Wait, what!?

I don't think I can change you back.

Silver Stripes stood there, in a mix of disbelief and shock, eyeing up her sorry-looking nocturnal companion. Cupid Stunt couldn’t bear to even make eye contact with his friend; he knew that he royally fucked up the spell.

Silver was letting her new-found body do its thing, and the thing that it wanted to do most was inflict some serious bodily harm on the pony not six feet in front of her. The sound of her heavy breathing finally caught Cupid’s attention, the unicorn now acutely aware there was a very angry, very pissed-off pegasus beside him, eyeing up his weaknesses like an aerial squadron about to unleash a horde of carpet bombs.

Cupid’s mind fumbled, and started reeling off every clichéd stalling tactic he could reach for; “I can still fix this!” was followed very quickly by “Are you sure you want to change back? You look really sexy.” That was followed by Silver lunging at Cupid like a possessed panther, striking a hoof against Cupid’s somewhat-surprised expression. The impact sent the white unicorn reeling into a bookcase; looking across to a floor-reaching mirror, he didn’t fail to notice the telltale ring of a black eye now adorning his otherwise-flustered face. He put a hoof to his jaw, and almost immediately withdrew it when a sharp pain made itself known.

Silver walked slowly toward Cupid, the unicorn now seeing for the first time the sheer bloodlust in his friend’s eyes; in a half-blinded fumble, he got to his hooves, and made a beeline for the back door. This would have been fine if it wasn’t for Silver making a last-second muzzle grab for Cupid’s hair. The startled stallion yelped, as the pain of having his hair follicles rudely tugged immediately registering with his panicking mind.

Silver forcefully guided the stallion down, and launched a foreleg at his thorax before he made contact with the hardwood floor. Cupid immediately brought his hooves to his chest, gasping for breath as a new, searing pain now travelled across his torso.

Releasing his blue-and-white-striped mane from her teeth, Cupid Stunt collapsed in a heap on the floor, wheezing like a bronchitis patient after a brisk jog. Not yet satisfied, Silver Stripes finished with a body slam, making sure to jab an elbow into Cupid’s exposed flank. No screams or sounds were heard from the gasping unicorn, beyond muffled and incoherent words of protest.

It was only when confronted with the sight of her friend, who had finally regained enough lung capacity to begin sobbing, that her anger started to subside. As her body’s adrenaline levels lowered, Silver sank to the floor, her panting becoming noticeable against the tense silence that permeated the room, while the floor found itself smeared with the liquid remnants of last nights debauchery.

The red pegasus wiped the sweat from her silver-striped white mane, while the unicorn continued to blubber weakly on the floor. While she was totally sure that Cupid deserved a right good kicking, she was pretty sure that he was in need of medical attention.

Sensing an idea take hold in her head, Silver got up and began to drag Cupid back towards the stairs. Reaching for the telephone, Silver used her wingtips to call Ponyville Hospital.

“Hello? Um, yes, I need an ambulance. My friend has fallen down the stairs.”

Cupid Stunt lay on the ridiculously cold surgical examination table, the sterile metal sending chills up his spine as he waited for the nurse to see him, after having already been sent to the X-Ray Department for a preliminary examination. Silver Stripes stood beside him, slightly amazed she wasn’t being questioned over Cupid’s… extensive injuries.

After a few minutes of tedious waiting, Nurse Redheart opened the door and entered the room. The white-furred mare was, frankly, beginning to wish she'd slept in this morning, attempting as she was to wrap her head around the situation before her. Taking the x-ray’d negatives out of the saddlebag on her left, she gently placed them on the illuminating apparatus, and flicked on the nearby switch.”

“So, from what we can tell from the x-ray images, and the initial examination from when he entered the hospital, Mr. Stunt over here has three broken ribs, a black eye, a fractured jaw, and severe renal bruising. You must have some deadly stairs to cause these injuries.”

Silver thought quickly, “You should see the house; on its last inspection, we were warned that it could go up in flames at any moment!”

Rolling her eyes, the embittered earth pony went back to her chart, before shooting a look at Silver that could best be described as half-way between disbelief and curiosity, “Miss, you look… similar to someone who came into this surgery a month or so ago, what did you say your name was?”

“Silver Stripes”, she blurted out without processing. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Why did I just give my real name!? FUCK.

As soon as Nurse Redheart heard the name, her mind was immediately cast back to that day in the surgery. Now that she recalled, she performed the procedure of bandaging Silver’s right wing after an accident mid-flight. Come to think of it, Nurse Redheart mused to herself, the unicorn on the table was there as well. They appeared to be friends. Oh… Oh no...

The beauty about being a seasoned medical professional was that you get to see everything. After Silver’s little mistake, the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle started to fit together. Redheart moved over to the door, and after ensuring that it was fully closed, engaged the locking mechanism. She then walked back to the bed, facing Cupid, and beckoned SIlver to approach her, the pegasus’ saddlebags lightly bumping against her frame.

“OK. So, whose idea was this?” she asked in a cold, curt tone, attempting to slice through as many layers of bullshit as possible at once. Almost immediately, Silver gingerly pointed a hoof at Cupid, who could only manage a weak nod in response. Rolling her eyes for the second time, she tutted under her breath, “Let me guess. He used the first spell from that book, but failed to see the warning about it being irreversible?”

Silver’s ears pricked up in surprise, “Wait, you know about that book?”

“Honey, my medical training included a twelve month secondment to Canterlot General. This happened twice while I was there; two ponies would get the idea in their head that this would be fun, and then they’d find the first spell… after the ponies re-read the chapter in full later on, the affected party invariably got violent. You, Mr. Stunt, got off lightly; the last time I saw this happen, the male recipient of the attack was beaten so badly, we had to geld him. Count yourself lucky. As for you, Miss, I need to examine you. But first...”

Nurse Redheart went back to the door; unlocking it, she beckoned over a colleague, “Take the stallion on the table down to Orthopedics, he needs his ribs and his jaw bandaged.” The grey stallion nodded in understanding, and after taking control of the surgical table, wheeled it out of the room. Nurse Redheart gently raised a forehoof in front of Silver, “You stay here for the moment; you need an examination, remember?”

Closing the door once more, the experienced nurse surveyed the room, “So, first off, you’re leaking, I’m going to make the assumption that you two engaged in intimate relations. I’m also going to make the assumption that no-one told you that that is a very bad idea so soon after performing a gender re-alignment spell on a pony.”

Sensing that she was going to only get a blank expression from Silver, Nurse Redheart continued. “The spell that your friend used complicates matters, because it forces the body to go through hormonal changes normally found during adolescence. However, this spell amplifies the effect; your body tries to compensate for however many years it’s been between when it thinks puberty should have hit, and how old you are now. In effect, after you swapped, you became fertile within a few minutes. There is every possible chance that you’re pregnant now.”

Silver involuntarily put a hoof to her abdomen, still not quite sure how to wrap her head around what she had just been told.

“You m-mean… I could have a… l-little foal inside me r-right now?” she stuttered.

While Nurse Redheart was, even by her own standards, jaded and bitter, she still couldn’t help but smile at the new life that might be taking hold in the pony before her. “Possibly. It’s a little early for us to tell; I’ll make an appointment for you to come back in a week’s time for a urine test. If it’s positive, then you can expect a little bundle of joy to show up in just under a year… and if the test does show positive, I’ll schedule some parenting classes for you-”

“Wait. Nurse, what if I don’t… what if I don’t want this?” Silver swallowed hard, as she struggled to find a way, any way out of this predicament.

“My dear… to do what you’re asking would involve me having to prescribe drugs that would bring your hormone levels crashing down. it would be incredibly dangerous to you to alter those levels so soon after what happened. My medical ethics prevent me from placing my patient’s life in danger. If you were any other mare, I’d be discussing that option with you.” The earth pony had had this conversation many times before. Nearly every time I have this talk, my heart breaks. Please let today be different.

“But, I could still… abort this foal later on… right?” Silver’s expression turned to one of anguish, and she was clearly battling to think clearly on the subject.

“Yes… it is possible. As an impartial medical professional, I cannot deny that option to you at a later date.” Nurse Redheart closed her eyes, and removed her white cap, placing it software on the desk. “Under the Equestrian Medical Code, section 5, the removal of a physician’s attire shall afford that physician entitlement to provide counsel that would not otherwise be permitted in the role of physician to a patient, as long as said patient understands that such counsel is not to be taken as medical advice.” Redheart was always proud that she could remember that passage, a testament to her years as a medical bookworm.

“Silver… what I am about to share with you does not constitute medical advice, nor is it sanctioned by the Ponyville General Medical Council.”

Silver wasn’t quite sure what to make of the emerging development, but she nevertheless nodded in silent approval.

“When I was in high school. I… I had to terminate a pregnancy. I never thought about it at the time, but a few years later, I found myself awake at night, ruminating on the events of that week. I began to wonder what that foal might have grown up to be, and I felt this… emptiness at never knowing the answer to that question. The next day, I signed up for training to become a nurse. My task now, every day, is to preserve life.” Nurse Redheart put a hoof on Silver’s knee, “I can see that this is a difficult, almost unbearable choice that you have to make. I’m not going to stand here and preach to you about what should have been done, because that gets nopony anywhere… my advice to you is for you to have a long, deep think about what you want. If that test does come back positive, we still have plenty of time before the law forbids me to terminate, so if you do end up with a foal, don’t feel like you have a rush your decision.”

The Nurse’s words allowed SIlver’s train of thought to re-assert itself back onto its tracks, and she smiled at the kind-hearted mare before her. “Um, nurse, could I get some help with… you know…” motioning a hoof at her still-dripping genitals.

“Of course, dear. Wait right there.” Nurse Redheart replied, before donning her nurse’s cap once more and then going across the room to fetch a small cart of equipment. “Just relax, this won’t take long” she reassured, before taking one of the metal tools into her mouth. Pressing a small button on the cart, both ponies could hear the rushing air of a suction hose coming to life. With barely any warning, Silver felt the cold metal probe penetrate her vagina, as the competent nurse began the procedure. In just a few seconds, Silver no longer felt the sensation of cold seminal oozing out from her labia.

Almost as soon as the nurse had begun the procedure, the suction pump began to wind down, and Silver felt palpable relief at having the metal probe withdrawn from her love tunnel. That didn’t stop Nurse Redheart from beginning another bit of advice.

“Since this is your first time being a mare, I’m going to give you the one-oh-one for your vagina. First, it is self-cleaning; having a bath or shower is fine, but don’t go sticking fancy cleaning products up there. Second, stay away from douches; they’re made with vinegar, and as they make the vagina more acidic, they invite bacterial growth, which makes you smell like old fish. Third, the vagina is a muscle, you’d be amazed at what can fit in there. Oh, and one more thing… when you were a stallion, you no doubt remember that you had to wait after you ejaculated before you could do it again. It’s called the “refractory period”; mares don’t get that. If done right, it’s not uncommon for multiple orgasms to be able occur within minutes of each other.”

Silver’s mouth was now hanging open, as she struggled to remember if anything like this was taught in school when she went. While her mind stumbled over itself, Nurse Redheart was busy writing out a ticket with a tongue so dexterous, that it could almost certainly be capable of calligraphy at a competitive level. “This is for your return trip in one week. Please provide a fresh urine sample from that morning. Note that I said sample; no full-to-the-brim pickle jars, please.” Redheart shuddered when she remembered that particular patient. “You also might consider dropping in to see your... “friend”. From here, go left, and then right, and then all the way to the end for the Orthopedics Department.”

“T-thanks” was all the stunned pegasus could mutter as she stowed the ticket in one of her saddlebags for safekeeping. It was a fairly short walk to Orthopedics, and once inside could easily see Cupid on a hospital bed, as the attending nurse finished applying his bandages. Nodding in acknowledgement of her walking in, the nurse gathered up the spare bandages and left to check on another patient.

Seeing Cupid lying on the bed was a strange sight for Silver; she was still angry at him, but she couldn’t help but think back to the other times that Cupid fell foul of life… and whenever he did, she was always there, by his side. What’s happening to me? Every time he’d get injured like this, I’d roll my eyes, and I couldn’t wait to get out of the room… but now, I almost feel sorry for him…. even if I did kick the shit out of him.

The weary unicorn’s eyes lit up in alarm at seeing Silver, Cupid being unable to express any other form of distress due to the bandages on his head. The day’s events slowly came back to him, punctuated by his ribs reminding him that damn, Silver Stripes really did a number on him.

Silver approached Cupid, and took up temporary residence on the chair next to the bed, keeping the distance between them short so as to lower the volume required for the conversation that was about to follow.

“Don’t worry, Cupid, I’m not here to kick your flank again. I was… angry at you. I still am… and I’m… still trying to adjust to this new body… and I’m trying to let go of the fact that I might not be able to go back to my old body. We both made the decision to use that spell, and we were both clouded by hormones to think straight last night. I’m not sure what I’m feeling right now… and I need time to think. I’m going to go back to the house to tidy up; your chart says that you’ll be in for overnight observation, I’ll come back in the morning for you. In the meantime… stay out of trouble, okay?”

Cupid managed a weak nod against the confines of the bandages, and he slowly reached out a hoof in Silver’s direction. Silver instinctively grabbed the hoof with both of hers… and to her surprise, she found herself pondering how long it had been since she’d held another pony's’ hoof. I… can’t remember the last time I did something like this. This feels… good… even if he is a idiot at times. Last night, I just wanted to make him happy… this morning, I wanted to make him pay for a mistake. But now… I don’t know what I’m feeling.

Silver sighed to herself, wishing that her mental anguish would just avail itself of bothering her. I need space… I need time… I need time away from all this!

The pegasus put Cupid’s hoof gently beside him, and bent down to whisper to the hospitalised unicorn, “I’ll be back tomorrow. Sleep well.” Silver said, before getting up, and motioning to leave the room; she turned around once more to look at Cupid, before turning her head again to face the room’s exit. As she began to walk away, part of her felt like she didn’t want to leave. Why do I feel like I’m leaving a piece of me behind, back there?

Finally emerging into the afternoon air outside, Silver pensively made her way back to the house that she and Cupid shared. Opening the door, the light immediately fell on the open spellbook next to the stairs; her heart sank once more as reality took another cruel bite from her resolve. Turning around, she closed the door behind her, and made a beeline for the only pony in Ponyville who might be able to help.