On the Other Sideby GumoChaptersPart OnePart TwoPart ThreePart OneStarting your second semester of college would have been daunting enough without everything that has been going on as of late. You’ll have to declare a major soon, classes are only going to get harder, and your grasp on childhood has been slipping away more and more. What better way to come to terms with this than by holing up in your mother’s house as you pussyfoot around paperwork and applications? You’ve been staying here for a few weeks now. The first semester came and went and you’ve moved back home for the time being. It’s more comfortable and cuts down your expenses tremendously. You don’t even have to be pretending to be looking for a job considering you’ll be moving again in a few more weeks. Currently you’re sitting in the kitchen. It’s early morning and Mom is frying up some bacon. Wrapped up in your blanket and sipping at a cup of coffee, you’re trying your best to ignore the list of majors in front of you on your laptop. When you were a kid what you wanted to be when you grew up was a fun question. Back when being a firefighter or an astronaut didn’t sound grueling and you thought the president was a cool job to have. Now you’d rather not think about the question. As Mom sets down a plate of far too much food in front of you she mercifully doesn’t ask the question again. Maybe she’s respecting your awkward, wishy washy angst or maybe she’s just tired of hearing her daughter disappoint her. If she’s not going to press the issue, you won’t press either. After a moment she does try to break the silence however.“Have you watched that video yet?” You hastily choke down the bite of egg covered toast in your mouth, coughing a bit as you go to reply. “Nah, not yet.” “I think it’s fascinating that they’re sending over students your age!” Giving her a nonchalant shrug you resume your assault on the plate in front of you. You’ve never really been all that involved with the whole “portal to the other reality” stuff. Sure, at first everybody was freaking out about it. But after a while it’s become sort of a distant thing that the government is handling. Or, at least, says they’re handling. It happened a few months ago. You were in the middle of Bio when the news broke that strange people claiming to be from “Equestria” apparently stumbled from a portal in the middle of Vancouver. This would be nothing more than a low effort prank from from Canadian bronies if not for a curious Mountie didn’t stumble into the portal while investigating the scene. Long story short, it’s a real portal to a real world. That world just so happens to be very similar, if not identical, to the world of a cartoon show called My Little Pony. Needless to say everybody was a little up in arms for a while. Debates over the religious and scientific ramifications plagued every outlet of media for a while before everything sort of faded from the public eye. Even the most interesting, world shattering happenings are given fifteen minutes of fame. The United Nations wound up formally recognizing Equestria as its own sovereign nation after a while. Despite some awkward barriers along the way, like explaining why some humans willingly eat horse and why that shouldn’t be reason for concern, relations got pretty stable after a while. Equestria even wound up sending over a diplomat to live among humans, and several countries in turn set up embassies in the magical pony kingdom. Now, it’s not like there’s pastel ponies running around Earth. Nor are there awkward looking humans in Equestria. All evidence points to the process of traveling to a different world alters one’s form to that of a species of comparable intelligence in that other world. So a human would turn into a pony and vice versa most likely. A strange system, but one that makes sense in the same way having Equestria be a part of the United Nations makes sense. The video your mother refers to is of a young woman going by the name “Breezy.” Breezy is one of a few Equestrian college students who has been allowed to study abroad on Earth. She has seemingly become the poster child of this new diplomacy campaign aimed at the college aged people of America. Similar programs have already cropped up across the globe. The United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Canada, and Sweden have all allowed for exchange students to both go to and come from Equestria for a while now. However, with semesters in both worlds coming up quickly, it seems America has jumped onto the bandwagon. Breezy’s video is an ad talking about the virtues of the program, her experiences on Earth, what it’s like in Equestria, stuff like that. At least, that’s what Mom has said. Despite your relative distance to the whole situation, Mom has been following everything like a hawk. She feels as if she’s living in the most important age of human history thus far. “If other realities that were once just fiction to us exist, what else could be out there?” She’s a hopeless romantic on the subject, often sending you article upon article of information that you either already knew or never really cared about. At least she’s got a hobby now. “Well, you should watch it soon,” Mom implores “she’s going to your school after all!” “And I’m sure the last thing she wants is to be treated like some alien celebrity. I’m just going to let it be.” Mom shrugs off your veiled laziness and returns to her meal. You welcome the silence with open arms as you quickly finish up your food. With that out of the way you drop your plate in the sink and go flop on the couch. You’re forced to move over a bit when Mom comes out to join you. She turns on the television, idly surfing through the guide for something interesting to watch. “Do you think any of your friends are going to try the exchange program?” “I don’t see a reason as to why they would.” “The accreditation of Canterlot University is on par with many of our top colleges! Not to mention the program covers basically all of your expenses. Along with the allure of seeing a new world, meeting individuals from a different universe… And your student loa-” “Jeez Mom, do I even have to watch the video at this point? You’re selling it as much as she would!” “I’m not trying to sell you on anything,” she says with a subtle eye roll, “I’m just saying, it could be a tempting offer to a student looking for something new.” “You’re not even close to subtle Mom.” “I’m your mother, I don’t have to be.” With a soft sigh you sit up. Looks like she’s still going to be pressing things, but in her own weird way. Except instead of pressing you to find a job and declare a major, she wants you to study abroad in a magical cartoon world. Typical mom stuff. “I’ll consider it,” you say, if only to get her off your back. She seems to be content with that answer, for now at least, giving you a little shrug as she begins to watch The Price is Right. Not wanting to subject yourself to such a boring block of television, you head back to your room. The springs of your bed creak as you flop onto it. Everything in this room has been in here since eighth grade and the age is beginning to show. You pull out your phone, idly checking your Twitter feed just to get frustrated at seeing your friends enjoying their break. Maybe you should have taken a few invitations more seriously. Quickly fed up of seeing your friends on ski trips or visiting family up in New York, you instead open up Youtube. Instantly you’re bombarded with a myriad of colorful, clickbait thumbnails of random content. With not much else to do, you decide to check out that video after all. Yeah, you just made a big fuss about it with your Mom, but if there’s anything you’re good at it’s being a fickle bitch. The video is pretty simple. A blonde woman stands against a gray background talking in an overly excited tone. She’s apparently an “Earth Pony”, not to be confused with a pony from Earth but one without wings or a horn, and came to Earth about a month prior to the filming of the video. As you expected most of what she says is something that you mom has already raved about. Breezy thinks Earth is exciting, she especially likes all the new places she has to visit. She also takes time to brag about how great Canterlot University is, and how good it will look for any student to join the program. There’s a good chance this part is scripted, although the stuff about being on Earth did feel kind of genuine. There’s not much in the video that you hadn’t heard already. The most you really get from it is that the pony turned human seems to be happy going to a school on the east coast. Yet, despite not really having taken much from the video, something still compels you to leave a comment. Maybe it’s the fact that looking in the comment section you see that Breezy, or whoever manages this account actually replies to comments somewhat frequently. “Surely not all majors transfer over to Canterlot University. Are there any students that will be turned down?” You aren’t sure why you asked the question. Even as you stare at the comment you aren’t sure if it’s anything but curiosity driving you. Maybe something about your mom’s nagging is to blame. It’s an innocent question at the very least that will probably go unanswered. However, only about fifteen minutes after you asked it, you’re notified somebody has replied to your comment. Curiosity piqued, you take a look, only to find the manager of the account has replied. “Well, I’m not sure what kind of students they’re looking for officially, but I can’t think of a ton of majors that don’t transfer over. I know that things over here aren’t as clear cut in terms of finding what you’re best at, so I can imagine that we’ll have some applicants who haven’t even declared a major! That in itself sounds pretty exciting if you ask me! I’m almost envious of students like that! Hope I helped some!” You stare at the comment for a bit, rereading it a few times. If you didn’t know better you’d almost swear this was an elaborate set up by your mother to get you interested in the program. Shaking your head you set your phone aside and grab your laptop from the foot of your bed. At first you aren’t sure what to do, but then you decide to just bite the bullet. You google “Equestria college exchange program” with a sharp sigh, hoping that something pulls your attention away and you don’t wind up proving your Mom right. It’s now two weeks later. You’d have packed up all your belongings at this point, but all you have is a single bag of personal belongings. That’s because that’s all you’re allowed to bring. You can’t even point to one specific thing that made you sign up in the end. If you had to say, it’s more a bunch of different, small things all mixed together. It’s muddled and kind of confusing, but you’re going through with it now. You’ve been accepted into Canterlot University and all. You look yourself over in the mirror one last time before heading out. It probably won't matter too much considering you won’t be on Earth after today, but going out is going out. Your hair is still a little frizzy despite your best attempts to quell it. You’ve tossed on a plain white shirt, jeans, and a pair of sneakers. Funny enough, this is basically what you’d wear any day at school, so it’s kind of fitting. Satisfied with your half decent look, you leave your room. Mom was ecstatic to hear that you applied and was on cloud nine the moment you showed her the acceptance email a week ago. Now, as she’s about to see you off, she doesn’t seem to want to let go, literally. She’s got you in a vice grip of a hug, squeezing you tight as you get a little too much of a whiff of her cheap perfume. When you left for college the first time she wasn’t even this emotional. But it’s probably more than just you leaving again that has her emotional. “Don’t forget to write,” she reminds, not loosening her grip. “I won’t, I won’t,” you assure as you try to get some breathing room in her inescapable hug. Normally you’d just text her or something, but your phone is one of the things you aren’t taking into Canterlot for a variety of reasons, one of which being the lack of cell towers. However apparently you’ll be able to send out letters and even get letters from people on Earth. “I expect to hear everything about what it’s like!” “I’ll take good notes for you,” you joke, rolling your eyes. She mercifully loosens her grip, allowing you to wriggle into freedom. You grab your old gray backpack and sling it over your shoulder. Today’s the day everything is going to change. For the better or for worse you still aren’t sure, but things are going to change. As you walk to the front door, you look back at your mother. “Bye Mom,” you say with a short wave. “Goodbye Lou, don’t forget about me while you’re having fun!” Rolling your eyes at the corny nickname that has stuck with you since childhood, you open the door. “It’s Louise,” you correct out of habit. With that you walk out the door. There’s a soft thud as you toss your bag into the backseat of your beat up Toyota. Hopping in the front, you take a minute to gather yourself before driving off towards the address you’d been given. It’s time for orientation. Author's Note This is the first part of my little story. If you're interested, the second part should come up pretty soon (seeing as how it's already written). Any thoughts or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Next section we get into the pony stuff, so if you're holding out for that, you're in luck. Part TwoThe facility is roughly an hour away from your mother’s house. It looks like an average modern municipal building. The building has no sign on it, no name as far as you can see, but that’s intentional. After all, if people knew there was a portal to another reality right here, there’d be some unwanted attention. At first there was just that one portal in Canada. But as of late, all across the world, new portals have been made quietly without much fanfare. This is the site of one of those portals, the one you’ll be taking in less than an hour. You gather yourself for a moment before walking in. An older man in a lab coat greets you in the lobby. He shakes your hand, exchanging an idle greeting before leading you downstairs. “So, Ms. Shaw, are you ready for this?” The man, Dr. Jones according to his nametag, leads you through door after door before stopping abruptly outside of a large set of double doors. “Here we are,” he says. “Um, what exactly will I be doing?” “Your belongings will be sent in first, then you. For safety’s sake we try to minimize the amount of cross contamination during the trip. There haven’t been any visible adverse effects, but better safe than sorry,” explains Dr. Jones, motioning for your bag. You hand it over to him as he walks you into the room. The first thing that catches your eye is a large, colorful swirl of pink light. The vortex stands upright as if mounted to the floor with a stand. It’s behind a gate but remains clearly visible. It sort of looks like it was hastily put together, as if this is just a temporary installation. You decide to not press on it though, probably some kind of classified information. Dr. Jones approaches the gate, opening it with a swipe of his keycard. He tosses your bag in without effort before turning back to you. You marvel at seeing your bag get swallowed up in less than a second. The thought that you’ll be going in there next is hard to wrap your head around. Will you just slide in so quickly and easily? “Would you please remove your clothes now Ms. Shaw? Cross contamination and all.” “Wait,” you look over at him, your face going flush, “huh?” “I know it’s awkward considering I’m a man, but I’ll look away,” he says with a Sigh, turning to face the double doors. “I told them they should have gotten a female staff member for this.” Still blushing, you kick off your shoes. You try your hardest to not focus on Dr. Jones as you strip, revealing your pale body. Once you’re fully nude you cover your “assets” with your arms. “Do I just… hop in now?” “Um, ah, yes,” replies the doctor, not looking at you. His body seems kind of stiff, as if he’s feeling even more awkward than you. That sort of helps you relax a bit. You walk opened gate. Goosebumps rise all over your arms as you stand right in front of the portal. There’s a soft hum coming from it, kind of like the sound of a fridge running. Something about the portal feels inviting, although you aren’t sure what it is. Regardless of what it is however, it helps coax you closer and closer. Before you know it you’re inside the portal. The moment you touch it you’re sucked in, letting out a shocked squeal as it happens. All around you is a strange tunnel of pulsating color. It’s like a kaleidoscope of colors, shifting and moving in an almost hypnotic fashion. You’re floating in this strange void, moving forward at a relaxed pace. You have no idea now to stop yourself from moving, not that you necessarily would want to. As you float, you notice the hair on your arms. You’ve always been pretty vigilant with shaving so for an instant you’re quite confused. However, seeing the hairs coming in a thick, smooth midnight blue, you remember that humans don’t stay human when going to Equestria. Part of you feels like you should be freaking out as the dark, almost black, fur begins to coat your skin. There’s not an ounce of worry within you however. Everything just feels kind of alright. Your feet feel stiff. At first it’s pins and needles like your feet had fallen asleep. However your feet have begun to reshape, becoming more rounded and firm. Sharp yet painless cracks shift the alignment of your lower legs as your toes simply vanish into two hooves. Having nothing better to do than explore your new body you reach down and rub your new feet. They’re smooth and firm, lacking any sort of similarity to what you’ve been used to all your life. The fur now covers your entire body. You can’t see an inch of skin. There’s a strange tugging feeling above your butt. A quick glance down reveals a chestnut colored tail pulling outwards from your tailbone. Although you don’t have a mirror to check, it’s safe to assume your new mane is the same color. Pins and needles return, this time stiffening up your hands. Without even trying to move them, your fingers slowly close up into tight fists. Any attempts to unball your fists prove fruitless as you can only watch your hands harden into hooves. After a few moments, the only difference between your hands and feet is the distance from your face. The hooves click slightly as you knock them together. You stare at your hooves, oblivious to the subtle shifts in skeletal structure and size of body currently taking place, stuck in this weird feeling of detached wonder. None of this feels real to you. You know it is real, that’s more than obvious, but nothing feels like it should. Such radical changes should bring pain and terror, yet this is all just a curious bizarre trip to you. It’s honestly really nice. If this is any indicator of what this exchange program has in store, you’re more than ready. As you’re marveling over these changes, you notice something very different. Everything thus far has been expected, you knew you’d become a pony after all. But now you’re feeling something unexpected. The thick fur hides any visual evidence, but you can feel it. You are not a girl anymore. There’s no vagina under all that fur. A quick brush over your torso with a hoof reveals nothing close to a nipple or teat, just smooth, toned body covered with fur. “Holy crap,” you mutter. Your voice is different too, undeniably male. It’s not gruff, but there’s a definite firm masculinity to it. You’ve dropped from an alto to at least a tenor, and that’s being generous. While still awestruck by your gender change, you don’t notice that you’ve reached the end of this strange colorful path. In an instant you’ve fallen onto the floor with a thud, in a technicolor room you do not recognize. You groan softly, slowly sitting up on all fours. Despite having never been in a body like this before, the positioning feels natural to you. Slowly gathering yourself, you begin to look around the room. It’s a nurse’s office, that much is fairly clear. There’s a couple of hospital beds, a desk, various medical instruments, everything you’d expect. Within a few moments, a pink pony walks into the room. “Ah, you must be that last transfer student,” she says, sitting down at the desk. “Um, y-yeah,” you reply, still unused to the tone of your voice. “Alright,” she nods, an aura of magic picking up a pen as they begin writing details down. “Male, unicorn, blue coat, brown mane… Ah, can I see your flank?” “My wha?” “Your butt,” she says with a chuckle, “I’m looking for your Cutie Mark.” “Oh, uh, okay,” you mumble, turning around so she can get a look. “Mm, still a blank flank, that’s pretty common with young humans who come over here, so I wouldn’t worry.” You turn back around, nodding slightly. You’re suddenly very self conscious, unsure about how to feel. The oddly comfortable feeling of the portal is gone, leaving you to feel this strange new horse body for what it is. It’s not awful, but you aren’t exactly sold on it yet. The male part especially leaves you entirely confused. “Oh dear, these records say that you used to be a girl!” The nurse looks up from her work, a little surprised about your change. “I-is a gender change something that doesn’t happen?” “Every other student I’ve looked over maintained their original gender,” she explains, looking over records again, “going through the portal is only really supposed to make you a version of yourself suited for the world you’re going to.Sort of like an… ideal self in a way.” “Ideal self? Are you saying that I-” “I’m only saying that this is atypical, anything more than that is left up for you to decide and figure out.” “C-couldn’t you just turn me into a girl? With magic?” You’re starting to feel less and less receptive of this male body. If there’s some sort of deeper meaning to it, you don’t want to find out! “It’s not that simple, and if this is the body you were given, there’s bound to be a reason,” retorts the nurse, explaining it like she’s telling a child why they can’t have a certain thing. “And besides, orientation starts soon, and we don’t want to me messing with powerful magic right before that!” “Fine, fine,” you concede with a soft sigh. “What next then?” “Well, before you head over to orientation, you’ll need to choose a new name, won’t you?” Author's Note That's it for this part. If you like what you've seen so far, do let it be known. Any feedback would be appreciated. I've got a bunch of ideas for where this is going, but it won't be going anywhere fast without readers. The next update should come within a few days, at least I hope so, and introduce a some other characters, actually important ones! Woo. Part Three“Fine, fine,” you concede with a soft sigh. “What next then?” “Well, before you head over to orientation, you’ll need to choose a new name, won’t you?” The prospect of a new name has not occurred to you until now. You just assumed you'd be same out Louise despite the new body. Now that you're here though, it's obvious how that's just not going to work for you. No ideas jump out at you as you rack your brain. Naming anything is hard enough, giving yourself a new name is a different beast all together. Maybe you should just ask for help. "Can I hear some examples of names other transfer students chose?" "Well, most students are just going by their original names. A name from your world will help not with not getting confused for a student who didn't transfer," the nurse explains. "I'll just... go by Lou then. Make it short for Louis." She nods, taking note of that. It's not even much of a new name. You've been called Lou by your mother since you were a kid after all. But something feels so different about it now. You almost want to hastily change the name to something else, but you know that won't actually change anything. You'll feel out of place no matter what name you're going by. Might as well just roll with this for now. "Alright then Louis," she replies, toying with the sound of the name. She has most likely never said the name "Louis" before in her entire life. The thought does amuse you as you begin to wonder what else is going to be oddly foreign to the ponies here. "Follow me." You walk with her down the halls. As your eyes wander about, you can't help but be impressed by everything around you. It's as if every depiction of a school in a cartoon has been brought together, all the best stereotypes being laid out into an actual place. Everything is immaculately clean, the weather looks gorgeous from your view through the windows. If you weren't standing right here you'd no doubt say a school this pristine could never exist. And, if you were still on Earth, you'd probably be right. A pair of ornate doors open with a graceful glide outwards as you approach them. Your eyes dart around, looking for the sensors, yet find nothing. Maybe the doors are enchanted? All the resources you've read seem to indicate that magic tends to be the source of most advancement in Equestria. The door lead out into the maid quad of the campus, or at least, you assume that's what this has to be. The sprawling, perfectly cut, lawn stretches out in all directions. Paved walkways are spread about the area, leading into all the disconnected buildings. You assume these are mostly lecture halls, although you really can't be sure until you've seen things closer. In the center of the campus you see a large ornate fountain. Arcs of water spout from the base of a statue of two ponies. Based on their stature and the intricacy of the sculpture, they're quite important. One is carved in a marble white, the other a dark stone that you think is obsidian. "Who are they?" "Those are Princesses Celestia and Luna, rulers of the kingdom and founders of this university," explains the nurse, at first surprised to have to explain such a thing. "Oh, that's... important to know." "Quite so, I had assumed they'd have prepared you better for visiting!" "Heh, y-yeah," you look down. You were sent a rather long document full of information about Equestria once you were accepted. You... definitely skimmed it. Being honest you just decided to push it off for later and printed it out and shoved it in your bag. Wait, your bag! "Hey, uh, my belongings were sent in the portal before me. Where are they?" "In your dorm room." "Oh, good..." Silence falls once more as you notice the group of figures around the fountain. Most are other ponies. They stand amongst each other chatting idly. A few are keeping to themselves, waiting around for something. You notice of the fifteen or so by the fountain, a few aren't quite like the others. One that particularly catches your eye is similar to a pony but with key differences. They're a bright green with insectile features. Their eyes are compound, their wings more like a fly's than the soft wings of pegasi. Even their body seems to lack fur, being covered instead by a carapace. "Um... is that a giant bug?" You cock your head as you try to resist pointing at it. "A changeling, they're shapeshifters. It was surprising to see one of the students come out as one, but it was always possible. Don't worry though, she's the friendly type." "Friendly type?" "Somewhat recently widespread reforms took place among changeling hives. Their bodies shifted to reflect that change. She's one of the reformed changelings. Most changelings who refused to reform exist in fractured nests, so you shouldn't worry about running into them," explains the nurse. "Gotcha," you reply, really wishing you hadn't blown off that document. "So these are the other transfer students?" The nurse nods as she motions for you to join them. "Your guide will be here shortly along with a special guest speaker, so be on your best behavior when they arrive." With that she leaves you to the crowd of transfer students. Most of them don't pay you mouch mind. A few nod your way and say hello, simple introductions. That is, most everyone except the creature who has just bounded up to you. They're not a pony. Their body is an amalgam of feline and avian parts. They have the head of some bird of prey, probably an eagle or a hawk, but the hindquarters of a lion. A large pair of wings are tucked behind them as their beak stretches into an eager grin. You may have skimmed that packet, but even you know a griffon when you see one. "Hey there," says the griffon, his voice coming out in an english accent. At first the voice surprises you, but there was mention of this being an international effort after all. "You the last one?" "I think so," you reply, waving a hoof awkwardly at the eager guy. "Finally, I've been waiting here for hours!" He stretches like a cat, leaning forward and arching his back. "I'm ready to get things rolling!" His tawny feathers and brown fur seem somewhat damp as you look him over closer. You gaze over at the fountain, noticing what seem to be claw marks cut into the basin. At first you want to ask him about what he has done in these hours, but decide against it. "The nurse said that the guide should get here soon." "Perfect! I'm Peter by the way," he extends a talon to shake hands, only to remember that you have hooves and set his arm down. "I"m Louise, err, Louis." "Well which one is it mate? Louise or Louis? You don't sound like much of a Louise." "I was a Louise," you explain, "now I'm a Louise. But... you can call me Lou." "Wait, you..." Peter looks you up and down, processing what you said. "You used to be a girl?" "Yes," you reply curtly, your face feeling warm with embarrassment. "Neat, you'll have to tell me about how this happened later, but right now I see someone coming!" Your embarrassment is sidetracked as you look over to where Peter is pointing. A pony with radiant emerald color fur approaches the group. She's wearing a simple smile as she surveys the crowd. A nod of approval leads into her speech, "Welcome, visitors from Earth! I am Glittering Grove, and I'll be leading your tour around campus. I'm a graduate student here and very involved with functions here at Equestria University." She pauses as students mumble out quick greetings. Everybody's eyes are glued to her. Even the ones who looked a little bored and drowsy just moments ago are alert and attentive. Seems like everybody was just as eager to get going as Peter. The eager silence is infectious as you too find yourself now glued to Glittering Grove the moment she begins speaking again. "But before we do that, somebody wants to have a word with you all! She may not mean much to you all yet, but she's very important member of society here in Equestria. Despite her youth, I am certain she could teach here if she wanted to! So, without any further ado, let's hear it for Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Author's Note And that's it for this section! If you're enjoying it, do be sure to share why, and if not, do tell what you dislike/think can be done better! Any criticism helps a ton.
Part OneStarting your second semester of college would have been daunting enough without everything that has been going on as of late. You’ll have to declare a major soon, classes are only going to get harder, and your grasp on childhood has been slipping away more and more. What better way to come to terms with this than by holing up in your mother’s house as you pussyfoot around paperwork and applications? You’ve been staying here for a few weeks now. The first semester came and went and you’ve moved back home for the time being. It’s more comfortable and cuts down your expenses tremendously. You don’t even have to be pretending to be looking for a job considering you’ll be moving again in a few more weeks. Currently you’re sitting in the kitchen. It’s early morning and Mom is frying up some bacon. Wrapped up in your blanket and sipping at a cup of coffee, you’re trying your best to ignore the list of majors in front of you on your laptop. When you were a kid what you wanted to be when you grew up was a fun question. Back when being a firefighter or an astronaut didn’t sound grueling and you thought the president was a cool job to have. Now you’d rather not think about the question. As Mom sets down a plate of far too much food in front of you she mercifully doesn’t ask the question again. Maybe she’s respecting your awkward, wishy washy angst or maybe she’s just tired of hearing her daughter disappoint her. If she’s not going to press the issue, you won’t press either. After a moment she does try to break the silence however.“Have you watched that video yet?” You hastily choke down the bite of egg covered toast in your mouth, coughing a bit as you go to reply. “Nah, not yet.” “I think it’s fascinating that they’re sending over students your age!” Giving her a nonchalant shrug you resume your assault on the plate in front of you. You’ve never really been all that involved with the whole “portal to the other reality” stuff. Sure, at first everybody was freaking out about it. But after a while it’s become sort of a distant thing that the government is handling. Or, at least, says they’re handling. It happened a few months ago. You were in the middle of Bio when the news broke that strange people claiming to be from “Equestria” apparently stumbled from a portal in the middle of Vancouver. This would be nothing more than a low effort prank from from Canadian bronies if not for a curious Mountie didn’t stumble into the portal while investigating the scene. Long story short, it’s a real portal to a real world. That world just so happens to be very similar, if not identical, to the world of a cartoon show called My Little Pony. Needless to say everybody was a little up in arms for a while. Debates over the religious and scientific ramifications plagued every outlet of media for a while before everything sort of faded from the public eye. Even the most interesting, world shattering happenings are given fifteen minutes of fame. The United Nations wound up formally recognizing Equestria as its own sovereign nation after a while. Despite some awkward barriers along the way, like explaining why some humans willingly eat horse and why that shouldn’t be reason for concern, relations got pretty stable after a while. Equestria even wound up sending over a diplomat to live among humans, and several countries in turn set up embassies in the magical pony kingdom. Now, it’s not like there’s pastel ponies running around Earth. Nor are there awkward looking humans in Equestria. All evidence points to the process of traveling to a different world alters one’s form to that of a species of comparable intelligence in that other world. So a human would turn into a pony and vice versa most likely. A strange system, but one that makes sense in the same way having Equestria be a part of the United Nations makes sense. The video your mother refers to is of a young woman going by the name “Breezy.” Breezy is one of a few Equestrian college students who has been allowed to study abroad on Earth. She has seemingly become the poster child of this new diplomacy campaign aimed at the college aged people of America. Similar programs have already cropped up across the globe. The United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Canada, and Sweden have all allowed for exchange students to both go to and come from Equestria for a while now. However, with semesters in both worlds coming up quickly, it seems America has jumped onto the bandwagon. Breezy’s video is an ad talking about the virtues of the program, her experiences on Earth, what it’s like in Equestria, stuff like that. At least, that’s what Mom has said. Despite your relative distance to the whole situation, Mom has been following everything like a hawk. She feels as if she’s living in the most important age of human history thus far. “If other realities that were once just fiction to us exist, what else could be out there?” She’s a hopeless romantic on the subject, often sending you article upon article of information that you either already knew or never really cared about. At least she’s got a hobby now. “Well, you should watch it soon,” Mom implores “she’s going to your school after all!” “And I’m sure the last thing she wants is to be treated like some alien celebrity. I’m just going to let it be.” Mom shrugs off your veiled laziness and returns to her meal. You welcome the silence with open arms as you quickly finish up your food. With that out of the way you drop your plate in the sink and go flop on the couch. You’re forced to move over a bit when Mom comes out to join you. She turns on the television, idly surfing through the guide for something interesting to watch. “Do you think any of your friends are going to try the exchange program?” “I don’t see a reason as to why they would.” “The accreditation of Canterlot University is on par with many of our top colleges! Not to mention the program covers basically all of your expenses. Along with the allure of seeing a new world, meeting individuals from a different universe… And your student loa-” “Jeez Mom, do I even have to watch the video at this point? You’re selling it as much as she would!” “I’m not trying to sell you on anything,” she says with a subtle eye roll, “I’m just saying, it could be a tempting offer to a student looking for something new.” “You’re not even close to subtle Mom.” “I’m your mother, I don’t have to be.” With a soft sigh you sit up. Looks like she’s still going to be pressing things, but in her own weird way. Except instead of pressing you to find a job and declare a major, she wants you to study abroad in a magical cartoon world. Typical mom stuff. “I’ll consider it,” you say, if only to get her off your back. She seems to be content with that answer, for now at least, giving you a little shrug as she begins to watch The Price is Right. Not wanting to subject yourself to such a boring block of television, you head back to your room. The springs of your bed creak as you flop onto it. Everything in this room has been in here since eighth grade and the age is beginning to show. You pull out your phone, idly checking your Twitter feed just to get frustrated at seeing your friends enjoying their break. Maybe you should have taken a few invitations more seriously. Quickly fed up of seeing your friends on ski trips or visiting family up in New York, you instead open up Youtube. Instantly you’re bombarded with a myriad of colorful, clickbait thumbnails of random content. With not much else to do, you decide to check out that video after all. Yeah, you just made a big fuss about it with your Mom, but if there’s anything you’re good at it’s being a fickle bitch. The video is pretty simple. A blonde woman stands against a gray background talking in an overly excited tone. She’s apparently an “Earth Pony”, not to be confused with a pony from Earth but one without wings or a horn, and came to Earth about a month prior to the filming of the video. As you expected most of what she says is something that you mom has already raved about. Breezy thinks Earth is exciting, she especially likes all the new places she has to visit. She also takes time to brag about how great Canterlot University is, and how good it will look for any student to join the program. There’s a good chance this part is scripted, although the stuff about being on Earth did feel kind of genuine. There’s not much in the video that you hadn’t heard already. The most you really get from it is that the pony turned human seems to be happy going to a school on the east coast. Yet, despite not really having taken much from the video, something still compels you to leave a comment. Maybe it’s the fact that looking in the comment section you see that Breezy, or whoever manages this account actually replies to comments somewhat frequently. “Surely not all majors transfer over to Canterlot University. Are there any students that will be turned down?” You aren’t sure why you asked the question. Even as you stare at the comment you aren’t sure if it’s anything but curiosity driving you. Maybe something about your mom’s nagging is to blame. It’s an innocent question at the very least that will probably go unanswered. However, only about fifteen minutes after you asked it, you’re notified somebody has replied to your comment. Curiosity piqued, you take a look, only to find the manager of the account has replied. “Well, I’m not sure what kind of students they’re looking for officially, but I can’t think of a ton of majors that don’t transfer over. I know that things over here aren’t as clear cut in terms of finding what you’re best at, so I can imagine that we’ll have some applicants who haven’t even declared a major! That in itself sounds pretty exciting if you ask me! I’m almost envious of students like that! Hope I helped some!” You stare at the comment for a bit, rereading it a few times. If you didn’t know better you’d almost swear this was an elaborate set up by your mother to get you interested in the program. Shaking your head you set your phone aside and grab your laptop from the foot of your bed. At first you aren’t sure what to do, but then you decide to just bite the bullet. You google “Equestria college exchange program” with a sharp sigh, hoping that something pulls your attention away and you don’t wind up proving your Mom right. It’s now two weeks later. You’d have packed up all your belongings at this point, but all you have is a single bag of personal belongings. That’s because that’s all you’re allowed to bring. You can’t even point to one specific thing that made you sign up in the end. If you had to say, it’s more a bunch of different, small things all mixed together. It’s muddled and kind of confusing, but you’re going through with it now. You’ve been accepted into Canterlot University and all. You look yourself over in the mirror one last time before heading out. It probably won't matter too much considering you won’t be on Earth after today, but going out is going out. Your hair is still a little frizzy despite your best attempts to quell it. You’ve tossed on a plain white shirt, jeans, and a pair of sneakers. Funny enough, this is basically what you’d wear any day at school, so it’s kind of fitting. Satisfied with your half decent look, you leave your room. Mom was ecstatic to hear that you applied and was on cloud nine the moment you showed her the acceptance email a week ago. Now, as she’s about to see you off, she doesn’t seem to want to let go, literally. She’s got you in a vice grip of a hug, squeezing you tight as you get a little too much of a whiff of her cheap perfume. When you left for college the first time she wasn’t even this emotional. But it’s probably more than just you leaving again that has her emotional. “Don’t forget to write,” she reminds, not loosening her grip. “I won’t, I won’t,” you assure as you try to get some breathing room in her inescapable hug. Normally you’d just text her or something, but your phone is one of the things you aren’t taking into Canterlot for a variety of reasons, one of which being the lack of cell towers. However apparently you’ll be able to send out letters and even get letters from people on Earth. “I expect to hear everything about what it’s like!” “I’ll take good notes for you,” you joke, rolling your eyes. She mercifully loosens her grip, allowing you to wriggle into freedom. You grab your old gray backpack and sling it over your shoulder. Today’s the day everything is going to change. For the better or for worse you still aren’t sure, but things are going to change. As you walk to the front door, you look back at your mother. “Bye Mom,” you say with a short wave. “Goodbye Lou, don’t forget about me while you’re having fun!” Rolling your eyes at the corny nickname that has stuck with you since childhood, you open the door. “It’s Louise,” you correct out of habit. With that you walk out the door. There’s a soft thud as you toss your bag into the backseat of your beat up Toyota. Hopping in the front, you take a minute to gather yourself before driving off towards the address you’d been given. It’s time for orientation. Author's Note This is the first part of my little story. If you're interested, the second part should come up pretty soon (seeing as how it's already written). Any thoughts or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Next section we get into the pony stuff, so if you're holding out for that, you're in luck.
Part TwoThe facility is roughly an hour away from your mother’s house. It looks like an average modern municipal building. The building has no sign on it, no name as far as you can see, but that’s intentional. After all, if people knew there was a portal to another reality right here, there’d be some unwanted attention. At first there was just that one portal in Canada. But as of late, all across the world, new portals have been made quietly without much fanfare. This is the site of one of those portals, the one you’ll be taking in less than an hour. You gather yourself for a moment before walking in. An older man in a lab coat greets you in the lobby. He shakes your hand, exchanging an idle greeting before leading you downstairs. “So, Ms. Shaw, are you ready for this?” The man, Dr. Jones according to his nametag, leads you through door after door before stopping abruptly outside of a large set of double doors. “Here we are,” he says. “Um, what exactly will I be doing?” “Your belongings will be sent in first, then you. For safety’s sake we try to minimize the amount of cross contamination during the trip. There haven’t been any visible adverse effects, but better safe than sorry,” explains Dr. Jones, motioning for your bag. You hand it over to him as he walks you into the room. The first thing that catches your eye is a large, colorful swirl of pink light. The vortex stands upright as if mounted to the floor with a stand. It’s behind a gate but remains clearly visible. It sort of looks like it was hastily put together, as if this is just a temporary installation. You decide to not press on it though, probably some kind of classified information. Dr. Jones approaches the gate, opening it with a swipe of his keycard. He tosses your bag in without effort before turning back to you. You marvel at seeing your bag get swallowed up in less than a second. The thought that you’ll be going in there next is hard to wrap your head around. Will you just slide in so quickly and easily? “Would you please remove your clothes now Ms. Shaw? Cross contamination and all.” “Wait,” you look over at him, your face going flush, “huh?” “I know it’s awkward considering I’m a man, but I’ll look away,” he says with a Sigh, turning to face the double doors. “I told them they should have gotten a female staff member for this.” Still blushing, you kick off your shoes. You try your hardest to not focus on Dr. Jones as you strip, revealing your pale body. Once you’re fully nude you cover your “assets” with your arms. “Do I just… hop in now?” “Um, ah, yes,” replies the doctor, not looking at you. His body seems kind of stiff, as if he’s feeling even more awkward than you. That sort of helps you relax a bit. You walk opened gate. Goosebumps rise all over your arms as you stand right in front of the portal. There’s a soft hum coming from it, kind of like the sound of a fridge running. Something about the portal feels inviting, although you aren’t sure what it is. Regardless of what it is however, it helps coax you closer and closer. Before you know it you’re inside the portal. The moment you touch it you’re sucked in, letting out a shocked squeal as it happens. All around you is a strange tunnel of pulsating color. It’s like a kaleidoscope of colors, shifting and moving in an almost hypnotic fashion. You’re floating in this strange void, moving forward at a relaxed pace. You have no idea now to stop yourself from moving, not that you necessarily would want to. As you float, you notice the hair on your arms. You’ve always been pretty vigilant with shaving so for an instant you’re quite confused. However, seeing the hairs coming in a thick, smooth midnight blue, you remember that humans don’t stay human when going to Equestria. Part of you feels like you should be freaking out as the dark, almost black, fur begins to coat your skin. There’s not an ounce of worry within you however. Everything just feels kind of alright. Your feet feel stiff. At first it’s pins and needles like your feet had fallen asleep. However your feet have begun to reshape, becoming more rounded and firm. Sharp yet painless cracks shift the alignment of your lower legs as your toes simply vanish into two hooves. Having nothing better to do than explore your new body you reach down and rub your new feet. They’re smooth and firm, lacking any sort of similarity to what you’ve been used to all your life. The fur now covers your entire body. You can’t see an inch of skin. There’s a strange tugging feeling above your butt. A quick glance down reveals a chestnut colored tail pulling outwards from your tailbone. Although you don’t have a mirror to check, it’s safe to assume your new mane is the same color. Pins and needles return, this time stiffening up your hands. Without even trying to move them, your fingers slowly close up into tight fists. Any attempts to unball your fists prove fruitless as you can only watch your hands harden into hooves. After a few moments, the only difference between your hands and feet is the distance from your face. The hooves click slightly as you knock them together. You stare at your hooves, oblivious to the subtle shifts in skeletal structure and size of body currently taking place, stuck in this weird feeling of detached wonder. None of this feels real to you. You know it is real, that’s more than obvious, but nothing feels like it should. Such radical changes should bring pain and terror, yet this is all just a curious bizarre trip to you. It’s honestly really nice. If this is any indicator of what this exchange program has in store, you’re more than ready. As you’re marveling over these changes, you notice something very different. Everything thus far has been expected, you knew you’d become a pony after all. But now you’re feeling something unexpected. The thick fur hides any visual evidence, but you can feel it. You are not a girl anymore. There’s no vagina under all that fur. A quick brush over your torso with a hoof reveals nothing close to a nipple or teat, just smooth, toned body covered with fur. “Holy crap,” you mutter. Your voice is different too, undeniably male. It’s not gruff, but there’s a definite firm masculinity to it. You’ve dropped from an alto to at least a tenor, and that’s being generous. While still awestruck by your gender change, you don’t notice that you’ve reached the end of this strange colorful path. In an instant you’ve fallen onto the floor with a thud, in a technicolor room you do not recognize. You groan softly, slowly sitting up on all fours. Despite having never been in a body like this before, the positioning feels natural to you. Slowly gathering yourself, you begin to look around the room. It’s a nurse’s office, that much is fairly clear. There’s a couple of hospital beds, a desk, various medical instruments, everything you’d expect. Within a few moments, a pink pony walks into the room. “Ah, you must be that last transfer student,” she says, sitting down at the desk. “Um, y-yeah,” you reply, still unused to the tone of your voice. “Alright,” she nods, an aura of magic picking up a pen as they begin writing details down. “Male, unicorn, blue coat, brown mane… Ah, can I see your flank?” “My wha?” “Your butt,” she says with a chuckle, “I’m looking for your Cutie Mark.” “Oh, uh, okay,” you mumble, turning around so she can get a look. “Mm, still a blank flank, that’s pretty common with young humans who come over here, so I wouldn’t worry.” You turn back around, nodding slightly. You’re suddenly very self conscious, unsure about how to feel. The oddly comfortable feeling of the portal is gone, leaving you to feel this strange new horse body for what it is. It’s not awful, but you aren’t exactly sold on it yet. The male part especially leaves you entirely confused. “Oh dear, these records say that you used to be a girl!” The nurse looks up from her work, a little surprised about your change. “I-is a gender change something that doesn’t happen?” “Every other student I’ve looked over maintained their original gender,” she explains, looking over records again, “going through the portal is only really supposed to make you a version of yourself suited for the world you’re going to.Sort of like an… ideal self in a way.” “Ideal self? Are you saying that I-” “I’m only saying that this is atypical, anything more than that is left up for you to decide and figure out.” “C-couldn’t you just turn me into a girl? With magic?” You’re starting to feel less and less receptive of this male body. If there’s some sort of deeper meaning to it, you don’t want to find out! “It’s not that simple, and if this is the body you were given, there’s bound to be a reason,” retorts the nurse, explaining it like she’s telling a child why they can’t have a certain thing. “And besides, orientation starts soon, and we don’t want to me messing with powerful magic right before that!” “Fine, fine,” you concede with a soft sigh. “What next then?” “Well, before you head over to orientation, you’ll need to choose a new name, won’t you?” Author's Note That's it for this part. If you like what you've seen so far, do let it be known. Any feedback would be appreciated. I've got a bunch of ideas for where this is going, but it won't be going anywhere fast without readers. The next update should come within a few days, at least I hope so, and introduce a some other characters, actually important ones! Woo.
Part Three“Fine, fine,” you concede with a soft sigh. “What next then?” “Well, before you head over to orientation, you’ll need to choose a new name, won’t you?” The prospect of a new name has not occurred to you until now. You just assumed you'd be same out Louise despite the new body. Now that you're here though, it's obvious how that's just not going to work for you. No ideas jump out at you as you rack your brain. Naming anything is hard enough, giving yourself a new name is a different beast all together. Maybe you should just ask for help. "Can I hear some examples of names other transfer students chose?" "Well, most students are just going by their original names. A name from your world will help not with not getting confused for a student who didn't transfer," the nurse explains. "I'll just... go by Lou then. Make it short for Louis." She nods, taking note of that. It's not even much of a new name. You've been called Lou by your mother since you were a kid after all. But something feels so different about it now. You almost want to hastily change the name to something else, but you know that won't actually change anything. You'll feel out of place no matter what name you're going by. Might as well just roll with this for now. "Alright then Louis," she replies, toying with the sound of the name. She has most likely never said the name "Louis" before in her entire life. The thought does amuse you as you begin to wonder what else is going to be oddly foreign to the ponies here. "Follow me." You walk with her down the halls. As your eyes wander about, you can't help but be impressed by everything around you. It's as if every depiction of a school in a cartoon has been brought together, all the best stereotypes being laid out into an actual place. Everything is immaculately clean, the weather looks gorgeous from your view through the windows. If you weren't standing right here you'd no doubt say a school this pristine could never exist. And, if you were still on Earth, you'd probably be right. A pair of ornate doors open with a graceful glide outwards as you approach them. Your eyes dart around, looking for the sensors, yet find nothing. Maybe the doors are enchanted? All the resources you've read seem to indicate that magic tends to be the source of most advancement in Equestria. The door lead out into the maid quad of the campus, or at least, you assume that's what this has to be. The sprawling, perfectly cut, lawn stretches out in all directions. Paved walkways are spread about the area, leading into all the disconnected buildings. You assume these are mostly lecture halls, although you really can't be sure until you've seen things closer. In the center of the campus you see a large ornate fountain. Arcs of water spout from the base of a statue of two ponies. Based on their stature and the intricacy of the sculpture, they're quite important. One is carved in a marble white, the other a dark stone that you think is obsidian. "Who are they?" "Those are Princesses Celestia and Luna, rulers of the kingdom and founders of this university," explains the nurse, at first surprised to have to explain such a thing. "Oh, that's... important to know." "Quite so, I had assumed they'd have prepared you better for visiting!" "Heh, y-yeah," you look down. You were sent a rather long document full of information about Equestria once you were accepted. You... definitely skimmed it. Being honest you just decided to push it off for later and printed it out and shoved it in your bag. Wait, your bag! "Hey, uh, my belongings were sent in the portal before me. Where are they?" "In your dorm room." "Oh, good..." Silence falls once more as you notice the group of figures around the fountain. Most are other ponies. They stand amongst each other chatting idly. A few are keeping to themselves, waiting around for something. You notice of the fifteen or so by the fountain, a few aren't quite like the others. One that particularly catches your eye is similar to a pony but with key differences. They're a bright green with insectile features. Their eyes are compound, their wings more like a fly's than the soft wings of pegasi. Even their body seems to lack fur, being covered instead by a carapace. "Um... is that a giant bug?" You cock your head as you try to resist pointing at it. "A changeling, they're shapeshifters. It was surprising to see one of the students come out as one, but it was always possible. Don't worry though, she's the friendly type." "Friendly type?" "Somewhat recently widespread reforms took place among changeling hives. Their bodies shifted to reflect that change. She's one of the reformed changelings. Most changelings who refused to reform exist in fractured nests, so you shouldn't worry about running into them," explains the nurse. "Gotcha," you reply, really wishing you hadn't blown off that document. "So these are the other transfer students?" The nurse nods as she motions for you to join them. "Your guide will be here shortly along with a special guest speaker, so be on your best behavior when they arrive." With that she leaves you to the crowd of transfer students. Most of them don't pay you mouch mind. A few nod your way and say hello, simple introductions. That is, most everyone except the creature who has just bounded up to you. They're not a pony. Their body is an amalgam of feline and avian parts. They have the head of some bird of prey, probably an eagle or a hawk, but the hindquarters of a lion. A large pair of wings are tucked behind them as their beak stretches into an eager grin. You may have skimmed that packet, but even you know a griffon when you see one. "Hey there," says the griffon, his voice coming out in an english accent. At first the voice surprises you, but there was mention of this being an international effort after all. "You the last one?" "I think so," you reply, waving a hoof awkwardly at the eager guy. "Finally, I've been waiting here for hours!" He stretches like a cat, leaning forward and arching his back. "I'm ready to get things rolling!" His tawny feathers and brown fur seem somewhat damp as you look him over closer. You gaze over at the fountain, noticing what seem to be claw marks cut into the basin. At first you want to ask him about what he has done in these hours, but decide against it. "The nurse said that the guide should get here soon." "Perfect! I'm Peter by the way," he extends a talon to shake hands, only to remember that you have hooves and set his arm down. "I"m Louise, err, Louis." "Well which one is it mate? Louise or Louis? You don't sound like much of a Louise." "I was a Louise," you explain, "now I'm a Louise. But... you can call me Lou." "Wait, you..." Peter looks you up and down, processing what you said. "You used to be a girl?" "Yes," you reply curtly, your face feeling warm with embarrassment. "Neat, you'll have to tell me about how this happened later, but right now I see someone coming!" Your embarrassment is sidetracked as you look over to where Peter is pointing. A pony with radiant emerald color fur approaches the group. She's wearing a simple smile as she surveys the crowd. A nod of approval leads into her speech, "Welcome, visitors from Earth! I am Glittering Grove, and I'll be leading your tour around campus. I'm a graduate student here and very involved with functions here at Equestria University." She pauses as students mumble out quick greetings. Everybody's eyes are glued to her. Even the ones who looked a little bored and drowsy just moments ago are alert and attentive. Seems like everybody was just as eager to get going as Peter. The eager silence is infectious as you too find yourself now glued to Glittering Grove the moment she begins speaking again. "But before we do that, somebody wants to have a word with you all! She may not mean much to you all yet, but she's very important member of society here in Equestria. Despite her youth, I am certain she could teach here if she wanted to! So, without any further ado, let's hear it for Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Author's Note And that's it for this section! If you're enjoying it, do be sure to share why, and if not, do tell what you dislike/think can be done better! Any criticism helps a ton.
