My Heart's Content

by Doctor Disco

3 - Who'd Have Believed You'd Come Along

“I don’t think we ever properly got your name,” Octavia says matter of factly as she and Derpy eat some of ‘Pinkie Pie’s’ baking. I’m eating as well, thanks very much to these two ponies who were kind enough to bring more treats for me today.

Currently, it has been a couple days since I ‘finally’ woke up. After that night of my mental outpouring, the doctor came in and shooed my two new pony-friends out so he could take a look at me. Well, shooed is much kinder than what he actually did. More like shoved. Anyways, the dark grey earth pony who I came to know as Octavia and the lighter gray pegasus who I came to know as Derpy brought chocolate chip cookies. Who can resist such a gooey delectable? Maybe a person that was on a diet, but I’ve been in the hospital with hospital food for a single day and I already hate it. Even the doctor seemed to have sympathy for me. Just goes to show how unlikeable it is.

So, getting back on track, I nod in agreement with her as I lick my new pony teeth with my tongue. Boy, is it weird to have stronger vegetarian teeth! “Nor I you, Octavia,” I say as I turn to Derpy, “Or you, Derpy.”

“Woohoo! Learning names is always fun!” Derpy cheers before putting a hoof to her muzzle. “Or re-learning? Because we already know your name, right?”

I humour the thought for a moment. “I guess you’re right, Derpy. I guess I’ll start then.” Taking a breath, I smile. “Hello everyone (Octavia corrects me to ‘everypony’ but I keep going), my name is Melody Farren. Two things I like to do are sing and explore, and I love strawberry flavoured ice-cream!”

“Strawberry flavoured?” Derpy whispers, “I’d say cookies n’ cream is better!”

“You’re both wrong,” Octavia says, “Chocolate is the best.”

“Okay girls, I think we got a little off track here,” I say as I hold my hooves out in a way of saying ‘calm down’. “Derpy, how about you go next?”

Derpy brightened up at the suggestion. “Okay! Hello everypony, I’m Derpy Hooves! I like to be happy and deliver everpony’s mail! I love love love muffins!” I nod welcoming the new information about my friend. Maybe I should go to this ‘Pinkie Pie’ and get some muffins for Derpy later…

“Alright, I guess that just leaves me,” Octavia announces. She clears her throat and puts a hoof on her chest. “Alright, everypony. My name is Octavia Melody, and I like to play the cello! Music is my forte, as well as performing in front of ponies…” She then looks between the two of us, and puts a hoof up beside her mouth as if sharing a secret. “Between you and I, if you’ve seen the ponies I’ve played for, they are millions more times uptight than I am.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” I say. We all can’t help but smile at Octavia’s comment. Just then, I realize what her and Derpy’s names are, and can’t help but notice. “Hey, we have a common name!”

“It seems we do, Melody,” Octavia says with flourish.

“So… do you get your names when you realize your talent? Because all your names match up with some of what you do best,” I can’t help but say. I then turn to Derpy in forgiveness. “No offence.”

“None taken!” Derpy happily replies back.

“No, we’ve had these names our whole lives,” Octavia frowned. “Although, now that I think about it, it does seem odd how we are named seemingly premonitory of what we will become best at.”

We sit there for a few moments in thoughtful silence. What could this mean, that pony parent’s just presumptuously predict and therefore name their children after their future talents? Ah well, at least there’s peace and quiet.

“Hiya girls!” A pink pony shouts as she quite literally appears out of thin air!

Well it was nice while it lasted.

“Gwah!” I yell, flinching backward into my bed. Confetti falls from places unknown and this pink pony, with a light pink coat and a darker pink mane that’s poofy beyond belief, smiles unnervingly. It seems Octavia was just mildly surprised at her appearance, while Derpy smiles even brighter than she did before.

“Hi, Pinkie,” Derpy greets, closing her eyes and waving a hoof as she floats in the air. To be more specific, flapping her wings so she hovers off the ground.

So this is the Pinkie Pie that was able to create everlasting muffins? I couldn’t believe it! The door never opened, the windows have been shut closed this whole entire time, and there is no other way she could’ve gotten in, unless she was able to teleport her way in!

“Oh, it’s much easier than that, Melody,” Pinkie grins. “But I can’t tell you how. Shh! It’s a secret!”

My jaw drops and I fix her with a baffled stare. She already knows my name, and I’ve only known her for the five seconds she’s been here! Well, maybe Derpy told her but that’s not the point. Also, she pretty much acknowledged my thoughts as if they were tangible and readable! That makes no sense!

“I’m the princess of making no sense,” Pinkie exclaimed before putting on some black shades that she also pulled from nowhere, “Deal with it.”

“Bu- bu- bu- uh…. Wha?” I manage to stutter, and Octavia sighs deeply as she facehoofs.

“This is Pinkie Pie-”

“That’s me!”

“And she is Ponyville’s resident party pony. As for her disappearing and reappearing at will?” She looks me in the eye with a defeated expression, “She’s Pinkie Pie, and that’s the only explanation anypony ever gets.”

“Yep! Even I don’t know how I do it sometimes!” she smiles, procuring a cupcake behind her with a small candle on it.

Shaking my head, clearing my thoughts of all the shattered fragments of my sane mind, I look at her helplessly. “So… why’d you come here?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Pinkie says, before placing the cupcake down and hugging me tightly. “It’s to cheer up a pony that’s sad inside!” She then gestures to the cupcake now situated on my side-table and smiles warmly. “And this is to make up for your ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party, which I can’t throw in the hospital because of the meany doctor-ponies!” She pulls a party whistle from her mane and blows it. “I’ll get you a party eventually!

“Oh, and before you ask, I had my usual macguffin Pinkie Sense detect a new pony in town.”

“Macguffin… party.. Pinkie Sense…?” I mutter, trying to process all this information. Sighing myself and taking a deep breath, I smile gratefully at her. “I thank you for all of this, Pinkie Pie, but right now I just need a breather, kay?”

“Alrighty! Don’t worry, I’ll see you around.” She salutes to me and then waves goodbye to Derpy and Octavia. “See you later!” And with that, she dashed out the door. Unbelievably as well, all the confetti that had fallen has now mysteriously disappeared. I frown and pout as I try to piece together my fractured mentality.

“Don’t worry about Pinkie Pie, she means well,” Derpy says, now eating some cookies that had somehow appeared beside her.

“...Yes, and I apologize for any brain damage she may have caused. First encounters with new ponies always tend to be… traumatic in several ways.” Octavia sheepishly frowned.

“Oh,” I say, as I am clearly still recovering, but I smile at the thought of this new pony. “Well, I personally really like her! She’s so happy and upbeat!” I then frown as another thought occurs to me. “But people-”

“Ponies,” Octavia corrected.

“-like her aren’t that happy unless they’ve… unless they've had something happen to them.” I finish, frowning slightly.

“And what would you mean by that?” Derpy asks, fixing me with one eye. I smile at her sadly and shake my head.

“Nothing… it’s just something I seem to have learned recently…” I reply. “But, moving on! I think we were talking about names, weren’t we?”

“Hm, yes, we were discussing how our names seem to relate to our talents… and how that seems odd. But we didn’t discuss how you got your talent,” Octavia says as she looks at me oddly. “Or where you're from. Come to think of it, where are you from?”

Why is she looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face? Apart from that, the question takes me off guard. I don’t know much about this place, but I can infer enough from recent observation that it is mostly dominated by sapient ponies. With no humans in ight, and myself now somehow transformed into this somewhat uncomfortable body, I purse my lips in contemplation.

How am I going to say this? ‘Oh yes! Did I mention I’m actually a human-turned-pony that is now in (what I expect to be) another dimension?’? I don’t know how well that would go over their heads, but I feel they wouldn’t take it lightly. They might send me to some insane asylum, have me incarcerated, get me put inside a lab which the government will promptly experiment me in. So many things could go wrong, yet I still need to tell them. Why? Why? Why?

Why do I feel I need to tell them so? What will it benefit me? Maybe it’s because these two people- two ponies are the closest thing I have to friends in this new word and I don’t want to lie to them. Or maybe it’s because of the fact that I’ve already lost everything, so what’s there to lose? Either way, I scrunch my eyebrows and begin to relate to them the story of my name, first.

“My name… Yes, my name. Melody.” I take a deep breath and begin my story. “Should I start with ‘once upon a time’? No? It’s alright? Okay, restart. Once upon a- no, wait, sorry.

“When my mother had newly begat me, there was a lack of names that my mother could accept. Every name that my dad thought might be good, mom rejected. It wasn’t that she didn’t like them, it’s just that she didn’t think any of them were truly fitting. So one day, as she was holding me in her arms, she began to sing. A song of friends, a song of hope, a song of peace.” I now find myself crying with a sad smile as I think back to the family I’ve also lost. Family I’ve lost stumbling into this new world. Friends and acquaintance, who may now never know of where their friend Melody went.

“She… she finished, and found me giggling in delight and making small squeaks that she found- uh- absolutely adorable, and… and she named me Melody. To remind me to always be gentle, to always be sweet. She gave me a song to remember for many generations to come. A melody, a melody of truth, a melody… of things past and things to come.”

“Are… are you alright?” Octavia asks. I nod and see her dabbing a cloth to her eyes and chuckle softly. I look over to Derpy and find her blowing her nose with tissues, and can’t help but laugh lightly at their own dramatic reactions to my story, even when I myself have tears streaking my face.

“Yes, I think I am,” I say as I take a breather, “For now, at least. Thanks for listening, I guess.”

“Hey, we’ll always be here for you,” Derpy cries, flying over to hug me. I happily accept it and I smile my thanks. It would seem the latter question was now completely forgotten.

“I’m sorry guys, I’m an emotional wreck and I definitely need help,” I say, before releasing Derpy.

“Well, you’ve certainly done a good job in doing the same for us,” says Octavia, and we all share a laugh.

“Well, I think we’ve best be going. I’ve got an upcoming concert I truly need to prepare for now, and Derpy I’m sure has her own obligations to fulfil,” Octavia states.

“Yep! Without me, nopony would get their mail!” Derpy beams in pride. That may not be entirely true, Derpy, but I don’t have the heart to tell you otherwise.

“Aw, leaving so soon already? It’s only been half an hour,” I pout. I know they are busy, but I don’t think I can survive with them leaving so soon. Octavia looks like she is about to say something, but stays silent.

“Oh! Well, I guess we can stay for a bit longer, can’t we Octavia?” Derpy asks, and Octavia smiles.

“Of course, Derpy. I’d rather be here than with some amature musicians anyways,” Octavia nods, and I look so very gratefully at them.

“Where do we begin?”

---

“You can do it, Melody!” Derpy cheers me on as I shakily begin to walk on four feet.

Just yesterday I was given the all-good by the doctor and told I could now leave when I wanted, but that I should still stay for some physiotherapy. It has been a week now since Pinkie Pie’s first visit, and she has visited me every other day when Derpy or Octavia couldn’t, humoring me and keeping me company. But back on track, today, the physio pony has gently prodded me off the bed and onto my never before used hooves, but of course, nopony (look at that! I’m now using ponified terms!) would know that, as I had neglected to tell them from where I’m from. Better to not say it than speak lies, right?

But anyway, here I am, putting one hoof in front of the other. It’s odd, that when I had touched the ground a sense of strength had filled me, but it still didn’t help with my own inability to use my hooves. “Thanks, Derpy,” I grimace as I take another step. “The sentiment is much appreciated.”

“Now remember, hoof at a time,” the physio pony says, and I nod. I’m already good at it! It’s really no different from when I would do a bear crawl for Phys Ed. It’s actually much easier than I thought it would be, and I begin to confidently put one hoof in front of the other.

“That’s good, Melody!” Physio (as I’ve taken to calling him Physio) says. “Now, let's see you do a few rounds around the room. Slow and steady, we don’t want to rush and hurt ourselves.”

I nod and begin to trot slowly in a circle around the room. Success! These new muscles will take some getting used to, but I think as long as I can manage a slow pace I should be good. “Way to go, Mels!” Derpy cries, pumping a hoof in the air.

“Way to go, Mels!” another voice echoes through my head, and I inadvertantly trip up, causing me to crash headfirst into the floor.

“Ow!” I shout, rubbing nose as I prop myself up.

Physio and Derpy run over to me and begin to fret. “Oh dear, are you alright?” Physio says, and I just look at him with a face that said ‘Really? You’re asking me that when I’m on the ground?’.

“I- I think I'm good, yes,” I still respond, grunting with some effort as I get to all four hooves.

“Are you hurt? What happened?” Derpy asks worriedly, and I tried to brush her away with a hoof. I only end up stumbling a little as I still have not mastered standing on three hooves (obviously).

“It’s okay, Derpy. I’ll be alright. I think I can manage. Hey Physio, what’s my status?” I tell Derpy before asking Physio.

“I keep telling you that’s not my name!” he sighs and facehoofs before looking at the floating clipboard in front of him. “Well, save for that little trip you went on, you seem to be holding up quite well. Some of the skin is still tender, as I’ve been told by Doc Green, so I advise you stay away from any extreme physical activity for the next few days. Just in case.”

I nod at him quickly before turning to Derpy in slight desperation. “Hey, can we get out of here?”

“Sure,” Derpy smiled before she hoofed it with Physio. “See ya later, Mister Physio.”

“It’s not- you know what, nevermind.” I hear him mutter something and then he sighs. “Well, take care. I don’t want to see you back in here, alright?”

“Gotcha, Phys,” I remark before we collect my meager belongings (currently consisting of at least a half dozen get-well cards and a muffin) and we slowly but surely walk out of the hospital.

“Hey, Nurse Redheart! We’re checking out, so have a good day!” Derpy calls to the current receptionist and she waves a hoof.

“Bye, Derpy! You have a good day too!” the she replies. I can’t help but wonder whether ‘Nurse’ is her first name, or whether it’s a title and she actually has a proper (relatively speaking) first name.

As we trot at a less than normal pace, normal being relative to how the average speed is walked by the ponies I’ve seen so far, I begin to think of a lot I have on my mind. Such that I couldn’t think of in the drabness and dullness of the hospital, and with all the attention I was getting from medical staff and party ponies alike. The fresh air feels so clean, but the memory of the polluted city air is tainted by the passage of time. Still, it’s nice to feel the breeze and the sun’s heat on my fur.

That thought brings me to another line of thinking. I’m a completely different species, in what I can now see is a completely different world. Before, I had just dismissed it as something insignificant, but now I realize that I shouldn’t really be able to understand any of these creatures. Well, I guess I’m one of them now so I shouldn’t be calling them that. Moving on, how am I able to understand these ponies? It makes literally no sense to the logical part of my mind. Come to think of it, how do they understand me? Unless English is a universal language (it seems more like multiversal now, but that’s not the point), which I know it isn’t, something must be making me able to understand these people. Also, do I still call them people, or do I call them ponies?

Another tangent forms in my mind. These ponies make no sense! All colours of the rainbow coat the ponies of this world (see what I did there?) and everybody has, what was explained to me as, a ‘cutie mark’. Something to indicate that pony’s special talent. Like Derpy’s bubbles, which I assume is to indicate her bubbly personality. Or Octavia’s treble clef, to indicate her own musical talent. Funnily enough, I seem to not have one on my own pony body, which I’m glad to see, for now.

And then there are three races. Three races of pony! The normal ones, like me, and then there are the flipping unicorns and pegasi! Why couldn’t I have been a unicorn? So I could use magic instead of these danged hooves and my gosh-darned mouth? Or maybe even wings like Derpy, so I can fly and feel the rush of wind on my face? Instead, I’m stuck, grounded. To the ground!

Okay, so maybe it isn’t that bad but it certainly feels like it!

I’m suddenly brought out of my reverie when Derpy addresses me directly. “Hey Melody? Octavia and I, we still don’t know too much about you,” Derpy begins and I nod. “We were wondering if you wanted to have a sleepover with us! And, uh… do you have a place to stay? I mean, just in case you have nowhere else to live, you could live with me…”

I stop watching my hooves as I walk and look at Derpy in surprise and bafflement. “W-what?” I say, and can’t help but feel a rush of emotion and a train of thought barreling through my mind. Here I was, a complete stranger in every possible way, and yet here was a pony offering for me to live with her. I mean, I truly didn’t have somewhere to live since I’m not even native to this dimension!

“You can live with me! We can get to know each other better, you’ll have a place you can call home, unless you already have a place to stay?” Derpy enthusiastically states as she hovers beside me. She then frowns at me sadly. “I don’t think I ever once saw anypony that looked like family visit you… Do you have a place to live, even?”

I slowly come to a stop and gulp as I look at the ground in front of me. Should I accept? I really don’t know what to say. I really don’t. “N-no, I guess I don’t have a place to stay… But why? You barely even know me!”

“Well, that’s just another reason to stay in Ponyville,” Derpy smiles, “We’ll get to know each other better! That’s how friends are made, right? You find a new pony and learn more about them!”

Well, I can’t really argue with that logic… But it still baffles me how these ponies are so friendly. Taking a deep breath, I sigh and look at Derpy. “Let’s- let’s just start off slow and with that sleepover, eh? How’s that sound?”

I see Derpy’s smile falter a little before she grins toothily. “Alright!” she says. I smile myself before we slowly make our way once again. At least with the sleepover, I can finally ask how Octavia and Derpy got their names, and where they came from. Just as we begin trekking down the path once again, I realize something.

“Wait, you’re saying we're in a town is called ‘Ponyville’?”

“Yep!”

Whelp, there goes my mind for the day.

Author's Note:

Woohoo!

Another chapter is here, everypony! Enjoy!

Remember to comment on how I did and any feedback you might have for me!

I really appreciate it more than anything else

Comments

[Fresnor]

Hmm, may need a list later of the various ways her mind breaks. Should be happening at least every Tuesday.

[Texus]

“I’m the princess of making no sense,” Pinkie exclaimed before putting on some black shades that she also pulled from nowhere, “Deal with it.”

“Bu- bu- bu- uh…. Wha?” I manage to stutter, and Octavia sighs deeply as she facehoofs.

Of course I know Pinkie and I'm not really mad, but sometimes it feels like people are just going overboard with Pinkies abilitys, and make her even more mystical and powerfull than she really is supposed to be.

I'm not sure, but I think about her as a foal is that right?

I like how you write it, but I have an headache again (I need to ask a doctor again), and maybe can't appreciate it as much as I normally would.