Vesper was the first to pass through the Worldgate. This was a fitting reward, since she had been the one to track this one down. With several maps and some educated guesses from a book on the subject, maybe. But if it got them back to Earth, it still counted.
By now she was more than prepared for the rush of water and sudden moment of painful transition. She was even expecting the stretching that came when her bat body became something that wasn't a bat anymore.
But the water wasn't usually that deep, and this time was no exception. Vesper swam upward, breaking the surface with one arm, then clambering out of the way for the rest of the group to pass.
She'd gone through dressed, knowing full well what this transition would entail if it worked properly. And work it had.
In the blink of an eye, Vesper was no more. Jordan had returned, in time for the rest of this exploration. His last? That was less certain.
He shouldn't feel so disoriented to be back in his own body. It must've just been the damp cloth, transformed back in ways that weren’t always easy to predict from the other side. Yet there was something off—what was bothering him?
Jordan stood up slowly, unsure of what would be waiting for them. After all, Paris had begun their whole adventure with a plunge against their will back into a world that wasn't theirs. Another creature like that could be waiting right now, and his friends were just a few feet behind.
The room did resemble that space in Paris—a Roman bathhouse of sorts, at least in basic layout. But he doubted any Roman had planned on swimming in water so cold.
He started shivering instantly, and moved one shoulder to try and cover himself with his wings—except there were no wings. Only damp clothing, that soaked straight through to his skin beneath, sucking the heat away from his body with alarming rapidity.
There was only a single door leading outward. There was light in that direction, though diffuse enough that it clearly didn't lead directly out into the sun.
Other splashes came from behind him, but Jordan was momentarily too distracted with other things. He was himself again, old body and all. This should feel good—this was the relief he'd been waiting for.
This was the entire reason they fought so hard, wasn't it? They didn't want to be stuck. It should be like a breath of fresh air.
Jordan felt like his whole body had been tightened a few notches, or maybe wrapped in rubber bands. Everything was where it ought to be, as though he'd never gone to Equestria. As though Vesper was never born.
Somehow, he found he wasn't a fan of the experience. If only he'd kept some piece of her, to remember his time in Equestria. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to let go.
"That was... thoroughly unpleasant," Ryan exclaimed, flopping sideways out of the water to roll a few feet towards him. "But hey, you're back! Looks like this one works!"
There was no predicting precisely how their clothes would adapt to the new bodies transformation gave them—but the same basic ideas held. Being fully dressed in Equestria meant they would have a full set of clothing here.
"Yeah," Jordan said. His ears twitched, or maybe that was just his imagination. His voice wasn't supposed to sound like that.
Deep breaths. I've had less than a minute to adjust.
Jordan backed away from the opening, watching as the others came through one at a time. He just needed a little more time—there were plenty of other members of the expedition to take the lead while he figured out what was going on.
Blake emerged from the water next, kicking powerfully to the surface and heaving himself into a crouching position with one arm. He stood a few seconds later, shaking away the moisture. "Cold on this side. Wasn't expecting that."
Was it, even? Jordan shivered once, shaking a little water out onto the ground. It was cooler than he would've liked, though that was mostly from the water. That wasn't what bothered him about all this.
Janet broke the surface of the water a few seconds later, kicking and struggling with every breath. She flailed wildly with her arms, and might've gone back down into the darkness if it wasn't for Blake there to catch her. Jordan stood beside him, and together heaved the woman from the water.
She was wearing the most clothing by far, enough that her heavy jacket and trousers soaked completely full and began to drag her downwards towards the Worldgate below.
Jordan was strong enough to help Blake get her up into the air, though it burned both arms as he did it. So maybe he hadn't spent as much time adjusting lines and hauling water as some other members of the team. It wasn't his fault that the Dreamlands were so much more interesting!
"Gracias..." Janet muttered, shivering visibly. She was instantly the shortest member of the group, gone from towering over Jordan to a head shorter than he was in a single instant. "Wait a minute. Where's the bat girl?"
"Right here," he said, backing away from the opening. There was still another figure to make it up from below, one heading rapidly to the surface. Apparently griffons did know how to swim.
"I don't see it," Janet said. She seemed more confused than anything. "Are you sure?"
Jordan didn't continue to explain, just backed away from the opening. Blake did too, so the two of them gave it plenty of space as another shape surfaced from deep below.
Galena came up, struggling through the water and hauling herself onto the shore. She rolled onto her back, tangling a little in the backpack as she finally stopped. "That was much worse than last time. Ancestors punish those who built such a thing."
Though bits of cloth poked out the open flap of her backpack, Galena was as naked as she had been in the world they left behind. But unlike Janet, and apparently Jordan himself, she looked exactly the way he'd expected.
She was tall, probably equal with Jordan. Her hair was mottled brown and tan, mixed in a way he'd never seen before. Her build was incredibly fit, lean muscle on every limb broken only by frequent scars. Dripping wet and panting like that, this could just as easily be a photoshoot for some "gentleman's" magazine.
Jordan turned away in frustration. Blake just kept staring, for another few seconds.
"Wait, uh... Galena? Those clothes, you should put them on."
She looked down at herself, then back up. The disorientation was similar to what Jordan himself remembered—and that made perfect sense. She had just changed as radically as they had when they first arrived.
"I'm wet, as is that clothing. It may be cold, but wet cloth will make it colder." She sat up, grinning playfully at them. "You're the ones who insist on freezing to death."
Jordan groaned. "We have modesty on this side, Galena. It means we always wear clothing when we're around other people. You can't leave like that." He snatched the satchel from the ground beside her, dumping her clothes out onto the slightly dusty bathhouse floor. "Get dressed."
Galena stared up at him, her confusion growing. Like she didn't know what she was doing. Blake just kept staring—and how could he not? "You are distressed. Did the Worldgate confuse me less than you?" How could she sit there like that, without feeling even a little embarrassed? "We do not even appear to differ in tribe anymore. Is there something here you haven't seen before?"
She grinned, though she did occasionally glance down at herself. Jordan's attention might've riled her up, but Galena was new to her body.
Jordan grunted, turning his back on the stupid naked griffon. He stormed past open-mouthed Blake, to where Ryan was investigating something on a back wall. He rubbed it clean with the back of one sleeve, clearing away the dirt.
It was another map, one carved painstakingly in wood, then painted. Most of that paint was gone now, though the underlying design had mostly survived. In it was an image of Earth, one that focused on the globe in a way he'd never seen it before. Not even Europe was properly centered.
The Equestrian side was recognizable to him by now, thanks to the number of times he'd poured over the Worldgate diagrams. Unlike the other one, this showed both sides of the globe... but not with worldgates. This one seemed to be a monument of population centers. Maybe they had full city names once, but they'd mostly faded away to nothing by now.
"The style is the same," Ryan said, apparently oblivious to the drama behind him. Jordan kept glancing back to see. It did seem that Janet was trying to convince Galena. Maybe she would have more luck, since they were both birds.
"Same ones who made the map under Paris?" Jordan suggested.
Ryan nodded. "The manner is distinct. Same style in the construction, same lettering. But the language isn't French. It's too worn for me to read it. Good thing the one we found was in better condition, or we wouldn't have a clue where we were going."
Jordan slid past it, still shivering as he made his way into the single doorway leading out. This was what really mattered—the one thing that would decide if they remained through this portal for any length of time, or slid quickly back through to Equestria.
He couldn't let himself get too hung up on how annoying the griffon was acting and wish for a swifter return trip. The others wanted to get home. And he probably did too?
Jordan made it only a few steps before he realized what he was missing here—shoes. Away from the bathhouse, the ground was rough and rocky, cut unevenly from the cavern. He glanced back through to the bathhouse, and found only Janet had shoes. For the rest of them, the strange hoof-wraps they'd appeared wearing had evidently slipped their minds and not been replaced.
Jordan flipped open his own saddlebag, which was now a plain-looking backpack with crude buttons instead of a zipper. There was camera equipment inside, a few extra batteries, and all his identification, passport, and cash. His phone was inside too, packed in a dry bag. But its battery had long since exhausted. Ryan had their last working device.
Instead of striding comfortably out, Jordan had to walk on tiptoe, moving slowly and precariously towards the light.
"Where are you going?" Ryan asked. "Shouldn't we go together?"
"No," Jordan answered. He didn't look back, or even slow down. It was hard enough walking that turning around would be its own adventure. "There's sunlight this way, I'm gonna check where we are. Might not need to waste time here."
Ryan didn't say anything else, so Jordan made his way through the tunnel. It wasn't just the rocks that made the process slow and awkward. Though he did catch himself trying to spread his wings to help him balance, something that he just couldn't do anymore. Of course, a little rough stone wouldn't have given hooves trouble either way.
The cold started to get to him as he reached the end of a tunnel, through to a horizontal crack in the wall at about waist level. He bent down, squirmed through, then peeked out into the world.
They were on a rocky hillside, covered with the occasional patches of wildflowers and sparse grasses. But the most interesting thing by far was what he saw when he looked down.
Down the hill, no more than a few miles away, a little town stood surrounded by sparse farms and patches of trees. The place wasn't in the best shape, with narrow buildings only a few stories tall, many with peeling paint or corroded metal rooves. But there were powerlines, narrow roads, and actual cars driving on them!
We found a way out. Jordan should've felt more excited about that. Wherever this was, it would help them get back to civilization. He should be thrilled.
Jordan made his slow way back down the tunnel to the hidden passage—not so well hidden, considering how close it was to civilization. At least by the time he made it back, Galena had put some clothes on. Kaelynn's, he guessed, though they couldn't possibly be the same size. How did that work?
"How was it?" Blake asked, as he made his way back in. "What was out there?"
He almost lied. But his friends deserved better than that. "Civilization. I don't know where, but maybe it doesn't matter. Cold as butt, though. It's nicer in here."
Well, looks like they made it. Now they just need to go back and get one minor thing before they call the adventure a success. Might take a bit of time, though...
Huh. I would've expected Galena to have a stronger reaction to being transformed, since she's finally gotten proof that they weren't lying about it the last time.
Should be pored, I think.
Gee Jordan, no need to be so enthusiastic about finally making it back to Earth.
Shame there's no mirror here. We'd be able to see the progress compared to Tracy.
Welp, Jordan’s confirmed dead now. Only thing to do now is to wait and see how long that illusion lasts.
10935734
well.... it's not yet that Confirmed. It is very likely that Jordan is now officially Vesper but I feel like this is Dysphoria more than being actually locked in.
after all..... Vesper is still Male on the Earth side for now which I DOUBT an Illusion would have made.
however, let's face it, with that level of Dysphoria, there's no way Jordan won't abandon the Earth side once everyone is definitely safe (that is, if their next foray in Equestria ain't enough to finish the transformation for Jordan in the first place)
I wonder if they will be able to use this one it seems safe but there might be a catch. It's also possible that when they go back to search for Kaelynn they will become ponies hwen on the other side. The map they found probably has more significance than they suspect. I wonder how things would go if the people in that town don't speak english or spanish.
Inventory. Very important in a new place.
10935763
It definitely reads as gender dysphoria to me. At a guess I'd say that, having now experienced being a mare it puts all the wrongness of being male into sharp focus, even if they haven't quite put it together consciously yet.
They end up in Hungary?
10935718
To be honest, I think she was too busy teasing Jordan and Blake to pay much attention to anything else. She might be new to the concept of modesty, but that reaction was too overplayed to be anything but intentional.
10935919
Also I thought her gripe wasn't that she thought they were lying but that she'd found out they were wrong and she couldn't stay transformed even with a working gate.
10935820
also, it being Dysphoria would explain why Jordan was the ONLY one character in both Worldgate fictions so far to actually change gender, because Equestria recognized ¨him¨ as a her
Success! For a given definition of the term. And Galena is taking the new body in very impressive stride. Now to see how well the group can reestablish themselves on Earth. Especially since they seem to be shoeless in a Midwestern winter.
10935734
Do you die when you discover a new element of your identity? Vesper isn’t some alien being that consumed Jordan. She just learned something she hadn’t known
Ruh, Roh! Sounds like Chernobyl!
Yep, Chernobyl
Probably Chernobyl
Chernobyl again ... oh, btw, "roofs"
Chernobyl
Ah, the bucolic appeal of Chernobyl
Hmmm...? Okay, not Chernobyl?
Someplace -- worse than Chernobyl!?
OH, SHIT!! It's GLASCOW! Man, they're royally screwed now! And no one there actually speaks English or Spanish -- just Scottish!!!
Barring any sort of surprises, this gate is very likely the one. Looks like we're nearing the end. Still have to rescue Kaelynn though. That might push everyone's timers over though. So close and yet so far.
If no monsters spawn on the return trip then everything really is golden.
Vesper is the person he's more comfortable being.
I wonder if that's something of concern.
I can't imagine the frustration the gang will feel once they realize Kaelynn has been kidnapped. They're literally at the goalpost but they now have to run the other way. But at least things are better for Janet. There's no real reason for her to return to fetch Kaelynn since no one knows about the kidnapping yet. Her journey is over and all she has to do is find a way home and bleed off whatever magic she's accumulated.
10935734
Seems more like when Tracy was catching flashes of his pony ears in reflective surfaces. The change isn't permanent yet, but he's on his way.
10936067
But there’s a difference. Tracy was seeing things until he started feeling things, and he started feeling things right before his permanent transformation. Comparing that to Jordan’s current predicament, and it looks like it’s lights out for him.
I am calling somewhere in the former Soviet Bloc. Probably someplace not friendly to Americans.
10935987
To be real with you, I have always treated Vesper as a completely different entity from Jordan, one that was surely, but unknowingly, killing him.
The way I see it, their body is like a spaceship, and for the longest time, Jordan was the only one flying. But when Vesper became a thing, she entered the cockpit, and for a duration of time I have dubbed “The Transitionary Period”, the two shared the same steering wheel and flew together, with Jordan occasionally gaining full control. But after a while, Vesper was allowed full control of the spaceship, with occasional “shift” changes with Jordan. But whilst flying the ship, Vesper started making some changes that, unknowingly, caused Jordan to get knocked down the trash chute. When specific conditions are met (i.e: when they go through a fully-functioning World Gate into the human world), Jordan can climb back up and take a “shift” at the wheel. But he will always get knocked back down into the trash chute, because, unfortunately for him, the changes Vesper made to the ship are permanent, and she can’t undo them.
One thing Jordan should have noted, if it wasn’t too far away to see, is what kind of cars he saw. American? European? Something unfamiliar?
I see, Jordan I suppose he went native, found that he was more comfortable female than male.
10936114
That honestly makes sense to me. As Vesper, "Jordan" went native becoming comfortable in the new female body. Now that Jordon is back, he no longer feels comfortable being Jordan. Which will cause issues, or probably will. Out of all of them, Jordan will probably go back, finding being Vesper too "addictive".
10936114
I dunno, I don't really see it as something malicious like that. I kinda get where you're coming from, but I tend to give the benefit of the doubt where possible. Maybe I've just made or seen enough mistakes that I'd rather not ascribe malicious intent without clear evidence of malice.
10936240
I didn’t say nor believe she was doing this maliciously. She just hasn’t realized the consequences of her actions, yet.
Hmmm, don't forget that they haven't found the exit point, their way out might still be blocked ,,,
10936114
Personally, I just think of it as a "mind is a plaything of the body" situation. Especially given how influenced Vesper and others seemed to be influenced by things like smells/pheromones.
When he went over he still brought over "himself", but now that he has come back he has brought some of "herself" back too.
Still looking like Jordan/Vesper is downright enthusiastic about going native though.
So, either this story is going to have another abrupt ending after this chapter or...Or this might turn out to be more interesting than we thought.
I have finally caught up with this. And ...
Wow, what a ride.
I admit, I was thinking as I read this, this would make a great campaign for an RPG group. Would probably not want one of the PC's to be a seapony though.
I do think the idea is pretty straight forward. Janet leaves, the rest of the group returns, remembers to get shoes (hoof covers), find out that someone is kidnapped, and then ...
1. Get help from our side, so that there's a bigger group to recover her? They wanted to make this portal known, right? [ Discord's choice, maximum chaos. ]
2. Ignore help from our side, just this small group, and probably run out of time for at least one of them.
3. ... I'm not seeing the third choice in this situation.
Also: Galina changed to human? Doesn't she have a lifetime of accumulated magic? Which is actually making me wonder, how do these worldgates actually deal with transformation. I mean, I never even questioned it when Rose turned human. Now, however, after realizing what Tracy went through, what Janet is going through, I'm wondering WTH? ("what the Hay!?")
Let's hope this is just some Appalachian town and not Afghanistan...
10937045
Gonna be honest, now that you’ve said it I’m hoping it’s Afghanistan now.
10936986
The rules work differently going the other direction. From chapter 64 of Fine Print:
"When Roseluck or any other creature from our world visits yours, they pass through this door. The spell creates a human illusion. What you did not see was the magic waning every moment they spent in your world. There is no way to replenish the enchantment on your side, or none you were likely to encounter. Any Equestrian creature who remained too long would eventually break that spell, and the illusion would fail."
So an Equestrian on the human side will look human, until the illusion spell fails, and they look Equestrian. And if they continue to stay, with magic draining out of them ... I'm guessing fatal, or was that ever addressed?
I guess our emigrant griffon will find out.
10936570
If anything, he's certainly found his calling. Equestria is apparently where he belongs though I wonder if he can commit to starting a new life there.
10937557
I'm guessing Galena is expecting to replenish her magic (and presumably the illusion) at the gate from time to time. It might be inconvenient but it's a step up from being hunted by pirates.
to good to be true.
things are going to go shitty some how.
My guess? Rrrrrrrrussia
As a trans woman, this chapter was heartbreaking.
Well done!
Hmm.
If things keep going as they are... likeliest scenario is that some time soon, the choice will have to be made to stay or to return -- and I don't think that Vesper's choice will match the others'.
The worldgate working different for Equestrians does not make sense. I'd expect the transformation back to earth to be a function of the amount of magic, not where the individual came from. If there is enough magic present, they just get the illusion of being human instead of actually transforming. Which means no one can tell if they were already too long in Equestria until the magic runs out.
10942580
It works the same for both.
When you go through a World Gate, it applies an illusion on you so you don’t look so out of place. If your actual form would be considered normal on the other side of the World Gate, then it would just dispel any illusions it cast on you.
For instance, when Tracy first crossed a World Gate, an illusion was cast on him that made him look and feel like a threstral, and when he crossed back over, the illusion was dispelled and he went back to being human. But when he melted into his pony form on the Earth side of the World Gate, after crossing into Equestria, no illusions were cast on him as his form was normal for that world.
One thing to note though, is that the illusions run on magic, so eventually the illusions will run out of power and dissipate on their own. BUT, on Equss magic is literally everywhere and in everything, so the illusions will be sustained perpetually. But on Earth, there is no magic, so the illusion will run its course and fade away.
So Jordan isn't comfortable in his human skin anymore.
She should probably put some clothes on, this might be too distracting at a moment when the party needs to be focused.
Case in point.
Oh wow, that is incredibly useful. There's a very good chance it could be used to establish a timeline for when the gates were active.
Where's the disaster? How could there not be a disaster?