Terra opened her eyes, the light settling. What had just happened? And... why was she on the ground? Come to think of it, why wasn't she holding that stone? ...Had the stone done this...? "Is everyone alright?" Terra asked, awaiting an answer. None came, however. "...Hello? Celes? Edgar? Relm, Sabin... Locke?! Where is everyone!?" She called, though no answer came. She gasped. "We must've... Oh, no, this is just like when the world ended...!" She turned around, but she stumbled. "Ah!" What was that about? ...Oh, that's right. Her hands were on the ground. After shaking her head and getting back to her hands and knees, she pushed herself off the ground. ...Wait... her skin isn't supposed to be this color... "Whoa... Whoa!" She quickly lost her balance again, flopping onto her stomach. Something wasn't quite right. She tried again... and fell over again. She tried again... and again... and again. Same result each time.

Nearby, a yellow pegasus was out for a morning stroll. She smiled as the sun reflected off of the river that ran nearby her home. "Another beautiful morning... Oh, I do wonder what my friends are up to..." she said, quietly, to herself. She continued trotting, enjoying her typical post-feeding time routine. As the river wound closer to the Everfree Forest, she slowed down to turn around. This was as far as she ever went, as the Everfree Forest simply made her shudder. But as she turned around, she caught a glimpse of someone just inside the forest on the other side of the river. She probably wasn't in any danger... After all, Apple Bloom had wandered into the forest multiple times to see Zecora, and Zecora lived much further in than this mare was... But really, what if something did happen? Fluttershy wasn't quite the heroic type, so she thought she might as well check to see if she was okay.

"What's going on...? Why can't I stand up?" Terra asked, as she fell over yet again. Her eyes closed, she slammed her hand into the ground. ...That's odd. She was trying to clench a fist, but she didn't seem to be doing it. She opened her eyes. "Wah!" She yelped, seeing not a hand, but a hoof.

"Umm... Excuse me? Miss? Are you alright? You don't need any help, do you...?" The sound of a voice behind her caused her to try to stand up yet again, though she, once again, fell flat on her stomach. "Oh... oh my... Is everything alright? You seem a little off."

"Off? How do you mean?" Terra asked, not bothering to try to turn again. She simply decided to wait where she was for one of her friends to find her. That was when the yellow pegasus stepped into her view.

"Well, it's just that, you see, you're trying to stand... on your back hooves... and, well, usually, we walk on all four..." Fluttershy shrunk back in shock when Terra yelped.

"A-a talking... Talking horse?!" Not caring about her own hooves anymore, she scrambled back until she bumped into a tree. "How is this possible?! How can you talk?!" She held a hoof to her face, contemplative for a moment. "Well... I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised... I mean, Mog's a talking Moogle, and we always thought those things couldn't talk, either... But I've never heard of a talking horse!"

Fluttershy furrowed her brow, then questioned, "Well, why not? You're a talking horse, too. Though, around here, we tend to use the term 'pony...'"

"What?" Terra asked, suddenly noticing her face was not constructed the way it normally was. Concern for the presence of hooves overtook her again, and she questioned, to nobody in particular, "How could something like that have happened?" She shook her head, not paying the pegasus much mind. "Just a few minutes ago, I was a normal person! My friends and I had found a stone of some kind, and we were all wondering what it was..."

"A person?" Fluttershy asked, tilting her head. "You're a little strange..." The sound of an owl hooting somewhere in the forest reminded her of where they were. "Oh, that's right... Umm, I was over here to ask you if you were alright. This forest is dangerous and unnatural, but I'm sure you probably know what you're doing." She blinked. "You DO know what you're doing, right...?"

Terra stood herself up as best as she could on her hooves. "Quite frankly, no, I don't. This doesn't look like any place I'm familiar with." She took a look around. "But I've had my share of danger and experienced PLENTY that most people would consider 'unnatural.' There doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary here, though."

Fluttershy stepped forward. "Oh, believe me, it's not natural in the slightest! The clouds move on their own and the weather changes by itself, animals take care of themselves-"

"That sounds pretty normal to me." Fluttershy gasped. "What?"

"Are you sure you're alright? You'd better come with me, we can make sure at the hospital." Fluttershy turned and stepped out of the forest, taking flight across the river. Terra followed, shakily, but stopped at the edge. Turning around, Fluttershy asked, "Are you coming?"

Terra stared at the river. "Is it shallow?"

"I... I think so." Fluttershy placed a hoof to her muzzle. "I've never really... It's shallow by my house, but I don't know about down here near the forest..." Fluttershy landed on the other side.

"...I don't know how to swim." Terra glanced up at the pegasus.

"You don't?"

Terra shook her head, then thought. 'Well, not right now, anyway. Back home, I could swim. ...A little, anyway.'

"Well... Why don't you just use your magic to get over here?" Fluttershy asked, noting that Terra was, in fact, a unicorn.

"M... magic...?" Now there was a word she had not heard in a long time. How long had it been? A year, at least? Hadn't magic died with Kefka? "I... I can't."

Fluttershy was utterly stunned. "You... can't use magic?" Who ever heard of a unicorn who can't do magic? Sweetie Belle, maybe, but it was too early to count her out. As a filly, she had probably been bursting with magic, like other baby unicorns, but it had faded over the years, no doubt. "You're... you're serious?"

"I'm serious. I don't know how to swim, and I can't do magic." She hung her head. She kicked at the dirt, losing her balance a bit, but catching herself. "It's alright. You can keep going back home yourself. I should look for my friends, anyway."

"W-wait. There's a bridge down near my house. Walk on that side of the river! When we get there, I'll make you some tea!" Fluttershy smiled, then hid her face. "Umm... Well, I mean, if you're not busy, that is." This pony seemed somewhat friendly, if a little shy. Terra had her doubts that she would have come over if somebody else had been around. Nodding, Terra turned in the direction the other pony had been walking before. After a moment, she turned to Terra. Terra looked in her direction, and she immediately looked away, as if intimidated by her. Why did this winged pony seem so afraid of her? Had she perhaps heard a mis-informed version of the story of how she and the others had taken down Kefka? ...No, no, that couldn't be possible. She didn't seem to know anything about what had happened. Another glance over at the pony showed the same result as before.

"So, uh... You got a name?" It seemed that there was no response. "...Well? Do you?" She turned her head. The pony was looking in the opposite direction, slightly towards the ground. "What's wrong?" She saw her squint her eyes shut. "Do you not have a name? You have to have one, right?" She thought she heard a little squeak. "Did... did you say something?"

In a hushed whisper, Fluttershy said, "It's Fluttershy..." But Terra couldn't hear her.

"I'm sorry? ...Y-you know, it can wait until we're on the same side of the river." She smiled, awkwardly. This pony certainly seemed like a quiet one. The rest of the walk to the bridge was spent in silence. Though, Terra was mulling over why the winged, yellow horse had clammed up all of a sudden, just because she had asked for her name. ...Although, she had been soft spoken the whole time. Perhaps she truly was merely concerned for her safety and doesn't intend on keeping close to her. 'I guess I'm on my own for finding my friends, then...'

Once at the bridge, Terra raced to the other side and took a good look around. The setting immediately in front of her was, of course, Fluttershy's house. "This is your house?" she asked, as Fluttershy slowly trotted up behind her. Still in her shy stupour, she silently nodded. "It's... well, it's... beautiful... I've never seen a house like this before. Where I come from, all the buildings look the same. Wooden, or bricks, and generally bland when you see them all the time... and in some cases falling apart."

"Wh-where do you come from...? Manehattan? Las Pegasus? Maybe Tall Tale?" Fluttershy asked, looking up.

"Where? No, I've never even heard of those places. I guess you could say I come from Mobliz."

"Where's Mobliz? Is it outside of Equestria?" Fluttershy asked, slightly intrigued.

"Huh?" Looking back, Terra thought for a moment. Equestria? Is that what this place was called? "Oh, yeah. It is." 'Assuming this is a country, that's not entirely inaccurate...' "So, uh... what did you say your name was?"

Shrinking back a bit, Fluttershy squeaked out, "My name's... um... Fluttershy..." Terra heard her, but just barely.

"Fluttershy, huh? Never heard a name like that before. My name's Terra." She looked around. "Listen, uh, thanks for checking on me, but I should really-"

Fluttershy cut in. "Oh, it was no trouble, really... So, um, Terra... Would you like some tea? I said I'd make you some tea if you wanted some..."

"Well, actually, I... I have to..." Terra thought for a moment. Would it be rude of her to turn down an offer like that? After all, Fluttershy had gone outside of her element (At least, she assumed so. She had yet to determine with certainty whether she was normally like this.) to check on her in a forest she had said was 'dangerous and unnatural.' After thinking for a moment, she smiled. "Sure."

-

Fluttershy gently set down the cup of tea in front of Terra before returning to get her own. Terra noted how Fluttershy manipulated things with her wings as though they were hands... She seemed to have control over her entire wing, and not just the simple motions it would take to fly. And yet, the yellow pegasus still opted to lift some things with her mouth - Terra had her doubts that this was hygienic, too - rather than using her wings.

To say the least, Fluttershy intrigued her. After all, while she hadn't exactly ever SEEN a horse (Well, she had, but that might have been an Esper...), she was certain they weren't supposed to talk. And the colors of her mane, tail, and for that matter her body, weren't typical as far as she knew. The wings were another fascination, but... "Hey, Fluttershy?"

"Hmm?" The pegasus turned to her new friend.

"What's up with the butterflies on your... ah... l-leg...?" Terra's lack of knowledge about pony customs shocked Fluttershy, though she held her composure, setting down her own cup of tea.

"Why, it's my cutie mark." She raised a wing, turning her flank towards Terra. "You must at LEAST know what a cutie mark is, right?"

"Actually, I haven't got the slightest idea." Terra admitted. She lowered her nose to the cup, trying to figure out how to pick it up without thumbs. Stumped, she shrugged and simply began lapping it up like a dog.

Fluttershy stared for a moment. "Okay, I know you're kidding about that one. I mean, you've got a cutie mark right there on YOUR flank!" She pointed at Terra's. "What is that, anyway? I've never seen anything like it. Is it a stone? A jewel?"

"What?" Terra stopped drinking and looked at her flank. "N-no way..."

"What? What does it mean?"

"I-I don't know. But this... This is a piece of Magicite! But how can that be...?"

Tilting her head, Fluttershy asked, "What's a 'magic-site...?'"

"No, no, not a Magic Site. A Magicite. It's... It's this little stone... well, maybe jewel is the more appropriate term, but that's not the point. The point is that it's flooding with magical potential, and holding on to one can teach the bearer magical spells. But that doesn't make any..."

"...Y-you lied to me...?" Fluttershy stepped back.

"What? No I didn't." Terra shook her head.

"But cutie marks tell us what our special talents are..." This time, Terra took a step back. "If that's what a Magicite is, that means... that means your special talent is magic."

Shaking her head violently, Terra exclaimed, not really screaming, but certainly not quiet either, "But that can't be! Magic's dead!"

And that's when a confused look crossed Fluttershy's face. "Magic? Dead?" Terra nodded. "Why, that's simply not true." She giggled as Terra's face grew even more startled. "Oh, my. I think you've got a few things to learn if you think magic's dead. Luckily for you, I happen to know just the pony to teach you a thing or two about magic." She smiled. "Oh, but of course, you can finish your tea first." Terra blinked, then nodded and returned to drinking her tea, as Fluttershy lifted her own cup and drank her own tea.

'Now how the heck is she doing that...?'

-

Ponyville was as quiet as ever. It seemed everyone was out and about, doing their own thing. Terra looked around in amazement. The buildings were completely new to her, their structure and style not at all like those where she came from. But the village also seemed ALIVE. And while the many towns she was familiar with had grown back to prosperity and happiness, the air here felt as though... as though such things had never left. It was calm, it was peaceful... And yet, it was lively and wondrous. Terra simply thought one thing: This town just had to be perfect. THIS was what she had wanted for the towns back home. Fluttershy looked to her, smiling as she glanced around, taking in her surroundings. "So, I guess you think Ponyville looks nice?"

"Nice is an understatement, Fluttershy..." Terra said, quietly. "It's... perfect..."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Ponyville was the perfect place for me to settle down. It's nice and quiet, almost relaxing, and the fields around town are such a wonderful place for all my little animal friends..." Fluttershy shifted her gaze back forward. "We're almost there, Terra. Trust me, Twilight will be able to explain everything to you."

Diverting her attention from the village, Terra quickened her pace and caught up to the yellow pegasus. "So, Twilight knows a lot about magic, then...?" The whole 'magic' thing was confusing Terra. It was supposed to be dead. When they'd stopped Kefka, Magicites and Espers simply ceased to exist, and magic along with it. And yet Fluttershy insists that it's still around.

Nodding, Fluttershy said, "Oh, yes. She knows everything there is to know about magic. Well, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but she does know quite a lot." As they approached the tree which housed the Golden Oaks Library, Fluttershy slowed down a bit. "And here we are!"

The pegasus walked to the door, gingerly knocking on it. Terra gazed in awe at the magnificent tree. 'This is their library? I... Wow, that's... that's amazing...!' A moment later, she too stepped forward and stood by Fluttershy. Mere seconds later, the top half of the door swung open, and a lavender pony stuck her head out. Terra could see a horn on her head, just like the one on her own head.

"Oh, hello, Fluttershy! Who's this?" Twilight motioned to Terra.

"This is my new friend Terra. I found her on the edge of the Everfree Forest. She seems to be a bit confused, so I was hoping you could teach her a few things, like about magic? I-I mean if you're busy, we could come back some other time, but-"

Twilight smiled. "Oh, it's no problem, I'm not busy. In fact, I was just talking to a new friend of my own. Come on in, you two." The lower half of the door swung open, as well, revealing the rest of the mare's body. She, too, had wings, much to Terra's surprise.

A voice trailed through the library. "Twilight, who was at the door?" 'Wait a minute... I know that voice...' A moment later, a green mare with a long, blonde mane descended the staircase, turning her gaze to the lavender mare. However, her attention was quickly grabbed by Terra. "...Terra...? Is that you?"

"Celes?!"