Chimera

The tapping of hooves on tile filled the hospital waiting room. As Rainbow Dash made it to one side of the room, only to promptly turn and head for the other, she failed to notice the annoyed looks she was getting from the other ponies in the room.

"Rainbow, will you please stop that insufferable pacing?" griped Rarity, from the bench she was sitting on.

"Argh, but this is taking forever, I though we were done with all this waiting," replied Rainbow, with a snort.

"Well, darling, Twilight and Lero have a lot to talk about with this new girl."

Sitting up in the spot next to Rarity, and closing the magazine she had been trying to read in a vain attempt to distract herself from the situation, Fluttershy spoke up. "Oh, it must be so hard for her. I hope they're able to break it to her gently."

"Well, I hope they get it sorted out soon, one way or another. I don't know about y'all, but I was kinda in the middle of somethin' when Rainbow grabbed me." Applejack had been eyeing the door on and off for a while, and wondering if she should take the time to make a quick trip home to ask Big Macintosh if he would mind taking care of the grocery shopping this week.

"Applejack, dear, I'm sure nopony will mind if you step out for a moment. Even if you do miss the first introduction it's not like she's going anywhere," said Rarity.

"I know, but I hate to not be here when they get back, especially after the princess left to get things rolling in Canterlot."

Rainbow's ears perked up, as she turned to Applejack. "Hey, if you want, I could zip over to Sweet Apple Acres and let them know what's going on."

"Don't you want to be here when Twilight and Lero get back?" asked Applejack.

"Ah, it'll only take me a second. Besides, it'll give me something to do besides just sitting here," Rainbow offered.

"Well, I guess, if you don't mind..." Applejack began.

"ThanksI'llberightbackby." Before anything else could be said a sudden gust of wind shot through the room and Dash was gone, leaving only a trail of multicolored light in her wake.

Applejack let out a defeated sigh. "Well, there goes another one," she said, glancing around at the steadily shrinking group. "Hey, where'd Pinkie Pie get to?" she asked.

Lyra looked up from her book at the mention of Pinkie. "She said something about needing to get something ready then she just took off."

"What do you think it is?" Fluttershy asked.

"Knowing Pinkie, its probably her party cannon, dear," replied Rarity.

"Oh, silly, they won't let me bring that in here anymore."

"Eek," screamed Rarity, at the sudden voice behind her. "Pinkie! Don't sneak up on me like that."

"But I wasn't sneaking," chimed Pinkie, with a grin.

"Nonetheless, I wish you wouldn't... what in the world is that?"

Hanging around Pinkie's neck was what looked like a small wooden barrel, painted in pink and white stripes, with a big blue ribbon wrapped around the center and tied into a bow on the front. "This is a barrel of fun, Rarity. It's the perfect gift for making somepony feel welcome," exclaimed Pinkie.

"Well, what's inside it?" Applejack asked.

"Silly Applejack, I can't tell you that, it would spoil the surprise.

Before anypony could ask further, the sound of a door opening caught their attention. They all looked up to see Twilight and Lero enter the waiting room.

"There you are," said Lyra, trotting up to her herd and giving them both a quick nuzzle. "So, how is she?"

"Oh, oh, is she awake yet, is she awake yet?" asked Pinkie.

"Indeed, please do fill us in," said Rarity, as she and the rest of the ponies gathered around.

"Hold on," said Twilight, noticing the absence of her herd-mate and the princess, "where is everypony?"

"The princess said she'd be back later and Rainbow went on a quick errand," explained Applejack.

Twilight let out an exaggerated huff. She knew Rainbow had a hard time sitting still, but she had been hoping to have a few more words with Celestia before she left. "Well, her name is Rebecca Lancaster, and she seems to be taking the situation fairly well."

"Sheesh, you humans really do have some funny names don't ya?" asked Applejack, giving Lero a quizzical look.

"Actually it's pretty common where I'm from," he replied.

"So, can we see her now?" asked Pinkie.

"Well, right now she's in the cafeteria. We told her we'd be back in a moment, but I don't know if..." began Twilight.

"Oh, boy!" beamed Pinkie, before speeding off.

"Pinkie, wait," called Twilight, as her friend ran down the hall.

****

The cafeteria of Ponyville General Hospital was a bit nicer than most. With thick beige carpeting and round wooden tables it had a much more pleasant feel to it than most would expect to find in a hospital. Rebecca sat alone at one of the tables in the far corner of the room. One of the first things that she had noticed about the place, upon getting out of bed, was that most of the furniture was very low to the ground. The table she was sitting at was so low in fact that it didn't even have any chairs, and was instead surrounded by several soft pillows.

Another thing she had noticed was the ponies. The little things were everywhere, and every one of them seemed to be staring at her. As she scanned the room, each time her gaze fell on a pony the little creatures would quickly avert their eyes and try to pretend that they hadn't been looking at her. Lero and Twilight had excused themselves a moment ago, saying that they needed to talk to someone, but that they would be back in a few minutes.

"Here, this might help." A voice beside her suddenly jolted Rebecca out of her little survey. One of the ponies had managed to sneak up beside her and place something on the table. The pony was male, his voice made that obvious, and of all the ones she had seen so far probably came the closest to having a normal coat color, his being light brown with darker mane and tail. Also, out of all of them, he was the first one she had seen wearing clothing, in this case what looked like a doctors coat complete with tie and even glasses. "I wouldn't start with anything too heavy, you've been off solid food for quite some time," he said, motioning to the table.

Looking down Rebecca saw what looked like a bowl of tomato soup and glass of water. Ignoring the food she bought her eyes back up to meet his; for some reason she couldn't shake the feeling of deja vu that was creeping over her. "Have we met?" she asked, continuing to stare into him.

"My name is Vital Signs, and I'm the doctor who has been looking after you while you've been here, we met briefly before your... episode." Despite the stern face he was trying to put on, Rebecca could tell by his voice that he was nervous.

"Thank you," she said, flatly.

"You're welcome," he replied, hesitantly. "Look, I realize that you have already been through a lot today..."

"You think?"

"… but I was hoping you would be willing to allow me to perform a quick physical, just to make sure everything is in order."

Closing her eyes Rebecca took a deep breath, her head was starting to hurt. "Sure."

"Very good, the room is just down that hall, third door on the left. I'll meet you there shortly." Signs pointed to one of the halls leading out of the cafeteria before turning to head down it.

As she watched him go, Rebecca noticed the picture on his hip was a heart monitor. "He seems nice enough." Turning to the bowl of soup in front of her she noticed that he had neglected to leave any silverware. Do they even use silverware? Picking the bowl up she gave the soup an experimental sip, and was pleasantly surprised. The soup was rich, creamy, and most of all filling; she made short work of it.

"HI!" A voice suddenly cried out beside her, causing her to sputter out her last sip of soup. Looking to her left, Rebecca found another pony. This one was the brightest she had seen yet, with a pink coat and even pinker mane. "I'm Pinkie Pie, and it's so nice to finally meet you, we were worried that you weren't going to wake up, but now you are awake and I can finally throw you that welcome to Ponyville party I've been planning, and we're going to be the best of friends."

Scooting away from the creature, Rebecca grabbed the water off the table and drained the glass. With her throat cleared of soup, Rebecca was finally able to muster a response. "Maybe some other time, the doctor wanted to see me after I finished eating," Rebecca said, giving the pony a wary eye.

"Oh, okay, How about after?" Pinkie asked, giving the biggest smile she could.

Despite the attempt at cuteness, Rebecca's headache was getting worse and her patience was wearing thin. "Listen, maybe when I'm not in the hospital we'll do this party thing. Until then, the doctor is waiting for me." As she got up to leave, Rebecca suddenly felt something on her arm causing her entire body to shudder.

"Well, will you at least take you barrel of..." Pinkie began, as she reached out and took Rebecca's arm.

"Don't touch me!" Rebecca snapped.

Pinkie stumbled backward at the sudden outburst. "I-I'm sorry," she whimpered.

Noticing all eyes in the room upon her including those of Lero and Twilight, who had just entered the room, Rebecca lowered her voice. "Look, when I'm ready to start making friends you will be the first to know. Until then, leave me alone." The last words were little more than a growl, and Pinkie's mane deflated at the sound of them. With that, Rebecca turned on her heels and headed for the door that Vital Signs had left through, exiting the room just as Twilight and the others reached the table.

****

Rebecca sat on the padded table of the examination room looking around at the various medical supplies. Jars of tongue depressors, gauze, and other medical accoutrements coupled with the sterile feel of the place made it almost familiar enough for her to forget where she was. However, between the furniture all being half size, even sitting on the examination table her feet still touched the floor, and the one performing the examination, any illusion of familiarity was quickly dispelled.

As Rebecca watched, Vital Signs stood at a table going over the notes that he had taken so far. "Well, Miss Lancaster, as far as I can tell you seem to be in fair health. Although, I must admit, I don't have a whole lot to compare you to. Still, your statistics are close enough to Lero's that I think we can say with some certainty that everything is in order."

"You checked Lero too?" Rebecca asked.

"Oh, yes," Signs said, perking up. "Why, I've been Mr.Michaelides physician since he first came to Ponyville."

"Really? Well, that's comforting," she said, though Signs could tell by her voice that she didn't mean it.

"Ma'am, I assure you, I am quite adept in the medical field. And, despite my lack of experience with your people, I have managed to keep at least one of you healthy for as long as he's been a patient of mine," Signs explained.

Rebecca cocked an eyebrow. "Okay then, Doc, how do I check out so far?" She asked, a hint of challenge in her voice.

"Heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory system checks out; they would have been easier to check if you would have let me apply the stethoscope myself. We tried to keep your muscles exercised while you were out, but some deterioration has occurred, so I would recommend regular exercise to get you back up to speed. Still, as is, I'd put you on about equal terms, physically, with a young unicorn mare, so you shouldn't have to remain in the hospital for very long," Signs finished, with a smile.

Rebecca couldn't help but let a small smile creep across her lips. Despite his appearance, the doctor's confident nature was actually rather comforting; at least he seemed to know what he was doing. "Alright, Doc, is their anything else we need to check?"

Happy that he was making at least some progress with his patient, Signs smiled. "Well, an eye exam probably wouldn't hurt, I can't help but notice that you seem to be squinting a bit," he finished.

"Well, this place is awfully bright," she replied, as Signs opened a nearby drawer and levitated a eye chart out and over to the wall opposite Rebecca. When he turned around Signs noticed the wide eyed stare that Rebecca was giving him.

"Oh my, I'm sorry," he said, with a frown, "I forgot you haven't had a chance to get used to magic yet."

"Yeah, still trying to wrap my head around that one," she said, still scarcely believing her eyes. That is going to take some getting used to.

"Well, shall we begin?" Signs asked, eager to change the subject.

"Yeah, let's do that," she replied, trying to get comfortable in her seat once more.

"Excellent, now just read as far down the chart as you can," Signs instructed.

"Alright, lets see here." Rebecca did her best to focus on the rows of letters across the room starting at the top.

"E,F,P,T,O,Z,P,E,D,P,F,C,E,D,E,D,F,C,Z,P,F,E,L,O, Approved by the Equestrian Medical Association."

Signs walked over to the chart and squinted at the bottom corner. "Wow, that's good," he said, slowly. "That's... very, very good. I wasn't aware that humans could see that well."

"We can't."

****

Rebecca lay in her new bed staring at the ceiling. After her physical, Signs had informed her that she was being transferred out of her intensive care unit, and into the first floor recovery wing. While it was not a private room, she was the sole occupant for the time being, and Signs had told her that he would do his best to keep it that way for her. As she lay there, she did her best not to think about her situation. Unfortunately, trying not to think about it only made her think about it more, and brought with it a growing certainty that she was not just going to wake up from it all.

A soft knock at the door drew her attention, to which she responded by rolling onto her side and doing her best to ignore it. A few moments later though the door opened, and the sound of feet as well as many hooves filled the room.

"I told the doctor I didn't want anymore visitors," she said, not even turning to see them, though she had a pretty good idea as to who it was.

"Yeah, but he said that you could probably use some company." She recognized the voice as Lero's.

Realizing that he wasn't going away, Rebecca sat up and turned to face him. Lero stood there with three ponies around him, the one in front she recognized as Twilight while the other two were new. On Lero's left stood another unicorn pony; Rebecca thought she looked a lot like Twilight, except this one was mint green in color with golden eyes and had a surprisingly cheerful smile on her face. To Lero's right stood a new kind of pony Rebecca hadn't seen before. This one was, if anything, even smaller than the other two and was the most colorful one she had seen yet, with sky-blue fur and a rainbow mane. Most surprising of all was the fact that this third pony had what looked like wings.

"What's all this?" Rebecca asked.

"These are a couple more well-wishers," said Lero, motioning to his sides. "This is Lyra Heartstrings."

"Hello." Lyra waved.

"And, this is Rainbow Dash." Lero ran his hand down Rainbow's mane.

Rainbow leaned into the touch but, between her bored expression and the way she kept glancing at the clock, didn't seem too interested in introductions. "Sup," she offered.

"Charmed," replied Rebecca, with the same lack of interest. The room was silent for a moment, as Lero and Twilight's smiles became more and more strained. "Well, it was nice meeting you, but if there's nothing else..."

"Actually," Twilight piped-up, "we were just wondering how you're holding up?"

"You did sort of startle some ponies back in the cafeteria," Lyra offered, concern evident in her voice.

"Well, some ponies could stand to learn how to take a hint." As Rebecca spoke the strained smiles finally broke into depressed frowns.

"Aaugh," exclaimed Rainbow. "Okay, I think we're about done here."

"Rainbow!" Twilight and the rest of her herd turned to glare at her.

"No! Look, Twi, It was a good idea, A for effort and all, but it's obvious she wants to be left alone; and after the way she yelled at Pinkie I'm all for it." Rainbow took to the air and hovered in front of Twilight as she spoke, causing Twilight to take a step back, and Rebecca to nearly back out of her bed.

"I'm going to have to agree with Rainbow on this one," said Lyra.

"You too, Lyra?" asked Twilight.

"Look, Twilight, she clearly wants to be alone right now, maybe we can introduce her to the herd later," Lyra offered.

"What's the herd?" All eyes turned to Rebecca, who was looking at Lero, as Lyra brought a hoof up to her mouth.

"Uh, well..." Lero's eyes darted to the sides as he tried to find the words he was looking for. "It's something we were going to explain after you got a little more settled in," he said.

"Well, it sounds like something I should know about, so why don't you explain it now?" said Rebecca.

"Hey, why don't you try asking nicely, and maybe we will," Rainbow shot back.

Before Rainbow could continue she suddenly found Lero between herself and Rebecca. His furrowed brow and pursed lips left no question as to his mood. "Rainbow, that's enough," he said, sternly.

Rainbow's ears suddenly flattened, and she fell to the ground. "But, she..."

"Rainbow, not helping." Lero said, more forcefully.

At this, Rainbow took a few steps back. "Fine," she said, sourly while turning her gaze to the corner of the room.

Lero turned back to Rebecca, who was still looking at him. He cleared his throat before beginning. "Okay, you remember how we told you that the citizens of Equestria are mostly ponies?"

"Yes," Rebecca replied.

"Well, the thing is, when it comes to ponies, the females actually outnumber the males."

"By how much?" she asked, wondering where he was going with this.

"About five to one, maybe more in some areas. Now, with such a big gender imbalance it's pretty much impossible for every mare to find a stallion of her own. So, ponies form herds, instead of couples. A typical herd consists of one or two stallions, and between three to six mares," Lero finished.

As he spoke, Rebecca noticed Lero was beginning to sweat. "So, I take it these three are part of one of these herds?" she asked.

"Yes," Lero replied, "and something else you should know is that ponies are not the only sentient species in Equestria, and interspecies relationships do exist."

"Well, that's an interesting piece of culture, but why would you have a problem telling me about..." Rebecca's eyes suddenly widened as realization sank in. The way Lero kept glancing at the ponies and back to her with that nervous look in his eye, the way he spoke to Twilight and Rainbow Dash in such a familiar manner, and the way he had been hesitant to explain this in the first place made Rebecca's next question obvious. "Lero, are you in one of these herds?"

Lero took a deep breath. "Yes, I am. Twilight, Lyra, and Rainbow here are my herd, and I love them very much," he said, looking at each of his mares in turn before facing Rebecca again, his nervousness having been replaced with new resolve.

They sat in silence for a moment as Rebecca's face went through a number of expressions, ranging from confusion to disgust, before she closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again she was more bewildered than anything. "Well, that's… something."

Lero let out a sigh, and Twilight and Lyra seemed to relax as well. "Thanks," said Lero, "I was worried about how you might react to that."

"Well, when in Rome, I guess." As she spoke, Rebecca noticed Rainbow still staring at the wall with a miffed expression on her face, and a sly smile crept onto her face. "But, I have to ask, does the rainbow one taste like skittles?"

As the entire herd went red, Rainbow turned wide-eyed to the woman. "Excuse me!" she shouted, as she took to the air and made a beeline for Rebecca, only to be stopped by two auras of magic gripping her lower half. "Where do you get off lady? I've got half a mind to..."

As Twilight and Lyra did their best to restrain their herd-mate, Lero made his way to Dash's side and was about to join his lead mare in her tirade when he noticed something that made him stop; Rebecca was laughing.

As Rainbow did her best to get her hooves on her, Rebecca held up her hands defensively. "I'm sorry," she said, between laughs, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help myself."

As Rebecca's giggling died down, Lero placed a hand on Rainbow's shoulder. "Alright, Love, calm down," he said, with a smile.

"What!?" Rainbow glared at him then back at Rebecca.

"She didn't mean anything by it," he said, as he worked his hand up the back of her neck to rub the spot behind her ears.

As Lero's hands worked their magic, Rainbow felt the anger drain out of her. No matter how mad she was about something, once Lero got his hands on her it all just seemed to fade away, and she felt herself being lowered gently to the ground.

"Well now, if there are no more jokes..." Twilight began, pleased at the sudden change in Rebecca's mood.

"Just one more?"

"Excuse me?" Twilight asked.

"Just one more, and I promise I'll be done," Rebecca pleaded.

Twilight cocked an eyebrow at her but was distracted by Lero placing a hand on her withers. "Shoot," Lero said.

"Lero," Twilight scolded.

"Come on, Twi, if that's all she asks then let her get it out of her system. After all, it could be a lot worse," he reasoned.

Twilight was about to object when she saw the pleading look in Lero's eyes, then it hit her; this was the most progress they had made with Rebecca since she woke up. "Fine," she said flatly.

Rebecca's smile widened. "Why did the man cross the road?" she asked twilight.

"Why?"

"Because he was invited to some... pony play," she answered, before breaking into another fit of laughter.

"Oh, come on, that doesn't even make sense, does it Lero?"

"Y-yeah," Lero stuttered, his face turning a bright crimson.

"Well, what does it mean?" asked Lyra, as she and the other mares looked at him in confusion.

As Lero was trying to find the best way to start a very awkward conversation, Rebecca's laughter suddenly stopped as all the mirth seemed to drain out of her. "Seriously though, it's good that you found someone who makes you happy," she said, turning once more to face the group.

"Um, thanks," said Lero, concern creeping into his voice at the sudden change in mood.

"Miss Rebecca, are you alright?" Lyra stepped up to the bed, worried as to what could cause such a drastic change.

"Just a little drained I guess," Rebecca replied. "Look, it's been... interesting talking to you all, but I think I could use a nap."

"Okay, if you're sure?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, I think some sleep will do me good."

"Well, okay then." As she and her herd started to make their way to the door, Twilight paused. "Just one more thing. Our princess said she would like to meet you."

"I'll be right here when she's ready," Rebecca replied.

As the light was turned off and the door closed, Rebecca lay back down and tried to get comfortable in the strange bed.

****

The load was heavy, was it stone? it pressed down hard on the shoulder that she carried it on. The hard stairs she was climbing were cold, made even worse by the drizzle coming from above, her bare feet were numb. Worst of all were the shackles, heavy and loose on her wrists, they rubbed her arms raw but she dared not try to take them off. There were others around her, people maybe, but she couldn't make them out through the mist. The mist was thick and cold and it left everything damp; she couldn't see more than a few feet in any direction. But, despite how thick it was, the mist did nothing to hide the shadows.

They flitted through the mist, watching and waiting, their bodies little more than wisps of black smoke given arms and legs, all except their hair. Some of them seemed to have black tentacles writhing atop their heads. Others had water, flowing from their tops down their backs. Still others had fire or streamers of multicolored light dancing in the wind.

As she climbed the steps she tried to wipe the sweat from her brow on what remained of her sleeve, only to miss the next step. She came down hard on her knee, hissing in pain as the load she carried fell from her shoulder and clattered away from her. She tried to get back to her feet but it was to late, the shadows had sprung.

They weaved through the air around her, the first to arrive at her side grunting and hooting at the others, as if gloating, before reaching out with a long spindly hand and touching her shoulder. The shackles suddenly tightened around her wrists and froze in the air, holding her in place. She had only a second to brace herself, then the shackles burst into flames. Rebecca screamed.

****

Rebecca came to with a start, sweat dripping down her brow. She was lying in her bed in the hospital, and as she blinked the last traces of sleep away realized that she was not alone. Standing by the window was another pony, but this one was unlike any other she had seen. This pony towered over the others, and possessed an incredibly pure white coat that seemed to turn into gold as it caught the rays of the sun, which was just peaking over the horizon. In addition to her gleaming coat, the mare also had a pair of majestic wings folded at her sides, and a lance-like horn upon her brow which was giving off a soft golden glow of its own. Most of all, though, Rebecca's eyes were drawn to the multicolored mane that seemed to dance in some unseen wind. For a moment it reminded her of the nightmare she had just awoken from, sending a chill down her spine, but like the nightmare itself the feeling was fleeting.

"Well, you're a big one aren’t you?" Rebecca asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." The mares voice was soft and motherly.

"You didn't." As she examined the mare more closely, Rebecca noticed that she was wearing what looked like a crown. "I'm guessing you're the princess that Twilight mentioned?"

"Indeed, I am Princess Celestia, and I..." Celestia's eyes suddenly widened in realization, her horn lit up again, and as Rebecca watched, her mane changed to a single rosy hue and ceased its constant flowing. Rebecca sat there for a moment, wondering what had just happened, as Celestia took a few tentative steps toward her, confusion clearly visible in her eyes. "Were you... were you not frightened of me just now?"

"Should I be?" Rebecca asked, suddenly aware of just how big the princess's horn was.

"If you came to be in Equestria in the same manner as Lero then yes." As Celestia spoke, a thought entered her mind that chilled her to her very core. "Rebecca, do you remember what happened before you arrived in Equestria?"

"Remember is a strong word," Rebecca replied. "Whenever I try to think about it my head starts to spin and everything just sort of goes blank. But, when I was asleep just now, I saw... something."

"What did you see?" Celestia's worry was growing.

"Blurry flashes of places, and things."

"Do you remember anything specific?"

"Not really. Like I said, the more I try to focus on it the blurrier it gets."

Celestia let out a sigh. "I would suggest that you stop trying to focus on it," she said, as some of the tension left her voice.

"Why, do you know how I got here?" Rebecca looked like she was ready to leap off the bed.

"Yes I do, and believe me when I say that it is best if you do not know many more details."

"What do you mean it's best if I don't know? Tell me how I got here, right now!"

Rebecca seemed ready to cross the room and strangle her, and Celestia suspected that she possessed just the right combination of ignorance and anger to try. Rather then allow her regalia's defensive wards to be triggered twice in as many days, Celestia took a deep breath and tried to find the best place to start. "You were abducted," she said, finally.

"By who?" Rebecca asked, easing herself back into the bed.

"By creatures that I shall not describe further." The finality with which Celestia spoke made it clear to Rebecca that there was no point in arguing. "Suffice to say, they are capricious and sadistic beyond measure, and that they posses magic that is wholly different from that of Equestria. Why they took you, and why they did what they did to you, I do not know, but you are fortunate indeed to no longer be in their grasp."

"So, they're the ones who turned me into a..."

"A chimera, yes. But hopefully, with time, we will be able to undo this."

Rebecca's head sank. "How long?"

"I do not know. The process of creating a chimera is still poorly understood in Equestria, but in time I am sure we will find a way," Celestia comforted, walking up and taking a seat at the side of the bed. Rebecca didn't even turn to look at her. "In the meantime, you are more than welcome in Equestria. Lero has made a very good impression during his time here and, as long as you are willing to do the same, I'm sure my little ponies will be happy to have you among them." Celestia smiled, though Rebecca didn't see it.

They were quiet for a moment, before Rebecca spoke. "I can't go back, cant I?" her voice was little more than a whisper, and she still kept her eyes forward.

Sorrow took hold of Celestia's heart as her smile faded. "I am sorry, but we do not posses the means to leap across worlds as the ones that took you did." As she spoke, Celestia could feel tears forming at the corners of her eyes, but did her best to fight them back. She wanted to do something to help the woman before her. Almost unconsciously, Celestia spread a wing over Rebbeca.

"Don't... touch me." The words came out, quiet and filled with venom, before Celestia even made contact. "Just-" Rebecca let out a defeated sigh "-just leave me alone."

Celestia withdrew her wing and stood up. "Very well," she said, forlornly before getting up. As she made her way back to the window, Celestia turned one last time to Rebbeca. "Please remember, Rebecca, we are here to help." Rebecca lay back down on the bed, her back to Celestia. With one final sigh Celestia gathered her magic around herself, and in a bright flash the princess disappeared as soft sobbing filled the room.

****

As the ponies of Ponyville began to rise and greet a new day, the town could hardly have seemed more idyllic. Thanks to the efforts of the local weather team, the sky was free of all but the smallest clouds, and the local songbirds were doing their best to fill the air with music. As the citizens went about their business, none of them noticed the three shadows making their way slowly but steadily toward Ponyville General Hospital.

They moved from cover to cover, always wary of any who might be watching. As they neared their destination the leader motioned for the others to stop, before creeping forward to peek though an open window, and motion the other two forward. "Alright, this is the one, do you remember your jobs?" The others nodded. "Good, we only have one shot at this, and you know the price of failure. Now on my mark, three... two... one... NOW!"

The three leapt through the air, confident that with this task fulfilled their quest would finally be at an end, only to realize a fatal flaw in their plan; the window was only big enough for two. The three suddenly found themselves stuck, pressed together in the window frame, before sliding forward and collapsing on the floor in a pile.

As Rebecca poked at the bowl of oatmeal that the nurse had dropped off earlier, she was nearly jolted out of the bed as something leaped though the window. Turning to the intruder, she was surprised to find not one, but three ponies. As the three of them tried to get untangled, any fear of the intruders Rebecca might have had quickly washed away as she got a better look at them. Between the orange, yellow, and white coats and the fact that they were even smaller then the other ponies she had seen, Rebecca was confident that they were no threat.

"Um, can I help you?" Rebecca asked, setting down the bowl of oatmeal.

As if noticing her for the first time, the three ponies quickly got to their feet, sporting rather sheepish grins, before one of them spoke, "Oh, uh, you must be the new human that everypony's talking about?" the little white one said.

At the sound of the pony's voice, Rebecca's eyes widened. Children... they're children. "Yeah?" Rebecca asked, unsure what to make of the kid.

"Well then," the foal began.

"Allow us to officially welcome you to Ponyville!" the three cheered in unison, as the yellow and orange ones quickly reached to the packs on their sides and pulled a pair of strings. A loud pop filled the room as the little pony's saddlebags spewed out a fountain of confetti.

"Alright, girls, mission accomplished," the little orange one said, "dose anypony see anything?"

As Rebecca began dusting of the confetti she had just been sprayed with, she was thrown for yet another loop as the foals suddenly started to check out each other's backsides. "Okay, kids, this is getting real weird real fast. Now, would you mind telling me who you are and why you're in my hospital room?"

Looking up, the little yellow pony straightened up to answer, "Oh, sorry about that, I'm Apple Bloom, and this is, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo; we were trying to get our cutie marks."

"Cutie what now?" Rebecca asked.

The three fillies looked shocked, "Nopony's told you about cutie marks?" Scootaloo asked.

Rebecca slowly shook her head as confusion once more spread across her face.

"A cutie mark appears on a pony's flank when they discover their special talent," Sweetie Belle explained, with a smile.

"Haven't ya noticed the symbols on everypony's flanks?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I figured those were dyed on," Rebecca replied.

Oh, silly, you can't fake a cutie mark," Sweetie Belle said.

"So, these marks just appear out of nowhere?"

"Yep, there's this bright flash and then poof there it is." Scootaloo jumped into the air and managed to hover for a moment before plopping back on the ground.

"Uh-huh." It made about as much sense as anything else Rebecca had seen so far.

"So, uh, what's your name?" Apple Bloom asked, realizing that she didn't even know the name of the one that they had just welcomed to their town.

"My name's Rebecca," she said.

"Wow, you humans have some funny na-oof!" Scootaloo was cut off by Apple Bloom's knee to her ribs. "I mean, how exotic," she strained to finish.

"Well, I think it's pretty," Sweetie Belle said, "and I really like your mane."

"I guess some people can make any style look good, even bedhead," Rebecca said, with a chuckle.

"Not to mention the cool color," Scootaloo added.

"The color?" Rebecca asked.

"Yeah, I thought only stallions could have brown manes, and even then you don't see it very often," Apple Bloom remarked.

Rebecca thought back to the ponies she had come across so far, and sure enough, aside from Doctor Signs, she couldn't recall seeing a single brunette among them. Rebecca chuckled, "Maybe I should get it styled, see how many how many heads I can turn," she joked, pulling her hair up into a makeshift bun, and turning so the fillies could see. "What do you think?"

The three fillies stood eyes wide and mouths agape, "Y-you... you got," Apple Bloom stuttered.

Rebbeca let her hair fall as her smile faded, "You kids okay?" she asked.

"You've got a cutie mark!" they all squealed, and quickly ran up to the bed, causing Rebecca to back up with a start.

"Whoa, whoa, I have what?" Rebecca asked.

"There, on your neck, Scootaloo pointed." As Rebecca lifted her hair, and felt the back of her neck, the fillies eyes were drawn to the image that lay hidden underneath it- a bright red heart with white feathered wings spreading out from behind it.

"What, you mean this?" Rebecca circled the image with her finger.

"When did you get it?" Apple Bloom asked.

"What's your special talent?" Scootaloo chimed.

"It's a heart, I bet she's a love expert," Sweetie Belle squealed.

"No way, it has wings, I bet she loves flying," Scootaloo argued.

"Why is it on your neck?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Girls, please," Rebecca said, getting the filly's attention. "This isn't a cutie mark, this is a tattoo."

"A what?" the three asked in unison.

"A tattoo," Rebecca repeated.

"What's a tattoo?" Scootaloo asked.

"You don't have tattoos here?" In response to shaking heads she continued, "Well, it's kind of like a painting that's under your skin."

For a moment the fillies looked horrified. "Under your skin?" Sweetie Belle asked, covering her mouth with her hoof.

"How did you get it in there?" Scootaloo asked.

"Basically, one drop at a time, with a needle."

"Eew, didn't that hurt?" Sweetie asked, turning slightly green.

"Ah, no worse than a bee sting," Rebecca replied.

"Can... can we see it?" Apple bloom asked, hesitantly.

Rebecca leaned back from the fillies and was about to say no, but stopped. As she looked at them, Rebecca noticed something- there was no fear in their eyes. Almost all the other ponies had looked at her the way they might a wolf, with caution, suspicion, and even disgust. Yet when she looked at the fillies in front of her, Rebecca saw none of those things, only innocent curiosity. Finally, with a deep breath, she pulled the covers aside and stood up.The three fillies took a few steps back, as Rebecca got to her feet, and craned their necks to try and look her in the eye.

"Golly, you're even taller that Lero," Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"Are you sure you're a mare?" Scootaloo blurted out, only to be jabbed in the side again by Apple Bloom.

Rebecca gave the filly a sour look before glancing down at her chest. "Yeah, pretty sure," she replied. With the awkward moment out of the way, Rebecca turned around and slowly lowered herself to the floor. "You can look, but don't touch," she said over her shoulder.

The three trotted over and examined the strange mark. "You say you did this one drop at a time?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I didn't, a artist did," Rebecca corrected.

"That must have taken forever," Scootaloo remarked.

"Not really, they use a machine that can do it really fast," Rebecca said.

"It's still really pretty," Sweetie offered.

"Well, thanks, I kind of like it to," Rebecca admitted, even though she had actually been surprised to find it the day after her twenty first birthday. "Alright, I think that's enough show and tell," she said, getting to her feet. "Don't you think it's about time you three got back to... whatever you ponies do?"

"Aww," came the unanimous reply.

Rebecca rolled her eyes at the display. "Come on, I hate to think what the nurse would say if she caught the three of you in here without permission."

The fillies had to agree. They knew how touchy the nurses could be about the hospital rules. "Okay," they said, dejectedly.

"But could you give us a boost?" Sweetie asked pointing at the window.

Rebecca looked at the window and back to Sweetie. "Can't you just use the door?"

"But then the nurses will catch us for sure," Scootaloo pleaded.

"Please," the three said, in unison, giving their best puppy-dog eyes.

Rebecca slowly made her way over to the window, and looked down at the fillies. They were still smiling, and as she looked at them Rebecca found herself breathing harder. Kneeling down she slowly reached out to Sweetie Belle, who had turned to face the window. Rebecca's hands trembled as they came closer to the little pony until finally her finger tips brushed Sweetie's coat, only to recoil as if they had touched a hot stove.

"Um, are you okay?" asked Scootaloo.

Rebecca turned to the other two fillies and saw the concern in their eyes. "Just... give me a minute," she said, taking a deep breath. Slowly, she once again reached out, hands quivering, before shutting her eyes and leaning forward. Her hands made contact and her eyes shot open. Rebecca's hands were on Sweetie's sides, and it was all she could do to keep them their. Closing her eyes again she quickly hoisted the young filly up and out the window, barely lowering her before letting go. Sweetie Belle landed on her hooves as Rebecca's hands clenched the window seal, arms shaking.

"Uh, Miss Rebecca, are you sure you're alright?" Apple Bloom asked taking a few hesitant steps forward.

"That was... the first time I've touched a pony," She responded, through gasping breathes.

A few tries later and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo found themselves outside the window as well. Rebecca once again clung to the open window, her entire body shaking.

"Well, thanks, Rebecca," Apple Bloom offered, unsure if they should just leave her as she was.

"No... problem," Rebecca replied, gasping.

"You sure you don't want us to go get a nurse for you," Scootaloo asked, no longer concerned about getting into trouble.

"No, no, I'll be fine. I just need to sit down for a minute."

As Rebecca disappeared from the window the three friends shared concerned looks. "What do you think that was all about?" Scootaloo asked.

"I don't know, but maybe we should get the nurse anyway," Sweetie said.

"Well, she said she was fine. Maybe it's a human thing," offered Apple Bloom.

"Why don't we ask Lero? Maybe he'll know what it was," Scootaloo suggested.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea," said Apple Bloom. "Come on, lets go find him."

As the tree friends galloped off Rebecca stood in her room, staring at her hands. Her breathing had calmed down, but her fingers were still twitching. Slowly she clenched and unclenched her hands before balling them into fists, and gritting her teeth.

****

"Aah, what a lovely day," Lily said to herself, as she raised her watering can over her latest batch of culinary carnations. The small garden next to her house was her pride and joy because, unlike the many beds she tended in the fields around town, they were her personal stock. The powder white petals had been her favorite ever since she was a filly, and the first harvest of the year was right around the corner. Lily could almost taste them as she turned to head back inside... and froze.

Barreling down the street toward her, moving as fast as his long backward-bending legs could carry him, was none other than the strange creature that had come to live in ponyville not a year earlier, Lero. His eyes were wide and his breath came in deep gasps, and as Lily watched him draw near he sprang into the air above her. Realizing that she was no doubt about to be made a meal of, Lily reacted the way any right-minded pony would.

"The horror, the horror," Lily cried, covering her eyes with her foreleg before collapsing backwards.

Lero vaulted over the prone pony, the same way he had the last one that hadn't gotten out of the way in time, barely breaking his stride as he hit the ground. "Lero, will you stop doing that?" a voice called from behind him. Glancing back Lero saw twilight struggling to keep up with him, and slowed his pace just long enough for her to catch up.

"Come on, Twi, you heard the kids, we need to get to the hospital," lero said, between breathes.

"Yes, Lero, I know. I also know that, if you would just stop running, I could just teleport us there."

Lero skidded to a stop in the middle of the street, narrowly avoiding a collision with a unicorn stallion with a safety pin cutie mark, before turning back to Twilight. "Well, why didn't you say so?" he asked.

"I did, just as you bolted out the door," she replied with a huff.

Lero's cheeks flushed red. "Oh, sorry," he said, sheepishly.

Twilight rolled her eyes before giving him a sly smile. "You know, Lero, if you weren't so adorable I'd never put up with you."

Despite the tension in his nerves, Lero managed to crack a smile. "Isn't that supposed to be my-" The two of them vanished in a flash of purple light.

****

"Lineaahg," Lero exclaimed, as he and Twilight appeared outside the front door of Ponyville General Hospital. "Twilight! Warning!" Lero blustered, as he began trying to rub away the strange tingling sensation coursing through his body.

"That was for running me half-way through Ponyville," Twilight retorted, with a smirk.

Before they could get any further into their lovers spat, the boor to the hospital burst open. Twilight and Lero both turned to see Doctor Signs standing in the doorway. "Thank goodness, you're both here," he exclaimed.

"Doctor? How did you know we were here?" Twilight asked.

"I saw your flash from inside," he explained.

"Doc, is everything alright?" Lero asked.

Signs looked up at Lero with growing concern in his eyes. "It's Rebecca... she's gone."