Her Mistake, His Resolve

Chapters

A World Unknown
An Entity Unknown
A Wish Come True
A New Day, A New Life
Painful Awakening

A World Unknown

The forest was almost silent, except for the occasional groan of various branches blown by the frigid wind. Snow, too, had fallen heavily upon the bare foliage, blanketing the landscape in the purest of whites. The birds have since fled south and left only a handful to stick around throughout the wintry season.

An eerily silence persisted within the environment. Suddenly, a flicker of light began to coalesce at a single point a few feet above the ground. Its magenta glow grew in intensity as a translucent bubble began to surround the flickering light. It radiated such an intense heat that melted the snow upon contact. Once evaporated, it revealed the dead leaves and grass below the snow’s buildup.

The light began to grow, filling the bubble with its radiance. A moment later, the light filling the bubble vanished. It left behind a bright, illuminated orb in the middle of the forest. The orb was able to maintain its form for no longer than a few seconds before it collapsed. A roaring shock wave burst outward from where the orb once was, stirring the snow and dead leaves into the air. The eruption left behind a mass of lavender with a few momentary flashes of light.

The mass of lavender left behind was equine in form, but not one of this plane of existence. It was a pony, but only in appearance. Her name was Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Her eyes were closed initially and her horn glowed with a magical intent but soon sparked out. That alarmed her. Immediately, her eyes shot wide open as anxiety washed over her senses. She breathed heavily with a thin coat of sweat draped over her body. The spell she used required intense concentration since it was one that careened her from her own reality.

“What?” was her first inquiry. Her brows knitted in confusion as the scenery before wasn’t what she expected. “Why am I in the Everfree Forest?” came her follow up question.

Twilight licked her lips as she contemplated. “Did I make a mistake? No, that’s impossible! I made three checklists so I wouldn’t!”

While attempting to calm herself, she began to observe her surroundings. Her head tilted curiously towards the side whilst her eyes narrowed to take in the finer details. She thought out loud, “No, this place hardly looks like the Everfree Forest. It’s more sparse in general in comparison. Whitetail perhaps?”

Twilight then noticed there was something off with this place, but she wasn’t sure about why it was off. The more she looked, the quicker her surroundings began to set in. Twilight concluded this place had much more color than the Everfree or anywhere for the matter. One indicator was detail upon the trees. They were uncanny by comparison. That simply did not make sense to the mare. Only then did Twilight look down at herself and what she found brought a soft gasp from her lips.

Her coat was no longer a simple, plain lavender color. She now had proper shading. From her view, Twilight could make out the short, fine hairs within her fur coat. Even her mane and tail possessed hairs that were not brushed perfectly, in complete detail. Thus, many ends stuck up in subtle fashion and made it seem more, well, natural. Even her wings were wonderfully detailed and lined with soft purple feathers and were no longer blanketed in a single color. Cautiously, the mare lifted a hoof to touch where her horn should be. Finding it, she exerted a sigh of relief. However, when Twilight tried to cast her teleportation spell or any spell for that matter, she realized nothing happened.

She blinked a few times before her tongue hung limply out the side of her muzzle. She concentrated on a more simple spell. Nothing happened, including the glow from her horn when attempted to cast the spell. The mare began to hyperventilate, but Twilight quickly caught herself. She began her breathing exercises, calming herself down just as quickly as the panic had begun to set in.

Level headed or as close to as she will get, Twilight cried out, “No! No, no, nonono! Why can’t I feel my magic? ...Or ANY magic!?” She huffed, “Am I so magically exhausted to the point that I can’t even cast a simple light spell?”She wasn’t able to come up with any other explanation towards what was going on.

The mare quickly pulled out of her reverie as a single howl was heard in the near distance. Her natural instincts made her tense up immediately. “Timberwolves!?” she screamed. There was no way she could fight them off in her current state, but she had little time to pick her brain for ideas. The form of a timberwolf came into view, except it wasn’t a timberwolf at all. It was a real eastern timber wolf.

“What is that!?” Twilight panicked, “I’ve never seen, wait no, it looks like a dog?”

Yep, surely that is what it was. A friendly dog that bared its teeth and snarled at her. The hungry wolf had apparently found an easy meal. Saliva practically oozed from its muzzle.

It had a pack mate with it. The other circled around the mare, but Twilight didn’t give either the pleasure of boxing her in. No sooner did she hear the guttural, hungry growl from the creatures did she bolt! Despite the exhaustion, Twilight found a second wind from her desperation to survive. As she ran, Twilight extended her wings and tried to fly. However, she found them to be just as useless as her magic.

"Ponyfeathers!" she yelled, galloping at full speed through the forest.

As the two wolves chased their prey, Twilight was at a loss for what to do besides running. She had no magic or methods of self-defense. Her combat skills relied solely upon her magical ability and quick thinking.

As for running and sprinting, it wasn’t her strong suit. What also didn’t help her was the fact she was lifting the actual weight of a hoof per step with an already magically drained body. Yet, she persevered since her life depended on it.

Trees passed by quickly as she galloped ahead. Her hooves kicked up the powdery snow in droves. She weaved through trees and bushes in an attempt to slow down her would-be attackers, the wolves’ meal doing everything she can to stay alive. It didn’t seem to work since the predators continued to gain on her.

Suddenly, a new scent struck Twilight’s senses. Smelling smoke, she saw no fire, nor a glow of one in the distance. Perhaps there was a camp of ponies nearby? A house even. Yes, shelter, it had to be! she thought. A single glance behind her urged her onward as she broke through the forest and into a clearing.

Snow was thicker here and it managed to slow down the mare to a mere awkward canter if one could call it that. Terrified out of her mind, Twilight saw the fanged predators approaching her at full speed. The mare kicked up the snow and desperately tried run faster but to no avail. Through watering eyes, Twilight realized her fate was being sealed, but then she saw the log cabin near the treeline. Smoke billowed out of its chimney. It seemed so close to her that she tried and tried once more.

It was in that desperation when she suddenly felt additional weight upon her back leg. One of the wolves had lunged on her, grasping a hold and biting down upon her flesh. Streaks of blood flowed from the wound, but Twilight didn’t register the pain. The adrenaline coursing through her veins seemed to temporarily numb it.

Offset by the weight of the wolf, the mare tripped on her front legs and crashed into the snow. She scrambled desperately to get back up as the wolf sank its teeth deeper into her flesh. With the second wolf closing in fast, Twilight managed to work a hind hoof under the biting wolf, kicking it off her and leaving it briefly disoriented.

Taking advantage of the presented opportunity, Twilight attempted to jump back up to her hooves. Flinging snow and mud, her limbs scrambled to gain traction from the ground. It was when she began to rise, Twilight felt a jolt of pain that forced her back onto the turf. The wolf had torn a chunk of skin out of her right hind leg and scratched-up her muscles. She cried streaks of tears that flowed down her cheeks. The inevitable began to flash before her.

She was a dead mare.

Both wolves slowed their advance. Their growls were still present. The one that bit her down earlier leaped to finish the job it started. Twilight could only look in horror. Her front hooves were up and ready to make one last ditch effort for survival.

She begged, “No! Please don’t-”

Her words died in her mouth. A piercing sound of metal whizzed past her. A crack of thunder followed instantaneously. The wolf that had leapt toward her landed limply across her hooves. It was dead. The other, startled by the sound and the sight of its brethren falling, turned tail and ran back toward the forest.

The mare pushed against the lifeless body until she was freed. She slowly got back onto her wobbly hooves despite the pain, making sure to not put any weight on her injured leg. She began slowly to limp toward the cabin grunt after grunt. Surely, whatever it was that killed the wolf wouldn’t do the same to her. Right?

Twilight shook her head. She had no time to conjure up her intelligent thoughts. She needed to survive.

Twilight got no more than a few dozen paces before she collapsed again. Her adrenaline had receded and with it came more excruciating pain. Only then, through gritted teeth, did she look at the damage the wolf caused her.

“Oh sweet Celestia, there’s blood everywhere!” she said to herself in shock. As she tried to comprehend her chances of surviving, Twilight suddenly felt lightheaded. Her vision began to blur and it took everything she mentally had to keep herself conscious. She had lost enough blood in the struggle to cause her body to weaken. All she could think about doing now was resting her head upon the powdery snow for a good nap.

She dropped head onto the snow finally, heaving quick, shallow breaths. Besides her huffs, Twilight heard the crunching of snow in the distance. She knew it wasn’t from a four-legged animal since the sound was too even. Sadly, Twilight was in no position to see the coming threat. Her body had given up and she was on the verge of passing out.

The approach ceased and the two legs stopped just in front of her vision. Fighting with every ounce she felt left in her body, the mare turned her head to allow her eyes to follow up the legs of the bipedal creature who, apparently, was clad in heavy winter gear. Upon reaching its face, Twilight could only comprehend how flat it was compared to the bipedal creatures she knows of. To her brief relief, she could find no ill intent, but its expression appeared stoic at best.

Twilight didn’t care anymore as the pull of unconsciousness began to overpower her senses. However, before she could seek the refuge within the coming darkness, she heard a single spoken word.

“Damn…”

Author's Note

First fic ever, please be gentle! An idea struck me and I rolled with it. It was a random thought and I'm building the story as I go with milestones already thought up as a general guide. If this is at all interesting, please leave a comment!

Edited by: Nugget! Thanks for destroying my original paragraphs! May they rest in peace.

An Entity Unknown

Author's Note

Here be the second chapter! It may seem a bit slow but bear with it. Also, too much info may seem to be thrown at you but it really isn't. Much more awaits!

Again, edited by: Nugget. Thanks man!

An Entity Unknown

It was getting late in the day before he realized it. Once shining through the gray clouds above, the sun descended towards the horizon. Jacob eyed the nearby clock on the wall as he wondered about what to have for dinner. There was a leftover pizza still in the refrigerator. It was only a two days old. Nuking a few slices for a minute would satisfy his stomach for a time. Am I really hungry though? he asked himself.

No. No I am not, he concluded. It had only been three, maybe four hours since he stopped for lunch, so he decided to do the next best thing one, such as himself, was great at. Sitting. Before he got to his favorite chair, Jacob glanced out the window and blinked in mild disbelief.

“Geez. It is still coming down hard out there.” He paused, simply staring out into the clearing in front of the window. He then shivered, “God it’s cold!”

He sniffled back a possible ailment he would be irate and none too pleased to get. With his nose cleared, he set foot into the living room and plopped down on his chair. It was in front of the crackling fireplace. A cozy spot he liked to snuggle into.

Thunder was heard. It was a low rumble that shook the glass windows. Jacob paused his internal ramblings, brow furrowing in amusement as he commented to himself, “Man, I haven’t heard thunder like that in a snow storm since I was ten.”

He eyed the television with scrutiny afterward, pondering whether to turn it on. At this time of day it’s practically all news and if the channel didn’t have any of that, it certainly had a rerun of a sitcom or cop show. Scratching his face, his attention shifted toward his computer instead. “Maybe a game or two until I’m hungry?” Yet, after a minute, he still simply sat there in front of his cozy fire.

Jacob opted to simply stare out the window for a spell, watching the thick flakes fall in layers across the homestead. He lived in log cabin his parents had contracted to build many decades ago. It is the very home he grew up in despite his parent’s divorce that happened a little over a year after they all moved in. The divorce was thankfully on good terms back when he was five. He lived there until he was out of school at the age of eighteen. His mother, at which point, found him a place to stay shortly after graduating high school. Jacob lived on his own ever since. Thanks mom.

Now thirty, his mother had left him the house and the land it sat upon as said in her will. She passed away a little over two years now. Lung cancer is a bitch, eh? Jacob had begged her to quit smoking ever since he was old enough to know what it was. The main reason being he couldn’t stand the smell. Ironic, considering her entire side of the family were tobacco farmers. It was actually a surprise his mother went before his aunt with all things considered.

The inheritance allowed him to return home and quit his job. He was not going anywhere anyway and Jacob figured he would take a break from working in general. That was about a year ago. To say he was a lazy bastard was not entirely accurate, but it was close. He never did finish college since he had rent to pay. That required a job. His parents did not save or help him go to college back then, so it was rough trying to juggle a job, housing, and college fresh outta high school. He also had a disability which didn’t aid in him finding a job either. He couldn’t do much bending, walking, or standing for long periods of time.

He was born with fused bones in his left leg, which prevented a natural birth. A C-section was required in order for him and his mother to survive. Rotating in the womb was impossible. About sixteen months and one procedure later, baby Jacob had his fused leg bones broken apart to how they should have originally been. An artificial patella was thrown into the mix since one had not formed nor ever since. Doctors gave him little to no chance at walking, but he managed to defy those odds. While his left knee could only bend to roughly 110 degrees with force, it was enough to walk, run, and roughhouse as a child. He even played different sports up until High School.

Now it was a burden. The scar running down the length of his leg was an ever constant reminder of his disability. Even after recent surgery, his newest injury prevents his knee from bending beyond 90 degrees without shearing pain.

Jacob huffed. He tried to rid himself of such depressing thoughts. Instead, he refocused his efforts on the outside world beyond the glass pane. As the wind howled, snow drifts piled up. Winter was his least favorite season. It was the one he could do without, considering the risk he took whenever it snowed. Slippery surfaces don’t go well with his bad leg. He was just one poor fall away from doing extensive damage. A full knee replacement would then be in order and at such a young age.

As his thoughts began to drift toward his poor bodily state, again, a slight movement caught the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw an animal flee the treeline in the distance. Jacob narrowed his eyes in curiosity, only to see two more figures burst from the brush.

“What the hell?”

Jacob’s words fell silent. He suddenly realized the first animal that appeared, to him, was some sort of a foal from the distance between them. Admittedly, the snow it kicked up made it difficult to properly discern, but it definitely had the shape of an equine.

Jacob gasped as he saw what was happening. The foal was chased by wolves! They never come this close, not without a reason, he thought. Yet, their reason was right in front of them. A meal.

“Shit!”

If there is one thing he hated about the natural order, it was the fact that a foal, or any baby animal for that matter, was an easy target for a meal. It just didn’t sit right with him. He would be damned if he let those wolves have their dinner at the little one’s expense.

He sprung to his feet and hobbled toward the door. Jacob grabbed his coat and nearly fumbled to put it on. He practically hopping into his boots, Jacob didn’t bother to tie them. Lastly, he snatched his gun from its perch above the fireplace. It was an old scoped Winchester his grandfather gave him a few years before passing. Jacob learned how to shoot from that old coot and those experiences were the better times of his life. After his grandfather’s death, Jacob only took it down from time to time in order to clean and keep it, and himself, in perfect condition. Right now, however, he had a life to save and others to potentially take.

Darting outside into the frigid air, Jacob made his way to the end of the porch to survey the chase. To his surprise the foal seemed to have changed direction, closing in on his cabin. Even now, he could not make out much of the equine’s details at this range.

He then raised the rifle and honed the scope in on the distant figures. As soon as he found them within his crosshair, the lead wolf attacked. Tearing into the youngster as it scrambled to get away. He watched helplessly as the foal kicked at its attacker after it plowed onto the ground. The equine managed to finally connect a hoof to briefly disorient the aggressor.

Jacob’s crosshair stayed with the wolf that took the foal down. Jacob’s breaths calmed as he switched the safety off. He rested his finger on the trigger with intent. He was ready. Watching as the wolf scrambled to its feet, Jacob held his breath. He trained the scope over the wolf’s head and squeezed his finger.

He felt the familiar kick to his shoulder as the explosive roar discharged the bullet downrange. The wolf dropped to the ground. Quickly, Jacob zeroed in on the other wolf as he prepared to take his next shot. However, he saw it flee toward the forest. With a breath of relief, he withdrew his finger from the trigger, letting it rest along the guard. A second death was not needed.

He let the second wolf go.

Lowering the rifle, he quickly looked to where the foal was. It had managed to get onto its hooves. With determination in its eyes, the equine wobbled and limped its way toward the cabin.

Jacob frowned as he watched it stumble and fall back into the powdery snow. Flipping the safety switch, the human slung the rifle over his back. Pulling up the hood of his coat to block much of the wind, Jacob hopped off the porch. He began his trek to where the foal had collapsed. His eyes looked once more to the area where the foal had fallen. He only managed to spot the pools of blood it had left behind. Not good!

As he closed the distance, confusion began to settle in as specific details of the equine came into view. The color of its fur first offset him. Are those wings? Is that a freaking horn!?

As his boots come to pause in front of the supposed foal, Jacob’s eyes observed the wounds it received from the attack. Those did not look good at all, Jacob said to himself, shaking his head. His gaze shifted along the body once more before he stopped at the wings, again.

I don’t even… What could I even say to explain that? His expression found itself neutral as he caught the look of the creature before him. It gazed back at him before it passed out in in the snow.

“Damn…” came his sympathetic mutter.

Jacob paused as he gave the horn a closer inspection. One of his hands came down to give it a gentle touch. It didn’t yield and held firm. Just like goat and rhino horns, it was a part of this creature. Jacob concluded that it was some kind of horned pegasus. The whole winged and horned-type horse wasn’t not beyond his understanding. He did studies about them in his youth. It has to be some kind of mythic creature, he thought. Pegacorn was it?

“Seriously!” he shouted. “What the hell am I looking at?!” he added to his disbelieved frustration. The wings felt real. The horn was real. It was actually real. Reality was messing with him, wasn’t?

It also didn't look like a foal of any sort, nor a full grown horse either. Pony was about as close as he got in classifying this equine. This… His thoughts paused as he looked behind it and underneath its tail. Female. This mare… Whatever!

With these thoughts complete he crawled around her. Slipping his hands underneath, he tested her weight before committing to picking her up. Jacob felt she wasn’t heavy, nor light either.

He grunted as he began to lift the mare up into his arms. His bad knee wasn’t a good assistant in the endeavor, but Jacob managed to work himself back up to his feet. As quickly as he could while keeping the mare stable, he made his way back to the cabin. He had to stop this bleeding and fast.

Jacob’s own adrenaline kept him from questioning his sanity any further. He knew he will face it later when the mare is medically stable. As of now, time is of the essence. If he remembered anything about horses though, it’s that they bleed. They bleed a lot. A glance down at the mare’s bite wounds confirming just that. She bled like a horse.

Disappearing into his home with the mare in his arms, the man set out to mend this pony in any way he could.

A Wish Come True

The darkness was blissful to the mare. The pain had halted along with time, feeling as if it stood still in a wondrous, dreamless abyss Twilight found herself in. However, as it was promised, her sleep was short-lived when she began to hear voices amidst the void. They were faint at first but grew once in range. The mare scrunched her face in mild protest.

“Shh!” came a hushed, familiar voice. “You’ll wake her.”

Jacob promised Twilight roughly an hour’s worth of a nap, but he found the peaceful nature of her sleep a pleasant sight and for what she has been through, besides, she deserved it. Instead of outright disturbing her slumber, Jacob began to explain what he gleaned from their conversation earlier to that of the newly arrived veterinarian.

The vet was an older gentlemen, one of those that felt the need to go beyond their retirement age for the love of the job. Edgar was his name. Edgar Schmidt in full. When Jacob once owned a cat, he would often visit Edgar’s clinic for the feline’s yearly checkups. Misty was a trooper. She lived to an ornery age of 21 until her body simply gave out to the times. It was tough for Jacob to see her go. To see part of his childhood disappear into the very earth itself when his cherished friend was laid to rest.

“I know!” Edgar huffed, “You told me she was a very unique pony, but were you not here to confirm what I’m seeing, I’d commit myself.” He paused his little rant before firmly stated, “It has wings…”

“She,” Jacob insisted, squinting his eyes at him.

“...and a horn! That’s...impossible,” Edgar stated with finality, waving his arms out at Jacob.

“Yet, here we both are, seeing the same creature. She speaks English perfectly from the brief conversation I’ve had with her too, by the way,” Jacob stated, crossing his arms as the old man looked at him with disbelief.

“Speaks? C’mon Jake. I can somehow believe the physical traits that are in front of me, but you expect me to accept the fact that this animal can speak?” Edgar pressed, his tone skeptical.

A grunt came from the mare in question, who was hoping to get more shuteye. Unfortunately, the two voices whispering were irritating her. Jacob, having held back a chuckle, sighed and walked over towards the mattress. He approached the mare’s bedside and began to rouse her gently with his voice.

“Twilight. Are you awake? The...doctor is here,” Jacob said softly using a different choice word. “Try not to freak him out.”

Freak who out? With that thought on her mind, the mare began to open her eyes. Oh how she wished the nap was a bit longer, but even she knew her injuries needed to be looked at by a professional. As her eyes opened, she blinked them a few times before her vision settled upon the familiar form of Jacob. She received a thankful smile from him.

“Oh! Another hyoo-mun!” Twilight gushed as her gaze shifted from Jacob to the other person in the room. Even in an unfamiliar world, the scholarly nature of the mare was always present. She studied Edgar with curiosity.

Jacob wanted to correct the mare’s pronunciation of the word ‘human’ straight but opted not to. Amused, he motioned with his hand toward the other human in the room, “Yes, another human. Twilight Sparkle, meet Edgar Schmidt, your vet. Edgar, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Jacob concluded.

“Hello, Edgar Schmidt!” Twilight greeted with a bit more chirp in her voice, injuries temporarily forgotten.

Edgar, however, was eerily silent through the entire exchange. His mouth opened only to close a second later, unable to form any coherent words. He wondered, How long had it been since I wished I could speak with my patients?

Working around animals, in general, gave Edgar a tremendous amount of happiness. Yet, almost every single day wished he could hear their stories! To Edgar, that would have given him an even greater joy throughout his career. Needless to say, in that moment, he was shocked beyond belief. A wish seemed to be coming true.

“Edgar?” As Jacob pressed for the other man’s attention, he glanced at the mare with a smirk, “I told you not to freak him out.” In return, he received the mare’s own narrowed gaze.

Edgar’s blank gaze finally found some life in it, refocusing on the mare that had greeted him. Desperately wetting his dry mouth, Edgar answered, “Oh! Uh, my apologies Miss...Twilight Sparkle was it? And Princess!? Err. Nice to meet you, your Majesty.”

To Twilight’s credit, she smiled and lifted a forehoof. Moving it in a circular fashion, one would assume it was her wrist if compared to a human. She then said with a tired smile, “Just Twilight is fine. I’m not big on ceremony or titles.”

Edgar could not help but stare at the hoof. The range of motion and control was beyond that of any equine he knew of. Furthermore, there is something about the joints that seemed… off. That was going to be information he will discover later after he looks over the mare. The vet cleared his throat as he nodded his affirmation, “Alright, Twilight. I hope you’ll forgive my unease with the situation. I was expecting a pony from our world?” His ending remark was both a statement and loaded question as he pondered about her origins briefly. Is the mare an alien? Is she some myth brought to life? An escaped science project? Whatever reservations the veterinarian had, he put them aside for the sake of tending to the animal before him. An extremely intelligent and sentient animal.

“So I’ve gathered,” Twilight responded with a good natured snort.

Edgar and Jacob switched spots and the vet began to do what he was called there for. “Now Twilight, I’m going to have to look at what I am going to be working with,” the vet warned as he uncovered the injuries. The smaller wounds looked good to Edger, nothing that won’t heal over time with medicinal aid. It was the larger lacerations upon her flank and down her hind leg that brought him to pause as they were uncovered. “Jake, could you bring over the pack I brought in?”

Jacob complied, disappearing outside the room. He appeared a couple seconds later with a large pack stamped with a red cross on it. Jacob didn’t doubt the vet was expecting to take care of a larger animal, seeing how heavy and packed the tub was.

Twilight had fallen silent, letting the doctor look her over. She winced every so often. The reflex wasn’t from the pain specifically, but from the potential of her wounds hurting even more. This especially happened when Edgar’s hand manipulated her flesh, stretching it in places that made Twilight feel slightly uncomfortable.

“Both of these,” Edgar indicated with a touch near the two concerned lacerations, “I will need to suture. You know what that means, Miss. Sparkle?” The vet got an affirmative nod from the mare as she swallowed audibly. “Usually for ponies and horses alike we will sedate them so avoid wiggling and unnecessary movements, but since you are, how should I put it, sentient? I feel I should ask if this is something you would like me to do?”

Twilight’s eyes grew in diameter at the offer. Oh thank Celestia they can do that! Her internal joy was short lived as she became conflicted. Whether the veterinarian could even sedate her, for one, was certainly an issue. Is the drug he uses safe for Equestrian ponies? Will he get the dosage right? What if it is NOT enough? Twilight groaned inwardly before she finally decided upon her fate.

“I’ll take sedation,” Twilight concluded, hoping the effects are similar to the procedure back home.

Edgar nodded his head, “I’m unsure, obviously, of how sedation works from where you came, but our ponies and horses don’t fully fall into a deep sleep when provided the proper medication. They do get drowsy, though. It’s to the point where they won’t be fully aware what is going on around. As for you, all I know is that you might simply fall asleep like a human would under normal circumstances. I’ll even give you a local anesthetic just in case, so you won’t feel a thing.” Edgar explained as best he could to his patient, which was honestly an ordeal in and of itself. Like a dream come true! Usually, he would have to deal with the owners first instead of simply getting to work, regardless of his patient’s state of mind.

Twilight, despite for whatever trepidations that came with the procedure she was having, wanted to simply have this ordeal behind her. If she was going to be unaware of it all, so be it. She fell silent for nearly a minute while both humans watched her intently.

The mare finally exhaled a long, nervous breath, “Alright. I understand.”

“Good. Now, just rest your head back down and relax,” Edgar softly suggested, offering a gentle pat against the mare’s side with a reassuring manner. Once she complied, the veterinarian began withdrawing items from his pack. Jacob curiously watched, noticing some kind of cream and a spray being taken out of the tub. Additional protection from infection? he guessed. Jacob then saw the needle and shuddered. It was never an easy affair for Jacob whenever he had to get a shot or his blood drawn. It simply gave him the chills.

Edgar measured out what he estimated would be the correct dose. Considering her size, body mass, and supposed weight provided by Jacob’s evaluation, the total amount was quite less than what the vet would use on a normal pony. To Jacob, it seemed like Edgar was about give Twilight the same dosage that would make a large dog drowsy.

“You should just feel a prick,” the vet said, seconds before the tip of the needle pressed into the mare’s flesh. He injected the sedative into her system. Edgar watched in fascination as the mare showed the same facial expressions that were similar to a human’s. There was an initial wince, followed by the biting of her lower lip. Twilight concentrated on keeping still, in fear of moving the needle and making the situation worse.

Visibly relaxing, relief finally overcame Twilight once she felt the needle leave her body. “That wasn’t so bad,” she stated with a slight smirk, pulling at the edges of her muzzle. “I feel like a fool. I’ve never had to go through something like this and it’s nerve racking. Usually, our doctors would just put us to sleep with magic…” She trailed off into some incomprehensible muttering as the two men looked at one another with raised brows. They both had the same question on their minds. Magic?

Whether or not Twilight was aware of her losing battle with consciousness was of little concern to the veterinarian. He watched her eyes slowly close as her audible ramblings ceased. Edgar continued to monitor the mare for a short time, just in case the dosage was too much for her. Putting a stethoscope under her elbow, Edger heard her heartbeat along with her stable breathing. “Twilight?” he called to her in a raised voice. His fingers were near her ear, snapping audibly. There was no reaction.

“Well, that’s the best I could hope for,” Edgar stated, turning toward Jacob for a moment. “She will be out for about an hour, anything beyond should simply be her sleeping on her own. I’d suggest waking her up and getting some food in her stomach in a few hours if she is not awake by then.”

Jacob nodded.

Edgar took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming his nerves. Satisfied, the old man got to work.

It was another round of dreamless sleep for the mare, longer in length before for her consciousness began to stir. Light penetrated her eyelids just before the colorful orbs beneath them were revealed. Stirring in the bed, she groggily noted the darkness outside the nearby window.

The light was coming from somewhere else in the room. Artificial, illuminating a familiar face. This light source seemed to come from something the human was holding in his hand while the other was pressing fingers on the face of a device.

“Ugh,” came the mare’s slow awakening, her lips now dry along with the inside of her muzzle.

The light from the device suddenly disappeared, leaving the room temporarily covered in darkness. The shuffling of clothes could be heard before another light soon pierced the dark. A lamp was switched on. Immediately, the mare’s eyes closed to shield herself, a forehoof weakly lifting to aid in the endeavor.

“Oh good, you’re finally awake. I was about to do just that in ten minutes,” Jacob mused as he brought himself to her bedside, “How do you feel? Need some water?”

Twilight nodded but said nothing. She couldn’t say a word. Jacob then disappeared, returning a minute later with a half filled glass of water and a straw. He had no way of knowing how she could drink from a glass on her own as hooves are not exactly manipulative. A straw seemed like a good compromise rather than a food bowl, which seemed insulting at the time.

Twilight finally managed to open her eyes in full, to which they zeroed-in on the glass Jacob placed in front of her. His hand never left the base. Twilight extended a hoof out, but found herself unable to grip the cup whatsoever. She internally frowned at that aspect. Knew as well that her magic was obviously still too low to even do the simplest task, such as holding an object. Sighing in resignation, Twilight brought her lips to the straw and sucked down every last drop of water.

“Thanks.” Twilight was relieved, although slightly hoarse once her thirst was quenched as moisture returned to her mouth and throat. “How did it go?”

Withdrawing the empty glass, Jacob gestured toward her properly bandaged body. “Edgar sewed you up after spraying everything down some anti-infection stuff followed with some, uh, aloe cream? I think he said it will aid the healing process. Then he stitched you up. Good news to add too, your leg is fine and you should recover without a problem, so long as we put you through proper therapy.”

Twilight flinched at that word, ‘therapy.’ To her, it sounded like more pain was ahead. Jacob confirmed her assumption.

“I know, I know. It will be loads of fun,” Jacob offered in a playful tone. Twilight seemed to accept it in an equally wry manner if told by the roll of her eyes. “But we’ll get you through this. A shame your, uh, arrival here wasn’t more amicable.”

“I don’t even know how I arrived here, honestly,” Twilight’s responded, rubbing her eyes with a foreleg. She was still a bit groggy from waking up, but completely capable of holding a conversation. “I was testing a long-range teleportation spell but something went wrong!” She huffed at her own mistake. “I was positive I went over the calculations three times with Spike and Starlight, but-”

Twilight gasped, suddenly realizing something important to her.

“Oh no, Spike! He’s probably worried sick about me along with the rest of my friends! Then again...” She rambled, “It had only been several hours since my arrival, I think? Would my friends really freak out after such little time has passed? Well, maybe Spike, but wait! If I am in a different universe entirely, is time a constant between both?!”

A hand was laid upon her shoulder, the touch briefly shocking the mare out of the chaotic mess of her thoughts. “Twilight?” Jacob ordered, “Calm down. Who’s Spike?”

“Spike?” Twilight shook her head. “He’s my number one assistant! A baby dragon, actually, though he had started to grow again when I... When I messed up. He’s like a brother to me. I literally hatched and raised him.”

Jacob simply went with it. There are dragons now too? “Does Spike have someone that will watch him?”

“Well, yeah. All of my friends would, uh, will look after him,” Twilight said proudly. Yes, her friends would look after her adoptive little brother, even if he wasn’t so little anymore. “You’re right, though. He’ll be fine.”

Twilight curiously glanced at the hand on her shoulder. She had felt this familiar touch before. It came from her assistant. Never had she felt the manipulative digits from a minotaur, gryphon, and now human before. The smooth touch of his fingers eventually got her to calm down. There is still so much to learn. While I’m here, I might as well take advantage of it.

Jacob lifted his hand from her shoulder, only to smile down at her. “Good. A level mind is much better than a worried one. I will be right back.” The man disappeared from the room. Once again, the soft hiss of water from a faucet was heard. Jacob shut it off before he returned to the mare with another glass of water. In his other hand, he brought a folding chair. Setting it down in front of Twilight, he then offered her another sip of water from the straw. Twilight graciously accepted, using the straw to gulp down half of the liquid.

The human finally settled upon the cold seat of the metal chair with the cup of water in his lap. “First things first,” he said, calmly gesturing to the lavender mare with his hand. “Tell me about yourself, Twilight. Where did you come from? and you spoke of magic earlier? Are you any good at it?” Jacob continued to ramble off a few more questions, hoping to keep her mind occupied in the hopes of learning about, well, everything.

The scholar was practically beaming at the opportunity to exchange culture. Twilight raised a hoof, “Only if you tell me about your world.”

That was compromise Jacob could get behind, though he was honestly not the one to hold that particular conversation. “Sounds good.” If he only knew what he was getting himself into, Jacob would have asked for an abridged version of her telling.

“Great!” she cheered, wiggling her body for the sake of comfort until she was satisfied. Jacob leaned back into his uncomfortable chair, readying himself for the unbelievable words that, he assumed, were to follow.

If he only knew...

A New Day, A New Life

Hours. Many hours passed as Twilight regaled him her time in Equestria. The first thing that stuck out in Jacob’s mind was the name of her hometown. “Ponyville” sounded so ironic to him, but that’s where she claimed to have taken up residence. From what she had explained thus far, that fact certainly wasn’t missed.

Jacob received a massive other-worldly info dump, from the recounting of the celestial sisters, Starswirl the Bearded, her foalhood deeds (and misdeeds) all the way through her rise to alicornhood, and beyond. He interrupted her only a handful of times as she mentioned similarities to his world. Names of cities, famous musicians, and even common household items and tools.

It’s so strangely parallel in some ways it’s almost frightening! Did either of our worlds influence one another or was all of this mere happenstance the human, he thought. Don’t even get me started on magic. I can barely wrap my head around the concept of it being real.

Jacob also took this opportunity to study the mare’s features that he can familiarize with while Twilight was distracted with her theories of Pinkie Pie’s Pinkie Sense. Why this topic particularly irked the mare was beyond his understanding. He observed everything from her large, expressive eyes to the way her jaw, lips, and tongue were used as they aided in the formation of words.

He often imagined what it would look like for an animal to speak, only for a fine example to have appeared before him. Beyond this, her use of a front leg and hoof as a human would an arm and hand to express herself was uncanny. Body shape aside, she was as much human as he was. Innocent and naive in the ways of the world. His world. While he does not verbalize it, he cannot help but find her world to be a little too good to be true.

Part of him still could not believe what was in front of him despite it all. As if his mind refused to accept it as reality. He had a literal alien in his house. An intra-dimensional alien? How awesome is this!? Jacob seriously could not help but be a little giddy on the inside.

As his focus returned to the one-sided conversation the mare was having, he glanced at the digital clock upon the bedside table, revealing an early 1:33 AM. Damn, this mare can gab! Jacob cleared his throat before he finally interrupted Twilight, his tone apologetic. “Twilight? I hate to cut this short but it’s getting a bit late,” he explained, using a hand to gesture towards the clock.

Twilight blinked rapidly a few times as her words trailed off at the interruption. The mare pressed her ears forward before she followed his gesture toward the clock. Under normal circumstances, she would be elated at the display of time in a non-analog format, but she had to agree with the man. It was late, and all this talking had drawn out her fatigue. “You’re right. Sorry about that. I can sort of get carried away at times.”

No kidding! “Don’t worry about it,” Jacob reassured her with a smile, “We can pick it up again tomorrow. Besides, I did promise to answer your questions, right?” To which the mare eagerly nodded. It may not look like it through her tired expression but she could not wait for tomorrow and put this entire day behind her.

But how will I take notes!? Came the mare’s lamented thoughts.

Jacob rose from his chair, folded it, and set it aside against the wall before he approached the bed. He grabbed the ends of the comforter and draped it over the mare and up to her withers. “Get some sleep. We’ll figure things out more tomorrow. I’ll leave the door cracked so if you need something just give a shout.”

The mare had forgotten she was on his bed. To which, she began to open her muzzle to protest her use of it, but as expected, Jacob waived her objection. “I’ll be fine on the couch for the night. You just focus on getting some rest.”

Twilight deflated and nodded her head. She didn’t exactly feel like a guest anymore, but a burden to herself and Jacob since she was without her magic. Any magic.

Offering a thankful smile, the mare conceded, “Goodnight Jacob. Again, thank you for everything. Oh! Will I ever see Edgar again?”

“You will. He wants me to bring you to his clinic after hours at the end of the week,” Jacob offered with a grin. Part of him wanted to give the mare a reassuring pat on the head, maybe even a scratch behind the ear, but he had to quickly berate himself. This was no animal that needed pets. “And you’re welcome.”

Once goodnights were exchanged, the man turned off the light with a flick of the switch near the door. He then left the door with a sizable crack. Twilight sighed of belated frustration, what a day it had been for her and she was glad that it was finally over. She was alive, and mighty thankful for that. Thankful for the man to be where he was when she needed somepony. Twilight finally laid her head back down on the pillow, which housed the scent of her savior. This was something she had not taken note of before. She wrinkled her nose.

He could make due with doing laundry more often, she mused as her eyes closed, falling prey to her dreams.

***

Responding with a grunt, light had pierced Twilight’s eyelids as consciousness came to her. A tired, protesting moan followed as she instinctively stretched out all four of her limbs. She suddenly jerked her injured leg. Moving it was a mistake, but at least the pain was dull enough for her not to cry out loud. Her eyes snapped open while her wings extended, aiding in removing the comforter from her back to where it simply rested upon her flank. She turned to inspect the outstretched appendages, muzzle scrunching in realization that they needed preened. Something she can at least do without magic.

Jacob entered the room shortly thereafter, clad in an undershirt and boxers. “Ah, so you are up!”

Twilight was in the middle of smoothing a feather down when her cheeks somehow found a shade of pink amidst her lavender cheeks. She promptly released both her feather and wing. Preening was often seen as a private affair, and the mare was already self-conscious about her situation in the first place. So to have somepony or someone walk in on the act was a little embarrassing, to say the least. Tucking both wings tightly against her, she answered, “Just woke up actually.”

“Good. What do you want for breakfast? Actually, what can you eat for breakfast?” Jacob asked curiously. They might have gone over this last night, but he couldn’t quite remember it all. He knew well they have a penchant for sugary treats.

“Mm? I like scrambled eggs, haybacon, hash browns, pancakes, cereals, fruits, and vegetables. Oh! And coffee, which I could go for a cup of right now. You do have coffee in this world, right?” Twilight asked, hopeful.

Jacob listened attentively. Eggs I can work with. Haybacon? How does that work? Rest I can do. “Of course! While coffee isn’t my go-to drink for every morning, there are some days it is an utter requirement.”

“Tell me about it,” came an amused exhale from the mare.

“How about scrambled eggs, a pancake with maple syrup, and coffee?” Jacob asked.

Twilight bobbed her head, “Sounds great!”

Her warm smile quickly faded as an inevitable urge hit her. “Jacob,” Twilight cleared her throat as she looked away, “I need to use the little filly’s room.” As her eyes return to settle upon the human, her expression molds into one of silent hopefulness that he wouldn’t make this such a big deal.

Jacob just stared at her for a few seconds, as if her words weren’t making a lick of sense. This is what happens when one’s mind is not fully awake. Twilight rolled her eyes only to reiterate her statement more bluntly, “The restroom.”

“Oh! Why didn’t you say so?” Twilight’s narrowed gaze was lost upon him as he promptly moved beside the bed, “Well c’mon, we’ll try to take this nice and easy. I imagine you’ll feel a bit stiff and tender.” Thankfully the bed was not too high. Certainly further off the floor than Twilight’s own bed, but not to a sickening degree. She literally slid the right half of her body off the side of the bed. Jacob quickly worked a hand underneath her while the other took careful hold of her opposing side to slow her descent until all three legs were planted upon the carpet.

Jacob’s hands were kept upon the mare when he felt her body quiver as she made to stand on her own. “Think you can put some weight on your leg?”

“Let’s...find out.” Twilight was not thrilled at the prospect of eliciting pain on herself, but recovery was not a path paved with pleasantries. As she placed weight down onto her leg, she felt a jolt of pain which, thankfully, kept itself localized. It wasn’t as debilitated as she thought it might have been. Sure, it hurt like Tartarus, but Twilight could take it. Each full stride came with a wince and a grunt, something Jacob found completely normal considering what all she had been through.

“Straight ahead and to the left,” he guided, walking slowly with her until they made it into the master bathroom.

Needless to say, the whole ordeal was awkward for both parties here on out. Human toilets were not made with equines in mind, never the less an injured one. Jacob did not have to imagine how embarrassed the mare was since she was utterly flushed by the time she was situated on the pot. He was not faring much better. Were he doing this for family that’s one thing, but a complete stranger whom, by human definition, was completely naked? Jacob promptly left and gave her privacy. However, he knew a better system was needed to be developed for he doubts she would be content with doing her business outside.

***

Breakfast did not fare much better either. With the lack of magic coursing through Twilight, eating was...difficult, if she wanted to remain civilized so much so that Jacob had to offer his services before he would let her even think about forgoing utensils and going native. The mare was more than reluctant for the act that would be akin to a stallion feeding her while on a date. Jacob may not be a stallion, but was most certainly a male of his species.

“Instead of dying from wolves, I’m going to die from embarrassment,” Twilight complained, staring at the fork held in front of her by human hands.

“Don’t be such a baby, it isn’t that bad. Or is it foal? Open up,” commanded the man.

Twilight did so reluctantly, biting down and removing the forkful of syrupy pancake goodness into her muzzle. At least the food is good, I’ll give him that, she thought absently while she chewed.

Jacob found a way for her to drink her own coffee. He used an insulated coaster sleeve which the rubberized coating allowed enough grip with her hooves to let her sip her own coffee. While it was not the best of ideas, Twilight was extremely thankful for it. Drinking coffee from a straw just seemed so...wrong.

Twilight was later escorted to the couch in the living room, a crackling fire still keeping the room pleasantly warm. Her ears were curiously perked at the sound the fireplace was making. There was the sensation of air being pushed through her fur as she moved past along with a soft hum. Jacob had to explain that there was a blower that aided in moving the hot air out to spread the heat more efficiently, to which the mare answered with a single word.

“Fascinating!”

Jacob took this time to look over the bandaging, noting only a few spots where a cut must have leaked a little bit. The two that were stitched remained relatively dry. Twilight observed, but kept quiet as the human inspected her flank. Of all stallions that would be staring at and touching my flank, it would be one from another dimension, came a thought from the mare, an amused huff exhaled before she cleared her throat.

“So! Jacob. Tell me a bit about humans.” Her words came out a little forced as she suppressed the urge to bombard the man with hundreds of questions.

Surprisingly, she knew of many items and furniture about her vicinity. One she couldn’t quite place her mind on was the large black screen perched atop a table of some kind, with shelves beneath it where she could make out a few red lights of some unknown devices held within. She had no idea what the purpose for those devices was.

Jacob noted her curious gaze and simply smirked. Telling her about humans from his own mouth is probably a poor idea, especially when he can both intrigue and provide her the information she desired via other means. Leaving her side, the human picked up something flat and solid on a nearby desk. Twilight peered at him with great interest until he joined her on the couch.

Twilight’s perked herself up, wanting to get a better view of this thing in Jacob’s hand. Before he did anything with it, one hand of his moved to snatch a long, rectangular object which appeared to be housing many buttons on top of it. He pressed one and light suddenly appeared in her peripheral vision. The tv suddenly came to life and the mare grew confused. Where’s the projector?

“...what? How? What is that?” asked the mare.

“What? The TV?”

“Tee Vee?” asked the mare as she tilted her head to the side curiously.

“It’s...it’s...uh, how do I explain it. Let’s just go with that it displays moving pictures for now. Here, just watch.” Jacob does recall Twilight having spoken of projectors and movies, but not equal to the advancement humans have made.

Jacob, after a few more seconds, managed to get both the picture and sound to come from the tv. She had questions! So many questions! Her ears cutely pressed forward, swiveling on occasion as she began to take in the provided information from the video that began to educate the mare on humans. She committed the information to memory until a time she was able to jot them down on parchment.

This went on with much amusement for a couple of hours. More for the human than the mare. Twilight was beyond intrigued by the videos Jacob begun to show her about technological advances in his world. Planes, for example, was an interesting topic for her. A craft able to both fly and carry many passengers to distant destinations?

Some of the military aircraft were shown as well. While the mare slightly frowned at their potential use, she was floored by how fast they could travel. Knowing Rainbow Dash, that mare would demand to race one and would lose. More than twice the speed of sound? Not even Rainbow was ready for that kind of challenge. Not yet.

Self-propelled personal covered carriages. Cars as they were dubbed. Earth ponies and unicorns alike would enjoy those. And their trains? Is there even a maximum length on those here? How an engine could pull such a load was beyond Twilight’s reasoning at the moment.

And then there was a piece about space. Space! They can bucking travel to the moon if they so wish!?

Twilight was drawn out of her trance when the human pressed a tissue up against the corner of her muzzle, dabbing up a little drool before it had a chance to roll down. He gave her a deadpan expression once he found her attention upon him. She could practically hear his thoughts while her muzzle locked itself shut while a sheepish grin formed. He decided now would be a good time as any to pause and allow her head some breathing room.

Twilight just stared at the blank screen for a minute before she decided to speak. “Wow…” While it was not as enthusiastic as he might have thought, he could only smirk at the dumbfounded expression etched upon her features.

“Billions of humans on a single planet and your male to female ratio is practically even. Equestria has a five to one mare to stallion ratio and has not changed for hundreds of years. Not since the last war with the gryphons. Back then, mares were not allowed to hold any rank and the gryphons all but decimated what army we could muster. We won but at great cost to both sides.”

“So your society practices polygamy?” Jacob asked.

“Well…”

Author's Note

I rewrote this twice and still wasn't happy with it but here it is anyway!

Painful Awakening

Author's Note

This was a surprisingly difficult chapter to write so I hope most everything comes out in an understanding manner! I blame my novice self and can, hopefully, only improve the more I write.

Painful Awakening

Inside the cabin, Jacob got to work. He took the unconscious mare straight to his shower. The walk-in included a sliding door, large enough to wiggle the mare and himself inside. Jacob gently laid the pony down onto her good side, head facing toward the shower wall while the rest hung over the drain in the center.

Jacob stepped out to remove his coat and boots. He then hung his rifle back on the mantle. Jacob’s socks came off after he rolled up his pant legs. Walking back into the bathroom, he paused, riffling through his thoughts. What should be done first?

“Water. Got that. Peroxide?” He worked through his problem audibly, digging through some of his sink’s drawers to find the bottle of peroxide. The man winced at the mere thought of what it will feel like when he applied it to the wound.

Once found, Jacob turned around and opened a panel that revealed his stacks of towels. He grabbed as many fresh towels as he could along with some gauze pads from the closet. I don’t think this will be enough for all the wounds but it should be more than enough for the largest one, he thought. Noticing the fact he lacked enough medical tape, he opted for what sat right next to it, duct tape.

Carrying everything he could within his arms, Jacob carefully stepped back over towards the shower. Managing to set his supplies off in a corner, he got to work. Pulling down the removable shower head, he turned on the water and adjusted the temperature knob to a comfortable level. As the water began to flow, Jacob adjusted his posture for the sake of comfort. Now resting on his good knee, he used his lame leg to straddle Twilight’s body. It acted as a sort of brace which kept her still.

With the shower head in his hand, Jacob immediately began to wash away the blood, dirt, and gunk that might have found its way into the mare’s wounds. Staring deeply into the slashes, he visually inspected each wound with his other hand. Manipulate her flesh where he needed to, Jacob used the running water to flush out everything he could. The larger lacerations were his main concern. After rinsing it out for about a minute, the injury continued to bleed.

While it wasn’t as profusely as before, it was still enough to make Jacob worry. Grabbing a clean towel, he folded it around her leg and covered up the wound. Leaning forward, he applied pressure to it through the towel, hoping the blood would quickly clot

Periodically he would check underneath the towel, rinsing the wound again and repeating the same motion until the bleeding ultimately stopped. He made sure not to irritate the wound. Jacob was afraid of doing anything that could turn the spring of blood back on.

“Okay. Okay!” He began to tell himself, “I got this. The bleeding has stopped as far as I can tell. Now, what was I supposed to do next?”

Jacob slowly glanced over at the bottle of hydrogen peroxide. An internal shudder found its way up his spine. “Right. If I didn’t feel sorry for her now, I will soon.”

Screwing off the cap, he applied the peroxide to the minor wounds. Doing so, Jacob saw signs of irritation as Twilight scrunched her brows. So far so good! Nearing the larger gash at her flank, the man paused. Is that a tattoo? Birth mark? Branding?

A horned pegasus with a butt mark, he huffed. This keeps getting better and better.

Shaking his head, Jacob began to clean the larger laceration on her flank. The man’s eyes narrowed as he watched the liquid bubbles form over the wound. Suddenly, the body beneath him jerked, almost sending his face into the shower wall. Lucky, Jacob caught himself with an outstretched hand. Meanwhile, the pony beneath him had abruptly woken!

Twilight’s eyes snapped open at the searing, agonizing pain she felt on her flanks. “SWEET MOTHER OF CELESTIA!! OWWWW!!” she screamed in perfect English.

While her voice strained from pain, Jacob understood every word especially the expletive that left Twilight’s lips. “GET THE BUCK OFF ME!!”

Jacob stiffened. He could and would not believe the words that came from behind him. The pony spoke, and he knows ponies, let alone horses, cannot speak intelligently. Except Wilbur. You know, that one...nevermind.

She also, swore? At least he thought it was a swear. Buck? He said to himself. Is that the same thing as, Fuck? Is it a contextual word? Okay so now I have a TALKING, horned pegasus with a butt mark in my shower?

Keeping her pinned down with the weight of his knee, Jacob looked back at her with wide eyes. “Did you just speak!?” If she doesn't answer, then I swear I’m going absolutely crazy.

“Yes!” Twilight snapped. “Why wouldn’t I be able to speak? Now kindly remove yourself!” the mare insisted, uncaring about who or what was straddling her. She still had no idea what he was doing to her flank beside causing her pain.

“No can do.” Jacob paused, still in disbelief. “I need to clean up these wounds now or you’re going to have problems later. Especially on your leg, unless you desire to walk with a limp for the rest of your life.” he assumed. Jacob had no medical experience. Still, he couldn’t believe he communicated with a pony. Jacob swore he’ll wake up at any second, any moment for the matter! To him, reality was laughing in his face right now.

Twilight responded with a deflated grunt, accepting what she heard. The biped creature was right as far as her medical knowledge goes, or lack thereof. Twilight then remembered the trauma she had experienced. “Alright. I get it… Just get it over with,” she sighed, preparing herself for what was to come.

In order to occupy his mind, Jacob returned his attention back to the wound. As he applied the peroxide, the pony hissed and grunted. Her jaw clenched tight as she gritted her teeth. Twilight’s eyes were squeezed shut as the edges moistened. She had felt pain before, but nothing this severe. She felt powerless. She was powerless.

“We got one more spot to clean.” Jacob explained, “Now, I’m going to get off, but you have to stay still or you’ll risk bleeding again.” He scoffed, “In my opinion, though, you bled too much.” With a wave of his hand, he pointed toward the open shower door. There was a trail of blood left behind from where she was carried. That will be fun to clean, Jacob said to himself.

The mare nodded her head, understanding Jacob’s instructions. A timid voice followed, “O-Okay.”

Jacob shifted his weight off the mare, kneeling down near her hind legs. “I’m going to elevate the leg now. That wolf got a good chunk of you here and while I’m not a vet...doctor?” he quickly corrected himself. Twilight shot a brief glare at him. Jacob coughed, “Anyway, it doesn’t look good, but we need to get it cleaned up.” Hoping to distract her, somewhat, the human inquired, “Who and what are you?”

As the biped began to bunch up some of the clean towels underneath her leg, propping it up, Twilight began, “I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria. An alicorn, a combination of earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn…” The mare trailed off, raising a brow toward Jacob.

He, while maneuvering the mare’s hind leg onto the towels, found himself lurching forward. Royalty!? He was on the verge of losing his mind, but he persevered. Her leg was aloft for a time. The man exhaled a long, slow breath before finally releasing her.

“A pleasure. Name’s Jacob, or Jake for short if you like… and before you ask, I am a human,” he clarified. “Homo Sapien if you want to get scientific." Twilight's eyes somehow got larger and were twinkling with curiosity. "Now, this is probably going to sting like nothing you or I have ever felt so I am going to hold your leg down so you don’t accidentally move it. Ready?”

The mare’s ears perked up as the biped offered its name and species. Hyooman? Twilight thought to herself. Suddenly, her mind blanked. Pain surged through her body. Oh sweet Celestia, the pain! She hissed in protest. Her leg instinctively jerked as Jacob doused her leg wound, Twilight assumed, with antiseptic.

“So you’re not a minotaur?” the Princess asked curiously, blinking away the water around her eyes.

Jacob was amused, “Do I look like a bipedal cow?”

“No!” the alicorn apologized. “They are the only species I could compare you to that I’ve seen myself. They have hands, fingers, opposable thumbs. Walks on two legs-”

“Wait!” A thought came to Twilight’s head, interrupting herself. “How do you know what a minotaur is?”

“Well, like what you are, they are mythical creatures. Legends.” The human explained in the most simplistic terms since he was no expert on the subject.

“I...see. Ouch!” came a seethed hiss from Twilight. Jacob had tightly wrapped the wound on her leg with the gauze pad. He was sure the wound was as clean as it was going to get with what he had at his disposal.

“Sorry!” Jacob gasped. “I’m almost done. I’m going to have to call a vet though...” The mare scowled at him. “Hey! Don’t give me that look. Whether you are real or I am having a mental break down, it’s the least of my concern right now. We need a professional to look you over and since you’re as close to a pony…”

“I am a pony!” Twilight insisted.

“...that I am familiar with, you will have a better chance of a full recovery with a vet.” He resumed dressing of her injuries. Taking the other large gauze pad and placing it over the laceration at her flank, he carefully applied duct tape in its place. He was mindful of the wounds that surrounded it. Those received the simple cover of dry, clean towels since he had nothing else besides band-aids.

“Alright.” Jacob got back up onto his legs. “It’s not a pretty sight but it will have to do until we get you looked at properly. Now, don’t move. I know you’re uncomfortable but just deal with it for now. Okay? I need to go make a call. I’ll be right back.”

Before Twilight could open her muzzle to ask what he meant by ‘make a call,’ the human fled from the shower.

Ten minutes of confusion settled upon the mare as Twilight wondered about who the other human Jacob was talking to. Considering he never got a verbal affirmation back, what Twilight could only hear made her curious. Also amusing to listen to, Twilight somewhat enjoyed the one-sided conversation.

Returning to the shower, Jacob offered Twilight a warm, reassured smile. “The vet is on his way though it will take about an hour for him to arrive. Weather willing,” he explained. Jacob glanced down at his feet and saw the dried up blood left on the carpet. “You’re one messy mare.”

Twilight’s gaze followed the human’s. She snorted in mild amusement, “I had little say in the matter. Thank you, by the way, for helping me. I...I assume it was you that killed the dog?”

“Wolf,” Jacob corrected.

“Wolf, then. That was nothing like the wolves we have. They’re made out of wood and are a bit larger.”

“Wood?” Jake asked, blinking rapidly for a moment before holding up a hand to halt her further explanation. “No, wait. Let’s get you moved first. The vet said what I did so far was good enough. He’ll be bringing further supplies to make sure those wounds don’t get infected. Also, he will make sure your leg isn’t beyond repair, but he did say I could move you somewhere more comfortable if you’re up for it.”

The mare nodded, the shower’s wet floor wasn’t an enjoyable place to be. “Please,” Twilight begged.

Jacob gave her his acknowledgment and stepped back inside the shower. The mare tried to rise. He quickly knelt and placed a hand on her withers. “No, no. I’m carrying you. Just try to hold as still as you can.”

Twilight obliged and mentally prepared herself. Being carried on the back of another is one thing, and slightly embarrassing, but how will this human do the same? Her answer came quickly.

The human worked his palms underneath the mare, placing one at the bone of her shoulder and the other around her good hip. Jacob lifted her slowly into the air for a moment. Once Twilight was firmly supported within his grasp, the human began to remove her from the shower.

It might not have been that far off the ground, but the mare held her breath as she was lifted far higher than she expected. While she winced at a slight pinch of pain, it wasn’t anything that Twilight couldn’t handle. Taking her mind off it, she took this opportunity to look at her rescuer’s distinct features.

He had a bit of fur on his face it seemed, but most of his hairless skin seemed smooth. His arms had some hair on them too. Hands were bare from what she saw earlier. His clothing prevented her from seeing anything more underneath. Twilight figured she would have plenty of time to observe this new species of primate. An obviously evolved primate.

She did her best to scan her moving surroundings, much of which was a blur, until they entered a bedroom just around the corner. The human had spread out a large beach towel over the sheets of his bed, hoping to spare the gentle fabric underneath. It was where Jacob laid the mare down, having done a wonderful job of keeping her level and towels upon her undisturbed.

“There we go. Much more comfortable than the shower, yeah?” mused the human as he took a step back.

“Very!” Twilight nodded in complete agreement.

Jacob stepped aside and snatched a pillow, offering it to the mare. As she raised her head, he worked the pillow underneath. Jacob suggested, “Take a nap.” No sooner did those words leave his mouth did she protest. The human cut her off, “Once the vet gets you officially patched up, we can do the whole information exchange thing.” He assumed, by now, she wasn’t going to disappear once his supposed mental breakdown ceases. Still, he wasn’t sure what to feel about all of this or how to explain everything to the veterinarian once he gets here.

Twilight conceded, for now. She did feel tired and it appeared the human had her best interests in mind. Plus, she actually was tired. “Alright,” she sighed before a smirk touched her lips. “You’re about as pushy as my assistant,” she remarked. Her head then sank into the soft pillow. Oh yes, this feels nice!

Jacob made his way out of the room and turned off the light. What was left of the day still gave him enough illumination throughout the house. Regardless, it was the dreary sort of light one can fall quickly asleep to. Twilight did just so. Soft breaths of sleep finally came to her. Short-lived as the nap may be, she deserved it.