I’m not sure how they do it, but ponies have some next level cooking skills! Pinkie’s Symbio cupcakes were the most moist, and flavorful cakes EVER!They even had a tangy blueberry filling. To top it off, the icing was buttercream. BUTTERCREAM! It’s like the bacon of icings! Nothing beats buttercream, especially how the flavor lingers on the tongue long after consumption. Of course, I had to use Twilight’s taste buds to taste it but it did not detract from how amazingly awesome these cupcakes were. Of course, the party pony extraordinaire brought a vinyl record with some pretty decent tunes. I mostly just enjoyed the music, Twilight was....dancing? I knew she had four left hooves, but this was comical. She had no sense of rhythm. Probably didn’t help she danced with her eyes closed. Either way, Twilight, Pinkie, and Spike danced a good part of the night away.

When they were all too tired to continue the dance fest, we cleaned up the library and washed the cupcake platter. I thanked Pinkie Pie with a tendril-hoof shake....except she met my tendril with a lock of pink hair....don’t think about it...don’t think about it, just shake the hair and let it go. With everything cleaned and tidied up, Pinkie inquired about what we had done while she was working on preparing the mini party. Twilight explained the events of the day and some plans for the next few days. Pinkie seemed to interested in my abilities and how my tendrils would be useful at parties. I figured that might not be the greatest of ideas, I know if my waiter came to my table with tendrils carrying my food I’d question whether or not Satan had poisoned my meal. Twilight must have caught my thought as she pointed out the how others might react to a Pinkie Pie with dark eyes and tendrils. Yeah, spooky. Pinkie shrugged it off and claimed she’d find a way to introduce me to Ponyville without them freaking out. With that goal stated she said her goodbyes and went off into the night.

Twilight and Spike got ready for bed and I was left alone with my thought. I was mulling the day’s events. I had managed to learn a new aspect about my abilities, but it had a pretty nasty drawback. I mean it could be a nice Hail Mary move, but it could end badly. I really did like that I was able to make a pegasus fly faster, but I couldn’t help but wonder....how would it affect the other types of ponies? Could I make a spell from a unicorn stronger? Could I make an earth pony into the freakin’ Hulk?...Oh sweet merciful Jesus...what if I used that on Celestia or Luna?!

“Hey, Dante?”

Twilight’s thoughts snapped me out of my own. She had already retired to her room and was currently at her vanity desk, writing a report to Princess Celestia.“Huh? What’s up Twilight?”

“I wanted to go over some things for tomorrow.”

Lean more things? Why not?

“What’d you have in mind?”

“Well, I was thinking we see about testing your limits with your tendrils and maybe testing your enhancement ability again.”

“I’m ok with learning more about the tendrils, but after what happened with Rainbow Dash, I’m a bit reluctant.”

“I thought as much, but I was hoping you could explain what you did. Perhaps we can determine a better way to use it without such a burnout?”

Well, I did wing it with Rainbow. Did I put too much focus? Maybe I went full throttle and Rainbow’s eagerness simply expedited the burnout? Twilight had a point. I knew what I could do (mostly) but I definitely was not not in full control. I was playing with rocket science while using the “fuck-it”* adjustment. I needed precision, understanding, and above all experience. I agreed with Twilight despite my chagrin.

She finished up her letter to Princess Celestia and set it aside for Spike to send out in the morning. Spike, himself was already nestled into his basket bed and was already subcoming to the throngs of slumber. It was just Twilight and I still awake. Unfortunately, Twilight’s mind was still on a rolling rampage. She was making mental checklists, considering experiments, and running hypotheticals. I figured I wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon either. If I can fall asleep. Now that I thought about it, since my arrival here I hadn’t fallen asleep naturally. I had either shocked my system into unconsciousness or I had stressed my body into sleep. Ugh, I hate not knowing this stuff. I had twenty-three years to learn basic life stuff and now I’m back to square one...Well, I’m not alone, and my host was trying to help. What’s the harm?

“Hey...Twilight? I might need your help.”

Twilight perked, “What is it, Dante?”

“I...I don’t know if I can fall asleep.”

I felt Twilight cock an eyebrow, “What do you mean?...Oh still excited over what we’ve learned! I know the feeling.”

“No, no...well, yes, but I mean since I became a Symbio I haven’t fallen asleep normally. I’m not certain I can fall asleep.”

Twilight seemed to understand my concern now. She pondered my new conundrum. Then an idea, “Well, how about this. Try to get to sleep like normal, and if it doesn’t work, I’ll use a spell to put you to sleep.”

Can’t say I liked the latter too much. I really hope I could still obtain sleep naturally. “Fair enough. I’ll try to go to sleep around the same time as you. Hopefully, you wake up before me. Otherwise, you may have to teach me that spell.”

Twilight noded, made her way to her bed, and wiggled her way under the sheets. Once she had a comfortable position she said goodnight to me and closed her eyes. This was a familiar sensation, finding that perfect position in bed. Not too hot, not too cold, and there was no need to flop around to get comfy. Just where you needed to be to fall right into slumber. It took a few minutes before Twilight started to dream,but not long after I joined her in sweet, sweet slumber.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I was home again. My parents were standing around the dining room table talking about something. I couldn’t hear them, even when I was right next to them I could hear a thing. I missed them so much. I wanted to tell them how much I loved them, how I wished I could’ve said goodbye. This was torture. I could see my loved ones and do nothing to interact with them. Either life wanted to continually poke me with a stick or my mind was masochistic.
I tried to leave to remove myself from all this. I just ended up at a friend’s home. They couldn’t hear or see me either. I felt my heart in a vice. Just kill me.

“That could be arranged”, a new voice interjected.

I had to focus on the new voice, someone had acknowledged me. I turned around to see a midnight blue alicorn looking at me. “How?...this is Earth. You’re not...wait. Is...this a dream?”

“Look around. See for thy self.” She waved a hoof around motioning for me to observe my surroundings. I looked around, to see my friend’s home was no longer around me. All around me was a void. A pure nothingness. Only the area where Princess Luna and I occupied was illuminated. “What is this? A lucid dream?” I had to ask. Why was Luna here?

“We have come at the behest of our sister. We have need of thy abilities.”

The way she said that sounded like she didn’t like the idea.

“Because we don’t.”

“Ok, that’s a bit creepy.”

“We are in thy dream, thy thoughts are open to us. We do not like our sister’s idea. We feel that she might be putting too much trust in thee.”

“Well, I can understand that, but I hope that I can live up to that trust.” I tried to be considerate. “Also, I don't think we were properly introduced” I raised my hand (oh, hey, human again! Yay, dream body) and offered it to Luna. “I’m Dante Morelo, once human, currently Symbio.”
Luna looked at my hand and gave me an incredulous look. After a second or two she brought her hoof up to meet my hand and I shook it gently. “What is the meaning of this gesture?” She asked holding the look.

“It’s a handshake...or hoofshake in this case. It’s a...common greeting.”

“We have never received such a greeting before.” I stopped the shake and released her hoof.

“Well...you have been gone a while. So uh...you said Princess Celestia needed my help?” I’ll admit I was nervous. Luna was speaking in a fairly calm demeanor, her voice was sweet and soothing. Luna raised an eyebrow, “Thou thinkest our voice is sweet?”

Damn it, errant thoughts! “I duh..I....I” I was used to getting glimpses at thoughts. She was picking them up the second they appeared with total clarity. The fact I wasn’t able to reciprocate the ability was putting me off. “That is..kind of thee to say. But we digress, thy presence is requested. Our sister believes that thy abilities may be able to help track down her assailants. Thou shalt come to the castle on the coming night.”

They had a lead? They wanted me to help?! I need more details. “Which of my abilities does Princess Celestia need?”

“Thy ability to control others. The assailant who attempted to take our sister’s life has revealed a location where her conspirators congregate. We need thee to conceal thyself within her form and learn what you can.”

Whoa, Secret Agent Dante. What child never dreamed of being a spy?...But a spy finds secrets and keeps them. Last I checked, I tended to room with someone.

“Princess, is this ‘conversation’ between us? Twilight and I sort of share thoughts. I know Rainbow Dash could see my dreams.”

Luna gave me a knowingly, proud smile, “Twilight Sparkle is confined to her own dreamscape. She shant overhear. We shall send for thee the coming night and we shall explain the finer details upon arrival.”

Well, guess that’s almost everything. “Ok, then. I guess my carriage is dragon fire again?”

The lunar princess’s response was cool and without hesitation,“Lest thy wish is for us to come collect thee, personally.”

Okaaay, that was oddly generous. “Seriously? You’d do that?”

“No.” She said that with an amused smirk.

Oh look, trolling runs in the family. Had I walked into that any harder I would have busted my nose. I gave Luna a half-lidded expression, “Ha...ha. Well, that gives me most of the day to learn some more about myself.”

“Indeed.” Luna suddenly seemed to notice something. “The night comes to an end. We shall see thee tonight, Dante Morelo.”

I wasn’t sure how she knew that. It only felt like a few minutes. No way that much time had passed right? *Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing*
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I woke up a before Twilight did. I’m a light sleeper and I enjoy the comfort of sleep. I hated being awoken from a good sleep. I took a moment to check around the room for that damnable ringing and found it. Alarm clocks were the bane of my human existence and continue to be so in my Symbio existence. TO HELL WITH YOU!

*Smash*

Ah...silence.

“Aw, Twilight. Did you destroy another alarm clock? That’s the third one this week.” I heard Spike call from below. I let a yawn escape before slumping Twilight’s body out of bed, very reluctantly might I add. I stretched out each limb and took a peek into the main room. Spike was nowhere to be seen, he must be in the kitchen. Might as well announce myself.

“Twilight is still sleeping, Spike. I’ll let you know when she’s up. Also, I dealt the felling blow to that abominable alarm clock. I apologize for destroying it, but I will not deny I took pleasure in it’s destruction.”

Spike chuckled, “Hehe, no worries, Dante. Twilight has me set them out so she’ll wake up on time. She tends to smash them after she does an all nighter and finally gets to sleep.”

I let out a chuckle as I made my way into the kitchen. Spike was at the stove with a pan and a bowl of batter. He was making pancakes! I could smell the freshly made pancakes and it elicited a reaction from Twilight’s stomach. I couldn’t disagree with the argument the stomach made, those pancakes smelt awesome!

I figured Spike would make a nice fat stack before serving so I made myself useful. “Hey, Spike. Where do ya’ll keep the plates and silverware. I’ll set the table.”

Spike had just put some batter in the pan and was monitoring its progress, so he craned his head to look at me/Twilight. “Plates are in the cabinet by the fridge and the silverware is in the drawer underneath it.” He took a moment to flip the pancake and cook the other side. “Could you also pull out some cups as well? They’re in the same cabinet.”

I spotted the cabinets Spike had mentioned and used my tendrils to remove two sets of forks and knives, then remove a set of plates and cups. I hadn’t really multitasked with my tendrils just yet but it felt like having hands again. I didn’t have to focus as much to keep my tendrils out and it was starting to feel more natural.

Spike finished the last of the batter and moved the last pancake to the plate he had nearby. I think the smell of fresh pancakes had reached Twilight as I felt her thoughts stir. She was waking up.

“Come on sleeping beauty up and at ‘em.” I prodded. Then I added in a sing song voice, “Spike made paaaaaaaancaaaaaakes!”

That got her attention, “Hmmmm. Pancakes. That sounds really good right now.”

“Yeah, they smell just as good. We’ll have to swap around. I’m sure you want to enjoy the pancakes.”

“No, no it’s fine. Besides I’m sure you want to try them as well.”

“Eh, its cool. I can taste what you eat anyway.”

“...”

“What?”

“You can taste what I eat?” her tone sounded confused and yet intrigued .

Now that I heard that said back to me....that sounded kinda weird. But then again I share my host's pain and can hear their thoughts. What's a few taste buds?

“Uh...yeah. I share taste buds with my host. What you eat, I can taste by proxy.”

Twilight’s thoughts were considering the reasoning behind having that deep a connection with a host. Perhaps for them to be in sync? To have some kind of understanding? Twilight was on the hypothesis train non-stop to la-la land. I quickly snapped her out of it. We mutually agreed, after my previous statement that I’d stay in control until after breakfast.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I ended up using my tendrils to eat most of the pancakes, which Spike thought was kinda cool. Twilight decided it might be a good time to make good on the magic lessons. She explained to me the basics of magic and telekinesis. Apparently, magic is a combination of focus, energy, and knowledge. So, assume you wanted to teleport (which I did). You had to focus on where you wanted to go, then you had to muster the right amount of magical energy to get you there. Finally, you needed to know how to cast the teleportation spell itself and how to mold the magical energy to get you to your location. If any one of those was out of place the spell would fail.After a few failed attempts, I did manage to levitate and move the fork and knife to cut a piece of pancake and eat it, but I got excited (too much energy) and ended up blasting a fork into the ceiling. I figured I could practice more later. I used my tendrils to finish off the last of the pancakes and helped clean up.

Shortly after we finished cleaning, Twilight and I swapped control. Still haven’t come up with a better method outside of ice water. Once she was back in control she asked if I could stay on Spike for a bit while she took a quick shower and got ready for the day. Spike was a bit reluctant but Twilight convinced him it would be ok. I let a tendril out for Spike to hold onto. When he grabbed on I transferred from Twilight up Spikes arm and came to rest in between the spikes on his head.

“Feeling ok, bud?”

Spike shuddered and stated out loud, “Yeah, that just feels....really, really weird.”

I chuckled a bit, “Yeah, sorry about that. I think the other’s have gotten used to it. Also, you can think what you want to say and I’ll hear it.”

Spike rubbed the back of his head and felt out my location, “So, like this?”

“Yup, you got it. I’ll keep the tendrils at bay for now. I know you don’t like them.”

“Eh.. yeah, but not as much as before. So, can you hear all my thoughts?”

“I get an idea, but unless you are really thinking about it I can’t get specifics.”

“That’s not creepy.”

“Heh, if it helps at all, it works both ways. Don’t worry I try not to pry.”

Spike appreciated that, and decided to work on a few chores. Before he started, I let Spike know about the notes Twilight left on her desk. He quickly found the notes and sent them off. The sensation of the fire surging up Spike’s throat was strange. It was half way between a blech and a dry heave. Watching the fire engulf the notes was kinda crazy, the fire first incinerated the notes, then the ash swirled, and flew off toward Canterlot.

“Did I mention how cool that is?”

“No, but you can totally say it more.”

“It is immensely cool. Coolest dragon, in Ponyville.”

“I’m the only dragon in Ponyville.”

“True, but at least you are respectable. I’ve seen other dragons. Some of them are real aaaaugh...butts.”

Nice save, he actually laughed at that and I could literally feel Spike’s ego inflating. He was a kid at heart. I had always felt sorry for the guy. He was surrounded by females and didn’t have much of a male role model, outside of Big Mac. Maybe I should try linking with him every now and then. He seemed like a really cool kid. I didn’t mind either, I used to babysit for extra cash. Kids are funny...except when they’re little assholes. I hate those kids...Oh, I need to find Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon later.

A knock came from the door and Spike went to see who it was. It turns out it was Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Apparently, the enhancement experiment had really done a number on Rainbow Dash. She was experiencing mild muscle exhaustion and couldn’t even use her wings. I asked Spike to apologize for me. Rainbow didn’t seem to mind, but said that once she was back up and running, we were going again. I gave her a tendril style thumbs up. She seemed to get it. Twilight came in a bit later and I transferred back to her. She seemed a bit confused and stated why, “Why not transfer to Rainbow Dash and fix her wings. Your regeneration abilities should be able to do that right?”

As logical as that sounds, I had to disagree, “I don’t think so Twilight. My healing ability is fast. Princess Celestia took a high speed impact which should have left her with a few busted bones. The healing dealt with it in minutes but she was still pretty sore after. I think it deals more with critical injuries, muscle exhaustion isn’t injury. If it were, her wings would have been fine by the time we landed. I think she’s just going to have to wait it out.”

Twilight concurred, but she was wondering if there was a way to replicate that kind of healing outside of contact with me. She added it to her mental to-do list, and offered for Rainbow and Fluttershy to stay and watch. Rainbow declined stating, “Meh, I’d rather be doing the tests than watching. It’s cooler that way.” Then she said goodbye and headed off to get a special ointment from Zecora to help with her recovery. OH, I totally need to meet Zecora! Maybe I’ll bring her an....orange (Bwahahaha!). Fluttershy admitted she was curious after yesterday’s display and said she’d hang around for a bit.

We started our first experiments of the day with trying to replicate my aura sight. Twilight had asked the process I went through to enhance Rainbow’s wings and to try and replicate it but focusing on her eyes instead. I wasn’t sure about that. What if I over did it and blinded her? I was still unsure about output. Hmmm, Ok lets take a precaution. “Twilight, do me a favor and close one eye. If this goes wrong I’d rather you still have a working eye.”

Twilight figured that would be a good idea, and closed her right eye. I could still see out her left eye and I put my focus into it. I remembered how things looked in aura sight. I focused on seeing like that again, and applying it to Twilight. Nothing. Ok, maybe this is different than enhancing muscles. Hmmm.... “Twilight, I’m not sure how to do this. I’m not getting the same response that I got from Rainbow Dash.”

Twilight opened both her eyes and tried to think of what might work. “What if...you used your tendrils first? That would activate the eye change and then tried to activate the aura sight?”

Hmm, not a bad idea. I let a single tendril come out and tried again.Twilight closed her right eye again. I put my focus into Twilight’s left eye, and let my influence take the eye. I heard an audible gasp from Fluttershy. Twilight snapped to the yellow pegasus and asked what was wrong. Twilight was instantly and reasonably shocked, so much that her other eye popped open. She saw Fluttershy, but she also saw the cascading yellow aura coming off of her. This was interesting to me. My normal aura sight didn’t give me details, mostly just the aura’s in a sea of ethereal blue-white wind, but now I could see everything along with the auras! Intense.

Author's Notes:

*Fuck it adjustment- Scientific wild ass guess as to how much power, energy, or force is needed to be applied to an object to get the desired effect.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Anyway, DAT PLOT...advancement. I got my shit together and we are now underway on the assailant arc! Next chapter, we learn about Special Agent Dante's mission!