"Anastasia Walova! The time has come. Please report to the Pony Room. Be there, or be unpopular! The good doctor hates to be kept waiting."
Lilac insisted on pushing Ana's chair down the hallway, her forelegs draped over the handholds while she trotted with her rear legs. She was denied entry to the Ponification Room, however. She sulked for a moment, then brightened and gave Ana an affectionate nuzzle. "See you when you come out, Ana!"
After the little pony trotted away, Lynn, the physician's assistant, wheeled Ana inside. Dr Pastern was already measuring out the dosage for her transformation. The sharp eyes behind the spectacles darted in Ana's direction. "Last chance to change your mind."
"Like you said, Doctor...the whole damn world's coming to an end." But it was more than that, really. Even if her legs could be made whole again…even if she could recover anything approaching her former skill…even if she could find a troupe that would accept her…Ana had to finally admit to herself that she would never be able to set foot on a stage again. Camille's bastards had broken more than her bones; they'd crushed her spirit, obliterated her confidence. As a dancer, she was finished…at least on Earth.
"Let's do this." Her resolve was absolute.
Lynn removed her clothes and lifted her onto the table. The PA was stronger than she looked, and Ana was below her dancing weight. She'd maintained herself at 44 kilos since the age of sixteen, but by now she might weigh 40 kg soaking wet with a pocket full of marbles.
Dr Pastern placed the paper cup in her hand. Immediately Ana downed it, even as the doctor was saying "You might want to lie down on your si–"
And that was the last thing her human ears heard.
***
She was running. Running through tall grass, vibrantly green, that whipped against her bare legs. Her legs! They were whole again, whole and strong and swift. She threw back her head and laughed up at the beautiful blue sky as she sprinted across the field, untiring and joyous.
She wasn't alone; on every side, before her and behind, ran spectral ponies of every color, from snowy white to ebon black, pink and yellow and blue and every shade imaginable in between. She was in the heart of the herd, she was part of the herd, and the ponies welcomed her in a way she had never known in her life.
She leapt into the air, performing assemble and entrechat and grand jete with every second or third stride. The members of the herd joined her, performing with four legs the same moves she achieved with two. She was a member of a troupe again, the leader of the troupe, the prima ballerina in a grand dance that she directed with her own body.
She didn't realize the herd had faded away until she found herself in a wide clearing, ringed with lilies and sunflowers. The grass here was cropped short, a verdant carpet of living velvet. It was a circular stage, with flowers as the audience.
Ana danced, not as Giselle or Odette or Kitri or even Anastasia Walova. She danced as herself, a new self, freshly minted, free for the first time in her life to do whatever she wanted.
And she wanted to dance.
Gradually she became aware that she had companions for her dancing. They were neither rivals nor corps, but two amazingly beautiful creatures. One was shining white, with a mane and tail of prismatic curtains of light. The other was the deepest, darkest, purest blue, crowned and trained with veils of night sky aurorae, dusted with shimmering stars.
The princesses spoke only with their grace and their flying hooves. They welcomed her, expressing beyond any words how happy they were that she was becoming one of their herd.
When Ana reached out to stroke Celestia's soft white neck en passant, pearlescent wings swept her up into an effortless high lift and tossed her playfully across the clearing. Completely unafraid, Ana performed a grand jete split as she flew through the air, to be caught by Luna's night-shrouded wings. The Moon Princess spun on her hooves and set Ana on her feet, where she danced her enjoyment of the experience.
Did they dance together for minutes? Hours? Days? Ana could never remember. When a dance was truly wonderful, she gave herself up to it completely. Time lost all meaning. It was an instant and forever all at once, and it was glorious.
But the dance, as all dances do, came at last to an end. Ana sank to the grass, one leg extended, bowing low to the rulers of her new world.
"Ana? Ana, wake up."
If this was a dream, she didn't want to wake up. She was whole again, she could dance again, and her old life held no attractions for her.
A soft nuzzle against her ear. "C'mon, Ana, wake up! Wait till you see yourself!"
Ana whinnied softly and twitched her ear.
Whinnied?
Twitched her ear?!
Ana forced her eyes open. She was lying on a table and the first face she saw was Lilac's, beaming with joy. "Hi, Ana! Welcome back! You've been asleep for the longest time but Doc Pastern said it was okay for me to come wake you up now. How are you feeling?"
Ana braced herself and moved her legs. No pain! Not only that, but she felt good. She felt really good, all over. It had been a long time since she'd felt no pain at all–no aching feet or knees or hips or arms or…or anything. She tried to sit up, but her limbs felt strange.
Well, yeah. I must be a pony now.
Ana giggled at herself (when was the last time she giggled? had she ever giggled?) and swung her legs off the table. Her center of gravity had changed, and she had to put her hands–no, her front hooves–down to catch herself. She never wanted to fall again. Her rear hooves touched down securely on the floor, and she stood steady and strong on four legs
"Careful!" Dr Pastern warned, setting down her workpad. "Don't try to walk just yet. It's not just your shape, but your center of gravity that's changed. Get used to yourself."
Ana looked down at her new body. Her coat was the color of fine blush champagne; her legs were slender but felt powerful, and her hooves, oh her hooves were almost pearlescent. They shimmered in the track lighting. She held one forehoof up and turned it slowly, admiring the glimmers of reflection. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a lock of her mane, equally pale, equally iridescent. She looked back at herself to see if the carpet matched the drapes–and saw that she had wings. What magnificent grand jete she would perform now! She giggled again and, on impulse, did a brief modified rond de jambe. Her hooves all but rang on the tile floor as she turned in place, finishing in something like a modified fifth position with her front hooves.
"Look at that!" Pastern grinned at Lynn. "Perfect balance, flawless coordination, straight out the gate! I've never seen that before. It could be possible that athletes and physical performers transition their trained skills. I've got to put this in the report…" She picked up her pad and began tapping on it with her fingers.
Bemused, Lynn looked at the pair of fillies who were merrily prancing around each other now, like a two-horse carousel. "Don't pay Ros any mind," she stage-whispered. "She gets like that."
"I can't wait to learn to fly!" Ana was ecstatic. Who needed hands? She had four feet, permanently en pointe, and her new toes would never get sore or blistered. And with her wings, she could quite literally dance on air.
"You'll be as light as a feather falling," said Lynn.
Lilac hopped with delight. "That would be a great new name for you, Ana! Featherfall! Featherfall Dancer! What do you think?"
Ana looked into her roommate's brilliant blue eyes, glowing with anticipation. How could she crush those hopes? Besides…"I like it."
***