Whimpering I keep my muzzle under my forelegs, my ears feel so red they burn. Mumbling through my hooves, “I’m sorry.”

Cipher is lying on her back laughing her mane off, “Oh Gaia, you’re so lucky Blaze didn’t hear that.”

“You whinnied, or was that a squeal?” Sugarberry asks, looking at Ah-Pee.

“Come on girls, leave her be, she just had a lot… pent up…” Ah-Pee says, sitting beside me while using a towel to dry my mane a bit, I’m dressed in my PT gear at least.

“We were actually worried about you, we never heard a sound like that.” Ballad says, looking nervous, blushing too.

“I have, that’s why I tried to stop you from opening the bathroom door.” Ah-Pee groans.

Cipher is still laughing, “Oh Gaia, stop.” Tears are coming out of her eyes, “Now I know why she sent Twilight off to the school, so she wouldn’t grow up hearing that.”

“No one warned me about the pulse setting, on showers like that.” I’m meekly trying to hide my head more.

“Well consider yourself lucky, you found out now, and Blaze didn’t hear.” Ah-Pee says with a smile, “Now you know what to expect.”

Lifting my head a bit I stick my tongue out at Cipher, “Knowing how much energy you have, you’re likely to be louder.”

This gets Ah-Pee and Ballad laughing.

There’s a knock at the door and I quickly use my magic to pull two pillows over my face, one on either side to hide, “I’m not here.”

Ballad looks over at the door, her horn glowing, she unlocks it and pulls the handle to open it from where she’s sitting.

The LT steps in with a disheveled Fleetfoot in his arms, and gently lay her on the floor, putting a glass and straw by her muzzle.

“What happened to her?” Ah-Pee asks, sitting up.

The LT Looks at all the girls and moves over to Ah-Pee, whispering into her ear, “I know the way this affects ponies, so I don’t want to say it to loud, but she had a flash vision of when she was cursed, the five thing.”

Ah-Pee nods slowly, “Yeah, best not to use those words.”

“She was having trouble standing after the, vision, so I brought her back here, just so she could rest with ponies.” The LT says. “Oh, and I found grandfather.”

Grandfather walks in quietly, heading over to the stove without saying a word and starts to boil water in the pot, cutting and adding shredded roots and chopped leaves to it, as well as some kind of bark.

Lifting my head from the pillows I squeak “Hi grandfather, then blink and buried my head under the pillow.

The LT looks at Ah-Pee, “What’s with her?”

“She just found out how…” was about all Cipher got out before she was hit by a pillow at speed, causing her to wobble and go cross eyed, “Derp.”

“Wow, remind me not to get into a pillow fight with unicorns,” Ah-Pee giggles, as I bring over a new pillow to hide my head.

“I’m armed.” I humph and keep myself hidden.

“You know, hiding your head, doesn’t stop us from seeing your tail Twilight.” The LT says with a chuckle, still sitting beside Fleetfoot, softly stroking her neck.

“Can I keep him?” Fleetfoot says, smiling weakly.

“Sorry, he’s ours,” Ah-Pee countered, “besides, he doesn’t like mares that way.”

“Darn, I just like his hands.” She stops and shakes her head violently, “Man that was strange, all of a sudden I was hit, seeing myself and the other Wonderbolts, Dash, Dust, Spitfire, and the rest, all fighting Discord… I heard him laughing and start saying…”

The LT softly puts his hand over her muzzle. “Don’t, it triggers a memory in all ponies, I’ve seen some break down in tears just hearing the words, some go into a fight or flight response… It’s like the words bring them back to that moment, it brings back all the emotions of that moment, and it’s not always healthy.”

She looks at the others, “Yeah and with this many of us here, it…”

Ah-Pee nods “Yeah, it’s pretty traumatic, especially if we weren’t warriors.”

The LT stands up and walks over, sitting on the bed beside me, “So how’re the classes going Twilight?”

Peeking my head out from under the pillows a bit, I whimper, “Fine, they are all getting really strong and confident.”

The LT puts his hand on the small of my croup just above my dock, actually reading up on the horse parts helped, I knew where his hand was. Scratching gently, I feel my tail instantly shoot up, and I can’t put it down. Lifting my head I look back at the LT. “Please stop.”

Pulling his hand back, the LT blinks “Sorry, did I hurt you?”

Ah-Pee giggles, “Nope, stallions will often nip or nibble there to excite a mare. Go for the side of the neck, or top of the back just below the neck. Shoulder is good to.”

Nodding, the LT gently starts rubbing my neck, and that is enough to have me completely relax again. “Cultural differences,” he says as he rubs, “Never know where it’s safe to pat.”

“And avoid the cutie mark, while swatting a horse there might be fine, the cutie mark is personal, it’s who we are, never touch them without permission, unless you are very, very close friends with said pony.” I say, looking at him seriously.

Grandfather places a coffee filter over several cups and carefully pours the drink in, using the cloth to catch the solid matter, once done he adds a few flower petals into each glass and brings them over, placing one in front of each mare.

I tilt my head, looking back at the LT then at Grandfather, “What is this?”

“I went on a vision quest, to seek the aid of the kachina, the great deer spirits. He said this often helps young mares with their first heats, it’s supposed to lessen the urges. The stag said it worked for both deer and zebra so it should work on ponies.”

I blink a few times, I could swear sometimes he’s making this stuff up, but I sip my tea a bit and look to the other girls, “a bit bitter but not bad. So, why don’t I see any gears turning?”

Groaning, the girls pick up their gears and started practicing again. Working as a group, they’re trying to build up a bigger and bigger engine. Slowly adding piece after piece to the array, it quickly grows in complexity and size.

Grandfather looks down at me, “You should be helping them too, practice is not just for the new, the experienced can always use some time as well, beside you never were given the chance to work with others.”

Huffing once, I started adding pieces to the machine as well, gears turning in 3 different planes not just vertical but horizontal. By placing the pieces at different angles it allowed spheres of gears, boxes, even flowers, the individual pieces ever turning, rotating in different directions and different speeds.

The LT and Ah-Pee watch in a mix of awe and wonder, as we play our game of dominos with the simple plastic gears, taking turns to add another piece often inside other structures. We can feel our magical fields interacting, as we hand control or holding of a gear over to another at times, while taking over one of theirs, careful not to drop or disrupt the pattern.

I try to keep my eye on Ballad, calling a stop finally when I feel she is getting too tired to continue safely. Ah-Pee had stepped out, so I gathered the pieces back into the box and move over to give Ballad a gentle nuzzle, “You are really getting better,” I look over at all of the unicorns here, “all of you are.”

Ballad pants softly and started sipping some of her tea. “Thanks, but they weren’t foaling when they said it was torture.”

Cipher giggles softly, “You said torture.”

I look over at Cipher, shaking my head, “You are a nut sometimes.”

She smiles, “Only when I’m being silly, or hacking, you have to be a nut sometimes when hacking.”

“Let’s face it, all unicorns are nuts in some way or another, we have to be to even consider using magic.” Sugarberry chimes in.

We all nod, and I have to admit, the tea is helping. I look up at grandfather, “Ok I’ll take the recipe, how much am I supposed to take.”

“Just a cup a day through your heat should help take the edge off. Unfortunately it won’t help the stallions.”

“What do you mean?” I ask blinking.

“The stag spirit said the stallions would still be able to smell you, as such, might have to fight their own urges, or hide them.” Grandfather says, nodding.

All of the girls blush at that one, then we hear the thumping at the door.

I open the door this time to let Ballad rest and Ah-Pee walks in with a tray of donuts on her back. Well it wasn’t actually a tray, the large continental breakfast racks, piled up with donuts, rather than trying to pick a few, she just took the entire rack, plopped it on her back, and walked it back to us.

“Oh Ah-Pee, you’re a godsend.” Ballad said and we all start to dig in.

“Man, how do you girls keep your figures with so much sugar?” The LT asks teasingly.

Cipher looked up at him cream on her nose, “Oh that’s easy. Magic.”

*** Blaze ***

Moaning I find myself tossing and turning in bed. “Argh, this is torture.”

Sitting up I start flipping through channels on the TV, every time I try and close my eyes all I can smell is Velvet, and I find myself needing to be with her. Which is even more frustrating because then I find my body starting to react.

“Argh, mares…” I grumble and flip away from the nature channel, I did not want to see horses right now either. “News, drama, news, oh a movie, what’s this. Twilight Saga, ARGH.”

Turning off the TV I grumble, and then push the nurse’s call button.

“What is it now Blaze?” She looks sternly at me, hmm it’s not like I had just called her five minutes ago. More like fifteen minutes.

“Can I sign out a tablet or something?” I ask looking innocently at her.

“One moment.” She says and walks out.

Looking down at the Daring Do book I just shake my head, “I’m not Dash, and this hospital has more interesting things to do than bounce a ball off the wall.”

“If you even think of bouncing ball of the wall I’ll strap you down and sedate you.” The nurse says walking in and laying a cheap tablet on my lap. Carefully she straps on a wrist band with a stylus on it so I can use the tablet, “I’ll be back in about an hour with some snacks for you. Doctor’s orders, he wants you eating and drinking every few hours.”

“Thank you nurse, I think it’s a racial thing, pegasi just don’t like sitting still for too long in a confined space… It might not be so bad if I had a cloud to sleep on but even then. I’d probably go stir crazy on a cloud after a bit.”

Nodding once, the nurse walks out of the room, and I cringe softly, as I hear her say “Animals in the hospital.”

Looking down at the tablet I search through a few news stories, there’s lots of speculation on the rainboom, from secret weapon, to asteroid, to… “Aliens spaceship seen over Des Moines, the alien craft made a close pass over Des Moines before jumping to hyperspace.” Laying back I just start laughing, the idea of what some people would believe, what next? Magical talking ponies?

Glancing back at my wing I hum softly, “Ponies, the new Illegal Aliens.”

Looking out the window, I watch some birds fly by, “Show-offs.”

Shaking my head I put on some music on the tablet then pick up the book and lean back to read. Truth is I don’t mind reading, I loved fantasy novels when I grew up, and still find myself occasionally reading one of those books.

I get about a chapter into the book before an orderly comes in and stops dead, looking at me.

“Yes?” I ask putting the book down.

Backing up a little the orderly looks around then slowly walks into the room, “I just had this feeling like I was stepping into Equestria… Bad landing Rainbow Crash?”

I narrow my eyes and grumble, “Try again, I’m Rainbow Blaze, Dash is a filly, well technically a mare, I’m a stallion.”

The orderly shrugged “Same diff.” And smiles, putting down a big meal, chicken strips, honey garlic dip, fries, gravy, some fruit and a large chocolate milk again. I seem to get getting a lot of chocolate milk here.

“Meh, thanks ma’am.” I say to him as I start to eat.

“I’m a dude.” The orderly says, heading out.

“Same diff.”

Nervously, I start trying the chicken before deciding that it’s safe to eat, at least the food isn’t bad, but it’s not actually hospital food, its mess food. Nellis mess hall, where have I heard reference to that? Nellis mess hall and armory…

I shake my head, and lean over picking a towel off the chair by my bed to wipe off my face after dinner. Blinking slowly I feel my wings stiffen, and look at them fighting to get them down, my mind is racing thinking about Velvet again for some reason.

Huffing once I roll onto my side to get comfortable, and close my eyes to take a nap. Slowly I pulled the towel my muzzle burrowing my nose into it. There’s just something about the smell…

*** Velvet’s Dream ***

“I’m home darling.” I heard Night Light call out from down stairs, the foals are at school, it was Twilight’s first day at the Gifted Unicorns school and Shining Armor was at the academy, so we finally had some alone time.

I let out a little giggle, “I’ll be down in a moment dear.” I called down, I’ve spent hours getting ready, I had my mane and tail done, giving them a little curl and bounce, a touch of makeup on my ears and cheeks to give them a light blush. I had put on a new tail ribbon, it was something different, but I thought it looked cute, red with gold trim, and gold hearts.

Looking in them mirror I adjust the halter on my face, red with little golden heart tassels heading down from my ear to my muzzle, on my back is a cute little saddle blanket that covers my withers and back. Keeping with the red and gold trim but this also had a very dark crimson in it making it stand out more off my light grey fur. The straps wrap around my neck and down between my forelegs to finally link up to the strap around my barrel.

Nodding once I turn and walk down the stairs, swaying my tail side to side, Nightlight is sitting at his desk, working on some books, rebinding an old tome. Clearing my throat I giggle, “Dear, what do you think?”

Night Light stands, putting down his tools and sighs, “Darling, that kind of outfit isn’t dignified, especially for a mare with two foals.” He says, gently lifting the halter off my face with his magic. “If the neighbors were to see, or the children came home early. We have a duty to uphold a certain level of status in Canterlot.”

I blink and lower my head, “But…”

“Oh Darling, you don’t need to dress up for me, and things like the tail ribbon are actually childish. If you want, I’ll take you out to the theater, you can put on that white necklace I like.” He strokes my cheek once before giving me a hug, then he turns back to his work.

“Yes Night Light.” Turning, I walked back upstairs.

*** Velvet ***

I find myself waking up, crying into my pillow, I’m not sure why, it doesn’t make sense to me but it hurts so much. What makes it worse is I don’t know if this is feelings from then, or now. I know it is stupid to try and separate the old Velvet from myself, but would the old Velvet have cried about that?

Ah-Pee moves over and lays down beside me, stroking my mane, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know, I don’t… understand.” I cry softly.

Sugarberry had been sleeping on the floor in here rather than bunking with one of the boys, sitting up she looks at me and uses her magic to bring over some Kleenex to wipe my face. “Want to talk about it?”

“It’s really stupid, I mean I don’t know why it hurts so much. It shouldn’t.” I say whimpering.

“What?” Berry says, softly stroking my cheek.

“I had a dream, or a memory, I was in Equestria, or the old Velvet was. I had spent hours getting ready, trying to make myself sexy for Night Light, I was wearing some things I had bought at a mares shop, um, I guess it was like human lingerie, I think that’s what it’s called. It was all soft silk and lace. I spent so long, I worked so hard for him.”

I don’t know why but I start crying again, putting my face into my pillow.

“It’s ok, you’re with friends, you can cry.” Ah-Pee strokes my back.

Crying into my pillow I try to fight through the feelings, “I don’t know why it hurts so much. He said… he said it wasn’t dignified for me to wear something like that. That we had… standards…”

“Oh God,” Berry says and hugs me tighter.

“I don’t understand why I’m crying, I don’t understand why I hurt so much, I just don’t…” I shake my head in the pillow, crying even harder.

“You’re crying because you tried to do something so special for him, and he cared about image.” Berry said, “any girl would be hurt.”

“I’d buck him senseless and hog tie him.” Ah-Pee huffs.

“Yeah, but didn’t you mention you hog tied your brothers for fun?” Berry says softly, “And this is different.”

“I know, I’m just frustrated.” Ah-Pee grumbles.

“Ah-Pee, I’m married, am I supposed to go back to him? Am I supposed to…” I looked up at her with tears in my eyes. “Is it my duty? And what about Sparkle and Armor, what if they expect me to pick up where I left off with him…”

“Everyone, every pony’s memories are clouded with Discords curse. I’m sure every pony is likely to have started new relations before they changed. Marriages, relationships… if you don’t feel right going back to him you won’t have to and we’ll stand by you. You can’t feel pressured though.” Ah-Pee hugs me tighter pulling my head to her neck.

Sugarberry climbs into bed with me as well, snuggling me so I’m between the two, trying to make me feel safe and secure. Closing my eyes I cry myself back to sleep.

*** A little over 1000 Years ago, on a Tuesday ***

That castle of the two sisters stood as a beacon of light, of hope, to those across Equestria. It had been built at the edge of the Great Everfree forest, above the tree of Harmony. It was meant to be a place of balance, a place of order after the chaos brought by Discord.

It hadn’t taken them long to build the castle, and the place was chosen because of the Tree of Harmony, though some questioned things, given how wild and untamed the forest was. Ponies were plains folk preferring the grasslands where they could farm, run free and play.

Stepping out of his lab, Starswirl chuckles softly, both the sun and moon are in the sky right now, so he wandered the library till he finds her. The only reason the moon would still be up is if Luna had fallen asleep in the library again. Sometimes Celestia let her sister sleep a few hours before waking her to lower the moon, but it seems to be later than normal today.

Shaking his head, he moves up behind the sleeping form, Luna was always a little smaller then Celestia, and lacked some of her sisters, shall we say, wisdom. Sometimes Starswirl wondered if she was still a little foal inside.

“The cakes on fire!” Starswirl says with a chuckle.

Instantly there was an explosion of books and Luna sits up looking around, “Not again, I didn’t mean to…” Looking back she blinks, looking at Starswirl and narrows her eyes, “You… We really need to put a bell on you or something.”

“I have considered that, though I haven’t decided, gold, or silver.” Starswirl says with a chuckle.

“How about one of those cast bronze ones that are used in the towers,” Luna huffs. “I’m sure it would work well.”

“Are you still bitter about not being able to figure out the riddle to my lab?” Starswirl inquires, grabbing a scroll with his magic.

“We will figure that out. Do not worry.” Luna said with a huff, really the idea that he would put a lock and state that it’s to keep the riff raff out, that only those worthy should be able to enter, is an insult in her book.

“Good, as to the bell, I’m sure it would help, it might remind you when I trot by to make sure you lower the moon.” Starswirl states as he turns, trotting for the door.

“We are not some child that would… The moon, what time is it, Oh sister!!!” Luna runs off to in a clatter of hooves.

Starswirl shakes his head, his robes flowing around him as he heads across the bridge towards the treeline. The moon is just setting over the horizon, finally, when he stops. “Did you find it?”

Stepping out of the woods into the light the young stag nods, “I had some of our crafters shape it for you.”

“You know you are welcome to come into the castle, Willow.” Starswirl states.

Shaking his head the stag sighs, “I don’t like the sounds, the smells, the feel of shaped stone under hoof. Our kind are not meant to be confined inside walls of stone. We are creatures of the forest.” Carefully Willow picks up two large bundles of wood that he had been carrying on his back.

Starswirl focuses his magic to sense the wood and nods, “Oh this should do perfectly, I have already talked to a dragon for aid in making the facing of it.”

Willow nods slowly, “Cedar and Pine are curious about it, this kind of wood is hard to come by without hurting a tree. Why did you need so much?”

“I am making something magical with it, and it will need a proper support and backing. Once I am done I’ll invite you to see it, with any luck it will be a very special mirror.”

*** Velvet ***

“Oh come on Ah-Pee, I swear you complain more than Apple Bloom does in the show.” I say, laughing as I use my magic to tug the PT shirt onto her.

“You know, ponies don’t usually wear clothes.” Ah-Pee grumbles.

“Nope, the Rarity defense won’t work for you, that’s in Equestria, we’re on earth, on a military base.” I said laughing, “We are all dressed.”

Trotting out I nodded to the other girls, we formed up in ranks outside the hotel, there are only five of us so it is two by two’s. Getting into step can be a touch hard at times but with 4 legs… half the time I think the trick is only concentrating on the front legs and letting the hind follow suit.

“Marching cadence anyone?” I ask while trotting, you know asking that was probably a mistake.

Cipher quickly starts up, “I really am so happy, your smile fills me with glee.”

Fighting to stop laughing, we all pick up, the high step, trotting to the music works great, since it was close to a normal cadence. “I give a smile, I get a smile, and that’s so special to me.”

There isn’t enough antacid for the sergeants when we trot by as an entire squad break ranks, laughing at us. We manage to keep our faces straight as we sing, wheeling into the mess.

I grab a tray for myself, Ah-Pee and makes sure each of the girls grabs their own trays. Loading up on pancakes, hash browns, the girls all pick their meals out. Though small we seem to pack away slightly more than a human, food wise. This, again, likely explained the high sugar diets without gaining weight that the ponies in the show had.

We set down our trays and I notice Cipher working at the drinks table, she is making peppermint tea, with lemon and honey, taking time to prepare it, till it was perfect, then trots over to the drill sergeant from the platoon we passed.

“Here you go,” she said cheerfully, “best thing in all of Equestria for a sore throat.” Then she prances back to us, taking her seat.

“Well that’s a new shade of red,” Ah-Pee states, trying not to laugh. “Poor guy.”

“Hey, peppermint tea with honey and lemon is perfect for throat problems.” She says, smiling, “I broke him, so I figured I’d fix him.”

Finishing our breakfast, we head into the girls bathroom to clean up before getting into formation and heading to the hospital. Once there I stop us, “Ok girls, you don’t have to come in with me, today is a rest day, we’ve been pushing ourselves very, very hard, today I want just to relax, explore your magic as it relates to your cutie mark.”

Smiling, I stroke Sugarberry’s mane, “Hit the PX, or BX I should say. Do some shopping, hit their jewelry department see what your magic feels like there.”

“Ballad, I know you’re engineering, but have some fun in the PX’s music department, fool around a bit there.” I say to her smiling bright.

“Cipher,” I looked at her, at her shorts where her cutie mark would be, at her, “Umm, don’t break any international hacking laws.” Really, for Cipher, there’s just nothing I can think of, I don’t even know what her cutie mark means let alone what unicorn magic would work with it.

“Can’t promise anything,” she says cheerfully and bounds off.

Trotting in, I smile, the guys are already in the room. Blaze is lying in bed trying to reach Eric who is holding a towel just out of reach of Blaze. The LT is doing a face palm, and Henry is laughing with Jay and Sanchez.

“Hey guys, what’s so funny.” Ah-Pee asked walking in.

Instantly Eric hides the towel behind him, and both Eric and Blaze go bright red.

“And what’s with the towel?” I ask.