I was dreaming.
Like near always, I was aware.
Aware of my breathes, my tingling skin, and my sluggish thoughts. There was something on the edge of said thoughts… A memory, nagging at me.
I opened my eyes, and was frustrated, but unsurprised to see the world only in bleary smears.
This was a dream, after all. In all my dreams, no matter how lucid, I had always seen the dream realm through a haze compared to my real eyes. Sometimes it abated slightly, but it was never crystal clear.
My fluttering lashes smeared the world around me further, but I was able to make out the sight of the ceiling above me.
At first it still seemed just like another blob of color, but my vision cleared somewhat, and revealed further details. It was something beautiful - wispy white puffs of cloud in a solidified form from what I could tell.
Now that I paid attention, was the cool, tingly feeling I felt along my back exactly what I imagined clouds would feel like, should they exist in such a state?
I shuddered slightly at the sensation. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was strange.
Studying the ceiling further, it really wasn’t much of one - more of a thin, filled-in halo above my head.
I reached out towards it.
To my surprise however, my hand wasn’t mine. In fact, it wasn’t a hand at all, but a paw. Such things sometimes happened in my dreams, but usually at my prompting.
I studied my new limb. It was coated with a short layer of dark, dark grey-indigo fur - nearly black. All except the small round paw pad - which sat in the center as a dark grey, and the tiny, light grey claws which protruded from the stubs of my digits.
It was strange, unusual, and alien. But also oddly familiar.
I spread my digits, watching how my four tiny fingers (including my thumb) flexed. It felt more and more natural the more I did it.
My left hand was also a paw - and wiggling my feet, I had a feeling my feet both were paws too.
Wanting to see, I pulled myself to my feet.
The motion wasn’t lagging like it normally did in my dreams - I moved swiftly. It was instinctive, even.
But I moved in a way I had never moved before. My feet shifted under me strangely.
It felt as though my feet had been sucked up towards my head? Or something like that. It was a feeling that was hard to describe. I just knew I felt different. Compact.
I stumbled slightly as I stood.
In front of me, a dark indigo orb with wings swung into focus, much clearer than expected.
I jerked, startled - more than I should be under the haze of dreams.
The orb’s bat-like wings spread wide, and I felt a strange wind at my back. My feet slipped from underneath me, the soft, spongy clouds kicked up into wisps. I fell on my butt, the orb in front of me doing much the same.
The wisps of clouds settled as I warily watched the orb in front of me. In my dreams, I instinctively felt danger, but I sensed none here.
As I calmed, I realized the orb in front of me wasn’t just any orb.
It was a Kirby.
Or at least something similar to whatever his species was.
Yes, it was a large, dark indigo puffball, about my size, blinking openly at me from where it sat on its rear, wings spread wide but slowly lowering.
How odd, usually I dreamed of either humans or animals - not fictional creatures.
Odder still was the gold frame surrounding it. My eyes traced the edge of it and I soon realized that this too was familiar.
It was the Dimensional Mirror from “Kirby and the Amazing Mirror”! The stars, the gold, the ornate wings which hung off of it - it was identical to every detailed model and artwork I’d seen.
Me and the puffball in the mirror both openly gaped. The mirror was dazzling, and gave off an… aura.
I stood up again. The puffball did the same.
Suddenly I realized exactly what that meant.
I looked at my paw again. Glancing up, I saw the puffball coyly doing the same.
I began to smile.
How interesting! I had dreamt I was something besides a human before, but it usually was a purposeful shift - one that took effort. This - in contrast - felt natural. It didn’t take effort at all.
The puffball’s cute little smile widened and I held back what was either a squeal or a giggle.
Yes this was very interesting! I didn’t want to wake up!
The puffball’s wings fluttered, and I was aware of the sensation of air flowing. My eyes widened.
I located the sensation, and carefully finding the right motions, I jerked a wing forward. The gust of wind nearly unbalanced me.
I didn’t care - I could fly! Flying was my favorite thing about dreaming. I was already imagining what I could do… What I could see…
Before I knew it, I found myself running in circles, giggling in pure, childlike glee and fluttering my wings.
I ran over the clouds, kicking it up as I went, laughing.
The sky was all around me, and it was pure and blue. There was nothing besides it, some clouds, and the far-away ground.
Taking a deep breath (that I didn’t need, since this was a dream) I leapt off the edge.
Instinctively, my wings spread open, the membranes between their bat-like fingers ballooning outward.
I flapped with a downwards thrust, and shot upwards. Quickly, I flapped again, and again, keeping up the pace. I soared upwards.
Then, I let myself fall.
Angling downwards, I let the far-away ground creep slightly closer, then opened my wings again. I tilted them, using the momentum to shoot back upwards. Turning, I spotted a cloud, and used it as my plaything, flying quick, agile circles around it as I began to beat my wings again.
It was both easier and harder than my previous flights - there was exhaustion quickly grabbing me, but a strange instinct that guided me.
Eventually I began to truly tire - a deeper exhaustion than I was used to from dreams. My wings burned.
Seeing the cloud which the Dimensional Mirror rested on, I decided to land there.
Swooping towards my goal, I began my descent.
However, instinctive as it was, some things do require experience - landings being among them. I quickly realized that I was coming in way too fast.
My realization was just a tad too late however.
I had the split second sight of a very startled looking puffball…
And then I crashed into the mirror.
———
As I tumbled, the blue, blue sky spun dizzily around me.
Nauseous and disoriented, I tried to wake up - as I could do so on command - but nothing happened, besides me widening teary eyes.
Confused, I tried desperately to flap my new limbs, but the wind buffeted me, preventing them from opening. I still struggled to open them, instinctive panic telling me I must.
I moaned as I fell, the clouds shooting past me and the ground below zooming to meet me.
Instinct told me landing would hurt, and I listened like I always did in my dreams. Some people never felt pain in their dreams, but I had always been able to, and I dreaded it.
The ground, green and vastly spread below me seemed to rush up as I plummeted, still spinning.
My panicked breaths were stolen by the wind.
Before I knew it, seconds blurred by and...
I hit the ground.
For a moment, I felt nothing.
Then, delayed shock hit me, reverberating through my small body. It took the form of blinding pain.
I probably bounced off the ground, considering that a second or so later, the pain renewed with a jolt as I landed again.
I tumbled across the ground, all sensation lost except for agony.
Even as my momentum halted, the pain didn’t abate.
My god, was this real? It felt real, despite all common sense.
I had never broken a bone before, but I imagined this is what it felt like - this paralyzing agony. It felt like I was dying, it hurt so much.
I writhed on the ground, flinching back whenever my wing so much as twitched, as I quickly found that that was where the pain was centered.
Eventually, time passed - an unknown amount - and I found myself exhausted and shivering, too weak to contort in pain.
This hurt. It hurt.
It hurt much more than anything I’d dreamed of, or experienced - even more than that one time I got cramps so bad I vomited all over myself and nearly fainted.
All I could do was shake and attempt to hold back the nausea.
I don’t know how long I laid there, vision swimming, wondering why I couldn’t wake up. The pain occasionally spiked and I had no choice but to quietly cry. Tears soaked my face.
Eventually I grew somewhat used to the pain - as much as anyone could get “used to” it - and fell into a daze.
“Shock” I remembered dully. That’s a thing.
I distantly registered the sound of footsteps, which crept ever closer.
The footsteps stopped with a gasp.
“By the moon and sun!” A female voice whispered. “What happened to this poor creature? Did it fall?”
My eyes - which I had not realized had closed - fluttered open.
There was another gasp.
“Oh! You’re alive? Oh my…” My eyesight was blurry but I could make out an odd figure, rosy-pink in appearance.
They came closer and I flinched.
“Shhh…” they hushed.
They gently took me in their large arms. I cried out, as even their feather-light embrace caused my wing to burn.
I fainted.
———
…
Was I dreaming? Again?
Well, that wasn’t too odd. I had had dreams inside dreams before, after all.
It was always disorienting, however, that weird haze.
I was aware of who I was and that I was dreaming, like in most dreams.
I drifted somewhere inside yet behind myself - my dream self.
I was walking amongst the crowd of people which frequented the comic con.
It was an expansive convention. It was different from the science fairs which I had previously visited, but not unpleasant, despite the even larger crowd.
From booth to booth I wandered, hand settled over my purse as I tried to judge which was worth my money. I had a bad habit of spending too much, so I had to choose carefully.
Countless baubles caught my eyes. Knickknacks, all made with a fan’s love - for both their fandom and their craft.
Some were so well made I was tempted to buy them, even without being in their fandoms. Some were less well made, but I was tempted nonetheless - because they were from my favorite fandoms.
Reluctantly turning away from a plush Froakie, a glinting light caught my eye.
Just four booths away, there was a quaint little stand. Amongst its treasures, it held a small, lifelike sword.
I walked closer to inspect it, struck by its familiarity.
It was a shimmering silver, with three sharp prongs jutting out like jagged teeth from each side. The guard to the blade held a simple but dazzling blue orb of a gem within its center.
It looked regal - dangerous.
It was the spitting image of Dark Meta Knight’s sword - one that had no name in canon, but which I called “Dark Galaxia”.
I stared at it. It was the size of my forearm and had been polished to a gleam. I longed to touch it, see if it was truly sharp.
The booth’s owner caught my attention with a mention of its name.
I looked up at them. I couldn’t discern their gender by their voice, nor their face, which was shadowed both by the tent above the booth and the pitch black cloak they wore.
I smiled.
Well, they fit the part - if one was to sell such a lovely and mysterious looking figurine, it pays to complete the atmosphere with a costume. I was just surprised it wasn’t Hyness’s getup, however.
I asked if it was real.
They said it was realer than anything else.
I asked if I was for sale, and if so, for how much.
I expected at least several hundred dollars, probably even a thousand or more, but to my surprise (even with as bad as I was with money), it was a flat one hundred dollars.
I blinked. Well, I often looked gift horses in the mouth, but this time, I threw caution to the wind. That sword looked too perfect, so even if it wasn’t “realer than anything”, it would still be lovely to collect.
I agreed to buy it, and exchanged money with the merchant.
Once I did so, I pondered how I was going to lug a small, super pointy sword around.
I suppose I’d have to go home early? Oh well, it was worth it!
Prepared to lift a heavy weight, I grabbed the hilt of Dark Galaxia.
The instant I did so I shattered into a million bits.
Hey, wasn’t this…?
A…
M
e
m
o
r
y
?
———
I ached all over.
Ow.
Something touched me.
Ow!
“Shhh, it’s ok!”
What? Was I awake? Why was I hurting?
OW!
“Hey! It’s ok!”
Something touched me, and something burned.
FUCK!
“Just have to...”
I realized one of my limbs was trapped.
It was trapped and someone was touching it and it hurt.
I lashed out with my free arms.
“Ow!” A voice shrieked near me.
It was satisfying, hearing their pain. See how they like it.
“D-darn, ok. Yes, I’m sorry, I’m sorry honey… I’m done now though!”
Their words didn’t register, I was distracted by pain and rage.
Hissing and spitting, I finally wrenched open my eyes as I stumbled upright. Only to fall back on my hands and knees(?) with a cry.
Moving burned, breathing burned, everything burned.
Tears sprung to my eyes without my say. Frustration brewed. I wanted to bite something, hurt something. Why was I hurting?
“Hey! Shhhh… take it easy! You’re hurt!” The voice called. My eyes snapped towards them.
A bleary blob took form as I growled at it, blinking away my tears.
To my surprise, the form was that of a pony. A rosy-pink pony with red hair and wide purple eyes.
“Shhh… it’s ok!” The pony said.
My rage gave way to shock as it suddenly all hit me.
I was a puffball.
I had a broken wing.
There was a talking pony.
And this wasn’t a dream.
I curled up my aching body, shivering and glaring at the pony. Please, please, please fuck off, I mentally begged, too overwhelmed for words.
I shook like a wet chihuahua even as the pony’s eyes softened.
They slowly backed away, wincing as they moved their bleeding forehooves across the wooden planks of the floor. At the moment, I felt no guilt for the scratches I gave them.
The pony cautiously opened the wood door behind them a crack - just enough to slip through - before closing it gently. It latched closed with the telltale click of a lock.
I stared at the door for a moment, then quickly darted my eyes around the room. Made entirely of wooden planks, and decorated with what looked like cat trees and hidey-holes, it instantly struck me as “cat lady”.
I was situated on a large, plush cat bed on the floor, in the corner of the large room. Next to the bed were bowls of water and food.
Near diagonal to me was the shut door, and next to it was a drawer. On the opposite side of the door, sat a box with a hole in it and a scratching post.
Injured and reeling, the hiding space called to me. I had always been catlike in that regard.
I carefully limped my way over to it. Each step hurt, but less than I expected, considering I fell from who knows how high up. But even then, it still hurt more than anything I had ever felt before.
I crept gingerly into the box, minding my bound wing as well as the sore, but intact one.
I slowly settled into the soft cushioning which was inside it, turning so I could peek outside.
I watched with wary and pained eyes as the sunlight crept across the floor from the window opposite the door.
I couldn’t even begin to digest the fact that this was real before I fell fitfully back asleep, utterly exhausted.
———
I woke up from my pained doze to the sound of a creaking door.
Was the pony back? They probably wanted to help me, but I just wanted to be left alone.
I shrunk back further into the depths of the hidey-hole, then shouted with pain as my forgotten but still injured wing brushed against its sides. Fuck, did that hurt, even barely brushing it!
Through my pain I made out the sound of a gasp, the click of the door, and rushed hoofsteps.
“Are you ok?” The same pony as before called.
“No!” I cried out, angry and hurting and scared because I could see their hooves right in front of me and they were huge and right there!
Me and the pony both froze.
Was… that me? Was that my voice?!
It was deep, growly and undeniably masculine. Totally unbefitting of my size, shape, or my biological sex.
It was the kind of voice that gave girls with weak spots for bad boys the shivers.
“Was… that you, little batty?” The pony hesitantly questioned. They sounded shaken.
“Yes?” I replied, in shock myself.
“Oh. Oh gosh!” The pony flustered as I processed the sound of my voice.
“I’m so sorry sir, I thought you were some injured animal, not a person!” I watched the hooves in front of me shuffle awkwardly away.
“Well, I'm most certainly a person!” I declared hotly.
The pony froze.
“Ah!!! I’m sorry Sir! Please forgive me!” The pony blurted, sounding as pink with embarrassment as their coat.
It took me a moment to register that.
“Oh, uh…” I squirmed inside the box, looking out and peeking up at the pony.
Indeed, there was a visible blush across their cheeks, and they were bowing(?!) in a sheepish manner.
“Hey, hey, I’m not royalty!” I couldn’t help blushing in return. “I, uh, forgive you, ok? Understandable mistake. I’m just a bit testy.” I had never had someone bow to me???
The pony blinked, and their posture loosened as they sat down. “Oh. Um, thank you.” Their blush intensified “And again, I’m so sorry about mistaking you for a non-sapient…”
I grimaced “Yeah, I did kinda growl at you, so I can see where you’d get that…” my own blush deepened as I remembered I did more than that, I’d scratched them!
“Um. Sorry ‘bout the… scratches.” I awkwardly continued.
“Oh! No, no, that’s no problem! I’ve gotten worse at work! You were in pain, it’s alright!” They exclaimed.
“Anyways, I’m Miss Heartful. Heartful Helper. I’m a pony nurse, but I volunteer at wildlife rescues, so I’ve had a little bit of experience with wings like yours, on bats at least. What exactly happened that left yours like this?” She asked, lowering her head to get a better look at me.
I shrunk slightly, seeing her large, open eyes up close. They were a deep purple with a kind shine. I felt guilty again for the scratches.
“I… fell.” I said lamely once her question had processed.
“Hmm. From how far? I noticed that you’re quite bruised under your fur.” Her eyes roamed over me.
“Um, I don’t know exactly, just that it was pretty high up… Cloud level, I think.”
“And you’re alive?!” Heartful boggled.
Oh. So it wasn’t normal even in My Little Pony(? I think that’s what this world was?) to fall from such a height and live. Good to know.
“Pardon…” she coughed politely. “Ah, I suppose it must be your species’s magic! Pegasi have a similar resistance to falls, though not to this extent… What species are you, may I ask?”
“Welllllll……” I drug out the word, fascinated by how it sounded in my new voice. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Heartful’s brow furrowed.
“Not really, no.” I bit my lip, wincing when my fangs nearly pierced it.
“Hmm… that is going to make treatment… difficult.” She bit her lip too.
Standing back up Heartful Helper began to pace across the floor and I watched as she trod over the rug in the center of the room.
“I won’t be able to procure the right medicine… or the right amounts of it…” she muttered. She continued to trot around in circles, murmuring more to herself than to me.
“Oh! We could go to the Academy!” She finally said after a minute or two.
“The Academy?” I prompted her, curious.
“The Royal Sisters Science Academy! If you don’t know your species, they likely will - they have information on all sorts of rare species.” She smiled happily at me.
I pursed my lips. “Uh… I don’t want to disappoint you, but I have the feeling that I’m the type of rare like “only-of-your-kind rare”... I’m not too sure they’ll find anything.”
“You’re that rare?” Heartful blinked, visibly assessing me. My free wing twitched.
“Well, even if you are that rare, we still might find something that could help heal you faster. The medical division there performs wonders!” She continued, only slightly dissuaded.
“Alright.” I agreed reluctantly. “As I tend to say, it’s better than nothing.”
“Good, good. I’ll send a letter to them tomorrow, it’s getting late. Until they reply, just rest and recover, ok?”
I nodded.
Turning, Heartful began to leave. “I’ll let you have your sleep, I’ll bring food in the morning - what do you eat?”
“Fruits, veggies, meat.” I replied.
“Alright.” She began to shut the door behind her, but paused and poked her head back out.
“By the way, what’s your name, Sir?” She asked, politely.
“...” I suddenly remembered the sword.
“Dark Meta Knight.” I answered.
Author's Note
Made some edits! Boy, has it been awhile….
Author's Note
tysm for the positive responses! I might not always update this fic, but I’ll keep your kind comments in mind when I do
Mornings
I dreamed again.
I could tell it was in one - because I was home.
The grassy fields, forested mountains, roaming rivers - all contrasted by the crowded towns nestled between them.
Well, it wasn’t quite accurate to real life - case in point, the larger size of my backyard. Instead of a simple patch of grass next to a small field of weeds, the weeds stretched and stretched for several blocks until they hit a river, exaggerating the wildness of my home.
Even more inaccurate to real life was the fact that the dream waters were home to countless crocodilians, when frankly, I was unsure if my state had them, and if it did, they probably didn’t live near me.
I noticed through the haze of dreams that I was human again. It was a dream though, and I could still fly, as long as I could flap my arms. Yes, flapping like a chicken, I easily fluttered up onto the roof of my house.
As always, I loved the sensation of flight, savoring it as I drew above my home and gently glided down. Once perched, I looked out at the wilderness which my dream home was situated in, and found my gaze drawn to the city in the distance, past the field, past the fictional river.
It was a quaint little city - more of a town, but still modern in its approach. It was home. At least, the dream version of it.
I breathed in - I could smell grass and flowers faintly, and distantly hear traffic, my senses still dimmed by the dream.
The sky was bright and blue, a few clouds dotting it with white. Said clouds wavered slightly, insignificant details to my dream.
I looked out upon it all, and even in the dream, it occurred to me that if what I’d experienced was real, I’d most likely never see this sight again.
I’d never run downstairs to the eastern windows to see the same sunrise, and later run back upstairs to see the same full moon within my window. I’d never explore the same forests and fields, picking flowers and edible fruits.
I looked down at what was now my paw.
I’d never see my family, my friends, my pets, or the places where those gone laid. Yet another chance to tell them “I love you” had slipped away.
I watched as the dream fuzzed around me.
The sky grew and grew above me, becoming unnaturally and impossibly wide and yawning. I started to fall upwards. Like a backwards shooting star, I began to rise, gaining speed. It was dizzying. Nauseous. Traumatic.
I tried desperately to stop, to go back, to dig my heels in, but I couldn’t even move and control of the dream was wrenched from me.
I hurtled up, up, and up. I watched with panic as I flew past the clouds and - quicker than possible - into the stars.
My eyes darted back down to the Earth as it drew away, then forwards again to see my trajectory. I was headed straight for the nearest celestial body - the moon.
I had the instinctive feeling it was going to hurt, and heeding it, I began to try to wake up.
The dream began to fuzz as I pushed through the barrier of sleep.
I watched as my blurred surroundings lightened, like I was approaching a light.
Suddenly, I slowed to a halt, cushioned by something before I could impact with the surface of the moon. However, by that time, I had already woken up too much.
I saw a flash of blue before everything turned white and...
———
I woke up.
I jolted slightly as I did so, unfortunately jostling my wing, which stung as it twitched in the cast casing it.
I hissed as the pains of my body suddenly hit my still sleepy mind. It took a moment or so for the pain to subside, but it did, for the most part. I exhaled with relief.
Squirming slightly in the box I still laid in, my body itself felt a good deal better than the previous day. I stretched my paws, still quite tender and bruised, but I felt well enough to move, as long as I kept my wing steady.
And I felt motivated to move, as I suddenly realized I was quite hungry. Very hungry, in fact.
Slowly worming my way out of the box and into the bright morning light, I squinted, and gave a large yawn. Then I sneezed, the light irritating me. It was a bit deeper and louder than I was used to, but still rather cute sounding.
Quickly, another sneeze came, with another large “Che!” I winced when they subsided. I got to my feet, carefully brushing myself off.
“Dark?” A voice shouted through the door. “Was that you?”
“Yes!” I called back to Heartful Helper. “Had a bit of a sneeze!”
“You’re ok?” She made sure.
“Yes, just a bit hungry though!” I said.
“Ah! That’s good, I’m preparing food right now!”
I waited antsily by the door. I kinda wanted to jump up at the doorknob and open it so I could rush into the kitchen and eat, but seeing as I was currently injured and had no clue where the kitchen actually was, I would have to wait. Oh well, Heartful said she’d bring it to me.
I just hoped it was something palatable - I was picky, and while I wouldn’t starve myself, I would vastly prefer something like… bacon maybe. Mmmmm, with syrup… oh! Or eggs! Scrambled and with cheese!
...I didn’t know how likely it would be that a pony would stock those, however.
Well, horses sometimes eat baby birds for protein, so maybe it’s just a “sometimes” food?
I was suddenly struck with the thought of Heartful Helper eating me. I grimaced. Stop that, brain! Bad! No thinking nasty thoughts! Why would she do that anyways, huh?!
I was thankfully distracted by a knock at the door.
“Dark? Are you still awake? I’m about to open the door.” Heartful’s voice came from just behind it.
“Yeah!” I confirmed.
The door began to open. My eyes widened as I awaited the sight of the (hopefully) delicious food.
“Ah!” Heartful shrieked as a brown blur shot out from the crack in the door. I jumped back, free wing flapping as it sped by and across the room. I caught a brief glimpse of a swiping tail before the creature leapt into a cat tree just under the window.
I heard Heartful briefly fumble with the dishes she was carrying, dropping a fork or a spoon to the ground, but thankfully not spilling anything. After a moment we had both collected ourselves (myself wincing yet again at my pained wing).
“I’m so sorry! Muffy usually uses this room, but I had her moved to another while you were staying in here.”
“Muffy?” I asked.
“She’s my cat - she’s a bit skittish.” She explained as she crept carefully through the door, a plate and a bowl balanced on her back, both filled with food.
“Ah, so that’s what that was…” I glanced over at the cat tree. Two green eyes stared at me, and sunk deeper into the cubby.
“I’m sorry about the fork… I’ll get a new one!” She said distractedly as she began to carefully deposit the dishes on the rug in front of me.
“Hey, it’s alright. I’ve eaten off of worse than floor forks!” I snorted.
Heartful looked up at me. “Alright… Ah, but anyways, I hope this is to your liking!”
As she got back up and turned to pick up the fork, I inspected the dishes.
The bowl was filled to the brim with hot, steamy oatmeal, topped with cinnamon and raspberries. Rather simple, but undoubtedly delicious, especially considering raspberries were one of my favorite fruits.
The plate held a large fish, cooked and also steaming. It didn’t appear to have any seasoning, but the flesh looked nice and tender.
“I didn’t know whether you could eat it raw or not, so I cooked it - I hope you don’t mind?” Heartful asked, seeing me look at the fish.
“Not at all! I could eat it raw, but I prefer it cooked.” I said. “Thank you so much for the food, by the way, it looks delicious.” I wasn’t lying, my mouth was watering.
“Oh! Thank you! I don’t have very much experience cooking meat, but I’ve made oatmeal so many times I feel I could do it in my sleep - and I’m not even that good!” She giggled as she handed me the floor fork.
I glanced between the fish and the oatmeal, unable to decide which to eat first. Eventually I decided on the fish.
It took a little bit of fumbling to get used to the fork in my new paws, but after a moment, I speared the fish’s tender meat on it. I blew on it a bit to cool it down, then took a bite.
It was a tad dry and had no seasoning, but it was for the most part, still yummy. Could do with some lemon on it, or pepper. But I finished it with relative ease, though I found myself still hungry.
Turning to the oatmeal, I took a spoonful of it, cooled it as well with a breath, and tried it.
The spice of the cinnamon, the sweet tartness of raspberries, and the earthy oatmeal… I had never had such a dish before, but this was delicious. Did Heartful make this every morning for breakfast? Because I could get used to this!
I mmm’ed in delight, catching Heartful’s attention from where she’d been sticking her hoof in the cat tree, stroking Muffy.
“I’m very glad you like the food, Dark.” She smiled.
I almost replied with my mouth full, but remembered just in time to swallow again. She seemed the polite type - didn’t want to offend her.
“Yes, it’s delicious. You have a talent for it.” I replied.
“Hmm? Oh, no, my talent is in healing!” Heartful took her hoof from the cat tree and pointed to her butt, which I quickly noticed had a pattern of a winged heart.
“Oh!” I exclaimed. So this was confirmation that I was indeed in My Little Pony, and presumably Equestria.
Shaking myself, I clarified. “No, no, I wasn’t speaking of… cutie marks, they’re called?”
“Yes, they’re called cutie marks. Pardon, but you’re familiar with this, correct?” She blinked at me.
“Well, yes, I've heard of it - but truth be told, I’ve….” I paused, setting down my spoon in the empty bowl. “Never actually met a pony?” Definitely true, though it implied I wasn’t as familiar with them as I was, considering I had seen a good deal of Friendship Is Magic.
“You’ve… never met a pony before? But, you’re in the middle of Equestria…” she tilted her head, sitting down in front of me.
I looked up at her as she asked me “How did you get here if you’ve never seen a pony before? Did you fly here? That’s an awfully long way…”
I fidgeted under her curious stare. I hated lying, but would telling the truth be even feasible here? ….Maybe a partial truth.
“I… not really? Well, kinda. Not a long distance!” I babbled.
Heartful silently frowned, clearly puzzled. She opened her mouth, about to respond.
“Wait,” I held up a paw. “Let me start over.” I took a breath. “I come from - as far-fetched as it might sound - a realm beyond a mirror.”
“A… mirror? Like… the one in my bedroom?” She leaned back.
“Not any mirror, really - more like the mirror.” I continued. My eyes darted across her face, searching for what she believed.
“The mirror?” She seemed skeptical.
“Ugh, well, I’ll have trouble proving it… it’s located kinda… high up.” I said, lamely.
“It’s… on a mountain?”
“No, it’s in the sky. Might be on a cloud, might not - I couldn’t tell, seeing as I…” I blushed. “Kinda fell from it. And then…. y’know, broke my wing.” My uninjured wing twitched
Heartful blinked. “That’s right, you fell from such a high place… You’re saying that’s because you fell from a mirror?”
I slouched. “You don’t believe me, do you?” I didn't exactly blame her, especially seeing as I wasn’t telling it in full.
Her eyes widened with a sudden “Eep!” She made a negative motion with her forehooves. “No! It’s just that I’ve never heard of mirror worlds or anything before now… I don’t doubt you’re saying what you believe, but it’s such a leap… are you sure?”
I stammered “I-I’m not concussed or anything! Or hallucinating, or misremembering!” Even if I had thought I was dreaming before.
“Ah!” She blushed “I apologize, but victims of such a fall can get… confused.”
“Well, you can check me, can’t you? See if something is wrong with me? Will you believe me then?” I pouted.
“I suppose if you have no signs of confusion or otherwise impairment then I will have to take your word for it.” She agreed.
Heartful Helper proceeded to quiz me on math to judge my mental faculties. Why oh why did it have to be math, though?
“I hate math.” I complained as I finished working through the last problem she gave me.
Her face twitched into a slight smile. “You sound like one of my friends.” She chuckled. “Anyways, you seem to mentally about you… let me check your eyes.”
Heartful gently took my body in her hooves, lifting me up to her eyeline and instructed me to keep my eyes open. She inspected me for a moment, then informed me I could blink.
“You don’t appear to have abnormal pupil dilation or eye movements,” she commented “At least not from what I can tell. Now, I’ll quickly examine your head for bruises. Is that alright?”
I grunted in assent and she set me down in her lap, carefully parting my fur to look at my bruised skin underneath. I twitched slightly at the odd sensation.
“Hmm.” She said, staring into my fur.
“What?” I asked, fighting the urge to turn and look at her.
“Ah, it’s just that these bruises are healing faster than I expected. That’s usually an indication that your species has a high magic potential. Do you happen to know any magic?” She asked me.
I remembered the various powers of Dark Meta Knight. “Not at the moment.” I finally said, after a pause. “I haven’t had anyone teach me, and I haven’t had much of a chance to learn for myself.” All true.
Soon Heartful was finished examining me.
“Well,” She said “You appear to be well, mentally and physically. If you’re able to balance, you should even be well enough to make the journey to the Academy within a few days. And… I suppose I believe you’re telling the truth.” She finally admitted.
My free wing fluttered. I squirmed away from Heartful's lap, and stood up. “That’s good! I’m sorry I can’t prove it at the moment, though.”
Heartful stood up as well when I was free. “I do have a pegasus friend who could check the area where I found you, if you wish? That might prove the mirror’s existence.”
“Oh!” I exclaimed. “Yeah, that’s a good idea!” I didn't tell her that I wasn’t sure if the mirror would still be there, considering it was a magic mirror which I knew very little about.
“Good, good! I’ll send a letter to her as well. Now, until lunch, please do your best to rest. Please shout if you need anything!” And with that, she opened the door and left again.
Seeing as I was already exhausted (as well as pleasantly full) I didn’t complain, simply walking back to the nice little cubby with the cushion in it and slipping inside.
My healing body coaxed me to sleep.
———
The rest of the day was fairly calm - I spent most of it sleeping, but didn’t have any dreams that I remembered. When I did wake up it was either to eat, stretch, or to (shyly) ask for the bathroom (for which I required help and was best not mentioned, especially in regards to what was in my metaphorical pants).
When I found myself awake and unable to sleep, I bothered Muffy, trying to gently coax the cat from her hidey holes.
I wasn’t very successful, but it kept me distracted.
Eventually, the moon rose in front of the window, it’s pale beams sweeping over the room. Heartful Helper came to say goodnight and refill the cat’s food and water while it’s young self peeked over the forest and mountains outside.
I fell asleep again as my tired eyes to a tired body watched the beautiful twinkling stars start to appear.
———
The next three days were spent much the same, with me resting, recovering, eating, and on occasions, attempting to play with Muffy, or reading.
I had felt well enough to leave Muffy’s room by the second day, and so I had requested the use of Heartful’s bookshelf. She’d looked amused by how excited I got when I saw it, my wing again fluttering happily, and a bright smile on my face.
I had discovered that thankfully, whatever language we were speaking also made sense to me in written form, so that was how I was most eager to spend my unoccupied time. I loved reading, after all.
Most of the books were of the medical variety, which while a bit complex for me, I did find interesting. Starting from what Heartful recommended to me as the more basic books, I tried to build up an understanding of the various magical creatures in this world and their biology.
Given that I was in the company of a pony nurse, the books went into the most detail about ponies, though it did touch on the basics of several other species, including griffins, dragons, and kirins.
There was a lot to learn from these books and I practically devoured the knowledge I was given. Some of the facts were so basic they basically summarized it in a few sentences (such as the fact that all ponies had magic, and what differentiated the tribes was their natural attunement to certain types, and the use of different body parts to channel said magic), while others delved into pages and pages of complexity which I struggled with (such as one book that went into detail about the effects of magic on aerodynamics).
The new world of science and magic opened up before me as I pondered exactly how everything fit together - both inside and outside the bodies of the ponies that inhabited this place.
Eventually, I had devoured enough books to piece together a bare basic understanding of biology as it was known to ponies, and stepped into the world of history. Frankly, I found it less interesting than biology, for the simple fact that I was atrocious with names and dates.
And indeed, more than half the names I read disappeared from my mind as soon as I set down the book, or even turned the page. Regardless, I did gather that - if this was going according to Friendship Is Magic canon - I was most definitely before Nightmare Moon, given that everything I read mentioned two alicorns, both equally real and present as of the last page in the books, with no mentions of a 1000 year dirtnap on the moon.
Asking Heartful Helper for the exact date, I found that - syncing up with the history books - it was roughly a century after Discord’s defeat. The 37th day of Spring, 102 A.D. (After Discord), enough time that Equestria was starting to blossom, according to the books.
That… was interesting. And a bit concerning. This meant I could change things, change the future - unless there was some magic destiny thing that would keep the status quo, that is.
If there wasn’t, what could I do, and what would it change? Could I prevent Nightmare Moon?
Ah, wasn’t this like the trolley question? Something about whether it’s more ethical to mess with something and cause harm, or neglect it and cause a different kind? I wasn’t much of a “planner” though, so perhaps it would be best to go with the flow? See where my heart takes me? Something like that.
Despite my attempts to ignore thoughts of the future, I found it difficult to go to sleep that night.
Still, on the fourth day in Heartful’s home, I was relatively well-rested and aware when morning came.
And with morning came a knock at the door.
I had felt well enough to sit at the table (well, on the table) and eat, so the sound was easily heard - the kitchen being quite near the front door - and I startled, nearly falling off the table if it weren’t for Heartful’s steadying hoof.
I quickly thanked her, then watched as she excused herself to let the person at the door in, saying “I suspect that’s my pegasus friend I mentioned.”
Heartful opened the door, smiling at the pony who stood outside.
They were a pale pink color - several shades lighter than Heartful - with a cyan and periwinkle striped mane, which had a rose weaved into it. Their curious eyes, which darted between Heartful and myself, were a rosy red.
“Hello Rosy!” Heartful greeted politely. “I’m glad you could come! You read my letter, correct?”
“Yep! That’s what I’m here for! I mean, it’s always nice to see you anyways, but I heard you have a job for me?” Their voice was husky and cheerful, like a sunflower.
“Yes, yes. This is Dark - he says he fell from a mirror in the sky - we need you to find it. And Dark, this is Rosy Leaf, she’s the sweetest.” Heartful smiled at the both of us.
“A mirror? In the sky? That sounds kinda cool! Bad for the birds though. I mean, can you imagine how many would hit it?” Rosy commented, wings adjusting.
“They’ll probably just go right through it.” I said with a laugh.
“Ah, I guess so - if you came from it!” She smiled back at me.
“Now, Rosy, would you like some breakfast?” Heartful asked. “I still have a bit of oatmeal left - I know you like that.”
“I do! I’d love to have some. Just a bit, though, I already ate.” Rosy bounced over to the kitchen, sitting down in a chair next to me.
We proceeded to have a pleasant breakfast chat as we polished off the last of the morning’s oatmeal.
Rosy brought up that she was a gardener and a florist. She lived a little bit away, towards the north of the small strip of forest west to Baltimare. Heartful’s house was located to the south of the forest. Since the forest wasn’t wild, it was safe to live in and around, so there were a couple of country-type ponies who lived there.
Each work morning, Heartful and other ponies who lived in the forest and worked in Baltimare would walk together to a nearby town, then take the train to the city. For the past few days, Heartful hadn’t joined them to go to work, seeing as she was taking care of me.
I frowned guiltily at that. I didn’t want to keep her from her job. Not only was it important, but seeing as nursing was her special talent, she also enjoyed it.
Sensing I was down, Rosy and Heartful both assured me that Heartful didn’t mind taking a few days off and she sometimes did as such when she worked at animal sanctuaries, so it wasn’t abnormal.
“Anyways, you’re healing at a rapid pace, so I should be able to leave you unaccompanied from today on. Seeing as me and Rosy are going to investigate the spot where you fell today.” Heartful explained.
I nodded. “Alright.” I said, slightly cheered. “I hope you won’t mind if I continue reading while you’re gone?”
“Of course not!” She smiled at me, her purple eyes compassionate. “Just make sure not to stay up reading again - you still need your rest.”
I blushed. Yes, that tended to be a habit of mine.
Breakfast was soon completed, and Rosy and Heartful washed and put away the dishes, seeing as I was way too short to help, coming up barely to their knees and unable to fly.
“Should we go now?” Rosy asked as Heartful helped me down from the table.
I thanked her and stretched with a slight yawn. “Ah, I’m tired and won’t be much company, so you might as well go now.” I giggled.
Rosy and Heartful said goodbye with a wave, leaving through the front door while I walked to Muffy’s room and settled down to nap.
I sleepily wondered if they would indeed find the Dimensional Mirror.
