Eclipse

Wet snow was beginning to collect on my shortly cut dark brown hair, mottling it with patches of white as I simply kneel there staring down as I try to comprehend just what I’m looking at.

Okay, certainly not a deer. If anything, it looked more like a small horse, but that didn't quite seem to fit either. For one, the proportions were all wrong. What I was looking at was much more slender around the middle, with more finely toned legs, and a slimmer, more finely toned muzzle. Even so, it was distinctly equine, and I could almost imagine some...creative individual painting and dressing up a horse like this. However, I couldn’t imagine any stencil or artist that could create such a finely detailed image as the white crescent moon that stood out against the dark splotch on its flank. If that wasn’t enough, I could actually see through the softly waving “cloud” of mane that billowed around its prone form. A long horn on its forehead, and a set of feathery, limply hanging wings at its sides only add to my confusion.

My eyes wander over the prone form idly as I try to make sense of what I'm looking at. Whatever it was was wearing a strange metal collar with a symbol in the center that matched the design on its flank, as well as some kind of metal shoes adorning its hooves. If the slender form and long mane weren't indication enough, a quick glance under its limply draped tail confirmed it. It...was a she.

I’m finally brought out of my shocked gaze as I notice a few splotches of vivid red standing out in stark contrast against the white snow.

Suddenly, everything was all too real as I reach down and press my hand to her side. Warm soft fur meets my touch, and I find myself holding my breath for several moments before I finally feel her side rise as she takes a breath. I lean over a bit further, following the trail of red splotches with my eyes, and gulp when I find the source.

She had fallen facing away from me, and I could now see a trickle of blood seeping from near the base of her long spiraled horn. Even worse, was the long, vicious looking crack that worked its way up from the seeping wound.

“Sh…shit! Hold on…” I don’t care that she most likely can’t hear me, or if she'd even be capable of understanding my words as I push myself up and work my way back to the truck with a new sense of urgency. Throwing the door open, I scramble around for a tense moment before digging out a first aid kit. Grabbing the plastic box, I hurry back and try to calm myself as I kneel down beside her. “Oh…okay, remember your training…she’s breathing, but non-responsive….the first thing to do is deal with the bleeding…”

I fumble with the plastic case, the cold starting to get to me and make my motions clumsy. I stop to rub them together and blow on them before reaching in and pulling out a bandage. Gently lifting her head, careful not to go anywhere near her damaged horn, I set it carefully on my knee as I unspool the cloth and wrap it around her forehead. A few times I brushed against her mane, and I don’t know what I was expecting, a strange staticy feeling or something? But no, shockingly it felt like regular hair, if exceptionally soft and moving unnervingly.

Finished with my hasty bandaging, I move back to her middle and lean down to press an ear to her side. Okay, her breathing didn’t sound unusual, so probably no broken ribs or anything, and her heartbeat sounded strong and steady, if a bit slow. Then again, I didn’t really know what a mythical alien creature’s heart rate was supposed to be. So the only question remaining…what now? She’d almost certainly need real medical attention, but there was no way I could bring her to a hospital. What could they even do? And worse, what would they do?

My decision was made. I’d have to get her out of the road first off, otherwise there’d be no hope for her at all. Take her home with me, and figure out something better later, if she didn’t wake up and just decide to vaporize me, that was. I frown as I look her over. She was a bit smaller than me, if she was standing I’d imagine the top of her head would be about chest height for me. That said, she was still certainly fairly heavy, and her proportions would make it difficult to lift her into the fairly narrow single cab. Glancing around with a bit of trepidation, and feeling somewhat relieved to see the road still clear of any signs of other cars, I make my way back to the truck. Clearing some snow that had accumulated on the windshield, I carefully pull forward and around the unconscious creature before hopping out and pulling the tailgate open.

“Sorry about this, it’s not going to be warm or comfortable, but I’m going to get you somewhere warm and safe as fast as I can, okay?” I say softly as I stroke a hand across her neck before squatting down and sliding my arms under her barrel. With a groan, I manage to lift her up and set her rear end in the bed before letting out a sharp gasp and nearly dropping her. “N…not so little, are you?” I grunt as I carefully settle the rest of her in the bed, being very careful to position her horn in as safe of a position as I can before shutting the tailgate.

With no time to waste, I hop back up in the cab and begin driving. The slow pace I’m forced to take only adds to my urgency as I keep glancing back through the rear view mirror. “Okay…okay, everything’s fine…not far now.” I breathe, more to reassure myself than the unconscious alien equine. My concern only builds with each glance back. It’s not like I was driving particularly fast, but I silently hope that fur of hers is for more than just show against the cold air flowing over her. It wouldn’t be much of a rescue if she simply ended up freezing to death.

Fortunately, it only takes a few more minutes before I’m pulling into the welcoming sight of my driveway. I wince and duck unconsciously as I see a set of bright headlights making their way up the road towards me from the other direction as a plow approaches, accompanied by a grating roar and cloud of white powder billowing around it. I find myself holding my breath as it passes. Being a large commercial truck, the driver would easily be able to see into the bed if he gave so much as a glance in my direction. I watch tensely in the mirror for several seconds, but got no indications the driver had spotted anything unusual as the plow continued on its way, cruising down the road before finally disappearing around a bend.

I can’t help but give an occasional glance toward where the plow had disappeared as I back up to the front door and shut the truck off.

Getting out and dropping the tailgate again, I’m relieved to see the unconscious creature hadn’t shifted around too much, and still seemed to be breathing. Dashing over, I unlock the door and swing it open before once again hauling her up in my arms and stumbling into the house.

“Okay…okay, gotta drop her somewhere…” The couch? No, too cramped. The floor? No. That would be just as uncomfortable and seemed more than a little disrespectful, especially if this ended up turning into some kind of first contact situation. There was a futon in my office that I used for the rare guest, but that would take time to set up. With nothing better, and my arms threatening to give out, I stumble into my bedroom and carefully deposit her onto the mattress.

She felt alarmingly cold, even through her soft coat it was obvious. As I lay a hand on her side, I could feel a couple of weak shivers, causing her coat to twitch against my palm. Okay, that’s good….if she can shiver, she’s not too far gone.

Heading to the closet, I grab handfuls of blankets off the shelves and walk back over to carefully drape a few over her, before tucking the rest in around her as an extra measure. With a final glance back, I turn the thermometer up a few degrees as I make my way back to the front of the house. It was all I could reasonably do for the time being. She was safe, getting warm, and the last thing I’d want was some stranger watching me if I woke up in an unfamiliar place.

Trying to once again calm my racing thoughts, I idly retrieve the items I had purchased and set the bags in the kitchen. Lacking the will to put anything away properly, I simply toss the case of beer in the fridge before pulling out the whiskey bottle. Was it smart to be drinking right now? Probably not. But with what had just happened, and the unexplained otherworldly creature in the other room, I needed it more than anything right now. Grabbing a glass and filling it with ice, I can’t help but smile as I watch the glorious amber liquid fill the waiting crystalline container, causing the frosty cubes to bob and crack.

I take a long sip and sigh as I settle down at my computer. With nothing to do now but wait and hope, I had to do something about the cascade of questions and feelings swirling through my head. Was she here alone? Should I go back and search the area where I had found her? Had anyone else seen her, or even other creatures like her that had ended up here somehow? I needed to focus on something, and perhaps the internet would have some answers. A warm buzz already beginning to flow through me, I flip open my laptop and power it on to begin my search.

As expected, a quick scan of the local news and social media didn't turn up much besides a number of complaints and warnings about the weather, and a myriad of comments and pictures on the recent eclipse. No, I'm not bitter, it was my own damn fault I hadn't thought to prepare for it!

Another sip of the sweet amber liquid, and I change my approach a bit. Pulling up the search bar again, I type in a brief description of the creature and hit 'enter.' I wasn't expecting much, but my heart nearly stops as a number of results pop up, including several cartoonish drawings of the exact thing that was currently lying on my bed. "Princess Luna....My Little Pony....wh....what!?"

I scroll through various descriptions and images in a blur, trying to make sense of it all. It was just....preposterous! How could a living, breathing creature I had just come across be so accurately depicted in a children's cartoon!? And....I had heard of it before, but where? I'm beginning to get lost in my thoughts , when I'm suddenly pulled back to reality by a soft feminine groan from the other room.

I frown one last time at my computer, before slowly closing it as my concern gets the better of me. Nervously, I get up and walk lightly across the house, not wanting to risk any sudden noise or movement that might startle the injured pony. With no small amount of fear, I reach the doorway and poke my head in. Ok...for better or worse, she was still out, though she had curled up a bit tighter under the cocoon of blankets. Well, movement had to be a good sign, right?

As I find myself standing over the unconscious alicorn once again, I find myself comparing her to the results of my search, and the resemblance was unmistakable. Wait!....That's where I'd heard of it before! Lorrie Phillips. We had been friends back in high school, right up until graduation when we went our separate ways. She had been passionate, bordering on obsessive with all things equine. Naturally, that had included an interest in "My Little Pony," the new reboot of the series being relatively new at the time. Despite several attempts by her to introduce me to it, it had never really been something that interested me.

While I had joined the Army immediately out of high school, she had gone on to study veterinary medicine. Even though we had grown apart over the years, we kept in touch through Facebook, sharing occasional updates on our lives, if nothing more than a "Happy Birthday," or congrats. I knew she now ran her own practice a few towns over, and as I gaze at the injured pony on my bed, I realize there could be no better person to ask for help.

Taking a seat by the bed, I slip my phone out and pull up our usual messaging app. It had been a while since I last talked to her, and it would take some careful thinking to come up with how exactly I would introduce her to this situation...