Fallen

This thought was confirmed when another group of the parasprite humans showed up. They shouted at the bronies, “Take this, fags!” and then the pelting of stones began.
It wasn’t anything that would cause serious harm, as they didn’t throw many rocks or rocks big enough to actually hurt anypony, but nevertheless their sudden arrival and assault startled me to the point that my instincts took over. I reared up in the air, spooked. The bronies screamed and backed away in terror, but one female wasn’t quick enough. As I came back down, lashing with my forehooves, one hoof caught her arm, snapping it like a twig.
I was horrified. I had no idea exactly how fragile humans were, and it turned out that they were even more delicate than they looked. I took one glance at the blood streaming from her wound and my already racing brain took another shock. I barreled away in a mad rush.
I tried to take off, but the damn Earth physics wouldn’t let me. Apparently the air, so still near the ground, makes it difficult to take off here. I tried a leaping takeoff, but I wasn’t used to the strange air currents and I only got marginal force upwards. So I was forced to gallop through the streets, made of a strange tar-colored rock-hard substance.
I ran and ran until I could run no more. I sank to my knees in exhaustion, as a wheeled metal behemoth suddenly pulled up alongside me. I was too tired to rise to my feet again; I just closed my eyes and despaired.
But fortunately, it was just the brony Richard. He climbed out of the metal… thing… on wheels. He must have seen the confusion in my eyes, because he turned toward the thing and patted it.
“This is a car. It’s what we humans drive around in, because unlike you ponies, we can’t run very fast. It’s kind of like a carriage, but it’s got its own internal engine, so it can run on its own using fuel,” he said affectionately.
I looked at him strangely. Humans… how could they show such feelings toward an object like that? This behavior rivaled that of Rarity the bitchy unicorn’s obsession with gems, fabric, and clothing.
“I caught up with you to warn you,” Richard’s face became dead serious. “The show you gave back there made those hooligans report to the police. You broke Kellie’s arm back there….”
I winced. “I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!” I stuttered in desperation.
“I know you didn’t. She doesn’t blame you. I guess anyone in your position might have been startled, it’s just that you’re so much stronger, that your reaction just had a bad effect. None of us think you’re a bad pony! But nonetheless, the police have been alerted of a mad horse on the loose.”
I snorted. “Horse… I’m not an animal…”
“I know you aren’t. All us bronies know. But, you see, humans don’t like things they don’t understand, and, you can imagine, we don’t get ponies travelling from other– from Equestria that often.” He shuffled uncomfortably. “So, you’re gonna need to get out of here, like, pronto. “
“Why? What’s going to happen?” I paw at the ground, squirming.
“If they manage to catch you, and find out that you’re not a real horse, but a real pegasus, I mean, with wings, they may turn you over to scientists to, I don’t know, study you! Maybe even dissect you! Or worse! Vivisect!”
I shuddered at the thought. Ugh! No! Just No!
“Or the other worst-case scenario is, the brony-haters could just try to kill you to take a stab at us bronies. Or, the police could just think you’re a real mad horse and euthanize you on the spot.”
Thinking about it later, I realized that we might have been overreacting. True, it still would have been a really bad idea for me to stick around to find out, but I’m pretty sure that, unstable as the human condition was, I don’t think they would go that far.
But still. I would be placing my life in the hooves of strangers in a strange land who I didn’t know much about, and had a terror of all things unusual, like me.
So therefore, despite being in an incredibly frantic state of mind at the time, I don’t regret my decision.
“Thank you so much, Richard. I’ll leave right away. I’ll never forget your kindness and welcome, even if you humans are weird little creatures.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Thank you, Sky High, for giving me and the others a little piece of Equestria right in our home.”
“You guys can call me Sky. It’s quite alright.” I told him, out of politeness, even though I was itching to get out of there. After all, they were kind enough to give me a welcome, albeit a weird one. Plus Richard likely saved me a bunch of drama, or even my life. But I didn’t want to think of that.
“Alright, Sky. Farewell, and good travels. I doubt we’ll see each other again, but I’ll look out, alright?” Richard waved to me with one of those weird paw-things on the end of his arm.
I was suddenly overwhelmed with curiosity. “Eeeeerrrrmmm, Richard? One last thing. What the heck are those things?” I pointed a hoof at his paw-thing,
“Oh, these.” He stretched them out, wiggling the appendages at the ends. “You guys wouldn’t know about these, ponies only have hooves, griffons have talons, and Diamond Dogs have paws. These are called hands. These wiggly things are called fingers.”
“Ah. Thanks. Tell the others I said goodbye!” I called as I waved to him.
Determined this time, I spread my wings again. Making sure that my greatly expanded wingspan wouldn’t hit anything, I took off at a full gallop, then leapt with all my might. With a few powerful strokes, I just barely made a successful takeoff.
It was a success nonetheless, and I nearly whooped with the simple joy of liberation once again. I circled once to wave to Richard, then soared on an updraft, feeling powerful and free. I felt all my anxiety melt away as a small grin formed itself on my face. Rising once again, I watched the ground shrink away with the familiar rush. Yes, I was still unused to the unpredictable nature of the air of this world, but still.
I was free.
Reveling in the feel of the wind between my fur and feathers, I turned south, and let my mind go, to sink myself in the giddiness that bubbled up from my very core. I then began to meditate, relying on my newly gained muscle memory to keep me aloft.
It wasn’t for hours until I gained back my consciousness. By then I was completely calm. I also found that I could now navigate the strange Earth eddies of the wind, as if I had been flying here my whole life. Practice, even during meditation, makes perfect.
I then remembered how Wither told me how I couldn’t walk on clouds anymore, which made me insanely curious once again. How did Earth clouds feel? I remembered Equestrian clouds, which were extremely soft and springy, and compressed under one’s hooves, yet were sturdy enough to stand on.
Swinging by a medium-sized cumulus, I hovered for a minute, then slowly approached it. I couldn’t perceive its margins, as it kind of faded around the edges. That’s another thing about Equestrian clouds. They have insanely defined margins, which are clear as day, instead of being blurry, like this. This resembled fog on the ground.
I kept flying forward, wondering if the cloud had a solid center, maybe? Or maybe it got more dense as you went, making a bundle of semi-permeable essence in the center?
But no. Just as I was wondering that, the cloud around me got lighter, until it disappeared entirely. Phooey! I went right through it! I guess Earth clouds are completely intangible. How the heck do humans control them?
Oh, right. Earth physics. No one controls them. They just happen.
I took a moment to be glad that this doesn’t happen in Equestria, even though it didn’t really matter to me at the moment, seeing that I wasn’t in Equestria.
Even though the cloud was intangible, I realized that it was getting harder to fly. A quick investigation revealed that the reason why was that my coat and feathers were now drenched in water.
Huh. Well, I guess Earth clouds at least serve the same purpose as Equestrian clouds. To get water to the ground. But how does the water get back up?
I took awhile to think, then gave up. Because it can. Because MAGIC. Even though… Wither said that there was no magic here… whatever. I’ll have to ask him later.