My eyelids fluttered open slowly, and I groaned from the blinding light against my eyes. I squinted and looked around me. I was in a field, lying on my back in the grass. I took a moment to process the fact that I had just died a few seconds ago. Was this heaven?
I had never been religious; why was that even a thought in my mind? I raised a hand to rub my eyes and-wait... Where was my hand? I pulled my hand away from my eye and gasped as I saw a light-blue-colored nub. It looked a lot like... No... I was dreaming. I didn't die; this was a dream. I stood up on all fours and looked down at the light-blue hooves that were supporting my body. I shook my head in disbelief as I processed everything a second time.
I blinked twice, trying to clear my head of this insanity. Another possibility crossed my mind: I was hallucinating. Or maybe I was lying on my bathroom floor, having a stroke... I took a deep breath. I felt very... healthy. Not like I had just taken about twelve bottles of pills and died.
I looked up into the sky, where the sun blinded me for a moment. It was very bright here. The clouds above me moved slowly, but didn't block the sun. I raised a hoof to shade my eyes, and on a cloud above me, I saw... I blinked again. That cyan coat... Those colors...
It couldn't be. I was seeing things. I lowered my hoof and began walking forward. My knees wobbled a bit, in danger of buckling, and I let out a shaky "Woahh..." as I steadied myself. At least I still had the same voice.
I could feel eyes on me, and I turned my head, looking toward the sky. A pair of violet-colored eyes stared at me. My breathing ceased as I stared at the winged pony in shock. Was it really her?
"What're you doing out here?" She called as she rose from the cloud. Her wings began to flap and she rose, hovering above the cloud. All I could do was stare at her in awe.
The best pony in all of Equestria... Talking to me...
I mentally slapped myself. This was a dream. It must be.
The rainbow-haired pony flew down and landed on the ground in front of me, a slight smirk on her face. She knew she was awesome 24/7. And she was right.
She looked me up and down, squinted, then looked back up to me.
"I don't think I've seen you around," She said, squinting one eye. I must have looked like a total dweeb; staring at her in awe, my eyes ten times wider than normal. She backed up a bit. "Are you okay?"
I snapped out of it. "Oh! Y-yeah... I'm fine..." I cleared my throat and shuffled awkwardly, my hooves scraping against the dirt. "I'm new to PonyVille."
"Oh." She stood up straight, her nose in the air and her wings spread out as if she were about to take flight. "I'm Rai-"
"Rainbow Dash." I interrupted her, unintentionally. Her eyes widened, and she let her wings fall for a moment.
"You've heard of me?" She asked in disbelief. I fumbled for words, laughing nervously, and she chuckled, then lifted her chin in the air. "I mean, of course you have. I'm the coolest pony in Equestria!"
I nodded in agreement, feeling starstruck. I was really talking to Rainbow Dash! Questions upon questions flooded my mind that I'd always dreamed of asking Dash. Despite her pride, he lowered her chin and looked at me again.
"So, what's your name?" She asked curiously. Crap... I thought to myself as I searched for a cool-sounding pony name. She noticed me fumbling for words, and tilted her head. She rolled her eyes, getting impatient.
"Mi-Midnight... Starr. Midnight Starr... But, you can call me Starr." I quickly improvised. Dash held a smug look and she squinted her eyes at me.
"Awesome name, kid." She lifted a hoof and pushed my shoulder a bit. "You're alright, ya know?" Unprepared for the shove, I stumbled to the side. Dash's eyes drifted to my flank, and she gasped. "You don't... How... How do you not have a Cutie Mark yet?"
"Huh?" I turned my head and looked at my light-blue flank; it was blank. Panic swelled inside of me. How could I have a Cutie Mark? I hadn't been in Equestria for five minutes!
"Oh, heh heh... I, um..." I lifted a hoof, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. "I just... Haven't found my true purpose yet..."
Rainbow looked me up and down, an eye squinted. I had been "alright" a second ago, but I could tell that now, she thought I was... odd.
"Is that even possible?" She asked. It was more of a rhetorical question, I felt. "You're... Well, you're my age." I laughed nervously and nodded.
Dash's eyes lit up. "I don't think this has ever happened in pony history." She said quietly. She smirked and nudged my shoulder again. "You're super awesome in my book, Starr."
To be honest, I was a little surprised, and completely honored that Rainbow Dash - THE Rainbow Dash - was complimenting me. Me! A human being, technically. I was totally dumbfounded, in a trance, as I stared at Dash, my eyes shimmering in excitement and shock. She looked to the side awkwardly.
"Well, uh... I could show you around PonyVille. It'd be a blast!" She said, clearing away the awkward mood and kneeling down in front of me, turned away from me. I looked at her in confusion, unsure of what she was wanting me to do. After a few moments, she looked over her shoulder at me. "Hop on!"
"Wha-what?" I asked in disbelief. "You want me to..."
"Yeah! C'mon, I'll take you for a ride around PonyVille." She shrugged. "It's faster than walking. And fast," I could tell she was smiling. "Is my game."
Without a moment's hesitation, I jumped onto her back and settled in, getting into a position comfortable for both of us. After a few adjustments, we were set. Her wings spread out and began to flap. We slowly lifted off of the ground, the grass beneath us getting further and further away, until we were soaring above PonyVille. I could see each building in my sight, and my fangirl-side instantly came out.
"Who are we going to meet first?" I asked excitedly, practically shaking. Dash wobbled a bit, huffed in annoyance, and shrugged.
"I get you should probably meet Twilight first. She'll know how to handle everything else."