Mandatory Motherhood

by dargondarkfire

First published 10th of September, 2015

Woke up, everyone's gone, and I'm some kind of alien horse. Well, not everyone, I did find another: a baby. A baby alien horse that treats me as her mother.

On May 23, 2015, I woke to find myself transformed into some kind of horned alien horse, and everyone else has vanished. I searched for survivors and I found one; however, she is much younger than I was prepared for. She needs a parent and the only one who can fulfill that role is me, just not in the role I had originally envisioned.

I already found one survivor, so maybe there are others out there. I just hope they’re not all children; I don’t get enough sleep as it is.

Part of the Ponies after People Universe

Update 10/08/15 New Cover art by PaintSplotch
Note: 12/15/16 Apparently Mandatory Motherhood was in the featured box at some point? I just found it in the featured community folder.

Update: 4/20/17 SevenSerenity has joined the team! Expect chapter art from her soon!
also I finally saw MM on the front page in the featured box today! Thank you all so much everypony!

Chapter 1 edited by Canaryinthecoalmine Pre-read by Westphalian_Musketeer, Starscribe, anonymous, Stablestahl, secondVendetta, Baileyjrob, Nitrous Rainbows, bluemoon1996, as well as two FimFic users I don't have user names for.

Chapter 2 edited by Canary and Musketeer.

Chapter 3 edited by Musketeer

Chapter 4 edited by Holyme, anonymous, and Musketeer.

Tags will be added as needed.

Chapter1: May23

Today is May 22. It’s an average day in my life here in Gillette, Wyoming. My boss yelled at me for things out of my control. So, a pretty normal occurrence for me.

What’s new is that I picked up a digital voice recorder that is able to hook up to my laptop. A friend suggested keeping an audio journal, since I can’t afford to see a therapist; that it would be therapeutic and allow me to vent. I’m taking their advice and this is my first entry, though we’ll see how well it actually goes. Archiving my working conditions day after day may just highlight my misery, rather than help alleviate it.

So! Lets not talk about work. Instead, let’s talk about something I haven't spoken of to anyone, since they would think I’m crazy. For months now I’ve had these weird feelings while watching the night sky and today, they were even stronger. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it has something to do with the Lunar Calendar? It’s hard to tell. I’ve always had these weird sensations that no one outside my family experiences, that I know of at least. It’s something I've inherited from my mother’s side of the family. It doesn’t have any meaning that I can figure—just jittery feelings around old locations, antique objects and lately with increasing strength, the night sky.

Sometimes, I believe imagine I caused something to shift slightly, or made water ripple without touching it. Hey, it’s fun to dream, right? If you don’t have dreams, life gets boring really fast.

Well, my friends are expecting me to join in an online raid, so I guess I’ll continue this tomorrow.

I-I’m sorry it took me a while to record any entries these last few days. There have been some… changes.

I think it’s best if I start from the beginning of this mess—the day after my first entry.

On May 23, I woke up much earlier than usual. I’m not sure what caused me to wake up so early, but I immediately realized I was baking under the covers. I ended up jerking awake and threw my covers off in one smooth motion. Afterwards I just laid there, panting from the ‘sleep and bake oven’ that was my bed. Without the covers blocking the cool air, I was able to relax and calm down.

I turned to my alarm clock while blinking to get the sleep from my eyes and saw it was 8:12 AM. I hadn’t been up this early in a long time and yet I felt too awake to go back to sleep. I huffed in frustration at my toasty wake up call, before trying to wiggle myself to the edge of the bed. That was when I noticed I couldn’t feel my hands. My arms weren’t sore, so I just wrote it off as pinching them under my head while I slept.

I learned two important things from pushing myself off the bed: the first was that the floor was a little further down than I remember it being. The second was like my hands, I couldn't feel my feet. I immediately lost my balance and tumbled to the floor, my flailing arms managing to catch the bed on the way down, so I landed on my side rather than my face.

Of course, as I landed, I gave a most manly shout.

Okay, fine, I cried out in shock like a little girl. Are you happy? Perhaps I should have been worried, or at least been curious as to why my voice sounded so high-pitched, but at the time, something else had my attention: my hair. I never let my hair grow longer than an inch, yet it was now long enough to cover my face and then some, but that wasn’t the most striking thing about it!

“What the fudge?!” My hair had turned ruby red and bright orange. I suppose it’s rather telling that my immediate thought was my dad had snuck into my room and put a wig on me. I thought he might have glued it onto my head while I slept, but the lack of a pillow glued to my head disproved that idea. I patted the hair out of my eyes expecting to see him standing in the doorway with a big goofy grin. What I did see was that I had parted my hair with two furry white stubs.

“What the frag?” I stared in shock at my arm; my furry, snow white arm that was missing a hand and had a hard white stub at the end. I-I can’t say that I, reacted very well to this. I screamed for a few minutes before my screaming dissolved into a fit of hacking coughs.

After recovering, I realized no one in the house came to investigate the screaming.

“Mom?” My voice sounded way off, but at the time, I was more focused on trying to discover how this was a practical joke, hoping my parents were somehow in on this.

No reply came.

“Dad?” Still no reply. For the first time, I began to worry for someone other than myself. I tried to push myself back onto my feet only to face plant into my mattress. A second attempt lead back to the floor and while it wasn’t painful, it was humiliating.

So what was the problem? Probably the different shape of my body. My (white, everything is white) feet apparently end in hooves and my arms and my legs no longer appear designed to support bipedal motion. And oh yeah, I had a tail.

I have a tail.

I would have thought it was a vivid dream, but the pain from falling out of bed killed that thought before it could fully form.

Since I seemed to be having trouble standing properly, I decided to revert back to my childhood and used all my limbs as legs. I can’t say it felt anything like crawling on my hands and knees when I was a toddler. I became quite intimate with my bed as I face-planted from several false starts.

After failing to even match a toddler’s mobility, I settled on dragging myself across the floor of my bedroom and into the hallway using my now blunt forelegs. Inspecting my back legs revealed that my knees are now backwards, except they didn’t feel like my knees; they felt something closer to what my ankles felt like, except it was much higher up on the leg. It felt so weird. It feels weird, even now. My legs, all of them, move in directions and angles they never could. I was never this limber before, not even as a child.

The hallway gave me more room to practice… as well as fall down. It took a bit, but eventually, I got my brain to stop consciously thinking of human leg movement of alternating between one pair of legs, and instead began alternating between moving both pairs. It was like alternating the L1 and R2 and L2 and R1 buttons on my game controller—okay, I only came to this idea after trying to walk like a human led me into a forward hop as I tripped over my own hooves trying to reach my parent’s room, which caused me to face-plant into one of my father’s work boots. I would not wish that smell on my worst enemy. I then learned my next error as I tried to lift both my right legs at the same time.

Eventually, I regained the ability to walk; it was slow and wobbly, but it allowed me to check the house for clues. The guest room and my parents’ rooms were empty, yet the bed in my parents’ room looked slept in. It wasn’t unmade, but looked as if my parents had managed to slip out of the bed without moving the covers. Further inspection of the house brought forth even more puzzling things to light: the check I wrote my mother to help with the bills was still sitting out on the table. I had to prop myself up onto the table, but it was definitely my name on top of the check—Chris Novas. I sighed at the fact she left it out on the table. Again.

I managed to open her writing desk and used my mouth (ick) to pick up the letter and slide it into her tax book. I would've preferred to use my hooves over my mouth, if only they could grip things. Even now, I haven’t found an alternative to using my mouth to pick up things. Is this what I have to look forward to from now on? Using my mouth like a dog to interact with the world?

After I finished looking around the house, I found no evidence that they had physically left: the door was still locked, my mother’s purse was still in her favorite chair, and their car keys were still where they left them. It’s as if they just vanished. I entertained the thought that they woke up like me and left the house to go get help. That an ambulance would probably be here to get me any minute. Unless this is widespread. Then they might be overloaded with emergencies and can’t just come and pick me up.

After mulling over it a bit I decided I would just walk to the hospital; I know the roads well enough and it’s only about a mile and a half away. I considered how long it would normally take me. Then I considered how long it might actually take me in this new body, and I facepalmed. Or rather I facehoofed, which actually hurt a lot. While I wasn’t that good at it yet, hoofing it across town would be excellent practice.

Before I started my trek, I needed something to eat. I found a turkey sandwich in the fridge, but rejected it as the meat smelled horrible! I figured It must have spoiled so just I tossed it into the trash. I didn’t want rotten food stinking the house up, so I tied the bag shut and put a new one into the can. Looking back, I’m not really sure how I pulled that off. It was certainly uncomfortable when I carried it to the dumpster using my mouth,

I ended up eating half a head of lettuce and the two remaining tomatoes in the vegetable drawer with the sliced watermelon for dessert. The tomatoes and lettuce actually tasted surprisingly good, but the watermelon was like chewing on water flooded shredded cabbage. My parents love watermelon, but why do they always get such nasty ones?

It took me a few tries, but I managed to pull my bag down with my wallet, ID and keys from its hanger in my room. I learned something new after I managed to get the bag on and tighten it to fit my new body: I am now thin. Whatever changed me took away a lot of my body fat. Did the transformation require a lot of energy and consumed it all? If so does that mean anyone who was healthier or just skinnier than me needed emergency medical attention after they transformed? I needed to get to the hospital and find out what was going on.

Trying to turn the doorknobs to get out of the apartment complex was a pain, the handles were wobbly and I couldn’t get a grip with my hooves very well. Several times I seemed to almost be able to grab something with them, but only when I wasn’t paying attention. As soon as I noticed, I lost whatever grip they had and—

Sorry, I’m rambling. Back to the door knobs. I refused to use my mouth. So many people touch them every day that the thought sent shivers through me. I came up with a simple solution fairly fast though. I got a small hand-towel from the bathroom and used it to apply friction to the knobs, letting me twist them with my arms and opened the door.

Unfortunately, I was forced to use my mouth to lock the door with my key, which I can still taste the sharp, bitter bite of copper even now when I think about it. Bleh.

Once outside, I realized something the silent dimly lit house kept from me. Everything now looked so clear and sharp, like I was looking at an HD photograph. I could also hear the wind blowing through the leaves in the nearby trees, this came with a new sensation to my ears, they were moving to home in on the sounds around me.

I scanned the nearby area from the streets and flowerbeds to the playground and porches. I didn’t see anyone around, the one townhouse across the street was still missing its garage door with a truck sitting half way inside half taken apart. Despite my curiosity to start inspecting people’s homes to see if anyone was around, I decided that the hospital was my first priority and made my way uneasily with my newly learned method of locomotion to my goal.

No one was around my home. Usually I don’t hear much, sometimes I hear kids around the block screaming or playing. Sometimes fireworks go off, assuming they weren’t gunshots. This time, there were no sounds of people at all. I tried to walk on grass where I could in case I fell down; that way I wouldn’t scrape myself on the concrete.

As I made my way down several blocks, I was admittedly getting worried. There was no activity. I should have at least seen cars traveling down the streets, but there was nothing. I saw dogs in their yards. As I walked by the fences they just watched me. Well, except for an Alaskan Malamute. I saw them in the park once when I went jogging and talked to them a bit. I do remember the dog being a she and that she loved kids, but nothing else. Oh, and she’s also taller than most Malamutes get. I think I’m a little bigger than a Golden Retriever, but she dwarfs me!

I wasn’t sure what the dog was going to do since I wasn’t human anymore, but she just gave a bark and whined. I didn’t know what was troubling her but I was able to scratch her behind the ears with my hoof which settled her down. I was able to see her tag which read “Amore” just before she started licking me leaving the fur on my face smeared with dog kisses.

I gave her a smile while wiping the slobber off, which smeared it onto my arms. “Nice to see you again Amore, but I need to get to the hospital and figure out what’s going on. You be a good girl and I’ll try to stop by on my way home and check on you, alright?” I wasn’t really expecting her to respond, but then she barked and nodded her head. Maybe? I could have just been imagining it.

If I wasn’t worried before, I certainly was now. I had reached Douglas Highway: It ran through the middle of town and was the most heavily traveled street in Razor City. They call Gillette a city although there is no razor blade factory here, which tourists commonly think when they hear that joke name. I’m ranting again, sorry! The street from end to end was empty. Not a single car anywhere.

That was not a good sign. My head ran through images of the hospital being flooded with people, transformed and not, crowding in demanding medical attention.

I admit I did chuckle at the thought of tidal waves of humans and changed humans flowing in and around the hospital like an ocean current. Most of the drivers in town don’t obey the speed limit. With the roads being so dead I didn’t want to risk becoming road kill to some hot shot going ninety plus miles an hour down the empty street. While it would have been an almost welcome sight, in the end I crossed the street without incident.

Nothing much happened by the time I reached downtown. I passed my old middle school. I shuddered at the memory of my time there, still fresh even after all these years.

As I walked down the street, I grew more confident in my ability to walk. Something caught my eye as I walked by a furniture store: a mirror. I realized I was in such a rush so far that I hadn’t had an opportunity to get a look at myself until that moment. I’m so much smaller now, and I’m indeed thinner, but all that was just background noise compared to the horn sticking out of my forehead.

For the record, here is the new me: I am apparently a snow white unicorn with a mane of ruby red and bright orange. In addition to my brightly colored hair, my eyes are a golden amber and enormous compared to the rest of my head. As I took it all in my eyes went wide, I’m not a human anymore, I’m a freaky little unicorn horse thing! My panic only increased as my ears began to twitch from my anxiety. I pressed my new hooves against them to keep them still gritting my teeth. Oh and my teeth, they are so big and flat now! I have a muzzle too! My body is just so—so alien!

I hardly noticed my ragged breathing as I lifted my hooves off of my ears and moved it towards my eye. Maybe I was shoved into some weird biosuit like in one of those crazy sci fi movies? I couldn’t keep my hoof from shaking however and jabbed myself in the eye. By the maker that hurt like the dickens! I guess I should thank the pain however because it caused me to settle down enough to take a look at myself again.

I stared at the mirror taking in my appearance again. I turned around a few times as I looked myself over and noted how cute I look. I think my first coherent thought was “I’m not supposed to be cute!” I cut my thoughts off quickly and started marching myself back down the road to the hospital while chanting, “I‘m not cute. I‘m not cute. I‘m not cute.“ I felt my tail start swishing about from my agitation only causing ire to increase further.

As I continued my trek to the hospital every emotion I had drained away leaving an eerie feeling with a big helping of worry.

I felt very unsteady going up the steep hill. However it would take a lot longer to go around the hill. It was almost 11 AM when I entered the front doors of the hospital, at least that’s what the clock above the security station read. The automatic door opening and closing freely like they had thousands of times before. There was no one, everything was deserted. I saw cups of coffee sitting at desks clipboards hanging off counters. Not a soul to be seen. “I… I’m alone…”

I guess my worst fears had come true. I was alone, in a town with over thirty thousand people I was suddenly alone. I-I just broke down right then and there on the floor and bawled my eyes out. I bawled for my parents vanishing, for being left behind wherever they went. I cried as ideas of what might have happened rolled through my head. Aliens? Government abductions? Ancient deity spiriting them all away even. All I knew is that I was alone and that I got left behind somehow.

I’m not ashamed to cry. In fact, it’s very therapeutic… Sometimes you have to cry, you know? I hated how my father always demanded I ‘Toughen up, men don’t cry’. He is so wrong! Crying relieves stress, it lets others know you're in pain, it lets them know you have a heart, It’s kind of like a window into the soul.

When I stopped bawling my eyes out on the floor and whimpering on the floor I pulled myself to my feet... Er, hooves? I wiped away my tears before I heard a growl. It shocked me at first till I heard it again and realized it was my stomach. Well if I’m the only one here, then I don’t think anyone will mind if I help myself to the cafeteria.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the cafeteria was fully stocked, albeit for breakfast. It was depressing to think about, but I shrugged and decided to have a buffet. The sausages smelled rancid; either that or my new body finds them unappealing. Considering how everything has smelled different since I woke up as a small horse pony, I can’t be sure. I had no desire to test if I could stomach eating meat when it smelled like that.

I found I couldn’t just grab a tray with my hooves, so I ended up using my mouth to carry it. I really wanted the scrambled eggs, but I didn’t want to risk food poisoning with eggs that have been sitting out for probably seven hours or so. I settled for a heaping plate of pancakes from the covered tray, with lots of oranges and grapes, and after that was gone I stuffed myself with Jello.

As I lay back in a chair, yes, I found I can still sit like I used to, it’s not super comfy, but I can do it. I thought, I’m alone everyone’s gone? No, if I was left behind, someone else must have as well, and if not then maybe I can find some evidence as to what happened. With renewed vigor I got onto my hooves and began my search at the guard station. The power is running, so that means security cameras, and security cameras means footage!

Checking the security booth from before, I quickly went to work. Quickly, as in I ended up using my mouth to punch in keys, flip knobs and push buttons with a pen. Yeah... “fast”. I probably spent a good twenty minutes getting the system worked out before opening up the footage covering places with high traffic or nurse stations.

It didn’t take long to find what I wanted. I couldn’t help but gawk as I watched a nurse station with five nurses chatting instantly become vacant. I don’t mean they walked away or ran away. Just that one second they were there, the next they were gone. I rewound it several times before figuring out the slow play controls and I was confused at what I saw. It was like a field of white with little white lightning bolts washed over the screen, followed by a field of black and pink? And then they were gone…

Everyone had just vanished; was this the Rapture? Something else? I slouched in the chair and sighed for a bit before I turned away and looked over the rest of the monitors with a frown. Whatever happened to everyone was almost instantaneous, they didn’t leave, they just vanished. I hopped out of the chair, deciding just sitting here was pointless. There might have been someone left behind and I was going to search.

Searching around the desks I found several ID cards and slipped them into my bag. There's no epic tale to my search of this empty hospital because there was no one to be found. OK that’s not true. I started on the first floor, then went to the top, before going down floor by floor. I was ready to give up but--

On the second floor I started to hear crying. At first I thought it was a lady crying but as I followed the wailing in the empty halls I noticed it sounded much younger. A little girl perhaps? Oh I was wrong, oh so very, very wrong.

I’d arrived at the newborn nursery, I thought a girl was hiding in there but when I looked through the window the breath caught in my throat. There lying in a crib was a baby… foal? Yeah, I think that’s what baby horses are called. She looked up at me from her pink blanket with her huge eyes and stopped crying.

I found myself moving automatically digging out those key cards, running each one I had found through the reader. I’m not sure how I did it as I didn’t use my mouth. Eventually, one of them unlocked the door and I opened it in a hurry. It’s kind of fuzzy how I did it because the door was no longer on it’s hinges and up against the wall opposite of its doorway. From there it didn’t take long to get into the nursery and find the crib.

She watched me with those deep eyes while making the cutest baby noises as I approached. I have no clue how long she’s been awake but she looked really hungry. I pulled myself up to her and she immediately latched her little arms around my face, I couldn't help but smile as I pulled her out of the crib and set her and her blanket on the floor. I.. I’m not sure why but I started licking her! Seriously! I began to lick her face and behind her ears causing her to giggle. I stopped when I realized what I was doing and facehoofed, which truly does hurt by the way.

“Do you know where everyone is? Do you know where your mama is?” I don’t know why I asked a baby this, she just tilted her head looking and me and began to cry as her belly growled in her hunger. I frowned, not at her but at the thought that a child was left starving here. I definitely wasn’t going to let her starve.

“You wait right there while I find you something yummy alright?” Looking around the nursery, I knew there had to be milk or formula in here somewhere! Spotting a small fridge, I opened it up to find several bottles of what was listed to be donated breast milk, I read the instruction and was about to warm it up, but she had a different idea. I felt something latch onto something on my stomach and began to suck on me furiously with a desperate need for nourishment I could not provide.

Looking under me I saw this little foal sucking on one of 2 small mounds I didn’t notice I had before. Small mounds? With a sudden jolt of fear, I lifted my hind leg for a better view and proceeded to pass out from what I saw.

I woke up a few minutes later on my side, the filly had switched nipp... No ‘teats‘, she had switched teats and was looking a little irritated at the lack of milk that I wouldn’t release, my ‘teats’ were also starting to look sore from all her sucking. It was kind of cute that she wouldn’t give up but I rather not have her suck the flesh off me trying to get something I don’t have. Luckily the bottle had fallen under me, lucky except for the cramp I had in my side now, but the milk was now a little bit warm.

Getting her attention, she gave me a grumpy look. I’m not sure how someone this young can give a grumpy look let alone know how to be grumpy yet, but I digress. I pushed the bottle up to her lips and at first she wouldn’t drink, but I guess she must have smelled the milk because it didn’t take long before she bit down on the bottle’s teat and began suckling. I sighed with relief pulling another bottle out to warm up, I doubted she’s going to be full from one bottle with how hard she was trying to suck my teats off.

The change is not as hard to think about now as it was then, but it still hurts. I thought I was just turned into a cute little unicorn, but whatever changed me decided that wasn’t enough and turned me into a female! Yep, I’m now 100% pure female. I cried for a while again, not too long this time, but… who wouldn’t cry after having their gender stolen? Maybe it was stupid to cry over? But hey I’m a guy. I was a guy.

Anyways she did indeed drink the entirety of the second bottle. I knew what was next, I had taken a child care course as a junior in high school so I knew that babies needed to be burped. But did a baby horse need to be burped? I walked over a grabbed a nearby blanket from the counter putting over my shoulder. She didn't mind me picking her up although I was worried I might hurt her with my hands, er hooves, but I picked her up just fine then patted her back. She let out the cutest little burp before giggling which just brought a smile to my face.

No one was around, so her parents must have vanished as well. I set her down and made my way over to her crib to inspect the clipboard attached to it, but before I reached it I heard a clip clopping sound other than my own. I turned around and saw the little foal following me, walking! Almost as good as me, though that’s not saying much considering I only had several hours practice so far. I shook my head at the proof that I’m barely better than a literal newborn, and read the clipboard.

Name: Starla Litman
Date of Birth: May 1, 2015
Race: Caucasian, Asian.
Parents: Darek Litman (Father), Sakura Litman (Mother)
Hair: Black
Eyes: Green

I looked at the foal waving her hoof while playing with my tail. She didn’t fit the written description anymore. She had a pale white coat similar to mine, making me wonder if all unicorns had white coats. Her mane and tail were a pale golden yellow with light blue highlights. Her eyes were still green, but were a much deeper green than I’ve ever seen a person have, more like a glistening emerald. I glanced at the sheet once more and noted she was in perfect health.

Wait. If she’s in perfect health, why is she still in the hospital? I felt a sudden pull on my tail; the foal was yanking it around with her mouth. She wasn’t hurting me and it kept her occupied so I didn’t stop her. I would regret the slobber later on, but I had a more pressing question on my mind. I carefully flipped through the additional pages on the clipboard.

Mother Sakura Litman: Currently in long term recovery. While giving birth, she suffered a rip in her birthing canal and began to bleed profusely. The bleeding was brought under control in time and she should make a full recovery provided no additional complications.

Father Darek Litman is currently out of country on a business trip to South Africa

There was my answer. Her father was out of the country when everyone disappeared, and every single room where her mother could be recovering was empty. Starla is all alone in this world, just like me. I set the clipboard aside before pulling her up to my chest and held her close. She wiggled for a bit trying to get back to my tail, but she eventually stopped and cuddled herself into my chest making a soft cooing sound.

I was looking for survivors, and I found one. I wasn’t expecting it to be a baby. I looked down at her and nodded my head. It’s my turn to help someone for a change. “I won’t leave a defenceless child to fend for herself, so you’re coming with me. How does that sound Starla?” She giggles, then scrunches her face up for a moment before looking very relieved. Before I realized what just happened the smell educated me.

Have you ever changed a diaper before? If you're listening to my journal and saying yes, I highly doubt you have done it with your mouth! I tried using my hooves, really tried, but there were a few folds and such that were simply beyond my ability to do without the fine manipulation of hands. My beautiful, so very much useful at everything and underappreciated hands. As such, I couldn’t avoid having to stick my nose near ground zero. By the maker, that smell! My new body has a much stronger sense of smell overall, but this was truly overwhelming! Luckily I didn’t have to search far for the supplies I needed to change a diaper. The nursery had a changing station set up that was fully stocked and ready to go, though I had to drag a stool over so I could reach the top of the table.

I was lucky not to get any of it on me and the wet wipes stuck to my hoof which made things much easier. That would have been a pain to clean out of my new fur, or mouth, or nose.

She seemed really happy to be clean and walked several circles around me before nuzzling my chest. So I—

I’ll be back in a minute. I’m coming, I’m coming. Please don’t cry!

Ok, Starla has gone back to sleep, so sorry about that. It seems I can barely go an hour before she wakes up for some reason or another. Frankly I’m surprised I lasted this long making this entry before being interrupted. If it wasn’t obvious, she is still with me. Sometimes I wonder if I am really ready to handle something like this. Sure, I’ve babysat a few of my cousins, and kept watch over a few little kids my mother watched, but none of them were this young, and all of them were human. I know Starla is technically a human in the same way I am was, but I’d be surprised if she considered herself such in the future, since she’ll never remember it, and certainly doesn’t act like it now. Back to several days ago though:

I had another disquieting ‘I’m not a human anymore’ moment. She was so adorable nuzzling my chest that I couldn’t stop myself from copying the action to the top of her head. I know I’m human, but this little foal: She has no clue what she is, doesn’t know she used to be a human, and won't understand what it was like to be one. I sighed looking down at her to find her biting on her hoof. Well, it’s like dealing with a human baby and an animal baby mixed together. That’s actually kinda cute, you know?

With the cute and mushy stuff over with I realized that since I resolved to take care of Starla that I was in a bit of a pickle. I now had to take care of a baby, but I had none of the things needed to do that at home. On top of that, everyone was gone, so it’s not like I could ask for advice!

I always had Plans in place for things like this such as wars, the eventual zombie apocalypse, and even dealing with aliens. I had looked around town looking for buildings and homes that could be fortified easy and quickly for defense. The thing is, waking up alone as an alien micro-horse thing while having to care for another baby alien micro-horse thing is just not something I had considered before. It’s very inconvenient. I no longer had hands or feet and I was short. I couldn’t carry things easily and I couldn’t reach the pedals of a car!

As I stood there pondering I felt something on my back causing me to turn my head to see what was on me. I discovered then that with my longer and more flexible neck I could turn my head almost all the way behind me, so that’s another kind of freaky. To my shock and bemusement, while I was distracted Starla had somehow scaled my body and perched herself on my back! I moved a bit and to my surprise she seemed to stay in place without shifting at all. I guess I could carry stuff without using my mouth after all. I just had to delve deeper into embracing my new role as a miniature draft horse. “Hold on tight ok?” I guess it’s redundant to tell her that since she has no hands, but oh well.

I remembered seeing a few things I could use around the hospital, and since I doubt anyone else would need them I gathered a bit for my our needs. It would have taken me all day going back and forth across town while trying to keep a baby in check, but I had an idea that worked out rather well. I found a couple of those canes with the four feet at the bottom on a service dolly when I was struck with brilliance. I gathered some duct tape from a utility closet, and the keys to one of the hospital cargo trucks under the sun visor just like in films. I taped the canes onto the pedals (using duct tape without hands was an adventure, but doable if messy). I was able to use my mouth and one hoof to turn the wheel, though since it was hard to turn I had to go rather slow. I managed to drive us back to the apartment just fine, though I was distracted a bit by Starla bouncing around the cabin.

From the hospital I ended up looting borrowing five diaper trash bags, over forty boxes of different sized diapers, a bunch of formula mix, and using some coolers and ice I found, I took what breast milk that was still in recommended use by date. I don’t know if Starla will drink it all before it goes bad due to a lack of preservatives. When we got back home she was hungry, but before I could prepare a bottle she went to town on my new teats again. It’s a weird sensation but hardly discomforting so I let her suckle in vain for about ten minutes before I got her to finally drink from a bottle. The effort left them sore, and I hoped Starla would eventually learn to not bother with them and just accept the bottle in the future.

It was around 2:30 PM by that time, but I felt like I had to get more done. I couldn’t just leave Starla here by herself so I took her with me. I needed to get a car seat for her so she would stop jumping around the cabin. So where did I go? My old workplace, Kmart! If any store deserved to be looted, it was that one. I was afraid that I might have to break the glass, but the doors were unlocked. I guess the morning crew must have arrived before the vanishing act.

I had a realization while walking through the clothing sections that I had been completely naked since I woke up this morning. How did I not realize this sooner? I suppose the lack of a breeze on bare skin and being fairly hot with just my fur coat just put off the realization. I mean, no one noticed the sensation of clothes on them; it was a background noise, and the fur coat gave similar sensations. Starla giggled as I tried on clothing trying to get something to cover myself up, but all the men’s stuff was too large and I was not comfortable wearing women’s clothing. I did however find the cutest little skirts for Starla, I just wish I had a camera. Well, a camera these hooves could use at least.

I picked up a cartload of movies, grabbed a bunch of food that would keep, and some tools even though I’m not sure how I’m going to use them. Lifting a hammer with my mouth? Rotating a screwdriver with my mouth? How could I even hold nails or screws? I had been using my mouth way more than is sanitary, so I planned to brush hardcore later on. Perhaps even multiple times a day if I can’t find any alternative. As I passed the dog food aisle I remembered that I promised Amore I would come visit. I grabbed a bunch of dog food, dog treats and toys for her that would hopefully cheer her up. It was at that point that I noticed Starla was gone.

I panicked and tried to run, only to trip over myself and took a fall that thankfully didn’t hurt anything more than my dignity. The frustration of simply not being able to move fast pushed me into a full blown panic attack. I stumble-walked down several aisles before spotting Starla sitting in the toy section, her attention fixated on one of the shelves. I let out a sigh of relief. “Starla, there you are!” She turned to look at me before looking back at the shelves. I got curious to what got her riled up. I had grabbed as many toys and baby supplies as I could fit in the cart from the infants section, but something here had caught her eye.

Nothing really stuck out until I noticed a little plush unicorn with a mane of glittering rainbow colors. The shelf was low enough that I was able to sit on my haunches and pick it up by pinching it between my front hooves to give it a closer look. Once I held it in front of me Starla waved her arms towards it. I think she’s too young for a plushie, but what would I know about the development of baby alien micro-horses ponies? Not to mention all the animals seem more intelligent too. I relented and lowered it down to her. She immediately grabbed and began nuzzling it. Had I been in my old body I surely would’ve suffered a heart attack from the pure concentrated cuteness! Then the scene was ruined as she began to chew on the plush; I’d forgotten babies like to chew on everything they could get their hands on, and I wondered if her lack of hands would limit her in that regard. She did end up carrying it around with her mouth while I finished our shopping spree, which was a boon since she wasn’t able to stick anything else in there.

It was difficult with no hands, but I managed to get everything into the truck. I’m thankful that it had a cargo lift on the back else it would have been impossible to load anything I couldn’t toss inside. I learned that I could grab things in my mouth and whip my head to toss things a fair distance. Anything that didn’t need to be refrigerated or that i didn't need immediately, I left leave in the truck for now.

Stopped by Amore’s home. She seemed really happy to see me, and she about ripped her leash off the stake when she saw Starla. Starla didn’t know what to think of Amore at first, but she quickly took a liking to the giant dog who played with her for a bit while I unloaded my gift. I pulled a bag of dog food into her yard and filled her bowl and put the bag into her dog house to keep any rain from getting inside. I told her she should ration her food to make it last. This time I’m certain she nodded to me that she understood. D-did the dogs suddenly get smarter or was she always this smart?

I ended up leaving food and treats for every dog I had seen on the way to the hospital. Some of them were skittish while others just whimpered. I had a feeling they realized their owner had vanished. I heard barks from inside a few houses, but the doors were locked. For a town this big there weren’t many dogs left in yards anymore. In fact, most people had tiny dogs they could carry with them and those stayed mainly inside. The thought that they are stuck in those houses didn’t sit well with me, but at the same time I feared them eventually forming a pack of piranha-like dogs, eating everything edible or that moved. A cold chill ran down my spine as I imagined hundred of tiny dogs eating cats, bigger dogs, and even horses.

Waving goodbye to the last dog, a golden retriever named Lucy, I drove Starla back to the house. It took a couple hours, but I managed to rubber band the doors with cleaning supplies and breakables and well as clear all the meat out of the fridge and freezer. If When I see my mother again I will have to thank her for being short because her step-stool was a lifesaver.

I brushed my teeth as best I could by pinching my toothbrush between my hooves. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving Starla alone, so I kept her close by which wasn’t too hard since she followed me around like a duckling. When it came to be dinner time she yet again conveyed to me that she was hungry by latching onto one of my teats. I was rather shocked she went this long before wanting to eat. I didn’t have to sit around and let her try for as long this time since I had grabbed an electric bottle warmer from the store. It still took a bit but thankfully I didn’t need to do the stove to skin method that I watched my mother do while babysitting.

After making myself some instant mac and cheese, I changed Starla’s stinky (and boy does that take on a new meaning with this nose) diaper and put her to bed. I was tired, but I was used to staying up late and I had planned out some things to try while I still had the opportunity. Checking online I found no one was online on any of my games, on PSN, or even Steam! Well, I guess not everyone. My friend Buddha was logged into PSN but he is known to leave his console online all the time. I sent him a couple messages, but I didn’t get a reply back. So he probably never logged off or he can’t work the controller. As for how I worked the controller? A tv tray and a tablet stylus pen between my hooves. Very slow, but it worked.

I tried calling any relatives I could think of that I was close to: one of my aunts, one of my uncles, and my grandmother. After I failed to reach I finally gave up the attempts, not even bothering with those who I wasn’t close to. I sat there lost in thought about my family until Starla started crying, snapping me out of my trance. After feeding her, she went back to sleep letting me return to work.

I grabbed a soda to keep myself while awake to get some more research done. I don’t know how long the power would last but I knew it couldn’t stay up forever. I either needed to procure a generator or find a place with solar panels. I knew of only one home it town with solar panels, but they are old, and I don’t know if they could actually fully power a house. I was lost in my search, the keys and mouse clicking every few second, It was a short while later that I passed out at the computer. Until the cry for a diaper change woke me up.

Well Starla is crying again right now, so I suppose I’ll end this session for now.

Author's Notes:

Wow it has taken me a long time. For those who followed me waiting for a story, I'm sorry for making you wait so long.

The editing on this chapter floated in limbo for awhile because of a mixture of IRL issues and Minecraft. Hopefully now that Chapter 1 is done my backlog can reach the hands of my editor/s and we can get those posted soon.

If you see any errors that we missed let me know in the comments or via PM.

Chapter2: May24

May 24.

That first night I learned a bit about alien pony foals, such as they can only be placated by sleeping next to them, and not just in the same room. I guess it should have been obvious that Starla would want companionship as a newborn. I could never really provide that when I babysat before, but things are different now. I'm not Starla's mom, but she doesn't know that; it would be cruel to push her away for now. I already accepted the responsibility for taking care of her, and that includes emotional needs too.

Anyway, there were complications, of what I hope isn't a sign of things to come for all my future nights. Originally, I had tucked her in in the adjacent bedroom so I wouldn't disturb her sleep while I was doing work on the computer. I did not expect her to wake up every hour and cry for attention. Speaking of her crying, did I mention that my new body has incredibly sensitive hearing now? Before my change I could already hear better than most people but—oh my gosh—not only are my ears more sensitive and rotate towards noises like a directional microphone, it also seems ear plugs do nothing to lessen the noise! Well, improvised ear plugs using cotton balls; it was a pain to put them in, and even harder to get them out. I wasn't trying to ignore her, but being woken up with my new sensitive ears gives me a really bad headache after the adrenaline wears off, not to mention the ache of my ears.

She woke me three times before I got the hint and moved her to my room, though unfortunately being in the same room was not enough. After the fourth time she woke me up (though she was much quieter when she realized I was nearby), I just ended up hugging her next to me. I was worried that I might roll over on her in my sleep, but it seems my this new body is quite sensitive to being with other bodies, and I actually slept much better (not just because I wasn't woken up again) holding Starla than I did alone...

The tone of the next day was set right as I woke up. Rather, I had a shocking wake up call. I had apparently slept through Starla trying to feed herself from my new mammaries again, at least until she bit them when nothing was coming out. It turns out foals are born with some of their teeth already grown in. I began to despair that she won’t give up until she is past needing milk.

Even though I can’t feed Starla the way she seems to prefer, I can still feed her by warming up a bottle of milk. Changing her diaper on the other hand—hoof?—is another story. Using my mouth was incredibly unsanitary but I wasn’t sure how else to go about it. Without fingers, I just can’t get the diaper folds in place while sticking the adhesive tags down, and it doesn’t help that she like to counter my efforts by constantly move around during the messy procedure. I decided to try using velcro next time, and see if that made any difference.

After taking care of Starla’s needs for the morning, I decided that my first goal for the day would be to go to city hall and the courthouse. If there were any other survivors in the city, I would want to gather them together, and one of those places—I wasn’t sure which—housed the controls for the town’s tornado sirens and recorded message system. I planned on changing the message and set up the siren to go off periodically to gather anyone who was left behind, though I would also have to make rounds for anyone like Starla that needed help.

At least that was the plan before I got a good whiff of myself. I was getting kind of ripe since I hadn’t bathed the previous day, and I wasn’t about to emulate actual horses’ hygiene habits by doing without. Bathing at home wasn’t possible since my bathtub’s spout lever—to switch the tap to shower—was rusted shut, so I decided it was time to do what I always secretly wanted to do: take over the neighbor’s apartment!

Unfortunately my neighbors weren’t very trusting people—I have no idea why—as they had locked their door before The Vanishing. I briefly considered the best way on how to break into another apartment without hands, and finally decided to try just kicking the apartment door open. One problem: I couldn’t exactly kick like a human anymore, but I’ve seen videos of bulls and horses bucking during rodeos, so I thought I’d give that a try. I set Starla to the side, and feeling very much like an animal I gave the locked door a good buck with my (hind) legs. I thought it might take a couple of kicks, but apparently I underestimated my own, heh, horse power, and the door shattered with a very loud crunch on the first kick. For a moment I had a horrifying image of the vanished neighbors reappearing—demanding to know what the heck I was doing to their property—but it passed as no one reacted save Starla who winced and folded her ears down.

I wasn’t sure how I should go about washing myself given my new grasp-less limbs, without using my mouth. Sure, my freakishly long yet flexible neck meant I could reach much of my new body despite being a quadruped—aside from the taste of using my mouth to grip things such as: plastic handles, bottles of shampoo, and a sponge—but I still had many areas I couldn’t reach on my own. The neighbors’ shower had a detachable shower head that was thankfully lying on a plastic seat in their bath—probably not too surprising given their age.

After filling the tub with warm water up to Starla’s tummy the bottom of Starla’s barrel Starla’s tummy, I removed her fresh diaper and set it on the nearby counter. Once we were both in the bathtub, I tried to hold the shampoo bottle between my hooves only to have Starla slap it with her hoof knocking it out of my grasp. I gave her a very firm no in response. She seemed to understand and let me try again without interruption. She shivered a bit as the shampoo began to soak into her mane and fur, but she started to giggle as bubbles began to rise up from her coat and float around us. I had to be careful rubbing the soap into her coat since I only had my hooves to work with—I wished I had located a sponge beforehand—but I ended up not needing it as Starla decided to climb on top of me, lathering my coat up as well.

The bathtubs in these apartments are small, but to Starla it might as well be a swimming pool. She took to the water better than I thought since she wouldn’t hold still while I tried to rinse her off; she was having a blast stomping, splashing, and hopping around the tub. If I wasn’t having so much fun myself I would be upset over her getting more shampoo into her fur every time she rubbed up against me.

Other than Starla getting shampoo bubbles back into her fur repeatedly, she wasn’t too hard to rinse off. I, however, was not so easy. With the shower-head in my mouth I twisted and turned my head trying to spray myself down, but there were spots I just couldn’t reach by myself. I ended up having to wedge the shower-head between the spout and temperature controls to get at those spots. It worked well, at least up until the point when the spray came to my new ‘equipment’; the sensation of the water hitting me there freaked me out enough to end the shower.

Drying off was also a chore; Starla took a single large towel to dry off, but she constantly tried to ball up inside of it. I could only laugh when she wound it up into her own little nest. Drying myself off, however, took four towels and not only did I have to rub myself down but I had to roll around on top of one just to finish drying off. I took a small hand-towel and made sure Starla’s rump and tail were dry before I put her diaper back on. Thankfully this time it didn’t feel as awkward since Starla just had a bath.

For the trip to the city hall and courthouse, I packed a diaper bag, a baby seat, a cooler with milk, duct tape, and a couple more of those four footed canes the elderly use into a collapsible wagon that I had previously grabbed from my workplace. Starla mimicked me and stuffed her unicorn plushie, as well as some random things from around the house into a spare diaper bag. It was so adorable watching her try to carry it from the apartment to the sidewalk, though she eventually gave up carrying it and dragged it along behind her.

I chose to take my mother’s SUV instead of the truck from the hospital as it was more gas efficient and comfortable. I figured if I needed to gather more supplies I could switch back to using the truck later. Of course, using a different vehicle meant I had to convert it for pony-friendly driving. I should emphasize that duct tape tastes awful. I had to stick my hoof through the hole in the big wheel of duct tape then bite it to cut the tape when I was done securing the cane to the pedals.

When I finished, I collected Starla for the trip. She had been tasting the nearby bushes and a truck tire, though I doubt she will try licking tires again based on her expression of disgust. I tried to get her to rinse her mouth out with a bottle of water but she just gave the bottle a funny look. She figured out what I wanted her to do after I pinched the bottle with my fetlock and turned my mouth to the side letting the water flow through my mouth. She looked adorable as she tilted her head to the side letting the water cleanse her palate.

Well, the courthouse turned out to be a dead-end. I had to go through the parking garage to get in but the tornado alert control system wasn’t located there. However, since almost every door was unlocked, I had free rein to look at any documents I could get my hooves on. Except all of the filing cabinets were locked. I suppose if I wanted to spend hours bucking the locks on the cabinets I could look through the housing documents to see if anything in town would solve my power issues, but I pushed that idea away for now. As I finished my inspection I pulled a giggling Starla out from under a desk and let her ride on my back. “You’re such a silly filly, Starla.” At my unintentional rhyme I chuckled in a way that—on reflection—sounded like a giggle.

The City hall was more difficult to get into, as the police station shared the same building. The entrance had a security checkpoint that blocked all access, unless you climbed over the counter. So, I did just that; I picked Starla up with my mouth and raised myself to stand on my hind legs to gain enough height to deposit her on top of the counter, then scaled it myself. Unlike my old body, this new one is not built for such a vertical climb. I thought about what a sight that would have been to an observer, before I had a moment of clarity when I realized that I'm technically naked. Any watchers would have had quite a show, assuming seeing an alien pony's private parts did anything for them. I wouldn’t know; I’m still afraid to look again. I just wished I had found some pants that fit.

The first stop was actually the break room, since I was hungry and thought I might as well eat local supplies before they all went bad. After feeding Starla—from a bottle I brought along, heated in a microwave—and myself, I began searching the nearby locker rooms. I went through several lockers, digging through uniforms before I found what I was looking for: a set of keys to the restricted areas of the building. I turned to go collect Starla when I about died from the scene of Starla inside one of the uniforms I had tossed aside, wearing an officer's cap. The cap was larger than her head, but her horn was propping it up. It was absolutely adorable!

As I searched around the building Starla trailed behind me with the cap in her mouth. As stressful as taking care of a child is—human or not—the cute things she does like that make it worthwhile. I wonder if I had my own kids if they will be this mixture of crazy and adorable. ...Wait. Unless I adopt, the only way I’d have my own kids now would be if I was the one getting pregnant! I could become pregnant. That strange thought gives me a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach. I'm pretty sure I would have felt differently before? Ugh, this is so confusing!

Anyway, it was hard to get Starla to keep following me as it seemed she wanted to explore and taste everything in creation. Eventually, we ended up at the armory and to my delight one of the keys opened the door, however it was a struggle to keep the door to stay open while keeping Starla from running around. I finally shoved a chair into the opening; now if I ever need to defend us, and I figure out how to use guns with hooves, I have access to my own little arsenal!

Of course as soon as I took my attention off Starla she decided to scamper off; luckily the sound of her hooves on the stone-tiled floor alerted me of her departure. I turned in time to see her tail go around a corner. I took off after her, almost tripping over myself several times, but I was able to keep close enough to see where she went. When she finally stopped, she was laying down in front of the emergency 911 help center.

“What am I going to do with you, Starla? Please don’t run off on me again.” I sighed and had a look around. I do admit that the chase did end with us at a convenient place. Scooping Starla onto my back, I headed inside. I guess Starla is my lucky star because after inspecting the various consoles in the room, I found the siren control system.

It took awhile before I finally figured out the controls and was able to record a new message for the warning system to play. I set the system to activate the sirens every six hours and repeat the following message: “Attention any survivors! Please gather at the Gillette Court House at 3 pm! We need to work together and figure out a plan of action. I repeat: all survivors please gather at the Gillette Court House at 3 pm! This message will repeat every six hours.” I smiled at my work before quickly pulling Starla away from some wires she had started to chew on, and headed back to the SUV.

I spent the next few hours driving around neighborhoods looking at the various homes. None had solar panels in this neighborhood, but then again this area isn’t an upper middle class destination. I decided to abort the hunt for a sun powered home when a stench hit me and Starla got fussy. I stopped at a Kum & Go to change her diaper and raid the place for anything useful.

I wasn’t able to find any velcro for Starla’s diaper, so I tried to roll her to the side to get the tabs to stick. While I thought it would work at first she started to roll herself back and forth and ended up getting the adhesive tape stuck to her tail. I tried to get it off but she decided it was time to play catch the diaper and I ended up chasing her around the store a fair bit before I finally caught the diaper with my mouth, thankfully it’s a clean diaper, but I learned baby powder doesn’t taste very good. I carefully folded Starla’s dirty diaper and slid it into a plastic bag before I disposed of it in the dumpster out back. Score one for finding some way to not pick that thing up with my mouth!

When I went to high school a long time ago, everyone was required to take a mandatory parenting class. Most of the students detested it and forgot most of what they learned afterwards, but I actually enjoyed the class. The class itself covered everything from changing diapers to feeding, burping, and nurturing infants. It also covered how to raise, care for, and discipline a child (and all the wrong ways to avoid). My time in the class wasn’t wasted; the lessons learned were useful in helping my mother when she baby sat, and I have no idea where I would be with Starla without those lessons.

I guess thinking about that made me think of my old high school, because I soon found myself in the neighborhood it was in. I decided to stop by it on the way home—well, where my old high school used to be located. They built a new building in a new location, and bulldozed the old one. I stared at the empty plot of land for a while, imagining the building still there and the kids walking around. I’m sure it was a metaphor for the current situation somehow, but before I could take that thought any further I was pulled out of my ruminations as I was bopped by Starla’s stuffed unicorn. The absurdity of the contrast between my melancholic thoughts and having a stuffed unicorn thrown at me gave me quite the laughing fit. I ruffled her mane after I calmed down and handed (hooved?) her plushie back to her.

I ended up stopping by Amore’s house and talked to her for a bit. She couldn’t reply back, at least not in English—she did huff, whine, whimper, and growl at certain points, which makes me wonder if she actually understood me—but I monologued at her as Starla ran around her legs and played with her. I guess I mostly was just dumping my worries on her, but it felt good to get things off my chest. Except my chest is technically under me now, so would the new phrase be ‘Off my back’? I did ask Amore if she wanted to come with me, but she responded by whimpering and looking at the door of her house. I gave her a hug and a smile before heading home. She did look kind of worried as I left, but maybe that was just my imagination?

I unloaded the SUV before lunch. It’s very hard to prepare food with a foal hanging on you and not having hands, so I made a simple meal. I ended up with a can of green beans and some grapes for myself, and more bottled milk for Starla. I emptied the neighbor’s fridge of meat products into an empty trash bag—we weren’t going to eat them—before heading back out with Starla, this time in the truck.

We headed to Wal-Mart after lunch. The sirens went off without a hitch on schedule and my message played loud and clear. It was odd hearing my new voice played over the siren. I thought about what I would tell other people if when I find them; would I let them know I used to be male? The idea made me uncomfortable. Maybe I’ll just tell them my name was Christy or Crystal or something. I decided to put off that thought until the situation arose when I would meet other people.

I thought the rest of the day was going to be uneventful, but I was wrong; it got weird fast. In the almost empty Wal-Mart parking lot I found a large circle on the pavement with what I could only describe as runes lining the inside of it. After parking in front of the door to the store—why not? I haven’t seen anyone else!—I got Starla situated on my back and decided to take a look at this weird circle. Up close it didn’t look like paint, but it didn’t look like it was burned into the ground either.

I probably should have thought things through before stepping into the circle; it could have been a bad idea. Thankfully nothing happened when I just touched the circle, but when I got to the center, I was assaulted by visions. I saw streets full of ponies. Some had wings instead of horns and were flying through the air. Some ponies had neither a horn or wings and I watched them working farms, playing games with frisbees and footballs, running stores, and even operating a train. I saw a winged pony, a pegasus, walking on a cloud before suddenly jumping on it to make it rain. I saw a school room with a unicorn teaching the three different ponies math.

Oh, it was all so much to take in! That image of the unicorn teacher had him with a glowing aura around his horn and a similar aura surrounding a ruler he was using to point at a chalk board. However, things then got creepy as I felt like someone was watching me.

I saw more unicorns using telekinesis in various manners, and some of them did more than that with their glowing horns. I saw one turn an apple into a grapefruit, much to their dissatisfaction. Another unicorn wearing doctor’s robes was causing a cut on a pegasus colt’s foreleg, surrounded by the doctor’s aura, to close by itself; it only took a few seconds and the cut disappeared, replaced with a light scab. I even observed two unicorns tossing fire and lightning at each other before stopping their duel and hugging.

I saw small towns and large cities, all full of ponies! I saw a city made of crystal; if it had been green I would sworn it was the Emerald City from The Wizard of OZ. The visions kept coming, but also began to fade at this point. After a short time everything faded to mist and I saw a pair of eyes looking at me through the veil of mist. They were colored like white opals with a pink line running through them and filled with sadness. Everything I witnessed before suddenly flew past me until I ended up somewhere that looked like the night sky over pale grey clouds. I saw a dark figure for a few moments before everything vanished.

When my vision came back to me I was still standing in the parking lot as rain began to lightly sprinkle on my muzzle and cheeks. I don’t know what happened but it suddenly hit me that I was out of it for who knows how long. I looked behind me and thank the maker Starla was still there and hadn’t run off while I was zonked out. She just looked like I felt: dazed and confused. A quick nuzzle under her chin brought her out of her stupor, making her shake her head to rid her of spinning eyes and she giggled a bit. Once I was sure she was alright I began to leave the circle only to hear a loud crack causing me to to jerk my hoof back from a static like shock.

“Great, I stepped on broken glass didn’t I?” I complained as I lifted my hoof to inspect the damage. My hoof was fine, but when I looked at the pavement I found that I hadn’t step on glass but on a white stone about half the size of my hoof with pink and blue highlights, sporting a small crack halfway down the center. The stone looked rather out of place and had this kind of weird beauty, so I grabbed it with my mouth and dropped it into the diaper bag hanging around my neck before I continued to the store. About this time I noticed that my rear was starting to feel itchy.

I tried pushing a cart around for awhile, but to do this I had to balance myself on my back legs while using the cart as a brace. It didn’t take long for the pain to be too much and I abandoned using the cart. I made a makeshift collar out of a life preserver and attached bungee cords to pull a pallet jack behind me. If an aisle was too small or crowded for the pallet jack I used the collapsible wagon to retrieve whatever product I had my eyes on. Pulling something around like a beast of burden was degrading, but at least I wasn’t going to snap my back, and it was rather efficient.

I ended up grabbing some baby supplies along with dried and canned foodstuffs. I also raided the electronics department, grabbing up whatever electronics I thought would be useful, entertaining, or have trading value should I meet someone else later on. I activated as many Google Play, Apple, Amazon, PSN, Nintendo, and various other point cards I could. I wanted to load up my accounts and start getting movies, music, and games while I still could before power stations started to shut. I finished the looting shopping trip with grabbing a cooler, filling it with ice, vegetables, and fruits. That took me awhile since I had inspected everything as best as I could to avoid rotten or bug infested produce.

I was on my way out through the checkout section—just to be thorough—when I spotted something amiss in the book section. The map rack was knocked over and the maps were scattered all about, but nothing else looked disturbed. I don’t think Starla really left my side this entire trip—she had been rather docile since our trip into the circle—so I just shrugged it off, thinking someone must have knocked it over before The Vanishing.

By the time I finished loading the truck, the itching sensation on my rear from earlier had progressed to the point where I was going crazy! If I could reach my rear with my mouth I would have tried biting it. As I looked around for something to scratch with, I realized I didn’t finish rinsing myself off during the shower because I stopped it prematurely. The itching was really becoming unbearable, so I headed to the garden section of the store, hooked up a watering hose, and, after propping it on a shelf, rinsed off the soap residue I neglected to fully clean. Jumping jackrabbits was that water cold! I wished I hadn’t interrupted my shower from earlier; it’s a lesson for the future to not skip that step unless I wanted a repeat of The Great Itching Event. Starla of course found the entire thing entertaining.

Once home, I decided to nuke a concoction in the microwave for dinner since Starla was practically glued to me. I wished I could ask her what she saw in the circle, since she was obviously affected by it pretty deeply, and was rather clingy since then. The meal wasn't anything fancy; not that I could make anything complicated with hooves or my mouth. It consisted of some carrots, canned corn, and instant mashed potatoes with cheese, while Starla had her usual bottle prepared. Eating on the table was impossible without a high chair for Starla, least she be physically on the table, so we ate on the floor instead. Like a dog! It's embarrassing to say, but bowls for humans aren't meant to be eaten directly out of by a muzzle. I may need to pick up some dog bowls later on if that is how we'll be reduced to eating. I'd rather not if there was another way though.

One more thing to worry about for the future. I know it's extremely minor, but I'd rather some form of civilization remain, for eating at the very least. Maybe if the table was closer to the ground? A kotatsu table would be a good compromise to the floor.

After I cleaned up dinner the best that I could without hands, it was time to change Starla’s diaper again. Using some velcro I grabbed from the store I was able to fasten her new diaper down easily. I realized that the velcro strips are stuck down once attached so once I’m out of them, there will be no more. I rolled her dirty diaper up almost squishing it down in the process and slid it into a plastic bag like I did at the gas station; these are limited as well. I can’t let them pile up in a bag before I take it out; the smell will kill me.

Not to mention there is no more garbage collection service. Oh carp! That will be a problem long term. Fudge! I can't get this image of a dumpster overflowing with dirty diapers and other trash out of my head now.

It was getting late around this time, and I decided to put Starla to bed. I laid her down on my bed and covered her with a small orange blanket. She squirmed around for a bit so I propped myself next to her and hummed for her until she fell asleep. Starla really does seems to enjoy hearing my voice. As a newborn, she must be craving any kind of stimulation she can get, and I'm the closest thing she has to a role model right now. I gave her a soft kiss on her forehead, which brought a smile to her sleeping face, before I grabbed (mouthed??) a soda and began working on the computer.

I should mention my neighbor's computer was accessible for use, as they didn't have a password on it. So, I moved back and forth their computer and my own, buying a bunch of things with the points cards I obtained earlier as well as queuing as many torrents as possible, making sure to choose those with many seeds. I had gotten some tablets from the same place as the points cards; the idea was to load them up with as many multimedia files (music, videos, movies) as possible and use them for trade, assuming anyone else is out there. I did accidentally cracked the screen on one of the tablets in the process, though thankfully it was only a small crack. During this time I found a program on-line to make text documents from audio files, and I downloaded it just in case I'll have to move journal entries to pen and paper later on.

So that pretty much was my second day, with no other survivors found. I still hadn't heard anything from anyone; I’ve received no phones calls, text messages, or emails, and I saw no forum posts online either. Well, that's not entirely true; I did see a few forums that had new posts from spam bots. I guess those are still going even after everyone has vanished. I left a message on several government and emergency services web-sites for the states of Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and South Dakota. It stated that I lived in Gillette Wyoming and contained my phone number to contact me. I checked the downloads before I turned in to bed and was shocked at how fast everything was downloading. I guess since everyone disappeared internet traffic was almost non-existent.

As I laid next to Starla in bed, my thoughts drifted to the visions I saw while standing in the circle, specifically of unicorns levitating things. Many issues I have using things made for humans and not tiny unicorns would be resolved if I could do something like that. I might never need to stick my nose near a dirty diaper ever again! The thought invigorated me and I looked around my room before spotting my PS2 DVD remote on the other side of the room. Then did what every child tries to do at some point in their lives: try to move things with their minds.

I stared at the remote trying to ‘will’ it to move for several minutes, even holding my breath in case it might help, yet to my annoyance nothing happened. I tried again, this time pointing a hoof at the remote like a jedi, after another couple moments I even started verbally demanding (but not too loudly) that the remote come to me. It didn’t move a single inch. I glared at the remote before my eyes wandered to the tip of my horn.

In the visions, the horns of those unicorns I saw were glowing. Perhaps it’s a focus of some kind, like a wand an antenna? I concentrated on trying to make my horn glow. Just wanting it to glow wasn’t enough though, it just made me go cross eyed. I about to give up but—and this might sound a little weird and creepy—I thought I heard someone say “Feel”. I had a little freakout following that, as I looked all around the room and confirmed that unless Starla was suddenly able to speak, there was no one around to say that what I heard. Or thought I heard. I didn’t hear any more words after that so I just chalk it up to my imagination. Being alone except for Starla is starting to take a toll on me, and it’s barely been two days!

Regardless of the source—imagined or not—perhaps the voice had a point. I’ve been trying to cause something to happen instead of seeing if I could sense anything. Well, the only way to really do that would be meditation, to clear my mind and categorize all the sensations I was experiencing. So, meditate I did, closing my eyes and trying to clear my head of thoughts.

I was jolted awake some time later by Starla pawing my side. She was whimpering so I thought she might just need a diaper change. While Starla did need one the real reason she awoke turned out to be the noise coming through my window. The siren set to go off every six hours had activated, and the clock confirmed it was indeed midnight. It seems Starla also wanted a snack, as while I was looking outside she decided my teats were once again fair game even though they still gave her nothing. Concerning her diaper, I wanted to try something new: clothespins! Conclusion: They sucked. Starla just knocked them off as soon as I clipped them on. I think the handles were poking into her side and she didn’t like that. Luckily she didn’t take too long to fall back asleep after I finished, and I climbed back onto the bed next to her.

Changing Starla’s diaper the hard way again pushed me to give meditation another try, except this time I focused on trying to actually categorize my sensations instead of ‘clearing my mind’ that just had me doze off. Ok. Let’s go down the list then? Sound. It’s extremely quiet compared to what I am normally used to in general, but this is my room, and thus since there is still power I can still hear the sounds of my computer fans and the AC. I could hear the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen. I could hear the soft sounds of Starla breathing. Besides having directional mics attached to my head in place of ears, all the sounds seem familiar, and nothing new so far.

... Actually if I list every little sensation I had this entry would be much longer, so I’ll skip to the important bits.

Nothing really felt different save for everything being slightly muted due to having fur all over my body. I’m not that surprised by that though; I would have had a much more dramatic experience upon waking on the first day if I could feel every single bit of fur on my body. I just wasn’t sure what I was missing. I took a figurative step back and thought about it. Perhaps I wasn't missing something, but was rather overlooking something I had ignored all this time. I did have moments even before I joined the no hands club when I had weird feelings. Being around old places. The feeling I got when I looked into certain points of the sky these last few months. I looked out my window towards the sky remembering the odd feeling I got from it.

Ever so slowly I slid off the bed before checking on Starla to make sure I didn’t disturb her, and made my way outside. I sat on some grass and gazed into the sky, trying to find that feeling I had for all these months. It was actually quite easy, it was there in the sky, stronger than I had ever felt it before. But it wasn’t just in the sky; while weaker that ‘feeling’ was all around me, all over me, inside me. It was energy, and it was everywhere. Too late I made the connection to how I sensed this: My horn really was an antenna of sorts! And since I’d dropped the filter, my ‘sense’ was being bombarded with all that energy at once. It was too much, like staring directly into the sun. I toppled over, grasping my head with my hooves, uselessly trying to dull the pain in my everything. I laid there moaning for a good while as the pain slowly subsided enough for me to think straight. Eventually I cracked my eyes open and noticed that things around me were a little brighter. I looked around for the source of this light till my eyes wandered to my horn; it was glowing with a creamy white aura, just like in the visions!

Despite the headache beating away at my skull, I smiled at my success. The glow began to fade as I slowly made my way back inside, but I wasn’t worried. I had an idea about what I needed to do now, I just needed to be careful not to overwhelm myself. Once more on my bed I laid there, massaged my head for a awhile, waiting for my migraine to subside.

I stuck my tongue out in concentration while focusing on opening myself to the energy again, but much slower this time. Nothing happened at first, but I stuck to trying to go as slow as possible. A few minutes more, then I started to sense that feeling again, and a few sparks began to leap from the tip of my horn. Thankfully they weren’t flammable! After a few sputters my horn began to glow with a creamy white aura and I mentally cheered. Ok, I proved I had access to this energy; it was time to figure out how to actually use it beyond a nifty flashlight on top of my head.

The 'energy', for lack of a better term, was a pain to work with. It's actually rather complicated and like trying to manipulate feather floating in the air by flapping your hands at it. Except harder, yet not. Let’s just say I didn't get much sleep that night, as I must have spent a couple of hours trying to bend my mind over how to go from sensing something to actually manipulating it beyond just giving me a headache.

In the end though, I think I had success! All I remember is I saw that remote start to vibrate before I passed out from exhaustion.

Author's Notes:

*small edit* Canary talked with Regi and myself about what Celefin said about the first paragraph. we agreed after reading it over again and have thus revised it. hopefully that clears up any more confusion.

Hello Everypony! Sorry for the delay. I truthfully though we would get this chapter out much soon. there was a lot of changes and additions made to this. How much change was made to this chapter? Well the original draft for chapter 2 was 2268 words long. At 6585 words, the final draft is almost three times longer!

Also I kept teasing you all with a surprise! Canaryinthecoalmine has been very generous and has commissioned PaintSplotch to not only make new cover art for the story, but chapter art as well. I can't guarantee every chapter will have art, but what I have written so far should get at least 1 piece of art. This means that chapter 1 now has art as well and it should be up within a few minutes of posting this.

We are making efforts to edit these quicker so you don't have to wait so long. I'm aiming to try getting a chapter out every 2 weeks at least, if we get into a good rhythm maybe a chapter every week. I can't make any promises however since Carnary, Regi, and myself have jobs and bills to pay, but we will do our best to get these out in a timely manner!

Chapter3: May25-26

I’m sorry for missing the last couple of days. Starla has been a handful, or would that be hoofful? My foreleg is hurt, something bad happened… But something awesome happened as well! Or at least I think it’s awesome that it happened.

Looking at the bandage on my leg I can’t help but think about medical supplies, I have yet to make a supply run for them, and they won't last forever. They will either run out, expire, or get ruined by the elements within a few years. Starla keeps nuzzling and licking my bandages. I’m told that’s instinctual for a foal. Told by who? I’ll get to that. At least it shouldn’t take too long to heal. Sadly it isn’t just our medical needs that have a countdown clock.

As I took a shower earlier, it dawned on me that I don’t know when the water will cut out, or when the gas to heat said water is going to stop, or even the electricity to see what I’m doing in the shower. When those go so does the heater and air conditioning. I can’t get the thought of the smell of sweat soaked fur out of my head now.

We have some really hot summers here, and the winters can be even worse. I don’t think Starla will survive the winter here if we don’t find a place with solar power, or at least a wood pellet heating system. If we don’t we are going to have to move or somehow make a lot of modifications to a home here in town.

Since I’m on the topic of homes, I haven’t found anything in town or at the RV lots. I did find a flyer for an RV convention at the Camplex. We’ll check there tomorrow and if that’s a dead end then we’ll check the high income areas on the outskirts of town. We have plenty of time before winter, but we are running out of time before summer hits us.

Speaking of time running out, I think my internet’s usefulness is on its last leg. Google is spotty while Yahoo and MSN can’t connect. Most of my downloads are coming from torrent sites now, but even that is spotty since I need peers to download from. Lets look at the bright side, at least I won’t have to worry about spam from viagra dealers and Nigerian princes anymore.

Meals at home haven’t changed much; we have been eating the veggies and fruits in the coolers while I let Starla attempt to nurse herself from my teats. They’re starting to get sore now. On the next supply run I’m going to look for some bag balm, it’s good for sore human hands and cow udders, so it should work just as well on mine. No, I have teats, not udders! Don’t get the wrong idea! Er anyways… I only have a few more days worth of the breast milk I got from the hospital before I’ll have to switch Starla over to formula. It might be a good idea to mix the formula into the breast milk to ease her stomach into the new diet, I rather not have her puke her meals up from a sudden change in her diet.

The local dogs have been howling a lot more at night recently. They don’t sound threatening, just sad. I think they are crying for their owners to come back. Oh, I should tell you how Amore is doing since I’m on the topic of dogs.

I found that Amore has started forming her own pack. Some of the dogs were wary of me, but getting Amore off of her leash and bringing them the steaks from the nearby restaurant has gotten me on their good side. After having lunch with her pack (bagged premixed salad for myself and a bottle of milk for Starla), I just started talking to Amore about anything that came to mind, while keeping an eye on Starla while she played with the smaller dogs.

Don’t get me wrong, I may not mention it but I talk to Starla a lot too, but she doesn’t really understand what I say, she just likes hearing me talk. She does seem to understand that when I say ‘Starla’ I’m referring to her, and a firm ‘no’ means not to do something. I think I should stop saying Mama around her. If I find her mother and she hears Starla calls me Mama I have no clue what her real mother may do.

I have noticed a lot of changes in Amore and the other dogs as well. Even though she can’t reply back with words, the sounds and facial movements she makes relay her replies pretty well; eye rolls, groans, snorts, huffs, she even made a sound that sounded like laughing when I told her I miss being bigger than her, although I wasn’t that much taller than her as a human if she stood on her hind legs.

I think my favorite talks with Amore are the cute stories about Starla’s antics. I could tell Amore smiled when I told her the story about Starla stealing all the pillows in the house and building herself a cave with them. That was utterly adorable, but I‘m not sure how she stacked all the pillows so high when most of them are bigger than her. Starla has also claimed my little orange blanket as her own, I don’t mind so much, I still have my larger blanket with the image of a wolf on it. I thought Starla might be scared of it but I think the wolf reminds her of Amore so she just smiles when she looks at it.

One last thing about Amore’s pack. If I feel jealous of Starla being able to walk so easily, The dogs make me feel like a cripple. Not only do they move around so easily, I see them using their mouths to do things I used to easily do with my hands, like open a garbage can, or turn a doorknob. I even watched a dog unwrap a frozen steak. You heard me, the dog unwrapped the steak and then tossed the paper away into a garbage can.

I’ll admit it, I’m rambling, but it’s therapeutic. That is the reason I have this recorder in the first place. It’s not like I can just drive down to the nearest therapist’s office. Believe me, I checked a few of them around town to see if there were any doctor’s left behind.

I used the tailgate of the SUV to change Starla’s diaper before we left, which I attempted to do with robot claw on a stick. I have no clue what I was thinking when I tried that. Then I was stumped on how to dispose of the diaper. I used to consider myself smarter than a dog, but Amore’s pack made me feel stupid as a couple of them pushed a garbage can over to the side letting me scoot the diaper over the edge into the can, then they dropped a lid on top of it and pushed it away... Maybe I could get a couple of the dogs to help me out with each changing? That’s probably too much to ask.

I realized what time it was once I started the SUV: I had twenty minutes to get to the courthouse for the meet up time. It wasn’t actually changing Starla’s diaper that made me lose track of time. I had fallen asleep next to Amore earlier. The late nights must have taken a toll on me. I used to stay up late a lot before the transformation but my new body seems to like to wake up when the sun rises, and with Starla waking up almost every hour unless I’m right next to her, I can see why I took a quick snooze. Hmm I should note that despite my new wake up time, I don’t really seem to have a problem burning the midnight oil like I used too.

No one was at the courthouse when I arrived, but I know someone is in town, as every day I had found more food containers in front of the court house. And if that wasn’t enough evidence they left a (surprisingly well written) note on the front door saying I didn’t show up at the meeting time. I know I’m showing up on time, I had just rushed by car to get there in time. I wondered if they were using a broken watch or something. I unlocked the front doors the next day and left a note asking them to camp out inside the lobby or come to my home with the address to find me, I didn’t want to play hit and miss for the next couple of weeks. Speaking of unlocking doors, I’m going to need to do this to a lot of places for sake of convenience, no one else is around to do it for me now. Also there is not much difference between the taste of copper and brass. They both taste bad.

I mentioned in the note that I would check back later that night as well, I figured around midnight when the message plays would be good. I hoped Starla would be asleep that way I wouldn’t have to worry about keeping her under control while meeting a survivor, or maybe even an entire group!

With the courthouse done and my message left behind, I went to the large park in the center of town to think about my next plans. I laid down on my back to watch the clouds and let my mind take in the events from the past couple of days, Starla climbed onto my chest and tried nursing again. I thought she was hungry but after a few minutes she gave up turned around, gave the most adorable yawn I’ve ever seen and then took a nap on my chest, or rather my barrel. I could have died from how cute that was. She must have tired herself out from playing with the dogs earlier, she has been really calm (compared to her normal level of energy) since we said our goodbyes to Amore’s pack. Remembering Starla’s play time I suddenly realized something I should do while I’m here: practice moving.

Watching her sleep for a bit I carefully moved her off of my chest and under a tree and looked over the grassy field around me, It would be perfect to practice my new equine locomotion. Walking, trotting, and cantering. I think those are the words. There's this horse care site that's still up. Yeah, four gaits of a horse: walk, trot, canter and gallop. Anyway, it was embarrassing that most of the time Starla could move faster than me if she wanted to. But after practicing for a few hours, I’ve noticed that I’m better at walking now and I can move at a trot now without slamming my head into the ground. I can even canter for a few feet before I face planting, I definitely need more practice however. If things don‘t get too crazy I‘ll try to go there for a couple hours every day to practice.

I spent the rest of my evening searching for an RV with solar panels and… I already mentioned this didn’t I? let’s skip ahead then, yesterday pretty much followed the same routine, just different places to search and stores to raid. I hope the boredom of that being routine becomes the biggest worry, rather than something that could actually put us in danger.

I stopped at Smith’s on the way home to salvage whatever I could of their produce and grab some medical supplies. I didn’t bring the truck so I made some scratches on a notepad so I would remember what I needed to get. I just hope I can read my hoof writing when I need to read it, Holding a pen between my hooves is a very slow and sloppy way to write. That’s something else that will be easier to do once I can move things with my horn. The veggies were in decent shape with the misters and cooling system running, a lot of the fruit on display looked rather sad, but the produce in the back storage looked to be in better shape at least. We need to remember to get back there with the truck tomorrow. Storage, that’s another issue. I’m going to run out of room to store supplies at this rate. I’m probably going to need to find a bigger house or take over the upstairs apartments soon.

Bag Balm feels heavenly on sore teats by the way. Heh, If she heard me say that out loud, I would probably get chewed out.

When we got home, Starla fell asleep much faster than she had the other two days. Maybe the day was more tiring for her than the others, or maybe she was just more familiar with my home. While I was worried about the cause, it did give me some free time for once. I decided it was time to try my horn out again.

On the morning of my third day as a pony I woke up feeling like I had slept face first in a sandbox. After clearing my eyes I discovered that it wasn’t sand on my face and looking upwards for the culprit, I discovered it wasn’t sand, but drywall dust from a hole in my new ceiling sporting the remote I had tried to move last night. It was lodged in at an angle, pointing almost exactly at the spot it sat before I fell asleep. I was shocked, but at the same time I was excited, not only was I able to lift it but I moved it! Unfortunately it seems I strained myself and I passed out doing so, I’m lucky I didn’t hurt Starla or myself.

I had to get the hand vac and hold it with my mouth to clean the bed off. That was an unpleasant experience, my teeth were numb for a good ten minutes after that.

Maybe I should have started this log with this? A little past that now, I think it’s time to talk about what I learned about the energy that is now so much more abundant in the world. When I talked about it last time, I said that I realized this energy has been here since before I changed, but how do I explain this? The difference is like this: before I changed and the whole world seems to have been spirited away, this energy was akin to having a humidifier in the background, it was just there, you really didn’t notice it at all unless you were a bit different than most people and even then it was still just there. Now, it’s like an ocean compared to what it was, and you don’t even realize it until you pay attention to it. Like a noise in the background, you don’t even pay attention to it until you realize it’s there and then once you do it’s overwhelming until you get used to it.

During Starla’s second nap on the third day I tucked her into my bed then surrounded her with pillows so she didn’t accidentally roll off, before grabbing a bunch of random things around the house and made my way to the fenced in pool in the apartment complex’s courtyard. I laid out the items I brought which ranged from paper clips, pencils, sheets of paper, some arts and craft feathers, and a few pieces of silverware. This would make for a good place to practice moving things with my mind, Starla would be out of harm’s way and the large fence and cement foundation would keep me safe if I passed out again.

I’m not sure how to explain all this right now, but that should start to change soon. I started of getting my horn glowing like the previous night and after several sparking false starts I managed to draw the energy into my horn letting it glow a faint white. Just doing this caused me to sweat a bit, I figure that learning to do this as well as becoming capable of using this energy is going to be just like exercising. I need to strengthen the muscle and build up my stamina, or in this case strengthen my horn and expand my E-Tank. Hmm, I wonder if I’ll be able to eventually wall grapple while firing triple charged shots from my horn? An image of myself wearing armor with see through wings on my back while launching energy blasts at giant robots comes to mind, heh. Maybe I’ll try making something like that down the road, if anything I can at least look cool for Starla.

Err, back to my progress. After some experimenting I found it easiest if I just sort of imagined reaching out for whatever I wanted to pick up with a hand. My result varied greatly. I found my horn fizzling out early on and when I did manage to finally pick up a sheet of paper, I felt a rush from my horn and watched the paper shred into tiny pieces. This continued for a bit as I tried to figure out what was going on. A thought came to me I wasn’t limiting the flow, I was shredding or crushing everything I picked up because it was like I was literally opening up a fire hose as the energy flowed to the object I was trying to pick up.

It didn’t take me long after realizing this to find I was extremely light headed and the tremors of a bad migraine were starting up, so I decided that my ‘exercising’ was done for the day but I was happy for the small amount of progress I made, all that work didn’t help me get over the fact that I didn’t get to try lifting anything heavier than a feather. Oh well, another day another ounce maybe? I packed what remained of my materials into the bag I brought with me and headed back to the house.

Yesterday I made more progress, but not by much. I had my magic fizz out less often on me, but I did spark my horn more often. I managed to lift a feather for about three seconds before it turned into fuzz in the wind as I tried bringing it towards me. It seems I need to manage the power flow even more when moving an object around. It’s kind of like lifting it has set up a control valve to the energy flow but moving an object in any direction opens up another flood gate and I either crush or shred whatever I pick up.

I should have really stopped though, I was tired and sick of destroying what I tried to lift so I decided to try the cutlery. Singling out a fork I put everything else back into the bag and eyed the fork warily, everything else has been extremely light and the cutlery weighed probably half or maybe a fourth of what the remote weighed. I attempted to pick the fork up but I could only get it to shake a little bit, and I wasn’t happy with this progress. I got careless and let the floodgates open to try lifting the fragging piece of cutlery which caused it to slightly lift up as it wobbled and bounced before I saw a flash of silver and I passed out.

When I woke up it was raining, I was cold and wet, the fork was gone, and there was a thunderstorm booming overhead. I shook myself awake and after a quick search found that the fork was not lodged in my body, thank the maker, before I grabbed the bag I brought with me and clumsily made my way back to the house as quickly as I could on the wet grass. When I opened the door I could hear Starla bawling, it didn’t take long to find her as she was huddled up into the corner of my bed against the wall.

I’m not sure if it was instinctual or just my heart aching at the sight of her scared out of her mind that caused me to climb onto the bed and pull her into a protective embrace. I’m not even sure how long I held her while humming before she calmed down. It wasn’t until I noticed her trying to feed that I realized she had calmed down, the fur around her eyes was stained with tears but she smiled at me to let me know she was ok now. I think I need to make a safe area for her while I practice from now on, practicing while she naps may not be the best idea.

I discovered the greatest asset for changing diapers that night, a set of small salad tongs which gave me some grabbing power to work with, I was able to easily fold the sticky strips and even pick the diaper up and drop it into a bag with them without worrying about something getting in my mouth or fur, which was very much needed as Starla’s diaper was extra full. I remembered something as I was taking care of the diaper as well, Diaper Genies, a trash can made to hold diapers and seal the smell away till the bags are full, it was also clean and easy to change the bags. I would make a note to search the closets tomorrow and see if my cousin left hers here since my mother watched her daughter for a few weeks a couple months ago, if not I’m sure I can find one at the stores.

I don’t know if you, whoever is hearing or reading this, has taken care of babies before. But I classify their sleep and activities styles in three ways, children who sleep off and on through the day and night in short intervals, children who sleep in long intervals and then are awake for a random period of time, and children who will stay awake all day and then sleep at night. I’m fairly sure Starla falls into this last category, even though she does wake up constantly, my guess is because she expects me to stay beside her. I like this sleep schedule the most, and so did my mother as I and most of my cousins were much the same, however these babies have a wrench to throw at you, naps throw their sleep schedule out of whack.

I think tucking Starla back in every hour was easier than trying to manage the computer with her still running around full of energy. I have a pile of tablets and portable hard drives filled up with entertainment media, and I began to download more educational media onto the remaining ones. With sites starting to go dead and Starla running rampant I was being run ragged. Pot and pan drum solos, playing with shaving cream and a rinse, that was what the noise in my head was feeling like towards the end of it. I eventually got her to sit down for a bit with when I popped an old care bear’s tape into the guest room tv, this gave me a good half an hour to queue some more things up before I heard a crash as Starla knocked over the hampers. When I crawled into bed myself she curled up right next to me and slept the rest of the night.

Now for the rest of my log… Last night... I’m sorry, I have been avoiding this, I’m just going to say it. I wasn’t prepared for what happened last night, I might have avoided it if I hadn‘t ignored the nightmare I had the previous night.

I have dreams every night, but I usually forget what happened once I wake up, only to remember them if they actually happen. Even then, the events never happen exactly as they did in the dream, and this is the first time I have ever had one happen the day I woke up from said dream. On top of it all, after I changed into a pony I noticed that I’ve started to remember the dreams after I wake up.

I really need to get this off my chest however and stop putting this off. It started when the thunderstorm died down.

Starla refused to go to sleep even though the storm had ended and she was fed. She looked somewhat tired but that just made her even more adorable. Looking at the time it was approaching midnight and I had been pounding back the soda to stay up. It wasn’t likely I would find the person who was showing up and the rain probably destroyed my note but I was going to check anyways. I wish I could have left Starla behind but the thought of her being alone in the house again caused a sharp stabbing pain in my chest.

I quietly loaded her into the SUV and buckled her into the car seat, she was too tired to fuss and watched me load some things into the SUV. The diaper bag, the blue light emergency lamp my father had given me, some food, water, and a first aid kit went into the back of the SUV before we left. It had slipped my mind and I realized too late I had driven by Amore’s house on the way, I was worried I woke her and the rest of the dogs up. I hoped the lack of barking meant that I didn’t disturb anyone there.

The streets were still fairly well lit, but from what I could see down the streets I passed that the storm knocked out the power to everything north of the train tracks. Well I guess I should count myself lucky it didn’t happen on the south side. If it’s something the system can’t restore by itself, I have no clue how to do those kind of repairs.

The streets were empty and dark, the city didn’t put very many street lights on the residential streets. I saw a couple of cats who seemed to be eager to get off of the streets. It didn’t take me to long to get to the court house, everything was still lit up and the note only looked soggy rather than destroyed. I arrived a couple of minutes before midnight, and to my surprise I heard light snoring, Starla had evidently fell asleep on the ride over. I would keep that in mind the next time I can’t get her to fall asleep.

I waited until three in the morning and no one had showed up. I probably should have gone home, but I decided to stay and wait. Starla woke up once during that time. She rubbed her eyes while yawning then looked around before she spotted me. I thought she might cry but she just smiled and went back to sleep. I have to admit I was a little jealous of her and began to contemplate reclining the seat and going to sleep myself. I should have done that.

I decided to check inside to see if the person or group who was leaving me notes showed up and stayed inside. Before I reached the door to the building however I could have sworn I heard someone next to me say, “It’s not safe.” I dropped my lantern in surprise looking around everywhere, but no one was around. I chalked it up to being tired and the dead silence of the empty town. After searching the lobby and finding no signs of foot traffic other than my own, I decided it was time to head home.

I left the courthouse and started to make my way to the SUV until my ears moved. I flipped the switch on the lantern bathing the area around me in blue light as I glanced around thinking I heard a bush rustle “Hello is anyone there? Hello?”

I didn’t see or hear anyone so I shrugged my shoulders chocking it up to the wind and continued to walk, only to hear a somewhat panicked sounding voice tell me to, “Get back inside.”

I didn’t get to contemplate the voice. I made it halfway to the SUV before something black jumped onto the hood and began barking up a storm. I dropped my lantern from the sudden shock letting the light illuminate the shadowed canine that was challenging me. I prayed it was just a chihuahua, no such luck.

On the hood was what looked to be a rottweiler who looked very hungry, scratched up, and it wore the tattered remains of a police dog vest. It growled and barked at me with a feral look in its eyes. At that moment I realized I had done something really stupid. I should have just waited in the vehicle with Starla! My ears moved about erratically picking up incoming sounds, I would say it’s a weird feeling to have your ears move like radar dishes. I could even smell something in the air I hadn’t noticed before, I’m not really sure what it smelled like, it just made me feel fear. I noticed the sound of something charging, so I made a panicked decision and ducked down. I guess I made the right decision and I felt legs collide into my side pushing me to the side while whatever hit me flipped over me and went tumbling away.

I quickly got to my hooves to find myself surrounded by seven dogs including the rottweiler on the hood blocking me from getting to Starla. I then saw something that made a pit form in my stomach what had hit me and almost got my neck was a dog, not just any dog, but the dog that attacked and bit me in the neck in my dream. The previous night. If I hadn’t ducked he would have made that dream a reality! I was surrounded and I had no clue how to get out of this.

Both the rottweiler and myself suddenly noticed Starla screaming inside the vehicle he was perched on. The rottweiler barked and the other dogs stood still keeping an eye on me as it looked back and forth between me and Starla before it smiled wickedly with an insane glint in its eyes. He barked once and I heard the rattling metal from their collars.

I panicked stupidly tried to make a break for the SUV moving forward only to have a black lab jump at me and bite at my muzzle barely missing me. Before I realized what I was doing I had slammed my left foreleg into the lab‘s face sending it stumbling away.

Maybe it was adrenaline, or maybe it was instinct, but my body started moving on it’s own. I felt like I was on auto-pilot as I hunched forward then bucked a dog charging up behind. The impact my rear hooves made were followed by a sickening crunch as I sent the dog flying. At this point I didn’t pay any attention to location, numbers, or what dogs were what breed, I was focused solely on getting back to the SUV and getting out of there.

I heard glass cracking and a scream. I’m not sure if it came from me or Starla as I had grabbed another dog in a headlock with my forelegs while using it‘s thrashing momentum to send me horn first at another dog. Before I realized what happening I felt something ram into my side knocking me off my hooves followed by being pinned down by the dogs. I felt a set of teeth sink into my left foreleg before the owner of said teeth tried yanking me from the pile. I screamed from the pain, feeling the teeth sink in and begin to pull through skin and muscle.

Things happened so quickly after that I have a hard time recounting most of it. I saw Starla running towards me, I have no clue how she got unbuckled, or how she even got the SUV door open. I wasn’t sure if I felt rain or tears in my eyes as the rottweiler jumped from the car after her. I felt a dog resting its teeth against my neck ready to snuff out my life. I watched the large dog closing in on Starla and then…

And then I heard it, I heard Starla say Ma Ma, or at least I thought it did, a-and then everything just went white.

I was surprised I woke up, the early morning rays glinting in my eyes brought me back to the waking world. I had the most boring dream, I truthfully thought I was dead as I sat on black star filled nothingness staring at a giant white floating crystal with a blue fire inside of it. It was like a purgatory; I was glad to wake up. When my senses came back to me however the first thought that came to mind was Starla. I tried to spring up only to find myself being pushed down by something, it didn’t feel like a hand or a hoof or paw was keeping me down, more of something was just keeping me down. My mind was in too much of a panic over Starla to figure out what, it wasn’t until I heard a soft voice that some of the fear I had disappeared.

“Shh, settle down! You’re going to wake her up.”

I was confused until I noticed something moving against my chest and realized I was holding Starla in a death grip like embrace. The next thing I noticed was the feeling of warm furred bodies pressed up against me from behind and in front. I almost jumped in fright when I realized that they belonged to dogs. I probably would have if it wasn’t for whatever was holding me down. I settled down quickly when Amore’s muzzle popped into my face from the fuzzy body in front of me and started covering me with kisses. The dog behind me was the collie I saw in Amore’s pack, and a ways over by a red car was a poodle giving a death glare to the rottweiler who attacked us.

It took a moment for my mind to register it to be the same dog who attacked me and I really started freaking out. I felt myself being almost crushed down as whoever was nearby talked me down. I eventually did as a ice blue unicorn with a white and blue mane walked into my line of site and cheerfully said‒

“Hello! My name is Colgate!”

“Gah!!” I shouted as I fell off the bed in shock.

“Um Chris, why are you still up? And why are you monologuing about how we met?” She asked while staring at me laying upside down on the floor.

“I’m recording my journal, this is the only time when I can do it without Starla trying to play with the recorder.” I blinked at her then looked up at a sleepy Starla looking down at me from the edge of the bed. “Did you really need to shout your name and wake Starla up? Also weren’t you complaining about drinking too much before you went to bed?” I grumbled as I was lifted off the floor and set back onto the bed.

“I’m good now, but um… Can I sleep with you guys? It’s really quiet and kind of creepy sleeping alone in this town.” I didn’t get to respond before she climbed up onto the bed and curled up next to me, while shoving her head under my neck and letting out a relieved sigh.

“I guess…” She was already snoring before the words finished leaving my mouth. I sighed before laying my head down feeling Starla curl up against my free side as I pulled the recorder back over to me with a free hoof. I brushed Colgate’s mane out of my face with my bandaged leg, I couldn’t help but smell it as I did so. “She smells like early morning frost? ...She smells kinda nice.” I blushed and cleared my throat. "So... yeah, I found our fellow survivor... I think a question and answer session is due for the next journal entry. For now though, goodnight."

Author's Notes:

It took forever but chapter 3 is now done.
If you spot anything we missed please let us know.

I Have some sad news, because of certain issues, which caused the chapter to take so long, Canary is no longer editing Mandatory Motherhood. It's now just Musketeer and I working on the story.
I am open to looking for another editor and or a prereader for help, having skype or discord is a big plus.

Also I'm still going to EverFree NorthWest 2016. so if your going feel free to find me and say high, get a hoof bump and hang out.

Chapter4: May27-29 [updated]

A note to whoever is reading this: I have added in descriptions of what actions everyone made while I recorded this to the best of what I can remember. I felt that just reading the text straight would not give depth to the events that took place.

“May 28. I’m going to have a short interview with my new friend before I pick up where I left off.”

“Hello, everypony! I‘m Colgate!” She waves a hoof in the air.

I raise an eyebrow at her vivacity and waving. “Um, Colgate, there is no camera. It’s just a voice recorder. You know that, right?”

She giggles and waves a hoof towards me, like waving for a recorder is common. “Well, of course, Crystal; you showed it to me. You don’t need to explain how it works; I’ve seen them before, just not so small.”

I groaned as she laughs at my reaction to nickname that she picked for me. “Colgate, please don’t call me Crystal. Also I take it you mean a cassette recorder?”

She confirmed by nodding her head.

I blinked dumbly, then coughed to clear my throat. “Okay, we are getting sidetracked, sorry. I just want to know why you waved for the tape recorder.”

“Oh, it’s the sort of thing a friend of mine would do. Since she’s not here, I figured I would do it for her.” I want to say she’s joking, but she is dead serious. I don’t think an actor could have said that with a straighter face.

“Okay, then… Anyways, let’s start where I left off last night: where you announced your name loudly despite telling me to keep calm and quiet to not wake Starla up.” I nuzzled Starla next to me, causing her to yawn and snuggle closer to me. Poor thing had a long day.

She gave Starla a smile before focusing back on me. “Sorry about that; she didn’t wake up though. I was just really excited to finally find somepony here! Too bad you weren’t somepony important.”

I gave her a glare. Why does being someone important matter? “That’s kind of rude, you know.”

“Sorry!” She shrinks back apologetically, which causes me to sigh.

“It’s fine. I did kind of guilt trip you into staying here and helping me.” I couldn’t help breaking eye contact with her.

I watch her snicker and laugh before she catches her breath “Truthfully, I’m glad you did. After you showed me just how far I would have to travel by hoof, I don’t think I feel safe sleeping alone outside for that many nights.” She gave me a reassuring smile as she placed a hoof on my shoulder.

I felt a bit better after that. “You’re welcome... I think.”

She giggles and lays her head on her forelegs. ”We got off topic again. How about you explain our day, and then after that I tell you a bit about myself?”

“Alright; I’ll pick up from when we first met.” I think back for a moment and clear my throat.

May 27. I laid on the ground in shock. I was sandwiched between two very large dogs with my forelegs in a death lock, holding Starla to my chest. I had apparently just survived an attack from several very hungry dogs. Standing in front of me was a female unicorn with a very wintery color scheme, sporting the most perfect shiny teeth I had ever seen. (Why thank you.)

She finally broke me out of my stupor by patting my face with her wet hoof. “Keep calm and don’t move too quickly, okay? You’re experiencing the backlash from a severe magic flare.” I think being stunned was better because as soon as my thoughts straightened out, I felt like I had been hit by a burning train and smashed through a brick wall.

I heard the sound of crinkling plastic being shaken, before I felt cold water splash onto me. (Sorry about that.) After the shivers subsided, I turned to see a blue tarp, which was surrounded by a slightly white glow being set onto the ground next to something shiny. I wanted to get a closer look at it, but someone’s voice caught my attention. “You’re a lucky mare, you know that?”

“Yeah, I guess I am, aren’t I?” Colgate moved back into my line of sight and gave me a puzzled look.

“You guess you’re what?” I gave her my own puzzled look.

I sighed. “Didn’t you just say I’m a lucky mare?”

She shook her head with a slight frown. “No, but you are. I think your mind might be making up things to keep your attention away from your headache. They can get pretty nasty.”

Just what I needed, phantom voices. I tried to get up only to have Colgate push me back down with her magic.

“Whoa, easy. Like I said; that was a nasty big magic flare you had there. I’m surprised you didn’t level the block with the spell you unleashed.” She smiled at me sheepishly before grimacing slightly. “If not a bit gruesome.” Her horn began glowing white as the shiny object I noticed before floated into my range of sight. It was a dog’s leg inside a thick chunk of glass or something. I’m going to skip the details, and move along.

I wanted to ask her to bury the thing, but she wasn’t done explaining things to me. “You didn’t get them all, however. The one going after your daughter managed to avoid getting pulled into your flare. If it wasn’t for these other dogs he would have gotten you once the magic faded.” The golden retriever from Amore’s pack walked up to Colgate and nudged her head against her leg, which she returned by giving the dog a scratch behind the ears with the edge of her hoof.

I coughed and licked my lips as I eyed my canine friends. “So… they killed him?”

She shook her head and blew a raspberry. “No! They couldn’t land a single paw on him. He looked like a trained military dog or something. They could only keep him away from the two of you.”

I shuddered. “Then where is he? Did he run away?”

The dog in question walks up to Colgate, whimpering. “No, I stopped him.”

I shuddered at the sight of the dog who nearly caused my death, who nearly took Starla’s life in front of me. Other than some burn marks, he looked fine, and that didn’t sit well with me. What did she do to stop him? What punishment did she give him to compensate for what he tried to do?

One of Colgate’s bags opened up with the same glow coming from her horn, and a pile of teeth in a jar floated out. “I did some emergency dental surgery.” I looked from the teeth to the dog who whined, then yapped, showing me his now-toothless mouth. I couldn’t help but laugh, which caused me go into a fit of coughing. The Rottweiler didn’t look amused, but he couldn’t really complain after what he did. Not that I would have understood him.

“Once I’m sure he is truly sorry and made amends, I’ll put his teeth back in.” she stated while shaking the jar.

“What? How?!” I gawked at her in shock.

She giggled and put the teeth back in her bag. “Simple. I’m a dentist!” I continued to stare. Which caused her to sigh before smirking. “The same way I took them out: with magic!”

It’s official Colgate. You are the scariest dentist I have ever met.

(Hey!)

“So” I started, “why am I outside and not say…” I waved my hoof around, the one I managed to slip free. “Not indoors?” Then I pointed over to the courthouse, and towards the SUV.

She shook her head while frowning. “I didn’t want to risk any magic surges by moving you with levitation or bumping your horn on something. By the way, that’s going to be sensitive for about a day or so, so don’t try using it, alright?”

I looked up at my horn and noticed that it looked like it was covered in ash and frowned. “I have no clue how to use it properly.” She looked at me with wide eyes. but I continued talking. “I guessed I could lift things with my mind after I saw… some things in that circle. But I have no clue how to do anything; it isn’t like we humans know how to use... You said magic, right?”

She nodded and stared at me for a second before sighing. “I guess you guys really don’t know how to use magic.”

(What did you mean by that anyways?)

(Um, let’s talk about that later, I don’t want to derail your story.)

“So, did you show up here because of the message as well?” She asked with a soft smile.

I laughed with less coughing this time, before shaking my head. “No, I’m the one who sent the message.”

Her face turned into a giant smile at this and she clapped her hooves together, which was rather cute. “Oh, yay! So, are you the mayor? Or, maybe, what is it called? The governor? An official of some office?” I shook my head at each one, causing her smile to shrink with each answer. “Are you any sort of leader?”

I rolled my eyes while cracking a smile. “Other than changing Starla’s diapers, I’m not in charge of anything.”

She slapped her hooves to the side of her face and groaned. “I spent the last four days looking for a leader of some sort in this town! And I can’t find anypony other than a mother and her foal?!”

I frowned. “First off, I don’t see why you’re looking for a member of the government so badly, but whatever changed me and spirited away everyone probably took every single leader of anything away.” I pointed my hoof at her. “Second, you kept showing up at who knows when, because it definitely wasn’t 3 p.m. Third, why didn‘t you help me sooner if you were watching?” I stopped and grimaced at my outstretched hoof; I miss having fingers. “And Fourth: I am not her mother!”

“Christa—er Chris...” She placed a hoof on my shoulder, looking worried. “Are you crying?”

I ran a fetlock across my eyes to find my foreleg damp. “I guess I am.”

Colgate pulls me into a hug and sighs. “Do you need to take a break?”

I took a deep breath and shook my head. “No, I’m fine; let’s continue.”

Colgate sighed before giving me a small, sad smile. “Alright, but I think you should stop worrying about Starla’s real mama showing up.” She quickly pulls me into a hug. “It’s unlikely she will show up in…”

“Colgate?” I blinked in surprise “She will show up in what?”

She quickly jumped off the bed and ran out of the room. “Sorry, I need to go to the bathroom really badly!”

“Ok…” I let out a sigh. “I guess I’ll ask her about it later.”

I explained to the suddenly-confused Colgate how I was a Human male before I woke up as a female pony, and that I had found Starla alone in a hospital. It floored her. The next thing I knew she was hugging Starla and myself, which finally woke the little one up. Starla was very drowsy at first and only made cute noises at first. Once she woke up completely; the bawling began, which meant it was time for food and maybe a diaper change.

I tried to get up only to collapse and tumble off the bed. I had forgotten that a dog had played Tug-o’-war with my leg and I lost. I didn’t hit the ground, however. instead I found Starla and myself being carried through the air while surrounded by a white aura, the same aura coming from Colgate’s horn. No, it wasn’t white like the one from my horn; hers is a really pale yellow, likened to a soft gold. Heh-heh sorry; It was weird floating through the air. I had to guide her to the SUV and explain how to open the back. As she set me down I saw that I had slept in a crater two inches deep in the road… Out of control magic is scary.

Luckily there was one bottle in the cooler, and Starla drank that down in a heartbeat. While Colgate disinfected and bandaged my foreleg, Starla decided she wanted more food. That was embarrassing, but Colgate didn’t pay it any mind. I felt bad not being able to help Colgate change Starla’s diaper, because starla put up a big fuss. I don’t know if it was because someone new was changing her, or if it was because she was still hungry.

Colgate told me she is heading to a town she found on a map; a map she got from the store with the sign that read Walmart. The mystery of the tipped over map rack has been solved! She says she knows nothing about a big circle with runes in it, however.

“She seems to be hiding things.“.

“Maybe, she—” I stop talking and look around in time to see Colgate come back into my room and give me a puzzled look. “Sorry, Colgate, I think I’m hearing things again. Could you get me an Advil and a glass of water?”

“Sure, Crystal.” She gave me a smile and left the room, only to peek her head in a second later. “Um, what is Advil and where is it?”

I groaned and slapped my face. “It‘s Chris, not Crystal, and it’s the bottle labeled Advil on top the microwave in the kitchen.”

Colgate gave me an apologetic look and disappeared back around the corner. “How can she not know what Advil i—”

A shout came from outside the room. “What’s a microwave?”

“For the love of the maker!” I growled.

Some medicine and water later...

I still felt guilty for this. I guilt-tripped her into staying and helping me in exchange for driving her to other towns.

(I said it’s fine, Crystal.)

(You're doing that on purpose now, aren’t you?)

So on top of that, she’s going to teach me magic in exchange for teaching her how to drive. She said she would do it without the driving lessons, but I insisted. Her first lesson was driving us back to the house. Amore and her dogs rode in the SUV with us, but I made Gums — yes, that is officially his name now — followed us on paw.

I didn’t want him to come home with us. I wanted him to pay for what he did or to just disappear. But ,Starla made me give him a chance because she latched her hooves around his muzzle and hugged him. I truthfully didn’t want him near Starla, but it's hard to stay angry at a bawling dog who's being hugged by the same filly he tried to eat.

The rest of the day was mostly looking after Starla, getting the much-needed medical supplies, and getting cleaned up. When it came time for dinner, Colgate wanted to have a nice dinner before we lose our utilities, so we went to the nearest restaurant. That happened to be Prime Rib, which Colgate had to break into with a set of dental picks before she could cook us up a nice meal there. The food was going to go bad once the power went out, so best to use it before you lose it, right?

Colgate did a doubletake when she first went into the kitchen, and almost refused to cook because of the smell, her face having taken a green hue. How is that possible through fur? does blushing show through fur as well? The reason why was pretty clear, at least since the restaurant's main dish was in it’s name, so the kitchen was saturated with the smell of meat. The dining rooms didn’t escape this fate either, but it was tolerable at least.

She decided that looking for food elsewhere would be a big hassle, and agreed to make our meal there, on the condition that we eat in the wine cellar dining room. I spent most of the time playing with Starla, keeping her out of trouble, and changing her diaper while Colgate cooked dinner with cotton balls in her nose. She decided it was safer if I didn’t try holding a knife in my mouth, and Starla would cause chaos in the kitchen while dinner was being prepared.

When it was time to eat, I secured Starla and myself at the table, then almost fell back out of the chair at what I saw. I couldn’t stop staring at the amount of food she made. Spread before me was cheesy, buttery broccoli, potato skins without bacon, large salads, eggplant parmigiana, fettuccine alfredo with some lumpy white and pink stuff in it, toasted bread with sliced tomato, a soft white cheese, and even more vegetarian delights. I wish that the sheer amount of food she cooked was what stunned me, but not so. It was three other dishes she had set in the very middle of the table: king crab, shrimp scampi, and a large piece of salmon roasted on a piece of wood.

Colgate noticed my shock and told me that ponies are not strictly herbivorous, so I can eat fish and shellfish. I admit I was skeptical, but there was meat in front me me that I was told was safe to eat. So, I took one of each. Now let me say that before the change, I never liked fish or seafood. Crustaceans creeped me out, and I didn’t like the texture of fish. Well, looks like whatever changed me decided not to fix that part. To top it off, the fish had an off taste and a smell that the seasonings didn’t quite cover up.

I took three bites of fish then thanked her. She was disappointed that I didn’t like it, which made me feel bad for not finishing the fish I took. She was going to say something about the fish as I bit into a shrimp, and then there was no more shrimp and I noticed Colgate staring at me with her eyebrow twitching. I didn’t get to try the crab after that. Why do sea bugs taste so good?!

After my little episode of causing the shrimp scampi to go extinct, she told me that fish is usually an acquired taste for ponies. I guess the best way to explain it would be; fish is like durian fruit. It’s probably not that extreme, probably more like lutefisk. It’s basically an acquired taste. For the rest of the night she wouldn’t stop bugging me about eating all of the shrimp. Maybe she shouldn’t have cooked it so well, because I never get shrimp cooked right anywhere I go!

The most surprising thing of the night, however was when Colgate said she didn’t like fish at first, until her parents forced her to eat it regularly for several years as a filly.

“Agh!” I yelped at something biting me while trying to get under my stomach. Looking over, I watched Starla digging at my side. I let out a sigh and rolled over so she could get at what she wanted. “Colgate, mind getting a bottle for Starla while I start?”

“Sure, I don’t mind. And don’t worry; I’ll check the temperature before I bring the bottle back.” She hopped off the bed and made for the door. I couldn’t stop myself from watching her swaying hips and took in the sight of her curves. As she slipped out of the room, I spoke my mind before realizing it. “I wonder why she has tattoos on her butt.”

I watched Colgate leave the room, waited a few seconds, then let out a sigh. “Probably a good time as any to mention this now, but I’m certain Colgate is hiding something from me. She called herself a filly. I can see how maybe a group of people changing into ponies could cause someone to use different words, but she said it like she meant it, like she meant she has been a pony most of her life. And there is no way a small town of humans turned ponies could remain hidden for, I don’t know, twenty or thirty years? I need to ask Colgate how old she is.”

”Possible.”

I fidget but can’t move around to much. If I move while she’s trying to get food she will bite me. “That isn’t the only thing, either: she knows magic, and a lot more than she lets on. I swear she teleported, or something, because one moment I was watching her digging through her saddlebags, and the next she was standing behind me, saying that she was ready to head out for the day. I didn’t even blink… I think. Or, maybe I just spaced out. But I know I saw her clean her dental picks with magic. If all of this is so new, how does she know how to do this? Someone has to have taught her. It’s not like there is a magic school for unicorns on earth, right?

I wish the net was still around, so I could see if platform nine and three-quarters was real right now.

I slap the bed and twist my hoof into the fabric. “Before I forget, she is surprised by a lot of stuff. Stuff that only someone who’s Amish might not know about would be, and then she knows stuff that would be related to it. She knew about records and CDs, but not computers or USB drives, or how a CPU talks to the southbridge to—er bad example. Sorry, what I mean is; it’s like her knowledge of technology is spotty, she has never seen a cellphone or a laptop until now, but yet she knows how to operate the dental tools at the dentist office.”

I can’t help but scrunch my face up. “That isn’t even the worst thing. She avoids answering anything personal or explaining anything I catch her on. Ugh; I just want to scream! I know she’s hiding something, because even people who live in Banner know about modern technology. Come to think of it, she asked me who Mike Enzi was while I listed off random names of important people in Wyoming. Mike Enzi is the Senator of Wyoming. How could she not know who one of the most important people in the entire state is when she is looking for leaders?” Now my face stings from face hoofing in aggravation...

”Move on.”

Breathing deeply I sighed while rubbing my hoof up and down Starla’s neck “Yeah.” Then I realized something that was off. “...Wait, would someone seriously name their kid Colgate?” I thought for a moment and then groaned. “I read that article last year about parents who named their baby ‘Jedi’.”

May 28 (Morning). I didn’t get my usual wake up call from Starla today. That honor went to Colgate as she jumped on top of me after Starla bit her, trying to get milk from the source. Part of me feels bad for not being able to do that, while another part of me is creeped out by the thought.

Colgate was shocked but didn’t get upset over it. She actually thought it was cute and called me mama again, then flipped me on my side to let Starla keep herself busy while she warmed up a bottle of formula. There isn’t much of the breast milk left, so I picked a formula and gave Colgate instructions to make the milk formula mixtures to hopefully ease Starla into the new diet.

I have seen my cousins change formula with their kids, and a lot of the time the kids can’t keep the new formula down for very long until they either get used to it or the parents change back to the old one. So far Starla hasn’t had any tummy issues with the formula milk mix. Her face, however, tells me that she really doesn’t like the taste.

After Starla was fed we got cleaned up for the day, but then I felt even worse; not only am I unable to grab stuff, but my leg is hurt so Colgate had to bathe all of us. The tub doesn’t have much room for moving around in with two adult ponies and a foal, and it felt odd to bathe with another adult. It was really weird when she used her magic to clean me, because it was like tingling, disembodied hands running through my fur. I grunted and took the cleaning to my rear; I really didn’t want my backside itching again.

Yes, Colgate cleaned me, and it was weird. Colgate seemed to do it like it was perfectly ordinary. Wherever she came from must have a different view on personal space.

I had to nag Colgate to spend some time with Amore’s pack, but she eventually gave in. Starla loves being around the dogs and they love her too, and I enjoy their company as well. Most of the pack seems wary of Colgate, which makes her nervous, but I don’t think it’s because she’s new. I think they probably heard about her oral defense maneuver and don’t want dentures any time soon.

Amore and a poodle rode with us around town, which probably wasn’t the best idea while trying to teach Colgate how to drive. I have seen noticeable improvement in her driving today, despite her fears and freak-outs. Just wish she would steer and use the pedals with her hooves, because magic is cheating.

”Really?”

I wanted to look for an RV at the Camplex, but Colgate said too much walking would not only slow down the healing but make my injury worse. So, we ended up getting more medical supplies. I’m not sure if we can really use human medicine, or if that Advil had been safe to take, so I hope neither turn out to be a problem.

I guess at this point gathering supplies isn’t something I need to mention, but I think you will get a kick out of this. I laid on a bench, keeping Starla entertained while Colgate went to restock her dental hygiene supplies. It was a good twenty minutes and Colgate hadn’t come by once. I was slightly worried, so I got Starla on my back and went to look for her.

I found Colgate standing in the middle of the dental hygiene aisle, a single tube of toothpaste floating in front of her. I was worried something had happened to her till I got close enough to see her face. I saw a giant, open-mouthed smile that reached her starry-eyed gaze. I looked at the tube of toothpaste and noticed what brand it was: ‘Colgate’.

I didn’t think she would be in joyful shock over a brand name she shares her name with, but we ended up taking every product that had Colgate on the label home with us. I’m so glad I had her take the truck and not the SUV. Ugh! I have never ever seen anyone this giddy over toothpaste. I couldn’t even get her to explain why she was freaking out, because she just kept squealing in joy or making these ‘squeeing’ sounds. Actually, thinking back on it, the squeeing sound was kind of adorable, albeit creepy.

“There you go, Starla. You can give mama a break now, ok?” Colgate startled me slightly as she poped up beside me, levitating a bottle to Starla.

“Bwah-hooo!” Starla shouted before grabbing the bottle and began sucking away. She paused as she realized that it’s more formula than milk before she reclines her back against my side. I really wish I could use a camera right now.

“So, are you done for the night, or is there anymore to cover?” Colgate asks as she watches Starla slowly drink from the bottle, her enthusiasm having diminished once she realized that it contained more formula than the previous bootle.

“Not really, but could I ask some questions for a bit?” I watch Colgate tense slightly before relaxing.

“Sure. Can’t guarantee I can answer them.” She motions for me to go ahead with her hoof.

I thought for a moment on what I wanted to ask before it hit me. “Why do you have tattoos on your hips?” I glanced at her sides as best as I could.

Colgate’s cheeks turned an adorable shade of red. “Wha-what do you mean? I don’t have tattoos on my hips.” I felt a hole being burned into me as she gave me a very embarrassed glare. It didn’t last long because her ears jerked straight up into the air and her face took on a look of realization. “Wait, do you mean my cutie mark?

I felt my eyebrow twitch as I heard this insane name. “Cutie mark? You call your tattoos cutie marks?”

Colgate scrunched her face up and bulged her cheeks out in the most adorable way. “They are not tattoos! They are magical symbols that appear when you discover your special talent!” She stated proudly with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. “Well, I think you’re lying. You’re just embarrassed that your oddly mirror-like tattoos transferred to your new body.”

I could tell I hit a nerve as her face turned red and she yelled right in my face. “For the last time; they are not tattoos!”

I let out a sigh, knowing I needed to defuse this. “Well, it doesn’t make any sense.”

She gave a snort while continuing her staring contest with me. “What do you mean?”

I pointed a hoof at her hip to make my point. “You’re a dentist, correct?” She nods her head while looking slightly unsure of what I’m getting at. “You are very obsessed with it, and thus your good at it, right?” She nods her head again while shooting me a look telling me to get on with it. “If your special talent is dentistry… Why do you have an hourglass on your hip and not something dentist-related?”

“Heh-heh... Hey do you smell that?” She asks me as she suddenly flips from being upset to panicked. I—Eww.

“Yes, I do.” Movement to my side catches my attention and I see Starla hopping in place with a sagging diaper. “Someone needs a diaper change again, don’t they?” I guess tactical diaper change ruins question and answer time.

Colgate gives me a pleading look before she notices my leg reminding her of my injury. She frowns and lets her ears fold back as she resigns herself to diaper duty. It has taken her a few tries, but Colgate has gotten used to changing Starla’s diaper. I know she doesn’t like doing it, but atleast she has her magic and doesn’t need to worry about getting anything in her mouth.

I watch in awe as Colgate stands on her hind legs and holds Starla up in the air with her forelegs, letting her dangle without a diaper while making funny faces. My amazement is turned into laughter as Starla suddenly reaches out with a forehoof and pushes against Colgate’s nose. “Gahh! No, Starla! No booping!” Starla’s face went from curious to uncontrolled giggles as Colgate twitched her nose in discomfort. It didn’t take long before Colgate joined in and laughed as well.

I laughed so hard that tears ran from my eyes. It lasted for a bit but I finally got myself under control and wiped the tears away with my fetlock. “I think it’s time for bed, don’t you, Starla?”

Starla shouted “Gweh-heh!” as she was set back on the bed, and immediately jumped over to me and climbed onto my back without her diaper.

Colgate smiled apologetically at me before climbing onto the bed. “I think she agrees that it’s time for bed. You don’t need me to set anymore of those, um ‘downloads’ for you tonight, do you?”

I shook my head and yawned. “No; all the websites I can think of cannot be found except for one site, and there are no seeders found for anything I can think of that’s useful there.” I felt Starla make herself comfortable on the back of my head and then let out a cute yawn. “Are you going to put a fresh diaper on her?”

I was shocked by the sudden impact on my back as Colgate used it’s vacancy as a pillow. “Nah, she’ll be fine. I’ll take care of it in the morning.” She yawned and snuggled into my back, making soft cooing sounds.

I gulped with worry at her plan. “Um, you promise to clean things if she goes in the middle of the night, right?” My only answer was the light switch being flipped and light snoring a few minutes later. “Ugh. Fine. Good night Colgate. Night Starla.

May 29. So, this turned out to be a far more interesting and hectic day than I imagined. I took the recorder with us today and recorded some of what happened.

Recorder?

No dog attacks, but it seems like half of Amore’s pack has taken up residence around the apartment now. It actually feels a little safer, even though I wince whenever Gums comes into sight, which is often since he sits — and apparently sleeps — right in the apartment building entryway. I want him to leave so badly! But seeing Starla hug him slightly breaks the image of what he did in my head. It doesn’t help that he started crying when Starla hugged him as well. I guess as long as he stays on the concrete, in the entryway, he can stay. Maybe I’ll find him a dog bed to sit on.

I’m back to walking on all four of my hooves now, but I limp and Colgate keeps nagging me not to put too much pressure on my left foreleg. I’m honestly surprised at how fast it’s healing. I don’t know if it’s how a pony body naturally works, or if the magic in the air is speeding it up? Maybe it’s a combination of both? When I asked Colgate she seemed like she was going to explain but stopped and said she wasn’t sure. Gah! I’m once again wondering if she is keeping info from me, or if she truly doesn’t understand everything about our new bodies.

Well, you probably have been dying to hear how my dentist appointment went. I guess I shouldn’t put it off, so today’s first recording begins now! Oh, sorry for the loud background noise.

“Come on Crysta—Chris. I’m not going to hurt you. Just sit on the chair and open wide.” Colgate pointed to the vacant chair that she had painstakingly prepped for half an hour.

I couldn’t help but shudder as I fought my fear and climbed into the chair. “I’m not sure about that; half of your prep time you spent playing around with the drill!”

She chuckled and levitated the x-ray bib on top of me. “I was just making sure everything worked correctly, yah know? Just in case it’s needed.” I caught the glint in her eye that told me she absolutely wanted to try it out. I wanted to bolt right then but the fact that she didn’t grab the x-ray machine made me curious enough to stay.

I was just about to ask what she was doing when I felt a slight tingle and a flash of light. “What was that?” I shook my head and blinked the spots out of me eyes.

She popped back into my line of sight, looking slightly cross-eyed for a moment before picking up a couple of tools with her magic. “I just took your x-rays. I don’t see any cavities or damage. Shame, I wanted to—” She stopped as she caught me glaring, causing her to chuckle and approach me with the tools that were floating along in her aura.

I kept my glare as I looked over the tools floating in the air. “Those aren’t the ones you used to pick the lock, are they?”

She groaned and rolled her eyes. “No, Even if they were, I would clean them before using them on a patient anyways.”

I lowered my glare and sighed. “Sorry. How did you learn to do that anyways?”

She smirked as she looked into the mirror tool. “You figure out a few tricks after forgetting your office keys at home and going back for them would take too long. Now open up and let me work my magic.”

“Alright. Just don’t use any mint, please.” I saw her eyebrow raise. “I’m allergic to mint.” I mumbled before opening my mouth wide to let her start.

I’m going to say it now, but after a bad dentist I had as a child I’m deathly afraid of dentists. I hate them. I don’t hate Colgate, but I prefer to stay out of the dentist office.

(You need your checkups!)

After twenty minutes of poking around in my mouth, cleaning my teeth, and coating them with fluoride, she shocked me by already being done. “That was extremely fast and painless for a cleaning.”

Colgate’s smile beamed proudly as she began cleaning the tools she used. “I’m the best dentist in Equ—”

I noticed her stop and turned my attention away from the play pen we had set up for Starla, who was soundly sleeping despite all the noise. “The what?”

She stared at me a moment, like she was thinking, then smiled. “Sorry. Equine. I’m the best dentist equine you will ever meet!”

I couldn’t help but start laughing. “I’ll give you that. You’re probably the only dentist left in the world.”

She started laughing as well, but I couldn’t help but notice she looked kind of sad. I didn’t get any time to think on the matter as our combined laughter was the key to waking Starla up. “Mwa-wa!”

I bent over the pen and pulled her out with my forehooves. “Hey there, Starla. Have a good nap?” She responded by smiling and reaching her hooves towards my face while making a gurgling sound. “Would you like to have Colgate check your teeth?” Colgate seemed to really enjoy this idea.

“Gweewa!” I moved her over to the exam chair, and so began a half hour of just trying to get Starla to keep her mouth open for Colgate to look in her mouth.

“Well, most of her teeth have come in, and I think—” Colgate squeaked as all the lights went out and the machines lost power. “What just happened?!”

I sighed as I pulled Starla off the chair, who was getting fidgety in the sudden darkness. “That… was the power going out.”

“Can you turn it back on?” Her voice sounded slightly panicked, which just caused me to sigh as I shuffled to the window and used my teeth to pull the screen up, letting sunlight in.

“Sorry, Colgate, but unless you know how to operate a coal-fired power plant and fuel it, that’s the end of our power supply.” I bent down and let Starla climb on my back. “Well, we better get moving. I don’t know how long we have.”

“What do you mean? How long till what?” She asked as she hurried to put as many tools into her bag as she could and hurry after me into the dark halls of the dentist office.

“To get a refrigerated truck and get what we can from the stores, and then get what we can from the hospital before the backup generators give out.”

So, it probably wasn’t the best idea to try having Colgate drive alone, but I rather not leave any vehicles behind anywhere. Thank the maker that the traffic is gone. We picked up a refrigerated truck from the Pepsi dealer and went to the grocery stores to get what perishable food was left, and with Colgate’s newly-revealed skills we raided the pharmacies.

Thank goodness there were some books and charts in the pharmacies that listed what medicines were used to treat what, or else we might have ended up with things that I wouldn't have known how to use. Regardless, I still wasn't sure what was safe for us. I know that some of it can be prescribed for pets; I’m just not sure what the dosages would be. Hopefully I can figure it out with the veterinary guides I downloaded. Not sure anything would be safe for Starla, however.

I think I should mention this, but walking on sidewalks, asphalt, concrete, and hard tiles starts to make your hooves hurt. I’ve been ignoring the pain for a while, but the bottom of my hooves are starting to look rough, and Colgate is whining about wanting something called a hoof cure.

Why do I bring this up? Horse shoes. Not those metal things people hammer into the hooves of horses. There are actual shoes for horses, though they look a bit more like a croc or a boot. I pulled us into a Co-Op to look for equine medicine and saw boxes of these. Most of them are far too large for us, however, and none fit Starla. I think Baby shoes are stubby enough that she won't need to worry about chipping her hooves up.

I managed to find a few pairs for young horses and fit Colgate and myself. Colgate chose a pair of dark blue shoes and I took a red set. They also have shin guard-like strap-ons, but those are too long to wear. It feels weird wearing these; it’s like having shoes on my hands, but with no hands… I miss my hands. Er, sorry. Anyways, I realized a few things while we have been raiding the dark stores and trying shoes on.

I realized that I’m about four, maybe five inches taller than Colgate, and she says she’s average height. I don’t know why being a little taller than average makes me happy, but it does! That, and trying shoes on feels girly, and I dislike it. Then there’s Colgate, who keeps looking at my thighs. I have no clue why. She won’t talk about her “Cutie Mark” either, and avoids the topic. Doesn’t everyone where she comes from have them? Hmm... Maybe I should try asking her after she’s had a few drinks.

Oh, before I forget, Colgate got after me for using my horn as a flashlight. I still did it for a while, until I got a really mad headache and Colgate told me. “I told you not to do it.” But it feels demeaning to carry a flashlight in my mouth! I want to learn magic even more now! She said she will start teaching me tomorrow. Oh, I can’t wait!

Sorry for the outburst, there; it’s just that the thought of learning magic sends a shiver down my spine. Not in a bad way, though. It’s more of an exhilarating feeling.

“I’m getting off track here.”

The last place we hit was the hospital. To be truthful I kind of didn’t want to go inside. I was afraid Starla’s birth mother would be sitting in the entrance waiting for me. Her eyes burning and hooves stomping towards me as she screamed that I had stolen her baby. Colgate could tell I was uneasy once we went inside, and, unsurprisingly, we found the place empty. She told me if I had anything I needed to do, anything at all, that she would be fine on her own.

I decided to take her up on her offer because I had a couple of places that I wanted to check. I also had some questions about Starla I wanted to find answers for, so my first stop was the security station I had checked on the first day.

What was I looking for, exactly? I wanted to make sure I hadn’t missed someone somehow. It was really starting to bug me. So, I spent about a half hour looking over and fast-forwarding through video footage, watching the same energy—no, magic wave make people vanish.

I eventually ended up on the footage of the nursery, and found myself shocked. There had to have been at least 20 babies in the nursery when that wave hit, and only Starla had been left behind. I couldn’t stop myself from staring as I watched her crying in her crib, eventually stopping and looking around before crying some more. I don’t know when or how, but while watching the events unfold I had somehow gotten Starla into my lap. I hugged her close as I watched her cry herself to sleep on the monitor, only for her to wake up later, where I got to see the whole event play out again. The scenario repeated itself several times before I saw myself enter the nursery and pull her out of the crib. I felt grateful that I was there for Starla and gave her a kiss next to her horn. No child should be left alone.

I had set up the recorder to take notes on what I found. Instead, I recorded nothing but the sound of hooves on tile, of Starla knocking toys around, and of her chewing on a paper cup as I held her.

“You were alone all night long, Starla. You were hungry and alone. I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” I held her tighter, causing her to drop her cup and nuzzle into me.

“Mwa-wa” was her only reply. It has an odd sound to it. She says that a lot around me now.

“Ahh, by the looks of it I think she forgives you.” I was startled by Colgate coming around the side of the security station desk and suddenly speaking up. “Oh, those are nice quality!”

“Sheesh, Colgate. You trying to give me a heart attack?” I panted and relaxed my grip on Starla, who turned her head, looked at Colgate and squealed in delight.

She was about to say something when her eyes widened while looking at security feed, and then she gave me a scrutinizing look. “You said you’re not her mother, huh?”

My right eyebrow raised at her question and I looked at her, wondering why she asked me this question again. “Yes.”

She pointed her hoof at the monitor as her horn lit up and pushed the rewind button, letting see myself licking Starla. “Then why did you mark her with your scent?”

“I-I what?!” Colgate just broke my brain.

She sighed as she paused the video and dumped a cup of water on my head, bringing me back to reality. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you probably didn’t know, and had no control over yourself, since I have no clue what went into that part of the spell. But what you did is an instinctual thing mothers often do to their newborns, to tell other mares that the foal is their child.”

I’m pretty dumbfounded here, and I missed something I think, but... “So, I just claimed someone else’s child as my own?” I looked down at Starla with worried eyes as she was nipping at the hair on my chest.

Colgate sighed and looked away. It kind of sounded like a relieved sigh, but I was feeling too distraught to tell. “Maybe yes and no. But, if her mother is gone, then I’m going to lean towards no. I have a feeling you were picked to take care of her.”

I set Starla on the floor and got off the chair. “Thanks, I guess.” I mumbled as I bent down, letting Starla get on my back.

Colgate frowned. “I didn’t mean it in a negative way. I don’t think her birth mother left her behind by choice.” She trotted after me as I tossed her the recorder and headed to the elevators. “Wait! Where are you going?”

I let out a sigh as I hit the call button with my hoof. “I’m going to find Starla’s mother’s room and see if I can find any answers.” I feel like there has to be a reason why Starla’s mother wasn’t left behind to care for her. No matter how sick she was it probably completely healed her.

I heard an odd noise from Colgate, causing me to look back at her and see the odd grin on her face. She does that a lot when she seems at a loss for words. “Why do you say that?”

I couldn’t help but let out a grim chuckle in response to her question. “Because I had very high blood pressure, damaged lungs from second-hand smoke, and was nearly blind in my left eye from a kid attacking me in elementary school. All of which physically hindered me greatly, not to mention the fact that I was overweight.” I couldn’t help but slyly smile and do what might be a sexy pose. “And now I’m in better physical condition than I have even been in my whole life!”

I must have actually pulled the pose off because Colgate’s face turned red. “Um… I see your point.”

“Mwa-wa gwhaa na-na!” I looked to my back and saw that Starla was gone, only to notice that the elevator had arrived and Starla was sitting in the middle of it, smiling happily, just as the door began to shut. I freaked out and shoved my injured leg in between the doors, causing me to yelp in pain and the doors to reopen.

Colgate looked at me like I had just did the stupidest thing ever and sighed. “You know we are the only ones here, right? You could have just hit the call button and opened the elevator back up.” Starla began laughing while clapping her hooves together.

Blinking like a fish, I did the first thing that came to mind; shout. “Fudging banana sushi casserole fragging pizza!”

Colgate turned the recorder off before she tried to calm me down, just in case I started shouting things that would make a sailor proud.

Well, would you like to know what I found? I don’t think it’s really my place to share that. Colgate and I decided to pack away the files we found and let Starla decide what she wants to do with them when she’s old enough to understand these things. Colgate said something about manticore food when he comes back, but that’s just silly; manticores are just myth.

And I’m a talking unicorn saying manticores are just a myth. Talk about irony.

I’m surprised that Starla and Colgate haven’t woken up from all my talking. I don’t know when I’ll record next; recharging the recorder is going to be difficult without electricity. Guess I can check Chris’ Supply for something. I think we should really look for an RV tomorrow, though. Anyways, good night.

Author's Notes:

Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone. it has been a long time since I posted a chapter. and with recent events I felt even though the chapter is not 100% I really need to get this out.

First off, Musketeer has grow disinterested with the fandom and is focusing on their job, so I will no long hassle them to do any editing. Holyme is helping me get this chapter polished up and there may be small changes here and there over the next week.

I am looking for a full time editor/proofreader, so if your interested please message me, and include links to stories and authors you have done editing for.

So the big question. "Why have I been gone so long?" Well back in January because of my father being forced into early retirement, we moved to another town where we own my grandmother's old house, which my folks have been and still are remodeling. we made the move at the end of June

Most of my belongings are in a storage unit, i'm in a very tiny room and I became very depressed.

My depression worsened because of my father and the way he thinks the world works.

I ended up enrolling in the local college and getting a job at walmart so I have little free time till recently.

That is the short story.

(update) I have updated my blog Here.

Also this chapter has some art by Suki ( @CrescentScript ) on Twitter and DA! I commissioned these and some others including my new Avatar earlier this year at Everfree Northwest. Please look her up!

Alrighty, Everypony! Have a merry Christmas! Enjoy this long overdue chapter and expect that blog post later today sometime after I wake up.

Update: The chapter had had a proper go through now. I would like to give a big thank you to (they have asked me to remove their name) for giving a hoof with this while Holyme and myself are busy with school.

Chapter5: May 30th - June 8th (tiny update to Buffalo Wy.)

Author's Notes:

Alright sorry for the delay guys. I wanted to put this out sooner but Holyme has IRL issues, he should speed up once he gets a better computer chair and his classes finish up. he has gotten about 1/5th through the chapter.

if you see mistakes or questions please let me know via PM if they are large, and please point out where they are, just one or a handful of words is very little to go off of.

SeverSerenity has been very generous and has offered to make chapter art for MM! Thank you so much, She has several planned for chapter 5 but only 1 finished at the moment, she will finish the rest once finals are over.

Finals are rushing up on me, and I'm burnt out! having a hard time focusing on my work. (doesn't help when I'm told to answer a few questions scattered across an hour and a half long video she linked the class.

So can't wait for final to end, because I will be heading to EverFree NW in Seattle! If your going look for me! Say hi! Give a hoof bump! Shower me with gifts! (i'm joking on this last part! Um, unless you really want to that is... Just don't shower me with heavy object please!)

I don't want to make you guys wait much longer so here is chapter 5!

Dream log 2. I have mentioned before that after the change I remember every dream I have when I wake up. It feels… disorienting. My dreams, they feel, well... They feel almost real. However, even if I know I’m dreaming, I can’t fully manipulate them like a lucid dreamer, they seem to have a mind of their own.

Most dreams I have seem to be nonsensical predictions of the future that happen years after the dream occurred. Here is an idea of what I mean: many years ago, I had a dream about my folks and grandparents eating together at a table. They all start arguing and, well, the best way to put it... is things got weird. I didn’t remember anything after I woke up, but several years later, on a fourth of July evening, I found myself sitting at a very familiar restaurant table with my parents and grandparents, minus the weirdness and the arguing.

If my dreams are showing me an abstract vision of the future, I hope I’m not going crazy, since I literally had an argument about spacetime physics with a floating blue watermelon. Why would I remember that bizarre dream I had about two years ago? I will never know. I had a couple interesting dreams last week. I’ll try and explain them briefly.

The first dream that sticks out happened like this. I was shifting back and forth between a human male and a female unicorn while running through empty streets. I had no clue what was chasing me, but I kept hearing a voice screaming “Don’t let them take me!” I have no clue who was screaming but it sounded like a female. My dream ended when I and was engulfed by shadows. I woke up to find Starla laying across my muzzle, making it difficult to breathe.

The second dream that sticks out was a lot more interesting. I found myself in a hallway made of crystal. It wasn’t your endless corridor type of dream, but it was a rather long hall with a few doors on the sides, and large doors at each end. I felt like I wandered forever in that place, and none of the side doors opened except for the ones that gave access to bathrooms made of crystal, or a broom closet that had nothing but a single broom in it… Which waved at me before closing the door.

There were rooms at the end of every hall that seemed to vary in shape and size. At some point, I found a door that looked like transparent mercury, and through it I could see a very tall blue pony with wings and a horn. She looked shocked to see me. When she spoke I couldn’t hear anything, and after she noticed this she got upset and tried talking even more, which caused the door to ripple and shake unstably. It wasn’t until the door solidified and shattered that I heard her scream, “No!” But the door and the pony were now gone, leaving a very large, empty chamber behind it.

I continued my search until I came upon the only furnished room in the entire place. It was a large room that made me wonder if someone had taken my ideal man cave out of my head and made it real. It was like a combination study-magic laboratory straight out of a fantasy movie. One of its notable features was a rather large and ornate hardwood table, which was covered in figurines that depicted familiar characters and creatures from fantasy and sci-fiction universes, along with various dice and books. Sitting at the table was a shrunk-down Optimus Prime, Gandalf, Tony Stark in his Iron Man armor, Bat Man, and a bipedal black dragon with feathered wings playing a mix of old maid, D&D, and random anime trivia with their left hands while playing video games at the same time with their right hands.

I was just about to say buck it and ask to join until I woke up, however something caught my eye. In the center of the room, on a small pedestal, floated a hoof-sized crystal that had a blue flame in the center of it, and mist poured out of it as it slowly spun in place. I took a step towards it, which caused the chaotic mix of gamers to suddenly go quiet and stare at me. If that wasn’t creepy enough, I could suddenly hear sobbing. Then I could hear someone talking. It started as a whisper at first, but it steadily grew louder. “Help! I don’t want to be alone anymore. Don’t leave me alone…”

I really have no clue what was going one, but the voice continued to get louder until it was screaming the same thing over and over. The screaming got unbearable and eventually the dream shattered around me, causing me to jolt awake. Colgate did not enjoy getting flung off the bed, which wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t been lying on my back. It did feel rather nice to have her next to me, however.

May 30th-June 7th. A lot has happened over the past week. May 30 and 31 were rather uneventful, other than that stuff happens that allows Colgate to dodge her questions to dodge my questions. Every time I ask either Starla starts crying or one of Amore’s pack members goes crazy over something. It’s like the universe literally won’t let me get any answers!

June 1st. Colgate agreed to go and search the Camplex for a motor home. I thought our trip would be easy, but I was wrong. The Camplex was packed like a sardine can, with motorhomes parked bumper to bumper. The worst thing was that I could smell something off. It wasn’t a bad stink, but the odor was similar to what I smelled before Gums and his little pack had attacked us.

It wasn’t long before a feral pack found us and we managed to barricade ourselves in a nearby motorhome. The dogs showed no sign of leaving us alone for several hours, I was just about ready to try charging into a brawl with them⎯Yes that would have been stupid of me⎯ when Colgate opened the fridge to look for a snack and the stench of rotten meat filled the motor home. With a very quick toss, from Colgate’s magic, the dogs were occupied and we slipped away. Too bad this wouldn’t work very well in other places.

We pulled some meat from other motorhomes and left them on the ground, which kept the dogs busy while we searched. We wasted so much time between waiting out the dogs and raiding fridges of their spoiled food. By the Maker, I wish I had a camera drone, then I could have safely looked around. I don't know how I would operate it though, since I no longer have thumbs!

I was beginning to lose hope that we would find an RV with solar panels. Just when I wanted to give up, Starla jumps off my back and takes off running. The sun was beginning to set, there were feral dogs roaming nearby, and Starla wanted to play tag!

When I finally caught up, I found her jumping around someone’s pink flamingos, in front of a spacious area that had several motorhomes I could never hope to afford with my retail paycheck. I’m starting to notice a pattern with Starla: every time I get frustrated that I can’t find something, she takes off at the blink of an eye and ends up leading me right to it. This time was no different. I just wish she could do it without giving me a heart attack.

Off the top of my head, and the manuals I checked, there was a Newmar King, Monaco Dynasty, and... an Element Palazzo, I think it’s called? It’s really cool-looking and Colgate thought it was a spaceship at first. Had there been no wheels I would have played along. Frankly, I’m surprised she has any idea of what a spaceship would look like.

I decided to claim the Featherlite Vantare, as it had the better engine between the two units that had solar panels installed. At least, that is what the pamphlets I checked seemed to indicate. Plus, it has a gorgeous interior. I thought we might have scored a luxury car as a bonus, since these units are listed as having a slide-out garage compartment, but the owner of this one seems to have had it modified for a slide-out porch and extra cargo space. Probably better this way, having more supplies is better then an extra gas guzzler.

I really wanted to take it back to the house right now, but — like I said earlier — the Camplex is packed tight and even this area, which was more spacious for the luxury motorhomes, was still packed tight. We'll have to come back for it with a plan on how to get it out of the Camplex, since there wasn't much daylight left to work with.

Getting back to the SUV was much easier than finding our way to the motor home. We only ran across one dog, who was limping and didn’t pay us much mind. I wondered if Amore and some of her pack would have kept the feral dogs away, if I had brought them along. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful.

Except for dinner, when Colgate and I got into a rather intense argument and she refused to let me sleep on the bed. I mean, really. Are we a married couple, now? Colgate is rather pretty and does… Sorry, I told her how nice it would be to find some other survivors, which she agreed on. That was until I told her how I need to find Starla’s mom, or an actual mare to take care of her, which was when she told me that I should be Starla’s mom.

I keep telling her that Starla needs a real mom, not a guy stuck in a mare’s body. Colgate is adamant that I’m her mother now and she won’t give me a solid reason for why I must be her mother. Ugh! Why doesn’t she understand? I-I can’t be her mother. Yes, I have taken parenting classes and taken care of young children, even as young as Starla, but not for longer than thirty-six hours at a time!

No one is ever prepared to be a mother the first time.

Even so, I’m a guy and it’s unfair to Starla. She has a mother out there somewhere! That’s another thing: when I told Colgate that, she said something about the chance of them meeting in their lifetime being slim and that I shouldn’t worry about it. When I asked her what exactly she meant, she turned pale. How does this work with fur? It’s driving me crazy wondering about it. I tried pressing for details on what she meant, but she avoided answering and we just ended up arguing stupidly, like kids would, and only stopped once Starla started bawling because we upset her.

Would it be so bad to be her mom?

No. I mean, Yes! I’m a guy! It makes no sense for me to be her mom! I think Colgate would be a better mother than me!

I do like Starla, I even love the little sweetheart, but I can’t be her mom. Whoever I find to be her mother, I’ll try and stay with them and be a father figure for her… As much as I can be with this body. I-it just wouldn’t feel right. She deserves to have an actual mom. Maybe I could be her aunt?

“Chris, who are you talking to? It’s four in the morning.” I can barely see Colgate drowsily walk into the room.

“I—The voice recorder… I think?” I look at her from upside down. “Why are you on the ceiling?”

“What? No, Crystal: I hung you up by your hind legs from the ceiling fan, remember?”

I look down at my hooves. “Oh, that makes sense now. I was starting to worry that I had developed a split personality”

I think her eyes widened in shock, but it’s too dark to tell. “Okay, this was a bad Idea. I let my anger get the best of me and I had a good laugh, but it was clearly a bad idea to leave you up there.”

“Oh, thank you, Colgate! I’m sor—oof!” I made a loud thump as I hit my head on the floor.

“Crystal?! I’m sorry! Are you alright, Crystal? Crystal?” She checks Chris’s pulse and sighs with relief. “Thank Celestia, er… Wait, you're knocked out, so I don’t have to worry about you asking who Celestia is. It’s probably safer if you don’t know.”

Colgate levitates Chris onto her back and takes her to the bedroom.

June 8th. I just spent half an hour figuring out how to delete several hours of silence after, well... I fell asleep. I think. Last night was a little fuzzy. Starla is napping in the bedroom, and Colgate is packing up the supplies because we are going to leave Sheridan now. Oh, wait, I didn’t get to that part last night. I’ll fix that right now.

June 2nd. We spent the morning going to the grocery store and loaded as much of the spoiled meat as we could get into six large coolers. The stuff reeked, but it wasn’t the worst thing we would smell that day. When we were leaving, Amore and several of her pack were sitting outside waiting for us. I had no clue what was up until she moved her head as if she wanted us to follow and headed across the parking lot towards the PetCo.

Colgate quickly tossed the coolers into the truck and used it to follow her. This made me realize something: Amore’s pack has been surviving entirely on the dog food that we have pulled out of the grocery stores, Walmart, and Kmart. One big bag can feed a dog for a while if they don’t overeat, but Amore’s pack has at least forty members now. There are two places left, that I know of, that sell pet food: PetCo and the Co-Op. And, maybe, the receiving area in Walmart. I hadn’t thought to check how much food they had left.

Colgate used her tools and unlocked the front doors. When we pushed them open, I began to wish that we had left this place alone. A hundred or so animals had been inside, unable to eat and drink from their enclosures, and with no one to clean up after them while they still lived. The best way I could think of to describe the smell to anyone would be a morgue that someone had used as a bathroom, then turned the refrigeration off, and left all the storage doors hanging open. Even the dogs didn’t want to go in once the smell hit them.

We should have let the dogs get the food out themselves, but they wouldn’t be able to get anything off the higher shelves, and the bags would rip apart if they tried to get them across town. So, we helped and loaded them onto the truck. Okay, it might not have been so bad if I had been smart and had a couple of the dogs watch Starla. She has been having a hard time adjusting to the formula. It’s not sitting very well with her without actual breast milk mixed into it. She couldn’t take the smell for more than a few minutes before she threw up on me. By the maker that was horrifying!

On top of that, out of every animal in the place that could still be alive, the pet store’s only survivor is a scarlet macaw. He hassled us as we worked, by throwing things at us from the upper shelves. I thought he was going to attack Starla when I had found a spot that didn’t smell so bad, that she could rest in while we finished working.

I found myself wondering if the laws of the universe were being played with by a clown or something: because, as soon as the bird got close to Starla, she grabbed and hugged him. The poor bird has been following us around ever since. I can’t get him to go away, so I told him if he uses the hardwood as a bathroom I’m going to have roasted macaw for dinner. He has listened so far, and won’t go away, so I’ve started calling him Archie. I always wanted a pet parrot when I was a child.

Archie is a very sweet bird, and very smart. I don’t know if whatever changed us made him any smarter, or if he was already this smart. He can talk and you can have a limited conversation with him, mostly consisting of: yes, no, bird, danger, and pony. The last one he just picked up. He doesn’t spend much time with us, though: he disappears for most of the day, then shows back up around the evening and finds some place to roost. I don’t mind that so much. I just wish he would stop trying to use my horn as a perch!

Sorry, got a little sidetracked there. As I said before, the plan was to go to the Camplex and get the motor home, but the little side trip had kept us occupied till lunch time. Which included having to go back to the house and shower, because I didn’t want vomit to harden in anyone’s fur. We still had water, but that wasn’t going to last much longer. So, we got our showers taken as quickly as possible, grabbed a bite to eat, then headed to the Camplex.

We spent the next five hours moving motorhomes around, so I could safely drive my desired motor home back to the house. The coolers of meat almost didn’t last long enough to finish the job, but the dogs gorged themselves on the meat till they were stuffed and then slept. I did notice that the feral look they had and their hostile scent seemed to decrease with the offering of food. As I watched them eat for the first minute or so, I recalled the food issue with Amore’s pack. They were friendly to us right now, but I worry what will happen once we run out of food to give them. I’ll keep an eye on things for now. If they start looking at us like we are food, then we will say goodbye to the town I have lived in for twenty two years.

Dinner wasn’t anything special: just a cold can of green beans for Colgate and myself, while Starla got formula. The oven at the house is useless since it’s an electric unit. What is worth mentioning, and I’ve been so excited to share, is that Colgate has started teaching me magic.

She gave me a rundown of the basics. For the most part, the spell most used by any unicorn is levitation, which is cast mostly by instinct and one’s will. Other spells require runes in some manner, via a mental or verbal incantation, engraving, or drawing at the start. With time, practice and use, almost any spell or rune can come to an individual instinctually.

Spells can go out of control if one is not careful and continue to draw magic from the caster, possibly to the point of killing them. Levitation and light-producing spells are not immune to this rule. Avoid overpowering a spell, as doing so will usually cause the spell to go out of control, have undesirable effects, explode, or have a combination of the three outcomes. In maybe three to six months I can try lifting a living being about the size of a mouse with levitation, but nothing else until I have at least a year or two of experience without another unicorn watching me.

We are going to focus on meditation, sensing the magic around me, and levitation. She is also going to teach me the basic light spell and the runes it requires. Once I can levitate things, without destroying them or making them vanish, she will begin teaching me the runes used in spell casting. I don’t know if I should consider myself lucky or cursed that she has a book of all the runes with her. It’s a very thick book. When I questioned her as to why she carries one with her, she told me that she needs to double-check her runes from time to time.

As expected, I didn’t do very well for my first lesson. I ended up being able to keep a feather floating for six seconds by the end of it, before I got tired and collapsed. Unfortunately, the feather is now a bunch of shredded fuzz, but, hey, a little progress is still progress.

Unicorns can draw magic from both within and without themselves. It gets confusing from here, but if a unicorn over drains themselves, or experiences extreme magic exhaustion it can kill them, or any power in general. A pony can live without magic however, but from what colgate explained about about the time it happened to her, not how it happened just how the event left her, she had a hard time moving, she couldn’t draw or control magic, and she felt extremely tired and vulnerable.

Colgate ended my lesson by explaining magic capacity. Using magic is like using a muscle: the more you use it the stronger it can get and the more magic you will have. She warned me that tiring myself out is good and healthy, but if I push myself further things will become risky for myself and possibly others around me. While grim, the final note of the lesson was this: “No matter how much magic you have, no matter how powerful you are, when you use your magic for others you will accomplish more compared to what you can achieve for your own sake no matter the cost.”

June 3rd. The water stopped, so no morning shower. I wondered how long it would take before I started smelling like a horse. The answer, two days. But that’s beside the point. We needed to refill the gas tanks of the trucks and the RV. Pumps, however, do not work without power. No power, no gas; no gas, no transportation. I’m counting my blessings that the construction depot we visited had some trailer-pulled generators, along with manuals, that were fueled and ready to go.

Colgate is thankful that she can’t be electrocuted through her magic, and I’m thankful we didn’t get blown up or fry the wiring when we connected the generator up to the truck stop’s power grid. Neither of us has ever hooked a generator up. It was a learning experience, to say the least. There wasn’t much for supplies inside, other than water, dried and canned goods, and snacks. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I could have really used a slushy right then.

With the RV and refrigerated truck fueled up, I did the last count of our supplies for the trip. Everything should last, but I hope I can find more of the formula that Starla is drinking. I only found three containers in the whole town and the second one is half gone. Maybe I should have gone with the cheaper stuff, but no one was there to stop me from taking the top-quality stuff. If I can’t find more, I dread how hard it will be to switch her to a new formula.

I’m starting to wish I was lactating just to keep Starla fed easier. Not that she hasn’t stopped trying to feed on me. However, my mammaries have swollen noticeably now. I really hope this isn’t some bizarre, swelling bruise from Starla, or an infection of some kind. They aren’t huge like a human woman would have, but they are not flat anymore, maybe an inch or so lower than usual.

That was a weird topic, sorry about that. Anyways, once we were finished I was shocked to see Amore and five other pack members sitting in front of the RV. Starla was overjoyed and Colgate shared my confusion. They apparently wanted to come with us, because as soon as we opened the doors a Scottish Terrier and Dalmatian — who I think came from the fire station — jumped into the truck, while Amore, the Border Collie, and a poodle jumped into the RV.

I figured trying to get them to stay behind would be more of a hassle than it was worth, and I felt a bit safer with them. And, hey, poodles are great dogs. My grandmother raised several of them. They are also hunting dogs, which very few people realize. I told Colgate to roll down the window if they get rowdy. She was confused by that at first, but ended up very happy about the recommendation later on.

I don’t know who was swerving more on the drive between Colgate and myself. She’s still really new to driving and this is the first time I have driven something this big, not counting getting the motor home out of the Camplex.

We took a break in Buffalo, Wyoming. I didn’t find any more of the formula that Starla is drinking at the IGA, and there were no signs of looting anywhere. There was also a very distinct lack of animal life in town, especially since Buffalo is right next the Mountains. I couldn’t smell anything dangerous, so I figured everything was fine. Colgate snoozed in the shade while I watched Starla play with her stuffed unicorn. Eventually, she began to chase a butterfly around after escaping from a diaper change.

It wasn’t long before the wind started blowing from another direction and I began to smell something off and it wasn’t the dirty diaper. I started looking around for whatever was causing the smell before I saw something that freaked me out: a badly-injured dog came limping around the side of the grocery store, and soon after a bear slammed into the poor canine and ended its life.

I quickly grabbed Starla and woke Colgate up before hightailing it out of the little town. What happened as I tried to get onto the on-ramp to the highway must have rivaled the bear, maybe even surpassed it. I heard Amore and her pack freak out and run towards the back of the RV and I saw a bright light reflecting off the front windshield I took a peek back, and I nearly ran off the road because of what I saw: Starla was starting to whimper and her horn was glowing a very bright light blue. She was having a magic surge.

I quickly pulled over, parked the motorhome and hurried back to Starla to see what was wrong. I couldn’t figure out what to do and her horn just kept getting brighter and brighter. I had no clue what to do and I was afraid something bad would happen, so I pulled Starla into a hug. This was not my brightest idea. I could just barely hear the door open as Colgate came in wondering what was happening, and I think I heard her gasp just as Starla began wailing. That's when I felt something like lightning and ice hit my horn

I woke up an hour later with a sobbing Starla pressed against me. I noticed something odd as soon as my thoughts cleared, it felt like I could understand Starla. She felt like she lost something, and after looking around I realized why: we left her stuffed unicorn back in the grocery store parking lot. Colgate was kind enough to drive back and see if she could get it. Just for convenience, I'll tell you that she did get it back. She drove by and yanked it away from the bear, who had been sniffing at it, then drove down a few random streets to lose the bear before coming back.

I was worried I was turned into a cactus or something from Starla’s surge, because of a story Colgate told me about a friend of hers. Luckily, other than feeling like frozen lightning had hit me, I can now feel Starla’s “thoughts” — kind of — emotions and desires probably fits better, and I was left mostly uninjured or changed. The kitchen counters are slightly blackened, but Colgate says that her medical cleaning spell should fix that, and Archie, who had decided to sit and watch instead run and hide, lost all the color from his feathers aside from blue.

Poor fella was dazed, but alive and unhurt. Colgate really tore into me, telling me how stupid it was for me to do what I did. Starla was really quiet for a while, but once she got her stuffed unicorn back, and I promised her I wasn’t hurt, I could tell she felt better. I guess she is starting to understand words or she can understand people by the tone of voice she hears.

Having this connection to her is weird. I can tell when she’s hungry, upset, or if she needs her diaper changed without trying going through what my mother called the parental guessing list. The color of Archie’s feathers still haven’t come back. On the bright side, I don’t have to worry about him hurting Starla if he gets jealous for attention: he refuses to get within five feet of her now.

I Wonder if this connection to Starla is going to end anytime soon. Colgate said the effects from a flare are completely random, but don’t usually last longer than a few hours. She, unfortunately, doesn’t know any spells to undo what her flare did. So, until it wears off we are stuck with our changes. I guess it’s not so bad, but if this connection doesn’t go away once I find Starla a mom, this is going to be awkward.

Starla refused to leave my side for the rest of the drive to Sheridan, but once we arrived her mood picked right back up to being a hyperactive baby and she wanted to see everything. I lead us off at the first off-ramp and took us through the town. If there was anyone left behind in the town I figured we would see signs of looting. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any damage anywhere. I lead us to the town’s only truck stop and we hooked the generator up. It was easier this time around.

We refueled and I shocked Colgate when I started the motor home back up. She thought we would stay here, but I… I wanted to stay somewhere specific — probably for the last time. Colgate followed me back into town, then up the large slope of the valley the the town was built in, where we arrived at my grandmother’s old home. She hasn’t been with us for sixteen years, but my father kept it maintained and slowly remodeled it. It’s not a very big house. It’s actually an old settler’s shanty that was just remodeled and added onto over the years. My father was obsessed with it for some reason, and he kept spending money on the place. Wish he had put solar panels in, however.

The large gate to the alley that my father locked off from the city stood as motionless as ever, but it still opened with the remote I brought from home. I guess my dad spending the extra on a solar backup for the gate was a good idea. Anyone who listens or reads this is probably wondering how my dad legally blocked off a city alley. The funny thing is that the city never legally owned it: the city had illegally annexed it from my grandfather’s land and demolished his garage while doing it. My father found this out when he checked the records at city hall, on top of the fact that the alley wasn’t even listed in the city records.

The city, of course, had a hissy fit over it, but they let him be when he showed them the evidence and then offered to sell them the alley. The city backed off when they saw how much he wanted them to pay to ‘reclaim’ the alley from him.

I never liked this place much, because it creeped me out. It even creeped out my uncle on my mom’s side. It always felt like something was watching you here, and if you did something it didn’t like it felt like it was staring you down. I always thought it might have been grandpa. He died before I was born and my dad said he wasn’t a kind man. My uncle, however, thought it was a hostile or maybe even demonic spirit.

I was waiting to feel that same presence when I took my first step into the house. I was rather surprised and relieved when I felt absolutely nothing in the home. Colgate was confused, but I told her it was nothing to worry about and she dropped the issue. We settled in and then I made good on my promise to Colgate.

We searched around town with a car we liberated from one of the neighbors until the sun set, but we didn’t find anyone. After dinner Amore played with Starla while Colgate gave me another magic lesson. It was around eleven thirty or midnight when the howling began and Starla began to freak out. It took an hour to get her to settle down and we surrounded her on the bed in my parent’s room. I just realized, this is the first time Amore or any of the other dogs have entered a house. What’s so different about this house that they are willing to enter it?

June 4th-6th. There's not much to say about the last few days. We searched and searched but we found no signs of anyone. The local dogs have evidently figured out where we are and there are several attempted holes around the fence line. They all gave up at the cement foundation and the howling has become more distant now. There are some patches of blood where different groups evidently got into fights around the fence. It rained all day on the fifth and sixth.

Most of the time was spent taking care of Starla and magic lessons. Colgate told me I’m making fairly good progress and taught me the spell for light, so that I’m not overloading my horn to see things around me. I didn’t get it right. It wasn’t that it didn’t work, but — somehow — I was making tiny fireworks instead of a ball of light floating next to me.

June 7th. Colgate and I agreed that this was getting us nowhere. So, we spent the day raiding the stores for whatever we could find. Half of the truck is now loaded with dog food, while the other half is full of canned and dry goods, which shared its space with the medicine that we have been keeping cool. I loaded the storage hold of the motor home with camping supplies, dried meals, and a ton of emergency rations.

The Walmart here has a very large section of emergency food kits, though a good portion was meat products and the only thing we might be able to eat from that is the powdered clam chowder. I’ve never liked clam chowder, and I doubt the powdered kind will taste any better. However, there are plenty of emergency rations that we can eat, like tomato soup, rice and just-add-water bread mixes

Some of the emergency kits also have seeds. Colgate said we will need an earth pony to grow them for some reason. Is growing plants and food something only earth ponies can do? That makes no sense! As humans, we grew all kinds of things without needing to be a specific race to do it. When I asked Colgate, she simply said: “I’ve never tried and I have only seen earth ponies grow plants.”

Other than adding walking lessons to nightly training, nothing else happened. Except I seemed to have accidentally grabbed a BBQ pork camping sandwich among the french toast sandwiches from the sporting goods department at Walmart and Colgate tried it without realizing what it was, which lead to me laughing and then the two of us arguing. I don’t remember much of what we said other than it being a heated exchange about me trying to make her eat pork, and then it switched to me wanting to find Starla a real mom and blaming Colgate for hiding things. One thing led to another and I ended up slapping Colgate. She retaliated by tying me upside down to the ceiling fan. Thank the maker Colgate couldn’t turn the ceiling fan on.

Too long.

June 8th continued. Well, I think Colgate has just about finished brushing her teeth. The poodle licked her face as she was yawning and she had flipped out, which led her to brushing her teeth for the last half hour or so. Before we leave we’ll top off the tanks and get the generator unplugged and hitched back up to the motor home. We’ll stop back in Gillette, then we are going to head to Casper.

Talk with ya later.

“Bwah-hooo!” Starla yells as she runs around the corner and tackles into Chris with a hug.

“Hello, Starla. Have the doggies been keeping you company while we get everything ready and I finish catching up on my journals?” I rub her back before she jumps away and hops in front of the recorder. “Do you want to say something to the recorder, sweetie?”

Starla gives a happy squeal and began to babble. “ Oooba-boofa ub-uh mm-whaoo vah-wawa bah-ganah eeee! Mama yeeehh guh-mawhoo eeeee!”

I blink and stare at Starla, because of what I think she just said while babbling. “What was that, Starla?”

She turns and smiles at me before shouting. “Bah-boooo!”

Yes.

I shake my head and scoop Starla up. “I am definitely hearing things again. Guess I can risk an Advil or two. Come on, let’s see if Colgate is ready yet.”

Stubborn mare.

Chapter6: June 9th-20th

June 9th. We reached Casper today… S-sorry. I haven't gotten much sleep, so I'm tired. I’ll give you a rundown, then I’m going to bed. When we got back to Gillette, we found Amore’s pack laying around the front of the apartment complex, or what was left of her pack. Their numbers were down to about a third of what they had when we left, and a fourth of the remaining dogs were hurt. I don’t know if there was in-fighting or if something attacked them.

They didn’t let us treat their wounds at first, and they acted hostile, even to Amore. They looked like they were going to attack us at first, which put us on edge. Colgate, in a panic, mentioned food and almost every dog went from hostile to being our best friends in the blink of an eye. Not every dog turned friendly, however: a st. bernard wouldn’t stand down and got into a barking match with Amore. I should have realized that in her absence, another dog would proclaim itself alpha. It didn’t take long for them to literally go for each other’s throats.

Colgate took Starla back inside the motorhome, while I sat in front of the door in case we had to make a break for it. I wanted to stop the fight but my gut told me that would be a very bad idea. I was relieved when Amore won. The st. bernard had got in a few good bites on her, but Amore had the advantage of being closer to the wolf family, where st. bernards are more of a family dog. The st. bernard wandered off and didn’t show up until later. Losing its position as alpha must be a shameful thing in a pack structure?

Once I reassured Colgate the coast was clear, she brought Starla out and helped me unload the dog food from the truck. When we got the first bags to the garage we had been using as a storehouse for them, I just about screamed. It was practically empty, there were empty torn up bags everywhere, trails of dog food leading off in several directions from the garage, and only a couple half emptied bags remained. I was pretty sure there must have been a power struggle which split the pack up, and then they fought over the food.

With a heavy heart, Colgate gave me a hand with treating the injured dogs, Starting with Amore and her fresh wounds. Out of all the injured dogs, Gums was in the worst shape, but I should have expected that considering he doesn’t have his teeth anymore. His police dog training probably drove him to dive into the fight despite being under-equipped. I… I feel bad. I was going to ask Colgate to give him his teeth back in the morning before we left. I should have had her do it sooner.

A little later towards evening, I noticed a small group of Amore’s pack wander off somewhere. My curiosity got the better of me and I did something really stupid, I followed them… Someone paid the price for it.

Colgate was occupied with Starla who was playing hide and seek with her legs and didn’t notice me slip away. I didn’t plan to be gone long and my shoes kept my feet, er hooves, from clicking across the sidewalk and pavement so no one heard me leave. Several blocks away I realized the group was patrolling the pack’s territory. The group moved warily by a section of houses with broken windows. I could smell it before I saw anything, the bodies of a few dogs in some of the yards and torn remains of dog food bags. I was pretty sure now, that the pack had split and there was a fight, but it wasn’t the only thing I could smell. The scent of a predator was in the air, it was different from a hostile dog and I couldn’t figure out what direction it was blowing in from.

I looked around and to my surprise, I saw Gums not far behind me, he was growling, it had me concerned and confused, was he going to attack me without teeth? I was so puzzled by his worrying behavior that I was thrown off guard by a rustling sound from some nearby bushes, and then he lunged at me. It was so sudden, anger was all I could feel for an instant as he slammed into me, I thought he had set me up to let another dog strike me down! My anger only lasted a moment before turning to terror when I heard a howl of pain.

I thought Gums was attacking as I saw him charge forward, but no he didn’t attack, or strike, or even touch me; he rushed in front of me and took the full force of the blow that I didn’t see coming, knocking me away from the predator.

Quickly getting back on my hooves, my eyes fell upon the one-sided scuffle. I couldn’t help but watch in horror as Gums uselessly tried to fight against the big cat, I couldn’t move. I was afraid, but more than that, I felt regret, I was ashamed for how I had treated him, anger at myself for treating him so badly. I felt like someone was telling me to run while I had the chance, but I didn’t. In a blur, my fear turned to rage and it felt like time slowed down around me, I rushed forward as best and bucked the mountain lion off of him.

From what Colgate told me about earth ponies I probably would have killed the mountain lion with that buck, I certainly snapped some bones and stunned it. That made it angry, but I was angrier. I’m barely making feathers levitate, but in my anger, I ripped a fence post out of the ground. The large cat pounced at me and I swung the wooden post into its side sending it into the wall of the house. I could hear screaming, as I smashed the post into the cat till the plank broke. In the heat of the moment, I couldn’t recognize who or what was screaming. Was it coming from me or was it the cat? Either way, I didn’t care. I pulled another of the wooden posts from the ground and drove it through the cat silencing it before it could retaliate.

You could have left out the details.

For a few moments, I just stared at the mountain lion till I realized the screaming had stopped. I collapsed and cried. I could hear Gums whining in pain and dogs barking from far away. My head hurt from using magic, and my heart ached from the hatred I had for an animal that just sacrificed itself for me.

My legs felt like gelatin, but I managed to pull myself up and get a good look at Gums, no that’s not his name... it never was. I noticed his dog tag while I looked over his wounds. There engraved in the metal was his name, “Luuk”. He wasn’t in good shape and it didn’t take long for the group I was following earlier to show up and start barking up a storm. Things get kind of blurry from there. I managed to get Luuk on my back and carry him home, while the other dogs followed me back. By the time I reached the house I was covered in blood.

Colgate was in an uproar and probably would have bitten my head off if it wasn’t for the blood I was covered in. She tried to patch him up, but she’s not a doctor or a veterinarian so all we could do was wait and see. I didn’t leave his side all night except for a shower, Colgate refused to let me sleep while covered in blood. Starla was snuggled up next to him when I got back, Bless her heart. I don’t think she even understands what happened, or maybe she does instinctively?

Luuk stopped breathing in the middle of the night, I didn’t sleep for most of it and cried till I couldn’t anymore. My dreams were rather grim… I rather not talk about those. In the morning I said some words for Luuk, he really didn’t deserve how I treated him. We wrapped him in a blanket and put him in the pool at the apartments, it felt a little odd but we didn’t have the time or the energy to give him a burial; besides other animals could just dig him up, this way the pool chemicals still in the water should keep them away.

Colgate helped me pack up all the electronics and some personal possessions from the house into the motorhome, I don’t know if we will come back now. While I would like to say these were bad memories, I’m more worried about Amore’s pack. Would she turn on us like the other dogs did unless we have food to offer? I got a shocking answer when I saw her sitting in front of the door to the motorhome when we were about to leave. I tried sending her away, I tried talking to her about the consequences that will happen for leaving her pack behind again. She either didn’t understand or just didn’t care, and forced her way inside once I opened the door.

The other dogs who went with us last time didn’t come, however. Colgate looked rather sad when they didn’t show any interest. She probably would have had a lonely drive if Archie hadn’t shown up, (which he only likes to do when it’s time to eat, sleep, or travel,) and hopped into the truck with her. I don’t know if he did it just to keep her company or if he did it to stay away from Starla, ever since the surge he doesn’t like to be around her and his colors still haven't come back. Considering he rarely stays around us I’m surprised he's coming along. Well, Archie gives us eyes in the sky at least, when he's around that is.

Amore and Starla refused to leave my side the rest of the day. The drive to Casper was long and somber, and there isn’t much to say about the city other than it looked deserted so far, we probably won't find anything immediately. We spent some time on my magic lessons and to test my limits after the incident; Colgate said I probably pulled that off because of anger and my desire to save Luuk. I-I don’t want to talk anymore, sorry. I’m going to sleep now.

He was clouded by hunger when you first met, under better circumstances the meeting would have taken a different path... It should have.

June 10th. It’s so hot! I don’t want to go outside anymore! It’s like wearing a fur coat in summer when I go outside… And that is because I have a lot more hair now. So, I should probably tell you what we found in Casper right? A whole lot of nothing! Casper is a lot bigger than Gillette and Sheridan, so I’m not sure how long we will be here. Colgate has been looking at the calendar a lot lately and scribbling notes on a notepad, all I could get out of her about it has been “timing” and “windows of opportunity”.

I don’t really know what to say? We found an elk living in someone’s greenhouse that we spotted from the road, but other than that we didn’t find anything. Colgate flipped the breaker when she tried to use vacuum while the AC and refrigerator were running. Because of this, we figured out that the AC and refrigerator eat almost everything the solar panels provide, so we have to run the generator if we want to use anything else. Great… This means we have to stay at gas stations to make sure we can keep the lights on. Nothing else to say, good night.

June 11th. I drove us around all day while Colgate hung out the window with a battery powered megaphone shouting for survivors and where to find our motorhome. We didn’t get a response, maybe someone will show up tomorrow? Colgate is going to give me some more magic lessons, Starla is asleep so I should have an hour or so to practice before she wakes up, which keeps her from her newest interest of trying to slap or bite my horn when it’s glowing. Colgate is adding something new to my training tonight as well, meditation, she thinks it will help me control the flow of magic so things I levitate won't explode anymore. That’s all for now.

June 12th. No one showed up in the morning so we left the generator running at the station and left some notes in case anyone showed up. We ran around town for supplies while shouting with the megaphone again. Wish we had about fifteen to twenty people with us and a semi or two because then we could really stock up at the Sam’s Club. No one showed up today, Colgate says if no one does by lunch tomorrow she wants to move on. Walking is getting easier and I can even canter decently now, although I have had to adjust my hind leg stance a bit, it felt like I’ve been holding my legs together too tightly lately.

Meditation was… an experience. Remember when I talked about experimenting with magic without help and feeling like I was suddenly being swallowed in an ocean of energy, and realized that when I was a human I had merely been standing in a puddle of the stuff? Well, meditating is basically the same thing, just diving in on purpose, and now I’m basically cannonballing into it with a lifeguard. Colgate said that she’s trying to shove the first ten years of what they learned as foals into mere weeks. It feels like I’m cramming for a college exam but- Wait, I’m just realizing this now? Colgate! What did you mean by teaching foals!? I thought you said you were a human at one point?

June 13th. No one showed up today, Colgate is starting to look really depressed. Amore road with her in the truck today, Colgate seemed to enjoy the company. We stopped in Thermopolis for the night, we could have gone farther but I thought the hot springs would help smooth everyone’s nerves. Colgate melted like butter once she got into the water. I truthfully don’t like this town. My mother often decided to drag me here just to sit in the hot spring for a half hour and then we would get back home in the dead of night. I miss mom, even if she loved to do things that baffled and annoyed me. I guess the saying is true, You don’t realize what you had until it’s gone...

If you’re wondering, I couldn’t get any answers from Colgate last night, and I felt it would be a bad idea to push today, I didn’t even complain when she called me mama around Starla. I did convince her to teach me how to walk on my hind legs like she does from time to time, She said it will be a long, difficult, and painful endeavor, but I said that I wanted to learn anyways.

On another note, I have started wearing shorts now… I don’t know why, but until I tried walking on my hind legs around Colgate I was weirdly fine with being naked. It’s like unless something gets pointed out to me, I didn’t even realize I was doing something that I should be embarrassed about or freak out over. What else have I been doing that I haven't noticed? Its kind of scary, like whatever changed me isn’t completely gone, or left something behind that is making me more accepting of things that should be freaking me out.

I will check

June 14-15th. I’m very tired, still having a tough time sleeping. We arrived in Cody, it’s a decent-sized town, it’s not immense but it received a lot of traffic because it’s right next door to Yellowstone park and has a very big museum. Colgate said a friend of hers would love to visit the museum but had more urgent matters to deal with. I mentioned that once things calmed down she could bring her friend to the museum, she told me “Yeah that sounds like a plan”, however, the frown on her face told me that won’t be possible. We spent a lot of time using a hand-cranked water pump and boiling water to refill the motorhome’s supply, we had been a bit too generous while showering.

In other news, I haven’t made anything blow up in levitation practice in two days! I have been practicing my control over objects by leading Starla around with teething rings and feathers. It’s adorable and hard to keep my focus with her antics, most of them are adorable, but one nearly gave me a heart attack. I had led her around and sent the feather up the wall, I thought she would just jump up and down trying to get the nearly destroyed teething ring, (baby pony bites are strong FYI), and suddenly her horn lit up and followed by her hooves and she started walking up the wall! I completely lost my focus watching her suddenly become spider filly, and the toy fell. My shock turned into panic when she lept off the wall and intercepted the toy mid-fall.

I was too far away to catch her but tried diving anyways. I hit the tile floor sliding thinking I was going watch her crash. To my surprise and relief, she stopped a foot away from the floor surrounded by a pale yellow aura. I was promptly chewed out by Colgate for leading Starla up the wall and losing focus while she floated Starla around the room causing her to squeal in joy. She quickly put her down, to Starla’s dismay when I joked that Starla might figure out how to levitate herself if she keeps doing that. Colgate’s face turned an adorable shade of red, and she murmured something about there doesn’t need to be another Pumpkin. She wouldn’t give me any details, other than lots of flour was wasted. Yes baking flour, not the plants.

I was using teething rings because Starla has started growing in the last of her baby teeth, from what Colgate explained. She has started biting everything and anything, even if she has been told not to. Even Amore isn’t safe from her teething either, poor girl. Starla is destroying most of the teething toys we find, only the ones you freeze seem to endure her baby chompers.

Starla also puked up her dinner tonight and refused to eat anything afterward. There are multiple possibilities for this, she could have developed allergies to something in the formula, or she could be getting sick, by the maker I hope not. The last reason I can think of is that formula meant for human babies isn’t compatible with ponies, and that Starla’s digestive system has had enough of trying to process it. I’ll try some of the other formulas in the morning and see if she can stomach them, if not I will try organic formulas if I can find any that have not expired yet.

June 20th. Sorry I haven’t talked in awhile, Starla ran off with my recorder and we just found it hidden in a pile of her stuffed animals. What have we missed? I got into a huge argument with Colgate, she hit me, I hit her, she’s sleeping in the truck or a hotel room if we find one… Not sharing a bed with her and Starla makes me anxious for some reason, it feels like something is missing. What did we fight about? It started with what we would have for dinner, then broke down into her keeping secrets and me refusing to accept being a mother.

Why won’t she drop the act and tell me?! Why do I have to be a mother?! Why can’t she tell me what’s going on?! It’s so obvious she’s hiding things and lying, she has this habit of scrunching her face up and looking away in an adorable manner that I just can’t get out of my head and argh! Why is it so hot in here?! The AC is running full blast! I just want to kn- no Starla I know you're hung-OUCH!

“Ouch! Starla, I said no biting. I- no, please stop crying, shh shh shh. I know you're hungry. Do You want some nummies in your tummy? Yes, you do! Oh, that’s so adorable and dog-like when you prance in place with your tongue hanging out. I think you have been picking up some habits from Amore, haven’t you? Here let me get a bottle from the fridge and…” I cringe. “I’ll let you try to get milk from there while the bottle warms up okay? There that’s a good girl. I don’t know if this weird sixth sense (which hasn’t gone away) that tells me when you’re hungry or hurt is a boon or curse, considering you do whatever you want, you little troublemaker. Hehe, at least it’s let me stop you from getting hurt on a few occasions. Sometimes it's almost like I can read your mind.” I feel uncomfortable thinking about… my teats. Maybe I should refer to them as pacifiers or something since I don’t produce milk? Or maybe stop thinking about them.

Starla has been puking back up all the baby formula we have given her lately, doesn’t matter if it’s top grade or organic she urps it back up. I got so desperate to get her something to eat, I grabbed a carton of animal nursing formula from a nearby farm supply store. Starla has taken a liking to it and hasn’t had any issues so far, but there isn’t very much. I don’t care how humiliating it would be, I wish there was a spell to induce lactation so Starla wouldn’t go hungry, I’m really starting to worry about how to keep her fed.
Maybe, I don’t remember.

The last couple of days I’ve also felt weird, moody, and my emotions change randomly. I want to ask Colgate what’s going on but… yeah. I’m also hot to the point I feel like I'm going to melt, but it's summertime and I now have a permanent fur coat. I swear to the maker I’m going to figure out how to make a personal air conditioner once I learn enough magic.

Maybe my mood is related to the lack of sleep I’ve been getting from these annoying dreams. I get them just about every night, they're like torture, also got worse when Colgate stopped sleeping with us. I’d rather not talk about them, sorry, they are just… way too grim.

When I don’t have those repeating nightmares I usually dream about running away from a black mist. If I’m lucky I’ll be in the crystal chamber where my favorite fantasy icons are playing games at a big intricate table, then suddenly I hear someone crying for help before my dream shatters and I wake up. I almost feel like the cries for help are coming from that spinning gem in the center of the room. Unfortunately, I’ve only had that dream three times, and I really want to find out who is crying for help.

Oh, I guess I should explain where we have gone and where we are currently at? Not like it matters much, every town is deserted. Currently, we are in Rock Springs Wyoming, We are going to spend a few days here and then head to Laramie, maybe some of the state university students were left behind. One can dream, right?

“Starla? What’s wrong? Come here, shh shh shh, it’s ok. Why are you suddenly so scared? There isn’t anything… What’s that this feeling? I-Ahh it hurts! Stop! Stop! Make it stop! AHHHHHH!” AHHHHHH!
Colgate opens the motorhome door in a hurry looking unamused and slightly worried. “Chris, what’s wrong? This better not be a prank or? Chris?” She rushes to her side and looks her over. “Chris, what’s wrong are you hurt?”

“Col-Colgate make it stop! Make it go away! Please!” She screams while Starla screams in her forelegs thrashing around wildly.

“Chris, I can’t make it stop unless you tell me what’s wrong. Do I need to- oh, ugh what’s this feeling? I feel like I’m going to throw up. I-I must get away! I have-” She tries to make a break for the door until she feels Chris’s leg wrap around hers.

“Col-Colgate please don’t, please help. Please...” Colgate falls atop Chris and Starla, whether to be protective or from the pain is unclear. Even after the fear-inducing and sickening presence is gone the ponies stay piled together on the kitchen floor of their motorhome, Amore eventually joined the pile of unconscious ponies.

Author's Notes:

EEk! Even when I say something should be out by the weekend it doesn't happen like I said. Sorry!

This chapter has been a long time coming and we got it finished up, mostly I think last night. I really should be doing school work, but I wanted to get this out before Christmas. I want to break this 2 chapters per year thing, So if I find free time from school work I'm going to try and finish up chapter 7 and bug my editors like crazy.

I know I said I would get the art hosting thing fixed, but it's going to take a bit with school. as for art for this chapter... I'm not sure at the moment if we has any art set up for this chapter. I will go back through what I have and see in my free time as well.

BTW I survived CCNA1. Oh my gosh my brain is fried from that class. and CCNA2 has started. wish me luck please!

So you all probably wondering about some things you have seen in the chapter that just look odd, or out of place. I wont point out what it is, I'll just tell you it is essential.

You probably are all probably going to scream bloody murder at this cliff hangar, especially if you have not read the mane fics of the PaP universe.

Some of you may be wondering why gums, finally got a real name instead of a put down nick name. Well there are several, I felt bad for just making him a toss away villain early in the story. I also wanted to give him a happier note on the way out, and one more I will touch after I explain some things. Originally I had planned to write Mandatory Motherhood almost exactly chapter to chapter, that didn't work out and I had different ideas on the dogs. Luuk was supposed to take on a role of training other dogs to fight and Amore's pack would be this protective force that would live in town and find and protect refugees when they come back and lead them to a safe place to live and build a community. After some talks with Starscribe, mostly because of a rant by the artist Zutcha I tossed this idea aside, dogs don't gain this much intelligence from the even so my plan was nonsensical. I also decided to not build on the idea of Chris finding a solar panel powered home in Gillette, mostly because I could not find any homes in Gillette with solar panels, and the few that I knew of no longer had them.

So with my original ideas dead, Luuk, aka gums, had lost his purpose and identity. I didn't want to just sweep him under the rug and be done with it, so I did some thinking and research. I got the inspiration to honor someone, or I should say, an officer in the Gillette police department from an article I read. Luuk I though it would be fitting to give Gums a real identity, and honor a Dog who served to protect. Luuk, you will be missed!

Chapter7: June 21st-26th

June 21^st. I’m sorry about stopping abruptly. I’m not sure what happened last night, it felt like I was dying! It was like death itself was wrapped around me and sucking my soul out! My breath was crushed out of me by something, all my muscles felt useless and limp while contracting at full force. None of that explains the feeling in my core, around my horn, but it still had that duality... A hollow feeling to something that was all around us. The magic, it was just gone.

Colgate told me if I hadn’t grabbed her leg she probably would have went running off into the night. Colgate said it wasn’t as bad for her. She felt like she had to run, and when I stopped her, her next instinct was to hide; piling on top of us had been her instinctual option, I guess. There had been so much screaming, so much that I thought I had another person screaming in my head. I woke up with a pounding headache and gasping for breath.

I wish that was the worst of it, but Starla... It hit her the hardest. When I got done emptying my stomach I found Colgate nudging Starla with a hoof. At first I thought it was some sort of game, until I saw Colgate’s worried face. When I got closer, I-I lost it. Starla wasn’t moving; she looked like she wasn’t breathing. I was so out of it I didn’t realize that my magic was surging. If it wasn’t for some weird ring thing that Colgate pulled from her bag and tossed over my horn, I probably would have blown half of the motorhome up.

Colgate was crying herself while trying to console me, which helped. I pulled myself up close to Starla and cuddled her. I felt like I had just lost something very important and didn’t know why! I’m not her mother, so why do I feel this way!? I cried for what felt like hours.

It was around noon when I realized something was off. It felt like something had ever so slightly rubbed my cheek. I thought I was imagining things, but I figured that it wasn’t going to hurt to check. So, I laid my head back down next to Starla and leaned my ear against her chest. At first, I didn’t hear anything, but then I noticed a very faint thumping sound and felt a very faint exhalation of air against my ear. My heart raced, and I screamed for Colgate.

By the time Colgate finally showed up, her face looked just as bad as mine was earlier. She was wondering why I was suddenly so cheerful until she noticed Starla very slowly and softly chewing on my ear. She jumped on top of me and nuzzled Starla, who weakly giggled and leaned into the affection. I’m not sure where Amore had been all day: my attention had been focused on Starla, who I thought had died. But she appeared out of nowhere, to me at least, shoving her head between us and began barking with enthusiasm as she licked Starla’s face, making her giggle weakly.

We spent the most of today cuddling Starla while she recovered. By dinner time Starla had recovered some of her energy. Colgate made dinner while I kept Starla occupied by practicing my magic. I made a game out of leading Starla around with feathers. I couldn’t stop laughing when she managed to catch a wad of them out of my magic, she looked like she had just eaten a chicken with all the feathers sticking out of her mouth.

After dinner Colgate’s mood seemed to take—

“Crystal, can we talk?”

I jolted sideways at Colgate’s sudden interruption. I calmed down and checked Starla, worried that my sudden movement had woken her up. After seeing she was still asleep, I nodded. “Sure, what’s on your mind?”

Colgate’s ears folded down against her head as she looked away to avoid eye contact. She seemed to be struggling with something she wanted to say before she finally took a deep breath and let her desire be known. “I-I want to go home.”

I paused and thought about what she said. “When you say home, what do you mean?”

“I mean, where I came from. I want to go back to Eque—I just want to go home.” She almost let something slip again. I wanted to point it out and pry her for details, but her teary eyes held me back. “Everything is so empty and dead. We have found no one, and we get chased by dogs! I’m hot, tired, stinky, sweaty and I can’t wash or clean anything. And I'm about to lose my mind because I can’t brush my teeth because of our water rationing!”

Before I could respond she slammed her hooves on the edge of the bed and I could see the mixture of anger, sadness, and fear in her eyes. “And Crystal, whatever it was that happened last night, it ripped away all the magic around us! That isn't natural and it almost killed Starla. I mean we both thought she was dead for a little while! You both have almost been killed twice now!”

I just smiled and tried to calm her down. “Yeah, but I’m fine, Starla is fine, and you’re fine. If we keep going I’m sure we will find someone and—” I was promptly silences as Colgate’s nose collided with mine and I could feel her hot breath on my lips.

“This is nothing to take lightly, Crystal! How do you think all of this makes me feel? What would I do without you? You’re my only friend on this goddess-forsaken planet!” She gasped for air after she finished yelling, having really wanted to get her point of view out.

I looked away, trying to hide my frown and a slight blush from her lips getting so close. There were a couple things I wanted to ask her about what she just said, but one thing caught me off guard and cut me deep: she referred to me as a friend… “I’m your friend? Really?”

I caught her off guard with my question and she gave me a look that asked if I was joking. “Of course. Why is that so surprising!?”

“Because other than my long-distance friends on the internet, I had no friends who lived in town, or anywhere near me. No one to hang out with, no one to spend time with.”

She looked at me with shock and a touch of familiarity. “You had no friends nearby whatsoever?”

I was about to say no but stopped after a moment of thought. “I did at one point, but they all either abandoned me or moved away and we lost contact.” I sighed and laid my head down. “My best friend even started ignoring me because I wouldn’t go out drinking and hanging out with some shady friends of his. But maybe that was for the best. The only time he wanted to hang out was to go to a restaurant, then he would ask me to cover his part of the tab, promising to pay me back or buy me lunch in return. He never did.”

Suddenly I found my face pulled up against her chest. “There, there, Crystal. If you need to cry just let it out, I’ll stay right with you for as long as you need.”

June 22^nd. I didn’t realize I had been holding any tears back until Colgate told me it was okay to cry last night, and at that moment the dam broke loose and I cried and cried until I fell asleep against her tear-soaked barrel. I woke Starla up from my bawling last night as well. She curled herself up under my neck and made this adorable purring-like sound until she fell asleep. I didn’t have any dreams last night; it was rather peaceful for once.

I spent most of the night crying and telling Colgate things until I passed out, some of which I have kept bottled up since I was a child. I guess Colgate must have turned the recorder off or deleted the conversation because I never could find it in the files... It's probably better that way. I woke up still wrapped in Colgate’s arms and Starla trying to feed on my slightly larger-looking teats. It felt rather pleasant, and Colgate smells good, really good, and she looks rather cute…

What am I thinking?! I’m a man-turned-unicorn-tiny-pony-mare-thing! I still find human women attractive! At least the ones in movies and magazines I still find appealing. What is wrong with me?! I’ve felt funny the last couple of days and certain parts of my body have felt off.

It’s your season.

Ugh! This will drive me crazy! And I can’t do anything about it! I’m going to get breakfast. Colgate should have it ready by now.

While Colgate and I were finishing up with breakfast, Starla curled up next to Amore and fell asleep. I guess even a baby horse can run out of energy. She just finished the last of the foal milk we got from that ranch store. I am going to have to search for more of that animal formula, unless Colgate or I suddenly start lactating.

“Colgate, sorry for last night.”

She looks at the recorder suspiciously then sighs figuring what I’m probably going to ask. “It’s alright, Crystal. I’m having second thoughts on leaving now… I’m sorry. My friend Twilight would never let me hear the end of it if I abandoned you.”

I paused at her mentioning the name of one of her friends. She had never named any of them before. I felt like she opened up a bit, but I wanted to see if she would say anymore herself. Well, maybe a little push to get her talking. “If you want to go home I could drive you there. Just give me the directions.”

Colgate spit her coffee out all over the table. “Eck, ahh, what? Um, no, that’s okay! I’m going to push on!” I watched as her horn lit up and the entire roll of paper towels floated over and proceeded to dump half the tube onto the mess.

I smirked as I watched her clean. she switched from her magic and stood halfway onto the table while she used her hooves to shove the paper towels around. “It can’t be that far away, right? I know you couldn’t drive before you met me, so you must have been dropped off and have some way to contact them for a pickup. if that’s the case I can drive you there.”

She slipped off the table with a wet, coffee-filled wad of paper towel landing on her head. “That’s, err… No; I know what you’re doing, Chris. I’m not telling you I’m from Equestria and Princess Luna sent… me? Oh pony feathers!” She started to freak out after leaking some info. “Forget I just said that! Wait, are you recording this?! Erase it! Please erase it and forget I said anything!”

I frowned and put my hand, no, my hoof out to protect the recorder. “What? Why? Colgate, why is it so important that you keep these secrets? Also, who is Luna and what is Equestria?”

Colgate bit her lip, panic visible in her eyes. She finally took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes. “Crystal, sorry, Chris... It’s to keep myself, others, and now Starla and yourself safe.”

I raised my eyebrow at her reason for keeping things secret. “Safe?”

Colgate looked lost in thought for a moment before sighing. “I won’t say much, but I need to be cautious in case any of ‘them’ are pretending to be humans left behind. There is a group of bad ponies who want to exploit what happened here and they are not above lying, pretending to be innocent, and even killing. If they realize I’m from Equestria, they might try killing me on the spot and I’m no combat mage. As for you, the more you know the more danger that puts Starla and you in.”

I looked at Colgate in disbelief. “So, you’re saying you were pretending to be human, and trying to fool me in case I was one of them?” She nods her head in confirmation. I stared at her, digesting what she just told me.

I smacked my hoof into my face, causing Starla to burst into giggles. “So, you have been pretending to be a human left behind… By walking perfectly on all fours, using magic like it is the most natural thing in the world, and giving me advice on how to be an equine from years of experience?! Have you once thought about the image you have been putting out?”

Colgate opened her mouth to respond but stopped. I could imagine the gears in her head spinning as she realized why I had been prodding her for details. I couldn’t help but smile as her eyes bulged. I was getting some revenge.

However, you know what they say about petty vengeance: it’s like the sweetest candy, but the sweeter it tastes, the more bitter the after taste. Colgate began crying and my heart sank. Now I felt like a real dunce. Even if I should have been told more, she was right: if those bad people ran into us, everything she could have told me would put all of us in danger. I pulled her into a hug; it was all I could do to help at the moment. Starla rubbed up against her and Amore leaned into her side.

We stayed like this till Colgate calmed down, which luckily gave me time to think and get my mind off a nagging itch that has been slowly building up in my stomach. I’ll ask Colgate about it later, because it’s starting to get irritating and I feel like I’m cooking.

It’s not an itch.

“Hey, Colgate.” She looked up at me from her book on the couch, where she has been rather melancholic ever since she calmed down. I didn’t know what book she was reading, but it was one the old owners of the RV had. “If you still want to go home I’ll—”

“No. I was stressed and freaked out. I handled myself badly and I’ve caused you a lot of pain because of my lies. I’m sorry. I still want to continue, but if you want to part ways...” She looked away in shame as she tried to hide behind her book.

“And what? Leave behind my teacher and best friend? As if. You’re a cute girl and I won’t leave you alone till the end.” I thought she would be happy that I wanted to continue traveling with her, however her face turned bright red and she covered it with the book.

“I-I, um. Okay; thank you.” She cleared her voice, uncovered her head and looked up at the ceiling. “So where are we going to next? With what we went through, it slipped my mind.”

“We are going to Laramie, where the State University is.” I walked over and put a hoof on her shoulder, causing her to jump and look at me. “Hey, even if we don’t find anyone in Laramie, why don’t we stay a while? You can teach me how to walk properly and help get my magic under control, and I can help you learn to blend in better. How’s that sound?”

Colgate thought for a moment. “I don’t mind stopping there for a bit… But could we go back to Gillette?”

I admit, I was surprised. I hadn’t planned to go back, or at least not for a while. “Yeah, we can do that. Do you mind if I ask why?”

She looked away and sighed. “You’re probably going to think this is stupid but… I left something in that apartment I was staying in near the courthouse. It’s really important to me and I really want to get it back.”

I gave her a smile. “You have done a lot for us, Colgate. I have no issue with going back for something important.”

She jumped forward and hugged me while shouting, “Thank you!” Then she bolted out the door. A few seconds later I heard the truck engine start up. “Um, you’re welcome?”

Hey, listen!

“Well, I guess it’s time to get on the road… Wait! We need to unhook the generator from the station first, Colgate!

Please listen!

June 23^rd. Hello! This is Colgate. Crystal isn’t feeling herself today, so I asked if I could do a recording. She spaced out for a bit, but she said “sure” when I asked her the second time. She has been complaining about being hot and she hasn’t been sleeping very much; in fact, she said she didn’t sleep at all last night. Starlight isn’t keeping her up if that’s what you’re wondering. Starlight is the quietest baby I have ever met.

I can’t get Crystal to tell me why she is having sleeping issues, but I suspect it has to do with her dreams. A while back I recall her saying that she remembers everything that happens in her dreams since she has changed into a pony. I wish I could talk to Pri—er my boss; I know she could help Chris out. Maybe she would open up more if I told her more? No. That’s too dangerous. The less she knows the better. She is right, however: I stick out too much with the magic I use and the way I walk. I guess we have a lot to teach each other.

So, what does Crystal usually talk about? Oh yeah! How the day went. Well, we didn’t find anypony. If anypony is here, they either don’t want to be found or left town. Oops; I shouldn’t say anypony, should I? Laramie has been another letdown. I can see why Crystal had high hopes, however: this is a college town and a large population of students would be here when the sp— um, event happened. It really didn’t happen as we predicted.

I can also see why Crystal said it would be a good place to teach and train each other. Lots of space, lots of big buildings with big rooms, and I haven’t seen very many animals. I wouldn’t mind returning here after I get my item back. Maybe I should have told her what it is? No, it’s not important. I’ll just keep it in my bag once I get it back.

What is important is finding a leader. It isn’t hopeless, is it? I mean, not every leader in this world could be a lazy, self-centered being who can’t do anything for themselves, while manipulating everyone around them for their own agenda… right? I know that wasn’t in the criteria to be left behind. Never mind. Thinking on it doesn’t help anything.

I have been thinking. Crystal isn’t a leader of the government or a guard, or anything. But do you think Pr— my boss would consider Crystal a leader? She isn’t really leading anyone, but she is taking care of Starlight, and taking every step she can to care for her while keeping all of us alive and moving forward. She can also be bossy and demanding, but she always makes good points and reasons to why she says to do something. Like when she told me to wipe towards Starla’s rear and not to her front. I was confused and a little upset that she was telling me how to do it in a “do it this way or else tone”, but then she explained to me that wiping towards Starlight’s tummy can rub her poo into a… spot that could cause infections. She normally doesn’t order me around, truthfully, or even be mean about it, but she does it when something can have profound consequences.

If I don’t find a leader, that would be something to consider. The only issue would be if I could take Starla as well. I was rated strong enough to bring at least one individual back with me, but could I take two with me? I guess I’ll see if it comes to that. I— Huh? What was that?

“Crystal, is that you? Chrystal? I— Ahh! Crystal, w-what are you d-doing?!” I was suddenly on my back looking up at Crystal, who was standing over me, her face flushed and her breathing heavy.

“I’m so hot, I’m burning up!” She was speaking between pants and she took a big breath and stuck her nose into the side of my neck and smelled me. “You... smell really, really nice.”

“AHHHH! Cry-Crystal! What are you…” Then it hit me. I had noticed it before, but I was so used to it from other mares around me that I hadn’t paid attention, but now it was strong. Crystal is in heat. “Crystal, get ahold of yourself please!

“I’m burning up, Colgate… Please, help me.” She kept lowering her face closer to mine with half-lidded eyes. I could feel her hot breath on my lips and I braced myself to be kissed: she couldn’t help it. Your first estrus can be rough.

Before Crystal could go further her eyes shot open. “Ooohha mwawa cowa hahaha wee!” Out of the corner of my eye I could see Starlight riding on Amore’s back, gibbering in glee. Amore was giving us a look, or at least the look dogs back home would give us, as if to say “Really?”

Crystal stared at Starla, then looked me up and down. After looking back at Starla her eyes widened in horror and she screamed before running into the bathroom. After she slammed the door closed, I heard the door being locked and the water turned on.

I looked back at Starla, and she looked just about ready to cry. I admit I don’t have much experience with foals back home, but Starlight crying would just make things worse. “Shh, shh, shh. It’s alright, Starlight, your mama isn’t angry at you. In fact, I bet she will want to hug you when she comes back. You stopped her from doing something she had no control over.”

Starla sniffled and began to rub her eyes. “Mwawa cwa?”

I stepped over and stroked her head. “That’s right, she still loves you and will be very pleased with you.” Starlight immediately perked up, threw her forelegs in the air and squealed in joy, causing Amore to bark and walk off parading Starlight around outside while she screamed, “Wheeee” and, “Awoooo!” I trust Amore to protect Starlight. If she even thinks there is trouble she will come right back.

“I better go check on Crystal. She is probably really confused and— “AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Freaking out right now. I should probably turn the recorder off for this one. Sorry.

So, I am in heat… I plugged the drain and have been sitting in a puddle of chilly water for several hours, now. Colgate spent a good half hour talking to me about what I had almost done and what is going on. I feel horrible! I almost… Sorry, let’s keep things family-friendly. Colgate wasn’t happy with what happened, but she was understanding of my situation. I’m not okay with this, but unless some demigod pops into the room, and offers to make me a stallion, I’m stuck like this. If you were wondering, she brought me the recorder when we were done talking. I think what she talked to me about is something best left for a classroom lecture.

Truthfully, I don’t want to leave the bathroom. Not until this is over, at least. That isn’t going to happen, though: I promised that I would take Colgate back to Gillette, so she can find her missing… Come to think of it, she never said what she was missing, just that it was important. Ugh! It better not be her toothbrush.

Sitting in chilly water isn’t really going to do me much good. I think I’ll go for a walk and clear my head. The bathroom is starting to stink anyways. I— Ahh! Starla?! How? How did you get in here? The door is locked, and I didn’t hear it open. You know what? It doesn’t matter. For all I know you are Loki or something. Even if whatever is trying to make me accept everything would make me feel like this is normal, I don’t care, I just know that having you around keeps my head clear.

Not I. Maybe… can fix.

Come on, Starla, let’s go for a walk. I saw a bookstore downtown, and I want to expand the selection of books we have so that there is something other than estrus-teasing romance novels… I don’t trust my magic enough to risk any of the tablets as test subjects. Maybe I should look for more electronics while I’m at it.

(Starla got ahold of my recorder and managed to turn it on while we were scavenging. I have included… The parts that are not boring.)

“Amore, I haven’t seen a dog around town since we got here. Do you really have to follow us?” Amore barked in response and wagged her tail, easily keeping up with my awkward and slow walking. “I should have grabbed a car. Archie! Quit pecking at the straps of my saddlebags! Colgate had worked hard to set up those things, so I could wear them and haul the wagon without being chafed.” Archie squawked at me, waddled up my back and sat himself on my head. I swear this bird is part cart, the way he does whatever he wants and comes and goes as he pleases.

Starla rolled around in the wagon, playing with a couple of toys as I trotted down the street. If she tried to climb out Amore was quick to entertain her, so she would stay put. After ten minutes I could see the bookstore I saw earlier in the day. Unfortunately the door was locked, and Colgate wasn’t with us. I didn’t want to damage the building and make it accessible to wild animals. I thought about Colgate’s magic and lock picking, then I suddenly had an idea.

“Hey, Amore, think I can use my magic to trip the tumblers and open the door?” Amore whimpered in response and backed away. “Oh, come on! I haven’t made anything explode recently… Okay, maybe I did last night, when I tried to use my magic to pick up a glob of green beans to eat. But this is different!” Amore huffed, lifted Starla out of the wagon and hid in the entryway of the business next door. Archie looked around wondering what I was going to do.

“Fine, scaredy cat.” I heard Amore bark, causing me to laugh. I looked at the door for a minute and then laid on the sidewalk around the corner of the entrance. “Maybe it’s better to be safe, rather than be sorry.” I began to concentrate before glancing up at Archie. “If you bite my horn I will eat you.” He lightly squawked and decided to hide in the wagon instead of stay on my head.

I calmed myself and let the magic flow to my horn. It had become much easier with Colgate’s lessons and I could sense everything around me without getting pulled away anymore, just not very far. I looked at the lock and felt it with my magic. I pushed my magic inside of it and felt for the pins. This was probably far more than I should have tried: I could barely keep a fork under control, and Colgate had only just started lessons on manipulating multiple objects at once.

Stop!

I pushed myself into the lock, looking it over. “Huh. I wonder if the locks have enchantments on them where Colgate lives? I think a unicorn could rob everyone blind with their magic.” I couldn’t so much as see the inside of the lock, it was more like I was feeling it. I slowly tried to manipulate the pins, trying to get them into the right positions. When I thought I had it, I gave it a twist, and found that I had bitten off more than I could chew, as I felt the strain of trying to manipulate so many things at once. I pushed more magic into it and tried to twist it again. I could faintly hear the lock jitter as I tried twisting it back and forth.

I want to point out that Colgate was right: I have a tough time keeping the amount of magic I need to do something to a minimum. In fact I put way more than I need to in every spell. I mentioned in the past that spells can… act differently when overloaded, right? Well, I made the lock explode, and shattered the glass in the door… and the front display windows... and the door is kind of in fifty pieces that were spread across the street and inside the shop.

Ouch!

If Amore could talk she would probably say, "I told you so," right now. “Well, so much for keeping the wild animals out.” I looked at the glass that was everywhere, including all over me. I sighed and took a step forward, causing the glass to crunch under my shoes as I took a step forward. I paused and looked back to see Amore looking down at the glass and whimpered while keeping Starla back.

“Amore, why don’t you watch Starla while I look around? I shouldn’t be too long.” She yapped at me and carried Starla off to a shady entryway. “Let’s see... science books, how-to guides, or novels first?” I felt Archie’s talons wrap around my horn before I could turn to go inside. “Ack! That is not a perch, Archie!”

“So, let me get this straight…” I sat on my rear—er, haunches—while Colgate looked back and forth between me and the lock in the door to the Wyoming University library. She had caught sight of me heading here after I dropped off my load of books from the downtown bookstore. “You blew up a door trying to pick a lock with your magic, and then decided to practice it on the door to every business coming back to the mobile home while covered in glass. And then you found it was easier to just thrash the inside mechanisms so that the door would just open?”

I nodded slowly. “Yes, you can’t always be around, so I had to figure out some way to get in without making a mess or commotion.” She looked at me disapprovingly for a moment before letting out a sigh.

“Chris, trying something like that on your own was stupid and dangerous. But what’s done is done and, despite being a bit barbaric with your magic, it works. Unfortunately, the doors can never be locked ever again.” She looked at me then at Amore, who was holding Starla up in the air by her diaper, since she was desperately trying to get to me. “Let’s get that glass out of your fur before Starla has a magic surge because she can’t get to you.”

“That sounds good.” I got up and followed her. It looks like Colgate isn’t too mad.

“You don’t get to sleep in the RV tonight, by the way” WHAT?!

”Told you to stop.”

Some time after finding a hotel room to sleep in, I shakily levitated a book onto the bed that Starla and I were lying on. Colgate insisted that being here wasn’t a punishment for trying to open doors without supervision. She claims it was because she wanted to air the RV out overnight and my condition would just build up more of the smell. Truthfully, I think it’s both reasons. I pull the sheet partway over Starla and myself and flip the camping light off.

Starla pushes closer to me in the dark, but it doesn’t last long as I reach out with my magic and lift the book up again. My aura lights the room up enough to see the book and read it, although I don't think I can do this for very long. “How about a story tonight, Starla?” She looks at me with wide eyes and then back at the book. “This is a classic. My mother read these to me on rare occasions when I was a child. This book is called ‘Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes’.”

I opened the book clumsily to a page depicting several sheep and a shepherd. Starla squealed and held her front hooves out towards the book. “I’ll take that as a yes. Baa, baa, black sheep…”

June 24^th. We got on the road several hours later than I wanted, but I found something weird. I was going through the truck stop too see what was still edible and I found a radio room, one of those communication radio systems. What was weird was that the equipment was turned on. Since there were no signs of anyone going through the place I guessed it must have been on when everyone vanished.

Not that weird by itself, but what was weird was that I could faintly hear something coming from the radio. If I was still human I probably wouldn’t have noticed it. Curiosity got the better of me and I climbed into the chair and fiddled with the knobs. I lost whatever it was several times but managed to get it back eventually and clear up the signal. It was utter gibberish to me.

Bad; I don’t want listen.

I pulled Colgate away from packing up and got her to listen to the signal, message, or whatever the stuff that was coming through was. She listened for a bit as it repeated, then suddenly she was digging through her saddle bag things. And when I asked what was going on she pushed me out of the room and locked the door. She showed no sign of her coming out, so I finished the cleanup and packing. The only thing I didn’t mess with till Colgate came out was the generator.

Colgate wouldn’t tell me what the message repeating on the radio was. She just said the code was similar and wondered if the code had been remade because it was compromised. I guess that was another reason to check Gillette, to see if anything was sent to her.

We stopped in Caper for the night, Colgate seemed fine when we left Laramie, but she looked pale when she got out of the truck at the station that we used on our previous visit. She said she was fine, but I’m not sure if she really is: she seemed spooked. She didn’t want to talk about it, and she has not pressed me to talk about my lack of sleep, so I guess we are even.

That is the reason I’m still up and recording… I’m afraid to sleep.

Need sleep.

Dream log 2. I finally got some sleep, but it wasn't much because Starla needed a late-night snack. With what little sleep I got, though, I had a dream that I thought was worth recording.

I was inside the crystal hallways again. which is odd, because I usually don’t have repeat dreams except for a certain nightmare when I was a child, but I don’t want to linger on that.

So, I was in the crystal hallways. And I just walked for a bit and quickly found myself in what I’m going to call my dream man cave for now. My favorite fantasy characters seemed to be in a heated argument over which fruit combinations made the best fruit punch, so I wandered around the room, inspecting things in more detail. I was busy examining a magic eight ball, one that had a teal colored eye looking back at me through it, when I heard the same crying sound that wrecked my dream the last time I had this one. Maybe it’s caused by Starla trying to wake me up?

Again, the sound seemed to come from that crystal spinning in the middle of the room. I decided to throw caution to the wind and take a look. The crying was far more intense the closer I got, and things only got weirder from there. Every time the flat surface faced me for a moment I could see an image, but I couldn’t tell what I was seeing. It was like watching an old, retro color tv with the display being ninety-five percent static. I decided to try and touch the crystal, but before my hoof made contact everything around me blew up like a storm of shattered glass and I could hear someone scream, “Sisters!”

I promptly woke up to Starla jabbing her horn into my side, trying to get me to turn over. I obliged her for what little good it will do.

June 25^th. Well, today didn’t go as planned. Colgate locked herself in the bedroom, saying she was going to check that message we picked up again. I’m confused and intrigued, but she refuses to talk about it. Well, driving with her in the room would mean leaving the truck behind, so I had to figure out something.

After searching the hotel near the truck stop, I put Starla and Amore in a truck and drove around town. I want to mention that I don’t see or hear as many dogs as the last time we were in Casper. I’m going to guess they have become scared of anything human related moving nearby; or, since no one is around to feed them, they may have begun to hunt each other. I would rather not linger on that thought.

We ended up at Best Buy and I piled as many laptops, tablets, PCs, and some other electronics into the truck’s bed as I could. I’m becoming a hoarder at this rate, and I don’t know if we will have enough room to store everything if I keep scavenging like this.

Nothing else happened today. Around dinnertime Colgate came back out, and of course she wouldn’t tell me anything, except that she thinks she made progress. As for sleeping arrangements, Starla and I slept in a hotel again. Colgate said my smell is much weaker, so I should be out of season now. She just wants to make sure the smell doesn’t linger.

I’m going to try sleeping now. Hope I have good dreams… This time.

Speaking Enequish? English? So long.

June 26^th. We finally returned to Gillette today. I Have to say I was very confused, but it’s a sign! Someone is here in Gillette! Or at least was here in Gillette. Whoever they are, they must be the world’s worst driver, however: I see parked cars with dents in the parking lot of the truck stop! When I find them, I’m going to give them a piece of my mind!

“Chris! Whoever was here smashed into the generator we left hooked up!” By the Maker! I take that back, I’m going to feed them my hoof!

Author's Notes:

This was a long time coming. Sorry guys, between school for myself and the IRL life situations of my editor's this has taken awhile. Holyme still has about 1/3rd of the chapter to go but my grammar editor gave me the go ahead.

I really want to get chapters out faster. I do have a rough draft of Chapter 8, however it is a monster and a cross over with A Dragon's Trek to Michigan. His editor will try to give us a hand on Ch8. Warning, his work contains swearing and gore. He is respectful however.

There is art for this chapter, however my plan to use Derpi for image linking has run into a blockage, one of the artists who I have obtained art from doesn't want their art on Derpi, so I still need to figure this out.

I did give a hint about this chapter during April fools day, and that blog post is gone so don't bother looking.

I do want to ask, does anyone bother to read the blog posts I make? I was using it for updates but the lack of replies to it made me with no one pays attention to it. if you guys do let me know if I should start using the blog again.

Also, if you stop an error, or something doesn't read correctly please feel free to send me a message pointing it out and where it is in the story. location by paragraph preferably, thank you.

Also do any of my readers attend Everfree NorthWest? I have gone the last several years offering to meet any readers who are attending but no one has ever responded that they are attending that convention.

Thank you ever pony for your patience and understanding.

Now I need to make a cover letter and search for an IT internship for the next Fall semester. 3 more classes to complete before I graduate. Wish me luck!

Bonus, Mandatory Motherhood has reach 250 upvotes! I couldn't have done it without you guys!

June 26th

Author's Notes:

This is so long over due, I am so sorry everyone.

Normally I would leave this at the bottom of the page, but I felt that I need to get this out first to my readers. First off this is the Largest chapter to date and a cross over with the story A Dragon's Trek to Michigan by Megaskullmon. I'm not directly linking the story as dragon's trek is a Mature rated story and I don't want to potentially break the no NSFW link rule. If you wish to read dragon's trek it's located just inside of his story list. Dragon's trek also takes place in Wyoming and the author lives a half hour away from where I currently reside. WARNING: Dragons trek is rated mature! there is a lot of wearinging and other mature themes.

Just so you know the very first draft was over 16000 words long. I tore out around 4k to use for another chapter and then cut out around another 4k via editing.

Unfortunately Holyme hasn't responded to any messages and this is the last chapter for my grammar editor, who still wishes to be anonymous. I have two potential people willing to help, so if things work out I hope to get things moving again.

As for my own life, I graduated but I can't find a job in town to use my degree in cyber security, not even a basic IT position. I have a few ideas in mind but I'm not sure where to start with them. I might post about them in my blog and if anyone has experience with them can give me any information/tips.

I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Maybe some people will notice the bread crumbs I have been leaving. I don't think anyone ever has who wasn't an editor.

As always if you notice mistakes, error, weird grammar or sentence structure. please message it to me with the paragraph it is in.

June 26^th. “Chris, calm down.” Colgate patted my shoulder, as I drove us around, following the random trail of vehicles with scrapes and collision dents. “Look, the generator at the gas station didn’t blow up, and we replaced it with another one from that construction company. What are you going to do when you find them, if you even find them? They might not even be in town anymore.”

I slowed down a couple blocks from the courthouse. I was so frustrated at the random acts of vandalism all over town, I had forgotten that the culprit may be long gone.

I parked at the corner of East 6th Street and South Gillette Ave. and sighed. “You’re right. Sorry.”

Colgate smiled at me as she unbuckled herself and Starla. “It’s fine Crysta- Chris. But, hey, look it’s the apartment I was staying in, it’s just across the street. Let’s go get the thing I left behind before you forget.”

I let out a snort as Starla jumped on my back, before I closed the door. “Yes, miss I-forgot-something-important-but-I-won’t-say-what-it-is.”

“Chris… I-I just don’t want you to be upset. You will probably think it was stupid to come back if you knew.” She came around the corner of the SUV looking glum.

You made her feel bad.

“I… Um… I’m sorry. Even if it’s something insignificant to most people, it probably has sentimental value to you, right?” A sad smile crept onto Colgate’s face before vanishing and she started looking all around.

“Crystal, where is Starlight?” She asked, urgency rising in her voice.

I looked at my back and Starla was gone. ”Oh no, not again! Starla! Starla, where are you?!”

Colgate and I each took off down Gillette Ave., looking and calling for Starla. Colgate went towards the Junior High, while I went down towards the businesses.

It didn’t take me long to find Starla. However, she was using someone’s nose as a teething ring. She was chewing on the nose of a young black-scaled dragon, with a lime green-colored unicorn standing next to it, and both were staring at Starla in surprise. They noticed I was there and their eyes shift from Starla and onto me. “Starla! Bad girl! Let go of… the dragon’s nose?” I didn’t feel any fear that there was a dragon there. Okay, a little bit, but not some irrational fear to run. I felt a little bit of fear because Starla was biting it’s — um her — nose. No, I felt very embarrassed.

The dragon looked up. “Excuse me, miss could you please get this little monster off my nose?”

I looked at Starla, who continued to bite on the dragon’s nose and sighed in relief that it/she wasn’t upset and attacking. “Starla, no; please come here.” Starla continued to bite and pull on the scales of the dragon that she had discovered. I let out a louder sigh, this time in frustration, and began to step forward, but paused because I recalled Colgate saying something about some bad ponies, so I put effort into making my steps look like I haven't practiced. I Grabbed Starla between my hooves and attempted and pull her away while showing a strained smile. “Starla, sweetie, please let go of the dragon.” (This was embarrassing.)

Starla began to giggle and lost her grip on the dragon as a gold aura tickled her belly. A new voice spoke up from the side. “Hey there, little cutie. I know Russell has tough skin, but she isn’t a chew toy.” She stepped into sight from behind the Dragon, whose name is apparently Russell.

Starla squirmed and squealed, holding her hooves out toward Russell. “Starla, stop that, please. I know you still have teeth coming in, but peo—living things are not teething rings.” While Starla sulks in my hooves and whimpers, I look toward the newcomer. “Sorry about that. I have never seen her act like this before.”

"No worries. Russell is fine. Right, Russell?" The dragon turned her head to the mare, with a tired and irritated gaze. “What's with that look, Russell? We finally meet other people and you act like you don’t care?“

“ Lyra… I allowed you to come with me. I did not give you permission to speak for me or order me around.” The dragon said with anger in her voice. She sighed and looked at Starla for a few seconds before her lips curled into a smirk. “Ouch. Oh, the pain, your teeth hurt so much.”

Starla started to giggle and renewed her efforts to reach Russell. I groaned and told Russell, “Please be serious. She knows you’re playing.”

“It’s either this or angry. I used to be a human, then I woke up as a large lizard and this horsey started following me around like a disobedient puppy, also don’t let her drink or things get weird.”

Starla managed to wiggle free from my hooves and leapt at Russell, biting onto her nose once more. “Aieyah... I wish I had my hands back. Sorry.”

Russell’s smirk split into a grin as she began to laugh. “Haha. Oh no, you beat me young jedi. I am defeated.” She suddenly launched herself up and flipped over onto her back, which made me panic, but Starla managed to hold on until Russell came to a stop. Starla lost her hold and slid down Russell’s chin, and settled into the curve of her neck like a hammock.

I sighed in relief. My worries were soon renewed as Starla twisted around and bit down on the thinner hide of Russell's neck.

Russell blinked in shock. “ GAH! Ouch ouch! Not there, little one! OUCH!”

Starla immediately stopped and pulled her head up, looking ashamed and pouty with her ears folded back. “Awoob.”

Okay, now i’m scared. “Starla, come back here, please.” Starla looked at me before she slid off of Russell and scampered around to Russells face, and hugged her while making baby noises. “Um, sorry, Russell. Starla has developed the idea that hugs make ouchies feel better, and mean I’m sorry.”

Lyra fell to the ground laughing. “Oh, Russell, I think she likes you. You might be a good mother yet.”

Russell lifted Starla up with a clawed hand as she sleepily sat back up. She looked at Starla as if she just realized she was there, then turned to look at me with wide eyes. “Were you the one who wiped out the baby supply section at the grocery store in Buffalo?”

“Yes, that was us. Unfortunately, she can’t stomach human baby formula anymore. It is getting harder to feed her because of that.”

Lyra shoved her face into mine energetically. “ Have you tried cow’s milk?” Woah, too close! Wait, now that I get a good look at her, she looks kind of thin and rough.

I have to stop myself from staring at her. “Um, miss… Lyra? You do realize that all the milk at the stores has expired, right? Also, there are no dairy farms anywhere near here.” She doesn’t seem to have any local knowledge like Colgate. Is she another pony from that Equestria place?

She didn’t seem to hear most of what I said and kept rambling. “We saw some cows along the way here. You could just milk them.”

I looked at Russell to ask if Lyra was being serious. Russell was holding a claw over her face in a mix of embarrassment and annoyance at Lyra’s behavior, while Starla was climbing up and down Russell’s hand like it was playground equipment. Before anyone could say anything, Colgate made her presence known.

“Crystal! Did you find Starla? I heard some shouting from down the street and—” Colgate came around the corner of a car and froze, she scanned the scene taking everyone in until her eyes locked onto Lyra. “Lyra?!”

Lyra stared at Colgate. “H-hey, Minuette… It’s nice to see a familiar face. Why are you here?” She quickly glanced at Russell, who returned her look with a nasty glare.

I will admit I’m annoyed, angry, and somewhat shocked that I heard someone call Colgate by another name, but someone else was even more upset by this.

Lyra was dragged over to Colgate by her ear, which was wrapped in a golden aura. “Why am I here?! Why in Celestia’s name are you here?! Your jump location was in Whinnesotta! You should be hundreds of miles from here!” She leaned in and whispered, “Don’t use my real name! Use the nickname Pinkie gave me!” (I’m actually surprised the recorder picked this up.)

“Look, I am…” Lyra froze as she heard Russell let out a growl while she put Starla down. She quickly scurried under my legs while whimpering, “Oh no…”

Russell crouched down while snorting smoke out of her nose. “There are more of you here?! You hid this from me?! I thought I told you to stop hiding things from me, Lyra!”

“Russell, please calm down… Take deep, steady breaths. Be gentle and calm.”

“'Be gentle,' she says. ‘Be calm’ she says. Oh, that’s so easy for you, Lyra — isn't it?! One of my dogs has been missing for weeks, and considering the wild animals running loose she was probably eaten!” Russell starts stomping up and down the street, switching between a normal speaking tone and shouting at the top of her lungs in a frustrated rant. “And you know whose at fault for that? You! I took a nap and you couldn’t keep your eyes on them like I asked you to, could you?!”

Colgate’s own anger suddenly took the back burner and she slowly started to walk backwards, towards me.

“Russell, you were asleep for a week and your dogs…” Lyra tried to get her own point across, but Russell quickly got into Lyra’s face and huffed a cloud of smoke directly into it, causing her to cough and sputter, trying to get the soot out of her mouth.

“Also, you keep lying about everything, or you dodge my questions while acting like I said nothing. I woke up looking like this!” She motioned her claws from her head down as she spoke. “And then you show up out of nowhere like everything is perfectly normal! You use your magic like it's an everyday thing for *beep*’s sake!”

I could feel Starla hug herself up against my back leg as her whimpering grew louder. I wasn’t sure what to do, I had so many questions, everyone was upset, and it was making me upset! But what am I supposed to do? There is an angry dragon in front of me.

Russell slammed her forearms on the ground, causing Lyra to fall on her rear and crawl away from Russell, who pursued her as if she was going to bite Lyra’s head off. “Tell me everything right now, Lyra, or so help me I’m going to…!”

A sparking sound caught my attention. It sounded like a lit firecracker wick. I had an urge to check Starla and saw her horn was glowing and spraying small sparks. Something in me snapped and every piece of logic that told me to play it safe was tossed out the window as I shouted, "enough," and — apparently — smacked Russell. I don’t know if I did it literally or figuratively, they wouldn’t give me a straight answer when I asked later on, because she was looking at me with that expression that kids give their parents, when the parents do something they never thought they would do.

Colgate and Lyra were looking at me in shock. Apparently my own horn was starling to spark and it brought Colgate back to the present. “Crystal, please calm down. Everypony calm down, please. Lyra, calm your friend down. I know there is a lot of anger right now, but I really do not want to be vacuumed up, crushed, exploded, or turned into a cactus right now if Chris or Starla has a magic surge!”

Russell had begun to recover and her anger returned to her face, until she heard Colgate talk about explosions and cactuses. “Magic surge?”

“Yeah, that’s when a unicorn’s magic loses control, and the results can be unpredictable. Sometimes what happens is magic related to the unicorn’s special talent, and sometimes it can turn every pony within 60 feet into cactuses. That is just an example, of course.” Lyra’s horn glowed as she explained what magic surges are to a confused, but still upset dragoness. The door of a nearby truck opened and a large sheep dog, as well as a little white dog, rushed out and began barking at Russell. They yipped and bounced around her as if the dragon was a little girl who just returned from school. Russell visibly relaxed as she began to pet the little dog as the larger one ran back to the truck and returned with a small ball while whimpering at Russell, signalling that they wanted to play.

“Lyra...?” Russell asked as she turned to face the green unicorn. “Did I almost go on a rampage again?” She took the ball from the dog’s mouth, took aim, and tossed it down the street, prompting both dogs to chase after it. “I-I’m so sorry.” She seems scared of herself. “It’s hard to stay in control of myself.”

Russell and Lyra both noticed my eyes were still glowing for a few moments as Colgate continued to whisper reassurances to me, which was weird because I had already calmed down, but the glow hadn’t gone away. When my eyes stopped glowing they told me something weird: for a few seconds my irises were pink and my pupils white before they returned to the normal amber color that my transformation had left me with. “That is creepy. Does that normally happen?”

“I… don’t think so?” Colgate looked at Lyra in confusion, who shrugged. “We are not aware of any side effects like that, at least. Surges can have random effects, so it’s possible, maybe?” She gave me a hug as I felt Starla climb onto my back and cuddle into my neck. “It went away, so at least it wasn't permanent, Crystal.”

I sighed and hugged Colgate back. “I’m a little dizzy. can we find some place to sit down and have something to eat, please?” I looked at her and groaned. “And Colgate: I have said repeatedly that my name is Christopher, not Crystal.”

“Food sounds good,” Russell said. “Let me go get those amazing crystals with meat in them, and then we can go to that restaurant down the street.” She shot off down the street leave Colgate and I confused.

”She rushed off to fetch her… snack.” Lyra’s coat visibly turned a darker shade of green as she spoke.

Colgate looked at me in horror as we both realized what Russell was talking about. “We forgot to bury those, didn’t we?” she asked.

Lyra groaned and began walking off down the street. “I wish you had. If she isn’t eating gross things around me, she explains things to me in disturbing detail, which I never ask for.” She levitated a small box out of the truck and tossed it in front of us. “She ate a case of these before she realized what they were, then told me what they were and every possible use for them outside of what they were made for.”

I cringed while Colgate looked at the box in confusion. I guess wherever she came from didn’t have protection. Then Colgate said something that made me change my mind. “I don’t want to know why you are carrying around a box of condoms.” Colgate blinks before a deep blush forms on her face.

Lyra growled. “That's only because she randomly eats and takes things. She can’t help herself. She has cases of MREs, gas cans and water jugs in the trailer, and even more that she put in that city hall building. I can’t tell if she planned to give them to you, whoever shows up, or move into the place and make a nest.”

I was just about to question Lyra before a loud bark interrupted me. I witnessed Lyra’s eyes grow and her irises shrink to the size of marbles as Amore shot past me and tackled her to the ground. Amore began to sniff every inch of her before deciding she was safe and began to lick her face relentlessly.

Colgate grinned as she watched her friend drowning in dog kisses. “Oh… Say hello to Amore.”

Lyra was desperately trying to keep Amore’s tongue from getting into her mouth, she managed to get a hoof under her chin and shove Amore’s head up “A giant dog now?! Ick! Ok no more kisses please! Russell's dogs give me enough as is!”

Amore stopped for a few seconds, before she laid herself on top of Lyra, pinning her in place and then proceeded to renew her kisses, focusing on Lyra’s eyes and muzzle. Starla squealed in delight and jumped off of my back, quickly making her way over to Amore while shouting, “Queega” repeatedly.

Lyra wiggled her free hoof at us. “Save me!”

Colgate turned to me. “Um…”

I chuckled as Amore continued to greet Lyra. “She's fine. Colgate, you on the other hand... I would like some answers from. I understand you have your reasons to keep things from me, but surely you can tell me something.”

Colgate sighed. “I will think about what I can tell you, Chris. However, I can’t guarantee anything will be helpful.

Russell returned while chewing on a crystal. Her dogs happily ran around her large feet, with the smaller one holding the ball in his mouth. With a smirk, she said, “I feel sorry for you since you seem to have a history with Lyra,” As she laid a flower on Colgate’s head.

“I am not, gah, crazy!” Lyra shouted. “Somepony please get this giant dog off of me!”

“You destroyed the video game department in a store after I told you about them, Lyra. You’re crazy.” Russell pointed out. It took her a moment before she realized just how big Amore is and scooped her dogs up as they attempted to inspect Amore, and put them back into her truck.

Colgate sniffed the flower before answering. “Eh-heh. She’s a friend from school. And…” She paused as she considered Russell’s last remark. “What did you tell her about video games that would make her do that? I’ve watched some of the movies Chris has, and I can’t think of anything in one of those games that would be worse than what I watched.” She popped the flower into her mouth and began to happily eat it.

“I told her that a lot of games are violent, suggestive, brutal, and gory. I went into deep details on a few… And now that I think about it, that was probably a bad idea.”

Chris sighs, and Colgate blinks before groaning and saying, “Lyra, considering the situation we were told about in training and what we have experienced, I think you blew things out of proportion.” She pulls a treat out of her bags and whistled, causing Amore to sit up and follow Colgate down the street. “I think the movie that Chris showed me, DOOM, was worse.” She looks back at us. “There is a restaurant down the street called the chop house, right? Let’s see if there is anything salvageable there.”

"I agree," Russell said. "Also, I showed Lyra a lot of movies before my power went out. I showed her Judge Dread, Jurassic Park, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and other movies. I even showed her the movie ‘IT’.” Lyra shivered when that final movie was mentioned.

Lyra took off down the street. “Let’s go find food now!”

“They all float down here…” The dragon said. smirks as Lyra shivered and ran faster.

It wasn’t long before we were inside the restaurant. I had shredded the door lock before Colgate could get her dental tools out of her bag. “Chris, if you want anyone who shows up to be able to use these buildings as shelter, please stop destroying the locks.”

Lyra looked at Russell like a disappointed parent. “You should consider that as well, considering all the doors you’ve ripped off of buildings.”

Colgate looks at Lyra and they both let out a sigh.

I sulked in shame, and Starla giggled in response from atop Amore’s back. “Sorry...” I step through the door, only to hear flapping as Archie landed on one of Russell’s horns. “Archie, how many times have I told you? People are not perches.” He squawked and flapped his wings, sending a few small feathers flying.

Russell managed to snort one of the feathers up her nose and she began to sneeze. Lyra yelled at her to face away from the building, and she spun around just in time to launch a stream of fire down the street. Archie took after realizing that he was perched no a living flame thrower.

Starla giggled and clapped her hooves together, finding the display entertaining. However, Amore took off into the restaurant, yelping.

“I am suddenly glad I woke up as a unicorn and not a dragon… I would have burnt everything around me down.” I turned away from the flame display and headed to the kitchen to see what I could find.

“She has burned and ransacked several places in Buffalo,” Lyra commented.

Colgate raises an eyebrow. “Crystal is pretty methodical at her looting. She says it’s a habit from video games, and zombie movies. I had to learn to drive a small cargo truck because of the stuff she gathers and has to stay cold. She’s struggling to control her magic, though. She told me she sent a fork into orbit when she tried to figure things out herself, and I have watched her blow up a few objects as well. Before you ask: I am teaching her. I can’t leave her alone with a baby and no control over her magic.” She snickers. “She has blown up a diaper once already when she tried using magic to change Starla’s diaper, and it was a very full one. That was gross at the time, but it’s funny now that I think about it.”

Lyra blanched at the thought of an exploding diaper. “Ick. Well, I had to hide on the trailer to get here. She didn’t want me to come along despite the fact that she randomly falls asleep or loses control for long periods of time, and can’t take care of herself or her dogs when that happens.” She lets out a huff and crosses her forearms. “She acts like I’m useless and didn’t want me to come along.“

Colgate sighs and she climbs into a chair. “Lyra, you are hoof-full to deal with. I’m surprised your roommate hasn’t killed you. You eat other ponies’ food when they aren't looking, you sit in the weirdest way, you have your weird obsession that you think you've kept hidden but everyone knows about.”

"I did this for Bon Bon," Lyra mumbled as she took a seat next to Colgate. "She wanted me to amount to something, so I did this for her."

“That's why Twilight got you assigned to land in what she thought would be a big city east of here," Colgate reminded her, "so you would have an easier time finding someone. You had a hard time doing the spell in the tests, since your special talent is music. Did you know there was a betting pool against you in the training group?”

"Yes," Lyra replied, she crossed her hooves and scrunched her face up in iritation. “In fact, some of the others were bragging about their bets to me to try and get me to quit. But I made up my mind to follow through with it, so I kept going. I want to help Russell because I see some of myself in her, but she’s such a hoof-full!”

Colgate giggles. “You think Crystal isn’t? She almost…” Colgate blushed and shook her head. “She is just getting out of her first heat, and it was a bad one.”

“Colgate, how did you not notice the smell? Heat has to be a new experience for her; you know what some mares are willing to do when they can’t meet their needs.”

Colgate groans as she levitates Starla off of Amore and puts her into the high chair. Starla pouted until Colgate pulled a bottle and a carton of livestock formula out of her bags. “I did, but she acted normal at first, so I figured she was like other mares and had herself under control. Then she almost did something scary, but thanks to Starlight, here, she snapped back to her senses and took a cold shower.”

"Yeesh," Lyra responded, before changing the subject. “By the way: Why do you keep calling her Starla and Starlight and Chris by her name and Crystal? I did give Russell a name: Malla. She doesn't get upset at it. In fact, she welcomes it, she wants to forget her old life. But why do you keep going back and forth, and why do they call you Colgate? You could just give your real name.”

Colgate gave Lyra an annoyed look. “Are you forgetting about that cult, who the Princess thinks snuck over? I’m using the nickname Pinkie calls me to keep myself under wraps as best as I can. I have made a lot of mistakes trying to hide things. Crystal has found some things out, and then she pointed out my behavior throws off any attempts I have made to keep hidden!”

Colgate slammed her hoof on the table. “If we had run into any of them, I would have revealed myself without meaning to. I didn’t want to tell Crystal anything in case we ran into them, because if we did or ever do, her knowing anything could get her and Starlight killed. As for why I called them by those names… I just feel it fits them. Chris and Starla sounds so weird… But I’m trying to call them by their human names so we don’t get found out.”

“Maybe I should do that too, in case—gack!” Suddenly Russell grabs them out of their chairs and crushes them in a hug.

“Oh my gosh! You two are just so cute when you’re grouped together and talking and— Oh I could just hug you and squeeze you all day long!”

Colgate squeaks. “Oh, pony feathers.”

Lyra gasped. “Can’t breath...”

I walked out of the kitchen while pushing a cart with some cans of tomato soup and a bowl covered with a towel on top. I almost tripped as I caught sight of Russell hugging Colgate and Lyra. “Okay, then… Uh, Russell, can you set up a cook fire outside or find some way to heat up the grill? Otherwise we are going to be eating cold soup. If you don’t care that meat is rotten, the walk-in cooler is full of it.” I shakily levitate the bowl down to Amore, who sniffed it a few times before shoving her nose into it and began to chow down.

“I can do that!" Russell excitedly exclaimed. "I love to cook!” She plopped Colgate and Lyra back down into their chairs and grabbed the cart. “Everything you ponies do is just so adorable! And even more so when you do it together.” Russell winked at Chris before pushing the cart back into the kitchen and calling back, “You two must have shared a lot of hot coffee.”

I was going to ask about Russell's major change in attitude, but Colgate caught me off guard when she looked me in the eye with child-like curiosity and confusion before asking, “What does she mean by ‘shared hot coffee?’ You never drink coffee.” I blushed and buried my head in my hooves as I recalled something I almost did.

“Colgate, this is how Russell plays tricks on ponies. She has done it to me several times. So be careful… Her jokes can get out of hand and disgusting.” Lyra coughed. “I hope she doesn’t do anything to the soup.”

I took a seat on the other side of Starla and refilled her bottle. “I’m not sure what I missed. Colgate isn’t willing to tell me much because some evil people are out there, somewhere on earth; from wherever you guys are from. And they will kill anyone who’s from her group that they find, and if I know too much or show off my magic they may kill me as well.” I look at Colgate sadly. “She doesn’t act like anyone who turned into a pony, so it was probably a good thing she slipped up around me when she did.”

Colgate sighs. “I’m sorry Crys- er Chris. I don’t want to keep secrets from you. I’m not trained for combat, and many things that we know we were sworn to not tell to anyone on earth as part of our job.” She eyes Lyra, who just smiled at her in return.

“Can you at least tell me what your real name is and why you're calling yourself Colgate?” I look over at Lyra, who has suddenly decided that a painting of a horse on the wall was very interesting.

Colgate looked down at the table in thought for a few seconds before nodding. “I do owe you that much. My real name is Minuette. Lyra and I are somewhat well-known where we come from because of who some of our friends are. I also commuted every day from a city to a small town every day to do my job. Yes, I am really a dentist, and like you pointed out my special talent is not dentistry. I still love it, but…” She trailed off, looking at the symbol on her rear.

Lyra was about to pipe up but a glare from Colgate stopped her. “I would rather not talk about it. Let’s just say that my grades were not high enough to get approved for the classes that would have allowed me to practice my talent under normal circumstances.” Lyra tried to speak up again, only for Colgate to magically stuff a napkin into her mouth. “You may not tell them, Lyra. Yes, after years I was finally allowed to practice it, since it was needed for a project. I’m still not sure how you even found out I was on that project Lyra.” Lyra went back to her inspection of the painting.

She paused and blushed. “Oh, right, sorry. You wanted to know why I have been using the name Colgate, right? Colgate is a nickname a friend gave me. She's a little crazy and a very random pony, but she is really fun to be around and likes to make ponies smile. I decided to use it to keep myself hidden. I never realized that it was a toothpaste brand until I got here, however.”

Lyra was about to speak when the sound of a cart of plates shattering rang out of the kitchen, followed by angry roaring, which eventually led down to a loud sobbing. “She is at it again.” Lyra slid out of her seat and quickly made her way into the kitchen. She pushed a cart, with a steaming pot of soup on top, out of the kitchen doors before ducking back inside.

Colgate and I look towards the kitchen before I felt a tugging sense in my horn and Starla started bawling while trying to reach for her bottle. We had gotten so preoccupied with Russell and Lyra, and Starla had been so quiet that we had forgotten about her. Ugh! I’m such a bad mom… No! I’m not her mom—gah! Why do I think these things?! It’s like something is trying to rewrite my brain!”
That may not be far from the truth from what I can tell in here.

Er, anyways, Colgate’s magic was quicker than my forearms and she levitated the bottle to Starla, who quickly snatched it and started chugging it down so fast I thought the bottle’s top would snap off.

Lyra came back out looking spent. “She's fine. She just needs to reassert her pride.”

Colgate and I nod before Colgate speaks up. “Speaking of pride... Chris, why won’t you concede to being Starla’s mother already?”

I grumbled and looked away while crossing my arms. “I told you: she has her birth mother out there somewhere! I’m not going to claim someone else’s child as mine unless there is an extremely good reason that would warrant it. Also, I’m a guy stuck in a female body!”

Colgate rolls her eyes while petting Starla’s mane. “Those documents we found on her father at the hospital, and his house, are not reason enough?”

I smack my hoof onto the table, causing everyone to pause. “That man has nothing to do with this. He was off in South Africa during Starla’s birth, and with what he has done I hope he got eaten by a lion or something!” I sigh and look down. “Sorry, but Starla’s mother is still out there somewhere, and no matter what her father has done she still deserves to have a mother… her birth mother.”

Lyra stared at Chris. She was about to say something, but was interrupted by Russell smashing through the kitchen doors, who was chewing on a rotten rack of ribs. an apron hung off of her neck, which she had messily written ‘kiss the cook’ with ketchup. “And this is my life…”

Colgate looks between me and Russell. “I’m not trading with you, Lyra.” She levitates over the bowls and the soup. “By the way, you never told me why you’re here and not in Whinneapolis.” She paused for a moment, eyeing Lyra up and down. “Also, where are the saddlebags that Twilight gave you?”

“There was a security issue at my designated site, so the guards dropped me off in the middle of nowhere and left to handle it. I decided to make the jump there and ended up in Buffalo, Wyoming, where I met Malla stealing gas from cars. Then she stole my Saddlebags...”

Colgate stared at Lyra blankly. “Those were prototypes Twilight made; she entrusted those to us!”

“You mean those strange bags?” Russell said, picking at her teeth with a bone. “I took them from her because I didn’t trust them, so I placed them in a locked case in the truck. She used a sleeping spell on me and this is payback.”

Colgate smacks her head into the table repeatedly, causing starla to giggle. “I can’t believe this…”

“Look, I felt that arguing with a dragon was a bad idea, so I haven't been trying very hard to get them back.”

“Is Twilight that goody-goody princess of friendship you told me about, Lyra?” Russell asked.

Colgate scowled at Lyra, who gulped, before drinking down her soup straight from the bowl and wiping her mouth with a napkin. “Finish your food now, Lyra. You’re coming with me on an errand.”

Lyra shrunk back in her chair but quickly slurped down her soup, drinking it quickly before hopping down from her chair. She looks to Russell who just gave her a wicked smirk and mockingly said,. “Try to not blow anything else up, Lyra.”

Colgate used her magic to turn on a voice recorder that was hanging from a loop on her saddle bags as she walked out the front door.

I sighed. “She got interested in the recorder I use, and wanted to start her own audio journal.” Russell looked me over and spotted a similar recorder hanging on a makeshift set of saddlebags made from two entwined backpacks that were lying on the floor next to my chair, the red light flashed periodically, showing that it was currently recording.

Russell turned her head to the door with a sour grunt. “I will be happy when they're gone. They don’t belong in our world. But as long as they are here they make good tools.”

I listened to her as I kept an eye on Starla until I heard her call people tools. I must have tossed away my survival instinct and logical reasoning, because I snapped at her. “No one should ever be considered a tool! Not you, not me, and definitely not Colgate and Lyra! A tool would mean they are disposable, slaves, not worth anything!” Starla went silent. I don’t know if she was scared because of the tone of my voice or if she felt like I was protecting her from a predator.

To my surprise, Russell pushed herself away from me, with a look that said she was hurt and a little creeped out. “Whoa, I didn’t mean to offend you, Chris. I’m not sure why I said that, but they aren't human, you know.”

I shoved my blunt hoof into her nose and growled. “Not human? Not human?! Look at us; do we look human anymore, Russell?! What separates us from them? Birth species? I don’t think that matters anymore. How about culture, education, morals and ethics? I doubt theirs are that different from our own, minus the magic and multiple sentient species. You could put them into human bodies and I would think they were just visiting from another country, or maybe a different region of the US. Would you want to be treated like a ‘tool’ if you ended up somewhere you had no idea about?

She kept staring at my eyes and pushed herself out of my reach. “I… I see your point. You’re right! I’m sorry!” She sighed and looked very hurt “Why did I say that? I would never have said that when I was human.” The look on her face looked even more disturbed now as it switched back and forth from irritated to scared. “My *beeping beep*! These emotions and instincts with this new body! It’s like going through puberty again, but ten times worse because a delinquent teenager and a dominatrix slave driver keep fighting me for the wheel!”

Russell began to hyperventilate and I had to talk her down till her breathing was somewhat normal again. She curled up into a ball and rocked back and forth on her tail. She watched me for a bit before laying back on the floor and sighing. “I’m seriously messed up.” She clawed at her face while letting out a sound that was like a mix between a groan and growl, then heaved herself into a sitting position. “I know I've said some messed up things, Chris. Could you explain to me why you care for Colgate so much? Maybe it can help me straighten my head out.” She was eyeing me cautiously now. I’m starting to wonder if she is pregnant, with the way her mood is swinging.

I had to think for a bit to answer her question. I guess deep down I had grown really attached to Colgate. She was the first real friend I had made who wasn’t thousands of miles away and could only communicate with over the 'net, or web. “I truthfully… I would like Colgate to stay here, but I know that isn’t going to happen. As soon as she finds a leader she is going to leave. It hurts because she is the first person in a long time who didn’t want to be my friend solely to get something from me or use me for something.”

Russell’s eyes soften a bit but she still seemed unnerved. “Ahh, that’s sweet. Have you kissed her and told her how you felt yet?”

I growled. “I am not in lo—” I slapped my hand—er, hoof—down into Russell’s untouched bowl of soup, drenching my foreleg and soaking the table cloth.

She laughed and waved her clawed hands in the air. “I’m just teasing you, Chris. You know what? You’re lucky you got turned into a pony and not a fire-breathing dragon that has hoarding issues. These new emotions and instincts are a *BEEP* to resist. But, hey, you’re taking care of a baby and handling Colgate, maybe you would have this dragon thing down in no time.

Our conversation is interrupted as Archie swoops in, landing on the table and squawking while strutting around like he's the king of the roost. “What are you so excited about, Archie? Your feathers still haven't turned back to normal after Starla Zapped you when her magic went out of control.”

He screeched at me and strutted around the table some more. Amore looked up from laying next to Starla’s high chair and growled at Archie, who shrieked back at him. Amore sprang onto the table and lunged after Archie, sending the table’s contents flying and nearly bowling me off of the table as she chased him into the kitchen.

Russell caught me before I fell off, saving my head from having a meeting with the hard floor. I was about to thank her when she poked me in the nose with her clawed finger. It was kinda sharp. “By the way, could you cut out whatever magic trick you’re using to make your pupils pink? That is really creeping me out.”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m not doing anything to my eyes, Russell.”

I must have blinked away whatever she thought she saw, as she started laughing and said I pulled a good prank on her. “Well, you got me good. So, tell me what it was like trying to hump the poor mare?” The dragon just said it like it was normal to converse about. I flipped what was left of the pot of soup onto her head with my magic and turned to check on Starla, who looked worried until I smiled at her. She must have thought I was upset with her.

Russell pulled the pot off of her head. “I deserved that,” she grumbled, setting the pot down. “So, what are you guys going to do now?”

I thought for a bit and sigh, unsure. “I truthfully wasn’t planning on coming back to town, but since I’m here I will probably gather some more things from home and then... I don’t know. I already raided the big stores in town and we haven't found anyone other than you. We might stick around a bit, for me to practice my magic some more, then—maybe—go to Casper, where there are more stores to get supplies from. We might head up to Billings, Montana, or maybe head south to Denver. They are both way outside of Colgate’s search-assigned zone, but I feel like whatever did this didn’t like any of the ‘leaders’ in Wyoming. I have some family in Washington state that I wouldn’t mind looking for as well, and I would also like to see if my uncle in South Dakota was left behind, but when I tried my mother’s cell phone no one answered any of the numbers I tried. No one has called her phone after all this time, so it’s unlikely any of them were left behind at this point. I’m—” I was interrupted as a bottle whapped Russell on the nose. I then noticed that Starla was giving us a pouty face just before a foal odor hit me. “Um… would you mind giving me a hand?”

Russell looked between Starla and me before she sniffed and her eyes shot open. “Sure. I have three nieces, so I used to do this all the time.” Russell rubbed the spot where the bottle had hit her. “The smell hurts more than the bottle.”

Colgate grumbled as she noticed that she was grinding her teeth. She had always told her patients not to do it, and here she was, guilty of the act. “I can’t believe you, Lyra. You used a sleep spell on someone outside of self-defense and without their consent. If we were back home you could face jail time for that!” She fumbled with the front door to the apartment building back up the hill, her anger making the task difficult.

Lyra didn’t seem to be listening. She looked down the hall and blinked before sniffing. “Do you smell smoke? I know Malla was in this building; she even laid in one of the beds.”

Colgate yelled out and spun around before bucking the door in. “Lyra, you are so dense! I think you could give Rainbow Dash and Applejack a run for their money! If she destroyed it I’m going to make you pay.” She raced into the building’s inner hallway, looking for the apartment she had camped in.

“Colgate... Look, I know I messed up, but I’m trying to make things right. I’m going to finish this job.”

Colgate was too worried to respond to Lyra at the moment. She wanted to chew her out, but first she needed to make sure Russell didn’t destroy or steal what she had forgotten. She ran down the corridor, past an apartment that was missing its door, the inside of which she vaguely registered was somewhat charred. In the next apartment, the one she stayed in, the door was shredded apart. “No, no; please still be here!” She created an orb of light to guide her, the light coming from the small windows just wasn’t enough to search with.

Lyra rushed in, and used her horn to help her look. “What are you looking for?”

Colgate tossed aside silk scarves and knick-knacks, looking over spots where things have gone missing. “Why did I pick the apartment that looks like Pinkie’s grandmother lived here? No, not there. Nope, not there either!” She began looking through a scorched vanity desk. The mirror was warped and black, and most of the jewelry she remembered being being on the desk was gone, but she didn’t care. She tossed away a toasted powder pad, then shouted loud enough to wake the dead “Yes! It’s still here!

Lyra coughed. “ Colgate.” She tried to say as she cleared the scorched power pad from her face. “What is it?”

Colgate clicked the switch and the decently large object popped open, revealing it to be a pocket watch with a pale blue light coming from inside gears and a picture of her family in the lid. “The very thing that I got my cutie mark from, and keeps my family close.”

Lyra coughed from the soot before sighing and rolling her eyes.

Colgate closed the lid and put her pocket watch into her saddlebags. “Lyra, I know it seems silly, but unlike you my special talent isn’t something I can just practice freely. that type of magic is strictly regulated. I didn’t have the grades in school to qualify for the classes that would grant me access to the training.”

Lyra sunk down and frowned. she had forgotten that not everypony can get training in their special talent sometimes. Colgate pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry, Minuette.” She said softly, as tears began to leak from her eyes.

Colgate hugged Lyra tighter and began to rub her back. “It’s alright, Lyra. my special talent is rare so I was pulled into the project earlier than most of the ponies who were sent out searching this world.” It was then that she noticed how Lyra was a lot thinner than the last time she had seen her. She just chalked that up to not being around Bon Bon and eating sweets constantly.

Lyra snorted. “Wait, didn’t Twilight sneak you a few books from the archives?”

Colgate paused and squeezed Lyra till she made a sound like a rubber duck. “No, of course not. It’s not like Twilight went to Ponyville and I had to sneak into her tower and make it look like she forgot them when she left or anything… Now, come on, It’s probably time to change Starli— Starla’s diaper and I don’t trust Chris to use magic to change it. Last time she tried, it exploded and we used up most of our water to clean up the mess. You probably need to keep an eye on the mare you’re looking after as well.”

Lyra laughed and pushed off of Colgate. “Russell isn’t a mare, silly.”

Colgate started laughing herself. “Of course she's a mare, Lyra. Twilight calls Spike a colt, and he is a dragon. Now, come on: if we don’t hurry back, Chris might start acting like Russell’s mom without realizing it, and Russell will be wearing clothing and doing chores in exchange for cookies... Is it weird that I just imagined Chris walking around Celestia’s school with a baby version of Russell following her around, similar to Twilight and Spike?

Lyra cantered down the hallway and toward the building’s exit while smiling. “It was for a few seconds, until the same image popped into my head. Now, come on: let’s go give those mares a piece of our mind.

I snort and follow after her. “Oh, I have given her a piece of my mind, and she does the same to me. Honestly, I feel like she’s my mare friend sometimes, with how much we bicker. But I listen to her a lot, Lyra. We are not in Equestria and the environment is different. The weather isn’t under control of pegasi, and most of the animals are not tame or friendly.”

“I have experienced this first-hoof," Lyra responded. "I have almost been eaten by bears, wolves, and big cats already.” She left the building and shaded her eyes as she grew accustomed to sunlight again. “How are you at treating wounds? Russell has taken some gashes protecting me.”

Colgate sighed. “It’s not like I do much medical-wise, Lyra. I’m a dentist, not a doctor. Though I have gotten some practice from bandaging Chris up.”

Lyra smiled. “Anything is better than nothing. shall we go get my saddlebags, then?”

Colgate yanked Lyra back by her tail. “You think that is a good idea? You broke her trust, Lyra. you need to rebuild that bridge.”

Lyra frowned and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right… How about I show you the supplies Russell wants to leave in city hall?”

Colgate shook her head. “That will be up to Chris and Russell to discuss. I don’t think Chris will want her to leave any considering Russell’s size and appetite, especially with how lean you look. Don’t think I haven't noticed.”

Lyra sighs, nodding. “I have only eaten an MRE every two to three days. I’m afraid she might lose her temper since they belong to her family, or that she might eat me if she gets too hungry.”

Colgate held her breath for several seconds before letting out a long sigh. “Lyra, how long has this been going on?”

Lyra taps her hoof on the pavement. “Two weeks… Maybe longer...

I slap my hoof to my face and hiss. “Lyra, you need to eat! I’m going to talk to Chris about this. I think we need to be the one to give you food. I’m sure she will do it.

Lyra started to look pale. “She told me she was never like this as a human, so I’m sure if we all sat down and talked to her things will be fine. I can probably talk to her myself, even; no need to get you involved.”

Colgate stared at her friend and smiled. “I think you might be making excuses, Lyra. Just let us help, alright?” There is the sound of glass shattering as Russell bursts out of a nearby clothing store, with various articles of clothing and merchandise stands clinging to her.

Lyra blinks her eyes open widely. “Are you seeing this, to?”

Chris runs out after her, chasing her down the street with a broom in her mouth, causing Colgate’s jaw to drop. “I… Yes. But I feel like I saw this in a comic once.”

Lyra just stood there watching.

Colgate shook her head and laughed as Amore came out of the store with a feather duster in her mouth, Starla squealing in glee as she rode on her back. “If Chris doesn’t have a reason for this recorded, I doubt either of them will ever speak about it. But whatever the reason, Russell looked scared for her life.”

As they trotted down the street after them, they heard music coming from the store that talked about clowns. Chris’s note: the music was from an old children’s record player that had a record of the theme song for the old TV show Bozo the Clown on it, and Starla had somehow gotten it to play despite the lack of electricity.

“Russell!” Lyra shouted.

Colgate sighed. “What’s going on?.”

“She is scared of clowns and mimes.”

“Good thing Pinkie isn’t here, then.” I begin to trot after our weird friends. “Better go check on them.”

“Colgate…” Lyra called out. “I don’t feel so good.”

Colgate stopped and watched Lyra slow down and start wobblin. “Lyra?!”

Lyra collapsed and began panting. she looked even paler than she did a bit ago. She tried to get to her hooved, but fell over in the process.

Colgate ran back and pulled Lyra onto her back. “I should have realized this sooner. I’m going to get Chris to take us back to the RV and get some hearty food in you. Maybe I will have a talk with Russell as well.

Lyra didn’t answer, she had zoned out and began mumbling. ” Bon Bon.”