Legends of Equestria: South Swamp Rag

by JimmyHook19

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Equestria Girls, Rockhoof, Sex, Meadowbrook, Random, Adventure, Human
Length: 14464

Join us now for a tale of the Bayou...

Jimmy is on his way to the Big Easy, but gets somewhat sidetracked on his way there and is thrown into an utterly crazy adventure. Good thing he has infinite potions on his side...

Cover art was done by the amazing Light262, artist of one of the popular MLP FiM Fan Comics over on Deviantart: Timey Wimey. Link to his DA Page can be found here: https://www.deviantart.com/light262

Published 2019-10-28 16:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-12-05 20:01:19 UTC

Meadowbrook Blues

It was another typical day in Manteo, North Carolina, with the sun being out in force despite the cooling temperatures as October was starting to come to an end and November was approaching. It was a good time for good thoughts, and Jimmy Hook had been seized. No, he had not been seized because of something he ate, but he was seized by inspiration. A long time ago, he had been contacted by a friend of his from the UK, who had told him all about the city of New Orleans in Louisiana, and he apparently had an absolute blast there. The sights were wondrous, the music was wonderful, and the food was simply too good to be missed. How can you go wrong with alligator sausage, gumbo and clam chowder? These were all things that appealed to Jimmy as an American, despite being a chap from North Carolina, and he had resolved to go there some day.

There was a rather big problem, however. Jimmy was understandably scared of flying. On a previous day back in February, he had been the only survivor of a plane crash in the California desert, and had then-

(LANGUAGE UNTRANSLATABLE; PLEASE CONTACT TRANSLATION OFFICER FOR FURTHER ADVICE.)

Oh, hello Somnambula. I thought you'd be napping in your sarcophagus now?

(LANGUAGE UNTRANSLATABLE; PLEASE CONTACT TRANSLATION OFFICER FOR FURTHER ADVICE.)

Could you please speak English? Somny, this program doesn't support heiroglyphics.

"Sorry. Well, I escaped from the plane, and then fell on top of an old green necklace, which turned me into Somnambula. We then had a big battle between myself and the Sphinx, with the support of a US Army unit in the neighborhood. Just then, I exhausted myself, and was loaded into a box to go back to Manteo. It's here things get a little fuzzy."

"You may want to ask me."

Later, Moonlight, later. Back to our story!

As Somnambula nicely narrated for us, Jimmy had been involved in a plane crash and turned into Somnambula. The fact this occurred on a Monday was no coincidence, for Jimmy's curse (or gift, depending on who you asked) was set off on that very day each week. Nonetheless, he had set out to go and see New Orleans for himself, and he was going there in the only way to travel he thought best.

No, he wasn't going by car. At least not all the way. He was going by train for most of it! He had already booked his tickets for the journey, and he was travelling on the 12:22 from Greensboro, North Carolina, to New Orleans Union Terminal. It hadn't been cheap, at $121 a person, but he felt that was a better saving than flying. The last night, he had packed his bags, and his suitcase, as well as a small backpack, were loaded and ready to go. He carted them outside his home and loaded them into the trunk of his car, before locking the door to his house and stepping back to his automobile. He already had his road route set out for him, taking him through Rocky Mount, Burlington, and Raleigh (although not in that order), and at four hours, he needed to set off. So, at 7, he sat down in the driver's seat, started the engine, and set off for Greensboro.

"Goodbye Manteo," he said calmly. "I hope nothing too crazy happens whilst I'm gone."

As he set off down the road, it didn't even cross his mind that tomorrow was a Monday.

Jimmy arrived at the Greensboro station at 11:30, and parked his car in a clear space. He got out, shut the door, and put a parking ticket in that would cover him for the week, and then proceeded to recover his bags from the car's trunk. The station at Greensboro, or the J. Douglas Galyon depot, to give the structure its full name, was a large, imposing building, built of granite in a mock Roman style. The section further back was made of brick, and featured many windows into which the sunlight fell on most days (and when it didn't, that was usually because of cloud). Slinging his backpack onto his back, and extending the drag handle on his suitcase, he set off into the station and through the doors, stopping at a seat just inside to take his backpack off again. He had just remembered his tickets were in there, and unless he had them in his hand this would be a very short journey indeed, terminating in a fine. He pulled out the folder containing them, and walked over to the access gate, where a ticket inspector was standing.

"May I see your tickets please, sir?" he asked.

"Sure, here you go," Jimmy replied, taking the ticket out of the folder and handing it over. The ticket inspector peered at it, before suddenly looking up.

"Aren't you Jimmy Hook?" he asked.

Jimmy was a bit stunned. "Er, yes sir?" he replied.

"I know you from the news! That thing about a mermaid!" The ticket inspector went on speaking as he checked over the ticket. "I recall there were two of them."

"That was a seapony, sir," Jimmy replied. "Rather different things."

"I wouldn't know about such strange things," the ticket inspector replied, as he finished checking the paperwork. "Everything looks to be in order, and the train is currently running 15 minutes behind schedule. Enjoy your trip."

"Thank you!" Jimmy exclaimed, and headed off through the doors to the platform.

He would enjoy himself, but not in the way he had intended at all...

Jimmy stood on the platform for about an hour or so. Why he did this, when he could have got a warm drink inside, nobody knows. But hey, Jimmy was just Jimmy some days. Come to think of it, he was Jimmy most of the time, despite all the strange shenanigans that seemed to follow him about most days. As the clock hit 12:25, a loud horn echoed from the Washington, D.C. end of the platform, and a pair of angular nosed diesels, numbered 77 and 88, rolled into the platform, with a full rake of circular, sausage shaped coaches behind them. These were, of course, Amtrak P42DCs, or the much reviled 'Genesis' units, mainly due to their lack of reliability and high running cost. The train ground to a stop, the door stopping a few feet away from Jimmy.

He consulted his paperwork. "Let's see... ah! I'm in coach C." He walked down the train, and once the ramp had deployed and the door had opened, the passengers for Greensboro got off. Jimmy then climbed aboard, and walked along the carriage until he took his seat. It was fairly comfortable, and at least there was free Wi-Fi and power ports, for the trains lacked any backseat TV. The cheapskates.

Luckily, Jimmy had brought his iPad, and proceeded to take it out. He had loaded the entirely of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Season 7 onto it, and was picking episodes at random as he felt like it. Just then, the train intercom went.

"Good afternoon, passengers joining us at Greensboro," said the engineer's voice on the other end of the intercom. "We are just setting off now, and are due into New Orleans at 19:32 tomorrow, local time. We hope you enjoy the journey."

The engineer sounded the horn, and both engines kicked into gear, the noise being produced by their engines deafening as the train rolled away towards the Big Easy.

One day later (or thereabouts), Jimmy was enjoying another episode of My Little Pony. He had decided, seeing as he was going to the heart of Cajun country, he should watch some episodes centered around Mage Meadowbrook, who seemed to be either Cajun or Creole; nobody was quite sure. The fact she was his favorite Pillar of Old Equestria was a marvelous coincidence, and he settled down to enjoy another one, there was suddenly a bump.

"Wow!" said a passenger nearby. "This is seriously bumpy!"

"This is worse than Network Rail," said a man with a British accent. "Trust me, that's saying something."

Jimmy thought no more of it as the train rolled along.

At the front, the engineer looked out ahead, the rails clear as he rolled along the side of a bayou, or for those who don't speak Cajun, a swamp or marshy lake. It was clear ahead, and the sun was out, but he was thankful for the air conditioning in the locomotive, as boy could it get stuffy out there! "Good, we're running on time," he said.

Just then, a blast of energy flew down from the sky, looking like a yellow cluster of light. It impacted a rail, causing an entire section of track to buckle and break away, falling uselessly to the side of the ballast. They were going to crash!

"What the?" the engineer cried, and slammed the brakes on. "All passengers, brace for derailment!"

The engine hit the track and toppled over, paintwork and plating grinding along the side of the embankment and the swamp, as the second locomotive also fell over, followed by the first three coaches. Everything from Coach D and back miraculously stayed upright, and came to a stop. Those passengers were simply shaken up a bit, but before that were not so lucky.

As Coach C toppled over, the passengers grabbed onto whatever they could to avoid falling onto the side of the coach. Miraculously, the coach was undamaged as it toppled onto one side, but a window shattered and the person sitting behind it fell out. Guess who that poor unfortunate soul was?

Yes, it was Jimmy. His iPad flew through the air and went splat in the mud, as he hit the ground at low speed. "Oww," he groaned. "Why can't I use any public transport without it going wrong?" First a plane crash in California from months ago, then his car suffering a flat tire in the Great Dismal Swamp a few weeks ago, and now a train derailment in a bayou in Louisiana of all things! He stood up, and looked forward, seeing the mess that had accumulated before the damaged rails. Or rather, that hadn't accumulated, as the stock looked undamaged. Apart from being sideways, it seemed it would run properly if it were put on some rails. As he looked around, trying to figure out where on Earth he was, he suddenly heard a voice.

"This way, Jimmy!" it called, from somewhere in the swamp.

Jimmy swung around in surprise. "Who's there?" he asked. But there was nobody around.

"This way, Jimmy!" There it was again. There was a female voice out there, in the swamp, calling to him. This merited further investigation. So he set off into the forest, keen to track the voice down.

"I say, get back here!" shouted the British man. But Jimmy never heard him.

Jimmy stepped over fallen logs, marshy ground, and more leaves than he cared to remember as he walked through the bayou. It was swampy, and messy, and horribly humid, and he ditched his coat whilst walking through the swamp in order to avoid overheating. It amazed him that anybody could be out here at all.

"This way, Jimmy! I'm over here!" But there was definitely a voice out there. A voice Jimmy intended to find. As it got louder, he suddenly saw a metal object sticking out of the ground. An open bracelet! But what was one of those doing out here? Jimmy went over to it, and knelt down, taking a closer look as he did so. This was a mistake.

Just as his hand reached out to touch the bracelet, it gained a life of its own. It lunged towards him, and snapped down on the black hair tie around his left wrist, severing it permanently (or at least severing this particular one, as Jimmy had purchased quite a few in advance should instances like this occur frequently). As it fell to the floor and sank into the mud, the bracelet came to life once more, jumping forward and snapping shut around Jimmy's left wrist, the lock engaging to hold it in place.

"Argh! What the hell?" he exclaimed, grabbing it with his other hand and trying to free it to no avail. Just then, a blue pulse shot through the air, and an electrical jolt shot clean through Jimmy.

The pulse was seen back at the crash site, the passengers scrambling over from the side of the train to see what was going on.

"What in the world?" asked one.

"Beats me," said another. "But it does remind me of something I saw on an internet chatroom once..."

Jimmy staggered back at the electrical pulse, confused at what was going on. And then it all became clear, as he began to shrink, his body getting smaller and smaller until it was only a fraction of its former size. His clothes lay about him in a heap as his toes shrank into his feet, the remains of his feet shifting until they morphed into hooves. Just then, his leg joints inverted, now facing backwards. The destruction of his kneecaps was not lost on him, which in turn caused him to fall onto all fours in a state of indescribable agony.

"OW!" he yelled. "MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE!!!"

The area just above his butt began to tingle, and the sensation slowly got stronger and stronger. Jimmy looked behind himself as best he could, to suddenly see a red tail burst out of his backside, growing longer until it reached the floor. A pair of braids appeared in it to hold it in place. But if he had just grown a tail, then that meant...

His thought process was interrupted as his hips cracked and changed shape, his legs being forced under his body. He cried out in pain once again as he felt his manhood start to move, receding into his body to be replaced with the opposite set of equipment.

Or should I say, as it was by this point, her body, as something else appeared in their place, followed by two lumps next to her legs. Her chest grew in size and rounded out, morphing into a barrel. Just then, her shoulders were forced inwards, shoulders compressing as if they were being pushed through a scrap crusher, as her arms suddenly inverted as well, her fingers shrinking into her hands. What remained of her hand then rolled up into another hoof, changing her arms into forelegs.

Jimmy groaned in agony. She had only just remembered it was Monday. She had little time to think about that as her neck reared back and grew longer, making her look like a giraffe. Her nose and mouth grew out of her face, changing into a muzzle, and her eyes grew larger and larger, turning a different shade of blue in the process. Not only that, large, feminine eyelashes appeared on either side of her face, and her eye shape changed to one that was fairly similar to that of a familiar yellow Pegasus, although Jimmy was in too much pain at this point to think straight. As her muzzle had formed, made from both her nose and mouth, her red glasses had started to come loose. Eventually, they could take no more strain, and the bridge broke in two, the sound of breaking metal audible for several feet around. The end result was that they fell off of her and into the swampy water. They sank to the bottom, rusting and losing their former color, although a passing fish briefly took interest in the mixture of metal and glass that was drifting around. Not that this was much of a concern for Jimmy. She had plenty of spare pairs, and besides, she had bigger things to worry about. She didn't really need those glasses anyways as her retina had focused, rendering her able to see clearly without them, the world a crazy mixture of technicolor.

Her ears shrank into her skull, only for two more to grow out of the top of her skull as a pair of bands made of fabric grew around her forehead, the back of her skull, and looping over the top and bottom of her ears. Then her hair turned from brown to two-tone red, and began to pull itself up into a topknot, growing back until it was at least six inches above her head, held in place by another braid. Then blue fur sprouted from every part of her body, covering over the formally human skin.

Mage Meadowbrook looked about herself in alarm. "Well, Ah'll be!" she said, in a thick Cajun accent. "Ah can't go anywhere like this, can Ah?"

But it seems somebody heard her speaking, as just then a blue glow surrounded the ruined clothing. The shoes transformed into a metal collar that glowed the color of bronze, and the shirt shrank back until it was a single band of fabric. This moved into position around her neck, followed by the collar clicking into place. The pants were lifted up, and then shrank in size, before the legs merged together and the zip and button vanished, transforming the garment into a skirt. This then turned green, with a cream band running around the bottom, as parts of the skirt puffed up slightly. This then floated into place, and Mage Meadowbrook slid her legs through it as it came to a stop around her waist, and then dropped down, sitting over her tail, as well as not dragging on the ground. Safe to say, she looked truly stunning in her dress, a look only fitting for a mare like her. She then decided to look at her new form in the reflection of the water.

She looked magnificent in every detail in the reflection, her mother Mage Wellspring would be so proud of her.

"Well, this is better!" she said. But what was she doing again? Something about a place called 'Manteo' flashed through her mind. "Well, Ah'll suppose Ah'll head there!" she said. Checking her saddlebag, with a map and potions inside it, she set off on her trip through the swamp, a place she knew only too well.

Little did she know, however, that a fellow passenger had seen her trotting away. "A blue pony wearing a Cajun dress? I must be dreaming."

Author's Note

This is just only the beginning of a great adventure story from me that features My Favorite Pillars of Old Equestria Member: Mage Meadowbrook! <3 :heart: So expect to see the forthcoming chapters on a 1 week schedule while I work to fit my usual 1 chapter stories on Mondays and some selected days for them :3

So anyways, there's two references to my past two stories:

The part that Somnambula was talking about at the beginning is a reference to my Sands of Time story, which can be found here:

TSands of Time

MLP: FiM

Dark

I don't Sphynx it's very funny!

Sex

Death

Profanity

Human

Somnambula

Sphinx

JimmyHook19 · 3.7k words  ·  34  17 · 1.1k views

The part where the Ticket Inspector recognizes me from the news via the footage of Queen Novo and Princess Skystar is a reference to my Under the Sea Story, which can be found here as well:

TUnder the Sea

MLP: FiM

MLP: Movie

Comedy

Random

We are Tied to the Ocean... -John F. Kennedy

Sex

Human

Queen Novo

Princess Skystar

Seaponies

JimmyHook19 · 2.1k words  ·  21  20 · 948 views

This also confirms of what the US Navy did with the footage of me transforming into Queen Novo and then of Queen Novo and Princess Skystar (aka 2019 Jimmy and 2018 Jimmy respectively). So.... it seems like I'm starting to become a little bit of a news sensation at that point X3

Expect Chapter 2 to come by next week! :raritywink:

Mud Pie Rag

Later that day, the breakdown gang had arrived at the scene of the crash, and had moved a crane into position to start recovering the derailed locomotives and stock. Thankfully, nobody had been killed, although there were a few broken bones and as a result some folks needed medical treatment. A medical helicopter had touched down nearby, and doctors were assisting the injured.

As a pair of cranes lifted the lead Genesis unit onto the rails, a railroad inspector, clad in the usual work clothes of jeans, long shirt and high viz vest, went to interview the engineer. "What happened exactly?" he asked, his voice demanding and officious.

The engineer was mostly shaken rather than hurt, as the sturdy construction of the diesel he had been driving had protected him from most injuries. Even so, he started to explain what had happened. "I was proceeding along here at the speed limit, when suddenly there was a bright flash up ahead, a cluster of yellow light. This broke off a portion of track."

"Did you apply the brakes?" the inspector asked, having finished writing down the engineer's response.

"Full emergency braking," the engineer replied. "But there was no way I could have stopped in time. The train was too heavy. I'm just thankful none of the coaches broke apart. 611 derailed in near identical circumstances back in 1986."

"I remember that," the inspector answered, looking down his nose. "Failed switch, 177 injured. Luckily, we haven't had that here."

Having finished his report, he concluded the engineer was not to blame, and walked over to the breakdown gang, who were currently lifting coach A out of the mud. "Have we assembled all the passengers?" he asked.

"Yes sir," said one of the men. "We counted them, and there's one missing. One from Coach C."

"I may be able to help with that," said the British passenger, raising his hand.

"Well?" the inspector asked, his moustache bristling like a ferret glued to his upper lip.

"I saw a young man wander away into the swamp. I called to him, and he didn't respond. He seemed to be in some sort of trance."

"What did he look like?" the inspector asked again.

"Well," the man replied, "he wore red glasses, had white skin, brown hair and blue eyes, and was wearing a coat and pants at the time."

"That sounds familiar!" said a member of the breakdown gang. "I have a mate in the Air Force called Harris, and he told me of this cargo he once had to ship to Manteo, North Carolina. It was a pegasus with Egyptian eyeliner. And get this- it was once a human called Jimmy Hook!"

"That explains what I saw next!" the British man said again. "I saw a blue pony in a green dress walking away from the crash. Looked a little like a stereotypical Cajun lady as well."

The inspector sighed. "That is ridiculous. A man cannot change into a horse!"

"YouTube suggests otherwise," said another member of the breakdown gang, showing a video from the plane crash back in February- complete with a young man who matched the description the British man had given changing into some scarlet pony.

The inspector shook his head and sighed. "This day keeps getting weirder," he said. "One of you try and find this pony!" he said. "The rest of you focus on clearing up the mess and helping the injured!"

One member of the team headed into the bayou, not realizing he had just stepped over a ruined iPad, as well as not knowing he was too far behind to keep up with his target.

Meanwhile, Mage Meadowbrook was not having an easy time. Apart from the fact her map was somewhat wrong, neglecting to mention the fact somebody had built a great big interstate through the swamp, the terrain was not exactly inviting. The ground was muddy in places, and where it wasn't muddy, it was wet, wet, wet. Meadowbrook's hooves were caked in mud, as was her muzzle a bit soggy, and her dress was trailing through the mud as well, meaning it had gone from its previously green color to a muddy yellow. She paused at a waterway, where the path stopped before the water, making it impassible. She glanced back, and saw how messy she was.

"Goodness!" she exclaimed, appalled at the chocolatey brown color staining her fur. "Ah can't let anybody see me like this! Whatever would mother think? Ah need ta get cleaned up as soon as Ah can."

Just then, the water started to quiver and ripple. Meadowbrook stepped back in shock. But her hooves caught on her skirt, causing her to fall back and slip. Her saddlebag fell off her back and fell to one side, rolling over but, thankfully, not breaking open. But that was by far the least of her concerns. For right in front of Mage Meadowbrook, was a very, very, VERY big alligator, emerging from the swampy depths of the lake like a giant green, scaly submarine. And it looked very hungry.

Mage Meadowbrook quivered a little, as she didn't fancy being an alligator's lunch, not today or any other day, for that matter. It was at this point she remembered her mother's advice: always be polite to folks, even if you don't like the look of them. So, she bravely and confidently looked the alligator in the eye, and spoke to him.

"Well, hello Mister Alligator!" she said cheerfully. "What's the matter today?"

"Are you Mage Meadowbrook?" the alligator asked, slowly and carefully
Meadowbrook noticed that the alligator was speaking in an odd way, as if something was wrong with his tongue. Still, he had asked a question, and it was only polite to answer it.

"Why, Ah am!" she replied, now feeling a little more confident as the alligator was so friendly. "What's concernin' ya? A medical ailment? 'Cause Ah've got plenty of cures here for all sortsa things!"

The alligator hesitated. "Sorry if I startled you a bit," he said. Mage Meadowbrook pushed the fact she could understand what he was saying to the back of her mind, as the alligator continued. "My issue is a little bit minor, and I hope you don't think it is a waste of your time... but I have a sore tongue."

Mage Meadowbrook laughed gently. "That ain't a waste o' time at all! Ah'll happily help ya. Now, open wide so Ah can see yer tongue, if ya don't mind."

The alligator nodded, his head floating like a periscope atop the water, until he began to open his jaws. They opened so wide it seemed as if a pony could be swallowed whole in them. But he kept them open, and Mage Meadowbrook saw the cause of the problem almost immediately. In the center of the alligator's tongue was a big red sore, swollen to the size of a bicycle bell.

"Let me see what Ah have in Mah bag," she said, flipping open the left-hoof pouch of her saddlebag and immediately seeing an array of bottles with different labels. One of them was a blue liquid marked 'sores'. She took the cap off of the bottle, and stepped forward, tilting the open neck of the bottle toward the alligator's mouth and saying, "Hold still now. This won't sting, Ah promise." The liquid rolled down the alligator's tongue, and touched the sore. Almost immediately, the sore began to shrink, until it was basically unnoticable. In fact, it almost seemed as if the sore had never been there in the first place, and this would have been the conclusion any observer would have come to had they not witnessed the preceeding incident.

The alligator smiled. "Thank you, Mage Meadowbrook," he replied. "Your kindness truly knows no bounds, and I am very thankful for your compassion."

Mage Meadowbrook smiled. "No problem sir," she replied. "Helpin' those in need is mah callin', and cures just happen ta be mah specialty."

The alligator laughed. "Let me return the favor," he said. "Hop on my back, and I shall ferry you across the river to the other side."

Mage Meadowbrook stepped gently onto the alligator's back, and over the river they went, bobbing along through the murky water, until they reached the other side. And off Mage Meadowbrook hopped, stepping onto a paved path on the other side. "See ya later, alligator!" she called.

"In a while, crocodile!" the alligator replied. As he dived below the murky waters and descended into the swamps below, he splashed the water. A great jet flew up, and splashed Mage Meadowbrook from snout to tail. She looked over herself, and saw that the unexpected shower had washed the mud off of her body, not to mention restored her dress to it's vibrant green hue. The only problem was, it was now wet, as was her entire body, and it stuck to her like a wet blanket. Oh well. At least she'd dry off quickly in this heat.

Even being close to the edge of the swamp, on a properly paved path rather than the mud of the previous few hours, the going was still extremely slow, thanks to Mage Meadowbrook's short legs. She was also tired and hungry, but couldn't afford to slow down now. The light was starting to fade, and traveling by the dark was not a fun prospect. She may have had a lot of potions on her, but none of them granted her night vision or boosted hearing. Speaking of which, she could hear every broken twig and rustling leaf for miles around, which was getting irritating. Just as she was leaving the edge of the swamp, however, she emerged into a small village. People (as those odd bipedal creatures were called) were everywhere, and this presented a problem. They were humans, and she was a pony. If she went into that village, she would stick out like a sore thumb. She shuddered at the thought. Why, they may call the authorities and try to whisk her off to some secret government laboratory! Celestia knows what they'd do to her there. No, she needed to blend in with this town. True, she had the accent and culture, but she was not human.

She then had an idea. Ducking back into the swamp, she put her saddlebag back down, relieved at the load taken off of her back. She opened the left pouch again and consulted the bottles once again. Inside, as per last time, were many bottles filled with brightly colored liquids. One, filled with a red substance that the foolish would easily mistake for Gatorade, had a label marked 'transfiguration'. Below that, there was another note reading see appendix B. Mage Meadowbrook fished about in the right-hoof pouch and promptly found this 'appendix B' referred to, quickly reading it to find out the important information. It read:

Note: I believe I have got the Transfiguration potion to work properly, but it may still have unintended side-effects. For blending in with most of society, three drops is enough. DO NOT USE MORE OR LESS.

Meadowbrook cringed. She remembered that time she'd used too much and been turned into a 10 foot giant. Use too little, and she had the stature of a human child. She then read on:

Clothing can be random. Once no longer needed, take three drops of the antidote (black liquid). Be sure to use it.

Mage Meadowbrook nodded sadly. As much as she found the human body awkward, it was the only way she could get closer to her goal of Manteo, which according to her map was only 7 days away. She sighed, preparing a test tube and neatly extracting three drops of the red liquid from the bottle. She emptied them into the test tube, and, after cleaning her equipment, raised the test tube to her lips.

"Here... goes... nothin'!" she exclaimed, and drank, not appreciating the vile taste nor the thick texture, which reminded of the badly cooked soup she often had to endure courtesy of Uncle Remus.

What happened next caught her by surprise. The band of fabric around her neck had started to glow softly, and as she watched it began to grow, cascading down her front and back until it reached the waistband of her skirt, stopping there. Not only that, it then grew down over her shoulders and partway down her front legs as well. She now had a cotton blouse, and the metal collar remained floating in place around her neck.

Just then, she clenched her teeth as she felt a pain build up in her body. She knew exactly what the potion did, but that didn't mean it wasn't unpleasent.

Her transformation into a human began with her hooves, or rather her rear hooves, as toes surged out of them, stretching them outwards into a pair of feet. Her leg joints inverted to resemble human legs, and just as suddenly, with an audible crack, her hips expanded and changed shape, forcing her body into an upright position which looked truly ridiculous. Purely out of curiosity, Meadowbrook tried to look down and see what was happening, but with her neck it was almost impossible.

She could feel it though. It felt as though somebody had dropped a 2 ton cart on her barrel, as it shrank in size, changing into a human chest with a narrow waist. She then felt two things (and she knew exactly what those two things were) shrink into her body. This was almost immediately replaced by a strange sense in her upper chest, followed by an entirely different one the now half pony couldn't describe as it started swelling. Of course! Humans have those on their chests, not between their legs! Her breasts were growing. The sensation of expanding flesh and shifting biology, pushing against her blouse, stopped after a second or two, only to be joined by some new fabric underneath her blouse, which seemed to have expanded somewhat to make space for the two new items. Just as if it had forgotten, her tail suddenly began to shrink, vanishing up her rear as suddenly as it had appeared all those hours ago.

Moments later, it wasn't the only thing shrinking. Her neck got shorter as well, and the joint linking her neck and skull rotated so she was looking straight ahead once again. Her eyes shrank in size, joined by her ears which vanished into her skull. Mage Meadowbrook panicked for a moment, as there was suddenly no sound for a few seconds. But a brief painful sensation slammed into her body, followed by service being resumed a moment later as a new pair grew out of the sides of her head. Her muzzle then contracted, splitting into a nose and mouth, followed by her gaining new pairs of teeth. Lastly, her fur shrank into her body, replaced by perfect, flowing blue skin. It had taken all her efforts in the last minute or so not to scream, but it seemed it was finally done.

She looked every inch a human female. There was just one rather large problem. A problem of height. Although she looked like an adult, she still had her height she had when she was a pony, making her look like a small child at only 3 feet. An oddly developed small child, if her chest was anything to go by. "Did it work properly?" she asked. The last thing she needed was have her chances of reaching her goal compromised because a potion failed to work correctly. That would never do.

Just then, the sense she had felt earlier came back with a vengeance, and she doubled over in pain as every limb in her body felt as though it was on fire. And with that, the floor began to move away from her with increasing speed, her body growing taller and taller, arms and legs stretching as they reached adult proportions. As she grew, so did her clothing, her blouse increasing in size and her skirt creeping down her legs. It only lasted a few seconds, not to mention she felt something appearing on her feet, and at long last it slowed down and stopped. At least sure it was over, Mage Meadowbrook went over to the water and looked in.

The face of a woman in her early to mid twenties, standing about five feet or so in height (she wasn't entirely sure of her exact height) looked back. Her hair was still there, held in place above her head, as was the collar around her neck. Also still with her was the bracelet on her left... wrist? Was that what it was called? But the rest of her body had changed drastically. Apart from the fact she was now human, she was dressed like a typical Louisiana woman... of the 1950s. She had a cotton blouse, cream in color, with puffed up sleeves and ruffles around the bottom, which were also present on her sleeves. Her skirt, now hanging off her hips rather than being positioned around the top of her barrel, fell to just above her knees and was still green with a cream band near the bottom, not to mention slightly puffed up in places, but had become longer, and had gained a petal-like hem. Not only that, she now wore a pair of brown sandals with bronze buckles.

"Ah look like a teenager," she said, and gently giggled at the thought. The skirt was shorter than she would have liked, not to mention the sandals felt odd against her toes (toes. She was still getting used to that), but it beat being stuck in a hoopskirt, like she was that one time near... where was it now? Manehattan? Grabbing her saddle bag, which was now a backpack, she slung it onto her back and stepped out of the treeline, into the glorious evening sun and this small settlement that lay before her, shimmering like a diamond in the sun.

Author's Note

In case it interests you, the bit about Uncle Remus is a reference to the Bre'er Rabbit tales, first collected in Louisiana. I thought it would be a fun pop-culture reference to spot (even if few Americans have ever seen Song of the South).

And just so anyone knows, I will be in Meadowbrook's Human form for about a few chapters or so.

I hate to see the good ol' sun go down...

Back at the crash site, the inspector was getting impatient. "Where is that worker?" he fumed. "I sent him to go and find that missing man several hours ago. Now where is he?"

A few moments later, the question answered itself quite conveniently, as a worker wandered out of the swamp and into the late evening sun. He had a number of items in his hands, and he looked exhausted.

"Did you find him?" the inspector asked.

"No, I'm afraid," the member of the breakdown gang replied, beads of sweat clinging to his face due to the humidity. "However, we did find some items of interest in there." With that, he put them down on a box, as a loud squelching noise announced that Coach C had finally been pulled out of the mud. The coach exterior was most certainly not stainless steel. Indeed, muddy steel would be a more accurate description.

The inspector looked over them. "An iPad, a smartphone, two halves of a pair of red glasses with the bridge missing, and a black hair tie. What are these things?"

Another worker walked over, this time with a datapad showing AMTRAK passenger data. "Sir, these items all belong to the missing passenger. Passenger 20240, James T. Hook, or known by his friends and family by his nickname: Jimmy."

The inspector snorted. "What a ridiculous name," he scoffed, as he looked at a scan of this man's passport. "Is he from Holland? And look at that sorry excuse for hair. He needs to visit the barber someday!"

"The DoD sent some useful info about him," the worker continued, bringing up some more data. "Born out in Ashland, Oregon-"

"No wonder he looks like a hippie," the inspector laughed.

"Well sir, his hair used to be short and straight. But then he went through puberty and his hair became what it is nowadays. Anyways, he was born out in Ashland, Oregon on July 18th, 1996. He lived with his family in that state from 1996 to 2000. Then in August 2000, he and his family moved from Oregon to Alabama to a neighborhood district near a small town called Pike Road. After that, in August of 2012, he and his family moved from the neighborhood district near Pike Road, Alabama to Manteo, North Carolina. Since that time in 2012, he and his family have resided in Manteo, North Carolina ever since."

"And this is important HOW?"

Another worker began speaking. "According to DoD records, in September 2016 he entered a clubroom in a school somewhere, but never left. Sunset Shimmer did, and there was no sign of Jimmy afterward."

The inspector looked puzzled. "What's 'Sunset Shimmer'?"

"A character from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic."

The inspector burst into fits of laughter. "MY LITTLE PONY?" he snorted, his words distorted by his laughter. "Don't be preposterous! A man cannot turn into a horse!"

"But since then, beginning at the end of 2017 to be exact." said the first worker, "several more have occured, including that Egyptian pony I mentioned earlier, and the seapony one that was shown on live TV. This is just a selection, however, as a group of internet archivists have kept record of each and every one, which is as follows: Starlight Glimmer's human form from Equestria Girls Mirror Magic, Princess Luna's Season 1 design, a bat pony of the same name, Mystery Mint (an Equestria Girls background character), Coloratura, Suri Polomare, EG Photo Finish, Sunset Shimmer once again, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess Skystar (Her Seapony form to be exact), Princess Luna's Season 1 design once again, Queen Chrysalis, Clawdeen Wolf (Monster High), Cleo De Nile (Monster High), Lagoona Blue (Monster High), Pixel Pizazz, Violet Blurr (EG humans that debuted in Equestria Girls Rainbow Rocks), Valley Glamour (recorded by a friend of mine by the name of D.I.Scord), EG Sweetie Belle, EG Lyra Heartstrings (albeit of her winter attire instead of her normal clothing), Equestria Girls Friendship Power Rarity, Queen Chrysalis once again, EG Silver Spoon, Princess Luna's Season 1 design yet again, EG Diamond Tiara, Sapphire Shores, Cayenne, Pony Cheerilee, EG Cheerilee, Somnambula, Moonlight Raven, Sunshine Smiles, Citrus Blush, North Point, Lily Love, Equestria Girls Friendship Power Fluttershy, Cherry Jubilee, Watermelody (Equestria Girls), Queen Novo (like Princess Skystar from last year, it was also her Seapony form to be exact.), Juniper Montage, Reformed Queen Chrysalis, Equestria Girls Friendship Power Sci-Twi, Rosette Nebula, Supernova Zap (Su-Z), Vignette Valencia, EG Fiddlesticks, EG Fleetfoot, EG G4 Megan Williams, Mane-iac Mayhem, Season 1 Grand Galloping Gala Rarity, Kiwi Lollipop (K-Lo), EG Kerfuffle, EG Autumn Blaze, Reformed Sunset Shimmer (aka Sunset Shimmer's 2nd Main outfit), Equestria Girls Friendship Power Sunset Shimmer, Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk, Aria Blaze (those three that also debuted in Equestria Girls Rainbow Rocks), 1950 Cinderella (Disney Princess), 2015 Cinderella (Disney Princess), EG Zecora, Giselle (Disney Princess), Equestria Girls Friendship Power Pinkie Pie, Jasmine (Disney Princess), Cozy Glow (In this case.... a Alternate Universe Cozy Glow that was never evil at all.), Ariel (Mermaid and Disney Princess), Aurora (Disney Princess), Equestria Girls Friendship Power Applejack, Filly Starlight Glimmer, Snow White (Disney Princess and the first one that began it all for Disney Princesses), and lastly (before the last Monday of this month that is.) Belle (Disney Princess). And some of them aren't even My Little Pony! It's what the Navy found when scanning both Queen Novo and Princess Skystar when swimming off that was most interesting."

"And that is?" the inspector asked, clearly irritated by the quantity of infomation being imparted upon him. Truth be told, it was a lot to take on.

"His DNA was irreversibly altered by Equestrian magic from his first transformation into Sunset Shimmer back in September 2016," the second man said, picking up where the first had left off. "As a direct consequence of this, he transforms into a different fictional character every single week. Some say he is cursed because of that, while others hear him say that it is his gift. Combine those two words together and a majority of the people call it for him as.... The Cursed Gift."

The inspector sighed. "Talk about an identity crisis." He then looked back to the first man. "So, you're telling me we may have a horse trekking across the country, and the only traces of him are these items?"

The men opened the phone, which miraculously was unlocked, and noticed that the recording function was running. They stopped the recording, set it to the beginning of the track, and hit play.

"OW! MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE!!!"

A few minutes passed on the recording, with groans and cries of pain, all the while rising in audio pitch.

"Well, Ah'll be! Ah can't go anywhere like this, can Ah?"

There was another pause, before the voice, a Cajun voice, spoke again.

"Well, this is better! Well, Ah'll suppose Ah'll head there!"

The second man spoke up. "I found hoofprints in the mud near where I found these items, sir. Need any more convincing?"

The inspector's face said it all.

Mage Meadowbrook walked down the hill from the swamp and into the town, a gentle breeze blowing her way as she proceeded down a sidewalk. As she made her way into town, many people looked over and stopped in their tracks.

"Has she got lost?" asked one man, leaning next to a gas pump and nursing a beer in his left. "She must be from another state!"

"Or another time!" his friend laughed. "Hey, are you a friend of Elvis?"

Meadowbrook only had a slightly faint idea of who this Elvis was, but continued on her way, ignoring the two men, who would probably forget the entire thing and pass it off as drunkenness anyway.

As she got closer to the center of the town, the wind blowing down long, straight streets, she suddenly saw the town hall, and thought asking about there would be sensible. She crossed over the road, after waiting for the lights to change, a motorist calling out to her, "Hey! Are you in the cast of Grease or somethin'?"

She walked inside the town hall, and over to a desk where an older woman was handling some paperwork. Once she had arranged them into a neat pile, she looked up. "Good evenin', ma'am. How may Ah help ya today?"

Meadowbrook smiled nervously. "Ya see, Ah've been travellin' a long way today, and was wonderin' if there were any vacancies anywhere?"

The woman on the desk quickly did some typing, and came to an answer within a few minutes. "There's a private motel, Harrison's on 27th Street, that has a few rooms. Do ya want us ta send a request through ta them ta hold a room for y'all?"

"Yes please, if not at all inconvenient," Meadowbrook replied.

"What name should I give?"

Meadowbrook thought for a moment. "Mary Meadowbrook." She'd used it before when she'd found herself in a similar situation, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

The woman on the desk nodded. "Mary Meadowbrook. Rings a bell." She took out a town map and highlighted where the motel was with a big red ring. "It ain't far from here."

"Thanks," Meadowbrook replied, but before she was about to go, the woman on the desk spoke again.

"Ya know, it's nice ta see young ladies like you dressin' properly," she said. "Ah honestly don't get what passes for clothes these days, but yer lookin' good and modest."

"Thanks ma'am," Meadowbrook replied.

"Take it as a compliment!" the woman called. Meadowbrook smiled to herself as she left the town hall. Maybe she could do a good job of being human after all.

The motel itself was a respectable structure, built in an L shape around a courtyard with rooms and doors coming off of it at regular intervals, spread over two stories of 40 rooms each. The place had a warm, gentle, caring air to it, as if the owner took great pride in keeping it maintained and respectable. The wind blew in from the street, air rushing over Mage Meadowbrook's feet as she walked into the office. Or rather, walked into the office after making sure the door was open first. Entering a room whilst the door was shut was not only painful, it was expensive, as either somebody needed to be hired to fix the door, or in the worst cases somebody needed to be hired to fit a new door entirely.

A ceiling fan was whirring around at the speed of an airplane propellor, alongside the constant hum of the air conditioning plant pushing hot air out of the room. The owner, currently standing behind the desk, was an old fellow with white, neatly trimmed hair and a well kept moustache. He smiled as Meadowbrook walked in.

"Evenin' ma'am!" he called, his voice the very model of Southern hospitality. "Mary Meadowbrook?"

Meadowbrook nodded. "Yes sir. City hall contact you?"

The man laughed. "They sure did. You're on the second floor, Room 203. There's a complimentary bottle of Swamp Pop in there, and seeing you've traveled a long ways today, I added some food to the fridge."

Meadowbrook smiled happily as the keys were handed over. "Checkout is by 11 tomorrow morning. Have a nice night," the owner continued.

"Thank ya sir," Meadowbrook replied, as she turned to go. It was then she thought of something, and turned back. "When do Ah pay ya, s'il vous plait?"

The owner laughed. "Cajun?" he asked. "Ah suppose we mostly are around here. You can pay in cash or card, when you check out. Have a nice night!"

Meadowbrook waved, and walked out of the door into the cold air. The motel owner smiled. "Been a long time since Ah last heard French being spoken. That girl's keepin' the traditions alive in more than one way Ah suppose." Her fashion choice had not been lost on him, but he pushed those thoughts aside as he retired to his office for the evening, going over the daily accounts and noting who had been in before. But that name, Mary Meadowbrook... there was something oddly familiar about it. What could it be? Such thoughts were expunged as the tones of Frank Sinatra filled the cold night air.

Mage Meadowbrook went up the stairs and walked to room 203, and took out her key. She then pushed it into the lock. There was a brief bit of resistance as she turned it, but sure enough the tumbler engaged and released the bolt. Hearing the familiar 'clunk' of a lock disengaging, she pushed down on the handle. Sure enough, the door opened, and she stepped inside, closing the door behind her and locking said door with her key. The last thing she needed was unwanted visitors of any pursuations, not least burglers. Given the human form wasn't her preferred body, she was somewhat limited in her abilities there, and had to be wary. She put her bag down on her bed, and looked around. The room was nicely furnished, with two beds, a TV, a lampshade with attached lamp, and most important, a desk with attached fridge. Seeing the fridge reminded her: she was hungry and thirsty. She pulled the fridge door open, removing a bottle of Swamp Pop (rasperry) and a wrapped food item. She looked at the label closely. "Four cheeses Po'boy? Spunds good ta me!"

After having finished her food, which was delicious (one of the benefits of being Cajun was that there was good vegetarian food), Mage Meadowbrook picked the bottle of Swamp Pop up, as it was about half-full, and stepped through the door onto the outer balcony, which overlooked the bayou she called home. It may be a while before she saw this place again, so she soaked it up as best she could.

"Hello there!" called a friendly Scottish voice from a neighboring balcony. Mage Meadowbrook looked over and did a double take.

"Geez Louise!" she cried, Jimmy briefly reasserting himself before vanishing into the background of her mind. The man looking over had blue skin and wild orange hair, with a truly astonishing moustache and beard. He wore a white vest over a chequered shirt, with a pair of blue jeans and heavy black boots.

"This is the last place I expected to see yoo, Mage Meadowbrook!" the man smiled. "I've been on the road for a while noo, and it's good ta see a friendly face aboot here."

Mage Meadowbrook smiled, and laughed. "Well, Ah'd say the same about encounterin' you here, Rockhoof! Ya look like a sailor!"

"Fisherman, actually," Rockhoof replied. "I was in the Highlands and Islands of this place called Scotland for a while, and blended in by catching fish off the coast of Skye. But what about yoo? How does the best healer in Equestria end up in this place, a complete nowhere?"

Meadowbrook smiled again, as was her custom. "Yer too kind, Rockhoof. And Ah think this place is actually pretty nice, even if some of the men are less than desirable. Last thin' Ah recall, Ah was in Twilight's school helpin' ta teach healin' potions. Then suddenly, there's a great big gap in mah memory, and next Ah recall, Ah'm in a bayou like the ones Ah knew back in Hayseed Swamp, with recollection of a place called Manteo, and mah potions all in a saddlebag next ta me, as well as a map tellin' me where ta go. It was all a bit odd, but Ah made it most of the way there, helpin' out a poor alligator with a sore tongue, and then arrivin' here, temporarily changin' mahself into a human ta blend in a bit. Then Ah came here, and found you here. How about you?"

Rockhoof laughed. "Yoo make it sound so easy, Meadowbrook!" he guffawed. Mage Meadowbrook knew this was just part of his personality, and he meant no harm. "I was fixing a hole where the rain gets in at Twilight's Castle, when suddenly there was an incredible bright light, like a volcanic eruption, or Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds! Anywhoo, afterwords, when my vision had at last cleared, I was in a fishing village called Ferness, dressed like this, and had to blend in as best I could. After a long, long time of fishing, mending, and making friends, I decided to make my way across the Atlantic to where I was meant to be. It's interesting you mentioned Manteo, North Carolina?"

"Why is that?" Meadowbrook asked, surprised that Rockhoof knew of this place. She had little time to consider this fact, as Rockhoof began speaking again, his words rolling out into the cool autumn air of Louisiana.

"I'm going to complete a job in Florida, and there's a place called Augusta in Georgia that's partway along that route before our paths would split. I can give you a lift, if you want."

Mage Meadowbrook smiled. "Why, Rockhoof, that'd be wonderful! Thanks fer the offer: Ah'll take it up."

Rockhoof smiled as well. "Anything to help an old friend of mine. I'd rather not get stuck in limbo this time, however: having to get those four, or was it six, ponies to break us out wasn't much fun, thinking aboot it."

Mage Meadowbrook could only nod at Rockhoof's words. She could recall being stuck in that realm for a long time, and being utterly baffled at how much Equestria had changed in the intervening years. Not to mention how this place was utterly perplexing as well, given that it had all sorts of strange things she didn't entirely understand, but that was getting away from the point. She pushed such thoughts aside and sat down at the table that was provided on the balcony, relaxing in the cool air. The stress of travel could wait until tomorrow. She could rest now, and enjoy herself, the cool air washing over her like a good shower. Speaking of which, she could do with taking one tomorrow. That would be nice, as she still had a long way to go, if her map was at all accurate.

After a further chat about the events that had transpired during their adventures here, Mage Meadowbrook thought it was only fair to beat a retreat and call it goodnight. "See ya tommorra, Rockhoof!" she said, as she went back indoors.

"Ah, so you're turnin' in for the night, are you?" Rockhoof asked, his hand on the balcony and the other holding a bottle of some inderterminate liquid, probably Swamp Pop. "Well, I suppose I'd better think aboot doin' the same, or even better, actually doin' it and getting some shut eye. After all, we've got a long journey tomorrow, and it will in all likelihood take most, if not all, of the day. Nevertheless, have a good night, Meadowbrook!"

"You too!" Meadowbrook called back, closing her door behind her. The moon continued to hover in the sky, casting glorious beams on the ground, and not rendering a certain American citizen unable to move until he had morphed into some sort of wolflike creature. Sorry, wrong story, not to mention wrong website.

After miraculously discovering her kit did survive, it contained such useful items such as toothpaste and a toothbrush, Mage Meadowbrook popped into the bathroom and brushed her teeth, including those that weren't normally there, before rinsing her mouth out and spitting it into the basin. Then, she went over to the window, shut the curtains, and gently dimmed the lights, the gentle whirr of the air conditioning helping her to doze off. She lacked any appropriate human nightwear, so using the bed wasn't an option, and as a result she lay back in a chair and wished the day goodbye, and the world a very nice night indeed.

Author's Note

Whew! Now that's a long chapter worthy of from me! So anyways, a number of things to point out:

The part about my early life prior to what I became known for beginning in 2016 is actually very true. :twilightsmile:

Lot's of reference to my past transformations are found near the beginning of this chapter.

Just in case those that want to look through and check out what I have been through in my crazy transformation lifestyle, link to the blog can be found here:

https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/857451/all-of-the-female-characters-that-i-have-transformed-into-thus-far-since-2016

So keep an eye out for the next chapter next week for sure! :yay:

Proud to be a Pony

Soon enough, morning came, and the sleepy Louisiana Sun opened his or her eye upon the dark world, illuminating the land below with his or her (OK, their, this is getting tedious enough) wonderous, glorious rays of sun and warmth. And sure enough, the world cast off it's bed sheets and began to awaken from its slumber, as alarm clocks went off, people stirred, and vehicles began to travel about, goods trains, trucks, and cars starting out on long journeys, and some on short journeys as well. The fumes once more rose into the air, and life slowly got rolling again, as it was to be a good day, with many of the things that would be associated with a good day expected to occur with great likelihood and magnitude.

In a motel room, over on the other side of town, this light did not penetrate into the rooms, as the curtains were all closed, rendering the light unable to enter the room. There was a brief murmuring sound, followed by a brief rustle, as the sole occupant, sitting in a chair, began to stir.

"That was a good night," she said, to nobody in particular barring her own very self, and as her sleepy eyes opened like shutters letting in the sunlight, she raised her arm and put her hand forward to pull herself up. But for some reason, she couldn't get it to grip anything. "Did Ah fall asleep on it again?" she asked. "No wonder Ah've got pins and needles." But once her eyes were working properly, the cause of her predicament was clear.

There was no hand there at all! It was a hoof! And for that matter, her arms were now forelegs! Stifling a scream, Mage Meadowbrook looked all over herself, to see she had changed back into a pony, with her attire now the size you'd expect of a pony rather than a human. This left only one emotion left in the mare's heart, and that was panic. Complete, total, utter panic, as well as some confusion as references to a 'Jimmy' appeared in her mind. Heh, Jimmy. A totally ridiculous name if you asked her.

"How am Ah meant ta leave town now?" she asked, concerned and frightened. "If people see me, they'll lose their minds, or worse, call the police! What am Ah gonna do?" She ran over to her saddle bag, to check if there was a replacement copy of the potion, but upon looking inside, the 'appendix B' she had checked a little while earlier had an extra warning:

Note: DO NOT take more than once every 24 hours.

Meadowbrook sighed. "Well, there goes that plan," she sighed. This potion had failed to work correctly, and that was risking compromising her journey, as she needed to get to Manteo. Admittedly, this did constitute a MacGuffin, as she had no idea why she needed to go to Manteo, but to Manteo she had to go, and her entire trip was in jeopardy. But whilst trapped in her own despair, in a room which she had no chance of getting out of, being designed for humans, there was suddenly a knock at the door. A big, heavy knock, which made more than clear who was knocking. And that somebody became very clear in only a moment's time.

"Meadowbrook?" asked a familiar Scottish voice. "Are you in there?"

"Yeah, Ah am!" she called back. "Gotta bit of a problem right now!"

"I'll wait then, but we need to get going before 9 or else the traffic will get too heavy!" Rockhoof replied. Meadowbrook then had an idea, and raced over to the door. She then reared up, and balanced her front hooves on the door, putting her mouth in range to reach the door handle. She moved her head up, and prepared to grip.

"Here... goes... nothin'!" she said, and, grabbing the door handle with all of her might, pulled it down. The door flew open, knocking her back through the air and into the chair, whilst Rockhoof stepped in, looking upon the scene before him in complete and utter surprise.

"Meadowbrook?" he asked. "Whatever happened to you?"

The pony smiled at him sheepishly. "The potion wore off," she replied simply, her face a vision of crimson and incarnadine embarrassment, not to mention a subtle reflection of the fear she currently felt.

Rockhoof sighed. "It seems as if that potion of yours still has a few bugs," he said. "Are you sure you set the timer correctly?"

"Ah know from mah testin' Ah only needed three drops!" Meadowbrook replied. "Ah'd hardly want to be treadin' on things, would Ah? That'd make a mess of thin's, wouldn't it?"

Rockhoof nodded. "You're the expert. But, to say the very least, this will complicate the plan somewhat. Not only have you got to return your room key, you also need to get to my truck without being seen, and then we need to get to Augusta in a similar vein, without you being spotted, or else that could cause trouble."

Meadowbrook laughed weakly. "Yeah, people might react badly to a magical talkin' pony. Do ya have a trunk on that truck?"

"It has a boot, if that's what you mean," Rockhoof answered, his face lighting up with a brilliant idea. "I don't think it's air conditioned, so you may get very hot in there, which is my only concern. Don't want to have the rulebook thrown at me with regards to animal cruelty."

It was only then that Meadowbrook had another idea. She galloped back into the room, and suddenly pulled something off of the table. It looked like the streamlining fitted to a Duchess class engine, a locomotive design of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and was covered in blue and yellow stripes, almost looking like a bee in design. It was very long and looked very heavy, but was nonetheless made of wood. Rockhoof's eyes lit up when he saw it.

"Of course!" he said. "Your healer's mask!"

"It also has magical power," Meadowbrook smiled. "Ah can use it ta temporarily recreate the effects of the potion, but only fer a few minutes, and then it'll wear off. That ought ta give me long enough to return mah room key, and then get inta yer truck. Then we can be on our way toward Manteo!"

"Any idea why you need to go there?" Rockhoof asked. "It seems very specific an instruction, not to mention the layers of MacGuffin surrounding it."

"How am Ah gonna get across those MacGuffin's ya speak of?" Meadowbrook asked. "Ah well, here we go. Escape plan, take 1!" And she pulled on the mask.

In the motel office, the owner sat, signing document and checking the bank balance. The costs of running such an establishment had to be weighed against the profits it brought it, but it seemed that he brought in a reasonable amount of business given the circumstances and the fact his town wasn't exactly in the way of most of the big highways. In fact, you'd have to pretty out of your way to find this place, which led him to wonder precisely how that woman who had checked in yesterday had found the town in the first place. Oh well, at least it brought in some more money for the operation, and hopefully keep going for a few more years until he could retire and go somewhere nice.

Just then, the door opened in front of him, and the woman from yesterday walked in, Mary Meadowbrook being her name. But compared to yesterday, something seemed a little off. For a start, she was holding a wooden object in her hands, under her arm, which she hadn't been carrying yesterday, and she looked to be in a rush.

"Ah," he greeted her. "Here ta check out?"

"Yes sir," Mary nodded, the nod accompanying her speech as she put the keys down upon his desk. At the same time, she fumbled briefly, and took out her wallet.

"What culture is that mask?" he asked. "Caribbean? African?"

Meadowbrook shrugged. "Ya know, Ah'm not actually sure." She took some dollar bills out, and laid them down on the table before her, before starting to head toward the door to the outside world and to her eventual escape.

"Thank ya kindly," the owner smiled, as Meadowbrook went to go. She stepped through the door, and out to the parking lot. There was suddenly a bright flash, followed by a yellow light of incredible intensity, followed not long after by a blast that blew out almost every window in the nearby area as if an explosion had just gone off. The owner got up in confusion, looked over, and saw a blue pony in a green skirt running (or would the operative word be trotting? He wasn't sure at that moment, in his confused state of mind) toward a pickup truck driven by the Scotsman who had checked in a few days earlier. He glanced down at the bottle of Swamp Pop that sat upon his desk, half-drunk, and picked it up, peering inside the bottle as he did so. "What is in this stuff?" he asked. "Cause that was one weird hallucination." He glanced over again, to see if the pony was still there in the street or the parking lot. But alas, it was not. For the pony, and the pickup truck, were gone, vanished off down the road and far into the distance. But the windows were proof of what had just occurred in his motel courtyard. He sighed, and picked up a dustpan and brush. "Gotta clean this mess up somehow, and Ah'd probably better do it now, or else the customers will probably complain."

The aforementioned pickup truck had by this point started off down the highway, and was cruising along with the early morning traffic. Rockhoof glanced over to the passenger seat to see Mage Meadowbrook, desperately trying to make herself hidden on the seat, so nobody (or nopony, for that matter), could actually see her there. He sighed. "You know," he said, "when you said the mask would recreate the effects of the spell for a few minutes, you could have mentioned that it would last that short! I did not see that coming at all!"

"Well, Ah had no idea either!" Meadowbrook replied to him, her voice full of annoyance at Rockhoof's attitude. "Clearly, that potion needs some tweaks done to it, but it didn't work! Ah wouldn't be here if it weren't fer that mask!"

"And that blast probably alerted everybody in the area," Rockhoof countered. "Oh well, nobody would believe the story of seeing a pony in a green skirt running across a motel courtyard and hopping into a truck, so we're safe in that regard. At least we are on our way, and off toward where we need to be." He reached for the car radio, and punched the button which would play the contained CD. The notes began to echo through, a nice, calm, melodic sound that helped to lower the tension inside the cabin to a great degree.

"Hey, Ah know this here song!" Mage Meadowbrook smiled, as the sound kicked in and a smile broke out across her face.

"Going Home, from Local Hero, 1983," Rockhoof explained. "Very good film, I'd recommend watching it if you can. But enough of that now. We've got a long road to Augusta, Georgia." And away they went, the engine humming and the road opening up before them like a long, thin, black line across the United States of America. Before I start parodying Jack Kerouac, I shall initiate a time skip and take us to the most interesting part of the trip.

After a very long journey, the pair arrived in Augusta, Georgia. Rockhoof pulled up the truck just as the sun was beginning to set, a great orange ball descending through the sky toward the ground. He opened the other door, and Meadowbrook hopped out. "Best of luck, Meadowbrook!" he called warmly.

"Thank ya!" Mage Meadowbrook replied, as she trotted away, and the truck roared away into the distance. Just then, her attention was caught by a horn in the distance.

Author's Note

From here to the end of the Story, I will be staying in Mage Meadowbrook's Pony Form till we reach the goal for her.

Just Drives Along

That horn blew so sweet and clear, Mage Meadowbrook was tempted to cover up her ears, not to mention reference John Denver whilst she was at it. But still, she proceeded deeper into this town, caring not that she still looked like a pony, and so not spotting the odd looks coming from the residents of the town as she proceeded deeper into it. She had to find the source of the noise, and whilst at it enjoy herself. For she knew that a sound that good had to herald a good reward, and anything else that preceeded the word good, for that matter. Onwards down that street she raced, looking for anything to give her clues to the source of the noise, which seemed to be getting closer, sounding in a LONG LONG SHORT LONG pattern ahead of her. Then she reached an intersection, and saw exactly what the source of the noise was. She crossed over a street marked 6th Street, and it was there, only after stopping on the side of the street, did she see the significance of this street.

In the center of the road were a pair of metal rails. These rails ran perfectly straight down the road, and ran as far as the eye could see. And coming toward her, blasting it's horn furiously, and trundling along at only 15 miles an hour or so, was a big, utilitarian diesel locomotive, painted blue, with white lines running down the side of the engine body and casing. Marked on the sides were the words 'Conrail', and the numbers in the top of the cab read '8098'. It roared toward the bridge, the engine making a total racket as it rumbled past, the units behind it roaring equally loudly as it passed, with 40 cars being dragged along behind it, clattering and clanking, making an incredible noise. The entire train took approximately 5 minutes to pass in it's entirety, with more noise echoing from the front as it rolled by, and on the back a flashing red lamp could be seen, a FRED (aka Flashing Rear End Device), apparently.

No sooner had that train vanished, then another set of horns echoed going the other way. Rolling off the bridge, and onto 6th Street, but going in the opposite direction, was a diesel of the same class, but painted much more vividly. The entire body was painted scarlet, with a yellow stripe down the side. Inside this stripe was painted the words 'Norfolk Southern', laid down in black letters. In addition to the yellow stripe on the front of the engine, there were three black lines running along the body and nose, which gave the engine the appearance of a face. It had the number which read '8114' on the nose as well as near it. This unit bore a logo on the cab sides, with the text NS in a yellow box, and the words 'Norfolk Southern Railway Company' looped around it in a circle. Not only that, but the entire logo was contained inside another white box, and all the text was black. The unit continued to honk furiously as it rolled past them, and the freight train it and 3 other locos were pulling was even longer, 60 cars. On the end of that one was a caboose, rather than a Flashing Rear End Device, though why was a mystery as it was no longer needed, what with in cab signalling and all. Once the train was gone, Meadowbrook nodded, and headed onwards toward the bridge over the Savannah River. But she had been seen by a Brony.

"Mage Meadowbrook?" he asked, confused, as he looked at his bottle. "This sure is potent stuff."

Mage Meadowbrook headed south along 6th Street, then turned right onto Reynolds Street, turned left onto 8th Street, turned left again onto Broad Street, took the on ramp for US 78/1, crossed over the Savannah River into South Carolina, putting her ever so slightly closer to her intended destination, turned left onto York Street, and proceeded north east. She then took a slight right onto main street, which then became Augusta Road, and after that took the on ramp for I-20. She then left at Exit 70, turned left onto Fairfield road, which reminded her of Rockhoof as Fairfield is a suburb of Glasgow, made a sharp right turn onto north Main Street, turned right onto Elmwood Avenue, then turned left off the same road. She then joined US 321/176 and 21, turning right onto Blossom Road, and then crossed the Congaree river. Not long after, she took a sharp right onto Airport Bulevard, turned left onto Tarrytown Lane, took the on ramp for I-26, then took Exit 116, followed by Exit 221B. This was promptly followed by a sharp right onto Septima Clark Parkway, then onto Spring Street she went. This was followed by a sharp right onto Spring Street, a left onto Lockwood Drive, a road she then stayed on for a bit. She then headed onto another Broad Street (not the same one as before, as that would be needlessly confusing) and turned right onto Meeting Street. She then turned left onto Atlantic Street, followed by a sharp left onto East Battery, which then merged into East Bay Street. She then proceeded out of Charleston (but not Charles Towne, as that is an entirely different place, you know), and over the west end of the Arthur Ravenel Junior Bridge. She then crossed the Cooper River via the Arthur Ravenel Junior Bridge, then off the east end of the Arthur Ravenel Junior Bridge, and curved onto Church Street. She then crossed over the Great Pee Dee River (more or less guaranteed to make anybody laugh, as I can hear you back there!), then curved away from the US 17 Bypass, onto the US 17 Business Loop, and then back onto US 17 again for a while. Then at last, she neared the border with North Carolina.

With the sun setting off in the west, she set up camp near the stateline and chose to sleep inside the tent for the night. How she was able to get a tent is beyond us, but don't question logic. Anyways, to make it easier for her to sleep during the night, she first removed her headbands in front of her mane and then removed the blue hairtie in her mane which in doing so, all of her mane fell down over her face. Blowing some out of her face so that she can see, she also took off her green skirt, and undid the blue hairtie in her tail, which also was set free after being tied up. She then set her headbands, blue hairties for the mane and tail, and green skirt aside in her tent. Once that was done, she decided to keep her neckwear, collar, and hoofband on her for the night. "Time for me ta get some shut eye." she yawned tiredly.

With a yawn, Mage Meadowbrook then fell asleep at once, awaiting for what the final day of her journey will bring and reaching her destination of Manteo, North Carolina.

Author's Note

2 Things:

The Two NS Locomotives that I saw (in my Mage Meadowbrook form that is) in Augusta Georgia running down the middle of 6th Street are these two:

NS 8098 (The Conrail Heritage Unit):

(Northbound)

NS 8114 (The Original Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit):

(Southbound)

And for those wondering what Mage Meadowbrook looks like with her mane down, here are four examples that I could find:

(Sorry if that image is a little suggestive. I did need to show another example of her mane down of course ^^; :twilightsheepish:)

(Sorry again if that image is also a little suggestive ^^; :twilightsheepish:)

Anyways, we are almost there to the end of the story! Just one week left for it and then it will be over!

Update: Found another new picture of Mage Meadowbrook with her mane down. X3 <3 :heart: :yay:

East Coast Blues

Morning came with the sun rising in the east, and Mage Meadowbrook yawned and awoke to the sound of honking horns and traffic whilst lying in her tent near the SC/NC state line. Packing up her things, as well as getting her mane and tail tied back up in her braids and putting her clothing back on, she crossed over the state line from South Carolina into North Carolina, and headed onto NC Highway 211.

Then she turned left onto East Moore Street, took a right through the traffic circle (or rotary, or roundabout) for a ferry. The ferry departed Southport of which it crossed the Cape Fear River. (Of which 3 lighthouses could be seen while Meadowbrook was on the Ferry: Bald "Old Baldy" Head Island Lighthouse, Oak Island Lighthouse, and Price Creek Lighthouse.) Eventually it docked on the other side of the Cape Fear River in Fort Fisher.

She then turned left on K avenue, onto Dow Road South, then left onto Highway 421. She then crossed said road, left Highway 117, then turned onto the Highway 17 business loop.

She went onto Highway 17, then back onto the business loop, having left it in the meantime, and onto (and off) Marine Boulevard.

She then curved onto Johnson Boulevard. Then she traveled to LeJeune Boulevard, and promptly left it. She then turned onto NC Highway 58, went around a roundabout, crossed the Atlantic Beach bridge, turned onto Highway 70, followed by Beaufort (Home of the North Carolina Maritime Museum), and then went through the town. She then took a sharp right on Highway 70, then onto Highway 12.

She then took the Ocracoke Ferry from Cedar Island and arrived at Ocracoke Village (home of the Ocracoke Lighthouse), before taking a series of lefts and rights before boarding the Hatteras Ferry. She then got off the ferry at Hatteras Village (home of The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum). She traveled off Highway 12 briefly before rejoining it, before passing through the towns of Frisco, Buxton (the location of which Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is in), to which her direction changed from east to north upon leaving Buxton, before passing on through the towns of Avon, Salvo, Waves, and Rodanthe. She then crossed over the New Inlet Bridge then passed through the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and then after that went over the Marc Basnight Bridge, before pausing at Bodie Island Lighthouse.

It looked amazing after having been fully restored 6 years ago in 2013. "What ah Sight!" she said. Continuing onwards, she then left Highway 12 at Whalebone Junction, switched onto Highway 158 briefly, before getting on US 64, crossed a short bridge, and crossed the Washington Baum Bridge. As she crossed the Roanoke Sound on this bridge, she could see two things from the top of it: Roanoke Island. And most of all.... Manteo.

At long last, she reached Manteo, and as she entered the town from the south, via from the main highway and then onto one of the side paths along the waterfront, people looked over in astonishment to see her trotting up the sidewalk as she came into view.

"Another pony?" said a person, looking at them. "This is getting silly."

"Probably Jimmy," commented another, with a sigh.

Meadowbrook cared not for this, and made her way up the sidewalk through town, turned left along the road that goes by the church she goes to before swinging right back onto the path along the highway. Along this stretch, she passed a few notable things in the area such as... Manteo Elementary School, two Hotels, a road leading to Manteo High School, another church, and lastly, the intersection with the left road leading towards Manteo Middle School. Once she was past the intersection, she rounded the final curve on the path. Finally, she arrived at her home (or the home in her dream, at least). She went up the porch steps, then swung the door open and stepped inside, sitting down upon the nearby couch as she did so.

"Well, Ah made it!" she exclaimed, before a wave of tiredness overtook her. "Ah'd better get some rest." She went upstairs, but she kept her clothing on with her instead of taking it off (even after when she transformed back to normal, she wanted to keep her clothing as a reminder of perhaps her most favorite transformation), and finally reached her room. It looked exactly the same as it did before she left. From there she hopped into bed, switching off the light as she did so.

As she slept, she dreamed of the travels she went through from Louisana to Manteo, North Carolina.

The End. (For now till the next transformation :ajsmug:)

Author's Note

And so.... my journey throughout one of my favorite transformations involving me transforming into My Favorite Pillars of Old Equestria Member, aka Mage Meadowbrook, has come to an end. It's been a fun ride given that it was a story that took a lot of preparation for it to be ready! Now that I'm safely back home, albeit still as Mage Meadowbrook, two things to point out:

This is the last time y'all will see my old location in Manteo in my stories, aka 1031 U.S. Highway 64. As it was already apparent from my Aunt Orange TG TF story onwards, all of them (for now aside from different locations outside of Manteo) now take place at my new location in Manteo: 104 Devon Street.

As a special treat, I will show y'all show all of the Mage Meadowbrook fan art, show screenshots, and panels from the IDW comic issue she is featured in from the oldest back in 2017 to the most recent one of this year (for now).

Enjoy! And once again: Thanks for reading this great adventure involving My Favorite Pillars of Old Equestria Member!!! <3 :heart: :yay:

(Original Cover Art for the Story ;3)

(This makes sense given the journey that I went through :ajsmug:)

(Ironic that the final chapter is published in the month of the most important holiday at the end of the year ^^)

(Actual cover art used for the Story :raritywink:)