Title:           Journal Entries 2-5
Author:          ZDriftColony
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/Eze8BEmx
First Edit:      Thursday 20th of June 2013 10:37:42 AM CDT
Last Edit:       Thursday 20th of June 2013 10:37:42 AM CDT

Day 2
 
Okay, I need to keep track of these dreams, this is getting worrisome. On the train over here were a bunch of other people spouting the same story as me, all from the board, all from Earth. This can't be displacement, can it? Am I worried about something? I keep trying to wake up, but nothing I do helps. Am I maybe... awake? Psychosis usually incorporates REAL details, but nothing as outlandish as a cartoon show.
 
A couple newcomers had asked my name, and I drew a blank. I don't suppose "Nathan" would work here, seeing as how everyone seems to be going by pony naming schemes.
 
I'm a pegasus, now. Female, subdued tan coat. What do these guys go by again? Talent? "Zephyr Drift" sounds suitable, I guess. I need to get established ASAP before I get lost.
I'm exploring the settlement now, I suppose. Need to remember to update this more often.
 
Day 3
-notes: gotta find a real job
 
I keep waking up here, and I never have any dreams. Just a strange blankness that never leaves me particularly refreshed or alert. If this is schizophrenia, I sure hit the jackpot, I suppose. I hope my actions here aren't translating into real-world actions. Am I at college? Did someone check me into a ward? I can only hope I don't spill any spaghetti.
Going to scavenge some ruins a few others mentioned, maybe I'll find a cutie mark or whatever it's called. Hopefully I can be of use.
 
-notes: talk to some experienced fliers
 
Almost at the ruins, feeling somewhat nervous. Tried exercising my new wings on the way over but ended up with a real cramp at the bases. Walking, fortunately, seems to be much less of a hassle now that I have the rhythm down. I need to get more time practicing my flight before I end up falling off a ledge and breaking something.
 
Managed to salvage a length of rope out of some old house I found near what looked like the town square. Little disturbed at how desolate this place is. I wonder how long it's been like this.
 
Not having a lot of luck with the other houses. Found a couple plates that the cooks might like, but not a whole lot else. Updating soon.
Total inventory:
-1 decent-sized length of rope
-3 plates
-some more pencils and paper
-couple picture frames
Hopefully I'm not the only one with a meager haul.
 
-notes: need an actual home
 
I don't think this is a dream anymore. Everything's too consistent, too logical, as far as "logic" can be applied to cartoon ponies, I guess. Not entirely convinced I'm not having a delusion, though. All I can hope is that someone is keeping me safe, if I am.
 
Not sure where I'll stay after tonight. Shantytown is getting overrun with new people. If I remember correctly from the show, the ponies basically lived where they worked. Where would I go? The last job I held was "grief counselor assistant" at a hospice, but all I really did was keep inventory of pills and keep Mr. Higgins from trying to beat up "The Gummerment", as he called the nurses. Might try the clinic, since it's getting close to completion.
 
Day 4
-notes: find out what I'm good at. Great idea.
 
Turns out the clinic's a no-go; it's pretty much bursting at the seams with ponies claiming medical experience. Turns out a handful of courses in psychology and therapy aren't as practical when everyone's been thrown out into the wilderness to forage. I'd like to think of myself as /fit/, the journey between the colony and the Old Town ruins didn't really tire me out. Flapping my wings like an idiot seems to be coming a little more smoothly now. Might try lifting off from a tree stump or something later today.
 
It sounds like the consensus is that, once all the necessary buildings have been set up, some volunteers will help take care of RnR-related things, like theaters, concert halls (though I can't imagine playing my saxophone with a hoof that would crush, like, four keys in an instant). I don't have to be a psychologist, it'd probably just make me a paranoiac and convince myself I was dying or in a coma or something. Hell, I'd imagine, once I knew how to fly better, I could help out with the concert hall or theater pretty well.
 
There's a new building starting up, a massive hostel to lighten the load on Shantytown. Helping getting that done today.
 
Day 4
 
Found a couple jobs already, something about "risk prevention" with that Insurance pony, handyman work for that gray merchant pony, and an offer for a position as a gatherer of sorts for the science department. Seems pretty simple, hopefully I can find a permanent residence soon.
 
Great.
 
Overheard talk about "experiment volunteers" and "mind-altering" while I was speaking with Able. This sounds like a bad trope, but if I am indeed having a hallucination, I guess that'd be the place to go.
 
No, I cannot keep thinking like this, this is textbook Denial. Everything checks out as "real", I mean, I got a cut whilst working today, the pain felt real enough, and would've triggered a violent reaction if I was indeed in a schizophrenic state. But everything was business as usual as soon as i washed it. By some act of God or magic or whatever, I am a pony now, I need to remember that.
 
Looks like Trade got back from wherever he went. He seems alright, doesn't look like there's any monsters out there, or at least within reasonable walking distance of the camp. Except maybe the cockatrice. Hopefully I don't get sent into the forest on my job, wouldn't wanna run into that dreck.
 
Finally have a new home, about halfway between the two parks. I seem to be pretty close to the police HQ, fire station, and even the clinic, so I doubt I'll ever need to worry about any shenanigans when I leave the house. It's a little small, but thankfully, insulated. Either we're in a chilly climate, or pegasi are extra-susceptible to the cold, because TentVille was killing me. Either way, I'm not complaining. I turned the rope I found earlier over to the ponies at the shop, figured they'd know what to do with it.
 
There's some arguments going on about our economic state, and how much of a free market we need. I always wondered how /mlp/ leaned politically. I guess we can sort it out once we get the living conditions and aqueduct sorted out. I also spoke to a couple ponies regarding imports/exports during the discussion of money. It looks like human culture is going, ironically, to be our saving grace. There is a theater group forming that would probably re-enact things like Disney movies and vidya and try to pawn it off as Shakespearean stuff. I mean, it may as well be, for all that Equestria would know. Too bad it won't come to fruition until the town is all sorted out. That might be months, too. I wonder how my family is taking my disappearance. Wait, is this world on the same plane of time as Earth? What if I'm actually in some strange spin-off? If there is ever a way to return home, would I actually come back a la Narnia, or would everyone have given up on the search? Come to think of it, that'd show how many horsefuckers there really are, if a mass disappearance really did just happen back home.
 
I hope I stay here.
 
Day 5
 
It finally happened! After eighteen attempts, I finally, really flew! Well, I glided. A few meters above the ground. More like two feet. At least I got airborne, but it looks like I'm not cut out to conjure up tornadoes anytime soon.
The Risk Prevention Committee has been roped into aqueduct construction in lieu of formal pegasus weather teams, for our farmland. I'm not much of an architect, but at least some people spoke up, so I'll leave it to them.
 
Apparently some people are going on a mission in the tunnels beneath Four Cannon. I guess some Diamond Dogs had been excavating a tunnel system when a pack of cockatrices moved in and stoned everybody (note: no comedy cutie mark for me). If we ever hope to have real plumbing or some kind of underground storage, we'll need those tunnels. I'm not exactly thrilled by the prospect, but it'd be selfish to expect everyone else to go while I just sit here. Flippant found some newcomer from Sweden, and the two have been bouncing ideas for the town's water systems for hours on end. It's insane how good some of these people are at this kind of thing. I would probably have more luck trying to build a sandcastle than design these kinds of things. Really starting to miss technology. I've never really realized how lazy it's made me. But I suppose I can't be the only one in this position.