Chapter 1
Golden Rain galloped through the White Tail Woods. Her hooves slammed on the ground, scattering small animals and trampling flowers. Her green eyes were dilated with fear. She had to get away, had to escape whatever fate lay in the hooves of her pursuers. Why her? Of all the ponies they could have chosen, why her?
The trees closed in around her, and her pursuers were gaining. She zigzagged, trying to lose them in the dense undergrowth. Her yellow coat shimmered as she dashed between two birch trees. The three ponies following her, avoided the trees instead of attempting to go through them. The lead one leapt to grab her, and she dodged, barely escaping his outstretched hooves.
Golden Rain could not see what was ahead of her. Then the trees thinned, and the mare found herself on the edge of a cliff. A few stones crumbled off the edge when Golden Rain skidded to a halt, tumbling a hundred hooves to the ground below. She gulped, looking behind her for a way to flee.
She was too late.
Her pursuers had surrounded her, cutting off her escape routes. “It’s good we caught you, Golden Rain,” the lead stallion, a unicorn, said. “and even better that you left that stupid magic blocking shield covering the forest.” He smiled, teeth showing. There was malicious glint in his eye. “I think you need a vacation Golden rain. A permanent one.” His horn lit up, and he shoved her off the cliff. Her eyes briefly saw the entrance to a dark hole ripped in space before all turned black and she faded into emptiness.
Melian groaned. What on earth had hit her? Whatever it was, it must’ve been big. Maybe it was a car. She opened her eyes. All she could see was dark. The ground maybe? She reached up to scratch her head. But her arm felt weird, and her hand wouldn’t open. In fact, every part of her felt odd.
Melian rolled over. She looked at herself, and her eyes widened. What the hell? Her body was dark blue and shaped like that of a horse. In place of hands, she had hooves, and a short silver tail. She looked around. She was lying in a meadow that looked nothing like the busy city street she had been crossing when she blacked out. The sky was a brilliant blue, and some rabbits hopped around in the near emerald grass. Melian groaned again, contemplating how to get to her feet. She thought about how young horse foals began to stand. She lay on her stomach, trying one leg at a time. It was easier than she’d imagined and within the course of a minute she was on all four hooves. She looked around. There was a small town down the hill, with a weird crystal castle. Wait, Melian thought, recognition sparking through her, that’s Ponyville. I’m in Equestria. How did I get here?
Melian considered her courses of action. She chose the most reasonable, heading down into Ponyville and seeing what she could do. She looked back and realized that she had a cutie mark on her flank. It was a silver comet flying over a planet; a planet that looked a surprising amount like earth.
She shrugged and walked down towards the town. It took a bit of practice, but she got the hang of moving in her new form. She tried trotting a bit but gave up on galloping after the third time she face-planted into the dirt. She wondered briefly what her face looked like. Then the thought left her as she tripped over her hooves. She stood up again, for the third time, and realized that she was now on a road. She walked into the town. Ponies around her smiled and waved. A light gray pegasus flying overhead nodded at her, lifting a hoof in welcome. As she walked into the town marketplace, Melian realized she had just one problem—money.
Melian scanned the space around her. “Well,” she said to herself, “I should probably find a job. But where?” Then she spotted an orange earth pony by an apple cart. She walked over to the mare, who was advertising her goods in a loud county-ish voice. “Excuse me,” Melian asked, walking up to her. “Do you know a place where I could pick up an odd job for some bits?”
“Why are ya’ asking?” The mare answered.
“I was traveling, but now I’m broke. I need some money to continue.” Melian shrugged.
“while in that case, I think I might have some jobs around the farm.”
Golden Rain’s eyes slowly opened. Surrounding her were unfamiliar sounds. Some kind of weird honking could be heard. Over that were voices, voices nearby.
“Have you seen her?”
“No. Where could she have gone?”
“She only walked away for a minute.”
“wait I found something.”
The hoof steps running towards her were odd. They were light, and there were not enough of them.
“You alright there?” one of the voices asked.
“Ughh,” Golden Rain lifted her head. The weirdest female creature she had ever seen was standing in front of her. She had very narrow legs and was only using two of them. She was leaning down, and she had something resembling dragon claws. The female reached out a claw to help Golden Rain up, and the mare reached up a hoof. Then she stopped, nearly shrieking.
She had the same claws as the being in front of her. Her skin color was also similar. The female grabbed her claw, then pulled her up onto her back two feet. Golden Rain attempted to steady herself but collapsed. She curled up in a little ball on the ground. Where was she? What were these creatures?”
“Need some help?” The creature asked kindly. When Golden Rain nodded hesitantly, she pulled her up, holding onto Golden Rain to keep her stable. The mare finally became used to her new legs enough to walk slowly.
“What happened to you?” The creature asked.
“I don’t know.” In truth, Golden Rain really didn’t. She could vaguely remember running. Then a portal, and a falling sensation. Next thing she knew, she had woken up in the alley in which they were standing. “I heard you talking. Who are you missing?”
“Our friend Melian disappeared a couple hours ago,” The creature said. “I’m Siena, by the way. What’s your name?”
“Golden Rain.”
“That’s an odd name,” Siena replied.
Golden Rain shrugged. She thought personally that Siena was a weirder name, but considering her situation, it was nothing to be remarked on. “Where am I?” she asked, looking around. All she could see were somewhat worn bricks.
“Wow, bad case of amnesia. Or a lot of other things. You’re in the town of Mayeville, New York. United States of America.”
“Oh.” Golden Rain felt small. It was one thing to think you were in a different world, and quite another to know it. A shattering realization hit her. She had no way home.
“So, what’s your name? I’m Applejack.” The mare walking besides Melian asked.
Melian knew that her actual name was bound to cause confusion, so she made one up, “Silver Star.”
Applejack nodded. “what kinda jobs were you thinking of doin’, miss Star.”
“Anything that will get me a few bits,” Melian, now Silver Star, replied
“I could sure put that horn of yours to use,” the orange mare said.
Silver Star nearly jumped with ecstasy. A unicorn, she was a unicorn. She hadn’t even considered the possibility that she might have magic. It was a cheerful thought, one good thing that had happened. “Anything you need me to do, I’m on it,” she told the mare next to her.
Applejack smiled, “Well, here we are. Sweet Apple Acres,” She pointed with her hoof to the farm: the shining red barn, the acres upon acres of apple trees, and the sign hanging above the gate. Star sighed, walking through the gate into the farmyard. The aroma of apples surrounded her, and it reminded her of her cousin’s farm in upstate New York. An ache in her chest formed, thinking about it. She was trapped, trapped in a land she did not really know, where she did not belong. And after she had some money, she had to start looking for a way to back.
Far away in Canterlot, a stallion sat at a desk in the top of a high tower. He was flanked by two giant windows overlooking the city and the lands around. Looking at the gray pegasus mare in front of him, he smiled. “So, it worked, didn’t it? We have removed one and brought another. Now, it is the hooves of fate that she will come to us, and we can do what we need.”
“are you sure she will come? I’m not even sure that it was her. We don’t know anything about this magic.” the mare asked.
“The laws of magic state, ‘For every spell, there is a consequence. She’s here. It's only a matter of time before she comes to us.” He turned to look out the window. “I threw that frustrating mare through that portal to bring someone from the other To Equestria. We are the first to do so since Starswirl himself, and I will not let our effort go to waste.”
