The large being stood in front of us, hidden by the darkness of the night, but his smile flickered in the darkness. A sense of evil permeated from his beings and filled the woods. An instinctual fear ground into me as I backed slowly away from him, my eyes sealed shut. These woods weren’t getting me. I had ceased caring about holding my phobia back and how my image was being ruined.
“And where do you think you are going, dear?” I heard a crack where he was standing and then one behind me.
I felt myself collide with something soft causing my heart to jump a few beats as I cringed and froze. “I just want to go home.” I stammered.
“Ah… afraid of the forest? Here, let me show you that there is nothing to be afraid about.” The tone in his voice sent shivers down my spine. In an attempt to escape, I crawled forward, but felt Discord’s large hands wrap around my waist and lift me from the ground. He held me out toward the forest. “Just look at it. It isn’t scary at all.”
I wanted to believe him. I cracked my eye open and looked around and saw only darkness. It wasn’t so bad, but it couldn’t cure my heart, which beat furiously inside my chest. I pried the other open feeling a strange support from the strong being holding me.
“See. Nice and safe.” I trusted his words and opened myself up to the forest. Just as I opened my eyes and turned toward the forest completely, the sun instantly came up revealing a wall of clawing and growling trees. My body instantly tensed up as I curled up inside of the hands holding me, hoping to gain security from them. Instead, I felt them loosen causing me to fall to the ground awkwardly. The grass around my legs reached up and tried to pin me to the ground. I rose and tried to escape causing the roots of the trees to extend and snag me.
“Octavia!” My friends yelled as I squirmed inside of the powerful ensnarement. Tears were falling from my eyes as I tried desperately to escape them; my breaths were broken and heavy. I didn’t know what was going on and I didn’t care. I just wanted to go home, to my house and be safe, to lay in front of the fireplace with Vinyl, anything but here. I could feel the cool ground begin to encase my body, as I was pulled deeper inside of the ground.
“Vinyl! I-“ I couldn’t finish my sentence as another root came down onto my back. The roots ceased and trapped me halfway underground. A root stuck between my teeth.
Discord walked around me, laughing aloud. “You should see the look on your faces!” He chuckled again. I tried to move, but the roots held me fast. Claustrophobia began to set into me as I tried to breath, but couldn’t. The sensation of not being able to breathe caused me to panic and squirm desperately.
“Let her go!” The Doctor yelled at him.
“Oh, you’re no fun.” He snapped his fingers.
The roots loosened quickly around me, but one root that was still around my leg ripped me out of the ground, holding me upside down. I shivered at the freedom of the roots from around me, but I was still his leading show. I still tried to escape. I felt his hand slid through my mane as he lifted my head up.
“You are just a bundle of fun aren’t you?” He chuckled and vanished, the root snapping its hold from around my leg sending me toppling to the ground. Feeling the grass made me cringe and crawl quickly toward my friends. They weren’t going to capture me again. I felt them surround me as I hid behind them pitifully. Was there anyway to convince myself that I was still here to protect them when they’ve been the ones protecting me?
“Such good friends.” He hummed. “And what about you my dear?” I heard a crack beside me. I turned quickly to see that he had Ditsy floating in front of him, trapped in a magical field. She squirmed and flapped against the magic, but it was too great. “I see that you’ve certainly packed for the occasion.” Her bag opened, and the remaining muffins floated from it, circling her head. “Do you know the muffin mare?”
“The muffin mare?” She asked.
“The muffin mare.” He grinned at her. “Do you know the muffin mare?
The muffins became faces and laughed around her. Ditsy began to laugh at the song they were singing. “I didn’t know muffins could laugh.”
“Discord. Don’t…” The words came heavily from The Doctor.
“I was only going to help her.” He tapped her forehead with his finger sending a light around her. She stared blankly at him, her face becoming emotionless. I didn’t want to think what was happening. Then a blinding light erupted from her eyes as they slowly closed. She gently glided to the ground, lying peaceful in a sleeping position. When she awakes, you shall see my handiwork.” He chuckled. “Now if you don’t mind I have other matters to attend to.” He snapped from existence.
Doctor Whooves ran over to Ditsy as Vinyl and Lyra tried to settle me down. I disliked that I had to be settled down while Ditsy was lying on the ground in front of me.
“How’s Ditsy? What’s wrong with her?” I continually asked.
The Doctor nuzzled his nose up against Ditsy causing her to stir. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around wide-eyed. All of the attention to me ceased as everyone noticed what Discord had done to her. Ditsy was even aware of the change. Her eyes darted around the forest as her wings began to stretch out happily.
“I can see!” She turned to me again; her eyes were completely straight and fixed. “Woohoo!” She leaped into the air, flapping and gliding down onto her hooves.
The Doctor stared at her, surprised as everyone else. From what I went through, I knew there had to be some sort of catch to this ‘gift’. I waited for something to happen, but the happiness remained.
“Where are my muffins?” She trotted to her bag and stuck her nose inside of it. She dug around and put her head in completely. She flinched from the bag. “He took all of my muffins and my bubble blanket!” It wasn’t what I had expected, but it was something.
“Ditsy you’re…” The Doctor spoke. He didn’t seem quite the same as he stared at Ditsy. I thought I caught onto a slight sliver of light above him and looked up to see the strange being holding a puppeteer’s rack. He was not only controlling his limbs, but also his mind and voice. “You are the most beautiful mare I have ever seen…”
Ditsy’s cheeks blushed at the compliment. “I… you do?” She bashfully kicked at the dirt, unaware that Discord had him under control. I stood up and tried to yell to her, hoping not to witness her heart be broken.
“Dit-“ My voice cut out instantly. I tried to speak, but no noise was produced. Vinyl turned toward me, noticing my trouble. I pointed up into the canopy and rubbed my throat. She looked up.
“Ditsy, it’s a trap!” She snapped from her romantic trance and looked past the brown stallion in front of her. She still reached out and touched hooves with Doctor Whooves sending a power down the puppet strings and around the two.
Laughing echoed over the din of the swirling vortex that encapsulated the two ponies. Ditsy attempted to escape, but found her hooves stuck against The Doctors. He too had snapped out of his trance and looked around hastily. “What happened?” He yelled at Ditsy.
“You were nice to me.” She yelled back.
The light exploded into a torrent of light and wind. Lyra stood staring at all of the events that were unfolding, confused as to what was happening. The light died down, leaving the two ponies lying on the ground. They appeared perfectly fine. It took them a bit, but they rose and looked at each other. Both of their eyes widened as they spoke simultaneously.
“How are you-? But I- you?” Something was clearly off by what I was hearing. I looked back up into the canopy to see that Discord had vanished, and I hoped for good.
Ditsy turned to Lyra, Vinyl, me, her face bent in a way that was largely unlike her.
“I believe that Discord has switched our bodies.” Ditsy spoke.
We cringed slightly and looked at The Doctor’s body seeing him, or her, burying her head inside of her fur. She took big whiffs and sat down, a satisfied look encapsulating her face. “I smell like muffins.” She grinned heavily.
“I don’t even know how to use these things…” The Ditsy Doctor complained as he flapped Ditsy’s wings.
“It feels so weird being a man.” Doctor Ditsy answer as she stared at her hooves.
“What’s going on?” Lyra asked after a long run of silence.
“Well it would seem that Discord has tricked us into coming into contact after preparing a body switch magic onto me. Being under control caused him to sway Ditsy with some loving words and cause us to touch therefore completing the magic.” Ditsy’s body spoke intelligently.
Vinyl looked over her glasses. “It’s hard to see Ditsy talk this intelligently…”
“Hey!” Ditsy stopped examining her hooves and looked up. “I respect that!”
“Resent. You resent that.” The Ditsy Doctor corrected.
“Yeah, that!” She grumped.
“I’m sorry, but he talks more sophisticated than you.” Vinyl apologized.
“I can’t argue with that.” She smelled her mane again, grinning ear to ear.
“This isn’t good, and isn’t meant to be.” The Ditsy Doctor spoke, pacing back and forth.
“I’m sure it can’t be that bad. I know you are now a female pegasus, but that doesn’t seem life changing.” Lyra responded.
“No you don’t understand. She doesn’t feel weird because she is male. She feels weird because she isn’t a one hundred percent pony.” He answered, almost shamefully.
”Excuse me?” Vinyl asked.
“I’m not, well, that body is not a regular pony’s body. Only Octavia would have seen that I have not aged since I’ve been here.” The group fell into silence as their eyes widened.
“So you’re immortal?” I questioned, feeling the thickness of the air from the secrets being revealed.
“No, not immortal. I’ve simply lived a long time, and I have not changed. I don’t quite fully understand all of the details to it, but it has given me a great deal amount of skill in repairing anything given to me. I’ve read a great deal about cases like this and they have all led back to one source. Eyn.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“I-“ It rolled out my thoughts as I looked away. The Doctor controlled Ditsy stared at me thoughtfully.
“You knew something was up, yet you never questioned it. Why is that?” He asked.
“Some things are best left a mystery. I didn’t know if there was a sad story to it or not.” I nodded.
“There is no sense dwelling over the past. It is known now, and we must work to amend it.”
“I’ll say. It is strange seeing you two act different, yet be exactly the same.” Vinyl chuckled slightly about it.
“How does it feel to be a stallion, Ditsy?” Lyra asked.
“I feel fresh.” She brandished a smile and pose, which managed to create an easier atmosphere. I still sat in the dirt, covered in grime from what Discord had done to me.
I felt scarred and mentally broken from it. I demanded to go home, but knowing that thing was back in Ponyville, I had to question which would be safer, the woods or Ponyville. Moving my head away from my friends in shame, I felt the burden of being more of a liability than someone who could help protect the party. It hurt for me to admit it, but I knew it was true. My phobias were going to come back and haunt me. Vinyl noticed my mood and trotted over.
“Octavia, are you going to be okay?” I was sick of hearing the question though I knew it was a question I had lied about countless times. I couldn’t lie to my friends or myself again.
“No…” I averted my gaze, feeling the shame wash over me.
“It’s going to be alright, Tavi. Just you see. We’ll just turn right around and get back to Ponyville.” Her voice was obviously uneasy as she tried to coddle me.
“Not trying to be a downer, but if I heard him right, he came from Ponyville and has just returned there. I’m sorry, girls, but I believe Ponyville has already met this evil. We are better off trying to find Eyn and gain his protection.” The Ditsy Doctor answered solemnly.
A tense silence broke out among the group as hope began to wane. What are we going to do? I thought to myself. It almost appeared that everyone was on the verge of crying.
“My Celestia.” We all turned to Doctor Ditsy. “I have quite the bubble butt.” She laughed and managed to lighten the mood of the situation. I still sat in the dirt. I managed to crack a smile and chuckle at the joke. It helped me concentrate and hide my fears. The trees had returned mostly to normal except for the occasional one that flickered purple.
Doctor Ditsy walked forward and jumped up slightly before falling her face. She grunted and moaned as she cracked her eyes open. She looked back to her back and sighed. “No wings…” She frowned.
Ditsy’s shenanigans continued to help me focus and take the forest in parts. I had to convince myself permanently that there was nothing wrong with these woods. I found that such a feet was better said than done. Looking to sky for some sort of hope, I noticed the skies were pink and fluffy like cotton candy. It reminded me of my sister and I hoped that she was okay. I wondered if the house was still there, and my cello…
My thoughts ceased as I listened to myself. Thinking about my cello made me sick in this time of tension. What about my family? I made myself forget about the cello and the music I had to write. Everything about my life boiled down to my family and my friends. That was when I started hearing the music that had echoed through my head at various points of the past few days. It was much louder and held a stronger tone to it. It wasn’t the same as all the other times and it didn’t feel like it was in my head, but all around me. I had to look around and see the reaction from the other ponies to make sure that there truly wasn’t music playing.
I turned back to myself before turning to look at Vinyl. She had her glasses off and had been staring at Ditsy and The Doctor messing around. She smiled slightly, but turned back to me, just to make sure I was fine. Lyra too had come to my side to help ease my fear. She had also seen the scrapes that the roots had made along my midriff and was actively wrapping bandages around it. Those eyes… I couldn’t shake a feeling that there was something about them that I had missed in everyone else’s eyes.
The music inside of my head gained flair to it, like a large pad increasing in volume and distortion just at the mood change. It flowed perfectly and brought the song together in a way that I didn’t expect. It held my tongue and kept me silent. It showed my appreciation for her help and her concern for me. Each of my friends, along with Lyra in the short amount of time that I knew her, gave their own special element to the song inside of my heart. It didn’t give me courage like it did before I entered, but gave me sadness and happiness in a single package. It was beyond beautiful.
I tapped the ground slowly, feeling the pace of the song before I started writing notes in the dirt. Everything became clear to me and everything except the finish to my song came into view. I wished there was paper that I could take advantage of and scribble it all down on their surface, but instead I had ceased to care to write it down. This was my song and not anyone else’s. I had to smile at the realization. It felt good to finally call a song my own instead of something to be given to other people. It warmed the recesses of my mind.
Lyra finished wrapping the bandage around my waist and nodded at the handiwork. “That should give your wounds a bit more time to heal. Plus, I drew a heart on the side.” She grinned.
I looked at the heart and saw that she had put initials inside of it. “OP and VS” I said aloud. “Ha. Ha. Very funny.”
“Is everyone set? We need to find the only normal portion of the forest. That will tell us if we are close to Eyn or not.” The Ditsy Doctor rallied. “That is if you are able to move Octavia.”
I knew the urgency of the situation and shakily rose to my feet. “I’m fine. Where do we need to go to next?” I questioned.
The Ditsy Doctor looked at the group. “None of you are going to like this, but this is going to be dangerous. We first need to get through these woods and get to the base of Molten Mountain. From there, we need to walk the Curvaceous Cliffs, to get to the Concussed Crater. If my studies serve me right, then Eyn should be living within it.”
“Why didn’t you tell us all of this before our journey even started?” Lyra asked.
“I wasn’t completely sure if this pony even existed until Discord referenced him from memory. He existed and I would have mentioned it, though I doubted that any of us would have wished to traverse such a dangerous path.”
A whisper broke between Lyra and Vinyl while Ditsy wiggled her new bottom wishing she had her wings back, but keeping the same smell. I turned my attention to The Ditsy Doctor.
“Let’s get going, shall we? The quicker we get this over with, the faster I can get home.” I struggled through the burning sensation within my waist.