And so, I lay on my bed, with my head on the pillow at the head, my long wavy mane-locks laying on the pillow, and lightly tickling my shoulders, as I crossed my forehooves at my chest, and stared at the ceiling…

I was thinking about everything, and yet, I was thinking about nothing…

When suddenly, the door to my room comes open, and in trots a small pink pegasus filly…

She looks a lot like me, except her mane and tail are still neatly curled in rows, and she has a peculiar smirk on her face… “Well well well! I was wondering when you’d show up again! Although after all this time, I gotta wonder, what are you waiting for?”

I look up and frown at this other filly, “What are you talking about?”

Her head bounces so I see her curls bobble as she says, “Oh, don’t be coy, Ophelia! Assuming that’s the name you want to keep! You know, we’ve had a lot of names in the past!”

I frown harder, and say gruffly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

She giggles, causing that familiar curl-bounce from earlier, “You’re just so adorable, I don’t know whether to snuggle you or kick the buck out of you? Just KICK THE EVER LIVING BUCK OUT OF YOU!”

I smile, “Oh, please! I’m pretty sure I could take you, by this point!” before wondering what it is I’m talking about?

Her gaze lowers while she keeps the smile on her face… “You think so, huh?”

<*****>

I open my eyes while laying on my side again, in my little room! My eyes are wide open, staring into the darkness as I feel new bullets of sweat formed on my forehead…

“Golly! Who was that?” I wonder out loud…

I hear Zecora coughing from the living area of the hut again…

I know her room is on the other end, but she’s obviously up now! I finally decide to get out of bed, with a peaceful sigh exiting my mouth, before my hooves hit the wooden floor with a clack…

I trot to the door and open it just in time to see Zecora sitting with her legs crossed in that funky zebra pose she does, as she uses her right forehoof to bring a lit cigarette to her lips, and purses, to take a drag…

I trot out of the room, “Oh, golly! You’re doing drugs again, huh?”

As I trot to the center and stop in the darkened room, amidst the tribal masks all arranged neatly on the far wall, she smiles, and keeps the hit in her lungs…

She finally opens her mouth, and exhales a small stream of smoke, before grinning at me and saying, “One must smoke torvia very deliberate. One must hold the hit, in their lungs to count for a bit. Only then may you breathe out! And once done, the effects will take route!” before closing her eyes and keeping her hooves at her side, with her hind legs still crossed, “Then, I must focus on my breath alone, lest the trip go awry. I urge you to close your eyes, do the same, and give it a try!”*

I didn’t have drugs in my system the way this crazy zebra shaman did, but I closed my eyes and obeyed all the same…

In breath…

Out breath…

I’m pretty sure I hear Zecora snuffing out the cigarette in her ashtray, as I breath in again…

Out breath…

“Focus on your breath alone! Only in this way, is true mindfulness sewn!”

Out breath again…

In breath…

“Golly, this mindful breathing thing, sure is something!” **

“Yes, child! Whenever you are stressed or concerned, always go back to your breath to avoid being burned!”

I smile while taking another in breath…

It’s so strange, but just the simple pleasure of breathing seems almost magical now?

I open my eyes to see a smiling zebra, sitting cross-legged, with her forehooves at her side, and eyes closed…

“Are you okay Zecora”

“Of course, young one! I often meditate just for fun!”

“Oh, golly!” I say, before finally deciding to trot outside, and making my way to the door in the other right corner of the room…

I hear Zecora, “Stray not far Ophelia! You don’t want to miss breakfast! I have something special in mind,and it will be just the thing to fix for our bind!”

<*****>

I trot out of the hut and into the open patch of dirt on the forest floor, now darkened by the overhead patches of trees…

I look up at the branches above me, and see the shade being cast on me below…

I sigh and think maybe flying up there might be good for me?

And so, I decide to stretch the ol’ wings and begin flapping vigorously to take off towards the heavens!

I feel the cool morning air on my face as I head into the sky, and continue flapping my little pink wings as my mind becomes clear and calm…

This is what it’s really about! Freedom and power!

Yes! I have power over myself now, here in the sky, finally!

I continued to fly further, as the sun shown in from the left.

Remember who you are and your purpose! I hear a voice in my head say…

Again, I have no idea what I’m talking about or what I’m saying when I say back to it out loud, “No! I’m not like you! I’m better than that!”

Do you really think we could start over after everything?

“I’m going to give it a shot…” I say, more determined than ever!

Wait! Determined about what?

I gulp when I think that surely, somepony in my head knows?

Suddenly, I hear a voice screaming from below! “Hey, I think I see Cozy Glow up there?”

My eyes widen, “Oh, golly!” and for some reason I suddenly feel as if I should turn around and fly back towards the hut!

I don’t know why, but those ponies don’t sound very friendly? I think as I notice that I’m in fact, flying open grasslands and fields, right now!

I must’ve been flying for longer than I thought? I think to myself, as I flap towards the treeline coming up on the horizon…

In breath…

Out breath…

<*****>

I land in the dirty forest floor with my hooves neatly clumping into the soil…

And I start breathing heavier when I hear more shouting in the distance, “Hey, I think she went this way?”

I breath in and out quickly when I suddenly think that I really don’t wanna meet those ponies!

And so, I do the logical thing, and take off towards the shack door in a full gallop!

I see it’s thatched walls and matching straw roof come into focus and get larger in my view as I race towards the door!

I open the door and bolt inside, disturbing a kind zebra shaman, who opens her wide blue eyes from her meditation stance and asks, “Child, you came in so quick, and I was not ready! Open the door slowly from here on out, so I am more steady!”

I stare at her with wide eyes, as I stand on all fours, and feel droplets forming on my forehead, as I keep breathing in and out heavily… In and out! In and out! “They’re… coming for me! The bad ponies! They don’t want me free and happy!” as I continue to wonder why I’m saying these things?

“Bad ponies you say, dear lad? Tell me, who are these ponies, and why are they bad?”

I gulp when I realize that I really have no way of explaining this to her?

I stare at her and say, “Uh, um, never mind! I’ll be in my room! Yes!” and nod, before launching myself with my wings to hurriedly fly back towards the left, where my small room is in the shack…

As I open the door, she says, “I will check on you in a bit! Just focus on your breathing and try not to fit!”

<*****>

… Once again, I have no idea how long I laid there on my bed, staring at the ceiling again…

This time though, my mind was far from empty!

Who are those ponies down south and why are they bad? Why do I think that I really shouldn’t go meet them?

Well, if Ponyville is to the south, that could only mean that I should stay away from there! Yup! Ponyville is DEFINITELY bad news!

I softly and quietly nod to myself, before I hear a knock on my door!

“Come in!” I call out, although this time, I poked my head up to stare at the door, because whatever comes through there, I wanna be ready!

It opens and in trots a striped equine with a Mohawk style mane-cut, and a calm gentle smile on her face, “So now that you’ve settled down, I have to know! Just what do you know about the bad ponies who trouble you so?”

I gulp, “I-I know they’re looking for me… And I think they want to hurt me? I uh, “I blink, “I’m not sure why, but I just keep thinking that I REALLY don’t wanna meet these ponies… They’re scary… “ and nod. “Yes! Scary, bad ponies!”

She frowns, “But why are they looking for you? Tell me child, just what did you do?”

“I…” I close my eyes, “I don’t know, okay?” and I breathe again… In and out… “They want to hurt me and they don’t like me…” In and out… “I don’t want to meet them… “

I can almost feel her nod at this point, before she says, “Very well then! If meeting them is off the menu, we shall take another venue!” and I hear hooves clopping on the floor… “But child, why don’t you come here for a hug? Surely, love would be the ideal drug?”

I finally open my eyes, to see this zebra shaman standing there, adorned with her golden neck rings and those massive hoops she put on her ears, as she smiles at me, and patiently waits on all fours…

Patient? I ponder to myself as I land on the floor with another clack!

I keep my eyes peeled on this zebra drug addict, as I pace towards her…

Left hoof… Right hoof… Left hoof… Right hoof… Slow and easy, like in the woods!

She eventually brings me in with her left forehoof, and she then, props up on her hind legs to embrace me with her other foot…

I felt, safe, warm, and happy…

I bring my forelegs to wrap around her…

I felt okay again…

I think I’m smiling?

I’m not crying though… No, I would never cry…

(To be continued… )

Author's Note

*For the purposes of this story, ‘torvia’ is the Equestrian equivalent to salvia divinorum, a drug I have experience with in real life.

**You know, I’m literally a trained yogi with years of experience, and mindful breathing is one of many techniques I employ in my practice.