Taking A Stand

by ShadeJak

Think And Fly (Steph's Dream)

I awoke, not on the couch but on a cloud of all things! The sky was a perfect blue, birds flew about here and there, along with… pegasi?

I looked down and saw I was indeed still Flitter judging by the hooves and the lilac pony body they were attached to.

Was I dreaming?

“Yeah, you are.” A voice said, apparently having read my mind or at least knew what I was thinking. I turned around and there was Flitter, hovering in the air as her wings held her in place. “Guess there’s a lot to explain, huh?” She asked sheepishly.

~

“Yeah, I’d say there is…” I said, falling on my back onto the soft, plush surface of the cloud. “I still can’t believe this, I mean, I’m a pony of all things!”

“And?” Flitter asked me, cocking her head.

“I dunno… after the shock I sorta adjusted a little quickly. Still working on getting used to having no hands… or having these?” I said, looking to either side and noticing my new wings were fanned out. Having extra limbs did feel a little strange, but then again waking as a whole new species was rather odd too.

“Hey, trust me, once you’re better at using ‘em, you’re gonna wonder how you ever lived without ‘em.” Flitter answered playfully, landing beside me.

“I tried them out, but I don’t really get a lot of practice hiding in an apartment.” I answered.

“Well, that’s a reason why I brought you here.” Flitter said. “Look, I may be a lot less of a tomcolt then Cloudchaser, but aside from Rainbow Dash obviously, me and her are some of the best fliers.”

“How come only she went to the Wonderbolt Academy then?” I asked.

“Different goals.” She said, making me facehoof at realizing the stupidity of my question.

“So… you’ve been through a lot haven’t you?” She asked, looking at me with concern.

“Well, waking up as what I thought till now was a cartoon character has that effect on me.” I said.

“I wasn’t talking about that.” Flitter said, looking more serious.

“How would you know?” I asked.

“I’ve…” She said looking down for a moment. “…seen your memories.” She raised her hooves up as he gave her a look. “Didn’t have a choice or anything! I’m inside your head, like literally, not much of a choice they just sorta appear, like imagines being shoved in my face.”

“I see…” I replied. There were a lot of things in my life nopony but Kyle knew about.

Did I seriously just think a ponyism?

“I barely got through it.” I said as Flitter gave me a hug. “When I saw how others who got ponified were being treated by that hate group, it reminds me of what I went through, and I never want to see anyone else go through that… I wanted to do something, too. Kyle shouldn’t do it alone and I want to help in any way I can. I got some self-defense skills under my belt, and apparently a good right hook.”

Flitter smirked. “I saw the memory, where you took out that jerk the other day. That was pretty cool, wish I could watch it in replay, I mean, the way he even wet himself? Priceless!” She said with a laugh; then shook her head. “Well, I’m not gonna lie, I’m no fighter, so you’re probably on your own there. However, I’ll be glad to help you learn to fly. Like I said, my sister and I are some of the best in Ponyville.” She walked over to the edge of the cloud and looked back at me.

“What if I fall?” I asked.

“If you do, a cloud will catch you. This is a dream… or spiritual visit or whatever you want to call it.” The other pegasus said with a smile. “So don’t worry. You’ll be alright, I promise!”

“I’m still a little inexperienced with getting these things to go… I mean I used to have only two arms and two legs, you know.” I explained.

“I see, well, you just need to give them some extra focus. You know they’re there, it’s like moving your legs, only pay attention to them, they’ll do the rest for you, we’re linked after all, enough that your instincts will help you the rest of the way.

I took a few breaths and looked back at my new wings. “Alright, come on… come on…” I muttered, trying to think about them, somehow move them like I would my arms and they slowly opened. In all honesty? It was a little weird, having the extra limbs! I sighed in relief as they spread completely. Seriously I’d only been a pony for a few hours and practiced a few feet off the ground; most of those practice attempts ended with me on my face with only some brief hovering.

“Come on…” I said again, and my wings began to flap, earning a smile from me. “Yes!” I said, jumping up with a cheer only to fall from the cloud. “OH SHIIIIIT!” I screamed out, falling only to suddenly feel something super-soft underneath me. Turning over I saw that sure enough there was now a cloud beneath me. Flitter hovered down towards me, her wings flapping.

“Okay, may wanna watch where you stand next time.” She said. “Now try again. Try to reach that cloud right there.” Flitter gestured over to a cloud about fifteen feet up.

“Alright, alright.” I said, standing and trying again. My wings unfolded and started flapping. Making a short jump, I didn’t fall this time. Unfortunately I wasn’t gaining altitude either; I was just hovering in place.

“Good start.” She said. “Just try not to think about it too much and your body will do the rest. Think of it like learning to walk, it’s a natural thing and if you want something enough you’ll grow right into it. Tell me, what’s your favorite food?”

“Ohhh roast chicken.” I answered.

“Ew… what’d a chicken ever do to you?” She asked. Right… herbivore, not to mention a lot of animals in Equestria had some level of sentience to them. I tried to think of something she wouldn’t find off-putting. “I do like strawberry cake.”

“Well guess what, there’s a cake at the end of that trail of clouds now.” Flitter said with a smile. I squinted and sure enough I saw something sitting on a distant cloud now. Huh!

“Fly to it, and it’s yours.” Flitter said.

“Okay, let’s do this!” I said, I do admit I was feeling a little hungry, mostly for a dessert especially when there was something like that at stake! My favorite dessert, how could I refuse? Last time I had any was my birthday after all.

Turning, I was able to start moving in the air. Arcing my body more horizontally, I was able to carry myself better.

“Now catch the thermals and they’ll help send you upward.” She explained.

As I moved, I felt the warm air that rose underneath my wings, giving them a flap and further up I went. Let’s see if I can go faster… I wondered, turning them a little and I moved quicker. Suddenly, it felt more and more… natural to me.

Swooping down and turning to ride the next thermal, I shot straight up, flapping my wings every so often, it was like… I couldn’t even describe what it felt like other then just amazing!

Doing a few turns around the clouds, I landed on one, bouncing slightly from its softness… like being on the world’s softest air mattress. All that remained was the distance up to where that cake was waiting for me. Yeah, a little weird a cake slice could survive this high but I wasn’t going to argue about it; my sweet tooth had survived the ponification after all.

“One more step and you’re there.” Flitter said, landing on the cloud where it awaited. “You want it, come get it.”

“Alright, watch me!” I said, taking to the air again and flying as fast as I could, I wasn’t even thinking but my wings just did all the work as if this was all normal for me. In no time at all, I was landing on the cloud and grinning at the cake slice.

“Nice work! If only Snowflake were here to cheer for ya! Now eat up!” Flitter said. I stared down at it… realizing it was gonna be a lot harder without any hands, and these wings only substituted for them in a limited manner. Fortune has a way of mocking people… or ponies for that matter.

“Uh… how? Am I supposed to just stick my face into it?” I asked, worried the answer might be yes.

To my shock, she nodded. “If you pick it up in your hooves it might be a little easier. Try hovering while you eat it, for practice, ya know? Not to mention you won’t need to worry about balance as much.”

Exhaling, I decided to give that a try. Putting my hooves around the plate I found my forelegs were much more flexible then the average equine’s. Equestrian ponies were very different from actual horses from Earth, honestly… one could argue they only resemble them in the most basic ways; four legs, hooves, tail, mane. Everything else was different, really… their forelegs were flexible enough to function like arms, the wrist could bend enough to crudely grasp some objects(really, it was like trying to hold something in the joint of your wrist). My wings flapped and kept me suspended in the air as I raised it up and tried to open my mouth wide enough to bite from it, managing to get some of the ice cream on my muzzle and earning a giggle from Flitter.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” She said as I finally managed to finish it… only to quickly regret it when I fell onto the cloud hyperventilating from the brain freeze.

“Whoa, you okay?” She asked. “Hang on.” She wrapped her forelegs around me and flew me to the side of the cloud, kicking it with her legs and some rainwater fell from it. “Drink.” She said.

Opening my mouth, I let the water fill and swallowed, extinguishing the frigid feeling in my throat and let out a sigh of relief. “My bad… I have a habit of underestimating that stuff especially when it’s my favorite dessert we’re talking about here.” I said.

“Yeah, I get that, I sometimes get tummyaches when I get carried away with snacks.” Flitter admitted as she carried me back over to the cloud.

Laying down on it, I watched as my double sat beside me… it was a little weird, knowing I looked like that now. I felt my long, sea-green tail flick back and forth on the soft cloud, my wings folding back up as I rested my head on my hooves. Every so often my ears would twitch or turn at the sound of birds; another thing I was slowly finding myself getting more and more used to. How long would I be this way? I was wondering that before I’d fallen asleep. Was I gonna become myself again, or was I going to be this way permanently and be relocated to Equestria?

And would it have been so bad? Equestria drew in a lot of escapist fantasy for a reason, especially with all the hate and war and death that I saw being described every day on the news. Maybe I was just cynical because of the circumstances I grew up under…

“Daddy, please, I’m sorry!” I pleaded, cowering against my bedframe and nursing the bruise on my face, tears flowing freely from my eyes.

“But how am I going to be sure of that, young lady?” The towering man asked me, his insincerely pleasant smile never wavering, his smooth tone never rising as he calmly wiped his fist with a hand cloth while he approached me as if this were a normal, unremarkable thing to him. I was only ten, completely helpless; I remember how I was too scared to tell anyone the truth of where these bruises came from. I fell, something fell on me, I accidentally hit myself with something, whatever excuse I could think of.

I couldn’t answer, I couldn’t even speak as he drew his hand back, I closed my eyes knowing it’d come flying again in less then a second.

I shook my head frantically, clenching my eyes shut as hard as I could to purge those memories. It wasn’t always easy to think of the good people in the world when there were so many bad ones… but it didn’t feel like there were enough, and sometimes it felt like it was just a matter of time before we destroyed ourselves. The hardest part of it all had been to try and keep as positive and upbeat an attitude as I could around everyone, even Kyle. Something I’ve done all my life. I’d hoped eventually I’d become that mask, and be able to enjoy the world as much as I say I did. Kyle and my mom were the only ones I really had that I could share those with, and hoped they could be enough. Was this the reason I was taking to this so quickly? If I ended up this way permanently, and Kyle ended up as Amethyst Star permanently, we’d remain inseparable. Funny in this body I was finding Amethyst to be one attractive mare… my bisexuality survived the switch I suppose… I was glad for that because Kyle was the world to me, he supported me, cared for me, and loved me. I wanted to spend my life with him regardless of how we ended up when this was all over.

Still, with how things were going, there were others like us who needed help, children even! And this PAPA organization clearly didn’t make exceptions with who they were willing to hurt. I’d be more then happy to lend a hoof in putting a stop to this hatred.

“Hey, Flitter?” I asked, causing the other pegasus to look over at me.

“Yeah, Stephanie?” She asked.

“Let’s get back to practice.”

~

Some time later… I’m not sure how much, really, time seemed to be longer there despite the alarm Amet—Kyle had set… I gave a yawn and a stretch as I awoke, and found a familiar pink unicorn mare next to me.

“Heya, Kyle. Have any interesting dreams?” I asked jokingly.

The unicorn just smirked and rolled her eyes, floating the TV remote and spinning it in the air several times before placing it back on the table. “You have no idea.” She answered.

Author's Note:

And so it begins. The things a Jedi craves not but readers always do; adventure and excitement, shall come in the next chapters. Thanks to all who've stuck with me and this story so far!

As for Flitter's skill in flying; I've followed the promo cards, which describes her and Cloudchaser as very fast fliers(though definitely nowhere near Dash but then again who is) and going with the assumption that they're sisters, likely twins as they have identical coat and eye color and are seen next to eachother throughout the episode they're initially featured in. The card also mentions them as being friends of Thunderlane and Snowflake(YEEEAAAAHHH!)

Comments

[Kalskirata02]

Nooooooooooo1!!!!!! The book doesn't have any chapters left!oh well hope it'll update soon!

[ShadeJak]

3165417

It's about to right about... now (presses button)

[Rocky Runner]

Adventure and excitement! YAAAAY!!!!

I'm just eating up this switching of the P.O.V's stuff! I swear I'm going to get fat from it! If... if I could get fat. I eat so much that I should be, but I'm skinny as a twig. Not... literally. But I'm pretty darn close.