Moonshine, Iridia, and I did everything we could to cheer Blueblood up after the talk I had with him; even Night Breeze joined and befriended him. Thankfully, her pregnancy has only recently begun, so it's safe for us to do physically active things like playing tag, for example. Yeah, we're growing up, but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun here and there. We will eventually get jobs and families – I sure will – and maybe then it'd be less if not no time at all for simple fun. Until that happens, however, we're going to enjoy ourselves to the fullest.

And that's why we went to a local water park! Damn, I really missed the water slides and just swimming in general. The five of us chose the slides for teens since we're definitely much bigger than the foals. We don't want to hurt anyone, that's for sure.

"You're it!" Iridia yelled, tapping me on the shoulder and running away. What can be better than playing tag in the water park?

I laughed and then dashed after her. My friends scattered, trying to get away from me, but I sure know no one can outrun me. Well, maybe Iridia can, but we'll see. She jumped straight into a winding tube, and I followed her. Feeling the rush of adrenaline, I yelled in excitement as I slid down, my head almost spinning because of all these turns. In what seemed like a small eternity, I was shot out of the lower end of the tube straight into the pool. Iridia wasn't too far away from me, so I hastened, using my hind hooves to propel myself from the back wall to her.

I wouldn't say that I can swim very well just yet, but surprisingly, it's easier to learn. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have four legs now, maybe I'm lighter as well, but at least keeping afloat is extremely easy. I kept my balance so that I wouldn't tip over to the side, and soon I was near Iridia. Her tail was almost right next to the end of my muzzle, and all I needed was a small push to reach her.

"Divebomb!" someone yelled, and I went tumbling as they splashed the water next to me. Losing sight of Iridia, I shook my head and tilted it back, moving my mane away from obstructing my face. Blueblood was the one who divebombed, and he was grinning widely at me. Guess who's gonna get tagged?

With one small lunge, I reached him and tapped him on the chest, saying, "You're it!"

Ah, I've not had such good fun in years. For a long time, all I knew was my computer, on which I played plenty of games. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but something more active, something that got my body moving – and not being sex at the same time – is what I really like and enjoy doing. Granted, sex gets my body moving and it is a lot of fun, but... Too much of it and you get bored. I like mixing it up with some more traditional sort of fun.

Anyway, I ran away from Blueblood and hid underwater in one of the pools for a few minutes. My lungs can hold plenty of air, and all I had to do was press my ears firmly against my skull so that water doesn't get in there. Plus I had to resist the urge to inhale water. It makes my nostrils tickle, and that's one of the most annoying things in the world.

I reemerged, taking a lungful of air, and looked around. Blueblood was chasing Moonshine on one of the water slides while Iridia and Night Breeze hid from sight. I think I can see one of them, but... Nope, that's a different pony. Oh wait, there's Iridia! Can't miss that red mane, that's for sure. She's lying right under a slide, in the shadow it provided. Not bad if I say so myself.

"You're... it!" Blueblood said, panting, and then quickly jumped straight from the top of the slide into the water. Nice! Moonshine sat down for a bit, catching her breath, and then started searching for us. I hope she doesn't- ah dang, she sees me. A huge grin appeared on her face and she headed to me. Oh damn, I better run!

Moments like these make me remember my early childhood back on Earth. Me and some of my friends playing in the schoolyard or near one of our houses. Heh, I've never thought my life would go from those moments to these. I'm a talking magical pony with a horn and a pair of wings... If I could travel back in time and tell the past me about it, he'd- I- whatever, wouldn't believe the present me. Or maybe they would if I appeared to them in my current form. Or still not... my voice is a bit different now.

In any case, the situation I'm in... it's crazy. I'm technically a prince, I have a baby on the way, I have a clone of myself, I have magic, I had and regularly have sex with aliens... And yeah, that baby is also an alien. But no matter how unusual this experience is, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. What I have now is more than I ever wished for. Well, I still have to make a band, but that's not going to be too difficult.

After our activities at the water park, all of us went home to do the homework for the next school day and just to relax. Even my muscles feel a bit sore after all this running.

"Alright, what about the band?" Iridia asked me, "We can't just procrastinate forever, you know."

"Yeah," I nodded in agreement, "But you know... stuff's gonna be difficult, at least a bit more than it would back on Earth."

"Well, we already have the instruments – most of them, anyway – so we have to do..." she paused, looking up, probably counting in her head, "We need costumes. That's pretty easy, but we need to do it well or else it'll look stupid."

"Yeah, true," I nodded once again. Indeed, we should make our preparations carefully or we'll look like a bunch of... dark clowns playing weird music. That's not the impression I want to leave, certainly.

"Next, we need a place to record our music at."

"That's for sure. Equestria doesn't have internet yet... or YouTube," I chuckled, "Can't get famous by recording stuff on phone and posting it somewhere."

"The only phone that can record anything in the first place is mine... or, well, yours," Iridia pointed out, "So yeah, a place to record things at. I bet it'll cost us some..."

"And that's why we need to make a live performance first," I continued for her, and she nodded, "That might just get us a bit of money to start recording out stuff."

"Yep, I think that'll do," Iridia nodded and then tapped her chin, "You know, we still need to wait until Blueblood learns how to play the drums. Without a drummer, the band won't be complete."

"Eh, I think he'll learn quickly," I shrugged, "So, we may begin promoting the band. And I have a decent idea for it..."

But before we can do any of what I have in mind, Iridia and I went to Luna for an advice. This concerns some legal and magical stuff, and I'd rather not do anything wrong here. I doubt there will be any problems, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

In the evening, we went to the Canterlot Castle to meet with the princess. She told us to come to the small garden she has in the corner of the castle, and she described it as a quiet place to have conversations at. And indeed, it is a very beautiful place far away from any busy areas of the castle. The garden, contrary to how most do it, will be open during evenings and nights. Why? Because flowers Luna has only bloom during the night. And they glow, too! That's something I'd never even hope to see back on Earth.

"So, what is it you need my help with?" Luna asked us as we settled near a small pond surrounded by purple flowers. For the life of me, I can't remember the names of any flowers at all. Maybe dandelions, but that's it. Roses, too. Uh... maybe something else. Anyway, that's not what I came here for.

"Well... we're thinking about creating a musical group," I began, "Recreating one from my world, that is. It has a certain symbol, I painted it on my clothes before, but I have no actual idea if we can use it. It wouldn't happen that, uh, any weird magic stuff could happen if I used it?"

I handed her the simple drawing I made. And damn, I hate drawing circles, I was never good at it. The symbol itself is an inverted cross with a capital G embedded into it cleverly.

"It does resemble some interesting symbols, but I am fairly certain it wouldn't cause anything magical to happen," Luna assured me, "It is not a forbidden symbol either, considering that it's a new one to me. If you complete the circle and remove anything outside of it, the symbol would then be representing darkness. If, however, you remove everything inside the circle and make the rest have equal length, and still complete the circle, it would be the symbol of light. Tell me, what does your symbol represent?"

"Its basis is an inverted cross. The normal cross is a symbol of a religion in my world, and the inverted cross is regarded as a symbol of evil. Though, from what I know, it's not the case if you dig deep enough into that religion, but people, well... They still think it's evil," I shrugged, "As for the circle, it's not exactly a circle. It's a capital G added to the cross. The name of the band is Ghost."

"Very interesting," Luna made a slow nod, "Why is this particular musical group your choice?"

"Um, I guess I like its music and meanings behind lyrics," I replied with some uncertainty, "But, if I'm being honest... That's the group I listened to because, well... My parents were into that religion which this symbol sorta makes fun of. Plus the lyrics praise the, uh, being that is regarded as evil in that religion."

"You should be careful with things like this," Luna warned me.

"It should be fine. In my world, it doesn't seem like any religion is right – not a major one like that one, at least," I replied, "Plus, if it indeed spread evil, then... it's doing a bad job," I chuckled, "And if you knew what the followers of that religion did... A lot of times, it's much more evil than singing songs, that I am certain about."

"I see," Luna nodded to my words, "So, this is a symbol of your rebellion against what you heavily dislike?"

"That's about it, yeah," I nodded, "I suppose it's also a symbol of fun in some way. I'm not taking their lyrics too seriously, that's for sure."

"And what are the lyrics about?" she asked me with interest.

"Uh..." I said, nervously shifting in place and thinking about my next words carefully. I have no idea if she will like it or not, but here we go... "Well, to be honest, I didn't delve too deep into it before, but on the surface, some lyrics talk about sacrifices. The kind where you use a knife or something like that if you catch my meaning."

"I see," Luna raised a brow, but her tone didn't change, "No harm in it as long as you're not promoting such sacrifices."

"I'm for sure not going to do that," I winced, "Anyway, there's a more pleasant side to things... Sexual stuff. It's, uh, a taboo in that religion I told you about."

"Some of our own religions would shame their followers for what is natural and pleasant as well," the princess nodded in understanding, "It is the easiest way to make someone feel guilty and therefore feel the need to do something 'good' to redeem themselves. Such thoughts are easy to manipulate, unfortunately. However, some of the ideas are reasonable in certain situations – pleasures should be thoughtful and, let's not say restricted... done in moderation and without fanaticism."

"I've been having sex for around eight years more or less regularly, haven't seen anything bad happen so far."

"Trust me, there were plenty of ponies who lost themselves to lust and forgot about the rest," Luna told me in a serious tone, "Just like eating too much food without something to balance it out, having too much sex can be detrimental to your health, especially if you indulge in... exotic activities or forget to tend to your other needs."

"I know that, and I'm fine so far. I don't forget that there's more to life than just sticking it into someone," I chuckled, "Anyway, let's return to the musical group."

"Indeed. Is there anything I should be aware of?"

"Well... I guess I can say it involves dressing up like necromancers or something," I shrugged. I guess that's the best analogy I have. I mean, who else would paint skulls on their faces?

"This is fine. What about the music itself, is it... pleasant to the ear?"

"It can be loud, but it's not incomprehensible noise or anything like that. Sometimes, it's actually pretty relaxing. Like a... like a ritual, I guess," I shrugged yet again. Damn, I really should've read more into the lyrics and the composition of music... Well, too bad for me, I'll have to figure things out myself and try to fit them together nicely.

"I don't suppose I can listen to one of the songs?" she inquired. Oh, I have a surprise for her... I ignited my horn and teleported my smartphone from the apartment to me.

"No problem with that," I said, browsing through my songs until I found the song I wanted to show her, "Here' the first song."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXJZlLJeA_E

For a few seconds, Luna simply listened, her eyes looking at the smartphone.

"That's an unusual sound," she commented, "However, it definitely gives the impression of something... evil."

The song progressed, and the first verse came. Luna listened carefully, her ears aimed straight at the smartphone. Soon, I noticed that one of her hooves started tapping to the rhythm of the song. She remained silent through the first verse and the chorus.

"Very interesting," was her comment during the instrumental pause, and she continued listening without speaking a word. Adding to her hoof taps, her head slightly bobbed forward and back. Heh, even the princess of Equestria can't resist the headbanging power of metal! Though, she's not banging yet... We'll soon see if she will, however. I'm certain she will.

Another instrumental pause took its place after the second chorus, but Luna remained silent until the very end of the song when it started to fade out.

"I suppose this song is just the beginning of a greater story, is it not?" she asked with curiosity, "It certainly reminds me of what Nox Obscura plays. Through their musical album, the songs evolve and tell a story, and sometimes, it spans multiple albums. The style of Ghost is interesting, and personally, I find it likable. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more. If you are indeed going to show it to ponies... You have my permission. In fact, I encourage you to do it – it might bring a push to our music. Even just a few months after my return, I found the current selection of music to be... stale."

What can I say? Yay!

"I suppose you're free to spread the symbol of Ghost. It might work out, for I feel like Ghost would very well represent a hidden cult of evil. Such a thing needs not be promoted excessively. It will travel by the word of mouth."

"That's what our idea is, basically," I nodded, "We'll go home now, I suppose. We still have to do our homework and all that, after all."

"I wish you farewell," Luna nodded with a smile before turning to my... twin sister. Still weird to call her that, "However... Iridia, if I may..."

"Yes?" the mare looked at the princess with curiosity.

"I would like to talk to you in private."

"I... suppose that's alright," Iridia looked at me, "I'll catch up with you, don't worry."

I wonder what Luna wants with Iridia, but it's obviously not my business. At least, not at the moment. So, I turned around and left despite my curiosity telling me to stay and eavesdrop on their conversation.

Frankly, I have no idea what Luna would want from me. I mean, Flame Metal already has all things sorted out pretty much without any of my assistance. After all, we still think almost identically – he said what I wanted to say. The only difference is that he did it quicker than me, heh. I feel like a sidekick now even though just around a week ago I was, well, him. Am I still him? I guess that in some sense I am. Up until this... cloning thing, the memories he and I have are identical.

Huh, I wonder what clones in Star Wars thought of all this. They probably didn't, considering that they were bred as soldiers that follow orders. But still... it's an interesting thing to think about, especially if you're a clone. It's just... weird, but I'm still curious.

"Iridia, may I ask you about how you feel?" Luna asked me after Flame Metal left.

"I feel fine, why?" I asked in confusion. I don't really understand why'd she ask that, and... I do feel fine. Not sick, not sad, not depressed, just... Like I usually feel.

"Well, to be slightly blunt with you, you are just Flame Metal but in a female body," Luna continued, "Do you feel comfortable with this change? Your name is different now, too. How are you holding up facing all of this?"

"It's just weird, but I'll adapt soon. Couldn't be worse than adapting to being a talking magical pony in the first place," I chuckled, "But... I guess I do miss my wings. Sometimes, I feel like they're there, but they're not. But I've never used them much before, so I think I'll manage. As for my gender... I'm not really sure what I exactly feel. I mean, I lived as a guy all my life, and... it's weird," I let out a sigh.

"While chaos magic can't be easily countered, I could try to change your gender back to what it was before the incident," the princess said, "However, it includes some dangers... Would you like to stay female or return to being male?"

"Why didn't you say that before?"

"Frankly, I wasn't sure it'd be possible, so I didn't want to raise your hopes only to bring them down immediately," Luna said in an apologetic tone, "But if I knew, I would say, and I apologize for not researching it sooner."

"It's not your fault I got turned into a mare," I shrugged, "While it'd be nice to change back... I think I'm fine with how I am now. Discord was probably a bit more thoughtful than you expected, so he put some extra in my brain to make me adapt to the change better or something like that."

"Are you sure about it?"

"I think I am..." I said slowly, "Maybe most guys would panic in my situation, but I feel... okay, I guess. I would only have to figure out if I still like girls or I can switch to guys..."

"You're taking this very well indeed. I know not of any other similar incidents, but I imagine others wouldn't be as calm as you are about it, Iridia," Luna told me, a small smile on her face, "So, are you absolutely certain that you feel like you belong in your body?"

"It's kinda like what happened when I turned into a pony. I just need to get used to it, but that's it," I assured her.

"I hope it is indeed so, for I would not want to see you suffer when I can be of help," she came closer to me and hugged me. For a second, I didn't know what to do, but then I hugged her back. Damn... she's really worried about me, and I'm definitely grateful for that. I don't feel like I have a big problem having teats and a vagina instead of a penis, even though returning the latter would be nice. I'm sure I can combine the two if the internet and its widespread dickgirl fetish is anything to go by, but I'd rather not go in that direction. I'm not going to be a trap, heh.

However, Luna does have a point – I will have to adapt. I definitely don't know whom I like, even though I'm sure I still love Moonshine. I need to sort out my feelings, I suppose. If my gender changed, am I now lesbian or will I become bi? I'm not sure that's how sexualities work, but I might discover something about myself I didn't know before. I've not had sex since this transformation thing happened, and I don't think I've ever gotten horny. I guess I'll find out in time.

"Thank you, Luna," I told the princess, "I really appreciate your concern. I'll tell you if anything goes wrong."

"Please do so indeed," she nodded, "You may go now, and I wish you and Flame Metal luck with creating that musical group. If I can be any more of help to either of you, don't hesitate to talk to me."

And on that note, I left the gardens and went to catch up with Flame Metal. It's weird to say my name that is no longer mine... But I'm Iridia now. It's not a bad name at all, and I think it fits. And hey, I sometimes dreamed of having my own clone... Never knew how it would feel, but now I know. I'm a clone, and I have to live with that. It's going to be weird, but I'm sure I'll adapt.

To be honest, one question still bugs my mind, and I've been thinking about it for a long while now. It's a silly question and I'm not sure if it's even serious, but...

...

Is having sex with your own clones considered incest or the ultimate form of narcissism?