//------------------------------//
// Secrets 
// Story: Brave New Pony World 
// by Goldfur 
//------------------------------//

“If you hold your wings at this angle, you can break out of that unintended spin,” Black Nimbus demonstrated.

Tyrone was still a trifle dizzy but tried to emulate his instructor’s directions. “Like this?”

“Close.  Don’t be too aggressive with your compensation or else you might make things worse instead of better.  Ease into it or else you could end up a flailing ball of feathers and I might not be there to catch you next time.”

“Gotcha.  Want me to try that maneuver again?”

“Nah, it’s getting late and you look frazzled.  We’ll give it another go tomorrow.”

Tyrone was relieved and he was pretty much exhausted from today’s lessons. “Okay.  Sorry that I’m still a bit of a klutz at this.”

Nimbus waved off the comment.  “Nothing to apologize for.  It’s not as if you were born a hippogriff.  You’ve actually come along a lot better than I thought you would when we first began these lessons.  Besides, you’ve built up enough wing strength by now that you can fly up to the cloudiseum by yourself for the next game.”

Tyrone grinned.  He had become completely hooked on the aerial hoofball game, and to be able to get there under his own power was going to make it doubly awesome.  “I’m looking forward to it already, Nimbus.”

The pegasus returned the grin.  “With the Ravens in the playoffs, you won’t want to miss it.  Anyway, I think I hear my mares calling.  Catch you tomorrow.”  Nimbus spread his ebon wings and took off.

The hippogriff watched his teacher and new best friend fly away for a moment before turning and walking back into Harmonic Composites’ Baltimare factory. He went into the office to retrieve his clothes which he took off for the flying lessons.  Also left behind was his cell phone which he did not want to risk possibly damaging.  Besides, he was out of range of the factory’s microcell most of the time.  He frowned when he noticed that there was a notification of a missed call and a subsequent text from his wife.  He always made sure to give her a call before going to his lessons, so he wondered why she had called back.  He decided that he’d better talk to her before he did anything else.

“Hi, Makena,” Tyrone said when she answered.  “Sorry I missed your call.  What’s up?”

“Why didn’t you answer earlier?” Makena replied, irritation clearly heard in her voice.

“I was out with a friend and I didn’t notice until now.  Not sure why, but I didn’t hear a call or text come in.”  He hated having to lie, but not only was the truth unbelievable, he was constrained from telling his wife any part of it.

“You were at a noisy bar, I bet,” she said skeptically.  “Anyway, Jadyn needs a book for a school project.  He wants to use one of your engineering reference manuals.”

“Oh? Why can’t he just research it on the internet?”

“Because the project is about learning how to use books and libraries to do research instead of just copying stuff from the internet.”

“I see.  Well, sorry to disappoint Jadyn, but I took my most important references with me. He’ll just have to choose something from those still back there.  At least it’s nice knowing that he’s interested in my line of work.”

“Agreed.  I’ll see what I can find among the books that I haven’t packed away already for the move.”

“Okay.  Love you, Makena.”

“Love you too.  Goodnight, Ty.”

Tyrone frowned as he hung up the phone.  He sincerely hoped that this wouldn’t happen again.





Nimbus and Tyrone celebrated the Baltimore Ravens’ win at their favorite bar along with what seemed to be a large proportion of the population of that city.  While everyone else there was a pegasus except for some of the bar staff, the fact that he was the lone hippogriff did not matter at all.  He wore a Ravens T-shirt and that was all that mattered. He and his friend got a little drunk and they opted to walk most of the way home rather than fly.

“How’re you gonna get back to your apartment?” Nimbus asked.

Tyrone had not thought about that until now.  He knew he was too inebriated to drive.  “I suppose I’ll have to call a taxi.”

“Why don’t you stay at my place tonight?  It’ll give you a chance to meet my wife.  She’s been curious about the fella that I’ve been hanging about with so much.”

“Are you sure?  I don’t want to be a bother.”

Nimbus chuckled.  “Nah, it won’t be a problem.  Wispy has been nagging me to be a bit more sociable and bring home friends.  Maybe another mare too.”

“You’ve only got the one wife?  I would have thought a stallion like you would have two or three by now, judging by the others at the factory.”

“We haven’t found another mare that we thought would make a good fit yet. One of these days, that might change, but for now, I kind of like being able to concentrate on just her.  What about you?  Any of the mares catch your eye?” Nimbus asked with a smirk.

Tyrone flashed his wedding band.  The transformation magic thinned out his ring in accommodation for the larger size of his hippogriff talon.  “Makena would kill me if I so much as thought about that kind of thing.  Earth customs are completely different from here. Besides, I think hippogriffs don’t do multiple mates either.”

“That’s not gonna put off some of the more desperate mares, y’know?”

Tyrone nodded.  He had already gently fended off some friendly advances despite them knowing he was married.  He could not even potentially use the excuse of sexual harassment because that was normal social behavior for ponies.  At least, when he told them no, they never persisted.  “Okay, I’ll still need to swing by the factory to get in range of the cell so that I can let Makena know where I’ll be.  I’m sure I won’t be able to connect from your place.”





“You sound drunk,” Makena accused.

“Guilty,” Tyrone confessed.  “Too much celebrating after the hoo— er… football game today.  My friend has offered to put me up for the night rather than get a taxi back to the apartment.  His place is within easy walking distance.”

“Is this friend of yours single?”

“No, he’s married.  I’ll be getting to meet his wife too.”

“Alright.  You can introduce me to them after we’ve moved to Houston.”

‘That’s going to be a bit awkward,’ Tyrone thought before putting that problem off until later.  “Okay. Is there anything you wanted to talk about before I go?”

“Actually, your son would like to speak to his father.  He misses you.”

“Oh. Can you put him on so I can chat for a bit?”

Tyrone ended up conversing with Jadyn for about ten minutes.  They talked about his school project and what he and his friends had been doing.  He was excited about the upcoming move but sorry to be leaving his pals behind. Tyrone sympathized with him but assured his son that he would like the new neighborhood and would quickly find new friends.  After saying goodbye to Jadyn and Makena, Tyrone hung up the phone.

“You miss your family, don’t you?” Nimbus asked.

“I do,” Tyrone said with a nod.  “It’s been a bit lonely at nights without Makena there.”

“Come on – let’s see if Wispy and I can help take your mind off that for at least one night.”

The hippogriff wondered what exactly Nimbus meant by that.





Tyrone got an unexpected education into pony social niceties.  He found out that the touchy-feely equines liked to accommodate their guests in the same bed as them.  It was even more awkward that Black Nimbus and Wispy Cloud wanted to put him between them.  He almost turned them down but, afraid of offending them, he acquiesced.  It turned out to be one of the best night’s sleep that he’d had in a while.  Although the pegasi had put wings over him in bed, it had been nothing more than a social cuddle, and he had to admit that it felt really good.  Perhaps these ponies knew what they were doing after all.  He wondered what Makena would think of this arrangement though.





“Why didn’t you answer this time?” Makena asked, annoyance obvious in her voice.  It was the second time this week that she had tried to phone her husband without a response.

“I was out with my friend.  It’s not my fault that I don’t get your calls.  Reception around here is spotty at best.”

“You seem to be out with this friend of yours an awful lot.”

“I’m here by myself with nothing to do after work except watch TV.  I might as well go out and enjoy myself with friends until you and the kids move in.”

“Are any of these friends of yours women?”

Tyrone had been afraid of this.  “Makena, I assure you that my close friends here are guys, and any females are just acquaintances.”

There was a lengthy pause before she replied.  “Alright, I believe you.”

“Why did you need to call, dear?”  A little irritation was in his voice at her reluctant acceptance of the truth, even if it was incomplete.

“Faraja’s birthday party is tomorrow.  I want you to make a video call to wish your daughter a happy birthday.”

‘And you couldn’t have asked me to do this when I phoned you earlier?” he thought to himself but didn’t dare say out loud.  “I was planning to do so anyway.  Do you want to give me a specific time to call?”

“I’ll phone to let you know when she will be ready for you.  It should be sometime around two p.m.  Make sure that you’re available!” 

“Yes, dear.  I’ll be on time.”

“Good.  Love you, Ty.”

“Love you too, darling.  Have a good night.”  He hung up feeling a bit frustrated.  The weeks of separation had been trying for both of them.  Makena had to cope with the kids by herself as well as work on packing for the move.  That could not happen until the end of the school term to minimize the disruption to their children’s education.  Then there was the uncertainty of his position – he was still on probation, after all.  While the Martines would not give their final judgment for some time yet, Phil had said that they were happy with his work so far, so that was a bit reassuring.  He hoped there wouldn’t be too many more incidents between now and his family’s arrival to rock the boat.





There were three more times that Makena called while Tyrone was in Equestria. Each time, his wife’s attitude soured just a little bit more, but he reiterated that he was just with his friend and he was sorry that he missed her call.  That might have been as bad as it got except for the fourth time that it happened.

Tyrone had been negotiating an important deal with a new client and that company’s purchasing officer was supposed to call to confirm a high-priority order that afternoon.  The call never came.  Closing time arrived and still nothing.  Tyrone had gone the extra mile to land this customer in New Mexico for Harmonic Composites.  He did not want to blow it by not taking a late call because he was away taking flight lessons.  He reluctantly contacted Jolene in the Los Angeles office which would close an hour later. Tyrone gave her the details of the deal and told her that he would be forwarding calls from his phone to her office. The customer never called but Makena did.

Tyrone’s wife knew about Michelle, his co-worker, but when a strange woman with a Southern accent answered her husband’s phone, her suspicions went through the roof.  When Tyrone retrieved his phone after that afternoon’s lesson, he had a text from Jolene to contact her ASAP.  He learned that his colleague had mostly assuaged Makena’s suspicions, reminding her that Tyrone was normally with his friend at that time of day and that she was only doing him a favor to mind his calls.

When Tyrone called his wife, Makena immediately asked, “If your phone is always out of contact when you’re with your friend, how did it forward my call to that girl?”

“I left my phone at the office to ensure that it didn’t lose connection. And that woman is the manager of the Los Angeles branch.  I believe I mentioned her as one of the candidates.”

“You could have told me that you would be forwarding calls.”

“I asked you before I left the office if there was anything you needed me to attend to this evening.  What was so urgent that you had to call back?”

“Forget it!”  Makena hung up.

Tyrone stared at his phone with a frown.  He thought he had not done anything wrong but he was still in deep shit.





Two weeks later near closing time, Tyrone was making a list of groceries to stock up the apartment’s pantry in anticipation of his family’s arrival the next day.  He planned to do his shopping after today’s flying lesson but that idea went out the window when a call came from the receptionist.

“What’s up, Estelle?”

“Your wife is here and wants to see you, Mr. Davis.”

What?!  She’s not due until tomorrow!”

“Nevertheless, she’s here, sir.”

“I’ll be right there.”  Tyrone hastened out to the reception area where he found his wooden-faced wife impatiently waiting.  He went over to give her a hug and a kiss.  “Makena!  This is a surprise.  Why are you here a day early?  I’m not ready for you and the kids yet.”

“That’s why I’m early.  You’re going to take me to see this friend of yours that you spend so much time with, and I’m going to see for myself why it’s so hard for you to answer your phone.”

Tyrone froze.  How was he supposed to do that?  “I… can’t do that, love.”

She frowned.  “And why not?”

The man thought furiously.  “He… uh… works in the secure area.  I can’t take any unauthorized people there.”

“I’m your wife – authorize me!”

Tyrone opened his mouth to say he couldn’t do that, but the expression on Makena’s face told him it was pointless.  She understood what a secure area entailed and she obviously didn’t care. She was on the warpath and was not going to stop until she was satisfied.  He made up his mind.

“Alright then.  Come with me.”  He took her hand and guided her down the hallway to go to the Security Office. After the security guard admitted him and Makena with Tyrone’s okay, he said, “I want to take my wife into the Secure Area.”

“Makena Davis is not authorized to go there, sir.  You know that.”

“I do.  Contact either Phil or Rosa and get her authorized.”

The guard raised an eyebrow.  “Very well. Be advised that if the answer is no, I will be forced to eject your wife immediately.”  He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a number.

The call was answered by Phil Martine.  “What’s the problem, Haxtur?”

“Sir, Mr. Davis is here with his wife, demanding to allow her access to the Secure Area.  Makena Davis is not currently authorized.  What do you wish me to do about this situation?”

Phil sighed.  “We suspected that something like this might happen when we chose a married candidate. It’s very hard to keep secrets under those circumstances.  Okay, she may have access, but allow Rosa and me time to meet her at the Baltimare office. I will give you a call when we’re there.”

“Understood, sir.  I’ll await your call.”  The Guard hung up and opened a drawer in his desk.  He took out a badge on a lanyard similar to Tyrone’s except that it was marked “VISITOR”.  He passed it to Makena.  “Wear this at all times.  You will be allowed into the Secure Area as soon as Mr. and Mrs. Martine arrive there to meet you.”

Makena’s eyebrow rose sharply.  “Don't they live in Charlotte?”

The Guard didn’t answer her, merely holding out the badge.

Makena snorted with annoyance and took the lanyard, hanging it around her neck.

The Guard turned to Tyrone.  “I assume that you want adaptation turned off?”

“Yeah.  One thing to explain at a time.”

“What are you talking about?” Makena asked suspiciously.

“Like I just said, one explanation at a time,” Tyrone replied.

Makena fumed until the call came through that it was okay to proceed.  The Guard then activated the portal.

“What the hell?” Makena said when she saw the mirror.

“Just do as I do,” Tyrone said before stepping through the portal.

The woman stared in shock.  “That’s plain freaky.”

“Please follow your husband, Mrs. Davis.  I assure you that it’s harmless,” the guard said.

Makena cautiously put her hand on the mirror only to see it pass through its surface with barely a tingle.  She swallowed, gathered up her courage, and stepped into her reflection.  It was almost a let-down to find herself in another office along with a different security guard who looked identical to the previous one.

“Welcome, Mrs. Davis!  Mr. and Mrs. Martine are expecting you.”

“Thanks, Femur,” Tyrone said.  “Follow me, dear.”

After passing out of the guard’s earshot, Makena asked, “Are they twins? How could you tell them apart?”

Tyrone grinned.  “Easy.  Femur is much friendlier.”

The man took his wife to the same meeting room where he had first been introduced to Prince Mark and the other Equestrians.  He held the door open for the woman before following her inside. She had come to a halt and was staring at the three strange creatures waiting there.

The griffon stepped forward.  “Welcome to Equestria, Makena.  Phillipe and I hope you had a pleasant trip from North Carolina.”

Makena blinked.  “Did you somehow manage to drug me?  I’m seeing impossible things.”

The unicorn stepped up with a grin.  “Nope.  I’m a unicorn and my wife is a griffon.  What’s more, your husband becomes a hippogriff when he wishes to.  And the pegasus you see there…” He pointed back with a hoof.  “…is Black Nimbus, Tyrone’s friend and flight instructor.  He’s the reason why your husband is so frequently out of contact. No cell reception up where they practice.”

Nimbus gave the woman a cheery wave.

Makena’s lips moved but no words came out.  She looked at her husband with a perplexed expression.

Tyrone led her to a chair and encouraged her to sit down.  With the geas implicitly lifted, he could finally explain everything.  “Okay, now that you’ve been hit over the head with the truth, let me fill in the gaps. First of all, you’re not on Earth anymore.  This is the planet Equus and this factory is located in the nation of Equestria.  The inhabitants are a multitude of species with various pony tribes being dominant.  Phil and Rosa are currently a unicorn and a griffon because a magic adaptation spell on the portal mirror changes people into a form best suited to them here.  That’s what the security guard back in Houston was talking about.  When I use it, I become a hippogriff which is a species that has wings.  Black Nimbus has been teaching me to fly, and yes, we’ve hung out in bars too because we’re good friends.  And frankly, our cell repeater on this side kind of sucks, so it’s hard to get phone reception from another world, hence the missed calls.”

Makena gaped at her husband.  “You work for aliens?”

Tyrone chuckled.  “No, I work for Harmonic Composites which is owned in part by Equestria.”

Rosa said, “Believe me, mi querida amiga, Phillipe and I are just as human as you are normally.  However, we choose to use our Equestrian forms whenever we are here.  Tyrone, perhaps now would be a good moment to show Makena your alternate form.”

“Okay.  Come back to the portal with me, darling.”

Still in a bit of a daze, Makena followed Tyrone back to the Security Office. He explained to Femur that he intended to make a quick round-trip to change forms.  He then stepped through the mirror only to be quickly replaced by a beaked creature with a teal coat and long golden mane.  He posed in front of the woman.

“So – how do you like me now, love?” Tyrone asked.

Makena stared at the hippogriff for a long moment.  His ears slowly drooped, showing his increasing nervousness.  Then a smile slowly grew on her face.

“Tyrone Davis – I always thought you could be proud as a peacock about your looks, but this is going a tad too far, don’t you think?”

Tyrone chuckled.  “You may be right, hon, but I pull it off well.”

Makena shook her head in wonder.  “Of all the things that I imagined were happening here, this didn’t even come close.  So, you say you can actually fly?  Want to show me?”

“That’s up to the Martines to allow further access.  However, before we go ask, are you game to try the adaptation spell yourself?”

“What?  Would I become like you?”

“Maybe.  Or you could become another creature entirely.  Michelle becomes an Abyssinian – a cat woman.  You’re transformed into whichever form the spell determines suits you best.”

“It’s still hard to believe in magic despite what I’ve seen, but I’m game.”

“That’s my feisty wife.  Oops! One catch.  You see how my clothes changed to suit my form?  They’re enchanted to do that but yours are not. You would either have to strip or risk your clothes being damaged.  And you'll want to remove all your jewelry.”

“Oh. I have no intention of stripping in front of that guard.”

Tyrone figured that it might be a bit too soon to explain that all the Security Guards were changelings who could be either sex at will.  On the other hoof, that did give him an idea.  “There is a shift change about now and a female guard is due to take over.  Give me a moment to check.”  He then crossed back over to Earth.

“Is everything okay, sir?” the guard asked.

Tyrone nodded.  “My wife is a lot happier now that she knows the truth, Haxtur.  She would like to try the adaptation spell but because her clothing isn’t enchanted, she will need to remove them.  However, she doesn’t want to do that in front of a man.  Could I ask you to take a female form?  I told Makena that there’s a shift change.”

“No problem, sir.”  Haxtur’s body was briefly engulfed in green magic flames, leaving behind a rather plain woman in a guard’s uniform.

“Great!  Thanks!” Tyrone returned to the Baltimare facility and gave Makena a beaky grin.  “Good to go,” he assured her.

“I suppose I’m committed now,” his wife replied with a lopsided smile.  She then stepped through the portal.

“What do you suppose she’ll come back as?” Tyrone asked Femur.

“No idea, sir, but I’m going to bet that she’ll be exactly what will suit you both.”

A nervous minute later, Tyrone’s question was answered.  A golden hippogriff with a teal mane emerged from the portal and stopped to look at herself.

“Oh, Sweet Lord!  I’m gorgeous! And I have wings too.”

Tyrone stared at his beautiful wife whose coloration mirrored his own and murmured to Femur, “When you’re right, you’re right!”  He then went over to Makena and wing-hugged her.  “Darling, we’re creatures who are made to fly. Come soar with me, my dearest.”

Makena leaned over to kiss her husband, then stopped when she took stock of their beaks.  She settled for giving him a nuzzle.  “Always and forever, beloved.”


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