Smith sat up listening looking to Princess Twilight.
“You’ve been having dreams for the past few days, correct?” Twilight asked him.
Smith nodded slowly.
“So clearly if you’ve been having dreams for the past few days on some level you are already partially a pony, it’s just taken a kickstart of magic from Princess Luna to awaken that in you.”
“I’m not sure how you mean, partially a pony. I mean I have hooves now.” Smith noted.
“I think, but I'm not sure, you and all humans are being exposed to magical energy from the barrier, it's been in almost impossible to measure small amounts but over time it's built up and now it's taking effect. But that's just a very loose theory.” Princess Twilight said.
“How about you?” Smith asked looking to Princess Luna who had been rather quiet, “Do you know why I am partially a pony?”
Princess Luna flustered slightly lowering her head, “I have an idea.”
Twilight turned to Princess Luna with a slight gasp.
“Why did you call me here then Princess Luna?”
Princess Luna nuzzled softly against Twilight, “You were going to find out very soon, you are the most clever student my sister has ever had and now you are a princess; it would have only been a matter of time.”
Twilight blushed a little at the compliments, “Please Princess, go ahead!”
Princess Luna trailed her hoof across the floor giving a little sigh.
“When we arrived here first, neither myself or my sister could figure out why, or what to do about it. After a few months we realised quickly as did humanity that Equestria is expanding, slowly but constantly.”
Smith shuddered nodding thinking of the magical barrier.
“My sister thinks it would be best to let humanity choose, to abandon Earth; which you would not be able to quite achieve yet anyway or to change and become a pony. I believe differently.” Princess Luna announced looking to Smith, “You in time would have chosen to be changed before the barrier became too close, but there are those who believe we are invaders, with a sinister intention to take over your world.”
Princess Luna took a small breath looking directly to Smith.
“They are not fully incorrect, we do not intend to take over; but it is happening and nothing myself or my sister have attempted; will stop it.”
Smith’s eyes widened as he felt a hard lump form in his throat struggling suddenly to swallow.
“My sister believes humans must be given a choice still but I have seen them...” Luna said her voice quieting as her horn glowed slightly, illuminating the room as she projected a vision into the room.
“His name was Michael, he was the first human I had met.” Princess Luna took a semi-step back letting her vision fill the room, it was dark and there was Princess Luna walking across a starry field as a young scared looking boy approached her.
“He was as surprised to see me as I was him, it took me only a few moments to realise how he came to be before me.”
The vision moved slightly the magical energy behind it changing the picture as the young scared looking boy ran up to the Princess cuddling into her tightly.
“A..a..are you here to guide me?” The boy asked looking up at the princess.
Princess Luna nodded her elegant wings extending outwards.
“Yes child. Fear not for you are safe now, your pain is over.” Princess Luna wrapped a wing against him as the boy broke down into tears cuddle holding into the princess more.
Princess Luna shuffled close to Twilight watching as the boy stopped being a boy and became a warm glowing ball of light which started to rise, joining the other stars in Luna’s flowing tail.
“Each soul is precious to me, I am the last guide that takes them from the land of the living, to what lies beyond.”
“What?” Smith asked in shock.
“When a pony passes from the land of the living, I am their guide, in my absence from Equestria my Sister performed these duties in my stead. But here now, I find it is not only the souls of ponies that need guidance, but it is human souls as well.”
Smith looked to Princess Luna in awe, it was so unbelievable but there was something in her words, in her voice that Smith knew every word to be the truth.
“More came, nightly, every night; humans are so fragile when it comes down to it.” Princess Luna spoke very quietly looking up to Smith, “Then we found out, Equestria is growing and humans can not enter it.”
“I took a rash decision, one that weighs heavily on my mind.” Princess Luna said, “I forced my way into the dreams of some of the most resilient, those that would never want to become a pony and planted an idea.”
“I don’t think that worked, if you mean the HLF they are just as violent as ever.” Smith noted.
Princess Twilight’s eyes suddenly lit up, “Evaporation?”
Princess Luna nodded, “Yes, I could never convince all of them, but there was another way.”
Princess Twilight wiggled a little suddenly interjecting, “The potion whilst magical is just a liquid, but you’d need exceptional energy like that in an explosion to release it.”
“It was a risk that I had to calculate just right, all the conversion bureau’s built in the same way, the potion storage at the easiest point of attack by design, not accident.” Princess Luna noted.
“Then waiting, the attacks became more frequent, each ensuring more potion would became part of the atmosphere.”
Princess Twilight walked towards Smith, “It would only be a matter of time before the effects manifested, as you are relatively close the barrier soaking up magical energy it combines with the traces of potion now in your body and well it’s not quite there but a sudden influx of magical energy and you’d get there.”
Smith sighed quietly, “Like, a magical barrier of Equestria passing by.”
Princess Twilight nodded, “Exactly!”
“I am sorry.” Princess Luna hung her head shamefully looking to Smith, “I can never atone fully for what I have done, what I have set in motion, but I can not...” She paused looking up at him her eyes full of an intense sadness. “I can not let so many souls pass on because they think we are invaders or monsters or whatever rational they use.”
Princess Twilight trotted up beside Smith turning to face Princess Luna, “I figured out a few weeks ago something had been slowly decreasing humans resistance to magic to the point they could tolerate it directly. I just never thought you would be the one that had done this.”
Princess Luna nodded quietly, “I have not told my sister even, the only one that will be held responsible, is me.”
Smith relaxed a little his new tail flicking slightly, “Maybe it’s this reduced magical resistance, but I can see you are trying to help, I won’t tell anyone.”
Princess Twilight grinned happily, “Well I guess it would just be one princesses word against another and whilst it’s a very convincing story, we have no evidence at all of any of this. It could just as easily be background magic from the expanding sphere of Equestria causing this, like I previously concluded.”
Smith nodded in agreement taking Twilight’s cue, “Background magic.”
Princess Luna flushed her eyes flickering as tears formed at them, “I can not thank you enough; but this is still wrong.”
“Wanting to save people sounds pretty right to me.” Smith said quietly as he walked up to Princess Luna offering her a cuddle.
The princess flustered as Smith cuddled into her, his clumsy hooves rubbing up against her soft mane.
“I can only hope others see it the same way.” Princess Luna sighed.
Smith nodded and squeezed Princess Luna tenderly, “I guess... you still need to see if it works fully.”
“NO!” Princess Luna for a moment appeared to pale slightly, “This is something you must not, it is too soon.”
Smith shook his head moving across to the window pointing outside at the visible glow with his hoof, the sky now glowing a soft light blue.
“See that Princess. That’s Equestria. We are all out of time.”
Princess Luna whined as Twilight trotted up to Smith, “You don’t have to do this.”
“I’ve seen how fast the barrier is advancing; I’ve seen those idiots down at the beach that won’t move no matter what.” Smith frowned thinking of the protesters.
Princess Twilight nodded, “Well we should maximise your exposure to the potion effects, just in case and also maybe wait until the barrier is nearer to land. Unless you want to go for a swim?”
Smith broke into a light giggle shaking his head, “I think that might be the best plan. The water is probably more dangerous than the barrier would be just now.”
Princess Twilight laughed a little as well, “Good to see you are still in good humours at least, we will see you about this time tomorrow then?”
Smith shook his head, “How about a sensible time, say 8am?”
Princess Luna nodded, “Until then, good luck Smith Johnson.”
Twilight nuzzled up against Smith affectionately, “Thank you.”
Princess Twilight trotted towards the window spreading her wings as she hopped up and flew into the dim morning light.
“I owe you much.” Princess Luna said quietly as she spread her wings looking back to Smith, “I shall ensure that tomorrow, you have good dreams.”