Chapter 6: Visitor
I woke up in a death grip with the rainbow-haired woman next to me during early morning, the sun not having come up yet and my alarm mercifully not screaming at me yet. I grumbled as my brain refused to let me go back to sleep, and so I instead tried to think of a way to get Dash to release me. I tried the conventional means of simply prying her off, but her grip was much tighter than I thought. She was holding on to me as if letting go would make me disappear. It was endearing, but I still had to get ready for work. Suddenly, I had an idea and I grinned maniacally as I turned my head towards her and started to trail kisses down her neck. As expected, she moaned softly in her sleep, but still didn't let go. I became frustrated and bit her hard behind her shoulder, causing her to moan even louder and even start panting a bit...but it did wake her up.
'Hmm...she likes it a little rough. I'll have to keep that in mind for later.'
She released me from her grasp and yawned before her eyes fluttered open. She smiled dreamily for a moment before sitting up. "Mmm...I had the best dream just a second ago..."
I tasted blood in my mouth and pulled her towards me, noticing the mark I left was bleeding where my canines were. 'Great...' "Sorry about that Dashie, but I don't think what you were dreaming about was just a dream."
She reached behind her shoulder and pulled her hand back, noticing a small bit of blood. She grinned at me seductively and placed her hand on my thigh, giggling a bit. "Oh, so that was real. Hmm...this could be fun."
It killed me to do it, but I stopped her, shaking my head. "I'm sorry Dashie, but I have to go back to work today." I grinned and kissed her on her cheek, causing her to blush. "We'll have to finish this later, if you're up to it."
"I'll be holding you to that, Koa." she said, her grin still wide. She then frowned and looked at me quizzically. "Umm...what am I supposed to do for however long you're at work?"
I shrugged. "Well there's always the beach, or you can just walk around town. It's pretty safe around here, so you don't have to worry about anyone snatching you or anything. Just...cover your markings up." I said, stroking the wings on her back. She shivered at the touch and gasped, and I noticed an abnormally large amount of muscles in her back, which oddly didn't show. I cocked my head in confusion, and felt the marking again, causing her to shiver and fall against me.
"C-careful, Koa. I don't know why, but it's really sensitive." she explained with a small smile, her rose-colored eyes shining.
I raised an eyebrow in interest. "Strange...hey Dashie? I want you to try and flex your wings like you normally would." She nodded and I placed my hand against her back, but then snatched it away in shock when I felt muscles moving in her back. "Weird." I stated with confusion.
"What?" she asked, equally confused and interested.
I placed a hand on my chin and scrunched my face in thought. "Well, I could be wrong, but it seems like even though you're a human, certain things on you didn't change at all. This seems to include your cutie marks, your hair...and apparently your flight muscles."
She looked at me, equally confused. "Why would I still have flight muscles if I can't fly?"
I shrugged. "Dunno. Gotta remember, I don't even know why or how you got here in the first place, so something like this doesn't really faze me."
She pondered for a moment and then shrugged. "I guess you're right. Okay then, I'll just wander around town until I get bored, I guess. What time do you get off work?"
"Well Dash, I mean I don't get off until about 18:00." I explained, but then placed a hand on my chin in thought. "Hmm...you know, if you're interested I might be able to get you a job there. Oh wait...no, that might be a problem. I forgot, you don't have a birth certificate or anything."
She eyed me quizzically. "What's a birth certificate and why do I need one to work?"
"Well Dash, a birth certificate is just what it sounds like. It's a certificate basically confirming that you were born. It's a way to prove your existence, and that you are who you say you are. I mean, there are ways to get you one, though. I have a friend up in the state records department who could pull some strings for me, we just need to come up with a last name and a date of birth." I said, straining to think of everything to handle this.
She shrugged and smiled. "Well I was born on April 23rd. As far as last names, why don't I just use yours?"
I waved a hand off. "No, we can't really do that. If we were to have the same last name, that would imply that we're related. I don't know how it is in Equestria, but here relatives dating is highly frowned upon in most areas of the world."
She smiled sheepishly and blushed. "Oh...yeah. I didn't think of that, sorry."
I thought for a second longer before smiling. "Well, what about Kapule? It's a Hawiian last name, like mine, but the family line has kinda died out. So at this point, it's not like anyone's going to come and challenge your claim to the name."
She nodded and smiled. "Sounds cool. Does it mean anything?"
"Yeah, I think it means 'the prayer' or 'the magic' or something like that." I explained with a grin. "So in essence, you'll be 'the beautiful magic rose'."
She blushed and pushed me bashfully. "You planned this didn't you? Gosh, you're corny."
I threw up my hands and grinned. "I swear, I didn't plan this. Although, I do say it works out nicely." I then headed out the door to the shower. "Alright, well I'm gonna shower and get ready for work. If you need me, you know where the tattoo shop is, okay? We'll go and get you set up for a birth certificate and I.D. card tomorrow."
After cleaning myself up and making us a quick breakfast, I headed off to work...but not before a certain girl decided to pull me into a very steamy makeout session. I swear, the television show must not do any justice to the real life of the ponies, because there is no way she could have learned that keeping things G-rated in her life.
Anyway, as I headed off to work with my beauty by my side, I couldn't help but notice all the stares that we got walking down the strip towards my shop. I had opted for a simple pair of white Converse shoes, cargo shorts and no shirt, while Dash was wearing a white tank top, her shorts, and her rainbow shoes. The looks we were getting were not ones of confusion, but rather jealousy...and I couldn't help but smirk, as if to say, "That's right bitches...she's mine." Pride and arrogance was never something I had before, but I honestly couldn't help it with the lovely eye candy beside me. Sure, she was so much more than that, but no one else knew that, and so I simply smiled all the way to work.
When we arrived to find Lily, Mike, and Viktor (a Russian in California...go figure), Dash gave me a big kiss before leaving. As she left, I felt stares from all three, and I just gave a smirk before walking to the back. When I got there to go through my morning job of looking through the finances really quick and checking the profit - you know, boring stuff - Mike and Vik walked back to meet me there.
"Dude...how? How did you get that?" Mike asked, his mouth agape with shock.
I turned to meet him with a look of offense. "And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
Vik answered in his strong accent, "We mean no offense, Koa. Simply that you haven't been the most open to the women lately."
I shrugged and smiled. "Well, when you find one worth it, you go for it. Even I'm smart enough to know that."
Vik shrugged and walked away, but apparently Mike wouldn't let it go. "That can't be the whole story though, man. There's got to be something you're not telling me. I mean for fuck's sake, she's a fucking model!"
I shook my head with a smirk. "No, she's not into all the modeling thing. She's more into sports, and I'm pretty sure she could kick your ass in pretty much anything. She's a lot stronger than she looks." I then decided to end the conversation before he could let it go any further. "Look man, she's into me, and I'm into her. That's all you need to know, and that's all that matters." I then left to get to work.
The day was pretty uneventful, a few regulars, a few newbies, and of course one person that thought it would be a smart idea to get really drunk before getting a tattoo. Normally we don't do tattoos on people who are intoxicated - simply because of the fact that the thinned blood causes the ink to just bleed out - but this guy offered to pay an extra 50%, so of course, I obliged. Hey, it's his money...and he'd just have to come back to get a touch-up anyway...which of course means more money for us.
Dash had apparently gotten bored at around 16:30, and so she spent the next hour and a half with me, which I didn't mind at all. With her fiery and fun personality - as well as her rainbow hair - everyone was more than excited to meet her, employees and patrons alike. A few of the little kids some of the customers brought even started calling her Rainbow Dash. She was a little scared at first, until I told her to just play along. Everyone thought she was simply a great actor, telling stories of her life and playing with the kids while their parents got tatted up, but Lily and I knew the truth and just smiled knowingly the whole time.
As I finished my job and waited for my last appointment, I sat on the couch in the "lobby" and drank a glass of pineapple juice and coconut milk. Dash joined me on the couch, sitting right on my lap instead of the seat next to me. I could have swore I saw Mike giving me a scowl out of the corner of my eye, but when I looked at him he was simply working on sketching out new tattoo ideas. I figured I'd talk to him about it later, and just dropped it for the time being.
My relaxation was interrupted by the door opening, a full twenty minutes before my next appointment. The person that walked in was a young teenage guy, probably not much older than my younger sister (sixteen years old). He had a vivid green mohawk and he was wearing an equally vivid purple shirt and brown shorts. His eyes were a vivid green as well, which seemed unnatural for some reason. Then again, the younger generation that lived in the area always made it a point to stand out, so I just ignored it. At least I would have, had he not strolled right up in front of me and Dash, a look of shock and happiness in his face.
"Umm...can we help you?" I said with a hint of annoyance.
The young boy just smiled and nodded. "Yeah, you can. Can the two of come outside with me? I have something I need to talk to you about."
Dash shrugged. "Fine kid, let's go."
We followed the young boy outside behind my shop at the edge of the beach, and he then turned around and smiled at us. For some reason his smile unnerved me...then I saw why. His canines were unnaturally long and sharp, sitting outside his lips even when his mouth was closed.
He must have noticed because he pointed at me and grinned. "It's not polite to stare you know."
"Sorry kid, it's just..." I tried to explain.
"The teeth?"
"Yeah...the teeth."
He grinned again and pointed at me. "I'm not the only one, look in the mirror."
"What do yo-" I started, before Dash cut me off.
She gasped and grabbed my face to turn it to hers, looking over me. "He's right, Koa. Your teeth are really sharp too. I guess that explains the mark..."
"What mark?" the young teenager asked.
I turned back to him and stuttered, "N-nothing, just forget it." I composed myself and stared him down. "Well you've dragged me away from work and shown me that I have fangs now - thanks for that, by the way - but you still haven't told me why. So what's the deal, why did you need to pull me away from work?"
He shook his head and pointed to Dash. "I really only wanted to talk to her, but something tells me you wouldn't be having any of that." He then walked forward and looked up at her, smiling. "It's good to see you again, Rainbow Dash."
I swear...any more gasping from her and she's going to turn into a balloon or something. Dash stared wide-eyed at the young boy while I was completely confused, but before I could ask what was going on she spoke. "S-Spike?"
Mind...you are now full of fuck.
The young boy nodded and smiled. Before he could speak again, Dash bent down and embraced him in a tight hug, causing him to groan as the air was squeezed out of him.
"Urk...Rainbow Dash...can't breathe!" he wheezed.
She released him and giggled. "Heh, sorry Spike. So how are you here?" she asked, before her eyes widened in fear. "You aren't dead, are you?"
He took a few deep breaths and shook his head. "Nope, I'm alive and well. Princess Celestia sent me here to make sure you were okay and all."
I had to have my questions now, so I interrupted somewhat rudely. "Whoa whoa whoa, Spike? Like the Spike from Equestria? Little purple dragon that breathes fire?"
He nodded. "The very same. I take it you're Koamalu Kamakani?"
"Wait, how did you know my name?" I asked in complete confusion.
He chuckled and smiled. "I personally didn't, the princesses did. I mean, they had to make sure that Rainbow Dash was in good hands."
Taking that all in, I was smart enough to know what was going on, and it suddenly became really depressed. "So you're here to take her back now, am I right?"
Before he could speak, Dash interrupted. "No...I'm not going back without Koa." she stated firmly.
The fact that she didn't want to leave without me made me feel such a huge amount of awesome that I thought my body would explode, but I couldn't let her do this. "Dashie, you don't belong here. This is a chance to go back to all your friends, to be home...to fly again."
She shook her head and stomped her foot in defiance. "I don't care, Koa. I'm not going without you."
Finally, Spike interrupted our argument with a loud, "QUIET!" We both stared at him in surprise and he sighed. "Look, I never said I was bringing anyone back." He turned to Dash and placed a hand on her arm. "Rainbow Dash, we're working on it...believe me, but because you died in Equestria we can't just bring you back. There's a lot of magic involved in doing this and it will happen, but it's going to take time. Bringing a dead body back to life is a lot harder than you'd think, and we don't want you to look like a zombie. Rotting flesh is not attractive." He then turned to me. "As for you, I'm sure we could work something out. It's pretty clear that Rainbow Dash isn't going anywhere without you, so I'll talk to Twilight and the princesses about it." He smiled and nodded. "We are working on a fix for all of this, but you have to give us time. I don't know how long it's going to take, but we'll send you letters to update you whenever something changes."
I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "And how do you plan to do that?"
"Like this." he said, before releasing a large gout of green flames from his mouth at me. The pain was so intense, I started to black out, the last thing I heard being Dash screaming my name in fear.
I woke up to two pairs of eyes looking down at me with concern, one green, and one soft violet. I sat up and rubbed my head, as I now had possibly the biggest headache I've ever had along with a weird tingling all over my body.
Spike helped me sit up properly and grinned sheepishly. "Um...sorry about that. I probably should have told you that was going to hurt."
I glared daggers at him and rolled my eyes. "Yeah...you probably should have. What the hell did you do to me?"
He and Dash helped me up before he responded, "I awakened the latent magic in your body and connected you to me. Along with some physical changes that I'll let you figure out, this will let me send letters directly to you. It's not going to be like it is with me where you just burp them up - as I'm pretty sure that would draw a lot of attention to the two of you. Rather, you're going to feel a message waiting for you to answer at your convenience. I can't really explain how it'll feel, I'll just say that you'll know it when you feel it."
I nodded. "Okay then, I guess I can deal with that. Now on to the next point of importance, how long was I out? No matter what's going on, I still have a job to do to make sure we have food to eat and a place to live."
"It's only been like five minutes, Koa." Dash said quickly.
I nodded and looked back at the boy. "Okay, so what now?"
"Well, I can't stay here any longer or I'll risk being stuck here. I said what I came to say, and now I'll be going." he said with a smile. He looked at Dash and then me. "You two take care of each other. We'll be in touch." With that he simply disappeared in a gout of green flame. Luckily no one was around, because it was freaky to watch.
I looked over at Dash and she shrugged. "Well, that was interesting." She then kissed me and pushed me back towards the shop. "Come on, you still have a job to do for now." I nodded and headed back in.
The rest of the night was pretty uneventful considering, even though we got to see some drunken asshole get his ass beat by a bouncer out on the corner (which was a riot to watch). After my last appointment was done - which was some unimaginative teenage girl getting a butterfly on her lower back - Dash and I headed off towards the town to get some food.
We stopped at a sushi bar near the outside of town for some sushi and sake, which I happen to have a weakness for. Dash was feeling adventurous, so she shared a round of tuna and shrimp finger rolls, along with a quart of warm sake. I have to say, Dash gets really happy off of sake. Not to the point where she's laughing obnoxiously, but so much so that she's smiling non-stop and she gets really handsy. Luckily it takes a lot to get me drunk, so I was still sober enough to keep her in line and walk us home.
When we got back to the house, it was probably around 20:00 or 21:00, so I forced Dash into the shower and readied a Powerade for her to make sure she wouldn't wake up with a hangover in the morning. The cool water must have brought her to her senses a bit, as she mercifully was covered in a towel and was not stumbling as she made her way off to her room. I then quickly jumped in the shower myself and brushed my teeth before meeting her downstairs. I had left a note near the electrolyte-heavy beverages telling her to drink them and why, so when I came downstairs she had gotten the hint and was sipping them while watching some late-night Cinemax.
I quickly grabbed the remote and changed the channel when I noticed just what the program she was watching was (hey, I was a single guy...don't judge). She looked up at me with confusion and I just shook my head. "This channel tends to have some rather adult-rated material on it late at night. By adult-rated, I mean people having sex on tv."
Her eyes widened and she blushed. "Oh...I-I'm sorry. I didn't know."
I chuckled and sat down next to her, embracing her in a hug. "You're not in trouble Dash, I just don't want you to catch sight of something that you didn't want to. Here, we'll watch a movie instead." I explained while changing the channel to a movie channel, a movie ending and Clash of the Titans coming up next. I got up to grab myself a Sprite from the fridge and sat down next to her.
She snuggled up against me and sighed contentedly. "Koa?"
"Hmm?" I hummed in response.
She hugged my arm tight and lay her head against my shoulder. "Were you really ready to let me just leave?"
I nodded and set my drink down on the end table before reaching over and cupping her face and kissing her softly, yet passionately for a few seconds. I then pulled away and smiled at her, looking into her shining violet eyes. "Dash, if it meant that you could go home and be with your friends again, I would gladly let you go." I sighed and looked down, a little sad. "I mean, I'm not going to lie, I would miss you a hell of a lot, but you belong with your friends, not on earth." I then looked back up at her with determination in my eyes. "That's why if it comes to the point where you have to choose between me and going home, I'll die before I let you give up your life and your friends for me."
She just looked at me in defiance. "Since this involves me, I think I have a say in what I do."
I shook my head. "Look Dash, I really understand what you mean here...but you don't belong here on Earth. Would you really be able to look your friends in the face and tell them you don't want to see them again? Would you be able to tell Applejack that...or Fluttershy?"
This apparently hit a nerve, as now all her defiance was gone, replaced with uncertainty. "I...I don't know."
I decided to push the issue a little further. "Imagine looking into those big blue eyes of Fluttershy...one of your best and closest friends in the entire world. Now imagine basically telling her that you'd rather spend the rest of your life with some guy you just met as opposed to her, who you've known basically your whole life."
Her uncertainty vanished, now replaced with cold resignation and a little depression. "Y-you're right...I couldn't do that to her."
I freed my arm and hugged her tight against me ,kissing her cheek and smiling when she looked at me. "Dashie, I care about you a lot. Believe me, I don't want you to leave me in any sense. Still, I also know that you won't be as happy here with me as you will at home in Equestria. Not only do you have a duty to your friends as their friend, but also as an Element of Harmony." I then stroked her soft hair and smiled wider. "Besides, Spike said he'd tell the princesses and Twilight Sparkle about your wish for me to come with you. If they're going to get you to come back, I'm pretty sure they don't want you to be miserable."
She seemed relieved and smiled. "Yeah, you're right. I've always thought of Princess Luna as kind of a big sister after we became friends. She'll watch out for me."
I nodded. "See? It'll work out, babe. I promise."
She looked at me and raised and eyebrow. "Babe?"
I shrugged. "Pet names are a token of endearment, and you're endeared to me. At least that's what I think I mean...I don't know what I mean. You know what I mean."
This caused her to burst into laughter, but she nodded. After she calmed down she smiled and nodded again. "Yeah Koa, I know what you mean and it's okay...I kinda like it."
The movie started a few minutes later and she scooted away before laying her head down in my lap, me resigning to stroking her soft rainbow-colored hair. This of course didn't last long as the movie went through the prologue, and she sat up almost immediately in excitement.
She looked at me with joy in her eyes and I nodded, chuckling. "Yeah, I kinda figured you'd like this movie."
My assumptions were correct in her taste of movies...she was definitely an action/adventure type of girl, which opened up my mind to many more possibilities of movies she'd like and things she'd want to do. The movie finished about an hour and a half later, Dash luckily being nearly completely sober because of the Powerade and her fast metabolism. We cleaned the living room up and headed up to bed for the night, the clock informing me it was well past 23:00. As usual, Dash chose to share the bed with me, opposed to sleeping alone. With us being together now - as well as me honestly missing having someone by my side in bed - I honestly didn't care, even liked it. Although, the alcohol must have still been in her system at least a little, as she became a little handsy again, running her hands all over me as she started kissing my shoulder.
I turned to her with a wide grin. "Well well, someone's feeling a little frisky tonight." She nodded, but then her eyes widened in surprise. "What?" I said in confusion. She pointed to the vanity mirror on the dresser and I walked over to it, shocked at what I saw. My eyes were now flames of white and my skin had changed to a dark red as well, with tight scales running the length of my entire body. I had sharp canines that protruded from my mouth, giving me an ominous appearance. Lastly, I had seven rear-facing horns on my head and spikes on my elbows and knees.
And so, I did the only thing I could do...I screamed like a bitch.
It was at that moment I felt a pressure in my head. It wasn't painful, but it was definitely there. I placed my palm on my forehead to try and rub the dull throbbing away, only to be rewarded with a flash of light and a scroll materializing in front of me. 'Oh...this must be the message system.' I glanced at Dash, who still had a shocked expression and just shrugged. I opened the scroll and proceeded to read it.
**Dear Koamalu Kamakani,
I assume by now your power has awakened if you are able to read this. You may have noticed that your appearance has changed radically, though you need not be worried. By simply focusing on willing your appearance to change back to normal, you can avoid any unwanted attention. Your appearance was set to change by Spike's spellfire upon immersion in a very dark area, which I assume was upon preparing for sleeping. I am sure you are smart enough to figure it out. With that being said, I wish to offer my apologies for springing this on you so suddenly. I will advise you however that your new form has abilities and strengths far beyond what you ever thought possible. In privacy and seclusion away from other humans, experiment and find its limits...I believe you will be pleased with the results. Please watch over my most loyal subject, Rainbow Dash.
We will contact you again at a later time.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia - Sun Princess of Equestria
P.S.: Spike has told me of Rainbow Dash's wishes to bring you with her when the time comes. I will work that request into the spell...though I will warn you it will require a great sacrifice. I will advise you further when the time comes.**
I placed the letter on the dresser and did as I was instructed, focusing on the image of my normal body. I wasn't really sure how everything was supposed to work, but then I felt a tingling all over my body and opened my eyes when it stopped, pleased to find my body was normal again.
"What the hay happened?" I heard Dash ask from across the room.
I grinned, noticing that my teeth were the same sharp canines still. "Well, apparently Spike's spell would only take effect when it got really dark. That's apparently a new form Princess Celestia asked him to give to me, though I'm honestly not sure why."
I walked back over to the bed and lay down, enjoying it when Dash pulled herself against me again.
"Now...where were we?" she said rather seductively.
We spent probably the next hour or so making out, eventually stopping when Dash became too exhausted to continue. Something about my biology must have changed, as the room had heated up like an oven. I didn't notice the temperature change, but Dash kept complaining about how hot it was since she was covered in sweat, so I didn't really care when she got rid of all her clothes save for her bra and underwear.
"So," she started, still panting a bit, "I take it things are going to start changing a lot now, hmm?"
I grabbed her and held her close against me, feeling her soft, warm skin against my own. I kissed her on the forehead and smiled as she looked at me. "Well, I hope this doesn't change."
She rolled her eyes but smiled. "You're so corny...you're just a big ol' goof."
I nodded and chuckled. "Yeah, but you love it."
She sighed and snuggled against me. "You know, it's kinda weird, but you actually feel cool. Like I'm laying against a bag of cold air."
I raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that a good thing?"
She nodded and wrapped her body around mine again, and I couldn't help but notice certain parts of her were warmer than others (*hint*hint*). "Oh yeah, it's a good thing. It's like I'm sleeping outside on a cloud."
"I hope I'll know what that's like one day, Dash." I responded with a smile.
She said nothing more and just settled herself against me. I reached over and switched the alarm for the clock to "ON" and lay my head against hers. She fell asleep literally a minute afterwards and I spent the next twenty or so minutes contemplating how things were going to change for me. I mean, Kay always called me her little demon, and now I looked like one. It was unnerving in some ways, but at least I didn't have to look that way if I didn't want to. Apprehension turned to mild excitement as I began to think of all the possibilities I had now. Soon after though, I felt my eyes begin to get heavy...but before I could fall asleep I heard Dash say something that caused me to seize up.
"I love you, Koa."
The statement stunned me, and even though it was in her sleep, I knew she meant it. The question was, did I feel the same way? I mean I'd only known her for near a week now, it wouldn't make sense.
And yet, it did. I felt a connection with her that I never felt with Kay, as much as it bothered me to think about...at least not this fast. I had always in some abstract way believed in the concept of soul-mates, and as I looked over at the beautiful woman beside me I felt myself confirming my own thoughts.
I did love her back.
As crazy as it was, I felt like I had always known her...and getting to actually hold her in my arms now just tipped me over the fence. So I brushed a few stray strands of rainbow hair out of her eyes and kissed her forehead again.
"I love you too, my rainbow angel."