> Coming to terms with reality........ > by Furstreak > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “DISCOOOOOORD! GET YOUR FLANK BACK HERE!” Twilight shouted as she took chase after the draconequus as he flew from the library in a hasty retreat. After a few short moments to avoid random flying objects and beams of magic that had been tossed at him, he managed to duck behind a building just in time to avoid a potted flower that went sailing past his head. “Good grief, can’t that pony take a joke?!” He grumbled as he snapped his taloned fingers, disappearing from sight just as she rounded the corner to see him vanish in an array of light. Twilight gave an audible, annoyed snort, as she stomped the ground in a fury. “That no good... UGH!” She yelled out, stomping a little quicker before turning around and heading back to the library. “I am going to make him pay for turning my books into giant pony eating, fly traps.” “Oh don’t worry your little purple head.” Discord chuckled as his voice resonated from around the lavender unicorn only to make her glare even more as she quickly glanced around to try and locate the draconequus. “I’ve already fixed your silly little book collection and put them back to normal. You should really learn to lighten up a little.” He chuckled. “You know that when I study I have no time for pleasantries Discord. I have a time frame and a schedule. I can’t afford to waste time in such a lax manner, actually, I can’t waste time at all. I have a very busy schedule...” She trailed off as she began to quickly trot back toward her home and workplace, Golden Oaks Library. “But why? You are literally working yourself to the bone so to speak.” Discord groaned as he reappeared at her side as a skeleton pretending to dig his own grave. “You should really take some time to relax Twilight. At least then you could enjoy a little chaos in your life.” He chuckled again but paused as he saw the glare on her face. “I have scheduled time to relax today, twenty minutes before I go to bed, and two hours in the morning for breakfast. I also had several small breaks scheduled during each day to take time to do several other things in my so called free time. If you want to come by and chat, without causing me any chaotic stress, then you are more than welcome to.” She sighed as she picked up her pace, the library coming into view at the end of the street. “But what about a social life? Don’t you make any time for friends, or a special somepony?” He chuckled louder as she came to a halt, her face turning ten shades of red as she began to stutter slightly as she spoke. “W-what?! I don’t have time for a special s-somepony! My research and studies are far too important to even think about starting a relationship!” Discord began to laugh at seeing her so flustered, that was of course until she realized what he had just done. “UGH! Discord! When am I going to learn?” She groaned as she began to trot once again, the draconequus flying up beside her as he spoke. “I wasn’t joking my dear, I was just implying that you are just far too tense in what you do. You don’t take enough time to relax and smell the roses, so to speak.” He grinned as he manifested a small bouquet of roses and pressed them to his face, inhaling deeply before pulling them away and pressing them toward Twilight who just blushed even further. She pulled a hoof up and brushed the bouquet away as she continued on her path to the library. “Like I said Discord, I don’t have time for such things. Besides, there isn’t anypony in Ponyville that interests me. Most of the stallions are simple minded or already taken. I would prefer one that has the same likes and dislikes as me, but even then I couldn’t find the time to have a relationship with them. I have far too little time in which I need to study and become a better pony for the future. The Princess and all of Equestria are counting on me.” She sighed as she lowered her head slightly, feeling the pain that weighed on her heart. In truth, she wanted to find another pony she could relate to when it came to her thirst for knowledge, her ambition to become better at any and everything she could do. “Hmmm, well, if you could find the time, would you?” Discord asked, seeing her give a sheepish expression. “Very well then, let’s see what I can do about that!” He stated as he clapped his paws together and vanished, leaving a stunned unicorn in his wake. “DISCORD! I DIDN’T MEAN FOR THAT TO SOUND LIKE AN INVITATION TO SET ME UP WITH SOMEPONY!” She shouted angrily as she glared into the spot in which he had just vanished from. XXX Discord appeared in a small flash of light in the darkest depths of space, his taloned paw running through his goatee, gently stroking it in thought as he floated there. His vision glanced around as he slowly turned in various directions, his eyes locking onto a star or planet in the far distance as his keen senses tried to detect a planet with life on it. “This is so boring!” He groaned as he continued looking around for several more hours. Every second that passed him by, felt like an eternity. That was until his senses fell onto a bright blue and green planet teeming with life. “Oh! I do say I think I may have found a spot to start.” He chuckled as he vanished from sight, reappearing light years away on the opposite side of the galaxy. Before the draconequus was a lovely looking blue and green planet, teeming with countless life forms of countless different species. Technology and massive cities in abundance laying all around in various spots of the world. People going about their business and working as fast as they could to do anything they could in order to make a few dollars in order to survive into the next day. Some doing this for family, while others did it just to get by. “Now then, let’s try to find a being just like Twilight, maybe then I can cause quite a bit of chaos over a period of time, and not even have to try.” He laughed as he closed his eyes and began to move all over the planet to various different people to see if he could find another being to match his criteria. After several days of looking, Discord began to become very irritated. He had run across countless of available options, but they all had one or more quirks about them that could become a hindrance in his future plans to annoy the poor lavender pony. As he was about to call it quits, he paused as he finally found a young man, sitting at a desk within his home, in a small town far away from the hustle and bustle of life in the bigger cities surrounding him. “Hmm.” Discord thought to himself as he moved into the small house, making himself invisible and a lot smaller so that he could float around the room without disturbing the young man. He would continue watching this young man for some time as he continued calculating various things about him. As time pressed on into the night, the draconequus smiled with a toothy grin as he watched the young man finally slumped over onto the desk, sleep and exhaustion finally taking a hold of him. “Guess it’s time to have a little fun.” Discord smirked as he vanished from sight. XXX “I hate studying sometimes.” The young man stated while sitting between several very large piles of books that were surrounding him and the desk he was at. “But, things need done, and I want to get the best job I can get in the future. Too bad I’m going to be paying for the tuition for the rest of my life.” He groaned as he closed his current book and placed it to the side before quickly manifesting another book to in front of him on the desk. Wait... manifest? The young man looked at the book that had just appeared in front of him before glancing around the tall stacks of books within his room. “This being’s dreams even look like what Twilight does in the real world.” Discord chuckled silently to himself as he pulled the cover of the book open with his magic, startling the human that sat at the desk. The draconequus then began to write within the book on its blank pages causing the human to lean forward and stare at it in awe. “What... what the hell...” He spoke in broken words as he began to read what was being written. “Would you give everything up to go to another place, one far from your world where no one knew who you were? You would never have to pay another bill or debt; you would simply be wiped from existence within this world and sent into another to start anew.” Read the words softly in Discord’s voice. “This... is seriously fucked up!” The young man stated in slight shock as he began to close the book but only succeeding in reopening it as he closed it shut. The page that he had been reading, reappearing as another open book already attached to the one he had closed. He stood up and stepped back one as he took in a sharp breath from surprise. The soft crackle of Discord slowly surrounding him and causing him to look around the room. “This... this must be a dream or something. This can’t possibly be real, this isn’t scientifically possible.” The young man spoke out in a slightly more nervous tone. “You’re right.” Discord laughed as he became visible behind the human and tapped his shoulder, causing him to turn around quickly and gasp at the sight before him. “W-what are you?” He asked in surprise before squinting his eyes slightly as he moved a little closer, his curiosity getting the better of him. Placing a hand on his chin and looking the draconequus up and down as he walked around him for a minute before stopping in front of him. “The better question would be, why are you dreaming of being at a desk surrounded in books and studying when you should be dreaming of other things?” He snickered seeing the human blush slightly at realizing what was going on. “So this is a dream then.” He grinned slightly as the room, books, and desk all vanished from sight, being replaced by white in every direction. “Hmmm. Not bad. Seems you know how to dream walk fairly well.” Discord smirked. “Still, the question remains.” He grinned as the book he had wrote in, manifested in front of him once again with the same question it had asked before. “Would you leave everything behind to start anew? The only difference would be that you would have a home to live in, and a new life. You would retain all of your knowledge, but would have to learn everything from that world.” The young man stood there as he rubbed his chin in thought before speaking. “What about my parents, and friends.” He asked as he looked up to Discord. “I can fix it so that you would have never been born here if you would like.” Discord smiled as he came to his side and wrapped an arm around his shoulders as they began to walk in no particular direction. “But, what about all of my friends, and the memories we’ve created together.” He asked as he looked over to the draconequus. “You mean these?” He asked as several spectral looking glasses popped up to in front of them, each with a bad memory being played within it. The young man took one look at them as he could feel his heart slowly drop within his chest. Every memory was a bad one that he could recall vividly, none of them good at all. That was until he closed his eyes for a moment and caused everything around him to flicker slightly as they memories had been replaced with the good ones he could recall. “Hmm, curious.” Discord stated softly as he raised a brow to the young man who was now looking at each of the good memories being played within the looking glasses. “I do have good memories as well. I take it that you want me to choose that path. The one where I go into another world and leave this all behind.” He stated with a cocky grin. “I guess I’ve underestimated how smart you really are.” Discord laughed as he patted the human roughly on the back. “This may turn out better than I had planned.” “Planned? So then it’s true, you do want me to go to another world. But why? Is the question.” He smirked as he waved a hand slightly, making the looking glasses disappear and be replaced by what seemed like a dark jail cell. Discord cocking a brow at the human as he noticed his snicker. “I take it you require an answer of some sort?” Discord stated with a smirk as he floated around the human. “I would ask that of you, but I have the feeling you aren’t the type of being that gives into demands willingly.” He smirked as he waved his hand again, chains shooting out from the floor and latching onto the draconequus and pulling him to meet the cold stone below him. “Oh, kinky!” Discord chuckled only to cause the human to blush brightly and making the chains evaporate from the draconequus. “Seems you have a very odd sense of humor as well.” He hesitated as he cleared his throat. “Perhaps, but I’m not unwilling to answer your questions.” Discord grinned as he circled the human, seeing how red his face actually was. “What are the conditions, and what is the world like?” He asked, seeing the draconequus’ eyes light up. “You will love it. The world has almost no violence, there are several nations that get along fairly well with one another. No war, I’m sure you would love to hear that one.” He laughed seeing the human nod slightly. “The female to male ratio is about twenty to one, so you know you have at least a decent chance to find a mate.” He laughed seeing the humans face erupt into a bright red. “Not to mention that there is no pollution, everything is hoof grown, and there is a whole other plethora of knowledge that will be completely alien to you!” “Wait, did you just say hoof?” He asked in surprise. “Uh... yes?” He chuckled nervously. The human stood there giving him a skeptical grin as he spoke. “So I take it that you are going to change my species as well, right? So that I can fit into the populace unnoticed?” “I guess you could say that since you’ve practically ruined the surprise.” Discord groaned. “Cool, so what species does this world have?” The human piped up in a cheerful tone, only to cause Discord to look at him surprised. “You don’t seem to be at all surprised by this. Are you sure you’re human?” He asked with a skeptical glare. “As sure as I know that you’re a draconequus.” He grinned seeing Discords surprised expression grow even more. “Before you ask, you’re a myth in my world.” Discord chuckled as he placed his arm onto the human’s shoulders once again, waving his other hand in front of him to open several portals to show the various species of the world he was speaking of. The human gawked slightly at seeing them all. Minotaurs, chimeras, hydras, wolves made of stone and wood, griffons, dragons, and... “Ponies?” He asked, cocking a brow at seeing them. “Not just any ponies.” Discord laughed as he brought up various windows to the world, showing the four different species of ponies. Pegasi, Unicorns, Earth Ponies, and even an Alicorn which quickly vanished from sight. The human gave the draconequus a slight glare. “I can’t turn you into an Alicorn my dear boy. Far too much power for even me to conjure.” He sighed slightly. But I can turn you into the next best thing. A unicorn that has quite a bit of power, possibly even as much power as the most powerful unicorn on the planet.” He grinned seeing the human smile slightly. “Can you make me equal in strength to the strongest unicorn? I would like to have at least someone to challenge in time.” He laughed. “So I take it you...” He stopped as he watched the human nod. “As long as you hold up your end of the bargain, I don’t care to change lives from one to another. But couldn’t you just keep me as a human and give me unicorn powers?” He asked before seeing the draconequus begin to pat his back roughly, each pat causing his form to rattle with each blow. “Now what would be the fun in that?” Discord laughed loudly as the final pat jolted him awake. The young human was staring quietly into the blue sky above him as the clouds began to slowly creep by. He gave a wide yawn as he pulled a hoof up to rub his eyes. Wait... He opened his eyes as he stared silently at a pair of hooves in front of him. “Bullshit!” He spoke as he turned over, pulling his hooves below him as he sat up on his haunches as he continued to look himself over. After a minute he began to try and lift himself up and try to walk, only to succeed in face planting into the ground. “That... hurt.” He groaned as he rubbed his nose with his hoof. “And why the hell am I blue?” He asked as he looked his body over one more time. Quickly noticing that his tail was also a darker blue with black streaks in it. “At least I have a decent color scheme.” He smiled. After slowly standing once more he managed to get a good look at himself and his surroundings. A few hundred yards away was a long line of trees leading into a dark forest that looked a little intimidating. In the opposite direction was a wide open field with wheat stalks growing about knee high to him. In front of him however was a small cottage, or house, he wasn’t a hundred percent sure as to what to call it. It was like a small two bedroom home you would see in the suburbs of a city. White paint, red shutters, and a green roof to match the grass that grew all around it. “Hey, Discord!” He shouted out only to be blinded by a small flash of light in front of him. Once his vision returned he looked up to see the draconequus standing in front of him smiling. “I take it you approve?” Discord smirked. “Yea, but I have a few questions.” He began as Discord tilted his head, waiting. “Is this my house that you promised?” He asked as he nodded to the small home in front of him. Discord only nodding back. “Am I stocked with enough food for at least a week or two?” He asked seeing the draconequus nod again. “Where is the nearest city or town?” He asked only to see the draconequus point to the small dirt road a few yards away as he spoke. “Follow that road to the east to get to Ponyville. You will find plenty of ponies there willing to help you at a moment’s notice.” He smiled. “Alright, and what about currency? Does this world require it like the rest?” he asked seeing Discord nod again. “Sadly I cannot give you any currency. The princess has placed a spell across all of Equestria to prevent such a thing from happening. Hence why I have given you several weeks of food to keep you sated until you can find a job.” The human turned pony gave an annoyed sigh. “Yup, just like every single world out there. Have to have a job in order to live.” Discord laughed softly as he patted the pony on the back once again. “There is one other thing I forgot to mention.” He said with a grin as the pony looked up to him in slight worry. “I have to erase your memories of me and your past human self. From this moment on, your memories will be replaced to the point where you think that every moment was as if you were a pony instead of a human.” He chuckled, quickly tapping the ponies head before he could get away. After a second of seeing his eyes warped into several different colors, he passed out. The draconequus smirked as he quickly placed the pony into his new home and vanished from sight. Awaiting the first day of chaos that would commence from his little trip outside of the realm of Equestria. > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following day had arrived in the small town of Ponyville much like it had before. This time however, the town had found itself a new resident that was on the far outskirts. A young stallion that had been brought into this world by Discord himself. As the sun crested over the horizon, its warm rays began to slowly creep across the ceiling and down the wall before finally reaching the sleeping form of the stallion, laying covered in his bed. After a short time the form began to move ever so slightly before a groan escaped from beneath the covers. “Why is it always so warm during this time of the year?” He groaned softly as he pulled the covers from him, turning over and flopping out of the bed and onto the floor with a thud. After finding his bearings, he slowly got to his hooves and looked at the small wind-up clock on the dresser to see how early it was. “You’ve got to be kidding me. It’s six in the morning.” He deadpanned as he shoved the clock over with his hoof. Then making his way into the bathroom to take care of his morning business, then heading into his kitchen to make some breakfast. Once he had arrived in the kitchen, he began to pick up a few things with his mouth and move them around before remembering that he was a unicorn. But why did he just think of that? He should remember something like that because of having lived as one every day for his entire life, right? Then something else occurred to him, he couldn’t recall how to use magic. This caused panic to set in as he continued to try and remember. Sitting there for nearly an hour before he finally broke down in a serious panic upon realizing that his memories, all of them, were a figment. He could recall friends and family, but he could also recall other things from within his memories. Technology that he had in his home that was no longer there, devices that would call for something other than a hoof, in order to use. Looking around his house, he had come to find that any and everything he could remember having, was now missing. His television, video game systems, dvd’s, countless things that he knew in his heart that he had, were now missing from his home. Running into his bedroom he began to tear the room apart as he attempted to locate his phone. Over turning his dresser and nightstand, then bucking them because he couldn’t get into them quick enough. Once he failed to locate the phone, or any other electronic device, he ran out of the room and to the front door. After taking a few seconds to finally open the door, he bolted out into the morning sun. After looking around for a minute to see if he could run to his neighbor’s house for help, he realized immediately that he was alone, in a place unfamiliar to him, and in a home that he felt was his, but knew it wasn’t. “Oh God... what the hell is going on?!” He cried out as his eyes began to mist up slightly. His total confusion causing him to become more and more panic ridden. After sitting there for a few minutes thinking things over, his thoughts slowly lingering to the morning sounds of nature all around him, he began to feel more at ease. Taking in a breath and then slowly releasing it as he closed his eyes brought a sense of security and peace about him. That was of course until he heard some soft steps against the ground. Opening his eyes, he looked down to see a small, white rabbit hopping across the yard in front of him. Tilting his head slightly as he looked at it in curiosity, the little rabbit turned and looked at him before bounding over to him and looking up to him itself. Smiling down to the little fella, he slowly lowered himself to the ground as he began to speak. “Hey there, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rabbit as brave as you. Coming up to me like I’m no threat at all, you are something else.” He chuckled softly before the little rabbit twitched his ears and turned his head to the sound of some hoof steps that came from several yards away. “Angel? Where’d you go?” Came the voice of a butter yellow pegasus as she rounded the bend of the small dirt path nearby. Her vision falling onto the dark blue unicorn that was laying on his apparent front lawn in front of the little white rabbit. The young stallion watched as the pegasus paused in place for a moment, giving a slightly wide eyed expression upon seeing him, then lowering her head slightly as she slowly walked toward him. The small white rabbit turning back and forth between the two, noticing them having locked each other into their sights. Then, doing what Angel does best, he tossed a wrench into the cogs of motion, by tossing a small acorn at the side of the young stallion’s head. *PONK* “HEY!” The stallion shouted as he looked down to the little rabbit who had a smirk across his face as he crossed his arms. “Angel bunny!” Came the soft shout of the pegasus, causing him and the stallion to put their attentions back onto her, in return, causing her to flinch backwards slightly. “You should know b-better than to do that to a pony. Come over here this instant!” She spoke out rather forcefully, surprising the little white ball of fur, and making him hop over to her. After a few more seconds of trotting slowly, she had made it over to in front of the stallion, who was by now standing and looking at her curiously. “Uh... hi, you wouldn’t happen to live nearby would you?” He asked, hoping to be able to find at least one native to the area so that he could ask some questions about what was going on and why he couldn’t remember anything in specific to him being there. “Um... Yes, I... I live just down the road, around the bend, next to the Everfree Forest.” She stated shyly, looking to the ground and trying not to make eye contact. “You ok?” He asked, feeling a slight pang of worry as he noticed her shy demeanor. “Yes... I’m fine. It’s just that... I haven’t seen you around Ponyville before... Or this house...” She trailed off as she finally looked up to the new house curiously. “Yea, well... I’m actually in quite the pickle.” The stallion laughed nervously for a moment until he saw the look of slight confusion on the pegasus’ face. “Pickle? But... You’re not in a pickle... You’re just standing there.” She stated with a slight giggle at the use of words. This only causing the young stallion to cock a brow at her. “O... kay? Anyway, what I meant to say is that I’m in a little bit of trouble here.” He said as he looked around to see if there were any other ponies around. “Trouble...? Oh... I’m sorry, but how are you in trouble? Did you do something... bad?” She squeaked out softly in worry. “Hmm? Oh! No, nothing like that. It’s just that... I can’t remember how I got here, or why a lot of my things are missing... or why I can’t find any of my friends... or family.” He said softly, only getting softer as he came to a stop, his head drooping toward the ground as he began to shake slightly. “I don’t know what’s going on... I’m... alone... I don’t know who to talk too about why this is happening... I’m just so confused.” He began to sob softly before feeling himself being pulled into an embrace, a set of butter yellow wings wrapping around him to try and add to the sensation. “Shhhh. It’s ok...” The young pegasus stated as she attempted to comfort him. He was still slightly sobbing, but was feeling slightly better now that at least this being was kind enough to give him a hug to try and comfort him. After a minute, they separated; he gave out a slight sniffle and started rubbing his eyes with his forehooves. The young pegasus smiled softly to him as she sat down onto her haunches before speaking. “I have some friends in town that might be able to help you. My friend Twilight is a skilled unicorn, maybe she can help you find your friends.” She smiled softly, hoping to raise his hopes. “I... I think that would be nice. Thank you.” He smiled as they both stood and began to walk down the dirt path. Angel bunny jumping up onto the young pegasus’ back and resting between her wings. “Oh my, I haven’t introduced myself yet.” She stated with a soft eep upon realizing that the stallions attention was now fully on her. “I’m... Fluttershy.” She smiled meekly to him. “It’s nice to meet you Fluttershy, I’m...” He trailed off for a moment as he thought of his name, coming to a stop in the middle of the dirt path. Fluttershy noticing his slight confusion and coming to a stop just a few paces ahead of him. “Are you ok? You didn’t finish telling me your name.” She stated as she watched his face contort in annoyance. “I... Can’t remember.” He spoke out in broken words as realization of what was going on finally fell fully onto him. He was technically alone, in a world, with memories that he knew must have been forged into his mind since he couldn’t find anything in his apparent home that he could remember having. Nor find a trace of anything that he could relate to his family or friends that he could recall having. “Well, don’t worry. I’m sure that Twilight can help you. Maybe somepony in town knows who you are. But, then again...” She trailed off for a moment as she looked down the path to where his house apparently was. “I don’t even remember your home being down this path before, and I take it every day into town.” She stated meekly, trying to hide behind a forelock of her pink mane. After a few moments of silence, Fluttershy looked up to the stallion as he sighed. “I guess the only way to find out is to head into town...” He paused for a moment as he looked to the pegasus in front of him carrying the little white rabbit. “This would be the way to town, right?” He asked seeing her nod with a slight smile. “Good, God knows I don’t want to get lost trying to find civilization.” He sighed as he began to trot ahead slightly. Fluttershy slowly making her way up to his side as one word from what he said stuck in her mind. ‘God?’ She thought, curiously. XXX After the short walk into town, the stallion began to look in awe as to how many ponies were actually out and about, running around the small town. Various differently sized and proportioned ponies ranging from small to large. Young fillies and colts running around, laughing and giggling loudly as they played. Businesses seemingly packed to the gills with customers. Even a few other species that the young stallion hadn’t really seen before, walking about as if nothing was wrong at all. “Is that a... minotaur?” He asked Fluttershy as they passed by another small business. “Yes, I believe that is Mr. Iron Will. One of my other friends from awhile back. He’s a very nice minotaur, even though he speaks a little loud.” She giggled softly before coming to a stop in front of the stallion, causing him to bump into her. The little bunny on her back however started squeaking at him at the sudden bump, causing him to back peddle slightly from him. “Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean too.” He stated quickly before receiving another acorn to his forehead. “It’s ok Angel, he didn’t mean to. Besides, this is Twilight’s home. We should go in before anything else happens to you.” Fluttershy stated with a soft smile, only to cause the stallion to blush slightly. As the two walked into the oversized tree, the stallion looked around in awe at the plethora of books that lined the walls, and tables... and floors. “Good grief. This place is a wreck!” He spoke out softly as he trotted up to a stack of books and then over to a card catalog to check and see what books went where, seemingly forgotten as to why he had come to this so called home, in the first place. Fluttershy on the other hand was making her way through the library to try and locate Twilight, one of her best friends. Upon making several rounds within the library, she finally came to a stop as Spike stepped out from a back room carrying several books. “Oh! Hey Fluttershy, what brings you here?” He asked, causing her to eep softly before diving behind a stack of books. “O-oh! Hello Spike, you startled me.” She stated as she timidly came out from behind the stack of books. “I brought a new friend with me to see Twilight, is she in?” She asked as she looked around once again to try and locate the lavender unicorn, but failed. “No, she stepped out for a while to go to the market. It’s grocery day and she tends to go overboard when it comes to getting food for the library.” He groaned before hearing one of the card catalog drawers close and another set of hoof steps on the wooden floor. “So this is your friend?” Spike asked as he trailed off for a moment, watching the stallion trotting over to one of the shelves and look at the numbers labeling it. He continued watching as the stallion began to pick up a book in his mouth and trot over to the shelf before placing it into one of the open slots. The young dragon looked up to Fluttershy curiously for a moment before she just shrugged. After a minute of watching the stallion placing books here and there, the door flew open as several large burlap bags of food began to float in. “Spiiiiike! I’m home! Can you help me put away the... groceries?” She paused, letting each of the bags fall to the floor as she noticed a blue stallion placing books onto the shelves. Spike coming up in front of her and waving a hand in front of her face to garner her attention. “Ugh, Spike. Why is that stallion placing books onto the shelves?” She asked in surprise as he hadn’t even looked her way as she came in. His full attention devoted to the books that needed to be reshelved and dusted. “Fluttershy said he’s her new friend and wanted you to meet him about something.” He stated as he began to tug one of the overstuffed burlap bags toward the kitchen. Twilight finally seeing Fluttershy for the first time, smiling toward her. “Hey Fluttershy, who’s your friend here?” She asked curiously as she trotted over to her. “Um... Well, I don’t know his name.” She meekly stated as she glanced over to the stallion before turning back to Twilight whom only had a cocked brow in question. “You... wanted me to meet him, but don’t know his name?” She asked in slight surprise. “Yes, the poor dear seems to have some memory loss or something. He doesn’t know who he is or why he was where I found him. Not to mention the fact that a new house suddenly appeared on the path from my cottage to town.” “That.. is rather odd.” Twilight stated as she cocked a brow at the stallion that was now placing a book that Twilight knew didn’t go into that one spot on the shelf. She hesitated for a moment as she watched him look at the book for several moments, opening the cover and then looking on the inside of the cover, then to the back of the book to make sure that his assumptions were correct before closing it and stepping to the next shelf over and placing the book onto it. Giving a slight smirk, she trotted up to him as he was about to pick up another book... with his mouth. “Um... Excuse me, sir?” Twilight began, catching his attention as he picked up the book in his mouth. “Yeth?” He spoke out around the book causing her to giggle, only to make him place the book down and give a sheepish grin. “Fluttershy said that you seem to be having some trouble with your memory. But you seem to be rather intelligent if you can properly shelve books within a library. So you must not have retained an injury of some sort.” She paused though as she noticed a small speck of drool on the book that he had just sat down, and picked it up with her magic, which she immediately regretted as he gasped upon seeing the book float up from the ground and back peddle into several stacks of books, causing them to collapse onto him. “Then again...” She trailed off giving a sigh. > Chapter 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What the hell?!" The stallion shouted as he back peddled into a stack of books only to have them collapse onto him. He continued to stare, wide-eyed at the floating book within Twilight’s magical grasp for several more seconds until the book had been cleaned and placed onto a nearby table. Fluttershy, being overly timid, ducked behind the couch in the main room upon hearing the stallion shout out in a panic. Twilight on the other hoof just seemed a little surprised by the action. "H-hey, it's alright. Why are you so afraid?" She asked, coming a little closer to him only to pause as he tried to push himself backwards into the pile of books. "What was that?! Why did that book just start floating in mid air?" He asked in a panicked voice, his breathing becoming more ragged as he began to shake slightly. "You don't know why the book was floating?!" Twilight asked in surprise. "But, you're a unicorn, how could you not know what a levitation spell is? It's the very first spell that is taught to foals..." She trailed off as several different things began to click in her mind. "I have no idea what you're talking about!" He continued as he pulled himself from the books and backed up slightly toward the edge of the couch, but coming to a stop as he heard a whimper coming from behind it. As he turned to see what the cause of the whimper was, he saw the yellow pegasus from before, curled up on the floor with her hooves over her head, shaking almost as much as he was just a few moments ago. As if a switch had been flicked, his sudden panic turned to concern as he began to speak softly to Fluttershy. "Hey... hey now, it's ok. Everything’s fine." He spoke soothingly toward her, causing her to move her hooves from her face slowly as she looked up to him still shaking slightly. "I'm sorry I yelled, it's just that... I'm very confused... and scared right now." He sighed softly as he lowered his head, looking to the floor. "I don't know what’s going on, or why I can't make heads or tails out of the memories I have in my head. I've never been this confused, or afraid in my life. I don't know anyone here in this small town that I can count on to help me right now, or even if they would want too. I'm... alone." He stated softly as he began to shake once again, more in fear than anything else. Fluttershy, by this point, had found her courage once again and was sitting in front of him seeing the small droplets of tears falling from his eyes to the floor below. She looked over to Twilight with a pleading look, trying to tell her that this poor stallion really needed someone to help him in his time of need. After a minute to let the stallion calm down, Twilight trotted slowly over to him, placing a hoof onto his shoulder as she began to speak softly to him. "Hey, everything is going to be fine. I'll see what I can do in the meantime that can help you to better understand what's going on around you. Right now though, I have a bone to pick with a certain God of Chaos." She grumbled slightly as she turned her vision back to the window to see him staring in and grinning like a bandit. That was of course, until he noticed he had been spotted, causing him to face palm. As if on cue, the draconequus appeared in a flash of light within the library, giving a soured look and crossed arms as he stood in front of what seemed to be a quite angry lavender librarian. “Discord... Would you happen to know anything about our mystery guest here, and why he can’t seem to remember anything specific about his memories?” Twilight asked as she gave him an accusing glare. “Moi? I haven’t the slightest!” He retorted with a slight snicker. “Mmm hmm. So if I happened to contact the princess and ask her to take a look into his memories, I wouldn’t happen to find anything out of the ordinary?” Twilight smirked seeing the draconequus give a slightly worried expression. “Perhaps, then again, perhaps not. It depends on who the quicker pony would be.” He snickered again. “Now Discord.” Fluttershy piped up as she gave him a stern gaze, which quickly caused him to recoil slightly and give a small pout. “You know that we do not approve of manipulating ponies’ minds for any reason. The princess entrusted your rehabilitation in becoming an asset to Equestria, to me, and the other Elements. By manipulating another pony, you are treading on thin ice mister.” By now, Fluttershy had moved forward, giving quite a stern gaze onto the draconequus and causing him to wilt under said gaze. He gave a sad pout before sighing and looking away. “Fine, but I only did it because I thought Twilight needed a coltfriend.” He groaned as he stood back up, heading over to the stallion and raising a talon toward him. “WHAT?!” The three ponies shouted in unison. *VORP* Twilight teleported quickly between the draconequus and stallion who has yet to be named, halting Discord’s advance toward him. “DISCORD!? How could you just up and bring a random stallion here and expect us to have a relationship?!” Twilight shouted in disbelief, her cheeks burning a bright crimson as she glanced back to the surprised stallion. “Didn’t you say that you were very picky about finding a suitable mate? One that would have all of the same qualities as you, and the same interests?” He asked giving a slight smirk as he slowly began to reach an arm over her toward the stallion. “But since you are so against the idea, I guess I could just erase him from Equestria and return him back to his home planet.” He began, but was halted as Twilight’s magic flared up, picking the draconequus up and moving him across the room in a hurry. “What are you talking about? Home planet? Wipe him from Equestria?” Twilight stated in slight shock. “Well... I guess I couldn’t return him to his own world, considering I erased him from his history. So I guess he will end up in limbo if he leaves Equestria.” Discord chuckled for a moment before everypony stopped dead as a soft thud was heard; all of them turning to the source and seeing the stallion laying out cold on the floor. Twilight and Fluttershy gave a soft gasp as they rushed to his side, turning their gazes back to the draconequus and giving him a stern glare. “Discord, I can’t believe you would do such a thing. We will discuss this later with the princess. In the meantime, I want you to fix his memories...” She stopped as Discord began. “But his original memories were altered to revolve around this world. I ended up turning every being he ever knew into a pony, not to mention trying to fix his memories of everything else to revolve around being used as a... pony... Drat!” Discord groaned, face palming pretty hard as he realized what he had done. “Right, Equestria doesn’t have the same technology as the world he came from. I’ll have to remember that the next time I...” He halted as Twilight gave an incredulous growl. “The next time you what?! Bring an alien into Equestria from another world?! I don’t think so! You march your flank to the castle and let the princess’ know what you’ve done this instant! Or I’ll... I’ll...” Fluttershy trailed off for a moment in worry, trying to think of something that would upset the draconequus enough to get him to do what she demanded. A smile creeping across her face as she started once again. “Or I’ll cancel all of our tea parties for the next two months!” She finished, causing Discord to visibly flinch and recoil. “You wouldn’t!?” He asked in worry. Only to see her glare at him with one large eye. “Fine.” He sighed, slumping over and giving a disgruntled expression. Marching over to the stallion still laying out cold on the floor and giving his head a tap before teleporting to the castle. After a few minutes of laying quietly on the floor, the stallion began to stir slightly as his eyes flickered open, taking in where he was and whom was around him. As soon as he saw Twilight and Fluttershy, he bolted upright and backed away for a moment before he recalled his memories in full. “T-Twilight, right?” He asked as he nodded to the lavender unicorn, she nodding in return. Looking in to the other direction he began to speak to the butter yellow pegasus. “And you’re Fluttershy.” He stated causing her to nod as well. “So... do you remember everything now?” Twilight asked as she took a couple of steps closer to the stallion. “Yes, but I feel as if I’m in a waking dream or something. This seems so surreal.” He stated softly as he looked himself over, his memories of what Discord had done and stated, coming back to him. After another moment, he paused as his cheeks began to get redder and hotter, his vision moving from the floor to the lavender unicorn in front of him, her cheeks reigniting as well. “So...” He trailed off, taking in an audible gulp. “Yea, I was about to say something as well.” Twilight trailed off as she rubbed her withers nervously. “Um... I’ll leave you two alone... for the time being.” Fluttershy stated meekly before bolting out of the library, leaving two stunned unicorns in her wake. “Ok, this just got a whole lot more stressful.” The stallion stated with a nervous chuckle. Twilight turned from the door the pegasus had just bolted out of back to him with a slight smile on her face as she began. “Well, he did mention that he got my specifications all in one being. So... does that mean you’re interested in books... You know... Considering you’ve organized some of mine so well.” She tittered softly. The stallion’s eyes lit up once again at the mention of books, and that fact that he was surrounded by piles and piles of books that needed organized, didn’t help the matter. “Well, I don’t mind getting to know you... Twilight, correct?” “Twilight Sparkle, to be exact, but yes you can call me Twilight.” She smiled warmly before it turned into a questioning glance. “I’m sorry, but I never did catch your name.” “Considering what I’ve just gone through, I doubt I had a moment to introduce myself. Although, compared to the rather... odd names that I’ve already been introduced to. I think that my name alone would seem odd to you and your friends.” He chuckled. “But anyway, my name is Chuck.” Twilight took a moment to let the name set into her memory before pulling up a mental rolodex and flipping through it, comparing this name to all of the ponies that she already knows, along with the other rather unusual names that she has come across in the past. “That... is quite an odd named.” She stated as she placed a hoof onto her chin in thought. “But I don’t think it would be unwelcomed. However, if you want, you can change your name to something else if you’d like. Nopony will think differently of you should you choose to do so.” She stated with a sincere smile. “I... I’m not sure, but to be honest, I’ve never had this opportunity before, especially since I’m on an alien world filled with talking ponies. So I think I’ll jump at this little opportunity and change it.” He chuckled once again seeing twilight roll her eyes at his humor. After a few minutes of thinking over what a fitting name could be, and considering the fact that the populace of this world has names that seem pretty strange to him. It would only be efficient to take on a name that would fit into society. “Kami... Kami Eclipse.” He stated out of the blue causing Twilight to snap her attention back to the stallion. “I’m sorry? What now?” Twilight asked as she came back over to him. “I’ve decided that my new name is going to be Kami Eclipse. Considering that my fur is a pretty dark blue, along with my mane and tail as well.” He smirked slightly flicking his tail once to the side. “So what do you think?” He asked seeing her giving him a scrutinizing expression. “I think it would suit you just fine.” She smiled as she trotted around to his side and stopped for a moment as she began looking at his flank. “Uh...” He stammered for a moment seeing her eyeing him up for a second, she pulling her vision back to his and realizing what she was doing and stepping back a few paces while trying to save herself from the situation at hoof. “SORRY! Sorry, I was just looking at...” She was quickly cut off by Kami as he spoke up with a shit-eating grin. “My butt? Yea, I noticed.” He snickered seeing her face erupt into a bright red blush. “NO! Noooooo nononono! I was looking at your flank!” She immediately regretted that comment as he burst out laughing, falling over and holding his sides as he couldn’t stop. After a minute of utter embarrassment, Twilight finally brought herself forward, giving a groan as she prodded the stallion in the side. “I was looking at where your cutie mark should be, but you don’t seem to have one.” She stated finally, causing him to look back at his flank to see it was indeed, blank. “Cutie mark?” He asked just before Twilight pointed to her flank. “See? You get a special mark, a cutie mark, once you find out what your special talent is.” She smiled, but paused as she noticed Kami taking a little more time than needed to see her cutie mark. She turning her flank back around so that only her face and forelegs could be seen. “H-HEY! Eyes up here mister!” She stuttered. “Hey yourself! You looked at my butt and then you tell me to look at yours!” He laughed giving an eyebrow wiggle. “I’m beginning to think that Discord was told to bring me here by you.” He laughed out but paused as Twilight let out a loud groan of annoyance. “Yea, he apparently nailed my specifications right on the head.” She mumbled out as she began to pick up some of the books that had been knock over earlier, and placing them onto the shelves. “What was that? So you did tell him to bring me here? Dang, I knew some women are desperate, but pulling an alien being from another world and turned into the same species. That takes on a whole new definition of the word desperate.” He began to chuckle but stopped as he watched Twilight slowly turn her head from what she was doing with a look of annoyance, rage, and utter shock, plastered across her face. “Oh, crap...” He squeaked out, backing away. “I, am not desperate! I simply have far too much studying to do to have a relationship of any type.” She paused, realizing what she had just said. “I’ve spent all this time... studying... and for what?” She sighed, her head lowering to the ground slightly. She was about to let loose with the waterworks but paused as a set of hooves appeared in her vision on the floor. “You do what you do to become a better person... er... pony. Don’t ever think that the time that you use studying is wasted. You may be a little overzealous in your studying, you know, with living in a library and all.” They both chuckled softly at the joke for a moment, Twilight bringing her vision back up to the stallion in front of her. “But that just means you’re a hard worker and pretty well organized if you’re willing to go to such lengths in order to become a better... pony.” He stated with a sincere smile. She smiling back and giving a soft giggle. “Yea...” “But hey, now that I’m here, how about we finish cleaning up all these books. That should at least give us a little more to talk about, and to get to know one another a little better, you know, since we’ll be staring at books, and not each other’s butts... er... flanks.” He laughed. “That sounds like a plan.” Twilight stated with a smile as they began to move around the library, picking up books and reshelving them as time went on. > Chapter 4 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The day was coming to a close as Kami and Twilight finished cleaning and reorganizing the library. As the sun began to set in the distance, the two ponies had come to a halt in the organizing when Twilight began speaking to the new unicorn stallion about how magic worked within this world. Being a unicorn, and unable to currently use magic, had this young stallion sitting on pins and needles in anticipation of learning how to successfully use said magic. Twilight, being the inquisitive pony she is, plus loving to have the opportunity to teach another pony something about magic, began pulling out several different books and bringing them over to a small table within the middle of the room. Plopping down onto an oversized pillow, she patted the spot next to her as she began to open one of the books. Kami, although slightly hesitant at first, took the spot next to her as she started speaking. "This book is normally for foals just learning how to control their magic for the first time. Although it may seem a little confusing at first, you should be able to at least feel some of your magic first hoof upon finishing the first couple of chapters." She smiled softly seeing his eager expression as he pulled the book to him and began to read through each page quickly. Almost as quickly as Twilight would when she found an interesting book to read. However, she noticed that once he finished reading a single page, he would go back and re-read it once again before moving onto the following page. She was about to ask why he was doing that but paused as she noticed his horn already glowing softly. "Wait, did you even finish reading everything I told you to?" She asked as she watched his eyes close as a look of concentration showed across his features. "Yea, I'm just trying to get a feel for the magic now. It said that I should practice pulling magic into my horn first before even attempting to weave any spells. I want to be able to do this right the first time. Plus it says that I should disperse the magic so that my available magical tank will increase so that I can do more spells and such, rather than just a few before I run out. I honestly don't want to get into trouble or anything and not be able to defend myself or others if the need calls for it." He stated quietly as the magic being pushed into his horn shot out of the tip into a magical fountain of sparkles. "That's true, but I would like to see your capability in magic as soon as you're ready. Would you like to have dinner with me and Spike while you ar- EEP!" Twilight came to a grinding halt as she ducked to avoid a shower of magic that had just been sent over her head. She looked back to Kami, his eyes wide and a blush across his face. "Uh... dinner?" He stated with a slight waver in his voice. "Yeeeeessss, so that we can discuss further into teaching you how to use magic, plus..." She hesitated for a few moments as her own face began to grow slightly rosy on her cheeks. "I'd like to at least get to know more about you and where you came from. W-why? Are you... not interested?" She asked, giving a slight pout. "N-no! I mean yes! No... Wait! UGH!" He groaned out as his face began to grow a brighter shade of red before he finally buried it into a book to attempt to hide his embarrassment. After a few seconds to pull himself together, he pulled the book down just enough to look over the top of it toward the lavender unicorn sitting in front of him who still had a small blush on her cheeks. "What I meant to say is that, yes, I would like to get know you a little better, and yes, I would like to learn more about how magic works. But as for what Discord brought me here for," He paused, rubbing his withers sheepishly. "I think something like that will have to wait a while. I would like to learn more about this world first before I could even think about starting a... relationship." He chuckled nervously. "That's fine, I still have quite a bit of studying to catch up on in regards to a new spell that the princess has asked me to make. So, getting to know you on a more personal note will have to wait for the time being." She stated with a soft giggle. "Oh! That reminds me. What would you like for dinner? I know that Spike usually makes hay fries and tofu burgers most of the time, but I don't know if you'd like something like that or not." Kami gave his chin a gentle scratch with his hoof as he mulled over that for a moment before speaking. "Well, I've never had a tofu burger before, but I could go for a real burger if that wouldn't be too much trouble." He smiled slightly but paused as he noticed the slight look of horror on Twilight's face. "What? Did I say something wrong?" Twilight continued to stare at him in slight terror as she began. "A real burger? You mean... with actual meat?" She gulped slightly as her coat began to turn a little paler. "Yea...?" After a few seconds he stopped, his eyes going a little wider before his hoof met his face. "I'm such an idiot..." He groaned out, giving a sigh. "I'm guessing Discord didn't tell you that my species, before I was changed into a pony, are omnivorous. So, asking for actual meat wouldn't be a good thing... would it?" He asked, giving a nervous smile. "Well... It is quite uncommon for anypony to eat any type of meat to be honest. You are the first one I've ever met that has even mentioned the possibility of wanting to eat meat. The closest thing we have is either tofu or different types of nuts." After a minute of thinking things over, Kami gave a nod. "I guess a tofu burger would be alright." Twilight smiled as she went into the next room to see if Spike would go ahead and start dinner. A short time passed as the little dragon and the lavender unicorn made their way out of the back room. Spike headed into the kitchen while she headed back toward the small table where Kami was now reading further into the first book that Twilight had given him. "This book is so informative!" He stated as his eyes never left the pages. His ears instinctively swiveling to the sound of Twilight’s hoof steps heading in his direction. "If you think that book is interesting, then you are going to love some of the more advanced books on magic once you have built up your magic reserve. Some of the spells that you can learn later on are very hard to cast due to the specific weaving involved. Sometimes you will have to weave multiple spells together at the same time in order to cast the spell you want. Teleportation is one of those, and that took me a few weeks of practice to learn, not to mention quite a few trips to the spa with my friend Rarity." She giggled, but paused as Kami gave her an odd look. "Why would you need to go to the spa in order to learn a spell?" He stated with a smirk. "Well, considering the drawbacks on failing to cast a teleportation spell are slight burns... Well, let’s just say that I ended up with quite a bit of singed fur." She giggled slightly with a sheepish smile. "Yea, I had to wait in between casting the spells so that my fur would grow back and I didn't end up trotting around looking like I was going bald." The two paused for a moment as a laugh erupted from within the kitchen. Spike taking the opportunity to step into the doorway while still fighting off a fit of the giggles. "Yea, you should have seen her! After the second failed cast, her tail caught on fire and burned almost half of it off." He snickered only to make Twilight facehoof while blushing furiously. "Yes, it was a terrible thing to endure. But after a couple more failed attempts, I finally managed to get the casting of the spell down and haven't failed since." She beamed proudly, but paused as Spike spoke up once again. "Uh huh, until you cast it while I was on your back. We ended up both getting a little singed after that time. It's a good thing I'm a dragon, or I would have been pretty bad off from the magical backlash that burned your fur." Spike groaned out rolling his eyes before turning and heading back into the kitchen. "Eh heh heh... yea, that was something I hadn't considered at the time. Teleporting more than a single being in one casting wasn't explained thoroughly in the book I was reading at the time to learn that spell. Since then I have made my own notes in my own copies of the books so that it will be far easier to understand." She smirked slightly as she pulled a book out from under the table they were seated at and set it down in front of them. Opening it to the spell in question and pulling out a couple pieces of scroll that she had scribbled some information on and set them to the side. Over the next thirty minutes, the two discussed more information about the teleportation spell before Spike came out of the kitchen with two plates of food in his claws. Setting them down onto the table just as Twilight finished putting away the scrolls and books that had managed to become piled higher as the two ponies were talking. Another ten minutes went by as the two consumed their meals. Kami, with more than a little difficulty as he attempted to use his hooves to lift the burger, only to have Twilight use her magic to lift it up for him to take a bite. All the time the two were blushing profusely toward one another. After the meal had been consumed, Kami yawned a little before he noticed how dark it was outside. His vision quickly glancing back to the clock resting on the wall on the far side of the library to see that it was around one o’clock in the morning. "Is it really that late?" He asked in surprise before seeing Twilight give a yawn herself. "I guess so..." She trailed off as another yawn escaped her, causing her frame to give an involuntary shudder as she stretched out. "Well, I guess I had better head home then." He stated softly as he looked to the door for a moment before turning his vision back to the lavender unicorn at his side. "Thank... thank you for dinner and for teaching me about magic." He smiled softly to her only to make her blush once again. "It was my pleasure; I enjoyed helping another pony learn about magic. I'm still eager to know exactly what your potential in magic is though, so please come by as often as you like. This is a library after all, so if you wanted to just check out a book, or chat for a while, I wouldn't be against the idea." She giggled softly to herself, an inward smile filling her heart with that warm fuzzy feeling. "I will, and thanks again for everything Twilight. I appreciate it." He smiled softly to her as he headed to the door, taking a moment to open it before stopping in the doorway. "Kami? What's wrong?" Twilight asked as she stepped up to his side and following his glance toward the sky. "Wow..." He trailed off as he stared quietly at the sky. "I've never seen the sky so clear. The stars, they are, so beautiful... and the moon... it’s... it’s breathtaking." At that moment, Twilight gave a nervous swallow as she watched the young stallion continue to stare at the sky, that was of course until his mouth opened wide as a yawn escaped him, causing him to give an involuntary full body shudder. His fur and mane quickly bristling up and standing out, making him look a little shaggy. He stopped, quickly turning his attention back to Twilight as she giggled softly, holding a hoof over her mouth. "What?" He asked, cocking a brow. "Nothing, have a good night Kami." She smile softly as she turned back into the library. Kami stepped out of the door as he turned his head slightly back to see the door enveloped in a soft purple glow, just barely catching a glimpse of a lavender flank as the door closed. "Huh... So Discord wants her to hook up with me then?" He asked himself as he turned back onto his path and began to quickly trot out of town toward his home. "She seems nice, but..." He trailed off for a moment before picking back up once again. "I like the book wormy type, but... I don't think we could hit it off." He sighed, silently berating himself for even thinking that. As the young stallion made it back to his home, he stopped around twenty yards from his home as he noticed two ponies standing out front in what seemed to be golden armor. The door was open and voices could be heard coming from inside. "No way am I getting burglarized on my first day here." Kami stated softly as he hunkered down slightly as he began to make his way around the edge of the house to the back. "Let’s just hope I have a back door, and it's unlocked." He snorted softly as he slowly made it to the back of the house only to silently curse as all he noticed were several small windows. "Well then... let's try this." He stated softly as he pressed up n the window, smiling as it nudged upwards just a little. He pressed a little harder, slowly opening the window and climbing through it into his bedroom. Leaving it open just in case he had to make a hasty retreat. "Now then, let's just see who is in here." He grumbled as he quietly made his way across his bedroom and peeked through the keyhole to his door to see who, or what, was on the other side. As he looked through the hole, his ears trained forward as he listened intently to the conversation that was being spoken on the other side of the door. "Do you really think that what you did was wise, my friend? My student does not seem to be that interested in anything other than her studies." she sighed slightly, knowing she was the cause of that. "Tia, it took me forever to find a suitable being that would fit her tastes. Do you really think that she would pass up the opportunity to hook up with a pony that fits her preferences to a T?" Discord groaned slightly. "To be honest, there is always that possibility. My student does not take her studies lightly, and should I ask her to study further, she would not hesitate to do so. Although, she is getting older now, and I dare say that once she comes into season this year, she may find it much harder to concentrate on her studies instead of a stallion that may catch her eye. No mare is immune to the natural instincts that are a part of us." Celestia stated with a slight titter in her voice. "True, but even then, I think she might pull that knot out of her tail and actually do something to pull her away from those boring old books. That being I brought here was meant to be her colt friend, and considering how late it is, I think I may have lucked out and she may have given him a nightcap." Discord chuckled only to seeing Celestia blush slightly at the thought. Kami rolled his eyes as he pulled himself away from the keyhole that he had been using to spy on the conversation that was going on within the next room. “Are those morons really sitting there talking about setting up Twilight with me? It’s no wonder that Discord offered me so much in return for coming here. Then again... I couldn’t think of a better way to set up a couple than to traverse the entire universe just to find someone that fits my preferences to a T. That is going out of the way quite a bit, but if I could do just that, then I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity.” He chuckled softly to himself before he came to a stop upon seeing a shadow move across the bottom of the door and stopping right in front of it. “Did you hear that?” Came a voice from the other side of the door. “I think somepony is in this room.” Came the voice again as several more pairs of hoofbeats were heard on the floor. Shadows quickly blocking out most of the light from the crack at the bottom of the door. The young stallion backed up slowly, trying not to make any sounds as he watched the handle move slowly on the door. It stopped however as the shadows moved to the side of the door as a voice spoke up. “Young one, you need not to be afraid. You may come out.” Came Celestia’s voice from the other side of the door. Kami gave a slight gulp for a moment before trotting to the door; he was no longer trying to hide his presence as he gripped the door handle in his mouth before giving it a twist and pressing the door open, immediately being bathed in the light from his living room. Standing there were several guards in golden armor, whom were off to the sides of the Sun Goddess herself, Celestia. “Uh...” Kami trailed off as he looked around the room to the various ponies and then to lone draconequus that was standing silently watching him. “Welcome home, my boy.” Discord chuckled but stopped as he looked to the expression of annoyance and anger plastered across Kami’s face. “Home? Yes, that would be what this is. My home. In which all of you are currently standing in without my consent. Breaking and entering so to speak.” He stated with a snort, surprising everypony in the room. “How dare you speak to the princess like that?!” One of the guards stated as he stepped forward, scraping the floor with a hoof. Kami stepping forward as well, giving another loud snort. This was when the guards noticed that this unicorn was quite a bit bigger than any unicorn they had seen before. His height was quite a few hands higher than any of them, even the unicorn and earth ponies that were standing a little further back and to the sides of Celestia. Everything came to a halt though as Celestia began to move toward the door of the home. The guards quickly following her while another group kept their backs to her as they continued to stay in front of the stallion. “Tia?” Discord began as he scratched his head, clearly confused. “This young one is correct in the assumption that we did enter his home without his permission. I should honor that this is his home and that I was not invited. I shall wait outside until that such moment.” She stated with a soft smile. “Wait.” Kami spoke up giving a slight hint of reluctance. “You’re already here, so you might as well stay. I’m not about to kick a lady out of my home that apparently had a reason to stop by and say hello.” He sighed seeing her smile warmly to him. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t kick out a stallion that I didn’t invite. So if you do have business with me, I ask that we do this in private. I may be courteous, but I have my limits.” He stated as he gave a sideways glare to all of the guards that were giving him a skeptical glare in return. “Very well.” Celestia stated as she gave the guards a slight nod, silently telling them that they could take their leave. “Thank you.” Kami began as he trotted over to the small table that sat in the middle of the room, taking a quick seat as he nodded to the seat on the opposite side of the table. “I guess that you have something to discuss with me, otherwise you would not have made the trip out here.” He smirked slightly seeing her give one in return. “I believe my friend here has something to say first and foremost.” Celestia stated as she gave a disapproving glance to Discord who only furrowed his brow as he stepped forward. “Yes yes... I would like to apologize for my earlier actions.” He grumbled. “Apologize? For what? Taking me out of a world filled with constant agony and torment and placing me into a world of fantasy, filled with magic, mythical creatures, and God knows what else? To be honest Discord, I should be thanking you every day for the rest of my life. This is by far one of the best things that I could have ever hoped to have happened to me within my lifetime.” Kami laughed as he leaned back in his seat, surprising both the Alicorn and draconequus on the other side of the table. “So that means that you aren’t angry?” Celestia asked in surprise. “Why would I be angry?” Kami chuckled. “This is a dream come true, although I could have dealt without the fact that he was only doing this just to set me up with a chick.” He snickered seeing Discord throw his paws into the air in frustration. “Still though, thank you, for doing everything you’ve done. It’ll be nice to start over in a world filled with everything being completely new to me. I’ll have plenty of time to learn about everything, read up on history and current events, find out how to properly use magic, and do all kinds of things. In all honesty, I think I’ll be very busy for at least the next couple of years in the least!” He laughed as he mulled over all of the things he was going to be doing in his free time. “For the time being though, I’m going to need to find a job so I can support myself. Having a home and not having to pay rent will help a lot. But, bills will still be here.” He groaned. “Actually...” Celestia spoke up garnering his attention. “Unicorns are pretty self sufficient when it comes to ‘paying bills’, so to speak. If you are talking about electricity, heating, cooling, amongst various other things that ponies will pay for in order to live comfortably. Most of the time a home will contain gemstone batteries that are charged with magic in order to sustain various things within the home. The top one being electricity, as well as keeping the home at a regulated temperature. So once you have learned those various spells, you will be able to save more bits than you first thought.” Celestia stated with a smile as she watched the young stallion beam. “Then that means I can put my money into research! EXCELLENT!” He shouted as he danced in place. After a minute of watching the stallion dance in place Celestia gave a soft giggle to try and catch the stallion’s attention. “I’m sorry, I’m being rude. I know you had something to discuss with me. Please, proceed.” Kami smiled as he took a seat at the table once again. “Considering the way you are acting, I believe that my questions have been answered for me already. All I simply want to say now, is, welcome to Equestria.” Celestia stated as she gave her head a slight bow toward him. “Thank you princess, and please, call me Kami.” He smiled giving a curt nod in return. > Chapter 5 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following morning was quite a welcome one when Kami awoke to the chirping of birds just outside his home. Although the prior day’s events seemed to have caused him some slight annoyance, it had ended on a high note with the princess welcoming him into the lands of Equestria. The morning proceeded as it normally would, with him getting out of bed, taking a shower, taking some time to thoroughly dry off, and then making his breakfast for the day. Which consisted of a poptart, a glass of milk with a straw in it, and some buttered toast. After fixing the light breakfast, he pulled a saddlebag onto himself before putting a few apples and a couple of carrots in it for a midday snack. “Alright then, time to get to the library!” He smirked as he made his way out of his new home and toward the small town of Ponyville. A short trot later and he had arrived at his destination, however, he noticed that the town didn’t seem as lively as it had the previous day. There were no ponies out and about doing anything. In fact, the streets were completely barren. Not giving it much thought, he trotted up the Golden Oaks Library and gave the door a quick knock with his hoof before carefully opening it. “Twilight? You home? What’s up with the town? There is literally no one...” “SURPRIIIIIIIIIIISE!” Shouted a library full of ponies causing the blue stallions horn to explode in magic as he screamed out in surprise. “AAAAAHHH!” *flash* Everyone within the library blinked a few times before they noticed a large burned mark on the floor where the stallion had just been. Twilight stepping forward, giving a worried expression as she looked the spot over only to see the remnants of a failed teleportation casting. “HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLP!” Came the cry of Kami from outside the library, causing many of its occupants to rush through the front door to try and locate him. As they exited they heard him yelling once more, looking up to an adjacent building where a weather mane was placed on the roof. Kami hanging from it by his saddle bags. *rip* “Oh crap!” He squeaked out as he looked up to the saddle bag as it began to slowly rip. *riiiiiiiiiip* It continued but stopped just short of coming completely apart. “Shew!” Kami let out a relieved sigh as he wiped his brow with a hoof and then giving it a single sling to the side, gently turning him just enough to... *SNAP* “AAAAAAHHH!” He shouted out as gravity began to quickly pull him toward the hard ground below. He covered his face and curled up awaiting the impact which never came. After a second of falling, he felt a weightlessness takes over. Opening his eyes he looked to see himself enveloped in a purple aura, a slight tingling sensation running all over his body as he was slowly being lowered to the ground below. As he made contact with the ground the aura vanished, a soft sigh being released by a lavender unicorn as she pressed through the crowd, quickly sweeping Kami into a hug. “Are you alright?!” She stated quickly before releasing him and pulling back. “I’m... fine... I guess. But you guys nearly scared me to death!” He spoke out in shock causing the crowd to visibly lay their ears back in embarrassment. “Soooooorrrryyyyyyyyyyy!” Came a cheerful voice as a certain pink earth pony bounced up to beside Twilight with a huge smile plastered across her face. “Pinkie, he’s fine now, so let’s all go back inside and start up the party.” Rarity stated as she trotted up next to her giving a soft smile. “And besides, we need to introduce ourselves as well, and what better time than one of your parties.” She tittered slightly as she gave a gentle nod to Kami. “Uh...” Kami began, cocking a brow at the two before being pulled into a rough sideways hug by Applejack. “No fussing now, Pinkie throws everypony a welcoming party that moves to Ponyville. Ya’ll ah break her heart if’n ya don’t come in fer at least a few minutes and introduce yerself.” AJ smirked, catching his attention and nodding to Pinkie who had the saddest expression across her face. Kami felt his heart sink at such an expression before giving a soft smile himself, nodding and causing the crowd to cheer. After a few minutes, everypony had made it back inside of the library where refreshments were being served, along with quite a few confectionary delights that Pinkie had painstakingly made just for this special occasion. Kami was sitting with Twilight who had just pulled out a book to teach him how to do a levitation spell. After a few attempts he finally managed to get the hang of it. Pulling a drink up to his snout and gulping down the liquid, even pulling a small piece of cake to him and using a fork to cut a piece of it before being consumed. “Twilight, this is some party. I’ve never seen so many people come out just to meet and greet a single person before.” He stated while smiling to another couple of ponies who introduced themselves, he doing the same. “People? Person? I’m not sure what that is.” Twilight stated with a look of slight confusion. “Um... I meant ponies, and pony. Sorry, I guess learning to speak as another species may take some time to adjust to.” He stated with a soft chuckled. “Still though, it’s very nice to know that every... pony, is nice here. If it were back in my home town, most people wouldn’t even spit on you if you were on fire.” He chuckled for a moment as he took a drink, then noticed how quiet it got all of a sudden. He pulled the cup back down from his mouth, taking a slightly loud gulp as he looked around to all of the semi shocked faces that were staring at him with wide eyes. “That’s horrible!” Twilight stated with a slight gasp of disbelief. “Y-yeah, I didn’t come from a nice place. I’m probably the only nice being to have ever come out of my city. But don’t worry, none of those nasty pe... ponies can follow me here. So no worries every... pony!” He stated giving a big smile to the party goers. They giving a smile and nod in return before turning back to their friends and picking up where they had left off within their respective conversations. After a couple of hours had passed by, Kami had been introduced to everypony, along with introductions being given to him in return. The party had lasted for roughly four hours before it began to dwindle and ponies began to leave the party and head back home to continue their normal daily routines. The last few ponies to remain at the party were of course, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack. As the conversations kept going, it had finally lead to the point where Twilight brought up his employment status from when he spoke of it to her the previous day. “Kami, didn’t you say that you were looking to find a job the other day?” Twilight asked as she looked from him to her friends. “Yea, I’d like to find one as quickly as I can. I don’t want to end up having to starve because I can’t find a job. Seeing as I will probably have to wait a couple of weeks or longer in order to get my first paycheck.” He groaned. “Paycheck?” The group asked in unison. “Yea, a paycheck is what you get after working for a certain period of time with a company or business before cashing it in at a bank.” He stated with a confused expression. “Sugarcube, ah don’t right know how things’er done in the big city. But’round these parts everpony gets paid at the end’o the day, in bits.” AJ chuckled softly seeing his confusion. “Bits?” He asked. “What is a bit?” “This is a bit, silly!” Pinkie stated as she pulled one from out of nowhere and tossed it to him, he caught it within his magical grasp and floated it in front of him, looking it over. After a moment though his eyes went wide in surprise as he realized what the yellowish bit was made of. “T-this is gold!?” He squeaked out, losing focus on his magic and letting the bit fall to the floor. The others gave him a queer look before Pinkie picked up the bit and held it out again while speaking around it. “It sure is!” She giggled. “Why is that a surprise, darling? All currency in Equestria is made of gold, silver, and copper. Although gold bits equal a hundred bits, while silver is ten bits, and copper is a single bit.” Rarity stated with a curious smile. “Well... Gold is extremely rare where I’m from... But before I get into that, let me ask you something. How much does a pony normally get paid while working at a job here in this world?” Kami asked while rubbing his chin in thought. “Well, I normally get paid five bits an hour at Sugarcube Corner. But that’s because I usually end up eating a lot of the sweets the Cakes make.” Pinkie giggled. “I would guess that a normal salary would be around eight to ten bits an hour Kami. Why do you ask?” Twilight finished. “Well, on my world, the average salary is around eight dollars an hour. So considering that it seems pretty even with the pay here. The only thing that is odd though is why your rulers would use gold as a coin that would equal to a hundred bits.” How is that odd?” Twilight asked giving a curious smile. “Well...” He paused for a moment as his horn lit up and he pulled the bit gently from Pinkies mouth, she giving a smile as he did so. Considering the weight of this bit, it seems to be around four ounces if I’m correct.” He stated as he placed it onto his hoof before lifting and dropping it gently to judge the weight. “And believe it or not, an ounce of gold in my world is worth almost three thousand dollars.” He chuckled as he watched the girls eyes go to pinpoints as their vision trailed from him to the bit in his hoof. “WOOHOO!!!! I’m rich!” Pinkie shouted as she snatched the bit up and bolted out of the library, leaving the rest of the ponies stupefied for a short moment. “Uh... She does realize that I’m not from this world right?” He chuckled seeing the others laugh. “That’s Pinkie for ya. Always a few apples short of a bushel.” AJ Chuckled. “I do say, if we were to go to your world with a bag full of bits, we could live a life of utter luxury.” Rarity swooned as she thought of all the things she could have. “Yea, but the only problem would be that you would have to change species in order to use them.” Kami chuckled. “I don’t know, from what you’ve told us about your world, it doesn’t seem like such a nice place to live, and definitely not worth changing species over.” Twilight groaned, rolling her eyes at the thought. “You never know, if we had enough gold, we could own our own island in a tropical paradise, and have everything delivered to us. We’d never have to deal with any other living soul ever besides the delivery people. That would be very seldom in the least as well.” Kami laughed thinking of how pleasant life would be being rich. “Well, I wouldn’t mind being rich and having my own island to live on. But I would need to at least have friends living on that island with me. Otherwise I would be ever so bored.” Rarity groaned slightly thinking of the possibility of actual drawbacks from being rich. “Yep, I’d prefer to live in a small community with plenty of family and friends. Except...” He trailed off for a moment before softly picking back up. “I don’t have any family here.” He paused again as he gave a saddened smile. “But at least I’ve made a few friends. That should suffice until that pivotal moment when I can start a family though.” He chuckled softly before coming to a stop as he noticed the bright red faces among all the mares in his presence. “Uh... did I say something wrong?” He asked, feeling a pang of nervousness. “N-no darling, it’s just that... Most ponies don’t normally talk about starting a family. They would normally keep quiet about such a thing considering...” Rarity trailed off giving a brighter blush. “Considering what?” He asked, clearly curious. “Considering the fact that the stallion to mare ratio is around one to every seven mares, if not a little more depending on the town or city they live in.” Twilight stated with a slight giggle. “Ok, that still doesn’t clear up why you girls are acting so... odd.” He sighed in slight annoyance. “Well, uh... Most stallions won’t ever say if’n they want teh start a family til they get teh know a mare they’d been courtin fer a while.” AJ chuckled slightly as she pulled herself from the shy demeanor that had overtaken the group of mares. “And if he states the same thing I just did?” Kami asked, cocking a brow, now slightly nervous. “Well darling. Knowing that you want a family will cause quite a few mares to become... interested in you. That plus being a unique pony from a different world... well... You can guess what that means.” Rarity giggled, covering her mouth with a hoof to prevent him from seeing the wide smile that was slowly overtaking her face. “Oh boy...” Kami sighed as he rolled his eyes. “Can I take it that you four can keep this to yourselves? I honestly don’t want a gaggle of mares chasing me down just to attempt to win my affections and marry them to start a family.” The four mares went a little wide eyed as they looked to one another before smiling and looking to Kami. “You have nothing to worry about Kami. We can keep a secret.” Twilight smiled, covering her mouth with a hoof as she gave a giggle. “Yep, we Pinkie Promise!” Pinkie stated as she went through the motions. The rest of them doing the same. “Cross my heart, hope to fly! Stick a cupcake in my eye!” They spoke in unison, eliciting a laugh from the stallion sitting before them. “You girls are too much.” He chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a bunch as happy as you in my entire life. It’s rather refreshing to know that I have such good friends.” He smiled, happy to know that his newest friends were such nice individuals. “It’s no problem at all darling.” Rarity beamed. “But I do have one question though.” She asked causing everypony to look at her. “Have you taken a fancy to any mares since your arrival?” She smirked slightly causing him to blush brightly. “I... uh... well...” He stammered as he attempted to diffuse the question. “N-not really... The only ponies that I’ve had enough time to get to know are Twilight and Fluttershy. But Fluttershy seems a little timid for my tastes.” He smiled sheepishly. “So Twilight has the lead then, does she?” Rarity grinned toward the lavender mare. “Well then, a little competition never hurt anypony, now did it?” Rarity giggled softly causing Kami to squeak out in surprise. “What!?” The mares all giggled softly to one another seeing his embarrassment. “Well, considering us four know ya’ll want a family, it’ll be like ah contest a’tween us all teh see if’n ya’lled be interested in any’o us. I doubt Rainbow’d mind since she is more inteh the pegasus type ponies. Having a fella that’s grounded all the time tain’t too appealing to the girl. Plus ah don’t think she’d want teh start a family. That girl is goal oriented.” “Oh boy, what’ve I started?” Kami groaned out as the mares all giggled at his plight. “Well, just think of it this way. At least you know that wanting to have a family means that it will make finding a relationship that much easier for you.” Twilight beamed. “And I take it that you already have us four as a good starting point.” Rarity giggled softly as a blush tinted her cheeks softly. “Well, maybe just you three. I don’t think I’d have time to start a family, with all the parties and keeping everypony happy.” Pinkie stated as she rubbed her chin in thought. “Really Pinkie? I thought you’d be all for it?!” Twilight said in surprise. “Nah, after taking care of Pound and Pumpkin Cake for the past couple of years, I already know what a mother will have to endure, and some of the time, it’s not pretty.” Pinkie stated as she crossed her forelegs and nodded at the thought. “Still though, I have taken care of Sweetie Belle most of her life. I’ve even had to change the poor darling when she was but a young foal, barely able to walk. I admit that it wasn’t the most pleasant of times. But keeping her happy and seeing her bright, wonderful smile just warmed my heart every time.” Rarity swooned remembering all the years she had taken care of her sister while her parents were traveling due to their jobs. “If you don’t mind me asking Kami, but, how many foals did you have in mind?” Twilight asked causing the others to stare at her for a moment before looking back to Kami; he was blushing furiously at that moment before words finally found him. “I... I was considering having maybe two or more. I wouldn’t want my first to be alone without a sibling to play with, or wreak havoc with depending on what gender they were.” He smiled shyly as his vision never left the floor. “Two or more eh? Well now, that sounds right up the Apple family’s ally. We got relatives aaaaaaalllll over Equestria, heck, even a few in some’o the other nations as well.” She smirked to the rest, knowing Rarity may only put up with one foal, maybe two if she could get past the fear of how much pain the first one would cause her coming out. “Oh... dear...” Rarity stated with a little nervousness showing in her features. “Rarity?” Kami asked, curious by her sudden nervous reaction. “Oh, it’s nothing darling. I was just thinking that maybe one foal would be enough. Two or more however... I do believe I would develop quite a set of hips from such an event.” She stated as she looked back to her flank, giving it a slight wiggle. “Then again, having a large family is what my parents always wanted me to do. I guess the thought of having several grandfoals running around is quite the prospect to have when you realize that your own foals have grown up and moved on with their lives.” She sighed. “So I’m not totally against the idea. I’ll just... have to think on it... quite a bit... actually.” She stated nervously causing the rest of the girls to giggle softly. “Well, ah know ah’d love teh have a bunch’o youngins. The bigger the family, the happier I’ll be.” AJ beamed. “So long as mah stallion is a hard worker. Being a unicorn though...” She trailed off squinting her eyes slightly toward Kami, he cocking a brow back in return. “Well, ah’d have teh see how ya handle yerself afore ah’d decide. Ah may want ah big family, but ah ain’t gonna just up an marry any stallion who says they do to. Seeing as yer a big fella...” She trailed off as she let her eyes linger over his frame, finally realizing how big he actually was. “Yer actually a bit bigger than mah brother!?” She spoke out in slight shock. Big Macintosh is the biggest earth pony in Ponyville and Appleloosa put tegether. How in the hay can a unicorn be bigger than mah brother?!” She stated in shock. “Well, I was a big guy back on my world. I played sports and such, so I guess that, plus my height was transferred into the pony I was made into.” He chuckled. “Anyway, we’ve gotten waaaaay off topic here.” He stated, causing them all to snap their attention back to the subject at hoof. “So where can I find a job?” “Well.” AJ began. “Ah could use an extra hoof on the farm seeing as its coming harvest time for some’o the trees. Plus it’d be a good chance teh see how much dexterity ya’ll got when working. Cain’t have no lazy stallion moaning and whining like a foal that just scrapped their knee from working too hard.” She chuckled seeing him facehoof. “I would offer a position at the library.” Twilight began, his attention snapping to her as he beamed happily at the thought. “But I already have one assistant, and I don’t even pay him anything because I’m his guardian. You remember Spike right?” She asked only to see his smile fade. “Yea... That’s a shame though. I’d really like to have the opportunity to work in a library. Then again...” He trailed off. I doubt I’d get anything done because I’d be reading all the time.” He laughed. “Heh, ah figgered ya’d like books just like Twi, being a unicorn an all.” AJ chuckled. “Well, if’n ya’d like teh work on the farm, just come by in the mornin. After a long day of work, ya’ll can stop by Twilights here afore ya head home so ya’ll can grab a book er two.” “That plus we need to get you up to date on some more spells. You’ve only learned two so far, and the teleportation spell still needs work before you can come out of it without singed fur.” Twilight giggled as she looked at a few of the dark spots in his fur that had been burnt earlier upon his surprise teleportation. “Yea, I’d like to have plenty of time to study some spell tomes. How long would I be working for Applejack?” He asked as he looked back to her. “Well, how about ah go easy on ya the first day. Ah’d say maybe ten hours’d give ya enough time to get enough bits and read a book afore ya fall asleep from exhaustion.” She chuckled back seeing him roll his eyes. “A ten hour work day as my first time job here in equestria. I feel honored that you would be kind enough to give me such a lenient amount of time my dear.” He spoke in a mock upper class tone causing Pinkie to hold both hooves over her mouth as she attempted to hold in a giggle. “Now don’t ya’ll be getting all fancy talking here. Mah family don’t think them high class snobs work as hard as they should. Ya might get some nasty looks from mah brother and granny if’n ya do.” She smirked. “Well how’bout this then?” He spoke out in a more southern tone causing the girls to literally gawk at the elegant way he spoke in while throwing in the accent. AJ’s cheeks burned brightly for a moment before seeing his mouth slightly crack into a grin. She quickly raised a hoof up and pulled her hat down over her face as she looked to the floor “A-ah, guess, ya’ll could talk like that. B-but, ah don’t think mah brother’d approve’o such a thang. So ya’ll might wanna just talk all normal like, ya hear?” She sputtered slightly as she attempted to hide her growing blush. “Alright, I guess I could just speak normally if it wouldn’t cause you any trouble. Then again...” He trailed off seeing her look out from under the rim of her hat for a moment, her blush evident as he began to speak once again in his southern tone. “Ah think ah ight just talk laike this when ah seeya in town... sugarcube.” He grinned like a bandit as he watched AJ pull her hat completely over her face as she got up from her seated position and headed toward the door. “Nah! That’s awright. Ya’ll just talk normal like when ya get teh the farm tomorrow. We start work at six in the mornin. So don’t be late and make sure ya have a good breakfast.” She blurted out as she quickly exited the tree house library, leaving a group of laughing ponies in her wake. > Chapter 6 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morning had arrived for the young stallion as his alarm sounded off next to his bed, only to cause him to bolt upright, screaming bloody murder. He snapped his attention around to the foul device, giving it an icy glare as he reached over and and smacked it with his hoof before giving a wide yawn and shudder as he stretched. "Why did I agree to a morning shift." He groaned as he sluggishly pulled himself from his bed, and toward his bathroom. "It's not like I really have a choice though." He sighed, jumping into the shower after setting it to the right temperature. A few minutes later and he had finished his daily bathroom ritual before heading into the kitchen to fix breakfast. After all was said and done, he began his trot toward Sweet Apple Acres. "I wonder what Applejack has planned for me." He hummed in thought as he made his way quickly down the worn dirt path toward his destination. "I hope it isn't too much to deal with today. I know I'm fit enough to handle most tasks, but considering I no longer have fingers..." He trailed off as he looked down to this hooves as he trotted along. "Yep, no fingers, or toes... I kinda miss them, but then again," He grinned slightly, "being able to use magic to literally float things around without becoming physically exhausted could become a fun detail for everyday life." He snickered softly as he pushed some magic into his horn before using the levitation spell to accidentally yank a huge branch from a nearby tree, stopping only to gawk at what he had done. "SHIT!" He squeaked out before tossing the large branch into the bushes. "I just wanted to pull a small branch off, not a whole freaking limb." He sighed as he fixed the amount of magic that he pressed into his horn before attempting the same thing again, this time being able to feel himself tug on a limb. That limb, however, didn't budge, only to annoy him as he began to try and twist the limb to snap it off. After a few twitches to find a way to use his magic to turn an object instead of pushing or pulling it. He quickly snapped the branch off of the tree and pulled it to him, swatting at a few flies that had decided to try and use him as a breakfast buffet. After the long trot to the farm, he had arrived, wiping a few beads of sweat that had accumulated on his brow. The sun was now about half way over the horizon as its warm rays began to heat the cool morning ground. Visible vapors slowly rising from the dew covered grass before slowly vanishing into the morning air. As he neared the farmhouse, he was greeted with the smell of a homemade breakfast. One such smell that he had not smelled in quite a few years. Unbeknownst to him however, the pungent aroma had caused him to trot slowly toward the house, and around the side to a window that was open and leading into the kitchen. Once he had made it to the window, he took in one deep breath through his nose, letting the wonderful smell of a freshly bake apple pie seep into him. "AAAAH!" *BONK* Kami came back to reality quickly as an apple had come to find a resting place right between his eyes. Staggering backwards for a moment, he shook his head trying to regain his bearings before another apple hit him upside the head again. "THERE'S SOMEPONY AT THE WINDER TRYING TEH STEAL OUR PIES!" Came a high pitched squeal as another apple was added to the fray, this time, impaling itself onto Kami's horn and causing him to seize up in pain, falling over as he lay there gritting his teeth. Applebloom stood at the window with an icy glare as she was about to launch another apple at the so called pie snatcher before Applejack pulled her back, sticking her head out the open window to see who her little sister had just assaulted. "Kami?! What in tar-nation?" She spoke in surprise as she watched him slowly get to his hooves and dislodge the apple from his horn. "NNNNNNGGGGGHHHHHH!!! That hurt almost as much as getting kicked in the family jewels." He grunted out as he quickly lay back down onto the cool ground and placed his forehooves over his head as his back legs kicked toward nothing behind him. The pain slowly beginning to ease up as time passed. By the time Applejack had made it outside, Kami was already sitting up and rubbing gently around the base of his horn to get the sensation of being kicked in the balls to go away. AJ just chuckled at his plight, that was of course until a large red stallion and a little yellow filly made their way outside to see the apparent pie snatcher. "Big brother, lil sis, ah'd like ya teh meet Kami. Ah hired him as some extra help on the farm til he can find'is callin." AJ stated with a smirk, nodding to Kami as he gave a sheepish smile. "Uh... Hi, sorry about the whole window thing." He chuckled nervously. "It just smelled so good, my nose decided to make me follow it to the source." "Well now that’s a might nice of ya teh say, sonny." Came an elderly mare's voice from the window as she leaned out of it slightly. "But ah think it tastes a might better than it smells, wouldya care teh try a bite?" The elderly mare stated with a chuckle upon seeing the young stallion lick his lips. "I... would be beyond honored if'n you'd let me try a slice. I don't think ah've ever smelled of something so... so..." He trailed off attempting to think of the right word to say. "I honestly can't think of a word strong enough to give that pie credit." He laughed out seeing the old mare smile warmly to him. "Well how about ya come in and have a bite teh eat afore ya start helping mah grand youngins out on the farm. It'd be a might nice teh get teh know ya over a good breakfast." "Thank you, I don't know what teh say." Kami laughed softly as he followed the trio into the back door of the house. Taking a seat at the table, he beamed as a slice of the freshly cooked apple pie was set in front of him. He taking a moment to steady his magic as he picked up the fork and slowly cut a piece of the pie before guiding it into his mouth. Once his lips wrapped around the delectable treat, he let out a very satisfied humm before pulling the fork away. He opened his eyes to see three ponies staring at him, smiling as they munched on a mouth full of pie as well. A few minutes later and they were finished. Kami quickly gathering up the dishes and taking them to the sink despite Granny Smith’s protest. As he was washing up the dishes, Applejack came up to his side and began to dry them, before placing them into the dish drainer. “Applejack, I’ve got to admit, that pie was probably the best one I’ve ever eaten. I’d love to have the recipe if you’d be willing to toss it my way.” Kami stated with a smile as he continued washing the remainder of the dishes. “Heh, you an every other pony in Equestria.” She chuckled back. “Granny Smith’s apple pie recipe is a highly guarded secret. Tain’t nopony ever come close teh getting her teh spill the beans on what makes it so special. Then again, tain’t nopony’d ask’er after the last time some featherbrain got smart with her in the market.” “Ouch, I can only imagine. I can understand wanting to keep things a secret, but when it comes to another being a little too overzealous in trying to acquire that information, then I can see the pony being asked, getting a little miffed and doing something... not too nice to the other.” Kami cringed slightly upon thinking of a similar instance back in his home world. As the two ponies finished up with clearing the dishes of what was left over of the morning’s breakfast, they quickly began to trot outside to begin the daily chores. Kami keeping stride with AJ as they both follow Big Macintosh into one of the west fields to begin bucking some of the ready to harvest apple trees. “So, ya’ll ready teh get buckin?” AJ spoke up as they neared the furthest tree in the west field. “Considering this will be my first time bucking trees, I think some instructions would suffice first before anything happens.” He chuckled softly as they stopped under the first tree. Big Macintosh was already looking up into the tree to determine where to place several large bushels at its base so that they could catch the falling fruit. “It ain’t hard teh do. Just look up to the apples an figger out where they’ll land after ya buck the tree. Put some bushels down in the right spot. Then buck! After that, ya’ll pick up what’s left’o the apples and puttem inteh the bushels. Simple as that.” She beamed. “Doesn’t sound to difficult, Do ya mind if ah use my magic to hasten the process?” He asked as he nodded his head slightly, brandishing his horn. “Ah don’t see why not. Sure, go ahead. Ah remember when Twi helped us out one year during applebuck season. She pulled almost a tenth of the orchard’s apples from the trees in one go. Darn girl is overpowered if’n ya ask me.” AJ chuckled. “Ah don’t expect ya’ll teh do the same, But it’d be a might nice if’n ya can pluck a trees worth at a time. It’d make tehday’s chores in the fields fly by that much quicker.” “Really now? An employer asking an employee to do a rush job and in the shortest time possible? I do think you want me to hurry so I won’t get paid as much.” He grinned seeing her eyes go a little wide from the comment. “Now listen here, ah didn’t say that!” She protested only to elicit a chuckle from her brother and Kami as they glanced to one another. “I’m just messing with ya Applejack.” He smirked slightly seeing her roll her eyes. “If that was the case, I’d have to ask for double-time.” He snickered. After a few short hours of work, both of the stallions had worked up a good sweat. Big Macintosh, although quiet, carried on a wordless conversation with Kami as he was using his magic to pluck some of the more stubborn apples from the tree. Always looking up and into each tree they had bucked to see if there were any left hiding amongst the branches. Mac would move the wheat stalk in his mouth a few times as he counted the apples. Kami taking notice of this little tick and feeling around the tree branches where Mac was looking to attempt to locate the rogue apples. Most of the apples that had fallen that day were caught within Kami’s magical grasp and then set carefully within the empty bushels before being quickly hoisted into a large wagon to be pulled back to the barn for processing. After roughly five hours of work, the western part of the orchard had been cleared of apples so that they could be sent all over Equestria to be sold in many of the markets. Pulling them back to the barn though, was a challenge all in its own. “WATCH OUT!” Kami shouted just as one of the wheels of the wagon that Big Macintosh was pulling, snapped, sending the wagon sideways and crashing to the ground. Many of the apples held within, falling out of their bushels and spilling onto the ground. The wagon skidded a few feet before stopping and digging the broken axle into the ground. Big Mac giving a groan as he reached back with his mouth to undo the straps that were wrapped snuggly around him and holding him to the wagon. He gave an annoyed grunt as he strained himself trying to reach them but couldn’t do to the angle he was laying at. “Ah cain’t get loose, ah need some help over’ere.” Mac spoke out as he attempted to push himself up enough to reach the straps. “Ya’ll ok big brother?” AJ asked as she came over to assess the damage, giving a sigh as she looked to see that almost a third of the apples had fallen from the wagon as well as seeing the wheel shattered into splinters along with the broken axle that was now dug into the ground. “Ah’m fine, but ah cain’t get up. Darn straps got me pinned.” He snorted as he gave a kick toward the wagon in annoyance. “Hang on you two, let me see if I can help.” Kami stated quickly as he looked around them for a moment before seeing a large stone that was laying nearby. Using his levitation magic, he took ahold of the stone, pulling it slowly from the ground with a grunt before slowly floating it over to the side of the wagon that had the broken wheel. Sitting it down close to the broken axle, then slowly lifting the wagons side before pulling it slowly sideways and propping it onto the rock. AJ quickly kicked a couple of smaller rocks under the front and rear of the good wheel, chocking it in place so that it wouldn’t roll off. Big Macintosh quickly pulling himself out of his harness and moving around the side of the wagon to assess the damage. He gave a sigh as he turned and began to head toward the barn. “Hey Mac, whatsup?” Kami asked, causing him to pause in his trot. “Wagon’s busted up purty bad. Gonna need another axle and weel afore we can get it moving again.” He sighed as he turned to start heading back to the barn once again. “Yep, looks pretty bad. Gonna need teh fix some of the frame too. All them apples done knocked a few boards loose. It’ll take us the rest’o the day jes teh fix it.” AJ sighed, lowering her head a little. “An we was doing so good too. Coulda even had ah drink afore dinner.” She snorted a little giving the ground a little stomp. She paused though as she watched the wagon begin to glow a faint blue before it began to creak softly and roll forward. “Kami? You doing that?” She asked as she trotted to the front of the wagon to see him strapping himself into the wagon as his face contorted slightly in strain. “Yea, don’t break my concentration and we can get this to the barn without doing any more damage to it.” He grunted as his slow trot began to get faster, almost into a full gallop as the wagon was being pulled like it weighed next to nothing and floating on one wheel. After a few minutes of finding the right equipment, Big Macintosh had put them into a large wheel barrow and strapped it to his yoke. As he was pulling it from the barn, he paused as he noticed the broken wagon coming to a halt a few yards from the barn. The broken axle quickly being set onto a large rock at the corner of the fence running along the side of the dirt path. He picked up pace once again, coming down to the wagon and laughing as he watched the dark blue unicorn panting heavily from straining himself physically and mentally. “Didja have fun there?” Mac chuckled as he began to help the unicorn unfasten himself from the harness. “Yea.... I’m not.... as fit.... as I used... to be.” He spoke out breathlessly before giving himself a shake as the harness was finally removed. “That took a lot more magic than I thought it would.” He groaned out giving a stretch. “But I got it here alright. Just glad we didn’t leave it in the orchard. There’s no telling what woulda happened to it if we didn’t get it back here before nightfall.” “What ya’ll talkin’bout?” AJ asked giving him a peculiar glance. “Well, doesn’t this world have crime, or vandalism? Some... pony may have been walking through the orchard and saw the damaged wagon, fixed it, then stole it along with all of the apples. You aren’t worried about such things?” Kami asked, cocking his head to the side. “Nah, we don’t have many thieves in Equestria. Most ponies’re nice enough teh ask if they need a helping hoof, and most other ponies are willing teh help’em out. Crime is almost non-existent’ere.” AJ stated proudly, feeling confident in her fellow ponies. “That... is just plain awesome. I wish my the world I came from was like that. But considering that crime is part of being in daily society. Everyone is extremely cautious when it comes to protecting their belongings. Sad really, the way people are always at each others necks and trying to get ahead in life only to lose it all to some jerks who just happen to come by at the right time when they aren’t home so they can protect their stuff.” “That is a might sad. But ya’ll don’t have teh worry none about that stuff happenin’ere. Equestria is a wonderful place teh be, an ever pony helps each other out if’n they need it.” AJ stated with a smile and a quick pat on Kami’s withers. “I’m actually glad to hear it. That just means far less stress that I would have to deal with on a daily basis. But from the way you’re putting it into perspective, it sounds as if nopony even locks their doors at night.” He chuckled. “Most ponies don’t lock their doors at night. In case another pony has an emergency and they need help. They just come inteh a friends house and gettem teh send fer help. All unicorns know a spell that sends up a signal flare thingy teh notify medical ponies and watchponies that keep an eye out over the town at night. Everything’s run smoothly round these parts.” Kami just stood there in slight shock upon hearing about such methods that would keep any and everypony safe from harm or death. It actually made him smile widely at the thought, even more-so now that he wanted to be a part of those that would be a help to the small town. “Hey, how does one acquire a position to become one of those watch ponies?” Kami asked giving a hidden smile. Applejack and Big Macintosh looking to one another in surprise. “Well, it’s mainly just volunteer work. There’s always at least a few ponies that have ah hard time gettin teh sleep at night, or wake up a lil’extra early, so they use that time teh trot around town and help out where needed. Just good natured an all.” Big Mac stated with an approving nod, the wheat stalk being spat out of his mouth as he began to start working on the wagon. “You know, that sounds like something out of a fairy tale in my world.” Kami chuckled out as he began to pull bushels of apples from the wagon. “I really do love the fact that this world is a lot more pleasant than mine. If things remain this nice, I may end up looking to start a family sooner than I thought.” He laughed softly as he pulled the bushels along through the air as he trotted toward the barn. His comment, however, was clearly heard by Big Macintosh and Applejack. AJ giving a content smile as she watched the blue unicorn heading into the barn. That was, before Big Macintosh steeped in between her visual path of said unicorn. “Wha... HEY! What ya’ll doing big brother?” She snorted out in annoyance as her eye candy was suddenly removed from her visual perspective. “Now AJ, Ya’ll know ah know what ya’ll’er thinkin.” He stated with a smirk and cocked brow. “Don’t be gettin no ideas bout that feller so soon. Ah know he ain’t from round these parts, but that also means ya’ll better get teh know him a bit better afore ya’tempt teh wrangle him in. An don’t worry non, ah know yer a grown mare. Ah ain’t gonna interfere none. But ah ain’t gonna sit by an let’im hurt ya either.” He stated with a nod. “Ah know, sides, Twi fancies’im too. We done had a lil get’tehgether the other night at her library. Rarity and Pinkie knows’bout his wantin teh start a family thang too. But they done said they ain’t interested in having more than a single foal. Rarity especially.” She laughed remembering their conversation the previous night. “More than one foal? Really?! Ah figgered he’d be like most stallions an might want a single foal. But....” He paused as what AJ had said struck him. “Wait, more than one... that means he may want more than two?” “Or three, or four, who knows, maybe ten.” She grinned toward her brother whose jaw just began to droop lower and lower. “Ah do believe ah got a whole new respect for that boy.” Big Macintosh chuckled loudly. “Speakin’o which. He’s coming outta the barn now.” AJ smirked to her brother while nodding toward the barn. “Ya’ll finished with the bushels?” Big Mac asked, only to see Kami nod in confirmation. “Yep, now we need to fix this axle. I’m not really familiar with how the construction of this wagon was made, so I can just be the muscle if you can tell me what to do.” He laughed as he picked the wagon up with his magic, flipped it over, then set it gently onto the ground. “Pretty simple really. Just take out a few screws, smack a few boards taught with the frame, replace the axle and wheel, then flipper over. Not much to it really. It just takes earth ponies a bit longer teh fix’em cause we aint got magic like ya’ll do.” Kami nodded to Big Macintosh as he began to point to what he needed to do. After about twenty minutes, the wagon had been repaired and flipped back over, before being pulled up to the side of the barn. “Not a bad day’s work.” Kami smiled as he gave a tired yawn. The sun was close to the horizon by now, it would only be a few more hours until it had set and bathed the land in darkness for all to rest in. The unicorn had gotten a small bag of bits for his day’s work and began his trek back toward town. He would still need to stop by Golden Oaks Library to see Twilight and grab a couple spell books before heading home once again. As he made it into town, the sun was now slowly descending into the horizon, bathing the clouds above in a brilliant orange and purple glow. The wind swept quietly through the small town, jostling trees gently and creating a serene view of the town. Kami looked around to see a few tired ponies slowly making their way to their homes as well, most having seen him the prior day at the party, and giving a soft nod and smile as they passed him. Reaching his target, he gave the door to the library a gentle knock before hearing a voice on the inside inviting him in. Once he pressed through the door he was greeted by Spike as he was carrying a small stack of books toward a shelf in the adjacent room. “Hey Kami, how was your first day at Sweet Apple Acres?” He asked as he began to place book after book into their respective slots within the shelf. “It went pretty well. It was a little more strenuous than I thought, but then again, I never really worked that much at a job before. So I guess it was a win-win situation.” He smiled for a moment before seeing Twilight walking from her study and into the main room of the library. “Hey Twi.” He beamed seeing the lavender unicorn, she stopping and smiling in return before giving a soft yawn. “Hey there, how did your first day at the Apple farm go? AJ didn’t give you too hard of a time did she?” She giggled softly seeing him roll his eyes. “Nah, everything went smoothly today. Despite a little snag with one of their wagons, it seemed to be an alright day. I take it you had quite a few customers today?” He asked as he glanced around the library to see stacks of books just lying around. “Heh, nope, this is a normal thing when Twilight really gets into study mode.” Spike chuckled causing her to burn a bright red. “Wow... really?! That is pretty hardcore. But then again, I can remember my college days. Study, study, study, is all I did. Too bad that most of that knowledge is useless in this world. I actually feel quite inferior to Twilight right now. Then again, all it will take is some studying and I’m sure I can get up to par with her in no time.” He chuckled giving Twilight a quick wink. She in turn giving a cocky smirk. “I’ll take you up on that. But don’t feel too bad when you lose.” She grinned causing him to grin back. “Challenge accepted. Let’s say... a few weeks time. Yea, three weeks should give me enough time to get caught up on Equestrian history. Then we can have a little contest to see who knows more.” Kami laughed, seeing Twilight’s face grow even more determined. “Alright then, I’ll see you on the battlefield.” “First things first though!” Kami declared causing her to cock her head sideways in askance. “Did you find those spell books we talked about the other night? I’d really like to learn a few new spells before going to sleep tonight.” He smiled sheepishly. She only giving a giggle and nod as she floated said books over to him. “It looks like you worked a little hard today, you can keep these for an extra day if you want.” Twilight smiled warmly to him. He giving a soft smile in return before giving a wide yawn. “Guess I’d better get home before I fall asleep standing up.” He chuckled softly as he headed to the door. “See you tomorrow Kami.” “G’night you two.” > Chapter 7 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The young stallion had arrived at his home the previous night and climbed into bed with one of the spells books he had borrowed from Twilight at Golden Oaks Library. Along with that book were several history books that he would need to study in order to defeat his lavender friend. It wasn’t so much as a game of wits, as it was intellect and memorization skills. He may already have an upper hand at memorizing things, but he wasn’t for sure. He hadn’t gotten to know Twilight well enough to figure out how smart she truly was. But, oh boy, was he going to do his best to try and beat her. As he was laying quietly on his bed, looking through the spell book he had gotten earlier. He began to get bored with the rudimentary spells that were listed throughout the book. He memorized them quickly enough. Even casting quite a few of them to see what would happen. After moving through the book and finding quite a few trivial spells, he would come across one that would give him an edge over his lavender friend. “A memory spell...” He trailed off as he began to read through it. “Not bad, this spell can let me remember anything I read for the next six months. But the only drawback...” He trailed off as he looked over the list of cons to the spell. “I lose all of that knowledge and revert back the point in which I first cast the spell... Dammit!” He groaned. “There seem to be quite a few different drawbacks for many of these spells if they are cast correctly or incorrectly. Why are these spells even listed if they have drawbacks? Can’t ponies find other methods of casting spells so that they don’t seem to maim you afterward?” He groaned out once again in frustration as he picked the book up with his magic and began to turn it about in the air. After a short time of watching himself turn the book about in mid air, he place it gently onto his nightstand and picked up one of the history books. “An introduction to Equestrian history.” He spoke the name of the book out loud before looking down to the bottom of the hard cover binding to see the author's name. “Written by Princess Celestia. Huh... I wonder how old this book is; it looks really old.” He smirked a little as he opened the cover and paused as he noticed the date in the book. “Ok... Now this is a weird date.” He grumbled, scratching his head with a forehoof as he continued to stare at the date. “Year, 4023 of the unicorn. I wonder what that means.” He thought to himself before quickly pulling the other books to him to see if they would reference anything in regards to how the calendar worked in this world. After searching through the indexes of each book, he finally found what he was looking for. Taking a moment to pull open the book to the correct page, and getting in a comfortable spot in his bed, he began to read. “The years in Equestria coincide with how long history has been recorded by the first princess.” He hummed silently as he mulled over that bit of information. “The first princess? But wasn’t Celestia the first?” He trailed off, brushing the thought from his head as he continued. “The first written word of history was bound in stone by magic in the year -23,739 of the Alicorn God.” He paused again as the year seemed to throw him off a bit. “That year seems a little... off. -23,739 doesn’t even seem possible, especially if it was recorded by an Alicorn. Then again, I honestly have no idea how long beings in the world can live. So no point arguing until that information arises.” He grumbled to himself, rubbing his chin in thought before he continued. “The first recorded texts were bound magically in stone and are currently being held within the Canterlot library in the Royal wing. Not much is known about these texts other than when they were first made. But upon royal decree, they were never shown to the public since the reign of Celestia and Nightmare Moon started. I wouldn’t be until Nightmare Moon had been vanquished and imprisoned within the moon itself that the texts would see the light of day by a well known unicorn, Starswirl the Bearded.” Kami sat back into his bed giving the book a dumbfounded book. “What the fuck is all of this? It’s like I’m reading a fairy tale and I’m expected to give an essay about the truths in it.” He groaned out as he tossed the book onto his nightstand only to knock the spell book off and into the floor, making it open up upon impact. As Kami sighed, he turned over, coming to the edge of the bed and reaching out with his magic to pull the open book to him, but paused as he noticed a strange glow to the page that was showing. “What in the...?” He trailed off as he moved slowly from his bed onto the floor and rested right in front of the book, reading the page that it had been opened too. “Do you want to know the truth? The hidden story behind the so called facts that have been printed from within this book?” He paused as he felt a pang of nervousness run through his gut. Without realizing it, he was looking around the room to see if somepony was hiding and playing a trick on him. After confirming that nopony was there, he went back to the book. “If you feel inclined to know the truth and can stand the consequences of your actions in learning of such a thing. Then use the rune below to find out by pressing your hoof to it.” He looked down to see a blank spot on the page before moving onto the next page. “Why have you not taken the leap?” It continued causing him to roll his eyes. “Because there isn’t any fucking rune on the paaaaaage...” He trailed off as he watched a red rune begin to slowly manifest itself onto the page. He gave a nervous laugh as he watched it form in its entirety as it began gently pulsating with an eerie glow. “Ok... so what if I don’t do the rune spell thingy?” He smirked but paused again, his face contorting to that of shock as he watched words begin to write themselves out onto the next page in a blank spot. “The words would not have appeared had you not wanted to find out.” A long, sickening silence followed as his eyes remained the size of dinner plates. He glanced from that page to the other and back several times before sighing and raising a hoof. “Yup, I know I’m going to regret this.” He stated before lowering his hoof to the book, upon reaching the runed page, his world turned as dark as the starless night sky. Falling... Weightless... No sense of direction... “W-where a-am I-I?” Came the unicorn’s echoing voice in the dark void. Still the feeling of falling surrounded his very being, but there was no wind, no ground, no light, nothing that could tell him where he was, or how far he had to go before he would hit the ground... If there was a ground. *Murmurs of quiet conversation* “Hm? I thought I heard something.” He spoke out as he began to swivel his ears around to find the source of the talking only for it to putter out into silence again. “What’s that?” He asked in almost utter silence as he squinted his eyes to try and adjust to a small pinprick of light that began to show in the far distance. The stallion gave a sharp gasp as the weightlessness of the void suddenly shifted, causing him to jerk hard just before he felt something below his hooves. It was so abrupt it had barely given him enough time to remain standing on wobbling legs. “Dammit!” He snapped as he tried to catch his balance only to fall sideways onto what he thought was the ground. After a few moments to get his bearings straight, he returned to his hooves and looked forward to the glowing dot in the distance. It had gotten a little bigger in the time that it had taken him to finally get a feeling for the ground and was steadily getting larger. He looked around for a moment, taking in his apparent lack of surroundings, then looked to the dot once again as he took a step forward only to halt as the dot suddenly grew ten times in size. “W-what the hell?” He asked in surprise, pulling his hoof back and making the dot almost vanish. After looking to his hoof and then to the dot again he took a full step forward, making the dot grow once more. The light was faint, but it was there as a beacon for him to follow. Taking another step forward, the dot grew ten times in size and luminosity once again, making him squint toward it before taking a third step. The light burned brightly as it encompassed most of the black void that he was slowly moving out of. The light was so bright that even looking through his squinted vision hurt. “Don’t look away...” Came a somewhat masculine voice from all around him. “It’s... so bright... it hurts.” He spoke out as he attempted to look around for the source of the voice. “I might go blind if I continue.” Kami gave a loud groan of pain as he took another step forward, making the light erupt into a blistering white all around him, forcing his eyes closed and placing a foreleg over them to block out the light. Even with his leg covering his eyes he could still see light. “Open your eyes young one...” The voice trailed off. “But I’ll go blind!?” He shouted out before smacking his lips. The light, it seemed to give his mouth a bitter taste. Something that he knew he wouldn’t like. “You would see the lies, instead of being blinded by the truth?” The voice echoed around him again causing him to pause. “Don’t you mean the opposite of that? Blinded by lies and seeing the truth?” He asked out only to hear a soft laugh. “You have much to learn little one. Please, trust me. Open your eyes and see the truth before you.” Kami gave a sigh as he began to pull his foreleg away from his eyes only to feel and see the intense light penetrating his eyes. Then giving a loud hiss as he pulled both of his legs up to cover his eyes as they seemed to burn. “OH GOD!? THIS PAIN!” He shouted. “The truth sometimes hurts little one... but once the sting of it has worn off, new goals will be placed in that of the old... Do you not agree?” The voice asked him quietly. “Yes... But I was expecting mental anguish, not physical pain.” He croaked only to make the voice laugh. “You experience pain so that you will learn to avoid doing certain things. But you also experience pain so that you will overcome and learn new things. Things that will aid you in the future... Correct?” The voice asked causing Kami to slowly pull one foreleg down from his eyes and press himself back into a standing position. The young stallion gave a shuddering sigh as he knew that he was about to experience a whole new world of pain and suffering. “You’re right... although I hate to admit it.” He stated only to make the voice laugh out. “Nothing like jumping in head first right?” “Correct.” The voice stated with a bit of humor behind it. Kami gave one final sigh as he pulled his other foreleg away from his face and opened his eyes as widely as he could. White... Endless white in every direction... Pain... Burning... Unbearable pain... Kami was about to pull his eyes shut but continued to stare as he screamed out in pain. Then, the pain stopped as his vision blurred. His surrounding began to come into view as he blinked several times. Green... The gentle sound of leaves blowing in the wind... A babbling brook... Looking around silently, everything began to come into view. He was standing next to a small brook that was as clear as the sky was blue. Fish swam silently through the brisk paced, crystal clear water before moving out of sight further downstream. The trees were a lustrous green that seemed to radiate with energy in his presence. The very leaves seeming as if they pointed toward him as if he were the sun. To his right was a large open field with countless standing wheat. In the middle of the field stood a small house, standing no more than what a large shack would. After giving the shack a skeptical look he began to head toward it. It seeming to be like a beacon and calling for him. As he walked through the wheat field, he could feel a pang of nervousness approaching him and gaining in intensity as he continued to get closer to the small house. Once he had made it to within twenty yards of the house he stopped, His ears laying back and his legs shaking violently as fear took hold. He took a step back and regretted it as his hoof began to sink into t what seemed like mud. “W-what is this?” He squeaked out in fear as he pulled his hoof from the ground and took a stumbling step forward only to regret it highly as the fear became so intense that it brought him to the ground in a shaking heap. “W-w-why am I s-s-s-s-so s-s-s-cared of this house?!” He spoke out softly as he stared at the door of the small home. It seemed so inviting, but beyond intimidating. “We fear the truth...” The voice echoed from all around him once again. “It can cripple us if we choose to ignore it, or consume us if we try to run from it. Only by pushing forward and learning the truth will we be able to overcome it.” Kami gulped loudly as he began to push himself up from the ground, attempting to throw the thoughts of fear and running away from his mind. Giving a few steadying breaths he could feel some of the fear diminish as he gathered himself. Once he was standing, he took one slow step forward only to feel his fear rise again. Shutting his eyes from the fear he could feel himself growing weak. “NO!” He shouted out causing all of the wheat around him to visibly push back as if blown away by a strong wind. “I won’t fear this!” He continued as he took another step forward, the fear slowly vanishing from him as he continued on all the way to the door. “So do I knock, or just go in?” He asked only to make the voice laugh out. The door opening quickly in front of him and pulling him into the house without a second breath. The door slammed shut behind him as he was sucked into the house, leaving only a little light from a candle that was glowing on a nearby table to bring some form of illumination to the room. “But I thought it was still sunny...” Kami trailed off as he looked to the window to see that stars now dotted the sky. “Strange...” He trailed off as he heard a soft moan of pain coming from the far side of the room. “Come on dear, you can do it.” Came a gentle masculine voice of a stallion that was sitting at the side of a bed, blocking Kami’s view. “I’m trying... but it’s so hard.” A feminine voice spoke out in a whine of pain. “I know it hurts, but it will be over soon, just push a little harder.” The stallion stated in a shuddering voice. Kami rounded the bed, giving a slightly shocked and sickened expression as he was exposed to a sight he had never witnessed before. “Waa.......waaaaaaah!” Came a third voice as a little grunt of pain was released from the mare laying in the bed, then a few pants to catch her breath. “Honey... By the maker...” The stallion began as he started to on work cleaning up the foal that had just been brought into the world. “What’s wrong? Is the foal alright?” She asked as she attempted to sit up only to have her husband gently push her back down. “Our little filly is just fine dear. It’s just that... I’ve never seen a pony like this before.” He stated as he finished cleaning the foal off, its whimpers and whines coming to a halt as he placed it into a blanket and floated it in his magical grasp into her awaiting hooves. “Oh my...” She spoke out in surprise upon seeing the foal with not only a horn, but a set of wings as well. “What should we name her?” He asked, causing his wife to smile warmly down to the foal. “How about... Skyla?” She stated just before everything went white for a moment, then fading back in. Kami shook his head as he looked around himself to see that the house had all but fallen in and there were no ponies in sight. After looking around for a moment he heard a soft sob. “Who’s crying?” He spoke softly to himself as he jumped over a fallen beam from the house and out into the open. Pausing in his stride as he looked to see a young Alicorn resting on the ground with stouter looking stallion unicorn are her side. “Sky... Why do you subject yourself to this every year? It’s been almost a hundred years since your parents have passed. You shouldn’t put yourself through this every single year.” He asked as he nuzzled her cheek gently. She extending a wing and draping it over him. “I know... but I miss them so much. I know I shouldn’t, but I don’t understand why I have lived for so long and they didn’t survive beyond eighty years of age.” She sighed as she slowly stood from her prone spot on the ground; the stallion at her side standing as well. “You know what would take your mind off of this moment?” He asked giving her a playful nudge. She looking to him in askance. “If we decided to go through with your plans that you asked me a couple of weeks ago.” He spoke out bashfully as his ears splayed back in embarrassment. Skyla’s ears perking up as she turned to him in surprise. “Y-you mean... You really want to?!” She spoke out in glee, her smile becoming the only bright shining beacon that was in the stallion’s sights. “If you really want to. Then I think I’m ready as well. But are we ready to be parents?” He asked in worry. “I am more than ready my love.” She smiled warmly as she pressed forward, her lips meeting his as the light consumed Kami once again. “Why am I being exposed to all this? What’s the point in reliving these events..?” He trailed off as the question faded from his lips as he looked around to see the land in flames and fire. In the distance were three ponies. All of which were Alicorn. “Why?! Why have you done this?!” The largest of the three asked as she pressed a wing out protectively in front of a smaller dark blue one. Protecting it from the one that was a few yards in front of her. “Why?! Because these pitiful ponies need to respect those with more power than they! They look down upon us because we are different, because they fear the rare and unknown, because we can live for hundreds of times their lifespan! They subjugate us and taunt us into misery simply because they do not understand and fear us. I will show them what it is to be feared, to be alone in a world of hate. Then they will learn. Then, in time, I will rule over them without them being fearful of me. So that they will look up to me as more than a mere pony.” The white Alicorn laughed. “What are you saying?!” The larger Alicorn asked. “I will be, their God.” White... Weightlessness... Then darkness... “AAAAAHHHH!” Kami screamed out as he was suddenly awoken by his alarm clock springing to life. He quickly smacking it and looking around the room in a panic before taking in a deep steadying breath. “W-what... just happened?” He asked quietly as he began to wake up. > Chapter 8 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The dark blue stallion gave a tired yawn as he began his morning stroll over to Sweet Apple Acres. The previous night had not been kind to him in the least as it had been seemingly filled with a very odd dream that seemed to haunt him. As he trotted slowly along the path toward the apple farm, he began to mull over everything that he had remembered from the prior night’s dream “What does it all mean?” He asked himself as his face contorted in thought. “That voice, those ponies. What does it all mean?” “Ah said morning sugarcube! Ya’ll alright?” AJ spoke up causing his attention to be brought to her with surprise. “OH! Applejack, sorry, I was just deep in thought.” He stated as he gave another yawn, only to cause the orange earth pony to laugh softly. “Ain’t no problem, but what’s got ya’ll thinking so hard that ya ain’t talked in the past hour?” She asked only to cause Kami to look around him in slight surprise. He had been apparently been working for just over an hour now without even noticing that he had arrived at the farm. “S-sorry AJ. I’ve been mulling over this weird dream I had last night and can’t seem to figure out what it means. Kind of annoying really. I’ve never had a dream that caused me any type of grief, so this... This has me kind of spooked, ya know?” He stated nervously as he finished placing another bushel of apples into the wagon. “Hmm, ah don’t right know anythang ‘bout what dreams mean’n such. But ah reckon Twi knows. She’s got all sorts’ah books talkin ‘bout all sorts’ah hoo ha, and whatnot. Ah thinks she’d be ya best bet inna situation like this’n.” She stated with a knowing nod, smiling at Kami’s reaction to being directed toward the library for referencing what dreams could possibly mean. “Thanks AJ, I owe ya one. But now my only problem is getting to the library and letting Twilight know about this odd dream before sundown. I doubt I would forget about it, but I honestly don’t want to take the chance. Do you think I could head out early, even though I’ve only been here for a few hours?” He asked only to elicit a chuckle from the farm pony. “Sure thang sugarcube. Ah kin tell ya’ll’r a might preoccupied, so ah guess it’d be best if’n ya go ahead and work on fixin that.” She smirked, giving the unicorn a nudge. “Now get! Ah still gots work teh do an don’t need ya’ll sidetracking meh.” “Alright! Alright, boss lady, geez. I get teh work, ah’m praised, ah need teh leave ah’m ostracized.” He chuckled loudly as an apple zipped by his head. “Ah’ll show ostrashiz...ostrasaiz.... whatever the hoo ha ya’ll jes said!” AJ chuckled as she tossed another piece of red fruit at the stallion, hitting his flank as he bolted away laughing. XXX After a short gallop into town, the blue unicorn slowed to a steady trot as he made his way toward the library. It wasn’t long before he arrived and made his way inside. “Hey Twilight, you home?” He spoke up just above his normal volume to garner her attention. “Yes, I’m in my study.” She spoke out from one of the back rooms. The young stallion made his way past a few stacks of towering books before finding the entrance to Twilight’s study. Once he had made it into the room, he carefully danced around a couple more towers of books before making it to the lavender unicorn’s side and taking a seat. “Another busy day studying?” He asked causing her to giggle softly. “Actually, I’ve been looking more into something the princess has been asking me to research. It isn’t often that she asks me to do something of this caliber, but I like to take advantage of any situation that allows me into the royal archives of the library.” She smirked slightly, giving the stallion a sideway glance as she continued reading through the book laying on her desk. “The royal archives?” Kami asked, cocking his head slightly. ‘Maybe this won’t be as hard as I first thought.’ He chuckled inwardly. ‘I can just ask Twilight if I can go with her and look for the information myself. It shouldn’t be that hard.’ “Do you think the princess would mind if I tagged along? I mean, if it isn’t too much trouble. I would really love to be able to read some of the older books that this world has to offer. Considering that the royal archives contain such items of interest that are usually meant for royalty only, the temptation to rifle through such a thing is pretty unbearable.” He chuckled softly thinking of what the princess would say upon finding him in the archives between several large stacks of books, as if it were Twilight on one of her massive study sessions. “I don’t see any problem with you joining me. But why the sudden interest?” She asked cocking her head slightly. “Hello… new to this world… crazy about books and knowledge… wouldn’t you want to learn as much as possible about a world that is completely alien to you?” He asked as he stuck his tongue out playfully. “I guess you’re right. I would be completely swamped in books for weeks on end. But I will only be able to stay in the royal archives for a few days at most. Plus, none of the literature from within the archives are allowed to leave. Not even copies are allowed to be made of the texts. These books are centuries older than you or I could even imagine. So if the princess does allow you to join me, don’t think for a minute that you will be able to check out a book from that area. Some of the books are even kept under strict lock and key, whilst some of the even more rare texts are kept under armed guard at all times. So if one of the guards tells you to do something, you had better listen. I don’t want to take a chance at making the princess angry and denying me any future access to the royal archives. That would be beyond devastating.” Twilight groaned in exasperation. “I’m sure it would be, but don’t worry. I’ll be a good boy.” He replied giving her a wink. “Good, because if you did do something to get us banned from the archives, I would turn you into a toad and toss you into froggy bottom bog with the hydras.” She giggled seeing his semi-shocked expression. “Firstly, ouch. I didn’t think you would be so cold in retaliation. Secondly, what in the world is froggy bottom bog, and how big are the hydras?” He laughed seeing her disgruntled expression. Twilight quickly pulled a book on equestrian bestiary from under her desk and placing it in front of the stallion. Smiling as she pulled it open to the page in question about Hydras. After a few minutes to read and then re-read the pages, the stallion came to a stop as something occurred to him. “Twi,” He began. “Do you happen to have a spell book on scan spells?” He asked, as he pulled her attention from her current project. “I’m pretty sure that one of my spell books contain at least a few spells in regards to scan spells. Is there a particular spell that you are interested in learning?” She asked, clearly curious about what the stallion was thinking. “Well, considering that we would only be allowed in the archives for a few days at most, don’t you think that learning a memory spell, or scan spell that can scan various types of texts, would be nice to have in such an occurrence?” He smirked slightly seeing the corners of Twilight’s mouth slowly begin to curl upward into a bright smile. “You’re a genius!” Twilight squeaked out before quickly kissing his cheek and bolting from the room and into the front part of the library, leaving a stunned stallion in her wake. “Did she just…” He trailed off as he could feel the blood rushing to his head, then waking another only to cause him to look down. “You have got to be…” “FOUND IT!” Came the cheerful voice of a certain unicorn as she trotted happily back into the room with the book in question floating in her magical grasp. Kami gave a startled gulp as he quickly lay down to cover his embarrassment. Twilight rounding the desk to see him laying quietly on the floor, giving him an odd look as she came up to his side and lay down as well before placing the book to in front of the both of them. “S-so you found the spell?” He spoke out brokenly, a nervous smile etching across his face. “Yes I did! I can’t believe that I never thought of this before. It could have saved me so much time studying that it isn’t funny.” She groaned out, realizing just how much time she had wasted by not scanning the books she needed to study from. As she began to pull open the book though, she gave Kami one final glance to see him shuffle uncomfortably next to her. “Kami, is everything alright? You seem a little… preoccupied.” She stated with some interest in seeing his ears lay back in embarrassment. “Yea, ah’m fine. It’s just, getting used to being in a new body will take some time unfortunately.” He chuckled nervously. “Why do you say that?” She asked, clearly curious. “Well, my previous body was bipedal and quite tall. From what I can tell, quite a bit taller than most of the ponies in this world. The only one that would come close to how tall I used to be would be Princess Celestia. Even then I think we may have been right around the same height.” Kami smiled nervously, but began to relax once he felt his shame starting to return to normal. “Anyway, I was around six feet, three inches tall. I’m not sure exactly how tall that is in hands. But the average height for a horse in feet was about fifteen to twenty hands. I’m not even sure if we have the same type of scales in distance and height that you have here. So don’t hold me to those figures.” He chuckled seeing her confused expression. “Ok then…” She trailed off, pulling open the book that she had brought. “This spell is actually a little odd when it comes to its drawbacks. I took a peek at it before bringing it in here, sorry, curiosity got the better of me.” She giggled. “No prob.” He smirked. “So what are the drawbacks?” As Twilight pulled the page into question, open. She pointed to a specific spot that would tell them about the spell, and its drawbacks. “Seriously?” He asked, cocking a brow at the lavender unicorn at his side. “Unfortunately yes.” She sighed. The spell, when cast, would temporarily give the caster then entire knowledge of the book. But after a week’s time, the memory of the scanned books would disappear, leaving only partial amounts of information. The book could be scanned and re-written word for word, but it would never stay in the casters memory unless it had been read and learned manually. “I guess that just means we will need to write the contents of each book down before the allotted time runs out. I hope you have a lot of scrolls, quills, and inkwells ready. Not to mention a haste spell to speed up the process. This is going to take a long time to copy down.” Kami chuckled thinking of the hell he was about to endure mentally. After a moment, he silently cursed himself before speaking once again. “Twi, when do you get to go to the archives? I’ll need to ask Applejack if I can have a few days off work so I can go with you.” Twilight hummed for a moment as she pulled a small calendar from her desk and down to them. “It will be next weekend. The princess said that she currently has a few visitors from Griffonia that have requested access to the royal archives. Since there is a strict limit of three beings at a time allowed within the royal archives, not to mention the time permitted for them being so short. They will be there for the next few days and then the archives will be thoroughly clean and reorganized for the next party to come in.” “Seems a little odd that she would only allow three at a time in there and for no more than three days as well. Do you know why she has those specific rules?” Kami asked, causing her to rub her chin in thought. “You know, I’ve never thought to ask, but I will before we leave to head back to Ponyville.” “Cool, I’m glad to have a quick thinker as a friend. It isn’t often that someone… some… pony, can be smart when it counts. I really admire you for that Twi.” He stated with a soft smile, his cheek giving off a slight blush. Twilight sat there for a moment as those words made her head feel as if it were burning up from the blush that had encased it. She hadn’t realized it, but she had been staring dreamily at the unicorn sitting at her side for a little longer than she had intended. “Uh… Twi… You ok? Yer kinda, creeping me out.” Kami laughed nervously as his vision flicked from the unicorn to the book that lay between the two of them. “Huh? Oh, OH MY! I’m so sorry…” She squeaked out in embarrassment as she lay onto the floor, covering her head with her forelegs as she let out an embarrassed groan. “I didn’t mean to stare. It’s just that nopony ever really compliments me, and I really don’t have that much of a social life outside of my five friends and the princess’. So when you said that...” She paused as a hoof pressed to her mouth to silence her. She crossed her eyes looking to the hoof and then to the pony pressing it against her. Kami just gave her a warm smile before pulling his hoof away. “Sorry, but you were rambling. I understand how you feel. I was kind of socially awkward back in my world as well. Not many friends, too many books to read, not enough free time to enjoy even the small things in life. I understand you far better than you think Twi. We’re kindred spirits, you and I. So don’t think you have to explain yourself to me over something that you say or do…” He was suddenly cut off as a pair of lips met his own. His eyes shot open at the sudden contact, he stared at the lavender unicorn in front of him who had her eyes clenched shut. He could even feel her shaking a little. Was it fear? Was it nervousness? At that moment he didn’t care as his eyes soon closed and the feeling of warmth from his first kiss in Equestria began to cover his entire body. After what seemed like an eternity, Twilight broke off the kiss, looking away as she covered part of her face with a forehoof. Her ears splayed back as the redness from her blush encased her head once again as she gave a soft giggle, staring at the dopey grin that was plastered across Kami’s face. “Tha… wa… wow.” He managed to get out before shaking himself from his stupor. “Twi… Twi… Twilight! Wow! Uh... ahem, that was… rather surpr-ising.” He choked out, making his voice crack slightly from the surprise kiss. “I know…” She squeaked out again. “I’m sorry… but it… it just seemed right… you know… since we’re so alike… and well… I do… kind of… like you.” She blushed brightly at finally saying the words that she had been wanting to say since she found out Discord had found another being just like her. To fit all of her tastes and quirks, and most of all, to be her special somepony. “Twi, I don’t know what to say. I wasn’t expecting this so… so soon.” He chuckled nervously. “Maybe after our first date, but honestly, never this soon.” He chuckled again as a blush began to run all over him. “After our first… date?” She squeaked in surprise. “You mean… you were going to ask me out?” “I-in time, yes. I mean, Discord did go to such lengths to get us together, plus I love talking with you on just about any given subject. You’re far more intelligent than anypony gives you credit for. You go to extreme lengths to study and learn new things. You’re just... awesome.” He squeaked out as he rubbed his withers with a forehoof, a nervous chuckle escaping him as he smiled. “S-stop it. I’m nopony special.” She stated with a bemused grin. “But you are!” He spoke out sharply, pulling one of her hoofs to within his own. “If the princess has taken it upon herself to make you her protege and you being the element of magic. Don’t you think that you are at least a little special? If not the most special pony on the face of the planet?” He managed to squeak. Twilight sat there in utter shock, nopony had ever considered her more than a mere friend. However it began to click in her head as to the reason why nopony ever took any advances toward her. It was because she was special. She and her friends had save Equestria several times in the past, and that alone would cause any suitors to feel more than a little skittish toward her. But wouldn’t it also cause many of them to seek her out? She wasn’t sure, but she wanted to know. “So, do you find me special?” She asked as she looking bashfully into his eyes. “I do, and not because of all the ties to royalty and being a super magical being. It’s because we connect at a special level. We seem to know each other’s thoughts before we realize it. We click, in so many words. As if…” “As if it were meant to be?” She giggled again, moving a little closer, staring into his eyes dreamily. He did the same as he spoke. “You… could say that.” He finished by pressing his lips to hers. Nothing could have prepared the two for this moment in time. Not even the soft growl that escape a certain orange earth pony as she pulled back from the window overlooking the two ponies within Twilight’s study. “That rotten… no good…” She huffed as she stomped off toward the Sweet Apple Acres. “I have to ask Twi about the dream I had, maybe she can tell me what it means.” AJ spoke out in a mocking tone. “Yea, ah bet it was a dream’bout her. Rotten stallion playin me like ah fiddle teh get the day off so he can up’n have a smoochin session with one’o mah best friends. Well ah’ll show him tomorrah when he gets teh the farm. Ah’ll work his flank til he cain’t up’n move.” She snorted again as she continued stomping along the path to her home on the farm. > Chapter 9 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The day broke fairly quick for the dark blue stallion as the sun shone brightly through the window of Twilight's study. As the sun began to climb slowly into the morning sky, its warm rays began to slowly creep along the ceiling, down the wall, and almost to the floor of the library before hitting the stallion and causing him to give a slight groan as the rays began to warm him. His eyes flickered open before squinting shut again as he raised a hoof to block out the intruding light. "Ugh... it's morning already?" He yawned out, giving a stretching shudder before hearing a soft groan beside him. He turned quickly, looking down to see Twilight laying quietly on the floor, her chin resting on the book the two had been reading the night before. "Well now, I don't remember falling asleep here." He smiled softly to the snoozing lavender unicorn next to him. He slowly rose to his hooves, looking around for a moment before finding a small quilt and gently placing it onto the slumbering unicorn before turning and heading out of the room. Once he had made it to the front door of the library, he gave a sly smirk as he took a glance back before opening the door and heading out into the morning air. As he began his trot toward Sweet Apple Acres, he couldn't help but feel a pang of worry begin to fill his gut. Something didn't quite feel right to him at that moment. Pushing his worry to the side he continued onward through the morning fog right into his workplace. Once he had arrived however, things didn't seem like they had been in the day prior. *Thunk* *pat pat pat pat pat* "I guess AJ is already hard at it." He spoke softly to himself as he headed toward the sound of hooves hitting a tree, followed by the sound of many apples hitting the ground, or into bushels strewn about below the tree. Once he had made it to the sound, he paused as he saw a pair of large red legs bucking into another tree, followed again by the apples falling from it. "Big Macintosh? I figgered AJ'd be out here already, considering I'm a lil late." The blue unicorn stated with a slight smirk, only for it to drop as he caught a hint of a glare from the red stallion. "Mah sis is in the barn, 'parently she's been up most'o the night fer some odd reason. Said she was gonna come by the library yesterday teh check up onya an see what ya'll found out'bought that dream ya had. She came back purty quick, all inna huff to. Ya'll didn't say nothing teh upset'er now didja?" He stated with a cocked brow, seeing Kami's confused expression. "She came by the library? If she did come by, she didn't come in teh say hi'er nuthin. Ah ended up fallin asleep at Twi's though cause we were reading some spell books'n such. Didn't mean to, but ah guess all that reading kinda put me to sleep." He laughed out nervously seeing Big Macintosh's stern gaze intensify. "Well, ah don't right know what ya'll got planned. But ah don't like ya stringing'long mah sis, keeping her hopes up." He snorted as he turned, facing the unicorn who now wore the expression of slight shock. "Stringing her along? Now what in the world are you talking about?" He snorted slightly, his normal, more relaxed tone turning to a more serious one as his accent completely left his speech. "String her along, ya know, like ya'll er courting, but ya ain't... are ya?" He asked, cocking his head slightly. "No, we aren't. But it seems that she and Twilight are taking this little thing about capturing my interest in them a little far if she is going to get upset without even trying first. It's not like I'm just going to be magically interested in her or any woman that comes along. If she is expecting me to fall head over heels for her right off the bat, then she needs to reconsider her strategies." Kami groaned out, bringing a hoof up to rub the bridge of his nose. "Well, ah don't right know how mah sis plans teh flirt with a stallion. But she has her own way teh pick up their attention. If'n I was you, I'd at least ask her out on a date. It might make her a lil less... cruel to ya in the future." Big Macintosh chuckled seeing the expression of confusion creep across the unicorn's face. "Cruel? So you mean that if I don't give her at least some attention to play with her female ego, then she'll be mean toward me?" Kami asked incredulously. "Well, not really. Ya'll gotta unnerstand that she's a country girl. Born and bred on the farm, doing daily chores and hard physical labor. Being an earth pony without the aid of magic or flight gives us an edge in strength. But it also makes a lot of earth ponies rather stubborn and hard headed, cause they have teh do everthang by hoof an mouth. Seeing as yer a unicorn, and a biggun at that. Ah think AJ thinks ya'll might consider her teh be weak when it comes teh just about anything. Including physical labor, so don't be too surprised if'n she puts ya'll through some hell tehday." The red stallion chuckled seeing Kami cock a brow. "I think I am going to dread today." Kami sighed loudly causing Big Macintosh to laugh. "Welp, no time like the present. Ya'll kin find mah sis in the barn. Ah bet she's taking a nap in the hayloft. Don't startle her none, wake'er up all gentle like. Or ya might just get bucked upside the head." Mac laughed out even louder as he heard a loud and very annoyed groan escape the unicorn as he turned, heading toward the barn. As Kami made his way up to the barn, he slowly pulled the doors open causing them to creak out loudly. Cringing at the noise, he pulled them open quicker hoping to avoid any louder noise, but only succeeded with causing the creak to gain in pitch. "AJ? You in here?" He called out softly only to get no reply. As he trotted quietly into the barn, he could feel a cold chill run up his spine as he looked around. Gazing around through what little light was being let through the hay lofts window, as well as the open door, he could still see quite a bit of the barn's interior. Various farm equipment adorned the walls along with a couple of small wagons and a couple of troughs in the back. The stallion paused in his steps as a loud snore ripped through the barn. His ears automatically swiveling to the source of the sound within the loft above him. Looking up to the loft he saw the end of AJ's tail hanging over the edge of the ladder's top rung. He sighed loudly, slumping down as he headed to the base of the ladder, staring up to the top. "Wonderful, now how in the hell am I supposed to use these," He groaned as he sat onto his haunches, staring toward his hooves, "to get up there without falling to my death?" Kami glared at the ladder for a moment before he began to fumble with his hooves, trying to place them in the correct position on the ladder. Another minute had passed before he was slowly climbing from one rung to the next. "This isn't so bad, just as long as the ladder doesn't move, I'll be fine." He gave a nervous smile as he was already half way up. "Finally!" He let out a satisfied, yet nervous breath, as he hit the top of the ladder, startling Applejack awake. However, there was one slight problem. AJ's tail was at the perfect angle for Kami to get an eye full of... something he would soon regret. AJ spun her head around just as Kami was staring wide-eyed at the sight before him. He then looked up to see the shocked expression plastered across Applejack's face, of course, until it turn to blind rage. "WHY YOU DIRTY LITTLE...!" Is all that Kami heard before receiving the business end on two well placed hooves directly in the face. "AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaahhhhhhhh~" Kami trailed off as he flew backwards, his eyes tightly shut and expecting the impact of the barn floor within only a second of being bucked in the face, but it never came. "Oh... my.. Celestia..." Applejack managed to squeak out as she stared over the edge of the hay loft at the sight before her. There, floating about eight feet from the barn floor, was Kami in a magical blue aura, curled up in a ball. He stayed in that position for a few moments until he noticed the severe lack of the ground on his backside. Then, realizing he was using his magic, lost control of it and fell the rest of the way to the ground, hitting it with a solid thud. "Ooooooowwwwwwww!" Kami cried out as he stamped his rear hooves into the dirt while holding his face with the others. Applejack quickly made her way down the ladder to in front of the fallen stallion, giving him a questioning glare as she came to a stop. "Ah hope ya'll got ya a good eye full, cause that's the only one yer ever gonna get when ahm done with ya." She growled out. Kami rolled over still holding his face with both forehooves as he mumbled out from behind them. "Damn it AJ! That hurt like a mother! Did you really have to break my nose! GOD! I swear I didn't mean to look. NNNNGGGGHHHH! You were passed out and yer brother sent me to wake you up! How was I supposed to know that was yer tail and not your mane?!" He groaned out as he finally rolled onto his belly, gently kicking his back legs up and down as he attempted to nurse his now swelling face. "Oh don't be such a baby, there ain't no way ah done broke yer nose." She sighed out as she sat down at the unicorn's side gently pulling his hooves from his face, only to see blood pouring from his nose and a gash under his right eye. "Ooooooo, sorry bout that." She hissed upon seeing his wounds, only to hear him whine as he covered himself again. "Don't ya'll know any healing spells? Considering ya spent the evening with Twi and all, ah figgered ya mighta read some o'them spell books." "Wait..." Kami paused as he pulled his hooves from his face, staring up at the orange earth pony at his side. "Your brother mention that you came by the library the other night to see if I had found out anything about my dreams. But you never showed, and then you just so happened to come back home in a huff. Apparently pissed off about something." Kami's eyes went wide as what he had just said, clicked. "YOU SPIED ON US!" He shouted out, pointing an accusing hoof at the farmer. AJ taking a quick step back from the volume of the shout. "W-what ya'll talking bout, spying?" She asked as her face scrunched up slightly. "Ah didn't spy on nopony!" She squeaked out as her face continued scrunching, her eyes darting around to see if anypony was watching her. Kami noticed her peculiar body language and gave a slight smirk as he wiped away some more blood from his nose. "AJ, is Applejack your real name?" He asked right out of the blue only to make her glare at him before answering. "You know that's mah real name ya idgit! What kinda question is that?!" She snapped. "Did you spy on me and Twilight yesterday at any given time while I was there with her?" He asked again only to see her scrunch her face up again before answering. "NO!" "HA! LIAR!" He shouted, pointing a hoof at her and causing her to gasp. "Why were you spying on us AJ?! Is it because of what I said before? About wanting a family? Are you really wanting to be in a relationship with me that bad but can't say it?!" He snapped back, seeing her wither backwards in what seemed like fear. "I... I..." She trailed off looking toward the ground as she began to shake slightly, speaking softly as she continued. "I'm... sorry... I didn't mean teh get upset... I didn't mean teh hurt ya a few minutes ago... Ahm just... sorry... fer everything..." She took in a shuddering breath as she raised her vision to meet his, tears evident in her eyes as they threatened to breach the rim. "Ah didn't want teh make ya mad... It's just... ah ain't getting any younger... and ah want a family... and ah good stallion teh call my own... and no pony else's." She sighed softly lowering her head again, staring silently at the floor. "Ah just wanted teh have a chance with ya... but mah hot head got the better of meh. Ahm sorry... Please don't hate meh." She sputtered as the tears finally broke free and began to fall to the floor below. It didn't last long though as she was quickly brought into a hug by the stallion. He gave a slightly annoyed sigh right into her ear before speaking. "AJ, even though you spied on me, lied to me, and probably broke my nose. I can't honestly say that I'm that angry with you. You had your reasons, of course, but you need to know something." He smiled softly through his blood covered face. "You are my friend, and friends forgive one another if they do foolish things sometimes. So don't think that something like this is going to deter your chances by that much from before." He chuckled slightly seeing her give one in return. "Well... ahm a might happy teh hear that." She smiled softly to him but cringed slightly seeing a lump of clotting blood fall from his nose and onto the hay covered floor below. "But let's worry bout that inna bit aight? We need teh get that nose fixed up, ugh... and the eye. Good lord colt, ya'll cain't even take a hit from a mare, can ya?" She sighed rolling her eyes as she led the way from the barn and into the morning sunlight. "I survived a fifteen foot fall and a buck across the face from you, didn't I?' He chuckled out. "Maybe, but don't ya'll be going round an telling ponies ya hear? Ah don't wanna be asked why ah bucked ya that hard." She groaned. "And why is that? I take it not many ponies have seen that shade of orange before." He snickered but stopped as he noticed the death glare he was getting from Applejack. "Sorry... sorry... My lips are sealed." He laughed out nervously as the farmer turned back toward the farm house. Kami slowly following her inside. > Chapter 10 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After about thirty minutes to get cleaned up and to have a few small patches placed on his open wounds, Kami left the farm house with AJ at his side as they headed into the orchard. "Sorry about before AJ, I honestly didn't mean teh..." He paused as she raised a hoof to silence him. "Ain't nothing teh be sorry'bout sugarcube. Ah'd say we're even now since ah done bucked ya upside the head. Plus ya'll falling from the ladder'n'such." She chuckled. "Yea, I guess so. But I did come out with something a little better on my side." Kami laughed softly seeing Applejack’s confused expression. "Awright, ah'll bite. What did ya'll get?" AJ smirked slightly as she watched him grin slyly. "Check it out." He grinned again as his horn lit up, surrounding his entire frame in magic as he began to slowly lift from the ground and float around the earth pony. "But... how in the hay?! Ya'll er flying." She began but paused as she watched him begin to literally swim through the air to try and propel himself. "Well, float is more or less what I'm doing. I would hardly call it flying since I'm not actually moving on my own." He laughed seeing AJ snickering at him as he tumbled slowly through the air, before getting a gentle nudge on his side, propelling him forward along their path through the orchard. "Woohoo! Now I'm gliding! So to speak." He laughed as he kept tumbling all over, but only giving a laugh as the world turned upside down and all around through his eyes. He stopped though as his face began to turn a little green and his hooves came up to his mouth. "*Urp* I guess I'd better call it quits before I lose my lunch." He groaned as he landed on his hooves. "Guess unicorns ain't cut out for flying much are they?" AJ snickered toward him as he gave her a slightly annoyed glance. "Well, I'm sure that with some practice I can get the floating to become flying in no time. I'm just glad that Discord let me choose which pony race I wanted when he sent me here." He laughed for a moment but came to a halt at AJ's confused expression. "Sorry, I never got to tell you the story. Discord, apparently, thought Twilight needed a boyfriend and found me. I was human before, but he told me he could turn me into any pony race I wanted, besides an Alicorn. I chose a unicorn because magic sounded like it would be a lot of fun to learn. That plus I don't think I could handle being an earth pony. Having lost my hands and the ability to grasp things with them really sucks. At least with magic I can use telekinesis as a method to grab and hold onto things." He smiled as he plucked an apple from a tree they were passing and held it in front of AJ. She giving a smirk and opening her mouth to take a bite, but missed as it was plucked away from her and brought to in front of Kami who took a bite from it, giving a sly grin to the orange earth pony at his side. "Now ya'll er just making fun o'meh." AJ snorted tossing her nose into the air as she took a few more steps ahead of the unicorn stallion. "Nah, I wouldn't do that. Ya know I only flirt." He snickered seeing her pause in her stride as he came up beside her only to see her face flushed a bright red. He flicked his tail at her nose, knocking her from her reverie. "Flirt huh? Guess mah country charm done caught yer attention." She chuckled. "Country charm? Is that what a buck in the face, along with bleeding and lots of pain is called?" He smirked, stopping as he rubbed his chin in thought while giving AJ a sideways glance. "If so, then I'm sorry to say, your charms are a little painful for me." "Uh huh. Then why ya'll acting so smug like ya'll done won mah heart?" She asked, cocking a brow at him. "Oh no reason, I just simply like a certain shade of orange, more than others." He snickered, taking off through the orchard as he heard the earth pony gasp out, her face bursting into a bright red. "You sorry... no good!" She stopped as she noticed him stop in front of her just a few yards ahead. He looked back as he spoke to her. "Fine, if you’re that bent outta shape about it then here's a freebie." He snickered as he lifted and flicked his tail to the side causing AJ to literally fall over. 'WHAT IN TARNATION!?" She squeaked out as she quickly got to her hooves and took chase once again through the orchard. Big Macintosh was sitting below one of the large apple trees as he watched the two bolt through the orchard. Kami with his face bandaged and laughing his flank off. While AJ was right behind him, laughing hers off as well. "Those two ain't right." He chuckled, shaking his head as he bit into a red delicious. XXX It had taken the better part of the day, but work had finally come to a close on the farm. Kami —with the use of his magic— sped things up quite a bit, even though he was still getting used to using it on a regular basis. Big Macintosh had taken it upon himself to call it a day rather early, considering Kami was doing more than enough work to cover his fair share. But now, the two ponies had a slight problem. "I didn't think that this wagon could be overloaded by so many apples." Kami chuckled as he looked at the massive pile of bushels that were stacked nearly ten feet high from the brim of the wagon. "Ya'll ain't kiddin! This is a might big harvest for a day’s work. Ain't had one this big since a couple'o mah cousins came in from Appaloosa a ways back. Took them, me, an mah brother teh get the dern thing inteh the barn." AJ laughed thinking back to the time that it had taken them all to move the produce. "Well, ain't no time like the present! Let's get hitched up and move this fruit!" Kami exclaimed as he jumped into his harness, using his magic to latch himself up as he began to dig his hooves into the solid ground in an attempt to move the wagon. AJ watched him grunt and groan as he dug a trench with his hooves in an attempt to move the overloaded wagon. "Ya'll know ya ain't gonna move that much weight, don'tcha? She tittered. "Well, if my hooves were wider, I think I could get it moving, even if it was a slow process." He grunted, coming to a stop as he looked to the damage he had done to the ground. "How bout ah just give the wagon a push?" AJ smirked as she trotted to the back of it and began to count down. On the count of three they began to push and pull at the wagon. Its axles gave out a loud creak as it began to slowly move. Kami dug his hooves into the ground even further as he forced every ounce of strength he could muster into moving the wagon. After a few seconds of straining himself, the wagon began to slowly pick up its pace. Another few seconds and it was moving at a slow trot. "Alright! Now we're moving!" Kami laughed out. Applejack, on the other hoof, was trotting back and to the side of the wagon just out of the stallion’s view. She peeked around the side of the wagon as it continued to pick up pace through the orchard. As they trotted along, AJ would give a smirk at seeing the stallion smile as he continued to force his muscles to the limit in pulling the wagon. 'Ah don't think ah ever met a unicorn that liked physical labor like this'n does. Makes'im seem more like an earth pony, considerin he's built like one, and with a horn too. Strange...' AJ hummed softly to herself until she saw the wagon pulling away from her as it picked up speed. "Hey, what ya speedin up fer?" She shouted as she came up to his side. "Got to get up enough speed to get this thing up that hill and into the barn. Otherwise it's going to take a couple hours to move all these bushels by hoof and magic, right?" He smirked as he managed to get the wagon up to a quick trot, but not quite a gallop. "Yea, an we ain't got much farther teh go." AJ said as she nodded toward the barn in the distance. "Double time AJ, get that flank in gear!" Kami laughed out seeing her expression of determination as she halted, mid stride to get behind the wagon, pressing her head to the rear of it and begin to push with all her might as the wagon was now quickly forced into a full gallop. "We're at the bottom of the hill AJ, Don't let up!" Kami shouted as his horn lit up, casting a levitation spell onto some of the cargo to lighten the load a little. This causing the wagon to bolt forward a little quicker as he drove his hooves into the solid earth. The wagon and the two ponies were almost three quarters up the hill when they began to slow to a quick trot. Kami was quickly calculating the distance they had to go along with the amount of weight being pulled behind him. "Put some muscle into it AJ, or we won't make it." He shouted back only to feel the wagon ease up slightly on pulling him backwards. "That a girl!" Another few seconds and they were about ten yards from the top of the hill, and their speed had slowed down to a crawl. Kami pushing his magic to lift even more weight, but to no avail as the wagon came to a halt. He planted his hooves firmly into the ground as the wagon threatened to pull him backwards. "Keep pulling ya idgit! Don't stop now!" AJ yelled from behind the wagon as she pressed her forehead hard into the back of it. "I'm giving it all I got! Plus I'm using my magic! Set the brake on the wagon, we're going to have to carry them the rest of the way." "Brake?! What brake?! Ya'll never fixed that part when we broke the axle, remember!?" She shouted out as realization fell upon them both once the wagon began to slowly move backwards. "OH CRAP!" Kami yelled out as they finally came to a complete halt, he locking his legs and forcing them into the ground to try and halt the wagon as it slowly began to move backwards. "AJ, find a scotch before this things starts rolling any faster!" He shouted again as small grooves began to form from his hooves as he was being dragged backwards with the wagon. Applejack quickly looked around to find something she could place under one of the wheels to halt the wagons movement. "HA! Come'ere you!" AJ spoke out triumphantly as she ran over to a pile of chopped lumber, and then quickly bucking a couple of pieces directly toward the wheels of the wagon. Each hitting it perfectly into the path of the rear wheels and halting the wagon in its tracks. Kami felt the sudden halt of the wagon as he continued to strain his magic in holding the bushels from within. He let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding as he quickly began to pull bushels from the wagon while still holding his position in the harness. "Ya'll can ease up now. Ah done scotched the rear wheels, so it ain't goin nowhere." AJ smiled as she trotted up to his side, only to pause in confusion as she looked at the strain on his face from still holding the wagon in place. "Sorry AJ, but ah ain't letting up til ah go at least half the load out of the wagon and to the side. I don't trust the load in case the scotches don't hold. Besides, once most of the load is out, I can pull the wagon the rest of the way into the barn. Better to be safe than sorry." He chuckled as he continued to strain his magic, only to see AJ give a worried glance as his horn began to dull in its brightness, showing that his magic was running dangerously low. "Don't mean teh rush ya, but yer running outta magic. Better hurry afor..." The apple farmer didn't have time to explain as she watched several bushels fall to the ground to the side of the cart as the unicorn’s magic ran completely out. She managed to watch as the full weight of the wagon pulled on the unicorn, causing him to dig his hooves into the ground once again as he was slowly being pulled backwards with it. "Oh crap!" Kami managed to squeak out as his eyes shot open, looking straight forward, and into the farmer’s eyes as panic and fear took over. The wagon gave a loud groan as the chocks were slowly pressed into the ground and passed over by the wheels as the unicorn pulling the wagon was being helplessly dragged along with it. "Get that harness off!" AJ yelled as she attempted to nip at it to help in pulling it off. "I can't! If I move, then I'll fall and be dragged to my death!" He shouted as he began to breathe hard from straining his legs to halt the cart’s roll down the hill. The two ponies began a slow backwards trot down the hill, slowly picking up speed as the wagon continued its pull. As they went, the wagon began to slightly turn, causing the farmer to run up to its side and give a swift buck into it to keep it from turning any further. Unfortunately, it didn't help as the cart turned sideways, flipping over, and launching the stallion into the air, breaking him from the harness and continue flipping. He watched silently as he looked to the ground to see Applejack running away from the cart and down the hill only to stumble and fall to the dirt as he was making his descent back to the ground. She turned over just in time to see the stallion falling right at her, as well as the wagon that had halted, teetering on its rear end. The stallion landed right beside Applejack with a loud thud onto his hooves, looking down to the farmer as she was staring at the wagon that was now teetering over and slowly falling toward the two. Kami jumped over top of the orange earth pony just before the wagon came crashing down onto his backside, causing his hooves to be pressed deep into the earth below them. The two ponies panted as they stared each other in the eyes. Kami straddling AJ with the wagon pressing him down. She, below him and unable to move in any direction while on her back. A small trickle of light showing through the many cracks that now lined the entire wagon. "You alright?" Kami asked the farmer as he shook from straining against the weight of the wagon. "Ahm fine, you ok?" She asked only to hear him give a grunt as he moved a little closer to her. "Ah would be if my muscles weren't tiring out from all this weight I'm holding up." He groaned out as he finally gave out, locking his legs in place as his torso and belly sagged, pressing gently against Applejack’s as she lie below him. "What the hay! Get offa me!" She shouted right in his face as she pressed her forehooves against him. "Sorry love, wish I could, but right now I seem to be stuck if you haven't noticed." He grunted out as he attempted to press the wagon off of them. AJ halted her attempt at freeing herself as she gave a pant for a moment. Her face giving a slight blush as she looked off to the side. A small trace of sunlight slowly illuminating the darkness from within the overturned wagon as their eyes began to adjust. "H-how long does it take for a unicorn’s magic to replenish?" Kami asked as he attempted to power up his horn only for it to flicker out once again. "Ah think Twi said it takes about an hour." She stated with a blush, still refusing to look up at the stallion that had managed to protect her from getting crushed by the out of control wagon. "Wonderful." He chuckled a he gave a sigh, rolling his eyes, "Well then, I don't suppose you have any plans to help us get out of this mess before my magic can replenish itself and I can lift it off of us, do you?" AJ sighed, closing her eyes as she shook her head. "Sorry, but ahm stuck jes like you are." After about ten minutes of an uncomfortable silence, AJ noticed that Kami seemed to be pressing a little more onto her than before and gave him a wry glance. "Ya'll seem teh be moving a lil fast don'tcha think?" She asked, giving a smirk upon seeing his shocked expression. "I'm not doing this by choice AJ. My hooves are being pressed into the ground. I honestly don't have a say in this." He laughed nervously as he began to stare silently into the apple farmer’s eyes, only to give a slightly shocked expression upon seeing her give him a sly smile and wink. He stopped though as he felt something happening. "Oh no…," he squeaked out, "no... no no NO! Not right now... Not like this." He mumbled as his face turned ten shades of red. One shade for embarrassment, another from trying to strain against the wagon and push it off of them. "No? What ya'll mean no?" AJ asked as she felt him shifting uncomfortably above her. Then she felt it, something slowly creeping up her belly and in between the two of them. "Ya'll, got teh be kiddin meh..." She managed to sputter out only to see Kami's sheepish grin. "I am so sorry AJ. Please don't hate me for this. It's a guy thing. We see a pretty face, and can't help it sometimes." He chuckled nervously only to see her blush a little. "So... ya'll think ahm purty?" She giggled softly as she pressed her forehooves up to in front of her face to cover her blush. Her beautiful green eyes twinkling up at Kami only to cause him to gulp a little as he felt his embarrassment throb a little. "Ah guess that answers mah question." AJ giggled nervously at the stallion that was now turning purple from embarrassment. "I am never going to live this down." He sighed loudly as he closed his eyes, trying his best to block out the world around him. However, that didn't last long as the two froze in place at the sound of hooves quickly approaching. "There it is! But where are AJ and Kami?" Twilight yelled out as she and Big Macintosh came to a halt next to the wagon. The two ponies under the wagon quickly staring at each other in both worry and embarrassment before AJ spoke up. "We're... under here! We're kinda stuck. Care teh pull this thing off'o us?" Before the two had realized it, Kami’s embarrassment quickly retreated, hiding itself once again as the two saw a purple haze surround the wagon as it was quickly lifted from them and tossed to the side. However, once Twilight had moved it away and looked back, her eye gave a slight twitch upon seeing Kami, belly to belly with her best friend. "Uh..." He trailed off as he attempted to move but couldn't due to the constant muscle strain. "I can't move..." He chuckled nervously only to feel AJ's front and rear legs wrap around him. "Ah don't mind none." She grinned as she gave him a wink and sticking her tongue out playfully at him. Twilight, on the other hoof, only gave an annoyed snort as her horn lit up as she glared at the stallion. "Oh crap..." Was the last thing to leave the stallion’s mouth. > Chapter 11 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After forcefully removing the stallion from atop the apple farmer, Twilight tossed him to the side, expecting him to land on his hooves, but only succeeded in dumping him onto his side and letting him skid through the moist dirt with a grunt as he hit the ground. "Ow...." He groaned out, attempting to move as he lay there, trying his best to move but couldn't due to his muscle strain. "Twi! What is wrong with you?!" AJ shouted toward the lavender unicorn, surprising her as she got to her hooves and quickly made her way over to the fallen stallion. "I was thinking that lecherous moron would have a better sense than to let me catch him in such a compromising position with my so called best friend!" She snorted as she followed the farmer over to the stallion. Stopping as she noticed his look of strain and pain across his face as he attempted to get up, only for AJ to gently press him back down. "Easy sugarcube," She began as she nodded to her big brother. "Go get the small trolley, we'll get'em inteh the house to recuperate." Big Macintosh gave a silent nod as he turned, quickly galloping up toward the barn to grab the small trolley and bring it back. "Ya'll ok?" AJ asked as he gave her a soft smile. "Ah'm fine, just strained eery muscle in my body." He groaned trying to move once again only to to illicit a loud pop as he fell back to the ground as he let out a silent scream. After a few agonizing seconds he caught his breath as tears ran from his eyes, he clenching them shut as he gave a shuddering breath through the pain. "Oh God.... I think..... I think I just threw my back out." He spoke out as he raised his head a little only to scream out in pain, letting it fall back to the ground with a thud. "Yep... It's on vacation." He shouted out as his body shivered in pain. Big Macintosh was trotting quickly back down the path just as Twilights horn was lighting up to pick the stallion from the ground. but paused as she got a glare from the orange earth pony before her. "Ah think ya done enough Twi. Let me and Mac put him in there." She snorted as she and her brother began to gently lift the stallion who was clenching and baring his teeth as he let out a long growl of pain as he was lifted and slid into the cart. Once her was secured in the cart, Big Macintosh slowly brought the trolley down the path toward the farmhouse with the two mares in tow. "Ya'll be fine sugarcube. We'll fix ya up right as rain in no time." She smiled worriedly toward the stallion as he gave one back in return. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you... I was just so mad when I saw you..." She paused for a moment as she noticed his puffy eye and still slightly bloody nose. "Wait... how did you get hurt before I hurt you further?" There was a deadly silence for a short time as Kami looked from Twilight to Applejack in askance. The farmer giving a sigh, lowering her head slightly as she began the short story. A minute passed by as the story had been told, only to cause Twilight to glare at the currently cripple unicorn for a moment before letting out a giggle as well. AJs face turning a deep red from embarrassment as they finally reached the farmhouse. "Well, I guess we're even then." AJ spoke up as Twilights horn lit up, gently lifting the broken stallion from the cart and floating him into the farmhouse behind the apple farmers. "Even?" Twilight asked asked as she followed the farmers upstairs and into a spare bedroom. Placing the injured unicorn onto the bed gently after cleaning the dirt from his side. "Considering I saw ya'll smooching the other night when ya knew I was interested in him too." She grinned seeing her friend sputter. "Y-y-y-you saw that?!" She squeaked, releasing her hold on the stallion a little too soon and causing him to fall a little too hard onto the bed and give a loud grunt of pain. "Girls, for the love of Pete will you please stop arguing while attempting to tend to me. I am currently immobile, and every fiber of my being is in utter agony..." He sighed. "Can you please wait at least until I can defending myself before causing me any more agony?" The two recoiled slightly at the harsh tone, giving a sigh as they both began to gather a few supplies. Twilight pulling a small medical kit from her saddlebags while AJ went to gather some antiseptics. It took a few minutes and a few groans of pain, but the unicorn stallion had been cleaned up and given a mild pain killer to alleviate some of his pain while Twilight scanned his frame with several spells to determine the actual damage his back had endure during the whole fiasco with the apple cart. "This isn't good." Twilight began as she scanned Kami once again to make sure she was correct. "He seems to have definitely thrown his back out." She sighed, pulling open a book about the injury in question. The lavender unicorn giving a very worried glance to the slightly goofy expression that was now plastered across the unicorns face as he lay there. "Uh, Applejack, what kind of painkiller did you give him?" Twilight asked her only to float the small bottle in question that held the pills to in front of her and giving a gasp. "AJ, These are regular strength painkillers for earth ponies!?" She squeaked out. "Yea, an they don't do squat fer my aching back. Figgered they'd do something for him since he was screaming a few minutes ago." She stated as she cocked a brow at the doppy grinning unicorn laying on the bed. "I love you guys..." Kami smiled to them only to make them blush furiously. "Ah think ah'd like teh date both ya'll at the same time..." He spoke out while smiling warmly, albeit rather doppily. "Kami, ah don't think this is the proper time to..." "Oh hush you..." He attempted a glare toward the librarian only to have his eyes cross slightly. Ya'll'er both pent up so much it ain't funny. An yer pissed off at one another too." He chuckled. "So why don't we make this even so ya'll kin be happy again?" He chuckled. "What are ya'll talking bout sugarcube?" AJ asked as he stared silently between the two for a moment. "Twi.... Turn'round." Kami stated flatly. "What.... Why?!" She spoke out rather flustered. "Turn'round and lift yer tail... lemme see what shade'o purple ya got?" He chuckled only to cause Twilight to glare and growl out at him, her horn burning a blistering white for a moment as Applejack stepped between the two. "Now Twi, ya'll know he's a bit doped up on them pain killers. Ain't no reason teh hurt him more." AJ began as she turned back to him to see him puckering up. "Gimme a kiss AJ, then ya'll'll be even." He chuckled as he continued to pucker, only to stop dead as a loud snore escape him once a beam of magic hit him directly in the face. "TWI!" AJ yelled as she turned to glare at the fuming unicorn at her side. "That lecherous... no good...UGH!" She screamed out in a huff only to pause as Applejack laughed. "What are you laughing about?" She snorted. "Ah said the same thing the other night when ah saw ya'll smooching." She giggled, causing Twilight to give a slight smirk before she also began to giggle. "Are ya'll done here?" Big Macintosh spoke up, breaking them from their reverie. "Let the poor fella get some sleep an heal afore ya torment the poor thing anymore. Ah know what it feels like teh throw yer back out, and it ain't pretty." He groaned. XXX Morning arrived quickly for the injured unicorn. He giving a low groan as he opened his eyes to see the light shining through the open window, the smell of apples on the gentle breeze that was blowing through the room. After a moment to wake up a little and enjoy the warmth of the bed he was in, he snapped his head up realizing he wasn't in his house, and regretting it as he let out an ear splitting scream, falling back to the bed and panting in pain. It only took a few seconds, but AJ and Twilight rushed up the stairs and into the room, stopping and staring wide eyed at the stallion as he lay there with the look of pain on his face. "Back's still out." He groaned. "And now, ah gotta pee." He chuckled nervously through the pain, staring toward the blushing mares in front of him. "Welp, ah wouldn't mind helping ya. but seeing as moving ya would cause ya a lot of pain if ah done it by hoof." She trailed off looking to her lavender friend. "No way are you making me do this!" Twilight sputtered in shock. "It's that or I pee in the bed, cause I'm sporting some pretty bad morning wood here, and my bladder feels like a squeeze box'bout ready to explode." He groaned. "I'm so sorry Twi, please forgive me." He pleaded as he watched her groan out in annoyance. "Fine, but you owe me." She snapped back as she lifted the stallion gently from the bed with the cover still around him, much to Applejacks displeasure. Then floating him into the bathroom and hovering him over the toilet. "Twi, I can't see if I'm going to hit it or not.... yer.... going to have to look." He spoke out in shame as his face burned a bright red. "No way!" Twilight began to protest but paused as AJ trotted up to the stallions side and pulling the cover back slightly only to make him gasp in shock. "Back'im up a lil Twi." AJ stated as she waved a hoof in the direction he needed to go. "AJ!" Twilight began to protest again as the farmer turned back to her. "Whut? Ya'll said no, so ah had teh be the navigator." She snickered as her eyes darted back to the item in question. "Alright, I'm just going to pee wherever!" Kami shouted out in complete embarassment as he began to dribble a little only to pause as he felt something pressing it slightly backwards. Both he and Twilight looking at him in complete horror for a moment before she began. "It's yer fault twi, ya'll didn't move'im fast enough so ah had teh point.... it... inteh the right spot. Now hurry up ya dern fool." She spoke out as she looked away as he face burned ten shades of red. A minute went by as the stallion finished his morning business, yet his apparent wood had not receded. The two mares still blushing as they managed to clean him and quickly put him back to bed. Both standing their giving him a glare as he lay there, silently cursing himself for his lack of will. "Please don't hate me. At least I didn't have to do the other thing." He sighed, getting a groan from them. "That might be later." He chuckled nervously only to get them to face hoof. "Can't we just take him to the hospital?" Twilight asked in slight annoyance. "We could, but ah'd rather take care of'im here. He is mah employee after-all." AJ sighed. "I'd rather be near friends anyway. Having someone else do for me what you two just did, that I don't know, would be far more embarrassing. I'm just glad I have such good friends to take care of me." He smiled lovingly toward the two only to get one in return. "Yea, yea. Keep butterin us up like that an we might get a nurse outfit to wear the next time we come in'ere." AJ chuckled only to cause Twilight to gawk for a moment. Then to stare angrily at Kami as he had a dopey grin on his face. "Sorry, sorry, I can't help it if you're just going teh tease me like that." Kami sighed out in worry upon seeing Twilights glare. "Who said ah was teasing?" AJ snickered as she turned, heading out of the room with Twilight in tow, berating her as she went. Once the two mares were out of the room, Twilight let loose on AJ. "What in Equestria is wrong with you?! Why did you say those things?!" "Ah don't know if'n ya'll er dense er what Twi, But can't ya'll see'im testin us?" She snorted as they made their way downstairs. "Testing? What are you talking about...?" She trailed off as everything began to click in her head. "You mean he wanted to see if we would actually help him do those.... things and then see if we would do anything further to ease his pain?" "In a manner'o speaking." AJ chuckled. "What about the nurse outfit thing?" Twilight snorted. "Ah was serious. Don't think that ahm giving up that easy on winning'im over. Ya'll may got the smarts, but ah know what stallions like." She snickered seeing her friend blush furiously. "So what if I've never been with a stallion! That doesn't mean I lack the knowledge to properly please one." She sputtered, only to illicit a laugh from AJ. "Uh huh, an all ya know'er from books ya'll done read on the subject ahm guessing. Considering yer still a virgin." AJ grinned causing Twilight to glower at her. "At least I don't sleep with stallions in hopes of getting them to stay." She growled out but stopped, covering her mouth in shock at what she had just said. AJ lowering her head to stare silently at the floor. "AJ, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean..." "Ah think ya should leave...." "But AJ..." "Now!..... Ah'll take care of'im from her on out." AJ growled as she turned, heading back upstairs to the injured stallion. "Dammit, what have I done?" Twilight whimpered out as she turned, heading out of the farmhouse and back toward Golden Oaks Library. > Chapter 12 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Twilight made her way back into town, she silently cursed herself for having said something that could have very well, ended her friendship with Applejack. Over the years, she had seen Applejack go through many relationships, all of which dissolved, and each party going their seperate ways. The young earth pony was a hard worker, and always brought family first before anything else. Unfortunately that meant that they were also first before her partner at the time. Sometimes the partner she had would become selfish and want only the farmers attention on himself. Other times they would be asked for some assistance on the farm and snub the orange pony off. On one occasion there was a stallion that was only interested in her sister, and used her to attempt to get to the younger sibling. That didn't end well for the stallion, as he is still missing to this day. The librarian had made it back to her home at Golden Oaks Library, almost dragging herself into the large, hollowed out tree. Once inside she didn't even stop to pick up a book as she made her way to her bed upstairs, climbed in, and pulled the covers over her. Thoughts of todays events playing through her mind as she thought of a way to rectify what she had done. "Alright, you said something nasty to one of your friends, and hurt the other to the point where he is temporarily crippled and laid up in bed, being taken care of by the friend you said something nasty to. So let's break this down." She groaned softly realizing the shit she had just stepped into. "The stallion I am considering dating is being taken care of by one of my best friends that also have an interest in him. I have injured said stallion, as well as my friend. But she also hurt him...." She trailed off for a moment thinking things through. "So... hmmm... I think I can still salvage my friendships, and come out with a stallion as well. But I'm going to have to do some more research on him before I can properly implement my plan." As the day continued on, Twilight made a list of things she would need to do in order to win back her stallion, and save her friendship with the pony currently taking care of him. She had said and done things that, to many, would be considered a friendship breaker. However, having been together for so long with her friends, that said friendship could be mended, if done right. XXX "Ya'll right sugarcube?" Came the voice of a slightly worried farmer as she tapped on the door of the room housing the injured stallion. "Yea, you can come in if you want. I'm kind of bored of staring at the wall." He laughed softly. As the farmer opened the door, she couldn't help but smile at seeing the stallion laying there. Making her way over to the side of the bed, she took a seat in a small arm chair next to the nightstand. "That's better, you're much more interesting to look at than a wall." Kami chuckled softly seeing her roll her eyes. "Ahm just a big ol ray ah sunshine ain't I?' She chuckled. "Nah, that would be princess sun-butt." He snickered, only to cause Applejack to belt out a loud laugh and snort before covering her mouth with both hooves. After a minute of getting her laughter under control she gave the stallion a stern glare as she began. "Now that ain't right, ya'll shouldn't be calling the princess names like that." "It made you laugh, didn't it?" He snickered again seeing her shake her head, giving a soft laugh. "It was purty funny. Ain't never heard nothing like that before." She continued giving a small chuckle, both ponies taking in a deep breath and giving a contented sigh. "AJ..." Kami trailed off as he looked to a slightly interesting spot on the floor. "I heard what Twilight said earlier." Applejack snapped her head to the stallion still laying silently on the bed, speechless at that moment. That was, until he raised his vision to meet hers. "Kami.... I...." She sighed. "I... I just ain't had much luck, ya know? Ah mean, in the relationship department. Every stallion ah've been seeing has always been a burden teh me an mah kin. Ah'd still like teh try one with ya if'n yer interested. But ah got some stipulations ya'll gotta unnerstand before we even think about getting tehgether." She stated with a stern nod. "Ok... but before you begin, I just want to let you know something. It doesn't matter to me how many other stallions you've been with. If you found yourself at the point where you didn't want to be with them anymore, then good for you. If they left you for some stupid reason, then it was their loss, not yours. For the short time we've known each other, I've come to admire you in many ways." He smiled softly before turning to a stern glare. "Being kicked in the face wasn't one of them." A moment of pause as AJ looked a little shocked at him, until of course he burst out laughing, making her do the same. Once the two ponies caught their breath, he continued. "You're a great pony, and from what I've gathered in the short time we've known each other, you're a hard worker and love your family dearly. I've seen you talking and play fighting with your brother. Your little sis seems to admire you a lot as well. I haven't spoken with your granny yet, but I'm sure she has nothing but praise for you." "Kami... I..." She paused as he stepped back in. "Now hang on love, ah ain't finished." He chuckled. "I also want to let you know that I'm not just giving you compliments to try and get into bed with you. I don't believe in leading somepony on just to get them to sleep with me. I'm a grown man...er... stallion, and I value my friends highly. I wouldn't try to get them to sleep with me if I wasn't serious about keeping a strong relationship with them. " He paused for a minute as he gave another sigh. "I realize that what Twilight said could be true, or it could have been a lie. Either way, I won't judge you. I'm really upset that Twilight would stoop so low to try and keep my attention, but I don't want to write her off just yet. So I'm going to do this. I would like to take each of you out on several dates. Possibly more if you're willing. If you don't mind that is." He smiled, slightly nervous about the coming answer. "Ya'll are something else, ya know that?" AJ smirked. "Yer just a bit more chivalrous than ah took ya for. An fer that." She smiled, leaning down and giving his nose a kiss before pulling back and seeing his growing blush. "Ya'll get a bedtime story afore ya go teh sleep tehnight." She snickered seeing him roll his eyes. "Hey now, I gave you all those compliments and all I got was a kiss on the nose and a bedtime story?" He laughed giving a mock shocked expression. "Uh huh, ah could give ya a quick buck upside the head if'n ya really want something else sugarcube." She smirked as she pressed a forehoof to his nose, then pulling it back as he took in a quick breath. "Ah.... aaahhh.... AHCHOO! *pop* ARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!" He screamed out as he let out a big sneeze then began rolling around in his bed in severe pain. "KAMI! What in tarnation did ya do to yerself?!" AJ yelled as she watched him thrash for a moment before coming to a stop under the mish mash of covers. "That hurt like nothing I have ever felt before." The blue unicorn stated as he slowly pulled the covers from atop him and tossed them to the side. "Yer moving? But how?" She asked, giving him a perplexed look. "I guess that sneeze caused it." He laughed only to slightly curl up as his stomach let out a loud gurgle. "Just in time too." He groaned as he pulled himself from the bed and slowly exited the room, followed by Applejack. Making his way slowly down the hall, he entered the bathroom, turning just in time to see AJ nod as she closed the door. "Just make sure ya'll don't strain yerself enough to pop yer back outta place again ya nut." She laughed. "No worries there." He laughed back. "I'm too sore to strain anything else." After a short time, the stallion made his way from the bathroom, albeit slowly, and trotted slowly downstairs. As he hit the bottom of the stairs and making a sharp turn into the living room, he glanced out the window to see that darkness was slowly creeping across the land as the sun began to set. The sky giving a soft rust color as the sun dipped below the horizon, the blue sky slowly turning to black as the sun continued its decent, being replaced by the moon on the opposite side of the sky. As his vision fell onto the living room, he gave a soft smile as he looked at the homely setting before him. A large dinner table with six chairs, a small horn of plenty as its center piece, overflowing with various fruits and vegetables. All along the walls of the room holding many different pictures of not only the immediate Apples within this home, but the extended family that resides all over Equestria. "Wow..." Kami trailed off as he continued looking over all of the pictures of the massive family that is the Apples. "Yep." Applejack spoke up as she trotted into the room with a smile. "Biggest family in all Equestria. We got kin spread throughout the whole world, even a few in Dragonia." She chuckled. "Ain't heard from them inna while though. Probly hold up inna cave hiding from some dragons, or beatin'em up." Kami cocked a brow toward the farmer as a smirk spread across his face. "Beatin up a dragon? Really?" He laughed. "Sure! Ah mean, even Fluttershy done stared one down without any trouble ah'tall. But that don't mean ah'm dumb enough teh try it." She groaned. "Still though, if'n mah friends'er with me, helping me out, ah'd take one on." Kami chuckled softly at the thought, entertaining the thought of actually beating up a dragon a hundred times his size. After a moment though, it hit him. If he trained his magic enough, and learned the right spells, maybe even he could take on a dragon. That thought came to a halt though as his nose wrinkled up for a moment as something delicious trailed around him. Taking in a deep breath he gave a very deep sigh as a smile crept across his face. "I guess ya'll done smelled dinner." AJ grinned. "So ah was right, this'n does like a good home cooked meal." She hummed to herself seeing him nod. "Whatever you're cooking smells like heaven." He sighed once again as his hooves lead the way into the kitchen, directly toward the table that was being set up with various foods. "The rest should be done purty soon. Why don't ya'll take a seat in the dining room an ah'll bring ya a plate." AJ smiled warmly to him only causing him to beam. "T-thanks AJ, but shouldn't I help ou..." He was quickly cut off as the farmer raised a hoof to silence him. "Ah won't take no fer an answer sugarcube. Ya'll are ah guest in the Apple home, so let us take care of ya." She smiled, nodding to the door to the kitchen. "Alright, but I expect to pay ya back for yer hopitality." He smirked. "Ah'll think'o something ya can do. But fer now, get!" She chuckled as she swatted his flank with her tail. A short time later, Kami watched as the Apple family began to file into the room. Each bringing a plate or bowl of food with them with there mouth and on their backs. Another few short minutes and the table had been filled with a huge variety of dishes. The unicorns eyes flickered back and forth over everything, unable to comprehend how these ponies would be able to down this much food. This of course only passing his thoughts until the phrase, 'eat like a horse' passed in front of his little train. "Well now sonny, dig in." Granny Smith chirped happily as she took a seat the head of the table. Big Macintosh sitting to her left while Applejack sat to the right, next to Kami. Applebloom taking up the seat next to her big brother. Using his magic, the dark unicorn quickly began piling food onto his plate before setting it down in front of himself. Picking up a fork he dug into some mashed potatoes only to paused as Applejack pulled her plate to in front of her with food stacked almost twice the height of the unicorns. "Wow, and I thought I was hungry." He chuckled only to make her blush slightly. That was of course until Big Macintosh pulled two plates to in front of himself stacked just as high as Applejacks. "Heh, ya'll don't eat much, do ya?" Big Mac picked as he gave a snicker toward the unicorn and then giving a sideways nod to his youngest sister whom had a plate stacked the same height as Kamis. "Be thankful, not wasteful. Besides...." Kami grinned. "That's what seconds are for." "And thirds!" Applebloom chirped happily as she dug into her plate, face first. Pulling back and munching happily before licking some mashed potatoes away from her lips. As dinner went on, the small group conversed quietly with one another. Trading stories from various parts of their lives, and several from Kamis home world which seemed to captivate them to no end. Learning much from his past as well as his present, it would be no short time for the Apple family to digest what they had taken in. "So ya'll are telling meh that ya came from a family that only had you and a single siblin? That seems a might small considering what ya'll said before." AJ chuckled, thinking back to when he had stated he wanted a large family of his own. "Considering that your world is probably a complete mirror image of mine, does it really seem that plausible?" Kami smirked seeing the farmer rub her chin in thought. "Well, ah don't mind none, so long as ah become an aunt." Applebloom giggled out, causing Granny Smith, and Big Macintosh to do the same. Applejack turning ten shades of red at the comment as kami gave a chuckle and eyebrow wiggle toward her as well. "Well, I doubt that would be anytime soon. I have yet to properly ask this young lady out on an official date." Kami stated with a smile. AJ managed to calm herself enough to turn back to the stallion with a smirk as she began. "So then ya'll are interested. Well then, how bout tomorrow at seven. But don't yall be picking out a fancy schmancy place teh go to. Heck, ah home cooked meal'd be good in my opinion. That is, if ya'll kin cook." Kami gave a sheepish grin as he swallowed the knot forming in his throat. "Sure ah can cook, but...... Ah dont think my skills would be that great since it'd be the first time ah cooked as a pony." He chuckled nervously. "That, plus ah don't usually cook for anyone but myself. So everything I do cook is made for my tastes. Would you be willing teh try something new and unusual?" He asked giving a sheepish grin. "Ahm going out with you now ain't I?" AJ chuckled causing him to facehoof. "Yep, just toss some new and unusualy food into the mix and we've got a whole new experience." He laughed back. "Sure thang sugarcube. Now ah don't expect much, so don't ya'll be going overboard." "I will AJ, and thanks... you know... for understanding." "Don't sweat yerself silly. Ya'll are the one who's understanding. Heck, ya'll er more understanding than any stallion ah've ever met. Except for mah brother, but her don't count." She snickered. "Hey!" The red stallion snorted causing the group to chuckle at his expense. "Alright then, I guess tomorrow is going to be an interesting day." Kami smirked as they family nodded and continued dinner. Yes, tomorrow is going to be a rather interesting day for the stallion. > Chapter 13 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After dinner, Kami had taken it upon himself to do all the dishes for the family so that they could let their food settle while chatting quietly within the kitchen. All the time talking to the unicorn who was using his magic to do the cleaning while his vision flicked back and forth from the sink, to the family that he had grown to care for in the short time he had been with them. After about an hour of chatting and doing the dishes, the sun had set and the members of the household were now taking their weary bodies to bed. Applejack had decided to escort the young stallion home, considering what he had been through that day, and wanted to make sure her felt that his actions were appreciated. But more than that, she just wanted to have some time alone with him to talk. The two had slowly made their way through the sleepy town of Ponyville, and were now on the home stretch toward the little house that Kami called home. "Thanks for walking me home AJ, but you know I could've made it without ya." He chuckled. "Ah know, but ah just wanted teh let ya know ahm happy yer awright. Plus ah wanted teh give ya this lil list. Since yer new an all." AJ smirked as she pulled a small slip of paper from her saddle bag and tossing it into the air. Kami quickly snatching it up and bringing it to in front of him. After looking it over, he turned a sideways glance to the apple farmer while raising a brow. "A list of restaurants?" He chuckled. "So I get to pick one huh?" "Weeeeellllll." Applejack hummed. "Ah did puttem in order from mah most favorite to least, starting from the top." She nodded in thought. "Well then, I guess the top one shall be the one I will pick then." He laughed seeing her roll her eyes. "Now ya'll don't gotta go and pick mah favorite right off the bat." AJ choked out in surprise. "Why not? I wanna make a good impression. Why not let the lady have what she wants?" He smirked seeing her blush a bit. "What ah want huh?" She grinned slyly toward the unicorn. "Uh huh......... waaaaait a second." He glared accusingly at her for a moment, she turning her vision away and whistling innocently. "Ah didn't say nothing." She chuckled. "Yea, I know. But your eyes tell me otherwise when you were staring at my flank." He grinned, making her sputter. "S-so what if ah looked?! Ain't like ya'll'd put out er nothing right now....." She stopped, covering her mouth with both hooves as Kami burst out laughing. "Put out huh?" He continued chuckling. "I'm starting to think that this world may be a complete opposite of mine. Applejack pulled her hooves from her mouth as her blush began to subside, being replaced by an inquisitive look. "What ya'll mean?" "Well, normally it would be the guys trying their best to bed the female of the relationship. They would go to great lengths to achieve that goal, considering most of the females use sex as a weapon of sorts. The females of my world are pretty selfish, and play the males to get what they want in return for a one night stand. But there are quite a few that actually want a relationship. Those, however, are hard to come by considering both the male and females need to have a lot in common, or similar goals to achieve. It's a complete mess in my opinion, that's probably why I never really looked into finding a lady of my own." He groaned. "So.... now hang on a sec.... does that mean ya'll ain't never been with a mare before?" She snickered slightly seeing his blush. "I've had... one encounter.... although brief." He blushed even further. "But that was years ago." He paused, covering his mouth as Applejack let out a little snort and giggle. "You must be pent up more than a cow that missed a milking day then." She grinned. "Ok, enough of this whole sex talk." He sighed as they finally reached his home. "Yes, I'm pent up, and no there is nothing you could do to help me with it. I may be sexually deprived, but I am chivalrous. I'd never pressure a lady into doing something they wouldn't want to do. Especially considering I haven't seen any forms of protection on this world. I wouldn't want to accidentally knock some... pony up." He chuckled nervously. "Say whut? Protection?" She asked giving a cocked brow. "Ah know unicorns got some spells they kin use teh make'm temporarily sterile, but knocking up ah mare just ain't gonna happen unless their in season." She smirked. "Wait, so you can't get pregnant unless your in season?" He asked, seeing AJ shake her head. "What about diseases?" "All ponies have a permanent spell cast on them at birth that prevents'em from getting anything that'd makem sick." At this little revelation, Kamis brain broke. He stood there, slack jawed at the information he had been given. That was until an orange hoof waved in front of his face to break him from his reverie. "Ah take it ya'll are thinking twice now bout asking, ain'tcha?" She giggled. "Believe me..." He began. "As much as I would like to ask, I can't." He sighed. "One: it would be like skipping all the points of dating and just rushing into the bedding part. Two: I'm still torn between you and Twilight. Three: I don't want to rush into things like this because it would honestly cloud my judgement about everything. And finally, four: If your family found out, they'd probably kill me if I didn't choose you over Twilight." Applejack stood there for a moment as she mulled over his thoughts. Giving a smile, she began to slowly trot around him as she spoke. "Well, ah respect yer decision, but let me tellya. Most stallions would jump at the chance teh be with a mare that ain't in season. Heck, most mares have a stallion and another mare in their lil herd, sometimes more." "Wait, so this world practices polygamy as well?! Wait, why am I surprised by that? I mean, ponies usually live in herds on my world too, so that would be normal here." He hummed, looking thoughtful. "Hey now, don't ya'll be getting any ideas. A lot of mares want a stallion all to themselves as well. Herds are sometimes looked down upon in Equestria. Mainly 'cause of the griffon nation gettin all upity bout the one teh one ratio families." She groaned remembering the big uproar that happened some years back about outlawing polygamy world wide, but never passed due to Celestias word and power over the sun. "Sorry, but the idea of being with two, or more of the female persuasion, at the same time, has always been most mens dream, since my world civilized. I can't help but think about it, simply because I'm genetically programed to reproduce with a female during my lifespan." There was a short silence as the two stared at one another, the wind picking up slightly and catching the apple farmers hat just right and swiping it off her head. "NO! MAH STETSON!" She shrieked out as she took chase, Kami following right behind her.. "AJ, hold up! Why are you chasing it? Can't you get another?!" He yelled as he came up to beside her. "Mah folks got me that hat, it's priceless!" She cried out as she jumped to grab onto the hat only to see the wind pick it up further into the air. It was too dark to continue on as the hat was above the tree line and getting ready to go over the Everfree Forest. Kami gave a huff as his horn lit up brightly, surrounding himself in magic as he galloped full stride in line with the flying hat. AJ watched quietly as he leapt into the air , bolting quickly toward the hat. The farm pony watched in awe as he soared up to the hat and plucked it from the air before turning and heading back to her, landing in front of her and holding the hat out with his magic. "I believe this belongs to you." He smiled warmly to her before being bowled over onto the ground, her lips quickly pressing to his as she held onto the hat between the two of them. After a short time, they parted. Both redder than they had ever been. "Ahm sorry.... dunno what came over me." AJ chuckled nervously. "It's alright AJ. But, anyway..." He cleared his throat. "I don't want to rush things because I wouldn't want to ruin what we already have before it had a chance to get better. Besides, you already have a leg up on Twilight anyway." He smirked causing her to cock a brow in question. "Care teh elaborate sugarcube?" She asked as the two began to head back toward Kamis home. "Well, you're in far better shape than she is. You work hard to keep yourself in shape, but that's normal because you work on a farm and have to be in top physical condition. I admire that a lot about you." He smiled. "So in short, ya'll been looking mah bod up'n'down since we met?" She snickered toward the stallion only to cause him to sputter. "W-what?! N-no! I mean.... UGH! Why do I always walk into these things." He groaned, facehoofing as they arrived at his home once again. "I think ya'll set yerself up on purpose. An it's kinda cute, considering ya'll get so flustered over a purty flank." She grinned, pressing closer to him. "I do not set myself up!" He protested as his flank hit the door as AJ pressed closer. "That's not what ah see." She grinned slyly as she looked down, catching his eye as he looked down as well, realizing that something was wide awake, only making him to fall to the ground as his entire frame began to burn a bright red. "You enjoy tormenting me, don't you?" He grumbled, laying his ears back and looking away from the farm pony. "Ah do love a challenge." She chuckled. "But ya'll make it too easy at times." She laughed, leaning down and kissing his nose. "Too easy?! Well, ya know I could just forget the whole sex thing all together, considering I haven't had any in so long. It really doesn't bother me." He grinned, making her eyes go a little wide. "Now who's being too easy?" He chuckled, making her face hoof. "Awright, fine, ya got me. But ah didn't expect ya'll teh say something like that." "Maybe it's because I'm an alien!? OOOOoooooOOOoooOOoooo!" He laughed out making her do the same. "Maybe, but ah think its refreshing teh have a stallion 'round that isn't like the rest." She smirked. "And ah plan on doing mah best teh win this lil dual atween me'n'Twi." *BOOOOOOM* The night sky lit up as a bolt of lightning streaked across it. The wind began to pick up a little more around the two as they stood silently looking up to the sky as another bolt flashed across the clouds, illuminating the rain that was quickly approaching them. "You've got to be kidding me!" Kami choked out just as the rain began to sweep toward his home. Turning around he quickly unlocked his door and bolted in with AJ hot on his heels, just as the rain hit his house, he closed the door. "Ok... I was not expecting that." Kami groaned as he looked out the window to see the sky lighting up all around his home and in the distance. Thunder booming softly all around as it shook the windows of his home slightly. "Well... ah guess ahm stuck here for the night. Unless ya'll plan on making me gallop back home... in the rain... and possibly gettin sick." AJ pouted toward the unicorn only to make him sigh in frustration. "Fine, ya can have the bed. I'll sleep on the couch." He groaned as he trotted into the next room and levitated some covers from the cupboard. As he made it into the living room he paused seeing the farm pony curled up on the couch. "Now come on, you've got to at least let me be a good host." He groaned out in annoyance. "Nope, ahm the guest so ah should sleep on the couch." She protested, shuffling a little on the couch to get comfortable. "I will not stand here and let a lady sleep on something as uncomfortable as a couch." He returned the protest. Of course, that was until he realized that it was getting cold inside his home. "What the hell? Why is it getting so cold?" He growled out as he went to the window, looking out to see the rain forming as ice all around the little house. "Now we're going to freeze." He snorted out. "Ya know, we could just sleep in the bed tehgether, teh keep warm." AJ piped up causing him to raise a brow at her. Kami stared at the farm pony in awe for a moment as his face contorted into several emotions. Finally after a few seconds he groaned out in annoyance once again. "UGH! FINE! I can't seem to win with you can I?!" He yelled, trotting into the bedroom with a smiling farm pony right behind him. After a few awkward moments, the two climbed into the same bed and pulled the covers over them. Kami turning over and putting his back to the farm pony, while she pressed up against him, wrapping her hooves around his barrel and snuggling in. "Thanks Dash." Was the last thought to run across the farm ponies mind as the two fell asleep. > Chapter 14 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Finally!" Twilight sighed in relief as she trotted away from Zecoras hut in the Everfree Forest. A small saddlebag at her side as she happily trotted along. "I was beginning to think that crazy Zebra would never get those rare herbs I asked for, much less finish this little potion I asked her for." She giggled with a hint of insanity behind it. As the lavender unicorn trotted along, she pulled the potion from her saddle bag and floated it to in front of her as she looked it over once again. Swirling the contents around, she gave a sly grin as she placed it once again into her saddlebag. "A love potion never really hurt anypony. Well, except the love poison that the crusaders made that cause Cheerilee and Big Macintosh to go insane with love for one another. I can't recall if they ever moved that house back to where it was though." She hummed to herself as she finally exited the forest and continued along its path past Fluttershys, and then onto her desired target. "Yes!" The lavender unicorn danced a little jig just a stones throw from Kamis house. "Now it's time for a little morning visit. I wonder if he minds having me over for breakfast?" She hummed to herself as she trotted up to the door. She paused though as she could hear talking inside the house. "You shouldn't beat yerself up so much sugarcube. That breakfast wasn't that bad." AJ chuckled as she watched Kami grumble as he scraped what was left of the eggs he had cooked, and unceremoniously burned to a crisp, from the skillet that was being held within his magical grasp. "Yea yea, keep trying teh butter me up love. It ain't gonna help you anymore than what you pulled last night you lil sneak." He laughed. "And I thought I was sneaky at times. I underestimated you my dear." He smirked as he placed the skillet into the sink and trotted over, giving the farmer a kiss. At that moment, Twilight was gawking so hard that her jaw was resting at her hooves. She had been peeking into the window the whole time and watched the kiss play out. As she pulled back from the window, she gave a low growl as tears began to well up in her eyes, just before she galloped off toward town. "That dirty.... EARTH PONY!" She yelled out when she was out of hearing distance from the small house. The words finding themselves on only her ears as she raced back home crying. "Did you hear that?" Kami asked as his ears swiveled toward the window. "Ah didn't here nothing." She smiled seductively, pulling him closer. "I think ya'll should come back to the farm with me. I'm sure Granny Smith could teach ya a few things about cooking." She smirked seeing him roll his eyes. "You are nothing but a tease." He scoffed as he licked her eye, making her let go and take a few steps back as she rubbed the saliva from her face. "Ewww, ya'll ain't right!" She chuckled. "Then again, ah ain't never met nopony like ya before. So this could be normal fer an alien." She continued laughing as the blue unicorn let out a groan. "I could always lick the other one, make them a matching pair." He laughed, playfully taking on an aggressive stance while swinging his tail back and forth. This only making AJ laugh as she did the same. "Ha! Ya'll think you kin wrestle an earth pony an win? Awright, ah'll bite." She grinned. "You pin me, an ah'll be yer slave fer the day, I pin you, you get teh be mine. No using magic or outside sources. Just muscle." She laughed getting down into the same position as Kami. "Oh? Slave for a day huh? That sounds tempting. But I think I'll pass." He smirked, getting back into his normal stance. "Why? Ya'll afraid yer gonna get beat by a mare? Come on, show me how much of a stallion ya are!" She picked, causing him to give her a glare as he got back down into his aggressive stance. "Bring it!" He grinned, only to gasp as the farmer bolted at him, he dodging to the side just as she ran into the other room and crashed into the bed. "Ahm ok!" She yelled back as she came back into the other room. "Maybe we should go outside, ah don't think yer house is ready for a bronco busting party." She snickered. As the two made their way outside. They got back into position and began their play fighting wrestle match. Each trying their best to get the upper hoof on the other. It had taken almost an hour, but Kami had been worn down to exhaustion as the farmer finally managed to pin him to the ground. "You *huff* can't *huff* have won! *huff* Best two *huff* out of *huff* three?" He smiled sheepishly just before she sat down on his chest, holding him to the cool ground. "Shew, an here ah thought ya'll would be a good fight." She grinned seeing him furrow his brow. "Aw come on now, ya'll put up a good fight, but unicorns ain't built for all this physical stuff. Ain't got much dexterity, ya know?" She chuckled. "If I could use my magic, and if I knew enough spells, I could probably wrestle the entire Apple Family and win." He laughed back. "Sure ya could killer." she chuckled as she jumped from his chest to his side, helping him to his hooves. "Ah wouldn't mind seeing ya wrestle mah brother. Ah bet ya might be able teh take him." She smirked. "Take him? But he's like, as big as me?" He cocked a brow toward the orange pony giving a questionable glance. "Bah, he may be 'bout yer size, but he's a push over. Anytime we get teh wrestlin, ah always win." She snickered. "He's just a big softy." "Uh huh, and next you're going to tell me that Applebloom can beat him as well." He snickered only to see her give a sheepish smile. "Ok, now I know he's putting on a face for you two. He must really love you two in order to be such a softy." He smiled warmly to her. "That or he's a big wimp." He snickered, causing AJ to chuckle. "Probly the first one. Ah know he has a long fuse 'cause ah've seen'im fight other stallions before. But that was just fightin, not wrestling." "Anyway, I think I should head into town and start looking for a job. I've already procrastinated more than usual, and I know I won't survive long if I don't at least work a little. The only problem is finding a job that I can do with my limited talents." He groaned. "Well, how about you go teh Twilights and grab a couple spell books instead. Then you can add a few more to yer list of spells ya know which can give ya a bit more area fer work experience." The farmer stated with a nod, knowing from experience from her two best unicorn friends, that you could never have enough spells in your current list. It had been quite a few times that the farmer had asked either of the unicorns for some assistance on the farm that only a unicorn, or abnormally strong earth pony could do, that needed to be done. Now however, she may not need their assistance anymore, if only she could capture this stallions interest fully. "Yea, I need to go and see when she'd like to go out as well." He stated for a second before seeing the farmer give him a slight glare. "Hey, don't give me that look, you already agreed I could do this, and besides, you might not have anything to worry about anymore anyway. You have quite a lead on Twilight as it is." He grinned. "So watch it, those glares might just take some points off your total." He snickered seeing her roll her eyes. The young apple farmer chuckled, as she turned, heading back to her home on Sweet Apple Acres. She looked back over her shoulder, smiling as she spoke up and watched the stallions eyes as she swayed her hips a little. "Uh huh, yer just lucky ahm not gettin all bent outta shape cause ya'll keep ooglin mah flank." Kamis attention snapped up to the farmers eyes, a blush covering his face as he sputtered. "W-what?! I wasn't staring!?" He choked out. "Yea, an ya'll say ahm a bad liar." She grinned seeing his brow furrow a little. "Alright, fine, I was staring! But can you blame a guy? I mean..... DAMN! With you walking off like that?! It hurts a guy, in a good way." He grinned seeing her face flush a bright red. "I'm tempted just to tell Twilight you've won." At that, AJ turned back to Kami and slowly sauntered up to him. Pressing the her lips toward his ear as she began to whisper softly into his ear. The entire time his eyes growing wider and his mouth slowly falling open and toward the ground. She pulled back with a sultry gaze and a full blush as she began. "An that's jes the beginning sugarcube. Imagine if'n ya'll were my stallion fer life. I'd make sure ya'll'd be happy all the time." She giggled softly kissing his nose only to make him blush. "Bu.....hezza....." He sputtered out, trying to form a sentence. The apple farmer turned quietly and headed back toward her destination, a little skip in her steps as she went, leaving a stunned stallion in her wake. "Ah do believe I have that stallion hooked." She grinned. "Now it's time teh reel'im in." As she went along she looked back to see the stallion still staring at her in shock as she swayed her hips once again, watching his eyes follow each step she took. That was of course until she flicked her tail a little further to the side than she normally would, this causing the stallion to fall over while turning a blistering red. "Eeyup, still got it." Applejack hummed happily to herself as she trotted along. XXX "Oh God.... I can't believe I am even thinking about going back to the library after what AJ just pulled. I mean.... I wasn't into ponies when I was human, but... DAMN! I can't believe she did that!? She must really be looking for a long term relationship if she is willing to pull out so many stops. I bet I could even...." He paused thinking of what she had whispered to him earlier, his face starting to burn a soft pink. "Yea, no doubt about it. I could get laid today if I wanted." He chuckled. "But... I still want to see how Twilight is doing and give her a chance. She may be a little over zealous and quick to anger, but AJ seems to be a little hot headed too. I guess the prospect of finding a mate versus fellow female competition is what causes it." He groaned. "Then again, animal instincts, ya know?" He laughed, shaking his head as he came up to the library door and gave it a couple quick knocks. "The library is open." Came a cheerful voice from inside. The unicorn made his way inside, closing the door behind him as he went. Taking a look around, he noticed that the library had been picked up quite a bit since his last visit. The shelves had been organized and filled to the brim with literature, while also being thoroughly cleaned. The floors had been mopped and polished to a sparkling mirror reflection, and to top it all off, the unicorn began to drool slightly as he looked upon a the horsehead bust table that sat within the middle of the room, holding a sign that said 'new arrivals' on it. Books stacked ten high and in various other stacks surrounding the table as well. Twilight on the other hoof, had her nose in one of those said books as she trotted around the corner and into the room. Lowering her book, she couldn't help but give a slightly evil grin upon seeing the stallion that was meant for her, floating one of each of the various books to in front of him from the little island table. "I see you found the new stock." She chirped happily as she trotted over to him, placing the book she had been reading down onto the appropriate stack. "Yep!" He hummed happily as he began to read over the titles and backs of each book to see what the contents held. Twilight couldn't help but giggle softly upon seeing the stallions tail wagging behind him just like a puppy that had just gotten a new toy to play with. "You know, we also sell books as well. So if you wanted to purchase one of these little darlings." Twilight grinned as she waved a book teasingly in front of the stallion, his eyes following every move it made until it stopped in front of the lavender mare before vanishing as it was teleported away. "I could sell you one if you'd like." She purred. Kami smiled warmly to her as he picked up one of the books before speaking. "Now why would I want to purchase a book?" He began, causing her to pout. "Because if I did that, I wouldn't have another reason to come back by the library to see you." He chuckled softly seeing her erupt in a blush. "W-well.... that would be a terrible waste now w-wouldn't it." She sputtered softly, feeling her cheeks burning softly from what she had just heard. "Yes, it would." He hummed. "Anyway love, I came by to talk to you about letting me check out a few spell books." Twilight smiled widely upon hearing this, knowing how much she enjoyed magic, she knew that this stallion would certainly love every bit of it as much as she does. "Wonderful! I have quite a few books here that you should read." She began, only to pause as he picked up once again. "I need them on spells that I could use to aid m in my future employment. AJ told me that I should broaden my list of spells in order to find a job best suited for me. Do you have anything in regards to that?" Twilight gave him a slightly annoyed look as her horn lit up, pulling several books from the shelf and floating them over to him. Once he had obtained the books he quickly trotted over to an empty spot in the library and began to read them. "I think it's time for my little plan to take action." Twilight hummed softly to herself as she turned, heading back into the kitchen. After several minutes, she trotted back out into the room with a small tray of cupcakes and some fancy looking pink lemonade resting within a single cup. Trotting over to the stallion, she took a seat next to him as he continued reading further into the spell books. Setting the small tray down next to the stallion, she gave him a little nudge to garner his attention. "I made some cupcakes and lemonade. Would you like some?" She smiled. Pulling his nose from the book he was reading he gave a smile back to her as he looked down to see some mouth watering cupcakes, and the most awesome pink lemonade he had ever seen. It even had a little slice of lemon on the edge of the glass. "Twilight must be trying to suck up. I guess I could let her." He snickered to himself. "I wonder what she is going to try and pull to get back in the game." He smiled warmly to her as his magic to a hold of a cupcake and the glass of lemonade. Levitating them up to his mouth as he took a bite of the sweet confectionery and then a large gulp of the pink liquid. As the lemonade rolled over his tongue and down his throat, he could feel a slight tingling sensation, but brushed it aside as he finished the glass off, letting the sensation linger further down his throat and into his body. After a few seconds his whole body felt a little lighter than normal, and happy. That was of course until he turned his vision back to the mare at his side and he was hit harder than a wrecking ball taking out a flimsy ass wall. "Kami? Are you ok.......!?" She paused as his lips met hers as he pulled her into a deep kiss. "Wow! That potion worked out better than I had hoped it would!" Twilight tittered to herself as she wrapped her hooves around the stallions neck, pulling him closer to her. "I think I may have just won this little contest after-all." She thought to herself as the two continued kissing passionately. > Chapter 15 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- That night had been one that Twilight would never forget, having a stallion to sleep over for the first time, and to do any and everything she wanted just to make her happy. It was a night that would forever remain in her memories. However, upon morning, the lavender mare awoke to the soft snore of the stallion at her side, and a trail of drool leading from his mouth to the pillow. "Ew..." She trailed off for a minute, scrunching her nose in slight disgust. Until she began to smile, wiping the drool away and using a small handkerchief to wipe his mouth, and then close it to eliminate any more of it from leaking out. She continued laying there, smiling warmly toward the stallion that lay next to her. That was of course until she smelled some breakfast being made downstairs and remembered Spike. "Crap, I forgot about Spike last night, I hope he didn't hear anything." She groaned to herself, dreading on having that conversation with the baby dragon. As she was turning over and lifting the cover to get out of bed, she was unceremoniously pulled back in as a pair of hooves wrapped around her midsection and dragged her back under the covers. "And where does my little love muffin think she's going this morning?" Kami chortled as he began to nibble along her neck, making her giggle out. "Oh stop it you, Spike is downstairs making breakfast, and I need to make sure he didn't hear anything from last night." Twilight laughed as he found a particularly ticklish spot. "Can't you stay in bed though? I'd make it worth your while." He purred as he nipped her ear, making her erupt into a bright blush. "Maybe later, right now we've got things to do." She giggled, pushing him away as she moved from the bed and began her way out of the room. "Am I on that list of things to do?" Kami piped up a little causing her to halt in her stride and turn around, wide eyed as she stared at him. He laying seductively across her bed as his tail wagged back and forth playfully. "Maybe..." She grinned. "But for now, breakfast is calling and requires us to eat it." "Oh I can think of something else I'd like to eat right now." Kami chuckled seeing confusion on her face for a moment before her whole body burned red. "KAMI! You need to quite with the innuendos. Spike might hear you, and he is still a baby!" She chastised him only to make him chuckle. "Alright spoil sport, but only until we're alone once again." He grinned, jumping from the bed and trotting up to her side. Gently rubbing up against her and nuzzling her affectionately before heading down the stairs. She trotting close behind as they made way toward the kitchen. Breakfast had been consumed quickly as the two moved on into the library to read through some of the new spell books, as well as a few of the old. That stallion had been very eager to be taught any and all of the new spells so that he could become, not only better at using magic, but now, to have the ability to take care of the pony he loved. Morning lingered on into lunch, and then lunch into dinner before the two had realized that they had spent the entire day together. Much to Twilights pleasure, they had spent that time as an intellectual group of two, learning various things from spells, to alchemy, to Equestrian history. The unicorn stallion had taken to learning everything he could from his new love to the extreme. Every word she spoke would become engraved into his thoughts so that he could pull them up at a later time when he needed them. He soaked up everything she would say like a sponge, holding onto it with every fiber of his being. To bad that was the love potion doing the work, and not his own conscious mind. As the two finished off yet another spell book, a loud gurgle brought them from their revere, and back into reality once again. "Sounds like somepony is hungry." Twilight giggled toward the stallion, he just giving a sheepish smile. "I can't help it is learning new things makes me work up an appetite." He laughed. "How about we go out for something? My treat." "Sounds good to me, but it is awful late." Twilight sighed, looking to the clock on the wall. "I'm sure there is at least one place open, come on, lets go." He chirped happily as he got up from his seat and headed toward the door. "Alright..." Twilight spoke out hesitantly, giving a nervous smile. After several minutes of trotting around, they finally came upon a small diner not far from Sugarcube Corner. It was rather small, and there were a few other ponies there, but overall, it was a nice establishment. Entering into the diner, the two took a booth in a far corner, away from prying eyes so that they could snuggle up to one another as they shared a menu to look through. After a quick glance through the menu, the two had decided on ordering the same thing, but only because Kami insisted that Twilight order first so that he could have some extra time to choose, only to order the same thing she had to look cute. After placing their order, the two began a quiet conversation. "So Twi, what are your plans for the future?" Kami asked as he looked down to her as he nosed her cheek. "The future? Well, I plan on continue studying under the Princess, in order to become a better pony." "But you're an awesome pony! How could you get any better?" Kami laughed, causing her to giggle a little. "Maybe, but I still have a lot to learn. I was chosen by the princess to be her protege when I was still a foal, and I don't plan on letting her down." She smirked. "Well, that's all well and good I guess, but what I meant was, what do you have planned for us?" He smiled warmly toward the lavender unicorn causing her eyes to go a little wide. "W-well, I don't know... If everything goes well, then maybe we could move in together, get married, maybe have a foal or two." She blushed bright rubbing her cheeks a little in embarrassment. "Now that sounds like a nice plan." He purred, leaning down a little to nibble on her neck. "Ahem." Came the voice of the waitress as she strode up to the table and began to place their orders down. "Here you two lovebirds are. Fresh from the stove." She smiled warmly to them, only to cause Twilight to burn ten shades of red as she pushed Kami away. "Th-thank you." The lavender unicorn smile sheepishly, Kami only rolling his eyes a little in annoyance. "Twi, what is up with you? It's like you don't want anypony to know we're going out. Can't I even neck with you a little in front of others? I mean, I know it makes other mares jealous, but it also shows that you're comfortable around others enough to show some affection with me." He sighed as he leaned back a little in his seat. "Kami... I am comfortable around you, but I've never done this before..." She trailed off for a moment as she levitated a fork from beside her plate and idly began to poke at her food. "It's just... new to me is all. I mean, I want us to stay together, but... Can you give me some time to adjust? Please?" Kami rolled his eyes once again giving a laugh as he nosed her cheek again. "Sure thing love, I'll go easy on the PDA until you're more comfortable. But when we get home...." He trailed off for a moment as he leaned over and began to whisper into her ear. Each word he spoke causing her eyes to go a little wider and her face to flush even brighter. "Kami!!!! Oh my Celestia!" She sputtered in disbelief. "I never imagined you to be so....." "Naughty?" He grinned playfully as he wiggled his eyebrows. "Yea, I can be that, or something else if you prefer." He purred again as he nipped her ear. "But then again, I could be anything you want, as long as it makes you happy." At this moment, Twilights heart was racing with excitement, for more reasons than one. When she first met Kami, he seemed so demur when it came to talking. In many ways, just like Fluttershy. After a few days, he had opened up a little more to show her more of his personality, and what he was like personally. Now however, he had completely obliterated all of his boundaries and showed her exactly what he was like when it came to being in a relationship, and it was nothing like she imagined. After a short time, the two had finished their meals and headed back from the diner toward the library. All along the short trip, the stallion rubbing up against the young mare and trying to get her to lighten up a little. She on the other hoof, was trying to figure out a way to make the stallion, less affectionate. She admitted to herself that she did enjoy the past twenty four hours, but now she was getting a little sick of how clingy the stallion was being. Silently cursing herself for giving the love potion to the stallion that was trying his best to arouse her as they walked along. As the two finally made it to the library, Twilight paused just outside the door as she caught Kamis attention, which at that moment, wasn't hard to do. "Kami, I really enjoyed our time together today, and last night. But I think you should head home and come by the library tomorrow." She paused, seeing the look of horror across the stallions face. "B-but Twi, I thought we.... us.... why do you want me to go home?! Don't you want me here? With you?" He sputtered in shock, his eyes at pinpoints and his breath turning a little ragged in worry. "Yes, I do want you here... But I need some time alone to think about all that we studied today, and I can't do that while you're constantly loving on me." She sighed, facehoofing. "I'll just sit to the side, I won't do anything! I'll be a statue! You won't even know I'm there!" He continued his protest, feeling panic set in. "Kami, stop it. You don't need to worry so much." She groaned. "Are you.... dumping me?!" He squeaked out as his eyes threatened to erupt into a fountain of tears. "NO! No.... I'm not dumping you. But you're being to clingy right now, and that's...." She paused as he raise his hooves waving them in front of himself quickly. "Say no more! Say no more! I completely understand. I'll see you tomorrow morning." He forced a worried smile onto his face as he turned, bolting down the path toward his home. Twilight gave a confused blink before sighing happily as she turned and went into the library for the night. Kami on the other hoof had a million questions running through his mind as he galloped full stride toward his home. It had taken the better part of ten minutes at full gallop, but Kami had reached his home and gone inside, breathing hard as he trotted into his bathroom and jumped into the shower to cool off. "Oy! I can't believe Twilight made me go home." He groaned, thinking of that sweet little lavender unicorn. "But, the sooner I get to sleep, the sooner I can wake up and be at her side in the morning." He smiled happily thinking about having a wonderful breakfast with the librarian of his dreams. No sooner had the young stallion gotten into the shower, than he had jumped out, dried off and headed to bed. The thoughts of a seductive librarian mare dancing through his head. > Chapter 16 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning was one that would plague the librarian for a lifetime. Upon asking the stallion to go home, she had forgotten one key thing that would ensure that he would remain at her beck and call for a lifetime. She had come to realize this once she had looked over the potions affects within the book that Zecora had used in order to properly make the potion. At that moment, she was galloping as fast as she could to Kamis home, praying to Celestia that the affects hadn't worn off because he had not seen her in over an hour. "Oh noooooo, this can't be good. No, strike that, this is the worst thing to ever happen to me if that stupid potion actually wore off. If it did, how in Tartarus am I going to explain myself to Kami?!" She cried as she continued to gallop. However, Kami had just woke up not long before Twilight had, and boy was he feeling weird. Well, weird would be an understatement. Downright otherworldly would put it better, no pun intended. "Oy..... what a dream...." Kami trailed off as he pulled the covers from himself to reveal a surprise left to him by the morning wood fairy. "Well then, good morning to you too." He laughed as he watched it twitch once before jumping out of bed and making his way into the bathroom. Jumping into the shower after turning the water on to the right temperature, and then giving a large yawn as he gargled some of the water before spitting it out. "That dream.... was awesome!" He chuckled as he began to wash himself thoroughly, only to pause as he sniffed the air. "What is that?" He asked as he began to sniff himself in several places, then leaning down to sniff of something that was still hanging around. "No way..." He trailed off, taking another sniff. "There just ain't no way!? Did I really..." He paused as he heard a loud banging on his front door. "Oy....." He groaned. "Hold yer horses, I'm in the shower!" He shouted as he used his magic to open the window to the bathroom so that his voice could linger. "What the..... hold your horses? I've really got to ask him about what in the world some of the sayings his world mean when I get the chance." Twilight hummed for a second before realizing that the window to his bathroom was now open, and quickly making her way over to it. "Kami, hurry up, I need to talk to you." She shouted into the bathroom only to hear a scream in return. "Dammit Twi, give a guy some privacy when he's in the shower, gees. I'll be out in a few minutes, I've gotta talk to you about this weird dream I had last night anyway, along with another dream that I've been neglecting to ask you about as well." He bellowed as he finished rinsing the soap from himself and turning the water off. Quickly pulling a towel to himself and drying off, he pulled the shower curtain open to see Twilight staring silently at him from outside the bathroom window. "And now you're a peeping tom..... ARE YOU INSANE?!" He yelled causing her to erupt into a bright shade of red and disappear below the window. "SORRY! Sorry, it's just that.... well... I wanted to see you this morning about...." "About something that you've apparently done to me?" He asked as he trotted over to the window, sticking his head out of it and looking down to the now cowering unicorn. "Done to you? I don't know what you're talking about, eh heh." She laughed nervously as she tapped her forehooves together. "Uh huh, I may be from the country love, but I'm no push over." He grumbled to her as he quickly teleported outside to next to her. "Now then, I'm going to ask you a question, and I expect an honest answer. If ah gotta get AJ to come over here and tell her to watch ya to make sure yer telling the truth, I will." He glared slightly toward her only to make her gulp. The stallion quietly walked around the corner of the house, slowly being followed by his lavender friend. Once they arrived in front of the house he paused, taking a seat on the porch. "Now then, I had what seemed like an incredibly lucid dream last night. It was about the two of us, being a little more than a couple. I could have sworn I even smelled...... nevermind that, I'll find out if that much is true in time." He smirked. For now though, I want to know something. Was that dream an actual dream, or was it reality? Did we actually...." He trailed off giving his whithers a nervous rub. "Kami.... what in the world are you talking about?" She asked, trying to play it off as a dream. "I have no clue what you're referring to." "Mmm hmm." He glared slightly seeing her nervous demeanor. "Let's go to Applejacks, then we can straighten this out." He snorted as he got to his hooves and began to walk away from his home. "WAIT...... wait." She sighed. "Fine.... yes.... I did do something.... and I'm not proud of it...." She slowly lay down onto the porch of his home, staring toward the ground as she heard him stop at her words. "Kami... I maaaaay have given you a little.... love potion. To help speed up the process of us getting together." She tapped her hooves together nervously, glancing up to see that he had turned around and was heading back to in front of her. After a few moments of continuing to look down, Kamis hooves had planted themselves in the edge of her vision, causing her to scrunch her eyes shut for a moment, not daring to look up at the stallion standing before her. "So then.... everything I thought was a dream...." "Was real... even you spending the night with me at the library." She sighed, rubbing her cheeks as she began to blush. "And I loved every moment of it... You opened up and showed me exactly who you were on the inside. The pony that not even Applejack knows." She smiled as she raised her vision to his, but pausing upon seeing the look of anger and betrayal plastered across his face. "Twilight.... I.... I am honestly stunned, and believe it or not, furious. I can't believe you would stoop so low as to do something like that. I mean, I looked up to you. Being so intelligent, and book smart...." He trailed of giving a loud sigh. "But I guess you don't have one thing that I value in a possible spouse." He gave a saddened smile as he looked into her eyes. "Common sense." As he spoke those last two words, Twilights demeanor quickly changed from being submissive and nervous, to something unexpected. "WHAT?!" She shouted as she quickly stood up, getting right in Kamis face. "No common sense?! Are you bucking insane?! The princess hoof picked me to be her student! Saying that to me is an insult to the princess as well!" She spat. "Twi, I'm only going to say this once... leave. I don't know if I can forgive you, but I can guarantee one thing... I'm not going to be your stallion anytime soon." You could hear the lavender unicorns heart shatter at that very moment as those words hit her like a ton of bricks. Her look of anger changed to hurt as her eyes began to well up as she spoke. "B-but.... you were... my first...... I thought that if you.... and I..... why? Why can't you just love me? Discord went to all that trouble to find the perfect pony for me.... and you're it....." "Why? Oh I don't know. Maybe because you betrayed my trust, got impatient, and then put me under a spell against my will just so that I could please you, and only you?! You were just unwilling to work for something because you had competition and were losing. You wanted to take a shortcut, got caught, and now you lost." He bellowed causing her to sob. "I'm done with you now. Maybe in time you'll come to understand what you've done and come to terms with reality." He sighed. "Go home, I'll come by and talk to you again, in time." He sighed once more as he trotted away, leaving the lavender unicorn to sob quietly on his doorstep. XXX "Really?!" Applejack sputtered in shock. "Well now that explains why ya'll didn't even come by teh say hi the other day. Ya'll usually come by fer at least a lil abuse." She snickered seeing him roll his eyes. "I do love being abused by a certain orange pony." He smirked back. "Well then, how'bout we get teh work in the orchard. Then ah can start the abuse." She chuckled. "All that berating from you about how to buck a tree properly does sound appealing after what I had teh go through yesterday." He laughed as they headed out of the farmhouse and toward the orchard. "Uh-huh, sounds more like ya'll had a good'ol time in the sack with Twi." She grinned seeing him blush brightly. "Uh..... yea.... I wasn't myself, so you can't pin that one on me." "Awright, well, at least ah know one thang." She smirked, giving him a wink. "And that would be?" "Now ah know ya ain't a slouch in bed from what ya told me." She laughed, trotting ahead of the now deep purple unicorn stallion who was blushing far harder than he had ever done before. "I swear AJ, I don't know whether to think yer flirting with me, or berating me sometimes. Doesn't matter much though." He chuckled as he caught up to her. "Why not? am ah losing mah touch? Do ah gotta act all booksmart and put on some glasses? Cause it ain't happenin." She drolled out as they arrived into the orchard. "Nah, you know I like the berating, that's why you keep doing it." Applejack paused in her stride, letting the stallion trot by her and see the blush she was sporting. "Heh, guess ya caught me." She chuckled nervously. "Anyway, ya'll er avoiding talkin bout Twi now. What ya'll plan teh do?" She asked as they finally approached the first tree that needed bucking. "Well, considering she betrayed my trust, put me under a spell, had her way with me, then was too stupid to realize that I would come out of the spell since she didn't research it thoroughly enough, only to catch her in the act. I think I'll avoid her for the remainder of my time here in this world." He furrowed his brow in though, finally coming to the conclusion that the librarin was far too interested in getting what she wanted rather than anything he may have wanted. "Awright, then ah guess that means." AJ began but paused as Kami turned to her giving a wink. "You won the fight cow-girl." He chuckled, only to pause as a set of lips met his. After a few moments they separated giving a little pant, staring into each others eyes for a short time. Until AJ chuckled that is. "What's so funny?" "Ah been waitin teh do that fer a while now. And maybe something else if'n ya ain't still gonna be a prude 'bout it." She glared slightly only to watch as he laughed. "If yer going to be that forward, then I only have one question. Where do you want me?" He chuckled, only to stop as she pounced. "Right here's jes fine." She hummed, kissing him hard. > Chapter 17 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So tell me again why we're hiding in the bushes?" Kami asked as AJ placed a hoof over his mouth and giggled like a filly. Kami pushing her hoof away for a moment to continue. "And right outside yer house too." He spoke out in a gruff whisper. "Because its fun and ah know mah brother'll come outside teh see what all the noise is about." She giggled again as she peeked through the bushes toward the front porch. After having their fun in the orchard, the two had decided that they were in the mood for a little prank war. Big Macintosh had previously pranked his eldest sister earlier in the week by trading out her shampoo for an enchanted one that would change her mane and coat colors at random when she did something out of character. It would only stay that way for about an hour, but she would get some stares from everypony in the mean time. Currently her mane was a jet black and her coat a pristine white. Which, to Kamis delight, made him love up on her a little more. "Ah swear Kami, quite it! It's like ya'll are getting antsy again er sumthin." "Can't help it, that long black mane, those emerald green eyes. I may like blondes...." He purred. "But seeing you as a brunette, it hurts me so good!" He chuckled, pulling her to him as he began to nibble along her neck making her giggle louder. "Whut in the world is all that noise?!" Big Macintosh bellowed from inside the house as he began walking to the door. "Stop it, stop stop! Here he comes!" AJ spoke in a shouting whisper, shoving the unicorn to the side and almost out of the bush they were hiding inside. The two paused, watching silently as Big Macintosh stepped out of the front door and into view before pulling a string that was attached to a bucket just above the door, sending its contents onto the stallion below. The two continued watching as Big Mac was suddenly covered in blue flowers, then watching him begin to freak out as he ran back into the house in a panic. As soon as he was inside, Applejack busted out laughing. Kami, sat there, perplexed as to why his new mare friend would think that pelting somepony with blue flowers, was apparently funny. "You know AJ, you never told me why this was considered a prank. I mean, blue flowers? What's the point in dumping flowers on him?" "Well, ya see. That there flower is called poison joke, an it plays a prank on the pony that touches it. A while back, me and the girls got inteh some of it by accident. It made me shrink down teh the size of an apple. The girls had other weird stuff happen to'em too." Kami blinked a couple of times before furrowing his brow in disbelief. "What?! You have got to be pulling my leg! So what does it do to yer brother?" He asked, clearly curious as to what could happen to the stallion they had just pranked. "Come on inside an ya'll will see... er.... hear rather." She chuckled as they stepped out of the bush and headed inside. Once inside they could hear the shower running hard upstairs, and made their way up to listen carefully. After about ten minutes the water turned off as the clip clop of hooves sounded off, signalling that Big Macintosh was stepping out of the shower and drying off. Another minute passed before AJ tapped on the door for a second. "Hey big brother, *Snicker* Ya'll awright in there." She sputtered slightly, trying to hold in the laugh that was desperately trying to escape her. "Ya'll better run, cause ahm gonna buck ya'll upside the head when ah get ahold of ya." Came a shrill voice from inside, causing AJ to bust out laughing so hard she fell over. Kami on the other hoof, snickered slightly upon hearing the tone of voice that was now escaping the red stallion within. "Oh my God..... her sounds just like...." He paused as the door erupted open, revealing a very angry looking stallion. "Sounds like whut!?" He shouted in the shrill voice only to cause AJ to laugh as she bolted down the stairs from her brother. Kami began laughing as he finished. "Just like Pee Wee Herman!" He laughed loudly. "Oh God, I'm going to die!" He laughed so hard he fell over holding his gut. All the time, Big Macintosh glaring at him. "Oh yer gonna pay fer this!" The red stallion bellowed as he bolted after his eldest sister, hurdling the youngest as he skidded into the wall at the top of the stairs, then bolting down them after a cackling Applejack. "Whut in the world?" Applebloom spoke out in slight shock as she ducked under her brother as he jumped over her, then peeking through the banister to watch as he ran after AJ out the door. "Why is mah brother chasing sis?" The filly asked as she trotted over to the now slightly laughing unicorn stallion as he was getting to his hooves. "Oy, heh heh, we dropped a bunch of poison joke on'im, now he sounds hilarious." Kami continued laughing, only to pause as a set of small hooves met his shin, causing him to fall over in pain. "AAAAHHH! OW! GOD! WHY?!" He yelled as he glared at the filly. "Serves ya right fer pickin on mah brother." She huffed. "Apples take up fer one another, and it don't matter how big ya are, ah'll buck ya upside the head!" She nodded, glaring a hole through the stallion. "Take it easy kid, it was just a joke. Applejack said there was a cure for it earlier, so it's no big deal." He groaned, rubbing his shin with his other foreleg, attempting to rub away the sting of the buck he had just received. "That may be, but it ain't right teh pick on Big Mac. What if'n ya'll got hit with that there poison joke huh? Doubt ya'll'd be happy then." She huffed again, turning and heading down the stairs. Kami sat there in silence for a moment as he mulled over what the affects of the poison joke would be on himself. Looking through the banister to the front door below, he noticed that the blue flowers were still laying in the spot they had fallen, just outside the door. "Well.... AJ did say there was a cure." He smiled nervously. "I wonder what it would do to me...." He trailed off thinking about what his mare friend had told him about what had happened to her friends. "Let's see..." He began to speak to himself as he walked down the stairs toward the flowers laying on the front porch. "Upside down wings, shrinking, fat tongue, wild hair, floppy horn with semi-useless magic, voice change, and they seem to have the same affect on the pony each time they come in contact with poison joke." He paused looking at the flowers on the porch as he stood in the door way to the farm house. "Move yer flank Kami!" AJ yelled as she continued laughing, looking back to see her brother still chasing her. She turned back just in time to jump over her colt friend as he ducked while still in the door way. "Watch it, you almost, OOF!" He began to protest only to pause as he was plowed over by the red stallion chasing Applejack. The two tumbled over one another several times through the door, onto the porch, through the poison joke, and right off the edge of the porch into the dirt, still covered in the blue flowers. "Owwwww." Came a feminine voice from the dust as it began to settle. "Couldn't you have just jumped... over... me?" Kami trailed off as he listened to himself talk, or rather, herself now. "Ya'll got teh be kidding meh!" Big Macintosh began to chuckle as he pulled himself off the mare that he had plowed into. Dusting herself off, Kami began to look herself over, peering down and between her legs to verify what she was indeed, what she thought she was. "Dammit!" Kami yelled as she shook a hoof at the sky for no reason. "Are ya done chasing meh now big brother?" AJ chuckled as she trotted up to the two, pausing as she noticed that the pony standing next to him looked like her colt friend, but seemed a little off. "Kami, ya'll awright..." She trailed off as she trotted up to them, staring wide eyed at the mare that had taken her colts place. "I will be once I get my....." He paused seeing Applebloom come out onto the porch. "Once I'm a stallion again!" He finished, turning red in the face. "Pffft!" Came a muffled laughed from the filly as she covered her mouth with a hoof. "Oh come on, don't you start laughing at me!" Kami began to protest, only to get all three of them to laugh at his plight. XXX A short time passed as the stallion turned mare, made her way into town with Applejack and Big Macintosh. The two farmers giving the unicorn some playful banter as they trudged along toward the spa. "This has got teh be the funniest thang ah've seen in years." Applejack chortled as they trotted along. Kami giving an annoyed sigh as she lowered her head, showing said annoyance. "Yea, this is an absolute blast." Kami groaned, but began to smile slightly as the spa came into view just down the street. "But all of that is about to change, seeing as the spa is just a few strides away." She chuckled. "Oh come on now, being a mare ain't that bad." Applejack began to berate the she stallion. "Ya'll got it easy as a stallion. Ya get teh pick any mare ya want, an they're throwing themselves at ya. Heck, ah'd be a stallion if'n it was that easy teh just up'n switch like ya'll did." At that comment, Kami couldn't help but raise a brow toward her marefriend. Was it really that bad in this world when trying to find the opposite sex to be with? He would have to find out many of the specifics when she had the chance to look them up. For now, however, she was about to go into the spa to have this dreadful joke removed from her body. As the three trotted into the spa, Kami couldn't help but pause and look around at the ornate building. It was a serene scene to behold. The fixtures were all made of an eleborately chiseled marble. A large open fountain was in the middle of the front room while many of the other fixtures or statues looked to be a mixture of marble and limestone pressed together in segments. There was even a doorway that seemed to be made of a clear looking gem that glowed softly. "Ah said, ya'll awright sugarcube?" Applejack bellowed for the fifth time in front of Kami, knocking her from her reverie. "Huh, Oh, sorry, I was looking around at all of the decor. I don't think I've ever been in such a beautiful shop before, kinda takes yer breath away at first glance." She chucked, feeling a little nervous about how much this cure was going to be to remove the poison joke. As the two talked for a moment, Big Macintosh took it upon himself to give the little bell a ring at the front counter. "Welcome, welcome! Oh, Big Macintosh, it has been a while since we have seen you." Lotus beamed toward the red stallion as he rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, the usual?" Aloe asked as she gave a soft giggle, only to pause as the stallion gave a nod. "Wait... the usual? So I take it this happens to you a lot?" Kami asked as she trotted up to his side. "And what is this? Do we have a mare with you today?" Lotus glared slightly toward Kami, and then back to the farmer. "Well, if you mean that I can join him to get the cure for poison joke, then sure." Kami smirked. "But other than that, no, I'm not with him." Aloe and Lotus paused, looking to one another and then back to the dark blue mare before them as they spoke in unison. "So you need a poison joke cure all as well?" "Yep." "But we do not see anything wrong with you." Aloe began. "And your voice sounds fine, unlike a certain stallions." Lotus finished causing them both to giggle. "Well..." Kami began, feeling a pang of worry spread through his gut as he was about to divulge what had happened. "The poison joke turned mah stallion inteh this here mare." Applejack quickly spat out, causing her to gawk in disbelief. At this, the two spa ponies looked to one another with a slightly saddened expression before turning back to the small group in front of them. "Poison joke..." Lotus trailed off as her sister picked up. "We are very sorry, but we have run out of the ingredients to make the cure for poison joke." "It will be a week before we can get another batch in." "We are very sorry!" Both of the spa ponies gave a slight bow to their customers, both of which were gawking in disbelief at the information they had just been given. > Chapter 18 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A whole week?!" Kami squeaked out as she trotted alongside her marefriend, Big Macintosh trotting behind the two as they headed back toward the farm. The spa twins had divulged to the two poison joke victims that their order had been delayed by a week due to some unforseen circumstances in Canterlot. This, would prove to put some serious strain on the two for multiple reasons. The first would be because they wouldn't be able to act like they normally would... Well, this played more on Kamis part than Big Macintosh, considering the red stallion hardly ever spoke more than a few words in a day. Kami had been completely changed though, as his body had transformed into that of a mare. Although the stallion turned mare didn't mind the change that much, he..... er, she, would now have some strain in her relationship with Applejack, as the two were now more intimate with one another as a couple. Seeing as now he was now a she, things didn't seem to lean in her favor. The small group continued on down the dirt path, idly talking to one another, however, that would slowly change as Kami had an uneasy feeling creeping over her. Applejack was quick to pick up on this as she spoke up. "Something bothering ya sugarcube? Ya seem a little pensive." She chuckled toward her marefriend as she watched the blue unicorns head swivel back and forth several times, looking into the brush along the path. "I dunno, it's just one of those feelings, ya know? Like I'm being watched for some reason." She groaned, still watching the bushes as they trotted closer to the farm. "Like someone's watching ya huh?" AJ smirked, then snapping her vision back to her brother, catching the stallion staring at the blue unicorns flank before quickly looking away when he was caught. "Ah wonder who it could be.... sneaking about and looking ya up'n'down like ah fine apple." AJ snickered watching her brothers eyes go a little wide as she turned her head to the front again. "I don't know, but it's giving me the chills." Kami shuddered, making her fur stand on end, which made her seem a little more fluffy than before. "Maybe it's a stallion, sneaking a peek at ya from the bushes." AJ snickered, nodding to said bushes alongside the path. "Well, I can always blast those bushes with magic to make them come out." Kami grinned as her horn lit up. "What kinda spell ya plan on using?" Big Mac asked as he trotted up a little closer. "Oh, I dunno.... How about a LIGHTNING BOLT!" She shouted as a crack of electricity erupt from her horn, then striking the bush in a powerful arch, sending both Big Macintosh and Applejack jumping away from the unicorn. Kami stood there with her horn smoking from the spell, a smirk spread across her face as she looked to the bushes where the lightning bolt had struck. AJ and Big Mac coming back up to her side cautiously as they listened to the bush for a moment, hearing a soft rustling. "Wait, I think somepony is actually in there!" AJ spoke out in surprise as she rushed over peeking into the bushes to see a rainbow tail sticking out, frizzled beyond recognition and smoking. "RAINBOW! What in tarnation?!" AJ spat as she bit down onto the pegasus' tail and pulled her from the bush still twitching. "Ow that smarts." Rainbow groaned as she twitched a little more as several small bolts of electricity kept jumping over her frame. "Wha..... Rainbow! What the hell were you doing in the bushes spying on us?!" Kami yelled at the pegasus as she attempted to get to her hooves but fell over twitching even more. "I... was going to pull a prank on you... but now I can't move! What did you hit me with?! That wasn't any ordinary lightning bolt." She groaned, finally laying still for a moment and taking a deep breath to calm herself. "It was a stun spell I learned from Twilight. It renders the being it's cast on immobile until a counter spell is cast, or they don't try to move for at least thirty seconds. It gives the caster enough time to take them out, or run away." Kami stated as her horn began to glow, sending out another beam of magic onto the pegasus to counter the spell she had just cast. "Well now that would come in handy if the need called for it." AJ chuckled, watching the pegasus slowly get to her hooves. "Especially against a large opponent that you know you can't beat. I would rather run from a bad fight than to stay and try my luck. I may look like a coward in the end, but it's better than getting killed." Kami sighed. "Besides, I got lucky anyway, I wasn't even aiming at anything other than the bush, and from the looks of it." Kami stated as she help the pegasus up. "It looks like I barely hit Rainbow anyway." She said as she pointed a hoof to a small burned patch of fur on the pegasus' shoulder. "That was brutal." Rainbow groaned as she began stretching herself out, still feeling some slight numbness in her muscles. "I've never been hit with that spell before, and I've gotten into a lot of fights with a bunch of unicorns before. Heh, if they had used that on me, I would have lost right from the start." "Either way, I don't like using it, and had I known you were in there, I would have just cast a sting spell instead." Kami chuckled. "Ouch, no thank you!" Rainbow cringed. "Sting spells hurt more depending on how much magic you put into them. Put too much and you could really hurt somepony." "Ah, I didn't know that. So if I put more than an eighth of my total reserve into the spell, it could really hurt them huh?" She asked, only to pause upon seeing Rainbows shocked face. "An eighth?! Yer kidding right?! Even from a weak unicorn, that could put somepony in the hospital. When a unicorn casts a sting spell, they use as little power as possible because it affects the whole body of the pony it's cast on. Geez, I'm a pegasus and I know that much. Of course it doesn't help that Twilight is always spouting off some magic mumbo jumbo when I'm at the library getting the new Daring Do books." She groaned, rolling her eyes. "So how much magic should I use with a sting spell?" Kami asked, clearly curious. "How about this, you cast the sting spell on yourself with as little magic as you can put in it, then you tell me." She smirked seeing Kami mull over that idea. She stopped smirking though as Kamis horn lit up and she looked back to her flank. "WAIT! I WAS JUST KIDDING!" She managed to get out only to watch as the beam of magic left the unicorns horn and hit her own flank. The blue unicorn let out a shriek of pain before falling over onto the dirt path, out cold. The others just staring at her in disbelief. Of course that was until Rainbow felt a hoof hit the back of her head. "Ya idgit! Ya'll know he's dumb'nough teh do something like that. What's wrong with you girl?!" AJ groaned out as she went over and began to shake the fallen mare that lay in the dirt path. "I didn't think the idiot would actually cast that spell on herself. How the hay was I supposed to know?!" She attempted to defend herself, only to groan out in annoyance. "Kami! Kami, are ya'll ok?!" AJ spoke out as she shook the unicorn in her hooves. "Ow ow ow ow and fucking OW that hurt!" She hissed, cringing in pain as she came too. "At least now I know that spell is seriously dangerous when used. I wouldn't hit anypony with that now even if they asked me to." She sighed, sitting upright and shaking her head to clear the fog. "How much magic did you actually use in that spell?" Rainbow asked. "About a thousandth of my current capacity. Why?" She asked, rubbing the spot that she hit. The three sat there in stunned silence as they stared at the unicorn. "Well, if a thousandth can knock you out from the pain, then any more might seriously hurt somepony." Rainbow spoke in horror. "Guess I'd better avoid using that then." She chuckled back. "Still though, I need to ask you again Rainbow, What were you doing spying on us?" Kami asked again as she gave her a sideways glance, making her stiffen up a little. "Well, I was going to prank you, But I didn't know that you had already been pranked, so I was going to head back home and wait a while, you know, considering yer a mare now from that poison joke." She chuckled nervously. "Wait, how did you know I got hit with poison joke?" Kami asked in surprise. "It's obvious." She deadpanned. "When I saw you before, your coat and mane are the only color combination on a pony I have ever seen. Nopony else in Equestria has that pattern, and I should know, because I've seen a lot. The only other that comes close is some stallion in Manehatten, but he has a white and pink streak in his mane, and acts like a mare." She chuckled. "Thanks.... I think." Kami smirked, cocking a brow. "Anyway, we're heading back to the farm Rainbow. Ya kin prank Kami later, cause right now, we need teh have a chat." Applejack stated, furrowing her brow toward the mare at her side. "Oh boy, and from the tone I think it will be all too pleasant." Kami groaned. After splitting up, the farm duo and unicorn headed back toward the farm while Rainbow headed back into town. Big Macintosh would head into the kitchen to help Applebloom start supper, while Applejack and Kami went up to her room to have a little talk. As the unicorn walked into the room and took a seat on her marefriends bed, AJ closed and locked the door behind them, causing Kami to feel a little alarmed. "Ok..... um, AJ, why did you lock us inmmmmmMMMMPH!" The mare was halted as Applejack quickly kissed her, pulling back after a few seconds to smirk at her shocked expression. "Now listen you, ah don't know what ya'll might think, but ah still love ya, even if yer a mare right now." AJ quickly stated as she pulled her stetson from her head and placed it on the shocked mare before her. "Uh...... I..... well......... um......" She stuttered, trying to find the words to express what had just happened to her. "Before ya ask, yea, ah had a marefriend before because ah couldn't find a stallion fer a while. It was short lived, but we left on good terms. So don't'spect fer me teh see ya stay like this, ya hear?" AJ spat, only causing Kami to nod with fervor. "I understand, but.... AJ...." She trailed off looking a little uneasy. "I have to admit something.... that.... was... kinda hot." She spoke out with a sheepish grin. "Yea, ah kin tell." She chuckled as she nodded toward Kamis tail, which was twitching a lot behind her. "Wait... I remember seeing your tail.... do that.... right before we...." She trailed off again as a blush slowly began to encase her body. "Eeyup, ya'll know when a mare is antsy when her tail's ah twitchin." AJ chuckled, only to bust out laughing as Kami pulled her tail between her legs and held it to her chest to attempt to hide said twitches. "That's not funny AJ." Kami spat, puffing out her cheeks in embarrassment. "Ah beg teh differ sugarcube." She continued chuckling softly. "Ya'll dunno how hard it is teh keep that thang from twitching at times, specially when a mare goes inteh season. "Well, thankfully I won't have to be a mare long enough for that to happen." Kami groaned out, falling over onto the bed. "Yea, cause ah know a couple stallions this happened to before that didn't get the cure soon enough. They had their first heat, got knocked up, then had teh have the foal before they could be turned back." "WHAT?!" Kami shouted in complete shock. "You're kidding me right?! That doesn't even sound remotely possible!" "Nope, it's a rare thang teh happen, but it has happened. Kinda funny though when they have a kid an turn back. The foal usually calls'em mama." AJ snickered. "Wouldn't that be funny, mama Kami." "UGH!" Kami groaned out, falling back onto the bed. "Yea, that would be freaking hilarious! Just don't go turning into a stallion anytime soon. There is no way I could stand getting knocked up." "Bah! Don't you worry non. It takes ah spell or poison joke teh turn a mare inteh ah stallion. An ah don't know anypony that can do that, cept Twi." She paused as the two looked to one another in worry. "I guess that means you need to stay close to the farm, just in case she wants to do something that we may both regret." Kami chuckled worriedly. "Yea, ah think that's best." AJ smiled nervously back. > Chapter 19 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It had been a couple days since Twilight had seen Kami, but on a recent trip from the library, the unicorn had discovered that her former lover had been transformed into a mare through poison joke. Although the information was somewhat pleasing to hear, considering now that the element of honesty wouldn't be able to have any fun with him, It was also quite disturbing. In the past, the unicorn had heard stories about stallions and mares alike, being turned into the opposite gender through the dreaded blue flower. Although funny at the time, it had turned into a nightmare once the stallions turned mares had gotten pregnant, and couldn't be turned back into their original form until they had bared the foal. Mares turned stallions however, had the rare chance to become a father at the time, in which some did. Over all, the information had caused the lavender unicorn to look back at the information so that she could use it to her advantage. Although she would have to go against some of her morals with being with a mare, she knew that the stallion she loved was still inside, and would soon be free from his poison joke prison. As the unicorn sat quietly in her office within the library, she mulled over different ways in which she could win the stallion turned mares trust once again. She had already lost his trust through forcing him to love her through a love potion, not to mention him being her first time lover. However, she would not be deterred. She would have him, one way, or another, but the only question that would run through her mind was... "How?! How am I going to get Kami to come back to me? From what I found out from him before, I could use that information to somehow make Applejack feel insecure around him. But what if it backfires and she wants him even more?! Ohhhhh, what am I going to do?!" She groaned, rubbing her face with her hooves to try and think of something, anything, that could put her back in Kamis good graces. "I don't want to risk turning Applejack into a stallion and then Kami getting knocked up. That would ruin everything all in its own." She hummed. "So what could I do?" She continued thinking over everything for several hours, up until something finally clicked within her mind. Something she could play out and grab the unicorns attention without fail. Letting a sly smile creep across her face, she quickly spoke out. "Hey Discord!" Within a few seconds the draconequus appeared in a flash of light. "Well now, it isn't often that I am summoned by a certain unicorn." He chuckled only to make her roll her eyes and sigh. "Discord, I need a favor." She asked, causing the God of Chaos to cock a brow. "Really now, and what, pray tell, is in it for me?" He asked, crossing his arms and taking a seat on the floor. "You get to cause some chaos through me." She spoke out bluntly, furrowing her brow. The draconequus gave a semi-shocked expression as he continued to stare at the lavender mare in disbelief. Then giving a sly grin as he began. "Alright then, but exactly how much are we talking about here? A little, a lot, somewhere between a flying pig and a singing elephant?" He chuckled. "Well, it all depends on how well my plan plays out." She began, garnering the Gods attention. "You said before that Kami was a human, and you turned him into a pony, correct?" She asked seeing Discord nod. "Ok then, I want you to show me some images of the male and female human species so I can attempt a transformation spell that might be able to turn me into the female of his original species." She smirked seeing the draconequus beam. "Oh goody! I do believe I am going to enjoy watching him bug out upon seeing a human female in this world." He snickered as he waved a paw, summoning several magazines with various females of the human species within them. After a few minutes of looking through the magazines, Twilight had researched enough of them to figure out exactly what she should look like. Although perfecting the transformation may take several times, she would, in the end, have a very powerful weapon at her disposal. XXX Kami and Applejack lay silently in bed, giving a contented sigh each as they stared into each others eyes. Although hesitant at first, Kami gradually came to find that, being a mare, was as bad as it seemed. In fact, he was considering turning into a mare again in the near future. "Wow..... just... wow." Is all she could say, causing the apple farmer to laugh softly. "So that's what a multiple orgasm feels like." He sighed, giving a yawn. "Dang, and now I'm worn out." She continued to laugh through a shuddering yawn. "Yea, t'ain't a bad thing now is it sugarcube?" AJ asked seeing her marefriend shake his head. "I just wish it was possible for males. If it was, then I'd probably pass out from over exertion." He chuckled. "Yea, well, don't get used to it. Ya'll'er gonna turn back inteh a stallion if'n ah gotta toss ya into a vat of the poison joke cure mahself. Just cause ah don't fooled around with ya now, don't mean am a filly fooler. Ah grew outta that a while back, an ah'd like teh start a family in the future." She paused, blushing heavily as she twiddle her forehooves. "Ah mean, ya know, if'n ya would want teh." She meekly said, looking up to the stallion turned mare with her emerald green eyes. "Hey, I'd love to have a family in the future. But it'll have to wait a while. I don't want to rush into something like that." He smiled, nosing the orange earthpony that lay next to her in bed. "Good, cause ah dunno what ah'd do if ya'll wanted teh stay a mare." She groaned, rolling her eyes. "I think you could come up with some ideas." She snickered back. "Maybe, but ah'd rather have a stallion." She smirked back, pressing a hoof to her cheek playfully. As Kami was about to speak up once again, there came a knock at the bedroom door, startling the two and causing them to quickly leave the bed. "Yea?" AJ yelled to the one knocking. "Hey, uh, Kami....." Big Mac spoke up, causing the blue unicorn to cock a brow. "Yes?" "Uh, Twi is downstairs, she wants teh talk to ya bout something." He spoke out in a perplexed tone, only to cause the two ponies within the room to look to one another in question for a moment. "Alright, tell her I'll be right down." He stated, only to cause Applejack to give him a small glare. "Don't give me that look, She may have wrong me, but she may have come here to try and make amends." She spat quickly as she walked toward the door and headed out of the room, AJ hot on her heels. "Still, ah don't like the fact that she tried teh make you her slave through some stupid potion. Ah mean, what if'n she succeeded and ya'll were still under that spell?" She groaned out thinking of how lonely she would be right now if Kami had stayed with Twilight. "Still, it was to be expected, considering the fact that stallions are a rare thing in this world. Plus, Discord did bring me here for her originally, so I've got to give her at least the benefit of the doubt." He sighed as the two finally made it downstairs, AJ bumping into Kami as she abruptly stopped in her path. "Whaaaaa........." Was all that left Kamis mouth as she staired silently at the being sitting on the couch before her. "Hey there." Twilight smiled, waving a hand toward the two. "Thought I'd come by and show you how my transformation magic works." Kami stood there in complete awe upon seeing Twilight as a human. Just glancing over her frame, he would notice perfection to its greatest quality. Silky smooth looking skin, long hair that reach down to her waist, deep purple eyes to almost perfectly match her hair. A pair of tight fitting jeans that basically formed to her body, along with a sports bra that fell smoothly around two very large breasts that were begging to be set free. Applejack, on the other hoof, was starting to fume and glare toward Twilight as she watched Kamis tail begin to twitch so bad that it looked as if it were wagging just like Wononas. "There is a God." Kami spoke out in a squeak as he slowly trotted over toward the human to get a better look. "Yes, I transformed into a human female, before you ask. It wasn't that hard, in fact, I can teach you the same spell to turn back into your human form as well, if you're interested." She purred, running a finger between Kamis eyes and down her snout, over the tip of her nose playfully. "Heh, I'd..... I'd like that." She giggled out in a lovestruck tone. "But then ya wouldn't be able teh use magic." AJ piped up catching both of their attentions. "Well, if you do the spell right, you'll be able to still use magic. I can still do it, even without a horn in this form." Twilight grinned as she raised a hand, pointing toward a lamp next to the table at the end of the couch and giving it a little flick, causing the lamp to lift upward off of it. "See? Not so hard once you get used to it." She grinned. "Anyway, Kami, I was wondering if we could try things over once again, and this time, I'll actually try to work for your affection, rather than try to steal it like before." She pouted, lowering her head and looking away pitifully. "I.... I guess we could try again. But no promises about staying together, not until I feel as if you aren't trying to just capture me and hold me against my will or something." He glared slightly toward her only to make her give a meek smile. "I understand. So don't worry about a thing. I'll be as normal as any other pony, and won't use spells to gain an advantage by trying to ensnare your mind under my will." "Good." She chuckled. "AJ, any input?" She asked, looking back to the farmer. "Well, ah don't right trust'er after that last stunt. But she's still mah friend, and ah guess it'd be awright, if'n it is with you." She smiled warmly toward her marefriend, getting one in return. "Alright then, shall we go?" She asked causing AJ to gawk a little. "Wait, ya mean right now? Ah figgered ya'd wait til yer at least a stallion again." She sputtered. "Well, I can, unless Twilight feels that now is a good time." She smile back to the human before leaning over quickly to whisper into Applejacks ear. "There's a less likely chance she could do anything to me while infected with poison joke, remember that book Zecora showed us? Transformation spells and the like won't work on me until it's removed. So that means..." She trailed off as AJ picked up. "That she won't have as good a chance teh win yer affection. But why ya'll doing that?" "Because I honestly don't trust her anymore, I'm only doing this to let her down gently, despite what she did. She deserves that much at least." She sighed, turning back to Twilight and smiling. "Ready?" "Of course!" Twilight smiled brightly as the two headed out the door, the farmer just giving a sigh and shaking her head as she watched them walk off. "Ah sure hope ya know what yer doing sugarcube, cause if ah know one thang, it's that Twi won't give up so easy, even if ya'll don't trust'er no more." > Chapter 20 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the two headed back down the path toward Ponyville, Twilight began to pick up the conversation once again. Although it would be a long and hard path to take, she would be willing to do almost anything in order to garner the stallion turned mares attention once again. "So... this transformation magic really isn't that hard. I feel kinda bad that I didn't get to show you this sooner. I mean, turning into various species is fun when you know how to do it properly." She chuckled softly, grinning down to the pony at her side. "Yea, I can tell you're having a ball teasing me." She grinned back slyly, only to make Twilight sputter slightly, stumbling for a moment in shock. "W-what?! What do you mean teasing you?!" She squeaked, catching herself before almost falling to the ground. "Come on Twi, I may not be human anymore, but that doesn't mean I can't tell that you're trying to sway my interest by turning into..." She trailed off as she stare at Twilights frame for a moment, then looking away upon feeling her tail twitching. "Turning into what?" Twilight grinned upon seeing the unicorns discomfort. "Well..." She trailed off. "Do you want an honest answer?" She asked, giving a gulp. Twilight placed her hand on her hips, cocking a brow while tapping her foot impatiently. "I guess that's a yes." She sighed. "Honestly, you are probably the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life." She looked away feeling her face burning ten shades of red. Twilight on the other hand, was standing there burning forty shades of red. "Really?" Twilight squeaked out again, only to see Kami nod from the side. 'Yes! I knew I could do it! Those magazines really did provide the best pictures possible to help me make this form. Now then, all I need to do is reel him in.' Twilight grinned slyly to herself as her hands reached up to the bottom of her tube top. "I still don't understand why humans wear clothing all the time though, I mean, this thing called a tube top is very confining." She gave a grunt, tugging the clothing from her then giving a relieved sigh. "That's better, I can breathe so much better now." She purred out, looking down to the mare at her side, only to pause as she noticed the mares horn lit up with magic and her tail sticking straight up in the air behind her. Sparks erupted from the tip of her horn as her mouth hung open, her entire body shaking violently for a few seconds, then as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Kami stood there, mouth hung open, eyes rolled back into her head, and her tail standing at full attention behind her, then, before Twilight could react. *THUD* Kami hit the ground like a ton of bricks, a stupid grin plastered across her face as the lay there silently. 'Wow, I didn't think he was so susceptible to human female wiles.' She giggled. 'Then again, I could really use this to my advantage, considering Applejack can't turn into anything without the express aid of another unicorn.... But I won't let Kami know about that.' She giggled evilly, knowing her chances to have Kami return to her had just been quintupled. Giving the unconscious unicorn a nudge, Twilight couldn't help but giggle upon seeing Kamis tail still twitching violently behind her. Although it was something she knew all too well about, she would try to keep the little detail to herself, you know, for possible blackmail in the future. Most mares in todays society would usually have a spell cast on them in order to keep the twitching under control. However, many other mares that are of the earth pony breed, such as Applejack, prided themselves on being able to control such things when in heat, or, they find a nice flank to stare at. Seeing as Kami was once human, and had only been a stallion for some time, only to turn into a mare for a short time, proved one thing. "Humans really can't control their fascination with the opposite sex when they find them appealing, can they?" Twilight asked as she shook the pony that lay on the ground in front of her. "Huh... what?!" Kami spoke out in disoriented state before coming quickly to attention upon seeing a topless human Twilight Sparkle in front of her. "GUH!" Was the only word she spoke as she pressed a hoof into her mouth, Her eyes never leaving the sight of those plump fleshy orbs that were so close to in front of her.... and getting closer.... closer.... "Wait a sec!" Was what Kami would have said, had Twilight not glomped her and pressed her face right between those heavenly flesh pillows. Twilight couldn't help but giggle as she felt the pony she was glomping tense up to the point of her mane and tail frizzing out to full attention. As she slowly pushed the mare away, she began to laugh upon seeing the expression of pure shock and bliss playing back and forth over Kamis face. "I take it that you like me in this form." Twilight purred, pressing a finger to the mares nose and watching her nod dumbly. "How much do you like this form exactly? Enough to saaaaaay, stay with me for the rest of the week?" She grinned, pausing upon seeing Kamis expression turn quizzical. She cocking a brow accusingly. "This wouldn't be some elaborate plot to try and steal me away from AJ now would it?" Kami asked giving a slight glare. "I wouldn't call it an elaborate plot." Twilight grinned as her hands slinked down to her tight fitting pants, she turning around and bending over quickly, forcing the seemingly form fitting pants straight down as she spoke out. "Now THIS is an elaborate plot to keep you interested." Kami sat there in complete shock as he stared silently at the apparent plot that had just blew her mind away. "Y-yes... I believe that is a very elaborate plot that would more than likely succeed in keeping me at your home for a week." Kami sputtered before giving a cough as a cloud of dust found itself suddenly surrounding her. Looking back to try and find the source of the dust, she gave a sheepish grin as she noticed her own tail having beat a trench into the ground behind her from twitching so hard. Well, that and a nice little damp spot right beneath her. "So then." Twilight smirked as she tossed the tube top and the spandex pants over her shoulder, walking on ahead as she spoke. "I think we should head on to the library so I can teach you a few new spells." She hummed playfully, Kami just giving a dopey grin as she follow right behind her. XXX It hadn't taken the two long to get back into Ponyville. Although Twilight was getting quite a few stares, Kami was the one staring at her the most, and carrying a dopey grin all the way as she followed right behind her. As the two made it into the library, Twilight tossed aside her clothing and continued on into her study, Kami only a few steps behind as they rounded the desk and took a seat on a large pillow. Twilight quickly waving a hand and causing a spell book to quickly float over to in front of her and lay onto the desk, opening to the spell in question that she had used to transform herself into the being Kami saw before her. "So then." Twilight began as she pointed to the spell. "This is the spell I've used to turn into a human. However, there is something you should know about this before you attempt it." She stated quickly before Kami could attempt to do the spell herself. "And that would be?" Kami asked, raising a brow in question. "You will need to adjust your magic to make sure that your abilities as a unicorn will still remain, otherwise, you'll be stuck in whatever form you choose for at least two days. There is no way for you to undo the spell if you do it yourself and can't use magic." She groaned, remembering the first time she had used the transformation magic to turn herself into an earth pony, only for her to actually become one, without the use of her magic as a unicorn. "But, can't you use your magic to turn me back if I mess up?" Kami asked, feeling slightly worried. "I could try, but, our magic would need to be compatible in order for the counter spell to work correctly. If I did use it, and it failed, you could very well end up as whatever you turned into.... permanently." She chuckled nervously. "O.....kay, I think I'd rather remain whatever I turn into for a few days and suffer that long instead." Kami groaned out in astonishment. After a few minutes of instructing Kami how to use her magic to channel it properly into the spell so that it would also allow her to use magic in her new form, she began to cast the spell on herself. As light began to encase the stallion turned mare, Twilight watched in fascination at seeing the very spell she had cast on herself so many times before, being cast by another unicorn that was capable of using that spell. Once the light encased Kami though, it began to morph her body slowly before it began to fade, revealing a very nude male figure standing before her. "Oy..... what a rush." Came Kamis voice, causing him to stop as he looked himself over. "Wait... I'm male again, And human?" He sputtered as he looked himself over for a moment. "Yep, Human again.... and.... naked...." He trailed off as his vision was brought back up to a naked librarian standing across from him. Twilight gazed upon the human Kami in slight awe, she had seen many different pictures that Discord had provided, but they were all quite muscular, and Kami, in his human form, looked... frail. "Yea.... I'm not much of a looker as my original form." He sighed, looking away as his hands moved to cover his shame. "You do realize you can take on any form that you think of, right? Your magic is projected through your thought, that's why you must focus on having your magic still being available to be channeled while in a new form." Kami stood there for a moment, thinking about his magic. Concentrating for a few seconds he could feel the magic flowing through his hands as it began to swirl around him once again. Another elaborate light show later, the human was now back in his stallion form, looking rather dumbfounded upon realizing that he was once again a male of the equine species. "Well... That was odd." He chuckled. Twilight stood there in awe for a moment before shaking herself from her stupor. Taking a moment to walk over to the stallion, she began to inspect him with her magic to try and find out how he had managed to return to his male for as a pony without removing the poison joke curse. Another minute went by before Kami cleared his throat to garner her attention. "Sorry, I was just curious." She giggled nervously. "About how I'm male now?" He asked seeing her nod. "Transformation magic, remember? I will more than likely return to being a mare after the spell wears off in time. So I'll still need the cure from those two spa ponies before I can really be normal again. Well.... As normal as a human turned pony can be." He laughed, but tensed up quickly as Twilight hugged him to her bare chest. "That is just so amazing.... why didn't I ever think of that?" She hummed, dropping the stupefied stallion from her grasp. "Study study study, that's all you can really do in order to learn new things. But then again, you need some common sense to mix into the mish mash of intellectual mumbo jumbo in order to perceive things accordingly." Kami chuckled seeing her cock a brow in thought. "True." She hummed. "The only way to get that though, is by hanging out with your friends." He smirked seeing her eyes light up. "OH! I know just the thing to do then!" She squealed out happily as she quickly stood back up and moved quickly across the room to gather up several pieces of scroll, ink, and puill before scribbling something onto them all, then handing them to her pet owl, sending him out of the library. "Ok, I'll bite. What did you just do?" Kami asked giving her a scrutinizing glare. "You'll see." She giggled. XXX *Several hours later* "How in the hell did I get roped into a slumber party with all you girls?" Kami groaned as she now sat quietly next to Rarity as she was placing several rollers into her mane. Kami having turned back into his mare counterpart as the spell had worn off rather quickly for him. Yes, this was going to be a rather interesting evening, but what would unfold, may bring quite a bit more chaos into the world. > Chapter 21 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Alright Kami, truth or dare?" Pinkie Pie asked as the group suddenly found the stallion turned mare quite a bit more interesting, staring unblinking at her while waiting for the answer. "Ugh! Truth..... AGAIN!" She groaned, making the rest of the girls groan out in annoyance. "Oh come on! Can't you do another dare ya big baby?!" Dash sighed, facehoofing. "After that last little dare, I don't think so. I agreed to do that only because this was a game meant to be fun, and then...." He quickly turned to Rarity who was blushing a nice shade of red. "Some pony decided it'd be fun to make something start to vibrate, and also locked it onto me." "Oh but darling, you can't say you didn't enjoy it." Rarity purred, giving a loud giggle. A few turns back, Kami had been asked what she found most appealing about Equestria, ever since he had come to call it home. Her reply? 'When Twilight turned into a human female.' The following turn, each of the girls had all requested dare and had been turned into humans by Twilights magic. However, when it came back to Kamis turn, she had decided to go for dare as well, not to be shown up by the group, and hoping that she would be turned into a human male once again. Sadly, fate had something else in turn for the mare, as she was dared to wear a pair of skimpy lingerie that was quite revealing. Rarity, being the evil seductress she is, decided to make the pair of panties that Kami was wearing, vibrate. Chaos ensued, Fluttershy fainted, Pinkie demanded a pair of her own, Applejack tied up Twilight to keep her from intervening, and Dash was on the floor, unable to breathe because she was laughing so hard. After a few minutes, the panties had been un-enchanted, and quickly removed, leaving Kami a panting mess. Now however, Kami was sitting there, idly waiting the question that she would soon regret giving an answer to. "I decline to answer that statement." She puffed causing them all to giggle. "Alright then, your question is, Which one of use do you find the most appealing, in order, from the least, to the most?" Rarity smirked evilly seeing Kamis eyes nearly bug out as she stared at the six of them. "You have got to be kidding me......" She spat in disbelief only to make them giggle louder as she facehoofed. "Come on you silly nilly! Answer the question!" Pinkie laughed as she bounced in place, causing her chest to do the same, and making Kamis eyes stay glued onto them for just a moment. "I don't think she can answer until you stop bouncing Pinkie." Dash chuckled seeing the Pink haired human pause, giving an inquisitive look as she squeeze her breasts. "But they're so much fun to bounce! Just like two big water balloons!" She giggled as she squished them repeatedly, causing Kami to visibly twitch. "Fine..... But I do not want any of you to get mad at me for my decisions on this question." She groaned hearing them giggle as they all gave an approving nod each. "The least....." She paused, looking them over once more. "Rainbow Dash." "WHAT?!" She squeaked out in disbelief. "But I'm the most athletic one here! Look at how toned I am for crying out loud!" She spat as she stood up and flexed in several seductive poses. "Yea, not doing anything for me... Sorry Dash, but the athletic type aren't really for me." Kami sighed. "I am far to lazy to keep up with the endurance of an athlete. I can barely keep up with Applejack when she goes out into the orchard for apple bucking." Dash just groaned out falling back in defeat. "Next.... I would have to say..." She paused again looking through the rest of the girls. "Pinkie." She sighed seeing her hair deflate. "Awww." She pouted for a moment before her hair reinflated. "That's ok, I think I know who you're going to pick for number one anyway." She giggled. "Next, and I am so sorry for this..." Kami spoke out in worry as she looked over to the librarian. "Twilight." "WHAT?! But I thought you said..." She was quickly cut off. "That was before I saw all of you as humans." She quickly stated, waving a hoof. "As for the next in line.... Rarity." She sputtered in worry upon seeing the fashionistas expression of rage, which quickly calmed down as she let out a breath. "Very well, I shall take third over the others if I cannot be first or second." "Second place... goes toooooo...." Kami hesitated as he watched Applejack cock a brow and cross her arms in front of her, while Fluttershy was just trying to hide behind her hair. "Applejack." "Whut? Really?" She spoke in slight shock, but began to chuckle as everyone looked to the now turning red Fluttershy. "I knew it!" Pinkie shouted as she quickly pulled the pink haired mare turned human into a hug. "B-but... w-why me?!" Fluttershy squeaked out in surprise, only for Kamis eyes to move slowly downward. "I think she likes these!" Pinkie Giggled loudly as she wrapped her arms around Fluttershy, lifting and squeezing her breasts. "O-oh... m-my!" Shy squeaked. Kami sat there with the stupidest expression of bliss plastered across her face. At that moment, she didn't care if the whole world was watching as her tail beat a hole into the floor behind her. She was currently in the same room, with six women, all of whom were beyond the beauty of any female he had ever seen on his home world, and many of which, wanted him... er... her as a possible mate. That was of course until Applejack slid up beside her and spoke softly into her ear. "Ya know sugarcube, ah could get a unicorn teh change the size'o these melons if'n ya wanted." She purred causing her to turn her head slowly as a look of utter shock burst across her face. "Alright you lot, that's enough of that." Twilight spat as she quickly turned everyone back into their pony forms, and making Kami pout in return. "Awwww." She sighed out in annoyance, having really been enjoying the show. As the night pressed on, the group had come to do far more dares and truths. That was of course until one specific dare caused a little too much chaos. "Absolutely not!" Kami spat out with a look of anger plastered across her face. "Why not? I figured you'd be a little more adventurous than that." Dash chuckled as she watched Fluttershy just starting to wake up from the shock of the dare she had just been given. "That is pushing it too far Dash, so I'm calling it quits for the night, game over." Kami growled as she rose from her seated position on a large pillow and began to walk toward the door. "Oh come on! It's not like you weren't thinking about it earlier when you saw Fluttershy as a human." Dash snickered, causing Kami to freeze up as she was about to open the door and head out of the library. "Thinking, and doing are two entirely different things Dash, and it must be consensual for both parties. Being pressured into doing something like that, especially in front of your so called, friends, isn't being consensual." She spat as her magic lashed out, grabbing and opening the door. "Alright! Fine, you don't have to do it. Geez, I didn't think you'd be so upset when being dared to rut Fluttershy. I figured you'd jump all over that chance." Dash groaned. "Ugh......... Dash.... I'm not even going to try and explain how flawed that logic is when it comes to someone like me." Kami sighed out in annoyance. "Now then, if you lot are done trying to drive me insane with all these sexual questions and dares, we can get back to your little sleep over. Otherwise, I'm going home to try and alleviate all the tension you've caused me." "Sounds teh me yer about ready teh break and have a round with all of us." AJ chuckled, giving the stallion turned mare a wink. Kami stood there giving the most deadpanned expression she could muster. "You.... of all of the girls.... are going to pay for that comment later. For now however, I am going home, and before any of you ask, no, you can't join me." "Not even me?" AJ asked giving a pout. "Especially not you! Not right now anyway.... ugh.... I'm going... I'll see you tomorrow." Kami chuckled as he pointed a hoof toward the apple farmer. As the door closed behind the unicorn, the girls just sat there for a moment before a hoof found the back of Rainbows head. "Hey! What was that for?!" She squeaked out in disbelief. "Ya'll just asked Kami teh rut Shy. Don't ya think that was a bit much?! Ah mean, we coulda spent the night doing lil things teh loosen'er up. But ya'll had teh dare Shy teh rut'er. Ya ain't right Rainbow." AJ groaned as she headed toward the door. "And where are you going? I thought she said we couldn't go with her." Dash quickly spat causing the farmer to smirk back at her. "Who said ah was following her?" She snickered. "Sides, ah know Kami a bit better than ya'll think. Even if ah did follow'er home, don't mean she'd just tell me ted about face an head home." She continued to chuckle as the door closed behind her. XXX (Music for ambiance) Although it was still rather late in the night, Kami would find no trouble in making her way home, as she had acquired a very helpful light spell that would help to illuminate her path home. Applejack, on the other hoof, had failed to bring the one thing she needed in order to help light her own path. "Dang it!" She spat. "Ah cain't believe ah left without a lantern. Ah can barely see mah hoof in front'o mah face." She continued to groan as she lifted said hoof, and promptly wiggled it in front of her. "Don't help non that ah only get a few bursts of light when the clouds ain't covering the moon." She sighed as she continued to slowly trot along the path toward Kamis home on the outskirts of town. "Maybe ah should head home..." She trailed off as she reached the edge of town, seeing very few houses along the path, as well as the moon peeking through the clouds once more to illuminate her path again. The orange earth pony looked back into town, her eyes scanning it as the moon shown through the cloudy sky. Snapping her attention back to the path before her she looked up to see how much time she may have for the moon to continue to illuminate her path before she was left in total darkness once again. "Not much time, but ah'm sure Kami'll still be on'er way home when ah catch up to'er." She spoke softly as she took off down the road. XXX "Finally home." Kami panted as she quickly went inside, slamming the door behind her. "I have no idea what the hell those glowing eyes were in the bushes, but I am NOT going back out there without some other pony with me." She sighed as she leaned against her door, trying and catch her breath. "I'm just glad nopony is dumb enough to be out when it's this dark." She began to chuckle, but paused as a faint scream could be heard in the distance. "You have got to be kidding me..." She trailed off, opening the front door to listen as another scream erupted from an unknown pony in the distance. "Dammit.... well.... maybe...." She trailed off only to hear another scream, signalling her to bolt from her home as fast as her hooves could carry her toward the pony in who was screaming. XXX As AJ made her way as quickly as she could along the path. She would soon find herself in darkness once again as the clouds above found their way in front of the moon for the umpteenth time that night. She wasn't far from Kamis home now, but having to be in total darkness once again would prove that the farmer would be in quite the pickle. Not only because of the lack of light, but as because of the several sets of eyes that were now slowly moving from the edge of the path within the forest, out and onto the path. One set jumping out quickly to in front of her, causing her to dead stop along the path. She gave an uneasy expression, turning back only to see two more sets of eyes behind her along the path. "Oh buck me." She squeaked as she began to back up toward a tree along the path. Once her flank hit the tree, she glanced back, then to n front of her to see the three timber wolves closing in. Cornered, and at a big disadvantage, she did the only thing she could; Scream. She screamed several times, causing the wolves to flinch backwards slightly in surprise, that was, of course, until they realized that she was screaming for help, and lunged. Kami, however, had just made it to the scene as the wolves wer eon top of the bucking farm pony. She watched in horror as one of the wolves were quickly top the farmer, and sinking its teeth into her backside, making her scream out in pain. It didn't take Kami long to let her rage take over as she bolted toward the attacking party, her horn ignited into a blinding light as she yelled out toward the wolves. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" Was all that was heard as the wolves looked to the blinding white light, that quickly turned into a deep red and orange. Before the wolves could react, they were pulled into the air in a plume of fire. The hissing and cracking of wood as it burned filled the air amongst the stench of decay that lingered around the former wolves. Kami quickly made his way over to in front of her marefriend, standing defensively as she check the area with her magic to make sure no other wolves were waiting in the dark to attack. "Bout time ya showed up." AJ groaned as she lay on the cool ground cover in bite marks and blood. "Almost didn't make it in time." She chuckled, only to wince in pain. "What the hell did I say earlier?! Why did you follow me?!" She spat as she quickly lifted the orange earth pony into the air and to her side. "Sorry, ah was gonna surprise ya, but'looks like ah got the surprise." She chuckled softly. "Don't talk anymore love, I'll get you to the hospital so they can take care of ya." Kami began as she began to bolt down the road. "No, no.... I'm fine.... just a little banged up." She spoke out roughly causing the stallion turned mare to halt. "I'm sure ya kin patch me up sugarcube. Jes take me to yer house, awright?" She sighed seeing the uneasy look spread across Kamis face. "Are you sure?" She asked, seeing AJ nod. "I could just walk back home. Ain't but a few scratches." She chuckled, stopping as Kami poked a particularly bloody spot on the farmers side. "Uh huh... so this nice open wound isn't a need for concern?" She asked incredulously in return. "Well, when ya got a unicorn fer a mate, it helps a lil knowing they can do healing magic." She chuckled nervously seeing Kami cock a brow. "Uh huh...." She sighed as she turned back along the path toward her home. "Fine, but you do realize you're not going to hear the end of this, don't you?" She berated the farmer only to chuckle upon seeing her roll her eyes. "Yea yea, just git me home, an patch me up ya idgit."