Author's Note

This is my first attempt at any type of fanfiction, so far i have pretty much the entire story roughdrafted on paper. Im currently typing it up and adding parts in here and there as inspiration hits. So far i have 30+ chapters rough drafted. But anyway any comments or critism is greatly appreciated

A caring heart

Chapter 1
A CARING HEART

It was dark. I knew that much. I couldnt hear or feel anything. But i was concious; at least somewhat. I tried opening my mouth but my mind wasnt sending the signals needed to move. I started to become aware of a sensation akin to floating, as well as a growing pressure in my chest and head.
The pain in my chest and head grew greater by the second and i willed my eyes to open.
It was still dark but i could make out my arms and legs as well as a faint light from far above in the night sky. Where was i? Why was i hovering in the darkness? A sharp pain in my ribs brought my pondering to a close. I flailed my limbs, though the movements were sluggish.
Then my instincts realized what my still hazy mind had not yet processed. I was underwater! And the sharp jabs in my chest were painful reminders that i was slowly drowning!
Adrenaline and survival instincts kicked in and used my arms and legs to propel myself towards the light above. It seemed as if time was passing slower with each stroke of my arms. My chest began to burn and my head felt like it would burst.
My brain now alert was demanding i take a breathe and it took all my willpower to ignore it. Finally when the urge to breathe was too great to ignore i felt my head break the surface of the water.
The cool air invaded my lungs and i had never tasted anything sweeter.
As my body calmed i began to take in my surroundings. The light above me was the light of a full moon, the cloudless sky littered with stars. Had i been an astronomer i would have noticed the distinctly alien constellations. As it was i noticed nothing amiss.
I was floating in the middle of a large body of water, a pond or lake perhaps. Trees surrounded me on all sides.
Suddenly i became aware of a new sensation. I was freezing cold. As if my chattering teeth werent sign enough. I aimed for what i judged to be the closest shore and swam with the little strength i had.
Not soon enough my feet hit silt and i began trudging through the freezing water and mud. Upon reaching the shore i literally threw myself on the bank too tired to move. But i knew to lay there would result in hypothermia. I needed to get warm and fast.
I forced myself up and drug my feet towards the woods ahead of me. The trees were tall and it struck me how unusual it was for so many diffrent species of tree to be in one forest. Brushing the though from my mind i searched for something anything to warm myself.
But who was i fooling? Here i was in the middle of a forest, with no idea where i was or how i got there. In my panic i didnt realize i was suddenly walking up hill, and then eventually i was practically crawling up the steep landmass.
Upon reaching the top i managed to stand gasping and out of breath and still freezing. I gazed out upon the land below and hope found me. There were lights littered about below! I could make out small structures in the dark.....houses!
An in my excitment i began running down the hill as the trees began to thin out. But my adrenaline was not enough to propel me for long and my sprint slowed to a walk then a crawl and then......stillness.
The cold was paralyzing and i barely could reach my arm towards the warm light of the town barely a half a mile away.
My last thought was *please dont let me die like this* and then i closed my eyes and thought no more....

* .....it was summer, i was back home basking in the cool river with my sister and brother. On the bank my family was cooking and i realized how hungry i was . My little sister and brother were already swimming towards the bank and waving for me to hurry.*
*I swam towards the shallow waters and as my foot hit muddy earth i began to take another step.*
*As my foot landed i felt it sinking, each consequetive step found me sinking deeper and deeper until i was up to my chin as i yelled out for help the ground closed up around me.....*

....light shone under my closed eyelids and roused me from my nightmare....i was alive!?
I opened my eyes. Bright light streamed down upon me. I was wrapped in a thick blanket and i was layed upon a firm mattress of some kind. A cot? No more like a bed you would find in a hospital.

A lightly opaque curtain surrounded me and i could see people walking about speaking to one another.
I was alive! The thought registered again. Someone must have found me and brought me to a hospital.
"Hello?" I asked to noone in particular. The talking stopped abruptly and i tried again. "Hello?". All of a sudden someone began lightly banging a hammer against something. The tapping got slightly louder as a figure approached the curtain.
A hand pulled the curtain asided and a woman in a nurses outfit stepped into the space. She beamed at me before she spoke "Ah finally awake? And how are we feeling?"
As i began to respond her face came into focus for the first time.
The first thing that caught my attention was the bright pink hair style, which was trimmed to just below her jawline. Next was he baby blue eyes. Her eyes themselves were larger than my own but in no way were they disproportionate to her facial features. Her skin was also an odd color, a light pink with grayish hues.
The ears though, that threw me for a helluva loop. Large equinesque ears protruded slightly through her hair. But her overall face was nearly indistinguishible from a human womans, in fact she was quite attractive.
As she walked around to look at my charts i heard the light tapping again. As she approached closer to the bedside i looked downwards my eyes stopping to rest first on what appeared to be a long flowing tail? Like a horses almost but lighter and fuller and styled and....pink....like her hair. "What the fuck?" I murmered to myself.
Her legs were long and toned and instead of shoes, hooves formed just above where her ankles should be.
"Wh....where am i?!" I shouted without meaning too. "Wh...what the hell are you!?"
The....woman?..... frowned slightly. "Theres no need for language like that, as for WHO i am, my name is nurse Redheart, and i am a pony of course" she stated matter of factly.
So that was it then. Of course she was a pony. I mean certainly i hadnt been abducted by some alien species that looked like humanoid horses. No that was silly i was simply under the care of a bipedal human pony......that could speak and apparently had a nursing degree no less.
"I get it right? I really did drown and i died and went too?....heaven? No...hell? maybe? Vegas?" She watched me talk to myself obviously concerned for my sanity.
"You are a patient at Ponyville urgent care, located in suprisingly enough ponyville which is a small town in Equestria"
Equestria? So my whole alien abduction wasnt so far off apparently. She was eyes me with interest. After looking me over she asked nervously "i dont mean to offend but ive never seen somepony like you before? Wh...what type of being are you?" Mirroring my own question but in a much more civil manner.
"You dont know? You abducted me from Earth and dont know what i am?" I asked in disbelief
"Nopony here has abducted you" she replied calmly. "Rainbowdash found you almost frozen to death outside of town. Nopony here has ever seen somepony like yourself" i could tell that this nurse....Redheart was sincere. I calmed myself while she continued "This earth you spoke of is that your home?"
"Yes earth is the world im from, im a human its where all humans come from" i replied. "How did you end up here then?" She asked softly. "I dont know" i replied. "I dont remember anything right before i woke up underwater"
"Poor dear you may have a mild case of amnesia, can you remember your name?" She asked.
I though for a moment afraid of what it would mean if i couldnt remember. Fortunately i recalled my name quickly enough.
"Kayleb, but everyone calls me Kay, and you are the craziest hallucination ive ever seen" not saying much since she was my first hallucination ever.
Nurse Redheart smiled and extended her hand as she spoke "Its nice to meet you Kay and I assure you i am quite real".
I hesitated before taking her hand. Her hands were soft and mosly human like, five fingers, opposable thumbs, even finger nails (painted pink, of course), the only difference was a very soft felt fur, barely noticeable to the touch that covered her hands and arms and probably by extension her whole body. Speaking of bodies, i realized that i hadnt took any notice of my own.
A quick look around and i quickly discovered that i was naked, only a thin sheet thrown over me.
"I...ummm where are my clothes?" I asked. Nurse Redheart blushed slightly. "Oh my im afraid i completely forgot to tell you, your clothes have been washed and dryed, i can bring them to you if you wish"
"Yea please" i replied.
Nurse Redheart turned with a swish of her long tail and departed through the curtains leaving me to my thoughts. Not long after i heard whispered voices outside the curtain, Nurse Redheart and another female voice where talking.
"How is the creature?" The unknown voice queried.
"You mean Kayleb? He is recovering, and, by the way he is male" Redheart replied.
"Male? How can you be sure? Weve never seen anypony like this before."
"When i...ummm removed his clothes i recieved a rather good look at his....umm maleness" Redheart stated i could swear i felt the heat of her blush through the curtain.
"He is an alien here, who knows if his appendages serve the same function as a stallion, i say its a female" the unknown voice was starting to piss me off. Female? Fucking really?
"Hes shaped much the same as a stallion although from what ive seen quite a bit bigger" Redheart replied, in an almost husky sounding tone.
"Let me see!" The other voice exclamed.
"Shhhhhhh!! Tenderheart be quiet. This isnt the place and you are still on duty. Besides the princesses will be here any moment to see him" Redheart said.

A few seconds later she walked in and before the curtain closed i caught a glimpse of another nurse peering from behind, she looked identical to Redheart but with green hair and oddly enough pale bluish skin and magenta colored eyes.
"Here are your clothes Kayleb" Redheart said handing them to me. "Thanks" i said
"Ummm mind if i change?" I asked. "Certainly" Redheart said without turning around. I saw here eyes wander to my crotch and a small blush lit her cheeks. I cleared my throat rather obviously and she jumped and spun around quickly.
"Im so sorry! my mind was on.....its ummm, its been a long day" she stammered.
I chuckled to myself as i pulled on the simple black tee shirt i had been wearing followed my faded bluejeans and the wheat colored boots i always wore.
I guess since im telling this story i should at least describe myself. Im average height at 5'10. My hair is short and jet black which contrasts to my green eyes. I have some facial hair and an athletic body due too playing football in college and being a dedicated gym member.
Also i have a few tattoos. In fact my entire chest and left arm where covered. As i finished pulling on my boots i stood and raised both arms stretching until my back popped.
It wasnt until then that i realized how short Redheart was. The top of her head barely reached my chin. She had to be 5'1, 5'2 tops.
"Why do you have so many cutie marks?" She asked absentmindedly touchingthe tattoos on my arm. I was about to ask her just what in the hell a cutie mark was when i heard another voice this one deeper.
"Nurse Redheart?" Another person stuck thier head through the curtain, judging from his voice and the hair on his chin this 'pony' was a male.
"Ye...yes!?" She asked jumping and quickly removing her hand.
"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are here to see the creature" he said before withdrawing
"Oh my well wait here please Kay, ill be right back" Redheart said flustered as she left behind the man?....stallion?
"Wait? What? Princesses?" I askes no one in particular
....just where in the hell had i landed myself afterall