//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Changes // Story: Nicholas & The Crystal Star // by DanishDash //------------------------------// "Wha? How is?"  Nicholas's eyes were as wide as cart wheels, and now matter how much he blinked, the image before him wouldn't change. His hands were gone! Instead he had hooves, his whole body felt strange, like he had bones he didn't have before, which was the case. "Nicholas..." Applejack said in awe. "You... You're a... A..." "An alicorn!" Alice squealed excitedly, jumping up and down. "What?!" Nicholas started to look himself over for real. Quickly he noticed her had wings, and stuck out of his forehead was a horn!? In hindsight, he kind of should have expected this. After all, he had just seen him as an alicorn. However he had not expected to become one so soon. "So this explains it." Aurora said, scratching her chin with her hoof. Bori nodded. "Every time we saw you, we also saw the alicorn." "Who were you all along!" Alice cheered.  Nicholas felt around muzzle, it felt so strange to have a new skull, new teeth, new everything. The way he saw, felt, and heard, it was all so new. "How do I..?" He placed his han-eh, hooves, on the floor, trying to rise. Already he could feel his mind wasn't ready for it. He had the right muscles, but they were all so new to him. His legs wobbled, and he started to move forward with alarming speed. "Whoops!" "Gotcha!" Applejack said, moving forward and caught him before his face planted into the floor. "Be careful, Nick."  "Thanks, it's pretty hard..." He mumbled, trying to walk, or trot, or whatever it was called right now! "That's it, just take it easy." Applejack encouraged, trotting slowly by his side as he step by step made his way forward. "You're doing great, sugarcube."  Little by little Nicholas started to find the right pace, and get used to the way his legs now moved and bent. Soon enough he trotted at normal speed, well, kinda. He was still a bit careful, but at least he wasn't slow. As for his wings, well he wasn't ready to try them out any time soon. "I think we better go downstairs, lunch should be served soon, and you must be hungry." Bori said with a smile. "We didn't get around to breakfast either." Now that she mentioned it, Nicholas hadn't eaten anything since yesterday evening, before Blitzen and the others showed up. Thinking about it now, he felt his stomach let out a loud growl, so loud in fact, he was pretty sure the sound echoed in the chamber itself. At least it made Applejack and the reindeer giggle a little. He was just about to agree, when a tiny little voice spoke up. "Nioclás, an é sin tú?" Nicholas stopped, as well did Applejack and the others. He turned, only to see his most loyal elf standing on the floor, her long hat in her tiny paws, looking very unsure of herself.  Her eyes looked like they were about to burst, something Nicholas had never seen before. Elves were pretty emotional creatures, but Mina had always seemed to have a great handle on herself. Seeing her about to cry, it really broke Nicholas's heart. "An bhfuil tú fós mo Nioclás?" She asked him, wanting to know if he was still him, or now someone else, someone who she did not recognize. Nicholas, with wobbly legs, managed to lay down flat on his stomach, lowering his head so he could look her straight in the eyes. "Hey, Mina, it's still me, I promise."  Mina hesitated for a moment, but then slowly approached the alicorn version of him. As she walked, she let the hat slip from her paws, as her eyes focused very intensely on his. He could tell she was looking for any clue he wasn't who he said he was, something that would reveal some kind of trickery.  She stopped, only inches away from his muzzle. Slowly she reached out with her paw, slowly, and careful as if afraid of startling him. Her soft paw gently touched his nose, her eyes never leaving his. Then, after a few seconds of silence, she asks for one final time.  "Nioclás?" Nicholas smiled, his eyes twinkling. "You didn't think you would be rid of me that easily, did you?" Mina breaks out in a smile, and with a happy leap, she jumps onto him, doing her best to hug as tightly as she can. Nicholas laughed. "That's my muzzle, try my chest!" He grinned, rising a bit, and soon felt Mina jumping onto him, holding onto his chest tightly. Nicholas chuckled, placing a gentle hoof over his old friend. "I'm still here, Mina..." He assured her, gently stroking her. Aurora, Bori, and Alice looked at one another, smiling. "Time for lunch." Bori said, a hint of happy amusement in her voice. The stairs had been a bit of a nightmare to get down off, and took a little longer than what Nicholas would have liked. Still, with the help of Applejack, he managed to get down all of them without any accident. Aurora, Bori, and Alice took them to a grand dining room, with a long wooden table.  It reminded Nicholas of one of those dining rooms you imagine rich ponies had. It was long, and one side had a big fireplace, while the other had big and tall windows with a mix of normal and stained glass. It was very beautiful, No one could deny that. Nicholas was just about to sit down, but Bori stopped him. "You should sit at the head of the table." She told him. He glanced at Applejack, who nodded in return, and so he took his seat at the end. No one sat down before Nicholas did, was it on purpose? If so, it made him feel a bit uncomfortable. Even if she hadn't said anything, Nicholas could tell Applejack looked at him with different eyes.  But could he blame her? Changing into an alicorn, that was a big deal, and the first male alicorn at that. Before any of them could utter a word, the doors went up, and four reindeers trotted inside, all of them carrying trays with food. As they approached the table, their antlers seemed to give off that same faint glow Nicholas had seen back home. The trays floated elegantly and gently off their backs, and were carefully placed on the table.  "How are you all able to do that?" Asked Applejack, having noticed it as well. "I thought deer couldn't use magic?" Aurora smirked. "Another great gift from the Crystal Star. We are blessed with many things here in the grove, a home, safety, and of course, magic." "And flying?" Nicholas asked. Aurora nodded. "Aurora." "Although not all of us can fly." Admitted Bori. "It takes a lot of practice to master, lots of training, so not everyone does it." "Everyone has the potential, but it is not really a sort after skill." Aurora corrected.  "It's why flyers are so popular here." Alice giggled.  Aurora nodded. "Our schools we focus on basic skills, control of magic. When our students graduate, some leave the grove to see the world, others stay and get a job, live their life. Some choose to learn to fly, which can take a long time." Bori giggled. "But listen to us, we didn't want to overwhelm you. You will have plenty of time to learn more about the grove later, how about we eat first?" "Gladly! Nicholas said, letting out a sigh of relief. While he was happy to hear more about this place, there was just so much information, and he was still getting around to the fact he had a new body, which he was only reminded of as he reached out for the mashed potatoes. "Oh... Right, hooves." He said sheepishly, drawing them back and looking at them. He looked around the table with an embarrassed look. "How do I, uhm, you...?" Applejack, who sat close to Nicholas right side reached for a fork on the table. "Like this, Nick." She placed the bottom of her hoof against the fork, then lifted it up, showing him it stuck to it with ease. Nicholas looked at his own fork, then did the same, but unlike Applejack, his fork remained on the table. "You're just not used to it yet." Applejack said with a hint of encouragement in her voice. She got off her seat, and trotted closer to him. "Try touching mine." She said, holding out her hoof to him. Nicholas looked at her, then did as she asked and placed the bottom of his hoof against hers. Nicholas had never thought about how ponies could do seemingly impossible things with their hooves, like hold objects, play instruments that seemed to require what he had, fingers. Well, I used to have. To his astonishment, he felt something in his hoof, it was like a connection. Experimentally, he tried to pull back, but he could not, Applejack was holding his hoof in place. Then as if it was as easy as holding a fork, she let him go, and Nicholas felt the connection vanish. Normally this was what and how yearlings taught themselves, but Nicholas didn't have that luxury. He looked at his hoof, then back at Applejack, which was still held up to him. Nicholas reached out, and pressed it against Applejack's once more. This time, he tried to take a hold of hers, but it was a lot easier than it looked. It took him a good few tries before he suddenly felt the connection again, this time it felt a little different, but it was there, a little weak perhaps, but it was there. Applejack smiled, and gave her hoof a gentle tug. It didn't budge, so she tried a little harder, and Nicholas could feel his connection struggling a bit, but Applejack still smiled. "You're doing good, sugarcube, you just have to get used to it." Nicholas let go, and Applejack winked at him before she retook her seat. "Thanks..." He said, feeling his cheeks burn a little. "There is a lot you have to learn." Alice said. Aurora nodded. "And you don't have much time." "But don't worry, Nicholas. We are all here to help you, and we have faith in you." Bori finished, smiling. " Blitzen can help you with flying, although he cannot help you so much with your wings, he should give you some good pointers." Applejack frowned a bit, but didn't object. "I'll help you with whatever you need, Nicholas." She added, smiling.  "Thank you." Then he glanced up at his horn. "What about this?" "Magic, there we will all help you, but as we said, you don't have a lot of time before hearth's warming eve. You have to be ready by then." Aurora explained. "We don't expect you to become an expert in everything before hearth's warming, that would be impossible, but we will show you the basics of everything." Alice promised him, filling up her plate with a bundle of carrots. "Wait," Nicholas said. "What exactly is it you expect me to do at hearth's warming?" The three does looked at one another, grinning as their gazes returned to him. "You have the most important role out of all of us." Said Bori. "You will deli-"  "Ah, Alice, let's not get ahead of ourselves." Aurora cut in. "I think it is better if we eat, then show him the workshop, and then tell him. There is still so much to show and explain." "Oh, good idea." Nodded Alice. Nicholas and Applejack exchanged looks, and Mina seemed to perk. Nicholas once again raised a hoof, like a student back at school. "Uhm, what do you mean by workshop?" Again, the three does grinned. They seemed to love surprises, and to keep their audience in suspense. Bori looked at Nicholas with a friendly smile. "Well, it is just what it sounds like, Nicholas. However, I think we should keep it a surprise for a bit longer, I think you are going to be impressed." "I know he will!" Alice laughed. "Now then, let's dig in!"