Integration

by Darth Link 22


Ponies VII

So, are you ready for this weekend?

Yes, I am... I’m a little nervous though. The only Human among ponies...

You won’t be the only one. The other Twilight and her family are coming through that weekend as well.

Really? Why?

To set up for her training. There’s a very specific reason I’m not a liberty to divulge. I’m also going to have to ask you not press her on it.

Of course.

We’ll still have alone time, don’t worry. Sunset’s coming through as well, to see our Celestia and to look into her ascension.

Well, I guess that won’t be too bad.

Yes, Sunset said that everything’s alright between you two now.

Of course. We’ve put it behind us. Still a little awkward, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.

That’s good. This is going to be a big weekend for all of us.

Speaking of big things, have you guys decided what to do with Adagio.

She refuses to come to our world. She’s convinced we’ll throw her in the dungeon. But at least we have another piece of the puzzle. For now, we’re keeping her safe until we can come up with a plan.

Well, let’s hope this weekend will be quiet, at least.


The largest group to ever pass through the portal between the worlds at once occurred that morning.

The first was Flash Sentry, coming into the Castle of Friendship. The experience was disorienting, and he felt himself stumble before two strong figures grabbed a hold of him and pulled him away from the portal’s entrance.

“Flash?” he heard Twilight call, his Twilight.

“What’s going on?” His eyesight readjusted itself, but everything was a blur.

“Two of my guards are escorting you away from the portal entrance. Like I told you, your first time in a new body can be disorienting. Just give it a minute, your senses should catch up to the rest of your body.”

He felt the strong figures gently lay him on something soft. As they did, he heard a new figure cross over. It was the Human Twilight, or at least a member of her family. He got his answer when Human Twilight spoke.

“Spike? Did you make it through okay?”

“...I feel weird,” the dog responded.

Twilight repeated her words to her counterpart, and Flash heard her being brought to a place near him. By now, he could see blurs, two golden ones carrying two purple ones. Then, another sound. He looked in the noise’s direction and had a hard time seeing anything, but he heard Shining Armor moan.

After the process repeated, it was Cadance who came through, and finally Sunset, who managed it without any disorientation.

Flash, being the first through, got his sight first. He was lying on a pallet, no doubt prepared for him. Surrounding him were large horses... ponies, he reminded himself... all white and wearing golden armor.

He looked down at his own body. He saw a hoof where his hand should be.

He recoiled at the sight. He had been expecting it, but actually seeing it was so surreal he had a hard time processing it.

“A lot to take in, huh?”

He turned to the source. He knew who it was, even in the body he was unfamiliar with.

“Twilight?”

The pony smiled. “Yeah... it’s me. I know it’s a shock to see me like this.”

“Um, well... I wouldn’t say shock, but...”

“Flash... it’s okay. I know how this feels better than anyone... except maybe Sunset,” she placed a hoof on her coltfriend’s shoulder... or whatever ponies had in place of shoulders.

It calmed him a bit, and he really looked at her. Twilight was very much as she had described herself. Wings and a horn, and no crown on her head, despite being a princess. Her hairstyle curled around her neck instead of heading straight to the ground, but it was still unmistakably her hair. The same eyes, looking surreal on what would be an animal body.

His eyes drifted down to her form. No clothes, so he had a good look at her body. She looked every bit as sleek and beautiful as her Human form.

Then the realization hit him that he was finding an animal body attractive.

This realization must have shown on his face, because Twilight gave a knowing smile. She whispered “We’ll talk about this in private.” Then she looked past him. “Everyone doing alright?”

“We’re fine,” Sunset called.

Flash looked. There were four ponies, three inspecting their new bodies. Each of the three were wearing clothes, oddly enough. Whatever top they were wearing when they went through the portal was still on them, modified to fit a pony, though pants and skirts seemed to be missing.

He looked down at himself. He was still wearing his jacket and t-shirt, with no pants. He could feel cloth at the base of his wings, so they must have been modified to include wing holes.

Then it hit him that he had wings.

He spread them out to look at them. There they were, orange feathers and everything. He flapped them up once or twice.

“I know... it’s weird getting a new appendage,” Twilight said sympathetically.

“Yeah... this whole thing is weird.”

Just when he was wondering how this whole situation could get any weirder, a bright flash hit his eyes. Flash jumped. He had been looking at his wings, but he lowered them to stare at his own rear end.

There was a picture there now. A guitar in front of a bright yellow police badge.

“What the...”

“A cutie mark,” Twilight said in awe. “You have a cutie mark!”

The term had come up in his conversations with Twilight, what it was and how ponies got it. There was some speculation on whether a Human in a pony body could get one.

And here was the answer.

“This is fascinating,” Twilight said. Then, she turned to the other three. “Other Me, Shiny, Cadance... do you have cutie marks?”

Apparently Twilight had explained this to the other, because they started looking.

The first flash came from Shining Armor, who jumped a bit in surprise. Before Flash could get a good look, the second flash came from Cadance.

Twilight, in excitement, walked over to the Terra versions of her family.

Flash slowly got to his feet... no, he got to his hooves. He stumbled a bit, but found balance was quite easy to keep in this new form. Carefully, he put a hoof forward, but then stopped. How should he be walking? Both left, then both right, or front left, back right, and vice-versa?

He looked out at the assembled group. His girlfriend was walking with the latter method. Well, if that’s how she did it...

He moved his back right hoof. Then, his front right hoof with his back left.

To his relief, balancing wasn’t hard. But walking proved a little more difficult. Learning to move two pairs of legs was awkward at best, and while he never stumbled, he had to stop after every step to mentally readjust himself.

By the time he reached the rest of the group, the other three had stood. He could recognize who was who. Sparkle was clear, of course, looking just like his girlfriend sans wings. The other mare, a pink Pegasus, must be Cadance, and a white Unicorn stallion Shining Armor.

Shining Armor’s cutie mark was a shield, blue on the left and red on the right, with a gold star on its front. Cadance, meanwhile, had a large blue heart with a pencil and a pen making an x in the center.

“Amazing. Your marks are different from the ones your counterparts have... some similarities, but not the same.” Twilight looked them over.

“...Where’s mine?”

That got everypony’s attention. The younger Twilight indeed had no cutie mark. Her flank was as blank as ever.

“...That’s odd,” Twilight noted, looking at her counterpart. “Maybe you simply haven’t found your special talent yet... though at your age, being a blank flank is rare...”

“What? But... she’s great at science,” Shining Armor said. “High marks and everything. Shouldn’t her cutie mark be something like that?”

“Cutie marks can be unpredictable,” Twilight said. “There’s still some things we don’t know about them. And don’t forget, the four of you are the first Humans to assume pony forms. Maybe it’s something else. Maybe ponying up made her cutie mark dormant, or otherwise affected the process somehow. It’s just one more thing to look into.”

Flash looked at Sparkle. She seemed a little disappointed to not get a mark. But... no, it was something a little more than that.

“Uh... what happened?”

Everyone turned to the last figure. It looked like a small, purple lizard, but Flash immediately recognized the voice, and apparently Sparkle did too.

“Spike! You’re a dragon!”

The former dog, now a dragon, looked over his body. Flash had seen photos of Spike the Dragon, but this was something else, seeing it in person. He looked oddly adorable for a fire-breathing creature.

Twilight looked him over. “There’s so many questions I have about this. Will you live the life span of a dragon now? Do you have a dragon’s abilities? Can you breath fire... no need to try that out now,” she amended.

Spike the Dog got on all four paws, which Sparkle chuckled at. “I think you’re supposed to be on your hind legs.”

“What? Why? I have four perfectly good limbs to walk on.”

“Well, some dragons we’ve seen do walk on all fours... or eights in one case,” Twilight said. “But most use two.”

Spike looked skeptical, but rose to his feet. He wobbled a bit, but managed to keep his balance.

“Wow. You’re handling walking on two legs a lot better than I did,” Sunset said.

“Of course I am. Humans don’t even have a tail for balance. At least this body does.” He took a few steps, wobbling quite a bit. He started to fall, but Sparkle caught him with her magic. Back on his feet, he took a few more steps.

“Well, if you all think you can walk, we better get going,” Twilight said. “We have a lot to talk about, and Princess Celestia is waiting for us in the dining hall.”

“Wait,” Shining Armor said, suddenly panicking. He reached a hoof up to the shirt he was wearing.

Then he calmed down. “Everything I had in my pants pockets... there in my shirt pockets now... that I didn’t have before.” He felt around. “Keys, wallet, cell phone...”

“Another mystery,” Twilight said. “I never understood how the portal and clothes work. Well, just another on the list.” She thought a moment. “You might want to make sure you’re wearing exactly what you’re wearing when you leave.”

The small family got to their hooves. Flash was pleased to see that Cadance and Twilight had as much trouble as he had. Shining Armor seemed to get it sooner. Flash guessed that was the police discipline giving him an edge.

The walk was slow and awkward. Sunset, Twilight and the guards were constantly stopping and waiting for their guests to catch up, and while any guards they passed remained silent, the occasional servant would stop and stare until Twilight reminded them they had work to be doing.

Twilight’s castle was indeed amazing, and Flash found himself gaping at everything. It wasn’t long before they arrived at a large open room, where Princess Celestia sat.

The group took a step back. They were warned that the ancient Alicorn was bigger than most ponies, but they were still unprepared for the air of authority she radiated around her. She stood tall, regal, but not unwelcoming. In fact, she seemed to put them at ease even more than anything else they had experienced since coming here.

It was odd again for Flash. He had found Twilight’s pony body attractive, but Celestia... she seemed a vision of perfect beauty, almost unnatural in how gorgeous she looked. Still, it wasn’t the same kind of attraction she had for Twilight. With Celestia, there was reverence. It was so hard to explain.

He guessed the others saw it too, because they stopped momentarily. Even Sparkle and Cadance.

Once she saw her guests, she gave quite a smile. “All, you’re all here. I must welcome you to Equestria. Please, have a seat.”

Twilight and Sunset were the first to take seats, on either side of Celestia. As the remaining five found their seats, Celestia greeted Sunset with a small kiss to the side of her head, much to her embarrassment. Flash ended up sitting next to Twilight, with the Sparkle family on the other side, the Human Twilight sitting next to Sunset.

In front of them were plates of what appeared to be hay. They weren’t very big, and seemed to be appetizers. Before Flash could ask about it, Celestia spoke.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you all. Before we get started, would anypony care for tea?”

At that point, Flash noted that a servant with a cart had entered the room. She poured something in a teacup and left it in front of Celestia. As he did the same for Twilight and Sunset, Flash spoke.

“Um, well, I’ve never had tea before...”

“You better get used to it,” Twilight said. “Tea is pretty common in Equestria.”

“II guess we can try some,” Shining Armor said. “I’ll have whatever the server thinks will be good.”

There were murmurs of agreement. The server kept passing out cups as Celestia continued. “We’re not sure how Humans turned to ponies will take to it, but feel free to have some of the hay. If unsatisfactory, we can have the kitchen staff whip up something else.”

“Hay?” Cadance said, looking at the plates.

“Well, you are ponies now,” Twilight said. “And I don’t think it will have any adverse effects. I ate a lot of hay before coming to Terra for the first time, and my body never had a negative reaction.”

“And don’t worry if you don’t like it,” Sunset added, levitating a bit of her hay off the plate. “It’s pretty basic food here, but not all our meals have it.” She popped some in her mouth.

Sparkle looked at her plate, then declared, “Why not?” and lifted a bit off her plate and into her mouth.

“How is it?” Shining Armor asked.

“...Not bad,” she said. “A bit bland, but not bad.”

Shining Armor looked at his plate. “Um... how do I use telekinesis?”

“Just picture yourself picking it up,” Sunset instructed.

A moment later a bit of hay lifted off Shining Armor’s plate. Somewhat shakily, it began a trip toward his mouth.

Flash looked at his own plate. “Um... how do ponies without a horn...”

“Just dig in,” Twilight said. “There are ways to do it properly, but that’s hardly something to worry about right now.”

Flash, feeling self-conscious, leaned down and took a small bit. Sparkle had been right: bland, but far from bad. He remembered Sunset telling him that hay was the Equestrian equivalent of rice. He was seeing why.

He saw Cadance following the same advice. Oddly, the other Twilight was as well, despite having a horn.

At that point, a menu was floated in front of each of them. “We’ve prepared these for you as a main course. Please, order anything you think looks good.”

Flash eyed the menu. Unsurprisingly, there were salads, but there were a lot of Equestrian equivalents to common food. Hayburgers, carrot dogs, even pizza. He wasn’t sure what royalty ate, but he hadn’t imagined this.

Emboldened by the hay not tasting bad, they all ordered something. Once the servant went away, Flash moved to take a sip, but stopped. “Are non-Unicorns supposed to sip tea like we eat?”

Twilight shook her head. “No. There is a way to hold the cup. But I won’t hold it against you if you just sipped. It took me a while to use fingers, I can imagine losing them would be just as hard on you.”

He saw nods from Celestia and Sunset as well, so he leaned in and sipped. The tea tasted good as well. He detected cinnamon.

Celestia smiled. “Well, now that that’s out of the way, I’m very interested to get to know you all a bit better. We have so much to discuss I hardly know where to begin.” She turned her gaze to Sparkle. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Twilight. I look forward to teaching you this summer.”

Sparkle flushed at the attention. “Um, thank you, Your Highness...”

“Please, you are friends of Twilight. When we’re not in formal occasions, Celestia will do.” The large Alicorn smiled, which set her at ease. “Though, I suppose I can’t just call you Twilight... too confusing.”

“Um, we’ve been calling the other Twilight ‘Princess’ all this time...”

“Oh no,” Twilight said, getting everypony’s attention. “I put up with that on Terra because it’s your home dimension, but I’m not about to let everypony call me Princess all the time.”

“How about, ‘Little Twi’?” Shining Armor suggested, reaching over Spike to ruffle his little sister’s hair... no, her mane.

“Shiny,” she whined.

“A fine suggestion, at least until she comes up with something better,” Celestia said, with an expression that made Flash conclude she found Little Twi’s embarrassment amusing.

The princess then turned her attention to Shining Armor and Cadance. “And it’s very nice to meet the two of you as well. From what I understand, you’re the one who have raised Twilight.”

“That’s right,” Cadance said. “Ever since our Twilight Velvet and Night Light...”

“I see. Well then, I’d like to assure you that while your child is here, she will be receiving the best of everything. And I assure you, she’ll have the best security around her. There won’t be any repeats of what happened on Terra.”

“You’ve heard about that?” Cadance asked.

“Oh yes, Sunset has been keeping Twilight and I informed.”

Shining Armor smiled. “We were hoping to discuss that. It isn’t just us. The other parents are all worried about what happened.”

“I’ve heard that too. If necessary, we can make arrangements,” Celestia assured. “We’ll have plenty of time to discuss things this weekend. I have a whole lesson plan prepared, and a few other things.” She turned her attention to Spike. “And you must be the other Spike. Is it true you’re a dog in the other world?”

Spike the Dog looked up from his claws, which he was still experimenting with and nodded. “That’s right. I only learned how to talk a while ago.”

“That’s fascinating. There’s just as much I’d like to know about you. Twilight’s been preparing all kinds of tests for the first visits. But I suppose she’ll tell you all about that in due time.”

And then, Celestia looked at Flash. He realized how nervous he had been at the prospect. “And I believe that you are the one who’s dating my child?”

Flash suddenly stammered. “Um... that’s right...” He remembered the Princess’s insistence to be called Celestia, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

Luckily, Celestia spoke to save him the trouble. Unluckily, it made everything more awkward.

“In fact, I believe you’ve dated Sunset as well, is that correct?”

Okay, now Flash felt awkward. “W-well... it didn’t exactly end on a good note, but... yes. Uh, not that we’re not on good terms now, but...”

Celestia only chuckled. “I understand. Believe me, I’m happy that Twilight has found herself a partner so soon. It gets harder for an Alicorn after the first hundred years.”

“Well... I’d imagine...”

“And Twilight’s birth mother wanted me to pass on something: she’s hoping to meet you soon, and she really wants grandchildren.”

At that Flash turned a deep red. So did Twilight.

“Oh, geez... Mom...”

“Don’t they already have Spike and Starlight?” Cadance asked. Then she looked around. “Come to think of it, where are those two?”

“Well,” Twilight said, pulling out a pocket watch. From where, Flash didn’t see. “Starlight should be home by now...”

At that point, Starlight did indeed enter the dining hall, Spike next to her, carrying a plate of gems. A guard in golden armor was behind them, it looked to be a Unicorn mare.

“Hey sweetheart,” Twilight said, getting off her chair momentarily to hug her charge. “Did you have fun at school?”

“Yes I did,” she answered. “Hey, Mr. Flash,” Starlight said, giving Flash a hug across the leg.

“Hey kid,” he said, returning the hug while Twilight went to Spike, who had just sat down, and kissed him on the cheek, to his annoyance.

Starlight took her own seat as Spike noticed the other guests. “Hey. Twilight said you’d all be coming.”

“It’s nice to see you again, Spike,” Shining Armor said.

“Those are some pretty gems,” Cadance noted.

Spike the Dragon picked one up in his claws. “I think so too.” And then, much to the guests’ shock, he popped the gem into his mouth and bit it in half. A few noisy chews later, he swallowed.

The former Humans gaped, to Spike’s annoyance. “What?”

“You eat gems?” Cadance asked.

“Well... yeah.”

“...Must be expensive,” Shining Armor muttered.

“Not in Equestria,” Sunset explained. “They’re not as easy to find as water, but they aren’t scarce either. Only truly flawless gems are valuable, and they’re hard to come by.”

“Yeah. Our Rarity digs them out of the ground almost daily,” Twilight added. “I was a little surprised when Sunset told me how much she got for them on Terra.”

“In other words, we might have to worry we’re going to imbalance their economy,” Celestia sighed. “Well, from what I understand, gems aren’t too commonly used in exchange, so it might be fine.”

“Pfft, I don’t get why they find it valuable,” Spike the Dog muttered. “They’re just shiny rocks.” With that, he took another bite of his hay.

“Hey, come on, you have hands!” Spike said. “What are you, an animal?”

“Well, technically...”

“Don’t answer that,” Spike muttered, placing his face in his hands.

“Well, this is going to be an entertaining weekend,” Shining Armor noted. He looked over at his sister, only to find that she wasn’t looking at either Spike. Her gaze was on the guard, examining her closely.

“Wait a moment,” Little Twi said. “...Is your name Sunny Flare?”

The guard seemed surprised this other Twilight would know her, but nodded. “Yes. Sunny Flare, a member of the Elite Twilight Guard.”

“Do you know the other her?” Twilight asked.

“Yes... she was a classmate at Crystal Prep.”

“Hey, yeah,” Sunset said, familiarity in her eyes. “She was one of the competitors in the Friendship Games!”

“Now that you mention it, I see the similarities,” Cadance said.

“This is great!” Twilight said. “This means more samples for research! Oh, maybe the other members of my guard are Crystal Prep students too! If they were at the Friendship Games, we can ask them a few questions! Do you know Sugarcoat, Indigo Zap, Lemon Zest, and Sour Sweet?”

Little Twi blinked. “Yes. They were all classmates of mine.”

“Hmm. Convenient,” Shining Armor muttered. Flash held back a laugh.

“As exciting as all this research is,” Celestia cut them off, “Why don’t we save it for another time? We’re supposed to be getting to know each other?”

At that point, a servant pushed a tray in, covered with food. As he passed them out, Celestia continued speaking. “There will be plenty of time later for work. For now, let’s just enjoy our meals. I have a feeling there will be precious little quiet once negotiations begin.”


Berry Punch continued to write up her assignment. It was menial work, to be sure, but the amount she was being paid to do so meant she couldn’t complain.”

“Momma?”

Her ears lifted and she turned to her daughter, who was at the desk’s side.

“Yes?”

“Are you almost done?”

“The more you ask me that, the longer it’s going to take for me to finish. If you make me take too long, Donut Joe’s is going to close before we can get there.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m bored.”

“Then go down to the playroom.”

“None of the evening servants have any foals. It’s just me.”

“Well, there’s a big library. I’m sure you can find a book or two there.”

“Yeah, but... I miss my friends. Can’t we go back to Ponyville yet?”

Giving a sympathetic smile, Berry hugged her daughter. “I’m afraid not. That contract Princess Twilight had me sign means we can’t go back to Ponyville until the end of the summer.”

“But why? What does she need you to do so bad that you have to stay here?”

“No clue,” Berry admitted. “All I’ve been asked to do seems like ordinary reception work. But she made us a generous offer. We won’t have to worry about money for years, and every bit of your schooling is going to be paid for. It’s one summer away from home, then we’re in good shape for awhile.”

“I know. I’m just bored.”

“Well, listen, tomorrow is my day off. Why don’t we go out? We can see the art museum or something?”

Berry Pinch thought a moment. “...Okay,” she said at last.

“Good. Now scamper off, I have work to do.”

Berry Pinch obeyed, leaving the office to head back to the living quarters.

Berry turned back to the typewriter, looking at the half finished memo that she was typing up. It had been the fiftieth thing to cross her desk that day. She was starting to realize why palace workers were paid so much.

She rubbed her head. She was starting to crave a drink. There was only one thing to do.

She looked at the framed contract page. Two things were highlighted. One was the promise of a generous sum and payment for her daughter’s education. The second was one of the conditions:

No alcohol is to be consumed during the duration of your employment.

That reminder got her to push her craving down. She reached for the coffee cup, only to find it empty. So she pulled the cord next to her chair. In a few moments a servant would be in to fetch her coffee, if he didn’t already have one ready, with how much she had been drinking lately.

She would hold on. For her child’s sake.


After the ice had been broken, the lunch was quite lovely, with everyone chatting and getting to know everyone else.

After it was over, Celestia had asked Little Twi and her family to come with her, leaving Flash to go off with his girlfriend.

As they walked down the hall, Celestia spoke. “As you can see, we have nothing but the best for Twilight. Good security, access to research, cooks that will provide her with the best food, and an on-site medical staff if, Creator forbid, anything were to happen to her.”

“It... all seems quite nice,” Cadance said. “You certainly are going all out.”

“Your sister is going to be my personal student. I always assure they get nothing but the best.”

“Well, she is the best,” Shiny said, ruffling his sister’s mane and causing her to blush.

“That being said, there was another service I’d like to offer her,” Celestia said, coming to a stop at a door. She turned to the group assembled. “I understand Twilight’s been having quite the time recovering from the Friendship Games.”

The small family was a bit taken aback. “Well, yes,” Shining Armor said. “You know about that?”

“Twilight and Sunset have passed me a good deal of information,” she assured. “And I understand you’ve been unable to give her help with it due to no one on Terra believing in magic?”

“That’s right,” Cadance asked. “Are you saying...”

Celestia nodded at the unfinished question. “Princess Twilight saw fit to arrange someone for her to speak to. And like I said, my students get nothing but the best.” She opened the door, revealing a Pegasus inside. “I want to introduce you to Doctor Heart.”

The Pegasus greeted Twilight with a smile. “You must be Twilight. Please, come in and sit down.”

Twilight looked at her older brother for confirmation. When he nodded, she stepped forward and headed toward the couch, her family following.

“I take it we’re sitting in on this as well?” Cadance asked.

“Yes, you can all come in, if that’s what makes Twilight comfortable. Please, relax. We won’t be doing anything serious today, I’ll just be getting to know Twilight a bit better.”

“I’ll leave you all to it,” Celestia said. “I need to give my daughter’s coltfriend a real look over.”

The room chuckled as she left, closing the doors behind her.

“Alright then, let me start by formally introducing myself. My name is Doctor Heart. I am the head of the Canterlot Psychiatric Hospital, the best place in Equestria to go get care. Princess Twilight has told me that you are having a few challenges in your life, and has asked me to try and help you through them.”

“Um, well... that would be nice. I... well, I guess I haven’t been feeling well lately...”

“There’s no shame in that,” Heart said. “Anypony that tells you that they’re completely mentally stable is deluding themselves, if not flat out lying. We have our demons to battle.”

“Yeah,” Twilight said, looking at the floor. “Demons.”

“Forgive me, I suppose that wasn’t the most tactful metaphor after what you’ve been through. Still, I hope that I’ll be able to help you with your struggles.”

“You think you can cure me?”

“I don’t think cure is the right word, Twilight. I can provide you with the tools to get better, but not much else. I’ll be able to help you overcome them.”

“Well.. that does sound nice...”

“Why don’t you tell me about yourself? Nothing to do with what you came here for, just tell me about you.”

Twilight’s eyes flickered a bit, then settled on the doctor. “Well...”


Flash had managed to get up to a brisk pace. He hoped that walking would be second-nature in this body before the end of the weekend.

While Princess Celestia had escorted Little Twi and her family off, Princess Twilight had escorted him to the living wing of the castle. While there was a guest wing, Flash would be spending his summer a room down from his girlfriend.

Just before the bedrooms was a large sitting area, with books, sofas, a currently unused fireplace, it looked like a nice place to spend time.

Twilight led him down to sit on the couch. Or rather, lay on it, given how ponies rested. Once he was comfortable, Twilight climbed up next to him.

“All right then... Flash, there’s something I want to talk to you about...”

“What’s that?”

“Let me guess: you’re starting to freak out because you’re finding a pony body attractive?”

Flash turned beet red, looking at the floor. “Um, well... yes,” he admitted. “I swear, it’s... you’re beautiful, but...”

He was silenced by a gentle hoof on his mouth. He looked at Twilight, who was smiling.

“Flash... I had never seen a Human before I came to Terra, a few minutes before we met. Tell me, how do you think they looked to me?”

Flash did think. He suddenly realized how bizarre a mostly hairless, two-legged animal must look to a pony.

“Pretty weird,” Flash answered. “And you were turned into one... that must have been interesting.”

“You have no idea,” she said. “For a bit, I was actually jealous Spike got to be a dog. At least I knew what he was. No offense.”

“None taken.”

“Now, knowing how weird Humans looked for me... how do you think I felt when I found myself attracted to you?”

Flash thought, then his eyes widened. “Oh wow.”

“Exactly. It was surreal seeing you and knowing exactly what I was attracted to. Nice smile, pretty face, toned body.”

Twilight was blushing now. So was Flash, but he managed to keep a cocky grin. “Really?”

“Well, yeah. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what at first. The longer I spent in this body, the more it came to me.”

“It was probably the hair at first,” he grinned. “Girls love the hair.”

Twilight chuckled. “Maybe. But the point is, I understand how it must feel, seeing me like this. It’s something new, and very surreal. I’ll understand if it’s going to take you awhile to get comfortable enough with it. It’s why I wanted us to have our first kiss when we were human, I figured you were already giving up enough for me, and...”

Flash leaned forward and kissed her girlfriend. She was shocked, but felt herself kissing back.

When they parted, Twilight had a deep blush on her face.

“Um... was that to show me you’re fine with kissing me, or to shut me up?”

“Both,” Flash grinned. “And I figured the best way to get over it is to just dive right in.” Then he kissed her again.

Twilight kissed back. Once they broke apart, she took in some air and kissed him. And then kissed him again. She kissed him over and over, and he kissed back. She was just pushing him onto his back when laughter stopped them.

Much to their embarrassment, it was Sunset in the doorway, leaning on its frame and laughing. Spike was next to her, his purple scales turning green.

Red faced, Twilight and Flash quickly untangled themselves from one another. The damage was done, however.

“That’s why you take that into the bedroom,” she laughed, going to sit down.

“Don’t give them any ideas,” Spike muttered. He looked at Flash. “I give up. What’s your secret?”

Flash blinked. “What?”

“Twilight never even looked at stallions. Then she goes into another world, and suddenly she’s drooling all over you. Seriously, how do you attract mares like that?”

“It’s the hair,” Flash said confidently.

“No it isn’t,” Sunset countered. “No one cares about the hair, Flash. It makes you look like a dork.”

“Then why am I Canterlot High’s big man on campus?”

“Because you’re not a jerk, and you weren’t one even back when being a jerk was cool.”

“Well, he is nice,” Twilight said, putting a wing around him and pulling up close to him. Flash heated up a bit, but nuzzled his girlfriend.

Sunset smiled. “We’re happy for you.” She turned to Spike, who had sat next to Sunset. “Aren’t we?”

“Of course,” Spike said, like it should be obvious. “I just don’t want to see Twilight making out with anyone.”

“Because she’s your mom?” Sunset teased.

Suddenly, Spike got fidgety. “Well... kind of. I don’t know if that’s the right word, but...” he looked at the floor.

“You are such a mom,” Sunset said to Twilight.

“That’s something I’ve known for years,” Celestia said, walking into the room.

“Mom? I thought you were with Little Twi...” Sunset asked.

“I dropped her off at Doctor Heart first. I wanted a chance to talk with the stallion that actually managed to get Twilight interested in stallions.”

“Mom...” Twilight whined as Celestia sat herself on a chair.

“It truly is a pleasure to meet you, Flash. How have you been adjusting to being a pony?”

“Well, it’s really weird,” Flash said. “Walking is pretty awkward... and so is eating with just my mouth.”

“Tell me about it,” Spike muttered.

“I’m not even sure if I’m going to be able to function without fingers,” Flash said.

“Has Twilight told you how hooves work?” Celestia asked.

Flash nodded. “She said hooves have low-level magic that allows for a light grip. But I haven’t even tried to yet...”

“Trust me, you’ll pick it up quick,” Twilight assured. “It’s not that hard. If the other me can learn to use her levitation so fast, I’m sure you can learn to grip.”

“In the meantime, why don’t we take you and Sunset out for your first flying lesson?” Celestia suggested. “Every pony with wings should learn how to fly.”

“Now that’s what I’ve been waiting for,” Sunset said, but then stopped. “I thought you wanted to keep me a secret for now?”

“I do. Which is why you’ll all be learning to fly from the balcony at the top of the castle. I think we can squeeze in a quick lesson while Little Twi is busy.”

Flash might have asked what the other Twilight was busy with if Celestia’s own comment hadn’t gotten him excited. Flying. The very idea of flying was something he had fantasized about when he was small. Hearing that he would be coming through the portal as a Pegasus brought the idea back into his mind.

Thinking about it, trying to picture what it would be like... he suddenly remembered why he had fantasized it as a kid. Flying. He suddenly couldn’t wait.

“Come on, we’ll have a lesson. We can at least teach you two the basics...”


“And these nightmares... they suddenly stopped after the kidnapping attempt?”

Twilight nodded at the question. At the reminder of the horrifying event, Cadance had put her foreleg around her charge and pulled her close..

“That certainly seems unusual...” Doctor Heart said, who grabbed the pencil in his mouth and began to jot something on the notepad on a stand in front of him.

“Well, maybe I’m just getting better... you know, maybe what happened just gave me other things to worry about.”

The doctor didn’t seem convinced.

“Well tell me, Twilight, what do you hope to get out of these sessions? How do you want to better yourself?”

“Well... I want to... well...”

Doctor Heart noticed that Twilight seemed to be nervous. Was it at him? No... it was something to do with her caregivers.

“...I want to stop feeling so bad.”

“A goal we all share. Why are you feeling so bad?”

“Well... everything that happened, of course. I became a monster...”

“Twiley, we told you that wasn’t your fault...” Shining Armor began.

“Hold on a moment,” said Doctor Heart. “Let’s let Twilight tell us her worry in full.”

Shining Armor bit his lip, and Twilight just looked at Heart, as if surprised she could go on.

“Well... I did something awful, but no one hates me for it. Everyone forgave me instantly. In fact, everyone at Canterlot High seems to love me. The teachers think I’m great... I... I guess I don’t understand how everyone could just love me so much.”

Doctor Heart smiled. “Well... have they told you why they don’t blame you?”

“They just told me that magic does strange things to Humans and left it at that.”

“From what Sunset told me, that’s certainly true,” Doctor Heart said.

“I suppose it’s silly to keep worrying about that after everyone’s forgiven me for it.”

“Twilight, if emotions were that simple, I wouldn’t have my...”

At that point, the clock went off, signifying the top of the hour.

“Well, it looks like this first session has ended,” Heart said.

“Just like that?” Shining Armor said. “You really didn’t get into much.”

“The purpose of this meeting was simply to get to know Twilight a bit better. We’ll start getting into the real source of her challenges when she comes here permanently this summer.”

Twilight nodded. “Thank you, Doctor.”

“It is my job,” he said. “Now, could you and Spike step outside a moment? I want to have a quick word with your caregivers.”

Twilight was surprised at this. He looked over at Shining Armor and Cadance.

“Go on, sweetheart,” Cadance said. “We’ll be right behind you.”

Twilight looked a little apprehensive, but still obeyed. She walked out, with Spike walking on all fours right behind her.

As soon as the doors closed, Doctor Heart spoke. “I want your opinion on how Twilight’s been acting over the last few months.”

There was a bit of mulling. It was Shining Armor who answered. “Well... like she said, she was having particularly bad nightmares until the night she nearly got kidnapped. And... well, the morning after she got her magic for the first time, she seemed nervous. She has no problem using it for research, but she never uses it for anything else.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, whenever Sunset and Rarity are over, they’re always using their levitation to grab things from across the room and things like that. Twilight never does that. In fact...” Shining Armor trailed off, as if wondering whether he should continue. Finally, he finished. “...I get the feeling she wasn’t being entirely honest when she told us she forgot she had magic.”

Doctor Heart nodded. “I suspected as much.”

“But in a lot of ways, she’s been better ever since the incident,” Cadance said. “Before she got her powers, she was the happiest she’s ever been since before her parents died. She’s been getting out of her lab more and seeing her friends. We always tried to encourage her brains, but she never really had friends... except for Spike.”

“Seems almost paradoxical,” Doctor Heart noted. “Has she had any signs of irrational behavior before? Signs of anxiety, depression, the like?”

“Not that I’ve seen,” Cadance said.

“Well... I guess she’s always been a little too organized,” Shining Armor said. “Back when I was a teenager I used to joke that she had OCD... uh, do ponies get that?”

Doctor Heart nodded. “There are some that have it.”

“Well, I used to joke, but I never seriously thought she had it. And I don't ever think she completely got over Mom and Dad dying.”

“Any physical health concerns?”

They both shook their heads.

“Well then, I think we have a pretty solid start,” Doctor Heart said. “The best I can tell you right now is to keep giving her the love and encouragement you always have. Tell me, are the two of you planning to stay here with Twilight this summer?”

“Well, no. We can’t,” Cadance said. “We both have work.”

“That’s likely for the best. There seems to be a bit of dependence on the two of you. Now, I think it’s fine that she loves you so much, and you should always be there, but I think this level is stunting her. Being away from home will help that.”

“I think you might be right,” Shining Armor said. “We have known she’s had trouble standing up for herself. We hoped having friends would get her... well, more assertive.”

“Excellent. Then I think I can do well for your child.”


Flash walked through the halls and back into the sitting room. His wings were killing him.

That was no surprise. He had never used them before. They still seemed as strong as any other part of his body.

“Uh... I’m beat,” he said.

“And your wings are a mess,” Twilight said, looking at his feathers. “I guess preening is the next lesson.”

“Preening?” Flash asked as Sunset and Celestia sat down on the other couch.

“Do you think those feathers take care of themselves?” Twilight said. “It’s possible for a pony to preen themselves, but it’s much easier to have somepony do it for you. It’s a really intimate act, so don’t just ask anypony to do it.”

“Really?”

“It’s a big sign of trust,” Celestia said. “We only let those closest to us preen. Which is why I’m going to be the first to preen Sunset,” Celestia said, draping a wing around her.

Sunset blushed. “Mom...”

“Hey, I gave Twilight her first preening,” Celestia said. “It’s the one thing...”

She was interrupted by Little Twi and her family coming in.

“Ah, Little Twi, you’re back. How was...everything?”

“He was... very good. Thank you, Princess, for everything.”

“I told you, Twi, call me Celestia,” she said. She watched the family sit down. “And as I told you, I make sure my students are taken care of. Only the best for them.”

“Well, I appreciate it anyway.”

Celestia nodded. “So, after all of this, do you feel comfortable leaving her in my care?”

“Of course, Princess,” Cadance said. “Everything looks great.”

“I’m glad. Of course, you still have another two days here. I suppose I should show you your rooms. We have set up private bathing quarters, if you don’t feel comfortable bathing in the bath house.”

That got Shining Armor’s attention. “Bath house?” Cadance seemed confused as well.

Celestia tilted her head. “Didn’t Twilight tell you...”

Sunset smacked her forehead. “I’m sorry, Mom, I forgot to tell her.” She turned to Little Twi and her family. “Here in Equestria, public bathing is pretty normal. Even the smallest towns have a spa. Since we usually don’t wear clothes, there really isn’t anything odd about it.”

“But that won’t be a problem if it makes you uncomfortable,” Twilight promised. “Each suite has its own bathroom.”

“Oh, well, thank you.” Shining Armor said. “That... sounds odd.”

Flash shrugged. “Meh. Sunset’s right, most ponies aren’t wearing clothes. I think I could live with it.”

“Well, in either case, it’s usually done as a group,” Celestia explained. “If you decide to come to the bath house, it’s likely I’ll be there with Twilight and Sunset, a few servants...”

“Your grandchildren,” Sunset snarked. Twilight giggled.

Celestia eyed her child. “I’d be careful if I were you,” she said, though a tone of playfulness was in her voice.

“Why?” Twilight said, feeling a little playful herself. “You’re always saying Spike and Starlight are my children, and if you’re my mother...”

Celestia looked at her... and then grinned. “That was a mistake.”

“Oh really?” Sunset smiled. “Why?”

“Flash?”

Flash was startled that the princess was addressing her directly. “Um, yes?”

“You’ve dated both Twilight and Sunset. Have they told you anything about growing up in my castle?”

“Uh, well, Twilight has. Sunset and I broke up by the time I knew about...”

“Well, I raised them both. And I could tell you all kinds of cute little stories about them...”

At that, both Sunset and Twilight’s eyes widened, their jaws going slack. Cadance and Shining Armor were holding back laughter.

“Uh... really?”

“Oh yes. Like the time Sunset had a little crush on one of the stallions in the school and decided to impress him by showing him a shrinking spell...”

“Mom!” Sunset looked mortified.

“Or when Twilight heard about alchemy and decided to practice on one of the statues in the garden...”

“You wouldn’t,” Twilight said.

“And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Just wait until I tell you about...”

And then, there were twin flashes of purple and mint green, and both Twilight and Sunset were gone.

The Humans jumped in the air and started panicking, but Celestia just laughed. Oddly, this calmed them down.

“Relax, all of you,” Celestia said. “They just teleported themselves. But hopefully they won’t be making anymore cracks about my age.”

There was silence.

Then Shining Armor and Cadance burst out laughing.


“How long do you think we can hide under here?”

Twilight squirmed, grateful her royal bed was lifted off the ground.

“Hopefully the rest of the weekend.”