Sometimes a walk on the Wild Side can change your entire life. Introducing a new character, Amy.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. None of the characters, places, or anything else is meant to be represented by anything in reality. Duh! Fiction, get it? I the author reserve the rights, so please don't go posting this anyplace else without my permission. A very special thanks goes out to Cathy and all the others out there in BCTS land who have encouraged and inspired me to write and keep writing. Another round of thanks goes out to djkauf who is the fastest proofer I've ever encountered. Any remaining mistakes are all mine.

“Four on the Floor!” Her Dad exclaimed popping her chair up into a wheelie just like he used to do when she was a kid. However, she wasn't eight anymore and the old routine fell flat.

Besides, Amy was none too sure about any of this, but kept quiet. She'd made her peace some time ago. It was better to live each day to the max instead of chasing dreams that promised everything, but gave nothing.

The disease that wreaked her body was slowly killing her and had no cure.

Her Mom changed the towel that kept her from drooling on herself. Oh and let's not forget that along with killing her it ripped any shred of dignity from her while it was at it.

No, she hadn't fallen to self-pity, but things were what they were. Maybe in 15 or 20 years there would be a cure, but not today or even tomorrow. It went without saying it would be too late to help her.

Then came the Gates.

Really Amy hadn't paid the discovery any attention. Walking other worlds meant little when you couldn't even wipe yourself.

What followed was the thing she dreaded the most.

Hope

Not that it bothered her, but because of what it did to her parents. Amy loved them dearly, but they drove her crazy grasping for one long shot cure after another.

You had better believe the Wild Side came with plenty of those. The most obvious was immigration. She was completely uninterested in a world where all the necessities of life were unavailable. What, no I-pod, TV, or anything that ran on electrical power? It was the neat doodads that let her roam the internet and had given her a kind of freedom had kept her from going crazy trapped in her dying body. And they wanted her to give all of that up? Pleasssse!

The whole 'adjusting' into another species didn't do much for her either. She just wanted to be normal on the planet in which she was born. Was that too much to ask?

Besides, you had to have some way of supporting yourself 'over-there' and her parents were just as technology addicted as she was.

It wasn’t that they were geeks or nerds or anything like that, but the Magic Kingdom didn't have much need for mechanics or network administrators.

Carla the Gate attendant who was helping them, given Amy's special needs, cheerfully warned, “You're ready to roll? We'll be ready in just a minute, so let's move closer to the door.”

Because of those same needs they'd been allowed the use of the VIP lounge. Looking out of the windows, she could see these flatbed cart things that rolled on a small railroad track. A bunch of them would just appear out of nowhere rolling down the track and then a forklift would hook up and drag them outside.

She could see it was carefully timed so the Gate was always busy. While the cargo guys were doing all of that, the attendants shoved the people traffic though them. Keeping things running smoothly looked to be a serious job.

Then it was their turn. In a way, the Gate was a serious let down. It was only this large circular metal framework with all kinds of cables running to it. There were no arcs of electricity or any other kind of special effects at all. There was just a lot of warnings and danger signs that another world was only a step away.

She was in her old push chair today since nothing electric worked over there, but it still bugged her to be dependent on her Dad. Practically an invalid, every last bit of independence she had was jealously guarded. However, they been warned that her chair would 'adjust' to something else and it might not change back coming home to Earth.

That would not be good seeing how much it cost and the independence it gave her. Never very girly she'd always had a thing for going fast. Lacking the ability to walk or run made it even more exciting for her.

Besides, Dad had customized that chair making look more like a hot rod. Watching the races on the tube was one of their special things. Yes, she was a speed junkie. To go fast was good. To go faster was better!

Reaching that line that warned of no return, Carla chivvied, “Move along! You don't want to be here when the Ogres start throwing cars down the line!”

And then Amy was stumbling forward disoriented by an unexpected gain in height and weird sensations in her legs. Hey, she was walking!

Trying to follow Carla, and get the hang of this walking thing, something felt all wrong. Glancing down, her mouth dropped open.

Holy Crap! She was a horse!

Okay, Amy reasoned. She still had arms and hands so maybe not a horse. A little freaked out, she looked for her parents, but only saw this couple who were staring right back at her. Sort of delicate looking, they were small, barely coming past Carla's waist. Their rich milk chocolate tan had to mean they were Brownies.

“Amy?” the tanned woman asked disbelievingly.

“Mom?” She answered, but the deep voice that came from her had her blinking in near shock.

A smiling Elvish Carla led them to a mirrored alcove in the passengers' concourse. Amy's mouth was still open gaping at herself.

From the waist down she was a horse. You know, four legs, hoofs, and a gleaming brownish red coat complete with a long flowing tail.

It was her top half that had her doing the fish imitation. Tanned, but not so much as her Brownie parents, she had brown curly hair. Her torso was nicely muscled with well defined six-pack abs. However it was the red beard that really shocked her.

She was a guy!

Touching the beard, it was a really weird sensation having her face covered by hair. On the other hand, it was nice to have full control of her, well, his body. Thinking that his beard was the same color as his horse's tail, he twisted around to check.

Yep, that was a boy horse alright!

“It's me.” Amy said half amazed. Wow, this was messed up, but she thought she rather liked it. When your choices are half-horse or invalid, the horse wins every time.

This also kinda sucked; too, since they were only taking a 'walk on the Wild Side' they really didn't have visas. It was a courtesy thing where you could get a taste of what the Wild Side might do to you, but you had to stay in the Gate terminal. They couldn't stay.

Carla must've seen the look on his face.

“Come with me, Amy.” The attendant beckoned. “I think I can find you a little more space.”

Leading them to an outside door, it opened out onto a cargo overflow area. In the distance she could see those huge guys, Ogres, shoving those truck sized loads around like they were shopping carts.

Whatever it was this was a place where he could run!

A little clumsily at first, Amy cantered but after gaining some confidence he ran for all he had. Slowing at the end of the field, he sprinted back, lost in the sense of strength and speed this body had.

He still wasn't too sure about this changing species thing. Okay, Amy had some serious problems with it, but he was willing to admit it had its advantages.

He was running!

However it wasn't long before that 'changing species' thing reared its head as he found out what 'peeing like a horse' really meant. The damn thing was like a water-hose!

Then all too soon, it was time to go back.

The whole time his parents sat there in the shade holding hands grinning happily at his antics, but now Amy could see their apprehension. This was the part of this whole thing that they'd been waiting for. They'd pinned all of their hopes on impossible odds.

Just every now and then an Earther doesn’t change back to the same person which had left. For those with disabilities and/or diseases that meant they came back cured. 'Cross-Adjusting' he remembered it was called. Researching it before they'd left, the chances were so long it was difficult to call them.

Taking a deep breath, he ran one last time. It didn't matter. Running on his own legs, all four of them, he held out his arms as if flying. Living one day at a time was the only way.

Standing before the Gate, he thought about the freedom the Wild Side offered. No crippling disease killing you and chaining you to a metal chair. However, while he didn't know much about horses, he did know they didn't live as long as humans. He would not go chasing after every chance for another few years.

Stepping forward as Carla waved them on, he had no regrets.

Amy half-expected to be rolling, but no he was still walking! Hey, it'd worked!

Touching his still bearded face, still a guy too. Only this time he had two legs which frankly was a relief. Being half-horse was interesting, but he wouldn't want to stay that way permanently.

His parents were back to normal and staring at him. Carla leading them back the concourse gave him time to glance into a mirror.

Wow, Amy looked just like his dad when he'd been younger. Despite how thick it felt it was just the usual scraggly teenage boy peach fuzz. Thinking about it, she was okay with that.

However, that wasn't the real question was it?

“Mom, Dad, are you okay with this?” He asked concerned.

“Honey, you're alive. You can walk!” Mom broke into tears hugging him.

“Better a live healthy son, than a dead daughter.” His Dad said a little too huskily trying not to cry.

“Well, I guess that means you'll be teaching me to drive a stick. Four on the floor, right? Amy grinned.

They all broke into laughter and tears.

Since she gotten her electric scooter