I was awoken by the sound of someone knocking on the door. It was a soft knock, just barely loud enough to draw me from the embrace of sleep.

Groaning softly, I rolled over and cracked my good eye open, glancing blearily around. Warm sunlight streamed through the curtains of the open window, a gentle breeze causing them to shift slightly. I squinted to see the face of the clock above the fireplace, and groaned when I saw that it was only a little after eight in the morning.

What is with these blasted ponies and not sleeping in? I groused as the soft knocking continued. Trying my best to ignore it, I rolled over again and snuggled deeper into the blankets, hoping that whoever was on the other side of the door would give up and go away.

However, it was not to be. The knocking continued, growing steadily louder.

Grumbling quietly to myself, I gave up and forced myself into a seated position. As the mattress shifted beneath me, a low murmur came from my right, originating from within my blind spot. Turning my head, I glanced down at my bed companion.

Twilight was resting beside me on her back, her wings limp by her side and her forelegs folded across her chest in a cute manner. Her mane was splayed out around her head in a disheveled halo of hair, the lavender and pink highlights mixing together. She had a small smile on her face, her ear twitching every few seconds.

Reaching over, I pushed some strands of her mane out of her face, causing her to hum happily. She murmured softly, her hind legs shifting beneath the sheets. I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I watched her sleep, her chest rising and falling gently.

The moment was ruined as the pony on the other side of the door knocked again. Twilight’s ear twitched with the knocks, and her smile faded slightly.

Guess I should figure out who it is before they wake her, I thought as I roll myself out of bed. Glancing around, I located my shirt lying a few feet away on the floor. Quickly scooping it up, I struggled sleepily to put it on as I shuffled to the door. Another round of knocking sounded, and I groaned softly. Whoever is was was very persistent.

I leaned against the wall and cracked the door open, glancing out into the hall as I did so. Upon seeing two magenta eyes staring back at me, I jumped in surprise.

“Good morning!” Celestia chirped, giving me a warm smile. Her eyes flicked up to my hair, and she tilted her head to the side. “Don’t tell me you were still asleep,” she said, tsking softly, eyes twinkling with mirth. “It’s such a beautiful morning!”

I gave her a bemused look, blinking owlishly in the bright light of the hallway.

“I was actually looking for you yesterday,” she said, her smile fading slightly. “There is something important I must talk to you about. Also,” she continued, her smile turning into a smirk, “there is someone I would like you to meet.”

Running my hand through my hair, I gave her a confused look before shrugging my shoulders.

~Sure, what the heck~ I signed, pushing the door open wider. ~I’ve got nothing better to do today~

“Excellent!” Celestia chirped. “Now, if you’ll just follow me,” she began, but trailed off. Glancing over my shoulder, her eyes widened in shock before narrowing. Her smile vanished and her lips pursed.

Confused at her sudden change in demeanor, I glanced over my shoulder as well. All I saw was Twilight lying in bed, her back to the door. I stared at her for a few seconds before my eyes widened as I realized what the problem was. The conversation I had yesterday with Twilight came to mind, and I sighed heavily. Celestia had wanted her to find her own room.

Stepping out into the hall, I closed the door behind me before glancing up at Celestia, who was staring at the closed door with a cold look, her nostrils flaring.

“I told her…” she muttered under her breath with a snort. Her ears flicked back and forth, and she looked like she was silently debating whether or not to burst through the door and wake Twilight.

Reaching up, I placed a hand on the side of her face and pushed. There was some resistance before she turned her head and began to slowly wake off down the hall, her back stiff.

“I told her…” she repeated, steam practically coming out of her nose.

~I know~ I signed, keeping step beside her. ~She told me~

“But, why—”

~You don’t control who sleeps with me~ I signed, glancing sideways at her. ~I do~

This earned a sigh from Celestia, who closed her eyes, her brow furrowing.

“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about,” she said softly, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “I was looking for you yesterday, but couldn’t seem to find you. Now I know why.” She grimaced before opening her eyes. She glanced at me, concern clear on her face. “Are you sure you understand the severity of what she’s done?”

~Are you sure my sex life is any of your business?~ I shot back, cocking an eyebrow.

Celestia’s eyes widened and she almost stumbled, barely catching herself in time. She sputtered weakly, cheeks aflame as her ears splayed back.

“B-but, she…” she began, fumbling for the right words.

I just shook my head before cutting her off. ~What happened between me and Twilight concerns only me and Twilight. I am fine with it~

“But, she raped you,” Celestia said lamely.

~It was not rape~ I signed, glaring at her. ~I am fine with what happened~

“Do you give her consent before the act began?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.

~No~ I signed, ~but that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t okay with what was happening. Consent does need to be expressed, and may be implied. I didn’t move to stop her, so I gave consent~

Celestia snorted, shaking her head. “The absence of an objection is not the same things as consent,” she argued. “She held you down, prevent you from communicating properly. what if you hadn’t been able to stop her, but wanted to? By your logic, that would still mean that, since you didn’t move to stop her, you still consented.”

I stopped walking and crossed my arms, giving her a deadpan look. She stopped as well, her ears splaying backwards.

“Look,” she said, speaking softly. “I’m just trying to make sure that you understand the ramifications of what happened. Despite what you may believe, what Twilight did was wrong, and could count as rape in the eyes of a court.”

~In order for it to count as rape, I would need to declare it as such~ I signed, my eyes narrowing.

She stared at me, her mouth open slightly, before sighing and shaking her head.

“Well, I can see that there is no reasoning with you,” she huffed. Silence filled the hall for several seconds before she continued. “Very well, I shall drop the issue for now, but just know that I do not approve of this. Too much can go wrong if word got out. If any of the nobles found out, they could have Twilight tried.”

~For what?~ I asked, a smirk slowly spreading across my face. ~Having sex with a human? Don’t most of the nobles do that anyways? They can’t try her for that unless they want to get in trouble for it as well~

“But, you aren’t like our humans.”

~But when I decided to stay in Equestria, didn’t you say that I was basically an equestrian human in the eyes of the law?~

Celestia paused midstep, her eyes widening. She gave me an incredulous look, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly until she found her voice, “D-did you plan that out… or just make it up on the spot?”

~I’m the guy that took three fillies into a monster-infested forest, drank random potions for fun, and fought a timberwolf alpha, twice. Do you really think I plan stuff out?~ I asked, my smirk vanishing.

Celestia studied me for a second, before smiling herself. “I guess not."

Silence fell as we continued to walk, broken only by the ‘clip-clop’ of Celestia’s hooves. We passed by a pair of guards, both of whom stopped their patrolling and saluted Celestia as she passed. One gave me a quick nod before they continued on with their patrol.

~So, who’s this pony we are going to see?~ I asked after a few minutes of walking, ~and why do I need to see them?~

“You will see soon enough,” Celestia said, laughing softly. I gave her a bemused look, but didn’t press the issue.

Soon, our surroundings slowly transformed into a more industrial setting. Glancing at one of the passing doors, my eyes widened when I realized where we were: the Institute for Human Research.

This is where they were keeping my phone, I thought, glancing around at the metal doors. I wonder why Celestia’s brought me here.

We passed by a couple of more doors before Celestia finally stopped.

“Here we are,” she chirped, turning to look at me.

Glancing at the door, I eyed the etched numbers.

Turning my gaze back to Celestia, I gave her a confused look.

“According to Luna, you and Twilight have been here before, just after hours,” Celestia explained, her horn lighting up. The door was wrapped in a golden aura before clicking open. It was moderately dark inside, and I could hear the faint sound of movement. A curious clicking noise reached my ears.

“I think it’s about time you met the good Doctor face-to-face,” Celestia continued, motioning towards the open door.

Looking back and forth between the open door and Celestia, I chewed on the inside of my cheek for a brief moment. Then, with a shrug, I approached the door.

I had only taken a couple of steps when a large, taloned claw suddenly darted from the darkness and grabbed ahold of the front of my shirt. Before I had time to react, it yanked hard, pulling me into the darkened room. I yelped in shock as I was tossed bodily into a chair, nearly toppling it over. A bright light sudden burst to life, blinding me and causing me to hiss in pain.

Blinking tears from my eyes, I tried to push myself out of the chair, only to jerk back in surprise when a large, feather-covered face suddenly filled my vision. A sharp beak flashed, clicking loudly as intense, amber eyes studied me closely from behind a pair of magnifying spectacles.

“Who are you?” the creature squawked in a thick accent, head bobbing. It sounded male. “What are you? Who sent you? Speak up!”

I stared up at it, wide-eyed, mouth agape. A low gurgle came from my throat as I tried to figure out what was going on. I could hear Celestia giggling in the background.

“Bah, it does not matter. I will know soon enough!” it crowed, jerking its head forward. Quick as a flash, it reached out and grabbed my face in its talons, tilting my head back and prying my mouth open.

I struggled, trying to get it off of me, but it was far stronger than I was, using brute force to keep me pinned down.

“Don’t be such a crybaby,” it said, clicking its beak. “Hold still!” Suddenly, more magnifying glasses fell in front of its goggles, causing its eyes to grow even bigger. Peering into my mouth, it made a bunch of weird clicking noises, its tongue poking out of its beak.

“Teeth are abnormal. Incisors, cuspid, bicuspid, first molars, second molars with a crown, and evidence of scarring where third molars would be. Teeth appear in relatively good condition, a few minor cavities, but nothing worth capping, filling, or drilling. Teeth are straight, and appear to be growing in nicely, although the top second molars appear to be a little shorter than the rest. Some plaque build up on both teeth and tongue.”

All of this was rattled off quickly and under its breath as the thing studied my mouth closely, tilting its head first one way, then the other. Releasing its hold on my mouth, it allowed my jaw to close, but kept my head in its talons.

“Large scar across the nasal bridge, damage to cartilage, running from cheek to right eye. Eye is cloudy, blind due to said damage. Looks like a large blade of some kind. Surprised that he can actually breath out of nose afterwards. Also scarring on bottom lip on the right side.”

It finally released my face, and I rubbed my cheek, my jaw cracking loudly. Bobbing its head, the creature circled me quickly, a low whirring noise filling the air as it did so. The whole time it moved, it was chattering to itself.

“Skull is slightly larger than average, possibly for large brain. Ears are slightly smaller, brow less defined. Looks older than he is, but is older than he should be. Strange scent, can not place origin. Unique coloration of hair, facial hair trimmed slightly, higher quality clothing, sandaled feet.” It was suddenly in front of me, its beak nearly pressed up against my nose.

“All the indications of the Anomaly!” it squawked loudly, its crest rising as heated air escaped its nostrils.

I leaned back as far as I could, gawking at the creature with wide eyes. Silence filled the darkened room as we continued to stare at each other.

The sound of soft laughter filled the air, and suddenly the room was bathed in light. Celestia stepped through the door, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

“Right, as always, my dear friend,” she said. “Now then, proper introductions are in order, I think. Doctor, this is Max, otherwise known by the guards as ‘the Anomaly’. Max, this is—”

“Doctor Mac Griffon!” the creature chirped happily, head tilting to the side.

Now that the room was illuminated and I could get a proper look at it, I realized that the creature was a large male griffon. Brown feathers covered his head and face, splashes of gray mixed in. A pair of magnifying goggles rested upon a black beak, enlarging his already huge eyes. He was sitting in what looked like a modified wheelchair, his right hand resting on a joystick. Wires and gears covered the chair, looking like something straight out of a steampunk fantasy.

A quick glance down showed why he was in said chair: his right hind leg had been completely torn off at the knee. Nothing was left but a small bald spot and a couple of large scars. Even so, due to his immense size, he was still at eye level with me, even when seated.

Seeing where I was looking, the griffon waggled the stump at me.

“Like it?” he asked, cackling loudly. “Got it in fight with human back in the Griffon Empire. He got my leg, I got a meal! Kept me feed for a good ten and three days, he did.”

At this, I eyed him with some trepidation, scooting my chair backwards.

“You’ll have to forgive the good Doctor. He can be rather eccentric at times,” Celestia said, moving to stand beside him. “Even so, he is currently our leading expert on humans here in Canterlot. He’s been studying them for most of his life, and has even written a few books on the subject. I know for a fact that you’ve read one.” At my confused look, she smirked. “‘Your Human and You’.”

“Aye, and the featherheads at the publishing company couldn’t even spell my name right!” Mac Griffon clucked, his chest feathers puffing out. “Mac Guffin, I mean really. What kind of name is that?”

My eyes widened and I glanced over at the griffon who was still studying me closely. This is the nutjob who wrote the book that Twilight was obsessed with for weeks? Continuing to massaging my jaw, I settled back in the seat and looked at Celestia.

~So, why did you bring me here?~

“Because, the good Doctor here is going to help us see if we can’t get rid of your chaos magic,” Celestia explained. “He may primarily study humans, but he’s also one of our leading experts in magic as well. Namely, detection and removal.”

“Aye,” Mac Griffon chirped, clicking his beak, “and I got just the machine to do it!”

~This isn’t going to be too invasive, is it?~ I asked, licking my lips nervously. ~I don’t like needles~

“Ack, I can’t understand anything you’re clappin’,” Mac Griffon squawked, shaking his head. “It’s just a bunch of noise!”

“No,” Celestia replied, giving me a warm smile. “Nothing invasive, and nothing painful. I promise. And we can stop whenever, if you wish.”

“Well, of course it’s not invasive!” Mac Griffon screeched, his crest rising. “What kind of doctor would I be if all my patients died? The mad kind, that’s what! Now then… let’s get started! The sooner we start, the sooner science can begin!” Jerking on the joystick with his talon, his chair did a quick one-eighty before he rolled off towards a large machine sitting in the corner of the room. Several cranes extended from the machine’s body, wires running up the arms. Large, strange-looking light bulbs were attached to the ends of the cranes. The top of machine was covered in an array of antennae of various lengths.

“This wonderful device will allow us to see what is going on with your body in a magical sense!” he called back over his shoulder as he flipped a couple of switches on the machine dashboard. “I invented it back after the changeling invasion. We were able to use it to figure out if anypony had traces of changeling magic on them, or if said pony was a changeling in disguise. It was retired, however, when it was discovered that humans made better bugfinders.”

As the device whirled to life, he spun back around.

“Right then, laddie! Your clothes, lose them,” he chirped, snapping his talons.

I gave him a blank look, slowly raising an eyebrow. What?

“Did I stutter?” he asked, not unkindly, blinking twice. Snapping his claws again, he chirped, “Your clothes, you have to lose them. Machine don’t work well with clothing!”

When I just continued to stand there, staring at him, he huffed loudly before letting out a loud, shrill whistle. I stiffened in alarm as a low buzzing filled the air in response. Two dark shapes detached themselves from the ceiling and dropped to the floor.

I eyed these new creatures cautiously. They looked equine in appearance, although instead of fur, they had blackened skin that almost looked like a bug’s shell. As they landed, insect-like wings folded beneath their carapace.

As I studied them, I realized that I had seen them before; Twilight had disguised herself as one for Nightmare Night. If I remembered correctly, she had called them changelings, although these ones looked slightly different than Twilight had looked. Instead of blue, their eyes were blood red, as was the frill on their necks and the bands around their barrels.

~So, these are changelings?~ I asked.

“Indeed they are,” Celestia said, watching the pair of bug ponies with a small smile on her face. “The Doctor’s drones, as the palace’s residents have taken to calling them.”

~But, I thought you said they attacked Canterlot~ I signed. ~Why are they here?~ As I signed, one of the changelings was suddenly consumed in red fire. It surged, flaring high into the air before dissipating. As the fire died, I blinked in surprise, my eyes widening. There, standing where the changeling once had been, was me.

My doppelganger blinked at me before glancing down and looking at its new body.

Beside me, I heard Celestia giggle.

“Yes, changelings did attack Canterlot,” she replied as the changeling returned to its original form in a burst of flame, “but these two are from a different hive. The hive that attacked Canterlot belonged to Queen Chrysalis. These two came from a hive within the Everfree Forest that was once ruled by a changeling Lord by the name of King Metamorphosis. However, we believe that the hive was wiped out by a rival hive. Only two eggs survived.” Trailing off, she motioned towards the two changelings with a hoof.

“Got them when they were just hatched!” Mac Griffon squawked, wheeling his chair around. “Train them young, raise them right, and they’re furiously loyal. Get plenty of love too! Most of the castle staff enjoy their presence for whatever reason. Especially the mares. Something about them being ‘playful’. A couple of trouble makers is what they are,” he chirped, glaring at the pair as he snapped his beak.

“Oye,” he said as he pointed at me. “Clothes. Off. Now!”

The changelings both chirped before skittering across the floor towards me. I took a step back, raising my arms in a defensive manner. Their horns crackled with reddish flames, and, with a roar of fire, I was suddenly naked.

Clasping my hands over my groin, I snarled at the changelings, my eyes narrowing. They just blinked up at me, wide eyes studying me closely.

As I continued to glare at them, Celestia moved to stand beside me, draping a wing over my bare shoulders. Leaning down, she whispered in my ear, “Remember, this is completely voluntary on your part. Should at any time you feel threatened or uncomfortable, just let me know and we’ll leave immediately, no questions asked.”

~I’m already uncomfortable~ I signed, trying my hardest to keep my junk covered while I did so. The only ones look at me right now were the changelings—Mac Griffon playing around with the machine—but I still felt a little unnerved. Their large eyes had no indication of where they were looking, but they appeared to be staring right at me with intense gazes. What the fuck do they want?

“If you want, we can leave right now,” Celestia said, her voice low.

I frowned, chewing on the inside of my cheek. Slowly, my eyes drifted to the machine the griffon was calibrating.

~This will help us think of a way to get rid of the chaos magic in me?~ I asked, thinking back to Twilight and her strange behavior. I didn’t want her to be in danger of that happening again.

“No guarantees,” Celestia said, “but it might help point us in the right direction.”

I continued to stare at the machine for a few seconds before sighing.

~Let’s get this over with~ I signed, tentatively stepping towards the machine. ~I miss my pants~ The changelings followed me, sticking close to my heels like dogs. I tried to keep an eye on them, but they kept disappearing into my blind spot.

“Are you done clap-clap-clapping, Anomaly?” Mac Griffon asked as I approached, glancing over his shoulder at me. When I nodded, he motioned to a raised platform in the middle of the array of lights. “Don’t worry,” he chirped as I stepped up onto the platform, “this won’t hurt one bit! At least… it shouldn’t.”

I stood in the center of the lights and glanced around nervously, my hands still covering my groin.

As Celestia moved to stand behind him, Mac Griffon began flicking several switches on the control panel. Turning a knob, he gave the array of switches and buttons one last look before pulling on a large lever. There was a brief pause before the machine began to vibrate, a loud whirring noise filling the air. The platform I was standing on began to shake, and I stumbled as I tried to keep my balance. My teeth rattled around in my skull, and I nearly bit my tongue. Sparks began to arch across several of the antennae.

“Don’t worry,” Mac Griffon chirped over the noise, “is all part of the procedure! We are professionals. Hey! Hey! Get that out of your mouth!” One of the changelings glanced up, pausing its chewing of one of the cables attached to the machine. As Mac Griffon reached for it, it dropped the cable and skittered off with a loud chirp.

Picking up the thoroughly-chewed cable, Mac Griffon hooked it back up to the machine as he grumbled to himself, “Damnable, fur-feathered travesties. Sometimes they are more trouble than worth.” With the cable reconnected, the machine instantly calmed down, the loud whirring turning into a gentle hum.

“That’s better,” the griffon chirped, his crest puffing up again. “Now then, let us see what your magic has to say, shall we?” With that, he flipped a switch, and the lights turned on with a crackle, bathing me in a strange, phosphorescent glow.

“Hmmm, interesting,” Mac Griffon chirped, turning his head to the side and staring at me with only one eye. Beside him, Celestia stared at me with wide eyes. Once I glanced down at my naked body, I had to agree with him.

Under the lights, my entire body was now bathed in a sickly yellow aura which wafted off of my limbs like smoke. It was highly concentrated in certain spots, like my hands, my feet, and—after some tough maneuvering of my head to get a look—my neck. Weirdly enough, it also appeared to be concentrated around the bite mark the infected human had given me, the teeth marks glowing bright yellow.

That wasn’t all. Around my wrists and ankles, rosy bands were burning brightly, with more energy than the yellow aura. They crackled and snapped, more like electricity than smoke. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Celestia eyeing the bands with a sour look on her face.

“Very interesting,” Mac Griffon repeated, wheeling himself closer to me. “The pinkish residue is…”

“Twilight’s,” Celestia replied, her tone neutral.

Ah, yes,” Mac Griffon chirped, still eyeing my body. “That would make sense. The pinkish is Sparkle’s, and the yellow is clearly the chaos magic. I have never seen such ill looking magic before, even from changelings. It’s definitely latent, though, you can tell by the lethargic way it moves.” He motioned towards the aura wafting off of me. “Non-latent magic, as you can see—” he said, pointing towards the rosy bands around my wrist “—is much more active. Is fresh too, probably not more than a few days old.

“It also appears that the chaos magic is leaking into the outside world, just as you claimed. Although, it appears to be doing so at a faster rate than you originally indicated.”

“It’s bleeding faster?” Celestia asked in alarm, her ears perking up.

“Indeed,” Mac Griffon chirped. “You claimed that it only affected Sparkle because her constant close proximity to him did not allow her harmonious magic to purge it over time. However, as you can see—” he held his talons under the light, the tips already starting to glow with the same, sickly light “—it’s already beginning to consolidate on me, and it hasn’t even been an hour yet.”

“That is very alarming news,” Celestia murmured, her brow furrowing. “Is anypony in danger?”

“At the moment? I’d say no,” Mac Griffon clucked, wheeling himself back as he stroked his lower beak. “At the rate of the spreading, I’d estimate that a pony would have to be within five meters of him for well over twenty four hours for it to begin to affect their mental state. Besides, simply walking away would be enough for their harmonious magic to begin to cleanse their system. Take Sparkle for example. They probably slept in the same bed, so she’ll have more exposure than anyone else. However, with how long they’ve been apart, she’s probably already back down to a manageable level. No trouble, not harm… at least, not yet. I wouldn’t let this get any worse, though, especially if it’s increasing.”

“Why is it gathering around his hands and feet?” Celestia asked, cocking her head to the side as she eyed me.

“My guess would be those rosy bands,” Mac Griffon replied. “Your student’s magic allowed the chaos magic to flow into the outer extremities, but not back in, so it began to pool. Much like blood when you tied a tourniquet around the limb. It should return to normal levels soon… me thinks.”

“You think?” Celestia asked, an eyebrow raising.

“This is all speculation,” he replied. “Never have I had to deal with something like this before. Chaos magic is all theoretical, as the only creature who seems able to control it is Discord. For all I know, the chaos magic has already corrupted us all, and we just don’t know it. I don’t even know if the yellow is chaos magic. I’m just assuming based off what I see. It could very well be his own latent magic from his old world.”

“I see,” Celestia hummed, rubbing her chin with a wing. “I’ll have to talk to Luna, and see if we can come up with a way to remove the magic without hurting or killing him.”

“Well, if you do end up killing him, I’d be more than happy to take the body off of your hooves,” Mac Griffon chirped happily. When Celestia gave him an appalled look, he fluffed out his plumage. “What? He is the first human of his kind! A rare species of human only found on other planets! His biology is different from our humans. As the tales go, he survived a bite from an infected human. Just think of what an autopsy could teach us!

“Plus, I’d be interested to see if he tasted different as well,” he added, eyeing me with a hungry look in his eyes.

Shifting uncomfortably on my feet, I lifted my hands and signed, ~Okay, getting really uncomfortable with the direction the conversation went~

Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but froze, her eyes darting down to my now exposed nether region. Her mouth clicked shut, and her eyes widened in shock. Mac Griffon looked as well, clicking his beak loudly as his crest rose.

Confused, I glanced down as well, only to inhale sharply. There, glowing around the base of my member, was a rosy circle of arcane symbols. They burned brightly against the dull yellow magic.

“My, aren’t you an adventurous one,” Mac Griffon chuckled, his laugh sounding like a hen clucking.

“Oh, I’m definitely going to be talking to her about this,” Celestia muttered out through clenched teeth.

I just covered myself again, my cheeks burning red.

“Right,” Mac Griffon chirped, turning off the machine as if nothing had happened. The lights flickered before dying with a low hiss, and the fluorescent cloud of visible magic around me faded from view. “I’ve seen enough,” he continued, spinning his chair in place to face me. Stroking his beak, he gave me a thoughtful look.

“You truly are an amazing find, Mr. Max,” he said softly, his eagle-like eyes boring into me. ”Chaos magic, intelligent human, advanced technology from a different world. I am curious at what else you will have to offer to us in the future.”

I gave him a confused look, but he had already looked away and was now busy fiddling around with the machine. Celestia moved to stand beside him, leaning her head in to speak to him in a whisper.

I stared at the both of them for a few seconds, a small frown on my face, before shrugging. Turning, I stepped down off of the raised platform, wincing as my bare feet touched cold floor.

I need my clothes, I thought, repressing a shiver. I took a couple of steps, only to pause, my brow furrowing, as I remembered that the changelings had basically stolen my clothing. Huffing softly, I glanced around, trying to find the buggers. However, they appeared to have disappeared.

I was just about to turn around and ask Celestia for some help when something in my peripheral vision caught my attention. Turning, I inhaled sharply in surprise when I saw Twilight standing by one of the desks, watching me intently. I didn’t even hear her come in.

She stared up at me with a small smirk, an eyebrow raised.

~When did you get here?~ I asked. ~And how did you know where we were to begin with?~ Realizing that I was standing naked in front of her, I felt my cheeks heat up, and I quickly covered myself. Despite what had happened between us recently, it still felt kind of awkward to be completely naked in front of her.

One of her ears twitched as I signed, and she giggled softly at my sudden embarrassment. She didn’t answer, but instead trotted forward slowly, her tail swishing back and forth. When she got close enough, she reared up on her hind legs, throwing her forelegs over my shoulder.

Stumbling backwards a step, I instinctively placed my hands on her sides to keep her stable. I felt her shiver at my touch, and her smirk grew, her eyes becoming hooded.

“Hey there, stud,” she breathed before leaning forward and quickly pulling me into a kiss. Her tongue brushed gently against my lips, causing my body stiffen and my eyes to widen. She tilted her head to the side to deepen the kiss, humming happily as she did so.

After a few seconds that felt more like minutes, she broke the kiss with an audible ‘pop’, a strand of drool connecting our lips. She smacked her lips a couple of times before releasing her grip around my neck and dropping back down onto all fours.

I just stood there, mouth agape and cheeks burning. Wha… what was that? Not that I’m complaining… but, what...

With the sultry look still on her face, Twilight turned and trotted off, her hips swaying back and forth. Giving me a lustful grin over her shoulder, she flicked her tail and immediately burst into flames.

I yelped as she was consumed in red fire, the flames writhing around her body like serpents. Then, as suddenly as it started, the fire died down, leaving behind one of the changelings. It chirped once before its horn lit up. In a flash of fire, I suddenly found myself clothed again.

It chirped again before spreading its wings and taking flight, buzzing up towards the ceiling where it disappeared into the darkness.

I stared up at the shadows, confused and a little flustered. The sound of hoofsteps behind me snapped me out of my daze, and I glanced over my shoulder.

Celestia approached me, an amused smile on her face.

“I think it’s time for you to go,” she said, “before they get too… attached to you. Wouldn’t want Twilight to get jealous, would you?”

Absentmindedly shaking my head, I glanced up at the darkness around the ceiling before slowly making towards the door. Pausing in the doorway, I glanced back over my shoulder. Celestia had resumed her hushed conversation with Mac Griffon, the pair of them whispering back and forth to each other. From above, a low buzzing noise could be heard, an occasional flash of red appearing within the darkness.

Watching them for a few more seconds, I sighed heavily and turned, exiting the room. I began to whistle tunelessly, my hands in my pockets, as I walked off down the hall, no particular destination in mind.

As the human walked away, two dark shapes slipped from a nearby shadow, silently following after him.

Glancing over her shoulder as Max left the room, Celestia waited until she was sure that he was gone before turning her attention back to Mac Griffon. “So, what do you think?”

“Strange lad,” the griffon clucked, staring blankly ahead, a thoughtful look on his face. “With how much trouble has been caused since he’s arrived, I was expecting something… well, more. Despite the fact he is an intelligent human, he is disappointingly normal. With all the rumors going around the Guard at the moment, you’d think he’s some gallant knight in shining armor. Protecting fillies from manticores, surviving a fighting ring, taking on a pack of timberwolves for a mare in distress… twice, being bitten by an infected human and surviving. But, to see him in person, he looks clueless to what’s happening around him. Like he blunders through life with no real destination in mind.”

“Not a knight in shining armor, but one of tin,” Celestia commented with a small smile, which slowly faded. “Do you think you can help him?” she asked, her ears pressing back against her head.

Sighing heavily, Mac Griffon closed his eyes, his plumage puffing up as he drummed his talons against the armrests of his chair. For several long seconds, silence filled the room, broken only by the occasional movement of a changeling far above in the darkness.

Sighing again, the Doctor opened his eyes, and looked at Celestia. “At this moment, I have no way of removing the chaos magic within the human known to us as ‘The Anomaly’ without causing great damage to his psyche and possible permanent mental damage.”

A crestfallen look crossed Celestia face, and her entire body seemed to droop.

“Nothing?” she asked, a wing twitching weakly at her side.

Mac Griffon shook his head. “No, I have no machinery nor device that will allow me to safely remove the magic from him. Especially considering how much is inside of him. I’m sorry to say this, Princess, but you will find no help from me with this endeavor. You’ll have to find another way.”

“I’ll talk to Luna, then, and see if we can’t come up with another way,” Celestia said with a sigh. Giving the griffon a weak smile, she added, “Thank you for at least taking a look.” With that said, she turned and began to make her way to the door, but stopped when Mac Griffon spoke again.

“There’s one more thing I need to mention before you go, my dear.”

Pausing in the doorway, Celestia glanced back and gave him a curious look. “Yes?”

“I didn’t want to bring it up with the boy here,” Mac Griffon said softly, slowly wheeling his chair around in a half-circle to face her, “but there was a third type of magic present within his body. One that I could not identify.”

“Are you sure?” Celestia asked, her ears perking up. “I didn’t see any.”

“It was there,” Mac Griffon said with a nod. “Deep beneath the layer of chaos. It was very faint, barely visible, but I was still able to see it.”

“Perhaps it was from his guard,” Celestia offered, a small bit of uncertainty in her voice. It was almost more of a question than a statement. “He and Major Ebony did spend a fair amount of time together.”

“It isn’t unicorn magic,” Mac Griffon said, shaking his head.

“Then what kind…”

“I’m not sure,” the griffon clucked, his tongue playing with the tip of his beak, “but it isn’t the type of magic that concerns me. For the most part, it looks as benign as the chaos magic. It’s the location.”

“Where’s it located?” Celestia asked, licking her lips.

Reaching up with one of his claws, Mac Griffon tapped the side of his head, all while staring the Solar Princess straight in the eye.

“It’s around his mind.”