TWO MORNINGS LATER…
>><<>><<
Chloe's POV
I was never a morning person. Or pony, for that matter. Grogginess is just another way of my body saying 'why the buck should I wake up?'. Unfortunately, once I'm awake, I can't go back to sleep. Ever. So I guess the only pleasure I got in waking up that morning was waking to find Nick's arms around me.
Back in Equestria, Aegis always woke up before me. Even though he miraculously recovered from a life-endangering injury the day before, this morning was no different. "Hey, sleepy-head," he greeted, kissing my forehead. "Have a nice sleep?" Groaning, I rolled out of the bed, landing face-first on the floor.
A paramedic had checked on Nick the night of our arrival and in the morning. He said that Nick shouldn't be alive, much less be in better condition than he began. By the time the medic got to Nick, the bleeding had slowed, but still kept Nick in critical. The only thing the man could do was treat his injuries and wait overnight. Yet, come morning when the medic checked Nick again, not only had the bleeding completely stopped, but Nick's blood-count was returning to normal and his wounds had mostly scarred over. A process that should have taken weeks. Needless to say, the medic was baffled. The emergency medical responder simply left without even leaving a bill.
I picked myself off the floor, straightening my borrowed pajamas giving a groggy smile at Nick. "Today's the day we change back, Nick," I said plainly. "We still haven't told your mom about Equestria."
"You still haven't VISITED your family," countered Nick. "I still think you should ask the Doctor to bring you to Philadelphia while you still have time." He looked to the TARDIS, which hadn't moved since landing in Nick's closet.
I ruffled his dirty-blond hair, walking around the bed to the door. "Hey, you got hurt," I rebuked. "I couldn't just leave you. You're more important than my folks. Besides, your mom makes the better breakfast."
He chuckled at that. "No argument there." He threw off the covers and sat up on his bed. "Go on ahead, I'll see you downstairs. I can smell the hash browns from here."
At the premise of food, I was out the door and down the stairs. In the kitchen, the Doctor already had his feet up on the table, reading a newspaper. Mrs. Marcellus was at the stove, cooking a great-smelling batch of hash browns and eggs.
"Well, good morning, Chloe," chimed the Doctor as I entered. "How's the impalement patient today?"
"Oh, you know, recovering at a record pace," I said in a deadpan. "Morning, Mrs. M."
"Morning, Chloe," she greeted with a smile. "Care for some breakfast?"
"Yes, please!" I said happily, all but jumping into the chair. Nick's mom served me a generous ration before loading the three other plates. With zeal, I dug into the food. "I can see where Nick gets his cooking skills from."
"Everything he knows, he learned from me," she replied, nodding her gratitude before looking at the stairs with an impatient expression. "Nicodemus, breakfast!"
The Doctor and I shared a glance, both of us restraining from bursting into laughter. Nick's actual name is Nicodemus Marcellus?! Priceless. "I'll be down in a minute!" came the answer from upstairs.
There was silence for a few moments. I noticed an itch on my backhand reached back, only to frustratingly find it in the one place I couldn't scratch. A series of heavy footsteps told us of the larger brony's arrival. "Sorry," he apologized. "My side still aches a bit."
"If it were me in your shoes, I would feel lucky to be alive," remarked the Doctor, taking in a final forkful of eggs before rising. "Now, if you will all pardon me, I have a friend in the city I would like to meet again. Allons-y!" With that, the Time Lord was out the door.
A momentary silence dominated the room again. "You have some strange friends, Nick," remarked Mrs. Marcellus.
"Tell me about it," he said, sitting next to me. "Hey, Chloe, remember that one time Sky did something like that a few weeks ago?"
"Yeah, that was--" A sharp pain hit my chest, causing me to clutch at my heart and collapse from the table. I felt a familiar feeling, one I hadn't felt in nearly three months. "Nick, something's wrong…" I gasped as he rushed to my side. "I'm… reponyifying… gah!" I winced as the pain spread throughout myself. It didn't hurt this much the first time. As the burning inundated me, the itch on my back became unbearable. Like something was about to burst from my back. In any case, I was right.
The pain spiked and I doubled over, the itch disappearing. Instantly, my mind registered new muscles and nerves that weren't there before, like when I had… wings. Oh Celestia… I was changing back into a pegasus.
My eyes scrunched closed, I felt my hands become simpler. My arms and legs shifting. My neck elongating and the bones in my face rearranging themselves. When I opened my eyes, I saw the auburn ends of my hair as they turned a dull pink shade. Finally, the pain subsided, and I lay panting on the ground as a grey pony.
…in full view of Nick's mother.
>><<>><<
Skyblaze's POV
My family was probably waking up right now, getting their breakfast. However, if any of them were to check the hammock that was set up for Luna and I, they would find it devoid of any alien equine creatures.
Snuggling close to Luna as I woke up, I looked past my fiancé and at the sun rising over Lake Michigan. In my morning grogginess, I stroked the midnight-blue wings at the alicorn's sides. Luna stirred, but instead of drawing away, she wrapped her feathered appendages around me, pulling me tight against her body. Her warmth was welcome in the early morning chill. The lake breeze, however cold it was, was almost as comforting as the cloudstuff mattress we slept on.
I gently pressed my wings against Luna's, feeling the insulating heat in her feathers. She then pressed her muzzle into my mane, her hot breath running through the fibers. I drew myself up and wrapped my forelegs around her neck, hugging her close as she placed her chin on my head.
"I love you…" I whispered, kissing her neck softly. Embracing my torso, she returned the kiss with one to the top of my head. We lay there, a thousand feet above the ground, with no cares except for the one we love.
Nuzzling my head, she placed her muzzle next to my ear. "What did you dream about, my love?" she asked.
I furrowed my brow. My dreams were always a touchy subject, as I have the worst case of desire-dreams. Sleep for me had always been haunted by things I desire, be it escape from my own power, or even things I hoped for my future with Luna. The most latter was the dominance of my sleep last night.
"You… and me…" I said, kissing her again. I hesitated, debating whether I should tell her the worrying part of my dream. Deciding there was no reason to hide it, I nuzzled her. "…and a little foal in a crib…" I admitted into her neck.
I felt Luna give a small jump in shock. Looking up, I met her teal eyes, gazing into my own golden gaze with a mixture of feelings. "Isn't it a tad early to be thinking about that?"
I huffed, snuggling once more into her grasp. "Try telling that to my desires," I said. "Luna, even though we're about to become eternally bonded, and you may argue that we literally have all the time in the world, I can't help but think about what it would be like…" I turned back to her and kissed her lips. "To be a father… to have what Storm has…"
Luna returned my stare with an understanding look. "I know how much you hate to wait, Sky," she replied flatly. "How about this? After our honeymoon, I'll instruct you on alicorn reproduction."
Wow, I didn't know Luna was so dirty… unless… "Do alicorns reproduce through standard means?"
She gave a giggle and kissed me. "They can, yes, as demonstrated by Shining Armor and Cadence. However, their child will be a mortal race, as is their choice. To produce an alicorn… well, it is an entirely different process."
With that, she rolled off the cloud and flew down to the limestone coastline, leaving me to my thoughts.