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Dust on the Wind: Irony's Tale

by Phenrys

Chapters

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Hello Discord," I say as I sense the Draconequus, not bothering to get up or even look up from the book I'm reading.

"Hello Irony," he responds, seeming ever so slightly put out that he hasn't surprised me with his presence.

"So the time has finally come, then?" I ask, sounding almost bored though I am feeling anything but. I knew this confrontation would come. I had warned each of the Princesses on numerous occasions that he could not be trusted. I was certain of his betrayal. Too bad I couldn't be wrong.

"Indeed it has. You should feel honored that I see you as enough of a threat that I shall remove you before putting the rest of my plan into action," is his response.

He then begins to chant:

For Five Score! Divided by Four!

Your Memories Removed! Your Body Confused!

For your insolence you must pay,

Cast off to a land far far away!

Irony's removal, to meet my approval!

Your mind shall be weak, your outlooks bleak!

Forgetting everything and living like a fool,

You have all lost, now no one can stop my rule!

By the time he finishes the first line I have already leapt to my four hooves. My motions seem sluggish, almost like I am moving through molasses in January. I push on, knowing I only have one chance before I am dust. By the end of the third line I have managed to grab my flanged mace. During lines four and five I begin closing the gap. At line six I am raising my mace over my head to strike. Line seven sees me bringing the mace down in an arc at my foe. I can see it in my hand, preparing to crush the Lord of Chaos' skull. He finishes his incantation and snaps his claws just as I feel the mace make contact. Then everything goes blinding white and then darkest black.

And then the screaming begins...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sit up in my bed, remembering every aspect of my dream. I have had it so many times that I can close my eyes and relive it in vivid detail any time that I wish, though I would rather forget.

I seem to always have that dream on the night of my birthday, as well as whenever I seem to be at a crossroads in my life. Today is the former. I am officially 25, as of 0433 this morning, April 25th, 2020. I look at my clock and see that it is 0440, as I expected. I always wake up right after having the dream on my birthday soon after my actual birth time.

I sigh and stretch my 6' 5", 295 pound frame, not bothering to lie back down. I'm supposed to meet my brother at the gym in a little over half an hour. I get up and throw on my workout shorts and shirt in the dark, grab a protein bar and my gym bag and head out the door.

The gym is less than a mile away so I jog there while eating my protein bar as a warm-up, knowing that today we were planning on lifting weights. My brother Jim always tried to push me to compete with him when we lifted, maybe because he isn't quite as big as me, being 6' 1" and about 225 pounds, but I knew it wasn't a great idea to let our egos get out of control. Too easy to get hurt.

I get to the gym at exactly 0530, knowing that Jim won't be there quite yet. He is always running a little late, but never by enough for me to gripe a lot. I stow my gym bag in a locker and begin limbering up. I'm halfway through my stretches when he walks in and starts doing the same without a word. We both take our workouts pretty seriously, an attitude that we got from having been in the Marines together, and which continued even now that we were both out of the service.

I finish stretching and walk around while I wait for Jim to finish. When he's done he comes up and grabs my hand and pulls me into a guy hug and says, "Henry man, Happy Birthday! You've finally made the big 2-5."

I laugh and say, "Yeah, and you're a whole 6 days behind me dude. So no old man jokes."

He laughs and says, "Okay, okay...no old man jokes, I promise, gramps."

I punch him in the shoulder and laugh at him. Jim and I aren't brothers in blood, but we might as well have been. We were both adopted at the same time from unknown parents. Our adoptive parents had never hidden the fact we were adopted from us, instead showing us how much they had wanted us and loved us. They were wonderful parents who adopted us late in life. Jim and I still missed them, even though it had been almost 7 years since they passed away.

"Are you ready for this? Today I'm going to lift more than you for sure," he says to me.

"Only in your dreams little bro," I laugh at him.

We start our circuit in earnest, taking turns spotting for each other. When we are nearing the end of our final circuit, Jim starts running his mouth, trying to push my buttons and get me to actually compete with him on the bench.

"Come on old man, you're not worried that I'll beat you are you? Maybe I should go get your walker?" he pushes and pushes.

"Fine you little pipsqueak, you're on!" I growl at him. Usually I just say no and he can't get a rise out of me, but today I feel a little different. I'm a little angry and just feel riled up.

"Alright! Let's start at 200!" he says jubilantly as he starts loading weight on the bar, knowing this is a rare opportunity for him to really measure himself against me.

"I don't think so. Let's make it 300. Loser picks up the bar tab tonight," I grin at him.

"You're on!" he finishes loading the bar and lays down on the bench. I take my place behind the bar to spot for him. He lifts the bar slowly and is able to do three reps before I have to help him put the bar back.

I laugh and say, "you'll have to do better than that. Throw some more weight on there."

Jim shrugs and throws another 25 pounds on each side. I lay down and pump out five reps before putting the bar back. I move to get up, certain of my victory when Jim stops me and adds another 50 pounds to the bar. I decide to humor him and lay back down, lifting the bar and do five more before putting the bar back unassisted.

"Dude...how much can you lift? We've been working out together for years and I didn't know you could do 400 pounds. You don't come work out by yourself do you?" Jim asks me, amazement clear in his voice.

"You know I would never work out alone! And I've never lifted that much before, so I didn't know I could do it either," I respond.

"Let's see how much you can do," he says as he loads up the bar with another 100 pounds.

"Come on man, you know I'll never be able to do that much."

"Just humor me bro. I've got a feeling."

"You and your feelings are gonna get me in trouble," I say as I lay back down and he stands ready. I hesitantly lift the bar out of the bracket and slowly lower it to my chest, fully expecting to need help to get it back up. I push the bar up, pausing at the top and then lowering it again. I can't believe it, I am lifting almost twice my body weight! Jim laughs out loud with glee as I continue. I stop when I get to ten, knowing I could do more but not wanting to overdo it.

"Okay, that's enough," I say, sitting up and wiping the sweat from my brow.

"Aww man...come on!" he cries.

I just smile at him and shake my head. I start unloading the bar and he helps so I don't have to go back and forth from side to side. When we finish I head to the showers with Jim following along behind. We grab our towels and strip down, heading into the showers. I'm lathering up my hair when I hear Jim yell, "Dude, what the fuck is that?"

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I finish rinsing my hair and say, "What the fuck is what?"

He points at my hips and says, "That, dude! When did you get ink done? And why did you choose your hips? I mean those are pretty badass, but still, on your hips?"

I look down at myself and then almost fall over from shock. On each hip I have a vibrant tattoo that I've never seen before. It takes me a moment for my brain to make my mouth work, "What the holy FUCK! Where did those come from?!"

Jim's head drops to the side as he looks at the tattoos in contemplation. "Man, they almost look like cutie marks. Or at least they would if they matched." He looks up at my face with confusion in his eyes.

"Dude, I swear I don't know where they came from! Wait a minute...it was you, wasn't it? You decided to prank me for my birthday, didn't you! I'm gonna get you back so bad for this dude!" even before I get halfway through my statement I can see he's shaking his head vigorously.

"No man, I swear I had nothing to do with those. I haven't even seen you in a few days, how could I have done that to you?"

"Oh shit...are you sure you don't know anything about these?" I ask, even though I know the answer. Jim never had a good poker face, if it had been him he'd be grinning to beat the band and laughing by now.

"No way. You didn't go out and get drunk last night, did you? Maybe got a little ink done while under the influence?" he asks.

"I haven't had anything to drink in weeks. Not to mention you know just how much it would take for me to get so sloppy drunk that I wouldn't remember. No way would any of the parlors around here give a guy some tattoos while he was that wasted," I respond, calming down as I try to figure this mystery out.

"At least it's great ink, not some shoddy job. And really dude, they are badass. It could have been worse, you could have ended up with a freaking butterfly tramp stamp or something," Jim tries to console me.

"I guess you're right," I say, looking at the tattoos more closely. One is a shield with a blacksmiths anvil on it, with a hammer and tongs crossed above the anvil. The other is a shield with a hand wielding a flanged mace surrounded by a purple starburst on it. I've seen that mace before, I think.

"Wait. Did you say they look like cutie marks?" I ask.

"Well, yeah they do, or like I said, they would if they were matching. You know, from My Little Pony," he responds, as if I could have forgotten the show. We were big into it when it came out ten years ago, and like everyone else in the fandom we were sad when it ended five years later. We called ourselves bronies, even though we were never nearly as fanatical as a lot of others who wore that moniker.

"Do you really think I could have forgotten where cutie marks are from?" I ask.

"Well...you seem to have gotten a couple of tattoos and forgotten about them, so...maybe?" he responds sheepishly.

"Touché sir...good point."

We finish our showers and get dressed then leave the gym together in Jim's car. It's sort of a ritual with us to have steak and eggs at the local mom and pop diner after we work out together, so that's where Jim takes us. Soon we are sitting across from each other in a booth, me drinking orange juice while he enjoys his coffee, black of course. I never had developed a taste for coffee, only drinking it when I really needed to.

We were talking about nothing of importance, when the conversation turns to ponies, and we start discussing the merits of each of the Mane Six. It doesn't really take us long to come to the same conclusion we always have, that Twilight Sparkle is still best pony. We then move on to discuss our favorite episodes and our second favorite ponies. Somewhere in the middle of the conversation our food comes, and our waitress chimes in with, "My favorite episode is the second Trixie episode, where she has the Alicorn amulet. I always liked that even though Twilight fooled Trixie and beat her soundly, she tried hard to not hurt Trixie's feelings."

Jim and I both gawked open-mouthed at our waitress, Sherry. We'd been coming here for years, and knew Sherry for most of that time, but neither one of us had ever known she was into MLP. She laughed at us and said, "What, you can be bronies, but I can't be a pegasister?"

We both blush, and I say, "We just never had any idea you watched the show too. The things you learn about people, I guess."

She smiles at our discomfiture and says, "Well, I've known for a while now that you two were bronies, so I finally decided this was a good opportunity to tell you I like ponies too."

Jim kind of freezes up for a moment, and I know that he's been thinking about asking her out for a while now, so I smile at Sherry and say, "Would you like to come over to Jim's to watch a few episodes with us later today?" I then flick my eyes from her to him a couple of times.

She smiles at Jim, getting the hint, and answers, "I think that would be great. I get off here around 5, so how about 6?" I tell her that would be great, and then write directions down on a napkin for her, including Jim's phone number.

Once Sherry has headed back to the kitchen to get someone else's food, I dig into my eggs while Jim just sits there looking thoughtful. I reach over and poke him with my fork and say, "Equestria to Jim."

He shakes his head and says, "Thank you dude. You knew I wouldn't ever be able to ask her out, didn't you?"

I just smile at him as I take another bite of egg. Jim never had been real smooth with the ladies, always being just a tad shy. Frankly I'm just glad he wasn't mad I was trying to help set him up.

"Irony, you're always watching out for me. I know I don't always show it, but I appreciate it," Jim says to me.

"No problem, little bro," I say in response.

We dig into our steaks and plow through our meals as only a couple of Marines can, finishing in no time at all. When Sherry brings our bill, she smiles and winks at Jim. I take one look at the bill and slide it over to Jim. He laughs and says, "So I should buy you breakfast because it's your birthday?"

"Nope. Just thought you might want to see that," I say, grinning.

Jim looks at the bill and grins back at me. Sherry left him her phone number on it, along with a note saying that breakfast was on the house. We both stand up, and as Jim turns away I pull out my wallet and drop a fifty on the table for Sherry, knowing that our breakfast probably came out of her pocket. And also knowing that Jim would do the same if he had it to give. Besides, he owes me a night on the town and that is going to cost, I grin as I think about that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dude, get out of the shower! It's 1730, Sherry will be here soon! You'd better not be spanking the monkey in there!" I yell at Jim, pounding on the bathroom door to hurry him along. I walk over to the TV and queue up My Little Pony so it's ready when she gets here. I then walk into the kitchen and grab a can of cola and some celery from the fridge. I'm sitting on the couch still munching on it when Jim comes out a few minutes later.

"Out of all the snacks I have here, you choose rabbit food," he ribs me when he sees what I'm eating.

"Hey, gotta watch my girlish figure," I reply, laughing.

"Yeah sure, whatever dude," he says while he opens the fridge and looks inside. Just then the doorbell dings and before I can even attempt to stand Jim is practically running for the door yelling back at me, "I'll get it!"

"Hi Sherry! Welcome to my humble abode," I hear Jim say as he shows Sherry in. I wave to her from my seat on the couch.

She waves back and says, "Nice place. Glad I finally get to see it. Oh, I brought a guest gift. My mom always taught me to not show up without a gift when invited to someone's house for the first time," she hands Jim a bottle with a bow on it. Jim whistles and holds the bottle up for me to see.

"Bro, Sherry brought us the good stuff!" he grins at me, brandishing the bottle of Jameson Irish whiskey.

"Did she ever! Eighteen year old Limited Reserve! Now that's a nice bottle of whiskey!" I grin and hop off the couch to take hold of the bottle. "Thank you very much, Sherry! How did you know this was our favorite?"

"Actually, I brought it for purely selfish reasons, it's my favorite too," she replies, smiling broadly.

Jim turns to me and says, "Bro, this is a great way to celebrate your birthday! Good whiskey, great company, and ponies!" He holds up his fist and I give him a 'bro-hoof'.

"Wait, Henry, is it your birthday today?" Sherry asks me.

"Yup, 25 today. A whole quarter of a century," I say.

"Happy birthday! I wish I had known, I would have brought you a gift too!" she protests.

I hold up the bottle as I say, "oh, this is present enough for any sane man. You couldn't have done better, thank you."

Jim punches me in the shoulder and says, "Hey, that's for all of us!"

"Nope, you owe me, remember?" I laugh at the look of chagrin that appears on his face. "Just kidding man, just kidding!"

Jim growls at me as he grabs the bottle out of my hands and marches into the kitchen. He shortly returns with three glasses each with two fingers of the amber liquor in them. He hands Sherry and I each a glass and raises his in a toast, "To my brother turning 25 today! To making new friends, and to ponies!"

We all clink glasses, seconding Jim's toast. Then Sherry says, "I'll turn 25 next week myself, guess I'll have to invite you guys over for a party."

Jim gets kind of a funny look on his face and then says, "I turn 25 next week too. What day is your birthday? Mine is May 1st."

"Mine's on the 2nd, but only just. I was born a few minutes after midnight on the second," she responds.

"Wow, that's a big coincidence," I say to them, smiling a little at the vagaries of fate.

"I'll say, especially since I was born only a few minutes before midnight of the 1st!" says Jim.

"Wait, I thought you two were brothers. How can you both turn 25 a week apart?" asks Sherry, perplexed.

Jim looks at me and grins. "Care to handle this one, 'big brother'?"

"We were adopted at birth. We come from different birth parents and were born six days apart. Our mom and dad were getting on in years and wanted two children, so they adopted us both at one time," I answer for him.

"Okay, that explains it. Thought I was losing my mind for a moment. Now you were both in the Marines, right?" Sherry asks.

"Yeah. We actually served in the same unit, too," answers Jim.

"Wait, how did you manage that? Don't they have rules about family members serving together?" she asks.

"They do, but we have different last names. Our parents had us keep our birth parents last names, so we would always know where we came from. That and a request made to a friend of the family ensured we would serve together," I say in response.

"Wow. I knew you two were close, but you are really close. I've never known siblings that wanted to spend that much time together before, especially as adults," Sherry says.

"You could say we're close alright. Even more so after Henry saved my life," says Jim, smiling at me as I flush red with embarrassment.

"Jim, you would have done the same for me. Besides, I got lucky," I say.

"I sense a story here. Spill!" exclaims Sherry, looking from one of us to the other.

"Really it's nothing," I say, trying to deflect the conversation.

"I wouldn't say it's nothing," says Jim, not letting me off the hook. "Henry here threw himself on a live grenade that the enemy had thrown into the middle of our camp. He saved the entire squad. He even got a medal for it," says Jim, leaving out one important detail.

Sherry looks at me in wide eyed shock, like she had never seen me before. There is a reason I never tell this story to anyone. I don't want to be treated differently because I once did something that almost anyone would do in the same situation.

"Wait, if you threw yourself on a live grenade...then how are you still here to talk about it? I know they have made great strides in prostheses, but the blast alone should have killed you," says Sherry, beginning to suspect that Jim was having her on.

"Jim here is leaving out one very important detail," I say, glaring at Jim. "The grenade didn't go off. It was a dud, much to my happy surprise."

"You still saved all our lives, big bro. Everyone in the squad agrees with me. And so did the review board, that's why they gave you that medal you refuse to wear," adds Jim.

"I think it's amazing too, and so brave. You could have been killed!" says Sherry. She then adds, "By the way, what medal are you talking about?"

Jim looks at me and I shake my head. He proceeds anyway, "He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his 'unparalleled act of valor'. He refuses to wear it, or be acknowledged for it. The squad threw a party to thank him and celebrate, and the bum didn't show up!"

"That wasn't on purpose! I told you I got held up!" I gripe at Jim, wishing I could melt into the floor and disappear. Sherry just seemed to be in shock. I finally just walk away and out into the backyard, trying to get a hold on my emotions.

What Jim didn't understand, what no one understood, is that I wasn't being modest. I genuinely hate thinking about that incident. I should have died. The fact that I didn't was a wonderful blessing, but it left me damaged in a way no one seemed to understand. When I jumped on that grenade, I knew it was the right thing to do. My life flashed before my eyes, the whole thing, and while I didn't regret anything, I felt that something huge was missing. I could sense that something vast was wrong. Every night for a month afterwards I woke screaming from my dream, knowing in my heart that it meant more than I had ever realized before.

I hear the door open behind me, but I don't bother to turn around, instead I continue gazing out over the fields behind Jim's house and watch the sun set behind the hills. Instead of talking to me, whoever is behind me remains quiet, maybe watching the sunset the same as I. When I finally master myself I turn around to see both of them sitting on the back step just watching me. Neither one of them says anything, but I can feel that maybe they understand just a little bit of what I'm dealing with after all.

"I'm sorry I walked out, I just..." I begin, not knowing how to finish the sentence.

"No dude, no need for you to apologize. I'm the one who needs to apologize. I'm sorry man, I know this has been eating at you. I can't help but push some, mostly because what you did means so much to me. I know how it worked out, but it didn't have to be that way. What I saw that day, and what I've always seen in you, is how much you care for those around you. I know you love me, and I know you would jump on that grenade every time for me, but I also know you would do that for anyone. You are selfless in the extreme. You are the protector; I think it's in your blood. It may even be your destiny, if you believe in that kind of thing. What I'm trying to say is that you are amazing, and not everyone would do what you did, despite what you think. I hope that you can someday understand how special that makes you."

Jim stands and pulls me into a real hug as he finishes his speech. We haven't hugged like this since we were kids, and I can feel wetness on my shoulder from the tears flowing silently down his face. I hold him tightly and I can feel my cheeks are wet too. I can't even remember the last time that I wept for any reason. I whisper into his ear, "I love you brother, don't ever forget or doubt it."

After a few moments we awkwardly end our embrace, both pretending we don't see the tears the other has shed. We turn back towards the house and see that Sherry is standing, and her cheeks are shiny with the wetness of the tears she has shed for us. Jim and I each hold a hand out to her, inviting her to join us and I say, "Trixie, I..."

She takes our hands and just smiles at us and shakes her head. I realize there aren't any words for the situation, and that none are needed. It is then that I realize this has bonded the three of us in a way that none of us could have anticipated.

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After a few more moments I decide to break the silence, "So...who wants to watch ponies?"

Jim chuckles and shakes his head while Sherry cocks her eyebrow and just gives me a small smile. I throw an arm around each of their shoulders and herd them inside to the couch, where I get them to sit down next to each other. I then pour us each another glass of Jameson and sit down in the overstuffed chair adjacent to the couch. I pick up the remote and start an episode of MLP before they can say anything about the arrangement.

The episode I selected was the one where Trixie first comes to ponyville. I glance over at Sherry and she lifts her glass in salute to my choice. I then see her cuddle in closer to Jim, who kind of looks like a scared rabbit. When the credits start to roll I queue up the second Trixie episode, knowing that it's Sherry's favorite. I see her smile and lay her head on Jim's shoulder. Jim, starting to loosen up a bit, carefully puts his arm around her.

They sure look cute together, I think to myself. I try to keep the smile off my face but fail miserably, so I cover it by faking a yawn and covering my mouth with my hand. This actually fits perfectly with my secret plot. As the episode continues I fake a couple more yawns and act like I'm having a little trouble staying awake. Then, just before the episode builds to its conclusion, I stand up and hand the remote to Jim and walk into the kitchen to put my glass in the sink, catching Sherry's eye and giving her a wink as I do. I walk back out to the TV room afterward, intending to beg off tired and head home. I glance up at the show and see it's where Twilight challenges Trixie to the rematch and I get caught up in it. When it gets to where Twilight turns Applejack into a 'stallion' I shudder involuntarily, and think about how really weird that would feel. I shake my head to clear it and then say, "Well, I'm pretty tired, think I'll go home now."

Sherry smiles at me and waves, and Jim says, "Dude, are you sure? It's still early!"

"Yeah, it's been a long day, and I'm planning to get up early tomorrow and spend the day working in my shop. I suddenly have the urge to start a new project," I answer, realizing that is exactly what I want to do.

"Okay bro, if you're sure. Happy birthday again man, hope you sleep well," he says, a little perplexed.

I smile at them and wave my goodbye, heading out the front door. I climb into my car, a 1970 Oldsmobile 442, patting the dash lovingly as I turn the key and hear the engine roar. I love this car, having spent a lot of hours carefully restoring it. It took me a long time to get all the parts together, as well as a fair bit of cash outlay, but it was all worth it. I'd dreamt of this car ever since I was old enough to love a car. It probably didn't help that my dad had let me watch Demolition Man a couple of times when he probably shouldn't have. He also was always telling me about an old friend of his who had a '69 442 long ago. He was always talking about how she outraced everyone in that car, and that it could do a ten second quarter. It wasn't until I was much older that I understood what that meant, and how fast that really was.

I decide to go for a bit of a drive, as I'm not really tired yet. I take it slow away from Jim's house, listening to the engine rumble appreciatively. I take a leisure drive out to an old highway nearby where I know I can open her up without getting in trouble. When I get to the old road I stop on an imaginary starting line and rev up the engine, taking the rpms almost to red line and back down a few times, just listening to the screaming roar of the 455 cubic inch engine. I let off the clutch, dropping all 425 horses and 500 foot-pounds of torque to the rear wheels, going from 0 to 60 mph in less than four seconds. Damn that feels soooo good I think to myself, grinning like a madman as I tear down the road at well over a hundred miles per hour. After a few miles I slow it down and start for home, feeling like this has been a pretty great birthday after all.

I pull into my garage and shut off the engine and climb out of the car. I close the door and stretch, reaching my arms way above my head, feeling my back pop in several places. Suddenly tired, I yawn and scratch my head, thinking hmmm...time for a haircut again I guess. I walk into the house and then to my bedroom and, dropping my shirt and pants on the floor, drop into bed. My head barely hits the pillow before I'm deep asleep.

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I'm lying on my bed reading a book. I realize this book is very familiar to me, so I read the page I just read again. I realize this is a book I wrote, which is odd because I don't remember writing a book. I reach out and close the book with my hoof, flipping it so I can read the title: "Mixed Pony Tactics: Fighting Superior Forces with Earth Ponies, Pegasi and Unicorns."

Suddenly I can remember everything that is in the book, and I know I wrote it from my own personal experiences, though I can't remember what those experiences were. It is totally baffling to me. I stare at the book for a moment when it strikes me that I had used a hoof to close it. I look down at my arms and realize they aren't arms anymore, they're legs, and yes they end in hooves instead of hands. I'm getting ready to start freaking out when I realize I must be dreaming. I shake my whole body, thinking this is really weird. I recognize this dream, but I've never had any control of it before. Maybe I can see myself?

I stand up and walk over to a mirror that is standing in the corner of the room and stare at my reflection. I am a pony. A dark, midnight blue, pony. With a bright blue mane that is streaked with purple, silver, black and grey. I realize that this body feels strong, very strong. I feel stronger than I have ever felt before; it is kind of a heady feeling.

Turning away from the mirror I see a flanged mace lying next to the bed. It is the same mace that I remember from my previous dreams. It's the same mace from my tattoo I realize with some shock. I knew I'd seen that before!

I look around, expecting Discord to show up any second. He doesn't show, but I do hear a weird noise. It's getting louder and more persistent. It gets to an ear-splitting level and I reach up to cover my ears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I clap my hands over my ears as I sit up in bed, breathing heavily from the sudden awakening. I glance around to locate the source of the noise when I spot my phone on my nightstand and remember I set an alarm. I fumble with the phone until it finally shuts up.

I groan and flop back, what a weird dream I was having. Imagine thinking I wrote a book about pony tactics. I mean, everyone knows that if you're attacked by a superior force you should use your pegasi as a harrying or flanking force while the unicorns cast attacking or distracting spells from a distance. And you use your earth ponies as a crushing charge or last line of defense, depending on your terrain--whoa, how do I know that? Wtf brain?

I finally shrug it off, figuring it's just leftover from my crazy dream. I pull on my pants and grab a ratty old shirt and head to the kitchen to eat a bowl of cereal before making my way out to my shop.

When I get to the shop I open the bay doors and turn on the overhead lights. I call it my shop, but it's really a lot more than a shop. I have a large propane forge on one wall with a true anvil near it on a stand. My hammers, tongs, gloves and apron line the wall behind my workbench which has a ten inch vise bolted to it. On the other side of the shop there is a 60 gallon air compressor and my arc and wire welding rigs. All of my equipment was well-used, and most of it had been before I got it, but this shop was my real pride and joy, even more than the car I rebuilt. This is where I come to be at peace. Pounding on hot steel made me feel like everything is right in the world.

Many a day I spend in my shop just working on whatever comes to me, letting the universe guide my hammer. Sometimes I sell what I make, though that is usually custom work that has been ordered by a customer, hey even I have bills. Most often though, I store or give away what I make. I never knew what I was going to end up with when I started on a project for myself, but in the end it never really matters to me.

I put on my leather apron, safety glasses and heat gloves, fire up the forge, pull down some steel stock and begin heating it. Once the metal glows a bright yellow I pull it from the fire and commence to hammering it on the anvil. Soon I am lost in the process, feeling the work. I set the first piece aside and get another bar of steel. After an hour or so of heating, hammering and reheating, I set aside yet another piece of steel and watch it cool. I now have seven pieces of steel in front of me, one is a rod about two feet long, tapered at one end and I have chiseled grooves in the other end. Six grooves, to match the six flat pieces of steel lying next to the rod. As I look at it I realize what I am making. Seems fitting, I guess, I think to myself as I carry the steel over to the other side of my shop and put on my welding helmet. I fit the plates into their grooves and proceed to weld a bead up and down both sides of each plate. Once the welds have cooled I take the work over to my forge and use a long pair of tongs to heat the entire piece to a bright orange and quench it in an oil bath.

Once it has cooled I hold up the piece. It is the same flanged mace I have tattooed on my hip. The same flanged mace from the dreams I have been having since I was little. There's even a ring on the end so I can hook it to a belt. I look at it for a long time. Then I shake my head and set it on another shelf next to some pieces I made the week before. I then pick up one of those pieces and look at it. It is a helmet, but not one that would fit any person I'd ever seen. I set it back down next to its twin and pick up the matching armor. It is oddly shaped too. I hadn't shown anyone these pieces yet because I had no idea what they meant to me. They weren't for people, that I was sure of. They almost look like they are meant for...ponies? But that makes no sense. Maybe my dreams have been infecting my work recently? I put back the armor piece I was holding and pick up the last piece I made last week, which was a damn big piece of armor. It was sized almost big enough for me, but seemed made for a woman, so I had no idea who it could be for. I looked from it to the smaller piece of armor I had just set back down, noticing that the smaller piece had holes in the back. Almost like...for wings?

I put the big piece of armor down and pondered the five pieces together, feeling they were somehow connected. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

I shut down the forge and cleaned up my work, brushing my hair out of my eyes every few moments. Wait...how is my hair in my eyes? I wondered. I stopped and actually looked at the hair hanging in my eyes, is...is my hair blue?! I run into the house and to the bathroom and flip on the light. Then I stop dead, just staring into the mirror. What...The...FUCK?!? My hair is indeed blue. Bright blue. With purple, silver, black and grey streaks. Just like in my dream!

I continue to stare at my reflection, still in shock. How had my hair changed colors? Why were they the same colors as the hair in my dream? Did someone dye my hair while I was sleeping? Could I have done it myself and forgotten, like the tattoos? Wait, it's longer too! How could it be longer? I don't think it was this long when I woke up this morning...was it?

I soon gave up the idea that I had been pranked; no one would have done it, not even Jim. Not to mention that no one could have known the exact color scheme I dreamed about the night before. I was also pretty sure I hadn't gotten it dyed and forgotten. I would have had to do it yesterday, and I spent the whole day with Jim. So that left me without a reasonable explanation for it.

Looking in the mirror again I realize there is something else different. My eyes...my fucking eyes! How did my eyes CHANGE COLOR? My eyes were magenta, freaking magenta! "What the hell is happening to me?!" I yell at the top of my lungs. I sit down on the toilet and try to get my bearings. After a few minutes I remember that I ran out of my shop without closing it up and locking it, so I stand up and walk out of the bathroom, closing my eyes so I wouldn't have to see myself in the mirror again right now. I go out and make sure the shop is cleaned up then turn out the lights and close the bay doors, making sure to lock them.

When I walk back into the house, much calmer now than I was before, I realize that I am drenched in sweat and covered in soot and oil. I decide that I need to shower before I do anything else, so I trek back to the bathroom, getting a towel from the linen closet on the way. Still not ready to see myself again, I don't look in the mirror as I turn on the shower and strip down. I step into the shower and start by lathering up my body, taking care to get all the soot and oil scrubbed off. While scrubbing I notice tenderness in my chest and wonder briefly if I strained something while working in the shop. I also find a sensitive spot just above my butt, right at the base of my spine. It didn't hurt, it was just sensitive. I soon forgot about it though as I started thinking about washing my hair. I normally keep my hair in a buzz cut like I did when I was in the military, but now it is much longer. Not to mention the color.

I decide the best way to handle it is to face it straight on and attack it like I would an enemy. I pour a bunch of shampoo into my hand and start scrubbing my hair as hard as I can. I soon realize I need even more shampoo. I have never had long hair before and have no idea how much shampoo this can take. Finally the hair is all washed and I am able to rinse out the shampoo. I just stand there under the spray, trying to think about the situation rationally. I can't think of a single logical explanation for any of this. When the water finally turns cold I am no closer to figuring it out, but am forced to get out of the shower.

Once I am out and dried off I decide I need to man up and look in the mirror again. I close my eyes and stand directly in front of the offending piece of glass and force my eyes open. Nothing has changed. My hair is still longer than it should be, the color is all wrong, and my eyes are still messed up. But at least nothing else seems to have happened while I wasn't looking.

I head to my bedroom, get out some clean clothes and get dressed. Once I'm done with that I sit on my bed and think about my next step. At first I think about hiding out here until this goes away, but I know that Jim will worry if I avoid him. He would come to see me and really worry if I didn't open the door when he came. Thinking about it, I realize that it is silly to hide this from him, he won't think less of me, and might be able to help me think of a solution. So I pick up my phone and dial his number.

"What's up bro?" he answers.

"Hey Jim...are you busy?" I ask, evading his question.

"I'm having lunch with Sherry, but other than that not too busy. Why?" he asks.

"I...have kind of a situation. Do you think you could drop by my place when you're done?" I reply.

"Sure man. Are you okay? If it's an emergency I can come right now," he says.

"No, no. Not an emergency. When you're done there is fine. I'll be here when you get here, just let yourself in," I say.

"Okay bro. See you in a little bit."

"Thanks dude. See ya."

I hang up and then it hits me that I could look this up on the internet. Maybe someone has heard of something like this happening before. So I turn on my computer, sit at my desk, and spend the next hour looking up information. I don't find much of anything. Spontaneous hair color change can happen, but it's only ever been recorded to go white, usually from a great shock. Hair can grow fast, but not this fast, at least not in any known history I could find. Last, but not least, spontaneous eye color change is exceptionally rare, almost always the result of some kind of injury to the head or eye, and that the change is a subtle variation, not a full blown color change. And magenta is not physically possible in any species on our planet.

I'm following a lead to yet another dead end, scratching my suddenly very itchy butt, when I hear from behind me, "Hey bro, we're here--oh my god, what happened to your hair?"

I turn to face him as I realize he said "we're here" not "I'm here" and see that Sherry is indeed with him. I forgot to tell him to come alone. As I turn fully to face them both of their faces go white as sheets. Jim's mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water.

"Dude, I know the hair is weird, but it's not that bad, geez!" I say to him.

Jim silently shakes his head and points at me, then Sherry says, "Henry, it's not your hair...it's your ears." Then she reaches up and touches her ears.

"What are you talking about?" I say, reaching up to touch my ears. Only my ears aren't where they're supposed to be. I start touching further up my head, until I hit fur and finally my ears. What are my ears doing up here? I think as I continue touching them, confirming that they are really my ears. They feel soft and lightly furred. I hear a sound from the other room and my ear swivels toward the sound. Okay, that felt weird, I think to myself. Then I see Sherry's eyes roll up into her head and she falls to the ground in a faint. Jim doesn't look much better.

"Henry?" he finally gets out. I just nod in reply.

"H...how? What? Why?" he seems to be limited to one word questions right now.

"I don't know bro. I noticed my hair earlier, that's when I called you. The ears are new though," I respond.

"Damn bro...I don't know what to say," he gets out, his color looking a little better now. He looks down at Sherry and stoops down to check on her. She seems to be coming around so he helps her sit up. She shakes her head a few times and I see her color returning.

"Are you okay?" I ask her.

"Yeah, I think so. Just a shock, you know?" she says before slowly looking back at me. She shivers a little bit at seeing me, but remains calm.

"I don't know what is happening to me," I say to them, closing my eyes and covering my face.

They come over and pull me into a group hug, patting my back consolingly. I try to convince myself that I'm not going to cry, but I can't stop it and soon I am sobbing into their shoulders. They just hold onto me and let me cry. I feel embarrassed for crying in front of both of them two days in a row.

Finally we break apart and they both look at me, not staring so much as analyzing what has changed. I let them look, knowing how much of a shock it is, also knowing that I need to go look in the mirror again to see the new change for myself. My ear flicks on its own in response to a fly buzzing close to it. Jim and Sherry's eyes open wide at that.

"That is sooo...weird," says Jim.

"You think it's weird? Try feeling it happen to your own body, this is the weirdest feeling I have ever had," I say.

"Does it hurt?" asks Sherry, to which I shake my head.

"It just feels weird. And I've never had hair this long before. I freaked out when I noticed the hair, and the eyes," I say.

"I didn't even notice your eyes," says Sherry, looking closely at my eyes. "Wow, they're really...pretty." She blushes a little bit at that, but I understand what she means. They are a very girly color.

"Dude, I'm sorry, but I have to address the elephant in the room here...I think you're turning into a horse," Jim says, looking a bit worried.

"Yeah, or maybe a pony. A very colorful pony at that," I say in response.

"Wait, by colorful...you don't mean like a cartoon pony? Like as in MLP?" asks Sherry.

Jim nods thoughtfully and says, "We certainly can't rule that out. The question on my mind though, is what's causing this? How do stop it and reverse it?"

"I was researching my symptoms when you showed up. Everything I find says that these changes are all but impossible, and certainly not with these kinds of results. These kinds of colors are physically impossible for humans. Our DNA just doesn't allow for these colors," I tell them.

"Okay, so no help there, except now we know what it can't be. That makes me think it might really be cartoon ponies. I know it sounds crazy, but in the show they have magic. What if that magic is real? I can't say I really think you are turning into a pony from MLP, but the similarities are kind of interesting. You even have ink on your hips, extremely vivid and bright ink at that. They really do look like some kind of cutie mark," Jim says.

"You have a cutie mark?" says Sherry excitedly. "Let me see!"

I lower my pants enough that she can see the tattoos on my hips, she practically squees in excitement. She studies them very closely, then reaches out and touches them, one after the other.

"They don't match!" she says.

"I know, I know...but we don't have much else to go on," I say.

"Henry, do you think the changes are going to get worse?" Jim asks me.

"I'd like to say no...but the evidence so far tells a different story. Speaking of which, I still need to see my new um...appendages," I say before heading to the bathroom to look into the mirror again.

I look at myself and reach up to feel my new ears. They feel like a part of me, almost like I never had any other ears. They are covered in dark blue fur and are very soft. I look for other changes and realize that my hair is even longer, reaching most of the way down my back now. I lift it up in the back and find that it's not just growing out of the top of my head, but out of my neck and a ways down my back too. I start checking the rest of my body and absentmindedly reach back to scratch my butt. Then a funny look crosses my face, because I feel something odd back there. I turn to the side and pull my pants down in back to see a hunk of flesh sticking out of my lower back, and it's covered in hair. Hair that is the same color as that coming out of my head now. I pull my pants back up and exit the bathroom, returning to Jim and Sherry.

"So...I have yet something else to share with you guys," I say, turning around and pulling my brand new tail out of my pants and show it to them. Sherry immediately starts running her fingers through it.

"Wow, it's so soft and silky!" she states.

"I know! It feels really good to run my fingers through it too. And my mane," I say.

"Your mane?" Jim asks.

I lift my hair up and show them how it's growing out of my neck and shoulders and say, "Yeah, my mane. It's more than just hair now. I, well, I kind of like it." I blush bright red as I say the last part.

"I can understand that, your hair is so nice. It's really pretty too," says Sherry, also blushing at what she just said.

"What's wrong with you two? Am I the only one who is still worried about all of this?" asks Jim pointedly.

"I...I'm not sure what's going on, Jim. I'm still worried, but I feel calm about it. Right now it's not like there is anything I can do to stop the changes yet," I say in reply.

"I guess you have a point, it's just weird to see you so accepting of these changes. I don't think I could handle it nearly as well as you are," he says to me.

"I might be able to...I always kind of wanted to be a pony," says Sherry, blushing again at her confession.

Jim and I both look at her for a moment, then I nod my head and say, "I can understand that, though it is a big difference when it's actually happening to you."

"I guess that makes sense," she says to me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make light of your situation."

I smile at her and respond, "I didn't think you were making light of the situation at all, I'm glad you feel that you can be so honest with us."

Sherry smiles at Jim and I, "I'm glad I can be here for you through this. We're in this together, always remember that. Whatever happens to you, we are with you all the way." Jim nods his head in agreement with Sherry's words.

"You guys have to stop or you're going to make me cry again!" I say in gratitude. "A girl couldn't have better friends than you two."

"Did you just refer to yourself as a girl?" asks Jim, shock plain on his face.

"Ummm...crap, I think I did," I say, worry evident in my voice.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Are you a girl now?" asks Jim.

"No. Not yet, anyway," I answer, pulling my waistband out and glancing down to make sure.

"But...what if you become a girl?" he asks.

"You'll have a sister?" I reply, trying to make light of the situation. I really don't want to think about that right now.

"I'm serious man, what will we do?" he pushes.

"It doesn't matter! We'll still be in this together, no matter what happens to her," interjects Sherry, immediately clamping a hand over her mouth. "I mean him!"

"It's okay...I mean, I already have purple hair, and if it happens I'll deal with it," I say, trying to get past this conversation. Truthfully though, I'm freaking out a little bit, mostly because I'm pretty sure it's true. I'm not only turning into a pony, but a female one at that. Oh god, what am I going to do?

"Sooo...how was your lunch date?" I say, trying to take our minds off this unpleasant topic of conversation.

Both Jim and Sherry blush and look down at their feet. Oho...this is going to be good, isn't it? I think to myself, chuckling.

"Did you guys have more than lunch?" I say, watching them closely. It's a good thing I am, because they both blush a deeper shade of red, and that spot on the carpet must be really interesting because they can't seem to take their eyes off it.

"Oh wow...you did, didn't you? You two are so bad!" I rib them, chortling.

"I...I..." Jim tries to say something, but can only stammer. Then it dawns on me, "You two spent the night together, didn't you?!"

Sherry nods her head slowly, now so dark red she's almost purple. I walk up to them and pull them into a group hug and say, "Well it's about time! You two have been into each other for a long while now. I can't believe how long it has taken for you guys to get together!"

"I...I'm so embarrassed," Sherry finally squeaks out. I smile at her and pat her on the back.

"It's okay! Don't be embarrassed! I think you two were meant for each other, or I wouldn't have tried to get you together," I tell her.

Jim turns to Sherry and pulls her close to him, saying, "I've had a major thing for you for a long time. I was always too scared to actually ask you out. If it weren't for Henry, I probably never would have gotten up the courage. I think you're amazingly beautiful, and I hope you want this to be more than a one-time thing."

"Well, like Henry just said, I've liked you for a long time too. I kept hoping you would ask me out, but you never did. I started thinking maybe you weren't interested. I can't tell you how happy I was when your brother invited me to watch ponies with you yesterday! I guess I should be really glad I finally told you guys about liking the show," Sherry shares with Jim.

"Well, my work here is done!" I say, laughing. "Success!"

I leave them standing there and walk into the kitchen, realizing that I'm pretty hungry, having skipped lunch to do research. I open the fridge and look inside, finally pulling out a bag of prepackaged salad, some shredded cheese, bleu cheese crumbles, cherry tomatoes, a cucumber and the ranch dressing. I set them on the counter and go to the pantry to get out a can of black olives, sunflower seeds, and garlic croutons. I get a plate and proceed to make myself the tastiest salad ever, slicing up the cucumber and olives to go on top.

About the time I finish making my salad, Jim and Sherry walk into the kitchen holding hands and smiling at each other. I sit down at the small table I have just off the kitchen and gesture toward the salad makings I have left on the counter and say, "If you're hungry at all, please feel free. Sorry, but I'm not waiting, I'm starving!"

"Maybe you're not turning into a pony...maybe you're turning into a pig," Jim joked, pointing at my salad piled high on my plate.

"Oink, oink," I responded.

Neither Jim nor Sherry are hungry so they just sit down at the table with me while I eat. Nobody says anything for a few minutes. Jim and Sherry seem to not know what to say, and I am too busy eating. Finally it seems that the silence is getting to Jim so he asks, "Did you get to work in your shop this morning like you wanted to yesterday?"

I nod and reply, "Yeah. You know, speaking of that, I should show you what I've been making recently. It's..." I trail off, not really knowing how to explain it.

"It's what?" Jim says.

I just shrug and say, "You'll have to see for yourself, I guess."

Sherry looks at us, a confused look on her face before she asks, "What do you make in your shop?"

"He has a whole forge setup and makes all kinds of stuff out of steel," Jim answers for me, as my mouth is full.

"That's pretty cool! What did you make this morning?" she asks.

"Today, just a mace." I reply.

"How can you make MACE out of steel? Doesn't that involve chemicals?" she says, perplexed.

"Not MACE, as in pepper spray, I'll bet he means like a medieval mace. Kind of like a big club made out of steel," Jim says to her.

Sherry facepalms and says, "I am sooo dumb sometimes."

"Nah, you just don't think about ancient weapons like I do," I smile as I reply.

"What's so big about you making a mace this morning?" my brother asks, getting us back on track.

"It's not the mace so much, though I think it's important. It's more what I made last week that might mean something," I say.

"What--"

"You'll have to wait and see," I cut Jim off with a wave of my hand and a shake of my head, as he starts to speak.

"You and your secrets, sheesh!" he gripes at me.

I just wiggle my eyebrows at him and go back to eating, soon finishing my huge salad. I have to stop myself from licking the plate when I'm done, it was so good. I get up and put away all the salad makings, not really hurrying because I can see it's bugging Jim. Once I finish putting it all away I rinse my dishes and put them in the dishwasher, washing my hands afterwards. Now that Jim seems about to burst I walk towards the door and say, "Aren't you coming?"

Jim quietly grumbles to himself as he gets up, but Sherry is grinning ear to ear, having picked up on what I was doing. It just goes to show that no matter the situation siblings will tweak each other to get a response.

I lead them out to the shop and open the door, ushering them inside and turning on the light. Sherry looks around my shop in awe, slowly walking along and gently touching a few things.

"This is wonderful Henry. Did you make all of these?" she asks, pointing to my storage shelf quite literally packed with items I created.

I simply nod, surprised at how genuinely impressed she is.

"May I?" she asks, pointing to some of the work. I nod my approval and she hefts a piece of art that I made quite a while back. "Wow that's heavy! But it's so beautiful! You made this from scratch?"

"Yeah, I usually start with bar steel and work from there. Most of the time I kind of trance out and make whatever comes to my hands. Sometimes it is more artsy and sometimes it's useful," I respond.

I walk over and pick up one of the helms I made last week. It is a barbute design, but has a much wider nose area than any helm I've ever seen before. I hand it to Jim without saying anything. He takes it and looks it over, then shrugs and puts it on his head.

"This doesn't really fit dude," he says to me, removing the helm. "It also doesn't cover as much of my face as I would have expected. I nod to him and then hand him the smaller of the two breastplates I made, the one with the holes in the back. Again, I make no comment as he turns it over in his hands.

"What the hell is this?" he asks me.

"I'm pretty sure it's a breastplate," I reply.

"Okay...but for who, or maybe I should say, what?" he says, understandably confused.

"I think it's for a pony," I say quietly.

"When did you make this again?" he asks.

"Last week. I made both helms and these two breastplates last week," I say, gesturing to the other helm and breastplate on the shelf.

"Oookay, that's freaky. So you somehow knew, subconsciously at least, last week that you were going to turn into a pony?" he seems flabbergasted.

My face goes slack and my jaw drops as my mind connects the dots. I've known much longer than that, haven't I? I thought to myself, remembering the dream I'd been having all my life.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Jim asks me, worry clear in his voice. Sherry comes over and stands next to him, a worried look appearing on her face as well.

"I...I...oh my god!" is all I can get out for a few minutes as it all hits me and my brain reboots.

"Henry! Are you okay?" Jim grabs my shoulder and shakes me, finally snapping me out of my stupor.

"Wow. I, um, have something rather unbelievable to tell you." I say, looking around for a stool to sit on.

"I need you to listen to me with an open mind. A very open mind," I say as I pull over the stool I found and sit down. "And I suggest you both sit down for this."

They each grab a stool and sit down near each other and Sherry takes Jim's hand as they listen to me begin my story.

"Okay, to begin with, ever since I can remember I have been having this weird dream. I've never told anyone about it, not even you Jim, because it scared me so badly when I was little. As I got older it scared me less, but I still didn't want to share it with anyone. It just seems too personal for that, but now I think it's time for you to hear it." I start, still kind of scared to be talking about this. I then describe my dream for them:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hello Discord," I say as I sense the Draconequus, not bothering to get up or even look up from the book I'm reading.

"Hello Irony," he responds, seeming ever so slightly put out that he hasn't surprised me with his presence.

"So the time has finally come, then?" I ask, sounding almost bored though I am feeling anything but. I knew this confrontation would come. I had warned each of the Princesses on numerous occasions that he could not be trusted. I was certain of his betrayal. Too bad I couldn't be wrong.

"Indeed it has. You should feel honored that I see you as enough of a threat that I shall remove you before putting the rest of my plan into action," is his response.

He then begins to chant:

For Five Score! Divided by Four!

Your Memories Removed! Your Body Confused!

For your insolence you must pay,

Cast off to a land far far away!

Irony's removal, to meet my approval!

Your mind shall be weak, your outlooks bleak!

Forgetting everything and living like a fool,

You have all lost, now no one can stop my rule!

By the time he finishes the first line I have already leapt to my four hooves. My motions seem sluggish, almost like I am moving through molasses in January. I push on, knowing I only have one chance before I am dust. By the end of the third line I have managed to grab my flanged mace. During lines four and five I begin closing the gap. At line six I am raising my mace over my head to strike. Line seven sees me bringing the mace down in an arc at my foe. I can see it in my hand, preparing to crush the Lord of Chaos' skull. He finishes his incantation and snaps his claws just as I feel the mace make contact. Then everything goes blinding white and then darkest black.

And then the screaming begins...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dude, that sounds ripped straight from the final episode of MLP, you know that right?" Jim says in disbelief.

"I know! I know! But it isn't, I swear. I have literally been having this dream since I was too young to understand what it was. And I have most certainly been having it since long before the last generation of My Little Pony came out!"

I grab hold of my mane and tail and hold them out for Jim and Sherry to see, "I had another dream just last night, before my hair changed and I grew a tail, and my hair in that dream was these exact colors and this pattern! And my fur was the same color as that around my new ears."

I then stood and walked over to the shelves again and picked up the mace, and walking back to them I say, "And I had this exact mace, this mace is the same as the mace in all my dreams."

"It's the same as the one on your cutie mark too!" stated Sherry excitedly.

I blink a couple of times and pulling my waistband down enough to study the marks on my hips say, "You're right; I hadn't made that connection yet."

"Not only that, but now I'm positive that I will be a female pony when this is done. At least, I was in my dreams, and this is too much coincidence for me to discount them," I stop for a moment and look at the armor again. I pick up the smaller one and examine it. "And I don't think this is for me."

"What do you mean it's not for you? You said yourself you think it's for a pony. Who else could it be for?" says Jim, eyes wide in astonishment.

"I'm...not sure who it's for," I say. Though I have my suspicions, I think looking at Jim curiously. "But I know it's not for me, because I didn't have wings in my dreams." I point at the holes in the back of the armor, "Those holes are almost surely to fit the wings of a pegasus pony, and I'm now sure I won't be one."

"Whoa, dude...this is all too heavy for me right now," says Jim, rubbing his hand down his face. He has paled visibly.

"I wonder who it's for, since it's not for you," says Sherry, a somewhat wistful look on her face, reminding me of her confession earlier about kind of wanting to be a pony.

I hand her the helmet and indicate she should put it on, which she does. "Maybe it's for you," I say, teasing her a little bit.

"If only...but somehow I don't think so," she says, removing the helm and looking it over. Suddenly her eyebrows shoot up so high I think they're going to come right off her head, and she holds the helm out to me, pointing to the inside.

I look inside and see something I hadn't noticed before: evidently when I made it I put a nameplate inside, and on the nameplate it read simply 'Flash'. I suck on my lip for a moment and then grab the other helmet and look inside. On the inside of this one I see another nameplate. This one reads 'Irony'. I say the name out loud, already knowing that it means me. I take the helm in both hands and raise it over my head, then lower it down onto my head. I can't believe it, but it fits perfectly over my mane. I can feel how well it fits everywhere but the front of my face, and I realize it must be because I don't have my muzzle yet.

I look up and realize that Sherry and Jim are staring at me. I shrug and hand the other helmet to Jim, pointing to the nameplate inside. Jim looks at it and says the name out loud. I think I see a spark of recognition in his eyes, but it is gone so quickly I may have imagined it.

Sherry picks up the other armor, as Jim is looking at the helmet, and holds it up, barely. "Okay, who is this for? If you're going to be a pony, then who did you make this for? It looks like it's meant for a human woman."

"Maybe that's for you," I joke, taking it and holding it up to put it on her. She obliges me and I slide it onto her. It is a very poor fit, being way too large for her small frame. I laugh at how it is almost falling off of her as she strikes a muscleman pose. Even Jim is laughing now at her antics.

I help her out of it and put it back on the shelf, "I have no idea about that either. The only question I've answered about all of these pieces is that this," and I point to the helmet I'm still wearing, "and the mace, are for me personally. Not that I have any real idea how a pony uses a mace. If I was going to be a unicorn, then maybe...but I'm not, I'm an earth pony." I finish with certainty.

I stop for a moment as I realize that I'm starting to accept all of this as the truth, and that I am no longer so afraid of what is happening. Maybe it's because I finally have a clue as to what is missing. I also realize that if my dream is accurate, then I was a pony before.

"I was never supposed to be human," I suddenly blurt out, seemingly completely out of left field to Jim and Sherry, I'm sure.

"Do you mean because of your dream?" asks Sherry, immediately picking up on where my mind had wandered. I just nod.

"But that's...just a dream," Jim finishes lamely, realizing what Sherry and I had already realized, that there are entirely too many coincidences in all this.

I shrug at Jim and say, "I don't think it's 'just' a dream anymore. With every passing moment I become more certain that it isn't a dream at all, but a memory. A memory from before I was born, or reborn, or whatever."

"Well, what else happened, then?" Jim asks me skeptically.

"I don't know. I don't have any other memories of before. I don't know how to explain it, I'm just sure that this is a memory though," I answer, though I see that Jim is still not fully accepting what I know.

I look at my watch and realize we have been out here for a long time. I remove my helmet and put it back on the shelf with the armor and other helmet. Jim and Sherry stand as well and we prepare to leave. Before we leave though, Sherry walks over to my project shelf and takes one more look at what's on it. She picks up something and brings it over to me and says, "I think this might be for you too."

I look at what she has and give a start, realizing it's a shield I made months ago. On the front of the shield I engraved a design, a six pointed star.

"That's Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark, isn't it?" Sherry says and I not in confirmation. "It also matches the mace half of your cutie mark.

"What?" I ask, dumbly.

She grabs the waist of my pants and pulls them down to show my hip and points, saying, "There, around the mace, it's the purple six pointed star that Twilight has." She looks at the mark a little more closely and her hand shoots up to cover her mouth as she gasps, "A hand..."

I try to look at it more closely, but Sherry's other hand is in the way, so I move her hand and look at my hip. All I see is the shield, with the purple star, with the mace on it. And holding the mace is a...hand...oh, I get it. I shrug, having no clue what it could mean. I mean, I saw myself in my dream, and I was a pony.

"Maybe it's a reference to having been human now?" I say, but Sherry is already shaking her head.

"If that's you're cutie mark, then it would have been that way before you were ever made to be human. Not that I have any more idea than you do," she says to me.

I shrug again, not any closer to understanding, and put the shield on the shelf next to the helmets and armor. I think she must be right about the shield, though like the mace I am not sure how a pony could wield it. I usher them out of the shop and turn off the lights before closing and locking the door.

"Hey, Henry, do your feet hurt or something?" asks Jim as we walk back to the house, looking down at my feet.

"No, why?" I ask in response.

"Well, you're walking kind of funny..."

I look down and realize that I'm walking on the balls of my feet, like a tip-toe walker would. I force myself to flatten out my feet, which is more difficult than I would have thought.

"I haven't walked like that since I was a kid," I say.

"I remember. You walked like that all the time when we were little," says Jim.

"Do you remember when I had to have that tendon lengthening surgery because of it?" I ask him.

Jim nods and says, "I remember you had to have casts on your ankles for weeks after that, and walked with a walker too."

"Do you think maybe it's because you were supposed to be a pony?" Sherry puts out there.

I scratch my head, "Dunno...maybe?" I look down and realize that, without realizing it, I have gone back to walking up on my toes. I shrug my shoulders and decide not to worry about it, for now it's more comfortable to walk this way.

"I bet there are a lot of things from your past that you didn't have an explanation for that could be explained by the fact that you weren't supposed to be human!" exclaims Sherry excitedly.

"You're probably right..." I say, trailing off as I briefly think about my life growing up. "But I can't think of anything in particular that sticks out. I mean, Jim and I grew up together and the only thing I can think of is the toe walking thing. What about you, Jim? Can you think of anything?"

Jim just shakes his head, evidently drawing a blank as well.

Sherry, looking a little crestfallen, says, "Darn, I thought I might be onto something. Okay, so what do we do now?"

"Maybe we should check the internet to see if there is anything circulating about other people becoming ponies? If my dream is actually a memory, then I shouldn't be the only one that got banished. Unless Discord's plan failed..." I say, thinking out loud.

"That's a great idea! And if we find evidence of other people becoming ponies, then maybe we can meet up with them. Maybe we can gather together and come up with a plan for what to do next," says Sherry.

I lead the way back into the house and turn on my computer. After it boots up I start searching the web for news about strange occurrences first, thinking that someone else might not understand what is happening to them right away. There really isn't much on that front, mostly just talk about tensions heating up in the Middle East, but tension is always high there anyway. I then do a search for blogs with posts about transformations, filtering out anything werewolf or vampire related. I also realize I need to filter out the RPs, or role-players, who are pretending to live the life of a transformed pony.

"Arghh..." I push back from the computer in disgust, having come up completely blank. I turn to Jim and Sherry and ask, "Do either of you have any ideas?"

Jim shakes his head no, and Sherry shrugs but says, "Not really, but could I take a crack at it? We really shouldn't give up after only an hour or so."

"You're right, but sometimes searching the web is so frustrating! I hope you have better luck than I did," I tell her as I rub my eyes, only too happy to relinquish the computer to her care. "I know it's not productive, but I'm going to go watch a little TV and try to take my mind off this for a little bit, let me know if you find anything."

"No problem, it doesn't take all three of us to watch one screen anyway," answers Sherry.

"You want to come, Jim?" I ask him.

"Nah, I'm going to stay here and see if I can't be of any help," he replies, smiling.

It's good to see him so happy, even if my life has gone to shit, I think to myself, really glad they have finally been brought together.

I wave a goodbye and mosey out of the room and head to the living room and turn on the TV. I flip some random channels, not really finding much interesting to watch. I finally stop searching and just leave it on the history channel, which has some World War II documentary playing. I'm usually not really big into war documentaries, but this one doesn't seem too bad. As I'm watching the show I start to analyze the tactics on both sides, and soon am thinking about how I would fight that war with ponies instead of modern military equipment. Somewhere in my musings I fall asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I realize I must be dreaming when I see that I am in full pony form. I try to look around at my surroundings. I quickly realize that, unlike my last dream, I have no control of this one. I can only see what my body looks at, which leads me to believe this is another memory rather than a true dream.

I am standing at attention in front of four ponies. Wait, those aren't just any ponies, those are the Princesses! I realize in shock.

"Irony Smith, also known as Irony Shieldbreaker, do you know why you are here?" Princess Celestia asks me in her regal voice.

"I do not, dear Princess. I only hope that if it is for a failure, that I may rectify that failure," I hear myself reply stiffly, evidently assuming that I was about to be called on the carpet for a misconduct or failure of some sort.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle has informed us of your recent actions, and we have decided that they have merited a royal response," the Princess continues.

I kneeled before the Princesses, bowing my head to the floor, "I bow to your wishes and accept full responsibility for my actions, including any punishment you wish to mete out."

Princess Luna steps forward and says, "We have decided that your actions are deserving of recognition."

Before I can process what Princess Luna just said, Princess Cadance steps forward and says, "You shall be presented with our highest award."

Twilight steps forward as my eyes widen in shock, and places a medal on a ribbon around my neck, saying, "The Diamond Equestrian Sunburst."

"You shall also be elevated to the rank of 'General of Equestrian Armed Forces' and given the task of forming a Royal Guard for Princess Twilight Sparkle. A guard which you shall head until such time as you can no longer fulfill your duties or are dismissed," stated Princess Celestia, smiling down upon me.

I see that Twilight is beaming at me as she claps her hooves in approval. I am in utter shock at the turn of events. I...I was head of Princess Twilight's personal Royal Guard? Holy Shit!

I feel my body rise to its hooves at the Princesses gesture. I also feel tears sliding silently down my cheeks at the incredible honor I have just been given. Twilight comes over and wraps her hooves around my neck in an intimate embrace. She whispers into my ear, "Thank you. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for always being there when I need you."

Then the dream fades...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wake up from my dream to see that the World War II documentary is over and some history of the old west is on. I look at my watch and see that it's after 2000, and realize that I've been asleep for quite a while. I use the remote to turn off the TV and stand up. Only to fall face first onto the floor. What the fuck just happened? I try to stand up again and fall back against the couch. Something seems wrong with my feet, I can't keep my balance.

I look at my feet and reach down to check my shoes. I find the shoes are extremely loose and come right off my feet when I tug at them. Hooves...Not feet anymore. Can't say I didn't see this coming, I think to myself, sighing. I throw the shoes in the corner, realizing that I don't really need them anymore, and make another attempt at standing.

This time things seem to go a lot more smoothly, either because the shoes are off, or because now I know what I'm trying to do. I stand still for a minute, just trying to learn my new balance point, before taking a step. Walking actually doesn't seem all that difficult now that I've got standing figured out. It's a little odd walking on hooves, but isn't any weirder than the rest of what I've been going through.

I walk down the hall, lightly touching the wall every few steps just to make sure I keep my balance. As I walk down the hall I am glad that I don't have hardwood floors, so I don't have to hear myself clip-clopping around the house.

I walk by the computer room and stick my head in to see how progress is going on the computer search only to find Jim and Sherry making out on the couch in there. I pull my head back without saying anything so I don't disturb them. I continue down the hall to the master suite and, realizing I need to use the facilities, head into the bathroom.

I stand in front of the toilet and drop my pants and briefs then reach for my member so I can do my business, but nothing is there. I drop my gaze to my crotch in shock. Taking in the missing genitalia, I begin screaming, "OH FUCK, OH FUCK, OH FUCK!"

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jim and Sherry come charging into my bathroom after hearing me scream, and I instinctually turn towards them, still screaming obscenities. They come to a screeching halt and cover their mouths with their hands as they stare at my condition.

"My DICK is GONE! My BALLS are GONE! Jim, I'm a FUCKING GIRL!" I can't seem to stop yelling at the top of my lungs. Safe to say I am not handling this well...

"Henry, calm down! Pull your pants up! You're going to be alright!" says Jim, trying to stop me from screaming.

"Everything is NOT going to be alright! I'm turning into a fucking pony! And I've just lost my Goddamned DICK! This is as far from alright as I think I've ever been!" I reply, still yelling.

Sherry walks over to me and pulls me into a hug, thankfully ignoring the fact that my pants and underwear were around my ankles. I wrap my arms around her, squeezing her tightly as I begin to sob.

"Shh...we're here with you. We'll take care of you, I promise," she whispered into my ear as she stroked my back and just let me cry.

After a few minutes, Sherry takes me by the hand and leads me out of the bathroom and into my bedroom. My sobbing has quieted down quite a bit, but tears are still running down my cheeks and I'm hiccoughing every few moments. She helps me pull my pants up and then sits me down on my bed then sits next to me and holds my hands in both of hers.

"I'm okay now," I say, though it is an obvious lie because I'm still in shock, but I have to say something.

"Not yet you aren't, but you will be," Sherry says to me in a firm yet gentle tone. I can only nod back to her. Sherry turns to Jim and says, "Jim, would you please order us a pizza or something? We're all going to need to eat soon."

Jim finally comes out of his own stupor when Sherry repeats herself for the third time. He can't seem to speak yet and just nods his head a bit too quickly before leaving the room.

After Jim has gone Sherry scoots closer to me and pulls me into another hug and I hold onto her like she is my only lifeline to sanity. After a few more minutes I am able to pull myself together a little bit and I lean back, releasing Sherry.

"I think I'll be okay now," I say softly. Sherry gives me a reassuring smile and squeezes my hands in comfort. "I'm sorry for freaking out so badly. I was pretty sure this was coming, but it was still too much for me when I saw."

"It's a pretty crazy thing to have happen to you. I don't think I would take it very well if I suddenly grew a penis," she tries to comfort me.

"That's true, but I'm supposed to be made of sterner stuff than this. I'm a Marine! I've lived through actual combat! Hell, I jumped on a grenade and I didn't freak out like that!" I lament loudly, working myself up a little bit.

"Henry, this is way different from fighting. Plus, you were trained for combat before you ever saw battle, right?" Sherry says, taking my hands again.

I nod slowly, "I guess you've got a point. It's not like they have classes about suddenly changing species and genders. But I know I can do better than this. These changes aren't done yet, I know they aren't. I need to keep better control of myself."

"I think you'll be fine, after all, this is probably the hardest part of the change for you. In our society men value their organs highly, and you served in the military which actually increases the importance you put on your penises. Frankly, I'm amazed that you aren't curled up in the corner rocking back and forth in the fetal position bawling. I would say that was a minor freak out compared to what you could have had," Sherry points out.

"Thank you, Sherry. I'm so glad you are here for this. I don't know what would have happened if it had been just Jim and I," I say.

"You would still be screaming, and I'd be passed out on the bathroom floor from the shock, without her," says Jim from the bedroom doorway. "Thank you for being here with us. I know I couldn't have handled this nearly as well without you here. We both owe you so much."

"Neither of you owe me anything; I know that if it were me going through this that you would be there for me," Sherry states, to which Jim and I nod our heads.

She's right; we would do the same for her. We've known each other for quite a while, even though we really only became this close as of yesterday there is still history there, I realize.

"Even though we've only really been this close since yesterday, it feels like we have been this close for a long time," I say, giving voice to my thoughts.

"It kind of feels like we wasted a lot of time...I wish we had become this close a long time ago," says Jim, walking over and pulling Sherry into his arms. She lays her head on his shoulder and nods, looking over at me and mouthing the words 'thank you'.

Wow...if I didn't know better I would think they'd been a couple for years, instead of just now becoming one. This is so crazy... I think to myself.

"I--," I'm cut off by my phone ringing. I pull it out of my pocket and glance at the number that comes up and groan. "It's Kaitlyn," I tell Jim, and his eyes widen at her, as usual, horrific timing.

I answer the phone, "Hey sis."

"You know I hate it when you call me that," comes the reply from the other end of the line.

"Yeah, I know you do, that's why I do it," I reply.

"You're a regular riot. Do you have a cold? You sound kind of funny," she asks me.

"No, I'm fine, maybe it's our connection," I say.

"Maybe that's it. Sooo...what are you up to?" she asks me, rather coyly.

"Umm...not too much," I reply, lying through my teeth. Oh only in the middle of the freakiest thing to ever happen to me, but it's not much!

"Good...I kind of need a favor," she says.

"What kind of favor?" I ask with caution.

"I need you to pick me up," comes her reply.

"Pick you up? When did you get back to town?" I ask, bewildered.

"Actually, that's why I need you to pick me up...I'm at the airport," she says a little sheepishly.

"You're at the airport? What are you doing here? Why didn't you call?!" I ask, almost shouting by the end of the last sentence.

"Henry, relax, I'm calling now, okay? I didn't exactly think this through when I bought my ticket and got on the plane...I just felt like it was time for me to come back. I've missed you a lot. And I want to try again..." she sounds like she might be crying a little bit, so I start to feel bad for yelling.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you...this is just really unexpected, that's all. I...I can't come right now, but I can send Jim," I say, trying to soothe her hurt feelings.

"Please, Henry, I need it to be you. I...I really messed things up between us before, and I need you to be the first one I see," she pleads.

Shit! Shit, shit, shit! I yell at myself silently, already knowing I'll do it. I'm now just trying to figure out how I can go out without being seen too much.

"Okay Kate, I'll be there in about half an hour or so...you remember my car, right? Just watch for it out front of the airport and I'll pick you up."

"Thank you Henry. I'm at concourse 'A'. I'll come out when I see you," she says before hanging up.

"Dude...I mean...oh never mind that; dude, did you really just agree to go pick her up at the airport? Are you crazy?! You remember what you look like, right?" Jim asks me, looking at me as if I have grown a second head, and it's an ugly one.

"It's fine, I'll just wear a hoody, and that'll cover the hair and ears. No one will see my feet, er, hooves. I won't be getting out of the car," I say to Jim, trying to placate him.

"But what if--" he starts to speak, but I cut him off.

"No, it doesn't matter. I've already said I'll go, it's my decision," I say.

"We'll grab our jackets and go with you," he says, but I shake my head.

"No, I need to do this alone. We have some things we need to discuss alone," I say. He starts to speak, but I cut him off with a motion of my hand. "That's final. You two stay here, I'll be back soon."

"Henry, I didn't know you had a sister," says Sherry, confused.

"We don't," says Jim flatly.

"What do you mean? He called her 'sis' on the phone!" she says.

"She's not our sister," I reply. "We just always called her that because she was almost like a sister to us. We've known her since we were little; she used to tag along with us when we would go on adventures. Then we all grew up..." I trail off, a faraway look on my face, thinking about the past.

"What happened then? Why did she leave? And why don't you seem happier to have her come back?" Sherry asks me pointedly.

"She--"

"She had a major crush on him," Jim interrupts me; looking at me while he speaks of things I didn't know he knew, "she hated that he saw her as a little sister. So she got him drunk one night and tricked him into her bed. Henry didn't react very well the next morning. He kind of freaked out at what she'd done, not that I blame him. What she did was tantamount to rape. So, anyway, Henry yelled at her and called her a few choice names, none of which I'll repeat here. She ran away crying and then left town."

I just stare at Jim, my jaw practically hanging down to the floor, "H...How did you know?"

"Because, you schmuck, she came crying to me about it. She spilled the whole story to me and admitted how stupid she was. And told me how much your rejection hurt her. But I knew long before that how she felt about you, it was obvious to everyone! You should have known! But you were blind to her feelings, which is why she finally resorted to something so drastic. What she did was wrong, but I was angry with you for a long time because you had hurt her so badly," Jim admitted.

"I...I...wish you had talked to me about this a long time ago. I never had any idea you knew what happened. You weren't the only one angry with me. I hated myself for a long time because of the way I overreacted. I reacted so poorly because I was scared. Part of me was afraid I had done something to her, at least until she admitted the truth, then I was enraged that she would do that to me. I never should have talked to her the way I did, but by the time I'd calmed down and went to find her, she was gone," I respond, my head hanging in shame.

"Yeah...you kind of have me to blame for that," Jim says sheepishly.

"What do you mean? What did you do?" I ask.

"Well, she was heartbroken, and didn't have any money. I suggested she go see some relatives or something and gave her money to get a flight out of town. Now I feel kind of bad about that, but at the time I thought it was the right thing to do," he says.

"I understand bro, I probably would have done the same thing," I reply.

He nods to me in confirmation as I pull a dark hoody out of the closet and slip it on, pulling the hood up over my head and securing it tightly with the drawstring.

"I don't know how long I'll be, so could you guys make up the guest bed while I'm gone? I know you don't live far away, but would you guys please stay here tonight with me? I'll feel better knowing that you're here for me," I ask them.

"Of course we will, you didn't even need to ask. We aren't leaving you until everything is fixed," answered Sherry for both of them.

"Thank you. I'll be back," I say, grabbing my keys and wallet and heading out the door.

I climb into my car and put the key in the ignition. I hit the kill switch under the dash and turn the key, the engine roars to life and I back down the drive out of the garage. I turn out onto the road and put the hammer down, roaring away from the house.

As I'm driving I start thinking. What am I going to do about Kaitlyn? What am I going to tell her about what's happening to me? And probably most importantly of all: What are my feelings about Kate?

I ponder that last point most of the way to the airport. At first I think I feel conflicted, thinking about the anger I felt at how things were left, but then I realize that I'm scared, not angry. I'm scared that this won't work. I hurt so badly when she left. What if she's angry? What if my condition freaks her out and she leaves again? I think back to when I couldn't find her to apologize. I felt like a hole opened up in my chest, and that hole was still there. I haven't had any real relationships since, not being able to convince myself to really try. It wasn't until after she was gone that I realized my feelings for her went beyond her being my 'little sister'.

Maybe this will be a second chance... I think to myself hopefully, although I know that it is more likely to end up in disaster, especially with the current situation.

Before I know it, I see the signs for the airport, and pull off the freeway and make my way to the terminal. I pull up into the waiting zone right outside the 'A' concourse area. I see Kaitlyn's familiar form come out from the building, pulling a suitcase behind her. I pop the trunk so she can load her bag into it. Soon she is opening the door and sliding into the passenger seat.

"Hi," she says, a little bit shyly.

"Hi," I barely manage to whisper as I look at her. I feel the blood rush to my face in a blush, which I hope the darkness hides from her.

"Thank you for coming," she says.

"You're welcome," I say. "I'm glad you came."

"Me too. It just feels right," she answers.

Out of the corner of my eye I see a police officer walking toward my vehicle and realize I've overstayed my welcome. I nod to the officer and put the car in gear, slowly merging with the light traffic as we head away from the airport.

Rather than take the freeway, I decide to take the back roads as we aren't in a hurry to get home. Or at least I'm not.

"So...it's been a while," I say, finally breaking the silence that has arisen between us.

She laughs lightly and says, "That's the understatement of the week. It's been almost three years. Speaking of which, how have you been?"

"Well, mostly I've been doing okay. Been trying to keep busy. Finished building my forge and finally finished restoring this baby," I say, patting the dash lovingly.

"I see that, and she looks beautiful!" Kaitlyn says with true excitement in her voice. She knows just how important this project was to me.

"How about you? What's new in your life?" I ask her.

"Not much new. I've been kind of mooching off my aunt and uncle for the last couple of years. They don't seem to mind, but I still feel bad about it, but I haven't been able to find and keep a good job. Never should have dropped out of college, I guess," she shrugs.

"You're welcome to stay with me as long as you like, though it may be a bit crowded for a few days. Jim and Sherry are staying with me, at least tonight," I tell her.

"I'd like that, as long as they don't mind. Isn't Sherry that waitress that Jim had a crush on?" she asks.

I nod, "Oh yeah, I finally got them together. Only recently, actually."

"Why are they staying at your place?" she asks quizzically.

"It's kind of a long story, I'll explain it later," I say, not looking forward to when we have that particular conversation.

"Henry...I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I did. It wasn't right. I knew you saw me as a sister, but I couldn't control myself. I treated you horribly, and then I ran away. I've spent the last three years trying to build up the courage to face you again. I've been afraid that you would hate me... Do you?" she looks so sad sitting there; I know exactly how she feels.

"Kate, I don't hate you. I never did. I feel that I'm just as much to blame as you were for that whole situation. I was completely blind to how you felt about me, even though you weren't hiding it. I think I was in denial about my feelings for you, so I couldn't see what you felt. I had locked you into being my 'little sister' and was afraid of how my feelings toward you were changing. Yes, what you did was wrong, but it was also an act of desperation. I'm so sorry that I reacted the way I did. I was horrible to you. I went to find you later, but you were already gone..." I respond to her, my hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

She reaches over and takes my right hand in both of hers and says the words I hoped she would say, "Henry...I don't know how you feel about me, but I know I need to be straightforward with you. I love you. I loved you then, and I still love you now. And not like a sister would."

I quietly pull off the side of the road and stop the car. I turn to her and say, "Kaitlyn, I've loved you longer than I was ever willing to admit to myself. I don't know what's going to happen, but now, but I love you too. And most definitely not the way a brother loves a sister."

She smiles the most beautiful smile I have ever seen, and ever so briefly my heart is bursting with joy. But then reality intrudes its ugly head as I think about what else I have to tell her. I can't pretend this isn't happening to me, and I can't hide it from her...or at least, I won't hide it.

"What's wrong Henry? You looked so happy for a moment, but now you look sadder than I felt when I ran away," she asks me, her smile slipping off her face.

"I have to tell you something, and I'm not really sure how," I say.

"Oh shit, you've got a girlfriend don't you?! I knew it was too good to be true!" she started.

"No, no! Nothing like that!" I try to reassure her.

"Then what? What's wrong?"

"I...have to show you, but it's freaky, okay? It's going to shock the hell out of you, so please try really hard to remain calm, okay?" I say to her, pleading with my eyes for her to understand.

"Okay, I promise not to freak out...too much," she says, with a small smile, probably thinking that I'm being overly dramatic. She should really know better, that's not my style.

"Alright, here goes the neighborhood," I say, pulling my hood back and facing Kate. She gasps.

"What did you do to your hair? When did you grow it out? Why would you dye it like that?" she asks me, evidently not noticing the ears yet.

"It's not dye. And yesterday I still had it buzzed short like I always do. Feel it," I say in answer.

She reaches up and runs her fingers through my mane and says, "It's really soft...it's not a wig is it?"

I shake my head in response and say, "Pull on it." So she does, gently at first, then a little bit firmer. Finally she gave it a great yank. "Ow! Holy shit! I told you it's real, and it's attached! And I'd like it to stay that way!"

"I'm sorry; I just couldn't believe that it's real. I didn't mean to hurt you," she says.

"Oh my god, what is that?" I hear her say as her hand suddenly shoots out and touches one of my ears. Then she pulls on it too!

I holler in pain and tears start streaming from my eyes. Kate yanks her hand back and covers her mouth. "I'm sooo sorry!"

I reach up and gently rub my ear and say, "Yeah, that's attached too...and evidently VERY sensitive."

"But...what the fuck is it?" she asks, stunned.

I turn my head to the side and lift my hair back so she can see that I no longer have an ear on the side of my head. "They're my ears. They moved, and changed."

"What kind of surgery did you have? Why would you do this to yourself?" she asks, not understanding.

"I didn't. I would never do this to myself. Maybe we should continue home. Jim and Sherry are there, they'll help me explain it to you," I say, trying not to have my feelings hurt that she thinks I would choose to do this to my body. I pull the car back out onto the road and resume our journey to my house.

After a few moments of silence she says, "I'm sorry I thought you would have surgery to have that done. I just don't understand what's happened to you. Can you help me to understand?"

"Well, I don't really understand it myself. Yesterday I was normal, or at least as normal as I usually am," she laughs a little bit at that, which makes me smile. "I seem to be turning into an equine. A pony to be more specific..."

"But...isn't that impossible?" she asks.

"Well, yesterday I would have said so, yes. But as it is happening to me, I have become a believer in impossibilities. The hair and ears aren't the worst parts," I say, shuddering a tiny bit.

"What could be worse?" she asks.

"Well, like I have a tail too, for starters. Oh, and I have hooves instead of feet now..." I trail off as her eyes get round as saucers. Then I quickly finish by saying rather quietly, "And I'm not male anymore."

"Come again?" she says, seeming to not want to believe her ears.

I give her a hard look, "You heard me. My penis is gone. It actually happened not too long before you called me to say you were in town. I had just finished freaking out about it and managed to calm down. I'm still not comfortable with it, either."

"But, but...but..." she is completely at a loss for words. It's almost enough to make me laugh, if the situation wasn't so far from funny I probably would.

"Yeah, I know, that should be impossible, but trust me, it's not. Poor Jim and Sherry got an eyeful when I started screaming in the bathroom. They ran in to see what was wrong and literally caught me with my pants down. I'm not sure I'll ever live that down," I say, trying to see the funny side of all this. It's hard for me to do right now, though I can kind of see a point down the road when I might be able to laugh about it all.

Kaitlyn throws her arms around me and sobs into my shoulder, "Oh Henry, you poor thing! Why does this have to happen to you? You've never done anything to deserve something like this to happen to you!"

I'm just glad she believed me, I was afraid she wouldn't, and that she'd hate me because she was sure I was lying to her. Thank you Lord! This could have gone soooo much more poorly. I give a silent prayer of thanks for that rather large miracle.

I wrap my arm around Kate and hold her to me as we get close to home. After a few more minutes she calms down a little and dries her tears. Then she looks up at me and says, "I love you. Whatever you are going through, we will go through it together, okay?"

I pull her tighter and say, "You have no idea how much that means to me. I love you too, Kaitlyn."

We finish the drive in relative silence. Pulling into the driveway, I hit the garage door opener button, and then pull into the garage once it's open enough. Once inside I hit the button again to close the door, then climb out of the car and go around to the passenger side to help her out of the car. I pop the trunk and pull her suitcase out and carry it inside, while I have my arm wrapped around her.

Inside we are greeted by Jim and Sherry, who give Kaitlyn and I each a hug. Then we kind of just stand there for a moment, Jim and Sherry holding hands, and Kate and I holding hands.

Jim looks at our hands pointedly and says, "So...I take it you two worked things out?"

I chuckle and pull Kate to me and wrap my arm around her shoulders and say, "I think so." She looks up to me and, smiling, nods. I lean down and kiss the top of her head.

"I'm glad to hear it. Welcome home Kate," Jim says.

"Thank you Jim...I've missed you guys," Kaitlyn replies.

Now that we're home, my mind finally acknowledges an ache I've been living with for a little while now, and I reach back to my tail. I massage the base of it, and then pull it out of my pants, "Oh man, that feels soooo much better! I've been sitting on it for like an hour."

Sherry covers a giggle at my reaction and Jim says, "So, I take it Henry filled you in on what's going on?"

"Not all of it yet, but we can do the rest over some dinner," I say. "Speaking of which, what did you two decide we are having?"

"We ordered a couple of pizzas to be delivered, they should actually get here pretty soon," says Jim.

"Sounds good, I'll get Kate settled in while we wait for it to arrive," I say, taking Kate's hand again and leading the way down the hall.

I'm about to lead her into the guest room when she stops me and asks, "Do you mind if I sleep in your room, at least for tonight? I really don't feel like being alone. I can sleep on the floor."

"That'd be great. I don't really want to be alone, either. But if anyone is going to sleep on the floor, it'll be me," I reply, leading her further down the hall to the master suite. I lay her suitcase on the bed. Kate closes the door to the bedroom and the walks up to me, suddenly seeming shy.

"Hold me, please?" she asks quietly.

"Of course," I say and wrap my arms around her. I look down at her, realizing just how much I tower over her. She's only about 5' 4", and probably no more than 115 lbs. soaking wet.

She leans her head back to look up at me and then rises up on her tiptoes, realizing what she wants, I lean down and kiss her thoroughly. I kiss her the way I've wanted to for a long time. The way I'm pretty sure she's wanted to for a long time too.

While we're kissing she reaches behind me and starts running her fingers through my tail. It's a little unsettling at first, but feels really good. I groan my approval into her mouth. She then reaches her other hand up and very gently starts touching my ears, running the tips of her fingers over the fine fur and up the outside of them.

I back up until my knees hit the edge of the bed, and then I sit down and pull her up into my lap as we continue to make out. Now she's running the fingers of both hands through my mane and I return the favor with one hand while I'm holding her in my lap with the other.

After a few more minutes of this we finally come up for air. She smiles up at me and says, "I have wanted to do that for so long. I can't believe I finally got to, I thought this day would never come."

I smile down at her and tweak her nose and say, "I'm just glad that the day has come. I'm so glad you've come back."

"Hey, I just remembered you had a birthday yesterday! Guess I can give you this then," she says, unzipping her suitcase and reaching inside.

"Give me what?" I ask.

"This!" she says as she pulls out a purple pony plushie from her bag with a flourish. She presents me with the Twilight Sparkle Alicorn plushie.

"Hey, you remembered! Thank you so much! Where did you get it? I haven't been able to find any for a reasonable price," I say in great appreciation, hugging her tight again.

"Of course I remembered. How could I forget? I may not have been into the show all that much, but I paid attention to what you liked. As to how I got one, let's just say I have my sources," she grins at my excitement.

I'm still holding the plushie and staring at it when we hear a knock on the bedroom door, to which Kate replies, "Come in."

Sherry opens the door and sticks her head in, "The pizzas are here. Come on down whenever you're ready."

Kate jumps off my lap and says, "Yum, I'm starving!"

I stand up and, tucking the plushie under my arm, follow Kaitlyn and Sherry down the hall and into the dining room. Jim is setting out plates and cups for us as we walk in. We all sit down at the table and start dishing out the pizza.

Everyone digs into their first slice, and I immediately spit my bite out, saying, "Gross, I think something's wrong with this sausage."

The other three look at each other and shake their heads, Jim saying, "It tastes okay to me. Are you sure there's something wrong with it?"

I take another bite to be sure and immediately spit it out too, "Yeah, it tastes bad!"

I offer the piece to Kaitlyn to try; she takes a bite and shrugs, "Tastes okay to me."

Okay, what the hell? Why does it taste weird to me? I think, looking around the table. Then it hits me, Oh...well, I guess that makes sense. But it sucks! I love sausage on my pizza!

"I think it's because of my...changes..." I say, giving voice to my realization. "Dammit, I hadn't thought about missing out on meat...I love meat!"

I sigh and start picking the sausage off the pizza, as well as the pepperoni. In the end I'm left with black olive pizza, which is okay. "Good thing I like black olives."

Kaitlyn rubs my shoulder in condolence, "That sucks...I know how much you always loved good meat, especially bacon and sausage."

"Oh dude, no bacon? That REALLY sucks!" chimes in Jim. Sherry smacks his arm lightly, but is chuckling too.

I shake my head sadly, "I hadn't even thought about bacon...man, what the hell?"

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Well, maybe this is a good time for me to ask about what is happening to you. What IS happening?" Kate asks.

"Well, you see, it's like this..." I start, and fill her in on what has happened so far and what we've figured out about why. By the time I finish we've eaten the rest of the pizza, me sans meat, and have adjourned to the living room.

"And, in short, I'm becoming a pony," I finish with.

"Wow, um...just wow. If I didn't have physical proof right here in front of me, there is no way I would believe it. It just comes across as a fantastical tale," is Kate's response.

"Yeah, tell me about it. This certainly isn't how I thought my 25th birthday would go. It kind of feels like 'Happy Birthday, Surprise you're a pony! Oh, and by the way you're not a guy, either,' it's really pretty freaky. I'm still kind of trying to wrap my head about it," I say.

"Speaking of...so you're really a girl now? Like as in you have a vagina instead of a penis?" Kate asks me.

I nod in confirmation, "Yeah, I've got great timing. You finally come back into my life and now I'm the wrong gender. I'm sorry Kate." I hang my head in dejection.

Kate takes my hand and lifts my chin with her finger, "That doesn't matter to me. Maybe this makes me weird, but I really don't care. I've wasted all this time without you, and I'm not wasting any more. As long as you'll have me, I will be by your side."

"Really?" I ask, barely a whisper. Kate nods her head and smiles at me.

"Thank you," I whisper, tears forming in my eyes as I gaze into hers. "I want you with me always."

I pull her into my lap, wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head. She leans her head back and I kiss her beautiful lips. More than a chaste kiss, but not the soul searchingly deep one that I'd like to deliver, since we aren't in private.

"Ookay...so, not that I'm weirded out by my, um, sister making out with another girl, but..." Jim says, trailing off to silence as I stare crossly at him. "Sorry," he says sheepishly, turning a little red.

I grin broadly at him, "Just kidding bro, I can understand it being a little bit unsettling. I'm not going to pretend to be something I'm not, though."

"Of course not. I don't want you to, it's just new...you know?" he replies.

"Yeah, I can understand," I say.

"Although Jim was being a bit of a blockhead, I think maybe what Jim was trying to actually get to is, what do we do now? Do we wait for your changes to be complete and just continue living our lives? Who do we tell? Who can we trust?" Sherry asks me.

"And something that's been bothering me," Jim says, "is, going on the theory that your dream is a memory, Discord was planning to banish other ponies. Where are they? We can't find any trace of other people becoming ponies."

"Unfortunately, the answer to all of your questions is: I don't know. All I do know is that this transformation isn't stopping, and if it keeps up at this rate, I'll be a full pony by the end of the day after tomorrow at the latest. Frankly, I have not a single clue as to what that will mean for the all of us," I respond. "The one question you asked that I can answer is that I don't want to trust anyone yet. This is something new, and people like to experiment on new things. They want to find out what happens and poke and prod. I really don't want that."

"We won't tell anyone, and we'll do our best to protect your secret. We won't let anyone experiment on you," says Jim, as Sherry and Kate nod in agreement.

"I really appreciate that," I say. "And Jim, your question has been bothering me too. I can't be the only one, unless of course Discord failed. Unfortunately, I doubt that he did. The others are entirely too trusting, they never believed like I did that he would turn on them. Would have been nice if I'd been wrong..."

"So right now we just wait?" asks Sherry.

"Unfortunately, yeah. Not a lot we can do. We'll keep looking for promising leads for the next couple of days. If we don't find anything by then, we'll formulate a new plan," I say.

"Okay, I guess that makes sense. Now, um...not to be insensitive but, what do we call you? I mean, Henry doesn't really fit anymore, I'm sorry to say," says Jim, a little bit embarrassed.

I smile at him and say, "Maybe you should call me by my real name."

"What is your real name?" asks Sherry.

"Irony," I say proudly.

"Irony? That's an interesting name. What does it mean?" asks Kate.

I shrug, "I don't remember, at least not yet."

I look up at the clock and say, "It's getting late and I'm pretty tired. Jim, you and Sherry can use the guest bedroom if you like. Kate, are you still planning on staying with me?"

"Yes, please," she replies.

"Great. Goodnight guys," I say as I stand and hold my hand out to help Kate stand.

"Goodnight Irony," says Jim, testing out my new name.

"Goodnight," says Sherry with a small wave.

I lead Kaitlyn back to my bedroom. Once we're inside she closes and locks the door with a smile. She then reaches up and puts her arms around my neck and pulls me down into a kiss. I wrap my arms around her, kissing her back thoroughly. Soon my hands fall below her waist and cup her ass, squeezing it lovingly.

I lift her up and she wraps her legs around my waist, sighing happily as she does. She leans her head back a little to look into my eyes, "I've wanted you to pick me up and hold me like this since we were teenagers. I've always loved how strong you are both physically and mentally, and that you're strong without being hard or mean. You were always like my rock...until I screwed it up. I'm sorry for that, I regret all the time we've missed with each other," she finishes, leaning her head on my shoulder, a pair of tears sliding down her cheeks.

I run the fingers of one hand through her hair and kiss the tears from her cheeks, "Shhh...we don't need to dwell on the past. We're here now, and that's what matters. Besides, we don't know what would have happened otherwise, I may never have realized what I really feel for you."

She has a small, gentle smile on her face as she replies, "I suppose you're right. We'll just have to make up for lost time, right?" Then she presses her mouth to mine once again, her tongue slipping between our paired lips and searching out mine. I gladly oblige her searching appendage, wrestling it with my own tongue, groaning in joy as I do.

She pulls back from the kiss for a moment, smiling at my mouth trying to follow her to continue the kiss. She reaches her hands down to the bottom of her shirt and lifts it over her head, revealing her beautiful breasts lovingly embraced by a very nice, lacy black bra. I whistle in appreciation, "Nice bra."

She blushes a little and says, "I hoped you would see it eventually, though I didn't really plan on throwing myself at you quite this quickly. I hope you don't mind..."

I grin, "Oh, I'll get over it, I'm sure. But I think you're still wearing too many clothes, at least for what I plan to do to you."

"Oh my, and whatever could that be? You naughty, naughty girl..." Kate trails off, a little bit of a funny look on her face. "Okay, so I'm a little slow...I just now realize that you not being a guy, um, affects things in the bedroom."

I kiss her lightly on the lips, "Not for what I'm planning to do to you, at least not yet. But I understand if it's a little too weird. I mean, I kinda am getting to live every guys fantasy, but maybe it's not your fantasy..."

Her responding kiss helps to relieve some of my fears. Then she says, "I've never been with a girl before, but I think in this situation I'm feeling a little bit adventurous. Kiss me like you mean it."

I pull her into me and do just that, reaching up her back with one hand while I continue holding her ass with the other. I unclasp her bra with my free hand and pull the straps down off her shoulders. Her luscious breasts fall free of the cups, revealing already hard strawberry pink nipples surrounded by silver dollar sized areoles. I lean in and lick her nipples, one after the other, causing her to gasp.

I tease her nipples for a few minutes, lightly licking and flicking them with my tongue, before taking one into my mouth and gently sucking on it, nibbling it with my teeth. When she starts moaning I switch nipples and grasp the breast I just left with my free hand.

"Oh my god," she pants, wrapping her fingers in my mane and holding my head to her chest. "Whatever you do, don't stop!"

I flick her nipple with my tongue while I work the other one with my fingers. I then lay her on the bed and wrap both hands around her breasts as I flick each nipple with my tongue, back and forth. I lick down her stomach to the waist of her pants, then push the waist down with my fingertips and lick around the band of her matching black panties, "Mmmm...matching undies, I like."

Kate giggles, which turns to a gasp as I lick the front of her underwear down her slit. I lift her legs and push her pants down, licking down her thighs as I do. I continue down and lick behind her knees, eliciting another gasp from her followed by a soft moaning. I reach down and pull her pants the rest of the way off her feet, kissing the tops and bottoms of them as I do. I then lick the bottoms, causing her to giggle uncontrollably.

"Stop, stop!" she begs me.

"You're so evil," she laughs when I stop and grin at her.

"Muwahaha...yes, yes I am," I laugh evilly before licking her feet again and then up each leg back to her panties. I kiss around her thighs and then lick the sensitive skin where her thighs meet her waist and down between her legs to just shy of her cloth covered lower lips. I inhale the scent emanating from her sopping wet pussy, becoming exponentially more aroused by the pheromones she is emitting.

"You smell and taste amazing! Your juices are making my blood boil! I've never been so aroused before in my life," I pant as I reach my hands up and wrap my fingers into her panties and then rip them from her prone form. She squeals in excitement at my roughness.

I can resist her hot snatch no longer, I begin by lapping at her juice covered lips, teasing each one out with gentle nibbles from my lips and teeth. I drink up the juices that flow out of her, soon my face is smothered in her essence.

Kate wraps her fingers in my mane again, holding my face to her neatly trimmed pussy, and cries out, "Don't you dare stop, oh god that feels so amazing!"

I drive my tongue deep inside her hard, fucking her hot box with my face. I hear her cry out again as I begin exploring her inner walls, massaging her with my extra-long tongue.

As Kaitlyn's moans reach a fever pitch I pull my tongue slowly out of her quivering vagina, and lick her lips again, then lick up to her sensitive little nub. I slowly lick around her clit as I slide first one, then two fingers slowly in and out of her. I hear her start panting, and it gets louder and louder.

Suddenly I wrap my lips around her hard clit and pull it into my mouth and clamp my teeth on it while I lick it relentlessly with my tongue. I feel her body start to shudder around me. I add another finger to her pussy.

"Oh God, I'm CU--" is all she manages to get out as her body explodes around me, her juices spraying my chin. She screams louder than I have ever heard, and then a string of expletives comes flying out of her mouth, "Oh fuck, oh shit, oh goddam!" I grin internally to myself as I draw out her orgasm until she starts hitting at my head to make me let go of her clit. I finally release the sensitive little organ, only to lick all around her soaked crotch and then up her body to her breasts, pausing momentarily to lick and suck her nipples one more time before kissing up her throat to her lips. I deliver a soul-searing kiss as her body finishes spasming and then whisper, "I love you Kaitlyn."

Between gasps she replies, "I. Love. You. Too...Irony." Hearing her say that, and using my name, makes me smile from ear to ear.

"I've never felt anything as amazing as this feeling I am feeling right now," I tell her. "Hearing you tell me how much you love me...accepting me for who I am...I have no words to describe these feelings. Thank you Kate." I realize I am almost weeping with my joy.

Kate slowly sits up, puts her arms around my neck and pulls my head to hers, pressing our foreheads together. She kisses me gently and says, "You are amazing. And I'm not just saying that because you have just given me the most amazing orgasm I have ever had, either. You have always been an amazing person, and now I know you're going to be an amazing pony too. You have a strength of character that makes everyone around you respect you. I think that's a lot of what drew me to you, and then eventually fall in love with you, in the first place."

"I find you to be equally amazing, Kate. My life hasn't been the same since you left, and now that you're back, even though it's only been a few hours, I never want you to leave again. Promise me you won't," despite my best efforts, a tear slides down my cheek at the thought of losing her.

She looks me in the eye and says, "I will never willingly leave your side again, this I promise you. You, my dear, are stuck with me. Forever."

I smile and whisper, "Thank you, Moon Shadow."

She looks at me a little funny so I ask her, "What?"

"Did you just call me...Moon Shadow?" Kate asks.

I think back on what I just said and say, "Um...I guess so? That's kind of weird, isn't it?"

"Yeah, kind of...but just for a moment it felt...right. Like it resonated. Now that's weird," she says.

I nod, then shrug, figuring it's just a slip of the tongue. And Speaking of Tongues... I lean over and lick Kate's earlobe and nibble on it.

She giggles and turns into my lips and kisses me gently, "Are you ready for your turn?"

I nod, feeling myself getting a little damp just thinking about what she's going to do to me.

"Good, because I want your first time to be special," she says, pulling my shirt off over my head. She rubs her hands and fingers over my chest, feeling the well-defined muscles that my religious workouts have given me. Her hands knead the muscles, relieving some of the built up stress I hadn't even realized I had.

"Oh wow that feels good," I groan in appreciation. She just smiles at me as she continues to massage my chest and arms.

"Lay on your stomach so I can do your back," she tells me, to which I quickly comply.

As I'm lying on my stomach she begins massaging my back, moving up and rubbing my neck and then down to my lower back. At this point I'm almost continually groaning, it feels so good. "I haven't had a good back massage in over three years," I say.

"You haven't had anybody rub your back since I've been gone?" she asks.

I shake my head, "Nope. I haven't had anyone touch me in a long time."

She gasps, "You mean...nobody? Since I left?"

I simply nod in reply. She says, "You poor fool, whatever am I going to do with you?"

"Stay with me and rub my back every day," I joke.

She slaps my back lightly and says, "Maybe not every day, but we'll see." I can practically hear the smile in her voice as she goes back to rubbing my sore muscles.

She pulls my pants down below my tail and begins rubbing the base of my tail. I moan in excitement as I feel her rubbing it, "Wow, that feels amazing!" She strokes it a few more times, then massages the base of the tail and runs her fingers through the hair.

"Okay, this may seem weird, but that is getting me so hot right now," I say.

Kate leans forward and bites the base of my tail and says, "I don't really know why, but it's exciting me too. Of course maybe it helps that you have such an amazing body already."

"You just want my plot," I tease her and she laughs.

"You're right, I do, now give me that plot," she says and bites me right on said plot. I flick my tail and slap her with it.

"Did you do that on purpose?" she asks me.

"You know, I did, but I didn't really expect it to be so easy. Sorry," I say.

She bites me again in forgiveness and then backs down my legs and starts pulling my pants off at the ankle. I wiggle my hips and legs to help her in her endeavor. She finally gets the pants down, along with my briefs. She then starts massaging her way up my legs. Once she gets back up to my waist she says, "Now turn that sexy body of yours over, I want to see the front."

I turn over, a tiny bit nervous about showing this side of my body. Kate climbs up my body and soothes my fears with a passionate kiss. She then breaks the kiss and, giving me a smoky look, starts kissing her way down my chest. I watch her as she kisses her way, she stops and kisses my pecs and I notice in an offhand way that my nipples are gone. She continues further down, licking and biting each of my ab muscles.

I then see her kiss her way up two little bumps that I don't remember having before. And then she nibbles on something and I feel a tingling sensation that I have never felt before in my life. Wow, that feels amazing! What the hell is that? I think as I moan loudly in pleasure.

"Wow, what was that?" I ask her when she pauses for a moment and I can form words again.

"I think those are your teats," she says, reaching down and gently pinching them, causing me to arch my back.

"Oh god, is that what it feels like when I play with your nipples? I've never felt anything like that before," I say to her, slightly out of breath from moaning.

"Hmm...let's see," she says and then leans down and sucks one of my nipples into her mouth and nurses on it in earnest.

"Ohmygodohmygod..." I scream as I feel an incredibly intense burst of pleasure from my pussy. Fluid leaks out of my steamy vagina at a prodigious rate.

"Did you just cum from me sucking on your nipple?" Kaitlyn asks, then leans down and licks the juice dripping out of my slit and groans, "Oh my...if I knew women tasted so good, I'd have done this a long time ago!"

I am in too much of a state of shock to respond. She takes my silence as confirmation and dives back into my slick hole, licking it like an ice cream cone. She slips a finger into my tight pussy, slowly working it in and out, back and forth. I gasp loudly at the feeling, then she takes my clit between her teeth and starts sucking on it, while pinching one of my nipples between her fingertips.

I scream out, even louder than before, as I drench her face in more of my girl pony cum. My orgasm doesn't stop there, though, as she keeps licking and biting my clit and pinching my nipples. I scream out over and over again, as wave after wave of pleasure overcomes my body until I finally pass out from sensory overload.

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

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"Get up you lazy piece of shit!" I hear a voice I don't recognize say.

I start to stir, only to feel an excruciating pain as I'm kicked in the side by a booted foot.

"I said get up you stupid fuck! Get your ass out of bed now or I'll fucking bust your face in!" the voice yells at me.

I feel my body rise up off the floor, where evidently I've been sleeping. I look down at the floor and see the blanket that had fallen off me when I stood and remember this is where I belong.

What the hell is this? I think to myself as my body starts to move of its own volition. It seems that it at least knows what to do, even though I don't have a clue. I walk out of the shack I've been in and accept the meager piece of bread and cheese shoved into my hands as I walk out to the field.

I look around and see farmland everywhere I look, field after field of corn and remember that it's my job to start picking, along with the others. I look down at my body and it isn't how I remember it. My skin is loose over my flesh, I can feel that I have strength, but I'm a lot leaner than I remember. I'm wearing little more than rags. Good thing it's not cold, I guess, I think to myself.

I get to the corn and start picking it, throwing it into baskets that are nearby, one ear at a time. I'm working in a group of about ten people, most of them smaller and frailer looking than me. I can't remember how I got here.

As I'm trying to figure out how I got here and how long I've been here, I feel a searing pain on my back and hear the crack of a whip.

"You stupid lazy oaf! Move faster you fucking moron! If you don't pick up the pace you don't get no lunch or dinner," came the vehement voice from behind me. I don't even bother looking to see who is speaking; I just try to pick up the pace.

A few minutes later I stumble and feel the whip again. This time I am angry and turn toward my attacker, a retort upon my lips, but they are having none of it and begin to whip me in a frenzy. I try to raise my hands to protect me, but my body doesn't respond and I fall to the ground. I don't know how many times I am whipped, but it is still going on as I slip into unconsciousness.

I wake after an unknown about of time, my body screaming in pain. I moan and can feel hot tears streaming down my face from the agony.

Suddenly I look up, sensing something awry, and see that my body is enveloped in a purple light. I feel very strange, my pain is stripped away, and as I look at my body it begins to change. I'm floating there, my body changing, when everything goes black and I know no more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I awaken slightly confused, my dream having dulled my wits. I find I am not alone in my bed, then my mind starts to piece together the events of the previous evening.

I lift the blanket and look down at our entwined forms, grinning as the details from last night all come back to me. I gaze upon Kaitlyn's beautiful body and lick my lips at how yummy she looks. Then I turn my gaze upon my own body, knowing that there are going to be more changes that have taken place while I was asleep.

I can see that my teats are more pronounced and find, upon touching them, that they are even more sensitive than last night. I look further down and see that my legs are completely encased in midnight blue fur, and that it is creeping up my waist. I can also see that there are some patches of fur on my arms, and that my musculature seems a little less well defined.

I sigh after cataloguing the changes I can see, wondering if there are any that I can't see yet. I wrap my arms around Kate as I feel her begin to stir.

"Morning," she mumbles to me as she stretches. She never has been a morning person, I laugh silently to myself.

"Good morning, beautiful," I say to her.

She finishes her stretch and says, "Your voice is higher pitched. I thought it was a little bit last night, but wasn't sure because we hadn't talked in a long time. Now, though, I can definitely tell the difference."

"Really?" I ask. "It sounds the same to me. Strange."

She kisses me and says, "I like it. You sound more like what you are, my girlfriend."

I laugh lightly, "I suppose that's true. It's still a little odd being a girl after 25 years of being a guy. One thing I'm glad of, though, is that my sexual preference hasn't changed." I grin at Kate and wiggle my eyebrows.

"Yeah, well evidently mine has!" Kate laughs and swats my shoulder, "Show a girl one night of sexual bliss and suddenly she becomes a complete slut!"

"What can I say, you've shown me how wonderful this new body can be...I can't believe I passed out from the pleasure you gave me! That's never happened to me before!" I say in disbelief.

"Well, I can't believe you had multiple orgasms your very first time as a girl! That is so unfair!" she replies with a grin.

"That's only because I have such an awesome lover," I say and watch as she blushes.

"Yeah, well, that and you have REALLY sensitive tits," she teases me.

I laugh and say, "I guess that's true. I never knew nipples were so sensitive!"

Kate just smiles at me and hops out of bed, headed toward the bathroom. She shoots me a glance and says, "Dibs on the shower," and runs inside.

I jump up and run after her and catch her just as she's climbing into the shower, with the hot water already running. I follow her into the shower and kiss her, running my hands all over her body. She grins at me and says, "Behave yourself; we need to actually get clean. I'm pretty sure I smelled breakfast before coming in here, so we can't take too long."

I give her a pouty face and say, "Okay, if I have to..." giving her puppy dog eyes.

"Well...maybe just a little bit of making out..." she trails off as I play with her nipples.

In the end we took more than a little while, and used up all the hot water before we were done. We had to finish shampooing our hair with cold water, and were both shivering by the time we got out. Totally worth it, though...that was SO amazing! I can't believe how hot I am for Moon Shadow! I think to myself. Then my silly grin slips off my face as I realize what I just said. I called her Moon Shadow again...what does it mean? I quickly put the goofy grin back on my face so Kate doesn't see my look and ask me what's wrong. I don't want to try to explain this until I know what it means.

Kate dries herself off fairly quickly, while I am having great trouble with my mane and tail, "Ugh, I never knew washing and drying this much hair could take so much effort! How do you do it so quickly?"

"Well, you actually have more hair than I do now, especially if you count your tail. But the answer really is just lots of practice. It's one of the reasons women take so much longer than men to get ready to go anywhere," she replies.

"I guess I'll never be able to complain about how long you take getting ready. Seems like I'll be the holdup," I say.

"Oh, definitely. And I can't imagine how you'll do it without hands..." she trails off, realizing that may be a tender subject.

"I guess I'll just have to have you wash and dry me," I say, trying to make light of her comment.

Kate smiles slightly in gratitude and says, "We might be able to arrange that."

"Good, then I won't have a dirty mane and tail all the time. You know what they say, cleanliness is next to godliness. Or something like that," I say.

Kate smirks at me and pulls out a brush and begins to brush her hair, "You'll want to brush your hair too, otherwise it'll become a ratty mess and be impossible to deal with."

She hands me the brush as she finishes with her hair and I stand in front of the bathroom mirror, confronting my new visage. I notice that all of my facial features are subtly different. None of them are changed enough for me to say what has changed, but the overall cast of my features is decidedly more female. Of course the purple hair doesn't really help with that situation. I sigh as I start trying to run the brush through my mane.

"This is a lot harder than it looks," I say to Kate.

"Here, let me help you. You'll never get it done at that rate," She says as she comes over and takes the brush from my ineffective fingers and starts pulling it gently through my hair.

"Thank you," I say as I watch her in the mirror as she works.

"No problem, it's just like brushing the sister I never had's hair," she teases. I scowl at her in the mirror. She kisses my cheek and says, "I'm just teasing you."

"I know," I sigh. "It's just a little hard...everything keeps changing. I think I'm getting used to being female, but looking in the mirror and seeing the changes... I don't know. I'm not even sure what is bothering me more, transforming into a pony, or being a girl. Every time I look at myself, I'm different. The changes are becoming more pronounced."

"I can't pretend that I have any idea of what this is like for you, but I do know that I wouldn't handle it nearly as well as you are. I also know that you are beautiful, if you don't mind me saying. It may sound odd, but I really like your mane, and I think your tail is sexy," she says, blushing at the last. I swish my tail at her to show it off a bit and smile.

"Thank you...it's oddly comforting to hear you say that. I think I'm going to be okay, I just have my moments, you know?" I say. She nods in reply, rubbing her face in my mane.

"I suppose we should get dressed and go have breakfast," I say, not particularly wanting to end our time together, but knowing that we should start the day.

"Yeah, you're right. Besides, all of our nocturnal activities have made me quite hungry this morning," she grins at me and now it's my turn to blush.

"Well, we did expend quite a bit of energy," I say with a smirk. "And had a lot of fun."

She laughs and heads out to the bedroom while I watch her naked body intently, licking my lips at the view. She turns her head and catches me and says, "Oh stop it, you. Come get dressed."

"Okay, okay...fine, party pooper!" I retort, moving out of the doorway and into the bedroom.

Kate just shakes her head and laughs at me and pulls some fresh clothes from her suitcase. I can't keep from watching her as she starts putting on her clothes. She's just as sexy putting on her clothes as taking them off... I think to myself. She catches me watching her again and, laughing, throws her underwear from last night at me. I catch them and hold them up to my nose, inhaling her scent. I can immediately feel my new sex getting damp again.

I shake my head, trying to snap myself out of it. Have to focus on moving forward! Can't let myself get distracted. I chide myself. I step over to my closet and, opening the door, begin to peruse my clothes. I look through all my clothes and realize I'm dissatisfied with everything in my closet.

"Oh wow...I think my transformation from male to female is complete," I comment aloud.

"What do you mean?" asks Kaitlyn, tilting her head to the side to look at me.

"Well, I just went through my entire closet...and realized I have nothing to wear! It's all so boring..." I say, feeling just a little silly.

Kate laughs and says, "Oh, you're right, you are totally a girl now. Well, let's see..." she comes over and starts poking in my closet. Soon she pulls out a pair of dark blue sweat pants and a black Tee shirt. "It's not great, but really all that you have that will fit right now, but...hey, do you have a pair of scissors?"

"Yeah, what do you need them for?" I ask, rummaging through one of my dresser drawers and finally coming up with a pair.

She takes them from me and says, "You'll see." Then turns and does something to the sweats with them. She turns back and hands the sweats to me, saying, "There, those should fit better now. Let me see your underwear."

I just shrug and hand her a pair of my underwear, which she immediately cuts a slit in and hands back to me, "Try them on."

I pull them on over my hooves, up my legs and onto my waist. Kate comes up behind me and fiddles with my tail for a moment and I realize that she is maneuvering it through the slit in the briefs she just made. I take the sweats from her and put them on, finding the slit in the back of them and working my tail through it myself.

"Wow, that's a lot more comfortable than either shoving my tail down my pants or wearing the pants under it!" I thank Kate with a grin.

She tosses me the shirt and I put it on. Now we're finally both dressed and ready for the day. I take her hand and we start clopping our way down the hall to the kitchen, where I can hear Jim and Sherry talking quietly.

"Well hello, Miss Irony," I hear Sherry say as I step into the kitchen. "You look very nice this morning."

I blush a little at her compliment, "Thank you Trixie, you look very nice yourself."

She gets a funny look on her face, "Did you just call me Trixie?"

"Yeah she did," Kate answers from behind me. "If it makes you feel any better, she called me Moon Shadow last night."

I flush a bright red now and mumble an apology.

"It's okay," says Sherry, but it's obvious to me that she's confused, but she decides to let it go.

"So...which one of you is the screamer?" asks Jim with a huge smirk on his face.

I didn't think I could get any redder, but I do as I slowly wave to him, wishing I could just melt into the floor and disappear.

"Jim! Behave yourself!" Kate reprimands him.

"I'm just teasing...though I actually thought it would be you, Kate. It didn't sound like He...um, Irony to me..." Jim trails off, realizing he's put his foot in it by the look on Kate's face.

Before she can say anything he raises his hands in a warding off gesture and says, "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

Kate just continues to glare at him as I turn away to hide my red face, for all the good that it'll do me. I spot a bowl of freshly sliced fruit and help myself to some of it, putting it on a plate and getting a fork out of the silverware drawer. I get another plate and put some fruit on it for Kate too.

While my back is still turned, I hear Sherry come up behind me and whisper to me, "Don't let him bother you, he's just trying to make light of the situation."

I nod my head, knowing Jim even better than she does and knowing this is how he deals with things that are hard for him to get a handle on. Always with the joking when things got hard.

"Truth be told," she continues, "I was worried that my screaming might have kept the two of you awake..." And she blushes too.

"Well, I did hear you, but didn't want to embarrass you like Jim did Irony," Kate interjects.

"I didn't hear anything...I passed out from Kate's, ah, ministrations," I whisper. Sherry covers a gasp with her hand as she looks from me to Kate.

"Oh my...I've never experienced anything like that, though admittedly last night was close..." Sherry says quietly, not wanting Jim to hear and get a big head.

Speaking of Jim, "Hey, what's with all the whispering? I said I was sorry, and I mean it. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Irony. I just wanted to tease you two a little."

I look over at him and say, "Okay, I'll forgive you just this once."

Jim stands and, walking over to me, pulls me into a real hug and whispers another apology into my ear. Then, leaning back and looking at me, he says, "I kind of forgot for a moment that you're my 'big' sister now instead of my brother. It won't happen again, I promise."

I punch him in the shoulder and say, "Hey, just because I'm your sister instead of your brother doesn't mean I can't still kick your ass. You'd better remember that." I grin, and he returns my grin.

"Careful Irony, too much testosterone and you might turn back into a dude," Kate warns, making me laugh.

"If only it were that easy!" I say.

Kate gets herself a cup of coffee and gratefully accepts the plate of fruit I hand her, taking a bite of some honeydew melon between sips of coffee.

"So, how are you guys this morning?" she asks.

"Pretty good, we slept pretty well," Sherry answers as Jim takes her into his arms. "How about you?"

Kate smirks, "Well, I've just found out I'm a lesbian, and I never want to go back...oh and I slept well too."

I shake my head, laughing, and then say, "I slept well. Except..." I trail off for a moment and then continue, "I had a horrible dream."

"What kind of dream?" Kate asks, concern plain in her voice, so I explain my dream to them, leaving nothing out.

"Do you think it's another memory?" asks Jim, seeming concerned.

"Well...I don't know. It felt like my other dreams, so yeah, it felt like it could be a memory. But I was human in this dream, at least until the end...and I know I have never experienced that in my human life," I respond.

"You said your body was transforming...were you turning into a pony?" asks Sherry.

"I'm not entirely sure...but I suspect so," I answer her.

"What do you think it means?" asks Kate, nibbling on her fruit.

"I wish I knew. My dream about Discord made sense in how it pertains to what's happening to me now, but this doesn't really make any sense to me yet," I say.

"Well damn, when you said you had another dream, it got my hopes up that it would help us figure out some more about what is going on," says Jim in frustration.

I nod, "I hoped so too. It's really irritating not knowing what's going on," I say.

"Speaking of which, I want to spend some more time today researching the net. I think there's something out there to find, I just need to ferret it out," Sherry says positively.

"Okay, that makes sense, and it at least is more than nothing. What should the rest of us do, though?" I ask the group.

"I keep in touch with a couple of the guys from our old unit, Jack and Tom, you remember them?" Jim says and I nod in response, knowing where he's going with this... Jim continues, "You know they always had a way of knowing things that no one else could find out..." He trails off, looking at me for permission.

I sigh, "Yeah, you should call them, but don't tell them what's going on, just see if they'll share any information they have on strange happenings. I hate to involve anyone else, but if anyone has a clue, it'll be them."

"That leaves you and me," Kate says to me. "What should we do?"

"Frankly, I'm open to suggestions. It's not like there's a lot else for us to do. Guys?" I say, at a loss for where to go next. I feel utterly useless.

"Do you still have all of mom and dad's old stuff in storage?" Jim asks me out of the blue.

"Yeah, I do. Why?" I return, not understanding what he's getting at.

"Well, it occurs to me that there might be some clues in their stuff, namely the old adoption paperwork, or maybe some letters or articles that could help. Did you ever go through it?" Jim explains.

I shake my head, "I never did. I just couldn't do it back when we put it in storage, and later it didn't seem important. It's a long shot, but I suppose it's possible they knew something, or had some information they didn't understand, that could help. Good Idea, Jim. Kate and I will go over to the storage unit and begin searching. If you find anything call me, I'll have my phone."

"Okay. I don't know if any of us will find anything, but better than sitting around twiddling our thumbs waiting for the inevitable, right?" Jim states. I nod and clasp hands with him before Kate and I say our goodbyes and head out to the car.

"How much stuff do you have left over from your parents?" Kate asks me.

"Unfortunately, quite a lot. I've got a 10' by 30' storage unit that is almost full of their old stuff. I guess you accumulate a lot of stuff over a lifetime. The good news is we shouldn't have to go through all of it, just their old paperwork. The bad news is that there is still a lot of paper to go through, and I'm not sure how well organized it is," I answer, unlocking the car and opening Kate's door for her.

"How long do you think this will take?" she asks as she slides into the passenger seat.

"Well, unless we get lucky, my guess is most, if not all, of the day," I say.

"I guess we'd better get moving then," Kate responds, smiling hopefully up at me.

"Indeed," I respond, climbing into the driver's seat and cranking the engine over.

The engine roars to life and I back her out of the garage and down the drive. It doesn't take long to get to the storage unit, as it is pretty close to my house. We pull up to the automatic gate and I enter my code. Once the gate opens wide enough I pull through and down an alleyway to the unit I rent. These units open to the outside, so I just pull up alongside it and get out of the car. I use my key to unlock the roll up door and open it.

We step inside and I pull the chain on the lone light bulb, revealing what was left of my parents' things after they passed away. I stop for a moment as I feel a wave of emotion flow over me. Even after all these years...seeing the things from their lives still has a profound effect on me, I realize in sorrow.

"Wow...this is going to be harder than I thought," I say. "I didn't think seeing their stuff would have this much of an effect on me."

"Are you going to be okay?" Kate asks me.

"Yeah...I will be. Not like we have much choice, anyway, right? We need answers, and they might be in here," I say in response.

After another moment I right the overturned dining room table that has been, up to this point, occupying the side wall near the door. I then grab a box marked simply 'papers' and set it on the table, "I'll dig through the boxes and see if I can get all the ones with paper in them out here, can you start digging through this box and see if there is anything important in there?"

"No problem," Kate replies, opening the box and digging in.

I start shuffling boxes around, setting any that say anything about paperwork aside and opening others to be sure they aren't mislabeled. I soon have found four more boxes full of papers. I move them up next to the table and continue my search. After another hour of moving and opening boxes I have found two more likely suspects but, more importantly, I have managed to make my way through all the rest of the boxed items in the unit.

I carry the last two boxes to the table and, setting them down, say, "Well that's all of them, eight boxes of papers out of all those boxes."

"I finished the first box and am about halfway through the second one. The first box was all old receipts, and this one seems to be old tax information. Nothing too exciting yet," Kate says, pushing her hair out of her face.

I grab a box at random and put it on the table, open it up and start to dig. This box seems to be Jim's and my old report cards and school work that mom must have saved for us, but I diligently work my way through the whole thing before moving to the next one. The next box is a bit more promising. The first packet I pull out has mom and dad's marriage license as well as certified copies of their birth certificates. The next pack of papers I come to has Jim's and my birth certificates, as well as our adoption papers.

"Jackpot," I say.

"You find something?" Kate asks me.

"Not necessarily, but this is what I was looking for as the most likely place: adoption papers," I tell her.

I begin looking through the file on myself first. There isn't a lot in it, but what is there has a fair bit of information. I was born to a 16 year old mother who didn't know, or wouldn't admit to knowing, who my father was. There was a note in the file suggesting that my existence may have been due to rape and that my mother was afraid to reveal the truth. I clench my jaw tightly as I read that, I hope either that isn't right, or that the bastard who sired me in this world got his in the end. Sadly, I will never know...

I slowly calm myself down and continue reading the file. I immediately went up for adoption and amazingly enough went from the hospital I was born in home with the parents I had grown up with. That's amazing...especially since mom and dad always said Jim and I came home with them at the same time. Wait, why was l in the hospital long enough to go home at the same time as Jim?

I look, but there isn't an explanation about that in the adoption file. Next I look at Jim's file, and his comes across as a little more normal. Born to teen parents, both listed on his birth certificate, mom 16, dad 17. Adopted within a few days of birth by our parents. Okay, nothing really interesting in his file, not that I expected there to be, I think to myself.

I set the adoption files, birth certificates, and our parents' marriage and birth certificates aside to take home with me and continue digging in the box. The next things I pull out of the box appear to be medical records.

Out of curiosity I open the first one. The folder contains the records from my birth. I pause for a moment and then take both folders and sit down on the ground with my back up against the wall.

"Did you find something?" Kaitlyn asks me, looking up from the box she is going through.

"A minor mystery, and maybe the answer in the form of my birth medical records," I reply. "I doubt it'll amount to anything, but I want to know for sure now." Kate nods and goes back to digging through her box.

I reopen the folder and start reading, a lot of it is vital signs and the known medical history of my birth mother. Then down at the bottom of the page is a note stating: baby boy being held for observation due to abnormal skin color. It goes on to explain: At first believed to be O2 deficiency, baby O2 SATs remain normal. Then it states: Mother refuses to breast feed, and I quote, "That dark blue monster."

A note added at a later date states: Abnormal coloring lessens day by day, normal hue is returning, baby expected to be ready for release in five more days' time. The last note on the page states: baby boy returned to normal healthy color this AM, scheduled for release later today. That note is dated the same day that I was adopted by my parents and taken home, the same date that Jim was adopted.

Holy shit! I think I just found my smoking gun! No way is it coincidence that my fur is dark blue and my skin was when I was born! I exult to myself before calling Kate over and sharing my find with her.

Kate looks at the medical report and I see her eyes get really wide, and then she says, "Well...I would say that is indicative of your situation. How fucking crazy is that? It can't possibly be a coincidence that your skin was not only blue, but dark blue, at birth. The fur growing in on your body is midnight blue, for crying out loud!"

I nod to her in response and then say, "I'll take this home with us and read the rest later. This is interesting, but it doesn't say how I came to be here. I'm going to read Jim's report and then finish that box. Have you found anything important?" I ask.

"No, not a damn thing," she replies, shaking her head.

"Okay, we'll keep looking, there might be something still," I say. Kate nods and goes back to work on the box of papers on the table in front of her.

I open Jim's medical record and start perusing it. It's actually almost identical to mine, in that we were both born in the same hospital and had healthy vital statistics when we were born. I look down at the notes section and see that there are a couple of notes, the first one says: baby boy under observation for apparent jaundice, skin more orange-gold than usual yellow color. The next note says: tests for usual causes of jaundice all come back negative. The last note, dated the next day, states: baby skin color starting to return to normal, with no cause found for original jaundice, being held overnight with planned release tomorrow.

I lean back and think, Whoa, does this think what I think it means? Can it possibly be? No...it can't be. I mean, what are the odds? They have to be like winning the fucking lottery or something! I feel...I don't know for sure what I feel.

"Kate, can you come here for a moment? I need you to look at this and tell me what you see," I say, trying to keep my voice calm.

"What is it?" she asks as she comes over. I hand her the file and she begins to look it over. After a couple of minutes of looking she stops and looks at me, "Does this say what I think it says?"

"I don't know...that's why I'm asking you, to see if you see the same thing I do," I say.

"What I see...is a second baby born in less than a week with an abnormal skin color, this time golden orange instead of blue, but still, without any kind of assignable cause. What I think I see...is another pony, with a different color of fur. One that matches the normal skin color of a human being a bit more closely, and so may be discounted as a normal malady. But what do we tell Jim?" she finally asks me.

"I'm not sure. We could be wrong, it could be nothing and we're just jumping to conclusions. But I guess we'll know for sure in a few days," I say.

"What makes you so sure we'll know then? What's so special about the next few days?" Kaitlyn asks.

"My changes started on the morning of my 25th birthday, starting with the cutie marks on my hips, and I suspect that if he is going to exhibit the same kinds of changes, that it will be on his 25th birthday. Which is the 1st of May," I reply.

"I'd forgotten his birthday was the 1st, which is funny because you would think I of all people would remember it. I remember now, how we used to celebrate all of our birthdays together, because yours is so close to his, and since the first of May is my birthday too..." she trails off, obviously thinking about the coincidence.

I ponder the new information for a few more minutes and finally say, "I think we need to warn him of the possibility. We don't know for sure, but I'd rather say something and have nothing come of it, than say nothing and have it come to pass. I know I would have liked some warning, even though it probably really wouldn't have helped."

"Yeah, I think you have a good point. I know I would want to know if it were me," she says, thoughtfully.

I hold my hand out to her and ask, "Would you come and sit down with me for a little bit?"

"Of course I will," she says, taking my hand and lowering herself gently into my lap.

I sit there quietly for several minutes, just holding her close to me. I kiss the top of her head and just look at her, deep in thought. I squeeze her tightly and finally say, in a low voice, "Kate, I think I need to tell you something."

She glances back at me and smiles a small, faintly sad, smile. Then she speaks quietly, "I think that maybe I already know, Irony. I have kind of been wondering about it since last night. And then what I heard this morning made me think even harder about it." She groans lightly as she stretches her legs and arms out, then, "When is Sherry's birthday?" she asks me.

"Um, just after midnight on May the second. She and Jim thought it was an amazing coincidence they were born only minutes apart, since he was born just shy of midnight on the first. I thought it was kind of a crazy coincidence too," I respond, still being rather quiet.

“So we have to tell them, don’t we? We can’t leave them in the dark about this, even if it comes to nothing in the end! But how do we tell them? We can’t just come straight out and say, ‘hey, by the way, you guys are both going to start turning into ponies in a couple of days too.’ What are we going to say?” Kate asks me, almost desperately pleading with me to provide an answer.

"I think that's almost exactly what we're going to have to do, though. There really isn't a gentle way to put this. We have to be honest and up front with them, we can't beat around the bush about it at all. I just hope they don't think I've lost my last marble with this transformation. I'd rather not be committed, or experimented on," I say, trying to make a joke at the end, but it just falls flat.

"That's not funny, Irony. Don't even joke about things like that. It would destroy something deep inside me if you were taken away like that," Kate says, almost crying.

"I knew it as soon as I said it, I'm sorry baby," I say to her, squeezing her tight again.

"I'll forgive you this time, just don't do it again," she says. Then she asks me, "So...do you know who they are? What ponies they will become?"

"If I'm right, and the more I think about it, the more I believe, Sherry will be 'The Great and Powerful Trixie' and Jim is Flash Sentry. I guess only time will tell..." I trail off.

I bite my lip for a moment and then decide I can't leave it to chance... I say to Kaitlyn, "Baby, you do know what this means, right? It means..."

She lays her head on my shoulder and sighs into my neck and I feel a tear drop onto my skin as she says in a barely audible whisper, "It means that I'm Moon Shadow, doesn't it?"

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"What if I don't want to be?" Kate asks me, tears openly streaming down her face now.

"I..." I try to speak, but nothing comes out as she pulls away from me.

Abruptly she stands and stalks away from me, her arms wrapped around herself as if she's clutching her humanity to her like a shroud.

"What if I don't want to be a pony? I can't just accept this!" Kate is almost yelling now, our moment of closeness shattered by the fear she is obviously feeling.

"Kate, it's--" I try to say, but she cuts me off with her hand, violently slashing the air.

"No! I can't talk about this right now!" she starts walking away, each step full of anger and fear.

"Kate, where are you going?" I ask, making to follow her.

She turns and stares me down, "I don't know, anywhere but here for right now. I need to be alone." She spins on her heel and starts storming off.

"Wait! Here, take the car. I don't want you walking out there alone," I say, running up to her and pressing the keys into her hand. She stares at me, as if she's expecting a trick.

"Thank you," she finally says, deciding I'm not going to try to stop her. She gets in the car and turns over the engine, revving the engine before spraying the area with gravel as she tears off.

I stand there and watch her until the car passes out of sight, then I hang my head and sigh sadly at our predicament. Maybe having advance warning of the changes isn't as helpful as I thought it would be, I think to myself.

After a few more minutes of introspection I pull out my phone and dial Jim's number. He answers after the third ring and I ask him to come pick me up at the storage unit.

"Why?" he asks. I tell him that I'll explain when he gets here. He accepts my evasion and tells me he'll be here soon.

"Thanks," I say, hanging up.

I set to work, gathering the information I'd found and packing the rest of the boxes away. It doesn't take me very long to clean up, so I have everything locked up and am sitting with my back against the door to the unit when Jim and Sherry pull up in Jim's truck. I wave carelessly to them as they come to a stop.

Jim leans his head out of the window and says, "Um...where is Kate, and where is your car?"

I just shrug and gesture with my hand, indicating everywhere and anywhere. I slowly stand and walk over to the truck and jump in the back, holding tightly to the folders I have in my hands. I lean my head back against the cab of the truck and ignore Jim's questions and wait for him to take us home. He finally gives up and drives out the gate and points the truck towards my home.

Once we reach the house I silently lever myself out of the back of the truck and walk into the house, dropping the folders on the counter in the kitchen as I walk by on my way to my room.

I know that I should say something to Jim and Sherry, but I just can't bring myself to talk right now. They leave me be, sensing my mood and accepting my need to be alone.

What are we going to do? I didn't think it would be easy for her to accept, but I didn't expect her to run away either. I really hope she calms down soon. What about Jim and Sherry? Should I really tell them? How will they take it if I do? How will they take it if I don't? My thoughts continue to get more disjointed from there as I have a bit of a meltdown.

Then the room starts spinning and I fall onto my bed as I pass into unconsciousness...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I find myself floating in a black void, surrounded by nothingness.

Where am I? Am I dreaming? I wonder, searching in vain for any kind of reference point, or anything at all to see for that matter.

I feel a lurch in my stomach, as if I'm falling, and suddenly find myself staring down at a farm. In the distance I can see a large, glaringly white house adorned with tall columns. Nearer to me, beneath my feat actually as I am floating ghost-like over the landscape, there are people working in the fields.

Peering more closely at the workers in the fields, I can see they are, without exception, very shabbily dressed. Their clothes are torn and fraying, most are ill-fitted. I feel a jolt of shock as I realize that almost all of the people have extremely dark skin... It looks almost like some kind of plantation being worked by slaves. But why am I seeing this? This is distant history, not current events!

My attention is soon drawn towards one of the few fair skinned workers. He is a hulking beast of a man, towering over the others by many inches. On closer inspection he is probably barely into his twenties and his back is covered in ropy scars, as though from many whippings.

As I continue to watch him work I see another man walk into the fields wearing a wide-brimmed hat, with an old fashioned revolver holstered on his hip, carrying a whip leisurely in his hand. When the young man stops to stretch his back the whip immediately snaps out to draw a fresh line on his back. I hear him grunt in pain as he silently stoops back to his work.

Why does this matter? I ask myself, not understanding what I'm seeing. Suddenly I feel the lurch in my stomach again and the scene before me changes. I am still looking down on the farm, but I am much closer to the house. From here I can see the house is much larger than I originally thought, three stories tall with a footprint big enough to hold two of my house with room to spare on all sides.

My attention is drawn towards a flatbed wagon that is approaching the house, pulled by two mangy looking horses. In the back of the wagon I see a young boy chained to the floorboards. I am struck by what I see in his eyes: an inferno worth of rage, tempered with an ocean of determination. I have never seen eyes like that on another human being before.

When the wagon stops in front of the big house the driver dismounts and pulls the blanket from around the boy's shoulders as a well-dressed man strolls from the house to greet him. On the boy's back I can clearly see bright rivulets of blood through the rents in his over-sized shirt. My fists clench in anger and tears form in my eyes at the sight as I realize there is nothing I can do for this boy.

I see money exchange hands between the men and the well-dressed man takes hold of the chain between the boy's wrists, pulling the boy behind him as he walks away.

I feel the lurch in my stomach again as the scene changes yet again.

I see the big man from before, kneeling next to a prone form. Through the gore smeared all over the body, I can see that it is a young, dark-skinned woman lying there.

In the man's eyes I can see a mountain of grief that is shortly consumed by an incomprehensible rage. He stands and turns to the man with the whip, who is standing nearby, and says, "You've killed her!" as he lunges.

By some unholy miracle, the whip-man is able to just barely evade the lunging youth. He slams his fist into the back of the young man's head and steps back, letting fly with the whip, opening a flap of skin on his scalp.

The much bigger man, undeterred by the pain of his torn scalp, turns and leaps at the man with the whip. He catches the smaller man's arm with his left hand and pulls him toward his right fist, which connects with his face.

The whip-man's eyes roll up into his head and he falls to the ground. The youth picks him up and brings his anvil-like fist to bear again on the malingerer's ugly mug. Blood flies from the man's battered lips and his broken nose pours gore like a charnel faucet.

The big man's fist raises three more times before a board is shattered over the back of his skull by another man with a whip hanging at his belt. As the big man falls to the ground, the jackals surround him and begin to hit and kick his unresponsive form.

I feel the now familiar lurch in my stomach and am treated to yet another scene.

This time I see the boy again, a little bit younger, in a small stone hovel, kneeling next to a bed containing a haggard woman's corpse. I see the mountain of grief in his eyes and the tears he cannot keep from falling down his face. His young body is wracked with silent sobs at the loss of what I can only assume is his mother.

The man I remember from the wagon steps forward and, taking the boy by his shoulder, says, "Now her debt falls to you. I'll find a way to make my money from you somehow!"

The boy struggles and manages to yank his shoulder away from the hard-faced man, falling to the floor as he does so. When he stands back up the man backhands him to the floor, saying, "You'll do as you're told, you little bastard. Now come with me."

The boy warily regains his feet and quietly follows the man, but I can see the murder in the boy's eyes.

I feel the lurch once again, but this time I feel a shudder through my soul as my perspective changes. This time I see a familiar scene:

"Get up you lazy piece of shit!" I hear a voice I now recognize say.

I start to stir, only to feel an excruciating pain as I'm kicked in the side by a booted foot.

"I said get up you stupid fuck! Get your ass out of bed now or I'll fucking bust your face in!" the voice yells at me.

I feel my body rise up off the floor, where evidently I've been sleeping. I look down at the floor and see the blanket that had fallen off me when I stood and remember this is where I belong.

I walk out of the shack I've been in and accept the meager piece of bread and cheese shoved into my hands as I walk out to the field.

I look around and see farmland everywhere I look, field after field of corn, and remember that it's my job to start picking, along with the others. I look down at my body and it isn't how I remember it. My skin is loose over my flesh, I can feel that I have strength, but I'm a lot leaner than I remember. I'm wearing little more than rags.

I get to the corn and start picking it, throwing it into baskets that are nearby, one ear at a time. I'm working in a group of about ten people, most of them smaller and frailer looking than me.

As I'm trying to figure out how I got here and how long I've been here, I feel a searing pain on my back and hear the crack of a whip.

"You stupid lazy oaf! Move faster, you fucking moron! If you don't pick up the pace you don't get no lunch or dinner," came the vehement voice from behind me. I don't even bother looking at the man; I just try to pick up the pace.

A few minutes later I stumble and feel the whip again. This time I am angry and turn toward my attacker, a retort upon my lips, but he is having none of it and begins to whip me in a frenzy. I try to raise my hands to protect me, but my body doesn't respond and I fall to the ground. I don't know how many times I am whipped, but it is still going on as I slip into unconsciousness.

I wake after an unknown about of time, my body screaming in pain. I moan and can feel hot tears streaming down my face from the agony.

Suddenly I look up, sensing something awry, and see that my body is enveloped in a purple light. I feel very strange, my pain is stripped away, and as I look at my body it begins to change. I'm floating there, my body changing, when everything goes black again.

Once again I am floating in the black void with nothing around me, but this time it feels different. I look around and see a speck of purple light. Without knowing exactly how, I move closer to the source of the light.

Soon I pass into another scene and I see Twilight Sparkle, her horn alight with her purple magic, massive bright sparks shooting out the tip. She is concentrating intensely, her eyes closed.

Suddenly there is a loud boom and a burst of concussive force as a form surrounded by Twilight's magical aura pops into existence right in front of us.

"Oh no, not again!" she gasps as her eyes become fixed on the very large, well-muscled, midnight-blue earth pony that has emerged from the heart of the blinding magical aura.

The scene fades before me, and I am floating in the void, trying to make sense of all that I have seen. I...no way. Can any of this really be real? I wonder.

Though it seems like a long time, I don't know how long I float in the void pondering what I've seen before I start feeling a sense of dread, deep in my soul. My body starts to shake uncontrollably.

"IRONY!!" the scream comes so loudly in my psyche that I feel it coursing through my body.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wake still feeling the scream flood through my body. Kate's in trouble! I don't know how I know this, but I do. I feel it with every fiber of my being.

I leap out of bed. Or at least I try to. Instead of the graceful leap, I end up summersaulting out of the bed and landing on my chin. I shake my head, trying to disperse the stars I am now seeing as a result of my fall. I yell for Jim as I try to ascertain the cause of my fall.

Well shit... I think as I take in my body, which has changed even more while I was unconscious. I'm not quite "full pony", but I'm not really that far off from it either. My hands aren't hooves, yet, but they might as well be. They're useless lumps at the moment. My legs don't want to bend the same way anymore. I can't stand upright on them, I keep falling over. My body is almost completely covered in fur now, though that seems almost inconsequential when compared with the rest of the changes.

How long was I out for? I think to myself, looking at the window and seeing that it is completely dark outside. Fuck, that means I've been asleep for hours! What the hell is wrong with me?!

Jim bursts into the room, almost knocking the door off its hinges. He surveys the room, looking for danger, before he comes over and kneels next to me.

"Irony, are you okay?" he asks as he looks me over for injury.

"Physically, well, my body is even more fucked up than before, but I'm not injured. I can't get up though, my body won't work right. Please help me back onto the bed," I say to him. He helps me get onto the bed, where I lay like an invalid.

"Sherry, it's okay, you can come in now," Jim calls out the door.

"So what was the yelling about? I thought you were being attacked, you sounded, well, afraid," he asks me as Sherry comes through the door and stands next to the bed.

"It's Moon Shadow. I mean Kate! Something is wrong, I'm sure of it!" I say, fear still gripping my heart.

"What do you mean, did she call you?" asks Sherry, looking worried.

"No, at least I don't think so. I haven't checked my phone yet. I just feel that she is in danger," I say.

"Where is your phone?" asks Jim.

"In my pocket, but I can't get it," I say, waving my useless lumps in the air. Jim calmly reaches into my pocket and pulls out my phone.

"You don't have any missed calls or new messages," he says, checking my phone for me.

"Dammit!" I exclaim.

"Slow down, where is Kate? You never explained what happened earlier," Sherry says.

"She and I...kind of had an argument and she took off. I gave her the keys to the car because I didn't want her walking out there alone. That's why I had to call you guys for a ride earlier. Speaking of which, what time is it?" I ask, looking around to see my clock is on the floor where I fell.

"It's almost two in the morning," Jim answers me.

"I was out for over 12 hours?!" I practically shout.

"Yeah. You were out pretty hard, too. We were a little worried because we couldn't wake you up," says Jim, "though we figured you must need it, so we didn't try too hard," he continues.

"What about Kate? Didn't you worry about her when she didn't show up?" I ask, incredulously.

"We were a little worried, but figured that if you weren't worried we shouldn't worry either," Sherry put in, worry showing plain in her eyes now.

"She's in trouble, we need to find her!" I state vehemently.

"How do you know she's in trouble? She's been gone for a long time, but that doesn't mean she's in danger. She might be staying over at another friend's house tonight," Jim says, trying to calm me down.

"Jim, I can't explain how I know; I just know that she is hurt or in danger right now. I feel it in my soul! We must find her!" I say, staring into Jim's eyes with determination.

"How are we going to find her? We have no way of knowing where she went, or what happened to her?" Sherry asks. "Do you want to go to the police?"

I shake my head, "The police won't be able to do anything, she hasn't been gone for even 24 hours yet. Not that I would trust them to find her before something happens."

"What about her phone? Did she have it with her?" Jim asks me.

"Good idea! Yeah, she had it alright. We can trace her using the GPS!" I say, smiling at Jim's idea.

"I'll call Jack again and see if he'll hack into the satellite network and trace her phone for us. We are going to owe him big for this though," Jim says, shaking his head.

"I know, but let me worry about how to pay him back later. If he balks, hint that you have something interesting to share with him, but don't tell him anything," I tell Jim.

"And what is this something interesting that I'm supposed to know?" he asks, though I'm sure he already knows.

I gesture to myself and say, "I think this is pretty interesting. And I'm guessing he doesn't know anything about it, or you would have already shared it with me. Right?"

"Yeah, neither he, nor Tom, knew anything of interest to us about this," Jim replies.

Jim steps aside as he pulls out his phone and dials Jack, having a quiet conversation with him in the corner.

"Irony, I'm so sorry that Kate is missing. We'll do whatever it takes to get her back," Sherry tries to comfort me.

"I just hope we reach her in time," is my response. Sherry just nods quietly.

Jim comes back over and says, "Jack says it'll be no problem. He said it's so easy that he'll do this one gratis."

"Yeah, which means we still owe him a favor, he's just not going to make a big deal of it," I say, knowing how Jack and Tom work.

"True, but like you said, we'll worry about it later. I didn't have to share anything with him, though I wouldn't be surprised if he suspects we're hiding something. He's definitely no dummy," Jim says.

"That much is true. Sometimes he was oblivious, but never a dummy," I say. Just then Jim's phone rings.

"It's Jack," he says, turning away to take the call.

"Okay, great, thanks Jack," I hear Jim say before hanging up again.

"He's got it, he's going to send me a link so we can track her phone from mine," Jim tells me, his phone chiming as it gets the link from Jack.

"Alright! Let's go then!" I say, trying to sit up to get off the bed. Jim gently pushes me back down.

"You aren't fit to go anywhere right now. Let me go see if I can find her. If she's hurt I'll bring her back here or to the hospital. If she's in trouble I'll recon and come back. Hopefully either I'll be back with her soon, or by the time I get back you will be able to come with me to get her out of whatever mess she's found herself in," he says, telling me something I already knew but didn't want to admit to myself.

"Please, Jim, take me with you! Help me get into the back of your truck, I need to be with you when you find her!" I say and he looks at me uncertainly. "What if our situations were reversed? Could you really stay behind if you knew Sherry was in danger?"

He sighs and shakes his head, "No, no I couldn't. Okay, we'll load you into the back of the truck, but you have to stay there okay?"

"Okay, but grab my stuff from the shop so we have it just in case. I want to be prepared for the worst," I say. Jim nods and helps me up and supports my weight as we walk out to his truck. He drops the gate and lifts me up into the back.

He fishes in my pocket for the key to my shop and goes inside, soon returning with an oversized burlap sack stuffed full. He throws it in the truck next to me and I look at him, saying, "What's all this? I meant the AR-15 and camo gear I have in a ruck in the loft."

"I...I don't know what I was thinking. I'll be right back," he says as he hurries back to the shop. I manage to get the bag open with my deformed hands and peer inside.

Why did he bring these? I think as I look. In the bag is the mace, shield, helmets and armor that I showed him yesterday. Maybe he's not thinking straight, I think in confusion at Jim's lack of judgment.

Soon Jim returns with the ruck and AR-15, throwing the ruck in the back with me and putting the AR in the cab with him.

"Ready?" he asks me.

"Are you?" I return, raising my eyebrow questioningly.

He nods and hops in the driver seat, starts the truck and backs it down the drive. We both wave to Sherry as we leave. She waves back and turns to go back into the house.

Jim tears down the road at top speed. After a while on the road I realize I don't know where we're going. I tap on the adjoining window. When he opens it I ask, "Where are we going? How far away?"

"We still have over an hour to go, according to her GPS. I'll stop a ways out and we'll go in incognito, with the lights off and as quietly as this truck can go," he yells back to me.

I nod in reply and hunker down for the long drive as he closes the window again.

After a few minutes of staring out into the darkness, I get a bit restless. To take my mind off my worry I decide to look in the sack again. The only object in the bag that I have any hope at all of putting on is my helmet. After some careful consideration, I am able to use the lumps at the end of my arms to hold the helmet and raise it to my head. It slips on surprisingly easily, and fits better now than it did before. It takes me a few moments to realize why. My lower face now extends in a pony muzzle, something I failed to notice in the panic I'd been feeling since I woke up from my dreams.

I lean my head back against the cab of the pickup, trancing out a little bit as I try not to let my fears overwhelm me. I come back to full awareness when Jim slows and stops the truck. We seem to be in some kind of industrial park. He opens the window so that he can talk to me and says, "We're close now. According to the GPS, she is in a building about two blocks from here. According to the map it's a medium sized warehouse. I wonder what she was doing over here?"

"It doesn't matter, let's go," I say with feeling.

Jim nods and, turning out the lights, continues on slowly to get closer to the warehouse. Once we are within a couple hundred yards, Jim stops again and turns to me, "I don't see anyone keeping a watch or anything, do you?"

"No. I don't see anyone out there. Though I can hear loud noises coming from inside. It sounds like metal grinding or something like it," I tell him.

Jim pulls the camo jacket out of the ruck and says, while slipping it on, "I'll go check things out. I'll keep an open line between us using the headsets of our phones. If you see anyone give a whistle over the line to let me know. I'm going to be running silent, okay?"

I nod and tell him, "Be careful."

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Jim takes the AR-15 and a couple of extra clips with him as he goes to recon the warehouse. He moves silently towards the building, slipping up on it like an assassin creeps up on a victim. Once he reaches the wall he presses himself up against it and sidles along to each window, carefully peering into each one before moving on to the next.

Shortly after Jim reaches the rear corner of the building and turns it, I see someone come out of the front of the warehouse and light a cigarette. I whistle quietly into the headset and then whisper, "One guy just came out the front, he's standing there smoking." I hear two short taps come over the line in acknowledgement.

The guy stands there smoking for several minutes. He finishes his cig and drops it to the ground, stepping on it. He walks to the corner, fiddles with his belt, and then starts to piss on the building. He finishes his business and zips himself back up. He's about to turn to go back inside when he looks down and seems to see something. He decides to investigate, walking along the wall towards the back of the building.

"Jim, the smoker is heading towards the back of the building. I'm not sure if he saw a footprint or what, but you may have been made. He appears unarmed," I say quietly into the headset. I hear the two taps of acknowledgement again.

I watch as the smoker continues along the side of the building. Just as he reaches the corner, Jim steps out from the shadows and wraps his hand around the guy's mouth while he pins his arms to his chest with the other arm. Jim then adjusts his grip to cut off the guy's air. Jim struggles with the guy for several minutes, until he finally passes out from the choke hold. Jim gently lowers the guy to the ground and then drags him around the back of the building.

A few minutes later Jim breaks the silence, quietly saying, "Irony, I can see Kate. She seems okay, but they have her tied to a bed. There's a curtain blocking the window, but there's enough of a gap for me to see her. We need to regroup and figure a way to get her out of there."

"Are you sure she's okay?" I ask, keeping my voice down.

"Yeah, she seems fine...wait, there's a guy coming into the room. Oh shit! No you don't you bastard! I'm going in! Irony, call the cops or something!" he starts yelling obscenities and I hear glass breaking. Then I hear several shots from the AR.

My fear and panic turn to anger in a heartbeat and, without any further thought, I'm leaping out of the truck, grabbing my mace and shield in the process. I race across the open ground and slam into the door, with my shield raised in front of me. It explodes open and I barrel through it, shield-checking the guy who gets in my way. An audible crunch can be heard from his chest as he flies backwards and hits the ground hard, landing in a heap that doesn't move.

I barely register that he's out of my way before the mace is up, crashing down on another dude's head. His skull splits like an overripe watermelon, gobbets of blood and grey matter come spraying out, painting the wall in gore, almost like a slaughterhouse movie.

I stalk down the corridor, my rage keeping me moving. The hall opens into a large bay area. In this area I see several cars in various stages of disassembly. I spot my 442 in a far corner, seemingly untouched. It isn't important, so I ignore it as I make my way further into the large bay, looking in all directions to get my bearings.

Several mechanics spot me, but they turn tail and run, so I let them go unmolested. I hear another gunshot from across the bay, drawing my gaze that direction. I see there is another corridor leading off from the bay on that side. I start jogging toward the hallway. As I come within 15 yards a man appears, leveling a 9mm pistol at me.

Just as his finger begins to tighten on the trigger I leap, hitting the ground with my shoulder and rolling with it as I hear the bark of his pistol and the bullet pass above me. I finish my roll and bound to my hooves, the mace already swinging in a wide arc. The head of the mace takes him in the left hip, splintering bone and pulping his flesh. The resulting scream echoes around the shop louder than the pistol fire. He whimpers as he falls to the ground with a thud.

I stand over him, my mace raised over my head, and yell in his face, "Where the fuck is she?!"

"Fuck you, bitch!" he retorts, trying to bring his 9mm to bear on me. I lash out with the shield, knocking the pistol from his grip, breaking all the fingers on his right hand in the process. He cradles his now mangled hand against his chest with his left. "Who--what the fuck are you?!" he cries as he gets a good look at me.

I threaten him with my mace, holding it against his chin as I rage in his face, "You can call me Irony, Irony Shieldbreaker. And if you don't tell me what I want to know, you won't ever call anyone anything again. Talk, you slimy piece of shit!"

"Okay, okay, anything! Just don't hit me again!" he pleads.

"Good," I point at the 442 with my mace and then tap his chin with it again and say, "there was a girl with that car. Where is she now?"

He very carefully points back down the corridor he'd emerged from and pants out, "Down that hall, 2nd left, 3rd door on the right. Look, I didn't touch her, I swear!"

My eyes narrow as I look into his, "What do you mean, you didn't touch her? Who touched her?!" My voice quavers with rage.

He pales visibly as he replies, "The boss claimed her for his own. I don't know what he did with her!"

I swing my mace and feel the explosive force as it crashes down.  I look down to see the concrete next to his head shattered, spraying the side of his face with broken chips. He has slipped into unconsciousness from either the pain or the fear. He'll live, I decide, straightening up and heading down the hallway in the direction he'd shown me.

I race down the corridor at full tilt, my hoofstrikes echoing down the halls. In my haze of rage I don't care, nothing matters but reaching Moon Shadow before anything else happens.

Despite all the noise I am making, I still manage to hear a door open behind me. I spin, my arm straight out at, my mace at shoulder height. Shoulder height for me is head height for him. The foe has no chance to react as the metal connects with the top of his head, shearing his scalp away from his broken skull. His buddy is slightly luckier, managing to get a shot off before I ram the mace, tip first, into his chest, caving it in like a rotten pumpkin left out too long after Halloween.

I continue down the hall, leaving their still bleeding corpses in a heap behind me. While I am still a few yards shy of the turn I'm supposed to make, I see two guys with pistols in their hands come out of a door further down the hall. In a snap decision, I leap across the hall and crash through a door. I enter low, in case there is someone on the other side of it, but the room is empty of anything living. There is, however, a plethora of junk piled in the room, mostly broken office chairs and a smashed up desk.

I quickly throw a few of the broken chairs in the path of the door, not blocking the door itself, rather the pathway from the door. I push the desk over closer to the wall to create a hiding place and then I stand behind where the door will open.

It's a simple trick, but rather effective. The two goons, having obviously seen me, open the door cautiously. Their attention is on the desk, assuming I'm hiding behind it. They are taking aim at it when I kick the door closed and attack them from behind.

The first one doesn't even get himself halfway turned around before the mace takes him in the back of the neck, severing his spine where it meets his skull. As he falls bonelessly to the floor I am already turning to the second man. As he completes his turn, I bring my shield up in a devastating blow, catching him under his chin, tearing through his jaw like cream cheese. The edge of the shield becomes lodged in his nasal cavity, so I kick him in the chest and yank the metal disc away from his face.

Without bothering to look upon the carnage I have caused, I leave the room, racing down the corridor and skidding around the corner on my hooves.

Careering around the corner, my body slams into another man, knocking him to the floor. Looking down, I see that he is very well-dressed, in a suit which I can only assume is Italian. I also notice that he is holding a P90-LV SMG in his right hand. As he is still recovering from the collision, I shield-bash his right arm out of line and step on the elbow with my left hoof, crushing the joint.

As he screams I drop my mace and seize him by the throat, lifting him up with my right arm until his toes dangle inches above the floor. I growl into his face, "What did you do to Moon Shadow?!"

"Who?" he barely manages to choke out, his left hand slowly reaching toward the P90, which is hanging at his right side from a single-point strap.

"Moon Shadow!" I scream in his face, slamming him into the wall with enough force to dent the metal. "My friend! My mate, you fucking piece of shit!" I cry as I twist and ram his body into the wall on the other side of the hall, leaving an impression there too.

"Irony!" I hear from down the hall. I look in that direction to see Kate being propped up by Jim as they walk towards me. I drop the senseless man in a pile by the wall and leap to her side, dropping my shield to pick her up in both my arms. I hold her to me as I bury my face in her hair, tears coming unbidden to my eyes.

"Moon Shadow, oh my Moon Shadow," I say over and over into her hair as I caress her back with my hand. "Thank Celestia you're okay!"

"Irony, you came! I was so scared! I didn't think there was any way for you to find me!" she says, leaning her head back and showering my muzzle with kisses.

"I will always come for you, no matter what! I promise," I say with true feeling as I gaze into her eyes. "I was so afraid I was too late."

"Jim shot the guy who was about to rape me," Kate says quietly.

I look over at Jim with gratitude in my eyes, he simply nods in reply. Then he steps over to the guy in the suit and slams the stock of the AR into his head, knocking him out. He then removes the P90 and hands it to me. I take it, slipping the strap over my shoulder and letting it hang at my side.

While Jim kneels down to start going through the unconscious guy's pockets, I collect my shield and mace. Kate stays at my side every step of the way, which suits me just fine. Jim pulls something out of a pocket and tosses it to me. Catching it, I find that it's the keyring with the keys to my car.

"Looks like he decided to keep it for himself," Jim says, "not that I can blame him."

I take Kate's hand in mine and, pulling her around to face me, look into her eyes and ask, "Are you okay? Did they hurt you in any way?"

"No, they didn't hurt me," she answers, shaking her head. "I don't think they'd decided what to do with me. The one Jim shot was giving me lecherous looks all day, but he'd been ordered to stay away from me by that guy," she points to the unconscious man in the suit. "Evidently he got tired of waiting for permission."

"He paid with his life for it, too," Jim says, standing up as he finishes going through the pockets.

I look at Jim pointedly, "Thank you for saving her from that."

"You would have done the same, for anyone," he says, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

I nod, and then say, "Let's get out of here. Moo--Kate and I will follow you in my car." I close my eyes briefly at my slip as I realize I'd been calling her Moon Shadow since we found her.

Kate smiles up at me, squeezes my hand, and says, "Yeah, let's go."

We make our way back to the bay where all the cars are. I stop by the goon I got the information out of earlier and kneel down next to him. I check for a pulse and find he's still alive. I search his pockets and come up with a phone. I flip it open and dial 9-1-1.

"Please state the nature of your emergency," the operator says in my ear.

"There are injured and dead men at the chop shop at this phone's location," I calmly say and drop the phone on top of the unconscious guy's chest before the operator can reply.

I open the passenger door to the 442 and help Kate inside, then make my way to the driver's side and, putting the shield, mace and helm in the back, get in. I start her up and pull to the overhead door leading outside. Jim hits the button next to the wall and slips out, the AR at the ready. We drive over to the truck and wait for Jim to get in and start it. Then we follow him as he heads for home.

"I'm sorry I took off," Kate says after several minutes of silence, staring out the window.

"Don't be sorry for that. You needed some space, which I understood. I'm sorry that me giving you the car got you in trouble," I reply.

"It probably wouldn't have, if I hadn't driven so far that I got lost. I stopped to ask for directions at a shitty little gas station. When I went back outside, two of the thugs had guns and grabbed me. They kept talking about how rare it was to find one of these in such good shape," she says quietly.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't handle the news very well. Some part of me knew, but I didn't want to admit it to myself," she continues. "I spent a lot of time thinking, before and after I was caught. Do you know what I realized?"

"No, what?" I ask.

"I realized, after a lot of thought, that there is one very big reason for me to be glad that I will turn into a pony," she says, turning her head and smiling at me.

"What's that?" I ask her.

"You're a pony too," she answers, reaching out and taking my hand. I squeeze her hand tightly in mine. "In the end, that's all that matters to me anymore. You and I are together. Both of us being ponies will make it that much easier."

"Kate, I'm just glad you're okay, and that we're together again. It scared me to my core that you might not want to have anything to do with me. I even worried that you blamed me for what's going to happen to you," I say, sadness and relief warring on my face, a tear finally slipping free to glide down my cheek.

"How could I blame you? It's not like you infected me or something. This change is going to happen whether I'm here with you or somewhere else, right?" she says to me, I nod in response.

"One other thing," she says in a low voice, smiling beautifully at me, "call me Moon Shadow, please? I love you, all of you, and I know you love all of me too. I don't remember anything about being a pony, but I know that I am one now. I want us to always be together, and I accept who you are, which makes it silly for me not to accept who I am. Not when it feels so right to hear you say my name."

"I love you, Moon Shadow, and I'm never going to stop. This much change in our lives is a really big shock, but I know we can do it together. I'm glad you're here," I whisper to her, not trusting my voice to go any louder.

We drive in companionable silence for a while after that, just holding hands in the dark. I guess this day didn't end so horribly, I think to myself. Though I suppose it's really the beginning of a new day instead. Really, that's more fitting anyway.

As we get closer to home I look over at Moon Shadow and finally say, "I haven't told Jim and Sherry yet. After what happened...I just wasn't sure I should, you know?"

She nods slowly, finally saying, "I think that's wise. I know we decided to tell them, but I didn't handle it so well, and I already had an inkling about it. I'm not even sure they'll believe us until it starts happening to them."

"I'm not sure it'll matter in the end, either way it's going to be a big shock. At least to Jim it will be. I almost think Sherry will welcome it..." I say, remembering how interested Sherry had been in my changes.

"I think you might be right, Jim will probably have a much harder time with it than Sherry will. At least we all have each other, and we're together. Imagine what it would have been like if we were all apart," she replies.

I shudder at the thought of being all alone for this. It would have driven me insane to face these changes alone, I think.

"Yeah, I'm glad we're together in this," I finally say.

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

We pull into the driveway as the sky is starting to lighten. Dawn is still a little ways away, but the night is definitely coming to an end. I hit the button to open the garage door, pulling the car in and shutting it down.

I open my door and slump over, falling out of the car, suddenly too weak to get myself up.

"Irony! Are you okay?" Moon Shadow asks, leaning over to look at me through my door.

"Are you--Oh my GOD! Irony, you're bleeding! All that blood! JIM, SHERRY!!" she screams for help.

Sherry comes flying out the door into the garage at Moon Shadow's cry, "Kate, what is it?"

Then she comes close enough to see and covers her mouth at the sight of all the blood. The door panel and floor mat are soaked in my blood. I must have bled all the way home...wonder why I never felt it? I wonder, my mind fuzzy from the loss.

"Oh shit!" Jim states as he sees me lying there. He reaches down and gets an arm under me and starts lifting me. "Let's get her inside, to the bathroom!"

"Jim, my car's a mess," I say blearily as Sherry and Shadow help him get me into the house and down the hall, leaving blood drops and smears as we go.

"I know Irony, I know. We'll clean it up later, I promise," he says to comfort me.

They finally manage to wrestle my limp body into the bathroom and into the tub. Jim yells for a pair of scissors, which Shadow retrieves from my dresser, and then starts cutting my clothes off.

"No, no...you'll see me naked," I say, halfheartedly trying to push him away.

"It doesn't matter! I have to see where you're hurt!" he tells me, blocking my hands and continuing to cut. Soon he has my pants off and he can see the wound.

"Shit, you're still bleeding!" he says, inspecting the hole in my left thigh. He turns my thigh and says, "No exit wound, the slug must still be in there."

He calls for towels and bandages, putting pressure on my thigh while he waits for them to arrive.

I scream from the sensation, and my mind flees into the void.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I float in the dark for an unknowable amount of time. No visions or dreams come for a long time, much to my surprise. My consciousness simply floats, like a jellyfish in the current. Formless as the void itself.

After a wait so long I start thinking that I have died, I feel an ephemeral tug on my mind, and I'm slowly drawn to my bedroom.

I look down on my room, seeing myself lying in bed, covered with a sheet and blanket. Well this is weird, I think, look at me, I've gone full pony. And I can see myself. Is this what they call an out-of-body experience?

I see Moon Shadow enter my room quietly and sit down on the bed next to my body. She takes one of my hooves into her hand and begins to stroke it gently.

"Come back to me, my love," she whispers to me, and I can see the tears flow unchecked down her face as she gazes upon me. "Come back to me, I have news to share with you." I see her hand furtively move to rub her hip as a small smile breaks over her face.

The door opens and Sherry enters the room, followed by Jim and a man I don't know.

"Is she awake?" Sherry asks, to which Shadow shakes her head.

"She may sleep for a while yet," the man says. "She lost a lot of blood and will be weak even when she does wake. She needs rest for now."

Shortly after that they all file out of the room, Moon Shadow last to leave my side.

I return to the void, darkness surrounding me like a blanket once more. But I am not alone for long. A pony saunters up and sits next to me. I realize that it's my pony self. I look down and realize I am now in my human body.

Irony nuzzles her head under my arm and rests against my side. Neither of us speaks. It is odd to me how comfortable it is sitting here next to my pony self.

"We've been through a lot," she finally breaks the silence. I simply nod, somewhat at a loss for how to respond.

"It's hard to think about it all. We've had our lives turned completely upside down too many times. It's amazing we're still sane," she says, smirking at me.

I laugh, "Are we still sane? I'm sitting here, talking to a pony version of me, in my head, and I'm acting like it's no big deal at all. How sane am I really?"

"We learned how to compartmentalize our mind a long time ago, it was the only way to keep from going insane from the torture we endured so long ago. It's also the explanation for why you can accept this all. Our mind has been protected, and is now piecing itself back together. There is still much of us that is separate, but in time we will truly be one again. I look forward to that time," she looks at me a little wistfully, then her body turns to mist and merges with mine, and I am back in my pony body.

With our merging comes a misty memory of our mother singing us a lullaby in the flickering candlelight as we drifted off to sleep.

As the memory ends, I feel my mind falling back into my body.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I awaken to my quiet bedroom. I can see light shining in through a gap in the curtains. I figure it must be about mid-day. I am alone at the moment.

Sitting up I feel a little bit dizzy, but it soon passes. I open my mouth to call out and let everyone know I'm awake, but my throat is so dry, all that comes out is a light rasp. I decide to get out of bed and get a drink of water to help.

I slowly slide out of bed, mindful of my new body, and manage to stand there without falling down. Unfortunately, as soon as I try to take a step I faceplant directly into the carpet, my body crashing down with a thud that rumbles through the house.

As I am regaining my hooves my bedroom door opens and in comes Moon Shadow followed closely by Jim, Sherry, and the stranger I saw before.

Shadow throws her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly to her. It feels really strange to now be no taller than she is while on all fours.

"You're finally awake! We've been so worried about you!" she says, her voice muffled as her face is buried in my mane.

"Water," I finally manage to rasp out. Sherry runs back to the kitchen and shortly returns with a cup with a straw. I reach my neck out and take the straw in my lips as she holds the cup for me and drink greedily.

"More, please," I ask after I finish the cup.

"What happened?" I finally ask after the third cup of water.

"Evidently, you got shot," explains Jim, not really shedding any light on the subject.

"And what else?" I ask, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Maybe I can help with that," the stranger says.

"Who are you?" I ask, "And why are you taking a talking pony in stride?"

"To answer your first question, I'm Dr. Ray Stevens. I'm a veterinarian. As to your second question, I'm not. I tried to run screaming from the house the first time you spoke in your delirium while I was trying to remove the bullet from your thigh. Your, um, brother? Yes, your brother stopped me, with the help of your other friends. Frankly I have no idea what's going on, and am really hoping these last couple of days will turn out to be a really big dream!" says Dr. Ray.

"Okay, doc, what happened?" I ask him.

"When your brother realized you had a bullet trapped in your leg, he decided to call on me to come remove it. Which I did rather well, even with no prior experience, I might add. You lost a lot of blood, enough that I was almost certain you wouldn't make it, though I didn't want to tell them that," he says, looking specifically at Jim as he finishes.

"So...I managed to survive, at least it seems so," I say. "How long was I unconscious for?"

"Three days," Jim answers for the doc. "It's the 1st of May today."

"Well damn. Umm, happy birthday Jim and Moon Shadow, I guess?" I say, shocked at how long I was asleep.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" Shadow says into my mane, giving me a shake in emphasis.

"I'll try not to," I say quietly, wrapping a foreleg around her and holding her close.

"I have something to show you when everyone is gone," she whispers into my ear, and I can see a smile light up her face, easing the worry that has so recently taken up residence there.

I kiss her gently and whisper back, "I can't wait to see it."

"I hate to break up the moment, but I think someone should address one of the elephants in the room," Sherry says, stepping forward.

"What's that?" I ask, looking up into her eyes.

"What are we going to do with the good doctor now?" she asks.

It dawns on me then that the doctor now knows my secret. Damn, what are we going to do with him? All it would take is for him to tell one person and then who knows what would happen.

"What do you mean, what are you going to do with me now?" Ray asks, looking decidedly unhappy.

Jim slashes the air with his hand and firmly states, "Nothing. I gave you my word when you came with me that you would get home safely. We will take you home when Irony is better. As long as you keep your word to say nothing of what you see here to anyone, that won't change. You hold our lives in your hands. Do you understand?"

Dr. Ray nods and says, "I do. I swear I will take this to my grave.

"Now, if we're done with threats and fear, I'd like to examine my patient," says the doc.

"Please do and I'm sorry for all that," I say to him. He waves off my concern, moving up next to me and removing the bandage. Twisting my neck around, I can see several stitches just beneath my cutie mark on my left rear leg.

"This looks better than I would have expected for a three day old gunshot wound. I think you will heal up nicely. Obviously you can stand on the leg, so I think as long as the pain is tolerable, you can walk on it. Just don't overdo it for the next couple weeks," he says, surprisingly talking directly to me.

"I'm a veterinarian, but I don't have any experience with creatures that change their shape like you did. Having said that, I think your transformation helped to heal this wound. You should count yourself very lucky. That much blood loss would have killed almost anything else," Dr. Ray states, looking into my eyes carefully as he redresses the wound.

"Thank you for all that you have done, doctor," I say earnestly.

"And that ever so helpfully brings me to the other elephant in the room, if you'll excuse us for a bit, doc," says Jim, motioning for the doc to leave the room. Dr. Ray eagerly complies, probably afraid to hear some secret that we'd actually kill him for.

"And what elephant is that?" I ask Jim after the doc exits and the door is closed once more.

"You'd better get comfortable again, this might take a little bit for us to talk about," he suggests. I carefully climb back up onto the bed, with a little help from Jim and Shadow.

Once I am comfortably ensconced in the bed again, Jim begins, "Irony, when we got to the warehouse, you could barely move. Your body was in between a two-legged form and a four-legged one. I didn't count on any help from you at the warehouse, as I was sure you wouldn't be able to come if I needed you.

"So imagine my surprise when I see you rampage down the hallway and beat a guy almost to death with your bare hands. And I do mean hands," he says, looking pointedly at my hooves.

"I didn't have time to think about it in the moment, but I've had plenty of time since. Also, seeing you change to a four-legged pony got me wondering even more. You stayed bipedal until after the vet was able to remove the bullet. After that, you gave a great sigh and your whole body relaxed. Then you changed, your body flowing like water into its new quadrupedal shape. Do you have any idea how you did any of that?" Jim finally winds down, asking me the 64-thousand dollar question.

"I have no clue. I didn't even know I was doing it at the time. Though thinking back on it I can feel that there was a difference," I say, caught completely off-guard by this news.

"I was afraid you'd say that. Ever since I realized what'd happened I've wanted to know how you did it. It sucks that we don't have a clue about what all is happening to you," Jim says in frustration.

I shrug at him, knowing that worrying about something I can't change won't do any good.

Leaning in and whispering in my ear, Moon Shadow says, "You sure had one hell of a pair of tits when you were on two legs. It was enough to make me jealous!"

I laugh, which causes Jim to glare at me, "Oh come on Jim, lighten up. I have no idea what happened, or how it happened. Worrying about something we don't understand at all will drive you mad if you let it."

"How can you act like this is nothing? You've turned into a fucking pony! But not just a pony! You seem to have random transformations! Doesn't that bother you?!" he's yelling at me now. I can see fear and anger warring on his face.

"Jim, I have to accept this because there isn't a damn thing I can do about it. What good would it do me to freak out? I wouldn't feel better; I'd feel a lot worse! Letting my emotions control my actions would make this infinitely harder on me. Since I can't do anything about it, I have chosen to make the best of it. It helps to have someone who loves me here for support," at the last I look into Shadow's eyes and smile.

"Well I'm glad you and Kate can accept this so readily. I thought I was doing okay, but this is all too much for me," he says, shaking his head vehemently.

"Jim, please call me Moon Shadow, or just Shadow if you want," she said, looking at him pointedly.

"What--why?" he asks her, confused.

"Well..." she stands up and rolls down her pants enough to show him her hip, which now has a beautiful cutie mark on it. It is a crescent moon, partially obscured by a night cloud, with a small six-pointed purple star just off the upper tip of the moon.

"Shadow, you got your cutie mark!" I say excitedly, wrapping my front legs around her in a hug.

Sherry squeals in delight and throws her arms around both of us. Jim just stands there, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. I look at him and can see his mind trying to process this new information. For a few moments I think it's not going to process and he's going to pass out, but he finally comes back to his senses and clamps his mouth shut.

Celestia, he looks unhappy! What's his problem, anyway? I think to myself as I look at him.

"Why the hell are you all so fucking happy about this?!" Jim roars unexpectedly.

"Jim, calm down!" Sherry yells at him, giving him a hard stare.

"I will not calm down! Evidently Kate is going to turn into a pony too, and you guys are happy about it! What the fuck? I thought we were going to look for a way to cure Henry!" Jim shouts. I can see he is at serious risk of coming unglued now.

"I imagine that I am happy for her for the same reason Irony is," Sherry starts, "it will be much easier for them to be together if they are the same species! What is your problem?"

"What is my problem? What is my problem?! My problem is everything is going bat-shit crazy here, and you all seem to be happy about it! What if you're trapped like this forever? What if it spreads to the rest of us? I don't want to be a pony!" Jim rants at us, his fists clenched at his side, his face a rictus of anger.

Ah, so that's why he's being so acting so damn weird. He's afraid of it happening to him too! I realize sadly. I guess he's in for a world of hurt soon.

I sigh sadly, "Jim--"

Shadow puts her hand on my chest and interrupts me, "Shut up Flash! This isn't some disease Irony gave me! We're all ponies that were banished to this world. I saw it for myself when my cutie mark appeared!"

"What did you just call me?" he asks, his eyes opening wide.

"Flash, that's your name! Yeah, you too, asshole!" Shadow yells at him, obviously angry at Jim for being such a dick.

All the color drains from Jim's face and I hear him whisper, "No...it can't be." Tears stream down his face as he storms from the room. I hear the front door slam and his truck start, and then peel out of the drive, roaring down the street.

I turn to Shadow and say, "That was pretty harsh."

She flushes and says, "I know, and I'm sorry, but he was such an ass. You're not diseased!"

"I know that, and really so does he. He's just worried about having to go through this himself. And you just told him in the most undelicate way that it will be happening to him, confirming his worst fear! Don't you remember how you responded?" I admonish her.

"I--I owe Jim a really big apology," she hangs her head in shame.

Sherry, who tried to follow Jim down the hall, re-enters the room and says sadly, "Well he's gone. I hope he comes back okay."

Moon Shadow walks over to her and, putting her arms around her, says, "I'm so sorry Trixie. I didn't mean to drive him off. I was just so angry at him for saying those hurtful things to Irony. Please forgive me."

"It's not really your fault. I think he's been having nightmares about turning into a pony. He cries out in his sleep sometimes. He won't tell me about the dreams, though. The last couple of days he's been getting worse. His worry about Irony hasn't been helping," Sherry says.

"I'm still really sorry. I didn't know he was having such a hard time, but I still shouldn't have told him like that," Shadow apologizes again.

"Speaking of that, how do you know he's a pony too?" Sherry asks.

Shadow looks at me and I shrug, so she says, "Irony and I figured it out when we went looking through papers at the storage unit. Well, I should say we found evidence that suggested it, but now that I have my cutie mark again when I look at him I sometimes think 'Flash' instead of Jim. Kind of like I'm recognizing him. It's like when I look at you, I think 'Trixie' sometimes. It's been happening to Irony too."

Sherry looks at me and I nod, then I see the last part of what Moon Shadow said hit her. Her eyes get huge as she quickly looks back and forth from Shadow to me.

"I...I...I'm a pony too?" she stammers out quietly.

Shadow and I nod at her, then I say, "Not only are you a pony too, but you are the 'Great and Powerful Trixie'."

She squees in excitement, "Really? Really!?" I can't help but laugh at her exuberance.

"Wait," she stops for a second, "is it wrong that my favorite pony is...myself?"

I laugh again and say, "No, but it might be very Trixie of you...Muwahaha!"

Then Sherry gets a sad look on her face, "I wish Jim were here sharing this with me, and that he wanted to. I hope he'll be okay, he was so upset."

"I'm sure he'll be fine. This isn't the first time he's had a bad reaction to something life changing. He just needs some time to get things straight in his own head," I say.

"I remember how badly he freaked out when your parents died," Moon Shadow says, shaking her head.

"Yeah..." I say, drawing the word out long as I think back to then.

"What happened?" Sherry asks me.

"Well...he kind of disappeared, like he's done today," I say, not really wanting to elaborate.

"How long was he gone for?" she asks.

"A week," I say quietly.

"A week?! Holy crap!" Sherry almost shouts.

I nod at her, "Yeah, a week. And he wasn't really in good shape when he got back. It took him a long time to come to terms with their deaths. In the end he joined the Marines with me rather than really deal with it, I think."

"How long do you think he'll be gone this time?" Sherry asks, almost in a whisper.

"I wish I knew. I'm hoping not more than a few hours, but I won't be surprised if he's still not back tomorrow. I just hope he comes back before the changes get too far along," I answer.

Sherry pulls out her phone and dials, calling Jim I assume. Evidently he doesn't answer, because she leaves a message for him, "Jim, it's Sherry. I love you, please come back to me. It's okay, we'll get through this together."

I lean against Shadow and say, "This is not good, not good at all. We need to stick together. We need to think and work together, especially now that we have confirmation that there are more ponies in the world than just me. I'm still worried about how the humans are going to take this."

"I bet the bronies will be ecstatic," she replies.

"Probably so. Though just because they're bronies doesn't make them necessarily any safer than anyone else. They're still people, and not all of them are wholesome, if you know what I mean?" I say.

"Yeah, it'd be our luck to find some really bad ones and end up R34'd to death," Trixie chimes in as she walks up to us. I hold out a hoof and she leans in, so I can wrap my leg around her in a hug. Shadow folds her into a hug from the other side.

"It's going to be okay," I say to her.

"I sure hope so," is her only reply.

After several minutes of us sitting there holding each other, I finally break the embrace, inching toward the edge of the bed.

"What do you think you're doing?" Moon Shadow asks me.

"I'm going to relearn how to walk and then I'm going to eat something. I'm famished!" I reply.

"The doctor told you to take it easy," she reminds me.

"Take it easy is not the same as being stuck in bed," I remind her.

"You almost died!" she says, trying to keep me from getting off the bed.

"True, but I didn't. And now I need to rebuild my strength, which I won't be able to do from my bed," I tell her as I slip past her and slide off the bed, landing on my hooves.

"You'd better not get yourself hurt any more than you already are, or so help me!" she raises her voice at me.

After a couple of minutes learning to walk I am able to reach the bedroom door. I lift a hoof to open the door and quickly come to a realization. All the doors in my house have knobs, which I can no longer turn with my hooves.

I clear my throat and say, "Would one of you be so kind as to open the door for me?"

Shadow grins in triumph and says, "Now you have to get the rest you need!"

I turn around in preparation to buck the door. What the hell, it's my house. I'll fix it later. I think as I wind up my hoof.

"Irony! Don't you dare buck down that door!" she yells at me.

"If somepony would open it for me, I wouldn't have to," I reply with a grin.

"Alright, alright. You win," Shadow gets off the bed and opens the door. "Would have really done it?"

"Eeyup, I shore 'nuff would have," I say, mimicking Big Macintosh from the show. "Thank you, little lady." I giggle at the stern look on her face. I look over and see Trixie is trying to stifle a giggle herself. I wink at her.

Moon Shadow throws her hands up in the air with a growl, "You two are incorrigible!"

I trot down the hall with a grin on my face, until I reach the kitchen and see Dr. Ray sitting at the table nursing a beer. There are two more "fallen soldiers" next to him, but he doesn't appear to be intoxicated.

I wave a hoof at him and say, "What's up doc?"

He gives me a pity chuckle and says, "Yeah, because I've never heard that one before."

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. Besides, I'm sure you'll have to admit, it's the first time one of your patients said it to you," I say.

"Very true. My patients usually don't say much to me," he replies.

I walk up to the fridge and, opening it with my mouth, peruse the interior. I see there is a large bowl of salad that someone made and decide it looks rather tasty. I very carefully grip the lip of the bowl in my teeth and pull it from the fridge, shutting the door with my flank as I turn toward the kitchen table.

I set the bowl on the table and look at it for a moment. Then, deciding not to stand on ceremony, I climb up into a chair and bury my face in the bowl. Oh wow, salad has never tasted so good!

The doc finishes his beer and, setting the bottle with the others, goes to the fridge and pulls out two more. He sits down at the table across from me, pops the cap off one and offers it to me. I nod, so he sets it next to me. I pause in my eating and see that I have inhaled over half the huge bowl of salad. Note to self: going three days without eating, even if you're unconscious, leaves you REALLY hungry!

I reach for the bottle of beer, only just barely stopping myself from knocking it over with my hoof. Oh yeah...that is going to take some getting used to, I think. I shrug and lean my head over and, wrapping my lips around the neck of the bottle, lift it up and tilt my head back. I let the sudsy liquid slide down my throat until the bottle is empty.

"Not bad," I say after I drop the bottle back onto the table and letting forth a little belch, "but not nearly as good as the Apple family's hard apple cider."

"Never heard of that one," Dr. Ray says.

"Erm, it's a brand from back home," I reply, realizing I actually remembered the taste of the cider from back in Equestria.

"Home, you mean as in Equestria?" Trixie asks me. I look around and see Shadow next to her.

"Hi, sorry, I didn't hear you two come in," I say, "and yeah, from Equestria."

"Do you actually remember, or are you just quoting from the show?" she asks.

"I remember it. Funny how I remember something like that, but can't remember much else," I answer.

"I wish you could remember more. I want to know what it's really like," Trixie says wistfully.

"Maybe you'll remember more about home than I do," I say.

"Why would she remember more about your home than you do?" asks Dr. Ray.

"You don't want to know, doc," I say, looking intently at him.

"No prob. I asked out of habit, I'm naturally curious. I don't really want to know any more than I already do. I'm trying not to freak out here as it is," he responds.

"Well, you're damn good at keeping it hidden," I say.

"Yeah, well, I was in the army for a lot of years before I decided to become a vet. You get good at not freaking out, you know?" he says, I nod in response.

"I want to thank you again for patching me up. I probably would have died without your help," I say in appreciation.

"Maybe, maybe not. You seem to be a pretty hardy creature. Truth be told it's been interesting. Of course, that could be the beer talking," he replies, waving around the almost empty bottle in his hand.

"Now that I'm on the mend, you are welcome to go home," I say.

"Nope. Even if I wasn't well on my way to being three sheets to the wind, you may not be completely out of the woods yet. I'll stay a couple more days to keep an eye on you," he says, smiling at me.

"Okay, you're welcome to stay. Just don't try to make me stay in bed. I don't handle being cooped up well," I say.

"No problem, really I think you'll be fine. I just don't like taking chances with my patients," he responds.

"Well, this has been an interesting day," I say after a few minutes of silence.

"That is has," Moon Shadow agrees with me. She starts rummaging around in my cupboards. Soon she returns with four glasses and a bottle of Bushmills Irish Whiskey.

"I think we should raise our glasses, to old friends and new," she says as she pours.

"To friends, and to birthdays!" Trixie says, and clinks her glass with all of ours. We all drink, me with only a little difficulty.

We drink to our friends many times that afternoon, and into the evening.

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Jim tore down Interstate 90 as if that was the speed limit rather than the highway number, trying to outrun himself. He'd left his town of Medical Lake behind only minutes ago.

It can't be true. No! I'm not going to turn into a pony. No way! Henry and Kate are crazy. They must be losing their minds from their changes, he kept trying to reassure himself, checking his hips for telltale signs of ink nonetheless.

See, no cutie marks on me. I'm no pony. I won't change, he continued to reassure himself as he sped along through Spokane, Washington.

Jim had no idea where he was heading, just away. North sounded good at first, so he continued onto Highway 395 towards Chewelah, Colville and points north. He kept driving, just trying to keep his mind clear. Every once in a while checking his hips for any sign of color.

When he reached the Canadian border and realized he didn't have his passport, thus no way to cross, he turned around and started back. Not really thinking straight, he almost ran out of gas, coasting in on fumes to a gas station in Colville.

Jim jumped out of his truck and began fueling. He looked at his phone for the first time since he left the house. He saw he had a missed call and voicemail from Sherry. He was too afraid to listen to the message. Afraid of how hurt and angry she might be.

She's going to hate me, I just know it, he thought to himself as he put his phone away.

As he was putting the hose back and collecting his receipt, he heard from behind him, "Just look at that pony, ain't it nice?"

Jim spun around and nearly screamed, "I'm no fucking pony! Leave me alone!" Then he jumped into his truck and laid down a 20 foot strip of rubber out of the parking lot in his hurry to get out of there.

Two locals looked at each other and shrugged, then continued their conversation about the Shetland pony one wanted to sell the other.

How can they know? How does everyone know? No! I'm not going to turn into a pony! I just can't, he told himself as he flew down the highway. Later, when he thought about it, he would wonder how he never got pulled over in his mad dash to get away.

Jim drove, making direction choices at random. Come dark he found himself in northern Idaho, deep in the forest, near Priest Lake. After he got his bearings, he remembered an old campground that he and Henry used to camp at. By the time he got there it was full dark and he realized it would be too chilly to sleep under the stars, considering it was only the First of May. So he grabbed the sleeping bag he kept in the backseat of his truck and tried to get comfortable in the cab. It wasn't really very comfortable, but his panic driven flight had left him exhausted, so he fell asleep quickly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jim found himself flying through the air when he heard a feminine voice scream, "Flash, look out!"

He twisted suddenly in the air and a blinding white bolt of power barely missed him. He looked down and saw Trixie flinging spells from her horn at Discord.

With Discord's attention focused on Trixie for a moment, he flew in close and lashed out with his hind legs, kicking Discord in the back. Discord turned and lashed out with his claws, only barely missing his flank as he swirled away from the Draconequus.

As Discord chased him, he saw a boulder the size of a pony fly through the air and slam into Discord's side, knocking him from the air. Discord screamed in rage, flying down toward Trixie as she yelled to distract him, "I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, will banish thee Discord!"

While Discord was distracted, Jim gathered a cloud and bucked it as hard as he could, causing a massive bolt to discharge into his hooves. Flying toward Discord, he smashed his front hooves together, causing the bolt to arc from his hooves to Discord's head, exploding the head in a smattering of gore. Unfortunately, Discord's head regrew in a matter of moments, and now he was angry!

As Discord charged down upon Jim, Trixie gripped him in her power, squeezing him down into a sphere the size of a hoofball. Discord vanished from the magic and turned once more toward Trixie, chanting as he did so. Jim saw what was going to happen and flew faster than he ever had before, coming between Trixie and the bolt of power Discord flung at her.

As he felt his body scream in pain, Jim heard Discord's chant:

For Five Score! Divided by Four!

Your Memories Removed! Your Body Confused!

For your insolence you must pay,

Cast off to a land far far away!

Pony Destruction, Pony Abduction!

Your mind shall be weak, your outlooks bleak!

Forgetting everything and living like a fool,

You have all lost, now no one can stop my rule!

Jim screamed as he felt his body dissolve. There was a blinding flash, then nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jim woke with a lurch, smacking his head into the steering wheel of his pickup. He rubbed the sore spot on his head, cursing loudly. After a moment he sat up, scratching his hip as he looked outside into the darkness. Glancing at his watch, he found that it was just after midnight.

God, that was the worst one yet, he thought. He'd been having bad dreams for several days, but none had been so vivid or stayed in his memory so well. His worry for Henry and his personal fear of the transformation happening to him had plagued his dreams severely.

Damn, I think something must've bit me, he scratched his hip again. Better see how bad it is.

Jim slid out of the sleeping bag and pulled his pants down on the side so he could look at the bite. Only instead of seeing a raised red spot, he saw two clouds connected by a lightning bolt, with an explosion in the center of it.

Oh God, no! No, no no nonono!! This can't be happening! I know, I'm still dreaming! Yeah, that's it! Jim reached over and pinched his leg as hard as he could to wake himself up.

"OUCH!" he yelled in pain. No...I'm not asleep?! Shitshitshit!

Jim scrambled the rest of the way out of the sleeping bag, fell out the door of the truck as he opened it, and was almost running before he managed to regain his feet.

Gotta get away! he thought over and over as he ran. He ran until he fell headlong down a short cliff and landed face first on the beach, his outstretched hands only inches from the water.

Holy hell! Come on Jim, get a grip on yourself! You could have died if that cliff had been any higher. I know you're scared of this, but why are you freaking out so badly about it? We can do this, okay? You just have to calm down, he told himself.

Jim slowly rose to his knees in the sand, his chest heaving as he tried to calm down. He knelt there, breathing heavily, until he started shivering, before he managed to calm down enough to make his way back to the truck. He climbed into his sleeping bag and tried to go to sleep again, but he lay awake for a long time, trying not to think.

I...I'm really going to be a pony? What the hell am I going to do? he asked himself more than once. He finally fell asleep still trying to answer those questions satisfactorily.

As the sun broke the horizon, Jim woke from yet another nightmare where he turned into a monster from hell, instead of a pony. The dream quickly faded from his memory, though he could remember the one that woke him in the middle of the night clearly.

Once he got his bearings, Jim started his pickup and got back on the road. He still wasn't ready to go home, and had no destination in mind, so he continued to drive.

He decided South seemed like a good direction, so he started that way, not pushing his speed like he had the day before.

Jim still was trying not to think too much, afraid for where his thoughts might lead. Several times that day his thoughts turned toward home, but he was quick to clear his mind whenever they did.

After driving all day, he finally listened to his growling stomach and stopped to eat at a little roadside diner. When he stopped, he realized he hadn't eaten anything since before leaving the house the day before.

The bell over the door tinkled as he walked through and he heard a voice from the kitchen yell, "Take a seat anywhere you like, tonight's special is an 18 ounce Rib-eye steak with a massive baked potato and green salad, twenty-five ninety-nine."

"Sounds good, I'll take that," he hollered back. He takes a seat at a table in the corner, noting that the diner is empty except for an old derelict sitting at the counter drinking coffee. The coffee-drinker gives Jim an odd look as he sits down, then turns back to his coffee and minds his own business.

An older lady comes out from the kitchen, tying an apron around her waist, and brings over the coffeepot and a cup, "Would you like some coffee?"

Jim nods appreciatively, so she sets the cup out and fills it up. Then she looks him up and down, and seems to finally come to a decision about something.

"I usually wouldn't ask, but you look like you've been on the road a while. Can you actually pay for your meal? If not, speak up now and we'll arrange something. There's always dishes to wash and such," she stated without acrimony.

In response, Jim pulled out his wallet and dropped a couple of 20s on the table. Then he said, "I don't take any offense, ma'am. Truth is I slept in my truck last night and have been on the road all day, so I imagine I look like hell."

"You don't talk like no hippie I've ever met before," she said with a small smile.

"Hippie? Whatever would give you that idea?" he asked her.

"Really just your long hair, I don't know why you young people seem to think long hair on men is good looking. Though I have to admit it goes well with your face," she answered, winking as she left to refill the derelict's coffee.

What did she mean long hair? My hair isn't long. Heck, any shorter and I wouldn't have any at all, Jim thought to himself, running his fingers through his hair.

Wait a minute...how am I running my fingers through my hair? he stopped, pulling a long, pure-white lock of hair in front of his eyes. Oh shit! My hair! It's white! And REALLY long!

Okay Jim, don't freak out, he told himself, carefully standing up and walking quickly to the bathroom. Once there he took a long look in the mirror. He realized his hair wasn't just long; it was growing out of his neck and upper back, just like Irony's. The mane, for lack of a better word, was white instead of his usual dark brown, almost black. And his eyes! They used to be brown, now they were a very bright blue. He heard a low mewling sound, and soon realized it was coming from himself. Oh holy hell. I'm going to turn into a pony. I really am! Okay Jim, just like we talked about, don't freak out. We're going to be fine. You still need to eat, so go back and sit down. Remain calm. At least you don't have the ears or tail yet. Jim shudders at that thought.

After a couple more minutes, Jim left the restroom and sat back down at his table, shortly after that his steak arrived. Jim cut into it and started eating it like a starving wolf, which in a way he was. He polished off the steak in record time and went to work on the potato. After he wolfed that down he began on the salad.

Oh wow, this is good salad, he thought to himself as he ate. Better than the steak even!

Without Jim noticing, the diner had become rather busy, evidently hitting the dinner rush. When the waitress finally came over to refill his coffee and leave his bill, it was full dark. She set the bill on the table and went to top off his mug and dropped the coffeepot when she got a good look at him. The glass pot shattered like a bomb on the table, spraying everywhere, but she took no notice of it. She backed away from Jim with fear in her eyes. He looked up at her.

"What is it?" he asked her.

She lifted her hand and pointed at Jim's head and barely managed to whisper, "Your ears!"

Unfortunately the diner had become quiet enough to hear a pin drop after she dropped the coffeepot, so everyone in the room heard her. Their gazes swung to Jim's head, and the room exploded in a collective gasp. Jim reached his hands up to his ears, only to find them not there. His hands searched up his head until he found them on top of his head, covered in fur.

"Oh fuck!" he shouted, jumping up. Everyone in the room shrank away from him as he ran from the room. He leapt into his truck, turning over the engine even before his ass hit the seat. People poured from the diner to stare after him as he fled the scene.

Once again Jim was tearing down the road, it was pitch black outside as the moon was hidden behind thick cloud cover. After a few minutes of driving, Jim felt an odd sensation at the base of his spine, so he reached a hand back to feel his lower back.

What is that? he thought, reaching further down the new appendage that had grown from his spine, feeling hair on it. He pulled it around and looked at his new tail, covered in pure, snow white hair just like his mane.

Jim wrenched on the wheel of the truck, careering off the road through a ditch, through a barb-wire fence, and into an empty field. It was an amazing amount of luck that he didn't flip the truck or crash into a fence post.

Once the truck rolled to a stop, so did Jim's mind. He blanked out, staring out the windshield blindly, while his brain tried desperately to reboot. It took nearly half an hour for him to come back to himself.

Dammit Jim! Don't do that! You could have gotten us killed! his brain screamed at him.

"Yeah, well I'm turning into a fucking pony, now I even have a tail!" he screamed right back, his voice breaking at the end.

What am I going to do? he asked himself, holding the offending appendage, unknowingly stroking it as tears began to flow.

You're going to calm yourself down and ask for help, his mind responded a few minutes later.

But I can't call Irony, not after all that I said to her. I was horrible! he argued with himself.

Isn't there anyone else who can help you? he tried to think.

Maybe Maddie? he thought, remembering his friend from college finally.

You know that's not who-- Jim squelched his mind as he fixated on Maddie, not even wanting to consider dealing with those who he had hurt back home.

He looked at his phone for a few minutes, then finally decided to make the call. The phone rang three times before it was picked up and a male voice said, "Yeah?"

Jim could hear loud music and shouting in the background. "Can I talk to Maddie?" he asked.

"She's long gone dude, and good riddance," came the reply.

"Where'd she go?" Jim asked, a trickle of fear in his voice.

"Don't know, don't care," the guy responded.

"It's really important that I get ahold of her," Jim said.

"Shit dude, I'm busy. She probably went back to Montana, or wherever she's from. Look, I've got guests, so bugger off," he replied.

"Wait! Do you have any way I can reach her?" Jim begged.

"Fine, whatever, here's her new number, now get lost," the guy replied, providing the number and hanging up.

Jim punched the new number into his phone, but hesitated before actually calling. If she's having problems of her own, I really shouldn't bother her right now, he told himself.

She always said her brother lived in eastern Montana, Miles City I think? Maybe... he trailed off.

Putting his mind into neutral again, he got the pickup back on the road, pointed toward Montana. He drove until he almost drove off the road in exhaustion. Then he pulled off into a deserted rest stop, parked as far away from the buildings as possible, and rolled up into his sleeping bag.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once again Jim was flying through the clouds at night. He looked around and saw Discord attacking the Wonderbolts. He saw Lightning Dust, Soarin, and Spitfire harrying the Draconequus, each of them trying to get a good hit in. Discord shrugs off their blows like they are gnats. Then he saw Lightning Dust charge up her wings and throw a bolt of blue-green lightning that connects with Discord's lion's paw. The paw phases out of existence for a moment, causing him to hiss in pain, but it reappears quickly enough.

"You are going to be trouble," he growls at Dust.

"That's my specialty, Discord," she replies, throwing another bolt, which he deflects without any harm.

Soarin flies in, kicking Discord in the jaw, obviously dislocating it. Discord grabs his jaw like the blow was nothing and put it back in place, then sends a bolt of power at Soarin that he only barely dodges.

Jim lost sight of the battle as he helped the other Wonderbolt reservists gather a huge pile of clouds together. Then he saw Dust and Soarin peel off and land on a ledge a ways away to rest. He and the other reservists began bucking the cloud with all their might, sending dozens and dozens of lightning bolts at Discord, hitting him several times.

As Discord howls from the strikes, Jim turns around and slams his front hooves into the cloudbank, gathering a powerful bolt into his hooves. He turns towards Discord and slams his hooves together with all his force, causing the bolt to explode at Discord. Discord waves his eagle talon and the bolt dissipates before it can hit its mark.

"Flash, catch!" Jim heard Dust yell. He turned just in time to catch a bolt shimmering with her power in his hooves, which he then directed at Discord as Dust lashed out with her power at him directly. One of the bolts is batted away with no effect, but the other strikes the eagle talon, causing it to phase out of existence for a moment, causing Discord's counter attacks to miss both of them.

Moments later, Jim saw Discord bat Lightning Dust from the sky. He saw her slowly regain her hooves and spread her wings. She is shortly back in the air with the other Wonderbolts. Jim lost sight of her again as he made another run at Discord, narrowly missing being obliterated by a blast of power as he dove by.

When he lined up to make another pass, Jim saw Lightning Dust power up again, seeming to use more energy than before. He saw her unleash a massive bolt at Discord, while at the same time Discord threw a blast of his own back at her. The two magics intertwine, then the bolt reversed course and both magics struck Dust.

"NOOO!" Jim and Soarin echoed each other.

Moments later Jim saw Soarin disappear in a blast of Discord's magic, followed shortly by Spitfire. In their rage they were easy targets.

The order came down from the reservist leader to disperse, run and hide. Jim did so reluctantly, tears flowing freely at all that had been lost.

He flew for what seemed like hours until he saw a wagon that looked familiar. He flew down closer to get a better view and saw that the pony pulling the wagon was none other than Trixie. He landed near her and called out in greeting.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie welcomes your company, Lightning Flash," she said to him.

Despite recent events, he couldn't help but smile at how she referred to herself in the third person.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie has heard such tidings, and is trying to find somewhere to hide. Would you, Lightning Flash, join Trixie in her quest for somewhere safe?" Trixie invited him to travel with her after he explained what had happened.

"That seems like a good idea to me, too," he replied.

They trotted along together for the rest of the day, Jim staying on the ground to keep pace with Trixie. They camped that evening, sleeping next to a fire near the wagon.

Late in the night they were awoken by an evil laugh, "Ahh, Miss Lulamoon, you will not believe the trouble I went through to track you down," Discord said.

"And you, little Wonderbolt, your team is gone and your precious princesses are done for," he then said, turning toward Jim, smiling an evil smile.

"Fly, Flash, fly away!" Trixie yelled as she started throwing spell after spell at Discord.

Jim flew, trying to get in position for a strike when he heard Trixie scream, "Flash, look out!"

He twisted suddenly in the air and a blinding white bolt of power barely missed him. He looked down and saw Trixie flinging spells from her horn at Discord.

With Discord's attention focused on Trixie for a moment, he flew in close and lashed out with his hind legs, kicking Discord in the back. Discord turned and lashed out with his claws, only barely missing his flank as he swirled away from the Draconequus.

As Discord chased him, he saw a boulder the size of a pony fly through the air and slam into Discord's side, knocking him from the air. Discord screamed in rage, flying down toward Trixie as she yelled to distract him, "I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, will banish thee Discord!"

While Discord was distracted, Jim gathered a cloud and bucked it as hard as he could, causing a massive bolt to discharge into his hooves. Flying toward Discord, he smashed his front hooves together, causing the bolt to arc from his hooves to Discord's head, exploding the head in a smattering of gore. Unfortunately, Discord's head regrew in a matter of moments, and now he was angry!

As Discord charged down upon Jim, Trixie gripped him in her power, squeezing him down into a sphere the size of a hoofball. Discord vanished from the magic and turned once more toward Trixie, chanting as he did so. Jim saw what was going to happen and flew faster than he ever had before, coming between Trixie and the bolt of power Discord flung at her.

As he felt his body scream in pain, Jim heard Discord's chant:

For Five Score! Divided by Four!

Your Memories Removed! Your Body Confused!

For your insolence you must pay,

Cast off to a land far far away!

Pony Destruction, Pony Abduction!

Your mind shall be weak, your outlooks bleak!

Forgetting everything and living like a fool,

You have all lost, now no one can stop my rule!

The scene went black, but Jim didn't wake up this time. Instead he heard the clip clop of hooves.

He turned around and saw a golden furred pony, with snow white hair and bright blue eyes. The pony had a cutie mark that consisted of two clouds with a lightning bolt arcing between them, with the bolt exploding in the middle of its arc, commonly known as an arc-flash.

"Wha--, who are you?" Jim asked fearfully.

The pony chuckles, "I'm Lightning Flash, you know me better as you."

"No way. Not me. You can't be serious," Jim replied, shaking his head vigorously.

"Eeyup. I turned into you 25 years ago, now it's your turn to turn into me," Flash said sadly.

"How can this be? What's going on?" Jim asked. He felt himself sink to his knees, his hands going to his head.

"What do you think? You've been having these dreams. Discord is what happened to us. He banished us here 25 years ago," Flash replied.

"So, what you're saying is I'm really a pony who has been living as a human for the last 25 years? Why am I going back to being a pony now?" Jim asked.

"The curse is finally wearing off. Five score divided by four. That's 25."

"I figured that out, "Jim says savagely at the pegasus in front of him.

Flash doesn't react to Jim's outburst, instead he continued, "Everypony he banished will be turning back into their pony selves now."

"This is so crazy. It's all too much for me to take in." Jim moaned.

He felt something over his back, he looked over to see Flash sat next to him and folded his wing over the distraught human.

"Tell me about it. Trust me, I didn't sign up for this either," Flash said softly.

"But what do I do?" Jim asked.

"That, unfortunately, is all up to you. I don't have any idea either," was all Flash had to say.

"What do you mean you don't have any idea? You're the pony here, shouldn't you know what to do?" Jim almost yelled in frustration.

"Hey, I don't have any more memories than you do!" Flash yelled back. Both his wings spread in anger as he backed away from Jim, "My memories of my home are erased. I can't remember what I was, I just have glimpses of what was before. I can't do anything with it."

"Well shit! We're kind of fucked then, aren't we?" Jim replied angrily.

"You can say that again. Unless we can find somepony who knows more than us," Flash responded.

"Who knows more than us?"

"Irony."

Jim shook his head angrily, "No, I can't go back to her. I said too much wrong. I can't go back to her."

"You are going to have to figure out what to do. Living on the run won't help us one little bit."

Jim just shook his head in refusal and walked away. Flash didn't follow. Soon the dream ended.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jim woke in his truck, confused at first by his surroundings. He took several moments to get his bearings. Once he remembered where he was, he looked in the rearview mirror and examined his face.

His face looked faintly stretched. His ears were still on top of his head, rather than at the side. His hair was officially a mane now, and still all white. He examined his hands, they felt a little stiff, but seemed otherwise unchanged.

Jim grabbed a hat from behind the seat of his truck and stepped from the cab, intending to relieve himself before continuing on. When his feet hit the pavement, he slipped and fell to his knees.

What the hell? he thought as he tried to regain his feet. Once again his feet slipped out from under him and he ended up on his knees. As he tried to stand again, his foot slipped out of his boot and he saw that his leg no longer ended in a foot. Instead he had a hoof.

Well shit, Jim thought, sitting down on the ground as tears came to his eyes. He sat there and cried for several minutes before he got up the courage to look at his other foot. When he looked, he saw exactly what he was afraid of. Both feet were now hooves. Proof that he'd lost yet another piece of his humanity.

It was then that his bladder reminded him of why he'd gotten out of the truck in the first place, "Yeah, yeah. I know, you need emptied. But I'm in the middle of a crisis right now!"

His bladder was not to be bargained with, and he finally decided he didn't want to piss all over himself. He stood carefully on his new hooves and slowly walked toward the rest area bathroom. He was eternally grateful that they were still abandoned.

Jim's hoofsteps echoed down the hallway as he headed to the restroom. Once he reached it, he stepped up to a urinal and unzipped his pants. He reached in and got a bit of a surprise.

What the-- he looked down, holy shit! What he saw when he looked down amazed him. Okay, so maybe becoming a pony won't be all bad, he thought. What he was looking at was a bona-fide pony cock, mottled and with a flared tip. It was quite a bit larger than it had previously been.

After admiring himself for a few minutes, Jim finally finished his business and clip-clopped back to his pickup. Once back in the cab, he fired it up and got back on the freeway, headed for Montana.

Hours later, Jim's excitement over his new equipment had dimmed, as he'd been watching his facial features change in the rearview mirror. His eyes had gotten noticeably bigger, his face was protruding more in the beginnings of a muzzle, and he'd recently noticed that his teeth had changed too. They were now the teeth of an herbivore, all big and flat for crushing, instead of sharp for shearing meat.

He'd stopped at a fast food restaurant off the freeway to get a salad for lunch. When he pulled up to the pay window, the young teen had screamed her head off at his appearance. The manager had come to the window and freaked as well, pointing and cursing. Jim floored the truck, leaving without getting his food. He hadn't stopped after that, afraid of causing another scene.

Jim drove late into the night, once again only stopping when he couldn't drive any further. This time he pulled off into a copse of trees and parked his truck out of sight. He curled up in his sleeping bag and cried himself to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jim had the same dream from the night before, showing him once again the fight between Discord and the Wonderbolts, followed by his flight and the confrontation between him, Trixie, and Discord.

Once the sequence came to a close, he was once again treated to darkness and the clip-clop of hooves. He turned around to watch Flash arrive.

"What are you doing here again? Why can't you leave me alone?!" Jim shouted at Flash, his fists clenched at his sides.

"It's not like I have a choice. There is nowhere for me to go until you finish transforming back into me," Flash replied, his ears lying flat against his skull, his voice tinged with sadness.

"I'm going to find a way to change back, so don't get too excited about taking over my body!"

"I'm not trying to take over your body! I'm simply trying to get my life back. I don't want to displace you!" Flash cried at Jim, his head hanging as he could tell that Jim didn't believe him.

"Just go away! Leave me alone!" Jim screamed, turning and running into the dark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jim woke from his nightmares with a start, crying out. The memories of the nightmares that had followed his meeting with Flash faded within moments of his waking.

Jim immediately started the truck and got back on the road, ignoring his growling stomach. He didn't stop, except to get gas at unmanned gas stations. He didn't look at his reflection in the mirror, he couldn't handle seeing himself and the changes happening to him.

Ignoring everything but the road in front of him, Jim drove on. Sometime during the day he felt an extreme itching on his back. He ignored it, too.

Mid-afternoon he finally couldn't ignore his bladder anymore and was forced to stop. He threw on a hoodie to cover his features while he went in to the restroom. He noted that his fingers were trying to fuse together, and that the nail on each of his middle fingers was extra-large, growing out to cover the tips of the fingers to either side.

He managed to hold his screams in until he was back in his truck, then he unleashed all his fear in one long, extremely loud, seemingly unending scream.

Several minutes later he had regained a semblance of control, though it was quite fragile.

Jim realized that he wouldn't be able to continue his trek for much longer, and that it was time to call for help, before he couldn't even do that.

He pulled out his phone and, after some debate with himself, composed a text message.

Maddie, this is Jim, I need your help. I'm stuck at a rest stop on I-94. Please help, I'm afraid, he texted, including the location of the rest stop.

It wasn't long before he got a reply, We'll be there as soon as we can, sit tight.

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I wake before anypony else in the house. We were up drinking until late into the night, and I'm pretty sure they will all have hangovers when they finally get up. I've never had much problem in that area, either due to my constitution or the fact that I always make sure to keep hydrated when I drink.

I hear a low groan next to me, and look over at Moon Shadow with a smirk. I remember her leaning on me as we walked from the kitchen to the bedroom. She looks so cute lying there, I think to myself, noticing the changes her body is going through. Her hair is now a sea-blue mane, her ears have relocated and are now covered in dark grey fur. Remembering my own changes, I look under the covers to see that she has indeed grown her tail, and it matches her mane perfectly.

I smile to myself as I quietly cover her back up and slip out of bed. I walk as quietly as I can on four hooves, leaving the room without awakening my partner.

I continue down the hall, trying to walk softly, but my hooves still make some noise on the hardwood floor. I finally reach the kitchen after what seems like an eternity. I look around the room, realizing that it seems bigger. Everything seems different from my new perspective. On all fours I am a great deal shorter than I was as a human, which has put a lot of things out of reach.

Hmm...Might need to ask Shadow and Trixie to rearrange some things before their transformations are complete, I think, realizing that soon none of us would be able to reach the upper cupboards.

Currently though, I can't get to the bowls I need for cereal. Unless I can duplicate my feat from the other night, I think. How did I do it?

I think on it for several minutes, but no answers are forthcoming. I shrug in defeat and try to think of another solution to my current problem.

Aha! I remember there are serving bowls in one of the lower cabinets. I manage to get the door open and grab hold of a bowl with my teeth. Awkwardly, I set it on the table, for the moment ignoring the bowls that fell out of the cupboard while I was retrieving it. I place my front hooves on the counter so that I can reach the boxes of cereal I keep there. I grab the first one I come to in my teeth, cranking my head to the side so I don't dump it all over the floor.

I set the box next to my bowl on the table, noting absentmindedly that it's raisin bran, and then try to open the top. After several frustrating attempts to open the flaps, I finally resort to holding the box steady with my front hooves, while I tear the entire top of the box off with my teeth, revealing the folded bag inside. It takes me several tries to unroll the top of the bag and pour the cereal in the bowl. In the end, I pour the entire contents into the bowl, spilling a fair bit around the tabletop.

Grumbling quietly to myself, I open the refrigerator door with my mouth and grab hold of the milk jug. I carry it to the table, set it down, and then stare at the lid for a moment. It's one of the twist-off kind, which was no problem before, but I worry will defeat me now. I consider just biting it off, but realize I won't be able to store the rest of the milk if I do. After a little more thought, I very carefully twist the lid off, gripping the cap gently between my hooves. It takes an eternity, but finally I have it off.

Next come the logistics of actually pouring milk onto my cereal, without dumping it all over the table and floor. I grip the handle of the jug in my teeth, slowly tilting my head to pour the milk over my flakes. I think I'm doing a good job, until I hear the sound of liquid hitting the floor. I stop pouring and carefully set the bottle down. I look at the mess I've made, my ears flat against my skull.

Well this sucks. I got more milk on the table and floor than on my cereal. I guess it's going to take a lot more practice before I'm used to doing things without hands, I think. After a few minutes of consideration, I decide there is no use crying over spilt milk, quite literally, and start in on the food that made it into the bowl, not bothering with a spoon.

Once I finish the cereal, I put my bowl in the sink, get some towels to mop up the spilled milk, and put the milk back in the fridge, sans cap. This is after trying for several minutes to put the cap back on the milk and almost dumping the whole thing onto the floor more than once. I make a mental note to ask one of the others to put the cap back on when they get up. When the milk is all mopped up, I drop the towels into the hamper and continue out to my shop, grabbing the key off its hook, using my teeth yet again, on the way out.

It takes me over twenty minutes to get the key into the lock and turn it, using my teeth. I almost kick the door down in my anger before the key slides in and I am able to get the lock open.

Using my mouth instead of hands is already getting old. How the hell do the ponies of Equestria not get nasty diseases from picking everything up in their teeth? I think to myself, feeling frustrated at the situation.

Once inside, I decide it is worth all the frustration. I can feel the calmness wash over me once again just from being in my sanctuary.

In no time at all, I have started my propane forge, put on my leather apron, and selected several hammers and bar stock to work with. I have already slipped into the trance I often fall into when I work. Hours pass in the blink of an eye as I heat and pound the steel.

"The Great, and Very Much in Pain, Trixie humbly requests you stop making so much noise," I hear come from the doorway, pulling me out of my trance. I stop hammering to look at her.

"I'm sorry, I never even thought about you guys being able to hear me up in the house," I say as I set down the piece I am working on. I have no idea what it is, but it doesn't really matter right now. It looks more decorative than useful anyway.

"Really it's my own fault for drinking so much last night. What I don't understand, is how you can be so active this morning after how much you drank last night. Why aren't you curled up in the fetal position, crying?" she asks me, her head dropping to the side as she looks at me.

"I've always had a good head for alcohol," I reply, shrugging my shoulders in embarrassment.

"Irony? Did you figure out how to change at will?" she asks, still examining me with considering eyes.

"What do you mean?" I ask, bewildered.

"Your two-legged form, did you figure out how to change at will?"

"Unfortunately, no. And believe me, I wish I had. Not being able to change made eating breakfast this morning a serious chore," I say, shaking my head.

"Then what are you doing?" she asks.

"The same thing I always do in my shop, creating," I reply, picking up my recent work and holding it out for her to see.

"That's not what I mean. I mean, what are you doing with your hands?" she says.

I look down at the hammer in one hand and the project in the other in confusion. Then it hits me: I'm looking at my hands. Whoa! Guess I can change when I really want to after all, I think. Immediately I am dropping to all fours as my body is forcibly changed to a quadruped once again.

"Wow! That was really cool to watch! Can you do it again?" Trixie asks me, barely able to contain her excitement.

"I don't know," I say. I sit down on my haunches and think about it.

How did I change this time? When did I change? And why didn't I notice it? I ask myself. I try to make myself change, but nothing happens.

"Nothing is happening," I say in consternation.

"You were working when I came in, maybe if you try to do some more?" she suggests.

I shrug and reach for the hammer I dropped when I went four-legged again. My hoof touches the hammer and I try to pick it up, but nothing happens. The hoof remains a hoof; the hammer stays on the floor.

"Nope, nothing, nada, zilch," I say, getting irked now.

"Try focusing on standing on two legs," Trixie suggests anew.

I sigh, but then decide to humor her. I focus on an image of me standing on two legs, walking upright. After a little bit I have to stop, my head is pounding now, and I am weak from the effort.

"Nothing," I say in defeat.

"I wouldn't say nothing, I saw your body shimmer, and I could have sworn I almost saw you standing upright, just for a moment!" she says, excitement plain in her voice.

"Yeah, well, whatever. Now my head hurts and I feel dizzy. I won't be trying that again for a while," I respond, holding my head in my hooves to keep it from falling off my shoulders and rolling away.

"I think you're onto something! You'll just have to practice more," she says, skipping happily from my shop.

How is it she comes in with a headache, and when she leaves I'm the one who is in pain? I ask myself, very softly.

I sit like that for several minutes, hoping the pain will pass, or that my brain will ooze out of my ears, but it doesn't. I finally give up and return to the house, albeit much more slowly than when I came out.

When I enter the house I see the good Doctor, Shadow, and Trixie sitting at the kitchen table. Shadow and Dr. Ray have their heads hanging low over their cups of coffee. Trixie is smiling at me over hers. The bold, bitter odor the coffee gives off hits me like an aluminum bat to the face, making me feel the need to vomit. I throw a hoof over my mouth and trot as quickly as I can on three legs to my bathroom, where I proceed to evacuate my breakfast rather noisily in a sacrifice to the porcelain goddess.

After my stomach is empty, and the dry heaves have subsided, I lay on the cool tile of the bathroom floor, my hooves over my head as I mewl piteously. My head is throbbing, I feel like a star has gone supernova in my head, there are blinding bursts of lights behind my eyelids. I feel tears squeeze out of my eyes, but am unable to stop them from falling.

I hear light footsteps enter the bathroom and then, "Oh sweet Celestia."

I slowly peel open one eye slightly to see Moon Shadow holding her hand over her nose and mouth as she reaches past me to flush the offal down the toilet. I close my eye again, even the brief moment of light sending shards of glass deep into my brain. A moment later I hear the faucet running and then I feel a cold, wet rag being placed over my eyes. Shadow gently lowers herself down next to me and caresses my neck, back, and shoulders.

"Migraine?" she quietly asks. To which I just whimper.

Thankfully she doesn't bother asking me any further questions. She just continues caressing me gently. In time, her soothing presence lulls me to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Wow, okay, that really hurt dude," I hear a familiar voice call to me. I don't bother to look around, instead I sit in pure bliss. The pain is gone!

"Yeah, that hurt like a sonofabitch," I finally respond as the dark blue mare sits down next to me. I look down at myself and see that I, too, am in my pony form.

I look over at her and say, "You know, this is kinda awkward now that the transformation is done. Aren't we one now?"

"Yes, physically, the transformation is done. Yet, we have not fully integrated mentally and emotionally. I have been protecting us from our past," she responds.

"What is in our past for you to protect us from?" I ask, cocking my head to the side as I study her.

"It is too much. I cannot tell you, only show. But only if we are truly ready," she replies cryptically.

"I'm ready to know myself. I am ready for answers."

"Questions you may have, but are they the right ones for the answers I can provide?"

"If any of my questions can be answered, I will be satisfied," I state.

"Are you certain? There are answers there, yes, but also much pain," she warns.

"Do you have all of our memories?" I question the mare.

"We are missing many of our Equestrian memories. However, I can show you all that came before," comes her answer.

"What do you mean, 'what came before'?" now I'm puzzled.

"Yes, what came before our existence in Equestria. I have those memories in full and will share them, but beware, they are not all pleasant," she states, smiling sadly at me.

"Will you also share what Equestrian memories you do have?" I request.

She simply nods and then leans against me. My vision fades for a moment, and then another scene forms in front of us.

The midnight blue mare is still beside me as the vision unfolds.

We watch as a little human boy runs up and down a sandy beach while his mother looks on, smiling. They are dressed in rough homespun, the likes of which haven't been worn in over a century. After a moment I recognize the boy from some of my earlier visions. I realize with a shock that the boy must be me.

Suddenly he runs into the water. His mother yells for him to come back, but he doesn't listen. He continues deeper into the water, he doesn't heed her cries until it is too late.

The current sweeps his legs out from under him and he falls, his head slipping under the waves. His mother screams as she runs, plowing into the water with the single-minded mission of saving her son. She is almost swept away as well, but manages to fight the current long enough to grab an arm and haul him back to shore. As she gets him onto the shore ahead of her, a wave knocks her down and sweeps her back into the water, almost dragging the boy back in too.

The woman struggles against the power of the ocean for several minutes before she is able to drag her sopping body from the water, sputtering and coughing up the briny liquid from her lungs. At last, she manages to drag the boy a little further away from the water, but then her energy is spent and she collapses around him, her body huddling his as she shivers.

I can sense that she has given all that she has, but I can also see, from the loving look she gives her son before consciousness flees her body, that she finds it well worth the effort.

The scene fades, then I see a more familiar scene. The boy is kneeling next to his mother's bed, where her body lies, her spirit having recently fled. The vision plays out the same as I remember from before, with the cruel man removing the boy from his mother's side. Then I see the boy being sold to the plantation owner. The memories come faster, each one taking only a moment to unfold. Each one is indelibly seared into my mind.

Next there are years worth of memories: of being a slave, working every day in the fields, getting bigger and stronger. I remember falling in love with another slave, Marianne.

I remember fondly our brief times spent together, the first time we made love. Then I feel anew the rage and grief when I remember her destruction at the hands of one of the foremen.

Then I see the many beatings I receive, and again feel the rage at the injustices I endured. These memories end with the final beating I take, followed by my disappearance in a flash of purple light.

I see a corresponding flash of purple, then I see a midnight blue mare lying unconscious on the floor of Twilight's library, her flanks are blank even though she is obviously full grown. Twilight and Spike worry over her unmoving form. It takes me several moments to make the connection of the memories and realize that this is my appearance into Equestria.

After this, the memories are fragmented and there are many gaps. I realize they are my memories from my time in Equestria.

I remember the first time I was forced to kill: a changeling attacking my Princess, during the second changeling war. I remember the first time my rage led me to walk on two legs instead of four, when Princess Twilight had been injured and I feared for her life. I relive being awarded the position of leader of Princess Twilight's personal guard, at a time when I felt I should be punished for not protecting her better in the first place.

Finally I relive my banishment by Discord and the following rebirth here on Earth. Again.

When the memories finally stop, I find my face is wet and I am sobbing loudly. I turn to the dark pony next to me and say, "Our mother, it was my fault she died?"

The mare nods sadly, her ears drooping.

"And I'm not from Equestria?"

"Not originally," comes the simple reply.

"But where was I first born? When did I come from?" I beg.

"We were born in a little house, to our loving mother, near Savannah, Georgia, in the human year 1827."

"But how did I end up on Earth in the 21st century?" I ask, to which she only shrugs.

"What am I? Where do I belong? When do I belong?!" I'm screaming now.

"That is for you to decide, nopony else can make those decisions for you now," she says gently.

"I cannot choose any one time or place, for they are all important to me, but some of the happiest times I have ever known were as a pony. I vow I will make Discord pay for what he did to us, to all of the ponies!" I state vehemently.

She smiles at my look of determination and says, "There are two more things I can share with you, now. One is a piece of information: our Equestrian memories are not lost, only blocked from easy access. Someday we may regain access to those memories. The other is the memory of how to control your form. I will share it with you now, but remember that your alternate form comes at a price, however small it may be.

"Now goodbye, and hello again," she says to me as she leans against me, melting into me. I can feel our minds merge, our knowledge becoming one. With that knowledge comes the memory she promised. I can feel both my forms. I can feel the magic, a magic I have because of the circumstances of my arrival in Equestria. I know now that I am a being, not of one world, but of two. I may not have been born in Equestria, but it is also my home.

"You were right, the memories are not all happy, but they are worth having," I whisper to myself as I walk away into the darkness, a little bit nearer to being whole.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

I wake slowly, feeling amazingly refreshed and at peace. My head is free of pain. I glance around and find that I am still lying on the bathroom floor, with moon Shadow leaning against me, asleep. I smile at how cute she looks, then lean over and kiss her forehead. She begins to stir, slowly opening her eyes.

"Hi," she says softly, "how are you feeling?"

In response I kiss her again, on the lips this time. She grins and kisses me back, her hand reaching up to cup my muzzle.

"So, I take that to mean you feel better?" she teases me.

"Very much so," I reply, nuzzling into her neck and shoulder.

"I know you didn't have a hangover, as I've never known you to have one before. What caused your migraine?" she asks, seriousness showing on her face now.

I explain to her about Trixie finding me in my two-legged form, how I went back to four legs when I realized it, and how that led to me trying to change consciously.

"I take it you didn't meet with success?" she says with a lilt in her voice, making it a question.

"Trixie said she thought something almost happened, but no, I didn't change then," I say, barely concealing a grin.

"And that led to you getting a migraine?"

I nod softly.

"I'm so sorry baby, I know how much you hate to fail," she sighs as she lays her head against me, closing her eyes.

I concentrate on my magic, as I learned from my memory, summoning it to transform myself. Where I had gone wrong before was concentrating on my body. It was like trying to push a cantaloupe through a knothole, or using a sledgehammer instead of a flyswatter. It is possible to do, but will end up messy and is going to hurt like a bitch.

This magic, which I can feel now that I know it is there, has only one purpose. Unfortunately, it is also unique to me. I feel the flow of power engulf my entire body. Calling upon it is easier than I expected, my body flows like water. It is a seamless transformation, making no noise and leaving nothing extraneous behind.

I run my fingers through Shadow's hair, massaging her temples, before moving down to rub her shoulders.

"Mmmm...Irony, that feels so nice. Your fingers are like magic," she purrs, her eyes remaining closed.

"I'm glad you like them," I whisper into her ear, grinning as I kiss the top of her head.

I rub her shoulders, then around her throat and down her chest. I caress her breasts, then squeeze them and massage them before gently pinching her nipples through her shirt. She moans softly as I tug on them.

Suddenly her eyes spring open and she leans her head further back, looking up at me. I grin at her and wiggle my fingers in front of her face. She gasps, then grasps my hand in both of hers. Her mouth is opening and closing silently, like a fish. I kiss the top of her head again.

"Close your mouth honey, you're starting to draw flies," I rib her. It is several more seconds before she regains her composure.

"I thought you said it didn't work!" she chastises me.

"It didn't."

"Then how are you doing it now?"

"It's kind of hard to explain, but basically I talked to myself while I was asleep, and remembered a few things," I say, wrapping my arms around her in a full body hug.

"Will you be able to teach me how to do it? I'd really like to keep my hands," Shadow asks me, smiling. Her smile fades a bit as I shake my head.

"I'm sorry, it's not something that I can teach you. It's inherent to me and, as far as I can tell from what I remember, completely unique to me as well," I tell her, my ears drooping a bit at having to give her bad news.

"You mean you were born with it?" she asks.

"Not exactly," I say, shaking my head. "Though I think it has been part of me since I first arrived in Equestria."

"Now you're just being cryptic. I know you're trying to tell me something, but I'm not getting it. Don't beat around the bush, tell me straight out, if you're going to tell me!" she says, her green eyes darkening in anger.

I sigh lightly, then launch, as best as I can, into an explanation of my past. At first I plan to gloss over the details of my past, but soon realize that I want to share them with her. Moon Shadow is my heart, and I need her to know me. I decide to trust her with information nopony else knows about me.

By the end of my telling I am crying freely, and our positions have been reversed, now she is holding me. I swipe at my tears with my hand, but she pushes it away and kisses them from my face.

"You have a lot of sadness in your past. I'm really sorry I made you relive it like that," she apologizes, squeezing me tight.

"It's not your fault, I chose to share it with you. I love you, and don't want any secrets between us, not even by omission," I say, looking into her beautiful eyes.

"I love you too, Irony. Thank you for entrusting your past to me. I will do my absolute best to always be worthy of your trust," she vows.

"I know you always will," I reply, kissing her gently.

"Well, it sucks I won't have hands, but at least you will. That way you can scratch me where I can't reach," she teases me.

I lean in to kiss her again when I'm interrupted by a knock on the bedroom door, then I hear Trixie enter and call out, "Irony, Shadow, you two in here?"

"In the bathroom," Moon calls back.

"There you two are," Trixie says, sticking her head in the doorway. "I was beginning to think you guys had left or something. Oh hey, you're on two legs again!"

"Yeah, once I got over my headache I got it figured out," I reply, not wanting to get into the details.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie insists you teach her how to do it!" Trixie commands pompously, then slaps her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to issue an order! I was just hoping you could teach me how you do it."

"It's okay, no harm no foul. I wish I could teach you, but I can't, I'm sorry. It's not a learned ability, just something different about me," I say.

"Well, damn. Trixie hates it when she can't do something!" she stomps her foot, making me laugh.

Realizing our alone time is over, Moon Shadow and I help each other up and I ask Trixie, "So, what's going on?"

"Well, the Great and Powerful Trixie has come to the conclusion that we need to get supplies, before we can't go to the store anymore," she replies, much less pompously than before.

"Okay, I know you're turning into Trixie, but do you really have to talk about yourself in the third person?" I ask, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"I'll try to tone it down, but Trixie isn't doing it on purpose, she promises," she answers, sighing as she realizes she did it again.

"So apparently you really did talk like that. I hoped it was just an affectation from the show," I tell her. She simply nods, blushing slightly.

"You know, I think maybe I need to see some of this show. I never got into it when it was on, although I made sure I knew what you liked," Shadow says, looking thoughtful.

"That's a great idea, though Trixie is right, we need to buy supplies. And it has occurred to me that I need shoes," I say, smiling.

"Shoes? You want to get shoed? Like a horse?" Shadow asks me incredulously.

My smile widens, "Nope, not at all. I want boots. And I know just where to get them."

"Where are you going to get boots to fit your hooves?" Trixie asks. My smile changes to a wolfish grin.

"White's boots," I answer.

"Never heard of them," Trixie returns.

"They're the best custom boot maker I know of, though they're in the city. If I get measured today, I'll bet they can have them ready by the end of the week," I say.

"Isn't that awfully risky? Are you sure you want to go into the city just to have boots made?" Shadow asks me. "Aren't you worried about being seen?"

"Not really. I was before, but that was when I thought I might be the only pony. Now I know I'm not. I think the world is going to have to get used to ponies being here. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to cause a riot or anything, but I won't remain trapped in my own home any longer," I tell them.

"We'll still have to keep it low-key. Hoodies should help. Thank Celestia it's been a cool spring so far, so we won't look ridiculous," Moon Shadow suggests.

"When do you want to leave?" asks Trixie.

"The sooner the better," I reply.

"Okay, what about the Doc?" she asks.

"Let's see if he wants to come along. Maybe he's feeling as cooped up as I am," I suggest.

Trixie leaves to ask Dr. Ray if he wants to join us, leaving Shadow and I alone again. I pull her into my arms and, holding her tightly, kiss her like I wanted to earlier. Finally we have to come up for air, but I don't let her go just yet.

"I thought you wanted to go?" she says, smiling up at me.

"Kissing you makes me want to stay in instead," I reply, wiggling my eyebrows.

She giggles and smacks my upper arm lightly, "You should have thought of that before insisting we go."

"That was rather short-sighted of me, wasn't it?"

"Very much so."

"Well, I guess we'll have to make up for lost time when we get back," I grin.

She snuggles her head under my jaw and almost whispers, "That would be lovely."

She pulls lightly against me, and I reluctantly let her go. She heads to the closet and pulls out a hoodie and a pair of jeans for me, then tosses them to me.

"What about underwear?" I ask her.

"We'll have to buy you some while we're out, your old ones won't do, and mine won't fit you," Shadow replies, snickering.

"Are you sure I can't just go without clothes? I've got fur covering my whole body already!" I whine teasingly.

"You could on four legs, but on two you show too much. Your breasts are totally on display, especially your nipples, and anyone who looks closely could probably see your slit," she chides me.

"Dang, well, commando it is then. Can't get the normals too excited, I guess," I say.

"Yeah. Of course, anyone who looks even halfway closely will know something is way off about us," she replies.

"Eeyup. Wonder if we'll make the six o'clock news," I joke, chuckling.

Shadow just shakes her head at me as I pull on the clothes she's tossed me. Once they're on I do bodybuilder poses for her, which brings the smile back to her face.

"Oh, stop it you, I already know you're built like a brick shithouse, you don't have to pose for me," she starts laughing when I make a face in response to her comment.

Trixie walks in while I'm posing and laughs at me too, "Dr. Ray says he'd like to come with us. He said he's feeling useless around here."

I pick up my old wristwatch off of the dresser and strap it on, then say as I glance at the time, "Well, then let's roll. It's already 1300 and we have a bit of shopping to do."

We gather up Dr. Ray on the way to the car. When I see the 442, I stop for a moment, remembering the last time I was in it several days before, "I completely forgot that I bled all over the driver's side. I'd better get something to clean it up."

Trixie stops me, "Flash cleaned it all up while you were unconscious. He said this was your baby and you'd insist on it being neat as a pin. It took him most of an entire day to get all the blood out."

I can see her eyes tear up as she mentions Flash. She puts on a brave face, but she's worried about him, I realize.

I take her hand and squeeze it, and smiling at her say, "He'll be okay, he's stronger than he thinks."

She puts a brave smile on her face in response. Moon pulls her into a tight hug and whispers something softly into her ear.

I watch them for a moment, then open and hold the door for them as they get into the car. After thinking for a moment I stick my head in the door and looking at them say, "Shadow, you've got a hoodie, but you don't Trixie. Maybe we should grab you one."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie needs no hooded sweatshirt!" Trixie frowns at me.

I frown right back, "So you just want to scare the hell out of the humans when your ears reposition from the side of your head to the top of it? I'm going to draw enough attention, we don't need them to see ears actually move."

She flushes bright red, "The Greatly Humbled Trixie thinks she will reconsider. And is sorry for being so rude."

I smile at her to show no hard feelings, "It's not your fault, I'm pretty sure it's in your nature. I'll get you one, be right back."

I run back into the house and get a hoodie for her, and then an idea strikes me, so I dig in my closet for a moment and come up with a balaclava. Perfect. Should help me be a little less conspicuous, I think.

Returning to the car, I toss Trixie the blue hoodie I found for her and, climbing in, pull the balaclava over my head to cover my face.

"What's that?" I hear Trixie ask from the backseat.

"It's a balaclava. I wear it sometimes when it gets really cold in the winter, but now I figure it might help hide my face a bit. My muzzle still sticks out, but at least it's covered," I answer as I turn the key, the engine roaring to life.

As we back out of the garage and down the driveway, Dr. Ray looks at all of us from the passenger seat. He shakes his head, "Well, you two," he points to Shadow and Trixie, "can mostly pass for humans with dyed hair, but you," he points at me, "I don't know how you think you can pull this off."

I laugh for a moment, "Well, Doc, you should remember that people mostly see what they expect to see, at a distance anyway. Up close, nope, no way will I pass for anything other than a freak, but I don't really care anymore. I guess you could say I accept that I'm a freak, and am ready to deal with it. Besides, who knows, we may even run into other people turning into ponies out there."

Everyone is quiet for a while after that, just enjoying the ride. I maneuver us onto the freeway and point us toward town. The freeway is mostly deserted, so I decide to punch it a bit and go roaring down the road at almost 90 for a couple miles.

"This sure is a sweet ride," the Doc says, "I haven't seen one of these in quite some time. Where'd you get her?"

"I picked up the body from a Spaulding's junkyard and started putting her together one piece at a time," I reply, smiling at his compliment.

"That took a lot of effort, I'm sure. Reminds me of my brother," he says, trailing off to a bare whisper I wouldn't have heard when I was human. Noticing the look of deep pain that crosses his face, I decide not to comment or question.

After a few more minutes, I slow as we enter the city, not wanting to draw undue attention. Traffic in the city is a bit heavier, but still pretty light, and we remain unnoticed for the rest of our journey. I pull into the unassuming parking lot and claim a space near the door.

Shutting down the engine, I open my door and slide out, then help Moon Shadow and Trixie out of the back seat. Dr. Ray climbs out the passenger side, steps to the boot builder's door, and holds it open for the rest of us as we troop inside.

I'm about to step to the counter and ask for some help when Dr. Ray holds up his hand to stop me. I look at him for a moment, then he says, "Let me handle this, I've got an idea."

I nod and step back as he walks to the counter and rings a bell there for service. In a few moments a young lady comes out and asks how she can help him. I hear him reply, "I need someone to fit my friend here for a custom pair of boots."

"I'll get you some help right away, sir," she tells him, then scurries to the back. A moment later a young man, appearing to be in his middle twenties, comes forward.

"Hi, I'm Burdy, I hear you'd like a fitting for some boots," he says shaking the vet's hand.

"Actually, it's my friend here who needs to be fitted," he says, pointing to me. Then he leans in and, speaking softly, says, "She has, umm, special feet."

The young man smiles, "I wouldn't worry about it, we've fitted all kinds of oddly shaped feet here, there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Dr. Ray chuckles sardonically in reply, then ushers him toward us with a slight bow. Burdy smiles at us as he walks past and leads us over to a fitting station. He gestures chivalrously for me to have a seat, which makes me giggle lightly as I sit.

"Well let's see your foot," he says as he pulls a pen out from behind his ear and lays out a piece of paper to trace feet on.

I hesitate, suddenly feeling shy about letting him measure my hooves. Seeing my hesitation, he looks up at me and says softly, "Don't be afraid, I won't bite, I promise."

I finally relent and let him take my leg. He starts rolling up my pant leg and then suddenly stops, gasping. He looks up into my eyes, and notices the magenta color. His own eyes get really big as he puts two and two together to get 'what the fuck'. "Wh--what are you?" he stammers out.

I pull my hood back and lift the balaclava off my face. Then I say, "My name is Irony Smith, and I'm a pony. Please don't freak out. I really just want some boots, okay?"

"I...I...I...holy shit!" he says, whispering.

"Shhhh...we're not going to hurt you," I say, staring into his still-wide eyes.

"Are you really a pony?" he asks me, I nod. "Then why are you standing on two legs? And how can you talk?"

I sigh. "It's a long story, Burdy. I don't have time to go into it right now. We have places to go, stuff to buy. Will you fit me for some boots, please?" I plead with my eyes.

He shakes his head a couple times, then nods and says, "Of course. I'd be glad to measure you for a pair of boots."

He traces my hooves and measures them with a little tape measure. After several minutes he finishes his measuring and says, looking up at me, "Are you from Equestria?"

I laugh lightly and nod my head, smiling down at him. Oh yes, we have a fellow brony here.

"How did you get here?" he asks.

I lean down and quietly tell him, "Discord banished me here 25 years ago. Until a week ago I was a human, just like you."

He gasps again, "Really? It's all real?"

I simply nod.

"Oh my god! Is there anything I can do to help? I mean, besides your boots?"

"Well, you can keep your eyes out for other ponies and let me know if you see any. Here, take my number," I say, writing my phone number down on his business card for him.

"Of course! I'd do anything for you ponies!" he gushes. I lean forward and plant a kiss on his forehead in thanks. He starts blushing.

"How long until my boots will be ready?" I ask him.

"Oh, um...usually it'd be a couple of weeks, but I'll put a rush on them for you, you should have them in four or five days," he replies.

I smile at him and say, "Thank you so much, Burdy. You're amazing." He blushes even deeper at that.

I ask him how much it's going to be, he replies, "About 600 bucks. I wish I could give them to you, but then I'd get fired."

"I wouldn't accept them as a gift, I figured they'd be about that much. Don't worry about it," I tell him, smiling.

"Okay. You don't pay for them until you pick them up. We'll call you when they're ready."

"Thanks again, Burdy. I can't wait to get them," I say.

"You're more than welcome, Miss Irony. Thank you for coming in," he replies.

I start to cover my face and head back up, but then Burdy speaks up, "Um, Miss Irony, can I take your picture?" Then he starts blushing furiously.

I smile at him, "You're not going to put it on the internet, are you?"

"Oh, no Ma'am! I've just been a fan of ponies for a long time, and never thought I'd actually get to see one. It's for myself. If you want, I won't ever even show it to anyone else," he rushes out.

I put my hand on his chest, "Calm down, Burdy. Of course you can take a picture. Or better yet, how about Dr. Ray here takes a picture of us?" I turn to Shadow and Trixie, "You girls want to be in it too?"

They both shrug, reply in the affirmative, then drop their hoods as well. Burdy covers his mouth and gasps, and I can see tears trying to form in his eyes. Wow, he must really be a big fan, I think to myself. He's still standing there speechless as he stares at the other two ponies who are only beginning their transformations.

While he's stuck like that, I gesture for the girls to come stand in front, with Burdy and I in back. Burdy is well over six feet, and even though I'm not quite 6' 5" anymore, I'm not much shorter, either, so we tower over Shadow and Trixie. I put a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his trance.

"They're ponies too?" he whispers to me, causing me to grin widely.

I whisper back, "Yes. They're transforming still."

I see him mouth 'wow' silently. I clap a hand on his shoulder and signal the Doc to take the picture.

"Say cheese everypony," I say. Dr. Ray takes the picture using Burdy's phone.

"Okay, we should really get going, we have a lot more to do," Shadow reminds us. I nod, and we all cover up again. We wave goodbye to Burdy as we exit the store.

I turn back for one last look at the brony before I let the door close and see him looking at his phone, and I swear I can see tears slipping silently from his eyes. He looks like his whole life has just been validated, I realize, and it makes me want to tear up a little, too.

Once we're back in the car and pulling out of the parking lot, Trixie speaks up, "Okay, we can't risk that again, if somepony else sees you and freaks out instead, we'd be in big trouble. The Great and Powerful Trixie says that she and Dr. Ray will get the supplies, while you two remain in the car."

I'm about to say something snappish in retort when Shadow stops me, saying, "You're right, Trixie, but could you please, please be less commanding when you suggest something?" Shadow looks at me, pointedly, and continues. "You should know that Irony has a low threshold for pomposity, okay?"

Trixie actually gulps, then looks at me and, her ears drooping, whispers, "Trixie is very sorry, Irony. She didn't mean anything by it."

I shake my head, then glare at Moon Shadow, "It's okay, Trixie. While Shadow is right, I don't like ponies being pompous, I also know you can't help it, it's part of your nature. I promise to do my best to be patient with you."

"Thank you," she says quietly.

I nod, "No problem. And you're right. I may not care if the world knows about me, but today, at least, we don't need the extra attention. Shadow and I will stay with the car."

With that settled, we continued on to our other stops, where we follow the pattern of Trixie and Dr. Ray going in and buying our supplies. Moon Shadow and I sit in the car, parked away from everypony else, and listen to music as we wait. This pattern works well for us until our last stop, at the farm supply store. At that store, Trixie and Dr. Ray exit rather quickly, almost running to get to the car.

Once the bags are stowed in the trunk and they're in the car, the Doc tells me we should probably leave post haste. I get us moving and ask, "What happened?"

The good Doctor turns and glares at Trixie, "Somebody couldn't keep their trap shut and let me do the talking."

Trixie sinks lower into her seat, and I see that she's crying and trying not to sob, "Trixie is so very sorry."

I look at Dr. Ray, "So what happened?"

"She kept talking in the third person, then started ordering the clerks around like she was their boss, and then she started yelling about what she would do if 'somepony' didn't work harder!"

Glancing at Trixie again, I see that she wishes she could sink into the seat and disappear. I look back at Dr. Ray and say, "We need to cut her some slack, she really can't help herself. Not to mention this is all new to her again. Nopony is chasing us, so we'll just count our blessings and go home, okay?"

Everypony in the car nods, and I take us home, thankfully without further incident.

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Okay, it's time for a history lesson for Moon Shadow and Dr. Ray, and a refresher for Trixie and I," I say, having gathered everypony in the living room after we unpacked all of our recently bought supplies. I sit on my haunches on the couch, having reverted to a four-legged pony after everything was put away. I have a slight headache from concentrating on my magic for most of the afternoon, but I consider that a small price to pay for the major convenience of having hands and standing upright. I realized, after a few hours of holding the form, that it got harder to remain bipedal the longer I held it. It took more and more concentration, eventually resulting in a headache, which I also realized would probably turn into a full-blown migraine if I held the form for too long.

Which makes me wonder, if I manage to ignore the migraine and stay bipedal through it, will I cause myself permanent harm? Or could I even die from it? Not exactly a pleasant thought, but not something I feel I can ignore, either.

"A history lesson? What kind of history lesson?" asks Dr. Ray as he sits down, breaking me from my worried thinking.

"We're going to watch My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. As far as I can tell, it is a fair representation of Equestria, and our history," I say, looking from one face to another.

"Are you sure?" Moon Shadow questions.

"As sure as I can be without more memories. At the very least it gives us an idea of what home was like, and it'll help pass the time," I reply.

"Trixie thinks that what Irony is saying makes sense. We should see if we can learn something," Trixie is much more subdued, and I can tell she still feels bad about earlier.

The poor thing couldn't help that she used to be extremely pompous and arrogant. I'm glad that she is trying to control it; I know she doesn't want to be like that anymore.

I pat the seat next to me with a hoof, and she takes the hint, sitting down next to me. Now I am sandwiched between her and Moon Shadow.

"I don't think I can watch this show with you," says Dr. Ray, with a pained expression on his face.

"Is it because it's a show that was made for little girls?" Trixie asks.

"No. It's because..." he trails off, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"It's okay, Ray. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," I say, trying to put him at ease.

"No, I think he'd want me to talk to you, I'm sure he'd tell me it'd be good for me," he starts. "You see, it's my brother. He...he died about eight years ago. He was only 17 at the time."

The Doc pauses for a moment to swipe the tears from his eyes, "His name was Jake. To this day it's still hard for me to think about him, I always tear up. He was a great kid. He had an amazing future ahead of him, he would have been Valedictorian of his class if he'd lived. He'd already been offered a full-ride scholarship to Harvard.

"Then this show came out," he points to the TV where the show's menu is up, "and he just fell in love with it from the start. It quickly became his favorite thing to watch, to the exclusion of almost everything else. He even managed to get me to watch it with him a few times, even though I was ten years older than him and busy with my own life. Even though I didn't become a huge fan, I could see why he liked it. It was a great show, funny, witty, and always had a great message.

"He certainly wasn't shy about his love for the show, he wouldn't hide it. He once told me he couldn't hide it even if he wanted to, because it just spoke to him on a deep level. He said that something about the show resonated with his core.

"Unfortunately, we lived in an area that wasn't very tolerant of people that were seen as different. At first he was simply mocked at school, then the teasing became more  merciless. Then his things were getting vandalized, once someone spray-painted the word 'Faggot' across his locker. He just scrubbed it off, without bothering to report it. When none of that deterred him, some guys, I always assumed they were from his school, well, they cornered him and beat him almost within an inch of his life.

"You know, I've had a lot of time to think about this over the last eight years. I was never able to help him at the time, because he didn't tell me, and our parents were in denial about it. I found out about it all afterward from our mom. You see, I was off at college myself, studying to be a doctor, and only came home on breaks and holidays.

"To this day, I think that if it had stopped after that one beating, he would have been okay. But he didn't give up, so they beat him again. And then again. The fourth time they beat him, they put him in the hospital for six weeks with broken ribs and bruised kidneys. But he wouldn't ever finger who did it, or allow charges to be pressed.

"I think the final straw came a few weeks after he was released from the hospital. Our father, may he rot in the seventh circle of hell for all eternity, stepped in and tried to make him stop watching ponies. He became verbally abusive, belittling him and questioning his manhood. Then he started hitting Jake.

"I'm pretty sure that was the straw that broke Jake, the fact that his own father, who had never laid a hand on him before, was calling him horrible things and hitting him. It broke him inside, and he never recovered.

"I came home for spring break, planning on visiting family instead of going out partying. When I came home, no one was around, but the house felt wrong, so I started looking for sign of anyone. The sight that greeted me when I opened his bedroom door will remain with me forever. Even if I live to be a hundred, I will never forget his swollen and purple face. I will never forget how his neck was bent at an angle, as if he was praying, or how the flesh of his throat was so puffy you almost couldn't see the rope that he'd tied around his own neck.

"The absolute worst part of it, though, was that he didn't hang himself from the rafters and kick a chair out from underneath himself. No, my brother, my extremely smart, loving brother, wanted to die more than anything else. And I think he wanted it to be known that he chose this, to the very end. He tied the rope around his own neck, and hung himself from the doorknob. He knelt there, head bowed, with the rope around his neck, only needing to sit up to save himself, until he died. He had to choose, every second of that agony, to stay there and die," Dr. Ray has stopped trying to wipe the tears away as they now flow freely down his face, dripping onto his chest in a veritable river.

"Oh my sweet Celestia," I say, not knowing what else to say to that horrifically sad tale.

Ray nods, "Yeah, that about sums it up. For a while afterwards, I wanted to blame the show, but I realized it wasn't the cartoon's fault, it's just a cartoon meant for little kids. It was those around him that took intolerance to a whole new level that were to blame. I wanted to get revenge, but had nowhere to start, and I was paralyzed by my own guilt, knowing that I'd failed him when he most needed me. I still blame myself for not being there, for being blind to what was happening in his life.

"Then, a few weeks later, and I'll never know for sure how he arranged that little feat, I got a letter from him. In that letter he begged me not to blame myself, and not to hate the people that hurt him, not because he forgave them, but because he didn't want me to be hurt by my own hatred. He also told me how much the time I'd spent with him while he was growing up meant to him. Reading that made me fall to pieces.

"It took me better than two weeks to be able to read his letter all the way through, I started blubbering like a little kid every time I tried to read it. At the end of the letter, there was one small bit of comfort. He told me how he'd arranged to get his revenge on those who had hurt him. His letter told me how he'd collected irrefutable proof of who had hurt him, and how he'd arranged for the state police to get that evidence now that he was gone.

"And it worked, too. A few weeks later, the state police made eight arrests. Seven boys from his high school, and our father. I should say they attempted to arrest our father, but he got away by dying of a heart attack as they tried to arrest him. I do wish I'd been there when that happened, to see the look of shock on his face as they read him his rights, and then when his heart stopped.

"Anyway, the seven boys were tried, as adults mind you, for three separate counts of aggravated assault, and one count of attempted murder. And the evidence was such that the charges all stuck. Even in death, Jake was a genius," Dr. Ray finishes, his tears having stopped and his eyes dry.

We all sit there in silence for several minutes, then I finally break the silence, "I'm so sorry for your loss. Your brother sounds like an amazing person, and I wish I had gotten a chance to know him."

"It's entirely possible that you did," the Doc says mysteriously, pulling out a faded, oft folded, piece of paper and looking at it.

"What do you mean?" I ask him, confusion plain on my face. In response, he just leans forward and sets the piece of paper in front of me. I gasp loudly as my eyes fall on it.

"But..." I look up at him, and he nods.

"My brother drew that after a dream he had one night. It was included with the letter he sent me. I never understood why he gave it to me, at least not until recently."

On the paper in front of me is a drawing. The drawing is a very good rendition of my cutie marks. Not part of them, not one of them, but both my cutie marks, side by side, in color. They are a perfect match to me.

"And that is the real reason I chose to stay. I saw those pictures, the ones I've looked at every day since they were delivered into my hands, on a creature I never thought I would see in real life. I couldn't just leave after that. My brother would have wanted me to stay, I know it."

After what feels like an eternity of me trying to form words, I finally get out, "When was his birthday?"

The Doc looks at me for a moment, then says, "May 1st, why?"

"Oh...my..." I can't finish as I am overwhelmed with emotion at the realization that a fellow pony is dead, and has been for a long time. I will never even know who he was, I realize, and tears come pouring from my eyes.

"She thinks he was a pony like us," Moon Shadow tells Dr. Ray, as I am unable to respond.

Dr. Ray's face pales visibly as he looks from one face to another. It is clear that he has no idea how to respond to that.

I climb off the couch and step over to him, laying my head in his lap as I weep at his, and our, loss. He tentatively pats my head, and soon is running the fingers of both his hands through my mane. After a few minutes, he lifts my chin up and looks into my eyes.

"Thank you. I finally understand what he meant in his letter when he said 'She will heal your pain'. Thank you, Irony, for being here for me. I never knew it, but I've needed to talk about this for a long time. You are an amazing pony, and I know he wanted me to meet you," he whispers.

"I'm glad I have gotten the chance to meet you. You are a wonderful person, and I can see that your brother was very lucky to have you to look up to when he was growing. Thank you for taking care of one of our own," I say to him, just as quietly.

"The Great and Terribly Saddened Trixie, invites you to watch ponies with three misplaced Equestrians in honor of your lost brother," Trixie says, taking Ray's hand in both of her own.

Dr. Ray hesitates, then with fresh tears threatening to spill from his eyes, nods in agreement.

Trixie and I retake our seats on the couch, offering to make room for the Doc, but he silently shakes his head, needing a little more time to think.

After a few more minutes of fussing around, Trixie queues up the first season, and presses play on episode one. We relax into our seats as the show starts.

It's been a while since I watched these earlier shows, I realize as I'm sucked into the show once again. Reminds me why I fell in love with this show in the first place. Though I suppose it helped that I was actually a pony all along.

Moon Shadow is cuddled up next to me on the couch, with Trixie sitting comfortably on the other side. I'm really enjoying the show when I feel Shadow tense up next to me. I look over at her, and she has this sad/angry intense look on her face. I'm about to ask if she's okay when she relaxes again and rubs her hand across my shoulder. I cock an eyebrow at her, and she mouths: later. I nod, then turn back to the show, not wanting to draw attention to her.

After a couple of episodes, Dr. Ray excuses himself, saying he's tired, and goes to bed. I can't blame him, knowing that this has been a very emotional day for him, as well as for us. I really appreciate that he stayed to watch some with us, especially when I know he must have been thinking about his brother the whole time.

I'm still thinking about the Doc, and his brother, when the first Trixie episode, 'Boast Busters', comes on. A few moments later I hear Trixie sobbing quietly beside me. I lean my head against her shoulder, thinking maybe she's now upset about how she's portrayed in this episode. I'm surprised when she wraps her arms around my head, buries her face in my mane, and begins to bawl like a newborn babe. It takes me several minutes to realize she's talking into my mane. Well, maybe blubbering is a better way of putting it, as I can hardly understand a word she's saying, but I realize she's apologizing over and over again.

Moon Shadow extricates herself from my right side and moves over to the other side of Trixie, wrapping her arms around Trixie to comfort her. Trixie turns and grips Shadow as hard as she was previously holding me, pressing her face into Shadow's neck. Now I can understand her a bit better.

"Trixie is so sorry. Trixie never meant to hurt anypony's feelings. Trixie didn't know any better. Trixie is so ashamed of herself. Please don't hate Trixie. Trixie is such a horrible pony. Trixie is so sorry."

She continues on like this, despite our best efforts to calm her down, through two more episodes after 'Boast Busters'. After she grabs hold of Shadow, I change form and pull them both into my lap, wrapping my arms around them, quietly trying to soothe Trixie.

"Shhh, it's okay Trixie, nopony hates you, I promise. You're our friend, and we care about you greatly," I try to calm her.

"But Trixie was so horrible to everypony. You should all hate her for how she acted," she cried.

"Trixie, I'm sure you didn't act that badly," I say.

"You're right. Trixie was much more horrible in reality than they show! Trixie is most horrible pony!" she bawls. I cup her face, raising it up to look into my eyes.

"Trixie, are you saying you remember what really happened?" I ask her slowly.

She nods, then breaks down again, "Trixie is a wicked, horrible pony! She is so sorry now! The Wicked and Horrible Trixie deeply wishes she could take back all she said and did!"

I place a finger over her lips to stem the flow of words, "Trixie, you are not a horrible pony. Maybe you were at one time, but everypony changes. And I know that you have changed for the better. You are our friend, and we are yours. I don't care what you did in the distant past, I only care how you act in the here and now."

"But how can that be? Trixie remembers all of the mean and nasty things she has done! How can anypony forgive her for that? Yes, The Humble and Apologetic Trixie is sorry, but that doesn't undo what she has done!" she whispers. I shush her again before she can start on another wailing rant about how terrible she was.

"We can't change what we have done in the past, that much is true. What we can change, is how we act in the future, and that is how we make up for our pasts. Yes, some things will follow and haunt you, but any good pony will be able to judge you based on your current actions rather than the distant past. Shadow and I care about you, Trixie. We love you like family. Here, now, in reality, we are your family. We will take care of you, just as you will take care of us. Don't ever forget that, okay?" I tell her, firmly.

"You...you mean it? You don't hate Trixie? Even knowing how horrible a pony she really is?" she sniffs.

"I really mean it. You are not a horrible pony. You are a wonderful pony, and I am glad to call you my friend," I respond, hugging her tightly.

"I'm glad to have you as my friend, too!" Moon Shadow adds.

"Thank you. Thank you, so much! Trixie will never forget how wonderful you both are!" Trixie gushes, a smile coming to her face.

I once again relinquish my bipedal shape, but stay cuddled up with Trixie and Shadow. We sit like that, in a big pile, and watch a couple more episodes, not bothering to go back to the ones we missed.

Surprisingly it is Trixie herself who begs off first, saying how happy she is that she has friends such as us. She leaves to go sleep in the guest room she and Flash have been sharing.

Shadow and I also choose to retire, she leaning against me as we walk down the hallway together to our room. She plops onto the bed, leaving me to climb up beside her.

"So...anything you want to discuss?" I ask her, looking at her from the corner of my eye.

"No, at least, not tonight. I think we've dealt with enough drama today, and besides, it's nothing big," she says evasively.

I look at her squarely, "Moon Shadow, if something is bothering you, then it isn't 'nothing'! Please, don't feel like you have to keep things to yourself because it will be a bother to me. You will never be a bother to me, I love you! What troubles you, troubles me. We're in this together, forever, right?"

She hangs her head for a moment, then looks up at me, "It bothered me, seeing Princess Luna as Nightmare Moon."

"That was a scary time in pony history. What about it bothered you? What do you remember?"

"I...I remember the Princess. I was her apprentice; I'm a Dreamwalker, or a Dreamer, whatever that means. I remember times spent learning from Princess Luna, and to see her like that scared me. I don't remember her being at all like that, and I don't remember being there when she was Nightmare Moon."

I scoot closer to her and lay my head on her shoulder in a pony hug, "I'm sorry that it scared you. Thankfully the Elements of Harmony were able to save her. What little I remember of her, she was a very kind-hearted Princess, and deeply regretted having let the evil Nightmare overcome her."

"She was an amazing mentor. I don't remember everything that being a Dreamwalker means, but I remember she was patient, and wonderful to me. Do you know what a Dreamwalker is?"

"No, but if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say it has to do with the dream work she was in charge of."

"I think that's right. I just wish I remembered more!"

"I bet, in time, you will," I yawn. "Sorry!"

"Don't be, silly, I'm just as tired as you," now she's yawning too.

She lies down and pulls me down next to her, and wraps her arms around me, "I love you, Irony."

"I love you too, Moon Shadow. Sleep well," I reply, but she is already gone. I lay my head down on her and soon join her in sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I look around; I just fell asleep, what's going on. I trot around for a moment, looking at the darkness that surrounds me, and I can see stars everywhere, unlike the empty void I'm used to in my dreams.

I look down at my body; it's still the pony body that I've only just started to get comfortable in. I call out, "Can anypony hear me?" Only to hear my voice echo back and forth into infinity.

"Am I truly asleep? Or am I awake?" I muse to myself aloud.

"You are asleep, but it isn't the restful sleep that you're used to." A form coalesces out of the darkness. It's Moon Shadow. And she's fully a pony now. I trot up to her. She throws her forelegs around me. "Irony."

I pull away, "But how am I here?"

She looks down, "I don't know. You were next to me as I fell asleep; I think maybe I pulled you here with me."

"What?"

"I'm a Dreamer, as I told you. This is part of it. I remember Luna telling me that I'm the strongest in thousands of years."

"How much of this do you remember?"

She cocks her head to the side, "A little here, and a little there. I was just a student, and only for a couple of years until Discord happened."

"And seeing Nightmare Moon brought this out?" She nods at me then turns to the lights in the darkness.

"Do you know what these are?"

"Stars?"

She smiles coyly, "No, Irony. These are dreams. Of the billions of people in this world."

I look around, there are so many of them, they stretch on for what seems like forever, "Amazing. It's so beautiful!"

I hear a giggle, and I look over at her, she's back in her human form. She reaches out to me and touches my forehead. I hear her voice in my mind, This isn't even the best part, Love.

The world around us shimmers for a few seconds, then I'm in my home. But it's not. There is light here, but I don't see any lights on. I walk forward, then look down. I'm Henry again.

"What the hell?" even my voice is deeper.

I hear her voice coming out of nowhere, and everywhere, "Where we just were, is the space between the world of life and the world of dreams, this..." She appears and spreads her hands around, "Is the world of dreams."

"It looks like home."

"It is but a reflection of home. Look carefully."

I look around, the television is off, and the DVD's shift, moving. The books move on the book case, the titles shift from side to side. The chairs in the dining room, they move from right in front of the table, to being pulled out like someone is sitting. Then with another glance, they are back to where they belong. What the hell? Pencils and pens on the desk shift almost constantly.

"The more solid or stable something is, the stronger its reflection is here. The more it is moved, the weaker the reflection."

"What is it for, Moon?"

"A dreamer can control this; she can make it do what she wishes."

"And Princess Luna taught you all of this?"

Bright spots of color flood her cheeks, "Yes, and no."

I look at her, "Both? How?"

"She told me I wasn't ready for this place, because it is dangerous. But I ventured here from time to time anyway. My practice, my control, is very weak right now. It was stronger before, but not by much, I was still only an apprentice."

"And the place between dreams?"

"That was where we spent most of our time. She was teaching me to patrol the dreams of the ponies, how to tell when they were having a nightmare, when they were consumed by fear."

"And she had you help them?"

She nods.

"Amazing, but what can actually be done here?"

"All worlds are connected. Equestria, this Earth. I think I might be able to find our Equestria."

"Could you get to Equestria through this place?"

She shakes her head, "To do that, first I would have to find Equestria, and I don't have complete enough memories to be able to make it there, and second, I would have to enter here in the flesh."

"That's possible?!"

She nods, "But Princess Luna never told me how. I really hope that by searching here, I can find enough information to make it possible for us to make a way back to Equestria."

"You want to go back?"

She looks down, "I don't know if Luna survived Discord, but if she is alive, I need to find her, whether in Equestria, or here on Earth."

"Wherever you go, Moon, I'll be there with you." I wrap my arms around her. She smiles at me. Then the dreamscape begins to fade.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I awaken to find my Moon Shadow lying in my forelegs, she murmurs my name lovingly in her sleep. I nuzzle her, then I fall back to sleep myself, a smile on my face.

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I wake to a quiet house once again. I glance at the clock on the nightstand, where it confirms the time as 0500 on the nose. Even though I haven't been setting the alarm, I'm still waking up at my usual time. Kind of funny how our bodies and minds will unconsciously follow routine even when everything has changed, I think, smirking to myself.

I extricate myself from Moon Shadow, careful not to wake her as she is sleeping so peacefully. I slip off the bed, landing with a soft thud. Shadow rolls over in her sleep and mumbles unintelligibly for a moment before relaxing once again. I smile at her as I soak up her beauty. I notice that the changes have progressed in the night, and she is a bit closer to looking like she did in the dream world she showed me last night. She has a horn now, and it looks to be full sized. Her facial features are changing too; I can see her lower face is pushing out just a little bit, foreshadowing the muzzle that she will soon have.

Glancing a little bit lower, I see that she is flat chested now. I am going to miss playing with those, I sigh to myself. The rest of her is covered by the comforter, so I can't see what changes may have happened further south, but I can guess.

I stretch my barrel and legs, groaning a little at how good it feels. Have to admit, this body feels pretty amazing. I feel more at home in it than I would have thought I could after 25 years of being human. I feel so good, so incredibly fit, it makes me wonder what I can do, I think as I finish stretching. I decide I'll worry more about that after breakfast.

I start trotting down the hallway, pausing for a moment when I smell fresh coffee. I continue on into the kitchen, where I find Dr. Ray drinking a cup of coffee at the table as he reads the paper. He waves his mug in my direction in greeting.

"Morning," I say as I go by.

I look around the kitchen and think, Well, getting breakfast should be a lot easier today. I concentrate for a moment, summoning my magic, and find myself standing on two hooves instead of four. Thank Celestia, I can reach the bowls now.

I busy myself with gathering together some items for breakfast: a bowl of sliced fruit, some yogurt, and cheese. I briefly consider frying up some eggs, but decide I'm not ready to find out if my new herbivorous diet allows for them.

Grabbing a spoon from the drawer, I sit down across from the Doc, who still has his nose stuck in the paper, and scoop up some melon. In between bites, I say, "You're up early, how'd you sleep?"

He takes a sip of coffee, then looks up, intending to answer. Instead of speaking, he spews coffee all over his paper and the table.

"Whoa, what was that all about?" I ask as I move my food out of the danger zone.

"Well, I've never had a naked pony-girl sit down across the table from me before. Kind of caught me by surprise," he answers.

"Huh?" confused at first, I look down at myself, then clamp my arms over my breasts, covering them from view. I'm pretty sure my dark fur is unable to hide the fact that I am blushing furiously. "Urk...I'm so sorry, Ray. I'm not completely used to this new body yet, especially having breasts!"

I stand to go put on some clothes, but notice the Doc looking at my waist with a funny look on his face. I look down and realize he's staring at my crotch. I also realize just how very exposed my sex is like this. I immediately drop one of my hands to cover my crotch, feeling like I'm going to die of embarrassment. Ray starts sputtering, trying to apologize for staring, which makes me feel even more embarrassed, causing me to lose my concentration. I drop to all fours with a crash that reverberates through the house.

I turn and flee the room like the worst demons of Tartarus are after me, dying of shame. I crash through my bedroom door, almost knocking over Moon Shadow in the process, and run into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I sit in the corner, rocking back and forth with my arms wrapped around my knees in the fetal position, wishing I could just disappear.

There's a knock at the door, and I hear Shadow's voice, "Irony, are you okay?"

I try to say I'm fine so she'll leave me to my shame, but nothing will come out but a small croak. The door opens, and Shadow steps in, looking for me.

"Irony! What happened?!" she asks me as she rushes over and wraps her arms around me, dropping to her knees in the process.

"I...I just showed off all the 'goods' to Dr. Ray! I didn't even think about clothes when I changed. I'm so embarrassed, Shadow! What will I say to him? What does he think of me? I can't believe I just paraded out there all naked, as if I didn't have a care in the world!" I groan.

"Well, that's one way to start your morning, I guess. How did he take it?" she asks me.

"First he spit his coffee everywhere, then he was staring at me!" I cry.

"So...are you saying he liked what he saw?"

"How should I know? I think he was more in shock than anything else. What does it matter if he liked what he saw, anyway?" I ask, confused.

"Oh, no reason," she sighs. "You really shouldn't be embarrassed. You're beautiful! Yeah, as humans we wore clothes, but as ponies, not so much. It actually makes sense that you wouldn't think of wearing clothes. It's okay."

I hear a knock on the door, then Dr. Ray enters when Shadow calls, "Come in!"

"I wanted to apologize for staring at you, Irony. I...I'm sorry. Looking at you excited me in a way that I never would have expected," he stammers out.

Moon Shadow smiles a Cheshire cat grin and says, "It's hard to blame you, Doc. She is extremely sexy."

She stands and pulls me up to my hooves. I see Dr. Ray looking me up and down, so I glance down at my body, I changed without noticing again...why?

I reach to cover up my nudity, but Shadow grabs my hands to stop me. I give her a stern look, my ears lying back against my head. She looks intently into my eyes, "Don't hide your beauty," she murmers into my ear.

"You're so beautiful. I've never seen anyone as sexy as you," Dr. Ray whispers as he continues looking at me, then his gaze takes in Moon Shadow as well, "both of you."

Shadow pulls me into a kiss, first just a peck, then a longer, more thorough kiss. Then she's slipping her tongue into my mouth, playing with mine, sliding over my flat teeth and tasting my mouth. When she finally pulls back, she smiles at me lovingly, then steps to the side and faces Dr. Ray. We can both plainly see his excitement.

Shadow winks at me lasciviously and says, "You know, Dr. Ray isn't bad looking himself."

She slinks over to him, pulling me along by the hand until we are both right in front of him. Still holding my hand, she reaches out with her other hand to run it along his freshly shaven jaw.

My ears are drooped down to the side of my head, I'm not entirely sure I like where she seems to be going with this.

Shadow looks at me, then brings our joined hands up to touch Ray's cheek and jaw. He seems frozen there as she says, "He's not going to bite you, Irony. Or then again, maybe he will." She smirks at us.

He really is rather good looking, I think to myself, my hand now cupping his jaw of its own accord. Shadow, letting go of my hand, slips around behind me and pushes me closer to the Doc. My other hand reaches up to touch his face without me telling it to. Now, without any thinking on my part, my hands are sliding down his neck and across his shoulders and down his chest.

Oh Celestia, what am I doing? I think, my mind growing a little hazy as my hands continue down his chest to his waist. They stop there for a moment, resting on his hips.

I feel Moon Shadow lean up to purr into my ear, "He keeps himself in pretty good shape, doesn't he?"

My body shivers as I whisper, "Yes, he does." I'm just feeling, right now, all thinking has gone out the window.

I grip the hem of his shirt and pull it up and over his head in one fluid motion, revealing his firm chest and abs. I feel a hint of dampness in my overheated sex at the vision before me. Shadow's hands reach from behind and cup my breasts, lightly playing with my nipples.

Why can't I control myself? Why do I feel this way towards a man? I've never felt anything like this before! I think as my hands find their way to his chest again, playing over his muscled frame. I feel the definition in his muscles, his ribs. My body responds as I touch him.

At this invasion, Ray's paralysis is broken and he pulls me into his chest, his lips reaching for mine. At first he seems a little confused by my muzzle, but soon he's compensating for it, and our lips are wrestling furiously. My arms wrap around him, one hand gripping his hair, the other around his waist.

I feel one of Shadow's hands make its way down from my breast, across my stomach, and onto my steaming slit. She traces a finger over my nether lips, swirling it in my flowing juices before flicking my little nub, causing me to shudder violently from the pleasure that flows through me.

A mini-orgasm hits me like a bolt out of the blue, I cry out, breaking the kiss. Ray takes the opportunity to kiss and lick his way down my neck, across my collarbone, and down my breasts. He teases my nipples with his tongue, gently flicking them one at a time, then drawing a hot, wet line all around them before flicking them again.

Suddenly, he sucks my nipple into his mouth, making me gasp. Then I feel his teeth gripping my nipple as he continues to suck and tease it with his tongue. Moon picks exactly that moment to thrust the fingers of one hand into my pussy, while the other continues teasing my clit. I throw back my head and scream as I ride the wave of pleasure as I near the edge of a real orgasm.

I vaguely see a green glow out of the corner of my eye, and hear Shadow order, "Get her on the bed!"

Ray picks me up in his arms, surprising me with his strength, and carries my limp form to the bed. As he lays me down, he leans in and kisses me tenderly. I look down my body at him as he steps away, and see that he is now fully nude, his beautiful cock pointing in my direction. I'm shocked, I had one of my own for so long, and yet the thought of having his inside me simply makes me feel amazing. I want it. I feel my pussy clench. I need it!

Shadow comes over and starts kissing me and pinching my nipples, momentarily distracting me from the sight of Dr. Ray's member. Soon, however, Ray makes his presence known again by kissing my foot, my ankle, and up my calf to my knee. He stops at the knee on one side, then kisses up to the other knee before continuing further up my thighs.

Moon Shadow clambers on top of me and plops her dripping snatch down onto my face just as Dr. Ray starts licking my inner thighs and across my pussy lips. I moan incoherently as I bury my tongue in Shadow's molten core, lapping up her delicious honey as quickly as I can.

Ray's tongue dives into my juicy cunt, forcing a scream from my mouth and into Moon's folds. I can hear Moon's moans, getting louder by the second, as I alternate driving my tongue inside of her and sucking on her protruding clit.

Hearing her moans, combined with the Doc's ministrations and the taste of her dripping pussy in my mouth, has me flying toward the event horizon of earth-shattering pleasure.

Shadow, somehow sensing my inevitability, orders Dr. Ray, "Get up here! Bury that cock of yours inside her!" Her voice is strained with her own impending orgasm.

Ray obliges her, climbing onto the bed and taking hold of my hips, he plunges his throbbing meat inside me. I cry out throatily at the pain and pleasure, the sound muffled by Moon's boiling cavern. My body feels a definitive tearing inside, but my pain and pleasure center is confused, so it all feeds into my building cum.

After a moment of getting his bearings, Ray slides his cock almost all the way out of me, then thrusts back into me. Once, twice, three times.

"Harder, fuck her harder!" I hear Moon Shadow shout.

The Doc picks up the pace, slamming himself into me, our pelvises meeting with each thrust. I lift my legs and, wrapping them around him, use them to push him further into me. Shadow leans forward and, taking Ray's head in her hands, kisses him like she's going to suck his soul right out of its fleshy prison. She screams into his mouth as she slips into her ocean of pleasure, pushing me over the edge into the abyss. Ray plows into my slippery folds as they grip him in crushing waves, milking his cock for all they're worth.

A moment later, as Shadow is beginning to come down off her high, I feel Ray's body tense and his dick bursts inside of me, making my body respond with another wave of pleasure. My pussy pulls every drop of cum from him, until he falls over limp with exhaustion. Shadow crawls down my body and begins lapping at my slit, devouring every drop of cum she can find, causing my body to writhe with aftershocks.

Once the job is done to her satisfaction, she turns herself around and lays on top of me, kissing me thoroughly. I can easily taste the mixture of Ray's and my own juices all over her mouth. Ray leans over and kisses me, then turns and kisses Shadow as well. Afterward, he licks his lips and smiles down at me.

"That was fucking amazing!" we all say, almost in unison.

"Fuck, that was hot!" we hear from the bedroom door. I lift my head up to see Trixie with her pants around her ankles, and three fingers buried in her cunt.

"The Great, and Super Fucking Horny, Trixie is cumming!" Trixie gasps out as her legs buckle from underneath her and she slowly slumps to the floor, vocalizing her pleasure all the way down.

"Wow," is all I can say. What the hell has come over all of us? Whatever it is, that was A-Fucking-mazing! So maybe it doesn't matter what caused it... I decide.

"So, I think this is probably a first for all of us..." Ray says, making the rest of us laugh, even Trixie on the floor.

Once our laughter dies down, I kiss Shadow lovingly and say, "I don't know how you managed to make that happen, but thank you."

"Oh no, big girl, you did this all yourself, I just shoved...er nudged you in the right direction," she replies.

"Ladies, I would like to thank you both for the best time I've ever had, and probably will ever have. Honestly, I never thought my first three-some would be with two gorgeous ponies!" Ray chuckles lightly.

Trixie climbs onto the bed with us, and we pull her into our pile, holding her to us. "Thank you for holding Trixie. She misses Flash so much!" I see a tear leak from her eye and slide silently down her cheek.

"Oh Trixie, I wish he were here with you too! But we're here together, and we love you," I tell her as I wrap my arms around her alone in a big hug.

"Thank you, Irony," she whispers.

We all hold onto each other and cuddle until we all drop off into a light slumber.

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Jim sat at a picnic table, bundled up in his hoodie and winter coat. He waited for what seemed like a long time, drawing doodles in the spring snow still left on the table to distract himself from his worries. It hadn't really been very effective though, his thoughts kept creeping back to his situation.

I really hope this wasn't a huge mistake, he thought to himself, more than once. He constantly watched the entrance to the rest area, hoping, and yet fearing, to see his friend Maddie pull in. He grew more fearful with every car or truck that passed by, dread filling him that they would stop, that someone would see him and freak out like everybody else had.

He also became more convinced with every minute that Maddie wouldn't be able to accept what had happened to him, that she would scream and run away.

He continued to vacillate between those fears until he heard a female voice behind him say, rather loudly, "Five Score, Divided by Four!"

He twisted toward the voice, fell to the ground, and shouted as the words drove a spike of ice into his spine. When he saw who the voice came from, he thought he was going mad.

She...she's a pony too? Is everyone going to turn into a pony? ran through his mind as he lay there in the snow looking at the pegasus in front of him. His mind filed away the light blue-green fur and two-toned blonde mane for later consideration.

"Are you Jim?" she asked him, smiling at his nod of ascent. She waved to another pegasus, a stallion, who stepped forward.

"M-Maddie?" Jim asked the blue-green mare.

The pegasus smirked at him as she replied, "Wrong sibling."

The other pegasus, with light blue fur and dark blue mane, spoke, "I was Maddie, but now I'm Soarin."

Jim looked from one to another, fear plain on his face, Oh dear god, this is all so fucked up!

The female pegasus said, "I was her brother Mike, but now I'm Lightning Dust."

Jim pointed his hand--which no longer resembled a human hand at all, but instead something between a hand and a hoof--at the female, "So, you were Mike, a human male, and are now the mare Lightning Dust?" Jim pointed his protohoof at the other pegasus and said, "And you were my friend Maddie, a woman, and are now Soarin, the stallion?"

Both pegasi nodded in affirmation, then Lightning Dust said, "And you are?"

Jim looked down, tears filling his eyes as he realized what they wanted, and at his own conflict. He finally replied, "I was Jim. But I guess I'm not anymore. Now I've become Lightning Flash."

The blue-green pegasus sat down hard, and with a funny look on her face, asked, "The Wonderbold reservist Lightning Flash?"

Jim looked at her, puzzled, and nodded.

Suddenly she dove at him, wrapping her front legs around him in a tight hug, "You helped me in the battle with Discord! I sent you lightning bolts for you to direct back at him, so we could attack from both sides at once."

"Are you sure? I mean, I've had some pretty vivid dreams the last couple of nights, I don't really know what to believe," he said, trying to sort things out in his head.

"Dude, those weren't just dreams, they were memories," Soarin told him.

"You mean all of that actually happened? Are you sure?" Jim asked.

"Best as we can determine, yeah," Lightning Dust replied. "I mean, I talked to my pony self after dreaming about the battle."

"I...faced something similar. That's how I learned who I'm becoming," Jim said, his face falling as he thought about how he'd reacted to his pony self.

Lightning Dust looked at Jim, "Lightning Flash, I know you were in the battle, but how did you not get banished then like us? How did you make it another day?"

So he talked about his dream, and explained how they were ordered to scatter after she, Soarin, and Spitfire were hit, "There was nothing we could do, he was just so damn powerful! We had no choice!" Tears started to form in his eyes as he continued, "I lasted most of a day before Discord caught up with me. I'll never again forget that feeling, the feeling that I was a fly looking at the swatter coming down on me."

"It's going to be okay, we'll make it all work out," Lightning Dust said, putting a hoof on Jim's shoulder. Before she could continue on, they were interrupted by headlights turning into the rest area from the freeway. "That's my wife."

"You're married? What does she think of what's happening to you?" Jim asked her.

Dust sighed heavily, "She doesn't really like it, but it's not like we have any say in the matter. We love each other, so we're staying together."

"But what about when you go back to Equestria?"

"I don't know that I will go back. Heck, I don't even know if we can get back. For now, my goal is for us to find as many ponies as we can, then help and protect them."

Jim nodded, and getting a flash of insight, said, "That's you, Dust, ever the protector."

This earned him a brief glare from Lightning Dust as the vehicle pulled into a parking space near them. Then she said, "Your wings aren't ready for you to fly with, yet, Flash. You can ride back with Soarin and my wife, Helen. I'm going to fly home. I'm pretty sure Soarin won't mind teaching you how to fly tomorrow."

"What will you be doing while Soarin is teaching me to fly?" Jim asked.

"Me? I'm going to work. Gotta pay the bills, you know?" she said as she hovered over to her wife, kissing her and speaking softly to her for a moment. They parted with another kiss before Dust took to the air.

"Hi, I'm Helen," she said, reaching a hand out to shake Jim's protohoof.

"Jim, er, Lightning Flash," he responded, as he tried to return the shake, without a whole lot of luck.

"Let's go!" Soarin said, leaping into the open passenger door.

Helen shrugged her shoulders and said, "She never was very patient, even as a human."

Jim nodded as Helen opened the back door and helped him into the vehicle. Once inside, he tried to buckle the seatbelt, only to fail miserably without any fingers left. Now I know what Irony felt like when she needed me to carry her out to the truck that night, he thought, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears as he thought about his brother/sister.

Helen, seeing his plight, reached across and snapped the belt into place with the well-practiced motion of someone who had raised children. Jim gave her a small smile in thanks, then turned and stared out the window as she pulled back out onto the freeway.

After a few minutes of silence, Soarin turned to look at Jim and said, "So, Flash, what brought you all the way out here?"

"I...I was running away," he finally mumbled in shame.

"What were you running away from?"

"Myself."

"Why?" Soarin asked, simply.

Jim didn't answer for a long time. Finally, just when Soarin was sure he wasn't going to, Jim replied, "Because I was afraid. I didn't want to turn into a pony."

"How did you know you were turning into a pony? Wait, are you a brony? Is that how you knew? When you saw your cutie mark?"

Jim sighed, "To answer your question, yes, my brother and I were both bronies. Though that's not how I knew."

Helen glanced back at him and asked, "So, then how did you know what was happening to you?"

"I watched my brother change," Jim covered his face with his malformed hooves.

"Wait a second! Your brother is a pony, too?! What was his name again?" Soarin asked excitedly, not noticing Jim's mood.

"Her name was Henry."

"That's right, I remember you used to talk about him all the time in school! You were always going on about how great he was, how you wished you were more like him. So, who did he turn into? Was it Big Mac, or Shining Armor?" Soarin didn't notice how every sentence he spoke caused Jim to fold further in on himself.

Helen, seeing what Soarin did not, finally reached over and smacked him upside the head, "Stop it, Soarin! Can't you see he's upset?"

He looked around at Jim, who had tears actively leaking from the corners of his eyes, and said, "I'm so sorry, Flash! I'm so oblivious all the time. I didn't mean to make you sad."

"It's not your fault. It's mine," Jim responded quietly.

"Since you weren't paying attention before, I'll remind you that he said, 'her name was Henry'. I'm guessing that means his brother is now his sister, kind of like what happened to you and Mike," Helen pointed out.

"Oh," Soarin said, his ears drooping flat against his skull as his face fell. "I'm sorry again for being so insensitive, Flash."

"It's okay."

Conversation dried up after that and they finished the journey in silence. By the time they got to Lightning Dust and Helen's house, it was full dark. Helen opened the doors for Soarin and Jim. When Jim tried to get out, he fell to the ground, his legs not wanting to support him in an upright position anymore. Helen and Soarin helped support him as they made their way into the house. They ate a big dinner, then after some further maneuvering, they were able to get Jim tucked into a guest bed for the night.

Once he was alone, Jim let the tears flow as he sobbed silently. After a time, he had no more tears to cry. He stared at the ceiling as he felt his body continue changing around him. By the time he slipped into unconsciousness, he could tell the transformation was almost complete.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jim sat on his haunches as he stared off into the void. He'd already relived his last moments again, and was waiting for the part that he'd dreaded all evening.

Finally, he heard the sound of approaching hooves. He didn't turn to see the approaching pony, already knowing it was Lightning Flash. The pony sat down next to Jim, and they sat in awkward silence for some time.

"Aren't you going to yell at me, or run away?" Flash finally spoke.

"No. I have to stop running sometime, guess it might as well be now," Jim replied fatalistically.

"Look, I'm sorry. I never wanted to come and take your life away from you. Just like I never wanted my life to be taken from me. This is all because of Discord."

"I know. And I don't blame you anymore. I'm sorry that I tried to."

"I would have probably reacted the same way. We're really not all that different, you know."

"I know. I don't want to fight who I am anymore. Will you help me?"

"Always. We are in this together. We are one."

Flash smiled at Jim, who returned the smile. They touched hooves, their bodies shimmered, then they melded into one being.

Once it was all over, the pony that was left looked down at himself and smiled, "We are in this together. No more will I fight who I am. Thank you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lightning Flash woke feeling much better than he had in days. He felt rested, and a measure of peace. All of his problems weren't gone, but at least he wasn't at war with himself anymore.

Before he could convince himself to roll out of bed, the bedroom door slammed open, hitting the wall with a crash. Soarin leapt through and started barking commands.

"Get your lazy ass out of bed, recruit! I want to see those hooves on the floor now!" the blue stallion bellowed.

Before a single thought could process through Flash's mind, he was out of bed, standing at attention, and saluting.

"Drop and give me 20 push-ups!" Soarin ordered. Flash was quick to comply, his body automatically falling back on his military training.

For his part, Soarin acted like it was natural that Flash follow his orders. He continued to put Flash through his paces, running the gamut from push-ups to squat-thrusts, froggers to wing-ups. They ended the PT with a five mile run through the hillside.

Never have I been so glad that Irony helped keep me in shape all this time, Flash sighed to himself when they finally stopped to rest after the run. At least I didn't collapse in a heap at the end like Soarin! he thought rather gleefully.

"Okay, the run may have been a bit much," Soarin gasped out between pants. "Damn, how is it you're hardly out of breath? You can't be in better shape than me, you haven't had time to get in shape since transforming!"

Flash thought for a moment before answering, "Maybe our condition as humans affected how fit we are as ponies? I mean, Irony never let me slack off our physical training after we left the service. She always said, 'once a Marine, always a Marine'. I used to find that so irritating."

Soarin shook his head, "Maybe that's it. Well, you are for sure in better shape than me. Sorry about waking you up like that, but it seemed the best way. Dust and I both had to get used to walking on four legs again, and found that when we didn't think about it we had a lot less trouble."

Flash waved off Soarin's apology with the flick of a hoof, "No sweat. I know how muscle memory works."

Soarin stood and, smirking, said, "So, recruit, ready to learn how to fly?"

Flash nodded, grinning from ear to ear at the thought of hitting the sky, "Yes, sir!"

"Alright, we should start with the basics. Extend your wings," Soarin said, which Flash immediately did.

"Now slowly flap your wings, like this," Soarin extended his own wings and flapped gently in example, not attaining any lift, just showing the proper motions.

Flash watched Soarin for a moment, then mirrored his movements. Soarin nodded, then flapped his wings a little faster, lifting his hooves off the ground. He hovered there as he watched Flash try. After a couple false starts, Flash managed to hover as well, if a bit more wobbly than the blue pegasus.

"Looking good, recruit. Now, let's see. Race you to that cloud over there!" Soarin took off like a shot before he even reached the end of his sentence.

"Cheater!" Flash called as he flapped his wings, giving chase. Focusing all his attention on the winged creature before him, Flash quickly fell into a natural rhythm, each wingflap stronger and faster than the last. He reached the cloud shortly after Soarin, then watched as the other pony flared his wings and actually landed on the cloud.

"Whoa! You mean we can actually do that?!" he shouted in glee, before executing his own rather shaky landing onto the cloudtop.

Soarin threw his head back and laughed at Flash's exuberance and how he pranced across the white fluff of mist, "Yeah, we can walk on clouds. Pretty sure we can control weather, too."

"Sweet! I can't wait to try it!" Flash grinned.

"One thing at a time, one thing at a time. We'll figure it out soon enough, but we'll have to fly out to an unpopulated area, just in case something weird happens," Soarin responded, tempering Flash's excitement.

Flash nodded, "Good point. So...what should we do now?"

Soarin smirked, "What else? Fly!"

They both took off and flew for the rest of the morning, practicing and generally showing off to each other. By the time they landed back at the house, Flash was back in full flying trim.

"Thank you for helping me get used to my body again, and thank you for taking me in," Flash thanked Soarin as he enjoyed his third serving of lunch, a simple, yet surprisingly delicious, bowl of alfalfa pellets. At first, Flash had balked, but at a look from Soarin he'd decided to try it before judging. "And this alfalfa is delicious! I never would have thought it could be so good."

"You're welcome. I'm just glad we were here to help you. Dust and I want to help everypony who's going through these changes. Having gone through them ourselves, we know how much of a shock, and how scary, it is. Nopony should have to go through this alone, though I'm certain that a good number of them will," Soarin said thoughtfully.

Flash nodded, "I want to help too. I don't want the other ponies to be afraid of what's happening to them. It's not fair."

The two pegasi shared small talk over the rest of their meal, then headed out and into the sky once again. They spent the bulk of the afternoon in the air, trying to build up their stamina.

By the time Lightning Dust arrived home from work, they were worn, but happy ponies.

After they greeted Dust and exchanged some minor pleasantries, Dust asked, "So, what is your sad story? How do you know Maddie?"

"Well, it's pretty simple, really. We went to school together, at Texas A & M. I was a cadet in the ROTC at the time, and we shared a few classes. We started talking after class one day, and just ended up hanging out together after that," Flash answers.

"I'm assuming you continued on into the military. What branch did you join?" she asked.

"I served two years in the Marines, with my brother. We were deployed in the Middle East for most of it."

"So, what brought you to us?" Dust inquired next.

"Well, after Irony changed, I freaked out because I was afraid of turning into a pony too," Flash paused.

"Hold on a moment. Irony. I know that name. Wait, you don't mean Irony Smith, the earth pony? Irony, the Shieldbreaker?! Leader of Princess Twilight's personal guard?"

Flash nodded in response to each question.

"Whoa, she was a bit of a legend. Though I don't know how much anypony really believed. When did she change?" Lightning Dust seemed a bit taken aback.

"His...I mean, her, birthday was on the 25th of April. And while I don't know the legends you speak of, I wouldn't discount anything if I were you," Flash shared, pride evident in his voice.

Dust growled deep in her chest, "Dammit. Discord must have wanted her out of the way. Princess Sparkle didn't trust anypony else to protect her. She hated needing to have a personal bodyguard, but she accepted Irony. Irony was a good leader, and I'd often heard she was ferocious in a fight. I always had a lot of respect for her."

"Well, being human for 25 years didn't change her much. She's exactly like she was back then. Unfortunately, we had a bit of a problem to deal with before I left," Flash took the next several minutes to explain about Kaitlyn getting kidnapped, how they found her, and what happened at the chop shop.

"So, she's really a master smith? And she has already recreated her armor, mace and shield?" Dust laughed. "I feel very sorry for anypony who stands in her way."

Flash nodded again as Dust continued, "Now, I remember being briefed, as a leader in the Wonderbolts, about her, ahem...abilities. Dash would know, and Soarin here, too. But none of us were ever told how she came by them, only what she could do. Do you know anything more?"

Flash shook his head, "No, unfortunately, I don't know anything else. I only saw her do it that once, and she hadn't finished her original transformation from Henry to Irony at the time." His head hung in shame, his ears flattened against his skull, "It's part of the reason I ran way."

"Judging by how much you ate last night and today, you had to've been on the road since you found your cutie mark," Soarin added.

"Before, actually," Flash said sadly. "Irony figured out that Kaitlyn and I were going to change. Kaitlyn knew, but I didn't. I said some pretty nasty things about them turning into ponies when I found out she was going to transform too. So she told me, in the bluntest of terms, that I would be going through it as well. It freaked me out. I should never have said the awful things I shouted at Irony. Henry was my brother for 25 years. Even though he changed, I still love him. I had no idea what to do. He turned into a fucking pony! And then I find out that I was going to follow in his hoofsteps? I flipped my wig! Though now, I guess I'm thankful that at least I didn't have to go through the sex change like Henry did."

Dust moved to comfort Flash, but before she got to him he exclaimed, "Holy shit!" He jumped off his stool and began to pace.

Soarin, looking at him in confusion, asked, "What's wrong, Flash?"

"Sherry! Damn it all to hell! I just up and left. I can't believe I left her there. We were just starting to get serious, too!" Flash shook his head.

"Oh man, that's hard. Do you want to call to see how things are going back home?"

A look of near panic crossed Flash's face, he dropped to the ground and covered his head with his hooves, "She's going to hate me now. Heck, we're not even the same species anymore!"

Dust tried to console him, "I wouldn't count her out. Love is a funny thing. You might want to give it a shot."

Flash just continued to lie there, whimpering softly. When it became clear that he wasn't ready to face this particular problem, Soarin tried changing the subject, "How did you manage to survive for nearly twenty-four hours more than Dust and I?"

Flash looked up at Soarin from his place on the floor, "When the order to flee was passed down, we scattered. In every possible direction. I chose south, at random. When the adrenaline finally stopped pumping and I looked at my surroundings, I found myself near Appaloosa.

"I saw a lone wagon trekking across the desert. I recognized it as belonging to Trixie. You know, from the show? I stopped to tell her about what had been happening, but she already knew most of it. She asked me to go with her, it seemed like a good idea, and I was scared, so I went with her.

"We tried to get away from any populated areas, figuring we could hide out in the desert until Discord had finished his bag of tricks. Unfortunately, we were wrong. Evidently he had a very long list of ponies he wanted to banish. Late that night, while we were resting from our long gallop, Discord appeared right in front of us.

"I'll never forget the words he said: 'Ahh, Miss Lulamoon, you would not believe the trouble I have gone through to track you down.' Then he looked at me and said: 'And you, my little Wonderbolt. You are all alone now. Your team is gone, your precious princesses done for.' Then the most evil smile I have ever seen in my entire life spread across his wicked visage.

"Trixie shouted for me to fly away as she started charging her horn to fling spells at the horrible monster. You know, she was actually a surprisingly good Mage. She managed to keep her cool as she launched blast after blast at Discord. When I saw him launch his curse, the one I'd already seen strike down so many other ponies, I just knew it was going to hit her. Without any active thought, I dove in front of her, hoping against hope that I could give her a little longer to somehow find a way to stop him."

Dust hopped off her chair, put a wing over Flash and said, "You two fought valiantly. I don't think anypony could have stopped him at that point. He'd already taken out the mane six, as well as the princesses. We were nothing more than mop-up operations to him."

Soarin joined them on the floor, and they all huddled there together, wings wrapped around each other.

After a while, Flash disentangled himself from the others. He excused himself and, exiting through the back door, flew up to land on a low-hanging cloud. He curled up, lay his head on his hooves and cried softly until he had no more tears.

Sometime after that Soarin hovered into view, saying "Hey Flash, mind if I join you?"

"Sure, pull up some water vapor," Flash replied, eventually. Soarin nodded and settled down nearby.

"Soarin, do you remember anything from Equestria?" Flash asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Feelings, insights, some bits and pieces. Not a lot of whole memories, aside from the fight with Discord. You?" he replied

"Yeah, that's what I figured. It's the same for me. I remember that I was in awe of you and Dust, but I don't really remember knowing you very well. Now that I've met you again, I really wish I remembered more."

"Don't we all..."

"I suppose that is the simple truth."

"At least we remember our human lives. Those are still real."

"That is a good point. And as I recall, you were a bit of a nerd back in school," Flash teased.

Soarin blushed, "Yeah, well, that's still true. Of course, I remember you as a wannabe jarhead that didn't know the first thing about computers."

"Guilty as charged. You know, I'm still extremely grateful you took pity on me and helped me in those tech classes. Without you, I never would have made the grades to stay in the cadet program," Flash said, smiling.

"Yeah, well, it went both ways. You helped me to get out of my shell once in a while, taught me how to have a little fun. Though it seems I never figured out how to pick good boyfriends," Soarin laughed, then, gesturing at himself, "of course, maybe this explains why..."

Flash laughed politely, then asked, "Do you think that's why we never dated?"

"No. We never dated because you never asked. If you had, I would have said yes, though I suppose that might have complicated things now..." came the reply.

"Well, maybe things turned out for the best, in light of our current situation. Thank you for always being a great friend to me. I don't know what I would have done without you, then and now."

"I'm glad that we met. You're an amazing pony, Flash. Now we can work together again, this time to help the other stranded ponies," Soarin said, extending a hoof to touch Flash's shoulder.

"Thanks again, Soarin. For everything."

"No problem, always glad to help a friend. Hey, I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired now. Let's hit the hay," Soarin yawned.

Flash nodded. They both stood up, said their goodnights, and flew down to the house and their rooms.

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Flash woke the next morning feeling restless. He'd lain awake for a long while, thinking about his friends back home. His thoughts even invaded his dreams when he finally did fall asleep. He relived his parting over and over again, feeling like a coward afresh every time.

That's because I am a coward. I still can't bring myself to call them and let them know that I'm safe. Not that it would matter, I suppose, since my phone is dead, he told himself, trying to move his mind away from the feeling of abject terror that overwhelmed him every time he tried to consider facing Sherry, Kaitlyn, and Irony after what he'd said.

He finally drug himself out of bed and made his way down toward the kitchen. Yumm! Smells like eggs! he sniffed the air as he approached, letting the pleasant aroma waft over his senses. In the kitchen, he found Soarin cooking at the stove, using his wings almost as he would have hands.

"Dude, that's impressive! I never would have thought our wings were so dexterous," Flash uttered in amazement at Soarin's mad skills.

"Oh, hey Flash. Yeah, it's pretty amazing what we can actually do with these things," Soarin replied, shirring the eggs in the pan.

Flash watched Soarin for a moment then commented, "You know, it's cool and all that you can do that, but can we even eat eggs? I know ponies are herbivores, and Irony wasn't able to eat meat once she changed..."

Soarin chuckled, "Well, I suppose that's true of earthbound ponies, but we pegasi are a little different. Dust and I have found that we can handle meat without any problems so far. My theory is that we evolved to be able to fly over the ocean, so we can process meat. Not exactly a lot of plants in the middle of the ocean, you know?"

Flash nodded, "I guess that makes sense. Hey, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Want to try pouring some orange juice for everypony?"

"Sure," Flash replied. Then turned his attention to figuring out how to actually do that. He soon found that his wings were easier to control than he would have expected. He was able to grip a glass with each wing, by curling the tips around it. He set the glasses on the table, then opened the refrigerator to get out the pitcher of juice. He almost dropped it twice trying to get to the table while holding it with his wings. Hmmm...just a little too heavy for that, he thought, then decided to try using his hooves to pour. Amazingly, he only spilled a little bit while filling the glasses.

"Not bad," Soarin commented, bringing the pan of eggs over to start serving out portions onto plates that had already been set out on the table.

At about that time, Lightning Dust trotted in, "Morning Soarin, morning Flash."

Soarin slid a plate of eggs in front of Dust as he and Flash said their good mornings in reply. All three pegasi dug into their plates, making short work of their breakfasts.

"You guys want to take a morning flight before I head off to work?" Dust asked.

Flash and Soarin both responded enthusiastically to the idea.

As they headed out the door to begin their flight, Dust turned to Flash and Soarin and said, "I have an idea."

Both of the other pegasi looked at Dust expectantly as she continued, "Today we need to focus on two things. I'll check out one of them while I'm at work, but for the other part, I want you guys to search the internet for any indication of ponies, anywhere. The closer, the better, but we need to let them all know that there is a safe haven for them here."

Both Flash and Soarin nodded in agreement,

then Flash got a troubled expression on his face, "But, Dust, if we find more than a couple of ponies, where are we going to put them? You live in town, and yeah, you have five bedrooms, but you don't have room for a lot of extra guests."

Dust smiled, "Which leads me to my part of today's chore: my job will be to buy land, enough land for a lot of ponies. Preferably with a farmhouse and maybe some outbuildings. We'll need to build housing, probably some kind of barracks."

"That much land will be expensive," Flash stated, bluntly.

"Yeah, it'll take some outlay of cash up front, but in the end I think we'll be able to create a stable, self-sustaining community," Dust replied.

"How so?" Soarin asked.

"Basically, we'll do the same kinds of things that ponies did in Equestria. Earth ponies that have the aptitude will help with farming, pegasi will handle the weather, and unicorns will help with everything else," Dust shared, grinning.

"That sounds like a good plan, but what about defense?" Soarin asked.

Dust snorted, "We won't have a lot to worry about, I think. We might patrol our borders, just for peace of mind and to let us know when we have visitors, but it's not like we're planning to set up an independent nation here. I don't want us to be caught unawares, but I'm hoping to make us indispensable to the surrounding community, by contracting out our abilities to the farmers in the area."

The other two just stared at Dust with deer in the headlights looks on their faces, which made her smirk.

"Think about it guys, as a farmer, how would you like to know exactly when it's going to rain, and how much will fall. How excited would you be to have the option to request more rain over specific crops, or to have dry conditions when you are harvesting?" she said, as a grin split her muzzle from ear to ear.

"Fucking genius!" was all Soarin could say. Flash simply stood there speechless, his mouth hanging open.

Dust shrugged her wings at the male pegasi, "It's no less than we did back home." Then she trotted out the door.

Soon the other pegasi regained their composure and followed her outside. They performed some warm-up exercises before they took to the sky. They flew a few circuits around the town, then as six o'clock neared, Dust peeled away, headed toward her office. Flash and Soarin continued flying. By some form of unspoken agreement, they headed out of town to a more isolated area.

Once they were well away from the local populace, they lit upon a low-hanging cloud. Soarin looked at Flash and asked, "So... you want to see if we can really control the weather?"

Flash laughed, "I thought you'd never ask!" Then he bucked the cloud, which shot a bolt of lightning down toward the ground below.

"Whoa! How did you do that so easily? Did you remember how?" Soarin questioned.

"Nope, but I've seen Rainbow Dash do it in the show often enough that I figured it out," Flash replied gleefully.

"You're a brony? Funny, I never would have taken you for one..."

"Irony and I were both bronies, before this all happened anyway. I guess now you could say we're ponies instead of bronies!"

Soarin just shook his head at the silly pun, "Sheesh. That was terrible. Come on, just show me how you did that."

They spent the next hour bucking the clouds, learning how to consistently produce lightning, and how to make them rain when they wanted, instead. It came naturally to them both. After they had those simple tasks mastered, Flash said to Soarin, "Hey, I've been wanting to try something..."

"What's that?"

"Just watch, I want to see if I can do it," Flash replied, facing the edge of a cloud. Then, instead of bucking the cloud with his hind legs, he rammed his front hooves into the vapor as hard as he could, bringing them together just as he connected with the cloud. There was a clap of thunder, but no flash of lightning.

Flash turned to Soarin, and Soarin could see the electricity arcing between Flash's hooves as he exulted, "I did it! I fucking did it!"

Without warning, the electricity exploded out from Flash's hooves, only narrowly missing Soarin as it passed by, raising his mane to stand on end.

"Watch it!" Soarin yelled.

"Oops... sorry Soarin!" Flash apologized in chagrin.

"What the hell was that?!" Soarin cried.

Flash was grinning to beat the band, "That, my friend, is my special talent! I can control lightning! Hot damn!"

"Yeah, well, next time control it somewhere not so near my damn head! It's gonna take me forever to make my mane lie down flat, now," Soarin complained.

Not long after that, they turned toward home to get a start on searching for ponies. They spent the next several hours searching the wonderful World Wide Web. They slowly gathered some small bits of information, but nothing concrete.

In the early afternoon, Soarin received a phone call from Lightning Dust. He left shortly after, saying she'd requested his help with a performance. Flash nodded, and stayed behind to continue the search. He hadn't made much headway when Soarin returned, about an hour later.

Once Soarin was back in the driver's seat of the search, he started putting the bits and pieces together, and came up with a surprising find: two possible ponies in Cody, Wyoming, really not all that far away. Soarin constructed an e-mail that gave a detailed description of the change, hoping to convince them that they were for real, not a hoax. He sent it off, along with directions for how to get in contact with Lightning Dust.

"Now all we can do is wait and see if they respond..." he said as he turned back to the computer.

A short while later, Dust stumbled in with a dazed look on her face. Soarin leapt out of his chair, "Dust, what's wrong?" he asked.

Dust didn't answer, instead she made her way to a cupboard and nosed it open. She snaked her head inside and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels. Silently, she set it down and worked the cap off, then took the neck in her mouth and tilted her head back, pouring a large slug of the whiskey down her throat before setting it down again.

Soarin and Flash watched the spectacle in shock. Finally Flash was able to speak, "Hard day at work?"

Dust gave a mirthless laugh, "You could say that, I guess."

"What happened?" Soarin asked again.

"There was... an incident," Dust sighed.

"What kind of incident? Was somebody hurt?" came from Flash.

"Yeah, you could say that," Dust broke down in tears. She grabbed hold of the whiskey bottle again and took another long pull.

"One of the guys who quit, Victor was his name, was turning into a pony," she continued finally. The male pegasi listened without saying a word, knowing that the rest of the news couldn't be good. "He killed himself today. Just hung himself. He wouldn't let me help him!"

Dust screamed out her anger and sadness, curled into a ball, clutching the alcohol to her like it was her last lifeline to sanity. Tears streamed down her muzzle, dripping onto the floor in a flood. Flash and Soarin knelt next to her, wrapping their wings around her in comfort. Nothing else was said for a time as all three pegasi wept at the loss of a pony.

Dust's wife, Helen, found them piled together like that an hour later when she arrived home with their kids in tow. Seeing that there was definitely something wrong, she hustled them off to their rooms with orders to do their homework and get ready for bed, having already fed them dinner.

Once they were seen to, she knelt next to the ponies and asked what was wrong. Soarin explained to her about Victor, then Helen stood and retrieved four glasses and another bottle of liquor. She set them on the table and poured out four glasses, then motioned for the three pegasi to join her.

Once they were all seated at the table, she lifted her glass in a salute, "To a fallen pony comrade."

The others lifted their tumblers with their wings, echoing her sentiments, and they all drank. She refilled their cups and it was Soarin's turn, "To ponies everywhere!"

Again their glasses were filled, Flash gave the toast this time, "To family and friends!"

Dust's turn came, she lifted her head, fire in her eyes, "To revenge!"

After that, they drank solemnly until, hours later, all four of them stumbled off to their respective beds. Without exception, they soon passed out from their indulgence and slept the restless sleep of insobriety.

* * *

Flash woke with a pounding headache, Oh sweet Celestia that hurts!

He stumbled into the bathroom, looked in the toilet, and promptly lost the entire contents of his stomach. Oh buck, that's nasty, he thought, rinsing his mouth at the sink before drinking as much water as he could hold from the tap. He flushed the offal down the toilet and exited the bathroom, where he saw Soarin practically fall through his bedroom door on his own way to be sick. Flash was quick to make way, knowing exactly what the other pegasus was going through.

We all drank too much last night, he realized, though he noticed that Dust, Helen and the kids were all gone already. Flash shook his head, That mare must have the constitution of a... well, of a horse!

He waited for Soarin to come out of the restroom, then they made their way outside, neither of them having the stomach for breakfast. They slowly limbered up before they began their morning flight.

Due to their respective hangovers, they kept the flight short, just enough to get their blood pumping. Then it was back to searching for ponies on the web. Helen, who seemed to be weathering her own hangover rather well, checked on them from time to time.

After a couple of hours, Helen came in again and told the two pegasi that Dust had called, requesting they meet her at the office of Lightning Electric, Dust's electrical contracting company. A short drive later and they were meeting up with Dust, who made introductions to two new ponies.

One was an earth pony, who's fur was the almost-purple color of a Bing cherry, a jet black mane, and a box of cherries cutie mark. Dust introduced her as Louis, mentioning in an aside that they didn't know her pony name yet.

The other pony was a unicorn. She had a very familiar cutie mark. It looked like Pinkie Pie's three balloons, but Flash noticed that they were different colors than Pinkie's, purple, pink and red, instead of yellow and blue. She had a magenta coat of fur, and her mane was poufy just like Pinkie's, but it was pure white. Dust introduced her as Mindy, noting that she remembered Mindy from Equestria, and that Mindy was indeed her pony name.

Flash immediately noticed two things he deemed important: one, that Mindy's personality definitely seemed to be quite a bit like Pinkie Pie was portrayed in the show; two, and, more importantly, that Soarin had the hots for her.

Oh, I am going to give him sooo much shit! Serves him right for treating me like a raw recruit the other day! Flash chuckled quietly to himself.

Once the introductions were over, Dust said, "I actually asked you to join me for more than just introductions to our new friends here. I was able to buy a farm for us to base our operations from, and I wanted everypony to see it with me."

This announcement brought an enthusiastic shout from Flash and Soarin. Soon they were all loaded into one of the work trucks and making their way out to the new property. Mindy talked non-stop to the ponies the entire drive out. Flash elbowed Soarin at one point, smirking at his friend because he was listening so intently to Mindy that he didn't notice that Flash had called his name twice. Soarin blushed at Flash's grin, realizing he'd been caught red-hoofed, staring.

"Well, we're here!" Helen exclaimed, and all five ponies stared out the windows at the massive farm with looks of pure amazement on their faces.

They all poured out of the truck and split up to see different aspects of the property. Mindy and Louis headed off in one direction, while Helen and Lightning Dust walked toward the house to inspect it. Flash and Soarin raced each other toward the out-buildings.

When they arrived at the barn, Flash grinned at Soarin and said, "So. How about that unicorn?" eliciting another blush from the blue pegasus.

Flash fell to the ground, chortling at how red his friend had become. It took him a few minutes before he could regain his composure while Soarin glared at him. When he could finally breathe again, Flash said, "Oh, dude, you've got it bad, don't you?"

Soarin grumbled, flushing brighter in response. Then he sat down, rubbed his hoof through his mane in embarrassment and replied, "She's beautiful!"

"Well, she's no Trixie, but she is kinda cute," Flash said, smiling at his friend.

"She's way beyond cute. She's the most beautiful mare I've ever seen!" Soarin sighed.

"That's not saying a lot dude, you've seen a whopping three mares now. And one of them is your sister, or at least was," Flash laughed.

"You know what I mean!"

"Yeah, I guess I do. I feel the same way about Sherry," Flash ruffled his wings as he thought of his girlfriend. "So... you gonna ask her out?"

"What? No! I mean, she just got here! And she just turned into a pony... and she used to be a guy! Won't she think it's weird?" Soarin rambled.

Flash laughed at the other pegasus, "Dude, you just turned into a pony yourself. And you used to be a girl! It's not weird. You should totally ask her out!"

"What if she says no?"

"What if she says yes? If you don't ask, then she can't say yes!"

"Of course I'll go out with you, silly Billy!" came a female voice from behind the two pegasi. They both jumped as if they'd been shot and spun in place to see the unicorn in question bounding toward them.

"Were you listening to us?" Flash asked the magenta unicorn as Soarin tried to hide in his shadow.

"Listening to what? I just got here!" Mindy replied as she bounced in place.

"Never mind. So, are you saying you like Soarin here?"

"Sure I do! After all, he's pretty scrumptious looking!" Mindy added a little spin to her bounce, which made Flash a bit dizzy just watching her.

"Will you go for a walk with me this evening?" Soarin managed to croak out after Flash nudged him. Hard.

Mindy bounced forward and booped him on the nose, "Okie Dokey Loki! Pick you up at eight!" and she flitted off, as she hummed to herself.

"Well my friend, that is one interesting mare you've got your heart set on," Flash chuckled. Soarin just stared after the departing unicorn, his head in the clouds.

* * *

"So, how'd it go?" Flash nudged Soarin later that evening, after Soarin finally returned from his date with Mindy.

Soarin flushed a bright red underneath his light blue coat, which gave him a purple cast to his features. "It didn't go so well," he finally replied after a few moments.

"What happened?!"

"Erm... welllll... Everything was going fine until I decided to show off," Soarin covered his eyes with his hooves, lying flat on the ground.

"Dude, you didn't!"

"Oh yeah, I did. I wanted to impress her so badly. I took off and did a few stunts, which would have been fine, I suppose. But of course, I just had to push my luck," he groaned.

"So... you bombed it?" Flash asked, resting a hoof on his friend's shoulder in commiseration.

"Oh, I wish I had just bombed it. I wish I had just messed up the stunt. Nope. I wanted to show her how fast I could pull out of a dive."

"Well, you're not injured, so it couldn't have been all that bad."

"Oh, physically I'm fine. I shouldn't be, though. Fortunately, or unfortunately, really, the massive mound of manure broke my fall."

"No!"

"Oh yes. It was the most epic fail I've suffered in two lifetimes! Right in front of the mare of my dreams, too. I'm never going to live this down," Soarin lamented.

"Maybe it's not all that bad..."

"Oh, it gets better. She was rolling on the ground, laughing her ass off! And she didn't stop laughing until after she'd helped me get cleaned up. I'm so humiliated!" Soarin wailed.

"It'll be okay. You just watch and see," Flash reassured him.

* * *

The next morning Soarin woke Flash up before anyone but Dust was up. Dust had already left for work, but the others were all still asleep.

"Wanna go for a morning flight?" the blue pegasus asked.

"You know I do! But, don't you want to wait to see anypony else before we go?" Flash replied.

"Nah, let's just head out," Soarin said, rubbing the back of his head with a hoof bashfully. Flash just shrugged at his friends reticence, and then they took to the sky.

They spent the morning practicing their control of the clouds and weather. Their motions started out clumsy: dissipating clouds when they tried to make it rain, blasting the ground with lightning when they tried to gather some smaller clouds into a bigger one, scattering clouds when they tried to dissipate them.

After a couple of hours, they were able to get the motions down, and could, reliably: start or stop a rainstorm, create a cloudbank, and dissipate clouds without causing any accidental electrical discharges. Once they had that all figured out, they started competing to see who could hit a target the most, with lightning. It was a pretty even tie, at least until Lightning Flash lived up to his cutie mark, gathering bolts between his front hooves and directing them with incredible accuracy.

"Damn, that could come in handy," Soarin commented after the fifth boulder Flash destroyed.

"You'd think so, but it failed me when we needed it most," Flash sighed, flapping his wings to take him away from the cloud he'd been using to create his bolts.

Soarin followed, "It's not your fault, Flash. Discord defeated everypony that he came up against, including the Princesses, and all six Elements of Harmony! We didn't stand much of a chance."

"I know, I know, but it still bothers me. Every day, I think about it, and it makes me angry and sad every time I do," Flash bemoaned.

Before Soarin could respond, his phone chirped, signaling that he'd gotten a text. He glanced briefly at the offending device, "Dust just texted me, she's asking us to join her at the house to watch that Equestria Girls movie. She thinks it might provide some information."

"No thanks, I've already seen it," Flash tried to beg off.

"Hey, you may have seen it, but we still might be able to learn something. And you, being a brony, might be able to shed some light on things. You know a lot more about the show, and the fandom, than either Dust or I. Please?" Soarin reminded him.

"Okay, I'll come watch it with you guys," Flash relented.

* * *

Watching the movie hadn't gained them much.

They'd arrived just after it started, and joined the other three ponies without a word. Soarin sat down next to Flash, seemingly as far away from the other ponies as he could get.

Or is it just as far away from Mindy as he can get? Flash realized. He glanced at Soarin, then over at the magenta pony. She was looking their way, a curious look on her face. Soarin, you're an idiot. She's crazy for you. Of course, maybe she's just crazy... Flash chuckled to himself.

After the movie was over, Dust insisted that the portal existed, that the story was true. Mindy and the other pony, who had also been bronies before all this went down, insisted it was just a money grab by Hasbro. Flash thought that maybe the true answer was somewhere in the middle.

Dust immediately went to research the school, but found nothing useful on the internet. After that, she returned to work, leaving them to watch the second movie without her.

Flash pulled Soarin aside, "Dude, what are you doing? You can't just ignore Mindy; you're going to hurt her feelings! Just because you humiliated yourself doesn't mean that she's lost interest. Maybe it'll just be a funny story you tell your grandkids someday. Get over there and ask her out again!"

"But--"

"No buts! You're still interested in her, right? Then get over there and ask her out!" Flash admonished his friend, nudging him toward his prospective paramour.

Soarin stumbled a few steps, then face-planted in front of Mindy.

"Hi Soarin! How come you haven't asked me out again? Do you not like me or something? Or are you just weirded out that we're both different genders than we used to be? Or are you just humiliated about your awesome stunt yesterday?" Mindy shot out, not once pausing for breath.

"Err... the last one," Soarin managed to whisper.

"Oh you silly stallion you're so cute and you made me laugh and that makes me happy! In case you couldn'ttellIlovelaughing!" her words ran closer and closer together.

"Would you..."

"Liketogooutwithyouagain? OfcourseIwould! Tomorrow? Can't tomorrow, going to be busy rescuing somepony! Nightaftertomorrowatseven!" Mindy finally stopped for a second to breathe.

"What--?" Soarin started to ask, but got a hoof over his mouth from Mindy's friend, who turned out to be Cherry Punch.

"Don't ask. It isn't wise to question her. Even when we were human she did that sometimes. Just trust that what she says is true," Cherry Punch whispered into Soarin's ear.

"Okayyy... day after tomorrow at seven, then?" he asked Mindy, she nodded vigorously, then bounced away, Cherry following in her wake.

"That was interesting, to say the least," Flash chuckled, as he looked at Soarin's gobsmacked face.

* * *

"Flash!" he heard his name reverberate throughout the house as Dust slammed through the door.

"Something wrong?" he asked Dust, when he found her running through the house. She was shaking, and Flash could see there were unshed tears in her eyes.

"You could say that. And these problems were wearing Federal badges!" she replied.

"Well Fuck!" Flash stated succinctly, as his eyes widened in shock.

"Yeah, my sentiments exactly. I'm going to e-mail my dad to see if he can help. You were a Marine, right? Do you still know anyone still in the service, someone who can help us get the FBI off our asses?" she asked.

Flash shook his head, "I don't think so, though I suppose Irony might. She was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, after all. It's possible she could have some pull."

"Call her."

"I can't!"

"Call her!"

"You don't understand! I can't. I didn't leave on good terms. I said things I shouldn't have."

Dust shoved her muzzle right up in his face and shouted, "Everything that we are trying to do could be destroyed by this! We have to have help, now! We can't wait!"

Then she shrank in on herself, her voice dropping to almost a whisper, "Please, Flash. I need you to try."

Flash's head dropped in shame, his ears flat against his head, "Okay. I know how important this is. I'll do it."

He walked up to his room and returned a few moments later with his phone. He connected it to the charger, "It's been dead since you guys came to get me. I don't have any idea what's been happening the last few days."

He powered the phone on, looked at Dust sadly, then used a stylus to dial.

"Hello, Irony? It's Flash..."

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

*Author's Note: *

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moon Shadow's dreams were troubled. She had always remembered her dreams, even when she was human, but now they were a lot more vivid. And, she had learned, some were more important than others.

Upon entering the dream, she quickly realized that it was no ordinary dream, and yet it wasn't the Dream World. This Dream had importance. She watched it unfold, instinctually knowing that she would be able to recall every detail when she woke.

She saw Irony appear out of the fog. With her was a much smaller pony, though the size of the other pony was all that could be seen, as Shadow's vision was clouded when she tried to gaze upon it.

She felt a pang of jealousy flush through her when the pony leaned against Irony, and she turned her head to kiss the other pony on the muzzle lovingly. The jealousy dissipated, however, when Moon Shadow saw herself excitedly trot up to the pair. She watched as her dream-self nuzzled the new pony and kissed Irony. The trio then faded away.

Another Dream began almost immediately.

Out of darkness there appeared a pegasus. Once again, Shadow could see few details, beyond that it was, indeed, a pegasus. The pony trotted forward along a clearly defined path, seeming to know it's way very well, until it came upon a split. At the fork in the trail, Shadow saw Irony standing proudly. The pegasus sat back on its haunches, frowning as it hesitated.

Suddenly, the paths lit up for Moon Shadow to see. Down one, she saw Irony lying flat on the ground, crying in defeat, her heart crushed. The pegasus soldiered on, though something in its bearing told Shadow that it would never be the same again. She saw herself, with tears falling freely down her face from some fierce sadness, caused by what, she could not tell. Beyond that, there was a great emptiness.

The other path was much longer, but it was also littered with death. Along the way, there were many dead ponies, though interspersed amongst them were ponies that were instead bathed in a halo of light, almost like a bright white aura. There was a great battle, hard-fought, but won. The victory, however, was tainted by a great angst.

Further along that path, she could see the pegasus plodding, with its head down. Every step the pegasus took changed it. Shadow could see bruises form, then open wounds, and finally, scars. Then it began to heal, moving with less pain, standing taller.

Her attention was drawn away from the pegasus, to a point further down that path. Her eyes widened and she gasped in shock at what she saw there.

At the very end of what Shadow could readily see, stood the same pegasus, battered and scarred, forlorn. And something that made Moon Shadow's blood run like ice through her veins: Irony's broken body, her blood spilled all around. She lay there alone, with none to aid her.

"No. No! NOOO!!" screamed Moon Shadow, her heart shattered. Sobbing, she fled the dream, but not before she saw that there was more to be seen beyond that awful vision, fogged though it was. She paid it little attention as she ran, trying to evade the truth of the Dream she'd just been witness to.

* * *

Moon Shadow stopped running when she finally realized that she had successfully escaped the horrifying nightmare. She fell into a heap and, laying her head on her hooves, cried until she ran out of tears.

Oh my dear Irony, why is your life destined to be so full of pain and suffering? she thought to herself as she lay there. Is it not enough that you had your first love murdered, before your very eyes? Or that you were ripped away from your own world, your own time, and even had your gender forcibly changed? Not to mention you were then banished from the new world, which you'd only just become accustomed to, to live once again as a human? It isn't right that you have had to suffer so, and will face even worse in the future, no matter which path your hooves are set upon!

Having finally calmed herself, Shadow looked around her. She soon realized that she had run from her own Dream, and into the World of Dreams.

Going to have to be more careful. I could get myself killed, she reprimanded herself lightly, knowing that anything that happened in the World of Dreams was completely real. If she died there, that was it, she would really cease to exist.

She regained her hooves, shaking off her sadness and fear as she did so, and began to slowly walk, her eyes searching every direction for danger, as though she could make up for her lapse with extra vigilance. She'd been practicing ever since she remembered that she had the ability to Dreamwalk. She still didn't have a lot of memories to go off of, so she had been surviving mostly by being cautious, listening to her instincts, and getting lucky.

She knew it wasn't wise to rely on luck, but she felt a pressing need to continue to learn, no matter the dangers she would face. Her foremost goal, after making it out alive, of course, was to find a way back to Equestria. She felt, deep in her soul, that they would be needed there, sooner rather than later.

That was, in fact, the reason she had sought out the Dream this night. Though, instead of the World of Dreams, she'd found herself watching visions of the future.

Now that she had recovered from the ordeal, Shadow decided it was time to return to her true purpose. Earlier in the day, she had remembered a fragment of a lesson with Princess Luna. What she remembered, was that if the need were great enough, that you could find something you'd never seen before, by focusing on what you were looking for, closing your eyes, and taking a leap of faith. This was a dangerous way to seek something, because of the necessity of closing your eyes while you stepped into a completely unknown situation. One wrong step would be her doom.

Shadow had decided that the need was, indeed, great enough. If they didn't find a way home, they would be stuck on Earth forever, with no real purpose other than survival. That was something that didn't bear thinking about.

She stopped walking, turned in a circle to ensure she was alone and clear of danger, then closed her eyes and focused on her need to find a way home, a way to Equestria. Once that was firmly in her mind, she took the blind step. The world shifted around her, which caused a lurch in her stomach, then she quickly opened her eyes and peered around in every direction, prepared to run or fight if she saw anything at all that seemed dangerous.

When she was certain that it was safe, she took a moment to better catalog her surroundings. What she saw didn't make much sense to her at all. There was a crappy looking little shed, surrounded by a field of grass, several larger buildings in the background. Her attention kept being drawn to the shed, even though it didn't seem to be of any worth.

Maybe I didn't do it right? she considered briefly. She closed her eyes and, concentrating more intently on her goal, stepped blindly. When she looked once again, all she found was that she was even closer to the dilapidated little out-building.

Okaaay... whatever I'm looking for, it must be in there, she realized. She stepped up to the door and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. That's odd... She visualized the door open instead of closed, trying to control it as she would anything else in the World of Dreams, but it remained steadfastly shut. She turned around and bucked the door in frustration when that failed, but it didn't even shake in its frame.

"What the hell?" Moon Shadow said aloud in frustration. Whatever is in there must be very powerful. Maybe it really is the way back home. But, if it is... then where the heck is this place?

Shadow paced around the building, building its shape in her mind so that she could find it again. Then she retreated a ways to see if she could find any indication as to just where in the world this phenomenon was.

No matter where she looked, she couldn't find any sign at all that would give her a clue. She ranged further out, but all she found was a river nearby. There were no other telling landmarks. After a time of searching, she finally gave up and walked back to the shack. Or tried to. When she returned to where the building had stood, she found nothing. Not an empty field, not a different building, but nothing at all. She spun on her hooves and found that the nothing was everywhere now. Everything that she had seen, only moments ago, was simply gone. She stood alone, surrounded by emptiness.

What...?

Shadow closed her eyes, having decided to try to reach the shack through her need again. When she took a step forward, it was like she ran muzzle first into a brick wall. She opened her eyes to see she was still surrounded by the nothing. A shiver ran down her spine, and she decided it was time to leave.

She sidestepped out of the World of Dreams, feeling relieved to be away from the exceedingly odd scene. She floated in the void, surrounded by pinpricks of light, the space between dreams.

I need to find Irony and tell her about this, she decided. She envisioned her lover in her mind, expecting her dream to come forth, but it didn't. Which led Shadow to one conclusion. She must not be asleep. Which means she's probably in her shop again, working at her forge.

Shadow sighed. The last several days had seen Irony closeted in her shop more and more. It was like she was driven by whatever she was working on. Whenever asked what the project was, she simply replied 'I have no idea... yet'.

Shadow and Trixie had both completed their transformations, but were still trying to get used to their new bodies. They'd spent a lot of time working on magic together, with some interesting results, but Shadow would have rather spent that time with Irony instead.

Trixie spent her nights crying herself to sleep. It was blatantly obvious to everypony that she was missing, and worried, about Jim, though she tried not to show it. Whenever the crying became too severe, Irony would carry her into their room and the three of them would cuddle in a pony pile to help comfort her. Usually, in the middle of the night, Trixie would extricate herself and return to her room. Shadow had noticed that, while nowhere near as obnoxious as she was portrayed in the show, that Trixie was a proud pony, and a scared one too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moon Shadow opened her eyes and, as expected, found herself huddled alone in the big bed. She levered herself out from under the covers and off the bed, then quietly trotted down the hall and out the door to the yard. Just as she knew she would, she heard the sound of a hammer striking hot steel as it reverberated from Irony's shop.

The moment she stepped through the door, she stopped dead in her tracks. She was treated to the sight of her lover; the midnight mare's form was bathed in a flickering orange luminescence as she gazed lovingly upon the steel rod as she applied the hellish fury of the forge fire.

Shadow watched in awe as the bipedal mare swung the glowing steel over to the anvil, a hammer having appeared in her hand almost like it had been magicked there. The inert implement seemed to take on a life all its own as it was swung over her head in a broad stroke. The hardened steel sang out in triumph when it imparted the force of the blow to the fiery bar of metal, throwing out an explosion of sparks in every direction.

Before Shadow could even fully register the sound that was emitted, the hammer was beginning its next arc, smiting the steel again, and again.

Moon Shadow was mesmerized by the scene before her. She watched, silently soaking up the sheer primal beauty that exuded from the love of her life. It took several minutes of watching before she realized that Irony was singing softly as she worked:

"Come little children

I'll take thee away, into a land

of Enchantment

Come little children

the time's come to play

here in my garden

of Shadows

Follow sweet children

I'll show thee the way

through all the pain and

the Sorrows

Weep not poor children

for life is this way

murdering beauty and

Passions

Hush now dear children

it must be this way

to weary of life and

Deceptions

Rest now my children

for soon we'll away

into the calm and

the Quiet

Come little children

I'll take thee away, into a land

of Enchantment

Come little children

the time's come to play

here in my garden

of Shadows"

As the song came to a close, so too did the ringing of the steel. Irony held up the piece, inspecting it critically, before setting it next to several other similar pieces. Then she looked up and smiled at Shadow.

"I thought I felt somepony come in, but I was in the zone..." she said sheepishly.

"It's okay, I know how you work. Besides, it was amazing to watch you. I never thought about it before, but I've never actually seen you in the creative process. It was... magical!" Shadow gushed. Irony blushed fiercely at the compliment.

"Yeah, well, I just wish I knew what it is that I'm making. I have a pretty good idea of how it will all go together, but... still don't have a clue what it is," Irony shrugged her massive shoulders.

"Hmmm..." Shadow studied the separate parts, a picture forming in her minds eye of what they would look like when attached, "I think... I think they're wing-blades."

Confusion was evident in Irony's eyes, "What are wing-blades?"

"You know, a weapon that a pegasus wears on their wings. They're pretty deadly."

"How do you know what wing-blades are?" Irony asked, bewildered.

"I'm not sure, just a memory popping to the surface, I guess," she replied with a shrug. "What's more interesting, is that they have to be custom-fit for every pegasus, otherwise they won't fold right, and will impede the pegasus' ability to fly. It makes me wonder whom you could be making them for."

Irony shrugged, "Well, maybe we'll meet this pegasus someday. I bet they'll fit somepony, eventually."

"Maybe sooner than you can imagine," Shadow muttered, her mind drifting to her dreams again.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing. Are you going to come back to bed now?" Moon Shadow asked, changing the subject. She had decided that she didn't want to cause her love grief, and there was nothing they could do about her dreams right then anyway.

"I suppose I should," Irony replied as she stifled a yawn.

* * *

"That's great, Trixie! It's like my gaze slides right past you. You're not actually invisible, just not worth noticing to my mind. How difficult is it to maintain?" Moon Shadow complimented her companion as she popped back into existence before her.

"Trixie finds the spell only mildly draining, though she would be remisce if she didn't point out that all it would take is a bit of concentration on somepony's part to see through it," the pale blue unicorn replied modestly, though she was practically glowing from the praise.

"Still, it seems pretty useful, and you could hold it for much longer than the Mask of Mirrors I was trying before," Shadow said, thinking of the illusion spell she'd been practicing. It was actually very effective at making a pony invisible. She had practiced bending the light around herself, and while it worked exactly as she wanted, it took a lot of concentration. That made it difficult to use for more than a few moments at a time. Trixie's spell seemed tailor-made for more practical applications.

"Trixie is certain she could use it for extended periods of time without too much effort," Trixie grinned.

"Great, at least we won't cause any accidents on the freeway just by driving."

"Oh good, then maybe I won't have to go shopping by myself anymore," said Dr. Ray as he appeared around the corner of the house, laden with grocery sacks. "Think you two can give me a hand with the rest of this stuff?"

"The Great, and Extremely Helpful, Trixie would gladly give you a hand. If only she still had any," the unicorn laughed.

Ray cocked his eyebrow in her direction, "I don't know which should irritate me more: the talking in third person about yourself, the self-aggrandizement, or that horrible joke!" He cracked a smile at the end to take the sting out of his words, though Trixie's ears wilted a bit just the same.

"Sorry. Tri-- I'll go get the rest," Trixie replied as she trudged around the corner.

Moon Shadow smacked the Doc upside the back of his head with her magic, "Be nice to her! She's trying really hard to tone things down! A lot of her personality can't be helped, not to mention how upset she is that Flash is still gone!"

"I was just teasing her," he replied as he rubbed the sore spot on his head.

"You should go tell her that. She could really use our friendship right now, okay?"

Ray nodded, put the bags in the house and went in search of Trixie, while Shadow saw to putting things away using her horn.

He found her leaned against the side of his pickup, sobbing quietly. He immediately knelt down beside her and took her into his arms, "I'm sorry, Trixie. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I don't intend to be a schmuck, it just comes naturally."

Trixie laid her head on his shoulder, letting the tears flow down her muzzle and onto his shirt, "Trixie knows you were only trying to jest. She just can't seem to control her emotions right now. Trixie is still sorry about our last shopping trip together. She tries hard to control herself, but it does not work. Please don't hate her."

"Don't think that. I couldn't hate you. Trixie is a good pony. I consider you my friend," Ray soothed her as he stroked a hand through her mane.

"Thank you. Trixie thinks of you as her friend too," she murmured, wiping her eyes with a fetlock.

"How about we work together to get these last bags?" Ray suggested, smiling at the pale-blue unicorn.

Trixie nodded, smiled a small smile, then surrounded all the bags with her magical aura. She lifted them and started walking toward the house, "Come on, slow-poke," she called back to the stunned human.

As they came around to the back, they saw Irony exit her shop and lift her arms above her head, stretching out her back. The midnight-blue mare waved at them, smiling as she did so. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, her phone started to ring. Without looking at the screen, she held the device to her ear, answering it, "Hello?" just as Moon Shadow exited the house again.

A moment later they all heard her gasp, "Flash?!"

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Hello?" I say into the phone, having answered without really thinking about it. I've been in my shop most of the day, working on those wing-blades without stopping. A sense of urgency fills me every time I put them down to work on something else. It's strange, but I have learned to listen to my instincts.

"Irony? It's Flash," came through the phone in an unfamiliar voice.

"Flash?!" I gasp, realizing it's my brother.

"Yeah... Look, before I say anything else, I wanted to tell you how super-mega sorry I am for what I said when I left. I'm an asshole, and I was freaking out, but that's no excuse. Can you ever forgive me?" he pleads, and I can hear tears in his voice.

"Flash, I love you, and you'll always be my brother. I forgave you before you even made it to your truck. We all did. We just want you home with us again," I tell him, trying to convey how much I care for him in my voice.

"Are... are you certain? I've been so worried. I was beyond horrible. I thought you would all hate me for sure. Wait, what about Sherry? How do I talk to her about this? I just left. Oh, Irony, what am I going to do?" he was starting to spin up.

"Flash, calm yourself down. It's okay, I promise. Trixie forgave you, too. She just misses you. She's been lonely and afraid without you," I try to comfort him.

"Is she still staying there with you? Wait, you called her Trixie! She's changed too?"

"Yeah, your girlfriend is now the 'Great and Powerful' Trixie."

"Damn it all, I-- I wish I'd called sooner. I am such an idiot! Dust tried to convince me to call days ago, but I was too afraid. I'm so sorry," I shook my head to myself as he fell all over himself apologizing again.

"Hey! Stop apologizing, okay? Like I said, all is forgiven. And I do mean all, so stop worrying. Just come home to us. How far away are you, anyway?"

"Yeah, about that... I can't come home yet. Actually, we kinda need your help with something..." he says, worry plain in his voice now.

"What's your problem bro? Is it serious? You know that if it's within my power, I'd do anything for you," I reply, trying to remain upbeat. I figure he wouldn't be asking right now if it weren't serious, I only hope that it is something I can help with.

"Weeeellll..." he trails off, evidently not sure how to put it.

"So, I take it that it's pretty serious then. On a scale of one to ten, just how serious is it? And don't you dare say 'eleven', okay?"

"Erm... probably a solid nine, at least to those of us here."

"Who is this 'us', where is 'here', and what's the problem? It's time for you to level with me, okay?" I ask, slightly annoyed at his reticence.

"Okay. I've met some other ponies. I don't think you ever met my friend from college, Maddie, but, well... she and her brother are both ponies now. Soarin and Lightning Dust, respectively. And we have two other ponies that have shown up, Mindy and Cherry Punch."

"Cherry Punch? Don't you mean Berry Punch?" I interrupt.

"No, I mean Cherry Punch, but that doesn't matter right now. What does matter, is the federal agents that came today to try to shut us down!" his voice hits a higher octave at the last.

"Whoa, back up for a second! Shut what down? Why do you have federal agents bothering you?" I ask, confused.

"Sorry, I guess I skipped ahead. Lightning Dust owns her own electrical contractor company, and bought a large farm. She's trying to set up a sanctuary for all the ponies that are transforming. She thinks there will be a lot more, and after talking to her and Soarin, I'd have to agree."

"It's good to know that we're not alone, I guess. Though, that means that Discord was a very busy Lord of Chaos. Damn. Okay, so let me make sure I understand you. This Lightning Dust wants to save all of us ponies, but now the government wants to stop her. Is that the gist of things?" I ask, pretty sure I have the right picture, and that I know what they need from me.

"Not quite, but close enough for government work. They actually wanted to take Dust in for questioning, mostly because she's refused to hide who she is. I don't think they would have let her go afterward, either. She's really shaken up right now," his excitement level is rising rapidly.

"Simmer down now. Now I think I've got the picture, I guess you can put the crayons away. I'm assuming that you're hoping I can use what pull I may have to fix things, right?"

"Pretty much. Is there anything you can do? Do you know anybody who can help?" he asks, and I can tell that he's hopeful, but also afraid too.

I think for a moment before I respond, "I just might have a big enough favor owed me to at least get someone to listen. I'll see what I can do, then get back in contact with you, okay?"

"Please hurry, if you can, I don't think it will be more than a day or two before they come back," he pleads.

"Don't worry, I should know before tomorrow morning. Okay, I'll talk to you soon."

"Thank you, Irony. Tell Trixie I love her, please?"

"I will. She loves you too," I say before hanging up.

I look around, I have an audience, two ponies and a human have been listening to my conversation, not that I can blame them. "So, you guys all heard what's going on?"

Moon Shadow and Trixie nod. Trixie, whispering, asks, "Is he okay? D-- did he ask about Tr-- me?"

I kneel down next to her, wrap my arms around her neck, and speak softly into her ear, "Flash sends his love. I could tell he misses you greatly. You are his biggest concern."

Tears drip down her muzzle as she smiles up at me, mouthing the words 'he loves me' over and over. I simply smile down at her and nod.

Standing up, I address everypony again, "Okay, I have a small op I need to plan. A war buddy I know owes me a favor. I have the beginning of a solution in my mind, but it won't be exactly easy to convince him that I am the one he owes the favor to. Ray, as much as I hate to see you go, I think it would be best if you returned home. At least for now. Things could get a bit dicey, tonight and later, and I would much rather there was no link to you."

The Doc starts to speak in protest, but I cut him off with a wave of my hand, "Please, just do it for me? I couldn't bear the thought of your life being ruined because of something I did, okay?" He nods in assent, though I can see his stubbornness in the set of his jaw as he turns to go pack his few belongings.

Turning back to the two unicorns, I ask them, "What I'm planning to do might be a little dangerous, though I'm hoping to avoid any actual conflict. Would you be willing to join me as my backup?" They both nod and respond in the affirmative. "Thank you. Let me grab a couple of things, then we'll leave immediately."

On my way to my room I meet Dr. Ray. I pull him into a hug, then kiss him gently, "No matter what, I won't ever forget you my friend. I hope that we will be reunited under happy circumstances soon. Please, take care of yourself."

His grip on me tightens, then he pulls me into another kiss. My eyes close as I enjoy the all too brief contact. "I wish we could do more, but I sense your urgency. Thank you for everything," he whispers to me as we part. I nod to him, too choked up at our parting to speak.

I continue to my room, pulling a duffel from my closet. I grab a few items I hope I don't need, and stuff them inside. I change into a set of camo fatigues that are slightly baggy on me now, pull on my new boots, and lace them up.

I open my safe, and pull out the P90 SMG I'd taken as a souvenir from the chop shop gang. Oh, sweet Celestia, I hope I don't need this. If I do, then things are sooo fucked. I tuck it into the duffel too, then I am trotting down the hall to the garage. The girls are already inside, the engine is running, and we're ready to go.

As we peel out of the driveway, me behind the wheel, I wave to Ray. Soon we are merging onto the freeway.

"Trixie, are you ready to try out your new spell?" Moon Shadow asks the other unicorn.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is always ready to help!" she replies, her horn suddenly alight with a pale-purple magical aura. As far as I can see, nothing is happening. I turn a questioning eye to Shadow.

"Trixie is making us a little less conspicuous. She discovered a spell that makes others see us as the most boring thing around, their minds don't even want to register that they're seeing us," she replies.

"What if someone runs into us because they can't see us?" I ask, only slightly worried.

"Trixie has already thought of this. She has cast the spell to only affect the inside of this vehicle. The rest of the car can be seen, though it should seem unimportant," she happily volunteers.

"Excellent work, Trixie," I compliment her. She blushes slightly.

* * *

We arrive at our destination a little bit before sunset. I park about a quarter of a mile away, then continue on foot alone to scope out my old 'friend's' house. I choose to go solo to reduce the risk of being spotted, against Moon Shadow's and Trixie's expressed disapprovals.

Won't Bob be surprised at how I look now... I quietly chuckle as I stalk along. We haven't spoken in a long time, mostly due to the fact that we were never really friends. There was never any bad blood or anything, but he'd pretty much avoided me completely after the incident. I think he was afraid to talk to me. Afraid I'd decide to not keep his secret anymore.

Or, more likely, his dad was afraid I'd spill the beans, so he ordered Bob to stay away. Wouldn't want to ruin his daddy's career advancement, after all, I ponder, taking up position to watch the empty house. Bob lives in a small, secluded, single story house in the back-country. He doesn't have any neighbors close, which I'm sure is just the way he likes it.

I hunker down as the shadows lengthen and start to pool together. I'm hoping he won't be out late, though I am more than prepared to stake the place out all night, if necessary. I've warned the others that this part could take a while. I plan to text them every 15 minutes, and have told them not to worry unless I miss two in a row.

I'm just finishing an apple, core and all, when I feel my phone vibrate. The sun has gone completely down, leaving a purple hue to the horizon. With the trees that surround the area, it is already mostly dark. I shield my phone as I check the screen, not wanting the light to give me away. As I suspected, it's a text from Shadow telling me they've seen headlights headed my direction. I send them a quick acknowledgement, then prepare to accost my former squad-mate.

With anybody else, I could have just e-mailed or texted to arrange a meeting, then proven who I used to be. But, nooo, not with Bob. Of course, the bastard has to be off the grid, no phone, no computer. And he's so damn paranoid, I have to ambush him instead of knocking on the door... I sigh, really hating what I'm about to do. I honestly don't want to scare the shit out of him, but I don't have a whole lot of choice in the matter.

I watch as the aforementioned car comes down the drive, pulling up to the front of the house. It's an old beater, some 90s model Taurus that I don't recognize. The door opens, but there's no illumination from inside, so I can't make out who it is.

Well, this is it. I sure as hell hope it's him, or this... I cut the thought off, moving from concealment to grab him from behind. I snake my left arm around his throat and catch hold of his right wrist with my other hand. I twist the arm up behind his back, forcing him down to his knees at the same time.

"Don't even think about it," I growl into his ear, squeezing his throat a little tighter. His left hand slowly draws the knife I saw sheathed at his side, then drops it. I kick it away, then loosen the hold on his throat in response, but maintain my grip on his wrist.

"Who the fuck are you? What the fuck do you want?" he spits out.

"Now, very slowly, pull that 1911 I know you've got and toss it into the trees."

"Why the hell would I do that? Either you're here to kill me, so I should keep it; or you're not, in which case I won't need to use it. Which is it?" he calmly asks.

I laugh, "You haven't changed, have you Bob? Always to the point. Though, I have to admit, you remaining calm is new. Okay, I'm not here to hurt you, so I'll let you go. But we need to talk."

I release him, backing away a couple steps, raising my hands to show that I'm unarmed.

"Who are you?" he says with a slight tremor to his voice, looking up at me, trying to see my face in the darkness.

"Bob, I'm hurt. You don't recognize my voice? I suppose it was a bit deeper the last time you heard it."

He stares at me, confused, trying to pierce the darkness to see my face. I shake my head, chuckling, "Seeing my face wouldn't help you. I don't look the same anymore, either. You knew me as Henry."

He barks out a cynical laugh. "Yeah, sure, pull the other one. You may be one damned big chick, but you're a chick all the same. Don't know why you'd think I'd fall for that. Guess you think I'm pretty dumb," the last word came out as a yell as he dove at me, catching me around the waist with his arm, his aim to throw me over his shoulder.

Unfortunately, for him, he'd judged me by human standards. His shoulder hit me true, but his momentum was stopped cold. Before he could recover, I took hold of the back of his shirt and lifted him up to eye level, "Are you done? I am Henry, and I can prove it."

I set him back on the ground, though I don't release him, "I know your secret."

"Hah, nice try, but you don't know a damn thing," he retorts.

"Oh, really? So, I don't know how you almost killed your entire squad? How it was your grenade in the foxhole that day, not the enemy's?" I ask him, my voice harsh.

He's trembling, obviously shaken by that revelation, "H-- how do you know about that? Who told you? Nobody knows, except my father and H--"

"Henry. That's right. Like I said, it's me Bob."

"No way. Either Henry told you, or somebody else knew about it," he tries to reassure himself.

"I never told anyone, and nobody else even suspected. I'm assuming neither you, nor your dad, would ever tell anyone either. Tell your old man I said thanks for the medal, by the way. Really glad I didn't die," I snort.

His shoulders slump, "Henry would never have told you. He swore to me that he'd keep it secret, and he never, ever, went back on his word. I know he never even told his brother. So, I have to assume that you are telling the truth, then. Are you sure you're Henry? I just can't believe he'd ever have a sex-change..."

His statement catches me by surprise, and I start laughing; a good, deep, belly-laugh. When I'm finally able to speak, I say, "Damn, I don't remember you being so funny. Yeah, I'm sure of who I am. I didn't exactly choose to have a sex-change, thank you very much. I enjoyed my life as a man very much, thank you. No, this was forced on me, though I have come to accept it, I guess."

"What? You were forced to have a sex-change operation? That is seriously fucked up!"

"Not exactly. Can we take this inside? There's a lot more to explain, and you're going to want to sit down for most of it," I quietly ask him.

"Huh? Oh, sure. Come on in," he replies.

"Hold up, I need to call in some friends that you need to meet," I say, dialing my phone.  He stops and listens as I call Moon Shadow. The conversation is brief, she confirms that they are on their way.

"Who exactly are these friends of yours?" Bob asks me nervously.

"One is my girlfriend; the other is Jim's girlfriend. They were my backup, just in case this didn't go well here."

"Okay, now I'm really convinced you're Henry. You always had a backup plan, just in case. They must be impressive ladies for you to trust them with your back," he compliments.

I nod, "They are indeed."

I turn to watch as my beloved 442 comes rolling up, with the love of my life and the Great and Powerful Trixie inside. The headlights illuminate us as it draws closer. I hear a loud gasp from behind me, and turn back just in time to see Bob level his 1911 .45 caliber pistol at me.

"What in the name of sweet Jesus happened to you, Henry?" he asks, his hands shaking so bad I don't think he could hit me if he had to. Though, that just means he is likely to hit Shadow or Trixie by accident if he fires, so I put my hands behind my head.

I see a green aura wrap around the gun, then it is yanked out of Bob's hand. He stares at it with a look of pure terror on his face. Moon Shadow screams from behind me, "How dare you point that at my Irony!"

The pistol crumples into a perfect sphere of metal, then the aura of magic engulfs Bob as well. She lifts him off the ground. In the glow the headlights have thrown, I can see urine leak out the bottom of his pant-leg, and onto the ground.

"Moon Shadow! That's enough!" I call to her.

"But, he was going to shoot you!" she roars.

"No, he wouldn't have. It just startled him when he saw my face, I'm sure. Isn't that right, Bob?" I turn to the floating human. He nods quickly, whites showing all around his eyes. "Please, let him go."

Moon Shadow sighs, "Fine, I'll put him down." She releases her magic while he's still in the air, dropping him down onto his knees with a loud thump.

"So sorry about all of this, Bob," I say as I lean down to help him up. He has a thousand-yard-stare in his eyes. Oops, I think we broke him...

I help him up the steps to his front door, retrieve his keys from his pocket, and open the door. Leaving Trixie and Shadow in the living room, I sit him down on a chair in his kitchen, then find a glass, and fill it with water. I help him take a few sips, he seems to be coming around.

"Henry? What the hell happened to you? What just happened? Can you use telekinesis? Was it some kind of government experimental program?" I put a hand over his mouth to stop the flow of words.

"No, it wasn't a government experiment. It's a long story, which I'll gladly share with you, but first, I need to know if you can handle another shock right now?"

"I... I think so. I mean, as long as it's not bad..." he replies, looking into my magenta eyes with something akin to awe on his face.

"Okay, here goes nothing. Girls, would you come in here please?" I call to the other room. They come around the corner slowly; Moon Shadow glares fiercely at Bob, a frown on her face. He scoots back in his chair, trying to climb the back of it.

"Wh-- what?" he sputters.

"Bob, I'd like you to meet Moon Shadow," I point, "and Trixie," I point again. "Moon Shadow is my marefriend, and Trixie is Jim's. That really isn't enough introduction for either of them, but it'll have to do for now." They both nod in greeting.

"They... they're... what are they? What are you?" he asks. I can see his brain trying to make the connection, and failing miserably.

"Bob, stay with me now. I'll explain everything, but you need to remain calm, okay?"

He looks up at me, I can see him working desperately to pull himself back together. Slowly, he has a measure of success. He blinks several times in quick succession, then speaks, "I think I'm going to be okay now. Just, no more surprises like that, okay? I have no idea what's going on here, but it's obviously weird as fuck. I'm not dead, am I?"

"No, you're not dead. And you're not dreaming, either. This is all very real," I say gently to him.

"Okay, so what is going on? Where did you come from?" he snaps his mouth shut, realizing he needs to let me answer before spewing out more questions.

"Well, it sort of all happened like this..." and I proceed to give him a Cliff's Notes version of what has happened to all of us.

"That is a truly fantastic story. If you weren't standing here in front of me, there is no way on earth that I'd believe it. But it has to be true. You're living, breathing proof!" he states in wonderment after I have finished the tale.

"I'm glad you believe me," I say, "because I need your help."

"What can I do to help you?" he asks, perplexed.

So I explain to him about the farm in Montana.

"But, how am I going to help you with that? It's not like I have any kind of power, you know."

"You don't, but your dad does," I say, my words heavy with meaning.

"Yeah, so my dad's a 4-star. He could probably help, but why would he?" he asks me.

"Bob, was it your idea, or your dad's, to make up that story about what happened with the grenade?" I ask him, hoping like hell I'm right. Bob wouldn't have wanted to lie, I'm sure of it.

He squirms in his seat, which confirms my thoughts before he even speaks.

"The General thought it wouldn't look good for a U.S. Marine to have lost control of his own grenade. And... since you didn't die..." he trails off, shrugging his shoulders sheepishly.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. So, here's the deal: I don't want to out you, but your dad doesn't know that. He'll know that even a rumor to that effect would hurt his reputation. I need him to arrange for our protection, and for the farm to be a sanctuary. Will you call him for me?"

Bob nods, then says, "For you, I will gladly do it. You were willing to throw yourself on that grenade, even though you must have already known that I was the one who dropped it. You would have died for me, for all of us. You know, even though my dad gave you that medal hoping to shut you up, you really did earn it. And, I know you didn't need bribing to keep it secret. Thank you for that, too."

I grip his shoulder in a silent thanks, and hand him my phone. He quickly taps out a number, and spends the next hour talking to his father, the General.

* * *

Bob finally hangs up, "Okay, my dad is seriously pissed, but has conceded to your demands. He knows that if even a whiff of this gets out, it'll destroy his chance of becoming Secretary of Defense. The official word should go out on the wire today, by 0900. You have your sanctuary, but you'll have to find ponies yourself. The government is refusing to acknowledge what they're calling 'The Pony Problem' publicly. They're also not going to release any they may, or may not, have in custody."

I open my muzzle to speak, but he holds up a finger, "That point is non-negotiable, according to him. And he wants something in return. The FBI gets to interview, and do what he termed 'non-invasive' medical examinations on all three pony races. As well as a demonstration of each of their abilities."

"Damn, he drives a hard bargain, but it's better than I'd hoped for. I just hope it's enough. Thank you for your help," I say in reply.

We discuss a few more minor details, but in the end it all comes down to us getting what we want, at a relatively low cost.

I dial a familiar number, "Hey, Flash, I've got good news..."

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

I toss the last duffel into the trunk of the 442, then slam the lid shut. I take one last stroll through the house, ensuring that everything is secured. We have no idea how long we'll be gone, so we packed anything we thought we'd need, and now I'm closing the house up.

Once again, I'm traipsing into the unknown. What have you gotten us into this time, Flash? I sigh. I've locked everything up, I even went so far as to hide most of my tools. I only wish I could take more of them with me, but we can fit just so much in the car.

I guess I should be thankful that we don't need to take much in the way of clothes. Well, except for me... I sigh again. My newly acquired fashion sense balks whenever I think about what little I packed for myself. Most of it is military fatigues, with holes cut in the seats of the pants for my tail. They're baggy on my humanoid frame, but have the added benefit of fitting me when I'm down on all fours, too.

I open the door to climb in the car... suddenly I'm overwhelmed with a nagging need to go back to my shop. I try to ignore it, but the urge just intensifies. I grit my teeth, slam the door hard, and march to the locked door. Grumbling to myself about how silly I'm being, I unlock the door, step inside, and look around. Okay, so... now what? I ask myself. Nothing comes to me. I throw my hands up in frustration. I turn to storm out, when my eyes fall on my project shelf. My eyes widen in recognition. Of course...

A strange feeling comes over me... slowly, almost in sacred awe, I pick up the jointed pieces of metal that I've been working so hard on recently. What Shadow told me were called 'Wing-Blades'. I hold them reverently...

I shake my head suddenly, clearing away the mental cobwebs that seem to have formed. What the hell was that? I look down at the object in my hands. Why am I holding these? I shrug, but take them with me when I leave. I re-lock the door to the shop, make my way back to the car, open the trunk, and put the wing-blades inside. Slamming the trunk again, I slip into the front seat, and start the engine.

"What was that all about?" Moon Shadow asks me.

"I'm not really sure," I answer, backing the car down the drive. Soon, we're on the Interstate, headed to the far side of Montana. Into the unknown.

* * *

"I guess we'd better stop for gas," I comment, looking down at the little red needle, which is now pointing firmly toward 'E', on the fuel gauge.

"Oh, thank heavens, Trixie is quite famished! Can we get some of those mini-donuts and a Squishee?" the light blue unicorn asks of me.

"Sure. Anything for you, Shadow?" I ask my marefriend, as I pull the muscle car up to the pumps.

"Nothing for me, thank you," she replies.

I shut down the throbbing power-plant, open my door, and step out to the life-giving, petroleum dispensing, receptacle and begin fueling. As I unlimber the nozzle from the car, I hear a gasp from behind me. I turn toward the voice, and see a woman backing away, slowly. Her mouth keeps opening and closing, much like a fish gasping for breath.

Her finger raises to point at me, and she finally regains the use of her voice, "M-M-Monster!" She spins on her heel, running as she screams. Her cries draw the attention of several other nearby people.

"What the fuck is that?!" I hear from more than once throat.

I drop the fueling spigot, and dive into the car. I turn the key in the ignition, and say a silent prayer of thanks to Celestia when the engine turns over on the first crank of the starter. The tires lay down a long strip of rubber as I peel out onto the adjoining street, racing toward the Interstate once again.

"What the hell happened?!" I ask the car at large.

"Trixie is so sorry! She lost her concentration on her spell when she started thinking about food. I am sooo sorry, Irony!" the unicorn wails, in abject apology.

"It's okay, Trixie, it's okay. We're safe, no one is following us, so it's fine," I try to calm her down.

"There were a couple of people taking pictures with their phones, but I took care of that," Moon Shadow supplied. "I destroyed their phones, as well as the video system at the gas station."

"Good thinking, babe, though it might have been a bit extreme," I say, glancing at her.

"It seemed like the right thing to do at the time."

"Dear Celestia, I hope we don't have any more scares like that," I state, wiping nervous sweat from my brow. I hear my hope fervently echoed from both of my passengers.

* * *

Following Flash's instructions, we pull into the drive of a large farmhouse just as the sun is setting. I shut down the engine, and lean my head against the steering wheel for a moment, before opening my door. I stumble out of the car, falling to my knees with my head in my hands. I shift forms, so that I'm sitting on my haunches, my head now cradled in my front hooves. My hooves drop to the ground, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"That is much better," I say to nopony in particular, glad to be rid of the headache that is the side-effect of maintaining my bipedal form overly long.

"Are you okay, Irony?" I hear Trixie ask me, as Moon Shadow leans against me, comfortingly.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just pushed a little longer than I should have," I reply, shaking my head and standing up.

"Love, you've always been too stubborn for your own good," Shadow nudges my side in reproach.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on, let's go meet everypony," I say, leaning in to kiss her gently before traipsing up to the porch.

Before I can even get all four hooves onto the porch, the door opens and a light comes on, illuminating our little party. A compact pegasus, with turquoise fur and two-tone blonde mane, hovers in the doorway. She floats there, checking us out, while I can't take my eyes off her.

The pegasus speaks, but I miss it entirely, I'm staring so hard. Finally, Moon Shadow nudges me. I look at her, blushing like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Thank Celestia for my dark fur, I sure hope she didn't notice. Shadow nods her head toward the door, indicating we should follow the pegasus. She has a mischievous smirk on her muzzle. Guess she noticed... I can feel my face getting even warmer.

We follow her into the kitchen. She introduces herself to us as Lightning Dust, then hovers around, checking us out some more. I catch myself staring again, and look away.

I hear her hooves hit the floor, notice her wings are fully spread, and hear her say under her breath, "Damn, talk about a sexy gal!"

Snorting, I respond, "That's pegasi for you, heads always either in the clouds, or rolling down the gutter."

"Mostly in the clouds, big girl," she replies, making a visible effort to control her wings, and failing. Moon Shadow laughs at us, and I turn crimson again. She mutters something else, but it's too low for me to make out this time.

Using a wing, Lightning Dust points for us to sit down at the kitchen table. We all take a seat, and are shortly joined by Flash and three other ponies. The others are introduced as Mindy, a unicorn; Cherry Punch, an earth pony; and Soarin, a pegasus I recognize from the show.

Lightning Dust calls us all to order, then drops a bombshell on us, "The United States Government has imprisoned ponies. This is unacceptable! We're going to go get them, but we'll have to leave soon, so that we can get to Billings well before sunrise. I want to hit them before dawn, when security will be at its lowest."

I look around the table. The only surprised faces are mine, Trixie's, and Moon Shadow's. I glare daggers at Flash, he obviously knew about this, and failed to mention it. He's doing his best to avoid my gaze, evidently finding something very interesting about the tabletop in front of him.

Lightning Dust continues, "This will have to be a quick smash-and-grab. I've done some practicing with my power, and I can consistently make a lightning bolt at will, though I've not been able to make time-displacement bolts yet."

Lightning bolts? Time-displacement bolts? She's a pegasus! What in the world is she going on about?! And she wants to do a frontal assault of an FBI office? Is she completely insane?

Lightning Dust has continued on, I've missed most of it, but it doesn't matter. "No," I state, firmly.

She looks at me, "What?"

"I said 'No', Lightning Dust," I answer.

"Dust will do, since we have two Lightnings here," she says.

"Fine, Dust then," I grit out. Is she purposefully missing the point here? "I said 'No'."

"No... to what, exactly?"

"Your entire plan. It's incredibly, colossally, stupid!"

Dust sighs loudly. Then she says, "If it's so stupid, then maybe you can come up with something better, Miss Guard Leader to Princess Sparkle!"

I stare her down until I see her wings wilt a bit, then say, "Dust, we're talking about the FBI here. Do you know what is the FBI's version of SWAT? It's called HRT, as in 'Hostage Rescue and Tactics'. Many police departments send their SWAT agents to them to get trained. They will kick your team's ass. This isn't some kind of video game, and I, for one, don't feel like being a bullet-sponge. I'm an earth pony, and with the armor I have, I know I could absorb a lot without dying, but attempting things your way would be tantamount to suicide!" I slam my hoof down on the table, leaving a deep impression in the hard surface.

"Well, fine, if direct action won't work, then what? We can't use stealth! In case you hadn't noticed, we're all ponies! The humans will just lock us up if they see us," Dust replies in a bit of a huff.

"We'll have to be smart, Dust. You made it all the way to the Canterlot performance team of the Wonderbolts. You don't get that far just by being good on your wings. Use that brain of yours, come up with something!" I reply, a tad testily.

"You're the guard leader here, you come up with something!" she almost shouts back at me.

I shake my head, "You don't want my plan. I'd call the whole thing off! Breaking into a fortified installation without any kind of advanced weaponry, no diversion, and no way to hide ourselves, will make it a fool's errand."

Now it's her turn to slam a hoof down onto the table, marring it in a similar manner, impressing me with her strength, "That is unacceptable! They are our ponies! They belong with us, not locked up!"

I give her a hard look, "Then what is your plan?"

She stops, and through her eyes I can see her mind working furiously on the problem. She looks around the table at us, and I swear she has an 'Aha!' moment. I half expect her to shout 'Eureka!' Her muzzle forms itself into a most disturbing grin. She turns to Mindy and says, "I've got it! Mindy, how would you like to get captured by the FBI?

Mindy looks at her, confused, "That doesn't sound like very much fun."

Dust's grin widens, "Oh, trust me, this will be very fun indeed."

Mindy shrugs, and giggles, "Then count me in!"

Dust proceeds to explain her plan to us, and I have to admit that it's pretty ingenious. She ends the conversation with, "Okay, Irony, Mindy, and I are going to head out."

Flash jumps in with, "Hey, Trixie and I should go, too!"

Before we can respond, Trixie speaks up, "Oh no, not I. Trixie has been maintaining that spell all day, and is exhausted. She needs her rest, but Flash should go with you. It's always good to have an extra pair of wings available." Flash looks crestfallen. I'm sure he was hoping to have some time with her.

"Spell?" Lightning Dust asks.

"Oh, just a little misdirection spell. The Great and Powerful Trixie simply made the interior of the car so uninteresting, that no one's gaze would be able to focus on us. We are ponies after all, and a pony driving a car would definitely have caused a sensation, and most likely several accidents. I used the spell to mask all of us," Trixie replies, smiling.

Dust whistles in appreciation, "That is a great idea!"

There's some small talk after that, but not a lot. Lightning Dust hops off her bench, seeming to finally be able to close her wings, which have been flared open the entire time we've been discussing the mission. She brushes up against me on her way by, causing an electric jolt to shiver its way down my spine. Then she flicks her tail up into my face, giving me an incredible view of her glistening nethers. I can't take my eyes off them as she continues into the living room, a big grin plastered on her muzzle.

"Love, you need to roll your tongue back up, and put your eyeballs back in their sockets," Shadow whispers into my ear, with a titter of laughter.

I can feel my face burst into flame anew. Oh, damn, I'm such a dirty slut! I'm more lecherous as a pony than I ever was as a man! I hang my head in shame. "Sorry," I whisper. She just smiles at me, then follows the turquoise pegasus into the living room. I sit there for a moment, trying to get a little control of myself. I feel a slippery sensation between my legs, and realize that I've been oozing since I first laid eyes on Dust. Sweet Celestia, what will Shadow think of me?!

I finally decide that I can't put it off any longer, and head into the other room as well. I enter the room just in time to hear Dust finish a phone conversation. She turns to me, and says, "My truck is outside, we can take it. Mindy knows how to drive stick with her magic."

I smile smugly, "Nah, let's take my car."

She wiggles her eyebrows at me, "So soon? We only just met, and you can't wait to get me in the back seat?"

She laughs as I turn red, again! "No, no, it's not like that!" I insist. "It's just that I have an awesome car, and it'll outrun any of those diesel monstrosities you have out there."

"Yeah, and my wings will smoke whatever car you have, but we need to be able to take everypony."

"There'll be plenty of room for all of us, Dust. It's a 1970 Olds 442."

She looks thoughtful for a moment, then shrugs her wings and leads the way outside. She turns to the magenta unicorn, "Can you handle that, Mindy?"

Before she can answer, I say, "No need." Then I concentrate. I feel my shape change, my perspective shifts higher, and a dull ache settles in behind my eyes. Not long enough out of this form, but I'll manage, I tell myself. I turn to Dust, and it's my turn to grin at her, because her wings have shot out to the sides again. Aha, wing-boner... guess that much of the fanfiction is true!

I hear Mindy say something to Dust about anthro-ponies, as I open the driver-side door. I push the seat forward to let Mindy and Flash into the backseat. Dust opts to skip the door altogether, simply jumping through the open window of the passenger-side. I slip in behind the wheel, crank the starter, and say, "Let's make some miles."

* * *

Other than Mindy taking over my stereo at one point, it's been an uneventful trip, which I'm thankful for. The pain behind my eyes has ratcheted up a notch, but is still bearable. The speedometer hasn't dropped below 120 since I first hit that speed, and the Olds seems to be loving it. It's almost like she is alive, and being opened up like this is feeding her soul.

I love this beautiful machine. I have an intimate connection with her. I've personally installed every bolt, every instrument, and every piece of wire in her. I spent the last five years of my life putting every spare moment, and dollar, into reviving this sexy monster.

I remember when I first saw you, I think to my car, you were a sad, broken frame, with a few scraps of sheet metal hanging off of you. But, I could see your beauty. Immediately, I could envision you complete. They warned me how much it would take to restore you to your former glory.

When I started rebuilding, there were a couple of collectors who'd tried to buy her from me. I'd steadfastly refused to sell. And then I really pissed them off... Instead of doing a restoration, and making her original, I'd done my best to upgrade her with more modern parts, while keeping true to what I saw as her story.

My musings are interrupted by Lightning Dust rolling down her window. She says, "I'm going to fly," and jumps out the window, spreading her wings to catch the air.

"What the fuck is she thinking?!" I scream, cranking my head over to watch her keep pace with us for a moment. "We're going over 120 miles per hour!" I shout, hearing pride and excitement in my own voice at her ability. She picks up her pace, and leads us along the highway for the next hour, or so.

"Shit!" I say with feeling. I've just noticed the flashing red-and-blue lights of a cruiser behind us. I hear a tap on my window, and look over to see Dust keeping pace with us.

I lower the window, and she says, "Keep going, I'll handle this!"

I nod, and keep an eye on her in the rear-view as she falls behind us. I watch as she lands on the cruiser's hood. The cop slams on the brakes, fish-tailing to a stop. I begin slowing down, then remembering what Dust said, I hit the gas again. Before long, I lose sight of Dust and the cruiser, as they fade into the distance.

A few moments later, Dust is pacing us again on the passenger side. I open the window, and she gracefully slips in through the window, plopping into the seat with an excited grin on her muzzle. "And, the problem is no more!" she exclaims with a flourish, turning her grin at me. She takes a couple of moments to describe how she disabled the officer, and put in a call for assistance so that she wouldn't lay there unconscious all night.

"What were you thinking? You know they're going to go ape-shit now, don't you?" I berate her.

She shrugs her wings, "Better than having them go to extreme measures to end a high-speed chase! I had to stop them quickly, or more cars would have joined in the chase! As it is, they're going to go to the downed officer. She may have trouble walking for a while, but she'll be fine. In the mean-time, she won't be making our lives any harder."

I sigh loudly, rubbing my eyes as I let off the accelerator. We coast down to the speed-limit of 75. "We're getting close, we need to be at least a little stealthy," I explain.

Dust replies, "I want to save these ponies. That is my only concern."

* * *

I shake my head gently, as I watch the last of the 19 ponies we've rescued get into the van that Dust has arranged. She has one of her employees driving it. She quietly assures me that he's a trustworthy human. I simply nod at her words. I'm distracted by the things I've heard the ponies saying as they load into the waiting vehicle. It seems they've been brainwashed into believing that their transformation is due to some kind of virus. They are all convinced that they're going to be cured eventually. How can they be so blind? I just hope we can help them to see the truth. I snort a little laugh, Unless, of course, we're the ones who are fooling ourselves.

The rescue went off way easier than we'd planned. Dust, Flash, and I hadn't even had to do anything. The plan called for us to create a distraction, so that Mindy could teleport the ponies out of the holding cells without being seen, after allowing herself to be 'caught'.

We never even had a chance to do anything. An air-raid siren had gone off, completely distracting all of the humans. At first, we'd thought we were caught before we'd begun, but instead, we watched as the federal building emptied out, black SUVs barreling down the road in the opposite direction out of town.

After that, the escape had been a piece of cake. Mindy teleported all of the ponies in one fell swoop, something I consider pretty damn amazing!

Mindy and Flash follow the rescued ponies into the van. Dust tells me that they're going to accompany the rescuees back to the farm, giving them our cover story on the way. Dust and I climb into my car, and start toward her home.

* * *

"You're pretty quiet," Dust says, breaking the silence. We've been on the road for about 45 minutes, with more than three hours still ahead of us.

I glance over at her, "Sorry, guess I've been lost in thought."

She waits a few minutes for me to elaborate, then finally asks, "So... what are you thinking about?"

You mean, other than how I really want to stop this car and do deliciously naughty things to you? I squeeze my thighs together, and shake my head, to help dislodge that thought. Slowly I answer, "I guess I'm just trying to understand how all of those ponies could so easily ignore their dreams. I immediately felt like they were a window into what was happening. Though, maybe it's different for them. I've been dreaming about Discord my whole life."

"Wait, what?!" she turns toward me, her face full of shock.

"What?" I ask, glancing at her.

"Run that by me again. The part where you've been dreaming about Discord your whole life..."

"You know, I'm sure you've had the dream, right? The one where Discord banishes you?" I have to fight the urge to look into her eyes, keeping them on the road.

"Yeah, I've had that dream, but only since my birthday. Before that I didn't know anything at all about ponies, or little girl cartoons. I was a 35 year old man, for Christ's sake!" she replies.

"Whoa... I... I've been having this dream ever since I can remember. Every year on my birthday, and more than once when I was faced with a tough decision in my life. I dreamt about it every night for two weeks when I was trying to decide if I wanted to join the Marines," I continue, describing my dream to her in great detail. She sits silently, her jaw dropped open, and listens until I finish my tale.

"Holy cow! I can't imagine having a dream like that as a little kid. What did your parents think about it?"

"I never told anyone. Not even Flash. Not until the changes started happening. You're the first pony beyond Flash, Trixie, and Moon Shadow that I've told about it."

"I... feel honored that you would share that with me, then," Dust says quietly after a minute.

"It feels good to share it with somepony who understands. Speaking of which, how much do you remember?"

"Not a lot. Not yet, anyway. I keep getting small bits and pieces, sometimes even a whole memory, but not nearly enough. You?"

"I don't remember much at all of Equestria, beyond my arrival there," I mutter, lost in the one memory that is complete.

"You remember being born? Are you serious?! That is so cool!" Dust exclaims, bouncing in her seat excitedly.

"Huh? What? Oh, no, I don't remember being born. I doubt anypony could remember that," I reply, confused.

"But, you just said you remember arriving in Equestria!" she almost shouts.

"I..." I trail off, trying to show only a poker face.

"Hold on! No way!" now Dust is turned in her seat, completely facing me. I don't know how, but she looks confused and excited at the same time. "What are you saying?"

"Nothing," I state, staring intently out the windshield at the road.

"No, not nothing. You can't let something this big slip and expect me to just leave it alone! Please?" she gives me the most adorable puppy dog eyes, and I find my resolve crumbling.

"I..." I sigh, "fine, I give up. Flash trusts you, so I guess I can too." I pause for a moment to gather myself, "I... I'm not Equestrian. At least, not originally." I glance over at her. Her jaw is resting on her chest, her mouth wide open in shock.

I continue, "I was human, here on earth, and was accidentally summoned to Equestria by Twilight, not all that long after she became a Princess."

"Holy Fuck!" Dust yells. "Are you shitting me?"

I glance at her, and can't help but grin at the look on her muzzle.

She bursts into giggles, "Damn, you really had me going there for a moment!"

"Oh, that's all true. I have two full sets of memories of growing up on earth to prove it," I say, all mirth gone from my voice.

"Wow..." she trails off, staring at me in disbelief. She finally regains her composure, "That is so unbelievable, but I can't figure out why you'd lie about it, either. So, I'm assuming that you're telling the truth. This is so freaking crazy!"

"Tell me about it," I sigh again.

"So, tell me more. Like, how old were you when you went to Equestria? What was it like growing up in, what, the seventies? Or would it be the sixties? I bet that was interesting!"

I raise a hand to cut off the flow of her words, "I was 24, or 25, when Twilight's spell brought me to Equestria. I don't really know for sure, that's just a rough estimate. Age was a little less important in those days, I guess..."

"What do you mean? How can you not know exactly how old you were? Did you live under a rock, or something?" she grills me.

"Yeah, or something," a tear rolls down my cheek, though I'm fighting it.

"I'm sorry, Irony. I didn't mean to bring up something hard. You don't have to tell me anything; you don't owe me your story. I'm sorry I pried... I always stick my hoof in it..." she trails off, shrinking in on herself.

I reach out a hand, brushing it along her muzzle, then down her neck to her shoulder. Why did I just do that? That seems rather intimate... I push the thought aside, then speak slowly, quietly, "It's ok Dust, you didn't know, and maybe it'll help you understand what kind of pony I am."

I pause, give her a watery smile, and continue, "I was born in Savannah, Georgia, in the year 1827..." I tell my entire sad tale with her, leaving nothing out. It surprises me how good it feels to share it with the turquoise mare. I find the few questions she asks to be refreshing, rather than annoying. For some reason, I feel like I can trust her, like she's the right pony to expose my past to.

We talk the rest of the way back to her home, quietly. She shares her past with me, too. Even telling me about things she wasn't proud of about herself. By the time we arrive, I feel that I know this pegasus very well indeed. For some reason this fills my heart with warmth. The same kind of warmth that fills me when I think of Moon Shadow...

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I wake up to a nuzzle from Moon Shadow, having immediately passed out beside her sleeping form when I came to our shared room this morning. She whispers into my ear, "Wake up, sleepy-head. It's time for you to rejoin the land of the living."

"Ugh," I groan in reply, cracking one eye to glare at her. She just laughs at my ineffective look.

"So... how'd it go?" she asks me, a mischievous smile playing at her lips.

"Fine," I answer, a tad groggy still. "Actually, a lot easier than anticipated. It was almost anti-climactic."

"Oh, I know all about the mission. That's not what I'm talking about," she smirks.

"Huh? Then what do you mean?" I ask, my confused mind refusing to process.

She licks her lips lasciviously, "How about your drive back with Lightning Dust? Just the two of you?"

"I-- it... it was fine," I stammer, turning noticeably red.

"Uh-huh. So, fine is the only word you have to describe a four hour drive, with just the two of you? What did you two talk about?"

"We talked some, mostly about our pasts. She's rather easy to talk to..." I trail off, smiling slightly as I think about Dust.

"Is talking all that went on?" she teases me.

"Y-y-yes. I swear!" I sputter. She starts laughing uproariously at me.

"You should see your face right now! You've always been such an easy mark!"

Shaking my head, I transform and pull on a pair of camo coveralls. "I noticed something off about the 442 this morning when we pulled in, but I was too tired to investigate. I'd better go check it out now," I mutter, fleeing the bedroom with my tail quite literally tucked between my legs. Her laughter follows me all the way down the stairs, and out the front door.

As I cross the front porch, I notice Flash basking in the afternoon sun. I catch his eyes with mine, then motion with my head for him to follow me. He catches my meaning, slowly gets to his hooves, and trails behind me.

At the car, I gesture for him to take a seat, while I get the small toolbox that I brought along with me. I pop the hood, and bend to the task of finding the problem I'd heard on the return trip.

After a few minutes, Flash has finally screwed up his courage enough to speak, "So... Hi."

"Hello."

"Irony... I'm sorry. About everything," he hangs his head.

"I told you before, everything has been forgiven. I love you, little bro, so let's not rehash this again. Why don't we talk about something new, instead?"

"Like what?" he asks, confused.

"Well, why don't you tell me about our host?"

"You mean Dust? What do you want to know about her?"

"Just tell me what you know."

"Dust is pretty great. She was a man before this all went down, just like you. Her wife has been really supportive, and her kids are pretty cool, too.

"Wait, she has kids? Wow, that has to be tough on them. How old are they?"

"Her son, Dylan, is 15, and Hannah is 10. They--"

"Hold on a sec. Her kids are 15 and 10? How the hell is that possible? We were all banished for 25 years, which means that everypony turning back is 25. Something's not adding up here," I interrupt, dropping a wrench as I turn a questioning look at him.

"Yeah, well, when she was human, she was 35, not 25 like the rest of us."

"Now that you mention it, she said something about being 35 last night, but I didn't make the connection. How in the fuck did that happen?"

"You remember she mentioned her time-displacement bolts?

"I do. I just chalked that up to her being a bit nuts," I say, twirling a finger around my ear in the universal sign for crazy.

"Well, she's not. She could really cast them, back in Equestria. They make anything they hit phase out of time. Whatever it is disappears, never to be seen again.

"Where does it go?"

"I don't know. I don't think anypony knows. They just go away. Forever."

"What, like in that Jack Black movie, Envy? Like his spray, Vapoo-Rize? That is weird as hell!"

"Yeah, kinda, but hey, they work. That's all I really know about them. As for why she was 35, that I was actually witness to. She charged up her power for a massive blast, but when she unleashed it, Discord's curse mingled with her magic, then hit her. The only thing we've been able to figure is that the two magics combined, and changed her curse from 25 to 35 years, but also made her be born 10 years earlier than the rest of us."

"Damn, and I already thought this situation was fucked up. I guess hers is even moreso than ours," I say, shaking my head a little sadly.

"DINNER!" we hear yelled from the front door, interrupting our thoughts.

Flash jumps to his hooves and is off like a shot. He always did hate to be late to a meal, I laugh, then hurry to follow him. We go inside and take turns washing up, then sit down at the table with Dust, her wife, and their kids. Moon Shadow sits next to me, and I pull her into a side-hug.

I glance over at Dust's plate and notice she has a steak on it, something I used to enjoy very much, but now fills me with disdain.

She catches me looking, and asks, "Problem?"

"Meat? Are you serious?" I say, shaking my head.

"Well, sure! We've found that pegasi can eat meat without any problems, and I always loved it as a human," she replies.

"I loved it too, but I can't eat it at all anymore," I lament.

Smirking at me, she leans down and takes a bite of the meat her son has just finished cutting up for her. A grimace spreads across her muzzle, and she finally spits the meat back onto her plate.

"What the hell?" she cries, taking another bite, shortly spitting it out with the same look of distaste on her face. I can't help but return the smirk she was so recently giving me.

"I had a chicken sandwich just the other day, and it was fine!" she turns to her son, "What kind of steak is this?"

Looking confused, Dylan answers, "It's beef. Should I have done something else?"

She shakes her head, then gingerly sniffs her steak. By the look on her face, I don't think it smells very good to her at all. Her ears wilt, "This sucks!"

"Tell me about it. I had the same reaction when I realized I would never eat bacon again," I commiserate with her.

"So, chicken, fish, and venison don't bother you, but this beef steak does?" Helen asks, quizzically. She takes a bite of the steak off Dust's plate and pops it into her mouth, "Nothing wrong with it, honey."

I can see Dust thinking for a moment, slowly she replies, "In the show, cows can talk, but chickens and fish can't... maybe it has to do with their sentience? Like we wouldn't eat other people here? At least, most wouldn't..."

* * *

I turn back to the car, slip behind the wheel, and crank the engine. She roars to life. I lever myself out the door and stand over the engine once more. I listen carefully, I still hear something off. I reach in to adjust the carb a little more, and suddenly she's back to growling like a tigress on the prowl. I smile to myself, realizing that when I was human I wouldn't have heard the problem until it had gotten worse. We ponies really do have it better than humans, I chuckle to myself.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie demands to know what is so funny!" Trixie expounds, leaning against my side. I drop a hand to her shoulder, smiling at her over-acting.

Glancing over at Flash, I notice him grimacing, "Something wrong, Flash?"

He shakes his head, a little too vigorously to be believable, "N- n- no nothing's wrong."

I shrug, "Okay, well, I'm done here. She's purring like a kitten now." I reach in to turn the car off, then spin on my heel and head back toward the house. "Either of you coming?"

"No, Trixie is going to stay here and talk to Lightning Flash," the pale blue unicorn states.

I look back at Flash in time to see his ears wilt at her tone. Guess not everything is perfect yet.

"Suit yourselves," I guess it's time to face Moon Shadow, and admit to her what I've been feeling toward Dust... I hope she can forgive me. I really, really wish I understood why that mare is having such an effect on me.

I drop down to all fours on the way up to the room that Shadow and I are sharing. Every step takes me closer to having to confront my feelings. I push myself to keep going, not letting my fear stop me from facing the mare I love.

I pause for a moment at the door, take a deep breath, and enter the room.

"The carb was out of tune. Not a problem to fix..." the rest of what I'm going to say is forgotten when I notice Moon Shadow and Lightning Dust are both in the room. And they're both crying. I turn to Dust, about to say something unpleasant, when Shadow jumps up, and kisses me very thoroughly.

We finally come up for air, and Dust reminds me of her presence, "Uhm... Hi..."

I sit back on my haunches, looking at her, "Hello, Dust. Is there a reason you're in my room?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Shadow give her an encouraging look, confusing the hell out of me.

"Yes," she finally replies, quietly.

I wait for her to continue. Finally, when she doesn't, I ask her, "And, that reason would be?"

Instead of answering, she suddenly rushes forward, pressing her lips to mine.

* * *

*Author's Note: 3rd Person Following Lightning Flash and Trixie*

Flash watches Irony leave. Every step she takes away from he and Trixie fills him with dread. Dread of what he is going to say to the mare that he loves, at least when they were both human. What if she doesn't want anything to do with me? What if I hurt her more than she's been willing to admit? I... he wallows in his self-pity, his ears lying completely flat against his skull; his head sinks down between his front hooves, touching the ground. He ashamedly hides from Trixie's gaze.

Unseen by Flash, Trixie watches him, every moment her demeanor becoming more flaccid, more depressed. When five minutes pass, without him so much as looking up at her, Trixie turns to leave, her head hanging low, her heart breaking.

She stops, one hoof still in the air. Trixie cannot leave it like this. She brings her hoof back to earth, raises her head high, and turns, with as much of a haughty air as she can muster. Tri-- no, I! I must know if this is the end. I won't let our love just fade away. If this is to be the end of us, then I will face it the best way I know how.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie must know! Do you still love her?" she can't help the way her voice quavers, trailing off almost to a whisper at the end.

Flash's head shoots up, he gives her a hard, but confused look, "Of course I still love you! I will love you forever, no matter what!"

"Then why do you avoid Trixie? Why do you hide away? You won't even look at me!" she wails.

Flash's head sinks again, "Because I am so full of shame. I am lower than low. I hurt the one I love more than anything else in the world. I am a most worthless pony. I--"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie orders you to stop bathing in your own self-pity!" she commands. "Trixie would not fall in love with a craven pony, so do not act like one! I love you! I wish to be with you for the rest of my life. Every moment without you, tears at my heart. The longer I am away from you, the more I hide behind my stage persona. Standing here before you, I can finally let it slip away, if only for a moment. If I must lose you, then so be it! But, I will not let you throw our love away because you made a mistake!"

"B-b-b-but..."

"NO! No buts. Do you love me?" Flash nods quickly.

"Do you want to be with me?" again, he nods.

"Do you believe that I love you?" tears dripping from his muzzle, Flash nods once more. "Then you must accept that I have forgiven you, and come to me."

Sobs wrack his entire body as he hiccoughs his way to his feet. He stumbles to her. Trixie wraps an arm around his neck, pulling him to her chest, as he wails.

"Truh-t-t-Trixie, I love you, with all my soul! I'm so sorry that I messed up so badly. Thank you for your forgiveness. Please be with me forever!" Flash blubbers into her fur.

"Shhh..." Trixie shushes him, after a time, "A very wise pony once told me that there is magic in forgiveness. Magic to heal, in forgiveness given, and forgiveness received. Of course I forgive you. Trixie loves her Lightning Flash." She smiles lovingly upon the pegasus, tears silently dripping from her own eyes.

* * *

*Author's Note: First Person, Following Lightning Dust*

My lips are pressed to hers, but she's not responding. Her entire body stiffened up in response. Oh no, Moon Shadow was wrong. I pull away. I can't even look at her now. I just stripped myself bare for her, and she's not interested.

"I…" my ears fall, I hang my head, and head to the door, "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." Just as I'm about to open the door, I feel arms around me. She picks me up and then kisses me back, aggressively. All I can do is open my mouth to her ministrations, I melt against Irony's body. For what seems like forever, and also seems like no time at all, our tongues intertwine. I feel my body responding, strongly. My arousal starts to leak from my marehood. And she hasn't even touched me down there yet. My wings extend to a painful state. I don't care, her kissing me feels so damned good.

I wrap my forehooves around her. I can feel full breasts under my chest, she apparently changed so she could easily pick me up. Everything she is doing feels awesome. I've only been female for about a week, and I've had to deal with the fact that this pony I am is attracted to mares as well. Though, in retrospect, becoming attracted to stallions would probably be weird for me. All thought blasts from my mind, as she shifts one arm to hold my weight by placing her other arm underneath my rear. So close, and yet, so far. I pant heavily into her mouth. I want everything this mare will do to me, and I want to do everything I can to her. I feel the sensation of movement and then I'm placed on the bed. As I'm sat down, her body ripples again, and she's back to her normal self. She hops onto the bed with me, and kisses me again.

"I'm sorry about not responding immediately. You caught me completely by surprise," she whispers in my ear.

"Oh, it's okay. I'm good at catching ponies by surprise. I'm just glad you want to," how do I tell her I'm aching for her touch? I feel another body join us on the bed. I look over, and my eyes go wide, "Moon shadow?"

She giggles, "Is there enough for me too?"

Irony and I say in unison, "Of course!"

Dammit, my first threesome, and I had to lose my penis to get it. My wings are painfully erect. I turn to Irony, and use a hoof to gently push her onto her back. I climb half on top of her, tasting her lips once again. I shift my ministrations down her neck, feeling her body respond with every caress of my tongue and lips. I am getting so aroused, I had better be careful, I'm leaking. I get to the bottom of her chest, heading to the south, when I feel a soft tongue on my inner thigh. All I can do is moan in pleasure, as Moon Shadow plays gently with my marehood, simply teasing me, but damn, it feels so damned good. I find Irony's teats, gently bringing them into my mouth one at a time and sucking them. I hear her suck in her breath as she twitches underneath me. This is a nice feeling.

Then a tongue enters me. It's like pleasurable lightning throughout my body. Moon is deliberately avoiding my hypersensitive clit, she's just focusing on my folds and the entrance. I can barely stand. It's time somepony else feels this amazing. I gently spread Irony's lips with my tongue, and get my first taste of her marehood. My wife had mentioned that alien pony mares taste way different than human women. I get to find that out first hand. Irony tastes amazing! I push my tongue in as far as it will go, feeling her body twitch as the pleasure I'm giving her arouses her further. Moon Shadow then gets a heavy gasp out of me by switching to my swollen clit. She runs the entire length of her tongue against the sensitive nub. Then I have to scream out in pleasure, as she takes it gently in her teeth, and rubs the tip of it with her tongue.

My first orgasm of the night washes over me. I swear, we took less than five minutes to have me screaming! After it finally subsides, I can finally let my eyes focus. Irony needs her first one too, then I'm going to have to work on Moon Shadow. I push forward to do to Irony what Moon did to me. Long, slow laps of her clit, and then finally teasing the tip of it with my tongue, as I gently hold it in my teeth. In a matter of moments, Irony is bucking underneath me, her orgasm taking hold. I can feel her arousal gush from her, all over my lower jaw. I lap up what I can, this pony tastes better than anything I could ever imagine. After her orgasm subsides, I look over at Moon, she's grinning and looking at me.

"It's pretty nice to be a mare, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," I advance on her, she ends up on her back again as I kiss her. I'm lost in Moon Shadow's taste, we share the taste of Irony's juices for a long moment. Then, I start working my way down her body. Shortly, I'm down at her folds, my rear in the air, and my tail lashing from side to side. I feel a set of teeth on my wing, right where it joins my body. Apparently somepony knows pegasi erogenous zones better than this pegasus. A hoof gently parts my lips, and teases my clit. My entire body shakes as another orgasm takes me. I have a feeling that I'm going to break any personal records when it comes to orgasms tonight. My moans of pleasure turn into screams, as the second orgasm intensifies. The first one left me weak, this one is threatening to make me comatose. God, I hope the kids are asleep right now. I fight to remain coherent enough to keep playing with Moon's marehood. She tastes almost as good as Irony does. And all I can do is keep on trying to pleasure her. Though, in moments, her rear legs clamp around my head and she bucks against my face as her first orgasmic cries pierce the air in the room. I keep up playing with her clit as she rides the wave of pleasure. The lights in the room are overwhelmed with the brightness coming from her horn. It sparks and sputters as she finally comes down from that high. I finally let her go.

"I hope we aren't being too loud," I mumble.

Moon giggles again, she's got a cute giggle, "I've got you covered, Dust. I cast a sound deadening spell around the room, nopony can hear us."

"So, you can scream your lungs out and the only one to hear you is us?" Irony asks.

She nods.

"Good," Irony leans forward, kissing Moon Shadow. Now I get to watch them for a minute. Irony and Moon have moved into a sixty nine position, though it's a bit of a stretch for the smaller unicorn. I watch them for a minute, then I gently push Irony's marehood away from Moon, replacing it with mine in a more comfortable position for the unicorn, then I dive in on Irony. For at least the next hour, we are all tasting each other. Our moans only interrupted by the occasional scream as one of us peaks. Though we flip several times, both of them taking their turn at me, and I get to play with both of them. Irony shows Moon some of the erogenous zones on pegasi, and she shows me how sensitive the horn is on unicorns when they are aroused.

We finally fall asleep in a heap, the bed is soaked with our arousal and sweat. Now that is the best way to fall asleep.

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

I awaken slowly, stretching my legs out in a full-body morning yawn. Glancing at the window, I realize that I've slept later than is my usual. Guess last night's activities tuckered me out... that Dust sure is a wild pony! Then again, so is Moon Shadow. I gaze lovingly at my still sleeping marefriend. I still can't believe she's okay with my feelings for Dust. Heck, she seems more than okay about it. I swear I saw her giving Dust encouraging looks last night!

I shake my head to dislodge the amorous thoughts trying to take root. I'm still working on that, when I hear a knock at the door. Ugh, who could that be? I wriggle off the bed without disturbing Shadow, stumble my way to the door, and open it to see the turquoise pegasus I've been thinking about floating there.

Dust's muzzle splits in one of the biggest shit-eating grins I've ever seen, "Damn, smells like a brothel in here! Oh, and nice mane, by the way."

I reach a hoof up to my head in response, feeling just how matted my mane is. I shake my head, smirking as I say, "Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure you helped with both of those things. I guess we'll have to air the room out."

"As for your mane, a shower will fix that right up, too. Don't worry about running out of hot water, we have on-demand water heaters," she wiggles her eyebrows at me suggestively.

I back away from the door to let her in. I swear she giggles when she sees Shadow passed out so cutely on the bed. She smiles at me again, then turns more serious, "I think something big happened during our mission."

I cock an eyebrow at her, so she continues, "The news said that something matching the signature of a cruise missile crossed the Canadian border into the US, but it didn't explode."

I think for a moment, then it hits me. If this were an actual cartoon, a light bulb would have just turned on, over my head. "Rainbow Dash!" I state with confidence.

"Are you sure?"

I nod. "It has to be. Since it didn't explode, it wasn't a missile. Besides, why would Canada fire at us? We've never had those kinds of tensions with them. So, it had to be a pony. A pegasus, and a fast one at that. Though not just fast. Incredibly fast. Not that many pegasi are that fast. The only two I can name off the top of my head are you, and Raindow Dash. And you were busy the night before last."

Her grin reappears, "Last night, too."

I feel the blood rushing to my face as I continue, "That aside, they couldn't have been tracking you. When you were flying, you were close to the car, which would have masked your signature, not that they would have seen you anyway. Tracking in the interior of the country is mostly focused on commercial jets, which rely on transponders. I doubt they'd notice a pegasus flying, unless you went over a few thousand feet, in which case they'd probably think you were an ICBM. I can only imagine the commotion that would cause."

Dust opens her mouth to reply, but is interrupted by Soarin busting into the room, "Dust, I just got a text message; the feds have shown up at the farm!" He skids to a stop, like he's hit a wall, and his nose crinkles at the smell, "Holy Christ, this room has one hell of a funk to it!" He stops, looks at me, taking in my mane, glances at Shadow snoring lightly on the bed, and finally his gaze falls on Dust, who is practically glowing a beet red. Suddenly, he quite literally falls over, laughing fit to bust his stomach.

Dust and I look at each other, and I'm certain my face is the same shade of crimson as hers. Our gazes drop to the floor, trying to hide from our mutual embarrassment.

"Oh, Celestia, I can't believe it, sis! You've only been a pony, and a girl, for a week, and you're already getting it on!" he is barely able to get out around his chuckles.

"Dammit, Soarin, do you have to tell the entire world?!" she says, causing her brother to break out in fresh peals of laughter.

I sit down next to Dust, and she leans into me. Wow, that just feels so right, I sigh contentedly. Looking down at her, I see it dawn in her eyes what he said when he first entered the room. She looks up at me, "The feds?"

I nod, not surprised, "When it wants to, the government can actually move pretty fast."

She looks at the floor for a couple moments, deep in thought. Then turns back to me, "Irony, you and Moon Shadow stay here for now. We don't need that kind of complication right now," she turns to Soarin, "let's haul some ass!"

They take off like shots, on their way before I can even say goodbye. I feel strangely saddened at the loss of Dust's presence. Wow. I'm done for. I am seriously gone on this mare.

I hear Shadow stir behind me. I turn to her, as she lifts her head. She smiles at me, "Did I just hear Lightning Dust?"

I nod, a little sadly, and explain to her what she missed, including my feelings and thoughts about the turquoise pegasus.

A radiant smile breaks out on her muzzle, and she runs a hoof through my mane, "She is a pretty amazing mare."

I hang my head, "Shadow. I... I think I'm in love with her. Like, really in love, with a capital 'L'. I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen..."

She shushes me, with a hoof over my mouth, "I know, my love. I could see that the first moment you two were together." She lifts my chin, so that I am forced to look her in the eye, "You have no reason to feel guilty, or ashamed," I open my mouth, but she silences me with a look, and continues, "before you protest, ask yourself: does your love for her in any way diminish your love for me?"

I close my mouth, and seriously think about my feelings. I... I still love Moon Shadow just as much! She's right. How does she know so much?

Slowly, I speak, "I still love you just as much as I've loved you for so much longer than I ever realized. But I love Lightning Dust. How is it that I can love you both so much? Why doesn't it take away from my love for you?"

She flashes her dazzling smile at me again, "That's just the way love works. The more you share, the more you have to share. The more you give, the more you can get. And, just so you know, I talked to Dust. I'm pretty sure she loves you as much as you love her. You two are so cute together."

I sit there, speechless, as Shadow saunters past me, planting a kiss on my forehead on her way by, "See you in the shower."

I shake my head, turn, and follow her to the bathroom.

* * *

"Helen, do you guys have a place where I can work out? More than just stretching?" I ask, running a hand through my mane. I'm wearing a pair of black gym shorts and a white V-neck tee, with a sports bra underneath, which Shadow made me wear. She'd told me that I was too well endowed in my anthro form to go without, especially since there were kids in the house.

Helen turns and smiles up at me, saying, "Oh, yeah, Mike included a workout room for me when we built the house. There's a weight machine, and a heavy bag in there, as well as a treadmill and elliptical."

"That sounds pretty good. Do you mind if I avail myself of it?"

"Not at all. Mi casa es su casa," she replies. I can't help but smile in return at her upbeat personality.

I slip on a pair of fingerless exercise gloves as I walk in the direction that Helen has indicated her workout room is in.

I find the room without any trouble. Stepping inside, my breath is momentarily taken away by the gorgeous view out the far wall. The entire wall is made of glass. Through it I can see a beautiful stained deck, with a built in hot tub. Beyond that is the lake, with a dock leading almost right up to the house. The lake is surrounded by trees just coming into bloom, spring finally having its effect here. There's also a nice-sized boat tied up at the end of the dock, just begging to be taken for a drive.

Damn... Very not bad! Evidently Mike spared no expense for his wife. Only other thing you could ask for is a sauna, but alas, you can't have everything! I chuckle to myself. Turning my back on the view, I set to work, warming up and stretching. Once I feel sufficiently limbered up, I face the heavy bag, noting that it's a good quality, 200 pound bag. Who here could possibly have needed one this heavy? I wonder, finally deciding that they probably just didn't do anything half-assed.

I start slow, taking a few practice jabs to test the heft, and recoil. Soon, I ramp up the power of my blows, working up a rhythm to keep the bag from swinging too far in any one direction. I lose myself in the exercise, enjoying the simple thrill of physical activity. I've missed working out, not having been able to go to my local gym since my transformation. I've kept up on things like push-ups, crunches, and squats, but there's nothing quite as great as going to town on a bag, or pushing yourself on the weight bench.

I come back to myself when my breathing starts to become slightly labored. I realize that I'm drenched in sweat, soaking through my lightweight top. Wiping sweat away from my brow with a hand, I turn to the weight machine. Looking it over, I decide that even though it's not as good as free weights for what I want, it is way better than nothing. I set up for squats, adjusting the weight to its maximum setting, and begin doing reps. I do a set of 15 squats, then pause for a few seconds before beginning another set.

Completing my fifth set, I glance up as some movement catches my eye. I pause, then see someone is peeking around the edge of the door, watching me. Ignoring them, I start another set of 15, though I keep an eye on the door, curious as to who is peeping at me. It's a couple more minutes before I catch enough of a view of my admirer to identify him: Dylan, Lightning Dust's son. By the time I decide I'm done with squats, he is standing openly in the doorway, avidly staring. I continue to ignore his presence, reconfigure the machine, and start to do lat pull-downs, front and back, still using the maximum weight of the machine.

After a couple of sets, Dylan has made his way fully into the room, and appears to be studying me. Finishing out a few more sets of reps, I gently lower the weight, not clinking at all, and fully focus my eyes on the boy for the first time.

"Something I can help you with?" I ask, wiping my face with a small towel I brought with me.

"H-how strong are you?" he stammers quietly.

"Honestly? I don't really know. I haven't had a chance to push my limits yet," I reply, solemnly.

"You were using all the weight plates, that's like 250 pounds!" I can hear the beginning of excitement in his voice.

"That's really not that impressive for squats."

"Maybe not, but you did like 200 of them. Though, really it's the pull-downs I find amazing! I've never seen anybody do that much weight, let alone do reps with it," he states. It takes me a moment to place the tone in his voice: awe.

"I actually know a lot of guys who could do more than that," I shrug, not really comfortable with how impressed he is.

He steps up close to me. I see his nostrils flare as he inhales my scent. His eyes glaze just a little bit. He reaches a hand out to tuck a tuft of my mane behind my ear. I hear him mumble, "You're so beautiful..."

Suddenly, he's mashing his lips against mine in a wild kiss. I sit there stock still for a few seconds, in complete shock, before I pull back. I resist the urge to slap him, reminding myself what it was like to be a fifteen year old boy with hormones raging.

"Dylan!" I shout. "What do you think you're doing?!"

I see fear, distress, and embarrassment fly across his face, before it settles into the most crushed look I've ever seen. He turns to flee, but I catch his wrist in my powerful grip. He jerks his arm a few times, "Let me go!" Tears are running in rivulets down his cheeks.

"Dylan! Calm down!" he gives another half-hearted tug, then stands there woodenly, waiting for me to release him.

I slowly reach up with my other hand, gently wiping the tears away. Poor kid. He is kind of cute, though waaay too young. I smile at him, "It's okay. You kind of caught me by surprise."

A measure of relief enters his eyes, "You... you're not mad?"

I give a little chuckle, "No, I'm not mad. Actually, I'm kind of flattered. Though, I am a little old for you."

"You're not that much older than me! I heard my da-- Dust, talking, you're only 25! That means you're only 10 years older than me. That's not that much!"

I feel my lips curl into a smirk, "I hate to tell you, Dylan, but I'm a lot older than you realize."

"Don't patronize me! I don't care how old you might really be. All I know is that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I don't care that you're not human!"

I shake my head, sadly, Dammit, I don't want to break his heart... "Dylan... I don't know how to put this gently... I'm in love with Lightning Dust. And strange as it is, she's your father, which makes this a little weird for me. I think you're handsome, and could actually see you as a possibility, if you were a little older, and if I wasn't already in love with two other ponies. Please, please, please, understand."

Another fat tear rolls down his cheek. He swipes at it with a sleeve, then smiles bravely at me. I release his wrist. Instead of pulling his arm back, he catches my hand in his and holds it for a moment. He gives it a squeeze and lets go, "I think I do understand. I guess I really appreciate that you didn't give me the brush-off. Thanks for giving a damn about my feelings."

He turns to go. As he turns, I see how hard he's trying to hold back more tears, but his face is contorting, and I catch a glimpse of one fall. Once again, I catch his wrist, more gently this time. I pull him into a hug. He doesn't struggle; instead he breaks into sobs, tears practically gushing from his eyes, like the Multnomah Falls. He buries his face in my shoulder, blubbering nonsensical words. I softly stroke his back, humming quietly right into his ear. I wrap my arms around his body, pull the boy into my lap, and rock him until he finally cries himself out.

Dylan wipes his face with his palms, trying to clear away the tears and mucus, but really only manages to smear it around. He looks up into my eyes, and stammers, "I-I-I'm s-s-sorry f-for so completely losing my shit right there."

Giving him serious eye contact, I say, "It's been a hell of a week. For everypony. I mean, everybody... But, most especially for you, I'll bet. This has to be incredibly difficult for you to wrap your head around."

He nods, keeping his gaze focused on mine.

"Your dad... well, he's still here, but is also not really your dad anymore, huh?" His head bobs up and down a couple more times.

"Let me guess: you suddenly feel like you have to be the man of the house. You feel like you need to pick up the slack, and keep things together for your mom and sister, don't you?"

"Y-yeah," he looks down, trying to hide the look of abject failure that has come over his face.

I grip his chin firmly, pulling his head up until we're eye-to-eye again, and slowly state, "Dylan, you've done an awesome job of keeping yourself together during this whole mess. It's something that should never have fallen to you, but you've done well with it anyway. Frankly, I'm quite impressed. You're going to grow into an amazing stallion, er, man, one day soon."

"You really think so?" he sniffs, running his sleeve across his nose.

"I really do. You know something else? Lightning Dust is awfully proud of you, too. She told me so herself."

"Sh-she did?" He asks.

I nod, "She did."

"Thank you, Irony. Thank you for being here for me. I haven't really known how to cope. Everything has been messing with my head. I feel like my entire world has been turned upside-down."

"It's okay. And I'm glad to be here for you. As your friend," I give him serious face again, "but only as your friend, okay?"

He blushes, but a small smile peeks through, "I think I can accept that. I'm really sorry for ambushing you. I have no idea what I was thinking..."

I can't help but laugh, my muzzle splitting into a wide grin, "Hey, there's something to be said for the direct approach. Don't give up on it too easily."

* * *

I close my eyes and let the warm water pour over my face, and down my body. I shake my head to loosen my hair, and pour a veritable mountain of shampoo into my upturned palm. I lather up my mane, which reaches almost down to my tail in this form. Finishing up with the mane, I go to work on my tail, which stops just short of the floor. Good thing Dust has unlimited hot water, it takes so damn long to wash all this hair!

Rinsing out the suds takes almost as long as it did to wash. I watch the little bubbles slip through my fur, down between my breasts, and past my cleft. Looking down my front brings back memories of last night, raising my excitement level a notch. I cup my breasts, tweaking my nipples gently, bringing forth a small gasp. My right hand slips down between my legs, and I softly caress my slit, images of Lightning Dust and Moon Shadow swirling behind my closed eyes. I tilt my head back, moaning loudly.

What am I doing? Somebody might hear me! I force my hands away from my sensitive areas, and mindlessly crank the water over from hot to cold. My eyes fly open, and a shriek rips from my throat at the temperature change.

"Holy hell!" I shout, fumbling to turn the water off. I stand there, shivering, for several moments, as I think about what I had been doing. I need to maintain control of myself! What the heck is going on with me?

My body cries out for me to begin again, but I resist the urge with a growl. I throw open the door to the stall with one hand, reaching for a towel with the other. With my hand halfway to the stack of linens, my mind registers that I'm not alone. My focus is snapped to the counter, where Dust's daughter, Hannah, is sitting. I freeze for a moment, then snatch a towel and try to cover myself with it.

Hannah giggles at me, her lips turning up in a smirk, "You don't have to hide from me. You have the same parts as mommy, and mommy says that someday I'll have those, too." She points at my breasts in emphasis.

"Well, I wasn't always a girl," I finally manage to get out.

"Kind of like my daddy?" the little girl asks.

"Yeah, kind of like that," I say, then it dawns on me what I was doing before getting out of the shower. "Uhm, Hannah, how long have you been sitting there?"

She swings her legs back and forth, and giggles again, "Oh, long enough to hear you make noises like mommy sometimes makes when she and daddy are alone..."

Oh god, caught red-handed by a six-year-old... I close my eyes, my cheeks turning bright red.

"Hey, I'm ten, not six! And you shouldn't be ashamed, mommy says everyone does it. Though, I have no idea what 'it' is. She says I'm not old enough to know yet," she pouts.

Her pout is so cute that I can't help but laugh. Then another realization strikes me.

"How'd you get in here? I know I locked that door when I came in," I say, giving her a hard look.

She smiles mischievously at me, and says, "I have my ways."

I decide to leave that be, as I know that privacy locks aren't exactly hard to get through.

I take a moment to wrap the towel around myself, so that I feel decent, and ask, "So... is there a reason you barged in here while I was taking a shower?"

Instead of answering my question, she responds with a question of her own, "Do you like my daddy?"

"Your da-- oh, you mean Dust. Yes, I like her," I reply, puzzled.

"No! Do you like my daddy?!" she puts her fingers in the air, making air quotes when she says 'like'.

How does she even know what air quotes are? Must've picked it up from her parents... I pause for a moment, then answer her question, "Yeah... yeah, I do. I think I like your daddy very much. Does that bother you?"

"Nope. Not as long as it doesn't make mommy mad, it doesn't."

I swallow down a sudden flash of fear, Shit, I never even thought about Dust's wife! I... I'd better talk to her...

After a moments more hesitation, I ask Hannah, "What made you come ask me if I like your daddy?"

"Oh. I saw you kissing this morning. I know what kissing means. It means you like somebody. A lot! I just wanted to know for sure. Now I know that you like daddy as much as daddy likes you!" she smiles up at me, hops down from the counter, and scampers out the door.

I stand there for several moments, my mind boggled by this ten-year-old little girl, and her insightfulness.

On my way out of the bathroom, I take note that the lock on the door isn't your usual privacy lock, but a normal keyed lock. How odd...

It takes me an unusually long time to dry myself, return to my room, and get dressed. My mind is now awhirl with a new worry: what to say to Helen.

Finally, I come to a resolution, and set out to find her.

* * *

I knock on the doorframe, having found Helen in her bedroom, putting away some laundry.

"Oh, hi Irony. How'd the workout go?" she smiles at me.

"Very well, that is an impressive home gym," I answer, returning her smile, even though my stomach is filled with butterflies.

"I'm really glad you liked it. Mike has always worked hard to take care of his family, and give us just about anything we wanted."

"His love for you shows," I say, then pause, trying to figure out what to say next.

"Something bothering you, Irony?" Helen cocks her head at an angle, looking at me quizzically.

"Actually, yes. That's why I came to see you. I... I just don't know how to say it." Or how it will be received.

"Come, have a seat, we can talk about it, one woman to another," she pats the bed next to her. Hesitantly, I make my way over and sit, the bed flexing heavily under my greater mass.

"Helen... I have to admit something to you. Something that I'm still having trouble dealing with. I-- I'm in love with Lightning Dust," I hide my face in my hands, shame turning my face red.

Taking my hands in hers, pulling them away from my face, Helen smiles at me, "You know, you're pretty cute when you're embarrassed. Irony, I could tell that you had feelings for Dust the moment I saw you two together."

I pull my hands away from her, clasping them together in my lap. Tears are forming in the corners of my eyes as I speak, "Helen... I slept with Dust last night. I'm so sorry! I never even considered that she was married, or what your feelings would be. I didn't think at all! I don't want to be the 'other woman'. I'm so sorry..." The tears have broken the dam, and are flowing freely now.

Helen bursts out laughing. My eyes widen in shock, then narrow in anger, "This is no laughing matter! I'm not joking, and I'm not lying! I've done you a horrible wrong, one I have no idea how to make up for!"

Helen starts shaking her head, and is finally able to regain her composure. She takes my hands again in hers again, "I'm sorry for laughing, but you look so earnest; sitting there, telling me how you've cheated with my 'husband'. It makes you even more endearing that you care this much. Irony, I know how you feel about Dust. What's more, I know how Dust feels about you. She can't admit it to herself yet, but she cares about you a whole lot. As for you sleeping with her last night, I know for a fact that she instigated it."

"But--"

She interrupts me, "No buts. Dust already told me everything. We don't keep secrets from each other, and I don't want us to keep secrets from you, either, okay? Dust loves me, her changing from a man into a filly didn't change that. What it did change was her desires. She's attracted to ponies now, and I understand that. It's not her fault, and it isn't yours, either. I'm the one who encouraged her to seek you out. Though, admittedly, I didn't know you'd fall into bed together the first time she did. You should know, her attraction to you is more than just lust. I'm certain of it."

"How can you be so calm about all of this? I think it would drive me mad," I say in disbelief.

"Because I love her, too. Mike was an amazing man, and I have never had reason to regret putting my faith and love in him. Lightning Dust is a wonderful pony, and my faith and love remain with her. I could see that it was tearing her up inside to no longer be physically attracted to me, especially now that she's met you. I can either be okay with it, and keep my relationship with her strong, or I can be a jealous bitch, and her mind will tear itself apart because she would never betray me. However, in her efforts to be true to me, she would betray her own heart, her own self, and it would rip her up inside. That is something I could not live with."

"Helen, you are one amazing woman. I can easily see why Dust fell in love with you when she was human. I'm really sorry that her change of form also broke her attraction to you," I grip Helen's hands tightly, looking deeply into her eyes. I see a wave of sadness roll through them, but she banishes it immediately, and smiles up at me.

"Yeah, it was kind of a bummer, but hey, we can't force who we're attracted to."

"Speaking of attraction... Dylan kissed me," I bring up, trying to change the subject from something that is obviously painful for her.

Helen laughs again, a melodious sound that brings a smile to my face, and says, "I wish I could have seen that! I can only imagine the look that must have been on your face!"

"Yeah, it was a bit of a surprise. I felt bad, but I couldn't lead him on, so we talked about it."

"Since I haven't seen him moping, you must have let him down pretty gently. Teenagers, so full of hormones," she sighs.

"Yeah. He took it fairly well. I think it may have more to do with him feeling like he has to be the man of the house, now that his dad, er... isn't," I blush.

Helen leans into me, "Thank you, for telling me that. Like any boy his age, he doesn't exactly share his feelings with us. I'll talk to him, and try to help him deal with this a little better."

"Just, do me a favor, and don't tell him I told you about his kissing me. I don't want him to feel embarrassed, or to think I'm a blabbermouth. He's really a great young man."

"Don't worry, I won't tell. He needs to feel he can trust someone, or is that somepony?" her lips turn up into another infectious smile.

"Either way works for me. Especially," I gesture to my body, "since I'm not exactly your typical pony..."

"I've been wondering about that, but didn't want to pry," she says, tilting her head up to look into my eyes, without pulling away from me.

Deciding to fully trust her, I launch into my tale, leaving nothing out. Somehow, by the end of it, she's sitting sideways in my lap, my arms wrapped around her, my chin resting atop her head.

She leans back to once again look me in the eyes, "Your life has been so full of pain and suffering. I'm so, so, so sorry that you've had to go through so much."

I'm not crying, though I suspect that it's because I don't have any more tears left right now, rather than that it doesn't bother me anymore. Helen grasps my face in her hands, pulling me down to her, and presses her lips lightly against mine. I return her kiss fiercely, my grip around her tightening with my emotions.

It's like a raging inferno of passion has infected our souls. The kiss quickly progresses, from a light press of lips, to a full-on open-mouth tongue-writhing make-out session.

When we finally come up for air, I realize what I'm doing, and say, "Oh god, I'm sorry Helen! I have no idea what's come over me."

She smirks up at me, and replies, "Oh, I have an idea. Don't you dare stop now!" Catching me off guard, she is able to push me backward, onto my back, on the bed. She drapes herself over me, bringing her luscious lips to bear on mine again.

My hands go to the hem of her shirt, quickly peeling it up and over her head, briefly breaking our passionate embrace. Our lips are quickly reunited, her tongue snaking in to trace my blunted teeth. I respond in kind, forcing my larger tongue past hers, and into her mouth. She groans softly as we taste each other.

Taking control, I grip Helen's body, and roll us so that I am on top. Leaning back, I look down into her eyes, and grin. Her lips curl up in a devilish smile in response. She gasps in surprise when I swoop down to take her right nipple between my teeth. I pull on it, stretching it out, before closing my lips around the fleshy nub and suckling like a newborn babe.

Helen cries out, wrapping her fingers in my mane, pullling me in tight to her chest. I slide my right hand up to knead her left breast, my left moves to her pants. I fumble with them for several seconds before simply ripping them from her hips. She shrieks in surprise at my show of strength. I blindly toss the tattered cloth away, bringing my hand back to her hip. I am surprised to find that in addition to no bra, she hadn't been wearing any panties, either.

Breaking my hold on her nipple, I whisper, "Oh my, you do seem to be naked."

She lets forth a throaty chuckle at my words, then grabs my mane and pulls me to her left breast. I gladly return to nibbling, and nursing, on her beautiful nub. I squeeze her tit-flesh firmly, thoroughly enjoying the feel of it under my fingertips. My free hand makes its way between her thighs, to her smooth mound. She is slippery with desire, her folds welcoming my invading digits.

Her moans get progressively louder, second by second, my fingers enticing more of her nectar to come forth. As her cries get louder, I become more aggressive with her breasts, alternating my attention between them. The passion in her voice increases my own, by leaps and bounds. I finally abandon her chest, slipping down between her legs to run my muzzle along her dripping slit. My tongue rasps along her womanhood, bringing me the delicious flavor of her ambrosia.

"Oh god, don't stop. Don't! Stop!" Helen screams.

I eagerly obey her command, driving my tongue deep into her. Her cries mount in pitch as she nears her peak. I run my thumb over her clit as I try to lick all the way to her womb.

Her screams become gasps, her back arches, her hands grip my head fiercely. My mouth is flooded with her cream.

It takes her several moments to come down from her high. She finally releases my head, and gasps out, "That. Was. Fucking. Amazing! You are really good at that! Did you know that?"

"Thank you. You taste rather wonderful, did you know that?" I return. She giggles.

The bedroom door slams against the wall, thrown open by unicorn magic. Helen and I turn to see Moon Shadow standing in the doorway. My head starts spinning.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Oh fuck..." I bury my face in my hands, my heart overflowing with shame. I can smell Helen's juices on my fingers, my muzzle is soaked in the odiferous cream. What have I done...? How could I...?

"Irony! I can't believe I'm finding you here. Like this! What are you doing?!" Moon Shadow's voice is filled with reproof.

"I-I-I... I don't know!" I burst into tears. There's no way she can overlook this! I can't believe I was cheating on her! What kind of pony am I?! I was never like this before...

"Irony... I just don't know what to say," I can't exactly place the tone in Shadow's voice. It's almost like she's trying to suppress an emotion...

Is she laughing? No way, that can't be! I pull my hands away from my face to look at Shadow. To my utter shock, I can see that she's fighting to keep a smirk off her face.

"Shadow... what's going on?" I ask her. A wide grin blooms on her muzzle in response to the look on my face.

Behind me, Helen bursts out laughing, with Shadow joining in immediately. My eyes dart between the two in utter confusion. "Okay... I'm missing something, and you two are both obviously in on it. From your shared laughter, I'm guessing that you're not actually mad, are you?" I pointedly ask shadow.

"Well, Helen, I think we've been found out."

"Apparently," the human replies, a mischievous smile playing at her lips.

I turn my full attention on Moon Shadow, and ask, "So, are you going to fill me in?"

The answer comes, not from the mare in front of me, but the woman behind me, "Let's just say that you and Dust are the victims of meddling wives."

Turning to her, I cock a confused brow at her, "Huh?"

Moon Shadow continues, "Helen and I have decided that you and Dust belong together, so we're making sure that happens."

"But, why?"

Helen's turn, "Well, it wouldn't be so necessary, if you two weren't so damn dense! After discussing how you and Dust were behaving around each other, we quickly realized that you two would blow this without some direct interference from us."

Now I'm getting angry, "And you two think you have the right to just make these decisions for us? You think that you have the right the handle us?!"

"When it comes to you fucking up your happiness, as well as ours? You're damn right we do!" Moon Shadow stomps a hoof to emphasize her point.

"Do you really think I'd do that?" I ask her flatly.

"Irony, you were ready to do just that! If we hadn't arranged for Dust to be with us, you were ready to do your best to bury your feelings for her down deep. You wouldn't have ever learned that you can love more than one pony at the same time. You now know that you love her just as much as you love me! Are you saying you'd rather not have that? Would you rather not have her in your life?!" Moon states passionately.

My ears fall to the side of my head, my head droops, "No... I love Lightning Dust. I want her in our lives, too."

"Good. Having Dust in your life means having Helen and their children in it, too. Something which I, for one, am actually glad about. Helen and I have hit it off famously."

I turn to Helen, she nods enthusiastically, "I, too, want you both in our lives. Just since yesterday, I've seen a change in Dust. A positive change. You've made her happier than she's been since before the change."

"That doesn't make you jealous?" I ask.

She shakes her head, "On the contrary, it makes me feel relieved. I can sense how good for her you are. The love that you two share, like Moon told you, doesn't displace the love that she and I share, it enhances it. Together, we will all accomplish much."

"Indeed," Shadow intones.

"Though, unfortunately, I'm going to have to leave you, and Dust, in Moon's capable hooves for a while," Helen says, a trifle sadly.

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

"Dust has recommended, and frankly I agree, that the kids and I go visit her parents in Texas for a while. We're worried about what the government presence here might mean for us."

I take Helen's hand in mine, rubbing my thumb lightly along her knuckles, "I'll hate to see you go, but I think Dust is right, too."

Shadow nods in agreement, puts a hoof on our joined hands, smiles at us, and leans in to kiss me firmly. Then she whispers in my ear, "Yum, I'm sorry I missed out on the action!"

I feel my cheeks burst into flame in response. Shadow's smile turns into a grin.

* * *

The sun is just setting down over the horizon when Lightning Dust comes bursting through the front door, calling out, "Irony, pack your bag! We've got one!"

"Calm down, Dust. What do you mean, 'we've got one'?" I ask her, making my way to my hooves.

"Actually, we've got two! We're heading to Colorado to rescue a couple of ponies who are being held, against their will. They managed to get word out through one of those pony websites that Soarin has been watching," she replies, stamping her hooves in impatience. "We need to hurry!"

"Okay. Let's take Trixie with us, too. She'll be a big help," I say over my shoulder, as I trot off to pack and bid Moon Shadow goodbye.

* * *

"Why do we have to drive the whole way?" Dust whines at me.

I turn from the trunk of my car, and give her a look, "Because, in case you haven't noticed, I'm an earth pony. I can't fly," I point over to Trixie, who has just hopped into the backseat, "and neither can she."

Dust's ears drop, "Okay, I guess that makes sense." Her head lifts, and I see a glint in her eye, "Shotgun!" She dives through the open window, landing perfectly in the passenger seat.

As I'm about to climb in behind the wheel, Moon Shadow canters up next to me, raising her head, her lips parted slightly for a kiss. I lean down to press my lips softly against hers. As we part, she whispers, "Be safe, and good luck, my love."

I smile crookedly at her, "Always."

I slam the door, rev up the engine, and put her in gear. Soon we are tearing down the highway, at speed. Dust has told me the drive will be about ten hours. My goal is to shave some off that.

* * *

I have been fairly successful at cutting our time. I've managed to turn a ten hour trip into an eight hour one, though I can sense that Dust is getting restless. She really doesn't like being cooped up, especially for long periods of time.

It's so late that it's early, when we pull into Arvada, a suburb of Denver. We manage to locate the address where the ponies are purportedly being held, just as the sun is cresting the horizon. To our surprise, it's a suburban home at the top of a hill.

Dust turns to me, "A house? How are we going to pull this off?"

Opening the trunk and reaching in, I withdraw my mace. Shouldering it, I reply, "The same way I got Moon Shadow back: we're going to ask nicely."

Dust's grin matches my own. I swear I hear her say under her breath, "It's clobberin' time."

I don my armor, and walk up to the front door, while Dust and Trixie remain a little ways off in the yard, under the cover of Trixie's distraction spell. I rap the door firmly with my knuckles. Then I wait, with my hands clasped behind my back, like I'm nothing more than a door-to-door salesman. A minute goes by before I hear any movement behind the door.

The door opens, revealing a pudgy looking guy. He's about six foot, definitely not any more than that. Not exactly the hard-core criminal I was expecting... I think, before I grab hold of his neck, lifting him off the ground. I pull him out the door, and slam him against the brickwork surrounding the entryway. I shove my muzzle into his face, and growl, "I know you're keeping ponies here. Now, where are they?"

A grin crosses my face when I smell a sharp tang in the air, letting me know he's wet himself. I glance down to see it puddling on the ground. Lightning Dust and Trixie slip past us, and on inside the split-level home. Dust has asked that I wait outside as backup, just in case. I don't mind, as it lets me terrorize this piece of shit that thinks it's okay to hold Equestrians hostage.

Once his eyes start bulging, and his lips turn blue, I set the scumbag down. He can't maintain his feet; he falls to his ass, with a splat, in the puddle. I pull my mace from my belt, take a fierce swing, and bury the head in the masonry next to his head, spraying his face, and neck, with red chips.

He wraps his arms around his head, begins rocking back and forth, and whimpers, "Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me." Over, and over.

Wow... this guy is even more of a weakling than I first thought. How did he ever get caught up in this? I shake my head in disbelief.

I hear a door slam into a wall, and Dust yell, "You get off that pony!" Followed by a ruckus. I figure that's my cue, so I grab my prisoner, and charge down the stairs into the day-light basement. What I see down there appalls me. Really, it's a simple setup, but in its simplicity, it's disgusting. There are a couple of large cages, and a pair of mattresses thrown on the ground. There's a pony in one of the cages, and one lying on a mattress. Dust is between that pony and a naked man. I am just in time to see her get one last kick into his groin, before Trixie puts a hoof to her shoulder, stopping her rampage.

Seeing that Dust is done destroying the rapist's manhood, I throw the other fool down next to him. I turn to Dust, and simply nod when she tells me to bust open the cage. I raise the mace, and bring it down on the lock. The lock sheers off, showing its poor quality in the ease with which it is dispatched. I carefully lift the pony out of the cage. Her body is wracked with tremors as I set her down next to Trixie. Her pegasus compatriot has her hooves wrapped around Dust, and is thanking her for all she's worth.

Dust hugs her back, and asks, "How old are you?"

"I just turned 25," the pony responds, but Dust shakes her head.

"No, how old were you before you were taken by Discord?"

"Maybe 18... I'm not sure..." she answers, hesitantly.

Dust whirls on the rapist, murder in her eyes, "You bastard! You were raping a fucking teenager!"

Before Trixie or I can step in, the other human decides to show just how stupid he really is, by speaking, "Hey, I paid good money for her!"

I can't quite place the look on Dust's face, but it isn't good. She turns back to the rapist, and asks, in a quiet voice, "And you paid this scum, to have her?"

The client nods slowly, tears dripping down his face, his body trembling in fear. Dust turns her attention back to the would-be pimp, "Where did you buy them?"

He hides behind his hands, but doesn't say anything.

"Irony."

Knowing what Dust is looking for, I calmly take a step forward, smashing my mace into the floor next to his feet. He screams, pulling his feet away, "I can't tell you! They were some seriously bad dudes!"

She shoves her muzzle right up under his nose, "Do you really think we'll leave you in any better condition than they would?"

He looks at her, then over at me. To emphasize Dust's words, I begin tapping the mace into my hand, like you would a baseball bat. He swallows, and pales visibly.

"You'd better tell me what I want to know, or my friend here will crater any body part I point to," she utters in a dangerous tone.

"I can't. They'll kill me!"

"Then you leave me no choice, it'll have to be your head," she lifts her arm to point her hoof.

"You'd kill me? You ponies are supposed to be all about friendship and shit, you wouldn't kill!"

Dust's wings spread in anger, "I spent 35 years as a human, your death means nothing to me!" Though, I can see in her face that the thought actually does bother her. She continues, "Maybe I should show you how serious I am by taking care of your client here..."

Both men, trembling in fear, claw at each other in their attempts to get away. I raise my mace, in preparation of crushing one of them, when the pimp calls out, "Wait! I'll tell you what you want to know!"

Words continue to pour from his crumpled face. He goes on and on about buying them from some cartel out of Seattle four days ago. About how they were some 'heavy dudes' and he was so dead... if it wasn't for the fact that he's trafficking in pony flesh, I could almost feel sorry for him, he is so frightened.

Dust lets him go on in that vein for several moments, before finally cutting him off with a look. Then she gives him some very good eye-contact, and states, "We were never here. If I catch even a hint of another pony being here, we will be back. If we come back, it will be much less pleasant for you. Do you understand?"

The pathetic whore-monger nods his head so fast, I'm afraid he's going to break his neck.

Dust turns to Trixie, "Trixie, if you please..."

Trixie's grin spreads frighteningly across her muzzle, "It will be The Great and Powerful Trixie's distinct pleasure!" Her horn glows brightly, an aura spreading to everything in the room that is made of metal. In a flash, all of it disappears, save for what we brought with us. The cages, handcuffs, everything metal is simply gone.

Impressive... I shiver at the show of power. Even I'm not immune to unicorn magic.

My nostrils flare. I can smell the distinct odor of fecal matter. I guess they were impressed, too.

We quickly vacate the premises, ignoring the looks of the few humans who have been drawn by the noise.

* * *

Once we have a few miles behind us, and I can be sure we're not being followed, I suggest we get something for everypony to eat.

Dust nods, "Yeah, let's hit a drive-thru."

Trixie sticks her head up from the backseat, "Please, can't we stop somewhere to eat? Trixie is tired of driving!" She points a hoof toward a dilapidated looking Denny's just off the road, "How about there?"

"Isn't that a bit conspicuous, for a group of ponies?" I ask.

Trixie shrugs, "Are we hiding?"

Dust shakes her head, "Nope, at least I'm not. You guys?"

I shrug my shoulders, as do our guests. It seems they're just as undecided about being seen as I am, though they do look a bit trepidatious.

"Denny's it is. Driver, please change our destination," Dust smirks at me.

I lift an eyebrow at her, but smile, "As you wish." Dust colors slightly.

In no time at all, we are pulled into a parking space, and entering the shabby diner. I'm surprised with the indifference which we are greeted with. The staff seem to hardly even notice our presence, as we're seated. A waitress shows up to take our drink order. She hardly bats an eye at four equines, or the odd humanoid, being seated in her section.

I'm unable to resist, "Don't you find us to be an odd group?"

"Honey, last week I had Elvis Presley, Diana Ross, and the Supremes in here. You guys hardly rate a 2.3 on my weird-shit-o-meter. What can I get you?" she answers, clearly not getting paid enough to delve into her patrons' idiosyncrasies. We all order water, Dust also asks for coffee.

It doesn't take any of us long to order, though I have to admit it is hard for me not to follow Dust's lead, and order a lumberjack slam. I decide on an order of pancakes, and a fruit bowl. Everyone else orders similarly, even the new pegasus.

Once our waitress has left, the table falls into silence for several moments. Trixie finally speaks up, placing a hoof against her chest, she introduces herself, "I, as I'm sure you all know, am The Great and Powerful Trrrixie!" She waves a hoof at Dust and I in turn, "And these are Lightning Dust, and Irony. Who might you two be?"

The pegasus and earth pony look at each other in confusion for a moment, before the pegasus tentatively answers, "I'm Winter Storm, and this is Summer Breeze. I'm sorry, but I have no idea who any of you are, or what the hell is going on."

Summer Breeze nods, "I don't know any of you, either. Are we really supposed to know who you are?"

Trixie sputters for a moment, "You seriously don't know who I am?"

I put a hand on her withers, "Trixie, dear, I don't think they were fans of the show."

"But-but-but... that's just wrong! Everypony should know who The Great and Powerful Trixie is!" her joke is lost on the newcomers, though Dust and I both chuckle.

Now, it's evidently my turn to be enlightening, "Do either of you remember a few years back, there was a cartoon for little girls, called My Little Pony? Maybe you remember hearing about it having a bunch of grown male fans? Called bronies?"

Winter Storm nods, and Summer Breeze exclaims, "You mean all those weirdos? What about them?"

I give the earth pony a stern look, "Hey, I was one of those 'weirdos' as you call us, and so was my brother."

"Sorry..." she mutters, lowering her eyes to stare at the table.

"The point my friend here is trying to make," Dust continues for me, "is that we have all turned into ponies from that show." Trixie clears her throat, Dust continues, "Well, not everypony is actually in the show, though Trixie and I were featured a couple of times..."

Dust trails off at a glare from me, I pick up the thread, "What we're trying to say, is that Equestria, the world of that Television show, is real. That's where we're all from. Do you remember a weird creature banishing you?" They both nod, looking a bit sad as they do. "That was Discord. He sent us all here. Before you tell me that this is all hard to believe, remember that we are all Talking. Fucking. Ponies. This is for real."

We all go quiet, as our meals arrive. Once we are alone again, Dust, Trixie and I all dig in. Winter Storm and Summer Breeze just stare at their plates. Finally, Storm speaks, "If this is all real, then what are we supposed to do? It's all so confusing!"

Dust smiles at them, and answers, "That's what we're here for. We have a whole farm set up so that we can get our hooves under us, and figure out what we're going to do. You're both welcome to stay there, for as long as you like."

Both of the ponies stare at Dust, then they both break out crying at the same time. Their heads begin bobbing in joy.

"So, I take it you'd like to come with us?" Dust asks.

"Oh yes, very much so! Thank you so much!"

The rest of our meal is spent describing the farm, and all the hard work that Dust has put into it. Soon enough, we're back on the road.

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

***3rd Person, Mindy***

Mindy bounces up and down as she watches Irony's awesome car turn out of the entrance to the farm, she listens for the engine as Irony speeds up. She grew up around fast cars as a human, and the sound of the screaming horses from that beast always make her happy. Dustie and Irony are heading to Denver, to save someponies that need saving. She knows she'll be leaving the farm tomorrow, but today is a day for fun! She knows where to go. Soarin has been living at Dust's house most of the time, so a quick teleport brings her there, she doesn't knock, the door is unlocked, Dust has said the only time she locked her door was when she was going to be gone for over a week. Nobody messes with their neighbors in this little town. This town makes Gillette seem huge by comparison. A quick bounce through the house, she pops over and gives Helen a hug, surprising the woman, but she gets a hug back. Hugs from people you love are always wonderful. And since she already loved her bestie best friend Dustie, she has to love her wife and children, right? Though, now she has to think about the other pony she just might be falling in love with.

She bounces up the stairs, she knows what room Soarin was staying in. She sticks her head in the room, and there's nopony there. Mindy frowns, she always knows where to go. Why not this time? She sits down and thinks for a moment, then remembers, This is Soarin, the pony that is twisting her noodle even more than it usually is. She giggles and teleports downstairs, that pony always loves to eat. And as she bounces into the kitchen, she finds a blue pony with the beautiful dark mane sitting there, a picnic basket sitting in front of him, and a big smile on his face.

"I knew you would be here, Mindy." Soarin grins.

Mindy cocks her head to the side, her ears perking forward, "How did you know?"

Soarin smiles, "Because you said the day after tomorrow, and that's today. I know Irony and Dust are on their way, but you stayed behind."

She giggles, "Yeah, they'll need me tomorrow, but I'll have a lot of fun with them then." She starts to bounce again, "But I can have fun with you today!"

Soarin smiles, then picks up the picnic basket in his teeth, gesturing for her to follow, she follows curiously. She's not used to others leading her around, though she finds she likes it with Soarin doing the leading.

He sets down the basket, "Mindy, would you climb on my back?"

She giggles, "Isn't that a little forward, Soarin?"

He blushes, and traces the ground with a hoof, "I'd like to take you for a flight."

She bounces onto his back, getting an grunt from the larger stallion, but she can hear him say, "There we go, let's have a fun lunch."

Mindy thinks about the last time Soarin flew around her, he ended up in a pile of manure, she suppresses the giggle that wants to rise, she knows that would hurt his feelings, and he's already fragile enough. Having to turn from a woman into a stallion has been rough on him. He spreads his wings, and he says around the handle of the basket, "Hang on!" And with a mighty flap of his wings, they are in the air. Mindy gasps as she watches the ground fall away, and they really start to accelerate.

She holds on as he takes gentle S curves as he gains altitude. And once he gets to the altitude he wants, he streaks off, always keeping in mind the load on his back, several times she spies him turning his head to look at her, and she always gives him an encouraging grin. This is fun!

Soon he's heading to a low hanging cloud, about the size of a football field, she feels the powerful flight muscles of the pegasus as he slows down, and he gently lands on the cloud.

"Now, I think you'll have to stay on my back, but I don't mind." He starts to say when her horn lights and she bounces off of him, he starts to scream, but it's choked off as the cloud holds her weight, "Mindy, you know the cloud walking spell?"

She looks down at her hooves standing quite firmly on the cloud, "I guess I do!" She starts bouncing up and down on the cloud, the soft surface really rebounding with every bounce, "This is fun!"

Soarin sets down the basket, opening it, and bringing out a blanket, "I had Moon Shadow enchant this stuff so it wouldn't fall through, I didn't know if the blanket would hold your weight with the enchantment, but I was fine with you staying on top of me." Mindy sees him blushing furiously. She smiles at him as her telekinesis brings all the food out of the basket. Including two pies, getting a giggle from her.

"You like pie, Soarin?"

He chuckles, "Oh, yes. The show gets all of that right. I love pie. Apple pie is the best!"

He slides a pie over to Mindy, "I've been working on this since early this morning."

Mindy brings her nose close to the pie, giving it a sniff, noticing it's still warm. She smiles then the smell hits her, "This isn't an apple pie, Soarin, this is a strawberry rhubarb pie," She stops and looks at him closely, "How did you know that was my favority favoritest pie in the whole world?"

He giggles, "Oh, Mindy. You never go the direction people assume. It stands to reason that a pony like you would like a little tart in their pie."

She barely stops herself from devouring the pie, there is more food to be eaten. But she keeps an eye on the pie as the sandwiches are brought out, Soarin again knows her favorite foods, and he brings out container after container, each with a small helping of everything she's liked as a pony, and even a few things she liked as a human before the change. How big is the basket?

He smiles as some more containers are brought out, "This is a Moon Shadow specialty, the basket is really bigger on the inside. But I'm almost done."

She looks at all the food, "What time did you get up?"

He looks down, tracing circles in the cloud with a hoof, "About two this morning."

She looks at the different containers, everything looks yummy with all the food, but she's now focused on the light blue stallion in front of her, "Soarin, you know you didn't have to do all of this for me."

He blushes, "I wanted to, Mindy. I've always liked cooking, as a human, and as a pony. I'm not the best, but I'm pretty good at it. And I wanted to make you happy."

Mindy dashes forward, scattering the containers, planting her lips firmly on his. Everything else stops mattering to her as she loses herself in kissing the stallion. She feels a hoof on her cheek, and she turns her head, opening her mouth, letting his tongue invade hers. The kiss goes on for what seems like forever, but it finally does end, she pulls back, "You are amazing Soarin."

She only thought he was blushing before, now his face positively glows.

She lays down on the cloud, her magic gathering the containers, though she noticed a few tumbled off the blanket, and are likely splattered on the ground a thousand feet down. But she doesn't care, their pies are still there, and so is most of the yummy food. Her magic pops the top of one of the plastic containers, finding a large chunk of lasagna, a quick sniff says it's a five cheese version, and it smells almost exactly how her dad made it.

Soarin takes a sip of water from a bottle and finally talks, "So, Mindy. I've heard you knew Dust, before Discord?"

She nods, "Dustie and I were Double Trouble. We did fun things all the time, Dust is the best prankster that I've ever known. She's even gotten me when I never expected it."

Soarin smiles, "Mike was always good at pranking when we were kids. I've found itching powder in my bed, and Mike looking so innocent that butter wouldn't melt on his tongue. I blamed my dad, but I still think Mike did it."

Mindy giggles, "I guarantee it was Dustie, she loved itching powder."

Over the next hour or so, they both regale each other with stories from their human lives, and some half remembered memories from Equestria, before too long, they are laying next to each other, both eating from the food that Soarin brought.

Mindy laughs, "So, what do you want to do, Soarin?"

He frowns, "I don't know what you mean?"

"What if we can get to Equestria, what if that portal shown in the Equestria Girls movie is real. What would you do then?

"I want to go home." He moans.

"Home? As in Equestria?"

He nods, tears starting to form, "I don't have many memories of home, but what I do remember," a few tears fall, "is amazing."

She nuzzles the stallion, "I know, it's the same for me, Soarin."

He looks at her plaintively, "Really?"

She nods, "Yes."

He smiles through his tears, "I was hoping for this to be a romantic date, Mindy. Our first was such a disaster."

She giggles, "No, it wasn't, I thought you were cute. You wanted to show off, and you certainly impressed me."

He groans a bit, "Yeah, I didn't stick the landing though."

Again, a giggle from the magenta mare, "Oh Soarin, you were funny. In case you didn't notice," She nudges his shoulder, "I love to laugh."

He giggles a bit himself, "Yeah, I know, Mindy."

She kisses him deeply, "I don't care about anything else, Soarin. I just care about us."

He pulls away and looks at her for a long time, then, "Really?"

She nods, "I knew you liked me from the moment you saw me, and I liked you the same way."

He cocks his head to the side, getting a giggle from her.

She gets up and bounces around on the cloud, "Yes, silly, I thought you were awesome from minute one!"

She keeps walking around the cloud, "We need to go back."

He looks at her for a long time, "So, it's decided? We are going back to Equestria?"

She giggles once again, "Of course, the Mane Six have to be out there, and we will find them, and find a way back home." She hops up and kisses him, "And I want you with me, Soarin."

He blushes, "I'll go anywhere with you, Mindy."

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Detours. I just fucking love detours... especially ones that take me thousands of miles out of the way, and onto a completely different continent, I grind my teeth. While on our way home, we received a semi-frantic phone call from the farm. The feds hadn't been happy with us taking off unannounced, though that wasn't their real issue. They wanted us in the air, headed for freaking Minsk, STAT. Evidently they have a pony there they want rescued. So, it's with much grumbling on all our parts, that we've diverted to the Cheyenne airport.


We're standing out on the tarmac, listening to the roar of an incoming helicopter. I lean over to whisper-shout in Dust's ear, "I don't like this, Dust! I don't like this 'spy' shit, I don't like going to fucking Eurasia, and I really don't like leaving my damn car here!"


"Relax, they're bringing Mindy's sister with them, to drive it back home. It'll be fine," she smiles at me.


Shaking my head, I growl, "She's what, eighteen? Eighteen year old girls are into cute, little, gutless, rice-grinders. She's not going to have any idea what to do with that much power! I told you that I built that car, right? There aren't a lot of things on this earth that I hold more dear, and all of them are ponies!" I'm starting to rant a little. Dust cuts me off with a small kiss, then licks the end of my muzzle, and grins at the look on my face.


"You might be surprised, babe. Mindy, and her sister, grew up building racecars with their dad. Mindy told me that he made them both learn to drive in an old '66 Corvette. If she can handle that, I'm pretty sure she can handle that monstrosity of yours. Trust me, we all know how important your car is to you. You're almost as good under the hood as you are beneath the sheets!" she's laughing, almost hard enough to fall over, at the glare I'm trying to give her, from behind my fierce blush.


I turn my back on Lightning Dust, choosing to watch the chopper as it lands. Almost before the skids have settled onto the ground, Mindy is bouncing out the door, and over to us. She's expounding excitedly before she even gets over to us, "Dustie, I had the most funnest of times! I got to ride in a helicopter! They said I couldn't fly it, even though I told them I was super sure I could figure it out before we crashed!"


Dust places a hoof on the magenta mare's shoulder, "I'm glad you had so much fun, Mindy, but we're going on a serious mission now, okay?"


Mindy bounces even more excitedly, "I know! I brought our super-secret mission gear!" She reaches behind her and pulls out a big black duffel bag. I hear one of the agents let out a small shout of surprise, my own eyes have to be as big as saucers.


Wh-where did that come from? I can't help but wonder.


Dust opens the bag, revealing night vision goggles, headsets with microphones, and a couple of sets of black clothing, obviously fitted for ponies. Dust smiles at Mindy, "I'm not going to ask where you pulled that out of."


"But..."


"Nope, I'm not going to ask." Dust turns to an agent, "So, secret-agent man, where's our plane?"


While the government stooge is shaking off his surprise at Mindy's bag-o-fun, I turn my attention onto her sister. I eye her up and down for a moment, deciding she looks at least a little more with it than most kids her age. After staring her down for several more moments, I finally speak, "I'm trusting you with my baby. Do. Not. Fuck. This. Up." I hoof over the keys, and turn to follow Dust and Mindy, without waiting for a response.


* * *


I watch Dust pace up and down the aisle of the private jet, shaking my head at her nervousness. Poor thing; she's so claustrophobic, I can feel it over here.


While I'm watching Dust, a young man in an Air Force uniform strolls up to us, asking if we'd like something to eat. I bite my tongue, to keep from laughing at the irony of him playing stewardess, and order the Chicken Kiev for Dust.


"Aren't you guys herbivores? Plant eaters?" he asks, suddenly looking a bit nervous.


I smile reassuringly at him, "She's a pegasus. She likes meat, but it has to be chicken, venison, or pork. Or any other animal that was non-sentient in Equestria. No beef."


He looks confused, but covers well, "Certainly miss, and the same for you?"


Sighing, I shake my head, "No, I'll have a salad. Or maybe a vegetable plate. Fruit if you have it. Unfortunately, my eating habits have been significantly shifted with this change." I look jealously at Dust, the Airman making his way back to prepare our orders.


Dust finally stops her pacing, "I sure hope this pilot knows what he's doing."


"If you remember from when we boarded, our pilot does know what she's doing," I chuckle at her. I lean forward, catching her off-guard, and plant my lips firmly on hers. Her wings extend quickly, then her legs go limp.


"Okay, okay, I'll settle down," she hops up into the seat next to me, and manages to wait patiently for her chicken.


* * *


We landed just before dawn local time, and have spent the day resting in a safe house provided by our ever wonderful government. I turn away from the window, where I've been watching the sun go down. I've spent the last 24 hours on four hooves, not wanting to share with these agents anything more than necessary about myself, yet. I know the time will come, but see no reason to show my hand sooner.


Two new agents arrive; the taller, very white-bread, one introduces himself first, "I'm Chris Malone. I'm one of the operators that've been assigned to help you on this mission." He shakes Dust's hoof, then mine.

"Domingo Chevera," the other one reaches his hand out to shake as well. I make note that, despite his very Hispanic sounding name, he's just as pale as his partner. If he actually has any Spanish blood in him, it's a couple generations back.


Both agents are pretty fit; built like long-distance runners, rather than body builders, though I have doubts that they can keep up with either Dust or I.


Dust and Mindy are putting on the black form-fitting suits that Mindy brought along, when a lower-level agent barges into the room. He rushes to agent Malone, and begins whispering fiercely into his ear. Malone's jaw strains, like he's grinding his teeth. The other agent disappears as quickly as he arrived. Malone faces us, "We just got a decrypted message. Evidently, we aren't the only ones who are after this pony. Mother Russia wants him, too. We have to leave, now."


I hold up a hoof, "Hold on a second, Chris." Dust looks at me sharply, then apparently she remembers my time as a Marine, and she moves a bit closer to me, "Why should we rush this? Is the pony a US citizen?"


Chris shakes his head, "Not according to our information. But the reason we wanted you girls out here so quickly is because this pony supposedly is a unicorn. A very powerful one."


Dust gasps, I think she's thinking what I'm thinking, one of the rare unicorns, a battle mage. Less than a dozen were active in Equestria when we were banished, Chris continues, "The reason we think the Russians are so enthusiastic about getting this pony is they've sent in Spetznaz."


I grimace, the Spetznaz are the Russian special operations troops. They are trained ruthlessly, they are ferocious fighters, and are well known to shoot first, and ask questions later, "So, we are talking a hot insert?"


Chris nods, I sigh, Well, it wouldn't be the first time.


It's time for a mad dash to the black SUV parked out front. Malone and Chevera decide to eschew the usual rigmarole of trying to shake a tail, heading directly to the purported location of the pony. We park about a block away, and make use of the cover of the darkness to get closer.


Dust flies off to recon, returning only a few moments later. She reports having found him, but it appears that we're late to the party. The Russians are already there with him. Malone curses viciously.


Turning to Mindy, Dust asks, "You ready?" Mindy nods.


Hold it! You're under my command. You don't move without my say-so," Malone quickly objects.


Dust scoffs, "I don't think so. The pony has been confirmed, which puts this under my purview. If you want to follow Irony and Trixie in the front, be my guest. Mindy and I are going to drop in on them from above. They're on the top floor, northwest side."


With that, they quickly depart; leaving us ground-pounders to get ready, and make our way inside. I shift, standing on two hooves now, and pull my armor out of the duffel I've brought. I ignore the gasps from the two agents, only needing moments to get it all in place. Trixie casts a spell to make her less noticeable.


Chris holds up a hand as he pads quietly to the corner, he sticks his head around the corner, and pulls back quickly in response to the obvious sound of suppressed gunfire.


"Shit, they are on their toes." Chris mutters, both men grip their guns tighter. I start to move, only to have my hand grabbed in Trixie's magic, and it's placed on her withers.


"Let's get the drop on them." She says as her horn lights brighter. With a pop, we are on the other side of the building, I can see the soldiers moving slowly towards the CIA paramilitary officers. I take off and run at full speed, I catch up to the two Russian guards. One of them shouts, apparently he heard me, thought it's too late for him, I leap into a diving shoulder roll as he starts to turn towards me. Completing the roll, I come directly to my feet, my mace already whistling through the air. The impact of metal on bone jars my arm slightly, though the effect on the other end of the mace is quite devastating. His lower jaw shears completely off, flying off into the night.


His partner's suppressed AK-74 starts spraying ineffectively, as it is torn from his hands by the glow of Trixie's magical aura. He reaches for the pistol attached to his hip. His fingers are just wrapping around the butt when my hoof makes contact with his right knee. His leg buckles, dumping him onto his back. To his credit, he manages to unholster the pistol and point it at me. Unfortunately, for him, my mace is already beginning its descent.


The moment seems to stretch. I am able to see stark fatalism fill his eyes; he already knows it's too late, though that doesn't stop his finger squeezing on the trigger. Flame lips from the end of the barrel, the lead core flies within a hairsbreadth of my ear. I can actually hear the spinning projectile ripping through the air.


Time returns to normal with a thundering crash; my mace finishes its arc, crushing the hapless soldier's hands and pistol into his pelvis. Trixie shudders at the sickening crunch of the bones shattering. His scream pierces the night, louder even than the gunshot.


Surprisingly, it is Trixie who ends the noise; in the most efficient way possible. The aura fades from her horn, as the soldier's head rolls away from his decapitated corpse. Evidently, she is more ruthlessly efficient than I gave her credit for. Note to self: never, EVER, fuck with this mare, I decide.


I sweep past the agents, who have finally managed to arrive on the scene. They stand like statues, gawking at the gore-spattered corpses that Trixie and I have left behind. The front door opens smoothly under my hand, the hinges well oiled. I stroll confidently through the lobby; my boots emitting muffled thuds on the tiles, with the weight of my stride. Trixie's hooves clatter, her stride hurrying to match mine.


A ding, from across the room, alerts us to the arrival of the building's sole elevator. Damn, the door guards must have made a radio call when they spotted the CIA operative. The doors open, revealing four more Russian soldiers. One of them points frantically at us, his compatriots rapidly unslinging their rifles. The entire elevator is suddenly surrounded by a pink aura. The doors slam shut, crushing the soldier's outstretched hand. His cry is lost in the screeching sound of metal warping. The lift rises; slowly at first, then faster. It disappears from sight. Several moments pass. I look at Trixie; her face is twisted up in a look of concentration. Then it relaxes, and she smiles at me. The glow fades from her horn. Screams can be heard from the now open passage, I feel a breeze waft through my mane. The car smashes into the ground, utterly destroying the shaft, pushing a concussive wave over us that forces me down to a knee.


Regaining my hooves, I turn to Trixie, cocking an eyebrow questioningly.


"Trixie doesn't like people who threaten her friends. That seemed the most expedient way to dispatch the threat," she shrugs.


"Not to complain, but you do realize this means we now have to use the stairs, right?"


"Trixie hadn't thought of that..." her face flushes.


"Makes no difference to me," I state, "let's go." I suit actions to words, crashing through the door, into the stairway.

I hear Trixie's hooves behind me as I take the steps, two at a time. Halfway up the second flight, I come muzzle-to-face with another soldier. The look of shock on his face is priceless, but more importantly, it gives me a moment to drop my shoulder and charge. I crash into him at full speed, catching him in the midsection. I throw him into the air, over my back. Looking behind me, I watch Trixie catch him in her aura. She slams him repeatedly into the wall, until all movement ceases. Blood is leaking from his nose and ears, as well as from numerous rents in his flesh.

The level of violence displayed by this little mare brings me up short for a moment. She quickly pushes past me, while I'm still recovering from my surprise, galloping up the stairs toward the next landing.


I chase after, catching sight of her as she veers off, darting through the door at the landing, instead of continuing on.

"Trixie! What are you doing?! We're supposed to go all the way up!" I call, though she's already through, the door crashing closed behind her. "What's got into that mare now?" I ask myself aloud, following at a slightly slower pace.

Before I'm even halfway up the stairs, I hear a shout, followed by gunshots. The shots stop, and the screams begin. I put on a burst of speed, but have only taken three more steps before they stop, mid-shriek. I run full-out up the rest of the stairs, tearing my way through the door, only to stumble to a halt at the vista before me. Trixie is standing calmly in the middle of a veritable bloodbath. Surrounding her are the bodies of six Russian soldiers. At least, I assume they were Russians, it's kind of hard to tell. None of the corpses are in one piece; they've been dismembered, and worse. The walls, and floor, and literally covered in blood. Except for a small circle, surrounding Trixie herself, that is completely free of gore.


"Trixie? What the hell happened here?" I ask, shocked and bewildered.


"Air makes a fine weapon, in the right hooves," she responds, cryptically, as she shakes her mane out of her eyes and steps daintily through the blood toward me. "Are we ready to continue?" she asks, stepping past me, back into the stairwell.


Taking the lead again, I trot onward. I pause at each landing, briefly checking our path forward, as well as our rear, for signs of troops responding to the shots. After the third such stop, I glance back at Trixie, and ask her, "So... care to explain?"


"The Great and Powerful Trixie needs explain nothing to those beneath her!" she states imperiously. I give her a dirty look. She has the grace to blush and look abashed. "I'm only kidding. Honestly, I was scanning ahead with my magic, and sensed them getting prepared for an ambush. I ran ahead to interrupt them, but I wasn't expecting so many. In the end... I just reacted."


"That was some reaction," I smirk. "Remind me never to cross you."


"Well, I'm not as foolish as I was portrayed in the show, I do know a lot of powerful magic. Back then, I just didn't know how to make and keep friends. I've learned a lot since then, both before and after Discord banished us. Don't worry about crossing me. I count you as a friend, and would never harm you."


"You're not just saying that because you're sleeping with my brother, are you?" I tease.


Her muzzle breaks out in a crimson hue. She looks down at the floor, "I can't wait to get back to him."


"I can't wait to get back either. For what it's worth, I'm glad you two are together, and I am honored to call you friend."


"Thank you, Irony. It means a lot to me to hear you say that."


I smile, and turn back to the task at hand. A few more flights, and we're almost to the top floor. I pass the second-to-last door, and hear Trixie call from behind me, "Irony, watch out!"


Spinning, my mace swinging, I smash the rifle out of a soldier's hand, but not before he gets a shot off. I'm lucky, the slug is poorly aimed and only deals a glancing blow to my chestplate.  I follow the mace strike with my shield, crushing his temple with the scalloped edge. He drops, revealing his comrades, one of which is pointing the business end of a RPG in my direction.


"Shiiiit!" I yell, diving back, trying to slam the door. Unfortunately, the fallen man's body is preventing it from closing. I hear the unforgettable whoosh of the weapon firing. It only takes a second for the projectile to close the distance between us, but it feels like I watch it for minutes as it comes inexorably toward me. I get my hands up in front of my face just before it explodes, sending me flying. I feel a heavy thud, and my world goes dark.


* * *


I wake up to one of the humans patting my cheeks, "Hey, wake up! We've still got things to do here!"


I shake my head, and ask, "Not that I'm complaining, but why am I not dead?"


Trixie saunters forward, "I think I can help with that. I was able to throw a shield up between you and the grenade at the last second. Unfortunately, it didn't completely dampen the concussive force of the explosion, so you were thrown a little ways. You hit your head pretty hard; good thing you were wearing this," she levitates my helm over to me, "It's kind of dented, but it saved your life."


I take a look at the battered piece of armor, "Well, it served its purpose well, then. What about the rest of the soldiers?"


The human answers, "We've mopped them up, though one of them had a radio, and may have called for reinforcements. Now all that's left is to retrieve this pony of yours and go."


"Well, what are we waiting for, then? Let's get a move on!" I say as he gives me a hand up.


I take hold of my mace and shield, and pound up the rest of the stairs as fast as my hooves will take me. We reach the top floor, slam through the door... and into an empty hallway.


"Well, that was anticlimactic. Where the fuck is everyone?" I ask no one in particular. I whip my head back front, hearing an electrical discharge from down the hall. That could only be one pony... I make my way over to the entrance, yank the door open, and stroll through. Inside I find: a dead Russian soldier, Mindy, Lightning Dust, and the unicorn we've come to rescue. I turn to Dust, she's staring at the dead soldier. She seems to be in shock.


"We need to go, they may have called in reinforcements," I say. Dust nods, though she is looking a bit green around the gills.


Mindy, who for some reason is dressed like a Russian General, points a hoof at the unknown unicorn, and says, "This is a mage from the battle with Discord. He says he doesn't want to come with us."


The human agent, Chris, walks over to him, "We are from the United States. We need to get you safely home. I need you to come with me."


"I'm not listening to you, human. I am going to go back to my home, where I belong, Russia!" the unicorn growls.

Before any of us know what's going on, Chris lifts his rifle and fires a three-round burst right into the pony's chest. Dust and I both scream. Before either one of us can react, Mindy picks the human up in her magic and flings him up against the wall. She dives at him, beating him with her hooves into unconsciousness.


Dust glares at the other CIA operative, and flashes out of the room on her wings. I point my mace at him, "Bring that piece of shit. We're going back to the safe house and getting to the bottom of this." The agent nods, and wisely follows my directions.


* * *


Malone grunts in response to my fist connecting with his ribcage. Normally, this is where I'd ask questions, but he's already told me what I need to know; namely that they're orders were to extract the pony or kill him. Now I'm just venting my rage. I backhand him, followed by a one-two combo to his chest. He grunts after each hit, but doesn't give much other response. Finally, tired of this scumbag, I spend the rest of my fury in a single punch to the stomach. I don't hold back at all, letting him have the full strength of an earth-pony strike. His body tries to double over from the pain, and sudden lack of oxygen, but he's tied to a chair, so instead, he falls over forward onto his face. He wretches for several seconds, trying desperately to regain his breath, and then vomits all over the floor.


"Get him out of here. Keep him restrained, or next time I won't be gentle," I tell his partner. "If he escapes, I'll shove my mace up your ass," I give him a look that lets him know I'm not being metaphorical.

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

I stumble my way down the hallway, trying to hurry away from where I've been "interrogating" the CIA agent. I suddenly feel weak, my legs barely holding me upright. My anger has helped me keep it together for this long, but it has finally given way. I manage to get into my room, and close the door, before my control slips completely. I collapse onto the bed and break down. I bury my face in the pillow, quieting my sobs so that no one outside can hear me. I can't control my body anymore; I thrash about wildly.

What have I done? What have I done?!

It had been easy to ignore my misgivings during the mission. It had been all too easy to fall back onto my combat reflexes. All too easy to... kill.

What am I becoming? I killed them. Killed them all! For what? For who? To rescue somepony? Ha! He didn't need rescuing! He was happy to be going back to Russia! He sure as shit didn't want our help. We shouldn't have even been there! We were following orders... Just like Chris was following orders... I'm no different than he is. What the hell is wrong with me? How could I have done this?

I regain some control of myself, my sobs abating. Somewhere during my internal rant, I've lost my humanoid form. As I quiet, my ears prick up. I hear crying that isn't my own. Is... is that Lightning Dust? I wonder. By force of will, I pick myself up off the bed and go in search of my love.

I follow the sounds of grief down the hall, becoming more sure that it's Dust the further I travel. I hoof open her door, to find her sobbing uncontrollably on her bed, between Mindy and Trixie. I rush to her side, and pick her up in my arms. I stroke her mane and back with my hand as she sobs into my shoulder.

"I killed a human. I killed, Irony. He's dead, because of my actions! I've failed!" she cries.

All I can do is hold her. I understand her pain, all too well, but I can't share it with her right now. I hold her, and caress her, making nonsensical soothing noises.

In time, she calms down. I set her back onto the bed, fall back down to all fours, and climb up next to her on the mattress. Dust is the first to fall asleep, but it's not long after that I succumb to the inviting darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In my dream, I watch myself murder the Russian soldiers over, and over, and over. Every replay shoves me further down into the hole of depression. Every replay I look more, and more, savage when I strike.

I feel myself being lifted and pulled away from the tableau, while it fades away.

"Come away from that. Nothing good can come from reliving those actions," Moon Shadow's voice washes over me, filled with love.

I cringe away from the beautiful emotion in her voice, "Don't look at me. I've done so many horrible things."

"I see what you've done. Far better than what you yourself can see," she whispers, swaddling my consciousness in her love.

I resist, "No, you don't. If you truly saw, then you would hate me! I murdered those men!"

"You really think so?"

"Of course I did! They didn't deserve to die. I attacked them!"

"And why did you attack? What was your reason for being there?" she asks me, gently.

I sniffle, "We came to rescue that unicorn. Who didn't even need rescuing! We neve--"

"Stop," she interrupts. "Did you know he didn't want to be rescued? Did you have any inkling that he wasn't in danger?"

"No, but--"

"No buts! You acted on the information you were given. You were doing what you thought was right. You were wrong, but not willfully. You had no reason to doubt that he was in danger. Tell me, can you honestly say that, with the knowledge you had at the beginning, that you would have done anything differently?" she assaults my self-deprecation with extreme prejudice.

"Well, no... But it doesn't matter. That pony is dead, because of me!"

"No. You cannot take upon yourself responsibility for another's actions."

"He was following his orders. As I was following mine. I'm no different."

"Really? Are you so certain you aren't different? Would you have followed orders to kill that mage, if you couldn't convince him to go with you?" she glares at me.

"No!" I almost shout, the idea is abhorrent to me.

"See? You are different. You follow orders that make sense to you. You question ones that don't. I've never known you to blindly follow someone else's command, not even when you were in active service. Don't you see the difference?"

"Y-yes. Yes, I do," I'm feeling a little more sure of myself, now. "But... what will Dust think of me when she finds out? She's so torn up about having killed that one soldier, and I've killed so many..." I tear up anew.

"I've already visited Dust's dream. Her anguish drew me to her, as yours drew me to you. I've managed to calm her dreams down some, though she's still quite upset. I think her problem is less to do with having killed, as that it was an accident. That, coupled with what she sees as her failure to save the unicorn you went there for, is eating at her terribly. She won't judge you for your actions, you'll see. She loves you, like I love you, no matter what," Moon Shadow wraps her hooves around me, using her strength with dreams to infuse me with her love. She gets a faraway look in her eyes for a moment, then snaps her focus back to me, "Dust is waking up, she needs you right now, Irony. And you need her. Go, take care of each other, and return to me as soon as possible!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With that, the dream fades away, and I'm left lying awake in the bed. Dust quietly climbs out of our pony-pile, heading to the bathroom. I carefully extricate myself, leaving Mindy and Trixie still asleep, and walk beside Dust once she's out of the restroom.

"I need to see him," she says in a hushed tone.

I don't even need to ask who she's talking about. I simply nod and lead her to where the pony-murderer is being held.

She proceeds to question him, in a gentler manner than I already had. She gets to hear the same song that I'd already heard, namely that they were just following orders. His answer doesn't seem to satisfy her any more than it had me, though she seems to accept it.

Having asked her questions, she gestures to me, and I follow her out of the room. There she informs me that she's going to fly home under her own power.

"Dust, are you sure? I know you're pretty upset about killing that soldier, but you reacted exactly how your training dictated," I try to reason with her.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" she asks, bewildered.

"I keep forgetting that you aren't military, like I am. You behave a lot like an ex-military man. You were never in the armed forces here. Back home you were a Wonderbolt, but those memories haven't fully surfaced, have they?" I smile to take any sting out of my words. She nods, sits back on her haunches, and gives me serious eyes.

"Dust, a big part of our training in the military, both on earth and back in Equestria, is to teach your body to react automatically. Automatic reactions are much, much quicker than considered actions. If you saw a soldier point a gun at you, without the proper conditioning, you would have frozen up as your mind tried to make sense of the situation. You would be dead right now. Instead, you didn't freeze. You reacted exactly as you needed to. You did good, Dust. Real good," I explain.

She dashes tears from her eyes with a hoof, "I killed a man!"

"And you're here to talk about it. It could have easily been the other way around, but your training and reflexes saved you," I punch her lightly in the shoulder, "I'd have you at my six any day."

She plasters a fake smile on her muzzle, and walks to the door. I realize that I can't fix her right now. Not that I'm one to be talking... I think to myself sadly.

Upon reaching the door, she looks back at me, "I'll race you guys back to Montana!" She leaps out the door, taking to the sky in a burst of speed that rattles the windows of the safe house.

* * *

It's a somber crew that boards the plane headed back home. We've left the dynamic duo behind, mostly because I'm afraid that Mindy will kill the CIA agents if they're locked in an enclosed space together for that many hours. She started muttering to herself, and giving Chris the most scary looks I've ever seen, the moment she saw him again after her nap. I made sure to keep her away from him after she whispered something in his ear and he turned white as a sheet. I was worried for a little bit that his heart would stop, he looked so scared. When I asked her what she'd said, she just gave me a smile more evil than I could have imagined ever being on her face, and told me it wasn't any of my business.

Conversation is in short supply as the jet claws its way into the air. A mission that ends the way ours did kind of puts a damper on things like that.

I sit in silence for a long time, thinking about my life. About my lives, actually. All three of them. The more I ponder my life in Equestria, the more memories I recall. There are still a lot of gaps, but I'm getting a broader picture of what I was like. I remember a lot of violence; it seems that I was always throwing myself into the fray. I always had a good reason, but now I wonder if my reasons were more of an excuse... Did I fight for the good cause? Or did I fight for other, darker, reasons?

My musings are interrupted by the chiming of my phone. I look at the new message. It's from Dust, she's already across the Atlantic, in the U.S. I shake my head at her speed, Damn that's fast, we're not even clear of Europe yet! Her message goes on to say that instead of heading directly to Montana, she's going to visit her family at her parents' home in Texas for a few days. I can't blame her. If my parents were still alive, I'd visit them right about now... I wonder what they would think of their son becoming their daughter...

Thinking about my parents, I slip into unconsciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Twilight!" I scream her name, frantically searching, "Twilight!"

Racing through the streets of Ponyville, I continue to call for the purple Alicorn, my heart threatening to pound its way out of my chest with every second that passes without me finding her.

The local guard continent, all three of them, plus Lyra Heartstrings, follow in my wake. The gurds' chests pump like great bellows, though Lyra seems less affected by our stampede through town.

"Irony!" Lyra calls urgently, pointing off to our left.

I glance in the direction she's indicating, then careen through a turn in that direction, my hooves throwing up four neat little divots of compacted soil in my haste. Finishing my turn, I get a better look at what she's noticed: purple and green flashes. I pour on all the speed I can muster, quickly leaving the guards behind, but not Lyra. Somehow, the lithe little unicorn is keeping up with me.

I nod to her in respect, she returns it, and we race to Twilight's castle, neck and neck the whole way.

We arrive to find the entire structure engulfed in changelings. Lowering my head, I charge into their midst, immediately bowling over several of the creatures that are huddled together. Turning to strike at them with both my frong and back hooves, I catch sight of Lyra making a magic enhanced leap into another crowd of them. She strikes out with her hooves and magic equally, every blast from her horn leaving behind a smoking corpse, every hoofstrike a dented or cracked carapace.

She may not have my brute strength, but she makes up for it in her skills, I realize as my hoof comes down, crushing another of the bugs' thick shells.

The horde of changelings seems stunned by the ferocity of our attack, and we're able to make a lot more headway than I would have ever expected, before they start to react.

Their reaction, though delayed, makes up for it in anger. They stand their ground, and fire bursts of energy at me, as a cohesive unit. I dive, dodging some of their blasts, but still feel several of them strike glancing blows to my enchanted armor. Rolling out of my dive, I flick out the blades on my hoofguards with a twist of my hooves. I strike out viciously, dropping two of the five in my group before they can fire again. The remaining three fire frantically as they try to retreat, most of their shots missing wide, though a few do find their mark, further reducing the enchantments that the metal is impregnated with.

I bellow loud enough that two of them clap their hooves over their sensitive ears, allowing me to lash out with my hoofblades. Greasy green ichor spurts from their throats. I twist to catch the last one in this group, intending to give chase. Instead, I find my quarry standing steady, its horn charged and glowing. It unleashes the pent-up power before I can close the distance. The putrescent green ball slams into my chest like a sledgehammer, knocking me back. I hear the changeling's cry of triumph as I slide across the floor on my back.

I look down at my chest, expecting to find a gaping hole. Instead of a massive wound in my chest, I find my armor cratered and partially melted away. Evidently, the remaining enchantment on it was just enough to save me from an early grave, though I can tell that it is depleted now.

Shaking my head, I stagger to my hooves. I look up in time to see the satisfied smirk slip off the arrogant bug's face.

"You should be dead!" it screams.

"Trust me, I'm just as surprised as you are," I reply, dashing and rolling to close the distance before it can strike again, already knowing that the distance is too far. This time, I know, my luck has run out.

Its horn charging, the creature grins anew, sharing in the knowledge of my impending doom.

Just as it is about to discharge its power, the grin freezes on its face, the glow fades from its horn, and its head slowly slides off its body.

I feel my mind separate from the motions of my body, a powerful force drawing me away from the memory I've been playing out.

"Thou art filled with troublesome dreams, of late," intones a voice I recognize from out of the darkness that now surrounds me.

Kneeling, I bow my head, "Princess Luna. You honor me with your notice."

She snorts, "We do nothing of the sort. We but do our given task, taking care of ponies' dreams. We have been drawn to you, though we stayed our hoof because we saw another watching over you. As you are alone now, we thought we should check on you again."

"I deserve my nightmares," I reply gravely.

"Somehow I doubt that. Not very many ponies deserve to be plagued with those kinds of dreams," she states firmly.

"I have come to doubt my own motives. Why do I fight? I'm worried that I may enjoy killing, as I seem to always be neck deep in it. Just like in this memory I've been reliving. You see how I revel in the destruction I cause?" my voice is empty of emotion, I have fed them into the flame in my mind, leaving me floating in the void.

"That is not what I see at all. I see a pony who can act, so feels compelled to do so, to save others. Here, look," she brings up the memory, playing it back to when I first attack the changelings, "do you look happy to be attacking? Not to me. Look at your face."

I study the vision of myself before me, and see that she is right. I don't look happy. Determined, but not happy. Not in the slightest. I don't look excited, I don't even look angry. My face seems to be saying that I will conquer this obstacle, because I must.

"Princess, you haven't changed this in any way? Are you certain?" I ask, the void in my mind trembling.

She glares at me for a moment, "Dost thou think we would try to trick you? Thou should know that we would never!"

The void shatters, all the emotions I thought I had banished flooding back. I break down, sobbing into the Princess' shoulder as she wraps a hoof around me, pulling me to her.

It is quite some time before I can regain control, before the fear, shame, self-loathing, and sadness are all spent. I pull back from her a little bit, so that I can look into her eyes. Doing so, I realize for the first time that we are of a height.

"Thank you, Princess, for showing me a glimpse into my own soul. I don't know that I can repay you for your kindness. I never expected to have such self-doubt, but once I did, it was all-consuming."

"You are more than welcome, my little pony. Your motives have ever been pure, though sometimes I worry about your willingness to throw yourself headlong into a fight. That kind of zeal can get you injured," she pauses to smirk at me. "You may not have been originally born a pony, but I've often thought that you may have been born with the soul of one, and that is why you were brought to our world."

My face reddens, "Thank you Princess, for that high praise. I don't know that I deserve it, but I thank you nonetheless."

"You do deserve it, but enough of this. It is time for you to awaken, your flight is at an end," she smiles.

"Might I ask you one question before I go?"

"Certainly, though we do not promise to answer."

"Your accent comes and goes..." I smirk.

She swats me with her tail, "You're terrible! Thou knows that we have the same issue that you do. Our human and pony personalities have had to blend, leaving us with our preferred Royal Canterlot accent only intermittently."

I giggle at her response as I feel myself begin to wake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I come awake feeling refreshed, at peace with myself.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, sleepyhead!" Mindy greets me, her mane having regained its usual bounce at some point during the flight.

"Good to be back. What did I miss?" I ask, stretching my legs and back.

"Not much, though you slept for the entire flight. How did you manage that?" she bounces around, making it hard for me to keep my eyes on her.

"Just lucky, I guess," I reply, forcefully turning my head to look out the window as the plane lands, unable to watch her any longer.

"While you were asleep, Soarin called me to let us know that the government stooges have moved in, as per our agreement. They're already asking to see Dustie, even though you'd think they'd already know where she's at, since they sent us on these missions.

"Yeah, that is interesting," I mutter, only half paying attention. My mind is a thousand miles away, thinking about Dust. My lips turn up at the corners slightly as I think of her face. I hope that we can help her with her demons...

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Mindy, Trixie, and I clop our way down the metal staircase they've rolled up to the jet for us to disembark with. Waiting at the bottom are two men in suits. Their clothes and expressions fairly scream "government stooge". Seeing them makes me grind my teeth, as I've already had more than enough of government-types.

"Which one of you is Irony Smith?" the taller one on my left asks. Of the two, he seems the more experienced one. He has an air of "seen it all, done it all, didn't bother with the fucking T-shirt". His partner, however... not so much.

Shifting to two legs, I cross my arms beneath my breasts and stare them down for a moment before answering, "I assume that you're looking for me. You may call me Irony Shieldbreaker."

The senior man gives a single nod. After a moment of silence, he turns to look at his partner. The younger man's eyes are bulging in their sockets, his face flushed enough that he looks like he's about to have a massive coronary. His partner elbows him in the ribs, hard.

With a grunt, he finally removes his gaze from my bare chest, and looks me in the eyes. I didn't think it was possible, but he manages to turn a couple shades darker. He sputters for a moment, then finally starts speaking, "Miss... Smi... err... Shieldbreaker is it? Ahem. Yes, Miss Shieldbreaker, we require your presence, for debriefing."

"Debriefing," I state, giving him a hard stare, the tone of my voice making it blatantly obvious what I think of that.

"Irony, do you want the Great and Powerful Trixie to get rid of these guys for you?" Trixie asks me, an evil smirk on her muzzle.

Junior goes from red as a valentine's heart to white as a sheet so fast that I'm surprised he doesn't faint dead away at our hooves. Evidently he's heard about her actions... interesting, I smirk to myself. Senior looks me in the eyes and smiles, obviously enjoying the discomfiture of his young partner.

My smirk widens to a grin, "No, it's okay Trix, I think I'll humor these gentlemen. You and Mindy should return to the farm."

She tilts her head, cocking an eyebrow at me, "Trix? Really?"

Shrugging, I reply, "What can I say, they're for kids."

The senior man busts out with a loud guffaw, making his partner jump at least a foot. I swear, I even see a squirt of brown come out his pantleg. Oh, sweet Celestia, he's still wet behind the ears... can't be but a couple months out of Quantico!

Wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes with his left hand, the agent reaches out his right to shake mine, "Miss Shieldbreaker, I do believe I like you. Thank you, I needed that."

"No problem, Agent..." I trail off.

"Johnson. Johnathan Johnson. And, no, that's not an alias. My parents had a horrible sense of humor," he fills in the blank, turning off the laughter like he is flipping a switch.

I smile, "Tell you what, call me Irony and I won't call you John-John. Deal?"

"Deal."

I nod goodbye to Mindy and Trixie, Trixie sputtering a little herself at my joke. She keeps shooting me dirty looks over her shoulder as they trot off.

"So, John, where are we going?" I ask my new friends.

"That's classified," replies the newbie from behind me.

"Damn, he's newly minted, isn't he?" I ask John.

"You have no idea. Last week he damn near drew down on a group of high school kids," he chuckles.

"Whoa, that's intense. What's his name, anyway?" I glance back at the younger man, catching him staring at my ass, "What's your problem? Haven't you ever seen a naked anthropomorphic pony before?"

He sputters, his face flushing like the setting sun again.

John snorts, "Busted, Rookie."

"My name's not Rookie, sir, you know that," the kid grumbles.

"Yes, I do, but to me you'll always be Rookie, even when you've been on the job a decade or two, because I got to break you in."

"Seriously?"

I laugh, "It's the same in the military, kid. It's nothing personal. So, what's your name?"

"Tony. I'm seriously going to have to put up with being called Rookie forever?"

"Only by John. Everybody else will stop when the shine wears off," I give him a friendly smile.

"Come on Malone let's--" John cuts himself off at the look on my face.

"Malone?" I slowly turn my gaze onto the younger man, my eyes narrowing dangerously. "Any relation to a Chris Malone? Of the CIA?" my voice goes lower with each word, the last one coming out as a bass growl.

"Yeah... he's my cousin. Why?" his voice cracks, his throat swallowing convulsively.

"Never mind," I turn from him, forcibly unclenching my fists, not even having realized that they'd clenched in the first place.

"No, not never mind! You obviously have a problem with Chris. One that affects you strongly enough that you looked ready to kill me just at the mention of my last name. I want to know why," the kid looks about ready to piss himself, but he's plucked up his courage enough to press the issue. Maybe he's made of sterner stuff than I first thought.

"You really want to know?"

He nods, a determined look on his brow.

"I take issue with any man that will cold-bloodedly murder a fellow pony, orders or no," closing my eyes, I turn away again.

"I--"

"Let's go, John. Take me wherever you will," I interrupt Tony, walking swiftly, forcing the agents to catch up.

We proceed in silence the rest of the way, John taking the lead. He guides us to your typical black government SUV. Holding the rear door, he gestures for me to get in. I take a seat, and they both follow me in.

Looking around, I realize that the back is completely enclosed, the windows blacked out, a barrier between us and the front. I can't see where we're going. I guess they were serious about our destination being classified...

We sit in silence for several minutes before I decide to break it, "I'm sorry about your cousin."

Tony opens and closes his mouth several times before finally speaking, "He-- he's not dead, is he?"

I shake my head, "No. Not that I wasn't tempted, but I try to refrain from outright murder, even when it might be deserved. I meant I'm sorry he's such a bastard."

He shakes his head sadly, "I'm sorry that you had such a bad experience with Chris. I don't know the situation, nor do I want to. I'm sure that if I'm supposed to know, I'll hear about it. I also won't make excuses for Chris. He's gotten really, um, intense, over the last couple of years. I can't say as I like who he's become."

"Intense... that's one way of putting it. I can't blame you for not liking who he's become. He strikes me like he's some sort of zealot."

"Funny, that. He is the entire reason I decided to go into government work, after all. Though I chose the FBI instead of the CIA. I always looked up to him when I was younger, but I found the CIA to be too...deep... for my tastes.

"Anyway, I saw how proud his parents, my aunt and uncle, as well as my own, were of him. It got me thinking about being an agent, and the stories he told made it seem glamorous, so that settled it for me.

"Unfortunately, as I said, he's become really intense over the last couple years. If you ask me, it's that Admiral Volker he's been working hand-in-hand with. I'm not sure what an Admiral has to do with the CIA, but I guess that's above my pay-grade."

"Your cousin is some kind of special. We left him in Minsk. In my opinion, he's lucky I didn't kill him. If you want the truth, I'm not sure that option is completely off the table, should I see him again," I state sternly, giving Tony serious eye contact.

"Well, if I see him, I'll make sure to pass that along," he says quietly.

Conversation kind of dies after that.

* * *

*Trixie*

"Mindy, Trixie doesn't like that those FBI agents took her friend Irony away," the pale blue unicorn spoke softly.

"Oh, don't worry. She'll be back at the farm in a few hours. They won't be able to keep her long," the perky white unicorn said, a far-off cast to her features.

"What do you mean?" Trixie asked, confused.

"Hmmm? Oh, nothing. Hey, let's go, Soarin should be here, with Lightning Flash and Moon Shadow, to pick us up," Mindy replied.

"Flash?! Let's go!" Trixie said, bouncing almost as much as Mindy.

The two mares made their way to the edge of the airfield, where they spied the familiar shape of Irony's Oldsmobile. Inside they could just make out two pegasi and a unicorn. Opening the back door with her magic, Trixie practically dove inside, right into the waiting arms of Lightning Flash.

"Trixie has missed her Lightning Flash!" she murmured, smothering his muzzle with kisses.

A blue blur streaks out of the passenger door, bowling the white unicorn over before she could even get to the car, "Mindy!"

"Soarin, you silly billy pony!" she replied, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"I missed you so much Mindy! I hardly slept at all, I was so worried about you!"  the Wonderbolt gushed.

"I missed you too," she said, booping him on the nose with her hoof.

Flash, finally managing to catch his breath after Trixie's assault, said, "Don't ever leave me again! I was beside myself with worry the whole time you were away."

"Speaking of worried, where's Irony?" the grey unicorn situated behind the steering wheel asked, a hint of fear easily noticed in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Moon Shadow. Irony had to go to a meeting with the FBI. She'll meet us at the farm," Mindy told her, "She'll only be a few hours."

"I guess she can take care of herself..." Moon Shadow said quietly before putting the car in gear and turning toward the farm.

* * *

*Irony*

"We're here," John says, finally opening the door after what feels like an hour.

"Let's get this over with," I say, my voice devoid of feeling, kind of like the wonderful place they've brought me.

He nods, then they lead me into the flat gray building, lacking even a single window or door beyond the entrance we use. There are no distinguishing features, besides its lack of distinguishing features.

"Nice place you have here, John," I quip mildly.

"Yeah, my dream vacation spot," he replies with half a smile before waving his badge against the door frame. There's a metallic buzzing, and he's able to open the door. We file inside, him in front, Tony bringing up the rear.

We stroll past a few empty offices, down several equally empty corridors, and up to a simple, everyday elevator. Can't they do anything right? This place is so fucking normal, it screams covert!

John waves his badge across a blank square of wall next to the elevator. The doors open, making no noise, and we cross the threshold into the small square room. Tony punches the floor buttons in a seemingly random order, though I can tell it must be a password. After the last button is pressed, they both wave their badges in front of the panel. The doors close, and we whoosh down at a pace quick enough that I can feel my stomach drop.

After 30 seconds, we come to a halt, causing both agents to lurch slightly. The doors open just as soundlessly as they did before, and we step out into the hubbub of a fully functioning FBI office.

"Johnson, Malone, get your asses over here. About damn time you two imbeciles got back with your charges!" we hear yelled from across the room.

Both of my companions cringe at the arrogant voice. Oh, I can already tell I'm going to like this asshole.

A compact man storms up to us. He can't be more than 5' 6" and has to look up to all of us, though that doesn't seem to bother him none. He looks younger than I would have expected, late twenties.

He glares back and forth at John and Tony, "Who the hell is this bitch? And where the fuck are my packages?!"

"Sir, this is Irony. The other, ahem, package, did not arrive with the plane. We were told that she was flying home under her own power, and as such has not arrived," John answered, slipping into a blank-faced persona.

He looks me up and down, starting at my feet, like a piece of meat he's considering buying. After an insulting length of time, he speaks, though not to me, "You guys can't seem to do anything right. You were supposed to bring me two ponies. Instead you bring me one half-pony. Get her some damn clothes, and put her on ice in Interrogation Two. I'll be back."

"Yes sir," both of my companions intone before taking me by the arms and guiding me to a cold metal room.

Tony steps out, returning momentarily with an orange coverall. He hands it to me with a sheepish smile. I simply nod, then quickly don it, finally covering my nudity. John pulls out a pair of handcuffs, motioning for me to sit at the table. I take a seat and hold my wrists near a ring set into the table.

"I'm sorry, it's protocol," John says, his eyes begging my forgiveness as he cuffs me to the sturdy metal table.

"It's okay, John, I understand," I reply, drawing out a smile from the older agent.

They file out of the room, leaving me to sit in my lovely new outfit, looking like nothing so much as a convict. I shrug, chuckling to myself quietly, I hope they don't think this will actually soften me up. If they do, they're in for a big surprise. I know I'm probably in for a bit of a wait. Wouldn't do for me to think I was important.

I spend considerably less time alone than I expected, only about half an hour. The little Napoleon comes in carrying a thick folder and a cup of coffee. Without saying a word, he sits down across from me, setting out his cup and file, very carefully ignoring me.

He pulls some pages from the file, and makes an obvious point of reading them while sipping carefully at his coffee. Having been privy to more than one interrogation of enemies while on active duty, I realize he's simply going  by the book. I choose to remain silent, seeing how long it takes for me to wait him out.

"So. Tell me about your mission to Minsk," he starts in after only another ten minutes.

Apparently he's impatient as well as arrogant, what a surprise!

"And to whom am I speaking?" I quietly ask.

"That's not for you to worry about," he replies curtly. "Now, tell me about your mission."

"I will gladly answer your questions, just as soon as you tell me who you are and show me some credentials. I'm not in the habit of spilling my guts to unknowns."

He pauses for a moment. I can see his ire building, but he reaches into his jacket and pulls out his identification. He sets it down, sliding it over to me. I pick it up and look it over, "Special Agent Steinwick. Nice to meet you. I'm known as Irony Shieldbreaker." I proceed to tell him about the mission in detail, leaving nothing out, not even my own interrogation of Malone.

Steinwick's face is scrunched up in open anger by the time I finish the retelling, "You did what?! How dare you lay a hand on a Federal Agent!"

Staring into his eyes, I calmly answer, "I claim that right as a sentient being that is unwilling to watch a man commit murder right before my eyes without facing consequences for it!"

"Your right as a sentient being? Don't make me laugh! You ugly misbegotten whore! You're nothing but the product of bestiality between man and horse!"

"That's enough. I'm not here to be maligned by the likes of you. I've answered your questions, and now it's time for me to go. Release me," I hold up my bound hands.

"Ha! You seriously think you're getting out of here? Don't make me laugh. I've got orders concerning you. Both you and your friend. Too bad I didn't get her this time, but I will eventually. Mark my words," he replies, the smugness rolling off of him in waves.

I look again into his eyes, remaining quiet. Then I let a smile curl the corner of my lips. The self-satisfied smirk slips off his face. Finally, I speak, slowly, "You can release me, or I can release myself. Your choice."

He laughs again, "Not a chance. You're not going anywhere. Not yet, anyway."

"Fine, have it your way," standing up, I tense my muscles, and twist my wrists. The chain connecting the cuffs snaps like so much string. I see fear pass through Steinwick's eyes as he realizes that he's trapped in here with me, and he's unarmed.

His fear, however, doesn't stop his bravado, "There's nowhere for you to go. You'd be gunned down before you could even leave this room, you inhuman freak!"

I slam my fist down onto the table to get his attention, "Maybe so, but you'd still be dead."

The color drains from his face as he stares at the impact crater that I've left in the center of the solid metal table. After my show of irritation, I simply stand there, with my arms crossed across my chest, waiting.

I don't have long to wait.

John and Tony come storming through the door, guns drawn, looking for a target. Seeing me just standing there calmly, they don't know who to point their guns at. They finally settle for the ceiling.

"What's going on?" John asks us.

"I need to speak with General Thompson Barnes," I state, before Steinwick can speak.

"Wh-what? Why would you want to talk to him?" Steinwick manages to sputter.

"Well, for one, he's the one who presented me with the Medal of Honor," now it's my turn to smirk.

John leaves, though I can see a smile playing at his lips at how white Steinwick has become. Shortly, he returns, carrying a portable secure phone console. He hands it to me.

"General? Yes, this is Irony, you remember me? Good," I continue to elaborate on the situation to the General. When I finish speaking, I reach the phone out to Steinwick, "It's for you."

With trembling hands, he takes the receiver, "Yes sir?"

The conversation is quite short, but it leaves the Special Agent a shell of his former self.

"You're free to go," he whispers to me after hanging up.

John and Tony lead the way, back through the office and out to the waiting SUV. Along the way, I tear the orange coverall from my body, dropping it on the floor. Both of the agents with me nod in approval.

Once we are ensconced in the back of the vehicle again, Tony speaks, "How did you break the cuffs, and what happened to the table?"

Grinning, I reply, "Never, ever, fuck with an earth pony. We will mess you up hardcore."

His head nods, a pondering look on his face.

* * *

We ride in silence for about fifteen minutes before someone decides to break dark pall that has fallen over us. Surprisingly enough, it's John who does.

In an obvious attempt to change the mood, he asks, "Hey, Rookie, where are you from?"

Tony gives his partner an odd look, but decides to humor him, "Midland, Texas. Why?"

"I just realized we've been working together for over four months, and I don't know a lot about you. Where's Midland?"

"It's located at the bottom of the panhandle. Small city, less than 500,000 people, even counting the surrounding areas," the young man seems almost wistful as he thinks back to his hometown.

"I've always preferred the mountains, myself. You born there?" he asks, trying to keep the mood light.

"Yeah. Born and raised. Never even went out of state before I decided to try for the FBI. Let me tell you, it was a bit of culture shock, going to Quantico," Tony smiles, evidently having enjoyed the new experiences.

"I bet it was. It was a pretty big shock to me, being assigned a 24 year old newbie for a partner. I figured you'd still be wet behind the ears... and I was right," Tony grimaces at John's remark, but doesn't interrupt as he continues, "though, maybe not as much so as I was at your age."

"Hey, I'll be 25 tomorrow," Tony huffs.

"Yeah, so you'll be able to rent a car, finally," John chuckles at Tony's frown.

I haven't really been listening to their conversation, but this last has caught my ear, "Did you just say that you're turning 25 tomorrow?"

"Yeah. The big 2-5. Why?" he asks.

"Oh, no reason. Happy early Birthday. May it bring you everything you could wish for, and then some," I reply cryptically.

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

*Moon Shadow*

Moon Shadow glanced sadly at the empty seat next to her, where there should have been a hulking earth pony, before putting the muscle car into gear. She laid down a strip of rubber as she peeled out of the parking lot.

The two couples in the backseat, cuddling and cooing to each other, were oblivious, thoroughly enjoying their own reunions. In reality, she didn't blame them, she just regretted the delay before she would see her own love.

Watching them in the rearview mirror, she smiled, honestly happy to see her friends in love. Lightning Dust isn't home yet, either. I guess Helen and I can commiserate. And plan further how we're going to keep our mares together and happy, Shadow's smile turns into a loving smirk. At first, we worked together because we could both see how much Irony and Dust wanted each other... but now... I think I'm developing feelings for this human... she realized, with a start, her face flushing at the thought. She is rather good looking...

The grey unicorn began humming to herself as she continued toward the house, her thoughts having turned to what she and Helen were going to do next, to ensure their family stayed together.

* * *

*Soarin and Mindy*

Mindy’s telekinetic aura envelopes the door to the room she’s been sharing with Soarin at the farm. It’s a bit of a tussle for both ponies to tumble into the room, since their lips are locked together. Soarin fixes this by using his wings, and holding her in his forelegs. He flips over, landing on his back on the bed, with Mindy on top. He can’t stop running his hooves over her form, relishing the feel of her strong muscles underneath her magenta coat.

He’s able to pull away from her lips for a moment, panting, “I’ve missed you so much, Mindy.”

She giggles, “I’ve missed you too, Soarin.” She nibbles his neck, and watches as his tail flips in excitement. She enjoys the feel of him touching her. His lips move down her neck, and she feels her body move in response. She’s wanted him from pretty much the first moment she met him. After a long time, she uses her hooves to gently bring his face in front of hers, “You love me, right?”

He nods seriously, “Yes, with all of my heart, and my soul.”

She can’t giggle at this now, her emotions are too strong. She simply pulls his face to hers, their tongues intertwining as they feel each other’s passion. For a long moment, she completely loses herself in the feel and taste of the pegasus stallion in her arms.

This time, he pulls away, his face starting to get red, “Mindy, you know that I was a girl before the change. I really don't know exactly how to go from here.”

She smiles at him, “I may have been a guy before, but I’m still just trying to figure things out on my end.” She thinks for a moment, “Well, we both know the basics, let’s go from there.”

He smiles and kisses her, “Mindy, I love you.”

She rubs a forehoof on the side of his face, gazing lovingly into his eyes, then she looks off to the side, “Sparky, Phenrys, we want to have some private time. Go find another scene to write.”

Soarin furrows his brow as his ears droop, “What?”

She giggles, kissing him again, “Oh nothing.” But, as she’s kissing him, her eyes are glaring daggers at the two authors as they file out of the room.

* * *

*Lightning Flash and Trixie*

"Thank Celestia we're finally alone!" Lightning Flash stated with vigor, once he and Trixie had finally gotten to the room they shared. "Now I can do something to you that I've been quite anxious to do," he turned to her, giving her as cocky and sexy a smile he could.

Only to have the smile slip right off his face at the tears falling from Trixie's muzzle. He was only gobsmacked for a moment, then he rushed over to her, wrapping her in his wings, "Trixie, what's wrong? I'm here with you, you can talk to me."

She buried her face in his shoulder, weeping uncontrollably. She blubbered incoherently for several minutes, while Flash looked on, confusion written plainly across his face. He whispered comforting words in her ear, telling her how much he loved her, and that everything was going to be all right.

"Everything isn't okay! Trixie is evil. Trixie killed. Trixie destroyed. Trixie exulted in their deaths! Trixie is evil!" her voice rose with every word, ending in an ear-piercing scream that punctuated the last call of 'evil'.

"Trixie. Trixie! Calm down! There is no way that you are evil. You are good!" he tried to tell her.

"No. No Trixie isn't! You have no idea what Trixie has done," her ears splayed back, flat against her skull, as she told him all about the mission, sparing no detail of what she had done. She finished with, "And it was all for nothing! The horrible man from the CIA killed the pony before we could convince him to come with us!"

"Shhhh... Trixie, that doesn't make you evil. Overzealous, maybe, but not evil. Would they have killed you, given the chance?"

"Yes, but--"

"No buts. Did you really enjoy the killing? Or was it the challenge?" Flash asked her.

Before she could answer, they heard a voice from the other side of the closed door, "C'mon Trixie, you know it was the challenge! You know that you like to push yourself!"

Flash sighed, "Hannah! If you're going to listen at the door, you might as well come in."

Opening the door, the young human poked her head in, and said, "I didn't intend to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help but hear poor Trixie. Trixie, you're a great pony! I'll bet you saved Irony's life, didn't you?!"

"Well... I guess you could see it that way... Trixie did what she thought was right at the time, but she has been plagued with nightmares ever since..." the pale blue unicorn lowered her head, her ears limp.

Hannah lifted Trixie's chin with her small hand, looked her in the eyes, "Trixie, I'm sorry you've been having bad dreams. But, I'm really glad that you're okay, and that you brought Irony and Mindy home safely. And I know that without you, Dust would have had a harder time with her mission, and she might've been hurt. Thank you for working so hard to keep my family safe. For that, I will always be grateful to you!"

"Maybe so, but Trixie has decided that she cannot go on any more missions. She can't hurt anyone anymore, she's afraid of what might become of her if she does. I hope everypony will understand..." tears filled her eyes anew. Hannah wiped them away with her fingers, and kissed her on the nose.

"I understand. It's okay, Trixie. You don't have to kill to be the Great and Powerful Trixie that I know you are."

Flash wrapped his wings around Trixie once again, and nodded a thank you to Hannah as she turned to go. He pulled her into the bed, and held her while she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

*Irony*

I step out of the government issue SUV to the sight of the farm. Okay... that's a bit of a change from the last time I saw this place! Looking around, I take in all the improvements that have taken place. The barracks is now completed, and I can make out where farmland is plotted out. A couple of earth ponies are plowing the fields in preparation for planting. None of them have Big Mac's size, but none of them are small either.

Looking closer at the barracks, I see three government trailers set up, presumably housing all the medical equipment and office space they think they'll need while visiting our little paradise. Eeyup, they can move fast, when they're motivated...

"Miss Shieldbreaker? I'm Agent Walker," another Feebie steps up, his hand outstretched. He has, wisely, decided not to notice my nudity. Instead, he gives me solid eye-contact, as well as a firm, but not too firm, handshake.

"Agent Walker," I nod, "are you going to be better behaved than the last of your kind I had to deal with?"

He releases my hand, glancing a question at my escorts.

"Steinwick," John answers. Only one word, but the look of severe distaste that crosses Agent Walker's face makes me immediately like him a tiny bit more.

"I'd like to apologize on behalf of all the FBI for any mishandling you may have faced at the hands of Agent Steinwick," Walker says, sincerely. Then I hear him mutter under his breath, "The colossal prick."

"So, what can I do for you, Agent Walker?" I decide to cut to the chase, already weary of playing with the Feds, from my earlier encounter.

"Actually, I'm just here to introduce myself and let you know that we are all set up. I know that Miss Dust is not back yet, and we are awaiting her return, as it is my understanding that she is in charge of this operation. Is that correct?" he asks, rather politely.

"Yes, sir, she is the one to see. I'm sorry, but I don't know how long it will be until she arrives. She took a detour on the way home," I reply.

"That's fine. Please let her know that I would like to see her when she returns. I'll be keeping an eye out for her."

I nod, and turning away from the three FBI Agents, finally let my concentration lapse. I hit the ground with all four hooves, glad to finally be away from humans. I take off at a trot, eager to return to Dust's home... which is quickly feeling like my own.

* * *

The run from the farm has left me feeling much better, I've finally been able to stretch my muscles. I feel more at peace than I have felt since leaving this house last.

Of course, it also does my heart good to see my car, still looking pristine, parked out front of the house. I realize that I've had a quietly niggling worry about it, ever since having to leave it in Wyoming.

What I see beyond my vehicle lifts my heart up even more: Moon Shadow running out the front door in a most indecorous manner, excitement plain on her face.

"Irony!" she cries, her pace increasing.

"Moon Shadow!" I pull her into my arms, lifting her off her hooves and spinning around, my lips pressed firmly to hers.

"I missed you so much!" I pant, finally breaking our kiss.

"I was so worried about you. Especially when you didn't come home with Mindy and Trixie!" she chastises me gently.

"I'm sorry, my love. Unfortunately, that couldn't be helped. Not without causing a big problem, anyway. Besides, you should know by now not to worry about me. I always come back," I respond, booping her nose in Mindy fashion.

"I know, but can't a mare worry when the love of her life puts her own life on the line?" she pouts.

"I suppose so," I smile down at her, then kiss her again, my tongue playing along her lips. "I've missed you so much," I whisper.

"I'm so glad you're home," she says softly into my ear.

We stroll into the house, hoof-in-hoof.

* * *

"You really did miss me," Shadow says, panting heavily.

"Here, let me show you again just how much I missed you," I smirk, reaching for her once more.

* * *

I try to sneak my way into the bathroom, hoping to get a shower before anypony else can see me with my mane matted all over to one side, my fur sweat-soaked, from my recent activities. Sure was a lot of fun... I grin to myself.

The grin slips off my face as who should appear around the corner, but my brother.

"Irony! So glad you're back. We were worried about you, sis," he says before cupping a hoof over his nose, "Oh my... somepony's been having fun!"

I give the air a solid sniff, "I think I'm not the only one who's been having fun, now am I?"

He turns bright red, "Touché."

"I was actually on my way to take a shower, so unless I can help you..." I trail off.

"I was looking for Hannah. I wanted to thank her for something she said to Trixie earlier today. You haven't seen her, have you?" he asks.

I cock my head to the side, giving him a puzzled look, "Hannah. You mean Dust's daughter, Hannah?"

"Duh. I'm pretty sure she's the only Hannah living here. Earth to Irony," he chuckles.

"Ummm... I don't know how to break it to you, Flash, but she's in Texas, with her mom and brother. I think Dust is probably visiting with them right now. There's no way that she could have said anything to Trixie earlier today."

He gets a faraway look on his face, then shakes his head and starts to walk by me, muttering, "Maybe I'm losing it..."

He stops suddenly, having come up right next to me. His eyes close, and he starts huffing at the air. He falls back on his haunches and reopens his eyes. His pupils are dilated, and a goofy grin has spread on his muzzle, "Oh my..." He sighs, then it's like he suddenly comes back to himself. His eyes open wide, and he shoots to his hooves, shock plain on his face. He sputters for a moment, noticeably trying to keep his rear end as far away from me as possible, "Umm, Irony... I think you might be... umm..." his voice falls to a whisper, "in heat."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Uh-- n-n-nothing, bye! Gotta go find Trixie again!" he turns tail and literally runs away from me.

I just stare after him for a moment, "You are so weird!"

* * *

Cranking the knob over to hot, I slip into the shower, glad to be able to finally clean off the funk from my recent travel. I take my time washing my fur and cleaning my mane, luxuriating in the never-ending supply of hot water.

Thank Celestia for Dust's awesome shower! I gleefully think, running my fingers through my mane. Too bad she's not here to share it with me... Hmm... I wonder if Moon Shadow is awake yet?

I ponder calling out for her for a moment, but then decide, No... what I really need is a stallion! Dammit, I wish Ray was here with us! Why did I make him go home? I should have let him come. Then he could keep me company in here... I smile dopily to myself, one of my hands absentmindedly dropping down to my seeping slit, while thoughts of the good Doctor run through my head.

It takes but a moment for my mind to get lost in a sweet memory from our all-too-short time together...

---------------------------------------------------------------

Our lips press together fiercely; his hands are buried in my mane, pulling me into him. My fingers fumble at his belt, trying to loosen the buckle, but they can't focus on their task. I am lost in this kiss; lost in the feeling of his tongue fencing with mine, of his sharp teeth nibbling at my lips.

Just as I find purchase on his buckle, he swats my hands away from his waist, "Ah ah ah, not yet, my fair lady."

I fairly groan with disappointment. He grips the hem of my shirt, quickly pulling it over my head. As I am trying to pull my arms free of the garment, he twists it up and pushes my arms down in front of me, somehow trapping them between us. I growl lightly. He smirks, then presses his advantage, kissing me again.

While I am distracted by his oral prowess, he sneaks his other hand up to cup my right breast. He caresses it gently, taking its measure in his skillful fingers. He squeezes the nipple. Pinching it; twisting it; pulling it; stretching it out. My moans are gobbled up by his lips. I swear he eats them like candy.

Just when I think I can stand it no more, his digits drift across my chest, quickly continuing his ministrations on the melon's twin sister. I cry out, my body twitching from the spears of electricity shooting out from the erect nub.

Finally unable to wait any longer for my reward, I pry my wrists free of the shirt, destroying it in the process. I no longer care. I grab hold of his belt and pull, tearing the leather in my haste. I pull his zipper down, snaking my hand in to find his turgid member. The heat of his flesh draws forth a sigh of delight from deep in my chest. Wrapping my other hand in his pants, I quickly strip them down his legs, letting them pool at his feet, exposing him fully to the air. It is standing straight up, pointing at the ceiling. Without letting go of it, I drop to my knees in front of him. I look up in his eyes as I stretch out my tongue, lightly licking his full length, from base to tip, my wide tongue slathering his entire underside with my saliva.

His entire body shudders when I wrap the crown of his meaty cock with my lips. I flick the tip of it with my tongue, before inhaling his entire staff into my muzzle. His rod tickles the back of my throat when I get to the root. I suction my mouth down tight around him and draw myself off of him slowly. When I get to the tip, he practically screams out, "Oh sweet mother of god! If you do that again, I'm going to explode!"

I grin evilly at him, "That's kind of the idea." I return my attention to his little friend, taking it deep into my mouth again. I work my mouth as slowly as possible up his shaft, squeezing it with my lips and tongue the entire way. He wraps his fingers in my mane again, gripping me hard. He tries to pull me off, but I resist, instead bobbing my head up and down, squeezing my hand around his base, holding him steady.

Burying my face in his crotch, I swirl my tongue around him, then hollow my cheeks and withdraw at an excruciatingly slow pace. His moans grow louder and louder as I work my way closer and closer to the top of him. Reaching his head, I hold just the tip inside, grazing it with my flat teeth while I continue swirling around it with my tongue. He grunts loudly, "Irony!" before his seed bursts over my waiting palate. I nurse on him, until he shoots his last dollop into the back of my throat. I pull the rest of the way off of him, making his body twitch and shudder from the ecstasy he's feeling. Once I have withdrawn, I swirl his issue around on my tongue, and catching his gaze with my eyes, I open my mouth wide to show him my mouthful. Then I close my mouth and slowly swallow, my throat working convulsively as I send his seed down to my belly.

Grinning at him, I lick my lips, "Delicious."

He pulls me to my hooves and proceeds to kiss me deeply, and I know he must be tasting himself on my tonsils...

-----------------------------------------------------------

I scream out my pleasure as my orgasm overtakes my senses, catching me by surprise. Leaning over with my head against the wall of the shower, I pant, hot water still cascading down over me. One more moment, and I lose my focus, falling to four hooves.

I flop over on my side, darkness closing down on me.

* * *

"Irony. Time to wake up. It's time for school!"

I crack an eye open, to glare at Moon Shadow, "Not funny."

She giggles, "Oh, I don't know about that. Finding you passed out in the shower after masturbating yourself silly is pretty damn funny, in my book."

"Mine, too!" Mindy says from behind her.

I slam my eyes closed again, wishing I could sink into the tiled floor, "How did you know?"

Shadow snorts, "The entire house could hear you moan and scream. You're lucky it's just us ponies! I think you damn near killed Soarin and Lightning Flash, though. They were damn near fighting each other to get in here. Mindy and Trixie had to wrap them both up in magical bubbles to keep them from coming to actual blows."

"Oh god... somepony shoot me now," I bemoan my situation. "Was it really that bad?"

"Oh yes. I never knew you were such a screamer, Irony! Dustie didn't mention it, anyway. I'd give you an 8.5 out of 10!" Mindy chimed in, making me blush even deeper, something I didn't think was possible.

"What's wrong with me?" I finally ask Shadow.

"What's wrong with you? You're simply in heat," she replies, smirking.

"What do you mean, I'm in heat? I don't think I have a fever..." she shakes her head at my naiveté.

"Not heat, as in hot, but heat as in fertile. Ovulation. It's the time where you could get pregnant. Your body starts urging you to do things that will help with that goal," Shadow is outright grinning as she finishes her statement.

"No... no way... really?"

She and Mindy nod, then both of them burst out laughing at my predicament.

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

*Trixie and Flash*

“Trixie has been waiting for you. It's rude to keep a mare waiting.”

“Oh, sorry Trixie,” the golden pegasus replies from the door, “I just heard Irony come back and I--” He pauses. “What are you doing?” he asks the mare, who is positioning herself over the edge of the bed and waving her tail in rhythm with the ticking clock in the room. The blue unicorn is garbed in oversized striped stockings, a starry cape, and a pointed hat with a matching pattern to top it all off.

“Does her stallion like?” Trixie asks, giving her infamous taunting smirk.

“You know how I feel about you talking like that, and where did you even get that outfit? I've been here for long enough to know that nobody here cosplays.”

Trixie steps down from the bed, turning to face Flash, her expression never wavering. “Did the grand witch give you permission to ask questions? Did she ask how you felt about her mannerisms? Trixie doesn't think so,” she says, cupping his chin with a socked forehoof, her eyes narrowing. As she inches her muzzle closer to his, her eyes all but close as she whispers, “Chouchoutez-moi,” before giving him an affectionate nuzzle, “est-ce mieux?”

The stallion blushes in response, his feathers twitching and ruffling as he tries to return the loving embrace. Trying to keep his cool, Flash responds, “I can't understa-- unf!” He is cut off by Trixie's lips against his.

“C'est dommage, c'est une belle langue,” Trixie returns to nuzzling Flash, this time continuing down his neck and rubbing her body against his until her cutie mark touches his wingtip. His member begins to harden, and he extends his wing to stroke her rump.

“Trixie,” he moans under his breath.

“That's The Great and Powerful Trixie to you, peasant,” she lights her horn and disappears, reappearing on the bed, lying down. “Trixie is your queen, and only she may refer to herself in the familiar. Now that she has readied her stallion, the queen wishes to be pampered. The peasant stallion may approach,” she says, pointing her muzzle to the ceiling. Flash complies without speaking, pinning his wings to the side to hide his arousal. He puts a hoof on the bed and leans back, preparing to hop onto the bed. “Stop!” Trixie shouts, “What do you think you're doing? You can't just join The Great Trixie in bed! Get off.” Flash steps down, hanging his head in defeat. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will forgive her servant's mistake if he promises to ask permission next time.”

“I promise, my queen.”

“Good. Now, assist Trixie with her stockings. You may use whatever you deem necessary,” Trixie states, extending her hoof toward Flash's muzzle. Flash sits on his haunches and takes the offered hoof in his forehooves. He kisses the tip of her hoof first, working his way up until he reaches her blue fur, pointedly avoiding it. He lowers his muzzle down to the tip of her forehoof once more, avoiding eye contact the entire time. When he reaches the end, he carefully bites the edge of the sock and gave a gentle tug, pulling it completely off and discarding it on the floor. He watches as it dissolves into nothing, as if the carpet were absorbing it, and then returns to his submissive bow before Trixie.

“You've done well, stallion. You may continue.” Flash does the same with Trixie's other hoof, and this time, it disappears while still in his mouth.

“Does my queen wish for me to continue?” Flash asks.

“Not yet. How is her stallion feeling? Do not lie.”

Flash notices his fully erect wings and stallionhood, but responds verbally anyway, “He feels horny, my queen. He wishes to join The Great and Powerful Trixie in bed.”

Suddenly, a faint moan emanates from the far wall, and Flash swivels his ears toward it. Trixie and Flash notice the sounds of water running in the next room and look to the wall. Out of nowhere, a blue hoof meets Flash's muzzle, snapping his attention back to Trixie. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not like to be ignored. It would behoove her servant to give her his full attention.”

“Yes, Great and Powerful Trixie, I am sorry. I don't know what I was thinking.”

Trixie raises her hoof, ready to smack Flash once more, “Trixie demands her stallion's full attention. Control your ears, or suffer Trixie's wrath!” Another moan can be heard through the wall, this time louder, and Flash's hardening member twitches in response. He forces his ear to face forward, and Trixie lowers her hoof to caress his muzzle. “Good stallion. Now, you may join Trixie in bed.”

Flash jumps into bed without hesitation, and is greeted by a loving kiss from Trixie. She wraps her hooves around his withers, and he begins to stroke her mane.

“mmmhh” Flash hears a moan, unsure of who it came from, but he twitches again nonetheless.

“Oui, Trixie loves it when you pet her mane like that,” she undoes the jewel tie on her cloak with her magic and tosses it across the room toward the sounds of more moans increasing in volume. “Why don't you put that sexy muzzle of yours to good use, and give Trixie's mane a little tug?”

“Yes!”

Flash flinches, hearing the cries of his sister in the next room. He becomes uncomfortable, trying not to think of what Irony is doing while simultaneously growing more aroused at the thought. Attempting to focus, he grabs a mouthful of silvery hair, and pulls. Trixie's head jerks back, and she lets out a cry of delight.

“aahhh!”

Trixie leans away from Flash, still resting her forelegs on his shoulders, and spreads her back legs apart, exposing her glistening slit. Flash continues pulling on her mane, relishing in the moans while allowing his hooves to wander over his marefriend's body. His hooves reach Trixie's cutie marks, and he gropes her rump hard, pulling her closer until his fully erect cock is rubbing against her barrel.

“mmfff”

“ahh”

“yes!”

“oui!”

Flash's cock twitches with each successive moan and cry, itching for relief. Flash curses it each time, hating himself for every emotion he's feeling, but he doesn't slow down. He moves from her mane to her neck, switching between gentle nibbles and licks. He continues groping her rear, and begins grinding against her body.

“Flash, please,” Trixie moans.

“Trixie?”

Trixie lights her horn and her hat disappears. “What did The Great and Powerful Trixie tell you?” she asserts, “You shall not address your queen in such a way. Now, remove the rest of Trixie's garments.” She leans back, spreading her legs and displaying her soaked marehood to the stallion. “And don't even think about going further until Trixie tells you to.”

Flash reluctantly complies, whiffing the mixed scents of his own arousal with Trixie's and Irony's. His control doesn't fade, and he maintains his champion focus as he slowly works off the two remaining stockings.

Another moan resonates throughout the room. Flash releases a grunt as he sits up and eyes his marefriend maliciously.

“Lick your ruler clean, servant.”

Flash dives into Trixie's soaked cunt, greedily lapping up the steady stream of marecum. He licks her seeping slit and everywhere around it, not letting a single drop reach the bed. He even cleans over her ass, not wanting to miss any of it. All the while, two mares are moaning, and Flash's brain flips between the sexual experiences with his marefriend and all of the times he accidentally caught a glimpse of Irony. He tugs on Trixie's tail, getting a shout in response. “Fuck!” Unwilling, and unable, to curb his ever-growing arousal, Flash lets out a primal growl as he finishes servicing Trixie.

“You have served your sovereign well, young stallion. You may now have your way,” Trixie says with a wink, to which Flash wastes no time. He launches himself forward, penetrating the unicorn under him, eliciting a gasp that he hopes came from her. He plunges himself in and out of her harder and faster than he had ever before. The mare underneath him attempts to stifle her moans by biting onto a foreleg. He can tell she is enjoying herself, but he has also been holding it in for longer than she has. He feels himself getting closer to falling over the edge, and he presses on, not saying a single word.

His thrusts grow violent after a few minutes, but Trixie doesn't make him stop. Instead, she grins wider, as she hears the moans from the room next door. She can tell that both her stallion and the mare in the next room are approaching their peak, and Flash seems to be liking it.

Flash moans as he throws his head back, letting out a beastly groan, and hilts inside of Trixie, causing her insides to clamp down hard; holding him in and milking ounce after ounce of cum from him. Finally, he collapses on top of her, and they both pant heavily while they listen to Irony's moans die down.

“hnng”

“What?”

“She's still not done in there? My goodness, that mare must be more pent up than I was when you were gone.”

“Huh? Oh, you're back to talking normal again,” Flash sighs, rolling over to let Trixie reposition herself on the bed. They both lay at the foot of the bed, listening less intently to the moans coming from the bathroom. The water is still running, but after all of the moans and cries coming from that room and theirs, nopony in the house could have been oblivious to the fact that she was far from cleaning herself. “Wait, what do you mean by that? When was I gone?”

“Flash, you left us for a few days. Just before you got your cutie mark, you took off.”

“Oh right, then... Look Trixie, I'm sorry I freaked out like that. I had no right to storm off without an explanation, and you deserve better from me. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

Trixie brings a hoof to her chin and thinks for a moment, “Yes. You must pledge your undying loyalty to Trixie and promise to never leave her alone again.”

“Absolutely Trixie. You're the only mare for me, and I wouldn't think of--”

“One more thing,” Trixie starts, losing the confidence in her voice and looking at the floor. “You must forgive Tri- me for something I did while you were gone.”

This gives Flash pause, “What are you talking about?”

Trixie fidgets and stumbles over her words, “I was really pent up while you were gone. You don't know what it's like to be alone in a house full of horny ponies and be the only one without her stallion. Trixie was lonely.”

“I'm so sorry, Trixie. I didn't even think about it like that when--”

“Trixie is not finished. I… I mean I wasn't finished. I did something bad. I had sex with Irony.”

Lightning Flash chuckles and tries to dismiss it, but Trixie cuts him off again.

“I also had sex with Moon Shadow, and I think Dr. Ray.”

Flash's laughter suddenly turns to shock, “You did what? With all three of them?”

“I had sex with them, Flash,” Trixie blurts out, flinching at the end.

“First of all, how are you unsure if you had sex with Ray? Second,” Flash puts a hoof under Trixie's chin, trying to get her to look him in the eye, “I don't blame you.”

Trixie waits for him to continue, but seeing that he doesn't seem to have any more to say, she tries to explain herself. “You don't blame me? I had sex with other ponies, and a human. I cheated, Flash. How can you not blame someone for doing that? I could have come with you. I could have waited, or masturbated, or anything else, but I cheated on you.”

“Trixie, this is difficult to say, especially for me, but have you seen Irony and Moon Shadow? You may not like this, but if I had any chance with them at all, I would be tapping that like a keg at a frat party. However, I'm an exception. The reasons I haven't done anything about it were because Irony was my brother, and Moon Shadow is her marefriend. Not only that, but she was a close friend of mine as well, and neither of them were any of those things to you.”

“But I was committed to you….”

“I would say that the circumstances have changed, wouldn't you? You didn't even know you were The Great and Powerful Trixie before, and you sure as hell didn't know who I was.”

“Trixie is unsure how she feels about what you're saying. Are you saying that you don't--”

“No!” Flash exclaims, panicked. “No, Trixie. I know I expressed disapproval of Trixie before, but that's changed. She's not the same pony that you are. Both of us have been through a lot; two lifetimes worth. And I like to think that we've grown and matured because of it. Trixie, I love you. All I'm saying is that I can't blame you for anything you did right after the transformation. We were both confused and disoriented, and I wasn't there for you. You don't need to apologize.”

“aahhh!” Trixie and Flash both look to the wall, then turn back to each other.

“So you're okay with what I did? You're not hurt?”

“No, Trixie. I love you, and as long as what you did doesn't take your feelings away from me, then I'm okay with anything.”

Trixie's eyes fill with tears and she latches her forelegs around Flash, “Trixie loves you too, Lightning Flash!”

“mmff, yes”

“Ugh, I envy her endurance,” Trixie muses aloud, “That mare could go for hours.”

“Okay, we need to set some boundaries. Please don't talk about my sister like that.”

“Trixie acknowledges your request, but Trixie is still horny.”

“Do you--”

“Silence! We shall go once more,” Trixie barks her orders before taking her stallion into a loving embrace and locking lips. “Trixie will take the lead this time.”

Lightning Flash complies, allowing himself to be gently guided onto his backside, stretching his wings flat onto the bed. From there, Trixie gives him a quick peck on the lips before making her way downward. She kisses his jaw and nips his ear, then neck. She uses her magic to pin his hooves above his head, and spread his back legs apart. Flash's member regains some of its former stiffness in anticipation.

The two ponies making love can still hear the moans from their companion in the next room, and do their best to either ignore it, or let it enhance the experience. Flash ignores it, while Trixie's vile mind plays out intricate fantasies where Irony would be in bed with them. As she takes Flash's hardening cock between her lips, she teases it with her tongue. Her nether regions moisten while the thought of Irony in her bipedal form cupping her thighs invades her psyche. She bucks her hips against the invisible mare, taking more of Flash's stallionhood into her mouth. Trixie sucks in her cheeks until they touch Flash's cock, then slowly releases pressure. She lets it slide out of her mouth, keeping her tongue on it the whole time.

She slowly licks, from the base of his shaft to the tip, as her imagined Irony caresses her cutie marks. Trixie's clitoris winks as Irony kisses each thigh, then teases her lower lips with her tongue. Her Irony's enthusiasm translates directly through her, into the stallion beneath her, as she takes his cock into her mouth even further until it touches the back of her throat. She fights back her reflex to reject it, and swallows, forcing it into her throat. She struggles to breathe, but doesn't stop. She uses her magic to stimulate herself while her imagined mare eats her out.

The scent of arousal in the room gets stronger with each passing second, beginning to impede their judgment. Trixie smells it, driving her mind into bliss, and bobbing her head up and down, taking labored breaths through her nostrils and taking in more of the scent. Flash senses it too, and starts feeling the same effects. This smell is different to him, however. It's not the same smell that pervaded the air in the room before. Yet, it is strangely familiar.

Suddenly realizing the scent is Irony's, his mind jumps into action, attempting to snap him out of his pheromone-induced frenzy, “Trixie, stop.”

“mmff rrt nnngggg”

“Trixie, please.”

Trixie slaps his ass hard with a hoof.

“Trixie…” at a loss, Flash tries to remember their talks before their first time having sex as ponies. They came up with a safe word in case either of them felt uncomfortable and other words might have been misinterpreted. “Screwdriver.”

“Hm?!” Trixie stops instantly, letting her magical hold on her partner fall and pulling herself off of him. “What's wrong? Did I hurt you?”

“No, it's just….”

“What's wrong, dear? I was only playing, you know I don't mean any of that, right?” Trixie asks, a look of genuine concern spread across her features.

“I can smell her, and it feels wrong. I'm sorry Trixie, but I can't continue right now.”

“Okay,” Trixie replies, laying her ears downward in disappointment and crawling up next to Flash.

“Please don't think that you were doing anything wrong, or that I don't want to be with you.”

“I understand. I can smell it too, and I know how you feel about it. Are you alright? Is there anything I can do?”

A warm smile makes its way across Flash's face, “You already have, Trixie. Thank you.” Flash shifts uncomfortably, trying to keep his cock away from the mare holding him. He tries to relax, but can't get the smell to go away. He buries his muzzle into Trixie's mane, but that doesn't work.

He tries to cover his nostrils with a pillow, but it's as if the scent is burned into his nose and won't leave. As all this happens, his boner gets stiffer, and all of his rationality starts to fail. He hears the moaning get louder and louder each time, knowing that the mare is approaching an orgasm. In his frenzied mind, he can't hold himself back and finally, he shoots off of the bed, using his wings to propel him, and gallops out the door as he hears a scream come from Irony as she hits her climax.

“Flash! Wait!” Trixie shouts futilely. The sounds of several sets of hooves hitting the floor can be heard simultaneously, two of those sets are galloping towards each other. Knowing where each is headed, Trixie teleports herself in front of Flash, only to be bowled over by a light blue pegasus from behind. From there, the two pegasi head for the same destination – the bathroom door – and try to shove each other aside to get there. “Lightning Flash!” Trixie scolds, but to no avail. “Flash!” she shouts again.

“I don't think that's going to work,” Mindy chimes in, “those two probably can't even hear us in their state.”

“Well, what are we supposed to do?”

The stallions go from shoving to standing on two hooves, using their forehooves to push against each other and grunting like wild animals.

“This seems familiar. Have we done this before?”

“Mindy! You're not helping,” Trixie tries to get between the stallions, forcing them away from each other with a force field. The field only lasts for a moment though, and instantly the stallions are back at it.

“I have the strangest sense of deja-vu,” Mindy says to herself.

“What's going on here?” Moon Shadow joins in, rubbing her eyes and trying to focus. “Wow,” she finally states when she sees Flash and Soarin get close to exchanging blows. Meanwhile Trixie continues to shout obscenities at Mindy, who doesn't seem to be hearing any of it.

“Mindy, snap out of it and help me!”

“Wha-? Oh yeah!” Mindy lights her horn, enveloping Soarin in a bubble, where he continues pounding on it from the inside trying to break out. Flash takes this opportunity to make a beeline for the door, where he's blown back once again by one of Trixie's force fields.

“Finally,” Trixie sighs as she wraps Flash up in his own bubble. “We can take care of these guys, Moon. Go in there and make sure Irony's okay.”

Moon Shadow hesitates in the hallway, watching as Soarin and Flash tire themselves out in their magical containment fields.

“Moon?”

“Yeah, sorry. I'm going,” Moon replies, opening the door to the bathroom with her magic to find Irony on the floor in her pony form.

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"Flash, it's safe to come out now," I call through the intervening door, pounding on it with a fist.

"Are you sure?" he asks quietly.

"Pretty sure," I reply, my ears flopped down in shame.

The door cracks open just wide enough for a white-maned golden-furred head to stick its way out, "Are you really sure?"

I bop him on his nose, "Use this for its intended purpose, and you'll know.

Taking a deep sniff with said appendage, he grins sheepishly, "I guess it is safe... are you okay?"

"Yeah. Mostly just embarrassed. I'm sorry for any trouble I caused you. Trixie's not mad at me, is she?" I ask, my face heating up.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is not angry with you, Irony Shieldbreaker," I hear from behind Flash, before her powder-blue head appears next to his. She smiles up at me, "Trixie found her lover's response to your scent rather humorous!"

Now it's Flash's turn to redden, "Trixie! I thought you weren't going to mention that anymore!?" His voice drops to an almost inaudible whisper, "I begged you not to..."

She lowers her head, and eyes, "Trixie is very sorry, dearest Flash. She forgot in the excitement of talking to Irony."

Rubbing his muzzle against hers in a sympathetic nuzzle, he responds, "All is forgiven, but please don't forget anymore."

She nods vigorously, "I won't. Thank you, Flash."

I watch them nuzzle each other for a few more moments, then interrupt them, "Actually, I didn't just come by to have an awkward moment or two. Mindy and Moon Shadow tell me that there are a few more ponies out at the farm, and that they've started work on cultivating some fields. I thought I'd go give them a hoof, and was wondering if you two wanted to come with?"

"Actually, Trixie and I were just about to leave as well. We're meeting Mindy and Soarin for a double date..." Flash trails off, giving me a pleading look that begs me to understand.

I give a tip of an imaginary hat to him, "No problem. You guys enjoy your date. But, not too much, eh?"

He flushes red again, and Trixie giggles at him as she pulls him back inside their room.

I head off, shaking my head at their antics.

* * *

"Hi, umm, Irony was it?" a dark brown stallion, with a light gray mane and a plow cutie mark interrupts me pulling my own plow. I've been trying to lend my strength to their work by tilling the soil, since I overtop every pony present in size and raw power.

"Yeah, that's me. What can I do for you?" I reply, running a hoof through my mane, sweeping it out of my eyes.

"Yeah, hey... I, umm, hate to do this... but I kind of got elected to talk to you, since aside from you I'm the biggest pony here..." he paws at the ground with a hoof as he speaks.

"Okay... what seems to be the problem?" I ask, knowing that a problem is really the only reason they would have elected a single pony to come over to speak to me.

"I can't think of a nice way to say this, so I'm just going to come out with it... you kind of suck at farming. Everything you do makes more work for us... so... can you please stop?" he looks up at me, and I can see a little fear in his eyes, but also a pleading, too.

Shrugging off the yoke from the plow, I reply, "You know, you're right. I do suck at farming. It is definitely not my talent, thank Celestia."

He heaves a great sigh of relief, presumably at the fact that I didn't get angry, or upset. I give him a brief salute with a hoof, and make my way out of the rows of tilled soil.

I take a seat in the shade, next to a bright blue unicorn. She extends a cup of water out to me with her magic, "Here, you look thirsty."

I take a sip of the water, it's ice cold, "Wow, that's refreshing. Thanks!"

"Ice and water magic happen to be my specialty," she replies, gesturing to the snowflake on her hip. "Don't feel bad, they asked me to stop helping yesterday. They don't mean to be rude. Watching them, I've realized that they're able to work together on a level that those of us without the talent can't understand."

She looks down at my rump, "With a mark like that, I'm betting you were a soldier, or a guard, of some sort. Your talent is fighting, isn't it?"

"Well, you're half right," I answer, turning so she can see the other side, "my other skill is smithing."

"Whoa!" she exclaims. "I've never heard of somepony having different cutie marks before. At least, I can't remember having ever heard of it..." she trails off.

I know what she means. Our memories are so spotty, that we have no idea what we might have known before we were cursed. Though, here I do remember something, "According to Twilight, it had never happened before in recorded history. She said I was an anomaly."

"Interesting," she says, sitting back against the trunk of a tree. She remains silent for several minutes before she speaks again, "You know, there's an anvil in the barn. There might be some tools in there, too."

I can hear the blood suddenly rushing through my ears, my heart is pounding. I feel the deep longing pulling me to my hooves. I don't realize it, but the unicorn smirks at me as I'm drawn toward the barn without so much as a farewell.

* * *

Shouldering the door open, I quietly slip into the old farm building. Looking around, I can tell there aren't any electric lights in here. Given the age of the structure, this isn't much of a surprise. What is a surprise, is the nearly pristine propane fed kiln staged off to one side. Very, very nice... I muse to myself, taking in the 110 pound Anvil nearby, with no less than three quenching tanks nearby. They're all empty right now, but that is easily remedied.

I take my time looking over the equipment. I'm quite surprised at the condition it's all in. Whoever this farm belonged to before Lightning Dust, must have had the same love for metalwork that I do, I realize while studying the Anvil. It's obviously well used, but doesn't have any of the normal signs of negligent use. No chips. No cracks. No warping. There isn't even any rust. I run my fingers across the top of it, then rub them together. Ah, that explains it... whoever used it last had oiled the entire thing up, evidently expecting there to be some time before it would be needed again.

Everything is in its place. There is a rack of hammers and tongs, sorted by size and weight. They are all similarly oiled. It's like they knew they weren't coming back... but hoped someone would make use of it again someday.

I stroll out to the propane tank to check the connections to the barn. They're in good order, as are the regulators. I open the required valves, allowing the liquid petroleum gas to flow once more. After that, it takes very little time to fill the quench tanks with the appropriate baths.

Less than an hour since first entering the barn, and everything is ready for use again. Priming the forge, I soon feel warmth emanating from the 2000 plus degree oven. Finally, I make a quick trip out to my car, where I pull two cloth wrapped bundles from the trunk.

I unwrap the bundles, spreading the cloth and its contents out on the workbench. One of them contains several of my personal tools that I just couldn't bear to leave behind, including my leather apron, my favorite hammer, and sharpening stones. The other... Hmm... I wonder...

Slipping the apron over my head, I set to work, humming quietly under my breath.

* * *

After a time, I look up from my hammering to see the same bright blue unicorn I'd met under the tree sitting on her haunches by the door. I nod, acknowledging her presence, and start another heating cycle. In the time it takes the metal to turn a bright yellow, two earth ponies I recognize from working in the field show up. Without saying a word, they take a seat next to the unicorn.

I continue, my hammer-falls forming a cadence. When I turn to heat the metal again, I realize my audience has grown once more; from three, to five. Two pegasi I don't recognize have come to join the party.

Holding the hot steel in a pair of tongs, I place it on the anvil and resume pounding on it with the smithing hammer in my right hand. The thuds echo around the old farm building, creating a heavy beat. Soon, the lone unicorn opens her mouth, and begins to sing. Within a few words, the other four join in:

Will you, will you,

Come with Irony?

He cast out the ponies,

We were forced to flee.

Strange things did happen there,

How much stranger could it be?

If we met all the ponies,

Just like you and me?

Will you, will you,

Come with Irony?

Where ponies called out,

Hoping to be free.

Strange things did happen here,

How much stranger could it be?

If we met all the ponies,

Just like you and me?

Will you, will you,

Come with Irony?

Where we can fly,

And all can roam free.

Strange things did happen here,

No stranger would it be.

If we met all the ponies,

Just like you and me?

Will you, will you,

Come with Irony?

Wear our blades proudly,

Side by side ponies.

Strange things did happen here,

How much stranger could it be?

If we met all the ponies,

Just like you and me?

Hissing punctuates the last line as I thrust the metal into the quenching vat, releasing a plume of steam.

The room falls silent, the moment broken.

The unicorn, whose name I hadn't caught before, and the two pegasi leave while I'm inspecting the piece. That should take an edge really well. I hold it against the other parts that came out of the bundle, A perfect fit.

I pick up another blade form from the bundle to inspect. My concentration is interrupted by a clearing throat.

"Excuse me, Miss, um... Irony?" I realize it's the same pony that asked me to stop helping them in the fields. He's alone now, his partner evidently having left him to speak to me.

"Hmm?" I cock an eyebrow in his direction.

"Umm... I'm really sorry about before," he looks down, turning red, "I shouldn't have said that you suck at farming."

"It's okay. I do suck at farming. Plowing is definitely not my thing. This," I sweep my hand in a circle around me, gesturing at the forge and anvil, "is where I belong. This is my talent. There's no harm in facing the truth."

"Even so, I'm certain there was a better way of putting it."

"I value bluntness. Short and to the point. Don't worry about it, okay? Oh, and please thank everypony else for the song. It really made my day," I smile.

"Thank you. I don't really know where it came from, but it felt right. To me, at least."

He pauses, taking a deep breath, "So, do you think you can repair our plow for us?"

I chuckle at his awkwardness, "I think I might be able to."

His head comes up, excitedly, "You'll help us?"

"Of course I will, but there is a small problem," I say, immediately dashing his excitement.

"Oh," he hangs his head again, "what is it?"

"I need metal, if I'm going to make anything. There isn't any here. I'll tell you what. If you will get me high-carbon steel, I'll fix anything you need," I offer a hand to him.

"I think we can do that," he places his hoof into my hand and we shake on it.

* * *

"Irony, what the hell are you doing?" the powder blue pegasus demands, storming into the barn.

"Soarin, I'd think it was obvious. I'm fixing a plow. Why?" I ask, smirking at his grumpy look.

"You know that's not what I'm talking about! Do you know how much raw steel these ponies are asking me for? And when I asked them why they need it, they all say that it's for you! Do you have any idea what metal costs these days?! What is going on?" he slows down at the last, his anger seeming to whoosh out of him with his breath.

"I wondered how they were going to go about getting their hooves on it. I guess it makes sense they'd come to you, since you are kind of responsible for bringing them here in the first place. I really do need the metal, though. Tools break and need repaired. But, more importantly, I need it to make armor and weapons."

"Armor and weapons? What do we need those for?" he asks me quietly.

"We're thinking long term here, right?" I look over at him.

He nods in response.

"Our goal is to get home, to Equestria, right?"

He nods again.

"But what if we can't? What are we going to do then?"

He shrugs.

"If we can't get home, we will have to make our home here. We will have to be prepared. Celestia forbid, we may even have to defend ourselves. The more ponies we gather here, the more people will notice us. We can't stay hidden. It's in our nature to gather; you know that, you were born a pony. We will be seen. You know there are some terrible people out there that will try to kill what they don't understand!" I'm breathing heavily, getting myself a little wound up.

Soarin holds up a hoof to stop me, "I know. I already thought of all those things. The steel will be here tomorrow afternoon. Dust has authorized me to acquire what we need, she can cover it. I just wanted to be sure that your reasoning was the same as mine. You've got a pretty good head on those broad shoulders of yours," he pauses for a moment, "Speaking of which, you might want to wear more than an apron when working in here."

I look down, "Why?"

"Technically, you're covered, but, well... you know..." he trails off.

"And?"

"Nevermind. Do as you will," he turns around, heading toward the door. "Mares!" he mutters, shaking his head.

I can't help it, I throw my head back and laugh, a deep belly laugh. I swear I can hear him growling as he makes it out the door.

* * *

"Hey Flash," I call as I tromp up next to my brother.

"Oh, hey sis," he waves a hoof.

"How's tricks?" I ask.

"Oh, she's fine," he answers distractedly.

"Not Trix, as in Trixie. Tricks, as in stuff. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. My mind is just elsewhere, I guess."

"What's on your mind? Something bothering you?" I turn to face him directly.

"Oh, it's nothing. Hey... what do you think of Mindy?"

"Umm... she's cool, I guess. Kinda crazy, like Pinkie Pie, I think. Why?"

"No reason. Just curious," he evades.

"Okayyy... you know you're weird, right?" I quip before trotting off.

* * *

"Lightning Dust! How was your meeting with Agent Walker?" I ask, wrapping her in a hug. She got home earlier in the day, but we barely were able to exchange a few sentences before her presence was requested by the FBI. After that, she and Mindy made a trip in to the local Wal-Mart with a panel van.

"Well, we're going to have a VIP visiting us tomorrow. He wants to see what we're all about," she responds, wrapping her arms around me and giving me a nice kiss.

"Mmmm, that's nice. How big a VIP? Governor? Senator?" I query, nibbling her ear.

"Bigger than that. Much bigger. His daughter is turning into a pony," she heaves a pleasant sigh from my ministrations.

"Much bigger than a Senator? You don't mean... the President?" I gasp.

"The one and only. He'll be here tomorrow, possibly with his daughter. I don't know if he's planning for her to stay with us, or what, but we should be ready for the possibility."

"Is this an official visit? Or is it hush-hush?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"No media. As far as the rest of the world knows, he'll be at Camp David."

"That makes sense. How would he explain to the rest of the country that he's meeting with a group of small, multi-colored, talking equines? It would blow most of their minds," I state, smirking at the thought of a nation-wide mental reset.

"Yeah, I think that's exactly what they're trying to avoid," she grins, evidently picking up on my mental image.

"So, moving right along, care to tell me about your trip to Wal-Mart?" I ask, suppressing a giggle.

"Nothing to tell. We went, bought a bunch of supplies, and came home," her face turns a bright shade of pink.

"Really. Nothing interesting happened?" now I'm fighting the grin that keeps trying to spread its way across my muzzle.

"Nope. I don't remember anything happening," she bites her lips.

I pull out my phone and play a video, "So, this isn't you, Mindy, and a whole bunch of people high-stepping your way out of the store?"

"How the heck did you get that?!" she nearly shouts.

"Soarin's search programs caught the video as soon as it was posted. They downloaded it, and stored a copy, before it could be removed from the internet. It's gone from the net now, by the way."

"Somebody must have recorded us and put it up. So, yeah... things got a little weird. It all started when Mindy found the chocolate covered espresso beans..." she trails off.

I feel my eyes widen severely, "Did you say... Chocolate. Covered. Espresso beans?!"

Dust nods, "Yeah..."

"Oh my god. And the store is still standing?"

"Amazingly enough. Have to admit, it was a lot of fun," she shrugs her shoulders.

"What about the Rockette dance routine? How did she talk you into that?" I ask, bewildered.

"I have no idea how that happened. Mindy said something about the Music of Harmony," she shrugs again.

"Okay, I guess that kind of makes sense. Guess spontaneous song and dance routines were real, not just imagined by the writers. Damn, I never really considered that before..."

"Whatever it was, everypony was affected. While it was fun, I'm sure glad it's over. This pony is not a huge fan of singing and dancing," Dust shakes her head as she speaks.

"Oh, I don't know. I bet you've got a great singing voice," I tease her.

"Shut up," she blushes, and turns to go. "I have to talk to Soarin about the visit tomorrow. I'll meet back up with you later."

I wave goodbye, still smirking. I think I'll go talk to Moon Shadow...

* * *

"You know how I told you that I've been Dreamwalking every night?" Moon Shadow asks me.

"Yeah, you've been practicing, and trying to remember more, right?" I look at her, my head turned to one side.

"Exactly. And let me tell you, it's been a bit of a wild ride. I--"

"Wait, wild, as in dangerous?" I interrupt.

"A little..." her ears flop over, and she won't look me in the eye.

"You mean very, don't you?" I glare at her, my arms crossed over my chest.

"I made it out okay... with a little help," she says, the last under her breath.

"What kind of help?"

"Erm... the Princess kind..." she squeaks.

"You got in enough trouble that you had to be rescued? By Princess Luna?!" the volume of my voice rises on every word, until I'm almost shouting.

"I would have gotten out of it on my own, even if she hadn't shown up." she retorts. "Eventually..."

I glare at her for a moment, before she speaks again, "Besides, Irony, what else am I going to do? I need to learn about my magic, about my abilities. There isn't any other way to do that! I don't have Luna here to guide me!"

"I'm sorry. I know. It's not your fault that you can't remember all that you knew before, or that your teacher isn't here," then something she said before hits me, "Wait, you said that Luna saved you, won't she teach you again? I mean, I know that she's not here, but from what you've told me, distance has no meaning in the Dreamworld. Isn't that right?"

She shakes her head, "You're right about distance being irrelevant, but there's another problem. That's what I was actually working my way toward before we got off on this tangent. Princess Luna didn't recognize me. After helping me, when I tried to talk to her, she ran. She literally ran, like I was a windigo or something! And she's continued to run from me every time I've seen her since. It's worried me."

I lay my neck over hers, hugging her close, "I'm so sorry, Moon. It has to be hard to have her not know you. But, you have to remember, she has a lot more years than we do. There is a lot more for her to have to sort through. Give it some time, and maybe she'll remember. And, if she doesn't, you can remind her."

"Thank you, Irony. It's been bugging me for a couple days now. I just didn't know what to do," she kisses me lightly.

"For now, I'd let her be. Chasing her will only scare her and drive her off. And if pushed hard enough, she might even become violent... Though I think that'd take a whole lot," I advise.

"That's a good idea, my love. Thank you again," she nuzzles me. I kiss her gently in return.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Noah. Noah!" a voice calls from behind me as I trundle along. "Noah Mason, are you even listening to me?!"

"I can hear you, Mama. Come catch me!" I pump my little legs even faster, trying to lead the woman behind me on a merry chase.

"You are one wild child, my dear. I'm coming for you!" she gives chase.

I squeal in laughter, running as fast as I can. I manage to remain several steps ahead of her. She growls like a bear, causing me to giggle even harder. Suddenly, I veer towards the shoreline.

"Noah, don't go near the water. It's still too cold!" she calls, but I don't listen. I charge, laughing all the way, right toward the water.

She starts screaming behind me, but it's already too late to stop me. I hit the water at full speed, and very shortly am in over my head.

I try to yell for help, but end up with a mouthful of salty water instead. I gasp, pulling the brine into my lungs, causing me to cough violently. I thrash wildly about, trying to keep my head above the waves. The tide is pulling me further out.

Frantically, I look around for something, anything, onto which I can grab to save myself. There is nothing. Even worse, I can see my mother. She's too far away. She can't help me.

I feel adrenaline rush through my little body as I realize the danger I'm in. This powers my lungs and thrashing limbs. This serves to only push me further away from shore. I keep pounding the water with my fists, but can't keep my head above the water.

My screams turn to sobs as I realize that I'm going to die. What little strength I possessed, has fled. I can't do it anymore.

Sinking under the waves one last time, my eyes close, and I silently say a prayer that my Mama taught me:

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

If I should die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Goodbye, Mama... I love you.

Suddenly, I feel my body lifted up. Arms wrap around me, pulling me close. Water swirls around me as I am drug from its icy grip.

Arriving at the shore, I'm dropped to the ground. My savior pounds on my back, encouraging me to expel all the fluid I've swallowed. I wretch, spewing it out in streams. Finally, after what seems like forever, there is no more. I gag for several moments, and roll over to see who has saved me.

It's my mother. She who I thought could never reach me in time. She's down on all fours, vomiting up her own belly full of water. I reach for her, but my strength has fled. My body begins to shiver with cold. I curl up into a ball, the shivers intensifying into trembles. I feel my Mama wrap herself around me. She's cold, too. I can feel her shaking.

Feeling some warmth start to infuse me, my shakes slow down and I pass into unconsciousness.

* * *

Mama has been sick for the last three days. I've been trying to take care of her, but I finally had to go fetch Uncle Stu. He was very angry when I got him. He knocked me down with how hard he hit me.

"Boy! Get your ass over here, you worthless bastard. I swear to Christ, I have no idea what my brother ever saw in your mother. Or you. Worthless. Both of you," he hollers at me.

* * *

I shake my Mama, trying to wake her up. I have to make sure she drinks her broth, or she won't get better.

"Mama, wake up!" I call to her, but she doesn't respond. I reach out to shake her again, and realize she's cold. I pull on her arm, rolling her over.

"Mama?" Her eyes are open. They look glassy. Like my dog's eyes looked when he went away.

"Mama! No, Mama, don't go!" I wail as the truth sets in.

"Boy!" I hear roared from behind me, "Stop your yammering!"

My uncle comes over and looks at Mama, "Hmmph... so she's finally gone, is she? Well, good riddance."

I turn and, letting out a horrific scream of hate and rage, charge my uncle. I try to wail on his legs, the only thing I can reach, but he just bats me away like the gnat I am. Immediately, I run at him again. He looks at me with contempt plain in his eyes, and cocks his fist back. He lets go with it just as I reach him, catching me under the chin and lifting me off the ground.

Landing on my back, my head slams into the dirt floor. My eyelids flutter closed, and the darkness overwhelms me.

* * *

"Come away from that. You have faced this dream too often," a firm voice speaks, pulling me away from my torment.

"I had hoped that I'd forgotten it," I say, then bow to her. "Princess Luna, once again you honor me with your notice."

"I told you before, stop that. I only do what is right. You like to torture yourself with this dream, I have noticed. You really shouldn't," she stomps a hoof in emphasis.

"I can't help it. She died because of me. I was a foolish, spoiled child, and I deserved all that came after," I turn away from the Princess, so that she won't see the tears forming in my eyes.

"How old were you at the time?" she asks quietly.

"Seven, I think," I answer, my head and ears drooping in shame.

"Much too young to understand the consequences of your actions. And much too young to have suffered such a loss. I am so sorry that you faced that," she reasons.

"I should have listened to her. If I had, she wouldn't have died there. What happened after was my just punishment," I moan.

I feel a hoof strike my shoulder, knocking me forward. "Nopony deserves to be sold into slavery! NOPONY!" she's using the Royal Canterlot voice, at full volume. It's actually rather startling. She's breathing heavily, her sides billowing in and out, almost a pant.

The emotion in her brings me up short. Very tentatively, I ask, "Princess, are you okay?"

Slowly, she responds, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. Slavery and imprisonment are two subjects I feel very strongly about." She pauses for a moment, "But, the point remains, nopony deserves to be sold into slavery. Not even for heinous crimes."

"Princess, I caused my mother's death. There is no way around that. And even though over 150 years, and two lifetimes, distance me from it, I still bear the guilt and shame."

"You will learn to get past these thoughts plaguing you. They aren't your fault; you are not responsible for the actions of others. I know this from personal experience. It took me over a thousand years, and being blasted by the Elements of Harmony, to finally come to terms with my own mistake. I pray it does not take you as long," she gives me a sad smile as she turns to leave.

She pauses once, lifting her head to look at me, "Instead of hating yourself, you must work to prevent these atrocities from happening to others. At least, that is how I atone."

"Wait, Princess," I call, intending to speak to her about Moon Shadow, but she fades out of my dream without responding.

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

"I hate getting all dolled up," Lightning Dust grumbles, shaking her head as Soarin runs a comb through her hair.

"Hold still!" he mutters around the implement of mane-care clamped in his teeth.

"I know exactly how you feel, Dust," I commiserate, weathering a similar assault from Moon Shadow.

"You have to look good when you meet the President. You know, you wouldn't have to go through this, if either one of you had a clue as to how to take care of yourselves," Shadow chides us, using her magic to rip the comb through another snarl in my mane.

"Hey, is it our fault that we both spent our lives here on earth as men?" Dust asks.

"I was born male to begin with. I've never had much of a reason to learn beautification tips," I chime in.

"You two are just big babies," Soarin states after ripping out one last rats nest from Dust's blonde hair. "Look at me, I'm male and I know how to take care of myself."

"Yeah, but you grew up a girl, remember? Though, come to think of it, you were always kind of messy..." Dust ribs him.

"That's enough of that. The President should arrive anytime now," Shadow states, glaring mildly at Dust.

"Hey, why doesn't Mindy have to get her mane done?" Dust asks suddenly.

Moon Shadow's mild glare firms into something more unpleasant, "Because there's no power in the 'verse strong enough to tame that pony's hair."

Dust opens her mouth to respond, but is interrupted by the pony in question seemingly popping out of thin air, "Come on Dustie! The President is almost here!"

* * *

"Dust, stop fidgeting," Moon Shadow glares at the turquoise pegasus.

"Sorry Moon. I just hate waiting on other people. It doesn't help that having my mane done up like this just doesn't feel right. It totally throws off my aerodynamics!" she complains, but settles down. For a few seconds, anyway. It doesn't take long before she's ruffling her wings, her head darting this way and that.

Moon Shadow opens her mouth, but closes it again without speaking. Shaking her head, she exhales explosively.

After an interminable wait, we finally hear the distinct sound of a helicopter's rotors chopping its way through the sky.

We watch Marine One, the presidential seal plain as day on the side, approach. The pilot adroitly sets her down in the clearing across from us, his adeptness with the controls obvious in the softness of the landing.

Within moments of the wheels settling into the turf, the door slides open and Secret Service agents leap out to secure the area. None of them even pause at the sight of several multi-hued ponies waiting patiently at the edge of the field.

Efficient and effective, I think in approval of their skills.

My attention is drawn back to Marine One as a man I assume is the president climbs out. He turns, offering his hand to lovingly help an amethyst coated unicorn down from the deck. So, his daughter really is a pony... and now he's brought her here, to us. An interesting development, to say the least, I muse.

The President makes his way over to us, the pink unicorn lagging slightly behind.

"Mr. President, I am known as Lightning Dust. Welcome to our home," Dust offers a hoof to the well-dressed man. He pauses for a moment, taken aback slightly, but recovers well. He drops to one knee and takes Dust's hoof in his hand, shaking it like he would any other human's.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Dust," he replies, a genuine smile blooming on his face. "Thank you for having us on such short notice. I hope that we haven't put you out any."

"Not at all, sir. It's an honor to have you."

The President makes the rounds, shaking all of our hooves as we introduce ourselves. Looking into his eyes, I see a man who has slept little of late; I also see a firmness to him, an underlying toughness. He won't hesitate to do what he must, I realize, my respect for him growing.

"And this is my daughter, Amy," he says, gesturing to the pony that has been hiding behind him. She steps forward tentatively, looking ready to bolt at the first sign of danger.

"Amy?" Dust's head tilts to the side, "What is your pony name?"

Amy looks at Dust in confusion, a look of fear crossing her face so quickly it's hard to tell it was ever there.

"You know, the one from the dreams you've been having. The dream you had when you got the cutie mark on your flanks, your three brilliant cut diamonds."

"I don't remember any dreams," she shrinks away, shaking her head.

Dust touches a hoof to his knee, "I think you and I need to have a talk. Alone."

He looks at Lightning Dust, confusion plain on his face. Finally, he nods. He turns to his daughter, kneels down, and kisses her on her forehead next to her horn. That done, he waves off his Secret Service escort and steps outside our circle, Dust trotting to follow him.

Once they're out of earshot, Shadow turns to Amy, "Welcome to Montana, Amy. Thank you for coming to visit us."

"Umm... thank you for having us. I can't believe so many people have been afflicted with this disease. I thought I was the only one," she states quietly.

Mindy gasps, filling her lungs with more air than I thought physically possible, "Thisisnodisease!ThiswasDiscord!Hecursedustwentyfiveyearsagoandmadeushuman!Nowwe'vefinallyreturnedtoourtrueforms!"

Amy's eyes are so wide that it looks like they're going to fall right out of her head.

"Mindy, calm down, you're just scaring her," Shadow puts a hoof on Mindy's back to settle her down. She turns to the new unicorn, "What Mindy here was trying to say, is that it's no disease. It--"

"That's not what the doctors told me! They said it was some kind of retro-virus. They told me they're going to cure me, soon!" the young unicorn wails, whipping her head around, wild-eyed.

"Shhh... calm down Amy. It's okay," Shadow puts her hoof on Amy's shoulder, like she had Mindy, calming  her down a bit with the contact.

"They promised they would cure me," she whispers, tears dripping down her cheeks and across her muzzle, to fall silently to the ground.

Moon Shadow pulls her into a hug, ruffling her mane with a hoof.

"I'm sorry, little one, but this isn't a disease. We were cursed, twenty five years ago; by the Lord of Chaos, Discord. We've already been 'cured', if you think about it. These are our original forms," I say quietly.

"What? What are you saying?!"

"She's saying that we were always ponies. We just took on the shapes of humans for a time. Against our will, of course," Moon Shadow replies.

"I just said that!" Mindy spouts, bouncing back and forth.

"Yeah, but Moon was a lot easier to understand," I reply, my lips quirking into a half-smile.

"No, that's not true! I'm human. There's no way that I was ever anything but human!" Amy bursts out, her eyes narrowed as she glares at us.

"I'm sorry, Amy, but it is true. We," Shadow makes a sweeping gesture at Mindy and I with her hoof, "all know the curse to be fact. We aren't from earth. We're from Equestria."

"How do you know that?" she asks, disbelief in her eyes, though she seems to have calmed down a bit.

"We had dreams, like the ones you say you don't remember. Plus, we've been regaining our memories, albeit slowly," I answer for Shadow.

"I haven't been having any dreams," she whines, biting her lip.

Moon Shadow cocks her head to the side, one of her ears flopping forward quizzically, "No dreams? Are you certain?"

"Ummmm..." she sucks on her lip, looking down at her hooves.

Shadow lifts her chin with a hoof, "I know the dreams are frightening, but they only have power over you if you let them. More importantly, they are a link to your past. They can help you to remember who you are."

Amy bursts into tears again, "B-b-b-but, they're so scary! He was so horrible! He made everypony disappear in a blast of white light. I was all alone!"

"Shhh, I know. I know. It's okay, it's okay. We all know just how scary it was. We all lived it too," Moon Shadow comforts her again.

Several minutes pass in relative quiet as Shadow whispers comforting words to the pink coated unicorn.

Finally, swiping at her nose with a fetlock, she speaks again, "I think I'm okay now. I'm so sorry for breaking down like that. It's just been so hard. I was all alone at school when I started to change. I was so scared. I had no idea what to do. I'm just glad that Daddy took me in, that he didn't turn me away. I don't know what I would have done, if he treated me like some kind of freak."

"We understand exactly what you mean. Do you want to talk about your dreams now?" Shadow asks kindly.

Her head bobs up and down slowly.

* * *

*Moon Shadow*

"Okay, Amy, let's start by recounting your dream from the beginning. I know it won't be easy, but if you take it slowly you'll remember more," I say to her, mildly.

She squeezes her eyes shut in concentration, her head tilted slightly to one side, "I... I... ungh..." Her eyes pop open, and she exclaims excitedly, "I was foalsitting! I was watching... ummm... Berry Pinch!"

"Excellent!" I declare. "What happens next?"

Her eyes close once more, she nibbles her lip as she considers, "I hear a snap, and then Discord appears in a flash of really bright light. He says... I can't remember what he says, but suddenly he's chasing Berry Pinch around the house. He's chanting something weird. I don't know what it is."

"Five Score, Divided by Four?" I ask gently.

"Yeah, that's it! He's saying something about Five Scores. He corners Berry. She's quivering, her poor little legs locked in place. He snaps his claw, throwing a shiny globe of magic at her. Before I can think about it, I jump in front of her! The magic hits me and the worlds blacks out. Then I hear this horrendous screaming... like a baby crying!" tears leak out of her closed eyes. She falls to her knees, overcome with the remembrance.

"I'm sorry Amy. I know that was really hard to relive," I kneel down next to her, wrapping a hoof around her in solace. "I promise, I didn't have you do it to be cruel. Dreams are powerful, and ignoring important ones like this can have devastating consequences."

"I think I understand now. Thank you for your help, Moon Shadow. I'm sorry that I've cried so much."

"Nonsense. Discord did something irreversibly horrible to all of us. Trust me, it's worth a few tears. Were you able to remember anything else?" I ask.

"Yeah. Something pretty important, actually," she's able to summon a smile, despite the moisture still drying on her cheek fur.

"What is it? What did you remember?" I query, returning her smile.

"I remember who I am... I remember my name. I'm Sparkler!" her smile widens to a grin.

* * *

*Irony*

"How long do you think they'll stay?" I quietly ask Moon Shadow, while Dust gives our illustrious guests the grand tour of the farm.

"Him? I doubt more than a day or two, if that. I think, though, that we've convinced her to stay here. At least for a while. She seems pretty excited to see what life is like as a pony, now that she's stopped believing that she is the victim of some disease," she smiles.

"That's a step in the right direction, but only a step. Underneath her newfound excitement, I think she's still terrified. I mean, it's really great that she and her father don't think that a virus caused the change anymore, but that's only the first bump in the road for her. Accepting who, and what, we really are, is the first real mental/emotional hurdle that most of us seem to go through. For some it's fairly easy; others... not so much," I lean against Moon Shadow, sighing.

"She's tougher than you think, though I agree that you have a point. I'll be monitoring her dreams, at least for the next few nights, to make sure that she has somepony to lean on if they become too extreme."

Nipping her ear lightly, I say, "Thank you, my little Shadow. As it always seems to be, you have read my mind before I even fully had it thought; and planned accordingly. How do you do that?"

Her muzzle splits in a grin, and her eyebrows waggle, "Oh, I have my ways."

I swat her with my tail, eliciting a bright giggle from my sexy unicorn lover.

* * *

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Sparkler*

"Dad? What's going on?" I ask, a thrill of fear shooting down my spine as orderlies burst into my room. They surround my bed, each of my legs is grabbed by one, while a fifth holds up a syringe.

"Daddy! What's going on?! Let me go!!" I scream, jerking my hooves in a fruitless attempt to get free.

"Get my daughter back. No matter what it takes," my father says to them, not even looking at me.

"What if our efforts are unsuccessful?" the one with the syringe asks, both of them ignoring my struggles as the four wrestle me onto a gurney and begin strapping me in.

"Then get rid of it. That thing is not my daughter. If I can't have her back, I don't want it to be here as a reminder of what I've lost," he replies, stone-faced.

"Yes, sir. We shall do as you ask," the orderly turns to me, slipping the syringe into my neck.

"Daddy, no... I'm still your little girl. I really am," I whimper, tears falling freely. My whimpers turn to sobs as my vision dims. Why doesn't my daddy love me anymore?

* * *

*Moon Shadow*

I keep watch over Sparkler's dream as it fades into darkness. It was filled with sadness and fear, but no more than many others that I have witnessed recently. The fear of rejection by human family has been heavy on many a pony's mind.

How I wish I could spare them all these dreams... but that isn't what guarding dreams is about. It helps them to learn to cope... I sigh to myself, still fighting the desire to end bad dreams completely.

"Hard to watch and not interfere, isn't it?" a voice startles me out of my internal conflict.

I turn my head and gasp, "Luna!"

"Hello, Moon Shadow, my faithful apprentice," she smiles down at me.

"You... you remember me?"

Her smile fades, her cheeks redden, and her head hangs low, "Finally, yes. I am quite sorry that I didn't before. It must have been disheartening to have me flee from you. For this, I must apologize profusely. I cannot believe that I couldn't remember you, my student."

"Nonsense! You carry no blame for your lack of memories. That lies at Discord's feet, for it was his doing that brought us all low. Yes, I was saddened when you didn't remember me, but I understood. I barely remember anything myself. So often, I am left foundering in the sea of what I don't know about my own past," I respond, daring to reach a hoof forward to lift my Princess' chin.

"Thank you for your understanding, Moon Shadow. It means so much to me," she nuzzles my cheek gently.

"Did you seek me out this evening, or did poor Sparkler's dream bring you?" I ask, afraid to hope for too much.

"Actually, I did come for you," she states, bringing a grin to my muzzle, "as terrible as her dream is, it is no worse than many another. It is one she will recover from, as I'm certain you had already ascertained."

We turn back toward the young unicorn's dream, to see that now she was cuddling up in her father's lap, with him stroking her head lovingly.

"As you no doubt see, she has started to dispel her own fears. Thanks, in part, to the help of you and your friends," the lunar Princess' smile warms my heart.

She continues, "I have come to share some good news. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and the others have all found each other. They are all staying at a farm owned by Applejack and her brother, in Iowa of all places."

"That's wonderful news!" I state, practically bouncing with excitement at the prospect.

"That's not all. We want to gather ponies together, especially those in need, but we've hit a bit of a problem. After talking to Twilight and the rest, we figure that news of us ponies is being suppressed by each nation's respective government."

"We kind of figured the same thing. We already know that our own government is definitely doing it," I agree.

"Indeed. Due to this, we can't just put out a call for ponies to assemble by normal means. Instead, we've decided to put out a call that will be reported without being linked to any pony," she states.

"What sort of call can you send that won't be immediately seen as a pony source?" I ask, wracking my brain for an answer to my own question.

"The Sonic Rainboom--"

"Of course! That makes perfect sense! It'll be covered by every network, because they won't have a clue as to what could have caused it. It'll let every pony that hears of it know that they aren't alone. It's brilliant..." in my continued excitement, I interrupt my mentor, "but... how will they know where to gather?"

"That brings me to the other reason I sought you out this night... I need to visit every pony dream that we can, to tell them about the farm in Iowa. But, I can't do it alone. There are simply too many dreams to visit. Will you help me in this endeavor, my student?" she asks me with tears in her eyes, almost pleading.

"Of course I'll help! It would be my honor. I wouldn't ever consider turning you down for something like this; ever. Thank you for reaching out to me," I bow deeply before my Princess.

"Oh, thank you Moon Shadow. Your actions will help many a pony, of this I am certain. I am so grateful to have you as my apprentice... assuming of course that you still wish to be considered such?" she says, a tremble to her voice.

I kneel before her, my horn touching the ground, "I most certainly would, my dear Princess. It is my greatest desire. Thank you."

"Now, get off your knees, we have work to do!" she shouts in the Royal Canterlot voice, before tearing a hole in the fabric of reality and stepping through. I shoot to my hooves and quickly follow her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"Irony, wake up!" Lightning Dust bursts into the room that Moon Shadow and I have been sharing.

"Shhh... I'm already awake, but you'll wake up Moon Shadow. She had a very busy night visiting dreams with Princess Luna," I hush the excitable pegasus. "What's got you all aflutter, anyway?"

"We have to get on the road! We need to get to Portland right away!" she spits out.

"Portland? You mean Oregon? Why? What's going on?" I ask, taken aback.

"Soarin thinks there is at least one pony being held and experimented on, by a company called Spectrum Laboratories," she calms down a little.

"Well, Shit!" I say with feeling. "Go wake Trixie and Lightning Flash, I'll wake up Shadow and explain what's happening. We'll meet at the car in 5 minutes."

Dust nods succinctly and darts out of the room, leaving behind a trail of light.

I turn to Moon Shadow, to find her eyes opening, "How much of that did you catch?"

"Enough. Let's get rolling," she states, her eyes flashing with barely concealed anger.

"But, you're exhausted! You should stay here--"

"I won't be exhausted by the time we get there. I'll be able to sleep plenty on the drive. You know it's a 16 hour drive from here," Shadow interrupts me.

"How much sleep are you really going to get in the car?" I try to reason.

"More than enough. I can sleep anywhere, at anytime. It's something I learned as part of my training to be a Dreamer. This is important, Irony. I won't be left behind," she glowers at me, her determination easy to see in the stubborn set of her shoulders.

"Fine, then let's go," I give in, grabbing my duffel as we race out the door.

* * *

"Holy shit, she was able to do it!" Dust exults, looking at her smartphone. We've been on the road for several hours, and news about the Rainboom has just come over the radio. Dust has been looking for video evidence of the event.

"Lightning Dust, don't tell me that you even for a moment doubted your idol?" Moon Shadow teases from the backseat.

"I mean, I knew she could do it, but damn... that is so awesome!"

"Indeed it is, Dust. Indeed it is," I agree. "Best of all, now every pony in the world that hears about it will know they aren't alone."

"A truly great day in the new history of ponies everywhere," Trixie says quietly.

"Yeah, plus it was freaking awesome!" Lightning Flash pumps a hoof in excitement, then hoof-bumps Lightning Dust.

"You guys are incorrigible," I state, shaking my head.

"What can I say, we're pegasi, awesomeness runs in our blood! And we can recognize it everywhere," Dust's muzzle splits in a shit-eating grin.

I drop my face into my hand and sigh.

* * *

We pull into Portland well after sunset and follow our GPS to Spectrum Laboratories. It really isn't too hard to find, but the complex is a little surprising.

"Damn, Dust, you and Soarin sure know how to pick 'em," I whistle appreciatively at the level of security. It falls short of a maximum security prison... but not by a whole lot, I think to myself. There's a three meter tall wrought iron fence, topped with razor wire. It encircles the entire complex, with a guard shack by the gate.

"Hey, don't worry. None of that is a problem for a pegasus. Nobody ever looks up!" she crows, flipping out of the window and flying off to perform recon.

Turning to Flash, I say, "Take a slow loop around the campus to get a feel for it, then find a perch where you can keep an eye out for any kind of police response. At the first sign of trouble, let us know and bug out. We'll meet you down the highway a bit."

He nods and, following Dust's lead, flips out the open window and flies off without a word.

I pull my car around to a dark, secluded, alley to park. Trixie, Moon Shadow, and I climb out. The quiet of the city falls over us like a blanket, the only sound the ticking of the engine as it cools.

"It's too quiet. Trixie doesn't trust things that are quiet," the pale unicorn breaks the spell of silence.

"It won't be quiet for long, I'm sure," I reply, lifting the lid to the trunk. I unzip the duffel, and start by pulling out my shield and mace. "I'm going to miss my armor, but going without will let me shift a whole lot easier."

Attaching the mace to my belt, and strapping the shield onto my arm, I reach in one more time.

Hearing the sound of wings fluttering behind me, I turn to face Lightning Dust with the P90, that I acquired from the chop-shop gang what seems like forever ago, in my hand.

She drops to the ground and smiles at me, "That's a great look for you, but I don't think it's a good idea. We're not here to kill anyone."

"I know, I know. I wasn't really planning on bringing it, but it was in the bag, so I had to consider it," I reply, shrugging my shoulders.

"Listen, I don't want another death on my conscience. We're here to rescue ponies. Let's do it without killing," she states firmly.

"I understand, Dust. I don't want to kill anyone, either," I slip the submachine gun back into its case, and slam the trunk closed.

"So... how are we getting in?" Moon Shadow asks.

"Well, sneaking in is dicey. They have cameras everywhere, not to mention the patrolling guards," Dust says, an ear-to-ear grin spreading on her face.

"So... we bust on in, eh?" I ask, my muzzle mirroring hers.

"Right through the front door," she laughs quietly.

* * *

As we trot up to the guard shack, the rent-a-cop inside simply stares at us. He doesn't seem at all affected by the sight of four technicolor equines sauntering up to his corner of the universe.

Dust rears back on her hind legs, bringing her front hooves down on the sill of the open window he's sitting behind, "Let me in. I know you're keeping ponies here!"

He glares at her, "Piss off. This is a private installation. No admittance!"

I shift from four hooves to two, grab the front of his shirt in one hand, and pull him out through his little window, "My friend said let us in!"

The guard's hand drops to the pistol mounted on his right hip, only to have his arms restrained in the pink aura of Trixie's magical field.

"We won't ask nicely again," she states, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

He stares at us as if seeing us for the first time, his eyes opened as wide as they can. He reaches back through the window and hits a button. The gate starts to grind slowly open.

Grabbing hold of his radio, I squeeze it in my fist until the case shatters and sparks fly from the useless piece of equipment. Then I smash the phone mounted inside the hut, and ask, "Do you have a cell?"

He nods silently, and his pocket alights with Moon Shadow's green aura. His phone levitates out of the pocket, disassembling as it floats away. The pieces drop to the pavement with a clatter.

I lean in close, ensuring I have his full attention, "I suggest you have a seat and not move until we leave. Pretend we don't exist. Understand?"

He nods, his eyes bugging out at the sight of his gun being drawn from its holster. The clip ejects, and the gun is taken apart before his eyes. Finally, the barrel is squeezed flat by Trixie's magic, and the remains are dropped to the ground next to his phone.

* * *

We make our way from the gate to the front doors, with Dust using her magic to throw lightning bolts at any cameras we come across.

Upon reaching the glass doors, Trixie says with a flourish, "Allow the Great and Powerful Trixie." Her horn lights, and the doors are torn from their hinges, falling to the ground with a crash.

Clopping into the lobby, we're met by three armed guards. "Halt!" the lead one hollers, raising his pistol to point at us.

"I don't think so!" Trixie yells back, her horn flaring bright. A blast of air slams the guards back into the wall, knocking them out. She lifts their pistols and radios free of their unconscious forms, destroying each one.

She looks from Lightning Dust to myself, and says sheepishly, "They'll live."

* * *

*Lightning Flash*

Ugh... why is sentry duty so damn boring? Why couldn't we invade an ice cream parlor or something like that instead? Yum... ice cream... I start to drool, my stomach growling as I think about snacks. What's taking them so long? It's been almost an hour since they first approached the gate. I sure hope there isn't anything wrong, I forget all about snacking as my thoughts turn to worry.

I feel my ears prick up as four uniformed dudes come into view, running direction toward the building that my friends went into before. Unlike the other guards I've seen tonight, these guys have AR-15s. Not good. I think these guys might mean business.

As quick as they are, on foot they could never match the speed of a pegasus in flight. I flit up soundlessly behind them, the two in the rear never even see me.

Having built up a bit of speed, I line up dead center on the back of the shirt of the rearmost guard. Snapping my wings closed, I lower my head and lean my right shoulder forward. Just before I hit, I scream out, "COWABUNGA!"

I barrel right through him, and into his buddy, knocking them both to the ground in a heap. I whip my wings open to bleed off my momentum, and streak straight up.

"STEERIKE MOTHERBUCKERS!"

The front two turn back toward their partners, having heard my attack, but they didn't see me. I circle around them while they try to rouse the grounded members of their team.

While they're bent over the prone victims, I slip up right behind them and hover there, trying to stifle a laugh. After watching them for several moments, I can resist it no more, "So, you guys ever heard of looking up?"

Two heads whip around to look at me, their eyes going wide as saucers.

"Yeah, I didn't think so. Seeya, suckers!" I clap them both right behind their ears with a hoof, dropping them like so many sacks of potatoes. "Not much of a challenge, were you guys?"

Keeping an eye on the downed quad, I slowly spiral my way back up to my cloud perch. That can't be all there is... I sure hope they can take care of themselves in there. Irony, don't you dare do anything crazy...

As if in answer to my fears, I hear the muffled report of a gunshot. "Shit, what the hell is going on now?" I ask out loud.

Flapping my wings, I push the small cloud I've been lying on closer to the main building. Within moments, I see Trixie and Moon Shadow galloping out the ruined front doors, two ponies floating in their magic. Irony is hot on their heels, with Lightning Dust in her arms.

Fuck, fuck, fuck... something has gone really wrong... I clap my front hooves into the cloud, drawing lightning out of it. I hold the crackling electricity between my hooves as I hover there, watching the front doors.

I don't have to wait long. Soon, several uniformed guards bolt out through the entryway, their pistols lifting to point at Irony's broad back. Acting on instinct, I clap my hooves together, producing a murderous crash of sound. The barely contained lightning leaps out, briefly connecting me to the ground in front of the guards. Then all hell breaks loose as the earth explodes in their faces, driving the men flat onto their backs.

Whoa... shaking my head at the ruptured land, I spin and flap my wings for all I'm worth, trying to catch up with Irony's 4-4-2. She's tearing down the road like all the hounds of hell are chasing after her.

I'm no speedster but, with some effort, I can just keep her car in sight. She never slows at all, but I can tell that she's heading toward Seattle. I follow in their wake, worry tearing at me with every beat of my heart.

Once they reach Seattle, I see Irony veer off the highway toward a hospital. Why didn't they go to one in Portland? What's so special about this one? I somberly wonder to myself, knowing that Irony doesn't do anything impulsively. She came here instead of staying in Portland, she must have a reason.

Watching them pull up to the emergency entrance, I circle around and head in for a landing. Pulling up behind Irony, I try to make light of the situation, "Damn, you sure took off like a bat out of hell back there!"

She turns toward me, and I can see the stricken look in her eyes, and I know it's just as bad as I feared. Feeling the fake smile that I'd plastered on my face curdle, I ask, "Is she going to be okay?"

She shakes her head, "I don't know."

Turning, we follow Moon Shadow, who is carrying Lightning Dust in her magic, into the emergency room.

Upon passing through the automatic doors, it dawns on me why Irony came here of all places. Running toward us with a gurney is none other than Dr. Ray Stevens. Moon Shadow settles Dust onto the gurney as lightly as a feather.

"I... I thought you were a Vet?" I sputter.

"I am. Now come with me. Quickly now, we haven't a moment to lose," and so saying, the good Doctor turns on his heel and practically runs as he pushes Dust down the hall toward an operating room.

* * *

We spend several hours simply waiting. Moon Shadow checks on the sleeping ponies several times while we wait, as they have been left out in the car. Irony paces nonstop, fear plain on her muzzle the entire time. Which speaks volumes about how much she cares about this mare we've only recently met. When did that happen? I mean, I know they slept together, but there's a lot more there than how you feel about someone you're just screwing... I realize, though it confuses the hell out of me.

Seemingly reading my mind, Trixie leans over and whispers into my ear, "Love at first sight. For both of them, or so it would seem."

"Wait... what?" my eyes go wide.

"Yeah. While you've been mooning over Soarin and Mindy, *ahem*, those two seem nearly ready to form a herd," she jabs me in the ribs.

"Hey, I'm not the only one 'mooning' over Soarin and Mindy," I use my hooves to make air quotes as I speak. "What about Moon Shadow? And what about Helen, Dust's wife? What do they think of this? You can't tell me they don't know, they're both way smarter than me."

She clamps my mouth closed, "If you'd let me speak, I could answer. Shadow and Helen are fine with it, as far as I can tell..." she pauses for a moment, "actually, more than fine, if you ask me. I think those two are hatching some plan there..."

"What?!"

"Nevermind. That's merely speculation," she shakes her head.

"But--"

"Shush. Here comes Ray."

* * *

Ray tells us that Dust is going to be okay, thank Celestia, though she's expected to remain unconscious for a few hours. They were able to patch up the holes and reinflate her lung, and she's expected to make a full recovery.

"I want you to come with us to Iowa," I hear Irony say to Ray after they finished arguing over who was going to pay for the surgery and hospital stay. Ray insisted that he'd taken care of it, and finally Irony had relented.

Ray looks unsure, and seems to not know what exactly to say. Irony reaches out, takes his hand into hers, and says, "We need you. I need you."

Ray's cheeks flush, but he smiles, "Sure. I'll pack a bag."

Soon after that, Ray leads us to Dust's room and then excuses himself to go do just that.

* * *

*Moon Shadow*

"I spent the entire trip home curled up in the lap of Irony's nice young doctor friend," Dust tells me as she trips over her own hooves a little as she leans against me. "He has really nice fingers that know just where the itches and soreness are."

"A smirk crosses her face. She doesn't think I notice it, but I do. I notice everything."

"Dust, I think maybe you've had a bit too much to drink, especially on top of the narcotics Ray gave you earlier..." I say, shaking my head, "You're narrating again."

"She thinks I've had too much, but she has no idea. I can drink anypony here under the table! Well... except maybe Irony. I'm pretty sure she has four hollow legs. Four strong, muscular, silky fur covered... sexy... mmmmm..." the blonde pegasus starts to drool, causing me to shake my head again, laughing.

"Oh yeah, you're bombed. Damn," I stagger as she leans away from me and then falls into my body, "you're heavier than you look!"

"Hey, I'm not fat!" she pats her flanks with a hoof to prove her point. "See, all muscle!"

I fail to suppress a heavy sigh, "Dust, I didn't say you were fat. All that muscle you're bragging about is what makes you so damn heavy."

"Yeah, all muscle, like I said!" she flaps her wings to emphasize her point, lifting briefly off the ground. Only to fall flat on her face when she lands, "Ouch."

"Got a problem here?" I hear from behind me.

Looking around, I see Ray, "Oh, thank Celestia. Can you help me get her to her room?"

"Sure, no problem," he replies, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her down the hall.

"Hey, it's the nice doctor! Hello there Mister Strayevenson!"

He closes his eyes briefly at her state, "I'm sorry about this, I really shouldn't have let her drink. Mixing booze and Oxy isn't a great idea."

"I'm not sure that anypony could have stopped her. She's still deeply upset that she let herself get shot. On our last mission, she had to kill a soldier to save her own life, and it's been eating her up. Which is why she hesitated at the lab. So now she doesn't know how to feel, and it's killing her inside," I nuzzle his hip, smiling up at him.

"Sounds like she might be suffering from a bit of PTSD. Not uncommon for soldiers who've gone through combat situations. Poor thing," he runs his hand over her head, which is laying on his shoulder as she gazes into his eyes.

"Is that what she is? A soldier?"

"Not exactly, I guess, but the situations are similar. She's certainly been through more than most any civilian I've ever met. Except maybe my cousin... but that's a story for another time," he gives me a sad smile.

I decide not to press on the piece of information he's hinted at. The look of pain in his eyes is too bare. Instead I ask, "Will you stay with all of us tonight? We've all missed you so much."

"Will Trixie be joining us?" he asks, his cheeks pinking up a little.

"I guess that's up to her, and maybe Lightning Flash. You know that even though they're not related that he still sees Irony as his sister, right?"

"Not surprising, though I wasn't talking about what you're implying... I've just missed her, too," his flush deepens.

Smiling at him, I flick him with my tail, "I'll ask her."

* * *

"Never fear, the Great and Powerful Trixie is here!" she states, entering the room with a flourish. She had turned as red as Ray had when I told her that he'd asked if she would join us tonight. And then she'd turned and run to talk to Lightning Flash.

Evidently that conversation went well, I think, seeing Flash enter the room behind her. Wonder what he thinks of this...

Ray pats the bed next to him, inviting the newcomers over. Trixie hops up and snuggles in next to him, with Flash cuddling up to the other side of her.

"It's so good to see you again, Ray. Trixie has missed you," her voice drops to a whisper, her muzzle turning bright red.

"I've sure missed you, too, Trixie. I've been thinking a lot about you. About all of you," Ray turns his gaze out over all of us.

"I've been shinking a loooot, stoo," slurs Dust, eyeing Ray with a look of deep concentration in her eyes.

"What have you been thinking about?" he asks her.

"I've been sinking sat you shaved my lifshe, and how shankfulsh I amsh," I see a tear trickle down her cheek.

"Lightning Dust, you are more than welcome. I'm just really glad that it was within my power to do."

"I owe you, for everyshing," she gets out almost slur-free.

"No, you don't owe me anything. Never think that," he states, waving his hands in front of him to show he doesn't want anything.

Then Dust surprises us all by throwing herself forward and taking his head in her hooves. She fiercely presses her lips to his, and I even see her tongue dart forth to try to invade his mouth.

After a moment, she leans back to give Ray serious eye contact, "I'm really, really, grateful to you for saving my life. I owe you, and I want to thank you. Properly." She seems more coherent, and doesn't slur even once.

"Dust, I really think you should get some sleep. You've been through a lot recently, and shouldn't make any rash decisions," Irony gently states.

Dust turns to look at Irony, "I owe my life to him. Anything I have, he can have. Anything."

"But Dust, I thought you weren't into guys?" Ray asks mildly.

"I don't care. I want to thank you, you deserve this and more," she responds, gripping his belt in her teeth to undo it.

"Dust, I don't think this is such a good idea," I chime in with my two cents.

She growls in reply.

I throw my hooves up in defeat, "Fine, Dust, have it your way." I look at everyone else, "Nopony get in her way. She's a grown mare and can make her own decisions."

Dust is finally able to get Ray's belt undone, and she laughs in triumph. She grabs the front of his pants with her teeth and pulls them open. She manages to get his fly separated, and leans in to grip the waistband of his boxers. Suddenly, her body relaxes, and she falls forward into his lap instead. After a brief moment, she lets out a little snore.

Immediately, every head in the room whips around to look at me.

"Moon Shadow... did you... ?" Ray asks me.

"No, though to be perfectly honest I expected it. She actually got further than I thought she would, given her state. Pretty impressive, really," I answer, shaking my head at our friend.

"You of course realize that I'm going to have a lot of fun with this, right?" he asks, a mischievous glint in his eye. His lips spread in a wicked grin.

I feel my muzzle spread in a matching smile, "Oh, most definitely. I'll help."

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Dust on the Wind: Irony's Tale

Mature Rated Fiction

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