Over the last couple of weeks, Duskfall had gotten more or less used to the castle. It was still an eyesore, in her opinion, but with friends regularly stopping by along with Moon Dancer and Spike living there with her, it was tolerable.

Tolerable didn’t mean much though. When she had brought up the issue of how sterile everything felt in the castle, Harmonia had just shrugged.

“I will not claim to be particularly imaginative. I just thought a place where Twilight, her staff, and her guards could live would suffice. I didn’t put any more thought into it than that,” Harmonia apologized.

“I don’t know why, but the idea of Twilight having cute little maids and buff royal guards amuse me for some reason,” Duskfall snarked.

“And her own personal guard would be called the Twilight Vanguard,” Harmonia delivered her joke in a flat voice.

“I was always partial to the Rising Dawn myself…or Coming Dawn. Either works for me,” Duskfall quipped.

“It does help that her name directly correlates to a time of day. Alternatively we could call them the Friendship Fighters,” Even Harmonia couldn’t keep a straight face after that suggestion.

“They’re supposed to be guards, not a two bit silver age superhero group,” Duskfall jokingly complained.

“Ah, then perhaps I shouldn’t mention I’ve been privately referring to the Elements, Spike, and Discord as the Counsel of Friendship,” Duskfall gave Harmonia a look.

“You’re being serious…” Duskfall arched an eyebrow.

“Well, if it was only you Elements, then I would’ve been content to refer to you as such. Since the inclusion of Spike and Discord and to a lesser extent your immediate circle of friends, I felt it needful to call you something all encompassing,” Harmonia explained herself.

“I mean…it isn’t the worst thing you could’ve called us,” Duskfall admitted.

“In any event, would you mind gathering everyone? I believe I am ready to unveil my new body,” Harmonia sounded very nervous, but Duskfall couldn’t blame her.

Ten minutes later and the whole crew were gathered in a corridor in the castle. Harmonia had told them all that the door would open when she was ready and they were all waiting with baited breath. Eventually, the door opened.

There were a few things about Harmonia’s new body that immediately stood out to Duskfall. Firstly she was an Alicorn…obviously. Duskfall would’ve been infinitely more surprised if Harmonia had chosen to inhabit any of the other tribes. Secondly, she was about a full head shorter than Dash. She was clearly a full grown mare, but if ponies had such a thing, Duskfall might’ve called her a toy breed of pony. Then there was her Cutie Mark, a rainbow twisted into an infinity symbol. Finally, her wings were about twice the size one might expect on a pony of her size. Harmonia opened her new eyes.

“Do you…like it?” Harmonia asked hesitantly. Coco, Fluttershy, and Rarity were instantly in love.

Harmonia’s mane was the same rainbow coloration as Dash’s, but with Fluttershy’s volume and body. Her fur was the same marshmallow white as Rarity’s and as smooth, but it was closer to Applejack’s in length. Harmonia’s facial structure was a cross between Twilight and Rarity’s, but the nose was all Pinkie Pie. Speaking of Pinkie, Harmonia’s overall body type was Applejack’s generally trim form with a splash of Pinkie’s softness. Her horn was shaped like Twilight’s but with Rarity’s length. Harmonia’s wings were huge, but took after Fluttershy in general shape. Finally her eyes started Rainbow Dash’s magenta and transitioned smoothly into Twilight’s purple.

“Well, I’m just going to say what’s on all our minds. She’s weirdly hot,” Rainbow remarked. Harmonia bushed furiously.

“Rainbow! At least let her have a chance to get her thoughts in order! I can’t imagine how it must be to squeeze your consciousness into a single body,” Fluttershy said sympathetically.

“It is fine, Fluttershy. I intentionally designed this body to be attractive. What Rainbow Dash says tells me I was successful,” Harmonia was still blushing, but was also smiling, “As for confining myself, I have not really. It is difficult to explain, but I did not create a second, lesser consciousness to place into this body nor have I compacted myself to fit. I am no less complete like this than I was before inhabiting this body; it is simply another aspect of my being, if that makes sense?”

“I don’t fully understand, but if you say it isn’t hurting you or anything, then that’s good,” Fluttershy accepted the explanation.

“Oh, just think of the dresses we can make for you!” Rarity finally squealed.

“We should definitely start with something to compliment her wings. They’re so eye catching on their own, we’d only need to add a few accents,” Coco murmured to herself.

“Truly, you have crafted a fine form for yourself, but if I may ask, why limit your stature?” Luna asked.

“I am so used to being…well, maybe massive is not the right word. All encompassing? My essence can reach most of Equuis. I felt being in a smaller form would help reinforce the idea of changing perspectives that I am aiming for. It is certainly an experience to have to look up to most ponies,” Harmonia noted.

“Hey, you know what would be a great idea?!” Rainbow suddenly exclaimed, “How about Dusk takes you around town so the locals can get used to your new bod?”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, darling!” Rarity added.

“Oh, yes, the bonding time sounds lovely,” Fluttershy encouraged.

“OK, lay off you guys. I’m genre savvy enough to tell that you all just want me out of the castle for some reason. I’ll trust you all to not discover a way to burn down the castle made of crystal,” Duskfall snarked, “Come on, Harmonia.”

“I would also be appreciative if you did not burn down the castle. I am not entirely sure I can make another for quite some time,” Harmonia remarked and followed Duskfall out into Ponyville proper.

“Now the question becomes where to take you first..? Anyplace you want to visit first?” Duskfall asked the smaller Alicorn.

“This is all so new to me. The feeling of the ground beneath me, the light breeze through my mane, I want to experience everything! I avail myself to your greater experience,” Harmonia replied.

“Technically I’m only a couple weeks older than your body,” Duskfall pointed out.

“You also have the points of view of two different species distilled into your mind,” Harmonia countered.

“Yeah, that’s true. I think we should first grab something to eat. It is lunch time and you haven’t eaten anything in your new body, have you?” Duskfall inquired.

“No, I have not. Previously I was sustaining this body through pure Harmony Magic, but now that it is active, that is no longer an option. Even if it were, I would still want to partake in food,” Harmonia explained.

“Alright, since you might very well go full Aximili on me, we should probably hit up a low key establishment first. I’m thinking the Hay Burger. They’re already used to Twilight being messy, so probably won’t bat an eye if you are too,” Duskfall reasoned.

“Very well, lead on,” The pair made their way to the restaurant, garnering the interest of the citizenry along the way. So they stopped to talk with those that crossed their path, from Twinkleshine to Amethyst to Caramel. Eventually they reached the Hay Burger and sat at a table to await their order.

“I wonder how the others are doing,” Duskfall said to herself before casting a scrying spell.

“Well…they have not burned the place down…” Harmonia noted as the food was placed before them.

“I have to wonder if they’re all high as kites. Luna at least should’ve stopped them from going that far,” Any further thought along those lines was quickly dismissed as Harmonia did indeed go full Aximili.

“Applejack, what exactly was your plan behind bringing dirt into the castle?” Rarity asked.

“I don’t rightfully know. I thought ‘homey’ so then I thought ‘farm’ and then I thought ‘crops’ which led me to ‘dirt’,” Applejack admitted sheepishly.

“I can see where you were coming from, Dame Applejack, but please leave the dirt outside in the future,” Luna requested.

“And your recreation of the night sky above the map, Lulu?” Chrysalis teased.

“Nobody likes to look at an empty ceiling. I may have gone slightly overboard,” Luna giggled.

“Yeah, Ah agree. It’s nice to look at and all, but it’s a mite distractin’.” Applejack opined, “Maybe it’s tha lightshow an’ explodin’ stars.”

“Rainbow, aren’t these your trophies?” Fluttershy questioned.

“Well, yeah, they have my name on them, but I’m giving them to Dusk. I figure Twilight’s won a spelling bee or a dozen. If her ribbons and stuff went up with the library, then maybe these will make Dusk feel better,” Rainbow answered.

“An admirable attitude, Darling, but I’m not sure how much Duskfall will appreciate having a constant reminder of Twilight’s accomplishments shoved in her face,” Rarity pointed out, “The poster idea, however, is rather clever, even if she would probably prefer posters of scientific equations and philosophical quotes.”

“I...uh…I probably shouldn’t have brought the animals. Duskfall already has Owlowiscious, even if she did inherit him from Twilight,” Fluttershy murmured to herself.

“Well, this place is a grand old mess right now. Either we can start from scratch or start removing things until we start seeing some kind of cohesive whole from this mess,” Chrysalis suggested just as a party canon went off somewhere.

“Don’t look at me. I may be a top tier interior decorator, but that’s a matter of taste,” Discord remarked, “Duskfall would probably want a place to relax while she studies and experiments, same for Moon Dancer here.”

“This is supposed to be Duskfall’s castle. I’m only a guest,” Moon Dancer said modestly.

“You’re much more than a guest, as I’m sure Duskfall would say if asked. You are a valued friend and this will be your home for as long as you want it to be. So, you should have a say in how it looks,” Fluttershy encouraged.

“Speaking of people who live here, Spike, you’ve been awfully quiet,” Rainbow noted.

“Hey, I’m living in an edible castle. The only thing I’m really worried about is keeping any case of the munchies under control. If Dusk and Moon Dancer want to dress the place up, then I don’t have a problem either way,” Spike shrugged.

“I think it’ll be best if we just start from scratch. I reckon we’ll all just start fightin’ about what should stay and what should go,” Applejack said reasonably. The other ultimately agreed.

Eventually Duskfall managed to drag the deliriously happy Harmonia out of the Hay Burger.

“Ah, that was wonderful~ I may have embarrassed myself, but I am unable to bring myself to care,” Harmonia sighed happily.

“Now we know how to get you to behave in the future: just offer you good food,” Duskfall teased.

“I am your loyal puppy now,” Harmonia squeaked. This got Dusk to crack up.

“Well, if you think that’s good, I’ve got a pair of sisters to introduce you to,” Duskfall started walking in the direction of the spa.

“Aloe and Lotus? Oh, I cannot wait!” There was a special warm feeling to introducing Harmonia to the joys of a physical existence. Must be how Rarity feels every day around Coco. That warm feeling died a horrible, screaming death when they walked past the ruins of Golden Oaks Library. Harmonia picked up on her companion’s sudden mood dip.

“If you want to kick me in the face or something, I’ll understand. It was my fault Tirek got far enough to destroy Golden Oaks, after all,” Harmonia offered herself up willingly.

“What good would that do? An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind. You’ve apologized and I’ve deemed you to be genuinely sorry for what happened, we can all move on. Except Tirek, because if that bastard shows his face around here again I will kill him,” Duskfall growled, “Also, you’re my puppy now. What kind of shitty person would I be if I kicked my puppy?”

“I think we’re making real progress here,” Luna remarked.

“Your idea to give everyone a separate room to work on and then work together on the map room was simply inspired!” Rarity complimented.

“I know all too well how frustrated talent feels. This way we each get to show off what we think Duskfall and Moon Dancer will appreciate most and provide a united effort as friends,” Luna was quite pleased with herself.

“Hey, Luna, the room I got assigned is locked! I don’t recognize some of these spells!” Moon Dancer called out from in the hall. Curiosity piqued, Luna made her way to the indicated door.

“I recognize most of these spells,” Luna said after analyzing the door, “But what I find most odd is that there are spells here specifically designed to keep myself, my sister, Discord, and even Chrysalis out of this room. What on Equuis could Duskfall be so dead set on hiding?”

“What, do you think she’s hiding bodies in there or something?” Rainbow asked sarcastically.

“Hardly, Dame Rainbow, but the sheer vigor with which she is securing this room is cause for concern. I wish to trust Duskfall, but at the same time, she has stated multiple times that she wishes for nothing more than the return of Tom and Twilight. Could that desire have led her to practicing Necromancy in secret? I could understand being impatient with the bureaucracy, but if that is the case we will need to give Duskfall a stern talking to,” Luna sighed wearily.

“But what if it’s just her porn stash and she’s embarrassed by it? I’d lock it down too, if I could,” Rainbow argued.

“You are correct, Rainbow Dash. If it is just something innocuous that she is embarrassed by then breaking into the room would be a serious breach of trust. I suppose we will just have to wait for Duskfall to return home and ask her directly if she is doing anything illegal in this room before jumping to conclusions,” Luna decided.

“In the mean time, I’m gonna go find another room to spruce up,” Moon Dancer said as she walked away to do just that.

The sun was beginning to set and Duskfall and Harmonia were approaching the castle after a day of food, spas, and mingling with the townsfolk. When they entered the castle itself they saw the halls decked in royal purple and emerald green.

“Surprise!” The whole crew popped out and cheered.

“So that’s what you were all doing before. I’m glad to see you managed to fix the disaster area before we got back,” Duskfall snarked.

“You, ah, saw that, did ya?” AJ asked.

“I used a simple scrying spell. One eyeful was enough for me,” Duskfall grimaced.

“Well, we hope you will be pleased with the improvements we’ve made,” Rarity said hopefully.

The group then led Duskfall on the grand tour. The Kitchen was now well stocked with loved pots and pans and had sunflower wallpaper courtesy of Applejack. The library had posters of books, equations, and famous quotes, which was Rainbow’s doing. Fluttershy had placed stuffed animals in the bedroom. Discord had created a holodeck, even if he denied that’s what it was. Moon Dancer had painted a room in soothing blues and set up a couple of loveseats for comfortable reading. Chrysalis had somehow created a sauna in the palace and wasn’t telling how she managed it. Luna had created a night sky that would respond to the will of whoever was in the room, showing meteor showers, zooming in on certain stars, things like that. Pinkie had forgone a specific room in favor of planting surprises throughout the castle. Coco and Rarity had teamed up to create something not unlike Rarity’s inspiration room; just a place Dusk or Moon Dancer could come to try something new.

“Thank you, all of you. This is amazing,” Duskfall said happily as the returned to the map room.

“We are glad you like it, but before we all retire to our homes, there is one thing we must ask, Duskfall. What are you hiding in that fortified room?” Luna questioned.

“It’s none of your business,” Duskfall instantly replied.

“Duskfall…” Luna trailed off warningly.

“Look, it’s nothing illegal; it’s just personal, OK? Am I not allowed to have some privacy or do you want me to spread my legs for you too?” Duskfall asked shortly.

“Told ya it was her porn stash,” Rainbow quipped.

“You know what? Fine, it is my porn collection and where I keep my smutty fanfics. Can you all go now?” Duskfall suddenly just really wanted to hold tight to one of the stuffed animals Fluttershy had given her and cry herself to sleep.

“We apologize, Duskfall. It wasn’t our intention to offend you,” Luna said remorsefully. Dusk took a deep breath.

“As princess, you have a certain right to be concerned about the people and what others might be doing to harm them. I can’t fault you for being concerned over a suspiciously well guarded room. Just…I need some time to myself right now,” Duskfall headed directly to her bedroom, locked the door, buried herself in stuffed animals, and cried.

Author's Notes:

Well... I hadn't intended for that to happen... poor Duskfall

Anyway, a few things to note in my personal life.

My laptop's keyboard has suddenly started losing keys. I'm sending it in for repair, as it is still under warranty. Unfortunately, that means for the next two or so weeks that the repairs take, I'm going to have to do all my writing on my desktop.

I know know about most people, but I personally value my comfort quite highly when I write and sitting in a chair for longer than an hour is a good way to make my very antsy. So while I'll try and keep a steady pace of chapters, I may fall behind.

As far as the puppy situation goes...

I've managed to get my dad on my side. He agrees I shouldn't be basically holding a full time job of dog sitting a dog that isn't mine with no compensation. Most of the world considers dog sitting a service and it was a service I was doing out of the kindness of my heart for no compensation. That stops when it starts to impact my health, physical and emotional.

Then I learned my little brother views me as his own personal slave. I wanted to cut back on the amount of time I watched the puppy. I'd still be willing to do it for free, but only 3 days a week. We even suggested that on the days he still had work he could drop off the puppy at a dog daycare for 15$ a day. My little brother said, and I quote:

"It is your responsibility to watch my dog when I'm at work. It's not my fault you're a pansy ass bitch and I'm not going to pay someone to watch my dog. It's not like you do anything all day anyway."

It took every shred of self control I had to not deck him then and there. The fact that he called it my "responsibility" is what really pissed me off. As if I were somehow obligated to watch his dog. I can accept being called names. I can even accept that he called me, essentially, a lazy layabout, even when I write (obviously), manage my own let's play youtube channel, and do script writing for another youtuber.

If I suddenly drop off the face of the earth, it'll be because I'm in jail for murdering the little shit.