“Thank you, Your Highness,” the golden yellow mare said.
“Always a pleasure to help Our Little Ponies,” I replied.
The petitioner bowed and headed for the exit from the throne room. These interactions always made me happy. Through no fault of her own, Meadow Bloom’s business premises had been severely impacted when a runaway cart had careened through her shop’s window, destroying much of her stock of flowers. The businessmare’s insurance should have compensated for the damages but the company had cited a loophole to deny her claim. The mare’s funds had already run out trying to rebuild. She had reached the point where she could not even afford to put food on the table for her family. As a last resort, she had petitioned the Crown.
As a matter of policy, we did not dish out money to everyone who came begging. Do that and you would very quickly find that you would have a line of ponies wanting a handout stretching out the palace gates. Nonetheless, we could look into how they got into their dire straits. Anypony who petitioned one of the triarchs had to file it first with the Clerk of the Court. This not only allowed the Clerk to organize the appellants but also weed out the frivolous time-wasters. Not that I was too strict on the latter – the convoluted rationalizing of those entitled ponies never failed to liven up an otherwise boring court session. The Clerk also prepared facts and figures for the presiding triarch’s advisor. Chrysalis filled that role for me and she had a hive full of drones ready and willing to perform rapid background checks. Over the years, my wife became a master at delegation—a hundred drones working simultaneously on small pieces of the investigation produced amazing results! In this case, in the hours between the mare filing her petition and presenting it to me, Sally had uncovered some very interesting and disturbing facts about the insurance company. Their annual report filed with the insurance licensing bureau claimed more bits were paid out for claims than policyholder companies declared in their financial summaries. That was even after taking into account a hoofful of settlements paid to corporations that seemed to exist on paper only. Crooks truly ticked me off – just ask the duo who were my first scalps after arriving in Equestria. Now the reformed twins worked for the Crown, and I got to sic them onto other ponies who tried to take advantage of good citizens. Flim and Flam’s expertise at pulling off scams gave them a sixth sense when it came to ferreting out crooked deals. Plus, I believe they got a kick out of their new job.
Anyway, I arranged to have some meals sent to the mare’s home and promised to have her circumstances investigated. She didn’t have to know that it was already in progress. We never gave away our behind-the-scenes machinations because we did not want to tip off anyone being investigated. So Meadow Bloom departed filled with hope and I was left with a deep sense of satisfaction.
That was the last petitioner for the day and the Sergeant-at-Arms bellowed, “Day Court has now concluded!” The audience members filed out of the Throne Room, all except one young hippogriff who instead wandered up close to the dais. Oddly enough, the Royal Guards ignored her. My personal guard, Captain Penumbra, merely raised an eyebrow at the impudent bird. Then the Throne Room doors closed with a soft boom and we were in relative privacy. The hippogriff grinned and bounded up the stairs.
“Hi, Uncle Mark! Hi, Aunt Penny and Aunt Sally!”
I met her with a hug. “Hello, Yolanda. Does your mother know you’re here in Equestria?”
My best friend’s daughter hugged my wives first before answering, Chrysalis basking in the love that the young hippogriff always projected to her. The girl was the only one besides me whom the changeling queen tolerated calling her Sally. Then again, my wife and Rosa were pretty tight and both had doted on the child since birth, so it was hardly surprising.
Yolanda answered, “Mom was the one who suggested that I come see you.”
My eyebrow rose considerably. “Oh? And why would Rosa do that?”
The hippogriff hesitated and shuffled her forelegs. “I want to ask a favor.”
“Shoot.”
“I want to bring some friends over to Equestria.”
I paused as I considered my words carefully. “You’re old enough and smart enough to know why we keep the portal confidential, so why the urge to let some others into the secret?”
“Ivana and Latisha are my best friends and they’ve invited me on their special trips but I’ve never been able to do the same. They’re beginning to wonder what I do on so many weekends.”
That was hardly surprising considering that her entire family spent a lot of their spare time in this world. Yolanda had practically grown up here. Her hippogriff form was as normal and natural to her as the human one.
I glanced at Penny who said, “She has a point.”
Chrysalis said, “I saw this coming months ago.”
I frowned at her. “Why didn’t you say something?”
The changeling smirked. “And miss out on watching you panic while you try to figure out a solution?”
Even after years of marriage, Sally still loved to needle me. On the other hoof, I knew that she would have been quietly working on the problem already. Chrysalis was nothing if not organized. I gave her a token response of “Gee, thanks,” before heading for the exit behind the throne. “This decision can’t be made by me alone. I’ll have to discuss it with Trixie and Twilight first. I guess you’ll be staying for dinner, Yo?”
“Sure thing, Uncle Mark.”
I sent a message to Twilight inviting her and Thorax to join us for dinner so that we could all discuss Yolanda’s request. Trixie deferred to Rosa’s judgment on her daughter’s readiness for the responsibility. Twilight was a bit more cautious, reminding us that we would be dealing with a couple of unknown teenage girls. I pointed out that we were already planning to expand contact with my birth world and this might make for a good trial step. Chrysalis offered up some ideas to mitigate potential risks. Yolanda gave us her best puppy-dog eyes. The decision was virtually a forgone conclusion.
We settled on the Saturday after next for the trial visit. After agreeing to all the conditions that we had set, my niece could hardly wait to get home and let her friends know the good news. After the young hippogriff had departed, we amused ourselves in speculating what species her friends would arrive as. After Phil and Rosa’s son, Miguel, was born and brought over for the first time, we expected another hippogriff but he was a unicorn like his father. Therefore, we knew better than to assume.
I flexed my fingers to get used to having them again. I needed to visit my birth world or the anthro world more often! I waited in a lounge chair in the spare room where the new portal mirror hung on the wall. The oval-shaped frame glowed with the same iridescence as the glass. I looked at the mirror with a grin. As much as Rosa loved her husband, she did not agree with all his interior design choices. The deactivated original mirror with the fantasy-creature motif sat in storage as a backup.
Neither Phil nor Rosa wanted an interdimensional gateway in their bedroom, especially after recounting my “Rasta Jacob Marley” prank and inadvertently spying on Phil while he slept. This led to an awkward conversation of why the name “Valerie McPherson” caused my best friend enough panic to awaken him from a sound sleep. Ah, well. That was Phil’s problem to explain to Rosa, not mine.
A series of careful experiments had shown that changelings could survive in my magic-poor homeworld, though only with the precaution of ensuring their love stores were full. As a result, Chrysalis stood next to me, having taken a gorgeous human form. While the adaptation spell did not work on changelings, Sally had more than enough practice taking this form due to her many visits to chat with Rosa. She did retain a scaled-down version of her horn but it was hidden under a hat that matched the slinky green dress that she was wearing.
It wasn’t long before I heard the excited voices of Yolanda and her friends and, moments later, they were ushered into the room by Phil and Rosa. I got up and my niece hugged me before turning back to her friends.
“Guys – I’d like you to meet my uncle, Mark Wells. He’s here to take us on the special trip that I promised. Uncle Mark, these are Latisha Tyson and Ivana Kalchik.”
Latisha was African-American while, by looks and name, I guessed that Ivana’s family was of Slavic origin. I was pleased to see the mixture of ethnic backgrounds together with Yolanda’s Latino heritage. That boded well for dealing with the multiplicity of races in Equestria.
“Pleased to meet you, girls.”
“Same here, Mister Wells,” Latisha replied.
“Why all the mystery?” Ivana demanded.
That was a bit abrupt but I could empathize with their frustration at being kept in the dark. “First, I want your promise that you can keep a secret. Our destination is very confidential at this time and access is limited to only a small number of people. Going there is a privilege which won’t be repeated if you blab.”
My mysterious words only served to make them more excited and they both hastened to assure me that they wouldn’t tell anyone. I glanced at Chrysalis who gave me a nod.
“Okay, we will literally be traveling to another world. Believe it or not, this mirror is a portal to a realm of magical beings.” Unsurprisingly, both girls’ expressions immediately fell as they doubtless thought they were listening to a lunatic. Yolanda merely grinned knowingly. I ventured on. “By passing through, you will be transformed into one of those beings, just like Yolanda. I hope you’re ready to have your minds blown.”
Ivana scowled at my niece. “Is this just some big practical joke on us because we kept nagging you to bring us on one of your family trips for a change?”
“Nope!” Yolanda replied with a grin. “Just ask Auntie Penny.” She pointed behind them.
While the two girls’ attention was on me, Penumbra had quietly slipped into the room behind Phil and Rosa. They stepped aside to allow Penny to approach the girls.
“Is this proof enough?” the thestral mare asked. My third wife only wore her usual saddlebags so no clothes obscured her natural form. Twilight had turned off the adaptation spell to allow my wife and bodyguard to precede us untransformed. Having anticipated the reaction to my outrageous claims, we had prepared some irrefutable evidence.
Ivana and Latisha gaped in surprise and awe at the batpony. They grabbed each other with both arms for support, eliciting a wave of giggles from Yolanda.
Penny spread her wings to look even more impressive. “My name is Penumbra. I’m a counselor here at the Mount Off-Your-Rocker Insane Asylum. Would you please describe the hallucination you are imagining right now?” She then gave her winningest, fang-filled smile.
Rosa rolled her eyes. “Always with the pranks, isn’t it, Miss Penny?”
“You bet!” She turned back to the teenagers. “You can touch me if you like to prove I’m real.”
Latisha was by the pony’s side like a shot and started stroking her mane. That got an appreciative purr out of my wife. She was a sucker for any kind of mane brushing! Ivana approached more cautiously before fingering one of the outstretched wings.
After a suitable amount of time for the two to get their fill of the exotic equine who could actually talk to them, I asked, “So – do you believe me now?”
“Yes, Mister Wells,” Latisha replied.
“Will I turn into one of these…?” said Ivana.
“Awe-inspiring thestrals,” supplied Penumbra.
I had to talk over Phil and Rosa’s chuckles. “I have no idea what forms you will take. Yolanda is a hippogriff, while her mother is a griffon and her father is a unicorn. The adaptation spell on the portal decides what form bests suits you in Equestria. That’s the name of the country you’ll be visiting, by the way.”
“Uncle Mark is a prince there,” Yolanda said smugly.
“Um, yeah, so there will be plenty of Royal Guards around. As long as you behave yourselves, they won’t bother you because you’ll be our guests. Now, shall we get started?” When the girls nodded eagerly, I said, “Rosa, want to show them what to do?”
“Of course. Nothing to it, girls.” She then leaped through the mirror, eliciting gasps of surprise.
I said, “I suggest that you step through carefully. Rosa knows exactly what she’s doing but you will have to get used to some changes. Just do what I do. Latisha, you follow me and be prepared to fall forward. If you end up as a pony, you will land on forehooves like Penumbra. Oh, and leave your electronics here on this side. Jewelry is fine. Phil, give Latisha a few moments to clear the exit before sending Ivana through.”
“No problem, Mark,” my friend replied.
I then stepped through the mirror and joined Rosa, Twilight, and Trixie in the room that we had set aside specifically for this portal. With the regular trips between worlds being done by Phil and his family, we needed something more convenient than the one where all the other mirrors were located.
Apparently, Latisha had not hesitated because someone followed right on my heels … err … hooves. She had obviously listened to my instructions as she fell forward onto her brand new hooves. Our first guest was a pegasus with medium blue feathers and a pink mane. The teenage mare stood there, mouth agape, trying to take in the change. She craned her neck around to look at herself before saying, “Oh, wow!”
I went over to Latisha and gently urged her forward with a wing. “Better make room for the others.”
She looked at my face and said, “Oh, wow! You actually look handsome over here!” Trixie and Twilight leaned against one another in support as they whinnied with unrestrained laughter.
Latisha gasped and held a hoof to her chest. “I’m sorry, Mr. Wells. I was just—”
I waved a hoof. “Apology accepted. I can honestly say I’m quite used to this sort of thing by now.”
“O… OK, thanks!” The teenaged mare trotted away from the portal. She stopped and spread her wings in front of another full-length (but not magical) mirror on the far wall. The improved adaptation spell allowed the new pegasus to move fairly confidently, although it was clear that she was still preoccupied with all the amazing beings she saw in the room. It apparently had not hit her yet that her clothes had been replaced by a dainty saddlebag and she was essentially nude like the rest of us. Her jeans and T-shirt had been transformed appropriately by a new tweak to that portal for the convenience of those of us on either side.
Before long, my co-rulers had recovered and our second guest stepped through the portal. This one was a surprise to us too – she was a dragon! While not having a form as graceful as Smolder’s, it was clear that Ivana was still female and standing bipedal. She stopped and stared at her new talons and bronze scales before checking out the rest of her body. She flapped her leathery wings and swished her tail before grinning and saying, “This is sick! I’m a fucking dragon!”
“Watch your language, please,” I said. “Step away from the mirror so that the others won’t bump into you.”
Yolanda came through next and the three girls started checking out each other’s forms.
“I’ve got pink hooves!”
“Your mane and tail are pink too!”
“I’ve got cool talons!”
“You’ve got wings!”
“You do too!”
“We’ve all got wings!”
“I wanna fly!”
“I love your two-tone feathers!”
“What’s it like having a beak?”
“Can you breathe fire?”
“Yeah! Make me a pizza!”
“Your slick scales are gorgeous!”
“I know! They’re so awesome and EEEK! Where are my pants?!”
The new mirror’s sophisticated adaptation spell took into account a being’s garments or lack thereof and no one had to worry about clothing when transitioning this particular portal in either direction. That meant that someone like Rosa could travel from Earth fully clothed nowadays and arrive in just her feathers and fur. When she returned, her clothing would be restored. It was a surprise to me that Ivana had retained her blouse – her body did not need it, nor did it conceal boobs because dragons didn’t have any. However, it had apparently distracted her long enough to not realize that it was her sole remaining garment. Having noticed, she now had her hands clutched over her crotch. Not that a dragon’s cloaca was particularly noticeable, but nobody paid attention to such things in Equestria anyway. I had become so acclimated that it hadn’t even occurred to me until the young girl screamed.
Yolanda hastened to reassure her friend. “It’s okay, Ivana! Almost no one wears clothes here. And have you ever seen a picture of a dragon wearing anything?”
“You’ll get used to it,” I added. “And it’s worse for males when they come through for the first time. We’re a lot more conspicuous.”
Now I reckon that the dragon’s blush was no longer over her nudity but at the image that I had brought up. When Phil stepped through moments later, I noticed where Ivana’s eyes drifted and then hastily looked away. Distraction successful!
Latisha seemed to have been just as oblivious as Ivana but merely curious after the subject had been brought up. She was reacting a lot better than I had after I first arrived in this magical world.
Miguel trotted through right after his father, followed immediately by Sally with Penny joining her a moment later. The changeling queen drew a new series of gasps from the two visitors followed by a rapid stream of comments and questions. I felt a bit annoyed that my mates smiled through the hundred-mile-per-hour interrogation. Just like the teenage friends, the adult mares seemed to have no trouble following the excited babble – an ability I lacked entirely.
Trixie and Twilight formally introduced themselves before suggesting that their guests head out to see the world that they had come to visit. Ivana was surprised once again when she automatically fell to all fours to walk quadrupedally which was not unusual for some kinds of dragons. In fact, she looked a lot more comfortable now.
As Trixie led our visitors out, Twilight stopped me with a hoof and waited for everyone to get out of earshot. She frowned. “Mark, I’m a little concerned that Ivana came through as a dragon.”
I raised an eyebrow. “That’s not exactly something that I expect to hear from the Princess of Friendship.”
She shot me an annoyed look. “You know I don’t mean it that way. However, the mirror’s adaptation spell matches the user’s new form to their basic nature, and you know what the average dragon is like. I’m worried that Ivana might not have the restraint that natural dragons need to learn to overcome their instincts.”
“Good point,” I acknowledged. “I’ll keep my eyes open and ask the others to do the same.”
We then hastened to catch up. The first stop was a balcony overlooking Canterlot and the valley below. They took in the wondrous view just like Phil and Rosa had done the first time that they visited. Then Yolanda startled her girlfriends by leaping over the rail, spreading her wings, and climbing up into the sky.
“Woohoo!” she shouted. My niece never tired of being able to fly and it seemed her enthusiasm was infectious. Both Ivana and Latisha’s wings were partially spread as they watched.
My first wife said, “While I’m sure that Yolanda will be able to give Latisha Tyson pointers, Trixie will ask Smolder to give you flying lessons, Ivana Kalchik. Dragon wings work differently from feathered ones. Please do not try leaping from heights until you both have had some practice.”
I wish Trixie had shown me the same restraint when I had first arrived!
Since this was ostensibly the Martine family’s outing, Phil and Rosa were in charge of the girls. Nevertheless, I accompanied them with my ever-present mate, Penumbra. Chrysalis surprised me by tagging along.
First, we toured the castle. Because it was the weekend and there was no formal Court today, it lacked the usual bustling weekday activity. It let me show off the Throne Room which never failed to impress with its size and grandeur. The scenes depicted in the stained-glass windows prompted discussions and hoof-pointing at all three triarchs followed by a promise from Yolanda to tell the associated stories. The gravity-defying fountain on the ceiling made our visitors’ jaws drop, as it did most newbies to this room.
“You really are a prince,” Latisha said to me. “And you rule this world?”
“Actually, I co-rule with my wife, Princess Trixie Lulamoon, and my colleague, Princess Twilight Sparkle. And we three rule the Equestrian Empire, not the whole world.”
“How did you get to meet Yolanda’s dad?” Ivana asked.
“I grew up with him. He’s practically my brother.”
The dragoness blinked. “You mean, you used to be a human too before you came here and became royalty? How did that happen?”
“That’s an incredibly long story which I’ll save for another time. Suffice to say that I found a portal by accident and met the right ponies.”
Chrysalis said, “What my husband failed to mention is his inability to stay out of other ponies’ business and thwarting their plans. So they’re left with no option than to go with his.”
I gave my mate a flat look. Her little dig might have been largely true but it made me sound like a jerk. She put on an innocent smile. Our guests didn’t latch onto that topic, thankfully. No, they came up with something more awkward instead.
Ivana looked shocked. “I thought you said that Trixie was your wife.”
“She is, and so is Chrysalis,” I admitted.
“And me,” Penny piped up.
“And don’t forget Miss Rarity,” Chrysalis added helpfully.
“You have four wives?!” gasped Latisha.
“Yes. You have to understand that mares greatly outnumber stallions and, while monogamous couples aren’t unusual, de-facto herds are far more common.”
“You weren’t satisfied with one,” Ivana accused.
I rolled my eyes. “It was more of a case that they weren’t satisfied with me having only one. It’s different for dragons like you are now, but for ponies, the competition for the stallions is quite fierce.”
Latisha looked thoughtful. “So, if I wanted to find a boyfriend here, there would be plenty of rivals?”
Rosa spoke up. “There will not be any colt-chasing while you are visiting,” she said firmly. “You are still a filly and you are our responsibility while you’re here. That goes for you too, Ivana.”
“Yes, ma’am!” they chorused.
I heaved a sigh of relief now that I was out of the spotlight and Rosa had responsibility for controlling the teenagers. “Let’s move on,” I suggested.
After the tour of the castle was completed, we headed out into the city to see the sights. The girls were overwhelmed once again by the mountainside community and fascinated by its diverse inhabitants. While it was still a predominantly unicorn population, the number of other races calling this city home had increased dramatically since I had arrived in Equestria. Some were rarer than others, however, and one in particular distracted from the fact that a Triarch was wandering through the town like a tourist.
After garnering a lot of curious looks, some of them a bit nervous, Ivana pointed out, “I haven’t seen any dragons.”
“They don’t tend to mingle with other races very often,” I replied. “However, you should get to meet one or two, depending on my daughter-in-law’s dinner plans.”
“Your daughter-in-law is a dragon? Are mixed marriages common?”
I raised an eyebrow. “They’re not too unusual. Why? Do you have a problem with that?”
The dragoness shook her head. “No. It’s just that… well… a pony marrying a dragon is a bit weird, isn’t it?”
“My son’s a griffon, actually, and no, it’s not weird. They love each other very much and I’m proud to be her father-in-law.”
Ivana nodded and looked thoughtful as she wandered off.
It was a little bit like herding kittens as our two visitors’ attention got grabbed by virtually everything the city had to offer, especially the shops. Eventually, though, we made our way to the wall that was on the edge of the cliff next to the waterfall that plunged to the valley floor far below. Yolanda took off over the wall and hovered while she excitedly pointed out the various places that could be seen from here. I noticed that both Latisha and Ivana’s wings had half-opened as they felt the urge to follow their friend’s example.
“Are you sure we can’t fly too, Mister Wells?” Latisha asked.
“Yolanda has been coming here since she was a baby and she still needed flying lessons just like any other foal. You have the instincts but not the knowledge. If you try to copy Yolanda, you’re more likely to plummet than fly.”
Both the girls looked disappointed. I smirked. “However, maybe you’d be interested in a compromise.”
“Yes! Anything!” Ivana replied and Latisha grinned and nodded rapidly.
I pointed to a town in the distance. “As Yolanda said, that is Ponyville. We will be visiting there next but I was going to take you there via a portal. Instead, how would you like to be carried there?”
“How do you mean?” Latisha asked.
“Like this.” I powered up my horn and levitated her. She squawked in surprise, her wings flaring, but she quickly settled down when she realized that she was hovering safely. “You can both be carried in our telekinesis and have some of the sensations of flying. You might even get a gliding lesson along the way if you feel confident enough.”
The pegasus filly grinned. “You’re on!”
“Me too!” Ivana enthused.
“So – no problems with fear of heights?” Phil asked. “Rosa and I are responsible for you and I don’t need either of you having panic attacks and hurting yourselves.”
Yolanda said, “Trust me, Dad – we all love thrill rides. They’ll be fine.”
When our two visitors nodded in agreement, I grinned. “Great. Now, since I’ll need to concentrate on levitating Latisha, I’ll switch to a form more competent at flying while distracted.” I then transformed to my Celestial body and spread my white-feathered wings wide. Jaws dropped and my smile grew.
“You were just dying for an excuse to do that,” Phil said with a roll of his eyes.
“Of course. How could I resist the opportunity?” I replied, unabashed.
The girls’ eyes widened further upon hearing my voice. “You sound like a girl!” Latisha blurted out before covering her mouth with a hoof.
I gave her a wink. “That’s because I am a mare at the moment. Magic can do wondrous things. Now – are you ready to go?”
Upon gathering their wits and agreeing, I said to Chrysalis, “Would you mind carrying Ivana?”
“As you wish, husband. I believe I will take a more appropriate form too.” She then flared with green fire and transformed into a large dragon. Her twin horns glowed and Ivana was lifted into the air. Don’t bother telling me that dragons can’t do that – Sally was a queen changeling and she made her own rules.
Rosa crouched down to allow her husband to climb onto her back as the griffon and unicorn had done so many times before. Twilight offered to carry Miguel. Then we all took off, Penny in the rear and watching our backs. The girls squealed in a combination of fright and delight as we crossed over the wall and there was nothing between them and the ground far below.
I had grown much in power over the years as an alicorn and carrying Latisha in my magic was not a strain. She squirmed and held her wings at odd angles, causing the wind to tug on her in random directions. As Marklestia, I coped easily and adjusted my flight unconsciously. I didn’t scold her or ask her to keep still – this was her first flight, kind of, and I wasn’t going to spoil it for her. At least, she would come through it a lot better than my first time.
We were about halfway to Ponyville when Chrysalis said to Ivana, “Hold your wings rigid like this, child.”
The young dragoness attempted to imitate Sally and when my wife was satisfied, she released her hold on Ivana. The girl wobbled nervously but held the glide. I turned my attention back to Latisha who looked at me expectantly.
“Okay, feathered wings work slightly differently but the principle is the same. Hold yours like this.”
The pegasus filly did her best to copy me and I nudged her wings into a better position before letting her go. She lasted about five seconds before she shifted her wings and started tumbling out of control. I caught her and straightened her out.
“Don’t flap. Just hold the glide. You need to learn to draw on your flight magic before you can do much more. Ivana’s dragon form is better at non-powered flight than pegasi, so don’t try to be as good as her yet.”
Latisha’s second attempt went much better but when I saw her starting to tire, I grasped her with my magic once more.
“That’s enough for now. You’ll need some lessons and wing muscle-strengthening exercises before you can do much more.”
“Thanks, Mister Wells.”
“You’re welcome, Latisha.”
Meanwhile, Chrysalis decided that Ivana had done enough too. While the dragoness had successfully held her glide for the entire time, she was panting. And besides, we had lost a lot of altitude and needed to get back to powered flight.
We flew directly to Twilight’s castle, waving to the occasional pegasus who passed by. The locals had long ago become accustomed to seeing me and my wives passing through, and a royal visit was just another day in this unusual town. We came to a landing in front of the living crystal edifice that my co-ruler called home. The girls gaped in awe.
“Is it just me or does that castle look like a tree?” Latisha asked.
“It grew from a seed, so you’re not wrong,” I replied.
Ivana just stared at it with drool escaping the corner of her mouth. I wondered if I was going to have to ask her to refrain from trying to take a bite out of it. Fortunately, she was distracted by the person who came to greet us at the door.
“Welcome to Friendship Castle!” Spike announced with a grin. Twilight had sent a Royal Guard ahead to advise Spike of our change of plans, so it was no surprise that my dragon friend was there to meet us. While he was now the town’s librarian, the castle was still his home and it was the weekend, so he was free to meet up with us. Then he realized exactly who we had brought with us. Spike’s eyes locked with Ivana’s and they both gazed at each other wordlessly.
I had not been the only one who had grown over the years. Although still a youth by dragon standards, Spike had become a fine specimen of a male dragon and all that that implied. It seemed both liked what they saw. While Ivana had only been a dragon for a few hours, I could tell that she was bowing to her new instincts quite readily and Spike was reacting to her interest. However, she was a little too young yet to allow anything to happen between them, but before I could intervene, Rosa interposed herself between the two.
“Spike, this is Ivana Kalchik who is my guest and my responsibility.” She gave the drake a hard look and he took the hint.
“Right. Twilight told me to expect a surprise but I didn’t expect this. Good to meet you, Ivana. And who is this filly?” he asked as he turned to the pegasus with a warm smile.
Yolanda answered this time, “This is Latisha Tyson and these are my two best friends.”
“Awesome. Show your friends around the castle while I prepare lunch. It'll be ready in about twenty minutes.”
Naturally, Yolanda was as familiar with the castle as me, perhaps even more. After all, she had spent much of her life in this town and had many friends here. She even had her own room which the castle had adapted to her needs. It was right next to her parents’ room, of course. Phil and Rosa gave her a lot of freedom while they were in Equestria, but only occasionally let her visit here by herself as yet. I suspected that would be changing in the near future – my niece was growing into a young adult and she would deserve the freedom and responsibility of such.
Lunch was enjoyable with much conversation. The girls asked a lot of questions that Twilight was happy to answer, although we had to stop her from going into full lecture mode at times. In turn, we all learned a little more about the transformed humans. Latisha was already leaning towards a career in veterinary medicine while Ivana intended to do business studies for a career in her family’s investment company. The latter helped explain her species change. I was left puzzled about what she had in common with Latisha and Yolanda. My best friend’s daughter planned to become an engineer like both her parents. Further conversation pegged Ivana as strongly independent and inclined to be adventurous, so perhaps not so odd after all. And despite the implied warning to Spike, he and Ivana kept exchanging interested glances. Teenagers! What can you do?
The moment that caused the most amusement was when Spike sprinkled some sapphires on his sandwich for seasoning. Ivana’s attention was caught immediately and she asked what they were. Her eyes became as big as dinner plates when informed of their nature.
“You eat gemstones?!”
“Sure! They’re a part of a dragon’s normal diet.”
“But… how could you afford it?”
I said, “Gemstones aren’t rare in Equestria. Ones of that size are very common and the local grocer stocks them for Spike.”
Ivana leaned her head back and blinked rapidly. “Consider me boggled! What about bigger gems?”
Spike answered, “I normally save those for special treats. Want to try one?”
“I… suppose so.”
“Back in a minute.” Spike hastened out of the dining room and soon returned bearing a ruby as big as a golf ball. Yeah, the guy had to be smitten to willingly give away one of those. Spike panted for a few seconds to catch his breath. The young drake must have sprinted to his stash and back!
He handed it to Ivana.
The dragoness stared at the gem in her palm. “What exactly do I do with this?”
“Just bite into it like a plum,” Spike instructed.
“Okay, but if I break my teeth, you’re going to regret it.” Ivana then tentatively chomped on the ruby. To her surprise, it broke off easily and she started chewing. Her eyes lit up. “This is delicious!”
Latisha asked, “So? Spill it! What does it taste like?”
“It tastes like a spicy strawberry, which I never thought I’d enjoy!”
“Well, yeah,” Spike said. “I just got it fresh from the rock farm yesterday.”
Ivana swallowed her mouthful of ruby and stared at him. “They grow these on farms?! This world is amazing!” She then popped the remaining half of the ruby into her mouth and masticated it thoughtfully.
After the meal, we let Yolanda take off with her friends without supervision. Or at least, nothing overt. While the teenage hippogriff was fine by herself in Ponyville, Phil and Rosa were still responsible for the other two girls. Fortunately for my friends, I was a prince with Royal Guard pegasi whose keen eyes could watch unobserved from a distance. Penny arranged to have a pair keep an eye on the girls while the rest of us adults socialized. No doubt the three would have plenty to tell us about when we returned there for dinner.
We arranged for a late dinner to allow the girls to have as much free time together as possible. In fact, when we returned to Canterlot Castle, it was time for Twilight to set the sun, this being late autumn. We watched our two visitors' worldviews get blown away by the fact that this sun revolved around the planet (with a little help) rather than the other way around.
When Gallus arrived with his wife, Smolder, we introduced them to the girls. I had Spike send my son and daughter-in-law a note advising him about Yolanda’s friends so that they could come prepared. However, Smolder had turned up in a flattering evening dress for the occasion which immediately set off Ivana.
“How come she gets to wear clothes and I don’t?!”
Smolder looked at her coolly. “I am a Lady of the Court and I’m expected to dress accordingly. Besides, I’m not like most other dragons – I love gowns. You, however, look out of place in that blouse and would be better off without it. Appearances are everything among the nobility and I must dress to impress while you would be mocked as a try-hard. I dressed up for this occasion in honor of our guests but I see now that I need not have bothered.”
My daughter-in-law was a well-mannered and socially apt person, but she was still a dragon and knew how to burn. “Give her a break, Smolder – she’s only been a dragon since this morning. Perhaps you can give her some pointers later on how to fit in better?”
Smolder looked at me and raised an eye ridge before responding, “As you wish, Father.”
She had started calling me “Dad” like Gallus did after getting married, and only got formal when she was irked. Oh well, I could live with that. She’d cool off soon enough.
Aside from the rough start, dinner went well. Latisha was surprised to find the smoked salmon was to her taste despite her being a pony, but we informed her that pegasi typically liked fish. However, I think the highlight was watching Ivana’s expression when she was served an apple pie with one-carat-sized diamond sprinkles for dessert.
“I don’t know whether I should eat this or invest it!”
That provoked a round of laughter and assurances that it was worth more here as a gourmet food than otherwise.
After the meal, we let Yolanda leave with her friends to amuse themselves until bedtime, trusting Yolanda to keep the other girls in line. Meanwhile, I caught up with my son. While I saw Smolder frequently at Court, Gallus’s schedule was a bit more erratic due to everything he was undertaking to further his ambitions in the Royal Guard. I was pleased that he still felt it important to touch base with his dad as often as possible and I was very proud of his accomplishments. Just as Phil and Rosa were obviously proud of their daughter. My niece deserved good friends to share her world. That’s why I hoped that this weekend visit would go without a hitch.
In quick succession, two scrolls appeared in front of me which I caught in my magic. I smiled while reading their contents.
Gallus asked, “What’s that all about?”
Smolder said, “I know that look. You’re nipping a problem in the bud, aren’t you?”
I looked up. “While at the Castle of Friendship, I had Spike send a couple of dragonfire scrolls. I changed the itinerary for tomorrow’s activities for Yolanda and our visiting guests. These replies tell me our friends and allies can accommodate us.” My smile showed all of my teeth. “Looks like tomorrow will be an… interesting day.”
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