1st April 2012
22:22 GMT -6
Okay, clearly this was.. built for.. someone
smaller than.. me-.
Ah. Okay, head through-.
Whow.
Whow.
I pull my head back for a moment and blink as my visual field readjusts. I knew that normal ponies have side-mounted eyes to better watch for predators, but Equestrian ponies… They're not side-mounted, but the visual field is a
noticeably different shape. And there's no.. 'gap' between being here and being
there. Your body changes as you go through what appears to be a two dimensional membrane. Circe could.. probably explain how the mirror makes blood flow synchronise despite the differences in body shape and volume, but a precise explanation isn't necessary for my purpose.
Behind me, Sunset tries to help Twilight up while Twilight… She's trying to stand on her toes.
Ah, the memories.
I lean forward once more, my upper body passing through the portal and my
don'tmovethemdon'tmovethem. My forehooves resting on the upper tier of the small dais it stands on. Don't move them. It feels like I'm putting my bodyweight on the tips of my middle fingers, and while I'm strong and tough enough to actually
do that it's.. a
weird feeling. My sense of
balance isn't usually-.
Where have my rings gone? Sinestro,
are you still there?
Yes… Lantern Grayven. Apparently I'm being dragged into this farce as well.
Where did-? I flick my ears, and half-turn my
whoew long neck so I can see myself in the mirror's surface. My yellow power ring is now a yellow power earring, hanging from my right ear like a cow's ear tag. Turn my head the other way and, yes, same with my orange ring. Piercings? I
hate piercings. I regard it as a weirdly socially acceptable form of self-harm, why couldn't they go over my
horn or-
I have a horn!
-something? Ah, never mind. Right, I can still feel my humanoid lower half, just need to take.. one step.. forwards…
I lift my right forehoof up, move it forwards and gently lower it onto the next step down. It's not
quite like
walking on my middle finger; all the other fingers are tiny vestigial things on the.. back somewhere, so they're not in the way. I push down in a sort of lopsided press-up as I try to get used to the movement. Okay, I think I should be able to manage a
slow walk without falling on my face. Left forehoof.. up.. and down. Progress. Normal back right le-.
I'm too wide.
Oh, right. Celestia's tall but anorexically thin. I'm.. probably either a scaled-up regular pony shape, or scaled-up
Snowflake-shape.
Um.
Gruh.
I try twisting my hips in a way pony hips are.. apparently, not designed to do. But the mirror's frame appears to be
extremely resilient, so if I push off my
left leg and reach forward with my forehooves-.
Ahfuck-!
Ugh. I'm through. On the floor in the middle of a storeroom and that probably made enough noise that even the guards of Canterlot couldn't have missed it. Lying on my right side. Flank. Whatever an equine's side is called.
…
I'm a pony now.
I crane my neck to get a look at my whole body in the mirror. Gray fur, eyes.. pretty much the same. My full body armour is now full body barding, though it doesn't cover my forehooves. Have to bring gloves next time I come through. But
what the heck is up with my horn? It's curved and.. smooth, without the spiral I remember from My Little Pony. No idea what's going on
there. And
wings! I have-.
Oh fiddlesticks, how do I move them?
Um. Yes. Yes? Kind of? I'm just twitching the muscles in my shoulders and back in the hope that one of them connects to-.
Huh-ah?
And now I'm on my back. Turns out that my wings are as strong as the rest of me. And while I
sort of got a feel for the muscles involved, I
don't think I'm going to be doing any flying for the foreseeable future.
You are aware that-?
Yes, yes, I know I could fly by
ring. But despite a few questionable decisions I don't honestly believe that Celestia is
stupid. There are probably all
sorts of magic-detection spells on her capital, and even
more on her palace. And I'm
pretty sure that they'd-
I squirm and roll onto my side.
-register yellow and orange power rings as some sort of dark magic. I'm not here for a fight.
An intelligent observation, Lantern. But without a ring, how do you intend to move the mirror?
Boom tube, probably. Mother Box?
Ping.
Okay, let me know when you've adjusted. And if you
can't, I'll just have to grab it and run.
Another squirm and I'm lying on my… Underside?
Gentle flex of the membranous wings now stapled to my spine to check they're working, good. Middle finger middle finger
push, and back.. right middle toe..? Yep, okay, good. Back
left middle toe and push…
Ah…
Arch my
feet and push with my legs and
up I go. Hah! Okay, door's over
there, should still be unlocked from where Sunset picked it… Yuuuaaah… Alright, I'm probably not stable enough -hah!- to open it by hoof… Ugh, mouth it is, then. I'm immune to disease, as long as I don't lick it I'll be fine.
Okay. Walking…
Slowly. Hoof hoof hoof hoof. Hoof hoof hoof hoof. Still a little
odd, but I'm getting the hang of it. Walking… Walking…
And we're there. And-. Oh, it's just a handle. I mean, I can see the keyhole, but once the lock's open you just.. push.
Why do a species who don't have hands have handles like this? Am I supposed to push it with my
hoof? No, never mind, my hoof's clean, I'm not going to scuff the paint.
And
push…
The door opens out onto a red-carpeted, lilac-painted corridor. The corridor is..
weirdly tall, with stained glass windows going from just below the height of my shoulders to near the ceiling. Hanging between the windows are simple… Tapestries? Banners? Showing stylised images of equines surrounded by the usual heraldic filler. It appears to be night, and the corridor is illuminated by wall-mounted sconces and candle-studded candelabras. Hm. No electrification yet? I suppose a palace this old wouldn't really be designed for it, and they
would probably be better off waiting until they can implement it to a standard quality.
I
carefully walk up to the closest window to try to get an idea of where the exit is likely to be. No electric lighting means quadrangles and courtyards to let the light in, though… I don't think an equivalent European palace would be
quite this profligate in its use of glass. I can… There's another section of palace
that way, over which I can just about see some of the taller buildings of part of Canterlot before the city
stops. I really hope that it
isn't like the hazardously built mess in the animated series, because if so I'm not going to spend a moment longer here than I
have to.
I'd survive the fall but it isn't as if I'd
enjoy hearing everyone else die.
I turn back to the corridor. So…
That way. Main entrance should be in front of me somewhere, but there's got to be a tradesman's entrance or something not
too far away. As long as I'm careful, I should-.
"
Who are you?"
…
Rats.
I turn to see-. Oh, it's two adorable little foals in mock-guard armour! How
sweet! They've even got the little lantern-on-a-pole thing. Someone put a
lot of effort into that costume. And
yes, situational awareness, but it's not like I can move fast enough to
hide. And they're
clearly terrified of me. That won't do at all. I lean down slightly and smile at them in an attempt to calm them.
"Hello, children. Why don't you run back to your parents and forget I was here?"
"
Y-.
Y-."
"Look, I'm not here to hurt anyone. I'll just be on my way, and-" I shrug, and-. And I'm momentarily lifted into the air as my wings flap. "-then-." The two foals
flee for the stairs at the far end of the corridor.
…
Okay, I need to be somewhere else now.