My eyes snap open again. I'm greeted by the same room, the same ceiling, and the same comforter. What's new, however, is my size. I can instantly tell that I am roughly the same size as pony-me. It's been a while since that happened, so I rise to to the floor and look in the mirror hoping to see a griffon or something awesome like that.
I'm not prepared for what I see.
Standing on four black, porous hooves is an insect-eyed, fanged, winged enemy of Equestria staring back at me.
I instantly deny the possibility that random chance put me in the hooves of the creature I hate the most. There's got to be another explanation. What if the mirror is wrong? What if this is a very, very, very complex prank? This cannot be real.
"H-Hello..." I mouth. Sure enough, the reflection mouths the same thing back. There's no doubt in my mind now.
I am a changeling.
I take a few deep breaths and look at the aspects of this. For starters, I was not previously aware that I can become something as sentient as a changeling. It's kind of cool, I guess; I'm not limited to wild animals. I can even hope to one day become my old self again. I'd love that, it's been a while since I've seen my old self in the mirror.
With that thought, I feel a warm light envelop me and, after a green ring of light around me fades, I look in the mirror to see me. Not just me, ponyme. As in, Rainbow Dash.
"What the hell..." I whisper slowly. Then, as strong as a brick, it hits me:
Changelings can become other ponies, and I'm a changeling.
I do a double take, bouncing up and down. I can become anypony? A smile creeps across my face. I need to do it again! Shit, how did I trigger it before? I thought about being pony-me, right? To test if my suspicions are correct, I try to think of somepony to be.
The door bell sounds from the other room, reminding me about who's outside. Yeah, sure why not. I focus my mind. Okay, pink mane, yellow fur, blue eyes...
Green light surrounds me and, when it fades, I find myself looking at a very surprised Fluttershy in the mirror. I mean, its cool enough that I am physically, in every way, one of my friends, but what's cooler is the infinite stream of possibilities that pop into my mind. Giddy as can be, I almost forget the usual progression of today, in that there is still a very patient friend of mine about to come in. I quickly shift back to being me, but not before making Fluttershy's face make several ridiculous faces in the mirror.
I prance to the door and let Fluttershy in. "Hello, Dashie!" she greets me.
"Hey Flutters," I say, instantly taken aback by how long its been since I've heard my pony voice. Fluttershy takes notice of my sudden shock and she tilts her head in worry.
"What's wrong?" she asks.
I shake my head. "Nothing, It's just weird to hear my voice."
Fluttershy's eyebrows rise and I realize how strange that must've sounded. I give a nervous chuckle.
"So, pets, right?"
-----------oOo-----------
All throughout Tank's play date I only have one thing on my mind: figuring out how to stay in this form. Even if I'm careful, I can usually only stay as a certain animal for a few hours tops; I still don't know what triggers the end of my brief existence. I need to learn how to stay as a changeling for longer, or at least ensure I'll be one when I wake up. Talking to Twilight might glean some results, but I have to be careful. I can't just tell her straight out the predicament that I'm in, there's no way she'd believe me. There'd have to be a logical reason to ask, coming from a pony that would actually ask about all that magic stuff.
And I think I know just the pony that can ask.
After I say goodbye to Fluttershy I fly down to Twilight's library and stand behind the building. I focus my mind and imagine myself as the only pony that Twilight would trust with weird magic information: her new student.
One swirl of green fire and a horn on my forehead later, I trot to Twilight's front door and knock politely. After waiting a bit, the knob turns and Twilight greets me.
"Starlight Glimmer!" she beams, looking at my new form. "What a nice surprise! Why are you back from the Crystal Empire already?"
Shit, she's out of town? Why didn't I know? I struggle to think of an excuse, only confusing Twilight with my silence.
"Oh, um," I begin, "they didn't need my help anymore." Its the most blanket excuse I can think of.
She furrows her brow. "Who's 'they'? Do you mean Cadence and Shining Armor?"
"Uh, yeah!" I affirm. "Those two. Anyways, I came to ask you for help with... a story I'm writing." I give an admittedly unconvincing smile, but Twilight looks content with my explanation.
"You're a writer now?" She asks, pleasantly surprised. "That's great! I would love to give you some tips!" She gestures me inside. "Please, please, come in!"
I step inside and sit on a chair as Twilight takes a seat adjacent. "So," she quipped, "what do you want help with?"
I clear my throat. "Okay, um, so the story is where a pony starts waking up as different animals."
"Oh, like Metamorphosis by Prance Calfka?" Twilight puts in. I've never read the book, to be honest, so I can't quite answer. I nod hesitantly as she claps. "I love that book! Sorry, go on."
"So, I want more, um," I stutter as I try to sound as smart and competent as Starlight usually is. Maybe I can just throw in some writing buzz words? "I want a, uh... more fluent story, and to construct the plot as such, I'd like a factually correct story element to allow a logical explanation for the protagonist being able to control her form at will."
"Ohh, I see." Twilight says. "If you need something based on truth, you can always do what Starswirl theorized in that research paper I had you read. You know, 'Effects of a Pony's Magic Field on Molecular Structure through Subconscious Thought'?"
While the title piques my interest, I definitely haven't read any research paper. "Oh, yeah, I remember that paper," I fib. "Gosh, what a read! Remind me of that exact theory again?"
She nods and sips her tea. "He said that a pony mentally imagining their self as a different form may, under loss of consciousness and specific requirements being met, manipulate the magic field around them to try to change the pony's form into what the last thought of the pony told the magic field it was in order to 'correct' the pony into what they're 'supposed to be' when they regain consciousness."
"And what are those requirements?" I ask.
Twilight blinks. "You really don't remember?" I shake my head. She sighs. "I thought the 5 hours we spent on it would be enough."
Wow, poor Starlight.
"Anyways, according to Starswirl's research," Twilight continues, "a pony has to have a strong magical presence in the area they are in, experience with changing forms in the past, and a mind empty enough to allow significant changes to."
I ponder this for a second. I guess I do have a strong magical presence in Ponyville, being an element of harmony and all, and Twilight has changed me and my friends into breezies before. The third point is just, well... kind of insulting. I feel like Starswirl the Bearded just roasted me from a thousand years ago. So I guess I meet all three requirements...
"So all that I-" I quickly stop myself. "So all that my story's protagonist has to do is imagine what animal they want to be before they lose consciousness?"
Twilight shrugs. "You're the one writing the story, right?"
My hearing cuts out as I sense my feeling slip from my body. Dammit, I have more questions! Wait, I think I can just come back when I wake up, right? I quickly imagine a changeling in my mind. Clearing my mind of all other thought besides those of changelings, I pray that Starswirl was right.
Then, I'm swathed by warm sheets and my head bolts up. So far, the room looks like the right scale for me to be a changeling. But what if it didn't work? I nervously glance at my bedside mirror to see...
Holy shit. It's a changeling staring back.
I yell and throw my hooves up in delight. This changes everything! I can become anything now! Before, I guess it was random. But now, I can be any animal!
But the best part? I found out how to stay a changeling for the time being. Meaning, I can become any pony as well! I imagine I'll get bored of being other ponies at some point and return to being animals, but I have no shortage of ideas. The next few chapters of my life will be fun, I can tell.
But who will be my first victim?
Ding-dong
Oh, she'll do.