//------------------------------//
// I think I have overworked myself... 
// Story: I am God...apparently? 
// by CrossRedstone 
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Lauren didn't feel so good, which was understandable considering what happened. She remembered  that she had come down with OR caught  a fever the day before yesterday and had needed to go home early. The next day it had gotten worse. Tara had needed to come by in order to help her through the day. The voice actress had called a doctor over, who recommended regular medicine against colds and if it got worse to call him again.
Lauren felt a bit better today. She was still achy and tired, but the pain from her bones had faded. 

Still, Lauren felt rather like sleeping in today, before she did anything else. Her bed felt especially comfortable, like she was sleeping on clouds. In her mind she imagined that  she was really sleeping in a cloud house, on a cloud bed.

Her fantasy was cut short as someone opened the door and entered her room. Loudly. How someone's footsteps could be so loud, Lauren didn't know. Maybe it was because her ears were just too used to the silence.

I guess Tara never left. Or she came back. Lauren tried opening her eyes, but it was too bright, so she closed them again, groaning.  It got the attention of Tara. The person went to her bed and talked to her softly.

"How do you feel?"

The voice was familiar, but that wasn't Tara at all. "Nicole...?" Lauren asked weakly and then chuckled. "Don't tell me the entire team is coming, just for little old me." There was no other response from the other woman. A little confused Lauren slowly opened her eyes, in order for them to adjust properly. What she saw was...surreal.

First off, this wasn't her room, not by a long stretch. The room was rich. It had double doors with intricate gold filigree  , translucent  satin  curtains in gold and red hung  at the side of the windows. Every single piece of furniture was ornately carved from dark wood. Now that she was awake, looking to the side Lauren could already tell that the bed was  the biggest she had ever seen with her own eyes.

Then she noticed the large pony standing where she’d heard Nicole’s voice.  She had a white coat, a long spiraling horn, and a flowing pastel mane and tail. Her wings were folded along her back, and she wore a golden crown, with gems embedded in it. Her eyes were bigger than that of a normal pony and they were magenta colored.

"Celestia...?" Lauren asked. The pony visibly tensed at the mention of her name. Lauren looked around a little more and then raised her arm to rub her own forehead because of her headache. The only problem was, she had no hand, but a foreleg.

"Huh, I'm a pony."

She looked around once more, before her eyes met Celestia's. "Guess this is what they call a fever dream." Lauren mumbled and slumped her head back on the pillow. She could feel sleep overtaking her once again. Before her conscious faded completely, she could feel someone tucking her in.


XIII


When she woke up again, Lauren felt much better. She wasn’t fully recovered yet, but her mind was clear and her body felt considerable better. Yawning, she stretched her arms and pushed OR tossed OR threw the blanket off. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she was in for quite a shocker.  She was still in the room she had "dreamed" about last night. At least she thought it was last night, she wasn’t so sure anymore. Weak sunbeams snuck through the curtains, just like when she woke up before. Did I really sleep through the entire day and night? I’m not hungry, so that can’t be it. Yet at the same time, I can’t just recover from a cold in a single day.

She shook her head. Focus, Lauren. You need to figure this out. This all...it just can't be real! It has to be a dream! Did my cold actually got worse and now I'm dreaming or in a coma?
...
I never was in a coma or had a fever dream for that matter, so I can’t be sure. Next time someone suggests to do a throughout check with the doctor, I better listen.
...
The more reasonable explanation seems to be a dream. Maybe I really did overwork myself. Hmm, there's one way I could check it. She raised her foreleg and examined it briefly, then bit it. She winced a little.
O-okay. This felt too real to be a dream. No need to panic. Just your childhood dream coming true.
...
Actually I'm not panicking as much as I should.

"Hahaha, wow."

Okay, now I feel a little panicky. Keep your cool, Lauren. Play along, if it is a dream, just play along. And if it’s real...I’m not really sure what to think about it. Lauren crawled to the edge of the over-sized bed and looked down to the ground. It wasn't high at all. "Why am I doing this?"

Lauren flopped OR scrambled off the bed and tried to stand on her new four legs, but she fell  falling flat on her stomach. Lauren fought  the urge to comment on her clumsiness and tried to get up on all fours without slipping on the polished marble floor. This is just like in school, during PE. It should be a little easier, after all this body is meant to be balanced on four legs.
Slowly but steadily, she first put her two front-legs down and rose up. Then she put both hind-legs on the ground and pushed the second half of her body. She was bit unstable on her legs, but at least she managed not to fall down immediately.

Now to the hard part. Walking. Oh, come on Lauren, it's the same as the PE exercise. You just have to walk like you did then. Besides, you have worked on Friendship is Magic before day one! You should know how ponies walk!

But knowing and actually having experience are two different things, Lauren soon realized, as she stumbled sideways into the giant bed. She actually managed to get back on balance by pushing herself off the bed with her wing. As strange as the strength of her wing was, it was actually stranger to have wings in the first place. She hadn’t noticed them earlier, but if her body didn't feel alien before, it certainly did now.

She had a hard time inspecting her wings, because every second time she wanted to move them, she actually raised one of her front-legs. Luckily folding back the wings to your own body seemed to work on instinct. Now, the next objective. Over there are the double doors. I need to walk to them. Forget about opening them for now, just walk and worry about the other thing later.
Three, two, one.......come on, you have to learn how to walk eventually and hey, if you're lucky, you'll wake up in your house and this will be a funny memory.

Gulping, Lauren started to raise her leg. Before she even could lean forward, the handle of the double doors in front of her started to shimmer with golden light.. Before Lauren's mind could fully process what was happening, the doors swung open. They must have thought I am still asleep.
Inside came a yellow mare in a maid outfit, with a silver plate as her cutie mark. She had a nice baby blue color for her mane and tail. "O-oh, you're awake." The maid stuttered and bowed.
Lauren blinked at the pony actually talking, aside from being one herself and the fact that she was bowing to her.

The maid rose again and it was quite obvious that she was nervous. Her smile was almost more forced than Applejack’s had been when she had helped hide Pinkie’s surprise party. "A-are you feeling alright?"

"Y-yes." Lauren stuttered and came out of her stupor. "Just feeling still a little....off."

"O-of course. Is there anything I can bring you? Tea, maybe?"

"Actually, I'd like a little walk first." If only to not embarrass myself in spilling the whole tea.

"O-of course, your highness." Your what?

"I-I will lead you to the dining room. The princesses are already there. If you would follow me please."

The mare was about to trot ahead, when Lauren stopped her. "Wait! If you don't mind...can we take it slow? As I said, I still don't feel so well."

The mare nodded understandingly, though she obviously didn't like the idea for some reason.
Lauren took in a deep breath. Here goes nothing. Oh I so hope it's just the stress of work.