Chapter 1: How Do These Things Work?
David felt the calming wind gently flow over his wings as he soared through the air. Thin strands of ozone wisped at his mane and tail and lightly flicked his hair around while he effortlessly flapped his wings to gain more speed. Once he was sufficiently happy with his newfound velocity, he relaxed his wings and took to just gliding.
At this altitude, even the air itself smelt like pure, unadulterated freedom, and he couldn't help but grin at the crisp, atmospheric tang it left in his lungs as he soared. He slightly squinted his eyes as he looked at the setting sun over the horizon, and couldn't help the soft smile that graced his lips as he reminisced over how beautiful it looked. His gaze steadily fell down to the landscape, and all of the pony cities that called this particular chunk of Equestria 'home'. Even from his tremendous height, David could still make out the shapes and silhouettes of ponies and griffons as they went about their day and prepared for the night.
He relaxed at the sight of the calm world below him and closed his eyes, basking in the perfection of that beautiful moment for what could have been hours. Only when he completely basked his fill, did David reopen his eyes. He immediately noticed something peculiar.
The horizon was no longer blood orange and distant, but instead, it adorned a bluish tint to it. He scanned down to the landscape, and realized another pressing matter: The ground was getting closer. David's eyes went wide as he realized that he was falling, and for some reason, he couldn't feel his wings anymore. He turned his head to properly diagnose just why he couldn't feel his wings, only to find nothing there. Instead of his red fur, he saw skin. Instead of his hooves, he saw hands. He realized with painful clarity that he was human again, and had no wings to speak of.
David immediately realized the peril of the situation, and flailed his arms about in a desperate attempt to stop himself from slamming into the ground at terminal velocity. As he fell, the spiraling towers of Canterlot rose up to meet him, and no matter which way he seemed to try to maneuver, the spiked rooftop of the castle followed him.
David could make out individual bricks as the castle grew closer and closer. He tried in vain to scream for help, but his voice was hoarse and weak from screaming the whole way down. Even if a pony heard him, his chances of survival were nonexistent at his current speed. He screwed his eyes shut as he closed in on the last hundred feet and slammed into the roof.
David woke up to his body being shook, and he gasped as he realized that he wasn't dead. His eyes shot open and he sat up as quickly as he could. His vision faded in and out, and he heard a distinctly loud ringing in his ears. He shook his head back and forth to try to clear his vision, but it remained the same. He tried to rub the side of his head with his hoof, but found a weight pressing down on the aforementioned appendage. He turned his head to the side to see Midnight holding his hoof down with hers.
Slowly, his hearing came back, and he could hear what she was saying.
"David! Are you okay?" She asked in a panic.
"Uh... yeah... Just had a crazy dream..." David managed to respond.
"I could tell. You were thrashing around a bunch and then you screamed..." Midnight explained with a quickly softening voice.
"I did... Damn... I'm sorry. I was just... I don't know..." David explained as he rubbed his head with his hoof.
Midnight quickly brought her hoof to his wither and pulled him closer. She affectionately nuzzled against his neck while he leaned against her. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply as her soft fur melded with his. Midnight took that as a sign that her efforts were not in vain, and upon pulling away, she gave him a small kiss on his cheek.
"Thanks, Mid. You're the best." David said.
"Anytime, big guy. How are you feeling though? Was it another one of those nightmares?" Midnight asked.
"No... this time it was completely different. It started out as something beautiful... then turned into something terrifying."
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Midnight asked.
"I mean... there's not too much to talk about. I was flying over Equestria. It was gorgeous... I could see the whole country from how high up I was, and I watched the sun setting on the horizon in just the right way..."
David swallowed nervously before continuing.
"I uh... I closed my eyes and just glided through the air for a bit, and then when I opened my eyes, I was human again... I had my hands and feet and everything... then I just started falling. I don't know how high I was but I fell for what felt like forever... The whole time I tried everything I could think of to right myself and maybe aim for some water instead of Canterlot, but I just couldn't move. I slammed right into Tia's castle and... then I just woke up." David explained.
Midnight scratched her chin as she thought over his explanation for a few moments.
"Hmm... Well... you've only been a pony for a few months. It might just be your body trying to adjust to what's different." Midnight offered.
"Yeah, well... If that's how it's gonna do that, I'd prefer it didn't." David grumbled with a noticeable edge in his voice.
Midnight felt a tiny stab of pain in her heart at the edge in David's words, but said nothing. She just cast her eyes down.
"I'm gonna go get some water. You want anything?" David asked as he moved to get off the bed.
"No. I'm alright. Thank you." Midnight meekly replied.
David raised an eyebrow at her sudden shyness, "You uh... you sure?" He asked.
"I'm alright, David. Thank you." She said.
David hesitated for a moment before turning around and heading out the door. He carefully stepped down the stairs and arrived in the kitchen. He moved to grab a glass but stopped just shy of actually touching it. A feeling of dread washed over him as he realized, once more, that he no longer had fingers. He sighed dejectedly before slowly retracting his hoof and leaning his head forward. He tilted his head to the side and gingerly bit down on the sides of the glass to lift it and bring it down to the counter.
He softly nudged the glass until it was just at the edge of the sink and turned the faucet on. Cold water pored into the sink at a relaxed pace before he bit the glass again and brought it under the flow of liquid. It quickly filled, and he moved it away from the sink to set it down on the counter. Just as he reached the edge, the bottom of the glass clinked against the sink and was knocked out of his mouth. The contents of the glass were promptly spilled onto the counter and wasted.
David suppressed the urge to smash something and instead sat down on his haunches. He sighed again and hung his head low in shame.
"David?" A voice spoke up from behind.
David turned his head to see Midnight standing in the doorway with a concerned look on her face. His gaze quickly fell back to the floor and he sighed for the third time.
"Hey, Mid. Sorry, I just kinda spilled the glass is all." He explained, morosely.
"Are you sure that's all that's bugging you?" Midnight asked as she approached the counter and shut the tap off with her magic. She quickly wiped the water away with a towel and focused her attention on David.
"Yeah..." David lied.
"David..."
"It's just... It's hard... It's hard for me to be so weak and useless... I still don't know how to grab things with these hooves... I can't fly... I can't even fill a fucking glass with water..." David explained, his eyes screwed shut.
"Hey now, you've only been a pony for a few months. The doctors said it was going to take some time for you to be able to learn how to use the magic in your body like any other pony. You just need some time. You'll get the hang of it, I promise." Midnight replied, placing a comforting hoof on David's wither.
"I know... I know you're right, but it's just... just so humiliating. I shouldn't need your help to do everything. Big things like flying and whatnot, sure. But just filling a glass with water? It's pathetic..."
"It's not pathetic, David. You're just getting used to it, that's all. Besides, I really don't mind helping you. I almost lost you a few months ago... I told myself that I'd do anything to save you, and from where I stand, this just looks like a small price to pay to keep the stallion I love in my life." She replied with a warm smile.
"I just hate feeling like a burden... You deserve better than this..."
"Hey, look at me," At David's eventual gaze, she continued, "You are not a burden. You are my best friend and I love you. Nothing else matters. Please don't ever forget that."
David forced a smile. He tried his best to hold it but he just couldn't. It fell off his face after a matter of seconds.
"I love you too, Mid... More than I could ever put into words... I just hate having to relearn how to do everything... Kinda wish I had to option to be human again for a bit..." David sadly explained.
Midnight felt her chest tighten at his words, and she quickly felt a pit form in her stomach.
"David... I... I'm sorry... I wish there had been another way..." Midnight replied, her voice full of guilt.
David managed to look back up at her before he realized what he'd said.
"Wait, Mid, I didn't mean it like that. You know I'm grateful for what you did. I'm not upset at you at all... I'm just mad at myself for not being able to get the hang of this." He hastily explained.
"I know... I just... I want to see you succeed too, and it kills me to see you so depressed like this."
"Hey, you didn't do anything wrong here. This is just me being a baby. I'll get over it and I'll get the hang of this. Promise." David replied with his best attempt at a winning smile. While his teeth shown and his face conveyed a friendly aura to it, there was one problem. His eyes just could not carry that strength. They looked cold and dead. Midnight tried her best to ignore how fake the smile was and just hope that his words were genuine.
She leaned down and nuzzled her cheek against his. He happily returned the gesture, and they shared a tender kiss before she leaned back again.
"Do you want me to help you with the glass of water?" She asked.
"Yeah, please." David replied.
Midnight's horn lit up in its familiar sapphire hue, and she expertly grabbed the glass with her magic while simultaneously turning the faucet back on. She brought the glass under the tap and it quickly filled with water. She levitated it to David's hooves, and he carefully grabbed it between his two forelegs. With the grace of an inexperienced child, he brought the glass to his lips and drank the liquid down. Once it was all said and done, he relinquished the glass to Midnight, and she quickly set it down in the sink.
"Alright, big guy, come on. Let's get back to bed." She said with a tired yawn.
"Okay. Thanks, Mid. You're the best." David replied.
Midnight just smiled before turning on her hooves and leading the way out of the kitchen and back up the stairs to their room. David followed behind, and within a minute, they were back at their bed and Midnight was climbing under the sheets on her side. He quickly found his place opposite of her and laid down.
To his surprise, she didn't snuggle up with him like she usually did. Instead, she turned her back to him and drifted off. He gazed at her back for a few moments before sighing and turning over toward his side.
"Great job, dumbass. Now she thinks it's her fault... Fucking bastard..." David mentally cursed himself.
With a heavy heart, and another barely repressed sigh, he closed his eyes and ruffled his feathers slightly go get into a more comfortable position. Sleep came relatively quickly, but even his dreams couldn't stave off the feeling of guilt burrowing into his chest throughout the night.
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Soft rays of early morning sunshine filtered in through the windows and kissed at David's coat as he walked over to the cabinet to grab a bowl for breakfast. He bit down on the knob and pulled it back to reveal the plates, bowls, and glasses Midnight had acquired over the years and used his muzzle to nudge one of the ceramic bowls off of it's inverted brothers. It slipped off of the pile easily enough and hit the bottom of the cabinet with a thud. Using his chin, David nudged the bowl again until it moved to the edge of the opening with the intention of catching it with his hooves. Unfortunately, as soon as it fell from its perch, he lost his balance from standing on just his hindlegs and his awaiting hooves slipped just so slightly to the side.
It was enough of a movement that the bowl simply deflected off of his foreleg and smashed into the floor, shattering into a hundred pieces. David barely suppressed a growl for a few moments before his anger got the better of him and he slammed his hoof into the floor. His nostrils flared as he harshly exhaled, and his blood boiled under his skin.
Midnight winced as she watched him seethe in rage, and her already downtrodden look faltered even further until she could barely keep her eyes off of the floor. She wearily walked into the kitchen and approached David's side.
"Hey, you alright, big guy?" She asked.
David sighed heavily before his features softened somewhat and he turned to face her.
"Yeah... I'm alright. Sorry. I just got a little frustrated is all." David explained.
"You know, if you want to talk to Princess Celestia about this, I'm sure she'd be more than willing to help you."
"I know she would, but this is something I need to figure out on my own. I'd be a waste of her time to teach me to fucking grab things..."
"David... you never used to be so stubborn about these things... If you needed help before, you just asked for it. Why do you feel like you have to do this on your own now?" Midnight explained. Her tone was soft and gentle, but it still hit David like a freight train.
"Because... Because I'm tired of feeling useless... Ever since I got here, everything has just been handed to me. Tia gave me a place to stay, then a pension for no fucking reason... Then you let me move in with you, and all I did was some chores while you worked your ass off to fix me. I've been a burden to you ever since I got here, and now I can't even pick up a fucking bowl without dropping it!" David shouted, slamming his hoof into the floor again for emphasis.
Midnight winced again as his hoof hit the floor. Her eyes fell to the floor again and her voice came out like a whisper.
"I told you that you're not a burden..."
David took a few moments to calm his breathing before he faced Midnight again, and sighed.
"I know... I'm sorry. I'm just-" David began, but a knocking at the door cut him off.
Both ponies in the room turned to face the doorway before Midnight trotted over to the front door and opened it to reveal Storm Shield.
"Heya, Midnight." Storm chirped.
"Oh, hi, Storm. I didn't know you were coming by... And so early too." Midnight replied, a look of surprise clear on her face.
"Well, if you want to train a pegasus to fly, you have to start early. That's when the air is the thinnest and safest to make mistakes in." Storm explained with a wave of her hoof.
"Really?" Midnight asked.
"Maybe. I dunno. It sounds like it might be right though, doesn't it?" Storm asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
Midnight stared at Storm for a second before letting out a small chuckle and shaking her head.
"Come on in."
"Thanks." Storm replied with a bright smile.
Storm trotted into the entry way and easily spotted David in the kitchen with a towel on his hoof, trying to sweep up some broken ceramic. She headed into the kitchen with Midnight trailing behind after she closed the front door.
"Hey, Davey!" Storm greeted.
"Hey, Storm." David replied, glancing up slightly from his task.
"What happened?" She asked.
"I... dropped a bowl. Can't seem to grab things with these damn hooves and I keep dropping shit." David replied.
"Yikes. That's no fun. Here, let me help." Storm said.
"I got it. Thanks though." David replied.
"David..." Midnight said.
David sighed before nodding slightly and moving over. Storm quickly leaned down and expertly plucked the ceramic shards off of the floor with her hoof. She rose back up to her full height and effortlessly deposited them into the waste bin.
David frowned at how easy she made it look, but bit his tongue before he said anything.
"Alright, now. Who's ready to learn how to fly?" Storm asked, her voice full of enthusiasm.
"Uh... I don't know, Storm... Today might not be the best day." David replied, his voice much more timid than hers.
"Why not?" Storm asked with a tilted head.
"I just... I dunno. I don't think I'm ready to try to fly just yet."
"Oh come on, Davey! It's not like I'm gonna throw you off a cliff and expect you to fly just like that. We're gonna go to a field with some good wind gusts and you're gonna try to glide. You won't be more than a foot off the ground." Storm nonchalantly explained.
"I don't know, Storm..." David replied.
"David, I think you should go train with Storm." Midnight chimed in.
"What?" David asked, slightly taken aback at her proposal.
"It'll help take your mind off of some of the things that have been stressing you out lately. Besides, I have to go into Canterlot today anyways. You could use a day to just have some fun." Midnight reasoned.
David moved to speak but found, yet again, no holes in her logic. He sighed in defeat before turning to Storm to find an energetic smile on her face.
"Alright, let's go try flying." He said.
Storm chirped in excitement before grabbing David by the hoof and dragging him out of the kitchen and through the front door.
"Wai- Storm, jeez, calm down. Can I at least get something to eat first? I just woke up!" David hastily explained as he was forced outside.
"I brought us some snacks, don't worry, Davey. Now come on! You're gonna love this!" She replied with no hint of slowing down.
David sighed before clumsily waving goodbye to Midnight and following Storm's lead. She dragged him to a small wagon with several items silhouetted under a tarp covering the back. With practiced ease, she attached the harness to her barrel and waved him along.
Midnight waved goodbye to David and Storm as they walked down the road and out of sight. Once they were completely gone, she sighed and walked back inside. A few moments later, she exited the house with her saddlebags on and closed the door. She gazed over the cliff side for a moment before heading down the road and making way for Canterlot.
David walked beside Storm as she pulled the wagon along the gravel road leading away from Canterlot. He peaked over his shoulder at the wagon in question, in an attempt to see if he could figure out what was underneath the tarp Storm had previously laid out. He still couldn't quite make out the shapes of the items lying just below, so he gently slowed his pace until his was more align with the wagon.
He tried to silently lift a hoof to move the tarp out of the way, but the surprise of all his weight bearing down on only one foreleg made him bring his hoof back to the ground. Next, he tried to nudge it with his muzzle, but to no avail, as the tarp simply slipped back down every time he got his nose under it.
Eventually, a light chuckle caught his ears, and David looked up to see Storm giggling at him.
"What?" David asked.
"Nothing, you're just adorable. You're trying to open that like a foal." Storm chuckled.
David grumbled under his breath before abandoning his mission and moving back up to be alongside Storm as she pulled the wagon. He turned away from Storm and pouted while she snickered under her breath at how childish he was being.
"Let's just get this over with." He said under his breath.
High trees on both sides of the road cast soft shadows that sprinkled throughout the path and occasionally blocked out the sunlight as it filtered down onto the two pegasai. David couldn't help but notice a few birds happily chirping away at them as they flew from branch to branch and watched them.
Storm looked over her wither to see David frowning at the birds as they flew overhead.
"Hey, Davey. Don't look so down. You're gonna be flying up there with them soon enough. Trust me, flying might sound hard, but it's super easy once you get the hang of your magic." Storm said with a friendly smile.
"Thanks, Storm... I hope so." He replied.
Storm tilted her head and furrowed her brow.
"What's got you in such a bad mood today, Davey? You were super excited about getting to fly a few weeks ago and now you seem really down in the dumps."
"It's nothing, Storm." David quickly replied.
"If it was nothing, then you wouldn't be perpetually frowning. Come on, spill it. You know you can trust me." She replied.
David let out a harsh sigh that quickly turned into a dissatisfied groan.
"Alright, fine. It's just... I can't pick things up with my hooves... I can't... I don't know how to control my magic... I don't even know if I have any... And if that's the case, then I just lost fingers and any dreams of flight..."
"Davey, you've only been a pony for a few months. It takes time for all a pony to learn how to control their magic. You're basically starting out from scratch and expecting to be a Wonderbolt in a day." Storm reasoned.
"I'm not though... I just want to be able to pick things up like you can... I hate feeling helpless. My first six months here just felt like I constantly needed someone to help me and take care of me." David replied. He angrily kicked a rock off of the road as he continued to walk.
"I know, but like I said, you're trying to gallop before you've even learned to crawl. Think of it like this, you were just reborn as a pegasus, right? Now, most newborns can barely lift their heads for the first couple weeks after they're born. You, however, have a whole lifetime of experience's worth of a head start. You can lift you head, you can understand other ponies, and you can walk around in your new body with no real issues-"
"Almost..." David muttered under his breath.
"Let me finish, Davey. There's a point here. Anyways, you can do all of the things the other foals can't do right now because you have a big brain in that skull of yours and you know how to do those things already. The problem, is that you haven't developed the muscle to lift your head yet." Storm explained with a triumphant smile.
"Storm... what?" David asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Ugh... What I'm saying is that while you can do a lot of things right now, your magic just needs time to grow and get stronger. You're trying to lift a nine pound head with enough muscle to lift a tenth of that. You just need to give it some time. I promise you that after another week, you're gonna feel stronger, and you'll be able to grip things better. Give it two weeks, and you'll be even stronger. Give it a few months, and you'll be soaring through the sky wondering why you were ever worried in the first place." She reiterated.
It took a second for David to process all of Storm's information, but within seconds, a renewed feeling of determination filled his heart.
"So what you're saying, is that magic is kind of like a muscle. You just need to train it and let it grow."
"Exactly. Although, think of it more as an extension of yourself. Magic is linked to your body down to every atom. That's what allows us pegasi to fly, walk on clouds, and grab things. You just need to work at it." Storm explained.
David found a noticeable bump in his step and a smile finally found its way onto his face.
"You really think I could be flying by next week?" David asked, his wings fluttering in anticipation.
"It depends on how willing you are to come train with me. I have work most of the week, but once I'm done, I'll come by and we can train. I just need you to make me a promise." Storm replied.
"What's that?"
"Smile more. Frowning doesn't look good on you, Davey."
David chuckled at her request.
"Alright, you've got a deal, Stormy. I'll try to smile more." David said.
"Do or do not, there is no try."
"That... sounds like it's from somewhere..." David replied, stroking his chin in thought.
"I heard it from a guy. You wouldn't know him. It's good advice though!" Storm cheered.
David rolled his eyes.
"Alright, Storm. Whatever you say."
As they continued along the path, the tall trees flanking both sides of the road eventually tapered off and thinned out until there were scarcely any in sight. Storm led David further along until a large grassy plain came into view. She nodded to David and dragged the wagon along into the field. After a few hundred meters, she stopped, unhitched herself from the wagon, and began stretching her legs.
"Wheew... I need to limber up more before I take this thing anywhere anymore. My legs are sore already." Storm complained.
"I'm surprised. We only walked a few miles. I'd have thought that a royal guard would have an easier time walking with a guy who's basically a newborn foal in denial." David teased.
"Go ahead and remove the tarp, tough guy." Storm replied.
David moved over to the cart and bit down on the canvas. He yanked back with a moderate amount of force and the white fabric came free. What greeted David's eyes in it's stead however, caused his jaw to go slack and the tarp to slip out of his mouth.
Under the tarp, previously unseen by the crimson pegasus, were dozens of weighted plates. A total of over thirty plates, all with the number "Forty Five" printed on them laid throughout the cart. There were also several dumbbells laying on top of the plates in several different piles, most likely causing the bumps and creases in the tarp earlier.
"S-Storm... How much weight is in this thing..." David asked.
"Oh, not that much... " She replied, her tongue stuck out in thought, "Just around... two thousand pounds, total."
David's jaw dropped immediately.
"What!? You mean you've been pulling a legitimate ton this whole time!?" He shouted.
"Yes? I mean, it's not like we were going uphill or anything. Besides, I've been needing to work out more too. I figured this would help us both out. You'll use the weights to train your wings and help get your body stronger, and I'll pull the cart to get my legs stronger. Teamwork. Yay!" Storm cheered, clopping her hooves together.
David just stared at the cart in disbelief for a few moments.
"W-How... how much weight am I supposed to be training with here? Two thousand pounds is a little out of my league right now, Storm."
"Well, duh? I wasn't gonna start you on anything super heavy. For a pegasus your size... you should be able to lift at least two twenty five with ease-" Storm began.
"TWO TWENTY FIVE!?!" David interrupted.
"-but considering your current situation... we'll start with the twenty pound dumbbells." She finished.
"...fine..." David muttered.
"That's the spirit! Come on. First, we're gonna start with your grip strength. You can't really lift the weights if you can't even pick them up." Storm explained before heading over to the wagon to pick up the aforementioned weights.
David sighed and walked along with her.
"This is gonna be a long day..."
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This is pretty good so far. I enjoy it. So far, everything's making sense to me, and it's been a while since I've read the story leading up to this. Can't wait for more scenes between David and Midnight! They always seem to have good chemistry.
Wait, how would David not know the Yoda quote?
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He was never a Star Wars fan
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I'm glad you're excited. I've been looking forward to uploading again for a while now.
Hum, been a while sense I kept in touch with this story should look up what I missed sense then.
By the way, if you are ever interested in getting your a cover art for this story, you can look me up, I am open for commissions. If you want to take a look at my DA gallery here is the link bellow.
https://www.deviantart.com/amalgamzaku
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Thank you! I really appreciate the offer, but unfortunately, I've already commissioned another artist to make the cover art for this story. She should hopefully be done with it within the next few days, but regardless, thank you for the offer. I'll keep it in mind for future stories.
Nice cover art
I FINALLY had time to get started on reading this (busy weekend) and it was worth it 
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I'm glad you like it so far. I wasn't sure how people would like this story but so far it's had a decent reception.
It is nice to see a transformation fic incorporate physical therapy for once.
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I did really want to convey the struggles of changing species in this one. Glad you like it so far :D
Well, he literally is experience wise.
Ah, right, that addresses further in the chapter.
Good reference and piece of advice.
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Would certainly explain why he didn't take the opportunity to name himself Skywalker, instead of Crimson Sky.
I wonder if he's a fan of sky pirates.
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and it was X-hundreds of years later