Jammin' Gemini

by Aragem

Drawings and Hospitals

Apple Bloom never thought her small body could carry so much misery and guilt.

After Jelly had fallen, Sweetie Belle had begun calling for Rarity while Applejack galloped to them so hard her hooves kicked up clouds of dust behind her. Rarity appeared at the doorway nearly tripping over the wire herself.

She spotted the prone before with scarlet ribbon leading down from her mane, “Oh my. Smokey! Smokey, Jelly has fallen and she looks injured!”

Applejack brushed the fillies aside who were standing in numb shock. “She ain’t movin’, Rarity.”

Then Smokey appeared beside Rarity, and not one second went by before he was down the stairs giving orders, “Applejack, go to the fire station. There is an emergency wagon there and some ponies that’ll help you bring it here. Fillies, I need one of you to go the hospital and tell them we have a head injury coming in. Rarity, is there any strips of cloth we can use to stop the bleeding and a blanket. Also, we’ll need your magic to place her in the wagon. There aren’t any unicorns in the station.”

Ten minutes past, but it might as well be an eternity to Apple Bloom, and then Jelly’s unconscious body was placed in the emergency wagon towed by Applejack and Cinnamon Sugar, a fire station volunteer. Scootaloo had run ahead to the hospital and Sweetie Belle had been sent to find Victory to tell her of what happened to her daughter.

The doctor and nurses had been waiting for them with a gurney. When the wagon stopped, the staff went into action. Jelly was carefully placed on the gurney while the doctor checked her injury. “She’ll need stitches, and definitely get her in for x-rays. Likely she’s alright, but you can never be too careful with a head injury.”

“I don’t think there’s been damage to the neck or spine, but we moved her carefully all the same,” Smokey reported as he gurney was wheeled away with the new patient.

“Does she have any family in town?” the doctor asked taking a writing pen between his lips from his coat pocket.

“Her mother is the substitute for the school while Cheerilee is away. We sent a filly to tell her so we expect her to be here soon,” Smokey told him.

“And how did she fall? Did she faint or have a seizure?” The doctor wagged the pen between his lips as he made notations.

“I wasn’t present when she fell.” Smokey looked to Applejack who had been standing nearby listening to the exchange. “What happened?”

“Well, Ah wasn’t close enough to see exactly what happened. But she did fell from the top step of the Carousel Boutique,” Applejack glanced at Rarity.

“I’ll tell you want happened. Somepony vile and devoid of morals tied a wire across the doorway and poor Jelly tripped over it.” Rarity was seething as she spoke; deeply offended that someone would pull such an awful trick at her shop.

“Waitaminute, I saw the fillies come out of the shop and none of them tripped . . .”

All eyes went to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo who had been sitting on the sofas in the lobby, hoping to remain out of sight and mind. Their jaws drop at the heavy implications in Applejack’s voice.

“NO!” Apple Bloom cried out so loud it hurt her throat. “We would never do somethin’ like that. Never ever!”

“There wasn’t a wire when we went out. Honest!” Scootaloo pleaded for the adult to believe them.

“Settle down, fillies. Ah know ya wouldn’t do anythin’ like that,” Applejack said soothingly.

“It’s possible for someone to be hiding in the bushes that held the wire tight right before Jelly appeared,” Smokey said thoughtfully. “Did you notice or heard anything while you were leaving?”

“No, we were too much in a hurry to run out,” Scootaloo shook her head.

“Why were ya in a hurry to run out?” Applejack arched an eyebrow and Apple Bloom gulp so hard it nearly hurt.

“We wanted to play,” Scootaloo groped for a good lie.

“Jelly ran out after you.” Rarity stepped forward, joining the line of adults giving the foals hard looks. “She called Apple Bloom’s name and ran out after them.”

“Apple Bloom,” Applejack said gravely as she fixed her sister with a firm look, “did you do something that would cause Jelly Jam to run after you?”

Apple Bloom’s ears lay back against her head as the pressure mounted. “We didn’t put the wire there . . .”

“Ah know ya didn’t, but that’s not what Ah’m askin’ ya. Is there a reason why Jelly Jam would run after you?” Applejack took a step forward bring her close enough to cast her shadow over the fillies. “And omittin’ is the same as tellin’ a lie.”

“We didn’t do anythin’ wrong . . .” Even her voice sounded weak to her and she knew that she would inevitably break under the pressure.

“They were Apple Bloom’s drawings.” Scootaloo was caving before her.

Fortunately, the doors slung opened and Victory stomped inside. Floating above her head, surrounded in blue magic was Sweetie Belle who was looking greenish as she swirled and twirl in mid-air. When she had told Victory what had happened, the elder unicorn didn’t have time to memorize directions to the hospital nor did she have the patience to meet her strides to a foal’s. She grabbed the filly with her magic and galloped while Sweetie Belle gave directions.

“What happened? Is she dead? Did she say something? Where is she?” Victory approached the adults, casually tossing Sweetie Belle onto the couch next to her friends. Sweetie Belle bounced on the cushioned and lay still while she tried to make the world stop spinning. “If she says anything strange or awkward, it’s due to her head injury and should be ignored.”

“Please, it’s alright, Mrs. Jam. Your daughter is unconscious, and I don’t think there’s any serious damage, but I want to keep her in overnight for observation.” The doctor gave her his most reassuring smile. He had dealt with panic mothers before.

Victory shook her head. “Unacceptable. If she’s not seriously hurt then she can return to the inn with me.”

“I’m afraid that we can’t allow you to take her anywhere. She’s undergoing a few tests right now and she certainly can’t leave when she unconscious,” the doctor said soothingly.

“Yes, I can. I can levitate her ass back to the inn.”

“Mrs. Jam, doing that may cause further injury. She has taken a hard fall and she may have spine or neck damage. We’ll know more when she comes out of x-ray.” Okay, time to take a firmer stance. He could tell this was a controlling mother and different tactics would need to be taken. “And we cannot release her to you. She was brought to the hospital under emergency circumstances. We can’t release her until we’ve properly treated her and that requires a twenty-four hour observation period.”

“You can’t keep her here. I’m her com-mother. I can take her out of here.” Victory took a step forward, bringing her nose to nose with the doctor who was leveling his eyes with hers.

“Madame, let me assure you that your daughter is under our finest care. We may be a small town hospital, but our medicine and equipment come straight from Canterlot and our staff are well trained professionals who have had years of experience.” His voice had taken on an edge, but his words were professional and friendly. “Allow me to explain hospital policy that was provided by the Canterlot Board of Health. Whenever a pony is admitted to the emergency room, we cannot release the patient until after we’ve performed the necessary tests and treatments. With a head injury, a 24 hour observation is required. By noon tomorrow, she has good signs, then I’ll be more than happen to check her out, but until then, she has to stay and I apologize if that makes you unhappy. If you wish to file a complaint, one of the nurses will provide you a form at the counter right there and we will send it to Canterlot for you.”

Victory took a breath to calm her urge to smash this doctor in the face. She knew when she was stone walled and it angered her further that he was using simple logic that undercut her will. If she pushed the issue any further it would make her look a fool and not to mention bring unwanted attention upon herself. “When may I see her?”

“As soon as the tests are finished and we’ll keep you up to date on her progress,” the doctor assured her before he turned away

Victory had spent a lot of time in crisis before. Ammo was running low during a shootout, ship’s shield was almost gone, or most of her squad was injured or dead. Circumstances like that she took responsibility for because the course of the mission was led by the decisions she made. But not this. This was not her responsibility, how the hell could she foresee that the partner she brought on this mission was some green little civilian daisy that can’t walk straight.

“How exactly did she fall?” She turned to the ponies that were standing nearby. She recognized Applejack and the male pony Jelly had enticed at the party.

With them was a white unicorn with an elegantly styled purple mane. “She was at my establishment viewing the finish touches on her dress when she fell down the front steps.”

“Basically, what happened, and anypony is free to correct me.” Applejack gave her sister and her friends a severe look. “While Jelly Jam was looking at her new dress, Apple Bloom was going through her things.”

“What?” It just kept getting worse. What did the foal find? The datapad? The syringe?

“Scootaloo say they were getting drawings . . . “ Applejack continued, but then her sister surge forward with a flustered face.

“They were my drawings!” Apple Bloom shouted as she stomped her hooves.

“Her drawings, Ah supposed,” Applejack replied coolly. “Anyway, Jelly saw her takin’ ‘em and ran after her. That was when she tripped over the wire and fell.”

“What drawings?” Victory looked down at the filly and recognized it as Mikala Brigg’s pet pony. Shit. “May I see these drawings?”

“Apple Bloom.” Applejack didn’t bother giving the order.

Both Smokey and Rarity decided this was a good time to depart. Smokey excused himself, explaining that he left his son alone for too long with a foalsitter and needed to get back and Rarity carefully placed her green face sister on her back and carried her home, but not before urging Scootaloo that it was time for her to go home. The pegasus foal gave Apple Bloom an apologetic look as she was led out by the white unicorn.

The yellow filly collected her bag from the lobby seats and in deep despair took out the pages. Applejack and Victory watched as she unfolded each page and showed them the foalish drawings.

“They’re drawings of you on the farm and in a gray house. Ah don’t see why this is worth going through a pony’s belongings.” Applejack gave her sister a stern look.

“But . . . I don’t remember drawin’ ‘em. These are from when I was missin’.” Apple Bloom hoped her sister would listen to her for once.

“Then why were they in Jelly’s bag? She wasn’t around for when ya went missin’.”

“Ah don’t know, but it may mean she knows why Ah went missin’.”

If anypony had looked at Victory’s face, they would see the beads of sweat clinging to her coat and that her coat had taken a pale pallor, nearly making her coat the same shade of the silver streak in her mane. I should have taken a damn hammer to her head. And to Briggs’ temple as well.

Victory summoned up a hefty smile which stretched across her face. “I know what these are. My daughter told me about the drawings.”

“Oh?” Applejack turned to substitute teacher while Apple Bloom stared.

“Why yes, Jelly told me that she allowed Apple Bloom to sketch in her book and was going to give them back to her after school, but must have forgotten in her haste to see her new dress.”

“No! That’s not true.” Apple Bloom grappled desperately for her sister’s trust. “Ah don’t remember drawin’ the pictures . . .”

“Yet, ya say they are yours.” Applejack cocked an eyebrow.

“Yes, they are. But they were done while I was missin’!”

“Then how do ya know these are yours?” Applejack tapped a hoof on the floor. It was a sign of her losing her patience.

“They-they look like mine.” Apple Bloom’s eyes were becoming wet as she realized that Victory had won her sister over with the lie.

“Okay, so ya drew ‘em today in Jelly’s sketch book after all. Don’t play mind games with me, little sis. Ya’re in enough trouble as it is.” Applejack stomped a hoof, putting an end to the discussion. She turned to Victory her face lapsing into for an apology, “Ah am so sorry. Apple Bloom doesn’t act like this normally.”

“That’s quite alright. Children will be children after all.” Victory waved away the apology.

“You mean foals will be foals,” Apple Bloom mutter sourly.

“Apple Bloom!” The farm mare rounded on the filly, “Ya makin’ Papa Apple Core’s switch look better an’ better. Don’t open your mouth again unless it’s to eat or yawn.”

“I have some things to take care of,” Victory said as she stepped away, “She can keep the drawings, but she really ought to not spread stories.”

“Ah promise it won’t happen again.” Applejack looked down at the dejected filly. “Get your things, we’re goin’ home.”

As Apple Bloom shoved the drawings into her bag, the last page fell to the floor. The yellow filly looked down and gasped in stunned amazement. It wasn’t a drawing done by her, it was too beautiful. It was of herself wearing a long white dress curled up asleep. The lines were sketch with expertly with shadowing telling her that where she slept it was dark. And something warm and wonderful welled inside her breast that banished the despairing anger from her heart. Whoever drew this drew it out of love.

An image flicker across her mental eye. It was of a flat round face with a warm smile and brown mane. Then it was gone.

“Apple Bloom, let’s go.”

The filly carefully folded the page and tucked it away inside the bag before grabbing it and followed Applejack home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Victory didn’t have love in her heart. Hatred and anger fester in her heart like maggots on a rotten piece of meat.

If Jelly changed into her human self in that hospital or they find something with their tests . . . the mission might as well go into the toilet. The change wouldn’t occur until night and the sun was slowly beginning its descent downward. She didn’t have much time.

Inside the pony bathroom, locked from inside Victory dug the comm-link from her satchel and using her tongue, pressed the switch that would contact the ship.

The link cracked and Cortez’s voice came online, “SSV Heller reporting. State code.”

“345690BGH,” Victory rattled off the code. “Cortez, we have a problem. Mikala was injured and she is in their pony hospital unconscious. They won’t release for 24 hours and we are out of nanonites and she is due to change back tonight.”

“Understood. Trevor has a fresh batch prepared, so we just need to get it out to you.”

“Send via drone,” Victory ordered feeling her anxiety loosen its teeth.

There was a moment of silence, and then Cortez replied, “Trevor has been experimenting with the TIGGER while you were away . . .”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mrs. Cake was tending the counter of her family’s bakery when the door opened. She raised her head to give a greeting, and then was struck speechless.

“Hello, madame, I am looking for the local inn.” The newcomer stepped inside, jet black wings folding against his sides.

“Oh my, the inn?” Mrs. Cake suddenly found it hard to bring up the details of the town she had been born and raised in. “You’re looking for the inn?”

“Yes ma’am. I have to deliver something to a friend who is living at the inn.” He glanced about the bakery, his nose raise enjoying the delicious smell of baked treats. His snow white mane splayed across his neck as he turned his head toward the display of cupcakes. “It smells wonderful in here; it sorta makes me regret not taking up baking when I was in school.”

“Take a free sample.” She held a hoof toward a tray of cupcakes that she had just frosted. They were sitting on the edge of the counter

The stranger walked on silvery hooves to the tray, bringing him closer. She was able to see the cutie mark on his flank was a sword made of ice and at his ear a silvery hoop glinted at her. He made a movement as if he was going to raise his front hooves, but then halted as confusion crossed his face. Then he carefully took one cupcake in his mouth and ate it. It was clumsy and some frosting fell on the floor and crumbs dotted his mouth after he swallowed, but the pleasured look on his face made it all forgivable.

“That was wonderful, ma’am. That has to be the best cupcake I ever had.” His tongue began licking at the crumbs at his lips.

Mrs. Cake’s cheeks were a bright pink at being complimented by such a handsome stallion. “You’re free to take another.”

“Oh, no. As much as I would like, I have to get going. My friend is waiting for me.”

She managed to give him directions, though it did take several moments of recollection while he watched her with intense amber eyes.

“Thank you ma’am.” And to top everything off, he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Mrs. Cake felt her face go as hot as the bakery ovens as the stranger left leaving with a swish of his white tail.

The jet black stallion pegasus trotted down the street of Ponyville leaving behind amazed mares and envious stallions.

Winter knew he was a handsome human man. He saw in the eyes of every woman he had ever been with. When he had volunteer and underwent the change as his commander and yeoman did, he was now seeing it in the eyes of the natives of this planet.

And the wings had been unforeseen. He had expected to come out as a unicorn as Laotaner and Briggs did, but instead large ebony wings spread from his body. The experience had been awkward and he had comically kept knocking items off tables and tipping over furniture. Fortunately, he was always a quick to adapt and soon learned to manage his wings as he would his arms and legs.

Then the call came and he was able to put them into good use. Flight was exhilarating. It was better than going top speed on a speed cycle or being with a woman. Almost better than being with a woman.

He found the inn and told the bored looking innkeeper he was visiting one of the residents and was told the room number without being asked for identification. This race was certainly trusting. He didn’t see any of the caution his race had toward strangers. But then, it likely helped that he appeared to be one of them and he was attractive too.

What greeted him in the room didn’t have open arms for him, but cold glare as he walked inside. “Explain,” was the terse order.

“Trevor wanted to run some tests and I said I’d do it. You guys seem less for wear after the procedure.” Winter craned his head and tugged the bag off his shoulder. With a toss of his head and held it out. “I brob yoo dis.”

“Set it on the table. How many dosages are there?”

After he set it on the table he replied, “Enough for a week. What’s the plan?”

“Jelly hasn’t regained consciousness yet and those nurses watch me like a damn hawk since I got into it with their doctor.”

Winter grinned showing off white teeth, “Is he in one piece?”

“For now.” Victory walked to the window and glanced out, “What’s your impression of the ponies?”

“Very open. Friendly, warm, bright.” Winter sat on the ground and raised a back leg to scratch an itch behind his head like a dog.

Victory turned back to speak, but stared at his behavior instead. “Winter, what the hell?”

“What? It itches.” Winter stopped scratching and stood up giving his wings a flick. “Oh, guess what. I made it rain.”

“What are you talking about?” Victory was feeling her patience start to creep away.

“On the flight over where, I found out that I can stand on the clouds.” Winter recalled how he wanted to fly through a cloud, just for the experience, and found that it was solid to his touch. “I stomped on it and the cloud started raining.”

“So that’s what they mean when the pegasi will make the first snow. They have control of the planet’s weather. Now a lot of things are making sense.” Victory paced across the room toward a set of books she ‘borrowed’ from the school. “I’ve read their history and there is very rarely any report of any deaths from natural disasters. Also, their planet hasn’t had a war for over a thousand years.”

“Then taking this place will be as easy as taking a prom date’s virginity.” Winter had a wicked grin on his face.

“It may not be as easy as it appears.” Victory used her magic to open a book. “It looks like there is a fourth breed, but rare.”

She flipped the pages until she found the one she wanted. Her magic levitated it for him to see. It was an image of a tall pony with a white coat and an amazing mane and tail. It was an array of soft colors that flowed from her body, but as lovely as the mane was, what caught his eye was that she had both a horn and a pair of wings. Around her neck was a golden collar with a matching crown atop her head.

“This is Princess Celestia. She’s the ruler of this place. They say she has the power to bring up the sun. And her sister, Princess Luna can bring the night.”

“That’s surely just native superstition. The Kovanians believed that their trees summon the sun each morning with their hunger.”

“True, but that can be disproved with basic science. There are some clues that starting to loan some credit to this. For one thing, unicorns are able to perform . . .magic.”

“Magic? That’s just superstition and fairytales. They have advance telekinesis, that’s for sure. It’s rare, but it has been proven with science.”

“No, I’ve read of it. I’ve spoken with the local librarian. She’s a student of the princess and she’s told me some stories. Also, something about this place is . . . just off. I’m not talking about the weather control either. I can’t really explain it, but it’s enough to make me cautious.” Victory glanced out the window at the waning sun. “They worship their leaders. If we try to attack this place, it may mean holy war.”

“Shit. It’ll make Shraxi look like a tea party if this becomes a crusade.” Winter grimaced.

“So it looks like I’m going to extend my stay by a few days. I want you to stick around. Briggs is becoming a liability and I need you to take up the slack.”

“Oh, there’s something about Briggs you should know. Our computer tech guy found something by chance.” Winter shoved his face into the bag. He grabbed the case with the medicine in his mouth and set it aside, out of the way and then he pulled out a file. He spat it on the table top and said, “She’s been playing a lot of games. Like solitaire, black gammon, and chess. So tech guy is a gamer too, so he tried to see what her scores are and discovered that she has no scores. In fact, she doesn’t even have a gamer profile which you need to play any of the games. So he did some more digging and found traces of a cover program.”

A tremor started beneath Victory’s right eye. Her lips tighten and her ears only gave the slightest of flicks. “Does he have any idea of what she’s been doing?”

“Not much. But he was able to determine that your name was brought up several times in the search engines.”

“So it’s safe to assume that she’s been investigating me?” The voice that spoke the words was smooth and calm as the surface of a knife.

“Yes.” Winter was glad that he wasn’t the cause of that cold voice.

“I see.” Victory pawed at the floor, a soft purr as her hoof slide across the wood. “Her room is on the second story and has a window. Last time I was there, she had the room to herself. Fly up to the window and give her the nanonites, but say nothing of what we talked about.”

“Yes ma’am.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Apple Bloom had been sent to her room when they returned to the farm. She was more than happy to seclude herself away. She spread the drawing of her wearing a white dress on the bed and stared at it. She had seen it before, she was certain of it.

She had to light a lamp as the sun was giving way to the night brought by Princess Luna. She wondered if she would be called down for dinner or it be brought up to her since she was grounded. She would have to wait and see.

She wondered if Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were in trouble and it made her feel all the worse. She should have done the deed herself and left them out of it. Her friends shouldn’t have to go through what she was enduring.

There was a tentative knock at the door and Apple Bloom’s heart filled with dread. “Come in. . .”

Applejack stepped inside. She smiled at Apple Bloom and said, “Sugarcube, tomorrow you and Ah are going to see Twilight in the mornin’. She’s gonna cast her memory spell and we’ll know once and for all what’s goin’ on.”

Her smile was so tender and gentle, the anger and depression melt away. She flung herself off the bed and hugged her sister tightly. Her sobs wracked her body as Applejack returned the hug and kissed her head.

“Now it doesn’t mean ya ain’t in trouble. Yer still in trouble, but Ah can understand and Ah think the sooner we get this mess settled, the sooner things can go back to normal.”

“O-okay.” Apple Bloom sniffle, trying to inhale the snot that threatened to leak from her nose.

“Now don’t cry anymore. Come on downstairs and let’s get some food in ya.”

As she followed her sister downstairs, she felt good again. She felt as good as she did when she first beheld the white dress picture.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Jelly woke up, her head was killing her. When she opened her eyes, she thought she had gone blind. She sat up in a panic, but too fast, much too fast. Nausea assaulted her stomach and she lurched over the side of the bed and vomited. When she finished, she spat the sour taste of vomit from her lips and swept a hand through her hair.

Hand.

She stared at her open hand and stared down at her body. She was human wearing a green hospital gown and a bandage that was lopsided on her head. What the hell happened?

She was at Rarity’s viewing her dress, then . . . she was running after the fillies and she was falling. Damn, she must have hit her head and they took her to the hospital. Laotaner was going to be pissed.

She slowly got out of bed once her head stopped swimming. The green gown was long enough to properly cover her, but she felt as if she was wearing a too short skirt.

She stepped over the puddle of vomit as she looked out the window. She was on the second story with no leverage for climbing. She would certainly break a limb or her neck if she chanced it.

Maybe she could sneak out. Oh damn, that was risky. Shit, shit, shit.

She couldn’t stay here. A nurse doing rounds would see her sooner or later. On bare feet, she was able to walk silently. She stayed against the wall, peeking into each room to make sure that she wouldn’t be seen in passing. Each room was empty or had a sleeping patient.

Where were the stairs? She wished she had been conscious when she was brought in so she would know the layout of the floor.

Up ahead, she saw the stairs leading down, but it was right beside the nurse’s station. If she was quiet, she could make it.

The bathroom door up ahead beyond the nursing station opened and a blue colt walked out. He too was wearing a green gown. Before she had a chance to hide, the colt saw her and screamed. His scream reverberated throughout the hall scraping along her skull and making her teeth hurt.

He fled down the hall and into a nearby room. The door to the nursing station was opening.

There was no time to think. Mikala slung open the nearest door and went inside. It was a supply closet filled with towels, blankets, and medical equipment. She crouched behind a stack of blankets, trying to calm her frantic breathing, her heart throbbing in her temples.

She heard hooves clopping on the floor and female voice talking followed by the higher pitch of a foal’s whine. She scooted as far back as possible drawing the blanket stack with her. Horrified, she heard hoofsteps coming this way.

She grabbed the top blanket and pulled it over her. The blanket had just settled when the door opened.

“Now where are the pillows? I certainly know that we put some in here.” The voice was sweet as honey.

Mikala held her breath.

“Oh, who’s there? I see you under that blanket. Come out.”

Mikala didn’t move.

The voice took on a stern edge. “I mean it now. This is a hospital, not a place for games.”

Slowly, the blanket was pulled off.

“Hello there, why are you in the closet?” The owner of the voice was a plump purple mare wearing a nurse’s hat.

“I . . . I threw up and I wanted to clean it.”

“Oh dear. You should have called one of us and we would have cleaned it up for you. Come out before you hurt yourself. You’ve suffered a head injury after all.”

Mikala rose to her hooves.

Hooves.

She was a pony again without the nanonites.

The nurse walked her back to her room, clucked at her again for not calling a nurse to clean up earlier. Without complaint, the nurse moped up the mess and said that she will send for the doctor.

The doctor came minutes later and examined her. His magic held a small flashlight which he shone in her eyes, he checked her pulse, and asked how she felt. She felt fine now, though she did feel nausea when she woke up. He explained that she should be fine and not to be too worried about the nausea and vomiting. It was a normal symptom of a concussion and that she would be released by morning.

“You have three stitches, but it won’t leave a scar. We’ll have you out of here and in one piece for Winter Welcome.” He gave her an encouraging smile and turned to leave, “If you need anything, call the nurse staff. They’re there to make your stay comfortable. Please, go back to sleep. You’ll be fine.”

“Thank you,” Jelly replied, as she lay on her side. “Um, did my mother come by?”

“Oh, yes. While you were asleep, she did. She was very worried. Do you want me to send somepony for her?”

“No! No, no, it’s fine. I’m sure she’ll come by in the morning.” She was not looking forward to the dressing down she was going to get for being injured and causing problems.

The doctor left, but she didn’t sleep as he instructed. She lay awake worried about what was happening with her body. Trevor said that there rarely any side effects and he certainly didn’t mention that her body might change back of its own accord. What did it mean? Would she change back to human?

She didn’t sleep. She was too afraid that she would change back into a human while she slept making her vulnerable to being seen.

It was a long night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Minutes before . . . .

Where the hell was she? Winter’s wings held aloft while he looked in the door. Was this the right window? It was, he had checked the others and Laotaner never gave wrong directions. This had to be the right one and she wasn’t in her room. Where could she have gone? Did her condition become complicated and they were treating her elsewhere?

He didn’t have much time left before his own change. He needed to give Briggs her dosage and then get back to the inn. He was grateful that his pony self had a dark coat that made it easy to hide in the darkness.

Then he felt his skin beginning to shift as his coat was slowly stripping away. Shit, the change was taking place earlier than Trevor estimated. He had to land lest he changed in midair and fall to his death. Sorry, Briggs. You are on your own in there.

He landed and hid himself behind the bushes. He pulled the satchel around in front of him and began looking through it for the medicine case, but did not find it. Did he forget to put the case back in the bag before he left? He took another look around inside the bag. Yes, he did forget.

“Shit,” he hissed under his breath. At least he brought his pants.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An aqua colored unicorn carrying a round case strapped to her back walked home alone. It had been a long practice for Lyra Heartstrings who was a member of the ensemble hired to perform for the Winter Dance. The band leader was a brutal mare who kept them practicing the pieces until she was satisfied with progress and she was hardly ever satisfied. Thus, the reason she was walking home so late at night.

She yawned, her mouth opening wide. She was more than ready to fall into bed and just sleep in late tomorrow morning. Practice didn’t start until noon tomorrow and she intended to sleep until that time.

As she neared the bridge, she glimpsed movement from her peripheral vision. She turned her head, stopping in mid stride, and watched the bushes and trees. Nothing else moved. It must have been her imagination or she was seeing things due to her fatigue. She continued onward, her hooves clopping onto the bridge. She stopped when she heard the splash.

“Okay, who is out there? Stop trying to scare me!” Lyra called out. She raised herself to set her front hooves on the bridge railing. She looked up and down the river trying to see the source.

Below, she saw bubbles rising to the surface. She stared as the bubbles continue and then a shadow moved in the water. The shadow became lighter and the shape was hard to determine from the wavering water. Then a head broke the surface followed by a thick body with long arms.

The creature below her had long dark hair that touched its shoulders a wide frame and long waist. His body was a series of smooth crevices and muscle. She knew he was a male since his body was too blocky to be feminine. He wiped the water from his face with a long fingered hand.

“H-h-hello?”

At her voice, he looked up and saw her. They stared at each for several heartbeats before he sloshed out of the stream, and fled. He scooped a bag that she saw for the first time from the grass and disappeared behind a building.

Lyra sat back on her haunches in mute shock

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh God, he was seen. He had been part of the mission for not even half a day and he fucked up. Since it was just one pony, it shouldn’t matter. He’d investigate it later and deal with it himself. Laotaner need not know.

He just thank god he had enough sense to bring a pair of black shorts so at least the pony didn’t see his thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, Victory showed up early for school. All the students save for Apple Bloom arrived and sat quietly at their desks while their substitute teacher watched them from behind the desk. Her face was blank with a ghost of a smile on her lips. More than one foal wished that Jelly Jam was there so at least they had a buffer between them and teacher from pony hell.

Once all the students were at their desks, Victory flashed a grin at them. It was wide and showed off her teeth, but instead of making her look friendly, it made her look ravenous like a predator.

“We’re going to do a project today. We’re going to have so much fun.”

The class doubted it very much.

Victory stood up and walked around her desk, “We going to do a time capsule. You’ll write letters to your adult selves, we’ll put them in the time capsule which Jelly and I will bury, and twenty years from now, you’ll dig it up and retrieve your letters.”

The class looked surprised that the project actually sounds exciting. In fact, several of them were already mentally writing up their letters to their future selves.

“But first, we to outside of town and dig a hole,” Victory said through her sharp grin, “A very deep hole.”

Comments

[DavidPony]

yes dig your own graves

[Lyrken]

Very good.

[Aragem]

849657 Best chapter yet?

[Lyrken]

850462 It was close to being the best.

[Aragem]

850757 Whoa! If it wasn't the best? Then what chapter is the best?

[Lyrken]

850862 Well i liked chapter 3 the most.

[Schillok]

snow white name I really like her... name?
She was able to see the cutie mark on his face was a sword Face?
She was more than happen to seclude herself away

Well, I was happy to find another chapter in my inbox. And it seems like things are really starting to speed up, yay. Lots of things happening simultaneously. Even the commanders favorite messed up.
Of course the greatest mystery is how Briggs tuned back. Rare side effect? I don't think so. My bet is on whatever is causing the mysterious incidents happening lately (at least those not caused by the humans). I guess Victory had visited her earlier this morning because otherwise I couldn't imagine her being so calm in front of the class after she had learned that Laotaner disappeared from her room last night (and to her knowledge: Now in human form.).

[Aragem]

851336
Corrected. Thanks.

Things are going to start picking up.