I felt like my body was infinitely long. My front was pressed against the soft bed, and Cindy was behind me, grabbing my hips that felt like they were so far away. He was making love, rocking against me, our sounds of mutual delight filling the darkness of the room. I was a hetero girl, I said that!

We were... doing what a hetero girl and a hetero guy, who happened to used to be a girl, do.

"Hey."

I looked up at the new voice. Another draconequus, just like me, was looking down at me with a big silly grin. "Wow, you're having fun."

I went quite the shade, glancing back at Cindy still doing his best to please the both of us. That felt good! But it was hard to focus on that with a visitor. "Why isn't he reacting to you being here?"

"Dream, duh." She snapped her fingers and we were suddenly alone in a starry void. "Hi, I'm Penny."

"Lauren," I offered, righting myself with no lover to let rut me anymore. "And you're like Discord too."

"Who?" She squinted at me. "Look, you're me, well, a could be me. I could be you, but I'm not, and you're not. We're from different, what do you call it, layers?" She shrugged expansively. "Noodle life is complicated."

"Noodle life?" I looked her over. She was long, like I was. "We are... not noodles."

"Ugh, not literally," she laughed out. "We're longer and bendier than everyone else. Get it? Whatever." She waved it away. "I have a reality to deal with, but I wanted to see how you were doing."

"How did you even know I was there?" I put my hands on my sides. "I didn't know you even existed until you were here."

"That's because you're self-centered."

"What?!" I blurted, face going a bit red. "I am not!"

"Oh wow, you super are." She prodded me right on the nose. "You only see when it's about you. You only hear when it's about you. Nice defense, really. Keeps you from seeing the whole picture, but it also keeps you from seeing the whole picture. Get with the real noodle program, open wide, and let the whole thing in."

It hit me then. "Hey, you're a woman, like me."

"You're just noticing that." She pouted a little. "What did you think I was? Learn to look around you. The world's full of stuff that isn't you. There are people who need you, and people you need. Learn which is which and be a great person." She snapped her fingers and the universe slowed.

But I didn't. I saw her starting to dart off and flew in her way. "Stop!"

She came up short, looking confused a moment. "Huh? Oh yeah! We're both noodles. No noodling away from you," she laughed. "That's actually kind of crazy, having another noodle around. I like it." She thrust a hand at me. "Penny, to remind. Let's visit sometimes. Just because we're a world away doesn't mean much for supreme noodles like us."

"You sound so confident. Doesn't... all this scare you? We can do anything, which is a lot of possibly awful things." I threw a hand wide. "And we can still be hurt."

"Yes, and yes," agreed Penny. "But I'm a good person, and I bet you are too. You don't want to hurt people." She made a sudden duck face at me. "So if you make a mistake, fix it, and learn."

"Won't it hurt them? If I make a mistake that involves someone else..."

"That's when you use the secret weapon." Penny drifted in closer and her arms slipped around me, drawing me in for a warm fuzzy embrace. "A hug can make so many hurts get smaller."

That was, for lack of better words, an A+ hug. I returned it and drifted there, just enjoying the touch, the innocence. Neither of us were doing anything but hugging.

I woke up.

I heard Cindy coughing into his pillow, still asleep at a glance. I grabbed for my laptop and got to typing my daily report. Just because I had been on a little adventure didn't mean I wasn't expected to do my reports! Besides, doing them made me feel better...

I mentioned Penny from my dream. "Met another me. She called me a Supreme Noodle. Curious, isn't it? She was a lot of things I wasn't, so confident in herself. I hope I can grow into that, to lose the fear of this new... me." I smacked send.

The computer began playing a new note. Someone was voice-calling me on Discord? I quickly alt-tabbed over and saw it was Miller. I hit the answer button. "Hey Millie." I wriggled fingers at the camera. "Cindy's still sleeping, so let's keep it quiet."

"Good morning, Lauren," he replied far more officiously. "Good to see you in positive spirits. I'll review your morning writeup shortly. Thank you for being timely about those." I had been late the day before, but I had gotten it in! "I wanted to try something new that I think you will like."

My brows went up together. "You have my curiosity."

"Glad to hear it. Do you remember the younger su--patients? Apple and Sweetie Bloom? Scootaloo?"

"Oh yes!" I clapped my hands together. "They seemed so cute in the text."

"They wish to visit you. How do you feel about that?"

Little pony fillies, visiting?! "I admit... I'm surprised. I would have figured, after my little stunt, there would be no rush to let me talk to any new people, especially in person."

Miller's webcam sudden came to life, showing him smiling at me. "Lauren, that was unfortunate, but I don't think it's a terminal mistake. I meant what I said, you've been nothing but a cooperative subject. How do you feel about that visit?"

"Patient," I reminded with a little huff. "But, yes. Send them. That sounds... really sweet. I'll be good."

"I have very little fear that you won't be. Two of them are adults, or were, physically, one of them was a child to begin with. They'll be down later today to come say hello. I hope you have a pleasant visit."

And the call was over. It occurred to me that he had been monitoring me. He knew when to call. It was kinda obvious, looking back on it.

"How did I know?" My thoughts went back to the other doctor who hadn't shared his name. I was about to make him a mare. I had... seen past him, to a chubby mare. I was about to make that reality. "Where had she come from...?" I looked to the still slumbering form of Cindy. "What are you becoming?"

I was still unsure what effect there would be, chasing away his sickness while he was changing. Would he keep changing? Would he just... freeze right there? Who knew! I reached and cupped his cheeks, gazing into his closed eyes. "What lurks past," I whispered to myself, trying to see through him, past him, to get a glimpse.

I imagined a stallion, white, with a confident smile. He had a big horn and blue/cyan mane and tail. He was also partially human, with hands! He had a picture on his butt, on either side, but I couldn't get a good look at it. The more I tried, the harder it became. I gave up. He was tall and strong and I knew, somehow, he'd give the best hugs. This is what Cindy was becoming.

"Mornin'." He woke up and was staring right into my eyes as I stared into his. "What, do I look that bad?"

"No!" I blurted, backing up so hard I fell off the bed. I never hit the floor, just kinda drifting away until I got my feet to the ground. "Sorry. How do you feel?"

"Like mildly warmed hell." He pushed upright, then paused. "Huh... wow... that is not cool..."

"What is it?" I darted in, flying to his side. "I'm here."

"You're here, but these are not." He raised his hands to his chest. They hadn't moved, like Starlight's, but why should they? He was a boy pony. Boy ponies had... nothing, and neither did Cindy anymore.

"Oh... no, sorry." I wrapped an arm around him, rocking softly. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, I think... It's... just really... strange. More proof I'm a guy now." He swung his feet over the side and began to stand up. "I should wash up."

"I can help," I offered, floating after him.

"I need to use the bathroom," he more flatly stated, though he was smirking. "Are you that dirty, girl? Let a fella have a moment, then we can--" He had to pause, sneezing violently. "Ugh, nevermind, still out of it..." He hurried to the bathroom to take care of things.

The temptation to yank the sick out of him redoubled. "Miller? I know you're watching." My tail twitched softly behind me. "I got rid of the sick in me. I seem to be alright. I could do the same for Cindy, but I don't know if it'll turn out the same or not. Should I? Email me or something."

I got no emails. I got a sick Cindy instead as a booby prize. I tucked him back into bed to rest and recover from the illness burning at him. I even got a little peck, but I left him there for the moment. He was safe, and just needed peace and quiet.

I emerged from my room.

"The lady of the hour." There was Flash, trotting towards me. "Wow, the Discord went nuts talking about you. You know that?"

"It did?" I said and thought at the same time. "How many of them even knew what I was doing?"

"Rumors spread, especially on Discord." Flash nodded softly. "Starlight ran onto there, hoping everycreature wouldn't get mad at you. She was really--"

"That's enough of that," cut in Starlight, approaching from down the hallway. "Hello, Lauren."

"Starlight." I went to give her a morning petting, but she danced away from my reaching hand.

"You scared me, Lauren," she said flatly, not meeting my eyes. "I thought you'd get hurt, or worse... You broke so many rules... Was it that important?"

"I did get hurt," I sighed out, remembering the injuries I had suffered, even if I had fixed them since then. "But, yes. I got my friend and I know he's safe now. He's miserably sick, but we've all been there."

Flash grinned lopsidedly at that. "Oh yeah, the ponid flu's just the worst. Don't miss it, not one bit."

Starlight pointed up at my face. "Speaking of that, why aren't you knocked over on your butt? You should be being nursed to health, not storming another floor and setting off basically every alarm they have to set off."

"I used my, uh, noodle powers." I shrugged softly as I said it.

"Noodle powers?" they both echoed.

"I'm a noodle, I'm told. It's a silly name, but it works." I smiled a little. "Like it?"

Flash raised a hoof. "It's silly. Love it."

A soft chime sounded and all three of us looked over. My heart melted.

Three little ponies charged off the elevator, looking around with eyes way too big to be legal. One of them, a little pegasus, pointed at me. "There she is!"

"Aw, yep, ya done found her." A normal pony with a big bow approached with a smile, the white unicorn filly just beside her. All three moved for us.

Starlight blinked softly. "What the... Why are they here? Shouldn't you be... on super lock down?"

The unicorn thrust up a hoof, squeaking as she practically shouted, "We're here to talk to her and help her calm down!"

The normal pony gestured at herself. "Ah'm Apple Bloom, we met on Discord, remember? This here's Sweetie Bloom." Sweetie dipped her head. "And that there's our best friend, Scootaloo. Say hello, Scoots."

"Heya!" Scootaloo waved eagerly at me.

That didn't sit quite right. "You mean your friend Scootaloo and Sweetie, right?"

Sweetie burst into giggles. "We may be fillies on the inside."

Apple Bloom gestured at Sweetie and herself. "But we were both adults before. We still have some adult wants."

Sweetie nodded. "Nothin' dirty, we promise. We just wanted to have partners."

"Lifetime partners," continued Apple Bloom. "So we got married."

I blinked owlishly at the two children that were lesbian married. "Wow..."

Scootaloo waved it away. "Gross, right?" She trotted right up to me. "Wanna play something fun? You look like you like a good action game."

Starlight shook her head slowly. "Huh, well... good. Guess they're not too mad at you then."

"Are you?" I smiled at Starlight hopefully.

"Right this moment, yes..." She looked away. "Give me a day or two to calm down, alright? Glad you're alright." She trotted away without another word.

Flash raised a hoof. "I'm up for an action game."

I had to laugh. "Count me in. Something multiplayer so we can all play at once."

We started as a big group to the game room. Trick! There was only one actual _computer_ in there, and only one of any console either. Multiplayer with all four of us seemed out of grasp.

Scootaloo looked really let down. "Aw man. They have four player setups on our floor."

Apple Bloom shook her head. "Well, they have us on that floor, so they'd be nuts not to have that ready. Oh well, nothin' fer it."

But there was something for it. "One moment. I bet it's just buried." I stuffed an arm down into the darkness, through the tangle of cords. "I bet..." I felt something brush against my fingers and grabbed it, starting to work it free of the cords on the way back out. "Here's something."

Sweetie Bloom inclined her head. "What? The likelihood of that is very--"

Out came another console, with several joysticks dangling from it. We were suddenly ready. Flash cheered and grabbed the console in his wings, rushing to plug it in and get it set up. "I'm a pro at this, just to warn you. I won't take it easy on you just because you're a filly."

"I won't take it easy just because you're an old pony," countered Scootaloo, sticking out her tongue at Flash. "Prepare to go down."

"We're on a team." Sweetie leaned over against Apple Bloom, the Blooms united, even in a death match.

And the shootout began. I won some, I lost some. I had no particular complaints. FPS wasn't my specialty, but I could have fun with it. A small hoof poked me in the side. There was Apple Bloom. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," I replied, smirking a bit. "What's up?"

"That wasn't in there." She pointed at the box the new console had emerged from. "You're not like unicorns, are ya?"

"No... not a unicorn." Not much point arguing that. "Twice the horns and half the sense."

Apple Bloom waved that off. "Don't be like that. Even with all the mess ya were in, ya didn't hurt not a single person." She smiled bright at me. "Yer nice, if also a bit scary."

A hoof came down on her head, Sweetie Bloom rolling her eyes. "Don't call someone frightening when you're trying to cheer them up. I swear." She smiled at me so sweetly. "Ignore that part. You're a nice person."

Scootaloo waved a hoof quickly between rapid movement. "You're alright I guess." A sudden shot sent Flash flopping over to his side. Scoot's smile deepened. "You're better than Flash at least."

"She's so young. I should be smashing her," whined Flash, hooves pedaling in the air. "How is she so good?" He looked over to me. "Noodle, save me."

All three of the fillies joined in looking at me. "Noodle?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Just a name I heard," I answered lamely. "I'm kinda noodly." I began to undulate and wiggle in place, showing off my maximum noodliness. "Hate it?"

Sweetie Bloom threw a hoof. "Don't be absurd. You may not be a pony but you're a lovely creature all the same."

"Yeah," joined Scootaloo. "Besides, that was pretty cool." She was giving a big grin. "They showed me some tapes, said I should know what I was getting inta. Pfft, just made me want to meet you more."

Apple Bloom quickly applied a hoof to her face. "And you weren't supposed to mention that part."

I quickly shook my head. "I'm more surprised they'd share it than that they recorded it... Wait, how far and wide are they showing people yesterday? That wasn't me at my best..."

Flash looked between the others, rolling up to his haunches. "I have no idea what you're all talking about."

Sweetie pointed at Flash. "Question, answered. I do believe they showed us specifically."

Apple Bloom shrugged her shoulders. "Well, guess they thought we should know what we were walking into, but it was purdy darn clear what was goin' on. Ya just wanted to help your friend."

"Yeah!" shouted Scootaloo, bouncing in place. The game had been entirely abandoned at this point, I should note. "So, you can do anything?" She approached, not clipping or clopping on the soft floor of the game room.

"I imagine not anything," corrected Sweetie. "Or why would she even be here anymore?"

Apple pressed a hoof to Sweetie's nose. "Because she's a good creature and is followin' the rules. Ain't nothin' wrong with that."

They did bring up a good point. The lab was, if I got a decent grip on things, a 'suggestion' at best, for limiting where I went. "You little girls aren't scared at all?"

Flash tilted his head. "What's this about leaving now?"

Right, poor Flash, out of the loop. I mussed the top of his head, petting his mane. "I got lucky, or unlucky. What I am comes with a lot of strange perks besides flying." Speaking of that, I drifted into the air to show that off. Which meant noclip was still going? I could dart into a wall to check, but that felt rude.

Flash crossed his arms, hooves dangling. "You can fly without flapping? Unfair."

Scootaloo rolled her eyes suddenly. "Your wings actually work. Suck up your old man tears."

Flash's color drained before rushing back, going red. "You take that back! I'm a perfectly normal stallion adult, not an old pony."

"Prove it." Scootaloo lifted a joystick with a grin. "I'll take it back when you get a point. Nothing like a bullet between the ears to get a pony to change their mind."

The game was back on, Flash struggling to prove his youth.

Apple Bloom looked away from the two of them. "Don't mind her none. She's just makin' fun. So, uh." She reached out and ran a hoof over my belly. "Yer a might curious of a thing."

"Undoubtedly," quickly agreed Sweetie. "But we're not doctors."

"Or scientists." Apple nodded firmly. "So, we'll actually ask, polite like."

"We have so many questions." Sweetie bounced in place a little. "You alright with that?"

I was being watched. Of course I was. I almost didn't bother to mention it. It should have been pretty obvious. How many, that was the part I wasn't sure. They didn't want me doing anything odd to my guests. I reached and gently petted Sweetie and Apple Bloom since they seemed to be pressing in on my space. My hunch proved correct as neither complained about being touched. The contact seemed to be invitation for them to come closer and soon I had two fillies sniffing and nosing around me.

"Here it is," announced Apple. "Ya weren't lying."

There was a little filly with her nose where fillies had no business. I nudged her back with a foot. "Watch it."

"Sorry, didn't mean nothin'." She sat down, a foot back. "I saw the video and I bet, to myself, that if I was lookin' in person, I could find it. You weren't lying."

Sweetie raised an ear at her... wife? Little kids getting married, so weird. But they were both adults too, just in kid bodies. That made it... less... or more strange? I wasn't sure. "You should show some more faith. If she says she has lady parts, then she does. Why would somepony lie about that?" She waved it off and looked up at my face. "You can float, and go through walls and make people go places." She tapped her hooves with each thing named.

Apple Bloom hopped. "Oh yeah, what else?"

Had they not been shown the part where I threatened a doctor? Probably for the best, that... "I cured myself." I took a nice big breath through my nose, phlegm free.

The two of them frowned at me. Sweetie pointed at me. "This is the part where you're adjusting, up here." She pointed to her head. "You shouldn't interfere with it, even if it isn't much fun."

"Yeah, what if ya never get a grip on what ya are?" She inclined her head. "Seems kinda important."

"It's a bit late..." Not like what I did seemed to come with an undo function. "Besides, I'm getting a grip, a little at a time."

"Did you get a new name?" asked Apple, then pointing to herself. "I wasn't always Apple Bloom."

"I wasn't always Sweetie Bloom. Hay, I was Sweetie Belle before me and Apple decided to marry."

"Gross," noted Scootaloo. But it was a vital moment of distraction. "What? Nooo!"

Flash pumped a hoof with a victorious grin. "Ha, now you have to take it back."

"That wasn't fair." She sulked, pushing the controller away. "Fine. You're not a complete waste." She stuck out her tongue at him. "Still need practice though."

This did bring things to mind, wobbling a finger between Apple and Sweetie. "You two, you mentioned you don't have much going on back there." I couldn't see a thing. "So do you two... what, snuggle romantically?"

"Yup," they echoed in unity, throwing an arm around each other, faces pressed against one another from the side as they smiled at me.

I had to smile. They were so darn cute, and together, it was amplified. I wanted to protect them from the world, not that they seemed to need my help for anything. "Thanks, for visiting. You're all adorable."

Scootaloo stuck out her tongue, less impressed by that praise.

The other two giggled, accepting it as it was. Sweetie suddenly brought her forehooves together. "I had a favor I wanted to request. Feel free to say no. You don't owe us anything."

Apple perked. "Oh yeah, since you have special magic." Both came in closer to me. Apple produced a little phone she had tucked in a little bag that hung from her. She nosed at it, booping it with her cute little nose until she found what she was after and she turned it towards me.

There was a listing for a scooter, all shiny. "Can you get this?" she whispered.

Sweetie pointed at Scootaloo, joining the whisper, "It'd make her quite happy. We can't afford it."

They wanted me to... conjure a scooter? That wasn't on my list of abilities.

But my abilities didn't really have a list. Discord had said I made my own rules. Penny had implied a lot of the same. Shoot, she casually jumped between realities, like Discord, just to visit me. And there I was balking at a scooter. I reached for the phone and they let me bring it closer for a good staring at. "One scooter for a little filly that'd love it to pieces." That sounded like a chore worth doing.

Requested by her two friends even! It was so pure... I had to at least try... Alright, so... I could... yank one over, but then I'd be stealing it. Wait! "Be right back!" I darted off, stealing Apple's phone. In another room there was a lonely computer and, more importantly, a printer/copier.

I took a slow breath and reached out my hand. "I'm not stealing. I'll put it right back," I said mostly to myself. I could feel the cold metal. I yanked back and out came a fully formed scooter. I slapped it down on the copier without delay. "Copy copy copy!"

The machine jumped and bounced in place, trying to obey me. Bit by bit, a scooter began to emerge from its tray, disgorging it despite the impossible nature of the sizes involved. There. Two scooters! I shoved the original back where I had found it. Ta da, no theft!

With my prize, I hurried back into the game room to surprise a little filly.

Author's Note

Today was a nice day! 10/10, Lauren has zero complaints. But the questions it raises...

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