It took a few weeks of physical therapy for Bronze to be cleared to leave the hospital, as not only was he completely new to being quadrupedal, but he was extremely weak, his body barely having enough muscle to support him. He was prescribed a potent multivitamin and told to eat as much protein as he felt necessary. Even though he was a pony now, he was more of a thestral than a normal alicorn. That indicated his focus on Luna as his body's template brought up the thestrals, thus making his wings and digestive system like theirs. His eyes were still slitted too, but their deep blue were the only thing that remained of his original body as Anthon, the human. Windows to the Soul indeed.

He'd gotten constant visits from his parents in that time, both absolutely distraught with what happened to him and Earth. His dad was more focused on helping him with his therapy, since he'd gone through it enough times on Earth that he knew it was a frustrating process. His mom though, was more focused on making sure he was okay, and needling Jeeves for the whereabouts of their family members.

After three weeks of monotonous rest, remedial exercise, and immensely huge vitamin dosages, Bronze walked out of the hospital with Princess Luna on a sunny late-summer afternoon in July. He'd had his 21st birthday on the sixth, but when Pinkie found out she practically forced the hospital to let her give him a party in his suite. “Thanks for signing me out sis...I mean-.”

“Please Bronze. I am elated to hear you regard me as such.” Luna beamed, nuzzling her essentially genetic and adopted little brother atop his grown-out shaggy white mane, making him blush at being mothered by his new big sister, as if all his other big sisters didn't do that enough when he was bigger than them all....

“Luna~ not in public....” Bronze whined as a couple of bystanders nearby smiled and clearly began talking about the princess and the new “prince”, which he denied and refused to accept, but had the title thrust upon him for having all three main tribe traits and then some. Besides not wanting the responsibility the title held, he had no practice or training in a leadership position. He was always the...wait.... 'Now that I think about it...I was the lynchpin in all my groups of friends on Earth wasn't I?' It was a sad thought, and the realization that yes; his friends all went separate ways whenever he moved on ahead of them, always being the eldest at that....

“I shall baby my new baby brother whenever I desire. Now you be careful Bronze. Your parents are out of town at the moment helping look for the rest of your family in the identified refugees. As such, you'll be staying with Twilight Sparkle in case your home is...no longer available.” Luna gently pried, and Bronze smiled gently at his loving older sister. He felt so close to her already what with the regular visits she made to him in her busy schedule. Almost as close as his big sis Sherry....

“Well, if it's like that; I demand restitution every time I have to visit Canterlot overnight.” Bronze said as he began carefully trotting along towards town, Luna following as she didn't have any royal duties today or tonight, and planned to sleep in when she got back to Canterlot. She cleared up her schedule when she heard he was being released, but his parents were not in town to sign, and she was essentially his kin now.

“What sort of restitution?” Luna demanded, only to jerk still at her recently gained sibling having stopped at her right side, lean into her, and nuzzle her neck, and she instinctively hugged him with her right wing.

“Snuggles of course. Like when we first became friends.” Bronze said cheekily and Luna smirked at him, mirroring his own expression.

“I shall gladly submit to sibling snuggles.” Luna said, leaning down to nuzzle him back, the two closed their eyes, just content to be together in such a profound sense of kinship. Until Luna yawned. “Oh...oh my. I must return home for rest little brother. You will be alright on your own?”

“Sis, I just got out of the hospital with a clean bill of health. I'm weak, not helpless. I think I can make the trip to the library on my own just fine.” Bronze lifted his head higher and kissed her on the cheek. “Love ya sis.”

“Love you too little brother.” Luna kissed his brow, and then charged her cerulean magic before vanishing in a teleport.

“Can't wait until I can do that...actually, I don't need to.” Bronze focused on the sensation, it became familiar after a month of Jeeves teaching him via telepathy when he wasn't in physical therapy sessions. His horn flashed dark blue for just an instant, and without preamble or any indication of it never having been there; was his mahogany front door. He knocked three times, and after a few moments, Jeeves opened the door into the familiar space of his home for the first time in weeks.

“Welcome home sir. Finally on your hooves?” Jeeves asked more out of courtesy than as an actual question as he gestured for his master to enter.

“It won't change me, will it? I...I don't want any false hope....” Bronze said as he hesitated at the door's frame, not wanting to turn back into a human. He might be unable to leave if he could have that back.

“Unfortunately no sir. This space is in the Void, where all is equal and nothing is unique. This space is nothing special, just carried over from your old home. Please enter, you have some onlookers and I do not like the wandering eyes of riffraff.” Jeeves insisted, and Bronze entered without seeing who was looking at his Doorway.

He entered and was both disturbed, yet comforted that he did not change in any way. But the feeling of being so small in comparison to a home originally designed for bipeds an average height of five feet or higher was also daunting, and depressing. “I can...shrink it down, can't I?”

“Not as you are sir. You're far too weak for such advanced spacial manipulation.” Jeeves reported, getting Bronze to sigh. His Aspect, what his new sisters described as the governing attribute of an alicorn or other god-like being, was “Space”. Specifically, any and all things that can govern a physical or even meta-physical presence. Extremely powerful, but also extremely difficult to harness. The only reason he was subconsciously doing so was the leylines of two worlds constantly feeding him, both worlds WANTING him to ascend. The idea that planets have wills was also depressing, considering his world Terra....

“Then make a note to try and downsize the furniture at least Jeeves. I don't want any pony visitors feeling like I do right now.” Bronze moved around the house, trying to get a feel for it. Why hadn't his parents complained about the size? Then again, finding the rest of their family was more important, and likely occupied every thought his parents had aside from his own well-being. They weren't perfect, but they were still the heads of the family rather than his big bro Bobby and his wife Renee for a reason. Besides, his brother and sis-in-law had two energetic sons to keep up with all the time. Bronze hoped they were okay....

He had to go. This place...it was painful. “Jeeves...you have my express permission to shape this place how you want. I...I don't want it to be so...familiar.” Bronze managed to admit, and moved to the front door and waited for Jeeves to open it. The knob was too high...he couldn't move the way needed in his current condition to reach it, and his telekinesis was still too weak to move more than mundane and light things, and the knob on the mahogany door was firm, and stuck on the catch. His magic couldn't manage such a firm grip yet.

“Very well sir. I would like to report that I have taken the liberty of connecting the garage door to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on Terra. It has survived the holocaust entirely due to none of the fools who launched their nukes aiming for it. At least they had that much sense.” Jeeves' report there was actually a spirit-raiser. That meant the vast majority of Earth/Terra's plants could be replanted on Equus. He'll have to tell Twilight, but first....

The door opened in front of the farmhouse of Sweet Apple Acres. He had a marefriend to surprise, he hadn't told anypony he was getting out today, and the idea of planting some of his world's plants might excite the mare. He stepped through, and when the door shut, it was gone. Bronze fluttered his bat wings, and took a deep steadying breath. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't excited. He hadn't gotten any more than stories from the others about how AJ had been so bogged-down with her work, she'd even worked herself senseless by trying to buck down all the apples in her orchards during something called Applebuck Season.

Bronze trotted slowly up to the door and was about to knock when the door opened to an unexpected sight, making both him and the pony in the door frame to blink. “Zecora? Why are you here?”

“I could ask you the same, we had thought that you were still lame.” Zecora responded, before smiling and leaning forward to nuzzle his cheek, he was a bit surprised, but smiled and nuzzled back. “It is good to see you well, we were worried you'd be crippled and unwell.”

“I was checked out today. I'm still weak, but I can move around now. I have plans to work out to get back at least some of my strength. Being so weak is...disheartening.” Bronze admitted, and Zecora nodded sagely in understanding.

“This I know, for I too was once weak down below.” Zecora admitted, gesturing to her hind legs. “My parents feared a lame mare I was, not even the witchdoctor could find the cause. But with determination and will, I became stronger than any zebra mare still.” Zecora bucked a leg back, and Bronze was in awe. That was fast, and he could practically feel the power in that kick from in front of her.

“Well, that is amazing to know and see, but still you have not answered me.” Bronze rhymed, getting a smile from his striped friend.

“Ever since that horrible day, a friend I have found in fair AJ.” Zecora said, with perhaps a bit much fondness to be normal. “When she saw you so weak, so helpless in your bed, did I nuzzle her cheek, and pat her head. I only offered comfort and friendship, but I have found perhaps....” Zecora blushed, a cheeky grin on her muzzle making Bronze's ears perk, cheeks flush, and his mouth to open slightly.

“W-wow...but she seemed so scared of you when I first mentioned you to her.” Bronze wasn't against the idea of homosexuality, but this was a surprise. He'd never thought Applejack's barn door swung that way...or both ways considering she'd proclaimed she wanted a relationship the day of his...incident.

“Indeed she was nervous, and bared her nerves to me as a service. She would not let her fears control her, not with how good the things I've heard you said of me were.” Zecora was quite pleased at that, and Bronze was about to comment when he was stunned silent. Lightning shot through him again from the zebra mare kissing him. His wings fwoomped out, and after several seconds, she pulled back, grinning in victory and her tail swishing. “Mm...Applejack was right. Kissing you is quite a joy.” Zecora broke her rhyming, feeling the moment not being right.

Bronze's face up to his ears turned red through his black coat and skin, and he shuddered before his hind legs gave out, and he plopped onto his flanks. “W-wow...where did that come from?”

“'Bout the same place it did for me Ah reckon.” AJ's voice sounded behind him, and Bronze gasped as Applejack suddenly hugged him from behind, nuzzling his cheek as she pressed against him, his forelegs struggling to keep upright. “Ah missed you so much. Ah'm sorry Ah haven't been able to visit as much as Ah'd have liked.”

“A-AJ, legs, weak, heavy muscles!” AJ immediately jumped off of him, and he panted as the burning in his legs decreased. “Ow~! Ow...I'm still very weak AJ. D-don't do that...yet.” Bronze added, admitting he very much enjoyed the contact. The feeling of her, like this, it was...amazing. He couldn't see mares as just mares now, his new body and his constant exposure to a new race entirely was making him find ponies attractive. He already liked AJ and Zecora for their personalities, but now...they were bombshells to him. Their elegant yet rippling muscles were just so enticing. He preferred pudgy women back on Terra honestly, but that was because so few women could make muscles work for them. AJ and Zecora definitely did.

“Ah'm so sorry sugarcube. Here, come on inside, it's about dinner time.” Applejack offered as she pointedly poked one of Bronze's still open wings, and he laughed weakly as he closed them to his body. “Don't be ashamed of it Bronze. You're just a stallion, it's natural.”

“And we aren't natural?” Zecora teased her marefriend, who blushed and laughed weakly. “Come my beau, to the dinner table we go.” Zecora quickly turned and trotted inside, the two ponies looking at each other, smiling, and entering as AJ closed the door.

[(X)]

The sun peeked in through the curtains of the window, shining right in Bronze's face. “Mmph...nurse...why'd you open my curtains?” Bronze asked tiredly, before he moved and froze. 'Hey...wait...this is a familiar sensation.' Bronze knew what sleeping in a bed with another living being was like thanks to his elder sisters snuggling for naps when they first met as friends. He was spooning somepony, and somepony was spooning him from behind. The smell of apples, and sweat told him who he was hugging before he opened his eyes to confirm it with orange fur and a blond mane. 'Uh oh...what happened last night? My head hurts...did we drink?'

“Oh~...mah head....” Applejack's groaning voice greeted his ears, and she moaned as he felt her forelegs move up, likely to put her hooves over her eyes. “Darn sun...must've gone a might hard on the cider if Ah'm wakin' up this late....”

“Well, that confirms my suspicions then.” Bronze tiredly commented, and he felt AJ seize up. “Please, tell me you remember last night. I don't know if we...y'know....”

“Do not worry my two bedfellows, for there was nothing done to earn Big Mac's gallows.” Zecora's voice from behind him also confirmed who Bronze figured was his other sleeping partner, and he gasped when she hugged him tighter, and craned her neck to nibble an ear, making him pant and squirm.

“Z-Zecora~....” 'Oh my GOG that feels amazing!' Bronze hugged AJ tighter, and she started squirming away and managed to get out of his hooves as Bronze grit his teeth and grunted as Zecora moved onto sucking his ear rather than just nibbling.

“Zecora! Stop agitating the poor fella! He ain't got the stamina for that kind of foolin' around.” Applejack reprimanded, getting the zebra to release his left ear from her cruel ministrations.

'What she said! Please my sexy mistress, spare this weak stallion!' Bronze thought, his heart pounding in his ears. The air met his wet, throbbing, tufted black ear in a delightfully cool comparison to the heat of the mare's saliva, and he shivered. 'That was just foreplay...oh gog, ponies have such amazingly sensitive ears.'

“Such a shame, I had hoped such things would increase his health rather than maim.” Zecora stated with a tone of disappointment. He felt quite pleased that she wanted him though, but, it would have to wait. He had absolutely no endurance for such a thing right now. Plus he's a virgin, both from his life before and here. He kinda wanted to read that Pony Sutra the library had on-hoof so he wasn't completely clueless how to please a mare when the deed came about.

“Well, that might be true....” AJ said in consideration, and Bronze tensed in worry. “But...it'd be rushin' things too fast Ah feel. Bronze ain't that kinda pony.”

“Thank you Applejack. That is true, but I appreciate the sentiment, and the compliment Zecora. I do want that, but only after I've regained my strength, and have read up on...such activities with ponies. I'm afraid any of my knowledge from Terra is outdated....”

“I understand dear, but my dissatisfaction you shouldn't fear. I have had more than enough pleasure with AJ, that I know how to sate my appetites another way.” Zecora said huskily from behind him, getting him to blush as Applejack flushed lightly with a sheepish smile.

“So, uh...don't rush yourself none Bronze. We can wait. It'd be unfair to expect you to recover so fast. Well, it's a new day, so up 'n at em.” Applejack said and reached over the bed to Bronze to help him up, which he appreciated.

“Well now, isn't this a fine sight.” They all froze, and looked to the door to see Big Macintosh standing in the door frame, just as neutral and calm as ever, even if he didn't have a sprig or leaf of something in his jaw yet. “Good to know my sis's coltfriend is so upstanding. Ah've already made breakfast and gotten the morning chores going sis. Just need you to take the cart to market.”

“Thanks Big Mac. Kinda lost myself last night celebrating Bronze finally getting out of the hospital.” AJ admitted in a bit of a fluster, and Mac simply nodded.

“Eeyup. Ya'll have a good day now you two. You're welcome back whenever you feel like visiting.” Mac informed. Zecora was already a regular since she and AJ started seeing each other, but he extended the same to Bronze just as easily. Mac then left as quietly as he must've arrived to go unnoticed before. No stallion that big had the right to move so quietly....

“Well...that wasn't awkward at all.”

[(X)]

“Ya sure you're alright?” AJ asked for like, the twentieth time since they left the farm, Bronze walking alongside his buff yet lean marefriend as she pulled her apple cart to the market.

“For the last time AJ, yes, I'm fine. Just...getting tired.” Bronze admitted to her once they'd finally reached Stirrup Street, also known as the market square of the town just off the town square proper. His legs burned, his lungs ached, and a visible sweat was pouring from his every pore under his coat, making his fur mat and glisten, drawing concerned gazes from anypony who noticed him. 'I hate this...I hate this so much. It feels like being human again, only I'm weak, not overweight and with so many health problems.'

“Ya could've stayed at my house Bronze. My family wouldn't have pushed ya out if you were still so weak.” Applejack offered, only for Bronze to shake his head, wobbling as he became dizzy, and AJ almost had to catch him until he caught himself, and sat on the ground.

“N-no...I have to do this AJ. I have to get stronger if I'm going to get healthy. Consider it part of my physical therapy.” Bronze grinned weakly, not convincing his concerned marefriend, who looked down the street a little.

“My cart's spot is just over there. Ah'm gonna get set up, then come help ya over to my stall. Ah can't just leave you be in your condition.” AJ leaned over and nuzzled him comfortingly before briskly trotting her cart over to her allocated spot on the street, and Bronze wilted a bit in his lonely spot in the middle of the street, the hoof traffic giving him plenty of respectful space to get some air, most of them looking like they wanted to ask if they could help, but feeling he didn't want it.

'This is horrible...I've never been so helpless before. Is this what it's like? Being...weak? Defenseless? It's...terrifying.' Bronze shuddered, feeling afraid, but then, his mark shined a bit, his nose ring too, and he took a steadying breath. A visible small dark blue aura of pure power seemed to emanate from him, and he was still afraid...but felt he could deal with it. 'Listen to yourself colt, what kind of thoughts are those? You're Bronze Brave! The man-stallion, who punched Nightmare Moon in the face! Who jumped off a cliff! You can face this.'

Bronze took a cleansing breath, and sat as upright as he could manage. 'I just wish Zecora accepted our offer to come into town. Can't believe the rest of town is still skittish around her. It would've been nice to have someone to talk to while I'm-.' Bronze was interrupted by the feeling of somepony's chest meeting the back of his head. Which, by retrospect, meant that said pony was quite tall. Bronze tilted his head back enough to look around his horn, and saw the most chiseled, and masculine pony face he'd ever seen. 'Good gog...his CHIN has muscles!'

“Um...can I help you?” Bronze asked calmly, not letting his instinctive fear of the massive stallion show.

“YEAH~!” Only to get blasted by a loud emphatic statement, nearly bowling the weakened alicorn over, and the massive stallion circled around, revealing he was EFFING RIPPED! His whole body, from hock to muzzle was so heavily muscled, it seemed in reality he shouldn't even be able to move like a normal pony, yet he did. His most noticeable feature otherwise were his extremely petite, and almost impossible to see wings. This guy was a pegasus who made earth ponies look like limp noodles. He contrasted almost completely with bronze, with his white coat, dirty blond hair, and piercing red eyes. “I need a spotter, and YOU need some muscles!”

“Uh, as much as I want to, I'm still too weak to even move normally. I don't think I'd be able to safely-.”

“NONSENSE!” The loud pegasus's refusal was incredibly familiar to the former weight-lifter, as he suddenly found himself in a headlock. “I too was once so scrawny, but now I am HUGE! I will help you tiny unicorn!”

“Uh, I'm not-AH!” Before Bronze could point out his admittedly hard-to-see wings that blended into his sides from their smooth texture, he was swiftly dragged away by the somehow-flying pegasus. “Applejack~!” Despite the spectacle, it wasn't anything unusual, and nopony bothered to really note who Bulk Biceps had roped into helping him work out today.

Until Applejack couldn't find him, and began frantically asking where Prince Bronze Brave had gone. Sparking a town-wide panic.

[(X)]

“YEAH~! Pump it!” Bulk shouted in encouragement as Bronze panted and wheezed as he did a pushup using all his legs with Bulk leaning on him slightly. Bulk's personal training area was on the edge of the Whitetail Woods, which was an expansive wooded forest spanning from here to the west coast of Equestria for hundreds of miles, meaning they were well-and-far out of town. “That's the way! With my training regimen and my protein drinks, you'll be bulking up in no time!”

“I-I appreciate what you're doing Bulk! But I don't think trying to bulk up so early in my recovery is-!” Bronze was interrupted by Bulk applying a little more pressure by lessening the “featherweight” effect of his pegasus wings. “Ah~!”

“You can do it little stallion! I believe in you! PUMP UNTIL YOU CAN BREAK THE EARTH!” Bulk shouted, and Bronze, knowing his type, grunted and grit his teeth as he roared and managed one more pushup in a set of twenty, and Bulk got off of him, leaving him pouring sweat, panting, and his wings drooping. Bulk didn't really care when he found out he'd dragged off a prince for training. “There you are! Feel the burn!”

“Y-yeah, I'm feeling it.” 'Oh gog, I forgot how harsh weight training was! And he's just putting me through warm ups!' “L-listen, Bulk, I just got out of the hospital yesterday! I'm really not-ach!” Bronze was silenced by a HUGE wooden mug full of what tasted like chocolate protein shake being shoved into his mouth, and rather than be rude and drop it, he bit onto the rim, and rolled his eyes as he tilted his head back and gulped down the whole thing, distending his stomach a little and making him cringe. When he finished, he spat it out, gasping for air. “A-as I was saying...I just got out of physical therapy yesterday, and I can barely move around. Working out like this-.”

“Is exactly what you need! I'll keep it light, but you need to bulk up your leg muscles so you can get in some cardio! You take a breather while I get in some sets of fifty!” Bulk affirmed, and then moved to his bench to bench press what seemed like a couple hundred pounds with ease. “Yeah~! Feel it Bulk!”

Bronze just sat there and rested, feeling both exasperated, and amused. 'Heh...haven't had to deal with a genuine musclehead for years. Ow...body hurting. I won't be able to move for a whole day after this. Gotta let my muscles heal. “Bulk, I hope you know that to get stronger, the muscles need to-.”

“Heal! Yeah~! You're done for today, but I'm going to bring you here every other day to get you to bulk up! No stallion should be so scrawny!” Bulk shouted, grinning at Bronze as he worked up a light sweat, and Bronze blinked before grinning back. “Do you even lift bro?”

“Lift? Do I even?” Bronze asked cheekily, and chuckled. “Yeah...I used to. I used to be that minotaur around town, but...yeah...I want to be ripped again, but I don't want to overdo it.”

“Wish I could've met ya while you were still all ripped! You were so busy all the time though.” Bulk admitted, finishing his set of fifty and setting the couple-hundred-pound Olympic bar on the bench rack. “I'll be glad to help you get fit. Consider me your personal trainer until you feel comfortable with yourself.”

“Thanks Bulk. I was going to ask the girls to help me out, but I'm more familiar with this sort of-.”

“BRONZE!” Hearing all his friend's voices caused the tired and sweaty stallion to turn his ears and then his head, only to be tackled by his marefriend into a hug. “Ah was so worried! Ya jus' up 'n vanished on me! Yer still too weak to be out alone!”

Bronze bought it. That tackle was the clincher and he nearly blacked out from exhaustion. He couldn't hear much, being so tired and feverish from such an intense workout considering his condition, but in the end, he hoped everything turned out okay. Bulk was a great guy...a lot like his coach in high school.... 'Oh...hey~ sis! I'm napping too~! Have I got a story for you.'

Author's Notes:

I lift. I'm not a big-time lifter, but I can lift my own body weight, which is over 300 pounds. If I ever got so weak, I'd hit the dumbbells and barbells asap.

Also wanted something silly going, like the farm and forest mares hooking up. Is so silly to me XD