"So," Twilight begins, rubbing a temple with her hoof. "You came out here, ended up searching for a missing pony, and instead of a pony you found a draconequus. Am I still with you so far?"
"Eeyup," I nod.
"But this isn't just any draconequus, oh no no. This is DISCORD'S SISTER?!" A hair or two in Twilight's mane pop out of place as she asks this. I nod and back up a few steps, not eager to see where this is going.
"Er... yeah, she is. Say, your mane is doing that thing again... you okay, Twilight?"
Twilight pauses, taking a moment to breathe and calm down. I don't blame her, either; she's spent her whole life knowing the version of Equestria's history that the Princesses themselves knew, and now she's being forced to relearn what she had come to see as child's play. Put in her hooves, I'd be liable to freak out a bit, too.
"Sorry, Steve." She grins sheepishly. "Are you sure she's telling the truth, though?"
"I don't know," I shake my head. "The only person I know who can possibly corroborate her story would probably enjoy seeing us squirm more than he really should, and he and I aren't exactly on speaking terms at the moment."
Twilight shakes her head, not even bothering to ask how I'd managed to burn a bridge with Discord.
Don't ask me how it happened, but I've somehow found myself recounting some of the more noteworthy aviation stories that we have on Earth at Twilight's request. Currently, I’m recounting the story of one Captain Zero, who pulled off all kinds of crazy stunts in a Boeing 727 without ever being fired.
“So, this crazy asshole gets grounded a third time so he can be terminated as soon as possible. Unfortunately for his airline, though, the ALPA steps in YET again and saves his sorry ass by getting him reinstated once more. He was re-stationed, this time at Washington National. Problem is, this airport has a particular runway that points directly at the White House.” Twilight gives me an odd look, so I quickly explain the significance. “It’s my country’s equivalent of the castle in Canterlot.”
“Ah, that makes more sense.” Twilight nods for me to continue.
“Anyway, you don’t fuck with the White House. Hence, taking off from that runway, there’s a step in the procedure where you make a hard left turn so you don’t buzz the White House- granted, if you DO buzz the House and you AREN’T dealing with an emergency, the Fed is going to have a word with you. Well, Captain Zero, as he came to be called, had some strange musings about that procedure. Very strange musings indeed, which no sane pilot would ever do.
“It eventually got to the point that his first and second officers would prepare the cockpit crash ax, ready to hijack their own plane in order to keep the passengers and crew alive.” Twilight’s eyes widen, and she visibly shrinks in her seat. “Luckily, nothing ever came of it. The airline soon went bankrupt, and thanks to Captain Zero’s record he was never considered by another airline as a pilot.” Twilight visibly relaxes, although she still seem bothered by something. “Something the matter, Twilight?”
“Earth doesn’t sound like a very nice place,” she muses. “What do you see in it that makes you want to return?” The question leaves me at a loss for words. I mean, Earth is my home- but then again, home is where the heart is, and Equestria is quickly capturing my heart more than Earth ever had. I don’t know what to think anymore.
“I- I don’t know,” I stutter.
“Well, when you figure it out, let me know. In the meantime, let’s get back to the castle to get ready for the return trip to Ponyville.”
A letter. It's always a letter; never in person, never by phone, never even by messenger - only a letter will ever come to ruin everything. Fucking bureaucrats and their letters. I probably would've done something stupid if I wasn't surrounded by friends when this one arrived, which I had promptly opened and read.
"Steve,
I sincerely hope you have enjoyed the time you've had with your wings, and it pains me to have to give you this news in this manner. Unfortunately, I regret to inform you that I cannot allow you any more time in your current form. According to my best biologists, you're fast approaching the point where you will be unable to return to your human form- not in a stable mental state, that is. Of course, this is according to our best approximations, as you are the first occurrence of your situation in our recorded history, so it's possible you may have surpassed that point long ago.
I'm afraid I must be frank with you. I will be coming to Ponyville tomorrow to reverse your transformation. You will still have the option to assume your current body once again should you choose the option to remain on Equus, but in order for you to have a real choice in the matter I regret that I must suspend that privilege to a later date.
I am truly sorry.
Yours truly,
Princess Celestia"
Dropping the letter on the ground, I flew away as fast as my wings would carry me. I didn't get very far, though, as both Twilight and Rainbow Dash were stronger flyers than myself. I'd quickly been captured in Twilight's magic, and locked into a tight hug by the two mares once we'd returned to the ground, near the Crystal Heart. With nowhere to go, and no words coming to my mouth, all I could find the capacity to do was cry as they held me there to do so.
For several minutes, I'd wept for the impending loss of my wings, and for reasons I couldn't name. Eventually, I'd been shepherded onto the train back to Ponyville, where I'm currently staring into the sky outside my window, longing to take flight. Once, I'd cursed this body's affinity for extreme emotional responses. Now, though, I embrace the urge to cry myself to sleep.
I find myself face-to-face with Princess Luna, almost as if she's been in the Dream Realm proactively awaiting my inevitable arrival.
"I just heard that my sister-" she begins, only to cut off at a wave of my hoof.
"Told me that the best week of my life is being forced to come to a close?" I interrupt, spurred on by rage. "Yes. Yes, she did. By 'We regret to inform you' letter, in true hooves-off bureaucratic fashion." Luna flinches at the malice dripping from my words.
"I- I'm sorry to hear that. Is there any way I can help you feel better?"
I don't hear anything after the first three words in her question. I've taken off, leaving a Sonic Rainboom in my wake- something I can only intentionally do in my dreams. I intend to fly as far away from my problems as fast as I can. Eventually, though, I conjure a cloud and a land on it, content to just lay there and savor the sensation.
And apparently, Luna has gotten the message that I want to be left alone, because my surroundings shift and I drift off into other dreams...
I awaken in Ponyville General Hospital, a human once more. I have no memory of anything beyond falling asleep on the train, although a note on the table next to my bed fills in the blanks.
"Steve-
I am truly sorry for having done this, but you were quite combative when I arrived to return you to your original form. I've come to know you as somepony who tries to do right, and feels (occasionally unwarranted) regret when things go wrong. Therefore, I felt the greatest gift I could give you is ignorance regarding some of the things you said and attempted to do. I know that you didn't mean any of it, and I don't want you beating yourself up over it, so I've blocked the memories of the last 24 hours for you.
Ponyville General has orders to keep you for the next three days, so try and relax. Trust me when I say you need the break, more than you know.
Yours truly,
Princess Celestia
P.S.- I've had the chance to meet with Concord. You've done well by Equestria by finding her, and even as you're reading this she's helping Twilight with the final stages of the research into tapping into the ambient magic within Equestria's gems. I get the feeling that some of your accomplishments will permanently remain in ponykind's knowledge, regardless of any which choice you make regarding Earth versus Equus."
I set the letter aside, and begin to weep once more. I had known this day would come; I just wish it hadn't been so soon. All things that are borrowed must be returned, even one's wings.
Outside, by pure coincidence, it rains. Almost as if Equus knows that it's both fulfilled my dreams and broken my heart, all in the course of three weeks.