“I’m just a bit tired! Stop bugging me already!” That voice... The voice that come from the tent sounded so familiar, I just couldn’t place it.
“Hey, Linda, we’re here if you need us.” Harold says gently through the tent fabric.
Reid turns to his brother. “Sitrep.”
“Are you my CO now?”
That voice... I feel like the name is at the tip of my tongue.
“No, I just want to know what’s going on.” Reid retorts.
“Linda won’t come out of her tent.” Ian points out helpfully.
“You could just open the tent... It’s a tent.” I say, gesturing at the fabric structure.
Ginny shrugged. “Yeah, but.... you know, if we just did that... it would kinda be making light of her problems, and, that’s not like nice and shit. I’m sorry, I don’t want to hurt her.”
I stare at the ground, thinking and thinking until something clicks and I look up to the tent with a smile. ”Hey Linda.” I say finally.
“I get that you’re going to say we’re all suffering through the same thing but can I have a few minutes to myself while I try to figure out how to WALK?!” She says in a panic.
“In that small tent?” Reid says with a smirk.
“I wasn’t going to say that, good guess though. I wanted to tell you that you’re lucky to have both magic and wings.” I say with a wide grin.
“Wait, how would you--Oh. Oooooooooooh.” Reid gets it and smirks along with me.
“What? No. Obviously not, this is just the voice of, um, an OC of mine!” Linda says, trying to make her voice deeper.
“I listened to ‘this day aria’ on repeat for three days, I could recognize that voice anywhere.” I say with a little bit of pride.
“Wait, are you saying she’s...” Ginny starts.
“NO! I mean, no! I mean, er, I...” Linda starts coughing and hacking exaggeratedly. “I’m feeling light headed...”
“Try saying the word ‘perfect’ without it being all sing-songy.” I suggest, trying not to laugh.
“Okay fine, I’m her, what more do you want?” Ah, there is the voice I was so used to hearing.
“How many ribs do you have?” Reid asks suddenly.
Everyone outside the tent turns to Reid. “What?”
His brother simply facepalms.
He keeps talking despite the unanimous reply of confusion. “Cause I totally have this theory that Cadance has a pegasus ribcage because she’s not actually an alicorn, just a winged unicorn...”
I sigh. “Not the time.” I remind the energetic Reid.
“In all seriousness,” He says. “Why are you hiding in the tent?”
Julien trots up beside me. “I think that may be my fault. Also, good morning. It is hard enough to get sleep when my body wants to wake up at the crack of dawn.” He grumbles.
“OH GOD HE’S HERE!” Linda cries out. “Don’t look at me I don’t even know you I don’t want this to happen....”
Julien sighs. “listen, Shining understands. He wants me to guard you with my life but he knows that you aren’t Cadance.” I hear him mumble just loud enough for me to hear; “At least, not yet.”
“In other news I have eighteen pairs of ribs to Fluttershy’s fifteen.” Reid resumes yet again.
Linda speaks up. “...okay, the part from Julien was comforting, but Reid what are you thinking?”
“I suck at actually comforting people so I’ll just go on a random tangent?”
“....fair enough...”
“Also, if you keep hiding in a tent, you’ll never realize that another Cadence just posted a picture of herself on Facebook. Raising a very interesting question. Which one is real.” Julien says calmly.
“I am pretty sure we have the real one.” I say, sitting back and regarding the tent with an expression of curiosity.
“Um, infinite realities being what they are, I have to indicate by default they’re both real.” Reid points out helpfully.
Ian manages to catch up to the sudden change of track quicker than the rest of us. “I think they mean who is the imposter.”
“Figment could sniff them out. Right Figment?” Reid looks to his stuffed dragon, making us all worry for his mental stability. I mean, I have Mrs. Buzzy but it isn’t like I talk to her or anything.
I stare at my own squishy companion, then to Figment, then to Reid. Admittedly I think Reid needs a scapegoat for his fantasies a bit more.
“Aaanyway,” I finally say. “I think we have the real one, because I haven’t felt any instant love for her, and a chrysalis version of Cadance would be syphoning love away from others.”
Ginny looks to me in confusion. “Wait, is that how Changelings work? I thought they just consumed the magical vibrations generated by love.”
“I thought that they had to mask themselves.” Harold said/
“I thought they were ugly.” Jacqueline said bluntly.
I raise a hoof to grab a bit of attention. “I happen to be half Fluttershy. I know exactly how they feel. You suddenly become attracted to them when they use their power.”
“I thought they were pretty cute.” Raid chipped in.
“Okay sorry, I’m still having a panic attack here but now it’s worse. Will the other Cadance want to kill me?!” The tent said nervously.
Reid still seemed to be thinking about changelings a bit more than our present situation. ”I have a Changeling OC, from the tribe of sorrow....” He pondered.
I feel almost like I have a headache but just under the surface. I really want to just tell someone else to deal with it, and on top of that my stomach feels like it is folding in on itself. “Hey, she is sad. get in there and give her a musical while I go get everyone breakfast.” I prod him.
“I dunno, I don’t think this is musical number kind of sad and I’m still in my PJs.” He says with a small frown as I turn to walk away. Hmm... Tea maybe. Tea and pancakes.
“PJ’s make everything better. Getting food now.” I say, flicking my wings with a bit of agitation that he won’t just go in and sing a song. Hmm, I wonder where this grump is coming from all of a sudden?
“Then why don’t you wear them?!” He hollers, as though asking the secret of life or something.
I turn to shout over my back before grabbing my phone in my teeth. “Because they are itchy on fur!”
Jacqueline followed me, thankfully, and helped me into the Drivers seat which was now designed for pony inhabitation, before I realized my phone was blinking it’s little red alert light and, in fact, buzzing.
Jacquiline was kind enough to unlock my phone and let me know that I had just received a friend request from someone named Cale.
Shortly after accepting, I received a message from him.
“Downed in New York forest. Shot. Gilda.”
I want to panic, the idea of someone else being shot is far more terrifying than my own near miss. Jackie manages to calm me down though, helping me compose a calm message.
“If you can make it to the factory outside of New York City, Rainbow and Twilight should be there. If you cannot make it there then message me back with your location as best as you can and I will try to send help. I am so sorry.”
We sit staring at the phone for a moment before we receive another message.
“Hurt. Blood everywhere. I.don’t know where I am that well. Forest.”
I started to tear up. There was nothing I could do for him, for all my success and kindness, I simply could not help this stranger I had not even met yet and it tore me up on the inside.
Jackie composed the next message as I whimpered and sniffled.
“You need to get to a road or something, your best bet may be calling the police for help, I have a lawyer here who would help you out if you need legal defense.”
“Tell my parents I’m sorry.”
Is the last response we get.
“She will be fine... It’s okay, look there are other messages here from people offering help, and from Markus.” She said quietly, wiping some of my tears from my cheek.
“But... Gilda is all alone, and we can’t help her...” I whimpered.
“We can help her by doing our best to get to New York.” Ginny spoke up, trying to comfort me.
“I... I suppose... But I feel so terrible going out and getting food when someone is... is stranded in a forest... maybe even dying...” I sniffle.
“Your parents used the whole ‘there are starving kids in ethiopia’ bit on you, didn’t they?” Ginny says with a small smile.
I smile a little, they had used that line on me all the time. I had learned guilt over others’ pain very early on. Now I was feeling torn up over what could be a prank message when I just needed to go get food.
“When is the last time you did something for yourself, darling?” Jackie asked gently.
I can’t honestly remember. That makes me wonder, have I been neglecting myself to help others? The answer seems to be that I have. I have not done something specifically to make myself happy in a very long time.
“It’s been a while...” I admit.
“Is that why you haven’t bothered to ask us for anything? I mean honestly, you need a shower, and I am sure you’d feel better about yourself if you had an outfit or two to wear, even if you aren’t as obsessed with clothing as Reid seems to be.” Jackie says with a grin.
“I.... suppose I could try to find a place to take a shower, and I could buy some clothes and pay you to modify them.” I offer.
“Oh I wouldn’t dream of charging you, and I enjoy making clothes far more than modifying existing ones, so I’m sure I could design something for you with the fabric in the van.”
I blush, not used to the kindness I try so hard to display being shown in return. “I... What do you mean? Would it be black? I like black. and green, well I like green a lot more now than I did before, or do I like black more than I liked green? I HATE KEYS!” I finally kick the steering wheel column in a huff, flailing my arms a bit more than “morning grump” really called for and setting off the horn, making myself jump as much as everyone else.
Jacqueline continued unabated. “I could do black vines on a green background, if you like it. Or vice versa. Or, you know one of each.”
Reid, Harold, and Ian arrived at the side of the car at this point, giving me a few weird looks but thankfully not asking me why I was so upset over a darned key.
“She totally could, I looked over her deviant art. Have you seen her Nightmaren outfits?” Reid says cheerfully. “Top-notch!”
I have no idea what he is talking about but I smile anyway, luckily he doesn’t give me time to make up some lame excuse of why I haven’t ever been on DA.
“So I take it you’re going to drive this car?” Reid observes.
I looks at the steering wheel, then the seatbelt, then Reid. “Um... I would really like to. I really want tea for some reason, and I’m hungry. But I can’t get the key to work.” I complain.
Ian simply reaches over and turns the key. Damn thumbs. “So now that we have four ponies, what’s the plan? Pony per car?” He asks.
“Maybe pony per car not counting drivers? I need to get dressed first anyway.” Raid says.
I find it absurd that he won’t go to fast food in his jammies. I have gone everywhere in my pajamas before. Work, fast food, fancy restaurants...
“We are just going to a fast food place to grab breakfast. Get in.” I coax.
“What, without getting dressed first? Here, Figment knows what I like.”
He tossed his imaginary fluffy scapegoat into the car, making me wonder how much of this was Pinkie missing Gummy, and how much was Reid desperately trying to make his shattered and broken world make sense.
“See you when you get back!” Reid says, assuming we were going to tear out of there now that the brave and amazing Figment was on board.
I stare at Figment before looking to the rest of group. “You all coming along?
Ginny seemed split, bouncing on her feet, looking between the campsite and me. “I--uh--ye--ma--GnNNNNNNN!” She sounded like she was going to explode or something.
Jacqueline intervened before it got to that point. “I’ll stay here and help Linda out.”
“THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!” The hyperactive girl hopped into the car as Ian shrugged.
“I’ll come too.” Reid’s brother said, getting in as well and pointedly moving Figment out of his seat.
Harold smiles. “I’ll stay and protect the ponies. And Jacquiline of course.” I can practically see the top hat and monocle.
Jackie had a similar thought, smiling to the pink pony imitator. “You are the perfect gentleman.”
I have to wonder what would happen if a Pinkie Pie cosplayer really was the world’s definition of the perfect man. Scratch that, I am not imagining that.
“Well, I’m headed to the Pinkiemobile to get changed.” Reid finally said, heading off to the silver pinkiemobile.
“Why do you wear clothes as a pony? It’s so weird.” I effectively ask his flank.
“Pockets.” He says confidently.
I really can’t say pockets aren’t useful, so I only sigh and put the car into drive.
Tea. I need tea.