The Equestrian Journal, by Anonymous - Day 25

>Today you found yourself in the field just outside Ponyville.  You and Dash had finished placing the clouds needed for the day, so you were using it to get some magic lessons from Twilight.

>And you had no talent for it whatsoever.  Fuckin' magic.

>You wanted to stick to the most practical spells you could, since it took you a while to learn any of them.  Yesterday you had studied teleportation in the library, and today you were putting it to use.

>Or at least, you were trying to.

>"You have to focus the magic around your entire form! Try again."

>And the spell kept fizzling.  At least Twilight is so good at it that she knows exactly what you're doing wrong, or so you think.

>It's a good thing the spell won't move just a part of you; that could be messy.  Something about the rest of your body anchoring it against the magic.

>"Alright, that was better.  Try using more magic."

>Fizzle.  You're starting to get frustrated.

>"More magic."

>Wait you think you got thi- NOPE WOW FUCKING FIZZLE AGAIN.

>"Don't be so reluctant!  Just do it!"

>Fuck it, full-on.

>"Yeah! That's i-"  Suddenly her voice is gone.

>You open your eyes and look around to find yourself alone in a forest.  A very dark and dense forest with no view of the sky and no indication of where exactly you're located.

 

>You've tried flying through the canopy, but it's too thick.

>You've tried sending a flare up but you can't make the magic.

>Every so often a bush rustles and scares the shit out of you.  Maybe you should just burn all the bushes?  Hell, burn the forest down!  You'll be able to fly out of the forest and the spot will probably grow back eventually.

>Except you can't make fire and you have no flint.

>You keep wandering for a while longer looking for some sort of trail but find nothing.  Panic starts to set in.

>Oh god you're gonna die again here.  When did you ever have survival training?  Never.

>Celestia would know what to do...if only you had your journal with you.

>How could you fuck up that spell so badly?  It's not like you were targeting a forest.  You were just trying to move to the other side of Twilight.

>Wait, maybe that's it?  You just overshot it?  Which way were you facing?

>.....fuck.  Maybe if you go back to where you appeared you'd figure it out?

 

>As it turns out, trying to find your way back is more difficult than you thought.  So much more difficult that it's impossible.

>And to make matters worse, you're turned about and have no idea which direction is which.

>And to make it even WORSE, you swear the shadows are watching you.

>Whatever, just gotta keep moving.

>As the sound of your hoofsteps becomes more and more pronounced in the silence, you're suddenly aware that there are no bird sounds.  Birds live in forests too don't they?

>What if a predator comes?  Can you really run or fight well enough?  Magic is out of the question, and the foliage is much too thick to fly.

>Maybe you should go back to human?  But then how are you going to hold on to the earring, especially in the frenzy of a fight?

>For that matter, would you really be a more able fighter in human form?  You never really thought about how capable a pony is versus a human.

>OHFUCK wait no it's just a deer.

>Man you almost shat yourself.

>It's getting harder to see in general.  Your best guess is the sun is going down.

>Wait, humans can climb!  Maybe you can climb to the top of a tree and look out!

>As soon as you take the ring off, your form stretches back to a human.  You're just enjoying the familiar feeling of balance bipedalism gives you that you've been missing out on when you realize you're completely naked.  That's right...your clothes weren't a part of you so they weren't affected by the form change.

>You begin to climb a suitable tree when you hear steps below you getting closer.  You dare a glance behind you and see three wolf-looking things coming at you.

>OHSHITCLIMBCLIMBGETUPTHERE

 

>So now you're stuck in a tree, trapped by these wooden wolf things.  Great.

>No sense in waiting around for them to leave.  You decide to climb higher, holding the earring in your clenched teeth.

>And as luck would have it, you do manage to get your head above the canopy.

>AND as luck would have it, all you see around you is more forest.

>Oh this is just fucking great.

>You work your way back down the branches.  Two wolves wait patiently for you to either fall or make a break for it.

>The other one probably went to get some food.  No doubt they're just going to keep you sieged here.

>Keep calm and think about this, Anon.

>They're made to sprint.  There's no way you're going to manage to outrun them.

>You could try to continue on jumping between the trees, but that's both incredibly dangerous and tiring.

>You don't have any tools or weapons you could use to get yourself out of this situation.

>What about your pony form?

>Well flying isn't going to work.  You could probably pick up more speed if you can get a good start, though there's no currents to ride.  The wolves will probably still outrun you.

>You could always try teleporting again.  Actually, you suppose, that's all you really can do.

>You reposition yourself on a thick branch that you'll be able to sit on in pony form and don the earring.

>But what if you fuck up again and end up next to the wolves?

>No, stop worrying.  Fear is the mind-killer.  Focus and get somewhere safe.  Imagine Ponyville...

 

>You pop through space.  As you look around, you find yourself on the ground now, but not anywhere near the wolves or the tree.

>You nearly cheer when you see a house built into a tree, until you realize this one is not quite as grand as Twilight's.  You find yourself seated in front of a fire in a clearing in front of the housetree.

>The fire roars into the underside of a cauldron of some sort.  Inside is water boiling; the owner must be preparing some stew.

>And on that note a bush behind you rustles.  You turn to find a cloaked figure emerging.  All you can make out are glowing, yellow eyes and the general shape of a pony.

Uh...hi.

>The figure nods to you, walking past you into the home before coming back out to throw some ingredients into the cauldron.  The splashing of the plants hitting the water makes you eerily aware of the silence between you two.

>Having finished the maintenance of the stew or whatever it may be, the pony stands peering around the surrounding forest, like he or she is looking for something.

So, I had a mishap with teleportation and ended up here.  Can you tell me where we are?

>The pony looks back at you and sighs, sounding relieved.  She, as you now see, removes her cloak and sets it aside as she sits near the fire as well.  This pony is a sort of zebra, with a very tribal look to her.

 

>"I heard a crack like that of lightning, and donning my cloak went into hiding.

>I thought a beast might be about to attack, and sloppily let a limb go crack."

>Oh god the rhyming.

>"You find yourself in the Everfree, at my house here with me."

And who are you?

>"Zecora is the name by which I go.  And what about you, friend or foe?"

Friend.  My name is Anon.

>"Well met, Anon, lucky for you.  I know what it's like to be lost too."

>You swear there's a deeper meaning there.  Nah, probably not.

I hope you don't find me rude, but, why are you speaking in rhyme?

>"This is a curse put on me from the land from which I was thrown.  And what of you?  You seem to have a bane of your own."

>Alright seriously?  That was a little more specific.

Yeah, I can't cast a proper teleport.  Fucking magic...

>She chuckles.

>"I think you know what I meant, but I'll let it go."

>wat how did she

>"Would you join me for supper while the sun moves low?"

Sure.  I haven't eaten since morning.

>"I'm glad for the company.  Would you like some meat?  I can't imagine that that your diet here is complete."

Alright, seriously, how did you instantly know I wasn't a pony?

>"It's the subtleties in us that betray the lie.  It's in the way that you talk and the look in your eye.

>"One example is the way you worded your question.  Why do you not define yourself as Equestrian?"

That's...hm.  I need to think about that one.  And yes, I would love some meat if you have some on hand- err, hoof?  Wow, I see your point.

>She laughs and steps back inside the house.  After a few minutes she comes back out with another cloak and a cleaned fish.  She throws the cloak your way, offering you some decency when you swap form.  She puts the fish on a rotisserie as you sit back down sans earring.

I haven't really been human in a while, and I haven't had meat in longer.

>"Most ponies would be afraid, but I'm more understanding.  I've seen many things, compared to them you're only a little outstanding."

 

>After Zecora finishes cooking the stew, she pours the both of you bowls.  You pour some chopped bits of the fish into your stew and dig in.  A companionable silence falls over you both, and your mind starts to wonder.

>Why DO you think of yourself as being so different?  Just because you're from another world?  While you're sure that ponies would never use the word, they definitely are people too.

>Twilight might know your secret, but the rest of your friends all just see you as a pony.

>Actually, you're sure a few mares see you as a potential something more; you've just ignored their advances.

>Being stranded out here makes you miss these friends.  You miss that librarytree-houselibrary.  You miss Celestia.

>You probably wouldn't have realized most of this for a while if Zecora hadn't led you into it.  She's a pretty interesting woman...mare...whatever.

>"In your time to yourself, you seem to have reached a conclusion."

>You're snapped back to attention, noticing your bowl is about empty and you haven't eaten from it in a while.

>"Tell me, did I help you in dispelling you of some illusion?"

You did, yeah.  Thanks for that.

>She nods as she pours herself another bowl.

I guess I'm just feeling a little homesick right now.

>"Being away from one's home is no easy task.  Where do you come from, if I may ask?"

Ponyville.

>She stands suddenly, beaming.

>"You've good fortune with that teleport today.  I know the path there, it's only a short way."

>You're at a loss for words.  All you can think about is how relieved you are to be close to Ponyville.

>To your friends.

>To home.

 

>Ten minutes of walking later, you emerge from the forest.  In front of you is Ponyville basked in night.

Thanks for your help, Ze-

>You turned as you said it, only to find yourself alone.  You couldn't help but smile while looking back at the forest.  Maybe you'll get to thank her another time.

>For now, sleep.

 

>Ponyville is really serene at night.  You've never been out at this time to notice.  There's just enough background noise from insects and the such to not be uncomfortable, but quiet enough to be relaxing.

>Though your thoughts are on one mission at the moment.

>A few minutes of walking alone brings you to the door of that familiar treehouse-librarytree-housebrary.  You find the door unlocked and silently slip in.

>As you ascend the stairs you hear the gentle sounds of a girl sobbing.

>Oh no, you really hope Twilight didn't blame herself for this.  She probably would, given that she was trying to mentor you on that spell, and you know she has issues with thinking she's not good enough.

>You peer into the room through the cracked door to find Spike consoling her with a hug, but it doesn't seem to be appeasing her.

>Spike: "C'mon Twilight, you need to get some sleep.  You looked all day.  You left the door unlocked in case he finds his way back.   You did all you could!"

>Twilight: "You're...right, Spike.  Maybe I can find a spell to track him tomorrow."  She actually chuckles a bit through the tears.  "You know what he'd say about that plan?"

>You choose this moment to drop the stealth and walk through the door.

It's gonna be my catch-phrase at this rate.

>The two jump a foot in the air and turn around, expressions full of relief and happiness.  Before you can even move out of the way, Twilight has wrapped you in a hug.

>You return.  You did miss her too.  Friendship is...

fuckin' magic.

 

"Hey Celestia.

 

It's probably too late for you to be reading this after I write it, but hopefully you get to it in the morning.  I'm sure Twilight has filled you in on the situation today.  I've found my way back, as well as learned some important things.  Nothing like the "lessons in friendship" or whatever you have Twi working on, but rather some conclusions that I should have arrived at a while ago.

 

Being stranded in a tree and having dinner with a hermit sage can do that to a person, I suppose.

 

Because I'm a different sort of creature from a different world, I let that define me as a person.  I let it distance me from the people here, the ponies.  Words like 'people' aren't used here, I know, but I've found that it fits.  Our bodies and even our worlds are different, but it's not a part of who we are.  There is no reason to set myself apart from my friends here for this reason.

 

I realized I value these people more than I thought.  While I was lost in the forest I missed my friends and you.  I was worried I wouldn't get to see you all again, that I screwed up my second chance.  Even if this is my second life, it's still my life.  Equestria, more specifically Ponyville at the moment, is my home now.  I'm no longer from Earth; I am from here.

 

I'll see you soon.  Good night, Celestia."