Enter the Spider... or Whatever I Am's Web

by Autum Breeze

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

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“I wish you could’ve been here to see us off in person, Mel,” Hay Lin says, her face turning to look at me from the screen.

It’s been two weeks since I woke up in the hospital after taking a massive beating from Miranda in the alternate Equestria.

Thanks to the Gif of Xin Jing, my recovery has gone better than the doctors have expected, though we’ve had to limit the aid we can send to the alternate Equestria because of it.

While before, we’d been going whenever we could, trips there are now only when needed, if we get a call for help.

I’d lent my purple journal to Zecora so she can contact my timeline’s Twilight to then contact us through another of my journals (usually Blue Blood’s) to let us know when the Guardians were most needed.

This has meant my recovery has been better than anyone outside the know on magic could’ve reasonably expected in the realms of scientific medicine, but not so fast that people get suspicious.

My arm is no longer broken, but still not healed either. My eyesight in my right eye is back, but not completely. I can walk on my right leg again, but only with the aid of a crutch.

I’m being discharged tomorrow, but, since the girls are leaving for Redstone today, I can’t go with them.

I smile at the screen and shake my head. “I know, Hay Lin, but, doctor’s orders.”

“I’d be there too, otherwise,” Alchemy says from my right.

Aunt Sue had managed to arrange for me to borrow one of the hospital’s laptops and Taranee had set up a temporary live feed from a camera Will’s holding.

Alchemy chose to stay with me so I wouldn’t feel so alone while the others get to see the girls off.

Apparently there was a slight debacle with Uriah and his group stealing the girls’ tickets, since the three of them flunked the test for obvious reasons, but, with a little subtle use of their powers, Will and the girls had sorted it out, even clearing up Will’s name after the school’s janitor had mistook part of a conversation she’d been having to mean she’d stolen the tickets... which made no sense, if you stop and think about it, but, whatever. Adults are idiots sometimes.

“I’m here!”Corenlia calls, approaching the girls from behind Hay Lin and Taranee, Will turning the camera in time for me to see. “I had to explain to the plane staff why four suitcases is not too much.”

I roll my eyes along with the others.

“Be careful,” Irma says, looking to the girls. “Don’t get getting into trouble.”

“How can we?” Cornelia asks. “You’re staying home.”

We all have a good laugh.

“Flight 295, for Redstone, is now boarding from gate five,” a PA system in the airport calls out. “Repeat: Flight 295, for Redstone, is now boarding from gate five.”

Irma sighs, before winking to the girls. “Good luck.”

“Hey, no sad faces,” Taranee puts a hand on her back. “It’s only for a few weeks. We’ll all be back together in no time.”

The girls all move into a group hug and I can’t help looking away, or the sad feelings inside.

I’m caught off guard when I’m pulled into a hug, before closing my eyes and leaning into it.

We watch as the girls board the plane, then as it moves to the runway and flies off.

After the plane is a good distance, I lean over with my good arm and turn off the computer.

“Tell the hospital staff thanks?” I ask Alchemy, closing the laptop and passing it over to her and trying to smile.

She nods, though I can tell from her eyes she knows I’m not as happy as I’m letting on.

As she leaves the room to find someone to give the laptop to and lean back in bed, looking up at the ceiling.

A squeak from my side makes me glance down as Mr. Huggles scurries up to my waist and nuzzles me.

Lilian had insisted he guard me while I’m in the hospital, in case Miranda tried anything while I’m still recovering.

You’d think it would’ve been more difficult to convince the hospital staff but, thanks to her powers, Irma was able to convince them that keeping Huggles in my room was fine.

I scratch the little door mouse behind the ear, before returning my gaze to the ceiling.

I’m likely not going to be fully recovered until after the girls get back from Redstone, even with occasional transformations to have Xin Jin’s Gift heal me better.

I hate how… useless I feel.

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I walk alongside Will and Irma as we make our way into school, myself slower due to needing the crutch to walk.

“What’s with the stick? You getting old already?”

I cry out in alarm as I suddenly feel the crutch yanked out of my grip and fall forward, hissing in pain as I land on my bad arm and the sudden extra pressure put on my leg.

“Uriah, what the hell is wrong with you!”

I’m helped up by Irma in time to see Will almost slug Uriah in the face, only being stopped by Matt rushing in and grabbing her wrist.

Uriah, for his part, is looking both annoyed, confused and shocked. Was he expecting a different reaction from someone seeing another close to them being injured because an idiot took their leg support away?

Once Matt’s calmed Will down, he yanks my crutch out of Uriah’s hands, giving it to Will, who hurries over and she and Irma help me stand properly, while Matt glares at the school bully.

“Are you out of your mind?! Mel’s still recovering from the attack on her and you think it’s funny to make her fall on her still healing injures? Are you trying to make things worse or what?!”

He continues to lay into the idiot and he pals, so much so Principal Knickerbocker comes out to understand what’s going on.

Understandably, once Matt, Will, Irma and several bystanders explain, Uriah and his group are given four days afterschool detention.

Aside from adapting to my new means of getting around, things aren’t too different in school.

Granted, kids do keep talking about me from time to time, but, considering the news said I was attacked, I can’t say I’m all that surprised.

Learning from the news that a student in your school was randomly attacked to the point they had to go to hospital isn’t exactly something you just ignore and act like never happened.

Will, Irma, Matt and Alchemy do their best to keep my spirits up, though only three of them know the real reason my mood is so low.

After school, those of us with powers meet up and have a video chat with the girls in Redstone.

They’re enjoying it, for the most part.

Cornelia lost her luggage in transit, so she’s been wearing stuff from Irma and Hay Lin.

The amounts of sports they have to do also has been a bit of an adjustment, though they’re doing their best.

They’re up a bit early to talk to us, since the time zones are different and the girls have to head off for classes soon, so we don’t talk for too long.

However, just as Irma is about to leave, we hear a buzzing sound from mine and Will’s room.

It’s Blue Blood’s journal.

Apparently there’s a Changeling attack happening and Zecora’s calling the Guardians for help.

Will and Irma use the Heart of Kandrakar to teleport to Redstone to get the girls, coming back a bit later than I expected, them explaining Will and Irma accidently appeared in Knickerbocker’s bedroom, nearly waking her.

Will nods to me and we say, “Guardians, unite!”

We all transform, myself feeling a little better, before Will changes me back.

She opens a Fold and the five of them leave through it, myself making up a story with Aunt Sue about Will going to study and Irma’s place and planning to spend the night there, keeping my fingers crossed she doesn’t call Irma’s dad to ask about it before the group get back and Irma can cover my lie.

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“What is the point of all this?!” the yellow Earth Pony mare begged as a pair of Changelings dumped her on the ground in front of the open cavern.

Queen Chrysalis just glared down at the pony. “Because I want that shovel and, for whatever reason, only you worthless ponies seem able to retrieve it!”

The mare looked at the Changeling Queen in fear, before slowly getting up and going inside, her wishing she could call the stallion depicted on the wall for help and silently apologizing for taking his shovel as she wrapped her mouth around the handle and took the shovel out, a Changeling snatching it from her.

“I don’t know why our ally has lost interest so suddenly in these after seeming so eager to take them before,” Chrysalis looked over the worth shovel. “But, if the ponies see them as important enough to hide them from all but other ponies, the magic they must hold must be quite powerful.”

She gave a cruel laugh.

“Once I have all the artefacts on her list, I shall figure out how to unlock the magic within them. Who knows? The power they give me may be enough for me to defeat the Guardians myself.”

She cackled maniacally as the pony was dragged off by her Changelings, pleading to be let go.

Author's Note:

Well, this is a long time overdue, isn't it?

My apologies for that.

Truth be told, i'd realized i'd written myself into corner as, while Mel being beaten so badly and the time it will take for her to fully recover is needed for the story to progress, i'd forgotten how tricky it would be to establish what would lead into the later events.

Not to mention I'd forgotten what i could and couldn't use from the main timeline being established as not having happened yet.

One i debated about was Miranda going after Star Swirl's time travel spell and forcing the Changeling world Starlight to fix it so it would work like Starlight did... but that doesn't work when the Map is needed for the spell to work and, obviously, while there WAS a Map in that universe briefly, it vanished along with Spike and Twilight, so the spell couldn't be used.

However, i realized that i can utilize part of what i have planned later not only to fill in some time and give readers an idea of what might be happening, but also give Mel a chance to fix a bridge that has been in serious need of fixing since early in the story.

You'll have to wait and see what i mean, but, i hope you'll enjoy it when it finally happens.

as for why i didn't try starting this maybe a few days ago, when i got the initial drive... some things happened IRL that killed my mood completely and, while things have thankfully worked out in the end, i was kinda out of it mood wise for over 36 hours this week and, even after everything was worked out, i'm still mentally trying to realign myself so i can go completely back to my normal routine, not at all helped by the fact i'm still needing to properly plan for when i'm transferred to a new workplace in last than 4 weeks, so that's a bit of a mind bender.

So, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin will now be in Redstone for 4 weeks, leaving Mel, Will and Irma on their own.

Will anything happen to them while the others are away. Will anything happen to the others?

Just what is Queen Cheese Legs' plan regarding gathering the Pillar's artifacts... or does she literally not have any clue what she's doing?

And why was Miranda originally interested in gathering them, but isn't now?

Things get trickier and deeper the further it goes, so look forward to next time.

Anyway, hope this little tibit can tied you over til i can really get back into the swing of things (though don't expect that until maybe a month or two from now at best) and, til next time, stay safe, stay clean and see you later everybody

Comments

[Asolem2]

Just what is Queen Cheese Legs' plan regarding gathering the Pillar's artifacts... or does she literally not have any clue what she's doing?

And why was Miranda originally interested in gathering them, but isn't now?

Hmmm if my memory isn't lying to me, then the artifacts themselves didn't have any particular powers other than being the keys to open up a portal to Limbo at a very specific spot.

So it's possible that, at first, Miranda "remembered" that they were important but not why.
And when she did, she lost interest in them since they weren't very useful for anything other than being keys

This is pure speculation of course, and it's mostly based on the fact that I don't remember if the Pillar's artifacts had any powers beyond being keys or not

[Narnax]

Had this story sitting on my to read list since forever, glad I finally got around to read and catch up. I'm looking forward to the next chapters!