Your Eyes On Me

“Oh, hello! My name is Twilight Sparkle. What’s your name?” Twilight asked, for the first time she noticed that someone or something was next to her.

The something said nothing. It looked alien to Twilight, like a Minotaur with none of the horns or snout. It was cute looking in its own weird way but she couldn’t fathom why she was perceiving this.

“Can you…hear me?” She asked tepidly. The something nodded.

“Hmm, you’re incredibly shy, aren’t you?” Twilight asked. She reached out to touch this something, when her hoof pressed against an invisible surface separating them. It was like a ghost trapped in a mirror before her. Then, the ghost reached back, pressing their hand against the glass beneath her hoof. The two stared at each other for a while, lost in the absurdity of their predicament.

Twilight was the first to break eye contact, her gaze turned to the book of the two sisters. She levitated the book from the patch of grass it laid in rest and held it for the something ghost to see

“You know,” Twilight started. “I was just going to reread this ‘ol tale of the two sisters. I don’t imagine you’ve heard of it?”

The something ghost shook their head.

“Hmm. Well, I’ve never had an audience before. Except Spike. Here, I’ll read it to you. That’s okay, right?”

The something ghost nodded with a little smile. Twilight smiled back, then cleared her throat.

“Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria…”

For a moment, all Aaron could see was a white light. The moment lasted much longer than he wanted. Nausea filled his stomach. Dizziness pulled him, to and fro. He felt that he was in free fall, but felt the floor beneath his feet. He risked collapsing onto the floor, his knees slammed into what felt like marble or glass flooring. He shouted, a shout he moreso felt in his throat than actually heard. Slowly, his hearing came to him and he heard faint voices around him.

“Keep your distance!” A voice. “He needs time to stabilize.”

“Yeah, Pinkie.” Added another voice, more tomboyish in tone. “Try not to pounce on him. I don’t want to see his insides outside.”

“Whaaaat?” Another voice echoed, as it became clear to Aaron that it was Pinkie. “Pssssh, no! I wasn’t gonna pounce on him. Do I seem like the type of pony that would just pounce on somepony unexpectedly?”

“Yes, darling.” Rarity answered. “Yes, you are.”

“Y’all? Not to interrupt your banter but I think he’s not, uh, shakin’ anymore.”

“Aaron? Aaron, are you okay? Please, say something…”

Aaron vision slowly returned. He stared at the floor beneath him and the reflection of himself staring back. He looked…wrong. His features diffused between the reality he was used to, one of pores, wrinkles, imperfections; and the reality he was now in, one of perfect curves, angles, technicolor hues. His visage morphed from one to another, refused to settle into a final shape.

Aaron’s breath quickened. He couldn’t stand to look at it any longer so he looked up, to the ponies ahead of him. They too undulated between their cartoon selves and a more realistic, uncanny alternative. Aaron looked up at them like a cornered animal, terror having gripped him.

“What have you done to me?!” He screamed as he closed his eyes to the horrors all around him.

“You’re okay, Aaron!” Twilight tried to reassure him. “It’s just a side effect of the spell, I think. I theorized that your brain may struggle to comprehend being in a different reality. It shouldn’t be permanent.”

She took a step forward, cautiously. The sound alerted Aaron and he retreated backwards. His head slammed into an unseen table. All the ponies tensed and froze in place.

“Get away!” Aaron yelled. His hand felt around for something, before he then grabbed a thick book. He tossed the hardback in the general direction of the ponies. Fluttershy ducked with an “Eep!” as it soar over her head. “Stay away from me! I shouldn’t have ever trusted you! Monsters!”

“Monsters?!” Rarity gasped, more offended than anything.

“Sugarcube, we ain’t monsters!” Applejack reasoned. “We’re the same ponies ya been knowin’!”

“The hell you are!” Aaron opened his eyes in a squint. He desperately tried to focus his vision, demand it to see anything normally. He swore he could feel his body betray him. He shook violently as he struggled to keep upright. A pain in his chest radiated outward and pulled all his muscles taut. “I’m gonna die! Oh my God, I’m gonna die…”

Then just like that, Aaron collapsed and fainted. The shock had taken it all out of him.

The ponies descended upon him after a moment, when they knew he was still. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flipped the unconscious teen on his back. Applejack propped up his legs by resting them on her back. Rarity tossed a nearby blanket over him. Pinkie, with a stethoscope that wasn’t there before, presses the cold metal against his chest.

“Weak, but beating, Twi!” She called out.

Twilight nodded and turned to look at Rainbow Dash. “Dash, go let Nurse Redheart know she’s clear to move in.”

Dash gave a salute and took off past the balcony.

“I think I’ll be the first to say this was NOT our finest work.” Rarity spoke up. She placed a hoof on the boy’s head and lightly stroked his head.

“We all knew this was going to be a messy process.” Twilight reassured her. “The important thing is that he is stable. That’s all we could’ve hoped for.

“I ain’t gonna lie, Twilight.” Applejack started. “I still don’t get how this reality hoppin’ business works but sho nuff, it did!”

“Applejack is right.” Fluttershy concurred. She nuzzled the human softly against her barrel, the back of his head pressed against her chest. “To be holding Aaron right now, physically, is something I’ve only dreamed of.”

The room got noticeable lighter in mood, as each pony realized what they have achieved. They all encircled the human and watched as he struggled to breathe.

“He’s breathing. That’s good.” Twilight said, more so to quell her panic. “That means the atmosphere is compatible. He also had his senses, even if they are disoriented.”

“Are they going to get un-disoriented, Twi?” Pinkie asked.

“They will, Pinkie.” Twilight promised her. “I didn’t get us this far to quit now. I can Pinkie Promise that.” Twilight motions the Promise to further prove her commitment.

“Oh, good!” Pinkie cheered, her gaze returned to the human. “I want to throw him a “Welcome to Ponyville slash Get Well Soon Party!”

The doors to the library opened. Rainbow led the team of Ponyville’s doctors to Aaron. The rest of the ponies moved away from Aaron to let the doctors take over. Nurse Redheart and some of her staff wheeled out a stretcher custom built to Aaron’s estimated measurements and with extreme care, placed him upon it. Before Aaron was wheeled away, Dash flew over to his side.

“You’re gonna be okay, kid.” She whispered to him. “You’re tougher than you think. You better not give up or you’ll be sorry, alright?”

She waited for a response that never came as the stretcher rolled along, past the open doors she came from. Her friends joined her by the door.

“Aw, Dash~” Rarity cooed a bit teasingly. “I didn’t think you would get so sentimental.”

“What? He’s my friend too!” Dash defended herself. “Lil’ guy always was scared of a little pain.”

“Wouldn’t say he’s so lil’ anymore.” AJ corrected. “We ought to be careful treating him like a child. Celestia knows it’s gonna be hard enough for him to settle. Babyin’ him won’t help none.”

“Easier said than done.” Twilight admitted. “Judging by his reaction, the shock is going to prevent him from being completely independent. He will need our help.”

“I don’t mind that.” Fluttershy stated frankly.

“Yeah, what Fluttershy said!” Rainbow interjected. “We raised the brat before, we can do it again.”

Pinkie appeared from behind the girls and pulled them all into a big hug. “Oh, look at all of us! Six momma mares all working together! Just like the good ol days!”

“Hey, I’m no one’s momma!” Dash objected.

Rarity nodded. “Yes, I agree. Dash doesn’t strike me as having a maternal instinct.”

“I’m more like the cool aunt!”

“Wouldn’t say you’re that, either Dash.”

“I’d like to be a mom.” Fluttershy said absentmindedly.

“Oookay!” Twilight broke the conversation up. “Let’s just start prepping Aaron’s room, okay? Okay.”