Friendship Abroad

by Starscribe


Chapter 16

Marie wasn’t sure showing the magical creatures how a television worked was a good idea, for entirely selfish reasons. Once there was a steady stream of images playing across its surface, they no longer needed to get their information from her. That meant less attention, and it meant she could already feel her hunger returning.

Besides, the BBC’s current report on what was amounting to the largest natural disaster in the history of the United Kingdom wasn’t exactly an enjoyable watch. The broadcast had a running count of “dead” and “missing” and both numbers were always going up.

She checked the fridge, but wasn’t surprised to find it empty. It wasn’t even a real hotel, so it wouldn’t have a bar of overpriced crackers and drinks she wasn’t allowed to try.

“How rare are artifacts like this?” Sandbar asked, when she returned from the kitchen with a pout and plopped down on an armchair with folded arms. “I’ve heard of seeing stones, but…”

“It’s not a seeing stone,” she snapped. “It’s a TV… television. Crappy TV like this would cost less secondhand than the license.”

As usual, the magical creatures didn’t know what she meant. But maybe she didn’t care. She was running out of patience—Marie was hungry, confused, and scared. She wanted to go home.

“I don’t want to be here anymore.”

To her surprise, that thought seemed heavier than the others. Her desire to express her discomfort, but lacking the confidence to tell the magical creatures she was unhappy… had apparently attracted the attention of someone else.

Ocellus’s voice echoed in her head, though she seemed further away than before. Like she was somehow overhearing a whisper through a shut door.

“Thank the queens you’re awake over there. I was worried you would sleep forever. I need help.”

“You need help?” Marie turned to one side, pulling her legs close to her chest and wrapping her arms around tightly. “I’m the one who got turned into a monster. What are you doing that’s so hard?”

“Pretending to be you. Your mother is here, and… she’s very difficult.”

“That’s one word for it.” Marie had done plenty of things to run away from home for a while—but just now, she didn’t care about the punishment. If being back there would make her normal again, she’d take it in a heartbeat. Probably.

Ocellus had questions for her—a stream of images so rapid she almost couldn’t keep up. She wanted to know what photographs of her represented, what phrases her mother had said meant, and many other things. Enough questions to fill a few hours of conversation passed between them in what felt like minutes. She could still hear the ponies discussing things they were seeing on the telly—right now they were commenting on the boats rescuing people from flooded homes.

But Marie didn’t care about all that just now. She waited until Ocellus had finished asking her questions, then stopped the changeling before she could sever whatever connection they were using.

“What am I, exactly?”

It took longer for the other voice to answer—longer than any of her previous questions had taken. She could feel her discomfort and guilt as clearly as though she were in the room with her.

“I don’t know for sure, I’m not an expert at swarm lore. And I’m not sure any bug would be able to tell me about humans, I’ve never heard of you before.”

“That isn’t an answer, Ocellus. I liked you, I wanted to help you. Can’t you at least tell me the truth?”

Another long silence. Finally Ocellus answered. “Changeling venom only works properly on ponies. If you were one, you’d just be a changeling now, like me. But you weren’t a pony, so… you’re like… maybe half a changeling, or maybe less? Hard to be sure. Try eating your favorite food and I’ll know if it’s more or less than half.”

What did that mean? Unfortunately for Marie there wasn’t any food here, which was exactly the problem.

“Can you make me back to normal?”

“No, but you can. That’s where we get our name, changelings are… well, no reason to be modest. We’re the best shapeshifters in the world. I’m only okay at it… but if you come back with us to Equestria, there are some changelings who can even do inanimates. My uncle… nevermind.”

“You’re with my mum right now and you think she’d let me go with you to…” She trailed off. Ocellus didn’t reply vocally, but she could sense the grim agreement.

“I need to be me to go back to my life. There has to be a faster way than going to another… country.”

“I could try. You could also try spending time with Silverstream, she has a little transformation magic. Have her take you underwater, see how it feels. Maybe you learn from copying? Changelings are great at copying.”

Marie of three days ago probably would’ve screamed at her for what she’d just done—deny an invitation to what had to be some kind of magical world? Wasn’t this the other half of her Hogwarts invitation? First she got her magic, and now she was being invited to the place to use it.

“I wouldn’t want to go alone. Maybe if David and Helen could come…”

She realized too late that she hadn’t just been thinking that. “I’m sure there’s room for all three of you at the school. Twilight is always trying to invite new creatures, share the magic of friendship as far as she can. I’ll talk to her.”

School. There really was a magic school, even if what they called it didn’t make a whole lot of sense.

“Have you seen the pictures on TV? Looks like your country just… popped out of the ocean or something.”

“I saw. I don’t believe it. It doesn’t look like something they would do, just ripping Equestria away from the world like that. It’s only one country, what about the others? It must be a mistake. Or… maybe it’s not related.”

Maire didn’t believe that for a second, though. As much as she daydreamed about other fictions, it made sense that the one kind of magic she’d discovered was the one doing all the weird stuff. David was right, she couldn’t throw it all away.

“Buck, they’re watching me. Can’t talk anymore. Just… let me know if anything bad happens.” And her voice was gone, as abruptly as someone hanging up the phone.

Or maybe that was the front door banging open. Marie turned with the others to see the group come in—Smolder the dragon was in front, clutching something in one of her claws. There were two others behind her, another bird-thing and a huge farm animal behind her. A… yak? But most farm animals probably didn’t wear braids or look so aware.

“Look at this,” Smolder announced, smacking a huge roll of paper on the table in front of her like a treasured icon.

“Got food,” said the bird behind her—bright blue, but with a voice that was far less intimidating than his sharp beak and claws suggested. At least until he dropped a bloody bundle of cloth onto the kitchen counter. It smelled fresh, as any butcher’s shop.

“Yona also do some foraging,” the yak declared, dropping her own bundle. This one seemed to be overflowing with berries and plants. “For those who not want eat gross things.”

“Hey, desperate times,” the bird countered. “Even a pony will eat meat if they’re hungry enough. Isn’t that right, Sandbar?”

The horse rose abruptly from the couch, apparently tearing his attention from the telly only with difficulty. “Meat? Uh… maybe, but I’m not that hungry. I’d rather eat grass or uncooked hay than… than that.”

Marie got up, turning off the television with a quick press. No sense distracting them all with more of the same. Nothing they saw on that was going to be cheering them up.

“You’re all missing the point,” Smolder yelled, loud enough that everyone stopped and stared. Marie whimpered and stepped back, trying to seem small. Not terribly difficult, considering how big they were. “We have a reply from Equestria. I didn’t want to smear it in the rain, so… here it is.”

Everyone crowded around the paper as she unrolled it on top of the books, getting several of them a little damp in the process. But the dragon didn’t seem to care.

Even Marie leaned close to listen.

“My faithful students,

We have been trying to reach you for days now. Your ship passed into a shoal of unknown magic and did not emerge from the other side. But the strange magic we’ve been observing around Equestria’s shores expanded, and now…

Now it seems the whole country has experienced the same thing you have. I got your letter minutes ago, and am including another emergency scroll with my reply.

A rescue is already being planned, but the disaster of our arrival has damaged cities along the coast, and my magic is badly needed. Please remain hidden as best you can for the next few days. Diplomatic contact with these ‘human’ creatures will happen soon, and once it does we may not need any kind of rescue at all. Just don’t hurt any of them, don’t make them upset, and we’ll get you out of this as soon as we can.

I could not think of a group of friends better suited to represent Equestria in a new land.

All my trust,

Twilight Sparkle

PS: If there is some kind of emergency, you have another scroll. But know that saving you will probably cost the lives of other ponies I can’t save. Use it only if you have no other choice.”

“Seems like the volcano’s really erupting back there, huh?” Smolder asked, finally letting go of the paper. While several of her friends seemed to lean closer, studying it, the dragon had finally noticed Marie. “You’re awake. The human.”

Marie nodded, retreating. Until her back smacked into the wall, and she could back up no further. “I’m human. Or I… maybe I was. Ocellus says I’m half-changeling.”

“Aren’t many cooler things you could halfway be.” The dragon kept advancing on her—she was the only one of their group that walked on two legs, but she was still bigger than Marie. As tall as an adult, though her proportions didn’t seem quite right. Also she wasn’t wearing any clothes, which seemed weirder for someone on two legs. But the bloodstains were the worst. She’d been hunting. “I guess maybe a dragon, but I’ve never heard of a half dragon.”

“Kirin.” Silverstream was the first to appear on her other side, grinning cheerfully. “They’re half dragon. And there’s hippogriffs, we’re half griffon, half pony.” She smiled, and Marie felt nothing but warmth from her. “You’re in good company, Merry. Halfsies stick together, you’ll see.”

“I wanted to ask her something,” Smolder interrupted, silencing her companion with a wave of her claw. “Something only the human would know.”

Marie gulped, feeling her wings strain against her clothes again. But there was nowhere for her to go. What was she going to do, run off alone into the rainy night? She couldn’t go home, not until she could be herself again.

Ocellus said Silverstream could teach me. I need to get her to take me fishing.

“What? I, uh… I might know. I don’t know as much as David, but I know some things.”

“Well, it’s raining out there,” Smolder said. “And I’ve already figured out most human things burn as easy as pony things. But I don’t do raw meat. Since I can’t cook it myself… maybe you know how? Some… human magic? This is a human house we found.”

Marie sighed, her fear deflating. “You… want to know how to turn on the oven?” She walked past Smolder suddenly, having to squeeze around the yak to get into the kitchen. The floor looked even more destroyed than it had earlier, with some of the tile actually damaged by their weight.

We’re in big trouble when they find us hiding here. “It’s right here. My mum doesn’t let me use the range by myself, but… I guess you’re all here.” She pointed, twisted a few dials, and the little electric element inside started to glow.

“While I’m at it…” There was an electric kettle on the counter, maybe… yes, there was a box of tea in the cupboard above it. A cup, a shower, and I’ll feel human again. She had to. It was all she could do.