Canterlot
A warm breeze made the white curtains dance lazily, casting crazy patterns of sunlight and shadow. Aetherdal mused that this room was nothing like the NHS nightmares he had endured. It was almost as large as his studio flat, and it had two particular areas cordoned off by magic. The first was a therapy chamber, where Aetherdal could practice magic without having to worry about hurting anything or anyone. The second was the only thing that was keeping him sane; it was a kitchenette, with a two-burner stove and a small oven. A cupboard and a worktable completed the ensemble. He would have been spending all his time there, except that everything was locked down. He could use these areas only if there were someone supervising him.
He carefully paged through a book as he absently spun a hard-cooked egg on the table next to his bed. Bother were gifts from Twilight. She had been shocked at his complete ignorance of Equestria and magic, and she was doing her utmost to bring his education up to the third-grade level that matched his apparent age. She started with simple books, kindergarten texts on Equestria, and magic. She then branched off to Equestrian customs and common law, as well as going into more depth.
Aetherdal had been shocked by her utter incompetence in cooking. He had shown her some necessary skills, and she had begged him to teach her. He had been happy to oblige.
They had fallen into a routine. Every day, she would visit. For the first hour, she would tutor him. He could swear that she was some sort of savant. For the second hour, he would mentor her. To say that she was maladroit would have been too kind. If he were honest, he would admit that she was doing better at cooking that he was at magic.
The third hour was the most exciting and the most terrifying. It was during that time that they would just talk. It was painfully evident that Twilight was most comfortable in a classroom setting. Without any structure to guide her, she seemed utterly lost. Aetherdal had done his best to guide her, and she had gradually started to ask questions on her own. They had started innocuously enough. She had quizzed him on his understanding of magic; he had drawn on his vast knowledge of television, anime, and video games but yet consistently found just the wrong answer. In the third week, she had finally asked about things other than magic. He still could not understand why anyone so young would ask what his preference was in mares.
Aetherdal had asked her to hold her horses while the tried to come up with an answer. After a moment, he had answered honestly. He had never given the question any, though. Somehow, he could not shake the feeling that the hungry looks that Twilight kept giving him had nothing to do with his cooking. Somehow, it was both unsettling and exciting.
Now that he had cleared to leave the medical wing, he knew that he would be staying in one of the rooms in the palace. Twilight had hinted that she had asked for his room to be near hers. For some reason, the prospect of being so near to her terrified him. For some reason, the prospect of being without her terrified him. He struggled to determine how he had gotten to this point.
Five Weeks Earlier
Aetherdal gradually woke to the scent of honeysuckle that drifted in on the warm breeze that came through his window. The white walls and bland decor looked utterly unfamiliar. The door opened, admitting a familiar figure. It was the little filly who had led him out of the maze. What was her name? Twilight? Why did it look like she was about to cry?
"What's the matter?": asked Aetherdal quietly.
Startled, Twilight exclaimed, "Gaah!" She backed up and tripped over her hooves. Fortunately, she was able to break her fall with her gluteals. Gingerly, she rose, massaging her wounded dignity. She grumbled, "You really shouldn't scare ponies like that."
"Sorry. You looked like you could use someone to talk to."
Twilight said, "Thanks . . . I think. I . . . I don't want to talk about it. How do you feel?"
"With my hands," quipped Aetherdal. "Seriously, though, you should talk to someone about whatever it is that's bothering you. It's not healthy keeping it bottled up like that." Picking up a box of tissues from his nightstand, he said, "Here, it looks like you could use these."
A magenta aura plucked a tissue and brought it to the filly. Gently, she wiped her eyes before sitting on the edge of his bed. She then said, "How about a straight answer this time? How are you feeling?"
"Been better, been worse. Just a little dry and dizzy," said Aetherdal. Gently, he touched the bandages on his head. "Shouldn't we get the doctor?"
Twilight shrugged and pressed the call button. A stallion in a lab coat soon entered.
"Hello there, Aetherdal. I'm Dr. Hay Worth."
"What's up, doc? What's the prognosis?"
The doctor hesitated for a moment. "You've got a bit of rehabilitation in front of you, but you should make a full recovery after your surgery. In the meantime, your diet will include things to build up your magic reserves."
"Surgery?"
"Well, there's an organ that regulates a pony's magic. Yours is gone. We'll implant a lobe from a donor."
Aetherdal looked shocked. "Will . . . will I be able to play the violin after the procedure?"
"Of course," replied Dr. Worth.
"That's great, doc. I've never been able to play the violin before."
Twilight laughed despite herself. The doctor grumbled, "Every pony's a comedian. So, young colt, do you need anything for the pain?"
Aetherdal snorted. "Compared to what the past few years have been like, this is nothing. As long as we're serious, tell me how much all this is going to cost."
"That's a discussion I should be having with your parents."
Aetherdal looked away. "I've been on my own for years."
Twilight piped up. "I can talk to the princess. I bet I can persuade her to let you stay next to me in the palace."
"I'm no charity case. I'll have you know I'm a three-star chef."
Twilight and the doctor looked at each other, concerned. The doctor gently patted him on an unbandaged portion of his head. "Why don't you try getting some rest? You have a long road to recovery ahead of you. It'll be months before we can get your magic back to proper levels." With that, he left.
Aetherdal groaned. "You think I'm starkers, don't you."
Awkwardly, Twilight hugged him. "I think some pony's hurt you more than anypony deserves.
Shifting uncomfortably, Aetherdal said, "Look, I'll prove it to you. Get me an egg, a cup of cooking oil, a lemon cut in half, some salt and some mustard, a couple of mixing bowls, and a whisk.
Twilight huffed. "Fine." With that, she left. When her back turned, her tears began to flow.
Puzzled, Aetherdal watched the sobbing filly leave. No girl had ever given him a second glance, except for Angel. Her interests, though, seemed to be purely business-related. Perhaps his was some sort of dream. After all, people didn't spontaneously transform in real life. Whatever it was, he knew in his heart that he hurt far too much to be dead.
Meanwhile, Twilight dried her eyes before she entered the medical wing's kitchen. A mare in chef's whites greeted her. "Hi, Twilight. Are you going to surprise Princess Celestia with another exploding cake?"
"Hey! That was an accident."
"So, what brings you way out here?"
"Well, there's this colt . . . "
The mare winked. "I get it. The fastest way to a colt's heart is through his stomach."
Blushing, Twilight said, "It's nothing like that. He hurt his head, and now he claims he's a chef."
"Do you want me to talk to him?"
"He claimed he could prove it with a few things."
The chef smiled as Twilight rattled off the order. After she set the items in one bag, she prepared a second bag and dropped a note in it. The chef then said, "Have him open this after he finishes with the first bag."
"Thanks," said Twilight as she took the bags.
Twilight returned to the room to find the bed raised to allow Aetherdal to sit up. She levitated a tray table across his lap and set the first bag on it. As he unpacked it, Twilight said, "You don't have to prove anything to anyone. You should just try to get better."
"I'm no invalid," said Aetherdal as he separated the egg and placed the yolk in a bowl. He squeezed some lemon juice into the bowl and started whisking.
Curious, Twilight watched. She said, "It just looks like beaten egg yolk."
Aetherdal replied, "Here's where the magic happens." As he whisked, he slowly dribbled oil into the bowl. Gradually, the yellow mess transformed into a creamy gel. He seasoned it and said, "Here. Have a taste."
Twilight accepted the proffered spoon. Skeptically, she touched it to her tongue. Her eyes shot wide open as she cleaned off the spoon. After she swallowed, she said, "Here. Chef Mellow Muffin asked me to give this to you when you finished."
Aetherdal read the note and blushed. "What is it?" asked Twilight.
"The chef asked me to share with you and share with her." Aetherdal removed two hard-cooked eggs from the bag. He peeled them and carefully cut them in half with the table knife from the container. He then scooped the yolks into a bowl and mashed them before mixing them with the mayonnaise and a touch of mustard. He put the result in a piping bag and fill the egg whites before garnishing them with a bit of paprika. Handing one half to Twilight, he said, "Here you go. Deviled egg."
This time, Twilight sampled with gusto. She said, "This is amazing! How could you do that?"
Aetherdal shrugged. "Years of practice."
Gently, Twilight caressed his hand. "I've got to show the princess!" Hungrily, she looked at him and said, "You know, you'd make a great special somepony." She then took two of the halves and darted off.
Aetherdal watched as she left. A burst of flame caught his attention as he lifted the remaining half. Turning, he saw a large red bird that was staring at him and licking its beak. He sighed. "I suppose you want one, too."
Gleefully, Philomena snatched the remaining deviled egg.
Aetherdal groaned. "It looks like it's hospital food for me."
Back to the present
Aetherdal sighed. Before the incident, Angel and Solomon had insisted that he should be able to do magic. He had laughed; he could barely manage the most straightforward card trick. With Twilight teaching, he was now very much like a toddler taking its first steps in the world of real magic. He could hardly wait to discharged so that he could visit them and show what he had learned.
In a similar vein, Twilight had been going through her own set of mistakes as he taught her the basics of cooking. Just like him, she had her ups and downs. Still, she kept trying.
He set down his book as he smiled. Who was Twilight to him? Who was he to Twilight? Whatever it was, it had all started with an egg. He peeled his open and took a bite. He grimaced slightly as he realized it was overcooked. It looked like both he and Twilight had a long way to go.