Chapter 4

“Master?” I asked him, going back into startled mode. That was a little creepy. This guy wasn’t just making ponies, he was making pet ponies. Didn’t he just say they lived in a village in the mountains? What was going on here?
“Angel, I’d like you to meet Lone Blaze” a smallish unicorn, red with a lighter red mane. Not a real looker… “And Zypher Bolt.” Yellow unicorn with a blue mane; worked better than I thought it would. Wait, they used to be humans, why was I admiring his handiwork? “Like I said before, it takes time for the transformation to occur, so I keep my subjects here while it’s going on.” He stood up, beckoning the two ponies to follow, which they did happily.
The room they emerged from was a little smaller than the monitor room. There was a table with three chairs in one corner, a bed in the middle and four dishes on the floor. A tv sat against one wall, but there was no sign of a remote. Of course, I had to turn around and examine the door itself. When it was closed, it could be locked from the outside by not one, but two deadbolts, and there were large dents on the bottom of the door. I shuddered a bit, then shivered. It was really starting to get cold down here.
 My thoughts were interrupted by a ringing noise upstairs, and Starlit Skies (it’s so weird to think of him like that, but what else was I going to call him?) looked at his watch and sighed. “I think I know who this is. Girls, this is Angel Grace, she’s new here. Would you like to stay with her while I take care of something?”
Lone Blaze nodded. “Of course, whatever you like, Master.” She replied, looking up at him with adoration. He smiled at her, then turned to look at me. “I’ll be only a moment, then we can talk more.” He closed the door, and I could hear the sound of both deadbolts engaging. So, for all his poise, I was essentially a prisoner until I became a pony.
Speaking of which, my two roommates were circling around me unnervingly, examining me from all angles. “What, do I look that weird to you?” I asked, before it occurred to me, yeah, I probably did.
“Juuuust a little. Master doesn’t usually bring others like him in here.” Zypher Bolt explained, stopping in front of me. “He said that we would be going home soon. Are you here to take us there?”
I guess that this “home” of theirs was New Equestria. I wondered how many people-turned-ponies were living there happily, and if what Cobalt said was true; that these ponies had no idea what they used to be. It was kinda scary, but thrilling, too. Skies had been right about one thing; my life seemed aimless, hollow. Maybe the magic of friendship is what I needed…but I wasn’t ready to be erased yet.
“No, silly. He said she’s new, so she’s never been there.” Lone and Zypher were having a bit of a scuffle, trying to decide why I was here with them. Once they figured it out, I would have to ask them if they knew-
“Ah!” I stumbled over to the bed, holding my head. Sudden chills had passed over my body, stronger than anything I’d felt before. The two ponies had gone to the door, calling out for their Master, but I was only barely aware of them. What was going on with my body…was I starting to change into a pony already? He said he had already dosed me once…twice? Who knows. I laid there, shivering, trying anything I could to get warm, and was about to resign myself to feeling like I was encased in ice when a sudden warmth spread through my body and spirit. I turned my head enough to see him stroking my side. “There, there, Angel…” he said kindly, smiling down at me. Okay, psychopath or not, this was really, really nice.
“What’s happening to me?” I asked, still shuddering even after the warmth his touch brought me. “Am I really…”
“Changing? Yes…It looks like the shift has begun…” he rearranged the bedclothes, helping me get comfortable. “Faster than I thought it would; your body and mind are just disagreeing on how pony you are right now.” He chucked a bit, stroking my cheek. Oh god please stop doing that I enjoy it way too much. “I guess it just means there was a pony in there fighting to get out. Get some rest, my dear Angel Grace. I’ll take these two up to New Equestria, and then we’ll have all the time in the world.”
I wasn’t sure if it was the deliriousness, or whatever it was that had made these two ponies in mind as well as body, but that seemed really great to me. He clapped his hands once; Zypher and Lone came to his side quickly. “Why don’t you two get ready? It’ll only be a minute.” They went off to the corner by the TV, picking up some stuff as he turned his head back to me. Once again, I was struck by how handsome he was. Even looking at him seemed to warm me up. “I’m going to have to leave for a little while. I don’t normally leave subjects alone during the change, but I think I can trust you. Can I trust you, Angel Grace?”
I nodded mutely, and he rubbed my head with a big smile. Ah, that felt nice, and not just the rub. The praise he was giving me with the headrub left a warmth that didn’t fade as quickly as he pulled back. “I’ll put on a selection of some of my favorite episodes; should be plenty to keep you busy until I get back. Stay under the blankets, alright? The chills will last awhile, and I don’t like seeing you cold.” I gave him another little nod, still speechless, and he motioned to the two ponies nearby.
“Is Miss Angel Grace going to be okay, Master?” Zypher asked, as the trotted up to join him. He nodded down at her. “Of course she will. I’m going to take good care of her, like I take care of all my friends. But we’ve waited long enough, I bet you’re eager to get home.” They both cheered, and he closed the door behind them, the locks clicking. After a few minutes, the Television came to life, and I laughed.
“Clock is ticking, Twilight. Clock. Is. Ticking!”
This was one of my favorite episodes too. Somehow, the knowledge that he liked it made me happy. I settled down to watch the episode. Perhaps Starlit wasn’t so bad, after all. Even if he was turning me into a pony, I guess it was just so I could be happy.