Let's get things started
Arc's POV
I always found life dull and boring and that's the way I planned on living. But for all the little screw ups and good things I did in my life, Karma had something special prepared for me. Either that or it was a screw up in evolution.
How about we start on my last day on earth, shall we? What I look like? I'll tell if it gets important sometime, but you don't need to know now.
Back on earth, I used to work in a bureau for the bakery I took part time during my school days. Anyways, it had been my day off and I happened to be eating in my favorite (and the only one in town) Japanese restaurant. I just got my second bowl of rice, when that girl came in.
I was used to meeting a few strange people, especially in my favorite restaurant, so I shrugged her off pretty quickly as a cosplayer. She had red, yellow hair, green-blue almost turquoise eyes, wore a pink shirt with a red, yellow sun on it, a black jacket, short orange trousers with a pink and a yellow stripe on it and black leather boots that covered half of the second half of her legs and they had pink color on them.
Should I have known? Probably, but I didn't really paid much attention. My days as being all crazy, just so I and people around me had fun (or were became weird out) were over after an argument between me and my father as to why I didn't chose to study harder in order to get a really well paid job. We fought, words were spoken, I left my old hometown with the money I saved up.
I don't regret it. But things just weren't the same.
"One Oyakodon and a cola." The girl placed herself next to me, since it was the only place available. I made her some space, by putting my stuff that had been lying on the counter in my pockets and resumed eating.
I finished 20 minutes later, used the bathroom upstairs and walked outside. I paid in advance plus tip. Incidentally the other girl finished too and paid her bill. We got both outside at the same time and even walked down the same way, which wasn't surprising. We were downtown and I was headed for the bus station near the train station. It was practically where all busses stopped.
I also wasn't concerned that she stepped into the same bus as I did, because I lived near the university and she looked like a university student to me. It got a little weird when she stepped out the same station as I did, but then again I only lived in the neighborhood for six months.
I picked out my keys and got into the house I lived. I should mention I was listening to my mp3 the entire time, so I didn't notice someone pushing the door open downstairs before it slammed shut.^
I yawned when I entered my apartment and stupidly forgot to close the door immediately. Wouldn't have made much difference anyway on the long run. I got off my shoes and walked into the living room, turning on the TV and collapsed on the couch.
Remember the stupidly left open door? Well after the news were over, I got up and wanted to get me something to drink, only that a certain strange haired girl came out of my room, slammed me against the door and held a knife against my neck.
"What the...?!"
"Surprised?" she asked.
My heart seemed to race a mile a minute. Hey it's not every day someone threatens to take your life. "I don't have much money, not even on my bank account." I explained as calmly as I could.
"Hmph, I'm not after your money. I'm here for a proposal."
"Okay? Why the knife?"
She put her knife away, but still pressed me against the wall. "Proposal?" I asked. "I think I should make something clear." Instead of saying something she snapped with her finger. I raised an eyebrow in confusion, when suddenly one of my books came flying to me, surrounded by green light.
"The hell?" I whispered in disbelief. I took another look over the girl who finally let go of me and caught my book. She threw it away half heartily. I looked for a few seconds at the sun on her shirt when it dawned to me. I just couldn't belief it.
"Did you put something in my drink while I wasn't looking?" I asked. She in response rolled her eyes and gave me a good smack over my head. "OW!"
"No you idiot. I am Sunset Shimmer. Or do I need to demonstrate you my more violent spells?" she asked already annoyed.
"Enope." Was my response. "Good."
She nodded and took out her knife again, throwing it into the wall next to me. I gulped as I slowly looked at the thing. "Hey, get your ass moving and get me a soda."
I nodded and got her and myself a can. I found her lying on my couch, arms crossed behind her head. I gave her the soda and placed myself on a chair.
"Okay, you're probably asking yourself: 'Why would THE Sunset Shimmer suddenly appear in an apartment of a no name human in the so called 'real world', when she's supposed to be in a high school version of the castle in Canterlot?'"
I only nodded and took a good sip. I considered making myself some strong coffee.
"The answer is simple: I found out I still could cast magic after going through the mirror, just I needed to put a lot more effort into it. I was trying a spell I remembered reading and as I already said I needed to put a lot more effort into it. Long story short, I used too much energy and ended up here.
I found out about this TV-show and that I could use my magic here like in Equestria. Now speaking of, I found a way back to Equestria, I'm not going to tell you how, as it would take too long to explain. My goal is to become a princess as you know and I discovered something interesting."
She looked directly into my eyes. It unnerved her. She looked at me the way I would look when someone would give me an AK-47 as a birthday present.
"You have magic inside you. Strange magic and I want it."
"Alright~..." I emptied my can. "Considering you didn't already took it out of me suggests you can't for whatever reason and this 'proposal' is the stereotypical help me and I give you power villain proposal."
"At least you seem to have some brain." she threw her can away, splattering the rest of the liquid on the ground.
"Let's say for argument's sake I'll say yes. What would stop me in betraying you? You don't trust anyone at all, I know that."
"I have my ways and as long as you don't do that, there's nothing you've to be afraid off."
"I don't like the sound of that..."
I thought over of what she said. There was not information to go on what she said, so I had to go on what I knew about her from the movie (I only watched one time, because I didn't like it). I recalled her personality, her change at the end of the movie and the theories from the internet forums.
"You didn't try to steal the element of magic, did you?"
"No."
...
"You want to become an alicorn and nothing more?"
"What's there more to have?" she asked.
"Know what" I slammed my hands on the table and stood up "my life is screwed up and you got me curious enough to tag along. Besides, I finally could get my chance to troll Celestia."
"Are you serious?"
"Just wait and see. But you probably want to avoid her, right boss?"
She got off from my couch and looked at me seriously. "Leave the thinking part to me. You only follow my orders. So listen up: your magic, whatever it is, will most likely only awaken when we enter Equestria. I'll need some time and moreover SILENCE to prepare the teleportation spell. So sit down and just be quiet."
She stood there, eyes closed and her magical aura surrounding herself. I placed myself on the couch, shaking my head. What have I gotten myself into? I thought. Watching Sunset was getting boring over some time, even if there was real magic at work here.
I occupied myself with playing the most annoying and at the same time enjoyable game: candy crush. I didn't know how much time past, when it was as if there was a sudden weight all over my body. The aura was surrounding me too now. Sunset opened her eyes and looked at me. "Here goes."
I blacked out.
XIII
When I woke up, I noticed immediately that I was lying in the grass. "Shit just got real, alright. Damn my head..." I muttered. Opening my eyes, I found myself in some kind of plain. Sunset quickly came into my view. She was in her pony form.
"Finally awake? Took you long enough."
"Oh man..." I tried to get up, but fell down immediately afterwards. I had hooves and four legs instead of two and two arms. So this wasn't a dream. My back felt kind of strange too, like there actually was something.
"I should have considered that." Sunset muttered most likely more to herself. She bit my mane and pulled me up forcefully. I was shaking a little, but managed to stand. "Was that the same for you, when you first turned human?" I asked.
She ignored my question and instead gave me instructions. "When you can stand on your own, try to go to the river over there, slowly if you have to." From the way she was saying this, she preferred it if it went faster, but accepted the fact I needed to get used to this new body.
"Alright."
I tried to remember the exercise during PE. I sucked at it, but remembering how I did it as a human, I just needed to copy it from my memories. I did a lot better than I thought I would and only stumbled a few times. I was still pretty slow.
Looking at the river I could see my reflection: white eyes, blonde mane and white fur. "Talk about imagination." I deadpanned. I was a pegasus by the way. Looking back at my flank, my cutie mark represented a pair of wings.
Sunset looked over me. Her eyes rested on my cutie mark. "Does that mean I'm good at flying?" I asked. She shrugged in response. "I was expecting you to be a unicorn, but I can still feel your magic. Especially in your wings." Her horn lit up and the magic aura was surrounding me once again. Her eyes glowed in the same way for several seconds, before turning back, stopping the 'scan'.
"You should have access to it now."
"Straight to business huh? Thing is, I have no idea how to activate this 'special magic' in my wings. Hell, I don't even know how to use them." I flapped with my wings a little, looking at them with a raised eyebrow.
"A pegasus who can't fly. Great, just great." Sunset looked at me like I was a bad joke. "I can help you with your magic though. Close your eyes." I did so. "And now clear your head. Focus on your magic. Think of it like a butterfly you want to catch. A butterfly that is emitted in light and all you have is your hands..."
The rest of what she said was blocked out. It wasn't really a butterfly, but in front of my inner eye I saw a feather flying in midair. Come here, come here.
It was way harder than it sounds. Finding it wasn't a problem, catching was. I didn't notice how the time flew by or that I started sweating. "Shit! Almost had it..." I growled out loud at some point. I was standing there for hours, getting closer to it very slowly.
XIII
"GOTSCHA!" I exclaimed after hours, immediately collapsing with a white aura surrounding my body. It was strongest around my wings.
By now it was dark already and Sunset lit up a fire. I collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily and sweating bullets. Sunset trotted over to me. "Hmph, you did better than I thought. Can you summon it again?" she asked.
I nodded. It's hard to explain as to how I could use magic; it's like a sixth sense. I managed to summon a small aura for like 3 seconds, before I needed to release the magic again. I rolled over to the river, so I could put my mouth inside and drink.
Afterwards I slowly trotted over to the fire Sunset was sitting nearby and collapsed again. "Man, never thought magic would be that exhausting."
Sunset looked over to me, ready to make a comment, when her face suddenly froze.
"...What? Something on my face?"
XIII
Sunset's POV
"...What? Something on my face?" he asked. He didn't notice? How could he not notice? This was his freaking damn body!
"Look at your back." I said simply. He titled his head in confusion, but followed my instructions. "WHAT THE HELL!?" he exclaimed as he finally noticed how his body had changed.
His mane and tail were in a dark blue, his eyes were turquoise color, his body fur color a light blue and finally his wings: they were made of water. Literally. His cutie mark now looked like them.
The former human walked around like a panicked animal, always looking at the one or other body part of his. I could tell this was going to be a long night.
XIII
After I managed to calm him down, we both rested for the night, exhausted after channeling so much magic. I was the first one to wake up. The pegaus was still in his...water form? That reminded me, I still didn't know his name and he also needed a pony name.
Celestia raised her sun until it was at its highest position. Celestia...soon she would see my true potential. I looked over to the pegasus as he was blinking, because of the sun shining directly into his eyes.
He looked over to his back. "So...that wasn't a dream." he concluded. It was only natural for him to say this. I walked over to him and inspected his wings by touching them. My hoof got wet.
"It's water alright." I looked over to him. "I never caught your name."
"Oh right. The name's Chris Hammond." he introduced himself. "You still need a pony name. And then we have to find a way to undo this."
"Jeez, are you always the straight to business type?" he asked in a sarcastic way. He thought about for a few seconds. "How about Arc? My full name could be Wing Arc."
It would do. "Right. So in order to change back, you'll most likely need to channel your magic again. About reversing what you did...you have to figure it out yourself, since it's the first time a pegasus used magic."
"Great." he deadpanned.
He closed his eyes and focused. I sighed and guessed it would take him another half a day to figure it out. And I was getting hungry too. Luck was on my side however as I saw him changing in front of me, but not back to his normal self.
His eyes became ruby red, his mane a darker red, his fur a lighter red and his wings were on freaking fire! On a side note, his cutie mark changed too now, displaying the wings on fire.
"Hey it worked. Oh shit, I'M ON FIRE!"
To sum the following happenings up: he ran around like an idiot, rolled on the ground and finally decided to jump into the river. Which turned out to be a BAD decision, because he lost consciousness. It turned out the opposite element he had on, was his weakness. After some CPR he got up again, a little shaky though. He told me, he just needed to imagine the element and focus for a few seconds. In order to get back to normal, he focused on a feather.
After hitting him over the head for good measures, we walked towards a path I scouted out the previous day and began to wander. Arc's growling stomach reminded me of my own hunger, but at least he didn't complain.
"By the way, do you have any money?" he asked at one point. I simply nodded. "So what's the plan? I mean, it will take us more than a day to make you an alicorn."
Hmm, I guess I should tell him.
"Equestria is filled with magic, tomes about magic, magic items etc. You catch what we're going to do?"
"That simple?" he asked surprised. "Oh well, I guess we're not only looking into libraries, huh? Some dusty old ruins with forbidden relics? Sounds totally cliché, but could be awesome. As long as nothing gets us killed..." he gulped, but had a stupid grin plastered on his face. Something told me there was more to him, than the introverted, self-centered human I scouted these past few days.
"You still need to learn to fly." I pointed out.
"Oh joy, flying. All of the sudden I wish to be an earth pony."
What have I done? I just should have gown back to Equestria without him. His powers might proof to be useful, but it will totally look suspicious (and stupid for that matter) if ponies see me hanging out with a pegasus, who doesn't know how to fly.
He flapped his wings a few times, but they were never in sync. I certainly didn't know anything about being a pegasus. I could help him with magic, if needed, but that was it. Learning to fly was something he either needed to figure out or I'd simply dumb him.
I should have thought things more through. I'd never admit that to anyone, but myself. Now I'm hungry, I've a pegasus who knows shit about flying and we're in the middle of nowhere. I still have the money from my time in Equestria (being the princes' personal student has its advantages), but it won't-
"There we go." Arc's sudden statement got me out of my train of thoughts. There was a sign stating that a town called Ponyville was only five miles away behind the hill as it seemed.
"Near Ponyville is the castle of the two sisters. I guess we'll start there?" Arc asked me. "What else is there to do? And don't even start with that whole Friendship is Magic crap."
"I prefer donuts."
...
...
...
"What does donuts have to do with this?" I dreaded asking. Arc snorted and shook his head. "Sorry, it just got the better of me. Now seriously, how long we'll be staying? And what if Celestia pays the place a visit? You know with Twilight and the elements."
As annoying as his questions were, he made some good points.
"We'll simply leave for the castle. Since we'll spend most of the time there anyway. You'll also learn to fly there!"
"Thanks for the reminder..." he muttered. I smacked his head with my hoof. "Let's go. I'm starving."