Train Ride

>boop
>You're shaken from your daydream by the hoof of stranger brown mare gently pressing your snout
>She smiles, "You looked like you were leaving us there, anonpone,"
>You, still not totally comfortable with the idea of being a pony, furrow your brow and scoff, "I'm not anonpone, I'm Jack!" you exclaim, and though you are a stallion, your voice squeaks in it's new pony form.
>The fellow former-human transformee mare next to you was in the same predicament, though he had earlier learned that she was turned into a mare instead of a stallion.
>An epidemic of humans across Earth has caused those visiting /mlp/ to be turned into their OC's, and human governments have rounded up as many as possible to bring to a town formed specially for the new ponies until they can figure out what to do
>You are both on a train headed to who-knows-where
>The brown mare next to you giggles and shakes her head, "You're not a human anymore, you know that, right? Gonna have to pick a new name eventually."
>You look out the window with a tired, half-lidded gaze, anxious and worried about what this town of newly-turned ponies from all around the world would be like...
>"I'm Coca Breeze," the squeaky-voiced, brown-and-cream colored mare says, speaking over the noise of the crude train car barrelling down the tracks.
>You grunt and flicker an ear in her direction, still looking out the window at the changing landscape, trying to discern if you can figure our where you are and where you're headed based on changes in terrain. Not much luck though, mostly pine tree forests like where you started the evening before. You sigh under your breath and glance at Coca Breeze, giving a single nod. "I'm Jack," you repeat, this time in introduction.
>Coca Breeze smiles, satisfied with herself that she managed to formally meet another pony.
>You begin fiddling with your light-blue covered hooves, looking down at them nervously. For some reason you can't help but feel butterflies in your stomach. In one sense, this was pretty exciting, actually becoming a pony and being placed in a pony society all of the sudden.
>On the other hand, you were removed from your hometown without consent and were being sent somewhere in the wilderness decided by the UN
>Your track of thought is broken again when Coca's high pitched voice makes your ear reflexively flicker again. "You look nervous, Jack. Why the long face?" she asks in a shitposty manner.
>You look up at her with a deadpan reaction to the shitty pun, making her burst out in laughter, "Oh my god, I've always wanted to do that!" she squeaks out between giggles.
>Fuck. The first pony you meet is processing this situation in a totally different way, to put it politely, you think to yourself.
>Nevertheless, you crack a smirk at her, shrugging before the smile fades away. "I'm just nervous about this, y'know? We don't know where we're going or anything. What're they going to do to us?"
>Coca's laughing eventually subsides and she gets herself back to her hooves, regarding you with a tilted head.
>"Why do you care? Isn't it great enough we're ponies? I mean... yeah, I'm not a guy anymore, but who doesn't wanna be the little mare?" she asks with an innocent smile.
>You roll your eyes and look out the window again. "Because I don't want to die in the middle of nowhere as a miniature horse, lady." You state flatly.
>She lightly punches your sing with a hoof, barely messing up some of the feathers.
>Looking down at the wing, you can't help but grimace. It was so strange, having a feathered appendage, and it almost kind of grossed you out. You flap the wing slightly to set it back right and look at Coca.
>"Don't be so pessimistic. It's a town, not a /pol/ neo-nazi death camp," she jokes in a manner that seemed to try to make lighter of the situation.
>"We'll see. I'd rather be back in the US to be honest." You say.
>Coca Breeze frowns, then sits on her haunches, wrapping her long brown tail around her resting hindlegs. "Hm. You must've had a good life. I didn't have much to live for. Maybe this is the change I needed..." she says, looking off into the distance as she trails off. She shakes her head to clear her thoughts, looking to you again with a slightly embarrassed expression, but continues, "What're you going to do, then?"
>You frown at the thought of someone having such a hard life that being turned into a horse and losing your manhood and hauled off to god-knows-where is better than whatever hell you were enduring previously.
>'Yeah... I did have a good life,' you silently think to yourself, feeling a sudden pit in your stomach. You shake it off, taking a deep breath. You look to Coca Breeze again with an uneasy but resolute expression. "I'm going to get back home. To my family. As a human. No matter how long it takes..."
>Coca frowns at you. "You're gonna have to accept and move on at some point..." she says softly.
>You raise an eyebrow, not really able to wrap your head around just going along with where life was taking you. "Hrm..." you say, leaning back onto your haunches and rubbing your tired, bleary eyes with your thick, clumsy-feeling hooves before running them through your admittedly supersoft but unkempt mane. "For now, I just want to stay alive." You mumble to Coca Breeze.
>She smiles, finally giggling again before patting you on the shoulder. "I guess that'll do for now, sillyhorse. If you ask me, we'll probably end up happier here than anywhere else. We wouldn't be able to function in normal human towns. We need to be with our own kind, don't you think? I'm ready to forget all that human stuff and just be a pony," she says with closed eyes and a self-satisfied smile.
>You barf internally at the idea. "Forgetting your human memories? Fuck that."
>You look around the traincar, making note of the disposition of your fellow travellers. There was about an even mix of mares and stallions, and a mix of reactions evident in their demeanor.
>Some of the mares were visibly disturbed at the new reality of being female, while others seemed either indifferent or even elated at the new circumstance. Some stallions and mares in the farther reaches of the car seemed to be getting very... close to each other and you quickly avert your gaze back out the window.
>You were going to be really happy to get out of this fucking train.
>In fact, if you could figure out how to use these new stupid wings, maybe you could, but the first time you tried you faceplanted, leaving a nice 'dumbass mark' on your face for all to see. You haven't tried since.
>It wouldn't bother you so much if you hadn't been a private pilot as a human. Granted, you only flew little single engines for fun, but at least you never face-planted...
>You make a mental note to gain control of your flying abilities as soon as possible. Maybe you could pilotage & dead reckon your way home?
>You look down at your now only physical possession: an Army Green surplus courier bag web-slung around your left shoulder, carrying a few items issued to you at the military depot before you boarded the train.
>You remember the US National Guard officer looking down at you with a mix of confusion, intrigue, and pity as he handed you a Ka-Bar knife, flint & steel, some rope, and a water canteen.
>From what you could gather, it was all surplus that had expired past service life, but it would serve it's purpose nonetheless.
>You are broken out of your reflections by the feeling of something soft and warm leaning against you, and you look over to see Coca Breeze asleep, leaning against your right side and lightly snoring.
>You sigh and look out the window again, and soon find yourself, despite your best efforts, drifting off to sleep as well...