...It's always these first words that make the biggest difference. I've just never known what to say.Especially now.
Let me explain...I hope you have a bit of time, this might take a while.
Well, here it is, the telling of the day that my life changed forever.
Eye of Equestria, Chapter 1 - To Earn your Wings
It started out like any other day, or did it?... Yeah, it did.
Sorry, my memory of these early events are slightly hazy, I can remember everything that's happened science the incident though.
A boring day of a boring student in a boring school was just ending for what seemed like the 1,000th time that week.
I wasn't too the most social person in school to begin with, but if I had any important conversations that day I've forgotten all about them.
I can remember the walk back to my house.
I can remember turning the key to unlock the door.
But I can't remember anything else until I went to sleep. Except for one thing, I checked Equestria Daily and an episode of MLP before bed.
Yes, I watch MLP:FIM. I take pride in saying it. But, I'm getting off-topic.
I waited to fall asleep, not knowing what I would dream about. I never had any idea.
An avid Insomniac with not much to his name in the world, I didn't do too much before I fell asleep.
The digital clock read out a clear number - 11:15 PM.
I felt drowsy after the day's events, which I still can't remember.
I knew that it wouldn't be long before I fell asleep, so I thought to myself of the episode I had watched only a half-hour earlier.
It was good enough, but the star of the episode was really Rainbow Dash, my favorite pony of the Mane 6.
In my mind, she did all the awesome stuff and the other 5 watched in awe. I just didn't know that I would end up in this kind of position where you just-so-happen to become your favorite pony.
Yeah, I am Rainbow Dash, but more on that in a few seconds.
So, with the thoughts of the recent episode lingering in my mind, I ALMOST fell asleep.
Then, of course, something happened.
A strange Orange aura encased by body. Then it went from Orange to a dark blue. Then to a lighter Blue.
The energy was strangling me, almost threatening to crush my entire body.
But then, it formed around my body like a thin coating of paint.
A few thousand rapidly flashing colors went by before I noticed that I wasn't in my bedroom any more.
I was floating in a wierd, almost blank environment with nothing but a slowly approaching dark blue figure coming at me.
The figure was running-No, trotting toward me... Wait...
As it came closer, I recognized it as a horse.
But not just any horse, a pony.
And not just anypony, but Luna. The celestial entity that controlled the Moon.
She caught her breath and swallowed oxygen as if she was about to start shouting like a--
"YOU, BRAVE AND LOYAL AMONG HUMANS!!!YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO Inhabit the... " She started in a terrifyingly loud voice until she transgressed to a softer tone, then stopped completely.
I had been trying to shield my ears with my hands, but they didn't stop the shattering shouting.
"...I can't even get away with using the Royal Canterlot Voice to the chosen one?" she asked to herself in a softer, much quieter tone than before.
"Were you trying to deafen me!?" I shouted back, trying my best to match her previous volume.
She sighed, then breathed in again, not taking in enough to shout again.
"You, brave and loyal among humans, have been chosen to inhabit the body of the recently deceased Pegasus, Rainbow Dash." Luna said in a quiet, much too regular way.
"Wait... You don't sound anything like you did in any of the episodes... Why not?..." I asked. At this point, I would ask if I was dreaming, but my mind is a very forwardly and objectively thinking one. It wouldn't have messed up a single detail, but I still noticed this mistake.
"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" I asked bluntly.
"You ask that question far too casually." Luna answered "However, this is the first challenge cleared for you, Loyal among Humans. You show no fear. This proves you have courage enough."
The void around me slowly began to fade to a light blue, then the blue of the area around me transformed into a small sphere of the same color.
The sphere began to circle around my human body. I felt a sharp stinging pain all around my body.
I felt like I would pass out right there, but a seemingly hidden power in the back of my mind urged me to continue feeling the pain.
"Let the sphere enter you." Luna said.
At that point, it was getting to the point when I just wanted the pain gone. I let loose my grip on reality, and let whatever the pain was enter me.
Suddenly, it stopped.
Luna looked at me with amazement ."That's the fastest I've ever seen anypony let the light enter them.You must be experienced." she said.
A strange feeling in my legs averted my attention from Luna's voice. They seemed to be fading from pale Caucasian to the same color as the sphere, a light Cyan blue.
I looked back up at Luna."How am I supposed to be the only one you could choose to do this?There are plenty of other humans that would do much better than I would at filling Rainbow's spot...Speaking of that, what happened to her?" I asked.
"Well, she disappeared. I don't know anything other than that. My sister sent me to get the most loyal of Humans to fill the spot of the element of Loyalty.
I was paying attention to her voice, all the while my body was numbed by an odd feeling of re-formation. I did always wonder what a metamorphic rock felt like as it bieng re-formed.
"What if I can't do it, Luna?What if I can't be Rainbow Dash?" I asked.
"Don't doubt yourself. The skills that you need will come naturally to you. I know not your name, but I wish you luck." she answered.
I hadn't looked at myself in about a minute now, but it seemed that the transformation was nearly complete.
I looked back at Luna."Thanks..." I said simply as I felt myself bieng slowly lifted into the air by more of the strange orange energy.
I had only enough time to notice the wings on my back before I was treated to another seizure of rainbow of colors and teleported once again...
-----
I woke up in an unfamiliar area. I found myself in a bed of clouds that had somehow managed to keep itself in form.
I was getting the feeling that I was suspended in the air, and for once I didn't take too much notice. Usually I would have a hanging feeling in my stomach, but this time it just felt normal.
The room was almost bare, spare for the bed, a small lamp, and a poster advertising The Wonderbolts.
The poster claimed that they would be performing at the Grand Galloping Gala this year. In fact, the poster had the same date written down for another 5 years.
Then I remembered something important.
I felt my new body produce some kind of natural reaction, and I felt a small twinge in my back.
I looked at my back and was instantly amazed. Two cyan-blue wings were spread out from my back.
I self prompted myself to get out of the bed. I wasn't thinking too much though, and ended up smacking my new body onto the cloud based floor next to the bed.
".....Ow..." I muttered. I noticed almost immediately that my voice had changed to that of Rainbow Dash.
"This is kinda wierd...But I guess I could get used to it." I said happily
As I walked out the door of the room, I realized that I had forgotten the date.
"Hmm... Maybe I can find a calender somewhere." I told myself.
There were plenty of episodes, but I had no idea where I was in the current time-line, or if I was even in it at all.
Beyond the bedroom, a small kitchen area, made out of clouds like the bedroom. I guess it was no different than the rest of the house.
Then, I realized something else.
I'm Rainbow now. So, technically, this is my house.
I smiled at the thought. A entire house. All to myself.
Before, only on the lower side of being a teenager, I had to live in my parent's house.
Then, the third and most shocking realization.
I was starving.
Seeing as I was in the kitchen, I looked around for something to eat.
I found a 'to-do' list on the refrigerator.
It was blank spare for the words 'from Twilight' on the bottom.
"I'm not going to need a checklist. I've got a life to live here." I said proudly to myself.
I opened the refrigerator to a surprise... Nothing...
Well, I WAS surprised. Now I had no food. Great.
On second inspection, however, I noticed a small note.
'Rainbow, IOU - all the stuff in your fridge.
You're invited to Sugarcube Corner for lunch if you want to see what I made with it.
-Pinkie'
Yeah, didn't see that coming.
"Oh, Pinkie... If this is a dream, it's a pretty accurate one." I chuckled to myself.
I walked through another door to find a small bathroom.
A tub, already full of water, stood in front of me.
I looked in and immediately saw my face... Er, Rainbow's face.
Spot on, spare for some wavy lines lingering in the water.
While my new body was pretty awesome, I still didn't have any calendar, and no sense of current time.
For all I knew, I could have been in a time before Mare in the Moon.
Then, a faint knocking on the door.
"Rainbow!" an unfamiliar voice shouted at one of the only doors I hadn't checked yet, the one that I then guessed was the entrance to the floating home.
As for the voice, I had barely noticed the fact that it had uttered my new name.
"Just a minute!!" I called out to who ever it was as I left the bathroom and opened the door to see who was there.
Standing in front of the door was a Grey Mare with a blond mane and crossed eyes.
"I got you your mail." she said.
My mind thought only one thing.
'Derpy Hooves'.
"Hi." I said simply.
"I'm not sure who sent you this little package, but it's got a bit of fancy warping paper on it..." Derpy said as she reached into her mail bag and pulled out a small box wrapped in with simple blue wrapping paper.
Maybe it's fancy in Equestria...?...No, I've seen Rarity on the show enough to know that this is just a box.
"Well... Aren't you gonna open it up?" Derpy asked, her crossed eyes gleaming.
"Sure." I said as I attempted to use my hooves to open it up.
"... No, come on Rainbow. Stop foaling around." Derpy said as she picked it up in her mouth.
She just seemed to be wagging it around in her teeth though.
"Want any help?" I offered.
"No, wait, I got it." the postmare said as she fought the box with only her jaw.
Eventually, I just pulled it out of her teeth and the wrapping paper fell off.
"...There.Now you can find out what's inside." she said triumphantly.
I knocked over the cover of the box with my hooves to find that this wasn't really what I expected to see.
Then again, I should have seen it coming.
Two blueberry muffins lay inside the box.
Derpy had a wild-eyed look on her face when she said "Happy Birthday Rainbow!"
This would have been on a calender, if I'd found one. Still, nice to know.
She paused for a moment, creating an awkward silence.
"... Hey, because you have two, would you mind if I came in and we could both have one?" she asked.
"Typical Derpy." I chuckled."Of course. Come right in."
I brought her inside with me and we sat at a cloud crafted table in the kitchen.
"So, who's it been going?" I asked her as she dove into the muffin.
"Prhutty Ghoodh." Derpy said while chewing the muffin.
I took a bite of the other muffin. And, I have to say, it was actually pretty good.
"Did Pinkie make these?" I asked.
"Nope." Derpy said triumphantly."I made these by myself."
"Wow, they taste awesome!!Be sure to make some more of these soon." I said, smiling at the Pegasus at the other side of the cloud table.
"So, Rainbow, do you have any plans for today yet?" Derpy asked.
I thought about it for a moment.
"On one hoof, I do have 5 other ponies that probably really want to see me. Except maybe Rarity.I'd hate to see her definition of a birthday present." I laughed.
Derpy chuckled."No need to worry about Rarity. She's going to be in Canterlot for the next 3 days or so." Derpy explained.
"Okay then. in that case, Pinkie Pie left a note that says that I should go to Sugarcube Corner later. I also needed to go see if Twilight knows what day it is." I said.
"Rainbow, almost everypony knows the date. Hay, even I know what day it is. It's the 18th." Derpy answered.
I would ask of what month, but I guess I could care less.
"So, would you want to go down to Sugarcube Corner with me and see what Pinkie's doing with all my food?" I asked, laughing at myself.
Derpy's eyes seemed to roll back into place. Looking completely symmetrical... It just didn't seem natural for such a character that I had only seen with the eyes that she was named after bieng... Well, 'derped'.
"Sure. Let's go." she said as she walked out of the kitchen and out of the house.
She had her wings spread out wide, as if she was going to... Oh god no...
I just realized that I have to fly... Jeez, I must be really stupid.
Rainbow Dash = Flying + Speed.
I planted my right hoof into my face as I walked out of the door, bieng sure to close it as I exited.
I had no idea what to do. If I told her I couldn't fly, she'd know.
Suddenly I got one of the most impulsive ideas I'd had in a long time.
I spread my wings out and prepared to fly.
"Race you there!!" I added as I took off.
Part of me thought I'd plummet to the ground, the other part of me just wanted to fly.
In the beginning, It was just falling. I was able to make it look like flying until I was able to adjust my wings to the air, though.
Soon, they were beating and I was able to mix the flying and the falling for speed."Terminal Velocity, Nice." I said, practically complementing myself.
"Rainbow!Wait for me!" I heard Derpy shout as I began to go faster and faster through the air.
"Ha. You're gonna have to keep up if you want to get to Sugarcube Corner before--" I said pridefully, and before crashing into a solid wall.
Derpy landed softly beside me."You should be more careful, Rainbow. You could get hurt." she said.
I slowly lifted my body out of the small pile-up of debris."Yeah, we wouldn't want that to happen." I added sarcastically.
I looked around the area. It wasn't quite a 'sunny' day in Ponyville, and I think I knew why.
As Rainbow, I'd need to set aside some time to clear the clouds. Then again, I could probably clear all the clouds in all of Equestria in less than a minute now.
"So, didn't you want to go in?" Derpy asked.
I looked at her before quickly saying "Yes."
We walked in to see that all sorts of baking ingredients were looming around.
I could hear the undercoated laughing of the only pony responsible for such a party that I knew would ensue at any minute.
"Gee." I said with a wide and sarcastic smirk on my face."I guess Pinkie's not here."
"Want to check the kitchen then?" Derpy asked.
I looked around carefully, and all the while finding out that most of the population of Ponyville doesn't know how to hide themselves from me.
I almost passed over a table with a suspicious pink tuft of a mane sticking out from underneath it.
"I guess I'll just sit down." I said, still trying to play along.
I sat right at the table, the planner of the event hiding underneath even after 'accidentally' kicking her with my hooves a couple of times.
A few more seconds passed... Nothing.
"Okay Pinkie, I know you're under--"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAINBOW DASH!" Pinkie shouted.
"Happy birthday!" said everypony else in late unison.
"Ah, So she IS here." Derpy said softly to herself.
I chuckled."Hehe. Thanks Pinkie." I said.
"No problem Rainbow, you have no idea how long I had to stay up last night trying to get all this stuff for the party ready and then I still didn't get any sleep because I was sooooooo excited for your birthday so I just waited and so I haven't had any sleep in 2 whole days because I've been so excited." Pinkie said, apparently taking that really well.
I used to have a friend who did this kind of thing, just talk all the time without any breaks. Must be hard.
"Well Pinkie, make sure you get some sleep tonight. For now, let's enjoy the party!!" I shouted happily.
The party was actually pretty good. Lots of good food.Lots of good music.Lots of good guests. But, I noticed that excluding Rarity, 3 other ponies should have been there.
Whenever I tried to ask Pinkie where they were, she would just answer "It's a surprise." with a wild grin.
It made me look around for a while to make sure they weren't hiding or anything, but I really wouldn't have taken too much offense if they were busy.
But really, while the party was great, not much went on.
Derpy stuck around with me until everypony else but Pinkie had left.
"Hey Rainbow, wanna go see Twilight at the library?" Pinkie asked.
Yep, I knew they were somewhere."Sure." I agreed.
"Can I come with you?" Derpy asked.
"Can Derpy come!?" I hollered over at Pinkie, who was at this point already bouncing out the door.
"Sure!" she called back as she continued to get farther and farther away, heading off in the direction of the Library.
I smiled. I had already known that this would be a cool place to be, but now I was sure that nothing could stop me.
I walked out the door, and guess what?I was stopped. By 3 little fillies no less.
"Happy Birthday Rainbow!!" the Crusaders said in unison.
Oh yeah, the other main cast ponies that didn't actually come to the party. Oh well, they are here now, aren't they?
"We got you a present!" Scootaloo beamed.
"It was mostly Scoot that wanted to give the present, but we helped her raise the bits to buy it." Sweetie Belle added.
"Ah'm just glad that the present survived this treckin'. No way of tellin' if it would make it after havin' to travel all the way over here from--"
"Quiet Apple Bloom, you'll ruin the surprise if you tell her where it's from!" Scootaloo shushed, exclusively scolding the young bow wearing farmpony.
The orange filly took a small package off of her back and placed it in front of me.
"Thanks Scootaloo." I said. "I didn't think anypony--" I clasped my hooves over my mouth.
But I did say it right... I could have sworn I'd said anyBODY that time. And I'd been doing so well too.
"Oh well, things like that happen." I reminded myself aloud.
"... You okay Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked.
"Yeah, fine..." I hesitated.
"Now, let's see what's in here." I said optimistically as I picked up the present from the bow, something I'd learned after Derpy coming earlier.
Scootaloo's face lit up as I opened it.
Inside, was a poster, one very similar to the one I'd seen in my room that morning. There was something written on this one though.
'Soar through the Sky with Pride, Speed, and Honor
P.S. ; Happy Birthday Rainbow. Hope you can make it on the 21st. Can't thank you enough for what you did a few weeks ago.
--Spitfire'
"The 21st, huh?Well, I'll be there!!" I said aloud.
"Enjoy the poster, Rainbow!" Scootaloo said as she and the Crusaders as they turned to leave.
"Hey, girls, wanna come with me and Pinkie to Twilight's house?" I asked them.
The three fillies seemed to shot one another a quick glance each before Applebloom finally stopped the silence.
"Nah, we're okay Rainbow. Ya' know, we got a lot of cursaderin' to go an' do." she quipped up.
"Oh, okay. Well, see you girls later then." I said, a bit upset that they wouldn't come, but still extremely happy about the signed poster.
"That was nice of them to give you." said Derpy, whose voice I hadn't heard since about 5 minutes ago.
I was surprised that she was just standing there, waiting for me.
I knew that she hadn't said anything until that, but I shook it off. I still had another half of a party to go celebrate.
"So, Derpy, are you ready?" I asked her, spanning my wings, ready to try to catch up to Pinkie who was probably almost there. If not there already.
"Sure. How about you Rainbow?" she asked me as she too prepared for flight.
"Hay yeah I am. Let's go!!" I said as I took off, accidentally hitting a tree branch with one of my wings, but it wasn't anything major, and certainly not enough to stop moving for.
Flying just felt great. It felt like something I should have been able to do years ago. It was just great to be able to see everything in Ponyville.
Derpy followed behind me, tailing me as I flew at a speed much too fast for her to even keep up with.
Only one thought crossed my mind as I thought of the day I'd been having. 'This is so awesome!!'