Hiro's teeth kept falling out as he sat with us, just to be quickly replaced with flat pony teeth. They began crowding, but that solved itself as he put a hand to his face. "It's like someone is punching me harder every moment." With loud cracks and pops, I could see he was growing a snout all of his own.

I winced and looked over to the unconscious Aiko. Did she go through all that, locked up in her room? No wonder she was grumpy! Well we wouldn't let Hiro suffer alone. I moved up beside Hiro and gently pressed against him. "It's OK. You have friends right here, right Hiro? We're here for you."

Hiro gave a pained laugh. "That... is more comforting than it has a right to be. We just met, but thank you." Emma slid up on his other side and his laughter grew. "Am I the alpha horse now?"

I tapped at my chin with some confusion. "I don't think so? Oh! Wow, you meant like a herd? We haven't even hugged properly, you cassanova." I giggled with mirth and reached around him, hugging Hiro and Emma together gently. "Right now I know this has to hurt, and we're not going to let you feel bad alone. That's part of what friends are for. I'd throw you a 'welcome to pony!' party, but there's not much around this place for that." Despite that, I dug out a few of my cupcakes and passed one to either of them. "You're already becoming ponies, so no harm, right? At least we can try to be cheerful."

She wasn't awake, but I set one beside Aiko, then put a candle in each and lit it up quickly. "Ta da! Let the part--"

Hiro grunted with pain as the last of his snout pushed out. The popping stopped, at least. "You alright, Hiro?" He nodded stiffly and let out a breath.

"Alright! So let the party begin!" I picked up Hiro's and offered it to him.

He took it in his fingers and turned it left and right. "Did you make this yourself? I mean this with respect, but the idea of a pony baking... It seems miraculous. You don't even have hands."

Emma shrugged softly. "Have you been watching her? She doesn't have fingers, but she may as well have. I've yet to see her hooves slow her down even a bit. It's... It's magical."

I threw out my hooves to either side. "It's not magical, it's just Pinkie Pie. Now let's eat and have a little fun, as friends. Just because we're not sure what to do doesn't mean we have to be mopey about it."

Kazuki wandered out from the back but slowed down as he spotted the lit cupcakes. "What?" His eyes slid along to Hiro and he winced. "Mister Sasaki, are you well?"

Sasaki chuckled and spoke with a bit of a garble. He would need practice talking with a big pony tongue and snout. "It's stopped hurting like a hundred angry ants were tearing apart my face. Any progress in there?"

Kazuki shrugged. "It's our first real look at it. Working optimistically we could try to have something in a year or two?" Hiro looked downtrodden. "Look, sorry, but I'm not going to lie to you. We're two doctors, with an entirely unknown disease, working in a little clinic. That reminds me, a sample from the infected would be useful to see how it interacts with human biology." Hiro and Emma gave up a blood sample. Aiko wasn't asked, being all knocked out and all. As he moved to walk off with his samples, a thought struck me.

"Hey, why don't we go to where there are more doctors?"

Kazuki looked thoughtful for a moment. "That may not be a bad idea. I'll make a few phone calls." And off he went.

Hiro smiled up at me. "That's being proactive. I... I really should guard them."

Emma frowned. "You're turning into a pony, Hiro. They should send another officer while we try to cure you. What if you lose control, like those other... things outside?"

I picked up Hiro's abandoned cupcake and offered it to him. "Right now, we party."

The party began. It wasn't nearly as energetic as I try to make parties, but there were smiles, and cupcakes, so it wasn't a failure.

Hiro chewed softly. "It's strange, but I feel like being around Miss Pie is the right place to be."

Emma quickly nodded. "I understand that feeling. I can't believe I made her struggle so hard to get here. I should have smuggled her with me, or just stayed at home."

Gosh. "That's very nice, Emma, but I'm already here, now. No reason to mope about it anymore." I hugged her, and she quickly returned the gesture. One of her hands trailed down my back and pinched at my cutie mark, making me jump. She wanted to play. She wanted to play. The thought of taking her up on it made me squirm. I couldn't play like that right in front of Hiro! This was his party!

I hears a sudden series of little pops and Hiro fell over onto his belly. Oh no! I hurried over to his side. "You alright, buddy? We're here for you, promise."

Hiro pushed up to hands and knees, but apparently couldn't get much higher than that besides wobbling in place a moment before falling down back to all fours. He was four legged, without the legs. Aw, poor guy.

Emma pulled down her pants to let a tail poke free. What was making them change like that? At least Emma's tail was kinda cute, and she seemed to actually like it.

Hiro suddenly grabbed one of my arms. "Miss Pie... Pinkie. Your cupcakes. They're hurrying things along." Oh, that... sort of made sense. Shoot! He must have seen my expression because he patted me on the head as awkwardly as he could with his new four-legged stance. "I appreciate the sentiment... and maybe it's for the best. They're not going to 'fix' this. I'm a horse, it's just a matter of time one way or the other."

Emma climbed out of her pants and tossed off her shirt, going naked, sort of. She was covered in fur, even if she had a human shape. She seemed... comfy in fur. Hiro nodded at her. "Like that. At least I might be useful, because right now I'm just stuck between, and useless for anything."

I nodded at him and sat down. "Alright, I think I understand that, so what do you want to do? Make more cupcakes?"

He waved a hand. "It's not the cupcake, it's the stuff inside of them. You have that, right?"

I set down the sugar. "Like this?"

He pulled over the sugar as he sat down on what was the closest approximation to his haunches. Poor guy looked really mixed up. "Now, last thing. Emma, Pinkie, if I go crazy, then you have to subdue me and get me out of here. Attacking the doctors is not something we can allow."

Emma pointed at the other pair of cuffs dangling on his belt. "Why don't we cuff you now and let you go afterwards?"

"Nnng." Aiko started to come around. I hurried over to her with a smile.

"Hey there!"

Aiko tried to sit up quickly, and ran into her hoofcuffs. She looked at me with a sorta desperate look, but didn't say anything. "What's wrong, Aiko? Are you alright?"

She grunted and stomped her right foot on the ground before she frowned. "What... What did... You?" She spoke each word like a tremendous effort. Poor girl really sounded confused. All my poor human friends were having a rough time of things, except Emma. Emma seemed alright.

Speaking of Emma, she moved over beside me and Aiko's eyes widened with surprise. Was it Emma's fur, or her nakedness beside that? "Hey Aiko. Are you ready to stop attacking people now?"

Aiko shied backwards. "Why... cure. Please." She sank down to her bottom with a sniffle. "Please..."

I shook my head. "The doctors said it would take a long time, sorry. Maybe if Twilight was here. She's really good at magic and I bet she could just bam zap! And fix everything. She's pretty cool like that. Still, at least you're not alone, right? Come on, stop looking so sad."

Aiko pointed with a cuffed hand behind us, to where we left Hiro. "What?"

Emma and I turned to see what she meant. Hiro was eating sugar, not that I could blame him. Sugar's pretty tasty! I mean, it's better inside other things, like candy and cakes and things, but by itself is still pretty good. Oh right! "You bit Hiro, which made him start turning into a pony. He decided to finish it."

Emma squirmed. "Why does that sound like such a good idea right now? But I like my hands and my fingers. I like standing up." She reached over and began petting one of my ears, making my leg thump on the ground. "I like teasing you just like this, Pinkie. Doesn't that feel nice?" Oh my, yes! She could play all day long if she wanted. "You don't mind me the way I am, do you?"

I tilted my head at her. "Of course I don't. I mean, you're not a pony, but I never asked you to be a pony. But... you're not a human either. You're kinda between, though not as awkward as poor Hiro. Hiro! You alright over there?"

Hiro collapsed as I asked the question, knocking over the bag of sugar on the way. What a waste... We rushed over, leaving Aiko behind for the moment. Something else decided to investigate. A loud thump came from the door as two quasi-ponies bumped into it. Their eyes were focused on Hiro, or the sugar. Hands that were not hands or hooves properly scrambled at the doors. They were going to get in. I had to act! "Alright, team, we have to defend the doctors!" I pulled on a helmet and drew a wooden sword. "On our honor."

Emma burst into giggles. "Oh my god, Pinkie. That was so cheesy."

They figured out the bar of the door and shoved it open and rushed as one towards us with an inarticulate but excited grunting. Emma squealed and backed away, but I didn't have that choice. Well, I did have that choice, but I didn't take it! I wasn't going to leave Hiro to get attacked while he was down. That's just not a thing friends do.

The first one to reach me was a real mess. He had exactly half a snout, projecting from his face with naked flesh displayed where it just... cut off for no reason. His left foot was a hoof, giving him an uneven clip clip clip gait. He reached for me with quasi-hooves and an excited grunt. I got the idea he maybe wanted to play, but not the good kind of play. I spun around and caught his hands with my stick, knocking them aside. "Bad!"

His friend had a horn. Was he a unicorn? Could th-- Yes they could! I was suddenly lifted into the air and thrown aside, crashing into the tiles roughly. That was rude! Emma shrank back away without me there to guard her and the unicorn jumped at her, grabbing for her wrists and trying to kiss her. Emma lashed up her knee between the poor guy's legs and he collapsed with the pain that only stallions properly knew.

I bounced back to my hooves and jumped at the first quasi-pony, bonking him on the head. "Cut it out! That's really rude. You have to wait outside like everypony else until the doctors invite you inside."

A sudden roar brought our attention right back to Hiro. Oh wow! He rose up onto his new... claws? Those weren't hooves at all. He was like a dragon, sort of. He had a pony's face and head, if you discounted the cool fins he had down his spine. His lower body was definately dragon like, and he had a big tail that was furry and spikey at once. He was a pony-dragon, and he sounded really angry. "Hiro, everything's under control, don't get all worked up," I quickly said, trying to calm him down, and it mostly worked. He nodded back at me, then grabbed one of the quasi-ponies and hurled them with a flick of his neck, sending them right back onto the street. The second one was only a moment behind.

He snorted softly, then looked down at himself. "What am I?" He raised a claw, shaking. "At... least I have fingers?"

Emma clapped her hands together. "You were amazing, and so strong. Do you feel alright?"

Hiro rose up to all fours and slowly circled in place. "I don't know what I feel right now. Everything's off, but I'm in one piece. I thought I was turning into a horse?"

"So did I!" I frowned a little. "You look like you got a little Spike in there, though you're a better fighter than Spike. Thanks for the assist, Hiro."

Aiko shook her head quickly. "That's... Hiro?" She stood up, shaking a little. "We're all... All going to be freaks."

Emma frowned at Aiko. "Stop that. I don't know about Hiro, but I feel really good right now." I looked over Emma, she was a furry human, with a tail, and pony ears, but she seemed to be carrying it well. My looking at her made her smile and she gave me that special look. If we were alone... "Aiko, it's up to you to hate yourself."

On that, I totally agreed. "We are who we are, and we should be proud of that. It isn't that bad is it? I've been a pony forever and I managed just fine. I mean, I didn't mean for it to happen, but since we're here, you can at least try to see the bright side."

Hiro went to the front door and latched it. I could hear a heavy lock being turned. "Everything's taller than it used to be, but I haven't forgotten who I am. Horse, dragon, or whatever, I'm still Sasaki Hiro, and I'm still a police officer."

Emma smiled. "You really are a hero."

Hiro paused, then chuckled. "As if I haven't heard that pun before, but thank you."

Hiro and Emma were both getting along with themselves, but poor Aiko looked like she was going to cry. "Aiko, we're your friends. How can we make this better?"

Aiko tugged at the cuffs. "Cure?"

I rolled a hoof. "We don't have that. What's your next best thing?"

Aiko sagged. "At least... Let me go."

I raised a hoof at her. "Promise not to try yelling or biting the doctors? They're doing their best."

"Fine..."

Hiro approached her with increasing familiarity. He had a good trot going, at least whenever he didn't hit a scrap of the remnants of his uniform, tugging at him. He made it to Aiko and fished out a key. "It's our job to be patient, guard the doctors, and let them work." With a last little nod from Aiko, he freed her.

Aiko took a step back, rubbing her wrists softly. "Why... Hard talking."

I frowned with thought, but Emma beat me to it. "It's because you're spazzing out. Roll with it and accept it as part of you, or it's going to run you over and leave a wreck behind." Emma reached for one of Hiro's ears and began rubbing it, making one of his legs start thumping. I knew that feeling. "Even if I do become a pony, at least... I won't be so bad. You'll take care of me, Pinkie?"

I bobbed my head quickly. "Of course I will. Like just now!"

Emma smiled. "You were a fierce and amazing warrior."

Hiro smirked. "Your stance was awful, and your movements awkward. If you want to use a bokken--" A wooden sword "--I'll show you how. I'm pretty sure my days of fencing are behind me."

Aiko emerged into the hallway with the rest of us. Her eyes darted between us, but she was quiet. At least she wasn't making a fuss at the moment, so I turned my attention onto Hiro. "You sure you're alright? You were super amazing, by the way."

Hiro smiled. "I'm still figuring that out, but thank you. I feel powerful, and ready." He glanced down the hallway towards the doctor, then directly at me. "It feels even stronger now. You really are the alpha horse."

I pointed at myself. "What? Me? I'm not usually the in-charge girl. I'm the party pony!"

Hiro shook his head. "Like the rest of us, your past is of smaller importance than the role you're being called on to do now. You were a horse to start, and you understand what's going on, at least in terms of this. Describe the two that just attacked us."

I rubbed my hooves together. "Well, one half-earth pony and one unicorn, though even a unicorn can't do much when you do that to them. Quick thinking, Emma!" Emma looked quite proud of herself.

"And a unicorn is?" He twirled a claw at me.

I grabbed my hair and quickly fashioned it into a pink horn. "They have horns, and they can do magic, like picking things up or opening a door without touching it. He used it to throw me across the room."

Hiro shrugged. "And you say you're not the alpha horse."

Gosh. "So I guess I kinda do know more than most ponies around here, but that doesn't make me the leader. I don't know what we should do next."

Emma moved up to me and crouched down. Her tail swayed across the titles as she grabbed my snout in her hands. "When you figure it out, we're behind you, Pinkie. We trust you."

Doctor Sato emerged from the office, but stopped in her tracks when she see the bunch of us. She slowly withdrew back into the room and closed the door ever-so-gently, then we heard a lock being turned. Did we scare her that bad?

Hiro snorted softly. "Does she think we're mad?"

Aiko threw up her hands. "Why wouldn't she?!"

A voice came from the front desk, "Hello? Kazuki here. Everything alright out there?"

Hiro rushed over to the source and reared up onto the desk before pushing a button up there. "Sasaki Hiro here. Altered, but functional. We're all intact, in theory."

"What's this I hear about a lizard thing and a naked fuzzy girl?" Emma had the decency to blush. "Nevermind that. I'm sure you're all dealing with this as best as you can. I made some phone calls. It seems the city hospital is the best equipped at the moment. They're expecting you. I told them you'd have armbands on. Grab some of the first aid cuffs from the cabinet in the supply room."

The line went quiet and Hiro nodded. "I think that was us being kicked out in the most polite way possible."

Emma frowned a little. "That's not very thankful for all the hard work you did for them."

Hiro dropped back to the floor and trotted up to Emma. "We are past the time of pleasantries, for better or worse."

Suddenly the lights went out. A siren began to sound through the building as a set of smaller lights flickered into being. "And there goes the power. This is escalating quickly." He turned to the exit, and the evening light available. "Hiking through the city during the night, not exactly an ideal plan."

I raised a hoof. "Wait! We should rescue Homer first. He's our dog, and he's waiting for us back at Aiko's place. Poor guy's probably worried about us. We can take him with us to the city hospital."

Hiro looked to Aiko. "How far is it?"

Aiko shuffled in place a moment. "Few minutes."

Emma brought her hands together. "Then it's settled. Let's get back to Aiko's place, get Homer, and first thing in the morning, we head to that hospital. She hurried off into the supply room and began digging around.

Aiko came over to me and glared. "What's wrong?"

She pointed at me. "You. You did all of this."

"Sorry?"

She threw up her hands, then sank against the front counter. "What does sorry do?"

I followed after her and hopped up into her lap. She tensed, but she didn't push me away. I nuzzled gently into her neck and smiled at her. "I won't give up on you." She opened her mouth to talk and I felt the urge to kiss her, so I did. I pushed my fuzzy lips against her snout and gently exchanged a smooch. She was surprised at first, but fell into me. Her delicate fingers began to pet over my back, then found my cutie mark, where she traced gently. Did humans understand how sensitive a cutie mark can be? I was squirming against her into the kiss for that moment, and everything felt right, and good.

One of her hands reached under my barrel and began toying with my quickly filling sheath. I gasped with surprise and pleasure and broke the kiss. If she wanted to play... Wait. I looked over to were Hiro was sitting there, watching us. "Um... Sorry... I guess I got kinda caught up in th--" I paused my excuse to squeak as she resumed attacking me. Aiko really wanted a private party, right then and there, and I was feeling all the more ready to deliver on that promise.

"Everything alright out there?" Emma poked her head out from the supply room.

"They're working it out," said Hiro. "Leave them alone."

I'd like to say I heard whatever else they said, but Aiko had turned from victim to aggression. She rolled me over and held me down with one hand as the other worked off her panties and tossed them to the ground. With them out of the way, I could smell it. She had changed in one other place. She smelled of a needy mare and moved in over me. "Tell me the truth, Pinkie."

The truth? "The sky is blue most of the time and clouds are grey and I really like cupcakes and hugs are kinda nice!"

"Not that!" Aiko sank down until the flared head of my shaft poked against her hot pony lips and she began to grind back and forth over it. "Am I just your victim?"

I grabbed for her hips. "You're a wonderful person, Aiko. Please, I want us to be friends." And so much more! I squeezed at her soft hips and reached past them, stroking along her tail and she let out a little coo. "We're all here for you, Aiko."

She sank, taking the thick member up into herself and starting to ride without delay. "Promise! Promise I'm not just... some freak... Promise you won't throw me out like those other two... Promise..."

Emma glanced at Hiro before looking back at the two of us grunting and making love in wild motions. "Aiko, first, I'm really jealous right about now, and second, there's no way I'm 'throwing you out'. Damn, you were the one hosting me, remember?"

Hiro said something, but I really couldn't hear it. Finishing this act was more pressing. I pushed up against her and squealed as I began to fill her, and she suddenly began to change right on top of me. She wailed and collapsed as bones popped and reformed. I hugged her gently and rocked her as she rode it out, quickly becoming more and more pony by the moment. Soon there was a delicate-looking unicorn with creamy-yellow fur covering her entire body. She had truly let go, and let the rest of the changes crash down on her. I could feel her body change around me, and let me tell you, that was super weird, but also kind of amazing feeling. Her mane and tail were still black, just like her hair as a human. She panted weakly and trembled on top of me and I just held her quietly. That sounded, and felt, like it hurt a lot.

Emma looked over the new Aiko. "If I could be a pretty pony like that, maybe it wouldn't be quite that awful..."

I gently drew from her with a wet pop and nuzzled into her cheek. "Are you alright?" Aiko whimpered, but nodded. "Shh, don't be brave for us. It's OK to hurt." I kissed one of hew new yellow ears. "That was very brave."

Aiko sat up suddenly. "It feels like there's still something trying to get out of me. I don't know what." Her gaze went to Emma quickly. "Did you mean that?"

Emma blushed brightly through her fur. "Y-yes. You're adorable and pretty."

Hiro coughed softly. "Forgive the familiarity, but I agree."

Author's Notes:

So a lot of things happened! People did vote a lot for 'oh god why aren't we doing all of that?!', with a heavy preference for talking to Hiro, so talking to Hiro happened, and we have two new full ponies. Aiko's over her hump, and it's time to rescue Homer!

But how will that go?

1: They make it smoothly and easily back to Aiko's without issue, and spend the night in her apartment before heading out to the hospital through the city.

2: The new herd is spotted by some uninfected humans that become quite alarmed and attack.

3: Feral ponies are being drawn by something and refuse to leave our herd alone. They have to be beaten off with sticks, literally, to make any progress.

4: They get to the apartment, but homer's gone, and it looks like half the apartment complex's been ripped apart!

5: The electrical surges have caused a severe fire, cutting off their desired path. Homer may have to wait... To the hospital!

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