A Different Viewpoint of Equestria

by Christopher28

Chapter 30

Twilight's eyes were wide, and she put a hoof over her mouth with a startled squeak. Johnathon glanced from one mare to the other, realizing that neither was in any condition to speak, and turned to Radiant Song. "Mrs. Song. Were you looking for me?"

Radiant Song hesitated, tearing her eyes away from Twilight Sparkle with what appeared to be an act of will. "Er... yes, yes, I was looking for you, Johnathon, and I'm glad I did. Are you really planning on having Twilight Sparkle turn you into a pony?"

Johnathon hesitated, blushing. "Er... yeah," he admitted. "I suppose it wasn't too hard to figure that out, with what we were talking about earlier," he frowned as his face grew determined. "But that's not important. I take it you overheard what Twilight and I were talking about?"

Radiant Song hunched down slightly, glancing at Twilight with obvious trepidation. "I... I didn't hear... I mean, I'm sure I must have misheard," she started backing for the door. "I promise I won't tell anypony... just... just don't...."

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, frowning, trying to find the right words. "Wait! Mrs... Song?" she glanced at Johnathon in confusion. "You know Johnathon? Who...?"

Johnathon stepped toward the older mare, smiling gently. "Mrs. Song is Cheerilee's mother, Twilight. She's come to visit for a few days," he crouched down to get closer to Radiant Song's eye level, and caught her gaze. "I expect what you heard sounded pretty bad... but nothing bad actually happened. Twilight just tends to worry a bit too much. No pony was hurt, and everything turned out all right."

Radiant Song hesitated, still looking a bit worried. "It all sounded very... frightening, but... I couldn't have heard that right, could I? I mean... Princess Celestia is fine, isn't she?"

Johnathon nodded reassuringly. "The Princess is just fine. Twilight was talking about an incident when she was performing a new spell for the Princess, and things didn't go quite as planned. But everything turned out fine, better than fine in fact. That's how Twilight discovered how to turn herself into an alicorn, so she could give Princess Celestia some well deserved time off," he smiled brightly at Radiant Song. "Cheerilee could tell you about it. She was there with us for a lot of it."

Radiant Song blinked, startled by that. "Cheerilee? My Cheerilee was... with the Princess, in Canterlot? Helping with some sort of magical spell?"

Johnathon nodded calmly. "Yes. Just about everypony involved was a bit... well, concerned at the time, but like I said, everything worked out. Cheerilee and I knew about it because the magic Twilight has been researching recently has been in order to figure a way to get me back home."

Radiant Song blinked at that. "But... you're not going home... right? You've decided to stay here with my daughter, haven't you?"

Johnathon nodded quickly. "Yes. But at the time, I hadn't made up my mind to stay yet."

Radiant Song frowned. "This is all very confusing, Mister Dwire, but I suppose I'll just have to trust you on the matter," she glared at him. "But I won't hear of you changing yourself into a pony on a whim like this! Cheerilee would never forgive me if you did so because of something I said!"

Johnathon shook his head. "It wasn't you, Mrs. Song. I've been thinking about this for a while now. Our conversation just... crystallized my thoughts. I realized what I really wanted."

Radiant Song frowned. "And what you really want is to become a pony?"

Johnathon hesitated. "Well...."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I think what you really want is to show Cheerilee that you'd do anything for her. To make a foolish romantic gesture so that she knows that you love her just as much as she loves you."

Johnathon grimaced. "When you put it that way...."

Radiant Song's face softened, and she leaned forward to put a hoof on his shoulder. "I think your heart is in the right place, but I also know that Cheerilee would not want you to make such a drastic choice without her. I think you should at least talk this over with her first."

Johnathon shook his head. "She won't agree to it... she doesn't want me to change myself, especially now that she's gotten used to her own transformation. I just... I just want to give her the option of becoming a pony again. The way things are, she feels like the only right thing to do is to stay human, but it's not that simple."

Radiant Song smiled sadly at him. "I don't suppose it is very simple at that. Nevertheless, I know my daughter. She wouldn't appreciate you doing this behind her back."

Twilight cleared her throat. "I think Mrs. Song is right, Johnathon. You should talk this over with Cheerilee first. Besides, with everything I've learned about transformation magic, I'm still not ready to transform you, or any non-pony, into a pony permanently and safely. I could change you physically, but I couldn't give you the magical abilities that all ponies possess. I'm starting to figure out how... intrinsic magic is to all ponies. But humans... humans just don't seem to have the same sort of magical energies we do. I don't know how to give you pony magic, Johnathon. Not without taking it from somepony else, and obviously...."

Johnathon winced. "Obviously that's out of the question," he hesitated. "Still, even without magic, would it matter that much? I mean... if you turned me into an earth pony, maybe I wouldn't have earth pony strength or endurance, but I don't really need them...."

Twilight frowned slightly. "There is more to it than that, Johnathon, or at least, I believe so," she hesitated. "What we really need is a test...." her eyes brightened. "In fact, that's perfect! I've been so busy trying to perfect Strangehorn's permanent transformation spell, that I nearly forgot that I can do temporary transformations too!"

Johnathon blinked. "Temporary?"

Twilight nodded. "I could transform you into an Earth pony temporarily. Say, for half a day or so. Longer if I put more energy into it. That way you could, well... walk in our horseshoes for a while... and I could find out what exactly is part of our physical form, and what is part of our innate magical powers."

Johnathon thought about it. "Well... OK then. Can you do that? Today?"

Twilight hesitated, then nodded firmly. "Yes. Yes I can," she wrinkled her nose, then looked at him with a questioning expression. "Um... if I do, could you stick around for a while so I can run some tests? This will be my first real non-pony to pony transformation."

Johnathon smiled. "I'll be glad to stick around as long as you need, Twilight. You're doing this for my sake, after all."

"Not entirely," Twilight corrected. "I've already added a considerable amount to what we know about transformation magic, and about the permanent binding effect used by Strangehorn. Once I have all the bugs worked out, this could revolutionize pony society! Especially the binding effect. If we could work out how to safely bind permanent spell effects... well, I know I'm still a long way away from that, but I'm really excited about the possibilities!"

Johnathon grinned at her. "It is quite exciting, and I'd be happy to help with your experiments, even if it wasn't something I wanted for myself. So... shall we begin?"

Twilight nodded. "I'm ready. I've practiced this particular spell enough to have it down... the only real change will be changing a non-pony into a pony... but if I'm going for a purely physical transformation, that won't be a problem."

Johnathon hesitated. "So... will you need an earth pony to use as a template?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, not for this. In theory, if I did use an Earth pony as a template, I could transform you fully, magically and physically, but in the process I'd also drain the extra magical energy required from the template... which makes that a very bad idea."

Radiant Song's eyes were wide. "Should I... er... leave the room?"

Twilight smiled reassuringly. "Oh no, you don't have to worry. If I don't add you to the spell matrix, you won't be at any risk."

Radiant Song opened her mouth to protest, then wilted. "Ah. Well then... I suppose I will stay and watch...."

Twilight smiled. "It may get a bit bright, but this should be quite fascinating!" she turned to Johnathon. "Are you ready? I can begin anytime you like."

Johnathon hesitated, glancing down at himself. "Hmm... should I change clothes? I don't want to ruin what I'm wearing."

Twilight blinked at that, then looked thoughtful. "Hmm. I suppose a pony stallion is a bit larger through the barrel than you are, Johnathon... in fact, your clothing isn't proportioned right at all for a stallion... maybe you should get undressed."

The human blushed slightly. "Er... right. Ponies don't usually wear clothes. I guess that'll be one more thing to get used to."

"It's just for the day." Twilight said with a calming expression. "Although I could get you something to wear when you're a stallion if it'd make you feel better?"

Johnathon hesitated, then shook his head, sighing slightly. "No... I might as well have the full experience. Just... um...." he glanced at Radiant Song, looking sheepish. "You're probably going to think this is strange, but could you turn around or something until Twilight finishes transforming me?"

Radiant Song raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "Oh yes... your human nudity taboo! Cheerilee mentioned it in her letters," she smiled and shook her head. "I don't mind dear. In fact, why don't I just go. I'll get dinner ready... and let Cheerilee know where you are, so she doesn't worry, alright?"

Johnathon hesitated, then nodded. "Very well. Go ahead and tell her what I'm doing as well, and let her know it's not permanent. I don't want her to get upset at either of us."

Radiant Song wrinkled her nose. "Well... seeing as this isn't going to be permanent... I don't think she'll be too upset. But you really should talk to her about all this."

Johnathon sighed and nodded. "I will, Mrs. Song."

Radiant Song smiled and left, and Twilight turned to Johnathon. "Well then... shall we do this?"

Johnathon took a deep breath and nodded, then started to unbutton his shirt. "I guess I should get undressed first."

Twilight nodded absently, then blinked. "Oh! I should get my camera! I've been wanting pictures of male human anatomy for a while now!"

Johnathon rolled his eyes and sighed. "Of course you have."

After enduring half a dozen rather explicit photos 'for science', Johnathon stood patiently, trying not to blush, while Twilight concentrated, her horn lighting up the room as she prepared to cast her spell.

"Just hold still..." Twilight warned, then fired the spell at him.

Johnathon was blinded by the magic for several long moments, and even after he could see again, he kept his eyes shut at first, trying to adjust his balance. He felt strange... and yet, if he forced himself still, he could feel his body automatically adjusting, keeping him upright almost without conscious thought. He could feel all four limbs touching the floor of Twilight's library, which was both odd and strangely comfortable at the same time. He had been standing upright on two limbs only moments before, but being on all fours was less odd than he had expected it to feel. He opened his eyes finally, and found Twilight only inches away, staring at him intently. He startled backwards and fell onto his rump awkwardly.

"Oops!" Twilight said, looking apologetic. "Sorry... I didn't mean to startle you," she looked him up and down appraisingly. "Are you feeling alright?"

Johnathon hesitated as he took stock. "I feel... shorter," he finally replied. "But... I'm fine. I'm not in any pain, anyway."

Twilight smiled, then started to circle him, examining him from all angles. "Well, you LOOK fine..." she blushed. "I mean, you appear to be a perfectly healthy Earth pony stallion," she continued circling slowly. "Slightly above average height... excellent muscle definition... brown coat, black mane and tail..." she blinked. "Rather unusual coloring... but not too far outside the norm," she circled around to stop in front of him and looked at his chin. "You appear to be about my father's age... your muzzle is showing a bit of grey."

Johnathon grinned. "That's probably about right. My hair was starting to go gray at the temples as well," he stood up, awkwardly at first, then closed his eyes. "Give me a second... from what Cheerilee went through, this will be easier if I don't try and think about it too much," he opened his eyes and started to walk, slowly but surely, in a circle around Twilight.

Twilight beamed. "That's very good, Johnathon! It took me over an hour to be able to walk on two legs without falling!"

Johnathon shrugged. "Humans are able to crawl on four limbs at a very early age. I imagine it's easier than two... no offense meant."

Twilight chuckled. "None taken. Bipedal locomotion does seem to be quite a bit more complex in practice."

Johnathon took a deep breath, glancing down at his front hooves, and shivered. "I'm glad it's not too hard to walk... this is going to be hard enough as it is...."

Twilight moved up next to him, looking a bit concerned. "Is it the lack of clothing? Are you sure you don't want me to get you something to wear?"

Johnathon shook his head. "No... no, that's not a big deal. I do feel a little... well, exposed, but... it's nothing serious. No, it's more along the lines about missing my hands. Honestly, I think that's going to be the hard part. Still, this is only for a day, right?"

Twilight nodded. "Approximately. I put in as much energy into the temporary transformation as I could without overly exhausting myself... seeing as that I still want to run some tests, so I estimate the spell will last a minimum of twenty four hours. It could last as long as thirty six... perhaps a bit longer, but I don't think so."

Johnathon blinked. "You aren't sure?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. When I used that translation spell on you, back when we first met, I put in a precisely calculated amount of energy, and the spell's instructions were quite clear on how to extend the duration of the magic... but on more difficult spells like this one, it's sometimes hard to precisely regulate how much energy I put into them."

Johnathon nodded. "Alright. Twenty four to thirty six hours. I can deal with that," he blinked, then glanced back at his flank, then sniffed in mild disappointment. "Hmm. No cutie mark, I see. I guess that's only to be expected."

Twilight looked apologetic. "I don't think you can even get one like this, Johnathon. That's a magic that's unique to ponies. If I gave you an Earth Pony's magic, you might get a cutie mark over time... although I'm not sure how it would work for an adult who's already found their special talent."

Johnathon shrugged. "Well, it's not all that important, I guess."

Twilight frowned. "I'm not so sure. I mean, I've never heard of a pony your age without a cutie mark. Anypony you meet will notice. You'll get a lot of questions."

Johnathon grimaced. "Well... that's not all that different from what Cheerilee has had to deal with since she transformed. It's just one more thing to deal with. Besides, I'm not planning on hiding who I am...."

Twilight winced. "Actually... could you? At least from the ponies in town? If everypony realizes that I can transform anypony really easily, I'll be swamped with requests to transform ponies into things. It's why I asked Rarity and Pinkie Pie to conceal the fact that they had been transformed as well. I really don't want just anypony to know I can do this yet."

Johnathon chuckled, then nodded. "Yeah, I get that. Still... what can we do about it?"

Twilight thought about that. "I could give you an illusionary cutie mark. I've read up about disguise spells since the whole thing with Princess Celestia. It's actually pretty simple... comparatively speaking," she thought about it. "Now then... what cutie mark shall I give you?"

Johnathon shrugged. "Something generic, I guess. It only has to last for a day, right?"

Twilight nodded slowly. "True... but it should be something appropriate... something you really are good at, just in case."

The archeologist blinked. "Just in case what?"

Twilight shook her head. "I don't know... in case something comes up... an emergency or something that would be something somepony with your cutie mark would be helpful to fix?"

Johnathon blinked again. "Oh. That's kind of unlikely, don't you think?"

Twilight frowned. "But... if I give you an hourglass cutie mark, and somepony asks you the time... what if you don't know what time it is? Or if I give you an Apple cutie mark, and you don't know how to buck apples? What then?"

Johnathon chuckled. "An Apple cutie mark might be fun... but I'd expect that anyone from the Apple family might figure out that I'm not a family member pretty quickly," he looked thoughtful. "Well, how about a compass rose, like Daring Do? I'm pretty good at finding my way... it's not my special talent, but I should be able to fake it. Besides, I am an archeologist, so it fits."

Twilight blinked, then nodded. "OK. A direction finding talent is actually pretty common. Prince Blueblood has a compass cutie mark as well, you know?"

Johnathon grimaced. "Oh yeah," he shrugged finally. "Eh... at least there's no chance of being mistaken for him."

Twilight grinned. "Actually, you kind of look like her. Daring Do I mean. Your fur is darker, and your mane isn't mutlicolored, but it's got a little grey in it. You could be her uncle or something, especially if you had the same cutie mark."

Johnathon chuckled. "Except I'm an Earth pony right now, and the fact that she's a fictional character."

Twilight looked thoughtful. "Actually, I heard that she's based upon a real pony. My mother said she met an archeologist pony in Canterlot university that looks just like the pictures on the Daring Do books... although this pony is quite a bit older than the Daring Do in the stories."

Johnathon raised an eyebrow. "Really? Interesting. I wonder if we'll end up meeting her on this dig? Princess Celestia did say she was going to put a team together. I wouldn't be surprised if some ponies from Canterlot University were part of it."

Twilight giggled. "Could you imagine the look on Rainbow Dash's face if she met the real Daring Do?"

Johnathon chuckled. "She'd probably faint," he shrugged. "But what's the chance of that particular professor actually showing up anyway?"

***********************************

It was several hours later that Cheerilee came into the library, looking more than a little anxious. "Johnathon? Are you here? Mother told me what you were planning. Johnathon? Johnathon!" The schoolteacher raised her voice till she was shouting. "Johnathon!" she called again. "Is any pony here?"

There was a muffled scraping sound from the door leading to the library's basement, and what sounded like a quiet curse in English. The door glowed with magic and opened and a brown earth pony came through, nearly tripping as he crossed the door's threshold, but catching his balance at the last moment.

Cheerilee rushed over to him, somehow knowing immediately who it was. "Johnathon!" she went to her knees, throwing her arms around his neck. "Johnathon... you big silly. You didn't have to do this."

"I didn't have to." He agreed mildly. "But I needed to. I had to at least know what it's been like for you. I've been feeling so guilty, letting you stay transformed for my sake."

Cheerilee shook her head. "I don't mind being human. I've told you that. It almost feels normal by now."

Johnathon pulled away slightly so he could look her in the eyes. "I know it can't have been easy, adapting. I wanted to be able to experience some of that for myself. Even if this is only temporary... I wanted to know a little bit of what you've had to go through for me."

Cheerilee smiled softly. "Not just for you. I did it... stayed like this, for me too," she pushed herself out to arms length and took a good look at him, whistling once. "Oh my... you do make a handsome stallion though. Makes me want to be a pony mare again, if only for a little while."

Johnathon blushed slightly. "I don't know if I'd be up for... er... that. I'm still kind of learning how to move properly."

Cheerilee's eyes twinkled. "I'd be happy to help show you the ropes... just like you showed me. Remember?"

Johnathon started blushing deeper, and from behind him, Twilight Sparkle coughed politely. "Er... hi Cheerilee."

The schoolteacher's face went pink in embarrassment. "Ah... Twilight... you... you heard every word, didn't you."

Twilight blushed slightly as she came into the library to stand next to them. "Afraid so..." she glanced at Johnathon with a slight grin. "Although he does make a rather handsome stallion, doesn't he?"

Cheerilee grinned and nodded. "Mmm hmm. If this fellow had been the one to move into my house all those months ago, all those rumors about the two of us would have been a lot more true."

Johnathon got a thoughtful look on his face. "So, you like the way I look as a pony, hmm?"

Cheerilee nodded, then ruffled his mane fondly. "I like the way you look as a human too... but yes, you make for a very attractive stallion."

Twilight looked interested at that. "Cheerilee, are you actually physically attracted to him as a human? I didn't realize that."

Cheerilee nodded. "Not at first. I did think he was... nicely put together, from an aesthetic point of view, at least, but... well, I've become quite a bit more aware of his looks since you changed me, Twilight. I like the way..." she blushed. "Well, how we fit together." Johnathon was still blushing slightly, but he nuzzled against her with his head, and she hugged him again. "He's very handsome as a stallion, but... I'll be glad when he's back to normal."

Johnathon raised his eyes to her. "Are you sure? Twilight could make this permanent... you could go back to being a pony again, and... well, a lot of things would be easier that way."

Cheerilee was quiet for a long moment. "Perhaps. I do miss being a pony. Not all the time, of course, but sometimes... and I would be happy to be with you, human or pony. I don't think that's going to change," she smiled softly at him. "But I don't think you'd be happy as a pony. I know you too well for that."

Johnathon shrugged. "Lets just... let's give this a try. See how it goes?"

Cheerilee smiled. "Of course. I'll help you figure out being a pony, just like you helped me figuring out being human. But I know you. You're going to want to change back." Johnathon started to protest, and Cheerilee shook her head. "Oh, I know you'd stay like this if I asked you... if you thought I'd be unhappy, but I'm not, Johnathon. I've been happy, being with you," she smiled, and stood, stroking his mane lightly. "Come on... let's go home. You've got until tomorrow before you change back, right?"

Johnathon glanced at Twilight. "Have you done all the tests you need, Twilight?"

Twilight Sparkle hesitated, then nodded. "I could think of a few more... but I'd pretty much just be repeating myself. Go on home. If you could come back after you change back, I'd appreciate it... and if you have any problems, let me know. I don't anticipate anything, but..."

Johnathon nodded. "Out of curiosity, should I avoid foods that I wouldn't be able to handle as a human, in case I turn back with... I don't know... a bunch of hay in my stomach?"

Twilight's eyes widened, then she nodded. "That might be a good idea. I hadn't considered that, but that might be an important safety tip for transforming ponies. I'll have to do some tests to see if it's something to be worried about, but it might be a real concern."

Johnathon chuckled. "It's a good thing that Radiant Song is planning on cooking for at least one human tonight... there should be plenty of foods that both a pony and human can eat."

Cheerilee blinked. "Mom's cooking? Wow... she must really like you."

Johnathon looked curious. "Oh? Doesn't she cook often?"

Cheerilee shook her head. "Dad did most of the cooking when I was growing up. Mom's a great cook if she puts her mind to it, but she rarely goes to the trouble," she smiled down at him. "Come on, if mom's cooking, we should get back. We don't want to keep her waiting."

Twilight waved as the oddly matched pair headed for the library exit. "Be careful, OK? Try not to let too many ponies know about Johnathon being a pony right now!"

Cheerilee stopped and looked back at Twilight with a frown on her face. "Did you mention to my mom that this was supposed to be a secret?"

Twilight blinked. "Um... no. I kind of forgot to mention it."

Cheerilee grimaced. "Oh dear," she turned to Johnathon and started to hurry. "We'd better get back quick."

Twilight looked worried. "Oh dear? What does that mean? Cheerilee?" the door closed on her question, and Twilight took a moment to fret. "I've really got to work harder on keeping secrets."

************************************************

Walking through town with Cheerilee, Johnathon was amused to be getting more attention than Cheerilee herself was. Apparently a new pony in town was more interesting than a human, at least when that human was one of their own.

When they were far enough away from anypony to prevent casual eavesdropping, Johnathon chuckled and shook his head. "Somehow, I think keeping my identity secret is going to be a little more difficult than Twilight expects."

Cheerilee nodded somberly. "Especially since you're walking home with me. Somepony will probably put two and two together."

Johnathon shrugged. "Maybe we should split up? I could take another route home... sneak the last couple blocks?"

Cheerilee hesitated. "I guess that could work. Will you be alright alone? You're still getting used to being a pony, after all."

Johnathon nodded. "I'm probably not up to galloping, but if I keep it slow I can walk alright. I'm sure I can make it home in one piece."

Lyra and Bon Bon were walking towards them, looking curious, and Johnathon excused himself, purposely speaking in a deeper voice than usual. "Well thank you for... explaining, Miss... er... human. I won't take any more of your time."

Lyra glanced at Johnathon then seemed to dismiss the stranger from her head, walking directly up to Cheerilee with a large smile on her face, while Bon Bon paused long enough to watch him walk away and around a corner.

"Hey Cheerilee!" Lyra greeted her enthusiastically. "Has Twilight figured out the counterspell to turn you back into a pony yet?"

Cheerilee blinked at the question. "Not... quite yet, Lyra. Why did you want to know?"

Bon Bon sighed. "Because she wants Twilight to transform her into a human, of course. She's obsessed with those stupid hand things..." she winced and lowered her head apologetically. "No offense meant, Cheerilee. I mean... it's just it's all she ever talks about."

Cheerilee shook her head. "It's alright, Bon Bon," she turned to Lyra. "Hands, huh?"

Lyra nodded fervently. "They're just so... cool!" she gazed at Cheerilee's hands with something close to awe. "They're just so... useful! I could play my lyre so much better... and pick up things, and do all sorts of things with them!"

"You can do all those things with your magic, Lyra!" Bon Bon pointed out, sounding exasperated, like she had made the same argument a dozen times or more already.

"It's not the same..." Lyra said sadly. "Tell her, Cheerilee!"

Cheerilee blinked. "Well... hands are useful, I will admit. I have kind of gotten used to them... but I'm sure that levitation would be pretty cool too," she shook her head. "But there are disadvantages to being human as well. I get cold a lot easier without my fur... and my feet are so soft that I'm always hurting them when I don't wear shoes. I have to duck for a lot of doorways too..."

Bon Bon looked smug. "See? I told you that being a human isn't all that great, Lyra. This obsession of yours is just ridiculous."

Lyra sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know, Bon Bon. But I still think it'd be pretty neat."

Bon Bon turned back to Cheerilee, and glanced in the direction Johnathon had gone. "Speaking of neat... who was that stallion you were talking to, Cheerilee? He's kind of cute, for an older pony. Is he staying in town?"

Cheerilee hesitated before speaking. "Er... from what he said, he's only going to be in town a day or so. I guess he was curious when he saw me. Not many ponies outside of Ponyville have seen a human before after all."

Bon Bon looked impressed. "And he walked right up to you? Wow.... he must be really brave. If I didn't know who you were, Cheerilee, I'd probably be pretty scared. I remember when Johnathon first came to town. I think just about everypony ran and hid...."

Cheerilee nodded with a small smile. "I remember. Still, ever since Twilight Sparkle came to town, I've started to get used to strange things happening."

Bon Bon frowned, looking torn. "I don't know... Twilight is... well, she's great and all. She's the Princess's protege, and she's super powerful and all that, but... don't you think it's gotten a bit TOO wild here since she's arrived?"

Lyra grinned and socked Bon Bon lightly in the shoulder with a forehoof. "I think it's fun. Ponyville was so boring before she showed up, you know? Except for Pinkie, of course... hard to be bored with Pinkie around."

********************************

Johnathon had gotten three quarters of the way to his and Cheerilee's house. He had managed, as far as he could tell, to get out of sight of the ponies on the street, and was moving stealthily from building to building toward their home when a hyperactive pink pony bounced directly into his path with a huge smile on her face.

"HI! I'm Pinkie Pie! What's your name? Are you new in town? Of course you're new in town because I've never seen you before and I know everypony in town and I mean everypony! Welcome to Ponyville, by the way! Are you trying to be all ninja pony, because you're sneaking around like a ninja pony, and I wondered if you were trying to play a prank on somepony... which means you must know somepony here in Ponyville, unless somepony hired you to sneak up and do a prank on somepony, but if there was a paid pranking service I'd know about it because that would be really cool and I'd probably want to work there... unless it's a secret spy pranking organization bent on world conquest! But that would just be silly!"

Johnathon sat back on his hind legs and waited for Pinkie to slow down a bit. "Well... hi, Pinkie Pie."

Pinkie gasped. "Wow! You know my name! Oh wait, I just told you my name, what's your name?" she blinked. "Oh yeah, I already asked you that and I've been talking ever since which is probably why you haven't told me your name yet because you can't get a word in edgewise and maybe I should stop talking for a bit...."

Johnathon chuckled. "Well, I'll tell you my name, Pinkie, but I'm afraid it's a secret. Can you keep a secret, Pinkie Pie?"

Pinkie seemed to swell up before nodding fervently, then making a series of motions that seemed to include a lot of throwing things over her shoulder and building construction. Johnathon waited patiently till she was done.

"So I take it you can keep a secret then?"

Pinkie looked surprised. "Isn't that what I just told you? You see, first I zip my lips shut, then I lock them with a key, and dig a hole, then throw the key in a hole, then fill up the hole with cement and then build a house on top of the cement, then..."

Johnathon nodded patiently. "I think I get the idea," he glanced around to see if anypony was in earshot, and noticed that a number of ponies had stopped to watch Pinkie's antics from a distance. Frowning, he motioned Pinkie to follow him farther back into the alley he had been sneaking through before speaking. "Pinkie, don't say anything, OK? Just listen. It's Johnathon. Twilight changed me into a pony... only for the next day or so, but she doesn't want anypony to know, OK?"

Pinkie nodded quickly, then gestured to her mouth, making a motion as if unzipping her lips.

Johnathon chuckled. "Yes, you can speak, as long as you're careful not to let anypony else in on the secret, OK?"

Pinkie nodded again, then wrinkled her nose. "So... does that mean I can't throw you a welcome to Ponyville party? I mean... I throw everypony a welcome to Ponyville Party... well, almost everypony. Unless there is already going to be a welcoming party... or if they leave town before I can throw them a party... but you're not leaving town," she hesitated. "But you're also not new to Ponyville... so maybe I could throw you a "congratulations on becoming a pony, party... except your becoming a pony is supposed to be a secret..."

Johnathon shrugged helplessly. "Maybe a party is not the best idea. It might be hard to keep this a secret if we threw a party about it."

Pinkie sighed, looking sad. "That's too bad. I'd like to throw you a congratulations on becoming a pony party... you make a pretty neat pony, Johnathon!" she walked around him quickly, peering at him from all angles. "I like your cutie mark! Isn't it just like Prince Blueblood's?"

Johnathon winced at the reference, then shrugged. "It's the same as Daring Do as well. You know, the archeologist in those stories Rainbow Dash likes so much?"

Pinkie blinked, then beamed. "Oh yeah! Maybe it's because you're an archeologist too!"

Johnathon shrugged. "It's an illusion, actually. I don't have a real cutie mark. Something to do with my not having any pony-style magic. Twilight thinks that I probably wouldn't get one, even if I stayed a pony for a long time, but she figured that anypony seeing me without a cutie mark at my age would probably be pretty suspicious."

Pinkie blinked, then nodded seriously. "That WOULD be weird. I don't think anypony hasn't gotten their cutie mark by the time they're as old as you are! I mean... you're REALLY old! You're like... Madam Mayor old! You're not quite Granny Smith old, although sometimes you seem like it, because you like to tell long stories like Granny Smith does, although you usually remember the endings better... maybe because you're not quite so old..."

Johnathon sighed. "Yeah... I get it, I'm old," he glanced around again, making sure they weren't observed, then nodded toward the direction of his house. "Anyway, I need to get home... Cheerilee's mother is cooking dinner tonight, and I don't want to be late. I kind of want to make a good impression on her, seeing that I'm living with her daughter and all."

Pinkie grinned at him. "Making a good impression on the in-laws, huh? Good idea! Did you know that Cheerilee's dad used to be a steel worker pony? He's huge! He's almost as big as Big Mac, did you know? He scared all of Cheerilee's old boyfriends away...." she told him cheerfully.

Johnathon winced slightly at that. "Ah... well, I'm hoping he won't want to scare me away, but regardless, I do want to make a good impression on Cheerilee's mom. But I need to get there without anypony seeing me, because if they see me go into Cheerilee's house, and then come out as a human tomorrow, they might figure out that the pony they saw going in is me... which is what Twilight wants to avoid, you know?"

Pinkie Pie nodded thoughtfully. "I got it. So... what we need... is a diversion!" she grinned and started galloping away. "Don't worry, Johnathon! Just wait for the diversion, and then make a run for Cheerilee's place!"

Johnathon blinked, then called after her. "Wait! What are you going to do?"

Pinkie grinned as she turned the corner and vanished. "You'll know!"

Johnathon waited in the alley, curious, and slightly nervous as to what the party pony would come up with. Before long, he could hear Pinkie singing, accompanied by some rather jaunty background music. Before long, several other voices joined in, and, when he peeked around the corner, a major song and dance number seemed to have spontaneously erupted in the town square.

He blinked at the spectacle, then shook his head. "Remind me never to underestimate that pony..." Johnathon slipped away, reaching Cheerilee's house unnoticed without any trouble.

He slipped into the house, and was pleasantly surprised by the appetizing aroma coming from the kitchen. "That really smells good, Mrs. Song." he complimented as he entered the kitchen, closing his eyes and breathing deeply of the rich aroma.

Radiant Song nearly jumped as the strange stallion entered the kitchen, then blinked in sudden understanding. "Oh my! Johnathon, is that you? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Johnathon grinned at her apologetically. "Sorry about that. Yes, it's me. Twilight's spell should last through tomorrow at least. This is apparently what I look like as an Earth pony stallion."

Radiant Song gazed at him contemplatively, then smiled. "Well, you do make for a handsome stallion, if that's any consolation," she told him. "Where is Cheerilee? I sent her to Twilight's house, did she miss you?"

Johnathon shook his head. "No, we just split up to attract less attention. Twilight would like to keep her transformation spells a secret, so nopony ends up abusing her abilities. There is a lot of potential for abuse with spells like that, after all."

Radiant Song thought about that, then nodded slowly. "I can imagine so," she paused, then nodded. "Well, I won't tell anypony, if that helps. I don't want to cause trouble for Cheerilee, or her friends."

"I appreciate that, mother." Cheerilee's voice came from behind Johnathon, and the woman herself came into the kitchen behind him, running a hand lightly over his back as she entered, stopping next to him with one hand on his shoulder.

"Hey." Johnathon smiled up at her, slightly amused by the reversal of their heights. "Everything go alright with Lyra and Bon Bon?"

Cheerilee smiled and shrugged. "Lyra seems to have developed a serious fascination with the idea of becoming human. She's quite obsessed with hands, for example. Bon Bon's a good influence on her though... I think she keeps her grounded. Still, I think ponies like Lyra are one good reason to keep Twilight's abilities secret. If Lyra knew that Twilight could change her into a human, and back again safely, I think she'd probably be bothering her constantly to do it."

Radiant Song raised an eyebrow. "That seems a little odd. Why would any pony want to be something else? I mean, what's so special about being human?"

Cheerilee looked thoughtful. "Oh, as I've said, being human has its perks... and its drawbacks, but once you get used to it it's not all that different from being a pony. I think if I lived someplace else than Ponyville, I might not enjoy it so much, but the ponies here really are quite accepting. They hardly treat me any different than they did before I was transformed. I expect that most other places, I'd be getting stared at and bothered all the time, which would make this all much harder to deal with," she glanced down at Johnathon, running her fingers idly though his mane. "What about you, Johnathon? How are you adjusting to being a pony?"

Johnathon had closed his eyes, content to enjoy her idle stroking, but looked up at the question. "Right now, it's still pretty much just strange. Strange and scary, to be honest. I'm alright if I don't think about it too much, but..." he raised a hoof toward his face, looking at it with an air of detachment, then shuddered slightly. "I miss my hands. I don't blame Lyra for being fascinated by them... for me, they really defined who I was as a person. I write with my hands... read books using my hands... work with them.. eat, drink... I know that I can do all those things without them, but... it's not the same."

Cheerilee knelt down to hug his neck. "If it's too much, we can go back to Twilight and ask her to reverse the spell."

Johnathon shook his head, putting a hoof around her back to return the hug. "No, it's only for a day or so, and I feel it's important to go through with this. I want to be able to know a little bit about what you had to deal with," he hesitated, looking guilty. "I asked Twilight to make the change permanent at first. I know I should have talked it over with you first, but I knew you'd try and talk me out of it...."

Cheerilee sighed. "I would have at least liked you to talk it out with me first, Johnathon. That's an awfully big change to make, and it's something that affects me as well."

Johnathon nodded against her shoulder, sighing. "I'm sorry. Twilight wouldn't do it, of course. She and your mother both pointed out the same thing, that I needed to talk this out with you first, and they were right. Twilight changed me for the day as a compromise. I hope you aren't mad."

Cheerilee shook her head. "I'm not. I'm a bit upset that you thought about transforming permanently without asking me, but I'm glad you decided to be reasonable about it," she pulled away slightly, her hands on his shoulders, and smiled faintly, her eyes twinkling. "It's actually kind of romantic... you're not usually this impulsive."

Johnathon grinned at her. "Being in love makes you a little crazy sometimes, you know?"

Cheerilee laughed, throwing her head back and laughing long and hard, till tears started to come out of her eyes. "Oh my!" she panted as she finally stopped. "I certainly know a thing or two about that."

After sharing some of the crazier things that they had gone through in recent months with Radiant Song, they sat down to dinner. Cheerilee helped her mother serve, while Johnathon was content to wait at the table, resting his rear end on a large cushion that Cheerilee had used as a pony, which they had kept in the kitchen for guests. Before sitting down herself, Cheerilee got out the silverware Johnathon had purchased soon after he had first moved in with her, and laid it out for herself.

They all sat down to eat, and Johnathon was surprised at the variety of the dishes prepared. "You cooked all this, Mrs. Song? I'm amazed!"

Radiant Song blushed slightly, and shook her head. "I actually only prepared a few dishes myself. I had a few dishes prepared ahead of time by a catering place in town, actually. It's been a rather hectic day after all."

Johnathon smiled genuinely at her. "Home made or not, it all looks great. This was very thoughtful of you," he blinked as he looked over the various dishes more carefully. "Is that... fish?" he asked, more than a bit surprised. "I thought ponies were strictly vegetarian."

Radiant Song looked a bit concerned. "Oh, I hope that's alright. I thought, with humans being omnivores, that fish would be on your diet... did I violate a cultural boundary by accident?"

Johnathon quickly shook his head. "Oh no! On the contrary. Humans do eat fish, and I was no exception, although I haven't had any... meat of any sort since I got here. I've been making do with alternate means of gaining the protein I need, since I didn't want to upset any pony with my diet."

Radiant Song smiled. "That's very thoughtful. I do know that some ponies do find eating meat, even fish, to be quite barbaric, but not all cultures are the same. The griffons, in particular, do need meat from time to time to stay healthy, although when in pony society they usually do without. Still, some ponies, particularly Pegasi, do enjoy the occasional fish dinner, although it's not common."

Cheerilee was gaping slightly at what, to Johnathon, appeared to be a finely filleted cod, and shuddered slightly. "Mother! I can't believe you... I mean, I'm not really a... I mean, I've never eaten meat!"

Radiant Song frowned slightly. "I apologize... with Johnathon an Earth Pony, if only for the day, I suppose I should have changed the menu... for some reason I thought that you must have already adapted to an omnivorous diet, Cheerilee."

Cheerilee grimaced. "I have had to change a lot of what I eat, of course..." she paused. "I can't eat hay, or any type of grass... or flowers. In fact, most vegetables are not very palatable at all without some preparation, although I seem to enjoy most fruits about the same... but I've never eaten meat. Since Johnathon explained how to keep myself healthy without... I just never thought about trying it."

Radiant Song nodded, then stood, moving around the table to pick up the platter with the steaming cod on it. "I am sorry, Cheerilee, I should have asked."

Cheerilee reached out and put a hand down on the platter, stopping her mother from taking it away. "It's alright, mother. It was really very thoughtful of you," she blushed slightly, "and I'm a bit terrified to admit... it smells REALLY good."

Johnathon raised an eyebrow. "Well... if pegasi can eat fish, can an Earth pony? I mean... since you went to the trouble of making it... and it has been a very long time."

Radiant Song smiled and nodded. "It should be fine. I hope I got the recipe right. It's been ages since I've prepared it."

Johnathon smiled. "Well, I have to agree with Cheerilee. It does smell wonderful," he reached forward toward the platter, awkwardly knocking into it with his outstretched hoof. "Dang it," he muttered. "Right, no hands," he hesitated, then sighed. "How am I supposed to do this, anyway?" he said with a slightly confused expression, then turned to Cheerilee. "Hun... I could probably drag the patter over to myself... and eat directly from the plate... but... er... maybe you should take some for yourself first?"

Cheerilee blinked, then smiled and nodded easily. "Of course, love. That's a good idea," reaching forward with fork and an empty plate, Cheerilee deftly collected several slices of cod and set it down in front of her. Her mother watched with some curiosity.

"A fork? How fascinating! I thought only unicorns used those," Radiant Song noted, sounding genuinely interested. "I've never used one myself...."

Johnathon nodded. "I'd think they'd be kind of hard to use for an Earth pony..." he reached out carefully with his front hooves, placing one hoof on each side of the patter of fish, and slowly started to draw it toward himself. He winced as he knocked over a salad bowl, but managed to get it the rest of the way over to himself without any further mishap.

Radiant Song got up and walked around the table, and started eating the spilled salad off the table top, winking at Johnathon. "Don't worry about making a little mess, dear. You're new to your hooves after all."

Johnathon sighed and nodded, then levered himself up on the table with his hooves so that he could lean face first over the fish platter. Eating directly off the platter seemed more than a little weird, but he couldn't figure out any other way of doing it, and it did seem to be the way most Earth ponies ate. He got more than a little messy in the process, smearing sauce and bits of fish over his chin, but he managed. Having eaten his fill of the fish, he tried to pick up a napkin by clasping it between his front hooves. He had to rest his elbows on the table in order to raise the napkin with to his face without falling face first into the table, but with some difficulty he managed to wipe his chin.

From the other side of the table, Cheerilee watched him with a fond expression. It was obvious that she sympathized with the difficulty he was having, but at the same time, she knew him well enough not to offer assistance if he didn't ask, and it was obvious Johnathon was determined not to ask for help unless he had to.

Radiant Song had polished off half the salad, and moved next to him to steal a small bite of fish from the platter, then moved around to his other side to start working on some of the other dishes. Johnathon followed her example, moving around the table to sample different dishes rather than try and move the dishes around the table with his hooves, and that seemed to work out better. It was weird... very weird, at least to him, but it did keep the spills to a minimum.

Radiant Song herself seemed distracted, watching her daughter eat. Cheerilee used fork and knife to eat, and was well practiced now, having worked hard to imitate Johnathon in the past, she had gotten past her own clumsy first attempts.

"Just like a unicorn..." Radiant Song murmured with quiet fascination. "Do all humans eat like that?"

Cheerilee blinked, then glanced at Johnathon in curiosity. "Actually, I'm not sure. I just learned by imitating Johnathon."

Johnathon himself shrugged. "It's pretty common to eat with a knife and fork among humans, yes. There are other cultures, but most use utensils... much like unicorns here do, actually. Cheerilee has done everything she can to learn my customs in order to make me more comfortable here, and that includes imitating how I eat."

Radiant Song frowned. "Wouldn't it be more appropriate for you to adapt to pony customs, Johnathon?" she blushed slightly. "I'm sorry, that was rude..."

Johnathon shook his head. "No no, not at all. In fact, I have tried to adopt as many pony customs as I can... including changing my diet to a vegetarian one, and I have explained to Cheerilee that she doesn't have to follow human customs if she doesn't want to, but..."

Cheerilee spoke up. "It doesn't do me any harm to make Johnathon feel more at home, and learning more about his culture has been fun. I don't mind adapting a little, and a lot of the human customs I've learned have actually made learning how to be comfortable as a human easier. Clothing, for example. It may be a human custom to wear clothing nearly all the time, but frankly, without a fur coat... and hooves, I don't know what I'd have done without clothes and shoes," she grinned. "Well, I'd be cold and footsore, at the least."

Radiant Song looked curious. "Are humans really that fragile?"

Cheerilee looked thoughtful. "Well, I can do without shoes... but my feet can be terribly sensitive, especially on rocks or gravel and such. I don't know how humans survived before shoes were invented!"

Johnathon chuckled. "Well, it's quite possible to develop calluses if you go without shoes for long enough. I suppose early humans simply developed tough skin on their feet over time. I've never really gotten any calluses on my feet, as I've been wearing shoes practically since I was born, but I'm a bit of an exception to that rule. Still, that does seem to be one major advantage to hooves. They're a lot tougher than human hands or feet."

Radiant Song raised an eyebrow. "So being an Earth Pony isn't all bad?"

Johnathon shrugged slightly. "It's not bad... just... different. I suppose I'll get used to it, given enough time."

Radiant Song smiled with a pleased expression. "Earth ponies have a lot of advantages, you know? We're the strongest of the ponies, and we can keep going for longer. Many Earth ponies have a natural talent for growing things as well. Farming is really something only Earth ponies do really well, you know."

"I was a farmer myself, for a time," Johnathon commented idly. "It'd be nice to have those talents, but... I don't think that will happen, unless Twilight figures out how to give me magic... which she can't do right now without taking it from somepony else."

Radiant Song blinked, then frowned. "Oh, that's right. I had forgotten about that, Miss Sparkle did mention something like that, didn't she," she paused, looking curious. "I know that all ponies have some magic, but what exactly was it that Twilight wasn't able to give you, exactly?"

Johnathon hesitated. "Well, Twilight thinks that if I had gotten Earth Pony magic I'd be a lot stronger and tougher than I am now. At the moment, I'm no physically stronger than a unicorn of my size. At least, that's what Twilight tells me, and I'm inclined to believe her. Other than that, it's hard to say. Twilight seemed to think that without my own magic, I'd be unlikely to get a cutie mark... although we can't really be sure about that, I suppose," Radiant Song blinked, glancing at his flank, and he explained. "Oh, that's an illusion. Twilight thought it'd be easier to blend in if I had one... it's not real though."

Johnathon shrugged slightly. "Still, I don't need Earth Pony strength or stamina... and I don't need a cutie mark to have a talent or two. If she had made me a pegasus without any magic, I might be a bit more upset about it. It'd be a real shame to have wings but not be able to fly."

Radiant Song blinked. "Pegasi can't fly without magic? Really?"

Johnathon nodded. "Apparently not. Actually, when I first came to Equestria, it seemed obvious to me that they HAD to be using magic... or something, in order to fly. Their wings are far too small for their size for them to fly naturally, after all."

Radiant Song blinked. "Really? How would you know something like that?"

Johnathon shrugged. "I've studied a lot of different things in my time. The physics of flight was one of them. More of a hobby then anything else. I've never flown myself, at least, except as a passenger, or in a simulator."

Radiant Song blinked. "A... simulator?"

Johnathon wrinkled his nose, thinking of how to explain that. "Well... that's complicated. You see, humans developed machines called computers well, several generations ago, and they can be used to do lots of different things... including running simulations... realistic images of things that might happen in real life, but just... numbers and pictures. So you can pretend to fly... or do all sorts of things, and get a pretty good idea what it might be like, without actually doing it."

Radiant Song opened her mouth to ask a question, closed it, then opened it again. "Um... I'm sorry, what? I'm not sure I'm following."

Johnathon smiled, nodded, and began explaining the concept in greater detail.

*******************************

It was hours later, and Johnathon and Cheerilee had excused themselves, going to Johnathon's bedroom to sleep, while Radiant Song had gone into Cheerilee's room.

Cheerilee was casually undressing for bed. "Computers sound absolutely fascinating, Johnathon! I wish I had one for the school! Can you imagine all the sorts of things I could show the students?"

Johnathon smiled. "They often do use computers in schools where I come from, Cheerilee, although they can be a distraction just as easily as they can be helpful. Still, it's too bad I didn't happen to bring along an iPhone or something when I got sucked into that portal. Even if it didn't get service, I'd be able to show you a bunch of things on it..." he shrugged. "Although I suppose it'd have run out of power months ago."

Cheerilee mouthed the unfamiliar words to herself. "Maybe Twilight could have helped with that somehow?"

Johnathon shrugged. "Guess we'll never know. It doesn't matter. I like computers, but I don't miss them. I've been so busy ever since I got here that I haven't had the time to be bored."

Cheerilee had stripped completely, and, pulling up the covers, slipped into bed. Johnathon hesitated at the foot of the bed, blushing.

Cheerilee glanced at him in confusion, then blushed slightly herself. "Should I put on pajamas?" she asked in mild confusion. "Did I get another human custom wrong?" she frowned lightly. "I thought it was OK for me to be undressed around you in our bedroom... especially now that we've..." she blushed deeper. "Well, you know."

Johnathon chewed on his lower lip lightly. "No... you haven't gotten anything wrong, exactly. It's just... I don't think my human customs cover this sort of thing...." he gestured vaguely to himself with a hoof.

Cheerilee blinked. "With you being a pony? I wouldn't think you'd have a custom for that. Does it matter?"

Johnathon wrinkled his nose, then came around to the side of the bed, pushing back the covers with his nose. "I'm not sure, actually. This is just... a bit weird."

Cheerilee raised herself up on one elbow, looking at him curiously and incidentally letting the covers fall away from her chest. "What can I do?" Johnathon tore his gaze away from her chest, focusing on her face with a slight effort, causing Cheerilee, who had gotten used to the phenomenon by now, to chuckle warmly. "You know I don't mind that you're attracted to me," she told him. "If anything, it's flattering."

Johnathon nodded, glancing at the wall as he concentrated on what he was thinking. "I know... it's just a bit weird... right now."

Cheerilee nodded, then realizing that he wasn't looking at her, cleared her throat to speak again. "I can understand that. So... what do you want to do?"

Johnathon looked back at her again, his face calmer, apparently fully in control again. "You know what, I'm fine. Let's just get to bed. If that's alright with you?"

Cheerilee nodded with a smile. "Absolutely. Come on up."

Johnathon climbed into the bed with some difficulty, pushing the covers down as he went, unable to neatly slide underneath them as he was used to doing.

Cheerilee giggled as he finished getting in beside her, the covers now practically on the floor. "If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were just trying to get a better look at me with my clothes off up close."

Johnathon blushed, and tried to pull up the covers with his hooves, only succeeding in kicking them fully off the bed. Cheerilee, nude beside him, laughed and leaned over to grab them off the floor, and carefully pulled the covers up over both of them. They faced each other under the covers, and both of them hesitated.

"Do you want to make out?" Cheerilee asked with a hesitant smile.

Johnathon's eyes bulged. "What?!?" he swallowed once, shaking his head incredulously. "Seriously?"

Cheerilee looked confused. "Sure. Why not? That's what we usually do at this point, right?"

Johnathon hesitated. "Well... things aren't exactly... normal at the moment."

Cheerilee nodded softly. "If you're uncomfortable, we don't have to do anything. You were very patient for me, after all."

Johnathon sighed, looking at her face with a slightly wistful expression. "I didn't mind waiting. I got to take my time... take it slow. It was actually a lot of fun... a little scary, a little awkward, but a lot of fun."

Cheerilee smiled fondly at him. "It was fun, wasn't it?" she nodded. "And scary... and awkward," she looked curious. "Are you feeling that way now? Scared?"

"And awkward." Johnathon said, reaching toward her face with a hoof. He bumped her in the nose and she winced.

"Ouch," she muttered quietly, then reached out to grab his hoof as he tried to pull away. "It's OK... you're just a little clumsy right now. I'm not really hurt."

Johnathon sighed. "Hun... maybe we should just sleep. I mean... yes, you're sexy as hell... but I don't think I'm quite ready for... well... much beyond a careful hug right now."

Cheerilee nodded, reaching forward to pat him on the nose. "That's fine, love. We'll take it slow. Besides, you'll be back to your old self tomorrow... or the day after at the latest."

Johnathon nodded, then looked thoughtful. "I don't want to kick you while I'm sleeping... I know I move in my sleep. Maybe I should sleep facing the other way?"

Cheerilee chuckled. "That actually is probably a good idea. Hooves can hurt. Here, let me help you..." Johnathon slowly turned over, facing away from her in the bed, while Cheerilee adjusted the covers. When he had settled into place, she cuddled up against his back, putting an arm over his barrel. "You are pretty sexy yourself, you know..." she told him softly. "You make a pretty attractive stallion."

"So I've heard," Johnathon said, sounding slightly smug.

Cheerilee punched him lightly between the shoulder blades. "Just remember you're MY stallion. If I know the mares here in town, half of them would be after you in a heartbeat if they thought you were available. I know for a fact that Bon Bon thinks that you're cute."

"Pinkie Pie and Twilight too, apparently," Johnathon bragged, chuckling lightly as Cheerilee punched him again. "Ow! I get it! I'll try to keep my ego under control, I promise."

Cheerilee chuckled. "Don't make promises you can't keep, dear. You're not exactly a paragon of modesty."

"So says the woman who prefers to run around naked all the time."

Cheerilee snorted. "Not all the time... but you have no idea how restrictive wearing clothing all day can be sometimes! Besides, that's a different kind of modesty!"

Johnathon chuckled again. "If you can't stand the puns, stay out of the kitchen."

Cheerilee groaned. "I think I liked it better when you didn't know Equestrian well enough to pun in it. You come up with some truly terrible ones."

Johnathon chuckled again. "Dwire family curse, I think. My father was a terrible punster... so was his father."

Cheerilee rolled her eyes. "Oh great. Our foals are going to end up punning as well, and it'll be your fault."

"Probably." Johnathon agreed easily. "So... kids. That'll be... interesting, don't you think?"

Cheerilee was quiet for almost a minute. "You do want foals, right?"

Johnathon nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I do. Pony or human, I want children with you. What about you?"

Cheerilee hesitated. "The short answer is yes. I want to be a mother someday. I think It's something I'm meant to do. But... human children or pony foals... that's a more difficult question."

Johnathon nodded slowly, facing away from her still, but with his ears swiveled back to listen intently. "Let's talk about that a little... if you want."

Cheerilee hugged him from behind, taking her time to speak. "Either way, I want children with you," she finally answered. "That much doesn't matter. If we both end up human, or pony, either way, I'll want children. The rest is just details."

"Kind of important details," Johnathon observed softly. "If they're human, our kids will be the only humans, besides ourselves, on this world. They'll probably be alright, especially here in Ponyville, but it probably will be tougher growing up different like that, even in a town as nice as this one."

Cheerilee nodded. "Yes, it probably will be a bit harder for them, but we'd figure it out. I'm sure they'd be just fine, with you to teach them about being human. I'm sure they'd find friends, even if it might be a little harder to do so."

Johnathon thought about that. "Maybe... but what about when they've grown? What if they fall in love? What kind of a future would they have?"

Cheerilee sighed. "We found each other, didn't we? Would it be so awful if our children found ponies to fall in love with, like you did?"

Johnathon frowned. "No. Not awful. Difficult, maybe. They wouldn't be able to have kids of their own though..."

Cheerilee nodded. "That's true. They could adopt? There are always foals that need a loving home..."

Johnathon sighed. "I suppose so, but... if our children were foals... if I became a pony, and you went back to being one... things would be simpler."

"Simpler," Cheerilee agreed. "But simple doesn't mean better. Not all the time. Being human... learning to be... to accept being a completely different species has been... it's something I wouldn't trade away for anything. It's given me a perspective on life I never would have gotten, if I hadn't met you. I don't regret any of it."

Johnathon stretched against her body, pushing against her lightly to emphasize his words. "You're one of the most wonderful mares... no... one of the most wonderful, intelligent, female beings I've known. Not everypony would handle everything you've been through half as well as you have," he paused for several long moments before continuing. "But I don't know if it's fair to ask a newborn child to go through the same sort of trials."

Cheerilee hugged him tighter. "We have time. Whatever we do, we don't have to decide right now. Just so long as we end up together, that's what matters to me."

Johnathon nodded. "That's something we can agree on."

Cheerilee relaxed, and yawned. "Well... let's sleep on it, and talk about it some more tomorrow. We've got plenty of time."

Johnathon sighed, then nodded, moving around a bit to settle himself more comfortably on the bed, then yawning as well. "There's no rush, I suppose," he agreed. "I'm not going anywhere, after all."

Cheerilee hugged him again, and they fell gradually asleep.

Comments

[Christopher28]

Long chapter, I know, mostly to balance out the short one from before... (I cut the last chapter short, because I liked the cliffhanger... sorry!)

If you're anxiously awaiting some adventure, the archeological expeditionary force will arrive in Ponyville in the next chapter. I'm looking forward to it!

[honeyhoneyhoney]

Awwwee. You're so sweet.
I was absolutely certain you'd leave it at a cliff hanger.
++
Jonathon looked blearily at the clock, before looking down at his body.
"I'm still a pony." He blinked his tired eyes. "How about that..."
++

Hahaha. But you're too cool I guess.
:) Thank you for the chapter. Wonderful as always.

[honeyhoneyhoney]

Daring Do stared at her newest archaeologist-assistant. "You're not a human."

Jonathon grumbled, pulling up several heavy packs. "Yeah. Yeah." He prodded Daring's flank. "I'm your father."

[coandco]

Twilight was talking about an incident when she was preforming a new spell for the Princess, and things didn't go quite as planned.

"Preformed" here should probably be "performed".

[King_Krysalis]

Second and if I must say it was fantastic.

[Christopher28]

1602448 He'd probably say it in his best James Earl Jones impression... "Daring Do! I am your father!"

1602461 Fixed. Thanks.

[honeyhoneyhoney]

1602489

Was there any doubt.

[coandco]

Isn't it just like Prince Bluebloods?"

"Bluebloods" should be "Blueblood's".

Something to do with my not having any pony style magic.

Since you're using "pony-style" as a compound word here, you should probably put a dash in it. Otherwise, the phrase is ambiguous and can be read as "pony (style magic)" rather than "(pony style) magic". I'd imagine that "style magic" is something Rarity would have ;)

"Don't worry, Johnathon! Just wait for the diversion, and then make a run for Cheerilee's place!"

Oh crap. Coming from Pinkie Pie, this is the sentence that ushers in the apocalypse.

That's an awfully big change to make, and it's something that effects me as well."

"Effects" should be "affects" here, since you're using it as a verb. "Affects" is a verb, "effects" is a noun.

Still, it's too bad I didn't happen to bring along an iphone or something when I got sucked into that portal.

You should probably capitalize "iphone" somehow. I don't think I've ever seen it written in all-lowercase before, and it looks odd that way. I think "iPhone" is the canonical rendering.

Johnathon climbed into the bed with some difficulty, pushing the covers down as he went, unable to neatly slid underneath them as he was used to doing.

"Slid" here should be "slide" to match the tense of the rest of the sentence.

[Nopony in Particular]

As all ways, the romance between them is giving me cavities, it is so sweet. I'm really hoping he and her decide upon humanity because it has taught(and is teaching) Cheerilee a new way of life and a different way of looking at things. It is just kinda sad to consider that humans would likely die out in a generation or two(short of Twilight's magic bringing about a change and hundreds of ponies decide to become human, creating a new Equestrian population).

[Iron Sides]

great chapter!

[Christopher28]

1602523 And... fixed. Thanks again. You're a good editor.

[FicusCat]

I love this story.
It's well-written, descriptive and crédible ( by my standards ).

( Brown coat, black mane and Twilight speaking about an hourglass cutie mark = Time turner/Doctor Whooves ? )

[Nightmare_0mega]

1602921 I haven't really seen the new episode yet. I actually plan on waiting until most (if not all) of the entire season is up before I start watching again (ya know, a marathon sort of deal).

Also, i don't think being an Alicorn necessarily makes Candace immortal. As you said in this chapter, Alicorn is just another species (a very powerful one, to say the least, but a species none the less) of pony, at least according to Johnny boy here, myself, and a few fans I've talked to previously, and only really requires a horn and wings to qualify.

Also, While Candace might have been Twilight's age way back when (though, that could be debatable, since she looked like she was roughly the size of the more adult looking ponies in the show), she is probably much older now in the current timeframe.

Also, Love always trumps solar magic... that, and i just finished reading a story that had an interesting thesis that said the changeling invasion was more or less known by Celestia, and it was used as a ploy to make herself look more humble and force her subjects to stop depending on her all the time, so she deliberately held back a sizable chunk of her power to drive this little plan home...

[coandco]

1602720

I wouldn't mind prereading for you, if you want. I've been enjoying the story. I think this was the first HiE fic I'd read that had an actual language barrier on first contact, and that made it interesting and set it apart from all of the other fics in this cliche-ridden genre. Keep up the good work!

[Menoshe]

Foals or babies?

i.imgflash.com/AW.jpg

[Taloon85]

I vote both for ponies. The well-being of children outvote every other decision.
Think alone how school would be with a Diamond Tiara in class:

"Oh the bipeds are here."
"The clothes fetishes has spoken."
"Hey blank flank. How is it to NEVER have a cutiemark."

*shudder* kids can be the worst torturers.

[faren455]

1603241 Seconded, I already read a story about two humans becoming stranded on an alien world. They made a very compelling argument as to why having human children like that would be irresponsible. The best argument Cheerilee has come up with is, I love you so what the hell, her whole plan for her children requires the children to never leave ponyville. Also, Cheerilee has more of a human fetish than Lyra... what the hay?

dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Lyra2.png : Yay, I'm not the crazy one anymore. I'm just a mare that wants to be human! Tough break Cheerilee. I'm off to fantasize about hands!

dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Bonbon_gaze.png : Great, now there are two crazy humanophiles in town. Lyra wait for me!

[Divine Path]

How sweet.
Awaiting further releases.

[farsan]

I vote base form ponies, but able to learn how to handle the human form with temporal transformations. That way they would have both heritages..

[La Vallett1]

In my opinion, I think turning Cheerilee and Johnny to ponies would make a good plot twist. I'd rather they have young that are able to integrate to society than ones that would be harshly bullied alot.

[Ozymandias]

1602523
But what if he wants to effect some changes?

[TheGreatSako]

Johnathon sighed, looking at her face with a slightly wistful expression. "I didn't mind waiting. I got to take my time... take it slow. It was actually a lot of fun... a little scary, a little awkward, but a lot of fun."

...a little scary, a little awkward, but a lot of fun

Something's wrong with me...

[warpd]

Ya, human children would be all kinds of heartache in a society not condusive for humans.
An attractive new stallion in a town where that is a rare commodity? Run dude run!

[Deamon]

Johnathon sighed, then nodded, moving around a bit to settle himself more comfortably on the bed, then yawning as well. "There's no rush, I suppose," he agreed. "I'm not going anywhere, after all."

Is it just me or does this ring air raid siren-level alarm bells for someone else too?

[Princess Cadence]

1603031
You should read Arrow 18 Mission Logs: Lone Ranger then. It focuses on the language barrier for the first 4-5 chapters. It's also just an awesome HiE fic, well done take on the science of pony magic, etc., praise, etc.

[reader238]

why do i have the feeling that something was bucked up with that temporary spel that they wont find out about untile the next day?

[Meliron]

1605617
Very plausible, although I think it seems odd that she would express such a desire now, hinting that it's been a long seated desire, and yet never act on it, especially when, contrary to what she says, she had a very easy chance to do it.

[greyyy]

1605640 Because it always happens

[reader238]

1606542 does that mean that i have read so many fimfic that everything starts to become predictable. even with original ideas... please say it isnt so because that would just be The Worst Possible Thing

[Christopher28]

1605640>>1606542>>1606584
The fancanon of Twilight making mistakes with her magic all the time, right? I don't really subscribe to it. Twilight is a very competent spellcaster. Lesson Zero aside, Twilight rarely makes serious mistakes in the show... certainly she shouldn't have any trouble with a well documented spell she's used before, at least if she's not panicking at the time.

In my story, she has had some mishaps with Strangehorn the Mad's spells, mostly because they're pretty rough stuff... very complex and not very well researched. But she learns from each mistake, and doesn't make the same one twice in a row.

[greyyy]

1606584No man, everything in life is predictable, even when it's not predictable. If you predict the unpredictable while also predicting the predictable, making sure that you have every scenario down, you will percieve it as predictable as it passes.
1607162 Yeah but it wouldn't be a plot twist

[Meliron]

1607198
Heh, no problem. I'll get through the latest chapter in a bit (hopefully) and point out what I can see. I'm trying to catch up on a whole bunch of fics that I've missed, this one included.

[Meliron]

Here, have some miscellaneous edits.

That's how Twilight discovered how to turn herself into an Alicorn, so she could give Princess Celestia some well deserved time off,"

Alicorn shouldn't be capitalized, as species aren't capitalized. We don't capitalize human, or dog, or unicorn.

The purple earth pony schoolteacher raised her voice till she was shouting.

Somewhat of a nitpick, but she's not a purple earth pony, at least not now.

There was a muffled scraping sound from the door leading to the library's basement, and what sounded like a quiet curse in English, then the door glowed with magic and opened and a brown earth pony came through, nearly tripping as he crossed the door's threshold, but catching his balance at the last moment.

You've got a run-on here. I'd advise splitting it in half after the curse/before the door opening, or perhaps somewhere else if you wish.

"Ah... Twilight... you... you heard every word, didn't you."

Shouldn't that be a question mark, not a period?

Cheerilee used fork and knife to eat, and was well practiced now, having worked hard to imitate Johnathon in the past, she had gotten past her own clumsy first attempts.

I would put a semicolon instead of a comma after "now" and before "having."

Alright! Finally caught up with this one, but I have to say I'm craving some of the old adventure and history this story had. Not that this romance is bad, but it's... different. Hopefully we'll see some of that old feeling next chapter, with this archaeological dig!

[Prime 2.0]

"I've really got to work harder on keeping secrets. I'm apparently terrible at it."

I find this little part funnier if you just cut out the second sentence here.

"Oh, as I've said, being human has it's perks... and it's drawbacks

Blah blah blah, it's = it is, its = possessive, you know the drill.

Also, good god, you're not even trying to reign in your use of ellipses any more, are you? It's like my addiction to semicolons on steroids!

After all the filler, I can't wait to get to the expedition next chapter. As for this one, I have to say I'm a tad dissapointed that Radiant Song didn't immediately respond to Jonathan's use of the word "computer" when referring to the electrical turing machines we all know and love by confusing it with the now extinct(but presumably alive and well in Equestria) profession, leading to Jonathan being confused by that because by now most people have forgotten that menial number crunching used to be something businesses and researchers had to hire people for rather than having a machine do it. It could have made for a fun scene.

[Christopher28]

1608442 1608664 Thanks for the edits. Heh, I guess I should have taken some time to edit it better myself before putting it out, huh? I was tired, and wanted to publish the new chapter before going to sleep, but waiting till the next morning and giving it another once over probably would have been smarter.

And yes... I really need to rein in the ellipses. It's like a disease. It just gets worse if it's not treated.

Good catch on the use of the word computer. You've probably read the earlier chapters more recently than I have, but you're right, I already established that the word already exists in the pony language, with a different meaning, (just like it did in the English language), I shouldn't just ignore it. Still, it's a pretty obscure word in Equestrian. Perhaps Radiant Song was simply so confused by the idea of a mechanical "computer" that she didn't know what question to ask?

[Tagan]

Yup. Well done chapter... and a twist I should have seen coming.

Now for Daring Do, and the Temple of the Two Pony Sisters!

(And maybe Back to the Pink Future...)

[Nightmare_0mega]

1603524 While it IS irresponsible of Cherrilee to base her decision on the merits of "oh, what the hay.", i don't think the idea of having human children (at least in this version of Equestria) would be too bad. Yes, Humans as a species would have a hard time to start, but there are 3 reasons why it could work

1. Equestria is NOT Earth, and follows alot of different rules. I'm not talking about natural laws (though that does help). I'm talking about the social norms of most individuals. Yes, a human growing up will probably have their share of pests (who doesn't) but it would be no where near as brutal as it would be on earth, even in the nicer places (Diamond Tiara would probably be out-bullied by someone even worse if she lived on earth). Prejudice there is at an all time minimum, everyone is free to believe and do and say as they please (even if it causes a little bit of trouble), and nearly all of the inhabitants are content with their lives, incredably understanding (it took John no less than a month or so to be accepted into Ponyville, where if the situation were reversed, it would take years, maybe even lifetimes... or not at all), and above all PEACEFUL (minus minor disagreements and scuffles hear and there.

2. Humans could be a valuable species to be allied with. Yes, they do not have magic, but it's proven (in this version in the universe, anyway), that a Human is capable of quicker reactions, finer details, and higher thinking (or at the very least, better problem solving, and able to question the world around them better). They are predatory by the deepest parts of their nature which would give them a slight edge against underestimating foes. A rogue dragon or griffon would be able to fight and kill 10 or so ponies, but a crafty Human would prove a more difficult challenge for sure. After all, Humans became the top of the food chain on earth after all was said and done, so I'm sure any human being living in Equestria would have those types of latent instints still kicking in them for years to come (they may never have to use them, but hey, crazy shit happens in Equestria practically every year, so it wouldn't hurt to have a few humans to defend their technicolor home. That, and Equestria could use a little more technology to complement their magic, and humans seem to have a knack for doing the impossible with plastic, metal, and electricity.

3. The Transformation spell in relation to everyone else. It's not like that the human species will die out, simply because of Twilight's spell, which is probably much more complete and definitive than any operation done on Earth. Sure, she hasn't figured out how to make it safely reversible, but she'll eventually figure that out. Yes, it's very likely that that kind of research might stay under wraps for a little while, but it would be perfect for the pony (or human) that finds a special someone in another species, and might want to change species for someone they care deeply for. And perhaps, if it's done by purely physical design (well, for most ponies anyway), there might be a new generation of magically gifted humans, or hyper intelligent ponies. But, i digress, the fact that the spell exists allows humans, ponies, whatever, to make choices for the ones they love... Or, maybe it could be a on and off thing, where species changing could become part of the working world. It could even become new subjects in school (i mean, you could learn biology in a far more engaging way, and learn to be the species you transformed in).

Yes, it's all very crazy, but it also gives everyone a good dose of freedom and uniqueness to this already very colorful world.

[coandco]

1604783

You should read Arrow 18 Mission Logs: Lone Ranger then. It focuses on the language barrier for the first 4-5 chapters. It's also just an awesome HiE fic, well done take on the science of pony magic, etc., praise, etc.

Thanks for the recommendation! I read it and loved it -- seemed like it hit all of the notes I like in HiE.

[faren455]

1619184 I was more so talking about how the human children would take it, being that they would either have to change who they grew up as or ask a pony to do the same just to have children of their own.

Also, Celestia already tried forcing her ways on humans and they rejected it, because as peaceful as they are now, they are not ponies and shouldn't be treated as such.

Even if every single pony accepted them, I would wonder if they were brainwashed if that's the case, that whole civilizations is built for pony's which means some standards that humans take for grant in this world don't exist in theirs, such as human-shaped clothing.

You only seem to be looking at things from the pony' perspective, thinking so long as they are all nice the humans should be happy living in there world with no hope of ever seeing anymore of their kind. That's a harsher reality than say if they were just born ponies in the first place.

[Nightmare_0mega]

1619859 And this is where i poke holes in your argument. You're insinuating that they would have to change their very nature and the way they grow up, but the fact is if they are BORN into their environment, they will be able to adapt to it much easier. And besides, Johnathan is an ALIEN in their world, but has been comfortably accepted into their society, where he has decided to join of his on free will. His proposed children may not have that particular choice, but they will be able to grow up in equestria and learn it's ways just like every Foal.

Also, Celestia didn't try forcing her ways on the humans. If you recall, the first humans that came were ALSO by accident. She did try to reason with them, to show them a life of peace, but they were too barbaric and destructive to live in Equestria for long. It's the whole reason why she shut the portal the first time. She even questioned John about it when he first started, and did initially try to send him back (when she learned things were not quite that well on Earth yet), even though she could see that he seemed to be one of the exceptions to the currently semi-violent human race.

And while the civilization was built for ponies, alot of it's tools aren't, and as humans are omnivores, and can practically choose what to eat. Also, it wouldn't be too hard to grow up as a vegetarian if you aren't introduced to meat.

As i said in my first statement. the initial start for a human species on Equestria would be a bit difficult, but that's not to say that it shouldn't be done or is impossible. You're making it seem that there would be no hope for any human to live in that world when, lo and behold, John is proof it can happen, and that ponies can not only accept his existence, but perhaps even love his race.

I'm not looking at this from a pony's perspective cause I'm not a pony. I'm looking at this logically with some optimism on the side. As much as i don't exactly like the race i'm associated with, i will not ignore their capacity to be genuinely peaceful creatures, and i will not ignore that their adaptation and ingenuity would greatly help their progress in a world like Equestria. Children growing up in Equestria would have a better chance at adaptation to the culture and way of life than John did, simply because they will know it when their minds are far more susceptible to such ideas and sociology.

You know the whole saying, "Nature over nurture"? John's nature as a relatively peaceful human being, combined with the overall nature of ponies, will be enough to exemplify the child's adaptation, even (for argument's sake) the nurture from parents and teachers don't (Which will be very stupid, considering we're talking about Equestrians, and nurturing is practically what they do.)

[Nightmare_0mega]

1619913 Star-crossed lovers in the more literal sense, at least.

Also, i'm sure them falling in love would eventually happen without the potion. Would it take longer, most definitly. Probably just before or after the portal to Earth was finally opened to send him back, which would have made his situation all the more heartbreaking, because chances are, if he crossed to go home, with no way back to Equestria, he would probably end up regretting it for the rest of his life. Even though he could ease the pain of his loved ones there, he'll never be able to ease the pain of his loved ones back in Equestria.

[faren455]

1620744 if by poking holes in my arguement, you meant long winded. Why do you think it would be better for the children to be human over being ponies? You seem abit obsessed with him staying human even though it will only cause problems later. I will not accept Celestia using humans as tools as an answer either.

[Nightmare_0mega]

1621005 Personally, i'd probably be a pony if given the chance, but that's besides the point. Again, John was able to co-exist with Equestrians as a human Just fine, so i do not see a problem of the next generations of humans existing amongst ponies being in anyway bad (perhaps an inconvenience, but nothing that can't be overcome with a little extra education). But outright ignoring that kind of race to actually physically conform to a society that doesn't demand it seems a total waste.

I think it would be better that humans live as humans amongst Equestria because it would build up relations for such species to co-exist perfectly. They are working on interdenominational travel now, after all. It would be a good way to get Humans from other places to get used to the idea of Equestrians if they saw their own kind, and it would make Equestrians that much more used to humans that come through portals if they were already living with them for a while. If he became a pony, then huzzah, problem solved with the easiest way out, and no progress on the whole was made. Everything in Equestria would return to normal and the human race would end up becoming a distant memory, until it's forgotten all together, before one day another human shows up by accident, and the whole thing starts all over again. You can call it being used as tools, i'm calling it preparing their world for the inevitable.

Also, Long winded or not, it still lets me give out detailed answers.

[Princess Cadence]

1619529
You're welcome.

[faren455]

1621045 so you want humans on Equestria... that's it? They would be permanent refuges in a pony land never to have a home that can be called theirs? That is not progress, that is tragic. How many generations of humans would you want to be bred for that? How is that in anyway progress?

[Nightmare_0mega]

1621615 How so? If they are born and grew up in the land, it would be theirs as well. Besides, Griffons, Dragons, Zebras, Cows, and a whole list of other SENTIENT species share the land with the ponies, and it's not like Equestria is the only place on that planet. It would be progress due to the connection that they can make AS an inter-dimensional being. It's clear, at least in this story, that other dimensions with other sentient beings exist, and that crossing to and from Equestria to these other places will also happen more often in the near or distant future, the longer Twilight studies this particular thing and if others after her time passes decides to continue her research. Maybe if John never showed up, this would have never happened, but the basis of the story is ABOUT it happening. Him staying, with the possibility to build the human race there would make the transitions just much easier. Equestrians, ALL of them, regardless of the species, will be used to Human beings. It will give them all an understanding of what could be on the other side. If Humans simply just became ponies to take the easy road out, not a single one of them will remember what a Human even is after generations, and will be shocked, once again, when one shows up, once again. whether it was intentional or not. Trying to snuff out an opportunity does not fix problems. It just limits possibilities.

The only way to make things better is to LEARN, and they can't do that if they snuff out the only humans around with a transformation spell, just to maintain the tired notion of the status quo that is, in all intents and purposes, very flimsy at best in a world that is ruled by the mysterious force known as magic, where ANYTHING is possible, where species of all kinds can live side by side (even BEFORE John showed up), where cloud-walking and telekinesis is real, where gods live among mortals, and where evil beings can be physically restrained or cured by the power of friendship, of all things.

If this happened in any other planet, like Earth, or Shanghilos, or Mobius, or Mars (Barsoom), or a world as mild as The Neutral Planet then things would be MUCH more difficult. But you have to realize, we're going by the rules of a world that has thrived on harmony for the better part of a Millennium, give or take a few centuries... Yes, things happen. Things will ALWAYS happen to mess with that, but that's just part of reality, no matter WHAT world you live on.

[Tagan]

1621726

Well said sir.

[Nightmare_0mega]

1622375 Just going by logic, the official canon rules of the FIM universe, and the rules of the fic.

[Nightmare_0mega]

1622375 Let's just get one thing clear, though. His initial statement about how Cherrilee was rather irresponsible on making the decision based on the principles of "Oh, What the hay? Let's go for it" is correct. She should at least attempt to come to the princess about the topic, and find a way so that possible future generations of humans can be properly and smoothly integrated into society, starting with education on their previous sociology, their biology, and their prior customs (before the accident), then create shops designed to cater to their needs of clothing and eating habits (maybe not include meat in any of the dishes, but have a decent variety of fruits, veggies, and protein substitutes available). That, and perhaps slowly alter doorways to allow the average human to enter without ducking their head as well as furniture that can support their size. All of this would most definitely create more jobs in the process too.

Also, while humans CAN have have better dexterity with their hands compared to any Unicorn's telekinesis, unicorns can multi-task much better and have a variety of functions with their magic that humans will most likely never have, even if their is an upward spike in technological advancement.

[milk experiment]

Pinkie Pie used Spontaneous Choreography! It's super effective!