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psychicscubadiver
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Written by: psychicscubadiver
Edited by: frieD195 and Silentcarto
Story Image by: wyrmlover
Beta-reader: SA
Disclaimer: I don’t own The Dresden Files or My Little Pony, that is Jim Butcher and Hasbro, respectively. This is a fanfiction only. This story takes place before Discord’s return in MLP and between books six and seven in the Dresden Files.
Chapter Two
Definitely a classical style, Twilight Sparkle thought, examining one of the few columns left standing in the ruined castle. But is it late or early classical? She had given her letter to Luna’s sending two days ago, but she knew that a response would take time. So to pass the time until Dresden showed up, she’d been studying the ruins of the Castle of the Royal Sisters.
Currently, Twilight was trying to date the palace, most of the records of its completion having been lost to the sands of time. True, she could have just asked her mentor, but what fun was there in having the answer handed to her instead of solving the question herself? Twilight had just decided that the style of fluting most closely matched that of the early classical period when a startled, distinctly non-equine yell caught her attention. He’s here! she thought, shoving the reference book back into her saddlebags.
Twilight hurried down the old stone staircase and rounded the outer wall to reach the waterfall that marked the Way. She paused as she pushed through the last curtain of vegetation, pressing a hoof to her mouth to stifle a giggle. Beside the waterfall’s pool, Dresden was sitting on the ground, seemly having tripped over a large pack at his feet. He didn’t notice her, though; his attention was entirely focused on the small dragon he was dangling at arm’s length by its tail. A small dog circled Spike below, sniffing and panting happily.
Spike, despite being suspended upside down by a creature several times his size, seemed unfazed. Instead he chattered away, thrilled to finally meet the ‘alien’ who had helped save Equestria from the return of the Nightmare.
“This is so cool!” he gushed. “I mean, it’s so awesome to finally meet you. Everypony’s already told me so much about your adventure last time. You are such an amazing guy! You got possessed by the Nightmare, kicked it out of your head, joined forces with the Elements of Harmony and finally destroyed it once and for all with a huge fireball! That’s totally epic!”
Dresden was a little overwhelmed by the attention, if his uncomfortable frown was any clue. Twilight suspected he hadn’t been expected such a warm welcome. “That’s enough, Spike. You’ll have plenty of chances to talk to Dresden later.” Her purple aura surrounded the baby dragon and brought him back to the ground, pausing slightly to flip him right side up. He scowled at her, but she ignored it in favor of greeting their guest. “How’ve you been, Dresden?”
He chuckled and used one hand to push himself back onto his feet. “Not bad. Not good either, but hey… that’s life.”
Twilight frowned. He seemed tired, and not just physically. What could have happened to him? He looks so much older since the last time I saw him.
Dresden stretched, some alarmingly loud cracks and pops coming from his back. “But I’m here because you called, so what’s up? I couldn’t tell if something bad was going down from the letter, so I brought the big guns just in case.”
Twilight curiously examined his ‘big guns’. He’d brought back his staff, and with it a thin cane with a strange handle. There was a small dog sitting by his feet, its tongue lolling out as it panted. It acted like a puppy, but it was already more than half the size of any dog Twilight had ever seen. His pack, which was big enough for a foal to use as a tent, bulged with who-knew-what. Then she noticed the bleached, presumably human skull hanging from his belt and barely repressed a shudder of revulsion. And as if that wasn’t weird enough, Twilight had the unsettling sensation that it was somehow watching her despite its empty eye sockets.
Come on, Twilight. Think positive, she told herself. Maybe… humans engage in ancestor worship. That makes sense. And Dresden just wants me to… ugh… ‘meet’ one of his forefathers. So much for thinking positive, but it was the best explanation she could come up with. The skull was just flat out creepy, but she was polite enough not to say anything about it.
“Ewww. Is that a real skull? That’s just flat out creepy.” Spike, of course, was not as inhibited.
Dresden chuckled and addressed the skull. “You hear that, Bob? He thinks you’re creepy.”
“Spike,” Twilight said in a sweet, slightly strained tone, “Why don’t you go and get Mr. Dresden some tea and snacks?” Spike gave her an innocent smile, but Twilight wasn’t buying it. “Now, mister.” She glared until Spike sighed and shuffled off to their campsite.
Dresden cracked his neck with a grimace. “Nice kid. He’s a lot more energetic than I remember, though.”
Twilight frowned. “The last time you were here he was unconscious the whole time.”
“Like I said. More energetic.” The wizard grinned, and Twilight had to wonder if every human had such a strange sense of humor, or if Dresden was considered just as odd in his own world.
Twilight smiled anyway. Strange jokes or not, it was nice to see Dresden again. “I hope I didn’t make you worry. There’s nothing wrong; the letter was vague just in case it was intercepted or lost. The real reason you’re here is because the Princesses are holding a ceremony in your honor. I think they want to award you a medal.” Dresden’s mouth dropped open slightly and he flushed.
“Actual appreciation? Wow. There really is a first time for everything. But why’d they wait almost a year to do it?” He shrugged. “Is the bureaucracy around here really that bad?”
Twilight frowned. “Almost a year? Dresden, it’s only been two months since you left.” Unless years were much shorter in his world, he wasn’t making any sense. That didn’t seem to be the case; all of his other units of time seemed to match up with the Equestrian standard.
Dresden raised both eyebrows and pondered that for a moment. “Two months, huh? Well, that’s interesting. Almost twelve months have gone by in my world.” Twilight stared at him in shock, but the wizard appeared to be calculating something and didn’t notice.
“Really?” Spike cut in, his eyes shining. He’d returned with two cups of tea and a plate of cookies while they were talking. “So we could take a week’s vacation in your world and only one day would pass here? That would be awesome!”
Dresden shook his head and took a cup of tea. “I doubt the time difference is that constant. It’s probably more like a pendulum, with the imbalance moving back and forth, but keeping the worlds more or less in sync. At least, that’s how it works between Earth and the Nevernever. I’d have to study the time dilation for a while to tell you for certain.” He set down the cup and grabbed a cookie, breaking off a chunk to give to the small dog.
Twilight finally found her voice. “But that’s not how time works at all! It’s a linear progression. You can’t just distort the flow like that.” The power requirements alone for a spell of that magnitude left her boggled.
Dresden chuckled. “The first step to true wisdom is finding out how much you don’t know. Not only does it happen, it’s entirely natural. Well, supernatural, but the point stands.”
Twilight shook her head. It was astounding how much was out there that she had never even suspected. One of the greatest benefits to having Dresden back would be a chance to actually spend some time discussing his magic and world. The Princesses, Luna especially, had given her a few tentative lessons on the Nevernever, but they had focused mainly on the underlying mechanics. To be honest, she was as eager as Spike to hear about the creatures and places Dresden had seen. But that would have to wait for later.
“We’ll have plenty of time to discuss that later, but there’s something we need to do right away. Would you take off all your clothes, please? I’ve got a surprise that I think you’ll like.” Dresden’s eyes went wide with shock, and he started choking on his tea.
At the same time, the eyeholes in the skull on his belt flared to life. The formerly motionless bone suddenly animated and shouted, “Now we’re talking!”
Twilight shrieked and leaped back from the… the… whatever it was, suppressing her instinct to telekinetically smash it against the nearest rock. Cookies flew as Spike threw the tray and ran, screaming about ghosts. The dog chased after him, barking happily as they vanished into the ruins. Dresden coughed a few times, trying to clear his throat, while Twilight stared down the unnatural skull at his belt. She held a shield spell and three different kinds of energy blasts at the ready. If necessary, she could destroy the skull without harming Dresden. Hopefully.
“Damn it, Bob!” Dresden shouted past his coughing fit. “Ten minutes. We’re here less than ten minutes, and you open your damn mouth! Why the hell did I believe you when you said you’d behave?”
Twilight stared at the human as he chided the… talking skull, her ears burning from his language. It’s a skull. It’s talking! some part of her brain gibbered. How can a skull talk?!
Whatever the answer, Dresden didn’t seem surprised by the sudden disruption to Twilight’s world view. Again. He didn’t seem to be on friendly terms with whatever it was, but at least he wasn’t treating it as something hostile. Twilight hesitantly released her magic and took a small step toward the wizard.
“Come on, boss! She was coming on to you so hard, I couldn’t help it. I’ll be good for the rest of the trip, I promise.” Its voice dropped, and one orange eye light winked. “But have you reconsidered your policy vis-à-vis ponies? It sure sounds like she’s open-minded.”
Twilight wasn’t sure what the skull was talking about, but it sounded rude and a little dirty. Dresden’s flushed and horrified expression seemed to confirm as much. She cleared her throat noisily. “Umm… Dresden, what is that?”
Dresden gave the skull one final glare and sighed. “Twilight, it is my utmost displeasure to introduce Bob the Skull. He’s a spirit of air and intellect that serves as my assistant. He’s also a pervert of the lowest class and apparently can’t keep his mouth shut when he should.”
“Hey, now.” The skull replied in a hurt voice. “Just because I appreciate the finer sex as much as possible doesn’t make me a pervert.”
“No,” Dresden retorted, “but what you say about the ‘finer sex’ does. And that’s not even mentioning what you did the last time I let you out of your skull.”
“Everyone at that sorority was a consenting adult and the alcohol was just as much to blame as I was.”
“Stop bickering!” Twilight shouted over the argument, her glare flicking between Dresden and the skull. This visit was already turning out to be even more… interesting than she had expected. “Dresden, what is a ‘spirit of intellect’ and why is it a talking skull?”
Dresden raised his hands defensively. “Settle down, kid. Remember demons? Bob’s the flip side of that coin. He comes from the Nevernever, but instead of being focused on negative things like pain and death, he’s obsessed with knowledge. And, unfortunately, sex. The orange light is his actual form; the skull is just what he lives in.” Dresden lifted the skull so Twilight could see the tiny symbols carved into it around all of its orifices. She didn’t recognize them, but she could feel the subtle power they held. “Like all spirits, Bob’s made of pure magic, so he lacks a physical body and free will. Right now I own the skull, so he has to obey me. Mostly I use him as a research assistant. He knows more about magic and the supernatural world than even senior wizards of the White Council.”
Bob snorted. Or at least he somehow made a sound to that effect. “More like anyone short of the Archive. Credit where credit’s due, sahib.”
Twilight watched the orange lights in the eyes track her as she moved back and forth. “That’s… amazing, actually. Where did you get him?”
Dresden hesitated for a moment, his expression conflicted, but Bob chuckled. “Now that’s a story,” the spirit began. “You see−”
“Don’t say a word, Bob.” Dresden bit out, his eyes dark.
Bob glanced at him, somehow managing to look surprised. “Really? I mean, it’s been almost two decades since Justin−”
“That’s an order,” Dresden said calmly. Too calmly – lacking his usual jovial attitude or even the fierce anger she’d seen in him when Spike was kidnapped. Instead, he almost sounded bitter. Obviously, Dresden’s past wasn’t something he was comfortable discussing.
“Well,” Twilight said, trying to change the subject. “That’s interesting, but I just asked Dresden to undress. This won’t work right if he’s wearing clothes. What’s the big deal?” In fact, why is Dresden wearing so many clothes anyway? She had deduced that humans lost heat easily because they had no fur, so Dresden had preferred to wear them to avoid a chill even in late spring. And granted, the time difference meant that it was Spring again back in his world. But it was summer in Equestria, and the day was very warm. Not to mention the sweltering desert he had hiked through. Yet, he wore not just a shirt and pants, but that strange coat as well. Curiouser and curiouser.
Dresden blushed and coughed while Bob leered at her. “I don’t think I mentioned it before, but for a variety of social and environmental reasons, humans have a nudity taboo. We don’t usually get naked except for bathing and, er, mating. I don’t know why you need me to strip, but the way you phrased it…”
It took Twilight a moment to process. She’d never heard of such a thing as a taboo against nudity, but then the full meaning of his statement hit her. She blushed deeply, her lavender coat turning fuchsia as she tried not to stammer. “You mean what I said sounded like…” She trailed off unable to finish the sentence.
“An invitation to get down and dirty with Harry?” Bob chuckled. “You bet your sweet flank it did.”
Twilight wondered if anypony had ever died from embarrassment. Even if her blush wasn’t terminal, it was taking up valuable blood her brain could have been using to figure a way out of this. She tried visualizing a few comforting equations to calm herself, but something about the way Bob stared at her as she concentrated just made things worse.
Dresden came to her rescue at last. “I figured that wasn’t what you meant, but hearing it surprised me. So, why do I need to be in the buff?”
Twilight held back a sigh of relief, and tried to focus on her original purpose instead of her mistake. “Well, I mentioned your medal ceremony, right?” He nodded, and she continued. “It would be public, of course, and the Princesses still don’t want anypony to know about humans or your world.”
Dresden raised an eyebrow. “So you’re going to cast an illusion directly on me this time?”
“Not quite.” Twilight said. “You’re going to be the center of attention, and the chances of an illusion failing under close scrutiny are too high. So instead, I’m going to transform you into a pony. The change should be painless, and it will wear off naturally in about a week, though I can dispel it at any point. I need you to take off your clothes because they would probably be destroyed… in the…” She stopped. Dresden was staring at her in mix of doubt and apprehension. “What’s wrong?”
“You want to turn me into a pony?” He sounded dubious, as though hoping he’d misunderstood her.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Yes. Is there something wrong with that?”
“Yeah, it’s extremely illegal where I’m from! Second Law of Magic: Thou shalt not transform another.”
Twilight boggled. Again. “Wha— why? I’ve been through Magic Ethics class, and they never said there was anything wrong with transformation!”
Dresden shrugged. “According to the White Council, there is, and I’m not in a hurry to get a second offense.” He grimaced. “They’re not a real forgiving bunch.”
Bob laughed. “Harry, I think she’s a little outside of the White Council’s jurisdiction. Twilight’s not a human – hell, she doesn’t even live in the same world. And even if the Council still wanted to be pissy about it because you were involved, how would they ever find out? Unless you ring them up and start spilling secrets, they’ll never know it even happened. Just admit it, you big pansy. You don’t want to get turned into a pony.”
Dresden bristled at the insult. “Hey, I’m pretty darn attached to my current body. It’s not being a pony I object to, it’s changing at all.”
Bob grunted in disbelief. “Uh huh. What about the case with the werewolves? You used that Hexenwolf belt to transform without any hesitation. You just don’t want me telling anyone what a pretty pony you make.”
“That was a life or death situation! Totally different.” Dresden snapped back.
“Werewolves?” Twilight asked.
“There wolves. There castle.” Bob said in a strange accent, then laughed
Harry just rolled his eyes. “Are you going to do that every chance you get?” he asked the skull.
Twilight shook her head. She needed to stop getting distracted and keep things on topic. “Then will you let me?”
Dresden frowned and crossed his arms. She tried again. “We can’t have the ceremony or show you around Ponyville if you don’t.” His frown got deeper. “It would mean a lot to me and all of my friends if you did.” The wizard remained silent. Twilight hesitated, thinking about his last visit, and at last an inspiration struck her.
Twilight widened her eyes, sniffed softly and stuck out her bottom lip slightly. “Please, Mr. Dresden?” He had repeatedly given in to Fluttershy’s pleas when nopony else could convince him. Twilight hypothesized he was extremely susceptible to perceived vulnerability. Or in more simple terms, he couldn’t say no to a mare in distress. She watched the resistance in his eyes crumble into dust and had to hold back a small cheer. Another theory confirmed.
“Fine,” he sighed, “But Bob, you’re never allowed to tell anyone about this. Ever. That’s an order.”
The skull snickered, but said nothing. Twilight smiled; finally everything was going according to plan. She checked the position of the sun and was pleased to note they hadn’t even used up all of the time allotted for ‘unexpected delays’ built into her schedule. “Follow me, then.”
Twilight’s horn glowed, and with a little effort, she levitated his pack into the air. She was surprised by the weight; had Dresden really carried this much across the Way from his world?
Luckily, it was a much shorter trip to their campsite, and Twilight didn’t even break a sweat bringing all of Dresden’s possessions with her. She set down the pack carefully and examined the circle she had etched into floor of the castle. It occupied a single block of stone, since Twilight had found that the ring needed to maintain integrity to be functional. The cardinal points had symbols carved into them, the result of mixing her own ideas with what Dresden had taught her of his own magic.
Dresden knelt and examined it. “You made a magic circle? Complete with focal symbols?” He sounded a little surprised.
Twilight grinned, happy to show off the results of her latest studies. “Yes, after you explained the concept to me, I did some research on them. Turns out their use was once widespread, but they slowly fell out of favor as unicorns began to specialize their spells. Just using a circle improved the efficiency of my bigger spells by an average of 33.4 percent.”
Dresden frowned in what looked like confusion, but motioned for Twilight to continue. “The symbols at the edges of the circle are something of my own design. They act as substitutes for concepts I would normally have to visualize and concentrate on while casting the spell. Now they’re already embedded into the magic’s matrix by visualizing the concepts while I carved them into the stone. I read about Clover the Clever doing something similar, so tried my hoof at it.”
Bob whistled, and Twilight visibly suffered a moment of cognitive dissonance trying to understand how. “Now that’s impressive. Not only has she trained her whole life doing magic with only pure mental constructs, but she’s actually creating her own symbols to build props from. Give me five weeks to teach her, and I'll bet she’d kick your ass to the curb, sahib.”
Dresden laughed. “Bob, I wouldn’t give you five minutes alone with her. I really doubt she wants the mental scarring that comes from learning with you.” He turned his attention from the skull to Twilight and grinned. “But you seriously came up with this on your own? Way to go, Twilight!”
Twilight grinned in response, trying not to preen. Nopony liked to hear boasting, even if she did feel like she’d just earned the title of The Great and Powerful Twilight. “Thank you very much. I wanted to get it done in time to show you, but it’s not really that impressive. Just a little applied research.”
Dresden nodded and sighed. “All right, let’s get this over with, then.” He set down his staff and started tugging at the glove on his left hand. Twilight watched curiously. She didn’t remember him wearing that two months ago. He finally got the stubborn thing off, and Twilight was unable to hold back her shocked gasp.
His hand had been cooked. There was no other way to describe it.
The flesh was melted and warped as if the extremity had been made of wax and twisted into a new shape before being allowed to cool again. His fingers twitched slightly, as if incapable of any further motion, and she realized with a start that she hadn't seen him use the hand since he arrived. The damage was clearly more than just skin deep. Whatever had happened to Dresden, it had hurt him deeply.
“Your hand,” she choked out, “it … it’s …”
“Hideous?” Bob suggested. Twilight glared at him, but Dresden made a placating gesture.
“It’s okay. It has that effect on everybody, that’s why I normally wear the glove.”
“But what happened?” Twilight asked. “Who did this to you?”
“It’s the price I paid to exterminate a scourge of vampires. We got the bastards, though.” He frowned. “Most of them, anyway. It was worth it.”
Twilight couldn’t understand, couldn’t imagine what he had gone through. “But you lost your hand!”
Dresden sighed and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “My world is a jungle, and humans aren’t anywhere near the top of the food chain. But that’s why we fight. It may not be pretty, but it’s our world and I’d defend it to the death.” He gave her a sad smile, and Twilight tried to smile back. Satisfied, he turned his back to her and resumed stripping. Twilight watched, mulling over the pain in his eyes, and what his latest battle had cost him.
He’s a warrior; what did you expect? she asked herself. That he’d never get hurt? She had read stories of vampires, of course, but that’s all they were: stories. It was hard to believe that creatures like that actually existed in Dresden’s world. The concept of evil wasn’t foreign to Equestria, but such a raw expression of it was.
“Twi? I’m done,” Dresden announced, interrupting her thoughts. Twilight blinked and realized that the wizard was already standing in the middle of her circle. He had lost his shirt, pants and thick boots, revealing skin that was slightly paler than his face or hand, but still just as smooth, except a small, thin patch of hair in the center of his chest. His feet, she was interested to note, were similar to his hands, but obviously modified to a bipedal gait. Instead of being round, they formed a long, misshapen oval terminating in five tiny – and probably vestigial – digits. His legs were well-muscled compared to his arms, and Twilight found herself idly wondering how their musculature differed from that of a pony, given his upright stance. Oddly, there was one piece of clothing he hadn’t removed. They looked like pants, but they were much shorter and made of a very thin material.
Twilight examined the strange garment. She couldn’t help but wonder what exactly its purpose was or why it was covered in little yellow smiley faces. “You know those probably won’t survive the transformation process, right?”
Dresden nodded. “That’s a price I’m willing to pay. The boxers stay on.”
“But−”
“Trust me; we’ll both be happier this way.” There was some booing from Bob, but by mutual consent both wizard and unicorn ignored him.
They stared at each other for a moment more before Dresden spoke again. “The boxers stay on.” He crossed his arms, his glare clearly daring her to disagree.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Fine. They’re your clothes. Just don’t complain to me afterwards.” Her horn began to glow as she focused on her spell, and inside the circle, Dresden shut his eyes. Even with her special preparations, this enchantment wasn’t easy. She needed to change Dresden at a fundamental level, and only the fact that he was willing even made it possible. It would have helped if she had been able to practice this, but since humans were in short supply, she only had theory to go on.
She grunted as she felt her will collide with the wizard’s natural resistance. He was a fortress, his essence stubbornly entrenched in bedrock a mile deep. But if he was a rock, her spell was the ocean. Little by little she changed him, eroding one point, building upon another. In a vague, distant way, she could feel him stirring uneasily at the alterations, but he restrained himself and she continued unimpeded.
The whole process only took a few minutes, but within the haze of magic, it felt like hours to Twilight. Finally, everything was done, and with one last surge of power she finished the spell. There was a flash of light brighter than the sun, and even through Twilight’s eyelids the world went white. Hopefully Spike hadn’t been watching them, or he might have been blinded.
When no cries of anguish were forthcoming, she heaved a sigh of relief. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found that the world was slightly out of focus.
She rubbed them with her hooves, blinking until her vision cleared. Thankfully, it didn't take long. When she could finally see again, though, her jaw nearly hit the floor. Some remote part of her mind was relieved that nopony else was present to witness her reaction.
Where Dresden had stood, a tall, lithe stallion now inspected himself. He was almost the same height as Big Macintosh, but instead of the heavy body of a farm pony, he had a runner’s build. Lean muscles lined his body, rounding out an otherwise angular frame. Set between his curious but cynical eyes was a horn longer than that any unicorn she’d ever seen. His coat was velvet black, contrasting with his ice-white mane, and his fetlocks were unshorn. As Twilight’s eyes traveled over his body, she sternly told herself that it was just to check that the spell was complete and nothing more.
But there’s no reason I can’t enjoy what I’m seeing, right? whispered one treacherous part of her mind before Twilight could silence it. On her second pass, Twilight began to notice smaller details. His irises were orange-red, with glints of yellow when the light caught them, like he had glowing embers for eyes. His front left hoof was scorched and cracked, though standing on it didn’t seem to trouble him. His abdomen held scars as well, faint white lines and ragged circles that stood out against his dark coat. Dresden spun himself in a slow circle as he stared at his new body, and finally all of his twisting and turning made the ‘boxers’ slide off his rear end, exposing his flank and the cutie mark emblazed upon it – a silver pentacle.
The loss of his final garment did not go unnoticed by Dresden.
“Don't look!” he yelled in a voice that was only slightly higher and smoother than his original. The former human rose quickly on his back hooves and tried to cover himself with his forelimbs. Unfortunately, his new form was decidedly quadrupedal, and with his ‘boxers’ still around his ankles, he overbalanced, and tumbled over backwards.
A startled moment of silence was quickly broken by gales of laughter from Bob. Dresden shot the skull a dirty glance, but he couldn’t do much more to stop the spirit. Twilight sighed and levitated her friend back into a standing position. “Well, let’s get started,” she said briskly. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, both culturally and physically. Oh – one more thing, though. The Princess wants you to go by a pseudonym during the ceremony, so I thought you could just use one of your other names.”
Dresden raised an eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”
Twilight grinned, thrilled that everything was going so well. “I thought we’d call you ‘Blackstone’.”
The onyx unicorn glanced at his coat and gave a smirk. “Well, if the horseshoe fits.”
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Finally! After so long we get to see Dresden as a pony! Hilarity is bound to ensue :P and when he gets down to torching stuff left and right? He'll sure be giving away impromptu magic lessons like candy xD
I'm eagerly waiting for the plot to kick off because even though the first installment's plot was relatively simple, it was superbly handled. Plus, Spike's man crush on Dresden is going to be great! What if he decides that since he probably doesn't have a chance with Rarity, they should get together now that Dresden is a pony?
One thing I did notice you neglected to build on is Mouse. Poor dog got shoved to the sidelines (although I sort of understand why that happened) but I hope he does have a role to play since pets are important as characters -albeit secondary ones- in FiM... plus, Mouse is great and always pushes Dresden around, big dogasaurus that he is. Come to think of it, Winona is going to be tiny next to him, poor girl.
Great work! See you on the next chapter!
Oh heck yes a new chapter!! And I found it quite enjoyable.
Oh Bob.... 
Course then again, Bob might actually get to see some pony action seeing how Twi (and assuming the others) like what she sees with Dresden.
I am definitely eager to see the next chapter when it comes out!
One little oops: If you have been paying attention to the things on Twi's blackboard you may have noticed that in "It's about time" there were a set of equations. The equations are those used for calculating acceleration effects at significant fractions of the speed of light, (i.e. they are from where you begin to leave special relativity and enter general relativity).
Knowing these equations pretty much says that she shouldn't be surprised at time having variable speeds. However given your timeline, you could resolve this by having Harry give her the key clue about special relativity, (the speed of light being constant).
Ah, Bob. And now Dresden is a naked pony with an oversized 'horn.'
Some of the jokes simply write themselves. I can tell Twilight's little crush is simply going to be adorable. Kinda wonder if anybody can talk to Mouse here, since he's fairly chatty in Changes. Then again, I guess he might be comparatively Spike's age.
Ok so possibility Dresden is as powerful as celestia and luna... also once bob finds out that horn detail i sense SO many dirty jokes... also let bob out at least once (Dresden didnt do it obviously) the aftereffects will be HILARIOUS!!! also if this twilight thing continues i hope it "escalates" then Bob talking about THAT will be priceless. also now that he has a horn i can sense dirty jokes anyway.
No chance. It's already been clearly stated that he's got roughly the same amount of magical oomph as Twilight. In terms of raw power, anyway. And it's already been clearly stated that Luna and Celestia are Fae Queen powerful (which is roughly enough magical power to make him look like a gnat in front of an elephant).
That's one of the awesome things about Harry Dresden in the books... he's like Batman. He's strong, no doubt, but he's constantly fighting things that are much stronger than him. The reason he wins is because he's clever, ruthless, lucky, supernaturally stubborn, and knows the value of being prepared. It'd be silly to change it by making him super-powerful.
I bet the horn is purely aesthetic. At best, it might be a minor powerboost to make up for a lack of other focuses. 'Course... I could be wrong. In which case, I'll eat my hat. But I don't think I am.
Usually, I don't hesitate when writing out lengthy descriptions of what I find to be "below par" in a story, and I have done that on your previous story.
This chapter, however, was amazing. Great adherence to the characters from both series, and with interactions that are equally lovely. Very well done on the comedy angle as well.
I can't wait for more :).
I'm usually dead set against ponification, but I give you a pass.
And I'm really looking forward to seeing Bob meeting more conventionally attractive characters, like Luna and Rarity. Mainly because I think Bob is awesome.
Also, Are you going to be following the Dresden Files tradition of 'Harry gets beaten to hell and back' in this fic? I was a little disappointed that he had minimal injuries by the end of the first story. Of course, I'm not about to get torn up about him not being beaten up, so don't worry.
Oh, and I think that Twi developing a crush on Harry would be hilarious and adorable at the same time. Looking forward to more.
You know I can't wait for Bob to meet Pinkie Pie. In fact, maybe 'Blackstone' should lend Bob to Pinkie Pie for a day. 
I'm not sure which would cry uncle first, but it would be worth the risk and I doubt it's be Pinkie.
I wonder if Harry will come to reret this in comming chapters? ... Or rather if he's regret it in a specific way: As a human, he still had a functional hand. As a pony, um, how good is his telekenisis again?
You finally ponified Dresden; you, sir, are bucking awesome! 
That cover page for the first fic is no longer false advertising!
Big Mac better watch out; if Twilight's thoughts are any indication, there's a new "hottest bachelor" in town. 
Are you sure you don't have some sort of psychic link with Jim Butcher? It's either that, or you're really Jim in disguise. Those are the only two explanations I'll accept. Can't wait for more!
y there be no maor also update quiker now at the wall >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>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Im loving this. Your first fic made me read dersden files... I havet finished it tho... but bob... in equestria... this is gonna be priceless. I love your style of writing, the balance between the comedy, action the references and all. It would be cool if you would update more tho...
>>348121 Alondro is walking along, minding his own business when suddenly, "Oh. It appears I have been transformed into a pony. Very well, I shall commence with zany adventures." And so he did. And the adventures were plentiful and filled with zaniness and ponies.
This story is just so beyond awesome on so many levels. It's fics like this that make me lament my own pitifully inadequate writing skills and vocabulary. The latter mainly because I have a terrible recall memory for words I don't use often enough. The former because it takes a certain frame of mind to craft the scenes and speech into something amazing, and mine is far too burdened with logic and science. I can't get the right amalgum of whimsy and wonder, blended with foresight and plotting, and then folding all that into the dialog and scenery in just the right ways to bring the story richly to life, all while maintaining such a perfect pace for every scene.
I R JELLY.
This was ..............PERFECT!!!!!!
Bob is perfect comic relief and a very knoledgeable character.
Just like all of your previous work, PERFECT.
At first I was against Dresden being ponified, cause I loved how he fought using his many legendary artifacts and potions.But, after imagining how cool he looks and cheecking the cover art and seeing how Twilight reacted to the way he looks now( which is hilarious, please keep that up) and thinking how everypony else would react, plus the incoming dirty jokes of Bob. I said "BY ODIN'S FUZZY BALLS, THIS IS GONNA BE AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would appreciate if you updated more often, but please take your time, cause one should never rush perfection
. My prayers are with you buddy :)
SPOILER ALERT!!!!
-Feeling pretty out of it, so I am not going to be saying quite as much as I usually do.
Second Law of Magic: Thou shalt not transform another.”
Twilight boggled. Again. “Wha— why? I’ve been through Magic Ethics class, and they never said there was anything wrong with transformation!”
Dresden shrugged. “According to the White Council, there is,
-IF I am remembering my Dresden right, this really underscores how different the worlds are. The Laws of Magic may be WRITTEN by men, but they represent very real moral dangers from what I understand. Maybe some more that others? I mean his apprentice's SPECIFIC use of Black Magic that earned her the Doom of Damocles was actually much less invasive than what even ONE of the victims of the Want-It-Need-It spell experienced (and don't even get me started on the Love Poison). Granted both of those were criminal acts that only the sugar-bowl nature of Equestria allowed to be dealt with so lightly when it came time for punishment (something vaguely on the levels of Roofie's and it gets one day of hard labor/community service?), but there is a strong implication that neither the victims nor the perpetrators suffered any ongoing mental scars greater than embarrassment.
Bob grunted in disbelief. “Uh huh. What about the case with the werewolves? You used that Hexenwolf belt to transform without any hesitation.
-Either the rule is poorly written (the wizard council's/Jim Butcher's fault, not your's) or that wouldn't count against Dresden. MAKING the belt for another's use would be a violation of that maybe, but USING it wouldn't be. Then again, that might be problematic in that it creates the temptation to create such artifacts for sale.
Not only has she trained her whole life doing magic with only pure mental constructs, but she’s actually creating her own symbols to build props from.
-You have two spaces betwwen "to" and "build". Also, this makes me think that him learning to use magic the unicorn way is going to be one of the obstacles he is going to have to overcome. Hope the form comes with an upgrade to TK, or he is going to be really missing opposable thumbs. OTOH this might keep him safer from that well-meaning cult. Didn't expect the cover image to be so literal. I wonder if he will come with he cutie-mark, or it will appear the first time he thinks about what his magic means to him. having him start out as a blank-flank could be mildly entertaining, but probably more "thinky" than what you are going for. I also wonder if she can transform his coat to fit his new body? Yeah, he doesn't need it for modesty, although he will WANT it for that purpose especially if his sex drive gets rewired into his olfactory sense... nah, you aren't THAT cruel, but the armor value is... nice. Then again this IS a sugar-bowl, and Canterlot doesn't have Ponyville's monster problems. OTOH for a wizard paranoia = common sense.
My world is a jungle, and humans aren’t anywhere near the top of the food chain. But that’s why we fight.
-This... actually applies to a lot of the stuff that the Elements of Harmony do. Granted Ponies, at least when using Pony medical magic/technology, heal FAST (a few days in the hospital, plus one week of not using the limb to go from complete fracture of a wing-bone to being able to fly again? Not even counting Feeling Pinkie Keen, because that was all comedy), but there are still comparisons to be made.
misshapen oval terminating in five tiny – and probably vestigial – digits.
-Reasonable guess for first seeing human feet, but you would be surprised how problematic losing a big toe can be for balance. I THINK special shoes take care of it, but I am not sure. Other toes... I haven't heard anything about.
His front left hoof was scorched and cracked, though standing on it didn’t seem to trouble him.
-Oh... yeah... that could have been bad...
Twilight grinned, thrilled that everything was going so well. “I thought we’d call you ‘Blackstone’.”
-Irony...
I've just thought about the writing of your stories for a few moments and realized something.
In the early chapters of Strange Friends, we're introduced to Equestria from Harry's perspective, using the same first-person voice Jim Butcher uses in Harry's source material. Then we're introduced to Harry from Twilight Sparkle's perspective, written in third person but with extended insight into Twilight's thoughts and feelings, as most bronies relate to her source material. There's some more switching back and forth early on- Harry performs antics Twilight doesn't see, and Twilight does some reacting away from Harry, plus there are a few passages from Trixie's point of view as she prepares and executes her plans- but here's the important thing: The moment the plot shows up (Twilight and Harry discovering Spike's kidnapping), the narration jumps into Harry's head with both feet and never climbs out, not even when he's possessed by the Nightmare. It feels natural, and I don't really see anything wrong with it- the action-oriented, combat-heavy plot matches the feel of the Dresden Files more than that of FiM, and these passages feature a lot more Harry-meets-Equestria scenarios than Equestria-meets-Harry ones- but I think it'd definitely be cool to see Harry doing Harry's usual stuff from an outside perspective, particularly a pony one; that's something Jim Butcher has very rarely if ever provided.
Actually, you're incorrect.
Twilight and Harry discover Spike's kidnapping in Chapter Five.
Chapter six is told from Trixie's POV then switches to Rarity's.
The first half of chapter eight is also Trixie's POV.
Chapter ten, the razor wire trap and the entire fight with Nightmare Trixie, is told from Twilight's POV.
I do tend to speak from Dresden's POV during action chapters but I didn't neglect the pony perspective entirely.
It's true, I was exaggerating somewhat- I knew some of the Trixie sequences come after the kidnapping is discovered, and the first part of the scene in the boutique is generally centered on Rarity (and the others, as they arrive).
Chapter ten, though... I have to admit, I did not remember that. >_< My apologies for that mistake, as well as any implication that this was a criticism- I just intended to point out some possible untapped story potential, that's all.
You do have a valid point, saying you were partially incorrect would have been more accurate. I hadn't realized how much of the last few chapters were Dresden's POV until you said something. I'll have to watch that in False Masks.
Thanks and don't worry. Thoughtful comments are more valuable than ones that stroke my ego. 
Brohoof?
Yay, Dresden updated !
I like this fic; it's like another cool fic, but got a moustache where other doesn't !
( I guess i'm not really clear, but it makes sense in my mind :'l )
Really nice chapter, and whatsmore, promising !
Sorry if my comment isn't very toughtful, but hey, I offer you a potato instead !
Here, take it !
* Hand a potato *
As I understand it, the "Thou Shalt Not Transform Another" Rule is actually a clarification of the "Thou Shalt Not Kill" Rule. You see, MOST things a Wizard can turn another human being into won't be able to THINK like a human being. The lost bits of personality and memory REMAIN lost, even once the subject is returned to normal. Transformation of Self gets a pass because a Wizard will subconsciously make sure the end result of his OWN transformation will be something that will still be "Him". For example, the Werewolf spell the Alphas use.
Twilight gets around this whole issue for two important reasons:
1) She is turning him into a "Pony" like herself. It ranks up there with "Magical Sex Changes" and "Changing his Ethnicity". Questionable when done for the wrong reasons or against a person's will, but otherwise less of a hassle than plastic surgery.
2) Pony magic has less "Permanence" than human magic. Transformation spells revert themselves automatically once their time expires or they run out of juice. Also, given that Twilight's parents were still mentally themselves after the whole potted plant incident, it is ALSO safe to presume that Pony magic circumvents the underlying NEED for the "Thou Shalt Not Transform Another", as the target's sense of Self remains intact.
Mouse is still a puppy. A biggish puppy, but he hasn't reached Dogasaurus proportions yet.
"The Laws of Magic may be WRITTEN by men, but they represent very real moral dangers from what I understand."
That's correct. It's entirely possible for a wizard to transform someone safely, but it's not something you want to screw around with.
I think in this case we're just going with a combination of hand-waving and "pony magic is different". After all, in the Dresdenverse "mortal" and "human" are synonymous, but unicorns can clearly transform, enthrall, and jump through time safely. (And that memory spell from Return of Harmony may count as a 3rd Law violation.) I guess I would justify it by saying that unicorn magic is as natural and instinctive to them as breathing, while humans have to learn wizardry and thus aren't as well-equipped to push the envelope safely.
"Either the rule is poorly written, or that wouldn't count against Dresden."
Wearing a hexenwulf belt would not count against Dresden, no. As you say, it's a second-law violation to create them, but using them makes you that person's victim. The point, though, was that he submitted to a transformation in that case, so he clearly doesn't have a problem with the idea of getting changed. And Twilight's assuring him that this one is safe, so what's his beef?
"I wonder if he will come with he cutie-mark, or it will appear the first time he thinks about what his magic means to him."
His cutie mark is already present near the end of the chapter.
"Irony... "
How is that ironic? The plan to use that name was already discussed in the prologue.
>>357356 The Second Law of Magic is because casting a transformation spell on another will eventually transform their mind as well because you cannot perfectly recreate the mind of another person in whatever new form you give them; you don't know their mind that well. Self transformation is safe because you know your own mind and keep it in tact.
The wolf belts are technically not a violation of the Second Law for three reasons. 1) They are not made by mortal practitioners and thus don't fall under the Laws of Magic. 2) They do not destroy the users mind, the main reason the Law exists. 3) The use of the belt is a willful act of its possessor making it a self-imposed transformation.
The origin of these particular belts is unclear. Though powerful demons, fae, and the like can create hexenwulf talismans, so can powerful mortal practitioners -- which is indeed a second-law violation. Though the transformation doesn't directly destroy the mind, contact with the rage spirit is corrosive and addictive.
The Laws don't care whether the target is willing or not -- regardless of permission, the only one who can safely transform you is you. (Powerful fae, demons, etc. can get away with it, too, but are usually limited to specific transformations like the Leanansidhe's hellhounds.) The RPG book explains the same concept for the Third Law by saying mind-reading is like breaking a window to get into someone else's house. Even if you have permission from the owner, damage is damage, and the White Council takes a draconian view of such things.
I myself have to weigh in my opinion here. I don't disagree with any of the current discussion, but I feel like one of the major reasons for the Laws of Magic in the first place is being glazed over. Remember that in the Dresdenverse, Harry makes it very clear over the course of many of the books that magic comes from within. If you don't believe in it, you can't do it.
So what do you need to believe to change someone's form?
Not only does such an action reveal/exploit such troubling beliefs (Insert god complex, biggotry, arrogance, etc. here), it encourages them. Harry makes a point of trying to teach his students (won't name names for anyone who is just getting into the books) that magic is not the answer to everything. Why? Let's put it this way: If simply believing you could build into a lightsaber actually made it magically appear in your hand and suddenly you had force powers, wouldn't you figure yourself a jedi? Using magic figuratively drills those beliefs that drive the magic further into your head.
So why aren't the belts illegal in the immediate "No touchy or off with his head" sense?
Because it's self transformation. To magically change oneself is to simply change your way of thinking. And people do that all the time in healthy ways. They decide to go on vacations. They change careers. They enter and exit midlife crises. You get the picture. While changing oneself can be for better or worse (ice cream or the gym?), it is always your decision and thus not nearly as dangerous. Remember, this is a society where the police force's main job outside of wartime is to coldly behead any and all warlocks who break the Laws of Magic, save for those that can be vouched for. The corruptive nature of magic is just that dangerous. I myself will be slightly disappointed if Dresden doesn't at least get into a minor ethics/magic mechanics discussion over the issue.
All said and done, this and your previous story are quite good. It's strange mixing the chaos that surrounds Dresden with the light spirit of MLP. The dissonance is a bit throwing, but I've been reading too many grimdark fics recently, and Dresden's characterization is really keeping my suspension of disbelief running.
On a side note, don't blow up Bob's brain with Pinkie Pie. Spirit of Intellect... pony with limited 4th wall breaking capabilities... I feel like they'd either find a way to take over the world or Bob's mental breakdown will make Twilight's explosion after the hydra look like Fluttershy getting mildly upset. Oh crap.
Everything you say is true, but a hexenwulf belt is not self-transformation. You put it on voluntarily, but the transformation is from without, using someone else's magic. It's equivalent to having the mage standing there, casting the transformation spell over you with the rage spirit protecting you against the change.
*** SPOILERS THROUGH FOOL MOON ***
Again, good point, but I'm looking at it from Harry's point of view. Would Morgan have chopped his head off if he found Harry holding one of those? Yes, and without hesitation. But from the perspective of use, the magic is already invested. Activating the belt only harms the user now (well, the at least the activation part). Harry wouldn't let one of his friends put one of those belts on in a million years, but using it for himself as a last resort? Yeah, Harry will put that belt on. I bet he'd put it on again and again to protect his friends so long as he could keep it under control. But that last part is why it was discarded.
*** END SPOILERS ***
My main point was simply to add some light on the psychological impact on using what is classified as black magic. If Harry gets into a discussion with Twilight and sees that this kind of fiddling with other people is not even something that crosses her mind as something to think twice about, I can see him becoming quite concerned with their magical ethics in Equestria. After all, he has no historical background of the land beyond what he's picked up from his last visit. How would he feel if he believed himself to be half instructing the personal student of the ruler/deity of such a peaceful land to be a warlock? Or worse, how would he feel if he said nothing at all and believed her to be turning so anyways?
That's how I felt once I caught up to the actual Dresden books. I started after book ten had already hist shelves, and finished with eleven. Then I had to wait. Now I'm waiting for the next one.
That's pretty much how the regular Dresden books go.
Second Law of Magic: Thou shalt not transform another.”
Twilight boggled. Again. “Wha— why? I’ve been through Magic Ethics class, and they never said there was anything wrong with transformation!”
Dresden shrugged. “According to the White Council, there is,
-IF I am remembering my Dresden right, this really underscores how different the worlds are. The Laws of Magic may be WRITTEN by men, but they represent very real moral dangers from what I understand. Maybe some more that others? I mean his apprentice's SPECIFIC use of Black Magic that earned her the Doom of Damocles was actually much less invasive than what even ONE of the victims of the Want-It-Need-It spell experienced (and don't even get me started on the Love Poison). Granted both of those were criminal acts that only the sugar-bowl nature of Equestria allowed to be dealt with so lightly when it came time for punishment (something vaguely on the levels of Roofie's and it gets one day of hard labor/community service?), but there is a strong implication that neither the victims nor the perpetrators suffered any ongoing mental scars greater than embarrassment.
Part of the Second Law existing has to do with the fact that who ever is changed will slowly lose their mind.
Bob grunted in disbelief. “Uh huh. What about the case with the werewolves? You used that Hexenwolf belt to transform without any hesitation.
-Either the rule is poorly written (the wizard council's/Jim Butcher's fault, not your's) or that wouldn't count against Dresden. MAKING the belt for another's use would be a violation of that maybe, but USING it wouldn't be. Then again, that might be problematic in that it creates the temptation to create such artifacts for sale.
Hexenwolf belts are made by demons for the most part, and the Laws only cover mortal magic, not that of the Fae and demons. Or more specifically, magic when wielded by mortals.
For example, the Werewolf spell the Alphas use.
Actually, it's not really a spell. Billy/Will has explained it more of as a switch at the back of his mind than actual magic. He said it doesn't feel like the kind of magic Dresden uses.
Wearing a hexenwulf belt would not count against Dresden, no. As you say, it's a second-law violation to create them, but using them makes you that person's victim. The point, though, was that he submitted to a transformation in that case, so he clearly doesn't have a problem with the idea of getting changed. And Twilight's assuring him that this one is safe, so what's his beef?
*points to earlier quote*
The wolf belts are technically not a violation of the Second Law for three reasons. 1) They are not made by mortal practitioners and thus don't fall under the Laws of Magic. 2) They do not destroy the users mind, the main reason the Law exists. 3) The use of the belt is a willful act of its possessor making it a self-imposed transformation.
Actually, they sort of do. If you go back, Dresden was beginning to think like the wolf he had become.
In my defense, according to Fool Moon, they started learning that spell as a group ritual, complete with a circle of practitioners and chanting. By the end of that book, it was shown that while they could do it solo and without a circle, they still needed the chanting to internalize the ritual, and in order to change back, they needed to WALK the circle to get it to work. One decade later, not only has their understanding of the spell changed from ritual to evocation, but they have polished that evocation so that instead of attaching concepts to nonsense words like Dresden does, they have attached them to a full fledged mental construct. A literal flip switch in the back of their minds, so to speak.
That's a bit like saying murder isn't a violation because demons kill people. Hexenwulf belts are usually created by demons, but they are within reach of mortal practitioners. If a mortal were to create a belt, it would be a violation.
"Actually, it's not really a spell. Billy/Will has explained it more of as a switch at the back of his mind than actual magic."
The RPG book looks at this in more detail. Basically, it's a "when all you have is a hammer" sort of problem. Harry tends to perceive things in terms of spells and magic, even if the Alphas don't see it that way. Both points of view are equally valid.
I'm really liking the stories you've written. Gotten me interested in The Dresden Files, too bad I don't have the money to buy them T_T.
If you ever do another one of these It would be interesting to see Dresden coming back after he becomes the Winter Knight.
EDIT: I should say sometime after Ghost Story, having read Changes and Ghost Story.
Reading through this, Bob sure makes me laugh. However, seeing as that I got badly sunburned yesterday, smiling it painful. Thanks for the pain...
Also once reading further, and then checking comments I was disappointed no one posted a pic about unshorn fetlocks. So I felt I had to remedy that.
Image: http://tgchan.org/kusaba/meep/src/131931886076.jpg
also this probably happened BEFORE 'It's about time' so he probably set her on the path of understanding the mutible nature of time.
And as so many fellow pony-readers have stated.
.... Bob...
Seriously, his first words in Equestria made me laugh harder than anything I've seen recently.
ITS ABOUT BUCKING TIME HE WAS MADE A PONY.
Image: http://www.therpf.com/attachments/f9/dresden-files-did-i-find-bobs-skull-screenbob.jpg-45537d1297829458 No bob, just no. 
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