“How is school for you?” Ivory Spark asked, wanting to get more information about her. “Is it easy? Hard? Do you have any friends?”
“I don’t think I have any friends– not at school, I mean– but that’s okay. I’m not very good at school though, because I have really bad ADHD and can’t focus in class and don’t do my homework.”
“Ah. Yes, that can be hard. I was talking to your psychiatrist yesterday. Is there anything he does that might help you to remember to do it?”
“I don’t forget to do it. I just get distracted and be lazy, mostly. It’s not a dissociation thing. I just have ADHD.”
“I know, Emily,” the mare said politely. “I’m just asking if he prescribed you any medicine that might help you focus better, or taught you any strategies to help you when you lose focus.”
“Oh, um, yeah, but I don’t take it because it makes me feel weird. I know it’s supposed to make me focus, but focusing like that feels weird. I don’t like it.”
“I understand. That can be hard. What about making friends with other ponies? They don’t bully you, do they?”
“No, I just don’t really care about making many friends. I have some, but none in school because kids are dumb and weird. Although I know I’m dumb and weird, too.”
“You are pretty weird, but I wouldn’t say you’re dumb. Although you told me before you have autism. Do you see a therapist for that?”
“Nope. I figured out how to do that stuff myself. I’m sure my psychiatrist has a lot of good ideas, but coping skills in theory aren’t as easy as they are in practice. And I kind of don’t really pay attention to a lot of what he says…. Not because I’m dissociating though.”
“Of course not. But I’m sure he has a lot of good information, which it’s why it’s important to pay attention if you can. Although I was thinking that maybe when we get back to Baltimare, I could take over and be your psychiatrist.”
“Sure, I guess. If you want to. But I think the filly who’s supposed to be in this body is gonna be pretty confused when she comes back and I go back to Earth and this adventure ends.”
Ivory Spark nodded, then sat silently while Emily colored in the book the caretaker gave her. She was once again seeming more like the little filly from before than the older mare from yesterday. Very interesting to her to see the shift. It was like she got half her age, even in her voice inflections.
“Can you tell me about Cansess?” she asked after a few minutes. “Or actually, I have a better question. If you’re from Cansess, how do you know who Princess Twilight Sparkle and I are? How did you learn about us?”
“Oh, um, My Little Pony is a TV show that Lauren Faust created, and Equestria is in it, and it’s broadcast through a screen as a visual story. I think that accurately explains it. Kind of like a play… or, well, maybe a play shown through a window screen? I think you get the point.”
“Mhm, I see.” Ivory Spark knew what that meant, although didn’t have time to ask a follow up question before Emily realized what it meant, too.
“Wait. Heck. That comes across as weird, doesn’t it?” she said. “I don’t watch my life through a screen. Just Equestria… which is your life, so you’re gonna interpret that incorrectly.”
“You are pretty weird,” Ivory Spark said lightly, “but it’s okay to be weird. It’s just a matter of knowing what makes you different and knowing what you might need help with.”
She sighed at that. “I’m pretty sure I don’t have DID or anything else other than ADHD and autism. I don’t need help with something I don’t have.”
“Okay, but if you did have it, it would be okay to have to have help for things. It’s okay if you need other ponies to help you.”
“I know. I just don’t need help. Not with DID anyway.”
“But it would be okay if you did.”
The conversation moved on from there, Ivory Spark engaging more in the story she was telling her about the other day, Mind Over Matter, and learned about a couple of others the filly wrote, too. They seemed a little bit advanced for a filly her age, and the doctor was impressed with what she heard. If she was half as good as she seemed like she was, she’d certainly have a future career in something like writing.
The mare did notice a little bit of self confidence issues from her, Emily talking about her work like she doubted herself and she thought it was awful, but didn’t have time to delve too deeply into it when a knock on the door came from outside the room they were in.
It was just before lunch when her parents showed up, the group home caretaker warning the two of their arrival before they walked in, thankfully. She made sure the filly was okay with seeing them, a nod and a shrug indicating Emily’s indifference being given before Ivory Spark gave a look that said the caretaker could let them through.
It was a black stallion and white mare, just like Emily told her, and seemingly to the filly’s surprise, considering how she blinked at them in confusion. The stallion had a short, curly black mane and brown eyes, and the mare had a long blonde mane with bright green eyes. Both were pegasi, just as she suspected, and both let out long sighs when they saw her, mostly relieved, although definitely a tad frustrated.
“Oh, thank Celestia you’re safe,” the stallion, Willy Whisps sighed gratefully as he closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. “What did you go and run off like that for, Emily?” he asked seriously. “Your mother and I have been worried sick about you!”
“Idunno,” the filly replied, shrugging her shoulders. “I teleported here, but I don’t really remember how. But Ponyville is cool, and look! Doctor Spark is here, too!”
“I don’t know who Doctor Spark is,” the stallion continued, “but either way, you have to be careful. You could get hurt going off alone like this, or worse. What would we do then?”
“Sorry. It’s really not my fault I ended up here.”
“Well, we’re glad you’re safe, Emmy,” the mare said. “That’s the important thing.” Then she looked at the ivory colored unicorn and asked, “And you’re Ivory Spark, correct? You were the one who sent out information? You’re an absolute life saver. I don’t know how much we can express our thanks.”
“Well, I’m glad that you’re both here and that she’s safe,” the doctor replied. “We found Emily at the hospital here in Ponyville because she was trying to get medication for acid reflux, and I picked her up from there.”
“What can I say?” she shrugged again. “Acid reflux is the word. I hate having GERD.”
“Did you really come all the way to Ponyville just because of your acid reflux?” Cloud Mender asked incredulously. “Why would you do that? We have acid reflux medication at home!”
“I didn’t walk all the way here,” the filly explained. “I teleported. I don’t remember how though, I just know that I did.”
Before the conversation could derail, the unicorn interrupted. “If it’s okay with both of you, and Emily, too, I’d like just another minute with her alone if I can have it. Were you planning on staying out here for the night? Or just catching the evening train back to Baltimare? Whichever you prefer works for me.”
“The first train back is what we were planning,” Willy Whisps said. “But we can let you have another second. Thank you so much for finding her.”
The two exited the room a moment later, leaving Ivory Spark alone with the filly once again. The two seemed like they were a mixture of relieved and frustrated, which was about what the doctor expected given her teenage status. It wasn’t out of the ordinary, but it was strange to see Emily talking to them casually despite claiming to have not known them.
“What are you thinking about, sweetie?” she asked casually, raising an eyebrow and examining the weird look on her face.
“I dunno. Just how weird this is. Like, should I even be talking to them since I’m not their daughter? But I don’t wanna seem weird and just say that right now. I don’t think introducing myself as a weird alien who took over their daughter’s mind is very good.”
“Yes, I can agree that might be a little bit shocking for them to hear, missy,” Ivory Spark smiled.
“They do look a little bit familiar though,” Emily got out, only half paying attention to what she was saying. “I think I kind of remember them.”
“Oh yeah? That’s good. I bet if you try focusing on the memory, you’ll recall some more about them.”
She closed her eyes and thought for a moment, before deciding, “Nope, I can’t come up with anything. They’re only vaguely familiar… um, also you weren’t supposed to hear me say that they look familiar.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because that was also part of the story. Leo got the memories of the kid who he changed minds with, and he could remember some of the things that happened to him, and gosh dang it, this sounds exactly like DID, doesn’t it?”
“Hey, now, it’s a good thing that you can say you at least think they look familiar, sweetheart. And like I said, we’re just using OSDD as a stand-in for now to placehold for all dissociative conditions. We’re just assuming for now.”
“Yeah, but I don’t like feeling like I’m going crazy. I know this is happening because I’m in the story I wrote, and I’m not actually a pony, but I really like being one, and it’s nice being here, and heck, how much of a coincidence can it be that I just so happen to be in a story I wrote and have the same parents as the filly who’s place I took?”
“Take a deep breath, okay?” she told her. “I know things are confusing, but it is very good that you’re recognizing them. Before you know it, you’re gonna be feeling a lot better and be back home with your family again.”
“Yeah, one way or the other, I guess, but I can’t reasonably give in and say ‘sure, you’re right’ if I believe I’m taking over some filly else’s mind, can I?”
“Well, that’s why it’s part of my job to help you understand what’s going on with you,” the mare said. “If you don’t understand what’s going on, I’m not going to be able to help you very much.
“So then I’m trying to convince you that I’m right, and you’re trying to convince me that you’re right,” the filly noted thoughtfully. “I guess we’ll have to see who bends first.”