Chapters Author's Note
Ok, so not gonna lie, unlike my other stories, which have at have some sort of road map, I'm gonna wing with this one and see just see what comes out of it
Please point out any mistakes I may have made
"Going, Going...Gone"
Waking with a loud groan, Aleksei sat up in his bed, the plump mattress and duvet doing nothing to help get rid of his grogginess. Clearing himself from the soft confides of his duvet, he ripped it off of his slowly waking body, getting up from his bed and lumbering to his bathroom. Splashing his face, he rapidly woke from the sudden chill as the cold water dripped down his face and off his thick Verdi styled light brown beard. Quickly brushing his teeth, he walked out of his bathroom and out of his bedroom, slowly traversing the short corridors and to the kitchen.
Grabbing a mug, he decided to forego the usual machine coffee, having instant coffee instead. Going into the cupboard, he noticed a lack of any foodstuffs, having eaten most of it the night prior. Checking another nearby cupboard, he also noticed a lack of alcohol. He didn't usually have much in the way of alcohol anyway, but what was there, was now pretty much gone. Would explain the headache and hazy memories.
"Must have been one hell of a party." He said to himself, his voice resonating in his throat, rubbing his eyes as grabbing what remained of a box of cereal. "Going to have to restock."
Quickly eating his breakfast, he made his way back to his room, coffee mug still in hand and changed into his normal clothes. A plaid red flannel and a plain pair of semi-baggy blue jeans. Checking himself in his mirror, he made sure everything was in place.
Aleksei wouldn't say he was the most attractive man to exist. He would say, however, he was far from the worst. He sported a lean body build as a result of helping his father around his shop. However, he was on the short side in terms of height, being only 5'5. The aforementioned thick beard hid a rather rounded face, something he, while not self-conscious about, was eager to hide.was self-conscious about, as he often got odd looks from any he walked past. All of this was topped off with his short, light brown hair, complementing his beard nicely.
Nodding in satisfaction, he was happy to find nothing out of place. Just like it always is.
Walking out of his room, he chugged the last of his coffee and put the mug in the kitchen sink, he grabbed his keys and exited his home, locking it behind him and jumped in his car.
The long journey through the empty winding roads was one filled with relative silence, as Aleksei was never one to have the radio on, always preferring the sound of the cars engine and the wheels rolling on the road. Eventually, after the better part of two hours, he made it to one of his 'local' stores, one that his father knew the owner of. Parking his car in one of the nearby parking lots and walked into the store, the owner greeting him wholeheartedly.
"Aleksei, my boy!" Igor said, the older man positively beaming. "How are you?"
"Fine. thank you." Aleksei said as he scanned the isles for the essentials, Igor's positive demeanour surprisingly rubbing off on him this early in the morning. "Where's the mincemeat again?"
"Isle 5," Igor replied. "Thought you'd know that by now."
"Well, considering your constantly changing the layout, I find it hard to keep track." Aleksei retorted with a smile.
"Fair enough."
No further words were exchanged between the two, Igor having to serve other customers and Aleksei perusing the isles collecting what he would need to do him for the week. Once done, he took the items to the till Igor quickly scanning them and placing them in a plain plastic bag. A few buttons were pressed and he turned to address the younger man.
"3701.03 Ruble's."
Pulling out his wallet, Aleksei quickly paid, collecting the bags and exiting the store, doing his best to wave bye and walked to his car. Much like the journey to the store, the one from was filled with equal silence and was equally as long. It, however, felt longer. As Aleksei turned around a sharp bend, a soft glimmer caught his eye. Slowing down to a crawl, he expected it to fade or just completely disappear as the road he was on came closer, thinking it was just the early morning sun reflecting off of something. But it did not. In fact, it seemed to get brighter and brighter as his car reached its limit on the road. Now, normally a person would just dismiss this and proceed home, however, seeing as the area Aleksei lived in was barren in way of events, this change in the scenery he knew like the back of his hand did more than catch his interest.
Parking his car, he slowly exited his vehicle, his eye fixed on the shimmering light like it would vanish if he were to take his eyes off it. Weaving through the forest that surrounded the road, he was thankful he brought his long shearling jacket, the wool innards protecting him from the otherwise biting cold. Eventually, the ground around him started to flatten out, and after a few moments, there was nothing but a flat sheet of white.
What he saw baffled him. There, sitting in the middle of the white clearing, was a bright light, hovering roughly four feet off the ground. A light bright enough to where he had to squint to be able to see but combined with the reflective white snow beneath it, he had to shield his eyes.
People that knew Aleksei would say he's always been an intelligent person, however, in this instance his mind wasn’t able to process what could be making the light appear. Looking around, there was nothing in the immediate area that could be producing light like this and there was nothing in the distance. Doing a quick circle around the light to make sure there was no source behind it, his face scrunched up upon discovering there wasn't. As he finished his lap, he ended back to where he had started and was even more befuddled. Every part of his brain was telling him it shouldn't be here. It simply shouldn't exist. And yet it was, floating in front of him. Almost tauntingly so.
Bringing his hand to his chin, he silently weighed his options.
He could leave it alone, get back home and just move on like it was never here.
Or...he could investigate.
As if there was any debate.
As he wasn't able to look directly at it, he reached his right hand out, still shielding his eyes with his left as to keep himself from going blind. He inched forward and felt nothing. So, figuring that he had miscalculated its distance, he reached further. But, again, nothing.
As he stopped, the light seemed to dim, just enough for him to be able to lower his hand. What he saw, made his heart drop. He was already elbowed deep.
Pulling with all his might, he tried desperately to withdraw his hand from the light but found it wouldn't budge. Not one inch. His arm was completely stuck, despite the lack of any grip he could feel. But just as he thought it couldn't get worse, the light started expanding, his body being slowly consumed.
He kept pulling and pulling in a vain attempt to escape the approaching illumination. As the light grew in size, so too did it's intensity. As more and more of his body was slowly engulfed, he tried his best to keep his head as far away as possible, but with no intention of stopping, it slid past his neck and Aleksei finally lost the battle of might, as it completely consumed him, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. His final words on earth being nothing more than screams of dread.
"Arrival and Introductions"
Luna's day had started like any other, her morning rituals having not once shifted since her return. It was a rather uniform routine, but one she was used to and one she was able to do without thinking too hard. However, it got monotonous very quickly.
Waking with a slight start, Luna let a long yawn past her lips as she stretched, spreading her large wings out eliciting a series of loud pops and cracks. Hopping out of bed, she clumsily trotted to her bathroom, turning on the hot water and grabbing her toothbrush. Once sure that she was clean, Luna stepped out of the tub and made her way to her vanity table. Casting a quick heat spell on her hair and spitting the remnants of her toothpaste as she passed the sink, she painfully combed the various knots out her hair, all while adorning her regalia.
Checking herself over, she was pleased to find everything in its proper place. Trotting out of her room, she merrily made her way to the castle's kitchen, eager to get her breakfast and start the day. Walking the numerous and winding corridors, her autopilot on full effect, she eventually found herself in front of the Dining Room doors. Opening the doors, she found Celestia inside alone as she did most mornings, her bright red hair held up in a neat bun. As she walked in, her sister seemed to notice her presence and smiled widely as she approached.
"Luna! Good to see your up." Celestia said. "Are you ready for the day?"
"About as ready as any other day" Luna replied, blowing a lock of her bright silver hair out her face. "Though I can't help but feel I'm forgetting something."
"Could it be the ceremony your forgetting?" Celestia suggested, sipping on a cup of strong coffee.
"Ah! That's what it is!" Luna said, a look of sudden realization overtaking her features. "It is good the Element Bearers are getting the recognition they deserve. But why now?"
"Yes, I agree. I think they more than earned it." Celestia said. "As for your question, their victory against Sombra was just a perfect excuse."
They continued in silence, the only sound accompanying them being that of the sound of crunching cereal. Once finished, the two sisters made their way to the throne room. The walk there was a long journey, taking roughly fifteen to twenty minutes to get to their destination and it was a journey, much like their breakfast, was filled with a comfortable silence. Finally, they eventually arrived in the empty throne room and took their seat on their respective throne.
"The Element Bearers should be here soon." Celestia.
As the minutes slowly past by, Luna couldn't shake the feeling something felt...off. It was a nagging thought in the back of her head, but she couldn't put a hoof to it. However, before she could voice her concerns, the large double doors opened, a lone guard entering, quickly striding up to the Dual Rulers.
"The Elements of Harmony are here to see you." He said. "Shall I send them in?"
"Please." Celestia requested.
As the guard walked out, the sense Luna had been feeling became more pronounced, now becoming a sensation in the pit of her stomach, an irrational awareness telling every muscle in her body to act. But much like before, as she was about to act upon this urge, the six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony walked through the massive double doors, interrupting the Lunar Matriarchs train of thought. Putting on a pleasant smile, Luna fought down the compulsion she had and greeted their guests.
"Greetings my friends!" Luna said with apparent blithe.
"You are probably wondering why we called you here," Celestia asked.
"I will admit, I was curious as to why," Twilight answered. "But I figured you had your reasons."
The rest of the group reciprocated the lavender unicorns answer, nodding their head or audibly giving accordance to the mare's words.
"Your triumph against Sombra deserves great honour, obviously," Celestia said. "And as you are aware, we will be holding a ceremony celebrating your success, as well as providing medals for your achievement."
"However, we wanted to take our time to personally congratulate you," Luna said. "As we will more than likely be unable to after the aforementioned ceremony."
"What you have done goes beyond what anypony could have expected of you," Luna said. "You have done a great...service...to..."
Luna's words trailed off, her thought process is quickly interrupted. The feeling was now at the forefront of her mind as she was unable to ignore it any longer. Her ears twitching in the direction to her right as her body began having a physical reaction. It was some sort of disturbance, a force that demanded their attention. Those present that possessed horns seemed to notice this as well, their own ears snapping to the bearing of this odd and sudden disturbance, while the others could do nothing but looked on in confusion.
The feeling kept getting stronger and stronger, now becoming a harsh migraine to those magically capable. When at its peak, the sound of a thunderous boom rang out in the throne room, causing all to cover their ears in a vain attempt to mitigate the noise. All of a sudden, the throne room windows came caving in, sending shards of decorative glass flying all around the room. It wasn't that, however, that caused them concern. But the unconscious body of a draconequus that came crashing into the hard marble floor, a sickening crunch sounding out as she skidded across the red carpet.
Rushing to the draconequus' side, they shouted for the guards instantly as soon as she hit one of the opposite pillars. Bursting through the door, it was clear that the only concern the golden clad ponies were only of that of their two rulers.
"Guards, get this draconequus to the infirmary, immediately!" Luna yelled, a slight ringing in her ears left behind by the boom.
Doing as she demanded, a unicorn stepped forward and with a pop, they vanished in a brief flash of light. Looking to the shattered windows, Celestia let out a sigh and looked back to the shaken ponies.
"I think the ceremony is going to have to be rescheduled."
~~
An hour quickly passed by since the sudden arrival of the draconequus and the Princesses, along with the Elements of Harmony were standing outside the infirmary doors, patiently waiting for the news on the condition of their newest arrival. The doors suddenly swung open, shaking the eight present out of their daydream and turned to the approaching unicorn Doctor.
"Doctor Bone," Celestia said. "How is she?"
"Our mystery chimaera had sustained quite a few injuries with her apparent crash landing." The Doctor replied, peering down at the medical report in his magical grasp. "Fractured radius and ulna and a few scratches and minor bruising. Nothing that we were unable to fix. She's otherwise in perfect condition, if still unconscious. Would you like to give a quick visit?"
"Please, if you wouldn't mind?" Luna asked.
"Right this way."
Following the Doctor, they weaved through long corridors, soon coming to a door numbered Ninety-eight and the Doctor turned to address eight behind him.
"She's just inside." He said. "Take the time you need. If you need anything, feel free to call us."
"Thank you," Celestia said before turning to enter the room.
On the other side of the room, near the large window, lay the soundly sleeping draconequus, the heart monitor and her slow but steady breathing being the only indication she was still alive.
Now that they were able to see the chimaera properly, they began taking in her appearance. She was far more uniform than any other draconequus they had encountered, not being a complete mess of combined animals, but still being somewhat of a mishmash.
A long brown feminine serpentine body, having more curves where they needed to be. The fur on her chest was more pronounced, sticking out a few inches at her upper chest and was the purest of white. In place of her arms were two white paws, presumably polar bear in origin. However, as she was covered by a soft duvet, they were unable to see her lower half.
But what caught their attention, was the large scar on her face. It started on the right side of her snout and continued under her left eye and stopped at about the opposite cheekbone, the fur missing where the thick line travelled, revealing light peach skin beneath. Her face was also very different from the chimaera they were so used to seeing. The brown fur quickly faded at the base of the neck into a dark navy blue. Her snout was rather square compared to most, with two fangs poking out under her top lip.
Her mane was light grey, with some darker streaks, that appeared to be a mohawk with only the left side shaven that flopped to the opposite side of her head and continued down the end of the tail in a white tuft wrapping around and ending several inches away from the tip. Unlike some draconequi, she was actually very attractive, as most held a more harsh appearance. But this one was more appealing to look at.
All in all, a rather attractive being by most standards.
Staring down at the still comatose draconequus, the two rulers couldn't help but wonder what had caused this or even the odd sensation they felt before. Could they be connected? If so, how? Questions like these were flowing through their heads when the younger Alicorn spoke, breaking the silence.
"Sister," Luna said, gaining the attention of all present. "Shall I visit her dreams? To check if she hasn't sustained any brain injuries."
"Good idea," Celestia said softly. "Perhaps we could get some answers. But be careful."
Nodding, Luna closed her eyes, the magic jingle sounding out as her horn was enveloped with her turquoise magic and with a slight pop, her mind was whisked off to the land of dreams.
~~
As Luna's eyes opened, the first thing she noticed was the sheer chill in the air around her, piercing her suitably thick coat of fur. Looking around her, she quickly noticed she was in a rather dense forest, a thick layer of snow-covered and stuck to the ground beneath her. A shiver racked her body as she slowly breathed to regulate her temperature. Stepping forward, she began her search for the draconequus who's dreams she now entered.
The search took longer than she expected, the forest had turned her around on several occasions. Eventually, she came to a clearing, a rather unassuming one at that, but as she walked past the tree line, the ambience around her seemed to change. Gone was the piercing cold, now making way for a warmth that put the Lunar Princess at ease, a smile making it's way to her muzzle. She was knocked out of her little trance when she heard the sounds of groaning.
Looking further into the clearing, her eyes landed a rather peculiar sight. On the other side, a being like she hasn't seen before lay on it's back. It was large, being on par with her sister in height and was broader to boot. It had no fur to speak of, a light peach skin is all it had, save for the short hair on its head and lower face. It wore clothing similar in style to casual ware some minotaurs chose to ware. A thick jacket, coming to the back of its knees, a plaid flannel, blue jeans and thick brown boots. And judging by its body shape, it was male
She was about to take a step when the being started moving. A small twitch turned into full movements as he moved his hands, at least that's what Luna assumed they are, to his face, giving it a slight rub. Twisting his body slightly, he placed his hands on the ground, seemingly unaffected by the cold snow, and pushed himself to his feet. Looking around, the creature had a confused look on his comparatively flat features.
"Это не может быть правильно." He whispered to himself.
The words he spoke were very foreign to the Princess's ears. She was familiar with most forms of language there was and yet she couldn't understand a single word this creature uttered.
Luna couldn't do anything but stare, unsure as to how to proceed. She was potentially dealing with a completely new species, one that she had never heard of, not even in her most fantastical dreams. But a question popped into her head: Why was this thing here and not the draconequus?
Automatically, she began thinking the worst, assuming the creature was responsible for the draconequus' current condition. Hastily storming into the middle of the clearing, Luna ignited her horn and lowered her posture to a more aggressive manner.
"What have you done with the chimaera beast!?" She shouted, catching the being off guard.
"гребаная сука!" He shouted, reeling from the sudden noise, falling onto his back as he held up his arms to protect himself. "Что ты за хуйня такая!?"
Using his long legs, he tried back-peddling in an attempt to further the distance between them, only to have Luna slowly close the distance, now only two metres were between them.
Now that Luna was able to see his face, she made a shocking discovery. On his face, starting on the bridge of its short nose, was a long scar, identical to the one worn by the chimaera. Connecting the dots, she realized, this being is the chimaera. Taking a tentative step, she began to slowly close the distance, cancelling the spell she had ready and sat down a few feet from the creature.
"Can you understand me?" She asked as softly as she could as to not startle the being further.
A few moments past with him simply staring at her, the same expression of fear clear on his face, his body shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. Swallowing deeply, it nodded his head slowly.
"Do you know where you are?" She asked.
"Sortavala. Near the border of Finland." He said concisely, a strange accent clear as day in his words, which were spoken comprehensively despite it.
Luna racked her brain as quickly and as hard as she could. Here lay a creature, unlike any she's ever seen, believing itself to be somewhere which it clearly isn't. The only possibility she could think of was that it was transported here, but the question was: How?
"What is the last thing you remember?"
"I was...in this clearing and there was a strange light about in the middle, just over there." He said, pointing over Luna's shoulder. "I went to investigate and touch the light. I got my hand stuck inside it and it expanded to the point I was entirely absorbed. Then I woke here."
Luna listened intently, noting everything he described in a mental notebook. Sighing, the Princess prepared to relay the news to the being in front of her, knowing what it was that he described.
"Then I regret to be the one to inform you." She said slowly. "You are not where you think you are. You are in a land called Equestria, unconscious in a hospital bed from your arrival here."
The creature looked at her like she had grown a second head. It was a response she had expected.
"How?" He asked simply.
"I have an idea, however, I feel it best to explain it to you when you awaken." She replied. "It would help for the information to sink in better."
"это чертовски смешно!" He shouted, slamming his hands into the snow beneath him and quickly rose to his feet. "How do I even know this isn't just an elaborate dream, and even in the small chance this is all real, how do I know I can trust you!?"
Luna sat there, waiting for the being to stop his rambling, trying her best to keep the same calm expression, hoping it would put him at ease.
"I can't make you trust me. That's on you." She replied. "As for proof, I can wake you, if you would like?"
The being stood for a few moments, his face twitching every so often, his breathing going from erratic to steady in a matter of seconds.
"Ok." He whispered.
Nodding, the Princess closed her eyes and ignited her horn and charged her spell for a couple of seconds, before releasing it, the world around darkening, bringing her back to the world of reality.
~~
Opening her eyes, Luna was back in the hospital room, the chimaera soundly sleeping in her bed, masking true emotions she...he...they were properly feeling. Confusion, anger and fear. How they were going to react, she wasn't sure.
"Luna?" She heard a voice say, shaking her from her thought.
It was Celestia. She had a look of concern, as did the others in the room. They more than likely saw the furrowed brow she sported.
"Well?" Celestia urged. "What did you find out?"
Luna hesitated a bit. Not because she was unsure of what she found, but because of the implications it came with. Not for them, but for him.
"I...uh...it." Luna stuttered.
"Luna." Her sister said softly. "Is she dangerous?"
"No." Of that she was certain. "Just...confused. Let me explain from the start."
For the next fifteen minutes, Luna explained her experience from when she first woke in their dreams to when she came back to reality, giving even the smallest of details, making sure she didn't miss a thing. Once she was done, the group beside her were positively dumbfounded, unsure as to process the information.
"So whatever he is, he is scared and confused." Luna finished. "So we need to take this slowly."
"I agree," Celestia said and turned to the six ponies to her side. "Girls, I believe that it would be best for you to leave. We don't want to stress him out more than he already is."
"But-" Twilight started.
"No," Celestia interjected. "We need to ease him in slowly and being surrounded will more than likely cause negative effects that we don't want."
"The Princess is right Twi." Rainbow Dash said. "She does have a point."
"I fully agree." Applejack chimed in. "I suggest we go to the common room near our rooms."
With the rest of the group in concurrence, Twilight nodded and left with the rest of the girls, leaving the two Princesses alone with the draconequus. Looking at her younger sister, Celestia smiled at her, a proud expression belying the nervousness they both had.
"Can you wake him?" She asked.
"I can."
With that, Luna charged another spell, the jingle filling the silent room. As she cast the spell, a small wisp of dark turquoise filtered out of her horn and into the forehead of the sleeping chimaera and the sisters mentally prepared themselves for what would come.
The chimaera's eye slowly fluttered open, a soft groan escaping her lips as she brought a paw up to shield her face from the light of the room. But any discomfort was rapidly washed away as her eyes set themselves on the white paw in front of her face. Sitting up, eyes wide open, she looked between both of her arms, slowly inspecting them as she quietly muttered to herself.
"Значит, это был не сон." She stated sombrely, letting her arms flop to the bed with a light, muffled thud.
The first thing Celestia noticed was the accent she possessed. Like Luna had said, it was unusual, unique and was vastly different to anything she had heard before. But there was something about it that made it sound...pleasant. Most draconequi they had come into contact with had much more rough or gruff voices that ground on most ears. But her was satisfying to theirs, an almost angelic tone that made the Princesses muscles relax as she started speaking.
Looking around, her gaze quickly landed on the duo a metre from her bed, a welcoming smile on both of their faces. She instantly recognised the Lunar Matriarch and sighed.
"So it was real." She whispered. "There's no way this could be a dream."
Stepping forward, Celestia tried to put on a welcoming smile, trying her best to be as friendly as possible. It seemed to work, much to the Solar Princesses surprise, as her body seemed to relax, letting go of most of the tension it had, but it wasn't gone completely.
"Greetings." She said. "I am Celestia. How are you feeling?"
"Well, I still have a pulse, so that something." She replied.
That got Celestia to chuckle. Humour. Good. It can be an excellent coping mechanism. She may need it. Stepping up beside her sister, Luna held the same expression as her older counterpart, but it had a slight blend of regret.
"I am Luna." She said, speaking in the same soft tone she had when she first encountered the being. "I don't believe I got your name."
She hesitated a bit before she spoke, clearly still trying to wrap her head around what was happening, the confusion and fear she had since she woke still permeating her oddly coloured eyes.
"You have nothing to fear," Celestia reassured. "I know this is all very new and distressing. But I can assure you, you have nothing to fear here. We're here to help."
"I am Aleksei Mikhail Maxime." She said after a few moments.
The Princesses smiles widened. This was a step in the right direction. All they needed to do was gain the trust of this chimaera and help her in this world in any way they could. Easier said than done. But they were determined to help. They would stop at nothing to help this lost soul. They will accomplish this. It will take a while, but it will be done.
"Well Aleksei, allow me to be the first to welcome you to Equestria."
Author's Note
well, that escalated quickly
Please point out any mistakes I may have made
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
"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.
