The Revival of a Heart

by TheMessenger

Transformation Completion: Baby Steps and Criticisms

Transformation Completion: Baby Steps and Criticisms

Ash groaned again. While the process was painless, he felt extremely worn down, as if he had sprinted a mile. His limbs were so sore.

"It worked," Twilight repeat, this time with much more energy.

"Wow," Spike went over to the new stallion, giving him a quick poke. "You never cease to amaze."

Ash mumbled something into the floor. Spike poked him in response.

"What was that?"

With another exhausted grunt, Ash slowly lifted himself from the floor. He stood wobbly for a few seconds before collapsing. Ignoring Spike's laughter, he tried again, this time managing to sit.

"How do I look?"

"Well..." Twilight looked over the stallion, giving her answer some thought while she took in his appearance.

"He looks a lot like a royal guard." Spike grabbed a mirror. "Off-duty."

Ash stared at the stallion in the mirror. He stared back at him.

His reflection was no longer a raven-haired pale youth. Before him was tall stallion, dark grey with white grey mane. A slender horn stuck out from beneath his messy mane. Indeed, at first glance, one could have mistaken him for a guard who was on vacation. Even his eyes were a similar color: hazel, though this feature was one from Ash's Human self.

"Yeah, I guess he kind of does look like a night guard." Twilight helped the Human-turned-Unicorn up. Ash muttered a tired but grateful thanks. His stance was much less shaky this time, though it seemed like the smallest breeze could tip him over. Spike fought the urge to poke he again and contented himself with the mental image of the stallion falling over like a fainting Fluttershy by a single touch.

"I'm a pony now." Ash wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. As much as he hated bumping into thing, at least he had a sense of balance. It'll just take some time getting used to, that's all Ash assured himself.

"Yep, welcome to ponykind." Twilight held onto her composure for a few moments before bursting in excitement. Once more she skipped around the library. Without anything to brace against, Ash nearly toppled.

"We did it! We did it! We did it! It worked! It worked! It worked!"

The purple Unicorn's excitement worried the grey one; did Twilight actually know whether the spell worked or not or was its success news to her? Ash would have shuddered at the thought of using such an experimental spell had he been more balanced.

"Spike!" Twilight paused from her happy hops. The baby dragon had been flexing in front of the mirror, blissfully ignorant.

"Spike!" Twilight called again, this time winning the dragon's attention and his blushing face. "Help me record the spell and send it to the Princess. I'm sure all of Canterlot's high magic researchers will want to know this." The purple Unicorn squealed. "At last, my first official thesis paper. I'll even have it published! Maybe it'll be printed in Magical Equestria or Magic Time or--"

"Uh, Twilight, I kinda, sorta already erased it."

Like a punctured balloon, Twilight Sparkle deflated. "What?"

"Oh look! Ash's about to take his first steps!" Spike waved wildly at the white-maned stallion, silently begging for his cooperation. With a sigh, Ash lifted a hoof a few inches. For a few moment, he felt a childish sorry sense of pride. He grinned foolishly

I can walk!

What would have been the most pathetic achievement for the accomplished Mage ended in an even sadder failure. At least his unceremonious collapse distracted Twilight from Spike's unintentional destruction of what may have been the greatest discover of magic in this decade.

Ash groaned once more, this time in pain. "Thought the head bumps would stop after becoming a pony."

"Not bad," Twilight lied forcefully as she helped him back up. In truth, she had seen the Cake twins crawl better. "Though next trying actually taking a step. Pony's weren't made to stand on only three feet."

"Did somepony mention standing on three feet?"

Pinkie Pie leaned through an open window and peaked inside the library. "Cuz that's really fun to do and really easy once you get the hang of it and--"

The pink party pony interrupted herself with a gasp and leaped into the tree, crashing into a pile of notes and sending books and paper flying.

"Omigosh! I've never seen you around before and I know everypony in Ponyville and I mean everypony!" Pinkie grabbed Ash into a gigantic, rib-crushing hug that left the poor stallion gasping for air. "You must be new here and that means you don't have any friends yet which is sad but don't be sad because I said yet and starting today this hour this minute this second, I, Pinkamena Diane Responsibility Pie, am your friend!"

"Pinkie..." Twilight began in order to explain and save the remaining bones of Ash's new skeleton. Two sharp knocks on the door distracted the purple pony. Spike's attention was stolen by the refined voice that came with the knocks.

"Twilight? Are you home?"

"We saw the flash," came Fluttershy's demure voice.

"And all the running newsponies," Rainbow Dash called. "What were you doing and why didn't you invite us?"

"Ooh, I have invitations right here!" Pinkie Pie looked around. "Oh wait, no I don't!"

Twilight went over to the door but was blocked by Spike.

"Let me handle this."

With a proud strut, the dragon slowly made his way to the door. Twilight rolled her eyes as Spike tried to straightened his spikes. He reached for the door.

"Ah don' like it. Twi's takin' too long. Ah'm buckin'."

*****

Applejack chuckled nervously. "Ah'm awfully sorry bout that Spike."

With his good eye, the little dragon gave her a hard glare. He held an icepack to the other one.

"And sorry bout jumpin' you, Ash. Didn' know what tah think, a strangle stallion with his hooves 'round mah friend."

"Pinkie did all the touching, " Ash protested defensively with a slight blush that amused the friendly pink pony. "I can barely stand on four limbs. How am I to balance on just two?"

"Oh, don't worry about that." Pinkie Pie appeared right next to the grey Unicorn. With a foreleg, she leaned on him, threatening to disrupt what shaky balance he had. "I can teach you all about hugging." A giant grin spread across her face; to Ash, it was unnerving. "I'm really really good at it."

"...No thank you."

Twilight thankfully interrupted the awkward situation by bringing the refreshments. Pinkie's attention was redirected toward the cookies and sweets and she proceeded to drown her tea with sugar.

Ash watched as the mares skillfully lifted their cups and drank. He stared as his own cup and tried to imitate. The tiny tea cup shattered on the floor.

"Sorry..."

"It's fine." Twilight grabbed a rag and quickly cleaned the mess and replaced Ash's broken cup with a new one within the minute. It was as if the purple Unicorn had expected this to occur. She probably did, though it would have been wiser to give him a sturdier non-china cup, Ash thought.

The grey Unicorn watched as Rarity levitated her cup and brought it elegantly to her lips. The blue aura surrounding her cup also covered her horn. Ash prodded his own horn. Time to see if this is more than decoration...

The former Human Mage focused his magic toward his horn, just as he would with a staff or a wand. The ease was surprising and feel of magic coursing through his body never felt more natural than it did now. Ash pointed his horn toward his cup which became encased in a greyish light. To his surprise, the cup was lifted without so much of a thought. Ash grinned triumphantly.

Twilight watched the stallion as he tested his abilities. She nodded in approval. "That's it, you're getting the hang of it."

Ash laughed. "I think I've got this backwards. I can use magic before I can walk."

"Nothing wrong with that," Rarity said. "Why, Unicorns can use magic when they're very young."

"Yeah, you should see Pumpkin Cake!" Pinkie Pie recalled the first time she babysat the Cake twins. "She levitate much bigger thing than that and she's just a few months old and can barely crawl."

"Did you just compare me to a baby?" Ash's esteem took a nosedive. "Gee, thanks."

"Still don't know why you chose to be a Unicorn," said Rainbow Dash. "Not there's anything wrong with Unicorns," she quickly added in response to Rarity and Twilight's angry looks. "It just, Pegasi are better."

Ash tried to shrug, only to hit the table with his chin as he lifted his forelegs. "The spell didn't really give me a choice. But I'm glad I'm a Unicorn. At least I get to keep my magic." Ash lifted the cup higher to emphasize his point. The cup exploded as it absorbed the addition energy as push in.

"I'm guessing the spell didn't give you a choice in your color scheme," the proud Pegasus said as she picked shards of porcelain out of her multicolored mane.

"Well, no. Why? Something wrong?"

"Eh, it's boring. Dull. I mean, grey and white?" Rainbow Dash shook her head, her vibrant mane waving wildly. "Man, I thought you'd look cooler as a pony but you're just as boring as you were a Human."

"I think he looks fine," Rarity defended. "Sure, he is a bit drab and grey isn't the best color, rather dreary really, and maybe he could use some mane dye. I'm sure Rainbow would be willing to let you borrow some..."

"Not helping."

"Hey, my mane is one hundred percent natural!"

"Er, well, but grey goes with any color really." Rarity thought for a moment. "Yes, grey's such a neutral color, why, you could where any color you want and it would be fine."

"We don' normally wear clothes." Applejack simply shrugged as Rarity glared at her for crushing her one good point. "Ah'm jus' sayin'. Unless Ash wants tah wear clothes all his life havin' a grey coat doesn' help him that much."

"Well I think he looks fine. Reminds me of, of..."

"A royal guard?" Spike offered.

"Yes, a royal guard." The white Unicorn quickly noted the stallion's limp messy mane. "Off duty. What do you think Fluttershy?"

The shy Pegasus took a hasty look at Ash before finding more interest in her empty cup. "I think he looks...nice," she muttered quietly.

Fluttershy's sudden increase in coyness put Ash at unease. Whenever, she looked up, the Pegasus would try to avoid his eye. "Is, um, something wrong?" he asked.

"Oh, no. Nothing is wrong..."

"You sure?"

"...."

"What was that?"

"......"

"Don't worry about Fluttershy," Twilight assured.

"Yeah, she's just a little shy around new ponies." Rainbow Dash gave her a quick pat. "You should have seen her at flight school."

"I'm not exactly new. I think I've been here for about a week. Besides, we've met and Fluttershy wasn't like this before."

"Yah weren' exactly a 'pony' back then."

"Oh, right."

"It's fine, really." Fluttershy pawed at the floor nervously. 'It's just, I'm going to miss Ash the Human. I'd love to have a Human friend. That's all."

The library seemed to be saturated with awkwardness. At last Rarity ended the silence.

"I've been curious. Why exactly have you given up your Human body?"

Ash considered shrugging again. "Meh, it'll be easier to live in Ponyville as a pony than a Human. At least now I can actually leave the library and maybe take a bath."

"Reasonable," Rarity admitted, though hesitantly. Despite his rationale, something felt off. Something that Rarity couldn't figure out.

"That it?"

Everypony turned to Applejack who wore a hard, scrutinizing look toward the stallion.

"What do you mean?" Nopony except for Applejack and Rarity heard the discomfort in his voice.

The farmpony sighed. "Listen, Ah can tell when somepony's hidin' sumthing from me. Ah know yah've had a hard time and Ah want to trust yah but Ah can't help but feel suspicious when yah go 'round with yer secrets."

Ash sat in silence, his eyes glued to the table. Everypony else had their eyes glued on him.

"Ash..." Twilight began, uncertain.

"You know I've had a hard life so why would you pry?" Applejack met Ash's glare without a flinch but inside she felt cold. "No matter, if it will put you at ease..."

"Yah'll be honest this time? No hidin'?"

"If it will put you at ease," Ash echoed. His voice seemed hollow.

The Human-now-Unicorn stared out of a window. The sun would be setting soon.

"That day, I lost everything. Not just my friends, my whole world. Gone." Ash shook his head. "Should I try to struggle and continuing living as the only Human in existence? To wander without company of my own? To endure alone until at last I am dead and the last traces of Humanity finally disappears?" Ash shook his head. "I am not that strong. I cannot carry such a burden.

"Humans are naturally social. We live together, work together. Without a society, what would a social creature do? How would it live?"

"Ponyville would accept you," Twilight protested. "I'm sure of it!"

"You read the article. You saw the reporters. Every one of them were frightened and I'm sure the rest of this town is just as scared. I would be a freak, an outcast."

"You're not a freak!" Fluttershy almost yelled, surprising everypony including herself. "You're just different. We don't treat cows or donkeys any different just because they're different."

"Fluttershy's right," declared Rarity. "It doesn't matter how you look."

"Yeah, everypony can be anypony's friend and everypony includes you too! Look at Cranky Doodle Donkey! You don't know him yet but you will after you become friends with everypony in Ponyville!"

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash punched the air. "And if anypony wants to say otherwise they'll have to answer to us."

"Thanks." And yet, Ash sounded just as sorrowful. "But regardless of how I am treated, I will still always be alone. Donkeys and cows will always have their herds but me? I have no other Human."

"So what are you gonna do?" Rainbow Dash flapped her wings in frustration. "Give up? Give up your identity just because you're a bit lonely? Because you don't want to be the last Human?"

"Yes."

"I didn't thin--wait, what?"

"I said yes. I told you I'm not strong enough to handle this but I doubt you could be either so stop being so critical."

"But if you give up, all of Humanity will disappear," Twilight noted.

"Humanity died the day Sethiop stabbed me in the stomach." Once more, the stallion shook his head. "I should have died that day, with my people. I shouldn't have abandoned them."

"You can't believe that, dear. None of what happened was your fault."

"Princess Luna said the same but it doesn't vanquish my conscience completely. My guilt wants to resurface, no matter what I want to believe. That's why I need to cast off my identity, my guilt, to begin anew here. I can't continue if I keep on holding onto the past. That's why I've given up my Human body."

"Yer jus' runnin' from yer problems. That ain't gonna solve nuthin'."

"My problems aren't the kind that can be solved. I can't rebuild my world. Even if I could return, what could I do against the Dark One?"

"But what about your friends, your memories?" Twilight argued. "Do you want to give them up too?"

"What good memories I've had can't balance Sethiop's betrayal. If it means forgetting about that day, I can let them go."

Ash let out a tired sigh. "I'm sorry I can't get you to understand and hopeful no one will. Thanks for listening though."

"Are you all right?" Fluttershy asked meekly. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

The grey stallion smiled wearily. "Listening to me is help enough." He turned to Applejack. "I hope I've made myself trustworthy and I hope your trust is worth the cost."

Ash looked out the window. It was beginning to get dark.

"The day ends and night begins. The past passes on and the future becomes present. My past is passed and my future is now. That's why I've chosen my path."

*****

Dear Princess Celestia,

I've always thought that friends could solve any problem but today I've learned some problems have to be dealt with on your own. However, friends will still always be able to provide an ear and sometimes listening to a friend's problem is help enough.

On a different note, Ash has been successfully transformed into a pony, though his reasoning is a bit puzzling. It sounds like he is trying to hide from a guilty conscience. Maybe the key to opening Ash up is through the complete and thorough repression of his misplaced guilt. He is difficult to understand but I had difficulty understanding Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity too at first. He seems to be trying to forget his old friends and I'm a little worried about him trying to make new ones. However, I am sure that I will be able to show him the true Magic of Friendship.

*****

You cannot run...

You cannot hide....

Comments

[Yasahiro]

First!
Also, you don't have to rush. You're making too many typos. I really am going to miss Ash being Human, I... Despise the human-turned-pony fics unless it is reversable or pf good quality, which it is. However I will keep on reading this fic since you surely have something planned... I'm sure of it.... Maybe.... Dunno!

[Yasahiro]

And I noticed you responded to my First comment ever on this fic.
I didn't mean that you have No description. I meant that "while making people curious, isn't enough" In your description ponies are mentioned just once and the long first chapter givIng no hint of having ponies doesn't help, that's why it's not that popular. If I really have Spare time I might even take a try at making new cover art for you.
Now I'm returning to my Ancient Egyptian Soul Room

[TheMessenger]

339298 Do you mind pointing out some typos? I'm not saying I'm perfect or anything but I don't always see my mistakes. And thanks for your input.

[Yasahiro]

339375

It's kinda 3 AM and I'm on Iphone so later. But don't worry, I will help in any way that can make this fic better and more popular. ' It's the fiction that everypony should know!'

[TheMessenger]

339490 lol, I actually wrote a majority of this fic in bed on my Ipod. Probably not very good for my eyes

[Yasahiro]

In deed = Indeed
getting use to = getting used to
Celestria = Celestia

Here ya go!

[Menoshe]

Uh oh... Those last two lines... That doesn't sound good.