Death by Earby ExoticEonChaptersChapter 1 - PanicChapter 2 - Wilderness Part 1Chapter 3 - Wilderness Part 2Chapter 1 - Panic"Hey, Chase?" Lily asked. "Hmm?" I answered, my voice muffled by a waffle in my mouth. "Sorry I have to leave so soon? I mean, I haven't seen my parents in like... forever." Lily groaned, placing her head on the table. "I miss my parents." I swallowed and shrugged. "It's alright, when I get out, I'll see you, right?" "I guess, " Her voice muffled by the table. "But you're still here for a long time." I looked around the cafeteria. Wearing the same orange jumpsuit, teens eating and chatting, my headphone suppressing most of it. I didn't see any of the adults serving earlier. Must've taken a break or something. Pretty sure they were supposed to be watching us, but what do I know. This is juvenile. I don't know anything about it—just a kid spending a few years in this place. It was breakfast, my favorite out of the three. Though the food wasn't any good, it bested them by a mile. I looked back to Lily, seeing her pick at her food. I questioned, "Are you gonna finish that?" I pointed to her waffles. She looked up at me, "Umm... No. Not hungry." "Can I have it?" If she said no... "Sure." she slid his tray in front of me. I drooled at the sight. Lily always gave me her leftovers if I asked. I don't know how old she is, but she looks one or two years older than me. Everyone else looked 16 to 18 to me. We've known each other for about five months now. Lily was the nicest person and my only friend at this horrible place. I remember her face when I introduced myself. She was so excited and asked to be her friend. Who was I to say no? She never made fun of my hearing disorder. In fact, she accepted it! No one did that before. My grandparents just didn't care. They never did anything to help. I hated the first few days here. Everyone made fun of my hearing. I don't know why the adults gave me earmuffs just recently, so I would have to cover my ears half the time, but my ears were too sensitive and didn't help much. Then Lily came. She protected me from many of the kids. If they started making fun of me, she was there. I don't know what she did or how long she was sentenced, but I never bothered to ask. Too bad she's getting out in a few weeks. While I have years left. Lily isn't perfect, though. She was more into lunch food. Don't know how anyone can enjoy that stuff. I don't know how, but she seemed to enjoy it more than my passion for waffles. I was about to dig in until I heard someone walking behind me. I turned around and saw Mason, an eighteen-year-old bully. I hate him. I absolutely hate him. "Well, if it isn't dog ears." He mocked, shoving my shoulder. "Are your ears working? I couldn't tell with that thing on your head." Ever since the adults gave me earmuffs, he recently made me his target. He would call me names or take off my headphones. Thankfully, I would always snatch them back before he could say anything else. I looked around for adults, of course, I didn't see any. He never got in trouble either. He was never caught, or the adults didn't care. Either way, I don't know how this place kept running. My thinking was interrupted by Lily speaking. "Leave him alone, Mason! You-" "SHUT UP!" Her mouth closed. I winced at the volume but kept quiet. The bully looked back at me, waiting for an answer. After a second or two, he scowled. "Are you deaf or something?" All that answered was the silent whispers in the room. I shrank back when I noticed the other kids watching us, my face feeling red with the new attention. I suddenly feel my headphones lift off my head, Mason holding it in front of him. "What are these even for?" He questioned, inspecting it. I stood to grab it, but it was quickly out of reach, as he was much taller than me. "Give them back," I requested, though it was muffled out by the escalating voices of the others. "What are these for?" He repeated, tauntingly swinging them above me. "For my ears," I replied, covering them. The talking grew louder and louder, and this situation wasn't helping. Mason shoved me back, making me fall to the ground. I grunted on impact, my hands staying put. "I know that! Why!" I didn't answer. My hands didn't help anymore, the kids yelling incoherently. Noises, noises everywhere. I started to hyperventilate; sound was everywhere. I laid there, trembling for my life. "Give those back!" Someone demanded. Despite my pain, I looked up. Lily was glaring at the bully. Mason just looked at her and laughed. "Or what?" That set her off. She ran towards him, slamming into his body. As they tumbled, my headphones dropped to the ground unharmed. Both of them were throwing punches left and right, some blood started to show. I tried to find an adult but couldn't. I just watched, petrified at the sight. I clenched my eyes plugged my ears hard, trying to get rid of the pain. This was my fault. If I never came here, this would've never happened. This was my fault. Why is it my fault? Why is it always my fault?! I felt someone drop right beside me. I look over to the unconscious body. Lily. I started to tear up at the sight. If I wasn't here, this would've never happened to her. Sound started fading as I started to feel lightheaded. Everything went numb, then... "Ugh..." I groaned, my senses slowly returning. "Wha...What happened?" My voice was answered with a head-splitting headache. I winced at the pain but continued. "Hello?" I tried to say, but I wheezed instead. My lungs weren't getting much air. I quietly tested my voice, humming to whispering, low to high. Nothing seemed different, but I noticed the pressure on top of me. I lifted my head, groggily opening my eyes. I noticed I was sprawled on the floor. It felt hard and cold. I slowly looked around, only seeing blackness but a faint glow in the distance. My body felt weird, and something warm was on my back. I slowly pushed it off right beside me, my lungs suddenly lifted with relief. I tried to get up on my knees, but my legs couldn't bend like I wanted to. I tried again, only straining my legs. So, I rolled on my back to lift myself. I tried to sit up but wasn't able to. I think I'm disabled... I grunted in frustration, trying to haul myself up to my feet but to no avail. Slightly panicked, I rolled back on my stomach and lifted myself on all fours. Which made a few clops echoing through the space. I sighed in relief. This seemed to work fairly well and surprisingly comfortable. It didn't seem like I could go on my legs in this position, so I opted for this for now. I took my first step and- "Ugh..." I groaned. As I gained consciousness, the first thing I felt was like a brick thrown at my face. As I ignored the pain, I saw I was lying on the floor...again. I slowly got up on all fours, my head swaying. In the dark, I looked where I placed the heavy item. What I didn't expect was an outline of a figure. I froze. I was somewhere I couldn't see, with someone I didn't know. I was about to run away until something caught my attention. It was shivering, silently crying. "Hello?" I called. The figure shot up, startled from the sudden noise. "Who's there?" It shivered. That voice... it sounded familiar, a girl, I think. I focused on her question, trying to find my name, but it was surprisingly hard. My memories were a blur, only knowing the simple things in my life. After a few seconds, it came to me. "Chase," I recalled. She just looked at me, wiping her eyes. I don't know why, but she seemed skeptical. "Chase?" I nodded but quickly answered. It was probably too dark for her to see either. "How do you know me?" "I'm... Lily. Don't you remember me?" That name sounded familiar too. I searched my memories again until I remembered. "Juvenile?" I questioned. Her face instantly lit up, getting up. Only to fall right back down, with a little ‘oof.’ "Ow..." She groaned. "You alright?" I asked. The last thing I want is to get her hurt again. Again... Something tugged at my brain. I tried to remember what happened, but nothing came up. The last memory I could recall was us eating lunch, then it all just... faded out. "Mhm." Lily hummed. I could hear her grunting in frustration, struggling to get back up. "Go on all fours," I suggested. I can tell she was looking at me, questioning my sanity. "What?" "Just... roll on your stomach." I heard her do just that. "This feels weird. How are we here again? I... can't remember." "I have no idea. I just woke up like this." She paused, "Where are we?" I looked around, darkness was everywhere, but a shine of light glowed nearby. I could hardly see Lily's outline. "Chase! Where are we!" "Ow!" I grimaced. I tried covering them, but instead, I hit myself, increasing my pain and making me fall. Lily recoiled back. Her voice returning to normal. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to." I just laid there, calming myself. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean it." I reassured. I got up. "Let's just get out of here." "How?" I pointed to the light in the distance, only for me to lose my balance and fall. Thankfully, I didn't blackout. "I'm okay," I said, quickly getting up. I looked over to Lily, her figure getting up on her fours. "I can only imagine what this looks like." She giggled, and I joined in. The image of us crawling filled my mind. We soon dropped to the ground and burst out laughing. Until my ears started to sting. "Okay! Okay! Stop!" I yelled, holding in a chuckle. "My ears are hurting!" After a few snickers, we were sprawled on the ground in pure silence. We were there for a while before I got up. I tested each limb one by one, some bending where they shouldn't. I heard Lily do the same. I slowly moved forward, limb by limb, accompanied by a trip or fall every so often. We staggered for about an hour now, our bodies as sore as ever. We were close to the light, and I noticed rock stone around us. When we got out, it was pure night. I looked to the clear sky. It was dark, illuminated by a full moon. Below it, a forest of trees covered everywhere I looked. I could hear faint sounds of crickets, making me realize how silent it was. I turned to Lily, only to see a horse inspecting itself. "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I just sat there, screaming my head off. Staring at a horse. It was unlike anything I've seen. Pink fur covered its body, stained with blood and dirt. Its hair was light green and purple swirls tangled together, strands stinking everywhere. Finished with grime that covered its hair. The horse noticed me staring and stared back, speaking in a familiar voice. "Uhh... Chase?" "Lily!?" I yelled. "Look at you! You're a horse! You're even the same height as me!" To my surprise, her face beamed. "I know, right! Isn't it awesome? I always wondered what it'd feel like if we were animals." We? I looked at myself, an equine body covered in blue fur. I focused on my hair. It was cyan with darker tips—both my fur and hair in the same state as Lily's. "What- how- HUH!?" A pain shot through my ears when I as a result. "Ow! What the heck! Ow!" I kept on going, not even noticing Lily trying to calm me down. After a few seconds, my yells were stopped short when I felt something stuffed in my mouth. I looked down. A hoof... I tried to spit it out, even trying to pull it, which wasn't very useful, as I didn't even know how to grab with these stubs. "Chase." I looked to her, her blue eyes looking in mine. "Calm down," She slowly pleaded above my muffled shrieks. "Promise me you'll calm down." After realizing I wasn't going anywhere, my struggling stopped, and I reluctantly nodded. She pulled her hoof out of my mouth and wiped it on the grass below her. I instantly started spitting on the ground, trying to get out the filth in my mouth. "You need to learn not to scream so much, especially because of your... you know." She waved her hoof, not wanting to finish. "You don't even have those earmuffs anymore." "You didn't have to put a horse’s arm in my mouth," I grumbled, feeling my oddly placed ears. It felt weird. "It's called a hoof, and we look more like ponies, not horses," Lily explained. "Yeah, yeah." I naturally tilted my head, "How do you even know that stuff?" "There's a lot you can read in the library if you have the time, though none of them told me about had these in them." "How are you so calm about this?" I asked in a whisper. I rubbed my forehead with the stub, feeling a migraine coming up. "Because I think this is a dream." ... "Why?" She looked at me, confidently. "Because there is no logical explanation for this, so it must be a dream." I gawked at her in disbelief before turning into a malicious grin. "So..." I stretched out. "If you feel pain, you'll wake up, right?" Lily seemed confused before answering. "I think so. Why?" I trotted up to her, luckily not tripping. "So I can show you this isn't a dream," I said before punching her shoulder, causing her to stumble back. "Ow..." She whined. "What was that for?" I smiled smugly. "To prove my point." "It still hurts." She rubbed her sore shoulder. "Yeah..." I chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry about that." "Well, at least I know this isn't a dream." I rolled my eyes at the obvious answer. In doing so, I caught a glimpse at her body. Wings, I saw wings. Lily followed my gaze, pink wings clamped against her sides. I pointed at it with a hoof. "Is there an explanation for that?" She just huffed and wobbled below a tree. "I'm too tired for any more of this weirdness." I looked to my back and saw wings of my own. I tried to move them but proved ineffective. I scanned the area for any clear paths we could take. To my disappointment, it was all grass. In defeat, I unsteadily followed, laying right beside her. She watched me curiously. "You do know other trees are around, right?" I looked back at her, "I know, but it's cold." Lily seemed to realize this, as she started shivering. I snuggled right up to Lily's chest, feeling the warmth that came with it. It seemed to stop her quivering, and I found myself being hugged back. We stared at the night sky, stars dotted around, and the moonlighting everything below it. I listened to the silent crickets and feeling the wind blow softly in the leaves. I breathed out. For the first time since I got here, I felt comfortable. We both rested on the grass, reveling in each other's embrace. Even though we were colorful, talking ponies that had wings. That was okay. As long as I have Lily. Something rustled in the bushes. Chapter 2 - Wilderness Part 1I quickly lifted my head to the bushes in the distance. A little too quickly as I felt lightheaded, the active migraine wasn't helping. Lily got up, trying to look above the surrounding leaves. We heard a low growl, followed by a pair of glowing green eyes. Leaves rustled, and twigs snapped as it walked out in the open. It slowly crept its way to us. I watched in fear and awe at the creature. It looked like a wolf made of leaves, sticks, and logs. It was way bigger, too, towering over our bodies. The wooden figure narrowed its eyes with a predatory glare. Its mouth dripping with saliva and a regurgitating breath blew in our direction. "Lilly..." My voice was squeaky. "What's that?" She just stared wide-eyed at it before galloping away. "RUN!" I stood up to run, turning where Lily went off, only to trip over my own hooves. I was about to get up again, but Lily seemed to stop, her eyes narrowed to small pinpricks. I heard large footsteps behind me. I slowly turned my head. The creature was staring down right in front of me. My breathing fastened when it lowered its head. It roared right in my face. My ears were in pure agony. I couldn't move. I just stayed there, hoping it'd go away. Chills went up my spine as I caught a glance of its sharp claws in front of me. It didn't help when one of them was raised. Instinctively, I lifted a foreleg, trying to block the attack. The next thing I felt was my flesh being cut. Its jagged claws tore into my fur. Blood seeped out as I screamed, causing the wooden wolf to pull back with high pitched whines. It pawed at its ears, before having enough, running away to the forest. I curled to the ground and clutching my throbbing arm to my chest. My eyes blurred, and I sniffed rapidly, trying not to cry. I felt a hoof. I turned my head to see Lily holding my head up. She looked around frantically before grabbing a few big leaves nearby with her teeth. She began to wrap the gash. When it was covered, she moved my other hoof on top and putting pressure. It felt like pure fire. Lily gritted her teeth and her eyes furrowed. "What were you doing, Chase! I told you to run?! What were you thinking?!" My voice was caught in my throat as she waited. She seemed to realize what she said before looking down at my injury. Silence filled the air as she continued to press on the scratch. I felt my tears slide down from my eyes. I tried to hide them, but Lily's hooves blocked mine from moving. "I'm sorry." I whimpered. "I-I didn't mean too... I tried to move; I really did." She returned my gaze when I took a shaky breath. "What? No, Chase, I didn't-" "If I wasn't so scared, I could've gone away." I clenched my eyes shut. "I'm so sorry... P-please, don't go away..." It always ends up like this. No matter what I do. It's always the same. My eyes flew open as I suddenly felt my body being squeezed. A hug. "Chase, why would I do that?" I didn't say anything. I didn't return the gesture. I just stared at the ground. My ears perked up as I heard sound. Rain. I didn't notice it until now. Lily got up, leaving the embrace. She looked at the forming rain clouds above. "We... we should move." "I don't really think I can move very fast." She turned to me with a slight smile on a face. "I know." "What?" She lowered herself, tail facing me. "Here, I'll give you a piggyback. We don't want you walking on that." She pointed a hoof at my left foreleg before putting it back down, almost falling on her face as she lost balance. I looked at the covered cut, which seemed to stop bleeding. I was about to go on until I realized something. "How?" "Just lay on my back. I think I'm getting used to walking like this." She said, slowly walking a full circle before going back down in front of me. I sniffed, "Okay." I slowly got up on 3 hooves and attempted to jump on, only to plop down on her rump. "Umm..." She hoisted me further. "This better?" "Yeah, thanks," I replied. Because of our size, my head was on top of hers. "Mhm." She hummed in response. She got up and slowly trotted further in the forest. "Lily?" I asked "Hmm?" "What's that?" I pointed to another plant I didn't know. "I don't know." She yawned; I did the same. "I'm sleepy." "Me too." I don't know how long we've been walking for. It felt like hours to me. We haven't slept once since we got here. The rain pouring on our backs was preventing that. The sound of it hitting every surface would've annoyed me by now, but pinning my ears to my head seems to work very similar to earmuffs. I looked up, and the moon was still high in the sky. Both of us were shivering from the cold. The only thing that was keeping me warm was Lily underneath me. I wonder if she's comfortable. I'll feel bad if she didn't like carrying me this long. She's beginning to limp, and I'm afraid she'll fall over any second now. Lily decided staying at the cave wasn't the best idea if there were creatures like that around. So, she said we're looking for a safe place to rest or survive. All we've seen is trees, trees everywhere. She's been glancing at my left foreleg a lot; I don't know why, though. I had much worse than that. It stopped bleeding, so I should be fine. That's what they say anyway. Lily suddenly jerked forward, making me yelp. Her ears twitched in different every so often. "Do you hear that?" I paused, listening for anything. "Rain?" "Nope." "That's all I hear." "It's water, Chase. Water!" I looked at her. "Yeah, water. Rain." Lily sighed. "Just wait." We continued at our fast pace; I was surprised she hadn't tripped yet. Slowly, I started to hear something in the distance. As she galloped out the dense forest, in front of us was a fast-flowing river, cutting between the landscape. Both sides stretched a few yards before disappearing into the darkness. Despite being exhausted, Lily grinned at the sight. "I knew it!" "Ow." I winced at her voice, rubbing my ears. She chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry." "It's okay." She looked around before heading towards safety under a nearby tree. "I think this is a good place to rest." "What about shelter?" "We can worry about that later. Right now, we have a source of water." I looked toward the river. "Is that safe to drink?" "I'm... not sure." She yawned again, laying on the grass below. "We can test that later." Lily watched me squirmed off her, leaving the warmth underneath me. "What are you doing?" "You were carrying me all night." "What about it?" "Aren't you tired?" She stopped to think before answering. "I mean... yeah, but-" "Then, don't carry me." "You sure you're okay with that?" "We can just sleep like this." I scooted right next to her, I was tired, but I needed comfort. I laid on the grass, careful not to press on my left foreleg. I already felt myself dozing off. "Well, alright. We should go to sl..." Sensation was brought back to my body as I awoke. But one stood out the most. Hunger. I opened my eyes, only to shut it tight when sunlight stung my eyes. I slowly opened it this time, my eyes adjusting to the light. The sky was blue with only a few clouds, the sun brightening the sky. The air was warm, but the chill breeze was still there. Movement beside me caught my attention. I look over to see Lily, still asleep. She moved a little bit before murmuring something I couldn't hear. My stomach rumbled, reminding me of my hunger. I wish I had waffles. I looked between Lily and my stomach. Let her sleep, or do I starve. I chose the latter as I lifted a hoof and poked her. Nothing. I poked her again. She stirred a little bit. Poke. Her eyes moved. I was about to poke her again before they opened. "Chase?" Her voice was raspy, she looked up at the sun. "What time is it." I just shrugged. How was I supposed to know? But I did know one thing. "I'm hungry." Lily groaned. "Just five more minutes." Poke I guess that did it as she got up and sighed. "Let’s wash up first." I've been in a river before, but it was never to wash myself. They would always be mad if I ever went in one without permission. But I guess this one was clean. The water was pretty clear, and I could see the bottom. We were sitting low enough where only half of our body was submerged and not too far enough to be caught in the stream. Lily still told me to keep my injured forehoof above the water, just in case. I put it on a rock. "I don't need help washing myself, you know." "And how would you do that?" I opened my mouth to answer, only to close it. How would I wash myself? I don't have hands or anything. I'm not really used to this body yet. Especially walking. I don't even know how to move my wings, if they move at all. I looked at my equine reflection. I noticed my eyes were a different color. Unlike Lily's blue eyes, mine was some kind of magenta color. I yelled as I felt a sharp pull on my head. "Lily!" "Sorry," She apologized. "It's just your hair is so tangled." "How much longer?" I groaned. "You're taking sooo long..." "I'm doing your hair now. Or mane?" She hummed in thought. "What do you think, Chase?" I shrugged. "Well... since we're ponies. Mane it is!" After a few moments, a thought came to mind. "Lily?" "Hmm?" "Are we the only ones here?" She paused for a second before answering. "Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?" That wasn't what I was looking for, but I guess that's the best I could get. A few seconds passed before I jumped a little. She started to wash places I would consider off-limits. Despite my discomfort, I kept quiet. Lily seemed to notice as she finished rather quickly. "Sorry." She apologized. "It's okay." The sound of the river filled the air as she continued to scrub off the grime and dirt off my fur and mane. I rested on the grass to dry. Surprisingly, my mane returned to its original style. Lily told me to wait here as she gets something to eat. What do ponies eat anyway? Grass? If that's the case, then we'll packed. It's everywhere in the forest. Grass. It wouldn't hurt to try, right? I lowered my head to the ground and took a bite. I chewed for a second before spitting it back out. It tasted like dirt. It was disgusting, and I'll rather starve than eat that. I guess I'm not exactly pony then. "Choise!" A muffled voice called. I turn my head to see Lily. I was about to answer but noticed something was in her mouth. A rat. Chapter 3 - Wilderness Part 2"Chase..." "I said no." "What else are you gonna eat? The grass?" "It tasted horrible." Before I could see her reaction, I looked towards the rat on the ground. How it was dead was beyond me. How did she even find it? I've eaten meat before, but never something like a rat. I still didn’t want to risk eating it. I felt my stomach growl. But that hardly changed my mind. "Why couldn't you get a fish or something? We're right next to a river, you know." "How would I do that?" She questioned, "Just dip my head in and pull fish out? I can't even make nets anymore." "What about those berries?" I pointed at the bushes nearby. Lily followed my gaze. "I'm not eating those." "Why not?" "What if they're poisonous?" "Fine." I looked back at the rodent. "But I'm not eating that raw." "That's disgusting." "Well, how else are we gonna eat it? We can't make a fire with these," I raised a hoof. "At least wash them in the river." She sighed. "I'll clean it, then we'll figure out a way to make a fire." Lily picked it up with her mouth and walked towards the river. I gagged at the sight. I looked back at the grass before swirling it with my hoof. I started to think about the things that happened. Waking up in a cave as ponies in a forest and everything is weird. That's basically it. I looked around. Wherever we are, I don't recognize it. I've never seen anything like it. Plants I've never seen before and weird creatures every now and then. Lily didn't know any of them either, so I guess this is new to both of us. Though I'm surprised she didn't, she spends a lot of time reading when she has the time. She told me non-fiction books tell you facts about things. Too bad I don't get those; I'd probably be so smart. The adults never gave me books or free time. It was all filled with boring stuff. I sighed. My head was starting to hurt. I'll just rest for now. I opened my eyes when I heard movement. I wonder if I have better hearing. Or is that bad? I don't know anymore. I turned to see Lily coming back. She looked very pissed. "What happened?" She responded with a bunch of mumbles. "What?" "I said I los..." "Stop mumbling." "I said I lost it," Lily admitted. I was surprised she didn't yell. "What, the rat?" She nodded. "Oh." "Yeah." "What are we gonna eat then?" I asked curiously. "How should I know!" She snapped. There it was. She groaned in frustration. "I did all that work for nothing. All it did was float off in the river. I kill a rat just for food, but nature was all like, 'Oh! Because you're starving and have no food, I'll take that rat for you.' Like jeez! It's not my fault I don't have hands!" I kept quiet as she continued to ramble on. You don't want to get involved. I just wait until she exhausts herself. It works every time. Her voice wasn't loud enough to hurt my ears. She was always kind to make sure of it. She eventually dropped on the ground, panting. I guess she was done. "Sorry... I'm just... really hangry." She apologized between breaths. "It's okay. It is pretty entertaining when you do that." I smiled, which seemed to lighten her mood. We laid there for a moment before Lily got up, lowering herself right next to me. "I'm really thirsty, how about you?" That question made me incredibly so. I haven't drunk anything yet. I nodded before getting on her back. Either she's strong, or I'm light. She carries me pretty easily. The sound of flowing water grew louder as she walked in front of the river. I got off and dragged myself above the water. Only to stare at my reflection. I didn't feel comfortable drinking straight from a river. You never know what's in there. Plus, I'm not an animal. ... I was thirsty, and my throat needs satisfaction. I slowly lowered my head, the cold water touching my muzzle. I could feel the stream moving past as I dipped further. I hesitantly opened my mouth, the water instantly flooding in. I quickly lifted my head when my cheeks started to puff. I felt water drip out of my lips as I tried to swallow, only for it to go the wrong pipe. My throat burned as I spewed out the water, immediately coughing out the rest. "Chase!" Lily ran up to me. "I'm-" I tried to talk, but the urge to cough was too much. She was about to help before I stopped her. "I'm okay." I rasped out. "Just went down the wrong tube." She stayed there while I regained my breath. I could see her flinch when I cough. I think Lily worries about me too much. I think it's nice of her, though. Helping when I need it. No one’s concerned about my health. I guess she's different. I look towards my covered gash. I can only wonder what Lily was feeling back then. It still hurts to think about it. It was because of me, wasn't it? It always is. "Chase?" I jolted out of my thoughts at hearing my name. I looked towards Lily. Her face was concerned. "I'm fine." "You sure, 'cause-" "I said I'm fine. Seriously, I'm alright." I interrupted her. I know she doesn't believe me, but she did let it go. She looked towards the river and started to drink from it. I hesitantly did the same. After carefully drinking some more river water, we went wandering around in the forest. Lily made sure we leave a trail to turn back to. Specifically marking a tree with a stick every now and then. I kind of wanted to stay, though. I could've practice walking, but Lily insisted we explore a bit. Lily still carries me, since I'll just slow us down, I guess. She didn't say that, but I know she was thinking about it. I looked at my left foreleg. The leaves were all stained with blood. We should really replace it soon. Nothing I saw really sparked my interest. I was getting sick of not knowing most things. There were so many unusual plants I saw. I asked Lily what they were, but she didn't know. So, I stopped asking after a while. The sky was already darkened. I couldn't see the sun or moon—both hidden somewhere behind the trees. Time goes fast when you're bored, I guess. Or is it the opposite? My stomach started to hurt again. I need to eat soon. I wished I had that rat. Anything that'll make it stop. I continued to stare into space until I felt something below my waist. I was confused for a second before I realized what it was. I fidgeted on Lily's back, which got her attention. I said urgently. "I need to go." Lily looked back at me. "What?" "I need to go," I repeated. Her face was confused for a second before understanding what I meant. I didn't like talking about these types of things, but this was important. She looked around before trotting towards a tree. I quickly slid off, making sure I didn't fall face first. "I'll just wait behind here." She said, walking to the other side. "Call me when you're done." After she was out of sight, I went ahead and looked at my thing. I noticed it was in the open. It felt surprisingly natural to have no clothes on, but it still made me feel weird. Fortunately, it was just my bladder that needed to be emptied. I can't think of having no toilet paper. As much as I didn't want to think about it, we might have to. I relaxed a bit as I went. Going as a pony wasn't that different, but it was odd. I haven't noticed my thing until now. I swear I looked there before. The feeling of awkwardness was still there as I could hear Lily doing something. Knowing Lily was on the other side was a bit unsettling. In juvenile, we took showers in stalls. The boys and girls were all separated in rooms. Thankfully the showers there gave some privacy. The stalls were lined up, but we had to enter it naked for some reason. I got used to being seen nude by other boys, but it still made me uncomfortable. I still can't imagine girls seeing me like that. That was for showers, though. Going to the bathroom was different because the toilets were in our own pods, giving us a lot more privacy. Right now, the only thing separating me and Lily was a tree. I know she washed me in that area, but it wasn't any better. "Are you done?" "Umm... yeah." I shot my thoughts down as I stammered. I looked down at my thing, only to cock my head. It wasn't there. I put a hoof on the area, but all I felt was fur. I rubbed it a couple of times, trying to see if there was some kind of secret behind this. Nothing really happened until I took a closer look. It was barely visible behind my blue coat, but it was there. I don't think ponies do that. "What are you doing?" I jumped at the voice, finding Lily looking at me. She lowered her gaze a bit, causing me to quickly cover my private spot. "N-nothing!" I felt my face heat up, realizing what I was doing. "Then, what were you doing?" She had a smirk on her face. "I wasn't doing anything!" "Sure, you weren't." She stretched out, walking up to me. "I really wasn't!" I tried to convince. I don't think it was working. "Are you really really sure." She asked, batting her eyes. "S-shut up!" She looked like she was gonna continue before something changed her mind. Her expression changed into worry really fast. "Are you okay?" "W-what?" I stammered. "I was just teasing, alright. I'll stop, okay?" "What are you t-talking about." I sniffed. I was confused, what changed her mind. I noticed my vision was blurry. I went to wipe my eyes with a foreleg, only to feel tears sliding down my face. I'm doing it again. "Sorry Chase, I didn't mean to make you upset." "I didn't..." I began before sighing. "I'm fine. Let's just... Can we go?" She reluctantly agreed. I wiped off my face before getting on her back. Silence filled the air as she looked up to the sky. The moon was up, splotches of bright stars covering the dark sky above. Lily looked behind her shoulder. "Let’s head back before it gets too late." I nodded in agreement. I don't want to spend walking around this forest in the dark. She started trotting back from our marks. I sigh as I watched another tree passed by. There was nothing to do except look and listen. If only I could walk properly as a pony, it would be slightly more entertaining than just waiting. All I could do is one hoof at a time, and it would take us forever to reach back. How long have we been traveling anyway? I couldn't tell. I lazily looked over the scenery—all wildlife, nothing else. Well, until something caught my eye. I tapped Lily's head to get her attention. She turned to me, and I pointed. Nearby was a path. It looked pretty used as it cut through the grass with dirt. Lily trotted towards it, then checking both sides, neither showing where it ends, only to be hidden deeper in the woods. "Should we go right?" She asked. "Why?" "Because it's the right decision." I knocked her in the head. "Ow! What was that for?" I gave her a look. "Okay, bad time. But you didn't have to do it that hard." "It was also not a very good joke." I also wasn't in a mood for one. "Well, we're going right, so that makes it better." Lily decided. I was about to argue but thought better of it. We did have to go somewhere. While we went, I suddenly yawned as I felt my eyes drooped. Lily smiled. "Tired already?" I nodded wearily when she giggled. I don't know how, but all that sitting around made me sleepy. I positioned myself on Lily until I was comfortable, which was surprisingly easy despite her walking forward. Though I guess her warm fur and mane were helping. After a bit, I felt my body numbing, and my breathing slowed. The constant movement was actually pleasant. I don't know when the last time I slept like this. The world around me blackened as I closed my eyes. The aches and pain of my body drifted away with each breath. I nuzzled into the comfort I had before going to sleep.
Chapter 1 - Panic"Hey, Chase?" Lily asked. "Hmm?" I answered, my voice muffled by a waffle in my mouth. "Sorry I have to leave so soon? I mean, I haven't seen my parents in like... forever." Lily groaned, placing her head on the table. "I miss my parents." I swallowed and shrugged. "It's alright, when I get out, I'll see you, right?" "I guess, " Her voice muffled by the table. "But you're still here for a long time." I looked around the cafeteria. Wearing the same orange jumpsuit, teens eating and chatting, my headphone suppressing most of it. I didn't see any of the adults serving earlier. Must've taken a break or something. Pretty sure they were supposed to be watching us, but what do I know. This is juvenile. I don't know anything about it—just a kid spending a few years in this place. It was breakfast, my favorite out of the three. Though the food wasn't any good, it bested them by a mile. I looked back to Lily, seeing her pick at her food. I questioned, "Are you gonna finish that?" I pointed to her waffles. She looked up at me, "Umm... No. Not hungry." "Can I have it?" If she said no... "Sure." she slid his tray in front of me. I drooled at the sight. Lily always gave me her leftovers if I asked. I don't know how old she is, but she looks one or two years older than me. Everyone else looked 16 to 18 to me. We've known each other for about five months now. Lily was the nicest person and my only friend at this horrible place. I remember her face when I introduced myself. She was so excited and asked to be her friend. Who was I to say no? She never made fun of my hearing disorder. In fact, she accepted it! No one did that before. My grandparents just didn't care. They never did anything to help. I hated the first few days here. Everyone made fun of my hearing. I don't know why the adults gave me earmuffs just recently, so I would have to cover my ears half the time, but my ears were too sensitive and didn't help much. Then Lily came. She protected me from many of the kids. If they started making fun of me, she was there. I don't know what she did or how long she was sentenced, but I never bothered to ask. Too bad she's getting out in a few weeks. While I have years left. Lily isn't perfect, though. She was more into lunch food. Don't know how anyone can enjoy that stuff. I don't know how, but she seemed to enjoy it more than my passion for waffles. I was about to dig in until I heard someone walking behind me. I turned around and saw Mason, an eighteen-year-old bully. I hate him. I absolutely hate him. "Well, if it isn't dog ears." He mocked, shoving my shoulder. "Are your ears working? I couldn't tell with that thing on your head." Ever since the adults gave me earmuffs, he recently made me his target. He would call me names or take off my headphones. Thankfully, I would always snatch them back before he could say anything else. I looked around for adults, of course, I didn't see any. He never got in trouble either. He was never caught, or the adults didn't care. Either way, I don't know how this place kept running. My thinking was interrupted by Lily speaking. "Leave him alone, Mason! You-" "SHUT UP!" Her mouth closed. I winced at the volume but kept quiet. The bully looked back at me, waiting for an answer. After a second or two, he scowled. "Are you deaf or something?" All that answered was the silent whispers in the room. I shrank back when I noticed the other kids watching us, my face feeling red with the new attention. I suddenly feel my headphones lift off my head, Mason holding it in front of him. "What are these even for?" He questioned, inspecting it. I stood to grab it, but it was quickly out of reach, as he was much taller than me. "Give them back," I requested, though it was muffled out by the escalating voices of the others. "What are these for?" He repeated, tauntingly swinging them above me. "For my ears," I replied, covering them. The talking grew louder and louder, and this situation wasn't helping. Mason shoved me back, making me fall to the ground. I grunted on impact, my hands staying put. "I know that! Why!" I didn't answer. My hands didn't help anymore, the kids yelling incoherently. Noises, noises everywhere. I started to hyperventilate; sound was everywhere. I laid there, trembling for my life. "Give those back!" Someone demanded. Despite my pain, I looked up. Lily was glaring at the bully. Mason just looked at her and laughed. "Or what?" That set her off. She ran towards him, slamming into his body. As they tumbled, my headphones dropped to the ground unharmed. Both of them were throwing punches left and right, some blood started to show. I tried to find an adult but couldn't. I just watched, petrified at the sight. I clenched my eyes plugged my ears hard, trying to get rid of the pain. This was my fault. If I never came here, this would've never happened. This was my fault. Why is it my fault? Why is it always my fault?! I felt someone drop right beside me. I look over to the unconscious body. Lily. I started to tear up at the sight. If I wasn't here, this would've never happened to her. Sound started fading as I started to feel lightheaded. Everything went numb, then... "Ugh..." I groaned, my senses slowly returning. "Wha...What happened?" My voice was answered with a head-splitting headache. I winced at the pain but continued. "Hello?" I tried to say, but I wheezed instead. My lungs weren't getting much air. I quietly tested my voice, humming to whispering, low to high. Nothing seemed different, but I noticed the pressure on top of me. I lifted my head, groggily opening my eyes. I noticed I was sprawled on the floor. It felt hard and cold. I slowly looked around, only seeing blackness but a faint glow in the distance. My body felt weird, and something warm was on my back. I slowly pushed it off right beside me, my lungs suddenly lifted with relief. I tried to get up on my knees, but my legs couldn't bend like I wanted to. I tried again, only straining my legs. So, I rolled on my back to lift myself. I tried to sit up but wasn't able to. I think I'm disabled... I grunted in frustration, trying to haul myself up to my feet but to no avail. Slightly panicked, I rolled back on my stomach and lifted myself on all fours. Which made a few clops echoing through the space. I sighed in relief. This seemed to work fairly well and surprisingly comfortable. It didn't seem like I could go on my legs in this position, so I opted for this for now. I took my first step and- "Ugh..." I groaned. As I gained consciousness, the first thing I felt was like a brick thrown at my face. As I ignored the pain, I saw I was lying on the floor...again. I slowly got up on all fours, my head swaying. In the dark, I looked where I placed the heavy item. What I didn't expect was an outline of a figure. I froze. I was somewhere I couldn't see, with someone I didn't know. I was about to run away until something caught my attention. It was shivering, silently crying. "Hello?" I called. The figure shot up, startled from the sudden noise. "Who's there?" It shivered. That voice... it sounded familiar, a girl, I think. I focused on her question, trying to find my name, but it was surprisingly hard. My memories were a blur, only knowing the simple things in my life. After a few seconds, it came to me. "Chase," I recalled. She just looked at me, wiping her eyes. I don't know why, but she seemed skeptical. "Chase?" I nodded but quickly answered. It was probably too dark for her to see either. "How do you know me?" "I'm... Lily. Don't you remember me?" That name sounded familiar too. I searched my memories again until I remembered. "Juvenile?" I questioned. Her face instantly lit up, getting up. Only to fall right back down, with a little ‘oof.’ "Ow..." She groaned. "You alright?" I asked. The last thing I want is to get her hurt again. Again... Something tugged at my brain. I tried to remember what happened, but nothing came up. The last memory I could recall was us eating lunch, then it all just... faded out. "Mhm." Lily hummed. I could hear her grunting in frustration, struggling to get back up. "Go on all fours," I suggested. I can tell she was looking at me, questioning my sanity. "What?" "Just... roll on your stomach." I heard her do just that. "This feels weird. How are we here again? I... can't remember." "I have no idea. I just woke up like this." She paused, "Where are we?" I looked around, darkness was everywhere, but a shine of light glowed nearby. I could hardly see Lily's outline. "Chase! Where are we!" "Ow!" I grimaced. I tried covering them, but instead, I hit myself, increasing my pain and making me fall. Lily recoiled back. Her voice returning to normal. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to." I just laid there, calming myself. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean it." I reassured. I got up. "Let's just get out of here." "How?" I pointed to the light in the distance, only for me to lose my balance and fall. Thankfully, I didn't blackout. "I'm okay," I said, quickly getting up. I looked over to Lily, her figure getting up on her fours. "I can only imagine what this looks like." She giggled, and I joined in. The image of us crawling filled my mind. We soon dropped to the ground and burst out laughing. Until my ears started to sting. "Okay! Okay! Stop!" I yelled, holding in a chuckle. "My ears are hurting!" After a few snickers, we were sprawled on the ground in pure silence. We were there for a while before I got up. I tested each limb one by one, some bending where they shouldn't. I heard Lily do the same. I slowly moved forward, limb by limb, accompanied by a trip or fall every so often. We staggered for about an hour now, our bodies as sore as ever. We were close to the light, and I noticed rock stone around us. When we got out, it was pure night. I looked to the clear sky. It was dark, illuminated by a full moon. Below it, a forest of trees covered everywhere I looked. I could hear faint sounds of crickets, making me realize how silent it was. I turned to Lily, only to see a horse inspecting itself. "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I just sat there, screaming my head off. Staring at a horse. It was unlike anything I've seen. Pink fur covered its body, stained with blood and dirt. Its hair was light green and purple swirls tangled together, strands stinking everywhere. Finished with grime that covered its hair. The horse noticed me staring and stared back, speaking in a familiar voice. "Uhh... Chase?" "Lily!?" I yelled. "Look at you! You're a horse! You're even the same height as me!" To my surprise, her face beamed. "I know, right! Isn't it awesome? I always wondered what it'd feel like if we were animals." We? I looked at myself, an equine body covered in blue fur. I focused on my hair. It was cyan with darker tips—both my fur and hair in the same state as Lily's. "What- how- HUH!?" A pain shot through my ears when I as a result. "Ow! What the heck! Ow!" I kept on going, not even noticing Lily trying to calm me down. After a few seconds, my yells were stopped short when I felt something stuffed in my mouth. I looked down. A hoof... I tried to spit it out, even trying to pull it, which wasn't very useful, as I didn't even know how to grab with these stubs. "Chase." I looked to her, her blue eyes looking in mine. "Calm down," She slowly pleaded above my muffled shrieks. "Promise me you'll calm down." After realizing I wasn't going anywhere, my struggling stopped, and I reluctantly nodded. She pulled her hoof out of my mouth and wiped it on the grass below her. I instantly started spitting on the ground, trying to get out the filth in my mouth. "You need to learn not to scream so much, especially because of your... you know." She waved her hoof, not wanting to finish. "You don't even have those earmuffs anymore." "You didn't have to put a horse’s arm in my mouth," I grumbled, feeling my oddly placed ears. It felt weird. "It's called a hoof, and we look more like ponies, not horses," Lily explained. "Yeah, yeah." I naturally tilted my head, "How do you even know that stuff?" "There's a lot you can read in the library if you have the time, though none of them told me about had these in them." "How are you so calm about this?" I asked in a whisper. I rubbed my forehead with the stub, feeling a migraine coming up. "Because I think this is a dream." ... "Why?" She looked at me, confidently. "Because there is no logical explanation for this, so it must be a dream." I gawked at her in disbelief before turning into a malicious grin. "So..." I stretched out. "If you feel pain, you'll wake up, right?" Lily seemed confused before answering. "I think so. Why?" I trotted up to her, luckily not tripping. "So I can show you this isn't a dream," I said before punching her shoulder, causing her to stumble back. "Ow..." She whined. "What was that for?" I smiled smugly. "To prove my point." "It still hurts." She rubbed her sore shoulder. "Yeah..." I chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry about that." "Well, at least I know this isn't a dream." I rolled my eyes at the obvious answer. In doing so, I caught a glimpse at her body. Wings, I saw wings. Lily followed my gaze, pink wings clamped against her sides. I pointed at it with a hoof. "Is there an explanation for that?" She just huffed and wobbled below a tree. "I'm too tired for any more of this weirdness." I looked to my back and saw wings of my own. I tried to move them but proved ineffective. I scanned the area for any clear paths we could take. To my disappointment, it was all grass. In defeat, I unsteadily followed, laying right beside her. She watched me curiously. "You do know other trees are around, right?" I looked back at her, "I know, but it's cold." Lily seemed to realize this, as she started shivering. I snuggled right up to Lily's chest, feeling the warmth that came with it. It seemed to stop her quivering, and I found myself being hugged back. We stared at the night sky, stars dotted around, and the moonlighting everything below it. I listened to the silent crickets and feeling the wind blow softly in the leaves. I breathed out. For the first time since I got here, I felt comfortable. We both rested on the grass, reveling in each other's embrace. Even though we were colorful, talking ponies that had wings. That was okay. As long as I have Lily. Something rustled in the bushes.
Chapter 2 - Wilderness Part 1I quickly lifted my head to the bushes in the distance. A little too quickly as I felt lightheaded, the active migraine wasn't helping. Lily got up, trying to look above the surrounding leaves. We heard a low growl, followed by a pair of glowing green eyes. Leaves rustled, and twigs snapped as it walked out in the open. It slowly crept its way to us. I watched in fear and awe at the creature. It looked like a wolf made of leaves, sticks, and logs. It was way bigger, too, towering over our bodies. The wooden figure narrowed its eyes with a predatory glare. Its mouth dripping with saliva and a regurgitating breath blew in our direction. "Lilly..." My voice was squeaky. "What's that?" She just stared wide-eyed at it before galloping away. "RUN!" I stood up to run, turning where Lily went off, only to trip over my own hooves. I was about to get up again, but Lily seemed to stop, her eyes narrowed to small pinpricks. I heard large footsteps behind me. I slowly turned my head. The creature was staring down right in front of me. My breathing fastened when it lowered its head. It roared right in my face. My ears were in pure agony. I couldn't move. I just stayed there, hoping it'd go away. Chills went up my spine as I caught a glance of its sharp claws in front of me. It didn't help when one of them was raised. Instinctively, I lifted a foreleg, trying to block the attack. The next thing I felt was my flesh being cut. Its jagged claws tore into my fur. Blood seeped out as I screamed, causing the wooden wolf to pull back with high pitched whines. It pawed at its ears, before having enough, running away to the forest. I curled to the ground and clutching my throbbing arm to my chest. My eyes blurred, and I sniffed rapidly, trying not to cry. I felt a hoof. I turned my head to see Lily holding my head up. She looked around frantically before grabbing a few big leaves nearby with her teeth. She began to wrap the gash. When it was covered, she moved my other hoof on top and putting pressure. It felt like pure fire. Lily gritted her teeth and her eyes furrowed. "What were you doing, Chase! I told you to run?! What were you thinking?!" My voice was caught in my throat as she waited. She seemed to realize what she said before looking down at my injury. Silence filled the air as she continued to press on the scratch. I felt my tears slide down from my eyes. I tried to hide them, but Lily's hooves blocked mine from moving. "I'm sorry." I whimpered. "I-I didn't mean too... I tried to move; I really did." She returned my gaze when I took a shaky breath. "What? No, Chase, I didn't-" "If I wasn't so scared, I could've gone away." I clenched my eyes shut. "I'm so sorry... P-please, don't go away..." It always ends up like this. No matter what I do. It's always the same. My eyes flew open as I suddenly felt my body being squeezed. A hug. "Chase, why would I do that?" I didn't say anything. I didn't return the gesture. I just stared at the ground. My ears perked up as I heard sound. Rain. I didn't notice it until now. Lily got up, leaving the embrace. She looked at the forming rain clouds above. "We... we should move." "I don't really think I can move very fast." She turned to me with a slight smile on a face. "I know." "What?" She lowered herself, tail facing me. "Here, I'll give you a piggyback. We don't want you walking on that." She pointed a hoof at my left foreleg before putting it back down, almost falling on her face as she lost balance. I looked at the covered cut, which seemed to stop bleeding. I was about to go on until I realized something. "How?" "Just lay on my back. I think I'm getting used to walking like this." She said, slowly walking a full circle before going back down in front of me. I sniffed, "Okay." I slowly got up on 3 hooves and attempted to jump on, only to plop down on her rump. "Umm..." She hoisted me further. "This better?" "Yeah, thanks," I replied. Because of our size, my head was on top of hers. "Mhm." She hummed in response. She got up and slowly trotted further in the forest. "Lily?" I asked "Hmm?" "What's that?" I pointed to another plant I didn't know. "I don't know." She yawned; I did the same. "I'm sleepy." "Me too." I don't know how long we've been walking for. It felt like hours to me. We haven't slept once since we got here. The rain pouring on our backs was preventing that. The sound of it hitting every surface would've annoyed me by now, but pinning my ears to my head seems to work very similar to earmuffs. I looked up, and the moon was still high in the sky. Both of us were shivering from the cold. The only thing that was keeping me warm was Lily underneath me. I wonder if she's comfortable. I'll feel bad if she didn't like carrying me this long. She's beginning to limp, and I'm afraid she'll fall over any second now. Lily decided staying at the cave wasn't the best idea if there were creatures like that around. So, she said we're looking for a safe place to rest or survive. All we've seen is trees, trees everywhere. She's been glancing at my left foreleg a lot; I don't know why, though. I had much worse than that. It stopped bleeding, so I should be fine. That's what they say anyway. Lily suddenly jerked forward, making me yelp. Her ears twitched in different every so often. "Do you hear that?" I paused, listening for anything. "Rain?" "Nope." "That's all I hear." "It's water, Chase. Water!" I looked at her. "Yeah, water. Rain." Lily sighed. "Just wait." We continued at our fast pace; I was surprised she hadn't tripped yet. Slowly, I started to hear something in the distance. As she galloped out the dense forest, in front of us was a fast-flowing river, cutting between the landscape. Both sides stretched a few yards before disappearing into the darkness. Despite being exhausted, Lily grinned at the sight. "I knew it!" "Ow." I winced at her voice, rubbing my ears. She chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry." "It's okay." She looked around before heading towards safety under a nearby tree. "I think this is a good place to rest." "What about shelter?" "We can worry about that later. Right now, we have a source of water." I looked toward the river. "Is that safe to drink?" "I'm... not sure." She yawned again, laying on the grass below. "We can test that later." Lily watched me squirmed off her, leaving the warmth underneath me. "What are you doing?" "You were carrying me all night." "What about it?" "Aren't you tired?" She stopped to think before answering. "I mean... yeah, but-" "Then, don't carry me." "You sure you're okay with that?" "We can just sleep like this." I scooted right next to her, I was tired, but I needed comfort. I laid on the grass, careful not to press on my left foreleg. I already felt myself dozing off. "Well, alright. We should go to sl..." Sensation was brought back to my body as I awoke. But one stood out the most. Hunger. I opened my eyes, only to shut it tight when sunlight stung my eyes. I slowly opened it this time, my eyes adjusting to the light. The sky was blue with only a few clouds, the sun brightening the sky. The air was warm, but the chill breeze was still there. Movement beside me caught my attention. I look over to see Lily, still asleep. She moved a little bit before murmuring something I couldn't hear. My stomach rumbled, reminding me of my hunger. I wish I had waffles. I looked between Lily and my stomach. Let her sleep, or do I starve. I chose the latter as I lifted a hoof and poked her. Nothing. I poked her again. She stirred a little bit. Poke. Her eyes moved. I was about to poke her again before they opened. "Chase?" Her voice was raspy, she looked up at the sun. "What time is it." I just shrugged. How was I supposed to know? But I did know one thing. "I'm hungry." Lily groaned. "Just five more minutes." Poke I guess that did it as she got up and sighed. "Let’s wash up first." I've been in a river before, but it was never to wash myself. They would always be mad if I ever went in one without permission. But I guess this one was clean. The water was pretty clear, and I could see the bottom. We were sitting low enough where only half of our body was submerged and not too far enough to be caught in the stream. Lily still told me to keep my injured forehoof above the water, just in case. I put it on a rock. "I don't need help washing myself, you know." "And how would you do that?" I opened my mouth to answer, only to close it. How would I wash myself? I don't have hands or anything. I'm not really used to this body yet. Especially walking. I don't even know how to move my wings, if they move at all. I looked at my equine reflection. I noticed my eyes were a different color. Unlike Lily's blue eyes, mine was some kind of magenta color. I yelled as I felt a sharp pull on my head. "Lily!" "Sorry," She apologized. "It's just your hair is so tangled." "How much longer?" I groaned. "You're taking sooo long..." "I'm doing your hair now. Or mane?" She hummed in thought. "What do you think, Chase?" I shrugged. "Well... since we're ponies. Mane it is!" After a few moments, a thought came to mind. "Lily?" "Hmm?" "Are we the only ones here?" She paused for a second before answering. "Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?" That wasn't what I was looking for, but I guess that's the best I could get. A few seconds passed before I jumped a little. She started to wash places I would consider off-limits. Despite my discomfort, I kept quiet. Lily seemed to notice as she finished rather quickly. "Sorry." She apologized. "It's okay." The sound of the river filled the air as she continued to scrub off the grime and dirt off my fur and mane. I rested on the grass to dry. Surprisingly, my mane returned to its original style. Lily told me to wait here as she gets something to eat. What do ponies eat anyway? Grass? If that's the case, then we'll packed. It's everywhere in the forest. Grass. It wouldn't hurt to try, right? I lowered my head to the ground and took a bite. I chewed for a second before spitting it back out. It tasted like dirt. It was disgusting, and I'll rather starve than eat that. I guess I'm not exactly pony then. "Choise!" A muffled voice called. I turn my head to see Lily. I was about to answer but noticed something was in her mouth. A rat.
Chapter 3 - Wilderness Part 2"Chase..." "I said no." "What else are you gonna eat? The grass?" "It tasted horrible." Before I could see her reaction, I looked towards the rat on the ground. How it was dead was beyond me. How did she even find it? I've eaten meat before, but never something like a rat. I still didn’t want to risk eating it. I felt my stomach growl. But that hardly changed my mind. "Why couldn't you get a fish or something? We're right next to a river, you know." "How would I do that?" She questioned, "Just dip my head in and pull fish out? I can't even make nets anymore." "What about those berries?" I pointed at the bushes nearby. Lily followed my gaze. "I'm not eating those." "Why not?" "What if they're poisonous?" "Fine." I looked back at the rodent. "But I'm not eating that raw." "That's disgusting." "Well, how else are we gonna eat it? We can't make a fire with these," I raised a hoof. "At least wash them in the river." She sighed. "I'll clean it, then we'll figure out a way to make a fire." Lily picked it up with her mouth and walked towards the river. I gagged at the sight. I looked back at the grass before swirling it with my hoof. I started to think about the things that happened. Waking up in a cave as ponies in a forest and everything is weird. That's basically it. I looked around. Wherever we are, I don't recognize it. I've never seen anything like it. Plants I've never seen before and weird creatures every now and then. Lily didn't know any of them either, so I guess this is new to both of us. Though I'm surprised she didn't, she spends a lot of time reading when she has the time. She told me non-fiction books tell you facts about things. Too bad I don't get those; I'd probably be so smart. The adults never gave me books or free time. It was all filled with boring stuff. I sighed. My head was starting to hurt. I'll just rest for now. I opened my eyes when I heard movement. I wonder if I have better hearing. Or is that bad? I don't know anymore. I turned to see Lily coming back. She looked very pissed. "What happened?" She responded with a bunch of mumbles. "What?" "I said I los..." "Stop mumbling." "I said I lost it," Lily admitted. I was surprised she didn't yell. "What, the rat?" She nodded. "Oh." "Yeah." "What are we gonna eat then?" I asked curiously. "How should I know!" She snapped. There it was. She groaned in frustration. "I did all that work for nothing. All it did was float off in the river. I kill a rat just for food, but nature was all like, 'Oh! Because you're starving and have no food, I'll take that rat for you.' Like jeez! It's not my fault I don't have hands!" I kept quiet as she continued to ramble on. You don't want to get involved. I just wait until she exhausts herself. It works every time. Her voice wasn't loud enough to hurt my ears. She was always kind to make sure of it. She eventually dropped on the ground, panting. I guess she was done. "Sorry... I'm just... really hangry." She apologized between breaths. "It's okay. It is pretty entertaining when you do that." I smiled, which seemed to lighten her mood. We laid there for a moment before Lily got up, lowering herself right next to me. "I'm really thirsty, how about you?" That question made me incredibly so. I haven't drunk anything yet. I nodded before getting on her back. Either she's strong, or I'm light. She carries me pretty easily. The sound of flowing water grew louder as she walked in front of the river. I got off and dragged myself above the water. Only to stare at my reflection. I didn't feel comfortable drinking straight from a river. You never know what's in there. Plus, I'm not an animal. ... I was thirsty, and my throat needs satisfaction. I slowly lowered my head, the cold water touching my muzzle. I could feel the stream moving past as I dipped further. I hesitantly opened my mouth, the water instantly flooding in. I quickly lifted my head when my cheeks started to puff. I felt water drip out of my lips as I tried to swallow, only for it to go the wrong pipe. My throat burned as I spewed out the water, immediately coughing out the rest. "Chase!" Lily ran up to me. "I'm-" I tried to talk, but the urge to cough was too much. She was about to help before I stopped her. "I'm okay." I rasped out. "Just went down the wrong tube." She stayed there while I regained my breath. I could see her flinch when I cough. I think Lily worries about me too much. I think it's nice of her, though. Helping when I need it. No one’s concerned about my health. I guess she's different. I look towards my covered gash. I can only wonder what Lily was feeling back then. It still hurts to think about it. It was because of me, wasn't it? It always is. "Chase?" I jolted out of my thoughts at hearing my name. I looked towards Lily. Her face was concerned. "I'm fine." "You sure, 'cause-" "I said I'm fine. Seriously, I'm alright." I interrupted her. I know she doesn't believe me, but she did let it go. She looked towards the river and started to drink from it. I hesitantly did the same. After carefully drinking some more river water, we went wandering around in the forest. Lily made sure we leave a trail to turn back to. Specifically marking a tree with a stick every now and then. I kind of wanted to stay, though. I could've practice walking, but Lily insisted we explore a bit. Lily still carries me, since I'll just slow us down, I guess. She didn't say that, but I know she was thinking about it. I looked at my left foreleg. The leaves were all stained with blood. We should really replace it soon. Nothing I saw really sparked my interest. I was getting sick of not knowing most things. There were so many unusual plants I saw. I asked Lily what they were, but she didn't know. So, I stopped asking after a while. The sky was already darkened. I couldn't see the sun or moon—both hidden somewhere behind the trees. Time goes fast when you're bored, I guess. Or is it the opposite? My stomach started to hurt again. I need to eat soon. I wished I had that rat. Anything that'll make it stop. I continued to stare into space until I felt something below my waist. I was confused for a second before I realized what it was. I fidgeted on Lily's back, which got her attention. I said urgently. "I need to go." Lily looked back at me. "What?" "I need to go," I repeated. Her face was confused for a second before understanding what I meant. I didn't like talking about these types of things, but this was important. She looked around before trotting towards a tree. I quickly slid off, making sure I didn't fall face first. "I'll just wait behind here." She said, walking to the other side. "Call me when you're done." After she was out of sight, I went ahead and looked at my thing. I noticed it was in the open. It felt surprisingly natural to have no clothes on, but it still made me feel weird. Fortunately, it was just my bladder that needed to be emptied. I can't think of having no toilet paper. As much as I didn't want to think about it, we might have to. I relaxed a bit as I went. Going as a pony wasn't that different, but it was odd. I haven't noticed my thing until now. I swear I looked there before. The feeling of awkwardness was still there as I could hear Lily doing something. Knowing Lily was on the other side was a bit unsettling. In juvenile, we took showers in stalls. The boys and girls were all separated in rooms. Thankfully the showers there gave some privacy. The stalls were lined up, but we had to enter it naked for some reason. I got used to being seen nude by other boys, but it still made me uncomfortable. I still can't imagine girls seeing me like that. That was for showers, though. Going to the bathroom was different because the toilets were in our own pods, giving us a lot more privacy. Right now, the only thing separating me and Lily was a tree. I know she washed me in that area, but it wasn't any better. "Are you done?" "Umm... yeah." I shot my thoughts down as I stammered. I looked down at my thing, only to cock my head. It wasn't there. I put a hoof on the area, but all I felt was fur. I rubbed it a couple of times, trying to see if there was some kind of secret behind this. Nothing really happened until I took a closer look. It was barely visible behind my blue coat, but it was there. I don't think ponies do that. "What are you doing?" I jumped at the voice, finding Lily looking at me. She lowered her gaze a bit, causing me to quickly cover my private spot. "N-nothing!" I felt my face heat up, realizing what I was doing. "Then, what were you doing?" She had a smirk on her face. "I wasn't doing anything!" "Sure, you weren't." She stretched out, walking up to me. "I really wasn't!" I tried to convince. I don't think it was working. "Are you really really sure." She asked, batting her eyes. "S-shut up!" She looked like she was gonna continue before something changed her mind. Her expression changed into worry really fast. "Are you okay?" "W-what?" I stammered. "I was just teasing, alright. I'll stop, okay?" "What are you t-talking about." I sniffed. I was confused, what changed her mind. I noticed my vision was blurry. I went to wipe my eyes with a foreleg, only to feel tears sliding down my face. I'm doing it again. "Sorry Chase, I didn't mean to make you upset." "I didn't..." I began before sighing. "I'm fine. Let's just... Can we go?" She reluctantly agreed. I wiped off my face before getting on her back. Silence filled the air as she looked up to the sky. The moon was up, splotches of bright stars covering the dark sky above. Lily looked behind her shoulder. "Let’s head back before it gets too late." I nodded in agreement. I don't want to spend walking around this forest in the dark. She started trotting back from our marks. I sigh as I watched another tree passed by. There was nothing to do except look and listen. If only I could walk properly as a pony, it would be slightly more entertaining than just waiting. All I could do is one hoof at a time, and it would take us forever to reach back. How long have we been traveling anyway? I couldn't tell. I lazily looked over the scenery—all wildlife, nothing else. Well, until something caught my eye. I tapped Lily's head to get her attention. She turned to me, and I pointed. Nearby was a path. It looked pretty used as it cut through the grass with dirt. Lily trotted towards it, then checking both sides, neither showing where it ends, only to be hidden deeper in the woods. "Should we go right?" She asked. "Why?" "Because it's the right decision." I knocked her in the head. "Ow! What was that for?" I gave her a look. "Okay, bad time. But you didn't have to do it that hard." "It was also not a very good joke." I also wasn't in a mood for one. "Well, we're going right, so that makes it better." Lily decided. I was about to argue but thought better of it. We did have to go somewhere. While we went, I suddenly yawned as I felt my eyes drooped. Lily smiled. "Tired already?" I nodded wearily when she giggled. I don't know how, but all that sitting around made me sleepy. I positioned myself on Lily until I was comfortable, which was surprisingly easy despite her walking forward. Though I guess her warm fur and mane were helping. After a bit, I felt my body numbing, and my breathing slowed. The constant movement was actually pleasant. I don't know when the last time I slept like this. The world around me blackened as I closed my eyes. The aches and pain of my body drifted away with each breath. I nuzzled into the comfort I had before going to sleep.
