Metamorphosis?
Human Rituals
Metamorphosis
(3 Years, 5 Months, Same Day Since Arrival)
“W-well, not really a pony, no,” Twilight said, pulling away. “More like a newer, different you.”
“Be plain with me Princess,” I said, holding her shoulders.
“I-it’s like… it’s like transmutation,” Twilight said, reaching for a slip of paper from the massive file. She turned it over, then lit her horn. It hovered and then folded, folded, folded into a crane shape and fluttered its wings. “T-the only thing is, I dunno what’ll happen when you turn completely.”
“Like… my body might reject something?”
“Well, you come from a world that is devoid of magic. Now you’ve been in a world full of magic, eating magic-infused food and so on for over three years,” Twilight went to the chalkboard to make a little chart. “Things like skin cells, blood cells and so on get replaced over time right? They die and the body replaces them. Well, for the past three years you’ve been using magical materials instead of mundane.”
“So I’m not so much a magic sponge as I am a repair job,” I said, sitting on my legs next to her.
“But there’s also this problem,” Twilight continued her sketching to include bones and a lumpy thing I was pretty sure was supposed to be my brain. “Brain cells and bones don’t get replaced very often, if at all. So what happens if your transformation stops at ninety-five percent and the other five percent starts to reject what you’ve got. It would be like fighting yourself.”
“Sounds like Lupus,” I mumbled worriedly. (Then I had to explain was Lupus was.) “But I feel fine. It’s been three years, right? I don’t feel any different. How far along are we?”
“According to my math…?” Twilight paused for a long time to run some mental numbers. “Maybe eighty, eighty-five percent.” She pulled me into another worried hug. “I don’t want Equestria to kill you, Peaches!” I slowly wrapped my arms about her, careful of her wings. “What if your brain hemorrhages or your joints swell up and reject your bones or you start bleeding for no reason or-!”
I gently shushed her. “Eighty percent in three-and-a-half years, I won’t be sent home in time to avoid a hundred percent.” A hurt look came across Twilight’s face, but she nodded slowly and looked away. “Twilight?” I said, leaning to catch her gaze again. “What’s that look for?”
“I… erm…” Her cheeks were red and her ears splayed a bit. “W-well we can’t lock you in a lead room for a year and a half. You’d go insane.” She huffed, turning and looking upward to stay any tears. A knock on the massive double doors of Castle Friendship. “I’ll get it!” Twilight spluttered, quickly getting up and galloping away.
I studied myself in a standing mirror, looking around the lab. Removing my shirt to take a closer look… I really didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Checking over my shoulder, I made a fist and held it over a stack of Twilight’s papers. Pressing my knuckles to them, I lifted. Nothing. Everything stayed where it was. Refusing to believe this was a power-of-the-heart, heart-of-the-cards nonsense, I tried again a few times. Nothing. “Hrm…” I grumbled. I stared at my palms for a bit, but then I heard hoof-steps.
“Mister Hyooman,” it was none other than Princess Luna! I gave a quick, low bow of surprise. “Or is it Peaches now, as I’ve heard?” she smiled. I grasped her ankle in a friendly shake instead of pulling her ears. We still laughed about our first encounter, so long ago.
“I asked Princess Luna to come and help examine you. She helped pioneer some magics and medicines during Equestria’s opening eras,” Twilight said.
“Some unusual things happened when all three tribes started living and breeding together, it’s true. Medicine and alchemy grew in leaps and bounds on the grounds of fertility and healthy foals alone.” Luna said rather clinically, placing a hoof on my chest. “But if what Twilight’s letters said are true, you may be a somewhat unique case…”
“I don’t see griffins and donkeys gaining traces of pony powers just being around them, and Twilight said it had nothing to do with Applejack, so…” I trailed off.
“What about Applejack?” Luna wanted to know.
“Er, nevermind it,” I said quickly.
“I’ve been running the numbers. His bones have moved ever so slightly and his magical make-up has gone from zero to eighty percent in the past three and a half years,” Twilight led the dark alicorn over to her charts and drawings.
“Not unusual, given he’s imbibed our food and drink for so long,” Luna touched hoof to chin, hrmmm-ing over all Twilight had gathered. “But core materials don’t change regardless of point of origin.”
“Still standing here!” I said aloud as they conferred back and forth without me.
“You know how cells work, yes?” Luna looked over her shoulder at me. “You eat food, the body replaces old or dead cells with new ones. But you come here, you eat magic food and breathe ambient magic—“
“I get magic cells,” I pondered. “So why not gain dragon abilities, or griffon feathers?”
“Nature hates a vacuum. Perhaps you living among ponies has given you pony properties, as you’re absorbing their ambient magic and eating their food.” Luna said after conferring with Twilight for a time. She flipped a few pages to study the notes.
“So I’m not actually turning into a pony, am I?” I said, worried.
“No, of course not,” Luna said with a smirk. “A powerful metamorphosis like that would be catastrophic to your bones, your brain and your everything else without the aid of a powerful source of magic. Even if Twilight invented a spell to aid in such a thing, it would only last a few moments.”
“So, then…?”
“Twilight’s magic sponge theory is not far from the truth, it seems,” Luna gestured to the ‘evolution drawing’ Twilight had made. “Minus the physical, of course,” she reached and tore off all the in-between drawings to leave just the human on the far left of the chain.
“So what do you think, Princess?” Twilight asked softly, her pupils big and soft.
“I think your sponge is being dipped not in water, but in grape juice,” Luna said with a sense of finality. “Peaches will inherit certain pony traits, but his body is absolutely fine. If he isn’t in tremendous pain by now at the eighty percent saturation mark, then he’s not going to be by one hundred percent. Even in more permanent places like his bones and brain, if it’s not bad by now, it shan’t be.” Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, leaning on a desk.
“Well here’s hoping I don’t grow a tail,” I put in, still trying to be a part of this conversation.
“Of course not!” Luna laughed. “Just do not panic if things start sticking to your fists now and then, or your breeding urges explode come spring-time.”
“Breeding urges…?” I wondered at the ceiling, trying not to think about it.
“You said you were theorizing about him having earth pony traits?” Luna wanted to know. She and Twilight pawed through dozens of papers, comparing charts and sharing the kenetic spike I’d produced on the chart just yesterday. She held up the chart with her magic. “A foal’s grip, yes, I see what you mean,” she looked at the numbers for a bit. “Tiz my opinion, Twilight Sparkle, your beau will be fine. A bit different than before, but fine, in the long run.”
“Beau?” I looked up curiously.
“Er, friend!” Luna quickly correctly. Twilight went hot in the face, whapping Luna’s shoulder. “I meant not to imply, hahaha!” she scratched at the back of her head. “Ah, I must refresh and return to Canterlot, if you both feel better now?” She’d only been there about two hours, but she did have a country to run so we understood.
When Luna was gone to the nearest restroom, Twilight was busying herself straightening papers and such, purposefully not looking at me. I sat on her desk so she couldn’t do anything else. She paused, hooves shaking a bit. “Somethin’ you wanna tell me, Twi?” I asked gently.
“I-I thought you were gonna die,” Twilight mumbled. “Th-this is what happens when you make assumptions in science, y’know? I didn’t listen, I was too busy thinking you’d be… uhm…” she trailed off and I gently pulled her into my lap. She rested her head, mentally exhausted, on me. The wetness of tears toughed my naked shoulder. I listened to her breathing for a long time, and her wings folded around me.
“I’m here,” I said softly. “You’re fine, we’re fine. Just breathe.”
“Yeah… yeah…” I could feel her muscles relax a bit and she heaved a great, tired sigh. “You’ve been here a long time, I just… you’re not my pet or my roommate, y’know?” she whispered in my ear, not daring to look at me. “You’re Peaches. M-my Peaches.” She husked quietly.
About a year’s worth of different conversations came crashing down on me, and the obliviousness fell away. “Oh. Ohhhhh…” was all I could think to say.
“S-sorry,” Twilight said, sitting upright and putting her hooves on my chest.
“Don’t apologize,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “It’s cute.” There was a long silence, neither of us could really think what to say now that THIS was out in the open. No wonder she’d been working so very, very hard to save me.
“…what do we do now?” Twilight said, clambering down awkwardly. “I mean, things ended badly for you and Applejack. I mean if we ever… I mean if you’re even interested…”
“Applejack broke up with me because I knocked Big Mac out with a well bucket,” I said flatly, lifting a finger. “But keep that to yourself. It was a cheap shot.”
“What? Why?” Twilight gaped.
“He wouldn’t stop bucking me in the chest and knocking me down for ‘sneaking up on him’,” I made air quotes. “I got tired of it and we… ah…”
“Fought like two colts in the dirt?” Twilight said, looking at me sideways in disapproval.
“Remember that day I came home with a split lip and told you I’d fallen off a ladder? Well, Big Mac’s half my size like any other stallion, but eh…”
“Applejack was closer to her family than you,” Twilight understood.
“Well yes, but let’s NOT talk about my ex when we’re pondering you and me, yeah?” I said. I reached over with a fist, and the papers flicked at me. “I mean this is interesting stuff, maybe we can work together on it a bit more, in case anyone else gets hauled in from other dimensions.” It took me a split second to realize what I’d just done, for Twilight was staring at me. The paper hovered maybe an inch or two away from my outstretched fist. I uncurled my hand so my fingers could grasp it. “Huh, well lookit that.” I said, smiling lopsidedly. She giggled a little.
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OH BOY WE GOT PLLOT AND ITSS GGO OOD.
ihatedolphins.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/spock_fascinating.jpg
Oh, so no cross-species transmutation. I guess I'd be fine with being an anomalous strain of Homo Sapiens Sapiens.
Now if we could touch upon the non-hazardous negative aspects of being magic-infused, it'd add a lot to this story.
Three chapters in 2 days? Over Christmas? Can you say CONTENT EXPLOSION?
Wait I thought he pulled on Celestia's ears not Luna's, unless he pulled on both of their ears!
If only all HiE stories could use this metamorphosis explanation, then the human doesn't have to become a pony. I love this story so much!
The next day....
"I am a freakin pony?!?!?!?l"
7820746
well its not wrong, a metamorphosis for a human would be the single most excruciatingly painful thing that could ever happen to a person. the pain alone would be what kills you as your heart stops and diaphragm snaps from all the screaming. makes way more sense then people becoming a pony butterfly
7819806
Not trying to start an argument... but that's not the whole story. He tried both over and under-endulgence as a life style and it was in his under-endulging skinny state where he basically lived as a starving hermit that he realised the path to enlightenment was supposedly living the 'middle way'. Without greed and without willful self detriment.
I can't remember why he was depicted in his over-endulged form so commonly.
-Wikipedia
I know Wikipedia isnt always 100% correct but this aligns with what I know.
While this new story is very interesting and well written, I am a little disappointed that we've left behind the style of barely connected one-shots of ponies being confused at human customs. You know, the original premise?
Oh so that's the reason for the break up. OH man I just bet Granny chewed Mac up when she hears about that.
So more taking on pony traits and less Gregor Samsa? I can deal with that.
7819544 I have to agree about being on the fence. This story main draw for me was about explaining the strange habits humans has compared to ponies that almost all other HiE don't do. But its coming clear to me that its going away from that and becoming just another HiE.
Hmm, yup, that's certainly an original way to end a relationship. Kinda curious as to whether or not Mac was doing it on purpose.
Also, looking forward to seeing just how this goes between Twilight and Peaches. And just what other human "rituals" will confuse Twilight in their relationship.
So magic works like a radiation source. Plausible enough. His absorption of it, and changing levels in his cells, makes me think of how certain highly sensitive scientific and medical instruments have to be made from metal recovered from ships sunk prior to 1944 as the residual radiation from atomic bombs will cause problems in them otherwise.
You're a lizard, Peaches!
Wait...
You're a gizzard, Peaches!
Still not right... Dammit, I'm missing a key word.
One more time, then!
You're a nerd, Peaches!
No? *sigh* One of these days... one of these days...
7820412 No its twilight, she can be......alittle crazy.
And I don't won't my donger out when she gets like that....
I can see it now. PONY MAN!
7820950 It seems like you read all the same stories I do. I see you everywhere!
and thus you can cast accio.
......
"Acio sandwitch"
"accio lunch"
"accio that thing on top of the high shelf"
Cute chapter.
7819779
Mmm, perhaps~
7821063 Im addicted to pone.
7820815 Agreed.
HNNNNNNNNNNNG
7820815
Same.
7821064 You'd get EVERYTHING on the top shelf for that last one, and then you gotta go put everything else back up there.
Huh, it was handled pretty well, though I would think his changes would have been more physical than mental.
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/0b/70/1e/0b701eb51a3b4c56701097260b0070d1.jpg
So do we get a "how twilight learned the way humans do it" chapter? With a "spike peeks to impress the dragon queen" bonus?
7820712 da plot is hot
7820950 You're a wizard lizard in a blizzard Barry! Dammit!
Does that mean equine female pheromones will begin to affect "Peaches," despite his being a different species--that doesn't use pheromones?
So he has earth pony magic because he spends a lot of time in an earth pony town? That's an interesting idea. So now that he has earth pony magic is that locked in as his magic type forever or can he spend 5 years in dragon land and have it swap over to that?
Or will the sponge parallel still work and he will eventually get a random mix of earth and alicorn magic because he is probably going to be spending way more time with Twilight but also spends the rest of it in an earth pony town, or just one type at a time? Like dominant and recesive genetics traits only in magic form?
All answers only lead to more questions.
PleaseDontBeaPonyPleaseDontBeaPonyPleaseDontBeaPonyPleaseDontBeaPony
Foremast? Check.
Mainmast? Check.
Mizzenmast? Check.
Jiggermast? Check.
Anchors are secure, and we have cleared the port. The good 'ship' Peachlight has set sail!
7821460
Edit Darn I was both right and wrong.
The question I have is: does this mean that if another human were to somehow appear, would they eventually assimilate some earth pony magic too after a few years? Or would it depend on their location? Since Peaches seems to spend time around more earth ponies than other types. Would a human who lived in Canterlot gain a sliver of spellcasting ability? Would a human in Cloudsdale be able to start treating clouds as solid walls?
At the mention of a tail I was thinking less pony and more Sun Wukong... now I want to see a dream omake where he 'wakes up' with a monkey tail and gets told he has to find the dragon balls. Perverse misunderstandings that make him NOPE right out of sleep optional
Can someone explain that to me?
7821061 Thanks for the lesson I was unaware of most of that.
7821777 Read the next chapter.
7821728 Peaches fought Big Mac. Peaches won. Applejack chose to break up with Peaches over said fight, as her family values are far stronger than her romantic ones.
7821529 We cleared that up already.
7821491 We'll have to see.
7821286 HAH! XD
Question: where's the pegasi at? I don't recall Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash being mentioned yet. I know Fluttershy was briefly mentioned in the first chapter, but peaches hasn't had any conversations that we know of.
7821512
I think earth pony magic simply because he doesnt have the wings nor horn to use as the "focus" for his magic. So the closest thing would be earth pony-like magic.. but it could be closer to something else, like Diamond dog or Buffalo for all we know.
7822020 Or fingers could mean he has ten separate horns.
Is Equestria ready for a multithreaded spellcaster?!
...and if he's the first "pony" to cast multiple spells at the exact same instant rather than sequentially, does he wind up facing Celestia's Celestial Karaoke TV Swarm and find himself physically turned into a pony after all??!!
7821255
Dude, I posted the video. There's no need for a play-by-play.
7821512
7822020 I would think he gets earth pony magic only because it is the dominant type of magic involved in agriculture aka the food or its constituent ingredients which he eats.
7821491
I think humans do actually produce pheromones to some degree. They're just much more subtle than other species since we rely more heavily on visual and social cues. That and our propensity for cleanliness tends to subdue what we produce anyway. Which I suppose would be true for the ponies as well to some degree.
If anything I'd guess that he'd still be susceptible to pony pheromones, but more resistant to them in comparison.
7822199
Well, the thing is... among most mammals, pheromones are produced by females during their fertile seasons only, and affect only males of their own species.
It's different with humans.
Remember that human females are fertile year 'round, with no seasonal effect at all.
Human males are stimulated primarily by visual cues that a female is of breeding age. That's why mature human females have larger breasts in relation to their body size than other mammals. That's the primary evidence that she is sexually mature and therefore desirable to males. We don't depend on chemical messengers telling us the female is old enough, we can see it.
When all is said and done, a human following a seasonal pheromone-based breeding pattern would be considerably less sexually active than a normal human.
Am I the only one who is confused about the break-up reason? A fight doesn't seem like something to immediately break up over unless it's the last straw. It doesn't seem implied that they've fought before though...