Well now, this’ll be interesting.
Hearing my name being called out shocked me out of my trance in an instant. What was Cedric doing here right now of all times?!
My head whipped to the side to stare at the front door while I tried to figure out how to respond. Answer him and unveil the insanity that happened to me, or don’t answer him and hope that whatever he wants to talk about isn’t important enough for him to come in with the key I know he had.
Then the unsteady hoof that was the only thing keeping me balanced on the vanity slipped on the ceramic.
Time slowed to a crawl as panic exploded within me. Not wanting to headbutt the vanity, I slammed my raised arm into it in an attempt to catch myself. And while it did save me from a concussion, there was no being ready for the disaster that my hoof would cause instead.
The ceramic that made up the top of the vanity was shattered like a dropped phone. There was an intricate spiderweb of cracks, all emerging from where my hoof lay and under it, a slight depression had formed.
Yeah, you’re going to want to be very careful when you use your full strength now. Especially since nothing in your apartment seems to be made with an Earth Pony’s strength in mind.
“Sheldon are you alright?! What is going on?” came Cedric’s voice, laced with concern after hearing the thunderous bang.
“What the hell...” my voice let itself out quietly. My gaze was unmoving, unable to leave the shattered ceramic and the hoof that had caused it. My hoof.
“Sheldon! What just happened, are you there!?” Cedric called out yet again, banging on the door this time.
But what did shake me out of my shock was the softer but resolute voice coming from the door, ” I’m going in, Sheldon’s in some sort of trouble right now, and I’m not waiting to find out what kind.”
June’s voice was quiet and I wasn’t sure how I heard her but I couldn’t let them come in and find me like this. Not now and not ever.
“I’m okay! I’m okay... just slipped a bit but I’m okay,” I called out despite how not okay everything was right now. “I’m glad you guys thought to check up on me, but it’s way too early right now. I need to get at least a little sleep before the morning properly starts.”
Silence reigned for a moment until hushed words that I couldn’t make out broke it. It was just me, so why were they being so quiet suddenly now that I had answered them?
“Uh, you guys there?” I called out in confusion. They had just been calling out for me to answer them, so why were they being so quiet now?
Didn't you take note of this earlier with the janitor? Your voice is different now, it’s a mare's voice, not a stallion's. Though how you haven’t noticed that it’s because you are a mare yet is baffling to me.
It suddenly clicked when I heard the door being unlocked as to why. My voice was mistaken for a woman’s earlier by the janitor. And I had just answered them in that same voice.
“Wait! D-“
I froze when the door slammed open, bashing right into a door stopper. June rushed inside while the door slowly bounced back, brandishing with her a small canister.
She was always a tall woman, still shorter than me when before everything that had happened this morning but she seemed like a giant now, even with my current stance. Her skin was fair and her long brown hair was let down, not in its usual ponytail style. Despite the time, she was wearing her preferred outfit of a simple solid t-shirt, breeches, and her dark brown, stylized riding boots that she wore everywhere ever since Cedric got them for her. And she was livid right now.
“Whoever you are get on the ground now!” She shouted, “I have a can of... pepper spray...” She trailed off as her blue eyes’ intense gaze drifted towards surprise and confusion when she looked towards the bathroom and its occupant.
We stood there in an unbearable silence as we just stared at each other, neither sure of how to break it. Her eyes were wide with shock, the anger that had filled them just a moment before, dissipating in an instant.
Cedric cautiously came inside after June, his blue eyes focused on her. He was a bit smaller than her, and his skin was quite a bit darker. His short brown hair was meticulously combed and much like June, he had on his usual outfit which consisted of a simple polo shirt and trousers.
“June, what did you find?” he whispered to her, his voice taking a hushed tone though I had no trouble at all hearing him.
In response, without breaking eye contact with me she flicked her head over in my direction.
He looked over my way and gasped in horror as he caught sight of me.
We stood there in silence for what felt like hours. I opened my mouth to try and break it but all that came were little puffs of air.
The silence seemed destined to last forever until June softly asked “Sheldon, Is that you?”
A nod was the only response that I could muster.
"Are... are you okay?"
"I-"
"You monster, what did you do with Sheldon!” I flinched at Cedric’s voice, his horror from before having transformed into a seething rage that I’d only seen once before. He had begun marching towards me when June stopped him with an outstretched arm, her expression calm but unreadable.
“Cedric, let me handle this.”
“But-“
“Cedric.”
He glared at her but she did not falter. “Fine, but I’m keeping an eye on this thing.” He spat with a venom I had rarely ever heard him use before. He went back towards the open front door and I heard him slam it shut before coming back. He leaned against the wall and I wilted under the intense gaze he bore into me with.
June slowly approached me now that Cedric’s fury had been somewhat abated, stopping just before she reached me. Her face softened while she knelt and whispered, "Are you okay?"
I opened my mouth prepared to her that I was ‘fine’. But what came out was something else entirely, “Why did this happen to me?”
"I don't know and I wish I knew why Sheldon, there's a lot going on right now. But first, why don't we head back to your living room, can't be too comfy for you standing against the counter like that.”
My gaze shifted towards Cedric for a moment before going right back to June as I saw the look on his face. He was still boring into me with a gaze that seemingly was daring me to make one false step.
Evidently, she had seen who my gaze had gone to because she reached out and softly grasped one of my arms, though it was like her touch was muted somehow. "Don't worry about Cedric right now, he's just not thinking with his head right now. Uncharacteristic of him I know, but he’s afraid. Afraid that this might happen to us. And he was afraid earlier when you didn’t answer our texts and calls. He’s terrified of the thought that this actually happened to you, just .. just like I was too. He just needs a moment to process that this is really you right now.
After a moment I awkwardly shifted my arms, "Ok... just give me a moment, I'm... I’m still not used to moving around like this.” It was then a terrible realization hit me as I realized the implications of what she said. "Wait, is... is this widespread?" I quietly asked.
June nodded, "Yes, and well, it'd be easier to explain if we could show you some of what's happening elsewhere right now." She released her grip on my arm and stood back up,
"Just remember, we’re here for you." She turned and walked out, eventually ending up taking a seat in the middle of the couch.
June's words stuck with me for a moment, she would be here for me, but what if Cedric hated me now because of this? What about mom and dad? What about-
I shook my head and did my best to push back both my anxiety and fear with a deep breath, now wasn’t the time to worry about that. Focus on the present right now, not on what-ifs.
Hmm, they might be stronger mentally than I originally thought, I'm going to have to slow down with my suggestions lest they notice that they aren't their own thoughts. Especially so if these two friends of theirs actually stick with them. Doubtful the stallion will though.
Slowly lowering myself back down onto my arms and legs I carefully traversed the tiled floors of the bathroom. For a treacherous moment, my hooves nearly splayed out completely despite my care. Miraculously though, after a frantic scramble managed to somehow restore my dubious balance. Exhaling a breath I'd been unknowingly holding the last step needed to reach the carpet was made.
"I can pick you up and bring you over to the couch if you want me to. Can't be easy having to learn how to walk all over again."
Glancing up at June who was sitting up I shook my head, "I... I got this, it's just a bit tricky with tiles, it should be easier with the carpet now. Gotta figure this out at some point anyway so might as well be now."
With the much firmer carpet, my awkward gait slowly brought me towards the couch. I paused for a moment when the couch was in front of me. It was too tall for me to just step up, I was going to have to hop up. Raising a hoof, I let it rest on the cushion before reading up and bringing my other hoof beside it. That was simple, now it was just a simple jump to get up onto it which was easier said than done with hooves. Taking a deep breath, I leaped onto the couch.
The cushion underneath me was hard to balance on, shifting constantly while I fought to keep steady only for a pair of hands to come up on my sides and support me. The touch felt completely different from before and I could feel her individual fingers when they brushed through my fur while she steadied me. I blushed a little at the strangely pleasant sensation and nodded in thanks at June.
She smiled, “Like I said, we’re here for you.”
“We’re?” Cedric cut in, “I don’t know why you’re insisting on helping that thing that clearly abducted Sheldon but I’m certainly not going to join you.”
His words stung and I felt my ears somehow press themselves against my head. He was right in a way, I certainly wasn’t a human anymore, I was just this inhuman pony thing now.
In an instant June was on him. “That thing is Sheldon, he wasn’t abducted or some other nonsense, he’s just one of the many victims of this spontaneous transformation that’s happening. And he is not a thing either, he’s a living, breathing person.” She was out of her seat now and facing Cedric.
He scoffed at her while pushing himself off the wall he’d been leaning against, “Ah, yes, they are a person. I suppose that all horses are people too now, yes? And there are no victims here, only those the Lord has deemed so terrible that they must be stripped of their humanity and turned into these things. So don’t you dare say that Sheldon could ever possibly be one of those people.”
Wait, is he saying what I think he’s saying?
“Wha- are, are you being serious right now? I know you Cedric, and I know you’re damn well smart enough to know better than to believe that of all things is the cause of this.”
I couldn’t stay silent any longer. I may not be human anymore and instead a pony but I was still me, at least I hope I am. “Cedric, I-“
“It talks, the little horsie talks! I wonder what it’s trying to do. Could it be that it wants-“
“Do you remember that time in high school where we had to give that presentation on WW1? We didn’t even realize until we were halfway through that I had accidentally used the WW2 PowerPoint on the drive from our last presentation.” It was a bit of an embarrassing moment for me but if he didn’t want to believe that I was really Sheldon then I was going to have to prove it to him.
June caught on quickly. “Oh yeah, the scramble we were in when we realized that we’d had the wrong one had the entire class in an uproar. How did we manage to do that again?”
From the little smile she had now there was no way she didn’t remember. “Not we, you two didn’t do anything wrong there. I, in my infinite wisdom, named both of them World War because I was being lazy, and while I did have a space to differentiate the two Mr. Terron didn’t know that when he loaded it. The look he gave me when I explained that to him still gives me chills whenever I think about it.”
I glanced over at Cedric and could see the rebuke coming, but more importantly the flicker of doubt on his face. Time to strike while the iron is still hot.
“I don’t-“
“And do you remember that time in college when we got stupid drunk? I still don’t know how we managed to get a Jenga tower up on the ceiling fan, much less why we decided that was where we were playing it.” I couldn’t help but smile a little at the ridiculous memory.
June giggled a bit at that. “Oh, I remember, it was not fun dealing with the hangover but damn that was a good night. I’m still shocked that none of us managed to fall off the stepladder.”
“How do you know about that!” Exclaimed Cedric, “the only people there were me, June, Sheldon, and Tyler.”
June stepped forward and put her hand on his shoulder. “He knows because he is Sheldon, Cedric.”
I nodded, “I know it definitely doesn’t look like I am, and I certainly can’t believe it myself yet, but believe me, it is me.”
“But that would mean-“
“All this means is that Sheldon looks like a strangely cartoonish and colorful pony right now Cedric, nothing more, nothing less. Nobody knows what the hell is causing this right now, and anybody who says they do is an idiot just trying to get as much attention as they possibly can.”
He was silent for a moment before he put his head in his hands. “Oh, oh no, I’m so very sorry Sheldon.”
Huh, they actually managed to convince him, and they’re not just friends but close ones at that. This just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it.
I slowly made my way over to the other end of the couch. “It’s okay Cedric, no harm done.”
“It’s not okay Sheldon,” he raised his head out of his hands to look at me, “I referred to you as a thing and a monster, and I treated you as if you were less than a person.” He turns to June, “and I’m sorry for arguing and ridiculing you June just for having perceived what I refused to see.”
“Hey, it’s fine to be an idiot sometimes Cedric, you’ve saved us from being idiots countless times, it’s only right we return the favor.” She lets go of Cedric’s shoulder and turns to face me now with a smile, “now then, didn’t I say something about showing you what’s going on in the news right now?”
“You did, is this really that widespread?”
“It’s certainly sounded like it was,” she grabs the remote from the coffee table and takes her seat back in the middle of the couch. She motions Cedric with her hand while turning the tv on, “you end up gleaning anything useful from the online news earlier Cedric?”
He steadily walks to take his seat on the right side of the couch, keeping his head down as he passes by me. “Yeah... from what I could tell now that some of the initial panic has passed there’s been some consistent information found between all the craziness. Apparently, this whole thing began somewhere at the west coast and has been steadily going east since then, and it seems to strike around midnight.”
“And these are from good sources, yeah? None of those conspiracy theorist articles that you apparently found earlier?”
“Yes, these are from before I found... that particular one.” I could feel the shame in his last words.
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up too much about that,” the tv has finally fully loaded, and before anything can play she has it changed to CBSN. “Now let’s see if there are any new updates.”
As the tv flicks over the first thing that catches my eye is the purple unicorn in an oversized suit speaking at the desk. “Is that a-“
“Purple unicorn giving the news?” June finishes for me.
I numbly nod while staring at them in fascination. “Yeah... how’d that happen?”
“Believe it or not it was while we were trying to figure out if the reports have people spontaneously becoming ponies were real. We were watching and one moment he’s just a normal news anchor trying to figure out what’s going on along with everybody else, then the next there’s a bright flash and suddenly where he was a purple unicorn is instead. After that display, we started calling and texting everyone we knew about this, including you.”
A chill goes through me. “And I never answered.”
“I don’t blame you for not answering though, I can’t imagine how it feels to go to sleep and wake up in a completely different body. Doubt the first thing on my mind would be to check my phone.”
I fell silent for a moment. Memories of waking up not too long-ago rushing in. I shudder a little as I think about the moment I realized what had happened. With that though I realized something, if they had called and texted me had anyone else done the same?
“Hey,” I began, “can one of you guys grab my phone? It should be on the desk with my computer.”
“I’ll go and get it,” volunteered Cedric while he got up from the couch.
“Thanks Cedric.” He was silent as he entered my bedroom. I hope he didn’t blame himself too much for earlier.
“Sheldon, are you ever going to sit down? Or do you usually stand on your couch all day?”
“Oh! Guess I got a little distracted.” I blushed a little as she pointed out the obvious. I can’t believe that this entire time I was just standing here. Now to sit down... how does a 3ft tall pony sit? I shifted my back legs a little while I pondered this. I turned towards the tv and tried just sitting down like I normally would but before I could get even halfway through the motion I stopped from just how uncomfortable that was already feeling.
“Tuck your forelegs and hind legs in while leaning just a little on your side.” June’s voice tore me from my thoughts.
“Huh?”
“That’s how the horses I usually work with usually rest, and while you aren’t necessarily a horse you’re similar enough that it should be comfortable.”
This mare usually works with horses? Interesting.
I was a little unsure about trying it since it’s what horses did but when I settled down into the couch doing what she said I could feel just how much more comfortable it was than sitting down like I was trying to.
“Comfy?”
“...Yes,” I hesitantly answered. It certainly felt very comfy but my mind was screaming at me that this position was unnatural and should be very uncomfortable.
"You know, you look pretty cute lying down like that."
"I'm not cute..." Before we could say anything else my ears perked, which is something I don’t think I’d ever get used to, and I saw Cedric closing the door to my bedroom at the edge of my vision.
“I got your phone Sheldon,” called out Cedric. He came around and offered me the phone which I instinctively reached for with my arm before stopping when I realized there’s no way I could hold it, and I didn’t particularly feel like picking it up with my mouth.
June came to my rescue thankfully and grabbed it for me. “Thanks June, I’d have gotten it myself but I’m really feeling the whole no opposable thumb thing right now. Can you also check for any missed texts or calls I might’ve gotten?”
“Sure, I see the messages we sent you and nothing else. As for calls... I see ours and one from your mom, no voicemail though. I imagine that’ll be changing tomorrow though once people start catching up with this craziness cause I certainly don’t see your parents not barraging you with texts and calls otherwise.”
My parents... I bury my face in the cushion under me. “How the hell am I going to break it to them that I’m now a pony.”
“Be honest,” Cedric states, “and do not be afraid to show them. They will understand, just as they’ve strived to do with everyone else.”
They would, it wasn’t a question of if they’d accept me, after all, they go to just about every march and local fundraiser that involves anything to do with personal identity. And man, did they go overboard with it sometimes.
“I know, but what would I even say? Hey Mom, hey Dad, I’m now a colorful cartoonish looking stallion that comes up to your stomach.”
It was quiet after that and we all just sort of sat there and watched the news for a minute. Well except June who seemed to want to say something but hadn’t yet for whatever reason which was a little odd. At last, she ended up breaking the silence.
“Hey, Sheldon,” she awkwardly started, “have you noticed anything in particular off with you since this, well, transformation?”
“You have anything in particular in mind because otherwise I might as well just say everything and call it a day.”
“A list of any of the bigger changes if you will please.”
Where the heck was she going with this, she’s always so much more direct so why was she beating around the bush like this.
Wow, watching this play out is actually pretty funny if a little sad. But how have they seriously not noticed yet, and why is she having to point out something so obvious to them.
“Well, I’m tiny now, my ears keep swiveling around every which way, I have a tail and a fur coat, I got hooves, and if I want to grab anything I have to use my mouth which is as gross as it sounds. Oh, and for whatever reason, I sound like a woman now which is just the icing on this pony cake.” I suppose I felt a little better after venting all of that out but what was she actually going for?
“Have you considered, that, well, that last one might be because you’re a woman now?
What.
“What...” I could feel my mind grinding to a halt while it tried to process what she just said.
“I wouldn’t have said anything if I wasn’t reasonably sure, and well you look very different compared to that unicorn on the tv. He has a much blockier muzzle than you do and just seems bulkier than you are in general. And if anything, I think his voice actually got a little deeper from before the transformation. Also, while this might not mean anything you do have prominent eyelashes while he doesn’t seem to have any from what I can tell.”
“That, that doesn’t make any sense?! Why would this transformation affect my gender too?!” There was no way that I was a mare right now, I mean I don’t think I felt any different down there. Maybe a little more sensitive but that didn’t mean anything right?
“Who’s to say that the transformation would respect your gender,” popped in Cedric. “It apparently had no qualms completely redefining your species.
June nodded, “We don’t know anything for sure but it can’t hurt to check. I can do it for you if you want.”
There was no way that had happened! But the seed of doubt had been planted, what if I really was a mare right now? I mean it couldn’t hurt for them to check, and we’d probably all get a good laugh that June had just deliberately checked out my junk.
“Just... just don’t be surprised when it’s exactly what should be there.”
June wordlessly gets up and soon looms over me. “I’m going to need you on your side to properly check you down there so don’t panic when I roll you over.
“O-okay.”
Just as she said she pushes me a little and I’m soon on my side against the back of the couch. She leans in closer now and is by my crotch and oh god I can’t look.
“Sheldon?” she asks.
“Y-yes?” I answer still squeezing my eyes shut.
“Can you move your tail? You kinda got it curled up real tight against your crotch.”
“O-oh, yeah sure, just uh, give me a moment.” Why was my tail curled up there? It took a moment but unlike last time I could slowly feel it moving away. Now June could see that I would be completely fine down there and we could laugh off this whole thing. She was taking an awfully long time to say anything though.
Finally, I felt her hand on my side, she must’ve finished. “Well, as far as I could tell you are a healthy mare.”
I opened my eyes and looked at her serious face, “hahaha, that’s a good joke, you, uh, you meant stallion right?”
Her face twitched and I could see her downcast eyes with none of her normal cheery smile. “I’m sorry Sheldon.”
She wasn’t kidding. I could feel my breath hitch as the realization hit me. I had not only had my humanity stripped away from when I was turned into a pony but my gender as well. I was a mare now.
I felt a hand on my forehoof and looked up to find Cedric had grasped it. His face was solemn as he stared at me.
June’s voice rung out and she had gotten a lot closer to me. “Remember Sheldon, we’re here for you, no matter what.”
I cried for a long while after that, and they were there for me.