What greeted us at the train station were the blinding dawn, our horrible group bedmane, and a very slack-jawed Pinkie Pie. The latter of those was even more than her conventional baffled look, which Rainbow was happy to prove.
“What’s wrong Pinkie,” Rainbow asked as she curiously nudged Pinkie’s lower jaw. We all watched it sway back and forth like a swing while we waited for a reply.
Pinkie raised a hoof and set her jaw back in place before even trying to answer. “Alley,” was the eventual question that escaped her lips.
“I think I’m going to see a pattern in the coming days,” I replied as I rolled my eyes.
“Don’t worry,” said Twilight coolly, “once Pinkie gets out of her initial shock she’ll just go back to being Pinkie.”
“Well, I got a shudder in my Pinkie Sense as the train pulled in,” added the still rattled party pony. “This is quite the doozy of a doozy, but not as much of a doozy as when Twilight believed in my Pinkie Sense.”
Rainbow, Twilight, and I all exchanged skeptical glances.
“Sleep,” I suggested to the two.
“Sleep,” agreed Rainbow with a very lazy nod. “Let’s deal with the ‘Nocturne thing’ when we’re all awake.”
Twilight’s yawn of a reply was a moot point. Rainbow Dash had made perfect sense of the encounter.
*****
I woke to the sound of something sizzling downstairs. The nostalgia that wafted into my ears screamed bacon before my brain even processed the smell. I knew the Apple family had pigs but I doubted they’d have some up for slaughter. Still, the sizzling sound was far better at waking me than Twilight playing with my ears.
“What in Equestria are you doing Twi,” I asked with a yawn. After the prior night, I had realized the pattern of ponies touching my ears and trying to mess around with my wings was far from over.
“Oh, um it’s just this is all new and I uh,” as she was talking, I slowly turned to stare at her reddened face. “Okay, your ears were freaking me out a little. Also, the book I found in the library says that excessive fur around the ears is a common problem for Nocturne ponies and it has to be trimmed regularly. I left tufts on the tips if you still wanted that little touch of fuzz.”
“There was a book,” I said dryly, “in the library. A book you haven’t read. Really Twi? Really?”
“It was on my desk waiting for me,” she admitted. “Besides, I’ve never read all the books in the library. Rarity and Fluttershy keep renewing their books every month so I haven’t read those.”
As my eyes grew more accustomed to the sunlight radiating from the window, her face became clearer and I saw an addition I didn’t expect. “How did you get that shiner? What happened Twi?”
“You uh, smacked me in the face with your wing when I woke up a couple of hours ago. Anyways, Rainbow said she’d get some fish going for you. She said that if you were like any other pegasus, the smell would get you up.”
I took in a deep breath, unintentionally smacking Twilight with my mane as my head swiveled back towards the doorway. “It smells fresh.”
“Yes, well, I’m sure Rarity will have a field day about your mane when she gets a look at you.”
“Why’s that?”
“It looks like you have a rug jutting out of you and it’s really messy. I mean, I can recommend some products to keep it nice, but Rarity will have books and stuff and-”
“The look on her face will be priceless,” interrupted Rainbow as she poked her head into the bedroom. “Food’s all done Al, get it while it’s hot.”
“Well, what about cleaning up,” objected Twilight.
“You get back on your icepack an’ Al can wash up after getting a bite to eat. Nocturne or not, he’s a pegasus and he needs to keep his energy up. That means he gets his fish, gets some fruit, and gets some coffee.”
I wormed my way out of bed and gave Twilight a sympathetic look. She replied with her own defeated frown and levitated an icepack over her black eye. “Once the swelling goes down I’ll go to Sweet Apple Acres to pick Spike up,” she told me.
When the three of us relaxed for, according to the clock, brunch both Twilight and Rainbow were helping me eat.
“I’ll be teaching you how to work with wings and hooves starting tomorrow Al,” Rainbow explained casually as she fed me another piece of fish.
As I swallowed the fish, I gave a blissful sigh. “Did you make all of this on your own Dashie?”
“Nah,” she replied coolly, “Twilight helped me a bit, but left the fish to me.”
“You said it was a ‘pegasus thing’,” Twilight objected.
“It is and I’ve tasted your earlier attempt, there was zero flavor to it. Also, you wouldn’t know how to fillet a fish even if it did it for ya Twi.”
“Dashie, apologize to Twilight for getting her mad,” I scolded just as Twilight’s horn lit up. “No offensive magic at the table Twilight.”
They both seemed to shrink a little in their seats as the aura emanating from Twilight’s horn faded.
“Sorry Alex,” said Twilight.
“I’m real sorry for calling you out on your fish Twi,” added Rainbow. “If ya want, I can teach you.”
*****
Much to my displeasure, both Twilight and Rainbow actually began my lessons in taking care of my new form as soon as brunch concluded. From taking the dishes to the sink to cleaning up, How to be a Pony 101 was in session once I was coherent enough.
“Miss them hands yet,” asked Dash as she ran a brush through my tail.
I glanced at her, toothbrush still in my mouth. “Nah, company’s better this way.”
“Good,” said Twilight as she imitated Rarity’s thinking face. “We can’t really hide your features that well.”
“Well duh,” Rainbow scoffed. “He has big bat wings and those are kinda hard to miss. Heck, I think even that dorky colt with the glasses could see ‘em without his glasses. Well, if he had a coat or something then maybe, but that’s even more suspicious.”
I leaned up on the sink and finished up with my teeth. “Twi can you help me with the floss?”
She rolled her eyes. “Only until you have your wings under control. Last thing we need is another injury while you try to do something.”
“Yeah,” added Dash with a snort, “last thing Twi needs is another black eye!”
I shot her a glare through the mirror. If I learned anything from the show about pegasi it would be that I’d have to wrangle in my emotions whenever somepony was trying to get me to overreact.
“You’ll be spending more time with him than me Rainbow,” Twilight reminded her. “You’ll be the one coming away with an injury if you laugh instead of teach.”
Rainbow gave a firm tug on the brush in my tail. “I hate it when you put it that way.”
*****
Waiting for us when we opened the front door was the very same pony who first greeted us at the train station. Pinkie Pie looked far more at ease this time, as I emerged from the house with Rainbow and Twilight flanking me like security.
“I’m really sorry for freaking out Alley,” she said. “Those wings are really real right?”
“Yes, they’re real,” answered Twilight, irked by the party pony’s question. “Alex turned into a Nocturne pegasus.”
Pinkie completely ignored Twilight, perhaps even before hearing the ‘yes,’ as I soon found my personal space violated by another pony physically inspecting my wings. “They’re super awesome,” she squealed.
“So you’re not scared or worried,” I asked as Rainbow batted Pinkie away from me.
“Nope, my Pinkie Sense told me that there would just be a doozy at the train station. I came to investigate instead of sweep the storefront at Sugarcube Corner. After you all left I went back to do my chores and got lectured to by Mrs. Cake about not thinking things through. But I actually was thinking things through! I mean duh, the store would look super-duper dirty if I was bouncing around from a shudder in my Pinkie Sense while trying to clean.”
I casually passed her, pleased to hear the door slam shut as I stepped off the porch. “Pinkie, I don’t want you to cause a big panic or anything by telling everyone that I turned into a Nocturne pony. Nobody wants a frightened mob on Hearth’s Warming Day right?”
“You mean aside from Discord,” suggested Twilight.
“Geez Twilight,” retorted Pinkie, “even though he’s a creepy jumble of creature parts he still has some class.”
When I glanced back to see how Pinkie reacted I was confused by how pleased she looked despite her, in my opinion, perfectly valid defense of Discord. “Shall we go through town or loop around to get to the farm?”
“How about just getting the staring over with,” replied Rainbow.
*****
Doors and shutters slammed shut as we, Twilight, Rainbow, and I, passed. Personally, I expected it.
“Not the best first impression,” Twilight said nervously.
“Prolly should’ve told everyone we’d be back with a pony,” commented Rainbow.
“Dashie, you know we couldn’t do that. Besides, it’s far easier to just have Pinkie scurrying around and telling everyone I’m safe.”
Twilight’s gaze was quickly fixed on the nearby boutique. “There’s no way we’ll get past Rarity unless we really go out of our way.”
“Not a chance Twi,” said Rainbow, “she can see clear down the road towards Sweet Apple Acres. Get it over with?”
“Might as well,” I replied with a defeated tone in my voice. “Why bother prolonging her speculation and criticism?”
“Sweetie would you be a dear and help me move this counter in front of the door,” proclaimed the fashionista as soon as she saw what was drawing close.
Sweetie Belle groaned as she remained at the window. “Rarity he’s flanked by-”
“Just-just help me!”
Reluctantly, Sweetie Belle vanished behind the curtains of Carousel Boutique to help her sister barricade the door.
I knocked on the door of the boutique for what seemed like forever.
“You sure someone’s in there Al,” asked Rainbow right before I tried again.
I paused, my hoof mere inches before the door. “I saw the curtains move Dashie,” I said calmly. “I may have spooked her, but even Rarity couldn’t bar the doors this fast right?”
“I don’t think so,” agreed Twilight. “If she had help then sure, but even with magic I doubt all the blinds would be closed and even then, there’s no way Rarity would ignore the door like this.”
Instead of knocking this time, I tried the doorknob. Much to Twilight and Rainbow’s amusement, I failed at doing even this simple task a few times before managing to twist the knob properly. What was curious to me was the sheer fact that the door was unlocked but something heavy was in the way of the door swinging open even enough to look inside.
“This has gone on long enough,” Twilight groaned. She trotted up to the nearest window and decided to raise her voice. “Rarity, I’m coming inside.” After making her declaration, she vanished in a quick flash of purple.
In Twilight’s absence, Rainbow and I put an ear to the barely open door. Our faces were so close together it caused me to blush profusely. I think it was fortunate for me that I had such dark colored fur, though in the back of my mind I knew that my coat may as well be non-existent to the rainbow maned mare.
“Twilight,” came Rarity’s muffled voice, “whatever brings you here on Hearth’s Warming Day?”
“How dare you barricade the front door and ignore us,” retorted Twilight angrily. “Alex is out there in the cold, we need your help, and you treat us to a counter in front of the door?”
“I tried to tell you,” screeched Sweetie Belle from indoors. “Some sister you are for not even trying to listen to me!”
As Rarity stammered in search of what to say next, I could imagine the scene unfolding inside. Rarity was most likely being cornered by both Sweetie Belle and Twilight from her foolish act of jumping to conclusions. Both unicorns with furious looks on their faces from the fashionista being inconsiderate of what actually lurks beyond her front door were already looking for Rarity to yield.
“He has you under some spell doesn’t he,” accused Rarity. “Where’s Alex, what has become of our kind and considerate former human?”
“Uh,” I said to the door, “I’m trying to get in Rarity. If you let us in I can try to explain while you fuss over my mane.”
“Yeah,” added Rainbow, “it’s a real mess.” She glanced over to me and gave me a feeble smile. “Feels so weird talkin to a door,” she whispered to me. All I did was snicker in reply.
By the time the counter was moved away from the door, Rainbow had gone over the bare basics of wing manipulation with me.
“So by the time you’re done-”
Rainbow nodded furiously. “You’ll be just as good as me. Just, you know, not as good at all of my stuff.”
Rarity gasped and saw me. “Such a travesty,” she said with a gasp before grabbing one of my forelegs and dragging me indoors. “We need to get you sorted out at once!”
Somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind a plea for help rang out, being snuffed out long before it reached my mouth by Rarity’s obsession for perfection.
*****
Rarity barely seemed to pay any attention to the tale of deception and uncertainty that we tried to tell her.
“All my hard work from when it grew out before, gone!” She had said the same thing repeatedly. Using her magic, she flattened my mane and let it fall naturally. “No, this won’t do. It looks far too gothic and, while your physique carries that sense, it doesn’t compliment your company.”
I could practically hear the gears whiling in her head as she tried to solve the riddle of my appearance. Part of me thought this had more to do with the grinding of her teeth than her actual thought process.
“Maybe we can,” she gave a hard tug of my mane with her magic and pulled it all back. “Yes, this should work!” Shortly after her exclamation, I felt my mane fall against my coat once more though still enveloped in her light blue magical aura. “Twilight, could you be a dear and get me a silver clasp?”
“Sure, where-”
“Bottom left drawer behind you,” the fashionista replied quickly. “A nice one please.”
I saw my mane in the mirror near me, awaiting something that Rarity wanted. It was pinched tightly in what any human would call a loose ponytail style. In my reflection, I saw a small silver filigreed clasp exchange magic and fall firmly into place right where my mane was held together.
“There we go,” Rarity said pleasantly, “not too rugged but still with an air of masculinity fit for any stallion. I know I told you last time I worked on your hair that you should use a fine brush, but now I suggest you to use a finer one and brush it before bed every night. I can also suggest several products to keep a glossy sheen if you want or perhaps you’d rather have a more muted texture to it?”
I gave a weak smile. “Do you have any suggestion for something to keep it kinda silky, but not really shiny?”
“Of course, I’ll send Lotus and Aloe a letter and it should be ready for you in the next few days. No mail on Hearth’s Warming Day and all.”
Rainbow groaned. “Are we done here already?”
“You should take a lesson from this work too Rainbow Dash,” answered Rarity harshly. “You must still have tons of knots in your mane and I can already see you aren’t keeping it as nicely as our little sojourn to Earth.”
Twilight giggled at the decidedly low blow Rarity sent Rainbow’s way.
“Well, not really,” retorted Rainbow defiantly. “I mean, kinda. Look, I’ve been trying but I’m not some fancy shmancy girly mare like you are Rare. I can’t just sit in front of a mirror for hours until I look great. I gotta do great things!”
“Uh huh,” replied Rarity absent-mindedly as a tape measure levitated to her side. “Hold still now, I’ll want to take your measurements since they’ve changed so much Alex.”
“Well yeah,” I told her, “I kind of shrunk, got longer, and grew wings in case you haven’t noticed.”
“Who are you going to see next, certainly not anypony in town; they must certainly be terrified of you.”
“We’re going to pick up Spike from Sweet Apple Acres,” said Twilight.
“Might be even worse than knockin’ on doors in town,” added Rainbow Dash. “I mean, you know what Granny Smith said about me the first time she saw me?
“Don’t you dare trust a pony that looks that flashy,” she added in a passable imitation of the Apple family matron.