A Dog and Zebra Show

by bluemoon1996

Chapters

Watch what Trees you Pee on (edited)
Hospital Run (edited)
Doctors Discuss Peculiar Patients (edited)
Falling out of Bed
Covoluted Conversations Comfort Concerns

Watch what Trees you Pee on (edited)

Looking around the small wooded clearing, James sighed as he slipped the straps of his heavy backpack off his shoulders, letting his pack fall to the ground with a loud clatter. “Damn, it's good to get that off,” he sighed, rubbing his shoulder, “I swear you packed mine with more crap didn't you?” He turned about to face his traveling companion.

“I’ll neither confirm or deny your claims,” Andy-Rae said, sliding his own pack off and relishing the freedom with a roll of his shoulders. “You’re the one who let me do the packing.”

“I let you do it because you kept nagging that I was doing it wrong,” he retorted flatly as he walked up to an imposing oak in the middle of the clearing. Giving it a quick kick with his hiking boot, he turned about to look around the clearing. “I wonder how old this thing is?” he idly muttered as he looked up at it’s many long, twisting, mossy branches.

“I’m not a botanist. So… old old?” Andy-Rae half looked up from unpacking his sleeping bag. “Looks cool though. In the… old and twisted way. That part there almost looks like a face.”

Looking at where he pointed, James stared at it for a second before he saw it too. On the ground, between two of the oak’s gnarled roots, was a darkened gap that almost seemed to be a mouth with two knots in the trunk acting as eyes. “Well, if that isn’t fucking creepy,” he said, taking a few steps back.

“It’s a marvel of nature, stop trying to make it something from your video games,” Andy-Rae said, rolling his eyes and poking around for a soft spot in the grass to set up his tent. “If anything your pasty ass is the creepy one.”

“Hey!” James pouted, “We’re in Scotland, Andy; You’re the exception here not me. My pale complexion is a boon! I can hide in plain sight while you stick out like a sore thumb.” With a small smirk and a chuckle, he started to do the same; Getting down on his hands and knees to feel around for a soft spot in the grass.

“Not gonna lie, it’s been weird being here,” Andy-Rae admitted, finally settling on a spot for himself. “The grass, moss and stuff here is really soft though. Good pick.”

James smirked at that, “I can pick ‘em well can't I?” As he said that, he found a spot of decent enough softness. Standing up, he tossed aside a rock that was sitting in the middle of the spot he had chosen. “Well, let’s get our tents pitched and I’ll get the wood for a fire ready.”

“And then… I shall cook! I shall cook like no other camper in this grove has cooked before!” Andy-Rae said grandly, brandishing a tent stake and laughing maniacally. He stopped when he ran out of air and had a fit of coughing.

James just stared back at him blandly for a second before letting out a chuckle as he grabbed his bag and brought it over to the spot he'd picked.

Tents went up quickly and low hanging branches broken off of the large oak and other various trees as the sun began to dip below the horizon. The grove was cast into shadows and soon the warm glow of a fire filled the area by the two tents.

“Well, this place looks a million times creepier in the dark,” James stated flatly. The trees seemed to loom over them as if silently judging them.

“It’s a forest. Lit by campfire. It’s gonna look creepy.” Andy-Rae was less impressed by the creepiness factor, having just accepted it as a fact.

“I know that man,” he said, looking out into the dark before staring up into the crown of the old oak. “I just can't shake it dude. Like someone's watching us.” Looking over at his bag, he grabbed it and plopped it down in front of him as he started to dig inside the bag.

“Birds. Bugs. Maybe a bunny,” Andy-Rae said distractedly as he poked at the flames with a stick. The trash from the meal were in a loose, slightly scattered pile out of spark and ember reach. “Pretty sure there aren’t wolves or stuff like that around. You’re just being paranoid.”

“Early bird gets the worm but the early worm gets eaten,” He muttered to himself in response as he pulled out a small metallic flask from his bag. Opening it, he took a swig, letting out a cough as its contents burned down his throat.

“And does that make you the worm or the bird?” Andy-Rae asked casually. “Owl City has a song about that.”

“What the hell does that eve-” He stopped mid-word, shaking his head as he dismissed the thought. “You know what,” He stated after taking another drag from the flask, “I can't help I don't trust creepy places. Blame my Momma if you want but better to be overly cautious than not cautious enough.” As if to accentuate the point, he glanced back over his shoulder into the darkness.

“Last I checked I, we, didn’t live in a horror movie.” Andy-Rae got up and brushed the seat of his pants off before heading off to the edge of the clearing. “And if we did, you drinking would be a flag.”

“Oh, can it. If you didn't expect to at least buy some manner of booze in bloody Scotland; you don’t know me well enough,” James scoffed as he watched his friend walk off, a shit-eating grin growing on his face. “Besides, you're the black guy. I'm sorry to say but if we were in one, your days are numbered.”

“I’m just taking a leak,” Andy-Rae said, waving his hand dismissively.

“And that's two strikes! Wanna go for three? Perhaps a widowmaker’ll get you?” He laughed in response as he took another swig.

Andy-Rae changed direction with a groan and went to the old oak rather than a tree further away from their camp. “Fine, happy now?” he called over his shoulder as he did his business, continuing in a slightly exasperated tone. “Should be glad I don’t piss on your tent…”

“Relax Andie, I'm just yanking your chain,” James replied with a chuckle to himself. “Now get back here before that face you saw on the tree eats you.”

“Yes. The old angry oak tree is gonna get angrier because some human dude peed on it. How dare a human dude pee on it’s face,” Andy-Rae said in a deadpan tone as the stream tapered off. “Particularly after the other human dude broke off so many of it’s precious and coveted branches only to set them on fire before it in some perverse form of mockery.”

After a few seconds of silence, James broke out into a fit of laugher. “Talk...talk about adding insult to injury,” he said once he managed to compose himself. “Now come on and get back over here.”

Andy-Rae washed up with a few squirts from the small bottle of hand sanitizer he had clipped to his waist. “Why’d you even suggest a cross country hike if camping spooks you so much?” he asked as he returned to the fire.

“Camping doesn't spook me,” James shot back quickly, “it's just… I don't know why but it's this place? It almost seems like it doesn't want us here….” His sentence trailed off as he looked around into the dark, squinting his eyes as if that would somehow help him.

“Kinda like using the woman’s washroom when the male’s is filled?” Andy-Rae offered. “Or sneaking into an employee’s only area? The willies?”

“A little of all three mixed with being glared at by a crowd of people…. I don't like it,” he said, taking a rather large gulp of his alcohol.

Andy-Rae shrugged. They were in the middle of the Scottish countryside camping out in a secluded grove a long way from home. The night wasn’t the brightest, so between the campfire and the irregular wind shuffling branches and shrubbery around the clearing they claimed, shadows shifted without warning and the odd sound contributed to the already eerie on and off stillness of the area. “Being drunk isn’t going to help you.”

“It'll help me get to sleep later,” he stated simply before drinking more. “I'd never get to sleep in this creepy grove anyway. I'm already half expecting witches to pop out on the other side of this bloody tree. Bloody thing could belong in the Everfree for all we know!”

“You play too much Witcher,” Andy-Rae retorted with a roll of his eyes. Having reclaimed his stick, he poked a charred chunk of wood out and teased it about idly. “Sometimes a creepy forest is just a creepy forest. That makes for a good campsite.”

“Whatever man..” James sighed, yawning a little. “I’m gonna hit the sack now Andy. See you in the morning.”

“Sleep well,” Andy-Rae said half-heartedly, grumbling to himself as he considered the task of putting the fire out for the night as there was little reason to stay up much longer himself.

~~~~~

The night deepened, the light and warmth the fire provided nothing but a memory marked by the long cold ash and charred wood almost like a scar between the two tents were the young men slept, both restless for reasons they couldn’t place, one significantly drunker than the other.

Moonlight illuminated the clearing in a delicate glow, the leaves and vines seeming to flourish under it, growing lush and full. As the night reached its peak, the edges of the clearing somehow transmitting the sensations of isolation and separation from the rest of the world even while heightening the feelings of unwelcome and frustration.

A sound from the direction of the oak rustled across the grove, the grass and moss trembling before it. All the plants seemed to defer to it as a wave of timelessness seemed to swallow the entirety of the grove casting the tents in contrast to the natural setting. It started first from the tangled and gnarled base of the oak, a thick wafting mist. The mist lingered around the roots, and if anybody had been around to watch it, they would be surprised to find that the mist rolled gently, inching outwards before hesitating and contracting slightly, the cycle repeating endlessly as the hazy phenomena advanced.

Almost as if something was taking slow, irritated breaths.

As the mists advanced towards the edges of the grove, it left all it passed and lingered over coated with pristine drops of dew that glistened faintly in the moonlight. It was if it were some form of miracle grow, for the grass and moss were shuddering as they grew thicker, dense and longer. Strange shrubs forced their way out of the ground, bare thorned branches reaching skywards, weaving together in places with only the minimal count of leaves gracing them. The entire grove was coming alive.

Another sound came from the oak, a low creak. A root shifted. The old oak shuddered, the shadows on the apparent face of the trunk casting it in an expression of anger.

Again the root moved, this time with more purpose. It pulled itself from the ground in hesitant jerks, several inches out in some places, revealing more and more of it’s length. Another root emerged beside the first, then a third, a fourth, a fifth. More. The ground and plant life parted before the numerous roots, ranging from one to four inches across, as they revealed and further extended themselves, reaching out towards the tents.

Like frenzied worms tendrils spawned from the ground the tents were set on and silently wove their way into the protective fabric walls. Within minutes the tents, sleeping bags, hiking bags and even set aside clothing and gear were ensnared.

A wide swath of the grove was now taken up with the progress of the roots, looking like strange stationary wave patterns. The old oak itself had changed. The face had turned to stare at the tents. The tree itself was straighter and more imposing. Branches were creaked and swayed in the wind even though the movements didn’t match the breeze, which was also far too weak to even move such thick branches.

Materials strained as the tendrils coiled tightly, and everything was torn to shreds in a silence that would make any stalking cat jealous, leaving the tent supports bare and equipment exposed. The two sleepers were left lying in the remains of their tents and sleeping bags, shivering from the sudden chill of being exposed not only to the crisp night air, but also the cold dew bearing mist.

The old oak creaked, and straightened as the root’s slow progress began to accelerate. Even the shifting in the mists increased as if the one breathing was more active.

The tendrils continued, new growth pushing past the fellows that fell away, scraps in their grip. They wove around the exposed support and equipment, as well the two young men. Metal poles and equipment rusted, decayed and rotted in slow motion as the tendrils claimed them. They wove into the clothing they wore and around any limbs they could reach.

The mostly bare sprays and springs that had been popping up in other places started growing in the spots previously blocked by the tents.

“Come on, man…. What are you doing?” Andy-Rae grumbled, roused partially. He tried to turn over, only to find unexpected resistance. “What the hell?” he asked in confusion as he pushed the sleep away. The tendrils resisted his tugs for a few seconds before breaking, but the damaged ends only coiled tighter despite being unconnected. “What the hell!”

James was still in his drunken slumber as more and more tendrils wormed into his clothing and around his form. His eyes still firmly closed, some unintelligible mumbling came from him before he let out a small laugh, the tendrils apparently tickling him.

“What the hell? What the hell? What the hell?” Andy-Rae chanted it like a mad mantra as he tried to get free of the relentless tendrils. Andy-Rae’s T-shirt and pants were drawn taut around him, tearing in a few places as he struggled to get to his feet. His glasses were missing but his mantra continued when he took in the rest of the former clearing, though he missed the advancing roots in the face of the thorned sprays. “James! Wake the hell up! Wake the hell up!”

“Wha… Wha... “ James muttered, still half asleep as he blinked several times, attempting to properly wake up. His eyes sprang open wide as he felt the numerous little tendrils grabbing at him. “What the fuck is going o- FUCK!!” The look of confusion on his face turned to utter horror as one of the steadily advancing roots emerged from the ground and grabbed him tightly by his ankle.

Swearing profusely, he did the only thing his alcohol addled and sleepy mind could think of. He started to kick at the root with his still free foot. “Let me the fuck go you stupid shrubbery!” he swore, in between his frantic cursing and kicking.

The air filled with an inhuman groan that emanated from the oak looming over them as the face on it changed. It's angry stare now came close to livid as with a creak and groan the mouth amid the roots appeared to open up.

James, who stopped his kicking and swearing, watched the tree in sheer unadulterated terror. Whimpering, the crotch of his jeans darkened as he lost control of his bladder. The root around his ankle started to pull him closer to the tree.

“NO! NONONONONONO! I’m sorry Mr. Tree! Please don’t kill me!!! I want to live! I'm sorry!”

Andy-Rae managed to free himself from the majority of the tendrils, though his clothes were the worse for it. His further struggles only served to make the situation worse. It was like being covered in worms and he couldn’t help it, particularly since he noticed the far thicker roots approaching.. The groan that came from the oak struck a chord deep in his core and for a moment the only thing on his mind was fear.

One of the roots thrust at his arm, and without concern for James he turned and ran. Disregarding the thorns that cut at his legs in his terror, he made for the edge of the clearing, only to be blocked by the wall of branches and plant life. “To hell with this,” Andy-Rae shouted, eyes wide and laughing in his panic as he tore at the branches, struggling to break his way out. “My life is not a horror show! I’m not dying in some fucked up forest!”

Andy-Rae froze, clenching at one of the branches, letting out a ragged breath. “FUCK.”

Against all his better judgements, he bent and hit the branch until it broke and brandishing it as a crude club, ran towards the fucked up oak tree. “Get your damn roots off him!”

Author's Note

Edited by Celefin

Hospital Run (edited)

“I’m looking for a couch. Lovely piece; green upholstery, wood frame, seats three ponies, slight scuff on the left side,” Time Turner asked. His voice was pleasant despite his search, though his dark brown mane and tail were both in a state of disarray. He motioned to the thick cuff strapped to his brown fetlock, ticking away steadily with a few gears and springs exposed, a small air bag pumping occasionally.

“According to my scanner-matic mk17, it passed by this way. Bit of an incident with chaos magic. Discord escaped—never did think leaving him in the garden like that was for the best—and of course he came to Ponyville, similar to the reason I settled there I assume, though without that unfortunate University incident. But chaos magic and a lovely couch go very well together, apparently. The fridge too. Managed to keep that one from leaving the house though. But, enough of that, have you by chance seen it?”

The earth pony looked up, hope in his blue eyes. The blue jay he was speaking with, perched one of the low branches tilted its head and chirped in confusion.

“Oh, whickering stallions, this is hopeless,” Time Turner sighed, trekking off again, not without nodding a salutation to the bird. “I never did learn how to speak bird. Seemed more like a pegasus curiosity.” He fiddled with with his device and pointed it around a few times until it whistled. With a new bearing, he trotted off again, following the whistles.

The trail took Time Turner deeper into the woods, making him more than pleased that his couch decided to head to the Whitetail woods rather than the Everfree. It would have been an entirely different journey if it had. It didn’t change the fact that bits of branches and leaves were getting in his coat and mane and his collar was likely to be ruined if it caught on many more branches.. “Chaos magic or not, how did a couch manage to get this far? Perhaps it would have been wise just to purchase a new co- Ahaha! There she is, my beautiful couch!”

Somehow the couch had gotten caught in a stand of oak saplings, suspended a few hooves above the ground as if it had been trying to dig it’s way in before the chaos magic was dispelled. Time Turner sighed with a mix of amazement and astonishment, climbing over a fallen tree. “My goodness… how will I get you home? I suppose I should have considered that before setting out on this venture…”

Since he was already there, he wanted to at least check if it was possible to get it free. What he didn’t expect was to find two ponies at the heart of the stand, caught in curiously tangled branch formations. Not exactly ponies, actually. One was clearly equine, but the striped coat and longer dock marked him as not being a pony. The other wasn’t even equine, claw tipped paws slack against the branches and his coat in blue, tan and black.

“Great Whickering Stallions! That’s a zebra and a diamond dog foal!” Time Turner exclaimed. Both were unconscious, their breathing shallow and ragged. Recovering his couch temporarily forgotten, Time Turner got closer. “But what are you doing out here? In a tree no less.”

Neither was responsive to Time Turner’s comments. The stallion’s face grew worried. “Great Trot, I’ve got to get you to a doctor. A medical doctor!” With as much haste as care would allow, he grabbed them, first the zebra then the diamond pup, maneuvering them by the scruff to the couch, then transferring them to his back to carry them back to town.

~~~~~

Ponyville General Hospital wasn’t the only medical facility in town, but it was the largest and best. Being a large enough town on the edge of a place like the Everfree Forest did necessitate a facility that was far more comprehensive than one would expect for it’s size. Normally they were more than capable of dealing with most of what the town could throw at them.

Ponyville General Hospital was busy. In the wake of Discord’s eventful, though thankfully brief, rule, the number of ponies who ‘needed’ medical attention soared. From scratched knees to itchy tails, everypony swore they needed professionals to check them out. It went without saying that the staff were stressed and bordering on overworked.

The pink mare behind the welcome desk wasn’t thrilled to see Time Turner racing in. He was one of the more regular visitors. Even his nickname ‘Dr. Hooves’ wasn’t only because he was brilliant, but because he tended to be something of a bumble hooves. That and his experiments had him in once or twice a month. If it was a good month.

“Turner, this really isn’t the best time for...” Nurse Sweetheart started.

“No time! I’m not here for me. I’m fine,” Time Turner interrupted. He came to an awkward halt by the desk, his body angled so Sweetheart could see his passengers. “They need help!”

“Sweet Celestia!” Sweetheart exclaimed, her weariness momentarily forgotten as she became instantly alert. She quickly made calls for assistance. “I need two gurneys to reception! Two foals, look badly injured!”

Once she had the call made, she darted around the desk and started checking them. “A zebra and diamond dog?” Though taken aback, she didn’t hesitate,touching her hoof to their chests, forehead and muzzles. “They are hardly breathing. Pulse is erratic. Skin seems a bit clammy but I can’t tell for certain. Circulation seems poor… have they been like this since you found them?”

“Ah, well yes, as far as I can recall,” Time Turner said, though not with full confidence. While he wasn’t well versed in medical sciences, he wasn’t uninformed. A fringe benefit of his frequent incidents. Even as he responded, the sound of hooves and wheels rapidly approached. “I didn’t exactly pause to check their vitals. Getting them here seemed to be the more pressing priority.”

“Gurneys, nurse Sweetheart!” the stallion leading the group of orderlies said sharply.

“The foals on Time Turner’s back! We need them in pediatrics intensive care, stat,” Sweetheart directed. Not even waiting for their confirmation she grabbed the diamond dog and transferred him herself.

“Nurse, is that a diamond dog?” One of the more skittish orderlies asked worriedly, ears dropping.

“We don’t have time for that,” Sweetheart said curtly, leaving no room for discussion. “And have somepony make sure Tenderheart and Dr. Stable are informed.”

Just like that the two foals were taken off Time Turner’s hooves and rushed off into the halls of the facility.

Time Turner, standing beside Sweetheart who remained at reception, watched nervously as the orderlies moved with dispatch. He looked at Sweetheart with concern. “Will they be okay?”

“It’s too early to say. To be honest, neither one looked good, but only a full examination can say for sure.” Sweetheart admitted. She took Time Turner back to the desk and got out a clipboard to start working on the paperwork. “Do you mind telling me their names and what happened?”

“Well, actually,” Time Turner said, pursing his lips, “I don’t know. I found them like that in the
Whitetail Woods. My couch did, actually.”

Sweetheart slowly cocked her head to the side. “Your couch did?”

“I know. I never thought it had that kind of talent either.” Time Turner shook his head slowly. “Looked like it was trying to get them out, too. Makes me wonder what the fridge would have gotten up to if I had let it.”

While still skeptical about his claim, Nurse Sweetheart decided to accept it. After all, she herself had seen strange things during the time Discord had his ‘fun’. A couch trying to rescue some foals wasn’t that farfetched in context. “Well then… this is going to be a lot more difficult than expected…”

“Is it?” Time Turner asked.

“Thank you for you help with this, Time Turner,” Sweetheart said as she swapped out the paperwork for another set. “I’ll have to get in touch with the Ponyville Police, maybe Townhall as well. But in the meantime do you mind helping me by telling me more about how you found them?”

Author's Note

Edited by Celefin

Doctors Discuss Peculiar Patients (edited)

The rest of Time Turner’s day passed by less eventfully. He managed to get a team of pegasi movers to retrieve his couch and that was basically it. Surprisingly, considering the types of things he worked on, his home and lab had escaped most of the side effects Discord’s magic caused across town. That said, he did get visited by an officer with a few more questions about the children he found.

Time Turner couldn’t help but be curious about them. Zebras were rare. Aside from Zecora, he didn’t think there were many others in Equestria. As for Diamond Dogs, the less said about them the better. Nopony knew much about them. The only ones he knew of were the pack lurking not that far from the outskirts of town in the Gem Fields.

The next day he paid another visit to the hospital. Nurse Sweetheart was on duty again, the cream coated Nursery Rhyme with her, but Time Turner waited until they were finished with a patchy coated stallion before going up to them.

“Time Turner, just because we aren’t as busy today doesn’t give you free rein to hurt yourself,” Sweetheart groaned when she noticed him.

“No, no, no! Heavens no,” Time Turner insisted, waving his hoof in denial. “Perfectly healthy and fit as a horse, as the saying goes. I just came to see how the foals I found are. Couldn’t stop thinking about them last night.” He sighed, but looked up moments later. “I’m not that bad, am I?”

Nursery Rhyme couldn't help but let out a little chuckle at that. “You're our second most frequent patient aside from Rainbow Dash and that's saying something. And about the children you found? They're stable but to be utterly honest, I couldn’t answer that for you. Been up to my ears dealing with the mountain of paperwork Discord has caused. However, Doctor Stable is making his rounds right now but he should be back soon enough. Perhaps you can wait till he comes back?”

“If you don’t mind,” Time Turner said easily. “Should I sit somewhere or...?”

Nursery Rhyme just nodded, “Yes, take a seat in the waiting room if you'd like. I’ll tell the Doctor you want to see him when he comes back.”

“Right-o!” Time Turner found a seat in the corner and took one of the magazines to pass the time with. It was almost half an hour before Dr. Stable was available, by which Time Turner was dozing off while reading.

Dr. Stable cleared his throat with a snort, jolting Time Turner awake. Dr. Stable shook his head with a slight smile. “Dr. Hooves, Nursery Rhyme told me you were here. And aren’t even hurt yourself this time.”

“Fit as a fiddle, as they say,” Time Turner said confidently. He looked at the magazine and his ears flicked back momentarily. “I was… engrossed in the… latest advances in hoof treatments?” He tossed the magazine aside. “But enough of that. How fare the foals I brought in?”

“Walk with me,” Dr. Stable said reluctantly after hesitating. He led them down one of the corridors, pausing only to pick up a folder. Only when they were a fair distance from the more public areas did he start talking again. “You certainly found us an interesting pair, Turner.”

“How so?” Time Turner asked.

“It’s only been a day, but so far we’ve found no records of missing or absent foals,” Dr. Stable said, directing Time Turner into an office. They both took seats and the weariness made itself clear on Dr. Stable’s face. “No records of a zebra foal around his presumed age anywhere in Equestria either. Zecora was called in, but she doesn’t know him either, and cannot think of any reason for a foal his age to be here in Equestria without parents or guardians. As for the other one, there are barely any diamond dogs in Equestria’s system, and the closest group to town only has males, none fitting his coat patterns anyway. They seem to have appeared out of nowhere. We will need a few more days to confirm, but for now, we have them down as Wards of the State.

“As for their conditions…” Dr. Stable sighed. He set the folder on the table, his magic fading away. “I’m only telling you this since you were the one to bring them in. It’s a good thing you found them when you did. The zebra was somehow suffering from acute alcohol intoxication. His Blood Alcohol Content levels were high, even for an adult, much less a foal.”

“He was drinking? As his age?” Time Turner couldn’t help but blurt it out in surprise.

“Or was forced to. Seems to be the only explanation,” Dr. Stable rubbed the bridge of his nose. “And a lot of it. I’m surprised he could take in the amount of fluids required to have levels that high. We nearly pulled a pint out of his stomach, Turner. Zecora is working on a potion she says will help his body recover.”

“And… the other one?”

“It was… difficult working with him as we don’t know much about Diamond Dog physiology, but… Pervasive soft tissue and internal organ damage. Almost like blunt force trauma, but the damage patterns and lack of any external marks make it just as much of a mystery as the zebra’s BAC levels. That’s Blood Alcohol Content by the way,” Dr. Stable added, explaining the acronym. He tapped the folder with his hoof. “Not to mention the circulatory shock both were suffering from.

“Both also had alarmingly low blood sugar levels, irregular inflammation in various tissues and organs, among other things. At the moment, we have them in an induced coma. Not the best option for foals their age, but with the conflicting and baffling injuries, it was the best way to treat them.”

“Whickering Stallions, I didn’t realize it was that bad!” Time Turner said quietly, still shocked. He thought about how rashly he had picked them up and carried them. “Did I cause them more injuries getting them here?”

“To be honest, yes,” Dr. Stable said. He raised a hoof when he saw the look on Time Turner’s face. “However, it would have been worse if you didn’t. Given more time, they might have died if you hadn’t found them and brought them in.”

Both stallions were silent for a while. Time Turner broke it. “So what comes next for them, my friend?”

“We aren’t really sure,” Dr. Stable admitted. “We will keep them here for as long as it takes to treat their injuries. Meanwhile, the police and social services will continue trying to discover anything about their family. It looks like a possible case for foal abuse, neglect and abandonment. Even if they cannot find their parents or guardians by then, they’ll be put in the system from what Social Services tells us. You are only partially involved since your name is down as the one that found and admitted them. Bureaucracy and all that.”

Time Turner’s expression took a cynical tint at the mention of bureaucracy, but it passed quickly. “I suppose some families are worse than others,” he murmured.

“Turner?” Dr. Stable asked gently, knowing his friend.

Time Turner brightened and gave the unicorn a smile. “Would it be okay if I saw them?”

“Saw them?” Dr. Stable was thrown by the sudden change of topic.

“I really am worried about them,” Time Turner said. “Even more so now that you’ve told me all that. Of course, I’m not saying you and your team are incapable, but it would go a long way to calming my concerns. After all, it was my couch that found them.”

“Of course,” Dr. Stable said, his small smile returning. He left Time Turner across the hospital to the pediatric care department. A few of the foals cheerfully called out greetings to them as they passed. Some did anyway.

“Doc! When can I leave!” an orange earth pony called the moment she noticed Dr. Stable.

“Ah gotta get back to Scootaloo an’ Sweetie Bell soon Doc,” Apple Bloom cried out in annoyance, pouting as she stared out at him with big puppy dog eyes, a cast around her left foreleg. “Can’t ya take this cast off now?”

“In a few more days, Apple Bloom,” Dr. Stable said, waving at her. “We have to make sure it sets right.”

“well… poohie…,” she pouted, glumly staring down at her confined limb. “Last time, we try that for our cutie marks,” she muttered to herself as Time Turner and Dr. Stable were getting out of earshot.

Time Turner shook his head slowly, but didn’t linger any longer than Dr. Stable did. Eventually he was brought to a room and stopped for one last word. “It’s not the... happiest sight. I did tell you they were not the best off.”

The room was quiet and still except for the steady beeping of a pair of heart monitors, with only the two young ones inside. The zebra was the closest to the door, the diamond dog on the other side. Both were hooked up to IVs and oxygen masks. The diamond dog had bandages in a few places over his chest and limbs as well. The two stallions stood in the door, not actually going in.

“How long do you think they will be here for?” Time Turner asked softly.

“One or two weeks,” Dr. Stable replied. “The zebra might be recovered enough in a few days. We don’t know how long a diamond dog needs to recover unfortunately. Either way, we’ll keep them under for a few days and see where it takes us.”

Time Turner nodded thoughtfully and backed out of the room. Dr. Stable took it for what it was and followed, closing the door behind them. “Now Stable, I don’t suppose it would be an issue if I came to visit them a few times? Just to check on the progress of their recovery. Ah, it wouldn’t be fair of me to just have disinterest in the foals my own couch helped locate, now would it? Perhaps until we find out more about them and what happened? Only if it wouldn’t be a bother, of course.”

“Of course not, Turner,” Dr. Stable said easily. “I’ll let the staff know you’re likely to pop in a few times. Outside of your regular visits.” He laughed at the indignant expression on Time Turner’s face before trotting off. “Between you, Rainbow Dash and now the crusaders, we’ve been considering a frequent visitor pass.”

Author's Note

Next chapter will have screaming and the flailing of forelegs

Now edited by Celefin

Falling out of Bed

True to his word, Time Turner visited daily, if only to poke his head in and check how they were recovering and see what progress was being made on finding their family. The latter was unfortunately lacking good news. Despite it being a week, there were no leads and only countless dead ends. Without knowing their names, and even their ages, the already difficult task was made worse. For the sake of calling them something other than ‘zebra foal’ and ‘diamond dog pup’, the filler names ‘Stripes’ and ‘Spots’ was being used for the files. Their estimates put ‘Stripes’ at 10. As for ‘Spots’, their unfamiliarity with diamond dogs only kept coming up. They consulted with a vet, who also wasn’t sure, but estimated perhaps a year or two younger than ‘Stripes’.

In contrast to the unsuccessful search for their identities and families, the recovery and treatment was going better. Both were healing as well as could be expected, and the treatment for ‘Stripes’ alcohol intoxication had been completed successfully, his levels well within norm. The doctors had already lifted the induced coma and he only needed to wake naturally. As for ‘Spots’, they assumed without full certainty another day or two before he recovered enough to wake.

Since they weren’t sure exactly when ‘Stripes’ would awaken, the nurses included the room in their regular rounds, checking in every quarter hour.

James frantically grabbed at anything on the damp forest floor as he attempted to drag himself away from the creature that chased him; his legs dragging along uselessly behind him. Even then, those legs couldn't be called his own or even human for that.

They were short stubby things covered in dark grey and black fur and didn’t even have feet on the ends, forcing him to crawl on the leaf covered ground like a baby.

You defiled my holy ground.

Stopping his frantic crawling, James’ eyes went wide with panic as he heard it speak. Looking back over his shoulder, he squinted into the barely illuminated woods behind him.

The sounds of branches groaning and wood cracking broke the silence as a pair of piercing red eyes appeared in the darkness.

You and your insolent friend defiled my sacred ground

It slowly started to approach him. The creature was massive; it’s bulky bipedal frame towering almost as high as the low hanging branches of the trees. Its inhuman eyes bore into his soul from inside a deer skull that served as the head.

And now I must punish you for your transgression.

More of it came into focus: its massive frame covered in a long ragged cape of moss, errant branches forming something of a crown behind its head. Long, sharp, inhuman fingers glinted in the moonlight as it slowly drew closer to him. The creature had something slung over its shoulder.

A shiver went down James’ spine when he saw what it was: a human. He couldn't tell who because all he could see was a pair of legs in dirt-smeared and shredded bloody jeans.

YOU WILL DIE

The creature let out an animalistic roar that finally knocked James out of his stupor and he turned back around. Clawing at the ground to drag himself away from the monster closing in.

Heart thudding in his ears, he could still hear it unhurried approach. The ground shaking with each of its steps a-

James’ let out a pained cry as something grabbed his head from behind. Sharp nails dug into his scalp as he was lifted into the air. His useless legs flailing under him as he was turned and brought face to face with the creature’s skeletal visage. Its eyes blinded him as he could smell the horrid stench of rot, overwhelming his nose and causing him to gag.

I will enjoy this.

James screamed as he saw the creature’s maw open.

~~~~~~

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!” James screamed as he jolted awake. Springing up, his chest heaved as he surged away. He didn't care. He just had to mo-

There was nothing under him as he suddenly fell, letting out a loud and child-like yelp as gravity decided to kick in and a sharp sting came from his arm. Hitting the ground with a grunt of pain; he just lay there, breathing heavily as the panic left his system.

It was nighttime but he wasn't in the forest or in that damned grove anymore; the cool tile floor he landed on was all the proof he needed of that. But where was he? As the blood stopped rushing through his ears, he could make out the sound of a slow steady beeping. There was another one closer to him as well as well, far more rapid and frantic. His ears flicked as he heard cries and frantic running.

Light poured into the dark room as the door was thrown open, a figure somewhat illuminated by the dim light coming in from the hall. There was a click as someone turned on the lights and the room was properly lit. She hurried over and gave him a quick check before sighing in relief. “Oh dearie, are you okay? You must have fallen out of the bed! Pulled your IV out as well...”

James just looked up at whoever was checking on him; squinting so much his eyes were practically shut. Even then, all he could make out was a blurry mass.

“I’m sorry, are the lights too bright?” she asked.

“I need glasses unless you wish to remain to me as fuzzy masses,” he said slowly. His eyes widened from their squint; that wasn't his voice. Normally, he barely had any hint of an accent but what he said sounded almost tropical and seemed high like a kid's voice. And why in the heck did that come out as a rhyme?

“First things first, let’s get you back on your bed, dearie. Then we can figure out about the glasses,” she decided, moving around him. Picking him up under the arms, she deftly lifted him back unto the bed. “Much better than the ground, isn’t it, dearie?”

“Now can I ask a question? But I don't req-” The words hitched in James’ throat as he saw something he recognized. The small useless legs from his dream were in the bed. Slowly his eyes followed up them until he saw who they were attached to.

“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

No no no! This has to be a dream within a dream! Equestria isn't real. It’s a cartoon; this can't be real! I have to still be asleep! He thought to himself as his screaming quickly subsided into a scared whimper as he squeezed his eyes shut, mumbling incoherently to himself.

“Easy now, dearie,” the nurse shifted closer and brushed her hoof down his head and neck as she attempted to calm him. “You’re safe now. You’re in the hospital.”

“No no no no no. This has to be a dream; no god would be so mean,” he muttered to himself over and over, repeating it like a mantra. Even with the hoof attempting to comfort him, the one attached to his own limbs, he still tried to deny what was happening. Ponies weren’t real.

The nurse continued her attempts to calm the foal, holding his hoof and maintaining a gentle, though firm, pressure on his back in case he became violent. When another one of the night staff turned up in the doorway, she quickly exchanged glances and gave wordless instructions motioning at the foal. They nodded and trotted off, likely to get one of the doctors.

“Come dearie, do you want to talk to me?” the nurse asked, attempting to break him from his daze. “I’m Nurse Tenderheart. What’s your name?”

“N-name?” Her persistence was wearing him down, making her, the situation, harder to deny.

“That’s right,” she said, maintaining the soothing tones. As she spoke she unobtrusively checked on his condition, tutting slightly at the bit of blood on his foreleg from where he pulled out his IV. “I can’t keep only calling you ‘dearie’, after all.”

“Ja….Ja…” James paused. He couldn't just tell them his real name could he? No, he had to make up a name. James would never work here. Silently cursing himself for almost saying his name, he stopped to think.

“Jaja?” Tenderheart asked, relaxing her guard a little as he started to calm down.

He shook his head, “no, that is not my name. To be frank, that is quite lame. Ja… Jali is my claim to a name.” It wasn’t the best he could come up with but it’d have to do.

“Well then, Jali, a lot of ponies were worried about you and your friend,” Tenderheart said with honest care in her tone. “How are you feeling right now?”

Jali paused. Obviously everything felt off to him; he was in a new body afterall. But he couldn't say that to this nice nurse; this nice cartoon pony nurse that shouldn't even exist. He shook his head, banishing the thought as he finally spoke. “I feel a little meek and somewhat weak but you said I had a friend?”

“That is to be expected,” The nurse said. She gently angled his head to one side to peek at his ear. “You have been sleeping for a few days, and there was some medicine in your IV, that’s the tube you pulled out when you fell. And they found you with the diamond dog… youngling.” There was a slight pause when she tried and failed to come up with the right term. “He’s still sleeping in the next bed.”

At that, Jali looked over towards the bed. Squinting, he could see a blurry, possibly canine form in the next bed over. So Andie got turned to a diamond dog, he thought to himself, at least the lucky bastard still has fingers.

“He is your friend, isn’t he?” Tenderheart said, asking the question that had been raised a few times since care started. “We only assumed since you two dearies were together…”

Well, let's hope she isn’t good at spotting lies Andy. Time to go with the old orphan route writers use, He thought to himself as he nodded. “Yes, we are brothers without mothers.”

Nurse Tenderheart gasped softly, a hoof to her mouth. “Oh, dearie.” She refrained from making the cliched ‘I’m so sorry’ comment, though whatever follow up she might have said was lost when another pony came in The stallion had a white coat over his mauve fur, marking him as a doctor. “Oh, Jali, this is Dr. Touch.”

“Hello, son,” Dr. Touch said in a cordial greeting. He had heard the comment Jali made, but didn’t address it directly. “Nice to see you finally awake.”

“Hello Doctor, unless you want all to remain fuzzy masses, I’m going to need some glasses,” Jali repeated, squinting at the doctor.

“We thought as much from what we found during your check up,” Dr. Touch said easily. Nurse Tenderheart exchanged a nod with him before falling back to stand against the brightly coloured wall. “We can have an optometrist in soon enough. Do you feel up to me asking you a few questions?”

Jali simply nodded as he remained quiet as he looked at the doctor. However, his mind was frantically running on all cylinders as he tried to prepare for what the doctor might ask him.

Dr. Touch took the clipboard from the foot of Jali’s bed and a long stemmed pen he held with his leg. “Don’t worry, they won’t be any hard questions. It’s just that since we found you, we don’t know anything about you. We didn’t even know your name. We’ve been calling you Stripes and Spots!” He laughed. “Silly isn’t it? Okay, son. You said your name is Jali, and that this Diamond Dog is your brother?”

Jali nodded, “That is correct as you suspect.”

“I see,” Dr. Touch said as he jotted something down. “Well son, mind if I ask what his name is?”

“His name?” Jali paused, thinking, should I let him decide or shall I let him have the hono- Wait a sec-. “Doctor sir, you already had his nickname, which I say is far too tame.”

“How unexpected,” Dr. Touch commented. He could press for Spot’s real name later so, when the foal, Jali, was less likely to be overwhelmed. “Do you know how you two ended up in the Whitetail Woods?”

Jali just simply shook his head. At least we ended up there. If we’d landed in the Everfree, I think I would have keeled over from embarrassment; he let out a tiny chuckle but his eyes widened and he quickly shook his head some more.

“I see,” Dr. Touch said, his eyebrow raising almost imperceptibly. “You’ll be feeling better in no time. Until then, do you have anyone who was taking care of you would could reach?”

Jali shook his head without missing a beat, “We’ve been alone almost as long as we've had no home.”

“Sorry to hear that, son,” Dr. Touch said honestly.

Jali simply shrugged as he looked at the doctor.

“But that’s enough questions for now, don’t you think, son?” Dr. Touch said, putting his clipboard away. “Even if you just woke up, it’s best for you to rest a little more. I see you pulled your IV out, but since you’re awake you won’t need it anymore.”

At that indication, the young zebra looked down at where the needle was stuck in his leg. “One last question Doctor and it is a fast one,” he asked, looking up at the doctor, “I wonder how long I’ve been under?”

“Counting today, six days,” Dr. Touch replied. “Like I said, son, a lot of ponies were starting to worry.”

Jali’s eyes widened at that. Six days? That’s nearly a full damn week! We must have been hurt bad… He visibly shuddered as the memories of that accursed tree came back to him.

“You both have all the doctors and nurses scratching their heads, son,” Dr. Touch said. He raised a hoof and made a strange flick, almost like snapping a finger, just without the fingers. “I do have one more question for you.”

Jalis ears perked at that as he looked at the doctor.

“We don’t know your ages either,” Dr. Touch admitted with a rueful smile. “We guessed you were around ten and your friend about eight.”

Jali paused. So that's how old this new body is? That damn tree made us into kids! He nodded, “despite what you expect, that is correct.”

Unaware Jali was merely going along with whatever he suggested, Dr. Touch took it as a sign of how competent the staff was. “Thank you, Jali. Anything you might have questions about for us? You did wake up in a strange place.”

“Who found us?” he stated after a few seconds of silence.

“A stallion named Time Turner,” Nurse Tenderheart said, speaking up for the first time in a while. “He comes in to check on you two often, actually.”

“Does he know I've awoken or is his doorbell broken?”

“It’s still the wee hours of the morning, more than a few hours until the sun is raised,” Dr. Touch said cordially. “He will most likely stop by around lunch, if he keeps to his regular visits. You can meet him them.”

Jali nodded simply at what the doctor said as he let out a small yawn. Damn, he wasn't tired a few seconds ago. Blinking slowly, he asked, “may I get me some coffee or perhaps some toffee? I feel you’ll get nary a peep if I fall back asleep.”

“Coffee is not something a foal your age should be drinking.” To his credit, Dr. Touch only missed one beat and continued smoothly otherwise, though his thoughts did swing back to the alcohol levels. “Sleep, however, natural sleep, is something you are still lacking in if you want to get better. You might get some toffee with breakfast though. A treat.”

“Sorry, needing to stay up at night has made a habit to avoid fright.” Yawning again, Jali nodded, “but yes, sleep sounds nice and dandy. As long as I get that piece of candy.”

The next two days passed quickly for Jali as he was constantly visited by Time Turner. Their first meeting was somewhat embarrassing for him as he fell off the bed once again as he came into the room and twice more as he attempted to walk around the room a little bit.

The nurses and doctors seemed understanding of his limitations. They didn’t pressure him about it, attributing it to the already irregular nature of his and his ‘brother’s’ conditions.

And true to Dr. Touch’s word, Jali was visited by an optician who, in no time at all, had the young zebra set up with a new pair of glasses that were made by the day’s end. With Andy still out of it, the nurses moved Jali to the room across the hall to better care for the two different needs while close enough not to count as separated.

~~~~~

His eyes.

His eyes were all that Jali recognized in the bathroom mirror. His eyes were the same vivid shade of green they had been back on Earth. The rest of his body was gone; replaced by this strange but familiar alien body.

Equestria…

He let out a quiet scoff as he stared back at the grey and black face that looked back at him. The face that he'd have to grow accustomed to seeing.

I’m in a land of milk and honey but at what cost?

Sighing, he looked down at the sink as thoughts of home came to mind. How long had passed? Where their families searching for them? Had they even realized they were missing yet?

The frown on his face only grew sadder as those thoughts marinated in his mind.

The sound of rapid hoofsteps out in the room cut into his reflection. “Jali? Are you here?” The voice sounded like one of the nurses who he had met, but whose name he didn’t quite remember.

Jali didn't say a thing as he turned to the door. Pausing for a second, he shook his head, shaking the thoughts from the forefront of his mind. Before he finally opened the door and stepped back into the room they'd given him after waking up.

“Oh, there you are,” the nurse said in relief. “Your brother woke up.”

Author's Note

A little bit later than we were hoping but here is the fourth chapter and my atrocious rhyming skills :twilightsheepish:

Anyways, we now have the awesome Celefin as an editor for us and he's gone over all the prior chapters as well as this one.

Anyways, enjoy the horse words :moustache:

Covoluted Conversations Comfort Concerns

Earlier….

There wasn’t any noticeable changes even after the medicine had time to get into the diamond dog pup’s system. Dr. Touch let out a sigh of relief. “He doesn't seem to be reacting negatively, that's a good sign.”

“Doctor, are you sure it's wise to use those on him?” An earth pony decked out as the security officer voiced his concerns as the two doctors, Stable Horse and Good Touch, took note of the young one’s vitals.

“Wiser than letting him stay under much longer,” Dr. Stable remarked. “At this point it would do more harm than good to keep him under any longer.”

“But what if he becomes aggressive?” Night Watch was concerned about the safety of the other patients.

“He has recovered enough that he is past the danger zone,” Dr. Stable said as he adjusted the IV line. “And as I said, we could cause more damage if we kept him under.”

“We just gave him a shot that will rouse his system and wake the son up fairly quickly.” Dr. Touch didn't look the most confident in his comment. “Well, it should.”

“But he's a diamond dog,” Night Watch insisted, looking at the figure on the bed in distaste. “I've seen how lively a pony gets when you use those. What if—”

Dr. Good Touch cut him off before he could get into the hypotheticals. “Night Watch, he is a foal. A patient. I will treat him like I do any other foal in the care of my department. And I expect the staff to do the same.”

Night Watch couldn't help but take a step back at Dr. Touch’s intensity. He cast a glance at Dr. Stable. Dr. Touch was the lead for pediatrics, but Dr. Stable was the dean. Unfortunately, there was nothing to help him refute Dr. Touch to be found from him.

“I understand that, doctor.” Night Watch frowned.

“Good. Assuming he responds to it like any other foal, he should wake up within an hour.” From the sour expression of Night Watch's face, it was clear he had more to say, but Dr. Touch simply moved on. “I'd like to have a nurse and maybe one of our trainees watching him.”

“Seems fair,” Dr. Stable agreed. He made a few notes on the clipboard chained to the foot of the bed. “I'll have nurse Joy come down. And Patch Kit. He’s training to be a doctor.”

“Security should be there as well,” Night Watch said cooly. “The zebra woke and was agitated. This one might be as well.”

“Jali was understandably confused when he woke. ‘Spots’ might be as well,” Dr. Touch agreed. His tone was a trace cynical as he continued. “But do you really think our staff can’t handle one unruly child?”

“I’d like to request, in an official capacity, for hospital security to have a presence,” Night Watch said, just as resolute as Gentle Touch. “It is my department’s job to do the handling, isn't it?”

Gentle Touch frowned at him, but Dr. Stable interjected. “That's fine, Night Watch. You can assign a pony to be here as well.”

Andy-Rae felt sluggish and his body stiff and numb as he woke, making him feel like little more than a sack of potatoes. His heart was pounding in his ears, head spinning and eyes too tired to open. For a while, he was content to lay there, motionless on the soft crinkling bed, chest moving slightly with his shallow breaths. Truthfully, he was confused and preoccupied with the fearful realization that he had no idea where he was.

The bed and covers felt too large. Something was strapped oddly over his face and the air coming from it had a smell that was stinging his nose. He could pick up the faintest murmur of what could be voices and footsteps, though most of what he heard was a regular wheezing and beeping that struck him as familiar for some reason. Not to mention it didn’t hurt anymore.

It made no sense. The last thing he remembered was the tree. He had tried fighting it. His little crude club had been useless. The moon had been blocked off when the grove sealed itself off. In the dark, the branches had pummelled him badly. He remembered bones snapping and it being hard to breathe before a one last root pointed at him and—

His sluggish muscles reluctantly moved his hands to his neck, but he didn’t find a ragged hole, a shaft of wood, not even bandages. Just… fur? He forced his heavy eyelids open and his confusion only grew. The sheets were off white. The walls had blue and yellow panels. But his hand… Thick and stubby digits tipped with a claw, black and orange pads on the underside. A mess of tan, black, blue and white made up what covered his limbs and likely body. Almost idly he noticed he was short one finger.

His breathing was already shallow, but it was getting shorter as he tried to make sense of things, panic building. He opened his mouth slowly and let out a slight whimper before he pulled at the mask that was over his face. His arms didn’t feel right, like they weren’t in the right positions, moving just a bit off. His frantic motions pulled the IV line from his arm and might have done more harm had someone not stopped him.

“Don’t do that, you’re going to hurt yourself!” They grabbed his arm and tried to hold him back, only to pull back in surprise when he turned and tried to bite them with a growl. “Yeah! Easy, kid!”

Andy hadn’t realized he wasn’t alone in the room, but he wasn’t sure why he reacted the way he did either. And to cap off the onslaught of unknowns, he wasn’t sure what he was looking at. Violet fur with an orange and yellow mane, wearing a nurse’s hat and nothing else aside from a stethoscope on his back, standing on all fours with a pair of wings at his side. There were two others in the room. One was pink with red hair and a kind smile, the other yellow with a security uniform with piercing icy blue eyes. The first one, the pegasus, spoke again, startling Andy.

“I know you must be confused, but you shouldn’t bite ponies, especially ones trying helping you,” he said, mildly lecturing. He held out a foreleg, one that ended in a hoof, to Andy. “Come, let me help you, okay?”

Andy shied away from it, his panic likely clear in his eyes as he backed away, crawling on the bed with uncooperative limbs that were not working as he wanted them to.

“I think he's scared,” the guard offered. Andy flinched again, shifting his retreat to avoid the guard as well. He tried to stand up, but found it hard to keep his balance on digitigrade hindlegs and paws that were shorter than the forelegs, falling over onto his back and tail.

His tail, a limb he hadn't realized he had. It got his full wide eyed attention. He bounced back and forth on what to focus his panic on; the weird things in the room, the weird room, the fact that he was naked, the fact that was some weird body. He didn't realize the pitched whining in the room was coming from himself.

“He's confused, it might be from the daze of waking up,” the one with the wings suggested. At his voice, Andy snapped out of his daze and started retreating again. “Joy, can you see if his brother is available? He might help calm ‘Spots’ down.”

The pink mare nodded and hurried out of the room. Andy's retreat stopped when his paw found empty air. He looked at the edge of the bed and the ground below it and back at the two remaining individuals in the room.

“Maybe I should introduce myself.” The winged one said suddenly. “I'm Patch Kit, a nursing doctor. This is my friend Sunflower Seed. The mare that was here is Joy Song.”

The guard, Sunflower, trotted forward. Perhaps he intended for it to be a bright smile but it instead came across intense and quite intimidating. The sharp scent of urine joined those already in the air. Andy chose to risk the fall, leaping off the bed only to dart under it.

“And you scared him more,” Patch Kit said as he let out a mildly frustrated breath. He cast a disgruntled look at Sunflower. “I keep telling you to tone it down.”

Sunflower shrugged helplessly while Patch Kit crouched low enough to look under the bed. “Hey kid, you don't have to worry about Sunflower. He only looks like he wants to arrest somepony.”

Andy had crawled to the furthest corner and cowered against the wall, his whining the only sound coming from him. Patch Kit extending a hoof toward him only had him scoot closer to the wall.

“I don't think this is working.” Patch Kit rubbed his nape after getting up again. “How long do you think it will take Joy to find—”

“I found Jali,” Nurse Joy said as she edged the door open. The zebra foal in question could be glimpsed behind her legs. “How is it going?”

“Not well,” Patch admitted.

Nurse Joy trotted in with Jali trailing. The empty bed, and damp linen, didn't escape her notice. “Where did he go?”

“Under the bed,” Sunflower supplied.

“Like I said. Not well.” Patch rubbed his arm.

Looking out from behind the nurse, Jali took a few steps forward, his head held low as he looked under the bed. “There is no need to hide. To you, these ponies have not lied; they will not stab you in the backside.”

Andy didn't have anywhere else to back into, so he remained cowering against the wall, panicked eyes locked on Jali. Something about him was familiar, despite everything. Like a smell.

“Is he prone to panic attacks?” Patch Kit asked suddenly.

Looking up at Patch Kit, Jali nodded quickly before looking back down at Andy as he stepped closer. As long as he had known Andy, he’d been prone to stressing himself into panic induced anxiety attacks. He had mostly gotten over them by the college years though. “It is alright they will not bite,” he said in as soft a tone as he could manage.

“I…” Andy, startled at his own voice, whimpered again. “I don't know where… what I am…”

“Brother,” Jali said as he stuck his head under the bed, his eyes filled with worry, “It's me; he who makes you groan with my mention of the crones.” Please get the hint Andy, please!

Andy didn’t get it at first, confusion in his eyes as he stared into Jali's. Something about them nagged at him until he figured it out. Bright green behind large glasses. “... Witcher?” The crones were from that stupid game. The glasses… made him think of the time back in freshman year. “James?”

“Jali,” he said quickly, before pulling his head back out from under the bed. “Can we be alone?” he asked, looking up at Nurse Joy. “This I thought he had outgrown.”

Nurse Joy looked over at Patch Kit. He nodded. “I don't see any problems with it.”

“Night Watch wanted me here to keep an eye on him,” Sunflower said hesitantly.

“You already worsened his panic attack,” Patch Kit replied. He motioned for Sunflower to leave. “Well be right outside if you need us, Jali.”

The three ponies excused themselves, Sunflower reluctantly, leaving Jali alone with the still cowering Andy.

“Yes, it is me,” Jali said in a quiet tone after a few moments, wary of anypony listening in on their conversation. “We need to be quiet; so please don't cause a riot.”

“Are… are you really James?” Andy didn't leave his hiding place, but had to ask.

He simply nodded.

Andy hesitated, then slowly inched out from under the bed. He paused just at the edge of the bed’s shadow and sniffed the air. A strange expression crossed his face before he lunged out and hugged Jali, burying his muzzle in his friend’s shoulder even as he whimpered.

Jali let out a yelp of surprise as he was suddenly hugged, his eyes widening for a moment before he realized what was going on. He let out a quiet sigh as he awkwardly sat down and started to rub Andy’s back.

Andy slowly calmed down, the whining fading away into sniffles. “What happened? I only remember the trees and… it ate you… I thought I was…” He subconsciously put a… paw to his neck. “What happened to us?”

“I...I do not know but I do know we are in the land of the show,” Jali sighed softly, “We are in Equestria: the land of ponies and the dream of bronies.”

“The show?” Andy's first thought was the show he watched, but it didn't look like anything he'd expect from Beach City. “That's... you watch MLP?”

He simply nodded.

“But what happened?” Andy backed away uncertainly, stumbling a little on the unfamiliar limbs. “I… why do I look so…” he looked at his paw, “different?”

“You are a diamond dog,” he said simply, looking down at his forehooves, “Be glad you have hands and won't have to deal with this slog.”

Andy cocked his head to the side in confusion. He looked down at his paws but decided something else needed addressing. “Why are you rhyming?”

“This limerick gimmick is involuntarily.” Pausing, he closed his eyes and his face started to scrunch up in concentration, “Zebra… speak in rhyme…” His eyes opened and he let out a deep breath he was holding, “To do this is not easy unless you want me to be wheezy.”

Andy swallowed and pawed at the ground, taking another look at his new legs. “James… should I be panicking more?”

“Jali is now my claim to a name,” he corrected, a hint of fear in his eyes at Andy’s question as he avoided it. He wasn't even sure if he should be panicking more himself. Sure, he'd been awake for two days but barely had a moment to let it sink in as he was almost constantly surrounded by the hospital staff who just kept poking and prodding him with questions and whatnot. And at night, he'd been plagued by that damn dream with its monster.

“Oh!” his fear vanished as he thought of a way to change the subject. “Don’t blame me, but you need a new name to claim.”

Andy whimpered a little. Part of him could somewhat see why, but he couldn’t help but ask. “What’s wrong with Andy? And what’s a diamond dog?”

“I can explain later, my little interrogator,” he said, “Andy is far from dandy. You heard how their names sound so lame and tame?”

“Your rhyming is annoying,” Andy grumbled. He tried to focus on his breathing and reciting the ABC in his head to keep from panicking again. “Are we kids here?”

Jali just nodded and sighed, “How did we anger fate to deserve so much of its hate?”

“You said diamond dog?” Andy asked suddenly. His countenance fell and there was a clear whine in his tone, but using curiosity to distracted him was one of the things that had helped him control his anxiety when it was bad. “I pee on a tree and I wake up as a dog somewhere? Is that irony?”

He just let out a dry laugh and after a few seconds stopped to look at him. “But you do need a new name to claim. Being called Spot doesn't sound too hot?”

“Spot? That’s a horrible name, where did the—” Andy trailed off and frowned at Jali. “You told them my name was Spot?”

He shook his head, “We were called Stripes and Spots and it didn't seem so hot t-”

Andy would have retorted but a knock on the door interrupted it. “Are you finished now, Jali? Has he calmed down?” It was Patch Kit. “We still need to check to see if your brother is okay.”

Andy looked at Jali in confusion. “Brother?”

Jali just looked over at Andy with a look of I'll explain later in his eyes. Andy’s confusion didn’t ease any. Even if he planned to push for an answer, he didn’t get a chance to before the door opened and Patch Kit’s head poked in. “So, are you?”

Andy’s ears dropped and he glanced at the bed, though he forced himself to stay where he was. For the most part. He couldn’t help but partially hide behind James. Jali.

Jali's eyes followed Andy’s and he couldn’t help a small grin as he saw the damp spot on the sheets before turning his attention back to Patch Kit. Patch Kit re-entered since neither child refused him, Nurse Joy behind him. It looked as if Sunflower was going to follow but a glare and a shake of the head from the mare stopped that, leaving the guard to watch the door she closed on him in bemusement.

“My brother without a mother would like to tell you his claim to a name,” he said with a subtle smirk on his face as he stepped aside letting Andy have the spotlight.

“Jah—” Andy’s eyes widened and he shot James a look that was one part terror to two parts fury, starting to hiss his name but stopping at the last moment.

“Jah?” Nurse Joy asked sweetly. Andy swallowed nervously but shook his head. Nurse Joy smiled at him. “You can tell us, sweetie.”

Andy whimpered again. A name wasn’t something he could just come up with on the spot. So he said the first name that came to him, one he came across before that sorta meant the same thing Andy did. “Ja—Janga…”

“Jah Janga?” Patch Kit nodded. Andy, now Janga, glared at him. Patch Kit chuckled a little. “Oh, so it’s just Janga? That works. Janga and Jali. Kinda matches.” Nurse Joy was frowning at him too. “What?”

“If you start on making sure everything is fine with Janga, I will fetch some fresh bedding and let Dr. Touch know he’s woken without issues,” Nurse Joy reported. “Maybe a glass of water and a snack for him as well. You’ve been on a drip for so long.”

“Something light for now,” Patch Kit said, getting the clipboard from the foot of the bed. Janga was a bit embarrassed at the reminder of his earlier ‘accident’ and didn’t protest too much as Patch Kit checked him over. Part of that was likely due to him still coming to terms with everything. He did find time to glare at Jam—Jali, daring him to say something.

Jali returned the glare with faux innocence as he just watched with curious eyes, a small smirk on his lips as he did so. The look in his eyes just screaming of future blackmail.

The bed was large enough, particularly considering An—Janga’s smaller size, that enough of it remained untouched to be used for the check-up without any form of impairment to the young doctor-to-be. By the time Nurse Joy returned, a folded bundle of cloth on her back pushing a small cart with a covered tray before her. The comparatively thorough check up was mostly complete, and Janga, now with red cheeks, was more intimately aware of his body. Check ups were embarrassing enough when everyone wasn’t naked.

Patch Kit helped the somewhat embarrassed Janga down with a wing before turning his gaze on the Nurse. “Welcome back, Nurse Joy. I think the little guy is fine, aside from being a little dehydrated and weak.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Nurse Joy said with a cheerful smile. “I had a word with Dr. Good Touch on my way back. He says we can go ahead and move him to the general care room with his brother if he’s up to it.”

“So Janga, up to going to room with your brother?” Patch Kit asked in a friendly manner. Still confused with what had happened, and the brother claims, Janga just nodded hesitantly. Patch Kit ruffled what passed for Janga’s mane. “Great! Come on, then. Jali and I can show it to you while Nurse Joy finds something for you to eat.”

Author's Note

Huzzah! Now both stripey horse and dirty woofwoof are awake and active!