You know what people say when you are about to die? They claim that you see your life flash before your eyes, every single event cascading into each other bringing you a clear image as to why you are here, and what you have done to deserve this fate. A sort of cosmic replay of your past to let you know whether or not your life was worth living and if you have affected the world in any way, shape or form? Yeah, that's bullshit. You know what you see before you die?
Nothing.
Or at least that's what I thought.
A light was coming in from somewhere. It slowly got brighter and brighter until...
Pain. A lot of it. What. The. Fuck! I was in agony!
"He's losing too much blood!" A voice shouted. A woman's voice.
"He's haemorrhaging!" Another voice shouted, "We're losing him."
My eyes opened. Staring straight up, I saw the ceiling above me, white tiles overlaying one another in a steady pattern. Something was different. Something wasn't right. Suddenly someone poked their head into view. A human? It was a human! A human female with a blue mouth-covering! Wait, how? What? I reached for the human and my hand... my hand? Yes, my hand! My hands were back...
"He's slipping!" A voice shouted, "Give me 100cc's of..." It seemed to get muffled by something.
Blinking, I looked around.
"I feel him slipping away again! Something's not right, he's rejecting my magic!" Princess Celestia shouted. Why was it so loud? It sounded as if rain was pelting a tin roof.
"We have to do something!" Another voice shouted. Twilight's. Yes, it was her voice, but it sounded alien to me. She sounded... concerned.
I closed my eyes as another wave of pain pulse through my body.
"Doctor, his pulse is stabilizing," The nurse said aloud, she pried open my eye-lids with her fingers, "He's responsive."
"You're okay, boy. You're okay. Just hang in there, everything will be alright."
"Doctor, he's going into shock," A nurse said calmly. Although the voice was calm, it was not difficult to tell that it was serious. She poked her head into my view, and I reached out and touched her face. My hands were not my hands! I mean, yes, they were my hands, but they were so much smaller. Like the hands of a child.
My eyes glazed over, and the world suddenly got blurry. I felt tired again.
"Stay with us, John!" Another voice shouted.
My eyes blinked.
"Forest! Wake up! You have to help us!" Again, was that Twilight?
Why did it have to hurt so much? Couldn't they just end it? It was unbearable! Turning my head slightly to one side, I noticed that Princess Celestia was casting a spell at me. It was a continuous stream of yellow light pulsating around me like a bubble. Was I floating? Yes, I think I was floating. Next to Celestia was another darker version of herself doing something similar. A twin sister? Wait! That explains the two Ponies on the royal seal on the fence from before! That explains so much! And why am I thinking about that?
Again I blinked.
"He's going under again!" The nurse shouted.
"How does a kid his age get an injury like this?" A voice commented, "Right through the lung!"
"The cops say he jumped in the way of his father as he tried to stab the mother. Took the blade into his body. Ungrateful bitch was too doped out of her head to notice..."
The voices faded out again.
"How does such a thing happen, sister!" The black Alicorn shouted over the din, "Right through him!"
"I don't know! I just cast a simple detection spell! I never expected that it would hurt him! I cannot control my magic anymore, it's take everything from me to keep him from bleeding to death!" Princess Celestia shouted, "If I stop casting, he will die."
"Then let me cast the spell!" And the other Alicorn's spell struck me.
The pain! It was worse than when Princess Celestia hit me! I rolled my eyes up into my skull as my body reacted to the sudden surge of agony pulsing through me. Every cell in my body felt as if they were being ripped apart. I think I shouted or screamed, but I couldn't hear myself do so. Only the feeling of my mouth opening was clear.
"Again! Zap him again!" A voice shouted.
"I must stop! I am only harming him!" Another shouted.
"Again! Raise the voltage!" The previous voice shouted.
"We have to do something!" Another voice put in.
"You Pinkie Promised..." A voice whispered.
Then a light engulfed me. A bright light. Salvation! The pain was gone. Peace. So peaceful.
Opening my eyes, I looked around. My bedroom was the same as it had always been. My GI Joe posters were on the walls, and my toys were strewn on the floor. My especially favorite ones were still sleeping next to me on the bed. Rubbing my eyes, I looked out the window. Another nice day. Too bad that morning train always goes by the same time shaking the house and waking me up. Getting out of bed, I walked out the door and opened the one next to my room.
"Nana," I said walking over, "Good morning, Nana."
"Good morning, darling," Nana replied sitting up in her bed and slipping on her glasses, "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, Nana. I had a dream. A very funny dream. In it I was a Pony."
"A Pony?" Nana tickled me, "My little boy was a Pony?"
"Yes, Nana. A pony. And I made lots of friends too. Ponies."
"Were they nice Ponies?" Nana asked.
"Yes, Nana. They were all very nice. They were all good to me."
"Oh, Forest. You're such a good boy."
"Silly Nana, my name isn't Forest... is it?"
My eyes shot open again as another surge of agony ripped through my chest. I pulled myself up but two strong arms grabbed me by the shoulders and pinned me back down onto a bed.
"Sedate him!" Someone shouted.
"Doctor, he's slipping again! I don't think..."
I heard the beeping of a machine nearby. Humans all around. What was going on? The beeping was getting faster and faster. Where had I heard it before?
A flash of light blinded me, and my eyes closed.
"Princess, we need to sever the spell. It's getting too dangerous. The clouds are starting to react to your magic, if this continues the ramifications will be dire!" Shining's voice shouted over the din.
"He'll die," Twilight shouted back. Why was it so noisy?
"We'll all die if you don't stop!" Shining retorted, "Not just us here, but all the Ponies! You, me, our Princesses, your friends. Everypony!"
No. Not acceptable!
Mouth. If you're listening to me, you must move. You must say the words I will you to say. You must... speak! Speak, god damn you! Speak!
"Please," My voice echoed in my head a million times, growing fainter and fainter.
"Save," One more word! One more! You can do it, Mouth! You can say it! Go, go, go!
"Friends," Done.
"Forest," Twilight said. I felt her breath on my ear as she whispered, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry..."
Opening my eyes a little, I looked up and saw her. Why was she crying? Why do these Ponies always cry? Tearing up over small things like this. She didn't stop apologizing. Forcing my lips to curve up, I gave her the best smile I could. It was probably really pathetic, but it was all I could do. The light around me disappeared and I felt my back hit the ground.
Then everything again turned to black. The noise had stopped. Everything was silent once more.
"Are you okay, darling?" Nana's voice jolted me.
Looking around, I was confused. Wasn't I... wait. Where was I? What was happening?
"You're looking pretty lost," Nana patted my back, "Why don't you help me get out of bed and we'll go into the kitchen. Make some breakfast. Some pancakes?"
"Okay, Nana."
Slowly, and carefully, I helped Nana down the stairs. She was getting along in her years, but her mind was still sharp. My Nana and me. Together.
"Dear boy, why are you crying?" Nana asked as I paused at the bottom of the stairs to wipe my eyes.
There was nothing I could say to her. Nothing that would convey the feelings I had. It was strange. Very strange. It was as if I knew all along, but what was it that I knew? So, I hugged her. I buried my face in her dress, the smell of her being there filled my nose. Lavender. My Nana always smelt of lavender.
"... got to teach you to swim..." A faint echo from somewhere.
Looking away from Nana, I searched around the room. Was it my imagination? The TV wasn't on.
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing, Nana. I just thought I heard something."
She hugged me. I could never get tired of her hugs. Ever.
Holding her hand, we headed towards the kitchen and she began to put the ingredients together. I helped stir. Nana's arms were getting tired already, and I was strong. I could do it. I'm a big boy. She put the mix on the frying pan and the smell of fresh pancakes rose into the air. She made three of them! Two for me, and one for her. Two for me because I was getting bigger.
Putting the pancakes on the table, I turned to Nana, "Nana, what would you like on your pancakes?"
"Do we have any Zap Apple jam, sweetheart?"
"... better when served on bread made at Sugarcube Corner..."
I stopped and looked around. Did I just hear something? Shrugging, I opened the fridge and looked around, "No, Nana. There's none left."
Wait. Zap Apple jam? That... that's not right. Was it?
Together we ate quietly, Nana always said that it was better to eat breakfast quietly and lunch and dinner were for talking. After eating, we went into the den and Nana sat in her chair while I turned on the TV for her. She always wanted to watch the news first thing when we woke up.
"... and now for the weather. Today we'll be scheduling rain from two in the afternoon to five. So be sure to bring your umbrellas with you..."
"... you do know that Pegasi control the weather..." A whisper echoed.
"... and since there's going to be some patches of sun, expect to find a rainbow..."
... she's so fast, she can do a Sonic Rainboom...
Another echo. But where was it coming from? And it was so faint, barely audible. Not even a whisper.
Taking a deep breath, I headed back into the kitchen. It was my turn to wash the dishes...
"... hello, Sleepyhead..."
And I scrubbed them nice and clean before putting them on the rack to dry. I took out a carrot out from the fridge and washed it in the sink before using the peeler to remove the skin. Walking up the stairs back to my room, I opened the small cage and took out my pet rabbit...
"Hush now, quiet now..."
Placing the rabbit on the ground, I let him run around for a bit before putting the carrot on the floor. He came and nibbled on it while I stroked his back. When it was done eating, I gently put it back in its cage and went back downstairs. Grandma was still sitting in front of the TV, but she was now sleeping. So I turned the TV off.
Silence. Only the sound of Nana's breathing could be heard. Everything here seemed so... surreal. It was my home. I know, and yet something about it was not right. It was as if I didn't belong here.
... don't care what they say, there's something about you. Something... different...
I ran to my room, and opened the door as wide as I could. Running to my bed-side table, a black wooden one covered in bright red hearts... wait, what? That wasn't right. I never had something that colorful in my room, did I?
"So. You and Pinkie, eh..."
I shook my head. Why was I hearing voices? What was happening to me? Wait... Pinkie?
"Pinkie Promise..."
"Nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise..."
Tears flowed down my cheeks. Why? Why was I feeling this way? I fell to my knees. It hurt so much. Why did it have to hurt so much. Physical pain I could handle, but not this kind. This kind of pain was... too much.
"Why are you crying, little one?" Nana's comforting voice said from the door to my room.
"I don't know. It just... hurts. I just... I feel so empty... Nana, why do I feel like this?"
My grandmother looked at me and smiled so gently to me. It didn't help, it just made my tears fall some more. She walked over to me and held me again, swaying me slowly, "You have to go home now."
"But, Nana... this is my home."
"Not anymore."
My eyes glanced up at the mirror behind Nana and I saw my reflection. I was a Pony.
"Where is my home now, then?" I asked.
"Home? Home is..." I looked up at Nana's smiling face, she touched my chest, "Right here, Forest."
The light from the window got brighter and brighter, and with it, I felt myself being pulled towards it.
"Goodbye, Nana. I love you."
"Goodbye, Forest. I love you too."
I hugged that woman as hard as I could. I hugged the only person in my life that ever mattered to me. I hugged her goodbye because that's what a good grandson does. That's what I should have done all those years ago. That's what I wanted to do all those years ago. So many years ago - when Nana died. And I watched as I ascended through the window and towards the light. She waved to me. I wanted her to come with me, but I knew she couldn't. But that was okay now.
"Bye, Grandma."
Gasping for air, I looked up.
"He's alive!" A voice shouted, "He's alive! This is unbelievable! He's alive!"
"S-Sh-Shining?" I croaked.
"No. Don't talk. Someone bring a doctor here! Someone get me some bandages!"
Twilight ran over to and looked at me. I could see her clearly now.
"W-w-why are you c-crying?"
"Because it's a miracle you survived what happened to you," She replied, "It's a miracle you lived through that."
"Th-through what?"
She didn't say anything, she just decided to shower me with those huge Pony tears that she didn't try to hide. They felt warm as the rolled down my face.
Seriously, all this crying has got to stop. It's depressing! And yet, something told me it wasn't sadness that made those tears.
"Thank Celestia you're alright," Twilight finally muttered.
"No. No thanks to me. I nearly killed him," The Princess said looking down at me as well.
"C-can... I... p-p-please... h-have a d-d-drink of water?" I smiled at my own joke, "Really t-thirsty."
Water was brought and a doctor was asked to see me. Most of the next several hours were a blur, and somewhere along the way I again passed out. I've been doing a lot of that lately.
It was late in the afternoon when I finally woke up. My body was sore all over. Most of all my chest area. It felt as if I'd been stabbed by something. Removing the blankets from over me, I saw the bandages wrapped around my torso. I ran my hoof - yes, hoof, over them. A little numbness, but apart from that I felt fine. Staring at my hooves, a part of me was sad that I no longer had my hands, but I was glad that I was still in Equestria.
"It took us over a hundred stitches, but we managed to fix you up. There will be scarring, but your fur should hide it," Someone said to me. I looked at the doctor who had a huge mustache, "Although how you survived a wound like that in the first place is a miracle. An inch to the left or right, and you would've been dead. No amount of magic would've saved you."
"What happened?"
"I'll fill you in on that," Twilight said entering the room, "Thank you doctor, you may go. And remember, not a word of this to anypony. You're obligated by your profession and by the Princess' decree."
"Yes, of course. Good luck, Forest, and try not to get hurt again," With that he walked out the door to my room closing it gently behind him.
"Forest, let me first of all apologize to you. We had no idea that would happen."
"Well, tell me what happened first, and then I'll tell you whether or not I accept it," I replied, a little peeved that no-one had told me what the fuck went down!
"Well, how far back do you remember?"
"I remember Princess Celestia casting the spell and waking up in a pool of blood. After that, just flashes," I didn't feel like telling her about Nana. That was private.
"Well, after this test we can conclusively say you're not a human," Twilight sat down on a chair next to my bed, "But when Princess Celestia cast the spell on it, it was supposed to surround your body and revert you to your original form. It didn't. Instead it went straight through you, like an arrow. We don't know how or why, only that your body rejected the magic in a way that we didn't foresee."
"What do you mean?"
"It means, Forest, that your body is immune to certain kinds of magic. It's rare, but it does happen. Some Ponies are completely magic-less, but those are so rare that it's nearly unheard of. You're one. You cannot cast or use any magic whatsoever. And when magic is cast on you, the effects range, but this is the first time I've actually ever heard of being... 'allergic' to magic. There's nothing about it in the library either."
"Allergic?" I furrowed me brow.
"Oh yes, magic won't just harm you, it will kill you," Twilight put her hoof on mine, "I'm so sorry, Forest. I didn't know."
"No, no. Don't apologize. There was no way you could have known."
"Actually, if I think about it, it is. A few days ago Applejack was telling me that you could not buck apples. I had no idea what she meant, but she explained that no matter how many times you kicked a tree, the apples did not drop in the baskets which you prepared to catch them in. Earth Ponies have a natural talent with the Earth and especially to food and farming. You didn't. This should have been my first clue."
"You're stretching it, and no offense, but I doubt you'd have thought of that. You just said that my condition was completely unheard of. So, there is no need to accept your apology, because you don't need to make one in the first place"
Even though I nearly died. Even though I felt pain that I've never felt before, Twilight gave me something that I could not hate her for. She gave me a chance to say goodbye to my grandmother. Never will I think ill of her again. As far as I was concerned, Twilight was beyond cool. She was perfect.
We sat there in awkward silence for a while, not really knowing what to say to one another. Eventually she broke the silence again.
"There's your water," She gestured with her hoof.
Taking the water, I downed the whole glass and the next ten refills without pause. Finally. Now I needed food.
"I'm hungry. Can we leave? I'd like to eat in town," I grinned, "Would love to see Canterlot!"
"Shouldn't you rest?"
"Excuse me, but I've just been in agony for the past several hours. I feel alive, and want to make the most of it. Plus, it's boring just sitting around doing nothing."
"You sound like Pinkie," Twilight giggled.
"Well, she does kinda rub off on you."
We shared a quick laugh at that.
"Well then, let's go," Twilight jumped up from her seat, "I can show you all my favorite spots in town!"
"Great, just one thing..." I looked at her in all seriousness, "Please don't mention what happened to Pinkie or Applejack."
"I was going to ask you not to mention it to them either," Twilight snorted a laugh, "But why?"
"I don't want them to hate you or Princess Celestia."
Twilight stared at me blinking for a few moments.
"What?"
"I was thinking the same thing. Thank Celestia we're on the same page."
We shared another laugh, and for the first time since I got there, I really think that Twilight stopped thinking of me as 'The Enemy', which was a little sad because that meant that I had successfully deceived her into believing that I was really a Pony. Again an overwhelming sense of guilt manifested within me. It wasn't as bad as lying to Applejack, but I still felt shitty for doing it.
Walking was a little painful at first but I quickly got used to it. The first few steps were pretty bad. In the back of my mind I was worried that I wouldn't be healthy enough for the big race at the end of the month... which was when? I never asked.
"Twilight, when is the big Race? The one I tried out for. I don't seem to have a grasp of the month yet."
"The race is in eleven days," Twilight's smile faded, "I don't know if you'll be in shape to run by then."
"Well, let's cross that bridge when the time comes."
Canterlot reminded me a lot of a big city, like New York or London. It was metropolitan, had all sorts of sights to see, both historical and current. Stores were everywhere, but one in particular caught my eyes.
"Ah, yes. That's Rarity's Canterlot boutique. She's renamed her stores after rides from a fair - after her original Carrousel Boutique in Ponyville, but for the Canterlot one she decided to call is something special."
"Ethereal Boutique?" The sign above the massive four-story building stated, "Looks pricey."
"One of the most expensive boutiques in the market. Every dress inside is a unique piece, and every piece costs well over fifty bits! If you buy a dress from here, you're guaranteed to turn some heads."
"Sounds like Rarity is doing well for herself," I grinned.
Twilight gave me a mischievous grin, "You know what's really awesome? I can get a dress for free..."
"Perks of being a good friend, I presume," I chuckled.
"And being related to the Royal family doesn't hurt," Twilight added showing off.
"And here I thought you didn't like being referred to as a princess."
"I didn't say I didn't like it, I just said that I got tired to explaining to Ponies that..."
I raised my hoof, "I know. I'm just messing with you."
She blushed and laughed, "Sorry, I thought you were being serious."
"Shall we check out the Ethereal Boutique?" Maybe I can get something for Spike for the fun of it.
"I don't know. It is expensive..."
Shit! I don't have money! "Oh, I left me coin purse in my... wait, where's my saddle bag?"
"Oh, it's back at the palace. Do you want to go and get it?" Twilight asked.
"I just don't have any money..."
"It's okay. My treat."
Couldn't refuse that. Not that I didn't want to pay, but with the pain in my chest I didn't want to hike all the way back to the palace just yet, "Sure. But I get the next one."
"Deal."
Together we went down into town and Twilight took me to a really fancy looking place. The name of the restaurant was 'The Lunar Sun'. I liked the name.
"This is one of the most popular restaurants in Canterlot," Twilight said as we sat down in the corner of the restaurant, "Because of my links to the royal family, we get a reservation every night. I made one last minute."
"Wow. Being royal certainly has perks!" I grinned.
Twilight laughed, and then leaned forward, "Really, I don't normally take advantage of it, but seeing as... well, you know..."
"I nearly died?"
"Well, yes... but, that's a little... morbid," Twilight grinned and then looked guiltily at the floor.
"Please, Twilight, don't take me too seriously. Sometimes the best way to get over a shocker like that is to joke about it. At least, that's how I get over it. And, I can't complain. I lived," And I got to say goodbye to my grandmother properly, if anything I would love to thank you for that.
A waited walked over to us, his nose stuck high up into the air, "Would you like something to drink, madam?"
"Yes, a bottle of your finest one," Twilight stated.
"And one for me too," I joked.
Twilight laughed. The waiter on the other hand rolled his eyes and walked away.
"You're actually really easy to talk to, Forest. The way Pinkie and Applejack go on about you, I thought you were putting on an act," Twilight said, visibly relaxed.
"I am kind of putting an act on, you know. I don't know who I really am. But I'm trying to be a Pony that... is likeable," Strangely, that was a lot truer than I had intended it to be.
"Well, I hope that the real you, and this you are the same," Twilight smiled, "So, shall we decide what to eat?"
The menu, would you believe it, was in French and English! And the cuisine was French-like vegetarian dishes! And some Italian thrown in as well. In a strange way, I was relieved. I mean there were some dishes on there that did not sound too appealing, such as 'Fig Leaf Ravioli', and 'Green Grass Salad', but most of it was completely delicious sounding vegetarian.
The waiter returned and showed us the bottle of wine, "Equino de Rojo. It's aged ten years," He then poured a tiny amount in a wine glass - with hooves, and handed it to me.
"I'm... really bad at this. Do you want to do the honors?" I asked Twilight. In truth, I didn't want to be handed the wine glass. I didn't think I would be able to hold it.
"Sure!" Twilight said eagerly, and took the glass when the waiter offered it to her.
She swirled it around, then put her nose a little over the inside and inhaled. Then, she took a little sip, "Dry, with a little hint of smoky oak."
"Not bad," I said raising an eyebrow.
She blushed, "Thank you, I've always wanted to do that."
"Rarity?"
"Rarity."
We both shared another laugh knowing fully how Rarity would have relished this moment. Strange, I didn't know her that well and yet I knew what she liked.
"Will that be all?" The waited said a little coldly.
"Yes," I said, "Thank you."
"I think he doesn't like you," Twilight said once the waiter was gone, "Might be your bandages are not acceptable part of the dress-code here."
"There's a dress-code?" I looked around. Indeed, most Ponies wore something like a suit, and here I was wrapped in bandages like a mummy.
Dinner was a delight. Twilight and I chatted about many things, from the history of Equestria to her classes and her keen interest in magic. We were having so much fun just talking that the rude waiter had to come and tell us it was time to leave considering we were now the last ones in the restaurant and they were closing.
"Wow. I had no idea how long we stayed for," Twilight said when we were outside. It was almost midnight.
"So, where to now?"
"Well, since there's nothing on my agenda, and the train for Ponyville leaves tomorrow at noon, I guess we could go and visit this club I've always wanted to go to," Twilight's eyes lit up, "Shall we go?"
"Hm... go clubbing or return to the palace and sleep. Tough choice."
Twilight giggled, "Okay, then follow me!"
And so I did...