Sisters of Willowbrook

by Starscribe

Chapter 20: Lilac Empathy

Derek was back in bed and feeling quite a bit less uncomfortable by the time the doctor actually arrived. Like so many other things she'd seen in Equestria, the pony wore an old-fashioned outfit and made everything seem adorable. Unfortunately for her, the actual checkup was anything but.

After poking and prodding at her vitals, the next step was removing her bandages and cleaning the wounds underneath. Derek got a single glimpse of what was down there, and probably would've puked all over her bed. But she was too hungry for that, so instead she just shuddered and looked away.

"We've used the best regeneration magics known to ponies," the doctor explained, sounding apologetic. "We've removed the necrosis before it could reach as low as the spine, or damage any of your important muscles. But there will be some scarring. Unless the mistress knows some technique not commonly shared among ponies."

"Unfortunately not," Iris whispered. She spoke to the doctor, but her eyes were only for Derek. "The creature that attacked her is known to do far worse. It can disintegrate limbs in seconds, devour a pony in minutes. The injuries it causes can't be regenerated even by Alicorn magic."

The doctor nodded, scribbling something on his clipboard. Finally he returned to the bed. "Well young Lilac, you're one tough little filly. Your wounds have already started scabbing over. We'll keep you bandaged to avoid tearing anything, and replace them every twelve hours. Report to me if you begin experiencing a fever, reddening near the wound, or loss of appetite. Alright?"

"Lilac?" she repeated, confused. Then she remembered the flowers. "Ah, right. All these flowers. Why are they all here, anyway?"

"Offerings to the Goddess of Healing, Lilac Melody," Iris supplied. "My entire house heard about your heroism, sweetheart. Offerings for your recovery have been... ceaseless."

She waved one hoof toward the door, "You may go, Mending Balm. Please remain on the grounds until this filly is beyond all risk of infection. I'll leave caring for her to the nursing staff unless something goes wrong."

The doctor bowed low, then hurried from the room, shutting the door closed behind him.

This time, the silence didn't last nearly as long. "You made quite a name for yourself," Iris continued, levitating a single sprig of the plant from her bedside. She levitated it over, and unseen hands moved though Derek's mane. After the awful smell that her bandage had unleashed, the flower was a nice change. "You stood before a bael and it barely scratched you. If Canterlot knew of this, they would certainly have you killed."

Derek stared up, eyes wide with confusion. "Why? I... saved a pony, didn't I? Isn't that a good thing?"

Iris barely even seemed to hear her. She walked past the bed to the window. She drew the curtains closed with a light touch of her magic. "My husband was furious with your presence here. The first time he's ever taken an interest in anything on these grounds. But when word spread that he meant to expel you, he nearly had a riot on his hooves."

When Iris turned, she was grinning. Smugly satisfied. "‘You'll not lay a hoof on little Lilac,’ they said. ‘Saved Gentle Care's little colt she did. Fought off the forces of Tartarus herself. Gift of the true gods.’" She chuckled, crossing back to Derek's bedside. She reached down with a hoof, stroking her mane again. "I hope you understand the honor they pay you. Naming you in the manor of the gods, speaking out against the master of the house—an incredible thing."

Derek blinked. It wasn't just the flowers she was talking about. "Risk is okay, then?" she asked. "I kept him safe?"

Iris nodded. "Thanks to you. The bael feast on the will of all creatures. No pony could've stood beside you in my tower and survived. That was precisely why I had such powerful protections containing it. One does not traffic lightly with the Energy Plane. I'm curious to hear what misfortune led you there. And past every compulsion I placed upon the foundation to keep eager ponies from coming to harm."

Derek whimpered, and looked away. "I'm sorry for everything I broke. I didn't want to hurt... anything. I didn't mean to spoil your hard work. I just wanted to see what was up there. It's not my—" She trailed off abruptly. She hadn't intended to let the creature free, that much was true. But if she revealed that Risk was behind it, Iris would surely punish him far more. He had warned her to leave, several times. If he got his way, she never would've been exposed to danger at all.

"It wasn't supposed to happen," she said lamely. "But I am responsible. I deserve whatever punishment you give me."

The unicorn rolled her eyes in response, patting her gently on the forehead. "I'm afraid there will be two, sweetheart. Both are entirely beyond my power to protect you from. But in exchange, you earned yourself a place in this household so firm that even my husband cannot interfere with it. One wonders if Foresight may be a better name than the one you earned, but..." She shrugged one shoulder.

"Your punishments are simple. I suspect that scar will last for the rest of this lifetime. Beyond that, I don't know... but you're said to be immortal, returning after every death. If this is so, then it will seem like a minor inconvenience to you. The second... perhaps a little less so." She lifted another of the flowers in her magic, spinning it through the air in front of Derek. "I meant it when I said they named you. The method was foolish and common—bringing these offerings to the goddess, then it's no wonder you're surrounded by so many. But it stuck, and I'm certain neither you nor I will be able to change it."

Derek nodded weakly. "You mean the... servants gave me a nickname?"

"They needed something to call you, when spreading stories of your heroism. So you're Purple no longer, Lilac Empathy. If you're... actually a different goddess, I hope you'll forgive them their ignorance. They meant it with love, and you haven't been able to tell us otherwise."

She sighed. "Lilac... Empathy." She winced. "That's the girliest name I ever heard."

"Then you've never met Posey Rose," Iris said, still smiling. "There's no helping it regardless of your wishes on the subject, or mine for that matter. Rumors have already spread. Mercifully... bereft of details. None of the help actually saw the bael. I suspect the stories will claim you slew a wild animal. If anypony asks, it was a timberwolf. Those are known to fester in the forests off our land, ponies should believe it."

Most of that went into one of Derek's ears, and out the other. Only one piece stuck. "Names... bind things," she whispered quietly. "That's how you trap spirits, isn't it? Learn their name. And if they learn yours, they have power over you."

The mare's expression became impossible to read again. "You are not wrong, Lilac. That name binds you to this house, and its staff. The ponies of Willowbrook will know it as the name of a stranger who saved a life. A blessing more than a binding, I should think." Her eyes lingered on the bandage. "There will probably be some voices calling for my blood when they see that. Cursed fools... wanted your essence returned to the Depths to await revival, but a little scar is going to give them words against me. In the same breath as your survival proves your divinity, your injury may be used to steal you away."

She dropped to one knee, lowering her head before Derek. "You will have the choice of what to do then, Lilac. I hope you will choose to stay."

There was an out buried in that somewhere. She could live somewhere else. But why would she want to? "I will," she said. "I didn't mean to get into so much trouble. I was just looking for magic. There are... places I want to go with it." It sounded so lame when she put it like that.

The mare stood. "For my sake, please don't go off exploring them on your own. Willowbrook is full of dangers. You have an incredible will, but that wouldn't be enough to protect you from many of the monsters here. As your knowledge grows, you will need less from me. But for now... let me introduce you to the magic. There are few mares in Willowbrook who can teach you as much as I."

Derek nodded eagerly. For once, there was no need to act. "That sounds awesome! I'd love to learn. But..." She winced. "You said your husband doesn't want me around?"

Iris turned away, so she couldn't see her face. Her voice was somber, though. "I misjudged him. But he will not move against you now, except perhaps to forbid you from inheriting. He still hopes for a... natural child. You shouldn't take this personally."

"That's fine," Derek said. "I don't plan on being here that long anyway."

"Please listen to the nurses, and let yourself heal. Even an earth pony needs some time to recover from an injury as severe as yours. We'll speak about magical studies to occupy you during your recovery." She left then, leaving Derek alone with her thoughts and the drawn window.

She couldn't move much, though she longed to take a trip over to the shower. Maybe she could get a nurse to help with that. The demon might not have killed her, but her own stink probably would.

She received dozens of visitors over the next few hours, and half a hundred over the following days. It wasn't just household servants who wanted to see her—there were farmers, ranchers, and craftsponies too. Many brought offerings for her, coins or articles of clothing or little toys. But even the humblest child brought at least one lilac to add to the offerings. Those weren't for her, exactly, but the strange goddess of healing. Lilac Melody. A pony of another age, long dead. Nothing else could bring home the scale of Iris's household quite like meeting so many of its members.

She did very little during those visits, accepting their thanks. "Of course I fought," she would say, or something similar. "That's what friends are for." It was about the stupidest thing she could've said—she barely even knew the pony she mentioned. Yet the words seemed to stick, and made the visitors even more excited as they left.

There was only one visit she really cared about, though. Late on the first day, wrapped in his own bandages. His mane was scorched off, though a little fuzz was already starting to grow back. He had the help of another pony as he entered—his father, wearing the fanciest servant uniform she'd seen from anyone. At first she worried that she might not even get to say anything to him—nothing real, anyway. But Iris appeared after a few moments, and the two of them hurried off to whisper about something near the doorway.

Risk approached her bed, looking nervous. "I don't..." he stammered. "I'm sorry, I mean... following you up there. I had no idea what I was doing."

She smiled at him. "That makes two of us, Risk," she said. "It would've been better if you didn't break the summoning circle and let the monster loose. In case you're ever exploring with me again. Leave circles alone, okay?"

His mouth hung open, and he mouthed the word “again.” He propped his forelegs up on the side of her bed, leaning in close. He whispered so quietly that not even the adults could hear. Hopefully. "Why?"

Her ears flattened, and she nearly looked away from him. But she remained stubborn, focused on him. "Did I need a reason? It was the right thing to do."

The colt slid down off the edge of her bed. "Thanks, Lilac. For saving me. And... not telling anypony it was my fault."

They left a few minutes later, and Iris followed.

Lilac Empathy had her room to herself again. At least they'd left the window open this time.

Comments

[Level Dasher]

Named after a Goddess of Healing. I'd say that's a good omen. *shrug*

[minibox]

Lilac Empathy. Has a good ring to it. The sisters now have names and identities in this world. It's time to figure out what this world is about.

"Offerings to the Goddess of Healing, Lilac Melody," Iris supplied. "My entire house heard about your heroism, sweetheart. Offerings for your recovery have been... ceaseless."

Lilac Melody. The history of this pony might be important for the sisters to learn about.

"You stood before a bael and it barely scratched you. If Canterlot knew of this, they would certainly have you killed."

It remains to be seen what they would actually do, but yes, it would be wise to keep this secret from the world at large.

None of the help actually saw the bael. I suspect the stories will claim you slew a wild animal. If anypony asks, it was a timberwolf. Those are known to fester in the forests off our land, ponies should believe it.

No doubt Lilac would get much more worship if they knew she held out against a supernatural threat than a wildlife one. Not bad for the Cult, but will draw unwanted attention.

"Names... bind things," she whispered quietly. "That's how you trap spirits, isn't it? Learn their name. And if they learn yours, they have power over you."

The Watcher's plan with the geas, likely. Though that seems to have taken far more than the sisters' names. And he isn't giving his name either.

Lilac Empathy had her room to herself again. At least they'd left the window open this time.

The stage is now set for Lilac and Firefly. Time to get started.

[Numinos]

And the magic of friendship grooooows.

Sorry : )

[Always Breakfast]

So is nobody gonna ask why Iris had a goddamn demon up there? Because that seems like an extremely relevant question that none of the dozens of people who live in this house are asking and would probably cause a good bit of internal strife even among the lower ranking cultists, much less the adopted alien kid.

Also said kid has now been expressly told a few times that the cult's considered just killing her because they expect her to reincarnate in pony hell, and she's just kinda blown that off without argument? Even within the confines of the geas they clearly still have quite a bit of memories, and one would think "holy shit don't kill me I don't get 1-ups" would be worth attempting to say.

This is falling into the thing where people are just passively ignoring huge stuff for no reason, even when letting them react would give them some agency and character detail without substantially changing the plot.

[Rawislon03]

11032667
The Magic of Friendship… and a quickly enlarging hero cult.

[ponepony]

11032672
Eccentric rich ponies need eccentric pets.

[Gemseeker]

11032672
Except, the dozens of people in the house still don't know about said demon. That remains a secret. What is known, both the the town and to the household ("the help"), is that Lilac saved Risk, and got injured in the process. There are rumors, but due to a lack of witnesses, the "official" story is that it was a Timberwolf. Not sure what is stopping Risk from saying otherwise, besides being a child prone to exaggeration, and thus unlikely to be believed...

[Workable Goblin]

11033263
Well, there's the fact that he would get in enormous trouble if he said otherwise, which he has probably been specifically told (and doesn't really need to be told, per his last line; he knows he screwed up). That's a pretty big incentive not to challenge the "official" story.

11032672
I mean, if I was Derek I definitely would not be telling the cult that thinks that I'm a god that "no, I don't get 1-ups!" (not that they would understand the reference, but leaving that aside) since, you know, that might also get them to kill me since it would seem to show that I am not the god they were trying to summon. An internal reaction would be appropriate, but outright telling them to their face that "no, I don't reincarnate" would be really risky.

[minibox]

11032672
Like everyone else is saying, Iris is part of a group that summons things from the "lower" dimensions. The captured bael is not horribly out of place in this situation. And its existence is kept secret anyway. Lilac claiming she only has one life to lose would probably go poorly with the cult as well. She can try and run away with Firefly but she can't be sure if Equestria can be trusted. And the cult has access to the sorts of magic they need to escape. The best course of action so far is to play along.

[Always Breakfast]

11033550
And if there's a reason for her to not say it, great! React enough for that reason to come up in the narrative. This is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about that would give character detail and agency without changing the story. It would display her as someone who's still thinking with the scheming of an adult, and self control unusual to even that. Let the character exercise their personality to reason through that themselves. But the fact that she doesn't even blink or react at all to the casual death threats from her caretaker is extremely wtf and just makes her feel like a cardboard cutout on a rollercoaster.

11033263

"‘You'll not lay a hoof on little Lilac,’ they said. ‘Saved Gentle Care's little colt she did. Fought off the forces of Tartarus herself.

While none of the help personally saw a demon, this doesn't sound like the sort of thing the rumor mill would say over a wild animal. The wild animal story is going to be maybe believable to the general public unaware of any circumstances, but overtly ridiculous to the help who would be close enough to see at least the immediate aftermath. Half the house would've seen two kids pulled out of a locked mage tower with half their coat burned off. That's not going to pass as a timberwolf attack - least of all to the doctor.

[FanOfMostEverything]

That's certainly one way to make a name for yourself.

As for the implicit death threat and Derek's lack of reaction thereunto, I don't think she ever actually processed it. "Your essence returned to the Depths to await revival" may be enough of a euphemism that she missed what it entails for her mortal shell, especially as she's processing the new name, the extent of her injuries, and everything else. Girl's got a lot to take in right now, and that's before taking the growing cult into consideration. I can't imagine the Watcher's going to be thrilled about this...

[Burgesse]

This is a really enjoyable story.

It does feel like the arrivals haven't really internalized or processed things much but I look forward to seeing it unfold.

[Zap Transfer]

"You stood before a bael and it barely scratched you. If Canterlot knew of this, they would certainly have you killed."

Derek stood against static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/d/dd/Bael_3e.jpg ?!

Holy shit. NAT20 CON Save against a Devil. Wildin'.

[tsaukpaetra]

It's funny because she thinks they mean something completely different when they say they're going to "send her back"....