The Muffin Mare

Derpy was just finishing taking the last bites from her muffin, savoring each bite for as long as she could, and had balled up the wrapper to get ready to throw it away, but as she got up to start walking to the trash can she noticed a slight tingle run through her body, she couldn’t exactly figure out where the source of the tingling was, nonetheless why it was happening, and as she continued walking, hoping it was just something small that would go away within a few minutes, but after what felt like a few seconds, it got worse. The feelings went from tingling to throbbing, she had also started to contract a slight headache from the strong pulsing coming from her forehead.

She tried to ignore it, but as it only got more worse she knew it probably wasn’t going to go away anytime soon, and she could tell that her walking made it worse, and that short distance to the trash can wasn’t helping since the longer she walked the pains became more intensified. Even along with the sharp pains she was having to endure, it was getting harder and harder to think because of the headache that was growing into a migraine. As time seemed to be getting longer and longer, with seconds turning into hours. She just wanted it to all end, she could’ve sworn a tear had ran down her face because of all the sudden pain. Though, quite amazingly, through all the pain she had to endure at the moment, she finally got a thought out, and had came to the conclusion that it would be best to sit down.
 Attempting to take steady hoofsteps through all the pain, she was near the trash can, she could see it through the corner of her eye. At this point she didn’t even want to take another step, yet she knew if she didn’t hurry up people would ask why she was walking so slow. It felt like a leisure walk at this point... She HAD to hurry... Finally she reached the trash can and feebly dropped the wrapper in the container.

Everything was a blur, things moved closer and farther, and she was getting dizzy. Then the oddest thing happened, she was in her seat...

Did I faint? She thought.

No, I couldn't have, or else everypony would be crowded around me asking me what was wrong, or if everything was okay.

Tilting her head up a little, she could see the clock, only to be completely shocked when she saw that only twenty seconds had passed.

Her face was a mixture of confusion and panic. She could hide the panic, but the confusion showed through every inch of her face. She came out of her confused state and back to the real and fast world when the mare next to her elbowed her with her hoof, laughed, and pointed it at the mare across the table. Who was obviously in despair having her pen just explode all over her coat. Of course, it was hard not to have a little giggle at the sight of it, she really wanted to help.

She moved her hooves to the arms of the chair, as to try to pick herself up. Yet, as soon as she started to push up and put some weight on her hooves, a stabbing pain had started to grow in her arms and her limbs simply went limp. Not being able to move even if she wanted to, she realized there was no reason to protest, her body had won this war, and would probably keep winning.

Simply put, she was bored and couldn't move, after sitting there for about an hour and a half, the stallion that had performed the demonstration earlier came into the room, rather nervously, though trying to put confidence in his words.

“Ok, I can see that you are all worried” he stated bluntly “but, I can assure you, there is nothing to be afraid of, your friend Derpy” he said, while pointing a hoof toward her “had pointed out that there was a problem, which I soon identified to be a radiation overload, and she pointed it out at just the right time too! A few minutes more, and I don’t think we’d be here right now. So trust me, she did us all a favor.” he said, giving Derpy a proud smile.

“Normally, we would do a radiation test to make sure nothing was affected, but since everypony took their belongings from the room like I requested when we did the demonstration, that won’t be necessary.” he stated, knowing that nopony left their stuff in the room, his face showing a bit of uncertainty.

Derpy was contemplating whether or not she should come clean about leaving her stuff in the room. For all she knew, that muffin could be why she was feeling like this... She was really hesitant, but by the time she had decided it would be a smart move to just say it, the stallion had made a sharp turn around and was starting to head for the exit of the room.

She simply bit her lip, scared, thinking that now she may not get any help. She was hoping she would be fine. Hoping. She just couldn’t stop thinking about this... But then she realized... She could think again! That haze over her mind was gone! Hoping that it was a sign that meant she would be able to have her motor skills back, she slowly rose to test it, and attempted to disguise it as a yawn. As she rose, she realized there were no more pains from moving!

Though she was scared enough with all the things that had happened to her today, she knew she had to continue on like a normal work day, and that’s just what she did. Acting as though nothing ever happened.

After work.

It was dark outside, she just couldn’t stand being up anymore. Exhausted from flying the long way home, especially after the turn of events today. Tired. All she could think of was the word tired, and the act of sleeping. She could just imagine being in bed. But, first things first, she had to get Dinky and get her to go to bed, and if it came to it... force her into it...

Derpy slowly traversed the stairs, both clumsily and groggily, finding that she almost fell one or two times, but at the end of it all she found that Dinky was in the living room drawing,and well, being a filly. Nicely, Derpy walked up to her slowly, not like she was able to walk any faster anyway, and embraced her in a gentle hug.

“It’s time for bed, you know. You got school tomorrow." she stated, giving the most bland statement, expecting Dinky to argue back like usual, so why put a lot of work in a small sentence that she'll argue with. Yet... She didn't argue like she expected, instead Dinky turned toward Derpy and pulled her arm around her into a sort of side hug.

"You don't sound so good sis, long day at work?" she said kindly through Derpy's coat, and nuzzled her softly, to which Derpy could only reply with a nod, she was happy to be there for her sister because Dinky was very caring toward Derpy, because she knew there some mean ponies out there who bullied her for Derpy eye problem, and not to mention the kids that bullied Dinky at school for her the same reason, and when they both lost their parents they became closer than they ever had before.

"Look! I drew us!" she said, breaking the hug abruptly and pointing a hoof at the two crudely drawn ponies, Derpy had to admire the effort though "See! There is the oven, that's me," she said, using her magic to pick up the pencil and point it towards the pony with a horn "and that's you" she said, pointing at the pony with the wings this time "We're cooking muffins!"

With that being said, Derpy couldn't control herself from smiling. She loved the picture "Why don't you go hang it up on the fridge? We can look at when we make muffins tomorrow!" Derpy said, giving her the happiest smile ever, as Dinky ran off to the fridge, while Derpy made a move toward the couch. Though, as soon as she started smiling, she stopped... It was back...

She could feel it again, the tingling, it was back, good thing she got to the couch as it started getting worse. She knew she couldn't get up now, so she had the most quickest of thoughts, she needed a plan.

If I can keep Dinky up a little later than usual, I can wait for this tingling to go away... Then that way she won't see me in pain when I get up to go to bed once it's gone!

As quickly as she thought of her plan, she put it into play "Dinky! You wanna stay up a little late? I know its a schoo-"

"YESSS!!!!!" said Dinky before Derpy could even finish her sentence, and with that, a light purple glow grabbed the box of crayons, colored pencils, and the stack of paper, floating them into the room next door. She could now hear the furious noise of Dinky coloring something, she couldn't really focus because of the haze, but at least she wasn't in pain is what mattered to her.

She was just lying there, relaxing and trying to sleep, while hoping the haze would go away soon, when suddenly... Her hoof felt weird, trying not to scream at the sudden feeling, instead, moving her hoof around to analyze whatever she was touching...

Gooey... Sticky... There are little beads in it... What the heck is this... It seems familiar...

What am I touching?!

Or...

What's touching me...

With that one thought, she lost it, she screamed at the top of her lungs and jumped to the other side of the couch within mere seconds. As expected, in came Dinky, running from the other room pleading to know what happened.

"Sis!!!! Are you okay?!?!" she looked at Derpy, who was obviously scared and was curled into a ball on the couch.

Derpy then looked up, she noticed Dinky but couldn't speak out of fear...

Hey! The pain's gone! Thank god!

Dinky still looked on, for she wanted answers. Derpy then decided she should know what happened just now.

"Something weird touched my hoof, I just didn't know what it was, and... Well... I kinda screamed" she stated sheepishly. Then she got a good look at her hoof.

Muffin mix? All wet and doughy ?

Why is it all sticky too...

"Dinky! What did I tell you about making and baking muffins without me?! If you spill any make sure to find a way to tell me! Immediately! I also told you not to watch television, because you can spill it in the couch! Like this!" she said, huffing with anger.

Dinky simply waited for her sister to stop the tirade. "But sis... That wasn't me, I listened to you about the couch! Because it took so long for me to get the stain out last time! I learned my lesson!" she stated, defending herself. Pretty good, 'cause Derpy believed her. After a little looking around, she noticed that there was no muffin mix under the cushion, just the top... Where her hoof was...

She knew she was right... It came from her hoof, not Dinky’s shenanigans. "Sorry I doubted you Dinky, if you say you didn't, I believe you." she said humbly.

"So where did it come from?" Dinky said.

I can't just tell her it was my hoof! Who knows what she'll think!

"I don't know..." Derpy said, trying to make her voice sound as confused as possible "I'll just go wash up before it stains the couch and my coat."

With that, she picked herself up off the couch and slowly walked toward the bathroom to go wash her hoof off. As she cleaned her hoof, she could see a hole... At the tip of her hoof, she couldnt find anything coming out of it, but she assumed that was the cause of this.

Is this... Where the muffin mix came from?