//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 - First Impressions 
// Story: Second Chances, Many Changes 
// by ASGeek2012 
//------------------------------//

I stumbled only once on the way to the cart that was to take me to the hospital. Applejack caught me with one foreleg without breaking stride. She seemed to make up for her lack of wings in raw strength.

Perhaps it ran in the family, for the stallion who pulled the cart was enormous, at least compared to my stature. I think he was Applejack's brother. I also caught a glimpse of a little yellow filly with red hair and a huge bow. She appeared surprised when she looked at me for some reason.

Applejack traveled to the hospital with me. The air was warm and the sun just a touch hot. It appeared to be noon or early afternoon, probably summer. Pony-powered vehicles passing the other way kicked up dust from the dirt road which skirted a town I assumed was Ponyville. The quaint thatched-roof houses could have fooled me into thinking I had simply gone back in time. The trees converted into living spaces while somehow allowing the tree itself to thrive, however, gave me the sense of having stepped into a fairy tale.

It became more surreal when I gazed at the mountain range just past the town and the huge castle built high into the side of one of the taller peaks. As I stared, I realized it was more like an entire city built as palace-like gravity-defying spires. It did not help in making this world seem any more real. I still half-expected to wake up from this extended dream.

I was steadier when we got to the hospital. Walking on hooves still felt weird, but at least I didn't have to re-learn basic locomotion. I also had no idea what to do with this damn tail, other than hope it hid my girly bits. Not that any ponies seemed to care about walking around naked.

Well, of course not. They're ponies. I'm a pony. God, that thought made me shiver.

Despite the nineteenth-century look outside, the hospital looked more or less like any modern facility I might find on Earth. Rainbow Dash was there, accompanied by a unicorn in a nurse's outfit. I stopped dead and gasped when I saw the glowing clipboard floating in mid-air before her.

"Something the matter?" asked the nurse.

I stared. It took me a moment to see that the nurse's horn was also glowing the same color.

Rainbow frowned at me. "Yeah, what is with you, huh?"

"N-nothing," I said. "I'm fine."

"Ya sure about that?" Applejack asked. "Ya looked like ya had a fright jus' now."

Oh, you mean from seeing basic physics defied right in front of me? "Sorry, just upset about what happened. Sorry I'm putting you through all this bother."

"You're not a bother at all," said the nurse with a gentle smile. "Please, come with me." She glanced at Rainbow and Applejack. "Oh, are either of you her parent or guardian?"

"That's jus' it, ma'am," said Applejack. "She don't have none and don't remember what other relatives she might have."

"I'd prefer an adult to remain with her while she's examined."

"I'll do it," both Rainbow and Applejack said at the same time.

The nurse sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I should do it," said Rainbow. "Somepony needs to keep an eye on her."

"Like hay you will," said Applejack. "She was found on my land."

"I can react faster than you!"

"To what? Ya expectin' Tirek to break outta Tartarus in the middle of the exam?"

"Rggh! You know what I'm talking about, AJ! The little problem Twilight told us about?"

"Can I have a say in this, please?" I said.

"Anything to get going, dear," said the nurse.

"If I have a choice, I'd prefer Applejack."

Rainbow's frown deepened. I glared at her, not caring what it made her think. She was irritating as hell, and I was at the limit of my tolerance.

"I'd be happy to," said Applejack as she trotted forward, smiling. "Thank ya kindly fer puttin' yer trust in me."

It had little to do with trust. I just wanted to get this over with, and I wanted to get as far away from Rainbow Dash as possible.





I was examined by a brown unicorn stallion who introduced himself as Doctor Horse (oh, God, these names). He did everything I'd expect from a human physician. He listened to my heart and lungs, checked reflexes (I just had more of them to check, including the base of my tail; wish he would've warned me he was going to do that). He checked my head for any obvious trauma, and shined a light in my eyes.

Only here did he deviate. He tapped my horn several times with some sort of crystal wand. The device rang like a tuning fork. He seemed to linger at this for a bit. Even though he frowned briefly, he never mentioned anything was amiss.

"So far, miss, you seem quite healthy," said the doctor. "I see no obvious signs of injury or trauma. I'll order a set of X-rays to be quite sure."

X-rays? What the hell was the tech level of this world?

"And you say you cannot remember your name? Or exactly what happened to you?"

"Yes, that's right."

"What can you remember about yourself?"

My mind raced. "Um ... I, uh ... well, I had been living on the streets ... I mean, on my own for a few years now."

Yes, that was another lie. I was really on my own for a few months, but I didn't want to try to translate my experience with Michelle into my manufactured past.

Applejack stepped forward. "Pinkie Pie said ya thought ya might be from Manehattan."

"Yes, but I don't remember where," I said quickly. I explained what I had told Pinkie about my parents.

"Ah, I thought I heard a faint Manehattan accent," said Doctor Horse. "Well, that gives us a place to start. I can have Mayor Mare inquire there to see if there are any missing foal reports. Since you said your parents were no longer around, were you being fostered by any chance?"

Back on Earth I had been living with my aunt, but she didn't give a shit what I did or where I went, so it had been some time before she had reported I was missing. "I don't think so."

"Hmm."

"Um, Pinkie said something about being fostered here if you couldn't find my relatives."

"Oh, well, let's not worry about that now."

"Can you humor me, please? What happens if you do have to foster me?"

"Well, that's jus' the thing, sugarcube," said Applejack. "This here town don't get much call fer fosterin'. They'd hafta put out a call fer volunteers."

"Please, don't worry yourself over it, my dear," said the doctor. "I guarantee you will not be turned loose on the streets to fend for yourself."

I might have actually preferred that, despite how little I knew of this place. Yes, it was stupid, and in retrospect, I was glad I did not go that route. But I was more scared than I was letting on. "In the meantime, where will I be staying?"

"We're getting a room ready for you here at the hospital so we can run a few more tests," said the doctor. "Oh, that reminds me. I have one more part of the examination to conduct. A magic test."

My eyes widened. "Magic test?" I said in a small voice.

"Not to worry, I won't be asking you to cast any sort of complex spells."

My heart hammered. I was supposed to be able to do magic?

Doctor Horse held up a quill in his hoof. "Just levitate this for a few moments to confirm proper thaumic flow through your horn."

So that was what the nurse had been doing. I had no idea how to do this.

Or was I over-thinking it? Was it just like walking as a quadruped, just another thing that had been hard-wired into my new pony body?

"Something the matter?" the doctor asked in a gentle voice.

"Um, no, just ... I need to concentrate."

I stared at the quill and simply willed it to move, but nothing happened. I tried imagining myself reaching out and grabbing it and pulling it towards me. I flinched when a spark flicked down in front of my eyes. The quill stayed put.

"Are you having trouble with your magic, miss?" asked the doctor.

I tried not to let my frustration and guilt show on my face, but one of Applejack's eyebrows rose slightly. I felt my ears drawing back. I had no idea how to control the damn things. They must have been broadcasting my emotions all this time.

"I'm just tired," I said. "And a bit hungry, too. Maybe we can do this later?"

Doctor Horse smiled and lowered the quill. "Very well, miss." He looked past me just as I heard the clop of hooves behind me. "Ah, is her room ready, Nurse Redheart?"

I turned my head as another nurse-attired pony -- an earth pony this time -- entered the examination room. "Yes, doctor. Is she ready to go?"

"Yes. Please get her something to eat if you would as well."

"Of course. Right this way, miss."

I hopped down from the examination table. I tried not to cringe at the noise my hooves made when they hit the tiled floor. I felt completely helpless, trapped in a body I hated and didn't understand. No amount of pony medical technology was going to help that.

"Hey, doc, can I have a word with ya?" I heard Applejack say softly to the doctor as I was led away. I glanced back to see Applejack jerking her head away from me. I did not see her face long enough to know whether the look she wore was one of concern or wariness.





Despite the colorful nature of the pony population, the hospital room was like any other on Earth: drab and fairly unadorned. Nurse Redheart did open the blinds, which let in enough light to make things seem less sepulchral, but it didn't help my mood.

I was brought lunch. I was not one for vegetables, but my new equine biology said otherwise. I could smell it from across the room, and it made my stomach rumble. At least the food was recognizable: carrots, broccoli, celery, and raw mushrooms.

"Is there anything else you need, dearie?" asked the nurse in a kind voice.

I stared down at the tray for a moment. No utensils? Was that an oversight? I was too afraid to ask. "Um, no, that's fine, thank you."

"I'll check on you later, then."

I watched her go. She manipulated the door with ease using a single hoof.

I picked up my own fore-hooves and stared at them. How was I expected to do anything useful with these damn things other than walking? Was I expected to use that levitation magic instead?

I stared down at the tray. I was hungry enough to just dip my muzzle into it, but I loathed the idea of eating like some dumb animal. Maybe my humanity had been ripped away from me, but I still had my dignity. My mother didn't raise me to be an uncivilized lout. Even when I lived on the streets, I had tried to retain some sense of civility.

How hard could this be? I knew how to walk, how to talk, and I could smell and hear things better like I'd expect from being an equine. Everything in my brain had been rewired to work a pony body, so why not this? Maybe I was just nervous earlier and needed to try it without an audience.

I started with something small, one of the button-shaped mushrooms. I tried focusing intently on it, willing it to rise. I saw another spark flit in front of my eyes. It must have come from my horn.

I tried it again. Still just a spark and nothing else. Maybe it was brighter this time. Was there a muscle somewhere I needed to flex?

I tried a few more times. I felt a vague tingling in my head, near the base of my horn. More sparks flew. I had to do this. Already there were more questions raised than I could answer. I was surprised no one was making a fuss about my lack of cutie mark. Then again, that little yellow filly didn't have one, either, but she was much younger.

My repeated failures garnered as much desperation as frustration. When I finally felt the tingling move into my horn, I thought I was close. I tried to repeat what I had done to trigger that and simply pushed hard.

A strange sensation abruptly surged through my horn. The entire tray glowed pastel blue and was hurtled against the opposite wall. A sharp clang made my ears ring and draw down against my head as food was scattered to the far corners of the room. The tray clattered to the floor.

I swallowed hard when I heard hoof-beats race to the door. An alarmed Nurse Redheart flung the door open.

"It was an accident!" I cried. "I'm sorry!"

"Whatever happened, dearie?" the nurse asked, her voice betraying a mix of concern and wariness.

"I ... um ... h-had some trouble with my magic."

"It's okay," the nurse said with a small smile. "These things happen. I'll just inform the doctor you're having some issues with controlling your magic."

That was the last thing I had wanted, but I forced a smile. "Um, could you bring me another tray of food, please? I didn't get a chance to eat yet. I promise not to try to use my magic again."

"Certainly. I'll also get somepony to clean up the mess."

"Thank you."

Nurse Redheart cast a lingering gaze at me before slipping out of the room.

I dropped my face into my hooves. I had just made everything that much worse.





With the next tray, I did what I should have done in the first place, which was just swallow my dignity and eat like an animal. The veggies were far more tasty than I ever remembered them being, though almost instinctively I knew that they were not as good as they could be. I supposed lousy hospital food was a universal.

Not long after I had finished, I was taken to X-ray and learned why it was so hard to figure out these ponies' tech level. They used a combination of magic and tech. The X-ray machine looked a little similar to a picture I had seen once of some of the first cathode tubes, but at its center was a large, many-faceted crystal, and the technicians were exclusively unicorns.

I was directed to sit down on a large cushion with my head in profile against a flat plate. Sitting on my haunches felt both comfortable and weird. I was grateful for the padding, though.

Nurse Redheart retreated to the door as one of the unicorn technicians walked -- or was that trotted? -- over to me. "Now just sit still, miss, and this won't take more than a few minutes."

"All right."

"Oh, and I will need you to remove your jewelry, please."

I stared. "Huh?"

"Your pendant."

I placed my hoof over it before I realized what I had done. "Oh, um, do I have to? I mean, you're taking pictures of my head, right?"

"It's standard procedure, miss."

That made perfect sense. It was the same way on Earth. Yet I pressed my hoof more firmly into the pendant. "What will you do with it?"

"We'll just set it off to the side here," said the unicorn, pointing a hoof at a nearby table.

I didn't want to remove it. I could not put my finger on ... put my hoof on, dammit ... what disturbed me so. Was I afraid they were going to steal it? Perhaps Rainbow Dash had managed to convince the staff my pendant was dangerous.

Even on Earth I tended to wear the pendant when I slept. Perhaps I had taken my promise to Michelle too seriously. Yet it was my only real link to my past and my humanity.

I felt heat rise to my cheeks as I struggled to turn the chain around with these stupid hooves. How the hell did the non-unicorn ponies get anything done? I finally figured out that the part further back from the edge wanted to stick to things. Not like adhesive, but more like static cling. Though that wasn't a perfect analogy either. Even after figuring this out, I could not get the clasp undone.

"Do you need assistance, miss?" said the technician.

I sighed and dropped my hooves. "Yes, please."

The unicorn's horn glowed, and so did the chain of my pendant. I felt it lift from my neck, but it did not slip off. The unicorn frowned.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

The pendant chain settled back against me. "You must have a locking spell on it."

"Huh?"

"Could you dispel it, please?"

"I-I don't have a ... a locking spell on it." I didn't even know what that was!

The unicorn exchanged a look with one of the other techs before turning back to me. "Allow me to try again, then."

Both horn and pendant glowed, brighter this time. Still, the pendant did not slip off.

"You are quite sure you do not have this magically locked?" asked the unicorn.

"I'm positive!" I considered admitting that I didn't know how to do such a spell, but what if that sort of thing were common?

"Because I simply cannot remove it."

"I don't know what to tell you."

"Can you try to remove it again, miss?"

Maybe if I fiddled with the clasp for the next hour I might be able to work it loose, but I honestly did not want to.

My silence must have been taken as further recalcitrance, as the technician gave an exasperated sigh, "Fine, we'll just go ahead and do it with the pendant on. Face forward, please, and do not move."

I sighed and did as he said. I flicked my eyes over to the door. Nurse Redheart was still there, but with a look of concern on her face. I could not tell if it was for me or for herself.





Soon after I was returned to my room, I got my first real look at myself.

It was unintentional, the result of having to deal with another biological urge. At least that went off without a hitch. Being female, I was already used to having to sit down to do that sort of business anyway. At least toilet paper stuck to hooves better than pendant clasps.

The bathroom had a mirror. I glanced at it out of habit and just stared.

Despite already knowing I was a pony, actually seeing it reflected in my face made my heart lurch. I felt like I was looking at an alien. The horn stuck up from the middle of a curly mess that was my mane, which shared the same silly clown-makeup color as the tail. I swear, it was so bright I felt it had to be dyed. My eyes were large and dark blue. My ears stuck up from either side of my head.

I turned my head from side to side. I looked ridiculous, like some eight-year-old girl's fantasy of a pony rather than a real creature.

I frowned. My hair looked flyaway in places, matted in others. The light fur that covered the rest of my body looked unkempt. Maybe all I needed was a bath. Then I could look even more like a cutesy unicorn pony toy.

By the time I had returned to bed, Nurse Redheart opened the door and peeked in. "Dearie, do you feel up to some visitors, or would you prefer to rest?"

I was tired, but I was too agitated to fall asleep. With it already afternoon, I thought it best to wait until night to sleep, and the intervening time would just be filled with boredom anyway. "Is one of them a pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane?"

"No, dearie, Rainbow Dash is not here. It's Applejack, Fluttershy, and Princess Twilight."

My eyes widened. Did she say princess?

"Is that okay?" the nurse prompted.

Why was she even asking me? What was I going to do, tell the local royalty no? Did I need to get out of bed to bow properly? "Uh, sure," I said in a small voice.

She smiled and opened the door fully, gesturing towards the hall. In trotted three ponies, while Nurse Redheart lingered in the background near the door. I recognized two right away, and between them was a lavender-coated unicorn with dark blue hair with a single pink and purple stripe. Wait, she had wings, too? What the hell was she?

"Hello, there," said the lavender creature, smiling.

"Um, hi, Your Highness," I replied, my voice quavering slightly.

Applejack snickered and Fluttershy smiled softly. Did the princess just blush?

"Oh, um, please, just call me Twilight," said the princess.

She was not wearing a crown, tiara, or any other adornments. The only thing really remarkable about her were the wings and the red star surrounded by smaller white stars on her flank. I wished I understood the significance of those marks.

"I'm really sorry about what happened to you," said Twilight. "I hope the doctors here are able to help restore your memory."

I smiled weakly, mostly forced. "I hope so, too."

"I heard from Applejack that you think you're from Manehattan," said Twilight. "I have a friend who loves to visit there on occasion."

"I've been there myself once or twice," said Applejack. "Bit too fast-paced fer a country girl like me."

I debated how much to try to graft my Earth life onto this world. I felt I had to say something so I wouldn't be seen as evasive. I could not afford to make a princess suspicious of me. "Yeah, I lived in Manehattan for a while, until my mother passed on."

I thought my voice had remained steady, but sympathetic looks greeted my words.

"And you don't recall what brought you to Ponyville?" Twilight asked.

Sure, this entity who may or may not be the devil just snapped his fingers and sent me here because it satisfied his notion of chaos. Yeah, that would go over well, wouldn't it? "I really don't, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, we just don't want to see you hurt any further."

"We really do want to see you get better," said Fluttershy.

For a moment, I could see some of Michelle in that pegasus. Fluttershy's smile suddenly faltered a bit. "Thanks," I said in a small voice.

"Which is why I wanted to talk to you about something," said Twilight.

I tensed. "What is it?"

"Would you mind telling me a little about your pendant?"

"What do you want to know?"

"I'm curious as to how you came about it."

"But it's just a piece of costume jewelry."

"Yes, that's what Applejack said," said Twilight. "And it is very lovely. It also may be rather rare."

"Rare?"

"The image on it, that is."

I looked back down at the pendant, turning it over until the image of the unicorn was visible. "Oh, that. I ... I didn't think it was special."

Twilight's eyes widened. "You didn't?"

"Uh, Twi?" said Applejack.

"It's only one of the most important unicorns who ever lived," said Twilight with a chuckle.

I had no way to lie out of this. I gave her a blank look.

"I mean, who doesn't know about Starswirl the Bearded?"

"Mebbe me, for one?" said Applejack.

"Or me," said Fluttershy.

Twilight gave them a cross look. "Well, of course you know about him. I told you all about ... um ... oh."

"Until ya did, we had no idea," said Applejack.

"I was surprised Rainbow Dash remembered," said Fluttershy.

Twilight blushed again and gave me a sheepish look. "Yes, um, my apologies. I just get excited when I find something that may be from him."

While I was grateful for the help from the other ponies, I still did not like where this was going. "I don't think this is from him, though. I got it from my mother originally."

"Originally?" said Twilight. "Did it change hooves at some point?"

Dammit. One stupid slip of the tongue. "I don't want to go into it," I said in a low voice.

Fluttershy's face became sad. I wish she would stop looking at me. I felt like her eyes were seeing into my head somehow, just like Michelle could sometimes.

"Oh, um," Twilight said. "Well, it may be very important that you tell us who has had this pendant since then. And perhaps before your mother had it."

"Why is this so important to you?" I was trying to not to get angry at someone who was royalty, but she was irritating me.

"I think we should tell her the truth, Twi," said Applejack. "It's only fair."

"Yes, you're right," said Twilight before she turned back to me. "I have reason to believe that your pendant is infused with magic."

"Wait, what??" I cried.

"Given it may be related to Starswirl the Bearded, it's likely benign, but it's strong enough that it may be interfering with your own magic use. For all we know, it may be related to your memory loss."

How was I supposed to explain this? Oh, this can't possibly be some magic artifact because it's just a keepsake from another world, and, by the way, I'm an alien who only looks like a pony. "What do you want to do with it?"

"All I want to do is study it for a bit," said Twilight. "But that means we would have to find a means to remove it from you."

"You want to take it from me?"

"I want to help you find a way to remove it."

"What are you talking about? I can remove it if I want."

Twilight tilted her head. "You can?"

"Of course I can," I said. Once I learned how to use my hooves better, I was sure I could undo the clasp myself. "Why did you think I couldn't?"

"Just from what happened when they tried to take your X-ray."

"I have no idea what was going on then," I said, which was the unvarnished truth.

Twilight paused. "Well, all right, if you can remove it yourself, would you be willing to part with it so I can examine it?"

My heart pounded. "You'll examine it here?"

"I would have to take it back to my castle where I have the proper setup."

I pressed my hoof against it. "No."

"Please, sugarcube, listen to Twilight," said Applejack.

"She's only concerned for your safety," said Fluttershy.

"This is just a keepsake from my mother!" I cried. "It was a gift. It m-means a great deal to me."

"I promise I will return it to you," said Twilight. "As soon as I can determine what kind of magic is contained inside it."

"But there is no magic. Why do you think there would be? What makes you an expert?"

Applejack gave me an odd look, one eyebrow slightly raised.

Twilight chuckled softly. "Well, even though my title these days is Princess of Friendship, I am still technically the Princess of Magic as well."

Oh, dandy. I just did the equivalent of arguing physics with Einstein.

I didn't know what to do. I was surprising myself with my attitude towards the pendant. Part of me wanted nothing more to do with my memories of Michelle, that I needed to make a complete break with my past. I already faced the daunting task of understanding this world, and now I had to sort out my own feelings as well.

"I don't mean to be difficult, but I am really tired," I said. "Can I have a little more time to myself to think on this?"

Twilight looked dubious, but Nurse Redheart -- bless her -- came to my rescue. "Princess, perhaps if you came back in the morning when she's had a good night's sleep?"

Twilight nodded. "I am sorry if I caused you distress. I do just want to be your friend."

I wanted to believe her. What was it she had called herself earlier? The Princess of Friendship? Or had I misheard that? "It's okay, but I am feeling a bit frazzled."

"Have a good rest then, and I'll talk to you again tomorrow," said Twilight with a smile as she turned away.

"Hope ya get to feelin' better soon!" Applejack called out.

"Please, take care of yourself," said Fluttershy.

They really seemed like they cared, though Fluttershy sounded a little subdued, even for her. It made me feel all the worse for lying to them.

I needed to figure out how to use either my magic or my hooves better. That way, if I ever ran into that so-called Spirit of Chaos again, I could throw something appropriately large and heavy at his damn head.