Presently, Brenda finished making breakfast. She put two pancakes on a plate for me and poured some syrup on them.
"I could have done that, you know," I grinned.
"I know, but it's just habit, and I keep forgetting you can move things around with your mind."
I get a knife and fork from the utensil drawer and cut the pancakes into little squares. The taste was substantially sweeter than I remembered and I commented on this. "Best pancakes I ever tasted," I said.
"Just standard pancake mix," she said. "Are they that good?"
"Ee-yup!" I chuckled, flashing a big smile between bites of the pancakes.
"How about some sausage?"
"Uhh...not so sure I should eat that," I said, almost apprehensively.
"Mike, you always liked sausage."
"Twilight. Twilight. Please! And I'm not in a meat-eating body anymore! I have no idea what that'll taste like!"
"Okay, you don't have to. The kids can have it."
"Good. I'll have another pancake, please."
"Just one more?" she asked in surprise.
"I don't have the appetite I used to as a male human, Brenda. I feel almost full right now after just two."
"Okay, more for the kids then."
"You know something, Brenda?"
"What?"
"I just wanted to let you know how much I love you. We've been together nearly twenty years, and I feel I don't tell you very often, but I just wanted to say it, simply because -- well, I finally feel happy now after such a long time -- and I think you're the one who's bringing this happiness to me. I apologize if I haven't shown you the appreciation you deserve."
"That is so sweet, Mi - er - Twilight!" she chortled and hugged me tightly. I felt her hand involuntarily brush my horn, again sending that tingly feeling down my spine. "I love you so much! You know I always will!"
"Careful, Dear, you know what I said about the horn..."
The scent of cooking woke Xaviera and her kids, and they came down the stairs. Samantha comes up to me and pats me on the back of my head, and starts playing with my mane. I tolerate it to some extent, then she climbs onto my back. I play along, giving her a little ride, but then shock hit me when she grabbed my horn, holding it tightly in her hands.
"Samantha, please, let go of my horn!" I said sternly, trying not to shout.
"Go, doggie!" she shouted, laughing, and then she lost her balance and fell off my back, but not before snapping off my horn.
"Nooooo! Not my horn! Noooo!" I fell to the floor and sat on my haunches, staring at the toddler in disbelief. Tears began to well up in my eyes as I almost began to panic. "Why? I haven't even been a unicorn for six hours, and I've already lost my horn!"
Brenda knelt beside me and wrapped her arms around my withers in an attempt to comfort me. I wanted to push her away, my loss too extreme for words at this point. An idea came to me out of desperation.
"Brenda, get my horn, and put it on my head where it should be. Hold it still while I try to fix it. Barring that, only Princess Celestia will be able to help me now."
Brenda took the horn out of Samantha's hands and placed it delicately in the spot where it broke off. She rotated it around until it fit snugly in the spot where it broke off. I then concentrated harder than I ever have on anything, using the strength of my will to force magic to knit the broken horn back together. Come on, come on, please, please come on, I kept thinking, concentrating only restoring my horn. I was unprepared for what happened next as my horn lit up once again and an aura surrounded both of us, though my eyes were still tightly closed in deep concentration.
A loud POP was heard in the Royal Throne Room as materialized before a regal-looking large white pony. Brenda stared in amazement at the sight of the Solar Princess, stunned by her sheer beauty. I marveled at her regalia before she cleared her throat and addressed me warmly, though her expression was one of curiosity upon seeing my wife.
"Well, Twilight Sparkle, what a surprise! I didn't expect you to teleport into the throne room -- and who is your guest?"
"Princess Celestia, I have some news which will probably shock you -- I am not actually Twilight Sparkle, I found myself transferred into her body this morning. The female human holding my horn is my wife, Brenda Walker. We have been married nearly twenty years. One of her grand-children snapped my horn off, and as I was trying to concentrate on mending it, I thought of you and where you might happen to be, and I guess I managed to teleport across a dimensional barrier to get here. You see, I used to be a human, like my wife here, before I woke up this morning."
"Hmmm. That is very interesting. So you're not actually Twilight, even though you inhabit her body. And you were a human. What is it that you want?"
"I was kind of figuring you'd be shocked by that, your Majesty," I said.
"Please, you may drop the formality. As for such matters you have described, there is little I have seen in my many years that can shock me. I apologize for disappointing you," she said and chuckled softly.
"Where are we?" asked Brenda, who was now even more puzzled by the dramatic change of scenery.
"Canterlot Castle, Royal Throne Room," I said, inadvertently talking over the Princess's response.
"Welcome to Canterlot, Brenda," said Princess Celestia. She glared at me in disapproval.
"Begging your pardon, Princess Celestia, I thought her query was directed at me, since I happen to be her husband."
"Apology accepted. What is your human name, might I ask?"
"Michael Walker. My wife willingly accepted the name change, which is why she and I share the same surname."
"Well, Michael, I have some questions for you. How is it that you know who I am?"
"In my human world, you, the character whose body I'm currently in, and everything having to do with Equestria is part of a children's television show. It is based on fictional characters and their actions are chronicled on this show. It's largely the reason why I wished to be transformed into Twilight Sparkle, as she is my favorite character on that show. Truth be told, I have only watched bits and pieces of that show, simply because --"
"Fictional characters?" she asked, utterly fascinated by my explanation. Brenda stood quietly, looking a bit nervous and uncomfortable. Princess Celestia noticed her discomfort and brought a chair over using her telekinesis. "Please, Brenda, relax. Mike will be able to explain this better once you return to your world."
"Begging your pardon, Princess, but would you be kind enough to see if my horn has been repaired properly?"
"Certainly, Michael." She rose from her throne and approached me and examined the base of my horn. She took just the very tip of it into her mouth, applying just a tiny bit of pressure to it.
"Ooooh, that tingles!" I almost cooed as the sensation sent shivers down my spine. Brenda expressed some surprise at my statement and the Solar Princess smiled, admiring my successful effort.
"You are quite talented, Michael. If it was my surprise you were expecting, you have received it. You must be quite intelligent, especially if it was Twilight you wished to be. If you were wanting to stay here, I might even be tempted to teach you some magic --" she was interrupted by her favorite student arriving for her private lessons for the day.
"Your majesty, Twilight Sparkle has arrived for her private lessons," one of the Royal Guard announced.
"She is welcome any time, please see her in," Princess Celestia said. She turned to me and said, "This ought to be interesting," and smiled impishly.
"Princess Celestia, I am ready for -- AAAH!" Twilight gasped as she saw me.