Phantom Wings

by Gusto Starstorm

Rating: teen
Tags: Equestria Girls, Indigo Zap, Profanity, Lemon Zest, Twilight Sparkle (EqG), Slice of Life, Alternate Universe, Human, Shadowbolts (EqG), Sad, Drama, Original Character
Length: 7384

The tale of a girl who desperately wished to fly, but lacked the wings to do so.

After a while, she got good at hiding it, but that didn't mean it went away.

Ever since she'd been found, something had been off. Like she didn't belong. No amount of achievements changed it, and no amount of confidence smothered it. She'd look to the sky, and yearn to be there. She'd see a cloud and reach out to it, wishing she could feel it, wishing she could move it. The itch between her shoulder blades would flare up at the worst times, and in her dreams, she would see memories of a life not lived.

No matter what, it was beyond her to escape, and at the same time, part of her felt like escaping it would leave her empty inside.

This is the story of Indigo Zap, the girl who yearned to fly.

But how does one fly with nothing but phantom wings?

Published 2022-07-18 09:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2022-08-08 17:26:22 UTC

Prologue

The black of night greeted a lone filly as she awoke from her bout of unconsciousness. Everything was blurry initially, no sight nor sound able to pierce through her delirium. Her breathing was slow and heavy, as whatever had hit her left its mark. It took a couple minutes of laying still combined with slow even breaths for her to regain enough composure to get back up.

Sense of touch returned to her first, the coarse dirt and grass beneath her indicating she’d landed on solid ground. But something about it felt off. She didn’t know the words to explain it, but it was like some parts of her were… exposed, while others were covered.

“Ugh… wha’ happened?” she asked, raising a hoof to her forehead to try and quell the throbbing. But the moment she did, any and all sense of calm was lost.

Something was wrong, and the poor filly could feel it.

A rush of panic ran through her system as she scrambled to get back to her feet, the cold wind biting against the exposed parts of her body. It took a few seconds, but she did make it back to standing. Or at least, what she was used to considering ‘standing’.

Her back legs felt too long.

She couldn’t feel her tail.

She couldn’t feel her wings!

Looking for a mirror or something similar as soon as her vision had sufficiently focused, the filly ‘walked’ as best her odd proportions allowed. There was a lake nearby. Surely, she could use that to help set her mind at ease.

Or so she thought. Every step was awkward and uncoordinated, the difference in her limbs becoming too much to ignore. And her hooves, they felt… wrong. Like they weren’t the solid pieces she was so used to having and using daily. Six short years of muscle memory told her it was unnatural, and yet, she had to keep doing it, lest she never get an answer.

“It’s okay… it’s okay…” she said to herself, using every ounce of her willpower to try and keep the feelings of dread down. “Just get to the water. It’ll be okay.”

Slowly, far too slowly to quell the growing pit in her stomach, she made it to the water, the light of the moon above illuminating the reflective surface, and granting her a perfect view of her body. Or at least, what should have been her body.

The feeling in her stomach was right. Something was very wrong...

Looking back at her was a creature so familiar, yet so alien. No fur on her body, replaced instead with bare skin the same color as her coat, and a set of dirtied clothes, tarnished with brown and red. Gone were her hooves, replaced instead with a strange, claw-like appendage, ending in five spindly digits. And her face… oh her face.

She barely even took in the not insubstantial differences, as the first thing that stuck out to her was not the smaller muzzle or the placement of her ears.

The first thing to stand out was the immense amount of red, nearly covering half her face.

Panic and lightheadedness hit in equal measure, as the ‘filly’s’ eyes desperately darted from side to side, searching for any sign of what happened to her, or any sign of where anypony else was. Nothing, immediately, and with a foggy mind working against her, the options seemed thin.

So, she did the only thing she could truly think of.

“MOMMY!”

She screamed as loud as her little voice would let her, actually hurting her throat with the sheer volume of it. But she did not care. When silence was the only answer received, the fear within her doubled, and once again, she screamed.

“DADDY!”

Nothing…

“LIGHTNING DUST!”

Not a noise, beyond the birds spooked away…

“SOMEPONY! ANYPONY!”

Her voice was hoarse, and her throat couldn’t take much more. Tears stung at her eyes, as she heard no hoofbeats, not a single wingbeat on the wind, or anything of the sort. With no leads as to where she was or why she was there, the only thing left that she could do was cry. And really, why shouldn’t see?

With small, convulsing sobs, the filly curled herself up, closing her eyes and trying to block out the world around her. No telling how long she sat there, wallowing in her own loneliness and fear. It could have been minutes, or it could have been hours, and it still wouldn’t have mattered. She didn’t want to see this place, or this body. She wanted to be rid of it.

She wanted to go home...

“Hello?”

One little word, and her attention had returned to reality. Opening her eyes despite the tears still falling, the filly sat back up and scanned the surrounding area. It was a small hope, but hope nonetheless. Maybe it was a pony that knew what was going on, or who could help her find her way back to Ponyville.

The crunching of leaves behind her signified that her savior was close by, and with all the speed her tiny body could muster, she spun around.

But just like before, that hope was dashed, as the owner of the voice was revealed to her.

She wasn’t a pony.

She was another one of these strange… things the filly had woken up as. A tall, ebony-skinned woman with orange-and-white hair, looking at her with deep blue eyes. Eyes laced with concern, which only made her feel worse, as the only ponies who she wanted to see, who were probably worried sick about her, were nowhere to be found.

And so, she hung her head low, and began to cry again.

“Hey now,” the creature said softly, approaching. “Are you okay, little girl?”

“NO!” the ‘girl’ answered in between sobs. “You’re not them!”

“Not who?”

“My mommy and daddy! My sister! I want ‘em back! I wanna go home!!”

The older woman’s breath hitched in her throat as she heard that, looking to the bloodied girl before her. An image formed in her mind, the apparent trauma the girl had been through telling a story all by itself. She couldn’t just leave a crying child in pain like this, and it was clear she needed immediate medical attention.

So, the woman did what first came to mind. Picking up the poor, confused girl and cradling her close, she offered what comfort she could.

“Shh… it’s okay, sweetie,” she consoled, like a mother to her daughter. “It’s going to be okay.”

The little girl sniffled. “N-no it’s not…”

“Oh, please don’t talk like that, little one. Things might look bad, but we’re going to make sure you’re okay. I promise.”

A downtrodden expression and dead silence was the only answer she got, and so, she embraced the child, who continued to sob into her chest. Blood, dirt, and tears stained her blouse, but she did not care, so long as she could help.

“Social?”

Turning her attention back, Social Butterfly was greeted with the sight of her husband, Soft Sell. The green skinned, silver haired man looked to her, golden eyes laced with worry as he saw the battered child.

“Soft, start the car,” Social explained. “We need to get this girl to the hospital, pronto.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” he answered. “Bring her to the driveway, I’ll be waiting.”

Social nodded, and began her trek back to their house, the still sobbing child in her grasp.

“I know it must hurt, sweetie, but you don’t have to worry. We’re going to make it all feel better.”

The girl shook her head. “Y-you can’t. I-I wanna go home. I w-want my mommy. I want m-my sister.”

“And we’ll try to find them and get you back home. But for right now, you need a doctor. So, I need you to be a brave little girl, okay? Can you do that for me?”

The child said nothing, only offering a weak nod. Barely noticeable, but it was at least something.

“Now, tell me, what’s your name, sweetie?”

“… I-Indigo. I’m Indigo Zap.”

“Well Indigo, there’s a hospital nearby, and we’re going to get your booboos taken care of. Trust me, you’ll feel a lot better when we’re done.”

Despite the haze her mind was still going through, the words registered in Indigo’s thoughts.

Hospital.

Hospitals were a good place. Mommy had said they took care of her when her wing was messed up. They could make the hurt go away. Hospitals also meant doctors, and doctors were smart. They could tell Indigo what she was, and maybe how to fix it.

After what felt like an eternity, the frightened filly was greeted with the sight most unfamiliar. Kind of like a strange mix of a wagon and a train, colored a bright yellow, with lights flashing in their direction. Social’s pace quickened upon seeing it, and before Indigo got to really take in the details, a door was opened, and she was gently placed in the seat. Comfort overtook her and battled the unease as the plush material met what little exposed skin was on her legs, and a warm breeze blew in her face.

Next to her, Social sat down, wrapping a seat belt around Indigo, and leaning the filly’s head against her body.

With a rumbling noise resembling a beast waking up, the strange wagon-train thing came to life, and the three were moving. Fear crept into Indigo’s young mind, glancing at the concerned woman next to her. They promised they’d get her help, that much she knew. But what kind of help? Would her doctor be a unicorn? Maybe they knew some magic to turn her back? Or did they just mean cleaning off all the blood and giving her bandages?

Whatever it was, Indigo Zap would find out when they got there. Still though, how long would that be?

“C-can this thing go faster?” Indigo asked, trying to hide her nerves.

“Of course it can,” Soft Sell answered her, his voice gentle, yet confident. “It’s not called a ‘Muscle Car’ for nothing.”

The ‘Muscle Car’ let out another loud roar, and the pace with which their surroundings changed quickened. It would have almost left Indigo in awe, if it weren’t for the fact that she was still reeling from this whole thing.

Still though, she tried to think happy thoughts, to keep the darker ones down.

It would be okay.

When they got to the hospital, the doctors would know what to do. They’d be able to turn her back into a pegasus, and they’d know how to get her back to Ponyville. When she got there, her family would be waiting. She’d see Mommy and Daddy again, and Lightning Dust would be so happy. It would be like nothing ever happened.

It would be okay.

… Right?

Author's Note

Okay, it is like 6 AM where I am in the world when I'm posting this, but dammit, I think it's time. I've been thinking long and hard on the AU I wanted to do with Indigo Zap and the others, and I even got a piece of cover art commissioned for this first one, so no better time than the present.

Now, obviously, this does take inspiration from my previous work Obsession, but since that was a one-shot, it won't nearly be as fleshed out as the full version will be. But for now, I offer a prologue, designed to set the scenario up, as well as give an introduction to this Indigo Zap. It's going to take quite a bit to get her from Point A to Point B, so I hope you all enjoy the journey there.

Until next time! For now, Gusto sleeps!

1 - A Story Told

It was not going to be alright.

The dull gray walls of her hospital room felt like they were closing in on Indigo. She’d been stuck here for a day and a half or so. The only break from the monotony had been when she slept, when they had to do all those ‘tests’, and when she went to the bathroom. After getting her cleaned up of blood and into a fresh hospital gown, she’d been simply told to rest and regain her strength, which was certainly easier said than done.

Indigo’s whole body still ached like crazy, and the bandages were a bit uncomfortable. To make matters worse, the doctors gave her a weird look when she walked the way that was natural to her. Apparently, whatever new form she was walked upright, on the two back legs, and called the forelegs ‘arms’, ending in ‘hands’ meant for grasping things. So over the course of the last 24 hours, she’d had to figure that out on the fly, resulting in her falling more than once, and fumbling to grab her utensils when given food.

Worse still, when given food, she was horrified to find cooked flesh on the plate. The nurses took a step back as Indigo screamed at that. They seemed baffled at the notion that she didn’t want to eat another animal. One even asked if she’d never eaten meat before, to which she received a mildly perplexed look upon answering no. They tried to accommodate her, but she was approached with a bit of hesitance from then on. Not a day here, and it seemed she was already getting into trouble.

And as if all that wasn’t enough, while here, not a single pony of any kind had been sighted.

Part of her wanted to ask, but the doctors had been a bit too busy with… whatever it was they were doing. Now, she was waiting for them to return, the suspense being far too much for her. Being stuck here sounded like a nightmare. What if she never saw Lightning Dust again? What if she never saw her Mommy or Daddy again?

Worse still, what if the doctors couldn’t turn her back?

That thought had crossed her mind many times on the way here, but she’d been too scared to tell the adults. So, instead she kept silent, focusing more on staying awake than anything. Now that she was in a safe place recovering, however, this same doubt started to creep back up. Worries about being stuck as this weird creature invaded her mind, further compounded by the thought of her family not recognizing her, even if Indigo ever found them.

… When she found them. Nothing would be gained from doubting she would.

Nothing at all…

The door opened, and in walked Social Butterfly, Soft Sell, and her doctor, whom she couldn’t recall the name of.

“Hello Indigo,” Social said, the smile on her face doing little to hide her concern. “How are you feeling?”

“... I hate it here,” Indigo blurted out. “I just wanna get fixed up and go home.”

“Well, that’s what the doctor is here for,” Soft Sell told her. “He just got done with your tests, so they can start helping you.”

Upon hearing that, Indigo’s expression instantly brightened, turning to the doctor and waiting with bated breath.

“Right, well, I suppose I’ll get right to it then,” he said, opening a small portfolio. “Now, you said you found little Indigo Zap here in the forests behind your house, with lacerations and in great pain, correct?”

Soft Sell nodded. “That was only a few minutes before the storm started last night.”

“Right. And did she tell you anything about what she remembered?”

“Afraid not. She was pretty quiet for the whole ride.”

It was the doctor’s turn to nod, which got Indigo nervous. Should she have said something? She was pretty spacey yesterday, and still wasn’t feeling the best today. Maybe if she had spoken up, the doctors could have helped her quicker.

“Well, the test results came back, and it’s not pretty. There’s some external damage consistent with blunt force trauma. We also found some internal damage and bleeding consistent with lightning damage. We’re monitoring her heart rate very closely because of that.”

Indigo stiffened a little in her bed, remembering the last feeling before she fell unconscious, and awoke as this strange thing. Suddenly, it clicked, most of the pieces fitting perfectly together.

“I did get hit by lightning!” she exclaimed. “Right on my left wing!”

A collective silence enveloped the room, as the girl looked to her doctor with hopeful eyes. Doctors were smart, so maybe they knew something about lightning that she didn’t. Maybe there were lightning bolts out there that could turn ponies into other things, and that’s why she was like this.

Or maybe she was just fooling herself. But still, it was worth a shot, right?

“Wings, you say?” the doctor asked tentatively. “Indigo, do you think you could tell me what you remember from before you got hurt?”

The pegasus nodded. “Well… I was playing with this really nice filly Applejack on a farm in Ponyville. It was getting late, and there was a storm that was supposed to happen. She said I could stay there, but… my sister said I need to be more confident. So I tried to fly home on my own.”

She hesitated for a second, feeling the confusion being leveled at her words. Indigo had never been good at talking, and it didn’t help when others were staring at her. Oh, how she wished Lightning Dust were here right now. She’d know what to say.

‘No! Be confident, you dummy!’ she reminded herself. ‘If you don’t tell ‘em, they can’t help you get back to Mommy and Daddy!’

“I-I know it was a stupid idea, but I thought I could do it! But the winds were really strong, and while I was trying to fight them, I felt something hit me in the back. And it hurt a lot. I started falling, and… I don’t really remember what happened after. I just know I woke up as this weird… thing, and I don’t know where my family is. I don’t know how far I am from Ponyville or anything.”

“... Are you saying that this isn’t what you normally look like?” the doctor questioned, his eyebrows furrowing at her words.

Even still, Indigo nodded, despite her courage faltering. She had to be strong.

“I’m not… whatever you are,” she explained. “I’m a pegasus. A pony. And so are my Mommy and Daddy, and my sister Lightning Dust. We’re from Equestria.”

“Equestria, you say?”

“Uh huh. I was… kinda hoping my doctor would be a unicorn. They’ve got magic and stuff, so they could help me.”

“I’m so sorry sweetie, but we don’t have any unicorns working in this office.”

“Y-... You don’t?” she asked quietly, heart sinking at the news.

The doctor shook his head, offering a consoling smile. “Afraid none have asked to work here. Guess they find us humans a little scary.”

That got a giggle out of the filly, who couldn’t help but agree.

“Yeah, ‘hoomans’ are pretty weird looking,” she said, the first smile on her face since the conversation started. “But you can find a unicorn, right? I really want my wings back.”

“We’ll try our best, Indigo. And we’ll try to notify your family as well. Can you tell me your mommy and daddy’s names?”

“Daddy’s named Star Mapper, and Mommy is Maiden Voyage.”

The doctor nodded. “Thank you. We’ll do everything we can. But for now, is there anything you’d like that we can get you?”

She thought for only a moment, her sweet tooth winning out in the end.

“Could I get some more of that ‘Jell-O’ stuff?”

Once the adults had left the room and were a sufficient distance away, the girl was on Soft Sell’s mind to an extreme degree. Everything she said stuck with him, though not in a good way. Far from it in fact, all of the strange declarations making him wonder just what was going on in her head.

And from the look on the doctor’s face, he either felt the same, or had an answer.

“So, I didn’t mishear her, right, Dr. Goodvibes?” Soft asked. “She honestly said she’s a pony?”

“We’d both have to be hallucinating if that were the case,” Goodvibes answered. “Unfortunately, it seems like one of my main concerns was right. You remember how I said that her tests were consistent with lightning injuries?”

“Yeah?” questioned Social, holding her husband’s hand in worry.

“Well, those who’ve survived lightning injuries can sometimes suffer from cognitive issues. And alongside what you’ve just heard, there have been many.”

“Like?”

“Well… her motor skills are next to nonexistent. She’s been struggling to walk and to even grab things, many of the nurses have told me. A few hours before you showed up, I showed her a book, and she even struggled to do something as simple as turn the pages. It’s like she’s never used her hands before.”

Silence was the only answer Goodvibes received, as Soft Sell absorbed this information, an image forming in his mind with every word. He was no doctor, but the connections were clear to anyone, he’d assume. She remembered key names, such as family members, but it seemed to be a bit jumbled in her mind what they were supposed to be.

But if that were the case…

“So, what do we do from here?” Soft Sell asked. “If she thinks she’s a pony, do you want us to just play along?”

“I think that would be for the best,” explained Goodvibes. “LIke I said, we’re monitoring the condition of her heart very closely, and after getting confirmation she was struck by lightning, that’s going to continue. Keeping her calm and happy is probably our best option.”

“But we can’t keep lying to her forever, right?” Social asked, taking a tentative step forward. “We can’t keep a lie like that up. Eventually, she’s going to ask where her unicorn is, or why there aren’t any pegasi.”

For a moment, Dr. Goodvibes was silent, as if seriously contemplating her question. Not that Soft could blame him, what with his wife’s knack for asking the hard questions. When he didn’t come up with a response immediately, Soft chimed in once again, feeling like there was one piece of information both of them were forgetting:

“Maybe we don’t have to. She gave us names, after all.”

Both wife and doctor turned their gaze to Soft, as he ran a hand through his silver locks. “Star Mapper and Maiden Voyage, as well as a sister named Lightning Dust. Cognitive problems or not, it sounds to me like a lead worth following.”

Dr. Goodvibes brought a hand to his chin in contemplation. “I suppose so. We’d be looking for a Star Mapper that lives here in Baltimare, most likely. I’ll probably have to pull out the phone book for that one, on top of all the other things on my plate.”

“I’ll do it then.”

“I’m… not sure how I feel about asking a non-employee to call up a bunch of strangers out of the blue. You sure you’d be willing to?”

He nodded, not an ounce of hesitation in his head or his heart. “Indigo Zap is our responsibility, at least for now. If there’s anything I can do to help her, I’ll do it. No questions asked.”

“I see…” Goodvibes nodded. “Well, I suppose that could work. But if they ask, you’re calling on behalf of Baltimare Children’s Hospital.”

“Of course.”

And with the arrangement made, both he and his wife had a client to deal with in about an hour. So, for now, Soft and Social simply shared some goodbyes with the doctor, as well as saying one final farewell to Indigo herself.

On the way back to his Mustang, Social Butterfly was rather quiet, not a peep from her until they were already on the road. She seemed to be deep in contemplation, from what he could surmise, and finally, when they were at a stop light, she spoke up.

“So, we’re just going to pull out the phone book and call up anyone we can find named Star Mapper?” she questioned.

“That’s the long and short of it, yeah,” Soft told her. “Obviously, since we’re here in Baltimare, I’d like to start with any that live close by. But if we have to call one in Griffonstone, we have to call one in Griffonstone.”

The woman laughed. “Right, of course. I guess I just wanted to hear it from you again.”

“What, you doubted me?”

“No no, nothing like that. I just… guess it was a shock when you offered out of the blue. You’re not normally so forceful.”

“Well, I guess I feel for the girl. I know what it’s like having your mind mess with you.”

“... Sorry.”

A small sigh escaped Soft Sell’s lips. That was the first time in months he’d heard her apologize, at least like that.

“That’s not what I meant,” he told her, pushing down on the gas as soon as the light changed. “My point was just that we have something in common. I guess that’s making me a little protective of her.”

Social Butterfly nodded in affirmation. “I wish we didn’t have to work today. All that time, and we could be spending it looking for her family.”

“All the more reason for us to bring our A-games. With your people skills and my business knowhow, this deal is a shoe-in.”

Husband and wife shared a knowing grin, and sped down the road toward their humble little suburban neighborhood. While work came first, their minds wandered back to the hospital, and back to the promise made. It would be the first thing Soft Sell did upon getting home, they both knew it, and there could only be so many ‘Star Mappers’ out there for them to call.

Eventually, they would find Indigo’s parents. That much, he was sure of.

Author's Note

So, the first chapter is finished! Yay!

Now, I'm trying a few new things with the start of this chapter. First and foremost, I've gotten a proofreader, and it's really helped me to feel confident in this chapter's contents. Normally, I do run it by at least one person before posting, but having a new face to give me suggestions and critiques has honestly made this chapter even better than it could have been.

Second, I'm going to be trying something I've seen a few other stories do. I'm going to be using the Cutie Marks of characters to indicate whose perspective it might be in a specific scene or a specific part of the chapter. So for instance, Indigo-centric scenes or scenes from her eyes are marked by her Mark, while Soft Sell's scenes and thoughts were marked by his (even had his Cutie Mark made just so I could do this).

I don't know how well I'll be able to handle this system, but hey, it's worth a shot.

Gusto out!

(EDIT: So, I've changed this chapter's name to something else. I prefer the new name, I've finally settled on one I like.)

2 - Tough Conversations

The plan was simple: call up anyone listed as ‘Star Mapper’ in the phone book and ask them if they have a daughter named ‘Indigo Zap’. If needed Soft Sell could mention ‘Maiden Voyage’ or ‘Lightning Dust’. If asked, he could explain how he learned these names. The answer would let him know if he had the right person, and then he could further explain the situation.

Unfortunately for Soft Sell, things were rarely that easy.

There was not a single ‘Star Mapper’ listed in any ‘Ponyville’, so unfortunately that lead would take him nowhere. Perhaps Indigo simply didn’t know the name of the area, he’d surmised. But if so, that meant he had nowhere to really start. So instead, he decided that the most effective route would indeed be calling the nearest ones first.

The first ‘Star Mapper’ that Soft Sell went with lived in Fillydelphia, the closest possible city to Baltimare. He was in his 60s and only had a son.

The second was in Dodge City, a smaller town, but still not too unreasonable a drive. However, she was a woman, and not married.

The third was in Manehattan, with Soft dreading having to go farther out than that. This ‘Star Mapper’ had a wife, but her name was not ‘Maiden Voyage’.

So on and so forth, and it only got worse from there. Trottingham? Widower. Appleloosa? No children. Los Pegasus? Many children, but not a single one named ‘Indigo Zap’.

The well was running dry, and now he was down to two more. And in places as far away as Vanhoover, no less. Could he really expect them to be there, while Indigo was here? Well, even if he couldn’t, he had to try. There were questions that needed answering, and by Faust, he intended to get them.

And besides that, Indigo was counting on him. That alone made it worth the effort.

It was in between the second and third rings that someone answered.

“… Hello?” a distinctly male voice asked.

“Hello,” Soft Sell answered back. “Am I speaking to a Mr. Star Mapper?”

“Who wants to know?”

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Soft Sell, and I’m calling on behalf of Baltimare Children’s Hospital.”

“If you’re calling about donations, I’m sorry, but I don’t even live in Baltimare.”

“I’m aware, and I’m afraid I’m calling for a very different reason. Do you have a daughter named Indigo Zap?”

“I’ll reiterate: Who wants to know?”

This time, it sounded more like a threat than a question. A sign that he’d found the right Star Mapper, perhaps?

“Okay, let me explain,” Soft Sell answered calmly. “This might sound crazy, but a night or two ago, my wife and I found a little girl in the woods near our house, and we took her to the hospital. She said her name was Indigo Zap and she claimed to be the daughter of Star Mapper and Maiden Voyage.”

A brief silence settled between the two, just long enough for Soft to wonder what was going through the other man’s mind. If this was the right Star Mapper, then Soft had effectively just told the man his missing daughter was on the other side of the country. Such a thing surely could not have been an easy pill to swallow.

“… What?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“I know, it was a shock for us too,” Soft told him, now certain he’d found the guy. “But this is good, we can just arrange a flight an-”

“What kind of sick, twisted bastard are you, pulling a stunt like this?”

That response, coupled with the sheer outrage behind those words was enough to stun Soft Sell into silence. Never before had he heard such visceral disgust from another human being, especially not levied toward him.

“Look, I know it sou-”

“My daughter is safe and sound,” said Star Mapper, venom laced in each syllable. “You’ve got some nerve trying to pull whatever this little con of yours is.”

“I’m not pulling a ‘con’ here!” Soft Sell protested.

“Then how did Indigo get from Vanhoover to Baltimare? You want to answer me that?”

He did want to. Desperately, in fact.

But unfortunately, the only thing he could answer with was a weak stutter and moments of dead silence. Unless they somehow missed that one of their daughters was not with them on the return trip, what answer could there be? He didn’t believe any man would be so cruel as to lie about their own daughter, and the sheer distance and timeframe just didn’t add up, loath as Soft was to admit it.

And yet, Indigo’s sincerity invaded his mind again, reminding Soft Sell of why he needed to do whatever he could.

“Exactly,” Star Mapper told him harshly. “Don’t ever call here again. Understand?”

“Wait, but sir! She did ask for you by name! How do you explain that?”

“Assuming this girl even exists, she’s either lying to you, or she’s crazy.”

The line disconnected only a moment later.

And just like that, their one lead had fizzled out. Apparently, Indigo Zap was in Vanhoover, and the one in their local hospital was either more confused than they initially thought, or she was lying through her teeth. No part of Soft Sell wanted to believe it, but right now, the options were really wearing thin.

But of course, that just left one question: Now what?

The soft click of his wife’s heels against the tiled floor alerted Soft Sell of her appearance. Bringing a plate with two cups of coffee, Social Butterfly sat down, taking a sip from hers, and merely glancing his way. No words needed to be exchanged; she knew him better than he knew himself sometimes.

“We’re going to see her this evening, right?” he eventually asked.

“Of course,” Social said. “But are you sure you’re ready for that? Seems like the search has been… less than stellar.”

A lone sigh escaped his mouth, the venting he did during lunch still fresh in his mind. “Well, we just got an answer. But… I’m not too eager to tell Dr. Goodvibes about it.”

“Just Goodvibes? Not going to tell Indigo?”

Soft Sell found himself rather interested in his own shoes, taking a small sip of his own coffee. “Oh yeah, absolutely. Just look that innocent lost girl right in the eyes as I break her heart. Easy!”

Social placed a hand on his shoulder, offering a comforting smile. “Sarcasm isn’t your style, darling.”

“I know… this whole thing just has my head spinning,” he admitted. “Where do we go from here? We can’t just leave her like that, without a home to go back to.”

“That’s a tough one, I’ll admit. But I think we need to clear the air about her being human as soon as we can. You heard what little Indigo said, after all.”

“I did,” he mused. “But that’s why it worries me so much. The last thing I want is to overwhelm Indigo. She seemed pretty confident about the whole ‘pony’ thing.”

“It might be a lot to take in, but I think that’s better than giving her false hope. And besides, I’m sure it’ll make her stronger for it. Just like… you were…”

The room got quiet, as that same guilty look came over Social Butterfly’s face. She couldn’t even look him in the eyes, as her gaze turned elsewhere. However, that didn’t last very long. Within mere seconds, his hand cupped her face, and she was brought to meet his eyes once again.

“You really need to stop doing that,” he told her softly. “If I’d ever been upset about it, we wouldn’t be married right now.”

“I know, it’s just…”

“Hits a little too close to home?”

She nodded, and Soft Sell couldn’t help but answer in kind. His own bout with amnesia was a topic they seldom discussed anymore, but the girl’s trauma stirred up the old memories. Even if it wasn’t quite the same problem, Indigo was struggling, and there was something the two of them could do about it.

But was it really the right move to do what they were considering? Sure, they couldn’t keep lying to her like that, but it would crush her spirits to know her perception was false. Part of Soft wanted to believe that maybe they were being too hasty; that perhaps, with time, her perception issues would fix themselves, much like how some of his lost memories returned on their own.

Of course, there was no telling if that was the case, or how long that would even take. Maybe it was better to just rip that bandage off, and let her rebuild? But was that even their call to make in the first place? What right did they have to force that on Indigo?

Soft Sell took another sip of his coffee. So many questions…

The gray skies outside her window had Indigo’s undivided attention, eyes locked on the clouds’ edges, desperately searching for somepony moving them.

Ever since Dr. Goodvibes mentioned another storm later tonight, it had been all the poor filly had thought about. Her only break from her watch was when the doctors brought her food, and even then she had tried to scarf it down as quickly as her still-fumbling hands would let her.

It had been a day since that ‘hooman’ couple visited her, and in that time, she’d learned one big thing about her situation. During his last checkup on her, Dr. Goodvibes had said she was in Baltimare. Something like that should have been comforting, but instead, it only distressed her more. It might have been half a year since she’d been there, so she couldn’t quite remember the city, but she knew she’d been there with Mommy and Daddy.

Why had she never seen a ‘hooman’ before? Or had she, and she just wasn’t remembering right?

Indigo shook her head, returning her eyes to the clouds above. She couldn’t second-guess herself. Nothing about this was right. If she doubted that, then…

“Indigo?”

Her breath hitched in her throat as the voice of Soft Sell filled her ears. She knew those adults said they would visit again, but was it already that time?

She looked back, and sure enough, they were there, with Dr. Goodvibes in tow.

“H-hi,” she stammered, taking her attention away from the window for the first time in what must have been hours.

“It’s so good to see you,” Social Butterfly chimed in, taking a seat near Indigo’s bed. “Are you feeling any better, sweetie?”

The filly shook her head. “Not at all. My back’s been hurting all day.”

“Your back?” questioned Dr. Goodvibes.

“Y-yeah. Right where my wings should be. It’s been driving me crazy.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone? I’m sure I could have had one of the nurses get you something.”

To that, Indigo brought her knees to her chest, looking away with shame in her eyes. “I-I didn’t wanna be a burden. Everypony’s doing so much for me, and… and…”

A strong hand grasped her shoulder, drawing Indigo’s attention to Soft Sell. His smile brought her small comfort, reminding her of Daddy. But that comfort was immediately replaced by sadness, for the very same reason.

“Don’t think like that, Indigo,” Soft Sell told her. “You’re here to get treatment, and that means if something’s wrong, you should tell the doctors.”

“I know, I just…”

The roar of thunder interrupted their conversation, and once again, Indigo returned her focus to her previous endeavor. The storm would be starting soon, she was sure of it.

“Is something the matter?” Dr. Goodvibes asked.

“No, I’m just… I wanted to see the weather ponies.”

“... Weather ponies?”

She didn’t like the way the doctor said that. He said they were in Baltimare, right? So how did he not know about the weather teams? She knew, and she was just a filly. Maybe these ‘hoomans’ were new to Equestria? That would explain why she’d never seen them before.

Maybe explaining would help her get some answers.

“Pegasuses like me and my family can control the weather,” she told them. “So we do, all over Equestria. I was hoping that maybe I’d see somepony out there doing their thing, but…”

She paused for a second, watching as the rain rolled in, the frown on her face a mixture of confusion and disappointment.

“I didn’t see anypony at all. And… this storm is weird. It moves so slow, and the clouds aren’t keeping their shape. What’s wrong with them?”

“That’s just how storms move around here, Miss Zap,” Dr. Goodvibes told her, coming closer and taking a seat beside the bed. “We have no weather ponies either.”

Her eyes widened in horror. “Th-that can’t be! You said this is Baltimare! They have a weather team! My uncle Gale Force helped them out when we were there!”

“Uncle Gale Force?” Soft Sell questioned. “So, you’re saying… he worked in weather?”

A resolute nod of her head was her first answer, before she elaborated further. “Daddy said he was the best of the best! He even let us help with a storm, and that’s where me and my sister got our Cutie Marks!”

The room became deathly still, as the others took in Indigo’s words. The filly tried to keep her anxiety down, but the worry that they might not believe her was starting to take hold. Especially so for Dr. Goodvibes, as when she looked at him, his eyes were wide, like he was shocked at what she said.

‘D-did… did I say too much?’ she questioned, before shaking away the thought. ‘NO! I have to be strong! I can’t back down! Lightning Dust wouldn’t!’

“‘Cutie Mark’?” Dr. Goodvibes finally asked.

With very little hesitation, Indigo lifted the side of her hospital gown and revealed one of her hips to the three grown-ups. Sure enough, they were still there, the little lightning bolts she had earned for her efforts. Pride swelled up within her as she saw them again, but was almost immediately snuffed out by the looks of abject horror on the adult’s faces.

“Dear Faust, where did you get those!?” Dr. Goodvibes asked incredulously. “Who let a little girl like you have tattoos!?”

“They’re not tattoos!” protested Indigo. “They’re Cutie Marks! Mommy said they mean we’re super good at controlling storms!”

Soft Sell looked down, expression hardening for some reason. “... Did she now?”

Now all the grown-ups seemed to be upset about something, and Indigo hated that. Why was everyone getting so sad? Why didn’t they understand what she was saying?

“She did,” Indigo said. “And Mommy’s always right.”

Both Soft Sell and Social Butterfly winced, which did not go unnoticed by Indigo.

“I-is something the matter?” she asked hesitantly. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, no, Indigo,” Soft Sell said, barely above a whisper. “It’s just… I remembered my wife and I needed to talk to Dr. Goodvibes about something. We’ll be right back.”

“Oh…” the filly looked down, a little disappointed. “Okay.”

“Don’t look so down, Indigo,” Dr. Goodvibes told her, putting on a consoling smile. “When we come back, I’ll bring you something for your back, okay? I’ll just need you to tell me what the pain feels like.”

That was something she had to think about, admittedly. The pain wasn’t the same during each flare up. Sometimes it felt like a very bad itch, while other times it felt like her back was actually on fire. Hard to say which she felt more, but at the very least, the underlying theme was that where her wings were supposed to be, it felt irritating.

And so, she conveyed that.

With a solemn nod and a promise made, the three left the room, and Indigo was all alone once again. The rain pelted away at the nearby window, prompting the poor filly to place her… hand on it. She looked to the dark clouds longingly, the burning coming back with a vengeance as she thought of the storm.

How she longed to be up there again, like she and Lightning Dust had been not so long ago. But without her wings, how could she?

‘I hope somepony can find me a unicorn soon,’ she said to herself. ‘I can’t take it. None of this makes any sense. And those grown-ups are being so weird about everything. Why is it that everything I say makes them look at me funny?’

… ‘Why’ indeed.

A horrible thought hit Indigo, as she thought back to their previous conversation. She was far from the most social filly around, but she was smart for her age. And everything about the way they reacted just seemed weird. Like they were taken aback by what she knew, or what she knew wasn’t right to them.

And the sense of dread this gave her was immeasurable, as a conclusion formed in her mind.

‘Do they… not believe me?’