An Out of Body Experience [Closed]

Violet continued to sob as Bakewell held her, the filly-turned-mare having completely broken down at this point. Her mind wasn’t creating horrible images of Bakewell’s death at her hooves, at least, for now.

“Shhhh.” said the mare in her body as she tried to comfort her. “It’s okay, I know you’d never hurt me. I never thought you would. Not really.”

Violet couldn’t do anything but sniffle, the filly not being able to summon up a response. Although her sobbing died down a bit, the words comforting her to some extent.

Bakewell went on about how many ponies Violet had helped in the past and what they’d think about her, all the ponies she had saved from slavers and raiders with her covert actions. This worked further to calm down Violet, her shuddering and crying slowly starting to die down a bit...Until Bakewell mentioned the hurt that Violet put herself through, and the visions that had temporarily vanished reappeared twice as strong, the filly in a mare’s body suddenly holding onto Bakewell much tighter as her sobbing and shuddering began anew.

‘No more...Please...’

She held onto Bakewell as if her life depended on it, shaking as more terrible visions plagued her mind. She didn’t want to see them, she just wanted it all to stop...

But as she clung to Bakewell’s fur, her mind hit something...Bakewell wasn’t dead, she wasn’t dying, she wasn’t being killed, she was right here. She was right here and she was fine.

She could hold her, she could feel her, and she was alright.

This might seem like something that should be obvious, but to Violet’s jumbled mind the obvious fact hit her like a charging hellhound, and the visions were starting to banish themselves from her mind, although not completely. They still plagued her, weaker, but they were still there. Violet’s tremors didn’t stop.

And then Bakewell said those words, those four words. “I love you, Violet.”

In Violet’s mind there was a flash, and the visions just vanished, leaving not a remnant in Violet’s mind as their presence was banished, forever. Her shaking and sobbing stopped,

Now, while there were possibly very creepy implications in that statement of love, but Violet knew what Bakewell meant. She didn’t have to question it. She didn’t need to consider those possible implications.

Although Bakewell apparently felt the need to, as she almost immediately clarified what she meant. As she continued to explain how she felt about Violet the filly-turned-mare was silent, listening to all Bakewell had to say. When her friend finished, Violet’s silence continued for several more moments. Complete silence, before she finally responded.

“...T-Thank you Bakewell...” she pulled out of the hug, her tear-stained face looking Bakewell directly in the glowing eyes. She was finally smiling again, if not as bright and cheerfully as she usually did. “...I love you too Bakewell. I...I wish my mother could of been like you...You’re my friend Bakewell...Nopony in Friendship City was like you, not even the nice ponies in the clinic. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you Bakewell...I don’t know...”

Jasmine trotted after Kestrel in her griffon body, possibly looking awkward as she did so. She fixed the feathers on her neck with her talons as she approached Kes' side. Jas glanced between Kes and the community center as she continued. By now Jas had her tears under control, to Kestrel's body's credit it seemed to help her have more control of her emotions. Or perhaps that was just the feeling she got from being more than three times her size.

"I see what you're doing Kestrel, you can't just run away from the situation. You're blaming everything on my body and it being more hormonal. That sounds like an excuse! Its easy to just leave if you're the one who didn't get hit. Well right now I'm mad as hay! And thanks to my transactional analysis studies I know how to handle myself. You may be stronger, but that doesn't mean I'm less or can be pushed around."

Jasmine's voice was raspy after yelling previously. Despite her voice hurting slightly she tried too smooth out her voice as she spoke. She watched the griffon trying to observe his body language which her new found perception helped with. She didn't want to hurt Kestrel, she just expected closure and wanted to resolve this.

"I regret acting out of control back there, and I was just freaking out because I was scaring everypony. I never seen anypony look at me like that before. It shocked me and I didn't know what I was doing wrong."

Kestrel resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the mare-turned-griff now walking along beside him. She really didn't get it did she? Kestrel, while he did blame some of his lack of ability on his new form, knew it was not at fault for his current predicament. No something outside of his body had caused this issue.

What was annoying him was that Jasmine was worried about the townsfolk and their opinions of her right now instead of using the senses he knew his body possessed to help get things done. And now he was going to have to put up with her 'I'm not weak, I'm strong' speech for who knows how long.

Dammit this just wasn't his day.

"Your going to have to get used to it. I scare people, and so does my body. Wherever this whole mess takes us, people are not going to greet you with smiles and hugs. And my issue lies moreso with you trying to be you in my body and with whoever did this in the first place. If you would please stop chatting and trying to get under my skin and train the senses I know my body has on the crowds, and not me, you could maybe learn a bit more about our situation." Kestrel said, trying to explain himself without saying what he really wanted too right now.

Shut up, leave me alone, and start looking around.

Kestrel shut up after that, refusing to talk as he walked along. Soon enough the Community Center came into view and without hesitation Kestrel picked up the pace and walked inside. Should anyone already be in there Kes would lisp out a simple question.

"You find anything special?"

If no one was there yet, he would take seat at a table and do nothing except wait. Hopefully Jasmine would know better than to bother him again for a bit.

Jasmine followed chattering behind Kestrel, trying to delve deeper into their peoblem. She spent a considerable ammount of time trying to express her feelings and solve problems, unintentionally sounding much like nagging. But sometimes when she got on a roll she didn't quite know when to stop. Eventually she gave up and followed behind Kes till the got to the community center. She looked over at Kestrel, opening her beak once more but sighing before saying anything. She trotted over to the place where she once was hanged upside down from the ceiling observing the rope.

After a few moment she laid down on the community center floor and waited pariently for the others to arrive.

Bakewell continued to hold onto the trembling mare as the comforting words thankfully seemed to be having their intended, soothing effect. There had been a moment when Violet had begun to shudder once again with renewed vigor, a moment when Bakewell had almost stopped and left, convinced that she was only making things worse, convinced that Violet would be better without Bakewell in her life, the opposite of the muscular body’s operator thought. Luckily she didn’t stop, and continued plunging into a point of no return as she struggled to search through Violet’s emotion, trying to find that familiar speckle of energetic happiness and draw it back out into the light where it belonged. And when The mare thought she found it, she pulled. Pulled with all of the might she could put behind it, pulled with the power of friendship, tugged with the promises of a family somewhere in the wasteland that still cared. That would always care. No matter how abnormal her personal quirks might be, that would be there to help her if she needed something, whether it be money or a shoulder to cry on or somepony to help wash the raider blood off.

The silence that followed was one of the most stressful silences Bakewell had ever felt. A silence so important and terrifying that every single breath pulled in by her unicorn lungs sounded like a whirring tornado. Yet again Bakewell was scared that she had messed up. Unearthed something about Violet’s real parents that she beige pony wanted to keep buried forever.

When Violet pulled out of the hug and looked, Bake’s glowing mutant eyes brightened and dimmed repeatedly as she tried to get them adjust properly, tried to get them to allow her to actually see Violet’s eyes and stare into them figuratively as opposed to literally staring through them into all the strange little lines and doohickeys behind them. Finally, after she either got the unique vision to work or gave up in frustration, her soft frown turned into a bright smile.

“I’m nothing special, Vi. I’m sure you’d manage without me just fine.” She smiled, and there was the slightest hint of depression in her voice before she quickly banished it with an over-dose of cheer. “Now enough with the frowning! You’re a full-grown mare, silly! Now let’s just both trot back to the others. We’ll stop somewhere along the way and wash the tears out of your coat. If anypony asks why your face and mane are damp we’ll just say I panicked while on your back and made us flip into something somewhere.” She said, willing to take the blame as she wrapping her hoof around Violet’s and started tugging in the desired direction.

“I was serious about that bakery by the way. Please? Mr. Snuffles isn’t exactly a good conversationalist…”

Violet’s smile widened slightly as Bakewell helped raised her spirits, the filly-turned-mare nodding as Bakewell started to lead her away. “That probably won’t be an issue, I’m sure it’ll dry off by then!” said Violet, some of her usual cheer returning. It was still rather muted, but it was coming back.

Violet started walking with Bakewell, the two heading off to find something to clean Violet’s face with. As they walked, the former filly’s demeanor was slowly improving, the bounce in her step returning. “Bakewell...Thank you...Really, thank you.”

When Bakewell brought up the bakery again, the idea seemed to boost Violet’s mood significantly, her smile widening. “You really meant it? Of course Bakey! I’d love to go on an adventure for cake with you! As soon as we get out of each others bodies, of course.”

As Violet’s demeanor continued to improve, so did Bakewell’s. It was still strange to see Violet’s mannerisms painted onto her own face, but the unicorn didn’t complain. She could put up with it if it meant not ruining her friend’s move once more.

“Of course I meant it! I wouldn’t just make it up! Oooh, it’ll be so great.” The filly grinned, thrilled that Violet had agreed. There had been an uncertainty of whether or not the idea would even be appealing to the unique pony, and Bakewell was glad to discover that her concerns were pointless

Finding a good way to clean the beige mare’s face from tear streaks without money was a bit of a harder problem, but eventually Bakewell had managed to beg some water off of a random Stableton resident. The filly chalked it up to her adorable use of childhood puppy-dog eyes, but based off of the pony’s reaction and Violet’s body, the generosity was probably more out of being creeped out than anything else. Water secured, Bakewell would assist Violet’s face-washing in any means possible before heading back.

Mona carefully trotted along with Zestari and the other Zebra, quiet as she bacame lost in her own thoughts...however, she would soon be broken out of this when Zestari asked Mona a question.

"Mona, how do you find being in my body, does being a zebra feel much different to being a unicorn? Also, how does it feel to be able to express yourself unimpeded? I mean, I must confess, this… emotional prison is causing me much trouble."

Oh no...this was a question Mona didn't really want to answer. partly because it was a hard one to really think about for her. But she would try, for her friend.

"...It's...hard to explain. I won't lie, it's a real hinderance not having my horn anymore...but in ways, being in your body and free from mine's issues...everything almost seems more vivid, more real...but I don't know if thats a good thing.

Zestari...I've had to live my entire life with that emotional wall you're now dealing with. And after being behind it for so long...this is exciting to be free...but it's also a little painful. I've had to bottle up feelings without being able to express then for so long, that part of me feels like I could start screaming at any moment, or burst into tears, or something else stupid and sudden like that."

Mona then let out a sigh, before she kept talking.

"But I can't let that part do that...We don't have time to deal with that right now when we have more important issues at stake. And besides...if I indulge those emotions now...then what will it be like when I'm crammed back behind that wall? When I've lost that freedom? No...better to keep that harder parts locked within, then experience it fully, and then have it taken away again forever, aside from those few times it can breach the wall.

...Heh...listen to me yapping away. We'd better get you back into this body Zes before my rambling does permanent damage to your jaw. I swear I've never felt compelled to talk this much before..."

Zestari wanted to smile and nod her head enthusiastically as Mona talked. After all, the zebra loved chatting, even if the topic was perhaps a little unusual in its content.

“You make it sound like being so easily able to tap into your emotions is a bad thing. Surely that freedom to cry if you want, laugh if you desire, or scream if you’re frustrated is daringly liberating?” She frowned, more of a muscle action than any sort of emotion squeezing out.

“I’m so sorry you feel you shouldn’t bring that freedom of expression out, but I would have thought that such an opportunity would be wanted, if only to perhaps better allow you to relate to how others feel, when travelling with them.”

She turned back in the direction of the Community Centre, “I’ve certainly learned a lot being in your body, Mona. I hope it will allow me to be a better friend to you when Sulkah helps things return to normal.”

She tilted her head to look at Mona again, “Trust me, that jaw is familiar with talking. You’re not wearing it out, merely exercising it.”

While Kestrel and Jasmine waited, the others began to return to the community center. Violet and Bakewell were the first to return, reporting nothing. As they sat down to await Zestari and Mona’s return, Jasmine’s enhanced senses may notice that Violet’s face was slightly damp.

After a bit of waiting, the griffon and three ponies were greeted to the sight of Mona and Zestari returning, with the zebra shaman Sulkah now with them.

“Hmm...So, dese are de oders you spoke of child.” said the venerable zebra. She turned towards the bone shard on her staff, nodding her head and murmuring to it. “Yes...Granny Bone says dese are de oders. She can sense it, souls misplaced and out of order.”

Suddenly moving across the room, she stopped in front of Kestrel, giving the griffon-turned-pegasi a discerning look, her eyes staring right into his (Or would that be hers?). “Hmm...Yes, I can sense it...Dere is a powerful warrior locked in dis form, keen in mind and scarred by his past.”

She moved again, not giving Kestrel enough time to respond as she stopped in front of Jasmine. “And you...I see a delicate flower locked in a mighty form, already stained crimson from her home being torn apart.”

She once again moved on in a flash, stopping in front of Bakewell and looking down at her. “Here...Here dere is a powerful mare, loyal to dose she cares for, but wid a past she dare not look back at out of shame.”

Moving on again, she stopped at Violet. “Now you are an odd one, a tainted child with a mind far beyond her years. Judgemental and strong, yet oh so vulnerable at the same time, with a mind dat is filled with da dark and da light at once.”

She turned away and went back to Mona and Zestari. “And den dere was you two, da mare in a strange and sometimes outright hostile land, and da unicorn trapped inside her own head, for da first time in her life feeling a freedom dat most take for granted.”

Sulkah became silent for a moment as she turned to her staff once again, nodding towards the bone shard hanging from it. If anyone called out to her during this period of silence she either didn’t hear it, or simply ignored it. After a minute she turned towards Zestari again.

“Granny Bone says dat dese are de only others afflicted with dis child. Assuming she’s right, and she always is, we should be able to help you and your friends.”

Kestrel grunted a bit as the old zebra mare spoke to him. Scarred? That was one way to say it for sure. Haunted was another, Damned yet again a popular choice. Memories of a by-gone suffering passed through Kestrels eyes as he sat there, talons he no longer had burning with the hot sensation of blood and muscle.

“Granny Bone says dat dese are de only others afflicted with dis child. Assuming she’s right, and she always is, we should be able to help you and your friends.”

Kestrel perked up at that, eyes locking on the mare.

"How?" he asked, serious as ever. Eyes boring into the older mare.

Bakewell wasn’t sure what to think of the odd newcomer. On one hoof it was with Zestari and Mona, so it was probably trustworthy? Maybe? On the other hoof, however…

Bakewell averted her eyes when the strange equine looked down upon her, feeling small and transparent in this new body once more as the zebra spoke. This zebra knew nothing. Bakewell was anything but loyal. At least the bit about the past was correct…

When Kes spoke out of Jasmine’s body, Bakewell simply nodded, showing that she agreed with his question. It wasn’t fair to leave Violet trapped in that big clunky earth mare body. Nor was it fair to steal years of the filly’s natural lifespan. They needed to fix this.

After leading Sulkah into the Community Centre and waiting for the others, it was with transfixed awe that she watched as Sulkah went about the group filled with mysticism and inner wisdom. Granny Bone only added to the whole scene, and Zestari loved every moment of it, revelling in the shaman’s comments about each of her mind swapped friends.

And yet, she despaired, because the body she occupied put up a wall that meant that to everypony else she would appear to be looking on with almost passive disinterest, and that she couldn’t show the shaman just how much she respected and near worshipped the ground Sulkah stepped upon.

Kestrel in Jasmine’s body was his usual blunt self and asked the most important question, however, Zestari thought there was another thing to consider here. “Do you know how this may have happened in the first place, Sulkah? It would be a waste for you to help us, if we were to simple wake up the next day in another’s body, again.”

The new comer followed Zestari and Mona into the community Center, becoming a new object of interest for Jasmine. The large orbs that were her sharp eyes noticed the bone on the staff that the Zebra was talking to. With intrigue Jasmine observed this most peculiar behavior as the Zebra talked in rhyme moving from griffin to pony to pony to zebra to pony. After the figure spoke to Kestrel, probably giving some sort of fortune she drifted over to the pony turned griffin.

Her beak parted in a nervous smile as the striped figure gave a brief description of her. Upon hearing what the Zebra uttered, she couldn't help but perk up in delight. Delicate flower? She's probably just commenting on how rare I am, or it could be how pretty I am too. Or did she mean that Kestrel's body was pretty? Jas furrowed her brow line as she tried to think this over. Her brain strained as it tried to make sense of what the zebra said, as if it was some sort of riddle. Maybe flower is some sort of metaphor. A GENIUS! SHE MEANS A GENIUS! A genius probably is quite a rare find out here in the wastes. Jasmine giggled in response and lisp-lessly replied, "Thank you miss!" as the zebra went on.

All the while Jas watched trying to make out what this individuals story was using her fine-tuned deductive reasoning. This individual talks in rhyme. Performers talk in rhyme. Therefore this zebra is a performer. Before she got a chance to say anything Zesti and Kes began asking questions. Jas clamored over to the elder and peered at the strange staff, trying to observe the fine details up close. "Your staff is beautiful. OH MY GOODNESS! So how do you plan on helping us, are you a performer of some sort? I could actually use a song right now..." The clueless and sincere griffin waited a response with an eager grin.

Sulkah looked over her shoulder towards the cold griffon-turned pegasus, clearly not intimidated by Kestrel’s hard stare, most likely because of Kestrel’s current form. “Dere is a potion that Granny Bone knows of. Once made, the six of you will have to each drink a cup of it, all at da same time. The brew’s properties should revert you all to your normal forms...At least, dats what Granny Bone says.”

She turned back towards Zestari, who had further questions. “Dat is a good question, one dat Granny Bone and I hope to decipher. Regardless, we may be able to find a way to permanently lock you back into your true forms, howe-”

She was cut off by an excited griffon, questioning her with a series of rather inane queries. The zebra didn’t seem to mind however. “A performer...It is true that I have practiced...Performances of sorts with da spirits, however dat is not my usual occupation.” she explained.

She turned once again back to Zestari. “I will require time to prepare the potion, at least da rest of da day.” she turned towards the ponies and griffon behind her. “You two,” she pointed at Violet and Kestrel, “come over here, I must see your devices. You stay as well child, I need to mark the location of my home on the maps of the...Pipbucks, I believe you call them.” she told Jasmine and the approaching ponies.

Kestrel, caught in the body of his pegasi prison, moved forward without question; holding out his Pipbuck as soon as he drew close to the elder Zebra. He couldn't honestly say he trusted the zebra mare, but he also had very few options at the moment.

Bakewell noticed that Violet hadn’t been lying. Making out the interfaces of pipbucks really was impossible with this strange vision. She stayed silent as everyone talked, nobody needing her opinion or input in any way. Just like it always was, really.

Bakewell adjusted her gaze to the ceiling and entertained herself looking at it with various levels of Violet-Vision while she waited for everybody else to do what this strange zebra wanted. Bakewell was pretty trusting, but something about this zebra seemed… convenient. Whatever, all that mattered was whether or not the odd striped equine could got Violet out of Bake’s disgusting body and back into the unique, cute, youthful purple unicorn shell that she deserved to be in.

Jasmine tried peeking over the others trying to observe what exactly the zebra was doing. So many questions burned through her mind, but she allowed them to float out of her mind as she awaited further instruction from the zebra. At least she knows shes a performer... Perhaps she can strike up a conversation about that later. Jas always loved to connect with other artists. No place better for self-expression than the wastes, the stables just didn't bring out her muse as much as this world did.

“A potion, of course it is.” Zestari nodded, still hanging on every word uttered by Sulkah. She was a little annoyed by Jasmine in Kestrel’s body’s nigh disrespectful enthusiasm when talking to Sulkah, and she nearly spoke up to ask her to be quiet until Sulkah seemed to calmly address Jasmine, and so Zestari backed down from scolding her.

“A day to prepare?” Zestari mentally filed the piece of information away. “Is there anything you require to make the potion? I have some ingredients back where I live including a cauldron and place to prepare ingredients, if you’re interested.”

Violet raised an eyebrow, hiding her actual shock, at the Zebra Shaman Lady’s...Proclamation, about her. Specifically the ‘Tainted’ part.

‘...How did...How did she know that? Nopony but Bakewell, my parents, and the doctors at the clinic know about that. And how did she know about all that stuff about the others? I don’t believe in spirits, that’s not the explanation, something else is going on here...’

She didn’t voice these concerns though, at least not yet. She kept quiet, for now. At Sulkah’s beckoning she walked over, holding out Bakewell’s pipbuck clamped around her leg towards the zebra.

Sulkah nodded at the three as they held out their pipbucks. She once again drew her staff from her side, holding it in the crook of her foreleg. She passed it over the pipbucks, the boneshard hanging from the staff dragging across the screens. As it did, the pipbucks suddenly switched to their map displays, and with a beep a new marker was placed on each of them, all pointing to the same place, somewhere a few miles north of Stableton.

“Dat is where I reside.” explained the zebra as she replaced the staff. “Come dere afta dark. My preparations should complete by den.” she turned towards Zestari. “And dat will not be necessary child, I should have all the ingredients I need.”

Sulkah turned away, starting to walk towards the exit. “I must leave now children, my preparations must begin immediately if you wish to return to your own bodies in a timely manner. Take care, I will see you all tonight.”

She then walked out the door, and left.

Kestrel watched as his PipBuck changed and marked the location of the zebra shaman. He didn't know what to really think about all of this, but one thing did stand out to him.

This was easy...far to easy.

"So what now?" Kes lisped to the others, turning to face them as he/she did.

‘Children?’ Bakewell mentally pouted. She wasn’t a child! Well, okay. Maybe she technically was a youth at least in body what with the whole swap, but still…

Her mind was brought back when Kestrel turned to face everypony.

”Tho, what now?”

“We should maybe lay low until we have to leave for her place.” Bakewell suggested. “I’m sure some ponies here have reputations they don’t want messed up, so we should find somewhere out of the public eye.” The mare had actually been talking about her and Violet, but the sentence probably applied to almost everybody present. Jasmine wouldn’t want to be seen as a silent mercenary. Zestari might be worried about how Mona would treat her new emotional self. Kestrel probably had an image he didn’t want ruined by the happy go lucky pegasus. Violet was almost definitely worried that Bakewell would slip up and ruin things somehow, either by leaking information about her unique quirks, or by making the once-filly look like a coward. Even Bakewell herself was worried. Violet was a prankster, and given her life in the stable the idea of some of Violet’s pranks being taken as common bullying frightened Bake to the core.

“Or we could go ahead and start moving, maybe just wait at the location?”

A heavy sigh escaped Jasmine at the mention of staying in this one location. She was simply too antsy and hated being restricted to one location for too long. Why did fate always seem to choose to have this sort of thing happen when there was no party happening? Actually...there was that one she made back at the bar she thought to herself, but she thought it best to simply not mention it.

"You sure we can't go on like a field trip or something? I can't stand sitting in this building. I need to divert my brain because all of these senses are driving me crazy. Seriously, I can see crystal clear! And I can smell everything!" Jasmine took in a deep long whiff of air. The dusty stale air of the community center mixed in with... Was that... Mold? All of this drifted to the back of her senses and a new smell began to surface. It was the smell of her team mates. Each one seemed to have a distinct scent, she never realized just how delicious a pony smelled. Her eyes closed as the scents mingled in her nostrils, a small smile creeping over her face.

Immediately after she shook her head and looked at the others. "But I need to do something to keep me busy. OOH! I'm up for games, anypony want to play a game?! " Jas heard the hoof steps of the zebra begin to fade before she turned to the rest.

"Ok, now that she's out of ear shot. Who is that zebra, and how do we know we can trust her?"

"We don't. But who can we trust really?" Kestrel asked gaze flickering over towards Jasmine. "Our situation is not one easily remedied, this mare offered to help us. I'm pretty sure something is wrong, she asked for no reward and came precisely when we needed her. Bit TOO convenient if you ask me. Little we can do about that however." Kestrel lisped out, going silent again shortly afterwords.