//------------------------------// // Chapter Four: Rebirth: Summer // Story: A Gentle Breeze of Change // by kwr2k13 //------------------------------// Chapter 4: Rebirth: Summer The sheets that covered William rustled as he moved and shifted under the covers. All through the night, William’s body continued to change, only at a much more rapid pace. His body slowly began to diminish in size as it became more equine-esque. He woke the next morning, feeling the great call of nature. He threw the covers off to the side and sprinted into the restroom. Quickly lifting the seat, he released, but with unexpected in-accuracy. a loud splash sounded, prompting a look down to see that he missed. Upon further inspection, it was no wonder she missed. She stood still for a moment, completely in shock of recent developments, or retrogressions from the night before. The blaring silence left in the room said it all. William peered down to her nether-regions, taking note of a blue and teal shadow movement behind her. She bent down further, and looked between her legs to notice that she had… A TAIL! Her head went straight up, and then quickly turned to look behind her. A tail, her tail, swished back and forth before stopping. She grasped it, taking in the softness of the hair. "Who or what am I?" The new girl stammered in her quiet, scared voice. She fell to her haunches in confusion and sadness as she looked at her blue-green Cutie Mark, which had begun to darken a bit in contrast to her light grey fur. She then pulled her tail towards her, feeling the strands of each of the individual hairs, the action slowly calmed her. Then she did the same with her mane. The strange light grey fur was slowly creeping over her legs and rump, making her realize the changes were not done yet. Her giant turquoise eyes were now framed by thick dark lashes, and her long light blue-green mane looked a mess. Somehow, it felt right. "Ugh, I got bed man- head! I'd better take a shower and see what else happened." The young half-human, half-equine could easily pass as a cosplayer, but in truth, she wanted nothing more than to lie back in bed and bawl her eyes out. Entering the shower carefully to prevent tripping on her new hooves, she finished her morning rituals (as best she could). Washing the longer mane, and tail to boot, took much more time than expected, as did the soft light grey fur on her legs and hindquarters, which soon was cleansed by the shampoo, coming in nicely. The shower felt invigorating as the warm water flowed over her body and still forming wings. Once she towel-dried off, she noticed her blue green west wind Cutie Mark perfectly fit her coat to a tee. She was unfamiliar with female (and equine!) anatomy, yet… it felt right. She decided she would have to maintain her cleanliness and respect this body's unique features, such as the wings, mane, tail, and the hooves. Sighing, she whispered, “Why me?” She then thought of a new identity. She was no longer William Weston. What would her siblings think if they saw her in this state of transition? She decided to call Charlie and report, really just vent out, her new changes. After dialing Charlie’s number as best she could before her fingers would become her front hooves, she held her cell phone to her new equine ear which was much higher on her head, and waited with baited breath for her sister to answer. “Um,” Charlie said after finally answering her phone, “William, I have hooves!” William heard the news about the hooves from her sister, “I have hooves as well and... wings.” She wanted to avoid talking about the gender change, but her new voice betrayed the fact that she was no longer a male, and, though her voice didn’t project it, no longer human. “William… what happened to your voice… please don’t tell me that.. um…” Charlie sounded scared, but she trailed off before she finished her sentence. William sighed, “I guess I’m your sister now. And, I’ll probably have to change my name. I don’t know what to do. I have no job and I’m in a body I’m not familiar with. Can you come over and bring some clothes? None of my old clothes fit me. Or maybe call Jennifer and Aaron? Just… please… help...” William wasn’t able to finish her entire sentence before she broke out in sobs, and dropped the phone. “William!” Charlie shouted worriedly through the phone, “Stay there, I’m coming over, right now.” Then she hung up. William heard her sister’s frantic cry and report that she would be coming over. What would she do when she arrived and saw this person that was formerly a male in the current state she was in? She would find out soon enough when Charlie arrived. She thought about calling Jennifer and Aaron, and did so. Family sticks together, no matter what form they take. Perhaps Jennifer and Aaron were going through the same thing, as they both reported those Cutie Marks that Charlie mentioned a couple days ago. William sat on the couch, and stared at her hind hooves. Compared to the rest of her new body, they looked out of place and were somewhat cumbersome. The tail switched to and fro in response to her current emotional state. She hoped that when Charlie arrived, she would be able to… somewhat... explain what had happened. As William waited for Charlie and Aaron to arrive, she decided to reach out to Jennifer next. Perhaps she was going through the same issues? She had a Cutie Mark, just like the one depicted in the necklace and on her thighs. She dialed the number before her fingers began to feel numb. “Wh-what!” William was so confused, that her fingers started to shake. The phone seemed to grow so small that it would slip between her fingers like water, as it did. After she picked the phone up, she waited for her sister to pick up. “Hello?” Jennifer groggily said over the phone. She had just woken up from her sleep when her brother called her. It was about 9:00 A.M. when she answered her cell phone.William heard Jennifer’s voice on the other end of the phone. “Jennifer? I need help...It’s William-” William was then interrupted by his/her sister. “William? What happened to your voice? You sound like my girlfriend from college.” Jennifer interjected, sounding more confused than ever. “I’m sorry about my voice sounding different. Something happened this morning! I think I am turning into a pony!” The female anthro-equine’s voice sounded rather panicky. She hoped that Jennifer would help a family member in need. "Charlie said she was going through the same thing. She has a rose-colored mane and tail, as well as hooves and a light green coat." William added, providing her sister with vital information about the rate of ponification that was going on. "Have you heard from Aaron? I'm getting worried." “Aaron… Of course! He would know what to do! He was always the most responsible!” William said, smiling widely through the phone. “I’ll be right back-” “Don’t you dare hang up before telling me why you sound like a girl!” Jennifer yelled at her “brother.” “Oh… um… that…” William hesitated. “Well, um, you see, um…” “Just tell me,” Jennifer said softly through the phone. “I, well,” William sighed, “I am a girl.” “Wait… what!” Jennifer’s voice was exasperated. “Allow me to explain, Winter...I mean...Jennifer.” William sighed, still getting used to her new voice. “Remember when we all received those Cutie Marks that Charlie mentioned?” “How could I forget,” she replied, her voice dripping with scorn, “That’s what started this whole mess.” William continued, looking back at her wings, “Well, Charlie reported having back hooves, a tail and a mane, as well as her eye color had changed. Mine did as well. What about you? Do you have a blue mane with a white coat?” “Ummm… how did you know that?” Jennifer asked, curiously. “I would say you pranked us all, but… why would you prank yourself?” William blinked. How had she known that. “Well I’m glad you have come to the conclusion it wasn't me. Anyways, I don’t know how I knew what you looked like. It’s just that the ponies we are becoming have a distinctive color scheme and are Pegasi.” Just as William was about to reply, someone began to knock on his/her door. Thinking that it was probably some salesman, she ignored it. However, the knocking gradually increased into banging. “Jennifer, not to sound rude, but someone’s at my door. Can I call you right back?” Sighing, she hung up and went to open it. She sighed again as she threw on a blue bathrobe to cover her modesty, and went to answer the door. She wondered it it was Charlie or Aaron. To her surprise, she found one of her rather close co-workers, a man named John, wearing a motorcycle helmet for some reason. “Oh hey, William! I thought you were dead or something, since you didn't come to work yesterday. I mean, there was this huge storm thing, and you weren't there! Boss thought you had resigned or something, but I know that isn't true, since you love your job. So, I came over to check on you. Glad you’re still alive and...wait. You've dyed your hair?” He asked, finally stopping the onslaught of questioning to stare at the oddly colored hair of the former weather reporter. William looked at John, and shook her head, “No, John! First of all, I did not dye my hair, and I was fired from my job. Secondly, I don’t think I am myself anymore, as you can clearly hear and see.” At this time, William revealed herself to John, wearing a blue bathrobe and sporting a light blue-green mane, a matching tail, and light grey back hooves, which were making her unable to stand on for long periods of time. Her proto-wings itched as they were covered by the robe, and her light grey pony ears shifted towards every sound. Her turquoise eyes shone brightly as she tried to talk to John. “Something strange is going on with myself and my family, John. Have you found a strange mark on your legs?” “Oh, okay then. In case you feel sad though, remember: you’re not alone!” The rather eccentric man replied, gleefully taking off his motorcycle helmet, revealing to William the reason why he was wearing it-to cover two pony like ears that were barely visible in his now blue-light blue-blue hair. “At first I thought this was some kind of prank, with some weird tattoo of three clouds on my leg. Then these showed up, and I thought you had something to do with it, seeing that you didn't come for work. But since you have them too, I guess it’s not. Wait! What we’re becoming horse-men or something? If we do, can we go buy a cave and live in it?” William shook her head again and smiled, “Uhm, I’m not really a man anymore. I think the term is mare, as in a female horse. And, I am going to call myself Summer Breeze, or Summer. I think this is the name of the pony I’m becoming. You know, from the My Little Pony; Friendship is Magic show?” The newly renamed Summer looks over at John, blushing slightly. “So, who are you becoming? Come on in, by the way. My sisters will be here soon, and we can discuss what to do next.” “I think I’m becoming this pony called Aqua Splash, or something. It’s kind of freaky too, since I don’t know why I’m so happy at this.” Her colleague John replied, running his fingers through his mane. Summer nodded, “Aqua Splash? Why does that name sound familiar? Is that a stallion or a mare’s name?” The pony/human hybrid asked John, looking at her fingers, seeing that the nails on her middle finger was starting to grow out a bit. “Well, I’m definitely becoming a mare, since I woke up without my balls today.” John replied, his face blushing bright red from embarrassment. Summer hugged John warmly. She sensed a kindred spirit in the only co-worker from her previous job who cared to show up to talk with her. “Don’t worry, Aqua Splash! My sisters and I will help you through this. I’ll call them right now before my front hooves grow in. You may have a seat on the couch in the mean time.” She then paused as she began to look for her siblings’ contact information on her phone. She took the time to look at John’s mane and ears with a confused look on her face. Something familiar about John's mane color looked familiar to her. “Did I just call you ‘Aqua Splash’? I thought your name was John.” Summer’s memories of working with Aqua Splash in Cloudsdale kept creeping in as she dialed the number of one of the three siblings. As Summer waited for Charlie to arrive at her house, the former weather reporter decided to confide in Jennifer, her older sister. Perhaps she, like the other siblings, would be able to help. Summer dialed Jennifer’s number before her fingers felt like they were numb. She hoped her new voice would not startle her sister as the phone rang. Jennifer, unlike what Summer expected, was not at all startled by the call. In fact, she was almost to the point of getting impatient waiting for it. She didn't know why she had the feeling that something was wrong, but she did. Itching to figure out what this weird feeling was, and somehow knowing her sister would have an answer, she had the phone picked and to her ear before the first ring had even ended. “Little sis? Is something wrong? She asked. A finger tapped impatiently on her thigh, an annoyed glance at the door. Summer sighed, “Jennifer, I am so sorry I hung up on you. My friend, John, from work, showed up. He’s becoming a pony as well. He’s really tired, so he is in the guest room, taking a much deserved rest. What do I do?” “You are kidding me, right?” Jennifer asked. She began to pace. “What is it with this? I am just so confused!” She let out a little huff of aggravation, and then, was once again tapping her fingers. “Take care of him for now, I guess. There is not much else to do.” Summer nodded, “Okay, can you come over when you have some free time? I think my back is starting to itch, my back hooves are making it very uncomfortable to walk, and I have light grey fur all over my legs.“ Summer began to feel an itch in her back; this was due to the beginning of her wings starting to sprout. “You aren't the only one…”, Jennifer muttered. She absently scratched an itch on her own back. “Well...let’s see...I am free right now...I will be right over.” Jennifer snatched the keys to her car and practically sprinted out of her house, almost forgetting to lock it in her haste. She hopped in her car, and starting it up, sped away to her sister’s home. “On my way, sis.” Summer looked out the window, waiting for signs of her sister’s arrival. If anyone, or anypony would be able to help John/Aqua Splash, it would be her sister. She also contemplated calling Charlie, the youngest of her siblings, and the eldest sibling, Aaron, and find out how far they were progressing with their changes. Summer played with her necklace around her neck, seeing it looked better on her new body than on her old one. The necklace was a part of the Seasonal Celebration Collection. The necklaces were a gift for each of her siblings, each adorned with the Cutie Mark of her sisters. Jennifer parked her car in front of Summer’s home, and then dashed inside. Unable to help it, the first comment that slipped out of her mouth when she saw her sister was unintentionally hurtful. “Still wearing that Devil object, I see…” Realizing what she just said, she slapped a hand over her mouth. “S-sorry...too much going on...and when do you think all this stuff started happening?”, she said. Sighing, she walked over to the table and sat down. “So what do we do now?” Summer rubbed her head with her right hand. “Well, I think it was the birthday party or the fact we each earned a Cutie Mark, as Charlie called them. I lost my job around two days ago, and I ended up becoming your sister. You can call me Summer now. At least that’s the name of the pony I am becoming. And the itchy back, I think we are Pegasi.” Summer headed over to give her sister a hug and show the changes to her body. “It is so hard to walk on these hooves, sis. Besides the Cutie Mark, my eyes are now turquoise, and I have a blue green mane and tail. My ears are on the top of my head, and I have hooves. I have also become your younger sister. You are okay about that, right?” “As strange as it is...I guess. I mean, it’s not like we can do much about it. Why not just embrace it?”, Jenn said, and hugged Summer back. “You know, it is the strangest thing, I began to draw these...winter scenes...in a place that I don’t know, but at the same time, seems so familiar. It started with these transformations. Is it at all possible that we aren't just transforming and changing, but completely taking over the lives of the ponies we are changing into? Like, we are them, not just look a likes? Their lives are now ours to deal with?” Jenn scowled and stared off into space. “I swear...when I find out who did this…” She mocked strangling something, with very disconcerting ferocity and seriousness. Summer accepted the hug from her sister and smiled, “Yeah, I mean, who is going to hire a Pegasus to help keep track of severe weather? We used to do that back in Equestria, right?” “We did? I don’t even know that well. The memories haven’t come yet, I guess. You are farther in your transformation than just about all of us, so it reasonable to say that you are going to be the first to get your memories from Summer.”, Jenn said. She spaced out for a second, deep in thought. “Perhaps...perhaps we could use the memories to find out who did this, and see if we can reverse it.” A pause and a sigh of cluelessness. “That is, if we even want to change back when these damn changes finish.” Summer smiled and looked at her phone. “I just received a text from Charlie. She’s becoming a pony named Spring Breeze. She’s our youngest sister. She could use our help. And, Aqua Splash, the former supervisor of the Cloud Factory in Cloudsdale, where we were formerly employed prior to Discord’s attack, showed up at my door. She is sleeping in the guest room. She’s started to drink and I don’t know how to reach out to her.” Summer shrugged, “I really don’t know. I think these Cutie Marks and those necklaces are a clue of some sort. The centerpieces match our Cutie Marks, and I think we were once these Pegasi sisters. It would make sense, right? I have wings, pony ears, and my tail matches my mane color.” “Once, you say? I have a hard time believing that. Wouldn’t we have memories of at least being turned into humans, if not earlier back? Besides, these necklaces,” Jenn lifted up her own, and shook it in Summer’s face, though not in a rude manner. “They might mean nothing. What if it is just coincidence, which I highly doubt, or what if it is a ruse to lead us in the wrong direction? All I am saying is that...well...I am not saying that much. I am just ranting.” Jenn sighed and sat down. “I hope when this is all over, we like what happens, for better or worse.” Summer heads over and gives her sister a hug. “Have you heard about this spell Discord cast on the ponies called the Five Score, Divided by Four? The first victims were the Princesses and the six local heroes who bear the Elements of Harmony. The other ponies who got in the way, such as the younger foals and us came later. I guess we were that much of a threat to Discord.” Jenn looked up at Summer, and cocked her head in confusion. “Whe...where in the world did you learn that? Spell? Who is Discord? This is just...gah!” Jenn clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to calm herself, to put herself in a clear frame of mind. “So let’s assume that is what happened. Let’s assume we had a cur...spell cast upon us to turn us into humans. You say princesses and, what was that, Elements of Harmony? If we were all affected by this spell, where are those others? I am still confused how you came to that conclusion in the first place.” Jenn scowled. “Don’t bother answering right now. We are getting nowhere. We need to get outside, do something. Anything to take my mind off of-” Jenn threw her hands in the air dramatically as she got up. “Everything.” Summer smiled, “I agree. I am going to ask Charlie/Spring to come with us. We can go get something to eat, and have a girls day out. But first, I need to get some clothes. I’m not going out looking like I just got out of bed.” She went to pick up some clothes Charlie/Spring brought over. Having a younger sister who works in a clothing store was one of the perks to this whole family bonding. After looking more presentable in a pair of blue jeans, a nice long sleeved light blue-green shirt, Summer went over to hug Jennifer. “Well, I’m ready to go. I have hooves instead of feet, so I guess I don’t need shoes, unless you want me to find some custom shoes that fit over my hooves. And, I have pony ears and a tail, as well as wings. I look like a cosplayer.” She said, gesturing to her ears, tail, and wings. “Charlie has her wings, mane, tail, and ears, and you do as well. There are four of us; Autumn, Winter, Summer, and Spring. I think that’s what we used to be called back in the land of ponies.” “The tail, and the mane shouldn’t be hard. Nor should the wings. Would you happen to have any hats to hide the ears? You may embrace this stuff, but for now, I am not the biggest fan of it.” Jenn asked. She began to tap her finger on her hip again, a very obvious nervous habit. Summer nodded and looked around her room for some sort of hat or cap to cover her ears to avoid scrutiny. After finding a light blue green cap, she placed it over her ears and then presented herself to her sister. “Just to let you know that I will be here for you when we end up back as Pegasi. We will have to relearn to fly again. That will be just a few of the challenge we will face. Another will be eating right. I guess since ponies are herbivores, we can safely say we cannot eat meat.” Summer nodded and looked around her room for some sort of hat or cap to cover her ears to avoid scrutiny. After finding a light blue green cap, she placed it over her ears and then presented herself to her sister. “Just to let you know that I will be here for you when we end up back as Pegasi. We will have to relearn to fly again. That will be just a few of the challenges we will face. Another will be eating right. I guess since ponies are herbivores, we can safely say we cannot eat meat.” “Well, I am not a big meat eater anyway, so that’s taken care of.”Jenn said. She shrugged, and walked toward the door. “Let’s go. I am getting claustrophobic.” God...I really hope that I am at least somewhere private when I complete this transformation. Jenn got shivers as thoughts of the stares when, right in the middle of public, she was just suddenly a pony. Summer nods, and heads out with her sister for lunch, her wings and tail twitching as she locks up. “I found a hat to match my mane color. I hope this is fine to go out in, unless we have to remove our hats when we go to the restaurant. Maybe we can have a girl’s day out; just between sisters.” Jennifer smiled at the idea. It was a good change from the panic and stress from all that had been going on. She reached down and held her sister’s hoof. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Summer gave her sister a hug as her front hands began to slowly change into grey front hooves. “Uhm, Jennifer, I am not sure if I am going to be able to hold silverware with my new hooves. But, I am glad you are open to having lunch with me. Perhaps we should ask Charlie and Aaron to come with us. I’m sure they are going through the same thing.” Summer then mentioned to John/Aqua Splash about her siblings. “Aaron, Jennifer, and Charlie, my siblings, each have a Cutie Mark of the pony they are becoming. They are becoming my sisters, Autumn, Winter, and Spring, respectively. Jennifer and Charlie are coming over for a lunch date. You feeling okay?” Summer explained to John/Aqua Splash as she waited for one or more of her siblings to pick up the phone. Thank goodness for conference calling. "Hey, can I use your bed?" John asked Summer, making his way into the guest room. Although he had slept for a pretty long time last night, he somehow felt like he was awake for 48 hours straight. The last time he remembered being this tired was after Hurricane Katrina hit. Summer nodded, “Yes, you may use the bed in the guest bedroom. You look like you could use some rest. I’ll show you to my bedroom.” She then attempted to walk on her hind hooves, which made her back hurt with each step. Only by lowering to all fours did this allow Summer’s back pain to alleviate somewhat. To his horror, John could no longer control his fingers to open the door knob. "My god! Pas mes mains!" He whined. Summer sighed and removed her bathrobe to discover her entire hind quarters were covered by a light grey coat, which by now had covered up to her waist. Her blue-green tail swished to and fro as she aided her friend to the bedroom as best she could. “My fingers are starting to fuse, John. I think we are not humans anymore. I even have wings.” She turned to show John/Aqua Splash the beginning of her light grey wings. “If you are a Pegasus, you’ll have a pair of wings as well.” Finally, John managed to twist the knob by swinging his hand on it. By then, the brass ball seemed incredibly tiny in comparison to his hands. "Mien God! This is like a nightmare! Are you sure I'm not high on crack or something?" He asked Summer, feeling two lumps of something attached to his back. Immediately after that, (s)he flopped onto the bed and fell asleep. Summer placed a blanket over John and a pillow under his/her head. She softly gave her friend a hug and left the sleeping new Pegasus to her beauty rest. Summer then went to dial the number of her siblings, hoping to give them an update on her newest arrival and her condition. During John/Aqua Splash’s sleep, he/she had a dream, in which she was back in Equestria, or more specifically, the Cloud Factory in Cloudsdale. "Hi, Aqua!" A cream colored Pegasus greeted the supervisor as she made her daily rounds around the weather factory. Nodding in reply, she continued to head towards her destination-the cloud production area of the facility. Apparently, Aqua Splash was the main supervisor of the Cloud Factory, which meant she was in charge of monitoring the water levels and cloud formations for the week’s weather in Ponyville. It was here that the light blue Pegasus felt truly happy. When she was young, her parents-both unicorns had wanted her to be a dentist or something. But, after a trip to tour the factory, Aqua was pretty convinced that she made the right choice. Besides, all of her friends worked here, so why not? She thought. Today however, was different. Firstly, Summer, her best friend, didn't show up, as well as her sisters; Autumn, Winter, and Spring. Secondly, rumor had it that Discord-the ever so famous god of chaos somehow managed to defeat all of the royal guards-save one squad - which managed to escape, as well as banishing the Elements of Harmony, as well as the Princesses - to some other world. Lastly, the weather was going crazy all around Equestria-that was all she cared about as of now. Opening the door, she was surprised to see that everything was functioning as it was supposed to be. Shrugging, she started to head back towards her office, when she realized that she could no longer move. "Was zum Tufel?" She exclaimed, noticing the telltale glow of Unicorn magic surrounding her. "Who the heck is there? Show yourself!" She demanded answers, and she wanted them now! Whatever it was, it definitely was not a Unicorn. She thought, fruitlessly trying to break free. As if on cue, a voice she dreaded exploded all around her. "Well well, lookie here!" It said, with a hint of menace. "It's the weather factory's supervisor! Hmm... What can I do?" "Discord! Let me go!" She demanded, glaring at his goat-head. But the god of chaos didn't seem to hear her. Instead, he produced a clipboard from thin air with a snap of his fingers. "Hmm... I have it!" Instantly, the wings on the Pegasus disappeared. "So, do you still want me to let go?" He asked, grinning like crazy. "Let me go!" The former Pegasus demanded. "Or else, I swear to god, Ich reiß dir den Kopf ab blutigen Ziege und Lamm-Eintopf machen mit ihm!" "Fine, have it your way, then!" He replied gleefully, releasing her. Now without her wings, Aqua couldn't do anything as she fell out of the factory's cloud. ----- John awoke with a violent jolt. Looking at the clock, it was almost six-o'clock, meaning that he had slept for eight hours straight. As he threw the blanket aside, he noticed to his horror that his hands and legs were gone and had turned into hooves, with light blue fur covering them. Another thing was that his shirt and pants were now several times too large. "What the heck is happening to me?" He asked himself, trying his best to take off his clothes. When he did he almost died of shock. His body, or HER body to be more accurate, was no longer of human-she was a now a fully complete Pegasus, wings and all. All this was too much for John/Aqua Splash. She felt her eyes start to water and within mere seconds, she started to bawl her eyes out. Summer had went to get something to eat, having munched on some carrots. She had prepared some apple slices and some vegetables for her guest when she heard sobbing coming from the guest bedroom. “Hello, Aqua Splash? You okay?” The new light grey Pegasus with the light blue green mane and tail poked her head into the room. Summer opened the bedroom door wide to reveal Aqua Splash was completely back to her old self. “Aqua Splash! You are awake! Why are you crying?” The former weather reporter-turned Pegasus hovered over to the bed and landed near her upset friend, “Looks like you can use a shoulder to cry on. Tell me what’s bothering you, okay?” "Booze! Give me beer or something! ANYTHING ALCOHOLIC!" Aqua demanded, her mood instantly changing. Summer face-hoofed, shaking her head, “I am sorry, Aqua. There is no alcohol here in the house. I have a younger sister to look after. It would be irresponsible if Spring started to drink.” "Mein Gott. Ich werde Ihnen zeigen wo." The depressed Pegasus mumbled. With that, she somehow produced a bottle of Scotch from thin air and started taking big gulps from it, savoring the burning sensation in her mouth. "How did you?" Summer asked, looking at the light blue Pegasus in awe. "I thought only Pinkie Pie could do that?" "Long story, my friend. Ah, actually no, heh heh. She taught me how." She replied, her speech becoming more slurred with each gulp. "Want to try some? 70% alcohol. Ich good suf mi freund." Summer politely declined the offer. “I’m sorry, Aqua. I don’t drink. And, there are better ways to deal with your problems besides drinking them away. Right now, you need to get yourself healthy again, starting with this breakfast!” Summer offered some apple slices, oatmeal, and other pony foods. “Since we cannot eat meat anymore, we have to start eating better.” "Gah. Screw PETA!" She grumbled unhappily, taking another swing of the viscous amber colored liquid. "I miss Burger Shot." She muttered as she ate an Apple slice, releasing a loud belch in the process. “Let me tell you something, mein freund." Aqua continued, starting to sway ever-so slightly. "Did I ever tell you about my parents when we were human?" She asked Summer. The light gray Pegasus shook her head in response. "THAT'S BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY!" Aqua wailed, tears starting to form in her light-green eyes. "Not even when I was a pony. Reason being that they died in an accident during surgery! What do you think eh, that my full name was John Doe? A joke? NO! That was Discord's way of telling me that I would always be a no pony!" Taking another gulp from her bottle, she started to cry uncontrollably. "When I was human, I could remember nothing of this! I was truly happy, even though the Boss was a jerk. Not being able to remember that I was an orphan!" Summer went over and gave Aqua a hug. “You are not a no pony, Aqua! You have to remember who you really are; the supervisor of the Cloud Factory at Cloudsdale and my friend! Like it or not, we are in this together!” She sighs, continuing to hope to find the real Aqua Splash underneath all the sadness and alcohol. “I have called my sisters, and they should be here to help us. I told them I was helping an old friend who needs to find herself. That is what we are going to do, Aqua. Will you help me discover the real you?” Summer reached out to Aqua, hoping that with her sisters arriving soon, they would get Aqua back on her hooves and alcohol free. "Yeah, yeah. Look, let me finish my Scotch or whatever you call it first. Then, you can inspire me with whatever you're going to say to me when your soeurs-no, sisters arrive." She shot back, taking another swing from her bottle. "The rest is for later." Aqua Splash mumbled, screwing the cap back on and throwing her drink onto the bed, she tried to walk away from Summer. However, due to her not using her hooves for years (and under the influence of alcohol) she failed miserably and fell face first onto the floor, not before becoming tangled up in her hooves and somehow, falling asleep again. "How did you do that?" Summer demanded, looking at her drunken friend. Sighing, she started to drag the light-blue Pegasus back onto the bed. Once she made sure Aqua Splash was safely in bed, Summer silently closed the door behind her and went to check on her sister’s progress. If anyone could see the bright side of this situation, it would be Charlie. There was a somewhat frantic knock at the door and a panicked half yell to accompany it. “William! I’m here!” she said and knocked on the door a bit longer waiting for a response. Summer heard her younger sister’s voice calling to her, and went the best she could with back hooves to the door. “Hold your horses, sis! I’m coming! You know, it’s hard to walk with hooves….” Summer grumbled as she opened the door as best she could. What Charlie saw before her was a young woman with light grey hind hooves, a light blue-green mane and tail, as well as the light grey fur on her body. Most of her was covered by her blue bathrobe, which hid the wings that were developing underneath. “Charlie? Is that you?” The former weather reporter-turned pony hybrid said in a questioning tone. Charlie let out a gasp and covered her mouth with her hands, dropping the bag she was carrying to the ground as she looked at her sister with wide eyes. She nodded and asked “Is that you, William?” William, or Summer, as she called herself now, looked down at her feminine body, then back at her sister’s appearance. “Do I sound and look like a guy to you?” She was also wearing the necklace she got for herself, which contained her Cutie Mark; a light blue green wavy west wind symbol. “W-well not really. But you just look so, different!” She almost whispered, a few tears beginning to well up in her eyes as she walked over and took Summer in a warm embrace. Charlie soon began to lightly cry into her shoulder. William was taken back at the embrace, but began to hug her sister back. “I know, Spring. I think we are becoming our old selves again. You remember our sisters, yes? Autumn, you, me, and Winter. They all are coming back. I even found our old supervisor. Sadly, Aqua’s not feeling quite herself lately, so she’s sleeping in the guest bedroom. And please, you may call me Summer now.” She looked up and sniffled a bit and began to speak, “I, guess I do kind of remember them. Are they all doing alright? Has anyone ran into a lot of trouble? What’s wrong with Aqua?” She began spewing questions one after another, her panic helping out a little to make her mind work this haphazardly. Summer hugs her younger sister again, rubbing her back, and feeling her wings, “Ah, you worry way too much, sis. First of all, your wings are starting to grow in. We are Pegasi, the high-fliers of Equestria. Sadly, this is not our homeland, as Discord sent us here in exile to live our fake lives.” She sighed and continued, “Second of all, Jennifer is becoming Winter, our elder sister, and that leaves Aaron, who is becoming Autumn. I just got off the phone with both of them, and they will be here soon.” She looked to the door to where Aqua Splash was sleeping. “Aqua Splash was really tired when she arrived. I sent her to bed early, and woke her up to get her something to eat when I discovered my hind hooves had formed, and it’s getting hard to walk on two legs.” She then demonstrates her discomfort of her bipedal stance by descending to all fours, taking the pressure off her wings and back, “Ah, that feels more better on my back.” Spring calms down and stops crying, her breathing at a normal pace once again as she regains her composure and begins thinking clearly again, but eying Summer a bit oddly. “Okay, despite all of that, everything sounds under control for the moment. I need to take a bit of time to think about it all though, in the meantime,” she stopped for a brief moment to step back and grab her bag and carry it in. “Here’s some, stuff that you can use while you're, you know…” She said with a bit of a blush and handed the bag to Summer, trying not to dwell upon the fact that she was letting her former brother wear her feminine clothing instead of Summer just using her own. Summer looked into the bag and saw some clothes that would fit her better. “You brought some clothes for me, sis? You shouldn’t have! Thank you so much! I just need help, though. I’m not familiar with how my new body would look.” She then gives Spring her necklace. “You forgot your necklace, sis. Happy Birthday!” The necklace in question was gold and had Spring’s Cutie Mark; a sun in front of a red rose as its centerpiece. “Awww! Thank you!” She thanked Summer and gave her another big squeeze before she began to explain a few things. “And about your new look, well, since you probably don’t want to look too girly, you could just style your mane in a simple way that doesn’t draw too much attention. You don’t really need to worry about clothes; I tried to pick the most non-girly things I could find to give you. Other than that, you don’t really have anything you need to worry about for the moment.” Summer gets hugged by her sister and feels her wings getting squished, “My wings! Watch the wings!” She disrobes to turn to look at her wings, which had been growing in nicely. “Wow, my wings are the same color as my fur on my legs. That’s pretty cool, huh?” “Sorry!” She said sheepishly and looked at her sister’s elegant wings that looked very pretty, despite not being fully developed. “Those are pretty cool come to think of it! I wonder what mine are like,” she trailed off and turned her head, lifting the back of her shirt a bit to look at her wings for the first time since the transformation had begun. Summer smiled as she saw Spring check out her light sea green wings, “Your wings are the same as they were when that Discord character banished us all here. You remember that party at Sugar Cube Corner, right? Pinkie Pie invited us to our birthday party and he was there. Somehow, every pony; Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Pinkie Pie, and the other party ponies were sent here to Earth to live as humans. I guess we aren’t human any more.” “Hmm. Now that you mention it, I do actually remember some of that party. It started out really good with Pinkie Pie’s scrumptious treats and fantastic games! Then Discord said he was going to give us presents and…” A look of clarity appeared on her face before it was replaced by a pout, along with Spring crossing her arms in disapproval. “That big meanie! Why would he do that? How could he do that!?” She said, a bit flustered. Summer shook her head and gave her sister a side hug, “Discord betrayed us, Spring. I heard he even turned on Princess Celestia and Luna. That is just pure evil!” She then smiles, “Just think, when this is all over, and we are back to our old selves again…. We will train to fly once again and invite all our pony friends to help us. Even our sisters. I am sure there are others like us whom Discord had sent here. Aqua Splash, for one, is here now. She needs our help to stop drinking. I told her I didn't want to set a bad example for my little sister.” “That’s sounds like a plan. So where is Aqua anyways? Is there anything I can do to help her?” She asked hopefully, wanting to do something helpful for her older sister. Summer smiles, “Yes, we can either lecture her about the dangers of alcoholism, or we can sing her a song.” A smile slowly creeps onto Spring’s face as she begins rubbing her hands together as if forming a devious plan. “I think we should sing to her! But, if that doesn't work then I guess we could lecture her afterwards, but still, I like the song idea much better!” Summer nods, “Well then, we have a sick pony on our hooves. Let’s see if she’s up for a visitor.” She then heads over to the guest room, and opens the door quietly, revealing the sleeping form of Aqua Splash. Summer places a finger to her lips and then enters the room, “Aqua Splash? You feeling any better?” She says softly, “My sister Spring’s here to help you. I am sorry you are not feeling well, but we are here to help….with a song.” "Okay, whatever. Have you seen my Scotch or whatever it's called?" The drunken Pegasus mumbled. Summer looked over to her sister and shrug, “I don’t think you will be needing to drink. Spring and I are here to help you stop drinking. I know you aren't yourself yet, but if you will allow us to help you quit drinking, you can be the supervisor you once were back in Cloudsdale.” "Yeah, here's something. I don't remember crap about Clouds and weather. Only that I always wanted to go to...Dubi? Or was it called Dubai? I don't know. Maybe you ponies can help me by singing me something about Dubai." Aqua relied, still not yet back to her senses. "Anyway, don't worry about me. I mean seriously, when can I ever get a chance to drink again? Not even when my parents died did I get a chance. Oh and another thing-who's the human?" Summer smiled, “Oh, this is my little sister, Charlie...or Spring Breeze. She’s actually going through the same changes as me and my other sisters. Pretty soon, we will become the ponies we once were.” The light grey human-pony hybrid said, indicating her younger sister, who was sporting a rose colored mane and tail and a sea green coat with light purple eyes. "Lucky you then. Enjoy being human while you can. Tell me when you girls finish with your stuff and end up like me. I've got more drinks. Brandy, beer, wine and others." The light blue Pegasus replied, barely able to sit up straight. Summer looked over at the poor Pegasi in the bed, “Aqua, you don’t have to be alone anymore. We are your friends, and you know what a true friend does for another?” She smiles, looking over at her sister warmly, “Follow my lead, sis.” Summer begins to sing a song; A true true friend helps a friend in need to see the light, that shines from a true true friend! Aqua Splash needs our Help! She’s trying hard doing what she can. If she tries, just gives it a chance, She might find that she’ll start to understand! A True True Friend helps a friend in need; A friend will be there to help you see! A true true friend helps a friend in need, to see the light, that shines from a true true friend! “So Aqua, ready to stop drinking?” Spring asked hopefully, patting her hands to the beat of song in case their efforts did not yet succeed. What Summer didn't know was that Aqua's incessant drinking was due to the sudden flood of memories being hurled at her. To be more exact, the memory of the day her parents passed away. ~:~ “Aqua Splash, if I may have a minute with you." Her Grandmother had called for her during class. Looking at the teacher, who gave a nod, the filly followed the Mayor out of the school. The two had walked for quite a while before the Pegasus finally asked the elderly Unicorn about what she wanted to talk to her about. "I'm sorry to tell you-" her Grandmother began, pausing as to think of how to break the news to her. 'Was it better to tell the truth or lie to her?' She thought. In the end, she settled for the truth. "Listen Aqua," Her grandmother began again. "I'm really sorry to tell you, but your parents aren't coming back." She continued, fighting the tearing sensation in her eyes. 'Look at her, so happy as of now. Maybe it was a bad idea after all.' "What do mean 'not coming back'? Mommy and Daddy always comes back for me!" The light-blue filly shot back, before realising what the mayor meant. "No no no no no. They can't be dead can they? How can Doctors die in a hospital?" Aqua shot back at her, refusing to believe what she was saying. 'Besides, they were working in Canterlot, along with the other Doctor ponies. Surely they were saved by the other ponies!' "I-I wish that was true dear. B-but there was a terrible accident in the wing they were working in. Your parents had refused to leave to help save the other ponies. When they finally did however..." Her grandmother trialled off, not daring to look at the filly. "WHAT? THEY TRIED TO SAVE EVERYPONY AND THEY ENDED UP DYING?" The light-blue Pegasus wailed, tears welling in her eyes. "was zum Teufel falsch mit der Welt ist?" She cursed, smashing a hoof into a nearby tree, causing a crack to form in it's trunk. ~:~ Outside of her memories, tears had once again, started to stream down Aqua's face. Summer gives Aqua a hug, “Aqua, are...you, okay?” She looked over at Spring, then back at Aqua Splash. “Aqua, we are here for you. We are becoming ponies as well. We have wings, manes, tails, and ears, as well as these Cutie Marks, as my sister calls them.” The light-blue Pegasus gave Summer a weak smile. "Yeah. I'm okay. Just...give me an hour or so. Since y-yuo know, all the new memories that comes with my new body-they a-aren't really sugar-coated ones you know?" She replied weakly, barely coherent. Summer nodded, “Okay, Aqua. I’m going to have my sister get some clothes for me so I can look presentable. We will be back and we can discuss what’s going on. You are not alone, and we will get through this together.” "Yes. Go do your stuff. I'll be fine. Just let me get over w-with theesh damn memoriesss...and the new pony or Fegassuss body." Aqua reassured her friend, trying to sound cheerful about it. 'Provided that I don't pass out, or die from some unknown pony-liver or kidney problem from drinking too much' She thought to herself darkly, taking another swing.