//------------------------------// // The Unseen // Story: Family Tree // by miss-cyan //------------------------------// I woke up, I don’t know how much later, in that dark hospital room. My arm was tender and my forehead was slick with sweat. I was exhausted, and my heart was pounding. Everything that happened flooded back at once. The diary, me freaking out, them injecting me and then…nothing. In the crack of light coming from under the door, my eyes adjusted and let me know I wasn’t alone. Pinkie was asleep in the chair next to the bed. It was just her, everyone else must’ve left. I wasn’t restrained or anything so either they thought I wasn’t a threat or that I’d be out for much longer than I had been. She didn’t stir when I woke up so she must’ve been in a pretty deep sleep. I remembered yelling at her and slapping her hoof away in my panic. So much for doing right by her… I thought sadly. I wanted to wake her up and apologize, but I froze before my hand reached her sleeping form. I have to get home. If no one was trying to stop me, I could get back to the forest and try the portal again. Even the thought of those vines coming back for me wasn’t as terrifying as never going back home. Home. I gently slipped out of the bed, making my way to the door. I looked back at the bag I’d been wearing with contempt. All that stuff can stay here. Even Grandpa’s note. I stubbornly thought. I don’t care about all this anymore. I’m done. One last look at Pinkie. I couldn’t keep it in my head that I still wanted to come back, For Sugar or any of the other foals. Or even…for new reasons. But for her… I patted my jacket pocket, making sure the tiny stuffed pink pony was still with me. I don’t think this will be the last time we see each other. I looked down, sighing, my chest felt empty. I’d leave a note, but you wouldn’t be able to read it. I racked my brain for a gesture that would show I wasn’t trying to abandon her, after everything she’d done for me. Eventually, an idea came to mind, and once it was done, I went back to my escape plan. Bye Pinkie. The hallways were empty and dimly lit, and I was trying to figure a way out without going through the front lobby, when I made a discovery. Unlike hospitals back home, the windows here opened. I snuck down the stairs, watching my back for anyone wandering the halls. I had to duck some corners from a tough-looking security guard with a flashlight, but he never saw me. I got to a window on the ground floor in the hallway and ducked out, despite the tight fit. Once I hit the ground running, the moon my only light, another problem reared its ugly head. Undeveloped dirt roads and me being barefoot. I was never very tender footed, and I made sure to avoid obvious rocks, but once I hit the woods it could’ve become a bigger problem. But I wasn’t going to give up from a little discomfort. I recognized the part of town I was in, and there wasn’t a single pony out and about. Either it was very, very late or Ponyville didn’t have much of a nightlife. I still stuck to the sidelines, to keep from being spotted out in the open by any neighborhood nightshift workers or insomniacs. I hadn’t drawn any attention and I was almost to the edge of the forest. My heart was beating harder with every step. I was so close, maybe to home, but also to the spot I’d almost died. I was really just…going back to the place of my worst nightmare. All in the hopes that I could get home. Home. I was still reeling from what I’d learned from the diary. I hope you can forgive me someday, and we can be a real family again Adair. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to make what I’d read quiet down. I still couldn’t believe it. Adair. My Dad. I had another grandmother. A living grandmother, someone I’d known my whole life. Someone that…I loved. I did, I loved that sweet old lady. Like she was family. And now, she was family. And my dad…kept it from me. Hell, Grandpa did too, if I thought about it. Mom had to know too, she and Dad grew up in the same town. “How many of them have been lying to me?” I huffed, keeping a brisk pace. “I’m gonna deck the lot of them.” If I even got that chance. No, no I can’t have doubt now. I can’t stop hoping this will work. If I don’t get home soon… I knew what would happen. I knew what would happen if I couldn’t get home soon. The forest was close, I could see the trees just up ahead. I had to keep moving. But when I finally hit the tree line, I had to stop. Huffing and puffing, I stared down at the ground, not knowing what I was seeing. Crystals, emitting a low light, were sticking out of the dirt. They surrounded what looked to be the whole forest, and the closer I was to them, an odd tingle ran over my skin. The kind of sensation that made my head scream “Stay away! Danger!”. But I couldn’t listen to it, not now. I pushed closer to the line of crystals, not knowing what kind of magical nonsense was at work here. They must’ve put it up after I got hurt, and here I was, doing my damndest to go right back in. I reached a hand, slowly to the space over the crystals, and my fingers flinched back when I felt some resistance. But it didn’t hurt, it was just kind of…unpleasant. Sent a stronger sensation up my arm, but not strong enough to make me stop. I put my hands against the invisible block, pushing against it. It was hard, but the more force I put into it, the weaker it felt. It was like pushing against a giant wall of cellophane. The sensation was so strong now, making my arms shake, but it still didn’t hurt. It just ached and tingled really badly, like my arms had been asleep for hours and pins and needles were shooting through them. Suddenly, it gave way, and the two crystals on either side of me went dark. I stumbled in past the trees, glad that I could feel my arms again. I felt…off, like the pit of my stomach was aching in a way I’d never felt before, but I could keep moving. I made my way to a clear path, my feet thankful for the lack of underbrush. Nothing had hurt them too badly, other than the occasional twig or rock under the tall grass getting stepped on. Nothing was guiding me this time, no orbs of light in the air or odd sensations to gauge how far I was from the portal. I couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad sign. Good if I didn’t want to get attacked, bad if I wanted to get home. “Please! Show me the way!” I called out, but the woods stayed still and silent. I whimpered, my stomach still aching. I kept going, knowing I’d see something familiar eventually. The forest was dark, save for the moon overhead, and it was just bright enough that I could make out my surroundings. The woods were as quiet and probably empty as they’d always been, no crickets or nocturnal critters running to be heard. I was alone out here, hopefully from any unfriendly plants too. “I don’t know why this happened.” I said to myself, to the woods, to whatever was out here. “I don’t know how I got home before, or how I turned into-” I’m not a pony. “-…something else.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “But if anything out here can get me home, please…I can’t do it on my own…” I kept walking, growing more hopeless with every step. Nothing looked familiar. Nothing seemed to point me where I needed to go. I should’ve left a trail, or something, something to help me get home. “I…I can’t-” I wiped at my eyes, composing myself. “If I don’t get home…” I stumbled, landing on my side. I groaned, trying to push myself up but my arms were weak. I huffed, frustrated with everything. I rolled over onto my back, my stomach aching worse than before. I didn’t want to cry, I never wanted to cry, no matter how much I needed to. But this? Was it really hopeless? Was I going to run around theses woods all night, looking for something that might not even work? Was I going to be in trouble for getting this far into the woods they clearly didn’t want anybody in? would it make them think I wasn’t worth all this trouble? Did I just piss off the only people willing to help me? I stared up at the stars, they were beautiful but so alien. I could pick out a few constellations back home, but here? Nothing stood out to me, nothing to remind me of home. My eyes got clouded with tears, and I didn’t move to wipe the away. I just stared up into the sky, watching the strange stars. Stranger still, through my clouded vision, some of them were moving. I sat up, blinking the tears away. They weren’t stars, they were the orbs of light. From before, from my dream, they were floating down to me, surrounding me. But I didn’t feel scared. “Can you…Do what you did before?” I asked them, feeling odd talking to them in real life instead of a dream. “Please, I need to get to the portal, or whatever it is, the way that you pointed me last time?” They were still, just lazily floating around my head. They gave off a weird energy this close. But they made no move to point anywhere. “Please, just-” I didn’t know if they even really understood me. “If I don’t get home, bad things are going to happen. I can’t stay here, in this world. I don’t know what you are, or why you helped me before, or why you were in my dream but please…just help me.” They were still just floating, but a few moments passed and they moved, forming a line. I smiled, glad to have finally got somewhere. I stood up, ready to follow them when I noticed something…odd. The path they formed…led to a lighter area. More moonlight lit the further down they went. It was just a guess, but they… “You’re not pointing me to the portal.” I said out loud, surprised at what I was seeing. “You’re…trying to point me back to the road. You don’t want me to go back there.” They didn’t move, still pointing to where the trees stopped and the moonlight shined the brightest. I couldn’t believe it. “Are you trying to trick me? Or…do you not want me to get hurt again?” If they’re pointing me to the road… My mind started spinning it’s wheels at…whatever this was. I looked behind me, in the opposite direction. Then I go… “This way!” I shouted, running down my own path. I wasn’t sure if the orbs could touch me, let alone stop me, but I wasn’t gonna stick around to find out. My steps were careful, but fast. I could just make out the ground beneath me, and the trees around me. Going against magical orb advice or not, I was going to get back to that portal. I checked over my shoulder, and some of the orbs were very slowly floating in my direction, others dissipating into thin air. They weren’t anywhere as fast as I was, and I was grateful for that. Before I knew it, the ground under my feet was a familiar, trampled line of grass and foliage, where my body had been dragged not even a week ago. My heart was pounding again. I was so close, but what was I running to? Home? Or something much, much worse? The trail ended, and I knew where I was. The sensation was weak, but familiar. The air had just the slightest chill, and the world was somehow quieter, but it was barely there. I fell to my knees before the portal, too tired to stand but too tired to be vigilant either. Hopefully I wouldn’t regret it. “I…” I caught my breath, closing my eyes. “I want to go back home. I don’t know why you didn’t work for me last time, but please…If I don’t get home…” Every terrible thought swirled in my head, reminding me just what was at stake here. “Well…first off, I don’t have my meds with me.” I laughed sadly. “That’s gonna make things get pretty damn bad soon, if they haven’t already…” I remembered my hospital room freak out with a sad grimace. “And…I have new family member to greet.” I laughed, just as sadly. “I…I’m more sentimental about that than I’d like to admit…I love my family, I really do.” Oh, my family…that was the worst part of this. “If…If I don’t get home…” I was crying in earnest now; the tears wouldn’t stop. “If I don’t get h-home…my family…my family’s gonna think something…awful happened to m-me. Worse than what actually did, if you can imagine…” Mom was going to lose her mind, and Dad would break down, I hated seeing him cry. And Mason! Poor Mason was…he was going to think it was his fault somehow, he always takes everything to heart. He’s so sensitive, even if he’d never admit it. “I can’t just disappear on them!” I cried, hugging my knees to my chest, feeling how cold my skin had gotten through the skirt. “The last time I just…disappeared…I-…I almost-” I had given up, on everything, on anything ever getting better. If Grandpa hadn’t found me, it would’ve been too late. “They’re g-gonna think…that I did it again!” I sobbed, my head on my knees. “They’re gonna think I…hurt myself…” It was so quiet and nothing was happening. I just kept crying. It was loud, ugly crying, but it wouldn’t stop. My stomach was still aching and now it settled in with a new but familiar sensation. A deep pit of sadness, burning and empty, making my limbs ache and my eyes burn from the hot tears in the cool air. “Lottie?” I opened my eyes, the forest was dimly lit with a purple-ish glow of familiar magic, and when I turned my head, a disheveled but worried-looking Pinkie and Twilight were on the path behind me. Before I could speak, Pinkie launched herself at me, tackling me in a hug. She was crying softly, and I was happy to see her, despite everything. “I’m sorry Lottie.” Twilight said to me, her ears down and her horn lit up. “I’m still trying but…I didn’t know how badly you needed to get home…” big, fat tears appeared in her eyes now, and she wiped them away with a wing tip. “I knew you had your reasons but…I’m sorry.” Oh hell…they heard me. Pinkie was still crying, her head tucked into my neck. “Hey, don’t. Stop that.” I sniffled, trying to pull myself together. “I’m okay. I’ll be just fine.” “Lottie!” she wailed, looking up at me with sad blue eyes. I made her cry again. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” “No, hey. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I snapped at you…and I’m sorry for bolting without saying anything.” “I woke up! And you weren’t there! But…” she wiped at her eyes, but it didn’t seem to help much. “You! You put a blanket on me. I knew you were still my friend!” “Always, Pinkie.” I tried to smile for her. “I was just messed up back there…I could never stop being your friend.” She settled down a bit, hugging me again. Much more gently, that huggy pony. “How did you guys find me out here?” I asked, scratching behind Pinkie’s ear, hoping to soothe her a bit. “There were these…lights.” Twilight looked around, and I noticed they were gone. “I don’t know what they were, but they showed us the way.” She looked me up and down, around the crying pink fluffball I was currently cemented to. “Are you hurt? Has anything tried to take you?” “No. I can feel the usual stuff here but it’s weak.” I guessed I should consider myself pretty lucky at that. “But the lights tried to lead me away for once.” “You’ve seen the before?” “When I was running from you guys before, and in my coma dream too. And maybe…some other times I can barely remember…But they always pointed me towards stuff before. They were probably trying to help, somehow…but I ran the other way, like an idiot.” “I should’ve taken you more seriously about getting home.” Twilight said, sighed sadly. “I was so worried about the foals that I told myself everything else could wait…and…I promised you I’d get you home before I even knew it was possible.” She looked at me, determined. “But I’ll never stop trying.” She nodded, feeling very princess-y again. “If my current line of thinking pans out, I could do it. But…It will take time, that hasn’t changed. I’m sorry.” I had so much riding on getting back home. But these ponies were the only ones looking out for me. Patience was never my strong suit, but I wasn’t an ingrate. Time to start acting like it. “I can wait.” I told her, meaning it. “I’ll…manage it. It’ll be hard, but I…I know you’ll try, and that’s all I can ask.” She seemed relieved, and her ears quickly swiveled about. “Now that that’s settled, I would very much like to not be here, thank you.” Her words were fast and nervous. “Vines or no vines, I’d prefer to not be in the scary, magic woods at night, please.” Pinkie sprang back to her old self, helping me up with a nudge to the small of my back with her head. “No foolin’!” she leaned into my side for another ear scratch, getting it, of course. “Let’s go, friend-os!” My feet were a bit sore on the walk out of the forest, but I could figure out what to do about that later. We were close to the exit when Twilight spoke up again. “Now, I promise I’m not mad…” Uh-oh… “But just how in Equestria did you break through the crystal seal?” “I just…” I mimed the push I’d made through the barrier, trying to look sheepish. She just blinked at me. “I can’t believe…” She looked like she was nursing quite the headache. “…my brother made that spell himself…and you just…” she copied my push with one hoof as she walked, almost mockingly. “Sorry. It uh…took some effort, if that makes you feel better?” “It…does not.” She sighed. “But it raises further questions about you, Lottie Petrou. Questions I’m gonna work hard to answer.” “Oh, uh…” I never did tell them why I snapped at them back in the hospital room. “I’ve…got some stuff to tell you. About what I figured out back there.” “I’m looking forward to hearing it.” She sighed, arching her back and I heard her back pop in a few places. “But these last few days have been horrible for my sleep schedule. We can talk about it over breakfast. I promise.” I told Pinkie she should go back to her own bed tonight, but she insisted on going back to the hospital with me. She had raised quite he fuss when she’d woken up with me missing, apparently, and she needed to tell the staff I was doing better. They might not have taken me at my word on that, so I appreciated the backup. The nurses were a bit skittish, but Doctor Horse, I guess, could tell I was in a better place than before. He told me, in that doctor way that doctors do, to get plenty of rest. Pinkie had already been cleared to sleep in the room for the night. I let her know again that I’d be fine on my own, knowing what her answer would be. “Welp, Lottie Dottie…” she yawned, curling up in the chair. “I’m all tuckered out. See ya in the morning.” I pulled the sheet up, wondering how well I’d sleep having been knocked out for most of the day and well into the night. I laid my head on the pillow, emotionally exhausted but wide awake. I might as well be the one sitting in the chair all night. In fact… “Pinkie?” “Hm?” she opened one eye in my direction. “I’m…probably gonna be up for a while.” I sighed, my whole body crying out for sleep but my mind wide awake. “You’d be comfier in the bed, so let me take the chair and-” “Lottie!” her head popped up, looking mildly upset. “I’m not the patient! You need to get some rest, and even being awake in a bed is better than being awake in a chair.” She was right, even if I didn’t like it. “And you’re not gonna go back home to your own bed, right?” I asked, already knowing the answer. “Nnnnope!” she smiled wide, wiggling her body in the chair to show how committed she was to staying put. I shrugged, laying back and trying to get comfy. I could at least rest my aching…everything, even if I couldn’t full-on sleep. I tried to shut my eyes, just trying to let myself drift off. But I just seemed to get more tired. Out of my barely closed eyes, I could see Pinkie shifting a little in her spot, trying to get comfy. Twilight had slept there too, and she looked like a mess when she woke up. And I could never have asked a princess what I was thinking of at the moment, but Pinkie? I already knew what her answer would be. I sighed, getting her attention. I lifted the covers up motioning my head to her. “Get in, ya stubborn pink menace.” She laughed, hopping in without a second thought. She tucked us both in and didn’t even hesitate to snuggle up to me. The warmth on my side was…odd, and I worried it might be one of those things that would make my skin crawl the longer it went on. But as I laid there, a resting pink pony curled up against me, all I felt was… Peaceful. I had so much on my mind, where I was, what I was, how my family was doing…But all of that seemed a million miles away. “Lottie Dottie?” Pinkie whispered. Like this was some kind of sleepover. “Hm?” I whispered back, because. “Are you still sad?” I stared up at the ceiling, feeling how tired I was. “I’m always a little sad, Pinkie.” I sighed, gently working my fingers in her mane, gently scratching her head. “It comes and goes, but…more or less, it’s always there.” “That’s awful…” she sounded so down, but I couldn’t look at her. If I started crying again, I’d never settle down. “How do you do anything? Being so sad all the time?” “Sometimes I distract myself.” I shrugged, remembering a similar conversation with Princess Luna. “But…It’s a part of me. I do what I can to feel better, but sometimes I…overflow, like I did back there. I let all my sadness sit inside me too long and it comes out, whether I want it to or not.” We laid there in silence for a moment, but I still had things to say. “I told myself, in my dream with the Princess…that I would try to do better by working through how I felt instead of letting it come out like that. I guess I let that slip my mind…” I laughed, but it sounded forced. “You can tell me when you’re sad.” She snuggled in closer to my side. “I’ll be here.” And I believed her. I didn’t know how things were going to be from now on, or when I’d be able to go back home. I didn’t know how I’d start to feel within the next few days, when all of this really started to weigh on me and my medication worked it’s way out of my system. If it hadn’t already. I didn’t know how things were going to be. But I knew that this pony was a good friend. I was glad she was here. “…Me too.” I looked to my side, giving her a weak smile. “I’ll be here.” She beamed up at me, her tired eyes fluttering shut as she laid her hoof in my open hand. I sighed deeply, tired but happy. I squeezed her hoof gently, feeling more relaxed as I let myself just kind of float away. I’ll be here. I could hear hushed voices nearby. I was still groggy, but I managed to peek out of one bleary eye towards the sounds. Judging by their hats, three nurses were gathered at the door, peering into the room. From the light spilling in from the hallway behind them, it was morning. “I thought Redheart said the creature was intimidating.” One whispered. “This is just…precious!” “I came in to change the bedding but I just couldn’t disturb them.” Another whispered back, but they weren’t being as quiet as they thought they were. “Just adorable.” “I don’t get it.” The third one chimed in. “This is cute? A pony sleeping next to some kind of animal? If I wanted to see that, I’d watch my niece snuggle up with her cat.” Well, rude. I brushed it off. First I’m a monster, now I’m an animal? “Oh, you just don’t get it.” The first nurse shushed her. “They look sweet together.” “And the creature talks. She’s got thoughts and feelings, she’s not an animal. Princess Twilight was very clear on that.” The other nice nurse scolded. “Plus, Pinkie’s a sweet girl. You shouldn’t judge these kinds of relationships.” … Wait. What? “Okay, alright. I didn’t know.” The ruder one sighed. “I’m not judging, I’m a modern mare. Though Celestia forbid if my granny saw something like this. She’s not the biggest fan of intertribal relationships, let alone interspecies.” …What? “Alright ladies, we’ve got work to do. I’m going to bring them some breakfast in a bit.” The nurses left, shutting the door quietly behind them. I was frozen. What had been a nice, comforting moment with this friend next to me had…become oddly complicated. In the weirdest way. They see me and Pinkie like that? A bit of a jump, we’re not even the same- But we were. In a second, my whole line of thinking changed. I really was…part pony. And the pony I’d been hugging and petting and snuggling up with…who I’d let sleep in my bed…she wasn’t some cute, cuddly little alien creature I thought was actually kind of adorable. We were the same. I wouldn’t have done that with the other ponies. I even told myself that I wouldn’t have offered to let Twilight sleep in my bed. Not to be mean to her, but just because I knew that Pinkie would say yes to the offer. I wouldn’t have done that with another human girl, especially one I’d essentially just met. But here, in this world, different species lived together. Mrs. Russo had even fallen in love back on Earth. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling a headache coming on. I wanted to get up and move around, but a sleeping pony was tucked against my side, a hoof still in my hand. Things…just got a little more complicated, didn’t they? I managed to get out of the bed eventually, without waking Pinkie. A look at myself in the light showed me the state I was in. The bottoms of my feet were dirty, and the skirt Rarity made me was dirty, but luckily it hadn’t gotten torn from my trek through the woods. My bruises had faded a little bit more, but I still had that odd ache deep in my stomach. Not to mention I was hungry again. I looked at the pony in my bed. I felt…odd. Pinkie was still the same pony she was last night. I was the one who had changed lately. And in the long run, this…really didn’t change anything, did it? Ponies can look at me and see a monster, or an animal, or…whatever the nurses were thinking was going on here. But just because they thought it, didn’t make it true. I was still Lottie. I’d just have to be more mindful of how I treated ponies, especially Pinkie. No problem. There was a soft knock on the door, and I went to answer it. Pinkie was still out like a light. “I smell breakfast.” Scratch that. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Pinkie was sniffing at the air, a big smile already on her face. I opened the door to reveal one of the nurses from earlier, pushing meal cart. “And now you see breakfast.” I laughed. “Hey! That’s my joke!” giggling, she hopped over to great the nurse coming into the room. “Mornin’ Nurse Sweetheart! Is all that for us?” “Sure is!” the nurse laughed. As soon as our eyes met, I gave her an awkward smile, this morning’s gossip still fresh in my mind. “Doctor Horse told me all about your dietary restrictions, and Princess Twilight told me you’d both have pretty big appetites this morning. Got you both special orders.” The foods looked pretty varied, and not a flower or hay-based food in sight. As far as I could tell, anyway. “We got some fresh eggs in this morning, got you a big portion!” she said to me. “The Princess said you’d need extra protein, so don’t be afraid to ask for seconds.” “Thank you.” I took a tray, sitting on the bed with it. “I’ll be sure to, Nurse Sweetheart.” “The Princess is talking with Doctor Horse downstairs, so they should be up shortly.” She and Pinkie said their goodbyes and we dug in. I guess my pony appetite was back because Pinkie and I devoured everything on that cart. And the more I ate, the better I felt. The odd feeling in my stomach was starting to fade. I wondered if that would be something to mention to Twilight, she did ask them to give us more food. “They made fritters!” Pinkie noticed, super excited. She passed me a plate, and I wanted to feel guilty about still wanting more food. That feeling did not last long. As I was stuffing my face, we had more visitors. I looked up to see Twilight and Doctor Horse, looking taken aback by the two of us inhaling the fritters. Twilight shrugged, awkwardly smiling. “Well, I thought this would happen.” She laughed. I tilted my head, not wanting to talk with my mouth full. “I thought you might feel a bit run down. Food and plenty of rest are always a good remedy.” “Ish good!” Pinkie chimed in, not having the same reservations. “Are you feeling better this morning Lottie?” the doctor asked. I swallowed the last bite, setting the plate aside. “A bit.” I sighed. “My body feels better, and…I’m not as bad as I was last night.” “Of course.” He sounded just as friendly as he usually did. “Although, the sedative you were given should have kept you incapacitated until morning, I didn’t take into account your size and weight when you were dosed.” “And!” Twilight seemed to want to change the subject. “I’m hoping we can talk about things, if you’re up for it? Doctor Horse will be here, to observe and offer whatever help he can.” “Sure.” I nodded, wondering how they’d all take my discovery. Only one way to find out. Everyone settled for another talk, Pinkie settled into the bed at my side, Twilight and the doctor in the chairs, ready to go. “I’ll start by saying that I think I figured out how you got past the crystal seal, and why you’ve had such a large appetite.” Twilight seemed eager to explain. “I went back this morning and examined the crystals you darkened, and I discovered that they hadn’t been damaged and their spell was still intact. They’d been drained!” “Meaning?” I wasn’t quite following. “Well, the odd magic I’d sensed in you was there, but it was very low. Once you began being exposed to spells, however, your body somehow figured out how to replenish that magic by drawing in active magic around you. That’s why your transformation back into a human took so much time and magic from me, and why you’ve had such a large appetite.” “Is that…the feeling in my stomach?” I asked her. “It’s like there’s a deep ache that…well it doesn’t hurt but it’s there when I’m up and about.” “Yes!” she was enthusiastic about that. “My hypothesis is that your body, as a human, has no traditional way to replenish your magical supply like a pony would. So, you sort of sponge it up. But your body also doesn’t have traditional ways to expel that magic either, Like a horn, or wings or hooves. So, I don’t know how it will affect you when you’re fully replenished.” “Huh.” I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “And…the eating?” “Oh! Right, well.” She looked like she just remembered. “Like I said before, ponies who are physically active or use magic a lot eat to replenish, and your body might be burning extra calories trying to use the magic inside you, trying to replenish it the way a pony would. But that’s only a theory, there’s no way to tell if your body would behave the same as a pony’s. You’re a complete unknown biology-wise, after all.” “I uh…actually might have something that might…shed some light on things.” I started. “Or…confuse things further. Could go either way.” Something clicked for Twilight. “Is it about…what upset you last night?” she asked. “If it’s too hard to discuss, you don’t have to-” “No, no. It’s fine.” Pinkie looked up at me, worried but still offering a smile. I almost went in for an ear scratch to reassure her, but I thought twice about it. Petting your friends is a weird thing to do. “I uh…” I wondered how to approach this. “Well, in the diary, the last entry Mrs. Russo…Sugar Maple wrote was a letter to her son.” “It was?” she asked, her ears going down. “The one who…passed away?” “No, her living son.” I shut my eyes, not needing to add a long-deceased uncle to my ever-growing list of family stuff to think about. “It was addressed to an Adair.” I hesitated. Was this even something to tell them? Was this just something I should keep to myself? I didn’t have any clue about how pony culture felt about hybrids. But this could just as likely make things better. “Adair…” I sighed, getting antsy. “That’s…my dad’s name.” The room was silent for a moment. Then, another moment. Then, two loud gasps from two very shocked ponies. “I…I can’t-” Twilight tried to speak first, but Pinkie beat her to the punch when she grabbed my face and squeezed my cheeks in her hooves yet again. “You’re a pony!!” she giggled, her eyes big and bright. “Lottie Dottie! You weren’t just pony-shaped! Pony you is you too!” “Well, technically I’m one quarter pony.” I was glad they were…taking it so well. “But yeah. I guess Bluey was me too, I guess.” “I just…” Twilight started again. “That! That explains so much! Or…maybe it doesn’t? I’m so confused…” “A pony Twilight!” Pinkie was still pretty wound up. Then, she gasped again, turning back to me. “Lottie! Sugar Maple is your grandmare!” “Your…” Twilight straightened up, her ears at attention. “Wait. This is…What are the odds!? You!” she jabbed a hoof in my direction, and I wasn’t sure if she was upset with me or something else. “What are the odds of you! Being part pony! Being related to one of the missing foals! Coming to Equestria! And being transformed!? They have to be…astronomical!!” I had been so wrapped up in the revelation that I hadn’t even considered how impossible all these things happening all at once was. Aside from all the…other impossible things that I’d been through lately that I’d accepted more or less by now. Could it even…be a coincidence that all of this was connected? Could someone else have gone into those woods and gone through what I had? Was all of this…supposed to happen? “I…don’t know.” I wrung my hands, feeling very small all of the sudden. “I’m having trouble…believing all of it, let alone figuring out…how or why it happened.” Twilight settled a bit, still looking tired though. “…Factoring in your biology…Well, it definitely changes some of my thinking about how all of this happened. It is…very likely now that the magic I’ve been sensing since we’ve met is your own magic.” “From what Princess Twilight and I have observed…” Dr. Horse finally chimed in after looking to be deep in thought. “Your natural magic reserves are very low. Your body is compensating for you not being able to make your own magic in this form by drawing in the magic around you. It’s fairly inconspicuous, but you should pay attention to how your body feels while you’re here in Equestria. Like she said, you don’t have a way to expel the magic other than physical activity so…how your body will handle that is a bit of a mystery.” He stepped up to the bed, looking to be further in thought. “Though…” he started, sounding unsure. “Since you are indeed a pony hybrid, it’s rather alarming how behind on your shots you are.” I openly grimaced, remembering all the shots I got as a teenager going into school. I was okay with needles, but I felt kind of cheated. I thought I was done with this crap… “Is…that necessary?” I hoped against all hope that it wasn’t. “Oh, yes.” He nodded, knowingly. “There are many pony illnesses that you’re susceptible to as a hybrid, and you have no built-up immunity to them, having never lived in Equestria. If you were to be exposed to ponypox, poniomyelitis, horsey hives…even a simple case of the equine flu might have disastrous consequences.” “Okay, I get it.” I sighed, not fond of the idea of catching any of those. “Does she get a lollipop after?” Pinkie asked, very helpfully. She lowered her voice, whispering dramatically. “…Can I get one too?” “Anyway…” Twilight got our attention again, while the doctor stepped out to get what he needed. “This all could…actually be beneficial to your current situation. You aren’t an Equestrian citizen, but as a descendant of a native pony, you have certain rights here. With a bit of paperwork, I can get you a stipend from the Equestrian Treasure and access to anything your family owns and that would belong to you. Potentially.” “A stipend?” I thought back. “Sugar mentioned something about that in the diary.” “Citizens can receive a stipend from the Treasure if they submit an address to the royal census. Depending on a few factors, like income and dependents, you receive a sum of bits to pay for basic living expenses. Those with royal ties or noble titles are exempt, and ponies with well-paying jobs can opt out if they don’t need the support. I don’t know if you have any inherited money to rely on, so I’ll get on this as soon as possible.” I hadn’t thought about my family here, outside of the Maples. It was odd, thinking that there could be ponies wandering around that I shared DNA with. “Could…could you see if I have any living pony relatives?” I asked, feeling guilty for asking for this on top of everything else she was doing for me. “I mean, you don’t have to-” “I can get that information too.” She smiled, seeing I was nervous. “It won’t take much on my part, but I don’t know how long it will take…Sorry, it feels like that’s the only answer I have for you lately…” “No, it’s fine. Thank you.” I sighed. “I’m grateful for the help, really.” I looked around the room, thinking about my living situation. “With some money, I can get a real hotel room this time.” I thought out loud. “If I can leave here soon.” “Lottie!” Pinkie nudged my side. “You don’t have to pay for a room. You have ponies who want to help you!” “No, Pinkie…I’m already taking advantage of-” “You just said you’re grateful for all of this.” She reminded me, crossing her forelegs., an eyebrow raised. “What’s one more teensy weensy, itty bitty favor from your friends?” Hard to admit, but she had me there. It was a little irritating. Even with my body back, I was completely helpless here. At least as a pony I could go about my business undisturbed. Now, I was cooped up in a hospital room, hoping that things would be okay with no way to make it so. “Lottie?” Pinkie got my attention. “Wanna talk about it?” Shoot. I’m doing it again. “Yeah, sorry.” I caved, remembering the promise I’d made to myself. “I’m just…frustrated, being so dependent on everybody. Back home, my family treats me like I need my hand held through life…I wanted to keep that from happening here, if I could. But it’s different. I can’t do everything for myself here, even if I want to and it’s getting to me. Just a bit.” “It’s okay.” Twilight smiled. “You’re welcome to stay with one of us, if you want to, it would be much less expensive than a hotel room. And there are lots of things that you can do here in Ponyville to help yourself, if it would make you feel more independent. Ponies help each other out, it’s just how we are. But you’re always welcome to tell us if you’re feeling uneasy about how your time here is going.” Pinkie nodded, and surprisingly I did feel better. A knock, and the doctor was back. Along with a tray of syringes. Whyyyyyy….