//------------------------------//
// Chapter 48. Aloha Aloha (Hello and Goodbye) 
// Story: Dust on the Wind 
// by Sparky Brony 
//------------------------------//

The flight was uneventful. I'm so glad to be near my home, though a four hour drive is ahead of me. But to my shock, as we get out of the secure area of the airport, I'm bowled over by a magenta pony, I end up on my back, looking into the grinning face of Mindy. I shake my head to clear it, then hug the unicorn with all of my strength. She then helps me to my hooves, I look over at Alan, he has a goofy smile on his face. 

"Alan, this is Mindy." She looks at the massive human, then at me, then tackles him, or rather, tries to. He barely staggers as her weight hits him when he adroitly catches the flying unicorn. 

"Ohmygosh you are the biggest human I've ever seen, you are so totally awesome, and I see by your shirt that you are a brony, that is so cool!" She shouts rapidly, then without taking a breath, "I came here to teleport Dust home with me, do you want to join us?"

He's cradling the excited unicorn, "I was here to escort Dust home, I would be happy to join you."

She teleports from his arms over next to me. "C'mon Dustie, let's go home."

Without another word, Alan is pulled over in her magic, and my hoof along with his hand is placed on her withers, we pop out of existence, and reappear at the farm. I look around, "I thought we were going home, Mindy."

She giggles, "Dust, we've been talking to Fiddlesticks, she told us what you wanted. So we did it, Sunset, Moon, and I."

I cock my head to the side, "What?"

"Oh, Dustie, you just talked to her last night about this."

I finally put what she's saying together in my head, my ears fall, "You didn't."

She giggles, "Yes, we did."

"And it went well?"

She nods, "It was easy peasy, with three unicorns handling it. Though the lot where your house was is certainly much emptier now."

We trot for a while, and soon end up in the town of New Beginnings. And based on population, is now the sixth largest city in Montana, just above Helena and lower than Butte. Though with the hundred thousand or so transients from China, we are now the most populous city right now. I have to grin at that, but Montana is a rather small population state, it only made it over a million in the 2010's. I trot down the brightly colored streets, bright colors greet me everywhere. And the ponies, oh my Celestia, the ponies. I hear Equestrian being spoken almost more than English, I'm guessing the Chinese ponies are having an influence.

Mayor Mare trots up to me, "Oh, Lightning Dust, I'm glad to see you."

I sit on my haunches, Mindy and Alan nearby, "Hello Mayor Mare."

She looks more than a little frazzled, "Dust, are you aware that about a quarter of all these ponies you just brought over are planning on staying?"

My jaw drops, "Fifty thousand permanent residents here?"

She nods, "We are having to set up a Chinatown of sorts here. The new ponies are very industrious, every doctor here has helped the pegasi that had their primaries trimmed. Most of them are learning to fly. We are teaching them English as fast as we can, and thousands of those heading to Equestria have already departed. Though it's going to take at least a week for the ponies to all be moved."

"That's amazing, Mayor Mare. I must give credit to your organizational abilities. How are the new arrivals handling everything?"

She chuckles, "Many just stumble around in awe. We've got some quartered in the barracks you put up, and almost every herd has opened their homes to the new arrivals that are staying. Also, housing is being built as fast as possible."

I laugh, "Never underestimate what a pony can do, right Mayor Mare?"

She nods and giggles.

"You have no idea what's been going on, Dust. You need to get to the council meetings more often. Then you would know at least three big box stores want to open locations in New Beginnings. Along with a couple of other businesses that want pony help."

I look at her, shocked, "Seriously?"

She nods, "Walmart, Home Depot, and Barnes and Noble have all expressed interest when we approached them."

I cock my head to the side, "Why did you approach them?"

She laughs, "Dust, this town of ponies is going to be over fifty thousand, and growing rapidly. A good portion are working, the amount of money flowing here is huge. We need a fully functioning economy."

The confusion I feel must be showing on my face, she continues, "I know in Equestria we bartered, we haggled, we had open air markets. But we are in the human world, we shouldn't isolate ourselves. We need to be part of the broader economy of this country, of this world."

I think about her words for a moment, then smile, "You know what? You are right, I don't need to question your leadership abilities, Mayor Mare. You are doing a fine job on your own." I look around, most of the streets are cobblestone, but it looks like a suburban section is being built, with homes and asphalt paved streets. I ask about that.

"Oh, we are having roads built to your former home town, along with heading north and west. We are going to be an economic powerhouse of Eastern Montana very quickly, and of the entire state before too long. There are just too many of us."

I shake my head in wonder, "Mayor Mare, you are a gem."

She smiles at us as we take our leave of her and follow Mindy down a street, I don't know where I'm going. Alan, with his height, doesn't even get a second look from all the ponies running around. I rotate my ears. "Where is my home now?"

She giggles, "Oh, Dustie, it's up ahead, and while there really isn't any bad part of town, your house is one of the largest, so we got land near some of the larger houses in town. We have all the utilities set up, and everything is ready. The kids love the new location."

I chuckle, "They are going to miss the lake."

She giggles, "Think again, Dustie. We are ponies, we control the world around us, a couple of streams that make their way through the farmland have been diverted, the new lake will be frozen soon, but by next summer, it will be bigger than the lake at home."

I feel my jaw drop as I stop walking, Mindy stops and looks at me curiously, "Something wrong Dustie?"

I shake my head, "No, Mindy. Just in shock, we've done so much in so little time."

She smiles, "This is our nature, we get things how we want them."

"Well, the farm is only ten sections, everything you are talking about is going to take up a lot of space."

She nods, "And Mayor Mare has already thought of that, we've purchased two other farms, and some federal land as well, New Beginnings will be a stone's throw from your old hometown."

I shake my head in wonder, "Boy, I had better get plugged in to what's been going on, Mindy."

We finally make it down a very nicely appointed street, large houses dot the street, and the street itself is smooth, yet made of cobblestones, and all the streets are big enough for both hooved traffic and wheeled. This town looks a lot like some larger pony towns, but with a human touch. I smile as I see my house, this is totally amazing. I spread my wings to take off, only to have Mindy's magical aura enfold them, bringing them back to my sides, "Dustie, you've been told, no flying."

I growl, "Mindy, I promise I won't fly anywhere, but I'll be damned if I'm not allowed to hover around."

She sighs, "Fine, but you get over ten feet of altitude, I'll get mad at you Dustie."

I shudder as I bring my wings into play once again, getting off my sore hooves, "I don't want you mad at me Mindy."

She giggles, "Of course you don't Dustie." She hops up onto Alan's shoulder and sits there like a parrot on a pirate. Complete with feather costume and plastic beak over her muzzle. Alan smiles at the pony on his shoulder, I have to laugh as one again I extend my wings and hover at head level for the massive human. We end up inside the house, Irony smiles at me, so does Moon Shadow. Helen comes up and grabs me out of the air for a massive hug. 

"We were so worried after you left." Irony says as she walks up, I don't answer immediately, being consumed by my hug with my wife. I give her a kiss and she finally lets me go, I move up and kiss Irony, then Moon Shadow. Of course I can't forget Sunset Shimmer.

Greetings complete, a stallion walks out from the exercise room, towel around his neck. I dash over to Dr. Ray and bowl him over in a hug, then kiss him thoroughly. His face turns red and he looks down, "What was that for, Dust?"

I bite my lower lip, this is going to be hard, "Ray…" I look down, "I'm sorry."

He hugs me hard, "Dust, I know how stubborn you are. No worries. You are okay, right?"

I sniffle a bit, "No, Ray, I'm really sorry, I put my life in danger, I put my foal's life in danger. I was stupid, bull headed…" I'm interrupted by the unicorn hugging me tightly, he forestalls my tears with a passionate kiss.

He pulls away, "Dust, I love you, so does everypony in your herd. We worried about you, we worried about your foal. But nopony is mad at you."

"I'm mad at me."

I get a hoof across the face, did he just slap me? I look at him in shock, "Ray!" I say sharply. 

He laughs, "Dust, if you get into that self loathing bullshit, I'm going to do more than slap you." He comes forward and nuzzles me, "I am sorry, though, Dust, love."

I nuzzle him back, "Love you too, Ray."

I turn around and look at my herd, Alan has Mindy's foals, they are a bit larger, but they are no problem for the massive human. He looks happy. I get a look at Mindy, she's lost the feather costume, but she's still got the parrot beak on, she grabs Dot from Alan, nuzzling the unicorn foal, then fitting the parrot beak on her daughter, getting a giggle from the foal. I smile at them. My family, my herd, I'm actually very happy right now. My foal kicks, getting a little jump from me, I place a hoof on my belly, "It's okay, little one. Mommy is going to make sure you are okay."

My ears drop, did I just call myself mommy? Oh shit. Am I ready to be a mommy? Daddy was one thing, but this is so different. I rub my stomach, my feisty little one pushes where I'm touching, I smile, she's going to be a little hellion. Just like her momma. I feel myself blush. I spent thirty five years as a man, I am the father to two wonderful children. But now I've got one growing inside me. My ears fall, I'm going to be a mommy. I move over to the living room, heaving my body onto the couch, I look at Sunset, she's playing with my daughter on the big TV, the Playstation machine, the four, or the five, I don't know. I've lost count what iteration those things are at. They each have a controller in their magic. I'm watching zombies get blasted on screen, I look at their faces, both screwed up in concentration. 

I'm comfortable, and yet one of my herd mates decides to cuddle up with me, I feel her climb up onto the couch from behind me, a dark gray foreleg wraps around me, and she brings me closer.

"Mmmmm," I moan, "Moon Shadow." 

She hugs me tightly, "Dust, I'm worried about you."

I turn my head to look her in the eyes, "I'm okay."

Her brow furrows, "Are you sure, love? I know you are upset about what happened."

I sigh and lay my head down, "I was." My eyes roam over to Alan. Mindy and him are sitting, she is talking to him animatedly, "But a really nice human showed me that not all humans are bad."

She giggles in my ear, "Of course not all humans are bad," She tightens her grip on me, "Some of the most amazing ponies I know used to be human."

I sigh, "It's not that, love. We were the ponies we are now, just wearing human bodies. I'm talking about the humans, the ones that will stay human."

"There are those." She allows, then after a moment, "What about Dr. Ray? He was human once."

I scoff, "The exception to prove the rule."

She chuckles as she squeezes me a bit, "I would tend to think he is the norm. Once humans get to know us, they tend to like us."

I roll my eyes, "The bronies, and some of the humans do like us. But they aren't all that way, too many of them are too consumed with themselves, with power, with money."

"From the rich mare who has a lot more money than most."

I turn my head and lick her cheek gently, "I'm not consumed with making money, Moon Shadow. I've worked hard to build what I've built, not for the money, but a passion for the trade. And I've already told you, I don't care how much is in the bank."

I can feel her smile against my ear, "I know Dust."

"Are we ever going to get true acceptance by humanity?"

She sighs against my ear, "I don't know, Dust. I hope so."

I don't know, my foal is restless, that's making me restless, I flip over and hug Moon Shadow, and push myself away for clearance for my wings, I hover out the door. A new deck has been built behind my house, it juts out into the beginnings of a new lake.  The basin that the lake will fill has a new concrete dam to the south. I'm guessing this new lake will be about a square mile or two, it's going to be pretty big. Though the lake line seems to have been determined, and will be very picturesque once it's filled to capacity. Trees have been planted along the periphery, This is going to be very calming and comforting place once it's ready. 

"They have done a beautiful job, haven't they?" A voice says.

I look over at Irony, "Yes, this is all amazing. How much hard work that has been done."

I sigh, "I know," I rub my bouncing belly.

She chuckles, "It's way outside our experience isn't it?"

I look at her curiously, "What?"

"We were both guys, and now we are pregnant mares."

I bark out a laugh, "Yeah, it's a hard thing to think about. Got anything you miss about being and outie versus an innie?"

She laughs, "I dunno, sex as a mare has been amazing, and I'm easily double the strength I was as a human." She slaps a hoof on the ground, "Peeing in the snow."

I look at her, confused.

"Didn't you ever pee and write your name in the snow?"

I smile, "Michael is a pretty long name to write with a single bladder." Then I look down, "I did try a few times though." I chuckle.

"And Flash probably likes his new equipment, am I right?"

She chuckles, "He's mentioned that a couple of times."

I laugh with her, then hover over to her, "Irony, thank you."

She cocks her head to the side, "What?"

I tighten my hug around her neck, "Thank you for being you, for helping me find out what family truly means."

"I think Moon Shadow would have more to do with that than me."

"No, Irony, Moon Shadow, and everypony else has helped, but when I saw you, when I met you, there was so much that was unique about you."

I pull away to look in her confused face, "Are you talking about my unique origins?"

I cock my head to the side, "Not really, but your size, your beauty." She blushes, "Your intelligence, your drive."

Her blush redoubles, "I mean it, Irony. You are a beautiful pony."

"No, I'm not, Dust."

I kiss her, losing myself in the kiss for a long time, I end up on the ground, wings spread, and blush on my face. "Irony, you are gorgeous. You need to have some confidence in your looks, Moon agrees with me, and so does Mindy, and Sunset, and a few other ponies. Some ponies like big ponies." I kiss her cheek, "I'm one of them."

I head into the house, and Sunset comes up to me.

I smile at her, "So, who won?"

She smiles, "She got a higher score, but we both lost, but we did make it to round thirty seven."

I smile, "Good job. I've played an earlier iteration of that game some years ago."

"Are you ready to go to Iowa?"

I furrow my brow, "Iowa?"

She giggles, "Dust, we need to talk to Big Macintosh, we need to help with arrangements to get ponies to the portal, a lot of ponies have to get through in only three days."

"How many are going to Equestria?"

She shakes her head, "I don't know the exact number, but I'm thinking about eighty to a hundred thousand."

I look down, doing some mental math, "If it's a hundred thousand ponies, and three days, that's an average of one every two seconds."

"That's pretty quick, and I guarantee some ponies will want to come through from the other direction."

"We will coordinate with Big Macintosh, the ponies in Iowa have been busy getting ready to go home."

I smile, "So, when do we leave?"

"In the morning." 

I cover a yawn with my hoof, "So, bed time?"

She nods.