• Published 30th Aug 2013
  • 16,832 Views, 544 Comments

Solitary Pinion - Tystarr



In a strange world, in a strange body, Viktoria struggles to cope after encountering an unfamiliar mirror and what occurred afterwards.

  • ...
14
 544
 16,832

Chapter three: Progress

Doctor Remedial consolidated his notes while waiting for the two to return, yet… What he had observed so far troubled him greatly. It wasn’t that he had doubted the sisters’ account of how the filly behaved, but to see it first hoof was something else entirely.

If I hadn’t seen it for myself I would never have fully believed it. A frown grew along the doctor’s brow as he flipped through his notes. The inability to speak coherently and her physical limitations are concern enough, then, and to not even have a cutie mark at her age…

A long sigh escaped the stallion’s muzzle as he recalled the patient’s reaction to being levitated. Normally, it would actually comfort a pegasus to be off the ground, even in her current situation, which was strange enough. That was not even going into how she had dealt with his magic; the amazement present on her face opened up a while new line of inquiry.

Has she never seen unicorn magic before? Or… has she never had it used for anything but harm? Doctor Remedial could feel a headache coming on as he massaged his temple with a hoof. The more they learned about this strange filly the more questions presented themselves. “What kind of monster could do this to a pony her age?”

“Um… sorry, am I interrupting something?”

The new female voice shook the doctor out of his growing conundrum to notice the arrival of Cloudchaser.

“I was told this is where my sister was, and…” Trailing off, Cloudchaser felt a little foolish thinking she might have remembered the room number wrong.

“Ah yes, my apologies Miss Cloudchaser. Your sister and the young filly stepped out to use the bathroom.” Doctor Remedial assured the pegasus before a glance up at the clock on the wall resulted in a small cluck from his tongue. “Although, they have been gone longer than expected; it may pay to ha-“

His concerns were put to rest when the door opposite the hallway slowly opened and out of which trotted Flitter supporting the younger pegasus. The doctor immediately noticed that Viktoria’s mane was frazzled and she showed obvious signs of crying.

“Is everything alright?” His question lingered in the air while Flitter smiled slightly, one of her wings slipped under the filly’s barrel to assist with walking.

“Oh… everything is alright.” Even as Flitter spoke, however, she cast a glance at the doctor out of Viktoria’s sight which indicated that ‘everything’ clearly was not. Understanding, Doctor Remedial nodded before giving a smile encouragingly at the filly as she struggled to get all her limbs moving correctly even with the added assistance. Whatever had happened in the bathroom seemed to have sapped the young pegasus’s energy for the evening as she was helped to her bed.

A smile was given by Flitter to Cloudchaser as she indicated with her head for her sister to assist. Taking the cue, both mares helped Viktoria clamber up onto the bed and then tugged the blanket over. A small smile of thanks was given towards the two even if Viktoria looked downcast afterwards, her eyes gazing at brown forelegs resting upon the sheets.

“Daaank duuuuo.” The words were mangled coming out of the filly’s mouth, yet understandable to some degree leading to Flitter giving a warm expression in response.

“You’re welcome.” Flitter nudged her sister, who seemed momentarily confused on trying to interpret the slurred sounds. Getting the gist quickly she added to her sister’s voice in accepting the gratitude. Once seeing his patient was settled in, Doctor Remedial cleared his throat.

“Well I think it is best if we let her get some rest - proper rest.” The last part he added to clarify as he made to trot towards the exit. It was widely known that a magical coma had no equal in aiding with the healing process but it was still no substitute for genuine sleep. As such, despite for how long Viktoria had been unconscious for she would still be fatigued, a point proven when the filly in question had her mouth open wide to release a long yawn. “I’ll be sure to check in first thing in the morning.”

Viktoria could only nod slightly. She was confused and after venting in the bathroom she felt tired; drained, even. It didn’t help that she felt like a little girl in having to be assisted with so many mundane things.

“Alright, ladies if you would care to come with me and give her a little peace?” His question hung in the air but it was clear that there was no room for debate.

“We’ll come see you in the morning, promise.” Flitter smiled reassuringly, and was rewarded with a tired smile from Viktoria, followed with a small nod.

“We both will be here first thing.” Cloudchaser adding her own promise earned another tired smile. With that, all three trotted out of the room, the door gently being closed behind them yet not before Flitter cast a worried look back in.

Once more left alone, Viktoria sighed. Her eyes stared at the horse legs – her… horse legs – unfocused and unseeing as she was instead lost deep in thought. The fact they were all talking pony-things still freaked her out, yet she couldn’t keep panicking as that wasn’t helping anything. There was also the realisation – however strange – that she felt reassured when Flitter was near. In retrospect, it was hardly a surprise; despite barely knowing her, the mare had shown her nothing but kindness. Pushing the thoughts aside lest she dwell on them, Viktoria rolled onto her side to sleep, prior to wincing at the feeling of a bound wing pressing to her body.

What happened to me? The thought bounced around her head, never really fading from the forefront of her mind. Where is this place and why am I here?

With a grunt, she shifted to lie upon her back and stare at the blurry sight of the ceiling tiles while inner musings kept her awake. Reaching up with a foreleg, she realised no amount of tears was going to change her situation, even as her vision vindictively blurred further with moisture. With a loud sniffle, she shook her head slightly across the pillow before frowning. She was fourteen years old, and even if she had no idea what was going on she would act like the mature girl she was.

She would deal with this!

It had become clearly evident that she was in no immediate danger and also that she was in what seemed to be a hospital. Amazingly it was also evident that the other horse creatures were aware of her problem and would help her with it, but how that would come about she was unsure. Yet… A few of their statements remained perplexing to the transformed girl. What exactly did they mean by physical rehabilitation and why did they look so… Sad, when she could see their expressions? Even Flitter, when smiling, held a sort of silent sorrow within her large, expressive eyes.

There was a puzzle piece missing; something she wasn’t quite grasping about the situation, but for the life of her it continued to remain elusive. She would dwell on it more, but at that moment she suddenly felt monumentally tired. She could see out of the blur that she presumed to be a window that light still shone through, so it couldn’t have been too late in the day. Be that as it may, it was becoming a struggle to keep her eyelids open.

Moving onto her side again she grimaced at the wing pinned underneath before surrendering grudgingly instead onto her back. Realising that the current position would be the only way she would be remotely comfortable she surrendered to sleep, her ears barely picking up the sound of voices out in the hallway as she drifted off.

~~~~~~

“She… fell into the toilet?” Cloudchaser winced after repeating what her sister had just confessed, the doctor giving a long exhale while he composed himself. Cloudchaser felt anger gnaw at her as she voiced her disgust. “Who… how could a pony, or anything be so cruel as to do such things to a filly?”

There was a slight pause as all three trotted slowly down the hallway in silence before Cloudchaser spoke up again.

“Do… do you think that is why she tried to…”

The question hung in the air, untouched and oppressive; no-one wanted to contemplate the ramifications of what was just asked. Flitter wanted to deny it yet… Even against her better judgement, she too harboured suspicions that the filly had tried to take her own life. Both sisters shared a glance, each hoping that the other would say something to dispel the uncertainty, or at the very least break the tension that now hung over them.

“Girls, I wish to discuss something with you both.” Doctor Remedial startled both pegasi, reminding them he was still following slightly behind. “Please, come with me.”

The doctor directed them into an empty room then waited inside until both mares had passed before closing the door. Cloudchaser, upon entering, sat herself down with a curious look as the sun provided light through the large window, along with a beautiful view of the horizon over the buildings. It was evident this floor was for pegasi; the large windows allowed clear views of the sky, thus it made sense why the filly had been brought up here.

“So… what is it you wished to discuss?” Cloudchaser inquired with a tilt of her head, Flitter offering a silent nod to show she also had vested interest in the question. Doctor Remedial could only sigh as he looked over his clipboard where it levitated before his muzzle. Once satisfied with his facts, he flipped the page over and addressed both mares.

“This is highly unorthodox and outside of protocol, but given you both were the ones who found her, I feel I need to talk to you both about a few certain things.” The doctor paused while gazing at both, making sure they understood the undercurrents of what he said. A glance at Flitter made him aware of a small frown on her face before he clarified. “What I mean to say is that this is very much outside the norm, and remains a very special case.”

Flitter and Cloudchaser exchanged another glance before the former hesitantly spoke up.

“What… What do you mean by that, doctor?” Her voice betrayed their concern, Cloudchaser’s expression mirroring that of her sister’s. The fact she had finished her weather duties (which would have normally taken her an hour,) in only twenty minutes was tantamount to that fact.

“You see…” Doctor Remedial started before exhaling, pausing to ponder just how to approach the conversation. With a click of his tongue he decided being honest was going to be the best way to convince the girls of what he wished from them.

“What I am going to tell you both would normally be reserved for the parents or guardians of the patient.” His voice held a small amount of anger before he dismissed it, gazing at Flitter and then Cloudchaser, making sure they were aware of the seriousness of what he was saying. “But… for reasons you will soon be aware of, leave me very doubtful either of those will apply to that young mare in there.”

“What do you mean by that? Do you mean you’re still having trouble finding them?” Cloudchaser questioned as the unicorn shook his head slowly.

“Yes and no…” A long deep inhale was taken as the doctor sat himself down to look over his notes again, finding some solace in the observations upon the paper. “I am going to be frank with you both, but please be aware that what I am about to say is, one; purely conjecture on my part and may not leave this room, and two… unpleasant.”

Flitter folded her wings in tight before giving a small nod.

“Please tell us doctor, we want to know. We found her, so… In a way, we feel she is still kind of our responsibility.” A glance at Cloudchaser supported Flitter’s words with a nod from the other pegasus as they both agreed. “She… She fell, in the toilet… I mean, literally into the toilet, and I rushed in as fast as I could, but she was…”

Flitter exhaled as Cloudchaser rested a wing upon her sister’s withers for support, a smile given back showing Flitter’s appreciation.

“Please, go on, Flitter,” the doctor gently encouraged; having wanted to find out about this anyhow, he was willing to put what he wanted to say on hold as he pressed a quill to the clipboard.

“She… she broke down! She looked so angry, but at herself.” Flitter sighed gently before looking aside, her gaze pulled out the window while she continued. “She cried against me for a while until I helped her, and then dried her mane and face off the best I could. She’s… so vulnerable; it’s like she wants to do stuff, but can’t.”

All the while Flitter was talking Doctor Remedial proceeded to jot down notes. Seeing the mare had finished he exhaled once more as if an invisible burden had just been increased on his back.

“I was curious about that… but it just validates my theories.” The doctor gazed out the window briefly while he talked before turning his attention back to the mares. Seeing they were both looking at him he began to explain what he knew, and what he suspected.

“When you both brought her in she was only suffering from secondary drowning, but upon examination it was found that most of her body was consisting of new tissue.” A glance at Cloudchaser pre-empted the unvoiced question before it could leave the mare’s mouth. “That’s when regeneration or… healing occurs in the body, replacing injuries with new healthy tissue. It is an essential part of the healing process; damaged parts of the body are replaced with healthy tissue.”

A glance at the sisters saw nods of understanding so he continued.

“Normally this would be reserved to tiny portions, such as around an area of a laceration, or simply put a cut. But… with that poor filly, her entire body consists of fresh tissue to some degree or another. Most prominently around the head and her hind quarters, along with signs nearly all her bones have been broken and mended at one stage or another as well.” Doctor Remedial was forced to pause as he fought back the anger threatening to spill into his voice.

“W-Wait… are you saying?” Cloudchaser shared a glance with Flitter who at that point was looking rather sick. Both mares had followed his line of thought easily and had deduced what he was hinting at.

“Yes… what I am implying is that somepony – and I do believe it was indeed a pony who did this – has healed that filly from death’s door to the state she is in now, multiple times by the extent of the signs shown.” Before any questions could interrupt him, the doctor sighed and looked upwards at the ceiling. “Based on how she acts – not to mention her reaction to my magic earlier, while also taking into account her inability to speak properly and difficulty performing simple tasks such as walking or even standing, I would say she has suffered immense abuse at the hooves of one, or a group of unicorns and then healed over a long period of time, possibly years given her lack of cutie mark.”

Silence filled the room before Flitter started to turn a shade of green at the mental images invading her mind. Cloudchaser meanwhile was starting to glower when Doctor Remedial caught sight of the two.

“Now… remember, this is just a theory and I should not even be voicing such to you.” A sigh escaped the stallion’s mouth before he tapped on the clipboard, mainly out of habit. “Until we can get her into some therapy or she learns to speak and opens up more we will not know for certain the reasoning behind her condition.”

Feeling he may have overstepped his bounds, or more aptly trodden over them and broken professional courtesy to a patient, Doctor Remedial opened his mouth to dismiss whatever he was planning only for Cloudchaser to give a harsh ‘tsk’.

“So… theories aside, and if I ever find those unicorns if it is true...” Reining in her anger, Cloudchaser exhaled softly. “Why did you tell us this anyhow? We’re just the two who found her.”

Flitter blinked as she swallowed, still feeling more than a little queasy imagining what that poor filly might have gone through before her sister’s question filled her ears. Ears perking she looked at the doctor expectantly as he gave a small relieved sigh.

“Well, the fact remains she has opened up to you at least Miss Flitter and I imagine somewhat to you as well.” A nod was given in Cloudchaser’s direction before Doctor Remedial continued. “As such, and given the… concerning news of what may or may not have occurred at the lake, I would wish to ask of you both to remain around to assist with her, to provide familiar faces to put it bluntly.”

Cloudchaser was taken aback by the request; they had only come to Los Pegasus to assist with the weather for a day or two after all. The prospect of remaining didn’t worry her so much, but she knew Flitter was much more eager to return to Cloudsdale than herself. That was why what was said next surprised her more than anyone else.

“Yes.” Flitter spoke with conviction as her sister blinked incredulously.

A smile came to the doctor’s face as some tension bled out from his body. Looking to the other pegasus he directed the question to her next. “That’s wonderful to hear, and you Miss Cloudchaser? I can understand if your duties would-“

“No, no… I mean, yes of course, but no I can stay here with sis if need be. I mean, I want to stay here… uh, that is to help the filly and…” A long sigh escaped Cloudchaser’s mouth before a rather embarrassed smile followed up her words. “I mean, yes… if Flitter is staying then of course I will too.”

“Excellent, we of course will provide hospitality for you both.” Speaking quietly after, Doctor Remedial cast a dour look vaguely in the direction the filly now slept in. “As I said… I suspect she does not even have any parents, or if she does they were in on whatever treatment she suffered. The other option is that she went missing at a young age and they are unaware she is even here, or still alive.”

Noticing the sombre looks now falling over the two mares he chose to force a smile and try to lift their spirits. “But… be that as it may, if they exist we will find them but until that point I am sure she will be very thankful to have you two around. Besides… as I said, this is all theory and shouldn’t even leave the room.”

A small smile was his reply from Flitter while Cloudchaser nudged her sister gently.

“We’re both happy to help.” The spikey haired mare’s words caused her sister to roll her eyes but the smile never left the mare’s muzzle.

“Yes, but…” Flitter paused for a second as if unsure how to voice her question. Seeing the expectant look upon the doctor’s face however she continued onwards, encouraged. “Would it be okay if I stayed in her room, just for tonight at least? I don’t want her waking up and feeling alone or well…”

The unspoken thought didn’t need to be voiced as all three grew slightly gloomier at the prospect.

“Well it’s very unorthodox and outside regulations as we would normally have a nurse watch for… that kind of thing, but in this case you may be correct.” Flitter smiled at Doctor Remedial’s words before he turned to address the other pegasus. “But Miss Cloudchaser, you look exhausted. How about while your sister watches her I set you up in one of the family rooms to get some rest?”

Cloudchaser tried to deny the claims but a long and almost jaw-cracking yawn escaped her mouth as the fatigue caught up to her of the impressive task she had performed earlier. Conceding defeat – with a little assistance from Flitter giving her a reassuring nod – Cloudchaser slumped her shoulders and offered a small tired smile. “Well… you have a point I guess. That is if Flitter is okay with it?”

“I’ll be fine sis, go get some rest.” A nudge to her sister’s side accompanied Flitter’s words as the three made to leave the room, some form of purpose now filling them. Yet Flitter remained preoccupied as she started to walk back towards room 138 with what the doctor had said casting horror into her mind. What if he was right and the parents were part of whatever happened to her, or worse, what if she didn’t have any to love and look after her?

Then you’ll just have to be the friend she needs. Flitter mulled the thought over before agreeing whole heartedly with it. All she could was be there for the filly and help her out. Well, at least until they found the parents or she recovered enough. A gaze at her sister was met with another tired yawn and smile until Cloudchaser suddenly gave a strangled ‘urk’ noise.

“Wait, we’ll have to tell the weather team what’s going on, I mean we were meant to have left a day ago an-“ Cloudchaser found herself cut off by Doctor Remedial giving a soft chuckle.

“Don’t worry about that, I will send them a letter myself outlining what is going on and the circumstances surrounding it.” Seeing the relief his words brought to the two pegasi, Doctor Remedial made a note on his clipboard to do exactly that as soon as he got back to his office. “Now Miss Cloudchaser if you follow me and Miss Flitter I will get the nurse to come bring you a blanket and some refreshments when she’s free.”

A thankful nod was given before Flitter shared a hug with her sister prior to trotting back to Viktoria’s room. Pausing she raised a hoof to gently open the door before moving it quietly open with a wing instead. Seeing the sleeping form of Viktoria in the bed she smiled and turned, closing the door gently behind herself. Mindful of making further noise she used her wings to gracefully move over to the side of the wall where a large cushion resided.

Same colour as the rest of the room, odd but I guess that’s hospitals for you. Slightly bemused at the choice of the cushion matching the floor and walls, Flitter made herself comfortable upon the manchester. Still, part of her remained surprised by how everything had gone over the last hour. Granted, she very much wished to get back to Cloudsdale, see her parents and of course see if Thunderlane’s little brother, Rumble, was okay. But at the same time she felt she was needed here.

I guess we will find out more in the morning. The thought was accompanied with a yawn before Flitter exhaled and realised how tired she was. She had been up since the early hours of the day, visiting Viktoria as she remained in the magical coma while also completing her weather duties. Even with Cloudchaser taking a large portion of them off her hooves so she could visit more, the day’s events were quickly catching up to the pegasus.

Maybe… maybe just a little nap. Marvelling at how comfortable the cushion was, it was little surprise when her eyelids grew heavy. Another yawn was given before she curled slightly and drifted off to much needed rest.

~~~~~~

“Hey guys!”

Viktoria increased her pace to catch up to the others while they threw a ball back and forth. It was indeed odd that they had not included her, being that she was one of the oldest the younger ones generally looked up to her. Well, looked up to her or alternatively constantly insulted her. Either way it was just another day in the orphanage and she loved all of her dysfunctional and crazy ‘family’.

That was why it was odd that they were running away from her at the moment all the while seemingly ignoring her.

“Come on! What’s the big idea?!”

Her indignant words caused one in particular to stop, a boy that Viktoria knew very well. Ralph was one of the ones she always got along with the best; she and he were like two peas in a pod. Both had grown up in the orphanage and between the two of them they were seen as the ‘unoffical’ leaders of the kids. That was why what made his expression of disgust all the more puzzling to Viktoria.

“Go away.” His abrupt comment caused Viktoria to come to a halt, blinking twice in response as she tilted her head.

“Wait, what the hell are you talking about Ralph? Is this about the fact I put whipped cream on your hand, and the feather thing?” Viktoria had to restrain a laugh at the memory before putting on her serious face, gesturing with her words. “I said I was sorry, besides that was a week ago!”

One by one the others slowly stopped to look and their gazes of disgust only amplified Viktoria’s unease. What one, the younger girl Fiona said next caused her breath to catch in her throat however.

“Go away you freak.” Soon the others followed suit.

“Get away from us.”

“Why would you come here?”

“We don’t even know you, get out of here!”

Viktoria blinked before forcing a small laugh, arms crossing over her chest as she tried to push aside the fact they were acting very well, far too well in fact for this to be merely a joke. “Yeah… come on… this isn’t funny, you all know me. Drop the act.”

Ralph stepped forward while a look of genuine confusion crossed over his features.

“Know you? We don’t know any strange horse-creatures.”

Viktoria blinked before trying to offer a snappy rebuttal, a sarcastic remark or even a scathing insult. All that came out instead would be barely considered language.

“Daaaaaadddt’ssss dooooot druuuuu.” Horror claimed Viktoria’s mental state as she mysteriously found herself on all fours and gazing at the sight of a brown furred muzzle protruding from her face. Still trying to deal with the sudden metamorphosis, she found herself suffering under a harsh barrage of insults and taunts from the other orphans. Any and all attempts to deny or argue only found her tongue failing to work as she intended. With tears in her eyes all while trying to proclaim she was Viktoria, not just some winged horse, she watched as they ran off down the road leaving her stumbling.

Alone, abandoned from those she thought her friends left Viktoria raising a forehoof in their direction. She wanted them to stop. She wanted them to know it was her. She didn’t want to be left alone…

Closing her eyes to clear the tears from her vision only led to Viktoria opening them to witness two men slowly approaching her, one carrying a net and another a bit and bridle.

“Good horsie, come on we’ll give you a good home.” The man’s words were sugar-coated but Viktoria would have none of it. An attempt to run however was met with an unpleasant introduction of her face to the pavement before she struggled to move, wings flopping helplessly to her side as she tried to scream she wasn’t a horse, she was a girl. The world replied by shattering around her like a rock striking a mirror until one shard slammed down before her. Within the reflection she saw herself as a winged pony, blue eyes watching with tear-filled vision the fact she was wearing underwear.

Then, without warning, the mirror fell away revealing the assembly hall at her school, where she the laughing voices enjoyed the sight of the pony in her underwear while Viktoria wailed helplessly.

Finally as the laughter died down Viktoria felt the urge to pee, waterfalls bursting through the roof causing the girl-turned-pony to wake up seconds later.

~~~~~~

Waking with a start, Viktoria took several seconds to realise she had only been having a nightmare. It then took several more seconds of blinking and looking around for her to come to the conclusion that it was now night-time. Well, that, or someone had pulled the curtains closed if there were any upon the window. Once again frowning at her diminished ability to see the transformed girl soon became aware of a new problem.

An urgent problem.

Wincing slightly she felt the pressure within and no amount of squirming or fidgeting was relieving the need. Finally, with a small grunt of frustration Viktoria used her forelimbs to half push, and half flick the blanket off her body. Remembering what happened last time she attempted what she was about to do caused her pause but her bodily functions provided a firm motivator as she rolled her tongue around her mouth.

You can do this… just… slowly and stuff.

Trying for a different approach, Viktoria this time wriggled to the side of the bed and carefully slid her forelegs over the edge. Then, ever so slowly, she moved her hind legs with awkward kicks along the bed to push herself forward all the while pawing at the ground she couldn’t see. Panic built as she started to slip only to ease as almost immediately after the hard impact of her front hooves found purchase upon the smooth surface of the floor. Releasing the breath she wasn’t even aware she had been holding, Viktoria then wriggled and kicked herself further along.

After several long seconds she had managed to make it to the threshold, the point where things had gone… badly previously. Bracing herself and closing her eyes she tried to move both hind legs off the bed only for the limbs to not quite fully comply. One slipped off and moved as required to a lesser extent but the other either got caught in the sheeting or simply didn’t obey her commands. Whatever the reason the net result was Viktoria wincing as her hind legs were spread in a very uncomfortable position.

Ow… ow… ow ow ow!

Biting back the urge to cry out she quickly kicked frantically. Then, with a soft muffled ‘oomph’ she felt both hind legs finally settle behind her before she slipped and fell backwards directly upon her backside. Grumbling under her breath at the lack of finesse her body was displaying, Viktoria gave a soft sniffle before blinking the growing tears from her eyes. She wasn’t going to let this beat her, she would do this!

The alternative to not succeeding was far worse, and far more degrading so there really was no option in her mind.

Okay… now to just… With slow deliberate movements she spent some time trying to visualise her hind legs, trying to figure out how to bend them and walk. Satisfied, or at the very least unable to waste any more time, Viktoria exhaled and pushed with both rear legs, lifting her hind quarters up. Her front legs were easy to operate; deceptively mobile like arms the only difference was she had to walk as if she were on her fingertips, which when said digits didn’t exist made it slightly confusing but not impossible. The problem with the other two was that they were nothing like her old pair. Still, she had to do this.

With great trepidation, the girl slowly moved a hind leg. The first try was akin to a misfire and she almost stumbled and fell immediately. The second attempt proved better as she took a step. Next came the other leg, but something felt off about her balance, other than the obvious. She found herself wishing to have her wings unbound, which was odd given her dislike of the additional appendages in the first place. Seating herself she tilted her head, moving her muzzle against the bindings while considering how to get them off.

Brushing her tongue along the back of her teeth caused a frustrated frown to pass over her features before she opened her mouth. She really had only one thing that possibly could do so, and as such she bit down and tugged. Several head movements later she had worried the bandages free enough to wriggle her wings, aiding in the unravelling. Finally with a tug she felt the linen fall upon the floor as her wings twitched and slowly stretched.

Mmmnph… that feels… really… odd.

Strangely enough however, Viktoria found her balance was somewhat improved with the wings spread and she felt a little bit better. Unsure as to why this was the case but not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, perhaps literally in this case, she took another step. Soon she took another, then another. Each trembling hoof step became slightly easier than the last and while she was barely making progress along the floor she was at least moving which was a huge step up.

Now where is the door?

Cursing her eyesight, cursing the night and just so nothing felt left out, also cursing her body, Viktoria found herself growing impatient due to the growing urgency. In her haste she took another step far too fast, not waiting for at least three limbs to be on the ground to balance her and found herself toppling. But, before she could utter a sound she found herself leaning against a solid smooth object, her eyes blinking as she noticed a small line of light barely visible just ahead of her.

Realising she had been saved by the wall, Viktoria slowly inched along it for support until she came to what she presumed to be the door if the light was any indication. Something hard however smacked into her forehead causing a muffled grunt of pain as she discovered the door handle, glaring at it as tears of frustration teased the corners of her eyes. Trying to figure out how to open the door with hooves was met with the same solution with her bandages, primarily due to the fact she couldn’t waste any more time.

Cringing to small degree, Viktoria leaned forward and awkwardly bit onto the door handle getting far more of the metal in her mouth than she would ever have desired. Bleghing at the taste, she tilted her head and slowly opened the door before pawing at the gap with a forehoof. With persistence she made enough of a gap to squeeze through, blinking as light flooded into her eyes and provided her with some degree of sight again.

Looking around she noted the bathroom was opposite her room and staggered along the hallway at a pace a tortoise would have scoffed at, but at least she only fell over twice. Regardless she eventually made it to the other side and again cringed before opening the door through a similar method, choosing one of the two at random in her haste. Walking inside she looked around, trying to find a stall while squinting and making her way into one. Turning she bumped the door closed with one hoof and looked back at the baffling toilet design before summoning her courage.

With manoeuvring and awkward positioning she eventually was able to relieve herself before trying to figure out how to flush, and how to use toilet paper as she drew the line on self-degradation to use her mouth for such a thing. Both problems were summarily solved as cold water splashed down to clean the toilet, but at the same time also hit her with its icy touch. With a loud cry of surprise, Viktoria jumped forward upon which she lost her balance and staggered into the door. Bumping it open – and becoming surprised it swung both ways – she then proceeded to regain her balance only to slip and fall upon her face, fore legs spread to the side with her hair covering most of her face.

Viktoria was a mix of emotions at that moment. Part of her was understandably upset and she fought the tears that wished to be spilled but at the same time she was also feeling very self-accomplished. She had done it, and on her own none the less. Granted, it shouldn’t be an issue at her age but then again she was also in a completely different body, so it still counted. Her good mood almost overtook the despair that had been eating away at her until she heard the door open and a male voice speak out sounding positively perplexed.

“Uh… you do realise this is… the stallions’ toilet… right?”

There was only one response given from Viktoria after folding forelegs over her head and emitting a long suffering groan.

“Daaauuuuck it.”