//------------------------------// // Chapter Three // Story: To Live Another Life // by Brony2893 //------------------------------// This was the creature that had first confronted me when I woke up in that unknown place. Maybe it had finally returned to kill me. It certainly wasn’t the most calming thing to see in the darkness. It’s piercing blue eyes stared me down as I retreated on the floor, my back pressing up against the wall by the window. I flicked my eyes over to the door. It’s too close, I’d have to run right past it to go out the door… that leaves me with— I looked back to the window on my left and quickly peeked outside, the blue horse was still coming at me, albeit slowly. I looked out and realized I was much further up from the ground than previously thought, at least three of four stories. Much too far to fall and survive. Damn… well, could I fight it off? As if, you can barely even move in this body, let alone fight a horned monster twice your size! Thanks brain, once again you never cease in your endeavors to aid me… The horned creature ceased its approach only a few meters away, it eyed me curiously before pointing one of its front legs at me. I saw its mouth move and heard more of the strange language these creatures speak. It carried another upwards inflection, most likely a question. It put its leg down and continued to scan me with its confused gaze. I slowly rested on my recently acquired front legs and inched away again, leaving me firmly pressed against the wall. The blue unicorn thing didn’t move, it just blinked a few times and watched me with more curiosity. I hesitantly looked into its striking blue eyes and tried to figure out more about it. The eyes that mine met were admittedly pretty. It blinked a few more times as I thought I saw an almost caring, concerned look in the incoming moonlight. I slowly let my guard down, if only slightly before speaking. “What are you?” I asked, causing the dark-blue creature to quirk an eyebrow at my question. It said something else I just couldn’t understand. Its voice did not seem threatening, judging from its tone, and its posture as it was relaxed as well, reclining on its hind legs. “I’m sorry; I don’t know what you’re saying.” Its ears perked a bit more as it narrowed its eyes in silent contemplation. The blue creature’s head tilted slightly before it suddenly stood up and raised one of its front legs at me. If I had to guess, it looked to be the universal signal to ‘stay’.before it quickly turned around before leaving me in utter confusion. The door to the room seemed to open on its own as the creature stepped into the brightly-lit hallway and leaving me alone. I simply stood there, uncomfortable in this unfamiliar body as I tried to piece together what had just transpired. What… the… hell... is happening? It just left me here. I jumped out of my thoughts as I heard the door click before opening, revealing my blue ‘friend’ as it calmly walked back over to me, the door shutting behind it seemingly on its own. The creature stepped right up to me and dropped something at my feet, er ‘hooves’ before taking a few steps back. There was a notepad and a pen on the floor. That’s strange... it looks just like a human’s would back home. I looked up to the figure and saw it once again reclined on its back legs, patiently waiting for me to do something. It wants me to write something... duh. I fumbled the pen around in my hooves, failing many times to pick it up. I groaned and rolled my eyes at not being able to do something that should be simple. How do they do anything with only hooves? It’s impossible! I eventually managed to clasp the utensil between my hooves and with painstakingly slow, and atrocious spelling manage to write out a question. What is happening? I dropped the pen and slid the notepad across the floor to my strange companion. It turned the paper around many times before looking back at me with a quizzical expression. It blinked and slowly rose to its hooves before bringing one of its front legs up to its chin in thought, before pointing to me. It asked something slowly while pointing at my head. I replied with my best impression of a shrug, the universal ‘I don’t know’ expression. It brought its hoof to its face in frustration before pointing at my head again. I looked behind me, wondering if something was behind me. All I saw was a blank wall with the window a couple feet to my side. I shrugged again, completely lost as to the message it was trying to convene. It gently stomped its hoof on the floor in frustration as it let out a light huff. “I’m sorry? I don’t get what you’re trying to tell me.” I knew talking was pretty useless, but it was killing me to keep quiet. It brought its hoof slowly up to its horn before tapping it a few times and then pointing its hoof back at my head. When I didn’t respond it repeated the action and waved its hoof towards me. I decided to humor my companion and copied the movements, bringing my hoof up to my forehead expecting to only find more of my mane and fur, but instead meeting an unexpected resistance. I felt around on the hard surface, it was cylindrical, incredibly hard and all led up to a decently sharp point. I had a horn too. I was so dumbfounded I accidentally poked myself as the limb dropped back to the floor. I tried looking up to see if I could see it, I could just make out the point of it. The creature nodded at me before drawing its attention back to the notepad and pen I gave. I saw the pen lift off the floor and begin to write. I rubbed my eyes; surely it was some trick of the light... right? My companion dropped the pen onto the paper before sliding it back over to me. I eyed the paper with a lost expression. The creatures writing was very neat and flowed beautifully, but was completely unrecognizable. I’d probably have a better chance of reading Aztec symbols blindfolded than this writing. I shrugged again before slowly writing out another message. I don’t understand this. I slid the paper back over, eliciting yet another confused glance. It pointed between my horn and the paper a few times; I couldn’t make a connection between the two. I shrugged again. It stood up and went over to the door and flipped a switch, bathing my unprepared eyes in the painful explosion of light. I could see my ‘friend’ much better now; it was most definitely unusual in my mind. Whereas it seemed to melt into the shadows before, it now clearly stood showing its striking blue colors. As it walked back over I saw something tucked at its sides. Are those-? No, it can’t have wings... right? That would just be silly. My blue companion must’ve noticed me staring and fluttered its wings a bit, lightly stretching them before me. I had to admit, they were quite amazing for something so unusual. I visually inspected the other some more, noting some of its more intricate details and contours. If I had to guess, I’d guess it was female judging from the body and feminine eyes. Her horn started to glow a dark blue color, and shortly thereafter the pen floated up to its face showcasing the same mysterious aura. She pointed back and forth between the horn and the floating pen, eventually getting the message across. Magic? No, that can’t possibly... this is crazy– My thoughts halted as I looked back to my body and reflected back on the situation thus far. Was magic really such a stretch at this point? The feminine creature must’ve seen the registration of what it was trying to get across to me. I glanced up to my horn and gave it a curious rub. Could I do magic too? I tried... well to be honest I just looked down to the paper and squinted really hard whilst thinking about it moving. It must have been pretty humorous looking from the outside. Not surprisingly, nothing happened. I tried again, this time sitting down with my horn pointed directly at the notebook. I felt something inside me stir. The sensation startled me a bit and I decided to cease my magical efforts. I looked back to the female and gave it another shrug. It brought a hoof to its chin in thought, clearly curious at my lack of abilities. After a few moments it took a few steps towards me in a slow fashion. I instinctively backed up a little bit, slightly raising one of my forelegs thinking it would protect me. It looked at me with eyes that looked... sad that I was somewhat afraid of its presence. It reached a hoof out and slowly rested it on my shoulder, before looking me in the eyes and giving a slow nod. I put my leg back down and relaxed some, while her hoof was withdrawn from my shoulder. It raised the same hoof straight up between us; it seemed to be another ‘wait’ signal. I replied with a nod as she carefully reached her horn over and gave mine a slight tap. It was... strange. Imagine every nerve in your body suddenly registering feeling. It didn’t hurt, it was just incredibly strange. I barely felt a wave go from my head to my hooves, and back before the other’s horn was withdrawn. She backed away with her brow furrowed and a lost expression adorning her face. I rubbed my horn to help alleviate the strange feeling the horn to horn contact left me with. She paced around the room for a few moments, staring at the tiled floor. What the hell was all that about? What did it—she even do to me? I was shaken from my thoughts at the sight of it pointing at me again. It was pointing at my sides but I couldn’t figure out what it wanted. I turned a little bit towards her and shrugged before turning to look back. She blinked a few times then nodded towards her backsides. She turned a bit to allow me to see. It...it has...moons on its butt? Is that some sort of tattoo? This is just getting weird, well, weirder. I decided to try and lead the ‘conversation’ now. I needed to know more about what happened to me. I drew my hoof and foreleg in a wide, sweeping arc before shrugging. She just blinked, lost as to what I was trying to communicate. I sighed and tried again, this time doing a full 360 turn with my hoof raised, covering the entire place before finishing. Never thought I’d be playing charades with a freaking horse... She ruffled her wings slightly before I saw the recognition flash across her face, finally getting at what I was asking. The lone pillow from my bed floated over and landed on the floor between us. She pointed at me, then at the pillow a few times in quick succession. I shrugged, once again lost. She rolled her eyes before a small flash of light enveloped the pillow, leaving it a shade of orange matching that of my own coat. She pointed between it and me once more, I nodded once I understood. She took a dozen or so steps in place before approaching the orange pillow. She nudged it a few times and then proceeded to envelop it in a blue aura, causing it to slightly retreat away before resting a few feet away. She slowly approached and lifted it in the same blue aura. Its hoof did a wide sweeping arc around the room much the same as mine did, before settling the pillow back on the bed and reverting it to its natural color. Oh, now I get it. You were walking, found me, I woke up, and then you brought me back here after I fell unconscious again. It never dawned on me that a magical unicorn-pegasus thing might one day save my life. It was even more strange to think that this creature actually cared enough about my well-being to actually bring me to a hospital... and in return I ran away like a coward. I mentally kicked myself for being so rude. For now, I gave her a warm smile and a nod in return. One day I’d have to repay her kindness in saving my life. My companion walked over to the window beside me and looked out for a few moments. I took a step back out of regards for personal space. This female was quite, ‘large’ compared to me even. She wasn’t fat by any means, just simply tall. She silently motioned to herself with a hoof and then to the door. I was guessing she had to leave for something. I slowly nodded in return; somewhat sad I would be alone again. My friend then proceeded to point directly at me then to my bed. I pointed at my bed with a questioning look, she nodded in return. Guess she wants me to go to sleep? ...not a bad idea really. I cautiously walked over to my bed, careful to not trip over my own hooves in this unfamiliar body and climbed in. My friend made sure I was comfortable before flicking the light off and shutting the door behind her. I rolled over and stared back out the window, reflecting on everything. I can’t tell you how long I simply laid there, thinking about my strange companion. I should try and get some sleep... the sun’s starting to come up. I let loose a long yawn before turning over and welcoming sleep’s embrace once more, a slight smile on my face as I knew everything would be alright in the end. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Sunlight infiltrated my room and slowly sabotaged my peaceful slumber. I didn’t wake up in a panic for once and managed to get a few winks, not a bad start to my day. After stretching underneath my covers and rubbing my eyes I noticed a small cart with a covered plate of food next to me. Thank god, I haven’t eaten in... however many days I’ve been here. I jumped out of bed a bit too hastily and ended up falling to the floor with a deadpan expression. After righting myself and coordinating my four legs, I finally made it over to the tray of food. My mind was racing at the thought of it, actual food. With my eyes full with hunger and my mouth watering, I took the cover off the plate and just blinked. This... this isn’t food! This, what is this?! I stared at the plate full of flowers, apples, and a few carrots. My stomach didn’t exactly get along with a lot of fruits and vegetables the majority of the time. Now? Now it was all there really was it seemed. I reluctantly grabbed an apple in my mouth and pushed the cart closer to my bed. I climbed in and laid on my back, grabbing a bite of the apple as my hooves released it from my mouth. I chewed it slowly, taking the time to get familiar with how my new mouth worked. Surprisingly, the apple wasn’t that bad, it was sweet without being too overpowering and perfectly ripe. I quickly devoured the whole thing and reached for the second one, quickly adding it to the fate of its companion. I looked back over at the plate and frowned. Do they seriously expect me to eat flowers? They’re pretty, but that’s disgusting. I shrugged and put the top back on the plate. I went back over to the window and accidentally stepped on the pen and paper from the previous evening. I reclined on my back legs and stared at the pen, trying to make it move with my thoughts. I must have stared at it for a few minutes before sighing and giving up. Stupid magic... I decided to spend the time waiting for my friend to return to practice—of all things, simply walking. I made several slow laps around my room, barely taking my eyes off my legs as I tried to coordinate them. I had to stop mid-step a few times to make sure I was doing it right. This was how I spent a good half hour it felt like. I decided to rest over by the window, placing my forelegs on the window seal and sitting on my haunches. My chin rested in my forelegs as I looked out over the street below. There were so many of these creatures everywhere! They came in nearly every color of the rainbow. I spied very few orange-tinted creatures though, but dismissed it without much thought. I noticed not all of them were unicorns; some had wings, and others didn’t have either. I wonder if they don’t feel as special as the magic or flying ones? I know I’d be a bit envious. I continued watching the creatures and took note that a considerable amount were wearing what seemed like pretty fancy clothes, a few rarely seen ones were even clad in golden armor that shimmered in the sunlight. My activity was interrupted by a sudden flurry of knocks on my door. I stood up by the window and waited for whomever it was wished to see me. My dark-blue friend walked through the door with a slight smile on her face, but she wasn’t alone this time. It was tall, even taller than my companion from yesterday. It seemed to be the same species though, except it was a bleached white and had a multi-colored mane that seemed to almost glow. The blue, green and pinks in the mane and tail were beautiful and swayed in a non-existent breeze. Its eyes were a darker shade of purple with a look of pure kindness. I guessed this one was a female as well, though its horn was much longer and almost intimidating in a way. I didn’t notice until now they were both wearing crowns and other jewelry that were the telltale sign of royalty. I awkwardly smiled and did my best bow without falling over my front hooves. I felt a touch on my shoulder as the hoof of my darkly-colored friend silently told me to rise up. I sheepishly smiled again, waiting for them to do something. The taller one took a few steps toward me and studied me with a trained look, her eyes barely moving as my features were taken in. It turned and said something quiet and quick to the blue one. My friend raised her hoof again, politely telling me to stay put. I replied with a nod, curious as to what they would do this time. I watched as the taller, white one of the two took a few steps towards me. I mentally gulped; this creature’s horn could easily impale one side of my body and come clear out the other. But it didn’t do that, it gave me a reassuring smile before bowing its head. I bit my lip and closed my eyes. I felt the other horn make contact with mine as I felt a spark course through my body. I felt my ears twitch for a few seconds before the other’s horn was withdrawn. She stepped away and motioned for me with her golden-clad hoof to say something. “Umm... can you hear me?” My throat creaked out; it felt terribly sore all of a sudden. The shorter one said a few words that seemed to carry a condescending tone as the taller one frowned in thought at me. It stepped forward and once more placed its horn against mine. This time I felt an incredible warmth envelop me. It was almost unbearable by the time it reaches my hooves before I felt all the energy eventually gather in my throat area. The other’s horn retreated and the owner gave me a waiting look. I coughed a few times as the almost-burning sensation in my throat went away. “Ugh, why do you keep doing this to me? It kinda hurts ya know...” I mumbled, still confused as to what it was trying to accomplish. The white one turned to its shorter, darker counterpart with a sly, satisfied smirk upon its face. My ears perked once more as I heard my first recognizable words in days. “I told you it would work, dear sister.”