And So, My Journey... Begins? What?

Chapter 1: And So, My Journey... Begins? What?

I open my eyes, releasing my head from its resting place in my hands and looking around.  The world around me is green, pulsing... flowing like water, all of it.  After taking it in for a moment, it's then I notice the other people here.  They're... me?  Why are there so many copies of myself here?  They're definitely me – the same forward-spiked yellow hair, the same blue clothes, held together with the same leather and metal belt, the same metal shoulder and arm guards, the same green eyes.  And... there's a woman here too.  She seems... familiar... but my memory is hazy. I can't seem to call up those memories, no matter how much I...

“Liar!”

“Fraud!”

“Failure!”

My head is ringing. I quickly grasp it back in my palms, clutching at it, trying to make the pain go away as words continue to echo in my mind.  I look back up to the other versions of myself, they're all standing and walking to stand beside her.  Can they remember?  Do they not hear those obscene voices in the back of their minds?  Wait... they're... merging?  I don't understand this at all.  Soon, there's only her, myself, and my other self left.  I look up at them, and they're looking back to me.  My double's eyes look so... accepting of everything, as if he's reached some new realization about himself.  A realization that we, that I...

No!  I won't accept this as real!  I... I... I'm sinking?  Sinking into the stream?  She's running to me full speed now, yelling my name, wanting to save me so I can rejoin the whole.  “Cloud! Cloud!  You need to fight it!  Come back to us, Cloud!”

But... I don't want to rejoin the whole, the whole where I... where I... where I what?  I can't seem to remember anymore.  I'm enveloped in this pulsing, green stream.  I close my eyes, letting it carry my body where it may.  At first it was warm, but slowly it became cool, soothing, and I could hear it hum in my ears like a real stream.  I let it take me away, drifting into the embrace of sleep...

The dreams... honestly, there were no dreams.  I awake wet and cold, and... feeling a tug at the neck of my clothes?  I know my memories are missing in action, but that's definitely wrong!  I shouldn't be getting dragged around anywhere!  I attempt to rouse myself further, jump up to face whatever threat I've somehow encountered, but all I can muster is some groggy writhing as my eyes attempt to refocus themselves.  The sun's so... bright.  Wherever I am, it must be the middle of the day.  Soon, an outline enters my vision, not far above my head, its... no, hers, definitely female.  Her hair cascades down the outlines of her face.  It reminds me a little of the one from before... from before?  From where?  All I can remember is being swept along that green current...

As my eyes adjust, I can begin to make out colors.  ...Pink?  Her hair is pink?  The hell?  As my eyes adjust further, I begin to notice something else about her – she's definitely not human.  This gets my body going at last as I quickly roll and leap to the side, making some distance as I assume a crouching battle stance.  I use my left hand for leverage, so I can use it to aide me leaping forward or back as needed, while reaching my right hand up to draw my...?  My what?  My instincts say there should have been some kind of weapon back there, but... nothing.

Pushing my confusion aside, I look at the creature that had been pulling me.  She's... cowering, with her hooves over her face?  Were those hooves?  I narrow my eyes, watching her as she peeks her head out to watch me as well.  I slowly lower my right arm, relaxing it but maintaining my battle posture in case this is some kind of ruse to get me to lower my guard.  I may not have whatever weapon I expected myself to have, but I could still be ready to make a cheap shot and flee if things get dicey.  She, meanwhile, seems to be getting her confidence back, taking to a fluttering hover a bit off the ground with a pair of tiny wings I hadn't noticed before.  Her wide, blue-green eyes seem to be looking me over with a cautious, curious gaze.  Why are her eyes so big?  Why... why is her coat a pastel yellow?  Something is definitely wrong here.  My barely-functioning memory cycles through a few nasty creatures I can remember, but nothing even close to this comes to mind.  Where exactly am I?

“Um, hello?” She says to me sheepishly.  She can speak... and the same language as I use?  This normally wouldn't surprise me much... but it's clear I'm probably not even on the same planet I was on before.  Then again, I can barely remember anything about that planet, so what do I know?  “Hey there, don't be scared now...” She continues, but if anything, she's the one that seems scared...

I contemplate replying, but for now decide to play stupid, merely softening my glare to try and make her feel at ease as I continue to process the situation. She approaches slowly, closing the distance as she rests a hoof on my shoulder.  It's a lot... softer and warmer than I'd expect a hoof to be.  Huh.  She tilts her head, and we maintain eye contact for a few moments before she speaks again.

“I've never seen a critter like you in the Everfree Forest before.” She says, in that calming voice of hers.  Wait, critter?  I'm not a godda... wait a minute.  She's never seen a human before?  This is getting a whole lot more confusing, and I've got the feeling it'll just get worse before it gets better...  “Can you speak? Do you have a name? I'm Fluttershy, and we should really go get you dried off before you get sick, Celestia knows what you were doing floating down the river like that...”  River?  I guess that explains the change between silent and warm to humming and cold... Celestia? The name of the God these things worship? How odd, she even uses colloquialisms I'm familiar with...

I'm tempted to take her up on that offer... I am getting rather cold in these drenched clothes, but I'm not stupid.  I leap back from her, turning and quickly dashing into the forest.  Maybe it's being too untrusting, but I'd rather see more of this strange new place before I mess up trusting the wrong creature and end up flambe'd as their lunch.

“Wait!” She yells back after me, trying her best to keep up with me with those scrawny wings of hers.  How do those even give her enough lift to fly, anyway?  “The Everfree Forest is dangerous!  You might get hurt!” She calls out, warning.  I remember enough to know I can defend myself more than adequately if something actually attacks me, assuming she's telling the truth.  Right now, though, I just want to get away.  I look back, noticing she's already gone.  She was slow, but I knew she should still be at least visible behind me.  Maybe she gave up?  Maybe this place really is dangerous?  Ah, shit, what've I gotten myself into now...

Eventually, I arrive at some kind of run-down temple... thing.  It's overgrown with plants, the ceiling is missing in several areas, and many windows are obviously shattered.  I head deeper inside, and I can't help but admire some of the craftsmanship that's gone into it.  The few windows that aren't shattered depict more of those quadruped creatures, in various designs and colors, though it appears many artistic liberties were taken with their forms.  I can't imagine they built this structure without... well... hands, so... were they worshiped on this planet?  But the one before... Fluttershy? What a comically fitting name.  She said she'd never seen a human before.  Is there some other kind of creature who could have made this place? Did they make this place and eventually go extinct or into hiding or something?  What stained glass windows remain don't tell me anything useful.  They just look like, well, pictures to me, though the craftsmanship is clearly top notch.

The sun outside is starting to set, and all the running has left me tired.  How long was I unconscious in that river, anyway?  Who knows... but I suppose I'll hunker down here for tonight.  If this forest really is dangerous, the worst stuff most likely comes out at night, and I doubt I'll find better shelter than here.  I find some of the crumbled stones and huddle them into the corner, making a sort of barrier with them to further hide me just in case something from outside wanders in before slumping against the wall.  Not the most comfortable of places to sleep to be sure, but better than being outside.  Maybe I should have taken up that pastel yellow... thing on her offer.  Too late now.  I close my eyes, hoping rest comes quickly, but keeping my ears perked in case any intruders happen by...

A/N: Not my first time writing, but my first time writing anything pony-related.  I was working on several other projects when this idea came to me.  After having fleshed out what I consider the base story arc well enough that I thought I could make something concrete out of it, and hammered it out. I'm fairly happy with the result, something that's rare for me, so hopefully everyone who reads can enjoy!  I'm going to be trying to go with shorter chapters that I can update a bit more frequently with, but really the only true determiner of length will be what I consider to be a natural stopping point. This way, I can at least try to keep updates coming out semi-consistently.  Enough of my rambling, enjoy everyone!