Industrial Diamondby Bama_BronyChaptersPrologueGet it through your thick headChapter Two: Don't make me think about itPrologueThe incessant beeping was starting to get on my nerves. It was like my alarm clocks' annoying little brother. Rolling over, I reached out and tried to hit the snooze button. The button didn't give, which I thought was strange. I tried again. Groaning, I gave up and opted to wrap my pillow around my head. Yeah, pretending it wasn't there was a good idea. Thirty seconds later I groaned again and decided to get up, I felt restless anyways. Smacking my lips and rolling my tongue around my mouth, I was greeted by that strange pasty morning flavor, which oddly reminded me of Maalox. Running my tongue across my teeth, I noticed that my canines didn't feel sharp. My teeth were wider and flatter. There was also a noticeable gap between what should have been my canines and my jaw teeth. It didn't make sense. I decided to reevaluate that line of reasoning after my morning cup of coffee. My muscles creaked in protest and I feel somewhere between chewed bubblegum and playdough. A tugging sensation pulls at my side. I look down to see a clear plastic hose protruding from a shaved little round of flesh on my side, which is furry and a light shade of purple. My brow furrows and I cock my head to the side. "What the?" I mutter as I try to figure out what the hell that thing is and why my side is furry and fucking purple. "CRASH!" came a loud noise from across the room. My hackles raise and I feel something on my head lay back. I swivel my head towards the sound and see a shattered glass container on the floor with greenish looking goop splattered around it. It looked better than what what some people considered art these days. I hate abstract art! Looking past the mess I see something else, a dog or something with light pink hair and a white coat. Its eyes were wide and its mouth was gaping open. Do I have to give it a treat or something? The creature rushes forward and before I can even get my hands up to defend myself I feel its legs wrap around me. It held me there for a moment. Looking over its shoulder and down its back I notice that it has a tail that matched the hair on its head. It doesn't look like a dog tail, more like a horse tail. Warmth floods my cheeks. I feel like I should know this creature but I can't think of a name. Wrapping my arms around the creature I return the hug. Her coat is warm and fuzzy. Sniffing, I catch a hint of peppermint, something earthy, and the smell of disinfectant. Looking down her back, I don't know why I say her, I notice something else. "Where the hell are my hands?" I yell. The creature flinches and then pulls away. I gaze down at the two stumps at the end of my arms, my mouth and eyes wide. Like my belly, my arms are covered in purple fuzz and my hands or what was left of them came down to a roundish U shape. Turning them up towards me I notice that I have what looks like a large finger nails surrounding fleshy v shapes where my palms ought to be. "Calm down, Dia." I hear a soft and yet still powerful voice say to me. Looking up at the creature, my mouth dropped open again. "Did you just—never mind— what the fuck did you do with my hands?" I ask, my voice wavering. A puzzled look crosses the creatures face. "You never had hands, Dia. You are not a minotaur or a diamond dog you are a pony. And ponies don't have hands." Pony. I'm a pony. No I'm not, I'm a human. I've got hands and feet and a tail. Wait a minute? A long pink and white pony tail whips around and lands beside me. I feel something hanging against my back side. I move it and the pony tail moves. It feels like I'm bending my back, but it's only in my bottom half. I stand on my hooves and look back to see that tail flows out from my rump. I feel weak and faint. My legs shake and my vision swims. Shaking my head, I try to come to my senses. Locking my legs I look back at the pony. Biting my lip, I feel tears begin to form in the corners of my eyes. My head drops. I don't understand. I fell a sleep in my apartment and I wake up somewhere else and I'm not even human. This has to be a dream: a really weird dream. Air rushes by me, I feel like I'm falling, and then I feel a furry warmth again. My eyes flutter open after what seem like hours and I'm looking down the creatures back again. A name flickers in and out of my mind. Something warm rubs up and down my back. I burry my face into her neck and cry. Sure it wasn't the manly thing to do. But, how can I be a man if I'm a pony thing. Surely this is a dream and I'll wake up and laugh about this later. I don't know how long she held me there. After a while she coaxes me back into a laying position. And I look up at her and her soft welcoming face. Her own cheeks are streaked with moister and red from crying. Why was she crying? Was she the one responsible and now she is ashamed. There was no shame in her face. Despite her tears, she seemed happy, although the soft smile gave it away. She lay beside me and ran a hoof through my mane. I was still sniffing and crying. But, her ministrations felt so good. A devious little smile crossed my lips. Perhaps this is a dream and I'm about to have wild animal sex with my pony lover. She seems to have the same idea as she leans forward. Stopping inches from my lips she arches her muzzle up and presses her lips against my forehead. The idea of sex flies out the window. The idea of sex with this thing now kind of disgusts me, not because she is an animal but for some other reason, a reason that I can't put my finger on. Pulling back she gave me a wide smile and then she pulled me into a hug. I happily return it. She sobs for a few moments and then backs away. "Little sister I have waited for you for so long. Others have told me to give up and let you go, but I couldn't," she almost whispers. Sister? "I'm not the only one. Richie has stays with you sometimes, him and Diamond Tiara both do. You would be so proud of your little gem. And now that you're awake you can make up all the time you have lost. I'm so glad that you proved all of them wrong." A million questions flowed through my mind. Just like this mares elusive name, bits of images floated in and out of my mind; a dark haired pony with a cocky smile and a pink filly with a charming sassy nature. The names mentioned by Redheart, swim around in my mind, a jumble of letters like alphabet soup. "Redheart!" I shrill excitedly. The mare's smile widens and she wraps me in another one of her hugs. I could get used to this. "That's my name, but don't over use it," she said playfully back to me. I hear a creaking noise. The two of use look up to see another pony thing, this one had a horn. Now I know I'm dreaming. He is a freaking unicorn. This one had a strong jaw and was larger than Redheart, wearing a long white coat and had a stethoscope hanging from his neck. "Redheart your shift starts in..." He said before noticing me. The stallion's smile stretched wide and he dashed over to us. "Diamond Mist! Starswirl's beard! You're awake!" he exclaimed while slightly bouncing on his hooves. Diamond Mist? Must be my dream pony name I decide. I smile back at him. "That's my name, but don't over use it." Redheart turns to me and we both giggle. The doctor stallion blushes. "Just forget about your shift today, Red. You need to be with your sister," he said before politely backing away towards the door. "Thank you," replied Redheart. The stallion left and she and I were bathed in silence once again. I started to speak when she placed a hoof against my lips. "We don't have to talk right now. Right now I just want to hold you like I did when we were fillies, if that's okay with you?" I nod yes and roll over. Little spoon to her big spoon, it felt right. We lay that way for a while. Her fuzzy soft belly would move in and out with her breaths, rubbing against my back. I felt safe and warm. It was like I was back home with my own sisters. That was how it felt. She snored lightly. Turning over I saw that she was still wearing that same awestruck smile. And she seemed to be a peace. She had lines and crease in her face that didn't seem right to me. It was like she had been under a great deal of stress for a long time. Before my eyes those lines seem to fade a little. Whatever burden that she had experienced seemed to fade away. And that made me happy, happier than I had been in a long time. Rolling over, I snuggled close to her. I hid my face in the small of her neck and slowly joined her in the sandman's embrace. This had been the best and worst dream of my entire life. I prayed, as I fell into wakefulness that I would dream again of this pony world. Get it through your thick headMy nose itched. Scrunching my face up, I tried to will it to go away. But, it just wouldn't. With my eyes still closed, I ran the side of my hand over my face. It helped if only for a moment. My sleep drunk brain quickly deduced that I had hair in my face. The soft locks were teasing my eyes and nose, hence the itching sensation. I smiled. I don't have long hair which means that I'm sleeping next to someone. Thinking back, I tried to remember if I took anyone home after the party. My friends pooled their funds and threw me one heck of a party. It's not every day that someone becomes a Rhodes Scholar. Hey, Mr. Clinton, I can be one too. Unless I got too drunk to even remember, it has happened before, I went home with my roommate Charlie. Heck, I could be sleeping with him, platonically and all. He is like the fun, snuggly, gay little brother that I never had. The only thing is he doesn't have long hair. I rolled over and then stretched out. "Mmmm" I groan before opening my eyes. The hair that was in my face was pink streaked with white. I rubbed my eyes and then squinted at the offending fibers. I curse after tugging the hair, my hair. The skin of my scalp stings afterwards. This has got to be some kind of joke. "Beep... Beep... Beep... beep.. beep.. beep.. beep. beep. beep. beepbeepbeep!" I jerk my hands in front of my face; I am met again by the purple hooves I saw in my dream. I start to breathe faster. My head wheels around and I spot the tail and my hind hooves. There is also a strange tattoo on my furry bottom, a Libra, my zodiac sign, emblazoned in the same subdued pink of my mane and tail. I roll to my feet/hooves and fall to the floor. My chin slaps the floor and my mouth fills with coppery warmth. I whimper. The floor is cold and hard. Not at all like my soft carpet in my bedroom back home. This has got to be some kind of joke. "Charlie!" I yell. I dart my eyes back and forth looking for something to prove my sanity. All I'm given is a small four walled room. There is a door and one window with the drapes closed. A host of medical equipment lies just to the right of my bed. It was one of the first things I noticed when I woke up, aside from my new hairdo, and new body. On the left, there was a small night stand with a white vase filled with— "Petunias," I say lowly. My head spins at the significance of their presences. If I'm someone else, why is my favorite flower on the night stand? Surely, this... Dia's favorite flower isn't a petunias as well. The odds are astronomical that we share the same favorite flower. I hear a click. Jumping up and spinning around, I feel something wrap around my hooves and I fall to the floor again. Looking down at my hooves I see that I've tangled myself in the medical equipment leads. A slight tugging sensation radiates from my crouch and peeved that something would dare get that close to my privies I look between my legs and see— "Jesus Christ!" I'm a girl... Directly past the twin peaks that I assume are my teats is a slight incline and the then the hill splits down the middle. A clear tube, well mostly clear tube, juts out. Yellow starts flowing out of it. Okay, so finding out I'm a chick has just made me wet myself. That's a rational response right? Thank god for urinary catheters. The clop of hooves stings my ears, and then I feel someone helping me to my hooves. It's Red. Her worried face makes me feel a little guilty for loosing it there for a second. She brushes my bangs from my eyes and then hugs me. Seriously, she should just give people hugs for a living. "I'll always be here to pick you up, little sister," she says in warm almost motherly tone. My mind short circuits following dozens of memories that floats through my mind, a slide show of her picking me up throughout the years. I feel nostalgic for those times. Wait, those aren't my memories. "Let me go!" I yell while trying pushing her away. She pulls me closer. Growling at her I struggle to free myself from her grip. It holds me tighter than any chain ever could. Her warm body is a ball and chain and I can't get free. "I SAID LET ME GO!" Her hooves fall away and she takes a step back. Her blue eyes shine back at me, her ears drooped low and she looks confused. Lifting a hoof she starts to speak as her mouth opens up. She shakes her head and then drops the hoof to the floor. Seeing her like that tears my heart apart. Who is she? She your sister you dolt! No she's not. She is random talking horsey number one hundred and one. She is nothing to me, a stranger, a sister, my big sister, my best friend, a stranger. I hit my head with my hoof. The blow stings and I bite my lip trying to ignore the pain. This is too much: too many conflicting thoughts and feelings. Memories, my memories, thoughts of classes and my teller job do battle with birthday parties, retail work, and more faces than I can even name. My body shakes and I start to sob. I feel so raw. My muscles hurt, I feel like I haven't moved in years. Sitting on the floor, I feel like my soul is bleeding out and covering the floor. Red inches towards me. Her muscles are slack, and her eyes. Her eyes ask me for permission to come close again. I nod yes. She doesn't hug me this time. This time she just sits beside me, running a hoof up and down my back. Her hoof running down the small of my back feels so good. I feel warm, I feel safe again. Just like in my dream. "What's wrong, Dia?" she asks. I wrap my hooves around her and give her a squeeze. My tears fall from my cheeks. If I tell her it would be like admitting this was happening. I didn't want this to happen. I want this to be just a dream. It doesn't feel like a dream. The smells, the feelings, it's too real not to be real. "Dia?" "I'm not—" Another creak echoes through the room. I turn to the door. In the yellow white light of the hall way, stands a tall brown stallion. His hair is swept back and he has large Scottish looking eyebrows. Big blue eyes with heavy shadowy bags under then peers back at me. Red made me feel safe. He made me feel warm, hot even. A thousand butterflies flitter around in my stomach. And I start to draw circles on the floor with one of my forehooves. I haven't felt like this in a while. To be honest I don't know what this feeling is. The stallion gallops towards me, with every clop my heart beat quickens. Just before he meets me, I feel like it's going to jump out of my chest. I'm not scared, I'm ecstatic and I don't know why. Red flashes me a coy smile as Richie rushes towards me and pulls me down. I watch her for a split second as her hoof covers her lips and she giggles. Then I look at the handsome disaster who is now on top of me. Did I just call him handsome? His strong jaw and piercing eyes make me feel all bubbly inside. This is disconcerting. Warm wet lips press against mine. An electric tingle shoots down my back and for some reason, my tail feels stiff. I kissed him back. Our embrace ended as quickly as it began. He pulled away, and I felt breathless. He didn't even use his tongue and I'm breathless. My stallion, Richie flashed me a goofy grin. Anger and confusion, erupted from my chest. My skin felt ice cold but my insides felt like they were melting. Red and Richie were something to me; one a sister and the other apparently a lover. I knew them and yet I didn't know them. I am a guy and I kissed a guy. My best friend is gay so, it's not like I'm a homophobe. But, the sweet kiss turned sour and I felt sick and angry. I jab my hoof at the door and give the two of them a hard look. "GET OUT!" They both look at me with puzzled looks. "Babe, what's wrong?" he asks, his voice smooth as silk. I shudder. The voice sent more shivers down my spine. It was sweet and laced with venom. The air in the room dropped a couple of degrees. Richie was sweating bullets and Red started to get red faced. Her cheeks puffed out, and she glared at me. "Richie just let me be for a while," I say. Richie drops his head and turns towards the door. His steps are slow and deliberate. His tail curls under him and he looks like a scolded dog. "How dare you, Diamond Mist!" spouted Red. I could almost see the steam billowing out from her ears. She is pissed. Her white coat is now a bright pink and her ears are pinned against her head. Her turns back to us and I notice a worried frown on his face. "I'm not Diamond Mist, my name is Michael Carter and you need to calm down sister!" Red shook her head and then pressed her hoof to my chest. "No, you are Diamond Mist, mother, lover, sister, and a business mare." I knock her hoof away from me, "Michael Carter and I am not a Dia. I don't know what happened, but I'm not a pony either. I have strange memories of the two of you and others but, I'm not from here. I have my own memories and I'm human." Red laughed, not a mirthful laugh, more like a condescending haughty laugh. "You're just confused right now; seven years in a coma does that to a pony." Seven years, I've been out for seven years. What happened to me? What has changed? How did my daughter— I force my eyes shut and shake my head no. "No! No! NO!" I scream. A hoof runs down my back. It was her hoof. More tiny little thoughts invade my mind. Thoughts of her life, whoever I happen to be, this Dia, this Diamond Mist. I'm not her, she is not me. This is just a dream, a nightmare. I need to wake up. Reaching up, I pinch my cheek. Nothing happens. Richie's eyes are wet looking. He can just suck it up, I'm not his wafu. I'm a human dude stuck in cartoon pony hell. I don't find him attractive or handsome. I don't have memories of kissing him. I don't have memories of making love to him under an elm tree in the White Tail Woods. My cheeks become hot. No, I'm not her. I'm me and this is just a dream. "Just get away from me! Both of you!" I scream, this time I feel hot streams of water flowing down my face. The sound of my tears hitting the floor sounds like explosions ripping through my soul. I start to yell again but, I hold back. Standing in the open door way was a little pony with a pink coat and two toned white and purple hair. Blue mirrors reflect back at me the tone of the room. Her bottom lip is trembling and I can see light shine off the tears threading to break the levies. My anger left me like air from a popped balloon. "Dee" I say as I open my hooves, hoping to coax her into a hug like Red did for me during my first outburst. "You're not my moma!" she yells and then runs away. Taking a step towards the door, Richie steps in the way. He rolls his shoulders. "You're not yourself, Dia. Now is not the time." "Like hell it is, I've been under for seven bucking years and now you say I can't see my daughter!" My anger revs back up to full throttle. Daughter? No, she is not my daughter, she's Dia's daughter. Why do I keep doing this? "Calm down, Dia," said Red calmly. My eyes flash red. "I will not calm down!" Richie looks at me and then Red and then sighs. He trots towards the door. "Where are you going?" I asked forcefully. Richie gives me a flat look. "I'm going to deal with our daughter right now" He turns to Red. "Do what you can for her. I'll be back later." Waving my hoof at him I say, "It's not like I need you here anyways." He frowns and then walks out of the door stopping only to close it. The room becomes ghostly quiet. The heat comes on filling the room with a light humming sound. I look back over at the bed. "I.." muttered Red. "Just spit it out, Red." She just sits there rubbing her elbow. I walk over to my bed and flop down. I try not to think about anything. Red, Richie, Diamond Tiara, all come to mind. I sweep them out with my mental broom, I keep a clean house. Red can't even look at me right now. The catheter was starting to bug me. It put pressure on my insides and was starting to feel itchy. Perhaps all the movement irritated both my urethra and my new mare parts. The latter was more mental than physical. I shouldn't have mare... girl parts. Having something hard and long in such close proximity to a hole meant for things both long and hard in addition to passing baby heads through, bad visual image, is more than I can stand to think about. "You are a nurse right?' Red breaks her silence. "Yes, Dia" I groan. "Get it through your thick head! My name is Michael Carter, or Mike which ever you prefer. Dia isn't at home, please leave a message at the beep." "No, Dia, you are just mixed up. It happens sometimes." I roll my eyes. I feel like a dick but, the sooner I get this over with the sooner I can either take control of this dream or take control of the situation and get back to where things make sense. To a place where the only thing I remember are my memories. Chapter Two: Don't make me think about itShe wasn't herself. That was the only way Red could describe it. The Dia she was with yesterday wasn't even the same Dia she was with today. In spite of the hands hooves confusion, Dia seemed to be Dia. Her voice was a little lower in tone than she remembered and she seemed to have an accent that she didn't possess before. Nothing Red hadn't seen or heard before. Looking over at her sister, Red tried to gauge where Dia actually was and who she was at the moment. Her little sister just laid there with her forehooves crossed over her chest chewing on her bottom lip. "Do ya think you can remove this pee tube' cause it's starting to become uncomfortable," said Dia as she pointed her hoof at the offensive object. No pony liked catheters. The medical profession didn't like catheters. But they were a necessary evil. "Hold on and I'll see if I can get a nurse to help you out," said Red, before walking to the door. "Why can't you do it?" asked Dia, looking up from the tube taped to the inside of her thigh. Red shook her head and smiled, "I'm not your nurse." "Fine," huffed Dia before she crossed her forelegs again. Red laughed at her sister. Dia was Dia. Red loved raunchy humor but she was rarely anything but modest, Dia wasn't modest. Dia didn't care for social niceties. Her current position was very Dia-ish. Forelegs crossed and hind legs wide apart, giving anypony who dared to look, a good look at her mare bits. Perhaps it was that daring streak that led her sister to her successes before both in love and in business. Red loathed that, mostly her sister's success with the opposite sex. Not that Dia, slept around or anything, just that she could have her pick of any stallion (or mare) she ever wanted to be with both platonically or not so platonically. "If you're done day dreamin' I would like for you to get that nurse now," Red chucked again and walked out the door. I hope Filthy Rich was able to calm down Dee, thought Rose as she made her way to the nurses' station. Dee was dramatic even when she was in control of her emotion, and when she wasn't... she was a hooffull. The long term care facilities were connected to the hospital and many of the medical, clerical, and support staff worked shifts in the facility. The large buildings facilities were divided by different floors. The top floor was reserved for stable patients who also weren't getting any better, like coma patients. The next two floors were served for ponies that couldn't take care of themselves, otherwise known as Ponyville's nursing home. The bottom three floors were the assisted living quarters, ponies that could still somewhat take care of themselves, who wanted the comfort of having a physician close by in case of emergencies called the place home. It wasn't a bad place, in fact many of Ponyville's seniors who lived elsewhere often came to play bingo and bridge. Don't forget about karaoke night. The assisted living home served as the headquarters for several clubs like Fillies of the Lunar Rebellion and the Equestrian Legion. Red had spent a fair amount of time working in all three facilities. She had done so more often after her sister was moved there for long term care. Nurse Tenderhoof sat at the Nurse's station, her old eyes pour over the latest issue of the Free Foal press. Her face was leathery, the result of too many hours tanning. "Tenderhoof, Patient three is awake and would like her catheter removed if at all possible," stated Red mater of factually. "Yeah, I know Doll. Patch told me that she was awake," Tenderhoof moved closer and smiled, "You must be excited, Doll, it's not every day that somepony wakes up from the long nap. And for that pony to be your sister, well let me tell you something, if it was my sister who had woke up from a coma I'd feel... I don't know what I'd feel like but I know I would be happy." Red gave her a polite smile, "I am very happy, happier than I've been in a long time. It's just that she isn't the same and even though I knew that was a possibility I just never expected it to be that way." "You win some, you lose some. Just be thankful that she actually woke up, that alone is something to be happy about. It's a sad reality that many of the ponies up here will never wake up." "I know," said Red, feeling guilty for questioning her own happiness when weight against all the ponies that would never experience the miracle that she had. "So, how about I send one of the student nurses down to take care of that filly for you, doll." "Is May Berry on duty?" "No, she won't be back until tomorrow morning." "Alright, then just send one of them down and I'll supervise," answered Red. Tenderhoof shifted some paper work around uncovering the PA controls. The board had numerous buttons, each labeled for a different room or in the case of the large square button, the whole floor. She cleared her throat and then pressed the button. "Ms. Aid to room three please," she said in a dull monotone. Red snickered at the sound of her fellow nurse and occasional boss, drone on. Tenderhoof's voice was usually lively she only adopted the tone when she spoke over the intercom. A mare dashed out of the coffee room across the way, sliding to a stop when she noticed the two nurses staring at her. Her quick stop propelled her pink nurse hat forward, the brim down to her nose covering her face. Righting her hat, she tried to cover her blushing face with a hoof. Red and Tenderhoof giggled at the mares spunk. There was a time when they were just as full of starch. The mare pointed at herself and mouthed, "Me?" Tenderhoof nodded yes and pointed her in the right direction. "I better help the poor dearie, in case she gets lost," said Red as she walked over to the nursing student. They met just ouside of Dia's room. Aid looked jittery, her wings kept wiggling on her sides. After a moment of nervously pawing the floor she took a deep breath and then looked at Red. "So, um what will I be doing?" she asked. "All you'll have to do is remove a catheter. It'll be a piece of cake," reassured Red. They entered to find Dia, examining her hooves. She would look at one and then the other, rolling her pasterns around to see all sides of the hooves. After doing the same with her hind hooves she looked up to her visitors. " ''Bout time," said Dia in mock anger, her anger had left her and now she just felt confused and numb. "Dia this is—" "Mike" interrupted Dia. "No, my name is First Aid not Mike, but I do look like her don't I?" replied Aid before she sat back on her haunches and then raised her front hooves in the air and started to jam out on her air guitar. "Bullet Mike is like my favorite musician of all time, the stuff that mare can do with those lips and her harmonica is the shit." Dia raised an eye brow. "Do you have first hoof experience with her lips, Aid," smirked Red. Aid blushed and then hid her head behind a wing. Dia blinked a few times. Red pressed a hoof to her lips and started to laugh. Making fun of the newbies was one of her little joys. It took little mirthful moments to get through the usually bleak and heart wrenching work that was nursing. Dia's smile lit up the room and laughter set fire to her eyes. "Okay Okay, enough picking on the new mare on the block. Let's pull out that pee tube. Hoorah!" said Aid, still profusely blushing, while pumping her hoof up in the air. Dia's pink eyes followed Aid as she walked over to the medical cabinet. After pilfering around for a moment she pulled out a large syringe, alerting everypony present of her discovery with an, "Ah ha!" There were two ends to the catheter, one led to the little collection bag and the other had a little clip holding the contents back, keeping the fluid inside for leaking out. She quickly screwed the syringe on and removed the clip. Fire burned Dia's cheeks like a brush fire, having anyone other than herself that close to her privies was embarrassing. Her back hooves twitched, and she turned to look away from the little procedure. Holding it in place with a hoof, Aid wrapped her lips around the plunger and pulled out. Clear fluid started to fill the syringe. Dia peaked around and watched Aid, her blush deepened. "Do you have to use your mouth?" she whined. Stopping half way, Aid looked up from the plunger, "Ish na ike I can oo it ny odder way." "That feels so weird," muttered Dia, as the little balloon deflated in her bladder. A few seconds later Aid had the catheter removed. Dia rubbed her crotch before noticing the two mares watching. She quickly removed her hoof and looked away from them. "It's good to see my sister libido is still the same," said Red with a sly grin. "Shut up! It's not what it looked like, I swear!" Dia fired back. "Sure it's not, ma'am!" added Aid, while shooting a worried glance at Red. She didn't want to be reprimanded for speaking out of place. Red bumped Aid's shoulder with a hoof, "Humor no matter how vulgar is the only antidote for the horrors of a hospital. Keep it and you will do just fine, dearie." "Yes ma'am!" said Aid with a grin, "So, I'll just get back to my coffee then." Dia's ears perked up at the mention of Coffee. She the leaned forward and put all four hooves on the bed, looking like she could pounce the mare. "Did you say coffee? You have coffee!" she said sounding way too excited about something so mundane. "Well Duh, you don't think these medical quacks would start their day with orange juice would you, Mike." Dia's smile widened. Red winced before saying, "Bring us two coffees: one black and the other with two sugars and three shots of cream." Aid saluted and then left the room. The bed's springs creaked in protest as Dia leaned back once more. Her eyes were boring holes in to Red's hide, ever so gently tapping the end of her chin with her hoof. It was as good a time as any. "Dia what do you remember?" Giving her a flat look, Dia replied sharply, "Ask me with my real name." "Okay, Diamond Mi—" Springing up from her bed she crossed her front hooves together forming a large x. "ERRRRN! Wrong! Guess again!" Red slammed her hoof on the floor, "Fine, what do you remember before you woke up, Mike?" Mike leaned back on the bed and smiled. "Was that so hard?" "Yes, now answer the question," said Red. The door creaked open and Aid returned with the coffee balanced on her back. The steam rose from the tops of the cups, little wisps of hot water tickling the air. Snatching the cup from Aid's back, she turned it up and took a long swallow. Coffee was good, and this cup was possibility the best she had ever drank. Pulling the cup away from her lips she gave the other two a sheepish smile. "This is the best Coffee I've ever drank!" she chirped. "The best, ha!" said Aid while hoofing Red her cup of coffee, "This stuff is like the worst coffee in Equestria, if you want a good cup of joe, you have got to go to Donut Joe's in Canterlot. The second best cup of coffee is made right here in Ponyville's branch of Star Bucks'" "I'll have to remember that," replied Mike before sipping on her coffee again. Aid laughed and then sat on the floor between the bed and Red after being relived of her load. Red wore a fierce scowl. "So, can I stay? It's not like I'm—" "Yes," said Mike. "No," said Red. Mike and Red glared at each other. The temperature in the room elevated slightly and with that Aid made her way to the door. "I said you could stay," said Mike looking away from the other nurse. "He he, I would love to, but she is one of my bosses so I better vamoose," replied Aid as she pointed at Red. Red gave her a stern look and then shooed her away. Mike stuck his lip out and turned away from Red. "Don't act like a juvenile, Mike." "I can act anyways I want to!" Pinching her nose, Red groaned. She walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down. She reached out at put a hoof on Mike's knee. Mike's head jerked around and looked at the hoof resting on her knee. Staring at it, she felt conflicted again. Mike's face was a mosaic of emotions; happiness, warmth, confusion, love, anger and fear, all twisting around her eyes, those two pink depths from which a familiar light shined back at red. Those eyes were not the eyes of stranger, no matter how much Dia said otherwise. It was her sister behind those eyes; she just had to make Dia realize that. "Please, tell me what you remember." Sighing, Mike relented. "My friends put together a party at my sister's place. We drank and cut up and stuff. It was a party in my honor; I had just been awarded a free ride to go to one of the most prestigious grad schools in the nation. It was kind of a big deal. After which I went home and went to bad. I woke up here, that is all there is to tell." She traced a few circles over Mike's knee. "What about Dia, what do you remember about her if anything?" Mikes hoof came across faster than, Red could have expected, knocking her hoof away. Pulling back her hoof she rubbed her now sore pastern. She glared at her and then frowned. Baring his teeth, Mike glared at Red. Her muscles were tense and her hackles were raised. "DON"T MAKE ME THINK ABOUT IT!" she shouted, "I don't wanna to think about it." "I'm just trying to help you." He lunged at her. Red quickly raised her hooves to meet the purple bolt. Realizing that she could hurt her sister even more she let her legs go slack, not offering any resistance. The two of them collapsed on the bed. Both of Red's hooves pressed against Mike's chest. Mike had one hoof on the bed and the other on Red's throat. "No, you're not!" He sobbed, "You're not tryin' to help me, you're tryin' to confuse me, you want me to be her, but I'm not her. I'm Michael Carter. I'm Mike. I'm a man, not a mare. I'm not... I'm not..." She collapsed on top of Red, sobbing on to her chest, drenching the mares coat in her tears. A hoof found its way on to the small of her back and began rubbing up and down. "Shhh, it's going to be okay we'll get this figured out." *** A funky beat in 3/4 time oozed through the elevators speakers, it was an instrumental of DJ Pon3's song, Real Color. Richie bobbed his head to the beat, trying to let it drown his conflicted feelings. Reaching up he pressed a hoof to his lips. He could still taste her on his lips. How she could be so angry, he wondered. All that time apart and she pushed him away. He chewed on the inside of his cheek. It hurt, it really hurt. How long had he waited for her? How many times had other ponies told him to move on, find somepony else. She wasn't ever going to wake up anyways. A loud crack echoed through the small room. Looking up he noticed his hoof and the dent he had made in the elevators door. He sighed. Ding! Leaning back, he brushed his hair back and then stepped through the door. A few of the hospital staff waved at him. He was a regular, come buy almost every day for seven years. Many of these ponies had become his friends. They had laughed with him and cried with him. And for that he was thankful. "Richie's what bugging ya," asked an elderly stallion leaning against his mop. "She woke up, Soppy," he said, his voice devoid of enthusiasm. The coffee black stallion's lips stretched into a wide grin, his pearly white teeth shinning against his dark coat. "Why ain't cha happy 'bout it then? If'en it was my mare that woke up I'd be singin' to the sun 'bout it," said Soppy. "I'm happy that she woke up, but she—" The door to the stairwell opened up and Diamond Tiara stepped out. Her mane stuck to her sweaty forehead and she huffed in exhaustion. She quickly scanned the room and started to the door. She took a couple of steps before turning to see her father looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not going back. That isn't my mother. Mom never yells and that is all that mare did was yell," she screamed. "DIAMOND TIARA!" roared Richie as he strode up to his daughter. The filly shrank under his gaze. She looked up at him with wide eyes and a trembling lip, Daddy never yelled either. "Yes?" she said lowly. Richie scooped her up and pulled her tight against his chest. She started to gently sob against his coat. Removing her signature adornment he ran a hoof through her mane. "Listen, she just woke up and is very confused. It will take time for her to act like herself. We just need to give her some time, okay," he said trying to comfort his equally confused daughter. She looked up to him hopefully. "You listen to your papa, little missy," Soppy stepped closer and placed a hoof around Richie's neck, "Ponies do all kind of crazy stuff when their sick, this one time my daughter placed a bag over her head when she had the chicken pocks, sayin' that she would never be pretty again." Tiara giggled at his story, mostly because she never knew that Archer had a girly side to her: perfect ribbing material. And to think that filly was cool all of the time, this would be just to thing to make her loose her cool and it was going to be glorious. "Okay, I'll give her a chance once she stops yelling," was all she offered in response. "Let go see if Red managed to calm her down," he said. Tiara nodded in agreement and they headed to the elevator. They both waved to Soppy who gave them a hopeful smile in response. The walk to room three was long and silent. Neither of them dared to speak neither wanted to break the silence. They both hoped that the mare they were about to see was more like herself. Hopefully Red would be able to coax her back from where ever she had been hiding.
PrologueThe incessant beeping was starting to get on my nerves. It was like my alarm clocks' annoying little brother. Rolling over, I reached out and tried to hit the snooze button. The button didn't give, which I thought was strange. I tried again. Groaning, I gave up and opted to wrap my pillow around my head. Yeah, pretending it wasn't there was a good idea. Thirty seconds later I groaned again and decided to get up, I felt restless anyways. Smacking my lips and rolling my tongue around my mouth, I was greeted by that strange pasty morning flavor, which oddly reminded me of Maalox. Running my tongue across my teeth, I noticed that my canines didn't feel sharp. My teeth were wider and flatter. There was also a noticeable gap between what should have been my canines and my jaw teeth. It didn't make sense. I decided to reevaluate that line of reasoning after my morning cup of coffee. My muscles creaked in protest and I feel somewhere between chewed bubblegum and playdough. A tugging sensation pulls at my side. I look down to see a clear plastic hose protruding from a shaved little round of flesh on my side, which is furry and a light shade of purple. My brow furrows and I cock my head to the side. "What the?" I mutter as I try to figure out what the hell that thing is and why my side is furry and fucking purple. "CRASH!" came a loud noise from across the room. My hackles raise and I feel something on my head lay back. I swivel my head towards the sound and see a shattered glass container on the floor with greenish looking goop splattered around it. It looked better than what what some people considered art these days. I hate abstract art! Looking past the mess I see something else, a dog or something with light pink hair and a white coat. Its eyes were wide and its mouth was gaping open. Do I have to give it a treat or something? The creature rushes forward and before I can even get my hands up to defend myself I feel its legs wrap around me. It held me there for a moment. Looking over its shoulder and down its back I notice that it has a tail that matched the hair on its head. It doesn't look like a dog tail, more like a horse tail. Warmth floods my cheeks. I feel like I should know this creature but I can't think of a name. Wrapping my arms around the creature I return the hug. Her coat is warm and fuzzy. Sniffing, I catch a hint of peppermint, something earthy, and the smell of disinfectant. Looking down her back, I don't know why I say her, I notice something else. "Where the hell are my hands?" I yell. The creature flinches and then pulls away. I gaze down at the two stumps at the end of my arms, my mouth and eyes wide. Like my belly, my arms are covered in purple fuzz and my hands or what was left of them came down to a roundish U shape. Turning them up towards me I notice that I have what looks like a large finger nails surrounding fleshy v shapes where my palms ought to be. "Calm down, Dia." I hear a soft and yet still powerful voice say to me. Looking up at the creature, my mouth dropped open again. "Did you just—never mind— what the fuck did you do with my hands?" I ask, my voice wavering. A puzzled look crosses the creatures face. "You never had hands, Dia. You are not a minotaur or a diamond dog you are a pony. And ponies don't have hands." Pony. I'm a pony. No I'm not, I'm a human. I've got hands and feet and a tail. Wait a minute? A long pink and white pony tail whips around and lands beside me. I feel something hanging against my back side. I move it and the pony tail moves. It feels like I'm bending my back, but it's only in my bottom half. I stand on my hooves and look back to see that tail flows out from my rump. I feel weak and faint. My legs shake and my vision swims. Shaking my head, I try to come to my senses. Locking my legs I look back at the pony. Biting my lip, I feel tears begin to form in the corners of my eyes. My head drops. I don't understand. I fell a sleep in my apartment and I wake up somewhere else and I'm not even human. This has to be a dream: a really weird dream. Air rushes by me, I feel like I'm falling, and then I feel a furry warmth again. My eyes flutter open after what seem like hours and I'm looking down the creatures back again. A name flickers in and out of my mind. Something warm rubs up and down my back. I burry my face into her neck and cry. Sure it wasn't the manly thing to do. But, how can I be a man if I'm a pony thing. Surely this is a dream and I'll wake up and laugh about this later. I don't know how long she held me there. After a while she coaxes me back into a laying position. And I look up at her and her soft welcoming face. Her own cheeks are streaked with moister and red from crying. Why was she crying? Was she the one responsible and now she is ashamed. There was no shame in her face. Despite her tears, she seemed happy, although the soft smile gave it away. She lay beside me and ran a hoof through my mane. I was still sniffing and crying. But, her ministrations felt so good. A devious little smile crossed my lips. Perhaps this is a dream and I'm about to have wild animal sex with my pony lover. She seems to have the same idea as she leans forward. Stopping inches from my lips she arches her muzzle up and presses her lips against my forehead. The idea of sex flies out the window. The idea of sex with this thing now kind of disgusts me, not because she is an animal but for some other reason, a reason that I can't put my finger on. Pulling back she gave me a wide smile and then she pulled me into a hug. I happily return it. She sobs for a few moments and then backs away. "Little sister I have waited for you for so long. Others have told me to give up and let you go, but I couldn't," she almost whispers. Sister? "I'm not the only one. Richie has stays with you sometimes, him and Diamond Tiara both do. You would be so proud of your little gem. And now that you're awake you can make up all the time you have lost. I'm so glad that you proved all of them wrong." A million questions flowed through my mind. Just like this mares elusive name, bits of images floated in and out of my mind; a dark haired pony with a cocky smile and a pink filly with a charming sassy nature. The names mentioned by Redheart, swim around in my mind, a jumble of letters like alphabet soup. "Redheart!" I shrill excitedly. The mare's smile widens and she wraps me in another one of her hugs. I could get used to this. "That's my name, but don't over use it," she said playfully back to me. I hear a creaking noise. The two of use look up to see another pony thing, this one had a horn. Now I know I'm dreaming. He is a freaking unicorn. This one had a strong jaw and was larger than Redheart, wearing a long white coat and had a stethoscope hanging from his neck. "Redheart your shift starts in..." He said before noticing me. The stallion's smile stretched wide and he dashed over to us. "Diamond Mist! Starswirl's beard! You're awake!" he exclaimed while slightly bouncing on his hooves. Diamond Mist? Must be my dream pony name I decide. I smile back at him. "That's my name, but don't over use it." Redheart turns to me and we both giggle. The doctor stallion blushes. "Just forget about your shift today, Red. You need to be with your sister," he said before politely backing away towards the door. "Thank you," replied Redheart. The stallion left and she and I were bathed in silence once again. I started to speak when she placed a hoof against my lips. "We don't have to talk right now. Right now I just want to hold you like I did when we were fillies, if that's okay with you?" I nod yes and roll over. Little spoon to her big spoon, it felt right. We lay that way for a while. Her fuzzy soft belly would move in and out with her breaths, rubbing against my back. I felt safe and warm. It was like I was back home with my own sisters. That was how it felt. She snored lightly. Turning over I saw that she was still wearing that same awestruck smile. And she seemed to be a peace. She had lines and crease in her face that didn't seem right to me. It was like she had been under a great deal of stress for a long time. Before my eyes those lines seem to fade a little. Whatever burden that she had experienced seemed to fade away. And that made me happy, happier than I had been in a long time. Rolling over, I snuggled close to her. I hid my face in the small of her neck and slowly joined her in the sandman's embrace. This had been the best and worst dream of my entire life. I prayed, as I fell into wakefulness that I would dream again of this pony world.
Get it through your thick headMy nose itched. Scrunching my face up, I tried to will it to go away. But, it just wouldn't. With my eyes still closed, I ran the side of my hand over my face. It helped if only for a moment. My sleep drunk brain quickly deduced that I had hair in my face. The soft locks were teasing my eyes and nose, hence the itching sensation. I smiled. I don't have long hair which means that I'm sleeping next to someone. Thinking back, I tried to remember if I took anyone home after the party. My friends pooled their funds and threw me one heck of a party. It's not every day that someone becomes a Rhodes Scholar. Hey, Mr. Clinton, I can be one too. Unless I got too drunk to even remember, it has happened before, I went home with my roommate Charlie. Heck, I could be sleeping with him, platonically and all. He is like the fun, snuggly, gay little brother that I never had. The only thing is he doesn't have long hair. I rolled over and then stretched out. "Mmmm" I groan before opening my eyes. The hair that was in my face was pink streaked with white. I rubbed my eyes and then squinted at the offending fibers. I curse after tugging the hair, my hair. The skin of my scalp stings afterwards. This has got to be some kind of joke. "Beep... Beep... Beep... beep.. beep.. beep.. beep. beep. beep. beepbeepbeep!" I jerk my hands in front of my face; I am met again by the purple hooves I saw in my dream. I start to breathe faster. My head wheels around and I spot the tail and my hind hooves. There is also a strange tattoo on my furry bottom, a Libra, my zodiac sign, emblazoned in the same subdued pink of my mane and tail. I roll to my feet/hooves and fall to the floor. My chin slaps the floor and my mouth fills with coppery warmth. I whimper. The floor is cold and hard. Not at all like my soft carpet in my bedroom back home. This has got to be some kind of joke. "Charlie!" I yell. I dart my eyes back and forth looking for something to prove my sanity. All I'm given is a small four walled room. There is a door and one window with the drapes closed. A host of medical equipment lies just to the right of my bed. It was one of the first things I noticed when I woke up, aside from my new hairdo, and new body. On the left, there was a small night stand with a white vase filled with— "Petunias," I say lowly. My head spins at the significance of their presences. If I'm someone else, why is my favorite flower on the night stand? Surely, this... Dia's favorite flower isn't a petunias as well. The odds are astronomical that we share the same favorite flower. I hear a click. Jumping up and spinning around, I feel something wrap around my hooves and I fall to the floor again. Looking down at my hooves I see that I've tangled myself in the medical equipment leads. A slight tugging sensation radiates from my crouch and peeved that something would dare get that close to my privies I look between my legs and see— "Jesus Christ!" I'm a girl... Directly past the twin peaks that I assume are my teats is a slight incline and the then the hill splits down the middle. A clear tube, well mostly clear tube, juts out. Yellow starts flowing out of it. Okay, so finding out I'm a chick has just made me wet myself. That's a rational response right? Thank god for urinary catheters. The clop of hooves stings my ears, and then I feel someone helping me to my hooves. It's Red. Her worried face makes me feel a little guilty for loosing it there for a second. She brushes my bangs from my eyes and then hugs me. Seriously, she should just give people hugs for a living. "I'll always be here to pick you up, little sister," she says in warm almost motherly tone. My mind short circuits following dozens of memories that floats through my mind, a slide show of her picking me up throughout the years. I feel nostalgic for those times. Wait, those aren't my memories. "Let me go!" I yell while trying pushing her away. She pulls me closer. Growling at her I struggle to free myself from her grip. It holds me tighter than any chain ever could. Her warm body is a ball and chain and I can't get free. "I SAID LET ME GO!" Her hooves fall away and she takes a step back. Her blue eyes shine back at me, her ears drooped low and she looks confused. Lifting a hoof she starts to speak as her mouth opens up. She shakes her head and then drops the hoof to the floor. Seeing her like that tears my heart apart. Who is she? She your sister you dolt! No she's not. She is random talking horsey number one hundred and one. She is nothing to me, a stranger, a sister, my big sister, my best friend, a stranger. I hit my head with my hoof. The blow stings and I bite my lip trying to ignore the pain. This is too much: too many conflicting thoughts and feelings. Memories, my memories, thoughts of classes and my teller job do battle with birthday parties, retail work, and more faces than I can even name. My body shakes and I start to sob. I feel so raw. My muscles hurt, I feel like I haven't moved in years. Sitting on the floor, I feel like my soul is bleeding out and covering the floor. Red inches towards me. Her muscles are slack, and her eyes. Her eyes ask me for permission to come close again. I nod yes. She doesn't hug me this time. This time she just sits beside me, running a hoof up and down my back. Her hoof running down the small of my back feels so good. I feel warm, I feel safe again. Just like in my dream. "What's wrong, Dia?" she asks. I wrap my hooves around her and give her a squeeze. My tears fall from my cheeks. If I tell her it would be like admitting this was happening. I didn't want this to happen. I want this to be just a dream. It doesn't feel like a dream. The smells, the feelings, it's too real not to be real. "Dia?" "I'm not—" Another creak echoes through the room. I turn to the door. In the yellow white light of the hall way, stands a tall brown stallion. His hair is swept back and he has large Scottish looking eyebrows. Big blue eyes with heavy shadowy bags under then peers back at me. Red made me feel safe. He made me feel warm, hot even. A thousand butterflies flitter around in my stomach. And I start to draw circles on the floor with one of my forehooves. I haven't felt like this in a while. To be honest I don't know what this feeling is. The stallion gallops towards me, with every clop my heart beat quickens. Just before he meets me, I feel like it's going to jump out of my chest. I'm not scared, I'm ecstatic and I don't know why. Red flashes me a coy smile as Richie rushes towards me and pulls me down. I watch her for a split second as her hoof covers her lips and she giggles. Then I look at the handsome disaster who is now on top of me. Did I just call him handsome? His strong jaw and piercing eyes make me feel all bubbly inside. This is disconcerting. Warm wet lips press against mine. An electric tingle shoots down my back and for some reason, my tail feels stiff. I kissed him back. Our embrace ended as quickly as it began. He pulled away, and I felt breathless. He didn't even use his tongue and I'm breathless. My stallion, Richie flashed me a goofy grin. Anger and confusion, erupted from my chest. My skin felt ice cold but my insides felt like they were melting. Red and Richie were something to me; one a sister and the other apparently a lover. I knew them and yet I didn't know them. I am a guy and I kissed a guy. My best friend is gay so, it's not like I'm a homophobe. But, the sweet kiss turned sour and I felt sick and angry. I jab my hoof at the door and give the two of them a hard look. "GET OUT!" They both look at me with puzzled looks. "Babe, what's wrong?" he asks, his voice smooth as silk. I shudder. The voice sent more shivers down my spine. It was sweet and laced with venom. The air in the room dropped a couple of degrees. Richie was sweating bullets and Red started to get red faced. Her cheeks puffed out, and she glared at me. "Richie just let me be for a while," I say. Richie drops his head and turns towards the door. His steps are slow and deliberate. His tail curls under him and he looks like a scolded dog. "How dare you, Diamond Mist!" spouted Red. I could almost see the steam billowing out from her ears. She is pissed. Her white coat is now a bright pink and her ears are pinned against her head. Her turns back to us and I notice a worried frown on his face. "I'm not Diamond Mist, my name is Michael Carter and you need to calm down sister!" Red shook her head and then pressed her hoof to my chest. "No, you are Diamond Mist, mother, lover, sister, and a business mare." I knock her hoof away from me, "Michael Carter and I am not a Dia. I don't know what happened, but I'm not a pony either. I have strange memories of the two of you and others but, I'm not from here. I have my own memories and I'm human." Red laughed, not a mirthful laugh, more like a condescending haughty laugh. "You're just confused right now; seven years in a coma does that to a pony." Seven years, I've been out for seven years. What happened to me? What has changed? How did my daughter— I force my eyes shut and shake my head no. "No! No! NO!" I scream. A hoof runs down my back. It was her hoof. More tiny little thoughts invade my mind. Thoughts of her life, whoever I happen to be, this Dia, this Diamond Mist. I'm not her, she is not me. This is just a dream, a nightmare. I need to wake up. Reaching up, I pinch my cheek. Nothing happens. Richie's eyes are wet looking. He can just suck it up, I'm not his wafu. I'm a human dude stuck in cartoon pony hell. I don't find him attractive or handsome. I don't have memories of kissing him. I don't have memories of making love to him under an elm tree in the White Tail Woods. My cheeks become hot. No, I'm not her. I'm me and this is just a dream. "Just get away from me! Both of you!" I scream, this time I feel hot streams of water flowing down my face. The sound of my tears hitting the floor sounds like explosions ripping through my soul. I start to yell again but, I hold back. Standing in the open door way was a little pony with a pink coat and two toned white and purple hair. Blue mirrors reflect back at me the tone of the room. Her bottom lip is trembling and I can see light shine off the tears threading to break the levies. My anger left me like air from a popped balloon. "Dee" I say as I open my hooves, hoping to coax her into a hug like Red did for me during my first outburst. "You're not my moma!" she yells and then runs away. Taking a step towards the door, Richie steps in the way. He rolls his shoulders. "You're not yourself, Dia. Now is not the time." "Like hell it is, I've been under for seven bucking years and now you say I can't see my daughter!" My anger revs back up to full throttle. Daughter? No, she is not my daughter, she's Dia's daughter. Why do I keep doing this? "Calm down, Dia," said Red calmly. My eyes flash red. "I will not calm down!" Richie looks at me and then Red and then sighs. He trots towards the door. "Where are you going?" I asked forcefully. Richie gives me a flat look. "I'm going to deal with our daughter right now" He turns to Red. "Do what you can for her. I'll be back later." Waving my hoof at him I say, "It's not like I need you here anyways." He frowns and then walks out of the door stopping only to close it. The room becomes ghostly quiet. The heat comes on filling the room with a light humming sound. I look back over at the bed. "I.." muttered Red. "Just spit it out, Red." She just sits there rubbing her elbow. I walk over to my bed and flop down. I try not to think about anything. Red, Richie, Diamond Tiara, all come to mind. I sweep them out with my mental broom, I keep a clean house. Red can't even look at me right now. The catheter was starting to bug me. It put pressure on my insides and was starting to feel itchy. Perhaps all the movement irritated both my urethra and my new mare parts. The latter was more mental than physical. I shouldn't have mare... girl parts. Having something hard and long in such close proximity to a hole meant for things both long and hard in addition to passing baby heads through, bad visual image, is more than I can stand to think about. "You are a nurse right?' Red breaks her silence. "Yes, Dia" I groan. "Get it through your thick head! My name is Michael Carter, or Mike which ever you prefer. Dia isn't at home, please leave a message at the beep." "No, Dia, you are just mixed up. It happens sometimes." I roll my eyes. I feel like a dick but, the sooner I get this over with the sooner I can either take control of this dream or take control of the situation and get back to where things make sense. To a place where the only thing I remember are my memories.
Chapter Two: Don't make me think about itShe wasn't herself. That was the only way Red could describe it. The Dia she was with yesterday wasn't even the same Dia she was with today. In spite of the hands hooves confusion, Dia seemed to be Dia. Her voice was a little lower in tone than she remembered and she seemed to have an accent that she didn't possess before. Nothing Red hadn't seen or heard before. Looking over at her sister, Red tried to gauge where Dia actually was and who she was at the moment. Her little sister just laid there with her forehooves crossed over her chest chewing on her bottom lip. "Do ya think you can remove this pee tube' cause it's starting to become uncomfortable," said Dia as she pointed her hoof at the offensive object. No pony liked catheters. The medical profession didn't like catheters. But they were a necessary evil. "Hold on and I'll see if I can get a nurse to help you out," said Red, before walking to the door. "Why can't you do it?" asked Dia, looking up from the tube taped to the inside of her thigh. Red shook her head and smiled, "I'm not your nurse." "Fine," huffed Dia before she crossed her forelegs again. Red laughed at her sister. Dia was Dia. Red loved raunchy humor but she was rarely anything but modest, Dia wasn't modest. Dia didn't care for social niceties. Her current position was very Dia-ish. Forelegs crossed and hind legs wide apart, giving anypony who dared to look, a good look at her mare bits. Perhaps it was that daring streak that led her sister to her successes before both in love and in business. Red loathed that, mostly her sister's success with the opposite sex. Not that Dia, slept around or anything, just that she could have her pick of any stallion (or mare) she ever wanted to be with both platonically or not so platonically. "If you're done day dreamin' I would like for you to get that nurse now," Red chucked again and walked out the door. I hope Filthy Rich was able to calm down Dee, thought Rose as she made her way to the nurses' station. Dee was dramatic even when she was in control of her emotion, and when she wasn't... she was a hooffull. The long term care facilities were connected to the hospital and many of the medical, clerical, and support staff worked shifts in the facility. The large buildings facilities were divided by different floors. The top floor was reserved for stable patients who also weren't getting any better, like coma patients. The next two floors were served for ponies that couldn't take care of themselves, otherwise known as Ponyville's nursing home. The bottom three floors were the assisted living quarters, ponies that could still somewhat take care of themselves, who wanted the comfort of having a physician close by in case of emergencies called the place home. It wasn't a bad place, in fact many of Ponyville's seniors who lived elsewhere often came to play bingo and bridge. Don't forget about karaoke night. The assisted living home served as the headquarters for several clubs like Fillies of the Lunar Rebellion and the Equestrian Legion. Red had spent a fair amount of time working in all three facilities. She had done so more often after her sister was moved there for long term care. Nurse Tenderhoof sat at the Nurse's station, her old eyes pour over the latest issue of the Free Foal press. Her face was leathery, the result of too many hours tanning. "Tenderhoof, Patient three is awake and would like her catheter removed if at all possible," stated Red mater of factually. "Yeah, I know Doll. Patch told me that she was awake," Tenderhoof moved closer and smiled, "You must be excited, Doll, it's not every day that somepony wakes up from the long nap. And for that pony to be your sister, well let me tell you something, if it was my sister who had woke up from a coma I'd feel... I don't know what I'd feel like but I know I would be happy." Red gave her a polite smile, "I am very happy, happier than I've been in a long time. It's just that she isn't the same and even though I knew that was a possibility I just never expected it to be that way." "You win some, you lose some. Just be thankful that she actually woke up, that alone is something to be happy about. It's a sad reality that many of the ponies up here will never wake up." "I know," said Red, feeling guilty for questioning her own happiness when weight against all the ponies that would never experience the miracle that she had. "So, how about I send one of the student nurses down to take care of that filly for you, doll." "Is May Berry on duty?" "No, she won't be back until tomorrow morning." "Alright, then just send one of them down and I'll supervise," answered Red. Tenderhoof shifted some paper work around uncovering the PA controls. The board had numerous buttons, each labeled for a different room or in the case of the large square button, the whole floor. She cleared her throat and then pressed the button. "Ms. Aid to room three please," she said in a dull monotone. Red snickered at the sound of her fellow nurse and occasional boss, drone on. Tenderhoof's voice was usually lively she only adopted the tone when she spoke over the intercom. A mare dashed out of the coffee room across the way, sliding to a stop when she noticed the two nurses staring at her. Her quick stop propelled her pink nurse hat forward, the brim down to her nose covering her face. Righting her hat, she tried to cover her blushing face with a hoof. Red and Tenderhoof giggled at the mares spunk. There was a time when they were just as full of starch. The mare pointed at herself and mouthed, "Me?" Tenderhoof nodded yes and pointed her in the right direction. "I better help the poor dearie, in case she gets lost," said Red as she walked over to the nursing student. They met just ouside of Dia's room. Aid looked jittery, her wings kept wiggling on her sides. After a moment of nervously pawing the floor she took a deep breath and then looked at Red. "So, um what will I be doing?" she asked. "All you'll have to do is remove a catheter. It'll be a piece of cake," reassured Red. They entered to find Dia, examining her hooves. She would look at one and then the other, rolling her pasterns around to see all sides of the hooves. After doing the same with her hind hooves she looked up to her visitors. " ''Bout time," said Dia in mock anger, her anger had left her and now she just felt confused and numb. "Dia this is—" "Mike" interrupted Dia. "No, my name is First Aid not Mike, but I do look like her don't I?" replied Aid before she sat back on her haunches and then raised her front hooves in the air and started to jam out on her air guitar. "Bullet Mike is like my favorite musician of all time, the stuff that mare can do with those lips and her harmonica is the shit." Dia raised an eye brow. "Do you have first hoof experience with her lips, Aid," smirked Red. Aid blushed and then hid her head behind a wing. Dia blinked a few times. Red pressed a hoof to her lips and started to laugh. Making fun of the newbies was one of her little joys. It took little mirthful moments to get through the usually bleak and heart wrenching work that was nursing. Dia's smile lit up the room and laughter set fire to her eyes. "Okay Okay, enough picking on the new mare on the block. Let's pull out that pee tube. Hoorah!" said Aid, still profusely blushing, while pumping her hoof up in the air. Dia's pink eyes followed Aid as she walked over to the medical cabinet. After pilfering around for a moment she pulled out a large syringe, alerting everypony present of her discovery with an, "Ah ha!" There were two ends to the catheter, one led to the little collection bag and the other had a little clip holding the contents back, keeping the fluid inside for leaking out. She quickly screwed the syringe on and removed the clip. Fire burned Dia's cheeks like a brush fire, having anyone other than herself that close to her privies was embarrassing. Her back hooves twitched, and she turned to look away from the little procedure. Holding it in place with a hoof, Aid wrapped her lips around the plunger and pulled out. Clear fluid started to fill the syringe. Dia peaked around and watched Aid, her blush deepened. "Do you have to use your mouth?" she whined. Stopping half way, Aid looked up from the plunger, "Ish na ike I can oo it ny odder way." "That feels so weird," muttered Dia, as the little balloon deflated in her bladder. A few seconds later Aid had the catheter removed. Dia rubbed her crotch before noticing the two mares watching. She quickly removed her hoof and looked away from them. "It's good to see my sister libido is still the same," said Red with a sly grin. "Shut up! It's not what it looked like, I swear!" Dia fired back. "Sure it's not, ma'am!" added Aid, while shooting a worried glance at Red. She didn't want to be reprimanded for speaking out of place. Red bumped Aid's shoulder with a hoof, "Humor no matter how vulgar is the only antidote for the horrors of a hospital. Keep it and you will do just fine, dearie." "Yes ma'am!" said Aid with a grin, "So, I'll just get back to my coffee then." Dia's ears perked up at the mention of Coffee. She the leaned forward and put all four hooves on the bed, looking like she could pounce the mare. "Did you say coffee? You have coffee!" she said sounding way too excited about something so mundane. "Well Duh, you don't think these medical quacks would start their day with orange juice would you, Mike." Dia's smile widened. Red winced before saying, "Bring us two coffees: one black and the other with two sugars and three shots of cream." Aid saluted and then left the room. The bed's springs creaked in protest as Dia leaned back once more. Her eyes were boring holes in to Red's hide, ever so gently tapping the end of her chin with her hoof. It was as good a time as any. "Dia what do you remember?" Giving her a flat look, Dia replied sharply, "Ask me with my real name." "Okay, Diamond Mi—" Springing up from her bed she crossed her front hooves together forming a large x. "ERRRRN! Wrong! Guess again!" Red slammed her hoof on the floor, "Fine, what do you remember before you woke up, Mike?" Mike leaned back on the bed and smiled. "Was that so hard?" "Yes, now answer the question," said Red. The door creaked open and Aid returned with the coffee balanced on her back. The steam rose from the tops of the cups, little wisps of hot water tickling the air. Snatching the cup from Aid's back, she turned it up and took a long swallow. Coffee was good, and this cup was possibility the best she had ever drank. Pulling the cup away from her lips she gave the other two a sheepish smile. "This is the best Coffee I've ever drank!" she chirped. "The best, ha!" said Aid while hoofing Red her cup of coffee, "This stuff is like the worst coffee in Equestria, if you want a good cup of joe, you have got to go to Donut Joe's in Canterlot. The second best cup of coffee is made right here in Ponyville's branch of Star Bucks'" "I'll have to remember that," replied Mike before sipping on her coffee again. Aid laughed and then sat on the floor between the bed and Red after being relived of her load. Red wore a fierce scowl. "So, can I stay? It's not like I'm—" "Yes," said Mike. "No," said Red. Mike and Red glared at each other. The temperature in the room elevated slightly and with that Aid made her way to the door. "I said you could stay," said Mike looking away from the other nurse. "He he, I would love to, but she is one of my bosses so I better vamoose," replied Aid as she pointed at Red. Red gave her a stern look and then shooed her away. Mike stuck his lip out and turned away from Red. "Don't act like a juvenile, Mike." "I can act anyways I want to!" Pinching her nose, Red groaned. She walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down. She reached out at put a hoof on Mike's knee. Mike's head jerked around and looked at the hoof resting on her knee. Staring at it, she felt conflicted again. Mike's face was a mosaic of emotions; happiness, warmth, confusion, love, anger and fear, all twisting around her eyes, those two pink depths from which a familiar light shined back at red. Those eyes were not the eyes of stranger, no matter how much Dia said otherwise. It was her sister behind those eyes; she just had to make Dia realize that. "Please, tell me what you remember." Sighing, Mike relented. "My friends put together a party at my sister's place. We drank and cut up and stuff. It was a party in my honor; I had just been awarded a free ride to go to one of the most prestigious grad schools in the nation. It was kind of a big deal. After which I went home and went to bad. I woke up here, that is all there is to tell." She traced a few circles over Mike's knee. "What about Dia, what do you remember about her if anything?" Mikes hoof came across faster than, Red could have expected, knocking her hoof away. Pulling back her hoof she rubbed her now sore pastern. She glared at her and then frowned. Baring his teeth, Mike glared at Red. Her muscles were tense and her hackles were raised. "DON"T MAKE ME THINK ABOUT IT!" she shouted, "I don't wanna to think about it." "I'm just trying to help you." He lunged at her. Red quickly raised her hooves to meet the purple bolt. Realizing that she could hurt her sister even more she let her legs go slack, not offering any resistance. The two of them collapsed on the bed. Both of Red's hooves pressed against Mike's chest. Mike had one hoof on the bed and the other on Red's throat. "No, you're not!" He sobbed, "You're not tryin' to help me, you're tryin' to confuse me, you want me to be her, but I'm not her. I'm Michael Carter. I'm Mike. I'm a man, not a mare. I'm not... I'm not..." She collapsed on top of Red, sobbing on to her chest, drenching the mares coat in her tears. A hoof found its way on to the small of her back and began rubbing up and down. "Shhh, it's going to be okay we'll get this figured out." *** A funky beat in 3/4 time oozed through the elevators speakers, it was an instrumental of DJ Pon3's song, Real Color. Richie bobbed his head to the beat, trying to let it drown his conflicted feelings. Reaching up he pressed a hoof to his lips. He could still taste her on his lips. How she could be so angry, he wondered. All that time apart and she pushed him away. He chewed on the inside of his cheek. It hurt, it really hurt. How long had he waited for her? How many times had other ponies told him to move on, find somepony else. She wasn't ever going to wake up anyways. A loud crack echoed through the small room. Looking up he noticed his hoof and the dent he had made in the elevators door. He sighed. Ding! Leaning back, he brushed his hair back and then stepped through the door. A few of the hospital staff waved at him. He was a regular, come buy almost every day for seven years. Many of these ponies had become his friends. They had laughed with him and cried with him. And for that he was thankful. "Richie's what bugging ya," asked an elderly stallion leaning against his mop. "She woke up, Soppy," he said, his voice devoid of enthusiasm. The coffee black stallion's lips stretched into a wide grin, his pearly white teeth shinning against his dark coat. "Why ain't cha happy 'bout it then? If'en it was my mare that woke up I'd be singin' to the sun 'bout it," said Soppy. "I'm happy that she woke up, but she—" The door to the stairwell opened up and Diamond Tiara stepped out. Her mane stuck to her sweaty forehead and she huffed in exhaustion. She quickly scanned the room and started to the door. She took a couple of steps before turning to see her father looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not going back. That isn't my mother. Mom never yells and that is all that mare did was yell," she screamed. "DIAMOND TIARA!" roared Richie as he strode up to his daughter. The filly shrank under his gaze. She looked up at him with wide eyes and a trembling lip, Daddy never yelled either. "Yes?" she said lowly. Richie scooped her up and pulled her tight against his chest. She started to gently sob against his coat. Removing her signature adornment he ran a hoof through her mane. "Listen, she just woke up and is very confused. It will take time for her to act like herself. We just need to give her some time, okay," he said trying to comfort his equally confused daughter. She looked up to him hopefully. "You listen to your papa, little missy," Soppy stepped closer and placed a hoof around Richie's neck, "Ponies do all kind of crazy stuff when their sick, this one time my daughter placed a bag over her head when she had the chicken pocks, sayin' that she would never be pretty again." Tiara giggled at his story, mostly because she never knew that Archer had a girly side to her: perfect ribbing material. And to think that filly was cool all of the time, this would be just to thing to make her loose her cool and it was going to be glorious. "Okay, I'll give her a chance once she stops yelling," was all she offered in response. "Let go see if Red managed to calm her down," he said. Tiara nodded in agreement and they headed to the elevator. They both waved to Soppy who gave them a hopeful smile in response. The walk to room three was long and silent. Neither of them dared to speak neither wanted to break the silence. They both hoped that the mare they were about to see was more like herself. Hopefully Red would be able to coax her back from where ever she had been hiding.
