After the situation with Cor, Twilight decided to take to reading more on dragons, Fluttershy became just a little more sure of herself after she realized she spoke and more-or-less befriended a dragon on her own volition, and Dash and Gilda had officially started a relationship. A couple times over the past week, both Dash and Gilda have visited to pester Twilight about a gender-changing spell, only for her to have to let them down with the fact that she simply doesn't even know if such a spell exists yet.

Kamina, of course, told her to ask Celestia if there was a book with such spells. Celestia sent back both a note and a book, the note asking if Twilight was “experimenting” in the bedroom with her son, causing a hilarious flustered back-and-forth of messages from Twilight to her, and a glorious series of trolling messages from Celestia to her.

The book was one on advanced physiology magic for both medical and cosmetic purposes. This book was ancient, titled The Living Body written by a pony named Doc Faust long, long before Equestria was even founded, a surviving book from the Warring Tribes era. When Twilight learned of this, and asked Celestia via message if it was a copy and not the original, she was told it was and Twilight visibly calmed down, not wanting to have to worry about the original volume of such a precious book being endangered outside the royal archives.

So that's what Twilight was doing the past few days; reading and practicing the spells from the book, one of which was for changing gender and she was working on that first for her friends, never let it be said Twilight forgot her friends, even in the pursuit of knowledge. Trixie was actually willing to be the first test subject since Fluttershy discovered what Twilight was using mice for, and vindictively rescued them from her with a stern talking to. It worked, but only for a few minutes. Trixie even jokingly said that while a stallion he be called Trickster. Both Trixie and Twilight were disappointed that the spell only lasted a few minutes, since they were indeed willing to experiment and Kamina was all for it so long as he and Trickster didn't get touchy.

So right now Twilight was working on the final stages of the spell to stabilize it, while Kamina was out about the town, helping with the preparations for the massive downpour scheduled for today. 'Geez, you'd think ponies could leave the weather alone but no~, just because pegasi and all flying beings in this world can manipulate it they have to micromanage it. So ridiculous.' Kamina blasted several loose branches off of a tree near a house with an oddly imprinted roof, with circles arranged in a ripple pattern on either side of the house, and odd lines running between them with block shapes in the middles of the lines. 'Just how does a thatched roof get like that?'

Kamina's musing was interrupted when thunder cracked and the storm overhead let loose, practically drowning him in a waterfall of rain. 'Great, I'm halfway across town from the library and any public building. I hope somepony is feeling generous right now. It's good I've taken to being nude without my cape and shades unless I'm doing something special. Otherwise I'd be even more drenched.' Kamina bolted to the door and knocked on it loudly to be heard over the storm.

“Hey?” The door opened, surprisingly to see Vinyl Scratch without her shades on looking at Kamina. “Dude, get in here!” Vinyl grabbed Kamina in her red magic aura, the same as his, and pulled him into the house before slamming the door. “Whoa! Hey! Digging the wet stallion look there K.” Vinyl joked as she winked at him playfully, before snickering. “Hold on dude, I'll get ya a towel.” Vinyl trotted off down the hall as Kamina sat shivering from the cold rain, it was already autumn and the weather was starting to cool down.

'Dang, you'd think living underground most of my life would have made me more resistant to the cold.' Kamina's shivering was interrupted by a white towel being thrown on him, and a pair of hooves eagerly setting about rubbing him down. “H-hey!” Kamina laughed. “I can do it myself!”

“Nope! Gotta do it!” Vinyl laughed too as she rubbed down his head until his mane was more-or-less dry and pulled it off him to see his mane spring out back into its signature spikes. “Dude, we totally have the same hair.” Vinyl then tried to grab the towel with her magic only to feel him grab it too, and notice their auras were exactly the same. “Same magic....” She then looked him in the eyes, and blinked before she beamed. “Same eyes! Wicked! Do I have a secret sibling or something? Besides my brother Flash Sentry I mean.”

“I wouldn't know. I just think we have a lot of things in common.” Kamina then quickly used the towel to dry himself off before he took his shades from his hammer space and put them on. “A lot in common.”

“Sweet shades bro!” Vinyl took hers out and put them on, hiding her eyes. “So what brings you to my house in the middle of this nasty storm Prince K? I doubt it was just to see me. I know I'm awesome, but we've barely even met.”

“Naw, ending up here was a bonus, I was just right outside when the storm kicked in.” Kamina then explained that he was helping knock loose any weak branches down and he said he got the tree next to her house just before the storm started.

“Well thanks a lot colt, I've got enough to worry about without tree branches breaking my windows. So since you're here, ya wanna jam?” Vinyl got behind a small set of personal turntables in the corner of her living room, and started getting set up.

“Oh hell yeah!” Kamina got an odd look from Vinyl. “What?”

“What's hell?” Kamina was caught off guard by her interest in a term he forgot wasn't local to this world.

“Um, it's a sort of version of Tartarus that isn't just a prison, but actively tortures it's victims for their wrongdoings.” Kamina decided to sugar-coat it, seriously, no need to bring the horrors of Hell to this innocent world when they already have Tartarus, which he read was similar but far less overtly cruel.

Vinyl grimaced and stuck out her tongue. “Sick! Metal as Tartarus sure, but ew, wrong. Let's forget that and get some good vibes going huh?” Vinyl started getting a song going, and Kamina was struck by a bolt of inspiration like a bolt of lightning from outside.

“Actually, mind if I sing?”

===//////>

It was late at night, Vinyl and Kamina had been jamming for hours with Vinyl matching music to Kamina's lyrics until Kamina's voice went hoarse. Then they broke out the booze, nothing like some hard cider to totally throw the night away. They chatted and joked, told wild stories and just generally hung out. Now though, it was near midnight, and somepony Vinyl forgot about was coming home.

A thoroughly drenched dark gray-coated earth pony mare with plain yet lustrous black hair burst into the door, dragging a cello case in with her. “Goodness Vinyl, you would not believe...the....” She gawked in shock, and her cheeks swelled as she tried not to burst into laughter. On the red couch, Kamina was flopped on his left side, asleep, drooling into the cushions with his right hoof dangling off the couch next to an empty bottle of cider. Vinyl was laying on top of him in a pose that suggested she fell onto him from the cushion next to his, she was hugging his barrel and drooling into his shoulder, a bottle of mostly-empty cider clung loosely to her right forehoof, hanging precariously over the floor.

On the coffee table was the evidence that the two unicorns were completely plastered and sleeping it off. “Two whole six-packs of Red Cider? Somepony had a good time.” She rolled her eyes before she began to nudge Vinyl. “Vinyl...Vinyl Scratch, wake up this instant you insufferably irresponsible mare.” She chided until Vinyl gave a snort, and hugged Kamina tighter, making him grunt and wiggle closer into the hug. “No, no, wake up.”

“Ugh...five more minutes....” Vinyl may have been drunk, but she realized her pillow was oddly warm, snuggly, and smelled sexy. Wait. “Uh-oh....” Vinyl carefully got up, and off the sleeping prince, and then groaned as she rubbed her head with a hoof. “Ugh, please tell me we didn't.” Vinyl really hoped she didn't just fuck up a totally cool new friendship by having drunk sex with him on the first hang.

“Considering you both only smell drunk, and not drenched in sex pheromones, I'd say not.” The gray and black mare told her. “Now, just what is the Prince doing here? Drunk? With YOU?” She accused, making Vinyl glare at her.

“Octavia, he was outside, drenched, I had to let him in. We hung out, played some music, sang, then we drank and...kinda a blur after that. There was definitely laughing and crying, but no kissing or nothing.” Vinyl felt oddly relieved at the prospect of not tapping such fine flank, he just felt...out of bounds for some reason.

“Well, alright then. Don't want a scandal with him having any illegitimate foals cantering about.” Octavia off-hoofedly stated as she went towards the bathroom to dry off.

“Mating season isn't until next SPRING Octy!” Vinyl indignantly shouted after her, and grumbled. “I wouldn't do that to him anyway, dude's too cool.” Vinyl looked over at Kamina, and smiled with surprising softness. “Why do I feel so relaxed with you bro? I mean, seriously, I should be turned on by you, totally. I can admit you're sexy, but I'm just not attracted...meh, whatever, you're totally cool.” Vinyl wiggled into the couch behind him, and snuggled him with a happy smile. “Totally got to do this again....” Vinyl closed her eyes as she nuzzled the back of Kamina's neck, feeling more comfortable than she'd felt in years.

===//////>

Kamina snorted as he began to wake up, feeling a pounding headache and a copious amount of wetness on his cheek against the cushion. 'Bleh, drool.' Kamina then slowly cast a spell on himself, which alleviated the headache and made him sigh in relief. 'Pain killing spells, Celestia bless modern medicine.' Kamina shifted to get ready to get up, but paused at the familiar sensation of a mare spooning his back. 'Uh-oh....'

Kamina slowly lifted his head and twisted his head and neck around as much as possible to come face to face with a contently sleeping Vinyl. He took heavy, deep, careful whiffs to help determine if they did anything intimate, and he smiled at finding no scent of copulation. 'Whew, that's good. Wonder how two sex-bombs like us evaded that when totally wasted though.'

“It is good to see you awake Prince Kamina the Great.” A cultured, Canterlot-accented mare's voice drew his attention from the surprisingly adorable DJ's sleeping face to Octavia on the love-seat across from them, holding a big mug of what smelled like coffee. “Not to come off wrong, but; what are your intentions with dear Vinyl?” Octavia suddenly became very oppressive, her polite and gentle demeanor was still present, but Kamina could easily feel the thin veil of danger she was trying to mask.

“Nothing my fair mare, I simply enjoy her company in a platonic fashion.” 'Time to break out the sophisticated charm, don't want this mare to maul me for stepping in her territory.' “Miss Scratch was kind enough to offer me shelter from the storm last night. We performed music together in the literal sense, and then decided to imbibe....” Kamina looked at the coffee table, and raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Excessively imbibe, a tangy, sharp beverage of hard cider. What happened afterwards is lost on me, but we clearly did not participate in coitus.”

“You can drop the fabricated Canterlot accent and advanced diction sire, there's no need to be so defensive.” Octavia countered congenially, but was still obviously holding back her wrath, making Kamina gulp nervously.

“Uh...sorry, we just hung out, partied, had some booze and lost the night.” Kamina withered slightly with his ears folded back in worry for her assaulting him, but then finally the oppressive atmosphere lifted and Octavia smiled at him.

“That's exactly what Vinyl said last night when I got home. Your story checks out then. Just don't. Touch. My. Mare.” Octavia let the wrath out in full, glaring hatefully at Kamina with the threat of death, making him cower.

“Got it! I've already got a herd anyway!” Kamina flinched at realizing how stupid it was to admit that, but calmed down when instead of violence, he got cultured titters out of the intimidating earth pony mare.

“Oh, so you've already got more than you can handle? Poor stallion, having multiple mares demanding your attention.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Regardless, even if you both felt the same way, there's nothing I could do to interfere. Vinyl's a grown mare, she can make her own decisions, however ill-advised they may be. But I don't see either of you being romantically interested.” Octavia put her coffee on the coffee table, and stood to bow. “Apologies for being so critical your Majesty. I am Octavia Philharmonica. A bassist for the Canterlot Orchestra. I live here though, beings I don't care for those racist nobles oppressing me for being an earth pony.”

“Good to meet you Octavia. Why don't you see us being romantically involved though?” 'Yeah, seriously, what's up? I can't seem to find Vinyl hot even though I can say she's sexy as sin.'

“You're both clearly related in some way. Close enough that you instinctively cannot find each other a viable mate. Sure, there are such things as *shudders* incest, but those sick ponies are very rare, beings our biology tries to ensure a broader genetic template.” Octavia supplied, making Kamina gape and look behind him at the snoozing Vinyl, who was obviously a heavy sleeper.

“We're related?” 'The guard! The one Celestia used the genes of to make sure I was male! That's why we have so many physical traits in common!' “I think I know how, but I have to ask around to be sure. Is Vinyl about to get up soon?”

Octavia shook her head. “No, not even a rave could wake her right now, she's too deep in her sleep. She'll be up around noon when the alcohol will have been fully processed.”

“Oh...alright then. I'll be dropping by to visit some time, but for now I've got a lot to think about.” Kamina carefully freed himself of the sleeping mare, who grumbled her displeasure at her big warm pillow leaving. “Goodbye Octavia, I'll see you later.” Suddenly, Kamina felt an unusual protective need, and then towered over the smaller gray mare who backed away slightly with her ears back. “Don't you dare hurt her.” 'Whoa! Where'd that come from?!'

“I-I love her, don't worry about that.” Octavia nervously replied, and after a few tense seconds, Kamina snorted and nodded his consent to their relationship, making him look confused. “Don't worry, I'm not offended. That was just a natural reaction. I'm guessing you thought you didn't have any direct relatives besides your mother?”

“No, I knew I had some somewhere, it's just...I've always been alone.” Kamina looked to Vinyl, feeling so content just knowing she existed. “Is this what it's like to have real family?” 'It certainly feels similar to mo-Celestia. I HAVE to know more.' Kamina then excused himself, and left the home of the two music mares. 'Celestia, you have a lot of questions to answer....'

Kamina trudged home, thoughtfully pondering his existence, until he entered the library. “Twilight? Trixie? Spike?” Kamina called out, but despite the fact that it was morning, nobody was around. Kamina went upstairs, and opened the door to their shared bedroom, beings Trixie moved to the main room too, and gawked at seeing Trixie as Trickster, being spooned by Twilight, and Applejack, AND Rarity! Also, they clearly smelled of sex, the room was mired in the scent, and they all contributed. “A foursome...the one night I'm not here, and I miss a potential orgy.”

“A LOUD foursome!” Kamina jumped and looked next to him to see a haggard and tired Spike, who was none-too-pleased with the four sleeping ponies in Twilight's bed. “They were at it for HOURS! I swear, it's like they just can't take the time to cast a silencing charm on the room before they start pounding flanks! UGH!” Spike growled as he stomped off down the hall and the stairs. “I'm getting some coffee! And a Playcolt!”

Kamina sighed and looked in disappointment at the four sleeping ponies before he closed the door. “Yeah...a cold shower and some coffee sound nice right now. Not in the mood anyway.” 'I'm glad they had fun, but I have more important things to think about than sex right now.' Kamina went to do was he planned, thinking the entire time of how to gather the information he wanted.

Author's Notes:

That's right! Vinyl and Kamina are related, so enough of the suggestions for them to get together, no incest here. This does mean however, that Kamina and Vinyl will be spending more quality time together, so expect Vinyl more often.