Chapter 13: Desperate Peace
Kyle moved slowly as she exited the old stables, conscious of just how insane this must seem. If she’d seen an animal that looked like her, and it wasn’t on the other side of some thick glass, she’d be intimidated too. Even not understanding the world-rewriting power that she commanded, her horn was sharp enough that she could probably gore someone if she wanted.
Mom stood about twenty feet away, as white as someone who had just learned their child had a terminal illness. Kara stood beside her, still wearing her cheer uniform. She stood firmly while Theresa clutched her arm, lending her strength as best she could. But there was no mistaking just how horrified the woman was.
Please don’t scream, you’ll wake up the baby.
“It’s like I said,” Kara muttered, voice deliberately slow. “I know how impossible it sounds. But that’s Kyle.”
Kyle nodded, settling onto her haunches about ten feet away. Her wings shifted uneasily at either side, but at least sitting down she wouldn’t feel quite as self-conscious about being nude. “I’m Kyle. I’ve been trying to reverse this since it started… you see how successful I’ve been.”
“It’s not possible,” Mom whispered, as desperate as a prayer. “It can’t happen. You’re not… It’s impossible.”
At least she was staying conscious, that was an improvement over last time. “I wish it wasn’t possible,” she countered. “Kara, did you tell her how it happened?”
Kara shook her head. “Just that you found the alien baby in the woods. It felt like your story to tell otherwise.”
“Guess so.” Kyle’s wings fidgeted on either side. It felt like she should be saying more. The woman was just staring at her, going through a series of expressions that Kyle had never even seen from her. Somewhere between getting a baseball bat and calling the police, she guessed. “Look, I know how it seems. Like I said, I wish it hadn’t happened. You can see the baby if you want, she’s asleep in the stable.”
“Which doesn’t look like the stable anymore,” Kara put in. “You should probably warn her about that before she goes inside.”
“Right.” Kyle didn’t say anything else about it, though. There was enough insanity here without involving other things that Mom wouldn’t believe. “I don’t know how I can prove it to you. Listen to Kara and I talk, for one. I don’t sound like a stranger, I sound like her. Then ask me anything you want. Things I should remember, that no one else would. I could login to my laptop for you, uh… anything.”
Mom finally let go of Kara’s arm, taking a step back. “You’re sure about this, sweetheart? You weren’t drugged too? This isn’t some kind of… mass hysteria, kidnapping…”
“I’m sure,” Kara said flatly. “That’s Kyle. Not physically, but mentally. Ask me how it happened, and I don’t have a fucking clue. But I know my twin when I see him. Err… her. Whichever.”
Kyle wilted at that, gritting her teeth together. The more distant return to her body became, the more pressing that confrontation would eventually become. She couldn’t hide from that forever. But I can hide a little longer.
Theresa took a few more moments to glance between them. “Where was your last birthday party?”
Kyle didn’t hesitate. “Here. Because I don’t have any friends.”
“That’s not fair,” she snapped. “There’s that girl, uh…” She struggled, but apparently couldn’t remember Lucy’s name. Unsurprising, since they hadn’t talked since last year’s awkward break up.
“Lucy,” Kyle supplied. “We’re not really a thing anymore, Mom.”
“No kidding,” Kara muttered, a little humor slipping into her voice. “You think she’d like you more as a horse? Maybe if we get a saddle.”
“No,” Kyle and her mother snapped, in exactly the same moment.
“This is serious,” Mom added. “How can you joke about this, Kara? Your brother has… metamorphed into a circus animal. I feel like we all need psychiatric care. It must be a mass hallucination, or… I’m calling your father.”
“Wait.” Kara rested one hand on her shoulder, pleading. “Don’t call him, wait until Dad gets home. If you call, you know Dad. He’ll come with the police. Best case, this makes international news and our family really is a circus. Worst case, they shoot my brother.”
Theresa put her hand down, defeated. Not to mention you don’t have your phone, I do. “I suppose… it would be better to wait. God, what do you even do in a situation like this? Who can we call?”
“Our grandparents?” Kara suggested. “I know how much you hate them, but…”
“Out of the question.” Theresa folded her arms, swaying on her feet for a moment. “I… need to think about this. Kyle, if you… really are Kyle. If this hallucination doesn’t pass, I promise we’re going to help you. But you need to understand how unbelievable this all is. It’s not your fault I’m skeptical.”
“I know,” she said. “I took all day to believe it, and it happened to me. Ask me anything, do anything, just… don’t piss off the baby. She did it to me, she could do it to you too.”
“Right.” Mom turned away, lowering her voice to a mutter. “What am I saying? None of this makes sense.” She walked away, still unsteady on her feet. But at least she didn’t faint again.
Kara approached Kyle, resting one hand on her shoulder. “That went better than expected. She didn’t lose her mind and run away screaming.”
“Still time for that,” Kyle said flatly. “We don’t know she isn’t about to have another breakdown. I can’t even really blame her. I feel like that’s where I’m headed if this keeps going. Sanity is turning into a tightrope.”
Kara wrapped one arm around her neck, holding her close for a second. An awkward hug made more so by the difference in species between them. “You got this, Kyle. Keep it together. At least the whole family will be on board from now on.”
“Assuming Dad doesn’t come home and get the shotgun.”
Kara let go, patting her on the back one last time. “Way to be optimistic, little brother. Unless you’d rather I just called you ‘big sister’ instead.”
Kyle stuck her tongue out, glaring. “Very funny.”
Kara wasn’t laughing, though. “I’m not really joking, Kyle. Some people make a big deal about this stuff.”
She backed up a step, shaking her head. “And I’m not going to be one of those people. Just call me whatever you want, I don’t care.” It wasn’t strictly true, but it was no fault of Kara’s in any case, and she didn’t have any plans to act like it was. “Just… don’t upset the baby. And bring me some lunch. That’s what I want.”
Kyle spent the rest of that day in the stable, caring for the baby and occasionally checking on the paranormal thread. There were no real developments in either camp—the child had been outside today, and was willing to be entertained in other ways. What few posts were made on her thread suggested more disbelief and far less confirmation.
Occasionally she went for the door, having to check outside to confirm for herself what she suspected. Afternoon turned to evening, and still no one showed up outside the doors to her prison. At least they hadn’t tried to actually lock her inside.
I’ve got Mom’s phone, she’s going to have to come out for that, right? But she didn’t. Kyle glanced through a crack in the open door, watching the house and wondering what might be going on inside. She thought she could hear yelling from inside if she held still and really strained her ears, but there was enough distance that she couldn’t be sure. It might just as easily be a raccoon climbing a tree somewhere.
“It would be really great if you would change me back,” she said, without any expectation of help this time. “It wouldn’t be hard, just… do your thing.”
The baby looked up from the playroom floor, pushing aside one of her toys. She giggled, but otherwise ignored the question. So that was about what Kyle had expected. In terms of failed strategies, just asking Fay to change her back was pretty high up on the list. It’s either do it myself, or it never happens.
More time alone was a chance to feed the baby one more time, and release the subtle feeling that she was going to explode all over the floor. Another movie on her laptop, and the child was finally ready to be put down, muttering groggily to herself in a near-stupor. Kyle kept her up, knowing or at least hoping that she’d be going back inside soon, and that when she did she wouldn’t want to leave the child alone.
If nothing happens to make this go away, I might have to get a baby monitor. Christ, this is why they make such a big deal about not getting pregnant as a teenager, isn’t it? My life is basically toast.
Unless they got rid of the baby. Fay wasn’t her responsibility. They could call the authorities, or just go somewhere she’d be found by someone else and leave her there. If she wasn’t going to change her back, maybe it was time to go their separate ways.
Maybe it was some kind of mental reprogramming, or maybe it was just instinct—but the thought of abandoning Fay could barely even stick in her head. It was more than just cruel, she just couldn’t. Best case, someone else got cursed just like her? And worst… a helpless baby ended up dead?
Fay splayed on her back, one of the few advantages to being an animal meant for carrying passengers. So long as she remained standing, the child could rest and she could move. Some horses could even sleep standing up, maybe she could too?
No, kid. I’m stuck with you, and you with me—until we’re through it together. Maybe that meant the genetic engineers who had created Fay arrived with a cure, or maybe the post on the paranormal board was right and she’d actually get abducted by aliens. Or was it wizards?
As painful as the delay was, it didn’t last forever. Eventually there was a series of quick knocks at the door—Kara’s usual pattern.
“Come in,” she called—hopefully not loud enough to wake the child on her back. Fay stirred a little, but remained in place. Flying around the yard and ruining their stealth on the second day had clearly taken a lot out of her.
Kara poked her head in, still dressed in her cheer uniform despite the intervening hours. Which… probably didn’t bode well for how well their negotiations had gone behind the scenes.
“How’d it go with Dad?” she asked anyway. “Be honest.”
Kara laughed. “You’re asking how it went when we explained to Dad that his only son was a colorful farm animal nursing a baby. Gee, I don’t know. I really had no idea how this was going to end up.”
“I have to ask. I wasn’t there to see. Just tell me.”
“Animal control isn’t here,” Kara said flatly. “That’s good. He wanted to see some of the evidence for himself without actually coming out here to talk to you. I told you those photos would come in handy.”
“He doesn’t want to…” She trailed off, ears flattening. “He doesn’t want to see me?”
“No,” Kara repeated. “It’s insane, Kyle. This whole thing is… Everyone has to process it in their own way, you know? He’s just not ready to… see all this yet. Mom’s different—moms love you no matter what. But Dad… you know how he is.”
She did, hence the worry. “Yeah.”
“They’re thinking of things to do,” Kara went on, putting on a little forced cheer. “Transferring you to homeschool until it’s settled. Seeing if we can call in a private doctor who won’t talk. I’m not really sure what they think they’re going to do, inject you with a vial of person juice and reverse it? But what else are we supposed to do, give up?”
“No,” Kyle said, meeting her eyes. “Just… be patient with me until I can figure out how the magic works. You’ve seen how much she can change—look at this place. There’s going to be a way to change myself back, I just know there is.”
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What's your bet that doctor tries to look at the baby, and gets zapped too?
Well, there's a lot to unpack.
Ending the chapter on that line does not fill me with confidence.
In any case, that certainly could have gone worse... and it still could, depending on what they do next. We'll see soon enough.
When this fiasco is over, I expect Cadance to pay Kyle's family a nice compensation.
holding out hope Flurry heart turns Kyle's whole family, let them get in on this.
Just wait until two more show up asking for fay
10068136
Unlikely, I can almost expect Flurry to now see Kyle as her mother more than Cadence. Cue angry Alicorn mom.
10068231
Which actually can spin in Cadence's favor
Bring Kyle over as a nanny, that way Flurry always has constant care and protection (and avoid looking for a certain babysitter -Chrysalis-).
10068136
Considering how much gold and gems are worth in our world that'd be really, REALLY easy. Turning Kyle back might be impossible though... Something he's not going to appreciate until thirty years have gone by and he hasn't aged a single day.
I wouldn’t count on it, Kyle. Look who it’s written by. Save FF, where it’s implied everything will be cleaned up eventually after months or even a year or two of havoc, save thousands of dead ponies, things rarely improve here. At best, damage is mitigated, prevented from being as worse as it can be. This isn’t as severe as many, like PAP or FF. It’s a localised, and even individualised thing as opposed to a global one, and an accident none intended. And you are healthy, more so than some characters from an experimental one shot.
Did Kyle actually want to transition from the start? Is that why there have been no actual arguments against changing the pronouns, because I was starting with a false premise? Gods, I feel so stupid now. Personally I would make it at least a bit clearer at the start, but my faith in Starscribe is restored.
Hey, she might be one of those girls that really likes horses.
Could have been a lot worse.
10068684
Nothing that I saw indicated it, but it is a possibility. Personally, I think Flurry just rewrote Kyle's mind to think of herself as a she, along with all the maternal instinct. Mommy's a her, so Mommy has to think of herself as a her.
Figuring out “traveling” and winding up a few universes toward or away from Equestria might be a result. Best to check where Flurry Heart arrived on a regular basis. Wish her momma was there and push it at the location. At least that might provide the comfort of doing “something” even if it’s just wishing.
Oof, not liking Kyle's dad too much.
Definitely loving the family interaction as a whole though.
10069022
I partially agree..
I don't think Flurry was thinking of making Kyle think of herself as a she.
Kyle's body, and the almost overwhelming cocktail of motherhood hormones, are probably affecting his mind more than anything.
10069766
I'm just wondering if this goes on too long if those maternal instincts are going to evolve beyond just "protect and care for a baby" and serving as surrogate mother, to "that's my baby!" and seeing herself as Flurry's proper mother--completely losing herself in the role Flurry gave her. Enough maternal attachment that even if Cadence shows up Kyle will refuse to surrender Flurry to her.
And those two weeks of Twilight studying up portal magic can’t go quick enough.
10068684
That’s an interesting thought. Almost all the complaining about the metamorphosis I remember her doing has been about becoming a pony, not about being female.
10069766
Yeah. I don't see it as "mental manipulation" so much as, like, actually having the proper hormones for the new body.
LBBSBFF!
What? It's traditional.
10081942
mhm
Well, at least someone else is... kinda-sorta on board with helping out.
10069766
The mind as a plaything of the body trope. I believe you're correct on this, but we will see.
Ah, yes, enslaved honse.
10489926
Yeah. I wouldn't give her away either, but to bottom for this minor who is only a few steeps above beeing a psychoath and NOT beeing able to be mad or disapproving is cringe in the most horror kind of cringe there is.
10069189
Kara is right. Contain your human judgement until further notice! DISMISSED!
Or wait for her actual parents to show up, I guess...
Person juice! Made from freshly squeezed persons!
Like mother like... Daughter.
Ouch. Shots fired.
Nice. I like your optimism, even if it is woefully misplaced.