“W-where am I?” A voice wondered out loud with a groan.
The pony grunted as they tried to get up off the stone-like floor, though it was too smooth for hewn stone and made her think it was tile made to look like stone. It wasn’t until she got her hooves under her that she gasped and pushed herself up and away in surprise, toppling head over tail into a hard surface with a loud groan.
“Ow… what the heck is going on?” She asked as she tried to rub her head, annoyed that her hands felt like they were stuck balled up. She looked back to the thing she ran into and froze, seeing a large eye staring at her.
She jumped and rolled away, seeing more of a light green covered thing in her vision before looking back that way to find a mirror, the same one she had been pulled through.
She blinked, the mirror looking familiar. Her brain felt fuzzy as she tried to recognize the figure in the mirror, then she started to laugh, looking at the little green pony unicorn thing in the mirror. ‘Well, that explains it Jess! You’re dreaming! You worked so hard on the mirror cleanup that you fell asleep!’ She paused and looked herself over and laughed further in her head, ‘Yeah, you’re only physically a girl in your dreams. Meds don’t work that fast!’
She sighed contentedly and approached the mirror. It never bothered her to have four legs and no arms in her dreams, and it happened often enough she could now get her body to move the way she wanted, even finding amusement in the two-toned colored hair. A yellow stripe going down and splitting the vivid green hair off-center around the horn. ‘Of course it’s a dream, green fur and hair aren’t real!’
As she approached the mirror, she stopped, mildly entertained and had a small grin on her face if the mirror was any indication. She wasn’t a person who was in love with ponies or horses much because of their last girlfriend, but she didn’t hold anything against them and it looked absurd enough that she wasn’t feeling threatened by it. She reached a hoof up to the mirror, fully expecting to go back through the mirror like she had in her dream, even if it meant a dark thing reaching out and pulling her through.
…
Nothing. The surface was cold and hard, not giving way. Her amusement turned to concern as she started noticing the surface more and more through her hoof.
‘That’s odd… I’ve not recognized temperature in my dreams… sometimes pain, sure, but not heat or cold…’ Jess thought to herself.
Suddenly, a dark figure appeared in the mirror behind her reflection and acted like it was about to grab her. She yelped and rolled to the side, getting back to her hooves quickly as she thought she could expect to face this dark thing, only to see nothing in the space that was behind her.
Her heart pounded and worry started to gnaw at her. ‘I’ve never noticed my heart pounding like this. Fear, sure, but… is this not a dream? I know I don’t recognize my dreams very often, let alone control them, but this is odd… Come to think of it, I didn’t feel how I moved in my dreams even as a four-legged creature. This is strange.’
Slowly, she approached the mirror from the side but saw nothing. There was almost like a shade behind her in the mirror, but nothing that she could clearly distinguish. A hoof on the mirror showed that nothing was changed, it was still a cold surface that almost seemed to push back at her.
Jess sighed and turned around. If it was a dream, she would have to bear with it until it ended, and even if it wasn’t, she could probably request help to go home. As long as they weren’t some sort of stereotypical evil group, they probably wouldn’t have an issue with helping her get home and out of whatever is going on here.
Looking around the room, the mare noticed tables along the wall, holding cases of items, an occasional pedestal that appeared quite secure and steady interspersed. The mirror was just standing on its support in the middle of the room for no apparent reason.
She frowned and grew bored of the items fairly quickly. Any thought of getting any objects from the room to ‘borrow’ were quickly quashed, as she didn’t want to be accused of stealing if she met someone and it wasn’t a dream.
She reached for the door, grateful it was a lever-handled door as opposed to a knob, since she wasn’t sure how she would have operated it. She tried to jiggle it, only to find it was locked and the lever wouldn’t move. She frowned, trying something that always worked in shows, looking through the keyhole. Much to her expectation, it didn’t show anything through the hole and she frowned, staring at the keyhole, concentrating at it as she considered her options.
She felt strange, a kind of tingling near the top of her head beginning to form. It was a vague reminder she had a horn, and assumed it was some air current tickling it, when she suddenly felt a small zap down from the tip to her head and partway down her spine. She shook her head and pulled back with a start before hearing a small clicking sound being heard from the door.
Jess quickly moved to the side, planning on going under one of the tables to hide if the door opened, but after a full minute, nothing happened and she slowly came out from under the table.
“Ok… no idea what happened there-“ she said out loud as she thought someone was going to come in before another tingling feeling passed her horn and the door lever opened and the door pulled back slightly, leaving it cracked open.
Dawn blinked, standing and watching as the door just opened on its own. She looked up and found no electronic door opener mechanism like she expected. ‘Ok… well, that’s convenient, if strange… let’s go and see who I can ask for help getting back home…’
Quietly, she opened the door, noting the lack of squeaking the door made and a look down the halls showed no one present. It appeared she was in a side room off a hallway that had red carpeting with gold trim laid down the middle of a stone and marble corridor, with several other doors along the hall and a few pieces of art hanging and all lit by gentle candlelight, making her wonder if it was nighttime.
She frowned and tried to make a good note of where she was before venturing out into the halls, conscious of her legs and how they still felt ‘off’ to be used this way. She had no idea where she was going, but the fewer turns she needed to make, the better off she was.
It wasn’t long before she heard the hoofsteps up ahead and she wondered if the other denizens were equine as well. She made sure that she kept her pace slow and deliberate, nervousness causing her to not want to speak up yet until she knew more. A good fifteen paces ahead, a white pony with golden armor on their back and golden helmet walked on, looking ahead with a spear somehow held at his side by his right foreleg before passing Dawn’s sight and heading to the other side of the hall.
‘Ok… the armor and spear tells me that they’re probably a guard, and might not be on patrol if they’re not looking that close… or I just blended in by looking like I belonged here somehow. Good to know. Let’s keep going for a bit before trying to ask one of them for help. Don’t want them to be in trouble for neglecting duties if they’re busy…’ Jess thought.
She walked the halls, still needing to make a few turns, and wondered if she should have turned around to make sure she knew where the room she came from was located when she found a wider hallway with beautiful stained glass windows. It was nighttime outside, or so she thought until almost like a light switched, the land outside seemed to grow bright and the glass showed its vibrancy, making them more stunning to look at than before.
She stopped and turned to them, looking them over with interest, especially with the appearance of sudden daylight. It was a pretty sight. Not very detailed in that the ponies depicted were a bit more blocky than the guards she saw, or her own reflection, but seeing the sunlight go through at just the right angle? It gave her a new appreciation for such a thing she wouldn’t have thought much of otherwise.
After looking over the windows for several minutes, entranced, she found a transparent one that led to a balcony, but the balcony wasn’t what caught her attention. A vast amount of vivid green spread itself past the balcony in rolling hills, a treeline of a forest breaking it and folding the view into a sea of vivid green leaves, only to have a blue sky with thin white clouds in the air to complete the picture.
“Whoah…” She breathed.
“Yes, I do find this to be one of my more favorite views in the castle.” A gentle voice said from next to her.
Jess froze, her heart starting to beat fast as she realized someone snuck up on her and a quick glance made her realize a much bigger white horse was sitting down next to her about a pace away.
“I can see why.” She managed to say, trying to avoid letting her panic show as she attempted to blend in. She couldn’t afford to question that the horse just talked since they both just did. “Can’t say it looks anything like what I have back home.”
“I see. Where are you from little pony?” The voice asked, making Dawn think of a motherly kind of figure from their tone.
“Well, that’s kinda hard to explain.” Jess blushed lightly, feeling her ears move on their own and feeling heavily distracted by the sensation. She didn’t think it was smart to mention where she was from in a broader sense, but she didn’t want to lie. Maybe saying the town name would satisfy them. “Have you heard of a place called Oak Ridge?”
“No. Where is it?” She asked, her voice still being gentle but with an added overtone of curiosity.
“I…” Jess paused before letting out a sigh, not wanting to be rude or have them feel like she was making things up before berating herself for her approach. She had wanted help in getting home hadn’t she? “I might be a bit lost myself. Where am I? Maybe I can figure out how far away I ended up that way.”
“You’re in my castle in the capital city of Equestria, Canterlot.” The white horse answered.
“Oh…” Jess gulped, turning to face the one she presumed to be the ruler then, ears flat against her head without control as she noticed the lithe figure had a gigantic skewer of a horn, large wings against their sides, and she swore she could almost feel a thrum of energy emanating from them. “I think the distance might have to be measured in the amount of time it takes for light to travel or something then… I landed here by accident and tried to go home on my own, but the way I came didn’t exactly work… I’m sorry if I’m intruding.”
“Ah, I believe I know what you are speaking of. Come little pony, let me see you try.” She said, a small smile on her face as Jess only just noticed her flowing mane seemed to change color and move on its own.
“All right. Can’t hurt, right?” she asked nervously, getting up with mild clumsiness and tried to retrace her steps while ignoring how the body felt more ‘off’ as embarrassment surged, “Sorry if I don’t know the fastest way back. I haven’t been here before and am just retracing my steps.”
“That is fine.” The white horse answered, still sounding gentle. “I’m curious myself about how my guards did not notice you were here or perhaps didn’t report an unexpected guest.”
Jess blushed as she continued, “I hope I’m not getting them in trouble then…”
“I may simply need to have them trained more. Do not worry little one.” The white horse said.
“You know,” Dawn chuckled, feeling a small burst of confidence as the figure continued to be kind to her, “I know I’m smaller, but you make it sound like I’m a kid.”
“Compared to me, you are.” She answered with a small, knowing smile.
The pair of them went to the door, which was only just barely open. Jess pushed her head against the door to open the way, making sure to hold it open for this clearly important person saying they were the owner of the place. They stepped inside and the white horse made an “ah” sound.
Jess moved up to the mirror, standing next to it and gesturing with a foreleg out of habit, not realizing her balance was shifting to accommodate subconsciously. “I think I came through here. I bought a mirror just like this at a garage sale, was cleaning it up when I felt something grab my hand and pull me. Next thing I knew, I was on the floor.”
“Ahhh.” The white one nodded, looking over them and moving to get a good view of both the reflection in the mirror and the green pony. “So, how did you try to return?”
“Well,” She answered, moving to demonstrate. “I moved over here, put my han- I guess it’s a hoof now… whatever. I put a part of me up on the mirror surface like this and expected something to pull me through like before.”
“And nothing happened?”
“Well… I briefly saw something big and dark form behind me in the mirror,” She started to explain, looking over to it, only to see the dark figure, though not nearly so big, only just a bit taller than herself but very close, where her reflection would have been. “YEEP!”
The green pony fell over backward at the sudden sight after the yelp, falling heavily on their flank and groaning while the dark pony in the reflection stayed, looking like it was laughing at the green pony.
“Fascinating…” The white pony said, approaching the mirror and the green pony.
The dark pony stayed visible to them both, Jess nearly laying on the floor and looking at it in astonishment. It was a dark purple-blue kind of color, though it had numerous specks of white that imitated starlight in Jess’ eyes. Their mane was a lighter color and their eyes were a deep blue. He was clearly male, built a bit more stockily and having other telltale signs giving it away.
“Do you know this pony?”
“I haven’t exactly seen any ponies before today when I came through. Even my ex only had a couple of horses and he doesn’t look like them.”
“Try to push your way through the mirror.” The white one instructed.
“I… I will try.” She said nervously.
Slowly, Jess got up and approached the mirror. The figure stood there, acting as if he was a wall that would block her way, trying to intimidate her into not trying, even shaking his head slightly.
“Fascinating…” the white one repeated as she watched.
Jess put her hoof on the mirror, and the dark pony put his hoof there, almost seeming to push her back. She frowned, speaking up as she tried to move her hoof. “Please let me pass, I need to go home. Perhaps I can get permission to come back when I have time?”
Despite their plea, the dark pony put their hoof and body in the way, shaking his head repeatedly, then when Jess put her hoof down, looking at them in confusion, he started gesturing. He put a hoof on his chest, then pointed at her, then seemed to stand on two legs and put two hooves together before plopping back down on all fours.
“We are together?” she asked, barely registering a slight tilt to her head.
“I have heard of this phenomenon before.” The white horse said. “There are a few ponies through the last thousand years who are born one way and forced to be a pony they are not through extenuating circumstances. Such ponies are not really themselves until they are turned into what they were meant to be, and most find a way. In rare cases, usually when the pony still has doubts on who they truly are, the process will leave a kind of shadow of the kind of pony they had to be before, kept with them and making them stronger as they remember and accept where they came from until the two are made one once more.”
“I… mind rephrasing that? I think I got it but I don’t know if you’re alluding to the same thing.” Jess asked shyly.
“Of course. Is it safe to say based on this reflection here that you used to be male?”
“Yes…” She said hesitantly, “So you’re telling me this is like a copy of myself and all the male things I had to be and do because of that?”
“That would be correct.” The white horse said.
“Ok… How does this fit into my not going back home?” Jess asked.
“Until the two of you are united in your decision to return home, you cannot, since you would not be whole again without him.”
“But I’m not two people, never was.” She blinked, confused. “That’s making it sound like I’m bipolar or schizophrenic.”
“Here, such a change into the pony you are meant to be is a physical one, and leaves behind who you had been to be their own pony until you accept them.” The white horse explained again before giving a new instruction. “Stand in front of the mirror. You will need to give the two of you suitable names if you are going to stay here.”
“Uhm, I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but- Oh…” She started to say before stopping as the full implications of what was being said hit her. ‘I can’t go back home… Somehow who I used to be is their own person and I get to have the body that best fits me now, but I’m stuck here until we both are ready to go… dammit. Ok… So no matter how weird this feels, this is how things have to be for a bit... Well, sorry grandparents, but while I’ll miss you, there wasn’t exactly a ton of other reasons to miss your world. I moved away from my home state to get a new start around those who would support me, maybe I can make this work and have this be the new start I was looking for, at least till I figure out a way back.’
She moved in front of the mirror, feeling a large sense of gravity to her steps now. She often had dreamed or imagined going to another world, and now here she was. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad?
“What kind of names do people, er, ponies have here?” Jess asked.
“Well, many include colors or descriptions of who they are, or some even coincidentally have their name coincide with their cutie mark.”
“Their what now?” Jess asked in a deadpan voice.
“You might think of it like a mark of destiny, something that shows a core part of who a pony is or their special talent. It shows up on their flanks when they are old enough and understand who they are and what they’re good at.” The white horse suggested, “Names like Cheese Sandwich, Blue Breeze, Sonata Serenade, or Dusk Star, my daughter. I am Celestia.”
“I… sure, why not?” Jess said, shaking her head and looking over herself to see if there was such a thing, only to pause and notice one exactly where she had been told it would be. A mid-dark green mound in front of a yellow circle and several yellow triangles off of the circle, making it look like a sunrise over a hill. She looked over to the other pony who was her… something-or-other twin, and saw one for him as well. He seemed to have a darker black spot on his flanks with three brighter four-pointed star things that seemed to have their own glimmer to them. “I… uhm… so what would ours be for?”
“You don’t know?” the white one asked, amused, “Was there no point in your life where you thought deeply about who you were, or what you were meant to do?”
“I-” She hesitated, pausing as a memory came unbidden, practically swallowing all of her senses.
‘You run on hope…’ A male said to her side as she stood next to her parked car where all her belongings were kept, parked in the church parking lot away from the road. ‘I can see it, the year you’ve had to park here, and your hope draining away. You’re a good person ----.’
‘I just… it feels like with as much effort as I put in, I’d have found a place that would give me a chance so I could get out of this… to get a place of my own and show I am worth the time.’
‘Listen ----. If you need to talk, let me know, but don’t give up hope.’‘Yeah… I will try.’
She blinked and shook her head briefly before looking down at her hooves as that feeling of certainty and… and completion… there were no better words for it, had fallen over her once more.
“So you do know.” The white one smiled, satisfied.
“Yeah… there was a pastor who helped keep me from getting in trouble with the police for being homeless by letting me stay in their lot at church. He came to me after a year of being homeless and I admitted how I was… not holding up. He reminded me that I ran on hope and it just… fit. The core of who I am is bound up in being hopeful.” She answered, still feeling remnants of the realization from that memory as it faded slowly. “It was starting to wear on me, but hope was what kept me alive when… when a storm came and no one was there to help. Nearly gave up.”
“Interesting…” The white one muttered, looking at her intently. “Well, what does your mark look like to you?”
“A hill… or perhaps a meadow? A meadow in front of a sunrise?” She said, unsure if that was the answer they were looking for.
“One could even call it a ‘Dawn.’” Celestia suggested subtly.
“Hm… If names are descriptive, how well does the name Meadow Dawn fit?” She asked to confirm.
“Sounds perfect. Now, what about this fine stallion?”
Dawn looked them over, thinking. ‘Honestly, the fur reminds me of the night sky, with those white specks looking like stars. The butt mark, or whatever they’re calling it, looks like stars too…’
“What about Starlight Dusk?” she asked, after mulling around several other ideas.
He nodded, giving a small smile and stepped out of the mirror toward Dawn. He was still partially transparent, but a little taller than her and a familiar jingle began to play around them and she heard his voice in the room.
“I am thou, and thou art I-” He started to say before she reached up and bonked him on the top of the head.
“So help me you are not a persona!” Dawn said before starting to laugh.
“But the chariot arcana would be perfect for this! I had one shot at some fun with this and you ruined it!” he said playfully.
“It is nice to meet you both, Starlight, Meadow Dawn.” Celestia said before standing. “Now, come with me. I must give you accommodations and ensure your good behavior before I let the others know what has transpired here.”
Dawn had reached up to the mirror, hoping she could go through, but the mirror was still cold and hard and she looked back to the white horse. “Ensure our good behavior?”
“My daughter is rather diligent about protection, and cases like yours require you to be under watch until a meeting can be held to determine what to do with you.”
“Oh.” Dawn said quietly. “Sorry…”
“For what?” She asked.
“That you feel you have to do that?” Dawn replied, as if unsure of her answer. “I hope it’s clear I’m not trying to make any trouble.”
“Even so, it is good of you to cooperate.” Celestia said, hearing the door to the room close and a small click of the door could be heard, “Ah, thinking of which, how was it you left the room?”
“I… it made a click like that and just creaked open.” Dawn answered, blinking.
“All by itself?” Celestia asked with a mischievous smile.
“I… I think so.” Dawn replied, having a small sense of dread come over her at that smile.
“Well, maybe you can show me anyway.” Celestia encouraged, sitting to the side.
Dawn blinked, and then shrugged, and tried to recreate the approach to the door, and then looked at the door in confusion. It did nothing for a minute and Celestia was only watching her closely. She frowned, looking at the lock, focusing on it and what options she had for opening the door, when she heard it click and the same tingling around her horn trickled down most of her body this time. She quickly lifted a hoof up to her head and rubbed close to the source, only to wince as she accidentally bumped her horn and felt a jolt of pain along the unfamiliar protrusion.
“Interesting.” Celestia said, “I suppose lightning struck twice.”
“I … I guess?” Dawn said with unease, getting used to how her body moved, “Why do I get the feeling you’re messing with me?”
“Me? Playing tricks on my little ponies? Whatever are you talking about?” She asked innocently.
At the same moment, Dawn noticed a glow around their horn and the door at the same time as the door opened fully for them, causing Dawn’s jaw to drop.
“Why are you so surprised? You’re a unicorn. Of course you can use magic.” Celestia said.
Dawn’s jaw stayed open almost as wide as her eyes before she began to comprehend what happened, shaking her head to clear it before staring, “Magic? Real live not-playing-tricks-on-the-mind magic?”
“Well, real magic, yes.” Celestia chuckled, “Now, come and I will have my guard show you to your room until you are summoned for a meeting for your circumstances. I apologize if it is inconvenient, but you will not be permitted to leave until that point. Food will be provided to you at our standard mealtimes. Any other requests you will need to knock on your door and the guard will ask what your request is. Do you understand?”
“I do… and I’d like to think you are simply being cautious until this is sorted out just because this doesn’t happen often or you’ve had bad experiences before. I really don’t want to get out on the wrong foot… or would that be the wrong hoof now?” Dawn asked, blushing at the potential pun.
“That’s right. I am glad you are working with us and it speaks well of what we hope will happen.” Celestia said, leading the mare along.
Dawn was unaware of Starlight’s disappearance and within a minute, Celestia flagged down a pair of guards, who took her orders and escorted Dawn attentively to an unoccupied spare room in the castle. Dawn looked over the clean, if plain, room, then heard the door close behind her.
Dawn took a deep breath and let it out slow, her nervousness causing her to shake before she went to the bed and tried to calm herself as she absorbed what just happened to her. She could do exercises to better adjust to her body later. Right now, a nap seemed like a good idea. If it was a dream, she’d wake up back home anyway. This world might have just had sunrise, but it was nearly 8pm back before she got pulled through the mirror and could use a nap.
-----
Celestia left the mare in the care of her guards and swiftly made her way to her daughter’s quarters. It was fortuitous that they were visiting when this happened, and she knew they would be interested in today’s events.
Climbing up the steps with ease, she knocked on their door and called. “Dusk? Sweetie?”
“I’m here Mother!” Dusk called back through some grunts.
Sounded like her daughter was exercising some new skills they had gained from their last tour. Celestia smiled and opened the door, eager to see what they thought of the situation, though suspecting she knew how that would turn out.
There in the front part of Dusk Star’s room, which was practically a full first floor home’s arrangement, was all of Dusk’s proud accomplishments and trophies. She saw various weapons of different creatures, from a griffon’s iron talons to a minotaur mace, all of them holding a certain degree of importance to Dusk and her accomplishments as the Princess of Protection.
Celestia looked past this entry room, where Dusk normally would entertain potential suitors or invited guests, but Dusk rarely had such ponies to entertain and what they had in physical and martial prowess, they lacked in social charm. Celestia laughed at the irony sometimes, that her daughter was her opposite in handling social circumstances, but she loved them all the same, as any parent should.
She watched as her daughter approached from a side room, small beads of sweat rolling down toward a towel over the rose-pearl colored coat of fur. Their shorter tri-colored mane reminded Celestia of herself and her partner those years ago, pink mingling with white and dark blue hair from her mane from the workout they went through. At her daughter’s side was Starry Meadows, a now transparent pony with light green coat of fur and a sky blue mane, whose essence was saved and put into her daughter when they were almost killed and Dusk protected her friend to the very end, earning her wings from the event. Celestia was very proud of them.
“Hey mom. What’s going on?” Dusk asked.
“Remember that traveling mirror we have on the throne room floor, the one that went to a human world without magic?”
“Yes…” Dusk acknowledged, wondering what’s going on.
“Well, something happened,” Celestia said, and then began to relay the events of the last hour or so with a new pony in the palace.