The darkness was blissful to the mare. The pain had halted along with time, feeling as if it stood still in a wondrous, dreamless abyss Twilight found herself in. However, as it was promised, her sleep was short-lived when she began to hear voices amidst the void. They were faint at first but grew once in range. The mare scrunched her face in mild protest.
“Shh!” came a hushed, familiar voice. “You’ll wake her.”
Jacob promised Twilight roughly an hour’s worth of a nap, but he found the peaceful nature of her sleep a pleasant sight and for what she has been through, besides, she deserved it. Instead of outright disturbing her slumber, Jacob began to explain what he gleaned from their conversation earlier to that of the newly arrived veterinarian.
The vet was an older gentlemen, one of those that felt the need to go beyond their retirement age for the love of the job. Edgar was his name. Edgar Schmidt in full. When Jacob once owned a cat, he would often visit Edgar’s clinic for the feline’s yearly checkups. Misty was a trooper. She lived to an ornery age of 21 until her body simply gave out to the times. It was tough for Jacob to see her go. To see part of his childhood disappear into the very earth itself when his cherished friend was laid to rest.
“I know!” Edgar huffed, “You told me she was a very unique pony, but were you not here to confirm what I’m seeing, I’d commit myself.” He paused his little rant before firmly stated, “It has wings…”
“She,” Jacob insisted, squinting his eyes at him.
“...and a horn! That’s...impossible,” Edgar stated with finality, waving his arms out at Jacob.
“Yet, here we both are, seeing the same creature. She speaks English perfectly from the brief conversation I’ve had with her too, by the way,” Jacob stated, crossing his arms as the old man looked at him with disbelief.
“Speaks? C’mon Jake. I can somehow believe the physical traits that are in front of me, but you expect me to accept the fact that this animal can speak?” Edgar pressed, his tone skeptical.
A grunt came from the mare in question, who was hoping to get more shuteye. Unfortunately, the two voices whispering were irritating her. Jacob, having held back a chuckle, sighed and walked over towards the mattress. He approached the mare’s bedside and began to rouse her gently with his voice.
“Twilight. Are you awake? The...doctor is here,” Jacob said softly using a different choice word. “Try not to freak him out.”
Freak who out? With that thought on her mind, the mare began to open her eyes. Oh how she wished the nap was a bit longer, but even she knew her injuries needed to be looked at by a professional. As her eyes opened, she blinked them a few times before her vision settled upon the familiar form of Jacob. She received a thankful smile from him.
“Oh! Another hyoo-mun!” Twilight gushed as her gaze shifted from Jacob to the other person in the room. Even in an unfamiliar world, the scholarly nature of the mare was always present. She studied Edgar with curiosity.
Jacob wanted to correct the mare’s pronunciation of the word ‘human’ straight but opted not to. Amused, he motioned with his hand toward the other human in the room, “Yes, another human. Twilight Sparkle, meet Edgar Schmidt, your vet. Edgar, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Jacob concluded.
“Hello, Edgar Schmidt!” Twilight greeted with a bit more chirp in her voice, injuries temporarily forgotten.
Edgar, however, was eerily silent through the entire exchange. His mouth opened only to close a second later, unable to form any coherent words. He wondered, How long had it been since I wished I could speak with my patients?
Working around animals, in general, gave Edgar a tremendous amount of happiness. Yet, almost every single day wished he could hear their stories! To Edgar, that would have given him an even greater joy throughout his career. Needless to say, in that moment, he was shocked beyond belief. A wish seemed to be coming true.
“Edgar?” As Jacob pressed for the other man’s attention, he glanced at the mare with a smirk, “I told you not to freak him out.” In return, he received the mare’s own narrowed gaze.
Edgar’s blank gaze finally found some life in it, refocusing on the mare that had greeted him. Desperately wetting his dry mouth, Edgar answered, “Oh! Uh, my apologies Miss...Twilight Sparkle was it? And Princess!? Err. Nice to meet you, your Majesty.”
To Twilight’s credit, she smiled and lifted a forehoof. Moving it in a circular fashion, one would assume it was her wrist if compared to a human. She then said with a tired smile, “Just Twilight is fine. I’m not big on ceremony or titles.”
Edgar could not help but stare at the hoof. The range of motion and control was beyond that of any equine he knew of. Furthermore, there is something about the joints that seemed… off. That was going to be information he will discover later after he looks over the mare. The vet cleared his throat as he nodded his affirmation, “Alright, Twilight. I hope you’ll forgive my unease with the situation. I was expecting a pony from our world?” His ending remark was both a statement and loaded question as he pondered about her origins briefly. Is the mare an alien? Is she some myth brought to life? An escaped science project? Whatever reservations the veterinarian had, he put them aside for the sake of tending to the animal before him. An extremely intelligent and sentient animal.
“So I’ve gathered,” Twilight responded with a good natured snort.
Edgar and Jacob switched spots and the vet began to do what he was called there for. “Now Twilight, I’m going to have to look at what I am going to be working with,” the vet warned as he uncovered the injuries. The smaller wounds looked good to Edger, nothing that won’t heal over time with medicinal aid. It was the larger lacerations upon her flank and down her hind leg that brought him to pause as they were uncovered. “Jake, could you bring over the pack I brought in?”
Jacob complied, disappearing outside the room. He appeared a couple seconds later with a large pack stamped with a red cross on it. Jacob didn’t doubt the vet was expecting to take care of a larger animal, seeing how heavy and packed the tub was.
Twilight had fallen silent, letting the doctor look her over. She winced every so often. The reflex wasn’t from the pain specifically, but from the potential of her wounds hurting even more. This especially happened when Edgar’s hand manipulated her flesh, stretching it in places that made Twilight feel slightly uncomfortable.
“Both of these,” Edgar indicated with a touch near the two concerned lacerations, “I will need to suture. You know what that means, Miss. Sparkle?” The vet got an affirmative nod from the mare as she swallowed audibly. “Usually for ponies and horses alike we will sedate them so avoid wiggling and unnecessary movements, but since you are, how should I put it, sentient? I feel I should ask if this is something you would like me to do?”
Twilight’s eyes grew in diameter at the offer. Oh thank Celestia they can do that! Her internal joy was short lived as she became conflicted. Whether the veterinarian could even sedate her, for one, was certainly an issue. Is the drug he uses safe for Equestrian ponies? Will he get the dosage right? What if it is NOT enough? Twilight groaned inwardly before she finally decided upon her fate.
“I’ll take sedation,” Twilight concluded, hoping the effects are similar to the procedure back home.
Edgar nodded his head, “I’m unsure, obviously, of how sedation works from where you came, but our ponies and horses don’t fully fall into a deep sleep when provided the proper medication. They do get drowsy, though. It’s to the point where they won’t be fully aware what is going on around. As for you, all I know is that you might simply fall asleep like a human would under normal circumstances. I’ll even give you a local anesthetic just in case, so you won’t feel a thing.” Edgar explained as best he could to his patient, which was honestly an ordeal in and of itself. Like a dream come true! Usually, he would have to deal with the owners first instead of simply getting to work, regardless of his patient’s state of mind.
Twilight, despite for whatever trepidations that came with the procedure she was having, wanted to simply have this ordeal behind her. If she was going to be unaware of it all, so be it. She fell silent for nearly a minute while both humans watched her intently.
The mare finally exhaled a long, nervous breath, “Alright. I understand.”
“Good. Now, just rest your head back down and relax,” Edgar softly suggested, offering a gentle pat against the mare’s side with a reassuring manner. Once she complied, the veterinarian began withdrawing items from his pack. Jacob curiously watched, noticing some kind of cream and a spray being taken out of the tub. Additional protection from infection? he guessed. Jacob then saw the needle and shuddered. It was never an easy affair for Jacob whenever he had to get a shot or his blood drawn. It simply gave him the chills.
Edgar measured out what he estimated would be the correct dose. Considering her size, body mass, and supposed weight provided by Jacob’s evaluation, the total amount was quite less than what the vet would use on a normal pony. To Jacob, it seemed like Edgar was about give Twilight the same dosage that would make a large dog drowsy.
“You should just feel a prick,” the vet said, seconds before the tip of the needle pressed into the mare’s flesh. He injected the sedative into her system. Edgar watched in fascination as the mare showed the same facial expressions that were similar to a human’s. There was an initial wince, followed by the biting of her lower lip. Twilight concentrated on keeping still, in fear of moving the needle and making the situation worse.
Visibly relaxing, relief finally overcame Twilight once she felt the needle leave her body. “That wasn’t so bad,” she stated with a slight smirk, pulling at the edges of her muzzle. “I feel like a fool. I’ve never had to go through something like this and it’s nerve racking. Usually, our doctors would just put us to sleep with magic…” She trailed off into some incomprehensible muttering as the two men looked at one another with raised brows. They both had the same question on their minds. Magic?
Whether or not Twilight was aware of her losing battle with consciousness was of little concern to the veterinarian. He watched her eyes slowly close as her audible ramblings ceased. Edgar continued to monitor the mare for a short time, just in case the dosage was too much for her. Putting a stethoscope under her elbow, Edger heard her heartbeat along with her stable breathing. “Twilight?” he called to her in a raised voice. His fingers were near her ear, snapping audibly. There was no reaction.
“Well, that’s the best I could hope for,” Edgar stated, turning toward Jacob for a moment. “She will be out for about an hour, anything beyond should simply be her sleeping on her own. I’d suggest waking her up and getting some food in her stomach in a few hours if she is not awake by then.”
Jacob nodded.
Edgar took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming his nerves. Satisfied, the old man got to work.
It was another round of dreamless sleep for the mare, longer in length before for her consciousness began to stir. Light penetrated her eyelids just before the colorful orbs beneath them were revealed. Stirring in the bed, she groggily noted the darkness outside the nearby window.
The light was coming from somewhere else in the room. Artificial, illuminating a familiar face. This light source seemed to come from something the human was holding in his hand while the other was pressing fingers on the face of a device.
“Ugh,” came the mare’s slow awakening, her lips now dry along with the inside of her muzzle.
The light from the device suddenly disappeared, leaving the room temporarily covered in darkness. The shuffling of clothes could be heard before another light soon pierced the dark. A lamp was switched on. Immediately, the mare’s eyes closed to shield herself, a forehoof weakly lifting to aid in the endeavor.
“Oh good, you’re finally awake. I was about to do just that in ten minutes,” Jacob mused as he brought himself to her bedside, “How do you feel? Need some water?”
Twilight nodded but said nothing. She couldn’t say a word. Jacob then disappeared, returning a minute later with a half filled glass of water and a straw. He had no way of knowing how she could drink from a glass on her own as hooves are not exactly manipulative. A straw seemed like a good compromise rather than a food bowl, which seemed insulting at the time.
Twilight finally managed to open her eyes in full, to which they zeroed-in on the glass Jacob placed in front of her. His hand never left the base. Twilight extended a hoof out, but found herself unable to grip the cup whatsoever. She internally frowned at that aspect. Knew as well that her magic was obviously still too low to even do the simplest task, such as holding an object. Sighing in resignation, Twilight brought her lips to the straw and sucked down every last drop of water.
“Thanks.” Twilight was relieved, although slightly hoarse once her thirst was quenched as moisture returned to her mouth and throat. “How did it go?”
Withdrawing the empty glass, Jacob gestured toward her properly bandaged body. “Edgar sewed you up after spraying everything down some anti-infection stuff followed with some, uh, aloe cream? I think he said it will aid the healing process. Then he stitched you up. Good news to add too, your leg is fine and you should recover without a problem, so long as we put you through proper therapy.”
Twilight flinched at that word, ‘therapy.’ To her, it sounded like more pain was ahead. Jacob confirmed her assumption.
“I know, I know. It will be loads of fun,” Jacob offered in a playful tone. Twilight seemed to accept it in an equally wry manner if told by the roll of her eyes. “But we’ll get you through this. A shame your, uh, arrival here wasn’t more amicable.”
“I don’t even know how I arrived here, honestly,” Twilight’s responded, rubbing her eyes with a foreleg. She was still a bit groggy from waking up, but completely capable of holding a conversation. “I was testing a long-range teleportation spell but something went wrong!” She huffed at her own mistake. “I was positive I went over the calculations three times with Spike and Starlight, but-”
Twilight gasped, suddenly realizing something important to her.
“Oh no, Spike! He’s probably worried sick about me along with the rest of my friends! Then again...” She rambled, “It had only been several hours since my arrival, I think? Would my friends really freak out after such little time has passed? Well, maybe Spike, but wait! If I am in a different universe entirely, is time a constant between both?!”
A hand was laid upon her shoulder, the touch briefly shocking the mare out of the chaotic mess of her thoughts. “Twilight?” Jacob ordered, “Calm down. Who’s Spike?”
“Spike?” Twilight shook her head. “He’s my number one assistant! A baby dragon, actually, though he had started to grow again when I... When I messed up. He’s like a brother to me. I literally hatched and raised him.”
Jacob simply went with it. There are dragons now too? “Does Spike have someone that will watch him?”
“Well, yeah. All of my friends would, uh, will look after him,” Twilight said proudly. Yes, her friends would look after her adoptive little brother, even if he wasn’t so little anymore. “You’re right, though. He’ll be fine.”
Twilight curiously glanced at the hand on her shoulder. She had felt this familiar touch before. It came from her assistant. Never had she felt the manipulative digits from a minotaur, gryphon, and now human before. The smooth touch of his fingers eventually got her to calm down. There is still so much to learn. While I’m here, I might as well take advantage of it.
Jacob lifted his hand from her shoulder, only to smile down at her. “Good. A level mind is much better than a worried one. I will be right back.” The man disappeared from the room. Once again, the soft hiss of water from a faucet was heard. Jacob shut it off before he returned to the mare with another glass of water. In his other hand, he brought a folding chair. Setting it down in front of Twilight, he then offered her another sip of water from the straw. Twilight graciously accepted, using the straw to gulp down half of the liquid.
The human finally settled upon the cold seat of the metal chair with the cup of water in his lap. “First things first,” he said, calmly gesturing to the lavender mare with his hand. “Tell me about yourself, Twilight. Where did you come from? and you spoke of magic earlier? Are you any good at it?” Jacob continued to ramble off a few more questions, hoping to keep her mind occupied in the hopes of learning about, well, everything.
The scholar was practically beaming at the opportunity to exchange culture. Twilight raised a hoof, “Only if you tell me about your world.”
That was compromise Jacob could get behind, though he was honestly not the one to hold that particular conversation. “Sounds good.” If he only knew what he was getting himself into, Jacob would have asked for an abridged version of her telling.
“Great!” she cheered, wiggling her body for the sake of comfort until she was satisfied. Jacob leaned back into his uncomfortable chair, readying himself for the unbelievable words that, he assumed, were to follow.
If he only knew...