I woke with a start. Someone was knocking on the door and there I was, sprawled out on the couch. I almost fell right off of it as I scrambled to my feet. Shoot, my dream was just getting to interesting parts. I wanted to ask that old horse questions.
I had the door open to reveal a friend. He was smiling so wide as he thrust forward a present. "I know you don't really celebrate it, but I got you one anyway!"
Aw. "You shouldn't have." I was a little disarmed at the sudden present and reached to accept it. "Thank you."
"Go on!"
He looked ready to explode in excitement, so rather than torture him, I went ahead and got to peeling the present free. Inside was a book, a picture book. '101 of the most adorable cats' proclaimed its cover and I had to snort.
"Like it?"
I wasn't going to trample his feelings. It wasn't what I would have first picked, but it was nice. "Thanks." I offered an arm and we had a brief hug. "Are you running around to all the office? Don't you have your own plans?"
He waved off the objection. "You're looking at it. The family's out of town and left me, so I decided to make my own Christmas cheer by spreading it with others. I got Stephen's next." He produced a small wrapped parcel with that grin of his.
I liked him, as a coworker and a bit of a friend. He was a good guy. "You're something else. I hope he likes it."
"I'm sure he will. Merry Christmas!" He fled towards his next victim and I let the door close gently. Peace had returned.
I set the book of cats down before flopping back on the couch. I really wanted to talk to that gypsy pony. Would she be surprised that I had gone all to stone suddenly?
"I'm being stupid," I muttered to myself. A figment of my dream didn't have to be upset or not at what I, the waking person, did. She'd wait until the next time I slept, because there was no world, her world, while I was awake.
With that worry put aside, I started relaxing, perhaps a bit much. With all the sources of distractions banished away, I settled into a half-sleeping state where my thoughts wandered aimlessly.
I could feel stone pressing coldly against me at all sides and I jumped awake with a faint start.
I wasn't on the couch. I was sitting in front of my computer, my right hand was on my mouse. I didn't remember moving to the computer, but there I was. I looked down at my hand before wiggling it to bring the monitor online. There was a half-written letter on the screen.
Hello and Happy Hearth's Warming Sasha,
I could not say for certain if I return your feelings, but my opinions remain unchanged. You are a wonderful person, a gift from the very fates on the world. Please allow yourself to shine and with that, allow others to realize the blessing of your presence. There is nothing stopping you from finding happiness but your own insecurity. Never taking a shot hurts far more than missing, please gather the courage and realize how much the world has been wait
It cut off right there. "Hearth's Warming?" She raised a brow at the screen. What even was that? And why was there another letter waiting to get her fired? Actually... She browsed to inbox, nothing. She got another idea and clicked on the trash. There it was. Sasha had sent a letter to her first.
Hello,
I'm sorry I acted all spazzy today... I meant what I said, it was a lovely letter. I wanted to ask, and I won't be angry either way, promise, but are you... interested? I mean, god, this is awkward. I mean, it's cool if you are or not. This is between us, as people, not coworkers. I didn't think one of the more amazing women I work with would look at me that way. Do you mean what you're writing?
Ignore this if I'm off base,
SashaPS: Happy Holidays, whichever you prefer.
I had to quirk a smile. Sasha was somehow even more nervous in her letter than she had been in the real world. Poor thing... Wait, forget about her, I meant, for that moment. Poor her? What about poor me?! I'm writing letters in my sleep, acting out the horse cupid I play when I'm knocked out.
Even if Sasha wasn't planning to ruin my career with the letter I had sent her, this was a huge can of worms that had been opened. I wasn't interested in her! Not like that! I... preferred guys. My cheeks ran warm as I ran through my romantic history. I'd had about three boyfriends, and a girlfriend through my life. All of them ended for about the same reason. I had work to do, and they either didn't, or they had their own work to focus on, and we drifted apart.
Hell, the girlfriend was from college, and college flings don't even count, right?
Forget that. Why was I typing letters in my sleep?
Now, I probably seem dense to you, but it hit me just then. "True Shot." Was a dead horse typing words for me?
I had an idea and quickly opened a new letter.
Hello True Shot,
Is that you? Are you comfortable? Please stop typing emails right this second! You're making everything a mess, assuming you're not some crazed delusion on my part that'll land me in a padded room. Your horse world is quite nice, and I enjoy having a look around, but, hey, I'm not making things awkward for you. Could you return the favor?
Thanks,
Linda
I stared at the message a moment before I sank back into my chair. There I was, writing figments of my fracturing sanity. I had to assume I was writing those letters. How did I stop me? I pulled the plug on the computer and tossed the cable in my closet, hoping that if I was asleep, I wouldn't figure out how to reconnect the computer. If I did? Well, there wasn't a lot more I could really do besides just not have a computer, and I wasn't ready to do that.
I wasn't in the mood to sleep, so I started bustling around the house. I cleaned. I straigtened, and I got bored.
I was in stone. I sighed softly from inside my thin prison, knowing it meant I had fallen asleep. With a practiced flex, I broke free to find myself in a darkened room.
Luna was there and sat up blinking. "Ah, you listened to my request. Here you are at a much more reasonable hour. Are you well, Linda?"
When had I gotten there? "Did you move my statue?"
"We did." Luna nodded. "Imagine our surprise when a strange mare came to tell us where you were. We brought you here, where you would be safe."
So she had gone all the stone right in front of that seer. "I hope she wasn't too scared."
"Methinks not." Luna lifted her shoulders. "She seemed entirely at ease, but insisted we come to collect you." She hopped down from her bed and approached me curiously. "Your new clothes agree with you."
Reminded, I looked down at my green clothes and smiled a little. They did seem to fit my stallion body. "About that. You know magic, right?"
Luna cocked a brow. "I should hope so."
I pointed a hoof at myself. "Could I be a lady horse?"
Luna frowned faintly. "While not impossible in theory, I fear such a thing might upset my sister. To see... him... as a mare would twist her already knotted feelings. Also, we are ponies, not horses."
"Aren't ponies just small horses?"
"Are not humans a sort of ape?" she returned evenly. "And yet I should imagine you do not refer to yourself as such."
"Touche..." I smiled a bit, the point received. "Ponies it is." I stood up fully, feeling the way my alien body moved. "Being a stallion is a strange feeling."
"I should imagine so, with you not even starting as a pony." She reached out and poked me on the chest. "I trust you are enjoying our city?"
"I am!" I was almost surprised by how strongly I said that, but it was true. My time in Equestria had, overall, been nothing but a delightful time. It was my life back on Earth that was being threatened. "That reminds me. If I did see True Shot, how would I get him to stop something?"
Luna looked quite perplexed, jerking back and perking her ears at me. "He is many years passed." She pointed at me. "Unless you truly are him, in which case I greet you, old friend."
My ears twitched madly at her words. "You knew him well too then?"
"Of course." Luna nodded. "A good stallion, just not one I chased or chased me." She raised a brow. "Are you certain you are not he?"
I gave quite the snort. "You said he was dead, so how can I be him?"
"And yet, here you are. You wear his face, move as he did, and wield his bow as none other could do. I did hear of your... experiment." She smirked faintly. "Those two ponies are thankful, even if they have no idea who they should be thanking."
They knew about that?! After a hot moment of panic, I let out a breath. It was a dream. They knew everything I knew. Information flowing oddly was par for the course. "I didn't mean to, but the result was happy on both sides." Wait. "As no other could do?"
Luna nodded as she reached with a wing, nudging me to walk alongside her as she approached the door. "If any other pony attempted to wield the bow you do so easily, it would teach them the error of their ways." She suddenly snatched the bow, her horn glowing as she spun the weapon in mid air. "May I?"
I gave a little nod, suddenly curious.
Luna snatched an arrow from my quiver, notched it and pointed it right at a batpony that came into view through the opened door. "Duck." She released the arrow and it flew at the surprised guard's face only to curve through the air and come right back at Luna. It struck her dead in the chest and she staggered back a step. "Mmmf, that stings more than I recall it."
The arrow quietly reappeared back in my quiver. I wanted to put the bow away, and it came and tucked itself in against me. "Are you alright?"
Luna nodded. "I'm fine, but the lesson is learned. The bow will not fire for any save True Shot. There is a reason we do not make use of the artifact in this day and age."
The guard that had been fired at let out a breath. "Please don't startle me so, Princess Luna."
Luna smiled at him. "You have faith in me, do you not?"
He returned the smile. "Would that were my last order, Your Highness, I would have accepted it, but I feel I am more use to you in one piece."