“Fluttershy, I don’t really want to get all dressed up for a wedding. Can’t I just wear what I’d normally wear since ponies don’t know anything about normal human clothing standards?” Alex grumbled as he was led to Carousel Boutique. “The wedding isn’t even for a week, and Rarity makes things with magic.”

“It’s only proper. Cranky Doodle and Matilda are part of our community and it’s their big day. Almost everyone has a personal story with either of them, including myself and Discord. It’d be a shame if anyone who could come didn’t.” Fluttershy raised a wing to brush along Alex’s back. “And it wouldn’t be very respectful if you were just wearing anything you wanted.”

“Yeah, Okay, I get that, but I just...I just don’t know about wearing fancy clothes. I don’t know...what I’d like.” He couldn’t help shivering as he thought back to the dress that had been forced upon him when he had fused with Sonata briefly, nor could he help blushing at how comfortable it had felt to wear.

“Alex?” Fluttershy asked, noting his flushed features. “Did something come to mind? You can tell me, if you want.” Hovering up to his level, she kissed his cheek. “I promise I won’t tell anyone unless you okay it.”

“W-well, I uh...” Alex blushed, looking away from her. “M-maybe...”

“Alex, how many times do I have to tell you that Discord and I aren’t going to judge you about any of this stuff? He might make a joke or two, but we both understand that this is a complicated issue for you. We want you to be comfortable.”

Poking his fingers together, he muttered a reply under his breath.

“Oh dear, is this how my friends feel when I barely say something?” Fluttershy ponders for a moment while still doing her best to keep the comforting contact in place. “It can wait until we get there if you want to talk about it a little more privately.”

“Y-yeah...” Alex nodded, letting Fluttershy guide him the rest of the way. “That sounds good...”

Once they got to the boutique they could see Rarity setting a ponnequin behind a privacy screen and looking relieved to have finished something. “Oh, hello there dears. Have you finally decided to take a look at some of the things I came up with for spare clothes for Alex?”

“Partly, but we were hoping you could make something for Alex to wear to the wedding,” Fluttershy said, nudging Alex closer. “I think Alex has something in mind, but, it seems to be a little embarrassing.”

“I-uh, no, not really for the wedding. This is...I...uh.” Alex wracked his brain to think of a reason to back out, and finally sighed in defeat. “When I was called over to that other world the other day with Sonata we...we ended up sharing a body wearing something really nice. I think it might be a bit much for the wedding though.” Reaching into his coat, he pulled out his phone. Tapping at the screen for a moment, he held it out to Rarity. “Looks like this.”

Rarity squinted and quickly shook her head. “No, no I’m sorry but there is simply no way I can recreate a dress like that from such a tiny image, and with no way to see what the other sides of it look like. The design is clearly asymmetrical to begin with and far too intricate to risk getting it wrong. Also it is rude to show up to a wedding with a better dress than the bride has, so, yes, this would be a bit much considering how simple Matilda’s tastes run.”

“Oh thank god, cause-”

“But~ I would happily make you a copy for the gala!” Rarity smiled, dragging Alex over to her work area. “For now, however, you need something nice to wear. Were you still thinking of a dress or something like a tuxedo?”

“Uhhhh...I...I want to say a tuxedo, but another part is telling me to go for another dress.” Alex groaned and moved to take a seat with his head in his hands. “I’m just so confused about everything, and it’s not helping to just go with my gut because it’s my gut that’s telling me two different things!”

Rarity put a hoof on his shoulder and let out a few calming noises. “It’s alright, Alex. Just take a deep breath and let it out. Let’s try and work your thoughts out together, okay?”

“Can...can we do something that’s both? A dress that looks like a tuxedo so both parts of my brain just shut the hell up about it?”

Beaming, Rarity levitated over a few materials and measuring tapes. “What an excellent idea, Alex darling. Black just seems to suit you so well. I should only need a few hours of your time.”

’Yes, she’s so right. Black does suit you well.’

‘No one asked you, Moon Horse.’ Standing up, Alex made his way over to Rarity’s stage. ‘I liked it better when you were sulking in your cage.’

Rarity took her time making measurements, and offered apologies at the winces Alex made as the measuring tape was wrapped around a few areas. “I’m sorry, dear, but I do need to know exactly how tight things can go so I can make them a little looser for freedom of movement. Now, would you be okay with a little lace being worked into the design? It would help make a few accents for your upper torso.”

Biting his lip, Alex took a moment to reply. “L-lace sounds good,” he finally said, shifting his weight a bit.

“Don’t worry, dear, I’ll make it as minimal as possible so it’s there and you can enjoy knowing it’s there if you like or you can ignore it if you decide you don’t like it.” She offered a smile and then held up two different materials for him, both black, but one of them just slightly shiny. “Now, which of these two feels better to you?”

“I... wouldn’t mind big frills,” Alex muttered, reaching out to touch both. “Why’s this one shiny?” he questioned, rubbing his thumb over it.

“That one’s silk, it has a natural shine to it once it’s been harvested and turned into fabric.”

“Ummm, Alex Lionheart?” A grey mare with a blonde mane landed next to the lunch table Alex and Snails had chosen to sit down at that day. “I have a special delivery for you. One of seven today, rush delivery from Canterlot.”

“Oh uh, thanks,” Alex said, taking the offered letter from the mare. Reaching into his pocket, Alex offered a few bits to the mare. “For your troubles.”

The mare took the bits after thinking for a couple seconds, and dropped them into her saddlebags. “Thank you. School was closer to the post office than your home, but I’m going there to Fluttershy next. Have fun kids!” The mare then ran off and beat her wings a couple times before managing to take off once more.

“Huh, a special delivery from Canterlot, and one of seven? What do you think it is, Alex?” Snails asked as he levitated a wrap of some kind in his magic.

“Maybe they’ll finally be knighted?” Alex suggested, opening up the envelope. Inside he found a short letter and two golden tickets. “Scratch that, Snails. I’ve got a golden ticket.” Smiling to himself, he turned to his friend. “I’ve got a golden ticket. I’ve got a golden ticket~”

“A golden ticket...oh, wait, is that a ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala?” Snails looked almost afraid at the idea. “I heard it’s a really boring party for nobles. You might not like it.”

“Wait, YOU got a ticket to the GALA?!” Diamond Tiara’s voice came from nearby for the first time in a while, as she had left the two of them alone even after their week of lunch detention was up. “What makes you important enough to not only get some relic spellbook, but a gala ticket too?”

“Because I got a keysword and you don’t,” Alex responded, carefully replacing the envelope’s contents and stowing it in his coat. “I’d show off but, I promised I wouldn’t do that kind of thing. Laws and all that stuff.”

“But you...I...ugh, whatever. I’m sure my daddy will get a ticket eventually.” She turned away and just walked off, clearly still feeling the sting of her detentions.

“So, uh, two tickets? That means you get to go to the gala twice, I guess? Saving one for next year?”

“Nah, the note said it’s for me and my plus one,” Alex responded, turning his attention back to Snails. “Wanna go with me?”

“Y-y-ya...you…” Snails stammered and looked away quickly. “A-alex, are you asking me as a filly, or a colt?”

Alex blushed, the implication of his question hitting like a truck. “W-well uh... I-I wasn’t...” he looked away, trying to get his mind in order.

Snails hopped down from the bench on his side of the table and walked around to hop up next to Alex, his long neck putting his head almost level with Alex’s own if he stood up. “I-I’m sorry, Alex. You know I find you pretty, and I know that makes me a little weird, but, I like you. I’m older than some of the other students, so I take things a little differently. I didn’t mean to make things weird between us, but it’s difficult.”

Alex lifted his hand, putting it on Snails’ head. “You’re not making anything weird, I am. I got a lot of stuff in my head and it makes me do and say strange things.” Mulling over his next words, he spoke again. “Which... which would you rather I ask you as?”

“Is it bad that I like thinking of you as a filly? It makes it easier for me to not feel weird about the...um, older pony feelings?” He scratches his head with a hoof after a moment. “I’m sorry, it’s hard to really say it, but...ah. Spending time with you feels better than spending time with Snips because I know I can just treat you like a colt while knowing you’re a filly?”

“That makes sense.” Alex nodded, scratching Snails’ ears. “If that makes it all makes sense, I won’t tell you otherwise.” Summoning his courage, he spoke again; his face darkening. “You wanna try one way and if that doesn’t work out, go the other?”

“Uh, what?” Snails’ eyes closed briefly at the scratching, but he ended up shaking his head in confusion and opening them again to look up into Alex’s eyes. “Was that a human saying that just doesn’t translate or something?”

“No... It was just me being weird. What I mean is, do you... want to try me asking as a filly, and if things get weird, just default to me being a colt?”

“Oh, uh, no. No, what I meant is that if you’re asking me as a filly I’ll definitely go with you, but if you’re asking me as a colt to go to a dance with you just to have company...err...um. I’m doing the confusing thing again. You do that to me. I’m straight and you’re confusing, Alex.”

“Well then, lets try and make this less confusing.” leaning down a bit, Alex looked straight into Snails eyes. “You wanna go to the gala with me, as a filly?”

Snails smiled and nodded, then quickly darted in to kiss Alex directly on the mouth briefly. “If you’re okay with being a filly with me, Alex, I’m happy to dance with you.”

Alex sputtered for a moment before falling off the bench and whacking his head on the ground.

Snails hopped down again and carefully helped Alex back up with a few tugs of telekinesis. “Kiss was too much?”

“...I’ll let you know when I work it all out.”

“He kissed you?” Sonata gasped, jumping around Alex excitedly. “Was it nice?! Did you kiss him back!? Tell me~”

“Would you be a little more quiet about it, Sonata?” Alex hissed through his teeth as they walked towards Carousel Boutique, his face beginning to redden as she practically sang about what had happened between him and Snails. “I’m still trying to unpack everything in my mind, but it was definitely a surprise.”

“Sorry, I’m just so happy that you’re embracing that part of yourself!” In the hopes of jogging Rarity’s muse for their session, Sonata had forgone her disguises and went out in her natural form. “I bet you two are gonna be the most adorable couple on the dance floor.”

“Gah! We aren’t a couple! I’m just taking him to the gala because I don’t know, and like, anyone else my age enough...my apparent age...oh god this is all getting even more confusing.”

“Pffft. You’re only as old as you feel, Alex. That takes a lot of the creepy factor out of being over a thousand years old when most ponies barely see two centuries.” Flicking her tail, she nudged his hip. “I think you’re getting too hung up on it. For all intents and purposes, you are a teenager. Sure, you’ve been one before but that was then and this is now. Just keep it at first base and you’ll be fine.”

“Y-yeah, I guess that’s a good point. I don’t think I’d be comfortable with anything more than kissing anytime soon anyways, and even that’s still quite a shock. I’ve had a few really weird dreams lately though...but those stopped after a couple days.”

“Oh? Wanna tell me about them?”

“Hell no! They were seriously strange. Like, I don’t think I could make up a story half as strange as these dreams got.” Alex reached down, running a hand through Sonata’s mane. “And thankfully, all of Nightmare’s BS is gone. Just my normal nightmares now.”

“I still don’t get how you got Luna’s old personal demon stuck in your head. Oh, maybe she’s been quiet because she popped into my head when we merged and I ate her like the dark emotional sandwich she is?”

’I like her. She’s got funny ideas of what she could and couldn’t do to me.’

“If only,” Alex sighed, shaking his head. Steering over to Rarity’s home, Alex gave a knock. “Hey, Rarity! It’s me and Sonata! You ready?”

“Only if the two of you are ready to show off that gown you took a picture of.” The door opened quickly from inside and Rarity ushered them both in. “Come in either way, dears. It’s getting chilly out lately and I have a bit of tea ready if you want that.”

“Tea’s good,” Alex agreed.

“Aw, thanks for worrying, Rarity, but I’m not bothered by the cold!” Sonata stayed close to Alex, and reigned in her enthusiasm. “I love fall and winter, means I don’t need water as much.”

Moving to stand by the stage, Alex cleared his throat. “So... do you want us to do the thing now, or...?”

“That would be best. I’d like to get moving with this as quickly as possible so that I can take my time basking in the details. The picture you took was enough to get me thinking of new designs, but if you want a copy it must. Be. Perfect!” Rarity punctuated her statement with gentle prodding at Sonata to get her to move over to stand with Alex. “So you two do what you need to do so I can see this dress for myself.”

Alex gingerly put a hand on Sonata’s head, looking down at her. “Okay, fusion time. Let’s do it.” Taking in a breath, he repeated the process from before and within moments, the pair were one being again. “Tada~” Alex spoke much more confidently, twirling around on stage.

“Oh my…” Rarity simply stared for the first minute or so before finally moving around and getting a good look at Alex’s dress. A sketchpad and pencil floated over from a side-table and began to quickly write down a few notes about specific details as she moved. “This may actually be a bit difficult to replicate.”

“Seriously?” Alex pouted, stopping mid-twirl. “Don’t do me like that, Rarity.”

“Difficult, dear. I said difficult, not impossible.” She walked around Alex once more, her pencil still making note of things. “Some of the colors will have to be custom dyed, and I’ll have to see about importing shells for that tiara on your head, for example. That’s going to take time, and before the Gala is when I have the least time to worry about things outside my control. I might just end up racing to get it finished the day before the big party.”

“Well, maybe we could help?” Watching her closely, Alex found himself taking another selfie. “It’s like... I’m on autopilot.”

’Oh, sorry, some of that might be me, Alex. We just look so cute like this.’ Sonata’s voice rang clear in his mind as the impulse to make a kissy face on the next picture passed.

“How would you help, exactly? Do you know anything about how dyes work, or which fabric is the right one for which section of this gown? Or how to gather the fabric just right to dye only certain parts of it to get this dappled, sunlight on waves look for the back? You aren’t cold in it, are you?”

“I don’t think so?” Alex questioned, looking down at himself. “I’m not sure how I can help but, I want to.”

“Well, I suppose I could use your body instead of something less fitting to check the fit of the various pieces once I have them completed. A ponnequin simply wouldn’t work for you and I don’t have a way to order something customized to your shape, nor would I want to when you’re still growing.”

“I guess I could do that...” Twirling again, Alex blushed. “I just... feel so free like this. It’s... hard to explain...”

“It’s almost like you’re a different person? I imagine part of that is from having Sonata in your head, but another part could just be from liking how you look in a dress. I could make a few other things for you if you like? A young lady deserves to have more than two dresses, both of which were designed for special occasions.”

“L-like what?” The idea struck home but Alex couldn’t keep the blush off his face.

“Well, I think you’d look adorable in a nice purple color, and something yellow might go well with your eyes. Not both at the same time, of course, barring making the colors just off enough to not clash horribly.” A brief tingle was felt across Alex’s back, followed by a slight breeze. “I can’t figure out why this piece flips up when you twirl, other than to let your skin breathe…”

“You got any ideas, Sonata? I don’t know anything about dresses.”

’Huh...it’s almost like it’s there just so someone could unhook your bra, or to keep your back from getting all sweaty while you fight, or dance.’

“...There would never be a situation where we’re fused and I need to take my bra off,” Alex stated flatly. “Not even once.”

“Do I even want to know?” Rarity asked as she started sketching in earnest, her pencil beginning to move within the empty space of the paper to draw out what she was seeing.

“Just Sonata being Sonata,” Alex replied, smoothing out his dress. “Ignore her.” He took a breath, fighting the urge to twirl again. “You know, the other you said yellow was a good color for me.”

“Well, at least that confirms that we both have the same eye for color and details.” Rarity reached up with her magic and attempted to remove the tiara to get a closer look at it in order to make sure she got as much detail as possible noted down.

’Okay, that’s weird!’ Sonata commented as the headgear floated in Rarity’s magic. ’It’s like she’s pulled my ears off, but not my ears exactly.’

“This is simply exquisite. Does Sonata know what kinds of shells these all are so I can make sure I order the right things the first time?” Rarity held it up in front of Alex, allowing him to clearly see the arrangement of various shells forming the marine-themed tiara, including a handful of thalassa shells.

“Well, I know those are thalassa shells. Don’t know about the others.” Alex took it in his hands, turning it this way and that. “What about it, Sonata? What can you tell us?”

Sonata thought for a bit before listing off a few different names of sea creatures, then sighed. ’The frame they’re attached to is coral. That’s going to need to be made of something else, since we use coral beds as our graveyards...unless she knows a place to get coral that doesn’t involve defacing a monument to a lost family member.’

Relying the information to Rarity, Alex rubbed his arm. “Would anything else do instead of coral? I don’t want to make this weird. Uh, styrofoam maybe?”

“Let me get a good look at the back of it, and then some measurements of the tiara itself. I’m sure there’ll be some way to make a replica of the base structure with something that will hold the shells properly without breaking if you look at it the wrong way, Alex.” Rarity levitated the ornament down to her eye-level and began to study the main structure under the shells from behind. “And I’ll make sure not to use any actual coral, Sonata.”

’Let her know that I can probably save her a bunch on the cost of the shells by calling in a few old favors, unless she wants a surplus on-hand to do some aquatic dresses later.’

“I think you look very nice, Alex,” Fluttershy assured, hovering behind him. “Rarity did a really good job.”

“I-uh...yeah.” Alex couldn’t help but blush as he looked at himself in the mirror and straightened everything out until it felt just right. A black lace panel acted to obscure the open upper half of the gown’s front, leaving his legs plenty of room to move freely in front of him, without a hem to trip over or step on by accident. The black pants blended in well with the material of the skirt, which helped hide the somewhat unusual design, while the upper part of the dress was made to look like a slightly feminine tuxedo. “It’s not really… I mean… It’s a little too girly for me, but I suppose if any other weddings happen soon I won’t need to get something new.”

Fluttershy giggled, nuzzling his neck. “It’s alright, Alex.” Fluttering across the room, she allowed a few of her animal friends to put a few finishing touches to her outfit. “Just think of today as practice for doing it on more casual days.”

“I’m still not so sure about wearing dresses casually on just any day, yet.” Alex sighed and began brushing his hair quickly. “I mean, what the robot-spider-lady….Liz. What Liz said about needing to take off fewer layers sometimes kinda makes sense, and I might just try it again next time, but I’m not going to count a few days every four weeks as ‘casual’ just yet.”

“Foal steps, Alex, foal steps,” Fluttershy soothed, patting Angel Bunny’s head. “Go at your own pace, alright? I promise, neither Discord nor I will push you more than a gentle nudge.”

“Right, baby steps,” Alex muttered, glancing back at her before giving a twirl. Unlike the other times, he tripped over himself and nearly stumbled into the mirror. “Stupid girly impulses...” he grumbled, steadying himself.

“You know, I could help you with those, Alex. One of the things Sarah discussed with me while you were making yourself presentable was a way to effectively turn off your estrogen factories for a while. There’s even a way to do it with just a medication if you feel like your own body is putting too much pressure on you to be a girl.” Discord’s voice came from the other side of the mirror, where he was straightening a bow tie on a collar and wearing absolutely nothing else.

Alex stared for a moment, his mind working before he shook his head. “It’s not... that’s not what I meant.”

“Just keep it in mind, my boy. There are fewer limits to what I can do than there are to what you’d accept, but I can and will help you out if you feel you need it.”

“Discord…” Fluttershy’s tone was only mildly chiding as she cleared her throat. “We talked about this. No changes unless Alex asks for them.”

“I know, but how will he know that they can be made without me telling him that the option is there? It’s not like I’m some barbaric surgeon cutting him open to smooth out a few wrinkles before he has any.”

“Can we talk about something else?” Alex questioned, brushing his hair back. “Anything else, please.”

“Oh, sorry Alex. It’s just that I don’t want you feeling pushed to-” Fluttershy let out a shriek of fear as a loud roar shook the cottage.

“The hell was that?” Alex questioned as the animals scattered to their hiding places.

“Hmmm, that sounded almost familiar. Was it just me or was there a buzzing along with that roar?” Discord reached up and pulled a rather-too-large wad of tissues out of one ear. “That sounded like one of my sister’s old monstrosities.”

“W-w-what do you mean ‘one of your sister’s monstrosities,’ Discord?” Fluttershy stood back up quickly, but her wide eyes betrayed her own fear of whatever had caused such a loud roar.

“She had a tendency to birth only wild beasts that are some kind of hybrid between two or more animals. I’m still not quite sure if griffons were one of her rare sapient progeny to start with.”

“So, you’re sister is basically Echidna, the mother of all monsters?” Making his way downstairs, Alex summoned Evolution’s Edge. “I’m not surprised.” Pushing the front door open, he shifted his weapon into its rifle-crossbow form. The keyblade extended and widened to make room for the large-bore rounds it fired while the fangs and claws extended to the sides to create blades that ensured Alex still had a close-range option with the oddly-organic armament.

“It’s not like she has any control over it, Alex. Not all of us can cook up something as perfect as your older sister.” Discord quickly pulled Alex back in as a horrible buzzing grew louder. “Let’s just wait until that either arrives or goes away, shall we? No need to invite Rarity’s wrath for ruining a dress she made you before the wedding if it’s just passing nearby.”

“What even is it?” Alex questioned, keeping his weapon close. “I swear, if its a mansquito, I’m out of here.”

“Mansquito? Nevermind, I probably don’t want to know if it would make you check into a Nope-tel. No, that sounds like either a bugbear or something I know Celestia and Luna did their best to drive to extinction when it escaped the zoo.”

“... I take it it’s not a big goblin?”

“The original one was a mix of a vicious type of honey bee and a polar bear, somehow. You really don’t want to know what the other option is.”

“Right. That sounds lovely,” Alex commented, peering out the window.

“Hmmm, that’s a different breed.” Discord’s head came down next to Alex’s and he snapped his fingers to give Alex a set of binoculars. “Third oak left of the huge pine, spot the yellow moving in the shadows?”

Alex nodded, following the spot. “You know, I feel like I’m in an episode of Gravity Falls. We celebrate Summerween here?”

“Hmmmm? That must be from a reality I’m unfamiliar with. Anyways, that’s clearly not the original breed of bugbear, look at all the black markings on it. Unless that’s some kind of nasty darkness infection, we’ve got a descendent on our hands here.”

“How dangerous is it?” Alex asked, lowering the binoculars. “Because a bear with the ‘fuck you’ of a wasp sounds like the stuff of nightmares.”

“You wouldn’t happen to know if that body you’re in is allergic to bees, would you? If it was, I’d advise you to avoid being within about twenty feet of this thing. If not, well, don’t get stung more than once.” Discord held his hands up about a foot apart from each other. “If you survive the first one that is.”

Alex blinked, looking down at himself. ‘Shit, that’s a good point. I have no idea what I could be allergic to. That is not a good thing.”

“Typical, focus on the detailed problem rather than the implication of a stinger almost as long as my arm…” Discord rolled his eyes and idly flicked Alex’s nose. “Tell your mother I’ll be right back. I have to go alert book horse that she’s going to have a problem to deal with before the wedding.”

Rubbing his nose, Alex frowned. “I’m sorry, my mind immediately jumps to health issues. Being a med student sorta does that to you.”

“Well, I suppose that’s understandable. Stay inside until your mother or I tell you it’s safe to go out. I suspect I’m going to be stretched quite thin today. I can’t just snap my fingers and render that thing harmless if it’s a nearly-pure version of my sister’s original spawn like it looks. Chaos cannot calm chaos.”

“Right, go do the thing.” Gesturing to the door, Alex hefted Evolution’s Edge again. “I’ll just stay here with my big dumb gun. Just shout and I’ll fire off a shot or something.”

Discord paused in thought for a moment. “Tell you what, Alex, how about you just go ahead and shoot that thing if it comes any closer than a dozen feet? Then you run out the door and do your best to kite it like you’re made of paper. I’ll make the sound of that thing firing my signal that things need to accelerate with sparklebutt.” With that said, he snapped his fingers and vanished, leaving a small puff of cotton candy floating where he’d been standing.

“Right...” Assuming that Fluttershy had been taken with him, Alex pushed the nearest window open and rested Evolution’s barrel on the windowsill. “Okay, I’ve had... a few days of practice with this thing, it should be fine.” Kneeling down, he braced the rifle’s butt against his shoulder and peered down the scope. “It can’t be that hard. Just take aim and shoot. Nothing to it.”

Less than a minute later the sound of the air unzipping, and an angry Fluttershy yelling came from behind Alex. “-ow I would never agree to leave him that close to a dangerous beast when he can’t talk with them like I can! I don’t care if he is stronger than we treat him, he’s my responsibility, Discord!”

“Sorry, Alex, looks like I misjudged her temper. Finger off the trigger, please.” Discord gave barely any warning at all before grabbing Alex by the neck like a kitten, and somehow painlessly yanking him through the tiny opening.

The sudden motion caused Alex to tighten his grip on Evolution, his finger squeezing the trigger. A bolt of energy discharged from the barrel, streaking through the suddenly open sky. A startled yelp caught his ear, the source being a charcoal grey, mohawked pegasus whom almost had his wing clipped by the stray shot.

“Sorry!” Alex called up, wearing a sheepish expression.

“And that’s why you shouldn’t have forced me to do this with no warning, Fluttershy. He was to be our early warning system in case the bugbear came into town instead of possibly staying in the forest. Now we won’t know until it emerges.” Discord carefully placed Alex down on his feet with one hand while a second head pored over a series of insanely complex runes and glyphs that were floating in the air in front of him. “And I told you time was of the essence. Now I have to rewrite ‘sheloktor’ so this beast can’t just kill any of you in one swipe. Wards against this kind of beast are difficult, my dear, even for me.”

“How hard could it be?” Dash questioned, making a noticeable effort to not hover near Alex. “It’s a bug. Just whip up a big can of bug spray and hose it down!”

“Rainbow Dash, if I could do something as simple as that to nullify this threat, don’t you think I would have done it already? I can’t directly act against this wild thing. Beasts that my sister gives birth to have always been immune to the direct effects of my abilities because the things my chaos creates cannot counteract the things her inner chaos creates, so I have to toy with powers beyond ponies to indirectly affect it instead. Now be quiet for a minute before you all end up with breezie wings because I lost concentration on the shape of one of these ancient runes. I’m trying to protect the entire town here.”

Rainbow Dash mimicked his worlds with a roll of her eyes, oblivious to her friends’ glares.

“So, I do hate to be ‘that mare,’ darlings, but I take it this means most of us will be unable to enjoy the wedding?” Rarity pouted as she straightened out a feathered hat that was, compared to her normal fashion, quite subdued. “I was looking forward to it.”

“I guess we’ll just have to make the sacrifice so everyone else can enjoy the wedding,” Twilight responded. “We just have to accept that this isn’t about us.”

Discord actually gagged for a moment. “Such heroic nonsense...but accurate enough. My powers are going to be stretched quite thin to charge these runes, ladies, and Alex, so don’t expect me to be able to do much to help other than the occasional quick teleportation.”

“It’ll be fine,” Alex assured, looking over the small group of ponies. “So... which one of you wants to try fusing with me?”

“Wait, fusing?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Too late, I pick the farm horse!” Reaching a hand out, Alex grabbed a handful of Applejack’s mane. “Bring on the fusing!”

Before Applejack could complain, her body brightened until it was pure light and leapt onto Alex’s body. On impact, she merged with his dress, creating an entirely new outfit. Power and energy flowed into him as he felt his feet and legs encased in some kind of armor that looked like rooted logs. These altered in shape, taking on the vague appearance of cowboy boots with a bark texture. That same texture continued above the darker wood as a padded bodysuit the color of Applejack’s coat formed, leaving most of Alex’s body looking very much treelike. Gauntlets appeared on his hands and forearms, looking like plates of wood with metal bands. These gauntlets moved easily, but upon making a fist the panels interlocked in such a way as to seemingly transform into barrels outright.

A weight settled on Alex’s head as a helmet of some kind formed around his head with a fairly open faceguard, one that seemed very much like a catcher’s mask from his inside perspective. Bringing one hand up to feel out the shape of the helmet revealed to Alex that the metal head protection was a perfect copy of the shape of Applejack’s signature hat. “Okay...how do I look?”

’What in tarnation just happened? Ah feel like half an ounce of jam spread over an entire loaf of sliced bread!’

“Ooh~ Alex, darling! You are just a wellspring of potential~” Rarity gushed. Rearing up, she giddily clapped her hooves together. “Stay just like that, I have to take down this design! Twilight, be a dear and find me some sketching paper!”

“We don’t have time for that, Rarity. Imminent threat approaching town, potential large scale destruction, ringing any bells?” Rainbow groaned in exasperation as she looked Alex up and down. “I bet I’d have become something cooler.”

“Everyone, please, we have a monster to stop,” Twilight pressed. “I’m sure Alex and Applejack wouldn’t mind posing for you later, Rarity.”

’Hey, Alex, is it just me or do our hooves feel really...solid and stable-like?’ Applejack’s voice was much calmer after only a few seconds of being merged with him, and he could feel the armor tighten for a moment and briefly lock in place. ’This is weird…’

“Shouldn’t we wait for some kind of signal from Discord that his special wards are ready before we try fighting?” Fluttershy had finished removing her dress, not wanting to ruin it if she couldn’t avoid the monster. Only a pair of tinted goggles remained on her, covering her recently-altered eyes and protecting them from the sun.

“Gotta be ready,” Alex replied, noting that Evolution’s Edge had returned to its default form. “As for my feet being stable? That’s either the weird magic or the fact that humans are plantigrade.”

“So this would be a good time for me to go check and see if I have anything I can load into the confetti cannons that would be more effective against a raging flying bear with a stinger the size of Chrysalis’s ego, right?” Pinkie was smiling just a little too wide as she asked this. “Maybe some of the harder rubber balls I have stashed around town, or, oh, what about marbles?”

“How about smoke?” Alex suggested. “I mean it is crossed with a bear, but, I know that smoke makes bees docile. Got anything like that, Pink One?”

“Well, no, I don’t have anything like that, but I can go dash off and see if Golden Crisp has anything she uses in her beekeeping.”

“Go do that,” Alex said, nodding. “You know, ever notice how Lee’s never around when you need him?”

“Now’s hardly the time to be pointing out something like that, Alex.” Fluttershy quietly stated, having apparently mostly calmed down to a more normal temperament, “For all we know he’s found another pony that got attacked and is helping them like when he found Big Mac.”

“Probably shouldn’t have mentioned the big guy, Shy,” Dash pointed out, facehoofing. “I mean, she’s fused with Alex right now.”

“Eh-heh...on the plus side that means she can’t kick me right now.” Alex raised a gauntlet to rub at the back of his head, only to remember the odd helmet he was wearing. “Besides, he’s...mostly back now.”

’Yeah, but yer still gettin’ bucked inta next week fer this.’

“Please no, I want as much life as possible before Shark Week again, don’t make me skip it.” Alex responded quickly, only half-joking.

“You got any idea what he’s talking about?” Dash asked, glancing at Rarity. “Cause I got nothing.”

“Personal issue, Rainbow.” Fluttershy quickly interjected. “Human females don’t go into heat. Things are very complicated for Alex, but it’s good that he can joke about it at least.” One batlike wing quickly wrapped around Alex’s hips for a few seconds.

“Right. Let’s drop the subject of Shark Week and talk about something else.”

“Might I suggest a big, insectoid-Ursine?” Discord inquired, putting a paw on Alex’s shoulder. “Because that seems like a very pressing issue.”

“Discord does have a good point,” Rarity said, having seemingly accepted that she’d miss the wedding. “Just what can we expect besides claws and stings?”

“Standard strength for a bear of that size and thick enough insect armor that it might not even feel a buck from Big Mac. Attacking the furred sections might yield better results, but there’s no guarantee. It’s probably either hungry or scared of something, but my sister’s spawn aren’t reliable like animals are. For all I know it’s just in a bad mood.”

Alex frowned as he brought Evolution up to eye level. “I can’t get the damn thing to change. There goes my sniper plan. I’ll have to get up close and personal with the bug.”

Well, Ah guess it’s just peachy then that y’all got some fancy armor from this. Let’s hope it helps.

“What about spells, Discord? Does it have any defenses that you know of against magic?” Twilight called Sign of Innocence and grasped it firmly in her magic.

“Nothing I do will affect it, but your magic should be able to give it a good one-two punch.”

“So no specific vulnerabilities you know of for us to capitalize on?”

“No, Alex, I don’t know what it’s vulnerable to specifically. It’s not the original one, and I’m making guesses at best other than knowing that I won’t be able to do anything to it directly. The best I can do is this intricate luck manipulation spell that should keep everypony in town both safe and unconcerned.”

“Good enough for me,” Alex muttered, getting into a combat stance. “How far away was it the last time you checked?”

Discord seemed to finish adjusting the runes before turning around to face the six of them. His hands and eyes were both glowing with the same aurora-like energy that the runes were made of. “Too close for comfort, and I’m about to lose my body for at least a few minutes to power this array. The worst part is that the best defense against this thing is likely to draw it in further.”

“...That sounds terrible,” Alex commented, turning towards the White Tail Woods. “If that sound is anything to go by, I think it’s in town.”

“Eh, it’s not the first time I’ve sacrificed my body for something.” Discord shrugged before looking towards Fluttershy. “Any changes you want me to try and focus on, dear?”

“Changes?” Fluttershy questioned. “I don’t think I understand, Dissy.”

“Physical alterations. I’ve been considering trading in the goat leg for a while now, actually. I know, I know, I can shapeshift, but I’m talking about resetting the defaults here rather than a temporary change.”

“Oh um...” Fluttering up to his ear, she whispered a few things. It was obviously something intimate, judging by the way her fur darkened. Her piece spoken, she re-took her spot next to Alex.

Discord’s eyes must have narrowed judging by the way the energy shining in them dimmed. “Interesting. I will definitely keep that in mind when I’m pulling myself back together. Everypony get ready, you have incoming.” With that said, Discord clapped his glowing hands together, and the sound seemed to repeat a dozen times, followed by a similar number of snaps in rapid succession as the color began to fade from his body, followed by a golden glow expanding outwards.

“Oooh~ That’s super trippy!” Pinkie bounced, her eyes bright and wide. “It’s like watching Dr. Strange! Say the line! Say the line!”

Discord could only laugh, but the sound cut off as the draining color reached his neck, with the drained sections of his body quickly fading into invisibility.

“Okay, let’s ignore the creepiness of that and take advantage of all the time we have to get this monster stopped.”

“Yeah, time just ran out.” Alex gripped Evolution tighter, watching as a hulking shape zipped through the air. “Look alive, people. The mansquito has arrived.”

Spotting them, the bugbear came to a stop above the roofline. With the general body plan of a bear, it sported red eyes and a pair of antenna on a white head and neck. Its upper torso was black, with its middle being white and bearing a second set of arms. The last third was black, tapering beyond its legs into a sharp stinger. Its chest was covered with markings that contained patches of black and yellow, with some of them looking glossy while others were fuzzy. Similar bands of color appeared down the legs and along the oversized stinger.

Twilight zipped into the air, her horn glowing with magic. “Alright everypony, we can do this! We just have to contain it. Don’t do anything that could get you hu-” Jerking her head down, she felt the tug of the bugbears claws as they cut through her mane.

“You mean like giving a speech in the middle of combat? Talking isn’t a free action in reality, Purplesmart.” Alex ran over to the building the bugbear was hovering over, with his feet almost refusing to move at first. He jumped up, and intended to catch the side of the roof only to launch high enough to land right on top of it. “Okay, that’s new. That is vey, very new.”

’Ah ain’t ever jumped that high ‘fore.’

“We’ll figure it out later, AJ!” Alex ended up shouting as he quickly brought up his keyblade to deflect another blow from the bugbear, only for it to leave his arms shaking from the impact. “Strong, very strong, be careful girls!”

“Careful nothin’, we got this!” Rainbow zipped in, scoring a kick to the bugbear’s jaw. Dashing out of its immediate range, she couldn’t keep the smirk off her face. “It’s just a big teddy bear that someone forgot to hug.”

Rainbow had apparently forgotten that this thing was flying, as she had taunted it from only just barely out of its reach. A sudden increase in the volume of the buzzing was all the warning Rainbow got before being smacked in return, with a blow to the back of her head that had her vision go white as she briefly lost coordination and tumbled through the air.

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy’s concerned yell came a second before Rainbow felt herself get steadied by another set of hooves, and before her vision cleared completely. “That wasn’t very nice!” Fluttershy scolded, gently lowering her friend to the ground.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, but Alex was right. That thing hits like flying headfirst into a tree.”

“It still wasn’t very nice.” Fluttershy carefully prodded and examined the back of Rainbow’s neck and head. “Only a small scratch, so Discord’s protection must be working. You’ll need to thank him later.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thank your weirdo boy-toy for saving my neck.” Giving Fluttershy a teasing smile, Rainbow rose to her hooves. “Okay, you dive in with the Stare and I’ll ram into his gut!”

Fluttershy sighed before following Rainbow back up into the air. “Things like that are why you have trouble even getting a second date, Rainbow.” She smiled to herself as she diverted from her friend’s side and tried to catch the bugbear’s eyes with her own so she could stare it down, but it didn’t seem to be working.

“Here I come!” Dash shouted, making a beeline for the bugbear’s stomach. “Hope you didn’t eat a big breakfast!”

Twilight was keeping the creature’s upper pair of arms busy while Alex was focusing on keeping the stinger away from his mostly-unprotected-seeming torso between swipes from the lower arms, and both of them moved just enough to give Rainbow an unobstructed target.

Dash crashed into the bugbear’s stomach, her shoulder slamming into the soft meat. “Ha! Take that you ugly flankhole!”

The bugbear grunted, its wings giving out for a moment. Recovering far quicker than one would have thought, it’s second pair of arms wrapped around Dash and hurled her into a nearby roof.

“Okay, ow, what the hay, Fluttershy? I thought you were going to paralyze it for a few seconds for me?”

“I tried, but I couldn’t feel the connection like I used to. It’s like there’s something in the way.”

“Mom, goggles!” Alex shouted from the rooftop, then pointed at his face. “You’re still wearing your goggles, for the sun.”

“Oh! Right.” Fluttershy blushed for a moment, reaching up to touch her eyewear. “Do you think we could lure it to some shade? I don’t see well in daylight anymore.”

’We can lead him on a chase. Tire him out a bit?’

“There aren’t too many tall buildings nearby, or trees. We could try leading it back to the forest for shade though.” Twilight suggested at pretty much the same time as Applejack spoke up in Alex’s head.

“Let’s drag it over towards Bon Bon’s Sweet Treats first. I need more party cannon charges from my emergency stash over there, and those ones have small snappers in them instead of just confetti.”

“Bon Bon’s it is!” Alex held Evolution out, expelling a blast of fire. “Come on, buggy boy! I’m over here!” Shooting off another bolt of fire, he began to move down the street. “I got all your honey right here, Yogi!”

He quickly realized that he didn’t quite need to make much of an effort to run, it just felt like everything physical was simply easier in this form, but that blast of fire had taken a considerable amount of concentration more than usual.

“Okay, note to self, strength does not do magic well.” Firing one last blast of fire, he focused on trying to recall where exactly Bon Bon’s shop was.

’Take a right after the third house, then it’s the one that has a bucket of candy for a sign on yer left.’ A feeling akin to being brushed with a feather went down their back at an odd angle, and was followed by a brief stinging sensation. ’Might wanna go just a mite faster there, Alex. Ah think that was a claw missin’ us by a hair.

“Jesus that thing is fast!” Alex put as much energy into his legs as he could, making his way through the streets of Ponyville. “How is it that fast on those tiny ass wings!?”

’Same way a timberwolf pulls itself back together when ya shatter it. Magic.’

“Yeah well sometimes magic suc-” The wind left his lungs as the bugbear’s arm slammed into his side. Tumbling off his feet, Alex skidded along the street until he finally came to a stop against a building. “...Ow.”

’Yeah, that hurts. Told ya t’speed up.’

“I was...”

“Alex!” Fluttershy cried out, and was standing over him almost immediately with her mouth open and a strained expression. The rest of the group all cried out and either grabbed at folded-back ears with their hooves or quickly cast a spell to shield them from something Alex couldn’t hear.

“What? What is happening?” Alex questioned, pushing himself up to his elbows.

The bugbear was clawing at its ears with its upper paws, and it finally bellowed out a roar of pain before swiping at Fluttershy, only for her to take a step back and a breath, followed by another seemingly-silent yell. The bugbear didn’t react as poorly this time, and swiped again much quicker while roaring again.

’Ah think yer mother figured out how to screech. Good to know that bat form didn’t just make things harder for her.’

Moving in front of Fluttershy, Alex guarded against another swipe, then quickly slashed at the bugbear’s stomach and down to ward away a chance of being stabbed by that stinger. “I get the feeling it’s going to be a long day.”

Alex paused to catch his breath in a small alley between two houses as the rest of the group continued fighting the bugbear. He wasn’t the first of them to take such a breather, and felt he fully deserved it as he rested his barrel-covered hands on the bark-like boots that covered up to his knees. “Holy crap, this thing has barely slowed down after the battering we’ve been giving it. Give me heartless and nobodies any day…”

’Ah thought you said Mac was a nobody? He ain’t gonna start attacking ponies randomly or somethin’ is he?’

“He is but nobodies aren’t mindless,” Alex responded, letting himself lean back against the wall. “He’s still himself... mostly, and he’s better off than unintelligent nobodies.” A noise began approaching from somewhere else, something that wasn’t fighting, and also definitely wasn’t natural.

’You hear that, Alex? What is that?’ Sounds like one of them there boomboxes.

“Yeah, I’m getting that too. It sounds kinda like someone threw Daft Punk and Lindsey Stirling into a blender and hit puree... wait, what?” Alex shook his head briefly. “Where the hell did that comparison come from?”

’Huh, looks like y’all got a bit of my countryisms in yer head for a while.’

“Ugh. I really hope that doesn’t stick around. The last thing I want now is for my combat enhancing ability to be the thing that’s making me act more feminine.”

’Ah really don’t think that’s somethin’ ta worry about with me, Alex. What’s that in the road? Some foal dropped a stuffed toy?’

Alex looked down slightly, his gaze centering on the thing AJ had taken note of peripherally. He took one step towards what looked like a toy stuffed shark before the music he’d been hearing rapidly increased in volume. Suddenly what looked like a speaker twice as tall as he was with a grey mare playing a cello standing on top of it flew through the air in the street, easily clearing the stuffed toy before passing out of sight behind the other building. “What the…”

“Oooh, they caught some air jumping the shark!” Screwball commented, hanging off Alex’s shoulder weightlessly. “I give it a ten!” She inexplicably bore slicked back hair and a black leather jacket.

“Gah! Screwball? What’re you doing here?” Alex jolted a bit from the unexpectedly close voice, but the fact that he knew who it was prevented anything more dangerous than jostling her around a bit as she floated.

“What? You think I wouldn’t be invited to something even daddy got an invitation to?” Giggling, she booped his nose, her hoof just phasing through the faceguard of his helmet to do so. “What a silly you are, Mister Sister.”

“Okay, fair point, but why do you look like a greaser?”

“Why do you look like a tree-knight? Did you take ‘getting wood’ too literally? You really don’t look ready for the wedding.”

“I... you... I…” Alex sputtered as he felt his face heat up. “That’s a mean joke, Screwy, but I’m like this because of the bugbear we’re trying to fight off. Discord said something about having to remake himself afterwards because of the power it was going to take. Can you help?”

“B-b-b-b-bugbear?” Screwball’s eyes widened as well as instantly going from normal-looking to full spiral. “Boring, bye!” She kicked away from the air in front of Alex’s face and dove through a nearby window without breaking it, only to vanish completely once she was on the other side.

’Ya know, Ah don’t speak crazy, but, somethin’ tells me she was mighty scared of that flying varmint.’

“Don’t insult my sister, Tree Kicker,” Alex responded, deciding he had had enough time to catch his breath. “Just make sure I can kick that thing’s ass, got it?”

’’Tain’t an insult ta be scared of somethin’, or ta be crazy, just what she is. As fer kickin’ ass, Ah think we can manage that, Alex.’

A roar sounded, coming from just down the road that the flying speaker had just travelled. “Sounds like that’s our cue to get moving.” Calling Aubade to his hand, he charged down the road, ready to swat an oversized bug.

Alex ran down the street, finding the run far easier than it should have been, even considering the relatively short distance it was, before he stumbled across a group of ponies gathered around Carousel Boutique, with Featherweight offering Alex a wave while standing next to a puddle of ink on the ground. Some ponies were watching the bugbear and his mother’s friends reenacting the ending of King Kong on the building, while a few others were staring down the road towards the direction of fading music.

“Uh, hey cousin!” Alex shouted up at the bugbear. “Why don’t you come down off the building and we can find your one true place. Please?”

’Now, Ah’m not one to discourage someone from connecting from family, but that thing is a monster, Alex.’

“Well you can’t blame me for trying if it works and stops this thing from wearing down Discord’s wards.” Alex responded before quickly lifting Aubade to deflect one of the decorative pony mockups that ringed one of the upper floors, splitting the metal fixture in half. “Too bad that idea’s a bust.”

’Let’s just go wrangle the big ol’ varmint and hogtie ‘im. Iffin’ he can’t move, he can’t cause no trouble.’

“Yeah? You got a rope strong enough to hold that thing?” Alex questioned, using his questionably-obtained jumping power to leap onto the lowest roof of Carousel Boutique. “Oh wait, you’re clothes at the moment.”

’Ah don’t see you havin’ any bright ideas!’

“Alex! Might want to stop arguing with yourself and help!” Rarity yelled from a higher balcony as she moved a cloud of sewing needles around the bugbear, jabbing at it with a number of them at any given moment. “Discord’s wards are wearing thin if it’s able to rip pieces off of my home!”

“Yeah, yeah! I got it!” Leaping up from point to point, Alex found himself opposite the bugbear. “Alright, come on you. Get off the dang roof!” Drawing his arm back, he hurled Aubade at its face.

“Don’t overreact, Rarity. Maybe the wards are focused more on preventing structural damage over superfluous decoration damage.” Twilight hurled her blade in at the arms the beast was holding onto the building with, and at the same time cast a spell that seemed to conjure a large pair of phantom hooves to buck the creature in the stomach.

One arm came up to deflect away the keyblade thrown at its head, but Twilight’s arm and gut strikes managed to get through by using the instinctual blocking reflex as a diversion. The bugbear teetered on the edge of the roof for a few seconds before the loud buzzing of its wings resumed as it flew back and down a few feet. This was accompanied by yet another enraged roar of pain, and then a swift upwards grab after Rainbow Dash crashed into the back of its head with all four hooves leading the strike.

“Let’s do something crazy!” Taking advantage of the situation, Alex pounced on the bugbear’s back, wrapping his arms around its neck. “I gotcha, Bug-Boy! Let’s do some rodeo shit!”

“Alex, no!” Fluttershy cried out from somewhere nearby, Alex couldn’t see to tell where exactly, but the bugbear did suddenly stop thrashing as she continued speaking in a harsh tone. “Now you listen to me, you angry beast. That’s my son on your back, and I am not going to forgive you for a moment if you hurt him! I know we’re hurting you and you’re just fighting back, but you came to our home and we’re just defending ourselves!”

Giving a thumbs up, Alex released one of his arms and draw Aubade back to it. “Just keep him still and I’ll bonk him on the head.” Shifting his position, his knee pressed against what was most assuredly not fur.

As Alex shifted, whatever effect Fluttershy’s Stare depended on was utterly broken and the bugbear began thrashing and roaring once again. Two hands began reaching around behind its back to claw at Alex while the other two began swinging at the ponies in front of and around it.

“Gah! Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Alex batted the beast’s hands away as well as he could without completely losing his grip on the bugbear. Dropping Aubade once more with a grumble of annoyance, he reached down with his left hand. “Please be The Lion and the Mouse. Please be Lion and the Mouse!” Wrapping his gauntleted hand around the offending object, he let out a cry and yanked it out.

Another roar, much louder this time, accompanied that pull, and the buzzing became somewhat erratic as a gush of red and yellow fluids began flowing out of the reopened wound. Alex felt the bugbear lurch and thrash again.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Alex soothed, pressing his hand against the wound. “I gotcha big guy. Cure,” he whispered, feeling the rush of fluid cease as the flesh knit itself back together.

“Sleep!” Twilight called out a few seconds later, followed immediately by both Alex and the bugbear being engulfed in a cloud of warm magenta sparkles and lowered carefully to the ground. The spell was obviously intended for the beast as Alex didn’t begin feeling tired at all outside of the combat exhaustion, but the body he was holding onto quickly stilled. “Alex, what in Celestia’s name are you thinking, casting cure on the thing we’ve been fighting!?”

“I’m sorry was I supposed to let my extended family bleed to death?” Alex questioned, holding up the object he had removed. It turned out to be a few inches of an arrow and the head, most likely broken in the bugbear’s attempts to remove it. “My arm is covered in gore for a reason, Purple Smart.”

“Wait, what? It was just an injured animal this whole time?” Rarity’s voice came from somewhere on the other side of the beast as it was lowered to the ground and Alex was finally able to let go without potentially falling. “Now I feel horrible for all those needles I was poking it with.”

“Uh, just an injured animal?” Rainbow Dash moved over to Alex’s side to pull him away gently. “Wonder why your mom didn’t think of that in the first place, kid. You’re not hurt or anything, are you?”

“Well, for one thing, Rainbow Dash, I’ve never even seen a bugbear before, nevermind had a chance to speak with one and get to know how they normally act. Even Discord was acting alarmed about it coming near, which made me think it was just naturally a more mean kind of animal in general. I also couldn’t see the injury, like I could when all of you were determined to attack the manticore with the thorn in its...paw…” Fluttershy’s voice faltered as she got closer to Alex and noticed that not all of the gore on his gauntlet was red. “Oh dear...that’s pus. Twilight, does combat healing magic do anything about infections?”

“I think... that would be Esuna,” Twilight said, stepping over to the bugbear. Concentrating her magic, she aimed her keyblade at the sleeping creature. “Esuna!” An aura spread over the bugbear’s body, seeping into its skin.

“Uh, Twilight. Esuna cures sleep!” Alex couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy as Twilight removed the sleep spell. “There’s no guarantee it’s going to be friendly right now just because I pulled out the arrooo!”

Rising up the, bugbear licked its chops, blinking the sleep from its eyes. Murmuring to itself, it grabbed up Alex in its lower arms; nuzzling and licking his head. Frowning, it tossed away his helmet before resuming its display of affection.

“This is the thing Discord was so afraid of?” Dash questioned, raising his eyebrow. “Wow, what a let down.”

“He did mention it wasn’t exactly the same breed. Maybe the original was more like a monster than an animal?” Fluttershy ventured, while carefully floating up to hover at head level to it and staying close to Alex.

Sniffing at her cautiously, the bugbear murmured again. Reaching with its upper arms, it pulled her out of the sky and closer to its head. It sniffed and licked at her, its wings buzzing idly on its back.

“Oh, okay, so you are friendlier than Discord thought you’d be when you don’t have an arrow jammed in your back. Um, could one of you girls scrape some of the pus off of Alex’s hand and bring it to the vet? Just in case magic didn’t do anything for the infection.”

“I got it!” Pinkie yelled while pulling a bright red cup from her mane. “Twilight, can you float this up? I’ll make the run. The wedding’s on the way to the vet.”

Almost all of them stared at Pinkie for a moment before yelling in unison. “The wedding!”

“What do you mean you left it on the counter?”

“Well, I thought you were bringing it.”

“Oh well, this is just wonderful. My daughter falls out of my mane in front of me whimpering and repeating herself over and over to the point where even I can’t get her to leave my side and you don’t think that might have disrupted the plan a little?” Celestia paused and smiled down at Spike as the drake lifted the gift from himself and Twilight onto the counter.

“Are you two having one of those sisterly conflicts again?” Discord wrapped his arms around their necks, wearing an easy smile despite his body looking somewhat emaciated and his limbs not quite fully connecting to his torso. “Didn’t the last one teach you girls anything?”

Celestia shuddered and squirmed a bit at the sudden and unexpected touch. “Off, off. Arm off the neck, now!” She took one look at him and grimaced while backing up a step. “Either you haven’t eaten a thing in millenia or you’re just now pulling yourself together from a huge power expenditure. I suppose you’re why my ears are ringing?”

“Oh, your ears are ringing too, sister? I thought that was just me.”

“Mommy!” Screwball moved out from huddling under Celestia’s barrel, and wrapped all four legs around Discord’s slender frame. “Evilbee!”

“Shh... it’s okay,” Discord soothed, rubbing her head with his paw. “I’m here, and your father’s here. You’re as safe as you could possibly be right now, dear.” He looked back up, one eye half-closed. “So, one of you forgot the gift, I’m guessing?”

“She forgot it,” Luna insisted, sticking her nose up. “I was under no such impression that I was to be the bearer of the gift. I handled the gift for Cadance and Shining Armor.”

“Well I think I have enough strength in me to solve this problem before it becomes embarrassing.” Discord snapped with his talon and then reached off to the side, with his arm vanishing after a certain point before a gift wrapped in deep blue paper with a shining sun and crescent moon emerged from thin air as he pulled his arm back. “There we go and... oh dear. Screwball, could you pop home to Fluttershy’s and get the neon green box off the living room table for me? I’m going to be useless for the rest of the day, I think.”