One Step, Two Step, Three Hoof, Four Dead

by David Silver

First published 14th of May, 2015

A virus breaks out across the world, causing those infected to begin regressing to a more animal-like state. Violent and aggressive, and yet not murderous, the infected are spreading quickly despite attempts to quarantine or destroy.

A virus breaks out across the world, causing those infected to begin regressing to a more animal-like state and body. Violent and aggressive, and yet not murderous, the infected are spreading quickly despite attempts to quarantine or destroy.

This is the story of one man, William, who discovers he is infected and his struggles to keep his sanity and his friends and family safe in this increasingly unfriendly world of equines. Of course, being infected, his fellow humans are hardly a sanctuary of safety.

1 - Day Zero

I leaned against the counter towards the trouble customer. "Ma'am, I can't do that. That would get me fired."

"Get you fired?!" The angry woman glared daggers at me. "I'll get you fired! Give me the number of your manager and we'll see about that."

I wish I could say she was the only one that week, or even that day. People were going crazy. Thankfully my manager was not one of them. She appeared behind me, summoned by that supernatural sense she seemed to have for trouble, or maybe she was watching the cameras. "Hello there. I'm the manager. Let's solve your problem today."

That was my hint to vacate, and I took it. You'd think working in a survival and sport store would be relaxing. People don't come here for day-to-day supplies, what is there to be worked up about? I shared a quick slap of the palms with my coworker before heading to the break room. A small TV back there was playing broadcast television, news in particular. People were yammering about the upcoming elections. Democrat this, Republican that. I didn't care too much for that kind of thing. They both wanted to screw over the little guy, like me.

I sat heavily in a chair and bounced up almost as fast. My ass was wet. Someone spilled something on the chair, like... I wasn't sure what it was, and didn't care to identify it. I grabbed some paper towels and got to mopping up the mess. Who left that treat for me? I wondered about it grumpily and went back to work. No time for unscheduled breaks anyway.

I escaped from retail hell as the sun was setting and got to walking. I was fortunate enough to live not too far from work, so I usually hiked back and forth rather than bother with a car or something. As I navigated the city streets, I saw a man dressed up for a business meeting, but he was walking oddly. His fists were balled and held up like someone trying to be a cat, and his eyes darted around unsettlingly. He gave me the creeps, so I crossed the street away from him. That was enough to get his attention, and he started staring at me with wide eyes.

He suddenly bolted at me, and I did the only reasonable thing I could, I ran faster. Being chased through the streets by a crazy business man? A perfect ending to a perfect day. I ran wildly until I arrived at my apartment complex. My keycard unlocked the door quickly and I threw myself in, slamming the door shut behind me. The psycho ran into it and battered against the door a moment before seemingly losing interest and wandering off. What the hell was that about?

I put a hand over my wildly beating heart and panted for breath a moment before resuming my trip inside. That look in his eyes. They were so... manic. The way he banged was odd too, slapping with his knuckles instead of the meat of his fists like a normal person would. It was like he was trying to knock instead of bash the door in. Nothing about it made sense.

That all faded from importance when I got into my comfortable little apartment and collapsed to sleep. If I had stayed up, I might have heard about the odd reports of psychotic behavior coming up around the country. People were advised to be cautious and alert officials of strange behavior, but no curfew or other 'official' move had been made. Many blamed some kind of new political movement for it, calling the whole thing a huge stunt to prove something or other.

I stood in a dark garden. The moon was high and full. The wind was cool and fresh. The horse in front of me was dark-furred and regarded me with curiously-intelligent eyes. She spoke in a smooth and commanding tone, "Can you understand me?"

I nodded dumbly, figuring this was some kind of crazy dream. I don't normally notice when I'm dreaming, but it happened sometimes. "Hi?"

She stepped towards me, lowering her horn towards me. "I am Princess Luna, and your world is in great peril. We cannot aid directly, but I can offer some advice." Advice sounded good, and I nodded again. "Good. You..." She paused, sniffing at me. "There is something amiss. You are already touched. I am too late." She turned away, and the dream ended.

I woke up to the jingling of my phone and dug it out quickly. "Hello?"

"Hey, Will, don't bother coming in." It was my boss.

Was I fired? "Uh, did she actually get me fired?"

"What? No. That 'thing' made corporate decide to close up shop a day or two. What a load of bullshit. Not paid time off. Enjoy the sudden vacation." He hung up without further word.

I threw myself out of bed and bounced to my feet. I felt really rested, though a glance at the clock showed only five hours had passed, huh. It wasn't quite dawn, but I wasn't in the mood to sleep, so I walked springily into the living room in time for my phone to go off again. "Hello?"

A female voice spoke into the phone with a scared tone. "William? Is that you? Can you pick me up?"

It was Sandra, a friend of mine. "What's wrong Sandy? You sound worked up."

"There's a gang going up and down my street. Every time I walk past a window, they start staring. One time they came up and started trying to get in. They were making an awful riot, trying to kick it in or something. Please. You have a car, right?"

Her voice sounded genuine, and I decided to handle it seriously. "Alright, calm down. I'll come over. You stay there, and if windows work them up, avoid them." The sound of breaking glass suddenly came through the phone.

"Oh god, they broke a window! Get away from me!" I could hear the sounds of a scuffle as I rushed for the stairs and hurried for my car. I shoved the keys in the ignition after several misses, my hands shaking in excitement.

Once I got the car moving, I put the phone back to my ear. "Sandy, you over there?" I heard very little beside the hum of my car as I pulled out of the parking lot and made my way towards Sandra's house. The city wasn't nearly as quiet.

I ran into a thick jam of traffic that brought my 'heroic' rescue to a dead stop. This wasn't slow, it was just stopped. I thumped the steering wheel in frustration and tried dialing Sandra back up. To my surprise, she picked up. "Hey, Sandy? You OK?"

"Y-yeah, I'm OK. They... left." She sounded rattled and frightened, not that I blamed her.

"They just left? Did they rob you?"

"No! It was the strangest... thing. I think I've been raped."

"I'm trying to understand you, Sandy. Did they or did they not rape you? This is not something most people are unsure of."

Her voice raised to a shrill tone. "What do you call it when three guys hold you down while a fourth gives you a french kiss so hard he's trying to figure out what you ate last night, and then they all run off? I don't really know what that is, but I've lived it."

I cringed, doubly. First out of sympathy, than at the thought that the businessman from the day before might have wanted to give me a wet one, if they really were related. "Ugh! Are you OK? No, stupid question. Did they hurt you, physically? Do you still want me to come over there?"

"I... Where are you? Why do I hear so much honking?"

"Traffic is dead and buried. Not a single car has moved an inch for the last ten minutes."

"You might be better off walking?"

It sounded stupid, but she wasn't wrong. I didn't feel like abandoning my car to the fates though. I noticed some activity up ahead. Some people were rushing the cars, pulling open doors and wrenching the people within out onto the street. Thinking reactively, I quickly pressed the lock button on my own car. "Things are getting wierder. Someone's pulling people out of the cars left and right."

"Are they carjacking?"

One of the people pulled free threw a punch at his assaulter, knocking them to the ground. This seemed to draw the attention of the other 'carjackers', and they converged on him, knocking him to the ground and, were they biting him? They scattered as quickly as they came, leaving the brave man looking more puzzled than actually hurt.

One of the attackers rushed past my car and I could see his hands were balled like the one yesterday, but it was different. His knuckles were fused together, more like a hoof than a fist, with a blackened wall forming where individual fingers once were. The runner stopped and looked at me a moment, staring at me as I stared at him. He bore his oddly-flat white teeth at me then ran off.

"Hello? William? You there?"

I picked up the phone from where I dropped it. "Everything has gone insane. I got a look at one of them, and I swear he had hooves, not hands."

"Oh, uh, I... didn't want to say anything, because I thought you'd think I was crazy, but two of the ones in my house had tails, big... brightly colored tails."

"Like a cat?"

"I don't think so. Too bushy for that. I'm not a damned zoologist, they were big and one was bright blue and the other was kinda pink. They weren't natural colors, that's for sure!"

"So... let's assume it was something with hooves, I guess? A cow, or a horse, or something?"

Sandra sighed into her phone. "Get out of your car. It's not safe there."

"Like it's safe at your house?"

"Your place has a solid gate, right? I'll get over there. You go back home. We'll meet there, stay by the door to buzz me in. Don't get jumped by horse/donkey/whatevers." The phone went red as she hung up and I stuffed it into a pocket.

I looked around quickly for more crazies before I slipped out of the car and started cutting through the cars. Some people were still inside, honking at me as if I had caused the jam. Screw 'em. My eyes turned to a loud sound. A horse-like creature landed on a car with an angry winny. On its back were two wings of the same bright turquoise of the rest of its body, though its mane and tail were off-blue. It drove a hoof through the roof of the car and quickly pulled the hole apart before vanished into the car, likely attacking the passenger inside. I didn't wait to find out, running full speed, limited as I was by the tangle of cars.

The ground in front of me rumbled before a hole appeared, another horse-like creature poking its head out at me. It was almost cute, if it didn't look at me with those hateful and hungry eyes. It sniffed at me, then snorted, vanishing into the ground, the rumbling growing quieter. Was it tunneling? How the hell did a horse tunnel like that?! I jumped over the small hole it left behind and continued my mad departure.

The sounds of sporadic gunfire came from a street over. Looking between the buildings as I jogged, I saw a police officer trying to take a stand. He plugged a pony full of holes and it fell over as surely as any other creature, but another jumped on him from behind while a third wrenched his gun away with a glowing horn as if by magic. Shit, they had magic. We're so fucked. The unicorn spun the gun around wildly in its grip before it discharged. The unicorn fell over with a fresh wound, neighing in agony. Alright, magic doesn't equate to gun safety. Mark one for humanity.

Fortunately, most of the attackers I saw were human, rather than ponies, but many of them sported bits and pieces of the pony attackers. Hooves, snouts, fur. The majority were only partially pony, as if they were... becoming them? I ran past one guy that was curled up in a ball. I could hear unsettling cracks and pops as a tail forced free of his pants, tearing a hole. Every inch drew a pained groan, and it was clear this was no magically-instant transition. I didn't want to be a pony, and I had no idea how it spread, so I ran past him without looking back.

The pony invasion had begun.

2 - Setting Up a Home Base

I arrived back at home without being tackled and slipped inside in a hurry. The neighbors were out in force in the garage, looking nervous as hell, and who could blame them? They were gathered around something so I went to see what it was.

"He can't stay here!"

"He's cool, man. He just needs some help."

"He's already changing. He'll come after us next."

They were talking about the prone form of someone who lived on my floor. I didn't know the guy personally, but we ran past each other a few times. Seemed nice enough, or was. Now he was contorting into one of those ponies. His wings were spreading, covered in blood and fluttering around as if to clean themselves.

One of the others threw a blanket over him. "Whatever you decide, don't let him splatter blood around, that might be contagious."

A sickening crack brought everyone's attention back to him as his jaw split in half in a disquieting display. His eyes flew open and he looked around at the lot of us. One of his friends smiled nervously. "See, he's awake. How ya feeling, John? Not a crazy monster, right?"

John, or what was once John, rolled up onto hooves, his change progressing rapidly, but still not entirely a pony. He tried to talk, but a busted, or whatever it was, jaw made that hard. With the sound of a cracking whip, he lashed out a tongue, grabbing his friend around the neck. As if that wasn't bad enough, he had two more tongues where it came from, and he soon had another victim. He seemed more interested in licking than killing, small praises for that. I didn't want to see anymore. "Get him the hell out of here!"

The biggest guy in the crowd hefted up the... mutant? pony and bodily hurled him over the gate after a quick run. He came back as quickly. "That won't keep them off for long. You saw he had wings."

I pointed at the building proper. "We have to set up inside, barricade the windows and hole up until the military starts earning their paycheck. This isn't some stupid movie, they'll shoot first and ask questions maybe later. I saw one of them go down with a few shots, they're not immortal or anything, just... ponies."

The general idea seemed to be agreeable to my neighbors, and they started towards the inside. The big guy held up a hand, barring the way for the two victims of the recent pony. "Nuh uh. You two stay out here. You might be infected with whatever this is."

The friend of the guy scowled. "Whatever. What I get for having a damn heart."

The other took it less well. "I'm not going anywhere! You're not sentencing me to that craziness outside. I live here just the same as you, I have my rights!" He moved to push past the large man when a loud bang echoed off the walls of the garage. He sagged to the ground, and two more shots rang out. Another of our neighbors stood there with a gun, having just executed the potentially infected.

The armed man, Peter I think his name was, looked at the other potential infected. "You going?"

He thrust a hand up in a placating gesture. "Alright, alright! I'm going." He turned around and walked to the door, slipping out. The large guy moved up and made sure the door was closed and locked again just as Sandra came up.

"She's with me!" I rushed up to get to Sandra and welcome her inside. She hugged me tightly and I returned it just as well. It was really good to have a familiar face around. I leaned in and whispered to her while we were close, "Do not mention the french kiss you got, under any circumstance. They are totally willing to murder infected people."

Sandra looked at me like I was crazy, but nodded. We headed inside and got to sealing ourselves in. The building got a lot darker without sunlight, but significantly safer-feeling with boards up in front of every exposed window we could find. I was feeling pretty exhausted and retired to my apartment, where Sandy was already taking a load off. She looked to me and gestured at the door. I closed it. "Alright, so can I get some answers now?"

I gave what I could. "People are turning into ponies. I've seen winged ones, horned, and some without either. I saw one that had crazy long tongues."

She raised a brow. "Are they dangerous?"

I shrugged. "Depends on your definition? They infect you, then you become another one. I... think you might have been attacked by some people in the early stages of whatever it is. I haven't seen anyone directly torn apart by one."

She sagged in her seat and put put her face in her palms. "So, what, I'm going to be a pretty pony?"

I moved over and put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get through this."

She frowned up at me. "Will we? I was already... hit or whatever. You said your neighbors are ready to shoot first. I... I don't want to die, Will. You said the ponies haven't attacked anyone. Maybe I should take my chances with them."

The idea of Sandra roaming around the city in its current state did not sit right with me. "Just stay here." I pointed towards my bedroom. "I'll protect you."

"From a gun?" She laughed defeatedly and rose to her feet. "No, no. I don't want you committing chivalric suicide. I'm going."

I hesitated a moment as she went for the door, then rushed after her, slapping a hand on that door. "Wait. Let me grab some supplies. I'll go with you."

She frowned a little with confusion. "Why? Don't be stupid."

I left the door and she didn't rush through it. I grabbed my backpack and started loading it with food, shaving supplies, bandaids, whatever I could find that looked kinda handy. "I'm not stupid, but I'm not leaving you. We can find our own shelter. I bet plenty of people never made it to their house. We hole up in one of our choosing. Grab the duffel." I pointed at another bag, and she joined me in looting my own apartment.

Once we had everything we could reasonably carry, we headed out. We got some nasty stares from the neighbors, but no one prevented us from going. When we got to the final gate, the big guy nodded at us. "Once you go out, you ain't coming back."

"Yeah, alright." I held up my keycard, unlocking the gate. He held out his hand. "What?"

"Give it up. We can't have you coming back as some 'thing' and waltzing past the gate." I gave him the card. I wouldn't need it one way or the other.

Sandra and I left the building behind, and set out to find our own sanctuary to escape the world.

3 - Month Zero

We settled for a little one-story house not far from where we started. The fridge had food in it, and no one was at home, so that was a success. The door was locked, but the window was already busted. It looked like they were already victims of whatever this mess was. Not wanting to be a repeat, we got to work fortifying, and soon had the windows boarded up with anything we could find. We left the door unbarred, just deadbolted. We might have to get out eventually. Our food supply was good, but far from infinite. Maybe a week, if we ate light.

That evening, enjoying a can of beans that made me feel like we were truly living the apocalyptic life, I felt bad. Maybe it was all the running around and excitement, but I was tired and I had a headache. Sandra seemed to notice and pat my arm. "You look awful. Want to go lay down?" I did, so I did. I fell onto the bed and tried to go to sleep, but it refused to come. The headache was growing worse by the moment, robbing me of any chance of a nap. The bed shuffled as Sandra settled on it beside me and rolled me onto my back. She put a wet cloth on my head. "You're an idiot, you know that? You didn't have to go with me. You probably pricked your finger on a nail or something and you'll die of dysentery."

I laughed a little. "You don't get dysentery from nails, that's, uh, bad water. Rusty nails is... Fuck, what was that, uh, tetanus. I've had my shots for that anyway. It's not that."

Sandra frowned. "Speaking of that, who's to say the water's safe anymore? What if those horse things get into the supply? I doubt many people will be manning the water pumps while all this goes on."

I had no particular good answers. "We'll have to make do with bottled water for now." Sudden lethargy washed over me, and sleep came like a wave, and I was out.

I was back in that garden. The dark-furred horse was there. Luna, I think her name was? She looked at me sadly. She had surprisingly human expressions. She took a half-step towards me, "Do you understand me?" I nodded. "Ah, I thought you would already be gone. Creature, I know not much of your species, but I am aware your world is in great peril. I have not reached anypony else, so I will tell you, even if you are doomed. An experiment has gone afoul. Instead of reaching a new world, we sent our essence through, and it became contaminated in the space between worlds. You are experiencing our very soul, warped and perverted by the void. I can only shudder to think of what form it may take."

I woke up to being shaken by Sandra. She looked scared. "What? What is it?" She pointed up above my eyes, at my forehead. I reached up and found the nub of something protruding. Was it a horn? I slipped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom to look at myself. Yep, a horn, a very light pink horn. Crap. "Shit."

Sandra came up beside me and wrapped an arm around, squeezing lightly. "We've got each other, right?"

We were never 'an item', just friends, but we did have each other, and I was very glad to not be alone. I held her close. "I don't feel different, I mean, besides having a horn. I'm not crazy."

She nodded. "I... It's hard to explain, but I feel like there's something I should be looking for. I'm afraid, William. What if I got crazy like the rest of them?"

I put my hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently. "I'll keep you safe. I'll tie you down until you get over it, if I have to."

She snorted. "What if I never 'get over it'? I don't want to be some brainless horse... thing."

I thought back to my dream, but there was nothing there that'd calm Sandra down. "Look, we'll do what we can. We'll survive, day by day."

So that's what we did. The next day had Sandra with a big red tail, and she grew fuzzy ears in the afternoon of the same brilliant color. She kept looking towards the door like she wanted to go, but she didn't go. My horn grew in stupidly long, but nothing else happened. I tried to use the magic I saw the unicorn doing and after a few hours of work, I could summon the remote from across the room. Score! The feat seemed to amuse Sandra. "At least you got something useful out of it."

The day after that. Sandra had abandoned her pants entirely. Her big tail and reshaped legs just didn't fit them anymore, so she was naked from the hips down. She looked to the door constantly. "I want to go, William... I want to find others. I have to. Please, let me go." She scratched at her increasingly furry hips. "I'm going crazy being stuck in here. I won't find anyone in here. I have to go look for them. I have to."

I shook her a little. "Sandy, hold it together. If you go out there, you'll be a brainless horse and you'll hunt people, innocent people. Is this really what you want to give?"

She shook her head, tears squeezing from her shut eyes. "No, but I have to. William, help me. I have to..." She made a sudden lunge for the door and I jumped after her, tackling her to the ground. Her tail twitched between us like an angry snake as she tried to escape, but I held firmly to her and slowly managed to drag her away. She broke down into fresh tears. "I can't stop thinking about finding them! It won't leave me alone!"

With her depressed instead of trying to escape, I quickly grabbed some cords and got to tying her up, which she allowed me to do in a moment of clarity. I soon had her sitting in a chair, tied as securely as I could manage it. I looked her over. She was like a satyr now, all pony from the hips down to her new hooves, with that bright red tail twitching angrily. She had big horse ears instead of her human ones. There was still intelligence in her eyes, but it seemed to come and go as she was gripped by the urge to spread her 'gift' to everyone else. She didn't have a horn or wings or that split-jaw thing, so she was pretty normal as colorful horses went.

She dozed off, and I sat across from her on the couch, watching her. The change kept spreading, awake or not, fur going up under her shirt and her hair turning the same bright red before it lightened to an off-orange shade. I leaned around and saw her tail had lightened as well, matching her... mane? Her torso made unsettling noises as she started to adopt the shape of a horse, and I carefully extracted her from her shirt and let her grow into her new self.

I awoke the next day to find her looking at me with a new long face. The only human parts she had left were her arms and hands. She looked away when she noticed I was examining her. "I'm hideous."

I slid to my unchanged feet and looked myself over. I was the same horned human that fell asleep, if a bit stinky for not changing clothes. "You feel better today?"

"Sort of..." She wriggled in her restraints. "I still want to go, but it's not... quite as bad. Thank you, Will. Don't you feel it at all?"

I shook my head. "I don't feel anything but hungry right now. Speaking of which, we've only got enough bottled water for today at best."

Her ears fell as she shrank, which was kind of cute in a horrific way. "If I go outside, I might never come back."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah... so I'll leave you here, and go myself. What's the worst they could do? I'm already infected, right?"

She smiled. "Oh, now you're looking forward to sloppy kisses from horse people?"

"If it's you, I'd get over it quick."

She blushed, which should have been impossible. Not only did she have fur, but the fur was already red. Somehow she showed even more red through it.

"I'll try the Safeway. It's only a few blocks away."

She sighed. "Everyone will try there, be careful. People are just as dangerous. Do you have something to cover that horn with?"

"Good call." I reached up for the horn. Why did it have to be so damned long? I searched the house and eventually settled for a towel wrapped around like one of those middle-eastern looks done completely wrong. "Ta da!"

She snorted, a noise she was better able to make with that snout. "You look awful, but less like a unicorn. Get back as soon as you can, and safely."

I nodded and grabbed the backpack. It was do or die time, and I wasn't much a fan of death.

Author's Notes:

William to the rescue! But he has no hope against the typo menace that has arrived with the colorful horse virus.

4 - Just a Milk Run(clop)

I closed the door behind me securely and stepped out towards the road, looking around. It was quiet for a moment before a gunshot rang out in the distance in a rapid staccato. The city had not settled yet. I drew up my hood, hoping it would help with the towel wrap. Walking purposefully, I moved from building to building, trying not to be in the open for long. As the Safeway came into view, I realized I'd have to go across a wide, car-strewn road and then a wide open parking lot to get to it. I didn't see any alternative way, so I pressed forward.

I heard a fluttering above me as I ducked behind a truck. A pegasus landed heavily on the same truck and started looking around. She didn't seem to have noticed me directly, but was looking, perhaps for me. "Where are you?" she asked in a plaintive tone. "I won't hurt you..."

She could talk? Maybe they were recovering? Maybe the insanity would pass by? I felt a surge of hope, but couldn't bring myself to reveal myself. She snorted softly. "So thirsty..." Her voice raised to a shout. "Are you there?!" She flopped onto the bed of the truck, hooves scraping on the plastic cover as she whimpered, "Do you have a drink?"

I felt conflicting emotions warring. I had a bottle of water, but it was the only one I had, and she could still be dangerous... My humanity wouldn't let me ignore her increasingly feeble cries, and I stood up. She jerked back in surprise at seeing me. "Oh there you are!" She quickly rushed at me, her jaw unhinging. She was one of those long tongued ones, great. "Do you have water?"

I held up a bottle in offer and a tongue lashed out, grabbing it and pulling it over to her. She sat down on her haunches and started batting at the bottle, trying to get it open very unsuccessfully. She looked frustrated enough to cry. She was clearly more intelligent than an animal, but maybe not that much higher? I carefully climbed up onto the back of the truck with her, holding out a hand. "Let me see it. I'll open it for you."

She watched me intently, but let me take the bottle and pull it free of her tongue, which hung wetly a moment before she drew it back up and closed her strange snout. Ugh. I unscrewed the top and suddenly she was on top of me. One of her tongues dipped into the bottle and she shuddered with what I want to say was pleasure as the water dipped low quickly. Was she absorbing it directly through her tongue? Satiated, she started slobbering over me, her tongues exploring my face wetly. "Thank you!"

I tried to tell her to get off, but opening my mouth was an invitation for those tongues to come inside, and soon she had her snout pressed up to my lips, and I was gagging as they went far deeper than they had right to go, wriggling around in my throat. Her hooves grabbed at me, hugging me tightly as she wept with joy. I had saved her and was being molested as a way of thanks. I got my hands up against her chest and pushed her up and off and she came free with a wet slurp. She sniffed at me lightly. "Play now?"

I shook my head. "No, my friend needs my help." I struggled back to my feet. That had been strange, but she didn't actually hurt me, and I was already infected, so I... guess it was mostly harmless. "Do you have a name?"

She looked baffled at the idea and frowned. She looked around at all the cars, then up at the sky. "Cloud..." She looked at me. "Hood. Cloud Hood." She looked especially proud of the name she picked for herself. "Play now." I wasn't in the mood to play, and hopped off the truck, moving towards the Safeway as I originally intended, at least until wet tendrils grabbed me around my torso. One dipped down into my pants rather pointedly, slathering at sensitive bits. "Play." How did she talk with her tongues out like that?

In some ways, this was a better outcome than many I had imagined for this trip, on the other hand, she was keeping me from reaching the store, and on the other other hand, why did her tongues feel so damn good? All three of them had slipped under clothes and despite trying to focus on the task at hand, I was reacting to it big time. I had tented my slacks as her tongue ran up and down the throbbing pole and down across my balls. This should be disgusting me, not turning me on. I pulled against her grip, but it only succeeding in drawing her closer, not dislodging her. "You're alone," she said. "Herd. Together." A tongue squeezed me around the middle as the one down below began to stroke me purposefully. "Alone. Herd. Together. Play."

I heaved out a shuddering breath. "Cloud Hood, we have work... mmmf... we should be doing."

"Work?"

"Yes... work." I pointed at the store. "Water, food. Friend needs it."

She hopped closer, wings flapping as she kept her tongues around me, soon beside me. "Play first. Food. Water. Friends. Herd?"

"Yes, Herd!" My voice caught as her teasing intensified and she brought me to the ground. She undid my pants with those tongues of hers and pulled it free. My boxers were soon after "Cloud, come on! This isn't right." She ignored my feeble complaints, but did react when I kicked her across the snout when she went to get on top of me. She shrank back, tongues suddenly withdrawing. A hoof rubbed over the sore spot on her snout. "Not friend." She turned and suddenly flapped off, fleeing into the city.

I felt relieved, and yet upset. She wasn't that bad, if she could be weened off of the whole rape-for-bonding thing. I sat up and just caught my breath for a moment before I felt a soft shaking under my ass. The ground before me parted as a new horse face poked out, followed swiftly by two others. A herd. They smiled at me, bright and hungry. "Look, sisters, a stallion."

One of the other heads bobbed. "Maybe he has water, and food. He definitely has seed, look." I was still naked from the belt down, and my limp package held their attention. "Share the gift?" The ground parted and instead of three separate ponies, all three heads were attached to one great equine form with a long sinuous tail of fur and flesh, wide enough to belong on an alligator. I grabbed my pants and scrambled to my feet, making a mad dash towards the store, only to be tackled roughly to the ground. I was having no luck with these damn ponies!

The great beast rolled me over effortlessly, and kicking it didn't even seem to register against its thick innards. She pushed me downwards as all three heads kept right on talking, trying to calm me down. "Don't fight so much. We're your friend. Once you get your hooves, you can be our stallion."

"Do you think he'll be a stallion? The last one became a mare and left us."

"He must! Third time's the charm." Once I was mostly between their legs, they began to grind down against me. The sensation of their soft fur being rubbing up and down began to get a response whether I wanted it to or not, and as soon as it was even partially engorged, they sat on it, plunging it into wet slipperiness inside them. Despite their size, it was tight around me and seemed to pull like a milking machine. All three heads moaned in their different tones, starting to ride my increasingly rigid pole. I was a helpless passenger for the ride, held down by their large form as their hips came up and down, thrusting me into their depths.

The one that seemed to be the leader of the three cooed. "We should stay until he starts to grow or shrink, then we'll know."

How long would that take? I couldn't just stay here and be raped into the ground by this burrowing behemoth. My thoughts went off-kiltered as I hit my limit and exploded into her in powerful spasms. She sighed from all three heads and sat back, seeming satisfied with my release.

I tried to press the minor break in the action. "Say, could you let me up? I really do need to get going?"

"Why?"

"No."

"We want to keep you."

"It's for my, er, herd. They need what I'm getting."

All three heads looked disappointed. "Oh. You have a herd..." They pulled up and off of me with a wet pulling sensation, as if her body didn't want to give me up even if the brains had decided it. She stepped off of me, tail swaying widely. "Fine. We're thirsty anyway."

One of the others gestured with her snout. "I smell water this way." And off they went, burrowing into the ground out of sight.

I took the time swiftly to get my boxers and pants back in place. Great, raped twice on the way to the store. Was that a record? That second one seemed pretty lucid. Did three heads add their intelligence together? No time to think that over too much. At least I hadn't been shot. I quickly dashed across the parking lot and entered through an already broken window. The inside was dark, but as fortune would have it, there were some flashlights for sale near the front. I grabbed one, found some batteries, and soon could dispel the darkness. I could see that some looting had already occurred, but there was plenty left for the taking, and I started filling my backpack with water bottles and microwavable food. How long would it be before the power went out? I grabbed two re-usable bags and stuffed them with spaghetti, rice, and other things I figured would be good for a while. For a treat I tossed in a tub of rocky road ice cream. A good haul!

Hopefully the store would still have stuff the next time I came through. I wondered how many others had thought the same thing when they ran through here.

Author's Notes:

You know what this story needed? A reason for its tags, of course! A typo or two is included at no extra cost.

On the bright side, William has secured supplies for a while longer. Is it wrong that I saw 'William has returned.' in my head. I played too much This War of Mine.

5 - I am a Horse

Sandra was happy to see me when I got home, and begged to be let out of the cords I had clumsily makeshifted her prison out of. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

She hopped up and down on her hooves, turning the chair to face me. "It's hard to explain, but I really want to be with you right now, not stuck in this chair forever. I won't try to leave again, promise. You can't keep me in a chair forever."

She was sounding pretty sane, and I didn't think keeping her in a chair forever was the ideal path, so I went around her and started working the ropes. I only just noticed then that her fingers were gone. She had hooves. She was a horse completely. As soon as she was free, she flopped to the ground on all fours. "This is going to take getting used to." She walked around the room, testing her new limbs. They were sized right for four-legged transport, and I thought she was moving pretty well for being fundamentally different from human anatomy. She walked up to me and reared up, using my shoulders as a support. "What'd you find, and why do you smell odd?"

Smell odd? I didn't think I smelled that strangely, if a bit rank. But she had a bigger nose than me, so maybe? I unslung my backpack and unzipped it, showing her the goodies within, to say nothing of the extra bags I had carried back. She grabbed a package of spaghetti in her mouth and held it up to me. "Can we have this tonight?"

I reached to take the package from her. "Sure thing, Sandy. You're a very cute pony, by the way."

She did that odd blushing through fur thing. "You're just saying that. I was thinking, since we're both infected, why do we care about the tap water?"

I shrugged. "I suppose until the water goes bad enough to be unsafe for anything, we should enjoy it. That reminds me, some of the, uh... what's a good word for it, mutants? Victims?"

"Victims." She sat on her haunches. "None of us asked for this, right?" She looked me over, then pointed at my head. "You can take off the towels now."

I pulled them off and lowered my hood, revealing the stupidly-long horn to the world. She seemed to like it. "It's pretty."

"Right, but how long before the rest comes in? I like having hands, and not being shot by scared survivors. I ran into two ponies on the way to the store."

She looked interested, her tail swaying back and forth. "Were they nice, or feral?"

"Both." I took the bags into the kitchen and got to putting everything away. "They could talk, though one of them a lot less fluently than the other. Both were mostly nice, but had no concept of personal space, like, at all."

She followed after me, not even glancing at the door. I was relieved to see that she did seem to be recovered from the impulse to rush out and join the others. "What? Were they sniffing your crotch or something?"

I raised a brow. "That's an oddly accurate and specific example. I was partially raped by one and managed to give her a good kick and she pouted and ran off. The second one was a huge behemoth with three heads."

"Get out." Her expression went flat with disbelief. "The ponies I saw all looked pretty normal. None of them had more than one head."

"Scout's honor." I held up a hand. "She pinned me to the ground and had her way with me, talking chipperly through it all out of all three heads. I'm still not sure how I feel about that."

She frowned a little, brushing the floor with her tail in little swishes. "Well I won't do that to you."

I chuckled. "Thanks, I think, but it's an odd day when you have to even say that. So what's it like, you know, being a small horse?"

She stood up and did a little circle, looking herself over. "I'm feeling a lot more like 'me' now. Something about this whole... thing... is making me not... see it? It's hard to explain. When I stop thinking about it, I can just act like I was always a pony." She waved a hoof at me. "If I stop to think about it too hard, I realize just how alien I am and it freaks me out until I can forget it again. Like thinking about breathing."

Great, then I was thinking about breathing, and I laughed at the apt comparison. "I get it. It could be worse. There really are some bizarre ones out there, and you look pretty normal."

She tilted her head at me. "I wouldn't have complained about some wings or that horn. Not a bad replacement for hands." She held up her forehooves as she sat up on her hindlegs. "I got ripped off."

Without thinking about it I softly scratched her behind an ear and she went down to her haunches and making an almost purring sort of sound, so I kept going, gently working my fingers through her fur in slow exploration of her changed skull and I crouched down to get at her more easily. My hands wandered down to her sides, scritching over her ribs gently. She was warm and soft and my friend, and the sounds she was making told me that I was making her happy, and I wanted nothing else at the moment. My face was close to hers, her breath smelled oddly of cinnamon. She leaned in a little and we kissed briefly before she scooted back, blushing fiercely. "Sorry!"

Compared to the other ponies, it was almost nice to get such a shy gesture of affection. She was a friend already, not a stranger in a parking lot. "We're cool, Sandy." I stood up and got to preparing the pasta she had selected. "Why don't you pick out the sauce you want?"

"You got sauce?" She advanced on the bags and began nosing around through them before she grasped a jar between hooves and set it aside. "You're a godsend. Sorry, again. I was just... relaxed, and then you were so close... and I just wanted to." She perked her ears suddenly. "Oh god I'm still trying to spread this."

I plucked the selected jar up and set it on the counter. "Good thing you can't infect me."

"Our hero, William, immune to pony kisses, and humanity's best hope." She burst into giggles at the thought. "How about I come with you next time?"

I shook my head. "That seems like a bad idea. What if someone comes in here and takes all of our stuff while we're out and around scavenging?"

She paled, which defied my limited understanding of biology. "You'd... want me to fight someone?"

"Not if they have a gun I don't."

She shrugged. "I'm safer with you than alone. I don't know how to fight, especially not as a pony."

This apocalypse was very inconvenient.

After dinner was devoured, I was ready for sleep and collapsed onto the bed. Only moments later, Sandra hopped up and snuggled in next to me. On one hand, I wanted a little space, on the other, imagining her situation made me feel bad for her. I decided to just bear with it, at least until I felt her on top of me instead of beside me. She was aggressively snuggling me and serving as a living blanket. "Sandy, come on."

She flipped her ears back. "I don't want to sleep alone. Being alone is physically painful." She grabbed the blanket in her mouth and draped it over the both of us before calming down on top of me. I moved a hand to slowly stroke over her more like a big cat than the human she once was. She seemed to enjoy the attention, and soon we were both asleep.

Luna was there. "Can you understand me?"

"Yes. Why do you ask that every time?"

Luna smiled. "You are not the only of your kind I have met. Many have become mindless, some are as foals. You are unchanged, and this is good." She raised a hoof to point. "Mostly."

I had my horn, a quick check revealed. "Your, uh, essence, is pretty messed up."

Luna frowned. "It was not our intention. I can only apologize."

I rolled a hand. "Apologies don't fix our world. We have three-headed pony creatures burrowing in the ground, and pegasi with three tongues big enough to use as tentacles."

Luna's eyes widened. "Truly? The corruption is worse than I had originally thought. We are seeking a solution, but we cannot physically reach your world, so whatever we find, you will have to implement. Do you recall our dreams upon awakening?"

I nodded at her. "This is the most vivid dream I've had before." I reached out and poked the dark-furred pegacorn on the snout, which made her recoil away from the touch. She wasn't nearly as snuggly as the ponies we had on Earth.

"Y-yes, of course. Good. I will visit you often, to check on your status and update you should we find anything. Be safe, human."

"William." I'm not sure if she heard me or not, as I woke up.

Author's Notes:

No explosions, gunshots, rape, or anything? What a wasted chapter...

But it had Luna in it, so that'll have to do. Oh look, she brought dream typos for us, how kind!

6 - Lights Out(clop)

I awoke to darkness. Confused, I sat up quickly, or tried to. Sandy was still resting on me. The sudden aborted movement got her up with a soft noise and she rolled off, allowing me up. Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I asked, "Did you turn off the lights?"

"No." Her reply was sleepy, punctuated with a yawn.

I got to my feet and began feeling my way through the dark and soon arrived in the living room, where some light filtered in from outside. The light seemed... off. Maybe I was just waking up, but I couldn't quite focus on it.

A new voice suggested, "Maybe you need glasses." The voice was just a few inches to the left of me and I jumped in surprise, but nothing came closer to me.

I heard the clip-clop of Sandra from the bedroom that stopped in the hallway. "William? What happened to you?"

"Happened to me?" I started patting myself down. Legs in the right place. I had hands, torso felt normal, legs in place, no hooves anywhere, oh there it is. I had a second head, of course. Why wouldn't I ha-- Oh shit I have a second head!

"I didn't ask to be here," said the second head that I couldn't see in the darkness very well. It looked equine though, and had a horn like I did. The voice was also soft and feminine. "Since we're stuck together, we can at least be civil about it?"

Alright, so my second head was polite by the sound of it. There could be... worse things? No there couldn't. I sank to the ground and thumped it once, as if attacking the earth would properly display my fury at the situation.

Sandra stepped up closer to me and I could hear her sniffing softly. "It's part of you."

"Of course it's part of me. It is... me, sort of? So, do you have a name?"

The second head smiled. I'm not sure how I knew it did, but I did. "You can call me Cindy. It's dark in here, let me fix that." Her horn lit up with a golden glow, allowing us to see clearly. There was a smiling unicorn head beside my first. She looked friendly, but that didn't make it a bit less creepy.

Sandy seemed to be taking it a bit more in stride. "It's a part of you," she repeated, as if that was all she needed to know before she reared up and sniffed at the new head. The unicorn, er, Cindy's tongue flicked out when Sandy got close, licking her nose. Sandy smiled and leaned in and before I realized what they were doing, there were two horses kissing deeply on my shoulder. Sandra's hooves wandered over my front, caressing me as she tongue-tied with Cindy. The day couldn't get much stranger, I was certain.

I pushed Sandra back carefully. "Easy there, this is weird enough without having parts I didn't have yesterday initiating hot kisses that I feel detached from."

Cindy tilted her head a bit. "You think it's weird? Imagine it from my view. I didn't exist yesterday, but here I am, with most of your knowledge I think, and some other things beside. I don't want to be a helpless freak, but here I am. At least I have magic, and a very friendly friend." She smiled at Sandra.

Sandra bobbed her head. "Our herd grows." Her tail began to sway animatedly, sweeping against the floor. "How are we going to make breakfast without power?"

I nodded at Sandra. "Right, good question. Utilities are out, which just made the survival game a lot harder. It was stupid of me to expect them to stay on. All those TV dinners are basically worthless."

Cindy pouted a little. "You're doing your best. Don't be hard on yourself." Great, my second head was giving moral support.

I brightened a bit at a thought. "Say, Cindy?"

"Yes?"

"You seem to know how to use our magic, right?"

"Yep!"

"Great! So what can you do?"

Cindy frowned with thought. "I can make a force bubble, grab things, make light, make heat, and detect magic around me. I'm sure we could do other things, but that's all I know how to do right now."

Sandra smiled widely. "You can make heat? We're saved!"

I nodded in agreement. "You just earned your rent. Let's attack the frozen food since it'll go bad the fastest." I got back to my feet and moved to the kitchen, easily navigating with Cindy's glowing horn. I realized that my vision was partially split. I could see through her eyes if I focused on it. We really were attached. "What am I becoming?"

Cindy answered, to my surprise, "I'm not entirely sure, but you're far from done. I'll be with you every step of the way, promise." As I dug out some food from the nonoperational freezer, I glanced at Cindy, looking her over. She had the same light-pink fur as our horns. Her 'mane' was a bright pink, long, and flowing. She had very human expressions, as most of the ponies I met had, and she was currently concerned. If I had to get a second head, a nice one was at least the best I could hope for. She cooked the food under a golden ray, bringing them to steaming hotness faster than a microwave could, which alarmed and amazed me. She took control of an arm suddenly, grabbing one of the three trays and bringing it to her mouth to dive right in.

Sandra took a tray for herself and sat with it, watching me. "Don't you both have the same stomach?"

Cindy had no answer for that. I took up the remaining tray and ate as well as I could with only one hand under my control. I didn't feel double stuffed, but I was starting to give up on trying to rationalize this. Maybe it was all being used to fuel my bizarre change? "Well, I guess you're coming with me, Sandy."

Sandra brightly smiled. "Good! I don't want to hide in the dark."

I nodded. "Exactly. I didn't even bring back the flashlight I found. God, that was stupid. This changes our priority by a lot."

Sandra looked like she was about to reply when she fell to the ground with a whimper instead. Her hooves brushed over her snout over and over. I reached for her, petting her on the back. "What's wrong?"

"Hurts...." She clenched her teeth hard enough to make her jaw bulge and her whimpering turned into a short-lived cry as her jaw split apart wetly. The pain must have been bad as she fell over at the very moment and lay there, breathing.

"You... alright?"

"No..." She slowly sat up, then opened her muzzle. "What happened?" She held her mouth open for me. She looked pretty normal, at a glance, but I leaned in and could see her tongue swelling and splitting.

"You're becoming one of those long-tongued ponies. Try, uh, splitting your jaw."

Sandra looked appalled at the idea, and Cindy offered encouragement. "You'll be alright. You can use them like hands. Won't that be nice?"

Sandra let a tongue hang free and moved it around experimentally. The wet limb was quite jerky and unsure at first, but she was improving. "Oh wow," she says with a slur before her jaw unhinged on its own, allowing the other tongues free to wave in the air. Sandra panicked, which just let them loose, flailing around her a moment before she could draw them back and close her mouth, breathing wildly.

I felt bad for Sandra, but I wasn't sure which won out for freakiest new ornament, a new head, or the tongue package. "You aren't going to get those tongues, are you Cindy?"

"Nope! I feel very stable, at least my head does. The rest of us, not so much."

That was not as reassuring as I'd hoped. I reached for Sandra and softly stroked behind an ear, which helped calm her down. "We'll pull through this, together."

Sandy nuzzled the petting hand. "Thank you for not leaving me alone, that first day. Say, I think I saw a radio in here while I was digging around." She hopped to her hooves and dashed off. I could hear her digging around and she returned with a battery operated radio held in one of her tongues, wrapped around the handle. She set it down in front of me. "Your other head wasn't wrong. They are good for grabbing things."

I grabbed the radio and got it on quickly, cycling through stations. Most of the band was static, but an AM station was still faithfully broadcasting. "--vised to stay indoors. The army is coming to take control of the situation. Your safety cannot be guaranteed if you're outside. This is a biohazard alert. Stay inside, lock the doors and block your windows. Do not attempt to find help. Do not open the door for anyone that doesn't identify themselves as law enforcement or a military agent." The message started to loop and I clicked it off.

I sighed and put a hand to my head. "Well, great. How much do you want to wager they'll be shooting first and asking questions never?"

Sandra tilted her head. "We could surrender?"

"And spend the rest of forever in a lab somewhere?"

Cindy snorted. "No, thanks."

"What she said."

Sandy laughed at me talking to my other self. "You're getting used to that."

I frowned a bit. "I could freak out some more if you prefer?"

Sandra sat up and held up her forehooves. "I'm not trying to insult you. I'm... very happy you're here, and being so strong." Her eyes went downcast a moment before looking up at me again. "I think I love you."

That felt like an odd way of putting that, but Cindy didn't mind at all. She was smiling warmly. "I love you too."

Both of them looked at me expectantly. I was on the spot. Did I want to join the love circle? Well I did like Sandra a lot, and we were literally stuck together. I reached for Sandra and pulled her up into my lap, stroking down her sides and back like I would a dog or a cat. "We'll make it, together."

Sandra seemed to accept this answer, and nestled close. "We should get going, while it's light outside."

I considered that. "We don't really want to be seen. The dark may be better now, especially since we have a lot more to fear from humans with rifles than short-ranged ponies that are more likely to violate our space than to actually kill us."

Cindy tilted her head. "I could call some ponies to us?"

Sandra and I blinked as I asked, "You can do that? Why?"

"I don't know why! I just feel pretty sure I can. I don't know what pony'll show up."

I held up a hand. "We'll save that for an emergency."

We settled into quiet. I pet Sandra, and she nuzzled me, and the day passed slowly. Eventually I got tired and laid down, and Sandra curled beside me, until I felt her nuzzling at my belly and working downwards. Those tongues of hers slipped out and went right under my belt, seeking out 'Little William' in a slithering search. "Sandy! What are you doing?"

Sandra drew her tongues back quickly. "I'm bored, and you're tense." Her tail swayed slowly. "Why not?"

A thousand reasons why not flashed through my mind, but most of them felt hollow. However freakish she was, I was no less a freak, and destined to become more so. Cindy nudged me with her snout. "We'll both feel better."

*** Clop Start, look for clop finish to skip ***

Outvoted by my own head? Great. I reached down and undid my pants, pulling them and my boxers off. Sandra looked excited and tapped at the ground with a hoof. "Lay down." I did so, watching her with a mix of caution and curiosity, though the first quickly melted as she wrapped one of those tongues around me and began to undulate it up and down. I grew rock-hard almost instantly under her care, and she coiled more of the tongue to capture the entirety of my member, stroking me firmly. I felt like I was still getting erect, vision swimming with a pulsing that ran all through me.

Cindy moaned throatily. "Oh that's good... something... something's changing."

I could feel it too, and it was coming from the massaged cock. I looked down at Sandra's handiwork and saw that it was swelling larger and becoming pink and mottled with brown. The head flattened and dense white-pink fur encased the bottom and over my balls. I was growing a horse cock, and while I should have been upset at that, it felt too good to think much but wanting Sandy to keep going, but she didn't. She drew back and circled away. Her tail raised high in an offer that Cindy seemed to respond to instinctively. I knew what it meant, and I wasn't in a mood to deny it.

I got up behind Sandra and lined up the member with her sopping wet passage, pushing the blunt edge into her. She was wonderfully tight and wet, engulfing my member in heat as she drove back against me with a shuddering groan of pleasure. "Take me..." Who was I to deny a girl? I grabbed her hips and pulled her back against me as I thrust forward, piercing to the hilt and drawing a sharp yip from her before I drew back. We quickly learned each other's patterns and started working against one another, pistoning smoothly. My big furry balls jumped as something brushed against them. Her tongues had come back out and worked over them, trying to tease the seed out of me. My eyes were clenched shut, the pleasure growing to a fever pitch all too quickly before I spilled. My engorged member twitched and jumped inside of her and I could feel the hot seed forcing its way out before spraying wildly into her willing body. She clopped against the ground, riding her own trembling release before we sank together and curled on the ground.

*** clop finish ***

As I regained my breath, I considered what I had just done. Cindy seemed to have less reservations. "That was lovely!" She licked over her snout. "How do you feel, Sandra?"

Sandra slowly worked herself around to face me instead of away from me and nodded her head. "I feel much... better."

I leaned in and kissed Sandra's furry little snout and she gave that curious little purr into it. "Be ready to go when it's dark." She nodded at me, an we slipped off to rest in one another's embrace. The situation was looking a bit more grim than the day before, but we had each other at least.

Author's Notes:

Our heroes take a firm step out of the mundane in this chapter as they get to experience the joys of power loss and impending military invasion. Surely things can only go up from here!

I'm told the soldiers fire typos from their gun. Nothing is more painful!

7 - My (not so) Little Ponies

I faded to sleep beside Sandra, and suddenly I wasn't there. I could see a pegasus soaring high above the city. She had a herd, numbering six winged ponies in all, one of them a stallion. The change had been a frightening time, but now that they were all together, everything seemed better. They had learned quickly and painfully where to avoid flying, losing one of their numbers to the weapons of the bipeds. I wasn't sure how I knew all this, but I did. She looked down and saw something odd and pointed it out to the others. Soon the entire herd dipped lower for a better look.

Something large and heavy was crushing the parked cars. She could vaguely remember what a car was, and she asked the others what the big thing was. One of them started telling a story about a great war machine, but that seemed quite silly to her. It was far too slow to be very frightening. Were there people inside? Yes. They should share the gift with them. Everypony agreed. It was the only right thing to do. They were about to drop on it when they saw there were people walking along and behind it, wielding the deadly weapons that had harmed them before. A human herd! A human stampede! Fear swelled in their hearts, but excitement as well. So many potential new ponies close together.

The scent of them was tantalizing. They had to be converted. She smiled broadly, spotting other ponies closing in on them and pointing them out to her friends. A lumbering stallion of a horse parked himself around the corner from the marching soldiers and directed his own cannon in their marching path.

We'd never seen that kind of pony before and became quite curious to see what he planned to do with that thing. He was stroking himself firmly, and when the soldiers crested the corner, he went off like a bomb, or more like a garden hose, spraying ten soldiers before they even knew what was going on. The pegasus herd cheered on the big guy, but the cheers died in their throats as the bipeds, gifted or not, raised their deadly weapons and riddled the stallion with holes. He flopped to the side and stopped moving, just making a puddle of blood and other fluids.

The herd was suddenly furious. The earth pony had done nothing but share. He hadn't deserved that. Rage mixed with desire and they swooped down as one, coming behind the moving men and attacking. Some of their numbers had the gift of the reaching tongues, but she had a different gift. To think, when she had changed, her breasts growing in so large low on her torso had bothered her so much, now they were another tool to be used.

With a thought, they became painfully engorged and sprayed milk on command, and she strafed the soldiers, trying to dart in and out of cover to avoid a similar fate of the earth pony. They were doing great at first, but the bipeds, er, humans, yes, that was their name. The humans caught on, and the next time she did a pass, pain exploded through a wing, and she crashed in front of one of them. The human pointed his weapon at her and she whimpered and begged. There was great pain, then nothing.

I quailed from my uncertain position. I could feel every death of the ponies, and each was like a stab in the heart. They felt personal. These were my ponies, and they were suffering. I saw a familiar hydra tunneler rise up under the tank and she shoved it on its side abruptly before submerging quickly, avoiding more than a few painful stings. She was as tough as she had felt when I kicked her, and at that moment, I wished her the best of luck. She didn't return for another pass, and I decided that was probably the smart choice.

Slowest but most powerful in many ways, the unicorns arrived on the scene and began actively disarming the humans. Their control of their magic wasn't much better than my own. They could grab things from afar, no other tricks.

"That's because they are still young."

"What?"

"It's me, Cindy. I'm your head too, don't forget. I'm here."

So I wasn't alone in my dream. I wasn't entirely sure if that was a comfort or appalling. It felt a little of both.

"Order them away."

I could do that?

"You said it, not I. They're your ponies."

I shouted and screamed, but I wasn't really there, and several unicorns were sent to the ground in bloody piles.

"Stop shouting, you're sleeping. The best that'll do is scare Sandra. Use your mind, literally. Think at them."

I focused on a group of three unicorns, thinking 'run away!' at them as hard as I could. They hesitated, looking around fearfully before they took off in a wild gallop away from the fight. Soon all the ponies were scattering into the city, and to avoid the dangerously armed humans.

I woke up as the last pony in the area was cut down. It was much darker now. Sandra was nestled in close, but I felt she was awake. "You were screaming in your sleep. Are you alright?"

Cindy's horn began to glow softly, allowing me to see Sandra's concerned face. She blinked at me. "You've gotten ears."

Ears? I reached up and felt around. Yep, pony ears. Long, furry, and very much a match for Cindy's. Things sounded a bit differently, more focused wherever the ears were pointed. "The army's here."

Sandra shrank back a little. "How do you know?"

"Hard to explain, but basically I could see the other ponies while I was sleeping." I pulled over my boxers and pants and started to get dressed for the evening. "It was a huge fight. A lot of the soldiers were probably infected, but they slaughtered dozens on dozens. Each death was like being punched in the chest."

Sandra frowned and swayed her tail. I noticed something odd about it and looked more closely. Instead of a voluminous light-red/orange mass of hair, it had swollen and become more like a dragon's tail, though still furry. Its end terminated in a dragon-like fin. She was more of a monster, but still my Sandra. My Sandra? The thought felt odd, but I reached and gently stroked over her head and she began to purr. "How are you holding up, Sandy? You've been through a lot?"

Sandra tilted her head up at me. "I... Well I'm better off than the ponies you saw being shot, I guess. I have you, and I still have my mind, so that's two things to be thankful for. I don't recognize the person in the mirror anymore... Am I ugly?"

I shook my head. "No, you're not ugly. Different, but not ugly."

She smiled. "Hearing you say that makes all the difference, which feels odd... It's like you're my father, uh, not for the sex part, but... I'm explaining this horribly." Her ears fell and she looked upset.

Dressed, I crouched in front of her and began scratching along her jaw as I leaned in and kissed her oddly bisected jaw. "You're fine. Stop worrying." I got a tongue for my troubles as she licked me across the lips. She looked happier at least.

Clop clop clop. A knocking came from the front door from an obvious hoof. All three heads turned to look at the door curiously. I crept quickly over to the window, peeking through one of the holes, but I couldn't see anything from that angle. Ah well, the ponies were a lot less scary than the humans right then, so I opened the door.

Standing there was a small pegasus with the biggest cock I'd ever seen. Could he even fly? The pegasus smiled up at me nervously. "Am I in the right place?"

Sandra peeked around me, gawking at the huge-shafted pony. "What are you looking for?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I was trying to share the gift with the humans, and my friends didn't make it... I heard a voice or something, and I followed it here. Please don't abandon me." He sagged in place. "You're the only people I know now."

My heart ached with a strange sympathy. He was a stallion with no herd anymore. I described the mare I saw in my dream and he looked happy a moment. "Oh! Yes! She... was... a friend of mine. How do you know her?"

I waved him in and closed the door behind him. Soon we were all seated in the living room. Cindy smiled at him. "Don't you worry. You're our pony, and we won't let anyone hurt you."

He seemed pleased at her announcement and rolled over, showing his belly and swollen horse cock at us. "I am gladly yours."

I felt odd looking at him. This should be freaking me out more than it is, and it was freaking me out pretty good. "Cindy? What am I?"

Cindy shrugged my shoulders. "I couldn't say, but I feel responsible for him, and everypony else."

Sandy reached out a hoof and poked the new pony's member. "Are you always, uh, hard?"

He flushed through his fur. "Most of the time..." He sniffed the air and rolled onto his hooves. "Why? Do you need servicing?"

It became Sandra's turn to warm in her cheeks. "I belong to William. Ugh! Wait, no, that came out wrong. I don't belong to anyone, but, yeah, we're together."

He nodded a little as if that all made perfect sense. "This place feels safe." He pointed at Cindy and her glowing horn. "How are you doing that?"

"Magic." Cindy smiled. "Funny you mention that. I don't think we should stay here."

I agreed. "How far did you fly to get here after the fight?"

He looked thoughtful. "About... six blocks? That way." He pointed. That was far too close for my comfort. It was time for us to leave.

"Gather up all the supplies you can, we're abandoning this place." I was off, grabbing a backpack and filling it with the water bottles we had. Sandy and the... "What's your name, big guy?"

"I'm not that big..."

Sandra pointed underneath him. "Yes you are."

He giggled a bit as if just getting the joke. "I had a name... Susan. That doesn't fit me anymore, uh... Lone Wing, because the rest of my wing is gone."

Sandra threw a leg over him and hugged him. "Aw, you're not alone." Lone nuzzled into her and they began cuddling as I focused on packing up to go.

When the backpack was filled to capacity, I swung it around onto my back to experience a new pain as something got squished back there. I shrugged off the pack again and turned around to show my back at the others. "Is something wrong back there?"

I felt Sandra's tongues pulling up my shirt and wetly exploring my back, making my skin crawl. "You're growing wings."

Lone Wing went wide-eyed with wonder as I turned back towards them. "You're so gifted! Two heads, two horns, wings? You're amazing!"

Sandra nodded quickly, wagging her thick tail. "And he's ours. You'll keep our herd safe, right?"

"I'll try, damn it." I tried the backpack again more carefully and managed to sling it on before moving on to the duffel. Soon we were packed and ready to go.

Lone wasn't eager to move after his panicked flight, but Sandra played taxi for him, and he rode her back as we emerged onto the dark street outside.

"What I wouldn't give for Google Maps right about now." But I wasn't going to get that. I turned opposite the direction of the army and got to marching with the others at my side. I could hear the distant occasional noise of what was likely firearms, and hoped the other ponies had gotten the message to stay away from the army.

We hiked for most of the night, until the cover of darkness began to recede. I picked a house at random and went up to the door. Locked. Lone hopped off of Sandra and took to the air before crashing into the door, knocking it open with remarkable ease. There was a shriek from inside.

We had found a human. She was alone, and scared, and quivered in a huddled up ball beside the kitchen counter. She had no weapons. Lone spread his wings out. "Should I share the gift?"

Sandra shuddered, visibly resisting that impulse. "No! We're not savages. This is her home."

She looked up at us with confusion. "You can talk?"

I stepped in cautiously. "Yeah, sorry about the door. We were looking for a place to hide during the day."

She slowly stood up. "You're not going to attack me? Oh god!" She spotted Cindy and shrank back. "This is all a terrible nightmare."

Sandra snorted and stepped inside with us. A sway of her powerful tail knocked the door back shut. "Tell us about it."

Cindy smiled at the scared human. "We're not here to hurt anyone. Us ponies have love, not hate. Please don't be scared of us."

"Lovely, it talks too." She put a hand to her head. "I'm guessing asking you all to get out wouldn't work?"

I could see the street outside getting lighter through the cracks of her boarded up home. "We'd really rather not. We'll try to be courteous guests at least, sorry. Do you have food? Water? We brought some."

She brightened up a little bit. "The water started tasting funny, but I still have food. I, uh, guess we'll trade, water for a place to stay."

Lone waddled up to her. As graceful as he was in the air, his constant and oversized erection made walking a humorous looking activity. "Hello, I'm Lone Wing. That is Sandra, William, and Cindy." I didn't remember giving my name, but that was far from the strangest bit of the day and I didn't have the energy to argue it.

She nodded down at Lone. "Nice to meet you... Mister Wing? I'm Diane." Her eyes kept wandering off his face to his more obvious physical feature. "Am I going to be safe sleeping around you?"

Lone looked confused. "Why wouldn't you be?"

Sandra sighed softly. "She's afraid you're going to use that thing between your legs on her."

Lone perked with understanding and flushed. "Only if you want me to?"

"No! No... thanks, I guess." Diane walked away from the uncomfortable sight.

We had a new home, at least for the next day.

Author's Notes:

William gets closed to realizing himself, they gain two new companions, one of which may be temporary, or not? Will Diane get out of this with her humanity intact?

The army has arrived, which is poor news for the local pony population to be certain, but they've shared the gift, which is likely to make the victory pyrrhic for the armed forces. How will they handle their frontline soldiers gaining hooves and other parts? Think of all the typos on forms this will cause.

8 - Call to Action

Luna was staring at me. Her eyes were wide and her expression uncertain. She shook her head slowly. "Can you understand me?"

Some things didn't change. "Yes."

Cindy was looking around the garden curiously. "I understand you just fine."

Luna snorted softly. "It speaks... and moves independently? You have no idea how sorry we are... There is no excuse for the damage we have caused."

I could hear her regret and held up a hand. "The situation's gotten worse since last time, and this part's not your fault exactly. Our military has arrived to restore order, and since everyone involved looks like an alien and is compelled to 'attack' them, violence was the result. I urged them away, but not before we lost a lot of ponies."

Cindy bobbed herself. "It was just awful, but William did a good job getting them away before more damage could be done, and more than a few of those soldiers will be learning what the hoof life is like."

Luna approached, circling around. "How did you accomplish this? Did you shout at them?" She reached and poked one of my little buds that would eventually be wings. "This is most troubling. Are you certain you are well?"

I lifted my shoulders. "As certain as I can be as I slowly deform into some... thing? I seemed to have some kind of group telepathy during my last dream and was able to just command them to go away and stop fighting the soldiers." I turned to face her even as pain erupted in stabbing agony across my back. I collapsed to a knee, hands supporting me as I shuddered and held back the desire to cry out.

Cindy looked like she tried to get a peek, and Luna just stayed behind me, watching no doubt. "I had wondered... You see, the ritual involved several of our leaders, the alicorns. They became weak for days afterwards, and we were certain some of their essence had been cast into the void, and here it is."

The pain grew worse a moment before the trickle of blood and a great rushing sensation heralded the end of the growth spurt. Over my shoulder, I could see massive pink wings spread out to either side of me. "Why pink?"

"Why not pink?" Luna raised a brow. "One of the leaders is a pale, almost-white pink, the other a very deep pink. You seem somewhere in the middle. Do you wish to speak of the present, or the past?"

I struggled up to my feet and turned back towards her. "How do we fix this?"

Luna shook her head. "I have no new news regarding that. I will start at the beginning, so you may know how this began."

I could feel that I was riding Luna's body from behind the eyes. I couldn't make her do anything, just watch and listen and feel. I was living her memories of the time. There were several other alicorns present. A lavender one, a pink one, a white one (That's pink?), and a brown one. The lavender one was speaking animatedly about how excited she was to open a portal and ran electrodes to a heavy-looking desk.

"An entire new world, and this one isn't close enough to Equestria to suffer resonance effects, like Canterlot High or the mirror worlds in general. We can trade with them without fear, and learn. You all know the wonders they have." Lavender alicorn looked so excited.

Things blurred a little. Luna apparently hadn't been paying close attention. Maybe she was bored as Lavender kept on talking on and on about the little details involved, but she eventually arrived at action. "Alright everypony, this is where I need your help. We're going to need a lot of magic to make a physical portal, so let's sync up."

I could feel Luna do something with her horn, and the other horns in the room glowed, blinking back and forth at one another until they found that sync that Lavender requested. Great energy began to leave my, er, Luna's body and it swirled together with the rest of the alicorns in an unstable looking ball of pure energy, magic I suppose. Lavender pulled a lever and it was all sucked into a series of tubes and machinery, and the room came alive with activity, lights, and whistles. Luna's ears found the whole thing quite unpleasant, but bore it with a quiet dignity.

"And now, the future!" Lavender depressed a button with a hoof, and a series of lights began to rapidly fill up to her obvious delight, but as it hit the classic 95%, it paused, then the lights began to explode, popping in little showers of glass. "That's not right..."

A surprised sound made Luna's head turn. There were armored ponies standing by the door. Guards? They sank to the ground as something was sucked out of them forcefully and pulled into the machine. White and Pink alicorn sank next. Lavender went into full panic mode, running around and trying to figure out what went wrong. The brown alicorn's horn glowed with silver, and everything began to wind down. His magic held what looked to be the plug of the machine.

Lavender sighed loudly. "This was a failure... Is everyone alright?"

Those drained were able to weakly nod. They were fine, or would be, with rest.

"And so it was." Luna folded her wings tightly at her sides. "All the guards in the castle were drained, their essence cast into the void. As you saw, two of our royalty as well, my sister, Celestia, and our niece, Cadance. Unshielded by a body and hurtling between worlds, it is a wonder there is anything recognizable, but I can see the similarities in you." She pointed at Cindy. "You are almost identical to Cadance."

Cindy perked her ears. "My name's like her too. Does that mean William will look like Celestia?"

Her perking ears somehow reminded me of mine, and they swiveled around distractingly, ugh. "Do I get a vote in this?"

Luna shook her head. "The time for voting has long past. We are all pebbles being carried along in a landslide. My guilt grows, knowing on our side, temporary weakness was the worst we suffered, while death and disfigurement haunt your world." She waved a hoof and suddenly I was very naked, and could even feel chilly winds I didn't know were there.

Luna looked freshly surprised. "I thought you were female, or destined for it."

Cindy grinned lecherously. "He's a growing boy."

"I see that." Luna snorted. "Perhaps you got some guard in you...? I had meant to see the full extent of your corruption, not simply to gawk at you."

I held a hand in front of myself, but it felt like trying to hide a sword with a bandaid for how much I actually stopped her from seeing. "Right, uh, so what do you suggest we actually do?"

Before she could answer, I woke up. Lone was sitting on me and looking down at me with big eyes. I could feel the warmth of his body, and his huge horse cock. He smiled brightly when he noticed I was awake. "William, she's gone!"

"Who?" I gently pushed Lone to the side, and he moved off willingly, but nuzzled at me fondly. "Where's Sandy?"

Lone pointed off into the house. "She said she was going to sleep in the bed since the lady left."

I felt I was missing something. I got up and stretched, realizing my new wings were not just a dream and were stretching out along with the rest of me, great. Cindy frowned. "I think we're in trouble."

Lone tilted his head up at Cindy. "Why is that, mistress Cindy?"

Cindy shook herself. "I can't say why exactly, but something awful is coming."

I felt dread knotting up in me and held out a hand to Lone. "I need you to not make any sudden moves if the worst happens. We are not here to 'share the gift', got it?"

Lone looked baffled at the notion. "Why wouldn't we?" He settled on his haunches. "But if you say so."

The warning had barely been received when the front door exploded inwards with a kick and several automated rifles leveled at me and Lone. Shit. I lifted my hands up, palms exposed. "We give up! No shooting!"

Lone shrank back with obvious abject terror, not that I felt any better.

Emerging from the back came Sandra. "What's go..." A bullet caught her in the shoulder and she collapsed with a pitiful whine.

"Command your animals to get on their bellies, then get down yourself. Hands on your head, face in the dirt. Move!" I couldn't see who was talking exactly, there was a bright light being shone in through the door. I didn't fancy my chances with their guns and didn't want to give them more reasons to use them on us and I waved downwards.

Lone sank down as far as his anatomy allowed, shaking like a leaf. Cindy scowled at the soldiers. "You're being very unkind. We're not hurting anyone." I was too busy getting down nice and slowly and assuming a prone position. The thunder of boots came from all around me, and I was zip-tied up with remarkable speed. They repeated the performance on the still whimpering Sandra, though with more hesitation, as if waiting for her to give them an excuse to put more bullets in her.

They didn't know how to deal with Lone and his obvious payload of biohazard. They had him just lay there until they could find and bring in a dog carrier and ordered him in there rather than actually touch him. Once we were all secured, rough hands hefted me up to my feet and we were all dragged out of the house.

On the bright side, we weren't dead. I didn't exactly favor the rest of it, but we weren't dead yet. I couldn't see any of the military's faces. They must be transitioning over to more biohazard approved gear, but not graduated to full biohazard suits yet. We were tossed together in the back of an armored van of some kind, and the door slammed shut on us, but there was a soldier in there, watching us. He didn't have the same rigid readiness of the others, but he was wearing a full biohaz suit. "Fascinating... Can you understand me?"

I was getting very tired of hearing that question, but I nodded. "Yes."

Cindy bobbed herself. "Yep."

Lone peeked up at him and joined the nodding. "Yes."

Sandra pawed at the ground with a whimper. "Yes, but it hurts. Are you a doctor?"

"I am. Will you let me examine you?" Sandra flopped over with a nod, and he approached her. I felt very possessive as he knelt beside my injured herd-mate. I wanted to do something for her, but letting her be treated was perhaps the best thing I could think of, so I grit my teeth and waited.

He worked quietly at first, "You're in luck, the bullet went through cleanly."

"I don't feel lucky."

"No one who's been shot feels lucky." He was cleaning her up and bandaging her, performing triage efficiently. "You are the first captures we've gotten. Are you going to be cooperative?"

Sandra growled a little. "I just woke up and they shot me!"

I leaned against the wall of the van. "We're at your mercy at the moment. We never attacked anyone. We're just trying to survive a bad situation."

"Aren't we all?" He finished with Sandra and rose to his feet. "You're all being very cooperative so far. So, how do you function?" He looked directly at me. "I haven't seen or heard of two heads working in anything more complicated than a worm."

Cindy stuck out her tongue. "We're just special that way."

I had no idea, and shrugged to signal as much. "Whatever this is, this is the result. You probably know more about it, biologically."

"We know almost nothing." The scientist, which I decided he was more than a soldier, sat back. "We're headed back to the field camp, where we can get more work done." As if prompted, the ground lurched, and a low rumble signaled the van's moving.

I sank down onto my ass. "Be honest, what are our odds of not being executed?"

Lone hoofed at the front of his cage. "Can I come out? I promise to be good."

He sighed. "No one is going anywhere until we are back at the camp, so get comfortable."

Author's Notes:

Busted. And he didn't even get a chance to try out his new wings. This is clearly a typo in the script. I call hax!

9 - Last Refuge

We soon arrived at a small camp. I wasn't sure how many people were milling around while they ordered us off the van, but it didn't look like nearly enough to take the city. None of them wanted to get close to us except the scientist in the hazmat suit. He was shaping up to be a decent guy at least. He pointed and asked, rather than shoving. His name was Richard. "This is your new home." He directed towards a fenced in area where a few other ponies were penned in.

There was one pegasus in there, but her wings had been securely bound to her body, preventing flight. Two standard ponies had their hooves securely bound. Were they burrowers? The last was a unicorn stallion that was asleep, sprawled across the ground limply. We soon joined them.

Lone was set down, still in his carrier. He peeked out of the door of the carrier. "Can I come out now?"

"Afraid not," replied Richard. "You can fly, and you've been classified as high risk due to your, uh, disproportionately dense viral load."

Lone sank to the floor of his carrier morosely, his eyes locking in on me as if I could help, but I wasn't sure what I could do. Cindy spoke up for me, looking at Richard. "We'll guarantee his good behavior, please give him a chance. He's cramped in there."

Richard shook his head and pulled the fence shut, locking it. "Command would play soccer with my head if I let him out. How can you guarantee anything anyway? You're all contaminated with a verified mental agent. Sit tight, I'll have questions for you shortly."

One of the other soldiers standing guard pointed at me. "That one has wings. Shouldn't we restrict that?"

Richard peered at me. "They don't look large enough to fly." He sighed. "But now's not the time to assume. Come with me now." He pulled the fence open and gestured out. It felt just... wrong to leave my, what, herd was it? behind. Still, I wasn't going to help them in there, so I went with Richard.

"Stay strong, I'll be back," I said while still in earshot. I was led to a trailer. Inside was a dense maze of machinery and equipment. Cindy whistled softly as she looked around with obvious fascination.

Richard pointed to a bed. "Strip, sit. We'll get the exam out of the way first." I wriggled my still zip-tied hands and he noticed. "Right, stupid of me. Well, you've been lucid so far, so I'm going to extend an olive branch, and hope you don't feed it to me." He pulled out a knife and soon had the plastic band cut. "Are you human enough to understand the situation?"

"I think so?" I rubbed where the band had bitten into my wrists. "People are turning into ponies when exposed to them, then more ponies expose more people."

"That's the basic jist of the problem. There are several stages to the process we've managed to isolate, and you're not in any of them." He pointed to the bed. "Go on."

I started with my shirt, then shoes, socks, and pants. My boxers were a bit of a joke. A sheath doesn't fit in them properly, so he could see the furry tube attached to my belly coming out of the top of the boxers. He rolled a hand. "Go on." With a grunt, I lost them too, entirely naked. "Fascinating. You're a Class S. We've only confirmed two others, and we never captured either."

"Class S?" I sat down on the bed, which proved cold to the touch.

"S, for special. There's been one in Europe and another in the Middle East, at least confirmed sightings. We know almost nothing about them, except that they seem to be leading the others." I could barely see him raise a brow through his bubble of a helmet. "Are you leading them?"

"I... did once?" I confessed. "They were throwing themselves at the army, infecting them and getting killed in return. I made them back off."

Richard grabbed a keyboard and started typing quickly. "Now we're getting somewhere. How absolute is your control? You could save this city."

Cindy scowled. "Will we be 'saving' the ponies too, or are you going to throw them in the smallest cages you can find?"

Richard looked uncertain. "It's not my position to decide what to do with information, just gather it. There are still survivors in the city."

"Many of them on four legs." Cindy huffed. "They are alive too, you know. They are hurt and scared, and need help too."

I held up a hand towards Cindy. "Easy there. I'm sure they'll try to figure out a cure first?"

Richard sighed. "Of course, probably. Not my assignment there."

I thought to ask. "Where's the rest of the army? I mean, I haven't seen a single helicopter or jet since this started."

Richard twirled a finger. "Belly down." I laid down, head turned to face him as he approached and started examining my wings and poking other places. When his touch wandered over my ass I jumped. "Easy there, we're not dating. Your tail's showing signs of being ready to emerge." I was growing a tail? Great.

"That doesn't answer my question?" I'd rather talk about something besides my descent into freakishness.

"It's pretty ugly, everywhere. This city isn't the first, it's the latest." Richard poked a wing at the base, and it sprang open. "People are getting desperate, brass included."

"How did we not hear anything about this?"

Cindy rolled her eyes. "They didn't want you to hear."

"Got it in one." Richard gestured for me to roll over and I did carefully. Laying on my wings was a delicate act. "I answered your question, so now about mine? How fine is your control?"

I had no idea. "I haven't tested besides making them back off the attack. If this isn't the first, why weren't the soldiers wearing better protection?"

"Resources are getting tight. Many military bases are already compromised. Half the 'soldiers' you saw out there were volunteers rounded up at the last second." He examined my horn, which proved to be a lot more sensitive than I gave it credit for. Soft brushes and pokes were arousing me something awful, and blood rushed to my new horse cock, which stood in stiff salute to the scientist.

Cindy licked over her lips and gave him her best bedroom eyes. "I didn't know you were into this kind of thing..."

Richard jerked his hand away from my head. "Interesting..." He made a note, likely about the sensitivity. "Now t--"

The door to the trailer burst open to admit dour looking man. "I've been in--" He trailed off as he spotted me on the bed with my dick out in the breeze. "Richard, the taxpayers are not paying for you to jerk off the mutants. What have you found?"

Richard grabbed a needle and poked it into a bottle, filling it with fluid. "He's an S-class. I was going to administer a test to see if we can sever the connection."

Sever the connection? I didn't like the sound of that, and neither did Cindy, who hissed loudly enough to do a cat justice. Oddly, the new guy sided with me. "Hold up there, Richard. If this freak's an S-class, they're too valuable to load up with random drugs. Freak, sit up." Once I was upright, he continued, "Here's the straight deal, it's ugly out there, real ugly. People with the power have their fingers hovering over buttons that shouldn't ever be pressed. Better to survive a wasteland than to watch humanity be whittled away, they say. Now, you ask me personally, that's a load of shit. Population centers are lighting up across the globe. The best we could hope for is sharing an irradiated mudball with a bunch of horses. The average horse has the intelligence of a small child, but all the effective lethality of a trained killer. No one's been imm--"

The trailer suddenly lurched to the side, sending equipment flying haphazardly. The trailer sank back to its normal position before lurching the other way. I fell off the bed and landed painfully on what were probably very expensive sharp things. Richard and the new guy were holding firmly onto secured things, wobbling but not falling. "The hell is going on?" The new guy turned for the door as the trailer gave another lurch and a head burst free just in front of me on the floor.

"Free!" squeaked the mare before she vanished into the hole. The new guy drew out his pistol and threw open the door, shouting commands as he went.

Richard was surprisingly composed, and even lent me a hand up. "You're like a queen bee, and we're still in the hive. Can you get them to back off?"

Did I want them to back off? No, you don't. I could hear a new voice in my head, Cindy's voice.

~We could destroy this place, free our herd, and escape.~

~They're trying to save humanity. That isn't bad or evil.~

~They'll cut you apart to figure you out if they have to.~

"What's your name?"

The question brought me around and I gave my name quickly. "William, huh? Well, the next move's yours. If you don't do anything, a lot of violence is going to come down on us. You don't want that, do you?"

The door to the outside world opened and a soldier poked his head in. "Richard, brass wants you, now. Drop everything!"

Richard hesitated. "But?" He gestured at me.

The soldier raised his rifle. "I'll keep a watch, sir, get moving."

Richard quickly scooted to the door and was gone, leaving the soldier behind. The soldier hopped up inside and closed the door. "Moron." Where once a soldier stood, soon a human female, but she was covered in chitinous plates and had bright blue eyes with no iris. "We're leaving." I noticed she was naked, her clothing absorbed into her in the change.

While I was glad for the chance to get out, who was this woman, and what about the rest of my herd. I grabbed for my boxers and jumped into them quickly. "Who are you?"

"Your savior. You can thank me later." She licked her lips. "Personally. The council needs your ass before I get my turn, however, so get dressed faster."

Council? Cindy shook her head. "What about Sandra, and Lone Wing, and the others? They don't deserve to be trapped here."

"Less talking, more dressing, or we can go naked. I'm alright with that. Don't worry, the locals have been controlled. This place'll be empty soon enough."

We had freedom offered to us, but at what price?

Author's Notes:

The plot, it intensifies!

What's going on in here, besides typos?

10 - Escape

I decided to take a stand, though that didn't stop me from also getting dressed. "I'm not going to be a tool against humanity. Call off whatever attack you have in mind."

She raised a brow lightly. "Oh, sudden backbone?"

Cindy snorted in disgust. "Why do you care about them so much? Our ponies need us."

"Our ponies can wait a second." I was back in my clothes and feeling less vulnerable. "These people are just trying to survive. Leave them alone."

The stranger waved a hand dismissively. "If you care so much, you do it. But do it on the go. We're leaving." She became a soldier again, gun included, and opened the door, waving for me to follow.

I followed after her, but I was trying to find that place I had before, the feeling I had when I ordered the ponies away. We emerged into chaos. Soldiers were running around, and the sound of combat was growing thicker. My stomach clenched at the thought of ponies or humans being on the wrong end of a bullet or infectious exchange. She led me towards the holding pens as I heard Cindy in my head.

~If this is so important to you, I'll help.~

~Thank you. We're kind of stuck together, let's try and cooperate.~

I could feel that place, and reached mentally for it. Suddenly I could feel all the ponies around me. They were swarming from all sides, and they were being hurt and killed, but they had the advantage of numbers by far. That advantage would win them in the end, but at a monstrous cost. I mentally ordered them to retreat and the mass hesitated. Another mental scream got them pulling back, most of them. I could feel a handful ignore my command.

When I focused on the present, I saw the shapeshifting soldier glaring at me. "Happy now?" I realized she was one of the ones that didn't listen. She was a pony? She, he? I don't know. It didn't look like a pony at all. "We have to move." She grabbed my arm and yanked me roughly to the holding pen then shoved me in, locking the door behind me. "Stay put, you freak!"

She looked to the other soldier on guard duty there. "They need you up front, I'm your relief." The soldier was quick in moving.

Lone Wing and Sandra came up to me quickly, both wagging their tails. When had they let Lone Wing out? He had one one of those bands around his body that prevented his wings from being unfolded. I was happy to see them both and gently rubbed the top of their heads. "You OK?"

They both gave a nod as Sandra pointed with a hoof at the soldier I came with. "Who's that?"

"I have no idea, but they're on our side."

The ground rumbled softly before a very familiar trio of heads poked from the ground. "Hello there!"

"We wanted to go like you asked."

"But we had to rescue you first."

"We hope that's alright with you."

The enormous hydra pony withdrew into the ground, leaving a sizable tunnel behind her. The other ponies in the pen noticed the escape route and dashed for it, vanishing into the hole. I pointed at the drugged unicorn. "Take him." Lone Wing grabbed him by the scruff of the neck with his mouth and we all retreated hastily into the dark tunnel.

Cindy provided light from her horn and I felt a mental nudge before I lit up my own horn. It seemed so obvious how to in retrospect, but I didn't have time to contemplate it. The shapeshifter dropped down into the tunnel after us and took up the rear, but not before she collapsed the tunnel behind us.

We were out.

The tunnel took maybe half an hour of hiking to get through, but we emerged in a basketball court. The hydra pony was sitting there, watching us as we came out. All three heads were smiling joyfully. The rescued ponies were gone, scattered to wherever they wanted to be.

That left us with the shapeshifter, and the drugged unicorn. The shapeshifter nodded towards the hydra. "You did fine work. You're free to go."

"Aye aye," said one of the heads before they approached me. "We're glad you're safe."

"Don't get captured again."

"Call me."

They vanished into the earth, leaving no tunnel behind that time.

Sandra tilted her head. "Were they three people, or one person divided?"

Cindy made an expression of distaste. "I'm not divided from William. We are two people, though I feel us growing closer."

The shapeshifter shook her head. "They were three humans, if that's what you meant. Friends, at least. They were two men and a woman, now all female. They seem happy enough about their new position in life. Enough of that. We are leaving this city before they carpet bomb it. If they couldn't secure the American S-Class, they'll try to destroy it."

Lone put the unicorn he held down. "S-Class?" He looked like he tried to think about it, but got nowhere very quickly. This was all so very far outside his comfort zone. "We're safe now, want to play?" He rolled over, displaying his permanent erection at the shapeshifter.

Sandra snorted softly and looked to me. "I don't get that brainless, do I?"

"Not that I've seen." My words were enough to comfort Sandra for the moment. "Can you grab the unicorn?" Sandra lashed out several tongues and lifted the limp form from the ground easily, swaying her dragon-like tail contently.

The shapeshifter advanced on Lone Wing and with a swipe of a bladed arm, she destroyed the band restricting him. "We're far from safe. Keep it in your pants."

"I'm not wearing those..."

She ignored his complaint and began to march away, and soon we were following her.

Author's Notes:

A shorter chapter today, but it feels like a good place for it, with escape secured and the attack aborted. William doesn't want to be the hive master that heralds the doom of mankind, but what are the alternatives that don't involve his own death or those of his ponies?

And what about that changeling hybrid? Just thinking about her makes me typo.

11 - City Abandoned

I could reach that space where I felt in contact with the other ponies more easily, and spread that awareness outwards, stretching as far as I thought I could, then trying to go further than that. Each pony was a little point of light in a dazzling sea of stars, some larger, or they would be more sparkling than others, but each one precious. I urged them all to get moving, to scatter away from the city as quietly and quickly as possible. Don't be seen, don't be heard, just get moving.

Sandra poked me with a hoof on the leg. "I assume you didn't mean us?" She had her tongue wrapped around Lone Wing, who looked like he was trying to escape in a futile wriggling.

I reached for Lone and pet him behind an ear. "Relax. You're staying with me." The attention calmed him quickly and Sandra was able to put him down without him bolting away.

The shapeshifting woman nodded. "You're getting better at that, good. This way." She strode purposefully down the street and we fell in behind her. "The name's Liz. You?" We volunteered our names, and she continued, "Nice to meet you. Sorry there isn't a lot of time for idle chat. We have plenty of space to cover and not enough time to do it in. Since I know you're going to ask anyway, I'm a recovered."

Sandra tilted her head. "Recovered?"

She sang as she hiked, her attention squarely on covering distance as quickly as possible.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.

I put two and two together. "You were feral, like most of the ponies, but you got your humanity back?"

"Humanity's a loaded word, but yes. I lucked out, to be blunt."

She didn't answer any further questions. As dawn approached, we were in the suburbs. A helicopter came in, flying towards the base we had left far behind. We hid under a bus stop while it soared overhead, not wanting to be spotted. It left after only a few minutes on the ground, carrying out its unknown mission.

Liz led us along for most of the day, leaving the city behind. When we started to hit actual countryside, she signalled us to stop and leaned against a tree. "Our ride'll be here shortly. Nice work, by the way."

"Which part?" I settled down to wait.

"Making them scatter. The city went from priority number one bomb target to waste of time. I'm sure they can see they are dispersing, which is likely making some of them go into fits, seeing as they'll spread the infection, but there are a lot less clusters to throw bombs at, and they can't tell which group has you."

Sandra frowned. "I don't think he was trying to spread the infection..." She squirmed a little, her thick tail swaying. "Why not?"

I reached for Sandra, subbing across her snout. "Focus. You know why not."

She thought a moment before nodding. "Yeah, sorry. God this is strange."

Lone sniffed around Sandra's tail idly, his own wagging wildly. She snarled at him and kicked back a hoof, discouraging him easily. He sulked and sank to the ground. "No one will play with me. It hurts if I don't play."

Liz sighed. "Poor bastard. We don't have time to jerk you off right now. Wait a little longer."

The familiar rumbling of a large tunneler was felt under us a moment before a pony broke the surface. She only had one head, but was easily twice the size of the three headed model. She slipped onto the surface and turned around silently. Liz moved to climb up and waved for us to join. We clambered aboard. I said hi, but the pony didn't seem interested in talking. The moment we were all secured, she dove into the ground and carried us swiftly away. We'd escaped the city.

We emerged in a thick forest. Once we were off of our ride, she left, still silent. "Is she feral?" I hiked a thumb at her.

"Yep. She doesn't talk at all. She seems to understand a few words, but she's just not interested in that kind of thing. Come on." We didn't have to go far to run into a few other ponies gathered around a new type I hadn't seen before.

The mare was composed of glittering gemstones, smoothed over into a bedazzling and multi-colored body of crystal. She smiled gently on seeing us. "You made it." She trotted towards us, her envoy trailing behind her. "Welcome, fellow ruler."

Sandra tilted her head. "What makes someone a ruler or not? I've heard, or felt, William give commands. Creepy, by the way."

The crystal pony pointed at herself. "I'm Crystal Clarity, but Crystal will do. To answer your question, you just are. I'm not a full-blown leader. Like Liz, I can feel others and influence them, but only over a small area, and it's easier to reject my orders." She leveled a hoof at me. "You are the full deal. I faintly felt your command, and we're quite a way from the city. The Council will be overjoyed."

Liz nodded at that. "Speaking of, when are they getting here?"

Crystal shook her head. "I am their representative for today. The situation's too dangerous to have us all gathered."

I rolled a hand. "Alright, so, what is it? What is this 'council'? I'm swinging in the dark here and I don't like it."

Crystal smiled. "Patience. The council is just a fancy name for all of us leaders. With the pony way spreading far and wide, we felt a need to organize ourselves."

Sandra tilted her head. "So are you trying to exterminate mankind or what?"

Crystal frowned. "Not... exactly? The opinion varies per member, but I have family, both among the ponies and humanity. I don't want to forcibly change them like that. That's just cruel." The ponies with Crystal offered no words, just staying close to her.

Lone Wing tried his luck, approaching one of the smaller mares in the group and sniffing at her flank. She offered no resistance and soon he was getting his much desired relief by pounding away at her. The rest of the group seemed to just ignore the abrupt coupling.

Crystal raised a brow at him, taking more notice than the others. "Your friend is an excellent reason why. The conversion robs most of their free will. Sometimes they get it back, sometimes they don't, and even when they do, they are changed for it. Just thinking about my nephew like that? I couldn't do that."

Sandra snorted softly. "William helped me through it. I'm mostly alright, barring a few slips."

Crystal nodded at Sandra then looked at William. "You are a good friend. Tell me, what would you see done, provided you had the power to convince the others?"

I sighed softly, considering that. "I'd like to see the violence stop, from both sides. People shouldn't be attacked by amorous ponies, and ponies shouldn't be shot dead. Not much to ask, right?" I was distracted by a sudden intense pain in the ass. As the doctor had warned me, my tail decided it needed to emerge, bursting free and tearing my pants as it wetly slid from my flesh and began to cover itself in pink fur rapidly, forming several curled segments. The color seemed to have a gradient, forming an almost sunrise of colors, all tinted towards pink.

Crystal and Sandra winced in sympathy. Crystal shook her head. "You are still changing. You will, of course, eventually be a pony. Are you at peace with that?"

I grit my teeth, still feeling echoes of that intense pain. "No. Does it have to go that way? Liz is bipedal, isn't she?"

Liz shrugged. "I'm cheating. I can become whatever I want, within certain limits. If I let it all go..." She fell to all fours and became a carapaced pony with insectoid wings and a crooked horn. "This is what you get."

Cindy bumped against me. "Don't be so worried. We're in this together and we'll come through alright. Four legs isn't that bad. We have magic where fingers are missing."

Crystal perked her glittering ears. "You were so quiet, I didn't think you spoke. Do you have a name?"

"Cindy. A pleasure to meet you, duchess."

"Duchess?" Crystal tilted her head. "What made you pick that title?"

Cindy took control of an arm to point at Crystal. "Lesser royalty, said with all due respect of course. We are a princess."

Liz hiked a brow as she became human, mostly. "Princess? Does that mean there's a queen model around here?"

Cindy shook herself. "Ponies don't have queens."

Sandra raised a hoof to put to her face. "Could someone explain how you can grow a second head that knows more about this stuff than anyone else who was actually here through it?"

Crystal frowned. "There is much we don't yet know. Still, a pleasure to meet you all." She reached and swatted Lone Wing free of her servant. "You've had enough."

Long Wing sulked, but trotted back over to me, looking much relieved.

Crystal rolled a hoof. "Well, to borrow your terminology, about one in a hundred thousand ponies are a 'duchess', but only one in a billion are 'princesses'. Those are a little rough, seeing as we don't have a census of ponykind."

A flapping sound drew our eyes upwards as a stallion with bat wings and fangs landed on a thick branch above us. He had two tails that swayed against one another. "Mistress Crystal. A detachment of human soldiers approaches. One hour until arrival. Chemical suits are worn."

"Thank you." Crystal took a soft breath. "Alright, everyone gather close. We need to vacate. Umbra, meet us back home." The bat pony saluted with a wing and launched himself into the sky.

Once she had us assembled around herself, there was a bright flash of light, and we were somewhere else entirely.

Author's Notes:

Do you like exposition? Good! You're getting that, and some typos at no additional charge.

12 - Scattered

I was wearing a pony for a hat. A quick inspection proved it was Lone Wing. I was in the middle of a grassy field, and no one else was around. Did something go wrong? "You alright, Lone?" I felt a little frazzled from whatever that magic was, but mostly intact.

Lone slipped off of me, leaving a bit of a trail along the way. The guy was like a slug sometimes. "Sorry about that. I'm fine. Where are we?"

I did a slow turn. "I don't see a lot of anything. Grass, a few bushes. No towns or anything."

Cindy frowned a little. "Maybe she's still new to that spell."

I threw up a hand. "Then we should have walked quickly away from the soldiers instead of that. God. I hope Sandra made it at least."

Lone rubbed up against my leg affectionately. "I'll be your guard and friend for now, if you'll let me."

I crouched down and gently rubbed over Lone's head like a pet dog. "You were already my friend. Let's see if we can't find some food."

Lone purred softly at the petting before pointing at the grass. "We could eat that?"

I wasn't so sure. "I'm not a pony yet. I'm not sure I can just browse." I grabbed a few stalks of tall grass and stuffed it in my mouth with no confidence and was rewarded with the bitter taste of grass, ugh. I spat it out. "Let's find something better, and water too. That's even more important."

Lone spread his wings and took to the air, circling just above my head. "I'll find both for you, leave it to me!"

I settled on a small rock big enough to hold my ass off the ground, feeling my new tail brush back and forth across the ground. "I'll be here. If you don't find anything in about ten minutes, come back anyway."

Lone bobbed his head and took off, leaving me alone. Cindy asked, "Why don't you see if you can feel any others around?" It was a good idea, so I closed my eyes and found that mental space. It was getting easier to touch it each time I reached for it.

My senses spread out, but unlike the city, this was no bed of stars A few pinpricks of light were here and there. I somehow knew one of them was Lone, and I could see him doing his circling patrols. Without the other stars drowning each other out, picking out an individual was possible. I still had no real sense of scale, so I wasn't sure how far I was reaching, or how far apart any of the specks were from one another.

Did I want to try calling some over? I wasn't sure that was a good idea, seeing as they could be friendly or not, and having more ponies doesn't get us anywhere faster. On top of that, I had no idea where we wanted to be! I opened my eyes to find Lone Wing sitting in my lap. He had two pears dangling from his teeth, held by their stems.

I accepted them in trade for petting. "So, Lone. What were you before you were a pegasus?" The pears were delicious, and juicy. I remembered reading that water from fruit counted, so I was a little less stressed about that, especially if he could keep finding fruit.

Lone looked thoughtful, frowning. "Oh, uh... remembering that far back is a little hard..." He rolled over, belly up and cock displayed. "I'll try, so... Uh..."

Cindy took control of an arm and tickled one of his furry balls as she spoke. "We'll reward you if you can remember."

Lone tensed and shivered in delight at the attention. "O-OK! I remember... sharp things. Clean, white. Sick people... Some were acting funny. We tried to help them." His discomfort seemed to grow as he went, so Cindy upped the ante, taking hold of his thick member and giving it a slow pull from the base towards the tip and back down again. He sighed out with relief. "Keep doing that... Oh, uh, so... We tried to help them, but they got worse, and then one, a female, asked me to lean in and listen to her. I thought she was scared, maybe she was dying. We didn't know. So..."

The stroking gained in tempo, making Lone wriggle and buck his hips with obvious enjoyment. It was like we were literally pumping him for information, though he didn't have any objection to this method. "So I leaned in, and she kissed me, and pulled me on top of her. By the time she was done with me... You see what happened... I was made for one purpose." He grunted, shaft spurting preseed freely as he squirmed. "I was a doctor... I was... a doctor..." He arched his back up off my lap and his shaft twitched powerfully, spraying himself and the ground with thick volleys of pony seed. He collapsed in place, trembling with little after shocks. Tears ran down his face among the mess he made of himself. "I was a doctor..."

Author's Notes:

In this chapter, we learn something about Lone Wing. Poor guy, at least he'll never have to worry about typos again.

13 - Weathering the Night

Lone wasn't in any shape to go scouting again, and I didn't have the heart to press the issue. He was still absorbing just how much he lost. He knew enough to know he should know so much more, starting with his old name, which was still beyond his grasp. The sun was setting, and it was getting colder. I picked up Lone and looked for some kind of shelter.

The best we could find was a natural ditch, but it kept the wind off of us at least, so we settled down into it. For better or worse, Lone was very snuggly, and his furry body kept away much of the chill, so I found myself reciprocating, and we laid together in the growing darkness. Cindy broke the silence. "It'll be alright."

Lone sniffled softly. "Easy for you to say... You didn't give up everything."

Cindy smiled a little. "True, I was kind of born into this, but that doesn't change the facts. You have a good friend, right here."

Lone squeezed tighter. "But what about my family? I mean, besides the pegasi... I miss them too, but I mean... human family? I might have had one, and I don't even know if I should be sad for them or not. A wife? Parents? Friends? I could have a kid..."

I stroked over his back, rubbing between his wings. "Hey, this might sound odd, but you already sound... smarter."

"I don't feel smarter..." Lone shuffled upwards and rest his head on my shoulder. "I feel like an oversexed toy. My balls hurt, and I hate them for it. This... thing took everything from me."

Cindy took control of an arm, reaching to help Lone with his problem, but he reacted poorly to that, swatting the hand away. "Stop! I... I don't want to be..."

A new strange queasiness rumbled in my lower belly before pain and dampness exploded through my pants. I jumped against Lone and hissed against the agony as my insides shifted uncomfortably. I was changing again, but how?

Cindy tilted herself. "Oh dear. I thought this would be coming."

Lone looked concerned. "What? Are you alright?" He slid downwards and grabbed onto my zipper in his mouth, grabbing it in his teeth and tugging it down. I wasn't stunned enough to just let him fumble along, so I reached down, one hand softly petting him around the ears while the other worked off my suddenly wet pants.

I shoved them down around my ankles, boxers included. "What do you see?" Lone was in the way for my own investigation, and I still couldn't bring myself to push the guy.

Lone swallowed loud enough for me to hear. "Uh... you're..."

Cindy spoke up for it. "You are now a mare, but still a stallion."

I frowned. "What? Can you do that?"

"You just did it."

Lone leaned in and sniffed at me. "Oh god you smell good. Please?"

I went rigid. Lone wanted to service me, of course. "N-not right now, please?"

Lone nodded slowly. "Sorry... Sorry..." He curled up against me. "Sorry..."

I gently pet over his side, stroking from his head to his tail. "I'm not angry at you. This is freaky as hell for both of us, alright? We'll get through it."

He rolled over and pressed belly to belly, snuggling warmly. We eventually found sleep in one another's arms. Tomorrow would be another day.

We awoke to the sound of footsteps. I pulled up my clothes, damp as they still were, and peeked out of our trench. There were two men, unarmed, just walking along. They weren't wearing military clothes, just hiking clothes. Were they normal humans that had avoided infection? I chanced it and held onto Lone with one hand keeping him a bit low as I waved with the other. "Heya."

They looked up with surprise, then returned the gesture. They wandered closer but stopped when they likely saw my big pony ears, and, you know, second head. "The hell?"

The other nudged the first. "They must be filming something out here."

They really were ignorant of the situation? I thanked the fates. "Not exactly, but it's cool. I need a little help, but first I'm going to show you some odd things."

The first raised a brow. "You'll pardon us if we stay way over here. That, uh, other part is looking at us."

The second pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of Cindy and I. "Think they're the 'mutants' they were talking about on the radio?"

"I'd figure so. He's not acting dangerous at all though."

Huh, so they had heard of it. They were just kinda stupid. That works too. I stood up, which revealed my swaying tail, and soon Lone Wing's curious head sniffing the air at them. I could feel Lone's urge to rush them and spread the gift, and I kept a hand on him, softly petting and keeping him calm. "We're not dangerous. We are lost as hell though."

The second took another picture, that time of Lone Wing. "You owe me ten bucks, Jack."

Jack frowned. "Ah fuck. You were right, they are little ponies. Our tax dollars at work, telling us to run scared from tiny horses." Jack shrugged. "Whatever. Look at the heat he's packing."

The other one laughed loudly. "Are you staring at its big horse cock?"

Lone licked his lips. "I can show it to you up close if you want?"

They both recoiled at Lone speaking, caught by surprise. I swear one of them looked tempted by Lone's offer a moment, but they didn't approach closer. Jack rubbed behind his head. "Well, suppose we can be neighborly at least, assuming you aren't waiting for the chance to kick us or whatever ponies do."

The second chuckled a bit. "Ah ain't afraid of no ponies."

Truly did the heavens smile on me that day. "We're both hungry, and if you have a map of the area, that would be fantastic." I dug out my wallet. I thought the money within would be useless, but there we were. "I can pay."

Jack nudged his friend. "Go on Pete."

Pete frowned. "I'm not taking money from a guy lost in the middle of nowhere. You put that away. Come on, we'll fix you up. You're both house trained, I hope?"

I felt a flush of annoyance, but I was more not-human than human at that point, so I tried to let it go. "We won't go anywhere but outside or a toilet."

Lone ambled up to them suddenly, circling around and sniffing them. His dick was making quite a trail. It was obvious the presence of uninfected humans was working him up. I quickly caught up with him and grabbed him by the scruff before he ruined either of their lives, then we were on our way.

Author's Notes:

Lone struggles with his new place in life, seeking to know more of his past while his current tugs powerfully at his mind. Can he find a balance?

Not without typos along the way,

14 - Welcome to the Family (clop)

We arrived at their house, which was a two story wooden affair that had no other houses in sight around it. "How do you two survive alone out here?"

Jack shrugged. "We make do. Sometimes we head into the city for supplies, but we got some animals." He hiked a thumb at a chicken coop and some cows were out in a field. "S'not a bad life really. Peaceful."

Pete headed inside first, showing the door wasn't even locked, though I doubted they got visitors often enough to worry about that much. How far out were we? I decided to ask. "How far out are we, and where from?"

Pete whistled at the question. "How'd you get so lost? I mean shit, I really have to get drunk before I forget where I am that bad."

Lone, in my arms, began to grind against one of the arms, rubbing his dick back and forth with an obvious building tension. Cindy shook her head. "It's a long story, but let's just go with that." She smiled, and Pete shook his head quickly.

"Ain't right, having two heads like that. You sure it ain't catchy?"

Lone spoke in a quivering voice. "Only if you kiss."

I nodded in agreement. "No fluid contact."

Peter shrank back. "What? You mean it really is contagious?"

Jack didn't seem as worried. "So don't kiss them, or give the little one there a handjob."

Lone twisted in my arms to look at Jack. "Please?"

Peter moved for the kitchen. "Nope."

Jack wasn't as quick to dismiss the idea, which I found a bit... odd. "If you're considering it, we were serious. You'll stop being a person if you mess with Lone Wing here. I'm not trying to do that to people."

Jack rubbed one arm with the opposing hand. "Right right, gonna go get dressed." He retreated to the stairs and fled upstairs.

Cindy frowned a little. "He desires the gift. Why did you scare him away?"

Lone bobbed his head up at me. "Let me play with him! You saw the way he was looking at me. He wants it!" He kicked out a leg weakly. "I want him..."

"Stupid question." I pet Lone behind the ear a little. "Were you gay as a human?"

"I'm not gay now." Lone whined softly before snorting and collapsing in my arms. "I don't care what he has, or doesn't. Besides... he might become a mare. Good chance of it really."

Peter returned with a bag of trail mix, and a bottle of water. He tossed both at my feet but didn't approach. "Take it and get out. I hope you get whatever treatment you need, but... yeah. Git."

I wanted to be angry at Peter, but I would have done the same thing in his boots, so I picked up the offered supplies. "Do you have a map?"

"Only got the one, sorry. Good luck."

We were soon outside, and I started walking away from the house, sharing the trail mix with Cindy and Lone when we heard the crunch of someone rushing up the driveway. It was Jack. "I'm coming with you."

This was very confusing. "Why are you so eager to be a pony?"

Jack turned a little red. "I like horses. I wanted to have a horse ranch since forever, but Pete said to get cows instead, more useful he said. But cows are stupid and fat. Horses are way better."

Lone rolled around in the crook of my arm, displaying himself to Jack. "You can come along."

Jack glanced back at the house. "We should put some distance. Pete looked like he was ready to get his shotgun."

Deciding not to risk shotguns, we made our way swiftly down the road until about noon, when Jack directed us off the road and to a small hut of a house. "People used ta live here, but they died, so it's just abandoned." We retreated into the darkness and settled down. I released Lone and he quickly scampered up to Jack, sniffing at him.

Jack reached for him, petting him around the head and ears as I had done many times. "You're a cute one, aintcha?"

At that point, I didn't grab for Lone. I gave the guy plenty of warnings. If he really wanted it, hell, who was I to stop him?

Lone rubbed his snout against the petting hand before he sat back and spread his fore-hooves. "Will you join my herd?" The question surprised me. Lone was asking permission instead of just continuing as they were.

Jack smiled and reached for Lone, pulling him up to Jack's lap and softly petting over his sides. "I'd be delighted to." Deft human fingers moved around to Lone's front and tickled over the flat end of his throbbing horse meat, making it twitch all the harder and draw a low groan from Lone Wing. "I'm a little overdressed, don't you think?"

Lone squirmed out of his grip and got to tugging the clothes free of his new friend as quickly as he could, grabbing with his teeth and flapping his wings for leverage, he was making steady progress, and they both seemed to be excited by the slowness of the act, like a teasing strip show.

Cindy bumped herself against my head. "Aren't they cute?"

I wasn't sure cute was the word I'd use, but it was nice seeing Lone get some of the attention he wanted. Jack was a man that clearly got his work in. He was mostly solid. Not too bad a looker if you like beards and that slightly-wild look of a man that doesn't do cities. I found my tail swaying a bit more energetically as I watched them, though I wasn't sure why. In fact, I wondered why I was watching at all. I looked away only to end up turning back to the action.

Jack had set Lone on the ground and moved up on him, offering his turgid length to the eager pegasus' mouth. Lone looked like he was about to go for it, but hesitated and tapped the ground with a hoof. "Down." They ended up on the dirt, with Lone on top and offering his shaft while reaching for Jack's member. He was too small to reach with his snout, but his hooves got over there and cradled Jack's cock, giving it a slow stroking from the base to the tip.

Jack got a happy noise out of Lone when he licked one of his big furry balls, but that was nothing compared to the writhing delight as tongue went to work along his aching shaft, working towards the flattened tip.

Cindy nudged against me again. "We should give him the gift?" She was whispering softly.

I whispered back, "Isn't that what Lone is doing?"

Cindy shook herself. "We can make it faster. Can't you feel it?"

I tried to sort myself out. I was pretty confused at the moment with where my emotions lay, but there was something there, besides the rapidly forming and uncomfortable bulge I was making in my pants. I could feel that Jack was infected, touched by the pony spirit, but it was slow growing, and would probably take... days to emerge.

"That," whispered Cindy. "Let's make it faster. May I?"

I frowned a little with a thought. "Won't that mess with his head?"

"He'll thank us later." She didn't ask any further, bathing Jack in a golden-pink light. He grunted and bucked his hips, shaft swelling in Lone's hooves. Lone smiled and leaned all the harder for it, and soon it was just long enough for him to kiss, and he began teasing the opening at the end furiously as his hooves worked.

I didn't like the look of that and flicked Cindy across the horn. She took control of the same hand and pinched my nose in revenge, "Don't be rude!"

Jack's breathing became labored as he began changing in a way I hadn't expected. His arms pulled back inch by inch, being absorbed by his body as he grew longer but more flexible. Dark brown fur exploded out from his old hair, covering his body as he mindlessly worked at Lone Wing. When his face pressed out into a snout, he was able to down the entire pony cock, and Lone Wing's wings beat furiously in pleasure. The scent of horny stallions filled the room and they grunted against one another. With his increased flexibility, Jack curled on himself, bringing Lone closer to his prize. Soon both of their shafts were lodged in the comforting wet tightness of the other's throat, noisily slurping at one another with increasing abandon.

Jack's legs began to draw in as well. He was becoming rather... snake-like? A pony naga, I settled on. He had the head of a pony, but the body of a snake. His back end was more bristly in the fur then the rest of him, giving the impression of a tail, and he till had his black hair, which was then a mane. With a sudden, loud, but muffled, groan they exploded. I could see their balls jumping in time with their powerful releases into one another's belly, and they settled down, breathing through their noses with loud little snorts for air.

I broke the relative silence by asking Jack. "You alright?"

Jack squirmed under Lone until Lone got the idea and clambered off of him. "Ugh... yeah, I think?" He looked down at himself and paled through the fur. "Oh sweet Jesus, what the hell am I? I thought I was supposed ta be a horse, not... whatever?"

Lone Wing turned to face him with a tilted head. "I... don't know?"

I didn't either. I looked to Cindy, the closest we had to an expert. "Why isn't he a pony?"

Cindy shrugged my shoulders. "He is. Ponies come in a lot of shapes and sizes, and they all have special talents."

Jack was far from pleased. "Well fuck that noise! I don't want to not have arms and legs! Fix it!"

Cindy shook her head. "I don't know how to do that."

Jack coiled a bit. "Don't know how, or it can't be done?"

Lone Wing looked devastated. "I'm so sorry... I thought you'd be a new wing-mate for me." He spread his wings wide. "You're still... I mean... I'm not leaving you."

Jack looked at Lone with a cocked brow a moment, then leaned in sinuously, apparently grasping how to use his new snake form reasonably. "Look at me! I'm pretty fucked up."

Lone reached a wing to tap Jack on the nose. "You look like a friend."

Author's Notes:

Lone gets what he wants, and Jack really doesn't get what he wants. This is what you get for embracing a wild new plague with open arms. They take your arms and replace them with typos!

15 - Reporting In

I fell asleep with two fuzzy bodies in that shack, but woke up to the increasingly familiar garden.

Luna smiled on seeing me. "You have caused great panic in the others, but you appear well."

It made sense, in retrospect. "So you've met all the other 'S-Classes'?"

She raised a brow. "We are not familiar with that term, but those touched most potently by alicorn magic, yes." She circled around me, and her hoof batted at my tail. "We see your body resists it yet, but you develop regardless. Where are you, that I may direct the others to find you?"

I shrugged a little. Cindy suddenly started spouting numbers, then smiled. "Tell them those."

Luna nodded as a paper appeared, the numbers being transcribed. "We will do this. There is a pitched battle in progress, I'm afraid, so they will not be able to come immediately."

"What?!" I stepped towards Luna. "Can you show me?"

"I will try..." She waved a wing and a scene appeared.

A great gathering of ponies and humans. The humans were all dressed in toxin-resistant looking suits and heavily armed, while the ponies attacked with a variety of natural weapons. The numbers on either side was quite impressive, to say nothing of the larger members of either side. Great behemoth-like ponies threw aside tanks, only to collapse under concentrated fire. The cost in life and theoretical money was astounding to me as I watched it unfold. "Why are they fighting? They should get the hell out of there."

Luna shook her head. "I have already offered my advice. That is all I can do. It pains me to see such loss of life done so casually."

A bat pony landed behind a line of soldiers and let out a deafening shriek, sending them to their knees in pain as other ponies swarmed over them, peeling them from their suits and grabbing for their firearms. One of the soldiers grabbed a grenade at his belt and primed it. "Fuck you." He exploded, taking half a dozen ponies standing too close to him on the way.

There were no winners in that fight.

I turned to Luna. "Can I control them from here?"

"You are welcome to try."

I reached out, towards the vision, and could feel the ponies there, but it was as if I was looking through a microscope that had gauze on the lense, a bright muddled mess. I would just confuse them, and get more of them killed, so I abandoned the plan and sighed. Luna came up behind me and nuzzled a hand. "It pleases me to know that you agree this is not the way it should be. Your world suffers greatly. Can you stop this?"

I clenched the nuzzled fist, knuckles brushing her soft fur. "I'll try."

I woke up to the coils of Jack all around me. Lone was wrapped as well, and was hugging back sleepily. "Uh, hi?"

Jack woke at my words and got a little tighter a moment. "Sorry 'bout that."

He sounded calm. "Are you feeling better then? You were pretty upset before."

Jack curled down so his face was in front of mine. "I talked with Lone Wing a bit. Stupid horse loves me to pieces, and we just barely met. I... I don't know. I feel like it's all going to work out somehow, even if I don't have any limbs right now, which still freaks me out, let me remind you."

I nodded in sympathy. As bizarre as all my changes were, I didn't envy Jack. "We should stay here. Help's on the way eventually."

Jack leaned in and bumped his nose against the side of my horn. "Why don't I ever see you use this thing? Yer other head seems fine with hers. God that was a lot of words I didn't think I'd ever say."

It was a fair question, I thought. "Well I know how to do this." I raised a hand towards a scrap of wood across the room and it flew into my hand easily.

"That's cool, but how about that thing she did? She made me into this snake thing right? Maybe you could, I dunno, do something else?"

I glanced aside at Cindy, who was looking back at me. "Go ahead and try," she encouraged. "You should practice your magic, or I should say our magic."

I wasn't sure where to start. There was that tickle when I moved things with it, so I started there and tried mentally prodding around. I suddenly felt Cindy in my thoughts, guiding my mental fingers just a bit to feel something new. She quickly backed away once I found it, leaving me to experiment with it. I could feel the, uh, gift. It was dizzyingly active in me, still buzzing in Jack, and mostly dormant in Lone Wing. That made sense enough. It meant Lone Wing was stable. He'd probably always be a little cute pegasus stallion. "So, uh, you want arms and legs back, right?"

"That'd be a great start," agreed Jack with a hopeful smile.

I spread my magic over him and saw that pink-golden light wash over his body. I tried to focus it where I thought his arms should be, willing for arms.

Cindy suddenly asked, "Pony arms?"

My thoughts went off-kilter. I was going to say human arms, but what if it can't do human arms? Should it be pony arms? What kind of arms?! While I was distracted, Jack suddenly sprouted a lion like arm with a paw that looked surprisingly dextrous.

"Not... awful, but I'd rather be like Lone Wing."

Pegasus arm, pegasus arm! A bird like arm popped free with a talon at the end, also looking dextrous. "Uh..."

Jack wriggled his new set of fingers. "They don't match, but they're a mile better than being a tube. Heck, I still have fingers." He put a lion paw to work softly petting Lone Wing, who purred in his sleep happily.

"So... you're OK with this?"

"Better than I was. If you can hook a man up with some legs we'll be cooking with gas."

I did my best, but it seemed that once a pattern was started, it had to be followed to the end. No matter how strongly I pictured pony legs, none of his limbs matched the others. Even his wings were mismatched, and small, but they somehow got him off the ground and he looked pleased despite it all. "This isn't so bad. I'm sort of a pony, and a lot less crippled." He had a deer leg and an reptilian leg. Most of him was still sinuous pony, along with his pony head and face. I had succeeded on one of the wings, a pegasus wing, but the other looked like it would fit on that bat pony I saw yesterday. I could feel the gift's level in him settling to a dull buzz.

Not quite as sleepy as Lone's, however.

Author's Notes:

William gains a level! Luna is checked in on, and the plot advances!

This is what happens when you get typos into transmutation spells, by the way.

16 - Reunion

Lone woke up and was quite happy to see Jake in his new form. "You have your parts back!"

"Mostly." Jack chuckled a bit. "They're a bit odd-looking, but they're all here." He held out his arms, and Lone flew into them and they hugged each other. I smiled at the sight of the two being so warmly bonded.

I did wonder though. "You're taking this very well, but I think everyone around me takes it well... Hell, I'm taking my own changes well."

Cindy tilted her head. "The magic of the other world is harmonious."

Lone blinked at Cindy. "What other world?"

Cindy tilted herself towards me again. "Tell them."

All eyes settled on me. "Right, so, I've had odd dreams, with a pegacorn in it."

"Alicorn," corrected Cindy.

"Sure, Alicorn. Her name's Luna. She's from another world where ponies are normal, and have one head, and normal sized parts. She said they messed up a science experiment and got their magic all over our world." Not the best explanation, but I felt it hit the important parts. "She's trying to undo some of the damage, but apparently there's not a lot they can do from wherever they are to wherever we are."

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "That made as much sense as I think it ever will. Kind of messed up when you think about it, accidentally nuking another planet and all."

Lone's wings extended. "Sounds like a nice place. I'd like to visit." He glanced towards Jack. "If you did?"

Jack nuzzled Lone, snout-to-snout. "Sure, once we figure out how, and aren't being hunted. We are being hunted right?"

Lone frowned. "Yeah..."

I pointed to the door. "The military is handling it with severe prejudice. Any pony they see is getting gunned down. It doesn't help that most ponies are just as eager to infect the soldiers."

Jack waved at me. "So why don't you use some of that magic? I mean, man, if I had magic I'd be using it all over."

Cindy bobbed herself. "You should experiment more. It's a part of you now, just like your ears."

Ah yes, my pony ears. I reached up to feel one, and it twitched in my grip. "Cindy, you said you can make a shield?"

"Sure can."

"Can you show me how?"

I felt her warmly press into my mind, and I was quickly guided to a new place. It wasn't far from the other magic places, just subtly different. I took a mental grip on it and focused on it.

Lone whistled sharply and I opened my eyes. When had I closed them? I could see a pink sphere shimmering around me. Lone hopped out of Jack's arms and bounded over. He tapped at the shield, making eddies in its surface but proving unable to push through it. "Wow."

Cindy smile. "Just like that. It takes more energy to use depending on how much is trying to get through it. Lone's tapping is basically nothing."

Lone took it as a challenge and rammed a hoof against it as hard as he could. I could feel a sudden pressure and grew warm a moment, but it passed quickly. "I felt that. Don't do it again."

There was a bright flash and a rush of displaced air as Crystal appeared. "There you are!" Her eyes wandered over Jack. "I haven't seen your kind before. Hello?"

Jack wiggled the talons of his bird-like hand. "Hey, uh?" He looked towards me. "You know her?"

Lone did, and rushed up to her, hugging a leg. "Hello, Crystal! What happened? You went away and we were suddenly in the middle of nowhere and we couldn't find you at all."

Crystal softly pet over Lone's back. "Everything's alright now." She looked to me with a smile. "Let's try that again, without the mistake. I'm terribly sorry about that. I won't do it again. It's... been a trying time, and I'm still getting used to the gift."

Jack offered a lion's paw. "Name's Jack, by the way."

She met his paw with a raised hoof. "Crystal. A pleasure. Let's go somewhere relatively safe."

We gathered around Crystal and she put up a shield of her own. "This will keep you all close," she said sheepishly before a bright flash overtook us.

We appeared in a cave brightly lit by floating balls of magic, or what I assumed was magic. There were dozens of ponies around, but they all looked relaxed. Our arrival got their attention though, and soon we were surrounded by curious fuzzy faces.

I felt a snout shove itself up under my tail before an alarmed squeak rang out. The pony that was being a bit too familiar skittered back into the crowd, drawing some of it with her. "She's hurt!"

The crowd looked back at me, then Crystal.

Crystal looked to me. "Well, are you?"

I didn't feel hurt at the moment, but I did remember I was wearing messy underwear and wondered if that was part of it. "Do you have any fresh clothes around here?"

Crystal shook her head. "We do not. What would we do with them? You won't need any soon enough... Why not just strip now?"

I could think of a number of reasons, most of them staring directly at me. Still, if I was getting ripe enough to scare them... I undid the button of my pants and unzipped before pulling it down. Several ponies gasped in alarm. Lone shuddered violently. "You were bleeding..."

My boxers were definitely wet before, but I hadn't realized the pain that came with getting an innie was blood, not some other fluid. I peeled them away with distaste and tossed them away, where the ponies grabbed it and rushed it out of sight. Cautiously, the crowd came in close again and the inspection resumed. I wanted to keep them back, but there were so many of them, and their ticklish little snouts were starting to feel good as they unabashedly nuzzled into my horse sheath and up under my balls. A sudden wet lick made me collapse gracelessly.

The crowd rippled away as I fell, only to come back in and start cleaning me with long wet tongues. Each time one of them wandered over my new organ, my world exploded. I let out a slow sigh and surrendered to the will of the crowd. After the last few days, I just wasn't feeling up to turning away the pleasure they offered, even if it came in an alien package.

Author's Notes:

William discovers receiving a tongue bath to his new parts feels pretty good, to say nothing of where else those pony snouts were pressing. United with his fellows and Crystal, perhaps some progress can be made.

If only they could get a message to the humans without typos.

17 - Finger Licking Good

I regained awareness to a familiar weight on my chest. Cracking open an eye, I saw Sandra curled up on top of me. She spotted my movement and gave me a soft prod with a hoof. "Lazy boygirl thing."

I winced a little, and she just laughed. "If you were hoping to hide that, maybe not being eaten out by about twenty ponies should have rated higher on your todo list." She leaned in and rubbed her nose to mine, then gave Cindy her own nuzzling at. "I'm glad to see you though. The ponies here creep me out a little. They're happy, but they're not all... there. Like a bunch of happy dogs instead of people, even if they do understand you."

I reached up and pet over Sandra's back, quickly getting a soft purring noise out of her. "So where are the others?"

"Others? Oh, Lone Wing wandered off with that mismatched friend of his. Cute couple. You did that?"

Cindy bobbed herself. "We made Jack what he is, together."

I sighed a little. "I messed up and got him a bit of everything."

Sandra raised a brow. "You can change people now?"

"Sort of?" I sat up, moving Sandra to my lap, which is when I remembered that I was naked from the hips down. Her hooves didn't press on anything sensitive, and her warm bulk felt nice. "I can direct the 'gift', to a degree? It works best on people who haven't finished becoming whatever they are."

Sandra shook her head. "Wish we knew about that. I'm... tolerating the jaw thing, but if I had the choice, I'd rather be a unicorn, or maybe that crystal thing Crystal has going on?" She nuzzled my shirt-covered belly, but was quickly working her way down. "You smell funny... and good."

I gently pushed her head back, though now that she had brought it up, I did feel a bit odd, tingly. On an urge, I looked at my own gift and saw it was buzzing wildly. "Crap." That was all the signal it needed. Soft pink fur suddenly started spreading out from Cindy to the rest of me in a carpet. My chest felt like it was stabbed suddenly before an increasing pressure pushed two fair sized bumps free, becoming breasts.

Sandra recoiled at the new bumps. "Why would you grow those? Ponies don't have those, at least, not there." She sniffed at the fur as it continued to spread over me. The sensation of the growing fur kept me quiet, fists clenched as countless little pinches ran over my body. I was soon covered in light pink fur, soft and plush. My dick remained free of it, excluding its sheath of a home. The buzzing quieted, but only faintly. "Are you done?"

"I think so." I wobbled a bit, dizzy from the discomfort of suddenly going furry. "How do I look?"

"Ridiculous." She reared up on her hind-legs and bit one of my pony ears softly. "How do you feel?"

"Like my skin was just scraped off. Are there any mirrors around here?"

She waved a hoof. "Official orders from Crystal, no mirrors. It really agitates some of the ponies when they see one."

Sandra nuzzled at me until I stood up, and she guided me along through the crowd of ponies. Warm snouts pressed against legs and genitals as I went. There seemed to be no inhibitions in the crowd, and I emerged from the other end with a fully-engorged horse dick and a feeling of heat and moisture I wasn't so used to, but could guess at with a bit of distaste.

Sandra looked over her shoulders, looking ready to say something when she spotted my condition and stopped. Her nose flared softly. "There is something about you... I swear, just seeing you like that makes me want to do things. Let's get something in your belly first, I think." She turned back away and resumed the journey, but I saw her thick tail was raised, showing herself off to me.

Cindy softly whispered, "She wouldn't say no if you just grabbed those big hips of hers." The suggestion made my shaft jump, spurting a string of preseed across the ground. This was all getting very distracting, and I didn't really -want- to throw myself over Sandra. We were friends, not that kind of friend. Besides...

"I'm not giving up to this sickness." Determined, I followed after Sandra with a frown, not acting on the arousal that burned through my altered body.

We arrived in a wide open cavern where about a dozen earth ponies wandered up and down carefully arranged rows, tending to sprouts and plants, despite the lack of any sunlight. Sandra spoke over her shoulder, still facing forward. "Crystal found the earth ponies can make plants grow with enough care and will. As you can see, it's working pretty well. Everything they grow tastes fantastic." Her tongue lashed out and grabbed a celery right out of the ground and she got to chewing, dirt and all. Yuck.

She didn't offer to share, thankfully, and we soon arrived at a small table with veggies and fruits on it. "Eat." She seemed satisfied with the celery she devoured whole. Watching her three jaws grind it up was an interesting experience. She definitely was getting used to her new body. I picked up a big grapefruit and started peeling away the skin before a soft tingle ran through my fingers and the skin fell away as if the fruit just didn't want to be a bother. I set the curiously intact skin aside and sank my teeth into the fruit. Oh, wow. She wasn't kidding, it tasted great! It was everything a grapefruit should be but failed to reach with conventional growing.

Cindy suddenly took an arm, she grabbed some grapes and fed herself one at a time with a happy 'Mmmm'.

As the grapefruit vanished, I felt wet warmth suddenly wrap around my shaft. Had one of the ponies come over? I looked down to see Sandra running her tongues over my crotch, exploring my swollen member and heavy balls. I reached down to gently pull her away, but she snarled and nipped at one of my fingers. "No." She grunted and leaned back in. "Stop looking at me like I'm your sister. I'm not! I want this..."

Author's Notes:

Sandra demands her share of William time, while William's body continues its descent into ponydom, and transition towards femininity.

18 - I am Your Herd-Sister (clop)

Sandra wrapped my throbbing horse shaft in her wet and warm tendril as another teased over the heavy balls that hung under them. What I wasn't ready for was the third that slipped underneath and thrust upwards, piercing wetly into my new entrance and wriggling around in eager exploration.

Cindy hissed in her own pleasure. "Don't stop that, for anything... yes..." It was easy to forget at times she shared my body, but I was too busy being blown away, quite literally, by Sandra's exploring tongues. She wasn't happy just tasting the throbbing flesh and soft spurts of prefluids, however, Keeping me held firm while pressing ever deeper, she turned away, extending her tongue as she went to keep me in her grasp the entire time.

Her tail raised high, she waggled her hips at me with plain intent. "I was your herd-sister first, and I want to be your favorite, the alpha queen just under you."

Her words and posture made me somehow harder, almost painfully erect and dribbling to the ground as something reacted to her. I wanted her. I wanted her as my alpha female. I couldn't help but think of her that way and I grabbed her hips, rubbing over her flanks softly a moment. Cindy sniffed loudly at the air. "Oh! She's deep in heat. No wonder she's so hot to trot."

Sandra perked an ear back at us. "I am? No wonder... Do it, fill me." She rocked her body a little as her tongues squeezed at me. The one lodged in my new cunt pressed fully in, wriggling around with a pleasure I never knew before. "Make me your special mare."

I couldn't say no to her, and she seemed to somehow know this as she withdrew the tongue that held my shaft. I moved up behind her and directed the tool, rubbing its blunt end slowly over her swollen lips. I could feel the heat radiating from them, and the moisture that seeped from her. She smelled powerfully. It was a stink, some part of me said, but it was outvoted by the rest that knew it was the smell of a mare in season that wanted no other stallion but me.

I pressed against her, sinking that tool into the velvety grip of her body, parting her tight tunnel and forcing it to conform to my considerable girth. Her tongues squeezed and flexed as she adjusted, grunting with pleasure and pain. The buzzing inside me grew in intensity my vision became partially obscured with a snout pushing out with the soft pops and cracks of adjusting bones. I was spared much of the pain, dulled in the pleasure of the moment.

Sandra's flank suddenly became warmer and she cried out in ecstatic howl. She had gained a cutie mark, the first I'd seen besides Luna, or the other princesses she'd shown me. I was a little distracted to take in the details, besides to see that a pattern had appeared. I was too busy mounting her even as pain ran hot through my ribs. I wanted to rut her. I had to, but whatever was changing was making it really hard to focus on it.

Sandra drove herself back, forcing my shaft deeper into the wet furnace of her body even as I heard a loud snap. With a burst of blood and viscera, new limbs broke free of me even as I gained in mass quickly. I fell forward onto the new legs, then standing over Sandra instead of kneeling behind her as the legs gained their own pink fur and rapidly bulked with muscles. I was a centaur, though at that moment, I was Sandra's centaur, and I began to ride her as she deserved, pistoning my horse dick deep into her as she howled and shuddered with building pleasure.

I dimly noticed the earth ponies that had been farming had gathered around to watch our wild rutting. Some of them even cheered and clopped their hooves on the ground as we went at it, encouraging us onwards. I didn't have the thought to pay much attention to them, as I only cared about Sandra at that moment. Her tongue squeezed and pulled at my balls, bidding them to empty, and they obeyed her. I could feel every pulse run down my shaft in a bulge before blasting out into her in waves of liquid heat and some undefined energy, eager to spark a fire within her. I could hear Cindy and my own's moans of satisfaction, though a small part noticed my voice sounded a little more feminine, as subtle as it was with my increased size.

My shaft twitched powerfully, filling Sandra's hungry womb as she ground herself back against me. She withdrew her tongues, though not without a parting lick over my puffy vulva, making me jump a little in place and grind that shaft against her from a new angle. As the cum began to backwash out and splatter on the floor, our audience became all the more interested, licking over their lips and murmuring among themselves.

"Enough! Back to work!" Crystal walked in, clopping her hooves together as she ambled along on her hind-legs. "Give them some privacy, even if they aren't asking for any." The ponies shrank before her mild fury and scattered back out into the fields, except one brave stallion that advanced on us with his own shaft twitching under him.

"Um, sir, ma'am? May I?" He was looking right at me and rocking a bit, making his shaft slap up against his furry belly.

Crystal advanced on him with a frown and he shrank back before retreating with a little whimper to the fields. Crystal turned to look at us, locked together, and shook her head slowly. "Well... good morning then." She fell back to all fours. "Is this... your final form then?" Her eyes wandered down to Sandra. "And are you alright? He looks a bit... oversized, to put it politely."

Sandra wriggled herself lightly. "I've never felt better than now."

Cindy let out a satisfied sigh. "We're all fine. And look, William is a pony now."

Crystal nodded at me. "I see that, but he still has hands?" She moved up and nuzzled one of those hands, fur-covered as they were. "You'll make the other ponies jealous, but you were already doing that mounting Sandra like that. She wouldn't let any other pony come close to her, and she raised her tail for you the moment you two were reunited."

I ran the hand over Crystal's ears and mane. She was right, she felt both furry and soft, and yet hard and smooth like a stone. "Sorry for, uh, what are the rules about this kind of thing these days?"

Crystal sat on her haunches. "Well this is my herd here." She made a wide gesture. "These ponies do as I command, and I try to run a civil ship, which you're setting a bad example at. It's hard, seeing as the urge to get wet and messy is still there and strong in many of my ponies, so they kiss and fuck when I'm not staring at them. The kissing I don't mind, but we're going to have a big problem when the mares start swelling up all at once."

The idea of that somehow made my flagging shaft twitch with renewed vigor, and I pulled back from Sandra carefully lest we end up rutting all over again. Cindy grinned at Crystal. "Well, sorry, but we just got Sandra on her way to family life."

Crystal sighed softly. "On one hand, we need to replace all the ponies being killed, on the other, unless ponies grow up fast, it'll just slow us down in the short term with half our population out of comission for a while."

Sandra tilted her head. "Hey, what happened to--" She paused as I slipped out of her, fluids gushing free to the ground as she shuddered. When she stopped leaking she sighed and resumed. "What happened to kids? You know, normal kids that got infected?"

Crystal shook her head. "We have a few of them here, if you want to meet them? They're adorable, but... they're also a bit lost. Most of them didn't have smooth transitions. Just... ugh... imagine a parent driven wild by the gift and what they might do..." She frowned sharply. "I try not to think about that. There's one herd that's almost all foals. A damn elementary school converted en-masse by a 'duchess', as Cindy puts it."

Author's Notes:

Sexy times, centaurs, and kids! This has been an educational chapter of hijinks.

Will the seed spilled on the ground sprout into fresh typos? Do they taste good?

19 - Large and In Charge

Sandra curled on herself, peering at the new mark that adorned her flanks. The picture showed what looked like a bulging belly with little lines coming off of it as if for emphasis. "I don't get it."

I did. With a soft snort, I reached for her, stroking from head down towards her thick tail. "You're, uh, apparently a breeder."

Her fur darkened in her face and cheeks. "You're joking! i don't want to be just a breeder forever!"

I stepped over her, easily done with my new long pony legs. I settled on her, trapping her in strong pony muscles and gently squeezing legs. Her agitation seemed to calm with my affection, and I kept my hands busy stroking over her ears and hear. "You're not 'just' anything. You're my best friend, my only real link to my past. Keeping you sane has been a lot of what keeps me sane too."

She purred a moment before she rolled over underneath me, wrapping her legs around my large barrel and pressing belly to belly. "I think you're trying to say you love me. Well... I love you too." She squeezed with her legs and ground up against me, making my blood start to flow into my eager shaft, but I didn't want to rut her again just yet.

Cindy spoke up, "We should get to work. As fun as this is, I think the world is counting on us."

Sandra nodded at Cindy. "I agree. Let's, mmmf..." She cut off as my shaft, ignored or not, swelled to fullness and ground against her belly. Temptation seemed to play over her face before she shook her head. "I think you need to meet the other 'royalty'."

I carefully stepped off of Sandra, hesitating with a powerful shudder when she used one of her tendrils to lap up the seeping prefluids from me. I could easily get used to having her for a girlfriend. "Let's ask Crystal then."

Crystal, who had never actually left, perked an ear. "Ready to get going then? I thought you two might relapse into another rut."

Cindy stuck out her tongue. "We're stronger than that. We'll plow Sandra later, after business."

Sandra rolled up to her hooves and huffed at Cindy. "You say that as if it was just a given..."

Cindy tilted herself. "Isn't it?"

Sandy's blush was intense, and she didn't argue it further. I moved to follow after Crystal as she left the farming fields and head further into the caves. "I have a question for you, Crystal. Are you immune to these things? You don't even seem slightly worked up."

Crystal twisted an ear back towards us. "I think I rolled well on the big chart of mutations. Being crystal hasn't given me any huge urge to lift my tail, and that's more than fine by me, considering I used to have a dangling part."

Sandra advanced on Crystal quickly. "I had no idea. I'm so sorry, for not finding out more about you. We're kind of family now, it shouldn't have taken this long for this to come up."

Crystal shook her head while facing forward, trotting along at a good clip. "If I wanted to share it before, I would have. Don't blame yourself for it." She looked over her shoulder, suddenly stopping. Her eyes fixed on me as she grunted. "If you, specifically, try to 'fix' that..."

Cindy looked at Crystal curiously a moment. "Why does that sound more like a challenge than a request?"

"It's not!" Crystal galloped away in a sudden rush. I followed at a more sedate rate with Sandra at my side.

Sandra rubbed up against my legs from the side. "I don't think Cindy's wrong, but don't push her like that, not now. She's not ready to face her new body, and she's holding this whole community together."

I couldn't argue that basic idea. This little gathering seemed very cooperative and peaceful. They provided for their own food and there was no fighting to be seen. If all the ponies everywhere were busy being so innocent, there wouldn't be fighting at all. "I feel like we should find and take care of the 'worst' herds first, the ones that will make humans not want to deal with us."

As I said that, we came around on Crystal, sitting on her haunches and looking at us. "We agree then. So which do you want to go for first? Just in the US we have a few outright violent cells, two that have made it a point of cultural pride to debase themselves and anything they can find in the most outrageously sexual ways they can find, and one that goes out of its way to perform acts of terrorism."

I raised a brow. "Come again on that last one?"

Crystal rolled a hoof. "I was quite clear. They sabotage infrastructure in uninfected areas, taint water when they can, attack food stores, and do whatever they can to make the lives of surviving humans as difficult as possible. You remember the shapeshifter that got you out? Most of them are those. They go where they want."

Cindy made an expression of disgust. "That's just... awful. They may not be gifted, but that's just..."

Sandra nodded lightly. "We should start with them, if we can. People don't deserve that, and there's no way we can even try for peace while they're active."

I rolled a hand lightly. "This reminds me, what happened to her?"

Crystal frowned a little. "She went back to her herd and is probably up to no good. She took a break to bust you out. That kind of chaos was right up their alley. Your calling off the attack probably annoyed them something awful."

Author's Notes:

First stop, the changeling herd. Can they be convinced to work towards peace when their mission of disruption seems to be working so well?

20 - Shifting Motives

Crystal lead us to a small room with a table in the center and a bookshelf to the side and little else. She sat down beside the table and faced us. "I can put out the call for them, but they don't always answer. We could go to them, but they get territorial at times. They usually don't get too worked up if we just come to talk, but it depends on what mood they're in at the time."

Sandra shook her head. "We don't have time to be timid, right?" She looked towards me. I couldn't argue the logic, really. The longer we waited, the more damage was being done, so I nodded. "So let's get right in there and try to get things on the right track."

Crystal nodded in kind and tapped the ground in front of her. "Then there's no time like the present, if you're ready?" She tilted her head at me. "Are you sure you want to go now? I imagine that new shape of yours is a little disorienting."

With her bringing it up, I paid more attention to my new self. I felt... powerful. My pony lower half was strong and healthy, and my more humanoid parts weren't lagging behind. Having breasts felt funny, but somehow... right? The gift was insidious in its ability to make a person accept what they were as normal. I was just glad I wouldn't have to get used to nudging things around with hooves, with my hands seemingly intact and there to stay, if fuzzy.

I took a few steps while paying attention, while absorbing the exotic play of muscles that moved my tauroid form around. I didn't feel too clumsy so long as I let my body handle itself, and I felt confident I would only get better over time.

Sandra looked at Crystal. "Does it bother you that you used to be male?"

Crystal arched a furry brow. "That's a useless question. I am what I am, and there's no going back that I can see." Sandra kept staring at her, and Crystal snorted with a sudden annoyance. "Of course it bothers me, a lot." She licked her lips lightly. "Every time one of the boys tries to 'relieve me' or a girl's trotting around with her tail in the sky, I'm reminded."

I reached for Crystal, and she didn't stop me from giving her a soft petting over her head. I felt for her gift, but it was barely humming, quite stable within her crystal body. "I don't think I could make you a boy again, but I could try anyway?"

Crystal leaned up against the hand. "You're taunting me! What would happen if it fucked up?"

Cindy spoke up. "I'll help! You've been working so hard for your ponies, I want to see you happy too."

Crystal smiled. "You didn't answer my question. I can't risk becoming something that can't lead the herd. They need me."

Cindy shook her head. "If we work together, it will be safe. I promise."

Crystal hesitated a moment, then flopped to the ground and rolled over, exposing her belly and nethers to us. "If you're so sure. I've trusted you this far."

Sandra smiled brightly up at us. "Go ahead, help her, er, him." Her broad tail swayed back and forth, sweeping the ground with her excitement.

Cindy nudged me. "Touch horns, and go where I lead, and we'll give it our best shot."

We touched horns together and focused on Crystal as one. We reached out with our magic and gently stirred that little hum of the gift, guiding it down between her hind-legs. Crystal stiffened before a moan escaped her, wriggling with obvious pleasure as the gift began to work on her with the last dredges of power it had left to shape her. There was no way we could fashion her entirely into a stallion with what little remained. Instead we grew another part, while changing things internally a tad. It felt natural to me at the time, even though I didn't really understand what I was doing.

Crystal heaved and gasped as her hips thrust up into the air. With every rocking motion, her clit grew longer and longer, developing tougher skin and a slit at the end as it become a mare cock instead, pulsing wildly with arousal as it throbbed larger and larger. Internally, she gained a new organ that would store and produce virile seed for her to use, and its presence was announced as she let out a loud cry of pleasure and began spurting wildly, painting herself and the ground around her in thick ropey strands of glittering crystal seed. She collapsed to the ground, panting for air as the change settled, and the buzz of the gift faded away entirely. She would be changed no further.

Sandra hesitated a moment before she advanced on Crystal's prone form and began cleaning her with her long tongues, running her long wet muscles across the cum-covered fur. "Mmmm..." She clearly agreed with the flavor of crystal seed, whatever that was. She ran her tongue down and paid special attention to Crystal's new member, leaving it clean before it withdrew into Crystal.

Clean and spent, Crystal rolled up to her hooves. She kissed Sandra's cheek then smiled up at me. "I feel... great. I may... break one of my own rules later and find a mare that's burning with heat. But let's focus on the matter at hand."

Sandra pointed at me. "What do you say first?"

Crystal tilted her head a little before nodding. "Thank you, William, Cindy. You two have given me something back I had already resigned to never have again. I'm still a mare, but... This is much better." She sniffed the air softly, and her new mare cock sprung back out as she licked over her lips. "I shouldn't..."

I rolled a hand at Crystal. "If you need a moment to just, you know, be you... You've worked so hard to keep the ponies here safe and happy."

Crystal squirmed a bit before she approached me, sniffing the air as she circled. Pleasure suddenly exploded through me as she shoved her snout into my backside and breathed deep. "You're entering heat. I... Well... we're both royalty, right?"

Cindy quickly replied, "Correct."

"So it would only make sense that royalty breed... right?"

I swallowed at where this was going. "Let's do the changelings first, then have this conversation?"

Crystal nodded quickly, moving back around to my front. "Yes, good idea... Though showing up with a huge hardon will probably get some laughing out of them."

Sandra raised a hoof. "Good. If they're laughing, they won't be angry. That's to our advantage."

I nodded. "That's actually a good point. Let's get going. The longer we wait, the harder it'll be in the long run."

Author's Notes:

Crystal is rewarded for her hard work, but it seems she wants more out of William than he's immediately willing to give.

Ah well, Changelings first, breeding after.

21 - Visiting the Hive

We gathered around Crystal before she whisked us away. The journey felt smoother than before, and I guessed she was getting better with practice. We appeared in a warehouse. The bright green glow of strange pods caught my attention first, but the guns being raised in our direction yanked that attention away swiftly.

Several humans with patches of carapace were looking directly at us, while four-legged insectoid ponies buzzed their wings in agitation, also staring at us. A familiar figure emerged from the crowd, Liz. "I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon, and you brought Crystal with you." Her knowledge of us seemed to ease a lot of the tension in the room, though those guns were still up and ready. "I'm not sure how I recognize you, but that is you, right?"

I pointed at myself. "William, yep. I've grown a bit since last time."

Her eyes wandered down, likely eyeing my fat sheath and hanging balls between my rear legs. "I'll say... Well, welcome to the hive. I trust you have a good reason for being here besides saying hello?"

Crystal stepped forward. "We would like to speak to your leader, about plans going forward."

Liz raised a brow. "Do you want to talk to her or fuck her, because you look like you're more ready for the latter." The crowd gave soft laughter at the jab. "When did you get that, anyway?"

Crystal pointed a hoof at me. "William is very special. He can control the gift to a degree, and he gave it to me."

Liz snorted. "You're fucking joking! Did you want that?" Crystal nodded. "Well then good job, William. I think she'll want to talk to you..." Liz turned to face me. "So what do you want?"

I froze as it became clear, but Cindy just spoke, "Oh you're the leader! Nice to meet you again, Liz."

Liz gave a thumbs up. "Yo. So what's up?"

Sandra suddenly spoke up, "We want you to stop harassing the humans."

Liz frowned. "Why should we? They're killing us, in case you forgot."

I rolled a hand. "A few of them. Most of them just want this whole terrible thing to stop. We have to be the bigger people in this. We should use our talents to help people, and show them it doesn't have to end in a war that'll hurt both sides."

Liz rolled her eyes. "I'm humoring you here, but what can we offer that'd be helpful?"

Crystal had that answer, standing proudly. "The earth ponies are very good at growing crops, even in extremely subpar conditions. The pegasi can manipulate the weather to a small degree and are becoming more adept at it with practice. With just those two alone we could be a huge help to population centers that have been cut off from infrastructure. People must be starving all over the world right now."

Liz waved a hand across her herd of changelings. "And what about me? Where do I fit into this new grand scheme of yours? We're not built to be 'useful'."

I felt those pods were relevant and pointed at one. "What are those?"

"People." Liz frowned. "We can eat what everyone else eats, but to actually feel full, we need a little more. Those pods get it from the humans we put inside. As a side benefit, they eventually become drones for the hive. Not the smartest sorts, usually, but loyal."

Crystal shuddered with obvious distaste. "We can't keep doing that! What is it you need from humans?"

"Love," came the voice of one of the four-legged changelings. Liz glared at him, and he shrank, but the word was already said.

I shrugged. "Can't you get that willingly, without the pod? Especially with being able to shapeshift into anything."

Liz approached me, reaching out and placing a hand on one of my breasts. Her fingers curled and softly caressed the furry flesh. "We could do that, but you already know what happens when a pony and a human get intimate. We'd just end up with more drones faster, and less filling meals."

Her fingers were distractingly good at that exploring, and I tried to swat her away gently. "Does it have to involve kissing or fucking?"

Liz shrugged. "I never tried just being friends, but that's risky at best."

I suddenly had a thought, remembering Crystal's gift had faded away entirely. "Do you have a completely untouched human?"

Liz raised a brow. "As a matter of fact, yes, three. It's not their turn for the pods yet."

I gestured towards Crystal. "Give us one, and let Crystal be with them. I have a theory."

Liz rolled a hand. "Spill it. What theory? Each human is a precious commodity. I'm not giving one up without knowing every detail."

Sandra suddenly perked her ears, looking at me curiously, but saying nothing. I went ahead. "When I did the change on Crystal, I felt the gift fade from her entirely. It was used up. I'm thinking she may not be infectious anymore. If that's true, it means we could make your hive not infect by contact, and that opens up a lot of options, right?"

Liz chuckled softly. "Fine, I'll allow that, if only because I'd like to have a shiny crystal pony in my hive. If the human changes, or doesn't, they are still mine, understand?"

Crystal tilted her head a little. "Will it be a man or a woman?"

"Neither," replied Liz. "You get the kid we caught, so don't do anything too disgusting, not that you should have to. The kid's less valuable than the adults, less to give, and changes faster."

Crystal made quite the face. "Ugh, no, I won't do anything untowards to a minor. That's disgusting."

We followed after Liz to a corner of the warehouse where three humans were penned up like livestock. One of them was a young boy, maybe ten years old. All three looked up with fear as strange new ponies approached, but the gags in their mouths prevented any words. A drone quickly advanced on the child, unshackling them from the floor and bringing him forward to the group. "Here we are. You have ten minutes to do... whatever you have in mind."

Crystal's first act was to finish liberating the child, though her lack of fingers got the better of her and she looked to me for help, which I gladly gave. We got his gag out and freed his arms and legs to move. "Are... you here to save me?"

Crystal shook her head. "I wish I was, little one. They won't let you go just yet. I'm Crystal, what's your name?"

"Ian..." He glanced around nervously. "Are you gonna make me a horse too?"

"I hope not." Crystal leaned in and sniffed at him. "May I lick you? We think I'm not catchy anymore. If it works, you'll be helping a lot of people, but you don't have to. I won't force you to do anything."

I offered. "If you do end up as a pony, at least you'd be a super cool crystal pony, and they'd let you out of there."

Ian quirked a smile. "I can't believe that sounds like a good idea. You're nice people, can't you just let me go?"

Liz snarled. "Stop asking them to help you. You're mine either way, boy."

Ian shrank a little, but nodded. "Well... fine. Go ahead."

Crystal leaned in and gave Ian a lick right across the lips, then sat back. "Do you think that's enough?"

I considered it. "I imagine we want direct fluid contact, but that might be good enough?"

Crystal frowned a bit. "I'm not french kissing a boy." She leaned back in and got to licking his face, making it wet with her saliva. "There. How do you feel?"

Ian shook his head. "Wet? Should I feel anything?"

Liz shrugged. "Let's wait and find out."

So wait they did, but no change came.

Author's Notes:

Liz's back, yay! And she brought a swarm of typos with her. Thanks, Liz~

22 - To Each a Unique Talent

After about ten minutes of staring at Ian, Liz nodded. "I'm convinced. That much slobber should have got him changing by now, even if just in the head, and he looks exactly the same. How do you feel, boy?"

Ian shrugged a little. "I feel alright? Nothing changed."

Crystal smiled brightly. "That's fantastic! I can approach the humans without being a danger to them."

Sandra snorted softly. "Don't be in that much of a rush. They'll probably shoot first."

Liz raised a brow. "Exactly. So we're still not hearing why we should lay off the humans just yet."

I raised a hand at Liz. "Step by Step. First, we stop our attacks, then we approach peacefully with gifts. I can't make all the ponies not-infectious, but we can make some, enough to interact with the humans. If we fail, you can always go back to attacking, but for now? Please?"

Liz fell to all fours, becoming the largest changeling in the room. "Fine. You have a month. Make it good." She flicked her tail at us as she turned away. "We're still keeping the brat though."

Crystal pointed at Ian. "He could be a powerful gift of sincerity. They've never gotten a human back from capture uninfected before. It would really have an impact."

Liz turned to scowl at Crystal. "What would you even hope to offer in trade for that?"

I thought quickly. "Children don't usually convert well anyway, so you're not losing as much as you make out. Do those pods work on ponies?"

Liz looked up at the pods, then back at me. "Huh, I never tried." She pointed a hoof at Sandra. "You, go try that."

Sandra squeaked. "Me?! Why me? I'm pregnant you know!"

Liz looked surprised, recoiling a little. "I... didn't know that. We're fertile?"

I pointed at Sandra's flank. "I think we all are, but it's her specialty."

Sandra shrank back a little. "I still don't like that idea, but so long as it's you, I'll put up with it." Her words got a flush out of me. How could it not? She just admitted she would be my broodmare willingly.

Crystal stepped forward. "If it will earn us Ian, I will volunteer." She marched up to the pods and the changelings helped get her inside, where she floated in the green goop. She quickly lost consciousness, falling asleep.

Liz tilted her head a little. "Well that part works right. Are we getting anything out of her?"

One of the drones bobbed his head down at Liz, who smiled. "Well, this opens possibilities then. Fine. Get her out. If you give me a pony to throw in there instead of Ian, we'll consider it a trade."

Once Crystal was pulled free, she started awake with a gasp. "Sweet heavens above..."

Cindy looked at Crystal curiously. "What did you see in there?"

"I... I saw my family, human and pony. They were living together on a ranch." Crystal shuffled in place, little crystalline tears starting to form. "Everyone was happy and getting along, whether they had two legs or four. Even the kids were running around each other. There wasn't any war, just peace. I was so..."

Liz snorted softly. "You can go back in if you want? As I was saying, give me a pony to toss in and we'll give up Ian."

Crystal shook her head. "No! It's a lie. I'll keep working to make it a reality. I'll send a pony to you. You know I've never lied to you before, let us take Ian away and I'll send the pony back once we're at my herd and I can pick one."

Liz rolled a hoof. "If it was anyone else, I'd tell them to go fuck themselves, but you've always played a straight hand, Crystal. Fine, take the kid, but send the pony, or we'll have to do our first pony raid, and that won't make anyone happy, will it?"

We gathered around Crystal, and we vanished in a flash, appearing a moment later in her underground den. She smiled at Ian. "You're safe now. Don't let any pony besides me touch you, however. No matter how nice they seem. Even them." She pointed to me, then Sandra. "We'll get you home soon, alright?"

Crystal waved for us to follow her, and we were soon outside her room, with the cloth curtain pulled shut to minimize any temptation Ian might provide for passing ponies. "I'll go ask for a volunteer, you decide who you need to visit next. We're working on a tight schedule if we want to finish before Liz and her ponies go back to making trouble. I'll be back as soon as I can, then I assume we'll be heading off again."

I nodded at Crystal. "Do you have anyone you trust enough to guard this room? We can't have Ian being infected."

Crystal smiled. "I can think of one person." She pointed at Sandra. "If she's willing."

Sandra perked an ear. "But I want to go with William..."

Cindy shook herself at Sandra. "You can do a lot more good right here keeping Ian safe. I'll watch William."

"You are William," countered Sandra with a pout, but she moved to sit in front of the curtain.

Crystal trotted off, calling for her ponies in voice and mind. I could feel the command faintly in my mind, but it had no sway over me besides my knowing what she wanted. So that's what it felt like...

Author's Notes:

Changelings can feed from fellow ponies, and Crystal isn't infectious anymore. Things are looking up, right alongside typo counts.

23 - Ensuring the Dynasty(clop)

Crystal returned a few minutes later. "Liz got her battery."

I suddenly had a question. "So, wait. Humans turn into her kind of pony, but does another kind of pony have a time limit?"

Crystal shook her head. "I don't really know. Maybe not, but that could be a good thing?" She rolled a hoof. "It means they wouldn't have to raid to survive and grow, like a cancer. It wasn't... so bad in there, but I have work to do. But before we do that." She circled around me. "We should talk, in private."

I followed after her to a small room where she pulled the curtain shut and smiled. "We made a little promise, don't forget."

"What promise?"

Cindy suddenly spoke, "You said you'd let her fuck you afterwards, which is now."

Crystal pointed at Cindy. "That. Now that I have the parts, your scent is calling to me. It feels great to have those thoughts again without revulsion and horror with it."

I wrinkled my new snout. "I'm still in that part of it."

Crystal moved up behind me and I felt her smooth snout rubbing against my nethers, which were quite warm and wet despite my complaints. "You don't look like it. Are you just afraid? I'll be gentle..."

I felt my tail raising out of the way on its own, or did Cindy do that? "Uh, you're also smaller than me."

Crystal softly nipped at my legs. "Then lay down and let me take care of it. I've watched my ponies going at it like rabbits long enough, it's my turn."

Cindy's thoughts entered my mind, ~ It'll be OK. You like Crystal, don't you? ~

If I had to pick a person I liked the most, it'd be Sandra, but she didn't have those parts, and despite my objections, Crystal's attention was turning something on back there something fierce, and the idea of letting her have her way with me was becoming less and less scary. She suddenly ran a warm tongue across my new swollen lips, and I crashed to the floor, legs refusing to hold me up anymore. Cindy wasn't shy about moaning out her pleasure even as I struggled with it.

"Go ahead, do it," encouraged Cindy. "We're ready."

With permission given, Crystal hopped up onto our back and shuffled forward, pressing her marecock against our winking vulva. She let the twitches of her sopping wet sex drag it back and forth across her throbbing tool. "Our foal will be the next generation of leader, when that time comes. It's our job to make sure they have a future to lead."

I couldn't help but laugh a little. "Do you have to play up the leader angle while fucking?"

Crystal perked her ears, then huffed. "It's how I feel, sue me." She slipped her hooves around my barrel, hugging as she pressed forward, piercing into the hot wetness of my new tunnel. My shaft ground against the earth, turned on like the rest of me as she worked her way forward inch after inch. She wasn't as large as I could take, but my passage clenched tightly around her, gripping it and milking it urgently. "Nnng, or should I say 'fuck you'." She thrust her hips forward, pushing into the hilt.

~If her gift had even the slightest spark, I would make her so large right now,~ came Cindy's lustful thoughts, and I was glad Crystal had gone stable. She felt just fine, if you ignored the part where you didn't have a cunt a week before. I could feel Cindy's pleasure like a gentle echo of my own, and my reservations were chipped away. We began to rock back against Crystal, urging her onwards as our bodies met with loud slaps.

All-too-quickly, her shaft began to jump and twitch, firing heat deep into our body and soothing the burning itch that I had been ignoring for a while. She sagged against us, panting for breath, but holding herself close, letting her shaft empty itself into our willing form. We hadn't reached our own climax, but it felt good the entire time. We relaxed with her, catching out breath when we heard her suddenly gasp and start squirming, driving her shaft into us at a new angle. "Who's doing that?" she growled.

One of her pegasi had snuck in and was lapping dutifully at Crystal's exposed cunt, working her right back up. The mare nuzzled into her leader. "You look so happy. Please, go on."

Crystal flushed darkly. "You're not supposed to, mmm, be here right now. Go!"

"No," refused the mare before she buried her tongue into Crystal, sampling her and teasing her, soon getting Crystal to start thrusting into us all over again as her passions were reignited. The mare was not the only, just the first. An earth pony dug out of the ground beneath us and took the head of our shaft into her mouth, nursing eagerly. Cindy and I groaned in delight as the cock was consumed into that warm tightness, and we rocked between Crystal's shaft and the inviting gullet of the pony beneath us.

A third pony wandered past us, his tail swaying with every step as he came up to our front and smiled. I looked at him quizzically, but couldn't really focus with the intense feelings bursting from both sexes. He didn't keep us guessing long as he went up and kissed Cindy passionately, his hooves cupping and caressing over our breasts. He paused just long enough to whisper, "I've missed a lover with real breasts." He buried his snout between them and nuzzled the warm furry space between before moving to kiss me next.

A small part of me recoiled to be being invasively kissed by a stallion, but climax struck, and I pressed into the kiss while our shaft pulsed wildly, spraying seed down the throat of the pony beneath us and we pulled manically at Crystal's rock-hard shaft, drawing their second release free of them forcefully.

The ponies that had joined us never tried to stop us from coupling, or attempted to mount Crystal, but they eagerly added to the pleasure, and kept us going. The rest of the day was spent in a blur of passions until hunger drove us to eventually seek dinner. I was certain I had been inside the earth pony from both ends at some point, but I couldn't prove it, with her out of my sight. All three fled when we called it quits, the pegasus and the pony in front of us darting out the door, while the tunneler vanished into the earth.

Cindy let out a satisfied sigh. "Your herd is lovely."

Crystal shuffled a bit, seated on her haunches. "They really love me. I think they're happy I'm willing to 'play' now."

I got up to my new hooves, wobbling a bit, but finding a stable stance soon enough. "We should... focus on finding peace, or we'll get lost like this and die with smiles on our faces and little else."

Crystal nodded in agreement and we went to find dinner and discuss future plans.

Author's Notes:

Crystal got what she wanted, and William gets more comfortable with his (her?) new self. Next time, they have to face the more violent herds.

Do typos ruin the mood?

24 - Those that Crave Violence

Dinner was a lot of colorful vegetables. Purples, greens, yellows, all mixed together into a delicious delight for my undoubtedly-altered tongue. I couldn't say if it was the earth pony farmers or being a pony myself, but it all tasted wonderful, and I ate eagerly between words. "So, which herd are we visiting next?"

Crystal swallowed her current mouthful before pointing off. "There's a herd in walking distance that's attacked any human they have contact with. They're not that physically strong, just stubborn. I think your stature will help bring them into line before we even get to talking."

I perked an ear at Crystal before realizing I had chosen to do that. I was getting more comfortable in this mostly-pony body. "They don't have any hydras or other large ponies?"

Crystal shook her head. "Mostly pegasi, small ones at that. They're pretty good at ambushing humans though, which is a problem for us."

I pushed to my hooves. "Well there's no time like the present." I felt full and satisfied. "Besides, we shouldn't leave Sandra for longer than we have to."

Crystal circled around the table and pressed her side against one of my legs, and we were gone.

We arrived with a bright flash that sent pegasi scattering like a bunch of spooked birds. One of them seemed to notice Crystal and hissed at her, "Go away! We already said we don't want to be in your stinky herd."

Crystal had spoken truthfully. They were small ponies, about three quarter the size of most I'd seen. I held up a hand at them. "Take it easy guys and girls. We're doing big things, and we want you involved."

A little mare landed on my back and poked my humanoid torso from behind. "Big words from a big pony! You think you can boss us around?" I felt something wet and warm dripping from where she landed, but tried to ignore it. "We can't be scared that easily!" A cloud of mares gathered around me, shouting similar things.

I kept my cool. They were too small to feel genuinely threatened by, especially with my added bulk. "We're here to be friends, not bully anyone. Relax. Who's in charge here?"

The cloud suddenly scattered at the largest of them approached, about the usual size for the pegasi. He flashed a grin at me. "Hey big girl. So what's on your mind?"

I offered a hand towards him. "We're trying to put an end to all the fighting. We've signed on the shapeshifters, and thought we'd ask the fiercest herd next."

He laughed merrily. "You got quite a mouth on you." He slapped my offered hand with a hoof then darted in, nuzzling a breast roughly. "Shaped oddly too. So what do you want us to actually do?"

Crystal spoke up from my side. "We really just want you to leave the humans alone."

"Easier said than done." He huffed. "I smell a human and I get a little crazy. Everyone does, right?" The crowd erupted in murmurs of agreement, one of the stallions clambering up onto a mare and starting to rut her, inspired just by the memory of it. "It just comes naturally to us. No offense or anything."

The answer was both refreshingly honest, and still discouraging. "How are your... food stores looking?"

"Food stores?" The hovering stallion tilted his head. "Who has those? We have to hunt for food every day."

Crystal was quick to see where I was going. "I'll gladly share the food we've been farming, if you come with us and stay away from the humans."

He frowned at Crystal. "We already told you we don't want to be your bitches!" His angry words brought up supportive commentary from the flock around him as other pegasi spoke their feelings.

"Nobody has to be anyone's bitch," I said, a smile forming as I finished, "Unless they want to be."

I was suddenly hugged from behind, the pegasus mare that had landed on me hugged me firmly, her hooves rubbing against my belly. I could feel the source of her wetness in the form of two swollen crotch tits that she ground against my furry back. "I'll be your bitch," she softly offered, drawing cat calls and clopping hooves from the crowd among giggles and laughs.

A part of me liked the idea, the part that fell from my sheath and began to fill. The rest realized with how small she was, I'd split her in half. "We have to stick together, like brothers and sisters. It's ponies against humans, and I want it to be ponies AND humans, but first we have to close ranks and stop all running off on our own things."

The leader flew up into my face. "Ponies and humans? You got big balls, I'll give that." One of the mares confirmed this, nuzzling into the hanging sac softly. "Fine. You said you got lots of food?"

Crystal smiled and spoke up, "Food enough for your entire herd, and all you have to promise is to not harass the humans. Stay inside and play with the other ponies, and leave the humans be. We may even have a few things only skilled pegasi can do. Have you tried working with the clouds yet?"

Cindy's thoughts brushed against me, ~This is going well. We'll have the pony tribes unified by week's end.~

~Is that soon enough?~

~I don't know, maybe we should send a message to the humans while we work?~

While I was spaced out, Crystal finalized the deal and turned to me. "Let's go back. They'll fly there. You ready to go or need a moment?"

"Huh? I'm fine." I stepped towards her only to realize I was swarmed by pegasi around my pony lower half. I felt a tongue soddenly dip into my erect pole and shook them all off with a grunt. "Easy there. I just finished doing that." They were not easily satisfied, and flew back almost instantly. I wasn't allowed to rejoin Crystal until I had filled a belly and sprayed wildly across a few eager snouts. Drained for the moment, they finally let me go, and Crystal whisked us away.

"They'll fly here," explained Crystal. "Like I said, they aren't that far from here. I'll keep them busy and distracted, and maybe they'll calm down over time, but down here they're kept away from humans."

Cindy smiled at Crystal. "We have a problem and a solution. Little Ian will be swarmed by those pegasi. It's time to get him home, and it's time we tried to open some channel with the humans."

Crystal tilted her head. "Nice thought, but how do you plan to not be shot?"

Cindy took control of an arm to thump our chest. "Leave it to me. I'll be careful, but it has to be done. If we wait until after we get all the herds in line, it may already be too late."

Crystal didn't hide her doubts and fears on her face. "I can't stop you... but be careful. You're important to me, er, us..."

I reached to gently pet over Crystal's head, teasing across her ears and through her smooth mane. "We'll be careful. Can you keep an eye on Ian? I have a feeling Sandra may be helpful, and we can burn the gift out of her as a demonstration."

Soon we were off with Ian and Sandra. As we navigated the tunnels towards the surface, I asked Sandra. "What do you want to change? Your gift is mostly spent, but still there."

She looked thoughtful as she walked. "I think..."

Author's Notes:

What should Sandra ask for? Will they make it safely to the humans? Will Ian escape pony captivity without infection? Will the author ever stop making typo jokes?

25 - We Come in Peace

Sandra smiled and pointed at the mark on her flank. "I don't want to get fat and slow. This will sound bizarre, but can you make it so that I lay eggs kinda early? Then I can do this whole 'breeding' thing and still be at your side when things get dangerous? I didn't come this far just to hide now."

I reached for her with a hoof, drawing her close and lifting her into reach of my hands. I cradled her gently, one hand tracing over the swollen belly of her mark. "I have to admit, A pretty big part of me would be entirely fine with you hiding while I go off and do stupid things. I don't want you hurt, Sandy."

Sandra snorted softly. "It's my choice, not yours. I love you, you big idiot, and I want to be by your side, not hiding in a hole." Her tongues slipped free and washed over our faces. "Please?"

Cindy tilted herself a little. "You don't want wings, or a horn, or maybe a big horse cock?"

Sandra flushed and laughed at once, hooves wriggling. "You're crazy. I don't need a big floppy thing right now, or ever. Wings wouldn't be... bad... but can you do that and the eggs?"

I shook my head. "I'm still new to this, but I think we have enough juice to do one or the other, not both."

"Egg then." Sandra squirmed in our arms. "Go on."

I focused on the gift in her and ran it over her mark before sinking it deep into her womb. As the energy gathered I envisioned her internals working to make eggs, and her vulva being flexible enough to eject them without tearing or any significant pain. I could feel interference and a glance showed Cindy was making her own little tweaks. Her ovaries subtly changed, releasing eggs more frequently, her womb ready to catch our seed almost any time, to spill individual eggs as they got large enough to survive.

With an obviously pleasurable flash, Sandra moaned and stretched her legs out as her mark changed to a pile of eggs, reflecting the same purpose and altered means. "Whatever you're doing, it feels great." We couldn't keep it up for much longer, the gift fading away from inside Sandra, locking her form into place for the rest of her life as far as we knew. I could still feel the gift rumbling inside our body, waiting to unleash something, but I didn't know what.

Cindy suddenly smiled. "I put your current foal in an egg."

Sandra tensed. "I... should have known I would have one, but hearing that... Thank you. Our first." She wriggled in her arms until she was upright, and nuzzled at both of us. "Our foal, together. I know we don't have any priests around... but I'd like to think we're kind of married?"

I squeezed Sandra. "There's no 'kind of' about it." We snuggled quietly for a short time, enjoying one another's fuzzy forms before I set her down. "Let's see if we can't open some talk with the humans."

We fetched Ian from the room and Crystal took us all to the room with the maps. "These are where we know there are people. I'd ask if you want a military base, but they've become one and the same by and large. Anywhere there are still people, there are military trying to keep them people."

I had a sudden thought. "Sandra's an earth-type pony, isn't she? Can you make plants grow?"

Sandra shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I can? I didn't try."

Cindy caught on to my idea quickly. "We could use that as another demonstration, if they don't believe we're serious."

Sandra pointed at what looked to be a largest city in range. "Let's go there. We can look for opportunities, maybe catch someone alone and get a chance to talk without a dozen of his friends riddling us with bullets. A friendly word and start will go a huge way to making this work."

I nodded in agreement. "It also means we can give Ian over, if we manage it. I don't want to risk him. He's not our shield. It also means we need to be more careful. More people, more military, more everything."

We were as prepared as we were going to be, so Crystal moved between us all and we were quickly transported to a thick copse of trees. "You'll have to reach me through our mental contact as best you can. I won't otherwise know when to come back for you. Good luck." With a last glimmer of light, she was gone.

Sandra perked an ear. "Am I the only one that noticed she does that without a horn?"

Ian shook his head, looking confused. "Do you need horns to do crazy horse things?"

Sandra opened her mouth to reply, but then clicked it shut. "You have a point... Say, Ian, are your parents alright that you know of?"

Ian shook his head and looked miserable. "They were caught... Some horses tackled them and then some people shot all of them, horses and my parents."

I let out a sigh. "Well let's not go for a sequel of that. Stay low and keep up with us. We're going to get you to safety, promise." Of course, there was the first, basic, issue. I was kind of a large and odd object they'd spot easily if I stood in the open. The answer came to me quickly. "Sandra, dig."

Sandra perked her ears, looking confused a moment before it came to her as well and she tried tearing at the earth. She was an earth-type, and she was soon moving huge clods of dirt around until she went underground and expanded it enough for Ian and I to follow behind her. We were on our way. "Let's just get close enough to watch for patrols, but not too close they might hear us if they have listeners, or be taken for an attack."

Author's Notes:

In this chapter, Sandra's reminded she has other powers she isn't tapping into nearly enough. You're an earth-pony girl, enjoy it! There are perks to that club.

Will they establish friendly contact, or be sent fleeing with a few new holes? Either could be fun to read about, if you can manage it through the haze of typo bullets.

26 - Ambush at Dusk

We approached slowly and carefully, and made a little hole up through the ground so we could watch people mill back and forth from a short distance.

Ian looked a little agitated. "It's stuffy in here. Are we really safe here?"

I reached for him but paused. I didn't want to even risk infection, so I pet Sandra instead and pointed her to him. She was quick to close the distance and offer nuzzles and warmth, which seemed to calm the kid. "You're kind of cute, in a scary way."

Sandra snorted with a smile. "I guess having two jaws will do that. We're going to get you back to safety, promise."

Opportunity came when we saw a lone militia man with no backup in sight in either direction. The tall fence blocked off view of what would happen to the man from his friends. "Sandra, time to move. I'll immobilize him, you grab his gun. Try not to touch him though. He'll freak out if he thinks he's already infected."

Cindy smiled. "I'll help! leave the gun to me."

Just as he got closest to our vantage point, I reached out with my magic and grabbed him in place. Cindy yanked away his gun before I slipped an invisible band over his mouth to cut off the screaming that was likely to start. Man, telekinesis felt like cheating. I pulled him over quickly as Sandra burrowed out of the hole, allowing us to escape.

I held up a hand at the frightened soldier. "We're here to talk, not fight, or infect. We have one of yours, but he's not a hostage. We want him safe. Can we give you Ian right now?" Ian stepped forward, looking a bit nervous. "He's clean, but if you want to hold him separate for a while to be sure, go for it, but he's just a kid." I let the band over his mouth fade.

"Holy shit on a stick! Let me go!"

Sandra tilted her head. "That's hardly an appropriate thank you."

"I have a wife, don't turn me into a damn horse!"

Ian pointed at me. "She's really nice. She won't hurt you."

The soldier seemed hardly convinced. "Let me go."

"I will, as a sign of good faith. Tell your superiors what happened. Oh, your gun's over there, minus the bullets." I pointed in the grass. "I'd give those back too, but I like breathing." I released the grasp on him and he quickly scrambled for his empty gun, though he had another clip at the ready on his hip, fuck. We didn't wait to see how quickly he'd reload, or how many other clips he might have, we retreated into the hole in a hurry and collapsed it behind us as we fled the city.

Sandra dug up and out, only to make new tunnels, backed up on herself, and branched out, making a strange and confusing maze that brought us eventually far from the city with a daunting mess behind us for anyone that'd want to follow along. "You know, now that I've tried it, digging is kind of fun." She smiled at me in the darkness of the tunnel. "Maybe being an earth pony isn't so bad. Do you think I can do the plant thing too? I tried to have a garden once and everything died in a week."

I softly pet over Sandra's back, making her thick tail sway back and forth. "I'm sure you'd be a lot better at it now. Do you think we did the right thing?"

Sandra tilted her head. "I'm not sure, but we did it. At least Ian's in a safer place, I think. Assuming the soldier tells the others what happened, it might make them curious if nothing else. We had a nice, if brief, chat without anyone getting shot or infected in the end. That's probably new."

Cindy nodded her head. "We did the right thing, and we should be proud of that. I'm just not sure what the next step should be... I wish we could get some normal people to talk to."

Sandra blinked at Cindy. "He looked pretty normal to me. I don't even think he was really a soldier. I bet a real soldier would have put a few holes in us before we got away."

I rolled a hand. "Well that works in our benefit, I think. He's more likely to talk about what happened to him. The shapeshifters have it so easy. If they wanted peace, they could just walk right up to them as a human and start talking."

Sandra snorted softly. "Well we aren't those. I don't think? You have a lot of magic or whatever? Did you try?"

It was so silly a suggestion I felt stupid for not trying it already. Cindy spoke up though, "We can't do that. We have the power of the three tribes. Earth, Pegasus, and Unicorn. The shapeshifters are a fourth tribe."

I perked an ear towards Cindy. "What about the crystally gem ones, like Crystal?"

"A fifth," said Cindy. "But we do have a faint tie to that one. It's weak but present."

Sandra suddenly burst into laughter. "You mean you could go all sparkly?" She licked over her lips with several tongues. "That reminds me... I've been quietly putting up with it, but what are we, exactly? I haven't let any strange ponies shove their things into me beside you, but you've been with, what, over a dozen people! Part of me wants to brush it off like it's no big deal, but, no. I want to clear this up." She sat up on her haunches. "I love you, William. Our lives might have gone from normal to bizarre, but I want you."

I winced a little. She wasn't wrong. I wasn't being very faithful to her at all, though we hadn't formally made ourselves anything. She didn't look angry, just... "That's fair. I... I kind of had a little crush on you since forever." I reached for her and we curled on each other, furry bodies rubbing together. "Do you want me to be yours? I'll beat the other horses off with a stick if you want me to."

Sandra smiled gently. "I would like that... but... I know you're literally eating for two." Her eyes turned to Cindy, then back at me. "You're as much girl as boy, and you're literally... of two minds. It's kind of freaky. Cindy, what do you want?"

Cindy smiled at Sandra. "I think we're lucky to have such a great marefriend as you, Sandra. We can't ignore being a mare too though."

Sandra nodded quickly. "Then it's a deal. Your freaky horse cock is mine." She reached with a hoof, nudging at my sheath. "But I'll let you decide who you want on the other end, and we're boy and girl, so we talk things out, together, and live together, and all that sappy married stuff, alright?"

We consummated our new agreement in the darkness of the cave and fell asleep in the warmth of one another's embrace, the nervousness of our current mission forgotten for the moment in favor of the joy of knowing we would be together.

Author's Notes:

Ian is successfully dropped off, but are they any closer to any meaningful peace? At least nopony got shot in the deal, but I got dirt all over the writing, sorry for any resulting typos.

27 - The Scientific Approach

I followed after Sandra as she made her way around the city slowly. It was a long journey, but she was content enough to keep digging so long as Cindy and I kept talking with her, and so we progressed as a team. "You know," Sandra said. "You two seem to be coming together more and more."

Cindy nodded. "It's true. I feel like I could, if I wanted, become one with William entirely."

I wasn't entirely pleased at the idea. "Having one head instead of two would be less freakish, but I like myself as I am, you know, as William."

Cindy tilted her head. "Am I that bad?"

I chuckled nervously. "Am I?"

Cindy shook herself. "No. You're a wonderful person that I'm glad to be a part of. Aren't I? We'd be less confused if we put our heads together."

Sandra perked an ear back at us. "This is the world we've come to." She sent some dirt flying, still digging. "Where you get to have a debate about having two heads while your girlfriend digs a hole with her hooves like an adorable gopher. I'll still love you with one or two heads, Will, but I can't say I'd be upset if you went down to the usual model."

We came up for a peek a few minutes later when we heard something. There was a lone human wandering around, shouting. "Hello?"

He didn't seem to be armed, and we couldn't spot any others around him. I felt out and could detect there were a few ponies nearby that were being drawn by the noise. I shooed them away mentally, sending them elsewhere.

"Are you still out there? Come on!"

Cindy looked down at Sandra. "Why don't you go out and greet him. You're less intimidating than we are, and we can protect you with our magic from here."

Sandra tilted her head a little at us. "That alright with you, Will?"

I reached out and gave her tail a tug. "Go ahead, just be careful, and try talking right away. We don't want him thinking you're hunting him like a feral."

Sandra broke free of the surface and shook herself off. "I'm here. Are you here to talk?"

The human smiled at her. Male, light, though tanned, skin, wore a cap, loose clothing, and had a mustache and beard that not having easy access to a razor will get you. "You're friendly, right?"

Sandra tilted her head. "As friendly as you are. I'm Sandra." She pointed a hoof at the human. "What's your name?"

The male nodded. "John. They were talking about some horses out here not just jumping on people and I had to check it out."

Sandra lifted an ear. "So you just ran out, alone and unarmed? That's very brave, and a little foolish?"

John shrugged. "What's the worst that happens? I get hooves. Better than what we're dealing with."

Sandra looked all the more curious. "What's going on? Please, come closer. I'm harmless." She smiled, keeping her bisected jaw closed less it bother him. "Is it that bad in the city?"

John did approach, looking at Sandra intently. "Food's running low, water tastes awful though no one's died of that yet. Constant patrols against horses. The guys 'in charge' keep saying we'll get reinforcements and everything will clear up, but I don't see it, and no one else has. No electricity means everything that could spoil already did."

Sandra let out a slow breath. "What would you say if I told you the horses want to help with that?"

"How?"

Sandra pawed at the ground gently, trying to muster the force that made plants grow. She didn't make a flower or anything as pretty as that, but the grass turned bright green and spread out in a meter around her pawing hoof. "Some of us woke up after being feral. Some of us never went feral."

John let out a tired sigh. "That's a nice trick, but I'm a human, not a horse. I can't eat grass, and it'd probably turn me into a horse."

Sandra pointed at herself. "I'm not infectious anymore. I'd offer to prove it, but that would involve being licked or something else you'd probably not want. Either way, the grass was just a demonstration. Just imagine a few of us in a corn field. Oh, what'd they do with Ian?"

"The kid?" John hiked a thumb at the city. "They got him under lock and key, waiting for him to sprout a tail any moment."

Sandra tilted her head. "He's being treated well, I hope?"

John frowned. "He's being given something to eat for now, and they didn't hurt him that I saw."

Sandra grunted softly. "We wanted him to be safe..."

"You sound like a girl."

Sandra tilted her head. "That's because I am one. More of us are girls than boys."

John made a displeased expression. "Great, hooves and that... I'll deal with humanity for now."

Sandra waved back at the city. "I won't stop you. I just wanted to talk. Is there anyone you could bring out that's in charge?"

John snorted at that. "Anyone in charge is not going to accept an invitation from a horse for lunch."

Sandra tapped at her chin. "Do you have some farmlands?"

"Sure, yeah. Just on the south-side there." He pointed off just before a bright plane of energy sprang up beside Sandra moments before I felt the strain of holding it erect against a burst of bullets. "Shit!" John jumped for cover as others humans arrived, rifles up and at the ready.

Sandra squealed and dove into the ground, vanishing from sight. I knew that Cindy had created the shield and was thankful to her even as we turned and retreated back down the tunnel. Sandra burst into the tunnel ahead of us and began creating the meandering path for us to evade any that were following behind.

The way wasn't clear, but we had a few ideas of how to make the next step at least.

Author's Notes:

Hello John! Would you like some hooves?

No? Alright, how about some typos instead?

28 - Harvest Moon

We patiently made our way around the city. Sandra peeked over her shoulders as she worked. "I'm starting to change my mind about Cindy."

Cindy's ears perked. "Hmm?"

"You really saved my fuzzy rump back there. Two heads are better than one." She turned her head forward. "Not that I hold it against you, Will. It was so sudden. I hope they didn't shoot the guy we were talking to."

I shook my head. "He looked alright, at least in the initial fire. As long as they didn't go crazy afterwards, he should be fine." I agreed with Sandra, Cindy did have her place, and saving Sandra meant a lot to me.

We arrived at their paltry farm with the sun already sunk and the temperature falling. I was thankful for being covered in fur at that point. We peeked out at the farmlands to see they were barely worth the name. Though the darkness made it harder to see all of them, what we could see showed a some effort, but only minimal results. They'd need a huge farm, like they had before the industrial revolution, to feed the number of people that likely lived in this one city.

We could spot lights and people, but they were far closer to the city. It seemed the farm wasn't deemed important enough to patrol at night, or they didn't have the safe means? It was a bonus for us. "Let's get to work, Sandy."

Sandra turned to face us. "Us? Are you helping too?"

Cindy and I nodded. "Cindy said before we have the power of the three tribes, which is earth included. Let's put that to work. We need to work fast and make a miracle no one can ignore."

Cindy smiled brightly. "I approve of this plan. We'll show them what ponies can do."

Sandra dug up onto the surface and shook herself out as we joined her. She turned to us. "Be careful and quiet. They could notice something, especially since we're going to be remodeling in here."

We nodded, and then all of us got to work. Soft caresses of hooves against the ground revitalized the crops they had set down and hastened their growth along. I became curious and asked Cindy, "Where does the energy for this come from?"

Cindy swiveled an ear at me. "A little from us, mostly the plants grow themselves, we're just... signalling them. Doing this at night will be harder, and they'll drain the earth harder. We should rotate the crops afterwards, if the humans listen to us. If we just keep growing them recklessly, we'll turn this into a desert." A thought suddenly came to her. "Oh! If you have to go, well, go ahead. It'll only help."

I made quite the face at the mental image, but that made sense enough. Sandra apparently heard from the faint 'eww' that came from her direction.

We worked quietly for hours, coaxing their crops of potatoes, and corn. We spied a small fruit garden and made it a tantalizingly delicious smelling thatch of brightly colored fruits waiting to be eaten. Sandra tilted her head up at us. "Now we need to leave a calling card."

Cindy's horn glowed brightly a moment before bolts of light fired into the sky, exploding in brilliant fireworks that lit up the area. "We should go now."

I cringed. "That'll catch their attention, but yes, let's get the hell out of here."

We fled to our tunnel and collapsed the exit, but didn't move far, curious to see their reaction. I felt around for ponies and detected a curious soul moving to inspect the fireworks. Being a lone pony I could feel more about it than normal. The little unicorn felt unusually bright and clever. I could feel his fear about approaching the city, but there was also loneliness and hunger. I gently nudged him towards part of our tunnel, and we were there to greet him, by grabbing his legs and pulling him into the safety of our tunnel network.

He squealed in surprise, squirming wildly until he realized he wasn't being attacked. "Are you going to hurt me? Rape me?" The unicorn was a stallion, though it was hard to pick out details in the darkness. "I didn't mean to intrude!"

Sandra tilted her head. "Well, hello there. I'm Sandra. That big one there is William and Cindy."

He stopped shivering as Sandra calmly introduced us. "Oh? I'm... not the only one?" He smiled a little. "I've... been wandering for so long. Do you have any food?"

Sandra tapped her chin with a hoof. "This is going to sound super strange, but I think I do, but it's not the sort you'd expect."

He perked an ear at Sandra. "I'm past caring for the most part. Oh! I'm..." He squinted. "It's hard to remember."

I reached for the unicorn, gently rubbing over an ear. "It's OK, you're with friends now."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Where's that food? Not to be rude."

Sandra rolled onto her side and nudged her lightly swollen breasts that rested low on her torso. "I'm preparing for being a mother, and I've been fed."

His eyes went wide. "You want me to...? Seriously?"

I felt a flush of jealously, but pushed it aside. I'd done far worse, right in view of Sandra. I felt it'd be a terrible thing to get bothered then. "We didn't bring rations. If you can wait, we can probably get some plants tomorrow."

He apparently couldn't wait, and advanced on Sandra, nuzzling her lower belly with his snout before taking one of her sensitive teats between his lips. He nursed from her like an oversized foal, and from the wet noises and faint trickle from the corners of his snout, I could see he was being rewarded for it. He relaxed against her, flopped across the ground as he suckled. Sandra kicked out her legs a little, seemingly trying to resist little sounds of pleasure.

I moved behind her and gently rubbed her shoulders. "It's OK..."

With my support and assurance, she began to softly moan and sigh, clearly enjoying the role of wet nurse, at least until the unicorn gave a nip and she jumped away from him into my arms.

He looked ashamed. "Sorry... I didn't mean to. Thank you." He got up to his haunches. "I feel better already. It's... like I needed company as much as food. All the other horses I met were... They didn't like talking much. Most of them were clever animals at best. Can I stay with you? I'll behave."

Sandra slid back to the ground. "Just keep your teeth to yourself. Come on, we need to get moving."

We headed back to the farm as a team, or would that be a herd? Nah, I didn't feel like he was part of any family of mine, but I'd keep him safe until we got him back to Crystal's at least.

Author's Notes:

A little farming never hurt anyone, right? But will the humans appreciate it?

Only the typos know.

29 - Reap What You Sow(clop)

As we crept through the tunnels back towards the farm, Cindy suddenly spoke up, "Why don't you take him?"

Sandra swiveled an ear towards her. "Huh?"

Cindy tilted herself. "I was talking to William. You only have one pony you consider full time as part of your herd. That's so small!"

I frowned a little in the dark. "Sandra's been my friend for years. Besides, I'm trying to save all the ponies, like one big distant herd."

The new stallion moved in beside us and rubbed his side against our legs. "It's alright. We just met. You don't have to pretend we're instantly friends or anything. Thank you for giving me the chance at least."

I smiled down at him. "You're awfully well-spoken compared to a lot of ponies. Do you remember your name yet?"

He frowned with thought a moment. "No... but I have a new one. I'd like to be Dusk Hope."

Cindy smiled instantly. "That's a lovely name. What made you pick it?"

"You did..." He scuffed a hoof on the floor as he walked. "Sorry if that sounds weird, but I'm just glad to not be alone anymore."

Sandra swatted him across the snout with her tail. "You're fine, relax."

He snorted, rubbing his nose with a fetlock before advancing on her, sniffing around her tail. I could see his horse cock dropping, no, two. He had two members that were rapidly swelling out. He moved to mount her without saying anything, just putting his hooves on her back. She arched her back and raised her tail with a throaty grunt before she seemed to realize what was happening and spun around to face Dusk. "No."

Dusk fell back to the ground, coming back to his senses. "Oh god! Sorry! You just... I don't know what it was exactly, but I smelled something and I had to get more, and... I sound stupid as hell."

Sandra gave a gentle smile. "You backed off when I asked, no harm done." She kissed his cheek, then advanced down the tunnel.

Dusk glanced up at me. "Is she... you know... yours? Are you two an item?"

I nodded. "She is. I'm lucky to have her. We were friends before this. She's sworn herself to just me. You had me worried for a moment there."

We arrived at our lookout point and peeked to find that the humans had discovered the bounty left for them. They were being cautious about it, with many armed men forming a perimeter around the unexpected food, guarding it, but also not eating any of it. "Do you think they're testing it?"

Sandra tilted her head. "Huh, I wonder if the pony infection is a bacteria, or a virus, or something? Can you see it in a microscope?"

There was suddenly some activity as some folks were shouting. Someone had gotten hungry it seemed, if the fruity mess was any hint on his face. Another man pushed him down to a seated position. "Hope you enjoyed that. Now you get to wait here for your tail, then we'll shoot you."

"Better than starving," countered the man as he was stripped of his possessions. "Best damn berries I ever had."

My watching was interrupted as something poked me from behind. A quick glance showed Dusk nosing around my back thighs and tail, sniffing around. Gauging him as harmless, I looked back towards the humans, only for pleasure to explode from my rear-crotch. Looking back at Dusk, I saw he had just shoved his horn right into my suddenly dampening folds. "What ar--" I didn't get to finish objecting as he pushed magic through the horn and it began to glow. My world contracted sharply as the bliss escalated.

My heavy shaft spilled free and I crashed in place, squishing the poor stallion to the ground as I landed on him, but I couldn't help it. The intense euphoria robbed me of any ability to move in its intensity.

Sandra perked an ear and turned to face us. "What... are you doing?"

Cindy replied, as I couldn't. "He's putting magic into us. He's... Can you do that?" I didn't like anything that even Cindy couldn't explain, and tried to stand up again, but my body was paralyzed. The constant bliss had become pulsing waves coming and going from where his horn pierced us. You'd think having a pointy horn in you would be a bad thing, but there was only pleasure. Too soon and not soon enough, the waves hit a peak, and set me off. As I clenched tightly around Dusk's horn, I began to spray wildly, catching the still confused Sandra across the snout as she gawked.

The first few wild sprays moved her, and she quickly extended her tongues, drawing the twitching organ to her mouth and nursing softly, draining the rest of the climax into her belly. She pulled at the member once with her powerful tongues, making sure she got the last of it before releasing it. "What was that?"

Feeling strength start to return, I rose up and off Dusk. "Ask him."

Dusk sat up once he wasn't being crushed, panting for breath. "Sorry. It just felt like the right thing to do. I didn't hurt you, I hope? Since I became a horse, I sometimes get these... urges, and they're really hard to say no to."

Cindy tilted herself. "I think he just doused our new foal with magic."

I didn't know what to make of it. "Is that... good, or bad?"

Dusk perked an ear at us. "You're pregnant?"

Sandra grinned. "Everyone here but you is."

Dusk swallowed softly. "Oh... well... You're not angry, I hope? I'll try harder to stop being weird. I just felt like you needed that, so I did it, but I just feel like more of a moron afterwards."

Cindy shook herself quickly. "No, I think you were right. I feel better now. You're a talented unicorn, Dusk."

Deciding to cut off bad feelings, and prevent another unexpected bout of horn sex, I reached out a hoof and pulled Dusk over into my lap, holding him gently as we peeked out to see what was going on with the humans. Despite some lingering irritation at him, I felt a creeping familiarity. I liked having him close, I realized. Maybe he would become part of the herd?

Sandra followed suit, watching quietly. "Maybe if that one doesn't change in a while, they'll start treating it like the gift it is."

Author's Notes:

The humans have found the offering, but will peace follow? Oh well, at least Dusk Hope is making himself welcome.

30 - Contact

The activity around the garden grew more intense over the day. More people came out to see it that looked decidedly unarmed. One of them, a woman, pointed at it. "Why are we just staring at it? Is it that hard to accept something good happening anymore?"

A man guarding the patch shrugged. "The horses did it. It could be some new way of attacking us."

"Or," started another man. "It could... not be that? I mean didn't you hear about Eastside?"

A kid was present, and didn't look happy at all. "Why're we just standing around? Are we waiting for something?"

The more the discussion went, the less the will of the crowd to wait was left. The scientific capability of the community was anemic, with no electricity and vanishingly tiny supplies. I had an idea. I squeezed Dusk gently and whispered. "I want you to go out and make friends. You're the most normal looking pony here. Cindy and I will cover you, so if they start shooting, focus on running. Tell them we just don't want them to starve, and that we're not like the feral ponies."

Dusk looked over his shoulder at me with an understandable fear before he rose to his hooves and started pulling himself free of the hole. The attention of the crowd quickly focused on him, guns raising into position. One triggerhappy fellow squeezed off a shot, but it was as ill-thought out as it was poorly-aimed, damaging little but dirt.

Dusk tried to look friendly, smiling even as his legs knocked. "Uh, hi... W-we're sorry for all the commotion. We just didn't want, you know, for people to starve."

One of the people in the crowd snorted. "I knew it! It's talking!"

Dusk pointed at himself with a hoof. "I'm Dusk Hope. We're not like the feral horses."

One of the armed guards approached cautiously, gun kept aimed at Dusk's head, much to his discomfort. "We have no reason to believe you."

The woman from before shouted at his back. "Bullshit! We have a whole field of reasons!"

I felt Dusk struggling with a sudden urge to advance and mingle with the humans, playing with and infecting them. I calmed his agitation with soothing thoughts, and his shaking died down a little. "I... don't want to fight, or be shot at."

The kid from earlier suddenly rushed ahead and threw himself in front of Dusk. "Stop being mean! He hasn't done anything!"

Dusk's urge bloomed to maddening levels with the child within hugging distance, and I had to focus everything into calming him. Maybe I should have sent Sandra instead? Dusk licked over his lips before nodding. "The food is safe. I should... go." He turned away from the crowd only to be grabbed by the same kid. He whimpered, warring with the alien urges inside of him. "Please let me go..."

The kid's parents, or at least some responsible adult, arrived and gently pried him off of Dusk, berating him all the while. Unfortunately, the moment there was a clear shot, several men took advantage of it. Dusk was sent fleeing wildly back to the safety of the tunnels and we collapsed it, forced to withdraw from the group.

Sandra nuzzled into Dusk's side lightly. "You did good. That looked tense as hell."

Dusk bobbed his head. "I think... it worked. Some of them really look hopeful. I think... they're scared." Dusk had a full erection, likely having had it since the kid hugged him, not a fact he seemed happy about. "Ugh... I didn't want to infect him, but it was overpowering... Am I a horrible person now?"

I tilted my head a bit. "Did you infect him?"

"Not that I know of. I wanted to..."

"Then you're cool. Let's fix that now." I focused on him, feeling out his gift, which felt moderately strong. "I can change you, and it burns out a lot of the urges and the infectiousness. You have a good amount of juice left, the 'gift'."

Dusk shook his head. "I don't really want to change more, unless you can make me... however I used to be?"

Cindy shook herself. "Can't do that. Do you want to be two-legged?"

Dusk smiled brilliantly. "You can do that? Yes! With hands!"

Cindy tilted herself to refer to me. "We can try, but we can't promise."

Sandra huffed. "You didn't offer me hands..."

I reached for Sandra, gently scratching her behind an ear. "You didn't have much left. I don't know how that's determined, but we can't do much about it." I looked back at Dusk. "You did really well though. I think seeing a pony struggle with, and succeed, against their urges and not attack someone literally hugging them will go a long way, but I just thought of something. We don't want to change you so much people don't recognize you. You're famous now."

Dusk's ears wilted. "You're right. I can't go back as an upright unicorn now... I'll take the hands though, just make them look and act like hooves when I'm not using them."

Could I do that? I'd try. I rolled Dusk over onto his back and rubbed his belly as I focused on that gift in him, stirring it into action and guiding it through his body. His forehooves began to splinter and crack and he made little noises of pain as he regained the gift of fingers as subtly as I could manage it. The gift was still there, and I felt Cindy grab hold of it. Dusk's fair-sized sac suddenly swelled, becoming softball sized and quite dense with seed, pulling the gift away from his torso. There was still a little left, and I coaxed it towards his horn and the delicate organs that seemed to feed into it, hoping it would improve his ability to use unicorn tricks.

The warm glow of the gift faded away and Dusk explosively sighed. "Is it over?"

Cindy smiled. "All done!"

Sandra poked him in the ribs. "You're part of an elite club of only three ponies now. Enjoy not being infectious."

Dusk rolled up onto his hooves, then sat on his haunches before jumping up. "Eek!" As it turns, having huge balls took a little getting used to, and he sat down again much more carefully. "I feel better, like by a lot. The urges are finally shutting up." He extended a forehoof and it broke apart easily, becoming slightly awkward looking fingers, but clearly fingers. "Thank you... Wait... Don't I know you from... somewhere?" He raised a furry brow at Sandra.

Sandra tilted her head. "Not that I remember?"

We let the mystery lay there and relaxed together. I was exhausted from moving without break for quite a long time, and Sandra was equally as eager to get a nap in, so we did that.

Author's Notes:

It could have been worse, right? Imagine if Dusk had pounced the kid. Horror on so many levels.

31 - Putting Down All the Cards

Luna was waiting for us when I faded off to sleep. "Ah, 'tis good to see you are well. What news have you?"

I turned to look at Cindy, but she wasn't where she usually was. Another ponytaur stood beside me, a copy in almost every way except for the subtle changes in our faces. Huh... "Well, where to start. We've figured out how to make ponies non-infectious but it's a one-by-one conversion, so not really the answer, beside the fact that we're still struggling to make peaceful contact with the humans."

Luna tilted her head. "I see. We have had contact with one other who claims success in a land far distant from you. Not in peace, but in conversion." Her face soured. "It was not our intent to have pony war on your people, let alone such twisted versions of ourselves. Please, you are one of the few that speaks with me of peace and positive things."

Cindy stepped forward. "We're going to make this work, promise." Her nose danced softly in the air as she circled around, looking at everything, though her eyes darted towards Luna most often. "It feels really nice to be my own pony for a little while."

Luna inclined an ear towards Cindy. "I had meant to ask about that. Are you feeling more complete? What manner of development allows you your own form now?"

Cindy shrugged. "I didn't ask for it, it happened when we came here." She came up behind Luna and reached for her flanks, rubbing her cutie marks on both ends. "You are especially enchanting this evening."

Luna flared her wings wide and suddenly Cindy vanished, only to reappear at my side. "We are not here for that! Just because you are my size does not mean I will do... that. Now tell me what is keeping you from progress."

I put a hand in front of Cindy, a token effort at best. "We're trying to convince a community that we're on their side by feeding them and brief moments of contact that don't end in people getting infected. My two companions are infectious-free. and have both talked with them."

Luna pointed a hoof at me. "You must be the next to speak, infectious or not. You are the leader. Your words will carry much larger weight, even if they don't understand it rationally. Make them feel safe, but impress on them that time is not an unlimited commodity. The people of your land must unify and stand against far darker rulers than you, or your world will plunge into darkness."

Cindy smiled gently. "I'll protect you, Will. We'll go tomorrow, middle of the day, like we belong there."

Luna nodded. "You do belong there. Convince them of that, and save them all."

The dream ended, and I woke up snuggled between Dusk and Sandra. I took a moment to pet the both of them, feeling comforted by their presence. My petting made little rumbles come from both of them, and for a time all four of us, Cindy included, were content. Soon enough it was time.

Dusk wouldn't let me go entirely alone. "I have magic, and I'm not starving anymore. I can help protect you if things go pear-shaped. I'll stay back and just watch."

Sandra nodded. "And I'll widen out the tunnel network a bit and have it ready if we need to beat a fast retreat. I wager they have precautions against me by now. They've seen us flee through holes a few times."

I gave both a parting petting down, then slipped to the surface in all of my alien glory. I had a sudden idea. "Hey, Cindy?"

"Yeah?"

"You can make light, right? Can you do a pattern?"

"Sure! What do you have in mind?"

I drew a peace sign in the dirt with a finger. "This, but bigger and over our head, rotating if you can manage it. It should be very visible to everyone."

Soon we approached, peace sign worn as if it meant anything. Well, I hoped it might delay a few bullets from going into my soft flesh. As we came up on the farming area, we could see there were people digging around in it, harvesting the food we'd made. I decided to take that as a good sign. Before I could wave or shout to them, one of their guards spotted us.

He dropped to a knee and brought his rifle into position, directed at us. Before he could start firing, one of the farmers grabbed him by the shoulder. "Give it a moment."

The guard looked confused. "A moment to infect all of us?"

I raised my hands into the air, presenting my furry palms. "We'd like to talk to whoever's in charge, if we can? We come in peace." Oh god, it felt so cheesy to say it, but that didn't make it less true.

The guard rose to his feet, looking uncertain, but not hostile for the moment. One of the other farmers raised a hand. "I'll go get Kate!" And off he ran towards the city.

Another guard approached, coming around the farm and stepping into the no-man's land between us. I admired his bravery as he just walked right up to me. "So what's your deal?"

I gave a nervous smile. "I want the killing to stop, both ways. We're stuck with each other, but we don't have to be the end of each other. I was a human before, I didn't forget that. I want ponies and humans as neighbors, not 'natural' enemies."

"Yeah? Well, in case you didn't notice, your kind makes more of itself with our kind. It's hard to be 'neighborly' like that."

Cindy shook herself. "Only with fluid contact, and we've worked a way around that. The two others you've seen are entirely safe. You could kiss them on the lips, if you were so-inclined, and be fine."

The guard made a bit of a face. "Pass, thanks. What about you?"

I decided the truth was the best way forward. "Still infectious, so no kissing. Handshakes are fine, as is casual contact, so far as we've seen. It has to be fluid contact."

The guard gave a slow nod. "You're... a lot more... I want to say 'clear' than most horses we run into."

"Pony," corrected Cindy, "and thank you."

Our conversation was drawing others closer, and we soon had a crowd that was listening in on the exchange. One of them stepped forward, asking, "Can you undo it? Is there a cure yet?"

I shook my head. "Not that we've found so far. I'm focusing on making sure no one else is converted forcefully, and that no pony gets shot. Neither side wants that, in the end. The ponies also have some talents, as you've seen." I gestured at the crops. "Some can encourage plants to grow. We'd gladly work with you to feed the city."

A new woman marched up towards the crowd. She was dressed smartly and had a decided frown on her face. She moved directly for me, drawing a handgun as she went. "Is this the horse causing problems?"

The guard that had approached me first turned to face her. "Negative, ma'am. Diplomat. Cooperative and civil. They have requested formal negotiations."

The woman snorted softly. "We don't make deals with terrorists, or invaders, and you're both."

I held up my hands placatingly. "I'm trying to stop both of those things. We're not all the same. Some of us remember being human, and want to have a normal life again, and help our fellow man, and woman, out."

She waved at me. "You're not going to be 'normal' ever."

I smiled. "No. I'm the leader. I've kept your city unmolested and free of hostile horses for a little over a day now. I want it to be permanent. Are you the leader of the city?"

She frowned. "Close as we have to one. It's easy to say that, what proof do you have besides being larger than average? We've seen larger."

I considered that. "I could prove it, but it'd require some faith on your part. I'll summon some ponies, but keep them far away, just close enough to see. I don't want either side attacking."

She rolled a hand."Go on then."

Soon there were about fifty ponies of various types and sizes gathered in an unruly mob within sight of the surprised humans. One of the ponies, slightly more intellectual the others actually waved at them. "Hi!"

Once they were scattered back into the wilderness, the lady nodded slowly. "Alright. I'm going to take you at your word. You're the best hope we've had in a while. Military contact's failed and we haven't seen a single plane go overhead for days. Power's out, water's chancy, food supply's pathetic. I have about fifty thousand souls depending on me to see them through this crisis. What can you do for me, and what do you want in return?"

I smiled. "First, you can introduce yourself. I'm William, she's Cindy." Cindy nodded and smiled at her. "And you are?"

"They call me Kate," she offered, rolling a hand. "Go on."

"Alright." I sat down on my haunches, feeling relieved. "We'll bring some earth ponies, without wings or horns. They're the ones good at growing. I need you to provide a nice bright bit of cloth to put around each, and we'll put it on them like a collar after they're clear of infection and to keep it clear which ponies are safe and which may not be. Going back and forth is not feasible, so the farmers will want to live here, and I hope you can welcome them. They're all nice people, just some of them are a little... simple? Not everyone comes back from the infection with all their thoughts in order, though the worst of them is like a big smart dog."

Kate raised a brow. "Are they pets or people?"

Author's Notes:

Are they? Would a still feral, but non-infectious, pony mind being given belly rubs and called a good boy and/or girl?

Still, progress! We'll win this war against the typos eventually.

32 - Moving Forward

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.

33 - Rinse and Repeat

I was allowed to relax, so I did. Dusk and Sandra refused to leave my side for longer than a bathroom break, and that was alright, as I enjoyed their company. Crystal approached with a hopeful expression, only to have Dusk suddenly turn a little hostile, growling before his senses returned. "Oh, sorry, it's..."

Crystal sat and looked at Dusk. "Are you claiming William?"

Dusk pawed at the ground softly with his hooves. "Not all of her... Sandra has the front and I have the back, of the genitals that is. We share the rest of her."

I found it odd to be referred to as a 'her', but then realized he had never even heard me sound like a 'him', let alone look like one.

Crystal approached Dusk and softly nuzzled with the male, the tension between the two melted away as they hugged one another. "Be at peace. I've already put a foal in there anyway. If Will is alright with this, I'll settle for one foal, or however many I get this once."

They both looked at me, expecting me to resolve this. Cindy grinned softly. "I have an opinion, if you want to hear it."

"Go ahead? I'm surprised you said that out loud."

Cindy nuzzled at me. "I want everyone to hear it. I think unicorns seem to be much more rare, and actively hunted by humans. We should let Dusk have us, though this is a far away thing. Foals don't happen overnight. Until we pop, we're not claimed by anyone."

Crystal perked an ear. "I'm the only crystal pony I'm aware of, if we're comparing rarities."

Dusk suddenly smiled. "Why don't you let me top you?" Then he frowned. "Why are we having such a frank discussion on who gets to mount who?"

Crystal nuzzled Dusk softly. "Welcome to a new era. You're not wrong though... A crystal unicorn... That might be worth it. I refuse to mate on desirable physical traits alone." She pulled Dusk to the ground and snuggled with him as she began interviewing him, getting to know him better.

Sandra slipped up onto our back and whispered to us, "Crystal's kinda funny that way. She obviously wants to bang, but on her terms. I'm glad we have each other." It felt nice to have Sandra so close, so I just nodded.

Inevitably, Crystal did allow Dusk to perform the duties of a stallion, progressing smoothly except for the fact that the unicorn had two swollen members. He worked each into a hole in Crystal, making her squirm and fidget in obvious discomfort at first, but that turned slowly into acceptance, then delight as they rocked against one another faster and faster.

Dusk's enhanced balls visibly clenched as he filled Crystal. Her eyes went wide with surprise, and became clear why a moment later as seed began to spray out forcefully from their connection, making quite a mess around them. He filled her every crevice with thick unicorn seed. She sank to the ground beneath him, woozy from the powerful injection. Dusk embraced her from above and behind, squeezing carefully before working himself free of her.

After some relaxing time, Crystal sat up. "I'm going to need a bath, but before I do that, are you ready to continue, Will?"

I nodded. "Time is of the essence. Let's get more people on board. Let's go to the community we just recruited. Some people from there will make recruiting the next a lot easier."

And that is exactly what we did, after Crystal and Dusk rinsed off. We got to see the earth ponies were settling in, and brought a few pegasi willing to give peace a chance. The new pegasi went to work gathering moisture in the air to create rain for the crops and to fill collection barrels, and the farmers were already mingling with the human farmers, working to expand the agricultural area enough to meet the demands of the community.

If you're curious what I did with the pegasi, well, they had their own idea, and they really wanted bigger wings, to the point of not really wanting to hear any other idea. It felt as good as anything else, so I gave them that, and they strutted around their peers showing them off before we had to go. I can only imagine I'll get a few more requests for that by the time we returned.

We scored a few volunteers and took a few humans with us to the next largest town in the area, and thus the week was spent. The humans would approach first and explain the situation. If they outright refused to hear of it, we quietly left and went to the next community and swang back around later. Maybe it was desperation, or maybe it was the fact that we didn't try to push or shove ourselves, or that we had different people every time we approached. Most communities eventually agreed to join our effort.

Humans were not the only ones we were expanding into. With Crystal giving up an increasing number of earth ponies, I began to feel around for ponies to shore up her herd's numbers. We started returning to the herd with as many ponies as we left with, diminishing the feral population in the region as a positive side-benefit. It was about this time that I got curious. "So... what state are we in?"

Crystal drew up short. "I never did tell you that, did I? Sorry. We're fairly dead center, Kansas. I had lofty dreams of spreading out from the core." She moved to bump against me. "A dream you're helping fulfill. We'll save a lot of people."

I sat on my haunches. "Well we're making good progress, but it relies too much on me. We need to get someone else, preferably multiple someone elses able to do what I do and sterilize ponies of the gift."

Crystal frowned. "I don't want to sterilize everyone just yet. Peace is looking good, but we haven't gotten there yet. Well..." She rolled a hoof. "My teleporting aside, only unicorns do outright magic like that. We should get more of those, and maybe they can help?"

Dusk smiled at the idea. "I'd like that. I don't like being the only one around."

Crystal snorted softly. "Welcome to my world."

Unicorns were trickier to find, but we did find them. Using Dusk as a kind of filter, I was able to tune my pony sense to unicorns and we wandered the state gathering them up. Many of them were hungry and alone, much like we'd found Dusk. In several cases I was pounced upon and had to just lay back and let them get their fill of my new pony teats before we could get much out of them, but most were at least moderately aware. They could all talk, for instance, though the level of functioning beyond that varied, with some being quite cognizant and others barely at child level. All of them were happy at the idea of joining a herd of friendly ponies, and we brought them back to Crystal's group, where they eagerly became part of the herd.

It took some time and patience, but a few of the higher-functioning unicorns were willing to watch me work and copy it. They weren't nearly as fast about it, and could only do exactly as I did, but they could do it, burning out the gift and leaving an earth pony with large hooves or a pegasi with large wings. I didn't establish a standard with unicorns yet, as we didn't plan on them coming back out with us to towns. Still, it was a victory, and we felt confident we'd have kansas, as a state, converted within a month, with the feral population drained and the majority of humans living alongside the ponies they had feared a few weeks earlier.

Things were looking up.

Then Liz came.

Author's Notes:

Oh Liz, can't you let us enjoy the moment?

Changelings, almost as bad as typos sometimes.

34 - Changing Perspective

Liz wandered in with three of her herd-mates, looking around the busy halls of Crystal's caverns. "Your week is long over, but my scouts say you haven't wasted it. I want to hear what's going on, from the horse's mouth."

Cindy snorted and giggled. "That was awful."

I frowned a bit. "I'm pretty sure you said a month."

Liz rolled a hand. "Week, month, get to the good part. What's with the little collars you're putting on your people like they're pets or something?"

Sandra advanced, nodding at Liz. "They're ponies that aren't infectious and are safe to be around." She raised a hoof and gently tapped her own collar. "Like mine. They don't stand in for ownership or anything creepy like that."

With a sudden thought, I added, "Do not abuse that system. A single collared infection will make the whole thing crumble and we'll be back to square one, possibly worse."

Liz snorted. "Sounds like you're building a mighty house of cards, just waiting for the right wind. I'm not the only one with a set of eyes in the world. Someone's going to abuse it, and it's just a matter of time. You got a plan for that?"

She wasn't wrong, but that didn't make me like it. I sighed and rolled a hand, "What do you suggest?"

Liz smiled brightly. "Oh, now I'm included?"

Dusk tilted his head. "I haven't met you before, but you're welcome to join us now, right?"

Liz nodded. "Right... Maybe I'm just being too bitchy. Fine, you tell me, Will. How do my people fit into whatever grand plan you have in mind? You have earth ponies farming and pegasi weather controlling and scouting against ferals. I've seen a dozen unicorns milling around like they're up to something, so I guess you have a use for those too. My people don't like being idle, or irrelevant."

I raised a finger. "Actually, I do know one way you could be uniquely useful. The largest cities are walled off and not taking guests, human or pony, making diplomacy rather difficult. I know you have the skill to get in and get that ball rolling. Beyond that, I have a feeling we're not the only pony community consolidating. Basically we need scouts and infiltrators, and you're the best of that, right?"

"Damn right," agreed Liz. "What's in it for us?"

"That's easy." I rolled a hand at Liz. "How's the pony we gave you?"

Liz raised a brow. "Huh? He's fine. Still producing, still happy. Why?"

I nodded. "Great, so ponies don't change. Every major city you help bring into the fold, we'll find a volunteer to help feed your herd. I figure after a few you won't even need anyone else."

Liz nodded lightly. "Alright, so we don't starve to death, that's great, but not much to look forward to."

"Well tell me what you want." I pointed off towards the farms. "Do you eat regular food too? Supply of that is increasing with every new town we add. Do you want to stop being infectious? We can arrange that too. You can talk to people face-to-face again, without lies."

Liz glanced towards the farm, then back at me. "I get you. So long as we bow to Crystal, we get whatever we want."

I raised a brow. "It's not really about Crystal. That reminds me, what happened to that 'council' thing?"

Liz snorted softly. "They're a mess. I'll take Crystal over that bunch of screaming idiots. Fine. Crystal doesn't care if I start setting up shop, right?"

We had gained another ally, or at least secured an old one. Crystal helped plan where to put the shapeshifter supplies in the caverns, and they became part of the expanding herd. While the other ponies were shy around their insectoid neighbors at first, things warmed up between them soon enough, and I think the shapeshifters were happier for the company. When I saw a shapeshifter topping one of the unicorn mares in his native form, both making happy sounds, I felt pretty sure they had integrated.

All was proceeding according to plan, at least until the military decided to drop by. The first hint of trouble we got was the alarmed whinny of ponies closest to the surface. One of the small pegasi darted into the main chamber with fear in her eyes. "We're being attacked! Army men, using knock-out darts."

It could have been worse. Using less-than-lethal force meant something. I rose and stepped towards the beseiged tunnels with my herd at my side. "Tell everyone to back away and do not engage."

Sandra smiled as she clip-clopped beside me. "This could be a great opportunity."

Dusk nodded, though looked less certain. "If we can show them the good that we've done."

We knew we found them when several darts sank into our shield and hovered there, vibrating from the sudden stop. I held up my hands, furry palms exposed. "Easy there. We're peaceful in here. Want to talk?"

Cindy smiled. "And please stop shooting the ponies. That's not very nice."

One of the soldiers, wearing the same full-body hazmat suit as the others, put out a hand, warding the others back. With a flick, his face became visible. "Cindy? William? What happened to you?"

I knew that face. "Richard?! How did you even get here?"

Richard approached us cautiously, looking mostly unchanged from the time we saw him back at the army camp. "We were shipped out, you remember that, right? So you're orchestrating all of this?"

One of the other soldiers looked around nervously, even if I couldn't see his face I could see his gun move around looking for targets and considering me and my herd to be fine ones. "Why are we stopping for tea, Richard?"

I held up a hand at them. "Lower your guns. No one gets hurt today if I get any votes on the matter. If you want to talk, let's talk. My friends are noninfectious and harmless, and I don't plan to kiss any of you, unless you really want to be horses that bad."

Richard slung his tranq-rifle on his back, smiling. "Shit, if I'd known it was you in here, I'd have just come knocking. You're still on our side, right?"

I raised a brow. "I'm on the side that gets people not killed. What do you mean though?"

Richard rolled his hands around one another. "I'm not an idiot. I saw the horses back off when the base was being attacked. You did that, right?"

Cindy grinned. "We did."

Richard pulled a radio from his belt and pressed the talk button. "Base, we have high priority diplomatic target. S-Class is located. Repeat, S-Class is located and friendly. Permission to engage?"

Author's Notes:

Guess you can't just unify a state without someone noticing...

I wrote 'You see nothing' on a bunch of signs. Maybe I typod?

35 - The Outside World

Richard secured permission to abort their attack on the caves. Dusk waited for him to stop talking on the radio to ask, "So why were you knocking out ponies anyway? We weren't attacking anyone."

Richard raised a brow. "A lot of activity but no movement. Someone wanted to know why and feared the worst. This was as much an exploratory mission as anything else, which is why I'm here in the first place."

One of the other soldiers barked out, "Hey, easy with the intel. They aren't on the friendly list yet."

Richard nodded. "Tit for tat. I'm almost certain you're the one I need to talk to regarding the increasing sighting of non-aggressive horses? Practically overnight the state's national animal becomes a pony and everyone's rushing to get their own. If you were trying to be subtle about it, that was a poor job."

Cindy smiled and leaned forward just a little, controlling an arm to point at one of the sleeping ponies nearby. "That was us, yes. They're living with people. Neither side is attacking the other."

"And infection?"

I stood up and picked up the closest collared pony I could find. "We've worked out a way around that. The collared ones are safe, and contact with non-collared ones doesn't change that."

"Come on now, I can't return just saying 'they fixed it', right?" He sounded hopeful, but obviously wanted more. "Is it a drug? How do you synthesize anything in here?"

How did I explain what I was doing? "Alright... think of the infectious agent as its own separate... thing. Whether a pony has it or not doesn't really affect the pony's basic actions. A pegasus will fly with or without it. A unicorn has the same magic, and so on. The agent is used to change others, and the pony. As they develop more... mutations? They use up the agent. It's possible, naturally, for it to get used up over time, but we don't have that kind of time."

"I'm trying to follow you here, but why wouldn't this agent reproduce like any other infection?"

I shrugged. Not the most convincing answer I had, but it was mine. "The amount of it is set on infection, and doesn't increase afterwards. I don't know exactly what it is, but I'm guessing it's not really... alive, like an infection. I'll leave that to scientists to work out. Either way, we clean ponies by specifically using up that agent. Then they're just ponies, not infectious ponies. It removes some of the urges, mostly those to spread the infection, but other than that, they are who they were beforehand."

One of the sleeping ponies stirred and shook herself out. When she noticed the soldiers she squeaked and shrank back fearfully. She spotted me and dashed over, hiding against me. I reached down and gently pet over the pony even as Sandra circled around to nuzzle and comfort the distressed mare.

"Alright, I'm going to assume that's true, seeing as we've watched the ponies interact with humans with no effect. But how? How do you 'use up' the agent, whatever that is?"

Dusk pointed at me. "She can tell the, er, agent, what to do, until it's burned up. She's very good at it." He flexed his hoof, allowing his fingers free to wriggle. "As you can see, she gave me the gift of hands again, when I want them, and I don't get those... ugh... urges anymore, at least not the violent ones. None of us want to hurt people. I'm delighted to be working with someone trying to stop the violence."

Sandra nodded from my other side. "This has gone on long enough. People are dying, horses and humans alike."

"You don't even know the half of it." Richard stretched out. "I should get back to base. You've given me more than enough to give the brass to chew on and argue about. Hopefully we'll be back with good news. Would you be willing to part with one of your 'cleared' ponies?"

Cindy bristled immediately. "They're people! Ask them."

Richard looked across the room, seeming to skip Dusk and Sandra, instead pointing at the one I was holding. "Well, let's wake that one up."

I gently shook the pony awake. The little pegasus' wings flared out as he looked around. "Huh wha?"

I smiled. "This guy thinks you're not brave and smart enough to visit an army base without making a mess of things."

"Says who?" He took on a proud stance, chest puffed out. "As long as they aren't going to shoot me?" He looked up at Richard. "And I want to come back. My friends are here."

Richard nodded. "I'll work on getting you back, but since we're being honest here, it won't be up to me when you get released."

More ponies were approaching curiously, some of them daring to get quite close to the soldiers. One of the other soldiers shied back. "No collar means it's infectious right?"

Sandra clopped a hoof on the ground. "If you don't have a collar, give them some space. They're our guests."

The crowd thinned as those with active gifts drew back and the smaller number with collars remained. Soon they departed, taking the pegasus with them. "That... Could have gone much worse," I sighed out, looking around before I felt the scared mare from before nuzzle up underneath me and press her cold nose against my sheath.

Sandra, being beside her, hissed angrily and her tongues lashed out, wrapping around the uncollared mare, lifting her into the air easily. "That's mine, not yours." Before the mare could do much more than squeak, Sandra had her securely wrapped in thick tongue-tendrils. "If you want the company of a stallion, I know one that's available." She circled around me and set the female before Dusk, lifting the mare's tail out of the way for him.

I wondered for a moment if this was forced, but I heard the female moan softly and she had a little smile on. She was enjoying the play, so I put it out of my mind and went to find Crystal, leaving Dusk and Sandra to have their way with the willing mare.

Author's Notes:

Good ponies, you managed to hold off on sexual hijinks until after the fuzz left.

Just imagine all the typos that would have occurred if he had to take notes while they were going at it like rabbits?

36 - To Serve

The response came quicker than I'd thought. I was certain the military would spend days, at least, arguing about it, but they came back the very next day. To their credit, they didn't blast their way to me this time, instead waiting at the entrance and sending the ponies to find me. As I came towards the entrance, I considered what it meant.

They couldn't be in a good situation if they're reacting this quickly to such a game changer, or maybe communications were just that bad that only one person had to make the call? I decided to wait and ask rather than wildly theorize.

"Probably for the best," agreed Cindy out loud to my internal thoughts.

Sandra perked an ear. "What's for the best?"

I reached to stroke her behind an ear gently. "That we're working with them. Now's not the time to be territorial."

Dusk nodded lightly. "We're working with each other."

We arrived at the entrance to see three soldiers standing at the ready. The leader wasn't wearing a hazmat suit. That felt like a very bold way to show trust, and I found myself appreciating it. "Good day. What's going on?"

The leader hiked a thumb behind him. "Brass' made up their minds. We have some high value targets, cities, that we don't have the manpower to keep on lockdown from all directions. You can change that. You were an American once, right? Ready to serve your country to the best of your ability?"

I softly snorted. "I never stopped being an American. I might have gotten a few extra... parts?"

Sandra nodded. "I'll have a hard time proving I match my ID, but I'm still American as any human, god."

He glanced down at Sandra and Dusk. "Are these your personal assistants?"

Dusk smiled lightly. "That's as good a title as any other. Where she goes, we go."

He turned away, "Let's go then. If you can settle the mess in Kansas City, that'll free up a lot of personnel, and keep about half a million people safe. Consider it a test run before we hit the real big ones. I understand you're still a biohazard, so we'll have to ask you to stick to a no-contact rule with anyone but your assistants there. Any attempt at contact will be seen as an attack. We're not trying to be assholes, but you know how it is."

I shrugged softly. It made sense enough. "If you have a bio suit that fit me, I'd wear that. I don't have to actually touch things to do what I do."

He barked out a laugh as he led his soldiers and us up to the surface. "For some reason we don't stock centaur models. I'll ask about that, it'll get a real laugh out of the quartermaster. What do you require to get this done?"

I considered that a moment. "Well, get us to the area. The first thing I'll do is recall the ferals. A helicopter trip around the city should be enough if you have one of those. Once we have them in one place, we bring them somewhere that's safe for them and the people. If there aren't too many, we can bring them back here, if there are, things get more complicated, but we can handle it. We'll have to set up a new community for them. Get them stabilized and self-reliant and they'll leave the humans alone. Some of them might even come out of their feral state, but don't expect any great numbers there, so far we've seen."

We approached a fat looking helicopter. It was large enough for even my large form to step into easily, and I grabbed one of the hanging straps. Sandra and Dusk grabbed onto me, pressing close in and around my legs.

The leader shouted out a few quick orders, getting everyone else ready for take off, and soon we were in the air. That leader approached while the helicopter made its approach on the city. "You've been giving the other towns their own ponies. Why not convert the feral population here instead of moving them?"

Sandra gave a little snort, thick tail swaying across the metal floor. "They're lost and afraid. Being a farmer or weather pony isn't something they can do well without any training. They need to be made to feel safe and comfortable, then educated, just like people. The ponies you see working so well come from a community of ponies, not just randomly recruited ferals."

"Huh..." He moved off, apparently having heard enough.

A shout came from the front of the copter, announcing we were circling the city. I glanced out a small porthole beside me and saw the ghostly remains of Kansas City. There was no traffic, making it hard to believe that it once was a metropolis, but the buildings still stood, tall and proud, and occasionally burnt out with out of control fires that no one was able to fight in the circumstances. It wasn't time to think about that. I closed my eyes and felt out for ponies. Most were lingering around the city, but some were inside. "Hey, can you get word down to the ground to let any ponies leaving the city do so without getting shot? Looks like some got past your guards."

"Shit son," came the exasperated voice of someone I couldn't see. There was some quick radio chatter before the all clear came.

I could only imagine the expressions on people's faces, watching as the ponies began to gather together in great roving herds. The ones in the city rushed out to join them, sprinting down roads and past roadblocks. A few precious spots of light vanished from my view and I growled. Some soldier had probably gotten spooked, maybe even a civilian, but most of them made it free of the city and joined the rest as they formed an unruly mob of confused ponies about a mile away from the city.

"We should just bomb the area, boom, no more problem," said one soldier to another.

That snapped me out of my trance, and I could see Cindy's horn was glowing with angry magic.

"Belay that talk," said the leader as he returned. "You did what we asked, and faster than we could have hoped for. We're going to set you down in sight of the, uh, ponies, and let you finish doing what you're doing. Keep them away from the city until you're given clearance. Any pony coming in range will be shot."

Author's Notes:

Their biggest city. Surely everything is smooth sailing from here, right?

Ugh, you didn't see that CO's report, so many typos. If we weren't at war, I'd demote him on the spot!

37 - Everypony Stay Calm

The helicopter didn't land. We lowered relatively close and were guided to some hoops. "Grab on and don't let go. You'll go down, fast, but not so fast that you'll break all your bones. We're extending a lot of trust, but landing next to that many horses? Not on our schedule."

I reached for the hoop when Cindy suddenly shouted, "Woah! What are you doing? We have wings." Oh... right.

"Can you take us down, Cindy?" I reached for Sandra and Dusk, gathering them up securely under each arm. Cindy took over most of our body suddenly, stepping us to the edge and jumping free into the air. Our wings unfurled from our back and caught the wind. The rotors of the copter made things a little shaky, but we quickly fled its presence and circled towards the ground.

Flying was great! Even if my passengers were clinging to me with all their power, I was having the time of my life, feeling those huge wings bear me along with so little apparent effort. I'd have to learn how to use them myself as soon as we had time.

We set down close to the mob, and most of their eyes were locked on us. They were a haggardly looking lot, with many of them looking underfed, frightened, and some even sick. I didn't know ponies could get sick. I set Sandra and Dusk down carefully as control of the rest of our body was returned to me.

One pony approached. It stood upright on two legs, but still had hooves, seemingly locked somewhere still between human and pony. She was female. "A-are you here to... k-kill us?"

Sandra shook her head quickly. "What? No way. We're ponies too, look at us!"

She did look at us. "But... you came from there." She pointed a hoof up at the helicopter that hovered there.

Dusk flashed a bright smile. "We're here to keep everyone safe, promise, humans and ponies."

I offered a hand towards the seeming leader of the group. "I'm Will and Cindy. What's your name?"

She glanced back at the large mob, then advanced slowly and hesitantly. She pressed a hoof into the offered hand. "I'm... so scared..."

Sad noises came from the crowd, many of them unintelligible. I got the impression a lot of the ponies present were feral and had no real idea what was going on around them except that they didn't want to leave the company of other ponies. I drew the female close and gently hugged her, and she sagged in my grip, letting out a relieved sigh. Other ponies began to advance at this, and soon we were surrounded in hopeful ponies, their big eyes gazing at us with desperation.

I wasn't sure even they knew for sure what they wanted, however. "Alright. First order of business, no more going to the city." I pointed at Kansas City in the distance. "You will stay with your fellow ponies. Do not let other ponies wander away. Do not le--" My words cut off as one of the many ponies crowding in on us managed to work their way under me and fix themselves to a teat, filling their empty belly with my milk.

Sandra, bless her soul, took over smoothly. "We're going to show you how you can make your own food, and we're going to be one big family, and family looks out for one another. Some of you are more lost than others, and it's up to those of us that can speak and think to look after the other ones."

Dusk took a slow breath before his horn began to glow. He projected an image into the sky where all could see, showing a simple farm. "We're going to start there. I want every able bodied pony working together to make the rows. We'll have the humans deliver some seeds and supplies, and soon we'll be eating good, I promise. We need some volunteers from ponies that don't have wings or horns. Step up to Windy and wait patiently. She'll make you better at farming and make it so you can mingle with the humans if you have to."

Another pony joined the first, making me squirm in place, but being fed from felt... mostly good, and thankfully they weren't biting. I released the female I was holding and asked her, "Say, do you know how bad off most of the ponies here are?"

She looked over the sea of ponies. "We've been foraging for food for a long time. I don't... I don't even remember the before-times. I wasn't always a pony, right? I remember... a house... It was a nice house." She smiled a little, but it fell quickly. "Some of us are very sick. I'm worried for them."

I waved out to the crowd. "Gather up the sick ones, put them together and to the side, to be cared for and to limit contact with healthy ponies. We'll see what we can do for them."

I had meant the command for the pony-human I was speaking to, but the crowd mobilized, and soon the sick ones were being ejected from the herd into their own little gathering to the side.

A small unicorn approached with a cautious smile. "Excuse me, um... I was a nurse before... you know... Can I help?"

The pony-human mare gasped. "You can remember that?"

The unicorn shrank back a little. "Not everything... but I want to help."

The first day was spent getting to know these ponies. While many didn't have words to share, they all wanted to be known and loved in their own way, and we tried to give each a moment. We found four caretakers in all that watched over the sick ponies while Sandra and Dusk got busy arranging the others to begin assembling a crude farm.

I didn't want to be the herd's primary foodsource for too long. They do get sore after a while.

Author's Notes:

They touch down and get to work, with barely any typos on the landing!

38 - Caring Like a Mother

I spent most of the day watching over the ponies and keeping them within the area we had set as 'home'. A few tried to wander away, but a stern thinking at got them to turn around, and the attempts became less and less frequent as the hours went by.

Despite my objections, I was still the primary food source, which was... flattering in a way, but that milk has to come from somewhere! I swear they were getting gentler with their nursing, but producing all that milk wasn't free, and I was getting a powerful hunger. Beside that, having random ponies wander up and dive onto one of your crotch boobs for a snack? It was... degrading? I'm not sure that's the right word, but it felt strange for sure. It was far too intimate to just casually dole out for these ponies I'd probably leave as soon as they were stable.

Cindy spoke, responding to my inner thoughts, "Why not make some of them into feeders? If you asked for volunteers, I bet some of them would say yes after watching the way we react when we're fed from."

Dusk blinked up at us. "You're going to make milk-ponies?"

Sandra snorted, looking thoroughly amused. "Better than letting them tackle William over and over for a snack."

As if on cue, a two-headed burrower popped up from the ground beneath me and fixed both of its heads onto the two teats it found. I sighed with a combination of the chemical soup the feeding was producing and frustration. "We need to feed the feeders. I'm already starving. Magic and lactation both burn calories."

Sandra raised a brow. "Guess you won't be going fat anytime soon. Well, if you make milk-ponies, they'll be safe for contact, and can get some food from the army or other humans while the rest of the ponies work on getting the farm going."

Dusk bobbed his head. "And I think I saw some ponies that already had large... udders. Why not work with the ones that are already halfway there?"

It was settled. I looked into the crowd of working ponies and picked out two with visible crotch boobs and called them over. "You've been selected to help distribute food for the herd."

One of them just smiled, looking happy to be helpful but sharing no words. The other frowned with thought, but it seemed slow going. "How?"

Sandra moved up and raised a hoof, brushing it on the pony's hanging crotchboobs gently. "Just like William's doing. You'll let other ponies feed, and you keep yourself well-fed."

The mute one bobbed her head in easy agreement and sat on her haunches, waiting. The slow one tapped the ground a moment, seeming to think it through before giving a hesitant nod, but she looked nervous.

I smiled at her. "If you don't want to, you don't have to. Volunteers only."

She nodded at us and moved forward to kiss one of my hooves then scurry away in the crowd.

Dusk tilted his head. "She didn't want to do it, but..." He pawed at the ground. "I think she wanted to be sure you knew she, you know, follows you."

Cindy nodded. "Very nice of her."

The human-pony approached from before, walking along as a human might despite her mostly pony form. "I heard you're making milk-ponies?"

Sandra blinked. "We barely just begun, how'd you hear that?"

She shrugged softly. "A pony rushed up to me and told me as best she could. Talking is hard for her, but she's always honest."

I pulled the volunteer closer, petting over her back and feeling the gift inside of her, burning and ready. "They weren't wrong. We hope to get a few feeders that'll go with me to get food safely, then come back and help feed everyone else."

The human-pony pointed at herself. "Do me. I want to help my people, or ponies, as best as I can. It doesn't hurt does it?"

I decided to show by example, and reached down for that gift deep in the volunteering mare. Unlike the alteration to bones, it seemed soft-tissue erogenous alterations made the subject squirm and make little noises of both pleasure and mild discomfort. Her breasts swelled up as the gift rushed down into them. As the pressure reached just the right level, new exit points appeared, her teats gaining friends and extending slightly like cow teats. By the time the gift was expended, she looked ready to feed six ponies at once. The volunteer curled on herself, looking at her altered anatomy curiously, but still silently.

I left her to that as I slipped a collar around her neck. She was safe. The human-pony was still there, watching. "That didn't look so bad... If it'll help, I want to help."

Cindy smiled. "If you want it, then come here. And what's your name?"

"I... have a hard time remembering... I guess I could make up a new name, like some of the others did, but I keep hoping I'll remember it." She looked down at the ground, seemingly ashamed.

Dusk smiled gently. "Will might be able to shake that memory loose for you. Sandra told me he did that once."

Her eyes glistened with hope and she rushed up to me. "Please! Please try."

Well what could I say to that? I put my hands on her shoulders and felt inside of her. The gift was burning hot, hotter than I'd felt in anyone other than me. This made sense after a moment of thinking. She never even finished changing into a pony. Assuming most ponies got about the same amount of gift, she saved hers. "I could make you a full pony, if you wanted?"

She hesitated before shaking her head. "I'm comfortable the way I am, and it helps the others spot me from far away."

Sandra scuffed at the ground. "You're very brave, and nice. You're like... Crystal in a way."

Cindy quickly agreed, "Yes! She could be lesser royalty. She is a leader and a caretaker. But first..." Her horn shone and washed over the would-be royalty. I could feel the gift being stirred, and the human-pony wobbled and fell to the ground, a hoof being lifted to her head.

"I... My name is Samantha... I used to... work at the post office... My... my child..." Tears welled up in her eyes and Samantha punched the ground as awful truth came crashing down on her. She quietly cried to herself, and I tried to let her have that moment, even if she was directly in front of me.

Samantha sat up after she let it all out. "I... Well... Thank you. It's better to know the truth, as horrible as it is."

Cindy tilted herself a bit. "You say that, but many ponies here would be broken. Destroyed. If I thought I could, I'd zap everyone."

Dusk frowned a little. "What about me?"

Cindy took hold of an arm to point at Dusk. "Your gift is used up. I couldn't even try on you without a nice full belly. Besides, you already remember almost everything on your own."

Samantha tapped herself on the chest with a hoof. "I didn't forget why I came over here. I still want to help."

I considered out loud, "Well it'd look a bit odd, I mean, even more odd, for an upright pony to have breasts down at her belly, and you seem to still have some human ones to start."

Cindy directed the arm she still controlled to reach out and grab one of Samantha's breasts. "Yep, small but there. We can fix that."

Samantha blushed a bit. "Well, fine. It doesn't matter too much in the end, right? Why are we arguing udder placements?"

I burst into a short laugh. "Welcome to the apocalypse. Now relax, we'll take it from here." We held Samantha and dived into her gift. It was so available that it flowed quickly. Her chest swelled quickly, teats poking free of her fur coat. Her gift was still burning strongly despite the adjustment.

Cindy thought at me, ~She really should be royalty. May I?~

~You can do that?~

~If they're ready, and I think she is. You can feel it, can't you?~

The gift seemed to brighten as Cindy did something to it. It spread through her body and Samantha began to pant as if she were getting hotter. The gift started soaking into her body as a whole, becoming a permanent part of her before fading to dark. "I can feel them!" She looked around wildly. "I can feel all the ponies around us." The last of the gift sputtered out and Samantha was safe for contact.

Samantha was staring at us. "What did you do? What part of bigger breasts translates to... that?"

Cindy spoke up with a smile, "You're their leader, their caretaker... Their mother. Take care of them."

Samantha put a hand over her chest, fresh tears forming. "I was a pretty bad mother before..."

Dusk pointed at her. "This is your chance to set it right. They need you."

Samantha nodded slowly. "Y-yeah... they do..." She reached down and plucked up the other milk mare that had just sat there patiently. She cuddled the mare softly. "Let's get something to eat, and get to work."

Author's Notes:

Samantha joins the ranks of lesser nobility and takes responsibility for the herd, along with a magic boob job. Welcome to the pony apocalypse indeed.

I just hope the army didn't make any typos in the food request forms. Our protags are ready to eat a cow if they have to.

39 - Refueling

We met up with the soldiers where they had seemed to set up a small camp. The helicopter was nowhere in sight. They shied away from me, which I couldn't exactly hold against them, being a live carrier still. "The herd's calmed down for the most part." I clapped the pony-human on the shoulder. "Meet the new leader, who you should talk to if there are any needs or concerns."

Samantha smiled nervously as she looked around at the soldiers. "My name's Samantha, nice to meet you all. I'll do my best to keep them all happy and out of everyone's way. Is there any food ready? We're starving."

Food was available, though it was rations. Tasted terrible, but was better than an empty stomach by a small margin. "We're not exactly equipped to serve proper meals out here. Command said you'd want this." They offered a bag. Inside, seeds.

I accepted the bag gratefully. "What is it, corn? Potatoes?"

"Alfalfa."

Sandra snorted out a half-giggle. "You're messing with us. Feeding the horses alfalfa, of course."

Dusk shook his head. "No, wait. I... remember alfalfa being a nitrogen fixer. It'll help enrich the ground, and we probably can eat it just fine."

I passed the bag to Samantha. "You know what to do. Get this in the hooves of your earth ponies and set them to planting. Pegasi should make sure the field is lightly watered."

Samantha gestured at herself with a hoof. "Aren't I an earth pony? I don't have wings or a horn."

Sandra nodded. "Welcome to the club. We're very important ponies right now."

Dusk shuffled a little, looking uncomfortable. I reached for him and pet over his head. "Unicorns are useful too. You're the only type that can burn out the infection."

"About that." One of the soldiers looked between us. "We'd like to get that crowd cleaned out and safe for contact. Command also wants some farmers ready to move."

I held up my hands. "Bad idea. At least, don't recruit from this herd yet. They're still recovering and learning. Go to Crystal's herd and ask her, she'll have some already prepped and eager to get to work. Speaking of which, we have sick and injured. Any chance of a doctor?"

He shrugged. "We barely have doctors for humans, let alone veterinarians for horses, or supplies for either, and no one would want to come out here and swim into a sea of infectious horses to see a sick one. Clear them out and we can talk from there."

And so it went. Samantha took her new role as leader seriously, listening to the needs and complaints of her fellow ponies while leading from the front. She toiled in the farm alongside other earth ponies. Sometimes she sat with the weak and injured and comforted them with her presence and milk.

I had little time to be idle either. Earth ponies were converted to farmer class and pegasi were blessed with wings matching their remaining gift power. It seemed wing-based posturing was mildly instinctive, as they quickly began comparing sizes, and the mare and stallion with the biggest seemed to get significantly more attention from their peers. Amusingly, they paid little attention to each other, and the male became quite the stud. I never saw the guy with the same mare twice. The alpha mare wasn't any better.

Sandra smiled with pride. "You'll notice the earth ponies don't get into these silly habits."

I perked ears at Sandra. "You identify with them a lot lately."

Sandra blinked and shrank a little. "Shouldn't I? I am one too."

Dusk moved in against Sandra and nuzzled into her neck. "You're the best one."

Sandra laughed at his affection and playfully tackled him to the ground, hugging him tightly. "And you're the best unicorn we have."

The unicorns were the roughest bit. Each had to be trained how to do as I did. The herd was too large for me to do them all myself in any reasonable amount of time, so it was important work, but most of the unicorns were fairly traumatized and their magic was stunted and hesitant. Dusk came through for us there, showing them patiently how to be at-home with their horns.

Unicorns seemed to be a true minority after a headcount of the herd entire. About thirty percent were pegasi, sixty were earth ponies, and the last ten percent were unicorns. Of course, being such a large grouping, even ten percent was a nice collection, and their help sped up the conversion of the herd quite a bit, but I wondered... "Dusk?"

"Yeah?"

"This is going to sound odd, but how's your libido?"

Dusk looked confused. "Doing fine, I think? I... admit a few of the mares took an interest in me and I didn't say no. Doing it like a horse is odd, but..." He shook his head. "Why?"

Cindy spoke suddenly, "Will, they'll be fine. Look at Dusk, he's fine. The numbers will even out over time. We shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Right now we need those earth ponies and pegasi most."

Sandra smirked. "I think Will wants you to help breed more unicorns."

Dusk blushed through his fur instantly. "I... could try?" He looked to Sandra, and got a light hoof across the snout for it.

"Not me! I'm quite happily married, thank you."

I didn't remember formally marrying her, but it was likely as close as we'd get in the circumstances, and didn't fight the claim.

The alfalfa came in quickly under the care of the ponies, much to the collective pride of the entire herd. The true challenge came in not allowing ponies to nibble the plants before they finished growing in. I and the other milkers became quite busy as the smell of the plants drove the rest of the herd to hunger all the more. Thankfully it was only a day of discomfort before some of them grew tall enough to be browsed, and the diet started to transition away from milk and back to solids.

Some ponies were quite content with their milk diet, though I had a suspicion they liked the intimacy of it. The feeding rituals with some of the milkers became quite affectionate, turning into several-pony snuggling times combined with meal time.

Overall, the herd seemed to be headed in the right direction, and Kansas City was safe as a result.

Author's Notes:

Things progress without any major drama in this chapter. Sometimes it's nice to just let things move, typos regretfully included.

40 - Operation Deemed Satisfactory

With the crops starting to become a stable thing, the mood lifted considerably. As proven many times in history, I recall, a well-fed population was a happy one, at least compared to the alternative. I made the rounds through the ponies, feeling for the gift. This herd was scheduled to be entirely free, myself excluded, and we couldn't have any mistakes there.

I could still feel them, as ponies. That was separate than the burning fire of the gift. I couldn't find any of that except one larger earth pony that resembled a dinosaur. She had a long neck and a thick tail and was generally heavy, like a little brontosaurus. Some of the gift lingered around her tail and I reached for it. As if afraid to let me decide its fate, the gift fled along her tail, and she let out a squeak as she grew several sharp spikes, and the gift faded away.

I pulled out the walkie talkie I'd been given. "Herd is clean. The farm's going smoothly, and morale's great. Did you talk to Crystal?"

A male voice came in reply. "That's a negative. Command wants to keep this local. How long until you can send some farmers to the city?"

I considered with a frown as I did a slow circle. "This would be a lot easier if the two weren't treated like separate settlements. I don't think it's a good idea to separate the ponies just yet, and they're clean, so why are they miles away from the city that needs them, and could provide much more comfortable arrangements for them in return?"

"I'll ask, but no promises." The line went dead and I was free to do as I pleased, so I found Sandra and Dusk working with the sick ponies. They were recovering nicely as a whole, some of them had even left the area with a clean bill of health. A solid social circle was doing them as much good as steady food.

Sandra smiled up at me. "Welcome back. You know... I was thinking, ponies really are absurdly social, myself included now. Surround one with a herd that supports them and they start perking up right away. I'm just glad they were sick from exhaustion, hunger, and neglect, and not any actual disease. I can only imagine a communicable bug that could survive in a pony would spread through us stupidly fast."

I frowned a little at the thought of it, but Dusk beat me to replying. "Well we're aliens, for better or worse. It'll be a while before bugs get used to us being around. It's probably our kid's problem. We should enjoy it while it lasts, but it won't last."

The radio came to life. "Orders are clear, you're to bring ten farmers and two weather controllers to the city to demonstrate to the population that they're not hazardous to have around. If they work out for a week, we can bring in more horses from the group, but the civvies are not going to tolerate that entire mob at once showing up at their doorsteps." It was far from ideal, but we didn't live in an ideal world.

We gathered up some ponies that volunteered to be away from the herd for the good of their kin, and made our way to the city. I ended up being their rest-stop along the way when they got thirsty, but otherwise we made the trip without difficulty, and soon we arrived at the checkpoint. They didn't want to let me past.

"You're not clean, we can't let you have contact with the civilians."

Sandra stomped a hoof. "He's the most controlled of anyone here. Unless someone rushes up and kisses him, no one is getting infected."

The guard didn't seem impressed at all. "Clean horses only past this point."

I shrugged. "Sandra, Dusk, go on with them and make sure they settle in. I'll wait here. This isn't worth a fight about."

They went on without me, and I sat and waited. I cleared my head and felt outwards. I could feel the herd in the distance, and ferals beyond them. There was a subtle difference between the calm ponies and the wilder ones, and I looked back and forth between the two, learning the differences of their flavors curiously.

~They're not the same, are they?~ came Cindy's thoughts. ~Ponies change once they start valuing peace I think. Or is it something else?~

~I think it's more the difference between surviving... and living. Our ponies are also clean, do you think that might have something to do with it?~

~Could be~ agreed Cindy as my view changed. She was nudging the view outwards, zooming out further and further until I felt I was looking at the entire country. At that level of zoom, I could only feel vague impressions of the ponies everywhere. A headache was starting to build focusing on this much at once. ~Look.~ She directed me towards New York, where a friendly patch seemed to be, feeling much the same as the local herd. ~We should ask about that.~

I shook myself awake and fumbled for my walkie talkie. "Hey, what's the situation in New York?"

There was silence for a while before a new voice came on the line. "What makes you ask about there?"

"Just a hunch." Really, I couldn't think of a better way of explaining that wouldn't bring a hundred more questions.

"Right. You're not the first rogue to approach civilization with an olive branch. Things didn't go so well after they let them in. Humans are plenty safe, but they're the second-classes now. The horses are running the show."

I cringed at the thought. "Oh, well. Shit. No wonder you've been so nervous."

"The worst part are the sympathizers. Anyway, you're not like that, right? We'll be watching to see, and we're a lot more ready than they were."

The voice went quiet and left me to stew on it. The ponies taking control of the state? If they were still acting like ponies, it probably wasn't as awful as it could be, but it was far from ideal.

And so it went, with more and more ponies brought over to help around the city. The larger ponies were eager to help as well, and got to cleaning up fallen things like collapsed buildings and debris, helping restore the city to a sense of normalcy. It would be an entire month before the last of the herd trickled in and the people of the city had grown calm enough about the presence of ponies to not stage an immediate revolt at their presence. That's not to say everyone was acting nice to them, from what I heard, but there wasn't much more I could do, not even being allowed in myself.

Things were calm enough, at least until news came that a pony had succeeded in courting a human male, and the two wanted to become a couple. Sandra explained it to me afterwards that the ponies thought it was odd but didn't raise much fuss about it, but the humans thought their fellow was a bit out of it. Ultimately the human was allowed to move in with the ponies. It proved to be an extreme test though. He didn't become a pony, and obviously had... heavy exposure. For all the fuss and turmoil, perhaps it was for the best.

Author's Notes:

Things happen! And news from the East. While Windy works, the world move on around her.

Just think of all the typos we don't even get to see off camera?

41 - Friends, not Property

Crystal appeared with a familiar flash of light. "Ah, that worked better than I could have hoped for. Will, Cindy, a moment?"

We weren't doing much more than idling at the moment, so she had our attention. "What's up, Crystal?"

Crystal sat down in front of us. "It's good to see you two again, but I'm the bearer of bad news, sort of... It's self-correcting, for the most part, but I thought you should know, the ponies have staged strikes in some of the towns. Some of the people living there tried being rude and nasty to some of them and they all quit working together."

I raised a brow. "I thought you said it's self-correcting? What's the corrected part?"

Crystal pawed at the ground with a shiny hoof. "Well that's the thing. Once the ponies gave a united front, most people gave up trying to boss them around, but then they got right back to work once it was over. They're... It's like they're instinctively unionized. One of them was set off when the people tried to insist that ponies don't get human houses. That didn't last long."

Cindy smiled gently. "Well that sounds good. Nobody was hurt by that, right?"

Crystal rolled a hoof lightly. "Well one community tried to wait them out, but crops without earth pony magic and mindfulness started to wither in the field. They gave in before it got too bad though. I imagine, if we weren't in a crisis mode, ponies may have a hard time being hired in the average job if they can expect such immediate labor action."

Cindy shook herself. "We can't really plan for that. I don't think we're going back to the world we came from for a long time. Oh! How are the foals?"

Crystal looked confused a moment before giving an 'oh'. "I've had ponies hard at work making a nursery area for them, and we're trying as hard as we can to be ready to catch this tidal wave. Some small part of me is holding out hope that the libido comes down when the foals start popping out. Failing that, condoms that are easy to use with hooves would be helpful, but the world's in no condition to make that for me. Speaking of, how's Sandra? She start laying yet? Want me to take the egg back?"

I frowned with a sudden thought. "The feral ponies are going to be very put out, if they come to term. Food's going to get more scarce, and a lot of mares are going to die. The feral population's going to winnow itself out in the coming months."

Crystal looked especially saddened. "That's already happening. Those are people! Victims... They're dying off bit by bit. I draw those I have room for, but my herd can't fit everyone." She raised a hoof to point to the large city beside them. "Did you save a lot?"

Cindy nodded with a proud expression. "Almost as many ponies as there are people in there. It's tense, but no violence. In fact, a human male proposed to a mare, and she accepted him."

Crystal colored lightly. "I didn't think that'd happen so soon... Was she... I mean... Is she pregnant? Was she before they met? Are humans and ponies compatible?"

I shrugged and glanced off into the city. "It's not been long, too short to know for sure. The mare wasn't pregnant before, so if she starts swelling now, then we know. The human didn't get infected from being with her, so that's a huge relief, but I can't imagine they're happy some guy is sleeping with 'little horses'."

Crystal tilted her head. "That reminds me, why are we out here? Shouldn't you be in there?"

Cindy made a sour expression. "They won't let us in because we have the gift still. Makes me spitting mad."

Crystal held up a hoof at Cindy. "That'd be a bad thing to do. No spitting."

"Aside that," I said, changing the subject. "The next place we need to be is New York I think. The ponies have joined humanity there, but also taken it over. They've pushed the humans down to second-class citizens, and that's not the reputation we want to have, as conquerors."

Crystal tilted her head. "That sounds bad, but ponies are dying. The New York ones are stable from the sound of it, forget them for now. Save the ferals while there's still time to do so. I suggest doing what we started with for a plan, spread out from here, get other cities involved, and make each a safe haven for ponies and humans, instead of rushing across the map to tackle a problem beyond our ability to handle right now." She tapped her chin. "Actually, if you have so many ponies and humans here, they should be able to convert the next population center without you, right? You should let them try. You're only one person after all."

Crystal's idea sounded right. I wondered for a moment why she didn't get the 'princess' package. Cindy heard the thought and snorted. "That's very kind to think, but she didn't, and you did, so we have to deal with it."

Crystal looked confused at Cindy's words. "You're a confusing head, Cindy. Who are you talking to?"

Cindy smiled. "The dope I'm attached to was busy complimenting you."

Crystal smiled and blushed a little. "I'm just trying to make the best of a shitty situation. If we want to hit the highest population centers, we should expand west, towards California, but if you can get the other people and ponies involved, then they can go out in all directions, and that'd be best of all. Start a bomb of peace and stability."

Author's Notes:

A chapter with nothing but talking?

Someone clearly did some typos in the author's plans. This is not what we signed up for!

Will Crystal's idea work out?

42 - To Form an Empire

I decided to get the military involved from the start. I soon had an appointment to talk with a captain. I never did memorize how the ranks go, but that wasn't a general, if they had any generals? Either way, the captain wasn't quite brave enough to come into easy conversation range, to my annoyance. "What's the situation?" he asked from behind two guards, a short distance away, as if I might lunge at him.

With a grunt, I gestured in a vague circle. "I want to step things up, and I think the military is an important part of that. There are too many people, and ponies, suffering across the nation that we need to get to faster. We need humans and ponies with even heads, willing to work together, to kickstart this process in more than one place at a time, or we'll be going at a snail's pace. Are you ready to help rebuild America?"

The captain barked out a laugh. "Shit, I didn't expect a horse mutant to pull the 'Amurrica!' card. How do you propose my soldiers are supposed to approach ferals without trouble?"

Cindy rolled her eyes. "Trusting us would be a nice start." I wanted to be annoyed at her, but she just said what I felt.

I pointed to a pegasus going overhead. "You can send in some ponies first to establish contact with the local ferals, while humans focus on meeting with the local humans. Both sides need talking to and coaching. Make sure to send at least one unicorn per town to clean up ferals. Once their head's cleaner, most will be eager to help. The two sides of the team meet up, and then it's easy, relatively. Get the area stable and secure, and eventually send out another mission to the closest population center you can find. If everyone's doing that, we can get the nation back fast."

He sighed. "Right, well, it's not the stupidest idea I ever heard. I'll pass it through the brass and see what they say. Remind me again why you don't get one of the unicorns to clean you up?"

Cindy fielded that one with a grin, "Can't. Our gift grows back, and we need it. You're going to have to accept us on faith."

He made a dismissive motion and turned. "Faith is something we're short on supply of at the moment. Quartermaster has it on backorder. I'll let you know what they say."

Sandra and Dusk returned later that day. Sandra rushed up and nuzzled into a side. "Missed you. Things are mostly settled in there, if the humans would stop glaring and muttering so much."

Dusk snorted softly. "Don't make them all out to be bad people. Most of them are getting along nicely. Most of them are overjoyed that they aren't going to be attacked again. Let's not blur them together like they're all the same thing."

I pet both of their heads gently. "It can be easy to forget that. Each human's an individual, just like ponies. How are the conditions? They treating everyone alright?"

Sandra nodded. "Word came around about the other towns, both them doing better than before, and the ponies not taking guff. They let us pick a nice tall building and we've been making it cozy." She suddenly hopped to her hooves and grunted before trembling. "Oh... that's new."

Dusk tilted his head. "What? Is something wrong?"

Cindy somehow knew. With a broad smile, she announced. "Egg time!"

Sandra blinked. "Already? It... feels like I have to go." She glanced behind her at the guards quietly watching, then snorted before burrowing into the ground for some privacy. Her head quickly popped back out. "You can... watch, Will. You put it in there."

Her words were relaxed, but her tone implied to me that she wanted me there, and I moved quickly to be beside the hole and look in on her. Dusk sat down beside me and leaned against, but didn't look at the hole.

Below, Sandra turned around again before squatting with her thick tail raised high. Her mouth hung open in three parts, panting softly as she tried to get things moving. She was succeeding, if her widely spreading sex was any hint of it. A reddish shell poked free, then began to emerge inch by inch, pushed by powerful contractions until it was, with a powerful sigh of relief, ejected onto the soft earth. The new egg was fairly large, but flexible, only starting to harden once it was in the air and becoming a foal-sized egg.

Sandra nuzzled the egg carefully. "I think all women everywhere would switch over if they knew how easy that was. Nothing worse than passing a..." she trailed off before she said something entirely unlady-like. "Nothing too bad."

Dusk looked down then with a smile. "Part of it could be because of your mark?"

Sandra turned to look at her flank where her egg-laying cutie mark rested. "Huh, maybe? I don't know. But mine will be among the first new ponies, born as one. I wonder how smart he or she will be, like me, or closer to a feral? I hope more like us, but I'll love them all the same."

I offered a hoof down towards her and she climbed up me, her tail wrapped around the egg. Soon she was topside and set the egg where we could all easily see it. I reached with an uncertain hand, brushing across its surface. It was smooth, with a faint leathery texture to is. "You did well. Where are we going to keep this? Crystal volunteered to keep it safe."

Sandra frowned. "I... Kind of want to keep it close, but I guess that's a bad idea, the way we do things."

A sudden thought hit me. "Hey! Did any of the ponies in there get one of those marks?"

Dusk nodded quickly. "I saw a handful of them."

I smiled with building hope. "Great, tell me about them. Any leaders or spokespeople?"

As it turned out, I was a bit overeager. Most had marks in their jobs, though there was one town gossip and socializer that got a mark that seemed to reflect her outgoing behavior, and she couldn't have been happier about it, from Dusk's report. I decided she might be one of the first to play spokesperson for the ferals. "Tell me, Dusk, did she seem, er, smarter than the others? More acute?"

Dusk nodded. "Oh yes, she's practically a human in a fur suit."

Sandra perked an ear. "Maybe only fully functional ponies can get these marks?"

Dusk sagged at the words. "But I don't have one yet. Am I broken? Or just stupid."

I held up a hand. "Sandra didn't get hers immediately. I think you have to find it. Heck, do I have one?"

Dusk relaxed at my words and nodded. "Alright, still, that's good to know. Ponies that do have one are probably the ones least... reduced."

It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Author's Notes:

The herd grows with Will and Sandra's egg, but what lurks within?

Meanwhile, Will considers the typos of the outside world.

43 - A New Lease on Life

Things were looking up. With expeditions being led by someone other than me, we were putting this whole thing on fast forward. Apparently food distribution and clean water were two things that became quite spotty once the infrastructure collapsed. It wasn't everything people needed, but it certainly was the most reliably consistent thing they needed.

I felt good about the whole thing. We were turning back doomsday. Sure 'America' as I knew it was still a fading memory, but we were a true force of light, beating back the problem without leaving casualties, and I could find nothing wrong with that. Keeping the military involved made them happy too, since they were a part of the solution, and maybe they didn't feel like I was working 'around' them so much.

Of course, that was when a soldier came up to just beyond comfortable talking distance. "Command says they need you immediately."

Cindy tilted her head. "They'll have to come out here. We're not allowed inside, remember?"

He waved a hand. "Situation has changed. You're allowed in today. No contact is to be made with any other living creature. Follow me."

I rose up to my hooves, stirring Sandra and Dusk. They followed after me without question. "Why so worried about me touching a pony?"

"Just relaying orders." He led the way through the gates and into the city proper. It was the first time I saw it, and I liked what I saw for the most part. The streets were cleaned up, and the dangerously damaged buildings had been torn down and the rubble removed. The city wasn't as tall and grand as it once was, but it didn't look like it was being actively shelled either.

The soldier soon arrived at a squat building and gestured inside. "Go on in. Mind your Ps and Qs."

I moved past him, and he tried to block the others from following me, earning an angry hiss from Sandra. "Where he goes, we go."

I turned to face the soldier. "They are my bodyguards and right-hand men. Anything told to me is going to get told to them right afterwards anyway."

Dusk reared up on hind legs and put a foreleg over his chest. "We'll keep everything a secret, promise."

"Not my call," replied the soldier with a frown. "Take it up with the brass inside."

I decided to do just that, turning back around. "I'll be right back."

The building's layout was quite simple, and I soon found the large conference room where ten people that had the strong feel of officers about them sat waiting. One of them, the oldest of the bunch, rose to his feet on my entry. "Ah, the mysterious S-Class arrives. I've been dying to ask, why are you so hell-bent on serving America when all the others seem content tearing civilization a new one?"

Did I have a good reason for that? "It's the right thing to do." It sounded lame to me, but it was my lame reason and I didn't plan to change it. "People are dying, on four legs or two. They're all victims, and I want to stop that. People didn't stop being people just because they got sick, and they need help. I mean I get it, it's hard to help someone who wants to infect you and share the problem, like a drowning man clubbing their rescuers to death in their flailing, but that doesn't mean letting them drown is the right answer."

The one female at the table adjusted her glasses, staring at me. "We've been informed you can prevent infectiousness in others, but not yourself. For the record, can we hear why that is?"

Cindy made a little annoyed grunt. "We're a source of it. We'll keep making more, no matter how hard you try to get rid of the gift inside of us, but we can use it for good things, and we're not trying to spread it to people."

I noticed none of them were wearing hazmat suits, or even behind glass, or... "Which I think you realize, seeing as you're extending a lot of trust in this meeting. Thank you for that."

"We have a... request." started a new member, who sounded like he was out of breath. "I'm dying. We've run out of the medicine I used to take, and the one lab that used to make it isn't going to be operational for a long time, blasted patents. If you can assure me that I'll be aware and functional, I'd rather live on four legs than die on two. I won't leave America in this state. Can you fix me, with this 'gift' of yours?"

That was a twist I was not expecting. Even as I mulled over it, Cindy answered, "Of course! We'd be honored. We've had more practice with moving the gift around. What kind of pony do you want to be?"

The female asked, "How? Our reports show fluid exchange is vital for infection."

I nodded. "That's exactly right. Since we want to be directing the course of the infection, er, it would be better if we were in close contact. Also, can my bodyguards come in? Not that I'm worried about an attack, but they're also my right-hand men, or ponies if you prefer."

A new member shook his head. "Out of the question. This is a matter of urgent secrecy. They'll have to wait for you."

The dying officer rose to his feet. He was shaking like a leaf. I wondered how hard he tried to hold out, to pray for a better answer than the one being offered to him as he approached me. I tried to think of something reassuring to say. "You will still be you, just in a different shape. We won't leave any gift in you right from the start. You'll probably be the most clean and instinct-free pony we'll ever get."

"Save your supporting platitudes for someone else. I'll be the judge of it, and the others know me well enough." He stopped in front of me. "Alright, so, what, french kissing time?"

Cindy tilted herself. "That's one way."

He shuddered. "I think it's the only way I'm comfortable with, and I'm not comfortable with it."

~Let me,~ came Cindy's voice, and I did let her. She leaned us in and she pressed her lips to his, slipping him some tongue for just a moment before she drew back, or tried. He grasped her around the cheeks and held her a moment, forcing the contact to last a few seconds before he let her go. She was driven to a deep blush by the unexpected aggression.

I could feel the gift spreading through him. It was a fairly average amount. He would not be royalty. My horn began to glow as I reached for that gift, directing it. "We're going to ruin your clothes, I should note, and did you settle on a kind of pony?"

"I think one of the ones with the magic, the horned ones. Not much interest in farming or flying."

I noticed the female and several others were taking notes. Of course they would be. This was a first on a few levels. Cindy joined me with her magic, and we began to reforge the man. We felt the gift try to invert his sex, and redirected it away from that effort, instead growing a spiraled horn. It was a pinkish color, just like the fur that was starting to sprout all over him. I could feel the wrongness in his body suddenly, and pressed the gift against it, destroying the sickness as we rebuilt him. With a loud snap and a grunt of pain, he fell to all fours. "Stay calm and with us," I coached. "Focus on your friends, and what's important to you, and don't let yourself be caught up in any new urges. We'll be rid of those soon."

His pants tore as his legs reshaped and a tail burst free, soon covered in a darker maroon shade that matched his new mane. He was a pony, a pink and dark red unicorn. There was still some gift in there, and I tried to be generous, siphoning it into his vital organs to make him healthy and strong where the disease had been sapping him before. He took a deep and clear breath and shook himself out. "I don't know what you just did, but that felt amazing."

He turned to face his fellows and snapped a crisp, yet awkward, salute. "I feel clumsy as fuck, but healthy as a horse, pun intended. Permission to resume duty?"

The female wagged a pen. "Denied. Get some new pants first."

He smirked. "Yes ma'am." He turned back towards me. "You did good, I think... I'm going to have to get used to this, but I feel... alive! That hurt like a son of a god damned bitch, but what good surgery doesn't?" He took an uncertain step and collapsed, only to quickly gather himself back up again and get to trying all the harder. He was not going to be deterred by alien anatomy. But I found it interesting...

"We burned the gift out of you so quickly you didn't pick up the instinctive movement," I noticed out loud. That prompted a flurry of new writing.

"I'll figure it out, on my own, without some disease telling me what to do, thanks." He rose and took a step without collapsing, much to his delight. He would figure it out, one way or the other.

I turned for the door. "I gather that's all you needed?"

"Yes," said one of the men, "But you don't have to leave the city. We do ask that you not infect anyone else, even if they request it, unless you're approved by someone of captain rank or higher. Any infection outside of that will be considered a criminal act. You are not outside the law."

That seemed fair. I nodded. "Alright."

Things were looking up.

Author's Notes:

Would you take the offer? I'm not sure everyone dying of a terminal disease would accept a species transplant to avoid it, but hey, better than typos, right?

44 - Bigger Problems

I sat beside a water fountain. Water didn't flow through it anymore, but it was still a central location and watching people go past was interesting enough, and gave them a chance to see me and get used to the idea that I wan't going to try to steal their humanity away or something.

The ponies who went past would nod at me and smile, or sometimes wave or even rush up for a hug. They were all pretty happy to see me, and I felt good returning the warmth.

The humans were a mixed bag. Some were curious, others cautious, a handful outright nasty looking, but most just walked past, more intent on their destination than me.

Sandra leaned against me. "This is really good, you know. If they have a pony on the upper echelon, even if he doesn't think much like one, he's a lot less likely to let them set rules based on being a pony alone getting you less than a human would."

Dusk shook his head. "Part of it depends on how much they make public. They may hide this ever happened, even if it does influence his personal decisions."

A soft crackle issued from my walkie talkie and I pulled it out. "William here, what's up?"

"We've got a new task for you, a big one. Feel free to bring your friends."

Sandra perked her ears. "Finally." Dusk stood up, and soon we were all on our way back to the central HQ. "Think they want us to work with a stubborn community?"

Dusk tilted his head. "Or maybe a unicorn messed up with one of the cleanups?"

I winced at the idea. "I'm thankful they seem to cast by rote, and they know how to feel for the gift, so they should know if they missed something, though I imagine that'll only happen if the pony has more then the usual amount."

Cindy shook her head. "They wouldn't call us for either of those things. It must be something new, or planning."

We arrived shortly after, and they waved us inside without fanfare. The circle of officers was present, though a few were missing. Our pony friend was there, dressed sharply despite being four-legged. He must have noticed our looks, because he cleared his throat. "I had my old uniforms resized and adjusted. Expect to see a lot more ponies following the trend I'm offering soon."

~That's the first time they used the word 'pony' instead of 'little horse'. Progress.~

The female leaned forward. "We're not here to discuss clothing standards. A rogue feral's been spotted, and it's a huge one. Huge enough that I'm not eager to send our average horses or my men after it." She pointed her pen at me. "You have the best odds of negotiating with it and coming to a peaceful arrangement. If that fails, long-range bombardment will be the next option."

Sandra tilted her head a little. "Is it that dangerous that bombing it is literally choice #2?"

She frowned a little. "It is a dragon. A horse-dragon. Four arms, two legs, one head thank god, and demonstrated ability to breathe fire. It's already demanded 'tribute' from a few settlements, but it hasn't actually hurt anyone yet, which is why we're hoping William here can resolve it peacefully, before we have to resort to overwhelming violence."

The pony clopped his hooves together. "If we can bring it in, that will be a huge increase in our capabilities. It can serve as a transport, mobile attack platform, messenger, and more, and it'd only need food, not rapidly-dwindling fuel supplies. First priority is to de-escalate the situation. It is in its best interest to join us and be a part of things. Dragon-sized or not, we can and will kill it if we have to."

Dusk nodded his head. "Have you found its home yet?"

One of the other officers nodded and pointed up towards a map. With a press of a laser pointer he was able to indicate a particular mountain. "It's making no large effort to hide where it comes from. We theorize it feels invincible right now, and so has little reason to be subtle about its movements. That works in our benefit. Do not make it clear that we can threaten it. If things go poorly, we'd rather catch it unawares and end that battle before it ever begins."

It was settled, mostly. I wasn't looking forward to the idea of maybe being roasted alive, but Cindy insisted she could help with that, at least a little.

When the meeting was declared over, we made to depart, only to be interrupted by the pony-officer in the hallways. "I need to talk to you, man to man, as it were."

Cindy perked her ears curiously. "What's wrong?"

He frowned a little. "I had a wife of thirty years, decided she didn't want to be married to a horse. I can't force that, but to be frank, I don't feel like being alone either. I'm no novice to the dating scene, but where does a pony even start? I still prefer the look of a human, to tell the truth, but I don't think most of them want to get friendly with a pony, even one with a few fancy medals."

Sandra's ears wilted and she shook her head. "That's awful. It was this or dying, wasn't it? She should... at least try to be understanding."

Dusk nudged Sandra. "Easy to say. Your loved one suddenly changing species isn't something everyone can just ignore."

I offered a hand towards the new pony. "To start, we really should get your name."

He gave a quirk of a smile, putting his hoof in the offered hand. "Major Smith, pleased to meet you all. We're not here to point fingers at my ex. I don't blame a person for not wanting to kiss a horse."

Cindy shook her head. "Don't be so certain of that. Make yourself available and try going on some dates like normal. I bet a few women will get interested in you, even if you are a pony. You're a cut above most."

Sandra raised a hoof. "As for ponies, they're easy, depending on what you're looking for. Uh, casual's almost too easy, but I doubt you want that."

He frowned. "I'm not looking for a random pony to hop on top of."

Dusk pointed at Sandra's cutie mark. "Look for those. Anyone with one has their stuff together, up here." He tapped his head.

Major Smith's ears went upright. "Huh, that explains how I got one."

Dusk threw up his hooves. "Everyone's getting one before me!"

Author's Notes:

Darn site outtages! They make me typo in fury.

45 - To Slay a Dragon(clop)

We were sped along, not in a helicopter, but along the ground that time in a jeep. As we went, Sandra squirmed a little before she casually announced. "I think I'm ready for a fresh egg." She glanced around. "Not right this second, of course. I'm not doing it in the back of a jeep."

Dusk tilted his head a bit. "That puts you ahead of most." He looked up at me, then her, looking like he had a question he dared not voice.

Cindy stuck out her tongue. "She's ours."

Dusk clopped his forehooves together meekly. "But I don't have a foal yet that I'll ever actually see. We're all family, a herd, right?"

This new world had strange new family dynamics. I reached for Dusk's head, softly petting over his ears. I didn't feel jealous towards the unicorn. He had been a good friend, and didn't ask for much in return. "If Sandra wants it."

Sandra perked an ear and looked surprise before looking between us and Dusk. "Oh, sure, make it my decision." She leaned forward and nuzzled at Dusk gently. "A challenge! Whichever of you two gets their mark gets the next egg."

Dusk frowned a little. "That's a little mercenary for love, isn't it? I... I just love you, Sandra. You're smart and collected and I want to have a foal with you, if you'll have me. I want to be a full part of this herd."

The human driver had, to his credit, managed to be quiet during the exchange. He raised a hand off the wheel to point at a small mountain up ahead. "That's the operation zone. You're going to have to hike the rest of it." The jeep came to a smooth halt and he waited.

We climbed free and I stretched out, thankful to have room for my large form to exist in. The jeep turned around in a wide circle before vanishing along the highway we came in on, leaving us to our own devices. I had a radio to call for a ride back, assuming we didn't get roasted in the mission.

Dusk rubbed alongside Sandra. "Let's focus on the mission, but I meant what I said."

Sandra nipped at his cheek and ear, her tongue wrapping around him like a hug as natural as her form ever would be. "I'll consider it. Let's go meet a dragon."

We set off towards the glorified hill we called a mountain, eyes locked to the sky for signs of a reaction, and were not disappointed. A small dot became a small figure with flapping wings. As it approached it became larger and larger, until the full magnitude of the beast became clear. It was six stories tall, easily. It appeared vaguely tauroid, at least in the sense that its two front limbs had hands, while the back four had hooves. What broke the illusion was that it was clearly bipedal, meaning the middle limbs looked useless, just hooves held up with no particular function.

It landed in front of us and made the ground shudder beneath our hooves. "You're intruding on my land." Well, it started with talking. It could have already gone worse. Its nose twitched, horse head leaning in and nudging Sandra over. "You. Flip over and spread your legs and I'll spare the others."

Sandra paled instantly. "You're... how? You'll kill me!" She scrambled to her hooves and scurried behind me. "I don't want to be split in half, thanks."

The dragon-pony huffed softly, fur rippling under its massive bulk as it, no he, looked at me directly. "What do you plan to pay then, to not be eaten?"

A thought came to me. The dragon hadn't actually hurt anyone yet, just made noise and gotten concessions. "We're not here to offer things, except maybe a way to not be alone out here."

Ears large enough to double as cars perked up. "Oh? You want to join my herd? How flattering!"

Dusk smiled a little. "Not exactly. We've been making peace between the ponies and the humans. They would like you to join them. You'll have to work, like everyone else, but you get food, shelter, water... friends?"

With surprising speed, the dragon suddenly snapped up Dusk and slurped him up. Cindy fired a comparatively tiny bolt of energy at the dragon, only making him laugh. "He's not dead, yet." He opened his mouth and showed the panicked looking Dusk was sitting on his tongue before closing his mouth.

I decided to stick to my guns. "You don't want to eat him. You're a pony, even if you're a large one. Put him down and let's talk, like reasonable people."

With a dark flash, suddenly Dusk was standing beside me, looking frazzled and singed on the edges, but intact. "I did it!"

The dragon's reply was to snap me up next. This wasn't going as well, or as poorly, as I had hoped. Its tongue ran up along the underside of me. It was huge, warm, and wet. It also didn't stop moving. At first I thought it was just a bit slimy and gross, but it kept rubbing, and soon I was both hard and wet from the attention. It was saying something, but it was surprisingly hard to understand while I was inside his mouth. Its distracting tongue caressing only seemed to get worse over time, and I was soon grinding my hind-hips against the tongue. I had no fear that it would actually eat me. For some reason it felt pretty safe in there, and I wondered why Dusk had been so scared.

I was suddenly exposed to cool air as he extended his tongue with me on it, showing me to my friends even as I ground wantonly against the tongue. ~He's drugging us,~ came Cindy's voice ~We should fight it.~ Easier thought than actually done. Climax came hard and we sprayed across his tongue, hosing it down as we trembled in pleasure. We were allowed to limply fall from the tongue between our friends, and the dragon reared back up, swallowing the small gift we had given it.

Sandra rushed up to check on me, only to stop and put a hoof over her nose. "Oh wow, you stink. Are you alright?"

"They're fine," said the dragon. "Now, as you were saying?"

Author's Notes:

Negotiations with the dragon don't go smoothly, but no one's been fried or swallowed yet. It could be worse?

Typos don't negotiate.

46 - Enter the Dragon(clop)

Dusk moved between the dragon and I. "Enough! We came to help you, not this."

The dragon gave a soft chortling. "You're so tiny and cute, look at you standing up to me." He reached out a hand and softly knocked Dusk over onto his side. "You're adorable."

Dusk grabbed the hand rubbing his belly with all his legs and held on. "Aren't you tired of being alone up here?"

Try as he might, he couldn't stop the dragon from easily slipping his hand away, only to resume petting Dusk. "I'm a dragon. Being alone is my destiny. Now where were we?"

Sandra moved up beside Dusk. "It doesn't have to be like that."

I was just starting to swing upright. The dragon's rough but enjoyable treatment had my heads spinning.

The dragon scowled at Sandra and Dusk. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Sandra pointed back at me. "He's been working hard to bring ponies and humans together. They really want to meet you, but only when you're ready to drop the 'rawr I'm a big scary dragon' act."

Dusk bobbed his head. "We have food, and company."

The dragon's wings flared out to either side. "Do you have anyone even half my size? You're inviting me to live with ants! This is the best I'm going to get."

Dusk nuzzled up against a hand. "We're not ants. You were our size once. We're all people. Don't you want to stop being alone?"

The dragon looked sad, but quickly looked angry instead. "Don't lecture me! I don't want to be a giant, creeping around hoping I don't squish anyone."

Sandra nodded a little. "Still better than... this. Isn't it worth a shot?"

The dragon pointed at me as I started to get a hold of myself. "I heard that one in my head before, trying to order me around. Well, look at me. You can't boss me like that."

I shook my head. "I was speaking to all the ponies, not you specifically. I'm doing that right now. You're obviously a bit more than a random pony."

"Damn right I am..." He looked between the each of us, then sagged a little. "I didn't ask to be a dragon..." He reached and casually knocked Sandra over, rolling her to her back and rubbing between her hindlegs with a finger large enough to crush her. She squeaked and wriggled, but he was surprisingly gentle for his size, making her squirm and moan despite the situation. "It's not like I don't have those... needs."

I tried to imagine his attempts at coupling with any other pony I'd encountered, but could only imagine tragedy being the result. With only the vaguest idea, I thought out to Crystal, and she promptly answered, appearing brightly. "What--" She trailed off as she beheld the huge dragon and shrank back. "What the fuck?"

The dragon tilted its head at the new sparkling pony and reached to flip her over next, and soon he had two mares at his mercy. Crystal was a bit stronger in will. Though she wriggled, her eyes focused on me. "What... did you call me for? I pray to god above it isn't for this."

Cindy shook her head. "Nope! Can you contact the shapeshifters and ask them how big they can get?"

With a flash of magic, she was gone, hopefully to find an answer. The dragon was apparently enjoying his toy, even if one of them vanished. His cock had slipped from some internal sheath where it was hidden like a reptile's, but it was shaped like a horse's. Dusk focused on it, running his magic up and down the length in slow strokes as he spoke, "We want to be your friend, and introduce you to others who would also be your friend. You're a lackluster bully, but you could be a terrific ally."

The caress of magic worked well on him and he began to buck at the air as he panted. "Mmm, you just keep that up, whatever you're doing." His eyes became half-lidded, soaking up the pleasure of Dusk's attention. The finger that held Sandra down withdraw as he fell to all six limbs and raised his rump into the air, thrusting against the strokes. "Just a little more..."

I could see the effort of jacking off something that massive was taking its toll on Dusk and I pulled him close. Cindy and I touched our horns to his and our magic joined his, under his control. His mental grip become larger and firmer, and he began to tease and tickle at the member easily with a sigh of relief. "I can't promise everyone will want to do this, but I bet a few might, and that's all you need."

Sandra rolled over to her hooves and scurried to join us, hiding behind me a little, lest she get grabbed again. The dragon trembled as huge drops of pre-seed fell to the ground beneath it, each large enough to soak a man from head to toe without effort. "W-why? I eat a lot, mmmf, and t-take a lot of space. Why do you w-want me so bad?"

Dusk tickled along the underside of the member before resuming his firm strokes. "No one deserves to be alone, and your size is an advantage. We can work around all that, if you're willing to work with us."

Suddenly thinking of it, I felt into the huge mass of the dragon, but found no gift within. It must have all been used up making him into such a titan. I wondered how long the change took? Perhaps not that long, considering how coherent he was.

Cindy added quietly, "If he hadn't become so large, he must have had enough gift to be royalty."

With a sudden booming roar and a plume of fire that soared over our heads, he let loose. We should have seen it coming, but he was still facing us. The first jump of his cock sprayed us down with sticky goop. For better or worse, it was much the same as anyone else's, just a lot of it. We were soaked, but he was relieved, dripping to the ground from his still firm but no longer angry looking member.

He sank to the ground with a loud sigh. "Fine. If you want me to come play that badly... Maybe I will, but I doubt it'll last long." His sour words were interrupted as Dusk gave him another soft pull. He squirmed a little and gave a bit of a squeak. "Sensitive!"

Crystal appeared and sank into the puddle of cum, and her expression darkened instantly. "Did I just step in what I think I did?"

Sandra nodded, looking relatively clean from her hiding place behind me.

Crystal put a fetlock over her face. "I came to tell you that the shapeshifters can't get much bigger than they started. Need anything else before I go take an hour-long shower?"

We let her vanish back to her den. The dragon put a hand on his chest. "Oh, I'm Reggie. Nice to meet you." We exchanged titles quickly before he nodded. "Well, lead the way. Need a ride? You're going to need a bath first I think."

I looked around the quiet wilderness. "How do you plan that?"

He scooped us up in his hands and took off back towards the mountain. His wings were even larger up close, and their flaps displaced so much air that he didn't have to move them often. Soon we arrived beside a natural lake and he set us down beside it. He dipped his hands in afterwards, casually washing himself. "We'll head out after you're clean."

I washed my own hands before pulling out the radio and reporting in. We'd be bringing home company that day.

Author's Notes:

No ballistic missiles will be required today. He's not such a bad guy, just too big for the world, and a bit lonely.

Maybe he could date some of the typos? They get pretty big.

47 - News from the Western Front

We returned as heroes, and the dragon found out that there were other large ponies around. None of them were quite on his scale, but large enough to not feel alone, and get some socialization in. As they worked to build a primitive hut for him to dwell in, the rest of us got some needed showers.

We didn't get much time off. We were called in the next day with dire news. Contact had been made with the west, including California and the northern parts of Mexico, and the latter was troubling. It seemed the ponies of South America were engaged in a full-scale genocide. Conversion or destruction, there were no other option for the ponies there. Entire countries had become human free. Compared to that, even New York seemed a pathetically minor issue of civil rights.

Cindy had an idea. "We should contact Luna and see if she can't let us talk to the princess of South America."

This required explaining who Luna was, as the officers were quite confused at the new name drop. "She's, to make it simple, a leader of the original ponies on their original world and she's been trying to find a solution to this whole thing with limited results." My words were mildly helpful at least.

The female pointed at pen at me. "That would have been useful information to have earlier. Can you contact her at any time? Can you put her in contact with us?"

I shrugged at that, "We talk telepathically through dreams, which sounds insane to start, so I have no idea how to get her to talk to other people. I could ask?"

"Do that. Now. You're dismissed."

Ugh, sent to my room. Even as a princess I wasn't immune to being grounded it seemed. I chuckled at my plight and returned to my quarters with Sandra and Dusk at my sides. They snuggled in against me as I settled to try to get to sleep. Dusk suggested, "If you got some of her magic, you should try dream-talking too. Try getting into our dreams."

As valid idea as any, or so I figured. When trying to get to sleep, it came swiftly, and I found myself in a perfectly black void. Cindy stood next to me in her own tauroid body. She moved up and kissed me, hands wrapping around my upper torso as she pulled me into a rather passionate hug. "It feels so nice to be able to touch you instead just touching myself."

I wasn't entirely sure how to react to any of that, outside the obvious physical ways. I hugged her back briefly. "Uh, so which do you want to try first?"

"It was Dusk's idea!" She pointed into the dark. "Go ahead."

I concentrated on Dusk, and the void ceased being the void. Instead I saw Dusk sitting upright in front of a gathering of ponies. Each one seemed to take turns walking up to him and nuzzling his enhanced anatomy. "You are so wise and virile, we are lucky to have you." Most were mares, but not all, and he gave them equal attention with soft pets and soothing words. It was a basic power trip dream, though it seemed fairly harmless as they went.

Cindy snorted with an amused expression before reaching into the vision and pulling Dusk free abruptly. Dusk came aware with a squeak. "Huh? Cindy?" He turned in her grasp to see me. "Will! You did it!"

Cindy put Dusk down, letting him rush over to sit beside me while she conjured up Sandra's dream. She was a human there, watching TV, and enjoying time before everything went pony. I shook my head. "Leave her. It feels cruel to interrupt that."

The point had been made, dream magic was part of our bag of tricks. Thinking of Luna wasn't quite enough, barely making an impression in the void. Cindy sat down beside me, opposite of Dusk, and touched her horn to mine, and together we pierced the veil between worlds, revealing Luna taking a bath.

She noticed the intrusion almost immediately and looked towards us. "Oh! I didn't know you could do that. One moment." She drew down a curtain over the vision, giving her privacy, until she stepped out around it and joined us in the void. "I gather this is something important, or are you simply testing a new ability?"

Dusk pointed off in a direction. "Ponies are taking over South America." At Luna's blank look, he added, "One of our continents. They're killing or converting all the humans there. We think we have America, uh, a country, locked down."

Luna leaned in towards Dusk. "Who are you, if I may ask? You look almost normal. Are there many others like you?"

Cindy flashed a grin. "He's a friend of ours. We brought him along, and yes, a lot of ponies are mostly normal."

Luna clopped her hooves together. "Praised be harmony. As for this 'Southern America', there is little I could do to directly aid."

I raised a hand. "Not so fast. You're in contact with all the, uh, 'princesses', right?"

Luna nodded. "To an extent. Only a few willingly come to see me, like yourself. Most seem to avoid me."

Dusk tilted his head. "Wait, did you find any answers yet?"

Luna frowned at Dusk's interruption, but then brightened. "Ah, yes! Thank you for reminding me. Princess Twilight Sparkle surmised that the void taint could be expended, freeing a pony from its effects."

I sighed at that. "We found that one out on our own, anything else?"

Luna swiveled an ear. "Have you? Well that's good. I'll pass the word on to the others." She squinted at Dusk, staring at him a long moment, then looking up at me, then Cindy. "Why is he free but you two are still infected?"

Cindy moved between me and Luna with a frown. "Anything else?"

Luna waved a hoof, shoving Cindy aside effortlessly. "You can't challenge me here. Tell me and be truthful."

Author's Notes:

Is Luna onto something? Why is Cindy getting defensive? Find out next time! If the typos don't get me first.

48 - Who Are You, Cindy?

Dusk's fur went on end as he bristled. "Don't be that way to Cindy."

I held up a hand. "Yeah, let's calm this down. Cindy's been a friend for a while now."

Cindy smiled. "She's not wrong though... I haven't told you the entire truth."

Luna nodded slowly. "Good, perhaps now is a good time?"

Cindy pointed at me. "I'd like you to put it together first."

All eyes moved to me, and I considered the case. "The other three-headed pony we met were all people before hand, but you came out of nowhere."

Cindy nodded softly. "That's true. What does that tell you?"

I frowned a little. "That you're different?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, yes. I... am the void."

Luna's eyes narrowed at the admission, pawing at the black nothing with a hoof as if ready to charge. "Why have you deceived us? Are you seeking to undermine our efforts?"

She shook her head. "There were way easier ways to do that. I could have led Will into his death a bunch of times, if I wanted that. What you call the void isn't really that. I got caught up in the energy passing between your worlds, then I got curious. Having a body is... addictively good. I want to experience all of it, but I also want to help fix things."

Luna paled. "Our blunder has cost the lives of two worlds?!"

She shook her head again. "No no! When you use up the gift, it loosens the hold, and they are free to return to the 'void', and do so."

Dusk pointed at Cindy. "Why can't we 'use up' Will's then?"

Cindy snorted softly. "Because I'm here willingly, you adorable little pony. I could go, but I don't, so the energy comes back. Most of them just want to go home, so freeing them is the best thing you can do."

Luna lifted an ear. "I think I see... But it worries me. Does every... human... infected catch another of your people?"

Cindy shook her head. "Most of them aren't 'people' as you would define them. Imagine some get rocks, or trees, or even a fire. That's why some people have more gift than others." She pointed at me. "You, lucky boy, girl, both? You got a person. And she likes you." Cindy closed the distance and hugged me. Somehow, knowing she was a separate person and not just a bud of me made it easier to return the attention.

Luna cleared her throat. "That was very educational, and I'm glad to understand a little better now, but there are still things to be done. Tell us, do your people have an opinion on this? Why are some of them supporting humans who are making the problem worse?"

Cindy frowned. "I think most of them didn't get lucky enough to bud a head. They don't know where they are, or what's going on, so they aren't taking an active part in things. They probably have no idea what their power is being used for."

Dusk raised a hoof. "Ah ha! So Crystal and the other lesser royalty got animals, but not people?"

Cindy grinned at Dusk. "I knew you were a clever pony. That's what I figured. Living, but not sentient."

Luna nodded slowly. "Very well. Is there some way to contact your people, and recover your lost kin? Surely the threat would diminish without their assistance, as unwitting as it may be."

Cindy shrugged, turning to face Luna. "We're taught from a young age to not go prodding around physical worlds, but then fwoosh! I was swept right into one, right into a living body even. I could feel two energies around me, the already living body, and one that wanted to make it conform. I thought that seemed odd, and kept it at bay at first."

I clapped my hands together. "So that's why I changed so slowly?"

Cindy nodded. "I couldn't make it go away, just sort of delay it, and when it became clear there was no way to entirely stop it, I just tried to make it easy for you. I thought you really wanted to keep those fingers of yours, so I focused on that, and it worked!"

I looked down at my tauroid form a moment. "Yeah... It could have turned out way worse than this. But like Luna said, can we get your friends out of the other royalty? I mean each one is basically a kidnapped alien. That's pretty bad."

Dusk tapped his horn. "Unicorn magic."

Everyone looked at him and he shuffled in place. "Unicorn magic seems to be the same energy, or close enough, to your world, Cindy. If we can figure out a spell for it, we could shove the alien right out of them. Bam! No more royalty, and a free alien."

Cindy looked uncomfortable. "You'd need a test subject... and I like it here. I want to live and explore and do all the things living things do until this body gets old and dies. That's what they do right? I saw it in your head, Will."

I had an idea and smiled. "What if we figured out how to push you out, but didn't send you home?"

She tilted her head. "Where would I be without a body?"

Dusk bobbed his head. "We could put you in a nice rock or something until we got a new body for you."

She frowned. "I like being able to move and feel. Rocks don't do that." She crossed her arms. "I've been nothing but helpful, don't do this."

I hugged her for a change, and kissed her cheek. "We won't do anything without your say so, promise." She relaxed into the affection as Dusk lit up with a new idea.

"Why don't we just make you a new body? Like you are right now, in this dream?"

Luna frowned as she stepped closer. "Making an entire body from nothing would be quite difficult."

Cindy clapped her hands. "I have the answer!" Suddenly, the dream broke. Cindy woke both of us up, and Dusk had no power to remain. The meeting was over.

Author's Notes:

What is Cindy's idea?

Did any of you see this coming?

Is this real life, or just more typos?

49 - Hatching a Plan

I awoke instantly. Cindy put Sandra in front of us. I could see everyone was awake around me. "Alright, so what's this plan of yours that couldn't wait until we were done talking to Luna?"

Cindy tilted herself. "Oh, well I was thinking I could come out a few ways. We could keep growing until I budded off, like I started with the head, or I could move into our foal that Crystal gave us, or Sandra's foal that you gave her. I... kind of got excited about it."

Sandra looked baffled. "Can someone catch me up on all this? What is Cindy talking about?"

Dusk pointed up at Cindy. "She's an alien. Like, literally, not any metaphorical way. Cindy, you really should have let us finish talking with Luna. I wanted to hear her ideas."

I held up a hand. "We can go back to Luna , but you're getting ahead of yourself, Cindy. You're assuming we have to split apart."

Cindy looked confused. "Don't we? I've been hijacking your body for a long time now. I thought you'd be eager to have it to yourself again. You've been very accommodating about it, sure..."

Sandra frowned. "Cindy, you and Will are practically siblings at this point."

Cindy looked confused, then pleased, a smile growing wide. "Are we really? I never had a sibling before... Do you think of me that way, Will?"

I scratched her gently behind one of her big pony ears. "You're a bit more than that, seeing as we're sharing a body. I'm a little annoyed you didn't tell me the whole truth earlier, but I get it. I'd probably have flipped my shit if you tried to explain all that back then."

Cindy looked uncertain. "I was hoping to have you as a lover, but I suppose a sibling is even closer, even if we're skipping the children part of it."

Dusk shook his head. "You two already share the foals you two made. You don't need to... get it from each other."

Sandra nodded in agreement. "Sure, that makes sense, so, uh, alien? Come on, guys, you're not explaining this much to me."

Cindy took a soft breath. "Alright, quick version. I'm a creature of energy, rather than squishy biologics. I got swept up in whatever pushed all the pony energy into your world and got caught by Will, and here I am. I'm enjoying my time as a squishy organic. In theory, every princess like Will has another of my people inside them."

Sandra pointed at herself. "What do I have?"

Cindy tilted her head. "With the gift gone, nothing, but probably a plant. I know of one that behaves similarly to your tongues. Mind you, when I say 'plant', that's just the closest equivalent I can think of. Energy, not biologics."

Sandra sank to her haunches. "I know more, and yet I feel more confused than ever before. So a crazy alien energy plant, and a pony, got together inside me, and here I am?"

Dusk nodded. "That's about the size of it. I must have just gotten a rock or something, since I'm pretty much all unicorn."

I pointed at Cindy. "So, the big question in my mind, what do your people think of all this?"

"I have no idea," she confessed. "I can't go check without leaving you behind, and then I don't think I could come back."

Sandra shook her head. "What about your... uh, family, and life? Didn't you have any commitments before, boom, alien planet?"

"This is my first family." Cindy smiled gently. "I want to keep it. I was 'born' by natural forces, then raised by others who were only related to me by merit of being similar. You are all very different, not similar to me, but caring for me. I like, no, love, this family. I don't want to go."

Dusk sat up with a smile. "Then don't! We like you too, Cindy. Right?"

Sandra bobbed her head. "Sure. I liked you, Cindy, even when I thought you were just a crazy part of Will. It's actually almost a relief to know you're not a part of his splintering psyche."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I've grown attached to you."

Cindy burst into a giggle. "That was a terrible joke, and you know it. Well alright, if you're happy with this weight on your shoulders, I won't insist... There's still the option of becoming one person instead of two."

I felt an ear raising of its own volition. "That sounded like the most intimidating option. What would that entail?"

Cindy tilted a little one way, then the other. "It's hard to... explain, but you have an energy all of your own. I would match its, uh, frequency, and we'd fade into one another, our waves becoming a combination of the two. We would stop existing, as individuals, and become a new person that has the best parts of both."

Sandra clopped a hoof on the ground. "No."

Dusk pointed up at me. "It's his decision."

I didn't exactly like the idea of, basically, dying, even if something 'like' me resulted from it. "Uh, let's not go down that road... Dusk, you said you thought you could affect Cindy's people?"

Dusk perked up excitedly. "Oh yeah! I'll need to practice, and Cindy will have to tell me when I'm doing it right, but I'm, like, 95% sure."

It wasn't a lot to work with, but it was something.

Author's Notes:

Sandra gets caught up, then Cindy has a heart-to-heart with her family. Typos are the result of translating biological emotions to the waveform thoughts of Cindy's people.

50 - When War Beckons

We spent the rest of the week practicing diligently. Dusk led the way. For all our combined might, Dusk's pure-bred unicorn nature seemed better suited for this specific task, though we were able to pick up after him quickly. We learned how to nudge against Cindy's 'essence', which was basically the gift itself, pushing it one way and the other in my body before letting her flow back to her usual place.

"That never stops feeling strange," she complained a little. "Can we stop doing it now?"

Dusk nodded lightly. "I think so. We should update everyone else on what's going on."

We agreed, and soon were standing before the officers. One of them, not the woman or our pony friend, leaned forward. "We were hoping you'd come."

Sandra raised a brow. "Why not just call for us if you were waiting?"

"You were obviously working on something. We trust it was relevant?"

Dusk puffed out his chest a little. "Very. What's going on?"

They showed a map of the United States on a flickering projector and with some quick work with a dry-erase marker showed a nice blob in the middle. "The stabilization effort is... stable, for lack of better word. We foresee no further major issues from preventing us from reuniting the United States, minimizing further casualties, and starting the slow path towards complete restoration. In a move that we should have seen coming, many ponies are volunteering for military service, and the combined ranks are proving effective on the field. That is all good news, and not what we're hoping you'll focus on."

Cindy took control of a hand to wave it at them. "So what are you hoping we'll focus on?"

He drew a circle around Mexico. "The hostile agents we mentioned last time didn't idle during this time. They've taken most of Mexico, and the toll on the human population is staggering. We have refugees pouring in across the border, but that's by far the least of our concerns. If we can handle ponies, I think a few illegal immigrants are barely worth noting. The problem is that what chased them here is unlikely to respect that border anymore than they did. This is war, true war. Not a frantic struggle against a hostile feral force, but a methodic engagement with an organized enemy. We're looking at a production capacity dismally close to zero."

He took a breath, his long-winded exposition taking it out of him. "Thank God for the American gun industry. We still have plentiful stores of ammunition and munitions of an encouragingly wide variety. We're going to run out, but not before we get a lot done. Now tell us you've figured something out that might help."

I nodded. "Well, we've learned the source of the 'gift', and what makes some people more than others. We won't bore you with details, but we know how to manipulate it from further than reach, and if we can get anywhere close to their leader, we can shove their power source out of them."

Smith raised a furry brow. "That's good, but they have armies of ponies between us and them. How do you propose to get close to them?"

Sandra raised a hoof. "We could defect, er, at least look like we are. They'll be eager to bring us to their leader if they think they can get another 'S-Class' like Will on their side.'

Smith snorted before raising a fetlock over his snout. "I hate when I make that noise, but my point stands. You're basically committing suicide. The moment you attack, or if they decide you're not genuine, they'll tear you apart. You may neuter their leader, but you'll go down with them."

Cindy shook her head quickly. "I don't think so. I think we can do this. The pony... template... is not a violent one. We can turn them away from this."

The female tapped her pen on the table lightly. "Do we have an idea that doesn't rely on the good nature of our enemies?"

Another officer raised a lone finger. "There is still the nuclear option."

Grunts, and a lone snort, came in reply. "We don't know where the leader is, and I'm not carpet-nuking the entire continent in the hopes of getting lucky before some other desperate combatant returns the favor all over America."

With an abrupt flash, Crystal appeared. "What's u--Oh god I surrender!" She thrust her hooves up as several guns were pointed at her.

Cindy shook herself. "I called her. She has the key to a backup plan if things go sour."

The guns were lowered, and Crystal fell back to all fours, though shaking a little. "So... what's up?"

I got the idea, or thought I did. "I think Cindy wants you to teach us all how to teleport. We're going deep into enemy territory and need an out."

Crystal gave an uncertain nod. "Uh, sure? What do I do? I just think about it and it happens."

Dusk focused a moment before pointing across the room. "Can you teleport back and forth within sight?"

Crystal took a slow breath, getting her heart under control and regaining mastery of herself before she popped across the room, then back again. "Ta da!"

Dusk frowned a little. "That's very complicated. You were very lucky in your natural talents. Can you do it again?"

I turned my senses to see the flow of power as Crystal repeated the trick, marveling at the subtle eddies and patterns that created the teleporting spell. It was complicated, and yet...

Cindy smiled broadly. "I see it! You're skipping through my home world."

"Home world?" Smith raised that brow high.

I put a hand over my face. "Say hello to Cindy, one of the first truly illegal aliens in existence."

Author's Notes:

Plans are drafted, as insane as they might be. America appears to be on the mend, but will that mean anything if invaders arrive? I heard they have typos in clear violation of the Geneva convention!

51 - Head for the Border

With fuel being a commodity to be hoarded, and food becoming increasingly available, we were assigned to our new dragon friend. He gathered us up and launched powerfully into the air. "I can't thank you all enough," he said as he soared through the air. "They gave me a whole warehouse to myself, and I've already made some friends. It feels silly, but being helpful is a lot more satisfying than just bossing people around when I wanted something. God, listen to me. I sound like I'm fresh out of some kid's show."

Sandra softly pet the part of the dragon she can reach. "Hey, we're never too old to learn things. You're alright in my book."

"Thanks, uh, and sorry about the whole, you know, asking to kill you thing."

Sandra frowned a little. "Well... at least you didn't actually do it."

"Sorry. I did find a girl though!"

Dusk tilted his head, looking over the massive bulk of the dragon. "Who on earth is that?"

"They, there's three of them, together. They're a huge hydra that lives in the ground as often as not, and she likes me. I won't, uh, bore you with the details, but we're getting along, if you know what I mean."

Cindy burst into a fit of giggles even as her thoughts pushed into my own, ~It's good that they found each other. Biological courtship is fascinating. The idea that new life can come from life is amazing! You can create life. You have no idea how... It's just so hard to grasp.~

I thought back at her curiously, ~You said you just... kinda came into being?~

~Yes. The conditions were right, and so I and a dozen others simply appeared. It's very rare, but it happens on its own. We don't 'make' children like you do. That's... part of why I was ready to split from you, if it meant we could do the courtship ritual and make a life, together...~

I felt a blush rise in my furry cheeks. "I seem to be a popular person for having kids with."

Sandra tilted her head up at me. "What?"

I hadn't realized I spoke outloud. "Oh, sorry, just thinking to myself and it leaked."

Dusk squirmed a little. "I'll stop asking if it bothers you that much, William. I didn't mean to bother you."

I softly scratched Dusk behind an ear. "You're not bothering anyone, me least of all. Thanks for being there."

We were set down in southern Arizona and he saluted lightly. "Last stop. Good luck out there. Let me know when you get back, alright?" We all waved as he took off and left. For being a huge dragon, he was amazingly fast once he got going.

Dusk waved across the desert they were surrounded with. "Well, here we are! We just go the opposite direction he went in and we should hit Mexico, right?"

Sandra nodded. "That sounds right. The sun's low, so now's the right time for desert hiking, last I remember?"

With little option but forward, we began hiking. Sandra asked as we went, "Don't you think we should practice the teleporting a bit, short range preferably. Remember what happened with Crystal when she tried to do a long distance jump? She sent you flying off to who knows where."

Dusk tilted his head. "I wasn't there for that, but we don't want that. Should I try first?"

Sandra moved in close to him. "Sure, just a few feet ahead. It should be easier with me than Will and Cindy, considering how big they are."

Cindy flashed a cheeky grin. "Did you just call us fat?"

Sandra turned up her nose. "I just said there's a lot of you to love, right Will?"

I held up a hand. "Oh sure, drag me into this now."

Dusk's horn glowed, and he and Sandra vanished, only to reappear further ahead, though Sandra was off to the right by a large degree. She rushed up to Dusk. "See, that's what I meant. We can't be doing that if we're trying to move farther than a few feet, or I could end up in the middle of the ocean or something. What did Crystal say she did to fix it?"

I thought back through hazy recollections. "I think she said something about wrapping her passengers up, like putting a shield around them just before she jumped."

Dusk bobbed his head and looked eager. "I'll try that." A faintly visible bubble appeared around him and Sandra. "Ready?"

Sandra nodded and they promptly vanished with the complex eddy of the magic involved. They appeared just as close to one another that time, and Sandra rewarded him with an eager hug. "Great job!" She trotted up to me. "Your turn. Everyone that can do magic should have this down. Our lives could depend on it."

Dusk rubbed behind his head. "I have to confess something. I don't know how to teleport out of line of sight."

It seemed so obvious to me. Once I figured out how to teleport at all, making subtle adjustments to the basics seemed plain and simple. But that fit the pattern given so far. "Alright, so you can only do exactly what Crystal demonstrated?" He nodded at me. "So let's make sure we have line of sight working, then we can work on more and get ourselves closer to the border."

I wrapped magic around Sandra, covering us both in a bubble of force before I launched us forward into that other space. For just an instant I could see endless space, and then we were further ahead.

Cindy pointed with a finger at the space that wasn't there anymore. "That was it! That was home. Did you see it?"

I nodded while Sandra shook her head. Sandra pointed at herself. "I just saw white."

Dusk quickly caught up with us, smiling. "You did great! How are you going to show the other one? Where could you teleport to?"

I frowned, thinking of teleporting underground, or back to base, and both seemed like bad ideas. Then it struck me. "Oh, I'll just teleport backwards."

"Backwards?" Dusk tilted his head.

I hiked a thumb over my shoulder. "Literally. I can't see it."

Dusk clopped his hooves. "Great idea! I'm watching."

Wanting to keep our progress going forward, I turned around so my back faced Mexico, and wrapped them both in a bubble before I dived into the space between spaces. Without a clear destination in mind, I was suddenly adrift in what I assumed was Cindy's world. To call it a 'world' seemed a poor fit. It was a universe with no planets in sight, just empty void and bands of bright light in different colors depending on where you looked.

I willed myself backwards, and came crashing back into the physical world. I didn't recognize the land around us at all, but we were all together at least.

Author's Notes:

Where did Will take them all? Are there typos in this new land? Probably.

52 - Greetings

A shrill cry turned our heads to a well-dressed and snooty looking unicorn. "What in Celestia is that?!" she cried, pointing a hoof at me.

We were in the garden of a city. The more I looked at it, the more familiar it became. "Is Luna here?"

She frowned at us. "I won't let you near the princess!" She fled as a way of proving her fealty, leaving us alone in the garden.

Dusk sat up from where he was spawled. "Where are we? Was that another pony?"

Sandra nodded quickly, "Dressed like a ren faire survivor, too. Where are we?"

Several new ponies arrived, marching in with gold armor that shined even in the dim evening light. "Surrender in the name of Princess Celestia!"

I held up my hands. "Woah hey, we're not here to make trouble."

Cindy nodded. "Time to go!" We were thrown into the void abruptly. Sandra and Dusk froze in place, but we could still move. "I think you need to have a clear place in mind, not just hope for the best. I'll get us back where we started."

We fell into the physical world, a few feet from where we began.

Dusk scrambled upright again. "Was that where the ponies come from? Why'd we leave?"

Sandra snorted. "Because they were getting ready to arrest us?"

I looked around with eyes and senses, feeling no strong presences nearby. "I'm not even sure how I got there. Cindy got us back."

Cindy smiled and nodded. "I did what I had to. We can visit them later, I think. We learned what we had to learn, we should get going." She turned towards Mexico and controlled an arm, pointing ahead. "It'll be faster if we hop there, and get some practice in."

Sandra tilted her head a bit. "Is this what it's like, you know, without a body?"

"Sort of... The space between is familiar, but the energy used to get there and back is new. Everyone ready? Will, you do the next one, you need practice, then Dusk, then me."

Sandra snorted softly and scuffed the ground. "Stupid unicorns."

I put up the bubble and looked as far ahead as I could, aiming for the top of a hill I could see in the distance, then it was under us. Dusk looked around quickly before we jumped further ahead to the top of a building. Cindy moved with instinctive speed, and we were in a parking lot.

"Enough!" Sandra slumped to the side, going green through her fur somehow as she struggled against nausea. "Once is enough, twice is rough, three times is too much."

"That is more than enough," came the voice of a mare as she stepped towards us with four ponies at either side. She was a unicorn, and the ponies flanking her were earth ponies. "Peacemaker, we've heard of you. Why are you here?" They were dressed for battle, with thick cloth and leather padding mixed with metal plates that covered softer parts of the pony anatomy. Most were female, with two stallions mixed in. Their hooves were covered in sharp claw-like devices that were quite dangerous as far as I could tell.

Sandra moved in front of me. "We heard there was a lot of ponies down here."

She smirked. "There are. And fewer humans. Are you here to beg for their sake? Their time is done. They had their chance and squandered it. We'll take care of the world and all its animals, and become a better people for it." She raised a gauntleted hoof at me. "No wonder you feel for them, you're trapped in a half-human form."

Some of the other ponies made noises of sympathy and agreement as they looked at me. I frowned and pointed at her with the finger she didn't have. "There's nothing wrong with a helping hand, last I checked. Besides, we can't control what we become, right?"

"Wrong," she said, snorting softly. "Our leader can control the touch of the gods. She could make a true pony out of you."

~That's bad. She either got lucky, or she's communicating with one of my siblings.~

I nodded. "I doubt that, but I'd like to see her try."

"Fantástico . Vienen con nosotros." She waved in a circle, then turned around. "Come with us, and keep your hooves and horns where we can see them. And keep control of your lackeys."

Dusk frowned. "We're not lackeys, we're one herd."

She laughed softly as she began to walk. "In every herd there is the alpha, and the rest. You aren't the alpha, do the math."

A few of the other ponies snickered in agreement, but not all. They formed a loose circle around us and we started walking through the abandoned streets of what looked to be a small city. Sandra got a little closer to one of the mares walking with us. "So, why attack all the humans anyway? Are they causing you trouble?"

"No hablo Inglés." She offered no other reply as she marched forward, pointedly not looking at Sandra.

I moved forward a bit to get closer to the leader. "Do you have a name?"

"It's not important, but Dust Kicker. I know my place." She looked over her shoulder. "You'll learn yours, peacemaker."

We moved on until sunset, when they set up camp and a small fire. They brought rations with them, bits of hay, nuts, and veggies in a bundle that they lightly roasted before eating. It wasn't nearly as bad as one might imagine, but my thoughts were on the meeting with their 'great leader' rather than the basic meal they provided.

Author's Notes:

Hello Equestria! Bye Equestria! Knowing it's an option is a powerful thing, but not as powerful as typos.

53 - A New World Order

We rose early in the day and resumed our journey, wandering through the city. There was activity ahead as ponies moved around the outside of a penned-in perimeter. Inside were humans, or were once. Most were in varying stages of becoming ponies under the baleful gaze of their captors.

Dust Kicked pointed at the group. "We're not cruel. Any human we capture is brought to a safe place and observed while they transition to ensure minimal complications. We want healthy ponies, not insane ones, or hurt ones. A healthy pony is valuable, unlike the humans they once were. A single pony can provide food for a dozen others, what human could match that without gas guzzling machines and raping the world a bit at a time? A pegasus can stay the angry hand of nature, a feat no human could accomplish even with their toys!"

Sandra snorted softly. "So this is all eco-terrorism?"

Dust span around on Sandra and stormed up to her. "We are not filthy terrorists! It's not about being fucking hippies. We won't 'make do' without raping the planet, we'll do better!" She straightened herself out and regained her composure. "I can't expect you to understand, gringo. You've been living with the humans. They're holding on tight to their pathetic old ways, but we'll do better." She lifted a hoof to Sandra's split jaw. "Do you even understand what you've been gifted with?"

"As an earth pony?" asked Sandra. "I can make plants grow."

Dust shook her head. "I'm talking about the front end of you. Your tongues, your mouth. It has a purpose! None of this is random. Every variation has its blessings."

Dusk perked an ear, looking as curious as I felt. I rest a hand on Sandra's head. "Well, what is it good for?"

Sandra nodded quickly. "What he said."

"He?" Dust looked over and up at me. "Hrm, well, I'm sure you've discovered their great strength."

Sandra nodded. "They're pretty handy, pardon the pun."

Dust nodded. "They can also feed, but not the obvious way. You can draw the energy out of living things and store it inside of you, and give it back out again. The more wrapped up they are, the faster the transfer can be done. You could kill with it, but that's not very interesting." She raised a brow. "You can help the sick, by empowering them with the healthy. You can empower unicorns to great feats of magic, or help a pegasus get across a continent in half the time."

~That fits what the creatures do. They feed on the transfer of power. Its movement makes them stronger. They're considered harmless parasites, mostly, more symbiotes than parasitic.~

Sandra let a tongue slip free and peered at it. "How do I do that?"

Dust turned away. "All in due time. We're not here for training. Peacemaker. Come here. See that one?" She pointed in the pen at a normal looking human. "We think he's immune. What would you do with him? Rhetorical question. I'm sure you'd vote to let him free, or live side-by-side or some nonsense. Go, say your goodbyes to him. He's worthless, worse than worthless."

I really didn't like her much. With a soft grunt, I stepped forward. The ponies parted to let me enter the pen and the partially-transformed ponies moved towards the entrance to look at me while some shied away with obvious fear. The immune one stepped up. "Well, is it time then?"

We perked all four of our ears. "Time?"

"They haven't been subtle about it."He shrugged. "I haven't changed, so they're killing me, right?"

I felt inside of him, and despite their words, there was plenty of gift there. Not a huge amount that'd imply royalty, a fairly average amount, but he hadn't changed. None of it was expressing itself. "Well... I don't think I can get you out, but would you want to be a pony if you could?"

"If the choice is change or die, I like living. I can get used to four legs compared to the alternative."

I tried to look supportive, smiling. "What kind of pony would you want to be, if you had to choose?"

He pointed at Sandra, still outside the fence. "Like that one, solid, strong. They seem to get along real good too. Real sal de la tierra sorts. Speaking of which, why did they send someone who speaks fluent English? Did they know I do too?"

I shrugged. "Luck, or destiny."

Cindy smiled gently. "We're going to make your wish come true. Close your eyes and imaging the pony you want to be, and hold it there as strong as you can."

I thought to add. "It's also going to hurt. Not many ways to avoid that short of knocking you out."

He stood ready as he ever would be. ~Let me. I don't want to be too obvious about it. You look surprised.~

With Cindy's advice, I feigned shock at the first crack. "I think it's catching!"

The man fell to the ground as he rapidly reconfigured in a horrifically painful orchestra of shattered bones and snapping tendons. His body reforged itself in the bloody bath of his gurgled screams, until all that was left was a weakly breathing blue earth pony. We couldn't see all of him, his clothes stretched horribly over his altered form. He passed out as soon as the changes slowed, but he seemed alive.

Dust Kicker huffed at me when I was brought out of the pen. "Even now you manage to find peace. He will be well treated, as one of us. You have a true talent, a pity it's being wasted on the humans. Come, we still have long to go."

Author's Notes:

Hello blue-pony! Sandra learns she has a powerful gift in her mouth, if only she knew how to use it.

54 - To Power a Nation

Dust Kicker led the way, presumably to the south. A few days passed without much happening but walking. No wonder they hadn't already poured into the United States already, if they didn't have any way to move around quickly. It also meant any move they did make would likely be an uncomfortably large number of attackers, like an old-fashioned war.

I moved up besides Dust Kicker. "You know, a lot of people are going to die if you launch a hostile invasion on America. Humans and ponies both. Assuming you catch them by surprise and take a major population center or two, they will react like a trapped animal."

Dust Kicker snorted angrily. "That is exactly what they are, animals!"

Sandra raised a brow. "Animals with missiles and bombs, and they still work. You plan to march in there with a few legions of ponies, the last thing you'll see is a bright white flash before you find out if there's a god or not."

Dust held up a hoof. "Save your words. I know you're a peacemaker, Peacemaker. Unless the humans of the states submit willingly, we will force the issue. There is no more room in this world for humans. It's our world now. We'll take over where they left off. It'll be ponies to explore the cosmos, it'll be ponies that find God. It'll be ponies, not humans. They're done." She accelerated, ending the conversation.

One of the escorts came in a bit closer. "You don't get it, gringo. They can use all the bombs they want, it just slows things down, si? You think Mexico doesn't have no bombs? It did! Here we are. I used to be soldier myself. I saw them. They can't be stopped."

Dusk perked an ear at him. "How? They're still ponies, right? Flesh and blood, blows up just the same as any human."

The escort glanced ahead, then back at Dusk. "Look, you are good person, si, I know this. They don't care. I'm sorry." He moved away from us, turning his eyes straight forward.

On the dusk of that day, we saw light in the city ahead, which surprised me. "Is it a fire?"

Dust laughed softly. "A fire of sorts, yes, but not the one you're imagining. Come and see what I've been talking about. We're not aiming to drag society backwards, but push it forwards. This way." She accelerated into a full trot and we soon entered the city proper. The lights were working! Not all of them, some were broken, but most of the street lamps were on, and inside homes there was light. I could see ponies inside, living their little lives happily. It almost seemed... normal, if you ignored the pony part.

"Behold! And not a single drop of oil is being burned to do it."

I raised a brow curiously. "How?"

She didn't answer, instead leading us further into the city. she knocked on a door and a furry snout peeked out, several tongues tasting the air. "Dust Kicker, you return. A pleasure to see you, ma'am." The snout withdrew, then the door opened wide, revealing a pony much like Sandra, with bisected jaw and thick tail, though he was a pegasus, not an earth pony. "Operations running full power, ma'am. The grid is holding up admirably, repairs are underway where it isn't."

Dust Kicker nodded at the pegasus and pointed back at us. "Show them the power source."

"Yes ma'am." He looked past Dust to us. "This way." Then he turned away and walked into the warehouse. We didn't have far to go to see a row of a dozen unicorns with wires attached to their horns. They were chewing softly on what looked to be hay as power arced and crackled along the wires. "Here we are. Our brave volunteers. Twelve hour shifts, they are paid in extra rations, which they need, and an extra luxury token. It's hard work, it's long work, but it's good work."

Sandra made a bit of a face. "Does it hurt them?"

He pointed at the first. "Ask him."

I stepped up to the first unicorn. "Hey there. You alright?"

The unicorn looked up at me, finishing his mouthful of hay. "As alright as anyone working is. Not quite what I expected my college degree to get me, but it could be worse." He sunk his snout into the hay. They all seemed to be constantly eating.

I looked to the pegasus. "It must be very draining, if they keep eating like that without putting on weight. Are you sure it's healthy?"

The pegasus shrugged. "As healthy as any hard work is? Pony bodies are built differently, unicorns especially. Food in their belly meta... metabol-- Digests almost instantly if they're putting out energy. Like I said, all volunteers. They can quit anytime they want to. We don't need twelve, but it gives us room in case someone needs to go to the bathroom or their shift ends." He gave a wry chuckle. "No meal breaks, though."

Dusk shrank in beside me. "No thanks. I'd rather be moving. Playing a battery sounds dull."

The pegasus tossed his head at the line. "To each their own."

Dust Kicker advanced and shepherded us back towards the door. "See? Our cities will run entirely on renewable resources, that even simpletons can provide. Even those struck with terrible diseases and tragic accidents will have parts to play. A job for every person."

Cindy raised a brow. "If you're a unicorn?"

Dust waved off the comment. "We have different positions for different types of ponies. It's late, let's get some real food and enjoy real beds. How's that sound?" Her escorts gave a rough cheer of anticipation.

Author's Notes:

We learn more about these South Americans and their new pony society. Will they usher in a new age of prosperity, or are we all one typo away from oblivion?

55 - Dissent in the Ranks

Dust Kicker pointed to a three-story building. "We'll rest for the night there. Go on inside, Peacekeeper, and keep your friends with you."

I expected a dusty and worn down building, but I was quickly proven wrong. The place was clean, there were lightbulbs in every room, awaiting the casual flick of a switch to turn on, and the water looked potable enough from the faucets.

Sandra looked around curiously. "Well, for being hellbent on genocide, they know how to keep a place tidy..."

Dusk tapped a chin. "That word has never been more fitting, race killing."

Cindy looked between them. "They're harnessing the power very effectively. I'd love to see some of 'our' cities with that. That would make everyone happier, wouldn't it?"

Sandra pointed at her own mouth. "Forget that a moment, what about these? She said I could do a lot with these things." She let her tongues free and waved them around. "I don't see how..."

Dusk approached Sandra and nuzzles one of the slimy tongues. "Try it on me, just be gentle."

Sandra rubbed a tongue along the underside of his snout. "You're too sweet. Alright." She wrapped a tongue around his midsection, horn and his hindquarters and squeezed gently. Dusk squirmed and let out a little noise of enjoyment, quickly growing stiff from the close contact. Sandra rolled her eyes at the reaction and squeezed again. "I don't know how to start it."

An idea came to me. "Why don't we get his energy moving, and you focus on feeling that, then making it happen on your own?" I stepped up to Dusk and gave his head a soft pet around the tongue ensnaring his horn. "Go ahead and do some magic for us."

"It's hard to concentrate," he complained even as his horn began to glow. He lifted up a book that was sitting on a dressed and floated it over.

Sandra's eyes widened. "I can feel that!" The tongue around Dusk's horn squeezed firmly.

Dusk let out a ragged gasp. "I feel that!" Sandra was drawing the magic from him, forcing him to expel the energy. He closed his eyes and panted for breath, seeming to enjoy the act of being drained. "If the power hookup feels the same way, I can see how they get volunteers."

Sandra did not sample him for long. As she worked, the tongue wrapped around his horn began to glow brighter and brighter. When she drew it back, the glow diminished, but remained as a reminder of its held power. "Step one! Now, for step two, I guess I push instead of pull?" She looked to me. "You're the only other one here, but you already have all the energy you need..."

I made a rolling up motion. "Keep it, for an emergency. You may even need it yourself."

She got the idea and pulled in her tongues, closing her mouth and concealing the glow.

A soft knocking drew our attention to the door. Cindy called out, "Come in!"

A mare with pinkish-brown fur came in and closed the door behind herself. She had one of those cutie marks, showing a corn stalk with a smiley face on it. "Hola , habla usted español?" We shook our heads and she cleared her throat. "I speak... English a little. We talk?"

I nodded at her. "Have a seat. What's up?"

She glanced up at the ceiling before looking back at me with mild confusion before she shook her head. "You from America, si? Yes? Still hombres... people?"

Sandra nodded at her. "We have humans and ponies. They're learning to get along."

"I speak English, a little. You speak slowly, please?" She gave a nervous smile. "My name is Campo de Maíz. Campo or Maiz is good. They do good things, yes? Do bad things. Hombres are good. I... born hombre. Don't want to see all hombres gone." She sagged her head a little. "Think of children, not know what hombre is, very sad."

Dusk frowned as he chose his words slowly for her benefit. "We agree. There is no good reason to hurt humans. We are humans." He waved a hoof at her. "Just fuzzy ones."

She smiled a little before glancing back at the door. "They check on you, yes? Need look busy." She stepped up to Dusk and glanced down at his still stiff member before turning away from him and lifting her tail aside. "Already I am with child."

Dusk colored at the sudden offer, "It feels different when the pony is obviously thinking it through." He hopped up on her and hugged her gently, thrusting his member up under her without entering her. "We don't have to actually do it." He seemed content rubbing against her.

She joined in the blush, looking towards the ground. "I not alone. Many Mexicanos just want live. Did some escape?"

Cindy quickly nodded. "We heard a lot of them made it to America. They're being treated nicely. Anyone willing to lend a hand is welcome."

She smiled, but before she could speak, the door opened without knocking. One of the guards peeked in and snorted softly. "¿Que rápidamente? Usted no tiene ninguna vergüenza, chica. ¿No sabes que no tienen nada para ti?"

She looked all the more shamefaced, shuffling her hooves. "Son gente muy agradable."

He waggled his brows. "Podría ser muy agradable también." He laughed and shut the door.

She grunted. "That hombre! Still, is good we were ready, yes?"

Author's Notes:

Hello Corn Field. You seem like a nice mare. What are we going to do with you? Your bad English is putting typos everywhere!

56 - Don't Forget Us(clop)

Maize squirmed a little. "Do you... have two?"

Dusk gained new coloration as his not-so-subtle oddity became clear, rubbing as it was against the mare. "Oh, yes. Another reason I just hugged."

Maize wriggled away from Dusk and turned around before kissing his nose. "You are good hombre. No forget not all want fight. Good luck, I should go."

She departed, our eyes on her until the door closed behind her. Dusk turned his head forward to find Sandra in front of him. "Um, hi?"

Sandra smiled. "You were very polite to that mare."

Dusk rubbed behind his head. "I wasn't going to just jump on her like that. She was very brave coming to us at all. The least I could do is not make it worse."

Sandra raised her thick tail and tickled along Dusk's undercarriage, its tip brushing back and forth over his twin poles. "That was very responsible of you."

I considered saying something and Cindy spoke internally, ~Leave them. I think this is important.~

Dusk's blush grew worse. "You... shouldn't do that, Sandra."

Sandra lowered her front as her back end raised. "And why shouldn't I present myself to a herdmate? Will the future father of my children see something he shouldn't?"

Dusk licked over his lips, eyes locking in on what Sandra was offering as her tail slid out of the way. He rose to his hooves and sniffed around the base of her tail before biting gently into the thick flesh of that broad tail. Resisting the urge to pounce her right away, he groomed through the fur around her hindquarters, breathing deep of the pheromone soup.

Finding the sweet portal to her womb, he lapped gently over those fleshy lips, excitement clearly building in him. She arched her back and hissed. "Stop teasing me, you big brute."

Dusk smiled. "You picked me because I'm not a brute, now enjoy the worship you deserve." He pressed his muzzle against her wetness, working his tongue deeper into her as he lapped up her juices eagerly. He said something else, but it was hopelessly muffled by their contact.

~Are you jealous?~

It wasn't a bad question, and I considered it. I didn't feel an urge to grab Dusk. He had become something of ... sort of a brother? I guessed human relationships didn't quite map over. He was my herdmate, and so was she. I wanted both to be happy, and to give and receive foals from either. Speaking of that, watching Dusk diligently eat Sandra out had left me stiff as a board and increasingly slippery back there.

I circled around them and settled in front of the moaning Sandra. Without a word spoken, her eyes locked on my hanging member and her tongues slipped free, the glow of the fed tongue filling the room with a soft blue light. She wrapped the energized tongue around near the head of the member and it tingled where it touched, but she didn't release or draw more power at first, instead pulling and stroking at me with the powerful and wet muscle.

Dusk drew back from her, licking over his snout before stepping over her and wrapping his forelegs around to hug her, rubbing his cheek against her back. "Thank you for this, for accepting me." He wriggled then, working his twin poles into position before driving them slowly into Sandra's passages.

She hissed softly, trying to relax. Despite her busy tongues working me so delightfully, she spoke, "Be careful. I've... never had anything back there before, and you're as big as a damn horse."

Dusk worked against her slowly and carefully. "I am a damn horse. Your damn horse." He nipped softly at her back as he worked at her. His horn glowed softly and she squealed in shock, her tongues constricting almost painfully tight a moment before he pressed more smoothly into her and she let out a deep groan of pleasure. "A damn horse with a few tricks."

Sandra perked an ear back at him. "What did you do? That felt like I was punched in the gut, but, mmmf, don't stop, it's better now."

Dusk didn't answer her, instead getting to the act of breeding. He started to drive into her in smooth motions, stroking her insides as she stroked my leaking shaft. We were locked together in a shared rising of pleasure. As I felt the peak coming, I saw Dusk was trembling and fighting his own urge to release. Cindy leered at him. "Give her an egg. A nice big one!"

The encouragement was enough, and he thrust in tightly before he twitched softly with his delivery. Sandra squealed and her tongues pulled at me desperately, and I didn't keep her waiting. My large balls lifted up and my pole began to convulse as sprays of seed graced her tongue and face. Intense pleasure suddenly re-spiked as her tongue discharged Dusk's energy into my shaft and it began to swell. Pleasure became blinding pain for a moment as it hit a critical mass and split wetly, leaving me dizzy, but twin-poled much like Dusk.

Sandra drew her tongues back and tilted her head. "Oh... sorry? I am not taking one of yours up there. You're too big, final word."

Dusk broke into a bit of a giggle as he bit at one of her ears. "Not the words I expected to hear after having a time with you, Sandra. Was I good?"

Sandra wriggled under him. "You were lovely, and your foal will be too. We should clean up though. We're all a mess."

I was just getting myself back together from the temporary pain of change, panting. "Yeah... a bath sounds good. You two go ahead of me. I'm big enough to need the whole thing.

Author's Notes:

Dusk gets to claim Sandra, Will gets some head, in two meanings of the word? And everyone gets typos!

57 - Rise and Shine

Before we retired, Sandra refilled her tongues. As it turned out, I had plenty to spare, and I certainly didn't mind the attention that came with it. Fully charged, she seemed slightly bigger, and more vibrant. She reported it felt great, and went to sleep with a big smile. I was curious how long she could hold that charge, but the day was long enough, and soon I was asleep as well.

We woke up the next morning to Dust Kicker knocking on the door. "Time to get moving," she said. "So, what do you think? A fine city, isn't it?"

I nodded as we emerged from the building after her. "I can't argue the efficiency of your people. They seem well-adjusted and happy, but that has little to do with hunting down all the humans. You can have all this, and the humans too."

Dust swiveled an ear back. "You really believe that? I didn't forget. When I was a human I had the most terrible thoughts, urges. The depraved desires I had when I first became a pony were nothing in comparison." She huffed softly. "You're a good person, it's blinding you to their flaws, this way." She marched on, and we rejoined her gang of enforcers, though a few of the ponies seemed swapped out for fresh faces.

We marched out of the city by the afternoon, and were off through the wilderness for most of the day, and the next. It was slow and tiring work, but I didn't feel secure in offering to teleport them. "Do you have any large ponies, preferably flyers?"

Dust frowned. "They're all busy, doing more important things than carrying any single pony, even the fabled Peacemaker, around. You have hooves, enjoy them."

Hooves served well enough, though a sharp rock hurt a hoof as much as a foot, mind you. There was sensitive flesh in the center that didn't appreciate being jabbed or abraded anymore than a human foot did.

On the third day, our march was interrupted by new ponies emerging from the underbrush in a circle around us, their flat teeth exposed in snarls.

"Ferals!" cried one of the guards as they closed in around us protectively.

The new ponies charged in unison, closing in on us. One of them, built like Sandra, lashed out with its tongues, wrapping Dust with amazing speed. She wriggled and struggled, but the tongues held firmly and began to glow as it clearly fed from her. The three unicorns with them lifted three earth ponies from the guards up into the air and tossed them with great throws of their heads, stranding them in trees.

As the two lines collided, the guards fought back with sharpened hoof-blades, sending several feral ponies to the ground bleeding. Dusk and Sandra stood by me, both unsure what to do, not that I had much better of an idea. "We don't even know what they want, exactly?"

More ferals poured out of the vegetation and even tunneled up from underneath us. Sending my senses out, I could see there were at least a hundred ponies in close range, swarming our position. Though they lost some of their numbers, quantity had a quality of its own, and the guards were subdued. Their hoof-claws were pulled off and discarded methodically.

One of the ferals marched up to us and circled around a moment before leaving, only for more ferals to come over and sniff at us. They hadn't attacked us yet, at least.

Dust was dropped to the dirt, drained to the point of being knocked out. Her hoof-claws were pulled free of her and added to the pile. Most of the guards were shepherded to the side, but not all of them were left to sit peacefully. Some of the ferals were feeling frisky, and were propositioning the guards aggressively. No words were exchanged, but the meaning was clear enough.

I took a moment to try to get a really good look at some of the ferals. They looked a bit sickly. Thin from not enough food and probably surviving on whatever they found. Cindy smiled. "That's a crazy idea, go ahead."

"Stop answering my thoughts, it's weird." I gently waved at one of the passing ferals, gesturing for it to come closer. It looked confused, glancing around before stepping in a little bit and tilting his head up at me. I reached for the pony slowly and began petting over his scalp a moment before drawing him in closer. Once he was fully relaxed and enjoying the rubbing, I guided him to a teat. He got the idea quickly and fastened to it, filling his belly as quickly as the milk was offered. I took the time, and contact, to look inside at his gift. It burned and coiled in him. It looked somehow... cultivated, like someone had specifically grown it in a pattern. Like... seeing an even carpet of grass where you expected a few bushes and a daisy.

The stallion pulled free with a smile, satisfied. He trotted off and more ferals approached, wanting a turn. Sandra was in no hurry to offer her teats, and even sat down on her belly to discourage the idea, leaving me to serve as the only available food source. I only had so much to go around without being fed more, but I took the time to examine each while it happened. Each one had a clean bed of gift, groomed and orderly. "Who is your princess?"

They looked at me quizzically, then departed, taking their wounded with them, and a few of the guards to replace their lost. They also took the hoof-claws, all of them. They never tried to hurt me, or Sandra or Dusk.

One of the guards hurried over to Dust, shaking her awake. She rolled up to her hooves. "Damn it! Esos pendejos llevaron nuestras cosas ! ¿Cuántas perdimos?"

A quick headcount was done, four guards were missing, and not a single hoof-claw was to be found. She frowned at me. "Well, peacemaker, I hear you had a good enough time while my boys were dragged away. You can't make peace with everything." With an angry stomp, she turned and led the way, there was much more walking to do.

Author's Notes:

Are their insides supposed to look like that, or did someone make a typo somewhere?

58 - A Friendly Face

We marched stoically onwards, resupplying at the next town. Worryingly, it seemed hoof-claws were a common item, and Dust Kicker had little true issue replacing them, or getting more guards. "Let's see those banditos get through this many trained amigos." She flashed her teeth before leading the way out of the town.

As we marched, I felt around for the local population. I became increasingly certain that the 'ferals' of the region were only there to watch us. They'd peek out of bushes or fly overhead, moving like a normal feral might, but with uncanny timing and skill, clearly coordinated. Perhaps the numbers were sufficient to dissuade, because they didn't make another move for the rest of the week, at least until a morning several days later.

I woke to the sensation of being nursed on and scrambled to my hooves to find a note under myself.

Peacemaker,

My children want only that, for the peace they were born to carry. They tell me you saw them fight, then you know they are not killers. They will defend themselves, and they will disarm their enemies, but they are not killers, even as their kin is cut down. We are ponies, we are destined for peace and cooperation.

It pleases me that there is another mother of ponies that agrees with me. It gives me hope, that one day we will have our peace, and our children will know happiness. You march towards the Mad Queen's stronghold. Her words are wicked, her cronies more so. Do you think you can talk her out of her actions? You would be a far better pony than I if you could. I have no love for humans, even if I was one, but to hunt them is in conflict with our base nature.

She brings stabilit--

The note was ripped out of my grip by a furious Dust Kicker. "What is this?!" Her eyes scanned over it back and forth and her expression only darkened as she went. "Where did you find this?"

I pointed to where I slept and she began barking orders. They thoroughly searched the area, but could find little but recent signs of tunneling. "Our leader is no 'Mad Queen'," spat Dust Kicker. "She is calm, resourceful, and a genius. She's led us to unifying a continent, and soon we will make it two. Soon, all of this difficult transition will be behind us, and a new civilization can rise from the rubble." She turned away, tucking the note away. "Peacemaker, your words are dangerous. They attract dangerous people."

We broke camp shortly after and resumed our trek. Several days later our march was interrupted. A bright flash heralded the arrival of Crystal, panting wildly. "That gets harder... with you so far..." Her words were cut off as a blade was shoved up against her neck by one of the guards. "I give up!"

Dust Kicker approached the intruder, examining Crystal. "What is this? I never saw a pony like this before."

Sandra waved a hoof. "She's with us, a friend."

Dust Kicker raised a brow. "A friend? From the states?"

Crystal nodded as best she could with the sharp threat pressed to her. "I mean no harm?"

Dust Kicker gestured and the blade was lowered. "What do you want?"

Crystal gestured with her head at me. "I just wanted to talk with my friend, if that's OK?"

Dust Kicker turned away. "Talk while we walk. There's plenty of ground to cover."

We resumed our trek, with Crystal moving between Sandra, Dusk, and I. "They think they're, uh..." She glanced at the guards, pressed close, likely to hear everything. "The apples are circling the basket."

Dust looked over her shoulder. "That was not terribly subtle. Go ahead, tell her." She said something about stupid Americans as she turned her gaze forward.

Crystal flushed lightly. "Right, well, they're coming over the border. It's been recon and skirmishes so far."

Dust snorted softly. "We'll make our move when we're good and ready. You are listening to the soft rumble of distant lightning. You'll know when the storm's come." She looked over her shoulder, frowning at Crystal. "How did you get here so quickly?"

Crystal stepped back. "It's something of a special talent of mine." She didn't out our shared ability, which I was thankful for. "I should go. Please, be careful." She popped away with a new flash.

Dust turned her gaze to me. "A friend, huh? You make friends quickly, peacemaker. Keeping tabs on your friends in the States? How do you plan to help them?" She hopped up onto an abandoned car and turned to face us. "You should have told her to open the gates and make it a smooth transition." She smiled. "Some humans accepted the inevitable, and they make fine ponies now."

A new thought seemed to come to her. "Wait, wait wait wait. Oh god damn it. It's so obvious!" She hopped down from the car and marched up to us, glaring at me specifically. "Hello, 'mother of ponies'. You're the leader of the American ponies!" She burst into sudden laughter. "Why would you surrender yourself to us? Are you considering turning over your people?"

I lifted my shoulders. "I was hoping we could come to a peaceful arrangement."

Dust Kicker snorted softly. "One way or the other, I suppose." She pointed at hoof at me. "That doesn't excuse you letting my men be dragged away to god knows where. You could have stopped them. You just sat there and rewarded them for attacking us." She growled softly as she turned around. "You're lucky she wants to see you."

Author's Notes:

Dust Kicker figures it out, as she had to eventually. Will gets a note, and Crystal says hello! Even typos can't stop us now!

59 - Journey Between Worlds

Several days later, after settling for some well-deserved rest, I felt the subtle pull of Luna, and my dreams drifted towards her garden. It was not just her. Three other ponies were arrayed around her. They had wings and horns like she did, but the similarities ended there. One had the tongues and bisected jaw of Sandra with bright neon-colored fur. The next was huge and built more like a brontosaurus than a pony. The last was slender and thin, and looked much more like a deer than a pony. They even had a rack of horns.

All four sets of eyes settled on me, though one broke into a heavy yawn. "I should be waking up soon," she complained, craning her long leg down at Luna. "Is that everyone?"

Luna nodded. "Yes, she was the last." She pointed at us. "It has been some time, but I hereby call this council to order."

The Council?! I had long ago forgotten its vague promises.

"It has been some time since last we convened, and there have been no few developments since then." She pointed at us. "William and Cindy--" In typical dream fashion, only having her name said inspired me to glance and see she was seated beside me, not attached for the dream. "--have been quite successful at the peaceful integration of ponies and humans in their territory."

The deer raised a hoof. "I have also met with success. The humans see us as protectors now. With their infrastructure destroyed, we are the only thing keeping them from destruction."

The brontosaurus gave a soft snort, "Are you their friends, or their masters?"

Cindy smiled brilliantly. "Friends. It was tough starting, but things are looking up, mostly. We're not there right now."

All eyes shifted towards her. The neon colored one frowned a bit. "And why are you not in your terr...er, kingdom?"

I decided to field that one, putting a hand over my chest. "We're going to visit the South American princess and see if we can't talk sense into her."

The neon one smiled wickedly and advanced. "Well, here she is. 'Talk some sense into me.'"

Shit. Still, that could have gone worse. "We've managed full integration of ponies and humans, military included. The ponies are not mistreated, and neither are the humans, and both are better for the other. There's no reason to aggressively hunt them down, and a thousand moral and practical reasons to let them be."

The neon one waved a hoof dismissively before gesturing at the city the garden was at the side of. "Look at what the ponies can accomplish with no humans at all. They have almost no crime. They have almost no war. They have built a utopian society, without humans."

Luna shook her head. "Genocide is rarely a good strategy. Surely not all humans are disagreeable?"

Neon frowned. "It only takes one. A hundred docile humans does not weigh out against one psychopath. You've seen it, Luna. The acts a human are capable of aren't even within the realm of imagination for ponies."

Luna took a slow breath. "My advice may have been hasty. At the time the humans were the aggressor entirely." She pointed a hoof at me. "Their solution is much more harmonious, is it not? Can we not at least consider it?"

"No!" She flashed her teeth before rushing at us, only to vanish on the way.

Luna shook her head. "I sent her home. I'm sorry." She looked to the other princesses. "Your thoughts?"

The deer pointed at herself. "I am wholly in support of symbiosis and cooperation."

The brontosaurus shook her head. "As far as I know, there is no fighting. My people avoid the humans, and they avoid us, and there is peace. It feels fragile, however."

I raised a hand, "We can show you how to make your ponies uninfectious, so they're safe to humans."

The deer smiled. "That would be lovely."

Cindy waved her hands. "He didn't even get to the best part of that. You can alter ponies while you do it, make them better."

The brontosaurus tilted her head. "That will have to be used carefully. We are not gods, just caretakers."

Luna nodded lightly. "It is a great relief to hear you say that. Can I trust you all to act in the best interest of your people?"

I nodded. "Of course. I didn't ask for any of this, but here we are. The least I can do is try to get things right again."

The deer smiled. "Well-enough stated. I stand with you... William was it? I am Hedwig, a name I will gladly outgrow."

The brontosaurus nodded in agreement. "Show us the trick, and perhaps we will know a deeper peace. I am Adaeze, princess, like our host." She gestured at Luna, then looked at me curiously. "Please, share, before we must awaken."

We went over how to feel for and manipulate the gift, and to burn it away and leave a pony clearer of mind and safe for humans to be in contact with. "Always double-check your work, no matter how easy it feels, and no matter what rush you're in. A single infection after they're declared safe would be horrible for trust. On the other hand, or hoof, if you come across someone just freshly infected, you can use this to hasten their change, direct it, and keep their mind intact. Use it responsibly, we can either help bring peace or be real monsters."

Hedwig nodded. "I will treat it with caution, but use it well. The European Union thanks you for your help." He vanished.

Adaeze looked at where he was, then nodded at us. "Thank you as well. My people will rejoice when I reveal what I have learned and share this gift with them. Thank you, on behalf of the people of Africa." She vanished as well.

Luna tilted her head. "I'm glad you arrived when you did. They were arguing quite bitterly before you arrived. Are you truly in her kingdom? You may be in grave danger, considering her anger."

Cindy frowned. "Too bad! We're coming for her, like it or not. Someone has to."

Luna gave a slow nod. "You are brave, but don't forget to be careful as well. Your people need you. Harmony guide you." And the dream ended.

Author's Notes:

Hello Luna! Hello princesses!

This chapter reveals a good bit, even some typos!

60 - A Sudden Change of Plans

We resumed the seemingly-endless walk the next day. I didn't share the dream I had. There was no privacy, and I wasn't sure what either of my companions could take from it other than our meeting being likely to go south. Oh wait, we were already going south... I snorted softly at my internal humor, getting a glance or two, but otherwise we marched on quietly.

Around ten in the morning, a pony appeared in a burst of sparkles. The new unicorn bowed to Dust Kicker. "Message from the Queen!"

Dust Kicker tilted her head, then smirked triumphantly at me. "As you can see, she unlocks your mysteries and riddles. Teleportation is ours now, as this fine unicorn displays. What's your message?"

The unicorn pointed at me. "Kill them."

Dust Kicker took a step back. "What?"

The unicorn nodded. "Immediately."

Dust Kicker frowned. "But... She's much more valuable alive, and she isn't even resisting."

The unicorn shook her head. "You have your orders. For peace, it must be done." She saluted crisply. "Will you perform your duty?"

Dust Kicker turned towards me, her ponies already brandishing their hoof-claws dangerously. I was prepared to vanish if it came to it, but didn't want to do it until the last moment.

"Yeah, I'll do it."

The unicorn nodded. "As the Queen wills it." And she vanished in a shower of sparkles.

Dust Kicker kicked at the dust. "This doesn't make any sense! That unicorn has to be a rogue agent, trying to confuse us. Why would she have us escort you for a week just to turn around and want you dead now?" She scowled at me. "How do you make so many friends except when it counts?

Sandra dipped her head. "I'm glad you don't just accept orders blindly." A bright smile spread over her face. "Maybe we could become friends?"

Dust raised a brow at Sandra. "That is unlikely, but this is not like the Queen either..." She pointed at one of her stallions. "What do you think?"

The stallion looked startled. "Oh, um..." Clearly he wasn't asked what he thought that often. "No ma'am, that was muy loco."

Dust nodded. "Exactly. I don't have to follow obviously faked orders. If you see that unicorn again, subdue her and break off that damn horn of hers. We'll get answers..."

We continued our march, "You'll be happy to know we'll be getting a boat in the next town. No more walking, how about that? Something to look forward to." Dust Kicker's scowl was deep and unrelenting, clearly thinking about the disturbing order the unicorn had delivered to her.

We arrived at that next town the afternoon of the day afterwards. The place was full of ponies, as most of the continent south of America seemed to be. They were upkeeping the dock quite well, and we had no problem requisitioning a boat and boarding it.

One of the new sailor ponies saluted Dust Kicker. "Fully fueled and ready to go, ma'am. Permission to set off."

Dust Kicker's frown broke into a smile. "Go right ahead. The sooner we get there, the better."

And so the endless march became a sail, and we could relax and still make progress. Unfortunately, since we didn't need to walk, she had us put in a room and locked the door. On the bright side, this meant I could talk.

"So, I'm pretty sure that unicorn was not lying."

Dusk tilted his head. "Why did she change her mind like that then?"

I described the dream, with the neon-colored nemesis, and her volatile anger towards me. "I don't think she wants to meet us."

Cindy snorted softly. "Then she's smart, all things considered."

Sandra scowled. "And a psychopath. If she wasn't an awful pony, we wouldn't have an issue just, you know, shaking hooves. Instead, plan B."

Dusk tapped at his chin. "I saw which way the unicorn went, but not nearly well enough to try to follow her, especially days later, from a different direction. Next time it visits, if it visits, should we try to follow her?"

I wasn't so sure about the idea. "I trust your judgement, but keep an eye on how the actual meeting goes. If things go sour from Dust Kicker, we jump and don't look back. Even if we miss, it'll be better than the gentle caress of her hoof-claws."

Sandra sank to the floor. "I really don't think she's a bad person. She had her chance to 'just follow orders', and she didn't. She wants to do the right thing. She's never yelled at her soldiers randomly, or really done anything... wrong. I mean, sure, she agrees converting all of humanity is the best course of action, but that's a difference of opinion, not... I'm expressing this poorly."

Cindy tilted herself a bit. "Well, they already know we're a princess, right? Maybe we could use some of our 'princessly' powers?"

I raised a brow. "Such as?"

Sandra sat up. "Like removing their gift? They might appreciate the cleared minds. They probably don't even know they're being influenced by it, but they'll know when it's gone."

I shrugged softly. "I mean, we could offer? But I don't see doing it without their permission getting anything but a quick shanking and some choice curse words, and they wouldn't be entirely wrong, so let's ask politely and see where that goes."

Author's Notes:

Well, that escalated quickly. Was there a typo in those orders?

61 - Commands from the Front

We heard shouting coming from above. We went still, trying to listen to it.

"You will not order my men on my ship." It sounded like Dust Kicker.

"It is no longer your ship. You are relieved of command." Was it that unicorn again?

The words got blurred as more ponies joined the mess. I decided staying was not the right course of action. Gesturing for the others to come closer, I wrapped them in a bubble and we slid out into the hallway. Fortunately, no one had seen the act, and we quickly moved from there up to the deck to see what was going on.

We arrived to find the unicorn being held to the ground by Dust Kicker with one hoof as the other came down, shattering her horn. The unicorn shrieked, thrashing her body around under Dust Kicker in blinding pain. Dust Kicker lived up to her name, kicking the other unicorn away. "You're either a rogue agent, or our leader's folding under the pressure. I don't like either option."

She looked up directly at us and frowned sharply as she trotted towards us. "And here we are, the star of the hour. You're playing with me, aren't you, big girl? You could have slipped away from me whenever you wanted to, isn't that right?"

I saw no reason to argue that particular fact. "We came with you as a choice, Dust Kicker."

Dust Kicker nodded. "I figured as much." She gestured with her head at the mewling form of the crippled unicorn. "She came back to give us new orders to the front, found out you were still very alive, and got irate about it. As luck would have it, my people know I don't do things randomly, isn't that right?"

A chorus of male and female voices raised in support before they quickly moved back to work instead of staring at us. "Right, there's no point keeping you locked up, especially if you can get out when you want anyway." She raised a brow. "You teleport too? Hmmph. I'm going to ask that you not cause trouble, and I think you'll give me that. You've been a courteous guest so far."

Sandra nodded at her. "We won't cause any trouble, er, ma'am."

Dusk bobbed his head in agreement. "I've never been on a boat before. May I look around?"

Dust made a dismissive wave of a hoof and Dusk wandered off to ogle at everything like a child. She sighed softly. "You're the most harmless batch of political trouble I ever had the misfortune of dealing with. Tell me straight, what do you want to come out of your meeting?"

Cindy smiled at Dust. "Well, ideally, we have a heart-to-heart, and this whole war stops because we're friends, and we can have peace instead."

Dust rolled her eyes. "And when that fails? Are you just going to go home with a shrug? You may be naive, but you aren't that daft."

Cindy glanced at me, and I huffed. "If it comes to that, it'll be between two leaders, not asking a bunch of bystanders to get into danger for us, or her."

Dust sank to her haunches. "So, what, you'll fight her, hand-to-hand? She'll suck you dry. However good you are with that horn of yours, she has that skill in her tongues. They're fast like whips. When she wants to, she moves them so fast I don't even see them move, just when they land. She can beat someone to death while sucking the energy clear of them. You'll be nothing but a snack for her."

Cindy tilted her head a little. "Well we'll be extra careful then."

"Extra careful!" Dust burst into laughter, clopping the floor with a hoof. "You'll be extra dead is what you'll be." She frowned and turned away. "It's not too late for you to vanish off this boat."

I stepped after her. "Wait, we wanted to offer something."

She perked an ear back. "Oh? What's that?"

I rolled a hand. "We saw you all still have the energy that changed you. It has a pervasive, ongoing, effect on the mind. Urges and whatnot. We could clear them way. You'd stop being infectious, and your thoughts would clear up. We can also enhance you while we're at it."

She turned to frown at me. "That's an awful big pill you're asking me to swallow. Why would you offer to enhance your enemy? Besides, my thoughts are clear enough." She turned up her nose.

I shrugged softly. "Everyone thinks their thoughts are clear, but the difference when it's gone is quite noticeable. We're doing this for all the ponies in America. It's why we can have ponies and humans together. They don't infect humans anymore, and they aren't overwhelmed with the urge to get messy with them, or even each other, minus the usual urges."

Sandra looked around the deck. "Why don't we start with one of your people? Just to show it's safe. He cleared mine out, and I felt a lot better afterwards." She smiled a little and shrugged.

Dust Kicker frowned decidedly before she leveled a hoof at a passing earth pony. "Pedro, obtenga su culo lo siento por aquí."

The pony looked up, then trotted over loyally. She nodded at him, "Quédate quieto y dejar que ella haga lo que quiere hacer, pero quiero saber si algo sale mal o se siente extraño."

Pedro gave a less-certain nod, then saluted and turned towards us, looking expecting. I had no idea what Dust had said in her rapid Spanish and decided to ignore that in favor of focusing on Pedro. Getting his conversion right seemed vitally important, if I planned to have cooperation from anyone else on the boat.

Author's Notes:

The situation appears to be decaying, much like my typing. Dust Kicker sticks to doing the right thing, so far as she can tell, for now.

62 - Making Use of the Gift

Cindy smiled at Pedro. "What would you like? You're not a farmer, so bigger hooves might not be your thing."

Pedro glanced towards Dust Kicker, who translated back and forth. "He wants to know what you mean exactly, and so do I."

I nodded a little. "While we burn off the, er, energy involved, we can put it to work to improve the person along the way. Stronger, better, or just plain different. We want to do what he wants, not what we want."

After having that translated, Pedro looked intrigued, then uncertain. He looked to Dust Kicker and whispered softly to her, and she scowled at him.

Sandra rolled her eyes. "I think he was just denied 'personal' enhancements."

Pedro pointed at his back. "¿Puedo obtener algunas alas?"

Dust pointed at him. "He wants wings."

I felt for his gift, uncertain if it was enough to produce a fitting pair of wings. Cindy shook her head. "We'll do our best, but it might not be enough to get them flight-capable."

She translated that for Pedro, who frowned a little and shook his head. "Si no podemos hacer eso, qué hay de sólo ser más fuerte?"

Dust nodded at him. "If you can't do proper wings, let's go with just stronger. You can't go very wrong with that."

Cindy brightly smiled. "Stronger it is!"

We set our hands on Pedro and gave him a soft petting as he fidgeted nervously. We began to channel the gift in him, reinforcing and enhancing his muscles as it burned free of him. I focused on not making him look too unnatural, producing a powerful and sleek form instead of bulky 'roid abuser.

Pedro opened his eyes when the feelings stopped and stood up on his hooves, looking down at himself. He seemed to like what he saw and looked to Dust Kicker. "Voy a la sala de pesas probar esto!"

Dust Kicker waved him off, and he scampered away with a grin on his face. "He's off to try out his new physique. He didn't look hurt. Not infectious anymore, you said?"

Dusk shook his head. "Without that gift, there's no infection to spread. He's safe to be around humans now. When we left, there was even a human and a pony in love. They might be married by now."

Dust stuck out her tongue. "That's odd. I know I was a human once, but I'm not now. The idea of laying with one..." She shook her head. "I suppose that's not my decision to make." She took a slow breath. "Damn peacemaker. Do you really think humans can be trusted to not harm ponies? They're awful good at doing it without using guns." She thrust a hoof at us. "When things calm down, do you think they will look at ponies as equals? We're just getting straight to the point."

I held up my hands. "Social justice does happen, sometimes slowly, but it happens. I'd rather do it the slow and hard way than by just committing genocide casually and hoping ponies never get the urge to do bad things in the future. Everyone deserves the right to make their own decisions, and if they want to be a human, then they should be, and if someone is a pony, that should be respected too."

Dust rolled her eyes. "If politicians were more likely to sound that way, I'd feel better." She sank to her belly. "But they don't. They want to kill, rape, and pillage, hiding behind flowery words of better times." She slammed a hoof into the deck. "Damn it all." She ground the edge of a hoof-claw into the wood. "She's really lost it. She's just another politician, looking out for #1."

Sandra moved up to Dust and sat beside her quietly. Dust seemed confused at the company, but relaxed and leaned against Sandra lightly. Dusk moved to settle at her other side, and they made a quiet pony sandwich. For a moment, there was peace and quiet.

Dust Kicker grunted angrily and looked up at me. "Your friends are very persuasive. I'd rather live in your world." She rose to her hooves. "I need to talk to my people, see if they're with me." She trotted off quickly, leaving the comfort of quietly accepting pony companions.

Dusk smiled at us. "I think she's a good pony."

Sandra bonked him lightly on the nose. "Most people are good people, they just get stupid ideas, desperate ideas... Maybe we can talk some sense into the princess?"

Cindy shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that. She calls herself a Queen, and, for once, I think that's very important. She wants to be the one at the top. She won't be happy sharing that top spot, especially not with someone who disagrees with her."

I couldn't argue with Cindy's summary. "Considering she's sent orders to have us killed, I doubt we're in for a warm reception. We should assume she'll try to do the job in person if she feels that's the best thing to do, in her view."

Dusk frowned. "And we're going to let her take the first move?"

Sandy shook her head. "Why exactly? She's nuts, we should make the first move and take her down as quickly as possible."

I rose to my hooves and moved towards the side of the ship. "I won't stoop to her level. We're going to talk. If she tries to get violent after that, then we neuter her, snip the power." I looked to Dusk. "Are you ready for that? She'll be expecting something from me, probably."

Dusk nodded firmly. "I'm ready! She won't know what hit her until it's done running her over."

Author's Notes:

William sticks to principles, but will principles keep a pony warm in the cold harsh world?

Maybe we could use the typos for kindling?

63 - Drawing into Dock

The attitude on the ship changed. There was obvious friction and disagreement, but many seemed cautiously hopeful. Pedro was far from the last pony we saw to, with others coming forward. One, a female earth pony, tearfully confessed, "My family has been hiding. Now I can see them. I was hoping they would... come over to us, but maybe this is better. Is it true? Do they live together in the Americas?"

We left her cleaned of taint and prime of form. Not being farmers, most of the ponies didn't care much for enlarged hooves and plant magic, instead preferring to be stronger, tougher, and generally good at soldiering, but they were happier afterwards. Despite the strength given to them, I felt they were less likely to apply that strength to innocent people.

Not all accepted the offer. Dust Kicker didn't, but not out of any stated malice. "The time isn't right. I won't turn in my chips until after your meeting. I still have some hope, however small, that it doesn't come down to what I fear it will... Go ahead and give it to anyone who wants it, but I don't want to hear about it being forced, or I will smash your horns like I did that unicorn."

I held up my hands quickly. "Woah there, we're not trying to force anyone, don't worry."

"I didn't think you were, or we'd already be wrestling." Dust Kicker turned away. "These men and women are my responsibility. They trust me to guide them right, and I'm going to do just that, even if the path gets filled with fog."

When we arrived, many of the sailors and soldiers departed immediately with discontent grumbling. Those that remained looked hopeful and eager. They kept alternating between Dust Kicker and me, waiting to hear what was coming next.

Dust raised a hoof. "Go out into the town, tell them what you've learned and gather up any volunteers. If she is reasonable, nothing will be lost, if not, I prefer to have all the backup we can get."

One of the other ponies helpfully translated, "Vá e pegue os seus amigos e dizer-lhes que vamos fazer uma nova era de paz!"

That didn't sound quite like Spanish. What did they speak down here? Whatever it was, they scattered out through the town with eager expressions, and new faces turned up through the day. They were timid, but excited. On seeing Dust Kicker they recoiled, but she called them forward and assured them they weren't being caught in some kind of sting.

After explaining what we were doing, about two-thirds of those recruited went full in, having the gift cleansed from them. Many of these people were not military, so their adjustments varied quite a bit, from a unicorn who wanted finer control to perform more accurate surgery, to a pegasus who just wanted warmer feathers for reasons she kept to herself. We tried to oblige each in kind, with Dusk acting as a backup when I needed a breather, bless his soul.

As the sun grew heavy, we had a little army, or at least a, what, batallion? About a hundred ponies milled around, talking excitedly in a confusing blur of languages. Sandra tilted her head a little. "I think it's Portuguese?"

As good a theory as any, not that any of us knew the language more than Spanish. Dust Kicker could communicate well enough with her friends, and they got the people ready for the journey. She looked over to me once she had the mob turned into an orderly form. "Are you ready? It's time to get to that meeting. For your sake, and for theirs, I hope this turns out well."

We marched out of the town, only to find a group of displeased military people, brandishing hoof-claws. "Vuelve a tu casa y quedarse allí. Eres todo bajo arresto por el motín."

Dust Kicker held up a hoof and stepped forward, shouting authoritatively, "Muévete del camino. Estamos en nuestro camino a la reina y que no vamos a detenernos."

The mob behind Dust Kicker began shouting in support as her remaining soldiers advanced, their own hoof-claws brandished and ready.

They were looking ready to come to blows, when I suddenly remembered a very important thing. They were still tainted with the gift, and still ponies. Both put them under my sway. I reached out for them and saw their presences, angry and red, filled with the will to fight. I pulled that anger away, turning them soft and peaceful blues. When I opened my eyes, they stood more placidly, the battle-fury drained from them, and Dust Kicker. The effect wasn't entirely missed on the cleaned people, but lessened, and they had enough energy to shove past the confused soldiers, unchallenged. We broke through and left the city, leaving for the showdown that may be the start of a something new, or the end. I wasn't sure which.

Cindy smiled as we went, "That was good thinking. But we should make sure Dust Kicker's alright."

Dusk shook his head. "I checked on her. She's fine, if a little woozy. She, er, kind of didn't like that, but she--"

Dust Kicker marched up behind Dusk, nudging him out of the way easily. "Don't do that again! We are not machines, to be controlled, even if it is 'for our own good'" She snorted softly, then thrust a hoof at us. "We should have taken care of them, even if it would have been bloody. They're going to send a report to the Queen and it won't be very pleasant."

She glanced around at the other people, most of which looked worried at her anger. She let out a slow breath. "Still, I suppose it's for the best, with all these untrained civilians with us. I still don't want to be 'turned off' like a VCR you're tired of dealing with." She spun away and marched off angrily.

We were on our way to the Queen.

Author's Notes:

That could have gone far worse, or better. Just think of all the translational typos! The horror.

64 - In Her Gilded Palace

Our march along dusty roads was long but largely peaceful. People saw us as we went by in smaller towns, asking curious questions and occasionally joining up, though most just wanted to be left alone, and we didn't pressure anyone to joining this... I wasn't sure what to call it exactly. I hoped it wouldn't be a mob, though I wasn't sure I could do much to control it, with much of its members not speaking native English.

Dust Kicker pointed ahead. "We should arrive by nightfall. I suggest we get some rest and move in fresh, rather than arriving tired and worn."

That sounded reasonable, and we settled for some sleep. That didn't last as long as I planned. We were awoken by alarmed chatter to find the camp had been surrounded by new ponies. They weren't wearing hoof-claws, at least. They watched silently for a moment. When I rose up to stand, one immediately advanced towards me with a note in her mouth.

Hello Princess of the States,

I see you've made it this far, but it would be a shame and a crime for you to be hurt or killed at this point. My children will follow you and protect you, but only from attack. They are not there to cause trouble. Treat them kindly. They desire peace as much as you do, even if they don't voice it. I pray that you can resolve this without further violence, but practicality says it is unlikely.

Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst,
Princess of the Jungles

I tried making placating motions to the crowd, and made a show of petting the pony that still sat in front of me. The mood relaxed quickly. When we settled to rest again, that same pony remained, and curled up with us, never saying a word. Most of the others vanished back into hiding. They were eerily quiet for normally loud clip-clopping equines.

What woke us next was no friendly visit, but the jarring rattle of gunfire, followed swiftly by alarmed cries of shock and pain. I scrambled to my hooves just to catch one of the angry hornets right in my large pony torso. I'd thought changing was painful, but bullets had it beat. Several ponies dived at me, but I was too busy reeling from pain to see who it was. I just knew I was pressed down under their bulk protectively.

~I don't like this! Our pattern's been damaged. I don't want to be energy again yet.~ Cindy's voice was alarmed and almost panicked, and the glow from her horn was bright enough for me to see through clenched eyes. The pain began to fade as she ejected the bullet and got to work fixing the damage.

"Cargar!" someone shouted over the gunfire, and hooves thundered against the ground. As best I could figure, our side was trying to close with the attackers.

Sandra shouted in an ear, "There's just a few of them, but how many machineguns do you need?" She glanced around before wrapping a tongue around us and refueling some of the energy that Cindy had spent so quickly. "I'm going to check on other wounded, be right back." She crawled off hastily before vanishing into the ground, leaving little but a mound of dirt behind.

A pony draped over me suddenly went stiff, and fell off. She was bleeding from a fresh bullet wound and having trouble breathing. Enough was enough. I sent out my thoughts, and quickly found the hostile ponies, and could see those with me trying to close in. Too many bright dots of life and thought were going dark. I felt sick and furious. I grabbed for the first hostile speck I found and ignited the gift within them with the fury I felt. The dot suddenly went dark. I was beyond thinking about it, and went for the next, snuffing the life of each attacker in turn. It only took a few precious moments, and quiet returned to the field, outside the confused sound of chargers finding their targets had already collapsed, and the wounded weakly trying to get help.

Dust Kicker approached about ten minutes later, her left foreleg bandaged, but otherwise she looked alright. "I didn't even know they had those. I hope you make that mad daughter of a cow pay for every life she ended today." She clopped her healthy foreleg. "A liar and a hypocrite! She always said guns were the human tool for oppression and violence. I don't even know how we got them. I think it was unicorn magic. They look charred from the inside out."

I winced at the report. "That was me. Sorry."

Dust Kicker raised an ear. "What are you sorry for? They were gunning people down left and right. Most of these people are civilians." She waved a hoof out over the crowd. "They didn't even shout a warning or ask us to go, just opened fire. They deserve whatever they get."

Cindy shook her head. "Eye for an eye, leaves us all blind?"

Dust softly snorted as she sat. "Maybe you won't be as much of a damn whore as she is then. Once the wounded are seen to, we should get moving. We have a date with a mad mare."

Sandra's ability to move energy from the healthy to the injured proved vital to keeping the injured alive and well, and soon everyone who wasn't dead was at least stable. The quiet ferals from the jungle princess moved to guard those too injured to move without prompting, and soon we moved ahead. We had a meeting to make, and nothing else would keep us from settling accounts.

Dusk perked an ear at us as we walked. "What kind of defenses do you think she has on her base?"

I didn't really want to consider that too heavily.

Author's Notes:

The final showdown approaches, for good or ill. William feels a bit guilty playing god, even with machinegun toting ponies. Almost as bad as I feel for subjecting you all to typos.

65 - Approaching the First Gate

The next day we came across a narrow valley. Dust frowned as she led the way. "It's supposed to be defensible. Before, I thought that was a good thing. Now, maybe not so much." She looked over her shoulders. "Diggers, forward! I don't trust her. Sweep below ground, look for mines, but don't, for the love of god, actually touch them."

Several volunteers stepped forward, though most looked nervous about the job. They dug at the ground and soon vanished from sight. Like a game of Minesweeper in reverse, hooves came out of the ground, pushing up rocks to mark where the mines were found, and there were an uncomfortable number of them.

Sandra frowned as another was marked. "Jesus. Imagine if we just tried to walk through that?"

My reply was cut off as a muffled explosion made the ground shake beneath us. Dirt and some shreds of a brave pony flew up into the air before peace returned to the deadly field. I winced with sympathy even as I felt out over the area. Most of the dots were bright and well, but one was cold. Despite the futility of it, I gave a pull on that dot. Cindy helped silently, and our teleport worked in reverse, drawing the injured and likely dead soul to us.

A torn body appeared on the grass just in front of us. She was unconscious and bleeding terribly. Her left foreleg was gone from the knee on and the right side of her face looked like it had gone through a shredder.

Sandra shuddered violently before lashing out her tongues at us. Without asking, she drew powerfully, her tongues going bright with the energy she could find in our large form. She threw her tongues around the critically injured pony more carefully and let it free into her. The mare suddenly came awake, screaming and howling in what must have been immense pain.

Another pony rushed forward with a satchel with a red cross on it. Some symbols stayed the same no matter the language. The pony settled beside the hurt pony and began working on her, bandaging the worst bleeds. With Sandra's feed of life-giving energies and the doctor's rapid care, she was pulled back from the brink of death. Maimed, but alive. Her screams only stopped when the doctor gave her an injection to knock her out.

Sandra sagged to the ground when the doctor proclaimed her stable. I didn't feel much better, though the powerful reserve of gift in me was already restoring the energy stolen. I couldn't blame Sandra for her quick action, considering it had saved a life. "Good job, Sandra."

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah... I guess I could have joined the mine detail, but..."

Dusk shook his head. "It's better that you're here to help the doctors."

She frowned. "I didn't stay because of that. I stayed because I'm scared." She turned away. "I won't lie about that. That could have been me... I can taste her blood." She curled on herself, shuddering. Dusk advanced and flopped on top of her, and the two began to cuddle, dealing with the stress of things in their own way. I could hear him murmuring encouraging things, but my attention slid back to the field of mines.

Luck was on our side. Only one other mine went off, and that one only inflicted cuts and gashes, without outright removing limbs from the pony that set it off. The pony was literally made of stone, much like Crystal, but more of a granite appearance. He saluted as he reported the situation. "I'm fine to return to duty!" And he went right back in, despite bleeding a little. The doctor at least got him to stop long enough for some basic bandaging.

One of the soldiers shook his head. "I can't do this. These civvies are totally showing us up. Come on, let's go!" The others let out a cheer together, and they vanished into the ground, joining the rest in marking the mines. About half an hour later, the field was declared 'safe', insomuch that the mines were clearly marked and could be walked around. The mine sweepers were thanked with enthusiastic claps on the shoulder, bro-hoofs, and outright hugs. With the horrifying task complete, morale raised, and we advanced into the deadly field, keeping well away from the markers that blood had been shed to place.

We left the crippled pony behind, guarded by two silent ferals that stood guard over her with a fierce protectiveness.

We all let out a breath of relief when we reached the other side. Not very far ahead was a solid looking hatch. Like a barn cellar door, only made of cement. "She has a bunker?" I approached carefully and nudged at it. It was as solid as it looked, and a tug on the handle accomplished little.

Dust Kicker nodded. "I've only been in here a few times. I'm guessing she's changed the password." Dust moved up and her horn glowed as she tried the buttons on the console beside the heavy door. It gave an angry beep in reply. "Yep. I'm officially on the shit list." She frowned and banged on the door with a hoof. "Open up! We're here to talk, damn it."

The door gave off a loud hiss and Dust Kicker backed away. "It's opening!"

With a soft pop, it came unsealed, then started swinging upwards, allowing the barrel of a minigun to emerge, attached to the solid form of a bruiser of a pony. Cindy put up a shield in front of us, though I didn't feel confident trying to deflect the punishment that device could put out. I felt for the pony's gift. There was none. Even as the gun span up, I tried to find the gift. Neon had cleaned this one out? Did she do it specifically to prevent me from doing what I was going to do?

Author's Notes:

Mines are no joke. People go through this every day in the real world, and they don't have Sandra around.

Oh wait, minigun, quick, duck!

Neon is protecting her turf with increasingly violent means. Not even typos dare to come this close.

66 - Though I Walk through the Valley of Death

Dusk reacted before I did, giving a sudden shove with his magic to knock the gun roughly in its harness. Bullets began to spray wildly into the sky as the heavy-set pony pushed against it, trying to bring the weapon to bear against us. The delay was enough as the crowd behind us charged forward. There was no retreat from the deadly weapon, only neutralization, and most seemed to understand that.

Dust Kicker's ponies got to him, and showed us the hoof-blades worked in a ghastly display of pony carving. They tore the straps that held the minigun in place immediately, letting it crash to the ground with its owner not far behind it, bleeding from more and more wounds as they cut him in both long slices and deep jabs.

"Enough!" I shouted out as I stormed up, waving off the enraged combatants. "You won, he's down." The gunman, or gunpony, was losing blood and life rapidly, but there had been enough pain and blood getting this far. I didn't see why we should let it continue. "Let's not be the hypocrite we're up against. Sandra, can you stop him from bleeding out? Where's that doctor?"

The doctor pushed through the crowd and approached the injured pony. He kicked the gun aside and settled to get to work even as Sandra gingerly wrapped a tongue around the patient. "I'll focus on the internal things, you get the outside, doc."

I could see Sandra wasn't enjoying her new position, and gently pet her, rubbing along and behind her ears in soft motions that seemed to drain the tension from her body. "You're doing a good thing, Sandy. Thank you."

Dust advanced to the entrance. "You're a damned saint, saving someone who was just ready to use this on you." She kicked the minigun further away before peeking into the door into the corridor beyond. "I don't trust a damn thing past here. I don't trust anything." She stomped a hoof. "Neon's proven her allegiances, and they're not to people who aren't Neon."

"You wound me," came a female voice from an intercom. "You betrayed me first, little kicker. I gave you a simple command, and there she is, very alive. What did you do to my messenger? Another victim of a world that needs pacification?"

Hearing the voice of the enemy, who I hoped didn't have to remain as such, I stepped forward. "Hey, Neon? We don't have to fight, you know. I didn't come here specifically to duke it out."

Neon scoffed into the mic. "Pretty words, but you always get your way, don't you? You may not be willing to kill for it, but you're surrounded by happy volunteers. You keep your hooves clean and let everyone else walk through the mud. I'm not fooled, you human-corrupted freak of a princess. If you want peace, just turn around and go away."

For a moment, that actually seemed like a good idea. If her support structure was broken, what actual threat was she, in the long-run? My thoughts were interrupted with distant sirens from underground, and a soft shudder from the same direction. "What are you doing?"

Neon laughed harshly. "I'm going to set the world on fire with the human's finest flint and tinder."

Dust Kicker kicked the wall beside the intercom. "You can't go firing off the missiles! You're mad!"

Dusk rubbed behind his head. "I thought South America didn't even have nuclear missiles?"

Sandra looked at him blankly a moment. "I dunno, they're not supposed to. I suppose we'll complain to their government right after most of life on the planet is reduced to ash in a fiery nuclear exchange."

I stepped forward with all due haste, rushing to get inside. "Time to move, no more talking. Neon, last chance to call off this insanity. This isn't even remotely the right thing to do."

The reply was a curse in a language I didn't know, and the sound of the intercom going dead.

I charged into the bunker with a mob of ponies following after me. The inside was surprisingly clean. The floor was smooth tiling that echoed our frantic clip-clops. One poor soul slid to the ground, knocking several others over. That was enough to slow me down.

"I have this," reported Cindy quickly. "Focus on your hooves, make them sticky." Our pace hastened as we all began to find the tiles to be less treacherous.

The walls on either side of me exploded violently inwards as I triggered a laser trip line that I couldn't see. I threw up a shield on my side as Cindy took the other, blocking most of the larger pieces and only allowing the smallest bits to cut across us. Painful, but it didn't stop us. The constant rumble of preparing rocks was more than enough to get us moving again.

It was a maze. Corridors branched off in different directions. There had been clear markers at one point, but they looked purposefully rubbed off, with only the hints of letters left behind to confuse us. We scattered, hoping someone would get there in time to put a stop to the launch before it was too late for all of us.

I only noticed while running that I'd been separated from the others, rushing along through the bunker alone. The ceiling came down in the corridor ahead with a dull thud of a sealing firewall, then another plunged behind me. A loud hissing noise quickly revealed something was wrong. "How fitting. You'll be put down like the dog you are," came the tinny voice of Neon from another intercom. "Breathe deep and well, and it'll be over that much faster."

I had seen the corridor beyond, and slipped between worlds, traveling the void that was Cindy's home to pop out just behind the firewall and rush onwards, winded but intact. Teleporting was no easy feat of magic. "You're looking terribly tired. And you're not even going the right way. Such a shame. We'll all get the rest we need soon enough."

Cindy cocked an ear and pointed to the left as we passed an intersection. "That way!" I skidded to a stop and ran back through the hallway, which became stairs leading further downwards into the belly of the earth. Dust Kicker came into view, slamming a mental fist into a door. "This way!" called out Cindy as we ran past her. Dust Kicker was quick to abandon her door bashing and follow after us.

The lights flickered before dying out. "You don't need lights where you're going," taunted Neon. "It's bedtime."

Dust began to glow from her horn brightly, lighting the way for us as we followed Cindy's directions. "Through the door!" The door was a thick metal affair, and was not only locked, but touching it gave a sharp and painful jolt of electricity.

Dust Kicker pawed at the ground. "I won't be stopped by another damned door." Her horn glowed brightly, but I didn't see what she was working on until the door suddenly opened towards us and she grinned. "It wasn't locked from the other side."

We rushed through to find Dusk slumped against the wall, bleeding from wounds I couldn't see. He smiled at seeing me. "Keep going, I'll be alright. Just be careful, there are traps all along this hall. Step on the wrong tile, boom!"

Cindy looked distressed at Dusk's condition. "Are you alright with big tongues?" I had a feeling she was asking me. I sighed and nodded, having a solid idea where she was going.

My jaw snapped loudly as new tongues exploded free of our mouths. Cindy quickly wrapped hers around Dust Kicker even as I reeled from the pain of the new growth. Dust Kicker held still, surrendering her energy to give to Dusk and get him back on his hooves.

"You didn't have to do that for me," he said softly, tail wagging with obvious pleasure that we had gone ahead and done that for him.

The tinny voice of an intercom cut in. "You bastard! You're taking everything of mine. You can't handle the power. You think you can challenge me?!" There was a sudden bang through the intercom. "Little broken ponies, you can't stop me!" The sounds of a whip came through and the cries of some ponies clearly losing the fight with Neon.

We moved past the intercom. We couldn't help them without getting to Neon, or finding a way to turn off the rockets. The explosive tiles looked the same as any other, as I discovered when a hoof found one and pain traveled up that leg, little bleeding gashes torn in the flesh from bits of ceramic digging in, but there wasn't time to mourn the pain, and we pressed onwards. I hobbled as quickly as I could until Cindy suddenly called out, "Right!"

The door there was plain and wooden, like a broom closet. Opening it revealed that it was a broom closet, with several falling out and striking the ground. One hit an explosive tile and was thrown down the hallway. Dust Kicker grabbed the dangling light cord and pulled it, illuminating the tiny room. "What are we looking for in here?"

Cindy shook her head. "I don't know exactly, but a lot of energy is running through here. There has to be something!"

I shoved my head in and did a quick scan before spotting a small metal box on the wall. I practically ripped the cover free to reveal a fusebox. "Perfect!" I began wrenching them out indiscriminately, tossing each to the side. The sirens cut out, then all the lights, and then the air conditioning. Soon there was nothing but our pants for breath, and the ever-so-faint sounds of fighting.

Dust Kicker bobbed her head. "That should delay things, but we still have to find Neon. She'll figure a way to get things going if we give her time to do it.

I felt out for the presence of ponies, and there she was. A great sparkling mote next to a jumble of dim and burnt out specks. "She's... above us, and a little that way." I pointed. "Let's get back upstairs. The others have fought long enough for us."

Dusk bobbed his head. "I'm ready, let's go."

We hurried through the then-darkened hallways. Thankfully we had a lot of horns to choose from for light, and we weren't slowed down terribly for the lack of electricity. We scrambled up the stairs, my leg still protesting its abuse, and arrived at the floor Neon was on. Dust tapped her chest. "Heal up, take mine. You're going to be a lot more useful in this fight than I will be."

"Are you sure?" I raised a brow at her. She nodded with certainty and Cindy quickly ensnared her, squeezing around the barrel and neck gently as she drew away power and put it to work mending the shrapnel. The pain eased away to a dull throb and the bleeding stopped. It was far from perfect healing, but it covered the worst of it quickly.

Dust sank to the floor on her belly. "I'm sorry I was a jerk to you before. Please, stop her."

Author's Notes:

Let us have a moment of silence in remembrance of broomie. You died so others may live.

A longer chapter? Is that a typo? Nope! The commissioner of the story wanted longer chapters, so you get longer chapters!

67 - Southern American Endstage Boss

We ran into Sandra on our way to confront Neon, and I had to give a little laugh. "The old crew's together for the right moment."

Sandra perked an ear before she glanced down the hallway. "I knew where she was... I got scared, OK. She's thrashing anyone who goes in the same room with her. They tried bumrushing her with about twelve people, nothing but screams, none of them hers."

Dusk moved up beside Sandra and rubbed alongside her. "Well we're not just 'any' person. We're going to settle this. Let's go."

I advanced with my trusted friends flanked to either side of me, and I felt a bit of confidence returning. "Any advice, Cindy?

Cindy shook her head. "Watch out, be careful, and stick to the plan. It's all we have. She's probably full of energy, which she will use against us."

The hallway suddenly filled with light, and the sirens began wailing anew. I broke into a run. "She figured out the power, we're on a timer again."

The door leading to her room was open, practically inviting us. I heard the sound of a whip being cracked and the weak cry of someone who was likely the receiver of the blow. "You thought you could stop me that easily? I know how this all works, and you're running out of people. Where's your 'Princess of Peace' now?"

We charged through the open door to find Neon. Her tongues each shone a different color, almost blindingly bright with how many people she'd gorged on. Her entire body seemed a riot of neon hues that shone with the power she held. "There she is." She turned to face us, tongues dancing through the air. She was able to talk despite their presence without issue, but then, so did I? How did I do that?

Before I could contemplate that very long, Dusk stepped forward. "Stop this, right now. It's not too late. If you just stop that and come with us, everything will be forgiven."

Neon brought a tongue in faster than she should have been able. Dusk brought up a shield, but the tongue slapped against it and pulsed with a bright cyan. The shield exploded in dazzling motes of light. "Who are you to offer clemency? There's no going back! I won't be a slave to the humans, if they even let me live. Ponies must become the dominant race, or stop being a race all together.

I held up my human hands and took a slow step forward. "We're not here to hurt you, not if we don't have to. You've used every dirty trick you condemned humans for. You've shot at us, tried to blow us up, and you're getting ready to set the world on fire. The humans are ready to try peace, are you really settling for being worse than human?"

Her fury redirected to me at my words and two tongues crossed each other in a wild display of sparks. Cindy's shield kept one away, but it dispelled the shield as easily as it had Dusk's. The second coiled around my upper torso's belly and with the power of a hard vacuum, she began to suck the vitality right out of us. I didn't expect it to be so fast. One moment we were fine, the next we felt almost dead. "Your tongues are a pale imitation compared to mine. I am a pure breed, while you, you hybrid chimera of a creature. You've taken everything, but you're no good at any of it."

The sucking sensation suddenly stopped. I saw Sandra wrap one of her own tongues around Neon's and drew from the connection. Sandra shuddered violently, her tongue starting to glow as brightly as Neon's. More tongues came, ready to suck Sandra dry, but she caught them with her own, and the light seemed to pass back and forth between the two, locked in a contest of wills between the tongues as they undulated and writhed against one another.

Dusk's horn began to glow and he pulled one tongue away, allowing Sandra to double team one of the others, pulling power from it faster than it could pull it back.

Sandra smiled despite her full mouth. "I happen to be purebred too. That doesn't mean anything." She started to overpower the tongues, her own glowing brighter and brighter. Her body began to show jagged lightning patterns across it that glowed with the same neon light. "I'm taking it, since you can't use it responsibly."

A tongue curled and lashed in from below at Sandra but I caught it in my magic, even if my entire body felt sore at that point. I slowed it just enough for Sandra to swat it aside with one of her own tongues, advancing on Neon. "You're not dying today, but your reign is." Sandra wrapped two tongues around Neon firmly, squeezing despite the struggles of her victim. Kicks and pulls were to no avail as the power was drawn from her and fueled Sandra. Sandra grunted softly, hitting her capacity and trying to struggle through it.

It was time. I fought through the haze and cast my vision to the other side. I could see Neon's gift, bright and terrible. I shoved against it with all the remaining power I had, forcing it into contact with the tongues it seemed to recoil from actively.

Sandra went stiff as something new rushed down her tongues and into her body. She gasped and grunted, pawing at the ground as she began to grow, painfully swelling out to a stature befitting her new status as a princess. Neon, on the other hoof, collapsed with a weak cry, her tongues fell to the ground and twitched a little, but the fight was taken from her. Her bright patches of fur began to go muted, the color just fleeing her as surely as the rest of her power.

Cindy smiled gently. "See, that wasn't so bad."

Neon hissed, scrambling weakly to her hooves. "Fools, the lot of you! You don't even know how to stop it. It's all for nothing!"

Cindy lifted Neon into the air with her magic. "Tell me, or I'll take the knowledge, and that will hurt, a lot. I don't want to do that, but I will."

The intense gaze Cindy gave Neon unnerved her slightly. She wriggled in the grasp, whimpering with breaking resolve. "You've taken everything. You're going to kill me anyway. I won't make it easy for you."

Cindy drew Neon close and took control of my hands to gently pet over her back and sides. "There there. We're not bad people. Just show us how to save a lot of other people. Show us you're not entirely awful, and you will be spared."

Neon squirmed in the grasp in denial, but she lacked the strength to make any meaningful progress. She sagged, defeated and worn. "Do you promise?"

Cindy nodded. "Cross my heart." Did she have a heart? I supposed she had my heart. Good enough?

Cindy carried her with our body over to the controls and held her carefully over them. "Go on, prove you're not so bad. Millions of people don't need to die today to prove anyone's point."

Neon frowned a little. "You make it sound so petty..." She reached out with shaking hooves and started pressing buttons, and the sirens faded away. She twisted two sets of keys with her tongues and tossed them both to the ground. "There, now go ahead. Kill me. You can prove your true intentions."

Sandra clopped a hoof on the ground. "We're good guys, as terribly cliche as that sounds. We're not going to kill a single person if we don't have to." She lashed out a tongue and brushed Neon with it, sending a little pulse of energy into her. Neon perked up, her basic vitality restored. "We'll protect you. There are a lot of people, some in this room, that would want a piece of you."

"Starting with me." Dust Kicker came through the door, limping a little and looking tired, but determined. "She's killed countless people with her orders. She's a monster, and you helped me see that. I'm guilty too, to a lesser extent, but she was the leader. She deserves to pay!"

Dusk moved quickly to block her. "No! Hurting her won't bring anyone back."

Dust Kicker shoved him out of the way. Weakened or no, she was a far superior combatant than poor Dusk. "Out of my way. You're in no position to forgive her. She didn't hurt you, she hurt us."

Soft murmurs of agreement came from the others in the room, starting to rouse from their drainings. The mood was dark at best as eyes settled on the weakened Neon, ready to see her suffer.

Cindy pulled Neon close and protectively. "Two wrongs don't make a right."

Dust Kicker lifted a hoof, the claws sliding into ready position. "Maybe not, but it feels good, and discourages other people from doing it."

I took control of one hand and reached out for Dust. "Dust, come here." She did so hesitantly, peering with growing suspicion. When she was in range, I softly scratched behind an ear. "You're a good pony, and a great person, Dust Kicker. I want you as a friend, but my friends don't kill people when they don't have to. We won, Dust. We won."

Dust trembled, her eyes welling up with sudden tears. "I believed in her too! I thought she was going to guide us to a better place! Now here you are, promising the same thing, and not even letting me get back at her! She was insane. Did you forget what she did to stop us from getting here?"

Sandra smiled a little. "I have her power, Dust Kicker. She's just a normal, confused, person. She needs our help, not to be beat down more."

Dust looked at Sandra for the first time. "The hell happened to you? You look like a new Neon."

Sandra tilted her head. "Now with 100% less homicidal tendencies. Here." She gently brushed a tongue along Dust's muzzle, restoring her energy. "Now let's get out of here. We have a world to rebuild, and that doesn't involve kicking around someone after they're already defeated."

The word of two princesses proved to be more compelling. Though we weren't actively trying to through any mystical 'weight' around, our words did have some inherently, and with us speaking in harmony, voices began to sway in our favor. Sandra went around the room, helping each pony up to their hooves. By the time she gave back all the stolen energy Neon had taken, she stopped glowing like a little sun, though she remained brightly colored.

Dusk smiled and tapped a hoof on the control panel. "Not bad for a day's work. We stopped a nuclear exchange."

Dust sighed softly. "I suppose I should be thankful for that and stop pouting so much." She clicked her hoof claws into idle position and moved up to Neon, still held in our grip. "You."

Neon looked down at her, ears half-wilted. "What?"

Dust pointed at Neon. "You better start acting like half the pony you claimed you were."

Author's Notes:

And so ends the South American arc.

Like, hate? I'd really like to know how well I did in wrapping this up, so tell me, especially if you spotted a typo.

68 - Phoning Home

I kept Neon in our arms as we started poking around. There was a radio present. It looked like a serious military affair, and I wasn't sure how to operate it, but one of the others did.

After some translating, he hopped up onto the chair in front of it and started playing with the radio until he found a channel with English speakers chatting back and forth. He gestured at the radio, then hopped down, leaving it to me.

What could I say to some random English speakers to get back to the military? I supposed most military secrets weren't what they used to be. I pushed the talk button. "Hello, this is William, reporting in from somewhere in South America. Anyone from the states listening in?"

"Wasn't expecting a new voice," came a female reply. "Name's One Touch. Holed up in Maine. Powerful radio you have that, or maybe lucky bounce off?"

"Sharpshooter, calling in from Texas. You live down there, Will, or just visiting? I heard it's a right hostile place down there." That one sounded male.

I pushed the button, hopeful but uncertain. "So, I don't suppose any of you are in contact with the operation centered out of Central States? Ponies and humans, getting along, no more infections?"

Sandra suddenly sighed and pulled off her collar, setting it on the ground. "Guess I don't get to wear that anymore."

"I think I heard of who you're talking about," replied Sharpshooter. "They just moved in a city or two over. I've been keeping ponies away the old fashioned way, with a gun."

One Touch gasped into the radio. "You wouldn't shoot me, would you?"

"What? Course not, we've become fast friends in these crazy times."

"Well I'll have you know I have four legs, like it or not. It took some practice to get a radio working with hooves, but I did," she revealed. "Ponies are people, don't shoot us, please."

While amusing, the topic had certainly strayed off topic. "Sharpshooter, could you visit them and tell them William, the S Class, is alright, and in possession of a new friendly S Class. Situation is, uh, stabilized."

He said something of a confirmation, but their conversation went back to being about One Touch being a pony fairly quickly. I couldn't think of anything else I could do with it, so I turned off the radio and turned to face the larger Sandra. "Look at you."

Sandra recoiled a little, ears pinning on her head. "Yeah, look at me."

I perked an ear at her. "Why so glum? You're looking good."

Dusk bobbed his head. "It's true. You're bigger, brighter, um, even more powerful."

Sandra snorted softly. "What's with the jagged patterns?" She raised a hoof to the lightning bolt like patterns under her eyes. "And I feel like there's something in here with me. I thought I was done with urges."

Cindy suddenly spoke up, "Oh! That'd be me, well, not me, but someone like me. They don't have a head to talk through, so right in your head is the only way to go. Oh! I Know! We should go into a dream together. Then you could talk to them."

I found an ear swiveling on its own towards Cindy, but Neon spoke first, "There was a literal person inside of me?"

Cindy nodded at Neon. "Well, not a person like you'd think. No human, one of my people. We don't normally have bodies, just energy."

Sandra nuzzled at one of my legs. "How bad is it?"

I reached for her and softly pet along her larger back. "Dusk isn't joking, you're looking very nice. Oh, just remembered. You're not too small anymore."

Sandra tilted her head at me before she went red all through the face. "Will! Really..."

Dust Kicker came in from the hallway. "We've sent out runners in ever direction to spread the word as fast as they could, but we don't have teleporters." She pointed at Neon. "Fess up, where are they?"

Neon frowned a little. "I'm not hiding them. I only had the one. Where'd they go?"

Dust Kicker waved a hoof. "Not important. Alright, fine. So we have no way to get the word up to the front that Neon's been overthrown, so they're going to cause trouble without her. Speaking of her, why are you carrying her around like a cat?"

Neon looked a little hurt and I turned some petting attention to her. "You know the looks some of the others have been giving her. I'm keeping her safe. She's given up, so she's my responsibility now."

Dust Kicker snorted softly. "I'd give her a kick if it were an option, sure..."

Dusk moved between me and Dust and frowned at her. "She's just a pony now, stop threatening her."

Dust Kicker rolled her eyes. "We're all 'just' ponies. Being bigger and glowing doesn't excuse things."

Sandra raised a hoof. "One thing's still bothering me. What about the other princess?"

Dust clucked her tongue in her mouth. "You mean the 'Princess of the Jungle'? She seems pretty happy ruling over the ferals. What about her?"

Neon frowned. "She's worked against me for months, interrupting supply lines, ambushing patrols, and kidnapping people where she could. Whatever my crimes, brainwashing people away from their families can't be right." I felt her thick tail coil around my arm, squeezing lightly.

"Let's put out one fire at a time here." I stood up and gestured for Sandra and Dusk to move in. "I say we teleport back to the border and see what we can do about Neon's forces there, and see if we can't get them to disperse if they see she's been defeated."

Dust Kicker moved in with the others. "You're not leaving me out of this! I know who to talk to. I was part of her power structure and all."

I waved with a free hand past her. "And your friends?"

"Are all big boys and girls and won't die if I leave them alone for a little bit. Peacemaker, you're stuck with me."

Neon chuckled softly. "I suppose that title fits you well enough. Do you really forgive me?"

She squirmed around in my grip until she was belly up, looking at me with what I thought was a hopeful expression. I brought in my free hand and scratched into her soft underbelly until a little purr started to escape her. "If you're ready to put all this behind you, I won't keep pointing at it. The world's a smaller place in some ways, we don't have room for jails where ready hands are more valuable. Or hooves, in your case."

Dust Kicker frowned a little. "Maybe I should threaten the entire world. Seems to get attention these days."

Dusk nuzzled into her neck suddenly and bit through the fur, grooming her. Dust looked ready to kick him, but relaxed under the continued grooming, and they soon were leaning on each other in a moment of peace. Sandra giggled softly at the sight. "You know, you're the first two unicorns that were compatible looking so friendly."

Dust went red at Sandra's words and did kick Dusk then. "He's not my stallion!"

Dusk rubbed the sore spot on his side. "I'm not trying to be. I'm just being a friend."

Dust glanced away, looking a little guilty before she moved back in beside him and sitting down. She wasn't cuddling him, but she was sitting close enough to be touching.

I wrapped a shield around everyone. "Are we ready to go?"

"Ready!" chimed Cindy with a grin.

Dust threw a leg over Dusk. "Ready and willing."

Neon rolled back to backside up and squeezed the arm holding her. "Ready."

Lastly Sandra pressed against my side, as large as my pony half, perhaps a bit larger. "Any time."

I imagined that first town we had reached, oh that time ago, where we first ran into Dust Kicker and her ponies. I threw us into the void, and we weren't underground anymore. We appeared on the dusty road in the middle of the day. The sun beat down on us, quickly warming our fur.

Neon looked a little ill. "Ugh. How do you tolerate that?"

Dust huffed, bearing it with dignity, though I was fairly sure it had affected her as well.

Cindy was already looking for the next target. "Ready?" She didn't wait for the others to talk, and we jumped again, appearing on the top of the tallest building around. From that vantage point we could see an orderly legion of ponies in the distance. Neon suddenly evacuated her belly, making quite the mess all over me and the roof.

Dusk sighed softly and wriggled away from Dust's grip to turn his magic on me, cleaning the mess quickly and chucking it off the roof.

Dust snorted softly. "It's not that bad. I'm fine..."

Sandra shook her head. "It's not a contest. Is that them?" She pointed at the orderly rows of ponies far below and ahead of us.

Neon and Dust both nodded at that, and with Dusk's magic, we skipped again, appearing beside the gathering of ponies, much to their surprise.

"N-Neon!" squeaked several of them as they made hasty salutes, but they were looking at Sandra, not Neon.

Sandra flushed at the mistake and pointed at the smaller Neon. "Her, not me."

The clear leader of the group marched towards us with her suspicious glare. "What's going on here? You're interrupting our field maneuvers. Explain yourself at once."

Neon nodded a little. "I am Neon, your leader. Stand down." She jumped from my grip to the ground, getting her footing stable. "The war's over."

"What do you mean, the war's over?" The leader scowled. "And you don't look much like Neon to--"

Tiring of her, Neon suddenly lashed out with her tongues, grabbing the unicorn and hefting her up, draining the power out of her and restoring some of her own bright colors, if temporarily. "I always liked having unicorns as leaders. They take charge easily, but you can be so stubborn at times." She threw the poor drained unicorn mare aside. "It's over! Go home. Mission accomplished. Your new task is to watch over the citizens of your home towns and keep them happy and safe. The people from the states are not your enemy." She pointed Northward, then at me. "This is William, their greatest pony. She had the option of just killing me, but she doesn't work that way. She's our best hope for the future, so let's give her a chance, eh? Let's go."

She moved right through the middle of the formation, forcing them to move aside, destroying the order. "Move it!" A few ponies tried to lash out, but ended up just being food for Neon. It eventually became clear that she wasn't going to be defeated in melee, and she looked more and more like her usual self with the extra energy that flowed through her. The crowd was dispersed, and Neon returned to us, glowing softly. "Damn that feels good."

Dust frowned at her. "You can't keep that forever, you realize?"

Neon huffed. "Maybe not, doesn't mean I can't enjoy it. You don't look so intimidating anymore." She moved to cuff Dust and the unicorn growled, ducking out of the way. They went down into the dirt, wrestling. Dust was clearly furious, while Neon seemed to be having a good time with it.

Dust's struggle suddenly paused. Neon lifted her up with her tongues, one wrapped around her barrel, one around her snout, and one plunged right between her legs. "Did you know you can do delightful things to a mare with this?" Neon smiled with naughty intent before a bright pulse of power ran down a tongue into Dust's nethers.

Dust screamed muffledly as pleasure seemed to overwhelm her. She kicked and struggled, but it was all weak. Further pulses robbed her of all ability to struggle as she just wriggled a little in the air, breathing loudly through her nose as she was worked over.

Sandra interceded, wrapping a tongue around one of Neon's and suddenly drawing away the excess energy. Dust crashed to the ground, landing on top of a drained Neon. Dust Kicker's focus returned faster than Neon's energy and she hopped to her hooves. "You monster!"

Sandra pulled Dust back with another tongue. "Enough fighting."

Neon weakly sat up, her neon colors drained away. "Mmmf, I was just playing. You weren't having that bad of a time."

I put a hand to my head. "First rule of my herd, no one touches someone who doesn't want to be touched. No means no, always."

Dust blinked softly, then started to color. "You're..."

Author's Notes:

Is William's herd about to swell in number? Will it survive its strongly opinionated new potential recruits? Will Dusk Hope ever have a hope with Dust Kicker? They'd be a cute couple.

Will the author ever stop mentioning typos in his notes? Probably not.

69 - Joining Hooves

Dusk sat up and clopped his forehooves together. He looked directly at Dust and smiled at her. "You can join us, Dust Kicker. You're a very resourceful person."

Sandra snorted with less enthusiasm. "Is that enough for love these days? We're not actually horses, let's decide our relationships just a tiny bit more rationally." She grunted and her thick tail slapped the ground. "Sorry, I'm feeling very grumpy today. Whatever's riding me is upset."

Cindy's smile fell. "Oh, we really should say hello to your other half. They've probably gotten used to Neon."

Neon raised a brow. "You could give it back. I wouldn't mind."

Dust Kicker rolled her eyes and fixed her eyes on me. "Is that what you were offering? I've been shoving you across a continent, biting at your tail and scowling at you, why would you even want me around now that you're free of me?"

I reached for Dust, but she shied away, refusing an ear scratching. "You were doing your job, and you turned away from it once it become clear it was wrong. That's more than a lot of people manage, both ways. You care about those under you, and those above you. If either of us start going nuts, I'll expect you to come for us with one of those blades of yours."

Dust snorted softly. "You say that too casually. Christ, are you saying you'll roll over and give me your belly to slice open?"

Dusk closed the distance, ears perked and his eyes shining with hope. "We're not going to give you a reason for that."

Dust put up a hoof and gently pushed Dusk away. "You're too transparent, unicorn boy."

Neon looked up at me, then over at Sandra. "Well, what do you plan to do with me then? Are you dragging me somewhere to be thrown in jail, or claiming me as some kind of concubine as a war trophy?" She wrinkled her nose. "I had a feeling your 'good for all' thing had a limit."

I reached for Neon, and she didn't retreat, so I pulled her close and rubbed over her cheeks. "Neon, how do you feel?"

Neon perked an ear. "How do I feel? What do you mean by that?"

I stroked over her back and her tail lifted a little. "You're clean. Your mind's free of outside influences, and you're not in charge of a nation, for better or worse. You're free to be you, for lack of better way to say that. How do you feel?"

Neon frowned a little. "That's a loaded question. I still think humans are going to be the death of us eventually." She sat up. "You've taken the helm, so, I don't know... I'm hoping a little that I was wrong, since if I was right, I'll just get to watch it all fall to shit from a new angle. If I was wrong, then I get to be remembered badly, but the world moves on, and I guess I can live with that."

Dust growled softly. "You deserve more than to just be embarrassed. You filled my head with lies, and I went along with it like a dumbass."

Sandra settled beside Dust. "You're still full of gift, you know."

Dust swiveled an ear at Sandra. "I guess there's no reason to hold onto it anymore... Does it hurt?"

Cindy tilted her head. "Depends on what we do with it. Physical alterations usually sting some, but it passes. Would you like a little stronger unicorn magic?"

Dusk nodded. "I have that, and some more output, um, as a stallion."

Dust burst into laughter. "No wonder you're so eager for me to lift my tail." She turned on Dusk and tapped his nose. "Get to know a girl first, boy. You don't even know what kind of music I like."

Neon pointed northwards. "That was a fair-sized group we broke up, but I doubt it was all we had. I know we had more than that. Shouldn't we be looking for them?"

Sandra lashed out her tongues, ensnaring Neon instantly by the barrel and plucking her from the ground with a squeak from the former ruler. "We're not quite done with you, I think."

I nodded. "You gave a few options. You're a bit dangerous to let go. You're clever and charismatic. You could get ponies following you again, even without the princess powers."

Neon kicked out a hindleg and scowled a little at Sandra. "So, jail then?"

Sandra tilted her head. "If you prefer that. We're working to make the world better, for real, without genocide. We're offering you a place beside us as we do so. We're going to protect humanity and, uh, equinity? Both of them, from each other if we have to."

Neon considered the offer as Dust gathered up a wad of dirt with her magic and sent it flying at the captive pony in an explosion of dust. "It's more than you deserve!"

Neon shook off much of the dust as she coughed. "That's not very kind, Dust Kicker, burying me in your namesake. You're just upset that you aren't being invited like this." She looked to me. "I'll join you. I want to see you heal this world, or fail. Either way will satisfy me."

Dust Kicker bore her teeth in an obvious fury before she suddenly grabbed Dusk in her magic and pulled him in, kissing him right on the lips. "I changed my mind, maybe I will join."

Dusk smiled at the exchange, brief as it was, but the expression faltered. "You just want to keep an eye on Neon, don't you?"

Dust chuckled softly. "Am I as transparent as you are?"

Sandra nodded as she set Neon down to the ground. "Afraid you are. Still, Dusk is clearly alright with the idea."

Dusk tilted his head. "Only if she is. I'm not a brainless stallion, or a desperate one. I kind of like you, Dust Kicker. You're strong-willed, smart, and... if you don't mind my saying, pretty. I'd like to get to know you better than we already have."

Dust nodded slowly. "Alright then, it's settled. I'm joining. I'll get to know you all, as peers this time, and keep an eye on her." She gave Neon a glare, which was ignored.

Neon circled around me and settled beside me. "Why didn't I get anything special when you took my gift?"

Sandra had an answer for that. She shook her head a little. "Your gift wasn't burned up, like we usually do. It's inside of me." She tapped her larger chest. "That's why I'm larger, and brightly colored."

Neon huffed softly. "So I get nothing? Figures."

Dust chuckled a little and looked amused. "What you deserve, if not worse. Fine, take it, and put some strength in my legs if that would be more efficient."

Sandra lifted Dust from the ground with her tongues, getting a fresh frown from Dust. "You'd better not do what Neon did or the deal's off."

"I promise," said Sandra as she placed Dust before me. I gently pet over Dust's ears and felt through her body for the gift. Nothing too special, perhaps a tiny bit stronger than average. I sent most of it towards the delicate organs that controlled her horn, while shunting the remainder into her legs and flank, enhancing her strength. She grunted against the pain of the changes, but was largely accepting of it, and soon was entirely clean of gift.

"Holy christ. I didn't even realise how much my brain was fogged this whole time." She frowned sharply. "We have to free more people of this as soon as possible."

Neon gave a slow nod. "I know what you mean... I... It gives me hope that maybe I was wrong."

Dust pointed at Neon. "You were wrong!" The hoof wavered in the air before being set down. Dust approached Neon, nose-to-nose. "Maybe I was wrong, a little, too. Let's work together for now. There's plenty of work to be done."

Sandra smiled at the moment between them. Her thought whispered between my ears, ~Our herd is full of interesting ponies. I'm proud to be the alpha female of it. And you? Are you happy to be the alpha male?~

I looked down at my decidedly female form, and considered my female voice. Everyone who didn't know my old human self just assumed female without hesitation. Only Sandra was left that referred to me as a man. I let out a slow sigh. "I think it's time I accepted what I am." All eyes looked up at me curiously. I put a hand on my curvy chest. "I am a girl, er, mare? Whatever, female, even if I do have the parts to play a guy."

Sandra giggled a little. "That's very big of you, but I still think of you as my boyfriend, and the father of my first child. Is that alright?"

The others were more confused. Dust raised a brow. "You were female already, under-cannon excluded."

Dusk nodded at Dust. "You're both, Will. It's new, and, uh, I guess we don't have good pronouns for it, but you have both, so why not be both?"

Neon smiled. "That's obvious. It's confusing to people, and William accepts being a leader means having to pay some attention to how others see you. So she is she, even if she has extra parts. Now, not to be rude, but we do have more area to cover before people get hurt?"

I rose up to my hooves. "Neon is right. You're both coming with us, and that's all we need to settle right this moment. We'll have plenty of time to hash out particulars later."

Sandra came up and bumped side to side against me. "One last thing. I formally declare William and Cindy as the alpha of our little gathering, and I gladly defer to the beta position."

Dust tilted her head a little. "We're not actually horses. We don't need to have alphas and betas and whatever like animals, you know."

Neon chuckled at Dust. "Humans are animals too, and if you think they don't get alphas and omegas? You're not looking hard enough." She smirked at the agitated looking unicorn. "You've always been an alpha, but you're bowing your head a little towards the peacemaker, hmm. It's a little confusing, isn't it? Don't worry, I know what you're going through."

"You know nothing of me!" hissed Dust Kicker before turning northward. "Let's go."

I spread a bubble over the group and focused on a hill I could see in the distance, hoping for a better view of things. "We may have to intercede while violence is already going on. Are you all ready to drop into the middle of a battlefield if need be and break things up?"

Dusk saluted sharply. "Whatever has to be done, Will."

Cindy laughed softly. "I guess I'll come along for the ride."

Neon and Dust nodded, and Sandra remained pressed against me, so we jumped, appearing at the top of the hill. Our work was only just beginning.

Author's Notes:

Neon tries to adjust to her new position. Dust doesn't much like Neon, and the herd grows awkwardly, but for the better, maybe?

I like to think Neon shared some sincere feelings, and I don't know about my readers, but I feel she might be worth keeping around, but that could be a typo.

70 - Reporting Home

We jumped into the midst of a skirmish. The sharp retort of a bullet was all I heard before the deadly pellet slammed against Dusk's shield. The humans had gathered together behind a low wall, and the ponies were charging their position.

"Stop!" shouted Sandra with a thump of a hoof against the ground and a lashing of her thick tail.

Those that could hear her hesitated and stared quizzically at the vision of their leader come to personally command them.

Neon rolled her eyes. "We don't look that alike." She hopped up on an abandoned mailbox. "Commandword ice brick. Freeze to the two o' clock immediately or catch frostbite."

The conflict began to wind down rapidly, but I could see some ponies hadn't heard, and were getting dangerously close to the humans. An equine head popped out of the ground behind them and scrambled up with hoof-claws at the ready. I jumped to the pony with a flash, interrupting its charge, and drawing the attention of the humans.

My thanks was a panicked set of gunshots. Cindy tried to block them, but bullets wore through shields disappointingly fast. My lower body screamed in pain as I took two for the team and stumbled before collapsing. It hurt too much to stand, but I could still scream, so I did. The battle ended.

The little town that had posted this fierce resistance didn't have any formal doctors. Add to that the fact that I was infectious and I just wasn't getting much help out of them. Fortunately, some of the pony militants knew how to dress wounds, and saw to removing the bullets and bandaging up the wounds.

Cindy smiled at the field doctor once she was done. "Can you send someone over?"

She looked confused, but soon an earth pony came trotting up. "Yes, peacemaker?"

Cindy explained quickly. "I want to use some of your energy to heal faster, may I? It won't hurt at all, and you'll get better, just be a little tired right now."

The stallion looked uncertain at first, but then sank to the ground and laid out, offering himself. Cindy wrapped her tongues around him and drew gently from him. "Thank you." Our wounds stopped throbbing quite as angrily as the excess energy was put to work mending them. They weren't healed entirely, but soon we could stand at least, with a painful reminder of our activity.

Dust approached us at a light trot. "Situation is under control. The ponies and the people are staying away from each other for now, and your boy, Hope, is offering cleanings so they can approach the humans without harm. Not everyone's taking the offer, but it's a start."

"Hope?" I raised a brow quizzically at Dust.

"Dust, Dusk, too similar, so I'm calling him Hope. It fits him well. He has a lot of that, hope that is."

Cindy smiled at Dust Kicker. "Alright, was anyone seriously hurt?"

Dust rolled her eyes. "It was a battle, of course. There's dead on both sides, and a few humans are going to be four-legged soon. Sandra volunteered to help with those."

I perked up, ears going forward. "She doesn't have a lot of experience with that, we should be there to help."

Dust guided us to where Sandra was, and we found out she had taken a unique turn on it. Rather than making them into full ponies, she made them into humanoid ponies. They had hands and hooves, were furry and had pony faces. Naturally bipedal ponies with hands, basically. They seemed tolerant of it.

One of them, a woman, who still had breasts, was thanking Sandra. "This is a lot better than becoming a beast."

One of the men snorted. "We still are, but at least we kept our hands... I guess if we had to, it could have been worse." The man had become a unicorn, the woman an earth pony.

Sandra smiled. "You're welcome, but none of them are beasts. They have emotions and plans and everything else a human has, minus hands."

When they wandered off, I approached Sandra. "Are you sure that was a good idea? They're going to have a real hard time fitting in with the humans or the ponies like that."

Sandra shrugged a little. "They begged me to help, so I did as best as I could. Should I make everyone else into normal ponies even if they ask for something different?"

Dust glanced towards the retreating forms of the human-ponies. "It would be kinder, in the long run. Ponies have ponies to be companions with, and humans have humans, but they are mostly unique, and alone. What's done is done. Have you seen Hope?"

Hope, as he had accepted being called, wasn't hard to find. He rejoined us with a smile. "Things are as calm as they're going to get, but I think we're wasting time with jumping into trouble, and it's dangerous."

Neon huffed. "You have a better idea then?" She extended a tongue to tickle under Hope's chin. "Speak up, we're listening."

Hope blushed a little bit and glanced between Neon and Dust. Dust suddenly laughed. "We're not married yet, stud. We haven't even had our first date. I won't hit you for cheating yet, and it's her being a whore, not you."

Neon's expression darkened. "Watch who you're calling a whore. I haven't done anything to him." She withdrew her tongue with a little frown.

Hope rubbed behind his head. "Well, yes, we should get back to the army. They can communicate more easily with others, and give transportation that doesn't involve us appearing in the middle of an active gunfight. Besides, we've told two groups that the fight's over. They're going to spread the word too. W-we can't afford to have William taking more bullets." His ears fell and he looked quite dismayed at the idea.

I wasn't looking forward to playing bullet sponge anymore than he was. "Right, let's jump back to HQ and report what's happened."

Neon huffed gently. "And that's when I'll be arrested and thrown away forever?"

Dust kicked at the dirt beneath her. "Too kind."

Cindy shook her head. "You're stuck with us, Neon. We're not letting you go yet."

Neon nodded slowly. Her expression brightened as the gravity of her acceptance became more clear. "I'll be more useful at your side than rotting away in a cell."

Sandra put a leg over Neon and pulled her over. She cradled the smaller pony as if Neon were her foal. Neon shuddered softly as Sandra cuddled her. "I'm not a child!"

Sandra's tongues softly groomed through Neon's mane and under her chin. "And here you are."

Perhaps Neon was enjoying the affection, since she didn't complain again, and the two became quiet.

Hope watched them a moment before looking at Dust. "Once, I wanted her for a mate."

"Neon?" Dust raised a brow high with disbelief.

"No! No, I meant Sandra." Hope rubbed at a cheek with a hoof, blushing brightly. "But she's mostly attached to Will, and now she's big..." He sank a little. "I sound so shallow right now."

Dust softly nudged at Hope. "Stop beating yourself up. She's obviously way in for William. No harm in that, and Will, well, she likes her back, and, uh, hard to compete with that, I guess."

Hope's blush only grew worse. "N-no! I can! I mean..."

Dust turned to face him, looking curious before she casually reached and pushed him over onto his back. It was only moments later that she confirmed he was quite adequately endowed, twice. "Huh. So you do have some surprises in you."

Hope brought his hind legs together, hiding himself as best he could. "I'm not trying to show off. I mean, it's weird."

Neon snorted at the scene, watching from where Sandra was grooming her. "Hardly the strangest thing on display in this little herd. We should get going." She rose to her hooves and soon we all gathered together. With a mighty jump, I propelled us through the void towards where we had started the journey.

We appeared beside the military command in a flash of energy. Some of the guards were surprised, but we weren't shot for it, which counted as a success in my book. A few recognized me and the others and welcomed us back, but their eyes were on Dust and Neon and Sandra, all either new or changed enough to appear new.

Rather than trying to explain to each person in turn, we just asked for a place to stay until the brass had a moment for us, and retired to a room together.

The room they selected was a nice one, at least. It had several mattresses, and I picked one to crash on and rest.

Hope looked around before moving back to Dust. "Welcome to our home, er, at least one of them."

Dust raised a brow. "Why aren't there lights?"

Sandra slapped the ground with a tail. "Well maybe we can fix that, now that we're back. You can help, if you know how the setup works. Getting electricity back would make a large difference in the quality of life in the city." Sandra suddenly went stiff and pawed at the ground. "Neon, cut that out..."

Neon drew back her tongues from where they had slipped under Sandra. "Tit for tat. You would have enjoyed it if you'd just relaxed."

Sandra cleared her throat. "Um, maybe." She raised a hoof and ran it over Neon's head. "Later."

Cindy's thoughts came quietly, ~I think Neon is bonding with Sandra.~

~Like what, mates?~

~No, not quite. Sandra is mated to you, or us, fairly solidly. I think it is more like a sister, with benefits.~

I rolled my eyes. Only in this new world order could such a thing sound so normal. ~As long as both are happy, but this reminds me. If royalty all comes down to our attachment to strong-willed creatures, is there any genetics involved at all? Does it make a difference who we have kids with?~

Neon puffed out her chest. "I can help. I know exactly how that setup works, and I shared that information only with the few ponies that shared my gift." She looked to Sandra. "You can be another, my usurper."

Sandra raised a brow. "Are you saying that angrily, or affectionately? I'm honestly getting confused."

Neon licked over her lips with her many tongues. "If you want to give my power back, I'll take it, but I doubt that..."

Sandra rolled a hoof. "So are you angry with me?"

Neon was quiet a moment, peering at Sandra steadily before she moved forward and nuzzled into soft fur. Sandra accepted the answer and the two were soon hugging one another quietly.

Dust snorted. "Bitch is getting way more than she should." She turned to Hope and pulled him close with her magic before throwing a leg over his withers. "Just look at her, playing suck up."

Hope smiled nervously. "She's doing what she knows how to do. At least she doesn't have magic, like us."

"Exactly!" Dust clopped a hoof. "We have to handle that. All she can do is be loud."

Author's Notes:

A conflict is brought to an end, the herd dynamics continue to mature, and they report home for debriefing. Sandra and Neon are becoming friendly despite their meeting in battle, while Dust changes Dusk Hope's name for him. We know who wears the pants in that budding relationship at least.