.
Ms. A had just fallen asleep, in her bed. Time to tend to her now. Epona is picking up the Fetish, representing Ms. A; looking at her, with great interest.
“I am granting you the Element of your Idol: Twilight Sparkle!” Epona offers; as she is picking up the collar, freshly printed.
With the offer pronounced; she is putting the collar around the neck of the Idol. The Idol, now sports the glistering, deep metallic black collar of the element; as if it had been there all along.
“There, perfect!” Epona pronounces; “Now you have her element!” she concludes.
She is placing the Idol, back in its niche; where it will be waiting, for the attention awaiting it the next night.
.
“That was a weird dream, I had!” I ponder, as I open my eyes, a moment after I had woken up.
While the dream had been weird, such as it was; but the day I am waking up to, isn’t. My room is the same, as I had been the other night; Twilight is still sharing my bed, albeit a double bed leaving us with just a bit more space.
The time, spent here at the Twilight Hotel had been grand; even considering all the strange, and unexpected changes I had experienced. The deciding factor, in my book; is making a new friend, in Twilight Sparkle. she is a real girl of flesh and blood, just like me; even if she took over my body for a day, and changed into the anthropomorphic Pony she is now. On that note, I had become an anthropomorphic pony as well.
Maybe the days I had had, could be considered conductive of weird dreams; but I would not trade my time here for the world, or change any of the events I have had with Twilight. She has been a great friend.
Maybe you could call my stay here, a life changing experience? I have enjoyed it all the same, but now I am ravished, and in dire need of a meal.
Since I had woken up, I am opening my eyes; scanning the room, finding no changes worth mentioning. Twilight had after all been with me last night.
I fold up the corner of the quilt towards the middle, slipping my hooves out and sit up; pushing myself out, finding myself standing on my own two hooves. Okay, that is still a bit weird; if you stop to think of it, I have not been here long enough to adjust completely.
It is just, that I never stopped to consider; I did not have the time, when I had so much to explore and enjoy. Throw Twilight in the mix, and I have no time to consider. Besides, I can’t stay longer than I do; I do have a Sister back home, who is waiting for me. Quite eagerly, I’d might add.
As per customs, I had lifted up my right hand before me; looking at it, critically. The hand is a lavender purple; just as the other night, I still have the suction-cup, the hyper-sensitive touch-pads and the semi-square, inch-long and deep purple nails, now with the fluorescent, metallic effect to them. But my hand still is my hand, such as I had grown used to see it.
“Okay.. I guess I still am, me; the same girl, I had been last night..” I ponder, snickering to myself; looking at Twilight, where she is just stirring from her slumber.
.
What I had failed to notice, is the one change I had received; but it is not on the plane, where I could have seen it. After all, I am still wearing the collar; only this is my personal collar, not the one that is the property of the hotel.
I still do not feel the collar around my neck; but I had long since forgotten all about it, due to the length of my stay since it never really bothered me in the first place. The original itch, was related to me knowing it over any physical or mental experience, in the first place.
Since the hooves and the skin had been the first changes, I am completely comfortable with them, in the manner one would be after being born with them. Even if that may come out and sound as a bit of a stretch. The skin is changing exactly nothing, and the hooves isn’t really changing all that much on their own, even if they stand out in public, as well as limit my choice of clothes I could wear. I will not be able to find clothes for my hooves in the common stores, back home. Just that this never had entered my head. Why? I have all the clothes I need, as is; so why bother, consider the item as such?
The changes to my hands are permanent, but only show in particular instances; the nails appears normal for all intents and purposes, while the touch-pads may stick out; while the suction-cups only show in the manner I use my hands. I will have to be careful, lest I desire the hands to stick; thus effectively trapping me, with the hand sticking to a smooth or roughly smooth surface.
Most of the rest, just does not stand out; showing on the medical scanner, or any other physical level. I can throw a spell off, at my own leisure, as I please. I just have to learn, every single individual spell before I can cast it.
I am enjoying myself, in the company of my new friend: Twilight Sparkle; as we explore the offered opportunities, throughout the day.
Of course, I do consider Ellie a friend too; despite her otherworldly qualities and qualifications, but she is always so cheerful and helps me with anything and everything she can. Though I am alone with her, until I had finally met Twilight in person. Even if she had become a part of me, and finally taken over completely; up to the point, she had been physically separated from me. Finally. That, had been weird. Not as scary, as one would have been expecting.
In a sense, Twilight is a Twin sister; looking almost identical to me, but with a distinctly separate personality and a set of experiences. She is not me, exactly; just as I am not her, exactly. However, we do share memories and experiences; beyond the short while, I had been here. I had been here, for almost a week by now; but the shared memories are stretching back years and even decades. How could this be?
Of course, Twilight will leave with me; even if I know, she will be going home. She has a place of her own, and friends to make.
While Twilight has a life of her own, just as Ellie does; I know I can visit Twilight at some point, just as she can visit me too. The fact, that she will have to go home; stings all the same, albeit the sting is lessened by this fact. Both intellectually and emotionally.
On the other Rubbery hoof, there is a silver-lining knowing; it is forcing me to make the most out of the time I have with my friend Twilight, and this is not lost on Twilight herself either. She is a smart Pony, and a good friend.
Maybe, just maybe; this is a good lesson, for her too.
If they have escalators, or flights of stairs of any kind, I do not know; I never checked or asked either Ellie or Twilight, but I enjoy the company of Ellie far too much to bother. Besides, the elevator she pilots is far too convenient to me. Not only is it perfectly safe; it takes me to where I want to go, as fast and exciting as I ask her to make it.
I had asked her, to make it quick, and the drop had been exciting; but I never asked her to take it slow, or stop at any point. Why? Should I have? I just never saw the point, or a valid reason.
Not that I had ever been scared or afraid of elevators before; knowing full well hers is a very different case, built not just to be safe; but with the illusion to dispel the notion behind the common phobia relating to elevators in the first place. Elevators are built in a claustrophobic inducing design; just the four bare walls, steel, wood or plastic. Hanging by the thread; who is not scared, of the height or the inevitable fall? Not to mention, being stuck and locked into this cramped space?
How long would it take, for you to see and possibly even feel the walls come closing in on you; picking up the notion, of these walls desiring to crush you where you stand?
Taking the elevator up to the breakfast had been child’s play, or foal’s play if you ask Twilight; but the meal had been enjoyable all the same.
Now, we are walking from the table; as I notice something curious, to me. There is a girl, with purple skin; what a chock, but she has Cervine hooves and a pair of diminutive Deer stags to boot. Should I have been shocked?
Probably not. However, I had noticed it.
The girl had obviously been here, for several days; going by what I could see, but she is still enjoying herself royally. Likewise, the companions by her table seems to be enjoying themselves and the company they had chosen. Maybe these four girls had come as a group, arriving together?
“Hi..” I mouth, looking at the girls where they sit.
“Hi..” the girls chorus in response.
They quiet down, nervously returning to the meal before them.
“I guess, I may see you at some point!” I exclaim, they just nod in unison, eyes downcast.
The posture, on these girls is clear; as excited as they may be, they show signs of nervousness and distress.
“Oh, Deer!” I ponder, as I am following Twilight towards the door.
Twilight is reaching the door, to the elevator; her right hand extended, as she presses the palm of her hand onto the plaque. As she is spreading the fingers of the hand; the doors slide up, admitting us entrance. I follow her, a mere step behind; the doors slide shut behind me, just as I had crossed the threshold.
I had turned my focus on the Deer, as I passed her; curious, but who could possibly blame me? My ears, swiveling; in order to maintain focus, on the item of interest. I hear the hushed conversation, just above the noises of heartbeats.
First now, it had hit home; out of sight, and out of mind? The girl, as well as her company is calming down, once they figure the threat and danger had passed. They continue the meal, so uncomfortably interrupted; as exciting as the sight had been, on the novelty of the curiosity.
They had noticed me, as I addressed them; looking in their general direction. While I had scared one girl, the others had reacted on her expression and emotional out-pour; as unnoticed as it had been, in the situation.
As the door had closed, behind me; it had shut everything out, sealing us into our private Universe.
The drop is fast; we plummet to the destination, our room.
“My last day here at the hotel..” I mumble, somewhat disappointed; but still eager to see my sister, once more.
“Yes, I am afraid that is the case!” she merely responds.
“Maybe I should seize the opportunity; to spend the time with you in private, enjoying a good book or two?” I inquire.
This fall is just as smooth, as Ellie could possibly make it; and nothing happens, throughout the utterly uneventful trip to our floor. She makes a smooth, seamless stop and the doors slide up; I step out with Twilight in tow, the doors slide shut behind her as she is passing the threshold.
With Twilight in tow, a mere step behind; I walk along the hall, all the way to the door to my suite. Though I guess it is Twilight’s too; based on the circumstances, under which she moved in. Or, out?
I lift my right hand up, extending it palm up; pressing the palm onto the surface of the plaque, spreading my fingers as wide as I can. The door slides up, admitting me the desired entrance; I step in, with Twilight in tow.
I take the shoes of, as does Twilight; then I take the boots of, as does Twilight. I had placed the shoes and boots on the shoe-rack, watching Twilight mirroring my movement, in turn.
With my hooves bare, I walk over to the living room; I open the door and step in with Twilight in tow.
As I am walking into the living room, my original suit case is already packed and ready to go; another suit case is standing by its side, stacked to the brim, with everything I had acquired during my stay.
If I had my suit cases packed, and ready to go; so does Twilight, so we can leave any time we so please. So long as we leave; before the room is due to be cleaned and made ready, for the eventuality of the next guest.
As the door is closing behind Twilight, I am walking up to the sofa before me; slipping in behind the table, taking my place and sit down comfortably. She merely makes a be-line to the book case, choosing a good book for the two of us to enjoy; before she is walking up to the sofa and sits down beside me. I feel the heat of her body, as I am hearing the clopping noises of her hooves; she is sitting down beside me, cracking the book up in preparation to read it with me.
Of course, she had chosen a book for reading in tandem with me; why not, it can be very exciting to share the adventure with a friend. As opposed to read a book alone; the other reader is following you, throughout the entire adventure. Reading the same book twice is not quite as boring, as it could have been; even if you read it with the same companion, not to mention: reading it with a different companion.
However, this is not and Adventure per se; but there is still an Adventure to be had, all the same.
I am leaning back, making myself comfortable; Twilight is mirroring my motion, with the book in hand. She is reading the title of the book; “The Magical Adventure of Twilight and Friends”.
She is flipping the page, horn alight; reading the title-page; the title, the Author and some fine print, published business next to no reader cares about.
A moment later, the next page is flipped into view and the adventure begins.
All of a sudden, I find myself in the lobby of a humongous library, and the adventure of the book begins, as I follow her into the library proper.
“Okay..” she mumbles; “we are here, in the library of the Crystal Empire..” she continues.
“Yes, and I am excited..” I respond, snickering.
“So am I!” she responds, her eyes as large as saucers.
“Magical studies, exercises and practicing?” I inquire.
“Dead ahead, in the basement!” he exclaims.
“Oh, but of course..” I respond; “at least, we are not forced into navigating an impossibly complex and expansive labyrinth!” I continue.
“No..” she mumbles; “but if you had wanted to, I am sure we could have found it here!” she concludes.
“Clip, clop; clip, clop; clip, clop..” is heard, as we trot over the hard stone floor, along the path to the flight of stairs down to the basement and the sub-levels we are heading for.
“Before the librarian steps in, make sure to quiet down the sounds of your hoof steps..” she mouths, in hushed tones; before she casts a spell, erecting a sphere of sound dampening field around herself.
I reflexively cast the spell around myself, and the spherical shield contains the noises, as I continue after her.
She hastily steps up to trot by my side, and as the fields intersect; I can once more hear her voice, as well as the noises of her hooves hitting the floor.
“Phew..” she exclaims; “I hope we did not disturb anyone..” I continue.
Since neither the librarian, nor anyone else is approaching us, it’s safe to assume the shields were erected in time.
“While we may be safe, on the account of the shields being up; but it is always better to be safe than sorry, so a set of noise reducing shoes seem in order!” Twilight suggests; “Wouldn’t you say?” she continues, as she is casting the spell to apply the effect onto her previously bare hooves.
“I guess you do have a point..” I respond; “While I am not sure, how this is accepting my mana reserves and expenditures; but trying these shoes on, could still be fun!” I respond, as I am mirroring her spell.
A moment later, I feel the effect of the crystal-clear silicone shoes covering the frogs of my hooves. The noises are reduced; almost to the point, of removing the noises completely. However, the clipperti-clop is replaced by faint and sucking squeaking noises. Furthermore; I can feel the hooves tentatively holding the floor in an intensely firm grip, as if they tried to stick by suction over the regular traction I had been expecting.
“Is this; why I have the sucking noise over the squeaks with each of my steps?" I ponder, as I follow Twilight towards the flight of stairs.
“The spell adding your shoe is a cast once, and forget type of spell; these shoes will stay on, until you cancel it manually!” she offers, to the point matter-of-factly.
“So this spell will not wear out, or wear down with time or use?” I inquire.
“Of course; Twilight knows, because her character knows..” I ponder; “and I know, because I am here for the ride; tagging along, on what is her adventure!” I ponder with a single bemused snicker.
Well, why complain, I can learn the spell and how it works from her; in the book, just as well as I could have in the room. A magical Adventure, is a magical Adventure.
Within the story, I lean and then know the spell by heart, so I know the spells I have cast; able to cast them, after I have exited the book. This, is by no means Haycart’s method; it is just how the magic of this adventure works, within the confines of the story’s confines and context. There is no need to worry, I know these spells she showed me; since I followed her example, casting the spells.
Convenient?
Well, because magic. The book had been enchanted.
“Pay heed, we are almost at the edge of the flight of stairs; unless you want to find yourself tumbling head over hoof, flying all the way down to the opposing wall at the end!” Twilight informs me.
“I would rather not, so I pass!” I point out, making sure to keep a hoof on the floor at all times.
“Good, thank you!” she responds.
The limit of the grip of these shoes stay within the safety, just in case something is knocking me down; so I don’t break a leg, hurting myself seriously. If my leg is broken off, what’s the point of my hoof sticking to the ground where I had stood?
With her warning in mind, I slow down; making sure not to miss the steps, as I negotiate the flight of stairs down to the basement.
I follow her, to the sub-level, where the intended book is supposed to be stored.
With each step I take, there is a sucking noise from the hoof pulling free from the floor; just as there is a squeak, as the hoof hits the surface of the floor.
“Technically speaking, a spiralling ramp would have been just as good as a flight of stairs; but most Ponies do not find this comfortable enough, to traverse if they have any option available..” Twilight points out.
A few moments later, I am reaching the end of the flight of stairs, and she trots along the path towards the book she is looking for. Halfway to the book, or so I imagine; she stops; casting a spell placing a collar with an attached leash around her neck. She had aimed for the leach to give me the other end; holding her in place.
I copy the spell, exchanging the favour in good humour.
Now, I notice she is casting a different spell; reversing the polarity of her shoes, leaving her floating in the air before me. Silly me, I copy this spell as well; but just after she had canceled the spell, now standing firmly on the floor a few feet before me.
However, I choose to let this effect stand; she trots on, towards the destiny; with me in tow, floating in the air behind her. Almost, as if I had been one of these balloons, inflated with Helium.
So long as my hooves are aimed at the floor; I remain floating; at least one, but possibly up to five feet from the floor or whatever surface my hooves are aimed towards.
Of course, this only works, for as long as I am wearing these shoes; but since I have hooves, this is a fun option in my book. Something I can play along with, mainly for the fun of it.
“At least, the reach of the shoes is just up to the five or six feet; so it should be quite safe, to play around with..” I ponder, smiling.
For as long as I wear the shoes, and have the polarity reversed; I will be her party balloon, but it’s so fun I keep the polarity of the shoes reversed for a while longer. Well, why not?
“How are you doing, up there?” she inquires.
“So far, it is all fun and games; thank you for asking, Twilight!” I respond.
“If there is an issue, anything that makes you uncomfortable; just let me know, or cancel the reversed polarity..” she offers.
“I will, rest assured; I will..” I respond; where I am hanging in the tether, that is the leash in her right hand.
She soon stops, as she is reaching the destination; searching for the book, then promptly pulls it out. With the book in hand, she is trotting to the nearest reading room, with me in tow; only to promptly opening the door and slipping into the enclosed space that is the reading room. Incidentally; there is a set of comfortable chairs, a table and a sofa in the room.
The door had closed, behind me; the leash preventing the door to close behind her, before she had managed to pull me inside. “Thank Celestia; for the safety, of these automated doors!!!”
I trot in and over the floor, following Twilight; finally plopping down onto the seat, on her right. I had canceled the reversed polarity by myself; just before I sat down by her side.
“Make yourself comfortable..” she offers, as she is sitting beside me.
As I watch her, I notice her pressing her hooves down firmly; eliciting a sucking noise from each of her hooves in turn. The distinct squeak, is not lost on me; I follow her example; soon finding my hooves firmly in place, where I had planted them.
“Grounded?” she inquires, as she casts a spell, and I follow her example; fully aware of what it does, as I know I could reverse it as I please.
“Grounded?” I respond; “Confirmed!” I respond, with a tog to each of my hooves in turn, finding them all stuck onto the surface of the floor.
“Excellent, excellent..” she snickers.
“Good, good, because we are going in!” she then declares; as she is picking up the first book, in her stack.
“Oh, dear; oh Deer..” the title reads.
“Whatever that could possibly mean?” I ponder; “But it does sound cute, if I can have a word in here?” I consider.
“Oh, but of course, it is..” she responds; “and it is fun..!” she explains.
As I watcher, from my venture point; my hooves bonded to the floor below me, I can clearly see her holding the book before herself. I am looking at the cover with her; then she is flipping the page, reading the title, the authors name but ignores the publishers notes in the lower corner.
She is flipping the page, before reading; “Once upon a time..”
As she reads the text, I notice something; the next instant, we are in the clearing of the forest.
“How did I end up here?” I ponder, as the last remnant of my former self is washed away by the plot of the adventure she had chosen, for the two of us.
I am looking up, finding Twilight before me; knowing I am looking like her here, just as i had before we entered the library.
“Oh, Deer!” I exclaim; “I had been right, this is indeed just as cute, as I had predicted!” I consider.
There is a large tuft of luscious green grass, towering above me on all sides; hiding Twilight and me, where we lay on the ground. I am enjoying the generous, warm light beaming down upon me and my twin sister Twilight from on high; while we wait for our mother to return.
She had hidden us; where we are, right now.
If I look down, I would see the glistering black cloven Deer hooves before me; but I am looking up, mostly at Twilight. Her coat of fur is a golden red, reminiscent of the red Roe Deer she is. As a Fawn, we have these precious white dots spotting the back and flanks on the right and left. a pattern intended to hide us, from who ever may be praying upon us; the Nature’s means of cloaking us, thus rendering us invisible.
We are both pressing flat against the ground, hiding under the tall grass; where our mother had left us, so we can rest while she is browsing.
Knowing she is close by, most likely; we relax, feeling safe. Though she could have stepped out further; but so long as we are calm, resting in the tuft of grass we should remain safe. So I believe I am safe, thus maintaining the cloak under which I stay hidden; staying safe, because I believe I am safe. A natural circular reasoning; but why bother with this logic, I am safe.
The grass upon which I am lying, resting is comfortable and soft; just as the sun is warming me up, keeping me warm and comfortably secure. The tall grass surrounds me, like the wall of a building; keeping predators and enemies out, thus keeping me within the comfortable sense of security.
If this is odd and new, but it is the situation I had just found myself within. No point in complaining.
However, if I want out, I need only break the spell of the book; reverting my gaze, breaking the concentration.
Strange, yet comfortable.
“This..” I mumbled, in a hushed voice of the Roe Deer I am within the confines of the context; blinking a few times, then looking up at Twilight where she is lying beside me.
“Yes..” she responds.
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