Transequine Dreams: Mark of Ages

I became aware of several disturbing sensations. I was very cold. I felt backward acceleration. Wind rushed around the back of my body, causing something somehow attached to me to flap around wildly. No, somethings. A combination of textures I could only conceptualize as a pinprick flowing in water passed over my hips. Wait, what is this? Wind rushing through me? I knew this was more than vertigo and a lost blanket. I snapped my eyes open. The sight of blue, uniform as only the clearest mid-day sky could be, filled my vision. This is not hypnagogic hallucination, and my self-awareness is much too self-evidently high-level for me to be dreaming. Therefore...

My subconscious instantly finished and destroyed that train of thought. All doubt gone, existential and primal terror replaced it. My completely disoriented mind repeatedly shrieked "What is going on!?" as my mouth opened in an unconscious scream. My eyes flit about as my limbs flailed in desperation to reorient me toward what I could only assume was the ground of my immanent death. I barely and uncaringly registered the incomprehension I felt of my new, different appendages. Driven as I was for survival, a few seconds of successful turning rewarded my otherwise adrenaline-fueled, razor-focused brain with the pure awe of a landscape shattered as if by precise crystals (or high-definition hexagonal pixels?), one that was mind-blowingly familiar.

Equestria. I am seeing through the compound eyes of a changeling. My fantasy is now real. My life in now disjointed. I still might die. Where is Rainbow Dash!?

My screaming now acknowledged and suppressed, I noted that my voice sounded similar, but buzzy and with overtones too high for human ears to perceive. I craned my neck to examine my wings. Jet black, of course, and discouragingly gouged with holes. I searched my mental body map for the muscles at their base. In my increasingly alarming struggle to coax any movement out of them, I did not at first notice the growing cerulean dot hurdling up toward me. What made me look again was the distinct impression of feelings, strong feelings of determination, worry, confusion, half-emotions and half-ideas that were not mine. So this is what it's like to sense emotion. That must be Rainbow Dash coming for me.

Though the adrenaline was not yet gone, my panic stopped (as much as my body let it), and my mind leapt at actually seeing the face, the wings, the actual being of Rainbow Dash approaching. But such excitement was short-lived.

"There you are!" she shouted over the roaring rush of air. I watched her spin around and match my speed of descent right below me. I prepared for an awkward collision. "If you can understand me, grab on!" she growled, matched by a foreign pulse of grit and concentration through my consciousness. I outstretched my oh my freaking gosh hooves, noting the strangeness of backward, hyper-elastic joints.

Fear. "Raise your head! I don't want your fangs or horn stabbing me!" I simultaneously thought cool and right, quick, idiot and did so.

We connected. I discovered how difficult it is to grasp pegasus wings that are currently fighting terminal velocity. I grabbed too hard out of uncertainty. I sensed her frustration as she fought against my forelegs. I began to feel apologetic and apply less pressure until she started toward some woods, at which point I grabbed all the firmer at the sudden jolt with unapologetic abandon. I reminded myself how much I hated social dilemmas like this, then felt the desire to facehoof at the thought for the horrible understatement and timing.

Landing underneath the cover of the trees, Rainbow Dash dumped me onto my back and let out something between a sigh and a groan. Dazed and still overcoming the overwhelming previous sum of experience that couldn't have been more than two minutes, I was content to stare expressionlessly at the Element of Loyalty as she began to speak between heavy breaths.

"There. You're safe now. Why the buck - were you in the sky? But you can't fly. What's going on? Celestia says you're friendly. Can you understand me? Say something."

What do you mean you don't know!? "I can." I curled my mouth into what I hoped was a grateful smile. "Thank you for saving me, R-" NAME BAD "-ruh...I don't know why I was up there."

Suddenly the negative side of this surreal situation smashed into, filled, and consumed my empty head. A fictional character is expecting an explanation from me. I know nothing about this world, except what little I remember from the series. What am I going to do now? What about my family!? Will the university notify them that I'm missing?

Wait, Celestia said I'm friendly? If she knows I'm here, then... "So what else did Celestia say about me?"

Grimacing, she pondered. "Just that I need to hide you until she tells me and my friends what's going on." She tapped her chin in thought, rising to a hover as she was wont to do by default. "I still don't trust you, so I can't leave you to fend for yourself. You'd fall through my cloud home, I think. Rarity's? No. Fluttershy's? Double no. Pinkie Pie's? If I can get a Pinkie Promise out of her... Applejack's family would discover you sooner or later. Twilight...may go a little nuts over a changeling, especially a weird one like you. I guess Pink-"

"Weird? Weird how?"

Gesturing to my flank, she deadpanned, "Besides being a talking drone all by itself, that."

I made a gut prediction and turned to behold my cutie mark. A cutie mark that obviously formed when I first awoke. A cutie mark that was mine, forever. The cutie mark I always dreamed of:

Ten red ribbons in an arc converged in a stylized black hole-like pattern. The top depicted wings flaring for liftoff, and the bottom could be either a horn or what the symbol truly represents: the Singularity. Made all the more meaningful by the existence around me of alicorns, unicorns, and pegasi, I ecstatically desired to know if the special talent of my fantasy could be mine also. But first, it seemed I was to lay low at Pinkie's for who knows how long, and that would make it difficult to discover most of my abilities. Crap. But hey, I still have to get used to quadrupedalism and herbiv-oh no, I think I can only feed off of love. Oh no, no, no, how is that going to work? Any swelling motions of pride vanished at this anticipated impasse.

"Hey, changeling! Are you okay in there?" A hoof waved in front of my face.

"I'm...not sure yet. I do have a name, though." Here it goes. "You can call me Blue Dreams." There, I said it. My pony name is now my real name. This is so strange. I hope it sounds 'pony' enough.

"Wait. Changelings have Equestrian names?" Confusion. Didn't need emotion sense to see that on her face.

And so much for getting feedback. But she said 'Equestrian.' Does that mean it's legit, or just in equine language? "Well, actually, I wouldn't know. Ten minutes ago I was asleep in bed, not a changeling."

"Let me get this straight. You somehow turned into a bug and teleported two miles in the air, and Celestia knew that was going to happen?"

"Apparently."

"I still don't trust you, but the princess said she'll explain everything. I still have to get you to Sugarcube Corner, but you can't go looking like - this." She gestured again, this time to all of me with a hint of disgust. "Can you do anything, like transform?"

"I have zero experience with this body. Let me get on my hooves first, then I'll try." Although my body felt different, my transplanted brain apparently didn't have any problems with four-leggedness. I stood and whirled around to take in the scenery, probably Whitetail Woods, but I wasn't going to ask Rainbow about that. Surprisingly, naught but trees, a stream, and a couple birds were visible. I spun again to face a now impatiently tapping pegasus. "I don't know how to tell you this, but even if I can figure out shapeshifting, you're the only pony I've ever seen in my life. Maybe I can think up a disguise, but my imagination isn't that good. Also, I'd kinda prefer to be a stallion, not a mare."

Horror and pity replaced the tapping. Her wings shot out. "What!? You've never been around ponies? Ever? Your whole life?"

Up to that point, I was able to take the emotion sense in stride. Now it was starting to get to me. I acknowledged and rejected the irritation as my own, but it still tainted my speech. "It's not like that, so I don't need your pity. Thanks for the concern, though. Could I get a good look at anypony without leaving the cover of the woods?"

"I know where the pegasi in charge of the weather here should be. Follow me."

We started at a gradual pace, but I found to my delight that I was capable of a trot and then a full-on gallop with less effort than I expected. Happiness filled me. This is almost like cycling. Awesome!

Five minutes later, a village just barely began to peek through the thicket. Ponyville. Above us through the branches, pegasi of all colors were at work with what appeared to be tiny, cartoonishly idealized cumulonimbi. Rainbow Dash pointed out one of them. Muscular, red, brown hair. I couldn't really see his cutie mark from where I was. "That's Solar Wind. Try copying him," she suggested in a hushed voice.

"Good enough for me." Studying his features, I focused on the concept of becoming that body, guessing that the idea would feel similar to the novelty of my new body upon waking. I was right. A fuzzy feeling started at my head, descending in a form-fitting ring. A flash of green refracted in my eyes, and an instant later I knew it had been a success, not only because my vision was back to normal. "It worked!" I whispered.

"Um...except for your cutie mark."

I checked and found her observation disappointingly correct. "Doesn't matter. I need to change my skin color."

"Skin color? What good would that do?"

Sheepishly, I actually did facehoof this time. "Right, no, I need to change my coat color." Another pass of shapeshifting energy later, I looked at her for feedback.

"Dark blue, huh? That'll work for now, but you'll need your own look later. And your brown mane doesn't really look natural anymore."

"Blue's my favorite color, and I'd like to choose my own form later too. Is that good, though? Can we go to Sugarcube Corner now, or would it look strange for two pegasi to be walking all that distance?"

"Actually, we do that all the time. We're fine. Let's go."

A fifteen minute walk later, I beheld in wonder the bustle and sprawl of all that was Ponyville. Soon we arrived at the token gingerbread building, but not before collecting several quizzitive stares, a few murmured asides, and an overpowering sensory overload that almost made me lightheaded. How do changelings deal with all these feeling-hints? Was Chrysalis's army that much smarter and stronger than anyone realized? Or, hypothesis! It's because those feelings are directed at the stranger a famous mare is taking somewhere, perhaps.

Rainbow Dash looked one way. Then she glanced the other way. She even scoped out the sky. Then we walked in. All my mind processed was a counter before a pink blur held us captive in a bone-crushing earth pony hug. Thankfully, it was short, allowing me to catch my breath.

"Dashie! I didn't expect to see you so soon! Did you get off work early to spend time with your coltfriend? Is that who this is? Is it? Is it? Is it?" I couldn't help but follow her enthusiastic bouncing until it hit me that I wasn't sensing what I feared would be the most powerful emotions I would find in Equestria yet. Then it hit me again. What did she say?

"He's not my coltfriend." "It's not like that," we blurted simultaneously. It felt odd to hear this voice as mine, no longer whispering. I glanced at Rainbow, but she was too busy expressing her denial.

"Pinkie, I just rescued him. Could we go upstairs for a sec? This is Element business."

Pinkie's grin darkened. "Sure, let me just take my lunch." She whipped back to the counter, set down a 'back in ten' sign from hyperspace, grabbed us with the gravest, most serious expression imaginable, and somehow dragged us up the stairs to her room. After recovering from the disorientation and ten seconds worth of locks clicking and sliding into place, I found myself observing a conversation between two of my favorite characters.

Except they're not just characters anymore. Yep, still surreal.

"Before I explain, I need you to Pinkie Promise not to tell anypony what I'm about to say."

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She made the appropriate motions. "You got it, Rainbow Dash. So who is he?"

"So here's the deal. I got a letter straight from Celestia while I was working. Blue Dreams here was high in the sky, falling to his doom when I got it. She said to save him and hide him until she calls an Element meeting. That's why I brought him here."

She raised an eyebrow. "I can understand a 'welcome to Ponyville' party, but an Element meeting? For him? Why are we hiding Bluey?"

"Hello, I'm right here."

"Because he's a changeling, or he is now, anyway. Celestia said he's friendly, and he talks, but he hasn't been around ponies before. Blue, you can drop the disguise." I did so, bracing myself for - whatever Pinkie was going to do in reaction. Still no emotional signal. I can't predict her at all. What does it mean?

"A talking changeling? With a cutie mark? Alone? Oh my gosh, you have to tell us everything!"

I rose my voice in case she kept going. "But I can't! What little I do know, it's probably better to wait for the princess to explain it to everypony. How long do I have to stay here before she does that, anyway?"

"She didn't say. Just, shortly."

"What about the Cakes?"

"Oh, they never come in here. They respect my privacy." Then why all the locki- Pinkie logic, best not to question. I was relieved until I noticed Rainbow Dash's mouth agape. Then I realized what I had just let slip. My stomach sunk.

"How do you know about the Cakes? What else do you know, changeling? You liar! You said you'd never been around ponies!"

"My name is Blue Dreams! I am not a changeling! I'll explain everything at that meeting, okay!?" Rare true frustration and a dot of anger lined my features.

"Rainbow Dash, I trust him. You go back to the weather team, I'll get back to work, and I'll make sure Blue Dreams stays safe and hidden, okey dokey lokey?"

I was glad to sense her calming demeanor, although it took a while for a hotheaded character like her. "Eh - fine, Pinkie. Just keep an eye on him. He's weird, and I really don't trust him."

"Can do!" I almost took a step back at a final death glare by Equestria's fastest flier before she zipped out a window. Just like that, I was alone with Equestria's hyper-est baker. "I still want to talk, but I have a shift to attend to, Pinkie Pie style. Just stay in this room, Bluey, and we'll be fine. See ya!" She too left in a blur, but punctuated by ten seconds of unlocking.

I now found myself alone, in the body of a fanged, horned, presumably magic-wielding, flying, mind-state-sensitive shapeshifter, and I knew exactly what I was going to do first: experiment with my superpowers in front of a mirror. I didn't expect to have this much time to myself so soon after arriving. This'll be so sweet! I felt so free, like the world was in the center of my hoof. A magical world, with the low-hanging fruit of amazing abilities I've only dreamed of. A world in which I...need to be loved, or I...still might...die.

Rather than dwell on that, I started monitoring in the back of my mind any signs on changeling hunger. None yet, so I returned to the prospect of experimentation. After shutting the door, window, and blinds, I walked to the mirror in the room. My self-image was more than a little confused at this point, but seeing the pony I copied from the sky staring back at me, yet blue, with my mark, and with my mannerisms, was hard to get used to. I want to start with the changeling-only powers, but can I transform into this again? I was able to recall and assume blue Solar Wind rather easily.

Back in black, I desired to overcome my first failure - wing movement. I bent a foreleg around my back to touch the base of each wing. I could feel the muscles give slightly. I wiggled back and forth to jostle them. I could at last feel where the muscles were on my body map now that my mind was completely clear, and I received help from a new awareness of wing propioception. Yes, I think I'll be able to do this.

I twitched something. My right wing extended and shot upward and forward as far as the joint would let it go. Independence. I tried to put it down while keeping it forward, but it went backward, twisting me and almost pulling that side of my body off my hooves. Yay, lift power. Boo, difficulty separating the different muscle groups. Independence! Can I retract it into my body again? It began to do so, but didn't get far as I added a twist against my untrained physical will. Well, I might've discovered all the movements, and I'm keeping them to one wing. Extend-retract, forward-backward, upward-downward, clockwise-counterclockwise twist (not sure what to name the rotation directions). After a few minutes, I finally retracted successfully. It was easier now to do the movements, and more slowly and independently, with my left wing. I pulled it back to my side. Symmetry - that wasn't hard. These almost feel like extra shoulders. I thought they'd be more like arms.

Now, I'd read several fanfictions that explained the movements pegasi wings need to make for flight. I was feeling more confident that I could try a hover, but I quickly learned why such a thing as flight school exists.

In sync, I beat up and down. Predictably, I just hopped in place. I gave them an uptwist (there we go - uptwist-downtwist) on the upbeat to reduce the drag and create net lift. It also incited a rocking motion, throwing me off balance. I was startled and over-corrected, bowling me over and very nearly flinging me into a wall. Hey, I'm already forming some neurofeedback loops! Ow.

But alas, I couldn't quite get rid of the rocking motion despite a gradual shift to a more natural elliptical wing path. I never really had problems drifting sideways, but I felt like I was on a unicycle trying to stay in place on the forward axis, and it took half an hour simply to gain the skill to compensate for accidental turning for slight differences between my left and right downbeats. Somewhere between satisfied and 'screw it,' I rested. I waited but was unable to tell whether my wing muscles were complaining.

I'm not utilizing the upbeat right. The way I twist my wings has to be a factor in balance, or maybe vortex creation. At least the movements feel better now, if still conscious like the glide-step walk I used to do as a human. I noticed at that point that I was sweating. Despite the compound eyes, my memory turned in disagreement to Rainbow Dash's pronouncement that I was a bug. I'm pretty sure by now that changelings don't have exoskeletons. Or are cold-blooded, for that matter. Heck, their magic probably works the same way as unicorns'.

Eager anticipation rushed to fill the void of my mind, until the more cautious side of my subconscious quelled any such emotion. This isn't flying - this is magic, something for which unicorns can spend their entire childhoods learning to control on threat of explosion or something, most likely. Ugh. Best to wait until Twilight or someone's willing to tutor me, or I at least have library access. Dang it. I began to feel impatience (stupid bipolar superpower-hungry brain) until I again remembered shapeshifting. What can I not transform into? Color. Appearance. Stronger body. This could be like the ultimate customization.

There was one body I was more familiar with than Solar Wind's, however. Mental effort plus several agonizingly frustrating minutes passed, yielding no result. No ring appeared. My normal body was, sadly, inaccessible. Why would that be so? Is that related to why I didn't stay human when I came here? I was curious what I'd think of suddenly having butt tattoos... I missed the familiarity of bipedalism, of hands. Then I got a crazy and wonderful idea.

I had never seen the form in real life; I had only seen the cartoon version. I thought they'd be similar, look and otherwise, so I attempted to copy Spike the clawed dragon. What I beheld in the mirror instead was...surprisingly better. My power seemed to approximate my expectations. I added a few modifications almost unconsciously, but I couldn't say it was against my will. I knew I was taller than Spike would be. I turned around and saw that my cutie mark was still there, and I distinctly lacked a tail. Not sure if I'll want to change that. Then I remembered that dragons come in many colors, so I made my scales a light blue-green, my skin a dark blue, and my eyes red, just for variety. I looked again. It felt wonderful. I felt almost normal (why would I want to, but whatever...). I opened and closed my left hand. Then I flexed the other. I bent to touch my toes. Then a sudden thought interrupted my simple glee. In this or any form, I'm completely naked! How do all the dragons and stallions deal with, um, rising problems?

Happy though, and knowing I can return to this form, I shifted to Solar so I could find my pegasus look. I was alarmed to perceive a little energy leave me as I did so. I tried a short pegasus hover. Good, it works fundamentally the same way. But I had more physical difficulty and the beginnings of sweat. I still didn't have a hunger problem as far as I could tell, so I supposed it was simple muscle fatigue. But then, fatigue carries over to different forms, with different muscles? Can I overcome that eventually? Or would rechargeable muscles drain even more energy by frequent reshifting? And then, this could be a pre-hunger feeling...

Now extremely conscious of the potential drain of shifting and the fact that I had no idea how I was going to stay alive, I determined to pick out the right disguise the first time. I imagined a face closer to mine, with the parted mane I'd come to know and love. A short tail, healthy but unmuscular body for less weight, and very strong, larger-than-average wings. And again, shades of midnight and green were everywhere, this time in my mane and tail too. The ring passed, and I looked with pride upon my new, Equestrian form. As a pegasus, I could continue flight practice, and I could go places, specifically cloudy places, where the other races could not. Earth pony magic didn't interest me, and unicorn magic of course was off limits at present. Unsure as I was about my energy, I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to do an alicorn. Too risky to waste energy experimenting, and I'd stick out anyway.

The pride didn't last long, however, for now I thought my explorations were already over. Alone in a room in a world where I had superpowers, I was already bored. Until I remembered one last thing: hoof grasping. Can I open the door and sneak around this place a bit? I had no desire to break the trust of the pony who blindly vouched for me, but I needed something to do, and it didn't occur to me to simply sleep. So I headed to the door, stuck my right hoof against the handle, and pretended I still had the ability to flex my claws. I pulled back, and my hoof stuck. Slowly and silently, I twisted and pulled together, and I was free. That was easy.

- Hold on, now I hear voices. There's Pinkie Pie, and...somepony I can't recognize - customer? - and isn't that Mr. and Mrs. Cake? Then where are Pound and Pumpkin? Asleep in an adjacent - nope, nope. I hastily retreated and shut the door again. Leaving would be bad enough, but a stranger sneaking around foals would go way too far, even in appearance. Now I really had nothing my brain felt engaged enough to do (Sleep? Sit in place and meditate introspectively?), and it could still be hours before an Element of Harmony came to get me.

"Uhh. What is Celestia waiting for?" Oh, freak. I do not like that voice I freakin' forgot to specify! High. Nasal. Definitely not me. Apparently the universe was not to leave me without a task, for I spent the next hour or so doing quiet vocal exercises. As I'd done before as a human, I was able to make myself speak at least slightly lower, but my snout and possibly mental interference still colored my speech in some way. It would have to do until further notice, for, among other reasons, the creaking of approaching hoofsteps. Is she on break? Please be her, or I'm doomed. Or something, I was still clueless and undirected at this point. A clock would have been nice.

Thankfully, it was her. But now what? "Hiya, Blue Dreams. I just wanted to check up on you. Is that your new look?"

"It's a work in progress."

She was looking over me, but I mentally groaned when she giggled and stifled another one by biting her lip. "I hear what you mean."

Hey, was that an attempt at wordplay? We should totally banter later. I gave a smirk at that. "So what's going to happen now? I don't know if I can eat anything other than...love... Did Princess Celestia give an update on what's going to happen?"

Apologetic, she started, "No, but - huuuh?" I backed away a bit as she gave a gasp and randomly rocked her head. "Twitchy neck." Oh. This means something. "Itchy nose." Okay... "And, wait for it - blinky eyes!" Hopefully not a sign of seizure... "That means somepony's tracking you! I guess that's the 'update!'"

"What." Is that what she's been up to? Working on a spell like that? "Could she be invol-gah!" I was startled by a prick, stronger but not unlike the one that accompanied my cutie mark appearing. I turned to see, but nothing was different. "I felt some magic prick me. Is that all I'll get? A tracking spell?" I threw my hooves up in exasperation.

"Come on, Blue. Turn that frown upside down."

"I'm not mad. She just changed my life, and I have to wait to figure out what to do with it. I don't know how to feel."

"Maybe you should be afraid."

"Huh?"

"You should duck in cover, because I have me a twitchy tail!"

I looked at her tail, atwitch. I looked up at the plain wooden ceiling, nothing obviously loose. I looked at her again only to see out of the corner of my eye that she had rushed under her bed. Before I could do or think anything else, a scroll or letter of some kind landed in my mane out of nowhere. I took it in hoof and practically leapt at seeing the solar seal. "Pinkie, it's a letter from Princess Celestia! Hopefully we'll find out what to do with me." She could've sent this before the tracking spell...

"Ooh, I bet it's for me!" And thus a powerful wind and a blur of a mouth tore it away from me. It unrolled with a flick, and she spat it out.

"Pinkie, you can calm down." I said, getting a little concerned for how hyper she was quickly becoming. This was, after all, somepony who fit the bill, but still... The earth pony's eyebrows furrowed, but she otherwise made no response.

"Dear Pinkie Pie,

"The time has come to discuss a matter of great importance. The arrival of a certain Blue Dreams, and the future of Equestria, will be the subject of a private council tonight at ten o'clock. The Elements of Harmony, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Captain Shining Armor, Master Discord, and Princess Luna have been requested to meet me at the main entrance of Canterlot castle at that time. It is advised that you do not speak freely about this meeting. I look forward to seeing you there.

"Sincerely,

"Princess Celestia"

"What time is it now?"

"It's four. I just finished my shift, but we have to get going pronto. Blue, you get to take the train! Won't that be fun? I can introduce you to so many of my friends from Ponyville - I'm sure some will be there. They'll be happy to meet you, so there's no reason to worry. You aren't scared, are you?"

Wow. Not as rambling as I expected, but still in one breath. Why does she keep bouncing? "Scared? Why should I be scared? I've been on a train before, so you can calm down." I regretted that remark instantly. She did stop, but her mane visibly deflated - not all the way, but I could tell I hurt her somehow.

"Calm down? Why do you have to be so blue, Blue? I met you today and knew I could trust you. I'm excited for you, and I just want to be a friend, your first friend. Why can't you be my friend too?"

Ouch. No. Why didn't I see that? "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, and I'm a little excited too. Can we forget this happened, and move on?"

She thought for a moment. A painfully long moment. A very, very, I'd-be-sweating-if-I-were-in-a-cartoon-long moment. Her mane finally reinflated. "Okey dokey lokey. It looks like we're going to see my best friends, so we can ride to Canterlot together!"

Twilight. My other other favorite character. May go crazy. Probably hates changelings the most, is very powerful, and jumps to conclusions. Smarter than me. Must be extremely cautious with what I say - Pinkie didn't find it weird that I've been on a train before despite not being around ponies, but she could get suspicious after Rainbow's spilled some info to her.

*gulp*