“Loopy! Don’t leave me!” Nimby calls out.
Slowing down, Loopy looks around, “I’m not, I’m making sure it’s safe.”
Nimby catches up and lands beside the darker pegasus, panting. She moves close to snuggle with Loopy, “I’m sorry, I just get so scared without you.”
Looking up at the shattered sky, it is so hard to tell if it is day or night. They can’t see the stars, or the moon. It’s all just one multicolored splash of random colors washing together, ever changing in form and shape.
“I still can’t believe they are all gone.” Loopy says sadly, “Even Lightning Dust and the rest of the Wonderbolts haven’t been seen.”
“What are we going to do?” Nimbus looked around, the village is empty. Many of the windows are shattered, the ponies here after Discord have apparently moved on, “We haven’t seen anypony in days.”
“Same thing we always do, never give up, keep looking, keep trying.” Loopy ducks her head low as she moves into the house, looking around.
Nimby follows her in, looking around. Like other houses, this one looks like it’s been shaken to pieces. It was probably from one of the earthquakes that has struck Equestria over the last few weeks. Painting, mirrors, and books have all been knocked off the shelves and walls. Glass is on the floor, part of the roof has even collapsed.
“Oh sweet Celestia, it’s a treasure trove!” Loopy says, she sits herself high up on the kitchen counter and opens the cupboards.
Nimby prances in, “Whatcha find? And is any of that stuff still good?”
“Canned carrots, peas, corn. We can have a huge feast tonight.” Loopy smiles, “There’s even some cookies!”
“Canned cookies?” Nimby looks up, confused.
Loopy holds out the can to Nimby, smiling. “See?”
“Loopy.” Nimbus whined, “That’s a cooking can. Where did you learn to read?”
“From you.” Loopy giggles and tosses the can.
Finally the girls find some somewhat safe cover. They make a safe place for a fire and get one lit. They start using it to cook their spoils. “Where to next, Nimby?”
“You’ll think it’s stupid.” Nimby says around the spoon in her mouth as she stirs the pot.
“Nimby, I trust you, what’s the plan?” Loopy leans forward, sniffing the pot and drooling a little.
“The Everfree Forest. It has its own magic, there’s a chance we can find others there, hiding.”
“The Everfree it is.” Loopy smiles.
***
My eyes pop open, something is happening. I breathe deeply, then I hear my phone vibrating on the table. I groan and grab it, flipping it open, “Hi Kendra.”
Her excited voice comes through the speaker, “Check your thigh, I want to know what cutie mark you got.”
I shake my head, rubbing my thigh, “I was born just after one in the morning.” I groan and pull the phone away so I can see the screen, “Kendra, I’ve got like twenty minutes until then. I’ll let you know if anything happens.”
I can hear her pout over the phone, “Okay, Mary, I’ll let you get some sleep.”
I close the phone and set it back on the table, ugh. I lay back down and snuggle into my blankets, I was born too late, the ponies went through the portal just after midnight. Discord had to have been too busy to curse any more ponies at that point. I look at the wall, the poster of the Wonderbolts, based out of Florida is on my wall. The picture is them doing a close flyby with the US Navy Blue Angels F/A-18’s. It’s a spectacular picture, pegasi almost touching the wings of the airplanes as they pass each other at almost seven hundred miles an hour. I smile as sleep once again overtakes me.
***
The Everfree Forest looms all around, dark and twisted. The two foals look at each other and gulp. Taking to the air, Nimby lands on a tree branch.
“What are you doing?” Loopy blinks and flies up, landing beside her friend.
“We are going to tree hop. If we stay high in the trees, then the critters can’t get us.” Nimby says.
Loopy giggles, “We can just fly all the way, can’t we?”
“Nope, this way we can stop and look around. Then we’ll decide where next to go so we can listen for critters or other ponies.” Nimby nods. Nimby spreads her wings and ducks her head as she flies to the next tree. From there she looks around before waving Loopy forward to the next tree, further up in the woods.
Slowly, the pair leapfrog their way through the canopy. The smell of the moss and mire is thick in the air. The sounds of strange creatures are all around. Neither filly really wants to be on the ground around here.
“Loopy, do you hear that?” Nimby perks her ears forward, trying to focus on a new sound.
Loopy perks her ears too, leaning forward on her branch, “Is… is that singing?”
Both girls look at each other in astonishment, after a moment they take to the air and quickly fly to the sound. The sight of the fire catches their eyes, and they shoot towards the ground, landing gently. Looking around, they can smell the food cooking, and hear the singing, but they can’t see anypony.
“Hello?” Nimby calls out, “Were survivors too, we’re looking for help!”
“Hello?” Loopy calls out as well.
A forest doe steps out of the bushes, looking at the two, around her neck is a golden keg. By her side a young fawn also has a keg. “By the great tree, you two are so young. Why are you alone in these woods?” The doe speaks softly.
“Can you help? We’re looking for other ponies.” Nimby asks, with an air of pitifulness in her voice.
“I haven’t but maybe others have. Don’t worry little ones. You’re safe here. You can come with me.” The doe says in a mothering tone.
“Come with you where?” Loopy asks tilting her head.
“My home of course, the Village of Thicket.”
***
My eyes open once again, though it’s morning now. I shake my head and sit up, I pull out my sleep shirt and fan myself with it. I must have sweat a lot last night. Ugh. I stand up and shrug out of my sleep shirt. I toss it on the hamper and pad into the bathroom, I can hear my grandmother downstairs as she prepares breakfast. She always knows when I’m about to wake up. I shake my head in wonder as I lock the bathroom door and turn on the shower.
I spend a long time in the shower, letting the water play over my body, I’m supposed to go to work today. Ugh, it was hard enough getting three days free so I could fly Dustie to South Dakota, but I have to get to work today. I put a dollop of shampoo into my hand and start washing my dark hair. I keep it shoulder length, though Kendra keeps saying I should let it grow out, down to my rear. I always laugh about that, she says hair that long isn’t that hard to take care of. Though she should know, hers is below her rear end, I’ve helped her braid it from time to time. But I like my hair the way it is.
I rub my thigh, scratching an itch, and finally move my head under the shower head to rinse out the shampoo. Blindly I reach for the conditioner and work it into my hair, I really don’t know how I would handle having long hair like that. Though I have to admit, Kendra does look good with long hair. I stop working the conditioner in for a moment as I think of Kendra with a pixie cut, then shake my head, that look wouldn’t work for her. Once again I put my head under the shower head, using one hand to work the conditioner out as the other rubs my other thigh, the mosquitoes must have made it inside again, and boy, do they love the taste of my blood. Ugh, I use both hands on both thighs as the last of the stinging conditioner is rinsed from my hair. I keep my eyes closed as I turn off the water and reach past the shower curtain to grab the towel on the bar.
I apply the towel to my face and finally open my eyes. I step out of the shower and move over to wipe off the mirror. I’m greeted by my own eyes, I don’t think I slept very well, either that, or I need coffee. Coffee is always brewing at my house, my Grandmother makes sure of it. I find myself reaching down and scratching my outer thigh once again, I look down at the offending spot, expecting to see a large welt, what I actually see is a light orange swirl with four stars.
Huh?
I rub the mark on my thigh, it doesn’t come off. I shake my head hard, then look at my other thigh, it’s got the same mark. I growl and slam open the bathroom door and stalk to my room. I grab my phone, flip it open, and hold down the two button on it, after a moment it dials and I hold the phone up to my ear.
A groggy voice answer, “Hlo?”
“It’s not funny Kendra!” I nearly scream into the phone.
“Huh, wha’ now?”
“You made sure I would go back to sleep by calling me last night, then you snuck over here and put a mark on both of my thighs.”
Sounds of confusion on the other side of the connection, then she yelps, “Oh, Mary. I would never do that!” Her volume increases as she talks, “Oh my God, you got a cutie mark!”
I shake my head as I hold the phone away from my ear, I shout into the phone, “It’s impossible, Kendra, I can’t have a cutie mark!”
She stops screaming, and over the phone I can hear what sounds like frantic movement, “Don’t move, don’t even breathe, Mary. I will be right there.”
I roll my eyes, “Okay, whatever.” I growl and close the phone. I look around, noticing my nudity. If she’s coming over, I had better at least get some clothes on. She’s going to want to see it, so I grab a black skirt long enough to almost get to my knees, and a t-shirt to go with it. I look at myself in the mirror before I put the shirt on, I had better put on a bra too.
Ten minutes later, I can hear the scream of tires as Kendra makes the turn to my place. The tires screech again as she slams on the brakes. I’m walking down the stairs as she slams through the door, “Show it to me.”
I sigh and lift the side of my skirt, showing her the mark. She squeals, “You are going to become a pony!”
“What is all of this?” My grandmother turns from the stove, looking at me, “A pony?”
Kendra bounces over to her and gives her a hug, “Mary is going to turn into a pony. She was cursed by Discord twenty five years ago, on Equestria’s Independence Day!”
Grandma looks at me, then at Kendra, then back at me, “Is this true?”
I look at my thigh, then at Kendra, then I look down, “It looks like it.”
I get hugged by two people at the same time, Grandma murmurs in my ear, “I’ve had to live in a world without ponies, and you two never have. They have been a blessing for all of us. To hear you are becoming one, that is wonderful.”
Kendra simply squeals as she hugs me tighter.
I sigh, “What did I do to deserve this?”
***
An hour later, breakfast is done. Kendra and I are sitting on the large porch in a swinging chair. She’s giggling from time to time, though I’ve had to fend off her attempts to lift my skirt to see the mark again. Finally, she huffs and turns to me, “Mary, you need to go to New Beginnings.”
“I have to go to work.” I say, looking down at my feet, “I’ve got bills to pay, remember?”
She looks at me like I’ve grown a second head, “To work? You are turning into a pony. People have tried to stop the changes. They’ve tried medication, surgery, all kinds of things, nothing worked. Once that cutie mark appears, in three days, you’ll be a pony. You need to accept and embrace it.”
“I still don’t understand how I could be a pony, I was born during the invasion.”
Kendra pokes my hip gently, “Cutie marks don’t lie.”
I sigh as she gets up, she grabs my hand and draws me to my feet, “Go preflight the Widgeon, I’ll pack you a bag, we can be there late afternoon if we leave now. You just need to file a flight plan and you can fly higher, and go a bit faster. So get on your tablet and file one, and let’s get going!”
“But…” I try to protest, but there’s no arguing with Kendra when she’s like this. Stubborn as a…
I look at her for a long time, then mechanically start walking to my plane.
***
As I walk, I remember when I got my plane. I had just finished and gotten my license. I had been looking at Cessna’s or Piper’s, I saw a few Diamond’s that I really liked. Then I saw an ad for a Grumman Widgeon. I remember walking down the tarmac, heading towards the hangar. The woman was standing there, waiting for me.
“Mary Chan?” She asks.
I nod, and she puts an arm over my shoulder, “I’m so sorry to hear about your parents.”
I look at her, stunned. She chuckles, “I do background checks on everyone who wants to buy the planes I’m selling. My husband had several, and before he died, he told me to make sure his planes go to those who deserve them. That’s why I finally called you back.” She took five days from my initial online inquiry to call me back a second time, the first was for my information, she had said to see if I was really interested.
I’m standing here with half a million dollars, burning a hole in my account, the first half of the settlement from the trucking company after my parents were killed by one of their drivers. He was texting while driving, and survived the wreck without a scratch. So, I’m twenty years old, forced to move in with my grandmother, and now have a large volume of cash. I had always loved flying, so I got my license. And then I finally decided to buy a plane. And here I am, she leads me through the door of the large hangar, and I see half a dozen planes sitting there. In the center, in front of the open hangar doors, is a Grumman Widgeon, I walk up to it, enraptured.
I can hear her talking, “She has pretty new engines, they are Magellan Aerospace CS-225’s put in in 2035, in 2017, she had a full refit, which included semi modernization of the instruments, my husband didn’t like the glass cockpits in the new planes, but he did have them modernize the instruments, and they added a new transponder, TCAS, HF and VHF radio’s, hook ups for external displays for GPS, and new nav lights.”
I turn to her, a huge smile on my face, she smiles sweetly, “You don’t have to say it, I can see it in your eyes, you are in love.” She looks at the plane, then at me, “I’ll let her go for…” She pauses for the longest time, staring intently at me, “A hundred fifty thousand.”
I immediately stick out my hand, I had done some research myself, and the best price I could find for one after I first looked them up was a quarter million. This is a steal.
After setting up the wire transfer and signing all the paperwork for the plane. I flew it once, and took it to a unicorn I had talked to online. Her name was Gull Wing, and had a typical pegasus cutie mark, a cloud with a purple lightning bolt. She did a mending spell on the entire airframe, certifying it for twenty five years with checkups every five years. I was a very happy camper when I landed the plane for the first time in El Dorado.
***
Walking around my plane I sigh softly. Moving the elevators and rudder by hand, I look at the paint on her. “We’ve been together for so long, girl. I don’t want this to be our last flight.”
I finish my pre-flight inspection and climb in the side hatch looking around at the interior. Leaning over I close the breaker for power to the instruments, then take a seat. Looking up at the panel above me I flick the switches and power up the engines. Soon both engines are idling smoothly. Kendra bounces in, “All set?”
I nod and hand her a set of head phones, she bounces up and down in her chair, “Oh, this is so exciting!”
I look at her, “What am I going to do, Kendra? I’m turning into a pony.”
She looks at me, “Well, if you are lucky, you’ll be a pegasus and you’ll be able to keep flying. Though I do suppose a unicorn might have an easy time flying the plane too. Can you picture a unicorn using their magic to work the controls?”
I run my hands over the controls, would I have to give my plane up? I shake my head, “I’m not giving up my plane, even if I become an earth pony, I’m going to keep flying.”
She giggles as I reach up to push the throttles forward, “As if you would stay out of the air, Mary.”
***
I switch to the local control frequency for New Beginnings, I’m about ten minutes of flight time away from their airspace.
“This is N-1M6Y to New Beginnings control.”
After a few seconds a female voice comes over the com, “This is New Beginnings control, N-1M6Y, are you aware that New Beginnings is a pegasus only area? We don’t have provisions for landing private airplanes here.”
I look at Kendra and smile, then I key my mic, “This is an amphibious plane, and I’m transporting a human that is turning pony. All I need is a decent size lake, or a river with enough straight length for me to land, about half a mile will be good.”
Silence from the radio for a long moment, then finally, “N-1M6Y, you are cleared for a southerly approach to New Beginnings, and you can land on Lake Luna, it should be sufficient for your plane.”
I look at the GPS map and alter course, “Thank you, New Beginnings Control.”
Soon I can see the city of New Beginnings, with a population of nearly a hundred thousand ponies and about ten thousand humans, it’s the second largest city in Montana. Lake Luna is on the southern side of the city, so I’m gathering that they want me to approach as far away from where pegasi would be flying as possible. Soon it’s time to start my approach, I reach up and crank down the flaps half way as I lower my air speed.
I look over to my side, a pegasus, in some kind of uniform, is pacing next to me, Kendra squeals as she sees another pegasus on the other side, “They take air security serious here, I guess.” I call out quietly, and get a nod from Kendra. Soon we have the lake in front of us, it’s several square miles in size, and I was told that the ponies made it. Very impressive. I crank down the flaps all the way as I get my airspeed down as I get over the shoreline and slowly bring the plane down, we touch the water and finally start really slowing down. As we get to cruising speed, I head over to docks on the north side of the lake. Looking at them, some of them are obviously private, so I pull a bit to the east to where the apparent public docks are. I don’t bother with rotating around, I just pull in. Kendra grabs the tie down ropes from their storage spot and hops out as I shut down the engines. In moments, we are secure and I reach up to shut off the power.
***
I step out of the plane, one of the pegasi comes forward, I see the conformal head set inserted in her large ears, she’s got a throat mic as well, she looks at Kendra, then at me, “Welcome to New Beginnings, who is changing?”
Kendra points at me, I offer a small smile, the pegasus smiles brightly, “You don’t look like you are very far, when is your birthday?”
I look down, “Today.” I whisper. The pony smiles in confusion, I’m guessing she didn’t hear me.
Kendra pipes up, “Oh, today is her birthday. She’s twenty five.”
The pegasus tilts her head, “On Equestrian Independence Day, that’s special.”
I nod, and turn to the side and lift my skirt a bit, showing the mark, the pegasus clops her hooves together, “Oh goody, that’s a speedster pegasus style mark! Congratulations.”
I frown, “Huh?”
The mare chuckles, “Pegasi have different classes, based on their flight speed. Most pegasi top out at about two hundred or so miles per hour. Some can approach the speed of sound. Then you have the true speedsters. To them, breaking the speed of sound is nothing, and some are capable of several times the speed of sound. You have a mark that’s similar to many speedsters, so you likely will be a fast pegasus when the time comes.”
I look at my Widgeon, and then back at the pegasus mare, “Thank you. Is there anywhere I need to go?”
She cocks her head to the side, “Well, I would suggest that you get to the hospital and get some shots, to keep yourself healthy. Then you are free to do what you want. Since you are likely a pegasus, and a speedster, I would talk to Lightning Dust, she owns a couple of companies that are always looking for speedsters.”
I look at Kendra, and reach out and grab her hand, she may be super energetic, but she’s my anchor to reality, “I’ll go to the hospital.”
***
“I believe in you, Dash. I believe in you, Dust.” I’m able to choke out with the paw squeezing my neck.
His fetid breath is blown into my face as he starts his spell, and everything goes dark.
Where am I? I look around, I look down at my hand, it looks the same as it always does. I hear the clop of hooves, causing me to turn around, a pegasus is sitting there, she’s midnight blue, with a light gray mane. Bright green eyes blink at me.
I look at the mare, “Uh, hello.”
She cocks her head to the side, “Dust is alive?”
“Uh, yeah. I think.”
She shakes her head hard, “I thought Discord killed them all.” Her ears fall, her eyes filling with tears, “I had to fight him, I felt it deep inside me. I had to do something.”
I kneel down and hug the pegasus, “We found out as the ponies started appearing in our world, he cursed us.”
She sniffles, “As he held me, he said he doesn’t kill ponies.”
I squeeze her, letting her know I’m here, her forelegs wrap around me, and so do her wings, I hear her sigh, “And now I’m going to come back.”
I furrow my brow, “Huh?”
She pulls back, looking into my eyes, “You are me, I am you, we are Loop De Loop.”
I shake my head, “My name is Mary Chan.”
She giggles, “Not anymore, you can call yourself Mary, but you are Loopy.”
“No.”
“You know I’m right. You’ve talked to other ponies that were humans before. Some have told you what it was like to become a pony, a lot of my personality has been in you all along. Where do you think you get your love of flight from?”
I shake my head, but my heart isn’t in the objections anymore, she’s right. I finally moan, “I don’t want to lose myself.”
Hooves touch each side of my face, forcing me to look deeply into her eyes, “Oh, that’s impossible, you are me, I am you. You can’t lose what is already there.”
“Mary!”
I blink several times, Loopy becomes Kendra, I blink again, and look around, I’m sitting in the chair at the hospital.
Kendra giggles, “Leave you alone for five minutes and you fall asleep.”
“Huh?”
She snaps her fingers in front of my eyes, getting me to flinch, “Mary. Wake up.”
“Loopy.”
She looks at me, her eyebrows climbing, “What?”
I shake my head hard, “Loopy, that’s my name. My full name is Loop De Loop.”
She giggles, “Okay, Loopy it is.” She grabs my hand, drawing me to my feet, “But until you are on four hooves, I’m calling you Mary.” She looks back down the hallway, “They are ready for you.”
I follow her into the exam room, and sit on the table, Kendra takes the chair. In moments a unicorn walks in, “Mary Chan?”
I nod, she smiles, “Happy Birthday, and congratulations on your change. We’ll have you out of here in five minutes, apparently not very many equestrian diseases have made the jump to this world, and as Equestrians, we are immune to most terrestrial equine diseases, so I only have to give you two shots, and you’ll be protected.” Her horn lights and two plastic covered syringes float up, the plastic falling off, and they hover by my hip, “Could you lift your skirt please?”
I reach down and lift my skirt, the syringes dart in and away, the mare smiles, “And we are done.” I drop my skirt and stand up, “What do I owe ya?”
The mare looks at me oddly, “Initial inoculations are free. Don’t worry about it. It’s a pleasure helping those becoming ponies, and Happy Birthday!” She trots from the room.
I look at Kendra, “We need to see Lightning Dust.”
***
I walk up to the house, it’s enormous! I’ve known a bit about Lightning Dust, with her talking to the press from time to time, and all the other things she’s been in the public eye pretty much my entire life. Though now, I finally get to meet her. Something about all this is familiar, I knew Dust, before I was cursed. I had to have known her. I wonder if she would remember me.
I reach out and grab Kendra’s hand, she gives it a comforting squeeze. I look at her gratefully and smile. Then I reach out and knock on the door. After a few seconds, the door opens, and a stallion is standing there, he’s very similar in color to Lightning Dust, but I don’t know him.
I gulp several times, “I’ve come to see Lightning Dust.”
He looks at me, “Does she know you?”
I glance over at Kendra and back at him, “I think I knew her back in Equestria.” I know the fact that I’m changing isn’t very obvious yet, so I pull the side of my dress up, showing him my thigh.
His eyes widen, “I don’t know that cutie mark.” He leans forward, and reaches out a wing, gently brushing up against it, then looks up at me, “It’s real.”
I snort, “Well, of course it’s real.”
He chuckles, “You would not believe the number of people that have shown tattoos, trying to pass them off as cutie marks.”
I look at him, blinking in confusion, he smiles, “There are a lot of humans that desperately wish they can become ponies, but to permanently change, you have to have been touched by equestrian magic, it has to have had a permanent effect on you. Though that’s not something we’ve advertised. Only a few dozen have had that, some chose to become ponies, some didn’t.” He backs up, gesturing with a wing, “I’m Star Shine, I’m one of the stallions in Dust’s herd. Come on in. I’ll let Dust know you are here.”
We step into the large living room, slate tiles on the floor, a staircase off to the side heading upstairs, and the entire room is enormous, two stories in height, but changing lightbulbs as a pegasus is probably pretty easy. Star gestures to the couch and I sit down, Kendra joining me. I’m excited, but I’m also terrified. I watch as Star disappears down a side hallway.
After a few minutes, I lean over to Kendra, “I know I’ve said it about a million times, thank you.”
She squeezes my hand, “You know I’m here for you, girl.”
“Ma’am?” Comes Star’s voice, “Come over here, Lightning Dust is waiting for you.”
I slowly get up and walk towards Star, he’s at the end of the hall, and as I get close, he gestures to the open doorway, I can see her, Lightning Dust. I almost bounce in excitement, I almost pee myself in fear at the same time. Kendra and I get through the door and Star pulls the door closed with a wing, leaving us with Lighting Dust.
I stand there for a moment and look at her, she’s a lot how I remember seeing her in interviews. Though looking closer, she’s got more lines on her face, she looks older than I remember. She’s not facing me, she’s working the pony friendly keyboard on her desk, her wing is on the mouse. Though there’s a tightness to her eyes, she’s in pain. I finally clear my throat, “Hello.” I’m able to squeak out.
Dust looks at me, “Since you aren’t too far along, happy birthday. June first, hmm?”
I nod, then sit as the other pegasus gestures to the two chairs in front of her desk. “Happy Equestrian Independence Day.”
She nods, “I didn’t go to Equestria, but thanks.”
That makes me sit forward, “I saw the video, Lightning Dust, you were instrumental in defeating Discord on Earth.”
She sighs, “That was a long time ago. How can I help you?”
“Well, I’m changing.”
“I know that, but why are you at my house? Most ponies, when they first change, go to the hospital for initial inoculations and then to city hall to get help finding a place to live. Barracks until they can buy a house, or they rent. Not very many ponies come to my house when they are changing.”
I look down, “I think I knew you in Equestria, before…” I trail off. But I’m watching her reaction.
She looks at me expectantly, “Have you gotten your equestrian memories back?”
I shake my head, “Only a few bits and pieces, but the biggest things that stand out are my name, and that you told me that I was special, before I was cursed, your name, and Dash’s name, was on my mind.”
She smiles, “Well, I’m glad you remembered your name. What is it?”
“Mary Chan.” I say automatically, then I realize what I just said when Kendra suppresses a snort, I glare at her then look back at Lightning Dust, “Loop De Loop.”
Her eyes go wide, I can see she’s searching through her memories, after a moment she comes back to herself, “From junior speedster flight camp, less than a year before Discord happened.”
I nod, her smile gets wider, “You were special, Loopy. I don’t remember everything, but I do remember a little pegasus who really wanted to be the best flier. Had a good turn of speed, and also reminded me of myself at that age.” She lifts a foreleg, and I can see a phone strapped to it, she taps on the screen a few times, “I’ll have Moon Shadow get over here, she’s a dream specialist, she can help you with your memories.”
I look at Kendra, who’s smiling hugely, “Thank you. But I remember flying, I love to fly.”
Dust looks out the windows of her office, my plane is at the dock, less than a hundred feet away, “I watched you land, I’m assuming that was you.” She continues at my nod, “that’s a pretty nice aircraft you have there.”
I open my mouth, then shut it, I could spend hours talking about my baby, but that’s not why I’m here, “Well, I’m glad to have met you, Lightning Dust, my wings will reappear in a couple of days, maybe when I’m full pony, I’ll be able to come by, we could go flying?”
I watch several emotions pass over the older pegasus’ face, then she shakes her head, “We have ponies that can help pegasi get used to their wings after the curse lifts, one of them would be well qualified to help you relearn how to fly.”
There is a soft knock at the door, and a dark gray unicorn pushes in, she looks at Dust, then at me, “Dust, you texted me?”
She nods, “Loopy here needs help with her memories.”
The unicorn steps forward, a smile on her face, “Hello there, I’m Moon Shadow. I am a Dreamer, memories and dreams are intertwined, would it be okay with you if I were to attempt to help you, maybe shake some memories loose?”
I look at Kendra, who smiles and nods, then back at Moon Shadow. I gulp and nod my head jerkily. Moon Shadow comes up and her hoof reaches out and touches my hair, “Looks like your mane is starting to grow.” She says with a smile. I pull my hair to where I can see it, interspersed with the black is gray.
I groan, “I’m too young to go gray.”
Everyone else chuckles, Moon Shadow lights her horn, “This is going to feel very weird.” She touches her horn to my forehead.
Time stops as years of memories crash into me, I remember junior speedster camp, being yelled at by Spitfire, I remember going to Spitfire and Rainbow Dash later and thanking them for what they do. I remember them disappearing, I remember Nimby. Oh Nimby! She’s got to be over fifty years old now! I remember living in Thicket, in the Everfree Forest. Getting my cutie mark, years and years of living under Discord’s rule cause my face to crumple, tears flowing freely. “It was horrible, living under his rule.”
“We know, we’ve talked to a lot of ponies over the years that lived there.” Dust pipes up.
I look at her, then at Moon Shadow, “Thank you, Moon Shadow.”
I look at Kendra, she’s sitting there, unblinking, “Kendra.” I call quietly, she doesn’t respond. I reach out and tap her hand, no response.
I look at Moon Shadow, “Something is wrong with Kendra!” I moan.
Moon Shadow’s horn lights again, she moves over and touches Kendra, who shudders. Though Moon Shadow shudders as well, she pulls back, “Now that was different.” She peers into Kendra’s eyes, and after a moment, she blinks and smiles uncertainly.
“What?”
Moon Shadow glances at Dust, then back at Kendra, “Kendra, may I scan you again?”
Kendra looks to me, it’s my turn to nod with a smile. She looks at the unicorn and smiles as she nods, once again, Moon Shadow’s lit horn touches her forehead, and in moments, she gasps, “You have magic, Kendra!”
Kendra blinks slowly at Moon Shadow, “What?”
“You have magic, you are a human magic user. My using magic around you actually woke up your inborn ability.”
Kendra looks at me, her eyes wide, then back at Moon Shadow, “Seriously?”
Moon Shadow nods.
I smile at Kendra, “That is so cool!”
She smiles at me, Moon Shadow giggles, “We need to get you trained, it will be a while before your strength can be gauged, as well as any special abilities, but we are going to have to enroll you in school to get trained.”
Kendra looks at me, panicking, “But I’ve got a job, and I help out at my parent’s farm, I don’t have time for school.”
I giggle, “I had a job, until you made me quit to come here.”
She pouts, “That’s different, you are turning into a pony.”
I shake my head, “No, it’s not! You are turning into a magic user!”
She sighs, “Got any job openings?”
Dust chuckles, “I think I know a few places that can use a magic user. But you do need training.”
I look at Dust, “Please, Dust, I need you to come with me, for me to fly again, you were my hero.”
Dust’s face gets wooden, she turns back to her computer, “I’m sorry, but there are far better qualified pegasi who can teach you how to use your wings again.”
“No, and it’s time for you to go.”
Kendra stands up and walks to the door, she grabs my hand, but I don’t move, I don’t even stand up, “Please, Lightning Dust, you are the one I want to teach me.
Moon Shadow clears her throat gently, “Loopy, I would strongly suggest that you get going.”
“But why?” I wail.
“Because I can’t fly!” Dust shouts at me as she jumps up on her desk, her wings spreading in anger. She looks shocked, her wings folding to her sides, “Not anymore.”
“I don’t understand, Dust. You taught me to be a speedster, you taught me how to use my potential.”
Dust looks at her me, “Please leave.” She says quietly, it sounds like she’s barely holding back tears.
I shake my head vehemently, “Please Dust, how long has it been since you lost your flight?”
Moon Shadow looks at Dust, then at me, “It’s a long story, little one. I’m sorry.”
I stand up and jump at Dust, hugging her, “Oh, Dust, I’m so sorry.” I whisper into her ear. She’s trembling, her wings don’t know whether to flare in rage, or droop down. They simply flutter.
She sobs into my shoulder, then it’s like a dam has broken, she starts to bawl. Her body shuddering with every sob, I squeeze her tighter as she cries. It’s eerie though, she makes almost no sound, just the occasional hiccup when she sobs. The shoulder of my shirt is soaked in moments. She rears up and puts her forehooves around me, and then her wings.
For a long time I stand like that, us holding each other, while she cries herself out. And finally she pulls back, she reaches over with a wing and pulls out a tissue, which she uses to wipe her face and she blows her nose. Finally she sits back down in her chair, her emotions warring on her face, she sighs, “I haven’t cried about that for quite a while.” She looks down, “I’m so sorry, I don’t usually make it a habit to cry on a stranger’s shoulder fifteen minutes after meeting them.”
I look at her, “Don’t worry about that, but I have to know, how did it happen?”
She looks at me for a long time, then gestures to the seat, Kendra sits down quickly, and I settle myself into the chair again, Moon Shadow moves over next to Dust and hugs her as well, Dust puts a wing over Moon Shadow and starts to talk. “About twenty years ago, there was a clone of Twilight Sparkle in this world.”
I look at Kendra, her eyes have gone as wide as they can go, we both look back at Lightning Dust, she clears her throat, “We were in Florida, and the clone appeared, she had a very unhealthy obsession with Irony.” She sighs again, “We fought, and she was able to teleport my entire herd back here to Montana. I made the trip in twenty three minutes, fourteen seconds, according to the radar records of the 520th pegasus squadron.”
I look at Kendra, my eyes wide, my expression mirrored on Kendra’s face, we look back at Dust, “How fast were you going?”
She shrugs her wings, “I don’t know, mach seven or eight, I think, when I finally got here.” She looks down, “I died.”
I shake my head hard, did I just hear that right? “You died?”
She nods, “I gave my life to protect my herd, to protect my family.” She stops talking for a long time, her emotions flashing across her face, then she looks up at me, “I was brought back by Discord, he told me that I wasn’t done here yet, and he restored my body.” She reaches over and gently touches her left wing, “I didn’t know at the time, I thought it was a horrible case of magical exhaustion, but it turns out, I had snapped my connection to my magic at the end of that flight.”
“Oh Dust, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have pressed you.”
She raises a hoof, and sighs, “I’ve made peace with it, with never flying again, never to feel the wind beneath my wings, never to feel that wonderful feeling of using my magic the way it was intended.” She stops, her eyes filling with tears, “But…” Her face crumples, “It does still hurt, I do cry about it, from time to time.” She glances at Moon Shadow, “I don’t tell them, given the choice of my ability to fly or you, or Irony, or anypony in our herd. I would still choose you every time.” She slumps back into her chair, using a hoof to rotate the chair around to look out the windows at the setting sun, “But I do miss it.”
“I’m sorry, Dust.” I murmur.
She chuckles, “It’s okay, Loopy. As I’ve said, I made peace with it.” She sighs, “It was worth the price.”
Kendra again gets up, pulling me to my feet. I look at the unicorn and pegasus sitting there, and once again move over to them, hugging them both, “Thank you so much. For opening up to me.”