows me here. Fortunately, there were signs (that, in fact, they seemed makeshift) that indicated you the most important places in the village. Princess Twilight’s castle (I gulped when I read it), the library, Sweet Apple Acres, Sugar Cube Corner…

But I didn’t stop to read the rest. Just when I read “hospital” I ran as fast as I could to arrive there. However, to arrive I had to go by the castle. I didn’t think it would be a problem until I saw its great doors opening wide.

I stopped short and then I hid back of a wall of a near house. If it’s a castle, maybe there are guards. The strange thing is that I didn’t see any guard coming out of the castle.

Why didn’t I take another route!?

“But, I don’t understand… Why Princess Celestia wants to keep something like this in secret?” A Pegasus with all the rainbow colors in her mane asked.

“She says she doesn’t want Equestria in panic…” Princess Twilight replied. In fact, she was a lot prettier in person (I saw her coronation in T.V), but she didn’t seem to be so… noble. “But, even so. She already told the other princesses and all her royal guard…” Her voice sounded scared. “I think that, if we don’t capture her soon, she’ll make it public herself”.

I felt like if a cold hand traveled through my back. They were talking about me.

“Oh my… at least Princess Celestia is okay…” Another yellow Pegasus with long pink mane said.

Next to the princess; there was a pretty white unicorn with the best hairstyle I’ve ever seen and long eyelashes. A pink pony that was jumping, she had frizz hair like cotton candy and blue eyes that were full of life. And an earth pony with orange skin and blonde mane, with freckles, hat and green eyes. Everypony seemed concerned and scared, except the pink one.

“Oh, come on girls!” The pink on exclaimed shrilly while she steps in front of the others. “If that such Golden Feather appears in Ponyville, we’ll show her what does the magic of friendship means!”

“Even so, I can’t help thinking that her name sounds familiar to me…” Twilight replied even more worried.

“Bleh…” The rainbow mane Pegasus who hasn’t put her hooves in the ground yet said. “Maybe she committed another minor crime before.”

“Wait, Twilight… Did you say “she” is another alicorn?” The white unicorn asked.

“Well… that was what Princess Celestia said in her letter. Why, Rarity?”

I couldn’t hear more. They still walking and they continued their way. I sighed of relief because they didn’t see me. But on the other hand, I wouldn’t stay in Ponyville for ever. My next plan was Fillydelphia (The last thing I knew from my parents was that they were staying in there), surely they’ll help me… I shouldn’t go with Lyra so I won’t compromise her…

I ensured that they weren’t near to resume my race to the hospital.

Some ponies looked at me because I was the only one who was running, but I didn’t care. I really needed to know how bad was my wing, and If I’ll ever fly soon. I couldn’t stand the idea to be trapped in the ground for a long time. As more as I moved, there was less ponies in the streets. It was getting late and maybe they were going to their houses.

The hospital was really near.

Suddenly I saw a purple flash that blinded me. I stopped short and I covered my face with my healthy wing by reflex. And what I heard next froze my blood.

“Were you going somewhere?”

That was Princess Twilight’s voice.

Then I felt dizzy. And then grass under my body.

When I opened wide my eyes, we weren’t in Ponyville anymore. We were back near to Ponyville, near that gentle hill. The alicorn in front of me brought us here just with her magic, and she was looking at me scowl.

“P-Princess Twilight…” I hesitated obviously scared. What was she been thinking about me?

“What did you tried to do to Princess Celestia!?” She demanded to know, totally angry, while she was getting in an attack position. This was bad, really, really bad. “YOU’VE GOT THREE SECONDS TO ANSWER!”

“P-PLEASE WAIT!” I begged, moving backwards and trying to express myself with my hooves. “I CAN EXPLAIN! W-well, not really… BUT…!”

“TWO…!”

“I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING, I SWEAR!” I cried. “PLEASE, DON’T HURT ME!”

“… ONE! YOUR TIME IS OVER!”

And then was a scorching heatstroke. I started to feel that I was falling downhill. I felt exhausted, thirsty, and it was hard to breath. I tried to get up, but I couldn’t. I was bleary-eyed. Everything around me looked like blots and colorful spots. I blinked in an attempt to recover my sight. My riding hood was holding on a branch, and my backpack, broken, in the distance. All my things were thrown and disordered, and even some papers were starting to fly away to no get back.

In the only thing I was thinking was in stop that papers and don’t let them go. They were the fruit of my research. If they go, it would be like if this last months had never happen. But it was useless; I wasn’t able to move without falling to the grass again. All my body was screaming, begging for mercy.

Twilight arrived near to me flying. I saw her panting because her attack’s effort, trying to normalize her breathing. Suddenly I wasn’t thinking in my papers. I was thinking if she wanted to kill me right here.

“WHY AREN’T YOU FIGHTING?” She screamed trying to sound choleric. But her voice was more distressed and tired than choleric. I didn’t feel with force to reply her either. She was an incredibly powerful alicorn; she was about to knock me out with just a spell… “Your wing is broken…” She muttered as she was getting closer with caution… Suddenly, she looked to the sky and then I saw her taking all my papers with her magic. “Where you looking for this…?”

She was examining them for a few seconds and then she gasped. Suddenly, she took all the things that were thrown in the grass. Her glance was like somepony that saw something she wasn’t supposed to see, and it was exciting.

“That’s why your name sounded so familiar to me!” She exclaimed, happy because she reminded something. “You’re Golden Feather!”

Does she know me…?

“I should guess it when Celestia said it was another alicorn!” She added no more. I saw her lips moving, but in some moment I wasn’t hearing her anymore. Twilight bit by bit was looking more like a purple and pink blur with pale and scared expression. “Golden? GOLDEN?”

I think I fainted.

…

I don’t know where I am.

I can’t feel the grass or the ground.

I can’t see Twilight.

I can’t see my things.

All I can see is a white shining.

Am I dead?

Is this the heaven?

No, this isn’t.

All my body stills screaming. It burns, especially my wing. Something is holding it.

This must be hell.

Everything around me is starting to take their form. Walls, tiling, lights… I’m on a bed that is not comfortable. And a strong and awful smell to chlorine disinfectant starts to fill my nose, combined with the smell of blood and something that seems food. This must be a hospital.

I heard myself moaning in pain while something is touching my wing. I slowly move my head, with my eyes half closed and I see a nurse cleaning my injured wing. I close my eyes and sigh, trying to not interrupt her work as all my thoughts are taking their place.

What am I doing here?

“Well… now your wing is clean” The nurse muttered softly. “Soon we’re going to plaster it…”

The next I heard was she walking away and a door being open. I didn’t open my eyes in any moment.

“Is she okay?” That was princess Twilight’s voice.

“Well… she’s stable” The nurse replied. I can imagine her confusion face when she saw me. “Is she your friend?”

“Eh… kind of…” The blue pegasus mumbled.

“May we see her?” Twilight inquired.

“If you wish to… but she’s asleep.” The nurse yawned, and then she continued with sleepy voice. “My working hours are over, but another stallion nurse will come and plaster her wing. Maybe it’ll take a bit to heal, but she’ll be able to fly as always”

“Thank Celestia…” I told myself. However, I was not sure if that expression would be okay. Thanks to Celestia, my wing is broken.

“Good night, Princess Twilight” The nurse said.

“Good night” Three ponies replied at the same time and then I heard them entering to my room.

“Twilight…” The blonde pony muttered. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“No, Applejack…” She replied, concerned. “I could have killed that poor pony…”

“HAD YOU LOSE YOUR MIND?” The blue Pegasus objurgated.

“No, Rainbow, I didn’t!”

“Calm down sugar cube…” Applejack craved, trying to keep calm herself.

“DON’T ASK ME TO CALM DOWN!” She screamed hysterically. “A crazy alicorn tries to kill Celestia, AND YOU GO AND TAKE HER TO THE HOSPITAL TO HELP HER! You must be under a spell, Twi! WAKE UP!

“Rainbow…” Applejack muttered. “If Twilight was under some spell, she would attack us, don’t you, Twi?”

“Also, I used the same spell that Celestia used to protect her mind against King Sombra…” The princess explained. Rainbow muttered something that was not possible to understand. “It’s impossible…”

“Then why are you helping her?” Rainbow demanded to know. She was frustrated because she could not understand.

“Where are the others?”

“Apple Bloom ran to aware them…” Applejack answered. “They’ll be here in a few minutes for sure…”

“AND YOU STILL AVOIDING MY QUESTIONS!” Rainbow complained.

“I WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE OTHERS ARRIVE!” Twilight cried, totally altered.

“Twi, Shhhhh!” Another pony exclaimed.

“Girls, you’re here!” Twilight exclaimed happily because her friends arrived.

There were a lot of seconds of greetings, questions, confusion, and Twilight managed to shut up the others to let her talk.

“It’s just that, even if we try, we don’t understand what you are doing…” The white unicorn with beautiful mane explained, talking by the others. There was a general agreement.

“You defeated her and then you took her to the hospital to cure her…” A shy voice muttered. “Why…?”

“Well, girls… It’s not that I defeated her…” Twilight started, dully. “She didn’t even defend herself…”

Everypony gasped.

I was afraid to open my eyes so they’ll notice I was hearing them. I want to know what happened. I don’t understand it either. Why did she save me? She could kill me in the hill and problem solved. Equestria shouldn’t have to worry about the mare who tried to kill their favorite princess.

“WAIT!” The pink pony cried.

“What do you mean?” Applejack asked.

“I meant that! She didn’t defend herself!” Twilight continued. “I attacked her with all my force because I was so scared. I thought she would be incredibly powerful because she could go until Celestia’s room being alone.” She was starting to talk faster. “But Golden seemed to be really terrified. She begged to me to don’t hurt her… I didn’t know what to do. I attacked her…”

At this point, the only thing that you were able to hear was Twilight’s voice, and she felt guilty.

“She fell downhill” She continued. “I thought she would get up and fight. I was afraid that Ponyville’s villagers could see the battle. But she wasn’t even able to get up. I saw her trying to get her backpack and her things back. She didn’t try to counterattack in any moment. When she saw me, she became pale, but she didn’t say anything. I saw her notes, and…”

There was a general exclamation. Everypony were like they wanted to say something, but they didn’t know what.

“Wh-what is that?” The shy scared one asked. “Those things… their paws are like eagles…”

“As Golden says in her notes, that “eagle paws” are called “hands”” Twilight explained. “That’s why her name was so familiar to me. She’s an anthropologist who gained some fame these last month’s…”

“Fine, now the question here is: Why an anthropologist would get insane and then tries to kill Princess Celestia?” The white unicorn with cute mane asked, completely skeptical.

“Well… I-I guess she didn’t, Rarity…”

“… What do you mean?”

“DID YOU BECOME CRAAAZY!?” The pink pony cried.

“I-if she were as powerful as Celestia said… Why didn’t she defend herself?” Twilight was challenging them to answer. “Why did she run away before finishing the dirty job? Why is she carrying all this stuff? Why didn’t she cure her wing? Why didn’t she try to kill me too? Why did she arrive to Ponyville instead of going to wherever is her homeland?”

There were too many questions that nopony knew how to answer.

“Uhm… Are you hinting that Princess Celestia is lying?” The shy Pegasus inquired, as if somepony would hurt her if she talks.

“I don’t know, Fluttershy… Girls, girls, don’t look at me like that!” The princess begged. “Surely the princess had her reasons… And, looking at all this stuff, I think I’m starting to understand her reasons.

“Twi, what do you mean?” The blonde asked.

“Well… all her books, her notes, the photos…” I started to open my eyes and I saw how Twilight putted all my stuff in front of her friend’s eyes. “This doesn’t look like anything that we have in Equestria. Or to anything that in our books say that were in Equestria sometime.”

“It can be false.” Rainbow answered back.

“IT’S REAL!” I shouted as I was sitting in the bed, and Everypony looked at me, surprised. They thought I was sleeping. “Humans ARE real! I was with them!”

Their faces said that I was a patient that will be at the mad house.

“How much time were you listening to us?” Asked Applejack, who was looking at me as if I was the enemy that they had to defeat.

“The enough time” I replied, cutting. “Listen to me, please…”

But before I could say anything, somepony was opening the door. I saw Twilight hiding all my stuff in her backpack really fast. A pony with white coat arrived to the room, saying that he will plaster my wing. Until he’s gone, we couldn’t talk about this. And, even if Everypony were looking at me with mistrust, Twilight was looking at me as if she wanted to know more.

“Woah… this broken wing is serious…” The doctor exclaimed. My wing still hurts. “How did you say this happen…?”

I looked at the doctor and then at the princess, who was suddenly nervous. I don’t understand why, this wasn’t her fault. Maybe she thinks it’s her fault, maybe she didn’t see my wing until she attacked me.

“I-I fell…” I mumbled.

Suddenly, I felt really dizzy and I fell to the bed. I began to vanish. All around me started to look like blots, but I made an effort to keep conscious. The voices started to sound like if they were distant and diffused, but somehow I was able to say “I’m fine, I’m fine…!”

“Somepony can tell me how much time was her without drinking water?” The doctor asked.

“N-no…” Twilight muttered. She felt guilty.

Suddenly I noticed the needle serum in my paw. I took a deep breath while all around me were taking its place. I heard the doctor telling something to the girls before he went away.

“This is horrible…” I heard myself complaining.

“Do you know what will make you feel better?” The pink pony said. I looked at her and she was searching for something in her hair and then she suddenly found a… a… a cupcake… and she putted it in the bedside table.

“Eh… thank you…” I told her not knowing how to feel. I smiled and she smiled too as she was going back to her friends.

“S-so… Golden…” Twilight said, without knowing what to do now.

“WHAT DID EXACTLY HAPPEN?” Rainbow objurgated with accusing voice.

I gulped with my ears down.

“GIRLS, STOP!” The Pegasus with pink mane shouted. “The doctor said we mustn’t stress her!”

“You have to calm down, Rainbow!” Applejack said, and then she looked at me from up to down. “Even if she could be a criminal, we need to respect her health state… She looks more like a scared filly” She muttered, thinking that I couldn’t hear her.

“That I look like a scared filly?” I replied “I’m twenty four…”

“Are you twenty four!?” Rarity exclaimed, surprised. “But you look so much younger!”

I sighed.

“Ehm…” Twilight hawked a bit to attract her friends’ attention. “What I was going to say, Golden, is that I don’t know how to compensate what I did to you…”

“It’s not necessary” I said a bit cutting. “My wing was broken before you tapped me. I was going to end here in anyway.”

I had a small vanish. I gave a deep breath for trying to keep conscious and be able to hear what Twilight was saying.

“… And I want to compensate you…” I heard her. I couldn’t hear the rest.

“Excuse me… what did you said?” I asked feeling a bit disorientated.

“I could kill you while that wasn’t my intention…” I became pale. “And attacking you without let you explain yourself first was wrong. I want to hear your story.”

“B-But…”

“Oh, excuse me!” She suddenly exclaimed a bit nervous. “I haven’t introduced my friends to you yet… they are Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.”

“Nice to meet you…” I replied coldly, but none of them replied back.

I heard them muttering something to Twilight. “Are you crazy?” “You can’t be serious.” “Maybe you’re helping the enemy” and a lot of things that I didn’t understand. I didn’t know how to feel or what to do. I didn’t even hear well what Twilight said. The truth is that no one of her friends wanted me near to them, I feel like they’ll take me to the royal guard at the first opportunity. I feel like if this are my lasts hours of life. And I was starting to resign…

It’s too soon…

And I’d love to tell her my story, but I felt dizzy and I didn’t wake up.

…

The next day, I was awakening for the sunlight filtering in the window. For reflex, I covered myself with the bed sheets. The first thing I did when I opened my eyes was checking my paw. Somebody quitted the needle serum and there wasn’t more than the picket line. The splint in my wing was a bit annoying, but I knew that I couldn’t fly for a while.

“GOOD MORNING!” Pinkie said.

I couldn’t avoid screaming, with my voice with higher octaves than normal. I didn’t see her. It’s like she just appeared from nothing.

“Y-you scared me!”

“Is she awake!?” The princess asked with nervous voice while she was opening the door.

“I would say, more than awake” Pinkie replied winking at her. I was still gasping. “I’m going to do the breakfast!” She exclaimed as she left the room.

This doesn’t make any sense. Am I still here? Why am I still “free”? Didn’t they surrender me? Nopony knows I’m here?

Then, I noticed I wasn’t in the hospital anymore. The room seemed like a normal house. There was a carpet under the bed, a closet, a window, green wall, wooden floor… It seemed like a normal guest room for me.

“Where am I…?” I hesitated.

“In sweet apple acres…” Applejack said as she entered the room.

“What am I doing here!? How did you bring me here?”

“Calm down these feathers, hysterical!” She replied. I gulped. “In the hospital the doctor told us that you were stable and we could bring you home, but you were asleep.”

“B-but that doesn’t explain how did you…”

“I asked them to bring you here” Twilight clarified. “Golden, for Equestria’s sake, let me talk... fine, are you feeling better? Well, listen to me; I just want to know what’s happening. All your photos, your books, everything that you bring with you… Is it real?”

“Of course is real!” I claimed. “I could swear it for Celestia’s life…!” I heard how Applejack snorted and coughed. “Sorry, I could swear for whatever that I was there”.

“B-But how…?” She asked, confused. “The photos… none of them seems like anything that there’s in Equestria, explain it!”

“That’s the point…”

From then, I get up from the bed and I asked her where were my stuff. They were in her backpacks. I took an Equestria map, a world map and I drew another map in some scrolls.

“We are here” I said while pointing Equestria in the world map, which was at the right of it, circling Ponyville on it. “Then, we have the sea at the right, and other kingdoms and countries at the left. Then, and since the earth is round, if you go beyond Equestria, you should appear here” I said pointing the left end of the map. “… That’s because you’re traveling around the world.”

I looked at Twilight, who was nodding, a bit impatient because I was saying such obvious things instead of going to the point.

“The problem is I didn’t travel around it.” Then I putted the scrolls with the human world map at the right of the Equestria world map. “I arrived here”

“Are you serious?” She asked with a skeptical voice. “How is possible that nopony has arrived there before? Did you open a kind of portal or something else? In the crystal empire we have a mirror, but that’s not like what you have in your photos…”

“No, Twilight, I didn’t…” I shake my head saying no, and I tried to not pay attention of what she did say about the mirror. “I arrived there just by flying… And, just so you know, I don’t know anything about magic.” I explained a bit irritated. “And, as I was saying…”

“Wait a moment!” Applejack interrupted us. For a second I forgot that she was still here. “How is even possible that you don’t know anything about magic!?” She told me off. She didn’t believe me.

Twilight was looking at me incredulous too.

“It’s a really long story that I’ll tell you if you want as you bring me to prison”

“We bring you to prison?” Twilight inquired “Golden, we’re not going to bring you there.”

“Eh?” Applejack exclaimed with me.

The princess was glaring at Applejack, and Applejack was doing the same, but suddenly they exchanged meaningful glances and they looked at me. I felt like some kind of bone of contention.

“I already told you that all I want is to know the truth.” Twilight repeated, but I still wasn’t able to understand what she was doing. “I don’t understand why Princess Celestia did what she did, and I have no doubt that she had her reasons.” I heard myself whining. “If you tell us your story maybe we can help each other and find the truth”

“… Help each other?” I repeated after thinking of it during some seconds. And then I got it. She wants to do an agreement. “What do you want from me?” I asked with caution. I’m conscious that I’m walking on dangerous ground.

“I told you so. I want the truth. Just think of it, ok? It doesn’t seem fair to me that Princess Celestia charged you of homicide to censure your investigations…”

I looked into her eyes a bit surprised. She was being serious. She believed in me.

“And me, as the princess of Friendship.” She said. “I can’t avoid feeling that is my royal duty to solve all of this, because nopony will…”

Author's Note

Oh my godness I can publish the second part!
I was supposed to submit chapters weekly, but I decided that it's better do it monthly, it'll give me more time to translate it.
Also, thank you for your likes (Is it called likes here?) and your good comments.
See you in the next chapter!