//------------------------------//
// 7. Dinner and a Show 
// Story: Lunar Phases 
// by Dusk Writer 
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	Finally! The supper I have been making is finally finished, and it's only about 8:30! I look back down at the meal I have created. I made small tray of Penne Pasta, although I had needed to skip out on the Italian sausage, I made up for it in extra cheese.

Going  along with the pasta, was a cookie sheet with French bread placed every couple of inches and fried in my oven. Afterwards, they were buttered, and several spices were sprinkled over them. A quick sniff proved that they were, in fact, cooked to perfection.

Since no meal should go without a vegetable, I had quickly whipped up some broccoli and steamed it. Alex better like broccoli, or else I might just have to force him to eat it.

With supper finally ready, I called out from the kitchen to the living room. "Alright Alex! Supper is ready!"

I hear a muffled noise that sounds like something being set down. "Okay, I'm coming!" He seems to take his time, but when he does finally walk in, he looks slightly surprised at how well I can cook, or at least I think he does.

Seeing him hesitate, I almost take offense, "I hope that you like this Alex, or else We may need to force thee to eat it." I make sure that there's an edge to my voice sharp enough to cut through anyone's resolve and put it on my face for the same reasons.

"Thee have nothing to worry about." He winks at me, which is a bit odd. Wait, is he teasing the way I accidentally used the Royal Canterlot speak? Eh, I guess I had that coming. "Actually, it's a bit different than what I ate yesterday for supper."

Well, I would hope that this is different, seeing as to how much preparation went into this. "Well, don't let me keep you, dig in! In fact..." I instinctually draw in breath for the next part, "WE ORDER THEE TO TASTE THIS SCRUMPTIOUS MEAL!"

He immediately flinches away and his pony ears automatically go down. My tail twitches a bit with guilt as I realize the room we are in is not the best for shouting. "Ouch! Luna, lower the volume! These ears are a bit more sensitive..."

He trails off as he realizes that he just called me Luna. I think about it deeply for a few seconds myself. I come to the realization that, while I am accepting the changes that are happening now, I am not ready to be called Luna, if ever. "Hey, don't call me Luna quite yet; it just doesn't feel right. Anyways, let's eat!"

I quickly try to change the point of focus before we get into some deep conversation or whatever. He looks a little apologetic, but nervous too. I wonder why? "Oh, sorry."

I simply shrug my shoulders and motion for him to sit at my table. As he sits down into the wooden chairs, I scoop out generous servings of the improvised Penne Pasta and broccoli, only giving him one slice of the French bread for now. I set it down in front of him and begin to fix my own plate. Once that is accomplished, the rest of dinner passes in an awkward silence.
~~~~~
"So, how was it?" I lean back into my chair after my third serving. Now, I know it's a bit biased, but I absolutely love my own cooking. For the first time ever, I didn't burn the French bread slices at all, and the amount of cheese on the pasta was wonderful.

For some odd reason, he looks a little distracted, but I guess that's what's to be expected after tasting the ambrosia that is my cooking. "It was good." The distant tone in his voice only serves to prove how distracted he really is.

Alright, after I clean up these remaining dishes, all that'll be left for today is the video game match, or whatever it will be. Cleaning the dishes goes quickly and the leftovers are soon in the fridge, so I turn to Alex, "So, for our video game, do you have any preferences on console, which game, anything? Wait, did you even bring games?"

He holds up a finger to tell me to hold on a second before pointing to his mane and speaking, "Eh, maybe we could deal with this first?" I look at his mane and wince. Oh my, how am I ever going to get the tangles out of that? "As for games, I guess something cooperative for a change?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good genre of game to play right now. I have a few for the PC that'll work. I'll just try to think of one while I attempt to untangle your hair." I quickly walk back into my bathroom and grab the brush in there, avoiding the pony person in the mirror. When I walk back in, Alex is sitting on my leather couch, his pink mane out and reaching all the way down to his waist. As I sit down behind him and begin the arduous task, I try to ignore just how girly this feels like.

As I brush his mane (shudder) he starts to shake, obviously from nerves. "L-John, there are a few things I need to talk about."

I notice his close slip-up, but decide not to mention it. "Alright then? What did you need?" My voice is cheery, but I'm still curious about what he needs to say.

Still nervous, he tentatively replies, "I hope you don't mind, I kind of invited myself for the night." Oh c'mon, I'm the one who invited him to my apartment. Besides, it's all a part of my master plan! MWAHAHAHAHAHA! (I wish)

"Oh, don't be stupid. I invited you to my house, so don't ever think that this was wrong." Well, it's nice to know that the soon-to-be white pony had some manners. Now, on the other hoof- You know what? I'm just going to stop caring about these ponyisms, so buck it all. Now, on the other hoof, there is now his second question. "What else did you need to talk about?"

His sudden increase in fidgeting shows his nervousness increasing as well. "Do you remember when I asked about possible mental changes?"

Okay, where is he going with this? "Yes, why?"

His fidgeting is ridiculous now! I mean, how is it even possible that one can get that nervous? "And the ponies we are becoming are well, sisters." He accentuates the word sisters with a cough on both sides, but that's beside the point.

So, have you ever heard of the term, 'Mind Blown'? Well that wasn't my case. More like spontaneously combust at a molecular level, turning into a pile of ashes, and then a new brain soaring out of the pile. The new brain is then shot down by the missile from a fighter jet and ends up crashing into a fiery pool of lava. At this point, a new brain is then created and loaded with all the information from the previous brain and is in shock from what Alex just told me. Yeah, that seems to describe it pretty well.

As I simply sit there, trying to regain my wits, Alex kind of mutters under his breath, "Yes, awkward..."

Finally having finished the reboot, I look down to continue brushing, but find a wall of smooth pink. Letting a teasing tone into my voice to disguise my discomfort, I tell Alex, "Well Sis, your mane's done."

His reaction to this shows he obviously didn't take that very well. Rolling his eyes, he speaks to me in an irritated tone. "Don't laugh about this, you'll probably literally mean it before you know it."

Well, somepony's grumpy. Oh well, I have a choice of game in mind anyways. "Hey, you don't have to go and bite my head off about it. Anyways, I've decided on a game; we are playing a match in Homeworld 2!"

He gives me an exasperated sigh and says, "I've never played Homeworld, but I guess I could give it a try."

I pat him on the back as I retrieve the disc. "Don't worry, we'll be on the same team, so there's a sixty percent chance that you won't die," I tell him in yet another teasing tone.

He rolls his eyes as he gets out his laptop, ready to install Homeworld 2 and enter a whole different type of RTS than he's used to. Once that is completed, I sit down at my own computer and reach for my headset. However, I stop myself as I remember my new ears and set aside the Turtlebeach headset.

"Alright, let's do this."
~~~~~
As it would turn out, Alex wasn't that bad at Homeworld for a first-timer. I may have struck the final blow, but held his own throughout the entire match. Still, the look on his face when I hyperspaced my nineteen Vaygr Battlecruisers in right behind the enemy was priceless (albeit that tactic is expensive)!

I close down the game and my computer, noticing that I have now been twenty-five for almost two days. I reflect back on my situation; I am turning into Luna. I guess most people would be wondering why this had to be happening to them, but not me. I'm glad for this and wouldn't have it any other way as long as it broke up the monotonous cycle that was my life.

Hearing a humongous yawn come from the couch, I see that Alex appears to be just as tired as I am. Waving my hand at him, I have to stifle a yawn as I speak, "Well Alex, I think it's time for us to go to bed. You can have my room and I'll take the couch."

He opens his mouth to talk, but is interrupted by a couple of yawns before he is able to. "Actually, it would be better if I took the couch; I tend to wake up pretty early." He yawns again before continuing. "You do have coffee, right?"

I simply nod my head at his inquiry and start walking towards my room, too tired to argue. Suddenly, and without warning, a pain that feels like someone pounding a cold, dull, nail into my forehead causes me to scream and fall over onto the ground. I barely notice Alex getting up to come help me before collapsing to the ground in pain himself.

To me, the pain seems to last for hours, but when it fades, I look up at the clock to see it only lasted for about two minutes. I look at Alex to see him struggling to stand as well. "W-what in the world was that?" I can't help but stutter as I tremble from the pain of whatever that was.

I can hear Alex mumbling under his breath, which I can thankfully pick up. " Ça fait mal en Tabarnak."

I stare at him for a few moments, my mind blank. What in the world did he just say? Oh well, it doesn't matter. What matters right now is figuring out what caused that pain. I move my hand to my forehead to check for a fever and-

What in the world? Is there supposed to be a sharpish bump right smack dab in the middle of my forehead? I look at Alex and nearly yell out in surprise, but manage to keep it down to a tolerable level, "Um Alex, not to freak thee out or anything, but thee have the beginning of a horn."

He gives me a huff and an irritated look before replying. "No really? I thought I was being sent to Klingon."

Sleepiness temporarily set aside, I ignored his sarcastic remark as I looked at my new addition in the mirror. Sure enough, there was now an inch long bump the color of deep blue inset on my forehead. I try to ponder this new addition, but a wave of exhaustion catches me of guard and I yawn. I stumble back towards my bedroom and wave at Alex, "We'll worry about this tomorrow. Right now, We're too tired to even think."

All I am answered with is a thud, so I turn to check on Alex, only to find him laying face first on the ground. Huh, I guess he was really tired. Oh well, I should probably head that way too. I trudge into my room and promptly fall onto the bed. I'm asleep before I even hit the cushions.