After overcoming our initial shock over the extreme display of opulence, we joined Chocolate Sweetness on her oversized bed, which was made of solidified cloud. It seemed to me as though the most luxurious appointments in all Equestria had beds made of the same material. The three of us engaged in various activities with each other, Trixie enjoying herself thoroughly. It was only when I foolishly mentioned the idea of starting a herd and adding Sweets to it that Trixie lost her temper and knocked me out cold. The pegasus let out a shriek of fear and galloped out of her room, flapping her wings frantically in an attempt to fly. I suppose if I had been conscious to see it, I might have chuckled at the seemingly ridiculous sight of an obese middle-aged pegasus trying to fly for the first time in years. I didn't know it at the time, but in her rage, Trixie broke my horn off and then proceeded to pummel my body with large heavy objects in the room, bloodying me, breaking bones, and otherwise trying to kill me. Several security ponies rushed into the room and pulled her off, putting an inhibitor ring on her horn, then taking her down to the police station.
--------------------------------------
I could not recall many details of that night. All I can remember is being with Trixie and Chocolate Sweetness in her penthouse suite in the Visage. I remember we did some stuff together, but those memories seem rather fuzzy, my mind in a deep fog. The next thing I know, I'm being woken by housekeeping, laying in a very comfortable bed, not wanting to get up. For some strange reason, I feel a throbbing headache that doesn't want to go away.
"I don't remember drinking any alcohol last night," I thought as I tried to rise to my hooves, falling out of the bed and landing on my face. I cursed aloud as a fresh pain impacted me, but then I noticed something really strange. I had been transformed into my old human form, completely naked. I had to stand on my legs, trying to regain my balance. After having been a unicorn for more than a year, returning to a human body was very unexpected and quite alarming. I managed to stand and make my way to the dresser to examine myself in the mirror. Something shiny caught my eye and as I glanced down to see it, I noticed a ring. I wasn't sure if it was an inhibitor ring, Trixie's wedding ring, or my wedding ring. I picked it up to examine it a little more closely, reading the inscription on the inside of the band.
"To my dearest Trixie, may our love last forever."
I slowly made my way back to the bed, the ring in my right hand, and fell forward upon it. Tears streamed from my eyes as I was now not only human, but alone as well. I was seriously wondering if whether or not this was a dream or a nightmare, but the housekeeper knocked on the door again, then entered the room, wheeling a cart with clean linens and cleaning supplies. I noticed the person wheeling the cart was a human female, dark skinned, fully clothed in a hotel's uniform. She let out a shriek when she saw me, quickly wheeling the cart out the door and closing it behind her. I heard her swift footsteps as she ran down the corridor, presumably to fetch the manager of the hotel.
I got up again, returning to the mirror to more closely examine myself. I noticed that I seemed to have deaged quite a bit -- looking more like I was 20 than 50. I had a full head of thick dark brown hair, but my eyes threw me off. I was supposed to have greenish eyes, but the new me had deep blue eyes. My facial features didn't look the same. I also seemed to be several inches taller and 50 pounds lighter than my old human self. I chalked it up to my previous transformations as a pony, and decided to answer Nature's Call. It was while I was sitting on the toilet that the manager entered the room, but found no trace of my presence.
"He was here just a few minutes ago, Frank!" the housekeeper protested.
"You're just imagining things, Trixie," he replied, trying to calm her.
"Trixie? As in Trixie Lulamoon?" I asked, loudly enough for them to hear me. I heard a female shriek and the manager call to me.
"Okay, buddy, I don't know who you are, but as soon as you're finished in there, we're going to have a little chat."
"How does he know my name, Frank?" she asked.
"Hey, Trixie, did you marry someone named Michael?" I asked her. I checked the ring for size, noticing it was substantially larger than a ring which would fit my thumb. This left me very puzzled. She did not respond to my question. I finished my business in the bathroom and grabbed a large towel, wrapping it around my waist. Frank wasn't too happy to see me.
"Okay, chief, who are you and how did you get in here?" he asked, glaring in disapproval.
"I guess my name's Michael, and I have no clue as to how I got here. Last night I was in a hotel called the Visage, and to be honest, I have no idea where I am now," I replied. I twiddled the ring between my thumb and fingers idly.
"That ring! That's MY ring!" Trixie exclaimed. "What are you doing with it?"
"This is too big for you -- where do you wear it if it won't fit any of your fingers?" I asked in surprise. "This ring was given to my wife, who incidentally carries the name of Trixie -- she and I were in ... different bodily forms when we got married, and she wore this on her right fore-hoof."
The housekeeper gave me a very quizzical look and Frank just looked disgusted. "Sounds like a pony thing," he muttered.
"Trixie, where were you born?" I asked her.
"New Orleans," came her flat reply.
"And what's your mother's name?"
"Midnight --"
---------------------------------------------------------
I blacked out at this point, losing consciousness. I had no idea of how long I was out for, but when I came to, I was lying in a hospital bed, an IV stuck in my right fore-leg, which was a medium purple color. This disorientation was starting to get to me and as I was once again trying to recover my faculties, a nurse came into the room, or at least I think it was a nurse.
"Just relax, Amethyst, we have to run some more tests on you," came the reassuring voice of Nurse Redheart.
"What -- I'm in Ponyville again? Where's Trixie? What happened to me?" I asked, my voice sounding very weak.
"You need to be careful -- don't overexert yourself. You've been in a coma for three weeks, Amethyst. It was touch and go for a few days there, but we managed to bring you back," she smiled. "Now get some more rest -- you need it."
I tried to say something, but was too weak to do so. I tried to sit up, but my body didn't want to respond to my mental command. I tried using magic, but that didn't seem to be working either. My fatigue overtook me at this point as I continued to lay in the bed, losing consciousness again.
---------------------------------
"Amethyst! Wake up!" came another female voice. I felt a hoof shaking my head, the sensation making my vision blurry. I could only make out a blue shape for a face and something white at the top. "Trixie is sorry, please forgive her," she said softly. She laid her head upon my neck and I felt a wetness as though she were either crying now or recently had been.
I tried to talk but couldn't. I tried to move but couldn't. I opened my eyes, still wide with fear. I tried to use my magic, but that wouldn't work, either. I needed help, but didn't know how to get it. Trixie's warmth made it uncomfortable for me and I tried to push her off me, moving my right fore-leg slightly. I opened my mouth to try shouting for help -- Trixie must have seen my attempt as I silently mouthed the word help, repeating it as much as I could.
"Nurse! Amethyst needs help! Can somepony help him?" Trixie pleaded. She left my side, practically galloping through the halls of the hospital, trying to get help for me. A flash of light caught my eye and I turned my head to see what had happened.
"Princess Celestia told us we'd find you here," said Twilight in a concerned tone of voice.
"We didn't recognize you since your last transformation," said Trixie. I tried to say something, but nothing came out of my mouth.
"Don't speak, Amethyst. We will heal you again," said Twilight. Trixie nodded her head and grinned as she lit her horn, glowing a deep blue. Twilight's horn glowed with a deep magenta hue and both of them enveloped my body in their auras, working their special healing magic on me. It took a few minutes of this before I felt well enough to sit up and talk.
"Thank you both so much for helping me. But if you two are here, then there must be something very important to have brought you here," I stated, my voice hoarse from weeks of non-use. "I could really use some water, please."
"Amethyst, we came because I wanted to see you again," Trixie said. I noticed her blue six-pointed star cutie mark.
"Did your Princess send you? Or are the two of you powerful enough to travel across the dimensional barrier together?" I asked, still amazed that they would come just to see me.
"Well ... there IS one other thing ..." Twilight said softly, her head tilted downward as she appeared to be staring at the floor.
"What is it?" I asked, taking small sips from a glass of water which had been teleported to me by the librarian.
"Well ... we were hoping you'd still be an Alicorn," Twilight said dejectedly. "The problem we have is one that needs an Alicorn's power, something you don't have anymore."
My wife burst into the room at this point, but stopped immediately when she saw her alternate universe counterpart. "Trixie wants to know what you two are doing here?" she asked in puzzlement.
"We needed his help again, but in his current form, he cannot help us. Perhaps we can have your Princess Celestia restore his Alicorn status -- the Changeling Queen has returned with her army -- again," Other Trixie stated flatly.
"Trixie is married to Amethyst and will not allow him to become an Alicorn again -- not for another seventy years! Trixie is married to Amethyst and doesn't want to lose him again!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling.
I turned to my wife. "Can you tell me what happened? How long I have been out for?"
My Trixie started crying again, but was able to tell me through her crying that I had been in a coma for eight weeks. She wouldn't tell me what happened to me to cause me to fall into that coma. The co-librarians were a bit surprised to hear this, but then Other Trixie turned to my wife, glaring at her.
"Something tells me you had something to do with this, Trixie," her counterpart growled at her. My Trixie backed up, wincing at her counterpart's advances. "What did you do to him!?" she snarled, her muzzle pushing against my wife's.
"Trixie is so sorry! She lost her temper! She only wanted to teach Amethyst not to cheat on her!" she pleaded.
"You nearly killed him! Again!" Other Trixie hissed through her clenched teeth, still right in my wife's face.
"Trixie, please stop. I think some of my memory is coming back, though it's still real fuzzy. If I cheated on you, I'm sorry -- I think it had something to do with us getting the caravan back and getting our inhibitor rings removed. It was never my intention to hurt you," I said, my voice still hoarse, though the water was helping somewhat. The whole experience seemed like deja vu and it was making my head hurt. "What happened to my horn?" I asked, actually noticing its absence for the first time. My Trixie started panicking at this point.
"What? You BROKE IT OFF?!?" the co-librarians exclaimed in disbelief, their mouths agape. My Trixie started crying again, fearing the worst. Intentionally removing a unicorn's horn was a very serious offense, and apparently, Trixie had broken my horn off some time in the past.
"Perhaps Princess Celestia can help me," I offered half-heartedly. "Trixie, I know I made you mad at me, but taking my horn was a bit much, even for you," I said to her. Her sobbing became louder at this point. "Please understand I don't love you any less, it's just that I'm very disappointed in you. I forgive you for breaking your Pinkie Promise not to attack me, but my horn? Really?"
"Did you say she broke a Pinkie Promise?" Twilight asked. "What exactly does that mean?"
"Since you're from the other universe, I'll have to let Pinkie Pie herself explain it to you," I said, half expecting the pink earth pony to pop into the room from somewhere. "Hey, Pinkie Pie, if you're somewhere around here ..."
"Trixie knows you broke a Pinkie Promise too, Amethyst! So the two cancel each other out!" my wife exclaimed indignantly.
"No they don't!" the pink party pony shouted as she burst into the room, the door slamming so hard into the wall behind it that it shattered into splinters. "Ammy, you're all right!" she exclaimed, rushing me and hugging me so tightly I was about to lose consciousness again. She saw my broken horn at this point, then turned her attention to my wife. "You should be thankful I'm not in Pinkamena mode right now, Trixie," Pinkie growled. My wife cowered in fear from the infuriated party pony.
"Trixie said she is sorry! But HE CHEATED ON ME!!" she wailed.
"And I thought you said you wanted a taste of Chocolate," I grumbled.
"SHUT UP!" she screeched.
"Other Trixie, Twilight -- can you contact Princess Celestia for me? I believe I need her help and some sort of resolution to this matter," I stated flatly. "Look Trixie, I'm sorry, too. Will you at least forgive me? I thought I was doing the right thing -- I thought getting money was extremely important. I'm sorry I succumbed to my temptation. Please give me another chance -- we're still married, will you at least give me another chance?"
"Trixie doesn't know what to think right now, Amethyst. You hurt her very badly and she needs some more time to think," she replied sullenly.
"I'm sure the Princess will give you plenty of time to yourself to think," Pinkie said, almost too cheerfully for my taste.
"Uh, Pinkie, she IS still my wife, you know. I haven't filed for divorce from her, and I doubt she's done so either," I said.
"I don't see why you married her -- this is the second time she's tried to kill you. I think you'd probably be happier with me," the Other Trixie mused. My wife got in Other Trixie's face, mashing her muzzle against her counterpart's.
"Amethyst is TRIXIE"S stallion, NOT YOURS!!" she snarled. "How DARE you think you can steal him away from her!" She then returned to my side, leaning against me. "Amethyst, please forgive Trixie for her actions! Please don't tell Celestia she took your horn!"
"Um, Trixie, I think it might be too late for that," I said almost hesitantly as a certain Sun Goddess materialized in the suddenly very crowded hospital room.
"Two Trixies. Twilight, I thought you were an Alicorn now? Amethyst? How are you feeling? Pinkie Pie? What brings you here?" the Solar Princess addressed all of us. Apparently, we all tried to speak at the same time, which caused Princess Celestia to raise a hoof. "One at a time, please. I shall address you all individually, however I cannot spend much time with you, as there are pressing matters for me to deal with as well. Amethyst, have you made a decision on reprising your role as Solar Regent?"
"Not yet, your Majesty. I was hoping to spend more time with Trixie. I don't suppose word finally got back to you about our troubles in Las Pegasus?'
"Rarity told me what happened, Amethyst. So your wife broke your horn off? Perhaps you cheated on her. I shall restore your horn, but please be more careful and respect your wife. I can sympathize with your plight to some extent, though you have severely damaged your marriage. Trixie, I would normally be tempted to sentence you to five years in the dungeon for taking a unicorn's horn, but that would not solve any problems. I suggest in future you refrain from further hostilities, lest you provoke my ire.
"Trixie and Twilight, my counterpart's faithful students! Indeed it is a pleasure to meet you two again. I have been informed of the situation in your world and would like to assist as much as I can -- though if Amethyst were willing to return to his former role as an Alicorn, I would send him in my stead, considering his strengths."
"Your Majesty, I believe I might be ready to return to my former role. Trixie, I beg of you your forgiveness -- I am very sorry to do this, but it needs to be done. Consider the fact we are still married -- my return transformation changes nothing about our marriage. I promise you I shall return soon," I stated calmly. I watched tears trickle from my wife's eyes as she heard what I said.
"Amethyst, I will return shortly with my sister to perform the transformation upon you. Please take a few moments to prepare yourself," the Sun Goddess stated solemnly, but flashed me a smile before she teleported away.
"We are very happy to hear this -- you have no idea what this means to us," Twilight said, also smiling broadly.
"The changelings are wreaking havoc -- your help comes not a moment too soon," Trixie added.
"Amethyst -- Trixie is so sorry for doing what she did -- please come back safely, for her sake," the show-mare pleaded.
"You should be thankful the Princess didn't lock you up in the dungeon again! Considering we know you were sent there before for attacking him! Amethyst, please tell us you'll stay in OUR realm, for our sake!" Other Trixie half-asked. The two Trixies glared at each other, scowling and growling, baring their teeth. My Trixie stuck her tongue out at her counterpart, which made me chuckle.
"Trixie knows you still love her, Amethyst," my wife giggled.
"I don't know if it's worth it anymore," I sighed.
"Yeah, Ammy, she's not worth it!" Pinkie giggled. I turned toward her and gave her a sidelong glance, a slight scowl.
"She'll just attack you again, Amethyst -- you'll have to watch your back around her!" Other Trixie warned.
"STOP IT! Trixie said she's SORRY! How many times does Trixie have to say that?!" she wailed.
"Trixie, I don't know if I can trust you not to attack me again. I apologized for what I did, you apologize for what you did, but that takes us back to square one. It's going to take some time before my trust in you is restored," I stated, a hint of exasperation in my voice. At this point, the Royal Sisters arrived in my hospital room, making an already crowded situation even more so.
"Amethyst, we sincerely hope we do not have to reverse this process again -- truthfully, We felt it was a mistake for you to renounce your status the last time around. Consider this a final chance from Us," the Lunar Princess stated flatly, her words tinged with just a hint of anger.
"My sister speaks for me as well, Amethyst. We will not reverse this process, so from this moment forward, you will remain an Alicorn. Nothing you say or do will convince us to reverse this process. Are you ready to proceed?"
Everypony in the room watched with keen interest, Pinkie leaning forward to the point where she lost her balance and fell on her fetlocks.
"Whoa!" the pink party pony exclaimed, returning to her hooves and smiling sheepishly. A few more tense moments passed while I pondered the ramifications of this choice.
"Very well then, Celestia, Luna. You may proceed. I suppose I have had enough time for foaling around," I stated almost sullenly, hanging my head.
"Yeah!" the co-librarians exclaimed jubilantly.
"All right!" cheered Pinkie.
My wife hung her head sadly, tears trickling down her cheeks. She remained silent as the Princesses enveloped me in their combined auras, enlarging my body to full Alicorn size, a pair of wings emerging at my sides, my coat changing color to pure white once again, my mane and tail changing into an ethereal yellow and orange as well. My horn turned white and became much longer, rivaling Celestia's for sheer length.
"Arise, Prince Michael of Equestria," Celestia stated in her most regal voice. She then presented me with my regalia, a gold circlet with a blue diamond inset, the large torque with a larger blue diamond inset, and the four golden hoofguards. "May you serve us faithfully and well, Michael. Take care, and good luck."