I woke up and... for the first time in a weekish, I felt... good. There was someone nestled in against me. Oh, right, Jessica. She was holding me. I could feel her hands, those talented hands, gently brushing my furry body. I was becoming more and more fuzzy, giving her a great surface for petting. "Are you awake?" she asked in the dark.

"Yeah." I gently wriggled away, only for her to pluck me up. "Hey! I can get myself to the bathroom." Really, of all the places to get help towards.

"But this is more fun." She carried me there anyway and set me down on the tiles, clip-clop I came down on all fours. My hands were still hands, thankfully, but there I was standing on all fours, tail twitching as i looked around.

"You take care of things. I'll make some breakfast." She hurried away, the door mostly closed behind her.

If I had any idea what was actually happening, I might have... actually enjoyed the trip. Jessica was fun to be around, and she really liked me, um... She liked having a pony, which I was rapidly becoming. It didn't help that I kinda liked being... had? I hopped up onto the bowl and sat up like a proper person, taking care of business. "Jessica, um, thanks, really, but I should go to the hospital." Seriously, maybe they could fix it. The odds were... lowish... But not zero!

She spotted me as I headed towards the kitchen where she was working. Soon I was getting ear scritches, damn them for feeling so nice. "As much as I am... kinda enjoying this, we barely know each other."

"We could fix that." She was not facing me, working on whipping up some eggs on the stovetop, one hand on my head. I was so small compared to her, or anyone, really. "I had a lot of fun, and I want to have more. You said you're enjoying this, so why let it end?"

Too fast! Too... "I'm scared," I just flat out admitted. "I'm really scared."

"Is it me?" She pulled the pan free and began serving a plate. "I'm sorry. I'm... excited. Look, let's be frank." She set the plate down on my table for me and reached to just casually pick me up and set me in the chair in front of it. How light was I?! "You are the most amazing thing to happen to me."

"You're going to be really upset eventually..." I imagined her becoming a pony much as I had. She'd eventually regret it, right? I reached for a fork despite that, trying some of the, mmm. "Hey, nice eggs. What'd you do?!" They never tasted that good for me!

She laughed softly at my antics. Excited and happy Derpy was adorable, I admit. "You must have not been using your spices properly." She sank down next to me. "Look, finish breakfast, then I'll take you. I want my Ditzy happy and healthy, alright?"

I felt my cheeks warm. She was so possessive! But it was... a really affectionate sort of possessive. I... really felt like I was the most precious thing she had, and that was... I liked it... "There's a chance they fix me," I noted. "If they do, well... then I wouldn't be a little pegasus anymore."

"Unless doctors have gotten a lot better than last I knew, that isn't much of a risk. At best, they can stop you from changing more." She reached under my chin, tickle-scritching me and encouraging me to meet her eyes. "You're pretty nice right now. I could live with you staying right here..."

I pushed the plate forward, emptied of food. "I... thanks, I think? Look..." I rubbed behind my head with a stiff hand. "I'm an adult... Heck, I was a guy! You could turn into a guy," I warned direly. "What would you do then?"

"Be your guy, obviously?" she said in a tone that implied, to me, she was not taking that seriously at all. "Relax. We'll work through this." She gently ran her fingers through my blonde hair. "Are you ready?"

I followed her outside, stumbling a bit as I went. My center of balance really wanted to just list forward, but I kept resisting it, forcing myself to walk upright. I was a person, dang it! Arg! She was tickling my closer cheek and it felt so nice. I paused a moment to just enjoy it before she began to move and the spell was broken.

I hopped up into her car as soon as she unlocked the door, allowing me to climb into position. I sat back firmly, trying to force my changed spine to get comfortable in the human way of things as I strapped in. "Ready!" I cried in the voice of Ditzy Doo, so cute, but also me. I was... cute.

I could feel the car moving, and the sky passing above, but... the angle... I had shrunk to the point that, seated in the car, I was like a child. I couldn't see what we were passing... Gotta say, not my favorite part of th--

Jessica began to tickle my belly, her other hand on the steering wheel. I laughed with all the gentle mirth of the little pony I was busy turning into. "Two hands on the wheel," I chastised, pushing her hand back with my own. My eyes wandered off, spotting a flight of pegasi for a moment, but they were gone just as quickly. "Did you see that?"

"See what?" She hadn't. She took us swiftly to the hospital, drawing up into the parking. "So... if people don't know what you are, they just see a person? I... thought you were a friendly face, harmless... That's why I talked to you in the first place." She began powering things off and unlocking the doors. "They may look at you and see nothing wrong, you realize? But even if they do, I won't abandon you, alright?"

She took one of my hands in hers. She had, comparatively, large hands. Large, dry, and comforting. God, it was like she was my mom or my big sister, but, you know, also she liked me in a not-family way. And I liked being liked.

"Hello," greeted a receptionist. She looked between Jessica and I. "Is something wrong with your daughter?"

Daughter? I blinked, trying to clear the double vision. Where there had been a receptionist, a smiling unicorn mare sat, watching us. "Have a seat and we'll be right with you," she promised. I rubbed at my eyes and she was gone, back to being a human.

Her words remained true, with Jessica taking me off to have a seat. I lifted from the ground, being placed in her lap. "They see you as my daughter," she whispered. "That works, means there won't be questions about why I'm staying with you."

I nestled back against her, my tail swishing without my say so to brush against her belly. "Daughters do not do what we've been doing." I crossed my arms over my flat chest. I was flatter than even a man would be, with not even nipples to my name, at least up there. "Thank you... for sticking with me."

I looked around, my vision fuzzy, doubled. My legs were, simply, pony legs through and through. It almost felt like I should be seated on my haunches, which I had, but I also had a butt, which is what I used, thanks! Across the way, I saw a grizzled stallion with his arms crossed, puffing a cigar that blew bubbles. I blinked at the outrageous sight and he was gone, replaced with a human man that wasn't trying to smoke in a hospital.

"Our turn." She was paying more attention than me, gently setting me on the ground. I went to all fours so naturally, event taking a step before I sprang back up to two legs, forcing myself at a march.

"I hope they can help," I sighed out, walking along with Jessica down a hallway towards an open door on the left.

"I'm with you." Her hand moved to my shoulder, squeezing gently as we went inside. "Up you go." She lifted me right up onto the exam table. "You let the good doctor take a look at you."

Ugh, she was really getting into being my mom... "I'm still an adult," I whined softly in Ditzy's voice, the voice only making me blush.

"Good morning." Ah, there was the doctor, examining a clipboard. "You didn't explain what was troubling her, ma'am. We should start there." He came towards me, his smile growing. "Hello there. How do you feel today?"

Ugh, in his eyes, I was a cute little human girl. "I'm not even sure how to start explaining this, but I wasn't born a girl and I really need help, badly."

"I see." He didn't see. He didn't sound even remotely convinced. "Why don't we start with a basic checkup, see how things are going?" He began to peek in my eyes, my big fuzzy ears, which he ignored for being fuzzy. He listened for my heartbeat as I felt things changing. I was becoming more and more a pony by the moment. "You seem fairly normal," he announced.

"Look harder!" I cried, leaning forward. That's when I noticed he wasn't a human either. I was facing a unicorn doctor, his head tilted. "Uh..."

"You're a perfectly normal mare," he said as if he were repeating it. "Not a thing out of place, other than a case of strabismus, but your chart shows that's a known condition." He gently patted me on the shoulder. "You're just fine, Muffins."

"That's Ditzy," I sighed out miserably before I looked around. Where was Jessica?! She had vanished. I was... alone with the stallion that thought I was Ditzy Doo. "Um, where'd the woman go that I came in with?"

"Pardon?" The doctor paused in his turn away. "You came in by yourself. You should get some rest. I'm sure the mailmare service would give it to you."

And he trotted out, unaware of how my life was crumbling around me. I reached out a ha-- Oh god. What had been a hand was more of a hoof, a blunted end of my arm, no fingers to speak of, rapidly forming a hoof for proper walking. I was finishing up, and I was in the pony world. I could hear the clip-clop of other ponies going past. I couldn't see any humans. I had slipped between the cracks.

What if I had acted sooner? Like if I marched in there on the first day. Maybe they could have helped me. Maybe they could have stopped the whole thing, and I'd just be... stuck kinda partway pony. Better than... whatever that was.

I fell off the table, hitting the ground on all fours with a soft clopping noise as I began ambling towards the exit. Other sick or injured ponies waited patiently for their turn, not paying me much mind. Oh! I saw a human, also waiting. I rushed towards them, waving wildly with a proto-hoof. "Hey! Help! Please help!" But the human couldn't hear me, just as I couldn't hear ponies most of the time before. I had swapped places. "Please..." I grabbed for them, but I just fell right through them like they were weren't actually there.

By the time I sat up, they really weren't there.

"You alright?" A nurse pony was looking at me quizzically. "You look disoriented." She trotted away just to her desk and grabbed a clipboard in her teeth as she sat and flipped it around, using her hooves and arms to help get it facing herself. "Let's see... The doctor says you really should get home. Do you need help?"

I needed more than that cute little pony nurse could give me... "I'll be alright." I stood up, forcing myself to rise from the floor and walk as humans did, which I wasn't much of anymore. "Have a good day."

"You too," she sang out, waving and setting her clipboard back where it began.

I almost made it out when I thumped right into someone. "Sorry."

They grabbed my wrist. "Hey!" It was a griffon, sneering at me. "Let go!"

"I don't think so." He pulled me towards himself as he moved to turn away, hauling me along. "You're mine now."

"Stop! Hey! Leggo!" I saw another human just coming in and waved frantically for them, but they didn't see me, walking right through me. I was on my own. I feel when he tugged me, flopping to all fours. Click! He slipped a collar on me! A collar!

He also held the leash. "C'mon, girl. Heel!"

The worst part, beyond being collared, is that I did move to follow him, clopping along on all fours. "Why is this happening?" I asked, tears stinging at my eyes.

We were soon outside, away from even pony assistance, not that there was anypony hanging out in that little entry hallway. "I paid good bits for this. You play nice and give me what I want," huffed the griffon as he went, glancing over his shoulder. "We have a train to catch. I've been in Pony Land too long anyway, phah."

I took the time to examine my captor. He was a brown cat, with a nice big swishy tail that had a golden fluffy bit towards the end that worked from maybe the last fifth of it out to a big featherduster of a furry bit extending out. He was more greyish on his bird parts, spread wings, chest, and head. He had a brown beak and blue eyes and oh god I thought he was kind of handsome and I'm not gay!

He yanked my leash suddenly, forcing me to hustle up at his side. "Good mare. Now, here's the deal. I want to learn a few things, and you're going to help me."

Wait, what? This guy paid for me to... teach him something? "Uh... okay?" We were moving brisky through the city, weaving around other ponies, none of whom seemed to care that I was leashed. Oh! Did they think I was playing a game? I blushed at the idea, them averting their gazes to not see the mare being led around like a pet. They probably thought I was some kind of kinky degenerate.

"The name's Gael," noted the griffon. "Remember it. You should know who owns you." His tail lightly thwipped my twitchy pony nose. "Got it?"

"Hey... Gael, can I ask for something?"

He yanked the leash. "What?!"

"I... really want a shirt." I felt, somehow, even more naked, surrounded by naked people. Surrounded by magic ponies, I was feeling naked. It was stupid as heck, and I somehow even knew it, but it remained true. "Please?"

He rolled his eyes like he had just been asked for something from a little kid they should have known better than to ask for. "Whatever, we'll check the gift shop, but we're getting on that train. If you think you can sneak away from me, think again."

I hadn't actually been thinking of sneaking away, but he raised an excellent point. Why wasn't I looking for a way away from him? He didn't seem like the nicest person, and he was kidnapping me. Two points against him! But the way he moved, the way he talked. I... found myself liking him, even though he'd given me literally no reason to.

We were in a train terminal and he led me into a little tourist trap of a store. "Pick one! When did ponies need a shirt anyway?" He huffed softly, crossing his arms. "You better not pick a fancy one..."

"Just a normal one." I clip-clopped forward, a little new to going on all fours, but it wasn't as bad as maybe it should have been. I wasn't constantly tripping, that was a plus! "Here." I put my hooves on a nice normal white T-shirt. "This one, please."

He grabbed the price tag and squinted at it. "Fine, whatever. Hey!" He waved down a store clerk and soon gave them a few bits before thrusting the shirt against me. "Here, c'mon! We're gonna be late!"

He hurried ahead of me, and I followed along, feeling... I dunno, happy. Like that shirt he just got me was a huge gift, but it felt like one. I felt like someone who cared about me (and wasn't my kidnapper) had just gone way out of their way to get me a precious something I had been wanting forever (about ten minutes).

We were sat down on benches, my leash dangling between us, held in his hand, attached to my collar. "So..." Seriously, that was not alright. "Why am I collared?"

"I paid good bits for you. You ain't going nowhere." He huffed and rocked in place as the train began moving. "The shirt fit?"

Oh! Well... "Yeah." I worked my arms in slow circles, admiring the shirt I still felt really good about. seriously, it wasn't that nice of a shirt, but it was my shirt. "Thanks. Really, you're kinda foalnapping me."

He raised a brow at me. "You're mine. I can't foalnap what's mine."

I hated that I had no ready argument for this logic! Part of me, I'll call it the human part, was so angry! He was taking me to god knows where, to do who knows what with. I had a job, two of them in fact, and a life and I'd just made a kinky girlfriend that admired my little wings...

Um, anyway, what a jerk! "I won't run," is what came out of my mouth.

"Good, so sit down and relax." He thumped down himself. "If you're good, I'll get you a treat with dinner."

A treat you say?! "Like dessert?" I licked my fuzzy lips, suddenly very interested.

"If you want."

And so the day went, with me looking out the window, watching the pony world pass by. Sometimes, I'd see a house, or a car racing to keep up with the train. Little hints that the human world was there, but it never lasted for all that long. I was... slipping away, or it was moving away from me. Whichever was doing the moving, our distance was growing deeper and deeper.

I reared up and reached out my arms. Hooves. I had full hooves. I brought one up close and nuzzled at one of my frogs, managing to tickle myself into a little giggle.

"Somethin' up?" Gael was peering at me suspiciously.

"No!" I tucked my arms behind my back. At least, in pony land, I wasn't so small. Everyone was small, so I was just average. "You... know where I came from, right?"

"Somewhere else?" He shrugged softly. "Fetlock made you, for me. You're going to do what I want. Simple as that."

"Fetlock?" I stepped down from my bench and walked closer to him, causing the leash to droop to the floor with how close I was. "Who is that?"

He put a talon on my chest and pushed me back as if I was standing on ice, sliding away from him. "She's the one that made you, dummy. I asked, she delivered. I paid, she made a pony. That's how it works. Any other dumb questions?"

"I... She didn't make me." I still didn't know who she was. Was she the voice I had heard? "I had a life. I... My name..." I couldn't remember my name, outside of Ditzy Doo, which, while a fine name, was not the one I was born with, I felt sure... "I had two legs!" Yep, two legs, I was sure of that. "Gael, that's your name, right?"

"Yeah, good, remember that." He sat down. "I'm Gael, and I own you."

Every time he said it, it felt more true. I was Gael's mailmare. I was his. I...

"Hey, whatcha crying about?" He was glaring at me. Crying? I reached a hoof and soon confirmed I was leaking pretty badly. "Cut it out."

I was being re-written, as Gael's Ditzy Doo... "Would you be mad if... I was a little myself?"

"What?" He had no idea what struggles I was wading through. "Whatever, just do what I say." He pointed back to my bench. "Sit down, relax."

I laid down on my belly on that bench, a little smile on my face. My tears were ebbing a bit. He could have crushed me, kept insisting I forget all the things that bothered me, driven my old self away, but he hadn't. He'd given me permission to hold onto it. I wouldn't die, to be replaced by Ditzy... "Thank you..."

My sitting there and not asking questions or making a fuss was more what he was aiming for, and he seemed to get less grumpy when it became clear I'd give him exactly that. He grabbed a newspaper and began browsing the articles. It was backwards to me, and written oddly, but I could understand it, if I stared long enough. I was learning Ponish... freaky.

I wriggled. Something was... not fitting right. I stretched left and right and reached back a hoof to work at where there were two bulges under my shirt.

"You're kidding me." He slapped his newspaper down and came closer. "Ugh, I blame myself. I didn't check either, but seriously, a mare should know how to dress herself."

"What's wrong?" I started to turn with him, but his talon directed my face ahead and kept me still as he circled me. "Did I do something?"

"A little something." The sound of tearing cloth reached my ears as he ran a talon down in two slits, allowing my wings, larger than last I had seen them, to burst free and folded up against my back, no longer bound by the shirt. "There, all better."

"Thank you!" I pounced him, hugging tightly despite how angry I was at him and what he'd done. I was so relieved in that instant, I just kinda forgot about the rest, for that moment. "I feel much better."

He shoved me away and pointed at the bench. "Sit. We'll eat soon."

I hopped up and sank. "Have I been good enough to get that treat?" That treat was very important to me, alright?! I'd had a hard day, and a little treat just sounded so good right then...

"Yeah, sure." He stepped down, pulling me right back up to my hooves to follow him. "C'mon."

I followed after him, watching his body move. Did Fetlock add that, make me... like the person who had paid to snatch me away. I missed my bike, even if it didn't let me go as far and fast as my wings did. I felt them pumping gently on my back, imagining a long flight, delivering some package to somewhere. Mmm, good times.

Wait, I'd... Did I ever do that? I was pretty sure I did not! I was a... human, yes that's it. A guy! I worked retail. I helped people get their coffee fix! I helped people around the grocery store. I got yelled at by angry managers when I messed that up.

"Right here," his voice cutting through my thoughts, pointing at an open seat before hopping up to one across from it. "I'm damn hungry. Fetlock had me waiting most of the day for you to show up. And you didn't even bother to do it where she was? She sent me halfway across town to pick you up!"

"Sorry." I rubbed behind my head with a hoof. "Will a muffin make you feel better?"

He blinked at my suggestion. "No, it will not. I'm going to have a big bloody steak and enjoy the way ponies squirm while I do it. You can have the muffin since you like it so much."

So I rode away from Manehattan, with a muffin. At least it wasn't all bad?

Author's Note

Ah, hello Equestria. We missed you! Let's get into things properly now, hm?

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