//------------------------------// // 019 - Nightmare Night // Story: Welcome to Distopia // by LucidDreamer //------------------------------// Lorraine sat on the couch. John sat quite comfortably next to her. Both were not focused on the TV for once. Instead the pair watched the bright red blur of Alastor trotting about the house with a checklist floating in his magic, as he seemed to be chatting with himself about things that were a bit far beyond the pairs understanding. To John it was magic gibberish. Lorraine recognized a phrase here or there for some reason, but it was still mostly a foreign language. There was a knock at the door and Gilda ducked under the floating checklist. She retrieved the candy bowl from the door and greeted the, quite loud, foals screaming “Nightmare Night; what a fright; give me something sweet to bite!” Gilda was actually smiling when she came back into the living room. John looked at her and the hen shrugged. “What, I happen to like seeing all the costumes.” “Have I-” Alastor began for the umpteenth time. “Yes Al, you have.” John said, rolling his eyes. There came another knock as Alastor blinked and looked at John. “John, you threw off my planning.” “I may not speak magic, but I can hear repeating phrases.” John raised a brow. “You were skipping so much I thought you were a record, more of that and I’d have to swat you to get you back on track.” “I wasn’t that bad.” The deer demon huffed a little. “You kinda were, I was getting worried.” Lorraine said with a nod. “I’m fi-” Alastor was cut off. “Holy fuck, when did you get small and adorable?” John, Lorraine, and Alastor all knew that voice. Alastor actually rolled his eyes as the pair on the couch looked to see who walked in. He(?) was tall, almost brushing the ceiling. He was rail thin. His double-jointed legs were clad in black leather, high-heeled, boots that ran all the way up to his thighs. He wore a pink and white striped suit jacket. At least, it looked like a jacket. Parts of it seemed to meld into his white fluff. He had four arms, all ending in bright red, three-fingered, one-thumbed gloves. The jacket was open at his chest, letting fluffy white fur spill out. Said opening was also shaped like a heart. At the collar his neck was a black bow-tie. Around his throat was a black choker.  A sharp toothed grin (with a single gold fang) split the face of the white furry head. Three red dots (that appeared to move) sat under each eye. Speaking of eyes, they were different. The right eye bore yellow sclera, a bright red iris, and a pitch-black pupil. The left eye was just a black void bearing a single red pupil. Around his eyes was pink fur that almost looked like applied mascara. His black eye brows occasionally twitched of their own volition, the feathery, white fur that could be called hair, had spots of pink in it. This wiry person was staring at Alastor, who seemed to be pretending to ignore him. “I’m fine.” Alastor stated firmly, looking at Lorraine. “Don’t make me Salvation your arse.” Lorraine warned, frowning at him. “Oh, he is not fine. Haven’t seen Smiles this stressed since… Ya know I don’t know if I’ve seen him this stressed, or this fluffy.” The demon blinked. “Ya look cute with hooves. Tell me Smiles are ya packing under there? Because, Solaire’s fiery ass, I know it’ll be an upgrade.” “Huh. Solaire you mind if people use your name in vain, or swearing, or whatever?” John asked, only half-processing the statement. ‘Why should I care?’ “Huh. Good point.” John shrugged. “Nice to meet you too Angel Dust.” Lorraine said. “There you are- Oh Nightmare’s Tits, you are adorable!” Angel Dust actually squealed, covering his cheeks with his upper hands and reaching out for a hug with his lower pair. “You’re so much cuter in person!” “Should I be worried?” John asked. Angel looked at John. “Absolutely.” “I’m sorry!” A familiar voice called out as Princess Joy scrambled into the room. “He kinda pushed past Gilda…. After he kissed her. Don’t worry, she’s not paralyzed anymore!” “Hi Joy- Wait, what happened?” John blinked. “What the fuck?” Lorraine blinked, trying to process what was happening. “Bleeech…” Gilda groaned, half-staggering in. “I’ll make tea.” John rushed to get up. “You sit the fuck down, I’ll make tea.” John said, shooing the griffon over to the couch before hovering up onto the kitchen counter to start making tea. “Hey Gilda need a heal?” Lorraine asked. “More like I need a cigarette.” Gilda muttered, shuddering a bit. “Sorry Doll, I tend to have that effect on ladies.” Angel winked at her. “He’s a walking euphemism.” John commented dryly. “So, Smiles, ya fucked her yet?” Angel asked Alastor. Said deer whipped his head towards Angel, looking surprisingly surprised. “No!” “He better not have.” Came a warning growl from the kitchen. “No. No, no, no. Ewww.” Lorraine shook her head. “Ewww?” Angel blinked at her, then looked back at Alastor. “Smiles, either you tried too hard or not enough.” “Yes.” Came a call from the kitchen. “So a girl can’t like the idea of not having sex? Fuck you.” Lorraine deadpanned. “Anytime.” Angel grinned at her then returned to looking at Alastor. “But seriously Smiles, she’s cute, but she doesn’t really seem your type… Wait, you have a type, right?” “Angel Dust, you are this close to getting bucked.” Alastor stated, his grin almost turning into a frown. “Bucked? Ya’ve gone native already.” Angel giggled at him as Alastor glared. A green lash of energy shot out of the kitchen and wrapped around Angel’s neck. “Angel! Hi! Come help me make tea!” Angel was summarily yanked into the kitchen. “Oh, Harder Daddy!” “Not as funny the tenth time hearing it.” John replied flatly. “Cock blocker.” Angel replied. “I’m an emotivore, I could hypothetically suck you dry.” “Oh-ho-ho I bet you could!” Lorraine face-clawed as Joy patted her shoulder with a hoof. “I have never, in my life, wanted to hit someone. Until today.” “So this is where the ritual will take place.” Alastor explained, standing in the middle of the house’s sizable, backyard. Everyone else stood on the empty stone porch. The sun was starting to set and the moon (a naturally occurring full moon) started to rise. “Once the time is right, and Nightmare is prepared (so to speak), Lorraine will stand here and the magic will happen.” Alastor said with a nod. “Until then, honestly, we just wait.” “Well we could throw a party or something.” Angel suggested. There was a moment of silence. “How did you not summon Pinkie?” John asked Angel. “Nightmare Night screws with her Pinkie Sense and generally messes with her head.” Joy explained with a small frown. “It’s why she wears more elaborate costumes and tends to indulge in more candy than normal.” “Not sure if depression or demon but either way I want to hug that mare.” Gilda commented. “Baring she didn’t try to hump me. Wait no- Was thinking of Dash.” She finished dryly. “In fact, I bet Dash is up to her pranks by now.” “I’m sure we could throw a little something together.” John nodded. “If anything, maybe celebrate after Lorraine’s transformation.” “That sounds like a great idea.” Joy nodded, smiling. “Sure, sounds like fun.” Lorraine nodded along. As the group on the porch made to go inside, a chill ran down the mortal’s spines, the demons took notice of a familiar presence. Joy froze, then whirled around. “...Dad…” Alastor didn’t move as a pearl-white alicorn stode up alongside the deer. A long mane of golden blond flowed softly in the breeze. A pristine white suit coat and a pink vest covered his front half and had holes for his massive wings. His eyes, little more than yellow sclera, and black slit pupils, looked down on the deer. “My dear Radio Demon, you’re not taking this seriously.” “Mourning Star.” Alastor replied somewhat stiffly. "I did warn you Bambi, but here you are, frolicking around without a care in the world," Mourning Star observed. "Why it's almost as if you don't want to leave but I can't keep you up here forever Allie-boy. You were sent to Tartarus for a reason." The king smirked. "As amusing as it is watching you and the little doe dance around, I need you to come to your senses. You have a job to do after all." “Hard to do a job you don’t have instructions for.” Alastor replied, tilting his head a little. "Oh it's really quite simple Bambi, you are an Overlord, one that has irreversibly changed the very way Tartarus functions," the alicorn explained. "and yet you care so little for your duties you broke one of my golden rules by trying to summon a light bearer into the depths. Regardless of how important or harmless she is, the little doe simply isn't allowed downstairs." “So then, what happens now?” Alastor asked, seemingly calm. “I warned you I wouldn’t be merciful this time around.” Mourning Star replied as around the pair green rifts, leaking black smoke popped up. Beasts pulled themselves from the rifts. They vaguely resembled hounds, in that they had four limbs ending in paw-like claws. The rest… Their bodies were a ruddy crimson, more muscle than fur. Running along their back down to the tip of their tail was thick black fur. Intermingled in the fur were long, black, porcupine-like barbs. Bursting from their shoulders were massive boney spikes that angled forward. Instead of a normal head, a solid plate of bone covered the entire upper half of their heads. Their mouths were maws of jagged, sharp teeth. From just behind their shoulders emerged long tentacle-like tendrils that ended in something resembling a four-petaled flower. The tentacles waved about until, as one, each set focused on Alastor. A very hound-like growl rumbled from each hunter. “I’ll give you…” Mourning Star appeared to think. “A minute’s head start.” He smiled at Alastor. “Run.” Alastor immediately bolted. Immediately after that, Lorraine burst into blue flames, shifting into her Persona form, and bolted after him. “Dad wait-” Joy spoke up. “Dear, I don’t intrude on your business, don’t intrude on mine.” Mourning Star said like a disciplining father. “Stay out of this.” He returned his gaze to the others, and actually focused his gaze on John. “You want to play hero? Have a go at this.” A vile green portal opened up behind him. Large bipeds of seemingly mostly muscle stomped out of the portal. Their legs and arms were clad in black metal plates. Their shoulders were covered in spiked pauldrons. Their heads seemed a little too small for their large bodies, yet were covered in a helmet that bore a single curved horn. Their chests were bare, save for the straps holding their shoulder-guards on. Their skin was bright red. Clenched in their fists were massive black blades glowing with green light. “Have fun little princeling.” Mourning Star smiled and vanished in a flash. The dogs tore the grass to shreds as they charged in the direction that Alastor had went. The four demons that Mourning Star summoned took steps forward and lined up, blocked the other’s path. John narrowed his eyes. “Fuck.” "Dammit Alastor, wait up!" Lorraine called out as she tore across Ponyville after Alastor. She could hear barking behind her. The voice of Mourning Star reached her as she ran. "You really care about him. I'd find it adorable if it wasn't so pathetic. He's a demon, best you understand that now little doe before you get hurt." The demonic dogs raced past her and Alastor swerved to the side and made a beeline for the Everfree. Lorraine scrambled to keep up. "Really now, I'm not going to kill him. Just maul him a little," Mourning Star said flippantly. "He needs to learn to accept his lot in life but alas, meeting you seems to have changed him." "Why even do this?!" Lorraine snarled. "Wasn't he making progress?" "Not fast enough I'm afraid," the king replied with a sigh. "If Allie-boy is to return to Tartarus, he needs to prove he can fulfil his duty, his Destiny as an Overlord. Think of it like a kind of rehabilitation." "Rehabilitation? This is torture." Lorraine stated as trees whipped by her. Ahead of her the barking turned into angry snarls. Mourning Star chuckled. "Such is life, it isn't fair now is it? And this is only the tip of the iceberg. Like or not little doe, you and your little princeling are the stars of the show, destined for greatness!" "We didn't ask for this-" Lorraine argued. "How many of your beloved characters suffer? How many of them die?" Mourning Star asked. "Don't you want to save them?" John narrowed his eyes at the Legion demons. Gilda growled like an angry cat next to him. On his other side Angel Dust… pulled a baseball bat with nails driven through it. Where he pulled it from… John made a mental note to ask about the bat later, as he stepped forward, frowning and growling. ‘John, this is one of the times of the year where I am at my weakest. Yet, I am still more than willing to aid you. Take my Boon.’ John was suddenly engulfed in bright orange-gold flames. ‘If the old Sun is willing to aid you while he is as weak as he is, then I suppose I shall have to aid you as well. Have my Boon.’ A deep blue aura surrounded the raging flames, shifting the flames from gold to blue. ‘Ah, Nightmare, I did not expect your help.’ ‘Mourning Star is making a mockery of my night, as well as interfering with one I have taken an interest in. Of course I will aid her paramore.’ ‘Perhaps a mingling of skills, an aid in his transformation.’ ‘You provide the fiery transformation, while I turn thought into form.’ ‘Precisely.’ ‘Call out a name, John.’ “Raphael.” The flames erupted. Standing in John’s place, was an Angel. He stood tall almost entirely encased in deep purple plate armor. His shoulder-guards were trimmed in an off-white bone color. The back of each shoulder-guard bore four protruding metal spikes that looked like feathers. A white sash hung from his left shoulder, wrapped around his waist, and hung down like a tabard. Stylized crosses of gold ran down the center of the length of the sash. A gold cross was engraved on the forearm of each gauntlet. A white hood, trimmed in gold, covered his head, yet glowing green eyes shone from within the hood. A pair of “wings” emerged from the feather-spikes on the shoulder-guards. They were like tendrils of translucent white light. There were eight in total. They moved and shifted from mimicking a pair of bird wings to looking like a grand cape of light. Gripped in his right hand was a silver sword, the blade of which was ignited in bright yellow-gold flames. John the Angel hovered off the ground. He raised his blade. He gripped the hilt in both hands, pointing the blade straight up, as his eyes closed and his head bowed. His wings flared out as he swung the blade to his side and his eyes snapped open. “You are not welcome.” John’s voice was deep and commanding as he pointed with his free hand at the demons. “Begone.” Lorraine had lost sight of Alastor in the dense undergrowth of the forest but she could still hear the unearthly barks and howls of the dogs in the distance. King Mourning Star was still taunting her. "Honestly Little Doe, why help him? He's a criminal." "You sent him to me, what else could I do?" Lorraine snapped as she ran, her hooves dug into the ground and kicked up dirt as she focused on trying to locate Alastor in the dark forest. "And it's been quite amusing watching you fawn over him but I had expected you two to sort out your little problem by now," Mourning Star replied. "He is one of your destined partners, so I assumed his silly little infatuation with you would have sorted itself out one way or another." The king chuckled. "Alas, you're both stubborn in that regard so it falls to me to help move things along." "Attacking him still isn't right." Lorraine stated. Her hoof caught on a root, there was a flash of blue flame as she reverted back into her luck dragon form and stumbled in a bid to stay upright. "I could call off my hounds, but why should I?" The king said as he appeared in front of her and peered down at her. He smirked. "Ah, I know! I'll leave Allie-boy be, I'll even return his radio powers to him, in return, you my little doe... Have to fight me." "Fight you?" Lorraine asked, confusion plain as day on her face. "Yes! A battle, my immeasurable power versus your dainty little shadow," Mourning Star smirked as the luck dragon pulled her foot free of the root and resumed her persona form. "After all, my hounds were expecting a grand old chase and if you want to save your friends that badly, you'll have to prove you can hold your own." Mourning Star's smirk was triumphant as the hell hounds that were chasing Alastor burst through gaps in the trees to surround Lorraine. The king of Tartarus looked at her knowingly. "You'll be put through the wringer in the future dearie, Chaos Spirits, Mad Gods, Evil Queens! Oh, the strife that will be sent your way..." The hounds growled. They seemed wary of Lorraine as she stood her ground. She was paralyzed with indecision, her nonviolent nature clashing with the very real threat the hounds represented. She looked around at her opponents, wary and alert. A single sound shattered the tense atmosphere. Click The hum of radio static filled the air as the hounds were lifted off the ground in a red aura and Alastor appeared before Lorraine in a burst of shadowy magic. He flashed a smile and turned his attention to the monarch. "You know, I would have accepted your laughable attempt at punishment. I've certainly been through worse!" Alastor said cheerfully. "But no, you- you, chose to twist your game to target one of the few things I value most," The Radio Buck's fur began to puff up, his antlers elongated and the buzz of static grew into a dull roar. Alastor's grin was almost feral as his pupils warped into radio dials. "I am done being toyed with, I changed the very Laws of Hell once, I can do so again." Mourning Star heaved out an exasperated sigh and the hounds disappeared. "Fine Alastor, a spoil sport as always." The buck returned to his usual appearance. "Now why the long face, I was just doing my job! Or did you forget that I am The Nightmare's Huntsman? Devourer of the damned? Protector of innocent souls?" "I can't tell if you're serious or using that as an excuse," Mourning Star mused. "I'm impressed. Very well Allie-boy, I'll leave you be for the moment but I doubt your fellow Overlords will be as considerate. Rumor has it that darling little Ashira is looking to bring the Tartarus Branch of the Conservation Committee up topside, won't that be interesting?" With one last smirk sent their way, King Mourning Star vanished. Alastor immediately turned around and began checking Lorraine for injuries. "Did any of those beasts get at you?" he asked, visibly concerned. "No, what about you?" Lorraine asked in turn. He gave her a cocky grin. "If there's one thing I'm grateful for about being a deer again, it is the fact I can still outrun almost anything!" Alastor stood proudly as Lorraine just looked at him, concern rolling off her in waves. The buck sighed and looked surprisingly sheepish. "They didn't catch me, I apologize if I frightened you." he said sincerely. With a flash of blue flames Lorraine was once more a luck dragon. Her ears drooped as she took a shaky breath. "We should get out of here. We need to check on the others." The luck dragon was picked up in Alastor's magic and deposited on his back. The Radio Buck looked back at her, relief plain as day on his face. "Hold on tight dear, we'll have you back home just in time for the ritual." Alastor and Lorraine returned to find most of the backyard a charred wreck. That which wasn’t blackened, was on fire. The house and the area just outside of the backyard were entirely untouched. John sat in the middle of the yard, looking a little out of it. “What the Hell happened here?” Lorraine asked bluntly as she got off Alastor’s back. “Is everyone alright?” “We didn’t do anything. And we’re fine.” Gilda said, still sitting on the porch. “Ya shoulda' seen it!” Angel immediately gushed. “So there were these swol boys that Moaning Star summoned-” “Angel Dust, I’d prefer to hear from a more… level-headed source.” Alastor cut the spider demon off. “Awww, fine.” Angel pouted. “From what I gather, Solaire and Nightmare both gave John a Boon when he decided to stand up to the Hellguard. That ended up with them agreeing to aid in a special transformation for John.” Joy spoke up, taking a step into the yard and lighting her horn to douse the flames. “John turned into… something humanoid in armor, with weird white wings and a flaming sword.” She shook her head. “The Armor-John proceeded to raise his sword to the sky. A giant pillar of flame fell from the sky and did this to the backyard.” She gestured a hoof at the yard. “Three of the Hellguard were just gone. Then the last one managed to stay in one piece just long enough to charge and swing at John. John, didn’t move. The blade bounced off his armor and the on fire demon proceeded to crumble to ash because he was on fire.” “After that, armor boy just poofed into blue flames and he’s just been sitting there.” Angel gestured a hand at the zonked out bug. Lorraine plodded over to John, sat behind him, and pulled him into a hug. “Hi.” John said, sounding tired. “I did a thing. Well, I did a thing with some help.” “You okay?” Lorraine asked. John craned his head back to look at her and blinked. “I dunno. Maybe? Feel drained. You okay? You okay to go on with the magic-God-shapeshifting-stuff?” "Yeah," She replied meekly. "Just... just still a bit... upset, gimme a bit." He leaned his head up and kissed her nose. “We can rest until the ritual thing. I doubt anything else will want to fuck with us tonight.” John looked over at Alastor. “I’m pretty sure he would disintegrate anything that tries.” “And you would be absolutely right, John.” Alastor nodded with a happy grin. “See?” John gestured at the deer. “Everything’s gonna be okay.” Lorraine was silent as she looked out at the ruined backyard, her ears flat against her skull in worry and her fur puffed up as the noodle dragon sniffed and blinked back tears. A sigh was heard as The Nightmare appeared unceremoniously in front of the smol bug and noodle dragon. "Do not let the nonsense of the trickster king sway you. This is my night and no harm would have befallen any of your companions," the Goddess stated but paused as Lorraine only appeared to get more worked up. The Nightmare stepped closer and laid down so she was closer to Lorraine's eye level. "Even if Destiny has you in her sights, you are not constrained to the rules of her game. If you want to save others, you can. You have every right to reject a path of violence for one of peace, a right to care. Selfish or not, you define yourself by who you care for, by what you enjoy in life despite the turmoil thrown at you. If you view such compassion and kindness as a selfish desire then embrace it." "This world would brand you as a princess to be coveted, as a prize to be won by fictitious souls made real to tempt you. Your beloved is shackled to the warped view of the masses who see him as less than the person he is as a means to end and an object you are not worthy of keeping." “Thank you.” John stated. "Indeed, you two are forced into an unjust game that even I cannot break free from, it is beyond my sphere of influence," The Nightmare stated. "But neither of us are so powerless as to let this world toy with us towards a path of ruin. Together we can break the rules of the game and change things for the better." The Nightmare smirked. "That is what you have tried to do, correct?" "Yeah," Lorraine replied. "Can you blame me for getting upset when people I care about almost got hurt?" "No, if anything I should have foreseen these events but alas, my time away has unforeseen consequences," The Nightmare replied and stood up. "Now isn't the time to dwell on my inadequacy, you require my assistance with a polymorph yes?" "Yeah, better get this over and done with." Lorraine said as she untangled herself from her boyfriend and stood up. "I must warn you, I have no power over the force binding you to certain individuals, in fact this may even strengthen the phenomenon." Nightmare warned her. Lorraine rolled her eyes as her voice oozed frustration. "I'm not doing this to just escape the harem bullshit or change the town's perception of me. I'm doing this to feel comfortable in my own skin, to have a say in how I present myself, to find some god damn self-confidence in this bullshit that is my life! If Destiny or Fate or whatever wants to be a fuckin' arsehole then fine. I'm dealing with this shit my way." “You’re doing great sweetie!” Joy called out. “Preach!” Gilda cheered. “Fuck yeah!” Angel Dust pumped his fists. John trotted slowly back to the porch and just smiled at Lorraine as he sat on his haunches. “I fully appreciate all this positive reinforcement, but should we perhaps get on with the change?” Alastor called out. "Indeed Huntsman, I would prefer to do so before The Witching Hour strikes," Nightmare replied and looked back at Lorraine, calmly. "Worry not, I will place you under a sleep spell for the duration of your transformation. When you awaken you will be your ideal self." Lorraine blinked. She sat in a comfy blue chair. Said blue chair sat on blue carpet. In front of her was a wood table, on which sat a deck of cards. She looked around. Beyond the circular blue carpet was a dark red-brown wood floor. The walls of the room were made up of a lighter brown wood paneling. Pressed up against the walls were numerous bookshelves, filled with various volumes. The volumes however did not have any text on the spines. Then she looked down at herself. She had… hooves. Little hooves made of brown wood. The wood looked like tree bark and went up to her knees, where the wood transitioned into orange fur. She craned her head around a bit. With the exception of her back, her deer-like body was covered in the orange fur, and what fluffy fur it was. Her back was almost like semi-flexible bark. She managed to see a ring of what looked like green leaves circling her collar bone. Something felt odd however. Her tongue ran around her mouth. Those weren’t herbivore teeth. Those were wolf teeth. She blinked. "New teeth..." She reached a hoof behind her to check her backside. "And I still don't have an arse!" There was a snickering snort of laughter that made Lorraine jump. Lorraine looked around to see a unicorn mare trotting in from… somewhere. The mare had white fur, and her orange mane was done up in a pair of braided pigtails. Her eyes were a bright yellow-gold. The mare was wearing a pair of glasses and a long blue coat. A blue fez was atop her head. Held in her bright yellow magic was a book. Said book was bright blue. On the cover in embossed gold lettering, were the words Persona Compendium. The mare trotted around the table and sat down at a chair that had appeared on the other side of the table. The mare set the book down on the table. “Welcome to the Velvet Room, the place between Dream and Reality, Mind and Matter. My name is Victoria, I will be your attendant throughout your journey.” She paused for a moment, smiling at Lorraine. "You are a most remarkable guest, you do not possess The Wild Card yet I sense great potential from you." "Thanks?" Lorraine replied, uncertain. "Do you have an idea of why I'm here?" "The world is unbalanced, The Nightmare's one thousand year absence has rendered Shadowmancy a dead art outside of Tartarus. Shadows and Night Terrors run amok and control this world in an unyielding grip, only those who have the will to defy the Destiny forced upon them can restore the balance," Victoria explained. "I do not expect you to fight, nor would I ask you to. All you need to do is act as you see fit to nurture the bonds you have with your allies and aid those who are willing to fight alongside you." "So, just keep doing what I've been doing then?" Lorraine asked. "Be support?" "If that is what you wish, my role here is to aid those who seek a Destiny of their own choosing. I can offer advice but it is ultimately up to you what you do." the attendant stated and smiled warmly. "This room is a safe haven for you and anyone you wish to bring with you. Even souls like Alastor are welcome, so long as you wish for him to be here." Victoria looked sheepish for a brief. "Sorry! You're more focused on your appearance! I forgot to add a mirror, I'll be right back!" Victoria jumped off her seat and scurried off only to return seconds later with a full length mirror floating in her magic. She carefully set it down in front of the doe. Lorraine could now see herself in full. Her eyes were gray, with the left eye looking a little milky and half-shut. Her ears were also tipped in green leaves. Her chest seemed a little fluffier than the rest of her “standard” fluffiness. On a closer look, she almost looked… wolf-ish. If a doe could look wolf-ish. “Cool…” She said happily. Her fluffy little orange and white tail wagged back and forth. "This is the form you will take when you return to the waking world," Victoria explained and looked thoughtful. "You choose a Flora Doe I see, their instinctual floramancy abilities and natural sturdiness will certainly make life more enjoyable for you, at least in regards to the aspects you value most." "Well yeah, that's why I picked it." Lorraine said casually. The mare seemed to notice something. "It is time for you to return to the waking world. I hope I can be useful to you as you stand firm on your chosen path." Lorraine’s eyes opened. The morning light shone through her window. She shifted her head a bit and noticed that she had been put to bed, even with the covers over her. She looked down and noticed that she was holding her favorite plushie. Her ear flicked as she heard steady breathing. In a seat, next to her bed, John was curled up like a cat, sleeping like a cat. He even had a hoof over his face. She looked at him, looked at her door, then looked at her covers. She shifted a tiny bit and the bed decided to squeak. She stopped moving. However. “Mmmmphrggl. -Snrk. Huh?” She looked over to see John’s sleepy face blink and look around. He focused on her. “Oh. Haaaaaai… You’re awake.” He blinked. “Yay.” “Morning.” She said, still mostly asleep herself. “How do you feel, besides sleepy that is.” John untangled himself from himself and stretched like a cat. “Fine. I’m hungry.” Lorraine said, moving the covers aside. “Let me feed the doe girl then.” John hopped off the chair. “... What can you eat? I mean, I’ve seen those teeth.” There came a knock. “Are you two up yet?” Came Alastor’s voice. “I made pancakes.” “Oooo pancakes!” Lorraine said happily, her tail wagging madly as she stepped down to the floor. The pair left Lorraine’s room and went down the hallway. They found Alastor in the kitchen. Gilda was sitting at the dinner table, swigging coffee by the smell of the kitchen. Alastor turned from the oven and looked at Lorraine. “My goodness you’re short.” He commented on seeing the doe girl. “And adorable.” “Of course she is, have you seen her?” John said, waving a hoof at all of her. “She’s pony-sized.” Gilda commented. “Ummm, okay?” Lorraine blinked. “All deer are taller, you are basically a dwarf doe.” John said. “I looked it up in the Bestiary.” "Technically she's a subspecies of Flora Doe, the Southern Flora Doe," Alastor explained. "Such individuals are found only in the southern hemisphere, never met one myself but from what I remember they prefer warm climates." "Cool," Lorraine said plainly and sat up at the table. "So, you mentioned pancakes?" "Just plating up now." Alastor replied and Gilda got up to turn the TV on to the morning news. "- due to the rise in complaints regarding the competence of The National Guard, Canterlot's very own Detective Prince has announced he is investigating both the National and Royal Guard for possible corruption." The news reporter, a particularly well-dressed stallion said. "Detective Prince?" Lorraine asked as she swiveled in her seat to watch the report. "When asked to give a statement to the press, Prince Akechi had this to say." Lorraine went wide-eyed as the screen cut to a white furred pegasus stallion with red eyes and a mop of a brown mane that reached halfway down his neck and neatly combed into a presentable, if boyish style. The pegasus was wearing a long light brown pea coat and a pair of silver-gray saddlebags. He smiled at the camera, his voice calm and friendly as he spoke. "As you know, stallions like myself often face prejudice in the workplace simply due to being male. As shown with the incident with that changeling model, we have feelings too and it truly worries me when I hear reports of ponies facing abuse and discrimination from those meant to uphold justice and protect the innocent." His gaze hardened into a fierce look of resolve. "I will do everything I can to weed out the unjust and corrupt in our society!" "That's Akechi..." Lorraine said weakly. The mare interviewing the Detective Prince spoke up from off camera. "And what of the group exposing corrupt nobleponies and businessmares in Canterlot? What are your thoughts on these so-called Phantom Thieves?" "Phantom what?" Lorraine deadpanned.