Lotus slept uneasily that night. In a single day, everything she thought she knew about her world was now taken away. Even finding a comfortable position wasn't easy--despite the size of her bed, no human position let her relax.

Even when she finally found a way to rest, with her legs out to either side, that only let her physical discomfort fade into the deeper, emotional pain. Her body had been stolen, her financial future was uncertain, and some unknown, dangerous enemy from another world was now hunting her.

She was exhausted enough that she did sleep, though she couldn't say how long. Even then, her dreams were just as bizarre. She saw distant mountains, where strange hooves alighted in groves of white fruit trees. For a time there was peace in that beautiful garden, which welcomed her as few places ever had.

Then came fire, and a terrible silhouette appeared on the horizon. The forest wilted and burned around them, suffocating the trees and flowers with thick black smoke. Eventually the flaming figure got close enough, and she recognized it. It was herself, her eyes burning white and her body black. The figure was far larger than she was, towering overhead like a kaiju about to crush everything she knew and loved. Starting with her old self, and her old name. She screamed.

Lotus sat upright in bed, gasping and sweating. Since when did she ever remember her dreams? She looked to the window, and nearly had a second heart-attack when she saw the sun already high. It was almost noon--Kent was going to kill her.

I'm fired. She looked down, hoping against hope that everything would be back to normal. Stranger things had happened, maybe she would just get her body back without having to do anything?

She hadn't. Purple and white still fell in front of her eyes, and her leg was still covered in buttercream fur ending in a purple hoof. She was still a horse/space alien. She flopped to one side, breathing accelerating. Her walls closed in around her, the light fracturing through her window into a thousand little rainbows. Outside her room, voices suddenly came into focus--Iron Feather and Gus. Why were they so loud?

She lay that way for a while, waiting for all the bad things in her life to go away. She was ready to be herself again! It was time for the magic and impossible things to end and for normal life to resume. The magical horse could go back to his world and she would go back to boxing up potatoes. It was only fair.

Her mind raced through the same paths over and over. Each new one reminded her of the same painful reality: the pressure of solving this was on her. The princess's message said only she could cast the spell. A Pegasus didn't have a horn, and you needed horns for magic. If she wanted to be herself again, she would have to master something impossible with no one to train her.

The air felt warmer as she lay there, though she heard the air conditioner humming, and she slept atop her blankets.

You're not Eric anymore, she finally thought, her first clear impression through her growing panic. Eric isn't a girl or an alien. Eric is waiting, in suspension. I get to be him again when I can figure this out. Lotus is smart enough to learn magic. She's brave enough to keep going until she fixes things.

Whether true or not, deciding on that interpretation for herself made Lotus feel a little better. She didn't have to fight herself or feel guilty about not being Eric right now. It was out of her control, but she would eventually figure it out. But not if she sulked in her bedroom.

Lotus flopped to the floor, landing with four unsteady hooves. Four legs were more stable than two, so it wasn't like she would fall over. But it wasn't so easy if she wanted to move quickly. There were other motions for different speeds, she knew that from a lifetime of watching horses. But knowing how earth animals were supposed to move and recreating that same motion with a different skeleton were two different beasts.

She made her slow way to the door, then nudged it open. Her tail whipped back and forth as she peered out the crack, searching for signs of the police occupation or hazmat crew or maybe SCP squad here to contain whatever Iron Feather had brought to her planet.

There was nothing. Instead, a tower of pancakes sat on the kitchen table, no longer warm. Iron Feather sat in front of the old TV, watching... some old cartoon. Lotus couldn't make it out. Whatever it was didn't interest him much, because his head snapped around, settling on her. He trotted over, scooping something off the sofa beside him as he went.

"Lotus. Feeling better today?"

She forced a smile. "Are you? Your wing?"

"No sign of infection," he thrust the book towards her. "Your companion wanted to wake you earlier, but I insisted we wait. Your mental fortitude is required for magical study."

She took the book with one leg. It was the smaller of their two strange artifacts, the one that Princess Luna used to communicate. "Is there something in here to study? I still don't know anything about magic."

"That's why I wanted to wake you," Gus appeared from the kitchen, Depositing a fresh plate of eggs onto the table. This attempt was only slightly charred around the edges. "I read over it myself, in case there was some way for me to help. No luck. Without that organ on your head, it won't work. I envy the adventure of study you're about to begin. What wonders await!" He pulled out a chair. "I cooked breakfast, which means of course I reserve the right to observe and assist where possible."

She hobbled over to the table. Holding something under one leg while she did it slowed her progress to a limp. She still managed to do it without falling over, even if she had to jump between each stride.

They ate quickly, once Iron had confirmed there was nothing made of meat in the breakfast. No wonder Gus hadn't added bacon to their usual breakfast assortment. "I understand the explanation your companion gave me," Iron said. "Your species are omnivores, and do not consume sapient creatures. Our world has such creatures as well--griffins, hippogriffs, and Kirin to name a few. But that does not mean I will participate in the practice. Even across the boundary of worlds."

Lotus shrugged. Bacon didn't sound half bad, but she had no problem with the meat sauce the night before. Maybe it was all in Iron's head?

"We'll warn you next time," she said. "But what about--while I was asleep? Did anything creepy happen? With that... Searing Gale? The one Luna says is loose."

"Not that I saw," Iron answered. "But I've suggested some improvements to the security of your dwelling. There are measures we can take against foul sorcery."

She looked to Gus for his reaction. Despite his initial shock, Gus was coping to the new status quo far easier than Lotus herself. Because he didn't change. He just gets to watch and pretend he's in one of his movies. He thinks this is D&D and he can just roll some dice and get out of any problem he’s in. But we aren’t playing by easy to understand rules anymore.

Gus nodded seriously. "I'll make a trip to the hardware store later today. I've been meaning to make some changes to the property, now that I plan on buying it when our lease ends. Won't have to worry about losing our deposit for making changes."

Must be nice to have that kind of money. "I hope we're not here long enough to worry about an attack. Once I'm back to normal and Iron Feather gets sent home, we shouldn't have to worry about evil wizards, right?"

"Searing Gale is an evil Nirik, not a wizard," Iron corrected. "The greatest of her kind to ever live, if the stories are true."

Lotus rolled her eyes, but didn't turn it into an argument. She had more important things to worry about just now, like her own potential salvation on the horizon. Luna's book waited for her to read. Finally she finished eating, and she scampered across the room to flick it open. The next several pages were occupied, with a mixture of dense writing and intricate diagrams.

It started with a simple-enough note from her distant ally.

"Lotus. Your willingness to help is appreciated. I understand the terrifying scope of the task before you. I believe you have reason to take comfort, however. The Phylactery that transformed you contains a portion of Searing’s power, trapping her so she could do no harm to Equestria. When you were transformed, some of that power was invested in you.

You will still need to master the discipline and willpower that all spellcasters require. But when it comes to raw power, I believe our enemy has already given you everything you need. I suggest caution as you begin your practice.

Every spellcaster begins with levitation. The practice is so effortless that many unicorn populations have discovered it independently, even when their thaumaturgical understanding does not progress further. I have included several exercises often used by foals.

Your magical study may attract attention. Be vigilant and rely on Iron Feather to protect you. He may be a neophyte to the guard, but I have rarely seen his devotion even from veterans of many years. He will repay the kindness you have shown him."

What followed were exactly what Luna promised--instructions on 'levitation.' It was all written by the same hand as everything else she'd sent so far, excerpts from other useful reference materials.

She started skimming through it, but soon became conscious of Iron watching her from nearby. Maybe he thought she hadn't noticed him from the coffee table, watching her.

As soon as he noticed her watching, Iron looked hastily away, settling back onto all four hooves. "Her lessons, do they make sense? Seem... easy enough to figure out?"

She flicked another two pages. That was it, everything Lotus had to take her first steps into a physically impossible art.

Eric could never figure this out. He had spent the last two years boxing potatoes, without ever reaching for anything more. But Lotus--maybe she could do more. And when this was all over, and Eric was restored, he could take a few lessons from Lotus's success.

She would have to have it, first. "Give me a few more minutes to read through all this. I can see... see something here. Not sure if anything will happen when I try to cast it. Magic isn't... supposed to be real."

"It is," Iron said, with absolute confidence. "All of Equestria relies on magic. You may not know anything about it yet--but you'll figure it out. You've already shown that you're brave and compassionate. You must be intelligent as well."

Gus choked up a laugh from the other side of the room. "I'm sure Lotus will rise to the challenge. Something finally got her out of her comfort zone, there's nowhere to go but up from here."

He opened the side door, gesturing with his keys. "I'll be back, going to pick up some supplies. Don't do anything too exciting while I'm gone."

Nothing too exciting, she thought, flipping back to the beginning of the magical instruction. "I'm just levitating things, no big deal. I've seen stranger things, I'm sure it'll be fine."

Gus chuckled nervously. "Yeah, so long as there isn't a Demogorgon after you. If there was, you'd be on your own."

He shut the door behind him. A few seconds later, he pulled his car out of the driveway, and vanished down the road.

"A... Demogorgon..." Iron Feather repeated, nervous. "It sounds dangerous."

Lotus settled herself down on the couch, making herself comfortable to read. "It doesn't exist. If there's anything magical in our world, it's in this room. Or... chasing you."

"Yeah." He lifted his spear from the floor, turning it over in his good wing. "Don't let me distract you. I know magic is a solitary art, marked by quiet contemplation. I'll let you get to it."

First terrifying art by Rutkotka.
Second awesome piece by Klara PL.