Small Horn
Chapter 5: Family Bonding Time
Small Horn was worn out from the transformation process. As she attempted to get up shakily on all fours, she felt like a newborn foal who was just begining to walk. Her mother, Shimmer, neighed and went over to gently aid her daughter. "It's been a long time since I have seen you like this, my dear." Shimmer nuzzled her daughter warmly, then began to lick her face. "You must be presentable for your father and grandfather." The light tan mare with the long flowing brown mane said softly as she finished cleaning up her foal. It would be noted that Small Horn got her looks from her mother's side of the family.
Small Horn took the cleaning in stride, allowing her mother's scent infiltrate her nostrils. Young fillies would be able to identify their mothers by their scent after birth, especially for protection and nursing. But Small Horn was older than a new born foal. She was a young school-aged filly, about the same age as her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders, Apple Bloom, Babs Seed, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. "Mother, please, I can take my own bath, thank you!" Small Horn was very embarassed about her mother doting on her.
Shimmer stopped the grooming ritual, and examined the collar around her foal's neck. "Small Horn, what is this collar doing around your neck? Shouldn't you be learning your magic to find a way out of this hospital?" The mother asked with concern in her voice.
Small Horn shook her head, "Dr. Wells placed this collar around my neck to track me like some sort of animal. She also mentioned that this collar nullifies my magic. See?" She focused her magic, only to feel a small spark, then nothing. "I need to figure a way to trick Dr. Wells into deactivating this collar and removing it. Maybe we can get out of her at night! We can see if my friend Zecora can help! I have a connection with her. I know she said she would find sompony to help us."
Big Horn stepped forward, "You sound like you have everything figured out! However, perhaps you should leave Dr. Wells to your mother and I. I think it is best we check you out of the hospital, pay the medical bill, and find us a place so we can think about our next move." Small Horn's father was very intelligent when it came to working as a tandem with his wife. The grandfather, Grand Horn, elected to stay back with his Grand Daughter. They had a lot to catch up on.
Dr. Wells was finishing up the test results for Small Horn when Shimmer's voice interrupted her. "Dr. Wells, I presume?" Shimmer spoke softly, nodding her head. "We need to talk about our daughter." Big Horn stood beside his wife, "Indeed." The stallion sad, deferring the care of their foal to the mother.
Dr, Wells turned to see the unicorn parents, "Ah, so you two are Sam, er, Small Horn's parents. I can see where she gets her looks from." That comment made Shimmer blush a bit, but the mare composed herself for the sake of her daughter and husband.
Shimmer continued, "As Small Horn's mother, I know what is best for my foal; I would like for you to release Small Horn to our immediate care." She stomped her righ hoof in defiance of the doctor.
Dr. Wells was speechless at first, but then composed herself, "Ahem, certainly, I have some discharge paperwork for you to look over and sign. Just how are you going to sign these release forms?" She pulled out some pens and laid the papers for the parents to look over.
The legal forms were straight-forward and had places for the parents of the minor child to sign. Big Horn picked up a pen with his magic and was about to sign his signature, when his wife shook her head, "Stick to the plan, dear."
She then turned to the doctor, "I would like some favors to ask of you before you release our daughter to our care. First of all, you need to assure us no harm was done to our foal during her hospitalization."
Dr. Wells nodded, sweating bullets as she was interacting with two unicorn ponies, who had the power to levitate objects with ease."Of course, Mercy Hospital's by-laws and code of ethics states all patients' discharge requests must be approved following a physical. I want to make sure your daughter is well enough to travel. By the way, you need to list a permanent address. I can give you a list of availble shelters and affordable lodging. I believe there is a hotel nearby. Perhaps they may help you." Some pamphlets were distributed about after-patient care, the physical, and the list of available lodging that would accomodate ponies.
Shimmer smiled as she took the literature and read them through. "I believe a family friend will be arriving to pick us up. I made arrangements after I heard our foal was admitted to your hospital. I hope she wasn't too much trouble. Unicorn magic at her age is so unpredictable. Which brings me to my next topic; The collar....please remove it, and the tracking device. I will sign these discharge papers and provide our new address and contact info, if you agree to all of our terms."
Dr. Wells smiled, "Of course, your...er...foal is very healthy and should be able to practice her...talents." She pressed the remote for the collar and the device around Small Horn's neck blinked twice before it deactivated. "There, I will go remove the device, and we can get Small Horn cleaned up and fed. I think I can arrange a table for all of you, so you can have some alone time. I can return later this afternoon after I run these papers to my supervisor and see if you are free to leave."
Big Horn was not satisfied with Dr. Wells' willingness to go along with their plan. "The tracking collar around our foal's neck; is it really necessary? I think our foal should be able to roam free and be with her friends and family, as well as with her own kind."
Dr. Wells nodded, "Of course, social interactions among peers is what makes a community great. I've studied sociology as part of my Masters and Doctorate degrees. I must say though, sociology applied to ponies? You seem to have all the same essential social needs any human, or pony has to have in order to belong."
Big Horn smiled, "We like to call it belonging to a herd, Dr. Wells. Back home, we ponies had a thriving community, with jobs, a school for our daughter to learn under the supervision of a teacher, a library to do research and study quietly, and plently of place to eat, live, and play." He grew sad after his last comment.
Meanwhile, Grand Horn got to know his grand daughter better. He was proud of the third-generation filly. "So, why don't we start your magic training. Can you levitate that apple to me? I will split it into 4 equal shares, and all of us can have some." The elderly stallion waited for the filly to begin her lessons.
Small Horn nodded and took a deep breath, "Just like Magic Kindergarten. Telekinesis was one of the first spells we learned, other than teleportation." Small Horn recalled, as she began to lift the apple to her grandfather. Her magic, now unrestrained by the collar, long since removed by Grand Horn, and crushed underhoof so the tracking device was shattered, began to flow better. The golden aura around her horn gathered around the apple and was pulled towards her grand father, who took the apple in his grey magic. "Okay, I have the apple; you can let go now." The older stallion instructed.
Small Horn let go, allowing the eldery stallion to grip the apple in his magic. He moved to the table, which had 4 bowls of salads, some fruit cocktails, and some sort of juice boxes filled with different fruit juices. The red apple then was split open and broken into four even sections. "I did well, right, Grandpa?" The young unicorn looked up in anticipation of approval from the older stallion.
The elderly unicorn stallion hugged and ruffled his grand daughter's mane. "You did real good, kiddo. Let's take a break and wait for your parents to finish that boring paperwork. After you get cleaned up and fed, we can consider getting out of here and finding out where we will go next. Perhaps that zebra friend can perform one of her spells?"
Small Horn seemed confused about why her grandfather was still skeptical about the zebra. "Zecora is very wise and knows a lot about herbal remedies. She was the one who cured me of that terrible food poisoning. That was the worst.sandwich.ever!" the thought of that hay, daisy, and daffodil sanwich still brought up some bad memories.
Meanwhile, Dr. Wells apologized for her rude behavoir towards Small Horn and her unorthodox treatment of the small unicorn under her care. "I thought of sending her off for more testing at another facility. I did not know you would be so prompt to come make sure she was okay. If you would like, I will not publish my findings on your daughter's...condition and try my best to be a better person; respecting my patient's rights is the formost of my duties at this hospital."
Shimmer nods, "I think that would qualify as a "Friendship Report," don't you say, dear?" She levitated a pen and some paper. "Back home, our leader enjoys receiving letters from her subjects. In turn, our leader will respond and send her responses back. The local librarian...was one of those closest to our leader."
Dr. Wells, took the paper and pen and placed them on the table, "I take it the leader of your world has...passed away? There were no mentions of another country's leaders passing away." She wondered what the two ponies were talking about.
Big Horn and Shimmer signed the paperwork consenting to the physical exam, under the condition that Small Horn be allowed to shower and make herself presentable. The doctor allowed it, and then the two ponies turned to the doctor. "Let us just say, our leader is not from this world. She and her sister were in charge of raising the sun during the daytime, providing us with the light needed for our crops to grow, a nice sunny day to go interact in the market place, play, and enjoy family picnics and dining out. Both leaders are surely missed." Shimmer decided to bow her head in remembrace of the sacrifices of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Big Horn followed his wife's gesture and bowed his head as well.
Dr. Wells watched in amazement as the two unicorns in front of her reverently bowed in a prayer to their patron deities, and she respected their faith and allowed the moment of silence for the fallen leaders. After the moment of silence was observed, Dr. Wells grew curious about the two sisters who the unicorns spoke of. "Just where are you from? This world you mentioned, with the sisters who raise the sun and moon, as well as the inhabitants...you all are..." She dare not say the name of their species, to not offend them.
Big Horn spoke up first. "We are unicorns, Dr. Wells. One of three groups of sentient equine beings from a realm called Equestria. Small Horn is a third generation unicorn, in a long line of unicorns that goes all the way back to Princess Platnium."
Shimmer corrected her husband, "No, dear. I had a geneological researcher trace back our family tree. Small Horn is not descended from Princess Platnium; she is actually in the lineage of Clover the Clever, Princess Platnium's assistant and protege of the Great Starswirl the Bearded."
Dr. Wells really wanted to write down all what the ponies were talking about, but chose to respect their wishes. "It appears that this discussion of your daughter's genelogical history is very fascinating, but it does not explain why you are on Earth, instead of living on your own homeworld, and how a 25 year old male suddenly ends up as an adorable unicorn filly in three days after being admitted for," she checks her notes, "severe food poisoning."
Big Horn and Shimmer look at each other, "Discord! He must have cast that strange spell over us, and transplanted us with false memories on "Earth." Shimmer surmised.
Dr. Wells was really confused, "Excuse me? Discord? From the Greek word for chaos?" She seemed curious about what these two ponies were talking about.
Shimmer sighed, "Where we come from, a being of chaos used to reign in our homeworld, until the two sisters we mentioned earlier sealed him into stone. Somehow, he freed himself and began to turn our town into complete chaos. Six brave champions were summoned to confront this chaotic being and reseal him in stone. The being is called Discord, which means, 'a disagreement among ponies.'" Shimmer went on to explain Discord's race, "He is known as a mythical creature called a Chimera; we call him a draconequeus. He has the head of an equine with the rest of his body being a mix of a griffon, lion, a dragon's tail, and hooves of a goat."
Dr. Wells was now really confused, "These stories seem to come from someone's fantasy adventure books, or a children's television show. Tell me, which one of these are you from?"