Kyle held perfectly still, her mind focused on the image in front of her with the same attention she might’ve poured into the last few minutes of a raid. Only instead of snap-decisions and rapidly assessing the state of a digital battle, here it was all about focus. She could think of nothing else, consider nothing else. The “spell” required total precision.
Kyle didn’t even open her eyes, for fear that the room around her would be enough of a distraction to break her concentration. Everything was prepared for this moment—she’d fed the baby, controlled the temperature and the lights. She would have used a sensory deprivation tank if they had one.
As she rested, thoughts of her failure kept fighting their way back to the surface. Her sister had been drawn into this nightmare because of her. She’d had days of magical practice, and still not seen anything approaching meaningful success. Kyle was a failure.
But she wasn’t alone anymore. Whether it was just Kara’s involvement that had persuaded her parents to finally take an active role, or just the time for them to adjust to the current impossible, she wasn’t alone. As furious as she was that Kara had been dragged into all this, Kara’s company did mean someone to help with the baby. And lots of other things.
It meant that Kyle didn’t have to constantly question her own sanity.
Without warning, without any hint of what was happening, Kyle’s perception shifted. The meaningless configuration of symbols weren’t just shapes, they were an equation. It was like the moment she’d first understood the formula for the volume of a cylinder. These shapes were something similar, but for light. Her own body provided the energy in, and focused the energy out.
Kyle’s horn began to glow, a soft purple that matched her eyes. But this was far brighter than the illumination accompanying her telekinesis—this was light for its own sake, with an intensity specified by the symbols she’d been given.
Kyle opened her eyes—she was splayed on the mattress in her oversized bed, with every light switched off. But the room wasn’t dark anymore. She moved slowly, afraid that even the slightest perturbation might wreck her concentration and dissolve the spell.
That proved harder than she had initially worried. The equation wasn’t gone just because she wasn’t as focused on it. She could feel the invisible exertion, the same one she had to use whenever she lifted something. This would drain her stamina the same way as any exercise. That was probably why Fay acted so tired after attacking someone with her powers.
I’m older and bigger than she is, I should have more power to work with. Right?
Kyle stumbled out of bed, moving slowly enough that she could keep up the spell. It wasn’t that hard to keep the glow going, but if she let it die, it might be too hard to cast the spell again.
She took her laptop in her teeth, pulling it onto the bed and flipping it open with her nose. She’d had enough practice over the last week of being a horse not to break things accidentally. Her magic was far more dangerous.
Of course, she wouldn’t be able to type with her mouth, not with any speed. Could she keep up the light spell and move things around at the same time?
Kyle tried, focusing on the keyboard again. She brought up the email client. By now she was half-expecting that her mythical mentor would already have sent her something. But no, Monday hadn’t sent any new messages.
She typed quickly, writing out a message to the wizard. She tried to get specific with the details of how it felt, enough that it would be convincing. At this rate I’m never going to move on to the magic needed to change us back. But she didn’t send that much. She couldn’t get annoyed or needy, or else her companion might not reply.
Their spell worked. Maybe the agreement to apprentice with Monday had been a fluke. But the spell worked. She could see the logic behind it now, the meaning in those symbols. If only she had more of them, she might’ve been able to try a different spell…
She ended her message with a timid request for more of the symbols, enough that she could rewrite the values of the light spell and play with different configurations. Hopefully that wouldn’t suggest she wanted nothing else but light.
She’d probably been hiding for a little too long, even with her sister to keep an eye on the baby. Kyle sent the message, then flipped the screen closed.
Her horn kept glowing, so long as she kept concentrating. The light was dimmer than before, as though somehow a measurement of her strength depleting over time. But it was still there, even when she wasn’t lifting anything.
Kyle paused to check herself in the mirror, and with her focus the light grew even brighter than before.
A full week as a horse had done strange things to her. The mane was now entirely out of control without anyone to style it, its different colors no longer gracefully layered. Her eyes were baggy with late nights studying magic, and her tail swished nervously no matter what she was doing.
But she was still here, that was the important thing. Fay hadn’t blown up the house, animal control hadn’t dragged them away for study as the dangerous aliens they were. She hadn’t been sent out into the wilderness with Kara never to be seen again.
She pushed the door open with a shoulder, and was momentarily blinded by the light streaming in from out front. Her spell flickered for a second, then died as the pain in her head dissolved the pattern. “Dammit.”
“And the avenging hero returns,” called Kara from down the hall, somewhere between annoyed and relieved. “About time, this little monster is getting antsy. I don’t think she likes it when mommy stays away for too long.”
Kyle emerged from down the hall a moment later, glaring at her. She didn’t even bother starting an argument over it, though. Fay clearly did see her as her mother.
Something soft and pink collided with her at chest level, so unexpectedly that she nearly fell over. She squeaked in surprise, then caught the baby in her wings before she could get away. “What have you been up to, troublemaker? Not burning the house down I hope.”
Fay squealed and babbled incomprehensibly, though there was something decidedly smug in the sound. You are way too smart for your age. Whatever that age was.
Kara had obviously been trying to work, however difficult Fay made it. The kitchen table was covered in schoolwork, with their books piled up in the center. She had to do everything with her mouth, which obviously hadn’t been easy for her. Kara’s usually flawless handwriting now looked more like Kyle’s own.
“It looks like we’re cheating the other way,” Kyle muttered, stopping beside the table. “Or you got a brain injury.”
Kara stuck out her tongue, pulling the sheets away from him. “Do you want me to cheat for you or not, bro?”
“Sorry, sorry.” She pulled over a cushion, their current substitute for real chairs. Even if they weren’t grossly oversized, the usual range of human sitting motions required for chairs weren’t terribly comfortable for them now. Besides, that meant she could set the baby down in front of her to have some freedom wandering around without worrying she was going to fall off something.
“I’m not just doing it because—” Kara went on. “Not that I don’t want to be supportive, Kyle. But you’ve gotta start pulling your weight around here if you want me to keep doing your work for you.”
I want to get back to the real world too, she thought. She didn’t need the printed spell diagram this time—she’d been staring at it for so long that she could call it back with a little focus. Her horn started glowing, bright enough that she could fight the light of the window. “You mean like this?”
Kara’s mouth hung open. Fay, meanwhile, squirmed away from her, trotting a few steps. She didn’t seem to mind living in the abandoned wing nearly as much as she’d hated the stables, though there were still signs of her magic wherever Kyle looked. The window was the most notable example, which was now faintly blue glass instead of clear, surrounded with crystal molding set with little hearts.
“Okay yeah, exactly like that.” She was at her side in seconds, one leg wrapped around her shoulder. “What did you do? Was the printout not good enough?”
Kyle lifted a wing to her mouth, silencing her. She was getting better at controlling those too, even if the idea of doing anything with them was still well out of reach. “The spell diagram wasn’t just something pointless to memorize, it’s a… it’s a logical system that makes the magic work. It was just about seeing it in the right way. So long as I concentrate…”
The spell faded, and she went on. “Don’t get too excited, Kara. I got some pieces to a light spell, I can’t rewrite that into changing us back.”
“But they worked,” she said, voice eager. “We’re finally moving. If magic is like any other skill, it’s probably harder to start than to progress. You’ll only get faster from here.”
“Yeah,” Kyle agreed, without any confidence in her voice. “I mean… probably. I wrote to Monday before coming back out here, so hopefully they get back to us soon. I like our odds way more than our chances of hearing back from Grandpa.”
Kara turned away, ears flattening. For the first few days, she’d tried to struggle into some of her clothes, but they’d both given up on that now. With a sewing machine they might be able to make something work, but nothing either of them owned would fit.
Kara had an old sewing machine, and a few bolts of fabric. But she spent far more time doing homework and helping with Fay than on trying to sew things with her mouth.
“I know you don’t really pay attention to how things were going with the family, bro—” She paused for a moment, as though waiting for Kyle to object. She didn’t, though, Kara was exactly right. There was no reason to be upset about the truth. “Grandpa never just says things. Mom and Dad are probably furious about what happened to me… but they can’t just keep him away forever. We need help. He’s going to find a way to make Dad give in.”
“And waste our time,” Kyle supplied. “I don’t think we learned a single useful thing from having them here. That stupid doctor wanted a milk sample. Like that would help us change back.”
Kara shook her head. “It’s stupid, but it’s not stupid for no reason. If we’re lucky, maybe he’ll find something? Those doctors were weird. Maybe he hired like… government people, like from Area 51 or whatever.”
Kyle didn’t question the absurdity of that suggestion, not when she was an oversized magical horse caring for a baby of terrible power.
Someone knocked on the back door, and both of them turned. It was Mom, holding a tray of food in both arms. She didn’t hurry away this time, which was a first for her.
Fay did, retreating around the corner and poking her head out. After her encounter with the doctors, she’d been nervous whenever her parents got close. Probably that fear translated to all strangers.
Kara opened the door, poking her head outside. “Not worried we’re contagious anymore?”
“You’re not,” Mom said. “We’ve just found out… well, a few things. None of us are going to change just being near you. The alien caused this, and she’s the only one who could make it happen again.”
Like we needed Grandpa’s weird doctors to tell us that. Kyle rose, hurrying over to the table. She took the tray in her magic, levitating it into the kitchen. Mom pulled her hands back quickly, shivering. “Well that’s… Nevermind. How are you two holding up?”
“Stir crazy,” Kara answered. “And bored. Pretty much how you’d expect from being stuck in the house for a week straight. Can we at least go out into the backyard again?”
Mom sighed, taking another step back. “That won’t be an issue anymore. That new information… Well, let’s just say that the danger of staying here is too great. We’re going out to the country, all of us. The truck will be here tonight.”
Bah. The story flows so well. Waiting a week is cruel and unusual.
I see no way this could possibly be a bad idea.
Yeeeah. I’m with the Captain.myownphotoproject.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/got_a_bad_feeling.jpg
Staying here, in the countryside, was dangerous? Forgive me madam, but where in the world do you think would be safe from magical anomaly? Gilligan's Island? I half expect them encounter with the MiB-in-disguised Homeland Security Officiers at the border.
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As long as they have internet access to continue to communicate with Monday, it's not terrible.
... But... Why? Out of the country?! Where the flip could they possibly believe is better than their rural home?!???? Not only are they leaving the area of initial incursion, but uprooting is extremely stressful for no benefit.
That grandpa is super dangerous. Get rid of him post haste!
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The further they travel away from Flurry's arrival site, the harder it will be for rescue...
10218996
sounds like a trap to me, its like someone with nefarious purposes wants them to move so they could have a chance to seize flurry heart and maybe Kyle mid transport.
So Monday's the real deal. Though I still don't know if they are still trustworthy.
Moving sounds pretty risky. There's the risk of increase exposure to the public en route and no one knows how Flurry will take the trip. Not to mention Twilight's search probably getting harder.
10219019
Out to the country, not out of the country. Think less crossing national borders and more getting away from dense civilization where they could be easily discovered by others.
Basically, getting out to the country is getting away from the nearest city/town/surrounding farms. Cabin in the woods or something. Which doesn't have to be very far... heck, they might even just head out near where he found Flurry to begin with.
It's just picking your particular stretch of countryside carefully to ensure you still have network coverage and bringing along some way to charge the laptop and hotspot/phone keeping you connected.
Red Flag
Why do i get "Wolf Children" vibes?
Hey, Kara, hate to break it to ya, but that ain't half as bad as what's goin' on out here...
….. WHAT!!!!
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UPDATE FASTER!!!
It's easy for Kyle to say after this revelation that the diagram was an equation as if she's breaking down the quadratic equation to someone who looks at it and sees a ritual circle compressed into a line, but with how fast that revelation came to her, how suddenly it came, and what she was settling in her mind just prior, there's only one logical conclusion.
The moment she fully accepted her new form was entirely real and not some drug trip, dream, or hallucination, her magic synced up with her in the way that is natural for born unicorns.
This right here? This shit is what happens when you put too much faith in family that you haven't interacted with in too long, whose first foray back into your lives is something right out of the minds of Area 51-esque crackpots. Certainly doesn't help that the mother's a xenophobe. Calling Flurry 'the Alien' is about equal to saying 'that thing'. Yes she's turned your lives upside down, but she's a baby. A really powerful baby. What, you expect her to have surgical precision with the ion laser cannon mounted on her face? Sorry, but if you show behavior that would instantly have you taken off a list of potential candidates to conduct first contact procedures, I can't really call you a decent human being either.
...Okay, it's easy to say that from an outside perspective, but seriously this lady either hasn't put together that the goons presumably sent by the grandfather were there to abduct Flurry Heart, didn't put together how much her disappearance would upset Kyle whose mindset has been modified to be maternal toward the little Alicorn so as to function as a stand-in for Cadance, or just doesn't care deep down because Flurry Heart, and now Kyle aren't human.
Well guess what honey? Because of those goons and their shenanigans, now you don't have any human children. Are they even yours biologically anymore? Pretty sure the ponies have entirely different chromosomes from humans. Not to mention the components of their DNA. There's gotta be at least one atom of some magically-conductive element unique to Equestria in every strand of pony DNA, considering how completely they sync with the magic of their world.
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To her is "that alien thing that hurt my children". For her NOT to have at least some animosity towards Flurry would be downright bad writing. It might be a baby, but it's a monster baby that hurt her babies. As any mother worth their salt she'd give away the alien child in a heartbeat if it meant a better hope it curing hers.
WE know that's the worse thing she could do, but she doesn't. She has no way to know that, so she acts like she can to help those that matter to her, her family.
Don't forget that reaching out for the evil grampa is a sacrifice to her and her husband too. None of this is simple or easy, and although pretty much everyone could have better reactions they're not perfect logical machines so theirs make a lot of sense.
That’s gonna make Twilight’s job more difficult... Though I look forward to seeing Monday rough her up a bit upon arrival.
Hmmm. Leaving for the country? On one hand thats less people to potentially see the ponies living in your home. On the other hand...
No one to hear your cries for help...
Also the heck is up with Kyles parents and not telling him crap?
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Huh... Forgot I said that.
This will make twilights job just a smidge harder
they should run, into the woods if need be. trusting anything that comes from their grandfather is a bad plan. even the mysterious Monday seems more legit then anything else right now.
10219717
yea everything is looking like their grandfather is nothing but trouble.
Hello there, unreasonable expectations. Nice to see you.
Well, that turned out uncomfortably prophetic...
Hoo boy. I don't know what Grandpa's goons told the parents, but I can't imagine it's anything good. We'll see where it goes from here, but it'll definitely get worse before it gets better. Still, hopefully the novelty of travel will keep Flurry settled down for a while... though I do have to wonder how good the Internet will be in the country retreat. Monday's lessons may not strictly need Internet access to work properly, depending on what they're capable of, but it certainly can't hurt.
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I agree the story is very high quality, but I disagree on the Cruel and Unusual part.
It's actually really nice how reliable the updates are. So neither Cruel, nor Unusual.
But yes, I always wish there was more after I read the new chapter.
I've been getting the impression for several chapters that their grandfather is connected to the Mob, or something along those lines. If he thinks they should move for their safety, I'd say they should listen... but then head in the opposite direction from where he told them to go.
Oh boy! Moving away via help of questionable motives grandpa! Surely they won't be hijacked in the middle of transportation by some shifty eyes 'terrorrists' goverment agents or they won't be relocated into a secret laboratory to do invasive and potentially hightly morally questionable experiments agains their own will if need be even at the cost of their health and or sanity! Nothing wrong at all...
Let there be magical light!
That really does sound like an Area 51 type situation when you put it like that.
That's probably a good idea, unless it's a trap to take them to Area 51.
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Yaa and that is saying something, since he is also really sketchy but i rather go with him then the "help" sent by "concerned" grandpa.
10221258
Maybe he's got connections to the world of magic that obviously does exist on this Earth, though?
10223212
That just means he's more capable of wringing dollar signs out of the unicorns he's found.
I feel uneasy about the relocating. I hope everything turns out ok.
Well Frick.
This CAN NOT go/end well.
Aren’t they already in the country?
I’m just waiting for the moment the shit hits the fan and Kyle and Kara have to bug out with Fay in tow.
I have never wanted to commit jojo reference upon an actuall child my entire life. Fuck Flurry.
Man, those quacks ninja logged right out of there.