Chapter 39: Closing In
Kyle stared down at the notepad, her brow furrowed in concentration. She'd been looking at the same nearly complete diagram for several hours now, puzzling out what might be wrong with it. But how could she possibly be expected to master an entirely new field of study within a few weeks of encountering it?
The paper was so marred with erase marks that it had torn in several places. She was so close to figuring this out. Even so, the pressure continued to mount. She knew that just outside her sister would be together with Fay, and the baby wouldn’t stay entertained forever.
I'm sorry, Kara. I wish I could do this faster.
But no matter how long she stared, what she was looking for just wouldn't come. She hadn't been given the right symbols. The spell in front of Kyle was her first shot at a transformation. Though, not one that her erstwhile master would have been happy with. Monday had been clear that transformation itself was not a permanent affair and that the next spell she had to give should match the original terms of her homework assignment.
But still Kyle tinkered, determined to perfect her new spell. Even if she lacked some of the specific symbols, the more she stared and worked with these strange runes, the more she realized they were connected. They weren't simply arbitrary markings, but a language unto themselves. If she could work with it long enough, perhaps she could discover exactly how to compose this language and no longer need Monday's help.
Of course, she wouldn't volunteer that to her teacher or else put an end to all her supply of new information. But if anything happened and the messages stopped, at least she wouldn't have to give up completely.
Kyle turned the page, exposing her completed homework assignment. This was far simpler, of course, but it would match the terms that Monday had asked for and likely result in more information.
Before she could turn it in, she needed to verify that it actually did anything. Kyle started memorizing the pattern and mouthing the words over and over again. Only when she was fully confident did she read the symbols out loud, picturing her diagram firmly in her mind.
There was no visual effect as the spell finally completed. She felt a slight drain of energy, briefly wavering on her hooves. With no other target, the spell turned on her.
What Kyle had created was a simple medical diagnostic tool. One that would find the nearest individual and report back to her the general condition and any illnesses or injuries it found. She wasn't sure what form that information would take.
She discovered the answer in a sudden wave of knowledge as she was bombarded by thoughts, flat and clinical and emotionless. Her mind filled and filled with medical information about her own body, her height, her weight, and anatomical information that was meaningless to her with her lack of medical training. She collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily as the wave passed and finally left her.
She felt dazed as though she just spent several hours in standardized tests. Yet the effects had done no physical harm. And when the sensation finally faded, she was able to gradually stand again.
“Well, that wasn't quite what you were probably looking for Monday, but it works. And that should be enough for you…” Kyle stared at her diagram for a few more seconds, then tore it from her notebook.
She made it all the way to the computer room, dodging quickly between the halls. But if Fay was determined to see her, the transparent walls would do nothing to keep her away. Kyle reached the office and filled out her letter to Monday as quickly as she could. She prefaced it with a warning that she didn't suggest Monday actually cast the spell.
Nevertheless, she included the spell in detail and described some of what she remembered. “Considering I'd like to find a cure for my condition, this seems like a direction I would like to explore. If there are further spells or symbols that might allow me to work more with biology and living things, I think that would be very helpful.”
She spent the next several minutes translating the diagram, then took a photo for good measure. Finally she signed the email and sent it off, collapsing to the table with a weary expression on her face.
She didn't remain there for more than a few minutes before the sound of crying caused her to rise, darting back into the hallway and cantering into the playroom.
Upon seeing her, Fay's face lit up and her wings spread. She hovered in the air for a few moments before zooming straight up to her.
Kyle caught her in a weak embrace and hugged her there until the crying stopped “I suppose I've been keeping away from you a little too long,” she muttered.
The baby only squealed and giggled with delight.
Maybe Kyle should have felt more frustration at her work being interrupted, but she'd been making good progress.
“I was going to come get you if you stayed away for much longer,” Kara said “But Fay had been good until the last few minutes. I'm not sure what upset her.”
“It's around her nap time,” Kyle said. “She's probably hungry too. I'll take care of that before she sleeps, then I can update you on what happened.” She found a comfortable spot to lay down and proceeded with the more animal side of her condition.
As uncomfortable as it was, the baby obviously found it soothing. And Kyle would have to lie to deny that there wasn't some part of her that enjoyed it as well. It was a little more difficult to hold a conversation in that position, so she waited until Fay had eaten her fill and she’d put her down in her own bedroom.”
“I didn't have a lot of luck with the transformations,” Kyle said. “I'm almost there, but I'm missing some of the important keywords I'll need. We'll just have to hope that Monday shares them with us.”
Kara was still favoring her injured leg, though with the passage of a few days some of the color was beginning to return to the joint. After their first failed attempt, they hadn't seen the strange mage or even their grandfather. What was even worse, their parents hadn't answered any of their calls. They had no means to make requests of their grandfather. Despite his promise on the first day that a member of his staff would always be there, there was rarely anyone in sight of the bunker.
“So you gave up?” Kara asked. “That seems a little premature.”
Kyle shook her head. “No, of course I didn't give up. I just needed to send something else. Hopefully with her other assignment completed so quickly Monday will send the rest of what we need. But just because I’m figuring out some magic stuff doesn't mean that it will be safe to use on you or me so soon. The spell I sent Monday is a medical scan, a health assessment kinda thing. The information it gave me was overwhelming. If I had to use that level of detail to complete a transformation, I don't know how I'd ever do it.”
“I have faith in you, sis. If anyone can do it, you can.”
“Sis?” Kyle stalked away from the door. “You're just switching to that now?"
Kara shrugged absently. "Would you feel better if I kept calling you 'bro'?"
Kyle hesitated, silent for almost three full seconds before she answered. "I guess it doesn't matter. No one is consistent with their pronouns. I'm not even sure what's right anymore."
Kara opened her mouth to reply, but didn't get the chance. A series of harsh footsteps sounded from outside their enclosure, loud enough that both of them looked up together. They turned, trotting towards the exit as fast as they could.
They arrived just in time to see a large group of people pushing heavy carts down the ramp. Kyle was almost impressed when she realized what they were. Piled on each one were sections of wall, modular and about the same size. They would perfectly fit with the sides of their enclosure, restoring the privacy that had been denied them when they arrived.
At the head of the group was their grandfather. “I'm sorry it's taken so long to get back to you,” Grandpa said, stepping through the gate. “Custom manufacturing takes a little while, and I was worried at my own exposure to the magic. But it has been long enough now that I believed I could chance a brief visit with you. Considering the information I have to share, I felt I owed it to you. Perhaps you would be willing to talk to me while this crew exchanges panels?”
“About damn time,” Kara muttered, her face frustrated. She held out one leg. “Your last attempt at a cure still hasn't healed yet.”
The crew began to work removing panels of plexiglass and swapping in the new ones. There was nothing special about them, simple faux wood patterns repeating over and over, but at least as long as Kyle didn't look up too high, it would give a convincing illusion that they were in a traditional home.
Grandpa shook his head, leaning weakly on his cane. For the first time, Kyle saw some of his age come through. “Yes, I'm terribly sorry about that. Let me assure you that I reprimanded Akiko in the harshest possible terms. She will not be making a mistake like that again. We believe that it might be best for further experiments to begin on your brother. Kyle's body is considerably more resilient than yours, and also more naturally biological. Though I must admit that I cannot promise the process of returning you both to your bodies will not be painful. We are in experimental territory here, and even the most competent mages will still make some mistakes. But if there is a way, I promise I will find it.”
“What about Mom and Dad? They haven't been online on Skype for the last three days. When are they going to visit?” Kara asked.
Their grandfather's face was an unreadable mask. “Your mother and father will be here as soon as they are able, but they were exposed to a great deal of energy before their arrival. We must allow for time for them to recover. If they spend too much time with you, they may receive a lethal dose. However, Akiko assures me that within a few days they should have reduced their ambient levels low enough that we can risk a visit.
“However, there is a matter I wish to broach with the two of you,” their grandfather continued, his tone casual. “I have to admit it is a difficult thing to ask so soon after our first attempt failed.
“But my retainer wizard has come to an uncomfortable conclusion. The changes that have applied to both of you are so complex that she is working completely in the dark. In order to make any meaningful attempt at restoring you, she will need to obtain magical information on the alien that changed you in the first place.
“What time do you believe the child will be most pliant? Obviously you would be there for the entire examination this time, Kyle, as your absence does seem to be what made the last attempt go so disastrously wrong. I would like to make the procedure as painless for all involved as possible.”
“It would be the mage? Not those doctors you sent to our house?” Kyle asked. “Even if her first attempt with Kara failed, she did seem genuine. And it does make sense that you would need to know more about Fay. But couldn't you do those tests on me? I'm not likely to go crazy and start shooting magic everywhere.”
Their grandfather nodded. “You do have a point, perhaps we should. But as similar as you are to the alien, there are magical differences. Don't ask me to explain them. The mage assures me there is something possessed by this outsider that you do not have. We can examine you first, and maybe find what we need, but ultimately the baby will need to be tested. So please tell me what I need to know to make that procedure as painless for you and the child as possible.”
Kyle’s mind spun as she reached for any alternative. But Edgar was probably right. This is going to be a disaster.
Hey, so I've got some fun news! A reader had some fanart done of the brief meeting with an incorrect universe in Chapter 32. Check it out!
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Well, that isn't at all menacing.
And yeah, medical and magical examinations of Flurry will not end well. Even if it isn't destructive analysis, and there's no reason to think it won't be. This will be a disaster. The question is whether Twilight will arrive in time to avert it.
I wonder why Kyle didn't cast the spell on Kara. Kara is the one who is injured -- some important data could have been learned.
I'm not an expert, but if you let a baby tire itself out. It'd be good idea to at least get it to go to sleep. the only thing that picture is missing is that alien saying 'sorry your foal is in another universe'. As it stands now its only a pretty good picture instead of being 20% more awesome.
10367632
"In fact, she will never make a mistake again. Ever. Muahahahaa!"
Oh, okay. She's probably still alive. So he's not quite that menacing. Probably.
What is the time frame difference between the two PoVs here? Twilight has been working for months to find the universe Flurry ended up in, or am I wrong there?
And Flurry has only been with Kyle for what... two weeks?
Me thinks that Twilight may not show up for quite a while.
Seriously this is so dumb. You learn NOTHING.
Free Akiko! She doesn't seem like the type to thrive under duress...
Silly Kyle, you forgot to pipe the results into a MORE command. 😉
Grandpa is lying, but there's not much as can do about it. He's hiding so many cards right now...
Keep going! ;)
10367727
We think they're basically in sync. It has been almost a month since Flurry's incursion.
This will be very awkward when Twilight comes around, unable to return them to normal.
Yes, it's apparently time to consider looking at the baby because that worked so well last time. Whatever you gonna do to Flurry, it'll have to be non-invasive and painless. Otherwise, we're gonna have more ponies walking around Earth.
Seems quite advanced for a simple diagnostic spell. Kyle's making steady progress and that's good news.
Yes, I don't believe that for a second.
Might as well start testing on the massive magic generator, right? I don't think the test subject's health is the one you should worry about.
Well, its not the wrong mindset but they're still playing with fire. They're have to exhaust whatever research they can with Kyle before they move on to Flurry. And when they do, they take really small baby steps when escalating.
10367640
It was her first try and it apparently auto-targets the nearest individual, which was herself. Other than that, I can imagine she might be more than hesitant to test an experimental spell on her sister.
10367727
I was assuming the chapters took place in chronological order. That or time flow isn't consistent between universes.
10367813
Hmmm, I thought more time had passed for Twilight. I will have to go back and re-read those chapters to see if I misread how much time has passed.
10367854
That could be the case. Though I am going to go back and read the Twilight PoV chapters to try and get a better feel for how much time has passed.
10367865
Yeah, we believe it was a phrase like "Twilight accomplished in weeks what would take anyone else months".
10367810
How many stories of Starscribes have you read?
10367923
first.
10367925
When reading Starscribe stories prepare for chapters to sometimes feel like they add nothing due to the update schedule.
Liked the image, also good chapter
?!?!
(Emphasis mine)
This could not more clearly have been written by a man. I mean, yes, it's an animal thing because humans are animals, but this is revolting.
10368055
Perhaps a better word to use instead of "animal" would have been "maternal."
10368067
Yeah that would have helped.
10368067
I saw it as referring to how she reclined like an animal to do the feeding.
10368189
Which isn't how horses do it, you realize... she's not been transformed into a dog or a cat.
10368214
So is Kyle standing up? Do ponies on the show nurse their young differently than real horses?
10368220
I wouldn't know about the show's ponies, but real-life horses nurse their foals standing up -- all ungulates do; cattle, sheep and the rest nurse in the same way.
10368220
The ponies in the show are like, a combination of ponies, dogs, humans, and anime girls. The pony part is the general shape, but aside from the alicorns they’re small and light enough that they can move around and sit like dogs do—so, walking around with three legs probably takes a bit of practice, but it’s also probably very doable, unlike with real horses. Then there’s the huge amount of flexibility they have (see Lyra’s bench-sitting adventures) and the way hooves, feathers, and mouths can act as fingers as well as their human-like brains, whether magical or otherwise—and if the brain is located in the magic more than the meat for ponies, a lack of magic would reduce one to a dumb animal. Really, ‘pony’ is the wrong word. They’re clearly aliens.
Cadence got some Dashie hair Goin' on in that art.
10367727
I don't think so.
I honestly belive that time flows different in the two respective univereses.
So it wouldn't surprise me she shows up pretty soon.
So, the only question is as which ponytribe the person doing the medical exam on Flurry will end up.
10368214
I would imagine "my little ponies", have very complicated joints.
Fluttershy can use wrestling moves on bears.
Pinkie Pie can dance on her two hind legs, and wave her two front legs like human arms.
Rainbow can completely stretch her front, and back legs at a 180 degrees while flying.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders can climb trees.
One of the Rave ponies bent her back almost a full 270 degrees just shy of touching the ground. So.
I can fully believe that Kyle would lay down on her side to relieve pressure on her legs to feed Flerry.
10368055
You're forgetting the Kyle is a pubescent teenage boy, that has been transformed into something he never wanted, at all, and is mentally trying to come to grips with "his" transformation, into "her" non-human body.
I think you're being unfair to both the writer, and the character.
10369028
Well, the text did say she had it cut at that point in the story, right?
10369251
I just wasn't expecting it to look like Dashie's mane.
That sounds useful.
It's going to be a real sad twist if Twilight shows up and gives every human she meets magic cancer.
I wonder if it will be painless when Flurry Heart turns human Twilight into a pony.
10369255
Well, Starscribe had no complaints about Cadance's mane, so I guess it's fine.
That's a bad sign. If someone can't keep a small promise, then what does that say about their ability to keep a bigger promise?
This story is great. Lovely, truly epic. It’s a joy to read it. I have one minor issue, though. It’s the use of ‘Sis’ and ‘Bro.’
Siblings don’t really talk like that. I’ve never once called my sister ‘Sis’. I’ve called my brother ‘Bro’, but only in the context of “Dude guy” terminology.
Its not like this bars me from enjoying the story, it’s just a slight bother. But don’t just let some rando on the internet dictate how you do things. Keep up the good work, I look forward to the next update!
10378887
I based that language on my own family. I'm the oldest of five siblings, and that's how I've always talked with the next-oldest. Unless we don't exist. Oh crap I'm disappearing!
media.tenor.com/images/2a9612a9b50d13ab4d88bbbf426b4867/tenor.png
Glad you're enjoying the story though!
10379235
Ah, that’s understandable. Good reply lmao.
10368055
This is Kyle's thoughts. She only had to nurse after they became, in her eyes, effectively an animal. Yes, the phrase is revolting, and I would be furious is someone used it irl, but the point is that Kyle considers it an animalistic property. A better term to refer to it would be maternal side. I hope Kyle switches to using more accurate terms as she better tunes to using her body, learns the terms (remember, Kyle wasn't known for her vocabulary), and can see more clearly that Fae is definitely not an animal, and that she comes from an entire society of creatures like her.
Also, not all guys are morons who understand nothing about the value and necessity of nursing, not to mention it's amazing affects on both the bodies of the mother and the child. Some of us know about that stuff, and it's really cool. Guys that think like Kyle is right now when referring to actual mothers are stupid people that need an education.
Small error:
> She found a comfortable spot to lay down
should be "to lie down".