The next morning had been awkward. Cheerilee had rolled over on top of him in the middle of the night, and he had gotten a couple hooves in a few tender places.
Cheerilee had woken up to his pained grunt, and had overreacted, rolling herself completely out of the bed in an effort to avoid hurting him further.
He had only managed to convince her to come back to bed after several minutes of reassuring her that he wasn't hurt. He wasn't really... although it had been painful at the time, it wasn't worth upsetting her over.
Johnathon had woken up to the sensation of Cheerilee slipping out of the bed. She was heavier as a pony, and her center of mass was lower, so she rocked the bed quite a bit more when getting out.
"Hey," he spoke up quietly as she started slipping away. "How are you doing?"
"Oh..." Cheerilee shook her head. "I'm so sorry about last night. I don't know what I was thinking..."
"It's fine," he answered with a chuckle he didn't have to force. "I'd have had trouble sleeping alone anyway. And you didn't hurt me."
Cheerilee blushed again, then shook her head. "You don't want a pony in your bed."
Johnathon frowned. "You can sleep with me any time. I don't care if you're a pony," Now it was his turn to blush. "I mean... sleeping... it's not that you're not cute as a pony, but..."
Cheerilee nodded quickly. "It's OK. I know you don't find me attractive like this."
"Not in... THAT way, no," the man admitted softly. "But that's not what our relationship has been about, has it? We're friends. Best friends. And we love each other. I don't want to lose you, and I get the feeling you feel the same way."
Cheerilee nodded. "Yes. I suppose you're right about that."
Johnathon smiled softly. "I decided some time ago. Even if you remained a pony for the rest of your life, I'd stay. I don't want to lose my best friend. Maybe we'd never be... intimate, but that's not what I want most out of this."
"But it is nice..." Cheerilee said with a small smile.
"Very," Johnathon agreed. "You're a wonderful lover. But if that part of our relationship didn't exist... well, perhaps you becoming human mattered, in that it made me realize how I really feel about you, but I think I've gotten past that now."
"So, you don't care if I have Twilight turn me into a human or not?" Cheerilee said in a teasing manner.
"I would like it. I'm not going to lie about it. But I want you to be happy more," Johnathon said firmly, then blinked. "Speaking of that, I forgot to tell you last night when you got home. Twilight told me that any time you want to go back to being a pony... if it's for a day or a week, whatever, she'll be willing to transform you."
Cheerilee blinked. "She really said that?"
Johnathon nodded. "I think it's very generous of her... but I think you should take her up on it from time to time. You shouldn't have to lose being a pony entirely just for me."
Cheerilee looked thoughtful. "That was really nice of her. I'll have to think about it though. Still... I suppose once in a while wouldn't hurt."
Johnathon shook his head. "It certainly wouldn't."
"I'm still going back to being human today though," she told him firmly.
"OK," he agreed mildly. "I'm going to need you human this week anyway."
Cheerilee looked interested, then leered at him slightly. "Planning on getting in some... intimate time while we have the chance?"
Johnathon blushed. "No! Well, yes... but that's not what I meant. I'm planning on teaching the girls... Applejack and Rainbow Dash in particular, some human martial arts, and I was hoping you'd be there as well. You've had more time on two legs than anypony else... and you could stand to learn some self defense techniques yourself."
Cheerilee blinked. "Oh. Do you think it's going to be that dangerous?"
Johnathon shrugged. "Better safe than sorry. Besides, it would be nice to have a regular sparring partner."
Cheerilee looked incredulously at him. "You want to spar with me?"
Johnathon hesitated. "Well, it can be fun, but it's just an idea. If you enjoy it, we can make it a thing..."
Cheerilee looked dubious. "Enjoy fighting? Humans are strange sometimes."
Johnathon raised an eyebrow. "Rainbow Dash seems to like fighting a lot. Sparring, at least."
Cheerilee rolled her eyes. "OK, Pegasi can be pretty weird too."
Johnathon chuckled. "I'll tell her you said that."
"Don't you dare!"
*****************************
Cheerilee's transformation back to human form had gone without a hitch, and Rarity had returned the clothing she had ruined, back in perfect condition. Surprisingly for such a small town, no pony commented on Cheerilee's brief time as a pony. Johnathon wondered if it was just that nopony had noticed, or if they were just being polite about it. He wanted to check, but couldn't figure out how to do so without revealing what had happened. He finally decided to let it go.
Applejack arrived at Twilight's place that evening. Twilight had rested throughout the day, and announced that she felt ready to transform Applejack a bit early.
Applejack just sighed, and nodded her permission. "Go ahead... might as well get it over with. How I'm going to applebuck without hooves, I have no idea... but I suppose Big Mac can take up the slack for a week or two."
Twilight nodded, and lowered her horn. "Are you sure you're ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be, Sugar. Go on and git er done."
Twilight readied herself, and focused, then cast the spell.
When the light cleared, Applejack was still on all fours, but was decidedly less fuzzy. Her hat was perched precariously on her head, and it fell off as she fell onto her side, scrabbling slightly in a panic as her new limbs flailed about.
"Darn it!" Applejack reached for her hat and gripped it between her hands, putting it back on her head with some difficulty. She rolled around a bit, trying to figure out how to sit up, and lost her hat twice more before she finally managed it, stubbornly retrieving the stetson each time before trying to sit up again.
Finally she sat up on her haunches, folding her legs under her and pushing off with her hands so that she was mostly vertical.
She put one hand up to touch her hat, making sure it sat on her head right. "Hmph. At least my hat still fits, I guess."
Twilight tried not to giggle. Applejack was just so adorable while she was trying to figure out how to sit up.
Applejack glared at her. "Something funny, Twilight?"
Twilight quickly shook her head. "How are you feeling?"
"Weird as all heck!" the apple farmer declared sharply. "Git Johnathon in here. I want somepony to explain what I'm supposed to do with these here legs... and these flimsy looking sticks on the ends of my forelegs!"
"Hands." Twilight corrected. "You know that, Applejack."
"Fine, hands... but they're flimsy looking as all get out," Applejack groused. "Now get that pesky human in here!"
Twilight frowned. "Applejack, perhaps you should put on some clothes first? Human customs..."
Applejack growled. "Do I look like I care about that right now? Just call the fella in here. I won't eat him or nothin."
Twilight shrugged and nodded. "Sure. I'll send Spike to get Rarity though. She'll want to get your measurements so she can start on some new clothes for you."
Twilight went to the front door and opened it. Outside, Spike and Johnathon were waiting curiously.
"How'd she turn out?" Spike asked first. "Does she look like Miss Cheerilee?"
"See for yourselves," Twilight said with a shrug. "She wants to see Johnathon now anyway."
Johnathon nodded and he and Spike headed inside, but while Spike kept going, the second Johnathon came into sight of the farmer he froze like a deer in the headlights.
"Whoa... cool," Spike commented. "You look so weird!"
"Gee, thanks," Applejack muttered crossly, then glared at Johnathon. "So? Why are you staring? Am I as hideous as I think I am?"
Johnathon shook his head as if to clear it, then focused on her face. "Hardly. Remember what you thought when you saw me as a pony?"
Applejack blinked, then blushed slightly. "Er..."
Johnathon nodded. "Yeah."
"So I look good?" Applejack asked hesitantly.
Johnathon opened his mouth, then closed it. "Er... yeah. Understatement, if anything. You look like an action movie heroine. I mean... damn. You don't see a lot of women with a six pack..."
Applejack blinked. "A what?"
Johnathon chuckled. "Never mind. You look great. Don't worry about it. Looks like your muscle tone followed you into your human form as well. You look like you could break bricks on your stomach and not feel it. And your legs... I mean... damn."
"So I'm strong," Applejack summarized. "Probably?"
"Probably," Johnathon told her dryly. "Try not to squeeze anything too hard at first. You'll probably have to be a bit careful of your strength not to break things."
Applejack blinked. "Oh. Well, that's hardly anything new. I've been careful about that since I was a filly."
"New body... might take some adjustment, regardless," Johnathon warned. "I was pretty clumsy as a pony at first myself. I ended up clonking Cheerilee a couple times with my hooves, if I recall."
"I'll be careful," Applejack said with a firm nod. "Now... could you give a mare a hoof up?"
"You're a girl now... well, a young woman, and it's a hand up, not a hoof. Neither of us have hooves at the moment, remember?"
Applejack groaned. "Great... language lessons on top of learning how to use a new body? Wonderful."
"You'll live," moving over to her, he reached down with both hands. "Put your hands in mine, alright?"
Applejack did so, reaching out cautiously with both of her hands, placing them in his.
Johnathon squeezed them. "Now close your hands. Try and grip mine. Go on. That's it... a bit tighter..." he winced. "Too tight! Ease up a bit... OK, yeah, that's good."
Stepping back, he hauled her upright, "Pull your arms in toward your chest a little, don't just dangle there... that's better. Now try and get your feet under you... whoa!"
Applejack teetered and would have fell, but he caught her, hugging her to his body to keep her from falling. For a moment, he closed his eyes and shook his head, doing his best to ignore the cute naked girl pressed against him.
"OK... slowly now, straighten your legs. That's right. Just try and balance. I'll make sure you don't fall."
As he talked, he mentally compared her to her pony form. Her hair was almost exactly the same as her mane. Blond, with a long ponytail. Her face had a few freckles, and her green eyes were almost the same as her pony ones. Her face was similar enough to make her identity obvious, at least to him. He'd have been able to identify her even without her hat, which he was amused to note was still the only article of clothing she was wearing.
Her breasts were medium sized. Smaller than Cheerilee's, which made sense giving how little body fat she seemed to have. She was heavy for her size... almost all muscle. Not bulky, but toned like a professional athlete, which he supposed she was, with all her rodeo medals. If her earth pony strength gave her a magical boost on top of what he could see, she would be frighteningly powerful. Probably very nearly as strong as she was as a pony. He reminded himself to be extra careful while training her, to avoid getting himself seriously injured.
He liked muscular women... especially ones that were nicely toned, not those that were bulked up with huge muscles, and Applejack was exactly his type. Physically, at least. He was mildly surprised to find that he was able to ignore all that and just focus on helping her. She was attractive, yes. Devastatingly so, but he found he could look at her analytically and not be bothered. It was a bit disconcerting, being this close to a beautiful naked girl, but he'd been married, and a father. It was easy to think about Applejack as if she was one of his cousins... or a daughter, maybe, though he'd never had one. Not an object of desire.
Rarity came in while he was helping Applejack take a few forward steps. Spike came in with her, having fetched her from her Boutique in the several minutes Johnathon had spent coaching her.
Rarity's eyes flashed as she sized up the situation. "Why Applejack, how brazen! Going about without a stitch on! Are you trying to seduce our good mister Dwire here?"
Applejack went pink, then red in quick succession. "I ain't doing nothin!" she protested vigorously. "And Mister Dwire here has been a gentlecolt. Nothing improper going on atall!" she glared at Rarity. "Besides, it's not like I normally wear clothes anyway. Nothing wrong with that."
Rarity giggled lightly. "I am just teasing, darling, although you do realize that in dear Johnathon's culture, going without apparel is as direct an invitation for improper behavior as lifting your tail in front of a colt during your... season." she finished delicately.
Applejack went from red to purple and she nearly fell as she fought to free herself from Johnathon's hold. "Ain't like that! Ain't! I'd never do nothin' like that to Cheerilee!"
Johnathon lost his grip for a second, and Applejack started to fall. He gritted his teeth, stepped into her body, and grabbed her by the waist, then quickly sat her down before she could mangle him with her flailing limbs.
He stepped back, wincing as Applejack dealt him a glancing blow to his cheek, but did his best to ignore the hit.
"Rarity... stop teasing Applejack. Of course nothing happened," he nodded to Applejack apologetically. "She makes a lovely human, but my heart is firmly with Cheerilee. And there is nothing wrong in Pony society with not wearing clothes. Applejack has nothing to be ashamed of, and I certainly wasn't going to judge her intentions based on my culture. That would just be silly."
Rarity covered a laugh, then calmed herself. "My sincerest apologies... our dear Applejack is unfortunately extremely entertaining to tease sometimes. I am sorry if I upset you." she turned to Applejack. "Or you, darling. Of course I know you would never do anything improper with our Mister Dwire. You're much too proper a mare for any such nonsense."
Applejack crossed her arms across her chest and glared. "Well o'course! Darn it, Rarity! You made me clock John up side the head just now!"
Rarity was instantly contrite. "Are you quite alright, Johnathon dear? Applejack doesn't know her own strength sometimes."
"I'll be fine, don't worry about it," he told them calmly. "Why don't I step outside for a bit while you get Applejack's measurements? She'll probably feel better with something appropriate to wear."
Applejack shrugged, looking embarrassed and annoyed. "Dumb human custom, if you ask me... but if it make y'all feel better, I guess it's alright."
Rarity turned to Johnathon thoughtfully. "What would you suggest for our darling Applejack, Johnathon? I want to make her something that suits her, but I do not understand human fashion as well as I'd like. Surely you could suggest something appropriate?"
Johnathon frowned thoughtfully. "Make her some workout gear to start... you know, like the jogging outfit you made Cheerilee? We're going to be practicing a lot, and it'll be helpful if she has plenty of freedom of movement. And... knowing Applejack, some work attire as well. Pants made of something comfortable but durable. Form fitting... at least somewhat, as she won't want it to get caught on anything while she's working. A shirt like the checkered one you made me... boots... maybe some running shoes, and gloves... she'll need gloves, or she's likely to hurt her hands some, at least until she builds up some good calluses, and we don't really have time for that."
Rarity blinked, then looked a bit nonplussed. "Athletic attire... and..." she shuddered slightly. "Work duds?"
Applejack nodded thoughtfully. "That sounds like it'd be alright. Make me what he said, Rarity."
Rarity sighed, then nodded. "Oh, very well. I suppose this is to be an expedition, not a fashion show... although I, at least, plan to be dressed in style as a human. I already have a few lovely designs in mind, although I will just have to wait till I find out what my own sizes are when I am human before I can finish," she sighed dramatically. "Perhaps at least Fluttershy will let me make her something nice for when she's human."
Applejack rolled her eyes. "It ain't like we're going to be going to a dance or nothing. We're going digging... and maybe we'll do some fighting, but we won't be dancing," she glanced at Johnathon. "Right?"
Johnathon shrugged. "No dancing... probably."
Applejack looked at him suspiciously. "What do you mean, probably?"
Johnathon chuckled. "Well who knows? If we have to stay awhile, maybe we'll end up at a club... or ball or something. Stranger things have happened."
Rarity's eyes went wide. "Oh! I really must prepare gowns for everypony as well! It wouldn't do to be unprepared in case of a social event!"
Johnathon wrinkled his nose. "Gowns... might be a bit much. That sort of outfit isn't very likely to be something you'll need. Maybe something pretty but more casual? I'll tell you about casual party clothes later... there are about a million styles, but I think I can make a few suggestions."
Rarity was almost drooling at the thought. "I can't wait, darling," she made a dismissive gesture with one hoof. "Now give me some space. I still need to get Applejack's measurements," She levitated a measuring tape over to the apple farmer and started measuring her sizes, and Johnathon excused himself.
Cheerilee was outside, and she jumped back from the door, looking a bit guilty as if he had caught her at something.
"Listening at the door, huh?"
Cheerilee looked sheepish. "Sorry. I'm kind of curious what Applejack looks like as a human though," she moved up to him, looking into his eyes. "I bet she was attractive. And she wasn't wearing any clothes?"
Johnathon nodded and smiled. "True. But my heart belongs to you. You're better looking anyway."
"Liar," Cheerilee said, but she was grinning.
She held up a bag. "Actually, I thought I'd lend Applejack some of my clothes till Rarity gets her fitted... and give her a hand getting adjusted. I know quite a bit about it, after all."
Johnathon nodded. "True... and you two aren't too far apart in size. Most of your clothes should fit her... well enough, anyway."
Cheerilee nodded. "Well, I'd better get in there," she pointed a hand at his face. "And you. Next time, wait till I get here? If you want to see a human girl without her clothes on, you just have to ask me, you know."
Johnathon opened his mouth to protest, then shut it. "I'll remember that," he finally answered carefully.
Cheerilee went inside, and Johnathon waited outside, whistling tunelessly to himself. After a few minutes, the door opened, and Applejack came through, holding onto the frame for support, dressed in one of Cheerilee's tee shirts and a pair of shorts. She waved off his hands when he tried to help her.
"I'm OK," she insisted. "I kin walk on my own legs... it's just balancing," Applejack took one hand off the door frame, then the other, holding them out wide to steady herself, and took a few, tottering steps forward into the street.
Cheerilee and Rarity were close behind her, watching with some concern but not interfering.
Rainbow Dash swooped out of the sky suddenly, stopping to hover in front of Applejack, and causing the newly minted human to fall over backwards, arms flailing.
"Oof!" Applejack went down on her rear end with a heavy thud, and Rainbow Dash broke into laughter, holding her ribs with her fore-hooves as she continued to hover.
"You look ridiculous!" Rainbow Dash commented gaily. "Can't you even walk right? I thought you were supposed to be an athlete?"
Applejack glared up at the cyan speedster. "Darn it Dash, you startled me! I've been walking for all of thirty seconds now, what did you expect?"
Rainbow Dash fluttered to a landing in front of her disgruntled friend, reaching out a hoof to help her up. "Sorry... sorry..." she chuckled. "But you should see the look on your face!"
Applejack took the proffered hoof, and started pulling herself up, only to realize that she was quite a bit too tall in her present form for Rainbow Dash to do more than give her a small boost.
Rainbow Dash chuckled and took off, her wings pulling her up and back, pulling Applejack to her feet easily. "There you go. Didn't realize you be that much taller than me!"
Applejack looked the hovering Pegasi in the eye, holding on to Rainbow Dash's front hooves with both of her hands. "I'm not that much taller than Cheerilee," she pointed out. "And I'm still shorter than Johnathon there."
Rainbow Dash frowned, then shrugged. "I guess. It's just weird, you being so tall."
Applejack snorted. "You're next, Sugarcube," she grinned. "And I'll be here to watch you falling all over the place."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I bet I'll be running before you figure it out."
Applejack glared at her number one rival, then snorted. "You wish. I'll be running afore the day's out."
Rainbow Dash wrinkled her nose. "Well... maybe. But I'll figure it out quicker when it's my turn, you'll see."
Applejack grinned. "Is that a bet?"
Rainbow Dash nodded firmly. "Yup! Chicken?"
Applejack grinned wider. "No way. Yer on, partner."
Johnathon rolled his eyes. "You're going to hurt yourselves if you try running too quickly," he told them firmly. "Humans aren't as tough as ponies."
Applejack looked down at herself, then bounced lightly on her feet, testing her balance and strength. "I feel pretty good. It's tricky on two legs... but I'm not made of eggshells or nothin'."
She shook Rainbow Dash's hoof, then let go, rocking back on her heels but keeping upright by windmilling her arms. "Nobody help me!" she growled before anyone could move in to help steady her. Her upper torso bent forward, then back, her arms going in circles to her sides to try and maintain her balance. She started to fall backwards, and stepped back to compensate, then straightened. Slowly her arms stopped moving, and slowly she started to walk again, her arms held out to either side as if she was trying to walk a tight rope.
She grinned. "See... I'm a gettin' it. Just a matter of time."
Rainbow Dash grinned. "We'll see. I'll get it even faster. Nopony has got better balance than me."
Applejack snorted. "We'll see," she agreed.
Behind her, Rarity exited the Library while levitating a sheaf of papers she'd been making notes on into her saddle bags. "Just come over to the Boutique in the morning, Applejack. I should have something for you by then. I'll want to do some final fittings, but it shouldn't take very long."
Applejack sighed, then nodded. "I'll be there after morning chores, Sugar. Just try and keep things simple, alright?"
Rarity grinned. "I'll do my very best to restrain myself, Darling," she turned to Johnathon. "Johnathon dear, could you stop by at that time as well? I'll want your advice on the final product. Seeing as we're trying to be... incognito, I'd appreciate your opinion, so that whatever I create doesn't appear too far out of the current fashion for your world, alright?"
Johnathon nodded thoughtfully. "Good idea, Rarity. I'll see you in the morning then."
Rarity smiled gracefully and trotted off. "Ta ta!"
Applejack shook her head ruefully, then started walking toward the center of town. With a glance at each other, Johnathon Dwire and Cheerilee joined her, walking on either side of her protectively.
Applejack noticed and wrinkled her nose. "I ain't a foal, you know. I kin walk without you two hovering like mother hens."
Cheerilee smiled cheerfully. "And you're doing wonderfully, Applejack! Much better than I did on my first day as a human. But still, we'll be leaving for Earth soon, so anything we can do to help you adapt quicker is for the best, don't you think?"
Johnathon shrugged. "We won't dog you all day, Applejack, I just want to make sure you get home alright. And maybe Cheerilee and I can give you some tips on being human at the same time?"
Applejack sighed. "Can't hurt none, I reckon."
They traveled the rest of the way to the farm in relative silence, broken only when Cheerilee thought of a helpful bit of advice for the newly minted human.
By the time they were nearly there, Applejack had started to limp a bit, wincing despite herself as her feet started to get tender.
"Are you OK, Applejack?" Johnathon asked quietly.
"My... feet hurt," Applejack answered, frowning. "Why are humans so dang gum fragile, anyway?"
Johnathon shrugged, not offended. "You'll build up calluses with time, but it'll probably be quicker to let Rarity make you some proper footwear. She's surprisingly good at it, seeing as ponies don't need protection for their hooves nearly as much as humans do for their feet."
Big Mac had been watching them come from where he had been working on the fields, staring at her with an inscrutable look. Now he was headed in their direction at a brisk trot.
Applejack's face reddened as her older brother stopped a few feet in front of her, looking her up and down with a small frown.
"It's still me, you know!" she blurted out.
"Eeyup." Big Mac acknowledged easily, raising an eyebrow and giving her a sardonic expression that read volumes.
"I'm taller than you now," Applejack noted with some surprise.
"Eeyup." Big Mac said again, although he seemed about ready to snicker at the thought.
"Well..." Applejack started to feel self conscious. "What do you think, big brother?"
Big Mac shrugged. "You're Applejack." He moved up and put his shoulder up against her right side. "Climb on up, I'll give you a ride home."
Applejack spluttered at the suggestion. "Are you saying I'm weak now?"
"Eenope."
"That I can't carry my own weight around here?"
"Eenope."
"Then what are you saying?" Applejack asked indignantly.
Big Mac shot her a look that only an older brother had. "Looks like your feet hurt. Now climb up."
Applejack rolled her eyes, ready to protest, then sighed... and climbed awkwardly up onto his back. Big Mac started to walk, slow and smooth, making sure not to jostle her.
"You ain't gonna be carrying me everywhere, alright?"
"Eenope."
"I can do my share."
"Eeyup."
"Just need me some good boots, is all."
"Eeyup."
"Alright then."
Big Mac seemed to grin a bit at that. "Eeyup."
**********************************
The next morning, Rarity had, as always, aimed to impress. She had even anticipated Applejack's desire for a pair of sturdy boots. The clothing had all fit nicely, even though Rarity had hemmed and hawed about the final fitting, even she was looking pleased with her work.
"How in the heck did you get all this so perfect after one fitting, Rarity?" Applejack said, still astonished.
"Magic," Rarity said, and winked. "Oh, I cheated a bit... usually I try to do it all by eye, but I admit that when designing for an entirely new body type it's not quite as simple as all that. But as you may be aware, I DO have a bit of a knack for illusions... I simply created a semi-solid illusion of your new form and worked with it for a few hours."
Applejack took a hard look at her friend. While Rarity was as well made up as ever, there were hints of fatigue now that she really looked hard for them.
"Uh huh," Applejack said simply. "A 'few' hours, huh?"
"Perhaps more than a few," Rarity admitted. "But the results are marvelous, don't you think?"
Johnathon nodded thoughtfully. "I wouldn't know it was made by a unicorn, Rarity." Rarity blinked, starting too look offended, and he amended his statement. "I mean it looks like something a major manufacturer might make back on Earth. If I didn't know better, I'd never guess it was made by someone who's never been there."
Rarity smiled, mollified. "Why thank you, dear, but that's mostly thanks to all your advice on fashion. Your tastes may run a bit to the... pedestrian, but you do have a good memory for details, given time."
Johnathon just smiled and shrugged.
Applejack looked down at her clothes again. A checkered shirt, much like Johnathon's, was worn open in front over a sturdy white tank top like Cheerilee's. A pair of sturdy, green canvas shorts that came halfway down her thighs, and the part she loved the most, a pair of knee-high boots, with sturdy soles and a noticeable amount of thin but comfortable padding of some sort on the insides. She thumped one of her new boots into the ground solidly, liking the way the boot diminished the impact to her feet. It was almost as good as having hooves again.
"And I can Applebuck with these?" She asked for the third time since Rarity had brought them out for her.
"Certainly, my dear." Rarity said, smiling. "They're quite sturdy. If you do happen to incur some small amount of damage, bring them back and I'll be glad to make a repair, but they should hold up very well, I believe."
Applejack thumped her boot against the floor harder, making a nearby ponykin bounce upwards slightly, and Rarity's smile grow slightly brittle. "Well howdy. Ain't that just the thing to make somepony feel like herself again. Thank ya kindly Rares."
"Not at all, my dear," Rarity told her graciously. "Although if you could possibly avoid scuffing my floors, I'd accept that as repayment enough."
Applejack colored slightly, then laughed and tipped her hat at Rarity. "Done and done then."
Johnathon wrinkled his nose, glancing out the window. "I should probably get over to the library. Twilight should be done with transforming Rainbow Dash by now."
Applejack nodded and held out an arm. "Mind helping a lady across town?" she said with an obviously fake Manehatten accent.
Johnathon took her arm and nodded to the door. "It would be churlish not to."
Rarity rolled her eyes but followed them out the door, eager to get her first glimpse of Rainbow Dash's transformed self as well.
As they walked through town, Johnathon holding on to her arm gently, just in case, Applejack snorted to herself. "Can't wait to see Rainbow Dash fallin' all over herself. No way she takes to walking any faster than me."
Johnathon grunted softly at that, but didn't respond. He had his own suspicions on the matter.
They arrived at the Library to find Spike waiting for them just outside. He grinned, and held up a claw.
"Just a second everypony... I mean... everyhuman?" He frowned. "Huh."
"Everyone is probably acceptable, Spike," Johnathon advised, using a word that wasn't heard very often in pony society. Although ponies in Ponyville tended to be rather welcoming, pony society itself was rather strangely stratified, and its language tended not to acknowledge the possibility of other intelligent races... which was surprising given the sheer number of them in Equestria.
"Everyone... huh." Spike tried the word out and shrugged. "Weird word."
Just then, Applejack gaped in astonishment as Rainbow Dash walked through the library doors on two legs, walking slowly but confidently, her arms slightly outstretched, but hardly moving. Her hair was a bright reddish shade, but in the same style and length as usual, so it was easy to tell who it was.
Rainbow grinned, and stopped a couple meters past the entrance, then stood on one foot, obviously showing off. "Ha!" she crowed. "I told you nopony has better balance than me!"
Applejack sighed. "You win, Sugarcube. I have to admit, I'm impressed," she let go of Johnathon's arm, looking frustrated, and managed a rather respectable stride over to her friend, but Rainbow Dash clearly had gotten the trick down quicker.
Rainbow Dash grinned wider. "Yup. I'm the best."
Johnathon followed Applejack closely, standing to one side as before, waiting to see if she'd need his help, but grinned at Rainbow Dash. "Most modest too," he commented dryly.
Rainbow Dash, as a human, was shorter than Applejack by a noticeable margin. Applejack had been the tallest so far. Johnathon estimated her height to be around five foot nine or so. Cheerliee was about five foot three, and Rainbow Dash was perhaps an inch taller than the schoolteacher. But like Applejack, she was extremely well muscled. Her arms and legs were both toned beyond anything he'd ever achieved, and while she seemed to be a bit less muscular than Applejack, she was even leaner. Her breasts were tiny, not that he was going to mention that fact, and he doubted he'd be able to find a solid ounce of fat on her. Cheerilee had loaned her one of Johnathon's smaller tee shirts, which extended just past Rainbow Dash's hips, and her second (and last) pair of shorts, which were barely visible from underneath them.
Rarity was already circling around, studying Rainbow Dash's new form intently. "I assume you will be wanting some form of... athletic attire?"
Rainbow Dash blinked, then shrugged. "I guess. I can't really move in this..." she gestured at the oversized tee shirt. She reached down as if to try pulling it off over her head, but seemed to be having difficulty gripping properly. "Darn hands... work!"
Cheerilee, who had come out of the Library behind Rainbow Dash, moved to her side and slapped the girl on one hand lightly. "Rainbow Miriam Dash. What did I tell you about taking off your clothes in public?"
Rainbow Dash frowned. "Um... not to?"
Cheerilee raised an eyebrow. "And what were you just doing?"
Rainbow Dash groaned. "I'm swimming in this thing, Cheerilee! And it's hot out!"
Cheerilee sighed. "Yes dear, but you know it makes Johnathon uncomfortable...."
Johnathon chuckled, grinning slightly. "I'll survive."
Cheerilee frowned. "But..."
Johnathon shrugged. "I've never insisted that you keep to my customs either, Cheerilee, although I appreciate the effort you've gone to for me. If she wants to go around topless for awhile, I believe I can manage to avoid molesting her."
Rainbow Dash sighed in relief and was pulling the shirt up over her head before Cheerilee could protest further. She got it halfway up and got stuck, her arms up over here head and her face muffled in layers of cloth. She staggered around for several seconds, causing Applejack to start chuckling.
"Very funny..." Rainbow Dash's voice was muffled, but understandable. "Can somepony help me out of this thing? I'm stuck!"
Cheerilee sighed and stepped forward, helping extricate the ex-Pegasus from the over-sized tee shirt.
Once free of the tee shirt, Rainbow Dash opened her arms wide, closing her eyes and turning slowly in place. "Ah... that's better," she did a complete 360, then stopped, and rotated her shoulders once before opening her eyes again. "Wow... this is so weird," she looked down at herself. "Why are my chest bumps so much smaller than Applejack's and Cheerilee's?"
Johnathon coughed. "Well... probably because you're an athlete. Specifically you've got almost no body fat. You're built like a runner."
Rainbow Dash nodded slowly. "Huh. That makes sense I guess," she turned to face him, looking curious. "So... how do I look, anyway? Do I look really weird?" she reached up to touch her hair, frowning. "I can't believe my hair is only one color! That really bites."
Johnathon smiled. "You look fine. Unfortunately, humans generally only have one color of hair at a time."
Rainbow Dash frowned. "That's not true. You have two different colors."
The man blinked, then grinned. "My hair is starting to go grey... that's all. It just means I'm getting older. All humans get grey hair eventually. If they live long enough."
Rainbow Dash frowned. "Oh. Bummer. I was kinda hoping Twilight could fix me up so I got to keep my mane the same, like Applejack."
Johnathon shrugged. "Sorry. Blond hair is normal for humans, but blue, green, orange or purple isn't... at least not without a dye job."
Rainbow wrinkled her nose. "Dyeing my hair? Bletch. Sound like a pain. Guess I'm stuck with red then."
Rarity smiled slightly. "Well, if it helps, I could assist with that. We may have to stop by the spa for a bit, however, to do a proper job."
Rainbow paled. "Er... that's OK, Rarity. Just the clothes."
Rarity rolled her eyes, then shook her head, smiling, and walked up to put a hoof lightly on Rainbow's arm. "Let's do your clothing in a nice blue to match your old coat, shall we?"
Rainbow Dash considered that. "Well... OK. But nothing too... constricting. I've got to be able to move, OK?"
Rarity sighed. "Of course dear, of course. Come with me, and I'll get something started for you right away, shall I?"
She glanced back at Johnathon. "Do come along, will you Johnathon? I'd like your expert opinion on some of the ideas I have."
Johnathon hesitated, then glanced at Cheerilee before answering. "I'll be along in a minute, Rarity. See you there."
Rarity glanced at the school teacher as well, then nodded. "Of course dear. Don't be long!"
She followed Rainbow Dash, who had already made her way a significant way down the street, trying to jog and doing a respectable job of it.
Applejack sighed. "Dag nab it..." she grumbled. "That mare makes it look easy. How in the heck is she doing that?"
Johnathon shrugged. "Rainbow Dash studies a pegasi martial art style that includes a lot of fighting on two hooves. Sure, a pegasi can use their wings for balance, but they're not supposed to rely on them."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know that?"
Johnathon shrugged again and grinned. "Rainbow Dash comes to watch me practice sometimes, and we talk shop. She's very good."
Applejack grumbled. "Should have known she had an ace up her sleeve."
Applejack hesitated, glancing from Johnathon to Cheerilee and back, then started into the Library. "I'll see you two later... I... got something I want to talk to Twilight about."
Cheerilee blushed, then sighed. "Am I really that obvious?"
"Only to your friends, I think," Johnathon told her. "I take it you want to talk to me?"
Cheerilee glanced off in the direction Rainbow Dash and Rarity had gone, and watched as they turned a corner. "I think I'm a bit jealous," she admitted. "I think I know why you're treating... why you're treating Applejack and Rainbow Dash differently than you do me... but... it still hurts a little."
Johnathon chewed on his lip. "I'm sorry?"
Cheerilee shook her head. "No... I'm just being stupid. I know you're a good... man. I just..." she frowned. "Why is it alright for Rainbow Dash to walk around without a top on, but not me?"
Johnathon blinked. "Er..."
Cheerilee sighed. "I know, it's your culture... but I thought that females are supposed to wear something on top all the time? Why is it different for Rainbow Dash?"
Johnathon raised a finger. "Well, it's not... exactly. It just doesn't bother me as much with her."
Cheerilee frowned. "Why? Am I... less attractive than she is?"
Johnathon's eyes widened. "That's not it at all!"
Cheerilee looked dubious. "Johnathon, be honest. I may not know for sure what is attractive on a human, male or female, but I know that Rainbow Dash and Applejack are both more attractive than I am. At least, they were when we were all ponies, so I doubt that's changed with us all being human... at least, if I understood what you and Twilight were saying about it earlier."
Johnathon closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering. "Love, I don't care about Rainbow Dash going about without a top on because I don't think of her like that. She's like... a kid sister to me or something. A buddy. Sure, I'd prefer she wears a top, if only so that she gets used to the idea before we get to my world, but it doesn't really bother me."
Cheerilee frowned. "So why does it bother you so much when I take my top off?"
Johnathon snorted at her. "It doesn't BOTHER me... it just gets me a bit... excited. It's cultural, sure, but I don't think of either Applejack or Rainbow Dash the way I think about you. Yes, they're attractive. You're attractive too, and I'm in love with you. That makes a difference."
Cheerilee wrinkled her nose. "I'm not sure I quite understand."
He frowned, trying to put it into words for her. "It's a bit... embarrassing."
Cheerilee blushed slightly, then nodded. "If you don't want to talk about it."
Johnathon shook his head. "No... I just have trouble explaining it. I just... when I see you with your clothes off, it... part of me thinks of... well, sex. Because that's what I connect to seeing you with your clothes off. With Rainbow Dash and Applejack, I don't think of them like that, because I don't care for them the way I care for you."
Cheerilee blinked. "So seeing them without clothes doesn't bother you as much because you don't want to have sex with them?"
Johnathon wrinkled his nose. "Well... that's simplifying it, but sort of, yeah. Part of me is aware of how attractive they are, sure. But an awful lot of desire is wrapped up in... emotional ties. I have those ties with you, and so I desire you a lot more. Plus, I'm an adult, and I've learned to suppress instincts that aren't helpful to me."
Cheerilee grinned. "So you do find them attractive!"
Johnathon shrugged. "Of course. I'm not blind. I just tend to... ignore that part of myself when it's inconvenient. It's something I've gotten better at with age."
Cheerilee chuckled and punched his arm lightly. "Yes, you're positively ancient. You old codger. I should feel ashamed of myself, taking advantage of such a feeble old man."
Johnathon laughed. "I was incorrigible as a 20 year old. I thought I was invulnerable, and I had no manners," he looks thoughtful. "Actually, I acted a lot like Rainbow Dash."
Cheerilee looked mildly horrified. "You mean you were even worse than you are now?"
**************************
As Cheerilee and Johnathon entered Carousal Boutique, they could hear Rainbow Dash speaking.
"And I want running shoes... like you made for Cheerilee. Not like those huge clunky boots you made for Applejack."
"Mmm hmm..." Rarity was floating various pieces of material around, putting one swatch after another up against Rainbow Dash, as if checking to see which color suited her best. "Hmm. Perhaps a bit darker blue than your coat, so as to compliment your hair and eyes better. Yes..."
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Are you even paying attention to what I'm saying?"
Rarity nodded at her. "Of course dear. Running shoes. Hardly a surprise. Frankly, I'd already planned your outfit yesterday, after working with Applejack. No offense dear, but you're rather predicable in your fashion choices. Usually all you want to know if it looks cool... and if you can fly... I mean, if you can move with it."
Rainbow Dash flinched, and Rarity looked stricken. "Oh dear, my sincerest apologies! I didn't mean..."
Rainbow Dash shrugged. "No big deal. It's only for a couple weeks, right?"
Rarity hesitated, but dropped the subject.
Rarity outfitted Rainbow Dash with a sleeveless dark blue top that fitted her snugly from neck to waist, and a tight fitting pair of shorts out of a stretchy material. The shoes took longer but as she'd already had a pattern that worked from designing Cheerilee's, she completed a pair for Rainbow Dash after another hour of work.
While they were waiting, Rainbow Dash and Johnathon chatted about their training schedule, and what sorts of techniques he'd be teaching, with Cheerilee an interested but unlearned participant in the discussion.
Once she had her new outfit, Rainbow Dash went outside, followed by Cheerilee and Johnathon, and paused. She looked up into the sky, her still keen eyes almost immediately focusing on her cloud house floating over the outskirts of town.
"Huh." Rainbow Dash muttered softly. "I guess I'll need someplace to stay. Can't exactly fly up to my house...." she trailed off. "Can't fly at all, of course," she laughed once, brokenly, then swallowed, her eyes going hard. "No big deal. Just a couple weeks."
Johnathon frowned. "Rainbow..."
Rainbow Dash shot him an almost angry look. "Don't apologize! Going to your world as humans is a good idea, OK? I'll be fine!" her eyebrow twitched, and she glared at him harder. "I'll be fine."
Johnathon nodded. "Sure," he agreed, deciding that confronting her about it would only make things worse. "Well... if you need a place to stay..." he glanced at Cheerilee, who nodded quickly to him. "You could stay at our place. If you like?"
Rainbow Dash's glare softened. "Nah. You guys are about to get married... can't be spoiling the honeymoon with my issues." She shrugged. "I'll ask Twilight if I can stay over. Maybe catch up on the latest Daring Do or something," she started walking toward the Library then, taking a deep breath and settling in to a steady walk.
"You're sure?" Johnathon asked.
"Yeah," Rainbow Dash answered, glancing one final time toward her cloud house in the sky, a wistful expression passing over her face for a moment before she forced herself back into a look of bland acceptance. "Yeah... Twilight's cool. We'll hang. No big deal."
Johnathon and Cheerilee exchanged worried glances, but let her go.
Rainbow Dash left the couple behind, and started through Ponyville, making sure to catch the eye of anypony looking at her funny. It was... kind of amusing, actually, the scared and confused looks she got. She was a big bad human now. Rar! She made a sudden "boo!" gesture at Lilly and Daisy and they both bolted, causing her to snicker to herself, but her mood soon soured once more as she continued to walk.
"Damn it," she muttered quietly to herself. "What's so hard about not having wings for a little while? I thought you were tough?" she accused herself.
"Hey, is that you, Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo's voice startled her, and Rainbow Dash turned to see the young pegasi coming to a halt and hopping off her scooter.
"Oh. Hey kiddo." Rainbow Dash said with a nod, forcing herself to grin widely at the younger pegasi. "Yup. Minus the Rainbow, I guess..."
Scootaloo's eyes were wide as she took in her idol's new appearance. "You're still the coolest, Rainbow Dash," she was quick to affirm. "How fast are you as a human, do you think?"
Rainbow Dash blinked. "I don't know. Johnathon said I was built like a runner... so pretty fast for a human, I guess."
Scootaloo grinned. "I bet you're the fastest human ever."
Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Maybe. Not sure I'll get to race anyone REALLY fast like this, although that would be pretty cool."
"Would it ever!" Scootaloo enthused. "So... Johnathon's going to teach you human style fighting stuff, right?"
Rainbow Dash blinked. "Yeah. How did you know about that?"
Scootaloo grinned. "Applebloom says Applejack's been talking about it. You already know Krav Pega, right?"
Rainbow Dash nodded absently. "Among others, yeah."
Scootaloo grinned wider. "You're going to be fighting bad guys and stuff, right? I bet you'll have a wicked battle with ninjas... and pirates!"
Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Maybe ninja pirates."
Scootaloo's eyes went wide. "Can they do that?"
Rainbow Dash blinked. "What... can ninja's be pirates?" Scootaloo nodded again. Rainbow Dash looked thoughtful. "I don't see why not. If you're already a Ninja, who's going to tell you that you can't commit some piracy along the way, right?"
Scootaloo nodded seriously. "You're right. But I don't think pirates can be ninjas, though."
Rainbow Dash thought about that. "Well, maybe not in that order... not unless you were really cool."
Scootaloo grinned at her. "Having adventures in a whole different world. You're the coolest ever, Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow Dash grinned back. "Well... someone's got to be."
Parting ways, Rainbow Dash waved as Scootaloo zipped off on her scooter. Somehow, the encounter had given her the strength to confront what had been bothering her.
"OK, not being able to fly really sucks," she admitted to herself. "I hate being stuck on the ground. I don't like this body much either," she sighed, and shook her head. "But I can't leave my friends hanging. Somepony has got to look out for them, and that somepony is me."
Rainbow Dash nodded with conviction, and started walking toward Twilight's Library once again. "Maybe Johnathon will show me how to fly one of those... flying machines from his world when we get there. That's totally possible, right?"
Still mulling over the future, Rainbow Dash's stride lengthened and she started to smile. "So I don't have wings. Big deal. Nothing Rainbow Daring Dash can't handle. Maybe I'm not the coolest pegasi around, I'll just be the coolest human around instead."
She kept telling herself that all the way to Twilight's place. It helped. A little.