A New Life, or an Old Strife?

by Chrome Masquerade

Chapter 4: Acceptance

“Well.... okay, she's exempt for now.” I said. “Also, we should start using pony names. As far as I can tell, my name is now Winter Fields.”

Aaron raised a hoof. “Uh... why?”

I pointed back to Zack “Her name doesn't seem appropriate anymore, does it?”

“Touche. In that case, I’m...” Aaron closed his eyes for a moment.

---Aaron's POV---

When I opened my eyes I was in a forest of bamboo in my human form. A voice caught my attention

“Aaaaaron. Come and plaaay.”

“Who are you?!” I drew the sword at my side.

A shape came into view. A grayish pegasus.

“Why, I’m YOU of course. Always have been. I am who you used to be, who you are now. All you need do is make peace with that fact.”

“How can this be?”

“Allow me to refresh your memory. Does the phrase Five score Divided by Four ring any bells?”

unbidden to me memories started flooding in.

“Help!”
“Discord's gone evil again!”
“-knew this would happen!”
“For Equestria; Attack!”
“You BASTARD!”
“-get away with this. We will stop you-”
“-extra! For five score divided by four...”

I bared my teeth in anger. “Discord. He... he made me into a human... all those years... I was a pony and didn't know it? I was living a LIE.”

“Yes. And now you are a pony once again. Merge with me, Aaron. Become the pony you were meant to be once more.”

“I...”

“You're still floored by all this, aren't you?”

“Can you blame me? I mean... the last 29 years have been a lie... Wait, why 29?”

“He was going to curse you and several others to 25 years, but you came in and cut him across his face with an orihalcum blade.”

“Orihalcum...”

“Yes. It's especially effective against dragons.” the ninja pony smiled wickedly. “Take comfort in that it's a wound he'll never heal.”

I smiled just as wickedly. “That in and of itself would be worth doing this. I'm in. Or should I say...”
the two of us said in unison, shaking hooves “WE are...”
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When Aaron opened them again, his eyes flashed and his cutie mark had changed. Now the thunderbolt was blue instead, and the cloud had a silver lining. He spoke, now aware of his surroundings again, “No longer am I Aaron Laud. I... am Thunder Roller.”

“Welcome to the ponyhood, Thunder.”

Ashlyn went next. “Then I'm...” she likewise closed her eyes.

---Ashlyn's POV---
Opening my eyes, I found myself in a bakery, in human form.

“Ashlyn. Ashlyn!” a voice said.

A pony appeared before me. This pony had a dark gold coat, a deep red mane and eyes the colour of honey.

“Who- who ARE you?”

“I'm you, Ashlyn.”

“But how?”

“You've seen the show. I know that you know what happened.”

“Discord.”

“Yes.”

“He... banished us to this realm...”

“Yes. And now his curse is broken.”

“I... I...”

“What are you afraid of?”

“Of forgetting who I am. I've noticed some... mental changes, along with the physical ones. What if I lose myself? What if-”

The pony put a hoof to my shoulder. “Listen. You value your friends, your human family, right?”
I nodded.

“Then you will never forget.”

“So... what must I do?”

“Accept who you were and what you are.”

I began to shrink in size as I made my oath. “So be it! For the princesses and for Equestria itself, I swear that no matter what, Discord WILL pay for what he did.” By this time I had grown fur exactly like that of the pony before me.

“But you will not be alone. You have something that Discord doesn't.”

“What's that?”

The pony smiled at me, her double. “Friends.”
___________________________________________________________________________________

When her eyes opened once more, the pony previously named Ashlyn said, with a slight southern accent, “Y'all can call me... Caramel Cream.” her cutie mark was now a caramel ice cream sundae with chocolate sauce.

“My turn.” Ralph said, closing his eyes like the rest.

---Ralph's POV---

I awakened in a dojo, like the one I used to go to for my martiak arts sessions. It was large, beige, and uncannily clean! It smelled of... sweat, hope (which smells like blueberries, btw) and potential. Just the way I remembered it!
“Is anyone here?” I said

“I've always been here for you, Ralph. For I am you.”

A pony stepped into view. He was a Pegasus with a coat the colour of just-burnt sugar. He wore a white gi with a black and gold belt, and a similar headband, just like an instructor usually has.

“How are you... me?”

“I am the you that you need to accept. Even before you started transforming I was here, waiting for the chance to speak to you. Do you remember, all those years ago?”

“...”

“Discord banished us here, entrapping us and thousands, if not tens of thousands of others in human bodies.”

“Say I believe you... what happens next?”

“You accept your destiny.” The pony stood on his hind legs. “Remember the promise you made to yourself, thirty years ago?”

“Oh! I'm starting to remember!” I got up and began to go through a sort of kata with the pony, saying in unison.

“To be honest to others.” Kick... “To protect my friends and my herd.” Punch... “To be loyal to the princesses.” Punch, chop.... “To show compassion to those who need it.” Kick, punch, roundhouse.... “To bring joy to others, and through them, myself.” Punch, kick, high kick, spin... “To be generous to others.” Kick, double punch, High kick, punch combo... “AND TO HOLD FRIENDSHIP IN MY HEART!” moonsault, ground pound!
After that ended, there was only one pony standing, me, bowing to my nonexistent sensei.
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“Say goodbye to Ralph Benoitte. Say hello... to Kendo Rein.”
Ralph's cutie mark was now a black belt and a black karate gi, both with golden highlights.

Laurel gulped. “I guess I'm next.” With that, she shut her eyes.

---Laurel's POV---

When I awoke I was in a grassland type area. I was lying down, my face being tickled by the medium sized grass.
Suddenly a face appeared over me. I shrieked in surprise!

“Sorry! Sorry! I was just wanting to talk to you.”

“Why?”

“Because of all your friends, you've been resisting the most.”
The pony standing before me was a pegasus. She had pink fur, fuchsia hair and pink eyes.

“Resisting?”

“Yes. To become the pony you were meant to be, you must accept it.”

“But... I'm afraid.”

“Understandably. This is going really fast for you.”

“No, no. I'm afraid of losing myself, of losing my identity. Most of all two things keep running through my mind. My friends... and Discord.”

“It won't be easy, I won't lie. But for the good of all the ponies he banished here, it MUST be done. And we can help them. What do you say?” said the mare, putting out a hoof.

I had to think about that for a moment. But she was right. No, I was right. Taking the proffered hoof, I said, “Yes. I agree. Henceforth, no longer am I Laurel DeMoore, I am-”
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“Whisper Wishes.”

Laurel's cutie mark had changed. It now had both treble and bass clefs with a winged heart behind them. And her eyes were now pink.

“Excellent! You've all come to terms with yourself?”

“Did you have to do that?”

“What? No! I resigned myself to this as soon as the tail grew in. So when I woke up today, I was perfectly at home in this body. I think.” looking over at the fainted mare, I thought aloud, “I just hope that she can do likewise.”

---Zack's POV---

I opened my eyes. I was in an auditorium of sorts. I was up on the stage, looking out over the seats.

“Where am I?” I queried, figuring that I would get no answer.

“Why, we're where we used to feel the most alive: the stage!”

“Who... who are you?”

A dark steel grey coloured pony with a silver and white mane walked into view. “Don't you recognize me? I'm YOU.”

“You don't look like me at all.”

The mare lowered her head slightly, sighing. “Yes, well, chaos magic has it's own sense of humour.”

“Huh?”

“Allow me to refresh your memory. Five score divided by four.”
memories started flashing by me.

“-We need HELP!!!”
“that creature's gone craaaazy!”
“-won't let you hurt my friends!”
“GAAAH! Just for that, I'm adding extra!”

“I was... a mare?”

“Yes. We were banished to this plane. Forced to live life in an unfamiliar shape.”

“Incroyable.”

“Indeed. But if you think about it, you were always like me.”

“Explain.”

“I'll do much better than that! Since we're here, I thought I'd do a little number for you.”
I sat down in one of the nearby seats, and to (in part) the tune of Pinkie Pie's song from Over a Barrel, she started singing.

“

You know that were are both the same
I'm you and you are meee.
But let's just take a moment to see your pony-sonalityyyyy!!!

“Weeee both have degrees in acting,
And gemology and aaaart
We both like spicy peppers,
We both have a gentle heaaart!
When we grin real wide we both (*squee!*)
We both have a bunch of friends who care about us, don'tcha see?”

I folded my arms, unconvinced.

Got a pony's sooooul.
A pony's heaaaart.
But you have a human's body here, so here's our common part!”

I leaned forward, now listening intently.

Weeee both have a huge sweet tooth
'Specially for saltwater taffyyyyy
We both have mild claustrophobia
So open up! Let's be freeeeee!
And we both know what has happened,
And who you need to beeee
You know that I am you and right now you gotta be meeee!”

At this she slid forward on her knees. I had a smile on my face as it came too me-

“Got a pony's sooooul.
A pony's heaaaart.
But you'll keep your human mind, so let's not be apaaaart!”
You have a pony's sooooul.
A pony's heaaaart.
And now you've got a pony's body here, and that's a very good staaaaaaart!”

We really did have a lot in common! I stood up and clopped my new hooves in approval.

“Soooo? How did you like it? Are you convinced?”

“I am! From now on, I will be known as-”
_________________________________

“Crystal Charmer!”

Crystal's exclamation startled us all. She got up, dusted herself off and pulled us all into a group hug. “I understand!”

“Well, that makes one'a us.” Caramel said dryly.

“You were all my best friends back in Equestria, as you are now!” she released us all. “But the one who brought us all together... was Winter over here!”

“Wait, you only just woke up. How do you know my name?”

“Let's just say that I had some... introspection time.”

“Really.” I deadpanned.

“Yeah! And in light of recent and not-so-recent events, I wish to make an oath.”

I exclaimed “WHAT? That's not necce-”

“I, Crystal Charmer, do make this solemn pledge. I dost hereby pledge mine undying loyalty to this mare, Winter Fields. Her friends shalt be mine and likewise of enemies. And should'st death bring it's sword to bear against her, I shalt be there to block it if at all possible, even if it be at the cost of mine own life, for without her in either world, mine would'st be empty.”

“Seconded!” Kendo cried.

“Thirded” exclaimed Caramel.

“Fourthed!” said Thunder

“Fifthed!” Whisper put in.

“Then 'tis unanimous!” Crystal turned to me, “Henceforth, thou shalt be our leader!”

I sighed, finally just accepting it, I said, “Thank you. All of you. I shall endeavour to be a leader who you can look up to, though I'd rather not be put on a pedestal, so to speak.”

Crystal spoke up. “Winter, I’m not sure if you noticed, but you seem to have this.... aura of leadership around you. I can only speak for myself, but when I’m around you I feel strong. I feel like I can take on the world... and win.”
There were nods all around.

“Winter, Zenith, by whatever name, you are destined to lead us, and, who knows? Maybe others will join our little family. Our... herd.”

Knowing that they wouldn't take no for an answer anymore, I shook my head and said, “Thank you. All of you. Listen, can you... finish planting those seeds? I... need to have some time to think about all of this.”

With that I walked off. Caramel was about to go after me, but Thunder stopped her and said, “No. She needs this time to herself.”

“Will she... be okay?” Caramel queried.

“When she comes to grips with the role she just accepted and its weight, I think she'll be okay.”

“Well... then what?”

“Then? We'll... just have to find out.”