1: When We Sleep
A note to ANY and ALL pre-readers or editors: Feel free to message me if you want to help with the story or have any comments. Any editors, I might make a Google Doc for any comments or potential fixes. Being my first story, I want to leave a nice impression with not only you guys but the rest of the fandom as well!
Unfurling the Ribbon
A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fan fic
By Ribbon_Dancer
Chapter 1
Lightning illuminated the sky again, the white-hot light arcing across my view as I swerved to avoid it. The torrent of cold water droplets soaking my body made every movement sluggish. The beating of my wings threw water everywhere as I struggled to keep myself stable. The water began to sting my eyes, but I had to press on. ‘I have to make it through the storm,’ I kept telling myself, putting both hooves forward. With the icy wind chipping away at my concentration, what happened next was disaster: The bright bolt cast in front of me shattered my thoughts as I screamed, which was instantly drowned out by an enormous clap of thunder with enough force to shake my body. Feeling a shift in the wind, my stomach worked its way up into my throat as I realized that I was falling. Losing altitude fast, I could do nothing but stare in horror as the forest below rushed up to meet me. My mind screamed at my wings to save me, but they were unresponsive. “This is it… I am going to die…” was the last thing I felt my body saying as another flash shook my body. Then, there was nothing…
~ When We Sleep ~
I sat up quickly, breathing heavily as the last remnants of the dream fell into the back of my mind. I had been flying through what felt like a hurricane only to fall to the ground, but the impact never came; thankfully, I always woke up before that sickening collision. I took this moment to catch my breath, my eyes drifting about my bedroom. It was a simple setup, with just three pieces of furniture. My eyes were adjusting to the only source of light in the room: my alarm clock. The dim glow was just enough to illuminate part of the room. The bed that I was sitting on was tucked into a corner. Just to the right of the bed was the window. The curtains were pulled shut, but they still let in a sliver of moonlight. To the left of the bed was a dresser, the top adorned with my clock and some random knick-knacks. I squinted my eyes a bit as I tried to focus on the blue numbers on the display. I brought up my half-asleep arm to rub the sleep from my eyes, but just as my hand was about to touch my face, I stopped. Something decided to crawl in front of my line of sight, causing me to drop my arm. Staying still as I dropped it, I thought my eyes were surely playing tricks on me. The shape that fell from my view seemed almost too bulky to mine. “Must be my lack of sleep,” I groaned, but what tumbled from my lips sounded more like a drunken slur. As my eyes made their final adjustments to the dark setting, I saw my desk across the room. The entire left half seemed to be covered in different marking utensils and scrap paper, while the right half held a half-complete drawing. The dim light made it impossible to see all of the details at this angle.
As I sat up in the darkness, it came to my attention that the strange feeling of numbness in my hands wasn’t going away, giving me a little fright. I decided to move my arm, and again the strange shape moved up into my vision. I was puzzled, but since it seemed harmless enough, and since I was half asleep, I left it alone. I shook the blanket off of my body when I felt something brush against my legs under the covers. In my attempt to flee the intruder in my bed, I wound up becoming tangled in the bedsheets. With my balance thrown off, I had managed to land in a rather pathetic heap on the floor. “Well, I’m awake now,” I mumbled, glancing at my clock to read 2:58. “So much for… sleep?” I stumbled through the sentence as I listened to myself. My voice had never been that high before, not even when I practiced my falsetto for voice acting. Slight panic began to set in, but I was not about to let it take over. ‘I just need to get a glass of water… that is all.’ Trying to stand up, my body didn’t react how I intended to. With the sheets wrapped around my legs, gravity decided to remind me which way was down. Underestimating how slippery my bedsheets were, I quickly found myself sprawled out across the floor, my legs splayed out behind me as my arms lay to my sides. I groaned and pulled my face from the sheets, turning to look at the offending limbs that abandoned me when I needed them the most. To my surprise, that same unfamiliar shape that fell across my vision before was lying there in front of me. I moved my entire left arm slowly and watched as the shape reacted, easily following every movement to a tee. When I bent my elbow about a third of the way down, the shape followed suit. Bending my “wrist” brought the last third of the appendage closer, and I pulled the limb against me. Twisting my head and neck, I discovered the other side revealed the same results. After pulling my “arms” closer to my torso, I tried to look at my legs, but the sheets covered the rest of my form. The only thing I could make out in the dim light was the rough shape of my lower body. Closing my eyes, I made an attempt to “feel” how my legs reacted against the floor.
Bending what felt like my knee, I began to bring my legs closer to me. I could feel that my legs were still spread out slightly, and something in the back of my mind said to try to move my “ankle” up. To my surprise and joy, it worked, pulling my legs against me. Feeling confident, I shifted my weight a bit to get my limbs completely underneath me. My muscles strained as I slowly pushed up to a standing position. With a feeling that seemed all too natural, I did the same with my arms. Within seconds, I found myself on all fours, but the instinct to stand up on just my “legs” didn’t rise. I took a moment to look around when a strange realization hit me: Everything was bigger.
My curiosity was too much. I took a moment to shake the sheets from my back. As I felt the cloth fall, there was a tug at my spine, bringing a somewhat elated thought to my half-awake mind: ‘I have a tail!’ Giddy with excitement, I turned towards the center of the room, taking some tentative steps forward. I was still a little sleepy, but this was too curious. Getting used to my current position, my motor skills were put to the test. Ever since I was startled awake, I felt the urge to get a drink. Wondering where my glass was, I groaned. ‘The bathroom.’ After moving my right “arm” forward, I was about to move my other arm when a slight feeling of discomfort told me that wasn’t the best idea. As if by instinct, I tried moving my left leg forward, barely picking the limb up from the floor. Mirroring this simple movement on the other side, I pushed towards the door, thankful that my floor was uncluttered. Getting up once was difficult; I did not want to try to do that again.
I got to the door after what felt like five minutes, thankful that it was left ajar. The only sound was the squeak of the hinge as the wooden panel allowed my continued passage. Stepping into the hallway, the dim glow cast from a nightlight in the wall socket helped my slow journey. Approaching the bathroom, I let out a sigh: The solid oak doorway was completely shut. Raising an arm, I felt around for the doorknob. Curious why my hand didn’t find its target, I craned my neck up to discover why: It was almost two feet higher than it should have been. I tried to reach for the metal device, but it was no use. About to give up, a glimmer of light caught me by surprise. There was a small metal square with a circular indent about two feet up the door. Using slow, careful movements and quite a bit of balance, I maneuvered my left arm up, which fit into the circle. After a light push, the door clicked and swung open easily. I dropped my arm to regain balance, and could have sworn I heard a soft clop as it met the tile. Shaking an absurd idea from my head, I put my arm up again to tap the light switch, and let out another high-pitched sound as I closed my eyes shut tight. The bathroom’s simple light felt like staring at the sun. I even put my head down, as if that would keep the harmful beams from hurting. When I felt an odd sensation on my forehead and neck, my confusion rose. ‘Is my hair really that long? Maybe I should cut it soon.’ Opening an eye slowly, a curtain of brown and blond hung across my limited sight. I opened my other eye slowly, which was greeted with the same sight. A quick shake of my head tossed the hair from my eyes, only for my eyes to fall upon a different sight. I froze when I realized what I was staring at.
I was gazing at a pony. Anything that could have been labeled “sleep” in my mind was instantly purged when I caught those bright blue eyes looking at me. Taking careful steps forward, the pony did the same. Her mane was a mess of brown and blond, hung somewhat over the right side of her face. Lifting an arm to wave, she mirrored my movements. Groaning, I tossed my head back and forth, trying to clear my vision. ‘There is no way I am hallucinating about ponies right now.’ My mind struggled to make sense of the pony in my bathroom. Causing more harm than good, my imagination didn’t help clear the image of the cream-colored mare. That was when I noticed a slight bump on her sides. Were those wings? “There is no way I…” We both spoke at the same time before I froze. There was only one voice, the one that I heard before. Turning my body sideways, the mare reflected the movement, allowing me to see a profile of her body. I was pondering why there was a pegasus in my bathroom when I saw something beyond the odd limbs, the weird walking, and even the pony that was copying my every move. It wasn’t just strange, but impossible: There was a door behind her. My bathroom had only one door. Then it hit me. That wasn’t just a pegasus. That was a reflection. That was me.
All other thoughts aside, one went through my head. I have always been a fan of this family show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Sure, there were neigh-sayers who would give me flak for liking the show, saying it was only for “little girls” or other jokes, but I ignored them. I admired artwork of fans and even started to learn how to make my own. I would be lying if I said that I never wondered what it would be like to be a pony. “I must be dreaming,” I vocalized the first thought in my mind. That voice felt so alien, yet completely normal, as it escaped my lips. I was a pony. Not just a pony, but a pegasus! I attempted to feel where my wings were, eyes closed. I slowly felt them unfurl, being careful not to hit the wall. I was amazed at the sensation of an extra set of limbs. I opened an eye to get a look at the appendages, but the shock of brushing the wall caused my wings to press against my body. As they snapped to my sides, I began to worry. Was I only imagining them? I had to check my sides to reassure that my dream didn’t pull an elaborate prank on me. With a relieved sigh at the sight of the folded limbs, a smile crept across my face. There was only one reason that all of this was happening: I was dreaming. I was a pony, and I was a pegasus. My earlier shock became an excited happiness.
“This… is gonna be fun!” I squeaked.
“I can’t believe this is happening!” I giggle, striking another pose in the mirror. The cream mare in the mirror smiled wider. With one more pose I remembered those wings. I almost forgot about them! Knowing that the bathroom was too small to stretch them I decided on moving rooms. Putting one foot, err make that one hoof in front of the other I leave the tiny area. With every step I felt better about walking. So good in fact that soon I didn’t have to think about it. Passing under the threshold into my living room I remembered what the name for that feeling was.
~Second Nature~
Easily flicking the switch to illuminate the room, I took a moment to look around. My dream world must have shifted with my new self, because all of this furniture was perfect for my size. The coffee table, covered in comics and more drawing pads, was about a foot and a half up from the floor, a single pillow next to it. The couch sat against the far wall, the television mounted on the wall opposite. The gap in my blinds let me look out past my balcony to the world beyond. "Not bad, dreams," I say aloud, becoming more use to the voice I hear. The detail between what was on my table down to the taxi passing on the road below was astounding. My focus on the world outside was broken when I noticed my reflection in the glass, recalling why i came here. I took a few steps backwards, and after nearly falling on my flank I was centered in the room. I closed my eyes again, focusing on the extra limbs behind me. Feeling them open again I stretched them out completely, trying to remember my old anatomy classes. First came the axilla, or the 'shoulder', right where the wing connected to my body. Keeping my eyes shut I rotated the feathered limbs to figure out their range of movement. Feeling confident I brought them up as I moved on to the next few joints. Bending the margin and carpal joints, or the "elbow and wrist" respectively, brought the wing slowly in. Dropping the tension in my shoulder I could feel the wings return to their closed state, noting now both how natural and relaxing it felt. Focusing on the opposite brought the back to their full glory. after a few more reps of this I wanted more. As I shifted the muscles in my shoulders I could feel the wings pick up speed.
Once I felt the resistance on my new joints I pushed even harder, squeezing my eyes shut tight. The sudden feeling of weightlessness was a bit of a shock, but I kept my focus, Opening a slow eye while keeping the limbs behind me in a smooth, oscillating motion was a mistake. With an excited gasp I cried out "I'm flying!" That was mistake one. In my excitement my mind came off of the focus I had built earlier, and my wings stopped their movement as well. Mistake number two was going to hurt. Much to my relief this hover only took me a couple of inches from the ground, but the shock of falling even that far was enough to land my on my rear. Unlike myself, my excitement was much harder to bring down. "I was really flying!" I squeal aloud, ready to try again. After finding myself back on the floor two more times, my fourth attempt was more of a success. After holding the hover for what felt like 5 minutes, I opened my eyes again. Instead of betraying me, this time they kept me aloft as I felt a smile of accomplishment slide on my face. I was quick to discover that by changing how often or not I flap my wings that I could change how high I could go, where simple weight shifts allowed moment horizontally. I was lost in the enjoyment of this that I forgot what time it was. While passing over the couch a surprise growl from my belly broke my thoughts, sending me into the pillows below. I glanced over towards the cable box, and suddenly realized why I was hungry. It was almost 5 in the morning!
