CHAPTER 2
A Game of Cat and Mouse

I had hit solid ground. The sound of dirt falling all around me was the only sound to be heard. The force that had pulled me here where ever here was, had done so with so much force that I broke the sound barrier. So here I knelt in the center of the crater I had just created. I remained there motionless and calm. I may be calm now, but when I was plummeting towards the ground at sonic speeds I was far from it. In fact I was on the opposite side of the spectrum. I was not sure my crystal body could take an impact at those speeds. Although I did consider the possibility of just being automatically reassembled, but that would have been after my body was smashed beyond all recognition. All in all I was freaking out the entire way, but the one thing I did manage to do was a half front flip so I would at least land on my feet. If I had a mouth the only thing that would have escaped it would have been a lout “SHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!” But alas I do not have a mouth. And that is how I ended up here in this crater on one knee hands on the ground and only about 700 carefree shards drifting amongst the dirt and dust.

I finally got my thoughts together long enough to stand and observe my new surroundings. The crater I had created was about 3 meters wide from its center and maybe a meter deep. It is at this time that I realized I might be taller then I thought. The crater was indeed 1 meter deep but it only came up to my knee! I must have been at 7-8 feet tall.

Pushing the new found excitement of my height aside I made my way for the edge of the crater trench coat and fragments trailing behind me. Before reaching the crater's edge I took upon myself the liberty to look to the sky. The dust was now almost completely settled and my eyes were greeted with blue skies with a few healthy looking clouds and a beautiful sun resting in the sea of white and blue. "It's nice here." I thought to myself "Much nicer than that black void I was in before.". My gut turned at the thought of that cold lifeless place.

I had reached the edge of the crater in just a few strides and stepped out too see rolling hills of green. The wind pushed against the long blades of grass into gentle swaying motions as if waving at me.

"EEP!"

I had heard something to my right that drew my attention. To my right stood a grayish 4 legged creature. The creature stood about 3-4 feet with a almost black tail and long hair on its head (which I presumed to be a mane) also black. "It must be an equine of some kind." I thought to myself still looking it over. What was most interesting were the creatures eyes. Not only were they quite large but also a beautiful purple. I also found that the pupils were getting smaller by the second. I stared into it's eyes and it stared back. We both remained motionless eyes locked too one another's. What seemed like hours passed the only motion from either of us was her mane and tail dancing in the wind and mine doing the same with my trench coat.

I realized this stare down would never end and took my first step towards the creature. The moment I took my first step towards the equine It looked shocked. I could see the equines eyes darting all over my body before resting on my clawed hands. The shock that was in it's eyes was now replaced with that of terror. Although it looked horrified it did not run away. However when I was about 8 feet from it something unexpected happened. The equine's eyes rolled into the back of it's head and collapsed. I did my best to raise an eye brow but (for obvious reasons) could not.

Upon arriving beside the equine I was surprised to find another one who was already unconscious. This new equine had a snow white coat and a tail and mane that consisted of a few types of blue. What was most eye catching about this one was the cone that protruded out of it's forehead. I knelt down beside the equine and upon further investigation found it to be a bone. It seemed to be natural so I thought no more of it.

I was about to leave when a glint of light was reflected into my eyes. I took another look beside the white equine to see some framed reflective material. I shifted my kneel to get a closer look. Beside the white equine was a pair of sunglasses. Curious I reached down to pick them up. They had black reflective lenses and that had a purple frame. however upon doing so I was barraged with images of my past. I wanted to scream out for the pain was so intense and sudden. Thankfully it subsided just as quickly as it had arrived. The images I had seen were of a species known as "Humans". These humans from what I could collect were a part of my daily life but in what way I could not determine. What was puzzling about this is they looked nothing like me. "What am I? What was I to them?" all sorts of questions came to mind. But just then a thought hit me. The thought hit me so hard because the idea was that the one who had owned these shades might no longer be among us.

If someone were to have been standing in the crater I had made they would have been crushed into powder. I tried not to think about it but the memory of the grey equines eyes in terror were enough to confirm my fears. And the small bump on the white equines head must have been from the man/ women's shades as they came rocketing towards her. I felt nauseous with the feeling of having killed someone.

My ears soddenly picked up the sound of foot steps. I felt the feeling of regret instantly replace with that of panic. I jumped to my feet dropping the sun glasses looking for anywhere I could conceal myself. I spotted a near by tree line making a bee line for it. The gape was closed very quickly because of my long legs and upon reaching it I dived behind the nearest set of shrubs and trees. The lack of shouting told me that they most likely did not spot me. I mentally sighed with relief.

Positioning my back to a tree i focused some of my fragments into a smooth flat surface that floated in the air allowing me to peek around the tree. I wondered if I could make other useful devices with this power. But that would of course have to wait for another time. I awaited the humans who were no doubt just over the hill.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw next. I was expecting too see angry humans emerging over the hill yelling "Is anyone hurt!?" or"What happened?!" or even "Who did this?! I'll kill them!". But there were no humans. There wasn't even any yelling. What I did see though was more equines! What was the first thing to surprise me about them was their wide variety of coat colors. Another white coated one was among them with a purple mane and a horn perched upon it's head like the one I had seen previously, a lavender one with set same horn purple mane with a strip of pink in it, there was an orange one with a blonde mane that looked to be tied at the ends and for some reason wore a hat, and finally there was a bright pink one who would not stop bouncing.

But my eyes widened most at the last two in the group. For one they were flying. two I now saw 3 variations of what looked like the same species which made me question if I was really on the planet I had come from. And three these equines were speaking in turn helping the other two out of there unconscious state. They were communicating with one another!

My hopes quickly sky rocketed at the thought of making contact with another intelligent species but were just as quickly crushed when I realized I could not understand a word that they were saying. "Well there goes my hopes of possible communication." I complained mentally sighing.

The Grey equine and other white one were now both conscious. The grey one mouth was moving almost none stop with a horrified look in it's eyes. I assumed it was telling the lavender one about me. The lavender equine looked at the grey one puzzled as if what it was saying was unbelievable but still showed concern."This might be a good time for me to sneak away." I suggested to myself.

Just then there was a large gust of wind. The leaves above me gently brushed aside allowing some most unwanted sunlight to glint off of my make shift mirror. I watched in horror as the glint went right into the orange ones eyes. My heart had stopped beating at this point.

The orange equines head turned in my direction. It stared a slow and cautious walk over. "Shit!" I thought to myself.

I began a searching disparately for a way I might avoid a confrontation with these creatures. My eyes scanned every were for anything that might help but to no a vale. I pleaded my brain to think of something anything! But it turned up nothing. I could feel myself sinking into disarray.

But as if a god saw what was happening and decided to pity me the lavender one addresses the orange one. This was my chance! I waited for the second that the orange ones eyes to turn to it's companion and bolted further into the forest. I sprinted as fast as I could and dared not look back.

"Applejack, where are you going?" asked Twilight still disturbed at what Octavia had told her about the creature. "Ah, think I sa...." said Apple Jack but was int interrupted by an abrupt rustle of bushes.

No pony had seen what had made the sound. No pony except Octavia that is. Octavia's eyes shot wide open as she caught a glimpse of the creatures coat trailing behind him."TH-THAT'S THE THING!!" she cried. Every pony stared at her a little startled by her sudden out burst. Vinyl was the first to break the surprised atmosphere. "Are you sure Octi?" asked her concerned room mate gingerly rubbing the bump on her head. "Does it really matter?!" asked Rainbow Dash "AFTER IT!!!"

With that all the ponies took off to chase down Octavia's assailant with Apple Jack and Rainbow Dash at the head of the pack. As they all followed the creature's path they could not help but gawk in amazement at the crystal shards floating about. Twilight found that the most interesting thing about them was how they were slowly trying to make there way back to the creature.

"What are these things?!" asked Vinyl "There kinda cool."

"They look pieces of the creature that Octavia described." Answered Twilight.

"O-Oh my is it hurt?" asked Fluttershy timidly. Octavia shook her head “No I don’t think so.” She said “When I first saw it was having these things coming off it the whole time showing so signs of pain or worry.”

“ Girls! Ya’ll got ta focus!” Pleaded Apple Jack “This thing might be dangerous so we got ta be alert.” Every pony focused there eyes forward all at once upon hearing Apple Jack.

“I’m going to try to cut it off!” proclaimed Rainbow Dash pulling ahead of the group. “Rainbow stop!” cried Twilight.

“Why!?” barked back a rather irritated Rainbow Dash.

“It’s just as Apple Jack said this thing might be dangerous, “ pointed out Twilight “ and judging from Octavia’s description if you were to encounter it alone you could get seriously hurt.”

“Ah agree with Twi. Besides we can easily follow the trail it has left us.” Stated Apple Jack. “Ya your right...” grumble Rainbow Dash.

They continued into the forest in silence in a heightened state of alert. The trail that the creature had left was getting thinner and harder to follow because the shards were picking up their slow pace and trying to catch up too their body. Twilight admired the shards. She wanted to take a sample to test on and sent off to princess Celestia but she had more pressing matters right now.

"Um... Girls." said Fluttershy " Up ahead is a cliff that over looks the Everfree forest."

"Then what your saying is that thing is likely to be there right?" asked Vinyl

" Y... yes, It should be trapped there." confirmed Fluttershy.

"Finally!" said Rainbow Dash "We got it!"

"It's got no were ta go." added Apple Jack.

All the ponies cleared the trees finding themselves on a cliff with a single tree perched on the edge. But too there disappointment there was no hulking mass of crystal that Octavia had described. There wasn't even a single shard. "Th-THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" screamed Twilight her voice full of disappointment. "We followed it's trail how is it not here!"

"Maybe it flew away." commented Vinyl

"No I don't think that's possible I saw no wings on it, and even if it did why did it run instead of fly?" pointed out Octavia

"Well all this speculation is nice an all but that does not help us ere." said Apple Jack

"Ya so what gives were is it!?" Asked Rainbow Dash

"We don't know Rainbow that's why were talking about it!" screamed Twilight.

The tension in the air was palpable. All the ponies frustration was going to lead to argument. That is it would have if something unexpected didn't happen happened. For something was stuck inside Pinkie's mane. This "something" was smooth and reflective. This "something" was a piece of the creature. After a little bit of fidgeting on it's own accord it had managed to dislodge itself.

Every pony watched the piece of crystal with intense anticipation. They all stared as it drifted happily up to the tree and made it's way around and behind it. With an audible click all the ponies understood where the creature was. They all smirked.

"I can't believe this!" I mentally cried "And I was so close to throwing them off my trail too!" My clever plan beaning foiled by a single fragment getting stuck in one of there manes just seemed so unreal. I felt betrayed, by my own body no less. But I have no time to think about this now because the immediate problem was the equines slowly closing in on my position. I needed to find a solution to this problem. Well in truth I already had one but I was hesitant to act on it. This plan involved me free falling about 70 meters into the forest below. Actually that's the only thing the plan consisted of. But why was I so hesitant free falling 70 meters into a forest, why just 40 minutes ago I had hit the ground at sonic speeds and was fine. So why was I so nervous about a measly 70 meters? Unfortunately I did not have an answer to the question.

The equines were slowly but surly closing in on me. I could hear them whispering but if it was directed towards me or not I could not tell. I looked over the edge again to stare my only option in the face. It stared back almost saying "Do it wimp."

I mentally sighed. "Well the only way forward today is down today." I said pushing myself off the tree and over the edge. I could no longer hear the equines as the sound of air rushing past me became louder. The free fall was not nearly as scary as the fall I had before hand. I actually rather enjoyed it. My trench coat was going crazy the whole way into the forest. I made a loud thud as I hit the ground. The landing was much smoother then the first one and no crater was made.

I looked up to see the cyan colored one flying circle above the forest. I decided to start walking. I no longer feared being found because this forest was more dense with foliage then the on that was on the cliff. The trees barely let any light making an ideal hiding place. The cyan one did a few scout rounds and then left not even entering the forest. I allowed my self to relax.

I spotted a boulder with a flattened top. Sitting down I thought about today's events and what I should do from here on out. I felt exhausted which was understandable so much has happened in the first day in this new world. I closed my eyes drifting into sleep.

END OF CHAPTER 2

Author's Note

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. DO keep in mind that I am still looking for proof reader so if you fell willing let me know.