Chapters A whole new world; a long way down
Falling.
Its a funny feeling knowing that you are in gravity's control and there really isn't much you can do about it.
Now free falling in a dream is scary, especially when you wake up just before you hit the bottom.
I even hear that you can die for real if you don't wake up.
So anyway, here I am in what I comfortably believe to be a dream in which I'm falling, actually no falling isn't the right word, plummeting that's better.
Okay so here I am plummeting to my certain doom, the wind tearing and screaming at me as though to save me reaching my inevitable destination.
Opening my eyes doesn't do much to improve the situation, and after a moments frantic panicking I come to the rational conclusion that I must be dreaming.
I mean I live on the bottom floor of a slightly damp and grey apartment block.
I was pretty sure that I am at home in bed, asleep.
The sight of my flailing arms and connected hands being replaced with, well blue hooves gave me the reassurance that I'm safely in bed and i will wake up any second safe and sound.
I nod happily and congratulating myself for my deduction, deciding to look around at my rapidly approaching surroundings, laughing to myself at the technicolour sight of the vivid greens of trees and stark dirt paths winding across luscious green fields.
"HEY, what the HAY do you think you are DOING?!" the shrill yet familiar yell snapping me from my daydream daze, my eyes rolling up to see a cerulean pony with a vibrant shock of rainbow coloured hair trailing behind her keeping pace with me in my terminal free fall.
Rainbow Dash!
I couldn't believe my eyes, dream or no dream, this was by far too awesome to be anything but a fantasy, not that that thought did anything to diminish the sight of a three dimensional Rainbow dash within hands, oh right sorry, hooves reach.
"Oh hey rainbow dash, I'm just enjoying the view before I wake up!" I yelled back trying to overpower the roaring wind.
Now I have to admit I don't usually have vivid dreams or even lucid dreams, but taking a leaf out of Pinky Pie's book this one was a Doozy.
I could have sworn that when Rainbow Dash clonked me on the head with her fore-hoof it actually hurt, and I thought that you wasn't supposed to feel pain in dreams?
Man this was realistic for a pony dream.
"Oww, what didja do that for?" I yelled rubbing my head, frowning at an equally frowny Rainbow dash.
"Dream?! If you don't pull up not even Celestia will be able to find all of you!" this wasn't how dreams were supposed to go, was it?
I guess the look of confusion plastered across my face was the last straw.
I had the wind knocked out of me, the blue pegasus plowing into me an exasperated "gahhh, horse apples " hitting my ears a moment before her hooves hit my midriff, a flap of wings powering her into me, scooping me up in her arms and blasting skywards.
As the g-forces tore at me my head was jolted backwards giving me a startling glimpse of just how close I had come to realising Rainbow dash's statement of my short future as a pony, and my permanent future as a puddle in a crater.
My mane swishing inches from the ground, it seemed to fall away from me as though the last thing it wanted was a pony shaped hole, containing what could only in past tense be called anything resembling a pony.
Looking up, my vision greying at the edges, probably because of the new and alien sensation of gravity trying to hold onto my stomach as we raced into the sky, my bruised lungs struggling to draw breath.
The last thing I saw before the darkness took me into the ignorance of unconsciousness was the cerulean pony, her forehoves clamped around me grinning down at me, her rainbow mane rippling in the wind as we blasted into the sky.
A whole new world; a long way down
Chapter 2 A rude awakening
Chapter 2 A rude awakening
As far as dreams go this one was pretty amazing, though I admit if I had my way I wouldn't have been the one being saved, even if it was by Rainbow Dash.
I mean, I know how awesome she is but seriously?!
I can feel myself waking, stirring I guess it must be morning and I have another dreary day ahead of me, strange though I don't remember my bed being quite so comfortable.
I guess a good dream makes for a well rested mind and body.
KRACKOOM!
Of course leaping 3 feet into the air every hair on my body standing on end pretty much sand bagged my theory, the lightning bolt and singed rump and nose crinkling odour of singed hair didn't exactly help me maintain it either.
Looking up my jaw dropping to the sight of the menacing black mass that filled my vision, the roiling mass crackling with the obvious threat of future shocks.
That of course ceased to matter as my groggy brain decided to inform me of the rest of my surroundings, namely the fact that I was sitting on, an uncomfortably small cloud that defying all logic and reason was doing a sterling job of holding me up, of course that didn't stop me from screaming my lungs out and latching onto the cloud in case it realised clouds weren't meant to hold up people.
As I lay clamped to the cloud my brain after apparently being satisfied with terrifying me with my surroundings, decided now it was my body's turn to torment me.
Usually when I see myself in the mirror I see an average guy kind of pale, pasty maybe being a better description of my appearance.
As you can probably imagine the dark blue fuzzy and short limbs that were my cloud anchor gave me quite the shock, the lack of hands, my brain decided was maybe a bit too much to take in.
I settled for closing my eyes and yelling again.
It was after this therapeutic session of verbal expression I noticed the blue face hanging over the edge of my impromptu alarm clock.
The look of confusion on the pony's face probably matching the look on mine.
"Are you done yet?" she asked to which I nodded mutely, words beyond me after my minds overload since my rude awakening moments ago.
"So what kinda pegasus decides to land face first from that kind of manoeuvre, you wasn't even trying to use your wings to control your dive!" the asked jabbing a hoof in my direction.
The look of puzzlement on my face obviously didn't do much to help answer her question.
Rainbow Dash hopped down from her stormy perch, landing gracefully in front of me a look of curious determination on her face as she turned a small circle around me, my head following her curious circuit before stopping before me a grim look fixed upon her features.
"Uh how old are you because for a colt your age you should be flying, not as well as me of course but even Fluttershy flies better than you. You fly like a rock" Rainbow Dash asked me an amused smirk on her cyan face.
Now I couldn't help but feel a little bit victimised here, I mean I didn't choose to dream about being a pegasus who couldn't fly, especially one being interrogated by my favourite pony either, so I decided I was gonna stand my, uh , cloud and set the facts straight.
"you know I never asked you to save me. Its my dream, besides I would have woken up anyway" my face was set in what I hope was self confident and not showing the cracks of uncertainty that seemed to be running though my muddled mind.
I expected a couple of reactions out of Rainbow Dash, maybe an apology or something but certainly not her falling over pointing at me as she laughed rolling side to side.
Actually who am I kidding?
That's exactly what she would do.
Needless to say I was not amused, relinquishing my death grip on my cloud I shakily tried standing realising just how tricky hooves could be though my determination quickly took over and I stood, for lack of a better word and waited for Rainbow dash to stop.
Thankfully she recovered her wits almost as fast as I got to my hooves.
"Sooo you think you're asleep and dreaming?" Rainbow dash said cocking her head and raising an eyebrow.
"Of course I'm dreaming, how else do you explain the feathers and hooves?!" I nearly yelled at her holding myself back because the last thing I needed was a kick in the face.
"You know I cant blame you for dreaming about me, after all I am the winner of the best young flyer award and am going to one day join the wonder bolts" at this point her eyes seemed to get that far away glaze, I coughed feeling somewhat awkward in what was supposed to be my dream, or at least I hoped I was dreaming.
At the sound of my cough Rainbow dash hopped back onto the storm cloud peeking back down at me "if you really think you are dreaming want another shock to wake you?" a mischevious grin upon her face.
Understandably backed away waving my hooves, in front of me as though to shield my self, of course I forgot that the cloud I was on was rather small and my rapid retreat suddenly left me with a long drop and not a lot of cloud.
Of course this time I was no longer so confident of my dream conclusion, though I was doubly sure sure that gravity hadn't forgotten its claim on me and wanted a speedy conclusion, so I did the natural thing and basicly screamed my head off all the way down.
Thankfully most of the way down was all I managed, a tree managing to cushion my terminal landing into simply lots of little painful ones, finally leaving me dangling upside down from the lowest branch, battered bruised but thankfully still alive.
I could have sworn I'm supposed to wake up before I land, right?
A whole new world; a long way down
chapter 3 Of clouds and names
After untangling myself from my saviour branch, thankfully the lowest one on the tree I realised my next mistake.
The landing seemed a little bit of an informality managing to cushion my landing with my head.
Wincing as I moved my hands to my newly forming bump, my mind again joining up the dots to inform me that I really did have hooves.
Pain.
That was something that you are not supposed to experience in dreams, which meant that impossibly, I wasn't asleep.
All of my sense's were now confirming this new epiphany, with everything from the mouthful of leaves my screaming decent had ensnared, to the alien sensation of hooves.
It was undeniable, for the unforeseeable future I was a pony.
A phantom ache lower down my, well I guess I have to call them my flank, had decided it was its turn to make its presence known to me, the ache from my battered frame subsiding enough to draw my notice.
Turning my head to see what the ache was, I was unable to stop a grin from spreading across my face.
Wings!
I had a bona fide pair of wings folded flat against my dark blue flanks, I tried moving them, willing it in my mind to take off and fly just like I had seen effortlessly done so many times by so many pegasi in MLP-FIM.
They didn't even twitch, I guess trying to move a whole new pair of limbs you have never had before would be somewhat of a problem.
I was so focused on my new appendages that I didn't notice Rainbow Dash land in front of me, I also didn't notice her concerned question as to weather I was injured, in fact it wasn't until she poked my unicorn like lump on my head that I realised I was no longer by myself.
"look uhm, I'm sorry about the whole lightning thing" Rainbow Dash said awkwardly scratching her mane, clearly regretting the prank.
"I wasn't going to do it again, shock you I mean, I was just, you know, joking around"
I could see she meant it, gratefully hooking my hoof around her extended one as she helped me off my backside.
So many questions were bouncing round my mind I settled for grinning like an idiot, praying that the awkward heat rising up my face wasn't showing on the surface.
Sitting back on my uh haunches I grinned nervously rubbing my aching forehead, seeing my favourite pony in the flesh was really awesome but I started to worry, I didn't know how i got here or why I was no longer a human but I had always had an unusual imagination and it seemed to be doing a sterling job of helping me deal with this insane situation.
Standing up came easier this time, I guess maybe my body knew how to do it I just needed my mind to stop fighting to make me rear up on my hind legs and assume a more natural posture, at least for a human any way.
"So who are you anyway, I never seen you before?" asked Rainbow Dash as she hopped into the hair floating there her wings flapping slowly clearly unable to be remain grounded for too long.
My jaw dropped, who was I?
I mean I knew who I was, but that me was a human and somehow I knew that the me then and myself now were no longer deserving of the same name.
Panicking I tried looking around for a hint or anything to help, looking up to the sky I saw the cloud I fell from so recently
"Cloud ... dropper?" my mouth forming the words even before I realised I was thinking them.
"Cloud dropper huh?" Rainbow Dash asked looking up and seeing my namesake floating above us clearly coming to the conclusion my name was clearly a fabrication.
What had I just done?
Where had that come from?!
I clamped my hooves across my mouth, staring daggers down my nose at where I assumed my guilty mouth was, making sure no more damning words would slip out, I was in enough trouble without lying to the only per - uh pony who could help me out of this sweet and sour situation.
With out another word Rainbow Dash blasted skywards leaving me sitting sore and confused beneath a tree in the middle of a field in the middle of nowhere.
Thankfully before I was able to resume panicking and freaking out a cloud, correction my cloud drifted below the tree line in front of me, the cerulean pony's vibrant mane visible behind it.
I guess the confusion on my features when she looked at me finally made her ask the question I was dreading.
Because I had no answer.
"You cant fly"
That was statement I already knew and so did she.
"If you cant fly then what the hay was you doing falling from so high up, especially around here where nopony lives?" the accusing blue hoof again leveled in my direction.
I shrank, I felt myself slump down in defeat, I had no idea about anything before the past ten minutes.
everything was vague, an addled blur of human existence being neither worthy of mention or being anything past existing.
My life before this point had been so incredibly dull and uneventful I struggled to grasp any single memorable moment.
I sighed opening my eyes and looking up, everything seemed to be wobbling like it was a mirage.
I was crying, I never cry!
I always tried to hold it in.
But here and now I was freaking crying in front of a pony and I couldn't stop!
"OKAY!" I yelled my voice hoarse knowing that my state was making my self control slip.
"I cant fly, I don't know where I am, I don't even know my own name!"
I was a mess.
Correction, I am a mess.
A soft unusual yet familiar object bumps me stirring me from my misery, wiping my eyes clear of my tears I open them to a face full of cloud, my cloud.
"Okay so you cant fly I'm sure I can help you with that" Rainbow dash smiled down at me resting now on my cloud.
"And for who you are, you are Cloud Dropper." a grin showing on her face as she made my name official.
"its not bad, pretty cool actually"
Sniffing, I couldn't help but smile a bit if Rainbow Dash approved then how could I not be happy with it.
"Uhm, thanks I guess I'm just a bit overwhelmed at the moment" the smile coming easier to my face this time.
"But why do you have my, uh I mean that cloud?" pointing my hoof up at the fluffy mass supporting Rainbow Dash.
"How else do you think we are getting you to Ponyville before dark?" she replied kicking off from the cloud and hovering behind it.
"You cant fly and I don't do walking, so you sit on this, uh your cloud and I push" I could tell that she knew I was growing attached to the cloud, it was about the only object that I had touched I could call my own.
Besides I had hit too many branches to feel anything but annoyance for the tree even if it had saved my life.
Climbing onto the cloud was easier than I expected, the softness of its surface yielding only slightly as I half hopped-dragged myself onto it, sitting back sighing happily as I sat down on my cloud appreciating just how comfortable it was compared to the dirty and root riddled floor I had occupied moments before at the base of the tree.
"Alright Cloud Dropper lets do this!" Rainbow Dash's voice cracking the enthusiasm clearly showing.
I snapped out of my fluffy cloud daze turning around barely able to mouth more than a few syllables, "lets do what?!"
Everything was blurry again my eyes watering, not from tears of sadness but from the eyeball tearing blasts as I was shunted backwards into my cloud as we hit hit top speed and then in turn the air hit me.
This was amazing, the speed was insane every sensation felt right, natural even as though my pegasus body knew that speeding through the air was its natural state of being and to be honest I kinda liked it too.
Watching the scenery blast by in a watery blur was amazing but I began feeling funny every thing was getting distorted and strangely discoloured, I groaned recognising the feeling of loosing consciousness.
This was happening far too often for my liking.
I turned to Rainbow Dash who was behind me pushing the cloud the joy of speed obvious from the look on her face, I tried telling her I didn't feel good but I guess the motion of turning my head was too much and the darkness took me away again into sweet oblivion of unconsciousness.
Funny the last thought passing through my mind as I fell was that I was really living up to my name already.
I tumbled off the cloud at speed, flashing past Rainbow Dash as I fell.
I know I didn't land softly either.
*This chapter is dedicated to my most supportive and first follower / fan / awesome person, so here's to you RainbowdashEpicness thanks for being awesome /)^o^(*
A whole new world; a long way down
Chapter 5 - Kindness and door handles
Yawn.
Stretch.
Fail knuckle crack.
Morning ritual completed I open my eyes and seeing that I am not in my dreary room that I remembered but the cozy home of Fluttershy I couldn't help but fall back on my cloud and smile.
I had no idea what was going on I still don't but I'm not passing this up, if I'm stuck here then I'm going to enjoy myself.
Gathering my hooves beneath me I hopped down from my floating bed.
After the excitement of yesterday I never really got to actually take in my surroundings what with my being unconscious or being swept off my hooves with all the excitement of ugh salad.
Looking round I did a small circuit of Fluttershy's living room to both get a better look at everything but also to acclimatise my self walking on all fours.
The first thing I noticed was the sheer number of bird houses hanging from the exposed rafters it was a strange sight to see them inside of a home.
The second thing I noticed wasn't something I would have considered while watching the show but the place had pleasant smell to kinda like wood shavings and a more earthy smell to it, I was immediately reminded of days when I was getting occasionally lost in the woods back when I lived with my parents as a kid, especially when I wandered into clearings filled with bluebells.
It was a good scent, it was soothing and I felt myself relax just breathing it in.
If I had to put a word to Her home I would have to say Fluttershy's home was cozy it was small but in a good way.
"Oh good morning Cloud" said a soft voice behind me.
Smiling as I turned around seeing Fluttershy standing behind me across the room from me.
"Oh yes uhm good morning Fluttershy"
Again I resorted to nervously smiling never having been the most confident of people I proved to be just as much as a pony.
"Did you sleep well last night Cloud?" she asked me smiling softly even as her pink mane fell across half her face.
A huge grin spread across my face this time it was all genuine.
"Yeah I did, I always wanted to sleep on a cloud and I did and it was soo soft and comfy and I don't think I could sleep in a bed ever again and I er"
The heat spread quickly across my face as I realised I was rambling in my excitement my voice trailing off as my mind reeled my mouth back into line.
"Uhm sorry got a bit carried away there" I said nervously rubbing the back of my neck finding myself unable to look at Fluttershy.
"Oh no its alright Cloud I'm just glad you slept well I would have felt terrible if I had the bed and you didn't sleep well"
I smiled at that, Fluttershy always was the kind one.
Suddenly I was hit with a familiar organic sensation.
"Uhm sorry but uh do you have a bathroom Fluttershy?"
"Oh yes its the door over there" smiling as she pointed across the room.
"Thank you Fluttershy" I said as I quickly made my way to the bathroom hoping in my mind toilets worked the same in Equestria as they did back home.
Backing the door closed I eyed my target breathing a sigh of relief at the familiar porcelain shape against the wall.
Need less to say I wont go into detail on my actions lets say I resorted to sitting and leave it there.
As I went to wash my hooves in the sink I caught movement out the corner of my eye, panicking thinking that I was being watched I turned to find myself face to face with a blue pegasus.
So I freaked out jumping in shock which the pegasus also did.
Cold realisation seeped through my body as I and in turn the blue pegasus moved closer raising a tentative hoof until they met.
Clink.
For a sound of self discovery it was anti-climatic to say the least.
I'm not sure how long I stood there but it seemed like an eternity.
Taking my hoof off the mirror as I saw myself for the first time and I had to say however I came to be here they did a damn good job.
My coat was my favourite shade of blue I always looked for when I walked home late at night when the sky wasn't day or night, turning my head to the side I saw my mane was longish and wild just like I had uh used to have back home I just hoped I wasn't going to be mistaken for a girl like I did back home, however unlike back home it was a hundred shades of icy blue.
Okay so I looked awesome, I'm cool with that at least I wasn't some abomination born from a drunken pony creator session.
The grin on my face fell away as I turned to the side revealing that true to my fears I was a blank flank.
I know I shouldn't have one yet after all I had been a pegasus for a day and knowing what you are best at as one so soon would have been too convenient.
Sighing I prayed to Celestia that I didn't have to crusade to get mine.
Finally my eyes fell to my wings and I felt mixed feelings of joy and frustration knowing that they was mine and that I couldn't do anything with them at all.
My inner brony jumped for joy as I considered asking Rainbow Dash for flying lessons, my inner common sense told me that she was too good to teach me I knew she was a natural and I doubted she could tell a pegasus how to flap their wings, after all pegasi naturally knew how to fly, it was what they did and then it hit me.
Fluttershy.
She was never a powerful flyer probably the only pegagus close enough in skill to teach me who wasn't teething.
I had to ask her, I was never a person to ask for help but back home I could go it alone but here I was a homeless pegasus who cant even fly let alone fend for themselves.
Taking a few deep breaths I turned to the door steeling myself to ask for help and then I suddenly came upon an obstacle of a different nature.
Door handles.
Thankfully it seems Fluttershy chose a door handle over a door knob as the lack of fingers led to either flailing at the handle with my hooves or using my mouth and I don't think I could ever open a bathroom door with my mouth.
With the door open I was greeted with the sight of Fluttershy seated at the table with two places set.
Taking the free place at the table as I sat down smiling at Fluttershy.
"So uhm I wanted to ask you something" I started to say as the pegasus placed another bowl of greenery in front of me.
Sighing mentally as I realised salad was on the menu permanently from here on in.
Pulling myself together I perked up knowing what I was about to say would more than make up for a herbaceous diet.
"I don't want to be a bother but is there any way you could teach me to fly please?" pressing my hooves together as I made my request.
"Oh my uhm I don't think I would be a good teacher, wouldn't Rainbow Dash be a better she fly's so much better than I do?" her eyes widened and she backed away slightly as I knew she would.
I had to explain why it had to be her.
"Rainbow Dash is an amazing flyer I know but she is a bit too good to teach me the basics, I don't even know how to flap my wings let alone do anything near what she would expect of a pers uhm I mean pegasus like myself" I explained smiling sickly as I admitted my own incompetence even if I hadn't been me for long it was still something I had to work on.
"I need the help of a pony who is a bit more uh sedate and controlled in their flying, like you to teach me" I smiled as I said it hoping she could see I was being sincere.
I think I may have been a bit too forward in my request as we ate the rest of breakfast in silence, Fluttershy gathering the bowls and vanishing to the kitchen leaving me sitting awkwardly at the table.
Sighing as I stood and trudged my way outside shaking my head at my foolishness, I should have known thrusting such an extreme request on somepony as shy and timid as Fluttershy was a long shot at best.
Standing outside I tried to calm down closing my eyes and taking in a few deep breaths.
As I stood there with my eyes closed I tried focusing on the aching locations either side of me, it wasn't so much a bad feeling but more like that feeling you get when you need to stretch after sitting still for too long but you don't know how.
Actually now I think about it its really annoying, its like my wings have to be in motion and having them idle for so long is starting to physically bother me.
So with my eyes closed I focused on the ache thinking of it as my wings visualizing them in my mind, which of course that is what they were but it was still an alien concept to me.
I pictured them moving up or down or in any way that I could imagine them flexing just as long as they did something, anything to make the ache go away.
Screwing my eyes up in concentration every muscle in my body was tensed up with the all consuming focus and then I felt it my wing flexed, slightly.
"Uhm I'm sorry Cloud if you still think my help would be enough, I could show you some basic techniques if you want me to I guess" a soft voice said behind me.
Snapping my eyes open from my deep concentration as I turned around to see Fluttershy standing there a gentle smile on her face, well what was showing past her mane anyway.
In that moment of distraction all the tensed up energy I had coiled within myself drained from me leaving me feeling tired and weak for a moment causing me to fall back onto my haunches.
"Of course I would love your help Fluttershy, After all I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing" I said turning to face the mare grinning sheepishly as I did.
She said nothing, just quietly sitting down beside me brushing her mane aside giving me a full view of her face, the first time I think she had let me see her now that I think about it.
"Uhm sorry for not answering you and uhm running off" she said to me looking down and blushing as she apologised.
"I just didn't know what to say when you asked me, I have never been a strong flier myself but I remembered when I fell from Cloudsdale when I was just a filly" I sat there quietly listening as Fluttershy told her tale her eyes closed a hoof pressed to her chest a soft smile on her face as she reminisced.
"I was falling to the ground and nopony was coming to save me, I was all alone and I didn't know what to do but I was saved by my friends the butterflies" opening her eyes as she looked at me smiling.
"Right now Cloud needs the help of a friend because he too fell only yesterday"
I felt a lump in my throat as she said those words, I had spent so much time watching the show I knew all about how kind she was but being on the receiving end of Fluttershy's kindness was almost overwhelming, I had a few friends back home but I was a bit of a shut in and never really socialised and being here so short a time only to make a friend, it was in its own way kinda crazy.
My mind spun and I tried to say how happy I was and how much I appreciated not only her friendship, hospitality and help but the fact that she was so trusting of a perfect stranger.
"Uhm, yay?"
Naturally words had to fail me at that moment.
I face hoofed resulting in a yelp as I managed not only to forget I had rather solid hooves but that I had a colossal lump bandaged on my head.
"Sorry uhm what I meant to say was thank you, thank you for everything you have done for me" briefly rubbing my head as I knew it was my turn to reminisce from my past taking a deep breath as I began.
"Back home, where I came from I never really liked to depend on others I was very independent, I was always happy to help and do what I could but I could never ask for help in return"
I sighed thinking of home where I belonged and how it seemed so faded and pale after only a day.
"I don't know why but asking for help bothered me deep down, I felt wrong at the notion and I often suffered as a result either from lack of money or other horrible situations, but here and now this isn't something I can just do by myself." opening my eyes I looked up to the sky and smiled at the serene sky above me.
"Before I came here I was aimlessly living, no real goals or anything so grand, but after seeing Dashie fly through the air knowing I could do that too I felt purpose for the first time in my life I felt like there was something I truly wanted"
Feeling better than I had in forever I turned back to Fluttershy grinning as I jerked my head down to my side.
"hey check this out" I said as I waggled my wings slightly feeling yet another grin spreading across my face as I displayed the fruits of my efforts.
"That's wonderful Cloud" she exclaimed bringing her forehoves together clopping them together happily.
I beamed at the praise.
"Uhm could you stand up for me please uh when you are ready that is" Fluttershy said to me gesturing shyly with a hoof.
I Climbed up to standing wobbling slightly before I got my hind legs better aligned, chucking quietly to myself as I watched the yellow mare rise with fluid grace making my stance positively crude in comparison.
"Okay now uhm could you close your eyes now please Cloud?" she said as she turned to walk beside me.
Closing my eyes slowly I calmed my breathing as I relaxed awaiting Fluttershy's next command.
Instead of the words I was expecting I jumped feeling something touch my wing.
"Hey whats..." I started to say turning my head to my left side opening my eyes to see what was going on.
"Please don't look Cloud, just keep your eyes closed and focus on your wings" Fluttershy's voice while not stern had a convincing element to it that made me turn my head away and return to breathing calmly screwing my eyes closed as I focused instead on my wings like she had said.
Again I felt the pressure on my wing, flinching again from the anticipated contact I instead took another deep breath and concentrated on my wing feeling it open out, the muscles creaking slightly at the long awaited motion.
An unexpected sigh escaped my lips as the movement felt so right, I shook my head and returned my thoughts to the repeated gentle flexing of my wing feeling each individual flex as it was moved stretching it from fully open to folded flat against my flank as my left wing was released the same motions again repeated on my right followed by the same creaks and sighs as before.
I soon lost myself to the motions almost reaching a meditative trance as my breathing became slower and I relaxed my eyes letting them rest closed instead of clamping them shut.
"Uhm Cloud you can open your eyes now"
I opened my eyes blinking the suddenly bright sunlight out of them as I turned to face the butterscotch mare.
"What did you do to my wings that felt amazing where did you learn to do that?" the words tumbling out of my mouth as my curiosity got the better of me yet again.
"Well uhm you see I look after the birds as well as the other animals of the forest and sometimes they hurt their wings, that was an exercise for wings that have been broken or unused for a long time" she said to me that caress of a smile spreading across her face as she said it.
I turned my head to look at my wings, they seemed no different than before but now I knew how they felt when they moved and flexed, as I tried my experimental wing wiggle again I couldn't believe it when they moved properly.
Okay so they weren't mighty the pinions that I wanted to launch me into the mighty blue yonder but I'll be damned if they didn't move up and down like I wanted them to, I mean they moved sluggishly and they weren't the smoothest of movements but it was an amazing thing to do after so short a time.
"Wow Fluttershy I cant thank you enough for this!" tearing my eyes away from my now functioning wings and turning to face her with what was probably a smile big enough to put Pinkie Pie to shame.
"Oh uhm no its okay really no need to thank me it was nothing" the yellow mare protested as though she hadn't just performed the equivalent of a miracle in the past ten minute for me.
I could have hugged her then, uh not that I really have the co-ordination for something like that.
"There has to be something I can to to repay you for this?" I asked actually it was nearly pleading I have never been one for taking help without repaying in kind and this was no exception.
"Repay? Oh no no you don't hate to repay me its not that I don't want you to or anything but um its okay" my enthusiasm was maybe a little too much attention for her as she had again retreated not only away from me but under her mane as well.
In a flash of inspiration I had an idea of how I could return the favour to Fluttershy.
"Maybe I could help you with looking after the animals with you to uhm you know make up for your time?"
At the mention of the woodland creatures Fluttershy immediately perked up looking up at me the shyness melting away as she smiled.
"Uhm well it is time to feed the chickens and if you really want to help then I guess that's okay" she said as she turned around and began slowly walking around the side of her home.
I turned to follow after Fluttershy trotting catch up to her occasionally flexing my wings as I did enjoying the freedom of movement they gave me.
I was looking forward to helping Fluttershy after all they were only chickens we were feeding it was going to be a piece of cake.
A whole new world; a long way down
This was terrible.
Absolutely
The.
Worst.
Possible
Thing.
I had to wear a saddle bag full of chicken feed.
Okay so maybe it wasn't all that bad but I just got my wings working and now they was pinned against me by this bag and it was driving me nuts.
Frowning as I shook my head and took a deep breath knowing I wanted to help Fluttershy and it wasn't my place to whine just because I had to stop doing what I wanted and do what I knew was right, and right now that was helping a certain yellow mare catch up on the chores I had prevented her from doing because I had needed her help with my wings.
Turning my head and taking hold of the scoop with my teeth I hummed one of my favourite songs around it as I hoofed the gate open to the chicken pen making sure I pushed it closed behind me with a careful kick.
Now I will be the first to admit that the only time I have ever seen a chicken when it wasn't sitting on my dinner plate was when I visited a farm as a kid, even then all I remember was the smell of pig muck and even then thankfully that memory faded into the childhood haze of memories, but as I stood in the same place as the chickens I really noticed how pointy their beaks were and just how sharp their talons looked now there was no barrier separating us.
Swallowing the phantom lump in my throat I nervously continued my wordless tune turning my head and lifting the flap of the saddle bag with the scoop, plunging it into the grain and lifting the now generously laden scoop back out as I turned my gaze back in front of me.
I almost dropped the grain everywhere when I saw all the chickens had lined up in front of me neat as you please and I suddenly felt very vulnerable and exposed taking an involuntary step back as I shook out some grain onto the ground hoping the offering of food would break the uneasy tension.
It did.
In an explosion of clucking, squawking and feathers some probably mine, the flock of feathered fiends swarmed me landing all over my back gripping with their nasty little talons into my coat, covering my eyes with one of my forelegs as turned my head peeking over as I realised my mistake.
I had left the bag open and the bounty it contained within had proven too tempting a prize for the chickens to resist.
With an angry shout I bucked shaking the fowls off my back the last determined hen however was clinging to my mane and wasn't letting go, so with an annoyed grunt I gave a hard nod of my head causing the surprised bird to flop upside down dangling by my hair in front of my face.
Gritting my teeth on the handle of the scoop I snarled at the white feathered chicken narrowing my eyes, I had enough of this.
"Let go of my mane of else its KFC for you" hissing the words out at the bird who wisely let go dropping to the ground and bolted straight for the coop squawking.
I knew that in Equestria there probably was no such thing as KFC but if a chicken was to have an indescribable mortal fear of anything then it would be the Colonel and his secret spices.
After a few shuddering breaths I slowly regained my composure looking up to see the chickens were now pecking at the grains that I had scattered during the avian assault and were seemingly content to continue scratching at the ground instead of mobbing me.
I almost fell flat on my face as I tried to walk towards the gate, my legs having locked up from the shock of the past few minutes tottering back on all fours I moved my legs feeling the woodenness fade as I reached the gate my stride quickly regaining its speed if slight inelegance as I pulled the gate open and backing out tugging it shut with a tug.
Making my way around the side of Fluttershy's home I caught sight of her a few brightly coloured birds flying around her musical humming and chirps of the birds reaching my ears as got closer, deciding it best to to scare the shy mare I gave a quiet cough as I stood a few steps behind her.
The twitch of her ear alerting her to my presence she turned the smile on her face swiftly faded as she saw me though for the life of me i had no idea why.
"Uhm I fed the chickens like you wanted me to" an uneasy grin spread on my face as a look of horror spread equally slowly across the pegasi's face.
"Oh dear what happened to you?" her hushed tones made my blood run cold as her eyes quickly ran over me.
"Wait what?" I said as I quickly looked first down at my self before turning my head and getting a proper look at myself after the chicken incident.
I was a freaking mess.
My coat was a disheveled mess dust ingrained into it small spots of dried blood showing from where the chickens had been less than gentle in their actions stray chicken feathers were stuck randomly into my coat and tail and I was pretty sure that last hen got a good chunk of my mane too.
Looking back to Fluttershy who now had somehow managed to have what appeared to be a medical kit in front of her.
I was never one for being fussed over I nervously laughed waving a hoof at Fluttershy taking a small shuffling step backwards feeling increasingly uncomfortable with her attention.
"Eh heh its uh nothing really its my own fault really I left the feed bag open and they kinda uh jumped me is all, I'm fine really" as I fixed a queasy grin on my face.
I didn't feel that bad and I was pretty sure any damage was purely superficial although it seemed Fluttershy wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"But you got hurt by my chickens because you wanted to help me" she matched my backwards step with her own forwards step a cotton swab dancing up and down with each word as it stuck out from the corner of her mouth.
A flash of white in the corner of my vision drew my attention as I turned my head curiosity over riding my sense of discomfort at a certain mares insistence of medical ministrations.
It was a chicken, and if my eyes don't deceive me it was the same damn chicken that hung from my mane earlier!
Then I realised with a start that the chicken had got out because I must not have shut the gate to the chicken pen properly.
I groaned watching as the chicken vanished into the forests treeline almost as soon as I had spotted it.
Turning back to face Fluttershy raising my hoof and giving a solemn shake of my head to halt the mare.
"Fluttershy please stop, one of your chickens got out because I screwed up there is no time for that right now" I turned pointing my hoof to the forest, before she could respond I shrugged off the saddle bag of chicken feed letting it fall to the ground with a thud I barely heard as I ran towards the trees hoping to catch the bird.
"Oh my, Cloud wait that's the Everfree forest and uhm, oh" or at least I think that's what she said her voice quickly fading away drowned out by the pounding of my hooves and the rapidly growing distance between us as I passed the first trees.
The light level dropped as rapidly as my speed as I slowed to a walk my head swinging side to side as I scanned the low lying vegetation for the feathered fugitive.
After a while I couldn't help but feel a familiar sort of tranquility descend over me as memories of my childhood days spent happily wandering in the woods that lied outside the town where my parents lived.
For the first time since my en-expected arrival in Equestria I felt like I was in my own element, although I had to admit that back home the trees weren't nearly so gnarled old or twisted or the canopy being nearly so densely packed that it was almost possible to belive that night had crept upon me while I wasn't looking.
I soon lost track of time after a while as I realised with a start that as I turned around to see that I was good and lost the route I had taken being utterly erased from my sight, too late I knew now how stupid I had been acting the hero and charging off into what I now knew to be the Everfree forest, a place that if memory served correctly was a wild place full of creatures both magical and fantastical, and although I knew there was nothing from my own world to measure myself against here and now I felt like nothing more than a small fuzzy blue snack to those denizens of the forest.
With those terrifying thoughts running through my mind I nearly jumped out of my skin as my world was torn apart with a primal blast of raw sound, looking up through a rare break in the canopy cover to see a sky thick with dark threatening clouds hanging low and heavy in the sky overhead.
The flash of light that tore across the sky lancing downwards into the distance sent dancing motes of multi-coloured spots of blindness floating across my vision, so i was unable to see the first few drops of what rapidly became a raging downpour that drenched me in an instant.
Staggering blindly out from under the clearing to seek shelter beneath the trees, I half fell half sat onto the ground beneath a tree leaning against the bough of my shelter trying to rapidly blink away the lightning glare that floated across my sight each blink causing the bolt to flash and fade like a cheap reproduction each flicker a weaker more diluted ghost fading from my eyes.
As I sat there shivering under the tree passing the time until the rain ceased creatively cursing the chicken that had made what had been a great day into a nightmare, sighing to myself as I turned and looked at my waterlogged wings.
Lifting my wings felt like they were made of lead instead of the light aerodynamic pinions of beauty, with nothing better to do I began slowly flapping my wings shaking out fat droplets of water out helping to slowly dry them as well as helping me to work the woodenness out of the movements.
After what felt like an eternity the rain stopped almost as suddenly as it had begun, thankfully in the time that I had been waiting my wings were ruffled but for the most part they were dry unlike the rest of me that had left me shivering and if it wasn't for my fuzzy new me I would probably be facing pneumonia.
After rising from my impromptu shelter I stretched out the stiffness in my joints and continued on my journey no longer caring if I found the chicken instead caring only to find a path or another pony that could help me, anything was better than being lost forever in this place.
After a bit more time of me working my way through the forest probably getting more lost in the process I began to feel a chill running up and down my spine this having nothing to do with my now mostly dry condition, stopping I looked around studying my surroundings trying to ascertain what was making me feel so uncomfortable.
Frowning I continued on my way randomly picking my way through the trees and foliage I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched and the feeling only grew with every step I took until it almost felt as though whoever or whatever was watching me was trying to burrow through my shoulder blades with their eyes.
The sound of a snapping twig was the last straw as I turned around angrily glaring at a large bush where I belived the sound had come from.
"Alright I have had enough of this I know you are there so stop following me and show your self" I yelled at the shrub glaring daggers at where I assumed my would be stalker was hiding.
After a moments shaking and rustling the bush revealed a goat head that gave a rather anti climatic bleat that made me feel utterly stupid for confronting the animal.
Raising a hoof to my face I chuckled to myself shaking my head at letting my fears get the best of me, however it seemed the bush was far from done shaking as it shook violently followed by a heavy thud I felt rather than heard through my hooves.
Looking nervously back towards the bush my eyes fell upon heavy tan paw that flexed revealing sharp black claws that tore into the ground, as I forced my eyes to travel higher following the heavily muscled contours of the paw and up past a equally massive shoulder to the viciously toothed maw of a lion as it gave a deep throaty snarl its eyes narrowing as I met its gaze.
I felt rooted in place my body fighting all concepts of escape, I had never even been to a zoo before and yet here and now I was face to face with a lion.
Another growl issued from the left side of the bush as it shook again followed by another heavy thud as another limb settled on the ground, this one however was a heavy dragons arm covered in thick crimson scales with five thick black claws just as long as viciously sharp as its right counterpart.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me" I groaned as the reality of what was in front of me finally clicked.
A chimera of all things, why couldn't I get a nice monster or even better a plain old goat for Celestias sake.
With a wordless shout I turned around and ran as fast as my four legs would carry me darting around trees and jumping bushes in my frantic dash to get as much distance between my self and a creature I had only read about in books as a kid.
A cacophony of brutal roars from the chimera broadcast its displeasure at my rapid departure giving chase even from my head start and the distance however small it may be I could feel every one of its footfalls as it gave chase.
My heart was deafening in my ears as I pushed my equine body to its limit jinking and weaving around the trees as I ran ignoring the low hanging branches as they stung my body in my desperation to get away, a panicked glance over my shoulder showed no sign of my mythical persuer which almost gave me hope that I was safe now and could stop running for my life.
The splintering creaking and groaning of the trees behind me dispelled my hope as the chimera tore its way back into my sight as it shunted trees with its massively muscled frame, shaking the larger trees and up rooting some of the smaller ones great gouges appearing in all as the beast propelled itself with mighty sweeps of its claws.
I was a fuzzy blue dot at that point as my fear elevated itself to pure soul numbing terror my vision narrowed itself to the next gap in the trees, a flash of grey the first break in the blur of green I had seen and the first destination I had been offered was reason enough to steer my self in that direction.
Breaking the treeline I skidded to a halt as I discovered the grey object I had glimpsed past the trees was nothing more than a cliff.
"A dead end, great" I croaked shuddering to myself at my poor choice of words as I moved to the edge of the cliff peering down in hope of a small drop and my freedom.
Fate it seemed had it in for me as not only was there a considerable drop but there was even jagged rocks down there too, wonderful.
Turning around I warily watched the treeline wincing as the shaking tree tops swayed and trembled at the raw violence of the chimeras passage and more so that it seemed I may well be on the receiving end its wrath.
I stood there trying to stand ready to face my fate and although I knew that my mane was disheveled and my coat was covered in burrs and thorns and that after my frantic dash through the woods I could barely stand as my body paid the hefty toll, but after all I had been through I refused to simply keel over and give up without giving it my all.
The dis-harmonious roars of the chimera was all the warning I had as the beast leaped clear of the forest landing on all fours with a heavy boom that sent tiny cracks crazing out from beneath its claws splintering the rock with its sheer mass.
This was the first time I truly saw how big the beast was, a mountainous wall of muscle, scale, tooth and claw big enough to easily crush me by simply placing a claw on my head and leaning.
It regarded me with suspicion its many heads all studying me from their own respective angles, the goat head seemed almost comical with the savage look fixed on its features, however the ferocity of its neighboring heads snarling and growling erased any humour in the situation strained as it already was.
What I didn't expect was the gout of flames that burst forth from the chimera, not from the dragons head but from the goats as it laid a carpet of flames to its left and right completely blocking any hope of escape that I may have had.
"Oh come on you breath fire too?!" I yelled at the monster feeling cheated that it was capable of breathing fire as well as its immense size and power.
In what seemed an almost imperious manner the goat sneered at me snorting out a puff of embers and sparks at me, making me flinch back taking a half step back.
In that moment, as my right hoof moved down and failed to connect with anything except thin air I felt my blood run cold as dropped backwards.
In hind sight trying to back away from something while on a cliff edge over pointy rocks was not one of the smarter things I have done in my short time here in Equestria.
Dangling from the cliff edge by my fore-hooves I slowly slipped backwards my hooves failing to gain purchase on the cliffs surface, looking up into the many eyes of my hunter as the chimera gazed down at me that same sneer spread across its idiot face, one thought dominated my mind over ruling all the others muttering it under my breath.
"I freaking hate chickens"
A whole new world; a long way down
chapter 7 - Falling without style
chapter 7 - Falling without style
I was slipping.
My weight was slowly dragging me backwards and there wasn't a thing I could do to stop it as my fore legs slid over the edge of the precipice, the chimera just stood there content simply to stand by and watch as I fell to my doom.
A wordless gasp was all I managed as I finally lost purchase on the cliff dropping from sight of my killer.
I had only been here in Equestria for not even two days and yet I had experienced so much in that time, the sheer joy of meeting the real Rainbow Dash herself, the wonder of discovering I had wings and the happiness I had gotten from moving them by myself, all these things flickered through my mind followed by the memory of the shock at the chicken assault or the bewilderment of getting myself lost in the Everfree forest or even the sheer terror of my blind fear driven dash through the forest from the chimera and the disappointment I felt as I clung on knowing it was all over so soon.
All these emotions were dwarfed as I felt another rush through me filling my being.
Anger.
With a beat of my wings I launched myself back up to the cliff edge landing on all fours before the beast.
It jumped back in shock confusion spread across the goat heads face, clearly it wasn't used to its sport coming back up the cliff although more than likely anything it chased didn't have wings or else they would probably have flown away as soon as it showed its many faces.
The chimeras tail however made its first appearance the snake headed tail whipping over the beast to strike at me with a bite that was probably poisonous.
My fury came with a rush of adrenaline causing everything to move in a strange sluggishness, watching with disgust as the serpentine tail lashed at me moving with a savage jerk as it lashed down towards me.
Rearing up on my hind legs dodging the venomous thrust as the serpent instead struck the rocky ground my hoofs slamming down upon its head which resulted in three angry roars and a satisfying muted squeal of pain that came from beneath my right hoof.
Kicking the stunned tail away with disgust I took a step towards the chimera who in turn flinched back clearly unaccustomed to its prey acting as the aggressor, pointing my right hoof at the goat head and transfixing it with the full extent of my anger.
"I have been here for TWO days and YOU think you have the right to chase ME through a forest and drive me off a CLIFF?!" I yelled at the creature who flinched slightly at each word.
"For the first time in my miserable life I was actually happy and you think you can just take that away from me and hunt me for sport, who do you think you are?!"
I was letting my anger get the best of me and deep down the quiet voice of reason was slowly getting louder in its insistence that I was yelling down a creature that could pulp me in an instant if it so wished.
As reason slowly regained control I realised that soon the beast would come to the conclusion that I wasn't actually a threat to it and would finish off what it had started, something I wasn't too eager to be around for.
A quick glance either side of the chimera confirmed my fears that the fire was still blazing away and I didn't think that even if I made it past them that the chimera wouldn't just as easily catch me again, which only really left me one option.
Summoning up the last of my courage I turned around my back to the creature and growled with a certain measure of self satisfaction.
"Buck you"
And then with all my might I bucked the goat in the face to which I was rewarded with the satisfying porcelain sound of shattering teeth and another cacophony of yelps and roars as I leaped off the cliff.
Now I admit I hadn't exactly planned this out as I rushed yet again within the iron grip of gravities pull as I plummeted towards the jagged rocks
below.
Resting my fate on my final gambit I unfolded my wings spreading them as wide as I could fighting the rushing wind as it tore up at me.
The results spoke for themselves as I was launched back up past even the cliff I had so recently jumped from the chimera goggled at me as I rocketed past its rocky perch until even the massive beast was a speck below.
Now I guess I should mention that I wasn't exactly taking this stoically in my stride for the entire time I was pretty much flailing my legs and screaming my head off during my rapid descent and even faster climb into the sky far above the Everfree forest.
I assume that I had caught a thermal because I steadily gained altitude leveling out just above cloud height and what I saw took my breath away.
The few times as a human I had traveled on planes and looked out at the world through the tiny windows I had always been amazed by the view but what I was experiencing now simply could not compare, my view was unrestricted by trivial things such as windows or goggles and I knew that what I was seeing had probably never been witnessed by any human ever as I was unrestricted by bulky parachutes or high altitude gear.
A cerulean panorama was stretched before me, crystal blue skies that stretched from horizon to horizon spotted with clouds of purest white the world lay below me the Everfree forest a dark mass of treetops that still managed to convey a brooding malevolence with its very existence, beyond its borders lay a patchwork quilt of fields and if my eyes weren't deceiving me in the distance was what could be Ponyville, a vague cluster of buildings far away.
It was a sight I knew would stay with me until the day I died, which was a sobering thought as I realised I was a very long way from the ground and my experience to date with being at such great heights was falling from them, and while I had never been afraid of heights that was because I had always known that it wasn't the heights that killed you it was the depths.
Strangely enough as I cautiously tried tipping one of my wings to begin a loose spiral, a more controlled descent rather than my more recent attempts, I didn't feel any trepidation or discomfort.
It felt, well it felt right flying up here in the sky, I didn't know if that was me or the fact I was a pegasus but here and now even more so than my more peaceful moments in the Everfree forest I felt like I belonged up here and I couldn't help but start humming flight of the valkyries as I banked from side to side getting a feel for the air.
As I glided my way lower I spotted Fluttershy's home angling my self in that direction, at this point I was nearly skimming the treetops with my hooves when in my passing over a clearing in the tree canopy below a familiar speck of white grabbed my attention a grin spreading across my face as I leaned forwards angling myself into a silent dive, the chicken who had been the root cause of all today's bad luck and misadventures pecked and scratched away at the ground peacefully oblivious as I swooped down upon it.
A surprised squawk and a moments struggle left me swooping back up above the treetops, Fluttershy's home dead in my sights and one stunned chicken held close to my chest and one vindicated smile spread across my face.
Landing outside Fluttershy's home was an awkward affair as not only was this my first intentional landing but I was also short a leg on account of the chicken I was carrying but it seemed luck was on my side today as after making contact with the ground with my free hooves and a couple of awkward hops to stop myself I managed to prevent an unplanned dip into the stream that flowed around the gentle mares home.
A couple of gentle knocks on the front door and a nervous Fluttershy opened a smile spreading across her face as she saw the blue colt standing before her looking tired but triumphant a white chicken standing between his forelegs.
"Oh Cloud I was so worried when you ran off into the Everfree forest like that you could have been hurt or worse"
Her words while spoken with kindness and concern, still hit me hard knowing full well that if things had gone any different I very well might not have made it out of the forest alive not to mention how terrible I now felt knowing that I had probably put her through by running off like I did when she was looking after me.
Meeting her gaze I sighed once nodding my head.
"I know I shouldn't have run off like that but I was supposed to be repaying your kindness and in doing so I made things worse and really screwed up but I did get the chicken back and I even managed a little gliding on the way back so it wasn't all bad"
"Gliding?" the mares forehead furrowing in confusion.
"Uhm yeah well I kinda bumped into a chimera and after it chased me to a cliff I kinda jumped off after kicking it in the face"
"Oh dear I hope its okay the poor thing" she gasped a covering her mouth with her hoof.
"Uhm Fluttershy I'm pretty sure its fine however right here and now maybe I could ask for another favor?" grinning weakly and waving a hoof to gesture to myself.
After my half day in the Everfree forest some of that time spent running for my life and my earlier encounter with the chickens I had acquired a great many scrapes, cuts, grazes and about half a trees worth of twigs and leaves in my mane and tail.
one session of heavy mane and tail maintenance a bath and an excessive number of bandages I found myself seated at the dinner table energetically describing my adventure to Fluttershy with almost no exaggerations and maybe forgetting to mention a few of my more screamy moments as she politely giggled and gasped through my tale, both of us eating spoonfuls of soup when we remembered our meal.
I had always loved soup and this was by far the best I had tasted, I suspected Fluttershy may have made it thinking I was sicker than I felt as the excitement from today's adventure had banished all feelings of weakness or tiredness from my body.
Our meal finished I made to gather our bowls and head to the kitchen to help wash up but my host wouldn't hear of it insisting that it was the least she could do after everything I had been through today.
Acting on a whim I reared up on my hind legs hooking my fore hooves into my cloud, which had been peacefully floating among below the rafters and birdhouses of Fluttershy's home, pulling it down to me with ease I then turned around and pushed it out of the front door and away from the cozy home where there was a clear view of the setting sun.
With a satisfied grunt I made my way back inside popping my head into the kitchen smiling as I saw Fluttershy singing quietly to herself as she placed the last of our bowls on the side to drain, clearing my throat not wanting to startle my host with my unexpected arrival.
"Uhm Fluttershy could you come outside with me please, there isn't much time left?" I asked feeling nervous asking such a strange request.
Turning around her pink mane again dropping in front of her face as she turned to face me "outside uhm why, whats out there?" she said understandably cautious living so close to the Everfree as she did.
"Sunset, I cant remember the last time I saw one!" Grinning like an idiot and not caring because it was the truth as I turned and quickly made my way outside and hopping onto my cloud sinking into it with a contented sigh as I slouched comfortably, turning with a smile as I heard the gentle hoof falls of Fluttershy as she made her way over spreading her wins and jumping up with a small thrust sitting in a more delicate manner returning my own cheesy grin with her own more reserved smile.
"Uhm what did you mean by not remembering seeing a sunset uhm that is if you want to tell me" her voice quietly trailing off clearly shy about asking me about my strange comment, her mane again assuming its position over her face.
I spent a moment quietly watching the sun descend towards the horizon as it seemed to set the clouds ablaze its final rays of light illuminating them with a golden reddish glow, sighing sadly I turned to her before sitting up in a more dignified position rather than my slovenly slouch I had assumed more out of habit than for comforts sake.
"Back where I came from it was a place of tall grey buildings reaching into an equally grey sky, all of them as ugly and unremarkable as its neighbor, the horizon if that was what you could call it was only as far as the next building would allow, you only ever saw the sky if you looked up and even then mostly all you saw was grey clouds" turning back to face the sunset closing my eyes as I felt the suns light slide down my body the gifted warmth leaving quickly in its wake.
"Oh dear,uhm surely it wasn't as bad as that?" I heard Fluttershy whisper denial clear in her voice as though she couldn't comprehend such a bleak world and for all I knew maybe she really couldn't, I mean she lived in a world of beauty, love and magic whereas I had come from a world of greed speed and anger probably not the best of environments to imagine for one so pure as her.
"Honestly?" I said turning to face her again sighing heavily "It's worse than that but I would be lying if I said that I didn't miss it a little, but even in the small time that I have spent here even with all the lumps and bumps I have gotten I still feel uhm well right?" I struggled to find a word for it but for now it would do turning with a smile as I held up one of my fore legs to the sky chucking as the dark blue colour of my coat perfectly matching the hue of the sky above.
"Uhm Cloud it's getting late and I have things to do tomorrow maybe we should sleep uh that is if you aren't tired enough that is" her voice trailing off again in her own quiet way and while my day had been a long and tiring one the last thing I wanted to do right now was sleep.
"Oh uh back home I'm used to staying up later than this I think I'll stay out for a little while yet" casually waving a hoof as I lay back on my cloud watching as the first few stars began appearing in the night sky, the cloud bobbed up slightly as the mare hopped lightly off followed by the soft hoof falls of her landing.
"Goodnight Cloud Dropper" that soft voice just reaching my ears to which I rolled over on my cloud facing the mare smiling as I did propping myself on my elbows.
"Hey uhm Fluttershy?" my voice was quiet almost a whisper in itself feeling that even if it was getting late and we was in the middle of nowhere it was just in my nature to be more reserved and quiet as well.
"ye yes Cloud?" her mane again falling defensively over her face as attention was again focused upon her one of her fore hooves worrying away at the grass.
"I just wanted to thank you, you know for everything I mean you let me a stranger no less sleep in your home you fed me and even helped me learn how to move my wings."
I gave my wings a slow flap or two to show her that while not perfect they had lost all of their stiff woodenness to the movements instead each motion shifting with an ease and fluidity that gave me such a rush of happiness at their potential that I had to resist the urge to try flying off there and then regardless of the fact I had never actually flown before today, my earlier flight being nothing more than one long glide from up high.
"Uhm but what I really waned to thank you for more than anything was for your kindness, it has been a very long time longer than I can rightly remember since somebo- uh somepony actually helped me with some poorly veiled ulterior motive, I mean I know that you are the Element of kindness but it still means a lot so uhm, thank you for everything"
"Oh uhm it was nothing really, uh well goodnight Cloud" the mare replied her mane shifting aside unveiling a gentle smile before turning around and making her way in her home it seemed in maybe a little bit of a hurry.
Turning back to the darkening sky as the last traces of the sun left to be chased away by the silvery light of the moon as it rose above the horizon, surprisingly bigger than the moon seemed back home the image of a horn followed by the head of a pony was slowly revealed on the surface of the moon so much clearer than the so called man on the moon that I was told about though to be honest much to my chagrin I could never really see it whenever it was pointed out unlike here where it was so clear and defined, another display of the natural beauty in this world that amazed me so.
Laying beneath the star scattered sky the soft cool light of the moon illuminating the land around me, I felt the tiredness from today's adventures finally catch up to me eyelids growing heavy as though the very act of keeping them open was an effort, looking up at the sky one last time I smiled closing my eyes letting sleep fully take me, my last thoughts on the day ahead and the promises of flight that it would bring.
A whole new world; a long way down
Chapter 4 - Fare thee well bacon
I'm asleep I know it for a fact this time.
I mean I just had a dream about being chased by trees, funny thing being I was still a pony in the dream.
I don't remember falling asleep but wherever I am its comfortable and warm, not as nice as my cloud but still really nice.
i could lay here forever all warm and safe no more falling from high places or worse landing after falling from them.
Last time I was this comfortable I got struck by lightning.
Oh no, last time.
"GAHHDONTSHOCKMEI'MUP!" I yelled the jumbled mess of words tumbling out of my mouth as I shot up flailing my arms in front of me.
A small scared squeak and a blur of pink and yellow was the last thing I saw before the room span and I found myself passing out yet again.
I don't know how long I was out this time but I went with trying to open my eyes and work from there this time.
As my eyes adjusted to the light in the room i guess i must of been out for a good portion of the night and boy was i sore.
"W-what hit me?" I moaned a small spike of pain rewarding my new attempt at communication.
Rainbow Dash flitting in front of me hovering over my aching self.
"About two bushes and a rock" she said "I guess when you fell into that tree you took a knock to the head on the way down" her forehead frowning, I could tell she really regretted the shocking thing now.
At the mention of hitting I head my ha- uh hooves moved to my pounding head as I felt where there was a thick layer of bandages wrapped around my head right where that lump on my head was.
"We was close to her house when you fell so I took you to here, to Fluttershy's"
At the mention of the gentle pony I remembered so well from the show I heard a small and delicate voice.
"Uhm, hello Mr Cloud Dropper" her head rising next to me from where I assume she had been hiding living up to her name shyly waving a hoof as she did peeking over the edge of her bed whispering her greeting.
Mentally I Squeed, there is no other word for it she really was adorable, even more so in person than through a screen.
"I guess I have you to thank for this ?" Moving a hoof to my well bandaged head grinning awkwardly as yet again the heat rose up my face.
Ugh I am no good at meeting new people let alone pony's as awesome as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.
"oh my did I wrap your head too tightly?!" Fluttershy gasped seeming to shrink smaller as she she did.
Oh no, I upset her, not good.
"Oh, no no no!" frantically waving my hooves as I sat up.
"You did perfectly I simply meant uh thank you for helping me" I mumbled looking down as I pressed my hooves together feeling terrible for possibly offending my impromptu nurse.
For the first time I actually felt my ears flatten against my head, I forgot they did that it was actually kind of cool, in a strange kind of way although the current situation prevented me playing with them in curiosity.
"Oh that's quite alright I'm just glad you are okay" the yellow pony replied smiling at me the confidence returning to her as she stood up beside the bed.
"oh my please excuse me its time for me to feed all the little critters their dinner" Fluttershy softly said as she glanced at the clock before she gracefully trotted outside humming a song to herself gathering a basket of what I assumed to be the "critters" food in her mouth.
After watching the pale pink tail vanish through the door curiosity got the better of me and I decided to climb out of bed and stretch my legs.
Climbing out of the bed proved a bit more problematic than I would have liked the blanket managing to get tangled in my legs and even getting wrapped around one of my wings causing me to pretty much fall yet again to the ground, which at least had the decency to be only a short distance away.
Climbing to all fours as I tried ignoring Rainbow Dash's sniggering from above me as I yawned and stretched my aching body after my impromptu nap.
Rearing up on my hind legs as I stretched yawning, this was where my human part of me decided to indulge myself on one of my less publicly acceptable sins.
Bringing my hooves together as I reached the pinnacle of my stretch I tried to crack my knuckles, something I had done for years every time I woke up from a good sleep, of course the motion of my hooves slipping off each other and my fore-legs to fly apart causing me to over balance falling once more to the floor hardly did wonders to my battered frame, Rainbow Dash rolling around in the air yucking it up did little to improve the situation.
Grumbling under my breath as I climbed to my hooves wobbling with a distinct lack of grace compared to that shown by Fluttershy as I made my way to the door way my kind host had recently left through.
My irritation instantly evaporated replaced by wonder as I saw Fluttershy moving around her garden from animal to animal kind words and food showering down everywhere she graced as she did, it really was hard to be in a foul mood with such a sight the sheer variety of wildlife in such a small area blew my mind, seeing it on a screen was one thing but to actually bare witness to such a spectacle truly impressed me with the yellow mares abilities as she seemed to glow in the light of the setting sun.
The sight of all the animals eating the food Fluttershy had given all the animals awoke a hunger of my own that had remained silent until now.
The rumbling of my stomach was loud enough to draw the sound of flapping wings behind me, turning to see Rainbow Dash floating behind me.
"Woah when did you last eat?" Rainbow Dash's hoop poking me in the flank to accentuate her point along with another small giggle.
I know I ate last night I knew that for sure, a big pizza to be precise but that was the me me not the pony me and i had the sinking feeling that Cloud Dropper's stomach was yet to be graced with food.
"Uhm I, I don't remember uh Either yesterday or never?" I answered on reflex yet again my brain taking the backseat and letting Mr mouth get me into more trouble.
Rainbow Dash's rebuke was intercepted by a meek "oh my" issuing from my direction, mainly through the open doorway I was blocking.
Turning around I realised I was face to face with Fluttershy who had I assume finished feeding the critters and had tried to enter her home only to find me blocking the way.
"Uhm I'm sorry Mr Cloud Dropper I didn't mean to be in the way, I can wait for you to finish what you are doing if that's okay with you" Fluttershy's ears had flattened against her head her posture shrinking down as she virtually whispered this to me.
Awkwardly shuffling backwards as I forced my legs to obey my intentions as I moved backwards to let the butterscotch mare into her home mumbling apologies as I did.
Typically the timing couldn't have been better as Fluttershy passed me my stomach decided that it was the perfect time to give another primeval rumble, eliciting a terrified squeak and a blur of pink as the shy mare rocketed into the air hiding behind her blue friend up above only the tips of her hooves and her eyes peeking over Rainbow Dash's flank.
"Sorry Fluttershy that was me, uhm well my stomach actually, kinda skipped a few meals today" I said an awkward grin yet again gracing my face as I sat back on my haunches pointing to my stomach wishing the ground would swallow me whole.
I don't know weather it was comedic timing or my own hunger awakening something in Rainbow Dash but a rumbling from above caused another flutter blur as Fluttershy vanished out of the room entirely.
"Ugh thanks Cloud now I'm hungry thanks to you I didn't get to snack or nap today" Rainbow Dash face hoofing with a grimace.
Holding my side I rolled onto my sides finally having a reason of my own to laugh since arriving here in Equestria.
I guess she saw the funny side as my new azure friends also joined in the laughter.
The sounds of laughter and not the sound of a vicious animal must have drawn Fluttershy from her hiding place as she cautiously stepped through the doorway back into the room.
"Uhm I was about to have dinner and if you are really that hungry you could stay for dinner, that is if you don't have anywhere else to be I mean" Fluttershy said to us one eye peeking out from under her mane.
"That would be wonderful thank you so much" I said nodding happily, I swear i could have been drooling at that point as our gracious host trotted out of the room.
Licking my lips as I began fantasising about the food I could eat pizzas, burgers even massive piles of steaks or bowls of steaming spagetti bolognese!
I knew I was probably drooling at this point and i didn't care because my mind has just been using all those foods in build up to the holy grail of foods, bacon.
At this point i had retreated into my mind completely distracted with scenes of anything with bacon.
"Hey Cloud get over here!" Rainbow Dash called to me snapping me from my bacony fantasy beckoning over to me as she sat at the table as Fluttershy entered the room a huge bowl balanced on her back.
Food!
My enthusiasm and hunger had gifted me with sure footedness as I faultlessly trotted to the table sitting at a free place licking my lips at the sight of the huge bowl being placed on the table.
I was practically vibrating with excitement as Fluttershy took the ladle in her mouth and filled a bowl passing it over and placing it before me.
Oh boy oh boy...
Oh.
Salad.
I was a pony.
I had wings, hooves a dark blue coat of a pegasus and unfortunately it seemed I had the digestive system of one too.
Bugger.
"Oh dear you don't like it do you, I'm sorry I thought I followed the recipe like it said" Fluttershy obviously saw the crestfallen look on my face and I admit I hadn't tried too hard to hide it.
The salad looked amazing even better than Angel's salad, like the one I remember from the show.
I lifted one of the larger leaves hoping there was bacon hiding under there.
Nope.
"Oh uh no no it looks delicious, uh thank you" I forced a huge smile as I dipped my head taking a mouthful of greenery and chewing it economically before swallowing trying not to choke on the half chewed mass as I tried deluding myself it was packed full of meaty goodness.
I continued my meal in silence while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had their own conversation I was happy to be left out of
as I was too busy privately mourning my omnivore diet.
Fluttershy asking me a question snapped me out of my sulking.
"So where did you come from Mr Cloud Dropper?" she said in her soft voice looking at me a gentle smile on her face.
Scratching a hoof on my chin grateful for the distraction from my sulking, I wasn't sure how to even begin explaining where I came from.
My origins were from another world, that would be hard enough to explain as it is especially one where my equine hosts and their entire existence was just a kids show, a kids show with a phenomenal following but I doubt that would soften such a horrible fact, if they even believed me that is.
"Uhm well I guess I came from a far off place" I hesitantly began, that much was true enough.
"What was it like was there?" asked Rainbow Dash her curiosity also piqued.
"Grey, it was grey it was dull and lifeless like the energy and joy had gone and all that was left was the ghost of it all" I said smiling sadly, I couldn't vouch for every ones life back on earth but I knew my existence had been anything close to happy or eventful.
"That's boring, no wonder you came here its waay more cool sounding than that place" Rainbow dash said clearly not thinking her comment through, although I couldn't argue against what she said.
"What about your family or your friends, wont they miss you?" Fluttershy's eyes were wide with concern I could tell she didn't like the sound of where I had came from.
Ouch Fluttershy way to hit a sore spot for me.
"I - I uh don't exactly have any back home I kinda never really had the nerve to go out I just kinda stayed in and read my books" Ugh now i felt crappy and I missed my books too, great now I want my freaking cloud too.
"Great another egg head you sound like Twi's long lost twin" the blue pegasus snorted before laughing.
Yeah yeah Dashie I know about Daring Do.
I guess the knowing look on my face gave her second thoughts as she recovered herself.
"Uh not that there's anything wrong with books or egg heads" Rainbow Dash said waving a hoof a slight blush spreading across her face another awkward smile blooming below.
I had a feeling the questions were going to continue and I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep dancing around the truth that I wasn't a pegasus and that I didn't belong here and..
And I want my cloud.
Feigning a small yawn only to surprise my self with a real and much more enthusiastic yawn I turned to Fluttershy small yawny tears in the corners of my eyes that I wiped away.
"Oh my its gotten quite late do you have anypony that you can stay with tonight Mr Cloud Dropper?" my shy host asked me a small yawn following her question she daintily covered with a hoof.
Heh I guess yawns are as infectious with pony's as they are with humans.
"He could crash at mine but I'm not sure he could fly there" Rainbow remarked rubbing her chin with a hoof.
It would have been awesome to see the inside of her home and feel what a cloud house feels like, but like she said I knew my current limitations and anything higher than a hop was seriously out of my league.
"uhm well I guess he could stay here for tonight i don't mind if its okay with you that is" turning to me smiling as she said it.
"Oh well uh
"I have some blankets somewhere, I can set up my bed on the sofa for tonight" she began fussing around poking her head into a cupboard as she began her hunt for the bedding.
Oh no I didn't like sleeping in the bed it felt weird with wings.
"Oh no no its okay I like my cloud" I smiled this time honestly, I really liked my cloud it was like my own cloud and it made everything happening really real to me.
After all sitting on a cloud makes it hard to say it is anything but reality.
"Well if you guys are cool with Cloud staying here I'm gonna head home" Rainbow Dash said stretching her wings.
I was about to wish her a good flight when she turned to me pushing her face close to mine her face lacking any humour.
"If you try any funny business I'll buck the salad out of you" a hoof jabbing into my chest to make her point clear.
I nodded mutely but I understood what she meant.
"Uh yeah I know I would never do anything at all" I almost pinky promised but thought better of it what with technically never having met pinky before, that would have been hard to explain away.
Her rose coloured eyes narrowed slightly before she smiled at me turning around and flying out the door without a word.
Moments later a cloud floated through the doorway being nudged by the sky blue pegagus.
"Okay I believe you, here's your cloud Cloud" grinning to herself at her own pun.
Yay.
I buried my face in my cloud feeling the comforting softness looking up and smiling at her.
"Thank you and goodnight Rainbow dash" my voice came out muffled by my cloud.
"Goodnight Rainbow have a safe flight home" Fluttershy said as she trotted over next to us waving a hoof as Rainbow Dash waved back before bracing herself against the ground outside.
"Goodnight Fluttershy, goodnight Cloud" she called as she flew away blasting off at an insane speed leaving nothing behind but a multi coloured trail behind her as she became a tiny blue speck in the darkening sky.
I turned around nosing my cloud into the center of the room as I felt not using all my new found legs would have me on the floor again.
Satisfied I braced my self before jumping up and hooking my fore hooves on my clod and half dragging half hopped the rest of the way up falling back onto it with a happy sigh.
What a day this has been.
Thankfully this time I got to fall asleep without self injury, and that didn't take long either.
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Hello everyone I'm sorry for the delay on this chapter I had a nasty cold for the first week and I struggled to get into Fluttershys mind set so if it feels forced or off then I apologise.
However with your constructive critisiscism ( and I mean useful stuff please ) i can only get better, thank you all for reading my tale.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do putting it here.
D5