//------------------------------// // Act 1, Chapter 5 - Something Forgotten, Something Remembered // Story: Hoof and Claw Versus the World // by Chythar //------------------------------// After a long, grueling training session, Nightmare Moon summoned the softest bed I had ever seen. And actually let me sleep in it. I returned to the waking world slowly. I found myself in a warm bed, lying beneath a fluffy comforter. The sheets were so soft and sleek against my body, it felt wonderful. I let out a contented sigh and decided that this was the best way to wake up. Much better than the blaring of an alarm clock jolting me out of bed at an unholy hour. While I didn't feel like throwing away the WHOLE day in bed, most of the day was just fine. I wonder what time it is? Reluctantly, I opened my eyes and looked for my alarm clock in its usual place -- next to my bed on its nightstand. But I couldn't find it. Strange. The alarm clock was one of those digital models with big numbers; easy to see at night, but not so bright that the light would keep me awake. So I knew I should have been able to see the clock's display. Puzzled, I wondered where my alarm clock had gone. Did my cats knock it on the floor again? My eyes looked around the room for my missing alarm clock. But the room was mighty dark, and I could see nothing. Had I slept all day again? I had a vague memory of going to bed just as the sun was coming up. I decided I didn't care what time it was, and curled up on my side under the covers. I was unemployed, and felt too warm & cozy to get out of bed. Besides, I had been dreaming about ponies. The dream was something about learning magic from Nightmare Moon. I admit, it was a fucking weird dream. But a pony dream is a pony dream, and I wanted to pick it up where I left off. So I closed my eyes and and nestled farther under the warm comforter. Just then, I felt SOMETHING shift in the bed behind me. I sleep alone, so who or WHAT was that?! I hope it’s not that fat chick that keeps hitting on me at the bar. Part of me wanted to go back to sleep and hope she left on her own. But another part of me just HAD to know who it was. So for the second time that night, I opened my eyes to the darkness. Slowly, so I wouldn't alert the thing next to me, I rolled onto my back and glanced towards the thing in my bed. I could barely see a large shape next to me, which the comforter was...attached to? It was too dark to see any details. Using my hands, I patted the comforter down. It felt...feathery? A moment later, I realized I was sleeping under a large wing. Which was lying on my chest. A wing? What the heck?! Oh. That wasn't a dream, after all. This wing could only belong to my new mistress, Nightmare Moon. Who was apparently sleeping NEXT TO me in bed. I felt my cheeks flush red hot at the implied intimacy. Yeah, I still had a crush on Nightmare Moon. Without warning, the Night Mare stiffened and trembled, just like I did when I was stretching the sleep out of my body. Unfortunately for me, that stretch included her wings. I saw the wing on my chest lift up several inches, watched it tremble, then saw and felt it slap down on my chest. I grunted on impact, more out of surprise than hurt. Finally awake, the Mare in the Moon spoke to me. "Awake, my student?" "Yes Mistress, I am NOW." My snarky comment must have gone unnoticed, as her only reply was a sigh. One of those, 'I'm awake and I should probably get up and do something' morning sighs. "Mistress?" "Hmmmmm?" "Um, I'm kinda curious why we're sharing a bed." "Certainly you did not expect me to sleep in the dirt, did you?" "No no, definitely not. It's just...um..." "You do realize that this is MY bed, and not yours?" "Oh...I didn't realize..." "I see. You have no troubles kissing a mare you just met, yet you are nervous about sleeping in the same bed as her?" A pause. "How quaint." "Hey, they're two totally different things!" A faint chuckle came from her side of the bed. "Art thou complaining?" "Well, no." "Then hush. Besides, it is time for us to leave this bed and continue your training." A quick pulse of her horn sent magic lights to the four corners of the cave, dimly lighting the room. The light was enough to see by, but not by much. An unbidden thought flashed across my mind, of the kind of training one can partake IN bed. Wow, that was a naughty thought. Where did that come from? Before I could ponder that thought further, the mare beside me made her move. Throwing her covers off, she shuffled her body to her edge of the bed and stood up on the ground. I was sorry that I lost my feathered wing-blanket, though I was still warm under the remaining sheet. But I knew it was time to get up and out of bed. Just like Nightmare Moon, I also tossed off my covers and shifted over to sit up on the edge of the mattress. Upon standing up and stretching, I had a sudden and worrying realization: I was totally naked. I couldn't be naked in front of my crush! It was too embarrassing! I wondered how fast I could run over and put my armor on. A second, slower realization dawned on me: I was no longer human and now some sort of cat-man. And I also remembered I was covered in FUR. A look down at the more...sensitive parts of my anatomy revealed that the fur down there was longer than the rest. And well, nothing beyond fur could be seen. Another brief moment of panic hit me. Did she leave those parts out when she remade me?! My hands quickly yet gently patted the spot down. I could definitely feel the 'frank and beans' were still there, and I let out a sigh of relief. I brushed the fur back down so it was nice and smooth. "Something wrong, my student? You seem agitated." I snapped my head over to look at my alicorn bed companion, who had rounded the bed while I was inspecting down under. How long had she been watching? "No, no! Nothing's wrong. Just...not used to this new body yet." "I see.. Thy new body will become more familiar with time. Now, set aside those thoughts. We must begin our night." "Um, sure. But shouldn't we eat something first? Come to think of it, I'm not hungry. And I haven't eaten anything since the bar last night." The Night Incarnate sat down, then gave me a knowing smile. "One of the benefits of using my body as a pattern for thy new one. You have gained some of my talents, meaning you no longer need to eat to survive. Your body will use a small amount of ambient magic to automatically sustain itself. You can still eat, and you can still overeat, as my sister's flanks would show were she here. But if you do not eat enough, or not at all, magic will make up the difference." Wow, that's kinda neat. What else did I get from her? "Does this mean I am immortal like you, Mistress?" "I am not immortal; merely long-lived. I do not age, nor can I catch any ordinary mortal affliction like other ponies. The same magic that sustains me when I do not eat also heals me quickly, thus most mortal wounds are not mortal for me. But if wounded enough, I can still die. Time will tell if you have also gained this ability." "Huh, cool! I guess I'll find out the next time I get hurt." I thought about the prospect for a moment. "Or in a few decades if I don't age." Nightmare Moon chuckled at my enthusiasm. "Correct, though I hope for your sake it is the latter." I tried but failed to stifle a yawn, so I settled for covering my mouth with the back of a hand. "Too bad your magic doesn't get rid of the need to sleep." "You may yet gain that ability in time." "Whuh, really?" "Yes, it is true. I can go for many months without sleep if I choose to. However, as with many things in life there are penalties to pay. Sleep is a time for the body to rest and repair itself, as well as time for the mind to organize the day's activities. Much like the ability to go without food, this ability will continue to sustain the body and soothe the mind in the same way that sleep will. However, this magic will draw upon one's normal magical reserves rather than using the ambient magic around us. "My reserves of magic are vast and my ability to recharge those reserves is great, thus going without sleep is nary a burden. For you however, sleep is still a necessity. Your training yesterday drained most of your meager reserves, even with the small drought I gifted to you." I digested this knowledge briefly, and grimaced at what seemed like the obvious conclusion. "I'm not sure then how much I'll be able to help you, Mistress. If shield training was enough to exhaust me, how am I going to do in an actual battle?" "Such an impatient pony thou art. Much like physical exercise strengthens one's physical form, using magic also deepens one's magical reserves. Also know that your reserves were not adequate when we commenced your training last night. As you fully recharge your reserves, you will find your training to be less taxing though it will still remain a challenge." I managed to stifle the next yawn. "I hope so, Mistress." "While each pony has their own unique magical potential, your magical essence was made from a portion of mine. Thus, you have the potential to have a large magical reserve similar to my own. However, it may take you hundreds of years to approach my level of magical prowess." "If you say so, Mistress." "I have decreed it as such, and so it is truth. Now, my magic shall don your armor for you so we can resume your training." "Going to help me get dressed in the morning? Kinky." My teacher cocked her head to the side, clearly confused. "I do not understand. Does thy armor not fit properly?" Stupid sense of humor, you're going to get me in trouble one of these days. "Never mind, Mistress. Could you teach me how to put on my armor, so I'm not reliant upon you to put it on and take it off?" "I see. Another time, for we must resume your training forthwith." The Night Mare took a moment to teleport my armor onto me, then stood up and started walking towards the tunnel that led outside. As she walked, her horn began to glow. In response, her armor shimmered in the same magic field. The armor floated off of its stand and over to her, one piece at a time. Each piece settled itself on to her majestic frame before the next one arrived. One shoe after another were placed in the dirt right beneath an upraised hoof, in such a way that she stepped naturally into the shoe. Sorta like if you were walking forward, and your socks and shoes just slipped on while you were walking. The straps were buckled together before that hoof was lifted up off of the ground. The whole process looked quite elegant, like she had just walked into her armor. I was more than a bit jealous of how easy she made it look. Just before I followed Nightmare Moon to the exit, I glanced behind me to see how the cave layout had changed. The large four-post bed appeared to take up most of the room. The armor stands for her armor and mine took up most of the remaining space, now framing the exit to the room. Beyond a small spot in front of the bed, there appeared to be just enough room for one person (or pony) to walk around the large bed. A short but leisurely walk down the passageway and we were out in the crisp night air. The desert floor looked just as bright and alive as it did the night before. The sky, on the other hand, was breathtaking. I could see the Orion Nebula to our left, which would make that direction to be west-southwest. That means...there! The Pleiades were clearly seen to our right, close to the horizon, meaning our cave entrance faced west. Almost straight in front of us and quite bright in the sky was the Eskimo nebula. While I examined the night sky, I could hear naught but the wind and the rustling of branches. That breeze drifted lightly across my fur, cool yet very pleasant. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a tumbleweed bouncing across the desert floor, pushed along with the breeze. This magic of Luna's - er, I mean Nightmare Moon's is pretty impressive. I didn't realize I knew so much about the night sky. Or did I learn more from the Cosmos TV show than I thought? The breeze picked up again, and I could see some of the desert trees swaying in the wind. Again, the sound of the rustling leaves came unbidden to my ears. I didn't remember seeing or hearing so much in my previous life. Was I that distracted by technology, that I didn't take time to see nature all around me? Was the magic magnifying things, or was it my new eyes, or both? Sadly, I was not to find out that evening. "Enough sightseeing. It is time for your lessons." Tearing my eyes away from the night sky, I looked at my teacher who was standing next to me. Her silver armor was polished to an impeccable shine, and contrasted nicely against her ebony coat. Her mane and tail continued their uncanny swaying as always. "Alright, Mistress. What will I be learning tonight?" "Flight, my student." "Flight? Cool! I've always wanted to fly." A chuckle from my teacher, and her smile was almost as wide as mine felt. "A stallion with a heart much like my own, then. Here, I shall impart pegasus magic upon thee. Hold still." I leaned my head in her direction, and felt her horn lightly touch my head. Just like with the shield spells, the flow of memories appeared in my mind as if I had always known them. But this time, they weren't coming in all at once. Like being given a jigsaw puzzle one piece at a time, I could understand parts of the magical memories but only together did they made sense. And they were coming in slow enough that I had time to puzzle over each piece before the next one arrived. Now, that's interesting. Looks like pegasai instinctively lower their personal gravity so that their wings can keep them in the air. Or they make themselves light enough, same difference. I wonder if I can play with that magic and use it to levitate other objects, superhero-style? Ah, this next spell seems to let me do so. Oh, it only works if I am touching the object or pony, and the effect fades off quickly the farther the object gets from my body. So, only useful for anything or anyone I'm carrying. Disappointing, but still cool. The next set of spells were somewhat confusing. They weren't taking for some reason, and the Mare in the Moon had to put more effort into her casting. This set of spells seems to be adding some sort of pushing force, but again it's not voluntary. I'm pretty sure I can cast the spell, but it needs to be attached to something or it won't work. Maybe the next spell will combine with this one. Or maybe this spell isn't done yet? Oh wait, it just finished. Why am I suddenly reminded of downloading torrented files? This magical bandwidth is so slow, is this the equivalent of dial-up? And only one spell at a time. Okay, the next spell has 'downloaded' enough I can take a look at it. It seems to be instinctual knowledge again, of - ha! Cloud control! And is this...yes! I can sit on clouds now! Sweet! The next part didn't make much sense, and the magic just didn't want to stay. Nightmare Moon had to re-cast the spell five times before it would stick, and even then I didn't understand it. As the Night Mare rested, I tried to digest this last chunk of magic. This last piece seems to be mostly instinctual, though some of it feels like hard-earned experience. And again, it's not attached to anything. That part feels like knowledge of air currents, and how to read and ride updrafts, and how to angle one's wings to dive....oh. Wings. This magic has to be used through a pair of wings! And this magic feels disconnected, just like that 'pushing force' spell from earlier. So I imagine it also has to be used through wings. Knowing that, the problem is blatantly obvious. Nightmare Moon interrupted my mental analysis with a loud sigh. "Are you done integrating those spells yet? I am eager to take to the air." "I don't think we can just yet, Mistress." Another sigh from her, this one of impatience. "Did the spells not take hold, student? I am certain they did, despite the additional effort." "They did, Mistress. It's just...I discovered why they didn't work." "Truly? The mewling babe has an idea! Pray tell, what is the issue?" Should I be delicate about this? Probably. "Well, the spells feel like they need a pair of wings to work." "That much is obvious. Pegasai channel most of their magic through their wings. Was that your brilliant deduction?" "Uh, yeah. I don't have wings." "What?! Such nonsense! They were given to thee when thou was transformed--" As she spoke, I turned my bare back to her showing that I, in fact, did not have any wings. And thus stopped her sentence cold. "What? But I... "Oh horseapples, I remember now." Turning back to the mare, I saw she had a foreleg draped over her muzzle which covered her closed eyes from view. Not exactly a facehoof, yet it felt more profound. "Mistress? Are you all right?" Another sigh of frustration, and she dropped her foreleg from her muzzle. "Yes, I shall be fine. I remember now. I attempted to give you wings as I changed your form, from human into who you are now. However, the entire transformation spell threatened to fall apart each time I attempted to do so. The magic was unable to integrate the second shoulder girdle into your anatomy. Thus, I set the problem aside in order to finish the rest of your metamorphosis. And forgot about it until now." "I see, Mistress." "I intend to correct that oversight. Perhaps the change will be easier now that the rest of your body has been altered. Hold still." I didn't want to be changed again, but she had already done so much to me already. What more was a pair of wings? So I stayed still. Soon, I felt a tingle all over my upper back. I wondered to myself if that was the feeling of my body being reshaped, or just the touch of Nightmare Moon's magic. Many moments passed. At last, the tingling in my back stopped. Was she done? What had I turned into that time? "Mistress, may I move now?" "Yes, you may." Was that a note of dissatisfaction in her voice? I rolled my shoulders, then looked over one shoulder to see what she had done to me. But I saw nothing. "I don't feel any different, Mistress." "You have not been changed, my spell was not successful." I was pleased to hear that, actually. I wouldn't be losing any more of my humanity any time soon. "What happened, Mistress?" "The problem has to do with your skeletal structure, and how it differs from pony anatomy. The pony rib cage is shaped differently, more rounded, which moves the pony scapula to our sides. Thus, there is enough room to add a second shoulder girdle to support a pair of wings. Your rib cage is essentially flat on your back, relative to pony anatomy, and your scapula are much larger. "I could only add the pegasai shoulder girdle if I severely shrunk your scapula, or distorted your rib cage. Shrinking your scapula would have severely compromised the use of your forelegs, and changing your rib cage would have forced you into a four-legged gait. Either would have severely compromised your movement." "In short, I cannot give you pegasai wings." YES! This isn't just a temporary setback, but a fundamental issue that let me keep some of my humanity. Or at least my humanoid shape. But how can I fly into battle now? Ah, smart-ass-me knows! "I guess I'll have to ride you into battle, Mistress." "That will NOT happen, I shall not be demeaned in such a way! Do I make myself clear?!" Drat! Though I admit, I was hoping she'd catch the double entendre there. "Yes, Mistress. But how else will I stay by your side if I cannot fly?" "That is a valid point that I must solve. But let me be clear. There will be no riding of me. At all." I did my best to pout, though the twinkling in my eyes was a dead giveaway that I was amused. "Awwwwww." The Night Incarnate looked at me strangely, she must not have caught on to my innuendo yet. As realization finally dawned, she inhaled sharply. Groaning audibly, she draped a foreleg over her muzzle again. "What am I going to do with you?" "I believe the usual answer to that is 'Love Me?' But we haven't even gotten past kissing yet." Dropping her foreleg back to the ground, Nightmare Moon glared at me while an ominous wind just happened to blow into my face and chest. "Keep making comments like that, and we never will, MY STUDENT. Do I make myself clear?!" She can't be that angry, I know she can be a lot scarier than that. But she made her point. "Yes, Mistress." Though the way she phrased that implies there IS still a chance. Heh. "However, despite your ribald comments you are correct. It is necessary for you to fly at my side. There is only one spell I am aware of to give somepony a pair of wings, albeit they are only temporary." Ah, I know this one from the Sonic Rainboom episode. "Do you mean the Butterfly spell, Mistress?" "That is correct. How did you know of this? I have not spoken of this spell with you, and the memories I have given you should not have included it." I shrugged in an attempt to avoid the question. I didn't want to deal with telling her about the My Little Pony TV show and the fandom attached to it. "Not sure, Mistress. I just remember the name." I had a feeling she didn't like my answer, but she seemed unwilling to press the point. "Regardless of the source of your knowledge, you are correct. However, the Butterfly Wings spell is time-consuming to cast. I cannot be assured I would have time to cast it upon you if we needed to fly quickly. Also, the wings are fragile and easily damaged thus you could not fly at an acceptable speed." Rarity’s plight in the Best Young Flier’s competition made that quite clear. "Well, that sucks. What now, Mistress?" Nightmare Moon pondered the question for s few moments. "Can you access any pegasai magic, my student?" "I believe so, Mistress. I can--" I was interrupted by an upraised hoof. "The specifics are not important right now. I must recuse myself to our domicile under the hill and meditate on this issue. Be sure not to disturb me. Practice what magic you can until the sun rises, or when I call for you. Do you understand?" "Yes, Mistress, I do." Without another word, the Night Mare turned and walked back into the cave entrance. Oh that's right, we barely made it out of the cave tonight. Tonight's magic transfer and subsequent conversation had taken place a mere handful of steps away from the cave. So far, this was turning out to be a weird night.