> Harmony Quest - Honest Hearts
>  by Gold Experience
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chpt. 1: A Legend Reborn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Long ago, in a forgotten time, ponies were scattered and fearful of one another. The pegasi dwelled in their sky fortresses, the unicorns in their spires, and the earth ponies in their huts were mostly left to fend for themselves when threats and monsters came to prey upon them
 
But after the ascension of the Celestial Sisters, all seemed bright, and the ponies rejoiced for their future seemed far more prosperous than ever. Yet darkness still lingered in the corners of the world, and nopony knew that better than Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Fearful that their peaceful new land may come to ruin, they devised a plan to keep Equestria safe in their darkest hours. Channeling their magic, the sisters called upon a being from beyond Equestria, beyond what anypony had ever known and they succeeded. The sisters brought forth a pony of nobility and virtue, swearing an oath to always protect the land in its most dire of needs.
 
During his time in this strange land, the hero went on to instill virtues upon the land and its inhabitants. Pillars that could stand the tests of time and protect the ponies in their time of need, doing so through his generous nature, his honesty toward those around him, his kindness to even those that despised his very being, his loyalty to those closest, and the laughter he brought to others. With these pillars, the hero spread peace throughout the land and truly united the three clans, and banished darkness from the land. And yet, it would not be the darkness that came from afar that tested the hero, but rather a darkness that seeped into the heart of one closest to him.
 
Jealousy crept into the lunar sister, sowing the seeds of hatefulness and greed. For millennia she had gone overlooked while her sister was loved and adored. Through her lies, she bid her time, until one day the sun did not rise. Betrayed, the solar sister and the hero united together to battle the one they called friend and family. Gathering their power, the two used their magic to cast a spell to not slay, but imprison the mare of shadows on the moon for a thousand years. Overcome with grief at the loss of a friend he held dear to his heart, the hero vanished…

“… Vowing to return in time of great need.” Reading over the passage, a lone mare sighed in disappointment. “Except… you didn’t.” She set the book down on a cluttered desk beside a stack of other books, her notes, and a wanted poster depicting a young, unicorn mare with a soft purple coat and violet hair and eyes. “Twilight Sparkle” read in bold letters. “Wanted Dead or Alive. Reward; 50,000 bits”. The young mare walked out of her makeshift study, not entering into a welcoming home nor a vast library, but rather a crumbling ruin of a long-since abandoned castle. The long-lost monument of the two sisters had been left to the jaws of time for nearly a thousand years and barely anypony even knew it still stood, let alone even exists. It was the perfect hideaway from the rest of the world.



Walking the decrepit halls of the once glorious castle, Twilight Sparkle found herself lost in her thoughts. A whole year she had spent researching the crumbling palace and whatever secrets it may hold. All the while hiding away from those that wanted her silenced, captured, or worse. The land of Equestria she knew long ago was no more, and instead, it had turned into a land of eternal night. The magical prodigy had nowhere else to go and all she could do now was wallow in the past and hope against all hope that she found the solution to her problems before her final breath.

Turning a few corridors and avoiding a few walkways Twilight had booby-trapped, the young mare made her way to the once great library of the castle guided by the purple glow from her horn. She held onto her ragged old cloak, feeling the cold air breeze through her and causing the mare to shudder. “I need a new jacket.” She’d say to herself, looking through rows upon rows of dusty, ruined, or otherwise unreadable books. Most of the contents were of no use other than leg supports for rotting furniture, even then some of the books had completely disintegrated from the natural elements and couldn’t even do that. Twilight couldn’t recall how many times she had traveled around this room, looking for something, anything that furthered her end goal. She salvaged old spell tomes, translated books from ancient Ponish, and even went as far as to transfer old covers to a new set of pages to ensure the writings were safe. Yet still, there was nothing Twilight found that was even considered helpful in any way. Legends, myths, lore; all of it was too small to be of use or too heavily coated in purple prose that made getting to the point arduous.

Taking one of the old books off of the shelf, Twilight started to cough and hack when the pages turned to dust in her grasp, kicking up a cloud of dust that set her lungs on fire. “Ugh! S-So gross!” She’d toss the book aside, still coughing as she fell to her knees. Flinging the tome aside, she half expected the sound of pages flopping open upon hitting the stone floor but instead heard the sound of metal grinding on stone as something came loose.

Opening her eyes, Twilight’s attention came upon the opposite end of the library from where she stood. She saw the tattered cover resting on an extravagant scone that once held three candles to light the room now coated in dust and cobwebs, yet what caught her attention was the fact that the cover she tossed so carelessly aside dangled off one of the skewed arms in a fashion that should have broken it off. “W-What the?” Approaching with curiosity, the purple unicorn looked the decoration over before removing the cover, watching the arm of the scone return to its upright position, sliding into place as if nothing had happened. “That’s not right.” She gave the arm a quick pull, finding it unable to move in the direction she wanted. Pushing it forward yielded more results, watching it slowly move forward as it had for the cover. She kept pushing until the arm rested at a 90-degree angle, locking into place. Grabbing the other branch, she’d fidget with the arm until it came forward, resting at the same angle, but facing Twilight instead. Taking both arms, she’d start to see what else this suspicious little decoration could do. Eventually, she found that she was able to rotate it, slowly turning the rusted decoration until it had turned a complete 180 degrees, upon which it let out a loud snap.

Fearing she may have broken something; Twilight was then surprised to hear the loud scraping of stone close by. Turning around, she’d watch one of the many, many bookshelves slowly sink into the floor to reveal its hidden treasure inside and leave the mare shocked at what she found. If only she had found this hidden room sooner, her focus turning to something she had only gotten to use on very rare occasions, something she longed for so greatly.

A bed.

Cautious of her step, Twilight made her way to the soft-looking cot. Biting her lip, Twilight wasted no time hopping in and feeling the inviting fabric, despite the cloud of dust she kicked up when she practically dropped into the welcoming mattress. She never felt more relaxed in her time on the run and she’d stretch and feel sleep taking her. ‘Ooh, I almost forgot what a bed felt like. I don’t even care if it feels like a pile of hay with a sheet thrown over it. This is… sooo good.’ She’d swoon, laying back with a yawn. Only to take one last look around the room. Her second scan yielded more results, seeing a book resting on a pedestal in the center of the room. ‘Huh, probably should have gone for that first.’

Outstretching her arm, Twilight focused her mind and emotions to focus her magic, grabbing the large tome. A violet aura manifested around the dusty old book, bringing it closer to the bed. Laying on her side, Twilight looked the thing over, finding it in a much better condition than anything else she found in the library. ‘No title… no author. This looks kinda like…’ she shot up, realizing what she must have found. ‘No way. It can’t be.’ Opening the book, she’d started to look for the first page, and found a hand-written entry.

//“Day 1 of the Second Era. My sister insists that I keep this diary as a means of recording my thoughts. I think she’s just trying to find a way of what’s in my head since I banned her from my dreams. But, on the off chance it does work out, I don’t see the harm.”//

Twilight read aloud, feeling her breath grow heavy with every word.

The castle is coming along nicely, and the ponies of the three tribes are working together as a means of thanks for our work. I do not think it is necessary; all we are doing is lifting two large balls in the sky each day and night. Still, it’s better than letting the unicorns drain their magic permanently just for a sunny day.

Twilight soon realized what she was reading, and to who this book belonged. Skipping ahead, Twilight started reading yet again.

//“Day 100… I cannot believe it’s been a hundred days already. Lulu and I have a throne to sit on and while she insists on the contrary, I still feel like it makes my ass feel big. I’m sorry, ‘rear end’. Apparently, swearing is unbecoming of ‘royalty’ now.”//

Twilight let out a giggle, feeling nostalgic when she read the words.

//"I swear I can see one of my guards staring at it from time to time. Still… I hear a large rear end is attractive in mares in some places. I doubt this will become a trend, but one can never know."//

Twilight felt a little flustered reading her old master’s diary like this. Looking into the thoughts of the pony who trained her in the ways of magic and seeing her in a manner other than a regal teacher and ruler of Equestria slowly gave way to the pony behind the image, making Twilight question whether she should continue. While there was that part of her that wanted to set the book down, Twilight found herself continuing.

//“Year 3, day 24 of the second Era. Luna and I had done it. We do not know how, but the dark emperor known as Sombra is gone. But I’m afraid of the entirety of the crystal empire with him.”//

Twilight had heard of such a place before, at least through hearsay when it finally returned several months.

//“But if not for us, we may have lost all of Equestria and our Hero in a single swoop.”//

Twilight felt her heart start to flutter to life when she saw the word “hero”, knowing full well who it was.

//“He nearly gave his life for us today, I watched him take a sword to the chest for me of all ponies. I watched the blade pierce him, the tip of the blade mere centimeters from my flesh. If he had not done so, I fear I wouldn’t be here writing this. Sometimes I wonder, if the Hero of Harmony wasn’t around, how long would I be alive really? If he wasn’t there protecting us, protecting me from the threats that linger in the shadows of the world; would Equestria even have made it out of its infancy?”//

Confirming that there was mention of the Hero of Harmony, Twilight started to work backward, looking for anything, something that could be of use. And then, she found the mother-load.

//“Year 2, day 1 of the second Era. I write this entry to never forget this day, and to remind myself that this will be when everything changes for Equestria. After many long, sleepless nights of laboring and research; Lulu, Star-swirl, and I have created a magnificent construct that shall defend all of Equestria for generations to come.”//

Twilight was starting to sweat, knowing she was getting to the very thing she has sought for so long.

//“The Tree of Harmony we are calling it: a means of defense from dark magic and usurpers, but there was one other thing we needed. The Tree required a vessel; a living host to enact its will. Sadly, or rather thankfully, neither I nor Luna can hold this power. That’s when Star-swirl proposed a most unorthodox plan. Through countless nights of metalcraft, thaumaturgy,  and alchemy, we created this vessel that shall wield the powers of Harmony. I have met him once before after his summoning. He is strange, to say the least. Still, I believe that he will become the greatest among us, just given some time.”//

Disappointed that she could not find answers as to how the hero was summoned, let alone what this Tree of Harmony was, Twilight kept going through the journal in search of more answers.

//“Year 2, day 77 of the second Era. I shouldn’t be writing this; I know I shouldn’t be writing this. But I must get this off of my chest.”//

Twilight cocked a brow, reading on.

//“Luna, I swear to the stars if you are reading this, I will shave every shred of mane from that nosy head of yours.”//

That just added another reason Twilight was glad she was alone.

//“Anyway, my Hero and I went on another of our private walks in the gardens. He surprised me with a picnic of all things. I know we had been getting close as the months went on, but even I can’t help feeling weak in the hooves when I’m around him. I swear when I write this, that we drank three bottles of wine each from the wine cellar. Star-swirl is going to be furious if he ever found out we got into his secret stash. But that is not the part I am most nervous about. After we probably had too much to drink… he kissed me. He kissed me under the light of my sister’s moon, and I felt so alive. He told me that I was the most beautiful mare in Equestria. That the only thing that could compare to my glow was the sun I moved in the sky.”//

Twilight started to see that her mentor and this Hero may have been closer than she originally thought.

//“It was only a short peck, and could easily be written off as the booze talking… and even then… I kissed him back.”//

A smile formed across Twilight’s face.

Continuing with her reading, she’d skip ahead by a few months.

//“Year 2, day 100 of the Second Era,” Twilight recognized that date as Hearth’s Warming Eve. “Luna, I don’t even care if you are reading this, I just have to tell somepony. Tonight, I surprised the Hero… my lover, with a great gift. On this night, he and I made love.”//

Twilight’s smile slowly faded, knowing she was getting into some rather intense content.

//“The way he took me; he was not gentle. I have heard of how stallions love to cuddle their mares and make them feel loved. He was so much different; he pushed me onto the bed, and did things I doubt I can even describe without ruining the pages of this book. He didn’t make me feel loved, he made me feel like a real mare. He took me all night long. By the gods, I thought I’d never walk again. Stallions don’t normally last longer than 15 minutes at the best of times. And yet, he lasted for what felt like hours. I thought I was going mad, but when it was finished, I knew I was destined to be with him”//

Twilight gulped, feeling the room get a little hotter as she read. She couldn’t read anymore, not without reading the former princess go into a detailed description of her time with the hero.

Flipping through the pages, avoiding any additional saucy content, Twilight wanted to see what the last entry detailed. When she found it, she’d see that the pages were stained and the ink had been smeared.

//“Year… who cares honestly. My worst fears have come true. I lost my sister and now I lost him. The stallion I’ve come to rely on most, the one who was my anchor the one I felt I could call my king is gone.”//

Already there were red flags, telling Twilight that this was not going to end well. And yet she felt the need to persist.

//“I brought him back to the Tree of Harmony resting under the castle; it was the shortest walk I knew and yet it felt like an odyssey in my memory. We walked side by side in silence, knowing that this was to be our final moments indefinitely. I didn’t want him to go, I begged him, I got on my knees and cried. But he knew that his time here had come. Equestria was at peace, and there was no need for a hero. I still remember what he told me, that he’d return to me when he needed me most. I kept telling him I needed him now, that I needed him at my side. But he did not see it that way.”//

Twilight skipped ahead a bit, feeling a lump form in her throat.

//“I watched every second. I watched as my friend, my king, and my lover vanished all in one flash of light. Even as I write this, I hold the stone in my hand I used to bring him here all those years ago. Thinking I should bring him back. I could bring him back and we could be together. But I can’t do that. He made me promise not to and I hate him for that. I hate him for making me love him; I never knew a thing like that was possible, but it is. I’ve hidden the stone where nopony can find it. I plan to hide it behind…”//

Twilight perked up, keeping close attention.

//“I plan to hide it behind the plague, under the very statue my sister and I built in his honor. If ever I need his aid once more, I know that the hope my ponies need will be behind the words I shared with him in thanks for what he has done. I hope wherever he is, he is thinking of me… of what we had together. I know that I am and always will be.”//

The journal ends there, leaving Twilight with a hollow feeling in her chest. Though she had skimmed the book in a few parts, she felt like she had violated the trust between herself and her mentor. She read her thoughts, feelings, and pain; all for a means to an end. And yet, Twilight found what she needed at the cost of her common decency. With the mention of the statue in the last entry; Twilight knew what Celestia meant by it and closed the book. She had reached her limit on how much she was willing to read.

Nearly a year alone Twilight had spent in the castle, turning it upside down for anything that could lead her to whom she sought. And yet, the key to everything she needed was hidden under her nose the whole time. She felt stupid, more than stupid that she missed something so important and so close by, just to discover it by accident. Sliding herself off the bed with her mentor’s journal in hand, Twilight made her way down the halls and towards the foyer where the last physical evidence of the Hero of Harmony stood.

Finding the large doors that lead out into the Everfree, Twilight turned towards a massive monument to Equestria’s greatest hero. The features and intricate details had long since been worn away, but she was able to make out enough detail to know that the statue was meant for somepony great.

Approaching the statue, she’d set her mentor’s diary down on the base of the rugged sculpture, searching for the plague mentioned in the pages. Every time Twilight had left her hideaway and returned, the very thing she was looking for was staring her right in the face, greeting and seeing her off. If she had known what he was holding, Twilight’s long year of thieving, sneaking, and overall criminal behavior could have been avoided. When all along, all Twilight had to do was walk up to the statue and retrieve what she needed. “I’ve lost so much looking for you.” She’d say to the crumbling statue. “My family, my self-respect, my dignity; all trying to bring back a legend that may not have even existed.” She circled the crumbling structure, stopping when her fingers grazed against something other than stone. “But that’s all going to change. I know you are real and I need your help.”

Turning away from the statue itself, Twilight set her attention to the plaque of faded gold on the statue’s base. She read the words plain as day, even after so many years of it being left unattended.

“In the brightest of days,” Twilight began. “In the darkest of hours; call upon me, and I shall be your gleaming tower.” Reading the words, Twilight came to realize that it was not the words of this long-lost hero, but rather the words her mentor had said to him. If only she had known how significant these words were beforehand.

Reaching out with her hand, Twilight channels her magic to surround the plague, her telekinetic grip tightening around before she starts to pull, wrenching the metal from the stone base before it popped off with a loud SNAP.

Dropping the plate to the ground, already she was seeing more results now in the last few minutes than in the whole year alone. A small crevice, just barely large enough for Twilight’s hand to fit through was revealed to Twilight and with it, her salvation. Reaching in, she’d pull out a small bag with a spherical mass inside no larger than a golf ball. There was a soft light inside, something that contained an ancient power that glistened in the dark castle. Twilight felt her quizzical mind start to develop questions as to what was inside but more pressing matters were at hand. “I’m hoping those words of yours are true.” She turned to the statue once more. “If this doesn’t work, I don’t know what will.” Opening the bag slowly, she’d look inside and saw a purple stone emanating a violet aura. But there was something else in it, resting just over the stone. “Is that…?” Twilight pulled it out, finding it to be a folded sheet of paper. Setting the bag beside the diary, Twilight unfolded the paper to find a note, written by Celestia herself.

“I write this letter to whom it may concern.”

“If you are reading this, then it can only mean that the worst has come to pass and I am no longer with you. I do not know what kind of state Equestria will be in when this note is read, or even if Equestria still exists, but what you hold is no mere gemstone; it is the seed of hope, a treasure beyond worth and power. If you have sought out this gem, then it must mean that Equestria is facing a dire threat.”

Twilight read through the words in the gentle light her horn produced, feeling a hollow sensation form in her chest.

“I care not how you came to find this gem, but what you hold is far greater than any treasure that could be found in a dragon’s horde. There is a secret cave, deep within the gorge next to my castle. Nopony but I and my sister know of its existence. Anypony who might have sworn an oath of secrecy to never reveal its existence and I would hope you do the same. Take this seed, and bring it to the caves. There you will find the final piece. With it, you can bring Equestria’s greatest hero back to us. And if I am indeed no longer with you, I ask that you please tell him that I never once stopped thinking of him and that our love burned as bright as ever. Please, grant me that final wish.

“Sincerely, your Princess; Celestia.”

With new knowledge and a new direction, Twilight grabbed both the stone and the diary, placing them into her bag for safety. Once her things were secured, Twilight made her way out of the castle and into the overgrown courtyard. She’d grip the collar of her coat, trying to keep herself warm as a breeze of air brushed past her. Twilight channeled the barest minimum of magic into her horn; lighting it up as well as her surroundings like a built-in lantern to reveal more of her surroundings in a dim violet light. The castle had a few torches to keep the place illuminated, but beyond that point, the only light source she could rely on was her own lest she is discovered.

Approaching the edge of the gorge that surrounded the castle grounds, a bit of unease started to form in the mare’s steps. Twilight could not help but peer over the edge, gazing into the deep abyss below. Part of Twilight scolded herself for doing so, feeling her legs start to shake from being so high up. Calming her nerves, Twilight scanned the ridge, focusing her magic to extend the light out until she found a slope that led directly down into the unknown. ‘Well, it’s better than just climbing down… and less dangerous.’

Starting down the path into the gorge, Twilight made sure to keep her coat closed and her horn shining. Though she had traversed the Everfree several times, the gorge that barred the castle from the forest seemed even more devoid of light than she thought physically possible. Twilight’s illumination spell could barely extend farther out than 10 feet from her horn, and she hadn’t even reached the bottom. It wasn’t until reaching the end of the path that Twilight felt chills run up her spine. The sound of predators off in the distance, sent a small stint of paranoia into the mare. ‘Why did it have to be down here of all places?’ Terrified of what could become of her, Twilight was about ready to head back up until she felt something tug in her bag. An outside force moving against her will, nudging her to continue; all of which came from within her bookbag.

Reaching into her bag, Twilight brought out the little burlap sack containing the stone. The light within had grown exponentially and now it looked as if the bag was trying to smother a star. Curious, Twilight opened up the burlap container and brought out the stone, getting a closer look at it. Reacting to her touch, the stone started to float up from her palm and went from a simple spherical shape and started to sprout six sharp points. In the blink of an eye, the stone had changed its shape to something a little more familiar to Twilight. Bringing up her left hand, Twilight placed it in the field of view making it appear as if the back of her hand and the star were sides by side.

On the back of her purple hand was a shape similar to the gemstone, a six-pointed star with sparkles, to which Twilight realized what the shape was rather quickly. ‘My… Cutie-mark?’ Twilight’s thoughts stewed with questions in need of answering. Yet the weirdness kept coming. Pulling itself out of Twilight’s grasp, the glowing stone started to float away, acting of its own will. “H-Hey! Get back here!” She’d call out, giving chase immediately. It started to pick up speed, giving Twilight some unexpected exercise as she ran after the glowing purple gemstone amid the dark gorge. Despite her pleas for the suddenly animated stone to stop, it did not heed her calls. It had a mind of its own now and it did as it pleased. That is until it came to a sudden stop at a seemingly random location.

Twilight pounced on the gem-like one of the Everfree predators, wrapping both hands around the purple stone with a triumphant call. “Ah ha! Got you!” Keeping her grasp firm around the stone, she’d suddenly feel a lack of ground beneath her hooves. Looking down, Twilight saw that she was suspended about seven inches off of the ground, dangling by the floating gemstone.

Twilight started to shake and jerk in random directions, trying to pull the gem out of the air with no luck at all. Glad that nopony was around to see her defeated by a rock, of all things; Twilight dropped down and took a step back. She’d stretch out her arm and channel her magic around the stone, struggling to move it with the same results she’d get doing so barehanded. Gritting her teeth, grunting and straining, Twilight desperately attempted to pull the stone free from the air, or at the very least move it an inch in any direction.

It didn’t budge, and Twilight felt like her horn was about to explode from all the magic she was pouring into it trying to move what felt like a literal unmovable object. Twilight had been defeated, she let go and stumbled backward a couple steps before taking a moment to catch her breath and let her horn cool down. “Okay… you don’t want to move. I can… whooo… I can deal with that.” Twilight says out of breath.

Taking a moment to look around, seeing as the stone wasn’t going anywhere, Twilight took the time to see why of all places the stone stopped in the middle of the canyon. ‘There has to be something around here. Something that I’m…’ She’d turn to the glowing gem once more and had an idea. Ending the light spell, Twilight’s horn had its soft glow of light gently end and let the darkness consume her. She half-expected to be left in the void, unable to see anything past her muzzle, but she was wrong. The glow gave off a faint light as it rested in the air, yet it wasn’t the only thing giving off light in that gorge.

Light seeped out from faint cracks in the walls. A heavenly glow emanated from within, alerting Twilight that something was there. She took a closer look at the rock face, finding it wasn’t entirely solid. “I think I can solve this. Plus, I need something to vent my frustrations.” She started to crack her knuckles and de-stress her limbs; after her one-sided game of tug-of-war with the stone, Twilight was ready to prove to herself that she wasn’t getting rusty with her magic. Concentrating on emotions of rage, frustration, and determination, Twilight felt her hands and horn start to vibrate and hum with power. Rearing her hands back, she’d thrust out her arms and in doing so, unleashed a condensed ball of magic at her target, resulting in an eruption of stone and magic.

Boulders were pulverized into the gravel after one blast, to which Twilight conjured a shield spell to protect herself from the hail of stone. ‘Heh, I still got it.’ As the dust settled around the area, the mare felt she needed to adjust her eyes to this new source of light radiating out of the cave. The intensity was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and yet Twilight could feel all of her negative emotions melt away into nothing when in the presence of this light. She felt calm, and safe, and everything suddenly felt like they were going to be okay. That is until Twilight took notice of the stone on the move again.

Watching it float its way inside, Twilight followed the stone inside. Blasted and scorched dirt and stone slowly gave way to majestic crystal roots flowing all around and digging deep into the surrounding walls. Twilight followed the trail of crystal to its source; a tower of crystalline branches with five bulbs that could loosely be called fruit. Left in awe by the beauty of this hidden wonder, Twilight approached cautiously and watched as the stone slowly embedded into a slot that perfectly resembled its shape as if it were a missing piece of a puzzle.

Taking a few steps closer until she was about ten feet away from the tree, Twilight took a deep breath and readied herself for anything that may happen. “I don’t know if you can hear me… I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do or say. But we need help, now more than ever. Equestria is dying; our people are miserable and the world has been plunged into eternal darkness. Celestia…” Twilight felt a lump in her throat, tears swelling up in her eyes. “Celestia is gone. The Mare in the Moon, Nightmare Moon has taken over in Celestia’s stead. I can’t stop her, nopony can. Nopony… except for you. Please… we need your help. I need your help. Please, come back.” Making her pleas to the tree, Twilight waited for anything. A shimmer, a hum, anything that told her that somepony heard her. But there was nothing; not a single response that anything had listened. Defeated once more, Twilight lets out a sigh after a whole five minutes of silence. “I should have known; another dead end.”

Turning her back, Twilight took several steps to leave when she heard something shift in the ground. Twilight’s ears perked up, turning her attention back to the tree as it seemed to come alive. The tree had sprouted a sudden spire that pierced through the ground for what looked like no apparent reason. She watched the tree start to sprout more spires, adjacent to the first. It started with one new spire, then two, then four, then sixteen. Multiplying more and more, growing in size and shape. Before long Twilight noticed the glow of the tree grow in intensity with every passing moment, watching as a makeshift threshold had been formed from the very roots of the tree itself at the base. She had to shield her eyes or risk going blind as the light got brighter and brighter every second, filling the cave with its intense illumination. To make things worse, Twilight heard a high-pitched ringing that seemed to grow in volume with the intensity of the light; she pulled down her ears, trying to protect her senses from this onslaught of sensory overload. It felt like she was on the verge of going mad as everything around her started to fade away and she’d let out a scream of agony, drowned out by the sound of Tree of Harmony.

The ringing spread out through the forest, soon followed by the light. So intense was the display of magic that creatures of the Everfree ran for dear life as their beloved dark forest was engulfed in light to rival a thousand sons. The castle was now at the epicenter of this display and soon enough, the light that filled the gorge shot up straight upward. This pillar of light had illuminated the night sky, banished the darkness, and revealed the beautiful blue sea that the ponies had not seen for close to a year now.

The nearby village of Ponyville turned in awe at the sight of this brilliant pillar. It had been a long time since their little village had seen the blue skies above. Awestruck and stunned at the magical display, nopony knew what it meant. It all felt like a dream. Even ponies far, far away from the Everfree saw the pillar of light as it lit up the night sky, all the way from Manehattan to Fillydelphia.

In the city of Canterlot, the noble ponies of the land watched from their homes and villas high in their mountain safe haven. Not even the brightest of pony scholars could make sense of what was going on. Gossip started to take hold, thoughts, and ideas of who or what was responsible for this light show. Wild ideas started to take root. Some believed it was the return of Princess Celestia, others believed it to be an intense battle, and a handful believed it to be an omen from beyond. All were wrong, but one mare knew the truth.

In the center of Canterlot, watching from her bedroom window with a look of disbelief and awe, a towering mare with a mane of stars watched frozen in place. Her heart started to beat like a drum, knowing what, or rather, who was the cause of these bizarre happenings. This mare watched with eyes of icy blue beheld this miracle in the distance, feeling her rage starting to boil.

A knock came from her door, disturbing her nostalgic bliss. “Empress Moon!” A pony called out. One of her guards had come to tell her what she already knew. “Y-Your Highness, something is happening in Ponyville. I’m getting reports asking the same thing and nobody has any answers!” The door opened, revealing the empress to the stallion, fully nude no less. He’d suddenly forget why he came to her room, stunned by her beauty. “I… I- uh… I-…” He’d stammer, glued to her luscious curves and pillowy breasts.

“Gather yourself, peasant!” Growled Nightmare Moon. She did not even bother turning to face him, keeping her back turned and her eyes fixed on the phenomenon beyond the window of her new castle.

“Y-Yes, my apologies.” The guard stood upright. “Do you have orders?” The stallion felt the empress’s attention slowly turn to him, feeling her gaze bounce off the window to look at him.

“Orders. Yes…” She hissed, her hand moving out. She conjured a bottle of wine in her left hand and an expensive crystalline glass to her right. Slowly she turned to the guard, his pristine white coat turning red the longer his gaze fell onto her voluptuous naked body. “I want all guards stationed close to the area to retrieve whatever is the cause of that unnatural light.”

“I will begin the letter the second I return to my office. Is there anything else?”

“There is nothing else that needs to be done.” Nightmare Moon looms over the stallion, her dark features emboldened by the dim light of the castle. “This is a task that need to be done immediately. Stop your flank-kissing and get to my task, soldier.” Her voice slightly raised to where a few of the guards down the hall were able to hear their agitated ruler.

“Y-yes. Apologies, your grace. I will be off.”

“See that you do.” Slamming the door shut, Nightmare moon let out a frustrated sigh. She usually kept herself so much more composed, but this turn of events has noticeably unsettled her. Turning back to the window, watching the pillar slowly fade as it fulfills its purpose, Nightmare Moon poured herself a glass of wine to calm her nerves. Watching the light fade outside, she narrowed her eyes looking out into the distance before whatever self-control she had left drove the mare of shadows to squeeze the glass in her hand, feeling the wine and blood seep through her fingers.

“You won’t stop me this time.” Nightmare growls, watching the spectacle play out before her.





Twilight slowly started to regain consciousness. She had passed out after what felt like being hit by a knock-out spell turned to full-blast… twice. She slowly opened her eyes and readjusted her glasses to get a better look at the area. Much to her shock, the cave was ultimately intact. The tree itself had returned to its original state, and the spires that had popped from the ground vanished as if they were never there, to begin with. Not even a hole or opening remained, but a solid stone with nary a scratch or crack. Everything that had happened left Twilight confused, her mind trying to process everything that happened. Yet those thoughts ceased when something caught her eye.

Resting at the base of the tree was a stranger indeed. Moving closer, Twilight saw it to be a stallion, specifically a unicorn. He had to be about Twilight’s age with a coat of marble white and a mane of shining gold. Twilight pushed her glasses up to make sure she wasn’t seeing things ‘Woah… he’s… handsome.’ Twilight caught that random thought almost instantly ‘Objectively speaking of course.’

Approaching this prone stallion, cautiously making sure that he wasn’t just playing possum, Twilight took a closer look at the newcomer with the most scientific means known to modern science; she started to poke and prod at his body. The stallion’s firm figure suggested it was muscular and somewhat athletic, Twilight was already busy taking mental notes, overflowing with observations and details. After a couple of pokes however, the stallion started to groan in annoyance. “Eep!” Twilight shot back, standing on one leg as she was nearly scared to death unintentionally by the pony before her. The purple unicorn nearly shot off the ground after he started to move on his own, but she was glad to learn that he wasn’t dead.

Eyes locked on the stallion before her, Twilight moved closer to continue the examination again. Despite the fact he was a unicorn, Twilight was able to feel around and discover a very firm muscular structure; strong like an earth pony yet still flexible. This development confused Twilight until she felt something soft against her finger. Channeling the light of her horn down a bit, Twilight’s eyes go wide seeing something resting under him. That being a mass of feathers. ‘Wings? Pegasus?’ Her attention came to the stallion;s head and saw the horn resting there. It didn’t take long for Twilight to put the pieces together and her eyes went wide in realization. ‘No. An alicorn!’ Twilight felt a rush of emotion hit her like a tidal wave, feeling her heart pounding in her chest as she saw the naked stallion at her hooves.

Twilight gulped and used her magic to lift her new guest off the ground. “L-Lets continue this in the castle, maybe get you something to wear too.” Engulfing him in her magic, Twilight levitated her new finding off the ground and started for the castle, eager to see what else she could find about the strange pony.

The trek back to the castle seemed to go by faster than normal. The way back up the steps was spurred on by the eagerness Twilight felt in this discovery. Carrying her new guest in her magical aura, Twilight effortlessly carries him to the study to examine him.

Once they were inside, Twilight sets down her guest gently onto the bed and brings out a small notebook. Immediately Twilight started to take notes of his body, some places more than others, examining distinctions that weren't normal or if he was injured. If he was wounded, Twilight didn’t want all her efforts to be dashed away by an unseen gash for him to bleed out of. Reaching for his left hand, she’d note that the back of it was blank. “Huh, no brand. Weird.”

Finished with the front, Twilight pushed him over to get a better look at his backside. Keeping her baser instincts in control for a moment, Twilight saw the beautiful white wings waiting for her on the other end but something else as well. Imbedded in his back was a ring of gold that seemed indistinguishable from the flesh yet shimmered in the light like refined metal. The gold ring was decorated with five gray stones, one resting in the center and the other five taking up points of a star around the ring. Placing her hand on its surface, expecting to feel his soft fur once more but instead found that it was cold and metallic.

The ring of gold had been embedded into his flesh, looking almost as if it had been there his whole life. ‘I know I’ve seen this before. But… where?’ Running her hand around the golden ring and gray stones, Twilight had come to a conclusion when no answers came to her ‘I need to check my notes for this.’ Standing up from the bed, Twilight makes for the exit. Just a few steps out, she turns to her guest and smiles. “I’ll be back in a bit. I’ll see if I can’t get you something to eat… and also to wear.” Twilight took a few steps out, only to hear her guest groan and turn on the bed. The mare froze in place when she heard him speak.

“Mmmph… thanks…” Twilight paused, turning back to her guest and smiling excitedly. Even if he wasn’t who she thought he was, it’d be nice to have a somepony to talk to again. Twilight felt that her future was looking up for herself. Though she had about several million questions, Twilight had to wait for him to wake up first, and maybe get him some pants to keep her from staring too much.

Trotting away, Twilight went to fetch some food and some clothes he could wear. It wasn’t even a full minute before the excitable mare left that the stallion started to stir. Consciousness slowly returns to the stranger as he opens his glowing blue eyes. The bed was firm and not in the slightest bit comfortable, a fact the stallion took note of as he slowly awoke to his new surroundings. The smell of dust was something he couldn’t escape and when it was too much, the tingling in his nose brought the stranger to let out a loud sneeze that echoed out through the castle, effectively bringing him into the waking world once more.

Sluggishly rising from the bed, the strange pony rubbed his head to ease an intense pounding he felt in his head. “Ohhhh… what did I do last night?” The stranger sat hunched over, eyes heavy like lead but still mustering enough strength to observe his surroundings. With a sensation of unfamiliarity washing over him, the stallion turned to look around the study he found himself in with zero knowledge of where it was, let alone where he found himself. “Where am I?” Taking notes of the unfamiliar surroundings, the stranger observed the secret study and took note of the odd sense of decorum.

He saw the decrepit library beyond, taking in the crumbling stone and dusty books. ‘Did I pass out in a library?’ A sudden draft blew in, sending chills up his spine. “W-Where the hell are my clothes?! What is going on- ack!” He felt a harsh stinging in his head, almost like a thin needle had been inserted into his skull and slowly pulled through to the other side. Crawling out of the bed, the stallion made for a full body mirror coated in dust, stumbling up to what he thought were feet and making his way to look himself over. Blowing away some dust, the stallion took a look at himself, looking for any damage he wasn’t able to see with his own eyes yet he’d find so much more than that.

“W-What... the...?!” He held onto the mirror, looking at the thing staring back. “M-My hair?! Who the hell dyed my hair blond?” He ran a hand through his golden mane, remembering it very differently than it was now. “My eyes!? W-Why are they blue?!” He looked himself square in the eyes; his irises glowing a Neon Blue that illuminated his face. “W-Wait a minute.” Despite the other details, he noted the other unfamiliar features slowly sank in as he mocked and made faces in the mirror. He moved his hand down the outstretched muzzle, feeling his face as horror set in. He felt the protruding horn extending out from his and how it was a tad sensitive to the touch. It wasn’t until he turned his attention downward that he saw the rest of himself and how he was covered in a sleek, white coat of fur.

Panic seeped into the confused stallion, backing away before the stranger in the mirror only to fall flat on his flanks. “What the hell is this? WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING TO ME?!?!” The white alicorn stuck in a panic then heard the sound of someone clearing their throat to alert him of their presence. Turning to the entrance, that was when he saw her. Twilight stood wide-eyed on the threshold of the study and loomed over the confused and terrified stallion.

The two locked eyes, staring at one another and unsure of what to say. Twilight held her breath, scared and overjoyed that he had awoken so soon; the stallion looking back at her with confusion, fear, and a hint of suspicion. Tension was high, the two ponies staring the other down as sense slowly took hold of what to do next seemed so simple.

“AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAGH…!!!”

The sound of their screaming filled the castle, echoing out halfway through the Everfree. This was to be the first interaction between ponies and the returning Hero of Harmony. Hopefully, events proved to be an improvement for things to come.
> Chpt. 2: The Path Before Them
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nightmares were not this long, nor were they ever this vivid. That is how it always went for Cassius, but he had to admit, this was by far the most intense any dream of his had ever been. He finds himself in a dark castle in the middle of the night, butt naked in something else’s body. There was no way this couldn’t be a dream; there was no way this was anything but. Those thoughts were scrolling through the terrified man’s mind as he ran for his life through the castle, trying to put as much distance from him and that thing as possible.

After the purple horse creature let out its combat shriek, Cassius ran for his life. There was no telling how far it was or how deep into the castle he ran; all he wanted was to put as much distance between himself and it. However, Cassius didn’t count on the fact that his new body seemed to work against him. Stumbling, crashing, and generally knocking over everything in his path as if he was seemingly magnetically drawn to everything that’d slow him down. 

After years of taking his feet for granted, he now had to use these new cumbersome hooves in this bizarre nightmare he found himself in. To make matters worse, Cassius found them far too loud for his liking. It felt as if the clopping of his new limbs announced themselves with every stumbling step he took against the crumbling stone. He cursed his new body and then himself for dreaming up such an oddly detailed portion of his nightmare.

It wasn’t until Cassius ran what felt like forever through the castle, trekking the most random path imaginable to throw off his potential pursuer. Running on fumes, the man slowed down to catch his breath. It odd that he needed to do so in a dream, but Cassius just wrote off such concerns as another odd detail his mind had concocted.

Where he was now didn’t matter; sooner or later, he’d be awake and back in his apartment, getting ready for work. He could already imagine what his co-workers would say when he told them of this strange nightmare. Leaning against the cold wall, Cassius took a moment to relax in this moment of quiet. 

Gathering his thoughts and hoping to calm himself down, Cassius let the strange dream slowly sink in. ‘It’s just a dream. It’s just a dream….’ He mentally chanted in tune with his ragged breath. ‘Come on, wake up. Wake up, wake up, wake up…’ Cassius turns his head around the corner, watching for any signs of anything else that may be after him. ‘God, the one time I want my alarm to go off early to get me the hell out of here.’

Turning back to rest his head against the wall, a thought occurred to him. “Wait, if this is a dream and I’m aware of it. Then maybe if I just….” Closing his eyes and channeling his will, Cassius starts to focus. This was his dream; logic states that the world around him bent to his whim, and he wanted nothing else than to be far away from here and back in his actual body. Fingers on his temples, Cassius focused all his mental power. This was his dream, and he was free to do so as he wished.

The dimly lit corridor was slowly engulfed in a silvery light, and Cassius felt a strange tingling sensation in his forehead. There was a soft hum as well, almost matching the intensity of the tingling. Whatever it was, it was growing too intense and loud to ignore. Opening his eyes, Cassius found himself in the center of the silvery aura and saw his new horn looking like a shining beacon on his forehead. “What in the-GAH!” Suddenly losing concentration, a whisp of silver shot forth from Cassius’s new horn and began to ricochet off the wall like a glowing bullet. The bolt of energy bounced everywhere from wall to wall, finally finding a target in the one suit of armor Cassius had not managed to knock over in his mad escape.

Half expecting to watch the thing melt, Cassius was shocked to witness the dusty old suit mold and remodel itself before his eyes. The metal and ancient leathers morphed around to accommodate themselves. In seconds, the silvery aura surrounding the suit had transformed into a metallic statue, with the old leather straps forming a bikini-clad for a shapely metallic woman. However, her proportions were slightly exaggerated, and said bikini left little to the imagination. Having gone slack in the jaw at his newfound creation, the stallion ogled his handiwork with pride and confusion, mixing into some unknown emotion.

Pulling himself off the ground, Cassius used the wall to balance himself, but his hand came to grasp something at his side. They were round, smooth, and cold to the touch. Turning his glowing eyes to the wall, Cassius saw half of a face and a miniature replica of some rounded shapes on the wall. “What the?” Looking around, remembering where the bolt had first struck, he saw another set and then another and another. The Hallway now had random sets of stony breasts and protruding rear-ends lining the castle hall with the occasional features that depicted an arm, a leg, or maybe even a torso. “That’s… not exactly what I had in mind, but it’s a good start, I guess.”

Taking a step forward, Cassius found himself with his new enemy once more; his new body. It felt like he was a newborn all over again; he had the same concept of walking and balance, but the hooves were utterly different from what he was used to. These hooves did not have the same surface coverage, and with instinct dictating that he lean into his steps where toes would be, he often stumbled back or fell forward. “Come on! You’re a grown-ass man, and you know how to fucking walk.” He chastised himself. “All right, just like the song. Just oNE f-foot in fro-HOH-nt of the o-oth- w-Woah… Woah Woah WOA-!”

Cassius had managed to take to five steps. Five whole steps before tumbling over and crashing into the statue he had created, a new personal best. Both he and the figure fell apart into pieces, clattering around on the floor as if to ring the dinner bell to the only other inhabitant of the castle… that he knew of. “Ugh, this dream is going into the vault to be forgotten the moment I wake up.”

“Hello?” Cassius heard the voice call out, bringing the man upright with his ears flicking to lock onto where the sound came from. He shot up from the ground quickly with his eyes scanning his surroundings. It was her, the purple horse monster; there was no doubt about it. Though she sounded like a sweet girl from afar, it may as well be a clever ploy to lure him out for it to strike. “I’m sorry if I scared you.” She calls out, her voice getting louder. “Please, I just want to talk.”

‘Not falling for that!’ Cassius scurried up from the pile of busted metal and started to flee again. His walking, let alone his running, abilities had not improved in the last few seconds, and thus he was stumbling around the hallway trying to find his way through in hopes there was an end to this nightmare somewhere. He didn’t care if he had to run every inch of this castle to find his freedom; he’d do it twice if it meant keeping away from the creature stalking his every move.

Though Cassius may find that there may be exceptions to this, as he came to a halt in front of a hall of horrors he wasn’t quite ready to witness. For decorated on the walls were severed arms and hands illuminated by torches lining the entire way down to the other end. “What the fuuuuuuuu..?” Gawking at the savage display of severed limbs, Cassius had come to wonder what the hell was wrong with him if this was in his dreams. “I might have to see a therapist after this is over.”

“Please… come back…” The monster’s voice echoed through the halls, getting closer and closer with every second wasted. Finding himself between two terrors, Cassius turned his head onward and behind him in a debate of which path was the least harrowing. Seconds dragged on, but finally, he took the only choice: stepping into the hallway of horrors.

Sprinting into a clumsy run, Cassius was slowly getting the hang of his new legs as he focused on the threadbare red carpet leading him onward. Though he did trip and fall upon entering, he quickly got back up and started running. Cassius had no idea he could run so fast; he was streaking through this hallway of arms still in a birthday suit not his own and yet the wind against his new fur was liberating though something did feel off. Something was tugging at his back through all this, and it had grown to a point where ignoring it was becoming impossible.

Reaching behind him after coming to a halt, Cassius runs his arm around to feel his back. “What is that?” His hand grasps something long and soft. It felt like he had a strange lumpy scarf dangling off his shoulder blade. Trailing his hand along the bonier parts of the structure, Cassius brought it around to see what he had taken hold of, and his eyes went wide at what he saw. “I have wings?” He tries to tap into them, searching for control of these new limbs. After a few short tries, the wing flinched and twitched to his command. “Oh!” He turns the other way and finds its brother, watching them move independently like a set of thin arms. “Oh, this is so fucking cool!” He tries to give them a little flap, feeling feint gusts of wind against his bare back. “I think I just found my way out of here.” He says in triumph. He slowly brings his wings in, only to hear a series of short yet dry popping sounds. He half expected that to be his newfound wings, however. Usually, when there was a sound like that, it was followed by a sensation of agony or relief. But there was nothing.

“You never should have come here.” A voice speaks all around Cassius, his body going rigid.

“… Satan? Is that you?” 

“Your death… will be slow… and painful.” Sweat starting to mat his white fur, Cassius looks around the room only to hear another *POP*, this one much closer to him. Following the glow of his eyes, Cassius soon turns his attention to the many severed limbs mounted to the walls. Each one at a state of rest with their wrists dangling limply. All of them, say for one. The single rebel among the crowd was where Cassius had heard the popping sound, and he saw the arm stretched out, fingers flexed, and reaching.

Reaching out to Cassius.

Slowly backing away from the rebel hand, Cassius runs down the hallway. ‘Maybe this was a mistake.’ He thinks to himself. ‘I should have found some way out, somewhere less terrifying.’ Streaking through a terrifying castle had lost all its appeal. All Cassius wanted to do was to wake up and repress the memory as hard as possible. Yet something started to feel off; his running had become too clean. Where once he was stumbling left and right, Cassius could now stay upright with the utmost ease, and the hallway seemed to go on forever.

Row after row after row of arms are like the ones before and after. Torches lit the way deep down into wherever this hallway led. It was all too strange for his liking, but this sensation slowly growing in the pit of his stomach felt oddly familiar in a sense. Cassius slowed down again, finding himself in a spot identical to the last place he stopped.

It wasn’t until he turned his head back that he saw something that made his heart speed up. The same arm as before stretched out and reached for him in the same position as when he left. It hadn’t even moved; it was still there, right where he had seen it last time. Cassius knew he didn’t make any turns; it had been a straight line all the way through since he started. Backing away with his eyes fixed on the hand, Cassius turned around and sprinted down the hall against him, stopping a few feet from testing a budding theory. Once he stopped again, he took a moment to brace himself. Closing his eyes and steeling his nerves, Cassius turned his head with his eyes leading the charge and found, for the third time, the very hand he’d seen several feet back.

“You were warned,” The voice spoke again. “And now, you will know the true meaning of terror!” Cassius heard another loud *POP* on the other wall as one of the arms suddenly came to life. Its hand stretched out its fingers one after the other, wriggling around its wrist before snapping itself off. A spray of black oozed with tendons and nerves dragging on down behind the severed hand, its long bony fingers scuttling around before the middle finger popped up like a pseudo-head to look Cassius’s way.

There was a moment for Cassius to take in the horror show in front of him, delaying his reaction until finally what he was witnessing finally hit him. “OH HELL TO THE FUCK NO! With that reaction, the skittering hand made its way toward Cassius at disturbing speeds. Cassius turned and ran for his sanity, the sensation of terror keeping him balanced enough to keep him from tumbling and fumbling around as he did earlier; now, he was tapping into his inner primate and running for dear life.

“Wake up, Cassius! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! FOR THE LOVE OF FUCKING GOD, WAKE UP!” He shouted and pleaded to himself in the real world. As he kept running, the endless hallway of arms seemed to have no end. To make matters worse, more and more of the components seemed to come to life. Some followed their brother and tore themselves from their joints. Others seem to work in tandem to rip the plaques that held them together off the walls and to form a disturbing set of legs to give chase to. By now, a small army of severed limbs and nightmarish legs was chasing Cassius through the hallway, and all he could do was run and scream.

It wasn’t until he looked behind him to see a massive wall of hands scuttling on one another like a tidal wave of fingers, all of which were closing in on him. He didn’t care what the meaning behind this dream was or what his mind was trying to tell him; this was the purest essence of fear, and he was not ashamed to admit he was crying.

Yet, despite all this, hope started to bloom. There was a literal light at the end of the tunnel. Cassius didn’t care if he had finally died and was on his way to the gates of heaven or running right into the bowels of hell; all that mattered was that he saw his goal, which gave him enough motivation to push this new body to its utter limits. Leaning forward, Cassius started to for the light. Calling out thanks to God, Zeus, The Holy Buddha, Odin, and every other deity he could think of maximizing his chances of escape.

Yet it seemed that all his praises were ignored. Cassius gasps, feeling something grasp him. It wasn’t on his leg or wing but on his tail. He had a tail, a long tail that dragged behind him and made it a prime target for creatures such as these. Cassius turned back to see one of the hands had taken hold of his new golden tail, weighing him down, and soon a second hand latched onto its comrade. “No! NO, NO, NO, NO!” Another hand locks on, grabbing Cassius by the ankle. Cassius fell forward instantly onto his face, trying to scurry towards the light in the vain hope of reaching his escape. One by one, they each pinned him to the ground, weighing him more and more as flight seemed impossible. “Please! I don’t want to die….” His heart was beating like a drum, reaching out to the light.

His hand was stretched out, reaching more and more towards freedom, but his sight was obscured by the various fingers and palms moving to entomb him. His world vanished, and Cassius hoped he’d wake up.

To which he did.





Cassius lets out a gasp of air, his eyes shooting open as consciousness returns. He sits up, feeling the rush of adrenaline still in his system. ‘I-Is it over?’ He looks around, and much to his dismay, he does not see the walls of his home but rather the stone blocks of the castle. Only this time, he was not alone.

Standing over him was the strange purple creature he had met when this dream started. She was looking at him with big eyes of violet, an expression that resembled worry. For all Cassius knew, that may also be how these things looked when they were angry or hungry. Petrified in her presence, Cassius could not summon the strength to move. At least not until she took a step forward, spurring him to back away like a frightened animal. “No, stop!” She calls out. Cassius was about to ignore her when she spoke again. “You’ll trigger the trap again!”

He slows down, turns his head, and his blood runs cold. The hallway, That same hallway he had been in, was a mere inch away. Cassius had nearly blundered his way into going through the same nightmare for a second time. “I am so sorry you had to go through that.” The strange creature says. “I had set that up for potential intruders, and I never anticipated you’d fall victim to one of them.”

“O-One of them?” He says in a trembling voice. “Y-Ya mean there are more?” She nods in confirmation

“Again, I am so… so sorry you had to go through that. That was one of my more potent creations, and I made it in a rather… frustrating time.” She looked ashamed of herself, but again Cassius wasn’t sure if this was the case. “I beg you to forgive me, sir. I never meant any ill will to come to you.” She bows, keeping her head low, yet all Cassius focused on was that sharp-looking horn pointed towards him. Remembering what he had done back in the hallway, he was sure that the thing could be much worse if she wanted to.

“I-Its fine. I’m fine. Just… a little spooked.” Cassius says, trying to keep himself alive. Keeping the distance from her, Cassius slowly gets back up, holding onto the wall as he looks her over. The purple thing slowly rose to meet him, but Cassius caught her eyes drifting south. It took him a minute to realize where he tracked her eyes, only for the man to bring his hands to his exposed sheath and balls. “Oi, my eyes are up here!” He calls out to her.

“S-Sorry! Sorry!” she says, embarrassed. “Maybe we should get you something to wear.”

“I-” Cassius paused, thinking it over a bit. He was getting a little sick of being stark naked. While this purple horse monster wasn’t human, being nude in front of a girl was not helping. “I would actually like that a lot.”

She smiles at his response. “I-I also have some food if you are hungry. You ran quite a ways and must have worked up an appetite. That and I saw your um… handiwork in that one hallway. You seem to have what all healthy stallions desire.” Cassius could see the purple horse starting to fluster. “No doubt casting a spell like that has not helped either.”

‘What is she talking about?’ It took him a moment to remember, but it eventually came back. ‘Wait, is she talking about the-?’

“Yeah, that was an accident,” Cassius says in a bit of shame. “Hey, you said you had pants and food; can we get back to that, please.”

“Yes, of course.” She perks up. “If you want, we can head back to the study.”

“No offense but that place was cramped. Do you have somewhere more… spacious? Preferably somewhere I could keep my distance. I have no idea who you are or your intentions with me.” Looking a little hurt, the purple horse thing seemed to understand. Their meeting may not have gotten off to a good start, but considering he wasn’t running away in terror anymore, it could be seen as a definite improvement.

“Cramped. Hm.” Thinking over where they may speak more comfortably, one place came to mind. “I think I know a place.” She noticed he was having issues walking, so she offered her hand to help him along. “But first, I think introductions are in order. My name is Twilight Sparkle.” Cassius looks at her hand skeptically, unsure whether he should trust Twilight or touch even touch her for that matter. After everything he had gone through, he saw no reason to do so. But, if he wanted answers, he could cut her a little slack.

“Cassius. My name is Cassius Marcanus.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Cassius,” Twilight says, mustering her warmest smile.





Leading Cassius away from the Hall of Arms, he and Twilight made their way to the spot where they could talk. While Cassius had no sense of where they were, Twilight was more than capable of quickly navigating the halls of the crumbling castle and doing so in a manner that Cassius had never even considered.

Twilight came to a crossroads every so often and started to make her horn glow with violet energy that filled the area. At first, it didn’t seem like it did anything other than illuminate the castle further than the torches that guided their way. It wasn’t until Twilight ran her hand along a wall that she found a map showing various symbols like a crown, a skull, and a pan. Considering they had come from the direction pointing towards a skull, Cassius knew what that most likely meant.

From the way it seemed, Twilight was bringing Cassius towards the Crown, whatever that could mean. Turning corner after corner, avoiding the hallways that lead towards traps and more horrors Twilight had concocted with her so-called magic. ‘Is this weird horse girl a wizard or something?’ Eventually, their trek through the castle led them to a large archway that used to be a set of two massive doors. Inside, Cassius saw an enormous room with crumbling pillars. Doors led every which way, and a set of what could only be thrones atop an incline. “This used to be the castle’s throne room,” Twilight says. “Wide, spacious, and if at any point you wish to leave,” Twilight motioned upward, where Cassius found that the room had lacked a roof. That may explain why there was much rubble everywhere. “You have plenty of space to spread your wings.”

“And you’re willing to trust that I won’t just bolt the first chance I get?”

“I am.” She says plainly. “If you want to leave, you have every right to. I’m not here to keep you against your will, Cassius. I ask that you please stay to hear what I have to say. Will you at least give me that?”

“I say it’s a fair trade for pants and some food.” He says with a slight chuckle.

“I’d say it’s more than fair,” Twilight says. “You can wait here while I go and fetch some things, and I’ll be back in a few minutes. Just be careful, please.”

“Why? Is this room booby-trapped too?”

“No. Though a few of those corridors are.” Twilight states matter-of-factly. Moving into the center of the large chamber, Cassius turns back to see Twilight was gone. He was alone again and his thoughts started to wander, as well as his hooves. He was taking care not to leave the area lest he fall into one of Twilight’s bizarre traps. Circling the room, taking in the details of what was once a glorious throne room now whittled away by time, Cassius started to feel something forming that he so hoped to deny.

‘I’m starting to think that this isn’t a dream.’ He dares not speak those words out loud, feeling that they may solidify that notion into reality. Cassius ran his hand against one of the crumbled columns that once held up a grand ceiling and felt it against his newfound fur. The stone was cold like the rest of the castle. The details were there; the coarse stone, the chill to the touch. This was no dream; it couldn’t be. Reality starts to sink into Cassius as he looks around the vast throne room, setting his eyes on the two seats of power.

Approaching them, he found that the two thrones had somehow gone without being looted or plundered, for Cassius could spot a few gemstones still embedded into golden seat. It looked like it had been pristinely polished and well-kept. Yet the other, a throne of darker metals with silver embroidery, had been left to rot through the ages, untouched and falling apart. Cassius did not seem to care whatever the reason for this, as he was too focused on his situation and merely looking for a distraction.

Before long, Cassius turns his attention upward at the night sky. The crescent moon was hanging overhead with millions of glittering stars up above. He’d never seen so many stars and was almost taken aback by the shades of purple and blue decorating the skies above. Seeing such wide-open skies, Cassius felt his new wings slowly unfurl, taking hold of him. ‘I should leave.’ Came a random thought. ‘I need to get out of here.’ Cassius felt his new wings slowly stretch out and slowly started to flap. He felt a powerful force push him off the ground. After about three beats of his wing, he felt himself at the tip of his hooves but eventually, his focus was lost and one of his wings lost synch with the other. Cassius goes from taking off to falling over himself in an embarrassing display.

“Glad no one saw that,” Cassius says to himself, picking himself back up.

It wasn’t until Cassius heard hooves announcing her approach that Twilight was about to return. The fanfare of clopping started low, but eventually, the purple unicorn had returned. “Sorry I’m a little late.” She calls out, walking back in with a large bag hanging on her shoulder. She approaches Cassius, now standing upright as Twilight re-enters the room. “I hope these fit. They’re the only spare pants I have that can fit someone of your size.”

“So long as they cover me and keep the wind out of my legs, they’ll do. We can worry about proper clothes later in the morning I guess.” Taking the brown slacks, Cassius wastes no time slipping them on. They weren’t precisely what Cassius was used to in clothes, but the burlap fabric and lack of a zipper were more than enough for him, significantly since his new fur helped to make a decent layer between the itchy burlap and his skin. “What’cha got there?”

“Food, as promised.” Twilight reaches into the bag and pulls out a smaller sack with three large, red apples inside. Twilight hands it over, to which Cassius was happy to do so. He had no idea he could be hungry in a dream, yet that only fueled the fires of doubt spreading through his mind. Taking one of the apples, Cassius takes a bite, and the fruit explodes with sweet juices and crisp meat. He’d never had anything so lovely, certainly not from an apple.

“This is… actually very good.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Twilight smiles with delight. Enjoying the crunch of the fruit, Cassius turns to the bag and then back to Twilight. He offers her the bag back.

“Did you want one too?”

“No, no! You can have them. You must be hungry after everything that happened.” Twilight waves him off, not in any mood for food. What Twilight hungered for was knowledge above all else. The final object in hand was that of her mentor’s old diary, cradling it like a newborn foal in her arms. “Um, Cassius. We’ve gotten off to a rocky start, but I have many questions for you, and I can hardly wait for a second longer.”

“That’s fine. I have more than a few questions for you as well.” Twilight couldn’t help but beam at his response.

“Out of fairness for what happened earlier, you can have the first question.” Cassius pauses, about to take another large bite of the apple before thinking about it. He had a billion questions he could spend a lifetime trying to answer but probably wouldn’t even get close to answering. Yet he’d never know unless he asked.

“Well… I guess my first question is where am I?”

“You are in the Castle of the Two Sisters. It’s an ancient relic, and you probably don’t recognize it in this state, but-“

“No, I mean… where am I? Like, in general. What is this place called, this world?” Twilight wasn’t expecting that. Her smile fading after hearing that Cassius had no idea at all where he was.

“Yo-You don’t know where you are?”

“I have not the faintest clue.” Twilight pauses, new questions being dumped into the pile that already existed.

“You’re in Equestria, right in the middle of the Everfree Forest.”

“I have no idea where any of those places are,” Cassius says, finishing his first apple. “And the planet?”

“Equus.”

“Right… right,” Cassius says, deep in thought. “Your turn, I guess.”

“My question is,” Twilight had about a million to choose from, but something was bugging her that demanded immediate attention. “What do you remember from the last time you were here?”

“Last time?” Cassius says in a perplexed tone. “What do you mean?” Twilight wasn’t expecting that. But it was something that had come to mind. His reaction to seeing her and his seeming lack of memory lead to one conclusion. “Hm, that’s not good. It seems the summoning spell has to lead to a severe case of Summoning Sickness.”

“S-Summoning Sickness?”

“It’s nothing to worry about. Even in the most severe cases, it is non-lethal and always temporary.” Twilight explains with a wave of her arm. “Symptoms tend to be loss of motor skills, long-term memory loss, and in some cases, magical fluctuation. It’ll all start to fade in about two weeks.” Twilight reassures Cassius with a smile.

“I guess… I’ve no choice but to trust your word on that. I’ve no idea about anything magical, to be honest.”

“It’s fine; I’m sure the knowledge will return to you.” Twilight couldn’t help but be dismissive. “But if you need a refresher, by all means, feel free to ask. I’ve accumulated years of magical studies and can brief you on anything simple to complex.”

“So, you’re a wizard then.”

“Ha! Flattering but no.” Twilight giggles. “I was merely an apprentice before… w-well, everything went to Tartarus. Though, I am flattered you would think me so skilled.” Twilight was growing drunk off of his simple suggestion.

“You said that you summoned me?” Cassius asks. “Can I ask… why?” Twilight ceases her giggling fit, having heard Cassius’s question. She knew this would come sooner or later but felt she had a little more time before asking him.

“Well, it’s a long story,” Twilight says.

“I’ve nowhere to go and nothing but time. Though, if you want to wait on that, we could hold out until morning.” Twilight had a bit of a strained look on her face, as if she wanted to say something but at the same time didn’t.

“Cassius. Its currently 9’oclock in the morning.” Cassius wasn’t expecting that. He turned to look up at the sky and saw the dark night with the glowing moon overhead, feeling he had missed something.

“Twilight, I’m not sure if the word ‘Morning’ has taken on a new meaning or not, but it’s clearly night time.”

“I know its just…” Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she began to explain the situation. “The short answer is… I need your help. We... need your help.”

“We? Is someone else here?”

“The ‘We’ in that is in general,” Twilight explains. “The world has been engulfed in a literal eternal darkness. It has been night for a while now. One year ago,” Twilight pauses as flashes of the events that sent her world careening into chaos came into her mind. “An ancient foe returned; everypony thought she was a fairy tale, a figment to scare foals into behaving. Yet she was very real that day. She invaded the castle single-handedly, overpowering the guards and the best unicorns were but flies to her power.” Cassius was getting a strange sensation in his stomach that he couldn’t quite explain. “It wasn’t until Princess Celestia came to a stop her. I hid to the side, watching firsthand as my mentor fought her back. I had known she was powerful from the old tales, but it wasn’t until then that I realized she was on a completely different level. Unfortunately, so too was she.”

“Who?” Cassius asks. “Who is… She?” Twilight feels a chill run up her spine, daring not to speak her name as if the mere utterance may summon her there to her.

“… N-… Nightmare… Moon.” Twilight’s eyes slowly gaze up to the moon, seeing its aethereal glow hang over them in the open ceiling of the throne room. “She fought the princess to a stand-still, utilized magic I never could have imagined in my darkest nightmares, and wielded it ways I never wish to witness again.”

“So, where do I come into this exactly?” Cassius interrupts. “From what I’m hearing, all we gotta do is find this Princess Celestia and get her ready for round two.” Twilight didn’t respond; her body was rigid as she turned her gaze away from Cassius. It wasn’t long before he put the pieces together and realized. “Oh… I’m sorry.”

“N-No. It’s fine.” She holds back a few tears trying to remain resolute. “But yes, the reason for you being here is that you’re the last and only pony who could hope to face her. You were… you are,” Twilight corrected. “The Hero of Harmony,” Twilight spoke his title, hoping it’d conjure up some reaction. Though Cassius didn’t seem phased by the words, Twilight continued. “You were brought to Equestria; your purpose was to keep us safe. But, after the first time you defeated Nightmare Moon, you just… abandoned us.” Cassius saw a look of betrayal form in Twilight’s eyes. He didn’t know how he felt about it being directed toward him when he had no recollection of anything like this happening. Cassius finally understood what he was doing here.

“Twilight,” Cassius says. “I know you think I’m some hero or legendary figure,” 

“You are.” Twilight affirms.

“But… I think you got the wrong person. If some magical princess couldn’t defeat this Nightmare Moon, I see no hope for me. I’m sorry, Twilight… but you got the wrong guy.”

“No!” She suddenly says, looking him in the eye. “You are him; I know it. You’re an alicorn for Celestia’s sake. If not that, then the golden ring is a dead giveaway.”

“What ring?”

“The golden ring in your back.”

“There’s a what?!” Cassius leans forward, trying to reach into his back, passed his new wings and his fingers graze against something cold and metallic. “Why is there a metal ring in my back?”

“I’m not entirely sure myself, but I know where I’ve seen it before.” Reaching into a bag dangling at her shoulders, Twilight produces a sizable book with a purple cover. Decorated on it was a large golden ring with five colorful gemstones surrounding a twinkling star. “This is the proof I need; there’s no possible explanation for anything else. The symbol of the book detailing your deeds of the past is the exact same shape as the ring you bare.” Twilight left out the fact that the stones on his back were a dull grey.

“So you believe it then?” Cassius says with a hint of amusement, sitting back on the throne with a skeptical look. “That I’m some magical warrior of old here to save the day and beat the bad guy?”

“Truly, I do. With all my being.” Twilight made no secret that she was putting all her faith into him, something ever present in her large, violet eyes. Yet while she had the utmost confidence in him, Cassius knew better. He needed to nip this in the bud and tell her what is happening. ‘Oh man, she’s not going to like this.’ Cassius slowly sits up from the throne, ready to tell Twilight that her efforts were in vain, that she did not get a warrior of legend, but someone completely the opposite in his place. Pushing himself from the throne, Cassius closed his eyes, ready to tell her everything.

“Twilight I-“ Cassius opens his eyes to find himself no longer in the throne room. He now stood amidst a black and inky void. “Hello?” Cassius calls out, his voice echoing forth into the unknown. It only took him a moment to think of what was happening. “Oh shit, is this one of her traps?” Cassius backs away, running his hands around the area, looking for a way out. “Twilight! Twilight, help!”

“Twilight?” Came a strange voice. Cassius turns around to see a newcomer. Standing in the void was another pony. Unlike Twilight, she seemed to have a bit more muscle on her and lacked a horn. She was wearing some denim short-shorts with a white T-shirt and what looked to be a leather vest. And resting on her head, instead of a horn, was a stylish looking Stetson. “Who’s Twilight?” Cassius was looking at this strange newcomer with hesitation.

“Uhhh… a-are you real?”

“Course ah’m real. What kin’a cockamamie question is that?” She says, a little offended.

“Sorry to ask but… the last time this happened… I got chased by an army of severed hands.”

“Woof, that sounds mighty terrifyin'.” The mare says, tipping her hat his way. “Still, ah ain’ the type tah go givin’ strangers a fright fur no good reason.” This strange mare starts to close the distance, taking her hat off to let her golden mane free. “Though, while ah got yur attention, there is something ah’d like to ask of you.” She has a smile that suggests confidence yet Cassius felt his gut tell him something was wrong. Face to face now, the strange mare takes her hand and places it into Cassius’s hand.

He looks at the nicely crafted hat and looks it over before turning to the stranger and saw instead of confidence, she had a horrified look about her. “Help me.” She whimpers. Cassius was about to speak before the sound of a whip lashes out from the void. The mare lets out a blood-chilling scream as she was dragged away into the darkness. Though she may have gone, Cassius was soon bombarded by her wails of terror. It was too much for Cassius, bringing his hands to his ears to drown it out all the while his vision becomes blurred and unfocused.

“Cassius! Cassius, snap out of it!” Twilight’s voice was heard as reality sank back in. Realizing he was on the floor, the stallion shot up and glared at her.

“I thought you said there weren’t any traps in here!”

“There aren’t.” Twilight casts the same spell, only this time on a much broader scale. Cassius and Twilight looked to one of the corridors showing a skull and crossbones off to the side with a few other random symbols. “See, if there were, the traps would be illuminated with a blue aura.”

“Then how in the hell did-“ Cassius moves to point to the throne, but he pauses, realizing he is gripping something. In his hand, his fingers wrapped around the brim, was a familiar-looking Stetson. A little too familiar for Cassius’s liking. Twilight, on the other hand, looked on in amazement as she had no idea where it had come from.

“W-Where did you get that?” Cassius didn’t respond immediately, merely eyeballing the object as he’d never seen one of them before. His mind was racing with questions; thoughts were piling up, and worse yet, doubt about everything Cassius knew.
> Chpt. 3: A-Not-So-Good-First-Step
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“All right, let’s go through this one more time.”

Twilight and Cassius stood amid the throne room of the old castle. For the past hour or so, Twilight tried to make sense of what had happened. To her, Cassius had feinted after standing back up from the throne he sat on. At first, her theory was that the ancient throne was enchanted to keep unwanted flanks out of the seat. However, a rudimentary magical detection spell quashed that theory fast. Then Cassius told Twilight what it was he saw. About a strange mare in a void and how she didn’t seem to take note of that fact. She was focusing on him. Cassius told her again how she approached him casually, then took off her hand, but her demeanor shifted drastically. The look in her green eyes denoted fear above all else as she was then whisked away after a loud crack was heard. Or, as Cassius puts it…

“Woosh!”

“Woosh?” Twilight couldn’t help but look oddly at Cassius’s description choice.

“Yeah. There was a loud crack, and then she flew back into the distance. Woosh.” Twilight wasn’t usually one to use words like that; her pallet of vocabulary was at least somewhat more sophisticated than that. But, for simplicity’s sake, she’d settle for it to keep the investigation going. From what happened, Twilight could deduce that Cassius had a vivid hallucination, at the very least, after falling. Or perhaps it was Nightmare Moon’s doing? ‘No, Nightmare holds power over the realm of dreams. She can’t make a pony sleep without a line of sight.’ Twilight thought, pacing around the throne room. While the idea that Nightmare Moon was in the room with them did scare her, she put to rest that idea fast as she knew Nightmare Moon had a theatric side to her. Besides, if she had shown up, Cassius was more than capable of taking her down. At least once the Summoning Sickness wears off. If that were the case, Nightmare Moon had ample opportunity to strike and be done with them both.

However, the most damning evidence still lay at their hooves like a stylish red flag. Sitting on the throne was the Stetson the mare had given Cassius. It sat there undisturbed like the king of all headwear. The two ponies turning to it with evident frustration. Twilight had used the same spell to see if there were any residual magical powers on it and once again came up with nothing. ‘This doesn’t make any sense.’ Twilight thought to herself. Letting out a sigh of defeat, she knew that solving this mystery alone was impossible. “Right, I know what to do now?”

“Oh, thank God! I was about to have an aneurysm trying to make sense of how I pulled a Freddy Krueger on a fucking hat.” It sounded like Cassius was just as frustrated as Twilight was.

“Pulled a what now?” Twilight asked, not entirely understanding his choice in reference. “What’s a Freddy Krueger.”

“It’s a sort of horror figure in a ghost story,” Cassius says dismissively. However, his choice of reference did bring up something that had been broiling in the background. Telling Twilight who he was turned out to be a difficult task than he had anticipated. Though every time he made eye contact with her, he’d recall her absolute certainty that he was the pony of legend. ‘I gotta nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand.’ Cassius says, moving in close. “Look, Twilight. I know we’ve been over this, and I don’t know what is happening here.”

“I know; I’m just as baffled as you are,” Twilight says, a little disheartened. Before Cassius could continue, Twilight’s confident smirk returned as she faced him. “Which is why we’ll have to go see Zecora.”

“But I’m not the- I’m sorry, who?”

“Zecora.” Twilight repeats. “She’s wise beyond her years, and while I’m more of a student of the arcane aspects of magic, she’s more than adept in the more spiritual side. If anypony can make any sense of what happened to you, it’ll be her.” Twilight paused at a thought. “Hm, perhaps she can even unlock your latent memories? But we’ll have to get to her first.

“Okay, we can go see her, but first, I need to tell you that-“

“No time, I need to pack, and you’ll help.”

“No, seriously- woah!” Caught off guard, Twilight’s horn starts to glow as an invisible force drags Cassius along at the hem of his new underwear, bringing him out of the throne room and towards Twilight’s secret storeroom.





Cassius was getting used to this new body of his. Walking up several flights of stairs with a magic barrier keeping him from falling backward was a good set of training wheels mixed with learning to swim by being thrown into a pool. At least, that’s what he’d describe it as. Now, resting in the tallest tower, Cassius and Twilight gathered her little belongings. Twilight quickly packed what she needed, snatching up clothes and neatly folding them into neat little squares to be placed down gently in a large travel sack.

Cassius was asked to do the same, sifting through a few clothes and other amenities they couldn’t live without. Or things Twilight couldn’t live without. Those being clothes, rations, and books. Now that Twilight had a helping hand with this trek, she was doubling up on her stay with the Apples and wanted to be prepared. Though Twilight felt he could do better with his packing skills. “Not exactly the most organized.” Twilight mumbles.

“Oh, I’m SOOO sorry, Mistress Spaaawkle.” Cassius took on a bit of a mocking tone. “But my skills in packing your garments are woefully underdeveloped.” Twilight felt her eyes roll around in her skull of their own will.

“Okay. I’m sorry, just a bit… used to my system is all.”

“Yeah, I understand. I also got my system; it’s called Clothes-Go-In-and-Then-We-Leave.” He emphasized this by getting a few of her non-ragged clothes into the bag. “I dunno how long you expect to stay there, Twilight, but do you really- GAAAAWHAH!!!” Twilight was about to ask what had startled him but was to get the answer when it hit her in the face.

Removing the garments, she’d see they were a set of her panties. Cassius was a bright shade of red, having handled Twilight’s unmentionables. “Oh, grow up, Cas. They’re just underwear.” She hiked up her skirt to show herself off, revealing a set of white panties that seemed cleaner than her other clothing she was wearing. “See, nothing to be ashamed of. Heck, that’s all you’re wearing.” Cassius had turned his back to her but saw something interesting. Cassius had his wings flaring up against his will, which wasn’t the only thing. Twilight started to fluster a bit. “Do-… Does that really… get you going?” Twilight sounded quite amused by this development.

“What?” Cassius turns around with a shocked look to him.

“Well, I’ve heard stallions didn’t need a lot to stimulate them, but I’m a bit surprised it was this easy.” It took Cassius a moment to realize what Twilight had just said.

“Twilight… you’ve… never been with a guy before, have you?”

“Whaaaat? Of course I have. I’ve been with… all the stallions back in my school days. Heh, I couldn’t keep them away. Hehe heh… ehhhh…” It was Twilight’s turn to start flustering as she abandoned her packing system for Cassius’s notion of just shoving things into the bag until it was fitting to burst. “Welp, all packed; let’s get moving.” Twilight was about to drag Cassius via telekinetic grip, but he’d stand back up and wave her on. He’d follow close behind with the other bag, moving down through the narrow corridor leading up to Twilight’s sanctuary.

“Sooo… um… changing the subject, I think we should get back to that thing I’ve meant to talk to you about.” Cassius says, trying to bring back up the issue he had to tell her about. They were already nearly on the first floor.

“Oh? Right, that thing. That thing you wanted to tell me, the thing you were trying to get out before. In the throne room, that thing.” Twilight rambled on. Cassius tried to withhold a small chuckle as the two entered the castle halls and the exit not even sixty feet ahead.

“So, you know how I don’t have any memories of this place.”

“Ah yes, the Summoning Sickness. I still remember; a little hiccup like that will not stop us.” Twilight says with confidence. “Once your memories return, you can tell me how we can defeat Nightmare Moon and save all of Equestria.”

“Yes, but here’s the thing. I’m still a bit iffy about that.” Twilight had come to a stop at the crumbling statue of Cassius. “I’m not so sure… that you have the right guy, and I think… that you made a mistake.” Twilight heard the doubt in his voice. “I’m not the Hero of Harmony guy; I’m a literal nobody and… The universe dealt you a bad hand when you brought me here. I’m sorry.” 

A stunned look about Twilight hit her for a moment, the light from the enchanted torches catching her expression perfectly. Only for it to shift to something warm and comforting. “Cassius, look at me.” She moves clothes, bringing her hands to his shoulders. “I know you have your doubts. Your fears, but trust me… once you’re all better, you’ll look back at this and laugh.” Twilight was confident. Confident that she was indeed speaking to the Hero. Satisfied that he was the answer to all of her problems. Assured that it was only a matter of time before he was his old self again.

If only she could spare some for Cassius. “I’m flattered, but for real. I’m I’m from-“

“Nah ah!” Twilight pressed a finger to his lips to silence him. “Not another word.” She says with a triumphant smile. “I won’t have any more of your negativity.” Drawing her hand back, she’d stand boldly before Cassius and the statue. “Tell you what, when we get to Zecora’s place, she’ll be able to tell us everything we want to know, and I promise she will be able to confirm who you are.” Cassius was about to say something, but he saw Twilight ready to shush him again with her finger. Defeated, Cassius lets out a sigh and gathers his thoughts.

“Alright, if she can tell you, then so be it. Let’s go see your friend.”

“That’s the spirit.” Twilight squees in delight, motioning for her half-naked companion to follow. Tailing behind the eager unicorn, Cassius came to take his first proper steps into this new world. The courtyard surrounding the castle was plain grass and dead shrubbery leading along a cobblestone road that suddenly stopped before a rickety old rope bridge. Which, Twilight was waiting at, waving eagerly over to Cassius to follow.

Taking his time to take in his surroundings, Cassius came closer to Twilight ata much slower pace and was soon engulfed in a violet light emanating from her horn. “Took you long enough.” She says with her hands on her hips. “Come on, just gotta cross this bridge.” Cassius came forward, peeking over the edge, something he greatly regrets.

Looking down from a high place was one thing, but looking down into what appeared to be a bottomless pit was another entirely. Cassius took three steps back before losing what little control he’d gotten over his new hooves and legs, his heart beating like a drum in a similar fashion as it did back in that nightmare hallway. “Uhh… I-I don’t suppose y-you have an um… a-alternative route?”

“Well, you could always fly over if you want.” Twilight shrugs.

“Great! And… do you know how to do that?”

“I know the basic mechanics; you flap your wings up…” Twilight points her fingers up, “And then you flap your wings down.” She moves her fingers to point down to emphasize her bout of sassiness. “Simple as that.”

“Bullshit, it’s that easy!” Cassius says, getting back to his hooves. “It’s like moving an extra set of hands on your back, and it’s so weird.”

“I suppose from your perspective.” Twilight shrugs. “Unless you figure out flying, you’ll join me on the rope bridge.” Twilight turns back to step onto the loudest possible plank of wood as the squeak it released echoed out unto the chasm below and into the forest, scaring off some birds perched at the border of trees. Then she’d take another step, and then another and another. Step by step, Twilight made a small stride with her walk out onto the rope bridge before turning around. “Come on; it’s perfectly fine.”

Cassius came to rest at the rickety rope bridge, looking down at the first step, and gulped. ‘Okay, just like the song goes.’ Cassius mentally psyched himself up and took his first step. “Put just one f-foot in front o-of th-the other…~” He’d sing the familiar song, seeing as he needed it now more than ever. “And s-soon eno-HAHough y-you’ll be walking ac-cross the floo~oor.” Cassius felt like his heart was about to rip itself from his chest and run back across the bridge to the safety of the creepy castle. Keeping himself resolved, Cassius ensured each step counted and that his time spent on this death trap was swift yet cautious.

“Yeah, you got it!” Twilight encouraged, slowly backing away to guide him on with her violet light. “Keep focused, don’t look down, and take it easy. We’re in no hurry.” With her encouragement, Cassius found that each step was getting easier. Keeping his eyes on the glow of Twilight’s horn also helped a lot, and soon he’d be on safe, sturdy earth.

“I know, it’s… not that bad. Yeah, I think I can do this.” He was barely two steps from Twilight before his vision was torn away from her, and his attention was dragged to the abyss below after a loud, ear-shattering *CRUNCH*. One of the beams had snapped under his weight, leaving his leg to dangle freely over the edge. Panic set in instantly as he tried to pull himself back up. “I was wrong; I WAS SO WRONG! PULL ME UP, PULL ME UP, PULL ME UP…” Cassius’s wings start flapping frantically, trying to use their power to push himself back up before Twilight comes over and grabs his hand.

“I got you! Don’t worry; it’s a slight-“

*SNAP*

The two of them freeze in place. They feel one of the support ropes go slack and the bridge becoming slightly loose. Twilight turned her attention back to where they had come and saw one of the ropes dangling over the edge. Twilight felt the sweat running down her forehead, petrified at the sight of the last few ropes suspending the bridge. “Oh no.” She whispers, watching another of the ropes start to come loose. “Hang on!” The two hear another loud snap as the bridge gives way, falling open on one side.

Twilight and Cassius shriek, gripping the two other support ropes; all the while, the bridge dangles from its two last means of keeping itself suspended. “Fuck, fuck this is bad!” Cassius felt the adrenaline running through him as he looked around for any means of getting out. Turning to his wings, he knew they wouldn’t aid this situation. Meaning they needed to think fast. ‘Oh god, I’m going to die here.’ He thought, looking around as the light from Twilight’s horn started to flicker. “Twilight!” He called to her. “Keep… calm; we’re almost there.” Looking over, he’d see they were halfway to safety. “We’ll have to shimmy our way over.”

“W-What about the ropes?”

“Then we better get there before they snap.” Taking the lead and driven by survival instincts, Cassius moves up and starts to inch his way over using the same method he had getting closer to Twilight. While he had no issue with it, Twilight seemed to be struggling. Where Cassius’s figure seemed more adept at physical athleticism, Twilight’s body was not so experienced in feats of strength.

Seeing this, he’d slow down and let her catch up to him. “Come on, Twilight. Almost there.” He grunts out, moving to take another beam, bringing himself closer.

“I-I can’t.” She strains herself a bit, struggling to reach the next board.

“Yes, you can! Come on, pony-girl, work those muscles!” He tries to motivate her, but keeping her focus on the light spell and shimmying her way to safety was putting more of a strain on her body than Cassius even realized.

“I-… I’m t-trying….” Her horn starts flickering again, and Cassius can see her begin to doze off.

‘Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck!’ Twilight’s eyes grow heavy, and the glow from her horn begins to dim. “No, no no!” Twilight’s grip fades, and much to Cassius’s horror, Twilight starts to faint. Her grip gives way, and as she lets go, Cassius acts almost instantly. His left hand detaches and grabs Twilight by the wrist. It was a snap movement that seemed to jostle Twilight back to consciousness. “Twilight, please wake up!” Cassius groans and grunts, trying to pull her back up. “I-… I can’t… m-move with you like this.”

“W-Wuh?” Twilight’s eyes flutter open, and she sees Cassius over her, the pale moonlight shining down on the two as she recalls what was happening. Feeling gravity’s pull, she turns down and considers the abyss; with a gasp, she reaches up and grabs Cassius, and the two are locked. “D-Don’t let go!”

“I’m not!”

“Don’t let go!”

“I told you I’m not going to.”

*SNAP*

They both heard it; they both felt it. Though they so wished they hadn’t. Slowly looking up, the two saw a bit of the rope beginning to pull apart at the strands keeping it together.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Cassius cursed his luck and whatever cruel god was watching over them. “Twilight… hold on.” Terrified beyond belief, Cassius and Twilight watched in horror as the rope gave way. Looking to the cliffside nearby, Cassius starts to get ideas, but they aren’t exactly good. They were so close, so very close. Cassius knew they couldn’t just give up on their fate after the first obstacle, and he needed to act.

Swaying his body and swinging Twilight back and forth, Cassius held his breath, hoping this would work. Though if it didn’t, they’d be dead either way. “On my mark, be ready to grab the cliff.” He calls out to her.

“You want me to do what?” She didn’t get much of a response except for a countdown.

“One!” Cassius starts, feeling his grip tighten. “Two!” The rope was on its last strands, and they’d be met with the bridge collapsing. “THREE!!!” As he throws himself and Twilight to the cliff’s side, the rope finally snaps in two. The sound of falling wood was met by two terrified souls screaming as they were thrown forward. It almost felt like they were flying.

However, what distance he got was met with the face of a cliff, and the two felt the craggy shelves meet them face first. Twilight had to turn her head to spare her horn, but Cassius wasn’t lucky. He felt his new head ornament pierce the stone face and lock him as his hands gripped Twilight and his footholds. “Gah, dammit, I’m stuck!” Twilight shakes off the adrenaline and brings back the glow of her horn. She sees Cassius has his horn stuck and sighs.

“Twist your head side to side. Like you’re wiggling a screw loose.”

“Like I’m what?”

“Just do it!” Cassius sighs and slowly moves his head in the way she told him. Left to right, Cassius felt rocks and pebbles scrape against his new horn as it dug itself out with the grooves on it.

“Ach… o-okay, I think I got- ow. Ow ow ow, sharp rocks!” Free from the wall, Cassius looks around at what has happened. From the corner of his eye, he saw the bridge falling to pieces behind him with little remaining flapping in the breeze.

“Cassius!” He turned to his other end and saw Twilight grabbing onto the side. “Could you pull me up, please?” He nodded and lifted Twilight; she was much lighter than he’d imagined. Pulling her up would have made him struggle, but she seemed easy to pull up with a singular arm. Getting her up as far as he could, he leaves her at a foothold. Once he knew she was secure, he began pulling himself back up. Thankfully, the distance to the edge was much closer than he had anticipated, and in seconds, they were back up to the solid ground.

Reaching over, Cassius pulls Twilight up from her spot and brings her up with one powerful pull. The two fall back and land on the grass, panting as the adrenaline seems to be getting to the two. Looking down, however, he sees Twilight lying on top of him, trying to steady her breath. “That… was… so dangerous!” Cassius wheezes.

“I know… we almost died.” Twilight retorts, just as winded. Though amid the wheezing and gasping, Cassius and Twilight started to chuckle and then giggle, which eventually grew into fits of laughter. They had survived their first obstacle and almost perished before their journey began. That sense of survival mixed with the adrenaline high seemed to make their situation all the more hilarious. At least it did to them.

Slowly calming down, Twilight slowly sits up and removes her glasses, seeing they were cracked after smacking into the wall. “You just saved our lives there.”

“I did, didn’t I!” Cassius says as if suddenly realizing what he’d done. Watching Twilight bring her glasses to her once again glowing horn, Cassius saw the large cracks in both lenses begin to repair themselves. “Useful magic trick ya got there.”

“It’s a basic Mending spell, and most unicorns learn it in Magic Kindergarten.”

“I take it they squeezed that lesson between cookie breaks and finger-painting?” Cassius says with a tiny bit of laughter leaking out of him.

“You could say that.” Twilight places her glasses back on and looks down. It had taken her a moment, but she realized their position. Twilight was currently straddling Cassius, and though he didn’t seem to know it, Twilight could feel a side-effect of the adrenaline pressing against her. “U-Uh… Cassius?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re uh… poking me?” He doesn’t quite get it initially, thinking his hands have gone rogue. After a few moments of thought, he did look at her and where she was. His eyes go wide, and he flusters.

“Well, get off then.”

“I uh… I can’t.” Twilight says with a look of embarrassment.

“What do you- Oh shit, are your legs broken!?” Worry took over as the idea of him crippling Twilight inadvertently in his rescue was something Cassius dreaded the thought of.

“No! No, it’s just… the rush is dying down, and I used too much magic. I’m exhausted from that, and well… I can’t feel my legs.” Cassius didn’t know much about magic, so he’d have to take her word on it. Reaching up, he’d pull her off what was “poking her” and set her down on the grass beside him so they could stew in the sexual tension and awkwardness without the physical contact. “Sorry about that, I didn’t want to make it awkward, but it was… um….”

“Sorry if it made you uncomfortable, Twilight.” Cassius says, trying to defuse the situation.

“N-No, it isn’t uncomfortable, it’s just… okay, maybe it was a little bit, but it was just….” She trails off a bit. “I’ve never really… felt a stallion in that way before.”

“Really? What, about gettin’ with all the stallions, little miss Play-girl?” Twilight chuckles at that.

“Believe it or not, no. Though I should thank you, I at least now know what they mean by a ‘Hard-on.’ That’s solved a few mysteries there.”

“Glad I could shed some light on the mysteries of the male body for ya.” Cassius chuckles, laying back and looking up into the sky. “How long will it take before we can set out again?”

“Just give me a few minutes. Ponyville isn’t going anywhere.” She says, laying back with Cassius. Twilight had to admit that things were getting much more enjoyable now that Cassius had entered her life. Looking up at the moon and seeing the sheen of light blazing around its edges, the ever-present eclipse keeping the world in total darkness made Twilight confident that things were looking up for them. ‘Nothing is going to stop us. We’re ready for you, Nightmare Moon. Whatever you throw at us, we’ll stop you.’ Twilight’s thoughts are silent momentarily as she begins to recover her strength.





The little town of Ponyville was a peaceful little settlement. Even in these trying times, those that lived there did what they could to make things easier for one another. Despite the year-long lack of sunlight, the earth ponies adapted and made do with what little they could grow. The pegasi wrangled up the rogue rainclouds they could find and ensured that the weather kept to a somewhat decent schedule. And as for the Unicorns, they helped to maintain the new system of miniature suns illuminating the town. These mechanical marvels were a recent creation but were already gaining popularity nationwide. It was with the aid of everypony in town that they did what they could to ensure a peaceful living situation.

The sound of a train could be heard coming into the station. The engines’ loud whistle and steam billowing gave their announcement to everypony nearby. The doors open, and out come a small squad of stallions and mares adorned in dark blue armor, all bearing their weapons. “Spread out!” Came a loud voice was heard. A towering unicorn stepped onto the platform, his authority carrying his orders out to the other. His white coat was clean, and his dark blue mane was well-kempt, but there was nothing he could do with the shaggy nature of it once the helmet came off. “Begin questioning the locals, find everything you can, and bring anypony you find suspicious to me.”

“SIR, YES, SIR!” The squad calls out, moving to begin their search, all except for two others. Two mares, one a unicorn with a fiery color pallet with a disinterested look about her. She came up to Shining with a raised brow.



“You seem to be taking this seriously.” She’d say in a droll tone of surprise.

“We’re under orders from our Queen; of course, I’m taking this seriously, Ms. Shimmer.”

“Ooh, so professional.” She says with a titter of laughter. The opposite side of them was a much more enthusiastic mare, and she was still relatively young and ecstatic and didn’t even come close to how happy she was to be here.

“Hey, put a little respect on that.” She calls out to Sunset Shimmer. “That’s Shining Armor you’re talking to.”

“Oops, my bad, rookie.” Sunset Shimmer says with a faux apologetic tone.

“Enough Chit-chat, you two.” Shining Armor says with a cold tone. “We’ve got a job to do. Ms. Dash, what can you tell me about the area? You used to live here, yes?”

“For a while, yeah. Most ponies here are friendly, and they won’t put up a fight unless antagonized. Just approach them all friendly, and you should be fine.”

“I see. Any trouble-makers we should be wary of?”

“Uh, you’re lookin’ at her, dude.” Shining Armor cocked a brow at that. “Uh, I mean… You’re looking at her, Sir. But, to answer the question, no. Ponies out here are mellow and pretty boring.”

“That should make our job easier.” Sunset Shimmer smirks. “Let’s get this over with and sweep the town. We’ll return if we find anypony suspicious.”

“And?” Shining Armor says. To which, Sunset rolls her eyes.

“And if we find that mare you’re looking for, we’ll bring her right to you, sir.” With that, Shining Armor nods to them. “C’mon, rookie, let’s get to work.” Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash head out from the platform with the other guards patrolling the area. All the while, Shining Armor narrows his eyes.

“I know you’re out there, Twilight. I will find you.”





Trudging through the Everfree was not something Cassius was prepared for. He was expecting a forest hike off-trail, but this place was much worse than that. Three times now, in mere minutes, he’d stepped into large thickets of what he hoped was just swamp ooze. His white-furred legs had plunged into the much and had turned his leg a dark green from the knee down, making every step he took moist with a loud squelching sound.

“Have I mentioned how much I hate this place?”

“A few times now, actually,” Twilight says, clinging to her backpack as they hiked through the forest. “And you wouldn’t be the first to say so. Nopony likes coming here.”

“Which is why you chose to make that castle your hiding spot,” Cassius added.

“Indeed. It seemed natural since it’s out of the way, and Pegasi don’t even like flying over it since the rampant weather can be hard to tame.” Cassius came to walk beside her.

“Still can’t wrap my head around that. You guys have effectively commandeered nature to do your bidding.”

“We didn’t commandeer anything,” Twilight says with a smirk. “It’s like a symbiotic relationship, and we… give the weather a little nudge is all.”

“Oh, you’re right, you’re right.” Cassius nods sarcastically. “So, tell me again how these pegasus guys created a literal fucking Rainbow Factory? I’m not the smartest person in the world, but even I know Rainbows are nothing more than light rays bouncing off moisture in the air.”

“And you’d be correct,” Twilight says, ready to go on a long, overly-explained lecture. “It’s a complex system of arcanomechanical technologies, and it’s ancient stuff, something I’ve wanted to study for a long time.”

“Wow, sounds fancy… and expensive.”

“Incredibly so. I’ve heard the princess talk about the reports of when a piece breaks. Let’s say it’s not cheap to manufacture materials that don’t fall through the clouds.”

“And that just opens up many other questions for me,” Cassius says in amazement. “Like… how do you live up in clouds? That’s just so weird… and cool.”

“It’s relatively simple; you see when- WHOA!!!” Stopping in his tracks, Cassius watched as Twilight tumbled forward into a small, damp pit.

“You okay, Twilight?”

“Y-Yeah? Owww… Just fell is all.” Twilight sits up, pulling herself out of the hole. “Where the hell did this come from? It wasn’t here last time?”

“Maybe you just fell victim to the antics of our greatest foe: The Rogue Ditch-digger.”

“Hardly.” Asking for a hand up, Cassius hoists her out of the hole and back onto somewhat dry land. Once back up, she ignited her horn and brought the slight glow they had been traveling by to a full-fledged mini-sun of violet light. In that light, they saw what exactly Twilight fell in, and it wasn’t just a hole…

It was a large paw-print.

“Twilight… what the hell are we looking at?” Cassius says with a hint of worry.

“I… I-I don’t know.” Twilight whispers, bringing her horn glow down a bit. “But let’s hope whatever it is doesn’t find us.” Circling the large imprint, the two continue. However, Cassius pauses momentarily, looking at the print and off to the side. He could see a significant clearing of trees having been pushed aside and moving away from the trail and hopefully far away from them. “Cassius, come on. Don’t lag.”

“Sorry, just a little distracted.” He’d call back to Twilight, regrouping with her as they continued onto the path. After a moment of silence, Cassius speaks. “You think they’ll have clothes for me?”

“Well, maybe. Maybe they could lend you some of Big Mac’s clothes, but I’m not sure.”

“Hopefully so. I’d rather not stay in underwear my whole time here.” The two now spoke much softer, trying not to alert any predators to their presence. Though, as they kept walking, a new smell came to the two. They had been subjected to swamp gas, mold, muck, and damp plant life, the only smells they had graced with for some time now. Yet this new scent cut through everything else like a knife, bringing Cassius’s attention away from whatever paranoid fears of being watched he had. “Twilight, you smell that?”

“I do,” Twilight says with relief. “We’re close.” The scent was familiar to Cassius, having had a few crisp, juicy delicacies before, and his mouth was already watering at the idea of sinking his teeth into more of the red fruit. Picking up their pace a bit, Twilight and Cassius saw the dark tries give way to a bit of bright light in the distance.

Breaking from the trees, the two found themselves amidst a wide-spanning orchard that seemed to go on for miles. Yet amidst the trees, Cassius saw traveling fonts of light peaking through the foliage. “We made it.” Twilight sighs, feeling her legs grow sore from the walk from the castle. “Let’s go find some pony; I’m sure some of them are working the orchards.” Cassius and Twilight enter the property with little resistance, rushing into the field and crossing a picket fence.

“Do we gotta worry about any guard dogs or anything?”

“Just Wynona, but she’s friendly,” Twilight says with a dismissive wave. “The only one you gotta worry about is Big Mac. He’s intimidating enough. So he has no issue scaring off anything that comes into the orchard. Though… if I had to say a close second, that would be. “

“HALT INTRUDER!!!” Came a sudden voice. Dropping from one of the trees came three stout figures, all multicolored and wearing casual work clothes. The one in the center, a bright yellow earth pony, spoke. “You’re trespassing on private property.”

“Ew! That guy’s in his underwear!” Came a disgusted white unicorn with curly pink and purple hair.

“And he’s got Twilight!” Shouted a shocked orange pegasus. “The pervert’s holding Twilight hostage!”

“Then it looks like we got here just in time, girls.” The earth pony says. Before they can speak and explain, the three little fillies huddle together and break into what was a combat pose. The earth pony kneels with her arms stretched out like a set of wings while the other two make a dabbing pose of sorts at her sides. “Listen up, evil-doer; you’ve crossed the wrong family.”

“Girls, it’s okay, he’s-“

“For we are the arbiters of justice!” The pegasus roars with a fiery look.

“Twilight… I think I know what is going on.” Cassius says, placing a hand on her shoulder

“And we will bring you to your knees, pervert!” The unicorn says with disgust in every word.

“And”

“To-“

“-Geth-“

“-Er“

“We”

“Are…!” The little unicorn broke formation and rushed to the tree trunk where she’d hidden a small radio and hit play. Cassius raised a brow in confusion as he heard what sounded like a rock introduction to a super-sentai team. The music flourishes, and the three little fillies call out as it reaches its opening climax. “THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!!!”

*Tokusentai!~Tokusentai!~Tokusentai~!* The song lyrics play out as they each strike a pose, and it took every bit of strength Cassius had not to break out in a mix of laughter and cringe himself to death.

“Girls, please. It’s all right. This is my friend; he’s not a pervert.”

“Oh yeah?” The pegasus calls out, and the unicorn returns to the radio to turn off the music. “Then why is he in his underwear?”

“He’s using some kind of hypnosis spell on you, Twilight.” The little unicorn says. “Don’t let him look at your butt!”

“To be fair, this was all she had that fit me. I’d have asked for some of her clothes, but I don’t think her outfits would look good with my hips.”

“Ugh, Scootaloo was right; you are a pervert.” The earth pony says and takes a step back. “Well, just wait til mah brother gets here, and he’ll whoop yur behind good.”

“Oh, please do. And tell him to bring me some pants. I’m a little uncomfortable being half-naked in front of minors.”

“Then you asked for it. CMCs,” The little earth pony calls out. “Initiate maneuver: Lets-Go-Tell-Mah-Big-Brother!”

“RIGHT!” They both call out, striking another pose, turning around, and running off, leaving the two grown ponies stunned and baffled by the last several minutes of their life.

“What the hell just happened?”

“That was… ugh… their Cutie-Mark-Crusader introduction.” Twilight pinches the bridge of her muzzle and groans. “I’m so sorry about them, and they can sometimes be excitable.”

“I can see that.” Cassius lets out a soft sigh. “Come on, let’s go find someone before I end up on a watch list.” Heading deeper into the orchard, Cassius and Twilight move to see if they can find somepony that could be of more aid. Though the more they travel, the more Cassius wonders. “Wow, this place is huge. How many pe- erm… ponies work this place?”

“Well, you’ve already met Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. They handle the smaller stuff since they aren’t old enough to work the more extensive sections of the place. Then there’s Big Mac; he takes the lion’s share of chores here. Then there’s his marefriends; Zecora, Sugar Bell, and Cheerilee. They help where they can, but they generally have their jobs. And then there’s-“

“Wait wait wait, stop. Marefriends? As in… plural?” Cassius says, a bit bewildered by this information. He wasn’t all too familiar with Equestrian terminology, but he could, at the very least, deduce that it had a similar meaning as “girlfriend.”

“Indeed. They are part of Big Mac’s herd.” Twilight explains as if this was common knowledge.

“And that is a term meaning… what exactly?”

“Oh, right! You wouldn’t know about that. Okay, so… um, about nine hundred years ago, Celestia saw that the male population was on the decline. To counter this, she legalized polygamy, and since then, most families have had multiple mares sharing a single stallion.”

“And Everyone is okay with this?”

“I don’t know about it initially, but it seems to have worked out.” Twilight shrugs. “There has been an increase in colts born to families now, but there is quite the gender divide.”

“How big of a divide are we talking about here?” Twilight took a deep breath, crunching some numbers in her head.

“Well… After working for the mayor’s office a few months back, I did some document filing and sorting and came across something. As of the last census, the town population stood at about seven-hundred-and-twenty-four ponies taking up residence, counting elderly and young foals. Of that number, of-age stallions come in at about… ninety-two.”

“That’s a pretty big fucking divide!” Cassius barely contained his shocked reaction. He was so used to a near 50/50 split back home, but this was a lot more heavily skewed. “How the hell do you sustain yourselves? Cheating must be rampant.”

“I wouldn’t know. I’m not exactly a sociologist.” Twilight says with a dismissive shrug, seeing nothing wrong with the numbers. “Besides, I’ve heard it can be worse off nowadays with Nightmare Moon in charge. She’s conscripted all able-bodied ponies into her military force, mostly consisting of stallions. So, the divide isn’t exactly getting smaller.”

“Jesus, that’s messed up,” Cassius says, taking in the information. “Have you… ever been in a herd before?” Cassius asks, trying to move the subject to a slightly lighter tone.

“Truthfully... no. I never really had a stallion find any interest in me back in school. Maybe it was because I was so close to the hip with Celestia, or I was too focused on my studies… or maybe it was because I wasn’t very pretty. Whatever the case, I’ve not had the chance to experience being in a herd.”

“I see.” The two walk for a few more feet before Cassius speaks up. “For the record, I think you’re beautiful?” Cassius caught the unmistakable sign of her lavender cheeks turning bright pink in the luminous glow of the floating orbs in the orchard.

“Th-Thank you.” Twilight pushes up her glasses, trying to keep the lenses from fogging up. Though she wouldn’t admit it, Cassius’s kind words did wonders for her self-esteem. While the awkwardness between the two seemed to drag on, the two eventually came to find somepony else, and thankfully, somepony they could get some assistance from.

‘That must be the Big Mac guy. And it looks like we beat those kids to him. Bonus.’ Cassius thought, rushing to meet Twilight. The two find the stranger, and he turns to greet the two with a smile.

“Well, I’ll be. Twilight Sparkle, back again so soon?” The stallion greets with a healthy smile. He was wearing dirtied overalls and a plaid shirt of white and green. His coat was a rugged butter yellow, and his mane looked shaggy and shining bright red like the apples on the trees around him. “We weren’ expectin’ you back fur at least a couple o’ weeks more.”

“Sorry, but something sort of happened,” Twilight says, trying to be courteous.

“Sorta happened, ya say.” The stallion smirks as he gets an idea. “Ah don’ suppose you were responsible fur that little light show earlier, I reckon?”

“You saw that?” Twilight sounded a little worried, knowing that there might have been other ponies who were aware of the summoning spell.

“Ah’d be more surprised if folks didn’t see it. Heck, I bet folks out in Manehattan saw it.”

“I see.” Twilight sounded somewhat worried, the look on her face contemplating if a certain somepony had seen the spell and was already plotting to retaliate.

“So, who’s your friend there?” Twilight was dragged out of thoughts as Cassius approached with his hand extended to shake.

“Nice to meet you, Big Mac. Cassius Marcanus; world-hopping hero, voted best-looking in his own house and learned how to walk again. Do you have any pants I can borrow?” The stallion starts to snicker and chuckle.

“Woo, you’re a funny one, ain’tcha.”

“Well, I try,” Cassius says with a smirk. “But for real, please tell me you have pants to spare.”

“Son, ah’m afraid you’re mistaken.”

“Okay, I’ll take shorts, regular or booty variety; it doesn’t matter now; I just feel so exposed.”

“No, no, I’m not Big Mac.” The stallion says. “That there is mah son. My name is Bright Mac.”
> Chpt. 4: Living That Pony Life
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The home of the Apple family was somewhere Cassius found to be the safest he'd been since arriving in Equestria. Bright Mac brought Twilight and Cassius into his home, welcoming them as if they had been friends for years. The quaint little house was nothing special, just a farmhouse out in the middle of the orchard decorated with flowery wallpaper, and yet Cassius felt more at home than he had since he woke up in this alien world.

Maybe it was the familiar architecture, the smell of baked goods, or perhaps the fact that the area was well-lit and Cassius could see himself properly for a change. His once snow-white fur was coated with dirt and mud, making him look much grimier than he was comfortable with.Twilight had parted with Cassius while he and Bright Mac head upstairs to get the young stallion dressed. “You can help yourself to mah dresser on the right.” Bright Mac had motioned for him to enter the master bedroom. “Take what’cha will; Sun knows ah got plenty to spare. An iffin’ ya need a belt, I got a couple o’ ‘em hanging in the closet. Some o’ the Stallion’s Day gifts from my little Applebloom that I can easily part with.”

“Thank you, I do appreciate this.” Before putting the clothes on, he’d pause and turn back to Bright Mac. “Um, I don’t wanna come off as taking advantage of your hospitality, but if it’s no trouble, is it alright if I- “

“Bathroom is right behind ya. Hot is on the left nob; cold is on the right. Pear keeps the soap in a little drawer.”

“Thank you. Again, I appreciate this.”

“Oh, don’ go thankin’ me yet. Granny’ll tan yur hide if ya come down fur supper lookin’ like ya got done wrestlin’ the pigs. Trust me on that…” Bright Mac found his hand going to soothe a phantom pain he felt on his flank, a mild distant look forming in his eye before shaking himself out of it. “Now, you do what ya gotta do up here. Ah’ll let everypony know what’s going on.”

“I’ll be down as quick as I can.”

“No worries there, friend.” Bright Mac nodded to Cassius and left him with his privacy. Never in his life had Cassius met a nicer guy. Looking around, he started to feel less of an alien because of his new form, and more so because of how nice the place and the people were. ‘I hope he’s not some secret serial killer or something.’ As random as the thought was, Cassius turned to the more pressing matter at hand.

Rummaging through Bright Mac’s clothing, he’d set out a decent enough set of pants and shirt for now and maybe one of the belts. However, habit also had him looking for some socks to go with, but he found nothing. Only to remember, ‘Oh yeah, hooves.’ With what he needed set out, Cassius stripped down and took a few steps to… admire himself.

“Oh my god!” His tone was somewhat put off and impressed simultaneously, taking a moment to look over himself in the mirror. His eyes scanned his reflection, seeing the filth coating his body and wincing at what he saw. His new wings carried a few stray twigs that explained a bit of discomfort. Then his eyes drifted downward as they inevitably would have. Cassius flustered seeing what lay between his legs, seeing that he was still male, but the equipment had changed compared to what he was used to. A sizable leathery scrotum of black skin carrying two large orbs that were his testicles and a flat-headed sheath on top that stood out against his new snowy fur, bringing his eyes to it a little too easily. “Holy crap, I could kill a man with this thing.” Despite his admiration of his new body, Cassius didn’t even recognize the creature looking back at him in the mirror. The slender figure hid what was undoubtedly an athletic frame. He couldn’t have been looking at a more alien creature if he tried. ‘So that’s me.’ Cassius tilts his head, watching the alien in the mirror follow his movements. His hand moves up, flicking bits of rock from his horn. He twisted his torso around, flaring out his wings, and saw the golden ring Twilight had mentioned back at the castle.

How something like that could be embedded into him without damage baffled him greatly, but many things about this body, let alone this world, greatly confused him. ‘Huh, it doesn’t even feel like anything is there.’ He tries flexing his muscles, watching the golden ring somehow stretch around and fold in on itself like there were grooves in the ring to help it move around without impeding his body.

Once he was done with that, he turned back around. After a glance around the room, Cassius shamelessly brought his hand slowly to his new groin. ‘It’s not weird; it’s your body now. You live in it; you do what you want with it.’ The touch was strange. Feeling himself up, he whistles at the girth he had, getting used to every bit of this new body. ‘Holy hell, how do the guys here walk around with these? Equestrian NARBS must tear through pants like toilet paper.’ Running his hand over his new equine penis like a curious caveman around the fire, Cassius slowly got into the mood of feeling himself up. While exploring his new penis, he hears something he wishes he didn’t. The twisting of the doorknob, the opening of the door, and the voice of someone walking in.

“Mackey, weresit ya gone to!” The door opens, not even a knock. “Wazzis I hear about ah-“An elderly green earth pony mare walks in, and the two lock eyes. Cassius was petrified, and the green mare was left stunned at what she saw. His eyes drifted down to him and back to her, a thick silence filling the air. “Well now…” She lets out a haggard chuckle. “Don’ go stoppin’ on my part, youngin’.~”

“Uhhhhh…” Cassius felt his brain short-circuiting, trying to keep himself calm. Thankfully, his salvation came once again in the form of Bright Mac.

“Momma, Twilight’s here! Come say hi!” Coming to his rescue once more, Bright Mac’s call had caught the attention of the green earth pony before Cassius. The older mare turns to the door and shoots a wink towards Cassius.

“Another time, stud-muffin. Though, I’ll be seein’ ya in mah dreams~.” She starts to chuckle again, turning away and closing the door. Silence filled the room as a sense of shame, humiliation, and dread served Cassius at what had happened… all blending into a shake of pure embarrassment. Hopefully, the water runs hot enough to wash the sensation away.





Twilight had taken to the living room like she had a million times before. Finding the large, comfortable recliner, she got off her hooves for a change and relaxed in what little safety there was. Entering the room, Bright Mac smiled at Twilight. “So, what brings ya out after jus’ visitin’ us not even a month ago.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Twilight sits up, remembering why they came to visit. “We need to talk to Zecora.”

“Z? Sorry t’say, but she’s out on one o’ her treks through the forest. Fetchin’ her herbs n’ whatever it is she does out there.”

“So, we missed her then?” Twilight says, a little saddened.

“A little. Well…” He takes note of Twilight's dirtied appearance, knowing full well what it was like getting from his home to her hideaway. “Ah’d say maybe more than just a little. But, no worries, she’s always back before True-Night, and you can talk to ‘er maybe before dinner.” It may not have been what Twilight wanted to hear, but she needn’t have to worry. Zecora would be back; she just had to wait a little longer.

“Well, that does put me at ease.” Twilight eased up; she had waited long enough for answers. She can certainly wait a little longer for Zecora to return.

“Well, I know somethin’ else that’d ease ya up real nice.” He chuckles.

“And what would that be?” Twilight’s brow cocks at Bright Mac.

“Fur starters, Pear fixed up your old clothes.” Twilight’s eyes start to sparkle with joy hearing those words. “So, when you're ready, you can trade in those old rags for somethin’ less tattered.”

“That’s fantastic news.” Bright Mac was soon engulfed in a spontaneous hug, only for Twilight to slowly break it off, seeing she got some swamp muck on his vest. “Oops, sorry.”

“T’ain’t nothin’ to worry about. Besides, who can say no to a hug.” Bright Mac grabbed a rag from his pocket and wiped the surface gunk off him. “So, never seen ya come on down with a friend before. Who is he?”

“He’s… w-well. He’s a friend, and uh… he’s helping me with…“ Twilight paused and looked to Bright Mac, whose friendly smile began to fade, knowing Twilight wasn’t being truthful with him. With a sigh, Twilight looks around and sits back down. “Okay, so… you know that BIG project I’ve been working on I told you about.”

“You’ve been awful secretive about it and liked t’ keep it real hush-hush since ah known ya.” Bright Mac says, not sounding all too approving of it.

“Well… He’s that project.” Bright Mac didn’t know how to take that, but his smile did return somewhat.

“… He ain’t gonna explode ‘er anything, will he?”

“Well, no. His temperament is… somewhat stable. I admit our meeting was out of hand, but he doesn’t seem to have any extensive anger issues.”

“No, no, what ah mean is… are we gonna have to get a fire extinguisher, or do we gotta worry about cleanin’ ‘em off the walls.”

“That was only one time.” Twilight avoids all eye contact with Bright Mac.

“Ya know Applebloom still has the nightmares.”

“It was an accident!” Twilight groans. “And no, he’s not… one of those. That was a different side project entirely.” She sighs. “Look, once we meet Zecora, I’ll tell you everything. No more secrets, no more dodging. You have my word as a friend; I’ll lay all my cards on the table.” Bright Mac goes quiet momentarily, shocked by the turn of events, but ultimately, he nods. Accepting her answer

“All right. I can work with that.”

“Thank you.”

“Though, you’re cleaning up the mess if he explodes.”

“I’m tellin’ you he won’t-“

“Wuzzis I hear about explodin’?” An elderly voice was heard as Bright Mac’s mother, Granny Smith, waddled her way down the stairs. “Oh, Twilight. So good to see you again so soon, deary.” She hobbles over, bringing her in for a pleasant hug. “… Ya didn’t build another one, didja? Ya know Applebloom still has the nightmares.” Twilight takes a deep breath to keep herself calm.

“No… I didn’t, Granny Smith.”

“Good girl. Ah knew you were a smart one. So, anypony wanna tell me who the pretty stallion upstairs is?”

“That’s Cassius.” Twilight introduced. “You met him?”

“Oh-ho-ho… you could say that, sweetie.” She chuckles, moving to her chair to rest. “So, if’n he’s not one of yur little science fair projects, then ah’d say it’s about time ya brought over a stallion. We were gettin’ a little worried there for a second.”

“N-no, it’s not like that.”

“Oh?... so ya won’ mind if I…”

“Momma, don’ go embarrassin’ Twilight like that. She just got done trekkin’ all the way here.” Seeing Twilight sink into her seat from the lite interrogation, Bright Mac gave a little mercy to her and ended things there. Granny Smith relents and stands back up.

“Fine, fine. Ah gots what ah needed anyway. How’s ‘bout ah gets some dinner ready? Ya look a little skinny, Twilight. Ah’s hope ya haven’t been skippin’ yur meals again.”

“I eat when I’m hungry, like I promised.”

“Mhmm. Thing is ya don’ know when yur hungry cause that little nose o’ yours is deep in them books ya read.” She says in a scolding manner, moving on to the kitchen. “Ah’ll get ya something tah put some meat on yur bones. You’re a little too skinny fur mah likin’.”

“That’s not necessary, but… thank you.” Twilight could not turn down free food, especially in her situation. Not even putting up a fight, she watches Granny hobble along towards the kitchen and the two remaining ponies are met with a new batch.

Stepping into the house were a set of three familiar fillies with one additional face Twilight was happy to see. Towering, imposing, and overall just plain big was the firstborn of the Apples: Big Mac. He stood over Twilight like a red giant, wearing a set of overalls, and for some reason, stood shirtless, showing off his pectorals like some cheesy romance novel protagonist come to life. Twilight felt no shame to admit that she caught herself drooling on more than one occasion when Big Mac walked in. “Howdy there, Twilight.” He says in his deep yet soft voice. “Good tah see ya in good health.”

“G-Good to see you too, Big Mac” Twilight flusters and moves a few strands of her violet mane away from her eyes.

“Come on, we gotta find him!” Applebloom urges, tugging on Big Mac’s pant leg but he showed no sign that he’d budge from where he stood unless he wanted to.

“Ms. Twilight, do ya know anythin’ about this… ‘Pervert’ on the premises?”

“It’s a long story, but he’s no danger nor a pervert.” Twilight assures.

“So why is he in his underwear?” Big Mac says with a hint of skepticism. 

“That’s all I had for him to wear when…” Twilight froze. “W-When I found him.”

“Found him?” Big Mac asks a bit cautiously. “Twilight, ya didn’ go and invite a stranger ya found buck naked in the woods, did’ja?”

“I well… I did, but-“ Big Mac seemed to grow a bit more on edge. “Look, I just need Zecora’s help with this. He’s lost his memories and doesn’t know who he is. I was hoping Zecora could maybe… give him a little help.”

“Oh? The all-powerful Twilight can’t magic some problem away?” Big Mac seemed to take on a bit of a smug demeanor with that line. Much to Twilight’s dismay. “Well, color me blue; ah do think it’s opposite day, girls.”

“Give ‘er a rest Mac. We already gave her a good ribbin’.” Bright Mac says, restraining a bit of his laughter

“Fine, fine. Where is this feller anyway?”

“Upstairs.” Granny calls out, the sound of the stove coming to life soon followed. “Heard ‘em getting’ into the shower on mah way down.” Granny casually says, leaving out a few key details.

“Yur lettin’ that weirdo use our bathroom?” Applebloom sounded like they had just told her he would be their new brother.

“Oh, come on, Applebloom. We didn’ raise ya to judge others before ya met ‘em proper like.”

“But we met ‘em buck naked and covered in dirt!” Applebloom shouts. As she does, the screen door opens again, and another Apple family enters. One Bright Mac was all too happy to see. She had an orange pallet, a delicate sundress with polka dots, and red apples in the fabric. She looked tired as she walked in.

“Who’s buck naked and covered in dirt?” She asks.

“Momma!” Applebloom rushes to her, hugging her legs. “There’s a weirdo in the house!” Applebloom shouts. The mare turns to see Twilight, who awkwardly waves to her.

“No, sweetie; that’s just Twilight. You already know her.”

“Oh gee, thanks, Pear.” Twilight crosses her arms.

“Nooo. Another weirdo. He’s upstairs using the shower.” The mare, Pear Butter, looks to her husband, hoping for answers.

“Twilight brought a stallion on home; got no memory of who he is, and Twi here thinks Z can fix whatever he’s got.”

“Ohhh…” Pear Butter realizes the situation quickly. After a moment, she spoke again. “Like, a real stallion, right? Not one o’ them experiments. Ya know ‘Bloom still has the nightmares.”

“I am aware.” Twilight dead-pans.





Cassius steps out of the shower, feeling like he has shed a good chunk of his stress along with dirt, mud, and twigs. He cracks his neck and stretches his new wings, fluttering them to shake the excess water droplets off his fluffy new feathers. “Mmmph, much better.” Grabbing the shirt, he slips the shirt on, though he faces a new problem. “Huh, no wing holes. Okay.” Accepting that, Cassius tightly contracts his wings and puts the shirt on. “Hm, may have to modify these.” For now, Cassius had to walk around with his wings hiding under his shirt.

He grabs the pants and slips them on, along with a belt. Once dressed, he turned to the large mirror again and saw himself. ‘Huh, this guy cleans up pretty nice for a horse thing, I guess.’ His attention drifts to the edge of the mirror, wherein he sees an assortment of photos in the crease. There, he saw probably the happiest family in the whole world. Bright Mac with his arm around a tall orange mare with yellow fur on their wedding day by a set of trees. Pear Butter was baring a sizeable pregnant belly with Bright Mac’s head right at her navel listening in. However, in the picture, Pear looked like she hadn’t slept in days.

The third photo was of a Pear Butter holding a red foal, and a large one at that. She was lying on a pile of hay, tired and sweaty, holding her firstborn child. ‘Holy hell, they grow ‘em large here.’ Cassius was ready to leave, only to freeze in place. He returns to the mirror and finds another photo of the farm household.

“No way.” Cassius feels his heart beating in his chest, seeing a familiar orange mare with blonde hair. She looked a little younger in the photo, but there was no mistaking who she was. “… It's you.” The mare in the vision, the one asking for help, was right in the photo, smiling back at him. Letting his senses catch up to him, the stallion takes the picture and exits the door. He could hear various voices talking downstairs and trotting on each step; he stopped when he heard someone call out. “THERE HE IS!”

He was expecting a welcome greeting, but instead, he got an accusatory finger pointing at him and none other than Applebloom. “That’s the pony we were tellin’ ya’ll about!” She roars with triumph.

“And it looks like he raided your dad’s closet.” Sweetie Belle accuses.

“So he’s a Weirdo, a Pervert, and a Thief.” Scootaloo growls, cracking her knuckles as if she were getting ready to brawl. Before any fists could fly, they all heard Bright Mac call out to the three youngest of the crowd.

“That is enough!” The three fillies were brought to heel before they charged Cassius, turning to face the house patriarch. “Ah can’t believe what ah’m hearin’. This is our guest and a friend of Twilight’s no less.”

“But he came out of the forest covered in dirt and in his underwear!” Sweetie tried to protest.

“Don’ mean we gotta turn ‘em away. Means we give ‘em a helpin’ hand. Ah thought we taught you better’n that.” Bright Mac looked disappointed at the three young fillies, especially at Applebloom. The little yellow earth pony opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself.

“A-Ahm, sorry.” Cassius was a little taken aback by this turn of events. Looking to the little crusaders and Bright Mac, he’d calm himself down with a soothing sigh of relief.

“It’s all cool. I’d honestly probably think the same as well.” Cassius says, much to the delight of the crowd.

“Thank you.” Applebloom nods, though the rest of her friends don’t look all that convinced. They kept their distance, eyeballing Cassius as if he were diseased. Despite that, Cassius was approached by the older mare, Pear Butter.

“I’m sorry about them. They can be… excitable.”

“So I’ve seen.” Cassius restrains himself from smiling, having heard that explanation already. “Hey, Twilight,” Cassius leans over her shoulder, catching the attention of the purple unicorn. “Think you and I can chit-chat for a second in private. It’s important to the thing.”

“The thing?”

“The Thing.” He strains, raising his brows. Only for Twilight to stand up from her seat.

“O-Oh! Right, um, this way.” Stepping outside onto the porch, both Cassius and Twilight took a moment to speak. “You clean up rather nice, you know that.”

“Thanks, I thought so too- wait, no. That’s not why we’re here.” Reaching into his pocket, he goes for a photo he’d taken from the master bedroom mirror. “Who is this one?” He points to the orange mare, some skinny jeans, and boots with her shirt tied up in a knot.

“Hm. I’m not sure. I’ve never seen her before.”

“She looks awful close to everyone inside.” He points to the others in the photo. Bright Mac and Pear Butter in center stage with the orange mare and a large red stallion on opposite sides with Applebloom square in the middle. “And you’ve never seen her before?”

“I’ve been coming to this farm for under a year or so since I started hiding out. I’ve never met her before.” Twilight squints, looking at the picture, and can confirm that she had never once met anypony bearing her description.

“Interesting,” Cassius says. “So, notice anything strange about her? Maybe what she’s wearing?” Twilight looked closer, taking in her clothes, and shrugged it off. At least at first, until something eventually clicked with her. Her eyes widen, seeing a familiar hat on the orange mare’s head.

“N-No.” Twilight turns to Cassius. “You can’t be serious.”

“She looks almost like her. Sure, she was wearing different clothes, but it was her. The green eyes, the blonde hair, the freckles. Hell, she’s wearing the hat.”

“That’s impossible; many ponies wear those hats, especially in the frontier.” Twilight dismisses the idea.

“I’m telling you, it’s her. I had the vision several hours ago, and her terrified expression burned into my brain. Twilight, this is the pony I saw.” He hands over the picture to her. Before Twilight could interject again, the door opened, and the two males of the family stepped out. Both Macs, young and old, had strutted on out. Twilight and Cassius end their conversation.

“Woah, don’ mind us. We’re just passin’ through.” Bright Mac says in his usual chipper tone. “Say Cas. Since you’re here n’ all, think you could lend a hand a spell. Ah know ya just got yourself all cleaned up, but havin’ an extra hand would speed us along.” Cassius turns to Twilight, who only shrugs in her response.

“Sure, I don’t see why not,” Cassius hesitantly says. Farm work wasn’t exactly something he was thrilled to do, but after the stallion had gone to such lengths to be a gracious host, Cassius felt he owed him something in return. “Just lead the way.” Bright Mac grins happily that he got an extra set of hands to help him.

“Alrighty then. We’ll be heading out to section J: Pear says she passed by the batch there on the way back, and they’re looking ready to be bucked.”

“I-I’m sorry… ready to be what now?” Cassius never got his explanation as the two started heading out into the dark orchard with Cassius lagging. He’d sprint towards the duo, catching up as they head out into the orchard, ready to collect some fruit.





Cassius had never been to an orchard before. Though the path led straight to the house and to what was essentially a dirt road, he felt that if he made one rogue turn, he’d find himself lost in a maze of trees. Thus, he opted to stick around with the two apples. However, the longer they walked, a thought came to him. ‘I don’t see any equipment; are we doing this?’

“Alright, almost there.” Bright Mac calls out as they walk. Standing next to Big Mac, Cassius looked the large apple over.

“So… you live here then.”

“Eeyup.” The stallion doesn’t even look towards Cassius, just focused on the walk.

“Is it hard work?”

“Sometimes.” He says with a shrug.

“You’re not one for conversation, are ya,” Cassius asks.

“Not really.” Well, that was a bust. Seeing he wasn’t getting anywhere with Big Mac, he’d move forward to Bright Mac’s side.

“So how are we doing this exactly? You guys got a machine or some equipment?” The question seemed to amuse Bright Mac as both he and his son started to snicker.

“Ain’t got the money fur no fancy equipment. We do things the ol’ fashioned way.” Bright Mac says, trying to calm his giggling fit down. “All ya need are a few buckets and yur hooves.”

“Oh damn, and I forgot mine back at home.” Cassius says, cracking more jokes to get the stallions laughing. If there was anything Cassius found universal between humans and ponies, it was the best way to get folks to like you with a good sense of humor. As they approached their destination, Cassius saw what looked to be a wagon left on the side with large buckets stacked high in the back. ‘Well, at least we don’t gotta carry them back by hand.’ Cassius sighs in relief.

“All right, so here’s how this goes. Section J is pretty small compared to the others; we grow some special apples we've been experimentin’ with since the sun isn’t around anymore. As such…” He walks up to one of the trees and gives it a hard kick at the trunk, and down comes a singular apple…

A Blue Apple.

Cassius was taken aback by this miscolored fruit held in Bright Mac’s hand. He gives it a sniff, wary of the alien fruit. He’d take a little bite, savoring the meat and juices. “Hm… that’s a bit bizarre flavor goin’ on there.” He says, nodding to it. Turning to Cassius, Bright Mac tosses the fruit over. “Give ‘er a try.” He says, going to grab a few buckets to set up around the tree.

“Um… okay.” Cassius looked at the blue fruit, his senses warning him that something was wrong with this “apple,” but seeing as Bright Mac wasn’t falling over and vomiting or worse, he’d take the plunge and took a large bite. Cassius felt the juices flow down his maw as he savored the flavor. It took him a moment to process what he had just put in his mouth. “Tastes kinda…” He swallows, letting the after-taste hit. This wasn’t an apple, at least not in taste. “… tart but sweet. Kinda got a tangy after-taste.” It was certainly an acquired taste, that was for sure. “How the hell did you make these?”

“Oh, well…” Bright Mac says, getting an eager grin he’d only seen on Twilight. “Ya been seein’ all them glowin’ orbs in the orchard, right?”

“Yeah, Twilight told me about those on the way here.”

“Well, them Heliod Orbs are handy for the growin’ crop. Had trouble growing ours a while back since there ain’t no sun. So, a bit brainier than the rest of us, one of our cousins whipped up this little ditty in about three days' time with some crystals and some techie stuff that ah don’t really understand. If it weren’t for him, lotta good folk might have starved tah death.”

“Ohhhh… so that’s how you guys are growing these.”

“Heck, ain’t just us. He’s been makin’ a fortune selling these things to everypony who wants ‘em.”

“Okay… okay, that makes sense.” Twilight had told him that the ponies had a symbiotic relationship with nature. He didn’t expect them to be this creative when a problem arose. How does one replace the sun when it’s no longer in the sky? “But, how does that explain the blue fruit?”

“Oh, that. Well, ah’ve been… playing around with a few of em of them orbs, with a little help from Twilight of course, tryin’ ta see what sorta effects they’d get if ah were to add a few… modifications to the Orbs with some gemstones similar to what makes the orbs glow.” Cassius was sure that wasn’t how farming worked. But then again, he was holding a blue apple, so who was he to question the man with several acres of land to his name? “Alright, ah, think that’s enough chit-chat. Big Mac, ya wanna get us started?”

Nodding to his father, Big Mac, the Big Red Stallion, finds his way to his first target. Loosening up his right leg, Cassius watched the large earth pony slam his hoof down onto the tree's base and got it to shake. A loud THUNK rang out from the contact of the pony and tree, and Cassius felt the shockwave pass through his hair like a gentle gust of wind. Moreover, the blue apples were shaken loose and fell into the buckets below. Every piece of fruit fell into the bucket with ease and precision. Not a single bit of fruit from the tree had met the ground, leaving Cassius more amazed than he had eaten a miscolored apple.

“How… the hell… did you do that?” Cassius says in amazement.

“What, never seen a pony buck an appletree before?”

“There are a lot of things I’ve never seen before.” Cassius retorts to Bright Mac.

“Well, t’ain’t difficult. Just walk up to a tree with yur buckets ready. Get yourself nice and limber, and…” Bright Mac, much like his son, delivered a kick to the base of tree number two. A loud THUNK and that familiar breeze blasted through Cassius’s mane. Just as Big Mac had done previously, the contents of the tree fell from its branches instantly, all landing where they were supposed to be.

“It’s easy stuff. Though, since you're a unicorn n’ all, ya could probably jus’ levitate this section if’n ya wanted. Now that’s amazin’ stuff.”

“Ah… yeah, right.” Cassius felt his sweat drop. “Um… well, I’m not exactly the best spellcaster.”

“Ohhh, 'cause yur head’s all fuzzy.”

“Exactly!” Cassius jumps at the explanation. “It’s the whole um… Conjurer illness or whatever.” Cassius waves it off, not recalling the terminology as quickly as he’d like.

“I see. Well, if’n that’s the case, you can give Buckin’ a try ‘er do ‘em by hand. So long as ya can get ‘em done.” Cassius turned to the tree's base, eyeballing it briefly before returning to Bright Mac.

“… How does one master the art of tree kicking?” Cassius was curious, and he wanted to know what exactly the secret was.

“Well,” Bright Mac approached Cassius, focusing on his target. All the while, Big Mac leaves the two to go and find his trees to harvest. “It’s a lot simpler than ya think. Most city folk who come through think that there’s some secret trick or flex of the flanks to get ‘em down. The truth is, it takes a nice hard kick in the right place.” Heading to the tree before them, Bright Mac brings out a yellow highlighter.

Popping the cap off, he sees that this wasn’t any ordinary highlighter; the ink seemed to glow in the dim light. Pressing the highlighter to the tree, Bright Mac makes an X on the smooth bark right where the base meets the stump. “All right, this is where you wanna hit it. Too low, and you might break something. Too high, and it’ll only jostle the apples around.”

“That’s it? It’s just finding the sweet spot to hit?”

“Heh, ain’t it always?” Bright Mac says with a cheeky grin. “Come on, let's see ya do it.”

“O-Okay.” Cassius wasn’t sure how this was going to work. He looks over the tree and then the glowing X. He takes a deep breath, tenses his legs, and gets into a slight bend. Aiming for the little X, he copies both Macs and delivers a kick to the tree. There was no burst of wind or loud noise that followed. He knows he got it on the X. Feeling a hint of disappointment, he does hear something else.

Something fell into the bucket, and he saw it was one of the apples. He only managed to get one, but it was indeed an apple. “That’s a good start. Gotta keep at it.” Bright Mac assured with a thumbs up. “It ain’t much, but ya managed to get one on yur first try. Can’t say a lotta city-folk can do that.”

“What about Apples?” Cassius asks, turning to the yellow stallion.

“Meh, ‘bout four or five if they’re just startin’ out. Applebloom got about five her first go around.”

“And Big Mac?” Cassius asks, moving to look at the massive stallion several trees down.

“Twelve. But honestly… look at ‘em. Ah was afraid he’d kick the whole tree down.” Bright Mac chuckles. Cassius had a good idea of things, so he’d try again with another kick. Four fell this time, though one missed the bucket. He was improving and glad he wouldn’t have to pick the fruit by hand with this method. While Big Mac went on working, Cassius stuck close to Bright Mac. However, he didn’t do so solely for conversation.

“So Bright Mac, there’s something else I’ve been wanting to ask you.”

“Oh? Well, shoot.”

“Is there anyone else living here?” Cassius says.

“Well, ah’m sure Twilight told ya about Big Mac’s herd.” Bright Mac says, delivering a heavy kick to the tree. With Cassius distracting him, he’d have to pick a few apples from the ground and load them into the buckets.

“Right, right, that’s… gonna lead to my second question. But is there anyone else?”

“Well, I guess Twilight sorta counts, but she comes by for only a few days to visit and help repair the Heliod Orbs.” Bright Mac was a little puzzled by where Cassius was going with his line of questions. “What’cha gettin’ at, Cas? ‘Fraid you're gonna have to fight for a meal tonight? Well, trust me when ah say that Granny n’ Pear Butter could cook fur an army in the span it takes a regular mare to cook for a herd.”

“Good to know.”

“Why the sudden curiosity?” Bright Mac asks, finding his next target and laying the buckets down.

Taking a deep breath, Cassius decides to be direct. “When I got out of the shower, I saw you had some photos in your mirror.” He started, delivering another kick to the tree. Ten apples now, three out of the buckets. “And one of them... had someone in it. Someone I’ve seen before.” Bright Mac’s carefree smile slowly started to fade a bit.

“Is that right?” He says with a duller tone of voice. Cassius delivered another kick to the tree, getting what felt like twelve, with more than half hitting the floor. Before Cassius could gather them, he’d approach Bright Mac, who was in the middle of his kick. Sensing Cassius' approach, the stallion turns to see him pull out a familiar photo. “Did you… take this?” A disappointed look crossed Bright Mac’s face

“I’m sorry. I fully intended to give it back, but… who is she? The orange one in the photo.” Bright Mac turned down to the of him and his family, a mix of emotions swirling inside as he looked to the family in it. Steadying his emotions, Bright Mac lets out a sigh.

“Nopony.” He says, his tone having lost that bright and happy attitude. “She’s nopony to us.” Cassius had to disagree with that as the look in the photo showed a picturesque, happy family. “Cassius, ah know you’re new here, and ah’m trying to show every bit o’ hospitality to one of Twilight’s friends, but… could you please drop it?” Bright Mac looked like Cassius had opened a deep wound at that. As much as Cassius wanted to pursue the line of questioning, the look in Bright Mac’s eyes told him it was a bad idea.

“Alright. Consider the subject dropped.”

“Thank you kindly.” Cassius holds his hand with the photo, offering it back to him. “No… I don’t-…” He backed away from the picture as if Cassius had just offered silver to a werewolf. “Keep it... I don’t wanna see that picture anymore.” Stunned by his reaction, Cassius nods to him and pockets the photo.

“Very well. And again, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Bright Mac says. “Let’s just get these trees harvested.” Turning his back to Cassius, the stallion devotes all of his focus to the trees of Section J. Seeing as he didn’t want to disturb the stallion further, Cassius went about bucking as the Apples did.

One after the other, the two Macs bucked each tree with devoted focus, and by the time they had done ten trees each, Cassius had done three. Taking the rest from the row, Cassius fully admitted that he was no match for the Apples when picking fruit as they did. Once they were done, the three stallions helped to load the buckets filled with fruit onto the rickety old wagon. Cassius almost asked where the horses were, only to realize the obvious before asking.

Taking a moment to rest, Cassius started to rub his flank. “Do your leg muscles get this cramped after a while?”

“Meh, you get used to it. Have to make sure to alternate. Otherwise, you’ll be walkin’ with one leg bigger than the other.” Cassius was glad to see Bright Mac was getting a bit of his positivity back, but he couldn’t help but note it felt dull. Before the three can start pulling, Big Mac perks an ear. Something catches his attention, and a smile forms on the big guy’s face.

Turning to the road leading out, he sees two figures walking down with the glow of a pink light. Moving closer were two mares; one slender and dainty with her horn aglow like Twilight’s but with a different color. The other was a shapely mare and an earth pony at that. Where the unicorn had a pink coat with a purple mane, the earth pony had a purple coat with a pink mane. Seeing the giant red stallion, they waved to the stallion with a loud “Big Mac!” carrying their adoration.

Picking up the pace, the two mares ran at the sight of their herdmate. Upon loading up the last of his buckets and some others, Cassius turned in time to see Big Mac being tackled by two ponies he didn’t recognize. Yet he’d carry them both in one arm each as if they weighed nothing. “Oh, Big Mac! Let me tell you, you are a sight for some sore eyes.” The earth pony mare says, laying her head on his chest.

The unicorn presses her lips to Big Mac’s neck, casually giving her affection in front of the other mare in his arms. “We had a long day at the bakery. Two big orders for a double birthday bash; me and the cakes were overwhelmed.” The unicorn sighs.

“Just be glad you had something to do. I was grading test papers all day long; I felt like my eyes were gonna glaze over.” Wrapping both arms around the stallion, Cassius was left slack-jawed at the sight of two different mares freely giving love to the same stallion. And all Cassius could think of to say was, ‘You lucky bastard.’

Turning away from Big Mac, though gladly letting him carry them around, the unicorn was the first to notice Cassius’s presence. “Oh, hello. I don’t think we’ve met before.” Reluctant to do so but trying to be friendly, the unicorn pulls herself free and walks up to greet Cassius. “My name is Sugar Belle.” Cassius thought she lived up to her name as she came off as sweet and innocent.

“Hi there. I’m Cassius; I’m a friend of Twilight.” Merely mentioning her name got the two mares’ attention.

“Oh! Is she here?” Sugar Bell says with a delighted gleam in her eye.

“She’s back at the house with the others.” While chit-chatting with Sugar Bell, Cassius shifted his attention to the other mare. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but judging by the smile on Big Mac’s face, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to. “So uh… you and her…” Sugar Bell turns to Big Mac and the other mare.

“You mean Cheerilee? What about her?”

“It’s just a bit… I mean… You and her with the one guy?” Sugar Bell had a peculiar look about her like Cassius had said something strange.

“Well, yeah? I don’t see why not. Big Mac is a great stallion. Kind, supportive, strong… sexy.” Cassius may have to take her word on that last one. “Plus, he’s a great listener. I couldn’t find a better stallion if I tried.”

“That’s some high praise.” Nodding along, he turned back to the two and saw Big Mac now getting particular looks from Cheerilee. Though there wasn’t much in terms of light in this part of the orchard, he saw enough to where he could spot him looking a bit bashful about something. “And you’re fine sharing him?”

“Of course. Cheerilee is pretty much the glue that keeps us all together. Zecora is wise, but sometimes, she can get a little ahead of herself and has some issues with pony customs. However, we got us a great stallion to make it work.”

“Okay… but you’re okay with it? Like, no jealousy issues?”

“Psh, why would any of us be jealous?” She rolls her eyes in amusement. “We all got Big Mac, and he shows no favoritism towards any of us. He treats us all equally and lends a hand when we ask.” Cassius was trying to wrap his head around this Equestrian custom. No sun and magic were easy enough, yet polygamy threw the alicorn for a loop. “You’re a real funny one, you know that.”

“A funny one that is true. But I must ask, who are you?” Startled by the new voice, Cassius jumps when a hand grasps his shoulder. Turning around, Cassius was met by a cloaked figure casually sitting back on the fence parting the orchard from the road. Wearing tattered rags draping over her body with a staff of gnarled wood in one hand, Cassius thought that he had met death itself to claim him finally.

“Aw, ya done frazzled ‘em, Z.” Bright Mac barely held in his laughter, finding Cassius skittish behavior amusing.

“Forgive me, Bright Mac, I did not mean to fright. But I needed to meet this stallion that fell into my sight.” Taking off her cloak, Cassius was met by something he couldn’t call a pony. Sure, she had the same features and body type, but how she stood and composed was far different from the others he’d met thus far. Her coat was decorated with grey and black stripes, starting at her hooves and going to the mohawk she had for a mane. Gold bands adorned her neck, arms, and legs, with only a loin cloth and bra acting as her only clothes. And at her side was a satchel that looked like the same one Twilight carried with her. “My name is Zecora of the Apple Farm, and do not fret, for I mean you no harm.”

Still feeling his heart racing, Cassius slowly returned to his usual composure. “Y-Yeah, it's all cool.”

“Cool it may be, yet warm enough to take a dip, you see.” Not entirely understanding what she was on about, he slowly got an idea of what she meant when he noticed her fur seemed to glisten in the moonlight and the Heliod orbs that were close by, giving her a moist sheen to her.

“Aw, Zecora, you went swimming without us?” Sugar Bell groaned. “Ugh, I was looking forward to taking a dip after work. Been wearing my swimsuit all day.” Sugar Bell shamelessly pulls her blouse open to unleash her decently sized breasts, showing Big Mac particularly how she angled her body. Cheerilee, seeing her herdmate, does the same. The respectable-looking school teacher lifts her shirt to show herself off to Big Mac and reveals a tightly fitting bikini top.

“What’cha think Big Mac?” Cheerilee swoons. “Thinkin’ a nice dip in the lake might… cool us all off~?”

“U-Uh. Hehe, w-well, I think that…”

“Yeah, Big Mac,” Sugar Bell gets closer, her eyes fixed on the red earth pony. “Whatcha thinking about?” Standing back with Bright Mac, Cassius watched the three mares circle Big Mac like sharks. Well-endowed, lusty sharks. Where once Cassius felt envy for this stallion, now that feeling became pity as these three once kind and lovely mares turned into demons with eyes focused on the nervous-looking stallion.

“D-Dad, a little help, please? We still gotta take care of the stock.” Cassius had already watched Bright Mac come to his aid a few times. Though, with the devilish grin on his muzzle, Cassius may have bled the well dry on Bright’s mercy.

“It's all right, Big Mac. Spend some time with yur mares. Besides, I got Cassius here tah help me.” The look of betrayal on Big Mac’s face was something Cassius never thought he’d see. He fed his son to his herd as they all gathered around him, taking limbs for their own as they coaxed him to head to the lake. “Just be back before dinner, and ladies…” They all paused for a moment. “Be gentle with mah boy.”

“We only promise to try.” Cheerilee giggles, moving with Zecora and Sugar Bell to take him back. However, before they took their prize, Cassius came to speak.

“Wait, Zecora.” Driving off thoughts of what they were about to do to that poor stallion, the zebra mare turns to Cassius, now on the approach.

“Hm?” She turns back; the others halt their approach to the lake.

“Since you’re here, Twilight wanted you to help me.”

“Oh? Twilight Sparkle has returned so soon? I had not expected her until the waning of the full moon.”

“She came on down cause of this ‘ere feller.” Bright Mac fills in. “Says he’s got some sorta summoner’s illness.”

“Summoning Sickness is no major malady.” She waves off with no worry in her tone. “Tis not an ailment that will end nastily. A fuzzy mind is all it truly is you’ll suffer. Worst cases may see you quite the duffer.” About to turn back to join Big Mac and his hungry harem, Cassius insisted.

“I know, but we’ve trekked here and need your help.” Taking Cassius’s words into consideration, she started to think about what it was she could do. It didn’t take her long to come to a response.

“Very well, I shall speak with Twilight on what can be done. But for now, it is time for my herd to have their fun.”

“Thank you. I greatly appreciate it, and I know Twilight will, too.” She smiles before returning to her herd, aiding the earth pony and the unicorn in dragging their prey off to the lake for bonding. Cassius and Bright Mac still hear Big Mac pleading for the girls to take it easy on him before they finally vanish into the orchard.

“Should we be worried?”

“Nah, he’ll be fine. Probably.” The two shared an amused chuckle before Bright Mac motioned for Cassius to follow. “C’mon, let's get these back to the house.”





The moon was nearing the horizon, and the day was almost over. Ponies across Ponyville and beyond heard the tolling of a bell, alerting them all of the approach of True-Night. Yet, while everypony else was wrapping up their day, the Apples were well on their way to doing the same. Lifting the last basket of experimental apples, Cassius brings it into the cellar for later use. Setting the cumbersome basket down next to the others, he lets out a gasp of relief in accomplishment. “Whoo… that’s the last… one.”

“Thank ya kindly again fur your help with this.”

“You’re letting me n’ Twilight sleep in your house and eat your food. I’d say it’s a fair trade.” The tired alicorn sighs, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow.

“Heh, ya may regret sayin’ that cause ah may have use of ya tomorrow.”

“That’s fine, so long as you don’t mind a bit of amateur hour.”

“Trust me, we’ll be workin’ for over an hour.” Bright Mac chuckles. The two soon hear the chiming of a metal triangle, followed by the voice of Pear Butter calling out “Supper Time!” to fetch her family. “Guess that’s all fur today. Come on, let's get inside before the good stuff is gone.”

Stepping up the stairs letting his adrenaline die down, Cassius started to feel just how hungry he was. Having trekked from the castle and aided Bright Mac with some heavy lifting and harvesting, it all added up, and he started to realize just how starved he was.

“I feel like my stomach is eating itself. Twilight gave me some apples back in her hideaway, but that was about it.”

“Well, the good news is, we Apples love to eat. So you’ll have plenty tah choose from.” Bright Mac says, leading his guest back to the porch. Just as Cassius steps back on, he pauses for a second. He felt something in the back of his spine, a sense of wrongness about the world. Turning around in the vast orchard of trees, he’d see the last rays of moonlight. Usually, he’d expect to see the rising of the sun’s glow, maybe even feel a hint of warmth.

Instead, all Cassius felt was a bitter cold wash over the land joined by a veil of darkness, the likes of which could only be described as supernatural. Tree by tree, they were all engulfed in this miasma of the night as if the entire world beyond the porchlight had been swallowed whole with only a faint glow from the Heliod orbs in the distance.

Maybe it was innate human instincts, this new equine body, or perhaps both, but whatever the case, he knew that he did not want to be caught beyond this thick blanket that the ponies called True-Night. “Hey Cassius, ya comin’ or what?”

“Y-Yeah… yeah… I’m uh… I’m coming.” He slowly turns to head inside, his head straining to try and discern anything in the void before heading inside. The home felt more like a haven than it had before. A beacon in the world that may as well not exist beyond the door. He slowly walked in, looking dazed, before a small chuckle was heard.

“Oh, ah know that look.” Granny Smith spoke from the dining room, seeing Cassius walk into view. “That is a look we all got about a year ago.” Dazed and more confused about what he had seen, Cassius entered the dining room, and his look of shock had been replaced with hunger. The spread on the table looked like Thanksgiving had come early, and considering the number of heads at the table, it seemed like this might have been a regular thing. “Why don’cha take a seat there, youngin’.”

“Uh… y-yeah.” Regaining his speaking ability, Cassius finds his way to the last empty seat with Twilight and Sugar Bell, if his memory served him. However, since the previous time he’d seen her, Twilight had changed her clothes into something that wasn’t all ragged and tattered. She was wearing what looked like a school uniform or something similar. Plain clothes with a skirt that almost reached her knees. As Cassius approached, she’d brighten up seeing him and wave to him.

“Hi, Cassius.” Twilight waved him over to join her. “You’re just in time; we were about to start.”

“That sounds pretty good. I could eat a h-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o…” Cassius felt himself freeze momentarily as he looked around the table of predominantly equine faces. “…o-o-ole Apple Pie?”

“Oh really now?” Bright Mac perked up at that. “Just a single one?”

“Well, I mean… maybe.”

“Easy there, Maccie. He doesn’t know the kind of ring he’s stepping into.” Pear Butter brings her husband to heel as she starts uncovering bits of food. Cassius and the rest were hit with potent fumes of homemade food that before were only mere samples of what was to come. “Forgive him, darlin’. Maccie can get a little… enthusiastic about Pie eatin’ contests.”

“Not mah fault ah was born with an iron stomach.” Bright Mac beams with pride. “Three-year Ponyville pie-eatin’ champion.” He motions to the far end of the dining room, where a trophy case stands loaded with golden awards glistening in the soft light of the home. There, Cassius saw three that matched one another, all topped with a gilded golden pie with a bite taken out of each one. “Lookin’ to add number four to it later this year.”

“Sounds like fun. Maybe if we’re in the neighborhood when it goes down, I could compete.” Though all-you-can-eat pie was a nice thing to think about, Cassius turned his attention to the food before him. He loads up his plate, taking a large glob of mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, glazed apple slices, and cheese-coated broccoli. However, as he filled his plate to his desire, Cassius scanned the table for something missing. He goes for the entrée, a large deep dish lasagna STUFFED with cheese. He'd sit back down; such golden deliciousness could not be denied.

He takes a bite of the molten food and savors the flavor but finds something that needs to be added. It was delicious food; there was no denying that. A long life of frozen pizzas had left his pallet wanting, but he felt something was off about this meal. “Hey, um, Miss Pear Butter.”

“You can call me Pear, sweetie.”

“Right. So, is there any meat?” The table goes quiet, and everypony looks at him as if Cassius’s head fell out. “… What?” Twilight was the first to respond.

“Cassius, what are you talking about? Ponies don’t eat meat.”

“Yeah, what are ya part griffin or somethin’?” Applebloom asks a little jokingly.

“Wait, have you eaten meat before? That’s so gross.” Scootaloo says with hints of disgust and amusement. “What does pony taste like?”

“Scoots, don’t provoke him.” Sweetie tries to whisper, her eyes focused on Cassius. “He may wanna find out.”

“Well, ah don’ got anything on the used-tah-be-livin’ side. Though, maybe ah could whip up some fish for you.”

“No no, it’s fine. It's just a bit of uhh…” he turns to Twilight, still looking at him weirdly. “Culture shock is all. I think I used to live by some griffins, and that’s maybe why I asked. I meant no offense by it all, just a bit of culture shock, I guess.”

“Oh, well… ah, guess maybe we can whip somethin’ up special for you tomorrow night. We can’t do it every night, though, since meat can be expensive, and it can earn you a few looks from the neighbors.”

“If it’s inconvenient, then you don’t have to worry. This is more than enough for me.”

“Oh… well, I’m glad to hear it.” Pear Butter sits back down and returns to her meal with Big Mac. Cassius does the same, though he has a look about him that shows he has come to realize something dower. A horrid expression of realization washed over Twilight’s companion that should have come at a sooner time.

‘I’m trapped in a world of vegetarians.’ 





Cassius was stuffed to the brim. Though the realization that he now had to live in a world without steak, he was still glad cheese was readily available. Vegetarian horse people were one thing, but Vegan, Cassius would have thrown himself into the pitch-black void beyond the walls before he chose to live in a world without animal products, be they humanely harvested or not.

With a full belly, he crashed onto the guest bed with relief. He was drained from the trek to this little orchard, and now he had a chance to relax and let all that had transpired settle in his mind. His first day in this bizarre world of bipedal talking equines had been eventful, for lack of a better word. A purple unicorn had enlisted him to help her overthrow a magical dictator, trekked for hours through a dark forest, and been branded a pervert before helping to collect blue apples. Finish that off with dinner, and that had been only one day.

Staring up at the ceiling, Cassius couldn’t help but wonder how he had gotten roped into this. Why him, of all people? How out of billions of people on Earth, and now that he knew of these ponies, how out of all the unknowable other alien entities out there in reality… did he get chosen? Feeling himself slowly drift off to bed, he contemplated these questions later. For now, he needed to sleep. Because if this was only his first day, there was no telling what his second would be like.

“Alright, Cassius. I think that’s enough living for one day.” Moving to the light switch, ready to turn the lights down, he’d be caught off guard by a knock at the door. “Hello?”

“It’s Applebloom, I got somethin’ for ya.” The youngest of the apple clan was beyond his door, but Cassius had no idea why for his life. Curiosity getting the better of him, he opens the door to find the small filly with her arms crossed, looking up at him impatiently.

“Okay, I admit, you’re kinda the last person I thought to see out here.”

“Yeah, this is weird for me too.” She says with a little bit of hesitation. “Anyway, ah just came here tah give ya these.” Holding her hand, Cassius sees she was holding what looked like earplugs coated in a thick white wax. “If’n ya wanna be getting any sleep tonight, you’ll wanna wear ‘em. Trust me.”

“Oh, thanks… I guess.”

“Those are the only ones ah got, so if you lose ‘em… well, you’ll know soon enough.” Without another word or explanation, Applebloom turns towards the hall, heading for the room at the very end of the corner. Looking at the little nubs she had given him, Cassius shrugs and slips each into his new equine ears. They were a snug fit, but they seemed to do the trick. At least, he thought they did; the house and the orchard overall were silent.

Turning off the lights, Cassius lets a long yawn and sets his head down to rest. The earplugs drown out any distractions and bring a sense of peace to Cassius, allowing the young man to find his rest and … sleep finally.

Sleep.

…Sleep…

… sleep.

…

…

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
 
Dragged from his rest, Cassius places a hand on his alarm clock. He couldn’t believe he forgot to reset it so that it’d wake him in the morning. Or Night.

No… it was morning. Sitting up, Cassius looks at the alarm clock and sees his eyes have blurred over. A red glowing smudge took the form of numbers on the electric clock. It was 10 am. It couldn’t be; Cassius had just rested his head. Rubbing his eyes, Cassius rubs the sand from his eyes and wipes them from his skin to…

Wait, skin?

Sitting up straight, Cassius looks at his hands, arms,… everything. The white fur was gone, and he saw bare flesh with it. Not that belonging to some alien horse monster, but his actual human body. Reaching for the lamp, he’d feel around his pudgy face, his thick, curly red hair, and his flat features. It was then that it all made sense and was all over now.

“A dream… it was all just a dream.”
> Chpt. 5: Home Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

How long had Cassius been in front of the mirror? How long had he run his fingers against his cheek, checking for the slightest hint of fuzz or brush of hair out of place? The utter look of disbelief reflected in the mirror, almost as if the face he had worn for nigh on two decades was a lie, but he wasn’t wrong; this was his face. This was his bathroom. This was his apartment. There was no mistaking it that Cassius was back home, and the events of last night were nothing more than a dream.

Stepping out of the bathroom with a dazed look in his eye, wandering his tiny home with nothing but his underwear, the human man of only twenty years looked to the dirtied clothes strewn about the floor, cluttering the path to his king-size bed. Everything was as he remembered before going to sleep, yet that did not save him from the lingering disoriented sensation of what was and wasn’t reality. ‘Come on. It was just a dream. Nothing more.’ He thought to himself, heading from the bedroom to the only other room in the apartment. ‘Gotta settle down a bit. Eat some breakfast, and then maybe head to the gym.’ Getting to his daily routine was the best thing that’d probably calm him down.

Turning from his bedroom, Cassius wanders to what passes for a kitchen in this tiny apartment for a clean bowl and cereal. The familiar mundanity is starting to bring him down to Earth again, adjusting him after that strange dream with talking horse people. ‘I bet it’ll all fade in an hour. I’ll probably forget about it.' he thought, pouring the cereal. But as the last bits of his breakfast clink into the bowl, Twilight’s face flashes in his mind.

“Once your memories return, you can tell me how we can defeat Nightmare Moon and save all of Equestria.” Twilight’s voice echoed through Cassius’s skull, disorienting the young man as he fell into his singular chair at his dining table. Part of him wished he could have spent more time in that dream to see where it’d take him. To see just how far that rabbit hole went. Alas, he was content with ending it on a little Apple Farm. Maybe tonight, his mind will show him something just as enjoyable. Cassius moves to take the first bite of his breakfast as he settles into his routine, but before he can, something feels off in the air. The moment of calm ended just as he felt the hair on the back of his neck bristle and tingle. Normally, Cassius was inclined to ignore this sensation, but last night’s adventure had brought a bout of paranoia to the young man.

Specifically, the sensation that he was being watched.

Raising his head, Cassius slowly turns back to his bedroom door. It was slightly ajar by just a crack, but he could have sworn he had left the light on inside. So why now was all he could see a pitch-black darkness? Moreover, he recalled that his room had never been that dark before; some sun should be seeping through the thin blinds covering the window in his room. It wasn’t just the lack of light in his bedroom; however, what he could see was what bothered him. With the door slightly open, Cassius felt a chill run up his spine as he caught a glimmer of sorts, a mere glint of light reflecting off something in the top corner of the door. Cassius knew he had nothing in that area that reflected light the way it did. What’s worse, Cassius could see the light vanish occasionally, almost like the object was blinking at him.

His chest grew tight, his heart rate rising; Cassius kept his eyes on the door. He wasn’t going to turn his back on anything. With both eyes on the door, his hand searching for a weapon to defend himself. No doubt whatever was looking at him watched as he did so, but it made no move to attack. Gripping the hilt of a steak knife, he held it firm, fear quickly being replaced with determination to evict the intruder. “I can see you!” He gave the figure a verbal warning, hoping to scare whoever was in his home. His eyes laser-focused on his bedroom. Cassius couldn’t help but think how long they had been there. Thoughts of some unknown watcher lingering as he slept began to creep into his mind, of being vulnerable to some stranger who could have done as they pleased, and he’d be none the wiser. He gulped, sweat beading down his face as he took a shaky step forward. Closer and closer, he saw an outline forming in the darkness, giving light to the figure. Heart racing, grip tightening, Cassius grew bolder as he came to confront his intruder. “I-I’m warning you. Sh-show your-“

**RING RING**

“AAGH!!!”

Cassius’s focus was broken by the sudden ringing of his phone, causing Cassius to jump and drop his knife. Silently cursing whoever could have called at such an inopportune time, Cassius returned to the door to his bedroom and saw whoever or whatever had been watching him was gone. Cell phone still ringing, Cassius pushes the door open and flips the light, finding the room empty. He opened the closet door and found dirty clothes, a hamper, and some stored books; nothing to hide any intruders. He turned to the bed but instantly disregarded that; you couldn’t hide under a mattress on the floor. The windows were his next thought.

He pulls back the thick blinds and sees his hometown of Las Vegas before him. He was several stories up, and the windows locked. Even if they managed to get to the window, unlatch it, and slip out, a significant drop that’d leave any quick-footed intruder with a limp in the best-case scenario. Stepping back, Cassius was left baffled and scared but mostly perplexed. ‘I know someone was in here. I know that they- is that phone still going?’ Cassius moves quickly to find it on the minuscule dining table, agitated by its nonstop ringing. He picked up the thing, saw who was calling, and grumbled; it was labeled “Boss”.

“Ah, shit.” He hits accept and answers. “Hello?”

“Aay, there he is. Caz, my man.”

“What’cha want, Vido?” Cassius sighed, knowing his boss had only called this early when he wanted something.

“Eesh, straight to the point, eh. Well, the thing is,”

‘Here it comes.’ Cassius thought.

“I’m kind of up a creek here tonight, and I’m kind of hoping you could fill in for Vinny.” That wasn’t anything new; Cassius was used to filling in when someone called out. His schedule was wide open, and there wasn’t much going on in his life that would create scheduling conflicts with anything else. However, Vinny was someone he’d never filled in for, and for good reason.

“Vinny? Do you mean Vinny ‘Card-Shark’ Malone? He works the tables.”

“Trust me, kid. I’m very much aware of that; the thing is that Vinny’s in the hospital. Broke his friggin’ leg slipping on some ice in the kitchen.”

“God dammit, I’ve been saying we should fix that fucking ice machine for months now.”

“Yeah, yeah. You never shut up about it. But here’s the thing: I hear you’re not half bad at slingin’ cards and thought you could fill in?” Cassius was taken aback by this offer, never thinking he’d get a chance like this. Sure, he did hold a few unofficial games with the backroom co-workers, but he’d never done anything official—primarily for one reason.

“Boss, you know I’m not old enough to work the floor.”

“You’re not technically even allowed to work the kitchens either,” Vido added. “But you’re quick on your feet and only… what, a month from turnin’ Twenty-one?”

“Try eight months.”

“Ehhhh, close enough.” Cassius could practically hear him waving his arms dismissively through the phone. “Look, it ain’t like I’m asking you to do it full time, just the weekend. We’ll call it… ehhh, a training program fur if or when ya wanna take the job full time. Just so long as no one goes blabbin’ about it to the police, is all.”

“You’re asking me to take a big risk here.”

“Hey, you’re not the only one whose ass is going to be on the line either. Come on, it’s just for the weekend. No one will know.” Cassius slowly drew in his breath, letting his thoughts settle and debate the risks as well as the rewards. With a slight huff, he pushed him a bit.

“If, and I’m not saying yes, but if I do take this job, I’ll be paid standard rate for it.”

“Yeah, yeah, no problem at all.”

“And I want Sundays off like I’ve been talking about.”

“Kid, I’m throwin’ ya a bone here; ya can’t just ask for the weekends off; they’re our busiest time of the week.”

“I’m not asking for weekends, just Sundays. Saturday is still on the table.” There was a long pause on the other end; Cassius knew Vido was also weighing his options.

“All right, fine. Ya got Sundays off. I’ll buzz ya when I need ya to come in, so keep your phone handy, and you better not screw this up.”

“If it means Sundays off and a bigger paycheck, I’ll do my damndest not to.” With that, the phone goes dead, and a moment later, a big grin forms on Cassius’s face. “YES!” Pumping his fist in excitement, Cassius couldn’t help but start to cackle and giggle. Today was going to be extraordinary; he could feel it. After finishing breakfast, Cassius got dressed and pocketed his phone but returned to his bedroom to eat peacefully. A little TV in bed was nice, but as he turned to the clock and saw the time come to 8 AM, he sat up and grabbed a large duffle bag full of gym clothes.

Setting the now empty bowl in the sink with a few others, Cassius went for the front door but paused to look at the empty studio apartment. He narrowed his eyes, giving the place one last once-over before leaving. “If you’re still in here,” He’d call to his phantom intruder. “At the very least, could you clean up a little before you steal any of my shit?” With that said, Cassius closes the apartment door and locks it, heading for the stairs to get his day started.





Stepping out onto the streets of Las Vegas was usually unimpressive before Noon, but the place was still home. Living on the Strip, the sights and sounds lose their spectacle, and the flaws seem exaggerated in the sun's light. Though Cassius couldn’t think of anywhere else in the world he’d call home. This was where he grew up, where he’d gone to school, and where he’d met many friends through the years. Still, turning his gaze upward, his attention came to the Sun beaming down overhead. After that dream, Cassius longed for the warmth it had provided as if he had taken for granted its radiant gifts. Though as much as he wanted to bask in the golden hue, he felt he best make it to his first destination before 10 am when the heat starts to ramp up.

Turning down the sidewalk, Cassius broke into a firm jog. Clad in soft gym shorts and a white shirt, the young man took off briskly down the empty sidewalk. Friday nights were always wild, and with everyone getting wasted, that left a lot of folks hung over and not interested in moving about a city until the throbbing in their skulls settled. This means he had the sidewalks all to himself save for a select few who did not have the luxury of getting smashed the following night, along with those who passed out on the streets from partying too hard and finding their home or hotel proved too difficult a task. Cassius paid neither any mind, too focused on his run.

Though slightly pudgy, Cassius had seen improvement in his physical shape since high school, and he was determined to keep it up. Turning a corner into one of the less developed roads on the Strip, Cassius came to find a tiny little Gym that seemed out of place in the City of Sin, but even in a place where you can gamble your life savings away; there were still spots for self-improvement. Pushing through the door, he was met with a blast of cold air and the scent of testosterone mixed with protein powder. It was a familiar scent he’d grown accustomed to since coming here. “Hey, Joey.” Cassius waves to one of the guys working the front desk.

Joey was tall and muscular. He seemed to wear a tank top every time Cassius saw him. His hair was so saturated with hair gel that he wasn’t entirely sure if it was real half the time or if there was some plastic mold he wore in place of it. Greeting him casually, Joey seemed to brighten up, seeing a familiar face enter the gym. “AAAaaay, Casie, wazzup man!”

“Just getting my rounds in today. Nothing special… for now.”

“That’s fine, man. Whatever you gotta do. Though Henry’s been asking for a rematch, he continues about how you got lucky with the right hook.” Cassius couldn’t hold back a smirk even if he tried. He’d only recently taken Boxing lessons and already found the sport exhilarating. His first actual match had left him a bit beat up but victorious, and his opponent a tad bit salty that he’d been beaten by someone nowhere near as in shape as he was.

“I’ll give him a rematch when he stops being a baby about it. But I can’t risk getting too beat up today. I can’t risk damaging the face,” he motions around his head to emphasize his point. It needs to stay intact for tonight.”

“Cool-cool, I getcha there. Lemme know if ya need anything.”

“I will, Joey. I will.” Cassius nodded, turning from the front desk and moving about the crowd to the lockers to set his things in—except his phone and wireless earbuds. Tucking the phone into his pocket, he’d start with music from his workout playlist. Hitting shuffle, the first song was “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John. Cassius’s head starts to bop, enjoying the upbeat music and lyrics. The strum of the guitar and the piano keys brought the young man into a rhythmic jog as he took to one of the Treadmills. Making sure to stretch his legs before a jog, Cassius takes to the machine and begins with a decent enough jog for the first ten minutes.

With the world around him fading, Cassius lost himself in the music and the run. He felt bits of his plump body start to shudder about, but nowhere near as bad as they had before. He’d come a long way from being a round little boy and was now shedding that body fat daily. It was a means to improve himself and his mood. Looking around at the mountains of muscle, some other guys had made him feel somewhat insignificant, but they weren’t jerks about it. He knew at least half of the regulars by now, and these weren’t Jocks suffused with superiority like back in high school; these were men of focus and determination and probably the most welcoming sort he’d ever been around.

“Damnation.” Cutting through the loosened earpiece, Cassius turned to the noise and saw a new face he’d never seen before. He’d nearly tripped over himself seeing a gorgeous woman clad in a dark blue two-piece workout shorts and bra. She was bent over, rummaging through her bag in frustration while Cassius got a full view of her perfect, heart-shaped ass practically presented to him. “Do not tell me I left it at home.” She says with a groan of frustration. Standing up tall, Cassius was left breathless, admiring her physique. She had to be six feet at the very least, with skin dark as milk chocolate and probably as smooth as how the light bent around her. Her long black hair was done up in a ponytail while a set of piercing blue eyes stared at the front door, debating something to herself. She eventually caught him staring, and Cassius felt he needed to say something, or else she’d think he was some gym creep.

“I-Is something the matter.”

“Nothing truly, except I left my music back home.”

“Oh, that’s a bummer.”

“A bummer indeed,” she sighs. “I’d rather not trek back to fetch it. It’s going to get hot soon.” The strange woman seems sad, as if she couldn’t work unless she had something to distract her from the world around her, something Cassius understands all too well.

“Well…” Cassius couldn’t believe he was about to offer this. If you don’t mind putting on something that’s been in my ear,” he pulls out one of his earbuds and offers it to her. I don’t mind sharing.”

“Oh, no, no. I couldn’t do that to you.”

“Nah, it’s fine. I can still listen with one ear.” He smiles at her reassuringly, getting a smile back from her.

“I do not wish to shackle you to me.”

“It’s fine; we’re both here to work out a little. Besides, I have about an hour before I head home; I don’t mind staying a little longer if I have to.” Hearing that, she seems to smile, taking the earpiece. Setting it into her ear, she turns to Cassius, waiting. “So, what are you in the mood for?”

“Composer’s choice. I’m not too picky on what I listen to.” The woman waves her hand dismissively.

“Very well.” Scrolling through the library of liked music on his phone, Cassius set up “Maniac” by Michael Sembello. He wanted to start with something other than the indie songs he discovered over the years. However, the look the woman gave when the percussion started, he feared he may have lost her, though it wasn’t until the Keyboard came into play that her expression began to change. She held her hand up to the earbud, pressing into it as if she’d somehow hear it more clearly. Mesmerized by the song, she turns to Cassius with a look of bewilderment.

“What a wondrous sound!”

“Really? I mean, it’s a good song but nothing too impressive.” Cassius watches as the woman glares at him, almost as if he had said something offensive.

“Hold your tongue; this melody is beyond anything I have ever experienced.” That caught Cassius by surprise.

“The song is old. You’ve never heard it before? You don’t look any older than I do.” The woman seemed to calm down a bit from Cassius’s reaction, her eyes darting around nervously.

“R-Right, sorry. I sometimes forget that other peoples’ tastes are far more refined than mine. My mother forbade me from listening to anything that couldn’t be played outside of an orchestral hall.”

“Holy shit, are you serious?”

“Verily. I was so glad to be free of her bonds when I came of age. I’m still… adjusting to the newfound world of limitless entertainment.” He started to understand a bit.

“That’s fair. My mom and dad were academics. Mom was a professor of ancient history. She wouldn’t let me read anything unless it had some historical significance.”

“A shame. I’ve often lost myself in books. It seems we have both lost out in our youth.” She smiles more, looking him over.

“Yeah, but the best part about being an adult is that no one can tell you what to do unless they sign your paycheck.”

“Indeed.” She continues to listen to the music, clearly showing enjoyment of a almost fifty-year-old sign. Forgetting they were supposed to be exercising, the two enjoyed the song's beat. It wasn’t until near the end of the song that Cassius cleared his throat. “So, uh… my name is Cassius Marcanus. May I have yours?” She breaks from holding the song to acknowledge his existence and nods.

“You may call me Luna.”

“Luna, that’s a beautiful name.” Cassius flusters a bit.

“… Thank you.” A wry smile forms across her face as a gentle flash of dark blue crosses her eyes. “it’s very nice to meet you, Cassius.”





Cassius has often been to the gym, but he has never enjoyed it more since meeting Luna. By far, no one felt stranger to him other than her, but in the best ways possible. Alien to modern music, Cassius had the rare privilege of exposing someone to music that had been heard by the rest of the world and gauging a genuine reaction from them. While the two used various machines to hone their bodies, Cassius took the time to expand Luna’s musical pallet.

While they ran on the treadmills, Cassius played some 80’s Rock, going from Journey to Queen and then AC/DC. He wanted to start her journey, no pun intended, into modern music with something enjoyed by everyone, or at least that’s what he thought since they were the songs played nonstop on the radio. Luna’s reaction was instant, her eyes bulging with the riff of the electric guitar and the powerful ballads shattering her perceptions of what music could be in a matter of seconds. Cassius couldn’t stop himself from grinning like a fool, seeing Luna practically reboot herself from the powerful strums of the bands and the banshee’s scream from some of the vocalists.

Moving to the Irons after, something that didn’t catch Luna’s attention but would offer moral support while she enjoyed some R&B. It was Not her favorite genre at first. Still, she grew to like it after playing a bit of Earth, Wind and Fire, Funk Leblanc, and some Michael Jackson. Luna would often lose herself to the beat so frequently that Cassius had to bring her back to reality after he felt his muscles start to strain against the weights. Thankfully, Cassius brought her down to earth in time to help spot him lest he drop several pounds of metal onto his skull.

After he felt his arms burning sufficiently, Cassius went to the workout mats to work on his midsection. Cassius asked Luna for some help with some sit-ups and put on some EDM for them to enjoy by putting on some Mystery Skulls, Jamie Berry, and Daft Punk. The choice was worth it for her reaction alone as she tried to comprehend what instruments could make some of the oddest tunes ever created by human hands and yet fashion them into a song that was groovy, entertaining, and didn’t want to make her ears bleed. However, Cassius did find a music genre that Luna was not all that into and had finally set a standard for what she didn’t like.

Both Luna and Cassius enjoyed the music more so than the workouts. Taking a break, the two found a bench close to the air conditioner to cool down and groove to some of Luna’s newly discovered favorite songs. The young woman closed her eyes and swayed her head side to side to the beat, leaving Cassius to follow her lead, synching up to her movements as the two swayed with little care about who watched them. They were having fun in something they shared, and Cassius wanted to see what else he could show her. Alas, all good things must come to an end as Cassius felt the buzzing of his phone. Looking at the message, he saw that his timer had started telling him that his workout routine was up for the day. Saddened that his time with Luna had come to an end, Cassius lets out a sigh of defeat and removes his earpiece. “All right, that’s all I got for today.” The fun times came to an end, and Luna looked genuinely saddened.

“Must it end? I have only had a taste, and yet I crave more.”

“Sadly, yes. I try to keep a schedule for my workout so I don’t burn out my muscles.” Luna looked utterly discouraged by the end of their time together but would accept it. “Besides, you have plenty of new genres to explore with your music.

“Glad I could be your guide into audio bliss.” The two locked eyes with one another, and Cassius would be lying if he said he didn’t feel any spark. Judging by the look she gave him, she must have felt the same thing. Before he could persist, another notification from Vido showing his schedule broke the moment. “Sorry, Luna. But duty calls. But…” He felt himself fluster. “If you want, maybe we can listen to more songs next time we're in the gym.”

“I would like that very much. Until we meet again.” She bows outdatedly, but Cassius leans into it, bowing his head before returning to fetch his things from the locker. Before he does so, he turns back around. “Hey, I know this is forward, but do you think I could get your…” Freezing mid-sentence, Cassius saw that Luna was gone and disappeared, with no trace of her in the crowd. Defeated, Cassius moves to fetch his things and leave; he could mope about lost opportunities later back home.





After a quick trek back home, a shower, and a moment to relax, Cassius prepared himself for the night. Getting clean clothes and his dark purple vest, he went through the strip, slowly coming to life. The streets were filled with cars, and the sidewalks were swarming with people. It wasn’t until he saw a giant neon sign in the form of a waxing moon that he knew Cassius had made it to work.

With the lights flashing bright, Cassius cut through the swath of tourists, professional gamblers, and locals to his place of work: The Eclipse Casino. It may not be the most famous place in Las Vegas, but the owner was kind enough to ignore Cassius’s age when he was looking for a job. Slipping through the alleyway, Cassius came to a blank door under a failing lightbulb. It was far out of view from the public and always locked. There was one way to get in if you didn’t have the key. Looking around, ensuring he was alone, Cassius taps the door with a secret knock.

Two knocks, followed by a three-second pause, and then a third knock at the door.

Cassius waited a moment before he was about to try again, but the door flung open before his knuckles could touch the cold, steel door. Standing there was a dower-looking man with a face that looked like it had never cracked a smirk in his entire life. His head is roughly square-shaped and chiseled, and his red hair is already starting to bald. This terrifying man was part of the security detail. “Hey, Manny. I’m heading in for work.” He didn’t respond, glaring down at him with cold, judgmental eyes before stepping aside.

Cassius slipped into the back of the casino, wanting to get his uniform on and find Vido for what he’d be doing. However, he'd hear something odd before he made it that far. “You’re the last line of defense.” Cassius froze, turning to the only other person in the room.

“Manny… d-did you just say something?” The mute goliath only glared at Cassius, his expression frozen before Cassius slowly turned back and made for the lockers near the employee lounge. ‘What a weird day.’ Dismissing that Manny, a man he’d never heard speak since the two years he started working at the Eclipse, may have just said his first words, Cassius slipped through the sterile grey hallways to the lounge, where he found himself alone. “All right, game time.” He’d say to himself. “New chance to prove yourself; don’t screw it up.” He’d whisper to himself. “Just don’t get caught, or else you’ll have to move at best or go to jail at worst.” 

The lounge was just as sterile as the hallways leading to it. It was filled with a few tables for employees to eat and a few couches propped up to a TV that he was sure he’d never seen anyone use. The lockers were the only thing with any color, bearing a sickly dark shade of snot green. His locker was on the middlemost left, and he didn’t even bother with a lock. The place was loaded with cameras, and everyone operated on a trust system to not steal anything from anyone. Vido took any claims of theft seriously. So, Cassius had no fear of leaving his things in the locker, knowing that the place was pretty safe already.

The second he closed the locker, he’d get a call. It was the boss himself. Hitting accept before it went on too long, Cassius answered. “Hello?”

“Please tell me you’re here, kid.”

“You honestly think I’m gonna flake on ya after our agreement? Come on, you know me better than that.”

“Just trying to make sure, that is all. Can’t be too careful.”

“Don’t worry; I’m making my way out of the lounge now.” Cassius straightens his purple vest, making sure he is presentable. “I’ll be out on the floor in a second. Is there anything else I should know before I take up my position?”

“Just work the tables. Nothing fancy, no showin’ off; also, drain the richer players first, but show a little luck to the less fortunate.”

“Vido, that’s so sweet.” Cassius feigns respect.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t go thinkin’ I’ve gone soft. A little luck always gets folks spending more than they were plannin’ on.”

“Really? Can I use a special switch or loaded deck under the table?”

“Don’t be ridiculous…” he sighs. “That’s how we lost the guy before I hired Vinny. Poor bastard was left in the dumpster; god rest his soul. So, you’ll be relying on pure skill.” Vido had a small moment of silence before he continued. “Besides, the wheel is the only table with fancy tricks. I kinda went all out on it when I bought the damn thing.”

“Understandable.” Cassius opens the door to the floor and sees it is already moderately populated with customers. “Alright, I’m heading to Vinny’s table. I’ll head to lunch around the normal time.”

“That’s it, kid; I know that summoning sickness wouldn’t last long.” Cassius paused midstep.

“What did you say?”

“I said I knew I could count on you. Now get out there and make us some fuckin’ money!” The phone line goes dead, and Cassius is left in a daze. He shook his free of whatever was coming over him and went to find the table. It wasn’t a difficult task, and Vinny often played at one of the tables where Cassius needed to pass to find the bathroom. Finding the empty table unoccupied by its usual host, he took his position of the host and found a deck of 52 playing cards under the table in a small pocket.

Cassius cut the deck with nimble hands, ensuring it was shuffled thoroughly. He made it look as if he knew what he was doing with them, but while he waited, he mostly played around with them to pass the time until someone showed up at his table. “Howdy there, slick.” A rotund middle-aged man walked up to the table in what Cassius could only call an all-white cow-boy suit: white hat, white vest, white pants, and boots to match. The only things that weren’t white were the brass buttons and buckles holding it all together. “Was hopin’ to find an open table. Seems the whole a’ Nevada is out gambling tonight.” Cassius looked around and saw that the place was slowly starting to fill in.

“Must be if they’re coming here. If it’s full up here, lord knows how packed it is in the more well-known spots.”

“Boy, I hear it. I tried gettin’ into the Venetian and the Gold Nugget. Shit man, I’d have better luck squeezin’ water from a stone, I tell ya what.” Cassius smiles, trying to restrain his amusement from the walking stereotype. Though looking him over, the suit didn’t seem to be some cheap bit of clothing you’d find just anywhere. With how snugly the suit fit around him, it had to be custom-made. Meaning the guy had a bit of cash to spend.

“Well, I’m open for business while you wait for the other places to open,” Cassius says, moving the cards around to show off his shuffling skills.

“Hm, what the hell. Ah, got time.” Cassius nods as the gentleman in white moves a few chips in—three red and one green, totaling Forty dollars. Cassius dealt the cards out. Two cards for him and two for his guest. Once they were dealt out, he’d set five face down. “Alright, son, lemme see what’cha got.” Holding his cards close to his chest, the gentleman in white had a confident smirk about him. Looking down at his cards, Cassius saw that he had a Queen of Spades and a Two of Diamonds. It's a mid-hand, but things only just started. “Alrighty, let's have a look under the hood.” Tapping the table, Cassius flips the first three—an Ace of Diamonds, Seven of Clubs, and Jack of Clubs. The man had a big grin as he started to shuffle about in his seat. “Think I’ll… sweeten things up a bit.” He drops down a few more red chips, bringing the total to 60 chips on his side. Cassius made sure that there was enough to match. “Your move, son.”

Cassius flips the card and sees a Queen of Diamonds. Keeping up a stone-faced expression, he looks at the gentleman in white, who keeps squirming in excitement. The guy couldn’t be a bigger target even if he tried. Flipping the second card, Cassius sees it is just another Ace. Either way, they will get a Pair of Aces out of this. With the last card revealed, the man throws down his cards with a grin as wide as he almost is.

“Bam, Pair o’ Jacks.” Cassius saw his hand, a Jack of Hearts and a Six of Spades. Cassius moved down his cards, revealing the clap. Two Queens. “I… what?”

“First hand of my first night on the job.” Cassius shrugs. “Beginners luck, I guess.”

“Hm, gotta be.” Something catches the gentleman’s eye as he says that, and he smiles slightly. “Guess I need my Good Luck charm.” He swivels around and calls out. “Hey Twilight, come t’ daddy.” Cassius felt his expression falter as he approached the round man, a gorgeous young woman of about college age: slender frame, generous features, and some round specs. Her hair was also straightened out with a purple strip along her deep violet hair. She casually sits on the man’s leg like a child visiting Santa Claus. “This ‘ere is my Good-Luck Magnet, ain’t she a beauty.”

“U-Uh… y-yeah.” Cassius was left dumbfounded by what he was seeing. There is no way; there couldn’t be any possible way that what he saw was real. “Now, let's try that again.” Cassius nodded, dealing with the cards, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the girl. The events of his dream from the following night were still so vivid in his memory, and the young woman before him could easily fit the description of the equine creature he had met in his sleep. ‘Calm down, Cas. Just focus and do your job.’ The gentleman in white proceeded to win the following hand, and the one after that—Three of a Kind, Straight, Pair of Kings, Three of a kind.

Cassius was off his game, and the man cleared him out. He needed to get his mind back into focus, or else he’d ultimately find Vido’s deal off the table. “Heh, not every day I can make the dealer sweat. Ah, almost feel bad… well, almost.” The man’s fat fingers come around to cup the young woman’s ass, getting a nice handful. Her dull expression told him she wasn’t exactly with him out of genuine expression. That or perhaps she had a better poker face than Cassius did. Taking a deep breath, Cassius reshuffles the cards. “Ah’ll tell ya what, son, how bout we go for a little more High-stakes poker now? Seein’ as my little lady friend here is my guardian angel.”

“Oh?” Cassius collects himself, shuffling the cards thoroughly. “I am not authorized to take real money or anything other than standard casino chips if that is what you’re asking.”

“Nah, nothin’ like that.” The man moves a large pile of chips into play, more than the gentleman had started with. Cassius gulps at the sight of the chips, feeling the pressure as he looks at the mountain of chips. It had to be at least in the mid-triple digits, possibly even more than that. “Think you could manage that?”

“I… I dunno if the casino is legally allowed to-“

“Of course he can.” Came a new voice. Cassius felt his heart skip when he heard a familiar woman's sultry, seductive tone. Having given up her workout gear for by far the most expensive dark satin blue cocktail dress he’d ever seen in his life, hair done up in gemstones that glistened like the stars in the sky, and her nails painted a deep purple, Luna had reentered his life and came to sit at the table. “Gentleman, I hope this isn’t a private party.”

“None at all, ma’am, but I’m about to clear this fish out.”

“I see. Well then, perhaps I can observe.” Cassius felt like his heart would burst out of his chest and run for the door. Not only was he about to lose every chip at the table, a ton of money, and possibly lose out on this job, but Luna was here to see him faceplant his way into failure. Luna seemed to pick up on this and smiled softly, either to try and calm his nerves or to further enhance his anxious mind.

“All right, son. Let's do this.” Taking a deep breath, Cassius sets the cards out. In his hand was a King of Hearts and a Ten of Clubs. Steadying his breath, the man hits the Check, and the game begins for real. Flipping the first three cards, Cassius is Greeted by a Six of Spades, a Jack of Clubs, and a Queen of Diamonds. He kept his eyes on the table, glaring at the money but occasionally looking at the two ladies. He felt pressure he hadn’t experienced since High School as the man confidently checked, and out came the next card. An Ace of Clubs. “Hehe, you best surrender now, son. Save yourself the humiliation.” He couldn’t quite do that, but he wanted to. He wanted to fold, but that wasn’t how the dealer worked.

“So confident, yet one card is still left to be played.” She turned to Cassius and smiled. Luna’s warm eyes befell him, and somehow, Cassius felt a wave of calm wash over him. “You need not fear, Cassius. I know you can do it.”

“Your faith seems to be misplaced, ma’am.”

“I do not have faith, sir. I make investments and know a good investment when I see one.” A wry smirk crosses her face, leaning into the table as she looks the rotund man over.

“Oh really, care to make a bet of our own then?”

“I fear you may not have much to offer after my friend clears you out.”

“That's right, huh?” he chuckles, holding the stoic woman on his lap tight. “If I win this hand, how about you spend the whole night with me? We’ll head out onto the strip and have a grand ol’ time. Then, you can return to my place for a little… entertainment.”

“Sir, that’s not allowed in-“

“You have a deal.”

“WHAT?!” Cassius turns to Luna with shocked eyes. “Luna, what are you doing?’

“But if Cassius wins, he gets all of your chips, and… he can spend the night with your lady friend. And she will fulfill his every desire, no matter how depraved.”

“Psh, squirmy little pissant like him. Ah, bet he ain’t got a lick of imagination on him. Heh, you’re on.” Before Cassius could protest, Luna shot him a confident smirk. A look that just said, “Trust me.” “Alright, slick. Moment o’ truth. Lemme see what ya got.” Cassius turns to Luna, silently begging her to reconsider. Sure, they had only known each other for an hour, but it was an experience that could become more over time. Cassius saw her as an acquaintance but had hoped to see her as a friend; part of him wanted it to be more. The idea of this walking meatball bare naked and on top of Luna made his gut churn in horror.

He looked to the last card, gulping as he moved his hands to it. His hand resisted, fearful of what may be underneath, but he had a job. Screwing his eyes shut, Cassius flipped the card. “HA!!!” The gentleman in white stands up, knocking the woman out of his lap with a gasp. “Flush.” He set his cards down, showing a six of Clubs and an Eight of Clubs. He sat his cards down and was ready to admit defeat. “Sorry, kid, don’t hate the player; hate the game.” He was prepared to scoop his winnings in along with the rest of the chips at the table, but only for Luna to stop his hands. “Oooh, don’t you worry, little missy. We’ll have plenty of time fur that. Now, why don’cha lemme buy you something nice.”

“I’d much rather have Cassius do so with his winnings.” Luna says with a devilish giggle.

“You got a screw loose or something. I won.”

“In your deepest fantasies, perhaps,” Luna nudges Cassius and reveals his cards. He sees his cards and their colors. The Six is red, but the King is black… a Black King of Clubs.

“… No way,” Cassius whispers in utter disbelief.

“No way. There ain’t no goddamn way!” The gentleman roared in horror. Stepping up from the floor, the woman calling herself Twilight moved away from her sugar daddy and sat on Cassius’s lap, wrapping her arms around him. “How in the Sam Hill did you get a Royal Flush?!”

“You have your luck charms, sir,” Luna teases, moving around to mimic the other woman’s movements, clinging to Cassius almost mockingly. “And I guess I am his.” Merely to emphasize this point, the young women press their lips to Cassius’s cheek, bringing the man to an intense fluster that almost saw every drop of blood rush to his face… among other areas. “Now, run along. I desire a match.”

Moving away from Cassius to reclaim her seat, the gentleman in white sulks away, having lost most of his wealth. “That was uh…” Before he could continue, Twilight wrote her name and phone number on a slip of paper and slipped it into his vest pocket.

“Call me; I’ll be ready whenever you are… for whatever you want to do with me… or to me.” Cassius was thankful his waist wasn’t visible over the table; otherwise, he’d have difficulty hiding the bulge in his jeans. She left him to work and moved into the Casino at large, vanishing among the crowds.

“That was a one-in-a-million shot.”

“Hm, funny. That’s how I see you.” Luna teases in a flirty voice. “Now, shall we partake in this game?” She brings several green chips to the table in a stack but slips two into the pot. Cassius had more than enough to spare and matched her.

“Thank you, that was very kind of you,” Cassius says, almost flustering. “Though, you didn’t have to do that.”

“I know, but I knew you could do it. Like I said, I make investments and know a worthwhile one when I see it.” She chuckles as more people gather around the table. In three and a half hours, Cassius utterly cleaned the house. Though his luck dipped occasionally, he eliminated every player who dared to sit at his table. By the time the first hour was done, he’d have to call Vido to have someone come and collect all the chips, or else he’d be unable to play. Again and again later on. It almost felt like people weren’t playing to win money but to beat him out of principle. It seemed as if Lady Luck had not just smiled at him but had kissed him. Of which, said lucky lady was the only person still in the game and able to compete against Cassius.

“God damn, why can’t I have this sort of luck when I’m off the clock?”

“It seems it was merely waiting for the right time to manifest,” Luna says, having gotten herself an expensive-looking Margarita. With all the extra toppings, the thing looked more like a novelty toy than a beverage someone could drink. “Still, an impressive display if ever there was one.”

“I still can’t believe that was me. I feel outright invincible.” Cassius chuckles, feeling like he has become the God of Fortunes. “And… again, thank you for coming to my rescue, Luna. I wouldn’t be here if not for you.”

“You give me too much credit.” She waves off.

“I know, but… I feel like meeting you was a stroke of luck, and I’m glad we met back at the gym.” Luna smiles, turning to her drink. She slowly stirs it, looking into the lime-green mix of alcohol and ice.

“Do you truly mean that?”

“Of course I do! I’d be crazy not to think that. My only regret is that I had not met you sooner.” That seemed to get a laugh out of Luna, bringing her icy blue eyes to him. Before she could speak again, someone else did.

“Please… save us.” Cassius whips back around, hearing the voice behind him. There, he sees a desperate-looking Twilight. Her stoic expression has been changed to a pleading look. “I need you; my people need you.”

“Twilight, what are you talking about?”

“PLEASE! PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!” Cassius grabs a radio on his vest, radioing security. Before he could click the button, Cassius blinked, and for a moment, her Caucasian features suddenly shifted to purple and back again by the time of the second blink. “You’re the only one who can help?”

“What the hell is this?”

“Ugh, so irritating.” Luna groans. She waves her hand, and as Twilight is about to make her second plea for aid, she disintegrates before the first syllable can be uttered. Cassius falls back to the table, knocking down the mountain of chips. “Mmm, I must say, this drink is simply a marvel. The tangy mix of fruit and fermented grain alcohol with ice chips is divine, and the salt is a wonderful addition if ever there was one.”

Cassius turned back and saw Luna casually sipping her drink as if nothing had happened. “W-wuh… where did… did you kill…”

“Relax, Cassius. She was never alive to begin with.”

“N-Never ali- what?” Cassius was spooked, having just watched another person turn to smoke. “Luna. Luna, what is happening here?”

“Hmm, truthfully, I had planned to wait a while longer until I was sure you were in a more agreeable state, but…” She sighs and sets her drink down. “Alas, my hand has been forced.” She holds up her hand and snaps her fingers. The sound seemed to echo into the entire casino, overshadowing every other sound until…

Silence.

After a single blink of his eyes and a snap of Luna’s fingers, silence befell the Casino. The reason was simple: everyone was gone. Vanished. It was almost as if no one had entered the building all night. “W-What is this?”

“Calm yourself, Cassius. I just wanted a quieter place to speak. You and I have much to discuss.” With another snap of her fingers, Cassius covers himself as if thinking he was next to vanish, but he wasn’t. He’d hear something else: a sigh of relief, a slight gust of wind, and the clop of hooves on hard flooring. “Mmmm, that is much better.” When Cassius opened his eyes, the beautiful woman he’d met at the gym was now gone, and in her place was a towering equine creature with fur as black as night, and her hair was now a shifting nebula of space and stars, swaying in some invisible wind unknown to Cassius.

“No. No NO NO NO NO!!! YOU CAN’T BE REAL!” Cassius stumbles backward, backing away from the mare.

“Oh, I’m real, my dear sweet Cassius. That I can assure you. I’m just as real as you are.”

“No, you… that place… it was a dream.”

“Oh?” Luna seems to chuckle. “Rest assured, I am a maiden of dreams, my sweet little Cassius. Dreams are what I know best, and as Ruler of the Night, rest assured that Equestria is no dream… but this is.” Cassius turned away, moving around the towering mare to dart for the door. He barrels through the doors, almost shattering the glass, wanting to get outside and away from Luna, but kicking the doors out and expecting the cool night air, he’d find himself re-entering the lobby.

“What?”

“There is no use in fleeing. You cannot flee from me here.”

“S-Stay back!” Cassius shouts, backing away from her. However, as he does so, Luna looks almost hurt by his words.

“Cassius, I was hoping that we may talk.”

“T-Talk, you’re not real. None of this is real.”

“I am real, as I have said.” She closes the distance, moving her hand to his cheek, where he feels unparalleled warmth.

“You can’t be… because if you are then…”

“I know,” Luna says with a sympathetic look to her. “I know; what has happened to you is unjust. You did not deserve such a fate thrust upon you.” Cassius felt like he was about to have a mental breakdown, unsure of what was and what wasn’t reality. “You did not deserve this, oh sweet child. But fate has conspired against you, and I am here to give you justice.”

“W-Who are you, Luna?” She slowly stands up to her full height, her wings unfurling and her horn giving off a soft blue glow.

“We are the queen of the night and ruler over all my shade touches. We are she who paints the stars into the sky and guardian of the dreams. We… ARE NIGHTMARE MOON!!!” Her voice suddenly erupts into a torrent of winds threatening to knock Cassius over if he weren’t against the wall. But as her display of dominance subsides, she looks down upon Cassius. “But to you, young man. We grant thee the privilege to address us by our true name: Luna.”

“Nightmare…” Cassius pauses, recalling the name. “Y-You’re the one Twilight asked me to-“

“To depose. In a clear bid for power. She is using you, Young Cassius. A blind fool could tell as much.” Nightmare Moon seemed almost angered by the idea. “She wishes to take my throne, the throne my despot of a sister had taken from us. It was not only that she wished to rule the sun; nay, she also desired the night. So that all may revel in her glory while I remain imprisoned for a thousand years.” Anger started to boil over, and she looked to Cassius. “So you may believe me when I say unto you, Cassius, that we are disgusted by the burden placed upon you so undeservingly.”

“S-So… what do you want? Are you here to kill me?” Nightmare Moon stepped back, clearly offended.

“Nothing of the sort, I assure you.” She presses a hand to her chest. “Even if I so desired your demise, death in a dream is meaningless. You will awaken before you take your final breath in a dream.” Cassius looks over at Nightmare Moon, unsure what to make of her. “No, I merely wish to speak and tell you that you are on the wrong side.”

“Side? I don’t want to be on anyone’s side.” Cassius gulps.

“A right you deserve. You did not choose to take on this fight.” She comes closer, lowering herself to meet Cassius at eye level. “You are a victim in a game that has unjustly dragged you into something beyond your means, no less by a criminal of the state.”

“You mean Twilight.” Cassius stammers out.

“I do.” The dark alicorn nods with a sympathetic sparkle to her. “She’s a traitor, a despot, and a liar. She would sell her family out if it meant saving her tail. You would not find a more conniving pupil to my tyrant of a sister.” She moves to cup his cheek. “But you need not fear her, sweet Cassius. You are safe now.”

“Y-You can send me back?”

“In time, I can unearth the means by which my sister had sent away the original Hero and do the same to you.” Nightmare says, but that wasn’t all she was willing to offer. “I can return you home, and you need not be burdened with this world.” Nightmare Moon pauses, biting her lip. “And in the meantime, if you desire, you may stay with me in Canterlot.” Cassius perked up upon hearing the word “Castle.” “I’ve seen how you live and what your life is like; it's an insignificant life if ever I’ve witnessed one. Nothing to be ashamed of, but… where is your family?”

“They’re elsewhere in the country. They have their own lives to live, and I have mine.” Cassius explains, fully understanding what she means. “You… you were in my apartment this morning.”

“I was. Imagine my surprise when I came into the dreams of the fabled Hero of Harmony expecting just that, but instead, I found… you.” She looks Cassius over, much closer, with an analytical eye. “Same species, but not the same person. Fascinating to say the least.” She crosses her arms in thought, pondering the development.

“Do you have any idea why that is?”

“I haven’t a clue. There has only ever been one Hero of Harmony, a homunculus brought into the world with the strongest of magics available to pony kind, given life by a wayward soul from another world.” She says that such knowledge is a common fact that anyone can glean from a small trip to the library. “I doubt Twilight has the power or know-how to place a new soul into the body, and as I had said before, you are merely a victim in this game.” She lets out a sigh, deep in thought. But before she could continue, her attention befell Cassius once more. “Alas, we may discover such secrets in time. I have come to offer you a way out.”

“I’m still waiting on that. What do you want me to do?” Nightmare Moon smiles; she has always loved the compliant ones.

“Turn yourself and Twilight over to the royal guards I have dispatched to the area. They have explicit orders to take you in alive and brought to me. From there, we may talk more in person and discuss our next move.” Cassius thought the offer over, and as Nightmare offered her hand to him, he saw not just a deal he couldn’t refuse but a way out of this and a means back home. Looking up at Nightmare Moon, at Luna, he slowly extended his hand to accept hers and her deal.

He wanted to go home; he wanted out of this insane world and to live his life. She was correct; this wasn’t Cassius’s problem. This was not his burden to bear. He had fallen into this situation without fault, and Nightmare Moon may not be that bad of a pony. Maybe Twilight was using him after all. Cassius started to replay all the events that had led up to him meeting her and trekking to Sweet Apple Acres. The nerdy little equine smiled happily that he was there, adjusting her glasses and always eager to answer his questions. Though, just as his fingers were about to grace her hand, he pulled back for a moment, catching Nightmare Moon’s attention. “Your Highness, as tempting as it is, I have some reservations.” She listened patiently; her eyes locked on him. “Don’t get me wrong, your offer is tempting. Very much so. However, talk is cheap, and while Twilight has certainly poisoned the well against you, I have seen something that bothers me.”

“Oh?” She cocks a brow in curiosity.

“The eternal night thing.” Cassius continued. “You could offer me everything under your moon, tell me you’d serve me a city, a country on a silver platter, but like I said, talk is cheap. I mean no disrespect, but you and Twilight have promised me promises of future compensation and a means home with nothing yet shown. If I am to surrender myself and Twilight, I’d like to see,” He waves his hand, looking for the correct word. “A token.”

“A token?” Nightmare parrots with curiosity. “You do not trust my word?”

“To be fair, your name is Nightmare Moon; that doesn’t exactly project trust. But I’m sitting on the fence here, and if you want me to swing over to your side, I’d like a show that you can be trusted, a token of good faith.” Nightmare’s kind smile had vanished by now, a stoic expression now rested upon her muzzle, pondering his offer and starting to smirk.

“What is it you desire? Shall it be gold? Jewels?” Nightmare slowly knelt, her smirk turning into a wry smile. “Perhaps mares? Or… shall I offer myself to you?” Nightmare presses her breasts to Cassius’s chest. “If you ask, you shall have it. I will grant any fantasy you so desire; all you need do… is turn yourself over to me.” Cassius had to admit that Nightmare had a god-like figure for a bipedal equine goddess. Perfect hips, perfect breasts, perfect curves. As if reading his mind, a collar manifested around Nightmare’s neck, with a black chain emerging out of thin air and soon wrapping around his hand. Cassius was ready to accept, to throw Twilight under the bus in exchange for taking her up on the offer.

But he steeled himself and dropped the chain. Nightmare was shocked to see him do so.

“As… god, as tempting as that is, Luna; you don’t have to go that far with me. I have been told you have great power,”

“As do you now, Cassius.”

“That is the case, but you have power that I do not. If Twilight wasn’t just blowing smoke up her mentor’s ass, she said that she and you have the power to control the celestial bodies in the sky. The sun and moon specifically.” Nightmare’s smile was slowly fading. “If that is the case, I have but one request: return the sun to the world and let your people bask in the light once more.” The two go quiet; Nightmare Moon slowly returns to her full height, with the collar and chain vanishing as they did. Five seconds go by; she looks down at him hoping he falters or shifts. Her imposing figure usually made her ponies stumble whenever they tried to strong-arm her into something she did not want to do. Fifteen seconds go by, and she diverts her attention. Nightmare’s hand comes to her chin, letting out a soft “hm” as if genuinely considering it. “I see… and there is nothing else you desire?”

“That is all. Return the sun, and I’ll drag Twilight and myself to the guards. No fighting, no struggle. I’ll even kneel and bow before you when we meet.” Cassius says with a reassuring smile. Nightmare took a soft breath, nodding momentarily before turning back to him.

“No.”

Cassius was taken aback by her answer. “N-No?”

“You heard me. No.”

“Wh- you can’t be serious. I am literally willing to throw myself to your mercy as well as bring in a wanted criminal and all I’m asking is that you return the sun to your subjects.” A hint of anger flashed in Nightmare Moon’s eyes.

“Oh, who gives a damn about those mewling simpletons! I do my damndest to show those ungrateful curs the beauty of the night! I brought order where my sister welcomed chaos. I keep our enemies at bay that’d see them killed or worse, yet I am looked upon as a monster. They are but foals compared to me, and though they may hate it now, they shall realize that my rule is just and necessary.”

“But your people can’t live like this!” He shouted back, another surprise to Nightmare. “You’re a literal fucking species of herbivores. You can’t grow food in a world with no sun.”

“The intelligent have and will solve that issue, as it has been their burden to do so for generations. It shall also weed out the weak.”

“Yes, but it’s also an issue YOU created that YOU can solve this instant.” Cassius’s voice grew louder. “Luna,” He tried to reign in his bubbling anger. “Your Highness. You came to me, thinking that I was the Hero of Harmony; you wish to bargain for my surrender. Is it seriously too much to ask that you give the sun back? That’s all I’m asking, and it is merely a small task for one of your powers. Is it not?” Nightmare Moon felt her brow furrow, anger boiling within her very being as she looked down at this miserable creature.

“It is, and I shan't give up all I have fought for just to appease a pretender.” Cassius started to feel himself tip over the proverbial fence, seeing now what Twilight was talking about. “And seeing as you will not take the easy route, I see now that I shall have to do this the hard way.” Cassius felt a tingle of danger run up his spine as he slowly started to circle away from Nightmare Moon, looking for an out. The front door was out; seeing it would only bring him back inside. He needed a distraction. “So here is my new deal, Cassius. Either you turn yourself over to my guards in the morning, or else I shall ensure that I live up to my namesake and bring you restless nights of terror and horrors beyond your wildest imagination.”

“That is, uh…” Cassius felt himself back into the table he was working at. “That is a very tempting offer, but…” His hand came to the deck of cards. “Perhaps we can settle this differently? Perhaps with a little game?”

“Oh? You’d challenge the Queen of Dreams in her domain—a laughable, if not desperate attempt, young Cassius. I can manipulate this dream to my whims. So go on, what shall we play? Poker, Go Fish? Perhaps a fun little game of Chess?”

“I was thinking more on the lines of,” He swings his arms around with his index finger and thumb squeezing down on the deck of cards. “Fifty-Two pickup!” Cards started to fly from his fingers, not just that, but swarming around Nightmare Moon in a twister of playing cards. Not only that, but the cards started to screech and chirp, transforming into a swarm of birds that began to assault the queen of dreams. ‘Not what I intended, but cool anyway.’ While Nightmare Moon was using her magic to destroy the flock of white birds, Cassius ran for the Employee area. The flashing casino gives way to a sterile, concrete hallway. He’d huff and grunt down the hallway, his out-of-shape human body working against him. ‘What the fuck was that bird thing? That was some David Copperfield-type shit.’ He’d think to himself. ‘I know I don’t have any magic,’ The answer seemed to come to him midway through the sentence. ‘But in a dream, it’s possible.’

What was happening finally sank in; Cassius was dreaming, and this was his world. Turning a corner, Cassius came to a complete halt, seeing Nightmare Moon looming at the opposite end, standing between him and a possible exit. “There is no escape from me, foal. In here, I am the ruler more so than the waking world. You cannot hope to win.”

“Maybe, but you made the biggest mistake by showing yourself to me, Nightmare Moon.” Cassius smirked, somewhat amusing the dark alicorn.

“Oh? Pray tell, what was this mistake?”

“You made me lucid, and though you may be the Queen of Dreams, this is still my head.” Cassius places his fingers on his temples and screws his eyes shut. The sterile hallway started to shimmer and reshape itself, and the oppressive shades of grey grew darker and muddier. Nightmare Moon was left in awe as she watched the back of the casino become a dank, grungy complex of rusted pipes, catwalks, and fire. Rogue light sources illuminated the area, casting shadows in every way. Nightmare had to admit, she’d never seen a setting for a nightmare like this. There was no way a pony could produce somewhere so utterly unnerving.

“I must admit, Cassius. This isn’t half bad… for an amateur.” She chuckles a bit and starts walking. “But rest assured, I will find you and show you what true nightmares look like.”