Chapters You've Got to be Foaly Kitty Me
I wake up one day after a nice re-tour of the house I’ll be staying at once more and it seems that I can’t find Rusty anywhere. It seems he’d ran off looking for his food or waiting for me to open the door so I could let him out.
I grab my three packages of pop-tarts, at least that’s better for you than school lunch nowadays, altogether and just as I go to grab my book bag, I see the door wide open. That’s strange. I could’ve sworn Greg closed it. It’s clear in my memory. But, really, who gives a fang? I make sure the door’s closed after I exit carrying my book bag, lunch and umbrella all together. It’s going to be a rainy day out, so I might as well bring my source of mobile shelter.
After my walk back I fill the food and water dish fresh with a new meal. I set down my backpack and umbrella and get straight to my new assignments. “I wonder what senior prank was played this year,” I tell my curious self. By now, I probably would’ve heard a meow but nothing. I hold my ear at my palm to be certain there’s a meow but still nothing, or so I thought.
Within thirty seconds, I didn’t hear meowing but I did hear something else, muffled noise. Around here, muffled noises are pretty usual, but not as worried as this muffled noise. It seems to’ve been saying on the lines of, “what is that”, “what’s that noise” or “oh my gosh”. I stopped everything I was doing and darted toward the direction the muffled questions were coming from.
But as I went to the front yard after exiting from the back, I noticed a something very orange and tall. I’ve heard fanfictions where certain people turn into ponies themselves, but never had I read one of meeting a random pony out of no where. He doesn’t even look like he’s a character from Friendship is Magic, just an original character. There certainly was no sign of an idea for the senior prank this year. Wait, could this be it? Was the senior prank that they brought ponies of Friendship is Magic here? I wonder. Only one way to find out.
“Hey there.” I wave to the pony before I examine him further. Wait. Orange coat. That’s familiar. And those green eyes. They look a lot like Rusty’s. He actually has wings now, as well as a cutie mark. The orange stallion waves a hoof to me, and somehow, I can’t help but break out in a smile. “What’s your name?”
“Wind Rust,” says the stallion. Wow. It’s almost as if that’s Rusty.
“Wait, Wind Rust?”
Wind Rust just nods.
“Well, I’ve been looking for a cat that was just here last night.” I think I’d said enough now. For at that moment, Wind Rust hangs his head and his ears sink. This has to be Rusty. His coat, his eyes, his reaction to what I’d been doing in the morning. “Well, when I woke up this morning, I poured a fresh meal for the cat and he-” I was interrupted by a sudden sound of disgust coming from Wind Rust.
“So I guess you tried it?”
“Yeah, not good at all.” It feels so weird to have a former cat, now a pony actually interacting with me instead of a blank face or at least a pur. Neither of those exist now. But I’m just playing it safe, assuming that it’s NOT Rusty. But I can’t help it.
I wonder how Eve is now that Rusty’s now a pony.
You've Got to be Foaly Kitty Me
Wind Rust has been feeling so much better since Monday and he’s gotten used to flying a lot more. And so has Tail Flight. Now, Mom’s gone and we now live by my oldest brother’s rules, that is at home. At greg’s I can really do some recording. I’ve been here writing this while I get a good plan ahead. I jogged again from here to my house and back today, and I’m possibly going to be feeling my thighs again. That’s the reason I didn’t write yesterday.
Back to today, I had to gather up whatever I can so I could go get an extra loaf of bread as well as some peanut butter and jelly just for Wind Rust. By now, I would’ve forgotten Wind Rust was a cat just half a week ago. It doesn’t matter.
I’m actually excited for my plans this weekend. I’ll be jogging over home so I could have a pancake breakfast there, especially since Tail Flight’s diet’s expanded along with Wind Rust’s so I’ll they could have pancakes. I think after that, I’d be able to find me a good time to jog and rest before a practice regents comes up. Yep. This early. My time to shine had always been in exams since my midterms went so well so long ago.
But sorry if this is a little short. If it’s bothersome, don’t worry, It’ll be better when I tell how the practice regents and the night before went.
You've Got to be Foaly Kitty Me
One week later and everything went completely right. It was worth my time when Wind Rust and Tail Flight gave me a little advice when jogging. It’s getting hotter so I took the tips seriously. The past week, I aimed to jog to school and back to Greg’s without my backpack and decided to stop for a cold shower instead of the ones I take in the winter.
Not only that, but I cleaned my locker out completely the past two days. It’s completely empty now and I’m not allowed to go to it now. All I could do it go to the resource room and take the test. Thankfully I got the test done on time.
It got bad on Wednesday night. I thought it would’ve been too bad out to go to school. From curb to curb, the entire street was flooded. Wind Rust would’ve wanted me to stay home but when I woke up the next morning, it wasn’t that bad out.
Tail Flight was also pretty scared. Thankfully, the water’s still running at both houses. I apparently had gotten the year wrong on a BGM on one of my videos getting myself a TPC claim. I think everything’s going to be fine now. Except now, I wonder what’s going to happen. I’m not sure, but I feel like time will run out soon for Wind Rust and Tail Flight. The later on it gets within the month, the more the thought arises and I get increasingly worried.
I know it’s not my job to worry about others but I’ve grown to love these two so much. I don’t know whether it’s a simple arrival of a certain cross country traveller entering the New York border will cause a poof and the ponies are back to their feline selves, gone for good or if Princess Celestia comes and takes them over to Equestria for their lives. All I can do is wait.
You've Got to be Foaly Kitty Me
New episodes. No more tests. What more can I say? This weekend was glorious. I also got to play C.O.O.L. with both Wind Rust and Tail Flight. I decided to post every Sunday so I could keep updates and not be busy. Good news. No more tests. No more school. I managed to wake up at four this morning to watch the sunrise at the balcony. Yes. Mom came here and nothing happened. Wind Rust visits regularly now.
It turns out I’m going to be gone for such a long time. I won’t be home for a month and a half. It’s probably going to break their hearts to see me leave but it has to be done. I decided that they’ll go with me.
Tonight Tail Flight sits on the chair while I make a snack for myself. She and Wind Rust were with me on the balcony for sunrise and we took some pictures together. I put all of them in my drive so my phone would not run out of storage.
Once I put everything I used away, I say my regular good nights and I walk back upstairs to turn off my computer, but not before receiving a comfortably tight hug from Tail Flight. I hug Tail Flight back and I turn off my computer, take my shower, and get to bed.
However, something’s still in the back of my mind. I’m going to have to say goodbye eventually to Tail Flight and Wind Rust. Here I feel like they’ll be here forever. In my head, I know it’s not true. They’ll be gone somehow. I just don’t know what. I never tell them because of what their reaction might be.
You've Got to be Foaly Kitty Me
Well, I can finally say, Maine’s become the mix of America and Equestria. It nearly took me all the first two days I spent here at Justin’s and Grandpa’s just to get the new names of the ponies that used to be cats. Mama Kitty was now Caregiver and is now an old unicorn with a grey mane and tail with a brown coat and yellow eyes.
All the other ponies were pretty different from each other. So many cutie marks on the ponies. Pegasi, earth ponies and unicorns all stood outside talking to each other while they watched Justin and Mikkel help out Malinda and Grandpa on the entrance. I’m not going to lie, getting in and out was a bit of a challenge to conquer. But nothing impossible.
When I visited Cole, Dexter was an earth pony and his name was Wiretap. His coat and mane were swapped from that of Tail Flight but his eyes were different enough to tell the difference. He even has his own cutie mark too. I won’t say what because I didn’t see him much but it definitely was noticeable even far away.
Today, I just listen to my music while Caregiver looks out the window. Wind Rust and Tail Flight are still asleep, but surely they would’ve heard me at least get up at my normal school time. That’s right. Right now, I’ve been up for an hour and it’s been a wonderful experience to say the least that now, Caregiver can actually levitate. It shouldn’t really be any surprise because that’s what unicorns normally do in My Little Pony Friendship is Magic but here at home, only levitation occurs through magnetism.
I’m used to hearing droplets coming down on the new dock and that’s exactly what I’ve been hearing. Although Tail Flight has experienced scents like at Grandpa’s and Justin’s, Tail Flight and Wind Rust aren’t used to it.
I make it to Justin’s with Wind Rust and Tail Flight to play some NES. They’re pretty much the moral support. It just so happened to start raining once we got over there. But hey, we got there just fine.
We get back to the trailer at 8 and start playing some videos for everyone to watch.
You've Got to be Foaly Kitty Me
I wake up today from the strangest dream. Tail Flight sleeps with me as I look at the time. 6:28. Perfect. I have time to go over my song I've covered so far. I'm nearly two and a half minutes in. So far, by reverb, it sounds absolutely beautiful.
As I get some breakfast, I hear some hoof steps going down the stairs. Wind Rust's here already coming down the stairs no less? "Josh?" That sounds like Princess Celestia. How could this be?!? How could a character from My Little Pony Friendship is Magic ever come to my world?!? I hear some stirring going on upstairs as I walk to the living room to see a large white alicorn in the hallway of my apartment.
I gasp. I know what's coming. I just don't specifically know what. Princess Celestia's going to take away Tail Flight and Wind Rust. More stirring occurs but it's coming from the bedroom I slept in now. Tail Flight had woken up to my gasp in utter shock and realization of what's to come within the next ten minutes.
"May I perform something I haven't done in a long time?" Princess Celestia stands looking at me with much of the curiosity that struck me when I found Wind Rust.
"Whatever you have to do, I won't stop you." I try to hide the fact that I know what her goal is but it ultimately fails from the start.
However, Celestia just goes along with it. "I must take you on a journey to where you've been for the past forty days." Wait a minute, did she just... nah! She wouldn't do that on purpose. She doesn't even know about it. I don't even think any of that jazz is true.a
Tail Flight comes to Princess Celestia with a face that can't believe what it's seeing. "J-Joshy?!? What's going on?!?"
I race to Tail Flight with a knee slide on the carpet. I grit my teeth in shock as I stop in front of her. I hug her as I ignore the pain in my knees. "Oh Tail Flight! You've given me so much joy in my life along with Wiretap and Wind Rust!" Princess Celestia just gazed upon our hug.
"Eve will have to come with us if she means a lot to you. I'll ease your hearts of the abrupt pain by taking Eve with us." As more stirring occurs, Princess Celestia begins to become interiorly nervous. "We must let the stirring slumber. Perhaps we could do this in the balcony." The sound of a door flinging open comes as a familiar voice catches both me and Tail Flight's ears.
"Hello?"
Tail Flight starts to loose it when she finds where it's coming from. "Wind Rust!" While hearing what was going on, I see the glowing of Princess Celestia's horn. I suddenly see something familiar that was in the air. It lands in my hands as I drop my jaw.
I open it up to see every single picture I've taken of me and Tail Flight. Those are pictures I took on my phone. I still have it on my drive. The very end of the album is a picture of me and Tail Flight as I hold her in my right arm as I take the picture with my left hand. Tail Flight had hugged me tight in that picture much like in the group hug she, Wiretap, Wind Rust and I had in Maine.
I wipe away tears I've acquired in my eyes as I try to get Tail Flight's attention. "Tail Flight."
"Yeah?"
"Come look at what Celestia gave me." Tail Flight comes to see that I have the album in my hands. Tail Flight looks at what's inside as she starts dropping her jaw like I had. My teeth start coming together as I continue. "I don't know how but these are pictures from my phone, some of which I completely remember."
I finally stop to grit my teeth once more which Tail Flight notices. Winds Rust comes in the living room to see my still gritted teeth. "Don't worry about a thing. I got this." The freezer opens as I set down the book, grit my teeth even harder as I do so, then lighten up on the grit when I get back up as Tail Flight and I have another tight hug.
Wind Rust comes to me with two ice packs. I take them and put them just below the knees. They were cold, but they made my two knees feel so much better. "Thanks Wind Rust." Princess Celestia comes to all three of us as have our group hug.
"Well, it seems that Russell had joined us a little unexpectedly, but I will not question it. For that would waste far too much time. Nonetheless, the second reason to start at the beginning is to bring you the very pictures you've had with you the whole time."
The four of us head over to Greg's as I travel with a flight spell that Princess Celestia casted on me that allowed me to defy gravity for the rest of today and all of the next day. When we arrive, I hold my album tight as I look for anything new that is around. Princess Celestia quickly finds it. I see the floating album. As it floats down, I grab it to put it on my opposite side I am holding the other album on.
It is a long ride before we find Wiretap hanging out outside the house. Wind Rust instantly recognizes him. "Wiretap!!" Wind Rust somehow makes a very safe landing travelling to the ground at blinding speed while all of the other three of us, yes even Celestia, try to catch up.
As we land, Celestia greets Wiretap in the way I've seen before but what I'm not used to. "Hello Dexter. We should have you all back to normal by the end of the next hour."
It's already one and I haven't had anything to eat! "Before we all part ways, how did you know the three ponies' original names?!?"
"I was informed that there was a 'senior prank' that turned every cat into a pony from Equestria that had suffered amnesia when being summoned. There isn't a way to bring the original forms back I'm afraid. When a cat is gone, it's gone."
The realization hit me harder than anything has in the past. I won't be able to see Wind Rust, Wiretap and Tail Flight ever again. The crossing of our paths is finished. I sit down and bury my face in my arms. I feel gentle fur on my back. "Oh, Josh. We'll miss you. I hope you won't feel alone now that we're going to be gone forever."
With Tail Flight still hugging me tight, I stand up. "Don't worry, I'll pull through. I really hope the best in your world. You've been nothing but true joy in my life for the past forty days, no matter how much better I feel to look at the memories we've had together these past six weeks." I give a hug to Tail Flight and sniffle as I do so. Tail Flight sniffles too. Wind Rust joins the hug and so does Wiretap.
I feel a light tap on my shoulder blade. The three let go and I look to my right. My phone... How was it floating?!? Last I knew it was home. How could it be here, right now?!? "Could you take the picture? This may be the last time I see levitation in the flesh and now would be a convenient time to take a picture."
We gather around as Celestia's horn still glows brightly. But since it's in the daytime, my phone makes the glow unnoticeable. It was a perfect picture to send to my drive. I race to the phone and swipe the screen left with my finger. There's the picture. Right there. I hear a very loud noise coming from behind my phone. I turn my phone off and put it in my pocket as the glow intensifies from Celestia's horn and a forcefield takes vision.
Within seconds, nothing stands in front of me. All of whom stood in front of me had vanished almost out of thin air. But now, I turn to my phone and swipe the screen left again. There's that same photo.
You've Got to be Foaly Kitty Me
The previous day, I found that Eve was also a pegasus. This is something that’s going to be a thing now right? Cats I know still around are now ponies. I guess Sammo actually exists now in the real world like the pegasus in my show I’m making.
Yesterday, I heard so much crashing at home that I thought Eve was at it again. This time, she was not only at it, but she was flying, and screaming! Oh, great. Now I got a certain fan thing in my head seeing how Eve used to be “a cat or something”. Is it normal for pegasi just to recklessly crash through the house, especially an apartment?
Her apparent name was Tail Flight. Seems to make sense. Finding a penny with tails on top is just a superstition like black cats. Eve also does seem to go fast enough to fly flawlessly. Her eyes also green, black coat and white mane and tail, for some reason, seems to fit her even more as a pegasus than it did as a cat.
Back to today, I talk with Wind Rust a bit after school about what happened when I was home before I show him music as a pegasus, ready to hum some of the tunes I showed him back when he was a cat. Homework was also a breeze today too. Wind Rust is starting to talk more, getting used to his new voice and mouth.
I go back home to take the recycling down and actually having someone to talk to while I do my chores is quite reassuring with Tail Flight, previously Eve. By now, Tail Flight’s starting to talk as well. I figure if Tail Flight’s going to be talking, I might as well be the person to talk to her.
Back to the house I’m staying, I get myself a cup of Diet W Up finally grabbing myself some supper with my one loaf of bread as well as peanut butter and jelly. Wind Rust wanted to grab some too, so I just made four instead of two.
YouTube’s finally becoming of it’s own greatness. I got my final cover of My Forever Love up last night and even posted my final cover of Vola e Vai tonight. So far, no video takedowns. I guess I have such a little corner of YouTube that it’s practically unnoticeable. At this point, I just really thank all that I’m not a victim of mandatorily watching an episode to teach me about what I already know.
I decide to get my work done when I arrive back at school, and get it done quickly. Aside from that, nothing unusual after I got back. I also finally get to bed at ten for the first time since last week.
You've Got to be Foaly Kitty Me
Sure enough, plans had to rattle. I totally forgot that Wind Rust and Tail Flight could manipulate the weather now. When I let Wind Rust out he just flew higher and higher. JUst like that, the sun started peeking out of the cloudy day yesterday. My brothers say I shouldn’t let Tail Flight out, but I let her anyway. Once again, she just kept flying higher and higher.
But as they got back, the weather got worse again. There happened to be a flash flood warning here, so all of us had to be inside and I had to spend the night here. Thankfully, I got a revised soundfont out on YouTube.
Not even the practice regents went exactly how I planned it. I happened to get a ride up to school for the practice regents, so I guess that’s quicker than jogging there. I’m not allowed to bring my phone in school anyway, so we made a quick pit stop to put my phone on the charger and set some music for Wind Rust to listen to. However, the practice regents wasn’t at twelve. It was 11.
Is it true? That I’ve loved Wind Rust and Tail Flight more now than ever before? Is there more than one way to find out? I guess so. I’ve been happier now with real pegasi than I have when they were cats instead. The new abilities still stun me to this day.
If you think going out once for a meal is occasional, try two in a row. Not only did my oldest brother take us all out to eat, but I got to have pizza for lunch in school, and not the horrible pizza they serve in the cafeteria.
When I get back home, I get some water and get to making my first Brony Night Saturday Night song out into a video to post onto YouTube. Not just that, but I saw something completely unaccomplished by any cat even if they were only prior by a week. Tail Flight earned her cutie mark. I wouldn’t be able to believe it but it happened. Now, she’s kind of confused but once I explained it to her, she get excited.
You've Got to be Foaly Kitty Me
Back at Cole's house, I'm now fully on the computer doing this. I've been working on a cover that I've been dying to do since before we left to Maine. We had a party yesterday for Independence Day, but Tail Flight and Wind Rust never bothered to join. They decided instead to listen to my stuff while I was forced into the pool.
Today, I ask what happened yesterday. "Why the long face? I know I was being forced to do things, but I didn't even abandon you. Did something happen?"
Tail Flight looks at her cutie mark. "I love my cutie mark, but somehow, looking at it somehow brings me down. I feel like I'm gonna have to say goodbye to it. I mean, look at Wiretap. He's gotten a great cutie mark too, but he's probably going to have to say goodbye to that too."
I look to see Wiretap also looking at his cutie mark with the same expression. "We don't know when we may have to say goodbye as ponies but it's going to be soon if it's the case."
Let's hope that not the case. I reassure the three about the best. "Don't worry, I'll see what happens this week and hopefully that going away will not come true. You all are amazing to me. Nothing could ever change that. Not even as cats."
Suddenly, the three hug me tighter than I've ever been hugged before. I thought I was going to choke but I didn't care. This is the most heartwarming moment I've ever come across. I have now made a vow to myself. That is to make sure these ponies stay here as ponies. I even forgot about my curiosity toward the senior prank. And frankly, nothing really matters except for the joy I feel now. It comes as a surprise that today has to've been the best day of my life.
You've Got to be Foaly Kitty Me
I take out my iPad and look at my drive in my dorm room. There's the most recent photo. The one picture of me, Princess Celestia, Wiretap, Wind Rust and Tail Flight. No words could describe the emotion I have now for this single picture. It's so much so that I'm not even going to print it out like all the other photos. I share my photo on a couple of communities I've joined. It's really been different without Tail Flight or Wind Rust.
Later on, I come to my dorm room with two letters completely identical. With a deep breath, I exhale on one of them. It blows away in the breeze I make and disintegrates. I take out both the albums Princess Celestia gives to me as I see it's contents inside. All those times me, Wind Rust and Tail Flight spent together, now in a convenient place to see where it all began. The other copy of the letter I unroll.
All I have to say right now is that I never would've found any of this true joy I had for the past forty days if it weren't for you. I probably wouldn't have even managed to be where I am now. As to all the times we've spent together, I am truly grateful for them. They mean a lot to me, and I will remember them for all of eternity. I will never ever forget what was of our time. It was fun while it lasted. I understand that you've moved on to Equestria, but please, never forget about me.
-Joshua Crapo
I hang the letter on the door for me to see in the future. I try to wipe off what I was feeling in my cheek but there was more coming out than I was wiping off. I can only hope they read this and see that it's from me.
