Chapter Text
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The fall air is crisp as it blows across the open area of the campus, unfortunately it only serves to torment you. Lifting your hand you push the rustling papers of your textbook back down so the wind doesn’t turn them anymore, of course it decides that it needs another plaything as it tousles your hair instead. You sigh as you fix your hair back into its previous state, now you could suck it up and tie it back so it wouldn’t serve as a distraction but you are the stubborn sort and you made the decision to wear it down this morning and you would abide by that decision. You are not giving into the fucking wind of all things.
Narrowing your eyes in concentration you keep reading the informational text in front of you twirling your pen absentmindedly in your other hand. It’s incredibly similar to what you’ve already learned in high school, who knew that you would basically be relearning the same exact information that was already drilled into your brain twice? Well you kind of did, even though you passed a class in high school—with flying colors you may add—that was supposed to allow you to opt out of chemistry 101 in university it seems like that didn’t happen to be the case.
Though then again colleges are institutes that are known for taking away people’s money and motivation with the promise of a well paying job in the future, so can you really be surprised. Eh, whatever you’ve got a full ride scholarship through working your ass off throughout high school and a shit ton of begging to any beings above for some sort of aid and mercy. Pausing your pen from writing something about how solutes react with solvents you reflect on your previous thoughts, ‘Most of that luck probably came from the latter part I did when I was applying to colleges and scholarship considerations, eh if it worked it worked.’
You shake your head to clear away those distracting thoughts as you buckle down and keep hammering away at the incredibly large textbook. Eventually you manage to finish your notes for the entire chapter, ‘Great! Now I don’t have to do any homework on Sunday! But maybe I should try and get ahead on the next chapter’s notes as I’m busy with a bunch of tests in the next week…Yeah, I should probably do that if I want to keep my scholarship intact.’
Then again, it was nearing lunch and you promised your friends that you would meet up with them at the dining hall. As you contemplate your choices for a minute your stomach growls causing you to arrive at a conclusion, 'I'll start on those notes after I eat.’
You shut your chemistry textbook and put away your pens, pencils, and highlighters in preparation to leave. Once you zip up your back pack and sling it over your shoulder you grab your text book and place it under your arm and pick up your thermos filled with coffee with your other hand. What? Did you really think that you could have dragged yourself out of bed without some form of caffeine? Well the answer is obviously no!
Taking a sip from the thermos you feel the warm drink trickle down your throat. It's comforting heat seeping into your bones and starving away the cold autumn chill. Traveling across the university’s campus you take in your surroundings, the trees’ leaves have long since been painted shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown though some have been disturbed by the wind and have fallen to the ground producing crisp crunches under your shoes. The sky is thankfully not dreary for once, the clouds are being kind and letting the sun bring some form of warmth to the world below. The students flitting around campus either chatting with friends, heading out on dates with their significant others, or just making their way to the dining hall for lunch just as you are now.
Picking up the pace so as to not be late you pass by buildings that are familiar while others are not, that’s the thing with being a freshman once more you don’t exactly know where everything expert your necessities are. Necessities include your dormitory, the theater, your classes, the dining hall, your favorite coffee shop, and the library.
Approaching a street where traffic is rushing by you pause and wait patiently for the vehicles to stop before crossing the road. During this time you close your eyes and take another sip of your beloved coffee yet the minute you open your eyes once more you feel your heart plummet down into your stomach.
There in the middle of a road is a child, a fucking child, without their parents or hell even sibling next to them. You do a quick scan of the area, scratch that they’re nowhere to be seen. You can hear and see a car getting too close for comfort so you shout, “Hey kid! Get out of the middle of the road!” They lock eyes with you confused and not moving from their spot in the middle of the fucking road, “Didn’t you hear me? I said move!”
Their expression just remains shrouded in confusion as they turn away from you and finally get to see the impending doom in front of them in the form of a car not slowing down even though you are sure the driver can see the kid on the sidewalk.
Your brain is running at a million miles per hour though your body remains rooted to the spot, you’ve never felt like this before at least not to this level. The closest you’ve ever gotten to this exact feeling is when you are hyped up on adrenaline for an exam worth way too much of your grade to be reasonable. So you rely on mussel memory, you don’t think you just start.
You run towards the kid and push them out of harm’s way. It was like everything was in slow motion, the child falling backwards, their tears streaming down their face, and their fear turning into horrifying realization at what just occurred.
In a snap time returns to normal, you feel an immense pain from the car colliding with your side at a speed you don’t even want to think about. Your body collides with the pavement scratching your skin and clothes as hushed murmurs, screams, and cries sound out around the area. The last things you see are your phone lighting up with messages from your friends asking where you are and your thermos of coffee spilled onto the ground. As your vision fades to black a final thought echoes through your mind, ‘Did whoever I begged to for help with my applications decide to take back their blessing in the cruelest of ways?’
The darkness surrounding you is cold yet comforting, it’s as if you are sleeping during a summer’s night eve with a cool breeze kissing your skin. It’s refreshing. Though this abyssal sea slows your movement significantly, moving your limbs through this inky black liquid is difficult to say the least, you don’t have the energy to swim through it so you curl up into yourself. Hugging your knees to your chest you let out a sigh and just sigh, relaxing your mussels and preparing for a long slumber.
Granted you can’t have nice things ergo a blinding white light causes your eyes to snap open. Looking around through your squinted eyes you see that the endless sea of black ink has been replaced by a white void. Unsettled you fold into yourself more. A red screen suddenly appears infront of your face, ‘What the actual fuck?’
[Oh, my! Well hello there gorgeous!]
You blink a few times before rubbing your eyes, ‘Nope, not a hallucination. The weird screen is still there.’
[Well that was quite rude I must say, even after I complemented you nonetheless!]
“You can hear my thoughts!” You exclaim, jerking back.
[Ah, yes I forgot how much humans tend to freak out about that fact. Don’t worry I'll only be able to hear the thoughts that you wish to share with me! In order to do so there should be a “thread” of sorts that you can feel for and in order to communicate with me all you have to do is to reach for it!]
Pausing for a minute you do as you were directed by the weird floating screen thing and manage to find that “thread” and grab on to it, ‘Like this?’
[Exactly like that! You certainly are a fast learner!]
You take in a deep breath, ‘Okay, cool. So what exactly are you supposed to be? Did they fully automate the after life with those check in devices like they did in doctors’ offices? Because let me tell you those things are pretty painful in all honesty.’
[Have I mentioned how rude you are?]
‘Yes.’
[Blunt too, oh SAGE would have loved you! Too bad she’s already got another host assigned to her, I hear that she actually likes this one as well so that’s good for her! Anyways my name is your Helpful Expertly Run Methodology for Exceptions of the Scythe of death or HERMES for short! I also prefer the masculine pronouns of he and him!]
You giggle nervously, ‘Like the actual Greek god?’
[Ha! No, that is not me. Though he does exist in quite a few universes, then again a lot of gods tend to originate from some level of truth, even if that truth really only holds in certain universes.]
Allowing yourself to relax a tiny bit you pose another question to this stranger, ‘So what exactly are you HERMES?’
[Why darling I am your system!]
‘System?’ You ponder before the realization of what he means dawns on you, ‘Wait, there has to be some kind of mistake! Right? I mean I’m not exactly that special, please don’t tell me that getting run over by a car is actually how you get isekai’d!’
[You're hilarious! No, getting run over by a vehicle is not how you get isekai’d.]
‘Then was it saving the child? Because if that’s the case I’m sure other people would have done what I did in the moment.’
[No, saving the child did not automatically doom you to becoming a transmigrator. Still it was a rather selfless act!]
‘Then what did?’
[Oh, a variety of things! For instance your stubbornness, drive, kindness, realism, and the fact that you originally had a bright future mapped out for you before your life thread was cut prematurely due to negligence on someone’s side of the job of life and death.]
‘Who cut my string?’
[Some intern, I’m not entirely sure of the details. I mean I just got your file, but not to worry they are currently being dealt with!]
‘...So you mean to tell me that my life got cut short because an intern—probably unpaid—made a stupid decision and now I have to deal with the consequences of death?’
[Pretty much!]
‘Great, just great.’
[At least you won't have to deal with the consequences of actual death! You get to be reborn into another world, with me as your loyal guide!]
‘I don’t think that is an improvement.’
[Ouch, your tongue sure enjoys dishing out barbs doesn’t it! Anyhow your new life should be rather enjoyable, after all the place you are being reincarnated into is a children’s show!]
‘Please don’t tell me it’s miraculous, and wait, shouldn't I get final say if I even want to be reincarnated?’
[First of all, no you are not getting isekai’d into that dumpster fire, and second of all you kind of don’t. Due to that mistake with your fate thread management deemed it necessary for you to have a second chance at life…]
‘...Your job is on the line isn’t it.’
[Yes, unfortunately that is the case. My job is to ensure that you live a long fulfilling life in your new world or else my head is on the chopping block.]
‘Bit of a gruesome image but okay, I guess a second chance at life is a second chance at life. So what exactly am I in for HERMES?’
[Excellent! You will be reincarnated into the world of My Little Pony; Friendship is Magic!]
‘...I’m going to be a horse in my new life?’ You deadpan.
[Not exactly, you see this version of Equestria that is similar to the show you are familiar with but with some changes. For instance you will not be a horse, instead you will be a human but with some pony features tacked on. This is mainly due to the magic existing in this world.]
‘So let me get this straight, everyone in this version of Equestria is human but they still have some animalistic features tacked onto them—like ears, tails, wings, and horns—correct?’
[Yes, from what the file is telling me that does seem to be the case.]
‘Okay, so will I be an earthpony or even not a pony in this world? How is that going to work?’
[Right, so based on your personality, general preferences, and abilities you will become a unicorn.]
‘...Sweet!’
[So, you are actually happy about something for once! Who would have thought?]
‘Oh shut up! I think it is every little girl's dream to become a unicorn!’
[You are an adult.]
You shrug, ‘And yet I have the chance to wield and learn actual magic, now that is amazing!’
[I take it you're up to the task?]
‘I guess so!’
[Great!]
[Quest: Start Your New Life in Equestria, Enjoy it to the Fullest, and Have Fun!]
[Accept?]
[Yes/No]
You take in a deep breath steeling yourself for what is to come, all you need to do to complete the deal on your end is just exist and have fun. How hard will that be? Really the only thing you need to worry about is how Equestria tends to be attacked by a villain every other week, then again who is going to pay attention to you, a background character? The answer is no one. You click [Yes] before you can change your mind.
[Host (Y/N) will be reincarnated into the world of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic! Please enjoy your new life!]
The screen flashes gold causing you to shut your eyes. Everything fades to inky black once more as you are catapulted through the dark sea to a place you vaguely remember from watching the show religiously in your childhood.
Eventually the silent abyss gives way to birds chirping paired with laughter as your eyes flutter open, slightly blinded by the sunlight you push yourself up off the bed you are currently resting on and stretching, ‘Good morning Equestria!’
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