"It has to be Anon."
You, the four Princesses, and Nurse Redheart are standing right outside the entrance to a room, where the six of you were locked in a hushed debate regarding who would enter the room first.
It was Nurse Redheart who had alerted the Princesses the moment she had noticed her patient beginning to stir, and she had quickly backed out of the room to avoid being seen. Now that you were here, however, it was clear that a plan had not been made as to how you were going to engage in the first encounter with this human girl.
"Why me?" You ask tentatively, your heart practically pounding out of your chest.
"Because we do not know how she will react to seeing a pony for the first time." Luna whispers back, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. "She could panic, or worse, act out of self-defense, and we don't want that."
"Don't you remember how you reacted when you first saw us?" Cadance reminds you, bringing back the memory of your arrival in Equestria. You distinctly remember trying to lash out at anyone who came near you at the time, including Twilight herself.
"Okay, point taken. It has to be another human." You sigh, steeling your nerves as you grip the handle of the door. "You guys should, er... probably stand back."
The four Princesses and the nurse take one step back, allowing you to proceed further. You stare at the door for a moment, knowing full well that this encounter was going to change your life. Swallowing your nerves, you turn the handle, swinging the door open to let yourself in.
...
It's a relatively pretty room, in your opinion. Salmon-pink wallpaper covers the walls, with a dresser and a side table next to a rather spacious bed. The bed is empty, its sheets creased and untidy. The blanket lays in a heap on the floor, adding to an assortment of items that had apparently been knocked over from the side table in the occupant's haste to get out of bed. Your eyes scan the room for any sign of life, until you finally see her.
There, sitting in a chair by the open window, is her. She's sitting incredibly still, her auburn hair billowing about in the breeze. Her back is to you, and she doesn't seem to hear you close the door behind you as you slowly make your way towards her.
Your heart was going a mile a minute, threatening to pop out of your chest at any given moment. Upon closer inspection, you notice her arm is tethered to a tube, which trailed to an IV stand next to the bed. The stainless steel rack holds a bottle of dextrose, likely to accommodate her physical needs during her brief coma.
With nothing else in mind, you clear your throat to make your presence known.
Her head turns. As your eyes meet, your heart stops. Her lustrous brown eyes peer curiously into your own, and a smile begins to creep up her cheeks as you hold her gaze.
"Hello."
You continue to stare, not registering her words.
"Um... hello?" She repeats, waving awkwardly at you.
You snap back to reality, feeling more embarrassed than apprehensive by now.
"H-Hi!" You wave back, grinning feebly. "I'm... Anon."
She nods.
"Anon. Noted." She replies, her smile not fading in the slightest. "Are you the nurse attending to me?"
"W-What?"
She stares at you. "The nurse." She repeats, looking you up and down. "Huh, you don't look like one."
She looks around the room.
"... This is a hospital, right?"
"Erm... not exactly." You chuckle nervously. "I-I'm sorry, what was your name, now?"
She crosses her arms, looking at you suspiciously.
"Edelweiss." She says simply.
"That's... a pretty name. Like the flower, right?" You ask, trying to make small talk.
"Yes." She nods, though her expression is wary.
You can't help but stare. Seeing another human lying unconscious on a stretcher was one thing, but actually interacting with one was another thing entirely. Your eyes scan her features, taking in everything from her auburn hair to her rosy, pink cheeks. Her eyes continue to peer at your own with a mix of suspicion and curiosity, making it apparent that she didn't trust you all that much.
"So where exactly am I?" Edelweiss breaks the silence, looking all around the room in confusion. "This doesn't look like any hospital I've ever been in. Where are we?"
"Er..." You scratch the back of your head, feeling nervous. This would be the hard part. "That's because this isn't a hospital, Edelweiss. You're... you're in Equestria."
Silence meets your words, and the two of you merely stare at each other.
"E-Equestria? Where is that?" Edelweiss squints at you, as though trying to see through what she hoped was a joke. "Are we still in Norway?"
"Er... what?" You ask, feeling more and more clueless by the minute. "What's Norway?"
Edelweiss stares at you, her mouth slightly agape. Deciding that you were probably just playing dumb, she shakes her head and continues.
"No, that doesn't matter right now. What matters is that I have no idea where I am or how I got here." Her eyes search the room again, before meeting your own. "And frankly, I don't know if I trust you. You're still a complete stranger to me, Anon."
Your heart sinks at her words, but you know you can't blame her for being cautious. "I understand your hesitance, Edelweiss. But I promise you, I'll do my best to explain everything, as long as you're willing to hear me out—"
Just then, the door swings open. Nurse Redheart trots in, her muzzle buried deep in a clipboard as she makes her way over to the bed. Behind her, you can hear shouts of protest coming from the Princesses, which made it apparent that the Nurse's sudden intrusion was not part of the plan.
"Hmm... okay. Now that Anon's got you settled in, let's go over the basics." Nurse Redheart places the clipboard on the bedside table, taking a pen in her mouth. "Name?"
Your heart sinks all the way down to your stomach at the sight of the sudden shift in Edelweiss's expression. You knew that feeling all too well, remembering the day of your arrival in Equestria. Her face pales, and she blinks once, twice, rubbing her eyes in her hands before squinting at what she hoped was a hallucination standing right in front of her.
"A-Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" She exhales weakly, looking at you for support.
"I'm afraid so." You gaze at her with sympathy. "Edelweiss... this is Nurse Redheart."
Edelweiss, clearly at a loss for words, stares back and forth from you to the Nurse, hoping that this was some sort of joke. Once she had confirmed that the Nurse was not, in fact, a hallucination, she stands up, and shakily walks herself back to her bed, before allowing herself to fall back onto her pillow, looking even paler than ever before.
"I've lost it. I've gone completely mad." She mumbles, covering her face with her hands.
"So... Edelweiss, was it?" The Nurse clears her throat feebly, looking at you with an apologetic look on her face. "I will be the nurse attending to you as you recover. I just need you to answer a few questions."
"Stop talking!" Edelweiss moans, burying her face in her pillow. "You aren't real! You are not a talking horse. You are a figment of my imagination—"
"What's a horse?" You ask, tilting your head in confusion.
"Shut up!" Edelweiss growls, turning her angry gaze towards you, causing you to back up slightly. "You can play dumb all you want, Anon, but I'm not buying it! I... I demand to see my mom and dad right now!"
"She's taking this much better than you did, I'll give her that..." Nurse Redheart looks at you with a sad smile.
Seeing the sheer panic on Edelweiss's face, you can't help but feel sorry for her. It's clear that she's having trouble accepting the reality of her situation. To make matters worse, Nurse Redheart's continuous speaking only seems to be making her even more distressed.
"Edelweiss, I know this must be overwhelming, but we need to get you up and moving." Redheart tries to get Edelweiss's attention, but she continues to ignore her. "Come on, dear. Let's get you something to eat and drink. I'll answer all your questions, but we need to get you out of that bed first."
Despite Redheart's encouraging words, Edelweiss remains frozen in a state of denial and confusion. She's lost in the strange world she finds herself in, and it's up to you and Redheart to help guide her.
"Edelweiss, I know this is a lot to process, but we're here to help you. Nurse Redheart is going to take care of you, and we'll make sure you have everything you need. Let's start by getting you something to eat." You try to speak in a soothing voice, hoping to break through her stunned silence.
Eventually, Edelweiss nods weakly and rises from her bed, still feeling shaky and disoriented. It's clear that she's still struggling to accept the reality of her situation, as she seems resolutely determined to look anywhere else other than the Nurse.
"Where am I?" She repeats, looking at you desperately. "Where am I, Anon?"
You sigh. "Like I said, you're in Equestria. I'll explain more later, I promise."
Edelweiss sighs in defeat, her head hung low. As Nurse Redheart guides Edelweiss out of the room, you join her, holding the young woman's arm to ensure her stability. In your other arm, you hold the IV stand, letting the cord trail behind her as the three of you exit the room. The door opens, revealing a hallway lined with bright purple walls.
To your left, you hear a commotion as the Princesses notice Edelweiss's arrival. They exclaim with delight, eager to meet her.
As Nurse Redheart steps aside, Edelweiss's eyes fall on the four Princesses with a mix of wonder and confusion. You can see the color drain from her face as she staggers back, her body shaking.
"G-Get me out of here!" she yells, her breathing erratic. "Please, get me out of here!"
Her outburst causes a stir among the Princesses, who exchange concerned glances. You quickly step forward, holding out a steady hand.
"Wait, Edelweiss, it's okay. Don't worry." You whisper, your voice calming her down. "They're not gonna hurt you. We just want to help you."
You give Nurse Redheart and the Princesses an apologetic look before guiding Edelweiss back into her room, closing the door behind you.
As soon as you're alone with Edelweiss, her hand tightens around yours.
"Anon, what's going on? What is this place?" she implores, her gaze searching your face for answers.
You take a deep, steadying breath, your mind racing as you attempt to find the best way to explain the situation.
"You must be joking."
"I'm not."
You adjust the flow of Edelweiss's IV stand as she continues to stare at you in disbelief.
"Do you really expect me to believe that I'm in an entirely different universe, Anon? Because that doesn't make sense, not one bit."
You glance at her, smiling sadly. "What's so hard to believe? You just saw five talking... what did you call them? Horses?"
Edelweiss crosses her arms in frustration, staring up at you with a stony expression.
"That's not the point. For all I know, I could just be going crazy. All of this must be a bad dream... yes, that's it. A nightmare. And I'm gonna wake up any minute now."
Edelweiss takes a deep breath, furrowing her brow in concentration. With her eyes closed, she ignores your protests, wanting more than anything to believe that her current predicament was nothing more than a figment of her imagination.
"How's that working for you?" You chuckle in spite of yourself, finding her reactions to be mildly amusing.
"Shut up. You're not real." Edelweiss waves you off. "I need to concentrate."
You wait patiently for a few more moments, sitting in silence as Edelweiss sits cross-legged on the bed, deep in concentration. After a few more minutes, she lets out a sigh of frustration, opening her eyes and staring at you as though this was all your fault.
"Well?" You raise an eyebrow at her.
"It's no use. I can't wake up. This is a nightmare."
You let out a tired sigh. "No, it's not. I assure you, this isn't a dream. And no, you're not going crazy either—" You add, noticing her beginning to open her mouth in protest. "You are as sane as I am, I promise you."
Edelweiss gives you a look of disdain.
"... Then you're insane too, if you can see those things as well."
"Can two people have the same hallucination at once?"
"W-Well, no, but..."
"Then they're real." You say with a note of finality. "And they're not things, they're ponies."
"What's the difference?" Edelweiss asks, waving her hands in the air. "They're still animals. Talking animals."
"They aren't animals! They're... they're just like you and me!"
Edelweiss narrows her eyes at you. "Exactly how long have you lived here, Anon?"
"All my life, as far as I'm aware." You shrug.
"Well, that explains a lot." She seethes.
"Look, we're going off track here." You shake your head, wanting to steer the conversation back to rational ground. "Where are you from, Edelweiss? Who exactly ARE you?"
"I'm not obligated to answer anything you have to ask. If anything, it's you who owes me answers." Edelweiss stubbornly crosses her arms, determined not to entertain any of your questions.
You groan, feeling a headache coming on. This was going nowhere.
"Alright, alright. I'll tell you as much as I know. All that I know. Once I'm done, it's your turn, okay? Does that work for you? We need to help each other out here."
Edelweiss ponders your words for a moment, nodding slowly after considering your words carefully.
"Alright. I'm listening."