Author's Notes:

(This is going to be so weird to see at the top of the chapter.)

First off, my editors!
The incomparable Seven Fates
The inimitable m1ntf4n

Thank them for the amazing work they do in making this story the best it can be! I certainly do.

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Second, this is just the first part (duh!). And no worries, the second part is just undergoing a last minute look-over, but is essentially ready to post. I figure it'll only be a couple of days before you have more pony!

Honestly, it was M1nty - do you mind if I call you that? - who pushed for this being two chapters. It was a tough decision because though there's a break, the two parts really flow together, and they cover a single particular plot arc. However, there is still a slight division that could work, so... I'm not leaving you on a cliffhanger this time.

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Lastly, I've updated the Equestrian Language Listing I've also made some formatting changes, like gotten rid of the divisions based on word type, and also alphabetized the main section by the Equestrian word. I figured that would be most convenient for those who want to translate things as they go (or just in general).

I'll be doing more once part 2 is posted, like updating the Glossary. Don't want to be dropping any obvious spoilers, y'know.

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Now with bonus art! (which actually comes from chapter 7, part 1) 'Cause who doesn't love more Etherea?

The Blog With The Art.

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"Don't forget how even in distress, mind is constantly looking for purchase on overwhelming emotions to dampen them. Even things like examining tiny, pointless details in the surroundings - like the track for the door blinds (or writing this note) - provides surprisingly effective temporary distraction."

- A note to self, written an hour after my cat's death, to remember the impacts of extreme emotion for use in this story.

Ponies, ponies everywhere, and not a human to see.

I don't know from where my mind conjured the stupid little ditty, but it repeated ceaselessly, keeping my thoughts unfocused. Perhaps it was better that way. After all, here I was, lost in ponyland, wallowing alone and surrounded by...

Well, not all of them were hostile.

They say misery loves company; between myself, my thoughts, and the cheeks I'd shamefully scrubbed dry, I had more than enough to pass around. The mass of it gnawed at me, bringing a feeling of being balanced on a razor's edge. On one side was a pit that contained every dismal, endlessly-repeated thought; on the other was something amorphous and frighteningly unpleasant. Woe unto whoever sent me off that way.

So, I guess repeating the rhyme over and over was kind of my way of coping. Jittery and bone-weary, I kept going back to whatever helped prevent me from thinking too much: counting tiles, picking at the blanket's edges, tracing patterns on the grout lines...

They had grout here too; imagine that.

Focusing on the tiny, pointless details was certainly better than the alternative. After all, my life continued to downward spiral; with all this free time to sit and think, I’d realized that I was going to be blind in a few hours. Yay, me! Sure, I’d found that ponies had words for things like contact lenses, and solution, and cases, and… Well, you get the picture. But the cold reality? Was any of it even safe for me? Like, I didn’t know what was in contact solution, so I couldn’t help them figure it out! The hell if I was putting some mystery substance in my eyes!

I didn’t want to think about it. Nope! But my eyes were already a little dry from... well, let’s just fucking call it what it was; light crying. And dry eyes were just a taste of what I’d face. So whether I liked it or not, I had to deal with it sooner or later. Maybe it’ll all work out! Somehow...

So, yeah, thinking about something else. That was better than-

Stop it! Focus! Or don’t. At least not on how miserable things were.

Like… how about this thing that kept tickling my sinuses? It was like the idea of a smell, fading in and out as my attention shifted, toying with me and preventing me from pinning anything down. Still, I was pretty sure there was something dull and fibrous in the air; something instinctively animal to me. Ponies. In this confined space I bet I could literally smell them.

I didn’t want to think about that either. So, well... At least the tiles around me were cool and pleasantly normal.

Wait, how long had I been here, curled up between the toilet and the little wall that hid it from the rest of the cell? Minutes seemed like hours. Or maybe it was hours flashing by in minutes. How could I know? I couldn't because outside of the occasional disturbance in the air or floor, this place was incredibly still.

Was I underground? Despite the lit, frosted window, this place felt like a bunker. Or a weirdly well-lit cave.

The stillness wasn’t unbroken though. There was a faint ambience of people in quiet activity - little murmurs, soft shuffles, things being moved about, and the like - making sure I knew I wasn’t alone. It had to be a substantial bustle to penetrate my wounded ears. In fact, if I paid close attention, I could almost make out specific voices.

No, I could! I immediately recognized the first, which was calm but carried a slight bite. The other was no less familiar, yet still wrong to my mind. Twilight Sparkle - the real one - and Doctor Pony had to be really clo-

Doctor Pony’s voice suddenly powered through. "Alex?"

Wait. What was her name again?

I shuddered, still hoping beyond hope that they would just go away and leave me in peace. It wasn’t like I could force her to though, so I knew it wouldn't work out that way. And… I really needed to talk to them.

"Alex?" More Equestrian followed.

Now I had to pay attention! Damnit! Okay, okay, I could do this! Think! Equestrian, Equestrian... Equosar.

Taking a deep breath and trying to work some moisture back into my mouth, I gathered up my courage and stretched my neck so I could peer over the short divider. Sure enough, the two of them were side by side, halfway across the cell, their alien eyes already locked on me above muzzles covered by medical masks. Doctor Pony's ears were up and her stance was stiff, while Twilight, on the other hand, had one hoof cautiously lifted but her ears pulled back.

Beyond them, barricading the opening and facing us were three more ponies - a unicorn, a pegasus, and an earth pony - swathed from ears to hooves in articulated gold and silver. They were rigid and still, but every face was pointed at me with barely-restrained interest. Worse, another set of matching guards stood against the hall's far wall.

Eight ponies against one me. My skin went cold; they weren't taking any chances. The whole setup screamed at me to just hunker down again. I was safer if they couldn't see me!

Doctor Pony said something just a little too softly for me to hear.

"What?" Think in pony, Alex! "Danta?"

Doctor Pony spoke first, gently. "Lady Naois would like... ...apparently very important."

That prompted a sidelong look from Twilight. Something, something, "...happened earlier," she said.

Speak up, woman! As if it wasn't hard enough using... whatever it was that Luna had shoved into my brain!

Oh, God-!

Don't think about it!

My hesitation apparently wasn't good enough for Twilight, because she lowered her head, looking me right in the eyes. "I... ...exactly what happened." She paused, one ear flicking. "...make sure nopony is... ...further danger from..."

I think she smiled behind her mask, but her tense lines and shifting hooves ruined the whole look. If I was interpreting this correctly, she wanted to know what I'd done - probably concerning Etherea. But I didn’t - couldn’t - trust her. She was Etherea’s aunt; give the wrong answer, take magic to the face!

"...if you need anything," Doctor Pony was saying, giving me a piercing look, "give me a signal. ...wave an arm. I'll be right outside."

I didn't like this at all! Wasn't the doctor here to help me?

"Veh."

Both of them did similar twitches, ears pricking. My breath hitched.

"What?"

"Why?"

I'd already opened my mouth; backing out now would just be worse. "She stays... or-or nothing." Unwilling to expose myself further, I pointed to Doctor Pony with the only thing I had: my nose.

Twilight opened and closed her mouth a couple of times while the gears behind her eyes ground together.

"You're not... ...ordering him to not... ...are you?" Doctor Pony's face was neutral, but something about her tone was blatantly amused.

Twilight deflated, her head lowering a fraction further, and she said something too quietly for me to hear. In turn, Doctor Pony leaned closer to Twilight, bopping her right on the breast while replying with something that made Twilight roll her eyes. It must have been the right thing because Twilight did perk up a bit.

In fact, she straightened, standing tall, and turned face to face with Doctor Pony - Arissa was her name! - lifting her nose almost imperiously. Despite their similar heights, she did her best to look down her muzzle as she laid out something official-sounding. The princesses - crowns - were consenting to Arissa being present, or some such. Twilight didn't seem to be threatening the doctor, but tagging along as I was, I only picked up bits and pieces.

Arissa chirped something, making Twilight sigh. But the doctor then bowed her head, bent a knee, and intoned a few words that seemed to satisfy the other unicorn.

"Yes... ...as you understand," said Twilight, shifting her hooves in apparent discomfort.

Arissa straightened up, nodding, and the two looked at each other for a second. Their little moment broke when the doctor inclined her head toward me and turned, ears dropping slightly to the sides as she submissively lowered her head.

"Alex, may we approach?" she asked clearly.

Could I really stop them? The answer was plain as day, but since they apparently wanted me to play along, I nodded, angling my head to a point in front of me. That didn't help my confusion though; if this was really so important, why give me a chance to refuse? Was I being toyed with? I couldn’t imagine why, but the fear remained.

Arissa bobbed her head and began taking measured steps closer. At the same time, as one, the nearest three guards took a step back with smart claps of armored hooves. So neat and quick. If they really wanted to hurt me, I wouldn't have time to react! Fuck me...

The two mares swung wide, going well out around the wall, Twilight trailing along around Arissa’s far side. They stopped in full view of my hiding spot - mine! - with maybe a good fifteen feet of open floor between us. Arissa immediately lay belly-down, and with some gentle coaxing got Twilight to join her.

My heart picked up, chasing itself around my chest. I know I’d let them do this, but now I was stuck in a small corner with two ponies blocking my only way out! Ponies who the guards would wouldn’t hesitate to leap across the room to protect. I… I was fine. I had to be.

"Alex," Arissa spoke clearly, keeping her muzzle angled low, "how are you doing?"

How do you fucking think?!

The surge of anger took me a moment to wrangle into submission; lashing out couldn’t - wouldn’t - do any good.

When I didn't immediately reply, she spoke again, still very careful with her words. "I know you feel all alone here, but you are not."

Really? Because I see only one human!

"Your well-being is my primary concern, above and beyond anything else, so if nopony else is, I am on your side.” She glanced at the other pony in the room. “Yes, even if that places me at odds with Lady Naois."

She looked dead serious. Twilight even gave her a surprised look, reinforcing Arissa’s second point and effectively killing my thoughts on the first.

"So, how are you doing?"

Alright. Here goes. It needs to be said! “Not good.”

In tandem, both ponies gushed dual messages of help and support. Or, that’s what I thought I caught from it. Too bad none of it really mattered. I just had to say a bit more. Just one eentsy, little confession of helplessness! You can do this! “I…” No, don’t stop! “My vision is… bad, and I use… use c-contacts to… t-t-to fix it.”

Arissa slowly and deliberately straightened her withers, lifting her head and exchanging a look with Twilight. I could see the thoughts clashing behind both of their uncertain expressions.

Finally, Twilight spoke. “Doctor?”

“A moment,” she ordered, continuing to stare at me. Or past me. It was hard to tell. “Alex. Give me a rundown on what’s going on here, and what you need. I need to know that we’re on the same cloud.”

I knuckled down, trying to hold my gaze steady. “I use lenses in my… eyes to fix vision. I have to take… them out to sleep… or it might… d-damage eyes. Need… need sol-solution to clean… and keep wet. And a… place to keep.” I released the remainder of my breath loudly.

Arissa pursed her lips and thought for far too short of a time. “Alright. Alright. So first, and just be absolutely clear, you have none of this on you.”

I shook my head.

“We’ll run some tests then.” Her horn lit and a narrow, stoppered tube wrenched itself free of Twilight’s saddlebags before proffering itself to me. “I’ll need a sample of your tears. Would you be able to provide one?”

Staring back, I managed to keep all my snide internal.

“And glass is safe for you to handle?”

Grunting another affirmative, I grabbed the thing. It behaved just like a stoppered tube - wonder of wonders! - and with a swipe of a finger that trembled only a little, a couple tears proved easy to come by. So what if it wasn’t the cleanest sample? I could hardly be more emasculated and I really needed these contacts to work.

With the tube in her halo and another quick goodbye - and stern look to Twilight - Arissa was gone, just like the last time. Well, mostly gone. When her voice didn’t go that far I risked another peek, finding her rump still visible just past the outside corner to the hallway. That her conversation with a couple someones was occurring there confirmed that, yes, quite a few other ponies had to be just out of sight. Which meant my odds were even worse…

Looking around revealed that there still weren’t any one-way mirrors that could spy on me, but y’know, pony magic…

Which just left Twilight, star of My Little Pony and interdimensional celebrity, even if she didn’t know it. Please don’t say a thing, please don’t say a thing, please… She must have felt the vibes I was giving - or just understood the sullen stare I was directing at the wall past her left shoulder - because she didn’t speak. I kind of wanted her to try something though, just so I would have an excuse to jump down her throat.

Which, as fantasies go, was a pointless waste of my latent anger.

“Alright, Alex-”

Thank God, Arissa’s back!

“...the best ponies looking into how compatible what we have is to you. I’ll be honest-”

My heart lurched!

“-but we may need more samples for an accurate analysis. How impaired would your vision be if we needed one contact to test?”

Oh… “Not fun, but… manageable.”

“Better than nothing?”

For a loose definition of ‘better.’

“How long can your contacts go outside your eyes without proper treatment?”

“I…” How do I even answer that? “I never tested. Not long.”

She nodded like she’d been expecting that. “We have some time though, right?”

Feeling like a broken record, I nodded right back.

“Good. Don’t worry, Alex, we’ll work this out.” She plopped back down in her old position with a loud whump. “Is there anything else that I need to be immediately aware of?”

Well, there was this tiny issue where my cracked ribs let me know their displeasure every time I so much as shifted. But it only hurt a little, and I didn’t feel like moving…

But the meds wouldn’t last forever.

Taking another supportive breath, I spoke up again, “Going to need… something for my back soon.”

The unicorns shared a glance.

Arissa angled her head to give me an appraising look with one eye. “We have something in the works. Should we skip to that now?”

I could handle it for now! “Soon.”

She nodded slowly. Yeah, I probably wouldn’t have convinced me either.

“Alright. We have more to go over then, but in the meantime Lady Naois has something she really wants to bug you about.” She turned a masked smile on Twilight. "So, Lady Naois, what’s going on?"

After a shoulder-rolling sigh, Twilight brought an intense stare to bear on me, reminding me exactly why I was so on edge. Twilight was Etherea's blood relation - and probably really close with her - and this was an interrogation. No doubt about it.

"Eth- Princess Etherea is in the hospital-"

Arissa's head snapped up. "What? How?" Oh..." Her wide eyes drifted back to me.

Yes, I know. My fault. All of this is! I pulled the blanket tighter, my stomach coiling about itself.

"Yes, the... ...that lead to... ...Alex here," Twilight spoke almost faster than I could follow, looking away for a moment. "We still don't... ...happened."

"Is she alright?"

"Doctor Lethna assured me that her... ...her life, but..." She rolled her withers, her coat twitching. "I don't... ...details."

Arissa's expression softened, ears drooping, and she leaned into Twilight, stroking the side of the other mare's cheek with her muzzle. Whatever she said had Twilight bobbing her head in appreciation, but when she pulled away she looked uncertain - truly so - for the first time. Which naturally lead to a quick glance toward me.

What had the doctor said? Wasn’t she supposed to be on my side here? Well, here I was in this corner, alone, while Twilight had been comforted in a heartbeat. Alien versus fellow pony. Yeah, I could see the difference in Arissa’s very eyes...

Arissa was watching me closely. "Lady Naois, what do you know of her condition?"

"I don't think that this is the best time to get side-tracked, we really need Alex-" Twilight's voice caught when the doctor nudged her with a hoof, but the doctor's nose-bob redirected her to me.

"I think he would like to know."

I... Huh? Or the doctor could be cool. Now I wasn't sure what to think of her.

While I batted my conflicting views around, Twilight appraised me as though seeing something new and interesting, her ears flicking.

"You would?"

Yes! I gave another nod in lieu of speaking.

"Why?"

Twilight's tone hadn't carried any obvious malice but I could feel the hairs of my neck stand up. Even Arissa's eyes narrowed a bit, though she cocked her head at me for some reason.

Biting back a venomous retort, I took a second to unclench my hands. "She is my... friend," I managed to croak.

Twilight recoiled and blinked, clearly not having expected that. She seemed to test the idea in her head before she tentatively ventured a question. "When you say..." A vigorous head shake ended her thought. "No... ..ask... ...that later. Right now I really... ...important... ...related to Etherea's state. I-we would like you-"

Y’know what I wasn’t hearing despite Arissa’s efforts? How Etherea was actually doing! The repeated stymieing was quickly focusing all my upset on Twilight, and nothing would have satisfied me more than letting loose right in her face!

A forceful nudge from Arissa brought Twilight to a standstill, but it was me she addressed. "Lady Naois, I really think he would like to know how your niece is doing."

Twilight's head whipped around. "Doctor, you-!"

"Yes," I hissed at the same time.

"Hah!" Arissa's exclamation made both of us freeze, her smile clearly visible despite the mask. She shrank back just as quickly, reigning herself in. "Sorry."

What the hell was going on now?!

The doctor's intent gaze didn’t waver. "Alex, did you know that Lady Naois and Princess Etherea were related?"

"I..." My brain finally caught up with my mouth. Well, fuck. "Yes."

"And who told you?"

Oh, I see where this is going, if not why.

"Etherea did."

"See?" Arissa finally turned her blue eyes on Twilight. "They didn't just meet; they talked."

Twilight's wide eyes bored into me, her face full of wonder. "So - okay - that... ...things but prompts so... ...wait... ...can come later." She shook her neck out like she was rearranging her thoughts. "Sorry, sorry. According to Doctor Lethna, she... ...assured that even-”

"Lady Naois, I don’t think Alex quite follows when you talk so fast."

Yeah, it's not like I'm a princess who may have had years of practice doing this translation stuff on the fly.

"Oh! You’ve been..." She sort of wriggled in place, shaking her head again. "Pr- I mean, Etherea is stable. The doctor said that she has a moderate case of Riesseyact, but with proper care - which she’s getting now - neither it nor the wound in her leg are life-threatening."

Was the other thing the thing with her nose? I had to know! "R-re...? Ree-eh...? Resya...?" Words that don't translate are fucking bitches!

Arissa cocked her head as she peered at me. "Riesseyact?"

"It might not translate," said Twilight. "That's the... ...such limited spells."

I was mid-nod when the Arissa jumped in again. "Riesseyact is what happens when a unicorn or alicorn channels too much Harmony, or too quickly, or both, and injures her horn and associated structures. It can be quite serious, but it sounds like-" she stole a look at Twilight, "-Princess Etherea will be well again soon."

Arissa sounded so certain, and I wanted to believe her, but I'd also seen Etherea after... teleporting to-

I'd telepor-!

Also not important now!

Twilight was quick to nod, but her ears dipped. "Riesseyact is never good, but her case apparently isn’t too severe. She should be back on her hooves soon. But that leads me back to why I- we're here right now. We need to know everything you can tell us about Etherea's injuries. And, um, if you are truthful and cooperative I guarantee that it will reflect well on you."

Oh... Of course. I shuddered and scrunched my eyes for a moment as the images came flooding-

Etherea's whole body shuddering as she screamed.

"She was shot."

Twilight narrowed her eyes, "Shot? What do you mean by that?" At some point a pad of paper had appeared on the floor between her forelegs.

"She was injured by..." Equestria didn't have a word for it. "Personal weapon. Uses explosive charge... to shoot... a small metal projectile... at high speed."

"That's what caused her leg injury?"

Yet another nod from me.

Twilight was scribbling frenetically on her pad when she next spoke, "Was the… projectile the only thing that, um, hit her?"

"Yes. Think she blocked... the rest." I didn't know how, but she had to have since I doubted the agent would have missed otherwise. And… and I remember her head snapping back with each gunshot. That had to be something!

"Blocked?" She pursed her lips, mumbling something about Riesseyact again. "I... No, not important yet. What sort of projectile? Is the...," she fired alien words at me faster than I could follow, making my head spin.

"You're going too fast again." Arissa to the rescue!

Twilight's ears drooped for a moment. "Oh! Sorry. What I needed to know was whether the force behind the projectile was its primary means of injury, or if it was intended to do something else as well, and whether it was designed with secondary effects after impact."

A bullet? Secondary effects? I was pretty sure that kind of thing was the realm of science fiction or just plain illegal, one or the other depending. Cops wouldn't-

Twilight's voice filled my ears, "Do you know how one of these weapons operates?"

Oh, I needed to actually answer the damned question. "No. I mean... yes. It is just the... force of the projectile."

She seemed to stare through me for a moment before her head dipped, and she filled her current page with more... stuff. Even after my one little lesson with Etherea, it all still looked like the doodles of an insane toddler.

"What was the projectile made out of?"

Other than not lead? "Iron. I think?"

"You think?" Even though her response didn’t seem quite like an attack, it was loud enough to make me flinch.

"I do not know. Iron seems... likely but I..." And now I was just repeating myself.

I didn't meet her expectant stare - I couldn't; I had nothing else to add. Eventually she gave a slow look around, ending back at her paper.

"Would... the Princess have been in danger of anything else from this weapon? How about the explosion?"

That took an awkward moment to think through. "N-no. Too small."

She nodded and scribbled some more. "Is there anything else we should know about treating wounds from this weapon?"

Wasn't that like the same question all over again? "I do not... know what... you want."

"Um, alright, how can I say this?" She looked off to the side, one of her forehooves tapping the floor a couple of times. "The weapon’s whole design is to propel a projectile whose sole purpose is to keep traveling until it impacts something, nothing more?"

Ding, ding, ding! "Yes!”

"Thank you." Twilight's tone was awfully cold. "Next, what is it you were trying to do with Eth- Etherea when Princess Celestia and her guard entered the apartment?"

Finally, something new! It took a moment to shove my emotions back into line, though I still simmered deep inside. Also, what did that have to do with anything? Wasn't it obvious? "I was... um, trying to stop... her from bleeding... too much."

That provoked another searching look from Twilight. I didn't like it one bit. Arissa's softer expression - like she was pondering something about me - was much nicer.

"You don't have any medical training, do you?"

What? Wait. Shit… The implications made me cringe. "I, uhhh... I did not do... it right?"

"There was some confusion about what you were trying to accomplish because, yes, in the strictest sense the... bandage-" she glanced at Arissa again, "-wasn't effective treatment."

Oh. I tried to hunker away from the shame, much to my back’s vigorous objection. Fucking ow! Okay, maybe I needed that other doctor soon.

"...thing is that you were trying to help," said Arissa with, dipping of her muzzle at me.

"Yes," Twilight's tone was still far too perfunctory, "that is true. You did not cause her injuries and were, in fact, just trying to help?"

I wasn't about to bring up the FBI - was even mentioning them a breach of national security? - and nodded my head for Twilight, praying that she couldn’t, well, ‘magically’ pick up on my omissions. Pain nipped at my ribs when I again shifted awkwardly beneath the blanket.
She just kept writing. "Is there anything else that we should know about Etherea's injuries?"

What’s with the repetition? Was she trying to catch me lying? Jokes on you Twilight! But it wasn't worth lashing back, so she got another head shake.

"Okay, good. If you will excuse me for just a moment, I need to get what you've said to the doctors tending Etherea."

She didn't wait for either of us to respond, dropping her quill, ripping the top page out with her magic, and whirling sharply to trot away. A gold-colored unarmored pony - a stallion, I was pretty sure by the broad, square-ish muzzle - stepped into view and took the paper, deftly folded it between a hoof and his other foreleg before slipping it into his saddlebags. I let myself slip back down out of sight, listening to the fuzzy murmur of their voices.

Arissa was just watching me with bright eyes, her head still angled down. It looked like she might be smiling, and I found myself reining in the desire to wipe it from her face. Why I wanted to attack her in the first place? I didn't know. She'd been the most supportive so far, so why did I care if she seemed happy?

Yeah, she was smiling under that crinkled mask. "Is your back truly comfortable like that?"

"It is fine."

"Good, you’re pushing back. I want to see more of that. However, you flinch almost every time you-" She cut herself off. My anger must have been showing. "Sorry, but I want to help. You don't need to fear me." Her nose dipped lower.

Her behavior was another puzzle that wouldn't stop bothering me. She’d been so forceful earlier, but now… If she wanted me to push back, then fine! "Why are... you being so submissive?"

Momentary stiffness rolled through Arissa as I regretted my bold words, her eyes flashing and nostrils flaring as her head lifted. She kept her words were soft though. "You are injured and hiding yourself away in the safest place you can find. If you are anything like the species I know, and you're pushed too hard while in your safe place, that hiding could easily become attacking. I can't just tell you I'm not a threat; I have to show you I'm not.

"It’s also the right thing to do.” She gave a little shrug. “How would you like me to be?"

How do I even answer that?!

"Since I spent most of the last couple years surrounded by gryphons, I'm still getting used to how... not aggressive Equestria is. I can be more aggressive if you’d prefer." Her eyes flashed again.

She was leaving it up to me? Really? If there was some kind of ploy in making this decision for her, I couldn't see it. I supposed she could use it to get me to do what she wanted somehow, but she’d also been the nicest pony so far, and I just didn't feel right lording this over her.

"Just be... what is most... comfortable."

Her eyes narrowed bit, but for what had to be a smirk. That didn’t bode well. "Alright. We should get started on what we can do for your back, so I'm going to want to see it."

Of course! There it was! She already-!

The only warning I got was Arissa's ear turning away. A lavender halo bloomed around Twilight's papers and quill before they slipped around behind Arissa and darted away and out of sight. It might have been effective had the display been any kind of subtle.

Hell, even Arissa turned to look. "Yes?"

A mumble answered. Twilight sounded miffed, which seemed to be why the doctor chuckled.

"No, it wasn't hard to miss."

After a moment, Twilight's muzzle poked back into view. "What have you two been talking about?"

"We were making friends," Arissa chirped, grinning. "Also, I believe Alex' hearing is improving."

It was? It didn't feel any better; how could she tell? Twilight seemed just as curious and tilted her head quizzically as she went around Arissa to her previous spot.

"That's good! Yes, very good. How can-?"

"Actually, a moment, Lady Naois." Twilight froze, her eyebrows popping up. "Was there anything more you needed from Alex before I take over here?"

“Well, I have so many more quest-"

"Then we were just getting Alex moving."

We were? Oh, fuck you, doctor horse! I give you an inch because you were weirding me out, and this is what I get?!
Twilight’s consternation was pretty funny though.

And unfortunately I really needed the help. I knew this deep down inside. Being left in peace had been a nice dream, once upon a minute ago. Still, I didn’t have to - and wasn't about to - appreciate being led by the nose!

I guess Arissa could tell, because she lowered her head again. "Please, Alex. Let me help you."

There was just one thing… Instead of answering her directly, I lifted my head to look over the wall at the guards. The mere idea of standing up made my stomach flutter.

"They won't hurt you, I promise."

Good, she understood. "Unless it... looks like I might… hurt somepony."

She rolled her shoulders in a helpless shrug. "Well, yes. You're not going to, are you?"

I just shook my head.

Twilight, who had plonked her butt down again to write, cocked her head and then got back to her hooves. With a swish of her tail she rounded on the other end of the cell, calling out loudly, "As the crown-appointed director here, I order you guards to remain where you are, and to take no action against Alex here."

From the guards came a resounding clomp of hooves paired with tandem affirmatives. Because simply ordering soldiers to remain at bay wouldn't directly conflict with their main purpose for being here. Certainly not! Even the doctor rolled her eyes!

"Trust, Alex," Twilight said, facing me again. "It has to start somewhere. They will trust you if you trust them."

"And I will be right here with you," Arissa affirmed.

Yeah, okay. A small voice firmly pointed out just how right Twilight was. In a twisted way - or that's how it felt - they'd already started. I'd gotten time and space, right? And apparently a pony who was supposed to fight for me. I just needed to hang in here until I could get to Etherea.

Eventually I had the courage to nod. Even something so small as bracing an arm on the top of the divider sent streamers of discomfort out and across me.

"...help if you need me to," Arissa was saying, now sitting up on her haunches.

My eloquence came through as a grunt. In my defense, I was busy gauging all the various aches. Moving after having been in that awkward position for far too long only muddied everything, and somewhere underneath was the real issue, but damned if I could sort-

Okay, the less I thought about things, the easier they'd be to do.

Moving sideways to slip a leg directly under me sucked - pins and needles taunted me from all sorts of angles - but they were fewer than if I'd gone straight up. Getting upright sucked more; everything lit up in protest, making my teeth grind as I tried to reach a position that hurt less. The one good thing was that the digging, breath-stealing pain was still a weak voice under the chorus.

With Arissa's eyes following my every move, I finally got to my feet, and I did it myself. Twinge, twinge, twinge... The stiff blankness of my sleeping thighs made everything so much better. I wasn't about to stop for that though, not with how the discomfort magically lessened as I uncurled.

Once freed, but not yet fully stable, my shifting stance let the blanket fall away! Then, when I grasped for its edges, it went the other way. I couldn't get the whole thing with only one-!

Arissa's horn lit just as it began slipping off sideways, and it jumped back into place. I froze. The faint pressure around my neck and shoulders set my nerves racing, but as the moment dragged on, and nothing else happened, my fears gradually ebbed.

"...raseten ulla pera, yeh?"

And I hadn’t paid any attention to what she was saying.

"Meti kistellaea... ...own pace," Arissa finished while Twilight gathered her materials out of the way. "Don't rush."

The guards in the hall? Like statues. Good.

"I am fine." Well, as long as my hand stayed on the wall for balance...

Adrenaline burned and my heart hammered as I took unsteady steps out, around, and closer to the guards. The idea that they wouldn't hurt me because Arissa and Twilight had said so became my new mantra. While it didn't work all that well, it was enough. It also helped that the guards didn't budge. Sure, their eyes tracked me, but they didn’t rush out to hurt me, so... score one for… us!

Halfway around the divider, Arissa nestled her side against my outside leg, directing me to the cot and cooing words of care. She must have been trying to give me someth- someone stable to brace against, just in case. Call it gumption, or maybe stupidity - I couldn't decide which - but I wasn't going to so much as touch her if I could help it. But since my sleeping legs were little more than self-mobile clubs, I managed to clock her foreleg several times in the process, cringing every time.

Yet all she did was flinch, her soft reassurances never ceasing.

She stayed right with me as I maneuvered myself up to the bed, and I probably should have taken her unspoken offer of help, but manhandling this pony? Not if I could help it. Not on the chance that I might drop the blanket. Even if refusing the help meant that I ended up dropping my butt unceremoniously onto the bed when I went to sit. It took a long fucking moment for my ribs to recover from the jostling.

"That looked painful," Arissa stated, carefully watching my face. "Are you alright?"

A quick shuffle got the blanket decently back over my junk - not that she was paying attention. It took a slow breath to relax the ache in my spine enough to respond.

"Better?"

"Maybe?" I fired back.

That got drew a raised eyebrow. "You weren't moving as easily as before, is there much pain?"

A slight headshake was little enough to not disturb things. "Was sitting... too long."

She bobbed her head, apparently understanding completely. "Would stretching out on your front be more comfortable?"

She was asking for my input? Wasn't she-? Oh, she couldn't know for sure. "Probably."

"I'm right here if you need me."

It was hard to think of a way to do this without twisting, and I couldn't imagine how adding a small horse into the mix would help. I shook my head at her and glanced at the guards again. The cot was a bit small, so I'd have to scoot even closer-

"Don't worry, they're not going to do anything." She gave the armed guards a very pointed look.

Yeah, thanks, doc.

But it did help motivate me. I could do this! Easing sideways and keeping my back as straight as I could, I gently lay down on my right side, my feet hanging off the end of the cot. That let me roll over with minimal twisting, even if didn't entirely spare me a couple small spikes. Arissa’s sorry ass better appreciate the effort I was going through for her!

"...that hurt." Arissa was right by my ear, head lowered so her eyes were in line with mine.

I gave a strained sneer. "I give it... a two point... five out of ten. I have had worse."

She cocked her head, one ear flopping, and chuckled. "I like the attitude. You’re going to be galloping around again before you know it.” Heh. Me ‘galloping.’ “Is it okay if I remove the blanket to examine you now?"

Remove?! No! Mine! "Not all... the way?"

"Nudity taboo?"

Wasn't she considerate? "Back is fine."

"Just your back, then." She nodded reassuringly.

She moved aside and gave me a clear view of a very rapt Twilight sitting on her haunches, quill hovering silent and forgotten for the moment. Our eyes met as the bed compressed under Arissa's weight and the hard, broad edge of a hoof covered by papery medical bootie - they had that stuff too! - touched the nape of my neck, pulling the blanket down.

"Oh!"

That snapped my head around. Ow...! Fuck! Even that upset my ribs! Just looking at things shouldn’t hurt!

"That's a hair tie, isn't it? Is this all just mane, and not a small tail?"

What? Twilight was suddenly leaning so far forward I thought she might fall on her snoot.
Arissa’s hoof moved my ponytail - heh, pony tail - back and forth before setting it off over my left shoulder. "I thought you had some form of vestigial tail attached at the back of your skull."

I couldn't have withheld the chuckles if I'd wanted to. Just the thought of being able to lash my ponytail...

"Yes, it's all very silly of me." She shifted adjusted her stance, making the cot shift.

A cloth-clad hoof - the same one, I assumed - came back, giving me the faintest of brushes, before it glided back and forth across my left shoulder blade. It was kind of like the way I might test a texture I was unsure of. But that couldn't be it, because the hard curve of her hoof had to be useless for tactile sensation. Well, maybe except for magi-

I had to try looking again. Other than the shadow of an alien pony looming over me, there wasn’t anything new. Except that, with her up and over me like that, I was looking right down her belly and between her rear legs. Her tail swished and my eyes instantly found the head of the cot. It wasn't like I had seen anything. It's just... the viewpoint felt so very 'wrong.’

Which was weird. Maybe.

Then it hit me, all the weirdness. Everything about my situation was so weird that it was almost overwhelming. Getting flung to a different world was weird. Meeting pony doctors was too. And so was being scared of ponies in armor. Thinking I might be breaking some taboos by looking at people who didn't wear clothes anyway…

I wanted to laugh so hard that my eyes were tearing up, which was even weirder.

"Alex?"

What?!

"Did you hear what I was saying?"

No. I chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

I grunted, not really up for giving a real answer. She'd stopped whatever she was doing anyway. When I shifted my head to look, her face was right there!

"You're going to be alright," she breathed, inches from my ear.

I, uh, had no good answer. The sentiment was nice though. I guessed.
By the way… having an alien pony nose in your face was a little alarming, but mostly just even more weird.

"Shi osuar... ...attention though. This is important. I was saying that Lady Naois and I needed to go over some important things with you." The bed shifted under me as she moved away, experimentally pressing several times in various places, though still well away from my wounded ribs.

"Yeah, I am... listening."

"Lady Sparkle has impressed on all of us that our primary concern should be the effect Harmony may have on you-" Twilight began nodding along, "-and honestly, I agree with her. That's what a lot of this has been." She motioned to a couple of the corners, apparently indicating the gems wedged into them. "While she's Lead Mare over the wider operation, as the doctor in charge of your wellbeing, I have final say in anything regarding you. But since I'm just learning what is normal for your... for you, I can't hope to do this alone. Understand?"

"Okayyyy...," was all I could think to say. "What if... What if I do... not want something... done?"

Arissa exhaled heavily through her nose. "I'm not going to lie. If something absolutely needs doing for your safety or that of the ponies around you, you may not get a choice. However!"

I shut my mouth, but couldn't stop from sullenly glaring. In the direction of the guards. I carefully schooled my expression just in case.

"Barring such extreme circumstances," her hoof continued its quest, gently prodding its way up my side to just shy of my armpit, "you will have final say in everything that might be done to you. I'll just be the pony that approves things from our side. You can refuse anything you're not comfortable with."

It sounded too good to be true. But they were also ponies, so 'friendship and cooperation,' and all that. Part of me really wanted to believe they were like the show's characters: full of good intentions.

I needed something neutral. "Like what?"

She turned above me, looking back at Twilight. "What are you and your teams doing right now regarding Alex?"

Twilight's ears flip-flopped. "Oh! Not much actually. We've only been monitoring Harmonic activity within about a hundred equoris."

"Why?"

"Well, because we have no idea what's going to happen - or is happening - and we want to be aware the moment..." She devolved back into pure equino-babble that made me tune her right out.

At least until Arissa grunted pointedly. "Fine, fine, but what have you found?"

The interruption didn't seem to phase the other unicorn. "Other than some very slight irregularities, nothing. There haven't been any great or sudden shifts in the local background, no alterations to the normal cycling, no unusual draws from or pushes to local sources, and no disruptions directed toward the Hakahnintil. So far as we've seen, Alex hasn't any impact outside of his immediate self."

Arissa opened her mouth but Twilight barrelled right along, looking right at me. "Honestly, that's about as ideal... ...hope for. ...a little amazing, but I don't think anypony... ...should keep monitoring ... ...you as it's the least... ...just in case anything should change."

"What do you think, Alex?"

First thing's first. "I caught... like half of that."

Twilight's ears snapped back and she ducked her head, but it was Arissa who answered, no small amount of amusement in her voice. "Your situation seems good, our world isn't ending, and she would like to keep monitoring you. Right?"

"Yes," Twilight said.

Something related still hadn't quite been addressed. "Is that what... the things in the corners... are for?"

"Yes," Twilight piped up, "they are the first part of the area monitoring system we set up. Have no fear, they broadcast truly minimal amounts of Harmony in order to monitor the normal cycling within this room. So far nothing particularly unusual has happened. At least-" I shut my mouth, "-nothing more unusual than, um - let's see - I think it would be accurate to compare to air or water being disturbed by a pony passing through."

Good? It sounded like everything was absolutely fine, even though part of me didn’t believe that for a second. How could anything just be so normal after what I'd been through?

And could I really say no? Would that actually be it? Twilight would just stop whatever it was that she was doing? That seemed ludicrous. What if something really was going on? Or was about to? I wouldn't know. Like with everything else now, I wouldn’t without their help.

"Alright..."

"Great!" Chirped Arissa.

"That seemed... well-scripted."

Arissa chuckled and Twilight huffed, the latter's ears drooping for a moment.

Doctor Pony spoke first though. "Perhaps a little. We have quite the list of things to do."

I narrowed my eyes, still staring ahead. "Like what?"

"First, a question, since you didn't answer last time. You said you were under some form of pain management. How is it holding up?"

I swallowed everything again. I don’t know why I felt so resistant; she had constantly said how much she was just trying to help.

"Not well? I do not… know how long it has been... or how much... pain I am... supposed to feel. But there is some."

While I’d been speaking, she’d started gently feeling and poking her way down the side of my back furthest from her, carefully going around my injury. Small mercies, eh? But barely a moment into it, she spat a curse. Out of the corner of my eye I found her rearing back to rip her mask free with a snap. She casually flung it and her hoof booties backward, where they fluttered in for landings around and near Twilight, who eyed them, looking about to say something but never following through. It would have been funnier if she’d had to dodge the things.

Angling my head to try and see her expression better, I found her looking right at me. For a moment we both just stared.

“It was in the way.”

I, uhhh... That made sense. I guess.

Only then did Arissa take up where she left off, using her bare hooves to explore the rest of my back. "With regard to your pain management, we've already commandeered the best pain dispersion specialist available, and would like for him to try helping you."

Another pony? Here? Arissa stayed quiet while I mulled it over, continuing to explore awayaway. Twilight's anticipation was plain as day though, so they were actually waiting for my input. Well... I suppose it would be alright. If the new pony was helping.

"Before- How will- does this work?" I had too many questions and not enough sentences.

Then I felt warm puffs of air on my skin. Wait. Why the hell was Arissa sniffing me? I had to say something! "Do not start... licking."

"Should I?"

I could practically hear her smiling, but I was too off balance for a comeback.

"You're not such a bad sort of alien invader," she chuckled, shifting about again and laying something broad, slightly fuzzy, but with odd, hard contours against my back. What the hell was this now?!

“Breathe deeply.”

Oh. It was the side of her freakin’ face! She’d put an ear right against me.

“Good. Again.” And once again my back was exposed to the cool air. “Now, I would like to delve you. It’s a minor bit of magic that will let me get a sense of the structures in a localized area of your body. Is that okay?”

“Sure.” I guess. According to Arissa, they wouldn’t even ask if they thought it wasn’t.

"A pony’s Neshourraiennen displays specific, localized reactions to pain. We can affect these in various ways. For pain dispersion we essentially-" She’d been sitting back, but suddenly leaned in and a smaller, softer, fleshy thing touched my back just below my ribs. Her words vibrated through it, each coming with more warm air. She’d put her nose right on me… "-spread that reaction, making it less focused, and then feed the weakened version back. The pain will cover a broader area and be much less pronounced."

Speaking of weird, how about these pony examination methods?! Was this normal? I couldn’t tell! The guards certainly didn’t give any indication.

"There are stronger and more persistent methods of pain management, but they would expose you to greater concentrations of Harmony, and we are trying to minimize your exposure. You're apparently already saturated to little effect, but we'd rather be cautious."

That sounded good to me!

"I suspect that, at the same time, Doctor Isshenaen will attempt to relax the nerves themselves, so the overall pain may be lessened as well."

But... "I thought you said... this needed a Nesh... Um, you said I do... not..."

"Very astute!"

Why, thanks. We humans pride ourselves on our vast intellect.

"Yes, unlike a pony, you do not have a Neshourraiennen. From what Lady Naois tells me, for Doctor Isshenaen to affect you, he will need to infuse you with some Harmony first. Once he does this, he can affect the infusion, and through it, yourself. She said this is how anypony has been able to use magic on you." She paused, finally pulling her nose away from my spine. "And I assure you, this is the least invasive option."

Well, it all sounded reasonable. Especially coming from a doctor. And like most everything I'd ever gotten from a doctor, I wasn’t in in a position to dispute it. I had no training in medicine or reality-warping pony magic, so what did I know about what was going on?

As inevitable as the answer seemed, I still spent a moment tossing around the idea. No further help came from any of the ponies nearby. Just patience and Twilight's lines of squiggles carefully organizing themselves into thoughts, sub-thoughts, and sub-sub-thoughts on her notepad.

"Okay. If you are sure."

"Great!" I flinched painfully as Arissa gave her head a toss. “We’ll bring him in shortly. Now, arm please."

Like a good little patient, I gave up my left arm for her to play with. She leaned in close to run both forehooves up and down it, squeezing and poking as though every muscle, tendon, and joint was the most interesting thing in the world. Her horn wasn't lit but she had to be doing more than just touching. I just couldn't figure out what, if anything, it might be.

It wasn’t really much more than what a doctor would do for a general physical. Though, speaking of weird things, she did spend extra time holding up my palm with the underside of one hoof and nudging my fingers around with her other. Fingers. How do they work?

I couldn’t fault her, really. If I were a doctor, and I had the opportunity she was getting, I would totally do the same. That didn’t mean I wasn’t beset by self-consciousness the whole time, especially with Twilight on the side jotting away. Especially with the occasional sniffs Arissa kept giving parts of me. Why? Why was she doing that?! I didn’t have the courage to ask.

When she gave my arm back, letting me curl it back to a more comfortable position, she stood up and over me, her front entirely on the cot, and went right for the other. Then...

"And now your legs, if you don’t mind."

"Ummm..." She was a doctor. It would be alright. "Okay. Just, um, the taboo... is groin."

"Ah."

The blanket shifted of its own accord, riding up my legs but also sliding up to cover most of my back. Any covering was better than none. Then the hooves came back, and I tried not to think too hard about their exploring.

Oh, God... She was going to sniff me again, wasn't she?!

Yup, she snuck them in for good measure! My face was burning and everything. But she was the doctor, so it had to be okay.

She finally let up, putting the blanket back. "I'm going to test your pain response to your injury now, okay?"

Ummmm… “Okay?”

“I’ll be gentle.”

Sure…

Something - her hoof? - touched the area over my cracked ribs, gradually bearing down until a small needle of sensation made me suck in a breath. She let up at that instant.

"I'm sorry for that, but it looks to me like you do have a heightened response."

I grunted just to spite her.

She chuckled at me! “I’ll take that as ‘yes, Doctor Derinetth, please bring Doctor Isshenaen in and get rid of this pain.’ Could you retrieve the good doctor?"

But… Oh.

Twilight looked up at that and blinked, her quill freezing above her notepad, but then rose and headed out past the guards. I was still debating how okay I was with agreeing to this when she came back a minute later. Three ponies in masks followed around the corner.

Arissa practically leapt at them, ending up beside a shocked Twilight, the Doctor’s head low and ears pulled as she hissed something I couldn’t follow. The newcomers froze. When the doctor slashed a forehoof once, and then again, two of the ponies uncertainly backed out, returning the way they’d come.

It was only then I noticed how rapidly my heart was pounding. I really wasn’t ready for a lot of new ponies, was I?

Left alone, facing the rest of us, was a tan and deep violet earth pony in a sky blue vest-like thing, still looking very uncertain as his ears independently flip-flopped. He seemed to be a he, being broader in muzzle and chest than either of the mares present, but was a lot more colorful than I'd expected. I didn't seem to be what he expected either; his eyes kept returning right to me while he took in the situation. But that made sense. I don't think anyone ever expects alien aliens.

"Alex?" Arissa crossed back over, stretching her head closer to me.

"Sorry." Whoops, English. "Trellya."

She smiled good-naturedly. "It's alright. Just wanted your attention. This is Doctor Latienth Isshenaen."

His own attempted introduction was ruined by all the fuzzy ringing filling my-

"Louder," interrupted Arissa. "And speak slowly, he's using a translation spell for the first time."

Twilight spoke softly, drawing both doctors' attention for a second, and nearly interrupting the new doctor's second attempt. He kind of powered through anyway, trying to hold my attention with a serious look.

"Hello there... Alecks, was it?"

All the misplaced emphasis was snort-worthy.

"Alex," filled in Arissa.

"Alecks- Al-exs. Pardon me. Alex. Sorry. You will have to forgive me. This is the most unusual situation I have had the pleasure of being in."

"Me too."

His jaw flapped a couple of times under his mask before any words emerged. "I, ahhh, yes. I can imagine. I am given to understand that what I am going to attempt has been explained in detail to you?"

My heart hammered faster for it, but I mumbled agreement. "I give... you permission to try... this pain dispersion... thing, and only... pain dispersion."

While the new doctor blinked and eased himself into a slow nod, Arissa smiled smugly from the sidelines, nodding as well.

"Very well, Al-ex-" the hesitation was adorably upsetting, "-then I will begin. Please stay as you are and relax. You should feel nothing unusual from this. However, if you do, immediately let me know."

It took him three slow steps to come up next to Arissa. His hesitation was strangely comforting. Probably because it meant I could 'see him coming.' Feeling safer because of that was a thing right? Still, I watched him like a hawk as he came up to the cot, and tried to follow him even after he was too far around my side to easily see.

Was it too late to call this off? I wasn't so comfortable any more!

The bed frame creaked as Arissa joined Doctor Isshenaen in looking over me. As my blanket was pulled down again, and she began pointing out things for him, I focused on Twilight leaning aggressively forward. She had her horn lit and looked ready to spend the next hour not blinking.

The thing was, I also noticed that, with the good doctor rearing up onto the bed, his dangly bits were kind of right there. Sure, they were tucked away nice and neat, but they were still pointed right the fuck at me. My skin itched, suddenly reaching a whole new level of uncomfortable. I mean, how do you react to that?

Not with booping, like I’d done to Etherea, that’s for sure! Oh God, why did I even…?!

Twilight had to be able to see something! She didn't seem to care in the least though, and was thoroughly engrossed in what the two doctors were up to. In fact, nobody seemed to care.

This... This was a nudist civilization. As if this world wasn’t alien enough already, I was going to have to be cool with blatant penises and vaginas all around me until they decided to send me home. Easy-peasy. Sure.

I moved to rub at my eyes. They were just watering. About then, Arissa dismounted the bed, coming around to sit near my head. It took her just one look.

"Alex, would a nuzzle be comforting at all?"

Would it? It would, if it had been my cat.

And despite my persistent uncertainty, Arissa’s intentions seemed reasonably straightforward. Plus, as I kept telling myself, she had been fairly nice. I found myself wanting to side with her. It was imperative.

She stood when I nodded, stretching out her neck and filling my vision with one white-gold cheek. Her eyes closed as she neared, and each stroke of her cheek pushed lightly against mine, bringing soft warmth and amazingly, some measure of comfort.

"You're safe," she breathed gently. "You are."

My clenched hands disagreed. But - and I don't know quite why - I forced my hand to release the covers beneath me. Maybe I wanted to verify for myself that she was right somehow. I raised it to the side of her neck, reciprocating in some small way. Sharing was nice. Comfort was too.

I took a couple shuddering breaths, fighting against losing any more self control.

"You are infused. I am going to begin working on the spell now."

With that, Arissa pulled back, looking over my shoulder. "And end the mood."

"Oh, I apologize! Did you need-?"

She shook her head, smiling the whole time. "I'm teasing. It's alright. Alex is doing much better, I think."

Sort of? I still needed some time to rein things in. Why was it more difficult now than earlier?

Doctor Isshenaen fiddled around for a short bit, and I spent the time wondering what he could possibly be doing, and then he laid a thin, flat, and rather light object across part of my legs. Right after that, his forehooves began moving across my back in indeterminate patterns, barely brushing the surface. No matter how much I focused, there wasn't so much as an out of place tingle to tell me whether magic was happening, or what it might be doing.

And that was it for a minute, the silence weighing down on me as everyone else followed whatever the doctor was doing to me. Naturally, left to my own devices, my thoughts turned past the swirling questions and began slipping backward how I’d ended up-

No! Not again! Do something else, Alex! "So, um, what is next?"

"Well..." She tilted her head to think. "Permissions. We have quite a bit more to cover in that regard. One of the most important things is that translation spell. Without it we wouldn't be getting anywhere, but we also want it to remain strictly temporary so we're not blindly making changes to you."

Oh... Yeah, that sounded wonderful. Just the thought of them dipping into me and swirling stuff around willy-nilly made my heart seize.

"Leaving the spell as an enhancement creates a problem, because when the spell fades, securing permission for its reapplication is... more difficult." She shrugged and gave a sympathetic, wan smile. "We - and I mean you and us - will need a system you know and trust to communicate simple concepts as necessary. Before we get into that..." Her eyes lifted. "Doctor Isshenaen, progress?"

He chuffed before saying something I couldn't really hear, clearly very distracted by what he was doing to me. I still felt nothing unusual.

Arissa nodded and looked over at the other unoccupied pony in the room. "Lady Naois?"

"Hmmmm."

Twilight's total focus on the other doctor made Arissa roll her eyes. "Attention, Lady Naois!"

I think we all jumped - or tried, which stung - and I felt Isshenaen grumble.

"Since we may have some time, I'm going to discuss permissions with Alex."

"Oh, right! Good." Twilight bobbed her head before a thin packet of papers and... cards? floated over to Arissa. Twilight's went right back to watching the work being done on me.

Man, was I glad Arissa was on my side.

"Alright. Though first, Alex," she lifted up the packet and started sorting its contents on the bed ahead of me. More pony squiggles! "Do you feel anything unusual in your head, body, or limbs? Anything at all."

Did lingering tingles from sleepy legs count? Though now that I was searching for them, I couldn't help wondering whether every little feeling, from the bunching under one knee - probably bedding - to an itch under a pinky fingernail, was some kind of indicator. "N-no. Why?"

She watched me for a moment before nodding. "A number of reasons. Because you've had quite a bit of Harmony suddenly directed at you, and because Doctor Isshenaen is testing a procedure on you as we speak. I can't stress this enough: let me know the instant you notice anything unusual, okay?"

I already intended to do just that! She smiled pleasantly at my nod.

"So, first are these cards." She'd separated them into two sets, flipping them up to face me. On the right was a silhouette of a unicorn with its neck bowed and horn glowing, while the other card had a short Equestrian squiggle on it.

"This-" she indicated the picture with her nose, "-is going to be given to a few specific ponies, and they will display it when they want to renew the translation spell on you. This one-" the squiggles were indicated, "-is the Equestrian word for 'no.'"

Even before she finished speaking, I knew there’d be a problem.

“Now, I know you don’t speak Equosar...”

Yup. That problem.

“...any ideas may make this easier for the time being?”

Actually, I did, despite having missed some of what she’d said. “Make ‘no’ red, and... make ‘yes’ green.” No human could fuck that up.

Arissa’s expression turned thoughtful, but another smile was quick to form. “Color-coding? That’s a really good idea! Why didn’t you think of that?” The last had been asked over her shoulder, pulling Twilight out of her rapture.

“I…”

Arissa chuckled at Twilight’s consternation. “I’m just teasing. It’s a good suggestion though. Would it be hard to do?”

Twilight simply pulled her saddlebags closer, rummaging around until she found a couple labeled jars and two thin brushes. Brushes? Yep, checking again confirmed it.

“Did you really just…?” Arissa apparently shared my thoughts.

“Always be prepared!” Twilight beamed, setting to work on another set of cards.

"Yes, alright,” Arissa said with some hesitation as she turned back to me. “We wanted to set this up first so you would be comfortable with the process. I want your current translation spell gone and reapplied so we can make sure it's done gently and with minimal risk to you."

Reading between the lines wasn't hard: Luna might have fucked me over again! That was, what, the third or fourth time?! My hands trembled, knuckles whitening as my fingers dug into the blankets and I shivered, mentally feeling around inside my head as my heart began hammering at my ribs again. The thing I needed most right now was more things to worry about!

"How did Pr- my niece communicate with you?" Twilight's sudden question yanked everyone's attention across the room.

Just as I was about to answer something struck me: answering about how Etherea and I had gotten along would lead to more questions. What had we done together? What had she told me about Equestria? What had happened before her 'rescue?' I don’t know what they were expecting, but my status in this whole fucked up situation was still in question according to them. The further along I went, the more likely I’d have to contradict their currently-accepted sequence of events, and at Luna’s expense.

I needed these ponies on my side! Insulting or - heaven forbid - hinting that I wanted to do gruesome and irreversible things to one or more of their goddess-leaders was off the table! Twilight's question seemed innocuous, but it wasn’t actually!

Desperately scrambling through my thoughts, I sought an idea that would dissuade her-

"...you alright?" It was Arissa, but Twilight was on her hooves and several steps closer, her expression scrunched with concern.

"Nnnn... C-can I plead... the fifth?"

That only brought more confusion to everyone's faces!

The doctor at my back said something about heart rates. Even he sounded worried. And why shouldn't he be, I was freaking out here! My one source of support could soon-

Twilight suddenly spoke, her voice clear and level. "You don't have to answer the question if you don't want to, Alex."

Oh, thank God! Relief flooded me and internally I giggled madly. Later. I could tell them later when I was more sure of their... friendship, I suppose it would be.

Twilight's expression was uneasy as she stared at me intently. I didn't like the look. "Doctor Derinetth, I would like to do a full spectrum delving of Alex."

That made Arissa's worried expression darken. "You suspect something?"

Twilight nodded.

What? What was this? "There might be something, um... about me?"

"Maybe. I would like to check."

"Very well.” Arissa nodded. “Alex?"

Get it out! Out, out, out! My nod was twitchy.

Twilight said something to Doctor Isshenaen that I couldn't catch, violet eyes on me as she stepped forward. He quickly stepped away.

"Relax, Alex, I'm just looking."

Easy for her to say; she wasn't the one who wasn't facing dire foreshadowing for... whatever this might be! But I grabbed ahold of my emotions and stilled myself as much as I could given the flooding adrenaline.

The world gained a heavy lavender filter. Shitshitshitshit, what was-?!

“...alright, Alex. It’s alright. It’s just Twilight’s spell. She’s just looking. You’re…” Arissa continued talking evenly, and amazingly, it was kind of working!

I didn’t even know why I was freaking out so much! Well, that wasn’t quite true, but everything I’d been through told me that this wasn’t worth the alarm I was facing! Calm, Alex, calm! She’s helping!

As the halo around Twilight’s horn scintillated, subtle waves played through the color filling my vision. There was a vague pattern to them; first they flowed one way, and then back the other. Was this what the receiving end of a Star Trek ship scan felt like?

And I got to watch her expression go from focused to concerned, her brow creasing. The color suddenly cut out.

"There is something else. It's very complicated, though localized."

"What?!" Arissa's bark matched my own. "What's been cast on him?"

Twilight's head shook slowly. "I don't... ...but I have suspicions. ...not related to either the translation... ...Doctor Isshenaen was working... ...fine to affect those two separately."

"But what is it?" Arissa snarled, stepping into Twilight's way. "How can I help him if I don't know what it is?"

Twilight didn't back down this time, her expression striking an uneasy middle ground between nervous and steady as she raised a hoof to hold Arissa back. "I'm not... ...guessing. ...more dangerous. I think... ...thinks."

What the fuck was going on?! Jittery and flush with even more adrenaline, it was hard to keep up with her.

"Specifically, I would refrain... ...the princess. ...find answers and will be back... ...send over one of... ...taking notes." She turned to look down at me, speaking slower. "I don't think it's meant to be harmful - it doesn't have the right components - so I'm not too worried. Arissa will be with you, and she's the most capable medical specialist we have available. We'll get to the bottom of this."

Her ears folded and she had the decency to look somewhat abashed as she looked between the doctor and I. "I need to go to get this sorted out though. Excuse me. I'll be back soon." She pushed her way around Arissa's rigid form, walking quickly as her tablet thing floated up to join her.

Now I felt even more helpless. I wanted to get up - to do something - but I had no idea what that could possibly be. And with the guards still right there...

"Agh!" Arissa smashed a hoof against the floor. "Alex, I'll be right back."

She stormed away, leaving me with the stallion doctor, who kept looking this way and that, clearly unsure how to approach this situation. I pointedly ignored him. Having been told absolutely nothing, I was preoccupied inside my own head.

I mean, what the hell had been done to me?! I couldn't tell if it was better or worse that I couldn't feel whether anything was blatantly off, which was maddening, because I couldn't stop searching myself for a problem! But there was just… nothing!

It couldn't have been more than a couple moments before Arissa showed up again, leading a vaguely familiar mauve and teal unicorn mare. The former indicated Twilight's forgotten saddlebag and writing materials to the latter, who in turn set herself down gently.

"Vethe Thement, Alex. Alex, Vethe Thement. She's one of the best surgeons this side of Yamiessiln. And now she'll be our court recorder..." Arissa drew out a long, grating sigh. "Alright, where were we? Alex? How are you feeling?"

With my emotions whirling violently about, it was a wonder I wasn't screaming and flailing. I was suddenly very thankful for such good self control. "Th-the same."

"I suppose that's good. We'll just have to like it," she spat, clearly doing no such thing.

"What is wrong... with me?" I hissed and everyone stopped moving.

Arissa' darting eyes were telling. So were her gritted teeth. "I don't know. Lady Naois said the spell doesn't appear to be harmful, but she didn't seem to know what it was."

Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic, didn't recognize something? Bullshit! "She knew... something!"

That got a wry smile from Arissa. "'Something’ is right." She shook herself all over. "Given who she is, if she says she doesn't know, then I trust that she doesn’t know what it is specifically. But she has an idea, I’m sure, and let slip that it might be affecting the way you think-"

WHAT?! Nonononononono, no, No, NO! Get it out of me! Get it-!

A white-gold foreleg fell across my forearm and I realized that I'd been levering myself up despite the needles of pain, intent on doing... something. I found Arissa's worried eyes now right beside me and swallowed, catching myself when I didn't have any idea what I was going to actually do.

"It's okay."

"HOW-?"

"Shhhhhh." Don't shush me! "She was worried, but not that worried. I trust her in that too. I don't like it-" there were the gritted teeth and lashing tail again, "-but I do." She nudged my upper arm with her foreleg. "Relax. We're doing everything we can."

It felt like I was banging my head against a wall, over and over again, always being reminded about how much I couldn't do, and how I just had to let them do their thing. They were the experts here. I was just lost and alone. So alone.

Letting her guide me back down, I turned my head toward the blank wall, hoping that it would give me some amount - any amount - of alone time, away from all this shit. Arissa must have sensed my mood, because she let it go.

"How about something comforting?" Mostly let it go... "Like... How about we try some food?”

I snorted. "Pancakes?" First thing I fed Etherea on Earth. Would be funny if it was my first here in Equestria.

"Ummm, maybe in a bit. We'll need to work up to it."

Of course not. I suppose I should be glad I didn't kill Etherea while fumbling around the basics. Which brought a shudder, because I could have.

"Sure."

She snuck in a quick muzzle rub against my shoulder before moving off. I only flinched a little. She ordered Doctor Isshenaen to resume, Doctor what's-her-face to keep writing, and for 'some lazy sack of pony to get her the food cart.' At least someone was getting to yell at them all for me.

Living vicariously through the doctor? I guess I'd take it.