Lyra Heartstrings (Mirror) - 18th of Megan, 17 EoHLyra Heartstrings (Mirror) - 18th of Megan, 17 EoH
Lifegiver’s Clinic, Ponyville - Equestria
The second Jade took the three of us outside, I found myself in heaven. Sunset had been completely right in her letters! Everything was exactly as I imagined it would be. Literally. Down to a few ponies I actually recognized. It was like my dreams had created this place, or like I could see this world when I dreamt.
Sure, it looked like a medieval village right off the cover of a fantasy novel you bought at a gas station 40 miles from nowhere, but I knew all the things to look for. The little silver wires wrapped around a chimney which picked up radio and TV broadcasts. The slight reddish-orange scalloped lines beneath the thatched roofs which marked the borders of the house’s climate control spell systems. The metal shelving units visible behind the open doors of little markets.
Ponyville, a modern town with a delightful mask. I’d thought all towns were like this here, but that was untrue apparently. Hopefully, the non-medieval looking towns had their own nice themes. It really added so much to the place.
I couldn’t help but rubberneck a little as we walked through the town. I didn’t expect for us to get to see this place without, well, fitting in.
My pen pal Lemon Grass used to live here before her hive had her go to the Crystal Empire for her job. I could see things she had mentioned in her letters. Like the Ponyville Bank, it really did have a huge facade on the front that made the building look like a treasure chest! So clever!
I loved it! Everywhere you looked, care, time, and love poured into every last detail about everything. They were not like humans. No laziness present in the use of the same square buildings, bland signs, and prefabricated building block structures. Ponies cared! They really cared!
“Oh my gosh look!” I giggled with a huge grin. “That shop selling ice cream is shaped like a medieval castle’s tower, with an ice cream twisty bit as a roof!”
“Are you almost thirty? Or almost thirteen?” Rarity asked with a playful smirk.
I knew she was joking, but that still cut deep. I felt my eyes narrow angrily. “Well, fuck you too…” I grumbled.
“I think it’s awesome too!” Pinkie said, springing to my defense.
“Definitely!” Our changeling guide exclaimed eagerly. “Once we’re done, would you like to stop by and pick up a cone each?”
After agreeing to stop by on the way back we continued through town. We’d managed to go quite a ways through the beautiful place before I realized something.
“Uh, hey… Isn’t the point of this whole thing to fit in here?” I asked, looking over at Jade and immediately having to pretend I wasn’t jealous of her tail.
I wanted an adorable floofy tail too…
Stupid portal. Jiping me out of being adorable.
I’ll show it! I’ll get my truck and run it the fuck over!
Oh, heh, right. Already did that.
Jade nodded. “Yes, that’s the point. I won't force you to be transformed if you don’t want to be. Are you getting cold hooves?” She asked with a concerned frown.
I couldn’t help but giggle. Cold Hooves. Hehe! Finally! Someone said that, meant it, and wasn’t speaking to an IRC channel.
I nodded, still grinning and swept a hand across the semi full street of ponies who politely parted ways for our group. Sure a few of them did stare but none of them seemed frightened or anything. Polite smiles all around.
“Do any of these people look upset by us?” I asked rhetorically.
Jade giggled, her cheeks splitting in a grin which revealed cute little anime chick type fangs.
“This is Ponyville! Anyplace else would have ponies afraid of you. Heck, there’s Cherry Tomato. One moment,” Jade giggled as she turned to the random unicorn mare. “Hey! Cherry, are these three people more creepy than your neighbors?”
The mare blinked in surprise as she was spoken to at random, looked up at us and asked. “Are you three vampires?”
“Uh, no,” Rarity replied with a raised eyebrow.
“Then you’re not anymore creepy than my neighbors,” Cherry continued giving our group a little polite grin. “Uh, well, sure you’re a bit creepy but that’s just because you’re bipeds. You guys movements look… Odd.”
Her lips pulled downwards suddenly, as if she noticed something more. “Oh! Oh um, one second,” she added as she turned to a beige colored normal pony walking by and asked. “Excuse me, those three people. Can you tell what emotion any of them are expressing?”
The beige stallion stopped, frowned, looked at us and then turned his head to one side.
“Um, not exactly… Is that a neutral expression? Or a smile? You’re very subtle,” he asked oddly.
“I’m smiling!” Pinkie exclaimed in surprise. “W-well, more of a grin. But still! This is a happy face!”
The stallion blushed lightly, scratching the back of his head with a hoof. “Oh! Well, this is embarrassing. Sorry, I-I’m used to well-”
“It’s the lack of ear and tail positions, right?” Cherry asked seeking conversation. “I mean that’s a smile but it’s a bit... Off. Without a perk to the ears. Oh! No offense meant, miss.”
The stallion nodded sharply, smiling in realization. “Yeah! That’s it! That’s what’s off. Oh! No offense intended by that, um, girls?” He asked bashfully.
Jade cleared her throat. “I think my point has been made. Thanks, Cherry, and you too, sir.”
The two ponies resumed walking to wherever they had been going to.
I nodded to myself. “Alright, yeah. I’ll have problems living here if it’s a real bitch to understand my expressions for you guys. Is bipedal locomotion seriously that creepy to you?” I asked with a concerned frown.
Jade shook her head. “A little at first but you get used to it. Give anypony a week and you will be fine. But I’ve known Shy’s marefriend for a while now and well… Yes, creatures with ape-like features such as yourselves are well… It’s hard to read you, and I haven't made any progress at all… And I’m a changeling! I have to taste her emotions, I can’t tell to well by looking. That’s going to unnerve anypony a little.”
“Right,” I said seriously. “I plan on living here, so it’s time to pony up a transformation sp- Oh my god, that pun was TERRIBLE!” I exclaimed clasping both hands over my mouth.
Rarity facepalmed. Pinkie giggled. Jade tilted her head.
“I don't get it?” The bugpone asked, her cheeks glowing like a firefly.
What was- Oh my gosh! That’s how they blushed! SO CUTE! Hehehe!
“Good, it was an accidental pun… Let’s just go where we’re supposed to,” I said, laughing my ‘joke’ off.
Jade nodded, and with just a few more minutes walking, we arrived at a building that didn’t fit Ponyville at all.
It was boxy, squarish, admittedly a little interesting by being shaped like a letter C with a courtyard and fountain in the center of the arms, but it didn’t fit. The buildings around it had personality, and care put into them. This one… This looked like a human design.
But it was also clear a pony lived in it. The flat boring walls were painted a bright white, ivy had been grown on those little mesh slat thingies to help break up the walls flatness, and a big, wooden, medieval style sign hung over the wrought iron gates.
The sign had a curving organic shape, showing a horizontal winged staff, the sort you see on every paramedic's uniform. The staff served as an underline for the word ‘Lifegiver’s’. I couldn’t help but take a moment to admire the masterfully carved sign, and wound up getting yelled at to ‘follow along’.
I did so nervously, the place kind of skeeved me out a bit. But once I reached the courtyard, I understood why. This was a fortress. It had to be an old police station, or maybe an old keep.
Worries pushed aside, I moved to the front of our group just in time to see Jade push the large double oaken doors open with a gentle nudge, courtesy of her magic. The first spell I had gotten to see!
It was the best thing ever! No effort at all, green wibbly energy floats up her horn like a lit match and then bam! Doors creak open!
So cool!
The opening door struck a small bell, providing a nice jingly musical sound like an overture for the interior. It was perfect because the inside deserved a fucking theme song! The only way I could think to describe the interior was to compare it to the grand ballroom in photos of the titanic. The first thing you saw, an epic, fancy, massive wooden staircase that went halfway up before splitting into two other stairs going to different balconies.
And yes, there was a red carpet moving up them. Everything was lit by a huge chandelier made from some kind of kick ass glowing crystal which shed a soft white light on well, the ballroom.
I didn’t care that a receptionist’s desk sat to the left, or that medical equipment sat atop parked carts in the hallways. This was a fancy as fuck ballroom.
“Uh, do we have the right place?” I asked Jade with a confused stare.
She nodded. “Yes, this used to be a hotel. Hello, Ember! Is Doctor Lily available? This is a royal emergency,” Jade said to somepony to our left.
I turned to look. The receptionist had a nice color scheme. A dull turquoises coat, epic darker green mane and tail, piercing bright leaf green eyes, she was colored kind of like burning borax and methanol as envisioned by a cartoon. Pretty kick ass in color, but like, completely average in shape.
This mare was that scary kind of normal where nothing sticks out, is interesting, or remarkable in any way. The abnormal sort of normal.
I couldn’t help but cringe a little, fortunately, I don’t think that Ember noticed.
“Oh yes! He’s just finishing up a personal project. Just a moment,” the mare said with a polite smile as she tapped a hoof against a small blue gemstone atop the desk. “Boss: Excuse me, Doctor? Queen Jade is here on emergency business. It looks like a transformation spell went wrong with Pinkie and Rarity… And Um, Lyra? I think?”
Queen Jade? Did they say she was a Queen before?
I looked over at Jade and tilted my head slightly. “Queen?”
“Yes, but like a bee or an ant queen. I’m not a monarch,” she explained with a sad sigh which immediately alerted me to a long story.
But that would have to be a story for another day, because a door down the hallway exploded open with a thunderclap. Then with a clatter of shod hooves on wood, a blur of white streaked from the hallway, practically skidding to a stop by the reception desk where the blur resolved into a short polar bear white, blond-maned, blue eyed unicorn mare with a cool black and white star and lightning bolt cutiemark.
Her ears and tail stood straight up in alarm as she saw Rarity, which showed me just how much ponies used their ears and tails to emote. This mare didn’t just look shocked, she looked as shocked as a dog looks sad.
Mental note: Ponies emotions are not subtly expressed at all.
“Heiliger strohsack!” The mare yelped in german of all things. “Rarity! Was happened? It’s okay I can fix this. We can start right away, just-”
Rarity cleared her throat and knelt down to get onto the pony’s eyes level. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m afraid you’ve mistaken me for a different lady. My friends and I are from another world, a parallel one. Unfortunately, our means of coming here didn’t transform us into ponies like it should have. Would you please be a dear and help? I know that Princess Twilight is ordering it, but well, that hardly excuses the need to be polite.”
I blinked. Pinkie blinked. Jade giggled.
“Um, that’s a mare, Rarity,” I said slowly.
Rarity shook her head. “No, he’s not,” she protested.
I opened my mouth to reply, but the pony cut me off. “She is right, I am male. It’s okay, I don't care what you call me… If, if you don’t mind me saying it’s a relief to know you are not my Rarity. We are good friends und I would be devastated to learn she had been, well, accidentally harmed by a radical transformation. Of course, I will help.
“There’s just one matter, Jade, did Twilight order me to transform them into ponies or was her order different? We both know she is upset if the exact wording isn’t obeyed.”
I cringed. I hadn’t interacted with Twilight that much in highschool, but yeah she did seem like that kind of girl. And she had political power. And was an archmage.
I suddenly felt sorry for her cleaning staff.
Jade shook her head, wings shuffling slightly on her back as if she were itchy or something. “No, she only asked to have them transformed so they fit in more easily with ponies. Which as far as I can see means improving their ability to express emotions, Lily. This is also optional for them, so well, I guess you three are free to choose what you want and to what extent.”
Lily nodded happily. “Gut! I would object to forcing transformations onto anypony,” he said with a satisfied smile. “Now then, let us adjourn to an operating room und work out what you would like, girls.”
That begged a rather important question.
“What can you do?” Pinkie asked curiously while eagerly bouncing on the balls of her feet. “We’ve gotten to play with some potions before but I’ve never gotten to meet an actual wizard before! Could you make my hair even more pink? Is that even magically possible? Because my science professor insisted that it is as pink as physically possible but I think it could be a bit pinker, like just a hair more pink!”
“Well,” Lily said with a thoughtful expression as his horn glowed a light blue for a brief moment. “Hmmm, interesting biology! You’re similar to pony dragon hybrids internally, but resemble humans externally.”
I felt my eyes narrow with irritation. “We are humans,” I objected. “Why does everypony think we’re not?”
“Is that what you call your species?” Lily asked with an interesting look in his eyes.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Then, either your species has subspecies like we do, or you share a name with another similar in appearance species… Once we have finished, may I keep some of your original DNA? That way not only will I be able to reverse transformations later, should you wish, but I can also compare your DNA to the only example of a human I have from the ‘other’ humans pieces,” Lily asked hopefully.
“That sounds like a very good idea, Doctor,” Rarity agreed. “You may keep anything you need too.”
“That goes for me too,” I added with a nod.
“Me three!” Pinkie giggled. “But um, you know, what can you do?”
“Oh! Well, anything you like,” Lily said proudly. “Germaney is mostly a pony nation, but we have a lot of dragons too. I can operate on everything you seem to be a blend of. As a biomancer, flesh is my clay. Und that is almost a literal statement.”
“He gave my husband the ability to transform into a pony, like a werewolf becomes a wolf,” Jade said in a casual voice which made the statement hit home as something completely factual.
“Ja, und I didn’t know how to work with Diamond Dogs. So I had to learn it all from scratch with only him to use as a reference for their biology. That’s probably the most amazing thing I ever did, honestly. But ja, I can do practically anything you like,” Lily said again, quite firmly.
I felt my heart start to beat a little faster. “Anything?” I asked.
Lily rolled his eyes. “Ja, anything. I know that tone of voice… I’ve worked on a lot of ponies in the Crystal Empire, since Princess Cadence arranged for a permanent business contract. We can discuss fetish modifications in private. Ja, I do them, but that will cost extra.”
“Oh! We're going to the Crystal Empire, we’re Sunset’s friends!” Pinkie added probably not realizing that she just-
Lily nodded to himself. “Ja, okay. Then I’ll bill Cadence the difference if you want more than simple modifications done. Und by simple, I mean species alterations und customizations of the new body. Come, let’s get to a room where we can work.”
Suddenly, a flash of lavender popped into existence. As I blinked away the camera-flash like light I managed to make out Twilight standing where the flash had come from. Teleportation! AWESOME!
“Jade!” Twilight said urgently. “I was hoping you were here by now. Princess Celestia has a critical errand for the two of us. I need you to come with me literally right now!”
Jade frowned with a worried expression flashing across her eyes. “That urgently?”
“Yes, it really is. And it’s classified,” Twilight sighed, ears drooping. “Oh! Um, Lilly, just bill me for these three’s changes. When they are ready to move again, please return them to my castle. Girls, I’ve called Cadence and she knows you are here to visit Sunset. You’re not Equestrian citizens, so you can’t actually stay here.
“But you may go to the Crystal Empire, it’s a protectorate, with its own laws, and Cadence has granted you visitor’s visas. So um, as a Princess of Equestria you have permission to travel through Equestria, but please do so quickly. I’ve ordered some guards to get your vehicle down to the ground for your use later and put a map inside it with a few routes drawn on to make things easy for you.
“Jade, we need to go now. Celestia only gave everypony twenty minutes!”
Jade nodded and reached out to grab Twilight’s shoulder. “Alright, but we’re stopping by my house so I can tell David I’ll be gone,” she insisted.
“Okay, we have time for that,” Twilight decided, the two mares vanishing in another camera-flash of lavender light.
“I wonder what that was all about?” Rarity asked aloud.
“Oh, probably just some evil deity deciding to attack the kingdom or something,” Lily said jokingly. “Scootaloo und I went on a lunch date today, this is probably just the disaster being a bit later than normal.”
Ember snickered behind her desk. Rarity, Pinkie and I shared a confused look then shrugged.
Lily waved a hoof at us and trotted back down the hallway he had come from earlier. We followed along, moving into a far less fancy and nice looking room. Unlike the big grand entryway which looked like it belonged in a five-star hotel, this was the clinic I had been expecting.
White tile floor, flat white walls, black granite countertops. Lots of assorted steel and brass machinery set atop counters, or free standing, most of which featured some kind of crystal on them which looked less decorative and more like a functional part of the device. A large bed in the middle the room, and a few chairs to sit on, with the only ‘decoration’ being a few posters on the walls which were little more than anatomical diagrams.
As we entered, Lily directed Rarity to the bed in the center. “Have a seat there, miss… Well, Rarity I suppose,” he instructed.
I frowned in disappointment. “Any reason she gets to go first?” I asked, hoping my irritation didn’t come though.
“Ja,” Lily replied immediately. “I know two other Lyras, und they are both the kinds of individuals who would ask for the harder to do things. Und of those two Lyras, one of them traveled from dimension to dimension looking for her real home, which was here, und along the way she met even MORE Lyras who were also weird.
“Not that It is a bad thing to be weird, but it means you will take the most time und mana to work with, und so it’s only fair your friends go first.”
“Um, alright,” I replied, eyebrow raised in sharp confusion as I tried to process through that sudden ball of information.
“Is that a real story?” Pinkie asked curiously. “Oh oh! Can you tell it to us!?”
Lily shook his head. “Nein, it’s VERY long. Und besides, my half sister Ayna is writing a book about it. Wait about a month und get a copy for yourself. She’s far better at storytelling than Sky or I. I don’t know the title yet but her pen name is Meep the Changeling.”
Rarity sat down on the bed and shook her head lightly. “Ponyville in this world seems… Complicated,” she said in an observant tone.
“Ja, it is. But it’s nice, despite the crazy. It grows on you after a while. Trust me, I’ve only been here a year und a half,” Lily commented as he turned to face Rarity on the bed. “Now, miss, what can we do for you? Do you want anything?”
To my surprise, Rarity nodded immediately. Her eyes held a seriousness I hadn’t seen in her in a very long time as she made her request. “Yes. I want to be a pony, completely. Not a scrap of this body is to remain except for my mind. Is that possible?”
What!?
“Um, Rares, I’m the furry here,” I said using the joke to try and hide my shock. “I figured you’d go for a tail and ears but well, really?”
“Yeah,” Pinkie agreed nodding with a frown across her face. “That doesn't seem like you, are you sure?”
“I am extremely sure. I would like a completely fresh slate to work with,” Rarity sighed, her posture slumping as if she deflated slightly. “I- I never told you girls much about my home life. I don’t think either of you ever even came over to my house in High School… Sunset did once, but daddy rather liked her. Because she was exceptionally smart and he thought he might be able to… Forget it.”
“Nein!” Lily objected, shaking his head. “Please, explain your reasoning. There is such a thing as seeking the wrong solution to a problem, und transformation can be very mentally damaging if it isn’t what you really want.”
Rarity nodded understandingly. “In short, I come from wealth. You don’t have any idea how much. I’m not doing this out of well, let’s call it ‘Disney Princess Syndrome’. No, I don't just want ‘more’. I want ‘anything at all’. I’ve never had anything to call my own except for my clothing and the hobby my tailoring was.”
“I call bull,” I protested shaking a finger accusingly. “You came to school in a three hundred thousand dollar car and gave me panties with diamonds on them for Christmas once!”
Rarity laughed bitterly. “Darling. Those panties, you were supposed to sell them. They were worth one point two million dollars. That waistband was made with braided fine gold and platinum wire. It was the only way I could send you money as a gift. I sent both of you a pair so you wouldn’t need to work and we could hang out more. I- I thought daddy was only being strict while I was in school, back then.”
One point two mill- AHHHHHHHHHH! Do not tell her you thought it was costume jewelry and tossed them! DO NOT TELL HER YOU THOUGHT IT WAS COSTUME JEWELRY AND TOSSED THEM!
“Ohhh,” Pinkie said, blushing a bright, bright red, one hand covering her mouth in embarrassment. “I um, I’m wearing mine right now.”
“Y-you like them?” Rarity asked, eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.
Pinkie nodded bashfully. “Yes… My friend made them for me.”
While Pinkie sat down to wear off her blush, Rarity cleared her throat and continued. “Well, as for the car, daddy selected that car with no input from me at all. It was in his name, and I was only allowed to use it to drive to school along established routes to and from school and the home he had purchased for me to grow up in.
“Oh yes, that wasn’t the family estate. That was just a place he bought because he believed I should grow up like he did. So nothing would harm ‘his investment’. I wasn’t his daughter, you understand. I was daddy’s replacement. His spare ‘him’ for after he died. No no, not in a ‘clone body’ science fiction plot. The only reason he had a child was so I could be a mini-him to take over his precious company after he died. I didn’t even have a mother, he chose a donor egg at random… Yes, I’m a test tube baby. I don’t even know who my surrogate was. I thought my mother was my nanny for a long time.
“That’s it. How my ‘life’ was. I haven’t ever actually owned anything. My entire room could be redecorated while I was at school simply because he thought a new look would better impress business partners who came over.
“Oh, and my clothing? I only got to wear them after I reached perfection at the hobby. Everything about my life was completely micromanaged. Save for two hours after school to socialize, unless I requested more time in writing a week in advance. I didn’t get to have a life, I had a performance.
“Doctor, I would like to get a life, please. I would like a fresh new look to go with it, one that looks nothing like this, and which I like. Is that possible?”
I realized only after Rarity had finished, that my face had pulled itself into the biggest wince I had ever given anything in my life. It actually hurt my cheeks.
“Well… Fuck,” I mumbled awkwardly. “I’m sorry, Rares… I could have ‘kidnapped’ you. No one would have found you living with me in that ranger’s cabin.”
Rarity laughed. “I may dislike my family, Lyra, but I would NEVER leave behind the creature comforts. I still prefer a gilded cage with air conditioning over an arrangement of old logs with a box fan,” she said shaking her head.
I crossed my arms over my chest to hold in the retort my brain wanted to throw at her. I LIKED log piles with box fans...
Lily cleared his throat and nodded. “Ja, giving you a pony body is quite possible. Und my heaviest condolences. My upbringing was that plus physical abuse. I assure you, I know how you feel. Is there anything specific you’d like? Fur colors? Eyes? Body shape? Oh! Und kind.”
“Kind?” Rarity asked politely. “Darling, do remember I don’t know anything about this world.”
Lily nodded and treated us all to a brief lecture on pony biology. We went over the kinds, Pegasi, Unicorn, Earth, Bat, and Sea. What each kind could do. Basic common pony traits like the ability to walk on two legs for short periods, how hooves could manipulate and grip objects (thus explaining how they built technology), all sorts of useful basic information.
Useful basic information which made me think hard about a few things.
I had absolutely been looking forward to going full pony but well… First, my truck. As a pony, I would be hard pressed to operate it and work on it with hooves, and magic takes a long time to learn. Second, my gear. I’d brought over my rifle, axe, camp tools, lots of small electronics with touch screen controls, all useful shit I planed on well, using. I wanted to make a life here.
Third, Lemon Grass. She and I had been planning on trying to make a go of things as a couple.
Sure up until when we would meet in person, which I hoped would be soon, we had only been able to keep in contact via the dragon fire quill Sunset had given me. But after a full thirteen years of letters back and forth, of total open honesty, of sending each other lude pictures because we loved each other despite the insane distance between us…
How could I deny her the body she loved?
On the other hand, how could I deny me something I had dreamed about since I was five years old? Twenty four years of wishing for something is a very long amount of time.
Wait a moment, Jade had mentioned Lily made a werewolf or something once, that’s it!
“Uh, just one question, before Rarity gets her thing done,” I asked quickly as Lily finished and turned back to the soon to be pony.
“Ja?” He asked curiously.
I bit my lip nervously as I asked, “Could you make it so I could transform between this body and like, a humanoid body with hooves for feet, fur, pony ears a tail and-”
“Was? Oh! Like that one Neighponese cartoon? Ja, no problem. Also, I told you that you would ask for the complicated thing. Now, miss Rarity, what would you like?” Lily asked.
“OH! Sweet! If that’s possible can we do a three way thing of normal, pony, anthro? That would be sweeeet!” I giggled excitedly.
Lily rolled his eyes. “Yes. Wait your turn.”
Rarity pushed her lips in thought before deciding, “Unicorn sounds nice… But on the other hand, I could be able to fly… You mentioned that bat ponies have the most dexterity with their hooves, yes? I think I would like to be one of them, please.”
Lily nodded. “I assume you would like to remain a mare?”
“Yes, I don’t want to change too much,” Rarity laughed, a smile parting her lips. “As for my looks, you said they are normally a stony gray or blue-gray… How about we give me a nice coat of Queen Blue, then take a smoky shade of that and give me some socks, along with a nice heart shaped patch on my forehead. For a mane and tail, a good complementary color would be Cadet Blue number five, with Cadet Blue number one Highlights.
“In terms of body shape… This is going to sound very of a request at first, but I would like to be as physically attractive as it is possible to be. Whatever features are commonly held as beautiful, I want them. But, I want you to push all of them further along than would be attractive without well, causing me any bodily harm. Exaggerate them all, please.”
“Why?!” Pinkie, Lily, and I asked as one.
“I like exaggerated sexual features while most people do not. I will think I look pretty while most others will think I look gross, or weird. That will mean if somepony likes me it is for my personality, or if they think I am attractive physically we will share similar tastes at the very least. Oh! Unless ponies do not work that way, do they?” Rarity asked in concern. "Well, regardless, it's my body and I can choose how it looks."
“Wunderbar…” Lily said flatly with a very dull expression stamped across his face. “Ja, I can see that working out in terms of you not being harmed by the changes. You don’t need to do that. I won't stop you if you REALLY want to... You can come back here to be made more normal if you regret it later. Consider this a warning that it may not be the best idea.”
I had the feeling Lily told that to ponies A LOT. He said it in an emotionally dead tone of voice which may as well have inserted ‘eh fuck it’ between every last word in the sentence.
“In that case, there’s nothing to lose but a few years, and well, ponies live around three centuries as I recall. So what’s a decade, really?” Rarity asked with a shrug and a sure of herself smirk. “Let’s do this, I want to see the new me.”
Oh my god. She was completely oblivious to the DOCTOR saying ‘that’s a bad idea’. I should say something...
“Alright," Lily said in a tone which made me think he wasn't going to go as overboard as Rarity asked him too. "But first, a little disclaimer. You’ll be asleep after I cast my spells. You will wake up in around six hours, fully transformed. I have bedrooms upstairs for recovery. The three of you will share one, that way no one wakes up without emotional support.
“If you are too distressed by the changes, I will reverse them immediately. However, I can’t change you again for at least a month after that due to health concerns. You may also experience some slight memory gaps, no more than a half hour. That is due to the dragon-like nature of your physiology. All dragons loose a little memory when subjected to biomancy spells. It’s harmless, just deleted information. Understood?”
Rarity nodded. “Yes, understood. I’m ready.”
Pinkie nodded. “I mean, memory loss sucks but it sounds like that’s just the short term memory going a bit crazy for a little bit, right?”
Lily nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly what happens. I’m afraid I don't know how to prevent it. Is everyone okay with that?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Let’s do-”
My eyes opened. I was laying down, looking up at a plaster ceiling in a room with mocha colored walls.
What the fuck? Where was I!? What happened?!
Memory loss! Right. Lily mentioned that. Did that mean I was done?
I sat up, my balance felt weird… Why? Looking down at myself I felt a grin spread my cheeks apart. The grin felt weird, but I knew why. I had a muzzle! A short one, just like a pony! YAY!
I also had a coat of fur, and digitigrade legs ending in hooves, and my C’s had been reduced to B’s. Great! Now they won’t bounce when I run. But even more cool was I definitely, totally, for certain, and asked to be a unicorn!
I reached a hand up to my head, giggling like a happy idiot as I saw my hand move and also saw a furred hand move at the same time. One that wasn’t a costume! That was almost more awesome than the small horn I could feel under my fingertips on my forehead.
I had a horn. I could do magic! Sunset could teach me and it would be kick ass!
But how about my body? YES! Muscular, toned, proper Amazon in looks. Fuck the hell yes!
Hang on, my fur was charcoal black. Not minty green like my skin had been. I wasn’t an an anthro pony version of me. Why?
I frowned for a moment before realizing I must have asked Lily to make me into my fursona, which meant…
I reached with one hand to feel my groin. Yep, thick equine sheath behind my now pretty tightly stretched jeans. Girl on top, guy on bottom. Perfect for making a cute girl as happy as possible! Besides, I knew Lemon liked that flavor of female! Heh.
Oh shit! I did not think that through, because now I would eventually know what it was like to be kicked in the balls. Fuck!
They would be an easy target too. Certain sizes sound small when written down as text but when you actually HAVE them on you, well um, yeah… Anthra was a big girl.
Oh! No, wait, it was okay. I asked for the ability to change between this and human, right? I could hop into my old body at any time. Right?
I hoped so… Every guy I ever asked said getting hit there SUCKED!
“Hey!” Pinkie’s voice called happily from my left. “Don’t check out your new junk with me watching! That’s just gross.”
I blushed deeply and let go. “Uh, s-sorry…” I stammered apologetically, turning to look and see how pinkie had herself transformed.
The answer? Basically not at all.
Pinkie had gotten her ears replaced with pony ears, her hair was definitely pinker now, and I swore it was actually shining with literal pink light, as if it was so pink some of the pinkness had to escape into the atmosphere. She also had a long fluffy equine tail swishing behind her, just as curly, cloudlike, and pink as her hair.
The only real notable change was her legs and hip area. She’d gotten her legs replaced with digitigrade ones like my own, only covered in light pink fur. I got an excellent look at them because she had taken off her pants. Meaning she was bottomless.
Fortunately, her groin fur was super thick, making it look like she had on a skin tight fake fur tights and hoof-boots. Decidedly G in appearance over all, but still it was just… Weird to see a friend like that. Especially when your friend was the sex you liked...
"Pinkie, um, pants," I said pointing to her newly furred but definitely pantsless legs.
"Hey! I got a pony bottom expressly to not have to pants! Nopony out there uses pants!" Pinkie protested, crossing her arms over her t-shirt covered chest as she pouted. "I’ve got a pony bottom now, just like them. And Rarity isn’t going to do pants anymore either.”
I nodded. “Um, well, yes, but-”
“Besides, my girl bits are tucked away in a special little pocket thing, like what a bird has now. You can't see them unless I want you too! There is no longer a reason to confine each of my legs to separate cloth cylinders!” Pinkie rambled before suddenly raising both fists into the air to pump them up and down in a mock-cheerleader chant as she shouted, “FREE THE LEGS! FREE THE LEGS! FREE THE LEGS!"
Oooookkkkay. Pink was going full Ponk. I wasn’t going to win this one. Let her have it.
"Um... Well, to be fair I can't see anything but you know, reflexive responses," I mumbled awkwardly.
"Lyra, Darling, you really can’t see anything on her. She’s like a doll. It’s alright. I remember her doing it because she thought it would be funny, and also quote ‘Screw pants!’ end quote," Rarity giggled, her voice the same as I remembered.
“Well, it’s a bit more than that. I mean if you girls really can’t see anything because of the cool pocket thing, but mainly now ponies can see my emotions right and I remembered they all have those cool hip stamps and we don’t have them but they look important so I wanted to be able to walk around and show mine off like they all do once I get one!
“Oh! And I realized that everypony’s face is just about waist high so I didn’t want to be a meanie pervy and that’s when I had the pocket idea, just in case of accidents. Also um, I tried putting on pants but with fur they are REALLY hot.
“So um, I think I’ll need a belt with a little pouch on it to store things like pockets. Because pants are even less comfortable now and I haven't liked skirts in years and I don’t feel bad about being dressed like this because of fur,” Pinkie explained as she plopped down. “Oh! Lyra! You should check out Rarity! She’s hilarious!”
I turned my head, immediately seeing the batpony mare which Rarity now was.
The colors I remembered, and they looked great on her. Heck, they even went well with her gold cat-like eyes. The fluffy ears were nice looking, though oversized, giving her a hint of cuteness which along with slightly overly large wings gave he a uniquely cute look.
Which suited her well, since they went with her voluminous and lengthy mane and tail which looked like they belonged in a shampoo commercial for something that claimed to give hair ‘body’. The rest of her body looked fairly plain. At least, for a pony.
The most notable thing about her were streamlined curves. She was voluptuous, but it worked, giving her body an overall pear shape. Not a fat pear, but a nice, rounded organic taper. Streamlined, sort of.
I did like the curvy flanks and rump though. Just enough emphasis there to be what I assume another pony would consider attractive, but not that overblown idea she had before. Thank god she didn’t go through with that.
I hope I talked her out of it. That or she ended up listening to the freaking Doc.
Unfortunately, there was one thing I really didn’t want to see that almost ruined the cute look she had with a dash of lude.
Despite not wanting to see it, I did get a look at her junk. Because her tail couldn’t quite hide it. At least my eyes would be far above this level normally...
How was it that I was the weird and perverted one of the three of us, but I stayed relatively modest and kept my freaking pants on!?
Also, thank god she didn’t go through with that stupid ‘hentai babe’ idea...
“I disagree, I’m gorgeously adorable,” Rarity giggled naughtily, holding a hoof to her lips. “I did not count on the aesthetic these ears and the little nose provide, but I love it! Hehe.”
“You’re right, you’re fucking hot,” I mumbled irritably. “I did not want to think of my best friends like this! Ugh…”
Rarity giggled naughtily. “Now now, Lyra. I’m still boys only um, w-well… Actually are you a boy now? Because you smell like-”
“Nah, just my bottom half is male. A little gift for Lemon, we both find this fictional sex hot. Besides, it looks like I asked to be my fursona, um, that’s a furry thing. Basically, a character you roleplay as. Thank god I didn’t make her something ridiculous.
"Most are pretty silly. Mine’s a unicorn transwoman who likes to work out. Kind went with an amazon sort of theme for her and-” I trailed off and shook my head. “Look it’s not important. This is a body, not a mind. I’m still me, and you girls are still you. Right?”
“Right!” Pinkie agreed with a nod. “That’s one reason I didn’t go as far as you two did. I kinda think I’ll want to go home someday and this seems easy to reverse later and looks cute and seemed fun!”
“The same goes for me, Lyra,” Rarity giggled, somehow blushing through her fur adorable. “I admit I did get a little… Freedom crazy. But you know what, I actually LIKE this! I own my body for a change, and I got to make it what I wanted. I think. Not what I remember planning on, but it’s tasteful like something I designed would be. Even if I regret this later well, this feeling is worth it!
“Besides, these hooves, they are wonderful! I can just PICK UP stray hairs on the floor the first time! They are literally more dexterous than my hands were. I can already see things I could do with cloth in my head, and well, we remember Lemon mentioning she hated getting fitted for dresses so ponies DO use clothing…
"I think maybe I should find a place in the Crystal Empire and become a proper seamstress.”
Shit. Rarity of all ponies already had a life plan for herself. I hadn’t thought about anything other than finally hugging Lemon… I needed a game plan.
“Hmmm, I should try to work out a career on the ride over,” I mused out loud. “Did anyone remember how long we are supposed to wait here?”
Pinkie nodded, bobbing up and down slightly. “Yepperoni! He said we should wait here till morning. Just to be double safe so he can check us all before we go. There’s food in the mini fridge for us and Ember said she’d stop by with some books to hang out and chat later!”
“Oh, well cool. I guess I should get used to how my new body works then,” I said as I stood up and started to stretch.
Rarity and Pinkie stared at me in horror. I tilted my head, frowned, then facepalmed. “Not like THAT! Sheesh… I meant balance, strength, flexibility… This is all new you know!”
“Oh! I-I didn’t even think about that, that’s a good idea. Especially with my wings, I don't even know how I move these yet,” Rarity admitted frowning with embarrassment.
“Yeah! It is a good idea. Can you even walk?” I asked curiously. “It’s obvious that Pinkie can but-”
“I can walk. But you are right. I should learn what I can and can’t do now. Thank you, I literally did not even think about that at all,” Rarity admitted again, deciding to start stretching.
Oh my god! She moved like a kitty! Ack! Too cute!
Looking away I resumed stretching. Maybe, with some luck, I could get caught up in a cool adventure on the way up to the Empire. I’d heard of hundreds of them from Sunset and Lemon. Adventures seemed pretty common here.
And well, I did usually write Anthra as a hero, and I had her body now… I could totally forge a real life version of her backstory! Adventure hooooo!
Eh, who am I kidding? This was going to be more normal boring life. But at least it was a normal boring life in a cool world!
One I felt oddly at home in.
Applejack - 19th of Megan, 17 EoH
Deepglade - Everfree Forest
“Stupid forest… It really did take its heart out of itself,” Dawn grumbled irritably to himself. “There’s no way to control this damn thing remotely now.”
I was conscious again. Good? Maybe I could pass out again and-
“Oh no you don’t! You’re staying the buck awake,” Dawn snapped, hearing my thoughts. “For whatever reason, I can’t use your earth pony magic while you are unconscious and we have some serious work to do. No napping on the job!”
How long had I been out? It smelled like sunrise. Dew, crisp air, dim dappled light… Yep. Morning. I’d been out for a long time.
That couldn’t possibly be good.
<And you didn’t wake me up?> I asked suspiciously. <I thought you could force me to do anything you wanted.>
“Yeah, but not without consequence. And you know, as disgusting as it is to be as limited as a mortal. I do need a good suit while I’m down here,” he grumbled.
I decided to look around. The glade remained largely unchanged. Though I think the trees had grown in a bit thicker. Why? To make a wall?
“Yep,” Dawn replied, much to my surprise. “We’re fortifying this place. Fortunately, there’s more than enough magic stored in this forest for my plans. See, your town, Ponyville, right? It’s cursed.”
<Um, no it’s not,> I pointed out, mentally raising an eyebrow.
“I assure you, it is. The town literally attracts the bizarre, unusual, and dangerous. It’s like a huge mousetrap. Celestia has the whole thing magically warded, fortified, she lives within a short flight assuming teleportation is disabled. It’s a ‘disaster trap’,” Dawn said casually.
He shifted my weight slightly, six sharp tugs along each side of my spine forced my back to seize up for a moment.
<OW!> I yelped reflexively.
“Oh, yes those. I’ve attached you to the willow with some of its roots. Makes controlling the forest much easier,” Dawn commented, seemingly irritated that I had interrupted him. “As I was saying, I don’t think Celestia cursed the town, but she is certainly taking advantage of it. It’s extremely unlikely for disaster to strike any other Equestrian settlement, meaning she can put everything into protecting that one place.
“If I were to open a few gates into Tartarus to start my real invasion right now, I could only put them inside Ponyville. Which is quite annoying. If I strike one place, everywhere else gets time to prepare and well, my daemons are strong, but not invulnerable. They can be killed. Just in case they turn on me. I’m certain you understand that sort of caution, right?
“Point is, I can’t attack all major cities at once, and with your magic, warnings are peskily easy to send. In order to attack in force, Ponyville must be destroyed, every last building must be leveled. I figured the easiest way to do it without raising any real alarm is to make everypony think the Everfree Forest is finally consuming Ponyville. Even better is that will divert lots of military resources into one big killing field, and when the last home falls, well… I can take out a large chunk of one of the larger nation’s militaries all at once!
“Brilliant, if I do say so myself. What do you think?”
I’m sure he know what I thought. And that was nothing but rage. How dare he! How dare he talk about casually butchering ponies like this! I didn’t hurt anymore, I wasn’t terrified. I would figure some way to stop this monster and cram him into a deep dark hole!
<I think you don’t have any capacity to feel shame, mercy, or regret,> I said, hoping that I could find something, anything, to insult him and I knew that a pony would likely hit you for saying that to them.
I needed anything to cling to. I could get through this if I found just one little way to resist-
Dawn snickered. “Good luck with that,” he laughed, rolling my eyes. “Every host I’ve ever took for these little purges has thought the same thing at one point or another. Unlike the other three, well, you are exceptionally central to my plans. Check out your new legs, girl!”
I was forced to look down. My legs were completely gone. In their place where what, I could only see as living, moving logs, shaped somewhat like a wolf’s hind legs. They sat there, crudely attached to my hips, the fur-bark seam clearly visible.
I screamed in terror inside my head while dawn laughed.
“See that? I’m going to play this up like the Everfree itself possessed you,” Dawn giggled through a snarl. “Since you live so close to it, well, it will seem pretty plausible to everypony that some sort of unknown monster snatched you from your orchard.
“They will have no idea what’s really going on, but you will. You’ll get to watch them be horrified as they can tell that behind all of the corruption and alterations, there’s you, Applejack, their friend, trapped inside some kind of parasitic plant monster.
“I know they will look for you soon, and I’ll let them find you, just for a while, and after that, I’ll make some more modifications, they will be terrified to realize over time that you’re being ‘consumed’. Hahahahahaha! I don’t think they will be able to bring themselves to attack me!”
“DAWN!” A loud female voice called, the voice seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
<Oh shit!> Dawn hissed silently. <Stay still. If I come back and you’re missing, you WILL regret it. No, wait, I have a better idea.>
I felt a sharp pinch in my head, like a sudden instantaneous headache. My whole body went numb. I couldn’t feel a thing. Like if your whole body went asleep from laying on it too long.
To my complete surprise, I felt the hooks in my mind withdraw, and with a burning, bubbling pressure just behind my eyes, Dawn slid out of me, his black shadowy body coalescing into that despicable looking black stallion as he exited.
Yes! He was gone! I could get up and-
Oh. No. No, I can't. I’m paralyzed. Completely. MOTHERBUCKER!
“Yes, mother?” Dawn called back, his voice calm, but his eyes holding a tinge of fear.
“Where have you been?” The female voice asked. “I searched all of Aramenel for you! What are you doing down there? Is it work? I can’t see anything in that… Patch. What even is that? I was worried you couldn’t hear me.”
Dawn smiled softly. I could tell he had no idea if whatever defenses he had established would work. But now he knew they did.
“I’m trying to discover that myself,” he replied. “I noticed this while working on some microbes. There’s a large tree here… I think it may be warping spacetime along the fifth dimension. I could write you a report once I figure it out if you’d like. I’m not certain but given the nature of the effect, I believe the Everfree’s dream magic may have ensnared Dusk’s mantle. That would explain where it’s been all this ti-”
“Actually, I have it in my possession right now,” the voice said softly, a large amount of sadness barely concealed behind it.
“I um, y-you do?” Dawn stammered, a look of horror instantly taking over his face.
HA! Suck it you dickless asshole!
“Yes, it’s… Mangled beyond recognition. None of her memories are here, only the powers. She… She can’t be revived,” the mare lamented. “Come home for a while. Your father and I are holding a memorial. One of us dying is, well, she’s the first one. Please come, Discord’s ignoring us, like usual. She was your sister, you should be here. It… It won't take long. But we should recognize this moment. Hold it… Grieve…”
Buck… I wanted to hug that poor mare. You could hear complete depression oozing out of every word.
“I’ll be right there, mother. I can’t phase shift inside this bubble. I’ll have to walk. It will take just a little while,” Dawn promised.
“We’re waiting. We’re at her old house. I… I didn’t know she had this little,” the mare mused, her voice fading away as she finished speaking.
“Buck,” Dawn swore, gritting his teeth. “Her memories. Where did they go? How did they fragment off? ARRRRGGGH!”
Dawn wheeled around and glared at a tree, which instantly blackened, then bubbled, rotting from the inside out as it fell to the ground, continuing to dissolve away into nothing, bright blueish purple mold-like flowers blossoming from the decaying tree, like mushrooms popping up from dirt.
Dawn’s eyes widened in fight, flashed red, and the rot stopped immediately. “Oops! That would have destroyed the whole forest by the time I got back…” He mumbled, kicking at the ground idly. “Control yourself. They don’t know anything. Someone else does. We’ll have to find out where those memories went later…”
Clearing his throat Dawn turned to me and smiled politely. “Applejack, you should be honored. You’re the first mortal to hear Faust speak in… Well, one point three Celestia’s worth of time! Neat, huh? How about you lay there while I take care of this? I’ll be right back. Be good and maybe I’ll do something nice for you.”
He vanished. No magical effect. No transition. Blink, gone.
And I couldn’t move a single muscle. I couldn’t do anything. I was alone, he wasn’t watching, but I couldn’t even try to escape!
WHY!? Why did this happen to me?
NO! No, don’t fall into a well of despair. There’s gotta be something you can do! Anything. Anything at all.
I closed my eyes, trying to think of literally anything I could do. The moment they closed, I felt a thousand other senses. I couldn’t hope to describe all of them, or even some of them. It was completely alien!
I was huge, I was many things, but one thing! What the buck was-
I opened my eyes, the scenes vanished.
I could blink! YES! I could do something. I could also do um, whatever I had been doing. What was that?
That’s right. He hooked me into this tree. This tree which controlled the Everfree forest! He wasn’t here. I could do whatever I wanted with it.
But what? And how? How much time did I have? Probably not much. Let’s work this out.
I closed my eyes again. The thousands of different senses came back. This time I understood why. My sight was too overwhelming. These little things were subtle. Seeing washed out all of these little sensations.
But what were they? Parts of the forest right? Yes. Right, plants. I knew plants I could work with these.
Not as well as Dawn had when using that magic I didn’t even know I had. But um… Humm. What could I do? Help the forest grow?
An odd happy sensation flooded back to me as I thought about letting the forest grow. It wanted to grow, it was eager to expand. It had been contained at its present size for a thousand years.
Well, shoot. I just had to will it and then direct it. Like coaxing a young sapling to grow up all healthy. Easy as pie!
But what to do? How could I use this to help myself, or even anypony else Dawn was planning on hurting?
”No! Applejack! Not yet,” Twilight hissed pulling me back down into the bushes.
“Ack! What the hay, Twi!” I exclaimed in confusion and irritation. “Pinkie’s right there. I can distract her right now and we can move things along a bit qui-”
“AJ, nothing screws up a plan like doing the right thing at the wrong time. She has no idea we’re planning a surprise party for her, and we will keep it that way until EVERYTHING is ready,” Twilight lectured at a whisper’s volume.
I blinked. Odd that particular memory should pop into my head right now. But what could I d-
Oh. Heh. That’s what I could do. Thanks, random recollection! I owe you a mug of cider.
I closed my eyes tightly, reached out to the forest, and told it to grow around Ponyville. I told it to grow thick, form a wall, close them off. Make it clear the forest was hostile, but not to hurt anypony. Not yet. Just make it very clear that something’s really wrong…
And rearrange that blue glowing moss to form a trail right to this glade. Now that there was an inspired bit of creativity, if I do say so myself.
Let’s see how Dawn likes this!