With a basic plan decided on, I returned to the tunnels with a small prize of a stash of studded collars they scavenged from a pet shop that wasn't seeing any other use. They were pretty large collars and easily fit around Dusk and Sandra's necks. "Congratulations, you're officially uninfectious."

Dusk wagged his tail eagerly, looking happy indeed. "Does that mean we'll be staying here?"

Sandra shook her head. "We have to get back to Crystal and her ponies."

I sent my thoughts out as far as they'd go, not being able to tell the direction I was feeling, just reaching until I seemed to touch on the right pony, just a bit brighter than the rest. Crystal appeared abruptly, looking around the tunnel. "Did it work?"

We brought her up to speed even as I slipped a collar around her neck. "Do you want to meet them?"

Crystal dashed out of the tunnel in reply, hurrying to the humans. There were loud murmurings of surprise at a crystal pony, apparently the first they'd seen, but they didn't try shooting her, and she was happy to talk and mingle. She went over plans of how many earth ponies to bring, and how they should be housed and treated. "They're friends. They're not stupid, or animals. Think of them like well-behaved children. They'll do what you ask them to, but they can get bored and very complicated things can annoy and bore them more. If you let them farm, they'll do that. If you see them... going at it, just let them. They aren't hurting anyone. I'll try to send a few smarter ones in the batch to help keep the rest in line, but so long as you treat them kindly, they'll want to do what's right by you. If they want a break, you consider it like your son or daughter is asking. They're not slaves. They need meal times and play times, like anyone else ever. They'll work twice as hard during work time if you treat them kindly."

One of the farmers, a woman, looked uncomfortable. "They're going to just go at it in the middle of the fields?"

Crystal sighed softly. "I've been trying to train them out of it, but when they get that itch, they scratch it so long as someone's around that's compatible. It doesn't slow down their work, and the rest will work around them." She rubbed behind her head. "If, uh, one offers to play with you, just say 'no', unless you want to, of course..."

I quickly addended. "They'll all be infection free, so there's no risk. Remember, if you see a collar, they're safe."

Not that my addition stopped some of them from looking a bit squicked out at the idea of a little horse offering up casual sex. A male farmer pointed at me. "Why don't you get cleaned up like the rest of them?"

Cindy replied instantly. "Can't. We're the leader. We have to figure out a different way, but we'll always have it in us."

I added with a cough. "I'll be extra careful not to put anyone at risk. I'll be leaving with Crystal and probably not returning, so don't worry about me. The cleaning process is a one-by-one affair, so it'll be at least a day before the workforce arrives. In the meantime, if you can set up more farmland for them so they can get right to it and start providing for the community, that'd be great."

We were soon on our way, vanishing off to Crystal's tunnels and the friendly herd she held within. I could see the pegasi were also there, flitting about and getting into things. The morale felt high. Crystal saluted. "I'll be right back. I'll get a squad of twenty to start, and some food. I can't imagine it's easy for you, so eat up. Teleporting makes me hungry as hell." She wandered off with a spring in her step, leaving me with Sandra and Dusk.

I waved off. "Welcome to your new home, Dusk. Go explore."

Dusk shook his head. "I'm fine right here." He rubbed up against Sandra, then nuzzled one of my legs before flopping over a hoof and looking cozy there. Sandra looked irate a moment before she calmed, then curled up with Dusk, leaving the two of them on top of one of my hooves. They were warm and familiar, and I settled down with them, just letting time pass.

As I waited, I felt the powerful pleasure from earlier return, from when Dusk had shoved his horn into me. I wriggled and tried to get comfortable, but it grew more and more intense. I rolled onto my side as the tingling pleasure settled in my lower torso's belly. Two lumps swelled forward as I grew an equine udder, crotch boobs as some of the other ponies had called it. They were full and round, and the pleasure began to fade as they finished growing, leaving me with sizable horse tits to deal with.

Dusk and Sandra both perked their ears, noses twitching. They followed a scent I didn't notice right to my new teats and attached themselves to me, nursing eagerly. I collapsed with a new kind of pleasure, so satisfying and numbing. I didn't want to move while they drank, so I didn't, just enjoying feeding them and filling their bellies. One thing I did notice is that the mass didn't come from nowhere. Growing breasts and feeding my herd-mates came at a price of my own belly rumbling hungrily.

I was happy, if not coherent, when a helpful pegasus dropped a platter of food in front of our snouts. Cindy and I began to wolf down the veggies and fruits eagerly, stuffing our shared stomach desperately. As the discomfort faded, I felt a new emotion. Dusk and Sandra were truly my herd-mates, and my ponies. Family.

Cindy commented with a smirk. "Pony breasts are way better than human ones."

I burst into a fit of laughter. "Thanks for ruining that moment completely."

Crystal returned with a squad of twenty-four ponies, ready to farm. I went over each, burning out the gift in each one. Deciding to keep it simple and utilitarian, I made their hooves a bit larger and ready to channel their earth pony magic. They seemed to approve of the solidarity given by their universal change, calling them 'farmer's hooves'. Even after Crystal vanished with the group, more earth ponies came up wanting to have their own hooves done and be 'real' farmers.

Crystal appeared in a flash some time later to find us exhausted, but surrounded by a delighted herd of another twenty earth ponies, singing songs of their united cause. We'd started a bit of a fashion trend, but the morale boost of having some part of them that was unerringly the same despite all the other little mutations seemed well worth it.

Author's Notes:

In this chapter, no ponies are shot at at all!

Things are looking up for everyone, typos included.