Rainbow moves up behind Twilight, he starts to softly suck on her ear. He knows how much she enjoys that, she moans softly in response. Opening her eyes, she looks over her shoulder, opening her mouth slowly.

“My Rainbow,” She says softly, looking at him longingly.

Gently nibbling down her back, starting just below her mane and working his way down to just above the base of her tail, Rainbow makes a slow trail of nips and kisses, “You’re not getting bored with me are you?”

“Oh Celestia no, that feels so good.” Twilight whimpers softly. Each nip sending lightning bolts of pleasure up and down her spine. Her tail slowly raising to the teasing and her scent getting stronger.

“I was wondering, I saw you watching Dusts tail and licking your lips a bit.” Rainbow says softly.

“It’s not my fault, she’s just so…” Twilight says with a shiver as Rainbow softly kisses her cutie mark, giving it soft licks.

“Did you want to ask her to join us?” Rainbow asks helping to slowly roll her over onto her back.

“I would but I can’t move right now.” She moans, hind legs spread wide.

Starting gently at her neck, he starts kissing and nibbling again, working his way down her rib cage. “I’m sure she’d come if you called, or squealed loud enough.” He chuckles.

“Oh don’t tease.” Twilight whimpers, “Do you want to have Dust join in?” it is getting harder for Twilight to think as she pants harder.

Gently Rainbow softly nips and kisses down Twilights chest and barrel, following her breastbone with soft gentle licks, letting his tongue trail through her fur to touch her soft skin.

Whimpering louder, Twilight whinnies out , “Oh Dust, why can’t you be here too.” Her heat building with each lick from Rainbows tongue, the sensations driving her wild. Closer and closer, lick by lick, he works his way down to her...

...

“Cipher, what are you doing?” Ballad says, looking over the other mares shoulder.

“Umm… nothing, just killing time.” Cipher says innocently.

“You’re trying to write a fanfic aren’t you?” Ballad says, looking down at her.

“No… Maybe…” Cipher tried to look innocent, but fails completely as a smile spreads across her face.

“A threesome between Velvet, Dust and Blaze? You realize they would kill you?” Ballad says sternly.

“Nooo… its um… its a 63ed Dash, Sparkle and Dust… Yeh that’s it.” Cipher looks up smiling tremulously.

“So… their kids with Dust. That’s worse.” She says, shaking her head.

“Who’s kids?” Blaze asks curiously as he walks into the tent.

“Busted.” Ballad giggles, lightly smacking Cipher.

“So what’s the final damage?” I ask as I get into the tent, then I stop, looking at Cipher who is trying her best to look innocent.

Blinking I look over Ciphers shoulder at the screen, Blaze looking over her other shoulder.

“Oh, she’s gonna get it.” Ballad giggles.

“Well at least we know it can’t be you.” Blaze says with a chuckle.

Shaking my head, “Nope, she doesn’t even mention that little heart shape spot I have on my…”

“Hey Velvet, is it even possible for you to get into that position?” Blaze asks, looking over at me, his eyebrows raising.

“I don’t know, actually, I don’t know if I’m that flexible. Cipher, you must be really practiced to get into that position.” I nod.

Cipher grumbles, “Nope, I don’t have a stallion to try that with.”

“So you want a stallion of your own?” I ask, tilting my head.

“I don’t know, maybe. Someday. For now though I like being independent. Problem is, what if I ever do decide I want to date?” Shaking her head she giggles, “Or should I wait for you and Blaze to make some babies for the rest of us?”

“Ok, ewww…” I say, shaking my head.

“Not the making babies part, the fact that you’d want to date someone so much younger than you.” Blaze laughs.

Cipher rolls her eyes and giggles, “Okay, point made.”

“So what’s the final damage? Vehicle wise.” I ask.

“Nearly 250 need to be returned to families. Over 150 to be auctioned off. There’s about 35 listed as stolen, and the rest are rentals.” Cipher says.

“I wonder if that’s a statement.” I say, looking at the numbers.

“What?” Cipher says, looking back.

“Ponies tended to arrive in groups, they often found each other before finding their way here. Very few chose to steal cars… given everything going on it would have been so easily to take without concern. Now I’m willing to bet many ran up some credit card debts, but countered against the items they left behind, debt agencies are likely to break even.”

Everypony looks at me, blinking.

“Even though they were raised human, the vast majority still held some pony values. The instinct to come together, to help each other, and not to take from others.” I say, shaking my head.

“Mmm yes… the farce is strong with these ponies.” Cipher giggles.

One of the infantry walked in, “Transport group is here, they are starting to move the vehicles around. Heard from the police, they’ve picked up and have been holding a total of six ponies since yesterday.”

“Wait, what?” Blaze looks over.

“They are keeping them in a holding area till we can pick them up.” The private says.

“They’re not criminals, at best they are refugees, can you get a truck over there and pick them up?” I say, shaking my head in wonder.

“We better have a pony with them. So they don’t try and run or such.” Cipher says.

Blaze turns to me holding up a hoof, “Rock paper scissors?”

“How would that even work?” I shake my head, looking at him.

“Well you can do rock with your hoof, and I can do paper with my wing.” He said looking innocent.

“Ugh, I’ll take Feather, you hold down the fort.” I say, shaking my head.

Walking out, I grab the keys to one of the JLTV’s and look down at Feather trotting beside me, “So your stuck with me for at least another 2 and a half years. So we are going to have to get you ready for school.”

“School? Come on, I may look small but I’m 25. Remember?” She pouts, looking up at me.

“Oh I remember, and I also remember that you’re a blank flank, meaning you have yet to find your special talent or purpose. And that’s a big part of pony schools. As well, do you know what your different kinds of feathers are called?”

“I um…” Holding out her wing, she looks at it blinking.

“How about when the EUP was founded? Or who founded it.” I ask, smiling.

“Oh come on, even you don’t know that.” She said.

Giggling softly, “Oh yes I do. It’s actually on page 2 of the EUP Field Manual. So there is a lot you need to learn about us ponies, and yourself.”

“Remember while you may know some things about horses, we are ponies, we have a lot of differences between us and them. We have our own magic, and our own history.”

Looking over I open the door for Feather as I climb in then close it for her, belting her into the seat.

Lifting her foreleg, she giggles as the belt goes across her, “I don’t think seat belts were ever designed for ponies.”

“Rather have a baby seat?” I say, starting the engine for the drive to the police station.

“Um, I think the seat belt’s fine.”

It’s not a long drive, and the military plates and markings on the vehicle let us get to the station without harassment, though I make a point of parking the vehicle in a reserved spot in front of the station. Normally I wouldn’t do something so vulgar but really, this is military and diplomatic business.

Hopping out of the vehicle, I let Feather get herself out, easier to get out of the JLTV than into it I figure since she can use her weight and leverage to open the door and close it.

Meeting her on the other side of the vehicle, I straighten my uniform and take a deep breath. “Its show time, stay calm, be friendly, and don’t make them draw guns.”

Walking in, we are met by plenty of staring eyes, I school my face to a stern look, I walk up to the front desk, “Corporal Twilight, I’m told you found some stragglers?”

The desk sergeant looks down over the desk and blinked. “Aren’t you a little short to be an army soldier?”

“Oh har har. I was told you had some refugees that missed the gate?”

“Refugees?” The sergeant blinks.

“Ponies? Like me?” I said, “Short equines, brightly colored fur, some have horns, or wings?”

“I know but the refugee term.”

“Well, by definition, we were banished to Earth, by an enemy power, so we are refugees in exile.” I say, sometimes legal terms and definitions can be fun when dealing with police. Always catches them off guard.

“Officer, please take these… ponies… down to the holding area, she’s taking possession of the guests.”

Showing my ID card, I sign in, then trot down into what turns out to be the cell block, which has me less than thrilled. Looking down the row of cells I stop at a cell, looking at the small group, they are all packed into one cell. I guess it’s better than spreading them out, but really?

Three earth pony mares, a pegasus mare, one unicorn colt, and a unicorn filly. Both the foals are pure white, the female having a cute blue mane, and the colt having a pink mane, I know gender and color aren’t normally linked with ponies, just look at Rainbow Dash… but those two look like mismatched twins.

Looking over, I sigh, “Open the door please, I’ll take them to the aid station.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“I’m not a ma’am I’m a corporal, I work for a living.” I say smiling.

Opening the door, I step inside, looking across the group, “Hello there, I’m Twilight Velvet.”

“Who?” One of the older mares asks. Well old is subjective but still.

“Umm, a background pony.” I say, smiling innocently, “I’m here to bring you somewhere safe, get you some food, drinks, maybe a chance to get cleaned up before we decide what to do next.”

“Did the others get away safely?”

“Others?”

“We were part of a larger group, we were following Luna’s orders to come here. We split up when we go to town, the police captured us, but the other group in the other car saw what happened to us and turned around.”

I cover my muzzle, shaking my head, “I haven’t heard about another group, how many where there?”

“Five more of us, we were making our way here from Canada, but it was slow going.” One of the earth ponies says, looking down.

“Canada?” Shaking my head I can’t help but ask, “Was it hard to get here?”

“US military and border guards were on alert after suspected attacks, it took days just to get across safely.” Another mare chimes in.

“Well let’s get you guys to a place where you can settle down for a bit and relax.” Feather pipes up and turns, “Follow me!”

I can’t help but giggle, watching Feather turning and wiggling her tail vigorously as she leads the group back out to the JLTV. Honestly foals sometimes have weaponized cuteness.

Shaking my head, I pop open all the doors at once heading up to drivers side and look at the group, “Everypony in.”

The entire group watches in surprise, and Feather giggles, “Yes, magic is real, pegasi can fly, and ponies are from another dimension. Wait,” She looks thoughtful, “Is it an alternate dimension or alternate reality?”

“You’re asking me about Trans-Dimensional Physics? I think we can just call it another universe.”

The colt moves up to look at my horn, then at the filly’s horn. “Oh that’s just not fair, how come we can’t do that?”

“Because you’re not old enough yet. Foals don’t really get in touch with their magic 'till they get their cutie marks.” I say, sitting down in the driver’s seat.

“Don’t worry, I can’t fly yet either, but my wings were badly hurt so, I don’t know if I’ll ever fly.” Feather says with a sigh.

“By the way, can I get your pony names, not the human ones? Trust me, it makes life easier to use the pony names.”

“Misty Fly,” the pegasus says, looking down with a whimper. She has a light blue mane and tail, with a yellowish body fur.

The earth pony mare looks up and sighed, “My name’s stupid, its Peachy Sweet.” She says, her fur is a light green with red mane and tail.

“Wait, Peachy? Is your mark an apple pie?”

“Umm, it’s some kind of pie I guess…”

Smiling huge I glance back, “You’re going to LOVE this, I know where two of your cousins are right now, Big Mac and Apple Pie.”

“I have family?” She asks curiously.

“Oh yeah, the Apple family is HUGE.” Feather says with a giggle.

“Ambrosia,” the older mare said, she has a yellow or tan body too, but her mane and tail is white.

“I’m Cotton Cloud, and this is my sister Cotton Candy.” The little white foal with the blue mane and tail says.

“Brother,” Cotton Candy said. “I was born a girl, she was born a guy.”

I giggle softly, “Oh don’t worry, happens to the best of us. I was born a guy too but now I couldn’t be happier being a girl.”

Both the foals humph and look less than cheerful.

“Look at it this way, you both have years now to grow up and get used to your new bodies… had you turned right into adults, it might have been harder. Trust me, for me it’s been a never ending struggle to figure things out.”

“Yeah, but least you can do magic.” Candy says.

“Yep, I can, and I also teach it.”

*** Lt James Fisher ***

Sitting up in bed, James stretches out his arms with a big yawn, he’s not sure how long he slept, but it’s daylight out. Moving to swing his legs off the cot, he stops quickly and looked down at the furry form. Fleetfoot chose to sleep on the floor beside him, rather than on her own cot.

Carefully, James bends down and gently picks her up, being very gentle with her tender wing, and lays her down on his cot. It’s now June, so it isn’t too cold outside, and the engineers had rigged up a field shower. They justified it as a requirement for decontamination needs. Velvet had wanted it in case any of the ponies had come in and needed one.

The officers are using it, because it is there. Taking a quick shower and shave, he heads back in to get fully dressed. Sitting beside Fleetfoot he gives her a gentle shake to wake her. “Captain?”

Opening her eyes, Fleetfoot yawns and stretched her whole body out, before looking back to flex her bad wing a few times. “Woohoo, I can move it again.”

“Gratz, doesn’t look like there’s any real damage to the feathers, nothing that a good preening wouldn’t handle.” James says with a chuckle.

Spreading her wing she looks at the mess the bandages have left of her feathers, “Well, that’s going to take a while to clean up.”

Gently though someone clumsily James starts preening her wing for her, however after a few moments his hand starts shaking. Making a fist he closes his eyes.

Gently Fleetfoot puts her hoof on his hand, “It’s not a one shot cure. It’s going to take time, but you have something special to help you though this. You have ponies who know how you’re feeling, we know what happened and are willing to help.”

“I know. It’s just…” He starts, then he thinks for a moment, then goes back to preening Fleetfoot’s wing.

“You were hoping for some rainbow blast to make all of the problems go away?” Fleetfoot giggles.

Shaking his head, James sighs, “No, not like that.”

“Did you ever get a chance to enjoy flying?”

“Nope, never thought I deserved it, it’s not my real form after all.” James says as his fingers keep working, cleaning her feathers.

Looking at her wing, she smiles brightly at him, “You’re not bad at that. Guess those wings on your mark are more than just decorations.”

James flinches at the reference, “I just saw it done a few times by Blaze as well as some of the ponies in Equestria. I never really bothered with my own.”

“Maybe one of these days we can talk Moon Shadow into letting you try it in a dream with me. It might help you with coming to terms with what happened. I know this is going to be hard but… the mirror isn’t random. It doesn’t just make you a pegasus or unicorn. You have to… well… be one. In here.” Fleetfoot says as she slowly places her hoof over James’ heart.

“Ouch poor Henry.” James says, faking a chuckle.

“I don’t know. Hospitals use pink for their scrubs so… a scrubs pink unicorn wearing a white doctor’s lab coat. It just seems to fit. It goes beyond that though, in some countries pink is the sign of medical training.” Fleetfoot giggles.

“So, he was doomed from the start.” James nods while finishing off preening Fleetfoot.

“I wouldn’t say doomed, but yeah, he would have always looked like that, even if he was born on Equestria.”

“Just like I’d have been a pegasus?” James asks as he starts brushing her coat.

“Yep, there’s only one problem with your pegasus form.”

“What’s that?” James says, looking down at her as he starts combing her mane.

“You’d have had mares chasing you all the time. You were just that hunky.” She laughs.

“Hunky? Fleetfoot, the 70’s called, they want their words back.” James chuckles.

Shaking her head, Fleetfoot giggles, “Come on, I don’t know the pony words for it. You just looked so…”

Laughing James shook his head, “Okay, now I’m thinking of Blaze sometimes when Velvet first started flirting. She didn’t know what she was doing really, and poor Blaze, his wings went straight up and out. Puffing up a bit, it was so funny to see. He had no idea what was going on.”

“It’s called a wingboner, at least that’s what the fans call it. It happens to girls too.” She says, covering her muzzle.

“Ok that must be embarrassing. Especially in if you’re in public, with everyone looking at you.” James chuckles and softly strokes her mane. “By the way your wings and fur is all done, need help with your flight suit?”

“Naw I’m fine.” She says, pulling on her jacket and hat. Hopping out of the truck she flaps over to the command vehicle, James jogging behind.

“Hey, flying like that is just inviting a sexual harassment comment. Get your tail down when you’re not wearing pants.” James laughs as he chases her.

With a loud eep Fleetfoot hits the ground hard and clamps her tail down. “Sorry.”

“Oh it’s fine, just reminding you, you weren’t wearing your flight suit. Anything else said after that would be a sexual harassment case waiting to happen.” James says as he walks past her into the command post, she follows and they sit down to start their paperwork.

“Sorry, sometimes I forget things like that.” She says, checking the morning traffic.

James shakes his head with a chuckle, “Hey it wasn’t bad view, if I still had my wings I’d have had them puffed too. Hence the harassment charge.”

“Ok sorry for flashing you then, and I’ll remember, when flying in formation with you its side or trailing not in front.” She says, chuckling.

“It’s ok. You know I wouldn’t take advantage of you.” James says with a chuckle.

“Not even if I asked nicely?” She says, batting her eyelashes at him.

*** Velvet ***

I’m sitting in the mess tent, the new arrivals hadn’t had a good meal in days. The fact that they are having a chance to relax was great. I had already sent out calls to both Big Mac’s group and Dust’s group to see where they could settle in.

They would be stuck for two and a half years but at least they would have somewhere safe to wait. Misty Fly has shown no interest in learning to fly, but Cloud and Candy are interested in learning. I just wish it wasn’t Feather teaching them. Not that she was a bad teacher but…

“Now remember, you have to get your eyes as wide as you can, and stick out your lower lip a bit.” She says before moving up to the mess line and sitting.

All three foals give the mess staff their best foal eyes, “Ice cream please?”

I just cover my eyes, shaking my head, and of course the staff continues to encourage them by giving them all huge bowls of ice cream for breakfast. They must have been practicing that all morning and now they are on the hunt.

No ice cream shop, candy store, or restaurant in the area would ever be safe again. They have figured out the true power of their cuteness.

Looking over, I move to sit beside Misty Fly. “So tell me, why don’t you want to fly?”

Rolling her eyes, she huffs, “I don’t like heights.” She stops and sighs, “Yep, a pegasus scared of heights jokes, let them rain.”

“Nope, no jokes, you had 25 years as a human.” I say, smiling, “we all had roadblocks put in our way from accepting our equine forms. I think it was actually part of the curse.”

“I… well…” She looked honestly taken back that I’m not judging her.

“Your minds are weak, your outlook bleak. I think Discord meant that part of the curse to put roadblocks up to us finding our true selves. We all found our own roadblocks, from treatments of our families, to being driven away from our true callings. The catch is ponies have a natural instinct to help each other. We find each other and work together, bringing different abilities to the table.” I say putting my hoof on her foreleg.

“Because he cursed so many ponies, he made it easy for us to find each other, and it is the other ponies that help us through our own stumbling blocks.” Leaning over, I give Misty a gentle hug. “Don’t feel forced to try flying, or to get over your fear, just remember lots will help you when you’re ready.”

Looking over to the Cotton Twins and Feather, Misty nods slowly. “Yeah, I guess.”

***A quarter of a world away on the other side of the pond***

Drowning in denial, they're racing through this city

Fighting for survival, an urban Serengeti

Slowly I awaken, and know that I can make it

Time to show the power that's burning like a fire deep in me

Beth’s alarm clock blares out the music across her room, moaning softly she rolls over, slamming her hand down on it hard. She is so going to kill her brother for messing with her MP3 selection. She really doesn’t want to get up today, she doesn’t think she has to, but the choice isn’t hers.

“Come on Beth, you’re going to be late.” Tommy calls out. He’s only visiting for the week, but still, why did Mum and Dad say he could stay in her flat? She only has a one bedroom and she is a grown woman, after all.

“I’m coming I’m coming, don’t get your knickers in a twist.” Shaking her head, she crawls out of bed and heads into the bathroom. Why should she have to be up so early? “Why did Mum have to pay for such an early ticket?” She moans.

Washing quickly, she hops out of the shower and dries herself off before getting dressed, skidding out of the bathroom she picks up her backpack, “Got everything?” Beth looks at Tommy, her eyebrows raised, waiting.

“Yeah, yeah,” He says, pulling on his backpack and heading for the lift.

“It’s the first time in nearly five years that I’ll be going back to the country, and really, I prefer London myself.” She says, getting into the lift and selecting B.

“It was still a nice present, and they wanted you home for your birthday.” Tommy taps his foot, he is nearly six years younger than her, and still a taller by a few inches.

“Yeah, but I hate rail travel, that’s why I live in the city.” Unlocking their bikes, she takes off for the train station.

“Come on sis, how can you like London, everything’s overpriced. Rent is so high, most of your quid is gone before month end.”

“I just do, besides, my job pays pretty well.”

“You’re a glorified receptionist for a dispensary.” Tommy complains.

“Better than stocking cans at some little store.” Beth retorts.

“Hey, it gives me all the money I need, and all the time I need for writing.”

It is a short ride to the rail station, but still involves dodging London traffic, never a fun thing. Once there however, they are able to bring their bikes right into the carriage, she had the return her parents bought her, but her brother only had a single.

“Do you want to stop by the old castle?” Tommy says with a smile.

“Oh God, I haven’t been there in like ten years. Remember when we used to explore there?”

“It’s more touristier now, but it’s still pretty much open, it’s your birthday and we have time before the party.” Tommy chuckles.

“It’s my birthday, let’s stop by for an hour or two just for fun.” She can’t help but to giggle.

The rail trip ends up being pretty nice, she manages to have some tea and biscuits as a snack. Not a healthy breakfast, but what else can you really expect on a rail trip? It was only three hours till their stop, so they got their bikes ready and started for the castle.

Castle is actually a broad term, and in England there are hundreds of these small forts around. Little more than a manor house, two smaller stone houses and a wall with several towers, it is small on the castle side, used as a way point. It was likely built over an old roman fort, but the current structures date back as far as the 11th century. It’s mostly in ruins now, but is still a heritage site.

Parking their bikes, they walk up to the inner building, it is three stories of solid stonework, mostly heavy rock. Weathered and aged, with open windows, the glass has been gone for centuries, if there was ever glass. The grasses grow unchecked by anything other than the occasional grazing animal. Sheep and horses sometimes come up here for food.

Putting her hand against the side of the cold stone draws a connection to the building. She remembers playing here when she was little, pretending to be a princess or sometimes a knight with her brother. Dueling with toy swords in the front of the keep. Hide and seek in the grasses around the building.

Brushing her hand over the wall her fingers come in contact with a carved image of the sun, turning, she closes her eyes, walking across to a smaller outbuilding. Lifting her hand, she places it against the mark of the moon. She found these long ago, and her and her brother had come up with stories about them. Her brother laughs at seeing her, “The sun, and the moon, in line with each other and between them, the gate to Narnia!”

“For Aslan!” Beth laughs, turning, then she freezes. The image of a snow white unicorn stallion, walking across the grass between them, fills her mind. Touching his horn to the wall, he vanishes.

Her brother snaps his fingers in front of her face a few times, “Sis? Are you ok?”

“Did you see that?” Beth asks, blinking and shaking her head.

“See what? You were standing here zoned out, looking at the wall.”

Walking up to the wall she kneels, the unicorn was shorter than a horse, closer to the height of a Shetland. There was nothing here though, no marks, no signs. Closing her eyes she put her hand against the stone…

~You won’t get away little one!~

Pulling her hand back she starts panting, looking around, almost scared.

“Sis, what’s wrong?” Tommy asks, worried, sitting beside her.

“I… I don’t know. Let’s go home, I don’t want to be here right now.” Standing quickly, she finds herself trembling, rubbing her hip.