Learning to be Me

The heavy oak door slammed shut behind me. The room around me was decorated the same as the last time I had come. The walls clung heavy with potions and posters, the tables with dried plants and empty bottles.

“Um, he-hello?” My voice rang against shiny floor and the coated walls. My two-toned hooves knocked around a few loose items on the floor. “It’s Adelaide. Here for the, whatever it was we were supposed to be doing tonight…”

“Oh, yes. Please, come in Addy.” A voice came from behind a stack of books. “Sorry about the mess, I’ve been working on this spell for over two weeks now, and as you can tell, I haven’t had too much reason to go outside.” The stallion who was talking came around to the front of the shop. Floating beside him in a cloud of glowing green magic was a small vial.

“So this is going to help with my problem, right?” My eyes flitted from his face to the bottle. “I just feel that there is something you aren’t telling me about this spell.”

“Well, it appears that you are smarter than you look. No offence.” He sat the vial on the cluttered table. “So, Good news. I can fix your, problem. Unfortunately, if you want to go through with the spell, you have to sacrifice part of you.”

“What part?” I asked eagerly. “My leg? My voice? My sight? Hearing? Health? Anything. I would give anything to change who I am.”

The stallion just grinned. “Then I assume you are ready to get started?” I nodded violently. “Drink this, then. You won’t feel any different, right away. It can take anywhere from six to thirty eight hours for the serum to dissipate from your body, so I suggest you take it slow for a few days.” He shuffled a few papers around, then I was engulfed in a sickly green magic cloud.

“Now, my dear Addy. You will feel a slight pinch.” The stallion said, but I couldn’t really tell if it was him or not. Soon, all I could see was a fine white mist cloud my vision. Then, nothing.

“Adelaide…” Maddy said breathily, “It’s time to get up. Addy…” She wrapped her hooves around my stomach, like she did every morning. “Addy, get… up…? Addy, when did you…?”

“What is it Madeline?” I lifted my head up groggily. My voice sounded weird. Her eyes grew wide and she looked at me like I had six hooves.

“Addy… You…” She leaped out of the bed. “You’re a colt! I told you, I told you, I told you. Never trust a Witch Doctor!”

“Ha, ha, very funny Maddy. And you finally got your cutie mark.” I teased her. “And besides, he wasn’t a witch doctor, just a stupid colt.”

“No way, seriously?” She forgot everything that was happening and trotted over to stare at her flank in the mirror. “What? Addy, there isn’t anything there! You lied to me!” Her eyes began to water.

“Now you understand. I am not a colt, Maddy.” My voice cracked.

“Then look at yourself, Adelaide. Look. Just look, then tell me I’m crazy.” She stamped a hoof. “What’s the harm?” I gave an exasperated sigh, the said a breathy, ‘fine,’ and walked over to the mirror.

I looked at my face. It didn’t seem very much different. I mean sure, my jaw was more square, more defined, and my snout was a little on the long side. My mane was cropped shorter, along with my tail. But other than that, I felt no different. The spell didn’t work! I galloped out of the room and kicked open the front door, like I had every day since the day I could walk.

I raced my way down the winding road, my feeble, yet nimble, sister close at heel. We ran and ran, faster and farther, until Maddy could no longer stand. All over Ponyville, ponies stared at us. A few mares giggled, many fillies and fouls that knew Maddy teased her about her “colt friend”. After the third pair of fillies singing the cuties “Maddy and her colt friend, sitting in a tree,” we finally trotted off the main road. We trod past Sugar cube corner, past the hole in the ground where Twilight’s Library used to be, past Rarity’s boutique. We ended up at the mouth of the Everfree forest.

“Addy, I don’t… I don’t think this is a good idea,” She nudged me away from the trees with her hoof. “Let’s head back. Please. ADDY!” I wasn’t listening at that point, I did all I could just to keep my resolve. I could only assume that she had followed when she got scared, because when we reached the bridge to Twilight’s castle, she was there right beside me, just as always.

“Maddy, come. I need you to help me explain this mess to Twilight.” I gave her a pouty face that always used to make her crumble. “Please?”

“Adelaide.” She said in a sweet voice. “Yes, I will help you. But please, don’t use that face against me like… this…” She waved a hoof up and down in front of me. “I don’t think you understand how cute it is.” Her face turned a shade of pink.

My heart sped up a few beats, so I turned and began to walk down the bridge. “Come along Maddy, Let’s see if twilight can fix me, even though that stupid colt was supposed to fix me, NOT BREAK ME!” We made our way up to the big door of the Crystal Treehouse.

‘knock, knock, knock.’ Maddy rapped her hoof against the heavy door. There was a long silence, then a crash, and a loud shriek. We both looked at each other than at the door. There was a loud creak as the door swung open, and a sharp pain in my head where Twilight bumped into me.

“Sorry,” She said sweetly. “Spike and I were just trying out a new… spell… Maddy, who is this?”

“Its Adelaide, don’t you remember her? My twin sister?” Maddy was confused, however so was Twilight.

“I’ve never met an ‘Adelaide’ before, but nice to meet you…”

“Adonis.” I cut her off, but not in a rude fashion. “It’s nice to meet you Twilight.” My words were soft, charming, and fluid. Maybe that dumb stallion did it right after all.