As I slept, I dreamed of things. I was walking with my friends along the streets of the city, talking about all sorts of stuff.

"You know, it's weird that you're a flying unicorn now," Alex said to me. I looked at myself and, yes, I'm a flying unicorn. Crap, I forgot to put my hoodie on. Fortunately, my friend didn't seem to care.

"Yeah, pretty weird," I agreed with a nod of my maned head, "But it's kinda cool. I can fly and do magic. What could my human body do? None of those two. It's also all weird and two-legged. Easy to tip over and fall, you know."

"Yeah," she shrugged, "I wouldn't mind having four legs and telekinesis. Imagine how quick I'd run."

She promptly turned into a horse and galloped away before I could as much as blink. Horses are very fucking fast, you wouldn't believe it.

"Good, good..." a sinister voice spoke behind me, prompting me to turn around. It was myself dressed in a dark cloak, my eyes menacingly glowing from under the hood, "Soon, your path to becoming a horse will be complete. Yet... one thing remains - you are homeless."

"It sucks, not gonna lie," I replied, conjuring up a lightsaber out of thin air, "But I know what you're going to offer. Join you and go kill children and then maybe I'll get what I want. The answer is no."

"Kill children? Where did you get that from, young fool?"

"You're literally a Palpatine look-alike, bruh," I pointed out, "And who's young here? Uh, okay, I guess I'm younger than I used to be, whatever. But you're still as old as me. Technically. Because you are me."

"You now have the power," he continued in that cartoonishly-evil way, "Use it. Gain what is yours to take. Do it. You are destined for greatness, and you must seize it."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about here," I kept the lightsaber in my magical grip, ready to activate it.

"You will see, in time," the fake Palpatine said in a voice that sent actual chills down my spine. And this is when I realized that I better run away. I used my wings to swiftly take off, leaving the fake Palpatine behind quickly. Unfortunately, I flapped too hard, so I shot into the air like a balloon with a hole in it. I flew higher and higher until I was above the tallest skyscrapers in my city, then I continued my ascension to the clouds and past them. My wings, however, didn't listen, and I soon spun out of control. I was careening straight into the ground, and I flapped desperately, trying to slow myself down. Then I hit the ground somewhere in the woods and woke up.

I blinked slowly, recollecting my thoughts. Huh, so that was a dream. Okay... that's good to know. I'm still a pony, I still have wings and a horn. I'm still in the same old barn I fell asleep in. And here I hoped I'd just wake up at my home and wonder how weird my dream was.

Ah, my home... Nothing quite like it. It was a tiny apartment with exactly one room, a kitchen combined with the living room. Of course, there was also a bathroom, otherwise I would've never accepted the deal. But, as tiny as it was, it was my home. It was a place where I could go where I knew it would be safe. It's not like the basements or abandoned buildings I've been to, it's not like sleeping in the park, it's a bed that was only mine and mine alone. Maybe it wasn't the most expensive bed, but it was mine, and it made it the most comfortable one I could ever hope to dream of.

Now? Now I'm here, without a home to call my own again, for no reason I can think of. I just appeared here, in a pony body, without any belongings but my hoodie, headphones, and the smartphone. Which, to be honest, is even less than what I had when I became homeless the first time. At least back then I had stuff to sell to sustain myself for a time. Now? No such luck... and I feel hungry again. It's not painful, but it's definitely uncomfortable.

The moon shone through the cracks between the planks, illuminating the inside just enough for me to see vague shapes and outlines. The night was full of sound - insects were chirping somewhere outside, and I swear I heard very distant howling. It was completely unlike the city - there was no noise of the traffic, no buzzing of lights, no distant music. Here, it was... calmer, serene. I could quite enjoy this, to be honest. And so I did, lying back against the hay, staring at something beyond the rafters.

I have an urge to play my guitar, but I don't have it anymore. It was a beat-up six-string acoustic I found in the garbage with half of its strings broken. For a time, I used it to get some money, playing simple yet catchy tunes I could remember or even come up with myself. Sometimes, I sung too, and I think I did it pretty well. It didn't bring me all that much money, but it was enough not to starve. One day, I remember I managed to get much more money than usual, and so I bought new strings and restrung the guitar. It has never left my side even when I finally got a home.

It's probably still there in the apartment, waiting for me. And I'm not sure if I can go back. Not even sure whether I would want to if I find a way. Maybe I could make a better life here? I managed to crawl out of homelessness once, I can do it again. But now, without a friend to help me... I'm really not sure. But a land of magic... it's a one-time opportunity, I bet. If I do go back, would I be able to return? Because I'd like to return even if it's just for the sake of my curiosity.

I pulled out my phone and took a look at the time - it was half past three. I could hope to catch some more shut-eye in the remaining thirty minutes before my alarm clock goes off, but honestly, I don't have any sleep in me whatsoever. Frankly, I should start thinking about how to get out of my situation and find a shelter and a decent source of income to sustain myself. Sure, I can keep chewing grass, but it's kind of tiring and annoying.

I stood up and stretched, feeling my joints pop as I did. I was a little sore - sleeping on hay isn't all that comfortable. But I've slept worse, I can manage. Carefully, I took off my hoodie and let my wings stretch, which was difficult - my wingspan is pretty... big? Wide? Not sure which word applies. In any case, I can't really stretch them to their fullest extent here. But still, better than nothing. I put my hoodie back on and went down to the first floor of the barn. I made it to the entrance, slid the door open, and it creaked like no one's business. Well, I gotta make my way out of here before anyone comes to investigate.

I kept low to the ground - as much as I could in this pony body, anyway - and sneaked to the trees, went between them, and over a fence. I tripped and fell face first into the ground. I groaned, but it wasn't all that painful, thankfully.

I got up, coughed a few times to get the dust out of my mouth, and then decided that it might be a good idea to wash myself while it's still nighttime. I don't stink, but I am definitely dusty, and I'd rather not become stinky. Not having a chance to properly wash myself sucks big time even if you do get used to the smell and the sweat and, ugh. I don't even want to think about it, brings bad memories.

I made my way through the silent village. Considering I've yet to see a guard or a policeman or whatever ponies have for protection, I don't think there's curfew. However, I still kept to the shadows and moved at a brisk yet quiet pace. No need to attract too much attention during the night, after all.

I noticed something interesting, something I somehow missed when I first came here - in the distance, on the side of a mountain, there was... a city. Or a castle, it's hard to tell. But it's there. The mountain side is at least fifty-sixty degrees relative to the ground, so I wonder how in the hell did they manage to build a city there, especially at such a height. It looks like a tree mushroom. You know, those wide mushrooms growing out the side of the trees. But it's a city on a mountain. How didn't I notice it? Maybe the clouds obscured it, I guess - it was a bit cloudy when I came to Ponyville. I should really visit that mountain place if I can, seems really interesting.

Above that city, moon shone. I can't stress it enough, the nights are bright. Or maybe pony eyes like mine have adapted to the dark well. I don't know, I've not studied pony evolution or whatever. But anyway, now I can see an interesting detail... the craters on the moon form a picture resembling a pony head with a horn. Huh, I wonder if someone made it with magic or whatever. However, that image gives me chills, and I don't know why. I just feel like... it's not just an image someone made. I feel like it's more than that, but I can't really say what. Maybe I'll find out in the future.

Once I was at the river, I followed it downstream until I found a place with good tree and bush coverage. Just in case someone was awake, I didn't want to reveal my wings. So, once I was sufficiently hidden, I took off my hoodie, placed it in the bush, and then made my way to the water, making sure I approached from the direction that obscured me the best. I tentatively lowered my hoof on the water to feel the temperature. It's a bit cold, but not freezing, I think I'll manage. The current didn't seem to be all that fast, so I think I'll be fine as long as I don't go too far from the bank.

I stretched my body again, this time allowing my wings to extend to their fullest. That feels good. Maybe I should do regular flights during the night when no one watches. Only after I learn how to fly, anyway.

I went into the water. Thankfully, the banks weren't all that steep, so my descent wasn't too quick. First, the water reached my knees, and I was shivering just a little bit. It's still nighttime, and the water is definitely pretty cold. However, I knew it wasn't the worst thing to happen yet. As I stepped further into the river, the water rose almost all the way to my stomach, and then I felt it. I felt the chill on my fucking balls. That is the worst part. However, I need to get clean, so I continued until only my head and my wings remained above the water. I could physically feel the balls shrinking into my crotch. That shit will make you perfectly awake right up, that's for sure.

I stood there in the water for some time before I forced my wings underneath its surface. Should I have done it? I don't know, I've no idea how to wash wings. I inhaled deeply and then ducked my head under as well. A second later, I reemerged and coughed a bit - some water got into my nostrils in that awful ticklish way. But at least I'm fully soaked now.

I wish I had some soap or a brush to scrub myself with, but I had to do with what I had, which was telekinesis. I didn't spend too much time on it, so I finished in a few minutes and quickly came out of the water. I was shivering a lot now, and I almost instinctively shook myself, pretty much like a dog. It did get rid of a lot of water, but I will have to let the fur and especially the mane and tail dry by themselves. I wish I had a towel. I could use my hoodie, but it's the only piece of clothing I have, and I don't really want to get it wet.

Then I realized something. I'm fucking stupid. Because I couldn't put on the hoodie, I was exposing my wings. I'm a damn idiot, I'm a moron. What if someone finds me like this?

I'm quite fucked. For some reason, I wanted to sing about it. I can actually imagine the lyrics.

I am fucked, oh so fucked
I did a thing I shouldn't have
And now I'm unsure of what will be.

It may not be a big deal, but I don't know. (What if it is?)
It may not be anything wrong, but I'm unsure (But what if it is?)
All I know is I didn't think this through

"Is anyone there?"

Oh fuck, I didn't notice how I started humming what came to my mind. It's so stupid anyway, why did I even come up with it? Thankfully, I managed to quietly hide among the bushes and, hopefully, I can remain invisible in the shadows. Which... is unlikely. How did ponies fucking survive in the wild, they're so brightly colored! Damn me, my white fur, and my red mane. I was low to the ground, motionless for a long while. I heard some steps nearby, but no one called me out yet.

"Huh, must've been the wind," they said, and I heard them walking away. Well, that's a relief.

However, I'm still damp. I'll have to wait to dry up a bit.

I hid in the bushes for a long while and managed to become dry enough to put my hoodie back on. My stomach grumbled, reminding that I should get some food in me before long.

Honestly... I think I should take a more thorough look around. Maybe find a notice board or something, this would maybe give me a chance to do some work and earn enough money to buy something nutritious. Sure, I can continue sustaining myself on grass, but it's honestly so tiring and boring to just graze on it. I'd rather eat some soup, maybe some fried potatoes. Mmm, hot crispy potatoes sound about right. Man, I'm salivating at the thought, and my stomach grumbles louder.

I think I remember seeing something interesting on that central building, I should visit it again. After making sure my hoodie and its contents were all fine, I made my way to the center of the village and to the big cylindrical building. As I closed on it, I saw a notice board. How did I not see it yesterday? I really should've been more attentive.

Okay, the moonlight provides enough for me to read. Hm, there are some ads about carrots, an ad about a new shop called "Quills and Sofas", a famous chain of furniture and writing utensils shop. What an unusual combo. But IKEA gives away free pencils, so I guess it kinda makes sense? Anyway, someone is looking for a lost stuffed toy. Yay, a side quest! Doesn't mention a reward, though. Maybe I'll do it when I have some food in my belly first.

Oh, this is interesting. A restaurant 'City Experience' is searching for waiters. The payment is two silver bits per hour. Huh, how much is that, I wonder? I've already seen items priced in bits, but regular bits, not silver bits. Unless the 'silver' part isn't really used outside of official stuff. I need to figure this out before I take on this job, even though I don't really want to. Waiters usually have it pretty bad. Rushes, understaffing, rude customers, and all with low pay. Okay, there's more written in this - requirements, for once. I need to be at least twelve years of age, I got that covered. A talent in waiting is preferable although not required. I wonder what that means. Next, being able to speak in at least one of Manehattan, Fillydelphia - okay, this is fucking ridiculous. Are those really just US cities with horse puns? What is this fucking world? Damn... Anyway, it continues with Baltimare, Trottingham, and Vanhoover accents. Do I have an accent spoken in those cities? I've no idea. Well, I can still try, I suppose.

However, let's look at some other possible options. I might be a beggar, but I hope to have at least some choice. Hm, a family is moving to Canterlot - the fuck, another horse pun? Come on... But anyway, this family needs someone to carry their luggage from their house to the train station, and they're willing to pay one silver bit for the entire ordeal. Their address is... hah, it's 'three-story house with pink walls and a cylindrical tower in its center'. Not a street address, huh. Anyway, I think this will be easy to deal with. I'm reasonably strong, I hope, so I'll have it done quickly. Now, let's go find that house and the train station so that I know where to go.

My stomach grumbled. Ugh, I guess I'll chew on some grass along the way.