Emma came rushing out of the building with her friend. Was that Aiko? She had black hair and was dressed with a horse on her shirt. I wondered if she picked that out just for me. Her hair ran down her back like a big curtain. She had brown eyes, just like Emma's. She was a little slimmer and shorter.

Emma reached the gate first and threw it open for me. "Pinkie! I told you to stay home. How did you even manage it? And you're kind of late if you were on my plane."

I pointed inside and Homer darted past Emma as I walked up to her, balancing on my hind legs. "Well, that was the plan originally, but did you know just how far away the airport is from your house? It's really really far! And they didn't even let me on the bus, because they wanted me to pay with money, but not Equestrian money, so off I went, walking forever! Well, I guess not forever or I wouldn't be here, but it was a long time."

Aiko arrived and looked at me curiously before she bowed. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Pinkie."

"Hajimemashite," I replied, which meant hiya! But to someone you just met. Her language was full of intricate little things like that, just like how their writing looks all fancy and pretty. "My first name's Pinkie, last name Pie. Thank you for hosting me."

Emma threw up a hand. "When did you learn Japanese? Why are you talking it better than me? I've been taking classes for years! Nevermind that... We have to talk."

Aiko looked across at Emma, then nodded. "This is true. Miss Pie? Will you accompany us?"

Of course I did. We went inside the building and rode the elevator up to Aiko's apartment. When we arrived at her door, I saw she had a wooden cat hanging on it. It was kinda cute! I fell to all fours with a sigh of relief. "I've got a lot of practice walking around like that, but this way is still easier." I was a pony after all, we're made for four hoofs on the ground.

Aiko's curiosity seemed to pick up sharply, but she didn't say anything.

I had a feeling she wanted to. Instead of going ahead and asking, she got out her keys and opened the door. "We need to get a leash for your dog. You can get in trouble for having a dog without one outside your home."

Homer strode inside without me asking him to and I giggled. "What does he need a leash for? He's pretty smart for a dog."

Emma shook her head slowly. "Where did you even find a dog, let alone a trained one, let alone a trained one that's alright with ponies? God, you are a walking impossibility."

Aiko closed the door behind us and locked it. "I apologize, but there are more pressing questions." She moved over to Emma and gently removed her hat. Two pony ears sprung up, both light blue in color. "We were hoping you might have answers for this."

I didn't... "Um... It looks nice?"

Emma looked around the apartment. It was smaller than the one she lived in, but very neat. Her eyes settled on a mirror and she regarded herself. "It does... look nice." She frowned. "Which bothers me. I shouldn't like having pony ears, but I kind of do, especially now."

Aiko shook her head slowly. "She cried when it first happened." Emma scowled at her. "I will not hide the truth right now. We need to know what's going on. Miss Pie, welcome to my home."

Homer looked up at her. "Thanks." I was learning the difference between Japanese and whatever Emma spoke, and that was Emma's language.

Aiko squeaked and jumped back in surprise. Emma stared at Homer. "Great... You found the one dog that can talk back. I'm almost surprised it isn't speaking Japanese too."

I shook off my clothes and tucked them away, leaving me in my pretty and perfectly pink fur. "What language are you talking, Emma? I've been wondering."

Emma pointed at herself. "Me? English. I know some Japanese too. For an alien, you're damn good at both. Do you have some kind of universal translator?"

I turned towards the kitchen and grinned with a sudden joy. "Nothing like that, silly, but I just realized what time it is!"

Aiko looked at the clock, then back at me. "What time is that, Pinkie-chan?"

Aw, she called me cute, or smaller, or female, or some combination of those things, and they were all accurate, mostly. When I was standing up I was about her size, but it was nice. "It's party time! We should celebrate coming together, and new friends." I waved a hoof at Aiko and at Homer. "I'll make us some tasty treats." I trotted towards the kitchen with a big smile. I loved cooking.

Emma looked towards Aiko. "Sorry about this."

Aiko shook her head. "I have a real-life alien in my home, offering to cook for me. I feel honored, if confused. Does she eat normal human food?"

Emma giggled. "She was alright with cupcakes. She seems to eat human food just fine."

I began peeking around through the fridge, drawers, and cabinets, taking full stock of what I had to work with. Aiko was clearly not a baker! Fortunately, I brought a lot of the things needed with me. It paid off in the griffon empire, and it'd pay off here too! She had some flour at least, and sugar and milk. I could work with what I had. I began to hum a little cooking song as I got to work with a cheerfully wagging tail.

Aiko moved into the living room and a new voice began to talk in Japanese, "In foreign news, a strange new disease is raising concern with local officials. Irrational behavior is the most severe symptom, but American..." The voice was cut off and music began to play instead.

Emma moved to join her friend. "So, do you still think I'm a liar?"

Aiko spoke, though I couldn't see her, "I didn't think you were a liar, Emma-san. You must admit, accepting the tale of a talking horse was a lot to ask, to say nothing of a pink one, that can bake, and is a man and a woman at once."

Reminded of my current makeup, my thoughts wandered to the fact that I was with two human mares, and part of me was very... very alright with that, and now in the fun sleepover kind of way! I quickly became all stiff and my stallion bit kept bobbing in the way as I worked, stupid thing.

I was hit with a sudden urge. I had the perfect built-in glaze for these cupcakes... Wait, no... That would be a pretty lousy glaze! It would be all bitter instead of sweet. With a little squeak, I spurted on the oven and onto the floor. Why wouldn't my new parts just listen to me and calm down? My host was going to get mad if she came in and saw a big mess.

Someone hugged me from behind suddenly and I went still with surprise. Delicate human fingers wrapped around my throbbing pole and gave a slow pull upwards over it and I let out a little whimpering moan in pleasure. Who was that? I was going to mess up the cupcakes! Mmm, maybe they could... wait a little bit. Whichever of the two it was, they had started rubbing and teasing over my swollen balls and drove thoughts of baking right out of my head.

"Emma!" I looked up to see Aiko peering at me and, I assumed, Emma with shock. "What are you doing?!"

Emma suddenly pulled back. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry, Pinkie."

I wasn't... until I smelled the first little hints of burning and rushed for the oven. I rescued the cupcakes before too much harm had been done and got to frosting them, without any special surprises.

While I worked, Emma and Aiko talked. Aiko pointed at me. "Why were you doing that? She's a guest, a horse, and an alien."

Emma shrank a little sheepishly. "I saw her working there... She was so cute, and pretty, and... She's wanted to, with me, before. It doesn't seem like a bad idea now."

Aiko shook her head with the same confusion that Twilight saved for me. "Ears aside, you're still a human, Emma. She's a horse. She's the alien... If she did it, I could sort of understand it. It wouldn't be right or polite, but I could understand it. You don't have that excuse, Emma."

Emma looked ashamed of what she did, so I came over with my load of treats. That'd put the smiles back on their faces. "It's alright. I just wasn't expecting it." I leaned my head forward, the pan balanced on my poofy hair. "Have some! No harm done." They took a cupcake each and I set the tray aside to snag one for myself and chomp it down, mmm. I'm glad I didn't do anything silly like using 'special glaze'. Pfft, that was a silly idea, even for me.

Aiko chewed thoughtfully a moment before nodding at me. "You're a very good cook, Pinkie-chan. Please pardon the forward question, but do you prefer to be called a man or a woman?"

I raised a hoof at myself. "Me? Mare, definitely. The other thing is new to me." I just realized then that I was all stiff and pointing at her and huffed in annoyance. "Being a stallion is really annoying half the time. Sorry if I'm being a big bother."

"Oh no, you're fine." She was being polite, I could tell. She looked between Emma and me. "Do you... really want to become Emma's girlfriend?"

I froze with thought. Did I want to be? No, I didn't want to be her marefriend... Annoying as my new parts were or not, I wanted to be her coltfriend. I wanted to be her stallion. My eyes went half-lidded as little visions of how I'd make her my mare danced through me and I spurted a little. Oh wow! I just made a mess in front of my host! I blushed, not that she could see it. Pink on Pink? Good luck with that! "Sorry about that. Let me clean up."

Homer suddenly scampered up and cleaned up the mess, with his tongue. "All clean!"

It was too much for Aiko. "I need a moment, please." She scurried off into the bedroom and closed the door behind herself.

Emma leaned against a pillar. "What's wrong with me? And did your dog really do what I think he did?"

I looked at Homer. "Clean up? Yep, he did that." Not the way I would have cleaned up, but it worked. Sheesh, dogs...

Emma sank down. "You must think I'm some kind of freak."

I tilted my head at Emma. "Why would I think that? I'm the one that offered first, I think. I think we both scared your friend though, or grossed her out. I'm really sorry about that. She seems like a nice girl and I really didn't mean to be a bad guest in front of her."

Author's Notes:

Emma's having some building issues. The world's starting to become dimly aware something might be wrong, and they performed a terrible typo of conduct in front of Aiko.

It can only get better from here, right?