Lily - 13th of Solarus ‘15 EoH - NoonishLily - 13th of Solarus ‘15 EoH - Noonish
Everyone has their idea of a ‘great person’. In general, it’s someone who's accomplished amazing things while remaining some form of upstanding role model. Everyone’s always wondered what it would be like to meet someone like that in person.
Apparently it’s literally like meeting anyone else.
I was seated in Scootaloo’s apartment across the table from Rainbow Dash. A name known almost universally. Athlete. Adventurer. World Hero. Fastest Thing Alive.
The unique rainbow patterned mane. The sky blue fur. Magenta eyes. Lightning bolt cutie mark. Everypony alive knew what she looked like. Mostly from the label of her line of sports drinks, which was the only product to actually improve your performance by more than a few percentage points.
A twenty percent boost, no matter what. So potent that it was illegal to use in sports unless everyone had some. Dash would have been famous just for that drink. But the list of broken athletic records, her inclusion as a character in a Daring Doo novel, oh and right, she saved the world from Triek… Dash was a living legend.
And yet, as she sat across the table from me, that’s not how I saw her. I saw her as just another pony, and for the life of me I couldn’t understand why.
She looked just like her posters. Built like a laboratory's attempt to streamline a pony. Shoulders akin to a brick outhouse taped to another brick outhouse, nothing more than tightly packed powerful muscle that in my professional opinion, should have atomized her wing bones with each twitch.
And yet, she still didn’t look bulky. She didn’t look masculine, well, she did, just a little, but that had nothing to do with her wings. That was all in her body language.
Cocky, aggressive, brash. She was all of those things, her general posture told you that. But her tone of voice, words, and genuine emotions showed a completely different side of her as well.
“Alright,” Dash said decisively, “we’ve been talking for a while. You don’t seem like a crazypony. Sure, you fixed up Scoots wings, and I owe you a ton for that, and you also healed Flash up… But, and please don’t be mad… You seriously look and sound like the evil mage from an old B-movie!”
I couldn’t help but crack a grin. “Ja, I know… I can’t help being Germane-”
“Wait, you can’t?” Dash interrupted. “You couldn’t like, just change your looks and voice to whatever you wanted?”
I bit my lip and gave her a slow nod. “Well… Ja, I could. But I like me. I’m happy like this. Would you change how you looked if you could?”
She smirked. I think I said the right thing to get on her good side.
“Pff, no! I’m awesome!” Dash objected. “I’m a bit… Serious though. You know, when it comes to the body. I get that you got the metal out of her wings, and you fixed them up for her, and also apparently made them flap silently… But I don’t get what Scoots means by you needing some of me to finish her up.”
Ah, there we go. Concerned mom looking out for kid time. I hadn’t ever had this particular conversation before. I’d never dealt with anypony’s parents.
Fortunately, I knew how to be professional.
“What do you want to understand batter?” I asked.
“Uh, I think you mean better.” Dash pointed out.
I blushed slightly. “Oh, danke.”
“Anyway… What sort of magic are you using? What does it do exactly.” Dash asked leaning forwards a little. “I happen to be friends with Twilight Sparkle. I’ve had one of the best mages as a friend for fifteen years, and she couldn’t let Scootaloo fly for more than an hour. Or even find anypony who could do that for her, even after seven whole years.
“So what makes you different. How are you doing it?” She asked, looking at me with rapt attention. Less in awe of me, more like I was being weighed for market.
“I am a biomancer. A school of magic that until recently was illegal in your country.” I explained. “This is because, well, it’s hard to learn and very easy to make a mistake that can cause a very painful death or worse for a subject of it. It can also be used to create monstrous creatures, or in theory, und this is only theory, create an Alicorn.
“Now I say theory because that has never been done, und trying to do it bucked up my entire country. If I couldn’t repair my own body, I’d have died when I was nine from diseases most ponies don't get until they are in their late second century. But, as you saw this morning when Scootaloo hugged you with her wings, it can also do many great things.
“I am fortunate in that my talent is Biomancy itself. I am by no means the best to ever live, it is my people’s historic School of Magic after all. There were many greater than I will ever be. But I have never made a mistake I couldn’t fix. I am very… High quality.”
Dash nodded, “Okay, so you know magic that probably nopony else in Equestria does. But how does it work?”
“You said Twilight let her fly for ein hour, ja?” I asked curiously. “I’m guessing she used Transformation?”
Dash nodded.
“Transformation magic takes one thing, und directly translates it into something else.” I explained, trying not to be a dick and talk about magic as if a pegasi would know it’s details, but also trying to not sound like I was talking down to her. “It consumes a lot of energy at once, und burns through its allotted energy quickly. But it can be infused into potions, und most effects a pony may want are ones they would not like to have forever.
“Biomancy is much like Transformation. But it doesn't change anything other than living tissues, und it does not transform those tissues directly into what you desire. Instead, it physically changes each und every cell, using the natural processes of biological systems to accomplish what you desire it to do.
“You instruct the very cells to change, und you give them the energy to do so. It is also permanent, you have changed what their actual self is, rather than simply told magic to ‘make this leg look like a wing and work like a wing’.”
Dash shifted in her seat a little, clearly thinking and trying to process it. Had I said it too vaguely? Perhaps too simply?
“So what you are saying is that Transformation magic is like steroids.” Dash summarized. “They can make you stronger, but only for as long as that dose you took lasts. Then you need more. But Biomancy is like a real workout that you keep up for years and as long as you don’t just trash your body, you stay strong. Am I getting that right?”
I nodded, smiling happily. “Ja! Exactly right. While both schools can do a lot of the same things, Transformation burns the energy you put into it to make the magic do what you want, but biomancy uses the magic to change you at the most basic level so you can just do what you want.
“Und so, each one has things it can do that the other can not. Like making you an Alicorn. I couldn’t do that, but I am sure you have seen those costume tiaras that give you an hour of demi-godhood.”
Dash snickered. “Yeah I have. AJ and I pranked Twilight with a pair of them. Heh, we had her thinking we achieved Alicornhood by defeating Big Mac in an arm wrestling contest. But, um, I think you are overestimating what those things can do.
“I mean, yeah I had a horn. But it was just a horn. No magic. Just a shape. But Twilight couldn’t tell the difference, so there was probably some sort of Enchanting aura or something on those that makes others think you have an Alicorn’s arcane signature or something.”
I felt my ears droop. Well, there went that dream. “Oh… I um… I was hoping to buy one so I could see what flight would be like.”
“So you can’t give yourself wings, but you can make Scoots fly?” Dash asked suspiciously.
I sighed and pointed to Dash’s wings with a hoof, “I could give myself a pair of those right now. Und I could move them just like a pegasi could. But your kind uses a lot of magic to fly, und I can’t give myself the organelles to fly properly while still having my horn and unicorn magic organelles or well… Last time I tried I herniated my left lung and liver because my skin started to split und blister li-”
“Uh, I get the picture. You can’t have both without being really really sick.” Dash said with a wince, “and if you got rid of your horn you couldn’t change back.”
“Exactly.” I answered. “Though, I could probably work out how a griffon flies, or perhaps a changeling. They don’t use magic to fly… But that could take months or years. Because I need to know exactly what I want to do in terms of DNA and cells. I could easily give myself cancer trying to fly like a griffon.”
Dash nodded. I could tell from her eyes that she was concerned. “So, if your magic is this dangerous, why should I let you use it on Scootaloo again?”
“Oh nein, nein, nein!” I exclaimed soothingly. “All I will have to do for her is things I have done many times before. In fact, I’ve done it to myself twice und it’s why I’m still alive! The real danger lies in attempting new things, und in making too many changes to someone in too short of a time.
“All I did for Scoots was heal her wings with her own natural processes, that’s perfectly safe. Well, I also made some small changes, but nothing major. She’s safe for another alteration. But after the next spell, she can’t be safely changed for about eight months. Unless she wants to develop an aggressive cancer in something, usually it’s the heart or kidneys. Your body doesn't like to change drastically without long rests between instances.”
“Uh, so yeah… You say ‘it’s fine’ but then also say ‘causes cancer’...” Dash said sheepishly, “You’re not really selling your case here.”
I face hooved. Dammit you silly pony. Not everyone knows what cancer actually is, let alone what causes it.
“Any time you change a cell, you risk damaging it.” I explained. “But I am very very good at it, und I know methods und spells which are some of the safest developed to date! But, ja, if I make a mistake I could accidentally cause a cell to begin dividing uncontrollably und not die when it’s supposed to. That is what cancer is.” I explained.
Dash opened her mouth to reply, but I held up a hoof to cut her off. “Nein, let me finish. Das risk is exactly why even with a procedure I could do right now, this hour, I am taking a whole week to redo all of the arcana, triple check it, und then after I am certain everything will work, then I cast the spell.”
“Oh, well, that is definitely different.” Dash admitted, some of the fear in her voice vanishing
“So, are you convinced that it is safe for me to work with her?” I asked, needing that confirmation.
Dash mulled it over for a few minutes, lips pursing as she thought. Then, finally, she nodded. “Yes. If it’s that simple of a spell, but you're going to work that hard to make sure it works right, I think I can trust you. So. How exactly will making Scoots my actual kid fix her, and how are you going to do that? Because I really don’t want to have to birth a foal. That would destroy my figure and ruin my entire career.”
“Uh… Raising a foal isn’t that disruptive.” I said in slight confusion.
Dash flashed me a grin. “Heh! You’re a doc. Think about it medically.”
I frowned, doing as asked until my eyes widened with clarity, “Oh! With your small frame having a foal would displace a lot of your skeleton while developing, und possibly induce permanent bends.”
“Mhm. My mom’s spine got permanently tweaked when she had me.” Dash said nonchalantly. “Our whole family’s always been pretty slim over all. I actually had my ovaries removed around my twenty-fifth for the express reason of not ruining my streamlining or messing up my back… So um… We don’t have to somehow fit Scoot’s in me, do we?”
I erupted into laughter, almost falling off of the bench I was sitting on. “Haha! Nein! Nein! We don’t have to do that! I just need a DNA sample from you. A feather, blood, spit, fur, lock of mane, anything.”
Dash wiped a hoof across her forehead. “Oh thank Celestia! Now uh, let’s pretend I never ever thought we might have to do that, okay?”
I nodded. “Ja no problem.”
“Right… So I give you a feather and you use it to do… What?” Dash asked desperately trying to move the conversation along.
I couldn’t blame her. I would be really embarrassed about that little idea myself.
“I use it to extract DNA from you,” I explained, “und then I write it’s sequence down using Biomantic notations. I use a sample of Scoot’s DNA to do the same. Then I work out how the two would combine best, picking an x chromosome of her’s to replace with yours based on which of the options is medically superior.
“Once I have made the choice, using the appropriate spell I create special types of viruses which will insert the new genome created from your DNA into her cells, und then instruct her cells to begin-”
I noticed Rainbow’s eyes were starting to glaze over. Time to speed this up. “-Ah, I use magic to put the new DNA into her, und then get her body to start replacing all of it’s old cells with the new ones. She will then have an undamaged genome, und the last part of the magic will cause a one time regeneration of lost tissues resulting in her regrowing any missing body parts. In this case, her flight feathers.”
“Wait, any missing part?” Dash asked in sudden concern.
Ah, I knew that tone. “I can instruct the magic to not recreate specific organs. Did she have her appendix of tonsils removed?”
Dash nodded and sighed in relief. “Yeah her appendix almost burst a few months after I adopted her.”
“Nein problem,” I reassured, “I’ll make sure she’s fine. So… May I ask you something now?”
Dash nodded. “Yeah yeah, just give me a minute to get you a feather.”
“Uh that’s not what I-”
Dash turned and plucked a small feather from her wing. Not an important one, it came from close to her shoulder. Still, that had to hurt to just yank one out.
“There ya go kid.” Dash said spitting the feather onto the table and sliding it over with one hoof. “Oh and fair warning… Scoots is going to love you.”
The words hit me like a sock full of oranges across the face. “Uh, beg pardon?”
“She’s bi, you’re cute, and you’re giving her the single greatest gift anypony ever could.” Dash said in a ‘duh’ tone. “She’s going to fall for you. Trust me.”
“Oh…” I admitted with a hesitant shocked.
Dash suddenly looked around, ears perked in surprise. “Huh, I expected Pinkie to chime in with something…”
“Uhhh…” I honestly didn’t have anything I could say to that.
“Ah well,” Dash resumed, “look, if, but most likely when, Scoots decides to just glomp or kiss you, be nice.” Dash ordered. “Or I’ll have my wife buck you into next week. And not the sexing kind of bucking, the kicking kind.”
I was still trying to process the fact that Dash was right. I actually was giving somepony the greatest possible gift, and yes the natural reaction would be a crush. Faust’s floofy tail! What do I do?!
Well, I guess I could take her out once or twice. She was nice, and it would be nice to have a friend.
“In case you’re wondering,” Dash continued, “I’m mostly ribbing you. But seriously, I know Scoots better than anypony. If you’re not interested in her, please get something ready to turn her down in a nice way that won't just crush her completely, okay?”
“Uh, well, I don’t think that’s really necessary-” I began, stumbling over my words with a flustered sputtering.
Dash grinned. “Really? Great! Forget I said anything, and take her to a mexicolt place. Right, we done here?”
I felt my mind panic a little. I needed stability, something familiar. Talking! Yes, just completely ignore and forget the incredibly awkward fact that a cute mare's mom told you to ask her daughter to a mexicolt place!
“Actually, I would like to know why Scootaloo never received any medical attention for this before.” I said quickly and urgently, trying to just roll over and forget the last few seconds. “I saved one of the bone sections I removed, und the bronze plated bolts inserted into them were most definitely going to kill her very soon. She’s fortunate there was a thick oxidization layer und her body had only just begun to wear through it.”
Dash’s face instantly fell into the first stage of advanced sadness. “I um… I really don’t… This is hard for me to talk about, alright?”
“It’s important I know.” I insisted. “I’m not going to judge you as a person, but if there is any medical reason she didn’t receive any care, I need to know in case that creates any complications.”
“Oh.” Dash said to herself in the tone of a pony who realized it would be necessary to talk about something painful. “I don’t want to talk about this twice… And I should probably tell Scoots too. Let’s get her in here.”
I nodded. “Alright, that sounds fair.”
Dash got up and trotted down the hall towards Scoots room, vanishing from sight an instant before she knocked on the door. “Hey, kid. Can you come out here a mi- Ah! Er, sorry Brook.”
“It’s okay.” Brook’s voice said with a giggle.
A moment later I heard the sound of a door opening. “She spooked you coming out of the bathroom again didn’t she?” Scoots asked.
“Yeah.” Dash grunted. “How are you so quiet when you walk?”
“My hooves are soft, not hard. So they don’t click.” Brook explained.
I couldn’t help but giggle a little as I pictured everything happen as it must have, just out of view. Man I wish I’d seen Dash’s face.
“Anyways, dining room.” Dash said coming slowly back into view.
Dash immediately noticed my amused grin and shot me a glare. “It never happened.”
She and Scootaloo quickly took a seat opposite me. Dash squirmed for a few minutes then took a deep breath, turned to Scootaloo and started to talk.
“Right, so… I’ve gave Lily the feather she needed, and she explained how she’s going to fix you.” Dash began. “Now I’m not a doctor, but I do know a lot about what’s good for a body and what’s not. Lily’s definitely doing something dangerous, but she’s doing it way more carefully than anypony I know of-”
“Even Twilight?” Scoots said in a snarky tone.
Dash rolled her eyes. “Obviously! Well, except for like, laboratory study stuff.”
I raised an eyebrow curiously.
“Oh, uh, Twi’s never thought much if at all about using magic to solve a problem… She just sort of does it.” Dash explained.
“... That’s horrifying…” I eeped.
“Meh, she doesn't screw up that much anymore.” Dash said with a dismissive hoofwave. “Anyways, this mare’s got a way to fix you, and I think she can do it… Which means I need to tell you I’m sorry Scoots.”
Scootaloo’s ears drooped slightly. “You knew about the metal, didn’t you…”
Dash nodded. “Y-yeah… And that it was more than just a little…”
I felt my heart sting with empathy as Scoots face fell like she had been slapped.
Dash stumbled over a few words, awkwardly making nonsense sounds until she managed to blurt. “The Doc said you would be safe for at least ten more years, and I couldn’t bring myself to tell you that the only option then was to amputate your wings!”
“W-wait,” Scoots said with a horrified stutter, “amputate?”
“Yeah… Because… Well… The bronze would poison you or something, but like, later.” Dash informed, ears drooping.
“Once your body ate through the oxidized layer and the bronze was exposed, it would be very toxic to you. Bloodpoisioning at the minimum, und possibly death within weeks if it’s arsenic infused bronze. The kind used in older statutes.” I elaborated. “Und you were dangerously close to getting through the oxide layer when I took them out.”
Dash nodded grimly. “Yeah, what she said. I just… They said you had years before there were problems, and when they started it would be very obvious… So I had them not do anything. I mean they said you were okay for the moment and I was sure Twilight could find a way to fix it!”
Scoots nodded slowly. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.” She didn’t sound upset by that idea at all. But she did still sound a little betrayed. “But how… How did that turn into almost a decade?”
“Well, Twilight didn’t have a fix.” Dash sighed. “I swore she would but well… I didn’t know she didn’t know healing magic back then. I mean she knows first aid so I thought- Yuu get the idea. But she promised she would find a spell to help, and I trust Twilight with my life.
“So I lied to you… I said I couldn’t afford it then and would save up, and that Twilight was helping. Because… Because I couldn’t tell you that you’d never fly, not when I thought Twilight might find a way to help you.” Dash finished, looking down at the floor in shame.
Everypony was silent for a few long minutes. It was quiet enough for me to hear the light sloshing of the water in Brook’s room. The ticking of the wall clock. The sound of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's muffled voices talking from beyond the home’s shared wall.
Scootaloo slid down the bench and wrapped her arms around Dash tightly in a loving hug. “It’s alright. I forgive you.”
Dash silently returned the hug. Speaking only after Scoots let go, “So… You understand?”
Scoots nodded. “I do. Thank you. I don’t think… I don’t think I could have handled knowing I’d never fly and that my wings needed to be removed… Besides, you were right.”
Scoots smiled and turned to face me. “Because there is a fix for these wings! Thank you for, you know, existing.”
I smiled slightly, glad that the downer mood was over. “I’m happy that I’m alive too.”
Scootaloo stretched her left wing out, craned her neck and carefully plucked a feather, then set it next to Dash’s on the table.
“Right, there you go.” She said firmly yet happily in a relieved tone of voice. “If you need more, just ask. If you need any help, I’ll get it for you… One week right?”
I nodded. “Ja, one week und we will have you flying.”
I picked the feathers up with my magic, and set them down next to my saddlebags on the far side of the table in preparation for extracting DNA from them. It was time to get cracking.
The front door suddenly burst open! A bright pink mare with a brighter pink mane stood panting in the doorway.
“D-did I miss it?” The crazed looking mare gasped.
I only saw Dash’s ‘barely holding back a laugh’ nod due to having jumped backwards a whole meter in alarm.
“You’re like ten minutes late, Pinks.” She said with an amused chuckle. “Hey Lily, it’s Ponyville. You’ll need to get used to her doing that.”
“Aw darn!” The pink mare sighed, ears drooping, “I was frosting a cake.”
“Uhhh… Okay….” I managed to say, doing my best to lower my tail from an alarmed pose.
“Don’t sweat it Pinks,” Dash chuckled, getting up. “Lily, it was nice talking to ya, but I gotta go. I’ve got stuff to do. So, Pinkie, wanna get lunch?”
“Yepperoni!” She nod-nodded eagerly and trotted out of the room with a overly eager wave directed at me for some reason.
The two mares quickly left the building. My brain started working again.
“The buck was that?” I demanded of nopony in particular.
“Forget it Lily, it’s Ponyville.” Scoots giggled, “Why don't you get started on the spell and I’ll make us lunch?”
I slowly shook my head. What the hay was I getting myself into?
“Yeah, all right.” I said taking a seat and getting my parchment and tools from my bags. “Sounds great.”