“I don’t know about how to fix this…” Kara began, as soon as she’d emptied her plate of anything remotely edible. “But I know one thing: you can’t stay in the house.”
She turned to stare, glaring down at her. “Where else am I supposed to go?” She reached out to point towards her room, and where the baby was resting even now. To her surprise, she realized her wing had moved instead of her leg. And now that it was out, it took some concentration to fold it back into place. Just stay still, please. This is hard enough to deal with if you’re not in the way.
Kara didn’t falter. “You’re going to get caught if you stay in the house. You’re so… big, and babies are noisy as hell. But if we put you somewhere else, we might be able to buy a little more time for this to wear off. Assuming it’s going to.”
She could only shrug. “I fucking hope it will. I’m not sure what else I can do if it doesn’t. The baby’s smart, like… way smarter than you expect. But I don’t think she can just do it because I ask.”
“Maybe you could?” Kara suggested. “You look like her, only bigger. She made someone to be her mom. Presumably you should have all the same powers she does, only better. Right? If a baby can change you into a horse, can’t you just change yourself back?”
Kyle thought about it, unsure of how to respond. She didn’t actually know how much of the strange powers she could wield. “I mean… maybe. But I don’t know how.”
“Exactly.” She reached out, resting a knowing hand on her shoulder. “That’s why you need my help, bro. I know what we need to do. With my help, I bet you could hide… three days? Maybe two. How long until the school calls about you missing class?”
She shrugged. “Maybe that’s a good idea. But there’s one fatal flaw: I’ve got a baby. I can’t just hide in the woods with her, she won’t put up with that.”
“Why not?” Kara snapped. “She’s an animal. Don’t horses usually live out in the wild? If she’s upset, so what? What’s she going to do?”
“I…” She shook her head. “I don’t think she’s an animal the way we think of it. She can reason. When she grows up, she’ll be as smart as I am. Or… way smarter, probably.” She rose, pacing back and forth in front of her. She couldn’t move too quickly—even walking slowly was enough to echo through the house. At least there was carpet, or else everyone would be able to hear the horse walking around. “And if you’re asking why we have to keep her happy… that’s probably the stupidest question there is.”
She spread out her wings—easier than doing anything useful with them. “Look what she did to me. You want to be next? Walk us out with a tent and see what she does.”
Kara frowned, looking down deep in thought. It was the same expression she always had when she was considering something. “Even if we went to those old empty rooms… we’d be able to hear you from there. Dad would find you in an hour.”
“It was a good idea, Kara. But there’s nowhere for us to go. It’s not like we can hide in the stables.”
Kara’s head snapped up, a grin spreading across her face. “That’s genius! Of course! Unless they’re walking right past, nobody goes in there. What should you pack?” She looked around, grinning. “Not clothes. You’re already naked. Maybe a saddle? That’s already in there.”
“No,” Kyle snapped. Though her voice was halfhearted. She knew when Kara had won, and this was one of those times. Actually acting it out was just formality. “I’m not an animal either. How long has it been since we had horses? It’s gross, it’s probably full of spiders…”
“The lights still work,” Kara countered. “And there’s water, too. There might be spiders… but there’s bugs in the house too, Kyle.” She rose, wrapping her arm around Kyle’s neck. She was only just tall enough to reach. “Think about it! I can sneak out anything you need, and cover for you while you figure out your…” She gestured vaguely with a hand. “Magic?”
“It isn’t magic,” she muttered, glaring at the floor. But Kara was right about everything else. If she wanted to buy more time, she wouldn’t be able to hide in the house for much longer. “I’ll need snacks,” she grumbled. “And my computer. And probably some toys so the baby doesn’t go crazy with boredom.”
“Sure!” Kara took a few steps away, deep in thought. “Mom and Dad are going out to lunch in a few hours. I’ll tell them we’re working together on a… homework assignment, so they don’t take me. Get anything together you want to bring. We’ll only have a little while to get everything moved in.”
She grinned, bouncing towards the door. “We’ll make it work, bro! We’ll get you back on your feet.” The door clicked closed behind her.
I’m already on my feet. It’s the number that’s the problem.
She didn’t have long to get ready, but Kara was right about just how little she could actually use. Getting her laptop into its case was an effort of precision and learning what anodized aluminum tasted like. She tossed it in a duffel, along with some old stuffed animals. If she was very lucky, her computer would be able to get Wi-Fi out there, and they could watch something.
At least Fay woke without crying loud enough to wake the whole house, or wetting the bed. She’d take what blessings she could, under the circumstances.
Kara came in about an hour later, flinging the door open wide this time. “They’re gone, bro! Time to move!”
She gestured at the duffel, entirely unzipped since she couldn’t manage the zipper with just her mouth. “Could you throw some blankets and stuff in there for me? I don’t want to sleep on a concrete floor.”
“No.” Kara folded her arms, looking stern. “If we take your bed apart, Mom and Dad will take one look and know something’s up. We’ll have to borrow camping stuff from the garage.” She paused, apparently distracted by Fay. Kyle turned to look, feeling her chest stir with worry. Had she got into something she wasn’t supposed to?
No, apparently. The foal was working her way over, pushing a fallen pillow towards them. She wasn’t terribly coordinated, and the pillow kept getting caught on things. But the baby was determined, grumbling quietly to herself whenever the pillow stopped moving.
“Fine.” Kyle didn’t have time to argue—their parents might be back at any minute. The longer she waited up here, the less she could do to prepare the stables to try and live in. “Come on, Fay. We’re going somewhere.”
The baby squealed with glee, turning towards her and bounding across the room. One of her hooves caught on a pair of jeans, and she flipped forward onto her face, landing with a thump. Soon she started whimpering, eyes watering.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Kyle bent down, using her head to lift the baby up onto her back. The attention seemed to work, because she didn’t do more than whimper. “You’re fine, Fay. We’re going somewhere… different.”
Kara stared at them both, face softening.
“Don’t even think about it,” Kyle snapped.
Too late. There was a flash of a phone camera. “You two are adorable. How’d you learn to carry her like that?”
“I have no idea.” She shoved past her, then out the doorway. Her hooves clopped loudly on the hardwood, echoing through the house. She’s right about hiding somewhere else. She couldn’t help but think, even more cynically: Just think of it like preparing for the rest of your lives. You’ll be stuck in a stable as soon as you get caught and animal control comes for you. Might as well get used to it. “Don’t forget my duffel. I don’t have any hands, so…”
“Got it, bro,” Kara said from behind. There wasn’t enough space for her to walk along beside her—Kyle was just too big. But she followed her down the stairs anyway. Kyle took things nice and slow with each flight, watching where she put her hoof carefully. She couldn’t risk letting it slip, and giving the baby a fall that might actually hurt her.
I shouldn’t let her reprogram me into caring if she gets hurt. She’s the reason I’m like this. I should hate her.
But she didn’t, and no number of times thinking that would make a difference. Fay giggled as they made their way down, squirming a little on her back. But she seemed to understand the danger involved, and she didn’t roll off the side. That was good, since Kyle wouldn’t have been able to stop her.
Eventually they rounded the ancient suit of armor on the ground floor. Fay squealed and pointed with a hoof, making a noise that Kyle interpreted as urgency, or maybe recognition.
“Sorry,” Kyle said. “We’ve got to go somewhere else. We can’t hang out in here.”
“She sure does look excited about it,” Kara called. “The reflection, maybe? Babies love shiny things.”
“You know more about them then I do,” Kyle grumbled. “Until yesterday, I didn’t think I’d see a baby of my own for another decade.”
“Through the kitchen,” Kara said. “I want you to take a look through the crisper and see if you can eat anything. Easier to bring you food if I’m not wasting time with things you won’t eat.”
That process turned out to be quick—one sniff at just about anything she saw, and Kyle knew she could eat it just fine. Her mouth was watering again in fact—that plate of pancakes just wasn’t enough. “Put the apples in the bag,” she said. “They’ll keep outside the fridge. “And… the carrots too. We should leave the rest, so it doesn’t look like we robbed the place.”
“Apples and carrots.” Kara grinned at her. “No reason those two in particular? Aren’t those, like… what horses eat?”
“And I’m a horse,” Kyle finished, cutting her off. “It all smells good, I just… want stuff I already know I like. Just put it in, Kara. Are you helping me or not?”
Kara raised her hands defensively. “Alright, Alright.” She got to work, packing in what food she could amid the toys and her laptop bag. “Honestly, you don’t look much like a horse, Kyle. Except for the size… that’s about right. But your legs aren’t right at all, they’re not all bony.” She felt something warm on her wing, extending it awkwardly and pushing several feathers out of place. “Not to mention these, and your face. Horses are all long and… mature? But you’re small and cute, even though you’re not small at all.”
“Thanks,” Kyle muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm. “You were just looking for another way to call me that.” She turned towards the back door. “I guess I should be glad that you aren’t asking to ride me.”
Kara covered her mouth in mock shock. “I wouldn’t dare, Kyle! That would be rude! Besides, you’re probably not broken. Disobedient horses are a nightmare, take it from me.”
“As the only one with the equestrian experience, I trust you implicitly.” She bent down, using her mouth to turn the doorknob and open the door to the garden. Most of it was dead of course, though the statues and concrete benches were still here. The hedges had survived, though they’d become thorny and overgrown without tending.
Kyle slowed as she passed the birdbath, eyes darting instinctively towards the clear water collected there. But there was also a film of sticky brown algae along the bottom, looking entirely unappetizing. “Grab a big bowl too!” she called over her shoulder. “I need something to drink from.”
No sooner was she out the door than she felt Fay begin to squirm and fight. She slowed, holding out her wing all the way. “Hey Fay, stay up there. You don’t want to fall.”
The baby giggled and squealed in response, then flopped in the other direction. Kyle spun rapidly, eyes widening—but her fear was in vain. Fay was hovering in the air, her wings not even moving. She grinned proudly, sticking her tongue out.
“Very nice.” Kyle moved to grab her, but she floated back, just out of reach.
The door clicked shut, and Kara stopped beside her, frozen and staring. “Uh… what the hell is she doing?”
“You called it magic,” Kyle said. “I’m not sure what else I’m supposed to call it.” She followed the baby. “Come on, Fay. We’re going this way.”
That worked—if she wasn’t trying to grab her, the baby seemed content to follow obediently enough. She drooped low, inspecting a hedge, and pulling away again as soon as she saw the spines.
“Come on,” she urged again. “This isn’t… quite the way. Over here!”
“You want me to grab her?” Kara asked, rolling her eyes. “If she goes up too high, the neighbors might see.”
“You want to risk her blasting you too?” Kyle asked. “Might be easier to explain to Mom and Dad if it’s both of us.”
Kara retreated a few steps. “You know what, you got this. I’ll start moving things into the stable. You head in there as soon as you grab her.”