"Hoh~? You think we'll just let you go as you are now? ... Oh, ho, hoho no~! A seal I will give you, and it will be as a millstone around your neck to hinder you as you go..."

Salt. I smell salt. I smell damp. Nothing seems immediately damp nearby, but there is moisture in the air. Sounds like there might be. Something's coarse.

Headache. Kinda sore all over. Throbbing.

Well, I suppose that's a decent sign. Aches and throbs means neurological activity and a heartbeat. Smells ought to imply breathing.
In.
Out.
Wow, that's nice! I don't think I've ever just focused on breathing like that before. There is a simple pleasure to breathing. It's good -really good. Fresh and salty smell is alright, too, but not a sweaty kind of salt; and there isn't a lingering fishy odor either.
In.
Out. Oh~ yeah. Keep that stuff coming.

Run through my senses: smell, feel, breathe, feel, smell, breathe -no, wait. That's not right. I'm missing something... several somethings?... *gulp* Okay. I have what I perceive is a mouth. Doesn't really taste like anything.
In.
Out.
There is a gentle swishing? Swooshing? Sounds like water.
In.
Out.
Oh! Sight! If I have eyes, then open up, you buggers. I really hope I have eyes. Those could be helpful. Um~ how do I...? *yawn* Little itchy. Little crusty. Rub that sleep out of'm.

That's better. Okay. Now, take this slow and open up.

It's not particularly bright. That's something of a relief. But the colors! Wow. Some umbers and tans. And I imagine these might be on the duller side of things. Even so, they are really nice for browns. I could look at these forever.

Wood and sand.

Grown, hewn, chiseled, treated, placed wood. Evidence of carpentry. Some darkened, some greyed. Some of the grains are prominent; some are withdrawn.

Tiny, little rocks are nearby that look like they have been ground down by the slow passage of time. Every time water splashes up against it they're worn a little more: hundreds of years and hundreds more. Tiny granules both soft and coarse. Not a single one shares the exact same color or shape as the one next to it. Countless: beyond the number of stars in the sky, beyond reckoning of the Wise, beyond the memory of the mountains and the astral seas. Some reflect light, some absorb it -all polished to some degree by the processes of a regular tide. Some bigger, some smaller. Each one unique.

It gets everywhere. Hehe.

I suppose that's all the information I'll get from that for now. Time to expand my search radius to: turning my head somewhere. Do I have a head? I suppose my thinker is placed somewhere prominent and near my viewing windows.

Following the wood upwards is more wood. Planks and posts form something of a roof overhead. Not bad. Let's hope that is not a natural formation. Some potential weirdness could abound if that were natural, I think, and I'd really like weirdness to be introduced at a trickle's pace. The wood's not in the best of conditions either. At least, I think that's the case. Seems weather worn while not yet rotten.

*yawn* Wakey, wakey, lemon shakey.

Looking to one side, there's more sand. The wood above stops thataways while the sand continues underneath. Same thing the other way: more sand. Alright. Let's take this three-hundred and sixty degrees. Ow. Okay. I can't twist my head around all the way, but I don't really need to. I can see directly behind me without straining or turning too far. I do see the source water back there: a shoreline of sorts. It gently laps against the land nearby, and that wood ceiling goes back over to the water a little ways. Oh! It's like a wharf.

And this is a beach of some sort. I'm on a beach under a wharf. Not bad.

Well, I think I've put this off as long as I can. Time to see what is going on with me.

Huh. Okay. That's a furry, black, and green... hoof? Single piece; not cloven; black hard part. Fur fades from black near the nub end to green up my arm -kind of a grassy greeny-green. Is my other? Yup. Two hooves. Underside is a little darker than my arm-fur.

Hooves. That's a fun word. Hoo~ves. Hehehe.

Hyoo~vz.

Wait. I have two hooves here? What's going on in the back? One more there makes three. And the other side? Four. Four hooves. Hyoo~vz. I do not think that is what I had before. What did I have before? Um... Oh, well. I have them now. They are cute, though. Hm~ Can I? Yes! I can tap them together and make that hollow coconut shell sound. *clip clop clip clip* Hehehe. Awesome.

Oh, what's that back there? Flicks of black go to and fro around my farthest back end. One side. Then the other. A tail? I have a tail? That's weird. I'm pretty sure I did not nave one of those before, either.

It seemed to be on autopilot. But can I? Oh, yeah! I can move it. That's an odd sensation. I don't think I had muscles like that before. Left. Right. Left. Right. Up. Down. A~nd around in a circle. Cool! Weird but cool. Gonna have to build up some stamina back there, too.

Guess I am equine in shape? What else has four uncloven hooves and a full, bushy tail? I can't think of much outside of equine. Mules are equines, right? Horses. Ponies. Um... Cows? Jack@ass... Somehow, I think I've been called that before... I'll call myself an equine for now.

Alright, Tail, 'As you were.' Outstanding, soldier. I think I like you. I'll keep you. 'Swish at will.'

And what do we have here? Green, downy, meaty lumps on my back. One side. And the other.
Wait.
...
Wait.
...
Do I have wings? Am I a equine with wings? That is awesome! Can I move them?

"Gah," *hurk*, "grrr- ha~ kah, kah, kah, ksh~!" Hah! Hoo~ They opened up! Dang, that was tough. Feels like I almost popped something there. I think.

Right. Breathe, Me. In. Out. Doin' okay back there, Tail? Good. Wings? You know, it's almost like I've never... used them... before... Huh. That makes sense for some reason -especially if I wasn't an equine before now or if I did not have wings before. It's another set of muscles for which no prior neuro-pathways existed.

Tail didn't seem quite this tough, but it wasn't as easy and looking around. Figure that one out.

Alright. Lets check out their range of motion. Down. Good. Now, how high? *ugh* Okay. That's pretty high. Forward. Back. Middle. Level. Tilt forward. "Hah." Good. Tilt back. "Urh." A~nd bring it around town. Bring it arou~nd to~wn. And fold back... Wait. How do I? Okay~ bending, bending. Right there. Now, fold back in.

Woof! I need to work on that. *sigh* That's tiring for a first time but seems a little easier now than at that first opening. Unfurling? "Hm."

Wait. Why does my voice sound like that? Should it be that high?
In.
Out.
In. Out. "Bladda, bibble, grggle, b-b-b-b-b, la da da, lu-lu-lu-lu-lu." Hmm. Yup. Okay. Voice seems to be working. Mouth muscles operative. Good. Good. Pitch seems kind of... off, though.

Alright. Need to check something. Can't quite do that in loaf-mode, I guess. Time to stand up for a sec. Hm~?

Okay. I can do this.

In. Plant forehooves.
Out. Prepare hind hooves.
A~nd push! Push! "Guhr~rah~!" Stop. Shaking... Knees! Al~most. Push d@mn you~! "Guh! Hah~" There we go.
In.
Out.

Woo! That feels like it was tougher than it should have been -or at least, tougher than I think it used to be.
In. Out.
In. Out. Ah~ breathing is amazing! I'd like to say that I wasn't as cognizant of this simple pleasure before now, but I like it. I think I'll keep that going. A good habit: breathing.

One must reward oneself after all. Maybe I should lay down and take a break -wait! Nope. I just got up. Don't want to go through all that again right away.

Okay. Let's see what we got going on down there. Hehe, belly's fairly bare. That's weird given the rest of me is covered, and -ah! That would make me a... boy? colt? Stallion? Need a point of reference for myself. Maybe things are opposite here from what they were Before? That would be a little weird.

But not weirder than whatever I'm going through right now... I hope...

I could be young by the way I sound. I suppose I might also be older with a super high voice. I'd rather the former of those two options. Please let me be young... but not too young. Definitely do not want to do puberty again. Ugh.

Hm~ or maybe I do? Don't think I ever really thought about that Before. Maybe it would be easier a second time? Or maybe equines have it rougher than whatever I was Before... I'll have to look into that later.

Tide could be out right now. Wood makes a bit of a wall. A high tide wall? A water break? Most likely an engineered structure to prevent erosion: a sign of intelligence. Good. That is a good sign. Hard to see over or around it from here. I need to get off of this beach and up on this wharf. Don't see a ladder or stairs. I suppose it's not a popular beach if the tide goes all the way up to the wall. I don't know if my wing muscles are good enough to hop up onto the warf, but I guess wouldn't be so bad a thing to fall down upon sand if I fail my first flight.

Equines... horse, pony, donkey, zebra... couple other kinds I forget. I seem to remember a story about ponies with magic, wings, and such. Oh, I hope I'm a pony! I suppose I'll have to make a bunch of assumptions for now till I can learn stuff. So, I'll make that assumption for now: I'm a pony. A pony pegasus under a warf on a beach by myself.

Quite sure this is not where I was Before. Pretty sure pegasi were not present where I was Before either. Don't know that many places a pony pegasus would be naturally: near a rainbow, surrounded by glitter or sparkles, something to do with cake, um... Canada? What's a Canada? I feel like that should mean something to me... Meh.

Ooh! Equestria. That's a word I know. Could this be Equestria?

Did I do that thing where I wake up as a pony in one of those Equestrias? I hope this isn't one of the weird ones. Some of those are super weird -like out there, like pudding and a glove, like... I think the word Discord should mean something. And some are scary...

Maybe I'd rather have weird than scary.

But this would be so awesome if is is one of the normal ones! I could go to school again! ... D@mn that sounds lame, but I'd totally do it. I'd do it with bells on. Or get a job -like a second chance at life! I'd so do it right this time. None of the mistakes from before.

"Ha, ha, ha!" Who wouldn't laugh in spite of themselves in such a situation? How often do blessings like this get handed -oops- hooved, "Hehe," to ~~someone~~ -somepony- like me?

A nopony like me gets to try again!

Hyoo~vz.

I feel as light as a feather. "Ha!"
I'm as happy as an angel. "Hoo!"
I'm as merry as a schoolboy -oops- schoolpony. "Hee, hee!"
I'm as giddy as a drunken man -er- pony. "Ha, ha, ha!"

Oh, you like that, Tail? Swish, swish, swish. That's good. Keep up the good work, Tail. I'm going to have to figure out what you like and chase you at some point. Unless tail chasing is a faux pas social rule?

... rules... hm~

I seem to remember some rules... from Before. Let's see...

Rule Number One: do not harm anypony or anycreature. Sounds like your standard Golden Rule. Nice.

And Rule Number... Three -maybe- is like it: Live by the Tenets of Harmony as best as possible. I think that's doable. What are those Tenants? Love, Laughter, Loyalty, Honesty, Charity... Friendship? Something like that. I'll figure it out.

Mm~ there were other Rules... what was Two? ... Something about time? Certain events and not interfering? Maybe.

Of course, that's the one I forget. It's fine though. I just have to grow up and find a job. No pony of significance will know, and that's all there is to that. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Might be other rules or extrapolations or clarifications of the Big Three, but those ones should cover most bases for conduct... I think.

I think there were a bunch of Conditions or Contingencies, too. Some of which include ways to make money without corrupting economies, a ban on weapon creation, something about libraries or newspapers in order to get clandestine messages to or from... someone... Meh. I'm sure it'll come back to me. Harmony won't do me dirty like that...

...Dirty like my cute hyoo~vz and swishy Tail! Squee~ a nopony like me gets to try again at life! Oh, this is... how does one describe such a sensation?

Hm~ Hey, Tail, you're black. No stripes or highlights. Nice. My coat is green but fades to black near my hooves. Green feathers. I'll need a reflection to see my eyes. My mane is -ow! What the-?

Mane is there: black. But that. That there is a lump and a half. Oo~h and tender when I touch it. Maybe I landed on my head?

"Um," no holes in the warf that I can see. No skid marks on the beach. That implies I washed up? Maybe. That or I just appeared here. Teleportation into transmogrification, portal based transformation, magical coalescence of a fully functioning organic body? Of all the impossibilities, that last one seems really unlikely. Metempsychosis seems far more universally energy efficient if there's a dimensional transfer.

...

How the buck do I know those words? "Ha!" I used 'buck' and not the other one.

Could be that I hit a rock or one of the dock pillars if I rode in on the tide. I wouldn't put it past me to end up brain damaged on Day One. Lump isn't really soft, though. Somewhat conical. Don't think I've ever had anything imbedded in my skull before -no experience with intracranial foreign bodies... At least, I don't think so... Not sure what that would feel like. Probably worse than this.

Running a hoof along the other parts of my noggin doesn't reveal any gaps -no brain bits in my mane. No blood on my hoof. Just some sand. Nothing squishy or crusty around the base of the lump. Smooth transition at the root.

That would mean... this is natural?

Wait. This couldn't be a-
In. Out.
Wait. This can't be a-
In. Out. No, no, nonono. D@mnit no.
This is not a-
In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

Okay. Take it easy. Think this through. Every problem is just a solution you haven't found yet. That's all... Yeah~

Maybe. Maybe it actually is one. It might be. But if it is, then why is it so short? It doesn't poke through my mane. So, this could mean nothing. Right?

Maybe this version of Equestria is one of many -if that's where this is. I'll definitely have to deal with that later.

Maybe there are lots of pegasi with horns. Right? Maybe? Could be inert -just a genetic variation.

Or- or maybe it's because I'm a new pony, and new ponies get these to push our way out of our mothers? Like an 'egg tooth.' This could be normal -a totally normal, everyday, normal, normal- thing...

...Or maybe this is extremely rare. Rule Two. Sh~ no! Nope. Don't spiral. This is not the time.

Bearings: maybe I'm not in Equestria at all? That's a sad thought. Please don't let that be the case. I can work with a place I have some understanding about. Not sure I could deal with some place totally foreign to my imagination without any point of reference. Right. Now, I really need to find out where I am.

Alright, Legs. Let's move out from under this warf. Let's see. Hind legs probably do the bulk of the propelling -pushing from the back- and front do... steering? Balance? Some pulling-

"Hrk!" Ow.

Ugh, no one saw me face plant, right? No? Good. That never happened. Let's back up. No... get back up. Up. "Mm~" Yup. There we go. A touch easier the second time.

Okay. Four legs. Four legs. Maybe if I look at where I want to go and not really think about it -hey! It's working. "Ha, ha, ha!" Victorious. Take that, haters- "Hrk!" Ow.

Third time's the- "Hrk!"

Alright. Money shot. Yeah, there we go. A little this way. Turn. Careful, careful. Don't look at my hooves; look where I want to go. Nice. A little that way. Good. A~nd back to the start.

Now: your turn, Wings. Just have to hop up a few feet... a meter... hooves?

I have no idea what units of measurements are here. I can already tell there are some colors I don't know the names for; so, my perception of a foot or meter might be completely skewed right now.

Right. Just have to hop up a few... hooves, I guess. Look where I want to go a~nd... nothing. Hm~ guess I have to start these wings up? Like an engine, maybe?

I think I have a memory of some pegasi doing that before taking off in some of the episodes. Episodes? Is that right? Rainbow and Scooter's Loo...

Those seem like important names. Places? Words? Loos are definitely important... if they exist. I should take an inventory soon about what I think I remember about this situation; it's mostly just names and little tidbits with each.

That's another few for my list of things to do later. Whatever. Focus on the task at hoof. Hehe. Task at hoof.

Okay. Flap. Flap, you flappy flappers. Good. Faster. Now, target: top of the warf's deck. Little hop to help lift -woo! I'm doing it!

This is aweso- "-Oh, sh-!" Ah! Hm~ bollocks! My knees. I... think those parts are knees... Ah, breathe it out.
In. Out.
In. Out. Rr~ gonna feel that later.

Face- nose- muzzle? Hoof, give my snoot its first boop... Be gentle now. *squee* Nice.

Alright, what's the damage? Eh, just a couple drops of blood. Nothing flowing. Good. That's not a big deal. I'll rub some dirt in it later.

... Is dirt comprised of the same materials as they were Before? Hm~ maybe I should hold off on rubbing things for now.

Guess my first flight was a tad shallow on entry. Did anypony see me eat it over the deck railing? No? Good. Pride remains intact as well as my perfect flight record... as far as anypony knows.

Could always be worse, I suppose: could have busted one of my potatoes... I have two potatoes, right?
In.
Out.
Okay, one... and two. Yup. I got'em.

Author's Note

Geeze, that guy getting overstimulated or what?

The echoes at the beginning or end of a chapter will recur for a while and do have a purpose. I think most should be able to figure it out at least partially, but I'm not telling yet. FYI, the colors do not show up very well if Night Mode is activated on your window browser. Sorry.

I know it’s a fan sin to give that out to OC’s, but I promise he paid for it. You’ll see.

"The Wise" are a referenced group from The Lord of the Rings. The "Hyoo~vz" thing is a partial reference to Regular Show. The main characters go around repeating words they thought were funny in weird ways and laughing like dopes to themselves about it. I can't remember the exact episode... Now that I think about it, that's maybe half of that entire series. Good times, though.

The "hollow coconut shell sound" is also a reference (Monty Python) as is the "Bring it arou~nd to~wn" (Spongebob). The "I feel as light as a feather," bit is a partial quote from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol depicting Ebenezer Scrooge's self-reflection of his transformation.

That Canada bit refers is to a Ponies the Anthology 5 short. There was a documentary-style clip about ponies being birthed from cakes in the Canadian wilds around 19:15. Smh.

MS Paint don’t work as well for me as a pencil does. Figuring out how to get a URL for that wrinkly piece of paper to work with this posting format was not easy. Drew it in about 10x minutes, took almost 10x days to find a way to include it in the chapter… computers are hard. Also, I apologize for the humidity damage on the paper, but I'm not buying a new one till the pad gets used up.