//------------------------------//
// A Perfectly Logical Thing to Do 
// Story: A Pegasus Horn 
// by Ignimbrite 
//------------------------------//

Applejack had to find out about the chimera.  Apparently, the creature was schoolmates with her sister, and she couldn't stand the thought that her sister might be at any more risk than usual.  

Granted, the fact that a chimera was allowed into school in the first place meant it was probably not as big a threat as usual anyway.  That said, the thoughts kept gnawing at her.  

It was a Saturday, so none of the ponies were in school.  That wouldn't exactly make finding them any easier, so she wandered around the town, looking around for unfamiliar faces.  While she was at it, maybe she'd get to meet that new family too.





"FOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRE!"

The two teams charged at each other, clubs in mouth.  On one side,  several colts including Obsidian bolted at full gallop.  On the other side, a team led by Snips and Snails thundered forward.  

Between them lay the target, a tiny white ball.  Snails got there first and swung, whacking it a good thirty yards.  Obsidian turned to chase it, using his wings as airbrakes.  He got there just before the others, knocking the ball back in the direction from which it came.

A couple others fielded the ball, flanking the team Obsidian was on and launching the ball into a high arch over them.  Before it could land, Pipsqueak swatted it out of the air and back towards the center of the field.

This continued back and forth for some time, until all of them were covered with dirt and the ball was nowhere near either of  the holes.





Applejack made her way through the town, keeping her eyes out for any ponies or other creatures she didn't recognize.  She didn't see anypony like that, but she did see somepony who might know where to look.

"Hey Pinkie, I was wonderin' somethin'."

"No way, miss Rudey McRudepants.  You said you were coming to my party, but you didn't show up at all!"

"I'm sorry.  Somethin' came up that night.  Part of my comin' out here was that I was goin' to say hi to the new family just now, and I wanted to know where they are."

Pinkie's face immediately brightened.

"Oh, okay!  One of them's right over there!"

She pointed towards some kids charging around a field, hitting something with sticks.

"Uh, okay... thanks."

She walked over to the group, then had to duck as a small white object flew past her head.  The kids came chasing it, only to stop short on seeing her.  

Snips spoke up first.

"Oh, sorry about that.  We didn't see you there."

"Oh that's alright.  What were y'all doin' anyway?"

Snails gave his answer as if their new sport was perfectly normal.  

"Full contact golf."

Unsure where to go from a response like that, Applejack looked at the colts, suddenly noticing that one of them had wings and a horn.  Her mind spun through the various possibilities on what it might mean.  

She ruled out the possibility that he was an alicorn.  If he was, she was sure everypony would have already heard of him.  Then again, the horn looked petty real, and she could tell at a glance that the wings were his own.

He noticed her staring and gave a nervous wave.  That broke her out of her line of thought.  

"Oh, hi, I don't think I've seen you around town before.  What's your name?"

"I'm... I'm Obsidian ma'am."

One of the other colts jumped in.  "He's the town's new chimera."

Applejack stared again.  This was now making even less sense than before.  Once again, her mind ran through every possible explanation she could find.

Of course, if this kid had been a chimera yesterday and was an alicorn today...

She excused herself and headed over to the library.

"Hi Twilight.  Ya got any information on changelings?"






Later that day...






"You did WHAT?!?"

Twilight looked in shock at the pair before her.  In front of her stood Applejack with a confused expression.  

To Applejack's right was Obsidian, stumbling around and singing about monsters hiding in bushes made of love.

Off to the side sat Spike, who casually munched on a bowl of popcorn while watching the unfolding situation.

"The book said they lose their disguise when surprised, shocked, or otherwise disoriented.  It also said that they lose their disguise when asleep."

"So you decided to invite him to your farm, pretend to show him how to harvest apples, and then 'accidentally' drop a bucket on his head from the barn hoist."

"Seemed like the most straightforward way to make him drop his disguise."  She looked at Obsidian.  "I still don't know why it didn't work."

"Maybe because he's not a changeling."  

"What?!?"

Twilight facehooved.  "He's not a changeling; he's a tetragametic chimera."  

Applejack looked at him for a moment, then back at Twilight.  "A what?"

Twilight shook her head.  "It's a medical term.  I was looking up the condition last night.  Come on, I've still got the book out."

"Huh."  Applejack scratched her head.  "Sure makes me glad I didn't try my other idea."

Twilight squinted at the farmpony.  "And what idea could possibly be worse than what you actually did do?"

"Well, that book did say that them changelings tend to also lose their disguises when their mind is weakened, and I had a bit of cider left over from last year..."

She was interrupted by Twilight hitting her head against the wall and groaning.

"Please don't tell me you actually planned on taking a colt who's family just moved into town and getting him drunk..."

Applejack looked away rather sheepishly.  "Well, when ya word it like that..."

Twilight groaned again while Spike continued to munch on his bowl of popcorn.

"So... what do we do with him?"

"Take him into the back.  I think I know a few spells that should help."





"...My head..."

Applejack leaned over to Twilight and whispered.

"I thought ya said the spell would help."

Twilight whispered back.  "That doesn't mean it works instantly."

She applied a couple more spells to erase any other lingering effects of Applejack's impromptu changeling test.

"What... happened?"

"Ya don't remember?"

He slowly shook his head.

Thinking quickly, Applejack offered the most plausible explanation she could think up.  "Well y'all were playing a rather rough game out there."

He thought a moment, then nodded.  "Did I hit my horn?"

They both looked him over to be sure.

"No, doesn't look like it."

He was still responding slowly, but he at least was coherent.  "Well that's good, at least.  I guess I'd better go home.  It's getting late."  

As he slowly stepped out the door, Twilight turned to her friend.  

"So, Element of Honesty, was it?"