Author's Note

I feel I should warn you now, this chapter does feature suicide or an attempt at least. So if this a sensitive subject for you, I would suggest you skip this chapter

Please point out any mistakes I may have made
Constructive criticism is always appreciated
Until next time, TTFN!

"An Eventful Evening"

"What happened? Why am I here?"

The Princesses knew this would come, they had just hoped it would come later rather than sooner, hoping beyond hope to save this being from the hardships the information came with. But that is not how it would turn out to be and they were willing to assume it would be better to tell her early. In theory anyway.

The draconequus saw their hesitation and her shoulder visibly sagged, seemingly already knowing that the news to come was not good.

"What happened to you, going off of what you were able to tell me, was a Magic Induced Influx." Luna started.

"Magic Induced Influx's are where a large density of magic is formed, often taking the physical form of a floating orb." Celestia continued. "When the orb has gathered enough of the airs ambient magic, anything caught within it is teleported anywhere in our world. These events happen at random times, often years apart, and at random places. Magic is, by its very nature, unpredictable. Only those with an innate knowledge of it can control it. Because of this, our research of them is...scarce."

"So what your saying is I'm here because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Aleksei asked.

The Princesses nodded wordlessly.

"...Is there a way to send me back?" She asked slowly.

The silence that filled the room was all the answer she needed. She let out a shaky sigh, bringing her knees to her furred chest, hugging them close, squeezing them with an almost desperate grip. Clenching her eyes closed, she buried her face into the nook of her arms. The Princesses looked to each other and back to Aleksei as she started shaking.

"We will give you some time alone," Luna said, turning to the door and left with Celestia not far behind.

We stood in front of the door to Aleksei's room as we were unsure of what to do. But before long, the telltale sound of sobbing could be heard from behind the door as she was most likely bawling her eyes out. My heart bleeds for her. To have been ripped from a world you know to one that could be seen as alien, simply because she was, in her words, in the wrong place at the wrong time. But we would there to help her and be the shoulder for her to cry on.

"Sister?" I hear Luna say quietly.

"Yes?"

"What are we supposed to do?" She asked, uncertainty clear in her turquoise eyes.

"We will be there for her," I reply. "This may be rather unprecedented, but we will adapt. Like we have always done."

With that said, I made my way out of the castle's infirmary with my sister not far from my side. Walking through the long and sometimes winding corridors and hallways, the castle staff bowing and the guards saluting as we walked past them. Soon we made it to our destination. Opening the dark oak doors, we were greeted by the sight of six ponies sitting at a table near the middle. Hearing us enter, the six shifted their gaze and set their eyes upon us. As soon as they saw us approach, the looks on their faces told me all the questions they wanted to ask and yet they stayed quiet.

Pulling up a cushion, me and Luna at down at the table in silence, which was quickly broken and by the quietest of the six no less.

"Is she ok?" Fluttershy asked, timidly peeking from behind her hair.

Letting out a sigh, I look to Luna and back to the shy mare.

"Physically, she is in perfect health," I said. "But mentally, she is not doing well."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Not immediately," Luna replied. "I am afraid she is not in the right state of mind currently for us to be able to do anything. We will have to wait until she is sufficiently calmed down enough before we can act."

"And until such times, all we can do is give her space." I chimed in.

I don't know how much time had passed. Minutes, hours, I have no idea. All I did was cry. And not the kind of crying you would do when you scraped your knee as a kid when you fell off your bike. No, this was far worse.

My entire body rocked with each sob, every breath was painful as my lungs and throat became raw. My eyes stung immensely from every tear that dropped from my chin that I tried to blink away. My chest ached as I coughed, instigating my lungs and throat to throb that much more. But my tears soon became empty as I cried myself dry, leaving me as nothing more than a dry heaving mess, face drench with a mixture of tears and sweat.

It wasn't until what felt like an eternity that I was finally able to form a rational thought. Wiping my nose with a box of nearby tissues, I began to look my self over. And what I saw shook me further.

A long, slender brown body covered in a layer of soft fur, ending in a tail with a white tuft. White arms ending in paws. A pair of muscular legs, starting in the same white as my arms, quickly fading into a soft yellow, with my paws having light pink pads on the soles of my feet.

However, in my time of panic, I had failed to notice a rather glaringly obvious revelation. And that was the sheer lack of anything between my legs. Scrambling, I begin feeling around the area for any evidence for my manhood remaining, only for a shiver to run up my spine, causing me to pale as a realization came over my body. Double-checking to make sure I didn't miss anything, what I assumed was true. I was no longer male.

Looking over my body again, this time with a more analytical eye, I notice additional observations.

A slimmer waist, wider hips and slightly larger chest. All were indicators for my apparent sex change. Couple all of these findings with my lighter voice, there was no possible way I could still be a guy. Looking around, my attention landed on a mirror on the bedside table. Grabbing it, I was surprised to find my scar in its original position. At least there was a silver lining.

My thought was interrupted when I heard a knocking at the door. Putting the mirror down, I called for whoever was behind the entrance to the room. Peeking into the room, Celestia wore an empathetic expression on her face as she entered with Luna not far behind.

Tapping my hoof against Aleksei's door, I slowly opened it, revealing a very dishevelled chimaera. Her eyes were bloodshot and dry and the fur around them was darkened and matted against her skin. All in all, she was a mess.

"How are you feeling?" Luna asked.

"I could be better." She said dejectedly. "I could be doing a lot better."

"Why don't you come with us for a walk?" I said after a moment of silence. "The Doctor said since you are in perfect health you'll be free to leave."

"I don't see why not." She replied with a shrug. "It'll only do me good."

Getting up from the bed, we finally got to see the long pair of strong, muscular legs she sported. The light pink pads on her feet twitched slightly as they were set down on the floor, clearly not ready for the surprisingly cold touch.

Walking out the door, we quickly came to the infirmary foyer and left, the paperwork having already been filled out. The pristine white of the infirmary made way for varying shades of purple and white, perfectly accented with a pleasant gold. The time spent wandering the vast halls were spent in silence, the only sound being the clopping of our hoofs and the soft pat of the Aleksei's paws while maids and butlers bowed and greeted us as they passed. But soon enough, we eventually arrived at the castles royal dining room.

"Why are we here?" I hear Aleksei ask

"Unexpected teleportation consumes a lot of energy, especially one as large as your own," I replied. "And what better way to restore that energy than with food."

Opening the doors, any chatter that may have been taking place was swiftly muted as all occupants shifted their eyes to us. Or more specifically: Aleksei. Stepping further in, I saw only the Element bearers were present as I had asked them, their eyes hinting me to all the questions they wanted to speak and yet they stayed silent. Heading straight to the head of the table, I quietly sat down, Luna following suit, sitting to my left.

Looking past her, I notice Aleksei was hesitant to sit, her gaze anxiously moving from here to there while she fidgeted with her paws.

"Please sit," I said, giving my most reassuring smile possible. "There is nothing to worry about."

Nodding slowly, she sat on a cushion near Luna, still fidgeting quietly. Turning to the six who patiently waited and addressed them directly.

"My little ponies, this is Aleksei Mikhail Maxime." I started. "She is going to be our guest for the foreseeable future."

There was yet another moment of pure silence, but one filled with a much more palpable sense of tension. Seeing this, I look to Luna who decided to act upon the noticeable awkwardness of the situation.

"Well, I do believe introductions are in order." She said. "As you know this is Aleksei."

Indicating her hoof to the individual in question, she gave a small, weak wave that gives Fluttershy a run for her bits.

Going around the table, the Elements of Harmony each introduced themselves in their own unique way, showing off their personalities in a rather short interaction to the nervous draconequus, relieving any apprehension there had been moments ago before butlers arrived with our meals. Minutes ticked by and the six ponies idly chatted amongst themselves, eating their meals as they did. Aleksei was, as I expected, very quiet, sitting at the sidelines eating her large plate of pancakes in a listening silence. Internally sighing, I decided to strike up a conversation.

"So Aleksei, tell me a bit about yourself," I said, absentmindedly nibbling on a piece of cake.

"What's to tell?" She said with a shrug then peered down to the remaining pancakes. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything that comes to mind really," I said. "What you do, who you are. I would just like to get to know you."

Taking a bite of another pancake, she clearly started thinking about what to say, the request being rather sudden and having caught her by surprise. After a while, she took a deep breath.

"My life is one of no magnificence. I had a good upbringing, my parents doing their best to provide for me." She said, a solemn smile crossing her lips. "I was an only child, so I had a really good relationship with both my mother and father. My mother did die when I was relatively young, but I was old enough to remember her."

"What was she like?" I asked, putting my plate down, fully engrossed in her words.

"She wasn't the smartest, but she made up for it in sheer friendliness." She smiled wider. "My father was the total opposite: incredibly smart, but very socially awkward."

"How do you fair?" I asked with a smile.

"Definitely my father's personality." She replied.

"So what did you do as a day job?" I ask a few moments later.

"A bit of everything really." She replied. "I was a handyman as you would call it, doing anything from plumbing to carpentry."

"Any hobbies?" I ask.

"I play the cello." She said simply, looking down and taking another bite of her pancakes.

The hour or so was spent with me, Luna and Aleksei just talking. Talking about anything that came to mind. And in that time I spent talking to her I learned a few things about her. She is, as I suspected, a gentle soul, one that is willing to do what is best for those around her, putting thoughts of herself in her addendum for a later date. That, and the fact she is usually optimistic, finding the best in any situation she can, though she is, however, realistic about it.

However, during the conversations we had, I could see her mind racing a million miles a minute, thoughts speeding through her mind in a whirlwind of contemplations. There was something about the way her face subtly twitched as these thoughts went through her mind that made me apprehensive. It could just be me being paranoid, but I decided to keep these thoughts in my head as the conversations continued to think about them later.

Eventually, all were finished with their meals, pleasantly full with the food they had eaten and left for their rooms with a happy goodbye.

"If you would please follow us, Aleksei," Luna said, standing from her cushion and making her way to the exit.

Following her, I and the aforementioned draconequus walked beside her as we traversed the winding corridors, we too with full and happy bellies.

"We had organised a private room for you not long after we left you," Luna explained. "We made sure you got the basic necessity's to make sure your stay is as comfortable as possible."

Continuing down the halls, the three of us walked in a more comfortable quiet, Aleksei taking in the sights the castle had to offer. Before long, we arrived at a singular dark oak door. There were no ornate designs it adorning it. There was no gold lining or accent that marked its frame. It was just a plain, unassuming oak door.

"This is where you will be staying until such a time you decide to move," I said. "We will leave you alone to come to terms with everything."

"If there is anything you need, don't be afraid to call for either me or Celestia," Luna added. "One of us will be available at any given time."

"Thank you," Aleksei said after a minute. "You have done more than enough for me."

Without another word, she turned and entered the room, softly closing the door behind her, leaving me and my sister in the otherwise empty hall. Peering at Luna to my side, I couldn't help but feel something was...off with the words she spoke, making the thoughts I had earlier flare even more than they had before and my sister seemed to share the same sentiment. Beneath the friendly, if a bit shy demeanour, was somepony who was very clearly lost, scared of the future ahead of them and confused about the life they unceremoniously found themselves thrown into. She may not show it, but we could see it in her eyes.

"It would seem we have our work cut out for us dear sister," Luna said softly.

"So it would seem," I said. "But we can't give up. We won't give up."

And with that we walked away, determined to right the wrong the universe made.

~~

Several hours have past and no word has come from the recently made chimaera and worry was beginning to set in. It was an irrational thought, a feeling in the pit of my stomach. At first, I disregarded it as me simply being tired and shook by the suddenness of events not long past and assumed they would pass soon. But as the mentioned hours ticked by and every maid or butler that was sent for the chimaera and no response had been made, the feeling persisted, becoming somewhat stronger as time went on. And Luna seemed to share these worrying thoughts.

"Sister. I feel something might be wrong." She said sitting on my bed having entered my chambers minutes prior. "I don't what it might be, but it is something."

"I feel the same, Luna," I replied, standing from my desk to face my sibling. "I feel we should check on our friend."

She seemed to catch on to my line of thinking and a look of perplexity overcame her features. Standing from my bed, she slowly walked towards me and a look of seriousness washed over her face, if still a bit confused

"You don't think these notions are related to Aleksei, do you?" She asked.

Walking to the exit, I briefly glanced behind me.

"I hope not."

Cantering as quickly as we could, we found ourselves in front of the door to Aleksei's assigned room in no time. Walking slowly towards it, I knocked it twice, before finding it ajar, the hinges squeaking as the door opened a small bit.

"Stay here," I said, again briefly glancing back, finding Luna nodding softly.

Opening the door fully, I walked in and closed it with my hind hoof behind me and what I found startled me. The room was a mess. The bedside tables were overturned with the surfaces cracked open, the drawers lay broken on the floor. The bed itself fared no better with the frame holding the canopy snapped and cracked. The desk, however, was by far the worst for wear. The entire frame was smashed, the floor littered in a minefield of splinters, the cupboards doors broken in twixt with the metal handle bent into an unrecognizable shape.

But that wasn't all. On the floor, near the fragmented mess that was once a desk, was a silver liquid that seemed to shine in the low sun. Kneeling, I got as close as I could without touching it and my nose picked a faint coppery scent to it and there was a fair bit of it, either laying in small droplets or tiny puddles. It was...blood.

Panic rose as I heard the sound of the shower running in the bathroom. Fearful, I hesitantly peered down to the floor and my face fell further at what I saw. A small trail leading to the bathroom door. Practically jumping to the door, I knocked loudly on the wooden obstruction.

"Aleksei! Aleksei are you in there?" I shouted over the sound of the shower in hopes she could hear me.

There was no response.

Knocking as hard as I could, the only slightly gave way as it had been locked from the inside. Without thinking, I turned around and lowered my front and braced my forelegs and delivered the most powerful buck I could muster. The door shattered off its hinges, the remains being sent flying as the door was destroyed. Turning back around, I rushed in and what I saw made my heart sink further than I thought possible.

There was blood everywhere, the same silver fluid as before caking the rim and walls of the tub. That was where Aleksei sat, a sharp razor in her grip, cutting deeply into the length of her arm, the water overhead cascading down her body, washing away the blood that poured from her arm and matting her fur. But before I could utter a single cry for her to stop, the wound healed in almost an instant, leaving nothing behind. Not even a scar. Her face contorted in an expression of agony and sorrow, the water melding with her tears, making it impossible to distinguish the two, as her body began to shake uncontrollably.

"Gods above! Aleksei!" I shouted.

Teleporting the razor away to a place of safekeeping, I immediately jumped into the large tub, wrapping my wing around the wailing soul, doing my utmost to alleviate what she was feeling, even if it was ultimately a futile endeavour.

"I just want to wake up from this nightmare!" She howled, each sob sending her body into a miniature fit.

She sunk into my hold as I rested my head on top of hers, trying to comfort her to the best of my ability. Hearing the door burst open, I shifted my eyes up and spotted Luna standing in the doorway to the bathroom, shocked at the revelation that lay before her, her face paling as the realization came over her. Tentatively walking forward, she followed my example and wrapped her wings around the draconequus.

This was a monumental step back, the period we believed she needed to adjust now became an unknowable time frame. The work for the task we needed to accomplish now doubling, if not more. The psychological impact of this event would have long and everlasting consequences. We really did have our work cut out for us.