I, Raveren Black-Mane, have experienced great physical pain in my life, and I have never been in a greater agony than now. Within this… portal? Yeah, let’s go with portal, I am am feeling the most excruciating pain I have ever felt. Now, I have walked through the terrible ash storms around Red Mountain with a multitude of open wounds but this is beyond even that! I can feel the raw power of the rift bombarding my body, mashing and reforming it in a constant cycle. I can feel my bones crunching, my skin tearing, and my veins randomly alternating between pumping magma and liquid stalhrim all at once. I would scream but no air flows from my lungs, I would cry but my tear ducts were burnt alongside my eyes when I opened them. For time unrecognizable, this pain is all I feel.

Zu'u lost nid su'um nuz Zu'u kent marzu!

Suddenly, the vertigo and pain lessen, and I find myself beginning to feel the pull of gravity once again. Unfortunately, the pain returns to near full force when I hit what I would assume is the ground. I feel the ground below me, I can smell the surprisingly potent dirt and dew, I can even hear the many birdsongs and dim brabble what I can only assume is a nearby stream. For a while I just lie still, hoping that my surroundings will be patient enough to give me enough time to collect myself before the inevitable interruption by some hostile being, because that’s what always happens when I rest in the wilderness. This came true in quite a surprising way some time later.

I had begun to feel around me to make sure my magicka was properly regenerating in its normal, slower than a snail’s pace, when my strangely potent hearing picked up something similar to a mix of hoof falls and plate armor that was different from what typically comes from cavalry attempting to be stealthy. It didn’t help that I could catch glimpses of their horses’ very polished armor. What I couldn’t understand was that it sounded like their already quiet armor (but not quiet enough, probably don’t have cloth to buffer sound) made more sound than their mounts’ hooves. Resolving to be prepared for combat, I finally realized how different my body feels. I had been laying with all fours splayed out, reaching out and pulling up grass to pass the time. But when I had meant to move my fingers, while it gripped fine, I can’t actually feel any digits move. Assuming I have nerve damage along with my now blind eyes, I move to prepare a quick close wounds spell, but find the magika moving to collect around my head rather than my hands. The magicka cost seems far lower than usual as well. Aside from this unusual location and cheap cost I feel no problems with the spell and release it. While my eyes seem to be healing I feel no change in my hands and that truly worries me. Now that my eyes have conveniently healed I might as well use them to get a look at myself. Slowly, can’t let them know anything is wrong, I open my eyes and am surprised at how big they feel. What I’m more surprised at is that my hands aren’t hands at all! Instead of hands, there are what appear to be big furry hooves. They don’t look like normal hooves either, the hard part is shorter and less distinct from the rest of the leg. Considering my previous spread out position, another difference is in just how much range of motion these legs seem to have. They move like normal arms, even have wrist like joints with the same dexterous range of motion. I move to inspect the rest of my body, slowly to give the illusion that I’m stretching, and find that I am indeed some sort of horse. My unusually large eyes can see a square-ish muzzle, i now notice my ears are at the top of my head, I’m covered in long shaggy wheat-yellow fur, and my similarly dexterous yet somehow sturdier rear legs are equally equine. It should say something about me that it’s only now that I realize that I’m still wearing intact clothes. It appears that my unenchanted robes are still intact.

Should probably check on why my spell came from my forehead methinks. Upon doing so, I come to find quite a distracting sight. I have a horn. “Is this some revenge prank from Mr. ‘Sheo of Kvatch’ for not inviting him?”

“While I don’t know who this Sheo person is, you’ve certainly gotten quite far from home” says mystery woman number B from over by the cavalry. “However 4 leagues from the closest village seems extreme to be brought on a prank.”

“Well I’ve been brought farther before, and that was without wild magic to do the transporting” I say while shamelessly twisting the truth, “may I ask who you are?” Hopefully this woman isn’t freaking out at my unusual appearance. I turn, expecting to find a woman, and to my surprise I instead find a tall(based off my current height from my sitting and her standing) horse, with stark white fur and pink hair. What really surprises me are the wings on her back. They don’t look to be proportionally able to give her flight, but with the confidence she oozes from her stature and movement I’d best not assume.

It should also say something that I only noticed that she was naked because that was how I could see her wings. I’d best keep it polite, hopefully buy time for when her buddies attack. Hmm, wonder if they’re like her -or rather us now, and are intelligent equines?

She smiles at me with all the grace of a queen and says to me “Of course, my name is Sunny Skies, May I have yours?” Odd name, but I’ve heard stranger, and it really fits her appearance. Now… do I give my real name or not? Eh, I’m not wanted anywhere and this obviously isn’t somewhere that has heard of me so why not. I don’t even think I look like what people would recognize me as. Though I think I’ll shorten my first name like I usually do, it sounds better that way anyway.

“Raven Black-Mane, a pleasure to meet you.”

“It is equally a pleasure dear Ser. To be perfectly honest, I was not sure what to expect when I heard some noise from the road, though encountering you is much more preferable than to face some wild beast. Now I must ask, are you well? You appear to be having trouble standing, and you appear distressed.” Cripes, was my nervousness that obvious? I’m losing my touch. She didn’t get confused with my title name so I guess my hair and beard are still black. I really hope my beard is intact. I can’t feel if it is, and I would seem distracted if I moved a hand-er hoof now. Though I suppose it’s quite funny that I now truly have a black mane. Oh no, with my new coat color I look like a bee.

While it’s been literal centuries since I’ve had to walk with a quadruped body (does being dragged around as prisoner in my body thanks to Hircine even count?), I remember enough from that fiasco to stand even when distracted. Might as well continue to stretch, my hair color won’t change and I’m stiff. I need to get a feel on how my body moves anyway.

“I can stand just fine, just sore from how violently I was transported here. Magic, am I right?” She turns a smile at that. Good, she seems to find that humorous. “Mind helping me get back to the road? I seem to be lost.”

“I would gladly help anypony in need. I hope that everypony in Equestria would do so, especially in the case with somepony as amicable as you, ‘tis the friendly thing to do after all.” Oh no, whatever we are is called a pony. I’m a pony. I feel dirty being called that for whatever reason. And this country’s name! Equestria! I hope this country isn’t so punny with all their names. Oh well, I can freak out when I’m actually alone and free from observers. For now at least, I must keep a calm head, give a reason to receive more information.

“I’m sorry miss, but I think whatever brought me here was pretty jarring, because I can’t remember much of anything about an Equestria or much of anything else about here.” Here’s hoping she doesn’t inquire any further.

“Oh my! What a terrible thing to happen to somepony, I’ll be happy to tell you what I can on the road to the nearest town. It’s a small town formed at the base of the Canterhorn on the road to the capital. I shall fill you in on the way.”

Ok, that’s not too bad, but I have to know what the ones surrounding us bring to the picture. Worst case, I’ve got my magicka mostly charged and am confident that I’m able to take on a group larger than her and her ten or so friends hidden in the forest surrounding us. So let’s confront the issue then.

“Thank you kindly miss. Though I must ask that your friends that surround us introduce themselves before we get going.”

Author's Note

I hope it’s not too obvious this is my first story...