//------------------------------// // Chapter 15: Station Stops // Story: The End Of The Line // by autobotfan15 //------------------------------// [Haven City Train Station- Two Weeks Later] Gregory stood on the station platform pacing back and forth. Nearby Rainbow Dash and Stacy sat on a bench, watching the human pace. Stacy looked down the tracks then to Rainbow Dash. “So, any idea what’s going on other than the first couple of supposed reform humans that are arriving?” “No idea,” Rainbow said. “Ever since he moved in with me Andrew and Luna have been teleporting to Celestia knows where. When I asked, he only told me it’s a surprise. I assume maybe it’s coming on this train.” Stacy shrugged before turning to Gregory. “So what kind of reformation test did you give the others?” “It was more of Luna’s idea,” Gregory said as he turned back to them. “Basically, she arranged for each human to have a one on one conversation with Jason. They would be judged by their behavior. If they pass then Luna would give them approval to come here to attend the school and do some community service.” “And for those that fail?” Rainbow asked. “They will remain in Canterlot’s dungeon until they are deemed fit to leave or at the very least try not to have a hissy fit at Jason,” Gregory replied. “Have you seen any of these tests?” Stacy asked. “I only saw Bubba’s test,” Gregory began before letting out a chuckle. “He passed, but I think Jason was intimidated by his normal heavy size and muscle. Dude’s a fucking tank.” “Ahem,” Stacy began tapping her head with a finger. “My troops kind of take that as an insult.” “The voices in your head need to take a chill pill,” Gregory replied, “and to learn slang.” Before anyone could say anything, a train whistle could be heard along with the traditional sound of an engine on the tracks. Steam could be seen coming from a smokestack as said train approached. When Gregory saw it, his eyes widened. “No fucking way…he didn’t…” Rainbow squinted her eyes as she looked down the tracks. “That does not look like the friendship express or the Appaloosan Cannonball.” “Or the Wabash Cannonball for that matter,” Gregory said. “It’s a steam engine, sure, but it looks more modern. And now I understand the surprise he mentioned.” He grinned. “Son of a bitch…” The engine pulling the train was a steam locomotive but unlike Equestria’s normal train engines it had four small wheels up front, six big drive wheels, a headlamp mounted on the smokestack, and a fuel tender trailing behind. “Who ordered a female version of Donald and Douglass?” Gregory asked with a chuckle as the train pulled into the station. He walked up to the engine, placing his hands on the side, and said, “Welcome back to the world of the living, Connie.” “Oh damn it…I wanted to surprise you,” a voice complained, taking Rainbow and Stacy by surprise. Gregory smiled as he ran his hand along the sleek new engine’s exterior. “You can’t hide that massive emotional presence from me. I’m so glad to see you, though. Love the makeover, by the way. It’s like stepping back in time.” “You know what they say, old is gold,” a new voice said as a familiar figure stepped down from the cab. Gregory turned to Andrew. “You sneaky bastard,” he said, “no wonder I didn’t sense grief from you these past two weeks!” Andrew strolled up wearing a pair of overalls and a cap that said Union Pacific. “Not only was I busy with this project, but somepony was also teaching me how to handle steam trains. They’re a lot simpler here than on the Strasburg Railroad.” “Oh God…are you seriously gonna start using everypony and somepony?” Gregory said. “So cringe…” “Only when I’m talking about ponies, but don't worry, I'll refer to your mate as somedragon.” “That’s still super cringe, but you do you,” he replied, “Or rather, you do Rainbow.” Gregory smirked. Rainbow blushed hard at this and smacked Gregory with her wing. “Hey!” Gregory laughed, then turned back to Andrew. “So, can Connie go full Transformers in this body like her old one?” “That’s the thing, it turns out she was able to transform by my touch,” Andrew, still blushing from Gregory’s innuendo filled comment, explained. “Remember when we argued and I slammed my fist against her dashboard?” “What about it?” Gregory asked. “When I struck her dashboard I somehow imagined her as some transformer and I guess that's when she changed with us inside.” “Interesting,” Gregory said before turning back to the carriages. “So, who do we have today?” “According to Blueblood, only about a dozen succeeded,” Andrew replied. “Yeah, we still have a few stubborn stragglers. Some were less…violent than others.” Gregory reached down to where Grogar’s Bell hung from his neck. “Well, they’re not yet getting their magic back, at least not until they learn more about how magic works.” “Actually, they all don’t want it back,” Andrew explained. “They’d rather remain normal. Besides, they were corrupted like Jason was.” “They were only corrupted due to their hatred of Jason, but alright.” Gregory looked at the bell again. “I’ll look for ways to spread the chaos magic into the air, but it won’t be going back to them ever again.” “Why spread it when we can find a new carrier?” Andrew asked. “Someone who is willing to use chaos for good. If we spread it, it will find its way back together again.” “Nope, not happening,” Gregory said. “If that’s the case, it’ll remain inside this bell until we can safely distribute it. The gathering chaos magic was a fluke anyway. The Gjallarhorn has been successfully spreading the rest.” “If you say so,” Andrew said as they heard the carriage doors opening. The passengers consisted of many creatures including a few humans. Some of the humans took in the sight around them with awe, especially the massive Seeds of Yggdrasil school fortress in the west. Among the few humans, a rather large one stepped out with six fluffy creatures clinging to him. He soon noticed Andrew and Gregory and walked up to them. “Hey,” he greeted. The fluffy ponies waved at them. The pink and purple fluffy ponies leaped out of his arms and ran to Gregory, or rather the pink one ran and the purple one flew. They leaped into his arms and nuzzled him playfully. Gregory smiled and held them close. “These two obviously remember me.” “Mithtah Gwegowy!” the pink one said. “Hi again!” the purple one with wings and a horn said. “Well now, you can talk already,” he commented, giving them both a warm smile and a peck on their cheeks. “You all must be very smart.” “Pawty?” the pink one asked. “Pink Cake, now is not the time,” Bubba said. “We have to get to our new home.” “Where are you living?” Gregory asked as he continued letting the two who seemed to be the most attached to him nuzzle him. “Oh, after my test I was supposed to be sent to some halfway house,” Bubba began, “but Applejack insisted I serve my community service helping out at her farm. Plus it has plenty of space there for the kiddies to play in.” “Just be careful,” he said, “or I might take these two cuties.” He gave the Twilight fluffy pony and Pink Cake a kiss on their cheeks before placing them back on the ground. “Yeah and don’t give Cozy a reason to be jealous,” Andrew teased. “Hey, she’s got plenty of cool friends, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind having two extra fluffy siblings to snuggle with,” Gregory chuckled. “Whose an awesome one? Whose an awesome one?” The group turned to see Rainbow Dash playing with her fluffy counterpart. “We are! We are!” the Rainbow Dash fluffy pony said, her wings flapping excitedly as she hovered slightly off the ground. “Well anyway, you guys know which way it is to New Acres?” Bubba asked. “Oh, it’s on the northeastern side of town,” Gregory said. “The house and barn are carbon copies of Sweet Apple Acres, and I think I saw them building a new place yesterday. Probably your new home with the kiddies here.” “Perfect thanks for that. Oh and uh thank you guys for putting in a good word for me.” “Good child rearing services are in demand these days,” Gregory said, “especially with Fluttershy’s orphanage. Don’t be surprised if she needs help there.” Bubba nodded and left with the fluffy ponies, or fluffies as they were beginning to be known, in tow. A moment later an earth pony stallion walked up. To the humans he looked like a ponified version of an old US President. “Ah, hello there, you must be Andrew,” the stallion said. “I’m Golden Spike, owner of the Equestrian Greater Railway.” “Huh so that’s what the company is called,” Andrew said. “I was starting to think it was called Pontrak.” “How did you know that we were planning on rebranding to that name?” Golden asked. “I didn’t,” Andrew replied, “It was a guess and a joke about a similar company back home called Amtrak.” Golden looked at him for a moment, then shook his head. “Well, I have seen this engine in action and I’m thoroughly impressed. It’s gone faster than anything we have and it’s a lot sturdier.” “The design was a combination of both Equestrian engineering and American design,” Andrew said. “I did give the Baltimare workshops that book about the Baldwin locomotive works.” As the two continued talking shop, Gregory began gesturing Rainbow, Stacy, and the other humans off of the platform. “We’ve lost him to the train. Train nerd.” He turned to the other humans. “Have you all gotten your assignments?” They all nodded and began following the guards that arrived. Gregory was almost out of earshot when he heard Golden Spike saying. “Well I want to know if you're interested in coming to work for me?” Andrew was surprised. “I don’t know…this is huge what you're offering. I knew you would take my ideas but I didn’t think I’d be getting an offer. I need time to think it over. You don't mind, do you?” “Oh not at all,” Golden said. “I’m here on holiday for the week, so feel free to take your time.” With that, Golden grabbed his bags and walked down towards the town. Andrew walked up to Gregory. “Does that guy remind you of anyone? I mean we do have pony Rick and Morty but he looks like someone real.” “Looks like Grant,” Gregory said. “Did you hear what he was offering? I wasn’t expecting my ideas to make this happen.” “You’re beginning an industrial revolution,” Gregory said, “what did you expect to happen?” “At least some of my ideas getting taken,” he said. “You know how on Earth some ideas were just stolen by strangers and the real thinkers get no recognition. I actually would’ve been alright with that.” “That may still happen, but for the most part I’ve found that ponies don’t act as disreputable in business ventures,” Gregory said. Andrew smirked. “Next I suppose there's a pony version of Elon Musk somewhere.” “Elonged Musk here, actually,” Gregory replied, “although here he’s just getting started. And he isn’t as crazy as Elon is. It helps that there’s no Twitter here where he can make himself look like a complete moron.” The two were about to leave when Cozy Glow fluttered on to the platform holding a scroll. She marveled at the new locomotive before turning to her daddy. “Hi Daddy, hi Uncle Andrew.” Gregory picked her up and cradled her before looking at Andrew. “Looks like you’re now a part of Cozy’s family now.” “We may have shared a few games of chess even though I prefer checkers,” Andrew said. “She told me about those games,” Gregory said with a smirk. “She kicked your butt.” “Well excuse me for trying to remember every piece’s role,” Andrew complained before looking at the scroll. “What's that you got there?” “Oh right. It seems my old penpal sent me a letter. I think it’s about his new roommate.” Cozy opened the scroll and held it out for the three to read. ‘GET ME OUT OF HERE! I”LL CHANGE FOR THE BETTER! I’LL DO ANYTHING! JUST KEEP THIS BLABBERING LUNATIC AWAY FROM ME!’ “Yeah…I don’t feel sorry for Tirek,” Gregory said. “I actually drank that potion that lets you see into the past. He is guilty on all counts. And his grandfather Tirac was even worse.” “Tirac?” Rainbow asked, “Who the hay’s that?” “He was a villain in one of the very first ever My Little Pony cartoons,” Gregory explained. “In fact, I think a human saved the ponies from him. A young girl named Megan Williams. Although the cartoon got a few things off.” “Yeah, Danny was a brony before it was cool,” Andrew said with a chuckle. “Well, the three existed and saved Ponyland,” Gregory said, “but history lessons can wait.” “But if me and Chrysalis were bad in the show and good here, Isn’t it possible for him to be reformed too?” Cozy asked with pleading eyes. “I don’t think it works that way Cozy,” Andrew said. “Not everything can be different here,” Gregory said. “Maybe someday he can really change, but that’s not our call. We’re not in Equestria here. We’re in the Neutral Lands, hundreds of miles away from Canterlot. We're closer to the Crystal Empire than we are to Equestria.” Cozy looked down in sadness before she felt a hand under her chin. She looked up to see Andrew. “Chin up there Glow, maybe someday he will reform and maybe you can teach him,” Andrew said. That earned a smile from his honorary niece. [Tartarus - Around The Same Time] “Oh yes my beloved, I will happily reorganize your reports summarizing all your lessons hehehe,” Howard said from his cage as he rocked back and forth while holding a rock that had been carved to resemble Twilight Sparkle. In another cage was Tirek. He didn’t know what was really happening, one moment it was quiet the next moment two guards came in and dropped another cage by his. All he knew now was that this newcomer was making his stay more unbearable. He tried his best to ignore him as he quietly wrote on another scroll. “Come on, somecreature, read this,” he pleaded. “Oh hello neighborino, want to hear about my bedroom fantasies with my beloved again?” Howard asked as he looked at Tirek with a look that screamed insanity. “NO!” Tirek screamed. [Changeling Hive Reconstruction - Around The Same Time] “We are proceeding on schedule, your majesties. The new nursery and your master bedroom are almost completed,” Thorax reported. “Almost isn’t good enough!” Chrysalis snapped. “Hey hey, ease up on them.” Jason said, putting a hand on the humanoid Chrysalis’ shoulder, “you can’t rush them.” “No no you’re right,” Chrysalis said with a sigh, “it’s the mood swings.” Chrysalis transformed into her normal self, her belly showing a slight bulge. “And maybe some other frustrations?” Jason asked. “Like us not having any soundproof room or privacy these past weeks?” “Don’t remind me,” she groaned. “It's bad enough feeling discomfort in my human form with our child, but it’s getting harder every time.” “I’m here, okay?” Jason said tenderly as he put a hand on her back, rubbing up and down. Chrysalis returned the gesture by nuzzling him then she smiled at him.”The medics have the results of which sex.” “Really? Boy or girl?” he asked. “We’re going to have a daughter, and I know the name you’ll love for her,” she said, smiling warmly. “Really? What?” he asked. “Susie, after your niece,” she said as she placed a hoof on her belly. Tears formed in his eyes as he hugged her. “You’d do that for me?” he asked. “You’ve been through too much. I think you deserve this.” “Awww…” said the drones who gathered around. “Hey! Lollygaggers won’t have a bed to sleep in if they slack off!” Jason chuckled. “Let them have this, okay?” he said. “Oh right, I almost forgot,” Thorax said as he reached into his saddlebags with his magic. “Some pony by the name of Golden Spike has been sending these letters to world leaders.” He presented a scroll., which Jason took. He broke the seal, opening it as he held it up for him and Chrysalis to see. It was a contract to allow construction of a trans-continental railroad connecting the various nations. At the bottom was a line with the words 'Ruler signature and homeland here.’ “Those train obsessed humans actually got the attention of someone,” Jason chuckled. “I thought it was just one. That engineer Andy,” Chrysalis said. “Andrew, but they’re all somewhat obsessed with trains,” Jason said. “Still, a train station near the hive…I dunno. I kinda like our privacy.” “Well to be honest traveling by flying can sometimes be turbulent,” Chrysalis said. “Besides, maybe Ocellus wants to bring friends to study.” “We’re gonna have to spruce the place up a bit then,” Jason said. “Should we add a train station to the reconstruction plans then?” Thorax asked. “I think we should and maybe have our first train here bring construction supplies. We might run out,” Chrysalis said, looking towards the piles of stone that were being used for the reconstruction. Jason looked at the stones and nodded as he grabbed a quilt and signed his name. Chrysalis signed as well, then resealed it. “Send this back to the sender,” Jason said. Thorax saluted and took to the sky, leaving the royal couple in the barely built office room. “We should probably patch up this hole in the wall next.” Jason nodded in agreement and they got back to it. [New Acres - Later That Evening] It was decided that night that a party should be held on the farm. The many humans came and immediately started acquainting themselves with the locals. The one human who had lived there the longest spent his time mingling with his friends, although for some reason whenever he saw Ember she was having some sort of conversation with a nervous looking Twilight. The conversation looked serious, so instead he spent time with Pinkie, giving her headpats which she enjoyed immensely. At some point a random human walked up. “Can I give headpats too?” “Me next,” said another human. “Hey ladies first you guys,” said a female one. Pinkie looked up at the other humans coming over to her, and her smile widened. “Hey, there’s plenty Pinkie for everyone!” she said as she slowly got off of Gregory’s lap and lay on a nearby couch. “I’m all yours.” “God, that sounds a lot like the start of a gangbang porno,” Gregory said quietly to himself as he stood from his seat to find something to eat. As he was walking, he nearly walked right into Applejack. “Whoa there, partner,” he said, narrowly avoiding running into her rump with his legs, “almost hit ya.” “Oh howdy there, Gregory, enjoying the party?” Applejack asked. He nodded with a smile. “It’s nice to unwind with some Pinkie Pie cuddle time, but she’s got some more humans giving her headpats now. Food’s great, and the music is pretty banging. Only thing I’m missing is Ember. She’s been talking a lot with Twilight recently. Any idea why? It’s like anytime I see Twilight she’s talking with Ember.” “I don’t know, I’ve been more focused on getting the new farmhand settled in along with his munchkins.” “Ah yeah, the fluffies,” Gregory chuckled. “It was sweet of you to give Tinyjack a small replica of your Stetson. She absolutely loves that thing.” “Well, you can also thank Rarity for that. Bubba himself has been a huge help as well. He’s like my brother in a way. Real gentle giant he is,” she said. “Yeah, having children can really mellow a guy like that out, especially six cute terrors like those. They’re all like little versions of you guys, so imagine how hard it is to keep them in check.” They both shared a laugh before Gregory noticed Andrew talking to Golden Spike, the latter of which just nodded and turned to leave smiling while doing so. Andrew then turned and walked up to the snack table for food. “That guy’s been busy with business all evening,” Gregory said. “Dude needs to chill and relax.” “I’m right here you know,” Andrew said as he picked up a potato chip. Gregory looked around, as if looking for the source of the sound. “Someone say something?” He then looked down at Andrew. “Ah, there he is!” He clapped Andrew on the shoulder. “Welcome back to the party!” “What do you mean? I’ve been here, Golden just wanted to talk before going back to the inn.” “You’ve been talking business all night, so no, you’ve not been here. Not really, anyway.” “It was just a quick chat, I just wanted to tell him I accept his offer under a few small conditions,” Andrew said. “Well, now that you’re really back, wanna try something that you haven’t experienced yet?” Gregory smirked. “Like what?” Andrew asked. Gregory’s smirk deepened. “Two questions first. One, how’s your singing voice, and two, how many MLP fan songs do you know?” “You heard me sing that Boxcar song before Jason was captured,” Andrew answered. “I meant how’s your singing voice tonight,” Gregory asked. “Might be good but I barely remember a few songs by the bronies,” Andrew replied. “Eh, that doesn’t matter,” Gregory chuckled before he stepped away. “You’ll pick it up!” “Hmm… Actually there is this one song that still plays in my head for this day,” Andrew grinned. “What song?” Gregory asked. “Stand back and get ready for some dubtrot. Ever heard of Twenty Percent Cooler?” Gregory grinned. “You should stand back singing partner.” He then began snapping fast, and music came from everywhere. “Excellent choice.” There was a brief silence before a light from nowhere shined on Andrew. “Yeah I own this beat!” A light then shone onto Gregory as the music continued. He grinned and joined Andrew as the two began singing in unison and dancing in perfect sync. “You can call me the king or the ruler! Felon on bass, getting hoarse at the mic! We're getting twenty percent cooler! We had a great day out, calling my name like Ferris Bueller! It's time to wrap this up! We're getting 20 percent cooler!” Many walks of life looked to the singing pair as Andrew picked up a mic and spoke in a robotic voice. “We’re getting 20 percent cooler!”  The nearby DJ stand immediately blasted the sound as Vinyl Scratch worked her magic. Many creatures started dancing. Some of Stacy’s tanks were shooting confetti randomly. Gregory even saw one human doing the Fortnite default dance. “Seven colors in your hair! Get your boots on dear 'cause we're going out there. Don't care 'bout the dress code. Put it on, let's go. Girls go wild cause we're going al fresco." Andrew sang. “Ha!” Gregory laughed before singing. “No need to perform. Hands on our bodies gonna keep our skills warm. We need social reform 'cause we're just so criminal, Linguist subliminal, damage is minimal.” Andrew smirked as he continued. “Top percentile, largest fraction, massive attraction, girl-on-girl action. Stop that, I'm gonna need a redaction. Drop that, you already got your reaction.” Gregory pointed to himself. “Me? I'm gonna keep on smiling” Andrew pointed to the crowd. “You? You're gonna need restyling. I got the quote back. From the jeweler. You're getting 20 percent cooler.” The sounds were doing nothing but keeping everyone dancing. “You can call me the king or the ruler! Felon on bass, getting hoarse at the mic! We're getting twenty percent cooler! We had a great day out, calling my name like Ferris Bueller! It's time to wrap this up! We're getting twenty percent cooler!” To Gregory’s surprise he even saw Ember dancing like there was no tomorrow. “Reduce that treble, there's an eight or a nine who think they're on my level. Like a rebel in a bunker getting shelled with a mortar. Bump up and down 'cause I think you ought'a place your hand on my thigh. Don't be coy, I can hear you sigh. Grinding your hips, I'll be flashing my pink and in ten seconds flat you'll be back with a drink. Wooo!” “Bring out the Bacardi! Twilight, Sparkle, up in the party!” Andrew sang pointing at Twilight. “Tap that, like a phone in the Cold War! Room on the third floor, knocking at my front door!”Gregory sang. “Me? I'm kind of a rarity,” Andrew pointed at Rarity. “You? Work that dexterity!” Gregory sang pointing to the crowd. “Lean back now, here's what I meant. Getting cooler by 20 percent!” They both sang. “You can call me the king or the ruler! Felon on bass, getting hoarse at the mic! We're getting twenty percent cooler! We had a great day out, calling my name like Ferris Bueller! It's time to wrap this up! We're getting twenty percent cooler!” “We're getting twenty percent cooler!” The whole mood of that party could be described as awesome and thrilling. “We're getting twenty percent cooler!” The music began dying down as the crowd applauded the two. Gregory offered a fist bump at Andrew who returned it. “Hey, have you taught them the thriller when Nightmare Night came?” Andrew asked. “Nah, but we can always sing ‘This is Nightmare Night, it is such a fright, ponies scream by the dead of the night,” Gregory replied, “or we could do ‘Welcome fillies and gentlecolts, there’s no reason to scream, your favorite princess is back, she’s walking up on the scene’ or so many more.” “Nah, I miss listening to Michael Jackson. Let’s put on his thriller when Nightmare Night comes,” Andrew suggested. Soon the party was winding down and many were returning home. Andrew helped with tidying things up when he heard what sounded like a talk between Twilight, Ember, and Gregory outside.  Gregory had just left to look for Ember, and when he had, he found the two standing outside in the moonlight underneath a nearby apple tree looking quite serious. Ember looked incredibly serious while Twilight looked a bit more nervous. He knocked on the house to get their attention. “Hey, is everything  okay out here?” The two looked over to Gregory. “Everything’s fine Gregory but…” Twilight said before clearing her throat and looking at Ember who nodded, ”but we need to talk.” Hearing the seriousness in her tone, Gregory walked down to them. “Sure, I don’t mind,” he said. Andrew heard this and attempted to listen in. Only one thought crossed his mind. ‘What is going on with those two?’ Gregory joined them near the tree. “So, what is it?” he asked. Ember took a deep breath, then exhaled. “Remember when we first met and what I said about herds and hoards?” she asked. Gregory raised an eyebrow. “Um…yeah, you pretty much said you didn’t like the idea of them and that there was no way that you and I would do something like that. Why?” Ember placed a claw on Gregory’s shoulder, then brought him under the tree before pushing him gently but firmly onto the ground. “Listen to what winged Twilight has to say.” Andrew raised a brow as he watched from behind another tree. ‘Does she still confuse Starlight and Twilight or is she colorblind to the stripes in their manes?’ Gregory looked towards Twilight, noticing how nervous she looked. “Teach?” He’d taken to calling her that during their daily magic lessons together as a term of endearment. In fact, he had a few terms he used like that with her. “You look like you’re about to go full ‘Want It, Need It’. Your mane’s a mess.” Andrew placed the pieces together in his head as he grinned and thought ‘This is gonna get juicy.’ All he could do was sit back and watch the magic happen. Gregory could only watch as Twilight inched herself closer to him. Already Gregory could hear her breathing and could feel her breath. “Easy there, Twi,” he said, looking a bit worried as he reached down and took her front hooves, “take some deep breaths. Relax and calm down.” He began to brush her mane with his hands. “I’m calm, I’m calm,” Twilight said before she closed her eyes and moved her muzzle closer to Gregory’s face. He looked a bit startled by this because such affections weren’t given out lightly by her. Sure, ponies loved to nuzzle, but Twilight always was a bit more reserved. “Twi?” ‘What’s going on here, a love triangle?’ Andrew asked in his mind. “Ugh, Faust, just come out and tell him, pony,” Ember said, clearly finding this irritating, “we talked about this!” “I love you!” Twilight finally said. Gregory looked stunned at this. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Finally, he looked up at Ember, who just sighed and sat down next to him. “This is not easy for me,” she growled before she took his arm and pulled him against her. “I know you two are close friends, but I guess-well, I’ll let her explain it.” “Explain what? Is there still a bit of Howard’s spell in you or something?” Gregory asked. “Twi, ever since you were released from Howard’s spell you’ve been acting odd. You sure you’re okay?” “I…I don’t know. Ever since we came back things have felt different. Even more different than the building of Haven City,” Twilight explained. Gregory gently led her to sit next to her underneath the single apple tree. “Have you talked to anyone about this?” “I spoke to Rainbow Dash about it,” Twilight said, “and her experience with Andrew so far has taught me something. I shouldn't hide my true feelings.” “Never thought you’d talk with Rainbow about this, but whatever works best for you I’m all for it,” he said, “but why me? Didn’t you understand that Ember doesn’t like herds or hoards?” “We’ll have more talks about that later,” Ember said, “just let the Starlight with wings talk.” “I realized these feelings while under Howard’s spell,” Twilight began. “I’ve enjoyed being your teacher more than anything I ever experienced.” “Even more than when you used to be Starlight’s teacher?” Gregory asked. “Well you never started out as a time traveling saboteur,” Twilight said sheepishly. “And here I thought you made up,” Gregory said. “You were different,” Twilight said, “you were eager to learn and you used whatever you learned to help me and you even let two strangers help us despite having ulterior motives.” “If you mean Andrew and Stacy, that was because you’ve been helping me develop my ability to experience emotions from sentient and sapient species,” Gregory said. “Exactly, you used what you learned and applied them. That makes me more than proud of you.” Gregory smiled. “My magic may not be like pony magic, but you really stepped up and helped me with learning a magic you didn’t know. I’ve enjoyed being your student.” He inhaled, then exhaled. “I can sense your fear right now, but more than that I can sense determination and affection and romantic love. It feels…different than Ember’s type of romantic love, though. Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” he quickly added as Ember growled and pulled him closer. “Well if it also means anything I also find it…attractive the way you snap back to a jovial attitude despite what life throws at you,” Twilight blushed. He chuckled. “It’s something I’ve had to learn how to do. I used to have a messy life. I had parents who didn’t care about me and a girlfriend who constantly cheated on me and gaslit me. Not only that, but I had a job that treated me like crap. I’ve got a better life here than I ever did back on Earth. That’s probably why the chaos magic latched onto me and my desire to come to Equestria overwhelmed me. But even so, even after that chaos spell on me was broken, I still love being here. This world is so much like my own in so many beautiful ways, but in other ways it’s super different. I love to explore and see things that couldn’t exist in my world. I guess in that way, you could consider me a nerd.” He smiled sheepishly. Twilight was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. “And all that is a reason…is why I’m in love with you.”  Gregory was silent, taking this all in. Beside her, he felt Ember let go. “Twilight here has been very persistent in talking to me about…opening things up,” she said. “I know that there are dragons who can live in a hoard, and I know I said that I couldn’t do it, but…” She sighed before continuing, “I’ve watched your magic lessons a few times. I may have trouble distinguishing ponies from each other, but I can tell this one has it bad for you. I am…willing…to give this a try, but only if it’s her. It’s a trial only, got it?” Gregory looked completely worried. He loved Ember with all of his heart, that much was certain, but could he even consider this? He looked at Twilight, then back at Ember. Now it was his turn to look scared. His legs curled up and he hugged them. “Fucking hell…” he muttered. Andrew just continued to watch the scene intently. He knew after tonight he would either go home smiling or walk home in disappointment if this potential romance failed. From where he stood, however, it seemed like Gregory was having a slight panic attack, which he was. It didn’t look serious, but Gregory had his hands in his hair, tugging at it and trying to breathe normally to calm down. “Shit, oh shit…oh God…” ‘Oh come on’ Andrew thought, ‘you summoned a snow storm, fought against a godzilla sized beast and you can’t handle this?’ Ember, on the other hand, surprisingly seemed to understand. “Gregory…I know this isn’t easy…” she put a claw on his shoulders then gestured at Twilight to come help. Twilight placed her hoof on his other shoulder. “I understand if you don’t want this, but all I want from you now is honesty,” she said. He took a few breaths, finally seeming to relax. “Twi, this is kinda sudden, I’ll admit,” he said shakily, “but…if I’m serious about even thinking about pursuing this, I’m gonna do it my way. And my way may be…a way you’ll actually enjoy, to be honest.” Twilight perked up from that. “And what way is that?” “I need to learn whatever there is to learn about how herds work in this world,” he said, before turning to Ember. “We both do.” Ember scowled, but slowly nodded as he turned back to Twilight. “I’m not completely saying no to this, but I have to build up my knowledge about how they work here. Not only that, but Ember is clearly not completely on board with this, and her happiness matters to me. If there is a way for all three of us to be happy in some kind of three way relationship, I’m willing to seriously consider it, but if not, I’ll put my foot down and have to turn you down. Do you understand, Twilight Sparkle?” Twilight was silent for a long moment then slowly nodded. Gregory reached over and wrapped his alicorn magic teacher and friend into a hug. “Will you help me and Ember learn?” “I will,” Twilight simply said as she smiled and let a few tears stream down. Gregory’s grip on her tightened. “No matter what happens, Twi, I will always care for you. You were my very first friend in this world despite you not telling me about Jason. You’ve been helping me with my magic and in some of my other studies about this world. Rainbow’s been increasingly calling me a ‘taller egghead’, which is something that the eavesdropper behind that other tree over there can talk with her about!” Gregory’s glance shifted to where Andrew was hiding. “DOH!” Andrew said as he walked out of his hiding spot. “Has anyone ever told you your emotional reading powers are a bit excessive?” “And has anyone ever told you not to listen in on private conversations that don’t involve you?” Gregory retorted. Ember was on her feet, growling at Andrew. “How much did you hear?” she snapped. Andrew looked at his watch “About ten minutes worth, which is most of the talk.” Gregory, with a now scared Twilight still in his arms, sighed and reached out, touching Ember’s arm. “No bloodshed tonight,” he said, “we’ll get our revenge on him another way.” Andrew gulped but remained calm. “Sorry about that, but you weren’t the only one who was concerned with Twilight’s behavior. Besides, I wanted to share with you some exciting news for the future.” “What, is Rainbow pregnant now?” Gregory asked with a small smirk. “First off, I hope that was your revenge,” Andrew said, “and secondly no. It’s about a special project that is going to connect the world in more ways than one.” Gregory raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” “During my time in Baltimare, me and several others were hoping to extend the railroads to many nations that agree to be connected and according to Celestia, it seems my speech has somehow encouraged many leaders to reopen their hearts to Equestria, even Queen Novo.” “Hmm…that seem a bit too good to be true,” Gregory said, “not the extending the railroads, good for you on that, but the reopening of hearts to Equestria part. A couple of right things that Equestria did doesn’t right the wrongs that make an entire millenia of speciesism and xenophobia created. It’s a decent first gesture, sure, but this will take a long, long time.” “Well the whole world was under the huge threat of a monster willing to turn this planet into a new star.” “Yes, but it will still take years, perhaps a decade or two,” Gregory replied. “Still, this is a start.” “You may say it might take years but according to my new boss, many leaders have signed a contract, even Jason.” “Again, that’s a good start,” Gregory said, “but it will still be a bit slow going. Keep up the work, though.” “I will,” he said before he perked up more. “Oh! and some surveyors have discovered a beautiful coast that will make a lovely tourist spot. I guess you can assume what this location will be called.” “Ah, I’ve seen the very place when I flew around there,” he said. “I call it Maritime Bay, just like I called the forest near Haven City Briarwood and those beautiful mountains over yonder I called Zephyr Heights.”  Ember rolled her eyes. “I swear…you’re insufferable sometimes.” “And yet, you still love me regardless,” Gregory teased, reaching down and putting an arm around her lower waist. She let out a brief breath of fire before relaxing. “The things I do for you…” [Haven City Library - A Month Later] “Spike, it’s not like Twilight to be running so late,” Gregory said to the young dragon as he sat in the main part of the library while waiting for Twilight to come downstairs. “Is she really okay up there?” “Uh… I think so,” Spike said. “She said she needed privacy for something she thinks I won’t understand.” Gregory smirked. “I’m guessing you know a loooot more than even she thinks you do, especially about more adult topics?” Spike blushed as he scratched the back of his head. “Well, Stacy may have given me a lesson about the human female body.” “I’d have thought that would have been Gabby, considering you two are always together,” he said. “Well… hey! What I do with her is my business alone.” “Of course it is,” Gregory said, “and I’m happy you found someone you can be happy with, dragon boy. I knew she was a happy-go-lucky griffin from the show, but I’ve never seen her happier.” Spike smiled but soon a door was heard closing from nearby and out came Twilight Sparkle. However, the version of her that came out was one that Gregory hadn’t expected. He’d seen Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry walking around with those changeling rings that let them become anthropomorphic versions of themselves, and it had amused him when the two of them had begun wearing clothing similar to their human counterparts. Still, he never expected Twilight to do the same. Her outfit was practically identical to the one he knew about from Equestria Girls with the addition of some holes in the clothing where her tail and wings could comfortably pop out of. She was about a couple of inches shorter than he was, and in her new form she was rather attractive. “…Wow…” was his initial reaction. Part of him was impressed. She’d come a long way from the human hating mare she’d first been when she’d first gone to the human world. If she was willing to do this, then she had either grown a whole lot more, loved him enough to do this, or most likely both. “This is a big surprise. I didn’t expect this.” “Yeah…Chrysalis was surprised too when I asked her to give me one of those rings,” Twilight said sheepishly. “Can I ask why you wanted to get one?” he asked, curious to hear her reason. “I thought maybe I could see what it's like walking and having fun in this form. Rainbow described cuddling in this as comfortable.” Gregory chuckled at this and nodded. “Well, do you have a bathing suit for that body?” he asked, “because we did have plans to go for a dip in the lake later, remember? It’s already pretty hot outside.” Twilight said nothing but reached into her room and pulled out a swimsuit on a hanger. “Will this suffice? I had Rarity do a rush job on this.” Gregory looked at it, then chuckled. “A one piece is so you, and that will do perfectly. Hope you’re ready for a nice leisurely day.” He held out his arm towards her. “You ready?” Twilight took his arm and followed him outside. As they left, Spike turned to a certain filly who was reading a book. “Don’t you feel kinda weird about this?” “Dunno, are you feeling jealous?” Cozy asked. “I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that,” Spike deadpanned. “Well I’ll pretend you did hear it,” Cozy teased back before going back to her reading. Outside the sun was nearing noon, and the temperature continued to rise. The day promised to be a hot one and Gregory found himself already sweating a bit. He was wearing a pair of shorts, a t-shirt with a picture of the original U.S.S. Enterprise on it and was wearing a black stetson. As he and Twilight walked arm in arm, he turned to her. “So…have you seen Shining’s and Cadance’s new twins yet?” “They’re my family, of course I heard,” Twilight responded. “I think one of them was named after an OC from your fandom. Skyla Heart Sparkle, I believe?” “Not really an OC,” he said, “but it was an actual toy Hasbro made when they hadn’t settled on the name Flurry Heart. I still can’t believe they actually took my suggestion seriously.” “You mean like how the Baltimare workshops took Andrew’s suggestions from that book,” Twilight said. He laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right about that.” He held out his hand and it began to cool around them as he cast a slight mist around the two of them. “God, I love having the ability to be a magical AC unit,” he joked. “And you’re mastering it more well, my padawan,” Twilight teased with a giggle. “I’ve turned two people into monsters,” he groaned, “first Ember and now you.” He reached out and ran a hand playfully through her mane. “Oh?” He noted something, and brought his hand to his nose. “New shampoo?” “Yeah,” Twilight nodded. “It’s something Sunset gave me from the human world. I thought it would be nice to try it.” “What’s it called?” he asked, giving her his full attention. “She didn’t say the name but she said she found it at someplace called a Whole Source Market.” “Damn, then it must have cost an arm and a leg,” he muttered. As they got close to the lake they heard a new voice. “Well look what the cat dragged in.” It was Rainbow Dash as she stood on a rock near the water. She too was in her anthro form and wearing a rainbow colored bikini. Her mane was already wet. Gregory turned to her, grinning. “Sup, Skittles?” “Nothing much, just trying out these new skills Andrew taught me,” she said as she stretched her arms. “What skills?” Gregory asked. Rainbow still hadn’t regained any ability to fly yet, although she could glide a bit if she really tried. “Just this,” she said as she jumped off the rock and did a corkscrew dive into the water. “That reminds me, you probably don’t know how to swim in this form, do you Twilight?” Gregory asked. “I don’t think it's that different,” she said “Don’t underestimate your new body,” he said as he turned and called out to Rainbow, who had just broke the surface again, “Skittles! Can you help Twilight here into her bathing suit?” “Can’t you do it? I only learned how to put this two piece suit on with Andrew’s help.” He nodded, then turned to Twilight. “Let’s go to the changing rooms.” A few very awkward minutes later the two emerged. Twilight’s face was as red as Big Mac’s fur. Gregory was blushing a bit too. “Sorry that it was so awkward in there,” he apologized. “It’s hard to help put on something when I’m trying not to…check you out.” “Let’s agree not to bring this up with Ember,” she said out of embarrassment. “You know we can’t do that,” Gregory said softly, taking her hand in his and squeezing. “The biggest thing we’ve learned about herding is communication. I’ll tell her about it and help her understand that nothing happened between us, okay?” Twilight nodded and the two joined Rainbow in the water. Gregory was wearing a simple dark light blue pair of trunks with some white stripes on the side. When he got into the water, he chuckled at how warm it already was. He turned and took Twilight’s hands. “Let’s see if you can swim in this new body.” It was a little difficult at first but Slowly, with a little additional help from Rainbow, she was starting to get the hang of swimming. Gregory stayed by her side as they went deeper into the water, holding her hands and watching to make sure she didn’t panic. However, Twilight was a quick study and soon she was going through the water with Gregory, laughing and splashing him and Rainbow around. Gregory then turned to Rainbow. “Say, if you’re in this form right now, where’s Andrew?” “Oh I just wanted to practice in this form. He's with that Railroad Tycoonist setting up his new office in town. He was originally going to have some office in Canterlot but he insisted on working closer to his friends here.” “That guy seriously loves trains,” he chuckled. “Heads up!” another new voice said as a light blue blur dove right into the water. Steam rose from the spot and Ember suddenly came up, snorting out smoke from her nose. “Faust, this water’s cold! How do you stand it?” “We can’t all be able to swim in lava like you can, babe,” Gregory said. Ember waved her claw dismissively before noticing the new form Twilight had. She pointed at the alicorn. “You. We need to have a talk.” As the two left the water, Rainbow turned to Gregory. “What did she do this time?” “I don’t know,” Gregory said, “but I can sense that Ember’s reached some sort of conclusion.” On the shores, Ember’s body was steaming as she made the water on her scales evaporate with her heat before turning to a clearly scared looking Twilight. “Relax, human Twilight,” she said, “I’m not here because I’m angry about anything.” “Oh? Then what’s going on?” she asked. Ember took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “I know I’ve been difficult to deal with lately, or well, more than usual,” she said. “Gregory’s told me as much. So first of all, I wanted to apologize for real, not those other half apologies I’ve given you.” “Oh, it’s fine, Ember. Wait, are you apologizing about how many times you confuse me for Starlight or just getting mad in general?” “That last part, but mostly about how I’ve been possessive over my mate-I mean, over Gregory,” she corrected herself. “When I stormed off last week, I went back home to talk to some of the more well known dragons who have a hoard. I’ve been…well, I did bring them here to talk, but I was being too stubborn to listen. Argh! This is so frustrating!” She stomped around, clearly agitated. “Don’t worry, Ember, I understand. I agree things have been difficult but I’m glad we’re making strides in understanding things better.” “Yeah…about that,” Ember began, “remember what I said a month ago about how if I accept this that it would only be the three of us? Nobody else?” “Yeah? You also said this was a trial,” Twilight added. She inhaled deeply, then nodded. “I am…willing to accept you two becoming a bit more…physical with each other. That doesn’t mean taking him to bed!” she said quickly. “I’ve seen how you make him happy in your own way, but I’ve also noticed that he hasn’t given me any less attention.” “Of course he does, you are his fiancée and his true lover,” Twilight said smiling. “Yes, yes he is,” Ember agreed proudly, “but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible for you to join in on that.” She growled. “Argh! Just…go over to him and kiss him already! I know you want to!” Twilight hugged Ember for a bit. “I’ll make this up to you later,” she said quickly before letting her go and dashing back to the water. Gregory watched as Twilight shot up into the sky. “Whoa, she’s moving pretty fast,” he said to Rainbow. “She is and I don’t think she’s slowing down. I think she’s speeding… uh oh…Watch out!” Gregory ducked out of the way, or tried to as he was tackled, sending the two into the water. Eventually the two came up for air. “Gah! Warn a guy next time, Twi,” he groaned. “Sorry, I got excited that I can now do something special,” she said nervously. “You can do something special?” he repeated in confusion. Suddenly he felt a pair of lips touch his. His eyes widened as Twilight threw her arms around him as the two tread water together. He looked over at Ember, who simply nodded with a small smile. He closed his eyes and pulled Twilight closer, deepening the kiss. Rainbow watched them in utter disbelief. She then looked to the clocktower in the distance. “Uh excuse me!” she said as she quickly dashed out of the water. When the two broke the kiss, Gregory looked into the light purple eyes of the mare in front of him. “Heh…now we know how to get rid of Rainbow,” he joked. Twilight then looked to the clock tower. “Actually, I think I know why she left in a hurry.” Gregory looked at the time, then nodded in realization. “Oh, right.” Meanwhile, Andrew was reading something in his new office when all of a sudden a mare in a bikini came charging through the door. “Rainbow what are you-?” “You! Me! Time! Now!” Next thing Andrew knew he felt the lips of the mare he loved crash into his. He looked at the clock and immediately tickled her while swinging her around. After a solid minute he stopped. “Well that was one way to make an entrance. Do I really make the shocks less painful like that?” “I still feel them but with you. They make our cuddle sessions more intense and awesome.” Andrew just laughed. “Well if the calendars are right you only have like two or three months left. Maybe they’ll be gone on the day of the ceremony.” Rainbow gave him a confused look. “What ceremony?” “A little celebration, my colorful lover.” “Are you gonna keep me in the dark here, Andy boy?” she asked. “Don’t worry, you’ll see soon enough,” he chuckled. [Yggdrasil Classroom - One Month Later] Stacy stood in front of the class she taught once a week, a class the head teacher Starlight Glimmer had approved of after much deliberation. Next to her was an object covered by a sheet. “Morning everycreature,” she began, “in today’s lesson I’m going to teach how to defeat…” she then pulled the sheet off to reveal a strange looking tank. “..the Maus.” The class just stared at the strange looking tank as Stacy continued. “The first thing you should know is that the armor is thicker than any shield in the army. The German army knew this would come in handy but as Gregory told you one time even with a tank this strong the Germans couldn’t win. Any questions so far? Yes, you in the back.” “If it’s so strong how was it able to be defeated?” Smolder asked. “Good question,” Stacy said. “In order to defeat the Maus it’s a good idea not to attack from the front, nor the side, or even from behind. No, the best way to defeat a Maus…is from above.” Suddenly Flash Sentry popped out from behind the desk with a hammer and attempted to bash the top only for the hammer to bounce off and go flying out a window. “Flash…honey…that’s not what I meant,” Stacy deadpanned.  The entire class giggled at Flash’s expense. “Right. Just kidding. Here, look.” Flash then placed a firecracker on top only for it to blow but the only thing it did was leave a tiny pile of ash on the tank.  Stacy just rolled her eyes. “Okay, maybe it’s best to show you all outside.” Soon the class was outside and the Maus was surrounded by a few additional tanks. “Alright boys, fire when ready!” BOOM! The class had to shield their eyes and ears from the barrage of shells that exploded around the Maus. Stacy looked pleased as the smoke cleared. “Sometimes a straightforward attack is all it takes. I'm sure that was enough to destroy the…Maus.” Stacy deadpanned as the smoke cleared to reveal an undamaged Maus. She turned to the class. “Anyone want to try an idea? Remember there are no dumb ideas so don’t be afraid to speak up.” A few claws, hooves, and talons rose up. Stacy looked over and picked one. “You there.” “Um…hit it ‘till it dies?” a young griffin asked. “No, incorrect. On Earth, this machine isn’t usually alive. Anyone else? You there, What's your idea?” “Perhaps…figure out how to weaken it from below?” a changeling asked. “Ah, land mines! Perfect Idea!” Stacy exclaimed. A few minutes later small landmines were placed on the ground in front of the Maus. The tank crept slowly on the ground and within a few seconds it was exploding with every few inches. “Perfect the moment the treads come loose it won’t have a reason to go on. Every tank with the exception of a few have  treads to navigate their way through-” “Uh, Miss?” “Yes, Gallus?” “The tank is still moving and it’s still undamaged.” Stacy turned to see the Maus still moving despite running over all the mines. “What?!” The tank stopped and turned to Stacy and spoke in a German accent. “It zeems effen mein dezigner didn’t offerlook ein zing effen ven it comes to mein undercarriage.” Stacy facepalmed and turned to the class. “Anyone else want to try an idea?” An hour or so later, Stacy could only watch in disappointment as the class just resorted to hitting the Maus with baseball bats, all of which broke after a while. Ocellus walked up holding a broken bat. “Sorry Ma’am.” Gregory appeared from the air, flanked by Twilight and Ember. “So, remind me again why you wanted to teach a class about human weapons and such?” he asked Stacy. “I thought it would be fun,” she said, “besides don’t kids like explosions these days?” “This isn’t Earth,” Gregory said, “but eh, your call. And the only children I know who enjoy explosions are the CMC. Those teen fillies are chaos incarnate.” The rest of the class walked up with the tank travelling with them. Stacy just looked down at the tank. “You’re one tough cookie. You know that?” “I am, but desbite not destroying me your class zeemed to haffe fun,” The tank then turned to the class. “Come, mein new friends, choin me for ein drink.” The group started making their way back to the school. Stacy just smiled. “Well with all I showed and with all we could do. I can safely say nothing destroys the Maus, absolutely nothing.” Suddenly Fluttershy flew up to them. “Oh, I know how to destroy a weapon.” “You? Fluttershy?” Stacy asked before turning to Gregory. “Is she serious?” Gregory shrugged, “Hey, let’s give her a shot. Go ahead, Flutters.” Fluttershy smiled and hugged the turret of the tank before hovering above. “Really? You honestly think that would-” BOOM! Everyone turned to see the Maus in pieces. Despite it being blown up, it was still alive as it let out a groan. “Loffe hurts.” Stacy just stared before she let out a response. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?” “Magic, girl,” Gregory smirked, “it’s pretty sweet.” “But we tried unicorn and changeling magic… how?” “Did you try the magic of friendship?” Gregory smiled. Stacy just looked at Gregory with a deadpan look. “You think Andrew still has that Jack Daniels bottle?” “If not, I can get you some of the Apple family’s new Applejack Daniels,” Twilight suggested. “That would be nice,” Stacy said. [Canterlot - One Month Later] In a fancy conference room located in a large business building in Equestria’s capital, many ponies and a lone human sat at a long table looking over sheets of paper scattered everywhere. One stallion turned to the only human in the room. “Have you had a chance to review the updated proposals, Mister Wilberts?” “I have, Mister Streak, and suffice to say I’m not happy with some of these new proposals,” Andrew said with a stern look. “Oh? What seems to be the problem?” Silver Streak asked. “Judging by these projections,” Andrew said, “we seem to be putting a lot of focus into the construction of the Maritime Branchline and not focusing on the building of several new lines that are meant to connect the Minotaur and Zebra lands. I’m also not pleased that construction has stopped in the Badlands.” “Well, ah, these are trying times,” Silver Streak explained, “so we have to focus on tasks that are easier and safer for our workers. We don’t have the workforce we once had. We think it's best to put our best ponies forward to build the simpler lines.” “Have you thought of hiring nonponies that were living in this nation?” Andrew asked. “Maybe it’s best to seek help. Minotaurs are known for their strength and skills in metal work. Griffins are pretty strong too and fairly agile.” “We tried putting out want ads but our recent applicants are all ponies. The Trial seemed to have driven everyone else away but we’ll go back through it and maybe make some adjustments to allow construction to pick up.” “In your words leave it as is,” Andrew muttered. “Excuse me sir?” Silver asked. “Nothing,” Andrew said dismissively. “Tell me, Silver, when will these supposed proposals go into effect?” “By our projections by the end of next week.” “Is there still time for submissions?” “Yes but who would-?” Andrew placed a packet of paper on the table loudly, interrupting Silver’s answer. “You’ve written more of your own ideas out?” “I have, with the assistance of my staff, some of Haven City’s most respected locals and my engine Connie.” “Why would you consult your engine?” asked another pony. “Because any changes in railways are bound to affect her.” “That’s pretty unusual sir and not a normal way we do it,” Silver said. “Oh? You want the local newspaper to hear about that?” Andrew asked. “Oh no no sir,” Silver said quickly. “While not normal, we’ll be glad to look into your idea as they have greatly improved the operations.” “Splendid,” Andrew said. “Let’s start with this one.” Picking up a paper, he looked it over and then back at the others around the table. “Consider this, mares and gentlestallions: What if, rather than have all our lines controlled under one company, they instead be divided and run by the nations that own them.” “Yean mean build tracks there and give them control of the railways within their borders?” a random mare asked. “The changelings only have one hive.” “This is meant for the nations that have more cities and industries,” Andrew said. “In addition to tracks and stations, they will also have their own fleet of locomotives and rolling stock customized to their own standard specifications.” “Is that why I hear Baltimare is making a huge engine with eight drive wheels?” another pony asked. “Yes,” Andrew replied with a nod. “That engine is meant for the heavy freight trains of Minotauria. They have heavy steel industries and they need brute power to move and deliver it. Not to mention the steel mill in Fillydelphia can’t keep up with demand.” “What if they need to deliver beyond the borders?” someone else asked. “That is why we have railroad interchanges, train drop off cars only for other company locomotives to pick them up,” Andrew explained. “As far as I know all companies will be sharing their freight cars. They’ll only own locomotives and passenger cars and lease them out should the extra demand for help arise.”  The other ponies began murmuring to each other, and they all seemed fascinated by the idea. All but one. Silver Streak just scoffed. “Is this really how your kind handles operations? This is open to abuse and loopholes.” “True, but in the future there’ll be small changes to make this more efficient. What do you all say?” Andrew asked. “I think this would work,” another stallion said. “It could work,” said a mare. “It can work,” said another. “It’s working already,” said Golden Spike as he stood from his seat at the end of the table.”We have so many countries signing my contracts and with this new idea we might actually get more help. In fact maybe we should ask the minotaurs if they are willing to start building their own main yard and maybe meet our crews halfway.” “Perfect,” Andrew said as he stood. “If there is no more to discuss, I would like to catch up with my friends at Restaurant Row. Good day fellow railroaders,” Andrew said as he got up and left. He would soon catch up with a few individuals at Restaurant Row, more specifically The Tasty Treat. Amongst them being Gregory and Stacy, his fellow humans, the mane six, and even Ember. Twilight and Ember sat on opposite sides of Gregory while Stacy sat next to Flash, the latter of whom was in his anthro form and wearing a pair of blue jeans, a white t-shirt and a black zipper hoodie. Basically, Stacy had dressed him similar to his human counterpart. Gregory spotted him first and waved. “Look what the cat dragged in! It’s Sir Topham Hatt!” “I can’t tell if you’ve forgotten, but Golden Spike is still the pony in charge or if you’re calling me fat,” Andrew said. “I seriously doubt your new marefriend would even let you get fat,” Gregory smirked. “You got that right,” Rainbow said as she raised her drink. She, like Flash, was in her new anthro form, wearing clothing that was also similar to her human counterparts with the addition of some extra holes for her wings and tail. “So how did your meeting go?” “Well, the boss man along with most of his colleagues seemed to love my ideas. Key word being most,” Andrew replied. “Seems like ponies still don’t all like working with nonponies,” Ember said with a small scowl. “I haven’t signed that contract yet, but not just because of that.” “Is it because of how nomadic your kind are?” Andrew asked. “Eh, well that’s part of it,” she said. “I personally don’t like riding on trains. One reason is that the Dragon Lands are separated from Equestria by the Celestia Sea, and unless you’re planning on building a large bridge across an entire ocean, it wouldn’t be practical.” “Well, there have been bridges that were made entirely of earth and rubble but that also turned into a dam in some cases,” Andrew said, “however, some railroad companies back home did own ferry and tug boats.” “You said it again,” Rainbow admonished him with a waggle of her finger. “Said what again? Ferry? Tug?” “‘Back home’,” Rainbow said.  “Do you still not consider this world home now?” Fluttershy, who was sitting nearby, asked softly Andrew was silent for a moment before he spoke “Well…to be honest, me and all the other humans came here for a better life, and not just to hunt you know who.” “It's true,” Stacy said. “I only wanted to help fix communities through humane efforts.” “Well, this is your home now, like it or not,” Gregory said. “I call it home.” “Well, I like it. But it's only natural to refer to Earth as home because that's where I was born and where most of my happiest memories came from,” Andrew said. “Then call it your old home,” Rainbow insisted. “Okay, I will,” Andrew said as he nuzzled his mare. “How romantic,” Rarity cooed softly from nearby. “Okay enough mushy stuff,” Rainbow said as she playfully pushed him away. “Waitress is coming.” After a good hearty meal, the group left. However, as they were leaving, Rainbow noticed Andrew looking down at something in his hand. It looked like a small scrap of paper from where they were standing. However, upon closer inspection it was a polaroid. She walked up to him and asked, “Whatcha got there?” “One of my most precious things I took from my old home,” Andrew said before showing her the picture. It showed four humans standing in front of a large steam locomotive. Rainbow immediately recognized two of them as Andrew and Stacy.  However, the third and fourth ones she didn’t recognize. “Who are the other humans?” Rainbow asked. He pointed at them. “That’s Robbie before he became a lone draconequus, and that’s Markus, my childhood friend,” he replied. Rainbow’s ears flattened. She knew about the tragedy of his death. “S-Sorry,” she said. “Don’t be,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s watching us right now making new adventures.” Rainbow smirked and bumped his ass with hers. “You are such a dork.” “And you can be a real softie,” he teased back. “Tell anypony about that, and you won’t get to touch this sexy body for a week,” she said, walking away with a sway in her hips, something she hadn’t done before. “I swear that mare is getting more skillful with that every week,” Andrew said to himself. Rainbow had gone to join her friends, walking and laughing with them. The other humans were talking among themselves, and Gregory was walking with Ember and Twilight, the latter two of whom said something to him before breaking off, leaving the white haired human mage alone. Andrew walked up and spoke. “Do you think that Silver Streak pony will try to derail my ideas before they even go into effect?” “How much power does he have in that company?” Gregory asked. “He’s one of the few financial directors, his economic background can sometimes play a role in decision making,  of course that was before I met Golden.” “Does he seem like the type of pony who is xenophobic and speciesist like a lot of the ponies in Equestria?” Gregory pressed. “I’m not entirely sure,” Andrew said, “but I heard through the grapevine that he’s one of the ponies on our team who wanted us to, and I quote hunt the angry justice seeker.” “Howard or Jason?” Gregory asked. “Jason,” Andrew replied. “Silver had close business relations in Ponyville, especially with the Rich Family” “And now Spoiled has remarried the former mayor of Ponyville who took over from that bitch Mayor Mare,” Gregory chuckled. “Maybe” Andrew said, “but I have a feeling he might change his mind, especially given what I’ve learned about his family tree.” “Blackmail?” Gregory turned, a smirk on his face. “How dastardly.” “Not really, but I might mail a letter to her little Silver niece in Haven City, telling her about her xenophobic uncle.” He shook his head. “Because that’ll totally get him on your side,” he said sarcastically. “You will be amazed how effective the sad puppy filly eyes are,” Andrew grinned. “Oh believe me, I’ve lived with Cozy enough to know how it goes,” Gregory said, “and with how much more time I’ve been spending with Twilight lately, I get to see more of Flurry Heart before she becomes a big sister. Those fillies…I swear…” “You know that always bothered me, why were Flurry’s eyes so different from Pound and Pumpkin cake?” “In this world there’s no difference, you know,” Gregory said. “We’re not cartoonified.” “You’re right,” Andrew said. “I blame lazy animation at the time of design.” Gregory nodded, and the two continued walking. Gregory then looked ahead where Ember and Twilight were both walking and talking. Ember had a serious look on her face, while Twilight looked nervous but determined. “Good luck with those two. Something tells me things might heat up in your place both figuratively and literally,” Andrew said. Gregory sighed. “Ember’s having a difficult time with things. She’s never liked the idea of a herd or hoard. I’m on the fence about it too.” He bit his lip a bit worriedly. “Don’t worry about it too much. If she crosses a boundary that's when you put the brakes on,” Andrew suggested. “I love Ember with all my heart,” Gregory said, “and now the three of us are experimenting with me sharing that love. Honestly, I don’t know…” “Just take things easy and go with both your heart and gut, and besides maybe Cozy likes the idea of having a second mother and being closer with Spike.” “Spike already has Gabby as a future love interest,” Gregory chuckled. “I meant as family,” Andrew corrected. Gregory pursed his lips, then nodded. “Yeah, she might like having a strong dragon brother. Although having Shining Armor as a brother in law is a bit nerve-wracking.” “I’m sure he would be okay…ish. And if he has a problem you could maybe, I don’t know…” “Do what?” Gregory asked. “I was going to say either remind him of his failures at the Canterlot Wedding or maybe pray he doesn’t stab you with a spear and hope his wife is nearby.” “I’m not guilt tripping the Emperor Consort,” Gregory laughed. “He already knows an entire planet has access to that information.” “True, but pray he doesn’t go full protection mode and try to end you, and maybe hope Cadence can convince him not to,” Andrew suggested. “Well, I’ll keep that in mind,” Gregory said. [Gregory’s Apartment - One Month Later] Gregory entered his apartment, feeling exhausted. The classes today had been a bit more rowdy than normal, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. All he really wanted to do at the moment was to pour himself a nice glass of apple wine, pull up a good book and relax before he had to make dinner. Thankfully, Cozy had asked to spend the day with her friends in town and to have a sleepover at New Acres, so he had the rest of the late summer/early autumn day to himself. He grabbed a change of clean casual clothes, stripped out of his work clothes and set them aside to wash later, took a shower, then came back out and walked to his new liquor cabinet. He grabbed some apple wine, poured himself a glass and was about to take a long hard drink, but before he could, a familiar blue claw reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Whoa there,” Ember said, “what do you think you’re doing?” Gregory turned to Ember, a warm smile on his face. “I’m so glad to see you,” he said, wrapping her up in a hug, one which she returned after a couple seconds, “just had a hard day at work, and seeing you is a breath of fresh air.” She smirked. “Fresh air? More like smoky air,” she said. “Now come with me, there’s something up in your room I want to show you.” Confused, Gregory let her lead him up to the loft where his bed was. When he entered the room, his jaw dropped before he was pushed in, the door closing behind the two. Because lying in bed was the anthro form of Twilight Sparkle. She was wearing what could only be described as black lingerie and while she was lying in a rather…seductive…pose on the bed, her face was beet red. “T-Twi? Is that really you?” “Y-Yes,” she said nervously before she continued speaking faster. “Spike is having a guys night and it felt lonely in the library.” “And…Ember’s somehow okay with you coming over and…wearing this?” he asked. He tried hard to not stare, but with how attractive her anthro form was, it was hard not to. Twilight said nothing but just lifted up a hand and gave Gregory a come here gesture with her finger. Gregory slowly walked over and slid into bed beside her. “Somebody’s gotten bolder,” he said, equally as nervous but trying to hide it behind a light joke. She giggled. “I had…some lessons,” she said. The next thing Gregory knew, he felt a pair of arms slowly pulling him into an embrace. Gregory wrapped his arms around Twilight and the two kissed deeply. The kiss broke, then he was pulled quickly to the other side as Ember’s lips crashed against his. He kissed her deeply, then when they broke, he looked at the red eyes of his dragon fiancée. “Are we really doing this?” he asked. Ember just gave him a smirk before turning him around. “Claim her,” she ordered. As he and Twilight locked eyes again, she reached over and cupped his cheeks with her soft velvety hands. She pulled him forward and the two locked lips again. As they did so, he felt his hands begin moving downwards. Twilight gasped and a cute moan escaped her lips. She got onto her back and looked up at him, a pleading look in her eyes. “Please…be gentle…it’s my first time…” Gregory got on top of her, then said, “I will,” before moving in for another kiss, his hand reaching to undo the lingerie… [Tartarus - The Same Time] “Yes, yes I would gladly destroy those places selling quesa-” Howard stopped as he felt something. Tirek looked over, confused as to why his neighbor stopped. Howard was silent before he started hyperventilating. “No…No…NOOOO!” “What in Equestria is wrong with you now?” Tirek, having gotten used to being able to drone out Howard’s tirades, asked, knowing it was a mistake. Howard turned to the centaur with a face that looked twisted. “It happened! She was supposed to be MINE! Why would she fall for HIM!?” There was one more brief silence before Howard looked up and screamed. “I’LL KILL HIM AND JASON!!” Tirek only sighed. “No. No you won’t. Because you’re stuck here just like I am.” Suddenly a portal opened and Princess Luna strolled in accompanied by two guards. The Princess of the Night just stared at Howard before shaking her head and turning to Tirek. “Good news, you’re being moved for a special reason. Consider yourself lucky.” “As long as I’m as far away from this nutjob as possible, I don’t care what the reason is,” Tirek said. “He’s blabbing on about how that purple pony’s seemed to have fallen for someone.” Luna looked at him confused before getting a look of realization. She giggled as Tirek’s cage was lifted up. “Oh, Cellie will likely be a protective mother and dress down Gregory for this,” she said. Tirek just continued to look confused but relieved as he was moved away. Howard could only watch in horror. “Hey! Where are you going?! You're taking him and not me!?” “Better me than thee,” Tirek said with a wave as he was taken through the portal. After the portal closed all Howard could do was scream louder in despair, rage, and utter hatred.