Strong Emotions

Chapters

Fish Abandonment
From Left Field
Spa Trip

Fish Abandonment

Twilight slammed her hoof on the desk in frustration, sending parchment and quills flying in every direction. She glowered at the smoke of her last failed spell attempt.

Sighing, she opened the window and with a quick spell, pushed all the smoke outside into the night. It had been a long time since a spell had given her this much trouble. Then again, it had been a long time since she had tried a spell she only knew half of.

For the past week she had been attempting to finish a spell she had discovered in a book buried deep in the library basement. The book was so old and fragile, Twilight had been afraid it would crumble to dust if she handled it roughly and had taken exquisite care when reading it.

This particular spell she was having trouble with had come from a book titled “Strange Creatures and Natural Spells.” It was a spell which was supposed to give the pony it was cast upon the same powers of transformation as a changeling, albeit only for a short time. The author had gone into great detail about changeling magic being fueled by strong emotions. He also wrote that this spell could tap into the emotions of the pony it was cast on to allow them to use a changeling’s ability without the need for a constant flow of magic.

The only problem was the spell was incomplete, as one of the pages containing the spell had met a dusty end when she first opened the book. With only half the spell to go on, Twilight had been trying to figure out the other half based on clues the book’s author had left and her prior knowledge of changelings and their nature.

Ever since the attack by Queen Chrysalis a few months back at Cadance and Shining Armor's wedding, Twilight had poured through every book on changelings she could get her hooves on. If they attacked again, she wanted to be ready. This spell might also be a valuable asset if such an event was to happen again and she was also hoping it would help her get a better understanding of changeling magic.

Twilight read the spell again for the thousandth time; she was performing it perfectly, as far as she could tell, but the spell still wasn't forming the mist that showed it had worked. She believed that once the mist was formed, all a pony had to do was step into it and the spell would take hold.

Twilight read over the page again, being careful to make sure she hadn't missed any clues about the spell.

While changelings are capable of magic, they do not rely solely on their own magical power. One way they draw power is by feeding off of the emotions of ponies. It is also believed that changelings possess the ability to siphon energy needed to maintain the transformation from an unknown source. The source is not a changeling’s body nor the area around them as no change other than the initial magic to start the spell is observed in changelings when they transform. This source of power is a complete mystery, as the amount of transformations a changeling can undergo is limited only to the magic needed to start the spell. The rest of the magic comes from—

Twilight pondered this and wished again that she had the next page which she was sure would contain the remainder of the spell. But then an idea occurred to her of a potential source of power. Maybe instead of unicorn magic, she could use a source of natural magic to power it.

Twilight’s horn lit up as she prepared two spells at the same time. The changeling transformation spell and a dimensional viewing spell that would tap into the veil between worlds. The second spell required a lot more magic than the first, but she was hoping that the energy from the veil would be enough to power the changeling spell.

The tear she was creating would only be small and was solely useful for tapping into the veil enough to assist in large spells. It was dangerous to put in too much magic as there was the potential to create a hole which would be too big to close. Or worse, she could find herself pulled through it and who knows what would happen then, as nopony had successfully created a portal through the veil to another dimension before. The most that had ever been done was to use the veil as a source of energy, a sort of magic-boost, for very complex spells.

As the light from her horn filled the room, Twilight was sure the spell would work this time. Besides, nothing should go wrong if she was careful.

On A Space Mudball Far, Far Away

My hands tapped on the steering wheel of my compact car as I followed along with the complicated drum rhythm playing over my car stereo. I could almost taste the feelings of excitement as I rode the high I had gotten from the exciting news.

Less than one hour ago, I had received a phone call that my application had been accepted. All I needed to do now was go in and fill out the final forms to start work at the Westman High School I.T. Department in two weeks.

I was thrilled, having worked at an Elementary school for three years now as the only IT technician, I was finally moving up.

Much to my surprise, I had gotten the job almost immediately after finishing my associates degree. I was worried at the time that a 20 year old guy with 2 years of college and no previous IT experience would even be able to get the job. But the school had been in desperate need of a new technician for a while and my good friend who already worked in the district's IT department had vouched for me and my love of computers.

After getting hired, they had encouraged me to go back and finish my bachelors degree. Which I did in two years without too much difficulty. The night classes hadn't been easy but the degree was necessary if I wanted to move up in the world of IT. Now I finally had a chance to get out of that crazy school.

Don't get me wrong I love my job, working with technology every day has always been my dream job. However this new position had many advantages my current one didn't. The greatest of them being that I wouldn't have to deal with children anymore.

I have nothing against kids mind you. It's actually something I enjoy, being able to interact with them on a daily basis. What I don't like, is what kids do to computers, printers, and anything else they can get their hands on. Every day consists of virus's being removed and USB drive slots being cleaned out because some first grader thinks it's funny to stick a pencil inside it. The worst had been when I had taken one of the new computers apart to fix a stuck cd drive, only to find mint gum had mucked up the inside. I had considered quitting that day.

Children just don't seem to respect technology as much as they should, and many of the teachers don't know anything about computers either. I remember fondly getting into an argument with a 5th grade teacher who insisted that the reason the internet on her laptop wasn't working was because she didn't have a cable to plug into it. No matter how hard I explained that she could use the school's WiFi, she insisted I set up a cable to her desk.

While I might have to put up with more teachers, I would hopefully be done with having to clean off monitors that had been jabbed to death by greasy candy stained fingers. That would be someone else's problem soon enough.

Waking my phone up from sleep mode I switched it to one of my favorite songs. Loyalty

I wasn't afraid for anyone to hear this song, unlike some of the other songs I listened to. Even if someone heard it they wouldn't be able to associate it with the show My Little Pony unless they knew what the song was exactly.

I had been a fan of MLP for a little over a year now but I had kept it under wraps because of my job. While it probably wouldn't get me fired, it wasn't something that you could just bring up in casual conversation with co-workers. Most people I knew didn't have a very positive view of adult fans of the show anyway.

I actually used to be one of those people who thought the adult pony fans were rather strange. I hadn't even watched the show and I had judged them as being weird or creepy. That changed one afternoon when I found myself with nothing else to watch while searching youtube. A few hours and a couple MLP episodes later and I was hooked.

I can't really explain it, but something about the show just stuck with me and I loved it. The fandom was even more interesting when I actually looked into it. The artwork, fiction, videos, and music the fans created were simply amazing. However lacking any of the skill needed to create anything decent myself, I was content to remain a spectator in the community.

The light in front of me turned red and I pulled to a stop humming along to the music when I felt something strange. A light tugging feeling on the back of my head. I tried to shake it off but the more I focused on it the stronger it got.

All the late night hours and coffee are finally catching up to me. I thought as what must be the impending migraine got stronger. The light turned green and I pulled forward through the intersection.

Tug

Woah, that was a much stronger feeling. It hadn't hurt, but it felt like someone was pulling on the inside of my head with string.

Tug

I focused on keeping my vehicle straight as my eyes watered from the feeling. It still didn't hurt, but it was not something I had ever experienced before.

Maybe it's a stroke? That thought brought panic to my mind as I searched for a place to pull over. I was only 23, but I'm pretty sure it was possible to have a stroke at an even younger age.

Tug

Gasping at my vision blurred, I slammed on the breaks to avoid hitting anything. My hands and feet felt like they were falling asleep simultaneously and I could no longer feel the steering wheel.

TUG

My vision went black and the feeling of my limbs falling asleep spread up my arms and legs and through my chest. When my vision returned, I looked up to see I was stopped in the middle of an intersection. I tried shaking my head to clear it, but the icy needles pressing on my brain dug in deeper. A light sent shadows crawling across my steering wheel and I turned to the left to see two headlights racing towards me.

TUG

My vision went black again and a huge weight seemed to compress my mind. It was like my entire being was being pushed through a straw. Time seemed to slow down and my vision returned for a split second, long enough to see the driver look up from their phone. The expression on his face was almost comical and I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. The shock of the vehicle colliding with me sent my head into the window and I was very glad to have lost all feeling before then. My vision was lost again as the tugging sensation returned stronger than ever.

TUG

I was wrong it wasn't a straw, it was the eye of a needle, a hole the size of a grain of sand was what I was being pulled through. A bright light filled my eyes and I realized I must be dying. I hadn't put much thought into death before, but fear laced through my consciousness for a moment at my last thought.

Who's going to take care of my fish when I'm dead?

Twilight struggled to hold back the flow of magic. Her horn shined with an intensity that would have rivaled Celestia's sun as she tried to contain the spell. Something had gone wrong immediately after casting the two spells and the power coming from the dimensional tear was much higher than she had calculated. She needed to close the rift quickly before the power overwhelmed her and damaged the library or the surrounding houses.

A bright light shown from the hole in space as she tried to keep it from expanding. It hung suspended in the center of the room and seemed to pulse green with each wave of magic. A glowing mist poured out from the opening like a shower head turned on high.

Using every ounce of skill and power she possessed, Twilight cast another spell which closed the rift with a loud pop, causing it to vanish from existence just as quickly as it had appeared.

Exhausted, she collapsed on the floor. The exertion required to keep the portal from growing had strained her to her limits. If she had waited just a little bit longer or been slightly weaker, there was no way she would've been able to stop it.

Her eyes fell over where the rift had formed and Twilight's jaw dropped at what she saw. In the center of the room was a glowing cloud of mist. It was easily taller than her and looked like a thick fog but was tinted a wicked emerald green. The fog seemed to draw light into it and cast off a faint glow.

"Yes! It worked!" Twilight shouted, bouncing up and down. She had finished the spell and it had finally worked. Just what should be expected from the element of magic and Celestia's protégé.

"Twilight! Are you ok? what was that noise and-" Spike cut off what he was about to say as he entered Twilight's study. One claw rubbed sleep from his eye as he gaped at the green cloud of fog that hovered in the center of the room. "What is that?"

"This", Twilight paused gesturing her hoof at the mist "Is the result of a spell I just completed. It allows a pony to have the same powers of transformation that a changeling does."

"So it turns a pony into a changeling?" Spike scratched his head. "Why would you want to do that?"

"No spike, it doesn't turn them into a changeling it just lets them have the same powers as a changeling. Basically it lets them transform into other ponies. Or at least that's what it should do." She said frowning in thought while staring at the mist. Had she done the spell right?

"Oh" Spike said stepping forward and reaching his claw out to the mist.

"Don't touch it!" Twilight yelled scooping the purple dragon up and away from the fog with her magic. "I haven't tested it yet and I'm not sure what effect it would have on a dragon anyway." Doubt started to creep into her mind as she remembered the rift and wondered again if she had done the spell correctly.

"Well how are you going to test it unless someone touches it?"

"I'm going to have to be the one to do that Spike." Twilight said as she tentatively stepped up to the green mist. Was it humming?

"I don't know Twilight, what if something goes wrong and you can't turn back?"

"It'll be all right Spike. If anything happens I should be able to fix it. Besides I can't have any other pony test it and risk them getting hurt now can I" Twilight said confidently. She inched closer to the green mist and reached a hoof out toward it. Just as her hoof reached it instead of pushing through the mist as she expected, she was met with resistance almost as if the fog was pushing back. A bright light grew out from the center of the mist and bathed the room in a bright flash causing her to leap backwards away from the mist.

Am I dead? I was floating, or as far as I could tell it felt like I was floating I wasn't sure. I tried to feel around with my hands until I realized I didn't have hands anymore. Wait, why don't I have hands!?

Looking down I couldn't see my body. I couldn't see anything for that matter, nor could I feel anything. It was as if all my senses had been balled up with my body and tossed out with yesterdays trash. I floated in a void which seemed to go on forever in every direction.

Where am I? I pondered wondering if this was the afterlife or something. I could remember the feeling of being drawn through something and then after that nothing. Maybe I'm not dead and I'm just in a coma. That last thought was only slightly more comforting than being dead.

A warm presence surrounded me and I realized I could see again. Green, everything was green. I seemed to regain some my senses and I thought for sure that I must be floating. I could hear voices coming from all around me now but they sounded faint. Was I in the hospital? Maybe I was alive and there were doctors trying to help me.

Help! I tried to call out but without a throat it was useless. Panic rose up in me at the thought of not being able to communicate with anyone. What if I can't wake up. What if I'm trapped in my mind forever and they don't even know I'm here. What if they kill me because they think I'm just a vegetable. I have to get out of here. I have to let them know I'm still alive.

Tug I could feel that strange tugging sensation again and it seemed to envelope my whole consciousness and squeeze me.

This is it, I thought. They are killing me. They've decided they can't save me so they are putting me down. Now that I thought about it I really didn't want to die. I'd even take sticky computers over death anytime soon. I tried to cry out as suddenly a lance of light cut through my very being.

Pain filled my mind for a second and then with a soft thud I landed on something smooth and hard. Gasping I breathed deeply for what seemed like the first time in days as my vision returned. Colors and shapes swirled in front of me as my eyes focused and I blinked furiously trying to clear away the lingering fuzziness. Everything slowly cleared and I found myself staring into two huge lavender eyes.

"AH!" I screamed, a very unmanly sounding scream, as I stumbled backwards away from the eyes. My whole body moving awkwardly. I was staring at a purple unicorn. A unicorn that I knew from a cartoon. I was staring at Twilight Sparkle.

Author's Note

Finally, I have to publish this first chapter or I don't think I'm ever going to publish this story.

The inspiration for this story came to me while I was reading Dash of Humanity by world famous author Kaidan. I would like to thank him for his advice when I asked him to read my poor first draft of chapter one. I'm also thankful he didn't condemn me to the pits of hell for wasting his time with it. The fact is I loved writing this chapter(and chapter 2) and I'm definitely going to finish this story if it kills me. Writing is no where near the top of my skill list though. I haven't written in a long time but I still really want to see this story written and I want to do it well.

If there is anyone out there who is interested in editing or knows an editor who would be I would greatly appreciate it(pm me). I've currently had a lot of offers from very gracious people who have offered to help edit/proofread the story. Thanks!

Please leave me your thoughts on my very original and not even slightly overused Human in Equestria plot point. In all seriousness though I would really appreciate constructive criticism. Thanks!

From Left Field

Screaming, I backed away from the Twilight. My whole body felt stiff, as if I had been standing still for hours without moving. Taking my eyes from her, I gazed around the room. Bookshelves adorned the walls and a gently sloping staircase led up to a loft where I assumed Twilight's bed was. A writing desk covered with stacks of paper and books was set against another wall. From what I knew of the show it was clear that this was Ponyville library. The room was much larger than I thought it would be, especially since it was the inside of a tree.

“Twilight I don't think the spell worked.”

Turning to find the source of the voice, I found myself staring at a small purple dragon. Even Spike is here? He gave me an appraising look and looked between Twilight and me several times.

“Unless your were trying to create a louder version of you," he said scratching his head.

“I know Spike, something went wrong, the spell wasn't supposed to make a duplicate of me. I'm not sure why it did,” Twilight replied. Her startled look upon hearing my scream turned to one of confusion. “You are me right?”

Wondering how much sanity I had left considering my hallucinations were now talking to each other, I started to answer when something she said stood out to me. “The spell wasn't supposed to make a duplicate of me.” Cautiously I looked down at my body fearing what I would find.

At this observation, I quickly realized why my body felt so strange. It was because it wasn't my body, it was Twilight's, or at least it looked like hers. No no no no no no this can't be real, it just can't be. Please be a dream, or a coma. Yeah a coma sounds nice right about now.

Four legs lay in my immediate field of view, each ending in a hoof where my hands and feet should've been. From what I could see purple fur covered my whole body from top to bottom. Crossing my eyes I could make out a muzzle in my lower vision, my nostrils moving slowly as I breathed. Glancing up I could just make out the tip of a horn extending past the bangs of a navy blue mane.

Tentatively, I raised a hoof up to touch the horn. The feeling was strange to say the least. I could feel my hoof run across the smooth surface through the horn. The sensation of feeling several inches from my head sent my brain into somersaults. Holding my hoof in front of my face I thought I could still feel my fingers. I had read somewhere that some amputee patients sometimes were able to feel limbs after having them removed. I tried bending my ghost digits and unfamiliar muscles in my hoof responded by contracting. Panic threatened to overwhelm me as I tried to make sense of this strange new feeling coming from muscles I wasn't supposed to have.

This can't be real, I'll take a coma over this any day. I don't want to be a pony.

Taking several deep breathes, I tried to calm down. This proved to be counter-productive as even breathing felt strange in this body. The feeling of my ribs moving as I breathed sent shivers down my spine as it was both familiar and alien at the same time. My whole body was wrong and every action I did reminded my brain of that fact.

“This can't be real!” I yelled scanning the room. I needed to distance myself from this situation as fast as I could. Were the walls getting closer?

Spotting a staircase in the corner of the room I darted for it. However my brain was bombarded again with another swarm of unfamiliar signals and conflicting senses as it tried to make sense of my new body. I didn't even make it three steps before I fell to the ground in a heap.

Resigning myself to the floor I curled into the fetal position. All right I can rule out this being a dream or a coma. This is all way too real to be either of those. Why would I pick this place for a coma anyway? I'd much rather go somewhere with a pool and some decent food at least. If it's not a dream and probably not a coma that means it must be real. Unless I'm insane, can an insane person know they're insane?

Rather than helping calm me, this line of thought sent a new wave of panic through me. If this was all real then how did I get here and why did I look like Twilight? How am I supposed to get home? Did I die in that car accident?No way, that shouldn't have been enough to kill me. Twilight's voice brought me out of my musings and I looked up to see her standing over me.

“Are you ok?” The genuine worry in her voice and her concerned expression was like a cold bucket of water being poured over me. Reminding me again just how real this situation was.

Turning away so I wouldn't have to look at her anymore, I shook my head as shivers began to wrack my body. I felt cold and tired as the adrenaline from my failed escape attempt wore off.

Twilight's horn lit up and warmth flooded through my body soothing my aching limbs and ending my shivering. Is this what magic feels like? Carefully, I uncurled from the floor and fumbled myself into a sitting position in front of Twilight.

“I know you're probably confused right now,” Twilight said concern still heavy in her voice. “I'm a bit confused myself. I cast a calming spell on you which will help relax your mind a bit. However, it will only work if you try to remain calm. If you start to panic again the spell won't hold, so please try to stay relaxed all right?” The sincerity in her voice helped calm my nerves a bit more and I nodded slowly.

“Great! Spike can you please go to the kitchen and fix us something to drink?” Without a word he hustled out of the room and down the staircase.

Paper and writing utensils flew from the writing desk, suspended in the air by Twilight's magic. She began to jot something down on the blank parchment, using her magic to guide the quill.

Not wanting to break the silence I glanced down and studied my new body again. Much to my disappointment nothing had changed since my observations a minute ago. Turning and looking at my back I could see Twilight's cutie mark emblazoned on my flank. Curious, I looked down between my hind legs to see if my worst fears would be confirmed. They were; I was one hundred percent Twilight physically, even down to the smallest most intimate details as far as I could tell without closer inspection. Not only was I a pony, I was also a mare.

“Um” I looked up to see Twilight watching me inspect her body, or my body for now at least. I blushed, the red showing through the purple on my cheeks. Pulling my hoof from where it had been wandering, I sat up forcing myself to meet her eyes.

“So,” Twilight began again, “I want to ask you a few questions, but first I need to make sure you're ok.” Without waiting for a reply her horn lit up again. Several waves of purple energy flew from it and passed through me leaving a warm feeling in their wake.

“Well that's strange.” Twilight said scratching a note down on the parchment.

“What is?” I couldn't hide the worry from my voice and I had to fight the panic that threatened to rise at the sound of my girly voice.

“Well I checked a few things just now. The first of these being, I had to make sure you weren't a changeling in disguise.” She gave me an apologetic look. “Second, I checked your body for residual magic and I'm not sure what I found.” She tapped the quill against her muzzle in thought. “You don't seem to possess any inner magic, at least not what a unicorn should have. I don't think you can perform any spells in that state. However there is a small amount of natural magic in you but I'm not sure where it's coming from.” She squinted at me and I felt another wave of energy pass through me. “I can also feel a spell running through your whole body. I think it might be the residue of the changeling spell I was attempting earli-”

“Wait” I interrupted her, my panic subsiding for the moment. “You caused this? You're the reason I'm a pony?”

“You mean you weren't a pony before this?”

“No!” I spat, feeling anger overtake panic completely. “Until a few minutes ago I was a normal human!” Twilight seemed slightly taken aback by my outburst and she mouthed the word human as if she had never heard it before. Likely she hadn't, as they probably didn't have humans wherever Equestria was. “Look, I know you have questions you want to ask me, but I'm really freaked out right now.” I brought my hoof up to rub the side of my temple. “Can you please tell me how I got here and how I became...” I paused gesturing at my body “this.”

Spike chose this moment to enter the room carrying a tray with several wooden cups on it. Steam rose from the cups and I could detect an herbal sent in the air. My new sense of smell seemed to be a lot more sensitive as I could pick out several other smells in the room. Dust and paper were the most prominent, though.

Setting the tray on the floor Spike handed a cup of the steaming liquid to Twilight who took a sip and set it next to her. Turning to me he held out another cup for me to take.

“I don't really know how to hold anything in this body.” I said, frowning at the cup in his claw.

“Oh” he said before setting the cup next to me. Taking his own cup from the tray he walked over to Twilight and sat down next to her.

Giving the cup a resentful look, I could ignore my thirst for the moment, I turned back to Twilight. “So?” I asked. “Do you know how I got here?”

“I think so, but in order to confirm my hypothesis I need to ask you a few questions. First you say that you’re a... hyoomon.” Her mouth fumbled over the word, “Does that mean you're not from Equestria? I've never heard of humans before and I don't know of any book that mentions them either.”

“Yes I'm from a planet called Earth. Humans are the dominant species there. I was about six feet tall, or about twice as tall as you are, give or take a few inches.” You moron she still has no idea what a human looks like and what makes you think they use feet and inches anyway. Wondering if ponies used the metric system or not I continued “Basically, picture a large monkey, but instead of fur all over our bodies we only have hair on our heads” And a few other places “We have two arms and two legs, and instead of hooves we have two hands and two feet.” I held my hoof up gesturing to it before remembering I didn't have hands anymore.

“Anyway, before I found myself here.” I said looking around the room. “I was driving my car down the road. It's basically a big machine with wheels to get from place to place.”

“You mean like a train?” Twilight said, her ears perking up. She had written down everything I had said up till then and she seemed excited at the prospect of something new to study and learn about.

“Yeah, but a lot smaller. I was driving it down the road when I felt a pulling sensation, like I was being dragged out of my body. Next thing I knew everything went black and I found myself here.”

Twilight's ears drooped. “Well in that case I think I was in fact the one who pulled you from your world. Though I'm not sure how exactly.”

Over the next hour I remained silent as Twilight explained the events of the past week. Discovering the spell in the old book and attempting to complete it. How her many failures had led her to try the method using a dimensional portal thing. Occasionally she would pause as if expecting me to ask a question about something she had said. However, for the most part, I remained silent. She might get suspicious over why I wasn't asking about things I should have no knowledge of. However, I didn't plan on mentioning that her whole existence was just a cartoon in my world anytime soon, not unless it might have something to do with how I got here and how I was to get home.

After she finished her story she gave me a sad look and stared at the floor, tracing the grain of the wood with her hoof. “I'll understand if you're angry at me.”

Taking another deep breath I broke the silence. “I'm not angry at you.” Her ears perked up. “I am angry, but not at you. As long as you weren’t trying to pull me from my world on purpose, I can't really be mad at you. Sometimes stuff happens that no one really meant to happen.” Being pulled from my world and turned into a pony is a first for me though. “Getting mad at you isn't going to help me get home either so why should I?” I sighed wondering if Twilight's calming spell was keeping me from flipping out. “All I want is to get back home and get out of this body as fast as possible. You can send me home, right?”

Twilight's mood seemed to lift considerably at finding out I didn't blame her for this situation. It was technically her fault, but she didn't mean for it to happen to me.

“Yes, that shouldn't be too difficult. If I can pull you here, I should be able to send you back.” Another wave of her magic passed through me. “I can still sense traces of your world attached to your mind as well. I should be able to use those to figure out where you came from and send you home. Though I might need Princess Celestia's help to do it.”

“Sweet.” As long as I could get back home I could deal with being a pony for the time being.

“We also might need to wait a bit to see if the spells that made your body have any negative effects. I don't want to risk casting anything else on you as it might cause those spells to evaporate.” She looked grim as she said that last bit.

“What would happen then?” I asked not sure if I wanted to know the answer or not.

“Well let's just say it might not end well.” She grimaced, “You should probably do your best to avoid any magic altogether while you're here. The detection spells I've been casting shouldn't cause a problem but there's no telling what effect another spell might have on you. We're lucky the calming spell I cast didn't have a negative effect.”

“So, are you saying there isn't a way to fix my-” I paused, glancing down at my hooves to hide my embarrassment. “What I mean to say is, you can't cast another spell to fix my...um...gender?” I looked up at her hopefully.

Twilight seemed confused “What do you mean? My detection spells said your body was perfectly fine. It's pretty much an exact duplicate of mine aside from the lack of unicorn magic. A perfectly healthy unicorn mare.” I winced at the word mare.

“What I mean is, you see, where I come from I wasn't a m-mare. I was male, the equivalent of a stallion in pony terms.”

Twilight's eyes opened wide as realization struck her. It was her turn to blush at the thought that an alien stallion now inhabited a body that was a copy of hers. Spike's laughter cut through her thoughts, though.

“So what you’re saying is” Spike tried to control his giggles. “You were a guy on your planet and now you’re a girl?”

“Yeah” I said not amused that the little dragon found my situation funny.

“Oh this is hilarious, Rainbow Dash is going to get a kick out of this.” Spike clutched his sides, rolling on the floor and laughing.

“Spike, this isn't funny” Twilight scolded. Though the more she thought about it, the idea of a stallion finding himself in the body of a mare did seem slightly amusing.

Staring between the purple and green nuisance rolling on the floor and Twilight grinning like a fool, I considered punting Spike into the wall. Though with my current coordination, I probably wouldn't be able to kick him very far and would probably wind up on the floor as well.

“I completely forgot, we haven't had proper introductions. I'm Twilight Sparkle, and this is Spike.” She gestured towards the still laughing dragon. He did seem to be calming down though. “What's your name?”

“My name's Sam. It's a pleasure to meet you, Twilight Sparkle.” I extended my hoof and Twilight awkwardly bumped it in return.

“I have a million questions to ask you, Sam. However, we should probably wait till tomorrow as it's late and you're probably exhausted.”

“You can say that again. Do you mind if I stay here for the night? I don't really have anywhere else to go.”

Twilight looked taken aback. “Of course you can stay here. It's my fault you're here in the first place. I wouldn't kick anypony out who didn't have a place to go. I’d offer you the spare bed normally, but we had to get rid of it after a little potion mishap. You can sleep in my bed tonight and I'll sleep downstairs on the sofa.”

“No, please, you sleep in your own bed, the sofa will do fine for me.” She was about to object but I forestalled her. “I'm not going to make a lady sleep on the sofa in her own house.”

“Since you're both ladies now maybe you could share the bed?” Spike spoke from his place on the floor, his joke sending him into a new round of laughter. My eye twitched and I considered walking over and choking him.

“Well if you're fine with it I suppose that's ok.” Twilight stood and walked up the stairs into the loft toward her bed. I blushed thinking she was considering Spikes suggestion until I saw her carrying a pillow and some blankets back down. “Can you walk?”

Carefully I stood up, ignoring my brain’s protest that this was not what my body was supposed to feel like. “I can try, but I could use a little help down the stairs.” Twilight went to my right and I leaned against her using her body as support. The feeling of her warm body on my side woke up the male part of my brain even further and I had to fight away thoughts that started creeping into my mind. Now's not the time for that brain.

Spike quickly came to my left, within kicking distance, and helped support my other side. As much as I didn't like the little dragon right now for laughing at my unfortunate gender-reversal, I had to admit he was a good assistant.

Together, we carefully moved forward, one step at a time, down the winding staircase and into the main part of the library. Truthfully, I leaned on Twilight the whole way to the sofa. Without her there I wouldn't have been able to make it halfway, let alone down the stairs.

With her horn glowing, she spread the blankets out on the couch and helped me up onto it. Awkwardly I moved around trying to find a comfortable position for a few minutes before I settled with laying down and tucking my front hooves underneath me. This position felt especially comfortable to my pony body.

“If you need anything just call up the stairs and Spike or I will be right down.” Twilight said turning toward the staircase. Instead of heading up though, she turned back toward me and studied her hooves for a moment before speaking “I really am sorry Sam.”

“I said don't worry about it Twilight, we already decided it was an accident. I make a point of not holding grudges against people, that rule applies to ponies as well. I know it may seem a little unrealistic, but I've had close friends forgive me for things I did to them on purpose. If they can forgive me for that, it would be crazy for me not to forgive you for something you didn't mean to do.” I gave her a smile. “Just promise me that you'll find a way to send me home, ok?”

“Thank you Sam, I promise I will find a way to send you home.” Twilight smiled back and feeling better she turned and went upstairs. She still needed to send a letter to Princess Celestia letting her know what had happened and the night wasn't getting any younger.

Watching Twilight go I settled down onto the sofa, my smile turned into a frown as I thought of the day's events. Can I really forgive Twilight that easily? Sure I had just told her that but could I really forgive someone who took me away from literally everything I cared about? Yes I can forgive her, I have to, what kind of person would that make me if I didn't? Pushing these thoughts aside for now I drifted off to sleep. Who knows, maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and find this was all just a weird dream.

Knock-Knock-Knock

“Ugh” I moaned rolling over on the sofa. Sunlight spilled through the windows bathing the library in it's warm morning light. Yawning, I raised my hand up to my eyes to rub the sleep from them and was startled to see a purple blob instead. The memories from yesterday came flooding back, everything from my accident all up to when Twilight helped me down the stairs. I guess I can stop hoping to just wake up from this. Sighing I sat up on the sofa and felt some of my joints pop as I stretched the kinks out of my back.

The sleep seemed to have helped me adjust to my new body, as my brain didn't protest nearly as much as yesterday. Climbing down from the couch, I practiced standing in one place. It was still weird being in a pony’s body. As a human there would be no way for me to walk on my hands and feet at the same time without bending my knees or having my rear end sticking up in the air. The more I thought about it the harder it was for my mind to adjust though and I decided to suspend all comparison between my human body and my pony body for the time being.

Knock-Knock-Knock

Looking toward the front door of the library I thought about sending whoever it was away. “Come in” I said instead as I took several careful steps toward the door.

The door to the library opened and a pink and yellow head stuck inside inspecting the room. Oh no. Her eyes brightened when she saw me and she stepped the rest of the way into the library closing the door behind her. Before me stood a yellow pegasus pony with a slightly wavy pink mane. Her eyes looked like a cross between blue and green and shown with kindness as she approached me.

“Good morning Twilight. I'm just here to pick up a book before I go meet Rarity for our weekly spa trip. Are you feeling alright? You look tired.” She stepped in front of me and looked at the sofa with the blankets strewn across it. “Did you sleep here last night?”

“Um, yeah” not sure how to continue or what I should say. This was Fluttershy after all and I didn't want something I said to frighten her. The last thing I needed was scaring Fluttershy on my conscious. “I just got a bit carried away reading last night is all,” I lied. “Just let me clean this up and I'll help you find your book.” Turning to the sofa, I stepped toward it intending to fold the blankets. Instead, I tripped over my hooves and stumbled into it barely catching myself on the cushion.

“Twilight, are you sure you're feeling ok? Your legs are shaking.” Looking down I confirmed that my legs were indeed shaking from the strain of trying to keep me balanced against the sofa.

Stepping next to me Fluttershy helped me regain my balance and I settled to sitting on the floor on my haunches in a very pony-like fashion. I had to keep from leaning back though when Fluttershy brought one of her hooves up to my forehead. The motion being made awkward by her having to feel around my horn.

“You don't feel hot.” She said moving her hoof down to my cheek. I felt my face flush at her touch and I felt something building up deep inside me causing a slight pressure in my chest.

“Fluttershy?” A voice said from the stairs. Both Fluttershy and I turned our heads to see Twilight staring at us with a puzzled expression.

Fluttershy's reaction was immediate as she pulled her hoof away and backed up several steps from me. “What- there can't be- two Twilights?” Her voice got softer near the end of her sentence as she glanced from me to Twilight then back again. The fear on her face made my heart ache. I didn't want to frighten anypony, least of all her. I had been a little worried about what the ponies might do to me, but I hadn't thought of what effect my presence might have on them.

“Fluttershy it's all right, you don't have to be afraid,” I said putting as much sincerity and comfort into my voice as I could muster, I took a slow step towards her while trying to maintain my balance. It seemed to work as she didn't move any farther away as I approached. “Look, Twilight and I will explain everything to you so you're not confused, ok?” I reached a hoof out intending to guide her to the sofa.

The feeling of pressure inside my chest seemed to be at the breaking point and the moment my hoof came in contact with Fluttershy, it was like a dam broke loose.

The concern I had for her well being seemed to fill every part of me. A green mist appeared at the tip of my hoof seemingly dissolving it as it moved up the length of my leg. Shaking my leg, I fell backwards onto the floor, trying desperately to wave the green mist away. Within moments however I was completely engulfed by the mist and a pressure seemed to press on my body from every direction at once. It was like I was being pressed flat by hundreds of kitchen rollers and I couldn't even open my mouth to make any noise. I could feel every single hair that covered my body and the pressure intensified as I was constricted by the mist like a serpent squeezing its prey.

The horn on my forehead received the most pressure as an invisible hand seemed to push it back into my head leaving the space the horn had occupied empty. Small adjustments seemed to happen all over my body as parts shifted and moved slightly, making it feel like ants were crawling under my skin. My mane lengthened and I could feel it brush past the side of my face. The last feeling came as the pressure lightened on my back and I felt two appendages push out from around my shoulder area. After what seemed like an eternity, the pressure on my body slowly subsided. The green mist faded away, clearing my eyes and revealing the library once again. I was laying on the floor where I had collapsed when the green mist first appeared. Carefully I rolled onto my stomach and stood up onto my hooves. Hearing a soft squeak behind me, I turned toward the library door.

Fluttershy was staring straight at me, her large eyes were as big as frisbees. I saw she had backed all the way to the library door and had her back pressed firmly against it. So much for not making her afraid. That thought saddened me and I looked toward the stairs to see Twilight wearing a similar expression to Fluttershy's.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked even though I had a pretty good guess. My voice had changed again. It was a lot softer and even more feminine, if that was even possible at this point.

Twilight took a moment to clear her throat. “See for yourself.” A mirror that had been facing the wall in the corner of the library floated over and landed in front of me. Its shiny polished surface confirmed my suspicions. Standing in the mirror wearing a slightly shocked expression on her face and blue-green eyes was none other than Fluttershy.

“Just peachy” I said, inspecting my new pegasus form. Wonder what other curve-balls this day is going to throw at me.

Author's Note

Thanks to everyone who helped pre-read/edit this chapter with me.
CheesewedgeFTW, Edukas, Lyna_BrushStroke, RainbowDashie1001, Sandvich Brony, and Templar22
Any errors still in it are my fault not theirs

My favorite thing about writing is the feedback I get from people it's definitely a huge incentive to keep at it. I can't believe this story got featured. That was absolutely crazy. Anyway, I'll get started on chapter 3. Hope to have it up in a weeks time(maybe 2). I wonder how Sam is going to react once he get's over the shock of the transformation.

Oh, and enjoy that cliff-hanger :rainbowwild:

Spa Trip

Luna paced up and down the Canterlot Throne Room, her silver clad hoof-steps echoing loudly on the marble floor. Not even eight hours ago she had felt it, a powerful torrent of magic had come from seemingly out of nowhere and interrupted her watch over the night. There had been no visible signs or disturbances, but the feeling was there all the same. The worst part was that it had come from the direction of Ponyville, where Twilight Sparkle and the other Elements of Harmony lived. She had no idea what the strange power meant but hopefully the Elements of Harmony could keep it at bay until she and her sister could get there. The messenger would hopefully reach Celestia soon; she had sent the message almost immediately after sensing the strange energy.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the gold trimmed doors leading into the throne room burst open and Princess Celestia strode in.

“Tia!” Luna called out running to meet her sister. “I didn't think you would get my message this soon.”

Her sister met her in the middle of the room and they embraced letting their necks brush each other for a moment.

“I didn't.” Celestia said pulling away and meeting Luna's eyes. “I left to come back as soon as I felt some strange, powerful magic. The trade negotiations with the Griffon Kingdom will have to wait.”

Striding past Luna, Celestia went through a side door that led into her personal chambers. A stack of unopened messages were piled up in the center of the room and she began to sort through them. Finding the one she was looking for, she broke the seal and read it.

Luna waited patiently while her sister read the letter she assumed was from Twilight Sparkle. Hopefully it would provide an explanation as to what exactly that strange energy was. Tossing the letter aside, Celestia prepared an ink bottle and parchment to send a return message.

“Luna, please prepare a chariot for us. We must head to Ponyville immediately. I will explain on the way. It's not as bad as I feared, but we must meet with this being if we are to be sure.”

“Yes, dear sister” Luna replied, turning to relay the message to the guards stationed outside the throne room. Whatever this new creature was, if it hurt Twilight Sparkle or her friends it was going to regret it.

I blinked at my reflection in the mirror; it was weird seeing the yellow pegasus follow every movement I made. I raised a hoof, so did she. I tilted my head to the side, she did as well. What was even more strange though, were the feelings this body was giving me right now. I had never been physically attracted to the ponies in the show. Sure I liked them as characters, but that was the extent of it. Right now though, I was having a hard time keeping my eyes from exploring my new body a bit more freely. Just look at the round curves of this flan-

Shaking that thought out of my head, I focused on the two wings that had sprouted from my back. The feelings coming from them were as alien as the rest of my body. It was like two arms had grown out of my back. I could feel every feather of them and if I focused, I could even move them slightly. I didn't seem to have full control over them yet though, it felt kind of like they were asleep and my brain was trying to figure out how to wake them up. I guess flying is out of the question then. Being able to fly might have even made this whole situation worth it.

Turning towards the couch, I could see Twilight had finished explaining the situation to Fluttershy. She looked much calmer compared to the panic stricken state she had been in a few minutes ago. Then again, wouldn't anyone be panic stricken after watching your friend turn into a mirror image of you right before your eyes? Fluttershy looked up and met my eyes. She didn't look afraid or angry like I had expected. Instead she seemed more... sympathetic?

“Oh you poor thing,” Fluttershy said rising from the sofa and walking towards me. “I had no idea. You must be terrified right now.” I stood stiffly as Fluttershy embraced me and gave me a light pat on the back with one of her wings. “Don't worry, Twilight will find a way to send you home.”

Wait, hold on a minute, Fluttershy was comforting me? I started to object and raised a hoof to push her away. Instead however, it dropped to my side and I leaned into her hug. Tears started leaking from my eyes and I let her support me as small sobs wracked my body. All the emotions from the previous day and this morning appeared to have caught up with me. What's wrong with me? I never get this emotional over anything. As hard as I tried though, the tears wouldn't stop, so I buried my muzzle into Fluttershy's mane.It's probably just this body.Yeah that must be it, this body is just more emotional than I'm used to.

After a few minutes, my crying stopped and I pulled away from Fluttershy, using a hoof to wipe the tear stains from my eyes.

“I'm sorry about that.” I nodded towards the damp spot on Fluttershy's coat.

“Oh it's nothing really,” Fluttershy gave me a warm smile. “Sometimes you just need to let your feelings out. It's not good for anypony to let them bottle up inside.”

“I know,” I replied. “I'm just not used to crying is all.”

“Oh I understand.” Fluttershy nodded. “A lot of the stallions around here are the same way. They don't want to show any weakness because they're worried other ponies will think less of them. It's not really a bad thing to not want to cry. It can actually be a good thing sometimes when you are trying to keep other ponies calm or comfort them. However, you can't just ignore the feelings and pretend they don't exist. If you do that, then you're just pushing your problems away and that's not healthy at all.”

Fluttershy and her infinite wisdom. I knew I was worried, I was worried I wouldn't get home and that I would be stuck here as a pony for the rest of my life. I was afraid at the recent changes to my body and what my transformation into Fluttershy meant. In fact, how did I even transform into Fluttershy in the first place?

Almost as if she could read my mind, Twilight stepped in front of me. “I'm going to try a few more detection spells to see what's changed about your body since last night.” I gave her a blank look. “I mean besides the obvious,” She laughed nervously.

Twilight's horn glowed purple and a wave of magic passed through me. “Wow...” she looked startled, “The magical energy in your body from last night is almost completely depleted.”

“Is that a bad thing?” I asked nervously.

“Yes and no.” Twilight looked as puzzled as I felt and another wave of magic passed through me. “If your body completely ran out of magic then the spell that created it would have dissipated. That being said, it seems like the energy that had built up is mostly gone. I don't think you'll be be able to transform again.”

“So is she, or um... he, stuck looking like me?” Fluttershy spoke up quietly.

“For now it seems that way.” Twlight gave her friend a comforting look. “At least until we figure out how she, er he, was able to transform. Or until we find a way to send him back home.”

“Well that's just great!” my new voice came out in a soft shriek. It grated on me how feminine my voice was and their constant use of she and her wasn't helping either. I knew that I was a female at the moment, but I still felt male mentally. “I use my only transformation and I can't even get stuck as a stallion.” It was like using a get out of jail free card I didn't even know I had. Only after getting out of jail, I landed on chance and was sent back to jail without being allowed to pass go and get 200 dollars.

“I'm sorry,” Fluttershy's ears drooped and she seemed to shrink in on herself.

“It's not your fault.” I seem to be saying that a lot lately. “I was resigned to being stuck as Twilight, but knowing I could have at least been male...” I shook my head, looking away from them. From the expressions they gave me, it didn't seem like they understood exactly what the big deal was. Part of me wished Spike was there right now, he would at least empathize with me a little bit. “I'm a completely different species, on a completely different world and it would have been nice to at least be the correct gender is all. I'm just really uncomfortable about it and I've only been here for less than a day.”

“I know something that might help,” Fluttershy spoke with enthusiasm. “What you need is something to help you relax a bit. You should come to the spa with Rarity and me.”

“Oh no,” I said backing away from her. “That sounds like the exact opposite of relaxing right now. Besides, I can't go outside looking like this.” I gestured a hoof at my current body.

Twilight nodded, “I have to agree with him. Don't you think it would be strange if people saw two Fluttershys walking around Ponyville together? Besides, I really wanted to ask Sam more about his world today.”

“I don't think Sam really needs a lot of questions right now Twilight. A little relaxation might even help him answer them better.”

“Uh, hello,” I waved a hoof at them. “There is still the problem of two Fluttershys.”

“You know, I might have an idea for that,” Twilight turned toward one of the bookshelves.

Two hours later and Fluttershy and I were walking through the center of Ponyville together. “I can't believe I'm doing this,” I sighed keeping my eyes on the dirt road in front of me. It was much easier to walk after Fluttershy's lessons. After a quick breakfast of a few apples, Fluttershy had taken to teaching me how to walk while Twilight searched for a spell to solve our two Fluttershy dilemma. She had said to focus less on the steps I was taking and more on letting my body just do what felt natural. It seemed to work, as after a few laps around the library I had a handle on walking.

Looking down I gazed at the blue ribbon tied around my neck. Twilight had found a spell for disguising objects and had gotten the idea to use it to disguise me. She couldn't attach the spell to my body, due to its unstable nature, but she could attach it to something I could wear. As long as I wore the ribbon anyone who looked at me would see a pegasus pony who looked similar to Fluttershy but instead of a pink mane and tail and a yellow coat, they would see a yellow mane and tail with a pink coat. Twilight had also changed the cutie-mark to resemble a blue bunny. Overall it wasn't the most elaborate disguise but it would keep me from standing out like a sore thumb.

It was strange walking through Ponyville. I hadn't seen this place except from the show and having it all right here in front of me was insane. Colorful buildings rose on each side and there were ponies everywhere, some of whom I recognized. I kept expecting them all to point at me and scream, then start running around like chickens with their heads cut off. None did however, as every pony either didn't pay attention to us or gave us a polite nod or a hello as we passed.

Fluttershy didn't seem even slightly offbeat and she hummed to herself as we walked through the marketplace towards the Carousel Boutique. We would meet with Rarity there, then head to the Ponyville spa together. Twilight had declined Fluttershy's invitation to join us and had decided to stay back in order to do more research on dimensional spells and check to see if Princess Celestia had wrote back yet.

I had tried to decline again myself, but after scaring Fluttershy half to death, I didn't have the heart to turn her down. Plus the idea of spending a little time with her seemed... exciting. While I wasn't too thrilled with the whole situation, I had to admit how cool it was. Here I was, in Equestria, which had not only turned out to be real, but seemed to be exactly like the show somehow. If not for the whole new body and the fact that I might be stuck here forever, I might have actually liked the idea of spending a few days here.

Stopping with Fluttershy, I stared up at the large brightly decorated building before us. Fluttershy raised a hoof to knock on the purple door and it swung open almost immediately, revealing three fillies I recognized. They were bigger than I thought they would be, though I was a lot smaller than I had been. As a human they would have barely come up to my knees in height.

“The Cutie Mark Crusaders…” I whispered to myself not noticing the strange look Fluttershy gave me.

“Hi Fluttershy!” Sweetie Belle spoke up “You here to see my sister?”

Fluttershy smiled to the three fillies “Yes, your sister and I have plans to go to the spa together. Is she here?”

“Yeah she's probably in her room getting ready. I'll go tell her you're here. You can come in if you want.” She turned around and ran down the hallway.

“Yuck, who wants to go to the spa and do all that girly stuff anyway?” Scootaloo said, sticking her tongue out like the words left a bad taste in her mouth.

“I hear that,” I replied stepping into the main room of the building behind Fluttershy. I gave the fillies a warm smile. I loved kids, besides the whole wrecking computers part, and these three had been some of my favorite characters from the show. Seeing them standing in front of me was very surreal. I've got to stop thinking of them as characters. It made them seem insignificant when I thought of them like that. They're living breathing creatures here, not just cartoons.

The two fillies remaining noticed me watching them and Applebloom stepped in front of me, looking between Fluttershy and myself as if comparing us. “Excuse me miss, but who are you? I don't reckon I've seen you around Ponyville before. Are you new here?”

Before I could respond Fluttershy stepped in. “Um, yes Applebloom, she's my friend from, uh, out of town. She's visiting Ponyville for a few days.” I took notice of how she was careful not to lie to them. I didn't think Fluttershy would be comfortable with lying to children.

Scootaloo stepped forward excitedly, giving my wings a glance. “Oh where are you from? Are you from Cloudsdale? Have you ever met the Wonderbolts? Have you met Rainbow Dash yet? She's the best flyer in all of Equestria!”

A bit stunned at her sudden wave of questions, I paused deciding how I am going to answer them. I'm saved however, by a white unicorn with a royal purple mane entering the room. Rarity stepped toward Fluttershy, she looked even more magnificent than she did on the show. Her mane looked freshly brushed and she didn't have a hair on her coat out of place.

“My apologies for the wait Fluttershy, I was busy finishing a few orders for pick up later today and I... Oh, hello,” She paused having just noticed me. “I'm sorry, how rude of me not to introduce myself. I’m Rarity, and you are?”

“Oh, my name? It's uh- it's Sam, short for Samantha,” I winced at the name and realized how odd it will sound, even using the female version of my real name. Most pony names seemed to be based off of objects or adjectives. If anyone asked me what a Samantha was I didn't have urban dictionary to search for a response.

“It's a pleasure to meet you Samantha,” She didn't seem surprised by my name at all. “Will you be joining Fluttershy and I on our trip to the spa today?”

“Yes well, Fluttershy invited me, but I understand if it's a hassle. I can just head back to the Library.” I started to turn towards the door but Rarity put a hoof out to stop me.

“Nonsense, any friend of Fluttershy's is a friend of mine. I would love it if you joined us at the spa. It's been a while since a new mare came to town and I'm sure Fluttershy and I would love to have the extra company. It'll even be my treat, to welcome you to Ponyville.”

“Oh no, that's ok.” I hadn't thought about how I would pay for the spa trip and I didn't want to accept any handouts. “You don't have to do that.”

“Nonsense darling, it would be my pleasure.” She turned back to the hallway. “Just let me grab my saddlebags and we can be off. Oh and Sweetie Belle, I have a few chores I would like you to do before you go and play with your friends.”

I turned and looked for the three fillies but they were nowhere to be found. The front door behind me clicked shut and I thought I heard three sets of hooves gallop down the road.

Rarity let out a sigh, then turned back to the hallway. Within minutes she had her saddlebags and after locking up the store, we all went down the road towards the spa together. I let the two mares take the lead as I contemplated my current situation. My thoughts drifted and I found myself staring at the backs of the two mares in front of me, watching their flanks move as they walked.

A strange sensation gripped my wings and I felt them slowly lift on their own accord. What the? The sensation felt familiar for some reason and I blushed as I realized what it was. Oh no, you've got to be kiddingme. I tried to mentally force my wings back down but I still had very little control over the new appendages that were now flaring out to either side of me.

Luckily, neither Rarity nor Fluttershy turned around and after a few moments of staring at clouds and counting backwards, my wings thankfully returned to their position against my sides. Well that was one mystery from the fandom confirmed. So pegasus ponies wings really do react that way when they get aroused... what if it happens mid-flight?

Looking to my left, I saw a familiar pony with a dark gray coat and a light blue and white striped mane and tail. He looked me over as we passed and my face flushed as he gazed at my flank. I considered turning around and beating him to a pulp, when I noticed Fluttershy and Rarity had already entered a large tent-shaped building. It was maroon with gold ornaments at the peaks and the sign hanging over the door showed a happy cream colored mare with a flowing golden mane and tail. A horseshoe hovered in the air next to her and was surrounded by green flowers. Overall it looked like the type of place I would rather avoid going into.

After contemplating my options, I considered leaving until I heard Rarity call my name. Sighing, I stepped through the doorway and gazed about the circular building.

The building was a lot larger than it had looked on the outside. The entrance had a small window where Rarity was talking to a bright blue mare with a cotton candy pink mane. She passed over a stack of bits and we were led by another mare who had the reverse color scheme of the previous one. She told us her name was Aloe and that she and her sister Lotus owned the spa. Though I think she said this more for my benefit, since Rarity and Fluttershy probably already knew their names.

The main area she led us to was divided off into sections by yellow dividers. There was a large hot tub against the far wall with what looked liked massage tables set up nearby. The other half of the room was divided into smaller sections with more dividers. After leading us behind one set of dividers, Aloe gave us each a white robe to change into.

“Why do we need a robe?” I asked, not even sure how to put it on. Fluttershy finished putting hers on and helped me with mine. The whole time I had been in Equestria, the thought of clothing hadn’t once crossed my mind. However, now that we were given some, the fact that I had been naked the whole day stood out to me.

“Darling these are luxury robes,” Rarity said while wrapping a towel around her mane. “Not only are they extremely soft but they help keep your coat clean during the hooficure and while you’re getting your mane and tail done.”

“Hoofiwha?” I replied as we were led over to a series of purple seats that resembled lawn chairs.

The next few hours were some of the most awkward and uncomfortable in my life. While everything the two sisters and their assistants did to us was very relaxing, it also highlighted the differences between my current body and my human one. The hooficure was extremely unsettling as they filed them and buffed out the scratches. It was a lot like clipping your nails but instead of 20 there were only four big ones. The massage was nice, but it felt weird having that huge stallion rubbing my back. I had to stop him at one point when he had started to massage my flanks and lower legs. That had caused my wings to flare out again and Fluttershy and Rarity had chuckled at my embarrassment. The stallion had seemed almost prideful from the situation he had caused.

We had just finished the mud mask, something I would have refused at gunpoint under normal circumstances, but Rarity had insisted calling it 'simply divine', and were being led toward the large hot tub. Taking our robes off, I struggled out of mine like it was a straight jacket, we lowered ourselves into the warm water. After a few minutes of silence Rarity spoke up.

“So Samantha, Fluttershy mentioned you haven’t been in Ponyville that long. Have any of the stallions caught your eye? I saw how Thunderlane looked at you on our way here.” She gave me a wink.

She saw that? “Oh no, I'm not really interested in that sort of thing right now.” That was more than true. “I'm just staying for a few days, then I'll be heading back home.” Hopefully it would only be a few days at most.

“Oh that's too bad darling, you simply must let me make you a dress before you leave though.”

“No that's ok, I don't wear dresses.”

“But you would look simply ravishing in a good dress. You probably have the same proportions as Fluttershy here and she looked marvelous in the dress I made her for the Gala. It might even help you catch the eye of that special somepony.”

“No, really thank you, but I don't want a dress.” I shuddered and gave her a pointed look.

“I simply won't take no for an answer dear. You must promise to let me make you a dress before you leave. It will give me the perfect chance to try out my craft on a new pony.” She gave me an even sharper look that said she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Realizing that I was fighting a battle I had no chance of winning, I surrendered. “All right, you can make me a dress before I leave.” I shuddered again, “but I don't really have any money to pay for it right now.”

“I wouldn't accept any if you did,” Rarity said. She seemed happy I had finally relented. “It will be my gift to you. I can even experiment with some new designs I’ve been working on.”

“Thank you,” I said politely even though I felt more annoyed at the mare than grateful. Relax, she's only doing this to be kind to someone she thinks needs help. Don't be a jerk to her, she doesn't know your real situation and you can use all the help you can get. “Really though, thank you. This spa trip was relaxing if a bit... awkward.” I gave Fluttershy and Rarity a smile each.

“Don't mention it dear, it's what friends are for.” Rarity smiled back then turned to engage Fluttershy in conversation. The purple towel on her head bobbed as she talked.

Letting the two mares converse, I settled back into the hot water closing my eyes as I basked in the warmth flowing into me. This really was relaxing and, after yesterday's events, I enjoyed just sitting and letting my worries soak out of me. Hearing the water splash, I opened my eyes to see Rarity and Fluttershy step out of the hot tub.

“Don't mind us Samantha, I just remembered that I have to pick up some food from the marketplace if Sweetie Belle and I are going to have anything to make meals with for the next few days.”

“I need to go home and feed angel,” Fluttershy said. “He gets particularly cranky if I'm late making his salad.”

“But don't you worry about us.” Rarity said while drying her mane. “Stay here as long as you want, it's already paid for.”

“Don't mind if I do,” I said settling back down and closing my eyes again letting my mind drift. Rarity and Fluttershy finished drying off and I could hear them leave a few minutes later. Yawning, I let the relaxing feeling of the hot tub take over I dozed off.

“Miss Fluttershy?”

My eyes darted open and I found myself staring into a pair of London Blue Topaz colored eyes.

“Sorry to disturb you but we are about to close for the day.” Aloe said, setting a towel down on a nearby bench.

“Oh, sorry, I guess I fell asleep,” I chuckled and rubbed the back of my head with a hoof. Looking down I noticed that the ribbon was gone and my appearance had reverted back to Fluttershy’s. It must have fallen off while I was sleeping. Good thing she isn't here right now or this situation would be really bad.

Aloe nodded and left to give me a bit of privacy. Stepping out of the hot tub, I dried off as best as I could. It's not easy using hooves to handle a towel but I managed to get my fur from a damp to slightly wet state. Looking out the window I could see the sun had gone down. I can't believe I slept the whole day here, I've got to get back to the library.

Walking towards the door I waved goodbye to the two sisters and stepped out into the cool night. As I stepped into the street, a shadow fell over me and I could feel someone’s gaze drill into my back. Turning slowly, I stared breathless into a set of fierce blue eyes.

Standing in front of me was the tallest pony I'd seen so far. She was easily a foot taller than me and her midnight blue mane flowed around her, framing a regal face. A dark crown rested upon her head and a matching necklace with a white crescent moon hung around her neck. Her hooves were clad in silver that shined in the moonlight. I recognized who she was immediately and I must say, the cartoon didn't do Luna justice. There was a palpable energy that seemed to flow from her and she carried a presence of power and authority. Right now I was less focused on her presence and more on the hawk like gaze she was giving me. If looks could kill, hers right then would have been enough to destroy all of Ponyville.

“Yes, I am Princess Luna” She broke the silence and I realized I had spoken her name out loud. “You will come with me, Sam.” She turned and gestured with her horn for me to walk in front of her “We have a lot to talk about.”

Author's Note

Let me know what you think of this chapter. What am I doing well and what do I need to work on? All feedback is appreciated and it encourages me to write faster. I'm trying to keep an update rate of once every week or two. :rainbowwild:

Thanks for the 250+ up votes and almost to 500 favorites. That's so awesome! :rainbowkiss:

Thanks again to my Editors/Pre-readers. They are awesome!
CheesewedgeFTW, Edukas, Lyna_BrushStroke,Sandvich Brony