The world… an entire world… Not prey. Friends.
Scratch, still unsure of how to feel about this particular shift in perception, slowly stands. She must be on her way… to breakfast. While friendship, love, dreams, speech, and magic may all be frightfully complex subjects to her, there is one thing Scratch knows innately: Hunger. She has waited for centuries to feed. And as the smell of food wafts up from below, that waiting becomes truly real to the xenoquine, her stomach growling painfully.
Slowly, Scratch makes her way to the door. Equine instincts driving her, she reaches a hoof to a doorknob she should have no ability to grip, yet… she does. Scratch decides that to question this would only invite further headaches, making a mental note to never question anything her hooves are able to do again.
Scratch lets the door swing open, and steps onto a landing. She can see a large library before her, down a flight of wooden stairs. Memories, taken from her host, rise unbidden in her mind; This is Home. This is the Library. This is… tree…?
She shakes her head, carefully descending the stairs next to her… Until there is a sudden flurry of motion at the entry door. The thing flies open, and a pony dramatically steps in; A flash of purple and white and red, magic simply oozing off of the creature as she makes her entrance. Scratch, unexpectedly skittish, quickly hisses and scales the wall next to her, clinging to the ceiling as the interloper makes her presence known.
“Daaaarling!~ I’m here about your letter! I- oh. I’m the first one here, suppose I’m no longer the fashionably late one.” The mare murmurs. Scratch looks closely at her; She is a white unicorn, with a short purple mane, most of her hair pulled back into a curly ponytail. Her tail is long, and equally curly. The mare has scars on her midriff and face, and wears a silky, soft-looking shirt, underneath a crimson scarf.
Slowly, she looks up, seeing Scratch above her. Scratch stares back at her, ready to flee.
Don’t… want to scare… She thinks.
The pony continues to stare. Scratch stares back.
… This… is awkward. Scratch thinks.
“Well come on then, let me have a look at you! You must be what Twilight’s letter was about, darling!” The pony says, smiling warmly. Scratch, slightly off balance by the unexpected response, carefully climbs down the wall, stopping once she’s at the floor. This mare is slightly taller than Scratch, until she gives a calm bow of her head, humming airily.
“Twilight’s letter mentioned a ~new arrival~, I suppose that must be you! Here I thought it would be a shipment of fine silks, but alas!” She began to circle Scratch, tapping her chin as she stopped in front of the xenoquine. Scratch’s back is to the entryway door now. She considers fleeing, briefly.
“Hmm… Well, it didn’t mention anything about dressing her new arrival, so I suppose Twilight isn’t wishing to give you a makeover.” The mare places a hoof to her forehead, sighing dramatically.
“Not to say you aren’t simply fab, of course, I love what you’ve done with the purple! Very nice, darling. But I think you could really spice it up with some nice pumps, or a cute dress. Hmmm, I’m thinking low-cut-”
“Thank you, Rarity.” Comes Twilight’s faintly exasperated voice. Scratch, seeking rescue, peers past the white unicorn. Twilight is standing in a doorway beneath the stairs, where the smell of food is coming from. Scratch sighs softly in relief as Rarity’s attention is drawn away, the large mare finally taking her eyes off of the flustered xenoquine.
“Not a worry at all, darling! So, why did you call us all here? And why am I the first one to arrive?” She sighs dramatically once more, collapsing into a chair with a hoof on her head.
“I must be the one making a dramatic entrance, the final arrival, the one all eyes turn to! You know I’ve told you to send my letters last, darling.”
Twilight smiles, closing her eyes for a moment and taking a breath.
“This was a little more important, Rarity. I needed everyone here promptly. Applejack is out of town, Pinkie’s restaurant is always busy this time of day, Fluttershy is out in the Everfree-” Twilight stopped, shaking her head.
“I knew you were just getting back from another… thing, and knew I needed to catch you before you got busy.” Twilight gently taps Rarity’s head, nudging her to stand. The unicorn obliges, rolling her eyes.
“Fine, fine, I see how it is!” She throws a hoof up, turning to Scratch.
“So, your… new arrival.” She approaches once more, Scratch taking a half step back. She needs to say something, anything to get this mare to stand back…
“Hhello.” She manages. Rarity gasps, stopping in her tracks and grinning.
“How polite! My, where did you find her?” Rarity asks.
“Growing inside my ribcage.” Twilight replies, smiling weakly. Rarity nods sagely, not listening as she pulls a measuring tape from inside her scarf.
“Ah yes, just like my last g- excuse me, say again?” She stops, saving Scratch from being measured a second time.
Twilight steps forward, placing a hoof on Rarity’s to push the measuring tape down.
“I’ve got her measurements.”
“Mmm, very well. So, you wish for me to make a fab outfit for your new galpal, hmm?” Rarity asks, excitement in her eyes. Twilight shakes her head, taking a step back.
“Rarity, take a closer look at her.” She says, carefully. Rarity rolls her eyes.
“I don’t see what there’s to see, she’s- oh. Ah.” The mare finally settles her gaze properly on Scratch, and frowns.
“... That is something new. What is she, then?” Rarity asks, taking a seat as dramatically as she can on a nearby couch. Twilight looks at Scratch.
“A new species. Discovered, erm- yesterday. She’s parasitic. Grows extremely fast. Adapts to her host… and apparently isn’t meant to be this friendly.” Twilight explains. Rarity nods, listening closely. Scratch is slightly taken aback; the other mare seems to be taking the situation seriously, despite her earlier… oddness.
Rarity nods slowly.
“So, you wished to summon us all to get our thoughts on her, hmm? Well, she can speak, that chitin is simply goooorgeous, and my, that tail! I can think of such ways to accessorise it.” She laughs airily, running a hoof through her mane.
“So, how did you find her?” She asks. Twilight looks at Scratch, tilting her head.
“That’s… a long story. Scratch, why don’t you go get breakfast while I fill Rarity in?” She offers. Scratch’s belly rumbles at the thought of food, and she nods, turning and leaving through the door Twilight entered through.
The kitchen smells strongly of deliciousness. Scratch feels her mouth watering as she enters, tail flicking impatiently behind her. Chrysalis is standing by what Scratch vaguely recognises as a stove, wearing a pink apron. She turns, and smirks.
“Ah, our… xenoquine wishes to eat. Very well.” The tall mare gestures to a table off to the side. There’s three chairs there. Scratch nods, skittering over and sitting down, looking around the wooden kitchen.
There’s a window next to the table; she peers through it, looking out at the morning crowds milling about. She counts almost thirty ponies, trying not to think about how numbers and counting work. They’re all milling about, purchasing things at market stalls. The concept of “purchasing” and “market” are still vague unknowables to Scratch, but she tries not to think about it, turning as Chrysalis places a plate before her. Fried eggs.
Scratch leans down, sniffing them carefully. They smell of salt, and… and-
The xenoquine almost falls out of her chair as she sneezes, mucus and spittle spraying the window next to her. Chrysalis sighs lowly.
“... Your species is very drippy, I take it.” She murmurs, levitating a rag over and wiping the window clean.
Scratch looks down, not responding as she opens her mouth, teeth gnashing down on her eggs. She takes only a few moments to savour them before swallowing, her plate cleaned in a matter of seconds.
Chrysalis blinks, lifting Scratch’s plate.
“Hungry, I assume. Hm.” She laughs internally, turning and returning to the stove. Scratch offers a nod. She barely understands this… “hungry” as a word, but she knows the feeling. It is strong.
Scratch rips through another seven plates of eggs before she is sated. Carefully, she stands, an unfamiliar feeling of fullness making it hard to walk steadily. Chrysalis chuckles, shaking her head.
“I will work on cleaning up. Tell- ah… Nevermind.” She shakes her head, waving a hoof to dismiss Scratch. The mare nods, stepping out of the kitchen, back into the library proper.
There’s another mare here now. A yellow one, and… This one has wings. Peg… pega… pegasus? Scratch’s stolen memories drift to the forefront, telling her what she needs to know.
The mare is a yellow pegasus, with a pastel pink mane, cut short. She’s wearing a brown leather jacket, scratched and scuffed; as scratched and scuffed as the rest of her body, scars strewn all across her messy, slightly dirty fur. She’s sitting next to Rarity, the mares talking quickly.
“Ah, Scratch, hello! This is Fluttershy.” Twilight smiles as the xenoquine re-enters the room. Before Scratch can make any motion in response, the yellow one, Fluttershy, is on her hooves, quickly approaching.
“Oh wow! This is quite the beast!” She grins widely, poking Scratch’s chitinous crest, her chest, her belly-- Scratch groans a little, letting out a small burp in reply.
“She’s just had breakfast.” Twilight offers.
Fluttershy nods.
“Mmm… Never seen one like this, though. Not even deep in the Everfree. Parasitic, adaptive. Hrm.” She frowns.
“Seen how she fights yet?” The mare asks, grinning widely. Twilight shakes her head, frowning.
“No. She’s just barely had her first meal ever, let her get adjusted before you go brawling.” Twilight replies, sighing in exasperation. Fluttershy huffs, turning and sitting down next to Rarity again.
“Fiiine. We’ll see about that eventually.” She murmurs. Rarity laughs.
“Oh calm down, dear.” The unicorn looks at Twilight, nodding firmly.
“About your offer, I would like to volunteer.” She says. Twilight raises an eyebrow.
“Before anyone else gets here? You’re not making this some… dramatic proclamation?” She asks. Rarity scoffs.
“Come now, this is a matter of great importance!” She replies. Twilight raises an eyebrow, questioningly.
“... Okay, and I think it would be simply wonderful to be the second host of such a species.” She huffs. Twilight sighs, looking down.
“... Fine, fine. I’ll take it. Honestly, another unicorn might be best for this, in case there are complications. I was testing the spell with pumpkins and rattlesnakes last night, but I need to be… completely sure.” She nods.
“You understand the risks?” Fluttershy asks, nudging Rarity.
“If what Twilight said is true, your ribs might end up on the opposite side of the room. Hardly fashionable.” She teases. Rarity rolls her eyes.
“Dear, we’ve both raided enough tombs and dodged enough deathtraps that I’m used to the fear of dying.” She says.
“Plus, as long as I’m dressed well for the occasion, I’ll be fine! Leave a pretty cadaver, and all!” She laughs, standing with an airy giggle. Twilight nods.
“... Very well. Fluttershy, wait here and brief everyone as they arrive. Rarity, Scratch, you two are coming with me.”
Scratch, who had been simply standing and letting the words wash over her until now, simply looks up in surprise. Does that mean… outside?
Twilight, sensing Scratch’s apprehension, approaches, and rests a hoof on Scratch’s chest.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be right there with you. You’ll be safe.” She says, smiling. Scratch hesitates, then nods. Something about Twilight’s smile makes her feel… safe.
Then the mare is gone, quickly rushing down into the lab beneath the library, leaving Scratch alone with the other two mares. They chat amongst themselves, updating each other on their day; they appear to be making plans for a date of some kind, but Scratch doesn’t know if they mean the concept of going out together, or the fruit. Words with different meanings but the same… words are still hard for her brain to comprehend.
With a faint sigh, Scratch steps toward the window, looking out…
Outside… So many… friends.