It all happened so fast.

One minute, the sky over Ponyville was completely clear and cloudless, the star’s shining brightly alongside the full moon, providing a dim luminescent glow where the light of the street lamps fail to reach. Then the next, a blinding light could be seen passing over the small town, before what looked like a flaming orb began plummeting towards the ground near the outskirts of Ponyville and deep into the Everfree, the earth tremoring as whatever it was hit the ground.
News of the so-called meteorite traveled fast, and it was not long at all before both Celestia and Luna were alerted of what had happened. It was definitely a strange occurance, since a meteor shower only happens once every two hundred years, and the chances of one actually landing so close was slim to none. As quickly as they had gotten the news, Celestial and Lunar guards were dispatched to Ponyville to investigate and retrieve whatever they find, while also making sure the citizens of the small town were still safe from harm.

No one at all was injured from the phenomenon, and everyone who had seen it reported the exact same thing: a flaming object that had landed rather deep into the Everfree. Those who did not see it have definitely been awaken from sleep once the tremors hit. Half of the guards hoarded all the worried, dreary ponies back to their homes, while the remaining disappeared into the nearly pitch-black forest to see just what exactly had landed. It took nearly an hour of trekking through the thick foliage of the dense forest before the scent of burning wood and leaves reached them, along with a thin layer of smoke. After that, it was not much of a challenge to find the spot they were looking for. An entire mass of trees and dirt had been completely cleared out from the massive impact, with the earth around the deep crater charred to black, small flames dotting around the perimeter. The smoke had cleared up just enough for the entourage to see what lay in the center, and what they found left them completely speechless.

Lying in the center was not a meteorite, rock, or some kind of mineral the likes of which had been expected, but rather a creature the likes of which had never been seen before. No, instead there was a creature whose physical structure was humanoid in nature, curled up into the fetal position. He had no fur, aside from the brown patch on the top of his head, which laid out in the dirt in all different directions. He wore a simple shirt and jeans, which were tattered, torn, and charred in most places, revealing burned or scratched skin beneath. Near him were a pair of spectacles, which were bent and broken way beyond repair.

The group of soldiers stood and gawked for a long moment, before one of them delivered a message to Celestia, notifying her of their findings. The reply was swift, and the instructions were simple; Gather him up and bring him to Ponyville Hospital and wait for the Princesses to arrive, allow no one but medical staff near him. The guards were quick, if a bit hesitant to comply, despite the thirty-minute wait for the ground to cool down enough to walk on. Heaved onto the back of one of the guards, they transported him as quickly as possible to Ponyville Hospital, wading through the gazes of curious ponies and ordering the appalled staff to have the creature receive the best treatment available. Once all was said and done, they hauled the human off to the operating room, while the guards waited patiently for the arrival of Celestia and Luna.
***

“He was in critical condition when he first arrived, but he seems stable now.” Nurse Redheart stated to Celestia and Luna. “He’s unlike anything I had ever seen. And it was difficult to diagnose his injuries, since his structure is much different than that of a pony’s. Luckily we were able to figure everything out in time, otherwise he might not have survived.”

“Is he awake now?” Luna asked.

“He will be soon, however it is imperative that he gets as much rest as possible, and that we try not to stress him out too much.” Redheart replied.

“How bad is he?” Celestia asked.

“Most of his ribs are cracked along with his collar bone and right arm, a few second-degree burns, and a deep laceration on his left wrist, which would have done him in if he had gotten to us any later. The rest were minor cuts and bruises that have been disinfected and bandaged. We estimate that it will be a few months before he is fully healed, but only about a week before he can leave the hospital. Until then, he needs medication and rest.”

“Very well. We won’t be long, then.” Celestia replied, before Nurse Redheart gently opened the door and quietly ushered them in the room. The human lay quietly upon the soft hospital bed, the bed sheets covering him from the waist down while a white splint covered a majority of his torso and shoulders. The dirt on his face had been cleaned, revealing minor scratches that had been carefully bandaged. His right arm was wrapped expertly in a beige colored splint, while his lift wrist was also bandaged, obviously covering the laceration Redheart mentioned before.

“He looks… strange. Not in a bad way, but not in a good way either.” Luna whispered.

“Indeed.” Celestia said softly. “Let’s not make this seem like an interrogation. We’re only going to ask who he is, where he’s from, and whether or not he means us any harm.”

“Sister, I can hardly believe that last bit. At least, he doesn’t look very threatening.” Luna stated.

“True, he doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be cautious. If this creature is out to threaten my kingdom, I want to know as soon as possible.” Celestia replied, looking over the human carefully. She couldn’t help but feel a bit sympathetic, studying his battered and broken form, similar to the feeling one would get if they were to spot an injured puppy. After all, he had survived something that should have killed him, and would have to live with the scars for many years.

Suddenly, the human began stirring, before opening his eyes and immediately wincing. “Nggh… hurts… hurts to breath…” He groaned, his voice hoarse.

The princesses, along with Nurse Redheart took a coutious step back. At least now they knew he would be able to understand their language, which was a bit of a relief.

“Sir, try to keep still and relax. You did take quite a fall.” Nurse Redheart replied, approaching the side of the hospital bed.
The human turned his head to the source of the voice, squinting his eyes a little before visibly tensing up. However, he immediately regretted that decision, and vocalized it through another pained moan. “W-what…? Where am I?” He asked, confusion thick in his expression.

“You’re in Equestria. A land that my sister, Luna, and I rule over.” Celestia replied, stepping forward. “Now tell me, who are you? What has brought you here?”

The young man blinked in response, before rubbing his eyes with his left hand. “Equest…. What? I… I don’t understand.” He said, shaking his head. “I don’t know…”

“Hm… alright.” Celestia replied. It was obvious that the man was still dazed and confused. “Can you tell me your name?”

“M-my name…?” He said, before rubbing his head deep in thought, squeezing his eyes shut. “I… I can’t…”

“You can’t tell me, or do you not have one?”

“I don’t know!” The human suddenly shouted, clenching his fists. Nurse Redheart took a step back, but Celestia stood where she was, her expression softening a bit. Seeing this, the young man sighed and relaxed a little. “I’m sorry… I just…”

“You don’t remember anything, do you?” Luna suddenly asked.

“No.” He replied. “S-sorry…”

“It’s all right. At least now we can say that you don’t mean us any harm. Unless we’re mistaken?” Celestia inquired.

“I don’t.” The human said softly, looking down.

“Good enough.” Celestia replied. Although, he could have very well been lying, but the sincerity in his voice seemed real enough. “Well, young man, it seems you’ve caused quite a stir in your arrival, so there’s no use in keeping you a secret from the public. I’ll spare you those details for now, and let you rest up. The next time we meet, my sister and I will have figured out what to do with you. Obviously, we can’t send you back from whence you came, considering we don’t know where you came from.”

“That’s fair.” The human replied, taking in a deep breath in an attempt to keep himself relaxed, giving a slight groan as his injured ribs screamed at him.

“I’m glad you think so. Now, get some rest.” Celestia replied before she, Luna, and Nurse Redheart trotted out of the room, the door gently closing behind them. Celestia gave a gentle sigh, glancing at the door for a moment. “I suppose you were right, Luna. He’s not a threat, as far as we can tell. I can’t help but feel sorry for the poor thing.”

“Same.” Luna replied. “But what exactly are we going to do with him? Like you said, we can’t send him back to his own world, and we certainly can’t just leave him out on the streets.”

“I believe I have an idea.” Celestia replied, walking with her to the exit. “We’ll have someone take care of him for the time being, and I believe I have just the pony in mind. She’ll definitely enjoy studying him. That is, if he doesn’t mind being bombarded with questions or being stared at carefully while having everything he does being written down on a sheet of paper.” She chuckled, making her way out of the hospital.

Author's Note

My vocabulary has dwindled into nothingness since I graduated high school, so forgive me for that. I'm open to constructive criticism, pointers, or any advice. If you guys enjoyed, then let me know! :)