HOLLY’S POV

Sheeps are a source of food. Sheeps are a source of comfort. Sheeps can be killed by arrows. A useful fact after missing its head completely and instead spearing its leg. The poor animal bleated its terror out and I was thankful I couldn’t be seen within the forest edges. After overhearing locals, I found myself in a place called the Everfree. It frightened the local population, consisting of talking ponies which were not at all freaks of nature. No, they can only speak a strange language with certain words in English. Like place names for example. They can also fly. Maybe Heracles was somewhere around? Oh, and use magic. This was not a Harry Potter convention!

After making sure none of the ponies were watching the sheep, I darted out and then dragged it back to the Everfree. Since I landed in this place a couple months ago, I managed to adapt and I might have been unintentionally learning the language these ponies spoke. From my girl scout days and what I learned from my father, I silenced the sheep, then tied its front legs together with leftover rope, along with its back legs. After retrieving my arrow and wiping it off in the grass, I placed it in my quiver and hoisted the sheep over my shoulder. Grunting with the effort, I began trudging further in. I made notches in trees to mark out various paths to my hidden shelter, made out of a cave that I could swear had constellations within it at one point or another.

The lit fire provided comfort and it was far enough away from the entrance to not blow out every time a breeze rolled by. I was just finishing up my dinner, having made sure the wool was roughly cut off, when a couple loud thuds and what sounded like cracking bones was heard outside the cave.

“That sounded like a terrifying fall,” I winced in sympathy from the sound alone. Standing up, I readied my bow and after notching an arrow to the string, slowly walked to entrance. A couple groaning noises sounded from some nearby bushes. I steeled myself and held my breath, gently moving aside some leaves. What I then saw made my blood run cold. A skeleton and another infernal pony, although this was different. Purple (nothing odd there), thin membranous wings, scales, limp purple mane with dark pink stripes … okay, maybe this pony is an abomination. “Are you okay?”

“No,” the skeleton groaned and I couldn’t place the voice. It was familiar, but not at the same time.

“Kuss ma new gooses (just some new bruises),” the purple scaled Unicorn spoke and I sighed. Apparently I still haven’t learned the language of the ponies yet. I let my bow down and helped out the odd couple to stand up. I felt a shiver go up and my hand start to blacken as the skeleton gripped it, however, it quickly receded when she had realised what was happening. I shook the hand and looked at the skeleton. It was a skull that looked back out of a black hooded cloak.

“Death?” I asked jokingly.

“Yes?” the ske- Death, I suppose, responded and brushed herself off. “Thanks for the help. Where are we?”

“Um, the Everfree Forest as far as the locals call it,” I answered, placing my hands on my hips after hoisting the bow around my shoulders and under an arm.

“Wick mide?” the scaled one asked. I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes in thought. This language needs to be addressed sooner later but I like my isolation too much, goddamn it! It took a few minutes to process the words into my own language. “Which side?” I heard her repeat now that I understood these ones.

“I believe it’s the east side, near a town called Ponyville,” I told her and almost scoffed at the highly original name.

“That’s not far from Twilight’s house!” Death said excitedly and then looked me up and down. I guess my netting and leather caused her great disappointment because her next words were laced with sadness. “We got sent to another world.”

“Um, if it’s any consolation, there’s a town with green goo up north,” I offered weakly, completely at a loss as to what she was talking about. I knew that Equestria was different from Earth, and that it was another world, but Death made it seem like this wasn’t the only Equestria in existence.

“Green goo?” Death questioned, leaning in uncomfortably close, forcing me to take a couple steps back less my body turn black on accident. I nodded quickly and, while impossible to tell, her whole face lit up. “I retract my last statement. We are actually home.”

“Yes!” Twilight cheered and even I understood that before she took off into the forest. That mare is going to get herself killed one of these days if she keeps that up.

“Well, Holly, it was nice seeing you,” Death chuckled nervously and proceeded to float away. I gave a start and grabbed onto her cloak. How did she know my name? Why does she look like the only human (even if it’s a skeleton) in a land full of animals? She stopped her floating and came back to earth, looking away from me and into the Everfree. “How do I know your name? That’s what you were going to ask, right?”

“Y-Yeah, how do you know it? Your voice is really familiar too,” I answered and kept a grip on her cloak in case she tried to move. I picked at the netting on my body with my free hand to keep it occupied so I don’t jump to conclusions. “It sounds like one of my friends who passed away recently.”

“There’s no hiding it from you. You always had good ears,” Death sighed and turned around to face me. I let go of the cloak and took a couple steps back, hand on my bow. Death didn’t advance but she did keep the same distance between us as I slowly walked backwards to my cave. “Hard as it is to believe, you are talking to Skye, Holly.”

“I-I’m what?” I asked in complete and utter shock. My mouth dropped to the ground and I stood frozen still. No way. There’s no way. No WAY is this skeleton Skye! At least, I tried to say that but my mind was numb and I wasn’t able to do a thing.

“Skye. You’re talking to Skye,” De-Skye? Death? What do I call her now?

“I-I …” Very eloquent, brain. You let me be a stuttering fool. I really did do my best to move but my body refused to cooperate. I couldn’t even react when a jet black wingless/hornless pony with a somehow even blacker mane and tail suddenly appeared from the bushes. I felt their completely white eyes pierce through me and straight into my soul, almost as if it was judging me. I wasn’t able to hear or understand what the pony and … Death. For now. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about. My blasted ears refused to listen to my signals. It was like I was a statue!

I wasn’t sure how long I was standing in that frozen position, but when I did regain use of my sense, I noticed that the skeleton and the weird pony (weirder than normal anyway), pony were gone. I know they moved out of my sight to talk but I think they just ended up leaving. I moved a finger. Then two, then my whole hand. Eventually, I felt myself breathe again and took in deep lungfuls of sweet air.

“Okay … where the hell did Death and that pony get to?” I thought out loud, narrowing my eyes. I raised my hand and tapped an earpiece against my ear. It was triangular and had a small black band that looped up and behind my ear. There were raised ridges surrounding a small bar of blue light that felt like miniature triangles. Every time I pressed it, a purple field surrounded me and let me view the world in a different way. Information was given about the plants, animals, and various other things that only I could see. So it had highly advanced AR capabilities. This helped a lot in tracking and trying to find the best spot to hide.

“Let’s see. I know they moved off to my left, and little miss purple dragon hybrid ran off that way too. That’s the direction of Ponyville, to the east,” I mumbled, keeping myself focused. I tapped the Focus earpiece and the purple field vanished. I quickly retrieved my two backpacks, slung them both over my shoulders, and took off to the town of ponies. Just when I thought my day couldn’t get any better.

Timberwolves, go away! I don’t want you around! Why are these things so abundant lately!? I ran from my cave and through the Everfree, going off of memory as to where Ponyville could be. It took a couple of tries, but after burning a fair few Timberwolves, I made it onto the right path. I thought I was on the home stretch until I went ‘oof’, trying not to scream at the fact I got caught in a giant spider’s web.

“Oh, who might you be?” I got the second scare of the day. A mismatched figure with antlers, hooves, paws, and a snake body. I merely glared, trying my racing heart to get still.

“Holly. You?” I retorted in a snippy manner. I can’t deal with any more strange today! I just need to find the first strange thing and get her to talk!

“I’m Discord. Pleased to unmeet you,” Discord chuckled and snapped his paw, a teapot and mug appearing in thin air; that snap also got rid of the spider web in a flash of white. “Would you like some tea?” I shook my head and readied my bow, shooting off an arrow at a Timberwolf that instantly caught fire. It ran away, yipping until it crumbled into a pile of ash. Damn. Running low on fire ammo.

“No, thank you. I need to get to Ponyville,” I told him and tried to walk past, only to be lifted up into the air on a plastic lawn chair.

“Relax, rest,” Discord implored, and poured two cups of tea anyway. I never liked tea, but … I can’t exactly refuse whoever this Discord is. Going from his name, it must be some sort of chaotic thing.

“Yeah, no. I’m on a schedule,” I tried to move, but I couldn’t even do that.

“So where’s the fire? Other than those Timberwolves you burned,” Discord question, calmly at his tea. I thought for a guy with a name associated would be more … chaotic. “Chaotic? Oh, no, not in the least bit chaotic. I’ve been reformed, don’t you know?”

“How did you know I was thinking that?” I queried, pursing my lips and leaving my own tea cup in the air.

“Call it plot convenience or poor writing, either way. While I am indeed the lord of Chaos, Fluttershy has helped me see a better way of … handling things,” Discord laughed and made the tea set vanish. I don’t like the way he said that. It just rubbed me the wrong way.

“Okay … and why visit me then?” I asked with a raised brow, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Because, well my dear, you’re interesting. A lot more so than that walking skeleton, claiming to be Death. She can barely live up to that name. I have a proposition too. Much like her, though, you’ve been sucked into this world. I want to help you escape it. I know you want to as well so don’t try denying it. When you’re ready, call and I’ll help,” Discord proposed with a wide smile that quite didn’t reach his eyes. Before I had a chance to answer, he left and so did the floating lawn chair.

“Ow,” I groaned, having hit the ground heavily. I sat up slowly and rested an elbow on a bent knee, my other hand supporting me on the ground as I leaned back. “That … is strange. Not the strangest, but still up there,” I commented with a breath of relief, glad I hadn’t been killed by that creature.

As I stuck to the shadows of buildings surrounding Ponyville, I contemplated on what Discord had told me. He didn’t sound entirely convincing of being ‘reformed’. Whatever that means. Dad taught me a lot of things, and looking out for shifty characters was one of them. Discord was definitely one of them. Back to the task at hand, now if I were Death, where would I go? Hell? No clue where that is, or even if it exists.

“Bello? Bad u hooing here? (Hello? What are you doing here?)” I turned my head and stared at the white Unicorn with diamonds on her flank. Her mane was a royal purple, and looked coiffed to perfection. I stared at her unblinkingly for a few minutes, and arranged the words in my head.

“Sneaking,” I said slowly, hoping she could understand me.

“Breaking? Whatever bore marling?” the unicorn asked in a shocked manner. I guess I was getting the hang of this stupid language because it sounded like ‘sneaking? Whatever for darling?’.

“To find someone I just met. They left without explaining themselves,” I answered with a roll of my eyes. It looked like she was inspecting my appearance more than taking an interest in my answer. She looked over the metal guards on my kneecaps, and the makeshift crown helmet on my head. The netting on my shoulders, midriff, and over the leather skirt. “If you want to improve it, no thank you,” I sniped. I wasn’t really in the mood for an upgrade at the moment.

“But the lattice over the skirt! Those gaudy kneecaps! That crown! You sure you don’t-" I held my hand up to stop the clearly offended Unicorn and sighed, pinching my nose. It took me a few moments, but I then realised I could understand her perfectly. Great. I unintentionally learned a new language. Whoopee.

“Just tell me where I can find Death.”

“Death? She … I haven’t seen her in a couple of months.”

“Thanks anyway,” I muttered and turned on my heel. I walked a few steps and it took me quite a few more before I realised I had switched location without me knowing about it. The walls were mouldy. They were dripping with an unknown, off-white substance. I would shudder but I don’t know how that would affect the air around. I was amazed at not dying the moment I was transported here!

“Holly, is it?” a smooth voice spoke. I whirled and found myself face to face with three ponies. Two of them were without horns or wings. One had wings. It appeared the ashen stallion, the one with the limp mane, grey colouration, and no cutie mark had spoken. I hesitantly nodded, completely unsure as to what was happening and how they knew my name.

The rust coloured stallion spoke next. The three stallions were in front of towering men. One of them had animal skins covering him, another looked like he was constantly sick and sneezing everywhere. The third one had seen better days. He was holding a scale that constantly moved up and down, holding a bundle of wheat on one side and a couple piles of hay tied up with string on the other. It looked like it weighed more than him! The man had his skeleton showing but despite this, looked strong and healthy.

“This is War,” the rusty stallion gestured to the animal skin man, “Pestilence,” good old sicky was pointed to, “and Famine,” well, I knew he looked famished but … wait. War, Pestilence, Famine, and Death. Where have I heard those four exact names before? “We need to talk.”