Prologue
“I’m going to be late!” I yell out, though no one was actually home to hear me. I dash through my house, running through it like I’m raving mad. I grab my phone and my laptop from my bedroom, toss them into my backpack before I hastily grab my body armor. Once I have everything, I grab my backpack and throw it over my shoulder. I almost run out the door before I realize I am missing something very important: my gun. Frustrated I turn back to the room and retrieve my paintball gun from my dresser before quickly making my way out of the house.
Flying out the door, I run across my front yard and into the forest just outside my property. Before long, I meet up with the rest of my team, who are waiting impatiently in a clearing.
“Sorry I’m late,” I wheeze out, taking a moment to catch my breath. "You know your positions?" My two friends, Max and Nathan, merely smile and nod their heads, suppressing their laughter.
"I will be going to an animal shelter tomorrow to help with the animals there, I'm guessing you two are going to be at Six Flags?" I take another moment to make sure everything is in order with my team. They both are decked out in gear similar to mine, though there are tiny alterations that suit each of them.
"We have the season pass, we might as well use it for what its worth," Max states, bending down to tie his shoe. He was taller than me, so it was funny when he was bending over, thus shorter than me.
"You do know that a season ticket is only worth two trips to Six Fags, and not twenty trips, right?" I reply flatly. Max laughs at the question, getting back onto his feet, making me feel short again.
"Yeah, I do know that. But I don't want to go only twice a year. You're with me, right Nathan?" Max glances over at Nathan, who nods in response, a smile playing across his lips.
I pause momentarily as I think that over, "Well, I guess you're right, it would be stupid to only go two times when you live so close." Max and Nathan focus on something behind me, reaching for their paintball guns that are strapped across their chests.
I hear a chuckle from behind me and turn around, "Talking about Six Flags instead of the game? Makes me think you're worried, Bridget. We will pound you into the ground," A captain from another team states while he walks up to us.
"Me? Worried? Ha! At least I didn't cry on a roller coaster, and besides you know I practice a ton and you don’t even touch your paintball gun, Ben." I tease with a smug smile as I remember hitting all my targets dead on in my last practice run.
"Alright then, lets see what you're made of," Ben says mockingly. He pulls up his own gun, aiming it straight at me and pretending that he was shooting me. I almost fell to the ground laughing when he made a pew-pew sound.
I merely smile instead and say, "With pleasure, little brother. I hope you don't get scared when I beat the rest of your team and save you for last, because I would hate for you to run home and hide.”
Ben just stares flatly back, "Not if i get you first!" He shouts, his face turning red with embarrassment and rage.
"Good luck with that~!" I sing as my team and I run off further into the woods to wait until the whistle is blown to start the game.
"Bridget, is Ben anything like you,or is he worse?" Max asks as we run. I really don’t like answering questions when others ask me about my brother. I thought people understood how I despised talking to others about my brothers skill, because I knew absolutely nothing about how he actually did. Just his practice schedule.
"I have never seen him play so, I don't really know. I just know I practice way more, but maybe he is, maybe he isn't. Lets just hope he isn't.” I gasp as we come to a stop and I try to catch my breath.
Max jogs past me and leans up against a tree. “Yeah, lets hope so, because I know the rest of his team is.” I pause as I ponder the situation. The other two players on my brothers team were kids I really didn’t know, because my brother didn’t let me get to know his friends. Not after I made him look like an idiot in front of Max and Nathan.
“Anyways..., we need a strategy. Max you cover me, Nathan you go and hide behind the trees over there and see if you can get a shot.” I say as I point to some random trees across from us. “You wait them out. I’ll scout, Max you shadow me.” The two nod, silently agreeing.
A silence falls over the group except for me humming softly. "What do you think they will try and do?" I ask no one in particular. I also didn’t really expect an answer either.
"Most likely try and get you first because you made fun of their captain," Max laughs. I join in the laugh for a moment, realizing that he was probably right. My brother would want me out of the way first and he would want to be the one to do it.
I nod and go back to watching the trees, searching for brush I can use for cover. "I'll be sure to get the first person I see before they see me, I mean look at what im wearing." I comment as I gesture to my camouflage painted skin and clothing. It had taken me forever to actually paint the camo onto my skin, especially some of the areas that were harder to reach.
"Yeah, no one should be able to see you if you’re careful, but neither will Nathan. So you might not want to sneak behind him, or he might shoot you." Max responds. “For that matter, don’t let me lose sight of you either. I don’t really need you sneaking up on me anytime soon.”
"Trust me, if I have to do that, I’ll warn him it’s me before getting too close," I remark with sarcasm as I roll my eyes. I didn’t really want to end up shot by my own team member.
Max smiles and laughs. "Always the smart one you are Bridget, always the smart one."
A loud whistle echoes through the trees, signaling the beginning of the game.
"Time to start!” I exclaim with a large smile as everyone gets into their positions.
******
In Equestria, a lavender unicorn by the name of Twilight Sparkle scanned the treelines of the surrounding forest. The Everfree Forest.
Spike sighed, turning to her with a small glare.“Come on, Twilight! You promised me you wouldn’t get carried away. We’re here to help Fluttershy with her animals, not to do research off in the woods, remember?” He commented with a mildly concerned look. “Now lets get this over with before I end up missing my afternoon nap time.”
Twilight shook her head, snapping out of her daze. “Uh, yeah, sorry about that Spike, I was just wondering about-”
“I know.” Spike interjected flatly with an unamused look before casually gesturing a claw to a small cottage ahead. “Look, we’re almost at Fluttershy’s, so focus. You can get back to whatever that crazy idea is you have been going on about the past few days after we help her, and after I am back in my cozy bed.”
Twilight looked back to spike with a sheepish smile. “You’re right, sorry, not the time or place.”
Twilight scooped the baby dragon up in a magical glow, levitating him onto her back before trotting the short distance to Fluttershy’s cottage. But not without one last glance at the forest.
*****
As I run through the woods, scouting for our opponents, Max has already taken out one of the boys on the opposing team. My plan for scouting was simple. If I saw one of our opponents, I would jump behind a bush and hope my camouflage actually did it’s job. I am quickly becoming paranoid as the more time passes without a single sign of anyone.
About 20 minutes go by and still no sign of my brother or his teammate. I begin to wonder if they ran away? Though that seems rather unlikely. My brother is brash and never gives up until the end. I decide to walk back to the starting area by our gear bags and happen to spot my brother’s teammate along the way. Dropping to the ground and taking careful aim, I fire a shot and hit him in the chest. I grin happily as the red paint splatters his armor, a perfect shot to the chest. He falls down and plays dead like we're supposed to, with an angry look on his face. I stand back up and take a look around the surrounding area.
“Now... to find my brother,” I think aloud to myself, scratching my head with the tip of my gun. “I need to make sure I see him before he sees me, easy enough!”
I smirk as I continue the walk to the starting area, hardly making any noise; sometimes it’s good to be light on your feet. I get to another clearing and see my brother looking around and... waiting? I think about it for a moment and it hits me. He is looking for his team, and when they don't come, he will be determined to take me and Max out. Sadly, Nathan got taken out before Max could get the first guy we eliminated.
I decide to go the long way around to where his back is facing. As I get there, I hold steady, take careful aim and fire a shot, hitting my brother in the back with a bright red paintball. He turns around and as he sees me, his face turns as red as the splatter on his front. He starts to charge for me, so I run the short distance back to where we started, grab my bag in case he wants to mess with my stuff and run deep into the forest in an attempt to lose him. I am looking behind me when it happens. I feel my foot catch on something and trip, falling hard head first into a large root , my last thought before I lost consciousness is, “I got him, I won!.”
**********
"I’m glad you came to help me with my animals today, Twilight. Though, you didn’t have to if you really didn’t want to." Fluttershy mumbled, a light smile on her face.
"Its fine, Fluttershy. I'm more than happy to help, but I can't stay too long. I still have to find a spell for an experiment I’m conducting later today." Twilight responded, catching her breath. She had spent the better part of an hour running about with different foods, helping Fluttershy feed her animal friends. Though, she refused to go anywhere close to the snakes that Fluttershy kept down by the river.
She kept her mood light, the idea of whatever may be in the Everfree keeping her from becoming too stressed. She was chanting “Yes, yes, yes,” under her breath, excited to find what could be out there.. Before she could finish her thoughts, the Cutie Mark Crusaders came bounding into the cottage, out of breath. The three fillies were obviously still on their adventures to find their cutie marks.
Sweetie Belle spoke first, before the other two could catch their breath. "Fluttershy, do you know have anything we can do to get our cutie marks? We’ve ran out of ideas." Scootaloo rolled her eyes, no doubt mocking the unicorn filly because she probably had a lot of ideas, but they were deemed “too extreme” by her friends.
"Oh girls, we have talked about this before, many times. Why not keep trying the things you know and love? Maybe you can still find your special talent that way Um, safely?" Fluttershy said with a hint of concern in her voice. “Remember the last time you tried to help me?”
Unfortunately, the girls were barely even paying attention, somehow wrapped up with a new idea that Applebloom had come up with during the middle of Fluttershy’s speech. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS LIFEGUARDS!!! YAY!" The trio shouted, at a ridiculously high volume, before running off to see if their special talent was actually saving ponies from drowning.
"You, uh, might want to go after them Fluttershy. They won’t be able to save anypony else if they can’t even save themselves,” Twilight said as she looked out the door with a worried expression. Fluttershy nodded and flew after the crusaders.
Twilight paused a moment before looking at the cottage door. “Now to go to the library and find that spell." She smiled, closing the door, leaving a very disgruntled bunny with a bowl of carrots and lettuce.
Normally Twilight would simply walk or run to her destinations, but today, Twilight could hardly hold back her excitement. She decided that it would simply be easier for her to teleport home. Her horn lit up with the glow of her purple magic as she vanished, appearing in the lobby of her library home.
“Now, where was that mass illumination spell...” she mused as she read through her spell books
**********
I find myself waking up in the middle of the forest, only it seems far darker and much scarier than I remembered it being.
“Ugh... what time is it?” I groan as I rub my head and stand up before cursing at the tree that I had hit. I then realize that I’m in the middle of a clearing. Maybe Ben had dragged me here and went to go find some help. I didn’t really know, nor did I appreciate him leaving me in the middle of the forest.
I take a moment to collect myself then throw my bag over my shoulder and start to walk the short distance back to home. Unfortunately, I find my sense of direction has left at the same moment that I decided it was a good idea to look behind me. Not looking where I was going, I bumped into another tree. Though the distance from where I was to home was quite short, I feel like I have been walking for hours.
I stop for a moment and sit my bag down to rest a moment. “Something’s not right...” I say to myself as I scan the area around me. It looks so familiar, but at the same time, It doesn’t. The trees seem alive, like they were going to stand up and try to get me. I then realize that is the most ridiculous notion ever.
My train of thought is quickly interrupted by a loud growl and I begin to worry because there are a lot of bears in the woods close to my home, though I have never personally seen one. I decide to make a lot of loud noise in an attempt to scare it off, but this only seems to draw the noise closer to me. Something comes out of the nearby brush, but whatever it is, it isn't a bear. Looking over the small mass of the beast I find I recognise it from a mythology book I read back in school.
I promptly say the only coherent thing I can think of at the time "TIMBERWOLVES?!?!?!, THEY’RE REAL?!"
I stand up and start to run, but it quickly begins to follow me. While I am running around, screaming like a banshee, I also may have said, "Help help help help help!!! Stupid monster!" I shot him with the paintball gun once or twice, which only seems to make him angrier and run faster, so I scream, "HELP!" even louder and run as fast as my legs can physically carry me through the forest. Much to my dismay, my foot catches another branch and I trip and fall again.
“WHAT IS WITH ME AND TRIPPING TODAY!?” I scream out before rolling onto my back and facing my pursuer with a look of anger on my face.
I find the timberwolf only feet away from me, followed by 3 more so I do the most logical thing any scared person would do in this situation; I promptly faint in fear, but not before I catch a glimpse of something yellow flash into my field of view. As I once again begin to lose consciousness, I think, “What have I gotten myself into?”
Chapter 1: Waking Up
Two hours ago Twilight and the rest of the girls had left, leaving Fluttershy to take care of feeding the animals and watching the strange creature on the table. When it grew dark she knew the creature wouldn't wake up until morning so she finished feeding the animals and went to bed. What she didn’t know was that Angel bunny was going to throw a carrot at the creatures head 5 minutes after she went to bed and fell asleep.
*****
I wake up to a carrot thrown at my head, never a good way to wake up, “Ow, what was that?” I look around and see a fluffy snow white bunny with an angry expression on its face, and notice I'm on a table. ‘What am I doing on a table?’ Someone must have found me after I hit my head and dumped me on the table until I woke up. A little crude. I look back at the bunny and see a lot more animals ranging from rabbits to an...eagle? This person must be an animal hoarder
I jump off of the table and walk over to the couch and lie down on it. The bunny follows me and glares with those big angry eyes of his. He throws another carrot at my head and then hops away. I look out the window, and see that its night. I give a small yawn before shutting my eyes, falling to sleep quickly.
*****
When Fluttershy woke up the next morning, she came down and saw the creature asleep on her couch. She panicked and counted all of her animal friends and was relieved to see that her animals remained uneaten.
She saw the creature move in its sleep, then one of the creatures eyes opened, the dark brown orb looked at Fluttershy for a second, then closed. A minute later, the creature was asleep again. She ran out of her cottage and went to get her friends before the creature woke up.
*****
I was half awake when I saw that the animal hoarder also had a pony, and had dyed it yellow. I decided not to question it and sleep, but I woke up to the sound of a door opening and closing. The person who lived here must have left for the day and woken me up in the process. I looked around the room in the light of the morning, but didn't see the pony that the person had. I assumed that the person must have taken it riding, or even to get the pony branded to know it was the hoarders, or something. I went back to sleep before the hoarder came back home with the pony.
*****
Fluttershy had run all around Ponyville to find her friends, she went to Rainbow's cloud home, to Sugarcube Corner, to Golden Oaks Library, to Sweet Apple Acres, and Carousel Boutique. After she talked to her friends, they all agreed to go to Fluttershy's house later.
*****
I felt something soft on my arm and opened one eye. It was the animal hoarders yellow pony. How it got in without its owner to open the door, I will never know. I closed my eye, and the pony started to nuzzle me, trying to get me up. When it opened its mouth, I nearly jumped off the couch in the idea that it was going to bite me. It was then that I noticed the large wings standing erect on it’s back. The animal hoarder had a mythological creature for a pet and didn't give it up as proof that mythology is real.
Just then the door suddenly opened to reveal 5 other ponies, apparently the hoarder had a lot of ponies it had dyed and branded with different symbols. There was another pegasus, yay, two normal ponies, dyed pink and orange, and, oh look for mythology creatures, 2 unicorns. Just what I need first thing when I wake up, more mythology creatures that were not handed over for science to study.
I nearly had a heart attack when the purple unicorn decided to speak, in perfect english, “What is she? Do you know what I’m saying. If you do, say something.” I decided to assume I was still sleeping so I was just going to milk this a bit. I answered with a moo, and the next few times any animal I decided was the most fun.
*****
The six were about to give up on whether or not on if the creature could speak Equin, but Fluttershy tried one more time, "Speak Equin". The creature started to laugh.
“Your language is called Equin!” Then it ran to the door and ran outside, into the forest.
*****
Stupid rainbow maned pony. It caught me easily and dragged me back to the little cottage, and the cowpony tied my hands and feet together so I couldn't leave.
With a tone of happy curiosity, the purple unicorn asked, “What are you?”
“I’m a human. Nice to meet you.” I replied, my voice dripping in sarcasm.
It seemed to not notice my tone, or maybe it just ignored it. “Nice to meet you too. Now, where are you from?”
“I am from Earth.” I say with a big smile on my face.
"What's 'Earth'? Is it the name of your country? Your home?" She’s kidding right? We are on earth right now, aren't we?
“This isn't Earth? Looks a lot like it to me...” I trail off as I remember that flying ponies and unicorns aren't in the real world, “...Anyway Earth is my home, but there are names for the countries and stuff on Earth.” I finish while trying to reach my hands to chew on the rope around my arms but failing miserably. “Why are you the only one asking the questions?”
“I am asking the questions because I am most fitted to ask them and my friends are here to back me up if you try to attack.” Like I can attack with my hands and feet bound together, did she forget about that? HELLO!! “What is the social structure of Earth like?"
“I honestly don't know.”
“Come now. How could a pony possibly not know the social structure of the world they live in. Even foals know about the Princesses and the three tribes. A creature as tall as you must be an adult." It pauses for breath for a moment, then her eyes narrow a little, "Unless you're an alien spy and don't want to tell us."
“Ok first...WHAT?!? I am not from here, and really I could be a lot taller, I am only a kid, i'm 14. I won't be an adult until im 18. I am an alien, yes, but I didn't try to come here so I can't exactly be called a spy. I don't know the social structure of the world I live on because I'm not well informed and I don't care about about it. That's grown ups have to worry about, not kids. I don't think a lot of grown ups even care about it, where I come from.”
I look up at her, my anger changing to fear, “This rope is starting to hurt, could you untie me? Please? I won't run away. We all know I'm not fast enough to outrun Miss Rainbow mane over there.” I jerk my head over to the maned pony as I say this. She had been giving me a little frown, but then when I commented on her speed. She gave me a cocky smirk.
She just looked at me, examining and evaluating. I now knew what a specimen under a microscope felt like. "Alright, I'll untie you, but don't run.” Her horn engulfs itself in purple magic and I feel a ticklish sensation as the rope around my arms and legs unties itself and falls to the floor. I sit up and rub my wrists, trying to bring the circulation back to them.
“What is your name?” the purple pony asks as she tilts her head to the side.
“My name is Bridget, and I can guess a couple of your friends names just by there mane and coat colors, I am guessing the rainbow maned pony is called Rainbow, the pony that is all pink is named Pinkie, The white one is named...Diamond, the orange one is Goldy, and the yellow one is Sunflower, and I am guessing your name is... Lavender?” The purple pony looks surprised, but she recovers and looks at me with a smile.
"That guess is correct for only two of them, I am Twilight Sparkle. This is Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack. The other two you got correct.” Twilight points her hoof to each pony as she says their names, each pony in turn greet me in different ways.
Fluttershy hides behind her mane “Oh, uh hello there.”
Rarity looks me up and down before giving a small pout “Is that really fashionable?”
Applejack tips her hat to me in greeting “Howdy there, Bridget.”
Pinkie bounces up to me, grabbing my hand and shaking it violently. “Oh what fun is this! I’m going to throw you an amazing welcome to Ponyville party! I do it for every pony!”
Rainbow Dash swooshed around the room before landing in front of me. “Fastest flier in Equestria, though you already knew that.”
Twilight loses her smile and it is replaced with a determined frown, and she says "Would you mind if we got back to my questions now?"
“Sure.” I sigh, rocking back and forth on my heels, feeling like I’m under the lamp in some black and white detective movie.
“Excellent, now what did you bring in your saddlebag?” She turns around and walks to a corner of the cottage and trots back with my backpack in her magical grip.
“My backpack? I have a laptop and an ipod in there. And that is mine, can I have it back?”
“What is a ‘laptop’ and ‘Ipod’?” Oh I was hoping I wouldn't have to explain technology to the ponies, I was hoping that they were at least in the 19th century!! Twilight levitated the bag over to me, a sheepish smile on her face. “It is yours, sorry for taking it. Everything is still in there.”
“It is...basic technology that my race uses. We search and listen to music on them...and we learn stuff using them, I am not a good person to ask, I can't explain this stuff very well.” I stand up and suddenly notice the size of the ponies. They were like large plush toys that you’d buy a baby, or win at a carnival. “Wow.”
“What?” she gives me a puzzled frown and looks up at me.
“Nothing...nothing.” I gave my limbs a finally stretch and looked down to the somewhat small pony. “Is that all the questions you want to ask me?”
Twilight looks at me, “I guess we are done for now. I'll ask more questions later though, now you need a place to live, so you can live with me.”
“Why do I have to go with you?” I ask the lavender pony. I crossed my arms, feeling as though this was going to be a bad idea. “I mean, I’ve been here in this cottage with... uh... Flutterguy here.”
Twilight looks at me with determination, “Because you are my responsibility, and I intend to take full responsibility for you. And FlutterSHY only looked after you because we wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt and weren’t going to be dangerous.”
“Ooookkkk then...” I say uncertainly. For a pony so small, I had never felt so intimidated by an animal before.
“We can't have you going outside and scaring the other ponies until we can make them trust you, so we have to teleport to my house. You can't sit on me because you probably are too heavy. So hold my mane while I teleport us to my house.” I grab her mane and in a flash of purple light I'm in a different room. I felt warmer than I had been at the cottage and I smelled smoke. Glancing down for a quick second, it didn't take me long to realize why. I was on fire!
“Owowowowow, burning!!!” I yell and run around the room, and I see Twilight's horn take on a purple glow as water splashes around me. “Well...now I'm soaked and burned. And I don’t have anymore clothes.”
“Oooppss,” Twilight giggled, blushing slightly. This was not looking well, least of all for me.
