TWILIGHT POV
I let a yawn escape my lips as I and my tired group of friends, sans Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, were sitting at Sugarcube Corner at the Slumber-damned hour of 11:34 at night. Pinkie Pie had seen it extremely necessary to wake myself, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and myself up and dragged us all over to Sugarcube corner. Fluttershy wasn’t with us as she was apparently lucky enough to not get caught in Pinkie’s antics and enjoy her stay in Princess Luna’s dream realm.
I was nursing a nice cup of tea, allowing me to stay awake but also soothing me enough to the point where I could pass out as soon as I got back home. Applejack on the other hand was drinking a black coffee with apple cinnamon added to it to wake her up and prepare herself for whatever crazy thing Pinkie Pie was planning. Rainbow Dash hadn’t even tried to stay awake as she passed out on the table with a pool of drool slowly building up that was eating away at the pile of napkins I put under her, while Rarity was spending her time crocheting what looked like a white sleeping mask with two fake blue eyes on it, possibly to trick Pinkie Pie into thinking she was awake.
I’ll have to ask if she can make me one. I thought as I took another sip of Celestia praised tea before Pinkie Pie came back inside.
”Alrighty there Pinks, what’re we all doin’ here? It’s late and I needed to get up early and work t'morrow.” Applejack asked Pinkie, who was shaking like a leaf… oh Celestia…
“I’ve got the Shakies, AJ, but like really really Shakey! There’s a definite doozy coming, a really big one!” She shouted. All of our eyes collectively widened in horror. It was even terrifying enough to rouse Rainbow Dash from her sleep as she jolted upright with her eyes as wide as dinner plates.
“A doozy?” She asked before looking around the room. “Where’s Fluttershy?!” She asked hysterically.
“I couldn’t find her at her cottage, and I don’t know where she could be! Damned Plot convenience.” She muttered under her breath.
“THEN WE NEED TO FIND HER!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she jumped up from her seat and rushed over to the door. As Rainbow was running to the door Pinkie Pie’s ears twitched, her eyes blinked rapidly, and her knee’s started to shake. Recognizing the signs, I tried to stop Rainbow Dash.
“RAINBOW, LOOK OUT!” I shouted too late. Just as Rainbow Dash got to the door it swung open and hit her in the face, causing her to fall down and hold her then bruised nose.
“GIRLS! COME TO THE HOSPITAL QUICK!” Fluttershy shouted from the other side of the door. Before we could ask why she looked so terrified she flew off to Ponyville hospital at a speed that Rainbow Dash would be proud of if she wasn’t holding her now bleeding nose.
“C’mon! Let’s go!” Applejack shouted as she rushed out of Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie slung Rainbow Dash over her shoulder and ran after Applejack, with Rarity and me following close behind her.
We ran for about five minutes to Ponyville Hospital in a panic, I'm not sure what the others thought, but I assumed that something happened to one of Fluttershy's animals. Which would mean that we'd have to do our best to console her and make her feel better if one of her animal friends died. This wouldn't have been the first time either, Fluttershy has been asked several times to not bring animals to the hospital, but would still bring her animals to them if she couldn't;t help them.
Midway through our run to the hospital, Rainbow Dash regained enough of her senses to fly there in a few seconds as she left us all behind in her dust. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and I made it to the hospital waiting room a few minutes later and saw Bizarro sitting in a chair with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash in the chairs on either side of him. He was wearing the strange costume he wore when he first entered Ponyville along with the stone slab that hung around his neck.
Bizzaro hung his head low as he stared at the white tiles of the waiting room floor, almost completely unaware that two of his friends were patting his back in a reassuring manor. It was clear to all of us that he had just cried as we saw his fresh tear stained cheeks, which he ignored as he just looked at the floor with a thousand yard stare in his eyes. I was about to ask Bizarro what was wrong before he suddenly stood up and rushed over to the front desk in an instant, causing the papers on the desk to scatter as a small gust of wind followed him to the desk. Not five seconds later, Nurse Redheart walked out of the medical wing as she dried off her hands with a towel.
“Am Trick ok?” Bizarro asked the nurse.
“Yes, don’t worry Bizarro. Mrs. Lulamoon will be fine, but…” She paused as she glanced at all of us. “I need to discuss something with your friends in private, if you don’t mind.”
“Why? Y-you say Trick am ok, right? S-so no need for me to leave, right?” He asked, almost pleading to stay with us.
“I’m sorry Bizarro, Trixie will be fine but there are some things I need to discuss with your friends to ensure she and you will be okay. Mrs. Fluttershy, would you mind taking Mr. Luther outside?” Nurse Redheart asked, receiving a firm nod from Fluttershy before she flew over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t worry Bizarro, Trixie will be okay. Why don’t we go see if we can pick some evening-primroses for her? I’m sure she’d like some flowers.” Fluttershy offered. Bizarro seemed hesitant to leave, sending a final glance back to the medical wing before he slowly nodded and followed Fluttershy outside.
When Bizarro and Fluttershy were gone and clear from earshot, I spoke up. “Nurse, what’s going on?” I asked. The Nurse’s calming smile instantly vanished as she looked down at her notes.
“It’s not good. Trixie is fine physically and hopefully mentally, but…. hormonally, she isn’t faring too well.”
“What does that mean?” Rainbow Dash asked. “All Biz would talk about was some black creatures in the forest. What the hay does that have to do with Trixie’s hormones?”
“Because those ‘creatures’ were changelings.” Nurse Redheart informed us. We all collectively gasped before she went on with her explanation. “From what Bizarro was able to share, he and Trixie were apparently ambushed in the Everfree and barely escaped. While Bizarro was able to fight off his attackers by some miracle, Trixie was less fortunate and was put inside a changeling containment Egg Sack. You see, the Chalazae in changeling albumen contains a protein that forcibly induces heat for optimal fertilization.” She explained.
“We’re lucky she was only exposed to it for a brief amount of time. If she were inside of the egg for say, a week or so, she would be in a much worse state.” She finished. The girls and I all felt our stomachs turn in disgust and fear. I knew Changelings were dangerous, but this was… disturbing is the only word that could even remotely describe that.
“And since Bizarro wasn’t exposed to it for too long, he shouldn’t be affected. However, we had to incinerate his outer clothing just to be safe. His underclothing should be fine, but the outer layer was almost drenched in changeling albumen.” Nurse Red Heart continued. “For the time being it is paramount that Bizarro stays away from Trixie during her heat. From what questions he was able to answer I assume they aren’t part of a herd, and even if they were I doubt they would want this.”
“No, but more importantly, how long will this last?” I asked. I felt horrible for Trixie, I might not have liked her that much compared to my other friends but I wouldn’t wish this on even my worst enemy. I wouldn’t even wish it on Blue Blood… I think? No, no. I wouldn’t even wish this on him.
“We're not sure, we rarely get patients like this, some of us aren't even sure she'll get any better, all we can do is hope for a miracle. In the meantime, it would be best to keep Bizarro away from Trixie, does Bizarro have anywhere to stay?” Nurse Redheart asked.
“He can stay at the farm wit me. We got plenty o room there.” Applejack offered. “Yer sure Trixie’s gonna be ok, right doc?”
“She will be, don’t worry. She is in the most capable hands in all of Ponyville. But we can’t do anything for Bizarro, that will be your job. He is in a very fragile state right now and needs somepony there for him. Are you sure you can handle it?” Nurse Redheart asked.
“Don’t worry, Red.” Rainbow Dash said as she wrapped an arm around Applejack's shoulders. “AJ’s not alone in this. We’ll all be there to help Biz. Right girls?” She asked us. We all agreed with her sentiment and decided to visit Trixie in the medical wing. Since Trixie was in heat no stallions could visit her, meaning Bizarro wasn’t allowed to see her at all. But, because our group consisted entirely of mares, we would be fine.
Upon entering thee room we all saw Trixie lying on a blue cot that laid right in-between two similar cots on either side of a seafood green curtain. Trixie was asleep, wearing a similarly colored hospital gown, with IV's, heart monitors, and magic tanks attached to her.
I decide to explore the room with my eyes as I tried desperately to look everywhere except at Trixie. This poor mare, I had tried to almost run her out of town when she first got here, what if this could have happened to her but back then? Bizarro wouldn’t have been with her and she would be attacked by those evil changelings. I grimaced at the thoughts of disgusting debauchery and nonconsensual activities she would have likely suffered through, all the while being mentally broken from the proteins being pumped into her body.
The other girls didn’t seem to have a problem looking at Trixie as they stared at her with sympathy, sadness, and possibly their own regrets. While the others were crowded around her, I kept my eyes on anywhere but her. A new TV set capable of showing films with sound hung from the ceiling playing a new episode of Lone Mare. A vase of daffodils and dandelions also rested on Trixie’s night stand, and the right cot adjacent to hers was messy, as if somepony unfurled the sheets, possibly a previous patient who was recently moved. On the left side of her cot was a single chair for visitors to use to make themselves more comfortable.
The slow and rhythmic beeps of Trixie’s heart monitor and the steady rising and falling of her chest were the only clear signs she was alive. It was so strange to see her lying there so peacefully after going through such a nightmare, almost as if it never even happened. My mind briefly pondered the possibility that it might have been a lie, not because I didn’t want to believe either Trixie or Bizarro, but because I desperately hoped she didn’t suffer something so tragic. But, sure enough, this wall all real. Trixie and Bizarro fought for their lives and escaped their tormentors. I shivered at the thoughts of what would have happened if they failed to get out of there.
Not many things were known about changelings, but we did have some knowledge from ponies who were recovered from changeling hives, alongside testimony from changelings who were captured or willfully integrated into society under a protection program. The only way I could describe it would be a farm of ponies stuck to the walls being impregnated or breast feeding changeling larvas. Ponies who came back were never the same; a large number of them were mentally broken, turning into nothing more than sex craved animals, while the ones who rarely recovered fell into a deep depression which often led to suicide.
A few tears escaped my eyes as I continued to think about Trixie and Bizarro and just how lucky they were to get out of there. "Don't worry Trixie, everything's going to be okay." I quietly promised her as I held her limp hand in mine. Did I actually think everything would be okay? Honestly, I didn't expect it to be perfect but she would be alright, I'd do everything in my power to make sure of that.
BIZARRO POV
I sat outside of the Hospital entrance as I waited for one of the girls to come out and talk to me. I already knew what was wrong with Trixie thanks to my super hearing, and it hurt me to know she'd be stuck in the hospital for five days and there was nothing I could do to help. I'm probably the strongest guy on the damn planet, and yet I couldn't do anything to help Trixie recover, hell, I couldn't even help myself.
My mind was plagued with the fight from earlier, the screaming, the blood... the death...
I... I killed someone. Yeah, they were monsters but I still killed a living creature, and it wasn't even a quick death either. The look I saw in that thing's face made it look almost human, like it was just an ordinary person who had their whole life ahead of them. I knew it needed to be done, but it didn't hurt any less. It didn't make the images go away, it didn't make me forget about that smell.
I forced my hand to my mouth as I felt another surge of bile build up in the back of my throat. With great effort and pain, I swallowed it back with tears streaming down my cheeks. Thankfully, Fluttershy seemed blissfully unaware of my current state as she was busy being distracted by picking flowers for Trixie.
I tried picking some too, but every time I tried I just... I kept seeing the blood on my hands as the wet dew of the grass licked my fingers. I know the blood wasn't there, I had scrubbed so much I destroyed two bars of soap and actually made a dent in getting rid of the built up grime underneath my fingernails, but it felt like the blood was still there. As if the blood on my skin would never go away no matter how many times I washed them. I was so consumed by these thoughts that I didn't notice Fluttershy sit down next to me with a full bouquet of yellow flowers. Nor did I register the feeling of her hand on my shoulder as she looked at me with sympathetic eyes.
I was so lucky Fluttershy lived right next to the Everfree Forest, if it wasn't for her I doubt I would have been able to find the hospital without waking up the entire town. She and the doctors insisted that I take some tests to see if I was alright, to which I reluctantly agreed after I made sure Trixie would be in capable hands. She was the one who needed it more than me, and the only reason I even left her side was so that the doctors could do their jobs. More tears escaped my eyes as I thought about how useless I was. I couldn't even tell my best friend that I hoped she would get well soon because me being in the room could hurt her. What the hell do I do?!
My thoughts immediately stopped as I heard two heartbeats near the hospital door, causing the hairs on my neck to stand on edge.
Two... Two hearts, TWO HEARTS. I started to panic, my breathing increasing rapidly as I readied myself for another fight in that moment. Thankfully, my fears were alleviated when it turned out to just be Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash walking out of the hospital together. I let out a sigh of relief when I realized that, something that Fluttershy didn't fail to miss.
"Bizarro, are you alright?" She asked me sweetly. I nodded dumbly in response as Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash walked over to us. Rainbow Dash had a sheepish smile on her face while Pinkie Pie's hair was completely deflated and an even weaker smile graced her lips.
"Hey Biz, got a sec?" Rainbow Dash asked. Once again, I chose to nod instead of speaking. Rainbow Dash then sat next to me on the opposite side of Fluttershy while Pinkie Pie plopped herself down on the ground and sat with her legs crossed. A long silence overtook us before Pinkie Pie decided to break it.
"So, B, how are you feeling?" She asked slowly.
"Bizarro am... Me... It am hard..." I finally said. "Me no know forest so bad. If me did, me make sure not leave Trick alone. Me left her and bugs attack her. They almost... They almost..." I trailed off, not even having the strength to finish that sentence. The things they would have done would have made death seem like a merciful option.
Rainbow Dash rested a hand on my clenched fist as she looked at my face. "Hey Biz, don't beat yourself up over this. You're both alive and you did your best."
"Yeah, B! You should be happy to be out of those woods." Pinkie Pie added on.
"Me know, it just.... Ugh." I buried my face in my hands as I gave up trying to explain it. "It am hard to say. Me am sad me no do more, but me am... Feel icky for what me did do. Me feel gross and me still worry about Trick... She ok, right?" I asked as I peeked an eye out and looked at Rainbow Dash. I hated asking her as I had to work with my goddamn Bizarro speak to talk to her. I needed to think I was Happy I killed someone and that I was Happy Trixie was hurt so I could tell them how I really felt. It made me sick to my stomach, almost as if I was silently mocking my best friend in her time of need. While I was struggling with these thoughts, Rainbow Dash's sheepish smile faltered slightly as she hesitated to answer.
"She... Uh...." Rainbow Dash failed to finish whatever she was about to say as Pinkie Pie interjected.
"She's unconscious right now." Pinkie told me with her voice nearly devoid of any emotion. "She'll be better after a while, but we need you to stay away from her until then. I know how you're feeling B, if I couldn't help my friends I'd go loco, but you not being there will help her. And, once she's out of there, you'll be able to help her out as much as you can. Don't worry B." Pinkie Pie finished with a little more cheer in her voice. "She'll be out of there lickitysplit, and then you'll be able to hang out all day long! Oh, we could even throw a party when she gets out, and you can get her a present. Doesn't that sound nice?"
I thought about what she said before I slowly nodded. "That am sound nice... Thank you guys." I told my friends, causing them to all hug me tightly, a gesture I was happy to return.
I'm so sorry Trixie.
APPLEJACK POV
After makin’ sure Trixie wasn't gonna die from what those critters did to her, Twi, me, and Rares all left the hospital ta see Bizarre talking wit the rest of our friends. He still seemed pretty down in the dumps, I couldn’t blame ‘im, I’d feel the same way if I was in his position. 'Specially if it were somepony really close ta me like my friends or my family.
Rares and I went to talk ta Bizarre about ‘im possibly stayin’ wit me while Trixie recovered. Twi also promised that she’d keep an eye on Trixie and make sure she’d be right as rain in no time flat, Bizarre seemed okay with stayin’ at mah place after I told him that part. Probably worried those changelings might come back or somethin’, or maybe he was just worried about Trixie in general.
After sayin’ g’bye to our friends for the night, Bizarre and I went back ta Sweet Apple Acres so we could both get some shut eye. I let Bizarre have the guest room fer the night and decided ta leave a note in the kitchen tellin’ Granny to set up another plate fer breakfast. I knew Granny’d be awake before any of us if she weren’t already awake. Not too hard ta wake up so Celestia Damn early when ya get a few good naps in durin’ the day.
After I was done writin’ I slumped upstairs to my bedroom at the end of the hall. Bizarre’s room was right between mine and Big Macs, and across from the bathroom which was stuck between Granny and Appleboom’s room. His room wadn’t anything too special, it was just a small room we’d use ta hold some of Granny’s old books and trinkets when we didn’t have company over, everything in that room from the bed frame to the green wallpaper was about as old or older than Granny, it even had a quilt made by mah Great Great Gram Apple Harvest.
I looked back at Bizarre’s room one last time before I went into mine. I could only imagine how he was feelin’ after those damn changelings attacked him an Trixie. I was about to go into his room ta check up on him before I heard him lightly snoring on the other side of the door. Poor thing was probably tuckered out after everythin’ that happened.
After that, I went into my room an flopped down on mah bed. It was tough tryin' ta go to sleep after everythin' that happened to Bizarre and Trixie. I thought about what coulda happened to 'em, how I mighta never seen either of 'em again if they didn't get outta there, and all the terrible things that would have happened because they didn't escape.
Every part of me was screamin' ta go check on Bizarre an make sure he was still in the other room, ta hug him an tell him everything would be alright. But I didn't, I just laid in bed with a million thoughts racin' through my mind, stoppin' me from getting a good night's sleep an endin' this waking nightmare.
For the first time in what felt like ages, I let a tear break past mah eyelids as I was both sad and happy. I was sad that Trixie and Bizarre had to go through all that, mortified even. But I was also so gosh darn happy they were still alive.
A few more tears squeezed past my eyelids as I cried mahself ta sleep that night, torn between crying fer joy that they were alive or crying in sadness cause they were attacked.