Misty Rose stayed true to her goal of helping Candle Light with shopping, and paid for all of the new mare’s things without issue. Candle Light felt a bit bad about it, but if Celestia truly meant what she said when she said Equestria had unlimited resources, then it wouldn’t be an issue.
The two were eventually bringing up a couple of carts of things to the mare’s new home. Food and drinks and a few things to help spice up the house, but no clothes. Candle Light kind of expected that there would be nothing to cover her flank, and wasn’t surprised when the clothing store showed only items like she found in the closet already. Besides, it felt like the embarrassment was quickly fading, which was a good thing.
They did have glasses though, not that she needed them anymore. But she bought a pair for the look, a square framed, brown striped set that made her appearance in the mirror seem complete. Misty Rose and the shop owner complimented her appearance, and Candle Light even gave a little smile herself at what she saw. Glasses were probably what the stallion version of herself was missing, too.
It was probably a couple of hours before both she and Misty Rose were back up the hill with the baskets and were putting things away in the large home. More and more, this whole scenario processed itself in her mind as natural, but she knew it certainly wasn’t normal. It would take time getting used to all of this.
“You know, some of the construction ponies I saw building this house told me they’d get it done in a week,” Misty said, making light conversation. “I didn’t think they’d actually do it, but here it is! And now you’re here!”
“Wait, they were actually building this house waiting for me to move in?” she asked. “Was it for me specifically, or were they just building it to build it?”
“No, they said it was for you, Candle Light,” Misty explained. “I remember.” Then she paused and raised an eyebrow, asking, “Were you not planning to move here?”
“No! I moved here because– well, I didn’t choose to move here. Like I said, I’m supposed to be a human on Earth, but I guess that AI somehow convinced my family to upload me. I mean, I’m glad I’m not dead, but I didn’t think I’d be a pony anytime soon. Or ever.”
“Huh. Well, I don’t know what would’ve killed you if you didn’t move here, but you can tell me about it if you wanna while I help you get all of this stuff put away. If you want my help anyway.”
Candle Light accepted it, and told Misty about what happened to her recently and how she just became a pony. Her new acquaintance seemed confused when she explained about how this was all actually a computer simulation and how she really came from Earth and was only here because she got cancer, but she didn’t question the explanation. She still couldn’t tell if she was an AI or not, something that was still strange to think about, but eventually she decided that it didn’t matter as the conversation continued.
“So then you’re married?” Misty asked as she started to help the mare put food into the fridge and cupboard. “Do you have any foals?”
Somehow, she knew the term ‘foal’ was a stand in for ‘children’. “Yeah, I have four of them. And this game– well, I don’t know if I can call it a game anymore if I’m inside of it– but Equestria Online is basically all they play and talk about. Even my six year old daughter.”
“I don’t know what you mean by that, but the way you’re smiling talking about them makes me sure they’re lovely. Can I ask what they’re names are? Or what about your husband? I only heard about one pony moving in for now. They’re not around town are they?”
“No, but what do you mean my– oh!” Candle Light’s face suddenly became red, but she quickly corrected the comment Misty Rose made. “I have a wife. I’m not actually a girl. I’m just being a girl for now while I think about what kind of body I wanna have.” She felt a little uncomfortable, but not upset or put off by the assumption. After all, she liked how the glasses completed her look.
“Ooohhh, I think I finally understand what you mean when you talk about all that uploading and Earth stuff!” the pony said in realization. “You’re from the Outer Realm, aren’t you? And you actually just moved to Equestria for the first time! I get it! I’ve never met somepony from there, but I’m pleased to meet you, Candle! I can help you get settled into Equestria if you want me to, like I can help you with Summer’s Edge. It’ll be fun!”
“The Outer Realm?” she asked. “Is that what you guys call Earth?”
"I don't know what Earth is," Misty answered, "but ponies who didn't used to live in Equestria until Princess Celestia found them are from the Outer Realm, like you. Most ponies in Summer's Edge don't know about that, but I do, because I heard a group of ponies talking about it while I was in town a couple of weeks ago."
It sounded like they were talking about the same thing to Candle Light, but she couldn’t recall if she ever heard her children talking about Equestria Online in those terms. She decided to just shrug her shoulders and go with it.
“Well, I think we mean the same thing,” she said. “But yeah. I have a wife, and four kids– three daughters and a son. All of them teenagers except for my daughter, Olivia. My oldest is almost eighteen, actually.”
“Oh, hey! That sounds about as old as my foals are!” Misty smiled. “I have two daughters– twins– who are about to turn eighteen in a few months, and a son who’s gonna be fifteen soon. Maybe your foals can meet mine!”
“With a house as big as this, maybe,” Candle Light nodded in agreement. “I wonder when I’m gonna see my kids though,” she continued. “Hopefully today, but I don’t know how the heck that’s gonna work. I wonder how they’re feeling about all of this… You said there were other humans? Err, ponies from Earth?”
“Mhm. Well, I know one pony. Her name is Soft Step, and I overheard her talking about it with another mare named Careful Calling. We can go talk to her if you wanna. She’s usually at the library.”
“Maybe later. But Celestia told me there was a beach here,” Candle Light said. “And I saw one from my window. Do you think you can show me again where it’s at once I finish putting stuff away? I wanna see what it looks like.”
“Can do!”
Before long, the two were stepping along a beach, Candle Light taking it all in for the first time. She hadn’t checked a clock up to this point yet, but judging by the sky, it was the afternoon, one that was turning into evening. The sun occasionally tried to peek out from behind the clouds, but never fully did as water lapped at the two mares’ hooves. A soft breeze blew through their manes, and Candle Light took a deep breath to process all of the senses around her.
How could something like this have been real at all? She had absolutely no idea, and yet here she was. The sand felt just as real and the waves sounded just as noisy as they did on Earth. Wasn’t she just on Earth a few minutes ago? It seemed like it had been forever since she’d been turned into a horse. If she was inside a computer, did that mean she was going to live forever? How long was this going to last?
“Are you okay, Candle?” Misty Rose asked as the mare sat on her haunches and closed her eyes, breathing heavily.
The pink unicorn didn’t say anything immediately, allowing herself to breathe for a long moment. “I’m just–” she started. “I– I didn’t really expect to wake up and become a horse today,” she said. She took another breath, and continued, “I’m obviously glad I’m not dead, but I wasn’t ready for all of this.” She let out a nervous laugh, and then sighed.
“Well I don’t know what a human is,” Misty told her, extending a hoof, “but I’ve been a pony all my life, and I have to say, there’s nothing better.” Candlelight took the offered help to stand up, and then took another breath to fully regain her composure.
“I guess I get to be the judge of that,” she replied, “since I’ll have been both. I wonder what this is gonna mean for my wife and kids though…”
“I bet they’d move in with you if you asked Princess Celestia,” Misty Rose suggested. “Your house looked big enough, I think.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Candle Light nodded. She wasn’t quite sure about that just yet, but she didn’t see why not for the future, since she was obviously here. So long as this wasn’t some sort of trick, although she didn’t see any way how it could be. She hoped she would get to see them soon either way.
“Since you helped me with all that stuff and went shopping for me,” the mare started, moving on, “did you want to get dinner soon? I don’t really know what kinds of things horses eat, but I used to cook dinner for my family every night before I got cancer, so I could probably come up with something.”
“Sure!” Misty Rose smiled. “Or even better, I can invite you over to my house and you can meet my family! It’ll be fun!”
“Sounds good to me,” Candle Light agreed. “But not yet. I wanna take in the beach for a little while.”
She turned around again and walked along the sand before heading into the water, taking in all of the familiar sensations in new ways.