Twilight woke up, stretching her limbs before looking around. She was still, whatever she is, but she was not in that hospital bed anymore. No, she was back at her old room, not a single speck of dust left out of place. She could see all the patterns in the wooden frame. The light coming from the sun went through the window, creating a window-shaped brightness on the floor. The wallpaper was a bit cracked here and there, but other than the more 'realistic' look of everything in the background, save for the ponies, Spike, and perhaps a few other things, it still did not stop her from looking at it the old way. Either way, it was still her room. "Man, it feels great to be right back at home..." the filly said as she got up from her bed and looked at the one thing that was out of place. A new crib was put in the corner of her room, and in it, a certain hatchling was crying. "What is it, Spike?" Twilight asked before looking at the soggy white diaper. "So that's why. Don't worry, I'll fix you right up." The filly levitated a diaper, and skillfully changed the baby dragon, who became satisfied and yawned, falling back asleep. "There, much better." Twilight Sparkle went out of her bedroom and walked down the stairs. She didn't know how to use her new wings, but she hoped that Celestia would figure it out. Speaking of Celestia, she said she was having trouble with some... family issues, as the nobles called it.
In the kitchen, Twilight Velvet was busy making breakfast while Nightlight read the newspaper as he waited for his coffee to finish brewing. "Hi Mom, hi Dad!" Twilight said as Nightlight looked at his daughter. Velvet, who had just finished, levitated the plate full of pancakes to the filly, who smacked her lips. Ever since she awoke in the hospital, she yearned for her mom's pancakes, and, without warning, she pounced on them. Now, she did not scarf it down like any hungry foal, but actually took a little bite at a time, savoring the flavor as she drank her orange juice. She hadn't heard anything from Zero yet, he did say he was a voice in her mind after all. "I am... still a bit scared about everything and all, but I do feel a little bit of confidence since you guys are here. Pretty soon, I will have my cutie mark!" Twilight said. All of them were pretty shocked that Twilight hadn't earned her cutie mark, but according to Celestia, it was because the energy within the lightbulb had disrupted her normal flow, hence her strange appearance, but she admitted it was a hypothesis.
"You seem half-confident about that, dear." Velvet said as she drank her coffee.
"Yeah, I know." Twilight said. "But this is not about that. I don't know what to tell my friends." Twilight said as she looked down. Pretty soon, Velvet came and hugged her.
"You know, even if we don't manage to make friends in Canterlot, Princess Celestia did say that there were other towns and cities around Equestria." Nightlight said as he got up from his chair. "I know you aren't the type to travel away from the princess, but we will do anything to make sure you and Shining are happy."
"Thanks, I needed it." Twilight said as she finished her breakfast. Pretty soon, they heard a knock on the door. The little filly hid as her parents walked to the door, opening it to reveal a snow white alicorn walking into their house. There was no mistaking her for someone else. "Princess Celestia!" Twilight said as she ran up to her and tackled her in a hug.
"I missed you too, Twilight. My 'family' as they called themselves, just drive me up the wall." Celestia said. Despite modern science saying otherwise, the more racist and power-hungry nobles just kept on claiming that they were her nephews and nieces, and, on some cases, her direct descendants. She had no children and neither did her only sister, she even stated that clearly. "A little time with the humble and the simple always calms me down." the princess stated. "But that was not the only reason I came here. Since you are no longer bedbound, we need to see what your new form is capable of."
Twilight unfolded her strange wings and opened them before touching her halo with a hoof. Suddenly, a fear spread across her. "Wait, are you going to dissect me?" Twilight asked in horror.
"Twilight, where did you get that idea, I would never do such a thing!" Celestia said as Twilight's parents looked at one another and then to them. "It would be more accurate to think of it as a fitness test rather than surgery."
"Um, Princess Celestia, I'm really scared." Twilight said as she shuffled her hoof across the floor.
"There is nothing to be scared of, Twilight. I'll be there with you and your family if it makes you feel confident. And you don't have to call me by my title, we're close friends, after all." Celestia said as Twilight hugged her. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
Twilight looked at herself, then at Celestia. She was going to the outside world in this form AND exposed. She couldn't have been more scared. But, the princess did say she was going to be with them, so, that made her feel better. Celestia did tell her she was going to take care of everything, and that also built up on her confidence. Zero, if he was going to talk to her again, could be some sort of guide, he wasn't the nicest or the meanest, he was just, neutral. With that personality aside, she still had Shining Armor by her side. "Okay, I'll go." Twilight said. "But on the condition that I take Smarty Pants with me." They were a bit shocked by her response.
"Deal." Celestia said before nodding to Twilight Velvet, who levitated a stuffed pony to Twilight's back. "As I told you a few days ago, you don't have to worry with me by your side." And with that, Twilight took a deep breath, and stepped outside of the house. Man, she felt like a human baby trying to do their first steps right now. Twilight didn't know why she was using human vocabulary, but shrugged it aside. The walk was surprisingly quiet in the background. Some of the ponies immediately hid in their houses, while others stared back in the distance. But none of them threw what they could at her or even yell. Probably because of something Celestia did. She was a mystery to the filly, and Twilight guessed that she made some sort of announcement at first, but that was not likely, but it was still very much possible. But the sun was brighter, not too bright to blind her, but it was still so annoying. Pretty soon, they were at the hospital. "Here we are again, Twilight." Celestia said as they went into the hospital. As Velvet and Nightlight checked Twilight in, the filly sat in the waiting room, holding her doll with her.
"Okay, Smarty Pants. I'm a little scared here. This is pretty new for me, taking all these tests and getting my blood drawn occasionally, but this is just a simple test. You hug me if I feel pain, okay?" Twilight said. Smarty Pants didn't reply, due to being a inanimate object. Despite this, Twilight did feel the need to take to something, anything. As soon as she finished talking with it, the nurse called her name. "Alright, it's time, Smarty Pants." Twilight said as she levitated her favorite doll onto her back and carried it through the hallway and into her assigned room. They were calm around her because they saw her before, she could feel it in her heart. "Whatever is coming in here, you do have my back, right? Good."
Just then, a light grey unicorn with a black mane walked in. "You must be Twilight Sparkle, I assume." the doctor said as his patient nodded in response. "Sorry about the mystery, you were quite known ever since the incident, a lot of those who worked here did, including me. So, since your body has changed, we have to take a few tests to see how your body works. Well, my name wasn't the best choice, so you can call me I.V." Doctor I.V. said as he levitated his stethoscope to Twilight's heart before taking some notes. This was just some easy stuff, as he checked her ears, which were normal, and then her eyes. Her new vision was sensitive to the light, and she covered her eyes.
"Sorry, but my vision hasn't been that sensitive to the light before." Twilight said.
"It's alright. Your new form does have its differences." I.V. replied as he pulling out a syringe, some test tubes, and a few other pieces of equipment. "Now, I'm just gonna draw a little blood, it won't hurt, I hope..." I.V. said as he covered her elbow with a stretchy material. Underneath it, he put the needle into one of her veins. Granted it hurt, but only for a fraction of a second. After then, it wasn't so bad. "So, how have you been since you came out?"
"I was a bit scared at first, but a little nudge from the princess had helped me get out into the world. She always knows how to push me forwards." Twilight replied as she looked at the red liquid entering the test tube. "Princess Celestia had also appointed me to be her own personal student, but that was in the hospital. Granted, I never had a goal with it, but now I do. I am planning to figure out what my special talent, and my cutie mark, are." Twilight said as I.V. swapped the full test tube with an empty one. "Have you seen someone who has been through anything similar to that lately?" she asked in a curious tone.
"A few ponies had went through it, like Sunset Shimmer. She had disappeared a while back, nopony knows where she wound up." I.V. said as he swapped the second test tube for a third one. "I didn't know her, but my uncle said that he went to search for his talent. He got it, that's for sure." The test tubes were finally filled, and I.V. wrapped a bandage around her elbow. "You are a smart pony from what I heard." I.V. said as he put the test tubes in their rack and set it on the table. The word 'vivid' came into her mind, and she used it to describe the things changed by her new vision, such as the background and most inanimate objects. It was actually pretty interesting on how it remained vivid while not changing her when it was hooked up. I.V. opened the door with his magic and levitated the test tubes. "You're a good kid, try not to let anyone change it. I've treated not just ponies, but griffons, minotaurs, even dragons, and none of them were as bizarre and as interesting as you. Your parents will be here shortly." And with that, I.V. closed the door, leaving Twilight with Smarty Pants.
"Did you hear that, Smarty?" Twilight asked. "He actually liked me! Yes!" she said, being careful not to interrupt any work in the other rooms. Whatever comes next, she knows it will all be worth it once it is all done.