//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Acquaintance 
// Story: The Tale of Flux 
// by MeteorManMike 
//------------------------------//


~~~CHAPTER 2: ACQUAINTANCE~~~
It is often a joy to meet someone new.
It is even better to become friends.
To get to know each other. To share ideas and dreams.

How painful it would be to lose those ties...

~~~


The noonday sun shone through the great arched window into the luxurious guestroom. On the oversize four poster bed, a prone figure stirred from its slumber.
Ugh, I overslept. There goes my morn--
He blinked several times, clearing the sleep from his eyes, and stared blankly around the room. While the decor and size were certainly not objectionable, far from it, he had absolutely no idea how he came to be there. And on top of that...
Gah! My head... What the heck did I do last night...?
He raised a hoof to his aching skull, trying to think of what led to this--
A hoof. His hoof.
He muffled a scream and cast a panicked look around the room. Determining that no one was coming to inspect the source of the outburst, he slowly released a shuddering breath.
Okay. Calm down. You're still dreaming. You obviously fell asleep in front of the computer again, after attempting a My Little Pony marathon. That must be it.
Unable to pinch himself awake owing to his new appendage, he brought a hoof swiftly across his face.
It hurt.
Wincing, he fell back into the (extremely comfortable) pillow, groaning from the combined confusion and headache.
This is it. I've finally lost it. And now I'm a pony in a ridiculously large and expensive-looking bedroom. He examined his hoof, admiring its soft grey fur and hardened bottom. Well, there are worse ways to go, I suppose.
A gentle knock at the door nearly made him scream again, resulting instead in a strangled yelp. He burrowed under the sheets, concerned both for himself and the one seeking entry due to his new and inexplicable form.
He heard a soft chuckle through the door.
"It's me, princess Celestia. May I come in?"
"Princess... Celestia?"
"I need to speak with you. Please don't be alarmed." A gentle glow, like morning sun, encompassed the doorknob as the wooden barrier softly creaked open. She put on a friendly smile as the mysterious pony emerged from the bedspread, eyes wide with curiosity and wonder.
There before him, bright and warm as the sun she guided, stood the ruler of the fantasy world he had come to know and love. Worlds failed as he simply gazed on her majestic form, questions bubbling up within him ad infinitum, each competing with the others to be asked first. Finally he settled on:
"You're... real?"
A knowing smile graced the royal features as she took in the new pony. "Indeed. It seems that you know a great deal about Equestria, and about us. But I'm afraid that I know little about you. Might I ask your name?"
"Flux," he found himself saying, then blinked in confusion. Where had that come from? "That's... not actually my name..." He managed, screwing up his eyes. He tried to think, but turned up nothing but scattered images and mental fog. "This is beyond weird. How is this possible? How did I get here?" He stared at his hoof once more. "And on top of that, I'm a pony now??"
A sadness now crossed the princess's gentle visage as she recalled the sinuous tendrils she had seen in his mind. "I'm sorry, but you know about as much about your current situation and form as I do. When you arrived near the statue of Discord, you behaved as a magical vacuum, and all the surrounding magic started filling you. I can only theorize that a little of Discord's magic entered you as well." Celestia frowned. "Can you remember anything before you woke up here? Anything within even the last few days?"
Flux wracked his brains for a clue, but was unable to find anything specific. He remembered he was from a country called the USA, but not exactly where within. He was roughly twenty years old, but strangely could recall very little of those years.
His headache twinged again, and he grimaced as he searched deeper inside himself.
He'd been educated. He had friends. He had family. And yet, as he searched for their faces, he was met with a jumble of tangled figments and thoughts.
"It's like... I know I've forgotten something..." Another twinge, another wince. "...But I can't think of it... I can't even get close to it..."
I am... Flux. No... that's not right... that's not my name, it's Flux. NO! WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER?!
"It's wrong..." He whispered, a chill falling over him even in the bright light of the sun. "That's not who I am... so wrong... who am I really?"
Suddenly, gently, a soft and comforting feeling came over him, a dreamy, silky sensation that swept away the chills that had been sinking into him as he delved into himself. Fear was forgotten as he peeked out from under Celestia's wing through bleary eyes, unaware until that moment that he had been crying, silently lamenting the unknown, and yet so important faces that he couldn't clearly see. "I'm so sorry. Nopony should ever have to go through this."
Celestia leaned down, gently nuzzling the mysterious pony and drying his eyes. "I promise," she spoke in a voice as soft and sweet as a summer's breeze, "that I will do all within my power to help you."
Flux allowed himself to be lost in the moment. He had wanted this, he realized. He had wanted, for even just a moment, to experience that fantasy, that all was right with the world, that he could never feel in his meager, broken reality. He wept openly into her beautiful, flowing mane as she held him close, tears of sorrow giving way to joy.
This is perfect. Nothing else matters right now.
After what felt like ages, Celestia stood once more, folding back her wing from Flux's contented form. "I wish I could help you with your memory personally," she said regretfully, earning a puzzled look from the new pony. "But something has happened to the Elements. When they saved you, they did so by pouring all of their magic directly into you. Now they must be... recharged, as it were. And Luna and I are the only ones with the power to do it."
She gave a dismissive smile as she saw his look of concern and slight panic. "You are not to blame. The Elements have a mind of their own, and while this may not be the most ideal situation," Her smile now became reassuring, "I am confident that everything will turn out for the best."
"Now, I think it's about time that I made some introductions." She gestured for Flux to follow, and he pushed back the covers and got unsteadily to his hooves. Carefully, he began to make his way to the door.
It was the strangest thing. He knew that he'd walked on two legs for his whole life, and yet as he put his hooves forward, it felt as natural as breathing. His new form was perfectly built for this mode of transport, and his pace quickened from an unsteady shuffle to a confident walk. Soon, he matched stride with the princess, who beamed approvingly as they made their way down the spacious corridor.

~~~

They came to another room whose door was opened. Celestia tapped the door gently with her hoof, knocking twice.
"Princess!" came Twilight's voice. "How is he doing?"
"As well as can be expected. He's right here, if you'd like to meet him."
Six faces suddenly appeared at the door. Each bore an expression of curiosity, ranging from timid to exuberant.
"Girls, this is Flux. I'm afraid he doesn't remember much about himself, but I'm certain that you'll get along quite well." Celestia turned to indicate the new pony, but then broke out into a cheerful laugh. The rest followed suit.
Flux's jaw had dropped. Logic told him that if he was in Equestria and in the presence of Celestia, then Twilight and her friends must exist as well. But still... there they were! He made a valiant effort not to grin like an idiot at the sight of his six favorite cartoon characters, suddenly made very real.
"Um... yeah. I'm Flux. Nice to meet you..." He trailed off as his vocabulary suddenly disappeared, his flush visible through his silvery coat. Way to go, smooth talker. He shuffled his hoof on the ground, laughing awkwardly along with the rest at the absurdity of the situation.
"Super nice to meet you too!" Pinkie chirped as she bounced forward, playfully poking his shoulder with a hoof. "It's always nice to meet new friends!" Flux became aware of an ache at the corners of his mouth. If this kept up, his face would be in danger of freezing in a permanent grin. Not that this was a bad thing.
"Ah'd just like ta welcome y'all to Equestria, on behalf of us ponies here." The orange farmer gave him a rough hoofshake that nearly knocked him off his feet. "Guess we'll be seein' quite a bit of each other, and I'll sure appreciate an extra set of hooves on the farm."
"Of course-- wait, what?" Flux's cheesy grin twisted into a frown of puzzlement. Celestia smiled benevolently. "Since Luna and I will need to watch over the Elements of Harmony for now, Twilight and her friends have offered to help you adjust. Ponyville should be a familiar setting for you, I should think." She gave a knowing wink as Flux flushed once more.
"Don't worry, you can use the guest room at the library until we find a more permanent place for you to stay." Twilight smiled warmly as she took his hoof in a much more subdued manner.
"And we'll definitely keep you busy!" The cyan pegasus circled overhead and landed beside him. "I've never seen wings like yours, but I'll whip you into shape in no time!" She smiled brashly, nudging his side with an elbow.
Wings? Flux craned his neck around to look. Sure enough, there on his back were a set of oddly translucent wings, folded neatly. Strangely, the wings appeared to become more solid as he observed them, and he felt himself getting lighter, and new sensations flowed through the previously unnoticed appendages.
Suddenly, everypony gasped. Even the princess appeared taken aback by something.
"What's the matter??" He rapidly scanned the shocked faces, all of which were locked on him.
"Your horn just went away!" Pinkie stammered. "And your wings got not-see-through!"
"But now they've both returned to normal..." Twilight traded her look of shock for one of academic curiosity.
A horn too?! Flux attempted to cross his eyes upwards to see his own forehead. Semi-transparent as his wings had been, there was a spike of velvet covered bone protruding from his head, spiraled and ending at a blunt point. As he focused on the horn, it became more solid, just like his wings had. Then it hit him.
If the feeling of having wings was strange, then this new sensation was beyond strange. He could feel energies pouring into, out of and through him, hot and cold and electric all at once. He assumed that this was the feel of magic, and shuddered with the bizarre, ethereal touch.
"The same thing just happened with your horn..." Twilight's face began to dawn into comprehension. "Flux, try focusing on your wings again."
He shifted his attention once more to the appendages on his back. His horn faded away into nothingness, while at the same time his wings sprung into existence.
"Aha!" Twilight cried, snapping him out of his trance. "Your name makes sense now! When you don't focus on a form, you fluctuate between earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn. But when you think of one, you gain the skills and attributes of that form. This is a really rare condition, I've never read about anything like this! We should study this some more later! Um, if you feel like it, that is." Twilight giggled in embarrassment, which Flux found extremely endearing. "Absolutely. I'll take all the help I can get to figure out what's happened to me." He could swear he heard Rainbow mutter "so awesome..." before quickly snapping back into her typical brashness.
"Wowie! I knew he was super-duper special from the moment I saw him!" squealed Pinkie as she popped from seemingly nowhere. "'Course I couldn't say anything 'cause I started twitchy-twitching so bad I couldn't even talk and then you guys were all like *GAAAASP* and then we used the Elements and then we woke up here and now we have a super-duper amazing new friend!!" She beamed at Flux as he attempted to wrap his head around the barrage of words that had just hit him.
"I have to agree that it will be nice to have another fine stallion around town." Rarity threw a wink his way, and his blush returned anew. "Once you get that horn of yours working, I could teach you the finer aspects of magical manipulation. And an assistant around the boutique would be quite appreciated. Wouldn't that be nice?" She smiled sweetly at him. Still flushed, he nodded sheepishly.
"And, um, I could teach you about the plants and animals that live around here... if that's okay with you..." Fluttershy spoke from the back in a barely audible murmur; Flux smiled her way as gently as he could, and she retreated further into her long, pink mane. They shared an awkward glance as Rainbow snickered next to him.
"Okay. So, just to make sure I understand the situation..." He looked over the assembled mares, and felt another dumb grin coming over him. He pushed it down, clearing his throat and recovering his chain of thought. "I'll be staying in Ponyville, with you, and basically helping out wherever I can." All nodded in agreement. "And you're all going to help me get used to... whatever the heck I am." A laugh, another nod. "And hopefully sometime I can start remembering who I am and how I got here."
At this, they all avoided his gaze, glancing awkwardly and nervously around the room, except for Celestia, who frowned regretfully. "I'm afraid it won't be that simple. When you landed near Discord's statue, you began taking in some of his magic before we could use the Elements on you." She grimaced. "From what I've seen, I can only guess that when you took in the magic of the Elements, you got a piece of Twilight and her friends' magic as well. The chaos magic allows you to change between forms..." Her face now became downcast. "But thanks to Discord's twisted humor, the same magic that gives you your fluctuating form is also infesting your memories. Again, I wish I could help you with this personally, but the Elements will require my attention for the time being."
"I understand." Flux put on his bravest face. "My memory is nothing compared to the safety of all Equestria." He grinned. "Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing Ponyville firsthand. There will be plenty of time to dwell on my misfortune later."
The sun princess beamed down on him. "I am glad to hear you say that. This will be difficult for you, but I have every confidence that we will overcome this problem together."
She spread her wings grandly. "Now I must return to the Elemental chamber. Girls, you have my undying gratitude. I will see you soon, Flux." And without another word, she leapt gracefully through the great arched window and flew into the distance.

~~~

An awkward silence followed. Pinkie stifled a giggle, dancing around adorably.
"So..." Twilight broke the silence. "Are you hungry? I ordered some lunch, it should be here soon."
As if to emphasize her point, Flux's belly let loose a powerful rumble. Rainbow gave a snort of derision. "That sounds good, thanks." He blushed once more. This was happening a lot.
"Why don't we have a seat while we wait? The coach to Ponyville won't be leaving until later this afternoon." Rarity gestured elegantly towards some very plush couches surrounding a low table. "You can tell us all about yourself. What you remember, that is..." She added apologetically, to which he nodded in understanding.
They all approached the table, and Flux observed the seating, coming to the realization that he had no idea how to use it. He looked around, seeing that everyone had their own method of relaxation. Twilight and Fluttershy preferred a catlike squat, curling forelegs underneath as they lay. The former was seated across the table from him, smiling warmly. Applejack and Pinkie sat in a more dog-like position, supporting with forelegs as hindquarters rested on the seats. Rarity reclined on her side propping her head on a hoof, observing him with interest. Rainbow Dash remained aloft, hovering almost effortlessly a bit behind the table.
He chose a spot between Pinkie and Applejack (the former conspicuously sliding a bit closer with a soft giggle), and plunked himself down on his hind legs, his forelegs dangling over the edge.
"So... what do you want to know? I can't guarantee that I'll know the answer, but I'll try my best." He grinned awkwardly.
"I'll start." Twilight smiled reassuringly from across the table. "What can you tell us about where you're from?"
"Well, our planet is called Earth. It's split into individually governed countries with varying cultures. I'm from the United States of America. It's divided up into... I think fifty states...? That sounds right. But I can't remember which one."
"Wow..." Twilight was awash in academic interest. "So the humans live in the United States of America... What about the ponies? Or the gryphons and dragons?"
Flux laughed. "I'm afraid that it's only humans. Dragons and gryphons are the stuff of myth. We have horses, but they aren't colorful or intelligent like you. We're the only ones there."
"Princess Celestia said that humans don't have magic," Rarity mused. "How do you raise the sun? Do you have some sort of machine to do it for you?"
"I'm not sure how it works in Equestria, other than that it's the princess's magic, but our sun is about a million times the size of Earth. We orbit the sun once a year, and the Earth's rotation causes day and night."
"That sounds... impossibly big..." Twilight's eyes were wide in wonder. "Even princess Celestia's sun is only about a quarter the size of Equestria. She uses her magic to keep it lit, and to move it around the planet."
"So you guys can't control the weather, or seasons, or anything??" Rainbow dash piped up incredulously, hardly believing in such a world where her weather job, or even any equivalent, didn't exist.
"Nope, It's all natural where I'm from. That's one of the things I thought was so cool about this place. Our weather service isn't always accurate in their predictions. But if you knew someone who actually makes the weather happen..." He grinned up Rainbow Dash, who appeared to have developed an itch on the back of her neck as she grinned sheepishly back at him.
"Ah hate ta tell ya, sugarcube, but the weather ain't always so reliable around these parts either." The farmer shot a teasing grin at the rainbow pegasus, who flustered irritably. "Hey, it's not my fault if the order comes in late! The guys in Cloudsdale are the ones to talk to, not me! Besides," She shot the orange pony a mischievous smirk. "You're not afraid to get a little wet, are you?"
Flux smiled at the display of petty rivalry. It reminded him of the way he was with his best friend...
Argh. What was his name...?
"Is something the matter, dear?" Came a dainty voice. He jerked his head up, suddenly aware that all eyes were on him. He sighed. "Nah, it's nothing. Thought I remembered something for a bit... A friend of mine. We'd mess with each other all the time, like you were doing just now. But that's about it..."
"That's good, though!" Twilight's eyes lit up. "I think we're making some progress! Tell us some more about your world." She smiled encouragingly at him.
"Well..." His train of thought seemed to have derailed itself. "Um. Oh yeah, there's--"
A knock at the door. The train jumped clean off the tracks.
"Ah! our lunch!" Twilight giggled, having completely forgotten. "Come in!"
Flux turned to see a sky blue unicorn magically pushing a large cart through the door. Stacks of gleaming silver platters adorned its surface, and a delicious aroma wafted in with it, making his stomach rumble thunderously, his forgotten hunger now returning with a vengeance.
"You're in for a real treat." Rarity smiled approvingly at the selection placed before them. "Canterlot dining is the finest in Equestria."
"Eh, you and yer fancy stuff." Applejack smirked at the white unicorn teasingly, nonetheless licking her lips in anticipation. "Wait till you get a taste o' Granny's home-grown, Apple family cookin'--Whoa nelly..."
"Bon appetit." The waiter magically lifted the lids from the platters, revealing the most luxurious spread of vegetarian cuisine that Flux had ever beheld. Hot, steaming vegetable soups, salads that practically glimmered with freshness, fruits of such vibrant color that it would almost be a shame to devour such a masterpiece. A large bouquet of beautiful and aromatic flowers served as a wonderfully complimenting centerpiece. And the desserts...
Cakes. Cookies. Puddings. Pies. There was enough sugar there to knock anyone into a diabetic shock. Pinkie started in almost immediately, consuming an entire cake with a single bite, triggering an appalled look from Rarity and a burst of laughter from Rainbow Dash.
Twilight hoofed the waiter a few bits, who bowed politely and left the seven to their banquet.
Seeing his hungry expression, Rarity laughed. "I would be willing to bet that you've never eaten this well back where you're from." She wafted a rose from the ornate vase, smelling it daintily.
"You'd win that bet..." Flux tried not to drool as he looked over the feast. He made to take a plate of salad when something strange caught his eye. "Wait, did you just eat that??"
Rarity discarded the rose stem. "Don't tell me that you didn't have flowers in your world! I could hardly stand such a dreary place!"
"Oh no, we had flowers. We just never... ate them." He looked quizzically at the centerpiece, which now appeared strangely... appetizing. He tentatively lifted a daffodil in his mouth, inhaling its fragrance. Stranger things have happened... he cautiously nibbled at the delicate petals.
A flavor unlike any Flux had experienced came over him. Images of morning sun and ripe grain filled his head as he was overcome by something so unique, a taste so... yellow, he decided. He greedily consumed the entire blossom, reveling in this new discovery.
"Wow," he mumbled through a mouthful of petals. "This is amazing. Our flowers are just... gross, not for eating." A thought came over him. "Maybe they just taste different to ponies."
He made his way through the bouquet, each of the six encouraging him to try their favorite. Dandelion, rose, violet, tulip, daisy and iris fell to his hunger as he delighted in the new flavors. "That's incredible..." he stifled a burp. "There's nothing that tastes like that on Earth, that's for certain."
They made their way through the meal, conversing about the similar and differing vegetation on Earth and Equestria. Fluttershy in particular seemed more comfortable with this topic, displaying her knowledge of forest plants and natural remedies. The desserts (which hadn't yet been devoured by Pinkie) were not so novel an experience as the flowers had been, but were nonetheless the best he could remember having eaten.
Flux, now sated, relaxed and took in the antics of his new friends. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had started a messy pie-eating contest (apple, of course). Fluttershy and Rarity listened with interest as Twilight continued to bombard him with questions about Earth, interjecting with their own every so often. Pinkie was... being Pinkie, rambling on about something so off-topic that he had all but given up on following her monologue, pausing occasionally to breathe or to stuff an entire pastry into her mouth. Overall, this weirdness was turning out to be absolutely wonderful.

~~~

"--And that's how I got my cutie mark!" Pinkie giggled merrily, all of them now completely stuffed with the luxurious meal. The waiter had entered about five minutes prior to return all the dishes and trays (there were no leftovers thanks to Pinkie). He returned once more and muttered something to Twilight, who nodded in understanding as he left again.
"Our carriage is due to leave in ten minutes" She announced to the group. "I've already sent a message to Spike to expect us back at the library, so everything should be set up for you, Flux." He gave an appreciative smile.
Twilight led the group through the spacious corridors and onto the castle grounds. Four pure white pegasus stallions, resplendent in golden armor, stood tethered to a large white and gold carriage, big enough to fit at least ten ponies inside. They all climbed in as Twilight greeted the guards, the four breaking their stoic poses to smile in cheerful recognition at the violet mare. The lead guard barked a command, and Flux felt his stomach falling as they leapt into the sky.
He chanced a glance out the window, and was quickly reminded that he didn't know how to fly. Swiftly pulling his head back in and squashing his nerves as best he could, he picked up their question and answer session where they had left off.
About half an hour later, they landed with a gentle thump in Ponyville square. "I'll introduce you to the mayor first," Twilight was saying. "She always likes to greet new ponies. After that we can get you settled in at the library, and I can show you around town."
Flux rose from his seat and nosed open the carriage door--
"SURPRISE!!!"
He was nearly blown off his feet by a wave of pure enthusiasm. What looked like everypony in the entire village were assembled outside the carriage door, with Spike in the front. Pinkie squealed in delight from behind Flux as Spike gave her a sly wink. "The emergency 'Pinkie's-not-here-to-welcome-the-new-pony-so-we'll-throw-a-surprise-party-instead' plan! You remembered!"
Flux was completely overwhelmed by the mob as they closed in on him, all questions and cheering and laughter. They made their way to Sugarcube Corner, where the Cakes had set up a party that would do Pinkie proud.
The rest was a swirl of music, games, way too much food, laughter, and randomness.

~~~

"I'm gonna explode if I eat another bite." Flux collapsed into the cozy bed in Twilight's guest room, absolutely drained, remembering very little of the day's festivities. "Seriously, is it like this all the time around here?"
"With Pinkie, you never know," Twilight giggled sleepily. They had partied well into the evening and early night, and had finally settled in at the library. "She has a party for every occasion, and we always have a great time."
A loud snore from upstairs indicated that Spike had already turned in for the night. "We should get some sleep too..." Twilight yawned as she turned out the lights with her horn. "I'd like to get started with your magic training tomorrow as soon as possible, okay?"
He muffled an affirmative into his pillow.
"Goodnight, Flux."
"Goodnight... Twilight."


~~~TO BE CONTINUED~~~



Author's note

Dialogue between characters is HARD. Especially pre-defined characters that I have to imagine how they would react, and everyone who reads this has their own idea of how the conversation should play out. Six of them plus an OC holding a conversation is just a nightmare to come up with.
Magic training next. Hopefully having just two ponies in the room will make the dialogue easier. Maybe.
So yeah, hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you later.
-M3