//------------------------------// // episode 2 part 5: these hooves are made for trotting // Story: Conversion Bureau: St George // by kryxel //------------------------------// TCB:SG E2 P5: these hooves are made for trotting Story captured in a cage of digital paper and virtual ink by Kryxel. Afterwards, the story was trained to sit up nicely and give paws on command by Ray10k. Victor awoke to three ponies standing over him, looking at him with the kind of satisfaction one gets from a job well done. "So... Am I a pony now?" He asked, chuckling weakly. "Well, yes. I would say you are," Berry said with a large smile, "and a good looking stallion at that." "Oh?" Victor said while trying to stand up, but failing on account of a lack of experience at moving his new body. "Oh, yeah. New muscles. That’s weird. And, one two three, four legs..." Victor said, trying to stand up. It was strange, having to stand in a way that a human body could never do without some discomfort, and he had a little trouble adapting to the new ways his limbs responded to the commands his brain sent. “Just relax, your body knows the best way to get up and will gladly share that knowledge, if you let it,” the Doctor said. “True. Equestrian foals can usually stand or even walk, mere hours after birth,” Colgate added. Victor tried to relax, and found that indeed, his body would almost without input fold his legs below him, into a position that made getting up a lot easier than laying on his side would ever be. After a few more minutes of experimenting with his new legs, he managed to get up. He stood, shakily, but upright none the less. "So, where is the mirror? I think I saw one earlier." Colgate laughed. "Why is it that newfoals are so vain?" She giggled and rolled in a standing mirror from the hallway. Victor took a look in the mirror. He was greeted by the sight of a stallion with a short, white coat and a blue mane ending in a slightly messy tail. He experimentally closed one eye. The stallion in the mirror winked back at him. “Lookin’ good, fella!” Victor then noticed something about the face in the mirror. On the forehead, exactly in the middle, a short, white spiral, ending in a sharp point, peeked out of his mane. He was a Unicorn. "Wow, Unicorn... Never expected that," he grinned. "Well, now that you have had some time to explore your new body, I will leave you in the capable hooves of Colgate here. She will help you with walking, running, sitting, laying down, etcetera. Also, she will teach you some basic control over your magic, to prevent unfortunate accidents when your powers will start to develop. Berry and I need to talk about some medical stuff... Please excuse us," Doctor Whooves said while trotting out the door, Berry in tow. "Okay, uh, first things first I guess. As you have noticed, you now have four legs, and a body designed to use all of them to walk. And while it is true most foals can walk from birth, in the case of a newfoal a little guidance is needed since you learned to walk on only two legs so far. So, let’s get started by getting you up and running. Or at least up and walking. For the sake of ease, we’ll label each of your legs. Your left foreleg is one, right foreleg two, right hind leg is three, and your left hind leg is number four. Basically, any way of moving forward is done by moving your legs in order one, three, two four. Just try it. Ready? One, three, two, four, and one, three, two, four, and one, three, two, four, and one, three, two, four, and-" "STOP!" Victor said, his legs in a rather impressive knot. "Slow down please, I can’t do it at that speed yet." Colgate sighed, mumbling under her breath. "I swear, all humans ever do is slow down... Slow down Columbus, you can’t sail around the world! Slow down Galileo, you can’t see the world revolving around the sun! Slow down Einstein, atoms can’t be split! Always with the- are you finished yet?" Colgate said, looking at the newfoal who had finally managed to untangle his hooves. "Yeah. Now, where are we going?" "To the parking lot, to the side of the bureau. So you can practice walking and soon, trotting," Colgate said while walking towards the lot. "Right, I can do this... one, three, two, four. One, two- no, no, one, three, two, four. One, three, two, four..." Victor muttered, following the Unicorn outside. ----------- Five hours later. ----------- "That was just a fluke! No way you could have beat me already!" Colgate said with a smile. "au contraire, mon ami. I think I left you in the dust! You need some toothpaste and a good brushing now!" Victor said with a grin that threatened to split his face in half. "Oh, hardy hardy har. It was not my fault I was named after some brand of toothpaste from a world nopony knew of, up until first contact," she said, playfully bumping against him. "Now for a more serious discussion. Magic. Have a seat, my little pony. I will give you a glimpse of the arcane beauty that resides in both of these worlds. I will let you hear the Song of Harmony, that binds all that lives together. I, will teach you... Magic." They were in a small park, just down the hill on which the center was built. Colgate had stopped by the small man-made creek that ran through the park, and looked at the water, crystal clear thanks to the man-made miracles of chemistry and science. "I would not even think of drinking that if I were you," Victor said. "It may look clean, but that is only because of the chemicals they throw in it." "I was not going to drink it. It is just useful as an example, or as a test." She closed her eyes, and focused. Her horn started to glow with a soft, blue light, and soon a group of shapes rose up, out of the water, the centerpiece of the liquid statues being her cutiemark, an hourglass. "Magic... Like time and water, flows from its Source to wherever it has not reached yet. It flows across vast distances, from the Source to the Ley Lines of the Earth. As much as it may surprise you, planet Earth also has Ley Lines, and a Source. Humans have lost touch with both, long ago, and so the Lines and Source laid dormant, waiting, until a certain event occurred. The rise of Equestria caused the awakening of the Earth’s Source, which in turn reawakened the Ley Lines. However, even with Equestria trying to enter your world, the Lines needed more to truly awaken. Thankfully, they were given that. Someone, a human from Earth, tried to tap into the Ley Lines, fulfilling their awakening and reigniting the Magic of Earth. However, since the world had gone without magic for ages, the resulting wave of power was too much for this universe to handle, so it sought a way out. In the microscopic doorway to Equestria, it found a way out, tearing the gate open further and further, which is still happening as we speak. However, the point is that Magic flows, in Equestria as well as in this world. To use magic, you must tap into that flow. So! Your first assignment: Find a Ley Line, one of the points magic flows toward, and tap into that line. Tell me when you have done so. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She trotted away as Victor blinked. "A Ley Line? How the heck am I going to find a Ley Line? What do they even look like? Where do I begin to look?" His stomach growled. "Well, I guess I better start by finding something to eat." he started trotting towards the bureau, silently wondering if the food would taste differently now. ------ Victor trotted up to the kitchen, and smelled a scent he would have expected only to find in a true paradise. His sensitive nose picked up possibly THE best smell he smelled in his entire life. He looked and saw a smorgasbord of food, so delicious he doubted even his dreams could produce something so perfect. Hay, oats, cakes, cookies, daisies, sandwiches with tomatoes and lettuce. He could smell pears, bananas, kumquats, cherries and so many more fruits, the names of which were unknown to him. But, what he smelled and wanted most of all... was an Apple. He had heard rumors about these Apples. That they were the best and tastiest foods, ever to come from Equestria. Earth had not had apples for decades now. The last apple tree was, ironically, turned into propaganda pamphlets against apple consumption. He smiled as Mrs. Cake appeared behind the counter. "Oh, hello dearie. I see you have become quite the stallion, hmm? What can I get you? "Just an Apple," Victor said while nodding to the deep ruby red fruit. "Sure thing hon," she smiled as she passed one to him on a tray. Victor bit into it... and smiled. ///////////// Ray10k here. Let’s see... drama up to eleven? Check! Made Colgate look a little like a bitch? Check! Made a serious attempt at doubling the size of the chapter? Check! I, REGRET, NOTHING!!! (good job. hopefully i can keep writing to keep up your awesome speed ray.)