//------------------------------// // Being Pony is Hard to Do... // Story: The Becoming // by Lemmers //------------------------------// “Oh… this can’t be good…” My eyes opened slowly as I narrowed in on the soft, pastel colors of the surrounding landscape. It was difficult to describe, though I recognized it almost immediately as being completely foreign. There were many things that I had never seen of course, but there were always fundamental similarities that helped me to realize that I was still looking at something… familiar. These trees and plants, the dirt beneath me, even the warm temperate air I pulled into my lungs all felt strange and different. In all honesty though? I didn’t really feel uneasy in this new… dimension, was a good word for it. I myself had actually changed to match it. The only thing that no longer meshed properly with this place was the memory of my previous life. “Not another one,” I heard from above and behind me, spoken in a stern yet feminine voice, and tinted with a defined regal quality. I craned my neck and struggled to speak, though my ability to communicate seemed to have become inadequate in the short time since I had last spoken. “Neigh?” was all I could manage. I didn’t really have time to be astonished at the noise I had made, as my eyes had now settled on a strangely glorious sight. It was a majestic white creature, distinctly horse shaped, with magnificent white wings and a pointed, spiral-patterned horn protruding from its forehead. I was looking at a Pegasus unicorn hybrid of some sort, with a luminescent multi-colored mane and strange, vibrant eyes. “You’re an Earthling, a… human, am I correct?” it inquired as it gently floated to the ground before me. I went to speak, but again all I could make was another horse noise. The hybrid creature’s facial features produced what could only be described as a pitying look, and then it spoke again. It was like being criticized by some little girl’s giant plush toy, and yet I experienced this strange phenomenon as only a native of this world could. My indignity subsided almost immediately, and I was left simply in awe of the horse-creature’s majesty. “Do not worry Human, you have no need to fear me, or this place,” it assured, “your kind has appeared here on rare occasions, and all of them have been returned home without incident.” My shoulders – both sets of them it seemed – slumped in relief at this news. My previous belief that this had only been a dream had been shaken to the core by the appearance of this strange being, yet now it seemed as though it didn’t really matter one way or another. “My name is Princess Celestia,” she spoke, thankfully clearing up a few possible misconceptions in the process, “and this place you find yourself in is the Everfree forest, a mysterious land within the borders my kingdom, the nation of Equestria.” I produced another animal noise as I tried to introduce myself, and for a moment it seemed as though the princess was about to laugh. If she was it was a momentary thing, and she quickly returned to her normal, dignified state. I briefly wondered if she was just putting on an act to welcome a guest into her home, but Celestia spoke again before I had the chance to ponder it further. “You’re a bit different, aren’t you?” she asked, cocking her head in an amused fashion, “neither excited nor afraid, a lot unlike the others who appeared before you.” I didn’t have the personal experience to agree with her, so I decided to take the princess’s word for it. Still, my inability to communicate left me feeling rather at Celestia’s mercy, something I was not particularly happy to be. I made another, slightly more articulate noise, but it was still nothing close to the language I knew. This time, Princess Celestia really did chuckle, “You really don’t have to force yourself you know, we ponies speak through magic, and it is quite a bit different than what you are used to, I’m sure.” All the pieces were finally starting to fall into place it seemed. This was indeed a different world altogether, a magical pastel-colored kingdom ruled by horse creatures known as ponies. I was beginning to hope that this was all just a very strange dream, but not even I could come up with a dream this ridiculous. Still, if it was magic that was needed to speak then I would just have to find it, and if there was anything I had learned from books, it was that magic came from inside yourself. I had always imagined it was like a light, a sun’s ray, with all the warmth but none of the glare. It was - simply put - magic, and as I thought these last words a heat rose up inside my chest. It pooled in my throat, as though I was going to be sick, and yet it did not make me feel ill or nauseous. I was instead filled with a sense of powerful nostalgia, as though a long forgotten memory was being dug up from somewhere deep in my mind. It flashed before my eyes and was gone like a bolt of lightning, and the sheer energy of the moment somehow gripped my tongue and moved the appendage all on its own, unlike anything I had ever before experienced. “LIKE THIS?!” I was almost as astonished as Princess Celestia when I heard my own voice echo from my mouth, which seemed to serve only as a funnel to communicate the impossible sounds I was producing. This voice of mine, despite all its similarities, was somehow different though. It was loud and booming, and shook the trees around us. I fell to the ground, my head suddenly spinning with an profound emptiness, and all I could do was let the world around me spin off its axis. In fact, it was the first time I had been truly aware of my surroundings since I had awoken, and I listened intently as all of the birds and forest creatures scattered from the clearing where the Princess stood over me. There were so many of them watching, as though an intricate scene was playing out before them, and they looked on with large inquisitive eyes that showed obvious glimmers of a near human-like intelligence. Somehow, I hadn’t noticed them at all, and I wondered why it had taken me until now to realize it. Maybe I was just eager to find something that might serve to anchor me to reality, afraid that I might suddenly fall from the ground and up into the sky. “Oh my,” Celestia exclaimed, her eyes opening a bit wider with fascination, “this is quite the astonishing feat.” I once again sought out that little warm spot in my chest, using it to shape the words I wished to speak, “WHAT IS?” echoed my booming voice, even louder than before. Once again the scenery seemed to shake violently. “A bit too much magic, I think!” replied Celestia, who had now turned her head and covered her ears with her… hooves? Her long legs ended in what appeared to be a rounded stump sporting a golden-gilded slipper of some sort. In curiosity, I looked down at my own feet, where my hands had once been. Indeed, I too sported a similar stump. I opened my mouth to speak again, this time with astonishment, but quickly thought better of the idea and resolved to keep my trap shut instead. “I would normally ask that you attempt to quiet your voice, but it is rare enough for your kind to speak, let alone speak so loudly,” Celestia said, a bit subdued. I nodded my head somberly, as though I understood what she meant. In response, the princess lowered her head towards mine, and I got a better look at her large magenta-colored irises. Again, she was unlike anything I had ever seen, yet there seemed to be something in those eyes that did not fit. It was a weariness of sorts, and a hint of concern that had only been momentarily pushed aside. I felt the magic in my chest again, this time far dimmer, as though coming from across a great distance. Somehow, it allowed me to scrunch what I had resolved to call my face into a quizzical expression. The princess ignored me, and I watched as a golden light began to envelope her horn. She brought her head lower, touching the very tip of the spiral-patterned horn against the hairs of my neck. I gulped audibly, perhaps against my will, but did not recoil from her. The light seemed to collect there at the tip of her horn, and then it was gone with a brief flash. Almost immediately I could feel my lightheadedness clear, and as it did, the heat of the magic that had nestled in my throat went with it. As impatient as I was, however, it didn’t take long for me to call it back. Again, the tiny warmth swelled up from far away, and I was able to produce a normal – if a bit raspy – voice. “Oh, that’s much better,” I said, shaking my head as the princess withdrew her horn. “You are welcome my little pony – oops, I mean human,” she said, clearly pleased that I was pleased. I stood up, amazed at my ability to balance on the extra set of appendages, but then I’d always been able to do it as a human. Doing it as a horse shouldn’t have been any different, though I imagined that I would probably have some trouble if I was required to do anything more than walk – err – trot. Still, the flexibility of my front appendages astounded me, and the strength and hardness of my feet were more than reminiscent of proper hooves. It was almost like having a layer of bone wrapped around my foot. “Do I really look like a pony?” I asked, turning my neck to get a better look at my body. Princess Celestia nodded, and then added, “You do, though you don’t seem too perturbed by the idea,” she noted, “again, I find your composure most impressive.” I grinned, somehow rather happy to receive a compliment from the princess. Very rarely was I surprised or startled. I had always been an avid reader, always eager to discover new worlds and meet new characters. My dreams tended to reflect that, so maybe I was just subconsciously used to these kinds of wild tonal shifts. Rarely did a day or night go by that I did not find myself somewhere new and different, though I had to admit that this was on a totally different level than my usual dreams. It was hard to describe, suffice it to say that dreams tended to leave the unnecessary things out. Reality – this reality – felt as real as any realness I had ever experienced before in my life. I couldn’t deny it, no matter how hard I tried. “How did you find me, anyways?” I asked, nursing my head tenderly. “I spotted your arrival from my perch in Canterlot, through my telescope,” she said, “and well, I couldn’t just leave you out here now could I?” The princess shook her head knowingly, presumably answering her own question. I, however, was too busy exploring the machinations of a pony princess Pegasus with a telescope. Nope… there was no point, I just couldn’t see it. “Thank you princess,” I said, bowing my head ever so slightly, “I really do appreciate it.” On a whim, I decided to test out my new hoof on the forest floor. It was strange, having a completely new body, and every little movement I made was fascinating in its own way. Before I knew it I was already asking absentminded questions. “Why were you out looking through your telescope at this time of evening, if you don’t mind my asking? There couldn’t have been any stars worth seeing.” Princess Celestia’s mood seemed to deflate as I asked this question, as though I had reminded her of whatever pressing matter it was that she’d been trying to avoid. This was all just guessing on my part of course, but I quickly discovered that I was spot on in my assumptions given the princess’s sudden, audible sigh. “I’m afraid Canterlot, my home, has had a dire threat made against it in the past few days, and I have been keeping a vigil on this area at all times of the day in the hope that I might preempt an attack,” she began simply. I thought that was going to be it, but suddenly the princess continued, rambling almost, as if she could no longer keep her words contained, “Of course, this threat could not have come at a less opportune time, as my niece is due to be married by the week’s end. To the captain of my royal guard no less! A pony who is himself responsible for defending Canterlot from outside threats. Even with the looming threat, I could not show any weakness. I couldn’t bring myself to cancel the royal wedding, but now I am no longer sure my actions were wise. This has been a very stressful time for me, I must admit.” The princess hung her head, and I listened in a stunned silence. Suddenly I felt less like a guest and more like an unwanted burden. “That is… quite the handful of problems you find yourself with princess,” I said slowly, unsure of how to proceed. Of course, the princess herself quickly picked up on the atmosphere, and her mad dash to regain her composure combined with an attempted apology made an amusing sight to say the least. It was a shame then that I let my empathy get the better of me. I was not amused, and neither was Celestia. “Oh dear, I am afraid I must apologize for my actions, this is certainly not proper conduct for a princess, and certainly not in front of a guest.” I shook my head, my new mane bobbing to and fro, “I have no reason to hold anything but gratitude for you princess,” I said, “and it seems to me that any – err – pony who had as much to worry about as you do now, would need to share those feelings with some… pony… else.” The fumbled over the last few words as they left my mouth, my speech altered almost magically against my will. It wasn’t as if I couldn’t say ‘anybody’ or ‘somebody’ but it felt almost… wrong to do so. Like I would be going against some fundamental law of nature. I momentarily tried to stare at my own tongue, as though I was going to reprimand it, before I simply wrote the whole surreal event off as more pony world magic. “Maybe you could send for help?” I suggested, again, absentmindedly. This sudden suggestion seemed lighten the mood, and the princess slowly returned to her previous lighthearted self. “Thank you… um?” Princess Celestia paused, and I suddenly realized I had never introduced myself. “Oh… right, my name – my name – my name is…” I tried to get the words out, but every time I tried, it didn’t work. It just… wouldn’t work… no matter how much magic I tried. In fact, the more I tried, the further my name seemed to slip away from me. I remembered having a name, it was… it was the same name that I’d always had. “I can’t remember it,” I concluded. I should have been far more worried than I actually was, but something about this place, or perhaps being in the presence of the princess, filled me with a kind of supernatural serenity. Even while my mind whirled with questions and concerns, my outward appearance hardly changed at all. Maybe it was just because I needed to use magic to manipulate my facial muscles properly, but that could have only been a part of it. “My, that is a serious problem,” said Celestia with some concern. The princess took a few tentative steps and circled around me, as though she were inspecting some sort of science project. I wondered if I was interesting or informative enough to win a blue ribbon, but was pulled once again from my idle thoughts when Celestia’s horn began to glow again. It wasn’t nearly as interesting the second time around, but I still found myself following the magical appendage with my eyes as she pressed it to my forehead. For a second there, I think I went cross-eyed… What followed next was a strange montage in my own mind, as what seemed to be all of the memories of my life flashed before my eyes. Each one of them went by in a picosecond, and then was filed away somewhere for easy storage. Heck, I even remembered where I had left my missing book of children’s poems when I was kid, not that it mattered much anymore. Despite the sudden surge of memories however, I felt a strange absence from them, as though something that was supposed to be there had gone missing. “Well?” Princess Celestia inquired, having finished her memory restoration spell. She looked down at me with anticipation, and I was disappointed when all I could do was shake my head in silence. The princess frowned, but placed a comforting hoof on my shoulder. Despite the strange hoof ornament she wore, I found her touch surprisingly warm and tender. “Do not worry, I’m sure you’ll remember it in time, it’s probably just the shock of so many new things all at once.” I nodded my head, and watched as Celestia turned away from me, focusing her gaze towards the sky. “This twilight will not last long it seems," she said, and she turned to face me, "and we should be leaving this forest. I have us protected with my magic at the moment, but there are creatures within this forest that even I would not want to cross paths with.” Again, I had to take the princess’s word for it, though I vaguely recalled her saying something about me not having to worry about safety. In hindsight, that was probably for my own benefit, to keep me from panicking. As it was, the Everfree forest definitely didn’t sound like anywhere I wanted to be. “Let us go now,” she spoke, “you may stay the night in my palace, and I will return you to your world in the morning.” I was about to ask her why she couldn’t return me to my world right this minute, but I remembered all that the Princess had told me just moments before. I owed her quite a bit for her hospitality, and was in no position to demand anything at this point. Besides, I wasn’t particularly opposed to spending time in a magical pony palace. “Where is Canterlot?” I asked softly. The princess turned her head, as though she was instinctively drawn to her home like the needle of a compass, “It is there, on the mountainside, though you cannot see it at the moment.” “I’m sure it’s an impressive sight.” I added. The princess gave me a quick smile, “You are too kind – Pathfinder.” I raised an eyebrow and pointed a hoof at her, partly shocked at my own ability to adapt to ponyhood, “Did you just come up with that?” I asked. “Yes,” she said, her horn now glowing with golden energy, “do you not like it?” “Why Pathfinder?” The Princess looked at me as though she were confused, “You found the path here didn’t you?” she asked. I shook my head, “Well, if you put it that way,” I muttered, “I guess it’s pretty fitting, given the circumstances.” The princess chuckled in that familiar sort of way, as though she were chatting with an old friend. Was she this friendly with everypony, or just those that she rescued? I blinked at my own thoughts, wondering if the pony world magic was beginning to invade my mind already. What a silly thought, of course it was! “Now then,” she began, the glow of her horn growing ever brighter, “you may want to hold your breath, it can be rather disconcerting your first time.” “What can?” There was a bright flash from Celestia’s horn, and for a brief moment I felt as if I was being stretched between two distances that were farther apart than I was. Imagine if you will being in two places at once, then no places at once, and finally somewhere entirely different – all at the same time. Well, there might have been a slight delay between each stage of teleportation, but they certainly didn’t help to make it any less – disconcerting. Princess Celestia had obviously done this many times before, since she was still standing when we arrived in the Canterlot Castle throne room – what looked like the throne room anyways, though I didn’t exactly see a throne in the cavernous, window-lined chamber. I, however, was upside down and on the floor, still gasping for air. The cold marble tile was actually a welcome change I had to admit, since I wasn’t exactly used to being so... pony. “Ugh…” I groaned. The princess, much to my surprise, gave a loud yawn, “I did warn you, didn’t I?” I wanted to respond, but at this instant a group of armored unicorns entered the room with a machine-like efficiency. My natural calm was quickly being worn away by the mounting events, and it was all I could do to squirm to my feet – err – hooves. “Princess Celestia,” the lead unicorn began, “are you alright? You left so suddenly!” I took a closer look at this particular unicorn, who was dressed in a more elaborate, colorful armor than the others. I could tell that, unlike the guards who kept their attention focused solely on me, this unicorn was concerned more with the well being of Celestia. I honestly couldn’t fault him for it. “There is no need to concern yourself with such things Shining Armor,” said Celestia in a commanding yet dismissive tone. I was a little shocked. It was hard to believe that this was the same princess Celestia who was chuckling and yawning in front of me only moments ago. Well, she was a princess after all. “But your highness,” he began, but was cut short by the Princess’s stern gaze. “I thank you Shining Armor, but don’t you have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment?” “Yes Princess,” said Armor rather compliantly, “and your guest?” The Princess looked down at me with a discerning eye, distinctly more judgmental than her earlier inspections of my ponyness. “Show him to a guest room,” she said, and I noticed she was choking back another yawn behind her regal façade. The guards were already dispersing en masse as Shining Armor began approaching me from across the throne room. His armor was rather gallant looking with the moonlight now streaming in from the stain-glassed window behind me. It was also rather of intimidating, and I shrank back from the large white unicorn stallion. Before he reached me, the Princess quickly lowered her head and whispered in my ear, “Do try to keep a low profile Pathfinder,” she said, “I will send for you in the morning.” I nodded, just in time for the Princess to pull away and disappear in a flash of golden light. Shining Armor was already in front of me, standing a few good inches over me. “Hello my friend,” he said in an arguably amicable manner, “allow me to be the first to welcome you to Canterlot Castle.” His friendly demeanor did little to improve my attitude, and I felt a sudden sense of loss with the princess’s departure. “Thanks,” I croaked, unsure what else to say. Shining Amor smiled, though I could tell from his face that he was more than a little curious about who I was and what I was doing here. It must not have been a common occurrence for Celestia to bring strange guests over, and I wondered if she had ever brought any other human ponies here before. She might have sent all the others home right away, which only brought up the question as to why she had invited me to the castle. If I had to guess, it would have been weariness. Teleportation, protection, voice-fixing, memory restoring, she had used a lot of magic in a short period of time, not to mention all of the mental stress she must be under with all of the goings on in the castle. I had nearly fainted just learning how to talk, so she must have been on her last leg if I was any good indicator of that. Somehow, I thought I might have been overestimating myself. Or underestimating the princess… “Well…” said Shining Armor tentatively, “if you’ll follow me this way, I’ll show you to your room.” He began trotting off, and I followed him as closely as I could, almost afraid that I might lose him. As soon as the princess had left I had felt a sudden wave of panic wash over me, and right now Shining Armor was the only pony around that I had any connection – no matter how insignificant – to. For the longest time we were absolutely silent, which was a good thing, since I had to focus all of my attention on getting the hang of turning corners and going up stairs. Not to mention my futile attempts trying to get some kind of mental layout of the castle. Needless to say the castle was huge, and I had only seen a tiny part of it. As far as I could tell, we were somewhere near a tower. “If you don’t mind my asking,” Armor began suddenly, “how exactly do you know Princess Celestia – um?” “Pathfinder,” I said, “my name is Pathfinder.” Shining Armor raised an eyebrow, and for a moment I almost thought he wasn’t going to buy the fake name the princess had given me. “Right, so… the princess?” he prompted. “Oh –“ I stumbled over my words, “she helped me when I was lost.” Telling stories wasn’t really my strong suit, despite my love of reading. “Really?” he asked disbelievingly, “well, it’s not really my place to pry into another pony’s affairs, I was just a bit shocked by your appearance.” “Wha – what’s wrong with my appearance?” I asked, at a distinct disadvantage when it came to typical pony conventions. Shining Armor recoiled a bit, “Oh no, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with being a blank flank at your age, I was just wondering is all.” A stitch of panic crept up my mane, but I pushed it back, “Blank flank?” I inquired. The unicorn seemed to be more than a little caught off guard by my unfamiliarity with the term, and he stopped trotting so that he could turn to face me. It wasn’t exactly that he was looking down on me, but more that he had no idea how exactly to deal with the question. “You don’t have a cutie mark,” he said, hoping I would understand him just from that hint. When he realized I wasn’t catching on, he turned his head over to his haunch and lifted up a plate on his armor. To my surprise there was a strange mark there, a purple shield emblazoned with a pinkish colored star. It was sort of like a tattoo, but melded so well into his coat that it appeared to have grown completely organically. Come to think of it, Celestia also had a similar mark on her rear haunch. I hadn’t given it much notice before. “I got this baby when I discovered my desire to protect other ponies, particularly my little sister Twilight Sparkle,” he said with an air of pride, “and now I’m captain of Canterlot’s royal guard, who would have thought huh? I’m even getting married to the pony of my dreams within the week, and she’s a princess no less!” I didn’t quite understand what exactly he was trying to tell me, but figured the cutie marks were something of a rite of passage that all ponies went through. Like a tribal marking or something. Of course, since I’d only been a pony for an hour or so it would only make sense that I didn’t have one of them. I was going to reply, but Shining Armor’s face suddenly went deadpan, and he seemed a bit perturbed. “Sorry… I guess that was a bit too much information…” muttered the guard captain in an embarrassed tone. I raised an eyebrow and took a step back, which was harder than it looked, “That’s – alright,” I said hesitantly, “Princess Celestia did the same thing, she even told me about your wedding, um… congratulations by the way.” I wasn’t sure whether this news bothered or embarrassed Shining Armor more, maybe both, but he certainly didn’t seem to be expecting that curveball. In hindsight, I probably should have just kept my mouth shut about Princess Celestia’s confession. I’d mark it down for later. “Did she – say anything else about the matter?” Shining Armor asked more carefully, as though he were now wary of making me skittish. I wasn’t sure how to reply, but the unicorn luckily interrupted me before I had the chance to stick my hoof in my mouth, “No, never mind,” he said, “I shouldn’t pry into the Princess’s private matters.” He turned away from me, and we continued our trek up the tower stairs in silence. In fact, it wasn’t until we finally reached a large wooden door near the top that he turned back to me. His face was stressed into a rather serious looking scowl, and it caused me to recoil a bit. “A warning Pathfinder,” he said sternly, “we recently received a threat against Canterlot, and if I find out that you’re in any way involved…” Shining Armor paused, leaving the resulting threat up to my rather overactive imagination. I wasn’t sure what kind of punishments were regularly administered here in pony world, but the Everfree forest had shown me that were probably plenty of nasty places that I could be banished to if I upset the wrong ponies. Luckily for me, I was going to be getting out of here tomorrow. Hopefully Celestia’s spell came with optional memory removal, since nobody on my side of the dimensional barrier would believe this whole crazy tale anyways. “My thoughts exactly, Sir Shining Armor,” came another distinctly regal voice from behind me. For a second I thought Princess Celestia had returned, but the ominous presence behind me was too – well – ominous to belong to the kindhearted Celestia. Not to mention the voice, which had a distinctly domineering quality to it. “Princess Luna!” Shining Armor exclaimed, promptly bowing down to the looming pony behind me. I myself turned around to be greeted with an interesting sight, another Pegasus unicorn, with a coat the color of a blue night sky and a shimmering blue mane speckled with starlight. Again, she reminded me a bit of Celestia, and for good reason if Shining Armor’s reaction was any indicator. This pony princess, Luna, was a bit smaller than her morning glory counterpart, though arguably more imposing. She floated silently onto the spiral staircase behind, almost eerie in the stealth that she displayed. Too bad she ruined the effect when she opened her mouth. “You dare not bow thine head before us?” Princess Luna asked me, more bemused than angry. Well, Princess Celestia didn’t really seem to have a problem with my lack of submission, not that I wouldn’t have given it to her if I knew how. I was still just getting the hang of navigating this new body, much less performing fancy gestures with it. Somehow, I didn’t think the excuse of, ‘I don’t know how,’ was going to fly here though. “No matter,” she said dismissively, “We simply came to introduce our royal self to our sister’s esteemed guest,” It didn’t really make me feel better. “Our name is Princess Luna of Equestria,” Luna began, “bringer of the night and protector of this city while the sun sleeps,” and she pressed a hoof to her chest in a gesture of pride. I smiled sheepishly, or as sheepishly as my magically fueled pony muscles would let me, “Well, it certainly is a beautiful night Princess Luna, one of the –“ I was fishing for words now, “darkest – I’ve ever seen.” I cringed a bit, but was shocked to see Luna’s ominous visage deflate almost immediately, “Do – do you really think so?” she urged, as though she were seeking my approval. The princess had somehow invaded my personal space before I even had the chance to notice, and I nodded my head nervously. I watched as a grin began to stretch slowly across Luna’s features. She just barely managed to catch herself it seemed, and quickly distanced herself from me, returning to her earlier façade. She even turned her head and gave a faux cough. Now that I had seen through it though – not sure what exactly I had seen – it wasn’t nearly as intimidating. “Um, Princess?” Shining Armor spoke up, “maybe we should let Pathfinder get some sleep?” It seemed to take Luna a moment to realize who Shining Armor was referring to, which only managed to catch her all the more off guard. If I didn’t know any better, I could have sworn she even blushed. “If you think so,” she scoffed, forgetting her royal wording, “good rest to you – Pathfinder…” With that, Luna stretched out her wings and flew off into the night, and I couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly she disappeared into the darkness. Actually, I guess it wasn’t that impressive after all was it? I turned my head when I heard the click of a lock behind me, and saw Shining Armor withdrawing his horn from a keyhole in the large door. He pushed the massive thing open with ease, revealing a hauntingly beautiful image of a moonlight illuminated bed chamber. Somehow, I felt Luna might have had something to do with this… though the effect of it was quickly ruined when Shining Armor lit several of the lamps in the room with a spark of fuchsia colored magic. “Although nopony will be forcing you, I would advise against wandering the castle grounds at night, Pathfinder,” Armor said sternly, “as I said, it would be best to avoid casting any suspicions on yourself.” I nodded silently as I entered the room, still allowing my eyes to grow accustomed to the sudden increase in light. “Goodnight to you then,” Shining Armor concluded, shutting the door rather brusquely as he left. You know that strange sort of empty feeling when a lot of things happen to drag you along one after another, and then suddenly you’re left to your own devices with nothing else to do? Yeah, that was what I was feeling right about now. I stood in that spot, doing nothing, for what seemed like hours before I finally worked up the nerve to actually explore my new environment. First I decided to get myself accustomed to the all too human furniture in my bedchamber, even going so far as to inspect the fully functioning bathroom. I had heard stories of medieval castles that were renovated with all of the modern amenities; I just never expected magical ponies to also be able to do it too. Granted, I never expected magical ponies to do anything, since I didn’t really know they existed. There was even still the chance that I was dreaming, though I had all but given up on that flimsy pretense about fifteen minutes ago when I got a dim look at the bustling little city of Canterlot. It was simply too stunning to describe, and had taken until now to truly process the peculiarity of a pony built city. That, and my strange meeting with the second pony princess, Luna, had been more than a bit shocking. Was it just me, or did the ponies in this world seem a bit too kind and trusting? Well, aside from Shining Armor, but then he had a good reason to be suspicious of me. Maybe if I met some more of them… maybe if I had the chance to meet some more of them. Even princess Luna could turn out to be a nice pony if I got to know her better! Ugh… scratch that thought. I forced the thought of the midnight mare out of my mind and returned to more practical problems, like operating this new pony body I had acquired. I might as well try to get the hang of it now and save myself the embarrassment of it later. Not that I expected to be here long, but it certainly couldn’t hurt. I spent the next hour or so, as the clock – the pony-made clock – kindly let me know, trying out different walking and running speeds. I climbed on and off the bed a few dozen times, and even tried jumping on the furniture only to fall flat on my face. Kicking off for a jump was certainly going to take some more practice. I even tried to manipulate some things with my hooves, and to my astonishment, they served the purpose rather well. There was a sort of weak clenching muscle that I could operate with my Spark, as I had come to call my inborn pony magic, which allowed me to grasp simple machines and even lift light objects. Anything heavier would probably require me to use my mouth, which was as strange as I thought it would be, and any sort of dexterous feats still left me in the dark. I guess you needed magic for that, though all of my attempts to do anything beyond the usual everyday practices were met with failure. It was a little upsetting, but I guess I just didn’t have enough magic for things like that. Or a horn, that might be useful. On the other hand, I did discover that my tail was surprisingly mobile, and that I could use it to swat various things or even fan myself. All of this experimentation tired me out rather quickly, however, and I soon collapsed on my bed. My body melted into the downy covers almost immediately, and while I didn’t exactly think I would be getting cold – since my pony body was quite a bit warmer than my human body – I pulled the blanket over my hindquarters with my teeth just to be sure. Before I knew it I had drifted off into a pleasant slumber. Pleasant – in the sense that it was plagued with worry, regret, confusion, and of course terrible flashes of bright green light that seemed to haunt the periphery of my mind. Somehow… I didn’t think my stay in pony world was going to go quite so smoothly as I had hoped.