//------------------------------// // Where We Left Off // Story: Welcome to Batstralia // by Damaged //------------------------------// Language check. Anything wrapped in < > in this chapter is spoken Equish, everything else is in English. Mike shifted in bed. He felt good, and the week of holidays encouraged him to roll over and sleep in. Mike slept in. The morning passed nearly to lunchtime before he came to again. Yawning, he lifted a hand up and rubbed his jawline. Fingers trailed up his face and he began rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Another yawn was called for, and Mike rolled to his back in the bed and finally opened his eyes. His bedroom was moderately lit—it was an overcast day outside, winter was coming after all—and he looked over at his dusty backpack. "Oh right, washing day." Pushing his covers off, Mike slung his legs out and climbed out of bed. "Best part about sleeping in…" Not finishing the thought, he grabbed his bathrobe from behind his door and pulled it around himself. Stepping out of his room, he saw Misty in the hall. "Hiya Misty." "M-Mike?" Misty just stared back at Mike, confusion painted on her face. "Jus' takin' a shower." Feeling well rested after his holiday, Mike ducked quickly into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. Still blinking away some sleep from his eyes, he walked over to the big tub and turned the taps on. Once he had the water temperature to his liking, Mike plugged the drain and slipped out of his bathrobe. A hesitant knocking came moments before Mike slipped into the tub. "What?!" It was always the way, no sooner had the water started getting to just the right height than there was an interruption. His voice wasn't angry, just annoyed. "Mike?" Misty's voice was slightly muffled through the door. Turning the taps down so the bath wouldn't overflow, Mike approached the door and angled himself so he could peek out without revealing too much. Unlocking the door, he opened it a crack and looked out. To his complete lack of surprise, Misty giggled loudly and galloped off down the hall. "Hey! What are…" Mike gave up and closed the door again. "This is what I get. This is my punishment for having so much fun." Mike slumped his shoulders in mock resignation. "Stuck in a house full of crazy females. Tufts has more sense than most of them!" One leg, then another, and he was sliding down into the hot water. The oddest thing, as he floated in the hot water, was that his head felt askew. Ignoring it, he began to undo some of the kinks in his limbs. Mike's muscles started to relax, and in moments he was floating happily in the water. His brain hit something, a fact that floated in the back of his mind that he had missed earlier. The fact became very important as the bathroom door burst open. "Lock the door, Mike." Sarcasm abounded in his self-directed words. Misty poked her head in, full of giggles, but then Robin looked in as well, and laughed outright. "Ha! Mike has it too!" "But his aren't dark, they are like mine!" Misty looked up to Robin, twitching her ears. "Get out now!" Mike almost jerked up from the tub before realizing he was naked. "Go on! GET!" To his horror both Robin and Misty just giggled more. "MUM!" He did it, he stood up in the tub and watched as both filly and human girl turned suddenly to save their vision. "MUM!" Robin's voice rivaled Mike's. "Mike is being rude!" Beside her, Misty was giggling fit to burst. "That's it!" Mike climbed out of the tub, and started wetly stomping across the bathroom. "I'm going to…" He stopped, one hand reaching to slam the door closed. "And he's turning into a pony too!" Robin and Misty, giggling like the young girls they were, made a run for it. "Turning into a…" Mike closed the door, and locked it this time. Walking to the bathroom mirror, he lifted one hand to wipe away the steam that obscured it. Shock cushioned his mind as he stared at himself. "Huh, that's odd." One shaking hand reached up and touched his pointed, aquamarine-furred ears. "Didn't have these yesterday…" The door handle rattled, then a firm knocking echoed through the bathroom. "Michael, honey, are you okay in there?" Joyce sounded more worried than shocked. "Sweetie, it's okay, whatever is happening…" "Mum." Mike's breathing was speeding up, as was his pulse. "I think I'm turning into a pony." He looked at the ears as they tucked back; Mike had grown so adept at reading pony expressions that he immediately felt compassion for the image in the mirror. "What do I do, Mum?" "You could let me in, honey." Joyce's voice was strained, but it had one thing going for it that got Mike to walk over and open the door: it was completely his mum's voice. When he slid back the bolt and opened the door, Joyce immediately wrapped her arms around her son. "It's alright, Mike, you haven't done anything wrong." Mike clung to his mother, and the shock slowly drained into a flood of tears. Slowly, coming back to his senses, he traced his memory back to the odd event that happened just before getting home. "The sky was flashing with rainbow colors. Pinkie and I were looking at it and she… she got her cutie mark." His left hand traced down, found his own hip. "Robin has them too. Dave and Steve are both further progressed. It must be something in the mine, or something leaking over from Equestria and—" Joyce stopped when she felt her son tighten up further. "What's the matter?" "I have a cutie mark." Mike felt the soft fur of his hip before he saw it, but just knowing it was there was enough. He finally looked down, stepping back from his mother. "A golden… is that a lyre?" The fur that formed the cutie mark almost seemed to glow with extra brightness, but sure enough the harp-like instrument was set on a sparse coating of aquamarine fur. "Music, of course." Joyce threw her hands up in the air. "Special talent… I know you aren't up with maths and medicine, but couldn't you have taken after your mum?" Joyce walked up behind Mike and hugged him. "Seriously, though. Is music what you want?" The shift in topic pulled Mike's thoughts away from "looking like a freak" and planted them back in the real world. He knew magic existed, and for ponies a big part of that was destiny and cutie marks. Since Mike was at least part pony now, that meant they were important to him, too. "I… hadn't really thought of it." He stumbled mentally. "What I want to do, that is. I really like music, but is it something I can make a living on?" "You can if you try." Joyce looked over Mike's shoulder, watching her pony-eared son slowly fade from view as the mirror fogged back up. "If this is your thing, I'll be happy for you. Besides," Joyce reached a hand up and gently rubbed one ear, "I have your sister to reshape into the perfect medical student." The gentle rub of his ear almost made Mike slump. "Why… Why does that feel so good?" He blushed as soon as he said the words. "Not that it felt good good, just good. Like when somepony cuts my hair." "Michael," Joyce rubbed her son's ear again, "you just said 'somepony.' " With a chuckle, Joyce rubbed Mike's wet hair into a mess and left. "Clean up the floor when you're done, I'll have some lunch ready for you." Normalcy flooded in around Mike like a comfortable blanket. The mirror was foggy enough that he couldn't see his ears, and if he didn't touch his hips he wouldn't be reminded that they were furry. Locking the door, Mike climbed back into the tub to relax his nerves and shed the last of the dust his holidays had gifted him with. Leaning back in the big tub, Mike got a sudden reminder that things were different when his ears dunked underwater. The sensation of water seeping into his ears was a little strange at first, but after a moment they seemed to equalize and he gave a happy sigh. Minutes passed like water, and Mike just floated. He ignored everything in the world and existed in an almost zen-like state. But the water started to grow cool, and when his belly grumbled angrily he could ignore life no longer. Sitting up, he felt the water start to drain from his ears, but some remained. Without a thought he shook his head. "Is it in my head, too?" The action of tossing his head around was a common one, he realized, for animals with ears on top of their head. Mike got to work, scrubbing himself down. He worked shampoo into his hair and even spared a little for the fur on his hips. A rinse later and he stood up, climbed from the tub and approached the mirror again. With the heat of the tub faded, the mirror was no longer steamed up. "I have pony ears and a cutie mark." The fact wasn't that terrible, when he thought about it. Pony ears were cute, after all, he just hadn't thought of seeing them when he looked in the mirror. "They do look cute." He focused on trying to move them, but they seemed to want to poke forwards mostly. Grabbing a towel from the shelf of them, Mike set to work drying off. Rubbing the thick towel over himself was relieving, feeling how much of his body was still perfectly normal. Dry, he pulled out a comb and worked on his hair. Giggling as his ears instinctively folded as he combed past them, Mike felt in better spirits. Soon clad in his bathrobe, he used his damp towel to mop up the water splotches on the floor. Mike unlocked the door and pulled it open, only to see Robin and Misty practically bouncing in place. "Hey, Squir…" He trailed off as his brain made sense of the sight. "Nice ears." Reaching a hand up, he tried to brush Robin's tufted ears, but they tucked down at the last moment. "Same back atcha." Robin giggled and elbowed Misty, who giggled and looked up at Mike. "You got your cutie mark?" Nervous suddenly, Misty stopped her giggling and looked solemnly at Mike. "Can we see it?" Careful of his modesty this time, Mike held the robe to his front while he lifted the side. More and more leg exposed until the soft, aquamarine fur was visible. "A lyre." He made sure both of them could see it clearly, and something about showing it off made him feel real joy. Mike wanted to grab his guitar and start playing, but instead he dropped the robe back down. "That's so awesome!" Misty hopped from hoof to hoof, sudden excitement charging her with energy. "I can't wait until I get mine!" "Me too!" Robin laughed and turned, ignoring her brother and racing back down the hall for the living room. "You're a really good pony, Mike." Misty held Mike's gaze for a few moments before laughing and running off too. Mike inhaled deeply, and couldn't stop himself from humming on his way back to his bedroom. With his robe on, he reached for his guitar the moment the door was closed. The little amp was soon lit and Mike started to play. The tune coming from his speaker wasn't anything he had heard before, it was a new riff that just poured through him. His fingers moved, pinning the strings into perfect notes as his right hand slapped, strummed, and plucked the tune that had to get out. Revitalizing energy flooded through him, and Mike realized just what his cutie mark meant to him. He closed his eyes and let his hands move, living the music that poured from his instrument. Panting by the end of the tune he had just created on the spot, the first thing he noticed was Misty staring at him from the doorway, that he was naked on his bed was the second. "Your mum wanted to know how much longer you would be." Misty stared at Mike, adoration of the music that she had been listening to showing in every line and feature. "That was beautiful, Mike…" Mike could only stare at his hands in surprise. "I haven't really tried to write music before, but that…" He closed his eyes and let his hands dance on the guitar again. Pure magic was at work, he was sure of it, because he managed to produce another amazing rhythm from the bass guitar. His heart carried him, and all his fear and worry about what was happening to his body poured into the deep tones, and to his surprise the feelings faded. A wide smile creased his lips, and Mike felt renewed. As the last notes faded, Misty tried to rub her eyes dry and clop her hooves together at the same time. Thankfully having wings and forelegs meant she was ahead of the curve. "This has to be your special talent." "Michael, I've been waiting." Joyce poked her head around the doorjamb and spotted her son sitting mostly naked on his bed, his guitar being the only thing that kept him modest. "Misty, out." "Aww, but you need to hear him play!" Misty extended her wings a little in her excitement. "Please play some more!" "Sorry Misty, Mum's right. Let me get dressed, do whatever my doctor says, and then I'll play some more." Mike had to fight to pull his hands away from the guitar. His fingers itched to strum. "Michael Robertson!" Joyce grabbed Misty and pulled the filly from the room. Hooking the door closed with her foot, the last thing she head from her son was his laughter. Selecting his basic clothing option, Mike quickly got dressed. Instinct made him want to cover his ears, but that moment he pulled a spare beanie down over them it felt uncomfortable. "Ugh, this sucks." He dragged the beanie off his head and made his way out to the living room. "Mum? Do you have a darning kit?" Joyce was sitting on the couch, Tufts hanging from her shoulder. "A darning kit? Do you have some socks with holes in them?" With her medical bag at her side, Joyce was ready for whatever odd things her son could bring her, except such an odd request. "No, my beanie. I wanted to hide my ears, but they don't feel right with it on." Mike slumped down on the couch, only to have an excited bat fly up to him. "Hey Tufts, how's the fruit?" His reply was an excited keeing as Tufts negotiated a good grip on Mike's jumper. "You want the beanie to hide your ears, right?" Joyce's voice was slathered with confused humor. "So you're going to cut holes in it to let your ears out?" Mike froze in his scratching of Tufts' belly. "I'm such an idiot…" Okay, but my head still feels odd… almost like I should grow my hair or something." Resuming Tufts' belly rub, Mike ran his other hand through his hair. "You're the first to report that." Joyce had a pained expression. "Damn… this is too close to home. The doctor in me is excited to do research, but you're my little boy…" "Mum, I'm nearly seventeen." Mike rolled his eyes. "Okay, so what's first? Stick out my tongue and cough, or 'swallow this'?" Abandoning his beanie on the couch arm, he used both hands to rub Tufts' belly. "Let me get my checklist." Joyce pulled out a fresh notepad and her main (and tatty) one. "Okay, no tail? No excess body-fur patches… Ears are a yes, and so is the cutie mark." Her hand worked quickly, making concise notes. "Okay, let's get a measure of those ears." Mike endured his mother's pokes, prods, and repeated measuring. By the time she was done, Tufts had fallen asleep against Mike's chest. "That bat…" Joyce sat back in her couch chair, hand scribbling notes quickly while she talked. "One day I'll release him back into the wild, and he won't come back." " 'Come bat,' you mean?" Mike's fingers ended up rubbing under one of Tufts' wings, which earned him a happy little squeaking sound from the bat. "I was scared, Mum. But when I played…" "When you did the thing associated with your cutie mark you felt good?" Joyce waited for Mike's nod before she ticked a note she had already made. "I would call it insidious if it didn't seem beneficial. Steve and Dave had the same thing. That's the real reason they won't stop mining, I think." "As far as special talents go, one that makes you rich is pretty good." Mike rubbed his thigh, thinking about the implications. "Maybe I could become a rock star, or teach others to play?" "Is that what you want to do with your life?" Finishing up her writing, Joyce packed away the notebooks as she spoke. "You're already teaching two ponies to play, is that what feels right?" "Yes… no… maybe…" Mike flicked his ears without even thinking about it. "I guess I want to be happy, and make others happy too…" "You're doing a great job on Tufts, and I haven't heard any of the Pie fillies complain. You have Rose, too." Loud giggles from deeper in the house almost interrupted Joyce. "And you have two little sisters that hang on your every word." Mike sat up a bit straighter. "You noticed that too, huh? We are kinda a small Brady Bunch, but it is working out." He turned his head as his two sisters came into the living room. By the looks of anticipation and excitement on their faces, they were up to something. "What is it now?" Misty lifted Mike's guitar into view, passing it over the couch to him with her wings while Robin giggled and ran around to plug the little amplifier in. "You promised." Misty, having divested herself of the guitar, pranced to the middle of the living room floor and lay down facing Mike. A crackling sound heralded the lead of the guitar plugging into the live amp. "Was it really as awesome as Misty said?" Mike's fingers moved without any thought. "Probably better." Testing each string, the amplifier let loose low rumbles at his command. One strum was all it took and he felt the power inside him leap free. Mike barely felt his digits move on the fret board, nor the strings as he strummed, plucked, and slapped away. Without the emotions from earlier to taint his music with negative feelings, Mike could only push happiness into the song. Mike closed his eyes and played, and each sense came alive with memories of Equestria. Trixie's magic had been the most amazing thing he had ever seen, but it didn't compare to the soft breeze of a warm day under a magical sun. The house wasn't there, neither was the couch, his family, or even Tufts. Mike was running in Equestria, and the magic of it poured through him and into his music. A hand intruded. Gently, someone touched his shoulder and broke the spell. Mike's hands kept playing, but some of the magic was diminished. "Honey, you have been playing for nearly half an hour." Joyce looked a little dazed. "You should have a break and grab something to eat." Just like when Mike was a boy, Joyce kissed him on the forehead. His hands found the right chord progression to bring the tune to a halt, and Mike suddenly felt that he had indeed been playing for some time. "Wow…" He stared at his hands for a moment, barely noticing Tufts waking from a dream. Robin got up from where she sat on the floor and stretched—almost like a cat. "That was amazing… Is that what Equestria is like?" "It is." Misty climbed to her hooves beside Robin. "It's exactly like that. I don't know how he could make it feel… feel like Equestria so much, when he didn't even sing." Mike waited for Robin and Misty to head for the kitchen before he set his guitar down and stood up. Something about his head still felt off, but he ignored that as best he could. "Hungry, Tufts?" The bat looked up at Mike with keen eyes that could see every bit as well as the human's own. He didn't let out one of his shrill cries, rather he just nodded twice. "I swear, Tufts, you have more of this worked out than we do. Can you understand me, or am I going crazy?" Mike looked at the bat, and was very aware Tufts was looking right back. "Mike, lunch!" Joyce's voice came from the kitchen. "Coming." Mike dropped the oddly not one-sided conversation with the bat and walked into the kitchen. All eyes turned to him, and he felt his ears tuck back at the scrutiny. "What's wrong?" "You." Robin was apologetically honest. "Robin!" Joyce rolled her eyes at her daughter. "But she is right, Mike. You seem pretty spaced out today. I understand a lot happened, but are you okay?" She was in full "mum" mode, not a hint of "Doctor Mum" to be found. "A lot to think about. Princess Celestia offered me a place at her school; she said I didn't need to know magic to be able to learn and teach." Mike settled at the table and plucked up a slice of toast from the stack of such on a plate. Spreading butter onto the crispy bread, he remembered the surprise he had felt that the Princess had thought it was him applying. Joyce blinked at the surprising news. "A thorny question, I guess. If it's Equestria that is doing… well…" She reached and ruffled Robin's head, stroking her daughter's perky ears. "If it does cause humans to turn into ponies, living there full-time would mean you would be a pony… assuming this goes all the way." It was more information than Mike could deal with at that moment. "I don't know, Mum, more school seems…" He looked at Joyce's excited face and remembered his mother's prodding about further education. "You want me to learn to be a doctor, don't you?" "No, honey." Joyce got up from the table and circled to her son. Putting an arm around Mike's shoulders, she gave him a hug. "I want you to do what makes you feel happy. Would going to Equestria, maybe turning into a pony," she flicked Mike's ear, "make you happy?" Tucking his ears back tightly to avoid further flicks, Mike leaned his head sideways against his Mum's side. "I don't know. Maybe? Shouldn't I wait until I graduate here, first?" "!" Misty's exclamation snapped everyone's attention to her, and the filly practically flew across the kitchen in her excitement. "!" Candela shot a look at Joyce first, then inspected Mike's head. "." She tucked a wing around her filly and squeezed her in a hug. "." She kissed Misty on the head and followed her own advice. With Candela getting settled on her own chair, Mike tilted his head back up to study his Mum's face. An intense look of focus was painted on Joyce's features, and Mike wondered for nearly two seconds what the problem was. "Oh! Equish! Misty said—" "I understood most of it, dear." Joyce almost perfectly mirrored Candela's kiss on Misty's head with her own on Mike's. "I think it would be best for you to finish school, I've a feeling the next year or two are going to be… strange." "Good-strange or strange-strange?" Mike lifted his toast up and took a bite. Joyce chuckled. "Yes, exactly." The reply made no sense, of course, to Mike it seemed as right as anything could be. "So, buckle down and finish school, then you can go back and ask… Princess Celestia?" Candela gasped. "What about the Princess? Did you meet her?" Her eyes were bright, flashing with interest. Mike gulped down his toast. "I met her. She offered me a place in her school, if I wanted to join." He took another bite of the toast, then broke a corner off and offered the sugary jam on it to Tufts. The bat immediately started licking the sweet conserve up. "That's amazing." Candela wore excitement on her face, but there were other emotions that colored her tone. "I wonder what they will teach a human?" Mike participated in the speculation that passed around the table, but for the rest of the day he did his best to keep relaxed and unwind after his trip. What he couldn't shake was the odd sensation that his head felt funny.