Zinnia
The birds outside my window were singing beautifully that morning. My favorite alarm clock. I remembered how one of the first things I did when I moved into my apartment was setting the alarm on my cell phone to be a birdsong that I’d heard nearly everyday of my childhood. The breeze that blew in through the windows and tickled my nose with the smell of flowers and freshly trimmed grass paired nicely with the warm sunlight heating my blanket. I couldn’t help but snuggle down deeper into the thin sheets and relish the feeling of comfort. It felt like it had been a long time since I could simply sleep in and relax like this. Probably since my childhood really, those lazy summer mornings before school was let back in for the semester were some of my fondest memories.
I could almost imagine myself opening my eyes and looking out of my bedroom window to see a warm, blue-sky summer day, with lazy white clouds puttering along. My mother would be outside, trimming the flowers in her garden and paying extra attention to her prized plants. She loved the time she spent in her garden, using it as an excuse to stay active in her retirement, but there was a section that was always fawned over more than the others. She would be out there for hours, pruning and watering her zinnias, admiring their different colors from the rich lavender purples and soft peach pinks to the vibrant reds and oranges that would glisten with morning dewdrops adorning them like gemstones.
My father would be making breakfast right about now, the smell of coffee permeating the entire house as it percolated through the coffee maker and into the steamy glass container below. I never really liked coffee as a kid, but the smell of my father’s favorite brew always brought a smile to my face and I grew to like the strong, bitter drink. I remembered making it just a week or so ago on my hike and it felt like he was right there with me, enjoying the sunrise over those misty valleys below. “Weird…I thought I was still camping, or lost or something. Was that all just a really weird dream?”
I opened my eyes and saw an open window with thin green curtains gently blowing in the breeze. Outside, a flower garden was playing host to a small fleet of bees as they buzzed around, happily collecting pollen and drinking nectar. A single pony with a white coat and pink mane was making her way through the garden towards another brown pony who sat in a wheelchair. I assumed he was a male, as his build was a bit bulkier than hers or mine and his mane was much shorter. One of his rear legs had a cast up to his fetlock, probably broken or badly sprained and he smiled at the white pony as she approached him to push him back inside.
“She must be a nurse I guess, from her little hat and the red cross on her butt.” I thought to myself before I came to my groggy senses. I attempted to sit up, but some soreness and a strange tight sensation around my rear prevented me from doing so. I wasn’t in nearly as much pain as I had been the day prior, but the leg that had been giving me grief all week still made its displeasure known. “So it wasn’t a dream.”
My mind started to swirl around with questions. “Who rescued me from those wolf things, or did I really escape them? Maybe someone had found me and brought me here. But how did they do that? I felt like I was flying before I blacked out completely. Oh right. Wings… there are probably others that have them too. They brought me to a medical facility of some sort, but who built it? Ponies don’t have hands to make things like this…unless maybe they developed tools? Do they speak? Or rather, am I able to speak with them? What do you even say to a talking horse? Oh crap, right! I’m a talking horse!”
My head started to feel dizzy again and I laid back into my pillow, it’s softness easing my confused mind. “Ok. So. Now what? I pretend I’m a pretty pony princess or something? Well…maybe not a princess, but how am I supposed to deal with this?” I felt my ears flatten against my head as I stared at my foreign appendages, flexing them gently and noting the small adhesive bandages on them. “Focus, me. That’s not important. Right now, I need to figure out as much as I can. I doubt someone knows what happened to me or how I ended up here, but maybe I can at least figure out where here even is. Losing my marbles isn’t going to help.”
I sighed and attempted to relax, but the more I tried to quiet my thoughts, the more questions came to mind. I wished I could just get up and walk to the garden, or go for a run, or even twiddle my non-existent thumbs; anything to take my mind off the uncomfortable and alien circumstances I found myself in. One question jammed its way into my brain and gave me reason to begin to fear. “What if they find out I’m not really a pony? What would they do to me if-”
That thought was abruptly interrupted by the sound of hooves meeting tile in the hallway outside the door behind me. I was facing the wall opposite the door, so I couldn’t see who entered the room when the door softly swung open and what I assumed to be a pony trotted in. I heard quiet humming as she stepped over to the bottom of my bed and pulled what I assumed to be a clipboard of some sort from the baseboard of my bed. I heard pencil hit paper, she must have been making notes or maybe signing off on a shift change? I hoped that it was the pony I’d seen outside with the other patient before. At least then she would be somewhat familiar and not another complete unknown.
After a few moments she set the clipboard back into the pocket at the bottom of the bed and stepped around to my side. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt the soft touch of a hoof on my…withers? “I really need to learn my pony parts.” I thought to myself.
“Excuse me, miss?” The pony said in a calm, quiet voice that sounded unsure if she should wake me. Immediately it struck me that I could understand her. I had been so worried about learning how to speak with them that I hadn’t thought of the possibility that I may already know how, which I suppose made sense in hindsight, since whatever magic or mystery that happened to me turned me into one of them anyway. “Miss, I know you’re awake. I can see your ears moving.”
“What should I say?!” I slowly nodded in response. “Great. Good job, me.”
“Oh, good! My name is Nurse Redheart. I’m very sorry to disturb you, but I need to check your bandages. Do you mind if I take a quick look?” She said with a calm and professional kindness. I’d been in a hospital on a couple of occasions but the staff seemed less than thrilled to be there, most of the time adopting an aloof demeanor. I assumed it was because they were overworked or stressed out, and didn’t think too much of it, but this nurse made me second guess that thought. Maybe they were just jerks? “Miss?” She said again, a little more stern this time around.
“O-oh. Sorry, I guess I’m still a little out of it.” I answered back before I realized I had. I felt a little embarrassed, it was my first time talking to someone else since the transformation and I felt self conscious of my new voice. It still sounded alien to me, since I hadn’t found much use for it until now.
“That’s quite alright. You were unconscious for about 24 hours. Naps that long can leave anypony a little loopy.” She said, a clear smile in her voice. “I’m just glad you weren’t hurt as badly as you could have been. Timberwolves are no joke!” She grabbed the blanket in her mouth and pulled it down slowly to reveal my bandaged back and I shivered as the cool air inside the building met my warm skin, though it felt refreshing rather than uncomfortable. I chalked it up to having fur covering my body now to keep me warm.
The nurse hummed to herself before speaking again. “The bandages look a little dirty, not too bad though. You might only need one or two more changes before we can remove them for good. If you don’t mind waiting here for just a moment, I’ll be right back with another nurse to help change these and bring you something to eat and drink. I’m sure you’re pretty hungry by now.”
I nodded again and as if on cue my stomach loudly agreed. The nurse laughed quietly as she left the room, her hooves clopping against the tiled floor until she rounded the corner at the end of the hall. It was only another minute or so before I heard hoofsteps returning with what sounded like two more individuals behind. “Ok, miss. I’ve brought Doctor Horse and Nurse Sweetheart with me. He’d like to ask you a few questions about your medical history while we change your wraps. I hope you don’t mind.”
“N-no, I don’t. Thank you.” I said, still unsure what exactly to say. “I hope he doesn’t ask me if I have a history of stomach aches and which ones hurt most often…wait, horses have multiple stomachs, right? Or was that cows…” I saw a rather plump pink pony with purple and white hair and a white cross flank mark come to my side of the bed. She gave me a smile as she placed a few rolls of fresh bandages on the bed and began working at undoing my wrappings with a hoof. The two nurses worked quickly to undo the wrappings while the third pony, still behind me, spoke up.
“Firstly,” The doctor started off in a deeper voice, obviously a male. I cringed a little, realizing my distinct lack of clothes. I didn’t even have a hat like the nurses. I hoped that nudity was just normal. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Doctor Horse. I see that you were admitted without a name for reference, and I’d very much like to be able to call you by name instead of 'Miss.'”
“Uh oh… another minor problem.” I tried saying my old name a few times out in the woods, but somehow the words weren't there. My old name was basically erased from my memory, so I’d been referring to myself as “Me” which, while lazy, served its purpose just fine.
“I-uhh. I-I’m sorry, I don’t remember. My head still hurts a bit and I can’t think clearly.” I said, more so as an excuse to buy me some time while I thought of a better answer than, “I don't know.” I shriveled up a little as I just knew he was eyeing me critically or judging me or something. Nurse Sweetheart just looked at me with a reassuring smile and continued her work, which made me feel a bit better. I could see she was concerned for me, and I was grateful for that, though it made me feel bad about being unable to remember.
“I see. You seem to have suffered multiple concussions while lost in the Everfree so I suppose an unstable memory isn’t unexpected.” There was a strange buzzing sound before he jotted down a note and moved on. “Have you ever been to Ponyville before, Miss?”
“N-no sir. I don’t believe I have.” “Ponyville? That’s like calling my hometown Humanburg.”
“Do you know if you have any family or distant relatives here in Ponyville?” The doctor asked.
“I-don’t think so. I don’t remember my family ever mentioning it.” I said, doing my best to retain plausibility.
“I see. Would you happen to know your previous medical history off-hoof? Any allergies or medical conditions that may need to be addressed for medications or potions?”
“Potions? They use potions here? Like…in those tabletop games?” “Not that I’m aware of, no sir.” At least I didn’t have to lie that much. Not that I’d know if I had any allergies since I was reasonably sure that everything that grew here was completely unfamiliar to me, not to mention the unknown nature of potion brewing.
“What about previous medical conditions? Any previous injuries or disabilities such as weak wings or history of weak joints?” The Nurses had gotten down to the last layer of medical bandages and I winced as they peeled the sticky wrappings away from my back. I expected them to be caked in blood, but they were only slightly discolored. “Guess I didn’t get sliced up as badly as I thought I did.” I could feel Nurse Redheart gingerly cleaning the scrapes on my backside and I flinched a little at the cool towel she was pressing against the scrapes.
“Sorry, Miss. Please bear with it for just a moment, we’re almost done.” The nurse dabbed a few more spots before applying a thin layer of ointment to the affected area and began re-wrapping me. The doctor remained patient during the proceedings and waited for my response.
“Ow. N-no sir. I only dislocated my leg once, when I first landed.” I said, relaxing a bit as the stinging from my back subsided.
“Twice then, actually. When the rescue team found you, your right rear leg was dislocated and had to be reset before we moved you here to prevent further aggravation to your joints. I would suggest staying off that leg as much as possible, and avoiding any sort of running or heavy lifting for a while after your recovery, just to be safe. I’m rather impressed you were able to set it back on your own the first time. It must have been a harrowing experience.” He said, making more notes on his clipboard before flipping it over to the next page. I heard that strange buzzing sort of sound again while he wrote, but I thought maybe it was the bees outside or my head injuries talking.
A few more scratching sounds came from his pad before he continued. “As for now, how are you feeling? Any serious pain, stiffness, numbness, or irritation?”
I shook my head. “No sir, just a little uncomfortable laying on my side like this…I think I’m laying on my w-wing a little funny. Other than my head and leg still hurting a little, that is.” The more I talked, the better I felt. Aside from being in a pony hospital speaking with horses it almost felt like a normal event, like when I broke my ankle the first time I went exploring a particularly difficult section of trail in the Adirondack mountains. “Maybe I should have brought that up when he asked about previous injuries…”
“We can help you shift to your back, now that we’re finished wrapping you up. Would that be more comfortable for you, dear?” Nurse Sweetheart asked. I nodded and they helped me settle into a comfortable position with my wings tucked in and out of the way. I sighed in relief as the slight soreness eased out of my side when a strange sparkle of light caught my eye. I stared like a deer in headlights at the doctor's clipboard and a pen floating in front of him as he sat there. The pen wiggled in the air on its own as it scribbled some more notes onto the page without him so much as looking at it. A strange glittering aura enveloped the two objects, and his horn atop his head. “A bucking unicorn?! Are you serious?!”
“Uhh…I’m sorry, is something wrong, Miss?” The doctor said, looking at me incredulously while his pencil kept writing.
“Did he not see the magical floating stationary right there! Wait…maybe he did and it's normal? They are both covered in the same glowing aura that’s surrounding his horn…is he…no…he can’t be using…but I mean…I have wings now so maybe…?”
“Miss?” He asked again, a bit more concerned this time. I snapped my gaping mouth closed with a soft “click.”
“O-oh! Err, yeah. I’m sorry. I was just…uhh. Admiring your hair…” I muttered as a poor excuse to try covering for my slack jawed stare and it seemed to have worked. The doctor smiled at that comment, maybe a bit too much. “Oh crap, is he blushing?”
He cleared his throat and the two nurses giggled. “Well, thank you. I appreciate that you find my mane that…distracting? But I must apologize, I’m not here to start relationships with my patients. Maybe we can hold off on the compliments until you are fully recovered, yes?”
“I just hit on my doctor…what the actual buck am I doing. Someone please save me.”
“Now now, Doctor Horse. I believe our patient is probably just tired and needs a bit more rest. Let’s get out of her mane for now and we can come back later to go over her test results and X-Rays.” Nurse Redheart barely held back a giggle before moving to shoo the embarrassed, red-faced doctor towards the door. “If you need us for anything, don’t be afraid to call.” Redheart waved a hoof to me before booting the doctor out the door.
Sweetheart was beside herself, tears in her eyes from holding back laughter. She took a few moments to breath and calm herself before she addressed me again, still trying her best to remain professional. “Erm. Yes, well. I’ll go get you something to eat. Remember to take it slow though. We wouldn’t want you getting sick in front of the doctor, would we?”
“Oh, spare me lady.”
“If you can keep your food down, we’ll take the IV drip out.”
I struggled to regain composure and chase the heat away from my face. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”
“It’s ok, dear. It happens from time to time. Don’t think too much of it and just focus on your recovery for now.” She smiled and winked at me. “We’ll just blame it on your pain medications and leave it at that, hmm?”
“Great. Now I’m sure she thinks I have the hots for the Horse Doc.”
“Oh! And before I go, I believe you may have some guests coming to visit you a little later today, once you’re feeling up to it.”
I tilted my head, a look of confusion and worry spreading across my face. “Guests?” I said, wondering who in the world would have business with me. “Maybe the pony government already knows about me and wants to bring me in for questioning.”
“Just some friends, dear. They seemed eager to meet you. I’ll let them know that you’re up and feeling better. I’d guess they’ll stop by sometime early this afternoon if you’re feeling well.” She left before I had a chance to say anything else.
“Friends? I seriously don’t know anyone else here.” I was really beginning to get worried now. The idea of some strange pony government taking me in for an interrogation of some sort freaked me out. “If they don’t know that I’m not a real pony, then did I somehow break some sort of immigration law? Maybe they think I’m a spy or something. In which case, are they going to try to torture me into spilling the beans on where I came from? Do ponies do that sort of thing? What kind of mad things can they do with freaking magic?!”
Again the sounds of hooves on tiles interrupted my brain’s attempt to instill paranoia, and with the sound came the smell of something utterly delicious. Another nurse, this one was yellow with a two-tone blue mane and a white cross with red triangles in the corners of it came marching in, pushing a cart with a tray on it. Whatever was on that tray made my mouth water as the smell from the food it carried wafted into the room as steam rose from the plate.
She laid the tray on my lap and smiled at me before trotting out of the room and closing the door behind her. I looked down to find a single scrambled egg and a small bowl of applesauce. Not something I personally would think of as a breakfast pair, but I was pretty sure they were made with my recent limited intake of solid foods in mind. I was nearly beside myself at the sight of eggs though, as I had assumed that eggs and dairy products were probably off the table as far as food goes since even the thought of any kind of meat made my stomach riot. But here sat the most delicious smelling scrambled egg I had ever smelled and I reveled in it.
It took me a few tries to figure out how to eat them though. The tray came with a spoon and a glass of water, which I simply couldn’t fathom why the heck they had those or how I was meant to use them. I mean…it was a spoon. How the heck was I supposed to use that thing without fingers to manipulate it? I stared at it for far too long, maybe hoping that I’d grow a horn and it would just levitate the food into my mouth but no such thing happened and I just dipped my head to the plate and ate like an animal, completely embarrassed knowing that they even had silverware and presumably table etiquette and eating like a dog was probably seen as uncouth.
I managed to complete my meal and then stared at the water that glistened in the sunlight that streamed into the room. My parched mouth and throat twinged as I dryly swallowed and the glass promised sweet relief. I wasn’t convinced that my legs and hooves were built for holding objects like cups but there had been plenty of evidence so far to support the idea that the ponies managed to make it work, somehow. I sighed, “At least if I drop it I can just say that I don’t have my strength back yet or something. Better learn how to do this now before I make a fool of myself elsewhere, since it looks like I may be in this world for a while.”
I reached forward towards the glass with both hooves and attempted to pinch it between the flat bottom of each limb, but I couldn’t manage to get a good enough grasp to lift it without spilling a small amount on the tray. I then tried to grab it with my fetlocks, which worked surprisingly well since they had enough range of motion to help grasp it. It was clumsy, but I brought the glass to my mouth with only a few more spilled drops along the way and savored the cool water as it washed away the rough dryness from my throat.
Using my new-found ability to grasp objects, I managed to clumsily move the tray off my bed and onto the table beside it. I laid back and stretched out, wincing as my twice-injured leg complained. The scent of the flower garden once again blew through the window with the warm summer breeze, helping me relax after such a rigorous morning. I wondered to myself if I’d be stuck in this new world forever or if some show of magic or miracle would whisk me back to mine. Whatever the case, I was taking it pretty well at this point.
The gravity of the situation I was in had already hit me a few days prior, and most of the panic and fear I had felt about being relocated had subsided save for being shown levitating pencils by horned fairy tale creatures. I remembered stumbling through the Everfree, “Glad I have a name for the forest now,” and hearing some strange chanting or rhyming that was echoing from deep in the woods. My fear was at its peak then, afraid of so many things that could happen. Now I’m safe for the most part, as far as I can tell, and since I have no discernible way of returning home I may as well attempt to acclimate.
It seemed strange that I’d taken so quickly to trying to adopt a new life just like that, to just throw away my humanity and be a pony-thing. I remembered stories of people in war-torn areas being captured and quickly adopting their captor’s way of life in an attempt to survive. Maybe that’s what happened to me? Stockholm syndrome? Had it been long enough for that to have even set in? Or was it that because I had been transformed into a herd animal, I desired to fit in more?
I was lost in thought for a lot longer than I realized when a knock at the door brought my mind back to the hospital room. The pink maned nurse from before, Redheart I think, poked her head inside and smiled at me. “Oh! I’m glad to see you’re still up! How has your breakfast settled?” She trotted inside the room and started cleaning up the tray on the bedside table.
“It was the best thing I’ve eaten all week.” My pun made the nurse giggle and roll her eyes.
“I’m glad you found the hospital food to your liking, and it seems like you’re keeping it down too. I’ll just take these away and be back in a moment to remove your IV.” She took the tray and made for the door. “Ah! I almost forgot to ask, would you like me to send word to your guests that you are feeling well enough for a visit?”
I wasn’t sure who these guests were, but it couldn’t hurt. I mean, what else would I do while I was stuck here? It looked like my room had a small wheeled shelf with a few books on it, but I’d probably rip a page or something trying to figure out how to open one with my hooves and I’d prefer not to piss off the ponies so quickly by destroying someone’s property. Besides, if my paranoid mind was right and the cops were here to bag an illegal immigrant I may as well go ahead and deal with it now. “Sure. I guess that’s okay.”
“I’ll let our receptionist, Mrs. Care, know after we get the IV out and make sure you’re comfortable. Knowing Twilight, it won't take them very long to get here.” The pink-haired pony stepped out of the room, leaving the door open this time.
“Twilight? Mrs. Care, Redheart, Sweetheart…Doctor Horse. Thinking of something to call myself may be harder than I thought.” I cringed inwardly at the different names that popped into my head. “I’ll...just cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Redheart came back quicker than I expected and set about removing the IV drip in my foreleg, throwing the used bag away and wheeling the holder to a storage closet in the room before leaving once again. Not very long after I heard a strange pop come from down the hallway and two new voices. Anxiety began to rise in my chest, I didn’t know who these ponies were but they saw it fit to go out of their way to come see me. I tried to shove that thought back down, “It’s just the paranoia talking. Everyone’s been nothing if not pleasant the entire time. No reason to start fearing anything now.”
I could hear Redheart briefing the two further down the hallway, and my ears swiveled as they tried to pick up on what was being said. “I’m just glad to hear our new friend is awake and feeling better. She must have had such a horrible time out there.” That pony sounded almost posh, like a socialite or high class woman you’d expect to see at a ball. I could almost picture her wearing a jewel encrusted tiara or a billowing dress.
“I’m honestly surprised she came out as well as she did, or even at all. The Everfree is seriously dangerous! Let’s try to avoid talking about it for now though. Who knows what kinds of damage it could have done to her mental state, after all. We can broach the subject after it looks like she’s more comfortable. Maybe then we can get some answers as to who she is.” They both sounded considerate enough, though this one seems like she might have other motives than just being friendly.
“Agreed. I wouldn’t want to cause any more undue stress to the poor dear. Has she told you her name yet? I really would like to address her properly.” The posh pony said, pushing the issue of my name. I needed to think of something quick.
“We asked her earlier today, but she said she was having trouble remembering it. She may be having issues with her memory recall, which we suspect is from the concussions we discussed.” Nurse Redheart said with a twinge of pity in her voice. My heart sank a little.
“Oh! I have a spell that might help with that! Maybe we can try it out! I mean, if she’s ok with it.” The curious sounding one said happily, and my heart rose back up into my throat.
“Ok, she seemed way too excited for that. And a spell that can look at your memories…” I definitely didn’t like the sounds of some random person - pony - rooting around in my head, that was just asking for trouble.
“Well, in any case, it isn’t good of us to keep a lady waiting. We can worry about the small stuff later, right now there’s a pony in need of a friend down there and I know just the two for the job!” A third voice, this one sounded a lot younger and maybe male?
“Ugh. I wish they’d hurry up and get in here already so I could at least see who was talking about me.”
“I’m already here, but I’m not talking about you. I’m talking with you! Well, at you…you should probably look down here so you can see me welcome you to Ponyville, silly!”
“Wha-?” I looked over the side of my bed where the voice came from and staring up from beneath it was a pink pony with a darker pink cotton candy mane and bright sky-blue eyes smiling broadly back at me. “How did she-”
“How did I get under here? Well I obviously snuck in while you were mumbling to yourself earlier! You were so lost in thought that I thought, ‘Hmm it’d be better to wait for everypony else to get here,’ but then I had this amazing idea that I’d hide under your bed and surprise everypony all at once because my Pinkie sense told me that there would be a surprise today and boy was I surprised to see that the surprise was a new pony and that my friends were planning on a surprise visit to the surprise pony without the surprise champion of Ponyville, so here I am! Surprise!”
Before my brain had the time to process what was happening, there were streamers and confetti falling from the ceiling tiles and the pink pony had pulled a harmonica out of hammer space and blew a tune on it before breaking out into song.
“Welcome welcome welcome
A fine welcome to you
Welcome welcome welcome
I say how do you do?
Welcome welcome welcome
I say hip hip hurray
Welcome welcome welcome
To Ponyville today!”
More confetti exploded from under the bed and kazoos sounded out loudly from somewhere hidden inside the room as balloons floated up to the ceiling. I gaped wide-eyed at the pony that had been bouncing around the room like a ricocheting bullet, mouth hanging open loosely as I struggled to make sense of everything that just happened.
“Yeah, I get that reaction a lot!” She giggled and snorted before darting right up to me, shoving her nose into mine. She smelled like cake frosting and sprinkles and sugar, so much so I could almost feel diabetes sinking in. “So hi! My name’s Pinkamena Diane Pie, or Pinkie Pie for short! Or Pinkie for short, short! All my friends just call me Pinkie and everypony’s my friend, so since you’re my newest new friend, you can call me Pinkie too! Oh, and as my newest new friend I made a super special, super scrumptious, super spectacular cupcake just for you!” Pinkie Pie whipped out a little silver tray with a silver top from somewhere in her curly mass of mane and opened it up to reveal a colorful cupcake piled with frosting and a little flag on top that had a picture of my pony face on it planted at the very top.
All I could do was stare at her in utter disbelief, trying desperately to maintain my sanity. How one pony had enough time to set this all up by herself while I was awake and in the same room and not be seen or heard or anything was too much to comprehend. How did she even know what I looked like to make the little flag?! I was starting to shake a little bit again, but I couldn’t tell if it was from shock or from the ridiculously sweet smelling confection giving me a contact sugar high. I was only partially aware of the hooves running towards the door and a voice yelling into the room.
“Pinkie Pie! What are you doing here? I thought you were busy cleaning up from your party for the guards last night!” A purple pony with purple hair and highlights shouted at Pinkie Pie. I noticed she had a horn as well, who’s magic now seemed a lot less concerning than the hot pink horse that materialized from thin air with half a party store in tow.
“Hi, Twilight! Surprised you too, huh? I was so excited from the party last night that I thought I’d stay late and clean up so I could start planning the party for Miss Mystery Mare here, but the more I planned the more impatient I got, so I planned a little surprise welcome party here before the other surprise party back in Ponyville when she gets better! Which I guess isn’t a surprise anymore…huh.” She shrugged and put the cupcake on my bed.
“How did you even know that she was…you know what, nevermind.” The purple mare sighed in frustration and walked up to me, looking at me apologetically. I would have acknowledged her sooner, but my mind was still recovering from the “surprise.”
“I’m so sorry about that. Pinkie Pie can be a little overzealous when it comes to welcoming new ponies to town. I was hoping that our visit would be a little calmer, but it seems she beat us to the punch.” The purple pony explained and laughed awkwardly as Pinkie gave her a huge toothy grin.
“At least she was courteous enough not to bring her party cannon this time.” The posh voice from earlier belonged to a white pony with sapphire-blue eyes and the prettiest purple hair that I’d ever seen. It looked like she spent entirely too much time styling it, and it bounced about as she stepped into the room, taking care to avoid the few fluttering bits of confetti still in the air.
“I can’t bring a cannon into a hospital, Rarity!” The pink one exclaimed, acting as though she was shocked at the idea. Rarity sighed in relief, glad to have avoided that particular fiasco. “I left it out back in the garden just in case though.”
“Pinkie!” Twilight shouted.
“What?” She said innocently.
Twilight simply shook her head and groaned, but her smile betrayed her vocal outburst. It seemed like this was a regular occurrence and something they’ve pretty much just come to accept, which only served to fuel more questions. The horn on Twilight’s head began to glow a glittering purple and the room buzzed with magic. All of the confetti, streamers, balloons and a kazoo took on her horn’s aura and all magically levitated to a trash bin in the corner of the room where it placed itself cleanly, she then tied the bag closed and levitated it outside the door before returning her attention to me. “Wow…the pink one materializes matter from thin air, and the unicorns can levitate and move objects without having to lift a hoof…And all I got are these wings that won’t listen to me. I feel cheated, can I get a do-over?”
“Ahem.” Twilight cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. “Let’s try this again. Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle. And these are my friends, Pinkie Pie and Rarity.” She pointed a hoof to both of them. Pinkie was now bouncing in place, smiling and giggling towards me while Rarity calmly stepped forward and sat next to Twilight. I could see Rarity was uncomfortable about something and kept looking me up and down like had something she wanted to say or point out, but she kept it to herself while Twilight spoke.
Twilight continued, “I thought it would be nice to come visit you since you're new in town and probably don’t know anypony here. I know it can feel lonely, especially when you’re somewhere new, but I wanted you to know that you don’t have to feel alone and that you have friends here too, if you will have us.” Her genuine smile eased my concerns about pony governments and magical torture techniques. It seemed to me that they were truly concerned about my health and well-being. I felt dumb for concocting all the ways this meeting could have gone wrong, and guilty that I judged them before they even stepped hoof into the room.
“Guess old human habits die hard.” I thought to myself. They reminded me of my friends and family back home, which reminded me of how far away from home I really was. In a way, their attempt to make me feel better about this situation I found myself in only made me feel that much worse. I sniffled a little and wiped my eyes, trying not to cry in front of three strangers. “I-I really appreciate that. Thank you.”
“Twilight here tells me that you were out there in the wilderness for almost a week! I’m sure that it was a harrowing experience, and you certainly don’t have to talk about it if you wish not to, but I can tell simply by looking at your poor mane that it must have been hard for you.” Rarity placed a hoof on my foreleg, and I had to admire how well she kept her hooves. I also wondered if she was trying to be empathetic or if she was criticizing the beautiful disaster that was my current hairdo.
“I mean, just look at your hair darling. The hospital staff are great at their jobs, but to leave you in such a state is beyond tragic! Would you allow me to fix it for you while we talk? I’m sure you’ll feel like a brand new mare again once all those tangles are out.” I looked down at my mane, blowing a stay strand of it from my face noting a split end. I’d been so caught up in survival that hygiene had taken a back seat, and even I could tell that this rat's nest of a mane was completely unacceptable. It was clean, as the nurses probably took some time to make sure I was at least sanitary enough to prevent infection but I could see there were knots and edges that needed brushing and trimming to sort out. Needless to say, I felt more than a little embarrassed when compared to Rarity who was the model of the clean and pristine.
I felt my face get hot as I looked from my hair back at her, knowing now what she wanted to say but was too kind to say it. My hair was hideous. “I…Umm…yes please…if you don’t mind.”
Rarity practically beamed with excitement as she materialized a fabric bag from out of nowhere with a pop that sounded similar to the one I heard in the hall just minutes prior and opened it with her magic, handling nearly twenty different combs, brushes, picks, curlers, irons, and some other things whose purpose escaped me entirely. She sorted out everything on the bed, which was now becoming crowded between me, the cupcake, and an entire salon and started removing flakes of confetti before the arduous task of brushing and de-tangling.
I felt bad that my hair was in such a bad condition, but Rarity didn’t seem to mind so I let it slide. It felt strange to have someone brushing my hair, but not in a bad way. It was pleasant, almost pleasant enough to make me forget that she can teleport beauty supplies from who knows where.
“Well, while Rarity gets your mane back to normal, why don’t we tell you a little about ourselves." Twilight began, "All of us live in Ponyville, which isn’t too far from here as you may assume. I live and work at the library in town and mainly study and research magic there between helping anypony looking for specific books and studying the magic of friendship. If you want to borrow anything, feel free to stop by sometime! I’m sure my assistant, Spike, and I can help you find what you're looking for.” Twilight said as she levitated a small pair of scissors over to Rarity.
“Studying the magic of…what? Is that something pony’s study, like for real? Does she have a PhD or a black belt in hand-to-hand friendship?” I simply nodded, but I’m pretty sure my eye started to twitch a little.
“Speaking of Spike, where is he?” Pinkie said as she looked around the room in places that no pony should be, like the corners of the ceiling.
“I-I’m here! Ergh! Phew! Rarity, did you pack enough hair care products? I nearly threw out my back dragging it all in here.” That voice was the one I’d heard earlier down the hall before Pinkie gave me a heart attack, but I nearly had another when I saw the little purple and green lizard it belonged to.
“Only the necessities, my dear little Spikey-Wikey. Thank you for being such a gentleman and helping me carry my bag!” She said in a cooing tone, causing the little reptile to grow a goofy grin across his scaly face.
“A-a dragon!” I gasped out loud. He seemed to take pride in that and puffed out his little chest and flexed, which was admittedly adorable.
“Yup! In the flesh! Pretty impressive, am I right?” Spike said, raising an eyebrow and striking a pose.
“And humble too, I see.” I thought as I rolled my eyes.
“A baby dragon, but yes. Say hello Spike.” Twilight giggled at the show her little lizard friend was making.
“Hiya. I’m Twilight’s number one assistant. I’m sure she already told you, but if you need anything at the library, I’m your guy! I know where every single book is by heart, and if we don’t have it, I can get it! Just leave it to me!” I blinked a few times before nodding my head.
“Dear, please hold still. I’d rather not have to cut off more than what I need to, your hair is simply too dazzling to wear short.” The way Rarity chided me left me conflicted, so I sat still both happy and embarrassed.
“Right?! It’s like a sunset! Or a maple leaf! Or an orange! Or an orange maple sunset!” Pinkie blurted out, still bouncing away.
“I’m sure it’ll look amazing once Rarity works her magic. If anypony knows about fashion and looking one’s best, it’s her!” Twilight bragged but I’d have to admit, I thought that there’d be more tugging with all the tangles in my mane. Rarity had been so gentle and methodical that I had hardly realized she’d been working on me save for the soft brushing and quiet snip of a scissor every now and then.
“And if you’re ever in need of a new outfit, I’d be more than happy to make you something fabulous. I run the Carousel Boutique, the finest boutique in all of Equestria, and I already have so many wonderful ideas for you! I simply adore the color of your mane, and it's so luxurious and bold!” Rarity started talking to herself about different styles and colors and patterns and gems and frills that she thinks I’d look good in.
I started to think that maybe having her sort me out wasn’t such a good idea after all. Playing pretty princess dress up for her seemed like more of a chore than a relaxing event. Which brought another point, “I guess ponies do wear clothes. Just not all the time? Is it a special occasion sort of thing or maybe just a ‘wear it if you want to’ sort of deal? Ugh…” I felt like there was probably some nuance I was missing there.
“Thank you, Rarity. I appreciate the offer.” I said, trying to be as gracious as possible and hoping my trepidation didn’t show.
“Oh! Oh! Me next! Me next! Pick me, pick me!” Pinkie darted to the foot of the bed and beamed at me expectantly while dancing on the tips of her hooves.
“Okay. What do you do, Pinkie?” I said, wondering if I was going to regret asking. I half expected to get another face full of confetti, which I’m sure would have upset my current hairdresser as well. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
“I work at a bakery in town called Sugarcube Corner where I bake all sorts of super delicious pastries! But when I’m not working, or foalsitting for Mr. and Mrs. Cake, I’m Ponyville's number one premiere party pony! I even have my own welcome wagon! Wanna see it?” I opened my mouth to respond, but she had already dashed outside the room and reappeared outside the window in under a second with a pink and white cart that exploded open with streamers and had several different types of cakes and desserts on little dishes all under a welcome sign.
“How did she get out there so fast?” I said aloud as I stared at the spectacle.
“I don’t really know how she does what she does. It’s just a Pinkie thing. You get used to it.” Spike said as he gave her show an incredulous look before making a little surprised yelp as she bolted back in just as quickly as she left, not even out of breath.
“She and Applejack are the best bakers in town! Between the two of them, you’ll never run out of delicious food!” Twilight said as she pointed out my personal cupcake. I was still disconcerted with how she got a flag with my face on it before she ever met me.
Spike interjected while licking his lips. “The Cakes even made me a sapphire encrusted cupcake for my last birthday!”
“Sapphire?” I asked, unsure if he meant that literally.
“Uh-huh! Oh, but you ponies don’t really eat gems so I got to have it all to myself. Too bad, too! You're really missing out!” He licked his lips and rolled his eyes back as he remembered his birthday treat.
“Literally then. Little guy literally eats crystals. Remind me not to get bit by him. I wonder if he breathes fire too. Hmm.”
I took a moment to take in everything they told me. Hairdressers and fashion, libraries and magic, pastries, parties, and…cannons. They were a little strange, but not in a bad way. I felt that acclimating would be pretty easy aside from a few allowances I’d need to afford for my change in environment, body shape, and maybe some cultural and historical differences - and Pinkie Pie - but if I really was stuck here permanently, it honestly wouldn’t be that difficult.
“So, what do you do?” Spiked asked me with a grin and looked excited to hear my answer.
“Huh?” I wasn’t prepared to answer that. “Do ponies have colleges? Do I tell them the truth, or do I make something up? Do I tell them I’m a hiker? Do ponies hike? Do pegasi hike? The way they talked about the Everfree makes it seem like going into the wilderness isn’t something ponies really do, understandably." My brain raced as it tried to think of a plausible response.
The three mares shared glances with each other. It looked like they could tell I wasn’t comfortable with that question and were worried that the little dragon had said something he shouldn’t have. “Spike, I don’t know if she can answer that question yet. She’s had a rough time, and might be having trouble remembering who she is.” Twilight told Spike with a look of pity, and I wasn’t going to have it. I didn’t want him to feel bad about asking me a normal question and I was tired of making everyone else feel sorry for me.
“I umm…I went to school for a while, but I always liked being outdoors and hiking in the mountains. I usually end up spending most of my time exploring places I haven't been yet."
Twilight immediately perked up, while Rarity seemed somewhat confused. “Oh! You went to another school? Was it the Wonderbolts academy for gifted flyers? Or were you curious about how unicorn magic works and sat in on classes at a magic academy? Maybe you wanted to learn more about the different types of magic between earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi? Ooo, it’s so exciting to meet someone who wants to better themselves through knowledge!” Twilight clapped her hooves and bounced in excitement like her pink friend.
“Well, not exactly. I went to school for forestry, and learned a lot about plants and animals on my own too. I also did some primitive survival training on the side.” I had decided to tell them the truth as far as it mattered. If I tried to hide anything, I’m sure they’d find out one way or another. I remembered Twilight saying something about a spell for memory recall and thought that if she really wanted to she could just probe my brain for all the info she’d need. I’d rather not be mind-bucked by a unicorn and be locked up in a prison cell for lying and impersonating a pony.
“That sounds…interesting.” Rarity said, a little forcibly. “I mean, I know plenty of earth ponies that have learned similar things from their parents and co-workers. Why, Applejack learned everything on the job at her family’s farm, though I simply don’t understand why anypony would want to willingly get dirty.” She wrinkled her nose and turned her head to the side in distaste, but turned back to face me. “Especially someone as pretty as you, dear.
“I’ve never heard of any schools for earth ponies that teach that sort of thing though. I always thought that that sort of thing was, you know, intrinsic. A part of who they are as an earth pony, part of their magic.” She continued as she snipped a particularly nasty knot out of my mane.
“It is, Rarity. An earth pony's magic lies in nature and how it works. Even I have difficulty making things grow like AJ can, my own magic included. Somepony must have wanted to try to teach some of their skills to others who weren’t as gifted with those talents, like how the Wonderbolts teach advanced flight at their academy. Is that right?” Twilight asked me, curiously.
“Well, I guess you could say that. My mentor was a little nutty sometimes, but he was always trying to teach everyo-pony about how to live off the land just in case something crazy happened and society collapsed. I didn’t believe most of his 'end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it' stuff, but I definitely learned a lot from him.” I stumbled a little, trying to remember to use their colloquial phrases like somepony and everypony.
“How interesting. Ponies haven’t had to do much 'surviving' for a long time, probably not since the first tribes came to Equestria. Camping trips with pre-packed meals and tents are really about as rough as it gets. It’s amazing that somepony still practices the old ways. I’d love to sit down and have a chat with your mentor someday.” Twilight's eyes sparkled at the idea of learning first hand from a master of a bygone craft. I almost felt bad for her, since she’d never get that chance. Well, maybe never. I was here after all, who’s to say that my mentor and best friend wouldn’t somehow find his way here too. If it would happen to anyone, it’d be him. Or me…I guess. Though I’d hardly consider myself a master of the primitive skills I knew.
“I haven’t seen him for quite some time. He likes to move around from place to place and teach wherever he goes, so it might be hard to track him down.” I said, trying to rein in her eagerness for a quest with no reward.
“Well, maybe you can teach me sometime! You trained under him so I’m sure you know almost, if not just as much, as he does! You performed admirably over the last week at the very least, so I have confidence in your skills! I’m sure you’d be a great teacher too!” Twilight said in a congratulatory manner. If only she knew how much I actually struggled.
“How old were you when you realized that was your calling?” Rarity asked, seeming a little more intrigued by my answer.
“I was in my late teens. Maybe sixteen. I went to a camp over the summer where he taught his craft and I was hooked from that point on. I followed him as he traveled from place to place and we became fast friends ever since.” I cringed inwardly. I was telling the truth, but it all happened while I was human and not in this place - "Equestria, right?" - so it almost felt like I was fabricating a lie. “After a few years, I decided to learn about wildlife protection and forestry.”
“Okay. So what’s a blacksmithing cutie mark have to do with survival stuff and being outdoors all the time?” Spike asked pointedly.
“A blacksmithing what?” I asked, totally confused now. “The heck is a cutie mark?”
“You know! Blacksmithing? Like, taking rocks and getting the metal out of ‘em for stuff like nails. That’s what your cutie mark is, right? Did you earn it before that summer camp and give it up?” Spike asked, sure that I was confused about what the mark represented more than the mark itself. What was he even talking about?
Twilight giggled. “Oh, I see. No spike, that’s not blacksmithing,” She said, pointing a hoof towards my flank. “It might look like a horseshoe, but it’s a flint and steel. It’s one of the ways non-unicorns can make fire without having to use magic. They can’t just light a candle with a horn like Rarity and I, so they figured out that if you hit metal or other metallic rocks with a sharp piece of flint it creates a spark that you can use to make fire. And before that they used friction fires by using a bow and drill!”
“Seriously? They can manage that without fingers? Now I know they’re cheating. How do they tie string with freaking hooves?”
“Ooh. Yeah. I-I knew that. I was just testing you.” Spike blushed and chuckled nervously at his own ignorance. Thank the stars Twilight was a librarian and knew her stuff. “Too bad you didn’t have a totally awesome dragon that can breath fire like me to light your candles, huh?” He said, still fishing for a compliment.
“Eats shiny rocks and breathes fire. Got it. Don't mess with him.” If he wanted to impress me, or scare me, he’d done it.
“So you got your cutie mark after going on that super cool camping trip and learning how to live outdoors in the wild? What a neat story! Especially for a pegasus! Most pegasi I know have clouds or weather related cutie marks like Rainbow Dash and her lightning bolt, but yours is like an earth pony's, and that makes you super special!” Pinkie Pie said emphatically. “I bet you I know three little fillies that would love to hear that story!”
“Hmm. I suppose Sweetie Belle and her friends could learn a thing or two from you, if you would like to teach them. Besides, I would feel a lot safer if they learned from a professional than they try to be, what was it last time, ‘Manticore Catchers?’” Rarity said, without so much as a hint of a joke in her voice.
“Bucking what?” I slipped on accident, and quickly covered my mouth as the three girls looked at me with wide eyes. They let it slide, but I wasn’t going to make a habit of apparently cursing in front of them, or poor Spike. I’d just swore in front of a scaly toddler after all. “Yay, go me…”
“So…cutie marks are the things I’m seeing on everypony’s flanks and they denote what that pony’s particular talents are. Pinkie has balloons, which makes sense considering she’s a party animal. Rarity has gems…I guess that’s because she’s beautiful? Or maybe she helps make others beautiful? Maybe she’s good at finding gemstones? Hmm…and Twilight has stars…I wonder if that’s supposed to represent magic or if she’s really good at astronomy? Do ponies have telescopes?”
“And done! I decided that your colors are already so bold that if we went too big with your styling that it would look gaudy. I hope you don't mind, but simple really does suit you. Especially since your special talent requires you to be outdoors. Getting curls clean with a mane as thick as yours would be a task. What do you think?” Rarity holds up a vanity mirror with her magic, and for a moment I forgot how to speak.
She had somehow managed to not only de-tangle my mane and tail, but in doing so pulled another inch or two in length out of it, making it longer than I originally thought it was. It was voluminous and draped across my neck as it spilled across my withers and onto the bed. The ends curled upward naturally and not a single hair was out of place, which was amazing given how quickly she had finished.
“Wow…It’s…perfect.” I managed to say, but it didn’t really convey how I felt. It was odd, feeling beautiful in this body. I had felt so uncomfortable and of place since realizing I'd been pony-fied. I knew I liked my new hair color, but I never once even considered that I could like the whole thing. How could I? I wasn't "me." Yet there I was, stunned by my own reflection.
The three girls smiled at each other and giggled as they watched me fawn over my reflection. I realized they were laughing at me, and quickly turned red and hid behind a curtain of mane.
“I told you she’d appreciate it, Rarity.” Twilight said proudly. “And here, I even brought a brush that you can keep. Rarity and I picked it out for you on the way here.” She placed the brush on the bedside table and smiled at me.
“I-I don’t…uhh…I mean…” I sighed, frustrated that I didn’t have words for the kindness they showed me. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome my dear,” Rarity replied. “Remind me when you are out of the hospital to take you to the spa in town. The two sisters that own the business simply work magic with their hooves. You’ll feel like a million bits after a proper visit.” I’d never been to a spa before, or a chiropractor, or even a foot massage kiosk at the mall. If it was even ten percent as nice as this I don't think I would ever leave it. Maybe playing pretty princess pony dress up with Rarity wouldn’t be so bad…sometimes.
“And not only do you look better, but it seems like you’re feeling better too,” Twilight remarked. I felt like I could tell where this was going. “Since you remembered a bit about your past and told us a little about who you are, maybe you can tell us your name?” She looked at me hopefully. It felt like a cop out, but the truth was that I couldn’t say my name. It wasn’t mine anymore. I needed to think of something quick.
“I…” I looked around the room, down at my mane, then outside at the flower garden. I watched a little bee float past the window and out to the flowers nearby, choosing a beautiful orange flower to land on. One that looked a lot like the flowers my mother used to grow. My eyes grew wide and a real smile graced my lips for the first time since I found myself in Equestria.
“What? Did you remember your name?” Pinkie started bouncing twice as fast as the others leaned in and held their breath.
“Zinnia.”
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I really like how you handle Spike. It's rare enough that authors include him at all, much less give him a chance to show off his enthusiasm, naïveté, and relationships with Twilight and her friends, and all without him even being the focus of the scene.
It's definitely not Rainbow Dash. Not this generation, anyway.
At home we call that, Teotwawki, for short.
I was under the impression that those who do can always find a friend.
Uh, sorry; wrong franchise.
The answer to all of the above is yes.
Very nice so far. And we have a new name!! The first step to a new life and acclimating. I did spot one little typo though.
I'm going to assume you mean hoof here since she didn't react to hearing hand from a species with hooves.
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Oh! Nice catch! Thank you for pointing that out. I try to use search functions to locate errors like that, but I'm only human.
Oh my
Or maybe Humansville, out in Missouri.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humansville,_Missouri
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To think that a place called humansville actually exist is mind boggling. What? Did they just ran out of things to call the town heck even Big Rock or the founders name would suffice.
Scratch that just actually read the history, a judge there was named Human by which I still stand by my point that his ancestors were probably trolling really hard.
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Footville.
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His ancestors be like:
media.tenor.com/CEAYboyA7-sAAAAd/human-im-only-human.gif