“I thought we agreed that you came here yesterday to relax?” Blaze smirked as I found myself at the lake once again on the following day

“Well, since it was interrupted yesterday I thought we might as well try again,” I shrugged “besides, I’ve got all the time in the world, almost literally”

“So you have, now would you put that away?” she gestured to the portrait/flag I was making “it’s demeaning, even for you, brother”

“Shan’t” I grinned, finishing the image, which was that of Celestia, folding it up and placing it in my inventory, just as Rainbow Dash glided toward me, landing by my side

“We need your help, ponyville’s under attack!” The cyan mare blurted out, quickly taking to the sky and soaring toward the town

When we got to the town, there was a mass of ponies being carried toward the hospital, some being laid out on stretchers that were placed outside the large red-and-white building, IV drips, heart monitors, blood packs; almost every medical instrument imaginable was etched into the somewhat morbid sight before laid before me

“What happened?” I bit my lip as Shining Armour galloped toward me

“Manticore attack, we’ve no idea why, or how, it just happened,” he frowned “Where were you?”

“Bet lucky that Rainbow Dash found me at all,” I snapped, he quickly nodded “where’s the manticore?”

“The beast lies dead on the edge of the Everfree forest,” he sighed “we’ve never seen behaviour like this from that forest, not ever”

“And the injured, what of them?” Blaze stood on her hind legs

“The worst are a pair of foals, a colt and a filly,” he averted my gaze “the colt has a missing I, a severely damaged leg, and a few other minor injuries, roughly an eighth of the town is being treated, there’re nurses and doctors from all f Equestria coming to our aid, pun not intended”

“I believe I might have something to aid your cause” I smiled, crouching down as I set my rucksack in front of me, revealing a series of large, corked, glass vials with a scarlet liquid in them “hand these out, dose by dose, to the most injured”

“What are they?” he undid one of the corks, blinking as he took in the fruity scent of the healing potion

“Healing potions, I’ve also got a few for magic and stamina also, should you need them”

“I shan’t ask you where you got them, merely thank you for your generosity” he bowed quickly, levitating the vials over to a group of nurses and/or doctors

“Will they work on ponies?” Blaze whispered

“I can only hope so,” I sighed “a single dose of those potions should, assuming they work, fully heal the one who’s using them” I noticed Twilight and her friends carrying Applejack toward me

“Howdy Pardner” Applejack laughed softly “Don’t suppose ya’ll got one o’ them potions you’ve given Shining Armour would ya”  she fell on her side as she tried to walk toward me

“Poison,” Twilight nodded “this should work” I handed her a small cube-shaped, crimson vial with a thin neck and a cork, she quickly downed the reddish liquid, dropping the vial as she stood upright, hopping from hoof-to-hoof, a wide grin spread across her face

“Thanks Stretch, Ah owe ya one!” she laughed

-=-=-

About a month later, most of the ponies, those of whom had been injured in the strange attack by the manticore, were relieved of their hospitalized status, the colt and filly I’d heard from Shining Armour however, were not so lucky, still lying unconscious in their hospital beds

“You’re a hero, Daddy,” Snowdrop glimmered “you’re my hero!”

“I’m me, nothing more, nothing less” I shook my head

“But you saved an eighth of the town!” she rebuked “do you not feel the slightest bit of positivity from what you’ve done?”

“Her-o, Her-o, Her-o,”

I turned around, what seemed to be the entirety of ponyville, save the two still in hospital, were chanting  and cheering, whilst others whistled, all of whom stomped their hooves as they chanted

“We’re just lucky you had those potions on your being at the time” Kiary simpered

“There’s not a thing such as luck, only skill, convenience, and coincidence, or lack thereof” I raised an eyebrow

“So be it” she nodded as the princesses appeared via teleportation alongside Twilight, her friends, Spike, and the other alicorn

“I do believe my brother’s got something to show you, Princess Celestia” Blaze smirked as I retrieved the folded-up ‘image’ from my inventory, handing it to her

“This…” Celestia stared at the portrait, having unfolded it “how long did it take you to make this, Tesla?”

“About a week” I shrugged “Made one for each of you actually, princesses” I handed out the portraits to each of the princesses

“This’s incredible” Cadance gleamed

“The artwork is magnificent, almost godlike!” Luan exclaimed “tell us, Sir Rick, how doth thee make such works?”

“I practice” I shrugged “take that how you will, Lady Luna, I will take no offense to any words you may wish to speak that come to mind”

“Charmed” she giggled “Thou truly hath a way with words, Sir Rick”

“How can we, as a country, repay you for your help during last month’s sub-level crisis?” Celestia smiled

“Do what you feel is necessary” I shrugged

=-=-=

As I walked toward Sweet Apple acres alongside my friends family and Twilight and her friends, minus Applejack, with spike following quickly behind I noticed a billboard sign with an image of Applejack beside Applebloom standing beside her, the latter of whom appeared in her apparent anthro form, -Applejack standing as what looked like a anthro form, with a crimson bandana shirt that kept her ‘assets’ in place, a brown jacket and emerald eyes, a brown short skirt  and earthy brown boots that went as he as wellingtons also, winking at the viewer-, with large bold red letters that read out ‘best sister in Equestria for rent; 350 bits a week,

“Borderline prostitution; me thinks,” Blaze burst into a guffaw of laughter “Remind you of anything?” I stared at her; she rolled a paw, as if to suggest something, I blinked, nodding

“She may be good, but she’s no Ellie Goulding” I winked

“Not sure if creepy or not…” she shuddered

“Says the one who practically had her way with me like a sex-addled rabbit on Viagra” I raised an eyebrow

“Touché” she grumbled “So what’re we going to do about that sign?” she nodded toward the billboard

“That depends on who’s complaining,” I tilted my head ever so slightly, she smirked “she’s right behind me isn’t she?” the only reply I received was a what felt like a finger running down my spine, I shuddered greatly, collapsing to my knees, and then flat on my face “Damnit”

“So stretch, how do ya’ll like the sign and the offer involved?” Applejack laughed

“It’s interesting, I must say” I turned onto my back, Scarlet Kiary and Snowdrop stood beside me “but I’ve already got a sister, besides, Nakama translates to ‘friends close than family’”

“Ah was hoping ya’ll would say that” she beamed “before I could react she’d tied me up and started dragging me toward the farm, pushing as much of my weight downward as I could, she stopped, turning back to face me

“Ya’ll are a heavy one Sugarcube” she chuckled

“I’m using non-violent resistance” I shrugged

“Would ya rather we did it here and now?” she raised an eyebrow

“I came here to see how things were, not to be gelded” I laughed

“Who said Ah was gonna do anythin’ of the sort?” I blinked “Ah’m joking!” she started dragging me again, harder this time “Ah love ya Tesla, and Ah’m not letting ya’ll go until I get that out o’ mah system, got it?” she glanced toward me with a sultry grin, I nodded

After she’d pushed me upstairs and locked the door behind her as she entered the room, she removed her Stetson first, placing it on the bedside table, removing the string from her hair, letting it fall freely, throwing her jacket over the Stetson, quickly removing her boots, placing them next to the table opposite the bed, undoing her belt and throwing it aside, grinning at me as she lowered her skirt, revealing her slightly moist snatch, undoing her bandana shirt, discarding it beside her, then undoing the rope that bound my arms and ankles

“So, how do ya want us tah start?” she purred, removing my jacket and shirt first, piling them neatly beside me, standing me upright, undoing my lower attire, removing my boots and trousers without incident, I bit my lip as she almost instantly slid my boxers down around my ankles

“Sweet Luna,” she gasped as my fully erect member shot upward, pre dripping from the end “Ah know it was big, but not this big, ya’ll got yerself a fine set o’ jewels there Sugarcube” she nickered, running her tongue along the base of my shaft, I shuddered as she pressed her lips around the head, twirling her tongue around it, pulling away for a second, staring up at me

“Ya’ll like this pardner?” she gleamed, I slowly nodded “Well it’s about tah get better she pulled me over to the bed, swung me around, planting me down on the bed with my back against the duvet, slamming hers hips against mine, my cock hilting her insides, she gasped, exhaling sharply, beginning to bounce up and down atop my crotch, pinning my arms down with her hands as I tried to move them “We’ll have none of that now, pardner, ya’ll just let me do all the work, ya hear?” she grinned

-=-=-=-

I sat beside Applejack on the bed in her room, draping a wing around her, pecking her cheek as she leant into me on the day after

“Ah don’t know about ya’ll Sugarcube, but Ah’ve had tha time of mah life with ya today” she nickered, her form unchanged

“Wassup, lovebirds,” Blaze marched into the room

-=-

“Did you have to barge in like that?” I hummed, glancing toward Blaze as we sat beside and/or nearby my friends and family, alongside Twilight and her friends, Spike included, as we took the train to the Equestria games, a pair of gryphons, both female, by my guess sat on the opposite side of the train to me, one was white with black eye-shadow/eyeliner, the others was black and white with dark grey eyeliner and silver claws, the former with silvery eyes, the latter, with chocolaty brown, and both, were staring at me curiously

“Did she have to tie you up and drag you to the farmhouse?” Blaze glanced toward Applejack

“Alright, Ah guess Ah got carried away,” Applejack sighed “question is what’re you gonna do about them gryphons that’ve been eyeing ya’ll up like caramel on a candy apple?” she nodded toward the gryphons, who looked away, whistling to themselves as I cast a moments glance toward them, stopping and returning to staring at me once I looked back “Looks like they’re a might interested in ya Pardner”

As the train pulled into the station and the passengers disembarked, myself and the others included, the gryphons following us out also

“So, were and we, and why are we here?” Kiary simpered as a light snow began to fall, Scarlet shivered, quickly devouring the flames around my hand as I held up a blazing fist, sucking them in like a figurative vacuum cleaner, giving a tiny belch after she devoured them

“Were here to see Shining Armour training the crystal ponies for the Equestria games” Twilight smiled, leading us through the bustling crystalline city that I’d been told was the crystal empire “and you’re not allowed to eat anything, even if it is made of gemstone” she grinned

“The thought had crossed my mind, Twilight, but I think I can refrain myself from chewing my way through a building or two,” I flashed her a wicked grin “maybe”

“Twilight,” Cadance chirped as we entered the castle “I’m so glad you could make it” it was then that Cadance and her lavender friend decided to do what I’d thought at the time to be the strangest thing I’d seen thus far on Equis

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and do a little shake!” Cadance and Twilight chanted in unison, skipping from one hoof to the other, covering their eyes and then revealing them again and then turning and raising their flanks into the air, lightly shaking them, giggling hysterically as they turned back to face one-another

“This is normal?” I glanced toward Applejack, whose form remained unchanged from the events in the farmhouse

“Just fer these two, Sugarcube” Applejack smiled

“How odd” the black, white and silver gryphon giggled, turning her attention to me, holding out a claw “I’m Natalya, this is my friend, Irma” I shook their claws/hands “We’ve been looking for you for a while, Tesla”  

“You know of me then,” I smiled “by legends and stories or news and placements of events?”

“Both” Irma smirked “We’ve heard of both your physical and magical prowess as well as your abilities and characteristics, Grandoa told our king much about you, Tesla”

“We’re interested in seeing what you can do for ourselves” Natalya smiled “in whatever context that may be taken, dragon slayer” she licked her lips rather fervently, I quickly turned my attention to Cadance

“What about the games?” Blaze grinned

“They’re not for another year, and I need twilight and her friends to make sure that the games inspector gets a warm welcome” Cadance nickered

“You can count on us princess,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed

“I’m sure I can” she gave a soft laugh, turning her attention toward me “Now, I trust that I can leave you to your own devises without worry of you sinking your teeth into any buildings?” she raised an eyebrow

“Why would I eat someone’s house?” I chortled “not only is it rude, it’s an invasion of privacy and unsanitary, and it’s almost impossible”

“Tesla, you’ve got the magic of a dragon, and the possible attitude to match, and you’ve most likely got the appetite of one as well” Blaze gleamed

“That’s not entirely true,” I mumbled “you talk as if I can’t control what I do,” she raised an eyebrow “Ok, so one time I go berserk, that’s all”, she stared at me, flatly, before breaking into a wicked leer

“You’re right, you can control everything you do” she laughed “although you can’t control who ends up dragging you down the road and having their way with you for three days straight!”

“Alright, you tell me what I was supposed to do, oh-so wise sister of mine” I frowned

“Well, let’s see you could, oh, I don’t know” she tilted her head, rolling her eyes “At least attempt to fight back, you’re not going to get very far if you do nothing but let it happen to you, brother, especially if the case should arise that it ends up with the wrong person…” she trailed off, gaping at me

“Don’t tell me you do chivalry!” she gasped, I raised an eyebrow in return “oh, you cheesy bastard”

“This is like a type of gag,” Snowdrop chimed “Here’s the setup”

“Well, well, looks like ya learn somethin new every day” Applejack laughed “Why didn’t ya’ll just burn the rope with yer magic, sugarcube?” everyone stared at me, Cadance blinked, as did Irma and Natalya

“And here’s the gag” she smiled

“Where’s the fun in that?” I shrugged

“Bitches be crazy” Blaze shuddered

“That they be” I nodded

“Tesla, you just admitted you were into BDSM” Twilight quickly covered her mouth with a hoof

“No, I said that there’d be no challenge in making it easy for an escape, not my sexual preferences” I facepalmed

“If you say so” she gave a smug grin as Cadance teleported in a large scroll, when she unrolling it, it went from the ceiling to the floor

“Ten quid says that half of this is filler; and that my brother could type the rest on his laptop in the correct formatting” Blaze tutted

“Twenty,” I grinned

“How can you say such a thing,” Cadance gasped “this goes back to the founding of the Equestria games!” she exclaimed “To say such things is blasphemy, treason even!” Mithryl’s gems shone for a brief moment, before fading slightly as she stood atop my sister’s back

“It may be treason, but what would you do, should Tesla to put himself between you, your guards and Blaze, you’re powerless to stop such an act, from the energy levels I’m picking from your atmosphere, you’d need to be at least tenfold the power you have now to even so much as lay a scratch on the eon boy”

“Who’s ever heard of a princess who can’t defend her subjects?” Blackjack chuckled

“It’s like Metru Nui all over again” I rolled my eyes, turning and walking with my friends, family, Irma and Natalya out of the castle

-=-

“You need to stop watching those movies on YouTube, brother” Blaze laughed once we reached ponyville via train, the conductor insisted that since I was technically royalty, I could go for free, I insisted otherwise

“So I do” I sighed, Irma and Natalya blinked, crouching down by the lake, bringing my laptop out of my rucksack, opening Microsoft Word ©, beginning to type away on the bet that Blaze said I could ‘easily manage’

“How can you say such a thing to the princess?” not even six hours had passed and I was in the editing procedure as Twilight and her friends stood beside me, I cast a moments glance at them, returning to my work

“I dare because someone has to, Twilight Sparkle” I hummed, inhaling via my nostrils, and then exhaling through my mouth

“You don’t have to be rude about it” Rarity huffed

“Leave, now” I frowned, clenching my fists

“What’re you gonna do?” Rainbow dash slammed her hooves together

“You know full-bloody-well what I can do, so I’d suggest stopping before that’s aimed anywhere” I gritted my teeth

“I thought you acted in chivalry,” Twilight raised an eyebrow

“And I’m supposed to do that whilst barely refraining myself from going AWOL, how, exactly?” I spat, she “I ask this for your safety, please, leave now” she nodded

“Come on girls” she bit her lip as they turned and left, I quickly saved and closed the six-hour long document, closing my laptop, sliding it back into my rucksack

“What was that about?” Littlepip blinked

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I sighed “although it might as well be told,” I went one “whilst wandering the wastes, I gained companions just as close to me as you, and then I did just as I did when I left Lulania, I went berserk, took down several dozen raiders alongside a hundred slavers, Blaze had to tell me what happened, just as before,” I bit my lip “I woke up in a nearby abandoned hospital with mechanical limbs and a few synthetic organs and muscles, including my heart” I vowed to myself that I’d never harm another friend, ever”

“What he says is True, Calamity and Xenith were penultimate members of our little gang of heroes, until something just ticked inside of Tesla, and he went completely uncontrollable”

“You happy hearing that?” I turned to face the area beside me, Twilight and her friends were still there, with the princesses, save Luna

“That’s why you asked us to leave-?”

“I don’t want to hear anything from you, Rarity” I cut the alabaster unicorn off

“Tesla, calm down,” Blaze frowned “you going mental again isn’t going to help anyone, Ok?” I sighed “good, now I don’t care if the Talon mercs labelled you as a mini-god or whatever they called you, you’re my brother, and if you go AWOL like that again, we’re all going to have problems, Ok?”

“Laughing and singing one moment, borderline sociopathic the next, is it a form of schizophrenia, or can a pony actually survive being torn in two directions so severely?” Blackjack stared at me

“It’s ironic, really,” Twilight began with a smile “you have so many friends, family, and loved ones, but when the idea or thought arises that you might harm, or bring harm to one of them, you turn borderline insane,” she simpered “please, help us to help you by letting us know and understand what you’ve been through, Rick” I collapsed onto my back, staring up at the sapphire sky, Scarlet curling up on my chest, staring at me with apparent curiosity

“So it is,” I clicked my neck “and that’s not counting what else happened in the wastes”

“Why, what happened?” Celestia blinked

“I found a crusader mainframe, one with ponies in cryo-stasus,” I bit my lip, again “they were diseased, suffering, something had to be done to try and help them”

“No…” Twilight slowly shook her head “please tell us you didn’t!”

“I placed their consciousness onto a data bank and/or drive of sorts, and then planted that drive into the ‘SPP,’ where their spirits now reside, in peace; free of all illness and affliction” I exhaled sharply “may the gods show mercy for my actions”

“That’s a good thing,” Applejack smiled, sitting beside me “if ya managed tah save them, ya’ll are a hero”

“I had to kill them in the process,” I frowned “their bodies are breaking down as we speak, their minds, souls, spirits and hearts are immortal, however”

“If they’re safe though, then that’s a good thing” she patted my head as I sat upright “ya saved them, Pardner, there ain’t any other way o’ saying it”

“I prefer the term ‘paragon’ myself” Blaze shrugged, I stood upright, Scarlet now back on my shoulder, slinging my rucksack over my shoulders as I put it on

“I believe I’ve a bone to pick with you, Tesla” the familiar figure of Ahuizotl burst from the treeline of the Everfree forest

“Really,” I blinked turning to face Blaze “have I met him before?” my sister shook her head

“You’re the one who dared to defy me when I was to battle Miss Doo” the alienating being known as Ahuizotl snarled

“What do you want, freak?” Blaze snapped

“Well aren’t we the pot calling the kettle black?” he raised an eyebrow

“Ah yes, now I remember, you threatened Daring, then I sent your sorry ass flying through the treeline!” I laughed

“Quite,” he rolled his eyes “now, I’m assuming you have this, ‘Sacred Star’ you mentioned, I’d like to see it, if you may” he held out the hand on the end of his tail

“Sacred Star,” Twilight stared “what star?”

“You’re not getting Azura’s Star” I growled

“And the ‘herald of the dawn’ title you mentioned, I suppose I’m not getting that either?” Ahuizotl folded his arms

“You mean this?” I unsheathed the Dawnbreaker

“What magnificent craftsmanship” he eyed the daedric artefact like it was a piece of candy “where did you get this little gem?”

“Somewhere I know you can’t go,” I beamed “Skyrim”

“Indeed” he grinned “I’ll get those gems one way or another, believe you me human” he stormed off

“Tesla, what is Azura’s star?” Twilight stood beside me alongside Applejack, I crouched down, placing my rucksack in front of me, unzipping it, retrieving the daedric artefact in question, and handing it to her “It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed, turning it like a wheel with her magic, then rotating it sideways, flipping it over the reveal the other side

“Don’t break it,” I chuckled “I assume you can take care of it?”

“You’re letting me have it?” she gasped “thank you,” she glimmered “oh, the amounts of notes and research I could get with this… this… artefact!”

“It’s not like I need it” I shrugged “keep it if you want” she pecked me on the cheek, galloping toward the library at full throttle with the star held delicately in a magenta aura

-=-=-

“So, Christmas, got any ideas on what to do?” Blaze yawned

“I think Rarity’s already made plans,” I nodded toward Twilight and her friends as they walked toward me, all six of them in anthro forms dressed in red and white Christmas costumes

“Now the only problem you have is the castle not having a chimney” she grinned

“Who said I was going to be at the castle?” I laughed

“Ah take it ya’ll like the costumes Rarity made fer us?” I raised an eyebrow “Ah’ll take that as a yes” she pecked my cheek “We got a sleigh an’ everything ready for you and Crystal to pull as well”

“You’re not fitting me with any type of reigns, Jackie, period” I sighed, her face went a beetroot shade of red

“Celestia’s hosting a play in the theatre at canterlot tonight” Twilight smiled, eyeing me up and down “Clockwise again?”

“That it is,” I nodded “shall we be going then?”

-=-

As we walked through the castle, once the play had ended, and into the main hall, I found myself alienated

“They re-enacted ‘A Christmas carol’?” Blaze blinked

“But if they’re going to have someone who acts as the ghost of Christmas yet to come, because in one version he looks like the grim reaper,” I cleared my throat “at least have him sound the part” I spoke in a rather husky tone, as if I the lord of the dead was using me as his vessel

“Have I mentioned how freaky it is when you do that?” She gave a deadpan stare

“Not recently, why?” I chuckled

“That’s a mighty dark tone ya’ll took there pardner” Applejack guffawed

“I reckon I could do better” I shrugged

“Ah know ya can” she winked “How about a rodeo before we turn in for the evening?”

“Why not both,” Blaze smirked, which resulted in my being dragged by both Rainbow Dash and Applejack to the nearest spare bedroom

-=-=-

“Mornin’ pardner” Applejack yawned, walking with me to the dining hall

“Where’s Rainbow Dash?” Twilight blinked sitting around the table our friends and family whilst breakfast was being served

“She’s still tuckered out from yesterday” Applejack laughed

“How do you do it, brother?” Blaze grinned with a sly smirk

“If I knew that, I’d of told you by now” I smiled

“Well somepony needs to wake her up to let her know that her invitation to the Wonderbolts is arriving today”

“The who now?” Blaze did a spit-take, bursting into laughter

“The Wonderbolts,” she raised an eyebrow at Blaze, glancing toward me “They’re an elite squad of Pegasus ponies who perform aerial acrobatics and demonstrations, they perform at Cloudsdale every now and then, they also attend the Grand Galloping Gala, usually”

“So they’re like the ‘Red Arrows’ then, only not as good, yes?” Blaze laughed

“How so?” Celestia nickered

“The events are staged, all of them, if there’s a race; it’ll most likely be deliberate who wins,” I sighed “I went to a Bournemouth Air show when I was around fourteen, they had the ‘Red Arrows,’ and a few other means of aerial locomotion, including a few Harrier jets”

“Oh, and perhaps you’d like to prove that you can do better?” Rainbow Dash appeared at the double doors, grinning from ear to ear

“If I went at full speed, not caring about my passengers, I could get from here to Ponyville in the space of about five or ten minutes” I smirked

“Is that with or without you breaking the sound barrier?” Blaze tilted her head in an act of curiosity

“Without” I shrugged

-=-=-

“So where’re we going?” I sighed, flying alongside Rainbow Dash, Angel and Crystal, with my friends and family upon our backs, Blackjack flying alongside us also, Blaze having to take the balloon with Twilight and her friends all but Applejack of which were in their normal/pony forms

“To the academy of course,” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as we arrived at a runway, various ponies, all Pegasi doing some sort of flying or training exercise

“Looks more like a pathetic excuse for a boot camp,” Blaze bounded up beside me alongside Twilight and her friends as Crystal, Angel and my own passengers disembarked “Is this seriously the best they can do?”

“Tesla, I didn’t expect to see you here!” the familiar figure of Spitfire jogged toward us, beaming “I’m assuming you’re here to see how the new recruits can do?”

“Somewhat” I winked, reverting to human form, Scarlet and Kiary stood/perched on either shoulder as Snowdrop lay atop my head, tucked cosily between my horns

“I see we’ve a new recruit as well” she glanced toward Rainbow Dash, who saluted her “get to the barracks on the double!” the cyan Pegasus rocketed toward a large fortress-like building far in front of us

-=-

About an hour passed before the new recruits/cadets formed a line along the runway

“Well look at what we got here” Spitfire spoke in a strict tone, I stifled laughter at the thought of a pony trying to imitate an actual drill sergeant as she walked up and down the line in front of them

“Yes ma’am!” the line of ponies chanted in unison

“So you lot think you got what it takes to be an elite flyer, huh?”  she raised an eyebrow

“£yes ma’am” they chanted again

“Well let me be perfectly clear,” her tone was calm as a summer’s breeze, before turning to what she deemed threatening “you don’t!” she snapped, prodding a pale lavender Pegasus with an insistent hoof “if you had what it took to be an elite flyer you’d already be a Wonderbolt!”

“I’m sorry how is this meant to be at all threatening?” Blaze bust a gut laughing before I did, I quickly joined her “Like, compared to an actual drill instructor, your nothing!”

“Can you name anyone better?” Spitfire frowned

“Colonel Ackerson” Blaze and I grinned “Five minutes is all he needs to have you broken and battered, curling up; crying like a little schoolgirl”

“Touché” Spitfire slowly nodded “I can certainly try my best though, thanks Tesla”

“Call me Rick, my friends and family do” I chuckled

“As she attempted to bend the new cadets to their weakest points, some of them in tears, other shaking with apparent fear, there was only Rainbow Dash and one other left to be ‘lectured’ as it were

“What’s your name, Private?” Spitfire snapped at the opal Pegasus with a golden mane and tail

“Lightning Dust Ma’am” the Pegasus smirked

“Think you’re hot stuff then, huh?” Spitfire scowled

“Try me Ma’am” she grinned

“Oh, this one’s got balls, I like that” Blaze laughed maniacally

“Just for that, everypony do fifty circuits, now!” Spitfire blew her whistle

“I’ll see you in ten minutes” Lightning Dust winked toward me, taking off around the circuit, taking first place, right in front of Rainbow Dash, who easily caught up with her, I was too busy laughing until my sides hurt with Blaze and the two other eons who’d joined me on the way to the ‘academy’

“What’s so funny?” Twilight blinked as she stood beside Spitfire

“I could list at least five people who do a better job than golden Glory over there” Angel chortled

“Gunnery Sergeant Hartman being one, I presume?” I laughed

“Quite” her laughter steadily died down

“Alright, how could you do better, to be intimidating I mean,” Spitfire raised an eyebrow “

“Two words,” I grinned, scales appearing on my face, arms and hands “dragon’s apparition” I inhaled, letting out an almost deafening roar, a large dragon appearing above me, eventually fading as I stopped

“Sweet Celestia, now if only I could do that,” she beamed “it’d get them working at a much faster rate, where do I get it?”

“I don’t think a pony could become a dragon slayer, not a true dragon slayer anyhow” Blaze shrugged

“That’s what it’s called?” Spitfire blinked “where’d you get it?”

“Crystagia, the gem dragon empress” I gleamed

“You got dragon slayer magic, from a dragon?” she tilted her head “how does that make sense?”

“There was a war between dragons and mages, some dragons sided with the humans, but some humans did the opposite, siding with the dragons, using the magic given to them by said dragons to put an end to all dragons, thus the term ‘dragon slayer’ was created” I explained “at least that’s what Crystagia told me”

“That’s what she said” Blaze smirked

“Quite so” I nodded

When the cadets finally landed after being scared borderline-shitless, Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust Trotted toward me, the former had a smug grin plastered on her face the other, a look of pure amazement

“What was that!?” Lightning Dust screamed

“Metsuryū no Maho” Blaze laughed

“Guardian angel, Daddy,” Snowdrop patted the top of my head, “please?”

“Might as well,” I nodded, she smiled, Taking Scarlet with her as she and Kiary landed beside Crystal, bursting into whitish golden flames, completely enveloped in them

“Metsuryū Ogi, Shiranui Gata; Gurren Hōō Ken,” I roared again, launching myself into the air like a blazing spear, filtering the flames to my hands and feet, performing a forward flip, slashing down with my heels and fists “Kagizume to, Yokugeki,” I grinned, performing another flip, “and finally,” I growled, creating an earthy brown fireball in one hand, and a brilliant golden one in the other, slamming them together, Hoseki Ryū no Koen!”

“How long did it take you to think of that?” Crystal gave an insane grin when I landed beside her and the others

“Not too long,” I shrugged “

“Uh, Tesla” Rainbow Dash pointed toward the sky, I blinked, looking skyward, quickly noticing the circular ‘wave’ of prismatic energy tearing through the air above us

“Ya’ll just performed yer own ‘Sonic Rainboom’” Applejack whistled “Did ya’ll mean to do that pardner?”

“Not exactly” I blinked, staring up at the on-going wave of energy

“We told you that eons could break the sound barrier” Blaze laughed

“I don’t think that’s it,” Twilight’s gaze altered between me and the energy soaring above us “I think you’ve just used enough magical energy to create a type of sonic rainboom, but without breaking the sound barrier, how that’s possible, I’ll have to ask Princess Celestia”

“Suishō Hasu, Kōryu no Shugo Tenshi” I glimmered

“Crystal lotus; gem dragon’s Guardian angel” Snowdrop gleamed, perching herself atop my head, Scarlet and Kiary returning to their places upon my shoulders, Celestia, Faust, Cadance, and the alicorn that’d been labelled as my daughter immediately appeared via teleportation before me, staring at the wave of energy in the sky, and then back down toward me

“I felt a sudden disturbance via a type of magical output, so I came to investigate” Celestia raised an eyebrow “what did you do this time, Rick?”

“Crystal lotus; Gem Dragon’s Guardian Angel,” I bit my lip “I’m just wondering how on earth I managed to conjure up an earthy brown flame, if only for a moment”

“You’re an eon, you’re magical aura will change colour depending on the one you feel most connected to” she smiled

“So who’s that then?” Crystal smirked at me with a sly grin

“You said it was an earthy brown, yes?” Blaze beamed; I nodded; she grinned, shoving me toward Applejack, who wrapped her arms around my neck, placing her lips on mine, pecking my cheek as she parted

“Ah’m flattered ya’ll feel that way about me pardner,” Applejack winked “care tah give me a lift home?” I nodded, changing to eon form, she giggled, climbing onto my back, just below my neck, Littlepip Velvet Remedy and Pepper leaping into place behind her

“May the lady of Earth ride the dragon” I grinned borderline maniacally “we’ll see you next week, Dashie!” I waved as I took off, Scarlet now on Blackjacks head, and Kiary, her back, flying alongside me as I glided toward ponyville, Blaze, Twilight and her friends, Save Rainbow Dash, taking the balloon back to the large town

“So, Ah’m a lady of Earth now?” Applejack traced a light finger along the side of my neck

“Don’t distract the driver” I smirked, lightly holding onto her legs

“Ah’m just asking a simple question” she laughed

“I see you as my Nakama; the same can be said for Twilight and her friends” I smiled, again “personally, I’m honoured to have met you, Applejack, you’re a level-headed, type, that of which contrasts my insanity perfectly”

“Are ya’ll sayin’ that opposites attract?” she beamed at me with a smug look plastered upon her face

“I’m merely stating that I love you, Lady of the Earth” my cheeks turned a deep crimson

“It’s really us that should be honoured ta meet ya, Rick, not tha other way around” she nickered “think ya’ll can go a bit faster?”

“Why, is this speed not satisfactory?” I smiled

“Alright, just a bit lower though” she gulped audibly, I nodded, lowering down toward the ground only for a squadron of gryphons to shoot up from the treeline, all armed with either crossbows or spears

“What have we got here?” a gryphon with navy blue and whitish-golden feathers folded his arms, hovering right before me

“Just passing through” Applejack patted my neck

“That’s an interesting mount you have there” he grinned at me “is it sentient?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I laughed

“So, you’re an eon,” he frowned “we’ve heard much of your kind from our king, more on that later though, you give us the girl, and we let you leave alive, I sped off at full throttle past him, flying between two gryphons armed with crossbows, getting wings peppered with bolts, screaming as I plummeted, barely managing to fly in a straight line

“Which way to ponyville?” I grimaced

“Keep goin’ straight!” she pointed ahead of me, and so I flew on, using only the most evasive of manoeuvres to avoid being skewered

-=-

When Ponyville finally came into my sights, I went as fast as I could, my underside sliding against the ground as I crash-landed, Applejack and the others climbing/clambering to the ground, just barely managing to get back up into a hovering position, Twilight and her friends quickly galloping toward us

“Tesla, are you-!?” Twilight cut herself off, staring at the bolts stuck in my wings

“I can’t feel my wings” I mumbled, falling back to the ground, my vision fading to black

-=-=-=-

When I awoke, I bolted upright, my wings stinging as I did so

Looking back toward said wings, I saw that they were in bandages, tucked against my back

“Well that’s a bummer” I mumbled

“Awake are we?”

I looked to the side of me, Celestia, Twilight, her friends, save Applejack, my friends and family were stood near the side of the bed alongside a large gryphon  with earthy brown feathers and a scarred beak

“I’m here, not to start a fight with you, Tesla” the gryphon raised an eyebrow “merely to apologize for last week’s inexcusable actions”

“Apology accepted” I grinned

“Explain” he smirked

“You can do what you want to me, but lay a finger on my friends, and we’re going to have a few problems” I gleamed

“Nurse Redheart said you could remove your bandages when you awoke, Twilight gleamed”

“Fair do’s” I smiled, removing the bandages restraining my wings, stretching them as the strands of fabric fell to the bedside

-=-

As The gryphon, who I’d been told was the king, also known as Blackbeak, flew off toward the horizon, I stretching my wings again, now no longer bound by the white walls of the hospital

“Ah’m glad ya’ll are alright, Rick” Applejack, her form still unchanged from the incident on the farm, placed her hand in mine, pecking my cheek “Wouldn’t want one o’ mah Nakama to go down that easily”

“Try flying,” Snowdrop perched herself atop my head, I nodded, hovering above ground, using only the top set of wings, then the middle, then the lower set, landing with a soft *thud* on the lush grass-laden earth ion which Ponyville was built “And Daddy,” I glanced toward her as she gazed at me with an apparent sense of utter bliss “it’s good to have you back”

“Thank you, my little Snowflake” I smiled, Crystal Angel, and Ilona gliding down toward me

“So I heard you got ambushed” Crystal raised an eyebrow

“The king may’ve come here to apologize, and I may’ve accepted said apology, but I’d like to see them try again” I grinned

“Nonetheless, you got yourself injured, and because of that, I’m going to have to keep an eye on you, Rick” she folded her arms, sharply exhaling “I also heard that you found a way to break the sound barrier, somewhat”

“It’s not that big of a deal” I waved a dismissive hand

“It’s a very big deal,” Twilight exclaimed “it’s got to be the biggest magical event since Starswirl’s passing, probably even more so!”

“And I know someone who ate the flames of a god slayer, and then used them against said god slayer” I shrugged

“You have god slayers?”  Celestia looked a little worried, whether it was for herself or her sister, I knew not which

“Zancrow; the flame god slayer, Orga; the lightning god slayer, and finally Chelia; the sky god slayer” I raised an eyebrow

“Says the one who can access ‘Modo Raien Ryū’” Blaze laughed

“So can Natsu, just anger him and see what a true dragon slayer can do” I smirked

“What do you mean when you say what a ‘true’ dragon slayer can do?”

“it is only the first generation dragon slayers that’re considered to be true dragon slayers, second or third generation mages aren’t worthy of such a title, apparently” I rolled my eyes

“Personally, I can’t see the difference; you’re a damn good mage and/or dragon slayer either way” Blaze spat “you’re the son of the Hōseki ryū kōgō, the Gem Dragon Empress, you’ve a marefriend, dare I say the word, you’ve a home in canterlot, or down with said marefriend if you two so wish, you’ve also got family here, personally, I wouldn’t worry about titles, brother” Blaze grinned

“Thank ya kindly, Blaze,” Applejack tipped her ha in somewhat apparent respect

“Meh, you’ve got my blessing, should you need it” Blaze beamed, staring at me with a wicked grin plastered on her face that went from ear to ear

“But Tesla’s already married to me” Crystal blinked “surely he can’t…?”

“I’m not entirely sure what the rules on such things are, but I see no wrong in going through with it” Rarity winked at me

“Tesla can be wed to as many as he wants,” Celestia smiled “there is a rather disproportionate ratio of mares to stallions in Equestria after all”, as soon as she finished speaking, it was then that a large crowd formed in less than a blink of an eye, all mares

“Oh, fuckberries,” I groaned

“How’s that chivalry o’ yers gonna work now pardner?” Applejack lightly punched me on the shoulder

“I’ll think of something,” I bit my lip, changing to eon form, my friends taking their usual places upon my back, Applejack climbing into the same place as before as I soared toward the lake, turning invisible on the way, landing by the crystal clear water, Applejack and the others climbing off, the former of which sat by my side as I lay by the body of water

“Ya’ll didn’t tell me you could turn invisible,” Applejack laughed “Ah’ll have tah remember that tha next time ya’ll are running fer yer life from tha local heat wave”

“Aren’t you bothered by it?” I tilted my head

“Ah’ve got a different period to the others, twilight and Rainbow Dash also,” she nickered “why, worried Ah’ll rape ya in yer sleep?”

“Well, taking your strength and my refusal to hit females into account, yes, yes I am” I bit my lip, again

“Ah wouldn’t do anything ya’ll don’t want me tah do” she scratched the part behind my ears; I found myself leaning into the scratch, almost purring as I did so “What’s this, found a weak point have Ah?” she smiled, pinching the tip of my ear, I yelped, quite literally, shuddering as she massaged it between her finger and thumb

“I wonder if anyone’s going to be jealous that you got to me before they did,” I hummed

“Probably,” she sighed “Ah’ve had quite a few suitors mahself, turns out they were only after me for mah ‘Element Of Harmony’ status,” she placed a hand on my back “But Ah doubt you’d do that, yer too dedicated to yer friends tah do such a thing, right , Pardner?” she glanced down toward me, I lifted my head, staring at her right in her beautiful emerald eyes

“I would never do anything to intentionally harm, or bring harm to, my friends, family, loved ones, and Nakama, that includes you, Lady of the Earth, Knight’s honour”

“Thank you, Rick, really, Ya’ll have no idea how much Ah’ve wanted to hear ya say that,” she pecked my cheek, suddenly leaping on me, rolling me onto my back as she sat on my chest, I rolled her off me, she took me with her, causing the two of us to roll into the lake

“Looks like Ah’ve gotten a little damp” she chuckled, removing her attire, discarding it at aside on the bank beside the lake, walking into the lake until the water was up to her chest, pulling me with her “how about a rodeo Sugarcube?”

“There they are!” I heard someone yell from behind me, shortly followed by a stampede, I quickly turned invisible once again

“Applejack, why are you, y’know?” Lyra stood at the front of the mob of mares

“Ah’m taking a swim, can’t Ah have a little privacy?” Applejack frowned, floating so the water came up to her neck

“And why’re Tesla’s friends and family with you?” Roseluck stood beside Lyra

“Tesla trusts them tah be independent, ya’ll can’t keep babying them for their whole lives now can ya?”

“I don’t believe you” Lyra’s horn flared a bright primrose colour; and all of a sudden I was up to my neck in lukewarm water in human form

“So there you are, Tesla” Roseluck purred “we’ve got a few things we’d like to discuss”

“Can’t it wait?” I quickly covered my mouth with both hands

“Not really” Lyra grinned

“What is it?” I grumbled

“The mares of ponyville have been, shall we say, discussing with one-another, about you,” she winked “we’d like to join your herd, Tesla”

“All of you?” I blinked, she nodded “Sorry, I can’t look after that many ponies, I think I’ll stick to the scarce few that I’ve now”

“We’ll be back, should you wish to change your mind, human” Roseluck flashed her eyebrows at me as they marched off

“Well that was anticlimactic” I released a breath I hadn’t realised I was holding

“Take ‘em off Pardner” Applejack placed a hand on my shoulder, I blinked; she rolled her eyes, carefully yet quickly removing my jacket and shirt, followed by everything else I had on me, discarding it at the bank, placing them beside her clothes, leaping at me,, forcing me onto my back on the bank, planting her lips on my own, tracing her finger in a circle on my chest, tracing it down my stomach…

-=-=-

“Holy shit…” I mumbled as I lay beside Applejack in my eon form, my length slowly sliding back into its sheath “that’d be illegal, in an actual rodeo, me-thinks” thankfully, if anyone were to witness our conversation, Applejack had re-dressed herself

“Ya’ll didn’t seem tah be complaining, legal or not” she smirked

“I’m not paid to complain, Lady of the Earth” she winked, her form changing to that of a human, one with fair skin and about a foot taller than before, wearing earthy brown jeans and the same open-front brown leather jacket, complete with the same bandana bra/shirt, and the Stetson hat to finish the picture

“Which one do ya’ll prefer?” she changed to between her human and anthro forms, her smile a sincere, and somewhat cute one

“The first form’s cuter, but the other one’s got more beauty to it, so I’d say that they’re even” I shrugged

“Then what’d happen if Ah were tah do this?” she raised an eyebrow, undoing the string that kept her hair bound, letting it fall freely as she sat beside me

“Then it’d prove what I just said,” I stared at her “and here I thought you were beautiful before”

“Thanks Sugarcube” she smiled, pecking my cheek

=-=-=-=

“Lady of the Earth” I bowed quickly having just beaten what took two princesses to defeat, the entity known as king Sombra

“Ya don’t have tah call me that Y'know” she smiled

“I find it works better than just ‘Applejack,’ no offense” I bit my lip

“Call me Jackie” her cheeks turned a rosy, pink tint “Ah find it uncomfortable to be called a lady”

“As you wish, Jackie” I nodded

“I thought you said it took both you and Princess Luna all your power to defeat him and seal him in ice?” Twilight glanced toward Celestia, who nodded

“It would appear that Tesla’s power is immeasurable,” Celestia smiled “that of which cannot be rivalled be neither my sisters power, or my own”

“And it only grows larger and larger each time he fights” Blaze smirked

“That’s impossible!” Twilight snapped “Celestia and Luna are the most powerful ponies on Equis”

“Not forgetting Faust are we?” Kiary simpered

“Second most powerful, she corrected herself

“Second most powerful ponies, I’m not a pony, remember,” I sighed, changing to eon form, Applejack climbed unto my back “and since when did this become a battle for power?”

“That was a rather anticlimactic battle” Blaze hummed “shall we do lunch?” my stomach let out an unearthly growl “I’ll take that as a yes

=-=-=-=

When we got back to ponyville, I noticed a familiar brown unicorn with a golden mane and tail with a green cardigan, staring at the pony-turned anthro passenger sat upon my back

“Holy Celestia…” he breathed, drooling

“Sorry pardner, Ah’m already spoken for” Applejack patted my lightly on the side of my neck, seeing as Snowdrop had once again perched herself between my ears

“What’ll it take” his gaze turned toward me

“More than what you’ve got; believe me” I glimmered “my friends, family and Nakama are my religion, so to speak, may the Daedra have mercy on those of whom try to either harm them or take them away, for mercy shall not  be mine that day” he quickly galloped away

“Cryptic” Blaze laughed

“You know as much as I do, Blaze” I gleamed

“So I do” she chortled

“Where do you get these forms anyway,” I blinked, glancing back toward the pony/human upon my back as she changed to her human form “not that I’m complaining”

“From yer laptop thingy,” Applejack smirked “ya’ll have some interesting stuff on there, pardner”

“It’s not really my responsibility for what you find on it” I shrugged

“So it isn’t” Celestia giggled “but it’s humorous nonetheless”

“You do know that’s an invasion of privacy?” Blaze smirked “not that Tesla’s complaining”

“So then, if he’s not complaining, where’s the problem?” Rainbow Dash gave a sly grin

“Touché” she nodded

“So, I heard you had an interesting time at the lake?” Twilight raised an eyebrow

“We sure-sugar did” Applejack laughed

“So how did that go?” she smirked

“Their bonding is their business, not ours, Twilight, honestly” Rarity shook her head

“Did you have to make a double reference when you fought back then?” Blaze grinned

“I felt that it might work, so I used it”

“And you quoted the new Daring Doo book” Rainbow Dash hovered beside me

“Actually, I said it when I first met Ahuizotl, Daring Doo has merely integrated it into her stories” I shrugged, again

“Ah wonder if Ah could, under circumstances, use magic the way you do, Rick” Applejack patted my back, I reverted to human form as she clambered to the floor

“I think nine’s enough” I chuckled

“Nine?” Twilight blinked

“Natsu, Wendy, Gajeel, Cobra, Laxus, Sting, Rogue, Blaze and I” I nodded

“I wonder what an earth dragon slayer would be like” Blaze folded her paws

“Well, fire’s more of an offensive magic, whereas iron is defensive, and sky is supportive,” I explained “so it’d mostly be defence”

“And how would one become a dragon slayer?” Snowdrop smiled

“One of three ways,” I began “you can either be taught by a dragon, or have a dragon lacrima implanted into you, or both”

“And you had both?” Celestia grimaced

“I won’t lie by saying it wasn’t painful” I shuddered “imagine your entire magic network being dissolved and then rebuilt again on a molecular level, repeatedly”

“Hey, no pain no gain,” Blaze gave a sly smirk “quite literally as well!”

“An’ that’s why ya’ll don’t want me to use magic?” Applejack smiled, draping her arms around me, placing her head on my shoulder “Thank ya’ll, Rick, but Ah know that Ah can handle it, pardner”

“If that’s truly what you want, then I won’t stop you, I can only warn you about what you’ll have to go through” I pecked her cheek

-=-=-

“So, you wish to learn dragon slayer magic?” Crystagia stared down toward Applejack with an expression of curiosity

“If it’s alright with you, your majesty” Applejack bit her lip, her form changed, now in her anthro form

“What generation would you like to be,” she gave a faint smile “first, second, or third?”

“Third,” Applejack spoke boldly, and with a firm tone in her voice

“So it shall be,” Crystagia’s eyes shone like snow-white suns as a crystal generated from apparently nowhere “And your element of choice, little one?”

“Whatever should suit me best,” Applejack gleamed, glancing toward me, I shrugged as she took the crystal, which seemingly morphed into her skin, a spark flashed between the gemstone and her chest, and then she collapsed

“Will she be alright, mother?” I caught Applejack before she hit the ground

“She has much change to go through, my son,” Crystagia cooed her DNA itself will be altered to match her new abilities, she will become, what the ponies call, a Pegasus”

“What element will she be?” Snowdrop tilted her head, resting upon my own

“That is for her mind to decide, not my words” the dragon smiled “never in an eon have I seen someone so determined, other than you, to learn such power, Rick”

I felt something lightly pressing against my hand, removing it, a pair of honey-white wings spread forth from her back, having pierced through her jacket

“She’s ascended, just as Tesla has” Celestia smiled

=-=

A week passed without any sort of movement from Applejack, and I’d long since moved her to one of the spare bedrooms in the castle

Knowing it was only a certain amount of time until her awakening, I placed my rucksack beside me, sifting through the contents, finding my laptop fairly easily, typing away at the rewrite of the ‘Equestria games’ scroll that Cadance had shown us in the Crystal Empire

“What’re ya doin there, pardner?” my gaze darted toward the bed, Applejack was sat upright, smiling at me

“You know the comically long sheet Cadance showed us at the Crystal Empire?” she nodded, “I’m rewriting it, the only problem is I don’t have a printer, which means I can’t show Celestia, Cadance or Luna”

“Ah’m sure ya’ll could ask them” she nickered, pecking my cheek “Ah love ya Tesla, but don’t let ya think that Ah’ve grown any softer!”

“Of course not, my little Jackie” I smiled

“Mah little Ricky”

“Her little what now,” I turned my gaze toward the doorway, Twilight, her friends, Spike included, the princesses and Shining Armour stood there, eyebrows raised as Crystal, angel and Ilona flew into the room

“Didn’t know you took pet names Tesla?” Blaze stood beside me

“So long as I don’t mind, I haven’t got a problem with it” I shrugged

“Alright, my ickle Human” she gleamed, I raised an eyebrow “you’re right, that failed”

“The things I put up with that emanate from you, sister” I shook my head

“At least I’m not calling you a crazy hobo” she smirked

“Touché” I nodded

“Ya’ll are insane” Applejack laughed

“You made your lady laugh, there’s one achievement for this week, right brother?” she grinned

“That’s eight times now, I do believe” Snowdrop chimed from atop my head

“Nine actually, my little Snowflake” I rolled my eyes

“My little Human” she giggled

“My little snow angel” I smiled

“Touché” she nickered “my little guardian angel”

“This could technically go on forever, thou I’m sure you the two of you will each need your own dictionary to do so” Crystal aww’d

“Don’t give us ideas” Snowdrop and I smirked

“So, about mah new abilities…” Applejack smiled “How do Ah use ‘em?”

“I’m sure Crystagia and I can improvise something” I smiled, again

-=-=(+)=-=-

It took about two months, but Applejacks magic came along brilliantly

As we glided walked to Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight and our friends by our side, Snowdrop atop my head, and Applejack stood in her original pony form atop my back

“AJ,” Applebloom bounded toward us Applejack hopped from my back to the floor as I lowered myself to the ground “Yer an alicorn!”

“So Ah am, bloom, so Ah am” Applejack smiled, draping an arm around her younger sister, followed by a wing

“How in the hay…? The red pony known as Big Mac stared at Applejack, and then toward me, I shrugged “well, ain’t that great,” he sighed, noticing the circular crystal embedded in his sister’s chest that glowed with a soft blue aura, walking back toward the farmhouse, coming back around five minutes later with an elderly bright green mare with a whitening mane and tail with orangey eyes and polka-dot orange scarf

“Well now Dear, Ah heard ya’ll have become a goddess” The aged mare spoke with a calm considerate tone, turning her attention to me “Ah’ve yet tah thank ya for all ya’ll have done fer us, Applejack’s told me much about you, young‘un”

“Just doing my job” I smiled, casting a glance toward the stallion stood beside her

“If Applejack says ya’ll are alright, then Ah don’t mind in the slightest” he smiled, which I found rather disturbing

“Thanks, I guess” I blinked, raising an eyebrow

-=-

“So, what’re you doing?” I stood beside Applejack, my friends, family and Sweetie Belle, Kiary, Scarlet, and Snowdrop propped in their usual places upon my head and shoulders

“Sapphire Shores’ Equestria wide tour begins in Canterlot next week,” Rarity stressed “If I am to manage such a feat of work, I’ll need to have it done by the day after tomorrow at the latest” she exhaled sharply

“Could I ask a favour of you, Rarity?” Sweetie Belle glanced between me and Rarity

“I suppose so, it depends on what it is” Rarity smiled

“Then you can help me with the show for tomorrow night?” the dressmaker’s little sister squee’d

“Sweetie Belle, I’m behind schedule as it is,” Rarity sighed “I don’t know if I can”

“I understand” the alabaster filly sighed, moping off

“Then again, I suppose I could manage it, if I had a few other ponies working with me” she rolled her eyes, Sweetie Belle leapt at her

“Thank you; you’re the best sister ever!” Sweetie Belle chimed

“I can argue with that” I smiled

“Ooh rah!” Blaze laughed

“Wasn’t referring to you, Blaze” I grumbled

“Oh?” she raised an eyebrow “then who do you mean?”

“Who else?” I shrugged

“Ah yes, the human” she slowly nodded “Sorry to hear about that”

“Not your fault” I sighed, “I’ll see you later, Rarity” I turned and vacated the boutique, Sweetie belle clambered up onto my shoulder, I stopped as she pecked my cheek, climbing back down, continuing to walk into the town plaza

“How did she die?” Applejack quickly bit her lip, covering her mouth with a hoof

“Negligence” I frowned “and I was powerless to do anything about it, may she eternally rest in peace”

“Who’re we talking about?” Rainbow Dash glided down toward me

“Nobody important” I shrugged

“Horseapples,” Applejack smirked, changing to her anthro form, placing a hand on my shoulder “anypony who’s important to ya is important tah me, right Pardner?”

“Fair do’s” I smiled “How goes the magic training?”

“It’s coming along fairly well enough” she conjured a bright emerald-green flame in her hand “But Ah don’t care about that, Ah care about you, Rick, and Ah’ve told mah family that Ah want tah move in with ya, if that’s Ok with you” she winked

“Do what you will, I won’t stop you” I smiled

-=-=-

As I stood in Alphamon form on the hill near the castle in Canterlot, wielding the Ouryuken blade, I lifted it high on the air, turning it so that it was pointing downward, planting it into the earth, reverting to human form, Scarlet Snowdrop and Kiary landing/clambering into their usual positions as I walked away, my friends and family walking beside me

“You’re just gonna leave it there?” Blaze tilted her head, I raised an eyebrow “oh, I see, best leave it be then”

“Are you well?” Celestia trotted beside Luna and Cadance

“In suppose it can’t get any better” I smiled

“That’s great” she glimmered “I’ve been talking with your daughter, the one of which you seem to be ignorant towards, her name’s Starry Skies, and she’d like to apologize for whatever it is she’s done” she sidestepped, revealing the alicorn in question, who slowly made her way toward me

“Hello, Father,” Starry Skies gave a weak smile, holding out a hoof, I jerked forward, draping my wings and arms around her “I’ve missed you, father, ever since you vanished an eon ago, I’ve been wandering and waiting for your inevitable return”

“Yeah, inevitable” I Blaze glanced toward Celestia “no need to remind us of that particular fact, Sky”

“And you are?” Starry skies blinked, staring at Blaze

“Blaze, Tesla’s oh-so adorable adoptive sister” she winked

“What are you?” Starry skies tilted her head

“A Typhlosion” Blaze smirked

“I’ve been all across Equestria, and not once have I seen such a strange being” she hummed

“I’ve been with Tesla throughout his travels all across the universe, and I’ve only seen a talking pony once before” Blaze shrugged “So I guess we’re even”

-=-

Once Starry Skies had joined us on the way back to Ponyville, Applejack galloped toward me, leaping atop my back as I hovered in the town square in eon form, changing to anthro form, sitting upon the area between my neck and back

“Where have ya’ll been, sugarcube?” Applejack smiled

“Canterlot, I had some things to deal with” I bit my lip “I apologize for not telling you beforehand”

“That’s alright, so long as ya’ll are safe” she simpered as a rather pungent scent made its way into my nostrils, I quickly shook my head, but that only made it worse

“What’s that stench?” Blaze shuddered

“You smell it as well then?” I grimaced

“Kind of hard not to” she rolled her eyes “But I think it’s coming from her” she pointed toward a creamy-yellowish mare with a two-toned blue mane and tail, all other ponies who might, or not, have been present quickly dashed into their homes, locking the doors behind them

“It’s always the same…” the mare mumbled, tears in her eyes, glancing toward me, leaping about a foot in the air, revealing a large set of ‘assets’ around her crotch, quivering in fear as she ever-so slowly made her way toward me

“Hello..?” she whimpered

“Good morning,” I smiled she flinched

“Is there a good place we could talk,” she borderline-whispered, I nodded “alone?” my friends and family quickly dismounted as I reverted to human form, Applejack standing beside me

“You changed,” she quickly blinked “but that’s not important, I need you to take me somewhere, and quickly!” I crouched down, allowing her to climb onto my back, with her hooves wrapped around my neck

Once she’d guided me to a specific, and rather remote, region of ponyville that was well-hidden from the rest of town, she fetched a bucket from nearby, placing it just under her sizeable breasts

“I need you to milk me” she blushed profusely, her face turning a beetroot colour, I shrugged, crouching down and doing so without much thought to my actions, each squeeze brought a elongated moan of bliss as she shuddered with each torrent

When I was done, the bucket had overflowed twice over

“Thank you…” she muttered,

“I’m sorry for the possible pain you must’ve been in” I bit my lip, again

“Oh no, it’s not a problem, really” she waves a dismissive hoof “I’m not normally this reckless, shunned as I may be for being so… different, from other ponies”

“I’ve been there” I hummed “so what do you do?” I sat beside her

“I owned a now-abandoned dairy in Trottingham called the Milky Way, like my name” she suddenly gasped “Oh my gosh, I didn’t even tell you my name before that. My name is Milky Way, What’s yours?”

“Tesla, or Rick, whichever you prefer” I held out a hand, which she shook rather daintily

“Huh, that’s not the name I would have guessed, but it’s a nice name,” Milky Way smiled “So, what brings you here?”

“I wasn’t bough here by choice, per se, but by prophecy” I winked “I can tell you later if you’d like”

“So, you’re a supposed mythical hero who’s going to change everypony’s lives in Equestria?” she laughed

“I can tell already that you’re the better type of person, err, pony,” I chuckled “would you like to tag along with me, Milky Way?”

“I’ve not got many friends, but I’d love to, Rick” she giggled

“Why?” you ask. “You seem nice. It’s because you’re a serial killer, isn’t it?” I grinned, she laughed

“No, it’s because of…well…look at me.” She was obviously referring to her ‘mounds’ “These aren’t natural; I guess that scared a lot of ponies off,” She looks at you. “You think I’m strange too, don’t you?”

“No, not at all; you seem like a perfectly normal pony, aside from them” I glanced down for a second “But, it doesn’t bother me, Miss Way,” I went on “if anything, they make you unique, in a way”

“You’re just saying that to be nice” she winked

“I’m being who I am” I smirked, you can come out now, Blaze” the bushed behind us rustled as my friends, family, Blaze also included, appeared from the hedge-line behind me as I glanced in said direction

“You were watching us?” Milky Way started to fret”

“Kind of, we wanted to see where you’d go with your privacy” Blaze shrugged

“That’s rude” I frowned

“Can’t blame me for being who I am, just call me curious George” she flashed her eyebrows at me

-=-

“So, did ya’ll have tah take so long?” Applejack smirked

“Forgive the delay Jackie” I quickly bowed, Milky Way now clung unto my back

“And who’s this?” she raised an eyebrow

“I’m Milky Way,” the newly acclaimed milkmare waved a nervous hoof “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jackie”

“Call me Applejack” she glanced toward me, then back toward Milky Way

“But…” Milky Way blinked, glancing toward me as she placed her head upon my shoulder, then back toward Applejack “I don’t understand…?”

“Rick an’ I are lovers” Applejack winked at me “but he’s herding, so it don’t really matter tah me who he chooses, so long as he tells me before-hoof”

“The, perhaps I could…” Milky Way stammered, gulping audibly as her face once again turned beetroot

“What’s going on?” Milky Way literally leapt into the air, I quickly turned, flew up and caught her mid-ascent

“Did ya have tah do that Rainbow?” Applejack frowned at the cyan Pegasus mare who laughed till her sides no doubt hurt, before staring at Milky Way

“So, who’s the new mare in town?” Rainbow Dash blinked

“I’m Milky Way” Rainbow Dash took one look at Milky Way’s ‘private area,’ then burst out laughing

“What’s so funny?” I growled, she immediately stopped, stifling laughter as I landed, placing the milkmare back on the ground as carefully as I could, to which, she climbed back onto me back, placing her head upon my shoulder

“It’s just that a mare with ‘assets’ like those is, can Ah say, rare, to put it frankly” Applejack smiled

“I heard there was a new pony in town,” Pinkie Pie seemingly invented earth-pony-teleportation just to appear before us, glancing toward milky way and making a loud, elongated gasp, before galloping off toward the library

“Now ya‘ll are in fer it” Applejack laughed

“I don’t get it?” Milky Way blinked

“She’s basically going to throw you a supposedly named ‘surprise party’” I rolled my eyes

“Not a surprise anymore, brother” Blaze laughed as Starry Skies appeared via teleportation

=-=

When we made it to the library, the door creaked open slightly with the breeze, the inside of the treehouse was pitch-black, I edged my way in alongside Starry skies, Applejack  and the others

Suddenly, the lights flicked on and practically the whole of ponyville appeared at once, cheering out loud;

“Surprise,” what seemed to be the entirety of the town’s populace gleamed, Milky Way apparently choosing now of all times to have a heart-attack as Pinkie Pie bounded around us in a circle

“Were you, surprised, were ya, were ya, were ya?” she glimmered, Milky Way nodded “That’s good, it means I’m still as good as ever!”

“That’s great” Milky Way fainted, I quickly caught her before she could fall

“It’d appear that the guest of honour has stage fright, of sorts” Rarity hummed as she, Twilight, and Fluttershy trotted toward me

“You can take her to the spare bedroom” Twilight led the way up the stairs, I quickly followed, laying the milkmare down on the bed in the after-mentioned room

“I wonder where she got those” Rarity glanced toward Milky Way’s ‘assets’ “she’s not a normal pony, that’s for sure”

“Neither is Snowdrop” I glanced toward the filly laying atop my head

“I’m not?” Snowdrop looked hurt

“You’re my little snowflake; that alone makes you different” I smiled

“And what, about me?” Applejack stood beside me in her human form, pecking my cheek

“You’re my little Jackie; that alone should be enough” I bit my lip for the third time in two hours

“So it is,” she giggled, reverting to her anthro form, Snowdrop quickly vacated both herself and my goggles from my head, placing them back over Applejack’s Stetson as she planted it upon my skull

“Cowboys and clockwise, now there’s a duo for the ages” Blaze rolled her eyes

“Didn’t know you were into fashion, dear sister” I laughed

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me because you’ve never asked” she tutted

“And I never ask because I respect your privacy, Blaze” I smirked “if only you could do the same”

-=-=-

“Why’re we here again?” Blaze stretched her back, standing on all fours as we stood outside the ponyville spa

“I thought Tesla could use the relaxation” Rarity giggled

“So you say, but I’ve an idea that I know where this is going” she shrugged as we walked into the spa

“Good morning sir,” earth two ponies, one pink with a blue mane and tail, the other , blue, with a pink mane and tail, bowed as they trotted toward us

I’m Aloe” the pink mare winked

“And I’m Lotus, the blue spa-pony flashed her eyebrows at me “How may we serve you, milord?”

“Just browsing” I glanced toward Blaze, who gave a sly/smug grin in my direction

“Well, any friend of Rarity’s is a friend of ours” she nickered cutely “would you like the normal, or the V.I.P?”

“I don’t mind,” I shrugged

“Right this way then” Aloe smiled, guiding me to a ‘back room’ “you’ll need to remove your clothes for this sir” she blushed, I rolled my eyes, removing all but my shorts, she gestured to a bed, which I lay on my back as she bought two others on either side of it

“Please lay your wings at your sides, sir” I did, she stood on her hind legs, smiling at me

“So, what is this, just five minutes or- oh, god…!” I moaned as she lightly kneaded the joints in my wings, moving along the edges of the feathered appendages, smiling again, she moved to my other wings as Lotus started on my other wings

After what felt like eternity, the spa-ponies relented, standing beside me

“Please turn onto your back, sir” Lotus winked, I smiled, rolling onto my back

“Oh, it appears our customer quite enjoyed the wing massage” Aloe nodded toward the evident bulge in my boxers

“Well, sister, we do say that pleasing the customers is our top priority” Lotus turned to face me, making a series of quick glances toward my nether regions “What would you have us do now, Milord?”

“Your spa, you do what you want, my little Lotus” she leapt at me, standing above me with her hooves pinning my legs and hands, pressing her lips against mine

“I’ll have to go all the way then won’t I?” she grinned

=-=-=

As I staggered out of the spa, Twilight, her friends, alongside my friends and family and Blaze, walked with me to the plaza

“I think that went rather well” Blaze glimmered toward me with a sly smirk

“Speak for yourself” I grinned, Snowdrop, Scarlet, and Kiary aboard their usual places, Milky Way stood beside me opposite Blaze

“Says the one who looks as though he has trouble standing upright” Twilight laughed

“And I feel as though I’ve just lost half a tonne” I rolled my eyes

“Also, you smell” Blaze gagged, I lifted my collar, inhaling via my nostrils, I smelt of a mixture of berries and fruits

“As if I didn’t have enough problems already” I mumbled

“I know, right,” she chortled “now you’re gonna have a mountain of ponies after you”

“Cliché” Snowdrop yawned

“Isn’t it just?” Blaze sighed

“Well at least it can’t get any weirder” Snowdrop, Kiary, and Scarlet quickly clambered onto my neck as I changed to eon form

“Ok, I take it back, it got weirder” I grumbled, standing by my friends and family as Vinyl stood at a set of turntables in an what appeared to be a human form, with similar shades to the ones she usually had, a white shirt, jacket and shorts, along with purple laced trainers and leggings with a pair of stylised headphones

“Nothing we’re not used to, right brother?” Blaze rolled her eyes

“Quite” I simpered “Thought her music’s not bad, I have heard better” I reached into the pocket of my clockwise jacket, wearing the earphones, turning the IPod on to the ‘Fairy Tail Theme,’ walking with Blaze and the others to the lake, sitting above the water, using my wings to hover as I used purple flare to collect spheres of water, throwing them about the air above me, catching and twisting them into various shapes and sizes, creating a second pair of arms of fire, doubling the amount of concentration needed to mould the water into the way I wanted it, closing my eyes as I imagined the water flowing as a fluidic/metallic substance, before slamming the four spheres into one above me, letting it fall into the lake, inhaling, then exhaling as I repeated the process

When I finished, I unplugged my earphones, turning my IPod off, looking toward the bank, Twilights friends were stood there with Celestia, staring at me, eyebrows raised

“Training concentration, I do believe” Blaze sighed

“How is the water not evaporating?” Twilight blinked as I glided toward her and the others

“Purple flare” I smiled, walking back to ponyville, where vinyl was still blasting her music via comically large subwoofers, making the tables that were laden with snacks and refreshments and other party-based foodstuffs quake

“Someone’s cranked up the bass, I see” Blaze simpered

“So,” Celestia smiled “what’s this I hear about you getting a V.I.P spa?”

It’s not what you think, believe me” Blaze shuddered, glancing toward me “can you feel your prunes yet, brother?” I shook my head

“Not your average massage then?” Celestia giggled “

“Clearly” she laughed “Clockwise, because the usual spartan and/or UNSC uniform is just plain tacky”

“Though the rest of their military isn’t” I raised an eyebrow “UNSC, and/or any other planet Earth-based military translates to, mess with democracy and we’ll smack you hard enough that your ancestors will feel it, Semper Fi”

“Now that we’re back, what do you propose we do?” she let out a stifled yawn

=-=-=

When I awoke, it was in eon form, with Vinyl and Octavia either side of me and Rainbow Dash lying upon my stomach/chest area, and with Black Beetle arched over my neck

“Well this is fun” I mumbled, carefully removing the changeling from my neck, placing the cyan Pegasus on the ground also

“What happened?” I sat by the lake, staring out over the crystal clear body of water by my family and Blackjack, seeing as Velvet Remedy and Littlepip still asleep elsewhere

“You got drunk, most of ponyville ended up riding you enough to make a rapidash on Viagra jealous” Blaze laughed “Also, you smell of… actually, I don’t want to know what that is”

“That’s easily solved” I dove into the water, shaking myself about, before returning to the lake

“That’s better” she sighed as we made our way back to ponyville, the citizens now beginning to awaken, steadily making their way to their homes

“That was quite the party, Rick” Twilight giggled

“What’d I do this time?”

“You sang, whilst drunk,” Blaze sighed “Again”

“And then collapsed, at which point Rainbow Dash thought you’d make a nice bed” Twilight nickered

“And to whom did I sing, Lady of Magic?” I blinked “Damnit”

“You sang to us, quite nicely too” she chimed

=-=-=

As we, and by ‘we,’ I mean Blaze, Snowdrop Scarlet, my friends, and I, alongside Twilight and her friends, Spike and Celestia included, sat by the lake once again, Crystagia landed before us, causing the earth itself to rumble

“I have heard of you victory over the dark king known as ‘Sombra’” Crystagia smiled “congratulations are in order, but first, I must give unto you the gift that ember wields, as she has gone abroad to the dragon lands to be with Grandoa

“A second element,” Blaze blinked

“Not quite” the legendary dragon gave a soft laugh “the power over all elements, slightly at first, but progressive, and, given the right training, almost perfect”

“I don’t understand” I blinked “how can a single being have power over every element”

“With great amounts of discipline and training, my dear son” she smiled “Crystalline dragons, -that of which I am the sole surviving member-, have a naturally untapped magic energy source that gives them access to eventual mastery over multiple elements, and, if you use it right, two or three or more at once,” she continued “if you are to fight powerful enemies such as the anomaly, I expect you do use the correct polarity and level of magic”

“That’s like a mega-hybrid!” Blaze laughed

“Indeed, but, the transformation of Rick’s magical ‘vessel’ let’s call it, shall be most painful” she hummed, glancing toward me “are you ready?” I nodded “then I shall bequeath these powers to you, my son” a crystal appeared before her, seemingly fading into view, I touched it

Suddenly, the gem ‘fused’ with me, and I collapsed to the floor, screaming out in pain, clawing at the earth as I writhed in agony

“Try to focus on what you’re fighting for, Rick, that should hopefully be enough to spur you on” Crystagia cooed as my eyes felt like they were blazing with the heart and heat of a sun gone nova

The pain lasted for what felt like hours, before I fell limp, lying on my back on the grass

“Tesla,” Blaze nudged my side, “Hey, encore, encore!” her nudges became gentle shoves “come on Telsa, you’ve been through worse than this right?” clicked my neck, blinking, pulling myself upright, shaking my head

“You had to do that, of all references?” I laughed

“There is one thing I should point out” Crystagia ever-so lightly nudged my back with a knuckle “those skills of elements other than you had from the start, will be more effective against you, you’re weaker to all but fire” she continued “how you use your newfound powers, however, is up to you”

“More than two elements,” Twilight gasped “how is such a thing possible?” she glanced toward Celestia

“It’s happened once before, and only once, but we do not speak of it” Celestia frowned “there was one such human who attained such power from another dragon, but he fell astray, using his powers for chaos and treachery rather than good and harmony”

“You remember it like it was yesterday, that is good”

“How is a mad-pony with powers like yours a good thing?” Twilight frowned also

“Those who forget history, are always condemned to repeat it” Element of magic” I sat, cross-legged, moulding a ball of fire between my hands

“Once again you speak with wisdom that betrays your chronological age” Celestia smiled

“Let’s just hope you don’t get too overpowered” Blaze patted my back with a grin

“He’s got the power of what could surmount to a dragon-god within his very being and soul, I think he’s powerful enough as is” Blackjack guffawed

“I am not a god,” Crystagia smiled “and neither is Tesla, we merely have the powers that may be considered equal to that of a god”

“Being god means true immortality, being god means having to bear the burden of knowing and watching your friends die whilst you’re powerless to do anything about it, god means having to live with it, eternally, and thus is why I neither wish, nor claim, to be a god”

“It’s merely a burden we have to bear” Celestia stared at the ground with a sullen look upon her face

“I do not feel sorry for you out of pity, but respect, I can only imagine a small glimmer of what you’ve been through” I flinched

“What secondary element do I start with?” I glanced up toward the dragon towering above me

“Whatever element you’re most comfortable with, Gemstone salamander” Crystagia gleamed

“Dark-fire’s cliché as is, lightning-flame’s already been used by another

“Tsuchi-Hono,” Blaze smirked “Teslakana, the one and only Earthblaze dragon slayer”

“Sounds too awkward” I hummed

“What about Spiral energy?” Snowdrop chimed as she once again perched herself atop my head

“It’s a type of energy, that’s for certain, but I don’t think it counts as an element,” I clicked my tongue “I had to transfer part of my magical energy into spiral energy in order to even use it, that being said, I can use Gurren Lagann without the after-mentioned transfer, so it’s not out of the realm of possibilities, My little snowflake”

“I love you Daddy” she cooed

“And I you, my little snowdrop” I smiled

“If you ever need me to help with your training, just use what you have, Rick” Crystagia smiled, taking to the skies, soaring overhead and eventually out of sight

“She’s referring to the Ryū kyoku, isn’t she?” Blaze rolled her eyes

“So it would seem, Dear Sister” I smiled

-=0=-

At the end of the following week, I, my friends and family walked with Applejack, Applebloom, Granny Smith and Big Mac down a path that I didn’t know existed

I opened my mouth to say something, when a pony in crutches hobbled past us, followed by a small crowd of ponies that seemed to have one sort of ailment or another

“Where in the hay are they goin’?” Applejack blinked

“Well, we might as well find out” I shrugged, walking with her and the others, following the crowd

“What in tarnation?” she blinked at the sight of a large circus tent with all sorts of decorations

“Looks like someone’s compensating for something” Blaze laughed as we made our way toward the tent

When we got into the tent, there was a wheeled musical instrument of sorts, the crank of which was turned in a dark green aura as two ponies, both a creamy yellow with red-and-white manes began to sing

As they finished their song, they stopped dead in their tracks, staring at me in apparent surprise, then toward Blaze, and finally, toward Blackjack

“What do we have here Flam, two anomalies and a cyber-pony?” the one on the right  gave a snarky grin

“It’d appear so, Flim,” the other unicorn smirked “have you come to bear witness to our remedies that’re capable of anything?”

“So am I,” I deadpanned “I can do anything because I believe in my capabilities, and those of my friends and family, can you say the same, little ponies?” I frowned “besides, you’re cure-all tonic’s just a mixture of apples and other fruits” I gestured toward a table at the far side of the tent that had an assortment of fruits and a juicer of sorts with empty vials with labels on them, I turned to face the crowd behind me

“If you want your ailments or illnesses to vacate your being, so to speak, go to the hospital, and the believe in what they can do, believe in their capabilities, just as I do, if we are to lower ourselves to something as low as a lie in the form of simple fruit juice then our minds and hearts will never progress, if you are to be well again, all I ask is that you believe!”  I gleamed

-=-

After receiving several rounds of applaud and cheering from the crowd, I left with my friends and family in tow

“Honestly, they spread lies through an as-of-yet unknown liquid, who do they think they’re fooling” Blackjack scowled

“I’ve cards that’re worth more than they are” I spat

“You still have them on you?” Velvet Remedy blinked, I nodded toward a deck-case I had attached t my belt “Oh,” she smiled “I see they’ve survived the radiation of the wastes then?”

“Good thing too,” Blaze patted my back “wouldn’t want them to decay now, would we?”

As I sat, leant against a tree in the park with my friends and family, I took out my deck from the case that was strapped to my belt

“So, what’ve you got?” Blaze seemingly pulled a small metal tin from nowhere “Shall we play?”

“Seems like a good way to pass the time” I shrugged, sitting opposite her as we set our decks on the ground before us

As we played game after game, I noticed of Twilight stood nearby, clearly having been there for a while

“And finally, I use my Hieratic dragon of Asar to attack, ending the game” I smiled

“Looks like it’s seven all” Blaze shook paws/hands with me “I’ll get you next time, brother”

“What’re you doing?” Twilight trotted up to my side, staring at the cards we had played, levitating one to get a closer look at it

“It’s a game” Blaze smirked “a rather addictive one, regardless of how complicated it is”

“It looks complicated” she giggled “how long have you been playing?”

“In general, or since you watched us?” I grinned; her cheeks turned a rosy pink tint

“In general” she nickered

“Since I was eight-ish” I shrugged “

“What about that one” she gazed at the ‘Junk Synchron’ “what’s a ‘tuner’?”

“It means that if it were to be used, or to tune, as it were, another, non-tuner monster, I could synchro summon” I placed the hieratic dragon of Nebthet and junk synchron in play to the graveyard, placing a third, more powerful card, into play, she picked the two discarded monsters with her magic, then look between them and the new card; Stardust Dragon; carefully

“So a three-star card and a five-star would make an eight star card?” she blinked

“Precisely” I nodded “or you could use four level two’s, or two level four’s, or a level six and a level two, or a level seven and a level one card, the stars mean the cards level”

“And what about these, she placed the two cards back onto the graveyard pile, replacing them in her grip with the two cards I had face down below the stardust dragon,

“Those’re spell cards, used to either empower your monsters that you have in play, or to help you in general

“And this one?” she picked up a third card, glancing between it and the other two

“It’s a trap card, they’re used to either help you by defending your cards from being sent to the graveyard pile, or to stop you opponent from doing what would otherwise lead to victory

“What’s this then?” she placed the three cards back onto the field, picking up my deck

“That’s the deck, when the game starts, you take five cards from the top, and when your turn starts, you take an extra, also from the top in what’s called your ‘draw phase’”

“And what happens after that/” she tilted, placing my deck back on the ground

“The ‘Standby phase,’ which isn’t important unless a card effect(s) mentions it,” I smiled “then comes the main phase one, where you can summon or set, monsters, spells, and traps, setting a card means playing it face down, like so” I flipped stardust dragon face-down, she nodded, I smiled, continued the lecture “then comes the battle phase, now, if I are the first to start a game, you cannot attack, but your opponent can, when it comes to their turn, monsters in defence position like so,” I flipped stardust dragon face-up, side facing toward me and Blaze “if a monster attacks a defending monster, the opponents life points don’t reduce, unless a card effect says otherwise, but if an attacking  monster beats another, the loser’s life points get reduced by the difference”

“I think I understand,” Twilight mumbled “what happens if the cards when they’re ‘destroyed’?”

“They get sent to the discard pile,” I simpered “or as it‘s known by many, if not all, the graveyard pile”

“Why do spells and traps go to the graveyard?” she blinked

“It’s just how the game works I suppose” I shrugged “Never fully understood it myself, but I suppose they’ve to go somewhere once they’re either used or destroyed”

“Seems fair enough,” she gave a faint smile, “could you teach me how to play?”

=-=-=

“That’s four games,” Blaze smirked “I told you that it’s addictive”

“Could I perhaps keep the deck?” Twilight bit her lip

“Sure,” I smiled, pecking her cheek, she leant into me, sitting beside me

“My little Stardust Dragon” she giggled

“My little Endymion” I smiled, draping a wing around her, placing my cards into the case

-=-=-

As I was sat under the shade of a tree in the park days later, I felt a nudge

“Happy birthday” Blaze pulled a face-down card from behind her, no doubt from her own inventory, handing it to me

“Thanks blaze, I flipped it over as she gave a smug grin

Hieratic sun dragon overlord of Heliopolis

Rank: 8

Attribute: Light

ATK: 3000

DEF: 2400

“Where on earth did you get this?” I blinked

“A game shop down the road from where we used to live” she winked

“Whatcha got there TK?” Rainbow Dash landed beside me

“Just a part of a card game from where I’m from” I smiled

“That’s kinda cool, for a card” she looked the card over “Why’s it shiny?”

“It means it’s rarer than others” I reached inside my rucksack pulling out my laptop, opening it,

“Apparently we have internet here” Blaze observed the tiny plug-like symbol on the bottom of my screen

“Let’s see how much this’s worth” I smiled, accessing said internet, using the obvious search engine, typing in the card’s code into said search engine: GAOV-EN048

“Forty-five quid,” Blaze whistled “and I got it out of a pack of nine for three-fifty-seven each per-pack”

“That’s quite a bit of money just for a card,” Rainbow Dash stared at the screen “what’ll you do with it, since there’s only one in the whole of Equis, it’s almost legendary!”

“Then I’ll guard it with everything I have to” I laughed “sounds crazy, to guard something so basic as a card with my life, but since Blaze gave it to me, I think I can work with it”

“I’d keep it in the treasury if I were you, that way, if it’s ever removed, the princess will know about it as soon as it happens” she grinned

“That’s a good option, but I’d rather keep it on me, that way I’ll know if it goes missing, or gets stolen”

“Or you could give it to me,” she gleamed, I stared at her “what, I’m the element of loyalty, I look out for my friends, isn’t that what you do?”

“If a little more severely” Blaze chortled, patting my back “Tesla put away the SS-45”

“Fine…” I mumbled, placing the firearm I’d just reached for back into my rucksack “You ruin my fun, sister”

“No, I’m just making sure you don’t go AWOL and blow someone’s head off” she rolled her eyes

“Alright, touché” I tilted my head

“So, what’d you get for your birthday?” Rainbow Dash

“I’ve got all I need” I placed the new card into my pocket “besides, I’m glad to see at least two people remembered”

“Happy birthday Tesla” Blackjack and my other friends and family beamed

“Well, I suppose one of Pinkie Pie’s Parties is in order” Blaze sighed “that mare has no self-control whatsoever”

“Did someone mention party?” Pinkie Pie chose now of all times to appear out of nowhere

“It’s the Rick-meister’s birthday” Blaze patted my neck, Pinkie Pie practically teleported away, running at literal breakneck speeds toward the town

“See, what’d I, tell ya, no self-control” Blaze laughed

“That’s because it’s Pinkie Pie we’re talking about here, she’s gonna do what she feels she’s gonna need to do to make others smile” Rainbow Dash laughed as a grey Pegasus with a yellow mane and tail landed before me, placing a small pile of letters by my side, pecking my cheek and flying off

“Looks like Derpy’s got a thing for you” Rainbow Dash smirked

“She the local mailmare?” I smiled as Snowdrop climbed atop my head, Scarlet and Kiary clambering onto my shoulders

“She’s the best mailmare we have, if a little clumsy, that’s how she got the name ‘Derpy’ her real name’s Ditzy Doo”

“Cute” Blaze nodded

As I walked through ponyville, I once again encountered the silver mare with the golden mane and tail, who hovered up to me, placing her hooves on my shoulder, placing her lips against mine

“Why can’t you kiss me like that?” I heard a mare in the background snap toward the stallion beside her

“Somepony’s gonna score” another pony whistled

“That’s a lucky mare…” a third pony sighed

“And adorable to boot!” a fourth pony gleamed

“So this is how many ponies you’ve been in a relationship with?”  Black Beetle deadpanned

“I don’t mind” Derpy giggled, handing me a muffin, pecking my cheek again, and flying into the nearby confectionery

“Not very subtle, but I suppose love is what it is” I grinned

“What, she your little silver angel or something?” Kiary smirked

“Just wait for her to knock you out via blunt instrument to the noggin,. Followed of course, by a course of super-happy-fun-times, not that you be complaining about any of it the following morning, right?” Blaze guffawed

“Right- Damnit!” I frowned

“And the cat’s outta the bag!” she laughed

-=-=-

“Why did we do this again?” Blaze handed me a hammer and chisel, having worked with me to carve a sentence into the outside walls of the castle next to the front gates/doors that read ‘follow either your heart or your ruler, one will lead to borderline-tyranny, the other, to freedom’

“I thought it’d be fun” I returned the hammer and chisel to my inventory, walking into the castle

“So what’re we doing today then,” she smiled “you already posted the ‘Calling All OC’s’ blog on a certain few websites, a bold move, might I add?”

“I’m just waiting to see how many people sign up for it” Kiary smirked

“As am I” Littlepip simpered

“I just hope it doesn’t cause a rift in space-time to tear all across Equestria and the chariot of thunder blazes through at the speed of light”

“What in the actual hell are the chances of that happening?” Blaze laughed

“You’d be surprised, sister” I cautioned

“Would I now?” she knocked on the door to the throne room once we made it through the castle

“Enter” we entered the throne room, my friends and family walking beside me as we did so

“Tesla,” Celestia smiled “I’ve a quest for you to do, if you can call it that” her smile vanished as quickly as it appeared

“I am yours to command, Lady of the sun” I bowed

“I may have to reward you for that when you get back” she gave a faint grin

“Save it for later, just tell me where to go and what I need to do, princess” I smiled

“Indeed” she quickly nodded “I’ve gotten word that a rebellion is occurring in Africa somewhere, seeing where I’m going with this?”

“You want me to stop it?”

“Not quite, I want you to find common ground between the two sides, even the playing field, as it were” she tilted a hoof

“By your word” I quickly bowed again “if I may ask, how, do I get there, princess?”

“I’ve arranged a ship and a regiment of the finest guard in Equestria”

“That’s what she said,” Blaze laughed, I shot her a glare, “sorry”

“How long do you expect this to take?” Velvet Remedy smiled

“A week, maybe two” Celestia frowned lightly “I must ask that you remain here, as I doubt Tesla will wish to see you harmed, My little ponies, and dragon” she glanced toward Kiary, who saluted her, Scarlet blinked, climbing onto Kiary’s head as the small dragon glided to the ground, Snowdrop pecked one of my horns, climbing down to the ground

“I request that I go with Rick,” Blaze stood on her hind legs “someone’s got to make sure he doesn’t mess up, after all”

“Agreed” Celestia giggled

“Come on then Rick-y bow, let’s go” she chortled, marching out of the throne room, I sprinted after her

=-=-=-=

When I came back, not a month later, it was being carried by Blaze, barely awake, let alone conscious as Blaze jogged through the castle on all-fours, bursting into the throne room

“Tesla,” Celestia, and Luna “Are you alright?” Celestia changed to her anthro form, having galloped up to Blaze’s side, carefully picking me up, laying me on the floor

“I’m fine” I smiled, gently placing a grazed hand on her cheek,

“No,” she shook her head, tears in her eyes “you’re not,”

“No, really, I’m fine” I let my arm drop to the ground, pulling myself upright, albeit, with great effort “I just need to rest a little

“Tesla, you’re bleeding” she frowned, removing my upper sections of clothing; that of which had a series of holes where I’d been cut with a sharp object and/or weapon, my stomach and jest had large bruises here and there

“And what of the guard I sent with you?” she eyed me up and down with a look of nothing short of horror

“Murdered by the natives” Blaze darkly informed

“We… I can’t believe it,” Luna, apparently correcting herself, “what of you, how did you get out alive?”

“I told them that Equestria doesn’t want any more to do with it, to which they agreed, after doing this to me” I gestured to my injuries

“How could you let them do this to you?” Celestia had tears cascading down her cheeks

“Because they’re not worth the trouble of killing” I mumbled, her horn glowed with a pulsating primrose aura as a bucket of water and sponge appeared alongside a roll of bandage and tape, as well as a pair of scissors, she carried the items in her magic as I sat cross-legged on the ground, dipping the sponge into the water and placing it against my wounds, I bit my lip

“I know it might sting, but it’ll be alright soon” she cooed in a lullaby voice, massaging the cuts with the dampened sponge, washing them clean, placing the bathroom utensil back in the bucket, the water of which was a mild scarlet, applying the bandages as I raised my arms, cutting a bit of tape from the roll, using it to stick the end of the bandage down, lowering them again once she patted my shoulder, sitting beside me

“Have I told you that I love you recently?” I smiled

“Not to my memory, Rick” she giggled, pecking my cheek

For the split instant that her eyes were shut and her lips pressed against my cheek, my eyes averted to her plump breasts, my gaze quickly returning to that of hers as she parted,

Blaze of course, seemed to notice this

“Here’s a thought,” Blaze gave me the most wicked/evil grin I’ve ever seen her give anyone “marshmallow bazookas”

“What’s a bazooka?” Luna blinked

“A type of weapon, it’s a type of rocket launcher, supposedly” I explained

“It’s also one of many slang terms for someone’s cleavage, Blaze gave my head a hard nudge, forcing it down into Celestia’s chest “Well, brother, any result?” I glanced toward Celestia, who merely raised an eyebrow

“How can you think such a thing Blaze?” I corrected my axial position, sitting upright again “it’s crude, to say the least”

“Says the one who chanced a glance” she smirked

“Not saying that I was, but just in case, what’re you doing looking at me in the first place?”

“Because I’m your sister, and I care about you, hell, I’ll even go as far to say that I love you, as a family member” she grinned

“Lucky” I rolled my eyes, blinking, she beamed from ear to ear with a sly smirk as a hand landed on shoulder

“So, you’re interested in my form are you?” Celestia almost purred, I edged my gaze toward her, she giggled, pecking me on the lips “well, I’ve always been curious about something myself, with your eon form, to be exact”

“It’s a decent foot long, if that’s what you’re asking” Blaze deadpanned

“Oh,” Celestia glanced toward Blaze, then back toward me, leaning in, whispering, “then let’s see how many inches I can take”

“My bet’s on eight and a half” Blaze smirked

“Damn your Vulcan hearing” I cursed

“I know, right?” she grinned “Someone’s been paying a little too much attention to Skykain’s internet profiles”

“So we have,” Celestia draped an arm and a wing around me “Come, I do believe you need your rest, my dear knight” she pecked my cheek again

“We didn’t get these forms from your laptop, we got them from you, and the other humans who remained behind after the war” she went on “it is the following from, that I’ve gotten from your laptop,” she finished, her body glowing a bright, blinding light, which gradually faded, revealing a human figure with Celestia’s hair colour, a golden breastplate wearing a vest with sleeves that covered her arms, arms and hands, also with angelic robes and boots which covered the bottom end of tights that went to just above her knees , with a sun-shaped brooch connected at the hip that kept it all in place, beside the breastplate, and a ‘sash’ of sorts that went around her waist trailing behind her like a multi-coloured tail, the item of which the same colour as her hair, with twin golden bracelets on her wrists with an amethyst in the centre of the breastplate, and a crown atop her head, the rose quartz necklace that hung around her neck completed the picture

“Holy shit” Blaze burst into a chortle, cackling with laughter

“Pun intended?” Kiary laughed

“No, but it’d help” she guffawed

“But that would mean that…” Blaze glanced toward Celestia, then toward me “You guys fucked, didn’t you?” she gave a smug grin

“Probably” I sighed

“It’s a possibility” Celestia stifled a rather cute giggle as I was knocked flat on my face, lying on my front as an unknown being lay atop my back

“I see Cadance found her way to you then?” Blaze smirked, again

“So I have” Cadance giggled, standing beside me as I got back to sitting cross-legged on the floor “you’ve returned, albeit injured, would you like help with that, Sir Rick?” she draped her hooves around my neck, planting small kisses around my neck, then on my cheek, draping her wings around me

“I’ll be fine” I smiled, steadily getting to my feet as she released her grip on me

“If you say so” she winked, my upper sections of clothing returning to me in a flash of golden light

“Thanks Cellsy” I chuckled, helping her get to her feet as she reverted to her anthro form

“You’re welcome, Rick” she smiled

“I do believe the title is ‘Taiyō fujin’”

“Which translates to what exactly?” Luna blinked

“Lady of the sun, assuming Google translate (™©) hasn’t buggered itself over again” Kiary smirked

“Indeed” Blaze gave me a wicked leer

“Uncle!” I was hit/tackled by another being, this one around a third of the size

“Hello, Grace” I smiled, draping my wings around her as she sat in my lap

“Why do you have horns?” she tilted her head, giving me the cutest look I estimated that she could muster “are you part dragon, or unicorn?”

“I’m part dragon, not unicorn, I don’t have a horn like they do, unless we’re talking about the one down south, and unless you’re my girlfriend, you’re not getting any ‘magic’ from it” I winked

“I don’t get it?” she blinked as everyone’s jaws dropped through the floor

“Tell you when you’re older” I stroked her mane

“Ok,” she giggled, defying what I thought about her not being able to get any cuter “I love you, Daddy”

“I can’t be your daddy,” I bit my lip “I’m sorry, Grace, truly”

“But can I still call you Daddy?” she glimmered, defying my thoughts once again

“You may, if you so wish” I nodded, she stared at me “Oh what the heck?” I rolled my eyes, draping my wings and arms around her, embracing her “let’s go fabled daughter of mine” I stood upright, she clambered onto my shoulder, nuzzling into me as I walked with Blaze toward the entrance of the throne room “I’ll see you later, Sunflower, Tsuki, Cadance” I glanced to each of them in turn,

“Snowdrop and the others are in Ponyville waiting your return,” Celestia simpered, I nodded vacating the chamber, Blaze in quick pursuit

“What’ll you do, should they find your brand?” Blaze tilted her head as we arrived at the entrance to the castle

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, sister” I shook my head

“And Celestia?” she gleamed

“Kanojo ga watashi no chīsai himawarida” I stated boldly

“She’s your little sunflower, eh?” she smirked, again, I nodded, placing Gracy Gloom atop my head, carefully situating her between my horns, which pointed backward in a slight curve, and were a pale grey in colour, changing to eon form, Blaze leaping atop my back as I soared toward Ponyville “Well we’ll see where that takes us then, won’t we?”

-=-

“Tesla, you’re back!” Twilight gasped alongside her friends, minus fluttershy as she opened the door to the library

“That we are” Blaze cleared her throat, standing beside me on all fours, Gracy Gloom now laying atop her back as she stood on all fours

“It’s nice to see you too, Blaze” Twilight nickered

“Daddy,” Snowdrop hug-tackled me, forcing me back a few steps as she clung onto me with all her might

“Hello Snowdrop, I missed you”

“I missed you too Daddy,” she gleamed, tears in her eyes as she climbed atop my head

“Welcome back brother” Kiary perched herself upon my shoulder “how’d it go, the trip I mean?”

“It went as well as it could, I suppose,” I sighed “Just another day in the life of a knight of the sun and moon, me-thinks”

“Hakumei Ryu Kishi” Snowdrop glimmered

“I see someone’s been busy at the laptop” I chuckled

“You don’t mind, do you daddy?” she gave me her best puppy-dog eyes

“Just so long as you stay away from all the nasty stuff” I stroked her mane, Pinkie Pie whizzed passed me in the form of a speeding pinkish blur

“Party animal,” I raised an eyebrow “Twilight shrugged “No surprise, not that I’m complaining,” I smiled “people like her break the dull, everyday monotony, who knows what the world would be like without them?”

At the ‘party’ I raised my arm, forming a Giga-drill, transferring my magical energy into spiral energy, amplifying the size and power of the drill, soaring into the sky with the drill spinning at light-speed

“Giga…Drill...Break-!” I was mid-flight when the drill shattered like glass into countless shards of energy and metal, sending me back-side-first into the ground as it rained steel down upon me, my vision cut to black on impact with the cool, hard, earth

-=-=-=-

When I awoke, I was more or less covered in bandages

Looking to the side of the bed, I saw my friends and family alongside Twilight and her friends+

“Are you Ok Daddy?” Snowdrop sniffled

“I suppose I’ll have to spend a month in here now, eh?” I grinned, she frowned “Sorry…”

“What happened to you?” Twilight stared at me

“Africa happened, unless you mean the huge explosion, which would, or could be, chalked down to my lack of rest

“And what, of that?” Rarity pointed a hoof toward my shoulder, which bore a tattoo-like brand in the form of twin cross fangs

“I’d rather not talk about it” I mumbled

“They’re anti magic regalia and equipment reduced Tesla’s magic to absolute zero,” Blaze sighed “even the ‘Giga-Drill-Break’ didn’t do much”

“You lost, whilst using that!?” Twilight gaped

“It’s a forward-thrusting attack, so to speak, so any interference from the sides or back is completely possible” I shrugged

“Then use more than one!” Blaze face-pawed

“If I knew how to do that we wouldn’t be in this mess” I grumbled

“Just do it!” she tutted “kick all logic and reason to the curb and do the impossible!” she grinned, placing a basket filled with all sorts of gems on the table beside me

“Where’d you get them?” I nodded toward the basket

“The diamond dogs,” she exhaled sharply “they said they’d do anything for you so long as you didn’t drive them to extinction”

“Where’re my clothes, might I ask?” I deadpanned, pulling myself upright

“They got shredded by the shards of the drill that were raining from the sky” Blaze frowned “we’re just lucky nobody’s seriously hurt, brother”

“Alright, where’s my rucksack?” I sighed, Twilight’s horn shined with a magenta glow as my rucksack appeared on the bed beside me

“I think you’ll find a new set of attire in there whilst you reach for your clockwise, tesla” Rarity smiled “I commissioned myself to do it, in a select choice colours of dark and/or navy blue with white trimming, gold with black trimming and earthen brown with gold trimming, depending on your preferences, however”

“I owe you one, or three” I smiled, reaching into the bag, pulling out my usual clockwise gear, the others left, giving me the privacy I needed to quickly don the attire, removing the bandages as I did so

“Tesla, you’re wings…” Velvet Remedy nodded to the area behind me

Glancing behind me, I saw that my wings had been bent somewhat, and restoring them would be painful to almost no end

“Snowdrop,” I glanced toward the icy-blue filly, who smiled “I need you to fix my wings, can you do that?”

“I can try, Daddy” she nuzzled into me  taking a careful hold of one wing, quickly snapping it into place I flinched, biting down on my lip, drawing blood in the process as she did it for the other wings

“Thank you, Snowdrop” I patted her lightly on her back, wiping the blood away with a sleeve “I owe you one also, Watashi no chīsana sunō” I tried generating a flame around my hands, only managing the one, reaching out with purple flare, barely managing to carry the basket of gems to my side as Snowdrop perched herself on my head, as per usual

“Just knowing you is a good a debt as any, Father” she gleamed from ear to ear with a shine akin to that of the sun

“What have they been feeding you, and what have they done with my little snowflake?” I laughed

“I’m your daughter as you are my Father, Tesla” she winked “I don’t know about you or Blaze, but I like to think that I’ve grown in the past month,” she beamed “the doctor said you could remove your bandages when you awoke, seeing as you’re mostly healed, but you’d have to wait until you’re energy’s back to full capacity before you can go anywhere”

“That’d be easier than you think, Snowdrop” I grinned “for a normal dragon, eating crystals would restore energy, whereas I’m a gem dragon slayer, they restore both physical and magical energy, twice as much as a normal drake!”  I quickly devoured the basket of gems, my energy levels skyrocketing as I swallowed the last of them, Snowdrop retreated to a safe distance as I was suddenly set ablaze, scales appearing on my face, arms and hands

“Let us go, Nakama” I smirked, marching with my friends and family past Twilight and her friends out of the hospital

“Tesla, are you sure you should be-!?” Twilight stopped herself as a large dragon appeared above me, almost holographic in appearance, letting out a rather unearthly powerhouse roar as it appeared

“Ryū-ryoku yūsen” I gave a smug grin “Eigo Hoseki Ryu… I smiled, inhaling sharply, turning my head to face the sky “Hokou!” I exhaled an enormous torrent of whitish-golden flames, whistling as I lowered my gaze to the few ponies gathered behind me, who bowed

“You needn’t bow, for I have no inferiors” I sighed “I have Nakama, family, and loved ones, and that’s all I’ll ever need” the audience in question smiled, some winking as they dispersed

“You really have a way with words, do you not, brother?” Kiary smirked, perching herself atop my shoulder, Gracy Gloom doing the same on my opposite shoulder and Snowdrop lacing herself back to her usual perch atop my head

“I might do,” I shrugged “it is not my place to question another’s presence on Equis, as each sentient being has their rights and responsibilities, personally I’m just hoping the next few days go by without a ‘Kill La Kill’ reference”

“Because of the new attire you got from Rarity,” Littlepip smiled that’s a bit farfetched, dontcha think, Tesla?”

“Well then, don’t say I told you so, should it actually happen” I shrugged

“Who d‘ya think would be able to do it, if it should ever happen?” Blaze patted my back standing on her hind legs

“Senketsu, or the anime in general?” I tilted my head

“Senketsu” she smirked

“I’m not going to answer that” I folded my arms

“I’m sure they’ve already seen it anyway” Velvet Remedy grinned, as if psychic

“Who’s ‘they’?” Blaze glimmered Velvet Remedy raised an eyebrow, she stared at me “oh Tesla, you sly dog!”

“I don’t get it?” Twilight blinked

“I’ll tell you later” I shuddered a scroll appeared in a flash of smoke before me, I quickly unrolled it, the letter within contained details of a celebration/festival of sorts that happened every year the middle of the year, the rest was a mixture of greetings and farewells of each of the princesses

“Well ain’t that convenient?” Blaze grinned “it’s as if they know what we’re talking about from miles away”

“Convenient indeed” I stretched my wings

-=-=-

On the aptly named, ‘Summer Sun Celebration,’ Celestia glided into the sky, ‘raising the sun’ as  she did so, her horn glowing a bright primrose aura as the enormous fireball was lifted high above us, bowing once she landed, trotting toward me, my friends and family in their now-usual places on and around me as I stood before her

“I hear that you think I’d look good imitating a certain character?” Celestia smirked, changing to anthro form, her now-changed-form glowing slightly as a rather skimpy outfit appeared on her, quickly changing back to her usual regalia/lingerie before anyone noticed, winking at me, it took all that I had to stop myself from fainting

“Not bad” Blaze slowly nodded, patting my back, I quickly glanced toward her, she nodded toward Celestia

“Ditto” I bit my lip,

“There’s more where that came from, my little Dragon slayer” Celestia stepped forward, pecked me on the lips, winking as she stepped back “Meet me in the castle tonight, Rick, you won’t regret it Shmoopie” and with that she teleported away

“What’s a Shmoopie?” Rainbow Dash hovered beside me, grinning from ear to ear

“It’s an endearing term a mare might give to a stallion if he were their coltfriend, I believe” Twilight smiled

“Blaze,” I sighed

“Yes brother?” the Typhlosion stood at my side laughed, I lightly hit her on the head

“That’s for being an arse yesterday” I smirked

“Does the little fire hazard have a death wish?” Blaze chortled with a wicked leer

“Fire hazard,” I guffawed “Coming from you that’s rich!”

“Got a problem, human?” she smirked

“Not at all, why would I wish anything negative to come of my sister?” I tilted my head slightly

“So, how’d you snag the princess then?” Rainbow Dash gleamed rather slyly

“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity snapped “how can you be so uncouth?” she shook her head “the two of them are obviously in love so deep that it burns like Celestia’s sun, who are we to question such a topic?”

“Alright, I’m sorry” Rainbow Dash held up her hooves defensively “though I’m still curious” she glanced toward me

“History” I shrugged

“I don’t get it?” she tilted her head, blinking as she gave me a perplexed expression

“Ask her about it; you might get what you want, maybe more, maybe less, who’s going to question the wisdom of the eternal rulers of around just over half the planet?”

“Then we’ll go with ya to tha castle tonight” Applejack smiled “Not like Ah’ve got anything else tah do this evening”

=-=-=-=

When we got to the castle, all was quiet; the guards saluted us as we entered

“Rick, we art, glad thou could make it” Luna smiled as we entered the throne room

“Where’s Princess Celestia,” Twilight smiled as we made our way toward the lunar goddess “We’ve a few questions for her, nothing personal of course”

“Of course you have, my little ponies” everyone present looked back toward the door, Lulania was stood there; I clenched my fists, to which Blaze placed an arm across my stomach, shaking her head

“Not here” Blaze tutted

“I come only to offer my apologies to you, Tesla” Lulania bit her lip

“I am a being of chivalry; I suggest that you leave, before I change my mind” I growled

“I do not fear your wrath, Rick, merely, I worry for it, for I do not wish for a re-enactment of last time’s events” she gave a forlorn expression “please, be one with me, as you once were before, Rick”

“Get out” I snarled

“Very well,” she nodded, teleporting away, only to be replaced by Celestia

“I had to make sure you were still faithful, Tesla” Celestia frowned, her expression turning from a frown to a smile as she glanced toward Twilight “you have questions Twilight, then we shall retire to somewhere more… private, come” before I could reply, she’d teleported herself alongside us and Luna to her bedchambers

“What happened, an eon ago I mean?” Twilight blinked as Crystal and Angel appeared by my side by an undisclosed means of travel, teleportation, most likely

“As we have already explained,” Luna smiled “there were humans on Equis one-billion years past, they sought the power of the gods, and in doing so mutated themselves into eons, the species of which, Crystal, Angel and Tesla are members of,” she went “ on “they did this to give themselves a chance, for thou see there was a terrific war raging right outside the castle doors, one that would place the universe in grave jeopardy, were we to lose, that’s where thine demi-human forms come from, Element of Magic,” she continued further “we asked to gain the abilities of humans, so our DNA was fused with those very few who asked to volunteer for the great project known as ‘Operation: EON,’” she glanced toward me “when thou use that form, Rick, thou doth wield the powers of all of those of whom were valiant to thy bitter end, gallant to the end of their days, so to speak, who sacrificed themselves for their home and their families,” she smiled “we shall hand it to thine sister to continue, Element of Nature”

Twilight raised a hoof

“Yes, my faithful student?” Celestia simpered

“Who was this war against?” Twilight tilted her head

“We do not speak his name” the princesses frowned, Luna in particular “the war that was waged against that one being scarred the planet, eternally”

“Does that make Daddy a demi-god?” Gracy Gloom giggled

“Not quite, but you’re not that far off, my little pony” Celestia winked

“And what of me, or, my old self, what role did they play in the war?” I sat beside Blackjack, Littlepip and Velvet Remedy on the bed

“You were the one who created the project, and led then continued to lead the humans and eons of old to an almost certain victory, cleansing Equis of the vile shadows of the ancient one” Celestia gleamed “You’re a hero, in this life and the last”

“Gladiator reference intended?” Blaze laughed

“No, why?” she blinked

“Just checking” Blaze patted my leg “Do you wish for this to go public, Tesla?”

“It’d be a bit late for anyone to do such a thing, and besides, I think it’s better to forget the war, but not those who fought in it” I shook my head “I think this needs to stay between us, and no one else”

“Thou art as wise as thou were an eon ago,” Luna glimmered “Perhaps the old Tesla we knew is returning to Equis, reborn anew?”

“Perhaps” I tilted a hand “I may be able to do something no other eon can, as I was created, transformed into one, rather than born as one”

“So your powers and abilities were separated from you on rebirth,” Celestia frowned “that means that there’s a possibility of another being, one who can do what you could, only to a more extreme level”

”There’re two of them now?” Crystal stared at me, wide-eyed “god give everyone strength”

“Coming from you” I rolled my eyes

“What did you mean when you said ‘mutated’?” Angel gave me a worried glance

“You were created through a fusion of both magic and science, that of which Starswirl pales in comparison to” Celestia raised an eyebrow

“Created in a magic-y science-y test tube, how’s that work for ya?” Blaze smirked at me

“Doesn’t surprise me really, I mean, you’d have to be to be as insane as me” I chuckled

“Amen” Crystal hummed “my insane eon husband”

“Two hundred years and you two haven’t been officially married” Angel tutted, folding her arms as she shook her head

“Seriously,” Rainbow Dash laughed, Rarity shot her a glare “sorry”

“Then we can host it in the castle,” Celestia nodded “if you two are to be wedded; then we shall make the preparations at once, it’s the least we can do for an eon-old legend”

“Let’s hope this one doesn’t end in changelings” I exhaled sharply, turning to Black Beetle “no offense”

“None taken,” Black Beetle shrugged “our majesty was a fool to think that she could win with that little stunt, I may be taken and executed for treason for saying this, but I’d much rather be with you, Rick, things are much more interesting for a human in Equestria, and an eon, and a dragon slayer, all moulded into a single being, I find it intriguing, to find that such a thing exists”

“Indeed” Crystal pecked my cheek “Shall we be getting prepared for the event, Tesla, or are you still unsure because of your new Nakama here on Equis?” Blackjack moved over as Celestia sat beside me in her stead, draping a wing and an arm around me, now in her anthro form

“I’ve a question I’d like to ask first” I bit my lip

“What is it?” Celestia smiled

“Who was with me during the creation of the eons?”

“I was, as were Luna and Faust” she nickered “where are you going with this, Rick?”

-=-=-

“Ready?” Crystal smirked, pushing me toward the double doors; I marched through, barely managing to stop myself from falling as I walked up the aisle, wearing a navy blue suit I’d long-since-almost-forgotten

As the priest said all that is said at a wedding, Celestia in her human form holding a bouquet of roses, she glanced toward me

“And where did you get that?” Celestia eyed me up and down, her voice barely audible

“Inventory” I quietly winked

“Do you, Princess Celestia Dawnbreaker, take Rick Hawkins to be your lawfully wedded husband, in both sickness and health, till death, do you part?” the priest-pony smiled toward Celestia

“I do” Celestia smiled

“Do you, Rick Hawkins, take Princess Celestia Dawnbreaker, to be your lawfully wedded wife, in both sickness and health, till death, do you part?”

“I do” I smirked

“Then by the power invested in me, I pronounce you colt and mare, you may kiss the bride” Celestia through the bouquet into the audience, draping her arms around my neck as she pressed her lips against mine, gradually parting, the audience burst into cheering and stomping their hooves in applaud

“Perhaps you’d like to grave us with a photo?” a small group of ponies with cameras crowded us as we left the castle

“Not a problem” before Celestia could reply I picked her up off her feet, holding her in my arms, she quickly draped her arm around my neck as I held her up, pecking my cheek

“What was that?” Celestia stared at me as I set her back on the ground

“That, my dear, was me having a bit of fun,” I smiled “you might want to be careful about that from here on”

“So I will” she raised an eyebrow, her white dress with diamonds embedded in it gleaming in the sunlight

=-=-=

When all were gone, save for Twilight her friends and my friends and family, who were in the castle, I stood with Celestia in the gardens, taking her hand in my, placing my hand on her side as we slowly danced

“I could get used to this” Celestia smiled

“So could you, just you, me and the stars above us with the radiant moon acting as an ambient nightlight, Cellsy” (that’s her name from here on!)

“Oh, and to be with you through it all, my love” she shuddered “I tremble in ecstasy at the thought”

“Am I interrupting something?” I turned, there was a second Celestia eyebrow raised in curiosity, I turned back, Celestia was no longer there, replaced by a changeling with vivid green eyes

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