In Canterlot City’s Sweet Snacks Café, an influx of customers occupied almost every table and seat despite the relatively late hour of ten o’ clock at night and, more importantly, despite the diner’s inability to sell any food that contained meat. Indeed, a lot of hungry patrons hung around in salivating anticipation for what was left: salads, soda, fries, milkshakes, pancakes, waffles, and, best of all, veggie burgers with their distinct green patties.
Sunny Sugarsocks rolled around with her rollerskates, dishing out orders here and there, noticing the meat-lacking smell everywhere she went under the lights against the darkness outside. Then, she served a tray of veggies burgers and some waffle fries with syrup to a pink-skinned woman with curly magenta hair. “Here you go!”
The customer giggled as she collected them. “Why, thank you, miss!”
Then, the waiter tapped her chin, inspecting her. “You look new. Is it alright if I ask for your name?”
“Certainly!” she said. “My name’s Sugar Belle!”
Sugarsocks shrank a little away. “Oh! You’re Big Mac’s girlfriend from out of town, aren’t you?”
“Mm-hmm,” before she took a bite off her burger. “I’m taking an apprenticeship at Sweet Shoppe since I’ve moved here.”
“So you’re officially a Canterlot citizen, huh?” she asked.
“Eeyup!” she said, then giggled softly.
The waiter rolled her eyes at the display of long-distance love. “Well, sorry we can’t sell any of our ordinary burgers. There’s been a weird cold going on lately, making our stomachs reject any meat.”
Sugar smiled. “Oh, I haven’t caught it yet. I ate some bacon for lunch.”
Sugarsocks gave her a bothered look. “Lucky you.”
Then, the waiter rolled away, leaving Sugar Belle to her food.
After her late night dinner, Sugar Belle left the café and walked her way through the city. As the minutes passed, fewer and fewer people roamed on the sidewalks. The cars diminished in number, too, reducing the lights on the streets. The urban sounds gave way to the eerie hoots of owls and the uncanny chirps of crickets.
She picked up her phone, turned it on, then—
“Huh?” She scratched her head. “What was I supposed to do again?” She grew irritated, having now experienced being at the cusp of doing something but being robbed of actually doing it due to forgetfulness.
Then, at the intersection before her, a pink car passed by.
Sugar Belle lighted up. “That’s right! Big Mac! Oh, how could I forget?”
Big Mac himself sat inside his room which did not have much. The walls were wooden and so was the floor and the ceiling. A yoke hung on his wall and so did a little gray doll. A closet and some drawers stood by the wall beside a window.
That was all.
He sat on his bed, saw his red coat and his yellowish hooves.
Then, he slowly got off of his bed, almost stumbling when he switched to four hooves mode. He closed the curtains with a light push of a hoof, blocking the moonlight from invading his time. He hung his head, sat down on the floor, then—
Creak!
Big Mac held his breath, ears folded back.
“Big brother?”
Ears rising back up, he turned around and saw Apple Bloom holding the door open with her hand.
“You’re not alright, are ya’?”
Big Mac looked down, seeing those hooves—the reminder of his new condition. “Nope.”
Apple Bloom closed the door quietly. “If you’re worried, I kept ‘em busy with more salad and my math book.”
Silence between the two, Apple Bloom by the door and Big Mac by the window.
Then, she spoke up: “What’s goin’ on in that head o’ yours?”
At first, nothing.
Big Mac sighed as he stood up. With a sluggish gait, he trotted to his little sister. “Not much. Just wonderin’ how I’m gonna get by,” as he looked down on his hooves again.
Apple Bloom clung her arms around his neck. “Well, at least you aren’t alone. There must be some others who’re already ponies and—“
Ding-dong!
They both looked at the window, both holding breath.
“I’ll go check,” whispered Apple Bloom as she slightly opened the curtains and peeked out the window.
Big Mac glanced back at the door, waiting for the answer.
She came back, shuddering and whispering, “It’s Sugar Belle!”
Big Mac whinnied, then plugged his mouth with a hoof. Then, nervously hopping on all four hooves: “This is bad! She can’t see me like this!”
“Hey!” Cookie’s voice shouted from downstairs. “Someone’s outside! Big Mac?!”
And Big Mac stood still, frozen and scared.
“You stay up here!” Apple Bloom said, rushing to the door. “I’ll tell her yer’ very sick!”
“B-But what about our h-horses?!” Big Mac cried out.
She stopped, about to step into the hallway. “I’ll figure it out some’ow. Now, lay low!”
Big Mac nodded and Apple Bloom went down the corridor, footsteps fading.
Apple Bloom sprinted her way down the stairs, avoiding a crash while hopping with one foot to keep her balance, went round the corner and—
“Oh, hey, Apple Bloom!” Cookie greeted, already at the door with the window though it was closed with a curtain; Oakley and Cinnamon were seated at the table, eating salad. “I was just going to see who this nice woman is!”
Apple Bloom bit her fingernails, hearing more knocks on the door.
“Uh, Apple Bloom?” came Sugar Belle’s soft voice from outside. “Who’s there?”
The Apple sibling stretched her bow in anxiety as she walked to Cookie’s side. Talking through the door: “Heh-heh! Um, it’s...Applejack’s cousins from A-Appleloosa! I’m, uh, hostin’ a get-together for ‘em in my sister’s a-absence!”
“Huh?” was Cookie’s reaction. “We’re not Applejack’s—“
And Apple Bloom stepped in front of her and went closer to the door, standing between a curious pony and a curious lover. “Wh-What about, um, tomorrow? You c-could visit B-Big Mac another time!”
“That’s the thing,” Sugar Belle said. “I already brought some gifts for him! I’m sure he’d love them!”
“I’ll take it myself!” Apple Bloom offered, hand ready on the knob. “B-Big Mac’s down with the fever—the cold fever!”
“Cold fever?” Sugar asked.
“You have fever when yer’ cold, right?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Don’t you mean the flu?”
And the little sister nodded. “Eeyup! That’s what I said, what I totally said!”
“Apple Bloom?” Cookie began, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Didn’t Applejack tell you that lying is bad?”
“It’s not lyin’!” Apple Bloom whispered. “It’s...um, alterna’ive information!”
“Which is lying.”
Apple Bloom groaned, tempted to pull the pony’s hair out. “Cookie, don’t ya’ remember we’re not supposed to show ya’ ‘round ‘till it’s safe? People would freak out if they saw a talking horse.”
“But didn’t Applejack say something about a talking dog?” pointed out Cookie.
“Apple Bloom?” came Sugar again. “This is taking a long time.”
“Just a moment!” Apple Bloom yelled, leading Cookie away from the door. “I’ll tell Big Mac that you’re here! He’s probably sleeping an’ didn’t hear ya’!”
“OK!” Sugar replied rather cheerfully.
Then, Cookie was brought to the dining table where Oakley and Cinnamon had watched the scene unfold.
“Whof fhath?” Oakley asked, chewing on leaves and tomatoes.
Cinnamon moaned. “Oakley! Don’t talk when your mouth is full!”
Oakley swallowed and made a nervous chuckle. “Uh-huh.” Then, turning to Apple Bloom and a Cookie who sat down, “I’m still getting used to your table manners! Lots of rules to follow, but I guess it’s all good in the end.”
Apple Bloom kept up a good smile as Cookie gave her a little glare. “Yup! Table manners are very important!”
“Funny you should say that,” Cinnamon said, forehooves clasped over the math book as she levitated to the next page. “Back then, you didn’t care much about table manners to begin with.” Turning casually to Oakley and sounding more laid-back, “I remember when Sweetie Belle and Rarity came over. That snobby stiff neck called the family way of dining, ‘uncouth’.”
“It’s amazing Applejack’s still friends with them!” Oakley remarked before he scooped up another wingful of lettuce and cabbages.
Faced with the Apple horses becoming unruly, she gulped, then, remembering why she went down, said, “I want all o’ you to remain quiet. The person outside is Sugar Belle, Big Mac’s girlfriend—“
“W-Wait, that’s her?!” Cookie screamed. “When Big Mac said her name, I thought he liked the Cakes’ sugar bells!”
Apple Bloom smacked herself on the head. “Bells made of sugar? Was that what yer’ thinkin’?”
“Yuppity-yup-yup!” Cookie exclaimed, putting on a cute smile. “To be honest, though, my first bet was on that Cheerilee teacher!”
“I’d placed my bets on Marble Pie two Hearth’s Warmings ago,” Cinnamon quipped. “Remember when the both of us mares peeked through the window and saw those two sweethearts under the mistletoe—by the fire, no less?”
“But Fleetfoot was a good second-placer,” Cookie added, warming up to the romantic conversation. “Can’t forget when she kicked a soccer ball with a heart taped on it!”
“And she said it was an accident it crashed through his window!” Cinnamon said.
“Uh, girls?” Oakley said, tapping Cinnamon on the horn. “I don’t think AB’s happy with what you’re doing.”
They looked at Apple Bloom who had crossed her arms and closed her eyes half-way to form a dreadful expression. “This is serious! Only us an’ few others know what’s really goin’ on with people turnin’ into ponies, magic spreadin’ ‘round, and things like that! If Sugar Belle finds out, that’s another one to keep quiet, and we can’t keep everyone quiet ‘cause they’ll start talkin’, an’ if they start talkin’, they’ll panic and make things worse!” and ended with her arms flapping around.
Cinnamon rubbed her chin. Then, with a glow of her horn, closed the book. “Point taken.”
Oakley nodded. “Don’t worry! Our lips are sealed!”
Then, Apple Bloom turned to Cookie. “And, you?”
Cookie gulped, then balked, pawing her chair. “Yeah. For the world and all that.”
Apple Bloom sighed and stood up. “Good. You stay here.” Glancing at the door, “I don’t think she can see you if I keep ‘er outside.” Turning back to the ponies: “Got it?”
All three of them nodded in unison.
She walked to the door and opened it just a bit, seeing Sugar Belle shining a little under the moonlight.
“Oh, uh, here!” said Sugar as she handed a paper bag to her. “I wish I could come back and buy him some medicine, but I didn’t know he was that bad before. I tried texting him, but he never replied—and, besides, the drug stores are packed with people.”
“Packed?” Apple Bloom repeated.
“You should’ve seen the line!” Sugar Belle said, turning a bit to the side. “They almost spilled over to the road. That’s how bad things have gotten.”
“Yeah, that’s not good,” Apple Bloom commented. Then, looking over Sugar’s shoulder, she saw a pink car approaching, almost blinding with its headlights.
Sugar Belle nodded. “Thank you! I hope he gets better soon!”
Apple Bloom nodded, too, noticing the headlights growing brighter as it approached. “Yeah. I hope ‘e does, too.”
Then, Sugar Belle walked away into the night, seeing the car dim its lights as it parked by the side. She gave it a brief look, but kept on walking, disappearing around the bend.
With her car still humming, Cadance got out of the car and looked at Apple Bloom already there. She did not move to the door, preferring to stay by her vehicle. “Good evening, Apple Bloom.”
The little sister looked surprised. “Cadance? From Crystal Prep? B-But why?”
“I know you weren’t expecting me,” the principal said, clutching her hair. “However, I just need to know if Applejack is here.”
Apple Bloom raised a brow. “Ya’ could’ve just texted ‘er phone, right? It’s with me.”
Cadance sighed. “Well, I’m here. Is she back?”
Apple Bloom shook her head. “Nope.”
Cadance then walked back to her car. “That’s all I needed to know. Thank you.”
“Yer’ wel—“
But Cadance closed the door, and drove away.
Principal Cadance drove past dark and sleepy houses, sometimes finding herself the only one on the road save for some parked cars by the sidewalk. The solitary streetlights sapped the trip of any life.
She passed by the school and saw some construction workers still doing their best to fix the statue, though already there was an ambulance and a fainted Hard Hat on a stretcher. She slowed down to get a quick glance of the glass dome.
“Celestia and Luna,” she whispered, eyes focused there, “we’re all counting on you.”
With that over, she kept driving, passing by more solitary streetlights and more sleepy houses, Twilight’s manor one of them—and then it wasn’t when a light turned on. She slowed down; perhaps the student had returned, but Cadance found only disappointment when she made out the figures of Twilight’s parents.
Kept driving—
“What?!”
Skidded her car to a halt, almost hitting her head on the steering wheel yanking forward.
Looked up and saw a taxi and a motorcycle crashed in the middle of the intersection with a knife stabbed on the bike’s wheel. The cab’s driver stayed inside, visibly shaken by what just happened, while the three passengers, all women dressed up with concert-ready clothes, were arguing with the motorcycle’s owner who turned out to be Soarin.
Cadance saw no way out other than to take the long route by reversing, so she began to back up. Then, she stopped, noticing that the women looked familiar.
With those red jewel necklaces.
Cadance lowered the window a little to catch a glimpse of the conversation.
“—my fault! It wasn’t!” Soarin yelled, pointing to himself.
“Oh, and you’re gonna blame a poor old man?” Adagio Dazzle said, pointing an accusing finger at him. “What a low blow.”
“Does it matter?” Soarin said, glancing at the driver, confused with pity and anger. “He almost scratched my face!”
“So you’re not gonna notice your bruised leg or what?” Aria Blaze said, looking down on his reddening knee.
“Face it, Soarin,” Adagio began with a twirl of her hand. “Whether you meant to or not, you crashed into our taxi without thinking about what others are going through.” She extended her hand and opened and closed it. “For that, you have to pay—“ turned to Sonata Dusk. “What are you doing?”
Sonata was texting on her phone. “Calling for an ambulance! He looks really hurt!”
“I’m not that hurt!” Soarin yelled.
“Whoops! Too late!” then took the call. “Hello! Yeah, this is Sonata Dusk—no, I’m not a siren—OK, not now! I won’t sing and make you doctors fight! Hey, there’s someone who’s really hurt and he’s between Wheeler Street and….”
Adagio groaned, shaking her head and closing her eyes. “Sonata—“
Cadance closed the window, turned around, and drove away from the scene.
She did not bother parking the car inside the house’s garage. Instead, she parked it by the curb.
Once outside, she staggered to the front door and knocked hard on it. “Shiny?!”
Door immediately opened, revealing a haggard Shining Armor with a bad case of ruffled bed hair. “Wh-What? Cadance? What’re you doing here?”
“I-I brought the keys,” Cadance blathered as she wobbled her way inside, not taking in the medieval architecture of his house with wooden logs on display and a couple of knights’, well, shining armors on display.
“Why?” Shining asked, glancing at the kitchen. Then, his eyes widened when he looked back at Cadance. “Uh, did you buy hair extensions?”
Cadance looked at him odd. “What do you mean?”
Shining pointed at her hair. “It’s...long.”
Cadance grabbed it, then saw that her hair was now done in a pony tail, extending almost all the way to the floor.
She gasped. “But I’ve never went to a salon this week...or last week!”
Shining made a little smile. “Then again, it’s been almost a week since I last saw you. Maybe you didn’t notice.”
Cadance shook her head, breathing faster. “No...no, it’s not that. This is the kind of hair the R-Rainbooms have—“
“Uh, I don’t remember Twily wearing hair like that,” Shiny said confidently. Then, tracing back his steps: “Actually, I do remember her with super-long hair, but only when she ponies up—“
“That’s it!” Cadance said, voice hollowed with fear.
She grabbed both his shoulders, pulled him in closer, catching him surprised.
“What’s happening, Cady?” Shining asked, a little quieter this time though a bit wary, too.
Cadance looked deep into his eyes, pleading something to him with that stare. “I’m turning into a…into a—“
“You’re ponying up?” Shining said before he smirked. “I mean, I don’t think it’ll look that bad—and, hey, if my Twily can pony up, why can’t I—“
“No!” Cadance yelled, growing exasperated, wanting to pull away from him. “This is more than just ponying up!” She rested a hand on the wall, feeling tired and drained. “You remember the call we had about people falling in love around me?”
Shining arched a brow. “...yes?”
Cadance sighed. Then, with raised head: “Equestrian magic is spreading at an alarming rate, more than this world can handle. I think I’m slowly getting love powers...and the cold that we’re having? It’s slowly turning us into ponies!”
Shining stayed silent, looking at her across the distance.
And noticed a part of her head glowing. “Cadance, what’s happening to your—“
The glow vanished.
Close to the top of her head were triangular pony ears, her normal ones gone.
“What is it?!” Cadance shouted, becoming jittery.
Shiny slowly raised a pointed finger. “Y-Your….”
Cadance ran a hand through her head, feeling those new ears. “Aah! No, no, no!” She held both her hands to her head. “It’s coming to get me!”
As she paced about in panic, another part of her head glowed, and in its place was a pink horn on her forehead.
Shining took a step back. “Cadance, sh-should I call—“
“No!” she screamed, backing up to the wall, looking up at her horn. “I’ve been trying to hold it back—I don’t know how I’m holding it back, but I’m losing—“
Shining picked up his phone. “I’ll call Twilight and the rest! They should know—“
“They’re in Equestria!” Cadance yelled, trying to grasp the wall with her hands.
“Right, right!” He paused. “What about Celestia and Luna?” he asked, scrolling the list of his contacts on the phone.
“They’re ponies, too!”
And then, a glow from behind her back.
Shining rubbed his eyes when it was gone, dropping his jaw for a moment. “I have to call someone! You got wings!”
“Wings?!”
Then, she stepped forward and looked behind her, seeing pink wings complete with feathers attached to her.
“Aah!”
Shining held out a hand to her. “Cadance?”
Silence, both looking at each other with terrified stares.
“I w-want you to chill—“
And she ran to Shining and gave him a hug.
The tears flowing and drenching both their clothes.
“I-I d-don’t want to be a pony!” Cadance shouted. “I kn-know what this means! I’ve seen its magic corrupt Twilight, and...I don’t know how I’m going to take th-the full power of a princess! No...no….”
Then glowed.
All of her glowing.
Despite the brightness, Shining kept hugging her.
And then it stopped.
Felt the hooves slip from his shoulder.
As Cadance the alicorn fell to the floor, knocked senseless.
“Cadance!”
He knelt down, lifting her pink pony head. He slapped it, then shook it.
“Come on, wake up! Wake up! Wake—“
“Aah!”
Punched by Cadance’s hoof.
“Ow!” and then he stumbled to the carpet, feeling the ache on his cheek. After a few seconds, he got up and saw Cadance trembling on the floor in her alicorn form.
Her eyes shrank, seeing Shining. “Shiny?”
He looked scared. Then, he mustered up a smile. “Don’t worry, Cady.”
Shining hugged her.
Cadance felt surprise, then wobbled her forehooves around as she tried to see how she could hug him back.
Then, her eyes and her horn glowed white.
Shiny released the embrace, almost yelping. “Wh-What?!”
And then the glows subsided, her horn and her eyes returning to normal.
Shiny was at a loss for words. Then: “H-How do you feel?”
Cadance blinked, staring at empty space for a while. She looked at Shining and smiled. “It’s OK.” She stood up perfectly on her four hooves and spread her wings in regal fashion. “I...I don’t know how, but I know so much about how to move around as a pony now.”
“...what?”
Cadance trotted up to him and hugged him back.
Shining felt surprised, then wobbled his hands around as he tried to see how he could hug her back.
Then, they let go.
“So, that’s it?” Shining asked, looking her up and down. “You just know?”
“I’ve seen it happen with Luna,” Cadance said. “I’ve heard nothing like that from anyone else so far, so...maybe it’s just us two plus Celestia?”
Shining then sat down on the couch, scratching his head. Then, he immediately stood back up, walking to the kitchen.
“Where are you going?” Cadance asked.
“Getting some Hill Buzz,” Shining said, opening up the fridge and then downing a bottle of the energy drink in one go.
The alicorn raised a brow. “Why?”
Shining turned around and wiped his mouth. “In less than five minutes, I was told magic from another world is filling up our world, we’re all changing into ponies with the pony cold, and my girlfriend became a unicorn with wings.”
“Alicorn.”
“OK, alicorn,” Shining said, sounding tired. He went back with another bottle of the drink and sat down on the couch, rubbing his eyes. “This is gonna be a lot to take in all at once.”
Leaving himself there as Cadance trotted up to the couch and sat beside him, spending a minute together in truly taking the whole situation in for themselves.