"Whiteness? Yes. There was whiteness, ... but I can't ... remember." Michael looks like she is thinking pretty hard, her blue eyes narrowing as if her thoughts are just barely covered by fog. "I was talking to someone, about universes. They asked me if I wanted to come to Equestria!" Realization struck her and Michael began bouncing up and down on her rump yelling in a sing song voice " We're in Ponyville, we're in Ponyvile!"
I force a little smile. I haven't got a great handle on situation, and something doesn't really feel right. Something she said just now is making me uneasy "Not quite yet, Ponyville is down this path." I point with my snout the direction of the small town.
"What do I look like?" Michael bounces upright and stretches her hooves out in front of her in a playfull gesture, looking down at her legs. "White? Sweet. I thought for sure I'd be yellow" she walks over to the edge of the lake and looks down at her reflection. ... silence.
"Michael? You ok man?"
"Man?" Michelle slowly backs away from the lake and looks down between her legs. *gasp* she sits down quickly with her hind legs closed rather tightly. "I'm a mare ... aren't I?"
"..Yeahhh, I think Princess 'Trollestia did it to you. I'm not sure if it's permanent." I'm actually pretty sure it is permanent, but don't want to freak Michael out too much. "While you're like this do you want me to keep calling you Micheal?, or something else?"
"I guess so." she gets up and begins pacing back and fourth. "My pony name will be Sapphire Skies. ... What's your pony name?"
"You're taking this all very well, you just woke up as a female pony, and are having fun making up names?"
"It's not so bad, I'm curious how living as a mare will turn out, you said Celestia made me a mare? Why?"
"Umm, you kind of went a little crazy. You showed up as an Alicorn, and started setting fires."
"I'm a Pegasus, you sure you don't have that mixed up with somepony else?"
"Look, I'm not sure why you don't remember much about it, but when we chose to come here we also had the choice of what form to take. I tried to form a unicorn, but my mind wandered and started thinking about dragons. You kept you're mind focused and chose to be an Alicorn, but went insane due to the maddening effect of Alicorn magic and started causing chaos. Luna and Celestia then knocked you out and turned you into a Pegasus mare forcibly."
"Nnnnope"
`"Nope? What do you mean nope?"
"I mean just that, I don't buy it. I want to be a Pegasus. I wouldn't be an Alicorn even if Celestia asked me to. All I want is to have a carefree happy life in Ponyville with lots and lots of friends, and delicious food."
I can feel my eye twitching at the dismissiveness of my friend. She doesn't even remember what happened, but can say with certainty that what I'm saying I remember and saw with my own two eyes is false. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter now anyway." I rub my face with my hoof. I hope I'm not acting like a dick.
"Sooo, We're going to Ponyville?" I think Mike is just trying to change the subject, but I'm glad for the new topic, even if it is kind of bad news.
"Not exactly, the Princess want's you to go to Ponyville and study friendship with Twilight, but want's me in the Canterlot Castle for some kind of training."
"You mean we can't go to Ponyville together? I thought I'd get to spend more time with you." Mike looks guenually downtrodden at the news.
"I can walk you there, it's not too far from here" I actually flew some of the way when I took 'Sapphire' to this lake. "We could fly there, but then we'd spend less time together."
"What a bitch. We can walk there, let's take our time also." Michael starts slowly walking down the path.
"She's not that bad, she gave me these nifty saddlebags." I nod my head toward my sides. "What do my eyes even really look like? I never got to see them too closely."
"They're green. And they have slit down the middle, like a dragon." Michelle looks into my eyes as we walk "they actually don't look too bad once you get used to them, the green makes them a little soothing. What about me? Everything looked blue in the lake"
"They're blue, it wasn't an illusion from the lake."
"Are they pretty?" Michelle bats her eyelashes several times. I'm not sure if she is actually curious, or just fishing for a compliment.
"They pierce right into the deepest depths of my soul" I say this playfully and melodramatic. They don't look bad, but I don't really want to call my best friend pretty.
"Yeah, you're totally into me. Sorry but I don't swing that way, even if I am a mare. what about my hair?"
"Your mane is also blue, it actually looks dangerously close to Vinyl Scratches mane, only shorter."
"Where is Erica? I want to see how cute she looks as a pony."
She doesn't know Erica isn't here? "Umm, she chose to go straight to heaven. You'll get to see her again though." I'm looking closely for a harsh reaction, but one doesn't really come, she just continues walking in silence for a moment. "You ok?"
"I had a feeling that happened, she doesn't like ponies as much as us. I think I'll be ok, I know she'll wait for me."
"So, what about our history and stuff. How much should we tell Twilight and the others? We're not really supposed to know about Big Mac, Applejack and the others. We only know you're supposed to meet up with Twilight."
"We should start from the beginning. Not knowing who any of the others are. No need to tell them we are humans, I'll just not talk about my past, better to forget about it and start a new life anyways." Mike is still shuffling her feet, guess it was too much to hope for her to be completely over the past relationship so quickly.
"How long do ponies live anyway?" I actually don't know much about ponies or horses, Mike was a little more into them than me.
"like 300 years probably ... at least. We're going to spend a ton of time together. Forever actually, ponies don't die ... ever. We're stuck together for good."
"Sweet. That's what I thought also." We smile together as a chorus of birds start singing behind the trees off the side of the path. Michael's eyes light up at the sound of birds.
"Birds?!" She flaps her wings and takes off to the tree tops, poking her head into to foliage. "Hellooo? Little Birdies? Come on out." Mike flies around several trees repeating this routine. The birds have stopped singing, apparently taking notice of their admirer, and choosing to remain hidden. I go up and look around with her. I don't really want to bother the birds, but don't want to leave my friend hanging either.
After looking around the trees for several minutes and finding nothing, Mike lands quietly on a low lying branch and perks her ears listening for sounds, while I return to the path. "Let's just leave the little birds alone, they obviously don't trust us yet. I'm sure once they get used to you they'll be as kind as Fluttershy."
A sound rustles from a tree deeper in woods, Mike turns to it and yells. "Boo!"
"Eeeep" the birds squeak, and several little multicolored birds fly out and away from under the leaves.
"Way to be a jerk Mike, I thought you liked birds."
"Oh, I used to, but mine became so annoying I lost my taste for them."
"Well, lets get going. We don't want it to get dark before we get there." We continue down the path, quieter now. I'm a little more upset about Mike scaring the birds than I ought to be, considering that it was actually pretty harmless. Mike seems to pick up on my attitude.
"Sorry about the birds, I thought you didn't even like birds though; you hardly ever held mine"
"I've had mixed results with birds, but I really don't want to be violent or scary here. I'm already scary enough looking like I do, so I think I'm just being overly sensitive. Sorry for giving you the cold shoulder, we really should enjoy what time we have for now."
We walk for far too short a time, sharing stories, laughs, fears of how long I may be stuck in the castle and hopes for the future. In particular what mare's we hope to get closer to. Mike goes down his list of the main six, listing all the qualities he likes about them, and which ones he thinks he's compatible with. He ends up choosing Applejack for himself, because she reminds him of his previous girlfriend; And decides I'd be best with Fluttershy because she's kind and will take of me, and apparently I need that in a marefriend. Whether or not anypony will be interested in us in the slightest is a different story all together though.
I can hear a semi-rapid squeaking sound echoing around, it sounds like an old seesaw going back and fourth. It's quiet, but I think that means we're getting close to the town and can hear kids playing on a playground or something. It's not long before we reach the entrance, the squeaking having stopped not long after it began, and the 'Welcome to Ponyville' sign looms overhead.
"Ok Mike, now you're supposed to go to the Library and introduce yourself to Twilight. I'm not sure if Princess Celestia sent a letter or not, but I'm sure Twilight will hear you out regardless."
Mike has a large frown chiseled on her face. "I'm scared." she's mumbling and acting pitiful scrapping her hoof on the ground. "Can't you at least come to the Treehouse with me? I have no clue where it is, and you know I have hard time meeting new people."
I've actually been the more socially awkward one of the group. "Sorry, I'm under strict orders from the Princess to not enter the town, I'm sure somepony will help you find your way.
After I speak we stand in silence for a moment, neither one of us actually wanting to part. "Ahem" .. "Ahem" .. "Ahem"
I finally notice the coughs and look over toward the sign, a yellow mare with pink mane and tail is half hiding behind the supports hoofing the ground. Fluttershy!
"Oh, umm .. sorry if I'm bothering you." a light blush is now painted on her face as her eyes shift from the ground to Mike and I
"Don't worry, it's not a bother. What's your name?" I try and give a kind smile, but I think it turns out more awkward than anything. It feels odd trying to act like I know nothing about her.
Fluttershy narrows her eyes at me. "I'm Fluttershy" I feel a cold shiver run down my spine. there were no pauses, or 'umm's, squeaks or anything. She just flat out told me her name, a little coldly I might add. I can feel my heart sink in my chest, so much for a relationship with Fluttershy.
Mike perks up instantly. "O-hai! You can call me Sapphire Skies, and this is my friend John. We're humans that Celestia brought from our world to Equestia, and transformed us into Ponies!" A large smile is plastered on her face while Fluttershy stands dumbfounded. I can't help but facehoof.
It doesn't take long before Fluttershy recovers and continues to awkwardly hoof the ground, "umm, thank you for being honest, I hope your friend can learn a thing or two from you." her blush is back on her face "Your name is .. John?"
Now it's my turn to blush, Fluttershy calling me by my real name. I've been thinking of a pony name a little bit, but haven't really solidified anything yet. I wanted something strong, and fitting to what I actually am. I figured my first name would be Fire. I can shoot flaming spit, so I figured that would be fitting. I also wanted something not intimidating, and something that related to flight. So, I decided my last name would be Breeze.
"My human name was John, ... but we decided to change them when we arrived in Equestia. I changed mine to Fire Breeze." I can hear Mike 'pfft' at the name.
Fluttershy seems to ponder the name for a second. "Like ... a warm summers breeze." her blush returned in full force after she spoke, eyes darting toward the ground. "umm. I-I .. I can show you to Twilight's. ... I'm sorry ... I overheard some of your conversation."
Mike does a little hop, flaring her wings out at the peak before returning them to her side. "Sweet, see you later John, or should I say 'Fire Breeze'." Mike over-dramatically rolls her eyes before winking and walking up to Fluttershy.
"umm. good luck with your business at the castle, .. I hope you don't have to stay too long."
Both Fluttershy and 'Sapphire Skies' walk off into town. I can hear Fluttershy asking if I'm really a pony or not before turning a corner and going out of sight.
...
Now I'm alone again.