Chapters On December 21st, 2012 the world stood still. Humans around the globe held their breath, well at least the humans that thought the world was about to end held their breath, as the clock struck midnight.
I, on the other hand, was nursing a headache curled up in bed falling into a fitful sleep. Back the to zealots.
-held their breath as the clock struck midnight. Then all at once. Nothing. Hmmm something's wrong here. Something big is supposed to happen, but what?
Meanwhile in Equestria.
On December 21st, in the 1,002nd year since Nightmare Moon's banishment a frantic mulberry unicorn raced about her library spouting some nonsense about the end of the world. At least Spike thought it was nonsensical.
"Twilight, the world is not going to end."
"Your right Spike! Cause the Princess will know what to do!" Twilight stopped moving suddenly. A crazy gleam in her eyes, her mane a mess and a maniacal grin plastered across her face. "Spike! Take a letter!"
"Nu-uh! No way you remember what happened last time." Twilight's eye twitched.
"Fine! I'll do it myself!" A quill, dripping fresh ink, and some parchment came floating over to her.
"Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight mumbled her writings to herself.
"We are on the precipice of disaster. It has come to my attention that the world, as we know it, is about to end.
I trust you will respond with haste so that we may begin to work on a way to circumnavigate this disaster.
Your most faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle."
She then rolled up the scroll and began to wave it wildly at the purple dragon, who was slowly backing up into a nearby corner.
"There's no way I am sending that letter Twilight." A pepper shaker came floating out from the kitchen, unbeknownst to Spike.
"Spike the Princess has faith in me and trusts me completely! I must tell her about my findings."
Spike shook his head and clamped his mouth definitely.
"Nuurf!" Was his muffled reply.
Twilight up ended the shaker above his head and began to pepper him with pepper. When his eyes bulged and began to water she held him in place with her magic and held the scroll out in front of his mouth. Within moments the sneeze came, along with the emerald fire that consumed the scroll and sent it on its way to Princess Celestia.
Both Twilight and Spike stood still and silent for a few moments. Then the reply came forth from Spike's maw. Twilight snatched up the scroll greedily, unrolling the scroll with fiercely inquisitive eyes.
"To my dearest and most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle." Twilight iterated.
"You know that I value your diligence and I trust you completely but, for the second time, you simply must stop reading those dusty old books."
Twilight's eye twitched once more.
"I assure you that no harm will come to anypony in Equestria this night. You have my solemn promise, as ruler of Equestria, and your teacher. Please rest easy and consider your actions tonight once you have woken and have rested.
Signed, her Royal Majesty, Princess of the Sun, and your mentor
Celestia"
Suddenly a wave of tiredness swept over Twilight Sparkle, her and all other inhabitants of Gaia(1).
Suddenly a wave of tiredness swept over the inhabitants of Earth, simultaneously everyone on the planet felt an irresistible urge to sleep. For the first time since before the first human rose every human on the planet was still.
Simultaneously every being on Gaia felt an irresistible urge to sleep. For the first time, since before the first sentient being rose all sentient life on the planet was still.
And then the worlds touched.
Author's Note
Not much editing here, just some proper paragraph spacing.
I haven't been living in New York City for a long time now. Had someone warned me that I would be near the epicenter of literally one of the biggest and most important events in the history of man, besides not believing them, I probably would have avoided this place like the plague.
I wish someone had warned me, but no one had any warning. Except the zealots but I don't really count that because this wasn't the first 'World's End' prediction, besides the world wasn't over. Although the human race was.
The first thing I did when I woke up was curl up tighter and fall back asleep. I did that a few more times, until the warmth became unbearable. In an exaggerated motion I threw off my covers and then proceeded to gape, idiotically, at my own body.
I'm more than 100% positive that I wasn't the only gaper. What I was looking at wasn't my body. Well, actually it was, but when you put hooves on my feet and cover me in a thin body wide fur I tend to think of my new body as not my body. I also tend to faint.
When I came to nothing had changed. Still had hooves on my feet and still covered in fur. Fur. Fur. Oh my god I'm gonna get lynched.
"No. No. No. No. No." I stumbled out of bed. My hooves thudding across my carpeted floor. I careened through my kitchen in crashed through my bathroom door.
The mirror mocked me. Large intelligent eyes looked back at me, but they weren't on my face, the slight, tapering muzzle wasn't mine, nor were the ears perched on the top of his head. Even the hair was different. I wanted to scream at the intruder. Chase him from my home, but when I opened my mouth so did he. And when I moaned and grabbed my head in my hands so did he. He stood on two feet, I looked down, so did I, and he was distressed, so was I. He was me. I am him. Darkness.
I came to, lying on my bathroom floor. I stumbled through my living room and peered out my window. The streets were mostly empty. Cars came and went but silent otherwise.
I turned to my TV. The remote I had somehow obtained was in my shaking hands. I fondled the little red button and then pressed it.
The being on the screen looked like the being I saw in the mirror. Looked like me.
"-esident has declared a National Emergency and has asked that everyone remain in your homes. Any available police officers, volunteers, EMT's, and doctors are asked to report to your local departments to aid in assisting others with adaptation.
Evidence shows that the change is world wide and covers 100% of all human population.
The change is not harmful.
The army, reserves, and national guard are being deployed to prevent internal disarray and to help with adaptation efforts.
Please refrain from calling 911 unless a true emergency arises.
Please refrain from going to the hospital unless your health is truly at risk.
This is a national advisory broadcasting on all channels."
I turned my TV off.
One month later
Life had not returned to normal, but it had not stopped going on. The initial shock was wearing off. Thousands of suicides, long done and over with. Religious fractions barricading themselves from society searching for the same thing thousands of doctors and scientists were looking for; a cure. There isn't one, because as all science points out, it isn't a disease.
Apparently after 'The Great Sleep' our base DNA reconfigured itself for no apparent reason. At least the reason won't be apparent for now.
Scientists have redubbed us Homoeqqus Sapeins because it was discovered that we picked up a few chromosomes from horses, which explains the hooves, fur and tapered muzzle. Meanwhile the others, like the varying colors of fur, wings and horns, popped out of thin air.
I later discovered I had a set of wings tucked under my night shirt. I guess it is possible to have wings and horns. Well either a set of wings, a horn or neither but never both wings and horns. Then a few synapses fired in the minds of a some people belonging to a rather larger community and suddenly the whole human race became known as 'Bronies' overnight.
I walked down my street. Adaption assistance programs sprung up world wide. On the street corner was a man in an orange jacket, behind him were 'hoof shoes'. Our new feet didn't fit our old shoes so you bring your old shoes and socks to him and they get recycled and you get a pair of hoof shoes.
Then there was the dietitian out in front of the grocery stores. Our entire diet structure had changed. I suddenly found meat revolting tasting and grass and hay to be quite enjoyable. Other's were still confused but in reality nothing much really changed.
Society had not broken down and besides a few people jumping the gun and offing themselves there were no mass murders or deaths. No riots or looting. Cities remained peaceful. Scientists speculated that during 'The Great Sleep' a wall of inhibitions was placed around everyone to keep society intact.
Short of some panicking everyone responded to the change with fast acceptance. The police and military got their wits back quickly and ensured peace was kept.
All in all, perhaps it was better this way.
Author's Note
Not much editing here, just paragraph spacing and indentation.
The library was a mess. Air whistled through the pages of books as they sailed through the air to aid their patron, only to be, unceremoniously, dumped into a central heap. The piles grew over time and soon the walls were bare and the floor was completely covered. The only aspect of the library that looked as usual was the grumbly purple and green dragon running about organizing the piles. Though he was slightly taller and his limbs and fingers were more defined Spike, for the most part, retained his initial appearance. The same could not be said for his pseudo-sister.
Twilight was a mess. Air whistled through her clenched teeth as she levitated books to and fro whilst breathing particularly erratically and heavily. Her mane was disheveled and her eyes frantic. She was at a complete loss to what had happened to her. When the last book made it to her, via her magical tether, she shuffled the pages of the book frantically her eyes darting back and forth, her manic grin elongating, her ability to stand deteriorated as she read the various passages that glanced her eyes. She found herself on the floor sobbing. The book found itself added to the heap. Spike found himself cradling his sister's head.
"Shhh, everything is going to be all right." He said with no particular conviction. His reassuring words fell on deaf ears.
"B-but it's not. Spike, p-ponies don't walk on two feet or have h-hands." She held up her new hands for emphasis.
Spike pushed them down to her sides and grabbed her head in his hands. Pulling her face towards his he locked eyes with her.
"Twilight. Everything is going to be fine ." He put extra emphasis on 'fine', drawing out the word, making sure she heard him say it.
"We should contact the Princesses, they will know how to reverse this." Spike continued, slowly. Retaining eye contact with his distraught sister. Twilight managed a mumble, something that ended in '-garten'. Spike frowned and let her go. He walked over to her desk and took it upon himself to send delegation to Celestia.
He penned a letter and set it ablaze and on its way. Twilight was silent. He was silent, but only for a moment. Soon he was belching up a fresh letter from Celestia herself.
" Spike,
What you and Twilight are experiencing is not an isolated incident, and in no way is Twilight implicated as the perpetrator. Her bed casting is not at fault. She is not going to be sent to Magic Kindergarten, or the Moon.
Spike mused a thought at the last words on the page, it was written almost angrily. Perhaps the Princess was getting tired of Twilight's obsession with the idea she was going to be sent to the moon for doing anything wrong.
You and Twilight are not the only ones affected. Stallions from the Guard are on their way to Ponyville to help preserve order and peace, and to explain last nights events. They can no longer wear their armor, but they will carry official badges.
Now instead of panicking, I ask that you and Twilight head to town to assist the guards and other ponies cope. I understand the change was sudden, and you may need time to cope, but Ponyville needs strong Ponies, and a Dragon, to help them arrive through this crisis swiftly and unharmed.
Spike heaved a sigh as he waved the letter in front of Twilight.
"Your bedcasting didn't cause this." He snickered, only foals and little fillies and colts 'cast the bed'. Twilight turned red and snatched the letter from him. Her eyes ate the information hungrily.
"Spike! I didn't cause this!" She exclaimed.
"That's what I just sa-" He rolled his eyes only to be cut off.
"And the royal guard is on it way!"
"I know I've already rea-"
"And we've got to help everypony!"
"Twilight! I read the letter too!" He finished with the palm of his hand covering most of his face, partially blinding him, and anticipating interruption. When none came he lifted his hand off of his face and peered about. Twilight was already out the door.
"Twilight! Wait for me!" He cried out as he rushed after her.
Ponyville was a ghost town. The stands that normally adorned the main street were absent and most shops had their 'Closed' signs up. A rogue Tumbleweed made its way down the main road tumbling out of sight. Twilight eyed it as it went, her gaze questioning; Tumbleweed didn't grow out here. Yet despite the town desertion, of seemingly all life, one shop stood open among the ghosts.
Twilight almost didn't want to go into the Sugarcube Corner for she knew Pinkie Pie would be there, and there is no telling how Pinkie Pie reacted to the change. Twilight paced a bit, trying to figure out how to explain to Pinkie what was happening, only to realize that she didn't even know what caused this. She stopped pacing to growl at the air, only to hear a similar growl right next to her. She jumped in fright, only to discover that it was Pinkie Pie who mimicked her. Pinkie resumed her impersonation, miming Twilight's jump, gasp and sudden realization. Twilight took a step back, and Pinkie followed. Twilight suddenly began to dissolve into hysteria, Pinkie suddenly decided her game was over.
"Twilight! Wat'cha doing!? Would you like a cupcake!?" Pinkie exclaimed, pulling a cupcake, from her personal pocket of null-space, into existence. Twilight took it tentatively and bit down. A smile crept across her face, Pinkie beamed; her work was done.
"Sorry, Pinkie, there is just a lot going on right now."
"I'll say." Spike quipped. Finally catching up to Twilight.
"Wait? What's going on?" Pinkie asked, bewildered. Twilight's eye twitched.
"Have you looked at yourself?" Twilight asked cautiously, fearing the answer.
"You bet'cha! Every morning! And sometimes during the day! But never when I'm asleep! Well actualllllllly? Does dreaming count? Cause if it does then I look at myself in my sleep on occasion too!" Pinkie began to skip around Twilight. "Boy! Isn't standing upright awesome! I can't skip like this on all fours!"
Twilight's brain had almost ceased function.
"Pinkie? Could you skip yesterday?"
"Not this easily!"
"And there's nothing suspicious about it being easy now?"
"No, silly, I go brony all the time."
Twilight clamped her mouth shut. 'Pinkie Pie is just being Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pie is just being Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pie is just being Pinkie Pie', the mantra went on and on in her head, Pinkie bouncing and skipping around her the whole time.
"Oh, oh, oh! I just realized! You've never gone full brony before! OHHH! You know what this means!?"
Twilight dreaded her next words.
"A Super-Duper-Welcome-Ponyville-and-Equestria-to-Being-Bronies-all-of-the-Sudden-for-no-Reason Party!"
"No! No, Pinkie! There will be no parties!" Twilight cried out exasperated. "We are in a crisis and Ponyville needs our help!"
"Well duhhhh!" Pinkie gave Twilight a critical look. "And what's a better way to help people adapt than to gather them together, feed them, help them relax and have fun and go around and address particular problems?"
Twilight's mouth was agape, she could never quite wrap her head around how far ahead Pinkie really saw.
"Well if you're up to it then organize the party in front of Town Hall. When members of the Royal Guard arrive have them help you if possible. I'll go around and spread the word." Twilight half spoke the words and half let them just come out, she was still stunned by Pinkie's intuition.
Twilight and Spike found themselves on the border of Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight was getting the hang of walking on two feet, and observed that she was extremely well balanced. She assumed it was going to be a struggle, but, now, she was certain she could run if she needed to. Lost in her thoughts a pensive look crossed her face. Overall the situation was not nearly as bad as one would assume at first. In fact, she considered her hands, this could even be a good thing. She thought back and realized; she had been using her new limbs subconsciously. She had picked up and unwrapped the cupcake with her hands, not magic, which she still had faculty over, meaning Equestria's inherent magic was still intact. The magic residing in each Pony race was intact. Even Pinkie's arbitrary reality bending powers seemed to be intact. Twilight looked skyward, what about Pegasi? Could they still fly? Tears welled in her eyes, she knew more than one pony who would, maybe not even metaphorically, die without being able to fly, and one in particular was in the forefront of the group. She shook away the tears, there was no reason to assume Pegasi couldn't fly.
Twilight laughed to herself, knowing Dash she was probably hiding, fearing for her 'image'.
Twilight arrived at the main road that led to the farmhouse. She began the trek down it only to encounter labored grunting coming from behind a nearby apple tree halfway to her destination. She stopped and peered around the tree.
"Aaaa-Apple...Jack?"
The orange farm pony was sprawled out, facedown, on the ground, panting. Twilight couldn't remember the last time she had seen her particularly strong friend this worn down.
"Uh! Twilight!" Applejack sprung up from the ground.
"What were you just doing?"
"Applebucking." Her eyes wandered away from Twilight's own. Twilight peered into the nearby buckets, all mostly empty.
"There aren't many apples in these baskets?"
"Well you see that's cuz... um, well. Ah. I just now started on this tree."
"And its going well? You're not having any trouble? With your new body?"
"Oh what? This ol' body... uhh darn tootin?" Applejack was wringing her hands and couldn't even look Twilight in the eyes. Her Stetson fell low over her eyes.
"Applejack." Twilight's tone spoke of how she knew she was being lied to.
"Consarnit Twilight! I can't get no work done! This Celestia forsaken body can't buck worth a rotten apple! I've been bucking this here tree for hours, all morning. Me and mah brother both been at it with no success!" Twilight frowned, she found a disadvantage already.
"Are you doing it right?" Spike inquired, Applejack just stared.
"Spike! Of course she's doing it right! Shes been doing this since before I hatched you."
"There's no need to get all con... co-de... con-da..."
"Condescending?"
"Yeah, that ," Spike scowled, "What I meant is perhaps she doesn't know how to... use this new body right. She might have been bucking trees all her life, but I've been walking on two feet for most of mine."
"Oh, you're right, of course, Spike." Spike awarded himself with a smile. "Maybe you could demonstrate your technique?" Twilight turned to Applejack with her inquiry. Applejack shuffled a bit.
"Alright, then. Watch closely, I don't wanna do this again." Then proceeded to send Spike into a hysterical bout of inane laughter.
She got down on all fours in front of the tree and bucked it as if she were still a pony. If she were a pony her leg structure would power the kick and probably put a sizable hole in the trunk. Except her leg structure was different; and so were the results.
Her legs went out and apart, one leg clipped the tree sending a few apples tumbling into the baskets below, from this Twilight surmised her strength was still on par with her pony body's, but the other leg missed completely. The shock from hitting the tree reverberated through one leg and the other leg's 'dry fire' send a different type of reverberation through her. Her arms gave out and she ended up in the same position as she was found in by Twilight and Spike initially. She scrambled to her feet.
With crimson splashed across her face she turned her back to the baby dragon, who was rolling around in the dirt, laughing, and began to stomp off.
"No wait! I didn't mean to laugh! I'm sorry!"
Applejack grumbled under her breath.
"Wait! I know how you can buck the trees!" Spike called after her.
Applejack stopped in her tracks. She turned around and pouted. She stared at the dragon.
"Perhaps you would care to demonstrate." She said, not asked.
"Well I'm not nearly as strong and capable as you." He buttered her up. She just stared. "But... uh, if you instead just kick the tree like this perhaps the results will be... better?" The silent stare continued.
Spike looked over the tree and stood in front of it. He brought his leg up close, towards his groin and snapped out a side kick, hitting the tree square. A small quantity of apples rained down. Applejack's face lit up.
"Wait? With just one leg?" Applejack walked over to Spike. Spike demonstrated the kick a few more times. She was no expert, but after a few minutes of instruction Applejack was as close as could be. She evolved the kick into a side kick that would make a Taekwondo expert cry.
She put her hoof dead center on the tree and, besides triplicating the apple rain Spike made, stress sounds could be heard coming from the abused tree. With her mouth agape she folded her leg in and put it down to the ground. She looked into each basket.
"Full. Full. Full." She looked up into the tree. "Empty." She stared into empty space, all her fears suddenly vaporized.
Applejack wasn't a 'close encounter' type mare, but the hug she swept Spike up into was equally full and thankful as it was bone crushing. Spike left the hug with some wheezing and perhaps a bruise but he still had a large smile plastered on his face.
"Well, crisis averted, I just came down to make sure you were ok and to tell you about the meeting slash party being held in front of town hall today, and if you aren't busy later can you go around making sure ponies are ok?"
"Party huh? Pinkie Pie?"
"She thought feeding and entertaining people might make them more comfortable and more accepting of help." Applejack shook her head.
"That mare, one minute shes all party happy the next shes bein all logical and such. But right you are Twilight, I should be done apple bu-," She stopped "Uh, should I call it apple kicking now?"
"Semantics." Twilight waved her hand absently. "Actually, you're the pioneer, it's really up to you."
"Well I prefer 'bucking'. So, anyways, after I'm done apple bucking I will definitely head into town and make sure everyone's ok."
"So," Twilight thought for a moment, "Has everyone else in your family taken it well?"
"Well me an' Big Mac were right plum panicked in the morn'. He still don't know about kicking though, but with his strength I'd assume he still be making some progress. As for granny she just decided a nap was in order otherwise it hasn't phased her at all." She paused and smiled "As fer Applebloom. She done woken up screaming but we got some food in her and since she's been out getting in trouble, climbing trees, swinging from them like a monkey. Shes just a filly so I imagine she'll take to it better than most adults."
"It's good to hear that everyone is ok." Twilight pointed to the sky, "If you see Rainbow Dash about send her my way. I think I'm gonna go to Fluttershy's cottage first, then to Rarity." Twilight turned to begin walking off.
"Rarity, ah assume," Applejack chuckled to herself, "is either in hiding or on a dress designing rampage." Applejack waved off Twilight and Spike. "Thank you Twilight, and especially you too Spike!"
Author's Note
Just some spacing and indentation.
"Hey Godfrey!" A package came flying at my head. I ducked and flared my wings. Damn things.
"Jeez, Jess! A little more warning maybe?"
"As if! Nice wingboner!" I frowned.
"Wingboner?"
"That's what they call it when your wings get all stiff like that." I looked back, my wings were still fully extended, damn things.
Stupid things made me have to wear special shirts, opened up at will, and generally just got in the way. The only thing they didn't seem to do was make me flight capable. Since the transformation people have been throwing themselves off of cliffs, buildings, towers; what have you. No one single person has demonstrated true flight with their wings. Some people, the disappointed and self-absorbed, went so far as to have them surgically removed. The thought made me grimace.
To be honest I actually liked them, as cumbersome as they were at first I'm getting used to them and, in my opinion, I look pretty badass when they are completely open. Well as badass as a teal colored brony in a 'flight' jacket can look.
Flight jacket, that's what the inventor of the conversion kit called it. I wore a US authentic 'Flight Jacket' brand flight jacket. For free they let me send it in and they installed the conversion kit. All they really did was put two 'invisible' zippers on the back and take some material away from where my wings meet my back. My shirts are the same way. In fact a whole industry sprung up around making pegasi clothing.
Tailors all around the city offer conversions, at a low government mandated price, and almost 100% of all clothing companies began to make a 1/3 ratio of pegasi specific basic wear, with conversion for high quality products as an ordering option.
Unicorns didn't have many issues with clothing, except the occasional tearing, and, well earth bronies didn't have any adapting to do.
The first few weeks I wore regular clothing, and found out the hard way why I shouldn't. One wingboner later and I was in the hospital with some crumpled feathers and a really sore set of wings. A week or two after everything settled the government mandated that for the next one and a half years a pegasus male can go about topless, and females can obtain specialized clothing or clothing modifications for an extremely discounted price. So all in all being a pegasus wasn't that bad.
Unicorns are a different story. Apparently the horn contained a substance that can interact with other substances on a molecular level, how it works exactly and how it is controlled had not been determined, so for all intents and purposes it's 'magic'. In reality I wouldn't call flinging stuff around by accident or lighting stuff on fire when you get mad 'magic'. I'd call it bullshit, but then again so are flightless wings.
Anyways, I retrieved the package, a little perturbed that it was handled so roughly, and made my way to the door to the tenement I lived in. I stopped inside the entry way and popped open my mail box, I tugged free a small wad of letters and walked up the 3 flights of stairs to my home. The lock received my key and with a turn and a push my door swung open. I put the package down on my table, it was just a shirt, and turned my attention to the letters in my hand.
"Bills, bills, bills... Coupons. Uhh..."
I froze when I read the sender's address on the letter in the bottom of the stack. I tore it open and read the document, holding my breath.
Over and over again the words on the page raced through my mind. All I could think was: 'I passed!'.
Later, I walk through the front doors of the precinct. A huge smile on my face, my eyes beaming. I tracked down my recruitment officer and he nodded to me knowingly. My new life was beginning.
Author's Note
Like previously; indentation and spacing.
5.) A Case of the Crazies
A subtle breeze walked with Twilight as she meandered down the path towards Fluttershy's home. She paid little heed to her exact footing, she was more interested in the maelstrom of thoughts that whirled through her mind. What would have normally been a 10 to 20 minute walk had already past the half hour mark, Twilight's thoughts had yet abated.
"Twiiilight... Why are you walking soo slow?" An impatient groan came from Spike, who was walking diligently beside her.
"Sorry Spike, I'm just." She paused, and then deliberately, "Thinking."
"Do you ever not think?" He grinned at her.
"Uhh." Suddenly Twilight found herself thinking about times she had not been thinking, within moments her hands were at her throbbing temples, massaging away. Spike watched her utilize her new appendages.
"So. How you liking hands?" Twilight stopped to consider his question, eyeing him and her new hands.
"They're ok. I guess." They continued on their way.
"You guess?"
"Well, see, my mind keeps telling me how useful they are and will be, and subconsciously I know how to use them. But."
"They just aren't the same, right?"
"Yeah. It's kind of surreal. Like as if I'm not looking through my own eyes, when I look down I'm not seeing myself anymore. But then again I can move them, use them, they bend to my will. So they must be me, they're my hands."
Spike didn't know what to say. All in all the entire experience had hardly affected him. Besides being a few more inches off the ground he had barely changed. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but words would not come to him. He looked up, and to his relief, saw Fluttershy's cottage only a short distance away.
The air around the cottage was still. The typical bird and small animal sounds were absent. An eerie feeling crept it's way into Twilight and Spike, they both shivered a bit. Twilight walked up the small staircase and stood in front of Fluttershy's door. She exchanged glances with Spike, and then raised her hand and knocked.
Knock. Knock. Knock
Nothing.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Again nothing.
"Fluttershy? It's me and Spike."
A whimper made its way under the door.
"We're going to come in, ok?"
A small scuffle. Twilight grasped the door knob and turned it. The door creaked slightly as it opened.
Twilight and Spike made their way through the small house. It was devoid of the usual critters. In fact the emptiness of the abode made it feel almost inhospitable.
"Love me, love me, love me. " A scratchy whisper rasped from the bedroom. Twilight and Spike exchanged glances once more, they both swallowed hard and drew a breath as they approached the room.
"Eh heh heh he. Ha heh he. " The manic laughter made their blood run cold. They stopped in their tracks.
"T-t-twi-li-light? Who's laughing like that?" Spike had made his way behind his mentor, he peeked his head out around her, eyeing the now accursed door.
"I- I don't kn-know." Twilight turned her attention back to the door and called out.
"Hello? Is, uh, is any-p-pony th-there?" She placed one hand on the knob, tensions were high. She turned it and pushed the door in, she remained out of sight, and slowly poked her head around the corner to see who was in Fluttershy's room.
"You can not have her! " Twilight let out a small 'eep' and sunk down to the floor, her hands were shaking. Spike cautioned a look.
Fluttershy was laid out across her bed, her mane had fallen in front of her fierce, narrowed, eyes. She was strewn across a motionless cerulean Pegasus. Her wings spread and lain across the body, covetously. She hunched low and let loose an animal like growl.
"Rainbow?!" Spike ran into the room, Fluttershy jumped from her bed and bat at the dragon with her wings.
"No she's mine! "
"Fluttershy! Rainbow Dash is your friend and another pony! You can't just 'have' her!"
Fluttershy was not fazed, nor amused.
"Get away from her! "
"Fluttershy! What is the matter with you!" Twilight had found her courage.
"They all went away! And then she came. And she thought she could just leave. Eh heh heh he. No, no. No. No. she's never going to leave me. " Fluttershy ranted on. She wrapped her arms around into a self hug. She teetered back and forth, a manic gleam in her eyes.
"Is Rainbow ok?" Twilight motioned for Spike to check. He took a single step and Fluttershy was on him.
"NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. " Fluttershy screamed, and leapt from the bed. Rainbow Dash head lolled and she moaned.
"Oww my head!" Rainbow Dash sat up suddenly. She swooned and her eyes blew open wide and she collapsed back onto the bed. "What's happening?!"
"Oh no! Don't move if you're hurt Rainbow!" A concerned Twilight told her friend.
"F-Fluttershy? What are you doing hanging over me like that for?" Rainbow nudged her friend away. That motion swung the poor girl from manic to depressed in a single heartbeat. Fluttershy was now sobbing away. Her despondence left everyone staring.
"Uh, what did I do?" Rainbow looked to Twilight and Spike for guidance. "Fluttershy? Don't cry? Hey." Rainbow sat up and pulled her friend into a hug.
"What the hay is going on?" Rainbow looked to Twilight for an answer.
"I don't know. Obviously the change is the base reason for how she's acting." Twilight began to to analyze the situation.
"They all ran away." Came a soft whisper, everyone stopped to listen to the quiet yellow Pegasus. "They're all scared of me. It's like the Grand Galloping Gala all over again."
Twilight cringed, remembering that night, and Fluttershy's particular experience was not pleasant. It was now apparent.
"Ohh, your animal friends must have gotten scared and confused about your new body." Fluttershy just nodded.
"Man you need a psychiatrist." Rainbow blurted out. Spike and Twilight pulled air and threw a glance at Rainbow, who realized what she said. Before she could apologize, a soft giggle pervaded the air.
Fluttershy climbed off her bed and they all made their way outside. No one quite sure where they were going, or even what was going on.
"So how did you end up in all of this?" Spike addressed Rainbow.
"Uhh, ha funny story. You know. I was, uh, worried! Yeah, worried about Fluttershy and I went to check on her." Rainbow stumbled through an obvious lie. Spike smirked at her.
"You freaked out and crashed didn't you?" Rainbow stopped in her tracks.
"Nothing gets past you, huh?"
Spike just smiled and continued forward, taking his place next to Twilight.
Everyone took a breather. Rainbow and Twilight themselves seated on Fluttershy's porch steps, Fluttershy decided to lean across the railing in a lethargic manner. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash listened intently to everything Twilight had to say about what was going on which is, admittedly, not much. They were surprised to hear about Pinkie's contribution but everyone decided it might work. A silence settled over everyone.
"So, how what do you two think about your new bodies?" Twilight broke the silence.
"It's totally awesome!" Rainbow rang out.
"At first it was freaky, but I can still fly." She took to the sky for emphasis. She did a few loop-de-loops and settled into a hover in front of Twilight.
"I really don't see any reason to get upset, and it's not like I'm the only one affected."
"That's good, so far I haven't seen any negative effects come from this transformation. What about you Fluttershy? What do you think?"
"I think it's... ok." Fluttershy said "I just hope my animal friends stop being scared of me."
"I'm sure they will." Twilight said, and as if to prove her right a small bird flitted from a nearby tree branch to the railing on the porch. It hopped about, twittering as it went. Fluttershy looked , for what must of been the first time, nervous about the animal's reaction to her.
Even Rainbow Dash knew to be still. Her friend's sanity hinged on this bird's acceptance of Fluttershy.
Fluttershy extended her hand, the bird watched her, chirping at her hand as it approached. It gave a few small hops and proceeded to climb onto Fluttershy's outstretched fingers. Fluttershy released her collected breath that she had been withholding for some time now. Fluttershy stroked the bird with her free hand, a bright smile that brought warmth to her friends, all of them, for little heads began to pop out of small nooks and crannies, all watching intently. More animals had appeared and were encroaching the house. Soon she was covered.
"Yes, yes it's me." She reassured the animals as the began to flock around her. Both Rainbow was in the air, but Twilight and Spike found it necessary to get off the porch in order to avoid the flood. Fluttershy was completely covered and giggling madly as her friends came to apologize and reacquaint themselves. Rainbow Dash, Spike, and Twilight all exchanged a rolling of their eyes as Fluttershy returned to her 'thing'.
"Oh my, we missed breakfast everyone, you all must be so hungry." Suddenly she darted off leaving her three fully sentient friends to their own devices.
"So... Looks like Fluttershy is going to be ok." Twilight said, perplexed with how quickly everything had gone down.
"Of course she will be!" Rainbow landed, now that the area was clear of small and easily trampled critters. "So have you seen everyone else yet?"
"Nope, I still need to check in on-"
"Rarity! Twilight we need to go now!" Spike interjected. Twilight smiled at Spike's enthusiasm
"Well I guess we're heading that way now. No telling how she's taking it."
"She's probably on a dress making frenzy." Rainbow snickered.
"Or shes scared and confused and needs someone to save her!" Twilight regarded Spike with raised eyebrows.
"Looks like we have the perfect gentledrake for the job." Rainbow nudged Twilight to get her attention, giving her a knowing smile. Spike's cheeks flushed at her comment and together they hurried along.
Author's Note
Spacing and Indentation.
6.) Of Clothing and Princesses
My hands were sweaty and shaky. My stance was locked, I was focused and completely sure I was doing everything right. That still didn't ease the leery feeling seated deep in my stomach.
"Don't tense up, let it surprise you." I whispered under my breath.
The Glock 19 bucked in my hand as I tentatively pulled the trigger. The explosion shook me and I almost dropped the gun. I gave a sigh of relief as I relaxed a wide grin beaming across my face. My first time shooting a gun went without a hitch.
Here I was firing a gun. The last few weeks have been life changing for me. I had entered the hiring process and passed all the tests, checks and prerequisites. They said I had good moral character and my past was unblemished and told me I was to be sent to the academy.
NYCPD.
Ever since I was a kid I've dreamt of becoming a police detective. Now I was on my way. Others have tried to dissuade me.
"It's a thankless job, most people hate cops." is a classic, I heard it often.
Honestly I don't want to do it for people. Sure I do care about protecting and serving my community and people, but my real drive is thwarting criminals.
No I don't meant all gung-ho, vigilante, guns blazing 'thwarting'. I've always loved the idea of piecing together the puzzle of what is into what happened. I like to put together all the little pieces of information, mistakes made, and signs. It's exciting to think that the stupidest mistakes and smallest bits of evidence can lead me to the solution of the most enigmatic crimes.
Of course I have a lot of time to go before I will be that intuitive and capable, but it will be time well served. I will be honing my reflexes, my investigative technique, my rapport building.
I spent a lot of time in school and working in stores. It is all tedious.
If anything is to be the death of me it will be tedium. It rots me to the core. The same thing every day. Just no. Perhaps that is why I took to The Change so well. It was something different. Something new and exciting.
So as I stared down the sights of my Glock I smiled. I lined up to my target and squeezed off another shot; each one struck my target. Each shot reminded me that I was there and on my way.
The Carousel Boutique had a line forming at its entrance, leaving a bewildered Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow Dash at the end of it in absolute confusion. Certainly Rarity worked well under pressure but in less than 24 hours ago she was a quadrupedal with hoofed limbs. Now she is bipedal, a quite shocking change for everyone. Yet bipedal or not ponies lined up at her door and assuredly she was at work designing clothing to supply the customer's demands. Twilight approached the closest pony in line, a well of questions fathoms deep, and yet all she could mutter was-
"Why clothes?"
"Excuse me?" The interrupted mare turned to Twilight. "Oh, miss Sparkle. How are you today?"
"Why are there so many ponies here?" Twilight indicated the line.
"Well I, like most of them, feel an inexplicable need to buy some clothing. Quite strange really." She turned back to the friends she was conversing with, leaving Twilight with even more questions. She and her friends made their way towards the shop. Many ponies grumbled about line cutting, all she assured that she was no customer.
They squeezed past the ponies near the door and made their way into the almost empty show room floor. Bits and bobs of materials and tools floated in the air, whizzing about the room. It seem the larger floor had become the central crafting area in order to meet the demand being made by the large amount of clientele. A frantic, but thoroughly ecstatic, Rarity made her way to and fro. She was clad in a simple white blouse and a black skirt. A stallion was standing, uncomfortably, in the center of the shop being mercilessly invaded by a measuring tape being wielded expertly by the fashionista's magic. Rarity jotted down the various measurements and began to ask the stallion what he wanted. She even went so far as to get his address, so she knew where to send his order.
"What do you mean send it? I need this as soon as possible." He replied to her inquiry, disgruntled.
"You and every pony in Ponyville. I simply cannot even fill a quarter of the orders I've received in one week. Items will be made as supply becomes available and the apparel will be sent as soon as the order is filled. If you don't like it you're going to have to deal with it." She shooed him off, but he was not satisfied.
"Listen here miss-" He began.
"No you listen here, sir, I have received over 100 orders in less than the 4 hours I've been open, and unfortunately I can't make that much clothing that quickly, nor do I have enough material for all of it, and finally-" She paused to take a breath. "My shop, apparently, is not nearly as full as the shops in Canterlot and Manehattan. They both are filled to capacity and they have been making requests to buy my materials, at three and even four times its value. Simply put you and every pony want clothing and I can only make so much. Next."
The stallion, and Twilight, found them selves flabbergasted, staring open mouthed at Rarity. A mare came rushing in, and took her place on the platform, waiting to be measured.
"Oh Twilight! How good to see you!" Rarity walked over to her friend.
"Rarity? Did I really hear you correctly? Every pony?"
"Oh yes dear." She said gravely, then brightening up. "It really is quite wonderful but I'm going to be at this for months at this rate. I am going to need help, and soon."
"I can help!" Rainbow Dash said with a touch of enthusiasm.
"Really dear? With dress making?" She said skeptically. Rainbow reflected on what she just volunteered for.
"Well maybe not the making?" She said hesitantly, then with confidence "But I would never leave a friend hanging!"
Rarity and Twilight smiled warmly at Rainbow Dash.
"Thank you ever so much, dear," she levitated a strip of measuring tape towards Rainbow Dash with a delighted grin on her face. "I've been looking for a flexible Pegasus to model a few of my creations. Best to make sure everything is done right." She said as she layered on a chipper tone to her voice. Rainbow groaned and looked apprehensive but if she had any further objections she withheld them. Twilight smirked at her dismayed friend.
"You walked into that one." She turned back to Rarity.
"Why clothing?" Twilight asked again. The audience was different but the reply was very much the same.
"Why not?" Rarity continued down the war path, smothering Rainbow in various clothing. Tees and Polos pulled themselves over Rainbow's head and pulled themselves off. Rarity's magic ensured her wings were accommodated for. Rainbow just stood there and took it. She would mumble tidbits about 'her image' but her loyalty kept her in place as the frantic fashionista 'ooh' and 'awed' over how well the various pieces worked with the Pegasus. Often times she would instruct Rainbow to move her limbs. Rainbow found herself in many, and some quite unusual, poses, all to ensure the clothes could handle the full range of motion of its owners.
Twilight pressed her friend once again.
"Rarity, please I really don't understand what's happening."
"Twilight, dear, I really can't tell you. All I know is I woke up to pounding on my door. Of course I didn't answer it. I was too busy panicking, but after I calmed down the first thing I felt was the urge to make what I'm wearing now. After that I opened my shop and this is pretty much how it's been all day." She motioned to the line of eager faces, peering in through the door. Twilight began, once again, to try and get answers. Stuttering profusely as she looked for the right words to say. Rarity interrupted her.
"Twilight, we can go on like this all day, or..." A pensive look crossed Rarity's face.
"Or?" Twilight said eagerly.
"Well all day you've probably been running about to and fro making sure everyone's ok, correct?" Twilight gave an affirmative nod.
"So you haven't taken a moment to think about what you want, have you?"
"What. I want? I want to help my friends."
"No dear that is simultaneously a want and a need. I'm talking about a true indulgence ."
Twilight could not comprehend her friends meaning.
"Ok, let's try this. Ok try and clear your mind." Rarity stepped behind Twilight. "Just don't think for a moment."
Twilight obliged her friend. With her eyes closed she paced her breathing and tried to stop her racing thoughts for a moment.
"Ok now." Rarity paused, and then frantically "Without stopping to think quickly say the first desire that comes to your mind!"
"Clothes! Eep! Why did I say that!?" Twilight's hands found themselves over her mouth.
"Why not?" Rarity said, and then a wry smile crossed her face.
"Oh yes! Would you be a dear and stand still?" Rarity's measuring tape made it's way over to the purple unicorn and Rarity began to measure Twilight
"Rarity... you don't ha-"
"But I'm going to anyway."
Twilight had left the Carousel Boutique with as many questions she had had when she arrived, but she also left in a sleeveless dress that ended a little past her waist, the material was cut diagonally at the right side from her navel to the bottom of the dress, where the material was missing you could see a short skirt. The dress was sapphire blue, like her mane. With the same rose and violet colors in her highlights as the dress's accents and the skirt. She also wore pants that were a tad darker than her coat. Her cutie mark was embroidered on the left side of the dress. She had made sure to inform Rarity about the 'meeting' to be held later in front of town hall after she put the dress on and took her leave in order to check in on Pinkie Pie. She made her way to her friend now. Spike had chosen to remain behind and assist Rarity.
It wasn't long before she could see decorations strewn about. Tents and stalls were being set up. It was truly a small affair but the enthusiastic party machine was well oiled and in prime condition. Pinkie was a whirlwind of efficiency. She darted from point to point throwing up streamers or lights. Checking the food stuffs in various stands, Inflating balloons, setting up games and sound equipment. Twilight observed several guards running about, assisting Pinkie on her campaign. Twilight approached the ecstatic pink mare and cleared her throat to get her attention.
"Twilight! Is this awesome or what?" Pinkie clasped her arm around Twilight's shoulder and panned the other hand out over the scene before them.
"It looks like you have everything under control. Have you been spreading the word?" Twilight asked, appreciative of her friends efforts.
"That was the easy part! All I had to do was say 'there's a party in town tonight' out in front of Rarity's shop and suddenly it was the talk of the town. And then Rarity brought me into her shop and made me some clothes. Boy I didn't realize how much I wanted them until I put them on, but aren't the wonderful?" She twirled on the spot, showcasing Rarity's work. She was wearing cotton candy blue striped tube top that went all the way down to her waist. A small raspberry colored skirt, embroidered with her cutie mark, with cotton candy blue colored leggings.
"They're wonderful Pinkie."
"What do you think Princesses?" Pinkie twirled again towards two figures who were standing nearby. Twilight paled and began stuttering.
"P-princesses?" She quickly turned on the spot and found herself face to face with who was indeed Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
Celestia stood before her student looking as radiant as the sun. She smiled a bright white smile and her hands were clasped in front of her. She had the most elegant dress Twilight had ever seen on. Surely Rarity would have an episode when she laid her eyes upon it. It had an open back and flowed all the way down to just an inch or two off the ground. It was as brilliant white as her coat, but it was accented with gold trim and her cutie mark was embroidered on the left side.
Luna stood next to her sister contrasting Celestia's beauty with her own. She wore a similar dress but it was multi-layered and was as blue as her eyes. The trim was silver and her cutie mark was emblazoned on the right side.
"Good afternoon my most faithful student." Celestia simply smiled at Twilight, anticipating the sure to come overreaction that ensued. Twilight found herself immensely confused on how she would pay respect to the Matriarchs. How does one bow in this body? Were it not for Celestia's intervention Twilight was prepared to throw herself to the ground. As she made towards the ground Celestia spoke.
"Please, Twilight, there is no need to get frantic. If you must bow a simple flourish like will do." She demonstrated, bowing deeply to her student, further confusing and embarrassing her. She was supposed to be the one bowing. Of course a memory of Spike bowing in a similar fashion choose that moment to leap into her mind, to her irritation. Soon she was bowing repeatedly to each princess, and even bowed to Pinkie in her over eagerness. Pinkie giggled and called her silly and her face flushed. By the time she looked back up Celestia and Luna had already begun to make their way around the skeletal party grounds.
"It seem to me thou are preparing a celebration." Luna noted to Pinkie.
"Yeppers! It was my idea! I though food and fun might make it easier for everyone to get used to the new bodies."
"It certainly will. It is quite unfortunate that we cannot stay." Celestia turned to her student, true regret in her eyes. "We must continue on our way, Twilight, we need to make an appearance in each town and city."
"We must ensure our subjects that we have not abandoned them." Luna finished for her sister.
"Of course princesses! But is it ok if I ask a question?"
"You just did." Luna smiled, she took a turn at 'lets fluster Twilight', Celestia gave Luna a smirk.
"Oh. But that wasn't what I wanted to ask." Celestia stared at her student expectantly. Twilight finally caught on.
"Oh. Um, what's going on?" She asked. Celestia thought critically for a moment.
"Nothing we can't handle. Do not worry yourself about this matter too much Twilight. What I can tell you is it is not harmful, and it is permanent."
"P-Permanent?"
"Yes. As for the exact details, even myself and Luna do not know. There is more to tell, but that will have to wait till later tonight."
"Tonight?" Twilight retained her composure but she was quite overjoyed. Soon Celestia would be back and she would get a chance to spend time with her idol and perhaps get some real answers.
Author's Note
just some more oh so mystical and magical indentation and spacing once again.
"You have done an excellent job taking care of Ponyville Twilight. You and all of your friends." Celestia looked upon her student proudly, Twilight beamed with happiness at the praise.
"Unfortunately, we must go." Twilight now frowned.
Celestia and Luna spread their large, elegant wings and took to the sky.
Twilight Sparkle watched as the Princesses departed. She stood, a distant look gleaming in her eyes for a few moments. She then remembered the praise and her duty and snapped to attention. She made her way to Pinkie Pie to see how she could help the party along.
I've been out of the police academy for exactly 25 days now. Me and my Field Training Officer (FTO) have been drilling, training, and walking and driving beats and otherwise honing my academy training to a finer point. I've gotten a few arrests under my belt and the days have been passing by at such a rate. I am absolutely loving my job.
Me and my FTO found ourselves walking a beat that took us past Central Park. He was talking to me about beat route planning and community presence.
I was listening intently to him, but I couldn't help noticing this one blue dude. He was about 15 steps in front of us. I doubted he knew our presence. His hood was hiked high over his head, despite it being sunny and the middle of summer, and I could tell he was anxious about something. He was looking around too much for a regular pedestrian, he was looking for something. I pointed the guy out to my FTO, and he saw it too, so we got silent and watched him.
Up ahead a woman was busy chatting away on her fancy new iPhone 5. Unbeknownst to her she was about to be robbed. The strange guy marched right up to her, casting a few weary glances around him before reaching out and snatching the phone right out of her hand. She let loose the expected scream but me and my FTO had already bolted after the dude, shouting various 'Police' and 'stop resisting' and etc. I thought he was gonna stop when he looked back and saw me on his tail, but he must have changed his mind cause he took off across the street, cutting some cars off, and jumping a low wall into Central Park.
I could hear my FTO over the radio, indicating our position to back up, but he had fallen behind me long ago. It was a single probably unarmed pickpocket, I wasn't worried, but just in case I fumbled around on my holster and brought out the taser. Every time I put the red dot on his back he darted around a tree. I kept up behind him and I could see he was starting to tire.
The party was in full swing. DJ-pon3 was rocking some hard tunes. Some ponies even gave their hand at dancing. Many of them were clothed. Some found their old clothing worked, others were lucky enough to get a few pieces of Rarity's work.
Twilight Sparkle was on a small stage, where a small gathering of ponies were questioning her. She tried her best to answer their questions. Some had problems, like Applejack, where they didn't know how to continue their jobs with their new body. Thankfully there were no situations they found that couldn't be worked around. Some asked the more general 'why did this happen?'s and 'What are the Princesses going to do about it?'s. Twilight found she couldn't answer any of them. Twilight wasn't even sure if she should tell them it was permanent. After some consideration she devised that if the Princess told her that in confidence she would have been sure to tell her to keep it under wraps. Of course when she told the crowd there was a collective groan and smatterings of panic. As the evening wore on Twilight had brought the gathered ponies to a collective agreement that it wasn't so bad and anything that was bad could be worked it. It was an all around success. The small gathering finally dispersed and she found her self free for the first moment since The Change hit.
She stumbled off stage, her hooves hurting. She decided she wanted to head home to see if there were any books she could consult about today's events. A moment of focusing and magic later she disappeared from the spot in a flourish of raspberry brilliance and reappeared an odd distance from her home.
"Why am here?" She looked around. "Even when I first learned this spell I was never this far off?"
She saw the tree that was her home and town library a short distance away. She looked behind her and saw a small gathering of trees and foliage. She would have made her way home were it not for something odd she had seen.
This guy didn't want to quit. I almost fired the taser on three separate occasions, but each time there was a tree or a rock or a low wall he'd dart around or over. People squealed as we cut across pathways as we ran through the park.
Thankfully his foot work began to get sloppy and he was getting tripped up by various combinations of dirt mounds, roots, and rocks. He finally ran out of luck and hit the ground hard. I could hear him swearing under his breath, cursing his hooves. I trained my taser on him, ordering him not to move and brought my hand up to my radio.
"Hey, 1-Adam-37, I've got our guy at taser point. We're like 15 yards off of the-" Of course I wouldn't be allowed to broadcast my location. There was a blinding flash of pure white at my right and this strange girl was tumbling towards me. The next thing I saw was a tree as my head smacked into it when she collided with me.
Twilight stood in front of the anomaly with her mouth agape. In front of her was a tree around 20 feet tall. Except when she looked at its trunk about half way up it was as if there was no tree there. She craned her neck and looked at the disturbance from various angles. It was as if she was looking through a window, and what she saw was somewhere else. The scene on the other side of the window was as idyllic as it was on this side of the window. Just trees and foliage, but it was different, why she couldn't put her finger on. She stared at the window for quite some time, berating herself for not bringing parchment and ink with her. When two people appeared through the window she jumped in fright.
A blue pony in a hoodie and a teal pegasus in a blue uniform of some kind ran into to window's scope, the blue pony fell over his own feet and the one in the uniform stopped, brandishing something black and yellow that Twilight couldn't identify. Twilight could even hear him.
"Stop resisting! I will tase you!" Oh no, the teal pegasus was threatening the blue one.
"Waait!" She stepped through the window , not expecting it to push her on her way out.
She went careening into the teal pony, who was quite shocked. Unfortunately he didn't have much of a chance to do anything else cause he ended up whacking his head into a nearby tree and passing out. She looked at the blue pony on the ground, who looked quite bewildered, but decided to take off running.
She stood up and fretted over the teal pegasus, she felt bad that he ended getting knocked out but she was glad she stopped him from hurting the other pony. She pulled him away from his slumped over position on the tree and laid him flat on the ground. She check his eyes and pulse and made sure he was still breathing before trying to nudge him awake. She held onto the yellow thing he was brandishing at the other pony. She looked him over, noticing the gold crest on the upper left of his chest, she read the engraving, and found herself paling at the works she read.
"P-protect and serve?" This was a police pony?!
"Oh no, no, no!" She knew bigger cities like Manehattan needed police to keep criminals in line. But she had never seen one in Ponyville or Canterlot. Canterlot had it's guards, Ponyville was crime less. The closest she had ever seen to a police pony was a sheriff in Appaloosa. She began to pace. She interfered with a police pony, she was going to be put under arrest and taken to jail. Oh how she panicked, she began to mumble to herself how her Celestia was going to punish her and send her to magical kindergarten.
When Godfrey came to he found some strange, purple, seemingly deranged, but well dressed, unicorn pacing over him. She was muttering to herself about how much trouble she was in and her worries about going to jail and being punished by someone who seemed to be her mother or tutor. He heard 'I'm gonna be sent to magical kindergarten,' and couldn't help himself; he started laughing.
"I'm not gonna arrest you for bumping into me." She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him.
"Y-your not? Y-your not going to tell Princess Celestia are you?" What? Who the hell is Celestia and why did she refer to her as 'Princess'?
"Uhh, no, but, uhh, are you ok?"
"Who me, no, no, I'm fine!" The unicorn told him.
"So what are you doing out here in the center of the park, running into cops?"
"Well I saw this really weird anomaly and when I went to investigate I saw you on the other side. I've never seen a police pony before so when I saw you yelling at that other pony I thought you were going to hurt him, and I jumped through the window or whatever to stop you." She started to lose confidence when she saw Godfrey's expression change.
"Ok an accident is one thing but deliberately trying to stop me is another, and how can you not have seen a cop before." He crossed his arms before him, looking upon her doubtfully.
"Well I've never been to a major city before, I'm guessing this is Manehattan, we don't have police in Ponyville or Canterlot." He was liberally confused at this point, where the hell is Ponyville and Canterlot? And did she have to butcher her 'Manhattan' pronunciation.
"Look lady-"
"Twilight Sparkle, is, a, my... name." She had interrupted him but regretted it when he didn't appear all too pleased to be interrupted.
"Is it my turn to talk?" He asked her, she tentatively nodded.
"Right, well, Twilight you're not making much sense. I've never heard of this 'Ponyville' or 'Canterlot'. So you'd better find some better excuses. You wanna try explaining why you're in the park again?"
Twilight gulped. Not quite sure what to say.
"Well like I said I've never been in a big city before." Godfrey watch her wave her arm at a random spot behind her.
"I came through a portal or something right over there." Godfrey almost decided right there she was completely insane.
"A portal. You take me for an idiot?"
"No! Look it's still there!" She walk over and pointed out a space in front of a near by. Godfrey made his way to the spot and found himself speechless. There was something there. He looked through the portal and could see an oddly large tree in the distance with windows on it.
"You came through this?"
"Yes. See, that's my house there. I was trying to teleport to it and fell short."
Godfrey could feel a cool breeze coming through the portal. Along with a strange sensation that was making its way through his body. He felt energized, and his fingertips were tingling. The portal seemed electric and it made the fur on the back of his neck stand on end. He reached out to touch the portal.
"Wait it'll pull you-" Twilight was cut off by a bright white light and the body of the officer disappearing. She quickly made to the portal and jumped through it herself. When she got the the other side what she saw made her heart sink.
Author's Note
I'll leave it to you all to guess what's different here. (Hint: it is spacing and indentation.)
Twilight passed through the portal and landed on the other side. Once she gathered her bearings she looked around but the police office wasn't there, or so she thought. She made to step forward and nearly tripped on his still body.
She immediately started tending to him. She lightly tapped his face and kept saying 'mister officer' again and again, but he would not wake. She pulled back his eye lids and his pupils were blown all the way open, and his hands were shaking fiercely. If Twilight didn't know better she would say he was having a seizure, but the symptom's she recognized and she knew she only had a small window of opportunity to save him.
In a flash the officer and her were in the immaculate white halls of a hospital. Doctors, who decided to work despite The Change, rushed to Twilight and the officer as they came into being. The various nurses and doctors levitated the officer onto a stretcher a began to ask various questions, but Twilight, despite strained panting, was eager to put in her own words.
"He's experiencing Magical Induction Overflow Syndrome." She eagerly explained to the nearest doctor. He just scoffed.
"Leave the diagnosis to the experts, miss, MIOS is a foals sickness. Last time an adult experienced it was a guard near Celestia when she was at battle with Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago." Twilight frowned. "How about you instead tell me his name."
"I don't know it." She pointed at his chest. "It looks like he's got a name tag though."
"Oh right, Godfrey," the doctor dictated to a nurse, who penned it down on a clipboard. "So you don't know him at all?"
"No. We just met a few moments ago."
"What happened?"
"Well I tried to teleport home and missed my target and ended up near a little grotto of tree near my house. In the grotto was a portal. I went through the portal and, what are you doing?"
The doctor was now shining a light in her eyes.
"Never mind." He stopped probing her. "Go on."
"I went through the portal and met him." She decided to omit her assault of an officer and aiding a suspect in escape.
"He thought I was crazy, but I pointed out the portal. He went through it and when I got back on the other side he was like he is now."
The doctor scribbled on the clipboard some more.
"Ok well I need you to go out and wait in the hall until we can stabilize him."
Twilight rolled her eyes.
"I'm telling you he has MIOS." She turned to Godfrey and began to cast her magic. Soon he was floating and a raspberry wall of magic formed around him. The nurses and doctors didn't dare stop her in case she drop him on the floor.
"Miss! You can't do that!" The doctors pleaded with her, but a nurse suddenly declared that his vitals were stabilizing. The doctor looked incredulous.
"What in Celestia's name?"
"Speaking of Celestia, someone get me a guardspony. I believe this man is a foreign dignitary." Twilight said simply.
Godfrey laid unconscious for a very long time. Days and days had passed. Twilight remained a sentry, by his side, sometimes administering treatment herself. A nurse had to be posted with him at all times. The nature of his condition required constant therapy.
Twilight had gotten the attention of a guard quickly and sent for Princess Celestia, who arrived at the hospital days later, confusion in her student's actions apparent.
"Hello my faithful student." Celestia smiled to Twilight, who she had woken. Twilight bowed to Celestia and then made to explain how she had met Godfrey and how he ended up in the hospital with MIOS.
"So you think this portal is an entry way to somewhere entirely new." Twilight nodded vigorously to Celestia's intuition.
"Yes I do. An Equestrian native wouldn't develop Magical Induction Overflow Syndrome so suddenly."
"Very well. Until Officer Godfrey is conscious I am going to post guards at this portal, if it is still there. Once he comes to he can tell us if we have any reason to fear his world."
Twilight agreed with Celestia's forethought.
Godfrey awoke with a throbbing headache and soreness in all his limbs. He recognized his surroundings as a hospital and mumbled for water. The nurse posted to him looked up suddenly, and began to call for a doctor.
Some poking, prodding and question asking Godfrey was sitting up in the hospital bed, sipping on water and munching on hospital food. Twilight entered the room, happy to see he was awake.
"Not you again. First I'm in a strange hospital, no one can seem to tell me where I am. No one seems to know how to explain what's wrong with me and they won't let me leave." Godfrey pouted.
"What's wrong with me?" She asked him mirthfully. "I have the answer to all those questions, you know."
"In that case, nothing. So how about some answers."
"Well I'm sure you already know, but you're in Canterlot General Hospital. Which-" He started to complain but she silenced him with a wave of her hand. "Which is in Equestria. If my suspicions are correct you are from an entirely different world. The portal we went through connected those worlds." She smiled at his dumbstruck expression.
"As for what is happening to you. It's called Magical Induction Overflow Syndrome. Usually it only occurs in infants and is easy to treat when caught." She paused to gauge his reaction.
"Magical? What?"
"I assume you don't have magic where you're from."
"The unicorns light stuff on fire occasionally. We haven't been like this for long."
"What do you mean?" Twilight inquired, eagerly.
"You first."
"Well MIOS is when the flow of magic through your body is more than your body can tolerate. Normally the body picks up ambient magic, stores some of it away and filters out the rest, but with MIOS the magic flows into the body faster than the body is capable of purging it. The magic flows through the body continuously messing with the nervous system, in various degrees depending on how much magic is in you. The symptoms can be as mild as headaches and as severe as coma and death."
"Death?" Godfrey's face paled
"I figured out what was happened to you immediately and got you treatment quickly enough to prevent any long term damage."
"That's good."
"Yes it is. The treatment was to cut you off from ambient magic and to slowly purge the magic within you. Unfortunately if you were to leave, or even if this nurse stopped shielding you the symptoms would reemerge, endangering you again."
"So what can be done?" He said with apprehension.
"For now we will control the amount of ambient magic allowed to flow through you until your body can purge it on its own. To speed that up you will have to learn how to actually use magic, namely through flying."
"F-Flying?!" He said incredulously. "I'll be able to fly?!"
"Yep!"
"But I don't know how to..."
"Oh don't worry about that; I know just the mare to teach you." Twilight told him, smiling at his bemusement. "But, now it's your turn. What did you mean when you said you 'haven't been like this for long'?
"Well around 6 months ago, December, I wasn't covered in fur, I didn't have wings, and I didn't have hooves. We all went to sleep on December 21st and we woke up completely changed."
"We?"
"Yeah, my entire race. All 7 billion humans on earth became ponified."
"Seven billion?Twilight gaped at him. "Wow."
"It's safe to assume that your numbers don't reach that high?"
"We're prolific but not that prolific."
"Heh, well. Given an ounce of space and we try to make it two ounces."
"Oh. So what do humans look like?"
"I could show you, where's my belongings? I have my old ID in my wallet."
Twilight fumbled with a container underneath his bed and brought it forth, passing it to him. He rummaged around inside of it and finally drew a small black wallet out from within it. He flipped it open, perusing the items within before finally drawing out a thin plastic card and passing it to Twilight.
She gasped when she saw what a human looked like, her intellectual mind instantly drawing conclusions. An inkling of that which was coming drawing into the recesses of her mind. Godfrey broke the silence.
"Something like that happened to you too, didn't it?"
"Yeah. We were different too. Yesterday I was a pony. Now I'm... I don't even know."
"Yesterday ? That can't be right... I've been like this for months."
"Perhaps time flows differently there than it does here."
"Oh right. Perhaps. What did you look like before?"
Twilight brought out a book, a heavy tome filled with descriptions and diagrams, rendered irrelevant by the change, of the various ills and diseases that can strike a pony. She flipped through the pages till she found a group of sketches, detailing the three races of ponies before the change. She guided the book, enveloped in her aura, to Godfrey, who took it and drunk in the sketches before him.
"This is so... surreal."
Twilight could only nod in agreement.
"It's like we crossed. Like some mad scientist spliced our genes together. Human body, pony features." Godfrey tore his eyes from the sketches and looked to Twilight for some kind of confirmation. She wore a pensive look, and was indifferent to his gaze.
Godfrey closed the book, making it snap slightly, bringing Twilight back down. She took the book back into her, magical, grasp and placed it back onto the shelf.
Godfrey laid back, the thoughts weighing heavily in his mind. He felt a headache inching it's way into his cranium. The headache's presence was from a combination of the confusion in his mind and the magic racing through his body. A nurse stepped into the room, clearing her throat to draw attention to herself. Twilight excused her self and the nurse erected a barrier around Godfrey, his therapy resumed.
He felt his headache slipping away and sleep ebbing in. He closed his eyes and let sleep seep in.
Author's Note
I apologize profusely for the delay. I work for Gamestop and I literally haven't have a day off for almost two weeks (place is a zoo during the shopping season). On top of that I lost motivation in writing this and then I started writing something else.
Between work and my other project I haven't taken a chance to add to this story, but my hiatus is over. As a plus my writing has improved immensely. I plan on eventually going back and rewriting the first parts of this story.
Also, my new story is http://www.fimfiction.net/story/68139/patience-everlasting
Godfrey floated along inside his own mind. His dreamscape loomed before him and his mind molded a serene scene. He was dangling in a chair lift on its way to the top of the mountain. A snowboard was strapped to his very human feet.
He didn't remember getting off the chair lift and it didn't matter. He was sliding along, propelling himself along with his unsecured foot, heading to the mouth of the trail.
There were ponies all around him. They stood, open mouthed, on their four hooves, gaping at the intruder. He didn't really notice, he was preoccupied with guiding his board along the trail.
At some point he strapped in and was speeding along. He was laying down some serious hurt on that mountain. Carving hard and catching air off of the smallest of bumps. He was in his element.
Ahead on the trail he saw something shimmering, but he couldn't quite make out what he was seeing. He thrust the edge of his board out to slow his reckless pace, but the snow was not yielding. Suddenly he had wings, which he had flared out. He cried out, in a panic, and a voice came to him.
"Everything will be ok, my little pony ."
He choked back a sob, and his wings generated drag. He slowed considerably, but he could not stop completely nor command his board, he continued sliding towards the white mass before him.
What he saw before him commanded all the respect of any being he had ever clasped his eyes upon. She held his eyes with her captivating awe and brilliance. Her aurorial mane flowed and her golden regalia shimmered in the brilliant sunlight.
She stared into his eyes and, mouth un-moving, she repeated her appeal.
"Everything will be ok, my little brony "
He was sure he was completely brony now, he looked back up at the regal figure he was about to collide with; she too had become a brony.
Godfrey woke with a start. He gazed around his room, but stopped abruptly when he saw the same figure he had just witnessed in his dreams resting in a chair nearby.
He stared at Celestia, wide eyed, and she smiled back.
"I am Princess Celestia co-ruler of Equestria and the patron of the Sun; Allow me to extend you a personal welcome to my nation."
"Uh. It's nice to meet you."
"Is it really. The circumstances that led you here are all rather unfortunate; certainly you would have rather avoided them?"
Godfrey frowned.
"Nevertheless, you are here now, and by royal decree you are an official dignitary; representing earth and your home nation."
"Huh? What?" Godfrey was unsure of the implications.
"I also wish to extend you the courtesy of full citizenship in Equestria."
"Umm, thank you. Look, err, I'm not really all that important or anything. You're gonna want to talk to the President or someone more qualified."
"Excuse me for being brash, but I am going to assume any world leader is going to be biased and self-serving. In the interests of my nation I have always sought unbiased and uninfluenced information about new foreign powers."
"That seems kind of... underhanded."
"It does doesn't it? Simply put; Equestria is a peaceful and neutral nation. I have no intention of warring, or even squabbling for power. And when it comes to power; I have more of it that you can imagine." A momentary dark aura enveloped Celestia. Godfrey equated her aura with one of a mother bear protecting her cubs. He realized at this point that was there ever a fair and caring ruler she was it, and that she would crush any attempts to take advantage of her, her nation, or her subjects.
"I assume you can infer what I am looking for."
"You want to know if you need to fear us."
"Precisely."
"Well I haven't seen much of your technology, but from here it looks like fear wouldn't be unfounded."
Celestia frowned.
"If all you have is slings, arrows, and swords; our technology will cut down your entire force in an hour."
"If you're trying to scare me; it's not working." She frowned.
"Scare you? Why would I do that. I am virtually trapped here. If I try to leave I'll collapse and die in moments. I'm at your whim. You want to know information and I'm giving it; and for all I know I'm committing treason. Yet, I for one sense that this place is different, and I'd hate for you to go through that portal and get your pretty head shot off because you don't understand Earth bureaucracy. You want things to go smoothly then take my information; if your truly are peaceful then you aren't going to torture me and anything I willingly give you should be enough to secure peaceful relations with my world."
She smiled at him.
"You made it sound like you are no good at this."
"At what? Logical deduction and inference? I'm good at that; politics isn't my thing though."
"What is the likelihood of an aggressive reaction?"
"From the United States? Threaten us we will throw everything we got at you. Otherwise, tread lightly and make no sudden movements and we'll get along fine."
"You represent this 'United States'?"
"Yes, I am natural born citizen of The United States of America, and now, I guess, the US-Equestrian ambassador."
"How do you think I should present myself before your leader."
"Leaders. We have over 500 members in our congress. They each represent different goals, opinions, and ideas of the people of the US and make decisions on our prerogative. Our President is both the figurehead and the commander in chief of our military, so you'll probably end up meeting him first."
"Oh, you're Democratic. Very good; we have something in common." Celestia smiled warmly, that is certain to get things started on the right hoof.
"You're democratic?"
"Most definitely. I have final say, but when I established Equestria ten thousand years ago I established a parliament of elected officials to ensure that the opinions of everypony would be heard and treated with respect."
"You established Equestria ten thousand years ago?" Godfrey asked with a look incredulity adorning his face.
"Yes. Me and my sister both. We are immortal. To me it is apparent that there isn't much magic on your world. Perhaps we should exchange some history."
And for a while she spoke of the history of her world.
Celestia spoke of the events celebrated on Hearthwarming's eve and her battle with Discord. She reached the battle with her sister, skipping past the thousand years of relative normalcy, and finished by describing her sisters retribution and the recent rediscovery of the Elements of Harmony. By the end of her history lesson Godfrey's mouth was, once more, agape. He was lost for words for a few moments, but finally he managed a question.
"You raise the sun?"
"Yes. err. Well actually, that is a slight misconception. Despite my several attempts to make my ponies understand the exact science, it sees time prefers it when I represent our planet as the center of everything.
I can manipulate its position, rotational speed, axis, and fuel consumption rate; but recently all I find myself really doing is conserving energy by simply keeping the planet from drifting out its orbit within the habitable zone."
Godfrey could swear she blushed slightly.
"So you could just end everything in a hot fiery flash couldn't you?" He stared at her, fearful of the answer. No amount of guns, nukes, or technology compared to the raw power of a sun.
"I could." She nodded solemnly.
"I guess world peace is easy when it's ruler can cast it into flames without a moment's notice."
"There's hardly world peace on Gaia."
Godfrey looked at her questioningly.
"I take no precedence over the various other nations on this planet. The Griffons and Minotaurs have their own lands and governments. It is my power that keeps them from warring with Equestria, but I care not for the petty squabbles they hold among themselves. Now I believe you have some history to educate me with."
Godfrey finished. Celestia had taken nothing at face value, and after a few, well placed, questions she had knew all she would about how she should go about presenting herself to the United States of America; and the rest of the world.
She eyed the gems embedded in her regalia. Few knew how old they were, and what they held; she simply hoped Earth wouldn't have to find out first hand.
Author's Note
My head canon of Celestia is a conniving mother bear. She has her fun but don't you dare mess with her ponies.
"What does this mean for me?"
"Your Ambassadorship?"
"Yes. What do you expect from me, and what if I don't want this responsibility."
"I expect you to aid me in communicating with you people. To ease tensions when we first make contact and to help me understand your world's customs, and to help your world understand ours."
"It seems to me that you intend for me to be your Ambassador. You say I'm an Equestrian citizen now, that certainly comes with protection in case things go sideways."
"I leave you with the decision of whom you serve. On one hand you have a lifetime of living on Earth; on the other you have this strange feeling that Equestria is 'different'. At the end of the day your decision does not concern me for no matter what you will always go out of your way to prevent any conflict between our two worlds.
And if you are to decide you do not wish for this responsibility I already have an Equestrian-Earth Ambassador; with whom you will be working along side with."
At that moment Twilight Sparkle made her way into the room. She seemed surprised that Princess Celestia was there.
"Princess Celestia?"
"Hello my most faithful student, I was just talking about you."
"Good things I hope?" She asked, a touch of giddiness in her voice.
"I just was just explaining to Ambassador Godfrey that he was to be working along side the Equestrian Ambassador, you.
"Diplomatic immunity." Godfrey chuckled lightly. Twilight flushed at his comment and Celestia cast them both confused glances.
"Oh she didn't mention that bit did she?" Godfrey chuckled more.
"Mention what?" Celestia looked at Twilight questioningly.
"Oh nothing much, just aiding and abetting, and assault of an officer." Celestia's eyes flew open in shock and she stared at Twilight.
"I-i Didn't kn-know he was an officer! I thought he was trying to hurt that other pony!"
Celestia just frowned, looking to Godfrey for an answer. Godfrey was thoroughly amused with this opportunity to make Twilight squirm, but enough was enough and he dismissed everything while waving his hand.
" I really don't blame her; her intentions were good, I'm sure."
Twilight took her seat, still slightly flushed from the situation Godfrey put her in. She absently twiddled her thumbs while Celestia collected her thoughts.
Celestia cleared her throat, and with that came the attention of Godfrey and Twilight. With two sets of eyes on her she began to speak.
"Well, while I have you both here I shall take the opportunity to explain to you what I know about why this is all happening in the first place."
Twilight suddenly affixed her eyes on the Princess, ready to soak as much information as she could. Godfrey, rolled onto his side, just as eager.
"Some time ago a great physicist theorized that next to this world there are multiple parallel others. Universes that are created when a decision is to be made; one universe continues down the path of one choice and a new universe is created for every other."
Twilight's eyes blew wide open and from, seemingly nowhere, a notebook, quill, and a bottle of ink appeared and she began to scrawl furiously.
"Normally these parallel realities exist separate from one another, and it is impossible to travel between them; but for a reason I do not know our universes are somehow meeting.
"It was further theorized that each universe vibrates as a specific frequency. So Equestria is vibrating at level 1 and Earth is vibrating at level 3, theoretically, they can not meet. There can be no exchange between the two worlds. So at this moment the two worlds are vibrating at different frequencies, but the universe, or universes, require balance, require harmony. So their frequencies are changing, they are converging in order to meet on the middle ground.
"That is what spurred the changes we are experiencing. That is why we are now half human and half pony, and as the frequencies continue to converge so will our worlds. There are surely more changes to come."
"Yes. Neither me nor my sister know what those changes will be. We speculate that magic will soon spread to Earth, but beyond that we know not."
Twilight looked thoughtful.
"Just how much will the two universes merge?"
"There's no way to know. Ultimately, I believe, that Equestria and Earth will become one place."
Neither Godfrey or Twilight knew what to say to that.
"That is why it is important to set up a good rapport with our new neighbors." Celestia eyed her student. Who blushed.
"I won't fail you, Princess!" Twilight turned to Godfrey. "You'll help too, won't you?"
"Sure, goodwill to all men, err, bronies."
"Bronies?"
"That is what my race has come to calling ourselves after the change."
"Interesting choice." Celestia smiled at Godfrey, knowingly.
"Well, Ambassador Godfrey, I shall leave you to your recovery. When you no longer need your therapy I shall come to you to discuss our nation's futures."
With that Celestia left me and Twilight alone. An akward silence grew between them, but eventually Godfrey broke the silence.
"So."
"Well where should we begin. We should have a game plan before we go back through the portal, and a back up plan in case things go wrong.
"Umm ok so what do you think we should do?"
"Well we'll need to get in contact with your leader."
"It is not going to be that simple. You're going to have to go through multiple channels before anyone significant will show up."
"Channels?"
"Yeah first there will be a formal investigation. Government agents are going to need to confirm the existence of Equestria."
"But, if they go through the portal the flow of magic will hurt them!"
"Then we're going to have to find a way to shield them from it. Like you do for me."
"I could do that, but will they let me?"
"Either that or death."
"Good point."
"Then they are going to want to ascertain if you pose a threat to our leader."
"Which we don't."
"Right, well once they fell confident enough the President himself will show up and then it'll be smooth sailing from there. Once relations are established then you gotta worry about US- Equestrian interaction."
"Huh?"
"Well I expect that the US will expect Equestria to be open for trade, despite your lack of technology. At least your magic will stand to be a good trade commodity."
"I don't understand."
"Technology. Where I come from there is no magic, everything we have has come from technological advances. The tools and devices we have are going to blow your mind, but just like you lack of technology we lack magic, and for every technological contrivance there is a magical one in this world, and just like you will be poor at using our technology, we will be poor at wielding magic, if we ever will be able to, thus, you have something other than the standard commodities to trade. Of course perhaps you nation isn't ready for our technology, in fact I for one think you'd be better off without it."
"What makes you think that?"
"I don't know, I just think that what we can do with our technology is going to rock this world, and not in any way that is good."
"You're not making any sense."
"Ok well, what kind of weapons do you have?"
"Weapons? Like swords and bows. There is also offensive magic, though only practiced mages are lethal."
"Right where is my stuff?"
Twilight levitated a bag over to Godfrey. He fumbled around inside of it and brought out his gun and his taser. He then cleared his gun, removing the magazine and clearing the chamber of the round in it.
"Should of done this a long time ago." He said as he set the now disarmed weapon down in his lap.
"Done what?"
"Unloaded this thing. See this?" He held up the 9mm round that came out of the chamber of the gun.
"This is a bullet. It is a piece of lead or other soft metal, in a form fitting tube. The space between the metal and the back of the tube is packed with a powder that burns extremely fast, and on the back of the tube is something called a 'primer' when it is struck it ignites the powder."
"And that propels the bullet."
"Right, we put the bullet in the gun," He held up his Glock, "In order to control where it goes, and to compress the energy. Instead of blowing out in every direction the heated gas only has one way out, down the barrel. When I fire this gun the projectile easily breaks the sound barrier."
Twilight's eyes widened, suddenly realizing what purpose the gun had.
"It's meant to kill."
"Yes. One bullet is all it takes, but this gun can fire 18 rounds as fast as I can," He demonstrated pulling the trigger as quickly as he could "Pull the trigger."
"Eighteen?" Twilight whispered.
"Yes, and this, this is just a simple hand gun. Our army standard issue is a long rifle that is accurate up to 500 yards and can fire 30 rounds in seconds. We even have guns that are accurate a mile away."
"Well surely there has got to be technology we can benefit from?"
"Medically, definitely." Godfrey told her, eyeing his room, and in essence the hospital in, seemingly, mock disdain.
Twilight giggled.
"It's not that bad here is it?"
"No... I guess I'm just tired of being cooped up."
"Oh! I know! I can introduce you to my friends!"
"Like we can leave this room, and go somewhere else?"
"Sure! All my friends have been called to Canterlot just in case the Princess needs us."
"You and your friends sure sound important."
"Well, not to brag, but we've saved Equestria on two separate occasions and another pony kingdom once."
"Saved?"
"A bunch of long stories, you sure wanna her them or do you wanna go for a walk?" Twilight smiled, slyly.
"Walk! I vote walk."
Godfrey changed into his clothing. He lacked any civilian clothes, but the shirt he wore under his uniform, and his uniform pants didn't look too formal, so he went with that.
Twilight lead him through the halls of the hospital and out the front doors into the heart of Canterlot.
