//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: The Mare in the Mirror. // Story: Since When am I Faust? // by McDufus_456 //------------------------------// Since When am I Faust? Chapter 1: The Mare in the Mirror Warmth, that was the first thing I noticed. The sun was slowly rising, and its golden hue stretched across the sky. The sound of birds began to fill the air, and the constant ticking sound from a clock almost became unnoticed. With my face buried in my pillow, I hid under the warmth of the covers. Despite my best efforts, I felt myself slowly rousing from my sleep. Peeking one eye open, I saw how a ray of light had made its way past the curtains and landed on me. Taking a deep breath, I peeked an eye open. There was a ray of light that shined in through the curtains, and it landed on me in a warm embrace. It was nice, but I still groaned in complaint as I stirred awake. My vision was hazy, and my mind felt groggy. It was warm, too warm. I made a move to sit up past the stiff sheets I laid in. For some unknown reason, my room seemed different; it felt odd, like it wasn't mine. I could tell seemingly by the atmosphere and smell of the dusty drapes. Even though my eyes were still hazy and trying to adjust to the harsh light, I began to get an idea of my situation. The air was a lot drier than I remembered my room being, and it smelled stale like it had been just sitting there for ages. I attempted to rub my eyes, but I found my hands to be unresponsive. I gave a frustrated groan and wiped my eyes with my wrist. Once I did, I was able to see more clearly, and my senses started to return. Immediately I noticed that everything felt off... The room, my bed, the smells, and my body, everything was wrong. My muscles, for the first time in my life, felt foreign and unnatural. The feeling I had was like wearing a full-body suit of thick clothing. But it also felt like it was me. My heart was beginning to speed up as panic started to settle in. Despite laying in the bright sunlight, I felt a sinking chill wash over me. Questions stormed my now sobering mind, and worries of being kidnapped or held hostage demanded my attention. I decided to do a quick check to make sure I was at the very least physically alright, but when I did, the already evident chill in the room dropped to sub-zero. I had no hands, my stumpy arms were covered in an off-white fur, and red hair hung down just at the corner of my vision. It took a minute or so for my mind to kick in and realize that I was holding my breath in fear. I wanted to run; I wanted to scream. In fact, I was about to scream. But, as soon as I inhaled, I started to choke on the thick dust floating through the air. I ended up wheezing and coughing, thumping my arm against my chest. Collecting enough saliva to swallow, I managed to wash down the little thing, much to my disgust. I tried calming myself physically, taking slow deep breaths to prevent hyperventilating. But I made sure to take precautions to avoid making the same mistake twice. By this point, I was fully awake, but I was shaking. The room I was in looked abandoned, almost like it hadn't been used in years. Cloths and drapes covered over the furniture, and if not for the dust, the wooden floor showed no signs of age. The room itself was rather large, with purple walls and gold accents. I saw sizeable double doors to my right; they lead to what I would guess to be the hallway. To my left was a glass door leading to a balcony. On the wall behind me was a door to a washroom and another to a walk-in closet. While I was looking around, a shimmer of light caught my eye. On the other side of the room, a drape covering the furniture had fallen slightly. Inspecting it from afar, I noticed what looked like a mirror stood there. Both fear and curiosity filled my soul. I just had to know. I needed to know just what had been done to me. Because, well, I wasn't even sure if I was human anymore. I had to get over there. It was for better or for worse. "Okay, let's just do this slowly," I mumbled, slowly shifting my new limbs around with unfamiliar muscles. Each movement brought a different sensation, one alien to me. And each one sent a shiver down my spine. My mind then turned to my voice, I had noticed a feminine tone in my voice when I spoke, and it freaked me the hell out. The whole situation only made me tenser. Waking up in an unfamiliar room with a new voice and a different body. It was enough to make me feel sick. "Just a little more." I urged myself. I was leaning my head out to see the distance I was from the ground. The torrent of thoughts storming my mind proceeded to demand my attention. However, the logical part of my mind kicked in. It convinced me to focus on my goal rather than my situation, my goal of getting out of here. I shifted out from under the bedsheets and found my legs to match my arms. I scooted back off the bed, putting one leg on the ground. When I did, I felt my sense of pride return to me, and I opened my mouth in victory. "Ha! No prob... THUMP A loud thump echoed through the halls of the Canterlot castle, and Celestia looked up from her throne in confusion. "What was that?" She looked towards the direction she heard the sound, and with a hopeful gasp, her eyes glazed over. Each possibility was painting its way in front of her eyes as to what it could be. "Um, your highness..." A mare spoke up. The voice of a job applicant reminded her of where she was and what she was doing. "Oh right, sorry, do continue Lillybreeze." "..blem." I finished with a groan. I laid there sprawled out on the ground. I was waiting for the pain of falling on my face to pass. The nose area was incredibly sore, and I think it now stuck out a little further than before. It also seemed to be more sensitive to the scents around me. That is until the fuzzy cloud I kicked up from falling drifted down to my level. The dust just ended up stinging my eyes and causing my nose to itch. "Ah-Ah-AH-CHOO!" Another cloud... "Ugh, maybe I spoke too soon." I groaned again as I rubbed my muzzle? My pride and feeling of accomplishment had left as quickly as it had arrived. Once the pain died down, my quest to get to the other side continued. The mirror itself was too dusty to see my reflection clearly, especially from this distance. However, that could be fixed relatively quickly with a little blow on the well-polished silver. "Okay, right arm moves back. Left leg moves forward." I coached myself, taking one step at a time until I was able to carry a slight rhythm. I looked like an idiot, but I didn't care. As I made my way around, the unfamiliar sounds of my limbs against the floor reminded me of hooves. Once I stumbled my way to the mirror, I took in a slow deep breath. I made sure to be careful not to breathe the dust in as quickly as last time. Carefully working my new facial muscles, I did my best to blow away the fuzzy layer. Surprisingly enough, I was able to make a circle with my lips successfully. The dust rolled into fuzz balls and floated off the mirror. Slowly, my reflection began to clear. Once they were out of the way, I could see the image of a whitish female horse still blowing in the mirror. Her head was covered with crimson red hair making up her mane. Her eyes were blue, intense, and terrified. To my horror, the reflection copied everything I did. That was what made it terrifying. Looking at my reflection kept drilling in the fact that somehow I was now a small horse. I wasn't even an average horse; I was some creature that had cartoonish proportions. Proportions that I knew all too well. The more I stared, the more I started to wish that I hadn't looked. I was a pony. I had a horn, and I had wings? But I was small. Looking at the proportions, I'd guess that I was the same size as an average pony. How would I know this, you ask? Well, the reason I knew anything at all was all thanks to my younger sister. One time, while I was up late working on a project for high school, I fell asleep at my computer. My sister took the opportunity and taped me to my desk chair. She then forced me to watch the first season of My Little Pony as a prank. To my surprise, it was actually pretty good. A week later, I started on season 2. "This can't be happening..." I whispered. A small pang of guilt shot through me as I spoke. I continued to try to think of a plausible explanation for my predicament. Unfortunately, I couldn't come up with an answer that I was willing to accept. Not only was I now a female horse, but I was also a fictional cartoon character. And one that I knew next to nothing about. I stared at my reflection in shock, unable to move because of my mind's constant refusal to accept the reality I was facing. My thoughts were rampant and uncoordinated. Each question I asked myself was worse than the last. It was all like a constant stream of panic-filled thoughts until I got caught on one. One crucial question with my newfound situation.  "Am I stuck here?" I whispered. Again a pang of unexplainable guilt shot through me. My eyes had started to water, and I began to cry quietly. Usually, I would have held it in, but I felt that it was okay in this situation. I watched as my tears dampened the floor. My pitiful whimpers were just barely audible. The dust on the ground slowly found itself to be a paste-like substance. And my chest began to ache. "(For goodness sake! Stop crying already! This attitude doesn't suit you.)" A feminine voice called out. I stumbled back and almost fell over. I had quickly gone from depression to fear. This voice that spoke up carried an air of age and authority, and for some reason, I could feel the frustration fixated on me. "Who's there!.... Show yourself!" I demanded. To this, I could feel her eyes roll. And the response easily conveyed the deadpan expression she must have. "(Really.. You couldn't come up with a line that hasn't been overused to the point of being cliche?)" Even though my eyes were darting around the room, I couldn't find where the voice came from, o I started to look around the room in hopes of finding this person. Perhaps they knew what was going on, and then I could get home. "Come out!" I called but only got silent disappointment, almost like a quiet sigh. "(You don't listen well, do you?)" The voice sounded like whoever was speaking had their arms crossed and their head shaking with minor amusement. At least I hoped it was amusement. I was near the dresser at the rear end of the room when she last spoke. Peering into it, I found nothing that hinted at anyone being there. There was just an old set of clothes and a small box. It had a picture of a pen and ink well. Soon, however, I gave up my search, sitting on the ground in defeat. "Please, I just want to know what's going on. Why am I like this! And where are you!?" I begged. A silence hung in the room for several seconds as if she were pondering what to say. "(Oh, okay fine… It was fun while it lasted. Look to your left...)" I did as I was told, having nothing else to go on. As I did, I found myself staring back at the mirror again. The mare that I had now become sat there in the mirror. I Blinked and tilted my head. Then suddenly, the mare in the mirror sat up straight and smiled a big smile. She carried an age to her; it was clear as day in her eyes. They seemed to be focused. A fire burned deep in the back of those eyes. And it terrified me. "(Hello, my name is Lauren, Lauren Faust, and who might you be?)" My reflection greeted me as she gave a small wave with her hoof. I would have stumbled back onto my rear, but I found that I no longer seemed to be in control of my body. Out of the corner of my vision, I could see my hoof was moving back and forth. My anxiety rose to an all-time high as I began to get a full sense of my unusual situation. I was somehow stuck in someone else's body, with them still in it? The only reassurance that I've had today is that I wasn't dead; that was always a good thing. "I-It's A-Alex. W-Why can't I move?" I panicked in place, only able to move my mouth. "(Hmm, Alexander…)" "It's just um, Alex..." "(Oh, okay... That will take some getting used to…)" She said, tapping her chin with her hoof, "(In any case, it's a nice name. I would say It's nice to meet you in any other circumstance, but, well… we are in an unfortunate predicament.)" She tilted her head down slightly, and her features became sorrowful. I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her as I saw the grief held in her eyes. However, as quickly as it appeared, she covered over them, and her face became stoic and business-like. "(You see, Alex, you and I seem to be two in one. That is to say, we have both come to inhabit the same body at the same time. As far as I can see, only one can be in full control at a time.)" "B-but." I stammered. "(Calm down. I know this is strange, but please bear with me...)" Gathering myself together, I asked, "Alright, how did this happen?" The alicorn looked at me with a strained smile and sighed. "(Unfortunately, I feel that I am to blame. You see, several hundred years ago, no wait...)" She looked down as if she were searching for something, and then her focus shot back up to the mirror.  "(Several thousand years ago. I was in a situation that required me to give my life for the sake of my family... I thought that would be the end, but a traveler helped me. At the time, there was a link between our worlds, and those sent through were reconstructed, thus restoring wounds and injuries. The traveler used it, hoping it would heal me, and it did. But, once I was on the other side, the gateway closed, and I was trapped.)" She took a shaky breath and looked me, or rather, us in the eyes, and said, "(I'm so sorry, Alex. But for years now, I have been looking for a way to get back. When I found one, I was overjoyed, but it was very risky. There was a good chance I would die, but I never expected my actions would pull you or anyone else into this world with me... I'm so sorry...)" She tailed off, and a look of guilt covered her face. As she finished her story, I could feel the inner turmoil that she was going through, and my heart went out to her. With a somber tone, I spoke up, saying, "Honestly, I don't know whether to feel pain, anger, or sadness about our situation... But for what it's worth... It's nice to meet you." A shallow smile returned to her, and she looked at me with a grateful expression. "(And you as well. I hope we get along.)" "We kinda have to, don't we?" I said. And Lauren gave a lighthearted chuckle, "(Yes, I suppose we do,)" A genuine smile graced her face, and the weight of guilt slowly lifted off her chest. A few moments later, her eyes began to lose focus. It felt similar to forcing yourself to stay awake despite being severely overtired. With a shake of her head, she caught my attention and said, "(I seem to be straining to be in control. I think soon I will have to go back into this body's subconscious. When I am there, could you please act as my substitute? Answering my name and dealing with my relationships?)"  I wanted to object to her plea, but part of me kind of knew that it would be for the best if I went along. Giving an internal sigh, I yielded and said. "How many relationships are we talkin?" The mare smiled and said, "(By now, it would just be my daughters, Celestia and Luna. Please be kind to them.)" My eyebrows raised for a moment, and with a firm gaze, I said, "You have my word." "(Thank you. On another note, I strongly suggest that you keep our situation to ourselves. It would be unfortunate to come all this way only to end up in a psych ward.)" With a small grin, I said, "I'll do my best." And the mare gave me back control. (From now on, whenever you need me, I'll speak to you this way, It is much less strenuous, and it will be sure to keep our secret. Oh, and one last thing, get something to eat. This body hasn't had a good meal in a very, very long time.) After that, it was silent, and I figured she left to our subconscious.  Quickly wiping a tear from my eyes, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. It was about noon when Celestia was making her way through the castle. She was pondering over the mysterious bang throughout the ceiling of the royal court from this morning. It had been a minor portion of her day, but somehow it seemed significant. She just couldn't put her hoof on what it was. Passing through the halls, she would glance at the workers and give them her patented celestial smile of approval. She had become quite accustomed to doing so throughout those long years without Luna, and it seemed to stick. Celestia passed by the maid's room where they were cleaning the bedsheets, the kitchen where the chef was making a gourmet three-course meal, the Dining Hall where her mother was stuffing her face, then... Celestia froze, swelling emotions filling her soul; joy, sadness, and, most of all, shock. Tears started to roll freely as she trembled in place. "M-M-M-Mother." She managed to mumble through her sniffles. Doubt clutched at her heart, but unlike the other times, other objects were in motion. Like a statue, she stayed in the center of the hallway despite her will to run back. Her heart was beating painfully in her chest as if it wanted to run ahead of her. But still, she was overwhelmed, slowly she managed to unfreeze. Joy began to well up within her, so much so that she began having trouble containing her composure. A goofy grin covered her face. She turned back to the dining hall, and when she made her way inside, she looked, and it was real. Her mom was sitting right there, looking up at her. Celestia bolted for it, quickening her pace more and more the closer she got to her target. "Mother!" I had made my way downstairs, tumbling and swearing all the way down. I was tripping all over my new hooves the entire way. Then, once I was on the main floor, I wandered the halls of this monumental castle until I found a fridge. I didn't care or know what anything was, so I ate the first thing I saw. It turned out to be nothing other than a classic slice of Apple pie. It was so good that I kept going back for seconds. On my fourth helping, I noticed a white Alicorn open the doors to the dining room I was in. She stared at me for a moment as tears welled up in her eyes. I looked back, shocked at how much bigger Celesta was than myself. "Mother!" She shouted, and then the next thing I knew, I was being tackled in a bone-crushing hug by none other than Sunbutt herself. "Mother, I've missed you so much! Both Luna and I have been eagerly awaiting your return." Celestia... Let go... Can't breathe!" I wheezed as my lungs got crushed. It took a second for Celestia to register my pleas for air, and even when she understood, she was reluctant to let go as if she was afraid I'd disappear. When she loosened her grip, I checked myself over to make sure she didn't actually break a bone, and thankfully nothing got damaged. Looking up, I saw Celestia staring at me with tears of joy. "Is it really you, mom?" Her question was filled with so much emotion, and I couldn't help but feel some intense sympathy for this mare. I may have been in pain because of her, but I couldn't find it in myself to be mad at someone who seems so happy to see me. It just wasn't right. It also pained me at the same time because I wasn't really who that joy was meant for. So hiding my sudden depression, I answered for my passenger. "Yes, Celestia, it's me," I said, giving a heartfelt smile. That statement seemed to strike her to the very core. Celestia continued to stare at me as if she wasn't mentally present, processing what I just said. A faint smile made its way into my face, and I tapped Celestia on the nose. That seemed to bring her back to reality, and she wrinkled her nose in irritation.  "Mom, forgive me, but it's hard to believe that this is reality." To that, I only gave a smile. Then I started to look around and ask a question that could either cause more joy or a lot of pain. Biting the bullet, I asked, "So where's Luna? Asleep, I suppose?" Tia's eyes lit up at mentioning Luna, and she quickly made her way out of the Dining Hall. My only guess was to wake Luna. I shook my head at her response. It was like watching a child be told there's ice cream in the fridge. Or I guess in this case. It was more like telling Sunbutt that there was cake in the refrigerator. Once the room was empty, I asked Lauren. "Was that good?" (It was perfect, thank you.) I gave a small smile. Then turned back to the doors where running hoof steps could be heard. "Hey Celestia, wait up, I'm coming with you!" As we quickly made our way to Luna's room, I ran at full speed through the halls. In an attempt to catch up with an eager alicorn. My footing was uncoordinated, and every few moments, I found myself beginning to stumble. But that didn't bother me. Instead, what I was struggling with was how noticeable I've become to those around me. I was being watched by everypony there. The guards, staff members, and regular citizens roaming the halls; were all looking intently at me with wide eyes. From my viewpoint, shock, wonder, and even a little fear were clearly evident on their faces. Following Celestia around the corner, I was quickly reminded of my poor motor control over this new body. Because I was still new to this whole quadruped situation, I wasn't quite sure how to stop, and I accidentally ran into one of the maids. It was so sudden that I didn't even know what happened until I was tumbling on the ground. The noise from the collision caught the attention of several ponies walking through the hall, and they all turned to look at me.  Celestia heard me as well, and she slowed down to see what all the commotion was about; when she spotted me in a heap on the ground, she stopped and gave an amused smile. She held her hoof up to her muzzle, stifling a giggle. With a grunt, I groaned as I pushed myself off the ground. I rubbed my sore head and muttered, "Ugh, I didn't see that one coming..." As I spoke, another feminine voice groaned behind me, and I turned to see the maid soothing her side. My ears folded back as I realized I had run into her, and embarrassment washed over me. "Oops." My voice, although quiet, cut through the silence in the hall, and the maid on the ground looked up at me with fearful eyes. She looked relatively young. She had a cream-colored coat with a brown mane, and as she looked up at me, she glanced at my wings, then my horn. Her eyes widened as realization made its way across her face, and she stood up in an instant shouting. "I'm so sorry!!" She bowed her head profusely and kept repeating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." As for me, her apology was completely unexpected. I found myself tilting my head to the side. "Um, sorry for what? It was completely my fault." I said, lifting my arm to gesture. The maid's head twitched upwards in surprise, and I decided to take this opportunity to ask the question that had been gnawing at me since this morning, "Actually while I have you here do you know why everybo-pony has been staring at me? They've been looking at me funny the whole day." Everypony seriously? What a stupid form of wordplay. (For your information, I was the one who came up with that dialect.) Yeah, okay, but you forgot there are Dragons, Zebras, and Griffins. They are not ponies. (...Sh-shut up!) Although I asked her as kind a manner as I could, the maid still tensed up and gave me a nervous smile as I spoke. A few awkward seconds passed as she thought it over, and she looked up with an uneasy expression and answered, "W-well, your majesty. It's b-because you're an alicorn... And we don't really, know, you..." She squeaked. I met her gaze with a sheepish expression as I scratched the back of my head, "Ah, okay, I suppose that makes sense. I'm sorry about running into you. I shoulda been paying more attention to where I was going. Are you alright?" She quickly stood up, readjusting her uniform, and nodded. "Yes, I-I'm okay, Princess! I'm so sorry for getting in your way!" She squeaked out, giving a salute. Her whole body was shaking, and I felt sorry for the mare. With a sigh, I reached over and put my hoof on her shoulder. She flinched, but I continued, "Please, just call me... Lauren." "I'm L-Lillybreeze." She said with another awkward eep.  "Mom, are you coming?" Celestia called from down the hall, and I glanced in her direction.  "Yeah, I'll be right there," I said, turning my head in her direction; then I looked back at the wide-eyed maid in front of me. I patted her on the shoulder, saying, "It's nice to meet you, Lilly. See you around." Then I left her with a quick wave of my hoof. The maid, and castle staff, all stood there watching as the red-maned alicorn ran off. They all had their mouths bobbing open like fish as they tried to process what the Princess had just said.  (So, it looks like you made a friend.) May as well, it's not like I have any chances of getting home anytime soon. And I'd rather be liked by everyone. When I got closer, Celestia started running again, and I let out a quiet groan as I struggled to run at her pace and keep my footing. Even so, I managed to follow her down the hall and towards a set of spiral stairs that led to the tower.