The Other Side

by MagnoliaThourns

Ch.3 - Supports and Facades

It’s odd finding yourself covered in goo when you previously were not. I sit up slowly, and the first thing that hits me after the cold tingling of the gel all over is the ache in my mouth. I feel my tongue around to the coppery taste of blood. The pain swims it’s way into me and I realize I bit a small part of the inside of my cheek. A thick, brown syrup smothers my hide; you’ve massaged it into the fur on my undercarriage, on my barrel, into the feathers in my wings, into my chest and up my neck. Bits of it have smudged themselves onto the bed as well. The smell fills my nose; wafting somewhere between vinegar and menthol.

Doing my best to not smear too much more of this viscus potion onto the covers, I get to my hooves and, with my wings held out from my sides, walk into the living room.

You’re stirring a small cauldron over a fire, but look up sharply when I enter. I have no idea what to say. The first thing that bubbles out is, “Well I guess that wasn’t a good idea.”

You jump over and hug me, goop and all, and hesitate for just a tiny moment as you pull back. “You were quite injured from that experience, and I had to use a strong potion, hence. Wait for it to dry and crack, then you can get it off your back.”

I nod, which makes me notice the dull ache clenching my head. “I’m really sorry for freaking out. What, uh, happened exactly?”

You smile kind of softly, and I notice the dark just under the fur on your neck.

“Oh my gosh, Zecora, did I bruise you?” Somehow, this feels even worse than blacking out earlier. I put one hoof slowly to your chest, subconsciously trying to will it healed again. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry, I—“

“Twilight, it is fine. The fault is also mine. Although I guessed, I should have known, you have to make this journey on your own.”

Just sort of putting two and two together, I scrape some goop off myself and gently rub it on you. You start laughing; the sound falls into my ears and becomes the most beautiful noise I’ve heard in ages. You reach up and still my hoof.

“This does not work for bruises, not for everything, this ooze is. It revives and helps heal, but not things so physically real. The river affected you adversely, you are not ready for your destiny. Or whatever lies on the other shore, you must train some more. And when the fear comes again, next time you will win my friend.”

I sigh. “I don’t know what to do. And even if I get good at faith-water-walking, how do I face it? How do I confront what’s on the other side? How do I get that thing back again and—and put it back inside me? I don’t know… I don’t know if I can do it, Zecora.”

You smile all tender and nice again, and say, “You must prepare yourself, it’s true. But I cannot say what to do. I only know it will come from inside, and so whatever it is do not hide.”

I nod. You’re right, really. But I don’t like not knowing. I nod again. “How long have I been out?”

You point up at the clock, and my breath catches in my throat as I see the hand holds the time past noon. “Oh no, uh, Zecora, will I be okay for the rest of the day?”

“I have another potion to administer, but if you miss it, it will not be sinister. Go on and do your work, I will see you when at the river you lurk.”

“Okay. Thank you so much for everything, I’m so sorry again about bruising your neck. I’ll be back at night—thank you Zecora!”

I dash out and hit the Everfree before I teleport to the stairs of the castle. I sneak in quickly, and look around. If I am very lucky nopony’s noticed my absence.

“Twilight!”

Well.

Spike rushes up to me, concerned. “I’ve been looking for you all morning! Wait, why are you covered in… chocolate syrup? Mud?”

“Yeah, it’s a long…ish story. Uh, Spike, where are Sunburst and Starlight?”

“They’re visiting the museum today. Are you alright?”

I must look worse for wear. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I’m just going to go, uh, get to work.”

He follows along as I try to walk away, “Are you going to wash that stuff out of your coat?”

“Well, I was thinking maybe I’d just let it dry. Like, you know, a spa treatment thing.”

He looks at me like I’ve suggested he eat a window curtain. “Okay, if you want to I guess. What happened? Where were you?”

“Like I said, it’s a long story. I’ll tell you later, Spike, okay?”

“Okay.” He narrows his eyes at me, but eventually I shake him off and get to work.

It’s harder than I thought it would be to organize and fill out paperwork and reshelf books covered in what looks and feels like congealing apple butter. It seeps a chill into me, tingly-numb, but only on the places where you put it. The rest of me, along my back and face and the top of my wings, feel overly warm and sensitive in contrast.

The day wears on, somehow I manage to weasel my way out of explaining exactly what happened, and get to slip off to bed an hour early. It gives me time to wink into my secret study again and write down everything that happened.

Once it’s all down in ink and paper, I decide to go ahead and get to your hut. It’s not like I wouldn’t end up there anyway, and besides, we didn’t get to talk enough earlier.

My study is soundproofed so I can leave from there directly—there are no actual exits into the rest of the castle from here anyway. It’s so well hidden because the only openings into the room are ventilation shafts and a window I could break in an emergency. The only way in or out besides is through teleportation. No one can find a secret door if there are no secret doors, and I doubt any unicorns that come through here will try to teleport into what they assume is solid crystal.

In a flash I’m at your front door. I knock, and briefly worry if I might be disturbing you.

You open the door, and smile with surprise. “Twilight, here so soon, to what do I owe this boon?”

“Hey, Zecora, I just thought I’d come down before I even went to sleep. I, uh.” This feels silly all of a sudden. “Well, and to talk some more, if you have the time.”

You nod, “Come in, come in.”

Your pleasant hut swallows me up. You hoof me the potion you wanted me to drink earlier, a reddish liquid sloshing in a glass bottle, then sit on a cushion on the floor, and invite me to sit across from you.

“What is you want to say, that brought you for an early stay?”

“I didn’t get to describe what happened to me, before I left. I don’t know if it’ll help, but I want to tell you what I felt.”

“Mmmhmm. I could feel you tense over my spine, shaking and clutching; it to fear I did assign. But what was it that frightened you so? This much at least I am desperate to know.”

“I felt fear come over me, a lot of it. The situation wasn’t as scary as some of the things I’ve faced, but it felt stronger. I think maybe it was trying to make me afraid, I think it cast fear into me with some kind of spell. I had trouble breathing, and then I think I hallucinated? There were colors and nothing made sense—some kind of dissociative effect. The last thing I remember is my hind legs hitting water and the distant sound of glass breaking. Does any of this help?”

“Hmm. Your experience is proof of how strong this river’s magic has been all along. I can continue training you to use my magic, to avoid another outcome this tragic. But I still believe what you need most in this case, is to get to the other side post-haste.”

“Okay. So we just keep training until I can do it. Well, I’m eager to learn all that you can teach me.”

We talk a little longer about what happened, and then decide to hit the hay. I hope it’s not just my mind distorting things when you seem just as excited as I know I am to cuddle again. To peacefully be together again.

With this excitement I think I see on you, I grow bolder as we crawl under the covers. “Zecora?” I ask as you blow out the gold light, plunging us into the blueish dark.

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

“Of course, Twilight, that is alright.”

“Why do you always rhyme when you talk?”

You settle in, facing me, and smile sadly. Gentle wisdom rolls off your eyes, and I realize I don’t know much about who you were before you came to Ponyville at all. I just know what kind of pony, zebra really, you are to us, and I guess that was enough for me to—well, to start crushing on you.

“I learned Equestrian as a second language you see, and much through music, where rhyme comes naturally. So I decided to challenge myself, and keep rhyming as long as I had good health.”

“Is that really it? Oh—I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude.”

“It’s okay, I say.” You take two hooves and hold one of mine. “There is more to the story, though it does not inspire glory.”

“I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me too.”

You nod, and, much more somberly, say, “It is also a cast, I use to face my past. I have not always been a good zebra, and when I wanted to change I had an idea. To take a vow, but of silence was too much. So I made it of rhyme, and shied from touch.”

“Wait, you mean you speak in rhymes as a kind of self-reformation? And why did you shy from touch?”

“Aye, that is mostly why. And I separated myself because,” you look down at my ribcage, not even a trace of a smile left, “afraid of hurting anyone, I was.”

“Oh, Zecora,” I pull you forward over the mattress, and hold your head close. “I’m sure what you did wasn’t that bad. Even if it was, you’re a good pony now. You’ve changed. And all of Ponyville really likes you now, you don’t have to hide away anymore.”

“I was just a bully; no one died. And, well, to you I do not hide.”

I feel my face burn. This conversation is too serious for flirting, but our relationship must be pretty deep if you’re willing to open up to me so much. If you don’t hide from me like you force yourself to do for the rest of Ponyville and our friends. “I really appreciate that, Zecora. I like who you are now; I can’t even imagine you being mean. And you know, if you wanted to stop rhyming around me, that would be okay.”

You lean up, smiling again, and meet my eyes in the dark. “Would that make your heart sing?” You pause, and for a moment I think you won’t rhyme, but then you finish, “Perhaps in the morning.” Then you hug me tight, I hug you back, and sleep takes you in moments. It leaves me awake for much longer, but right now I don’t mind so much.