Fetlocks and Feathers

“What in the hay were you thinkin’?”

Gilda sat in silence, focusing attentively on a spot on the floor as she was being scolded by the orange earth pony.  She had heard it all before in her own childhood: “If you keep getting in fights, you’ll never end up anywhere!”  “Fighting is a fast track to an early death.”  And all the other comments like that.  Not that her parents ever cared much, it was just usually from the teachers.  She had learned quickly that in the real world, it was survival of the fittest, kill or be killed.  Eventually, she had permanently adopted this mindset.

And it really had gotten her places.  Whenever she walked through Clawderdale, ponies and Griffins alike would watch on in fear and respect.  They knew that it wasn’t smart to get in Gilda’s way.

But now, here she was, a bumpkin foal getting a hoof waggled at her for roughing up a few spoiled ponies.  She really missed her old body.

“Are you even listenin’ to me?”

The query interrupted Gilda’s train of thought.  “'Course Ah was,” Gilda lied through her newly acquired teeth.

The orange coated mare let out a sigh.  “Is this ‘cause of mom and dad?”

Oh, no.  Gilda had heard this one quite a few times.  “Ah know its tough to take, losin’ mom and dad in the accident… but that don’t give ya the right to act out!  What would dad say if he saw you now?”

I don’t know, Gilda thought with a scowl, I’ve never met the hick.

With one last sigh, Applejack got up on her hooves to leave the room.  “Think about what Ah said.  And don’t even think about comin’ down for supper."  Applejack punctuated her last statement by slamming the door behind her.

“Like Ah’d want any of your damn country food!” Gilda shouted back at the closed door.

Gilda looked out the window to see that the sun was just starting to set.  The sky was a lot clearer here than it usually was in Clawderdale.  A lot quieter, too.  That was still driving Gilda mad.  She missed it all already.  She could almost hear the hushed shouts of her gang, “Apple Bloom! Apple Bloom!”

Wait.  That sounded like it actually was coming from outside.  Gilda slumped off of her bed and opened up the window, peering outside to see the two fillies from earlier: Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, as she found out their names were in detention.  Sickeningly sweet, just like the rest of the ponies.

“Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Belle called in a hushed voice.

“’Bout time y’all got here,” Gilda shouted.  “Now hurry up and help me get outta here!”

The two ponies glanced at each other with an uncertain look.  Oh no, Gilda thought.

“Actually,” Scootaloo said, “we were just here because you dropped your bow during the fight.”

“...Yer kiddin’ right?”

“Well, we knew how much you loved this bow, seeing as it was given to you by your parents and all…” Sweetie Belle said, her voice beginning to trail off.

“Forget the damn bow,” Gilda snapped.  “Just help me get outta here!”

Once again, the two fillies looked to each other for support.  Gilda rolled her eyes.

“Are y’all my friends or aren’t ya?”  That line always got the more timid ones, as Gilda learned from experience.

With a sigh, the reluctant fillies finally agreed.  They two trotted off while Gilda scoured the room for anything that could be of use.  She came across some foal-sized saddle bags, a rotten apple core, a broken toy, and a few bits.  It would have to do.

As Gilda deposited the currency into a sub-pocket on the inside of the saddle bag, the sound of voices outside her window emerged.  Gilda peaked out the window to see a ladder had been propped up against the wall of the house, leading to the ground and freedom.

“Excellent, guys,” Gilda said as she climbed down the ladder.

“Great,” Sweetie Belle said, lack luster, once Gilda had joined them on the ground.  “You were already in big trouble with your sister, and now that’s going to be DOUBLED if she finds out about this!”

“You’ll be grounded forever,” Scootaloo said.

“Forget her.  Ah just need a drink right now… Do either of y’all know any good bars ‘round here?”

The two fillies stared on a moment in shock, before Sweetie Belle regained her composure.  “What’s gotten into you today, Apple Bloom?  Getting in fights, disobeying your sister, and now you want a drink?  What’s happened to you?”

“Ah’ve had a stressful day, so Ah need a drink.  What’s so hard to get about that?”

“Its wrong, though,” Scootaloo objected.

“Ah, come on!  Live a little!  Don’t any of you ponies ever break a rule or somethin’?”

Silence.  The disapproving stares Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo gave Gilda spoke volumes more than words ever could.

“Fine,” Gilda spat as she turned to leave the fillies behind.  “See what Ah care.  Ah didn’t want to hang out with you lame ponies, anyway!”

A pained groan sounded from the broken pegasus draped over Apple Bloom’s back.

“Oh, sorry,” Apple Bloom said.  “I didn’t see that bump there.”

“I’m fine,” he answered with a grunt.  “We’re almost there.  Just follow the path out of town, then turn left at the first fork.”

The better part of the last hour had been spent trying to calm Apple Bloom down.  Then came the introductions, and Apple Bloom tried to explain her curious situation.  Steady Hoof didn’t seem all that convinced, however.

“Where are we going, anyway?” Apple Bloom asked in a raspy voice.

“To see a friend.  She should be able to help you out, if your story is true.”

Apple Bloom didn’t bother to ask anymore questions as she turned the fork.  In the distance, she thought she saw an old castle… or maybe a fort… maybe if she focused she could make it out…

But suddenly, the crumbling old castle, in all its faded glory, seemed to be right in front of her, but just far away enough not to touch.  Apple Bloom jumped at suddenly being able to see so far ahead, causing the stallion on her back to let out another pitiful yelp.

“Oh, sorry."

“It’s fine, just… warn me next time you do that.”

Apple Bloom zoomed her eyes again, though this time she knew what to expect.  “So is that old castle where we’re going?”

“Yeah, that’s the place,” he said through gritted teeth, still recuperating from the previous jump.

“Well, looks like we’re in luck!  We’re almost there!”

Steady Hoof turned his head to look skeptically.  “Already? But we just turned the fork…”

Apple Bloom turned, cancelling the previous zoom she had on the castle.  “Yeah! Looks like we’ll be there in no time at-“

She turned back around with un-zoomed vision to see a long, winding path going through a valley and a forest between them and their destination.

She gulped.  “No time at all…”

By the time the disembodied filly and the disheveled pegasus got to the old castle, the sun was already going down.  The journey through the valley and forest had been long, but thankfully, uneventful.

“Well, we’re here,” Apple Bloom whimpered, intimidated by the towering castle.

The broken pony let out a sigh of relief.  “Great, now we just need to get to the top of the tower…”

“Top of the tower?”  Apple Bloom gazed back up at the crumbling citadel.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” Steady Hoof replied, nonchalant.

Right.  ‘Top of the tower,’ ‘Not as bad as it sounds,’ Apple Bloom mocked in her head as the battered stallion climbed off her back.  Once he was off, Apple Bloom reared up on her hind legs to nudge the two massive wooden doors open, and into the rustic castle.

The castle looked like it hadn’t been lived in for years, maybe even centuries.  Everything looked like it had once held brilliant reds and yellows and other royal colors, but now everything was the same: stone gray.  The dust seemed to build up on everything.  And the cobwebs… they were everywhere!  They seemed to cover up the entire wall, as well as the floor, and were slowly creeping their way all across the ceiling.

“Are… you sure your friend lives here?” Apple Bloom said.

“Positive.  She’s never been very good at housekeeping.”

That’s a bit of an understatement...

Steady Hoof began to limp across a section of floor that seemed to have not nearly as many cobwebs, or have just been trampled to the point where they were not as noticeable anymore, to a box in the middle of the tower.  It was big enough to fit two, maybe three ponies, and had a double door on the front.  Steady Hoof came up to the box and pressed a hoof on a button on the side, and the doors slid open.

“Come on, this way is faster,” he said, beckoning Apple Bloom to step inside the small box.

Apple Bloom just stared at it for a moment before replying.  “Uh… what is it?”

“It’s an elevator.  It’s a box operated by magic that will lift us up to the top floor.”  He signaled again with a hoof.  “Now come on! It’s perfectly safe.”

Apple Bloom hesitantly stepped inside the cramped box, which was designed for the small build of ponies, rather than Griffins.  With another push of a button, the box began the slow ascent.  Although it was moving rather slow, it still surprised Apple Bloom, who jumped once again, bumping into Steady Hoof’s bad side.  He suppressed a squeal.

“Oops, sorry,” Apple Bloom said sheepishly.  He waved her off with a hoof.

The trip didn’t last long.  Within the minute, they were at the top of the tower, and the double door opened up, revealing a cobblestone study with enough candles lit to light a dragon's cave, only filled with books rather than gems.  Towards the front of the chamber was a desk, with a light blue unicorn sporting a pink mane and large hat, with her star-burst cutie mark stitched into it in various places and bells hanging around the brim.  She was sleeping in an awkward, bent back position, snoring audibly.

“Starswirl,” Steady Hoof called out.  The only answer he got was another snore.  “Starswirl!” he tried again, louder.  Still no response.  Steady Hoof took in a deep breath and…

“STARSWIRL!”

“WHOA!”  The blue Unicorn kicked around with her hind legs as she was ripped from her dream world, causing her to fall back behind her desk with a squeal, and landed with a thud.  “Ouch.”

Apple Bloom watched skeptically.  This is the pony who’s supposed to help me get back my normal body?

“You alright, Star?”  Steady Hoof said.

A blue hoof came up from behind the desk and waved in response.  “Yeah, I’m fine.”  The hoof felt around on the desk for a spot to rest, then pushed down, pulling the drowsy Unicorn back up.  “So, what can I do for you, Steady?”

“Well, my friend here claims to be a filly trapped in a Griffin’s body,” Steady Hoof said, indicating Apple Bloom with a nod.  “I was wondering if you could do me a favor and see if you could help her out.”

Starswirl gave an ecstatic grin.  “Sure, Steady!  Anything for you!”

The bells hanging around the brim of her hat jingled quietly, yet joyously as Starswirl cantered over to the spot where Apple Bloom stood.  Starswirl looked into her eyes, then touched her longer than average horn to Apple Bloom’s forehead, her horn faintly glowing.  Apple Bloom’s head began to swim, and her feathers stood up on end.  She heard a low hum, though she couldn’t discern who or what was making it, nor where it was coming from.  It was a very soothing hum, though, almost on the edge of hearing.  She tried focusing on the hum, but when she tried to, it retreated further.

When she closed her eyes, the sound returned, a little louder than before.  It was much easier to focus on now.  Apple Bloom squeezed her eyelids closed and focused on the sound as hard as she could, and the sound began to sound like a voice.  She listened harder, trying to make out what the voice was saying, but no distinguishable words came to her ears.  And just as suddenly as it had come, it was gone again.

“Well, she’s definitely been in a Switch, that’s for sure,” Starswirl said in a more serious tone.

“So that means she really is just a filly in there?”

“She sure is."

Apple Bloom opened her eyes, trying to form a smile, which was very hard with a beak.  “Great!  That means you can put me back in my own body, right?”

“Well…  Thing is, I may be good at magic, but a Switch is an incredibly difficult spell.  Much higher than any master level spell I know.  It would take at least five other ponies with as much strength as me to be able to pull off a Switch.”  Starswirl scratched the back of her head with a hoof in embarrassment.  “The only pony I can think of who could pull it off on her own would be Princess Celestia herself…”

Apple Bloom’s joy died instantly.  “So then… I’m stuck like this?  Forever?”

“Not necessarily forever,” Starswirl said.  She trotted over to a book shelf, levitating down a dusty tome.  She flipped through the pages until she found the one she was looking for.  “Ah-ha!  ‘Although a Switch may be reversed by the original caster or casters, a psychic link will often form between the two subjects involved in the switch.  With time, they may be able to use this psychic link to communicate, and there are rare cases where the two involved in the Switch are able to regain their old bodies on their own.’”

“So then, there’s still a chance for me to get back to my old body?”

“I don’t know,” Starswirl answered.  “The two ponies involved in the Switch usually already know each other, and psychic links don’t usually hold up over great distances.”  Starswirl thought for a moment.  “Where did you say you came from again?”

“Ponyville."

Starswirl hopped over to her desk, levitating and opening books, looking through them, then tossing them aside, all the while muttering, “Ponyville, Ponyville, Ponyville…” under her breath.  “Ah-HA!” Starswirl suddenly shouted, bringing her hoof down hard on her desk.  “Ponyville!”  But the grin suddenly melted away from her face.

Steady Hoof looked on with a concerned stare.  “What’s wrong?”

Starswirl looked up from her book.  “Ponyville… it's miles away.”  She rotated the book around for them to see the map printed inside.  “Ponyville is here,” she said, using magic to levitate a quill which indicated a small town near the center of Equestria, “and we’re here, just outside the border.”

Apple Bloom looked at the map in horror.  “I knew I was far away from home, but…”  Tears began to well up in her eyes again.

Steady Hoof turned back to Starswirl.  “Are you sure there’s nothing you can do?”

“I don’t know,” Starswirl said with a sigh.  “I can try, but… I’ll need some time to research.”

Apple Bloom’s face lit up.  “So that means you’ll help?”

“Of course I’ll help,” said Starswirl with a grin.

"Oh, thank you," Apple Bloom exclaimed as she threw herself at Swarswirl in a hug.  Starswirl just laughed and returned the hug

“Oh, and Starswirl?”  Starswirl turned back to the limping stallion.  “Could I ask one more favor of you?”  He lifted his wing slowly to show the damage that had been done earlier that day.  Starswirl chuckled.

The sound of a hoof coming down hard and bits tumbling all over the bar sounded behind the bartender, and it was music to his ears.

He put on the biggest smile he could muster as he turned around.  “Hi, and welcome to-“

“Hardest thing ya got.  And make it snappy, would ya?”

He couldn’t believe his eyes.  “A… Apple Bloom?  Does your sister know you’re here?”

The apple scented filly sighed.  “Look,” she said in a commanding voice, “y’all want mah money or not?”

“Apple Bloom, you’re much too young to drink.  Go home, I’m sure Applejack’s worried sick about you.”

“Ah’m not leavin’ til Ah get a drink,” Apple Bloom asserted by bringing her hoof down against the bar hard, shaking the loose bits and knocking over the drink of the pony next to her.

The bartender just gave a stern stare in response.  “Out.  Now.”

“Stupid ponies,” Gilda muttered to herself.  “Not acceptin’ mah hard earned cash… Ah don’t think he realizes how hard it is pick pocketin’ with hooves.”

Gilda trudged Ponyville, which was now dark.  The streets were filled with less and less ponies as the evening got later and later, and the lights from the houses started to flip on.  Gilda let out a yawn.  So soon, she thought to herself.  But it’s just now getting dark.  Damn, this stupid little body…

Gilda looked around for any sort of hotel, but there were none to be seen.  Even so, they probably wouldn’t let me stay the night like that bartender refused to let me have a drink…  Why’d I have to be stuck in the body of such a young pony?

Gilda wandered around Ponyville for what felt like hours, not paying attention to where she was going, just let her legs take her wherever they wished.  She reminisced about when she was back in her rightful body, pushing around anyone that got in her way just because she could, as if it had been years ago.

“Okay, now just calm down, Miss Applejack.  Can you describe the events leading up to your sister’s disappearance?”

Gilda heard it suddenly, along with the sounds of somepony sobbing, snapping her out of her stupor.  She looked around and, to her dismay, was greeted by the sight of familiar apple trees planted strategically in the field around her.  Gilda silently cursed herself for being so careless and quickly hid behind a tree, fixing her eyes on the small two-story house in the distance, listening intently.

“Well, earlier today she got into a fight at school,” Applejack told the cop in between sobs, “so Ah had to go pick ‘er up.  ‘Course Ah gave her a right good talkin’ to when we got home, and…”  Applejack could barely hold the tears back anymore.

Gilda smirked at the sound of the pitiful pony’s tears.  Serves her right, trying to hold me back like that.  I almost feel sorry for her, though… crying in front of the cops like that…

Gilda shook the thought from her mind.  No, crying is a sign of weakness.  If something as small as her sister running away is enough to make her cry, then I don’t care.

Gilda listened in again: “Alright, that should be all we need.  Thank you, Miss Applejack, and have a pleasant evening.”

Damn pony eyes, I can’t see a thing, Gilda cursed in her head as she tried to focus in on the cops as they left the property.

Once the cops left, Gilda turned her attention back to the house.  Applejack was still standing in the open doorway, streams of tears running down her cheeks.  A red stallion appeared behind her, placing a foreleg around the orange mare’s neck.  Gilda strained to hear when he opened his mouth to speak.

“We should get to bed soon,” the stallion said.  “There’s a lot to get done tomorrow before the storm comes.”

Applejack just nodded, then turned to go back into the house.  Now’s my chance, Gilda thought as she placed a hoof forward… and stepped on a twig.  She cringed as the twig made a loud “SNAP!”  Applejack whipped her head around to the sound, knowing she had heard something.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothin’.  Just thought Ah heard…”

The stallion sighed.  “Apple Bloom will come back.  She just needs a little time to cool off, is all.”

It was now Applejack’s turn to sigh.  “Yeah, s’pose your right.  Ah just hope she doesn’t get hurt or nothin’…”

“Apple Bloom’s a smart filly.  She’ll be fine,” he said.

Applejack turned back to the house, looked up at her brother, and smiled.  “Yeah, Ah suppose she is.”

The door finally closed, and Gilda then let out a sigh of her own, slumping against the tree.

A/N: Big thanks to StarlightSpark, creator of the Starswirl Adventures tumblr for letting me use her character, Starswirl!  I hope I wrote her well...