//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: You put your Right Hand in, you take your Right Hoof out ... // Story: Wish upon a Supernova // by Hyper Atomic //------------------------------// You put your Right Hand in, you take your Right Hoof out... “You look like hell.” I muttered. The stallion stared back at me with a slight furrow in his brow. His nose was bruised, a few crystals of dried blood already starting the healing process. One -no, two painful looking lumps were perched on his forehead right beneath the hairline. His disheveled mane was relatively short, sporting a much lighter green hue than that of his coat. My left ear twitched, and I watched in the mirror as the motion was reciprocated. “I look like hell.” He corrected. My eyes continued to stare back at me. Only, instead of the dark brown irises that usually greeted me every morning, I now seemed in possession of not one, but two equally vibrant shades of impossible. The left one was a refractive scarlet while its fraternal twin bore an orange color not unlike that of a ripe pumpkin. Good lord... It didn't hit me how large everyone's eyes were until I saw my own up close. No, to say they were large would be tantamount to calling the observable universe 'a pretty big place'. I removed my glasses and set them behind the faucet. The knobs were easy enough to work, and I soon had a font of cool water flowing. Not wanting to bother with figuring out how to balance on two hooves, I just shoved my face into the refreshing stream. Is this really happening? Yes. That was quick, not even going to elucidate as to why, brain? I don't need to. I was right. I already knew the answer, I just didn't like it. Everything was too authentic, too consistent, and too painful to be an illusion. It was time I accepted that much. I pulled myself out from under the water and shut it off, grabbing a towel from its ring next to the sink. At least I've gotten better at standing on three legs. I smiled a little bit to myself as I dried my face for the second time in the last half hour. Picking up my glasses, something caught my eye. The frames were large, square, and made of a dark gray material, but that wasn't what I was looking at. The part that fit around the temples didn't end in the standard earpiece hooks. I held the lenses up and studied my reflection. My ears were nowhere near where the glasses would sit on my head. How did they even stay on? I turned them over in my hoof, scouring them for answers. That was more than a little difficult, considering I needed them to see in the first place. Thankfully, I didn't have to search too long. On the inside of the arms, at the very back of the frame were two patches of small interlocking plastic hooks. “Velcro?” I chuckled, breaking into a smile. Clever, I never would've thought of that. Replacing the optics on the bridge of my muzzle, I tilted my head to get a better view of them in the mirror. My smile briefly waned as I was reminded what I looked like. It wasn't that I didn't like my reflection, it had a bizarre familiarity about it, like an old friend. No, what bothered me was what I didn't look like anymore. Anymore? Who's to say I ever looked like that? I shook my head, trying to dislodge the thought before it could germinate. I can't let myself dwell on these things. 'And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you.' Thanks, Nietzsche! Just the person I needed advice from when battling existential depression! Despite all my internal sarcasm, the point he made was still valid. The best option I had for the time being was to stay distracted, specifically to stay focused on the now. I opened my eyes, taking in a deep breath along with my own mirrored image. “I am still Maxwell,” I said aloud, my confidence growing as I watched myself speak. “and I'll eventually figure out what happened to me, but until then there's no reason why I can't make the best of it.” My wings flapped as if they agreed with the sentiment. Grinning, I turned to the side to get a real look at them. “Even if it is just a trick of my mind, who else gets to experience being a pegasus for the first time?” I unfurled my feathered limbs into a rather impressive wingspan. I clicked my tongue, a hint of disappointment in my voice, “It's too bad I can't fly with them. That would have been wild.” Without warning, my stomach decided that it had been quiet long enough, and protested its emptiness vehemently. If I wasn't sure it had come from me, I would have thought a bear had snuck in. “Well, the nurse did say that dinner was coming soon. I guess that means I missed both breakfast and lunch, no wonder I'm hungry.” Turning carefully, I took a few angular steps to the door before putting a hoof to the handle. Why would they have evolved such developed wings if they couldn't provide adequate lift? Did they fly in the past but lost that ability? No, that doesn't make sense. Maybe- As the door swung open, I was assaulted by a burst of multicolored confetti and an explosion of streamers. “Surprise!” Pinkie whispered. Her sudden invasion into my personal space caused me to backpedal a step before stumbling into a sitting position. “... wha?” I gaped, slack-jawed at the sight in front of me. The recovery room had undergone a serious makeover in the scant minutes that I was gone. There were balloons, a few hats, and more streamers completely covering the walls, turning the once plain sterile environment into a lively event. “Nurse Redheart said I couldn't throw you a party until you were better, but she didn't say how much better you had to get,” I could tell she was trying to be quiet, unfortunately, her excitement is not something any mortal vessel can contain, “but after you said your burns were healing, and you were able to move your wings again I was sure that was better enough for a party!” Her resulting smile was so bright, it could have been used to warn ships of a hazardous coastline. I managed to get back on my hooves without too much trouble, and took a few awkward steps into the room. “You put all this together, for me? Why?” “I love throwing parties!” Pinkie bounced around me, continuing with her explanation, “buuuut, I also want to make sure my friends are happy.” She hooked a foreleg around my neck, her smile a much more personal one. Pinkie's joy was fatally infectious. I rolled my eyes, but my grin betrayed me. “It's pretty amazing how fast you were able to decorate all of this.” “Oh It was nothing,” she commented, releasing my shoulders, “the cannon took care of most of the work!” My eyes narrowed at the inscrutable pink pony. Did she say cannon? Her own light blues locked with mine, returning the glare with a smirk of her own. She couldn't have... Tensions mounted as the air grew thick with words unspoken. How? Our faces were now mere inches away from each other. The only winning move, is not to play. “Nope,” I said defiantly, turning my head away, “I'm not even going to ask.” The mare just giggled. Her mirth was cut short by a deep cavernous rumble from within me. Tired of being ignored, my hunger was making itself known with or without my help. “Sounds like you need 50cc's of Sugarcube Corner's finest, stat!” Pinkie exclaimed. By the time I looked back, she was wearing a nurse's cap and holding a pastel blue cupcake sporting a mountainous swirl of frosting capped by a red fruit. “The Very Berry Strawberry Supreme, guaranteed to make mouths merry and stomachs swoon.” “Pinkie, I'm going to ask you a question, and I need you to be honest with me.” I stared at the drool-worthy dessert, pointing with my right foreleg. “Where did that come from?” “I baked a whole batch of them this morning, so I thought I'd bring one over in lieu of a full cake. This is more of a mini-party after all, and a mini-party needs a mini-cake!” She dropped the spongy morsel into my outstretched hoof. Leave it to Pinkie to answer my question without answering my question. The cupcake was even more appetizing up close. I swear I could taste it just by looking at it. The confectionery siren was drawing me in, and I was powerless to stop myself. The instant before I could take my first bite of the veritable ambrosia, there was a knock and the door swung open. A familiar white mare entered pushing a small trolley. Redheart sighed heavily at the brightly colored decorations, and by association, the two of us. “Really, Mr. Glass? Pinkie I can understand, but you couldn't wait until after dinner to have some dessert? And out of bed too! You're supposed to be resting.” My ears folded back as I averted my eyes. “Honestly, you're as bad as that red and yellow maned colt we had in here the other day.” “Sorry, I wanted to use the bathroom and then-” “No, I understand.” the nurse dismissed me with a wave. “If you're feeling well enough to be up and about, that's a good sign. Just take it easy and-” she gasped, “What happened to your face?” Oh, right. I had almost forgotten about my bruised nose and chin, but now that I was thinking about it again, I could feel the dull ache once more. Pinkie, meanwhile, seemed to have lost some of her usual bounce. Her eyes were downcast, and she wasn't making any moves to join the conversation. “I fell on it when getting out of bed … again.” I hurried to add, “I'm fine though! Really!” I brushed the end of my muzzle with a foreleg, wincing as it set off lances of pain. “See?” My crooked smile fighting to hide the tear that managed to escape. … Nailed it. Nurse Redheart covered her face with a hoof and sighed again, her eyes closed. “That's … good. Come on, Pinkie. We should let Mr. Glass eat.” She carefully unloaded a tray from the cart onto the bedside table. “I'm sure he enjoyed your company, but everypony needs food and rest in order to heal as well as medicine.” “Okie Dokie” The pink and more pink pony chimed. She waved at me from the doorway before following the nurse out, and I responded in kind. * * * The two mares exited the patient's room and turned to make their way towards the front desk. Redheart was the first one to speak up, “I'm going to say it was my fault. I should have been more clear.” She shook her head before looking over at Pinkie who was grinning as always. “Why did you come back to see him so soon? The smile on her face dimmed, but didn't go away. “You said that nopony knew who he was, right?” “Yes, we still haven't found a single record of him, nor have any of the other nearby care centers, but what does that-” “Because,” Pinkie interrupted, “if nopony knows him, then he probably doesn't know anypony else either.” She continued walking ahead, even though the nurse had stopped. “No one deserves to be alone.” * * * “Oh my god, hospital salad has never tasted this good before.” I declared between mouthfuls of the succulent greens, tomatoes, and cucumber. I am either incredibly hungry or these cooks practice witchcraft. I hadn't noticed a utensil among the dinner service, but that wasn't about to stop me. In addition to the bowl of salad that was quickly vanishing, my dinner included a square of jello, a whole-wheat sandwich, and a glass of fruit juice. The jello was next to fall, consumed by the ravenous beast that possessed me. I moved on to the sandwich, eager to vanquish my appetite with the main course. I was halfway through chewing the second bite when I noticed something was off. The taste was good, don't get me wrong, but it definitely wasn't any protein or cheese I'd ever eaten before. I swallowed and carefully removed the top slice of bread. Flowers. I stared at it for who knows how long before removing one of the blossoms, sniffing it, and popping it into my mouth. I don't know how to explain its flavor. It tasted exactly like I expected a flower to taste, and yet it possessed savory notes that danced on the tongue. “Okay then,” I whispered to myself, “looks like I can eat flowers now, and they're pretty darn good too.” After I finished, I had laid back down in bed. I really didn't have enough room for the cupcake, but I was sure it would make a great breakfast. My body, having its most pressing need met, had switched gears and I could feel my eyelids growing heavy. A yawn stretched my jaw wide. I was ready for a real night's sleep. * * * I bolted upright, heart pounding as I looked around. The forest was dark, the drone of insects and the rustling of leaves the only sounds that broke the silence of the night. I was still on the hill, where I was stargazing before … My hands flew up to my face, and I could feel it break into a smile. My face was mine, my hands were mine, I was home. I slumped back onto the grass again, the stars looking much like they always did. “I must have nodded off for a while.” I chuckled, “That was some crazy dream, vivid too.” The aroma of coffee turned my head. “It was probably from too much caffeine. I should ease up on that after ten o'clock.” I raised my arm to get a look at the time. 34:93 I rubbed my eyes and sat up, the low light must have been making the display difficult to read, or else it's time for a new watch. 88:88 I sighed, “Broken watch it is. Oh well, at least I didn't end up sleeping the whole night under the stars.” Do you not like their company? My head spun around, but there was nothing except the forest behind me. I stood up slowly. “Who's there?” If I have a name, I do not know it. The voice seemingly came from everywhere, and nowhere. Memories of playing old horror games about being lost in the woods came unbidden to my mind. My breathing grew more panicked. “What do you want with me?” I don't want to die. “What?” I stammered as my heart threatened to leap out of my chest. There had to be somewhere that was coming from, but where? My gaze drifted upward. The moon wasn't there before, nor was it ever this big. As I stared, a black hued figure began to approach, seemingly from the center of the moon itself. I stumbled, falling backwards onto the hard ground. The specter was nearly upon me. It wore the ink of night as a raiment about its head, a sharp spike protruding from the top. As it touched down in front of me, it raised gloom wrought wings and struck the air. I was buffeted with the force of a hurricane, and raised my arms to shield myself. That's when I saw it. My skin was peeling, blowing off in the wind like leaves scattered in a storm. I shut my eyes tight, crying out, willing the madness to end. Then everything was quiet. “Hush now, thou art safe. Thy nightmare will trouble thee no more.” The creature spoke, her voice calming and serene. I opened my eyes. What ... what's going on? I shakily got to my ... hooves. I was on all fours again. The apparition stood before me, though now in a guise much less menacing. She stood taller than I, with a night blue coat and carrying the stars themselves in her flowing mane. I looked down at myself, once again the dark green pegasus I had seen in the mirror. Only ... something was wrong. The mirror, something upset me at the mirror, but what was it? I strained my memory, trying to recall earlier. I looked ... different? Something about my eyes, what color were they, red and orange? No, that's what they are, what were they before? Nothing. Hot tears began welling up, and I let out a sob for the first time in years. Why can't I ... “I … I can't …” My lip trembled, unable to control it anymore. I turned my face up towards her, letting the anguish run down my cheeks in streams, “I can't remember … what I looked like.” I awoke in the dark.