The Seventh Day: No Right Answer
You Do (Not) Belong
The Seventh Day: No Right Answer
Spike hadn’t even been gone for more than half a minute, but to the assembled ponies, it felt like much longer. The only sound present was the faint scraping Connor made as he idly drew one of his hooves along the floor for lack of anything better to do. It was entrancing in a way, watching and feeling his altered appendage slide across the smooth wood like a hockey puck.
New body, new perspective, new sensations… To think, he was the first human in history to know what it felt like to be a fur-coated quadruped, complete with hooves, a tail, and everything else. It was surreal, like something right out of science fiction. If not for the suddenness of his transformation and the possibility that he was forever stuck like this, he might even have been able to enjoy the novel experience. But alas, there’s a reason fantasy and reality aren’t supposed to mix -- a lesson Connor would undoubtedly learn once the reality of his situation truly sunk in.
Suddenly, Connor felt his new pony ears flick and pivot around to the top of the stairs in response to Spike’s returning footsteps, bringing his head up just as the dragon appeared there.
“Everything’s cool. Owloysius made sure Peewee got to bed okay,” he said as he made his way down to the first floor. Eagerly, he walked over to the others and seated himself right next to Twilight, looking up at the Princess with his claws folded in front of him. “Ready, Princess.”
Celestia nodded, taking one moment to look around and make sure she had everyone’s full attention. Then the snow-white alicorn closed her eyes and took a deep, slow breath, before opening them again and starting what was doubtless to be a long, complicated, and in some ways, difficult explanation.
“To start, we should get the obvious out of the way,” she began. “Given what we know, your condition is most assuredly the result of magic. Specifically, natural magic.”
Connor tilted his head slightly. “Natural magic?” he asked for clarification.
“Yes. It is the magical energy that occurs automatically in our world, and not due to a unicorn’s spellcasting. It is everywhere; as common and ubiquitous as the very air we breathe.”
Connor looked off to the side in recollection. “Right, I remember Twilight saying something about that.”
Meanwhile, Rarity raised her hoof to get attention. “Excuse me, Princess. Now, obviously, I don’t know nearly as much about magic as either you or Twilight, but are you sure? As far as I’ve heard, nopony has ever just become a unicorn at the drop of a hat. It just doesn’t happen!”
“You are correct, Rarity. Things like this normally do not happen. But as you can no doubt guess, Connor is a very special case.” Celestia looked between the two unicorn mares in front of her, addressing them both. “Tell me, Twilight, Rarity, when you first met him, did you not experience anything strange or… out of the ordinary?”
“Strange or out of the ordinary?” Twilight repeated curiously. “Hmm…” She thought for a moment, scratching her mane with her hoof while both she and Rarity puzzled over the Princess’ question. “Actually, come to think of it, when we were together in the castle foyer... I couldn’t quite put my hoof on it, but I wasn’t able to shake the feeling that something was... off.”
“Since you mention it, I happen to recall something similar when he came to my boutique. I just didn’t think much of it until now,” Rarity agreed.
“And Sweetie Belle, too,” Connor chimed in. “That look she gave me when she answered the door; I thought she was just surprised to see me. You’re saying that had something to do with magic?”
Celestia nodded. “As I assume you are all aware, Connor comes from a world where there exists no magic of any kind. When he arrived, it was as a being utterly untouched by the forces that every creature of Equis experiences from the very moment they are born. On an instinctual level, you both were able to sense this, as was I, though only recently did I come to realize what it was. Nopony, not even myself, had ever encountered a nonmagical being before that day.”
“Now, hold up,” Applejack interrupted with a quizzical look on her face. “When Ah first met Connor, Ah wasn’t havin’ no ‘strange feelin’s.’ Other than, y’know, never seein’ anythin’ like a hew-man before.”
The cowpony’s comment was met with nods of agreement from both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, causing Celestia to give an amused expression.
“I am not surprised,” she told them. “As magic users, unicorns and alicorns are simply more sensitive to changes in ambient energy than pegasi or earth ponies, like yourselves. Connor’s presence in this world’s magic-rich environment could therefore be felt as an abnormality in nature. A kind of magical ‘void,’ if you will.”
Connor’s eyes widened slightly. Suddenly, what Celestia was saying started to make a lot more sense to him. “Nature abhors a vacuum,” he mentioned in comprehension.
“Precisely.”
Abruptly, Rainbow Dash shook her head in annoyance. “I don’t get it. What’s all this about magic vacuums have to do with Connor being a pony now?”
“I was getting to that,” Celestia told the pegasus, giving her a look that communicated a desire for patience. Sighing with resignation, Rainbow leaned back against the table in the center of the room, folding her forelegs behind her head. “Anyways; Twilight, in the letter you wrote to me, you mentioned that Connor was suffering from powerful headaches prior to the appearance of his horn.”
“...That’s right.” Twilight nodded. Subconsciously, she felt a bit of sour regret well up inside her upon her mentor’s mention of her earlier correspondence. In hindsight, she should have reported to her the very moment Connor’s troubles started, instead of waiting until she’d exhausted her own efforts to resolve them. Maybe if she did... things wouldn’t have turned out quite like this.
And Twilight was almost certain that Celestia felt the same way. But even if that were true, her mentor made no mention of it.
“And afterwards, the headaches stopped completely?” she continued, directing her question to Connor.
“Yeah,” he answered, wishing that the alicorn would hurry up and make her point already.
Celestia nodded to herself. “It is most likely that your body began absorbing trace amounts of magic as soon as you arrived, to correct the imbalance you unknowingly created. I am merely speculating at this point, but I believe the pain you experienced was a consequence of the magic coming into your body too quickly for your own good, like an empty vessel being teleported to the bottom of the ocean; the ‘pressure’ was too much for you. Left unchecked... it could very well have killed you.”
The bluntness of the Princess’ statement struck Connor -- and the other ponies too, for that matter -- almost as much as what she had said. It certainly put his first few days in Equestria in a whole new light. Talking with Twilight in the castle, clothes fitting with Rarity, Pinkie’s pre-welcoming party… During all that time, he was slowly dying from some kind of magical overdose?
“And why didn’t it?” Connor asked, putting to words the question at the front of everypony’s minds.
“Your horn,” Celestia put it simply, causing Connor to direct his eyes towards the bony protrusion on his forehead, tentatively reaching up to rub it lightly with his hoof. After a brief pause, she went to elaborate further. “Allow me to explain. You see, the magic of this world is not just some inert force. It is…” The Princess trailed off for a moment as she tried to find the right word. “...alive, in a manner of speaking. Magic in its purest form is the essence of life itself. It is not in its nature to cause undue harm. Somehow, the magic ‘knew’ what it was doing to you, and strove to avert it.”
Suddenly, Pinkie Pie perked up. “So it was like the magic was saying ‘I’m really super sorry I hurt you. Here, have a horn instead’?”
“Hold on. You mean having a horn literally push its way out of my skull was a good thing?” Connor asked incredulously, finding it hard to believe after what he went through to get it.
“Considering the alternative, I should think so,” Celestia replied. “In unicorns, the horn is a tool allowing for the regulation and direction of magical energy. With it, your body was able to limit the flow of magic more sustainably, allowing you to assimilate it without risk of being overwhelmed.”
“The thaumograph readings!” Twilight struck her hooves together in a moment of clarity. “The machine wasn’t detecting the flow of magic out, it was detecting the flow of magic in!”
“Okay... so that explains the horn bit,” said Connor, managing to follow the explanation so far, if just barely. “But what about me turning into a unicorn? If the horn was enough to keep me alive, why didn’t it stop there?”
Feeling sullen, Celestia lowered her head while an unsure expression came over her. “I am… far less certain of that. It could very well be the case that, even though you were no longer in danger, your human body was still never meant to interact with magic the way the creatures of Equis do. Therefore, in order to make you better suited to our environment, the world itself simply made it so. As for why you became a unicorn in particular, well… you already had a horn. It only seems logical.”
Connor stared on, the Princess’ words echoing around in his head. The way she’d put it… it sounded so incredibly simple. He was expecting something more complex, something more than just a case of happenstance and a fickle leap in logic, but…
“That’s it?”
Celestia blinked once, slowly, and then sadly nodded her head. “I’m sorry. There is simply too much we don’t know about these circumstances to be sure. It’s the best I can do.”
If Connor still had fists, he would have started to clench them. “So, let me just get this straight,” he said, in a purposefully calm manner that didn’t match the emotions rising in his chest. “What you’re saying is… the reason I’m like this; the reason I’m now a pony, after all that pain and suffering… is literally: ‘because magic.’”
Connor’s statement just so happened to make Twilight’s ears tic slightly. “Um… Don’t you mean because of magic?” she corrected for him.
“Twilight…” Celestia stressed, looking down at her disapprovingly. Twilight went silent in response, her ears lowering in an apologetic manner.
“This is… That’s just…” Connor didn’t know what to say. There was just something about all of this that made him feel like he’d been cheated. Like he felt he deserved a better explanation than that. And out of the mix of feelings bubbling up inside of him, one thing was clear: it was making him angry. Angry enough to want to spit out the very next thing to cross his mind. “This is bullshit!”
There was a collective gasp from some of the more sensitive mares in the room, and Fluttershy instinctively reached out and brought her hooves down around Spike’s ear frills in an effort to protect the young dragon’s innocence.
His eyes narrowing, Connor looked around to see all of the mares focus on him. He felt unrepentant. “I’m sorry, but that’s what it is!”
“Don’t you think you’re maybe… overreacting?” Fluttershy asked softly, while a mildly annoyed Spike struggled to remove the yellow hooves that were clamped firmly around his head.
“Why? Don’t you think I deserve to be a little angry about this?” he shot back, feeling completely justified in his current attitude. “There’s no fucking reason for it! Any of it! Some invisible force of nature decided to make me become a pony just because I was breaking some kind of ‘no humans allowed’ rule!? What the fuck!?”
Connor brought one of his hooves off the ground and placed it against his chest. “I didn’t want this! I didn’t even get a choice! I guess letting me stay normal would’ve been too much to ask! Instead, I get turned into… this!” Right at the end, a number of other words he could have used to finish that sentence crossed his mind: Animal. Freak. And a few more that would’ve been just as flattering to the ponies in the room. But this wasn’t Earth, and he wasn’t among other humans; the standards were different here.
“Hey, you really need to chill out,” Rainbow Dash said forcefully, getting up from her seat and leaning forwards in an aggressive display. “So what if it’s not what you wanted to hear? You didn’t even bother asking if she could change you back. Did you even think about that?”
“I…” One look at Rainbow’s piercing gaze, and Connor’s mouth snapped shut. She was right. Complaining (loudly) about the hand fate had dealt him wasn’t helping the situation, even if it did feel good to get it out of his system.
He snorted -- an action that felt strangely cathartic -- and placed both hooves firmly back on the floor. “Okay… Okay... I just needed to vent. I feel better now.” Connor looked up at Celestia, who didn’t seem at all fazed by his outburst. “Well? Is there anything we can do?”
The Princess swallowed almost imperceptibly. “The short answer, regrettably… is no.”
The room went quiet. With the alicorn’s brief pronouncement, crestfallen expressions fell unto the ponies like a chilling rain. All except for one, however, as Twilight got up on her hooves, refusing to accept it.
“Pardon me, Princess, but that can’t be right. All magical effects, especially transformation magic, are supposed to be reversible, or at least wear off on their own, given enough time.” The unicorn resolutely shook her head before turning to face Connor. “Of course, transformation spells are also supposed to be relatively instant… and painless.” A brief shudder ran down her spine, but she recovered at once. “But just because it was caused by natural magic shouldn’t make much of a difference, should it?”
“No, Twilight. This is not the same,” Celestia said to her pupil. “You have to understand, Connor hasn’t simply been physically transformed into a pony. His body has been altered on an absolutely fundamental level, and as a result, this has essentially become his natural state. Connor’s current form, and the magic that changed him, are now such an integral part of his being that any attempt at reversal would likely have… disastrous results.”
“So I’m cursed, then,” Connor muttered sorely. “That’s pretty much what you’re saying, isn’t it?”
Celestia’s eyes widened a little bit at his conclusion, mildly surprised that he was aware of such things as curses. It only lasted a second, however. “For all intents and purposes... yes, that is correct.”
And that was that. Mystery solved -- more or less. Connor was a full-fledged Equestrian now, for no other reason than “Why the fuck not?” And the worst part was that he was well and truly stuck. He was going to have to live as a pony for the rest of his life.
As Twilight despondently looked off to the side after her mentor’s statement, the realization sort of came to Connor in waves.
No more thumbs… or fingers, or hands. What kinds of video games could be played with hooves? Almost none, that’s how many. And how was he supposed to type on a keyboard now?
No more meat. His equine stomach wouldn’t be able to handle it. Cheeseburgers? Nope. Goodbye steak, KFC, and coconut shrimp at Red Lobster -- to name a few. His food pyramid had essentially been downgraded to a food trapezoid.
He’d have to relearn how to walk again. He’d have to relearn how to do everything. It was crushing his resolve just to think about how different, and difficult, his life was going to be from then on.
Connor brought both hooves up and buried his face in them, sighing deeply. “Can this day possibly get any worse?” A petite, uncomfortable clearing of the throat could be heard coming from the royal pony in front of him, and Connor slowly brought his head up to look her flatly in the eyes. “You’re kidding me.”
“I wish I was,” Celestia admitted with a heavy heart. “Now that the issue of your transformation has been dealt with, it is time to move on to the other issue I came to discuss. Given the circumstances, I do not know if this can be considered good or bad news, but regardless… I believe I have discovered the means by which you can return to your own world.”
A surprised gasp rose up from everypony at this news, as this was something absolutely none of them had expected. Even Connor momentarily put aside his present worries to absorb this information, giving the Princess a mixed expression. “What!? How!? When!?”
“It was just yesterday when Luna and myself came up with the solution. We were just about to send you a letter detailing what we had found out, when we received Twilight’s instead. I included this in our response, though it is plain to see why you never got a chance to read it.” Celestia motioned with her head over to the foot of the stairs, and everyone followed her gaze to see the discarded piece of parchment. With a glow of yellow magic, she lifted it into the air and stowed it away out of sight. “Obviously, there would not be much of a point to reading it now, as I am here to explain everything in full.”
“Okay, go ahead,” Connor urged her. He’d been waiting to hear these words for days, and despite recent developments, he was immensely interested in what she had to say.
“We’re all ears, Yer Highness,” added Applejack.
Celestia nodded. “Very well. To start with, I am confident that the object you encountered on Earth, the stone formation as you described it, was something called a ‘Terminus Enchantment.’”
“Terminus Enchantment?” Twilight’s ears perked up and she tilted her head, genuinely surprised. “I’ve never heard of anything like that before. And coming from me, that’s really saying something.”
“I didn’t expect you would,” said Celestia. “You won’t find any mention of them in books of magic found in any library. In fact, it is something so obscure, I myself had not thought of it until one of my court scholars brought it to my attention, having discovered it in, of all things, a historical document: a weathered old scroll, dating from before the time of the Great Unification.”
Rainbow Dash let out a low whistle. “Wow. That’s really old.”
“Indeed,” the Princess continued, feeling she should give some more background for Connor’s benefit. “You see, before the unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies of old put aside their differences and decided to work together, moving across great distances was especially hard for the unicorns. They possessed neither the gift of flight nor the incredible endurance of earth ponies.”
“Their solution to this problem was the Terminus Enchantment, which took the principles of common teleportation and applied them to two specific points in space, effectively creating a bridge across which things could travel instantaneously,” Celestia explained. “What made this enchantment noteworthy was that it was not limited by distance or mass. Entire groups of ponies, deliveries, and important messages could cross whole continents in the blink of an eye.”
“Princess, are… are you serious?” Twilight exclaimed breathlessly, baffled by what her mentor was saying. “That’s an incredible achievement! If what you’re saying is true, then the fact that these ponies could accomplish this with pre-Unification knowledge is astounding! I don’t understand why nopony has ever heard of this magic before, or tried to make one since!”
Celestia allowed herself a small smile at her student’s exuberance. “Ah, but such convenience did not come without cost, Twilight. The energy requirements necessary to activate the enchantment were astronomical. It would take a dozen powerful unicorn mages days of pouring every bit of magic they could spare into the enchanted object in order to get it to function. That is why they were only used in situations when distances were great and time was of the essence. After the Unification, the unicorns could rely on their new friends for these things, and the Terminus Enchantment quickly fell out of favor. Those already in existence were either dismantled or left to decay, and as the centuries passed without need of their use, knowledge of how to make one went with them.”
Rarity tapped on her chin with her hoof in thought. “How very interesting…”
“Yeah, fascinating, whatever.” Connor was slightly less taken with the history lesson. “Okay, so, never mind how one of these enchantments ended up on Earth. How does knowing what got me here help send me home? And how are you even sure of what it is in the first place?”
“The answer to both of those questions lies with a common principle known as ‘magical diffusion,’ which means that the casting of any nonnatural magic often leaves traces of itself in the surrounding area. Like a hoofprint, containing the essence of the spell,” said the alicorn. “In most cases, the spell in question is not strong enough to leave a lasting impression, and most fade away within minutes, if not seconds. But the power behind the enchantment that brought you across dimensions left an impression so great that it is still lingering in the castle courtyard. Now that I know what it is we were looking for, I can use the impression as an improvised version of the Terminus Enchantment. By directly suffusing the area with enough energy, we can trigger the spell once more, and send it in the opposite direction.”
Celestia then paused for slightly longer than usual, giving Connor the idea that something was amiss.
“I’m sensing a ‘but,’” he told her. From off to his side, Pinkie Pie had to stifle a giggle.
The Princess bowed her head. “But… the impression is still fading, and quickly. If we are to use this means of returning you to Earth, we will have to do it soon.”
“...How soon?”
Looking directly into Connor’s eyes, Celestia gravely said, “It must be tonight… or not at all.”
There was dead silence. Nopony said anything, but they all knew what this meant. If Connor wanted to go home (and tonight was his only chance) he would have to do it the way he was now: as a pony. The timing couldn’t have been worse if they had tried. Here he was, a newly minted equine about to be thrust back into a world where red-hued talking unicorns just didn’t exist. A world that was just as much alien to him now as Equis was when he first arrived.
An unenviable situation if ever there was one.
“...Dammit,” Connor said under his breath. “God... fucking dammit.”
Celestia spoke up first, sensing that Connor wasn’t taking this news well. “I understand how--”
“No. No, you don’t understand,” Connor rudely interrupted. This came as a bit of a shock to the other ponies. Nopony ever interrupted the Princess, much less talk down to her in such a condescending way. Even so, she let him continue. “Do you have any idea what kind of situation you’re putting me in? In the middle of one of the most traumatic experiences of my life, you just drop in out of the blue, tell me that I’m stuck like this forever, and in the same breath tell me how my only shot at going home is to just pack up and go right this second. I’ve been a pony for less than an hour and you’re telling me I have to leave for Earth right fucking now!? And you have the nerve to say you understand how I feel!? Don’t you get it!? Things can never just go back to the way they were! My old life is gone!”
This wasn’t just another outburst; Connor was legitimately angry at the Princess of the Sun for dumping all of this on him in such a short time. She’d been the one to break the news, so she was responsible for what he was feeling. He knew it was irrational, but right then, he blamed her for all of it. Blamed her for his current situation of having to face this frightening new reality. A reality where going home meant returning to a life that would be so utterly different than everything he was used to.
And through all of this, Celestia just sat there wearing the same patient, unreadable expression, like she was trying her hardest not to get more involved than she was already. Connor couldn’t stand to look at her any more, so he turned his head away, his face contorted into a grimace.
“Uhhh… You know, you don’t… have to go,” Spike cautiously suggested. “You could stay here in Ponyville if you wanted to. I’m sure the Princess would let you.”
“Spike’s right!” added Pinkie Pie. “We can teach you everything you need to know about being a pony, no problemo. It’s really not so bad! And you won’t have any problem fitting in, ‘cus we’re all ponies too! Well, except for Spike, but you knew that.”
“Yeah… right. I could do that,” Connor said in response. “And all it’d take is me walking away from my friends, my family, my entire culture… pretty much everything and everyone I’ve ever loved.”
That really drove the point home, taking whatever wind had built up out of the sails of the pink party mare. But the thing was… Spike and Pinkie weren’t wrong. Refusing Celestia’s offer and staying in Equestria was still an option, and considering how difficult life on Earth would be for him now, it was perhaps even a preferable one. To be a pony among ponies; his only chance at a “normal” life.
Either way, no matter what he ended up deciding, there was something to be lost. The only question now was to decide what he should give up… and whether or not he could live with the consequences of his choice.
Connor abruptly (and shakily) got up on his four hooves and started to slowly turn around, remembering what had happened the last time he tried to do so without being careful.
“Where are you going?” asked Fluttershy.
“...I need to think about this,” he answered, aiming himself in the direction of the hallway leading down to the kitchen. “And I… I need to do it alone.”
Celestia nodded. “I under…” She paused abruptly, and even though his back was turned, Connor could sense the uneasiness in the Princess’ voice and demeanor. “Yes, of course. Take as much time as you need.”
Bitterly, Connor turned his neck to address her. “If I did that, we’d be too late. I’ll take as much time as I’ve got, thank you very much.”
With everyone else silently watching him go, Connor plodded along, carefully managing his steps as he made his way down the darkened hall to the kitchen. The rhythmic sound of his hooves hitting the floor sounded hollow to his ears, which were plastered firmly to the base of his skull.
When he reached the door at the end of the hall, he looked up for a moment, briefly wondering how he was going to get past this latest obstacle. When he lifted one of his front hooves to try and push against it, he felt his weight shifting perilously away from his center of gravity, and decided against pushing any further, returning his hoof safely to the ground. Instead, he settled on trudging forward an inch at a time, moving the door with his shoulder as it slowly swung inwards with a long creaking noise.
As he went inside the kitchen, he could feel the edge of the door brush along the fur on his side until it reached the point where it began to swing back. Suddenly, Connor was cognizant of his tail, and he stumbled forward just in time to prevent it from getting pinched in the doorway. He peeked behind himself, catching his breath, and watched the door swing to and fro until it finally stopped.
Now that that was done, Connor found himself in Twilight’s empty kitchen area, completely unlit save for the illumination coming from the crack under the door. And that was fine… he didn’t really care about the darkness. All that mattered was that he now had the opportunity to figure out his next course of action.
Which was… what, exactly? What was he going to do now? So much had happened in such a short time, Connor was having trouble thinking of where to begin. Here, in the absolute quiet and the stillness, it struck him just how tired he was.
Tired of making stupid mistakes that kept landing him into trouble. Tired of harboring animosity towards forces utterly beyond his control. Tired of the pain he’d been forced to endure, the trials of adjusting to a brand-new body, and the emotional roller coaster he’d been riding since the moment he laid hands on that enchanted stone. And the worst of it all still had yet to come. In a matter of hours, he would either say goodbye to the home he’d known for his entire life, or go back as the only talking unicorn to walk the face of the Earth, unique and alone in a world that wasn’t meant for him anymore.
Connor could feel his resolve to remain upright slipping away, and he let his flank pitch over and hit the floor with a heavy thump. The rest of him soon followed.
He laid there on the floor, resting his furry cheek on the cold, hard wood, as he struggled to focus on making the most important decision of his life. A decision that would impact his whole future in too many ways to count. And while that happened, the clock was steadily running down. Tick tock.
Connor closed his eyes and slowly brought his forelegs up, wrapping them tightly around his head while curling into a ball with his other two legs. And then, feeling all but torn up inside, and alone with himself where there was nobody to see… the tears started to flow.
------------------------
Back in the main foyer, the general mood couldn’t be described as anything less than somber while the ponies held a quiet discussion over these recent revelations, and speculated as to the fate of their newest friend.
“I just can’t believe all of this is happening all at once,” Rarity said, shaking her head. “It’s utterly dreadful, is what it is.”
“Do you think he’s really gonna do it?” Pinkie Pie asked, her normally eccentric mane hanging a little limper than usual. “If he goes home now, he’ll never get to go to his official ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party… He Pinkie Promised and everything.”
“No offense, Pinkie, but I don’t think Connor’d want to be stuck here forever just so he could go to your party,” Rainbow told her fuchsia-furred friend. “What I don’t get is why he isn’t happier about this. He gets to go home. It’s what he’s wanted this whole time, right?”
“It’s not that simple, darling,” Rarity pointed out. “While I’m sure he would have jumped at the chance days ago, things are different now. As I understand it, ‘Connor the pony’ would have a much harder time among his own people than ‘Connor the human,’ with or without a horn. He’d stick out like polka dots against stripes, if you’ll pardon the fashion metaphor.”
Applejack leaned in on the conversation, her muzzle set into a serious expression. “This is just mah two bits, but if somethin’ like this ever happened to me, Ah’d do anythin’ Ah could to stay right here. No way in Tartarus would Ah turn mah back on Granny, Bloom or Big Mac, or any a’ y’all for that matter.”
Rainbow Dash shrugged her shoulders, turning her head to face her fellow pegasus. “What about you, Fluttershy? What do you think?”
Fluttershy perked up, blinking a few times when she was addressed by her friend. “Oh, I… I don’t know…” She turned her eyes to the floor, nervously pressing her hooves together. “I just feel so sorry for Connor. All of this… it’s just awful.”
Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle remained silent, distancing herself from the discussion as she was lost in her own thoughts. Until, upon noticing that his best friend and closest companion seemed to be particularly troubled, Spike got up and walked over to the lavender unicorn. “Hey, Twi. You’ve been pretty quiet ever since Connor left. Something wrong?”
Her bright purple eyes shifting around searchingly, Twilight took in a deep breath and let it out in an unsteady sigh. Almost to herself, she whispered, “It’s my fault… It’s all my fault.”
“Pardon? What was that, sugarcube?” Applejack’s head, as well as those of the others, all turned towards Twilight. Celestia in particular appeared keenly interested, and she spoke up to address her faithful student directly.
“What do you mean, Twilight?”
Twilight shook her head, as if trying to dislodge something that had gotten stuck in her mind, but it was of no use. “It was me… I’m the one responsible for what’s happened to Connor.”
“What!?” Spike was set aback, confusion plain on his face while everyone else was similarly affected. “You’re talking crazy, Twi. How could any of this be your fault?”
Twilight’s head snapped up, giving her assistant a deadly serious look. “You all heard what the Princess said. Connor’s been absorbing magic this whole time, ever since he got here. And who has he been spending all of his time with? Who has he been in near constant contact with? Me! The Element of Magic!”
The violet mare’s pupils shrunk slightly as she brought her hooves to the sides of her head. “I’m one of the most magically potent unicorns in the world! I have to have had some kind of proximity effect on him, not to mention all of those spells I cast! What if by doing so, I somehow sped up the process!? What if I’m the reason he became a pony before he had the chance to go home with some semblance of normalcy!? What if I’m the reason his life is over one way or another!? What if...”
Twilight’s left eye twitched errantly, and a couple stray strands of her mane started to curl up. When she spoke next, it was barely above a whisper. “What if he really is cursed… and I’m the one who did it?”
All of a sudden, a horrible, twisted feeling washed over her, causing her entire body to tremble. All but convinced of her own guilt, pearly tears began to well up in her eyes as she was reminded of the stories told of unicorns in the past who had inflicted curses upon others… and the unthinkable punishments that were cast down on them as a result.
No, no, no, no, no… This can’t be happening, Twilight thought to herself, closing off her surroundings while being buried under a tidal wave of fear and anxiety. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry! Please, anything but that!”
“Twilight, look at me.”
The voice of her beloved mentor pierced the haze of jumbled emotions that was threatening to swallow Twilight whole; a voice that never failed to reach the deepest parts of her spirit, even during-- No, especially during these times when the unicorn’s overactive imagination got the better of her.
Wordlessly, Twilight obeyed, bringing her tear-filled orbs up to gaze into those of the Princess, who had situated herself directly in front of her. With the utmost tenderness, Celestia cradled her student’s head in her hooves as they locked eyes.
“Twilight Sparkle, listen to me very carefully,” Celestia told her in the most perfectly calm, motherly tone she could manage. “What has transpired these past few days is absolutely not your fault. You are utterly blameless. Nopony could have predicted this would happen, least of all you. You did nothing wrong.”
Hearing the Princess say these things, in no uncertain terms whatsoever, reached deep inside Twilight, soothing her troubled mind right away and calming her down considerably. Celestia removed her hooves, and the purple unicorn sniffed loudly as she brought up a foreleg to wipe away her tears. When she was done, she sniffed again, nodding slowly.
“...Thank you, Princess,” she said, her voice cracking slightly. “...I needed that.”
In response, Celestia gave her one of her warmest smiles. “No need to thank me, Twilight.” Contemplatively, the alicorn closed her eyes and breathed deep. When she opened them again, she was prepared to make a painful admission. “If anyone is to blame for this tragedy, it is me.”
A gasp rose up from Spike and the other mares. “What’re you saying, Your Majesty?” he inquired as Celestia raised her head.
“As wise and powerful as I am, there has to have been something I could have done to prevent this,” she explained, finding it painful to admit her own shortcomings. “Maybe if I had realized in time the consequences of Connor’s presence in our world, I might have been able to prepare. Perhaps he could have been kept in a low-magic environment until I could think of a solution... I just don't know.”
“Now, don’t you start too, Yer Highness,” said Applejack. “Just like y’all said: nopony coulda seen this comin’.”
Celestia nodded to the farm pony. “Of course. You’re right, Applejack. And there is no cause for worry; I assure you, now is not the time to be dwelling on the past, and I do not intend to.”
“So, uh…” started Spike, who was standing next to Twilight with a comforting claw on her shoulder. “What do we do now?”
“Now, we wait. We must let Connor make his choice,” Celestia replied. “And no matter what he decides, all of us must agree to support him fully. He needs his friends. Now, more than ever.”
There were sounds of general agreement to this by the other ponies, who knew that the Princess was right. They were all prepared to do what was necessary for their friend in this troubling time.
All, that is, except for Twilight, who was surprised to find that she wasn’t so sure. Of course, she wanted to think that Connor should do whatever he thought was best, and she knew it was only right that she be supportive, no matter what he ended up choosing. But instead, she felt… afraid. Not the kind of fear she’d experienced moments ago, but a more subtle feeling of dismay that she couldn’t easily explain.
Against everything she knew was the proper thing to do… why did the thought of Connor choosing to leave make her feel so conflicted?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not that anyone was keeping track, but close to thirty minutes later, Connor returned from his solitude. Whatever minor conversation being held to pass the time was cut short when he turned the corner out of the library hallway. His head was hung low and his steps were ponderous, as if he was in a trance. He at least managed to make himself presentable before coming, though. Of what had actually transpired while he was by himself, his friends would be none the wiser.
Still, it was not a happy face he presented when he stopped, lifting his head up to look out at them, surely waiting for him to say the first word. But the words wouldn’t come. Even after all that time, he was no closer to an answer than when he started.
“Well? Have you come to a decision?” asked Celestia patiently before the silence became too unbearable.
Connor looked around at each of the gathered ponies, all of their eyes trained on him, and sighed. “No. I couldn’t… not right now,” he admitted painfully in a low voice. “But we… It’s like you said: if we’re going to do it, it has to be tonight.”
Connor cleared his throat, preparing to say what he wanted to say before he changed his mind. “Go make whatever preparations you have to. Maybe by the time you’re ready… I’ll have figured out what I want to do.”
All heads in the room turned to Celestia for her response, who nodded in understanding and got up to her hooves. “That is a sound idea. Something this important should be given all due consideration. That being said, it will take at least an hour to get everything ready.”
Unbeknownst to the others, Celestia had just done something she seldom ever did: she told a lie. In truth, if she wanted to, she could’ve taken Connor directly to Canterlot, triggered the spell, and sent him on his way in less than half that time, but things would be easier this way. She wanted to afford Connor as much time as possible to figure things out. She felt she owed him that much, at least.
“I will fly back to the castle and begin preparing immediately. In the meantime, I suggest you take the night train to Canterlot.”
“The train?” Twilight asked, unsure, as she too got up from her seat along with her friends. “All by himself?”
Celestia looked at her student and smiled lightly, interpreting her statement in the correct way. “Of course not, Twilight. I assume all of you wish to accompany him?”
“Darn tootin’, we do,” Applejack said, pointedly stomping her hoof on the floor.
“Indeed,” added Rarity, who tossed a glance over to Connor. “If you do decide to return home, we should be there in order to... say our goodbyes.”
Twilight blinked. There it was again: that pang of insecurity at the thought of Connor leaving. She shook her head, burying the feeling. This was not the time or the place for that; her friend came first.
“Excuse me,” she said quickly, before making for the stairs to the second floor.
“Where’re ya goin’, Twi?” Spike called after her.
“I’ll just be a minute.”
With that, she cantered up the stairs and out of sight. True to her word, Twilight was only gone for a minute before she came back down with her horn aglow. Floating along beside her, encased in a field of purple magic, was a plain beige satchel with a strap that appeared to be packed full of something. By the time she reached the bottom of the steps, everyone else, including Connor, was all ready to go and standing near the door.
“Here, you should take this,” she told Connor, stepping up beside him and securing the pack around his midsection with her magic. “Just in case… you know.”
“What is it?” he asked her, feeling the odd weight hanging off his right side. Thankfully, whatever it was wasn’t heavy, and it didn’t affect his balance too much.
“They’re your old clothes, and your glasses.”
Connor gave Twilight a quizzical look. “Why? None of that stuff’s ever gonna fit me again.”
Twilight shook her head. “They’re still yours,” she insisted. “It wouldn’t be right for me to keep them.”
Peering over his shoulder at the lone saddlebag, Connor decided it wasn’t worth arguing, and sighed in resignation. “...Fine.”
“Oh, and don’t forget this!” Pinkie Pie said unexpectedly, also walking over to Connor’s side. She bent back to reach a hoof into her puffy tail, rummaged around for a bit like she was searching for something, and eventually it returned holding up the former human’s dead iPod and headphones. With a satisfied nod, she flipped up the top of the bag and dropped the device inside before clasping it shut again.
Connor briefly considered asking the pink pony where she got her hooves on it in the first place, but quickly thought better. It was Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie, enough said.
“Everypony ready?” Rainbow Dash asked around, and when no objections were raised, she took the liberty of opening the door to the library and stepping outside.
She was followed by the Princess, then Spike, then all of the other ponies in turn. The last one to leave was Twilight, who paused for a moment to darken the interior lights before shutting the door with magic.
Now outside, Connor took a deep breath of the crisp nighttime air. Even the town of Ponyville smelled different according to his more sensitive nose; like the scent of freshly cut grass, only somehow sweeter. Up above, Luna’s moon sat serenely among an ocean of stars, all twinkling silently in a cloudless sky, except without his glasses, it all just looked like a big purple and white blur to him. Thinking back, it reminded Connor of the night he and Twilight arrived in town on that royal chariot… It had only been four days since then, but it felt like an eternity ago.
“A fine night for flying,” commented Celestia, who had crept up beside him without him noticing. Connor looked up at her, a tiny bit startled by the size difference between him and the alicorn from up close, now that he was barely more than half her height.
“Yeah… I guess.” Connor returned his gaze forward. He swallowed, remembering what he’d said to her after what she told him back inside the library. Now that he’d been given a chance to cool off, he felt it was only appropriate that he apologize. “Um… Celestia, I… I feel really bad about what I said before. I’m sorry.”
At first, Celestia wanted to respond by telling the colt that he had every right to be upset, and that she didn’t blame him at all, but that probably wasn’t the right thing to say at the moment. Instead, she settled on smiling one of her mysterious smiles, and saying, “It is alright, Connor. Apology accepted.”
Feeling that it was about time to get moving, the Princess took a few long steps forward, turning slightly towards the other ponies. “Farewell, and safe travels. I hope to see you all in Canterlot shortly.”
There was a whoosh of air as her wide, magnificent ivory wings unfolded, and with a bit of a running start, Celestia left the ground and began flying off in the direction of Canterlot, far in the background. Everyone watched her go, transfixed by how graceful the Princess seemed with the moonlight gleaming off of her snowy fur, even as she receded into the distance at an impressive speed.
When she finally disappeared from their sight, there was no more reason to stick around, and the group unanimously decided it was time to get a move on to the train station.
“Ah’ll go on ahead and get our tickets,” said Applejack, before starting to gallop away down the street.
“Hold up, AJ, I’ll go with you.” Taking to the air, Rainbow Dash quickly followed suit, leaving the others behind to start walking at a slower pace.
One, two, three, four, Connor droned in his head, looking down at the ground to help himself maintain a steady rhythm. The motions were coming easier to him now. Still not quite up to par with the average pony, but well enough that he could keep a reasonable speed as long as he didn’t get too distracted.
On a whim, he chanced a look up at his surroundings to find that he and the girls (and Spike, riding astride Twilight) were the only ones around. It was still far too early in the morning for anypony else to be awake, so virtually all of the houses were dark, leaving only the streetlamps overhead to provide enough light to walk by.
The steady beat of their hooffalls was interrupted when Spike made a loud and very obvious yawn, which caught the attention of the mare whose back he was sitting on.
“Getting tired, Spike?” Twilight asked, looking behind her shoulder.
“A little. Don’t worry about me, though. I can keep going.” The dragon child made a show of rubbing his eyes and looking alert, but it was obvious he was fighting a losing battle.
“You’re a real trooper, Spike.” Twilight smiled at him for a moment, then looked past him to see Connor, situated in the center between her and the other mares. “Hey, Connor… how are you holding up?”
Connor stopped, looked up at Twilight for a moment, then opened his mouth to answer. But something made him pause, and he quickly glanced down at his forehooves before he had an idea. Giving the mare a deadpan expression, he said, “With my legs. How else?”
He kept up a neutral face long enough to capture the confusion plain on Twilight’s, until he could hear a burst of laughter coming from his side as Pinkie Pie caught on to the joke. Spike himself couldn’t hide a few snickers, and it only took a couple more seconds of brow-furrowing for realization to dawn on Twilight as well.
She rolled her eyes at him. “I was being serious.”
In spite of himself, Connor managed to crack a small grin. “I know, I just couldn’t help it.” The smile faded, and he sighed and continued walking along. “I… really don’t know what to say. I’m trying hard not to think about it, but it’s really the only thing I can think about, you know?”
The other ponies said nothing, listening patiently and waiting to see if Connor would say more, which he did. “I guess the hardest part about all this is... not knowing how everyone’s going to react if I do go back. Will they believe me when I tell them where I’ve been this whole time? How this happened to me? Will they even accept me, being what I am now?”
From Connor’s left side, Fluttershy closed the distance between them. “I’m sure they will, Connor… Even if you don’t look like what you used to, the important thing is that you’re still the same on the inside,” she said, trying to cheer him up.
Connor was quiet for a time, contemplating what the pegasus said. Then, he forlornly looked over to her, asking, “...Are you sure about that?”
Fluttershy’s head tilted to the side. “What do you mean?”
Connor frowned, preparing to put into words something he’d been mulling over since learning of his fate. “Celestia said that the magic altered me on a fundamental level. My cells, my DNA… my brain.” He swallowed dryly. “My skull’s changed shape, so that probably did, too. If so, what if I’m not the same person I was? For all we know, ‘Connor’ could’ve died in that hospital… and I’m just some pony who woke up with his memories.”
“Stop right there. This is not the time to be having an existential crisis.” Connor’s dour speculation was interrupted by Rarity, who proceeded to heartily denounce it. “And even if it was, rest assured, darling, you are still you. I think I would know it if you weren’t the same person I became friends with that day in my boutique.”
Connor was surprised to hear the tone of certainty in the fashionista’s voice. “How can you be so sure?”
In response, Rarity casually waved a hoof. “Oh, just call it a mare’s intuition.”
Suddenly, Pinkie Pie appeared from behind the ivory unicorn, nearly startling her. “Is that kinda like my Pinkie Sense?”
“Not quite, Pinkie,” Twilight said on Rarity’s behalf. “For one thing, it’s a lot less painful.”
Whether or not the ponies’ friendly banter was intentional in trying to lighten the mood, it was nonetheless succeeding in making Connor feel a little more secure about himself.
I guess… all that matters is that some part of me is still hanging around, he thought, though he still felt doubtful that the people he knew back home would think along the same lines.
“You know, this whole situation could be a whole lot easier to deal with if only I could actually use magic,” he said offhandedly -- or, to be more accurate, offhoofedly. “Maybe I could cast some kind of illusion or something, to at least make me look human again. Or, hell, if transformations are supposed to be so easy, I could just make myself human again whenever I wanted… even if it was only temporary.” In spite of these new possibilities that Connor hadn’t considered before now, all they did was cause him to sigh dejectedly when he had to face reality. “Fat chance of that happening, though… I don’t even have enough time to learn how to levitate stuff.”
“Oh! I can’t believe I forgot about your magic,” Twilight exclaimed, taking on an inquisitive tone of voice. “It didn’t occur to me before, but that’s right: since you’re just like any other unicorn now, you should be able to--”
“I thought so, too,” Connor said, cutting off the mare in mid-conjecture. “Back at the library, when I was… alone in the kitchen. But nothing I tried worked; not even a spark. Either I’m doing it wrong or I’m just not cut out for it.”
“Really? That’s odd,” said Twilight. “You should be able to use telekinesis at the very least. It’s as natural for all unicorns as flying is for pegasi. Even newborn foals exhibit some magic within days of being born.”
“And we all know how much fun baby unicorns can be,” Pinkie added exasperatedly.
“You know… maybe it has something to do with Connor not having been born as a pony in the first place,” Fluttershy quietly suggested.
“Yeah… You might actually be on to something, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, her mind shifting into gear trying to order the facts around. “It could be that you’re perfectly capable of using magic, you just simply lack the instinctual background; the proper mental triggers to access your power. I’ve heard stories of unicorns who suffered accidents that resulted in them having to relearn how to use magic, not unlike physical therapy. In your case, it could just be a matter of getting the proper training.”
“That’s all well and good, Twilight, but it’s still a moot point,” Connor unhappily replied. “If I go home tonight, I’ll never get the chance to do all that… Isn’t that just the icing on the cake? I’ll be a unicorn that doesn’t know how to use magic. Not even levitation to make up for not having hands.”
Whatever welcome respite Connor was offered by talking these things out with his friends was quickly subdued by this unpleasant reminder. Yet another data point he had to factor in to his decision to stay or go, and he was barely making any headway on that front as it was.
Soon, they were going to be on the train, and shortly after that, he was going to arrive in Canterlot, where Celestia was expecting to either open up a portal to another world or start filing the paperwork for Equestria’s newest resident.
It was ironic: Until now, Connor felt as though every extra minute spent in this foreign place was utterly unacceptable. But now that he was faced with having to return... he found himself wanting to cherish every fleeting moment of it.
Tick tock… tick tock…
------------------------
“Aaaaaall aboooard!”
The bellowing voice of the train conductor rang out at the Ponyville station, signaling the nightly train’s imminent departure to Canterlot.
All seven ponies were lined up single file on the short wooden platform that served as the small town’s official train station. Sitting on the tracks, occasionally letting off a hissing burst of steam, was the charming locomotive that the six mares and one dragon had grown quite familiar with over the years, but that Connor was only seeing for the first time.
Very brightly colored with pastel pinks, blues, and browns, and decorated by gentle curves and the occasional heart motif, it looked more like something out of a little girl’s toy play set than a coal-powered machine born of sweat and steel. He would almost be embarrassed to be seen riding on such a thing, if he didn’t already somewhat resemble a children’s toy himself.
Towards the front of the line, Applejack handed the conductor: a uniformed, cobalt blue stallion with a black mustache and a pocket watch cutie mark, a stack of tickets, one for each passenger. The stallion nodded to the cowpony and walked back into the train car, allowing her passage. One by one, the mares, as well as Spike, filed on until it was just Connor and Twilight left on the platform.
Connor looked through the open door, hesitantly raising a hoof. He was feeling anxious for some reason; probably having to do with the fact that this was one of the last few remaining legs of his journey home.
Sensing his hesitation, Twilight came up beside him. “So… have you made a decision yet?” she asked him, her ears pulled back against her head.
Connor turned to look at her, then looked off to the side. “No, not yet.”
Twilight then tried to offer him a smile and placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out on the way. Personally, I find train rides to be really relaxing, and they tend to help me think when I have a tough problem to work through.”
“Yeah… let’s hope so.” Connor sighed, and slowly put his hoof across the gap to place it inside the train. The rest of him followed relatively easily, followed by Twilight as well.
A moment later, the conductor up ahead stuck his front out one of the windows and blew on a shrill-sounding whistle, while waving a foreleg to signal to the operator at the head of the train. With a pleasant chime, the doors to the cabin slid shut and locked in place behind them. Then, with a great blast of steam and a mighty blare, the locomotive gave a steady lurch forward before beginning its trek along the tracks that ran to the mountain in the distance. The momentary shuffling almost caused Connor to stumble, but once the motion of the train stabilized, he could then barely feel the acceleration.
Looking around, the inside of the cabin was very plain compared to the outside: a mix of beiges and browns with an olive-green carpet down the middle, lined on both sides by wide white cushions with curved green backs. This half of the cabin was empty, as everypony else had decided to take their seats towards the front. Connor could hear them socializing amongst themselves, but like before, he felt that it would be better if he spent his time thinking by himself without any distractions.
His head hanging slightly, Connor turned left and headed towards the back-most seat of the cabin. Twilight silently looked on for a moment, concerned, but then decided that, if her friend preferred to be left alone for now, she should respect that. She watched him for a few seconds more, than reluctantly turned right to go and join her other friends.
Upon reaching the back, Connor found it easy enough to place both of his forelegs up on the seat, but struggled initially to get his hind legs to follow. Eventually, though, he managed to drag himself fully onto the cushion, facing the window. He shifted around a little, trying to get comfortable as he looked through the glass to the outside.
Already, the lights and buildings of Ponyville were tapering off to dusk-shrouded pastures and acres of hilly farmland. Connor closed his eyes, silently bidding the little town farewell -- for the final time… he wasn’t so sure.
When he opened his eyes again, the first thing he noticed was the faint image of his face reflected in the glass. It was only his second time seeing it, so it still came as a bit of a shock to realize that those big, expressive eyes, short red muzzle, pointy ears, and messy brown mane actually belonged to him, reminding him of what he’d lost and could never get back. It didn’t make him angry, though… just sad.
He lowered his head onto the windowsill, staring straight ahead without really focusing on anything. Right now, the scenery speeding past was yet another symbol of how little time he had left. He could feel every pound of his heart inside his chest; a symptom of his mounting stress over the difficult choice he had to make.
For something like this, there simply was no right answer. Just two bad choices that were inevitably going to make him miserable one way or the other. All that was left was to choose which hell he would rather spend the rest of his life in.
Connor had no inkling of how long it would take for this train to reach Canterlot, but however long that was, it couldn’t possibly be enough time.
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missed an end quotation mark
The suspense! It is killing me!
Need more!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY NEW CHAPTER
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR
That is such a tragic situation to be placed in. To know that no matter the outcome, it will be near impossible to be happy. I have no choice now but to keep watching and wait to see what happens.
Updates!
I...wow, that really was an emotional rollarcoaster. I just assumed that if Connor was sent back to Earth, a world devoid of magic; that the effects would..just reverse itself. So, this is pretty much the cards he's being delt with. The universe turned him into a pony cause "it felt like it." Yeah, I'd be pissed off too. I really hope that guy gets a happy ending, and turned back into a human.
perhaps the third option would be best if he wants to escape hell?
3921113
What option? The only other choice I see would be to give the universe the finger and throw himself from the train.
3921097
Going back won't turn him human again; this is what he is now. At most, he would die after a while of magic starvation.
3921141 that is the third option in a nutshell, that or find another third option
Well.... shit. Shouldn't have apologised to Celestia, you were right to be angry.
I think we know what is going on with Twilight here. And I approve.
I'd stay if only for the fact you'd be normal there and would not have to worry about what the government would do to you if you went back
A NEW CHAPTER!!!
Even though the whole reason for the ponification feels like lazy writing, I suppose that it's beside the point, since delving into complex world building was never what this story was meant to be about.
This story sure lived up to it's title though.
3914349
And if people hate it, they have every right to say so. You put it out there for people to read, you're gonna get opinions, including negative ones. Deal with it.
What a gut wrenching chapter, this one definitely keep me on my toes and engaged the whole time. Hoooowever you completely botched writing Pinkie Pie. Her entire purpose is only to be a buffoon spouting ignorant lines of questions that completely disregards Connor because she's just craaaazy old Pinkie Pie. Listen Pinkie isn't dumb, she only appears that way in some cases because some of the show's writers only make her a comedic prop and she certainly has the capacity for empathy, which she seemed to have very little of this chapter due to how stupid she is. Like this line
Sure she is visually upset with what is happening, it's just that Pinkie literally can't connect any of her emotions to what is actually happening. Which is very jarring and only leaves the reader with miniature brain aneurysms each time dialogue exits her mouth
For him to return to earth would be suicide.
They would catch him, imprison him, experiment on him....
Pshhh, he's going to stay.
If it were me I would return to Earth. Be fucking famous for being the first trans-dimensional human that also got shifted into a Unicorn. That's after the government got done debriefing me of course. I also can't go back on my family considering mine would never let me down. As for Connor, he should be wary of staying in pony land. Those 6 always tend to get into crazy situations that he will no doubt get caught up in.
I liked the Chapter though.
3921181
Exactly the reason I was thinking. Being subjugated as some government playtoy for experiments would be high on my list of not going back. Though the loss of family would be utterly horrible too.
3921425
Good point also, if you could get them to let you go. You would indeed be able to be a huge celebrity.
I'll give him props for how well he's handling everything. I would be significantly more depressing about that particular set of choices.
Would also be faster at deciding though. I'd rather not be poked by scientists and government agents for the rest of my life. And we all know that he would have a really good dissection in his future.
If the Terminus Enchantment was charged and triggered to send him to Equestria Earth can't be totally devoid of magic, so he could go if he thinks he could hid in the forest and learn to charge it himself. It took several powerful unicorns days to do so but might he not be able to charge it in a month or so?
Then go to either say his goodbyes or chance making broader contact with a back door available for escape.
I hope that's the option he takes.
He's going to choose to stay, though I must admit the story continuing with him on earth as a unicorn would be an unforeseeable twist.
3921811 Right up until Animal Control/the FBI kidnaps him.
3921253 That's the cliche'. I like to break cliche's myself.
3921879 too cliche'. I think the government would be more likely to want to use him to gain political power.
Obama: with this human turned magical unicorn, WE will bring magical change to America! Change! Change! Ya got any change!? I need some change! *Obama rattles his cup*
:\
Well, actually the US government does have a policy for dealing with extraterrestrials, which conner basically is ant this point. He would not be kidnapped and experimented on, since he would automatically be granted diplomatic immunity. Nobody wants to potentially start a war with aliens, especially when we don't know what they are capable of.
3921811
But you just predicted it. So now it isn't unforseen ...
3922729 sometimes a "cliche' " is just reality. More often than not a cliche' is a cliche' because it's a truth stated too often to ignore.
3922783 Yes, but not everyone is the American government... and considering how often the government lies to us today, would you even consider it sensible to risk trusting them?
3921793 think of it more as an autoimmune response in reverse. The magic was killing him; it altered him to keep that from happening.
ummm if he was thinking right I'm sure he would see that the only real option is for him to stay. Who knows how earth's magic-less environment would effect him not to mention everyone who'd want to get their hands on a oddity like him. If by being Equestria made him a vacuum being on earth will bleed him dry probably having dire consequences for him.
3923311 But where did this "truth" spawn? conspiracy? fact? theory? stories? or is it the ever so trustable but not entirely true "common knowledge"?
The truth is we cannot know. for such a thing has never happened. and if it's happened- we've never known about it. thus we draw on our imaginations to fill the gap. and what do ya know- *P00F* there's the stories on what would happen to aliens(or a pony) if it was ever found.
Honestly, I think if a talking horse(pony) was found, organizations like PETA and the like would jump all over it before anyone else. That- is far more terrifying than any government experiments.
3923317 It's mostly the politicians. :S dang power-hungry guys. we need more laws limiting their power. That WAS the point of the founding fathers setting up how the government ran. To LIMIT it.
Less government is better. we don't need a government agency for EVERYTHING.
we need more local government. the whole point was that the central government oversaw the local government but let it do as it was supposed to. only stepping in if necessary. now the central government is an overblown fat and ugly mess. it's no wonder America is turning into(or already is) a third world country.
3922783
But does he actually count as an extraterrestrial seeing as he was an American citizen and human to begin with?
3923457 Ending up in some areas might not be so bad. Native Americans would consider him a spirit animal. Hindus would likely believe him some representation of a god. Buddhists would meditate on it, regardless.
But in other places... like North Korea... *imagines Connor being ridden upon by Kim Jung Il*
Some fates are worse than death!
3922779 Obama institutes the Conversion Bureau, using Connor as the catalyst to power the matter transmutators found in the alien ship from Roswell!
But it was a TRAP!! The matter transmutators turn everyone into the MASTER!! It was his plan all along!
But then the Doctor saves the day in a wibbly-wobbly manner by reversing the polarity.
Oh my, those feels.
Awesome chapter though! Connor just seems so hollow and broken here, I think you really hit the nail on the head. His thoughts on not even being the same person. God damn, that is DEEP.
Well... damn.
I don't think I have much to say about the whole thing in general. There are some specific points that do come up though.
It's a shame the blueprint has been lost forever. Rediscovering Terminus Enchantment would probably take months, if not years. Then again, how did the Terminus Enchantment get there in the first place? It sounds like it would take that very same tool to send such an object in the first place...
Is there another in Equestria? There was probably no point in destroying them. It sounds like they can last a long time. Is someone sending Terminus Enchantments to different places to make extraterrestrial contact?
In any case, there are a couple of things that probably should be mentioned about Conner's situation. If he does decide to stay, then he should at least prepare a letter to be sent. Even though there is probably no magic forces back at Equestria, maybe Twilight can at least get a book about the basics of magic that Connor can take with him.
Wow, that is a lot of angst. Reasonable, understandable angst, but wow. But it's well-written enough that I don't dislike the chapter.
I can't help but think that your terminology for the portal back is poorly chosen though. Talking about it like a blueprint left behind which fades with time resulted in me reading the rest of the chapter thinking "wait, can't they just copy the "blueprint" and then recreate it at a time of their choosing"? I can see from your narrative that that is not supposed to be possible, but the use of the word "blueprint" is a poorly chosen metaphor then, particularly from a pony as eloquent as Celestia.
3921178 That apology improved my impression of Connor. It is a sign of maturity to apologize for lashing out at people who did nothing but choose their words poorly. Yes, she can't possibly understand what he feels, but that phrase is just so ingrained in the language that half of the time, it means "I am sorry that you feel this way, I don't like seeing you in pain, because I can emphasize with being in pain, if not your specific pain."
I'm really worried now though, I really hope for a happy ending of some sort. If you make this a tragedy I will be cross. Something that will have no effect on you or your writing what so ever, but I still will.
Okay, that's as reasonable an explanation as any for the him turning into a unicorn. Putting a non-magical creature into a magical environment is bound to have some sort of unexpected effect.
Well now, that's an unfortunate timing of events. I hope that Connor doesn't really think that going home as a unicorn is any kind of good idea. At best his family will have to hide him away for the rest of his life, at worst he could be hunted down like an animal.
Count me in as also appreciating Connor's apology, his upset outburst was understandable but it takes maturity to reflect on your actions and make a public apology like that.
Interesting, but I miss this specific argument: according to this chapter, in this setting placing a magicless being in a magic-rich envoronment may be fatal due to the magic influx; it makes sense placing a magical being (as is Connor now) into a magic-less environment may be equally dangerous due to the constant outbound magic flux (and I suppose he'd need some of that for his body to survive, but when the whole world is sucking magic from him...)
If Connor returns to Earth I don't see him living long.
EDIT: I know it's just speculation. What I'm missing is this speculation mentioned in-story.
Hard to say what being without magic would do to him now or if it would do anything other then maybe preventing him from using spells. Assuming the author follows old Earth lore it would be safe to assume that Unicorns and at least 1 Pegasus had successfully lived on Earth for a duration at least and didn't die after mere minutes. Other then that we can assume they either were trapped and hunted down or died out or were able to charge their spell up to leave.
I could see him surviving and possibly being famous and wealthy from all the people wanting to study him or advertise him. The government will have their field day with him for sure even if they aren't too obtrusive in the end and let him live his life where he left off. But then there is the other side of never having a normal life and either he would have to adapt to what would be years of media stalking to be able to walk in the open or live in seclusion and hide from the world.
The other side of the coin is he stays in Equestria which wouldn't be a bad life and at least he wouldn't be regarded as an exceptionally rare and strange object of interest now that he is a pony. Of course this pretty much means leaving everything you know behind. That can be pretty enticing to some people at least, in the sense of going where no human has gone before even if it means going native (haha).
In a sense he wouldn't be alone, sure he wouldn't be able to see the rest of his family ever again. However he would have friends who would try to help him even if they can never understand completely what it is like. I am sure they and the princesses would do everything they could to get him started on a new life and up to speed.
No easy choice for this and either one will be paved with uphill battles before it becomes better.
Life on Earth as a pony sounds absolutely horrid; I can only imagine what atrocities he would be subjected to by powerful governments, powerful people, and xenophobic communities, which exist everywhere. Even if he did somehow manage to escape imprisonment, experimentation, and torture, even if he did find protection, his life would forever be out of his control; absolutely everyone would be talking about what should be done about him, what he should do, there will be no significant public addressing of his happiness. He would have to watch his every step, because there will be an obscene amount of people that will want him dead, or imprisoned, to be put in his 'proper' place under humanity's heel.
Anyone else find it amusing the opinion against human-turned-pony stories is more clichéd than what they accuse the story of being?
cli·ché
klēˈSHā kli-,kli-,ˈklēˌSHā/
noun
noun: cliché; plural noun: clichés; noun: cliche; plural noun: cliches
1. A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.
"the old cliché “one man's meat is another man's poison.”"
synonyms: platitude, hackneyed phrase, commonplace, banality, old saying, maxim, truism, stock phrase, trite phrase
2. A very predictable or unoriginal thing or person.
"each building is a mishmash of tired clichés"
Let's analyze this for a moment. "Phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought." A human becomes a pony, therefore it sucks? Just going to lump together everything that looks similar because you refuse to or just plain can't see the differences? Work with me here; I'm at least trying to see the differences in your opinions, even though you probably won't return the favor.
A general story event is not a phrase or opinion, so let's apply the second definition. "Very predictable." I suppose a coin flip is very predictable too, right? Option A: someone becomes a pony. Option B: someone doesn't become a pony. Option C: Congrats, you became something other than a pony, and only have to deal with the "HiE-is-shit" crowd. Option B is actually the most common, but pointless fury is much more noticeable than casual indifference, therefore B isn't considered when you're auto-downvoting A.
The most appropriate definition of original for this situation is "not dependent on other people's ideas; inventive and unusual." Someone else having the same idea(s) is not the same as one being dependent on the other. I've seen people die in several stories. It must be cliché, right? The definition of inventive goes around in a circle with creative and original, and I already mentioned the later, so let's go with creativity. "the use of imagination or original ideas." If you want to complain about imagination or lack of individual ideas, go over to the crossover section and take a number; I'll be with you eventually. Heck, you could complain that the very idea of a fanfic is unoriginal (you'd still be far from right, but at least you'd be closer).
Even if it was a cliché (and this story isn't), it's not automatically bad. That's not to say a billion clichés won't bog a story down, but in your haste to complain, you didn't look at anything else. It's a good story. Interesting character, good character development, and an amount of angst that doesn't make me feel like linking a black-nail-polish and razor blade supplier. Hell, the romance development was far more than first contact --> very thinly veiled innuendo --> sexytimes. Thank you for writing this fic; I look forward to the impending climax.
3925733 I FUCKING LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOU!
Finally someone who understands that an idea is only bad if executed bad! And cliches can be good as well!
HALLELLUYA!
Fuck me shit just got intense. I would personally gone home. Even though I would be an outcast, if I could reach my family first, and explain to them, they would probably accept me. Also, I would expand on the thought that his vacuum had to be filled, so what would happen if he, filled with magic, would go to a world where there was no magic, a gigantic void? Only logical solution, lose the magic, return to human form.
But I can probably predict him not doin' it, mainly because the story would end and you know, friendship and stuff. Although the possibility of someone (*cough*twilight*cough*) going with him is not too implausible.
Anyways, I am expecting a curve-ball, or a well pulled of: "I decide to stay, because friendship."
It's too bad he can't just send a letter and photo to his parents and loved ones explaining the situation and stay in Equestria even if they don't believe it it would be closure enough. Plus wouldn't the gov't want to experiment on him being a real live unicorn?
3926095
But a void doesn't decide to change your body so you survive.
Magic grew him a horn so he could direct the flow of it, but nothing(a void) can't turn you back to save you.
He'd probably just have the magic sucked out of him like a vacuum and, after losing something that he now needs to survive, die.
At best; he doesn't actually need magic to survive and is left as a unicorn to get locked in a room and interrogated.
Cliffhanger Man sucks.... MOAR!