Hell yeah.

An agreement. Not something I was used to, and I dared to hope that maybe there would be more agreements of the sort. That in of itself was of a pretty good nature. Like the worst of the clouds had passed in front of the sun, and soon I’d bathe in the ultraviolet rays of the sol that kept everything I could dream of alive. That was the feeling.

The worst was over, and I was free. The worst was beginning, and I was chained. The worst was over, and I was free. The worst was beginning, and I had no part in the struggle for it.

The pain of living, the struggle of remaining just barely above defeat, that immortal spirit of spite that bound those around me together, humanity’s spite... That was fading. Something new was happening, something new, a better understanding, crystalline reasoning outside of the realm of mortal thought, something serpentine slinking through, slithering, hissing, scales on scales feathers on fur, something primal was watching from afar in wonder, wonder at what was happening to the world.

Then I was else where.

It was dark. It was dark and there was no smell, no sound. No light. It wasn’t the absence of them, either. They didn’t exist. There was no knowledge of why they didn’t exist, there was no such thing as light, as sound, as smell, as taste. If there was a taste, it was that of blood.

There was time, however. Time to think.

How much of my life had I wasted waiting for something to happen? How was I supposed to progress ahead if I was always waiting for someone to reach out? I was the one to blame, here. Not Gilda not anyone else, just myself to blame. And I did. There was pain, somewhere. I was there.

Then suddenly...

There were feathers. One or two, in sight. Long, beautiful, golden feathers. White ones, too. They glowed with inner light and summoned me forward. Here, here there was hope.

If there was a smell, it was blood. That was to be certain, you can’t mistake it. So much copper, so much salt.

I was on my own two feet. Human. I was human, I was apart from Gilda, in this place without dimension. This was a new place, but an old one. It was both long and wide, and short and stout. I could see stars, but there was no light that could get past the walls that surrounded me. Dark brick, Ivory white.

I stood on my feet while laying down, and walked forward while crawling backwards. What my eyes could not see my mind could. What my mind would not think my heart could. What my heart could not beat, those are things that are not to be talked about.

Not to be talked about at length.

And here were feathers in this citadel of solemn silence, with the quiet screams of the people next to me playing out their thoughts and whispers of my darkest light.

I walked forward, following the feathers. They were change, and I had the feeling that something special was happening, something unique, something terrifying, something that was new, something old.

But they were the same thing, so it hardly matters what you call it in the end.

And isn’t that something, after all? Two very different people, two very assertive, very mindful of themselves, both wanting to be the one face up on the coin that they occupied.

But isn’t it better to be the side on the ground? You won’t tarnish as fast, if you were like that.

But isn’t it better to be the side facing up? You’re the side everyone cares about. You’re the side that wins bets.

But what coin lives thinking that it will always land heads up? What coin pretends to be ignorant of the other side being the same coin that it is? What person, indeed, doesn’t care about his other half? What person believes that using only his right half will get him farther than using his left side? Or even his wrong side.

I followed the feathers, ignoring the voices of friends who spoke of coins and people. After all, whispered screams are not exactly what you’d expect to hear at anytime, much less while in an odd land far away from others.

Feather after feather, step by step, mind the door. Opened the door, I did. The door was stout, purple even. Shiny door knob.

It hit me I was dreaming, or something was terribly wrong. Or right. And for the life of me, I couldn’t even begin to think why.

-----

For a moment, I thought that Cale was pretty cool. Bad choice of wording. That he was... relatable. Sure. That’s more like it. I could understand him for once.

That, and his little freak out was pretty hilarious. That was a plus. Really though, I could’ve been stuck with worse people. Rapists. Murderers. I’m stuck with a teenager with a bad case of depression, and angst. Not the end of the world for me.

That moment ended when Cale’s presence slipped out of my mind like water through clutching fingers.

Cale?

No response.

“That’s not so good.” I muttered, then flicked my gaze back at the ranger. I was full, meat was delicious, yadda yadda yadda.

Cale...?

The ranger looked at me. What was her name again? Might be polite to the lady with a gun... Uh... Turdy... No... Trude? Trudy. Trudy, yeah that sounds about right.

She jerked her head to look at me, at any rate. “What’s not so good, Gilda?” She had a note of kindness to her voice that brought back some horrible memories of the days before I lived alone.

She reminded me of Fluttershy.

“...” I was going to tell her what was going on, figuring that she probably knew more about people clinging to my body and occasionally possessing it, when I remembered that she had been the one to stab me with a needle and knock me unconscious.

I looked at her and I really couldn’t figure out whether to snarl at her or half heartedly wave a talon at her or just break down into tears. There was a curious emptiness in my head that I wasn’t used to. He wasn’t being silent, he just wasn’t there.

I was worried about him.

In that instant, I did my best to stuff that worry into a flaming pit. Ha. I didn’t worry about anyone.

Except yourself.

That was my own thoughts, taking over for Cale’s sarcasm. Okay then.

I was brought out of thought by the ranger snapping her fingers a few times. “Are you alright? You were acting a little out of it when you came down from flying.”

“Out of it?” I asked.

“You called yourself Cale.”

I froze up at her words, then racked my head for a response. Smooth, Gilda. Just like always, ruining it with your words and actions and SHUT UP.

Damn. Cale messed me up more than I thought he did.

Good riddance.

I wish I could say that and mean it, too.

“That was nothing.” I lied. It was probably written all over my face, too. Was never the best liar. Even back at flight camp...

“Right... Nothing.” She said, with a slight amused smile. “Cale is nobody to you. He’s certainly not the same name of a kid who recently went missing, according to a few campers who were around here who were also the same campers who reported you as being, and I quote, ‘A horrible man eating lion thing.’.”

For once, words failed me in their simplicity. “I have no idea what you are talking about.” In the cage, I tried to back away. I backed away into the cage, by logic, but really, I was trying to back away into safety and protection. There was probably something really symbolic about it, but hell if I knew what it was.

“I got a call from dispatch. They explained that people have been turning into animals, or ponies and such. I’m going to guess that you are Cale. You said as much, and I think you didn’t kill anyone.” She says, getting onto her knees in front of the cage.

I growled at her, a little grumpily, I suppose, not anything too dangerous in its tone. “... I’m Gilda. Cale took a nap or something.”

“So he’s fine. He’s just... in your head, right?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Or care. Can I get out of here already?” I narrowed my gaze at her. “And what do you mean oth-” Ah, memories of a newcast drifted through my head. My eyes widened for a second, just long enough for a chain of thought to drift through.

Here’s your shot, Gilda.

That was my thought, not Cale. Hard to tell the difference sometimes.

You can find those ponies, Dash. Shy, her friends, they’re probably tied up in this, and you can make amends with them.

“-er ponies...” I trailed off.

She raised an eyebrow. “Other people have been turning into ponies all over the world.”

“I’m a griffon.” I said, with an almost insulted tone to my voice. Really, I didn’t mean to put it there, but there it was. “And I need to leave.” I repeated. Here was purpose and holy broken shells it felt great to have it again.

She let out a laugh. “I’m all for that, but I have the feeling that you mean more than just leaving the cage.”

“...I need to try and...” The rest of the words clung to my throat like raw fish, and my pride welled up like thick molten rubber. “I need to see... friends...” I was choking up, and badly. “... I need to track down some friends and... say I’m... … sorry...”

I was almost in tears by the end of that. Man. I felt pathetic.

Her eyes seemed to melt in sympathy, and after a moment she opened the cage. “Okay. Hell, I wish I’d had the courage to do that, I might not be alone in the middle of a forest. I’ll give you some supplies and medicine, as long as you promise to take it as directed, and you can go.”

“...That’s it...?” I muttered, feeling oddly... sad... “... Keep in touch?” That was a human gesture that seemed fitting at the time.

She chuckled, offering her arms in a hug. “Yeah, i'll give you my phone number, you can call if you need help.”

Awkwardly, I realized that hugging while still in the cage would be a little demeaning, and was unsure how to address that without breaking the mood.

“Come on, you can come out.” She says with a smile.

I walked out, a little cautiously. What was she planning on doing?

She pulled me into a hug and patted the back of my head in a motherly sort of way before letting go. “Come on, lets get you a backpack and some supplies.”

...She hugged me? That was.... … … nice...

“Alright.” I muttered.

She led me to the main room and I got a chance to rest on the pullout bed again as she fetched supplies. “What are your friends’ names?”

I growled under my breath, feeling a little cowed. And pathetic. “Rainbow Dash... Fl-” Was I still friends with her? I never really got her reaction... Where’s Cale? I could really use him to poke holes in my reasoning. “Fluttershy.” Sure. Let’s called her my friend.

“Sound like nice people, or ponies? Griffins?” She asks as she loads a camping stove and a few cans of pop top stew into a backpack along with a medical kit.

“Ponies.” I nodded, watching her. “And that phone number?” It might come in handy. Words like character reference came to mind.

She gets a sticky note and writes down her number, before sticking it in a small front pocket of the backpack. “Certainly, call me anytime you need help.”

Finally she finishes packing the whole bag to bulging with supplies and zips it up. “Too heavy to fly?”

I gave it an experimental heft, then did a few scenarios over the weight in my head. Light enough to turn well enough. Light enough for me to stay in the air...

On a hunch, I managed to find what remained of the old supply bag Cale had made up and pulled out his phone. Ignoring the fact that I had to manage to type with my back paws, I went through what I remembered, and was soon on that human thing called Facebook. I went over to the shy pony’s page and left her a little message.

Gilda is better. Watch out, I’m coming for you, Shy!

If she found that ominous, then she was even more of a wimp than I remembered. With that taken care of, and the ranger’s giggles at the awkward position forgotten, I was soon on my way.

Next stop?

New york city, if I was lucky.

I took the first few steps out of the cabin, bag pressing against my back like an iron weight and was immediately struck by a sense that something had changed about me that I was not entirely sure was a bad thing. There was a sense of purpose now, and that was something joyously new to my step. It was with purpose I strode into the new, and with purpose that I touched off from land and took to the air.

A little low, perhaps, but that was less from the weight of my mental baggage and more the weight of my physical baggage.

A voice, unlike any I’d ever heard before, decided to chime in from my left.

“Catching the redeye out of new york, gilda?”

I jerked, almost falling out of the sky. THE HELL? I turned my head and saw an odd mashed up mess of a creature laying down on a cloud that somehow was both keeping pace with me and giving the appearance of standing perfectly still. “...The hell?” I vocalized my question.

“No, not hell. Equestria. I’m from that magical pony land as well, my good friend.” It explains, grinning with a single fang as it floats alongside me.

“...Right. So are you... one of the human dweeb things turned into a monster from Equestria?” I guessed. That, or maybe I had finally lost what little remained of my sanity.

Where the hell is Cale?

“Oh not at all, I am more of a... Background character, in every way. You know how that is, I’m sure. But I have a great deal of power due to this crazy... character I got mixed up with. I was wondering if you’d like to help me deal with some of those Dweebs.” He proposed.

… “Hm... Whaddya got in mind, exactly?” I was a little... there was something off about this.

“Some pranks, just messing with them some, maybe you could drop by and say hi to that rainbow colored one, your character was her friend, right?” He asked with a confident smile, lounging on his cloud.

“...Character?” I blinked at him a few times, blankly. “... Huh?” There was something about a Tv show in memories. Didn’t mean much.

“You know, Gilda and rainbow dash, sitting in a tree?” He asked, looking at me like I was missing something obvious.

“...” I growled at him. “We weren’t like that, creep.” I backed away in the air, ever so slowly. He was giving me the creeps.

“Okay, okay. But I think you should go see her. I can help get you there.” He coaxes. “You just have to do something for me.”

Where the hell are you Cale? I REALLY needed him... Ugh. I sound like such a dweeb. “Such as...” I rolled my eyes, trying to pull my bravado back to front. “Come on, you’re starting to bore me.”

“I want you to stop the pink one. The one that gave you so much trouble in the past. I just want you to slow her down, maybe drop her off somewhere to slow her down. Then I’ll get you to rainbow dash.” he explains. “No need to hurt anypony, and you get your payback.”

I cocked my head to the side and thought it over. “Anything else I need to know?” Pinkie... what was her name? Stinkie eye? Pinkie rye? Something about a bakery pun. “Anything at all? And well... Where are they?”

“Oh, I’ll get you there too. They are staying in a hotel, but they will be coming out of the hotel soon.” he shrugs, sipping a drink that appeared out of nowhere.

“And... My job is to... stop them.” I was trying to make amends, after all. Maybe this could... work? “Also. Heal my leg, or it is a no deal.”

“Just keep them from continuing on towards New York.” he says “And I’ll fix your leg, sure.”

I nodded at him. Huh. That went better than I thought it would. “Say... What’s your name?” Privately, I wondered why on earth he was talking to me about it. I mean, seriously. Send some other dweeb to ruin Fluttercry’s day. Like a stiff breeze. Yeah. She’d probably start bawling if the wind picked up too much.

Listen to yourself. Good. You’re already back to making fun of everything.

Shut up, Self. Just wait til Cale gets back from... wherever.

“My name is Discord.” He says, snapping his claws and instantly making my leg feel a heck of a lot better. “And I can’t wait to see how this turns out.”

Then, with a crack of thunder, I was falling through darkness.

There were feathers around me, and I felt a little lost there. There was nothing, and there was everything.

And all I could do was watch.