Life In Laceby Harasha the GryphonChapterschapter 1 (revised)chapter 2chapter 3chapter 4chapter 5chapter 6chapter 7chapter 8chapter 9chapter 10chapter 1 (revised)Author's Note thanks to http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Samaru163 for helping me edit chapter 1 (revised) “Go through the chimney,” the unicorn sarcastically remarked to himself as he looked around his near black confinements. “Great idea Amethyst. Why didn’t I just try and find a window to get in?” The unicorn named Amethyst slowly rose to his hooves. Centuries of soot covered his body from head to hoof. Briskly he shook himself. Most of the soot was gone when he’d finished shaking, save for a few black splotches against his dark purple fur. Looking up the chimney, he wagered the fall had taken him half a story inside the ruins. The thought excited the young explorer. Carefully, he crawled his way out of the castle’s ruined hearth. Before him lay two halves of a cobblestone hallway. One end seemed to stretch further into the ruins then his field of vision would allow. The other was closer, but led to a dead end with a beautiful stain glass window of a white unicorn. “Oh, forgot my saddlebag,” Amethyst remarked. His horn glowed with a flash of pink light- the same color as his cutie mark. A few seconds later, the saddlebags he had left on the roof levitated down the chimney and once again rested on his back. With a deep breath, Amethyst began walking down the hallway, away from the window. As he walked, he made a point to take note of the various rooms he passed by. Every few feet he would stop, take out a notepad, and expand on a map of the ruins. It was miraculous that Amethyst even found the castle at all. It had been a prime topic in the rumors of the ponies who lived in Maple Mountain for years. Everypony feared the old cursed castle of King Clovis, but not Amethyst. He’d been exploring these old ruins for a year, and had come out unscaved, save for the ocassional scrape or cut. If the rumors were true, old King Clovis had some long lost magical treasures hidden away, and Amethyst was more than willing to cut through superstition to do it. He continued through the hallway until he came to a corridor. It was larger than the one he had just come down- a dusty red carpet lay across it. A little bit of the dust got into Amethyst’s nose and he sneezed. “This castle is always dusty,” Amethyst remarked to himself. He drew in his notepad again before turning down the left pathway, which lead him to a large oak door. On it were the carved designs of unicorns coated in paint long worn away. Below them were a pair of brass door handles. Amethyst used his magic to tug the door open. He walked into the room, looking around at the objects inside: a two-pony bed with an overhang, several old portraits, an oak vanity with an assortment bobbles on it, and several dresses of varying design. “This must have been princess Mineral’s room,” he remarked before walking over to a pink dress with a few moth holes in it. Carefully, he ran his hooves across it. “Feels like silk. This princess certainly had good taste.” Amethyst looked over at the vanity and his horn began to glow slightly. With an observant hum, Amethyst walked over and inspected the objects on it. There wasn’t anything special, just a few bits of ancient beauty products and a hairbrush, worn with time. That is until his eyes spotted a small statuette about, three inches high, and made of gold colored stone. “Oh, now look at you,” Amethyst grinned. “You’re something special aren’t ya?” Without a moment’s hesitation, Amethyst levitated the statuette into his saddlebag. Once it was inside, he brought forth a golden pocket watch and rested it in his hooves before opening it. "Crud," he said, looking at the watch, "I'd better head back, it'll be dark soon." Amethyst bolted out of the room, and ran back the way he came. When he got to the chimney, he simply teleported himself back up to the roof he’d been on earlier. He sped across the roof until he reached a ladder at the edge of the roof. The ledge he found himself on was several stories above ground level. From here, he could see the dirt road leading to town. In a flash, he teleported down to the ground below, and ran down the dirt road. An hour or two later Amethyst had left the forest, his short black and pink mane glistened in the setting sun. He stood in front of a wooden archway with the words ‘Welcome to Maple Mountain’ written on it. He walked through the gate and continued down the road he was running on. His pace slowed to a canter; the road had switched from being made of dirt to being made of red bricks. his moderately long tail swished back and forth as he walked. Amethyst glanced at the log cabins around him. Most of them appeared to be empty; however, he saw one with a buggy parked in front of it. Amethyst walked on, until he had arrived at a four way crossroads with a large fountain in front of it. Around the fountain, Amethyst could see several wagons belonging to various traveling merchants. Street lamps and benches also lined the plaza. With the sun just beginning to set, the streetlamps were beginning to flicker on. He headed eastward from the plaza down a large street. Various businesses lined the streets around him, mostly fashion stores, cafes, and winter sporting goods stores. Amethyst came to a side street and he turned and walked down it. The side street had other businesses of minor note, such as souvenir stores. He came to a stop three stores into the side street and turned to face the store on his left. The store Amethyst was facing was a two-story building. Right in front of him was a door with a yellow handle; above the door was a sign that read, “Amethyst’s Magical Devices and Books”. Below that sign was an arrow shaped sign, that led to the upper part of the building. That sign read, “Orchid’s Perfect Flowers.” Amethyst used his magic to levitate out several keys on a key ring and he used one of them to unlock the door. He went into the door and flipped a light switch and several lights turned on. The room that Amethyst was in had several shelves and tables strewn around it. Junk of all descriptions littered the tables; all of them had a price tag tied to them. Several bookshelves lined the walls, filled with books on various subjects, though the majority were spell books. In the far right corner was a desk with a cash register on it, and behind that desk was another door. Amethyst walked toward that door and unlocked it with another key on his key ring. He went through the door into another room. This room had two sections: a kitchen area behind a stub wall, and a living area. The kitchen consisted of a small stove, a fridge, some counters, overhead cupboards and a two-sided sink. The living area had a small table, a bookshelf, a lamp, a clock hanging on the wall, and a pull out couch bed. On the far side of the room -across from Amethyst- were two doors, one without a handle and another with a brass handle. The couch bed was fully out and had a blanket on it. Under the blanket were two ponies, a mare and a stallion. The mare had dark green fur, an orange mane and purple eyes, the stallion had blue fur, a green and orange mane, and dark blue eyes. A bulge around the shoulders indicated the stallion was a pegasus. The stallion and mare were sharing a passionate kiss when Amethyst walked into the room. Not wanting to disturb them, Amethyst tiptoed across the room to the adjacent door. He wasn’t quite quiet enough, however, as the two ponies broke from their kiss and looked at him. “Misty, who’s this?” The mare asked in confusion. “Don’t mind him dear,” the stallion replied. “He’s just my roomie.” Amethyst just shrugged at them and continued walking toward the door without a handle. By the time he had gotten to the door, the mare and stallion had resumed kissing each other. Good old Misty, Amethyst thought to himself. He lowered his horn to where the doorknob would normally be and closed his eyes. Within moments the door had opened. Amethyst walked into the room and, with a thought, the door swung shut behind him. The room Amethyst was in had a desk, a trunk with several carved channels in it and a one-pony bed. Amethyst walked over to the desk and opened up his saddlebag. He proceeded to place several objects, including the statuette from earlier on the desk. With a yawn, Amethyst went to bed and promptly fell asleep. The next morning, Amethyst awoke with a yawn. He heard the sound of something cooking and got out of bed. He went over to the door he had entered from last night and used his horn to open said door again. The fold up couch from last night had been folded up, and Misty was in the kitchen baking hay. The pegasus’s full body was visible and so was his cutie mark depicting three rainclouds. “Good morning, Misty,” Amethyst said to the pegasus. “Mornin, Shard,” Misty replied. “You’re up early.” “Had to get up early, got that big mountain climate summit in Manehatten. If I’m gonna make it, I have to be on the 9 am train,” Amethyst glanced over at the clock on the wall. “Its 8:40 and you’re honestly expecting to have some fried hay and still make it.” At that, Misty looked at Amethyst, dumbfounded by his friend’s words. “8:40? But my watch says it‘s only 7:15,” “Misty, remember how you told me your watch is broken?” Amethyst said in a somewhat annoyed tone. Misty stood there for a few minutes, staring off into space. His eyes went wide and his wings flared outward. “Horse feathers, I’m late!” Panic was evident in Misty’s voice. Without another word, he bolted over to a suitcase he’d left next to the front door. Misty grabbed the suitcase and without a goodbye rushed out the door. Amethyst chuckled to himself. “He’d lose his own wings if they weren’t attached. At least I get the house to myself for a few days.” Amethyst heard somepony singing upstairs. The voice of the singer was Orchid seed, a mare that lived on the floor above theirs. He listened to her for a while, smiling. The singing reminded him of his sister, who also used to sing in the shower. Sweet Celestia, did she have a beautiful voice. At that thought, Orchid botched one of the notes in her song, which caused Amethyst to cringe. “At least my sister wasn’t tone deaf,” he muttered to himself. Amethyst went back into the room he had slept in the previous night and walked over to the desk. “Ok, time to get to work” He said, before stopping in his tracks. “Oops, nearly forgot to open the shop.” He walked back out of his office, grabbed an open sign from a counter in the room with the cash register and hung it up on the front door. Satisfied, he walked back to the desk he had been at previously. Amethyst began to look over the things on the desk. He prodded them with his horn, ran tests on them, and documented the findings. He did this for several hours, he only stopped when customers came into the store. When noon rolled around, Amethyst went into the kitchen to get lunch. He made himself a daisy sandwich and started to nibble on it. He brought it back to the room with the desk and picked up the mare statuette with his magic. Biting into his sandwich, he turned the statuette around in a levitation field. Quizzically, he picked up a sheet of paper in his magic and wrote on it with a quill and ink. “Artifact B56: this artifact is a three inch high figurine made of yellow stone.” he said aloud as he wrote. “It has been carved into the shape of a female unicorn. The eyes are painted green, and the carving isn’t that well done. There are no discernable features on its face or any part of its body. It’s radiating a slight magical field I do not recognize, I believe this statue will cast an effect I haven’t encountered befo-” As Amethyst was writing out that last sentence, the artifact began to glow with an eerie pink light. Amethyst froze as the glow began to grow brighter and larger. He set the statuette on the desk and began to slowly back away from it. He only back stepped three paces before the glow formed into a bolt and hit him square in the chest. Amethyst cringed in discomfort as his body glowed with the same pink color the bolt had been. A few seconds passed before the glow vanished. “Wow… that was weird,” Amethyst remarked. He turned around and started to walk in the opposite direction when a sharp pain overcame him. The pain caused him to stop in his tracks and groan. He could feel his insides churning as if some force was reshaping his entire being. A spike of pain shot through him, forcing him to his knees. Before his eyes, his mane grew longer until it reached all the way down to the base of his neck. His muzzle collapsed in on itself. It folded and down his face, stopping a third of its former length, and settled on a rounded tip. He cringed hard as he felt his entire body shrink, and much of his stallion-esk bulk vanish; his barrel also shrunk. He fell over on his side and stared out at his forelegs just in time to see them shrink and slenderize. He felt his rump expand like a balloon, becoming rounder and fuller in shape. Amethyst felt intense tingling in the nether areas of his body. Looking down that way, he saw his nethers retreat between his legs at an alarmingly quick rate. Then, to his horror, he felt something split open. After that, the pain began to subside. Amethyst lay on the ground, panting for few seconds before regaining his composure. He stood up, slowly, and wobbled in place. “Wow that was fun.” He muttered sarcastically. His mind stopped at hearing his own voice, no longer was it the low-pitched voice he was accustomed to hearing. His voice had raised several octaves during the change and the new voice caught him off guard. Amethyst looked at his front hooves and saw their much smaller form. He also crossed his eyes to get a look at his snout. “What the hay happened to me?!” chapter 2Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.chapter 3The next morning, Amethyst opened his eyes to the sight of the bright morning sun. With a slight groan, he opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. Morning already? Amethyst thought to himself. Why does morning always have to come so quickly? Once fully awake, Amethyst decided to eat some boiled carrots for breakfast. He swung his back legs over the side of the bed. He glanced down and saw, to his dismay, that he was still a mare. “Crud, and here I was hoping that yesterday was all a dream,” Amethyst muttered. Before he could speak another syllable, his stomach growled at him. Amethyst got out of bed and went into the kitchen. He reached into his fridge and pulled out several carrots. He reached toward the cupboard that contained the pots so he could boil the carrots. However, he found that he couldn’t quite reach the cupboard’s handle. Grunting, Amethyst stretched his leg to its fullest. He fell two inches short. What’s going on here? Amethyst thought. I’ve never had a problem reaching that cupboard before. Amethyst used his magic to levitate the pot down and set it on the counter, in defeat. Amethyst turned on the sink and levitated the pot under the spigot to begin filling it with water. He put the carrots into the pot and turned on the stove. While the stove was heating up, Amethyst levitated the pot onto the stove. As the water boiled, Amethyst took the time to ponder his situation. I have to be at least five inches shorter now, which is why I couldn’t reach the cupboard. What else about my life is going to be altered by this change? Amethyst brought a hoof to his chin. Work won’t change much in the end. And, considering Orchid took this rather well, maybe I’ll get lucky and the rest of my friends will stay by me. Then there’s Misty, Amethyst thought. Despite the pegasus being one of his closest friends, he didn’t particularly look forward to seeing how his lecherous friend would react. On the one hoof, he’d remember that Amethyst was born a stallion, and they could sort things out from there. On the other hoof, though... I’ll have the problem fixed long before that happens, Amethyst reassured himself. A slight pressure soon became evident in his lower areas. Amethyst realized it as the need to relieve himself. Quickly, he walked into the bathroom and stood in front of his toilet. Of course there’s bathroom issues, I’m gonna have to sit down from now on. With a groan, Amethyst sat on the toilet and did his business. After an uncomfortable period of time, he walked back into the kitchen and removed the carrots from the pot with his magic. He set them on a plate and promptly ate them. Might as well have another shower, don’t want to go out with Orchid smelling like a sweaty horse, Amethyst thought. He headed into the bathroom again and turned on the shower. As he waited for the water to heat up, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror again. I just can’t get over my new reflection, He thought as he admired his reflection. I wasn’t really interested in my own reflection before, but now... Amethyst paused. I’m… beautiful. Briskly he shook his head. Celestia,I feel like a pervert, ogling myself just because I happen to be a hot mare. At that last thought, Amethyst found himself blushing and an alien tingle emanated from his lower areas throughout his body. It caught him off guard, causing his cheeks to flush red. Was this new body enticing him? This is weird, Amethyst thought. I mean, I doubt there’s a stallion out there who wouldn’t find his female self attractive. As he pondered, Amethyst became aware of a growing warmth from his new feminine parts. He stood there a few minutes, taking in the strange warmth that, to his horror, was only growing stronger. Flustered, he entered the shower, trying hard to forget the growing sensation between his legs. Amethyst washed his mane and scrubbed his coat vigorously. Yet, the sensation didn’t go away, it only magnified. Frustrated, Amethyst tipped his head back and let the water rinse over him. It rushed down his neck and over his back. The water danced across his shapely flanks and rounded rump. A trickle even slid down his thighs, and he emitted a soft moan. Unconsciously, he moved a hoof back towards his nethers. Just before he made contact, he realized what he was doing and snapped his hoof away. What am I doing? He scolded, internally. Am I seriously considering doing that while I’m in this body? Only a perv like Misty would do such a thing, and there is no way I’m going to stoop to his level! As if sensing his thoughts, his nethers nagged him with heat once more. Then again, Orchid did bring up a good point yesterday. If I’m going to be stuck like this, I might as well get to know the female sex ‘personally.’ For science, of course. Amethyst reasoned. Before his rational mind could counter argue, another trickle of water touched his flushed nethers. Aww, buck it! Orchid yawned and levitated her pink sleep shade off her eyes. She sat upright in bed and stretched, moaning in satisfaction as she felt her joints pop. What time is it? Orchid thought. She looked outside her window at the rising sun Wow; I’m up early, for once. I Might as well treat myself to a nice, warm bath. She got out of bed and walked towards her bathroom door. Closing it once inside, she stepped toward a medium sized bathtub, and used her magic to turn the handles next to the spigot. As the tub began to fill with warm water, Orchid continued thinking. Let’s see, what’s on the agenda for today, Orchid thought as she watched the water steadily fill up. I did agree to give Amethyst mare lessons today. How should I go about that? Orchid paused, and chuckled to herself. Wow, never thought I’d ever find myself thinking of what girly activities to practice with my guy-friend turned girl. The tub finished filling and Orchid took off the pink robe she’d worn to bed. She gently slid into the tub and used her magic to dim the lights. A smile spread across her face as she sank into the warm water. He’s pretty lucky neither of us need to open shop today. Orchid thought. She closed shop every Sunday to relax and restock on necessary plants. This week’s sales had been slow going, so once she sent an order in for some roses for the upcoming spring festival, the day would be free. Except for this Amethyst issue. Maybe a bubble bath will help me think, She thought. Using her magic, Orchid opened a small cupboard embedded in the bottom of her bathroom sink. She levitated out a box of suds and sprinkled them into the tub. Seconds later, bubbles began to froth from the water. Ah, that’s better, Orchid thought as she lathered shampoo into her mane. Now, what to do about Amethyst? It’s not like there’s an instruction manual on being a mare I can just show him—granted, that would be so much easier. She sighed and ran her hooves through her mane. He’s a smart pony. I’m sure he’ll pick up on it pretty quickly. Orchid dunked her head under the water again to rinse the shampoo from her mane. Her thoughts drifted to a few quips she’d heard a customer say one Hearts and Hooves Day. “He’s a great guy,” the mare had said. “But he’s still a stallion, and you know how thick headed they can be.” That I do, Orchid mused, before remembering the second thing the customer said before leaving the shop. “Wouldn’t it be great if they could live in our horseshoes for a day?” Orchid hadn’t paid the comment any more thought than a wishful fantasy. Now, however, it seemed to take on a new light. One of the parties not understanding the other’s situation had been the downfall of many relationships she’d seen over her life. Now, here she was, given the unique opportunity to instruct Amethyst to avoid making that mistake. I owe it to him, Orchid thought, pulling the plug from the tub and stepping out. He doesn’t deserve what happened between myself and Misty. Orchid took a moment to dry herself off before heading down to her kitchen. She levitated an apple out of a fruit bowl and bit into it. Come on, Orchid, why is this so hard? She groaned and set the apple down. What do you do for fun, besides going to the- “Ah ha, that’s it!” She cried aloud loud. “The paradise mall! I can take him to get his mane done; I’m sure Stylish will work miracles for that tangled mess he’s got for a mane. And heck, why not buy him a new wardrobe to boot? After all, there’s no telling how long this is going to last.” Her excitement was interrupted by the sound of her doorbell ringing. She walked out her front door and opened the door of her store. Standing before Orchid was none other than the very mare she was just thinking of. “Umm errr, morning Orchid,” Amethyst said as he shuffled a hoof. Orchid smiled back to the former stallion. “Good morning Amethyst, I hope you’re ready for a fun day.” “As much as I can be,” Amethyst sheepishly replied. Orchid was about to explain the day’s plan, when she caught whiff of an interesting aroma. Pausing for a second, she investigated the smell and found that it came from the mare in front of her. “You certainly smell nice today,” Orchid complimented. Amethyst didn’t blush, like she was expecting. Rather, his pupils dilated, and his body went rigid. “Calm down, girl, I was talking about your body wash,” she said, causing Amethyst to instantly calm. “So, you ready to get started?” “Yes, Orchid,” Amethyst said. “But, before we go and do… whatever it is you want to do to- I mean with me today, we need to make a quick stop somewhere.” At that point, Orchid took notice of Amethyst’s saddlebags carefully resting on her back. “Oh, umm ok Amethyst, whatever you say.” “Thanks Orchid, oh and could you not call me girl… it’s kind of disheartening” Amethyst asked. Orchid chuckled. “Well, but I can’t go around calling you a stallion in public, so you might as well get used to it,” Amethyst tried to reply, but she cut him off. “So, where are we stopping?” “My cabin.” Amethyst replied. “Come again?” Amethyst shot Orchid a stunned look, “You mean you don’t know about my cabin?” “Not before today,” Orchid said. “You mind enlightening me as to what you’re talking about?” Amethyst inhaled. “Ok, I technically live in a cabin in the old cottager’s town. It’s where the bulk of my equipment and more dangerous relics are stored. I want to drop off the mare statue there where it can’t be accidentally activated.” “Wait, hold up,” Orchid said, raising a hoof. “You mean to tell me you have your own house, yet you're sharing a place with Misty?” Amethyst groaned. “OK, so I moved into town and I couldn’t afford both a house and a store. I ran into Misty at the prancing pony bar, and he came to me with an offer. He owned a joined store and house, and was willing to lend me his shop space to use, as long as I kept the business profitable. “So with a little paperwork, he made me a co-owner of the shop and I set up my magic shop there. Eventually I moved in with him and bought him a nice fold up couch.” Orchid was scowling by the end of Amethyst’s tangent. “You still haven’t answered my question. Why don’t you just live in your own house?” “It might be better to just show you why rather than tell you,” Amethyst replied. Orchid grunted. “Fine, let's go already.” Amethyst nodded before walking off with Orchid in tow. They headed down the side street until they arrived at a larger one. Hustle and bustle was evident, with ponies walking all around, visiting stores and enjoying snacks at the occasional cafes. Buggies traversed down the main street, alongside the occasional bus. The two mares walked down the sidewalk for several blocks until they arrived at a bench covered by black a tarp. Amethyst stopped there and sat down. “We need to take the bus,” he said to Orchid. Orchid nodded and sat next to him. Several minutes passed before a bus finally pulled to a stop beside them. Orchid waited until the departing ponies had finished before rising from her seat; Only for Amethyst to put a hoof on her shoulder. “We need a Breezy Clearing bus. This one is heading for the mall.” Orchid nodded and let the bus depart. Another minute passed and another bus arrived. This time, Amethyst motioned for Orchid to get on the bus. Soon after departure, they found themselves outside of civilization on an old dirt road. It twisted and winded its way through a pine forest for several miles. They came to a rest next to a bench next to a clearing. There were several log cabins located inside, each connected by dirt pathways. Most had lights coming from their windows, or smoke billowing from the chimneys. Amethyst and Orchid left the bus and began walking down the path. After two steps, Orchid noticed Amethyst’s saddlebag begin to slip down her friend’s midsection. “Amethyst, your saddlebags,” Orchid pointed out. The former stallion turned around and noticed his bags were almost off his back. With a flash of magic, he slid them back along his sides - shivering from the sensation - and adjusted their straps. “Thanks Orchid,” he said. “No problem,” she said, silently tallying new saddlebags on their list of things to do today. The two finally stopped at a lonely cabin located in the far back of the clearing. It was single storied, with only one front facing window. The door was what caught Orchid’s eye, however; it was decorated with dozens of locks, and seemed to lack a door handle. Amethyst walked up to the house. His horn illuminated with magic, and one by one, the locks opened. He then tapped the handle less metal plate with his horn. The door swung open and Amethyst walked into the cabin, with Orchid cautiously following behind. From Amethyst’s description, Orchid didn’t know what to expect. A cluttered mess or gaping holes in the ceiling and walls were the first things that popped into her mind. Upon entering the house, she was shocked to discover a neat, orderly building with a well set up living room. To her left, Orchid spied a door less kitchen, free of clutter. This doesn't look so bad, Orchid thought. Amethyst walked past her and headed to an open stairwell leading to the basement. “Hey Amethyst, where are all the relics?” Orchid asked. “They’re all in a well protected safe in the basement,” he replied. “But most of the furniture also have lesser enchantments on them. So, please, don’t touch anything.” Enchanted furniture? Orchid thought as Amethyst vanished down the stairwell. Once he was gone, her eyes locked onto a red armchair, inspecting it curiously. Hmm, what’s the worst thing an enchanted chair could do? As if to test the question, Orchid walked towards the chair and motioned to sit down. “Ah!” Orchid cried as she fell rump first onto the wooden floor. She rubbed her hindquarters and looked around. The armchair had moved itself to the other side of the living room. “Well, ask a stupid question,” Orchid said, picking herself up. A second later, she heard a soft giggling. Turning towards it, she spotted Amethyst standing in the living room doorway. “Now you see why I moved out of the cabin,” he said between giggles. “You could say that,” Orchid said, casting the armchair a venomous look. “You think that’s bad, you should see the mattress. I enchanted it gently tilt me out of bed when my alarm went off. Unfortunately it doesn't quite understand the meaning of gently” Almost reflexively, Amethyst rubbed his muzzle as if feeling the pain again. “Anyways, now that the figurine is safely stored away, why don’t we go do whatever you have planned for today?” “Hold up Amethyst,” Orchid said. “Before we get there, we need to go over a few things.” Amethyst nodded and let Orchid continue. “As I said earlier, you can’t be put off by ponies who use feminine terms to address you. Remember, to the rest of the world, you are a mare.” Amethyst nodded slowly. It looked like he wasn’t paying close attention, and his eyes were wandering off absently. “Second, you can’t turn your head anytime someone calls you Amethyst.” Predictably, Amethyst turned his head at the mention of his original name. “Yes, I’m listening.” Orchid groaned. “See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about. For the time being you are not Amethyst Shard, you’re Lavender Star. Right, Lavender?” “Um...” Amethyst’s eyes darted around, unsurely. “Right, Lavender?” Orchid repeated. Amethyst sighed, “Yes, Orchid.” “Good. Now, repeat to me. Who are you?” “I’m Lavender Star; Amethyst’s twin sister visiting from Canterlot.” he said, begrudgingly. Orchid brought a hoof to her chin. “The back-story needs a little work, but we can think of that on the ride over.” “Alright, now will you tell me where we’re going, Orchid?” Amethyst asked. With a huge smile Orchid exclaimed, “The paradise mall!” Amethyst’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding, right?” “Nope,” Orchid said. “I’ve got an entire day planned out.” The former stallion stared wordlessly at Orchid. Then, he turned on his hooves and made for the stairs. Orchid was quicker and caught Amethyst’s tail between her teeth. With a quick tug and a grunt, the violet mare was on his back. Orchid stood over him, smiling down as a blush appeared over Amethyst’s face. “Heh, can’t blame a guy for trying?” Author's Note thanks to Samaru163 for editing chapter 4For Amethyst, the bus ride back felt three times longer than when they’d ridden to his cottage. He tried to tell himself that it was the distance to the mall, but more than likely it was apprehension. Which would make sense. After all, he was only going to one of the most feminine places in town, according to Orchid. His friend had not made the trip any easier. After she’d noticed his apprehension, she’d started asking him odd questions about his house and artifacts. Which was fine; Amethyst enjoyed informing ponies about the neat stuff he collected. However, every so often, Orchid would test Amethyst by saying his fake female name. Needless to say, Amethyst failed most of the time. “Ok, Amethyst here we are,” Orchid declared as the bus began to slow to a halt. “You know Orchid, I’ve been meaning to ask you, why the Paradise Mall?” Amethyst inquired. Orchid smiled. “The Paradise Mall has all kinds of places that mares go to. Heck, I go there all the time. What better place to show you how the fairer sex lives than one of my favorite hangouts?” “I could think of a couple places Misty mentioned,” Amethyst grinned, which received him a hoof upside the head. “Ow! Just kidding!” “Well straighten up, because we’re here.” Holding his head, Amethyst looked out the bus’ window. The mall building was about two stories high in the center, and three stories high on the left and right sides. Out front, there was a large walkway decorated with fountains. “Well, come on Amethyst. We have an exciting day ahead of us!” Orchid said, smiling. The bus came to a complete stop, and the driver opened the door. Orchid shot up from her seat and headed out, with Amethyst following behind shyly. He thanked the bus driver, and followed Orchid along the large pathway leading to the mall. When they reached the building, an earth pony with a yellow mane and a sash that read “greeter” greeted them. “Welcome to the Paradise Mall, where every visit is simply paradise. Here, have a flier!” The mare gave Orchid and Amethyst a pamphlet. “Enjoy your stay,” she said before galloping toward a yellow pegasus mare. Amethyst followed Orchid through the front doors of the mall. Once inside they saw the hustle and bustle of ponies all over the place. The roof was made of glass and stood two stories high. Balconies adorned both sides of the plaza, and a large golden statue of a stallion with long hair and a beard stood in its center. Amethyst scowled at the statue. Clovis never looked like that. “Come on Lavender” Orchid called, which snapped Amethyst out of his daze. Quickly, he caught up with Orchid. Taking an elevator to the second story, Amethyst found himself gazing at the various stores in the mall. Most of them were very feminine in nature. They were mainly mare’s clothing stores but they were accompanied by other feminine stores of lesser mention. Among the lesser stores, Amethyst saw perfume and jewelry stores. He also thought he saw a grocery store but he couldn't be sure. Amethyst also took notice of the various ponies in the mall. Predictably, most of them were mares; the majority of the stallions present were most likely husbands or boyfriends roped into accompanying their significant others, the looks on their faces made that abundantly clear. Some of the mares had young fillies and colts in tow. After some more walking the two mares arrived at a store that read, “Cobalt’s Fantastic Dues.” I recognize that name. Amethyst thought. I met him at The Prancing Pony bar once. The Prancing Pony was a hangout that he and Misty frequented at least once a month. It was a bit of a run down establishment that served a lot of hard apple cider. Cobalt was the name of a stallion that Amethyst had seen there occasionally. He was there for the same reason as Misty, to score a tipsy mare or two. “Here we are Lavender,” Orchid said, again snapping him from much more pleasant thoughts. “We’re going to get our manes done by the best mane stylist I know!” I hate getting my mane cut, Amethyst grumbled in thought. Before he could voice any objections, Orchid wrapped her hoof around him and dragged him into the salon. To his surprise, it wasn’t all that different from most high-end mane treatment places. Mares of all descriptions sat in beauty chairs having their manes dried. Pretty much any stallion in the salon was sitting in the waiting area staring off into space. At the very back of the salon was a drawn curtain, and several stacks of magazines. There were mares walking around the salon, but most of them were running cash registers and operating the mane driers. As Orchid and Amethyst walked in they saw a pegasus stallion emerge from behind the red curtain. “Hello there girls, and welcome to Stylish Cobalt’s fantastic dos. I’m Mr. Fantastic himself, Stylish Cobalt,” said the effeminate stallion. “Why if it isn’t Miss Orchid Seed, one of my favorite customers.” He said, trotting over to the mares. “What can I do for you today, dear?” Amethyst took the time to look him over. He had deep violet fur, and blue eyes. His equally blue mane was done up in a pompadour. Just like how he’d remembered the stallion from the bar. “This is Lavender Star,” Orchid said, “She’s the sister of one of my close friends.” “Amethyst Shard I presume,” Stylish burst in. “They have the same, everything even down to the special talent. I never knew he had a twin sister.” “Yeah, well she needs a makeover pretty bad. Think you could you help her?” Stylish moved up beside Amethyst and took him in from every angle. “Oh my stars! What have you been doing to your hair, girlfriend? I’ve never seen so many split ends. Don’t you even comb the bed head out of your mane in the morning?” No why would I? And since when did Stylish have that wacky voice? Amethyst thought. The Stylish Cobalt of the bar sounded very different from the stallion he was looking at. When Amethyst had spoken to him, he’d had a very thick Manehattenite accent, and a much deeper voice. “I’ll put you right on the schedule book, girlfriend; we need to do some serious work with that mane of yours. Just wait in the chairs over there and I‘ll get right too you.” Amethyst nodded and walked over to a group of normal chairs next to the beauty chairs. He took a seat and waited, with Orchid following suit. “Isn’t this great, Lavender? We’re going to look gorgeous after this,” Orchid said with a grin. Why did I let Orchid rope me into this? This is the most uncomfortable I’ve been since my parents took me to see the princess. Amethyst thought, though he managed to reply, “If you insist.” “Miss Lavender Star, Stylish will see you now” rang out the voice of a rather dull sounding mare. “That’s you Amethyst, I’m going next,” Orchid said. Cautiously, Amethyst got up and walked into the back of the salon. Stylish was waiting beside a barber chair, smiling. “Just have a seat dear,” Stylish said as he shut a curtain. He then turned to an assortment of scissors and combs. “So, Miss Lavender, what kind of mare do you want to look like?” I don’t want to look like any kind of mare. I just want to be a stallion and go to my regular barber. Amethyst thought, but his voice replied. “Umm, err… attractive?” “Attractive to whom girlfriend, are you planning on going on a date?” Amethyst blushed at the thought. “No, no. I just want to look beautiful today, is all.” “Nothing wrong with that girlfriend,” Stylish paused. “Ah! I know just the look for you!” With that, Stylish went to work. First, he put Amethyst’s head into a sink and gave his hair a thorough washing. Next, he went to work trimming away the excess back hair on Amethyst’s mane. “So, Lavender, I assume you’re here visiting your brother?” Stylish asked as he trimmed away. “Yeah, we haven’t talked in a while since he quit his last job.” Amethyst said. “He‘s told me good things about you, Stylish. But I wonder why you‘re talking weird, he said you have a deeper voice and an accent.” “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Head forward please” Stylish said nervously Amethyst obeyed his command, but didn’t let up. “He said pretty clearly that you’re from Manehatten, and that you have an accent. “Oh, you must be referring to my twin brother, Stylish Indigo.” Stylish said as he trimmed around Amethyst’s ear. “He’s an interior designer and a much less fashionable pony than me.” Wow. Amethyst thought as Stylish rinsed his mane again and put some hair curlers in Amethyst's mane. I didn’t know those two were twins. Maybe I should talk to those ponies more often. “OK, sweetie, you’re done.” Stylish said, before calling over his shoulder. “Petunia! Please show the young lady to a drier.” A single mare walked over to Amethyst and herded him to an open hair-drying seat. Amethyst sat down and the mare pulled the top down over his mane. A second later, hot air started blowing down all sides of his head. “Would you care for a magazine while you wait for your mane to dry?” The mare asked. “Umm, no thanks,” Amethyst replied. The mare nodded and left without a word. “Hey, that’s a nice fur color you have,” a feminine voice said to Amethyst. It was a lime green unicorn mare, with amber eyes and a harp for a cutie mark. “Um, thanks,” Amethyst said. “So, who are you?” “Lyra Heartstrings,” the mare said. “My name’s Ame-” Amethyst caught himself. “... Lavender Star.” “Pleased to meet you,” Lyra said. “So, from the sounds of things, you’re from out of town as well?” Amethyst nodded. “I work for the Canterlot archives, so I travel a lot. I‘m here to visit my brother, Amethyst Shard, we‘re twins.” “That must be awesome, having a sibling that looks like you.” Lyra mused. “I guess so,” Amethyst said. “So, how about you?” “I live in a town called Ponyville. As for my career, I’m a musician.” “Oh, what kind of instrument do you play?” Amethyst asked. “The lyre,” Lyra answered. “Also, on the side, I’m a cryptozoologist. You know, someone who studies imaginary creatures.” “Yeah… sure.” Amethyst replied awkwardly. “So, you mentioned you travel a lot. Got any neat stories to tell?” Amethyst brought a hoof to his chin. “Well, one time I was in an ancient Binician pyramid, and almost fell victim to a 100 foot pit trap. And there also was this one time I got myself kidnapped by some crazy llama girl in the Santa Crossa jungle. Luckily, my uncle and our guide Pedro were able to rescue me.” “Whoa,” Lyra replied, wide eyed. “It wasn’t all that bad,” Amethyst replied. “Plus, the llama chick was kinda hot.” “Pardon me?” Amethyst blushed as he realized what he’d just said. “Um, nothing.” “OK, Miss Heartstrings, you’re done,” announced the assistant from earlier. “Thanks,” Lyra said as she was helped out of the drying chair. She picked up a few shopping bags in her magic, and turned to Amethyst. “Well, thank you for the chat, Lavender.” “You’re welcome,” Amethyst replied. Lyra smiled, passed the assistant a few bits, and then exited the salon. “Nicely done,” said a very familiar voice. Amethyst whipped his head to his left and saw Orchid sitting in the chair beside him. Her mane and tail was adorned with curlers. “How long have you been sitting there?” Amethyst asked. “I sat down around where you were getting abducted by that Llama,” Orchid giggled. Amethyst rolled his eyes at the memory of that whole affair. It was most certainly not his proudest moment. “OK, Miss Lavender, you’re done,” the assistant announced. She walked over and carefully assisted Amethyst from the chair. “Thank you,” Amethyst said. He turned to leave the store, but shuddered slightly as he felt a hoof rest itself on his shoulder. “Hold up sweetie, we’re not done yet. Your friend Orchid paid for a tail package as well.” Stylish called out. With a slight sigh, Amethyst went back and sat in the barber chair. Stylish then completely inclined the chair, and put a reflective screen up in front of Amethyst’s rear. “What’s that for?” Amethyst asked, suspiciously. “You’ve never been to a salon before have you?” Stylish asked, to which Amethyst nodded. “Well, let’s just say it’s illegal to trim a mare’s tail without a screen up to block the view of the more sensitive areas.” At the mere mention of his new, alien privates, Amethyst’s cheeks flushed bright red. So fixated on the thought, he didn’t notice Stylish prop the chair up an inch. “So, how short do you want your tail, girlfriend?” Stylish asked. “Short tails are in this season just so you know” Amethyst flinched at being put on the spot like that. He hated having his tail cut because he was kind of sensitive down there. And a long tail was his own personal preference for his appearance. However, he noticed that the transformation into a mare had significantly lengthened his tail. “I don’t want it shortened, too much,” Amethyst blurted. “Maybe just an inch or two, please.” “Can do,” Stylish said, before getting to work. To the best of his ability, Amethyst didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to interrupt Stylish’s work on him, primarily out of fear of causing more damage, but also on part of curiosity. Stylish was able to grip scissors and combs with the feathers of his wings, and maneuver them around as if they were additional limbs. It was a curious trick, which seemed to help calm Amethyst’s nerves. “And we’re finished,” Stylish declared. He set his scissors down and used his teeth to remove the hair curlers from Amethyst’s mane. After that, Stylish rolled over a large mirror and positioned it in front of Amethyst. Reflected in the mirror, Amethyst could see that his bangs were curled up into two distinct curls at the top of his mane. The back part of his mane was significantly shorter, and was combed into a distinct ending at the left side of his head. Just as he had specified, his tail only had an inch taken off, along with the unwanted twisted and tangled hair. The sight of his mane cut made his mind come to a screeching halt, save for one thought. I look gorgeous. “So, what do you think?” Stylish asked. Amethyst swung her head towards him, eyes beaming. “I love it!” “Glad to hear it,” Stylish said. “Now, just head back to the lobby, Orchid should be done any second now.” Nodding, Amethyst got up from the seat and took a less comfortable one in the waiting lobby. Sure enough, Orchid rejoined him not a few seconds later. “You look fantastic” Orchid complimented. “Gee, thanks,” Amethyst blushed, then looked at a clock on the wall. “Well, let’s go home. It’s been a fun morning, but I really should start trying to cure myself.” “Oh no, you don’t you’re not getting off that easily,” Orchid said as she walked in front of Amethyst. “We’re going clothes shopping!” “What!?” Amethyst stopped in his tracks. “The mane cut was bad enough, why do I need clothes now?” “Because it’s my day to show you how mares live their lives and mares shop for clothes.” Orchid said authoritatively. “Could have fooled me, since half the mares here are plot naked?” “Don’t argue with me Amethyst. I said we’re going to have fun today and by Celestia we’re going to have fun!” Orchid said, staring daggers at Amethyst. That look was more than enough to remove Amethyst’s resistance to the idea. “OK, OK, fine! If you really think its necessary,” Amethyst said defeated. Orchid’s terrifying look suddenly shifted to one of glee. “Yay! Thank you Amethyst” Orchid said followed by a quick hug There are days when that mare scares the crap out of me. Amethyst thought, just before his stomach rumbled slightly. “Could we eat first?” Amethyst asked shyly. “Of course,” Orchid replied, leading the way towards the food court. Author's Note thanks to samaru for editing chapter 5“There’s nothing like a hayburger!” Amethyst exclaimed, letting out a huge belch. Orchid turned towards the stallion-turned-mare and sneered. “Lavender, show a little self respect, please.” “Oh, umm sorry Orchid,” Amethyst said as he shrugged away from Orchid’s scorn. Something about his tone made Orchid’s eyes linger on him longer than usual. She noticed Amethyst’s movements were slightly stiffened, as if he were trying to hold himself back. “Something wrong, Lavender?” Orchid asked. “Yeah, I really need to go to the bathroom,” Amethyst replied as his face turned sour. “Well, serves you right for eating all that cheap fast food,” Orchid said, looking around the mall. “Looks like there are some restrooms over there, just try not to take forever.” “Thanks, Orchid,” Amethyst said before awkwardly bolting towards the restroom. I hope he doesn’t have any problems in there, Orchid thought. Then again,he’s been acting passably as a mare. Still, if the food court was any indication, it’s going to be a while until he’s a proper lady. Not that I want him to be, Orchid told herself. It’s the weirdest thing seeing him like this, all female and such. And at the ratehe’s taken to being a mare... She swallowed hard. In her attempt to help disguise Amethyst, was she doing more harm than good? Was she making him into a mare mentally? No, he’s still the same Amethyst Shard, Orchid reassured herself. After all, only a stallion could have made as big a pig of himself as he did over lunch. Orchid sighed in relief after thinking that last bit. Suddenly, a tap on her shoulder shook her from the thought. She twisted her neck and saw Amethyst standing beside her waiting. Soon the two mares were off walking through the mall again. Eventually the two of them stopped in front of a large store located at the end of one of the mall’s larger corridors. Orchid admired the various dresses on the racks immediately inside the store. Most were high-end dresses with fancy trimmings and various other extras. “Here it is, Lavender, the biggest clothing store in the whole mall, the feminine delight boutique!” Orchid shouted with a smile on her face. The two mares walked right into the store. Deeper in the store a glass case filled to the brim with extremely overpriced jewelry sat next to an escalator that lead to a second story of the store. Orchid watched as Amethyst glanced around at the sights: Rows of clothing flanked the mares on either side, all neatly sorted and aligned based on brands, sizes, and colors. Above them were overhanging signs to assist customers with distinguishing the different sections. “This place is huge,” Amethyst said, darting his eyes around the store. “Where do we even begin to look for clothes?” “Wait here Lavender, I’ll be right back,” Orchid said. Before Amethyst had time to respond she was already heading towards the checkout counters. Behind one of the registers was a dark green earth pony mare. Her eyes were purple, and her light green mane was done up in a simple ponytail. Orchid watched from a distance as the mare behind the register put several bits into the register she was working at. With a slight smile, the customer walked away. Since the transaction that Orchid saw was complete, she trotted over to the mare. “Hi, River,” Orchid addressed the mare. The mare turned towards Orchid, a joyful grin spreading over her face. “Heya Orchid, didn’t think to see you back so soon.” “What, can’t a girl stop by and say hi to an old friend?” Orchid asked, feigning shock. “Sure you can, but I know that look in your eye. What do you need my help for?” River asked. “Well, since you insist on knowing, my friend’s sister is visiting for the weekend, but the girl is seriously lacking in a spring wardrobe. Think you can help?” A huge smile crossed River’s face as she spoke. “Sure I can help, Orchid. It’s my job after all. Now, where is this mare?” “I’ll take you to her.” Orchid turned to face towards where she left Amethyst. River stepped out from behind the counter and followed Orchid back to the front of the store. They found Amethyst poking at some of the swimwear with a contemplative look on his face. “Lavender,” Orchid called out, pulling the former stallion from his thoughts. “This is my friend River Oasis. She’s gonna help us today.” “Err, hi.” Amethyst said with shy look on his face and an awkward wave. “Hi there, Miss Lavender,” River replied with a smile. “Now, how about we get started on that wardrobe?” The bus hummed as Orchid and Amethyst rode back toward town. Amethyst was dressed up in a black shirt, a red miniskirt and a fancy new pair of green socks. Amethyst also donned a pair of pure white saddlebags around his waist “I can’t believe you chose that outfit, Lavender.” Orchid said. “What’s wrong with it?” Amethyst asked “It makes you look like you want attention from the opposite sex. I thought you wanted to keep a low profile,” Orchid said with a look of confusion on her face. For Amethyst, the whole shopping trip had been an ordeal in and of itself. He had spent the entire time at the mercy of Orchid and River. They had put Amethyst into many outfits; Amethyst had hated every single one of them. Apparently, so did Orchid and River. The two mares could consistently come up with a reason why any given outfit wouldn‘t work. The whole point of the excursion, so Amethyst believed, had been to get him to pass as a mare and maybe even teach him something about how females lived their lives. The only thing Amethyst had definitely learned was that the fairer sex was a whole lot stranger than he thought before all this happened. He smiled internally at the future prospect of being a stallion again and not having to worry about what color skirt went with his coat. Amethyst felt a lurch as the bus stopped at the bus stop in Maple Mountain. “This is our stop,” Orchid said as she got up and levitated a few shopping bags. It had taken hours, but eventually Orchid and River had given up and let Amethyst pick his new clothes. He had promptly picked some clothes that he had thought he would look cute wearing. Amethyst only really intended to use these clothes to ogle himself in the mirror in the morning so he figured why bother with anything serious. The shopping bags that Orchid had were clothes that she had decided to buy for herself; Amethyst only had the outfit he was wearing and the saddlebags that Orchid had bought for him. “Well, now that we’re back, do you think you’ll be OK on your own?” Orchid asked. “I need to go and put in an order for some more flowers for the shop.” “I’ll be fine; I’m just gonna head home, the less time I’m out and about the better,” Amethyst replied. “Ok, have a good evening Amethyst,” Orchid said as she started to walk away A few seconds after Orchid began walking, Amethyst turned his head and called out, “Oh Orchid!” On hearing that, Orchid turned to face Amethyst and replied, “Yes?” “Thank you for taking me out today,” Amethyst said. “You’re quite welcome Lavender, see you tomorrow then,” Orchid smiled as she departed. Amethyst waved at her until she was out of sight. Now to get home, Amethyst thought as he too departed the area. Amethyst walked down the sidewalk. As he walked he took notice of something; all of the stallions he glanced at out of the corner of his eye were staring at him. The sudden attention took Amethyst a bit off guard; he wasn’t used to having so many eyes fixed on him. Amethyst tried his best to ignore the stallions leering at him but he couldn’t help but glance at them. Buck! Orchid was right about this outfit. I gotta get this thing off me ASAP. “Hey there,” a very masculine voice said to him. Amethyst turned to see a green unicorn stallion to her immediate left with a huge grin on his face. “Nice outfit, Sweetie,” he continued. Amethyst cringed at the compliment; he knew what was likely coming next. I gotta escape this situation like now or else he‘ll never leave me alone. Amethyst thought in a panic. “Err... thanks. Hey look over there!” Amethyst pointed at a random mare on the street. The stallion turned to look and Amethyst used the opportunity to teleport away. He materialized in an alleyway. “Thank Celestia. I sure hope he’s not as good at teleportation as I am.” He rather doubted that the stallion was. Amethyst had been top-ranked in his class for teleportation back in school. Without a second thought, Amethyst ripped the outfit he was wearing off and slipped it into his new saddlebags. With a sigh of relief, Amethyst started walking down the alley again. As he walked, he turned his head to see a massive poster. On the poster there was a white unicorn mare with pink and blue hair. Her eyes were brown and almond shaped. Her cutie mark was a silhouette of a pony being stylish. She held a rose in her mouth and smiled seductively at the viewer. The poster was an ad for some mane shampoo but Amethyst didn’t care, his attention was on the mare. Under most circumstances, Amethyst would be turned on by this mare. Her build was physically perfect and very pleasing to the male eye. No arousal was present on his face though, only a depressed frown. “Dazzling.” Amethyst trailed off. A tear trickled down his face as he took in the mare’s appearance. Amethyst knew this mare very well--she was his older sister. Most of the time when he would be reminded of her, he would be brought to the brink of tears, but his desire to appear as a strong stallion always forced him to swallow those tears before they emerged. Now after all he had been through these past few days, coupled with the fact that he was more or less alone in the alleyway, he snapped. He immediately slouched to the ground and started crying his eyes out. Time become a nonsensical object to Amethyst as he sat there, letting several years of pent-up depression spill from his eyes. A voice became apparent to Amethyst as he continued crying, “Hey Miss, are you OK?” At that point Amethyst didn’t care who the voice belonged to--he just replied, “No, no I’m not.” “What’s wrong?” the voice asked. Amethyst’s eyes were still focused on the ground and with the tears he was producing, he didn’t see who was talking to him “I miss my family,” Amethyst blurted. “That mare on the poster was very close to me. I haven’t seen her in three years and I miss her so much. I can’t just go and see her because she models all over Equestria and I can’t ask my father about anything she’s doing because he hates me.” There was a slight pause before the voice replied, “That sounds terrible, is there anything I can do to help?” “I don’t know, I’ve never felt this unhappy before. I’ve always held my feelings back but given the day I’ve had I just can’t anymore,” Amethyst said as he resumed sobbing. A few seconds later Amethyst felt something warm wrap around his neck. Amethyst opened his eyes to see white fabric in front of his face. Is this stranger hugging me? Amethyst thought “Everything is going to be ok,” the voice said. Amethyst was taken aback. He had never been hugged by anypony before. It freaked him out, but he also felt comfortable. Amethyst nuzzled into the stranger and he felt the stranger squeeze him tighter. The embrace put Amethyst’s ailing mind at ease. He had never felt so secure before, but his rational mind realized that this was a total stranger. Alarm bells were sounding in his head at the embrace. It felt like the hug wouldn’t end, but eventually it did. Amethyst stepped back to get a better look at this stranger. Amethyst’s mid froze when he saw it was a stallion. An orange earth pony stallion with green eyes, a brown mane and a pizza for a cutie mark. “Who are you?” Amethyst asked. “I’m sorry miss, I’m Scrumptious Delight. I work in the restaurant over there.” He motioned toward a door on his left. “What’s your name?” “I’m Lavender Star; I’m just visiting in town.” Amethyst replied. “Nice to meet you Lavender, how long are you staying in town?” “Not sure really, could be a while though.” “I see. So is everything OK now?” Scrumptious asked. “I’m feeling a lot better, thank you.” Amethyst smiled. “Just doing what anypony would do if they saw a mare crying in an alley.” He seems very nice, but now that I get a better look at him, I can’t help but feel I’ve seen him before. “So you work here? Maybe we could talk again sometime, I could introduce you to my brother,” Amethyst said, kind of hoping to get himself a new friend when he managed to change back. “Umm sure, I work here most nights. Just watch yourself; the ponies who come here aren’t that respectful to mares. Anyway, I gotta get back to work. See you around, Lavender.” Scrumptious turned to the heavy metal back door of the nearby building. “Ok see you soon, Scrumptious,” Lavender said. The orange pony opened the door and walked through it. Amethyst walked away, smiling internally at having had pleasant discourse with a pony. Then it dawned on him. Sweet Celestia! That was a stallion… A stallion hugged me. Soon Amethyst’s thoughts shifted to disgust at having felt good during the long embrace. Amethyst then turned to see what restaurant he was working at. Amethyst’s mind froze when he saw the letters “Prancing Pony Bar” plastered in big green neon lights. At seeing that his mind was flooded with memories, Amethyst realized just who that had been. “Holy crap, that was the bar’s pizza chef!” Amethyst knew about him, or rather he knew about his food. The bar had some of the best pizza that Amethyst had ever tasted, though he had never seen Scrumptious before. However, Barley the bartender had mentioned, ‘We got the best pizza cook in the whole town; I don’t know what we’d do without him.’ I’ve gotta get to know that pony better, he seems so sweet, Amethyst thought as he started his walk home. Author's Note thanks to http://www.fimfiction.net/user/McPoodle , http://www.fimfiction.net/user/SPark , http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Westphalian_Musketeer , and http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Samaru163 for helping edit chapter 6“Uggh why isn’t anything working?” Amethyst was in his cabin and still as much a mare as ever. The hairdo that Stylish had crafted on his head was long gone, lost forever to his tendency not to comb his mane in the morning. Three days had passed since his trip to the mall with Orchid and his new wardrobe was safely tucked away in a chest in the cabin somewhere. Surrounding Amethyst were the machines that he used to examine magical relics. he held his head in frustration. “Why won’t you just reveal your secrets to me?” Amethyst practically screamed at the object in front of him. That object was the mare figurine that had landed him in his feminine predicament. “The most I’ve learned from my three hard days of work is that the magic of the statue is something I haven‘t encountered.” In his growing frustration, Amethyst pounded his hooves on the table. soon after, he got up from his chair and started trotting around the basement. “I could try my more complex devices but those could take months to work, and Misty comes home a day or two after the spring festival.” Amethyst said. This statue is truly a remarkable device,Amethyst thought. There’s no doubt in my mind that King Clovis made it. The craftsmanship in the magic is flawless. The curse it put on me is seamless. My own ‘tests’ seem to confirm I’m a biological female. he blushed, bringing his hoof up to his muzzle. With a slight groan, he said, “Unfortunately there’s only one quick way to undo this: find the enchanting formula for the statue.” An enchanting formula was a set of magical instructions on how to enchant an object with a certain charm. Most Sorcerers – Amethyst included – kept these formulas written down somewhere. he hadn’t found any of Clovis’s formulas in the castle – this led him to the conclusion that they were all compiled into a single, very large volume that he had yet to locate. Amethyst groaned at the possibility of going to look for the alleged book. Exploring the castle had become a pain in recent weeks as he steadily weeded out the easy-to-access areas of the old castle. My hooves are tied; I gotta find Clovis’s old notes if I expect to get my stallionhood back in a reasonable time frame. In the meantime, I should put the statue into one of the scanners that’ll take a while to run. The binary scanner will take at least 48 hours to run completely; plenty of time to go looking for that enchanting formula, Amethyst thought as he levitated the statue into a large machine directly behind him. He flipped a red switch on the device and it began to hum. Gotta get to Orchid and tell her where I’m going, normally I’d just tell Misty but he’s not here and frankly I think he’d be more interested in saving my plot than the rest of me if I got trapped, Amethyst reminded himself. With that, Amethyst draped his saddlebags over his back and went out the door. Amethyst trotted over the landscape blackened by Luna’s night. he looked upon the familiar sight of King Clovis’s old castle. It had been four days since he laid eyes on the architecture of the castle. It certainly wasn’t an elegant castle like Canterlot’s. Where Canterlot Castle was made of beautiful white marble, this castle was made of dull grey stone. A large wall surrounded this architectural marvel, obscuring the bulk of the castle from view. Amethyst knew the chateau well; it was three stories high but that was only the tip of the iceberg so to speak. Below ground there was a massive network of catacombs that extended for miles. Amethyst inspected his bag and ran through a verbal list of some of the supplies he needed for his expedition, “Emergency food, check; two canteens full of water, check. Map of the castle, check. Some canned tuna and milk, check.” The last item was for what he considered the most dangerous hazard he had ever found in the castle, and it had always waited for him to appear whenever he was there. Slowly, he approached the old crumbling ruin. Amethyst stopped abruptly about half way – a pair of glowing eyes had fixed themselves on him. he looked back at the eyes; he knew that this was the wicked, evil danger of the castle. He promptly pulled out the fish and milk. Immediately the horrid monstrosity responded to the sight, with a meek meow. The devilish figure revealed itself to stand a terrifying three feet high, have green eyes that pierced the soul, fur as black as the night, and claws that could tear out the throats of many mice. A few weeks ago, this cat showed up at the dig site, and followed him into the castle. The cat accidentally knocked over a piece of rotting timber and caused a hallway to collapse. That nearly got them both killed. From that day on he brought food and milk for the cat so the kitty wouldn’t follow him into the castle. Amethyst promptly opened the tuna and poured the bottle of milk into a saucer. Immediately the cat started lapping away at the milk. Without another word, he trotted past the cat and onward to the castle. As Amethyst approached the aging castle, he took note of the ladder he had used a few days ago to enter a chimney from the outside. He walked right past the ladder and through a set of aging oak doors. Once inside he went past a gatehouse and through an archway with iron barred gates. Beyond the gate, he looked around. The area beyond the gate was an enclosed courtyard; a ruined fountain and broken throne stood immediately in front of him. he turned to his left and walked toward a rotting wooden door. With a gentle flick from his magic, Amethyst opened it and walked through. Furniture covered in white sheets cluttered the room that he entered. Wooden floorboards creaked lightly under his hooves. Amethyst went to his left and into another corridor. This corridor was different from the room before, because it was made entirely of grey stone instead of wood. As he trotted down it, he glanced around the hallway, admiring the fact it was perfectly spotless. he smiled internally at seeing the results of a considerable amount of time spent removing the debris and dust that had coated the hallway when he had first arrived. As he glanced around, he saw that one of the statues had acquired a new cobweb. Amethyst sneered at the web and promptly trotted over to the newest bit of chaos to mess up his hard work. He looked at it and quickly discovered that the cobweb had an inhabitant, namely a small black spider. “I hate spiders,” Amethyst declared as he used a weak magical bolt to kill the spider. With a slight wave of his tail the new cobweb was gone. He pulled out the notebook in which he had doodled the map of the castle. He flipped through the pages until he stopped at one in particular. Ok I’m here, where should I search first? Amethyst stared at the map. He had searched and mapped a large portion of the aboveground section; the section he had found the mare figurine in was one of the last of places in the castle he had yet explored above ground. The catacombs however were still very much of a mystery to him. The network was massive, on a scale to rival that of the caves beneath Canterlot. It extended for miles and miles with seemingly no end. Amethyst had only mapped a small fraction of these underground tunnels, but that fraction equated to at least another castle’s worth of space to be explored. Sadly, it appeared that many of the catacombs beyond had caved in centuries before he had even been born. He suspected that the book he was looking for was somewhere down there, written on paper that might have turned to dust long ago. he shook his head at that thought. No, can’t think like that. I have to believe that the formula is written somewhere. Clovis had enchanted paper – there’s no reason to assume that his formulas are written on anything else. It bothered Amethyst quite a bit that he hadn’t been able to find a single enchanting formula for the relics he’d uncovered. This lack of information had convinced him that all of the formulae were compiled into a single place: either one large book or several smaller books. He still had to choose exactly where to search for the book that day. A few minutes of pondering later, he settled on going through a passageway deep underground. Amethyst promptly set off down the hallway. Several minutes of walking, and he found himself a few levels down and in another stone hallway. That hallway was more cluttered than the one he was in a few minutes ago. He tripped over a piece of fallen rubble as he walked through the hallway – he hadn’t been in that hallway long enough to clean it properly. As Amethyst trotted on, something caught his eye. He turned and saw a collapsed passageway to his left. Amethyst checked his map and found a big black X over where that passageway was. He had determined that whatever was behind that passageway was completely inaccessible. There was a small gap in the rubble, Amethyst cringed at the memory of that passageway; he had tried to squeeze into that small gap quite some time ago and quickly got his barrel caught in the rubble. With a groan, Amethyst went onward. I gotta find that book, being a mare is so weird. Going to the bathroom is strange. I get those creepy stares from stallions I know. Then there’s the whole size thing, I’m at least a whole foot shorter than I – he stopped mid-step and thought. I’m smaller than I was as a stallion. Maybe I can fit into that gap now. A huge grin spread on Amethyst’s face. He bolted back to the collapsed passageway and approached the small gap in the rubble. With a deep breath, Amethyst said, “Well, here goes nothing.” Amethyst went towards the gap and began to squeeze into it. With a smile, he realized that he fit pretty well – the only resistance he encountered was his rump. The gap was pitch black, so Amethyst made his horn glow a bright pink. He smiled as he looked on to see that there was another tiny hole in the rubble presumably leading to the hallway on the other side. Before he went any further, he pulled out a yellow gemstone and levitated it. In an instant, the entire passageway glowed with a pink force field. “Can’t be too safe; don’t want all of that rock crushing me flat while I’m in here.” Amethyst had brought several enchanted crystals with him to the castle to aid in his expedition. he tossed a blue crystal back into the hallway he had come from. The blue crystal was a scrying crystal, he could see everything through it via a paired crystal that acted like a crystal ball. This was vital for Amethyst. With that crystal there, he could teleport back whenever he wanted. Since teleportation was a line of sight magic, he needed to see where he was going to teleport effectively. He went on through the passageway until he ran into a problem; a single part of the gap in the rubble was much too small for him to fit through. He poked his head through the small gap and smiled at the sight of a massive hallway on the other side. A faint blue light illuminated the large hallway; stone debris and cobwebs covered the stone. The ceiling of this passageway towered well above Amethyst’s head, and columns held the roof up. With a smile, he teleported beyond the small gap and right into the large hallway. “I can’t believe I made it!” Amethyst exclaimed with a smile. His enthusiasm was quick to fade when he suddenly felt a dozen crawling sensations on his fur. In a panic, he looked down and laid eyes on several spiders dancing across his hooves. A loud girly shriek rattled the hallway as Amethyst felt his new eight legged companions enjoying his company. A spider fell onto a black and white checkered floor. It tried to scurry away before a bolt of pink energy from above quickly ended its life. The bolt had originated from an exacerbated Amethyst, who was no longer covered in spiders. “I HATE spiders!” Amethyst screamed in anger as he drew heavy breaths. he stood there for ten minutes or so before regaining his composure. With a deep breath, Amethyst walked on. The hallway was impressive beyond words; it had an elegance and beauty to its stones and crystals that he just couldn’t help but admire. He found the gemstones to be of particular note; most were embedded in the mouths of stone unicorn statues spaced evenly along the length of the hallway. The entire passageway was illuminated with a faint blue glow, thanks to some irregularly shaped blue crystals on pedestals near the top of the hall. He had found a few other hallways a lot like that one and they were still quite breathtaking despite being old and worn. As Amethyst walked through the hallway, his horn began to glow violently. “By Celestia’s mane, I sense a huge concentration of magical artifacts. I must be getting close to something!” Amethyst said. He started going toward the source of the magic when he stopped dead. He heard clicking and rumbling. He looked upward to the source of the sound to see several green crystals protruding from the walls above, “Son of a b-” Amethyst barely had time to say, as the crystals began shooting green bolts of energy at him. With quick reflexes, he was able to dodge the first barrage of magical blasts. Soon he found himself running through the corridor like a maniac as the crystals continuously shot magic blasts at him. he had years of working as a relic hunter to thank for being able to dodge those blasts. Sometimes he had to teleport to escape, but he still did. “Crap how could I forget about the defenses – gotta get to the power relay box,” Amethyst said as he continued to dodge magic blasts. He quickly spotted a stone sticking out from the side of the wall several yards ahead of him. With great haste, he made his way toward the stone. His run there was made more perilous as the crystals on the unicorn statues fired laser beams in response to his proximity to them. In a scene out of a Daring Do book, he managed to dodge all of the lasers and magic bolts. He arrived at the stone after a minute of uninterrupted fire from the laser beams and magic blasters. Without a moment’s hesitation, Amethyst used his magic to open a panel on the face of the stone, exposing a light blue crystal. With one quick magic motion, he pulled the crystal forward. Instantly the magical bombardment ceased. Amethyst slouched against the wall to catch his breath. “Wow that was terrifying, yet so exhilarating. I have the best job in the world!” A quick rest later, he was back on his hooves and walking down the hallway. About five minutes after that, he arrived at a stone archway. He glanced through and saw a descending spiral staircase. “What’s it with Clovis and stairs?” Amethyst groaned. He quickly began his descent. Several minutes went by, and Amethyst found that he was nowhere near reaching the bottom of the stairwell. Suddenly he felt a section of the stairway give way, he fell down into the layer of stairs below. He grunted as he found himself tumbling down the last few feet of stairs. After finally landing at the bottom, he wobbled as he got to his feet, stars swirling around his field of vision. he found himself in a small chamber with several wooden doors adorned with crystals of differing colors. The pony used his magic to open all of the doors, and found nothing but smooth stone on the other side of all of them. “My magic indicates that the artifacts are on the other side of this wall. One of these doors must be real,” Amethyst remarked. He hummed as he attempted to compute a solution to this puzzle. “Clovis used magic riddles to conceal important secrets, so whatever is beyond this door has gotta be good. I suspect he would have made it simple for him to use, like a simple revealing spell. But only one door is likely the correct one to use the spell on. I’ve only got one guess, and I don’t want to speculate what’ll happen if I chose wrong.” Amethyst continued thinking for a few minutes. His face lit up as it hit him. “Clovis is fond of the color red. I’ve seen it all over his castle and personal effects; maybe the red crystal is the one. Well, here goes nothing.” he took a deep breath and cast the revealing spell on a door with a blood red crystal above it. Gently the door opened into another room. This room was about two stories high, with stone tables full of baubles and old paper. On the left and right sides, he saw several stone-carved shelves with all sorts of odds and ends on them. In front of him, on the other side of the room, was a large window made of crystalline squares of glass overlooking a large underground lake. The sound of roaring water echoed in the room as a massive waterfall next to the window poured continuously into the lake below. The magic in the room was all around Amethyst, emanating from the many enchanted objects in the room. Gazing at the artifacts in the room lead Amethyst to a single conclusion: “I’ve done it, I found Clovis’s magical laboratory!” Author's Note thanks to http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Westphalian_Musketeer and http://www.fimfiction.net/user/McPoodle for editing now with 100% more cover art chapter 7Once again, Amethyst found himself at his desk. No more than a few hours ago, he had hit the mother lode, a huge cache of magical artifacts inside King Clovis’s secret lab. He spent hours going back and forth from the lab to the upper areas of the castle to get all of the artifacts out so he could start studying them. Slowly he had begun to catalog the various devices he had found in the castle. On Amethyst’s desk sat a small clock, no more than a few inches tall. “Artifact CSL24...to the best of my knowledge this clock shows you what time you wish it was,” Amethyst said as he wrote the same words on a piece of paper. As Amethyst was writing that, a pink furred rabbit hopped past his desk. He turned to see the small animal hop away from him and into the living room of his house. Oh, it’s just Fluffy he always does that, Amethyst thought, paying little mind to the small rabbit. With just a shrug, Amethyst went back to work. He levitated another bauble from a bag on the floor. He stared at the bauble and thought. Ok next artifact, it seems to have a minor charm on it so analyzing it won’t take too long, Amethyst thought. He soon started studying the relic but couldn’t divine a purpose for it. With a defeated sigh, he leaned back in his chair and stared off into space. “All this work is making me thirsty. I could use a drink,” Amethyst said aloud. “What’ll ya have?” a voice rang out. In an instant, Amethyst realized he was no longer in his house but in the prancing pony bar. He found himself on a barstool in front of a bar counter made of brown wood. The bar was empty, its various round wooden tables and chairs lacking any occupants. In front of Amethyst stood none other than the ruler of Equestria, Princess Celestia. “Umm, I’ll have a cup of hot java please, Princess,” Amethyst said. With a start, he realized that his voice was no longer feminine but had returned to its former masculine tone. Amethyst looked down and saw that his body was once again male down to the last detail. However he wasn’t completely normal, he also took notice of the fact that he was wearing a pink dress. Despite the peculiarity of the whole situation Amethyst just said, “And a muffin to celebrate my return to stallionhood.” “No problem, my little pony. I’ll get to work on that java. If you want a muffin you need to make the muffin face,” Celestia said with a smile. Amethyst nodded and promptly crossed his eyes; a muffin instantly appeared right in front of him. After he started nibbling on his muffin, which was strangely tasteless, he watched as the princess took out a map and cut out a piece of it using a scalpel. The piece of the map she had cut from the map was of the island of Java. Celestia promptly stuffed the map piece into a coffee mug and floated it to Amethyst. He peered into the mug and found the map had been replaced by actual brown liquid. Without a second thought, Amethyst started guzzling the coffee down. he stopped a few seconds later. “Hey princess, you forgot the seasoning,” Amethyst said, motioning to his coffee. “Oh my bad. One or two lumps?” Celestia said with a smile. “Just one, I’m trying to cut down,” Amethyst replied. Celestia proceeded to levitate a small teacup-sized cat from behind the desk and promptly dropped it into Amethyst’s coffee. The cat vanished from sight inside the cup. “Thanks” Amethyst said as he continued drinking the coffee and munching on the muffin. “Hey princess, a drink for me and my most recent conquest!” a familiar voice rang out. Amethyst turned to see the familiar sight of Misty Charm with a blurry looking mare standing next to him. “Hey Misty, who’s the mare?” Amethyst asked. “It’s you, silly,” Misty replied. The moment Misty said that, the mare came into focus and she turned out to be a gender-bent Amethyst. Amethyst blinked at the sight, and the moment he blinked, he realized that he had swapped places with the mare. Amethyst gazed back in awe as he saw his stallion self sitting at the barstool drinking the coffee and wearing what Amethyst now realized was the dress his youngest sister had worn during her ballet recital when he was fifteen. “So babe, are you ready for a good time,” Misty asked the once again female Amethyst. Amethyst couldn’t help but smile seductively at Misty at hearing the sound of his voice. “You know I am,” Amethyst replied flirtatiously. Misty and Amethyst promptly found themselves passionately kissing one another. Soon after that the situation got progressively more passionate, eventually evolving into the two making love to each other. Throughout the whole experience, Amethyst was terrified his biggest fears were becoming a reality. Amethyst froze in terror as he felt the weight of Misty on top of him. As Amethyst’s panic began to wane, a new feeling welled up in him, need. Amethyst couldn’t explain it but he suddenly felt overwhelming need. He didn’t just want Misty to do him he needed Misty to do him. As Misty continued, Amethyst found himself in pleasure. Sweet Celestia, this feels so right. Amethyst thought. Amethyst lost all capacity to think properly as pleasure overwhelmed his entire being. Amethyst could feel something was coming. He didn’t know what but he wanted it to happen with every fiber of his being. Then it happened, a sudden burst of pleasure. Before Amethyst could regain his composure, he was suddenly in his bed. Misty was no longer present, Amethyst found himself alone, in the home he shared with Misty. Soon after Amethyst realized the whole thing had been a dream. After regaining his composure, Amethyst started to think back on the dream. “I don’t even like coffee, it’s so bitter. “ Amethyst scowled as waves of disgust washed over him. Amethyst noted that his voice was feminine as he said that, this meant that Amethyst was still a mare. Soon after that revelation was over, the full impact of the dream flooded his mind. “Oh buck… I dreamt that Misty bucked me, and I loved it,” Amethyst said. He soon curled up in his bed, eyes wide at the implication of that. He hugged his tail as thoughts danced in his head about the dream. I’ve never had such a disturbing dream; it felt so real. I suppose I have thought about Misty and me… doing it since the moment I changed. Honestly I have even been a bit curious. But that was too much for me. It felt so real, so good. I’ve had wet dreams before, but this is entirely different, I’ve never had a wet dream in this body before. As Amethyst thought that, his stomach growled. May as well get some breakfast, hopefully it’ll take my mind off this whole mess, Amethyst thought. He promptly got out of bed and got out some carrots for breakfast. As he did, he became aware of a smell on his body. “Better take a shower,” he said as he went into the bathroom. As he walked toward the bathroom, a green book on his desk caught his eye. As Amethyst looked at the book, he promptly remembered everything that had transpired the night before. He wasn’t analyzing any of the artifacts he found in Clovis’s lab, they were all in large bags in his cabin. What got Amethyst’s attention in the large collection was a single book. The book was small, a single hoof or a very weak levitation spell could easily lift it, and it was only about 1000 pages long. The entire book was blank save for a single sentence on the first page that read, “The words of this book shall only appear in the light of the blue alicorn.” Amethyst could sense immediately that the book was enchanted to some degree. He strongly believed that this book – despite its small size – was indeed the enchanting formula book he was looking for. All he needed to do was decipher the odd riddle in the front of the book. After reflecting on that, Amethyst got into the shower and quickly showered off the smells he had accumulated since yesterday. After he got out of the shower, he sat on the couch for a moment. “Hey Amethyst are you here?” a familiar voice called out as Amethyst sat on the couch. “Back here, Orchid,” Amethyst called out. Soon the sounds of hooves could be heard as Orchid came into the living room with Amethyst slumped over the couch. “My gosh Amethyst, you look terrible,” Orchid commented. “It’s nothing Orchid, just a bad dream is all,” Amethyst replied “It must have been one heck of a dream, you’ve got bags under your eyes,” Orchid said. “I do?” Amethyst asked. Orchid pulled out a small pocket mirror and levitated it in front of him. Amethyst was surprised to discover that Orchid was right, he could see very noticeable bags under his eyes. “Hey, maybe you should take a day off. Clearly you‘re more on edge than usual,” Orchid suggested. Amethyst knew that Orchid wasn’t wrong; the cumulative stress of being a mare piled on with the stress of day-to-day life was indeed putting him in a progressively foul mood. With a reluctant sigh Amethyst replied, “You’re right Orchid, I have been more stressed out than normal and that nightmare I had hasn’t helped at all.” “How about I take you somewhere to relieve that stress,” Orchid suggested. “I don’t know Orchid, last time you took me somewhere to have some fun I ended up being tortured for hours trying on the most nauseating array of dresses I've seen in a long time,” Amethyst said hesitantly. “Please Amethyst, I promise it won’t be as bad as the clothes shopping was,” Orchid begged. With a slight groan Amethyst said, “Fine.” “Yay! Let’s go.” Orchid bounced up and down, she stopped after a few seconds. Orchid sniffed in the air and commented, "is that perfume I smell?" Amethyst blushed and silently nodded. "Hmmm," Orchid took in the aroma. "Smells like Perhaps, nice choice, it suits you." Orchid smiled. "Err, thanks," Amethyst said with a blush. “This is not what I had in mind Orchid,” Amethyst grumbled. The two mares stood outside in front of a two story, white building with a sign that read “Maple Mountain Spa”. “When you said somewhere relaxing I was thinking of something like the bar, not a spa,” he quipped. “Come on Amethyst, what’s wrong with a little relaxation at the spa? I come here all the time,” Orchid said. “That’s the point…YOU come here all the time, not me. I’m Amethyst Shard. I’m a stallion for Celestia’s sake! Why would a stallion enjoy such a frilly place?”. “Well last I checked you weren’t a stallion. At least try it for me Amethyst?” Orchid asked with a frown. “No Orchid, enough girly stuff!” Amethyst said, pouting. “What’s wrong with trying this at least once? What’s the matter, you afraid you might enjoy it?” Orchid asked smugly. “I’m not afraid.” Amethyst blushed nervously. “If you’re not afraid then prove it – go in with me.” Orchid grinned. Amethyst couldn’t help but growl as he said, “Fine I’ll go in. But there’s no way I’m gonna wear makeup or something like that. I’ve got enough problems to worry about.” With a slight squeal, Orchid snatched Amethyst up and dragged him toward the front of the building. Amethyst looked on nervously as the revolving glass doors of the entrance began to approach in his field of vision. Why do I let Orchid talk me into this stuff, Amethyst thought as he was tugged through the doors. Inside was an extravagant waiting room. Amethyst could feel the moisture of a large fountain grace his small muzzle. As Amethyst admired the extravagant fountain his eyes drifted to a brown desk right in front of it. behind the desk sat two mares talking to various ponies in a line in front of them. Orchid released her grip on Amethyst and said, “Wait here while I get us a spot.” Orchid soon began walking away toward the front desk; this gave Amethyst the opportunity to take in his surroundings. The whole lobby had a bathroom like feel to it: Amethyst shuffled his hooves on the red carpet of the lobby. after that Amethyst found himself looking at the blurs of various ponies rushing from place to place their hooves clicked on white tile that also graced most parts of the floor. Most of the ponies were mares in bathrobes and white uniforms. Any stallions present were in the white uniforms the staff wore. As the mares in bathrobes walked past him, Amethyst found himself leering at the saying hips of the beautiful mares as they walked by. “Ok Lavender, they’re ready for us,” Orchid said, shaking Amethyst out of his trance. With a nod, Amethyst followed Orchid. She led Amethyst through the crowd and to a set of glass doors. Orchid continued through the doors into a hallway with red carpet, brown walls and fancy lights. Amethyst looked around as Orchid led him onward through the hallway. About halfway down the hall, Orchid stopped and turned to face a wooden door. “Here we are, we’re gonna start out with some massages,” Orchid said with a smile Amethyst looked around as he and Orchid entered the room. White tile lined both the ceiling and floor of the room. Various ponies were on massage tables getting various types of treatments from the staff of the spa. As Amethyst was watching, a beautiful mare approached himself and Orchid. “So are you two ready for your massages?” she asked. “I sure am,” Amethyst replied, looking at the mare with some hidden lust. “Ok then, Orchid you follow me and Lavender your masseuse will be with you shortly,” the mare said as she led Orchid away. Amethyst found himself frowning slightly at the fact that he wasn’t going to get a massage from that attractive mare. “Buongiorno si unicorno, are you ready for your massage?” a male voice rang out. Amethyst turned to see a brown furred stallion with a slight moustache and a short brown mane. He had a very prominent southlander accent. “Come my lady, relaxation awaits,” the stallion said motioning to be followed. It finally clicked for Amethyst that this stallion was his masseuse. Hesitantly Amethyst walked toward him. “Excellent, follow me back to my station,” the stallion said with a smile. Amethyst followed close behind. Soon the two came to a vacant massage table. “Get on the table and we can begin. Oh where are my manners: I’m Giorgio.” “Err...” Amethyst said. How stupid am I, he sounds like he's from the southlands. I’ve gotta be polite, Amethyst thought. He promptly shook his head and smiled politely. “My apologies sir, I am Lavender Star.” “Pleased to meet you Madam Star, shall we begin?” Giorgio said as he motioned to his table. With a nod, Amethyst hopped up and stuck his face into the hole on the table. “Ok let’s begin,” Giorgio said as he started feeling around Amethyst’s back. Amethyst couldn’t help but wince at the touch of Giorgio - he wasn’t used to being touched like that. “My god, Madam, I’ve never met a mare with so much tension in her body. You must have a really intense and stressful life to accumulate so much tension. But not to worry Miss, one session with me and you’ll feel better than you’ve ever felt in your life,” Giorgio said. Amethyst’s eyes went wide at the last phrase Giorgio said, memories of the dream he had last night soon flooded his mind once again. The thoughts made Amethyst start to fidget. Soon Amethyst felt a pressure on his back and that made Amethyst think about his dream even more. Soon enough, Amethyst found himself quivering at the very touch of Giorgio. “Is there problems miss, you seem uneasy?” Giorgio asked. Amethyst took his head out of the hole and said, “I’m not too sure I’m comfortable with this.” Amethyst got up from the table. “There is no need to fear, tell me what is wrong and I shall work to make sure you are comfortable,” Giorgio said. “Well” Amethyst fidgeted “I had a rather unpleasant dream last night, about me and a stallion… together.” “Ahh I see, the touch of a stallion such as myself brings back memories of that nightmare. Here,” Giorgio said as he reached into his front pocket and removed a picture. Understanding the cue, Amethyst took the picture in his magic and promptly looked at it. The picture was of Giorgio wearing a sombrero. Next to him, there was a vanilla furred pegasus mare with black hair, brown eyes and a red dress. In front of the two of them, a filly and a colt smiled as well. Neither of them had their cutie marks. “Who’s that?” Amethyst asked. “That is my lovely wife Marzia and my two young children. I love my wife more than anything in the world, I wouldn’t dream of leaving her for another mare. I only wish to give you a massage, nothing more. I hope that puts your mind at ease,” Giorgio said as he looked on reminiscing. This could be a ploy - some sort of pick up line, Amethyst thought, until he looked at Giorgio and recognized the look in his eyes: distant longing. Amethyst knew the look well because he’s seen it in his own eyes from time to time in his own reflection. “Ok Giorgio let’s do this,” Amethyst said as he got back up on the table. “I thank you Madam. I shall not disappoint you,” Giorgio said as he started rubbing around Amethyst’s back. “So Giorgio, where does your wife live?” Amethyst asked. “She lives in town,” Giorgio said as he continued to probe around Amethyst’s back. “I’m curious - where you are from, Giorgio?” Amethyst asked. “I’m from Venti Monstro,” Giorgio said as he started rubbing Amethyst’s back. Soon after Amethyst felt his muscles tingling, he wasn’t feeling super relaxed but certainly a lot better with the pressure Giorgio was applying. “Buona giornata Giorgio,” [Good day Giorgio] a new voice rang out. The voice was male and speaking Italian, but Amethyst couldn’t see what the speaker looked like. “Ciao Saffiro” [Hi Saffiro] Giorgio responded. “Vedo che hai una signora bella come patrono” [I see you have an attractive lady as your patron] the stallion named Saffiro said in a suggestive tone. “Per l'ultima volta, ho una moglie e sono stanchi di cercare di farmi imbrogliare su di lei.” [For the last time, I have a wife and I am getting tired of you trying to get me to cheat on her.] Giorgio replied in a somewhat irritated tone. "Ok mi scuso per questo commento, ma mi sarebbe arrivata questa donna alla mia tavola, che ha la maggior parte della stampa ho visto in un lungo periodo di tempo." [ok I apologize for that remark. Still I wish I could have gotten this woman at my table. She has the most beautiful plot I have seen in a long time] "La dama con il bellissimo ploto sa italiano, cretino." [The lady with the beautiful plot knows Italian, dumbass] Amethyst said while rolling his eyes. The next thing he heard was the sound of the other stallion stammering at hearing Amethyst talk. “I apologize I umm hear my laundry calling, I must run!” the other stallion said, the statement was quickly accompanied by the sound of frantic hooves galloping away. "Si parla italiano, ora mi ha colpito. Dimmi, dove hai imparato a parlare?" [You speak Italian; now I am impressed. Tell me, where did you learn to speak?] Giorgio asked with glee. "Ho viaggiato in equestroa centrale per molti anni. Io sono un archeologo da scambi ho dovuto imparare tutte le lingue necessarie per sopravvivere. So anche alcuni gryphoa." [I traveled in central Equestria for many years. I am an archaeologist by trade so I had to learn all of the languages necessary to survive there. I even know some gryphon language,] Amethyst replied proudly. “Grifone lingua, ora che è incredibile, può dire qualcosa del grifone lingua ed è raro che un cavallo apprende la lingua.” [Gryphon language, now that is amazing. Would you say something in the griffon tongue? It is rare that a pony learns that language.] "Certo, qui si va,” [Sure here I go] Amethyst said before taking a deep breath and continuing in gryphon language, “Tashma madeh kharga pesara fadash'a” (Your massage feels good.) “Wonderful, now I hate to spoil the good times but this next step will cause you considerable pain, but I promise you that once it’s over you’ll feel a lot better,” Giorgio said. “Err...ok?” Amethyst hesitated. “Are you ready? Giorgio asked. “Yes,” Amethyst said as he winced in anticipation. Soon after Amethyst felt a rather forceful push on the left side of his back. He couldn’t help but cringe as he felt a dull pain shoot through his body. As the pain continued he felt Giorgio furiously rub the spot that hurt the most. After what felt like a few minutes, the pain subsided, and Amethyst felt more relaxed than he had ever felt in his entire life. His eyes partially closed as Giorgio continued the massage. “Ok miss, I’m done. How do you feel?” “Like I turned into a pegasus and I’m sitting a nice puffy cloud,” Amethyst replied in a very relaxed tone. “I am pleased, you can get up now,” Giorgio said. Amethyst got off the table feeling limp as a wet noodle. “Come again real soon.” Giorgio smiled as Amethyst walked away with a huge relaxed grin on his face. Soon enough, Orchid had put herself in front of Amethyst. “Soooo how do you feel?” “Awesome,” Amethyst replied with a lazy smile. “Yay! now let’s move on to our next room,” Orchid said with a slight clap of her fore hooves. “I’m sooo ready if it’s as good as that massage was. I can’t wait to get there,” Amethyst said. “Well follow me then,” Orchid said as she led Amethyst away. The two walked through the halls until Orchid opened another pair of doors. Beyond them lay another room with mares getting their hooves polished by the spa attendants. “We’re getting hooficures,” Orchid said. Hooficures? What the hell is this? Amethyst thought as anger started to rise up in him. He contained the bulk of his frustration but his face couldn’t hide his emotions that well. “Orchid, can I have a word with you…in private?” Amethyst said through clenched teeth. “Umm sure there’s a mare’s bathroom to the left,” Orchid said as concern built on her face. Soon the two mares found themselves inside a vacant bathroom. “Orchid, why are you doing this to me?” Amethyst asked doing his best to keep the irritation out of his tone, something which he was largely successful at. “Doing what?” Orchid asked. “This whole feminizing thing, the moment I ended up in this body you’ve done nothing but try to turn me into this girly girl thing. The only question I have for you is why? Why are you so gung ho on making me into a ’proper lady’? And don’t say it’s because you’re trying to keep my cover, I’ve learned enough these past few days to know that I probably would have passed fine for a mare without all of these so-called lessons. So for Celestia’s sake tell me why you’re really doing this,” Amethyst almost screamed. His anger soon came to a screeching halt when he noticed tears on Orchid’s cheeks. “If you really want to know,” Orchid sobbed, “when Misty broke up with me I-I...” Orchid broke out crying for a moment before regaining her composure. “I could barely take it, he was my first coltfirend and he chewed me up and spat me out like a piece of trash! You’re my best friend Amethyst, but you’re a stallion and few stallions know the fine art of making a lady happy. “I, I was kind of hoping that if you learned a little more about how mares live than maybe, someday when you change back and have a mare to love of your own, you would know how to treat her right. I love you as a friend Amethyst. I can’t bear the thought of seeing you devastated by having a relationship go bad for you the way my relationship with Misty went bad for me. I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable. I promise I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do anymore.” Orchid resumed crying soon after finishing. Really! That’s her explanation. I can’t believe she would try and do that to me, Amethyst thought with a scowl. As Amethyst watched Orchid sob to herself, Amethyst couldn’t help but feel guilty for yelling at her. I sure hope I don’t end up regretting this, Amethyst thought as he glanced around. Soon after, Amethyst walked over to Orchid. Orchid looked up and watched as Amethyst wrapped his forelegs around her. “It’s ok, Orchid. I know you meant well. However, I just don’t feel right being the lady you want me to be. Listen, I’ll get a hooficure for you. I promised I’d at least try this whole spa thing. I hate seeing a good friend of mine cry, especially you, Orchid. You’ve been through too much. Nopony deserves what happened to you and despite my friendship with Misty, I will never forgive him for breaking up with you the way he did.” “Oh, Amethyst,” Orchid said as a smile crept across her face. “Thank you for saying that. You’re an awesome friend.” “You’re welcome Orchid, now shall we get that hooficure?” Amethyst asked with a smile. “Of course. Hey Amethyst could I ask you to do one more lady-like thing for me?” Orchid asked hesitantly. “Tell me what it is first,” Amethyst replied. “I’m having a party with some of my friends, could you come please?” “Ok Orchid, but that’s the last feminine thing I’m doing. Besides, a party could be fun - when is it?” Amethyst asked. “Just before the spring festival.” “Next week then. Excellent, I might be back to normal by then,” Amethyst said with a smile. “Umm Amethyst...it’s a mare’s only party,” Orchid said matter of factly. “Oh, well I’m definitely gonna come then, how often does a stallion get a free pass into a mare’s only slumber party?” “Thanks Amethyst, I promise that I’ll bail you out if they want to do something you’re not comfortable with.” Orchid smiled. “Thanks Orchid, now shall we finish off this spa trip?” The locks on the front door of Amethyst’s store clicked open and promptly was swung open. A blue Pegasus entered through the front door. “Hey Shard, I’m home early. Yo shard you here?” Misty called out. “Ehh must be in that rickety old castle,” he continued to himself. Misty began walking through the store until he was back in the living quarters. He propped himself up on the couch and let out an “ahh” as he put his hind legs on the table. “Well that was a bad convention. I never knew that Spitfire could hit so hard.” Misty said as he started rubbing his cheek. As he sat there, he caught wind of a smell in the air. “Hmmm I know that smell, the delightful scent of Perhaps perfume. wonder where it came from?” As Misty scanned the room he caught saw a red miniskirt on the couch arm and a black mare’s vest. “Wonder whose clothes those are?” Misty thought for a moment. “Oooooh man the smell and these clothes can only mean one thing: Good old Amethyst got himself a marefriend - about damn time he got himself a girl.” Misty smiled. “I hope she’s hot!” Misty mused as he put his hooves up on the couch. Author's Note thanks to the wesphalian musketeer, mcpoodle, spark, and apple fritter for editing if anyone sees any problems with the Italian translations in the story please PM me chapter 8The sun of Celestia was setting to the west; in an hour or two it would set completely. Orchid Seed and Amethyst Shard walked up the sidewalk, their hooves sparkling in the sunlight. Amethyst turned his eyes to the sky. “I’m surprised that whole spa trip turned out as well as it did; even the hooficure turned out better than I thought it would be. I wouldn’t do it every day to be sure, but I’d definitely be up for that spice bath a bit more often.” Amethyst sighed. “I’m glad you had fun, Amethyst,” Orchid said with a smile. “So Orchid, what do you think the girls will want to do at the party?” Amethyst asked as he shot a quizzical look toward Orchid. “Oh just normal girly stuff. Like make overs, truth or dare...” Orchid smiled and waved her hoof in the air. Amethyst and Orchid arrived home, and Amethyst unlocked the front door to his house. The pair proceeded to enter as they continued talking. “Girly stuff..if this had been a few hours ago I wouldn’t even consider such a thing. But honestly, after that whole spa trip, I’m willing to at least try it once.” Amethyst smiled with his eyes closed. “That’s great!” Orchid replied as she and Amethyst giggled a bit. “So who’s going to--” Amethyst sputtered to a stop. He and Orchid had just entered Amethyst’s house and sitting on the couch was Misty. Amethyst’s eyes bulged upon seeing him. The color drained from his face the more he took in the sight of Misty reading through a dirty magazine. Misty looked up and visibly jumped at the sight of Orchid. “Orchid!” Misty said as his eyes darted around the room. He got off the couch and walked over to her. “Misty, I thought you were supposed to be at some convention somewhere,” Orchid said coldly. Amethyst watched as Orchid’s tail started to flick and her ears pulled back on her head. “They sent me home early… what are you doing here, and who’s the girl?” Misty said while motioning to Amethyst. Orchid’s eyes narrowed into an angry glare. “She’s a friend of mine, why does it matter?” “I’m just wondering if--” Misty paused for a second. “--Why does she look exactly like Amethyst?” “Listen Misty,” Amethyst timidly started to say. However Misty raised his eyebrows in response to Amethyst’s small squeak. “Let me guess, Amethyst went into that old castle, unearthed some magical doohickey, and somehow made a completely female clone of himself. And of course being exactly the same person, Amethyst and mare Amethyst hit it off and mare Amethyst is Amethyst‘s new marefriend.” Misty smirked. Orchid promptly rolled her eyes and replied, “And what makes you think that Amethyst is dating this mare? Even if she was a female copy of Amethyst he wouldn’t do that.” Without a moment’s hesitation, Misty interrupted and continued talking. “The signs are everywhere Orchid: the skimpy dress….” Misty motioned to the dress. “...The perfume...all the signs are here that these two are dating.” “Ugggh!” Orchid fired back with an intense glare. “Misty you’re always so sexist. Just because a mare wants to wear a short skirt doesn’t mean she automatically wants a stallion to like her.” “But it’s such a skimpy outfit--why else would a mare even have a dress like that?” Misty said with a suggestive grin. “Because she likes how short skirts make her feel. Seriously do you know anything about the mares you ‘conquer’?” Orchid replied with a roll of her eyes. “All right, let’s clear this whole mess up right now. Where’s Amethyst? Let’s just let him explain it.” Misty crossed his hooves. “He’s right here.” Orchid said as she motioned to Amethyst. Amethyst looked towards the ground as Orchid motioned over to him, the look of shyness was evident on his face. Misty scratched his head and raised his eyebrows at Orchid’s gesture “Umm so Amethyst turned himself invisible too?” Orchid promptly face-hoofed at Misty’s remark. “Misty, you’re as thick-headed as ever.” A glare formed on Misty’s face as he set his magazine down.“Will somepony kindly explain to me what the buck is going on here?” Amethyst couldn’t take the tension in the room anymore. He felt his legs quake. Misty and Orchid stared at each other intensely. Then Amethyst squinched his eyes together and he blurted out, “Misty I’m Amethyst; I’ve been transformed into a mare.” A shocked look developed on Misty’s face. “Ummm, what?” “I found a magic figurine in King Clovis’ castle and...it changed me into a mare.” Amethyst continued with a slight blush and shuffle of his left forehoof. Silence descended over the three ponies as the weight of the matter started to sink in for Misty. Misty’s eyes were wide as dinner plates, and his mouth hung from his jaw as well. Orchid merely stood there, a neutral expression gracing her face. “When did this happen?” Misty asked, his face still aghast with shock. “Just after you left,” Amethyst answered as he shuffled his hoof again. There was a long pause.. “Wow Amethyst, that’s a lot to take in. You being a mare is kinda strange but to be honest I think it’s kinda cool.” Misty said with a smile. “Kinda cool?” Amethyst raised an eyebrow in both suspicion and incredulity. “Sure dude, I mean how often does a stallion get the chance to see a sexy mare first thing every morning? A mare that basically will do anything he wants to because he is the mare.” “Err...yeah,” Amethyst mumbled back. “So Amethyst, what’s it feel like to wear a dress?” Misty asked with a growing smile. “Oook, I can see where this is going.” Orchid said as she rolled her eyes again. “I’m gonna leave before Misty says something particularly rude and offensive, because I don’t want to hear it.” Fitting actions to her words, Orchid abruptly did a one-hundred-eighty degree turn and left the room. After she left, Amethyst noticed that Misty had begun to develop a somewhat lusty look on his face. The expression made Amethyst shrink in his stance even more than he was already. “So anyways, the dress, what‘s it feel like when you wear it?” Misty asked, his lusty look only growing more prominent. “Well when I wore it, I felt pretty hot in more ways than one…” Amethyst blushed as he tried to avoid eye contact with Misty. “Awesome. So, Amethyst, mind if I ask a few more questions?” Misty smirked. “Not really...fire away,” Amethyst replied as he started to look more in Misty’s direction. “So...did you test out the new-ahem-recreation areas yet?” Misty said with a wink. Amethyst blushed hard and shrunk a bit from the question, “Errr yeah once or twice.” Amethyst looked back over at Misty and noticed that his lusty smile had given way to a neutral look. At seeing that Amethyst started to calm down a bit and looked back at Misty. “So how long do you figure you’ll be like this?” Misty asked again, his voice carrying a no-nonsense feel to it. Amethyst felt himself get a lot more comfortable looking in Misty’s direction. “At the rate I’m going in deciphering how the figurine’s magic works, I figure I should be able to devise a counter relic in a week or two.” “Cool. I figure since you were with Orchid she must have seen you like this early on,” Misty noted. Amethyst nodded in response. Soon after Amethyst noticed Misty looking at his hooves, a look of confusion also developing on his face. “Err, Shard.” Misty paused. “You got your hooves done. Why?” “Orchid’s been showing me how mares live their lives since she found me like this. She took me to the spa today and I...got a hooficure.” Amethyst said with a slight giggle. “So you’re learning how a mare behaves, from Orchid?” Misty cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah...” Amethyst replied nervously. Misty sighed and put his hoof to his forehead. “Shard, Orchid Seed is most certainly not your average mare. She’s a nice mare to be sure but she’s...umm how do I put this?” Misty raised his hoof and looked up to his left. A few seconds later, Misty resumed his normal stance. “...Boring, You can’t go assuming that all mares are like Orchid. There are cool mares in Equestria.” He jumped a little bit, as if a lightbulb had just gone off in his head. “Hey Shard, since you’re open to the whole ‘learning how mares tick’ thing maybe I could get you in touch with a friend of mine who knows a lot about cool mares.” Misty put on a trusting smile. “Umm, sure I guess it could be ok,” Amethyst replied in an uncertain tone. “Cool,” Misty said with a huge grin on his face. “We can go see her tomorrow morning. So, care for some hayburgers? I got some on the way home.” “You bet I am!” Amethyst smiled from cheek to cheek. “Same old Amethyst, always up for some hayburgers,” Misty chuckled. “So Misty, who is this mare we’re going to see today?” Amethyst asked. A quizzical look graced Amethyst’s face. A day had passed since Amethyst came home to find Misty there. Misty and Amethyst were walking down a street in the town of Maple Mountain; the sun was approaching noon and the skies were crystal clear. There was a spring in Misty’s step today, the joy on his face was evident to Amethyst.“A good friend of mine. She works with me on the weather team. She’s like the coolest mare I know.” “Don’t you have to do weather work today?” Amethyst asked. “Nah, I only have to work on cloudy days. And as you can see, it’s as sunny as ever,” Misty replied. Amethyst looked to his right and noticed a small, wispy cloud drifting off in the distance. “But what about that cloud over there?” Amethyst said motioning to the cloud. “Errr, hold on a second.” Misty took to the air. He flew towards the cloud and with a swift kick of his hind legs disposed of it. “The captain always appreciates it when off-duty pegasi do some weather control.” Amethyst nodded and the two continued onward. As they walked, Amethyst took note of a distinct change of scenery. The graffiti-slathered walls of the buildings they now passed stood in contrast to the clean walls of the town beforehand. The former part of town had ponies of all descriptions visiting high-end stores, while this section of the town had considerably less hoof traffic and most were just heading to unseen locations or just standing around. As the pair walked down the street, Amethyst took note of a small group of gryphons sitting outside of a small restaurant. Amethyst noticed that Misty was tensing up at the sight of them. Amethyst instead decided to keep his cool, making no change in his stance as they walked by the restaurant. Soon the two ponies were well clear and on their way to another street. Several minutes later, the two ponies found themselves at a cabin several blocks away. The building was in shambles: its roof was missing shingles, and the lawn was extremely uneven. Amethyst’s ears twitched at a vague sound coming from inside. “Here we are, Amethyst, the home of the coolest mare I know,” Misty announced with a wave of his hoof. With a nod Misty lead Amethyst onward to the house of this mare. When they got to the front door, Misty knocked, only to receive no answer. The noise that Amethyst heard from before became more prominent as they waited. Sounds like rock music, Amethyst thought. Misty banged on the door harder and once again received no response. The pegasus sighed and looked around the porch. He set his eyes on a foam statue of a mare sitting on the porch. The statue leaned back on her hind legs as she held a guitar. The pedestal of the statute read “Rock On”. Misty reached his hoof under the statue’s pedestal and produced a metal key. He walked over to the door and used this key to unlock the door. With a turn of the handle, Misty opened the door wide open. Instantly, their ears were assaulted by very loud electric guitar music. The interior of the cabin was similar to that of Amethyst’s cabin. The living room was right out in the front. The kitchen and basement entrance were not present in this cabin. Crumpled up hayburger wrappers and wrinkled clothes littered the floor. A raised rectangular platform could be seen at the end of the room, and two large speakers stood on either side of it. Atop the platform was also a yellow pegasus mare playing a red guitar, the living embodiment of the statue outside. Her spiky red mane rustled as she nodded her head to the beat of the music. Amethyst took notice that she also had several piercings on her face and several small earrings. Her cutie mark of a red music note stood prominently on her flank as she continued to play her electric guitar. Misty and Amethyst just stood there and watched the mare play her heart out on her electric guitar. Amethyst’s ears winced at the extreme volume of the music this mare was playing. The solo continued for about five minutes before the mare leapt into the air and scooted along the platform as a final riff echoed throughout the room. She opened her blue eyes to see Misty and Amethyst standing in front of her. She quickly got back on her four legs and set her guitar down. “Hey Misty, what’s up?” the mare said as she extended her front hoof for a brohoof. Misty promptly hoofed her back. “I thought you were at that big summit?” she asked Misty with a cocked eyebrow. “They kicked me out early. Apparently, Spitfire doesn’t like me hitting on her,” Misty said with a grumble. Amethyst couldn’t help but mentally face hoof. “Seems she couldn’t handle the good old Misty charm,” the mare said with a smirk on her face. “Yeah,” Misty chuckled. The mare got up into Misty’s face, a huge smile on her lips as she put her snout within mere inches of Misty’s.“Sooo, what did you think of the song?” she asked. “Awesome as ever, Sunny,” Misty said with a nervous smile. After hearing that, the mare leaned back a bit. “So Misty, what’s up?” she asked. “This is Lavender Star,” Misty said, using the name Amethyst had told him to use. Amethyst shyly waved at the mare. The mare looked over at Amethyst, then waved back. “Hey there Lavender. I’m Sunny Skies.” “So Misty is this your latest hook-up?” Sunny asked Misty with a smirk. “She‘s got a nice plot.” Amethyst and Misty both blushed pretty hard at the implication. “No no Sunny,” Misty said nervously. “She’s a sister of my friend Amethyst.” “Amethyst‘s sister? Wow good looks must run in his family!” Sunny replied with a lusty grin. “Anyways Sunny, Lavender here doesn’t have any idea how to have any fun. She lives in Canterlot, and she’s looking to have some fun while she’s here. I figure you’re the most fun and awesome mare around. Maybe you could show her a little something?” Misty asked with a smirk. “You’re looking for some fun Lavender?” Sunny asked. “Well you’ve come to the right place. I’ll show you how to have lots of fun.” “Err, ok then,” Amethyst said, as he stared towards the ground nervously. “Splendid!” Sunny smirked a bit “Let’s get going and you can come along too Misty. After all, the more the merrier!” “Sure ok,” Misty said nervously. “Where are we going?” “We’re going shopping. But not boring old dress shopping...we’re going fun shopping!” Sunny said with a confident look on her face. Sunny, Misty and Amethyst stood outside of a store with a sign that read “The Beachside Shack”. The three of them were on a wooden pier next to a beach. Most of the buildings out here were made of wood, and several benches sat in front of them. The pier was in pristine condition, and potted plants and flowers were all over the place. The area was bustling with ponies, most of them were unicorns in upscale clothing. The rest of the ponies were just regular ponies of other races, most lacking any real clothing at all. “Here we are, the most awesome store in the whole town,” Sunny announced with a motion toward the location in front of them. Amethyst watched Misty turn his head and look around the area. “Sunny I thought you hated the tourist areas, so why are we here?” Sunny closed her eyes in disgust and stuck her tongue out. “I hate most of those upscale places. But the Beachside Shack isn’t one of them. Sure the owner doesn’t get a lot of tourist money, but he carries the most awesome clothes in the whole city,” “So how exactly is going shopping here going to be fun?” Amethyst asked with a sceptical eye. “Where we’re going later today, you’re gonna need a killer bathing suit.” Sunny put her hoof to her chin as if she were in deep thought. “Also, I could use a new board.” “But what am I doing here?” Misty asked in exacerbated confusion. “Just sit back and act confused about why we girls like to shop,” Sunny said with a smug look on her face. “Oh wait, it’s not an act, is it?” The answer only made the confusion grow on Misty’s face. “Come on Lavender, we have a great day ahead of us!” Sunny said as she pulled a somewhat freaked-out Amethyst into the shop. Sunny opened the door and an attached bell rang. Amethyst looked around the shop in awe at the sheer volume of stuff available for sale. Wooden walls and floors surrounded Amethyst, while the ceiling had yellow thatching for its roof. A window graced the far side of the building with a good view of the beach outside. Amethyst glanced around at the ponies in the store as they sorted through racks of various bathing suits. “Just pick anything you like Lavender. I’m gonna go and buy a new surfboard,” Sunny said as she walked away. “Well here goes nothing, Misty,” Amethyst said with a blush as he walked further into the store. As Amethyst walked, he took note of the merchandise that was available. All around him, Amethyst saw various colors of swimwear. He blushed at the sight of the bikini bottom pieces. Some the bottom pieces also had special bra like attachments to accentuate the teats of a mare. He also saw trunks made specifically for stallions, to hide any potential embarrassments. Amethyst focused on the mares’ swimsuits because that’s what Sunny wanted him to get. The store carried swimwear in just about every color Amethyst could imagine. Not all of the swimwear there were bottom pieces though, Amethyst saw a few mare’s bathing vests along with the occasional full body suit. Amethyst browsed through the swimsuits looking for just the perfect one, then his eyes fixed on a lime green bottom that showed off the teats very well. Hmm that one looks nice, and from what I know about color science green will compliment my purple fur, Amethyst thought as he grabbed the bathing suit with his magic. “May as well try it on to see how it looks,” Amethyst said as he searched for a dressing room. Sure enough, he spoted a blue mare coming out of a dressing booth to his left. He promptly went over to the dressing room and entered it. He slipped on the one-piece suit and quickly discovered that it was painfully tight on his backside. “Crud, too small, why can’t I ever get these sizes right?” Amethyst muttered as he took the bikini back off again. Amethyst thought back to the last time he went shopping with Orchid. He remembered that Orchid’s friend measured him for size. Sadly, Amethyst had completely forgotten what size he was since then. “Seems like I’ll have to just keep on trying out suits until I figure out what size I am,” Amethyst said to himself with a sigh. Amethyst exited the dressing room and went back into the store. As he was walking he passed several mare’s trying on various swimsuits. Amethyst blushed as he observed the predominantly female clientele shop around. Soon enough, Amethyst found himself at another rack of swimsuits. May as well start here. Several minutes went by, as Amethyst tried on bathing suit after bathing suit only to have them be either too big or too small. Ten suits later, Amethyst found himself looking at an X-13 sized pink bottom with a matching bathing vest. “I’m going to try this one, even though I hate pink.” Amethyst remarked as he levitated the bathing suit back to the dressing room. Within moments upon entering the dressing room, Amethyst had taken the suit off the hanger and put it on. “Finally, a suit that fits.” Amethyst sighed as he realized the suit didn’t pinch or sag. “Now that I know what my body size is, should I go looking for another suit, or should I quit while I’m ahead?” Amethyst pondered to himself. With a shrug, he walked out of the stall wearing his new suit. He searched the store until he came upon Misty. Misty turned to look at Amethyst and remarked, “Nice suit Shar--err Star. It looks great on ya!” He also smiled. “Umm thanks,” Amethyst replied with a slight shuffle of a hoof. “Hey there!” Sunny’s voice rang out. Misty and Amethyst turned to see Sunny standing there with a new pair of sunglasses and a red surfboard. “Nice choice Lavender, you’ve got a decent fashion sense,” Sunny complimented with a slight hoof bump. “Thanks, I tried my best,” Amethyst said as he looked down a bit. After that, Amethyst made his way to a wooden desk at the side of the store. There was a short line of mares waiting there to be checked out. Behind the counter sat a stallion with a brown mane, mustache and a pair of sunglasses. As Amethyst approached the counter he noticed that the stallion also had a hawiian shirt on. “Nice choice miss, that suit looks great on you. five bits please” the stallion said. Amethyst nodded and levitated a large bit from his mane and put it on the counter “ here, a ten bit piece” The stallion nodded and took the bit behind the counter and promptly put five gold coins in front of Amethyst. The stallion smiled, “here’s your change madam.” Amethyst took the bits and put them in his mane. “Good hunting madam.” the stallion winked. Amethyst walked away from the stallion as quickly as he could. Soon after he found himself standing next to Sunny and Misty. “Well guys, let’s head to the beach. The day is still young and the stallions are hot.” Sunny gave a large grin. Waves crashed on the shore of the beach. The day remained clear. Ponies of all descriptions were having fun playing on the beach. Everyone there was having a good time...except for Amethyst. Misty looked on at Amethyst as he just stood on the beach with a sour look on his face. The pink two-piece bathing suit Amethyst wore stood out prominently on his wet body. Misty sat on a beach towel, soaking in the rays of the sun. He took a sip of some pink punch as he looked around the beach. Misty could see the other side of the lake from where he sat. While the ponies on the other shore were hard to discern, Misty could make out the dots of several pegasi flying over the center of the lake. They provided a moderately strong breeze to help cool the beachgoers off and generated decent sized waves for anypony who wanted to surf. Misty couldn’t help but focus on Amethyst’s wet, feminine plot as the stallion-turned-mare walked up to Misty. “Why are we here Misty?” Amethyst asked with a slight roll of his eyes. “I hate beaches; my family used to vacation in Los Pegasus, and I always hated it when we went to a beach,” Amethyst continued, disdain evident in his voice and on his face. “I don’t know Shard,” Misty said with a tilt of his head. “This is all Sunny’s idea, not mine. Besides, I thought you liked being by the sea?” “I like sailing, Misty; I enjoy the thrill of adventuring on the high seas, not sitting on a boiling hot beach, my fur soaking wet from a shower, and being hit on by every stallion that lays eyes on me. I might have hated beach trips with my parents, but this is a completely new low for me. At least when I was a stallion I didn’t have to wear this ridiculous outfit!” Amethyst huffed and crossed his forelegs into a pout. “Come on, Lavender,” the voice of Sunny called out as she swooped in from the skies. She wore a prominent white bikini bottom and a pair of sunglasses. “There’s a volleyball game in a few minutes and my team needs another player,” Sunny said as she started dragging Amethyst by the tail. Amethyst teleported a very short distance to escape Sunny “No thanks, Sunny,” Amethyst said. “Aww come on, please Lavender, don’t be such a Canterlot tightwad. Come and have fun with us!” Sunny said with a look of pleading on her face Misty knew full well how Amethyst would reply to that remark; he shielded himself behind a magazine, knowing that Sunny was totally in for it. “I am NOT a tightwad!” Amethyst exclaimed. “I hate those snooty Canterlot scumbags almost as much as I hate Mythic Fire. So, to prove I’m not one of them, I’ll play volleyball!” “All right then, atta girl!” Sunny said as she slapped Amethyst’s back. Sunny put her hoof behind Amethyst’s neck and led him away. I gotta see this, Misty thought as he followed the mares. They all walked down the beach until they arrived at a makeshift volleyball net. Several ponies had gathered around and were waiting with anticipation. Three mares of various races stood on one side of the net while a single mare stood on the other side of the net. Misty took a seat next to an attractive young pegasus mare with green fur and a black mane. Maybe I can get another girl into my bed tonight if I play my cards right! Misty thought as he glanced over at this pegasus. As soon as Misty thought that, an orange pegasus stallion sat down next to the mare. Misty frowned as he watched the two of them nuzzle each other. Rats, she’s taken already. Oh well might as well enjoy the show. Misty turned his attention back to the volleyball game. Sunny and Amethyst had both joined the lone mare while Misty had been preoccupied. The game got underway. The mares on the opposing team spiked the ball at Amethyst and he flinched as the ball landed next to him. “What’s the matter with you? Put your head in the game! You wanna win, don’t you?” Sunny said as she harshly glared at Amethyst. “Sorry, I lost focus for a moment,” Amethyst said as a frown spread across his face. Sunny’s team had control of the ball next. When the opposing team tried to spike the ball at Amethyst again, he reacted and hit the ball into the air, only to have it drop right next to Sunny. She glared at Amethyst and he flinched at the scorn of Sunny’s glare. Misty clasped his forelegs to his mouth and shouted. “Come on Lavender, I know you got it in you! You’ve done all kinds of awesome stuff. Just imagine that you’re in a temple or something.” Misty smiled as he saw Amethyst’s ears perk up at his words. Soon enough Amethyst’s face was brimming with confidence. Misty watched as the three mares on the other side of the net grinned and nodded to each other. Soon enough the opposing team had spiked the ball at Amethyst again. Without missing a beat, Amethyst intercepted the spike midair and passed the ball to Sunny. Soon after, Amethyst started playing flawlessly. He intercepted numerous spike attempts and scored several points on the opposing team. Misty couldn’t keep the joy off his face as he saw the entire crowd rooting for Amethyst. Words of cheer echoed from the crowd as Amethyst scored goal after goal on the opposing team. Amethyst was about to make another spike on the opposing team when a stallion called out from the audience: “You got a great ass!” The catcall was more than enough to break Amethyst’s concentration. He ended up spiking the ball right into the head of a unicorn mare on the other team. The ball hit her square in the forehead and her horn popped it. The enthusiasm from the crowd died down. Misty was stunned when he heard the catcall and was shocked to see Amethyst’s face. Sunny looked pretty upset, her face was burning up and she stamped her hoof on the ground. “Lavender you idiot! Now the other team gets a point.” “Is the game over?” Amethyst was looking at the ground, a look of shame rapidly building on his face. “No, Spinner can repair the ball. See?” Sunny said as she motioned to the unicorn. The unicorn named Spinner had cast a spell on the ball, knitting the pieces back together and filling them with air. “How often does that happen?” Amethyst asked with a quizzical look on his face. “Not often during a game, but all the time when she practices at home,” Sunny replied. Misty looked over at the frowning mare. She had purple fur similar to Amethyst’s, but her mane was light blue instead of black. Her cutie mark was a multi-colored spinning wheel and her eyes were green. Amethyst walked over to Spinner and said, “Sorry for spiking the ball into your head.” “It’s ok, that rude stallion distracted you. I just wish I could get better but the ball keeps popping whenever I practice at home.” Spinner replied with a frown. “I can help with that,” Amethyst smiled as he lit his horn with magic. An aura formed on Amethyst’s horn and slowly trickled into the ball. Soon enough the aura dissipated. Amethyst smiled as he looked over at Spinner. “Try to pop it.” Spinner reluctantly pushed her horn into the beach ball and it didn’t pop. She pushed harder and harder and the ball didn’t give in to the pressure. Spinner looked impressed at seeing the ball not pop, “Wow, what did you do to it?” “I enchanted it to be impenetrable by sharp points. That charm will last for a few years before it’ll need recharging,” Amethyst said with a cheerful grin. Spinner looked at Amethyst. “Thanks Lavender. Don’t think this means I’ll go easy on you.” “Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Amethyst said as he returned to his position on the other side of the field. The game promptly resumed. Once again, Amethyst’s scores quickly dominated the game again, and before too long, the game was over. Amethyst had scored 15 points, his team had won. With a cheer, Amethyst smiled and bowed to the crowd. With a smile on his face, he took a moment to shake the hoof of the pegasus mare that was in charge of the opposing team. The crowd soon dispersed and Sunny, Misty and Amethyst started walking along the beach together. Sunny was bouncing up and down with glee.“Wow Lavender, I’ve never seen a mare from Canterlot play like that!” Amethyst blushed somewhat at hearing Sunny talk. “Thanks Sunny,” he said. “You know, I think you’re more than awesome enough for this,” Sunny said as she held up her red surfboard. Amethyst looked at it for a few seconds before nodding. “All right,” he said. “I’m willing to try it.” “Awesome, let’s go!” Sunny said as she led Amethyst down the beach. Misty just stood there, his eyes focusing on the swaying of Amethyst’s large plot. Gosh I never realized how hot Shard is in that body. He’s got his sister’s butt and that, coupled with an awesome attitude makes him the sexiest mare I’ve ever seen. I bet Amethyst is having the time of his life in that beautiful body. I‘d certainly be happy if I had attention like that. As Misty continued to watch a stallion came up to Amethyst and started saying something, Misty couldn’t make it out. He watched as Amethyst shrank from the stallion and promptly began walking away. The stallion turned his steps in Misty’s direction. Misty waited for him to arrive. “I see you’re admiring the plot on that lovely catch over there,” the stallion said to him. “Err yeah…” Misty said with a blush. “I Wouldn’t bother with that one; she’s certainly not open to lovin’ from awesome stallions like us,” he continued with a shake of his head. Misty grinned as he realized he could impress this stranger with a single phrase: “She’s my roommate.” The other stallion’s jaw dropped at hearing that “Whoa, you two are roomies?” A grin formed on his face. “That’s gotta be awesome!” “Yeah, it is. He--” Misty caught himself making the error and corrected himself. “--She’s a great friend.” Misty had a nervous look on his face. Fortunately the other stallion didn’t notice. “You strike me as a stallion who gets his way in bed,” the stallion said with a knowing grin. Misty couldn’t help but grin as he thought back on a few of his previous marefriends. “Yeah, you could say that...” Misty said with pride. “So what was it like havin’ her in your bed? I bet she’s just as gnarly in the sack as she is in real life!” the stallion replied with a wink. Misty recoiled at the assertion and replied “What?! No, no we’re just friends!” A look of shock crossed the other stallion’s face. “You’re not workin’ hard enough man. Look at her--she pulls away from the guys. Take it from me, brother, when a mare is that uptight about flirting, then she’s just yearning for a stallion to make her a mare--if you catch my drift. You’re her roommate, don’t just give up and stay in the friend zone! Assert yourself. Make yourself the stallion you know she craves!” The stallion bumped Misty’s shoulder and with a smirk said, “Go get ‘er tiger!” before walking away. Misty felt himself growing extremely angry as the stallion’s remarks resonated through his mind. The nerve of that bastard! That’s my friend Amethyst. Why in the name of Celestia would I want to have him as my girlfriend, we’re the same gender for crying out loud! Ok sure we’re not the same gender currently, and that stallion doesn’t know any better, but still! It’s Amethyst, he‘s the best friend I‘ve ever had, not some trophy to acquire… Misty paused in his thoughts as a realization hit him. Wow, being a mare must be a nightmare for Amethyst. It must be totally tearing him apart to have others think of him as nothing more than a sex object. Guess being female is a lot more complicated than a sexy ass to look at in the morning, Misty thought. “Hey everypony, the mare from the volleyball game is riding that wave out there,” a random mare shouted. Misty promptly turned to look out on the lake. Sure enough, there was Amethyst, riding on a surfboard on top of a modestly-sized wave. “Be careful Shard,” Misty said under his breath. Misty frowned with concern as he watched Amethyst ride the growing wave. Amethyst was very wobbly--Misty knew enough about surfing to know that Amethyst would likely fall off his board any minute now. Sure enough, the entire beach watched as Amethyst fell off his board and went into the water. Shard! Sweet Celestia I hope he’s alright, Misty thought as he chewed the edge of his hooves a bit. He sighed in relief when a soaked Amethyst reappeared on the beach in a teleportation field. Without a moment’s hesitation, Misty rushed over to Amethyst. “Sweet Celestia, Shard, are you ok?” Amethyst breathed heavily, his mane dripping wet and matted all over the ground. “Don’t worry about me Misty. I’ve come a lot closer to drowning than that before.” “Wow Lavender, that was totally radical!” Sunny called out as she rushed to Amethyst’s side. Amethyst sat up to address Sunny. “Thanks Sunny. Mind if I sit down for a bit?” Amethyst promptly flopped back on the ground without waiting for an answer. “All right then, let’s go greet your new admirers,” Sunny said as she motioned to a group of leery-eyed stallions. Amethyst never even bothered to get up this time. He just sat there flat on his back. “No thanks. I just wanna get myself some nice cold cider, maybe a nap while I’m at it.” “Come on Lavender, there’s so much fun to be had, especially with attractive stallions like them,” Sunny said as she winked at the group. “Sunny, we should just go,” Misty said with a concerned look on his face. Sunny’s eyes went wide. “What? Why? We’re having such a good time!” Misty motioned over to Amethyst. “Lavender’s all tuckered out from doing awesome stuff. Why don’t we go to the next place you wanted us to go?” Sunny looked pretty disappointed by this answer. “Tch fine, if you insist, Misty.” “Thanks Misty.” Amethyst whispered to Misty. Misty smiled, “Anything for my best friend,” he said. Sunny pouted and made an iconic duckface. “Spoilsport.” Author's Note thanks to mcpoodle and the wesphalian musketeer for editing chapter 9Confusion was the only look on Amethyst’s face as he looked at Sunny Skies. Amethyst watched on as Sunny flirted with a red-furred unicorn stallion. He watched with wide eyes as Sunny planted a kiss on the stallion right on the spot. With a wink Sunny smiled at the stallion and he walked off with a goofy smile on his face. Misty smugly looked over at Sunny. “So, did he bite?” “You bet he did--what stallion alive can resist this charm?” Sunny asked as she swayed her behind in Misty’s face. Misty smiled at the sight of Sunny’s backside. Meanwhile Amethyst just stared on in more confusion at Sunny’s antics. “So where are we going?” Amethyst asked. “A special club, the best and most awesome club in town, you’ll definitely have fun there, Lavender, your brother loves it.” Sunny said with a smile as she led on. The Prancing Pony Bar, that’s the only ‘club’ I ever go to. Amethyst thought. The three ponies continued walking down the street. Amethyst found himself drifting closer and closer to Sunny as he walked. “Hey Sunny, can I ask you something?” Amethyst asked with a raised eyebrow. Sunny looked over at Amethyst, “Sure.” “Why do you like flirting with stallions so much?” Amethyst cocked an eyebrow. Sunny giggled. “Why else Lavender? They’re cute, and sooo gullible. One wave of the plot and they’ll be tripping over themselves just to please me any way they can.” Sunny winked. Slowly, Amethyst started falling back in his pacing. Soon he found himself walking alongside Misty. “What’s up Shard?” Misty asked with a puzzled look on his face. Amethyst looked over at Misty. “Oh, I just asked Sunny why she’s so flirtatious with the stallions. Honestly the answer sounded like something you would say.” Misty tilted his head. “Pardon?” Amethyst looked over at Misty, a skeptical look graced his face. “I’m just saying. In the few hours I’ve known Sunny I can’t help but notice that you two have a lot in common.” “Why does it matter?” Misty asked with raised eyebrows. Amethyst blushed. “Well I just thought maybe… err you two would make a good couple.” Amethyst winced at what he had just said. “I’m sorry Misty. Normally I don’t like to comment on relationships like that, but you two seem perfect for each other.” Misty chuckled at the implication “You’re right Shard. We would make a very good couple. In fact we were for a little while.” Amethyst’s jaw dropped and eyes went wide. “Wait! You two actually dated each other?” “We sure did. We met about two years ago in the bar and we hit if off from there. You shoulda been there Shard, the lovemaking was awesome.” Misty drooled as he reminisced. Amethyst cocked an eyebrow. “But if you two are such a good match for each other why aren’t you two together now?” “Because we were too good a match for each other,” Sunny chimed in. Amethyst glanced at Sunny. “When we started dating we both only had one thing in mind…having fun.” Sunny nudged Amethyst. “As we continued to date each other we realized that the only thing we really wanted from the other was sex, not a relationship per se.” Amethyst tilted his head. “Really, why would you only want each other for sex and not for something more?” “I’m too much of a free spirit to get attached to Misty,” Sunny said with a wistful smile. “And I’m too much of a mare’s stallion to settle with Sunny,” Misty chimed in. Sunny nodded. “Yup so we decided to break it off with each other.” “Err yeah--right.” Amethyst nodded awkwardly. Sunny smiled at Amethyst. “Don’t worry about it, Lavender. We’re still friends and from time to time we get back together when we’re having a dry spell.” Sunny giggled. Amethyst blushed, the deep red of the setting sun reflected in Sunny’s eyes as the three ponies continued walking down the street. The light of the bar’s green neon lights filled Amethyst‘s eyes as they came to a stop. “Here we are. The best club in town: the Prancing Pony bar. You’re definitely gonna have fun here Lavender,” Sunny said as she slapped Amethyst on the back of the neck. Amethyst’s eyes darted around nervously as Sunny led Amethyst through the front door of the bar. It was pretty much exactly the way Amethyst remembered it. He subconsciously smiled as he looked around at the wooden floors, and the familiar round tables. Several lamps hanging on the ceiling dimly lighted the entire room. Most of the lamps were made of green glass and had yellow crystals generating the light. Amethyst passed by several stallions as he looked around, pretending to be surprised by the establishment. The clientele looked very gruff and very strong. Most of the stallions sat around their tables drinking mugs of hard apple cider. Amethyst’s ears perked up at the sounds of ponies talking all around the bar about the day’s activities. On Amethyst’s left there was a table lined with barstools. The grunts of stallions sitting on the stools occasionally pierced the veil cast by the large volume of ponies talking. They too were drinking cider, a tan stallion with a blonde mane and blue eyes did the serving. Amethyst blushed at the sight of the mares also present in the bar. His pupils shrunk as he saw numerous mares right next to the stallions. Some of the mares were nuzzling the stallions, others were just flirting; Amethyst couldn’t quite hear exactly what they were saying. As if watching mares flirt with stallions wasn’t disconcerting enough, Amethyst’s stomach sank at the sight of a few mares sitting around at the bar being hit on by numerous stallions. Why did I let Sunny bring me here!? “Well Lavender why don’t we go introduce ourselves to the crowd.” Sunny leaned in the general direction of a group of stallions. “Just watch me Lavender. With a plot like that you and me won’t be paying for our drinks tonight.” Sunny walked away from Amethyst. He watched intently as Sunny walked up to a dark blue pegasus stallion with green eyes, and a dog bone for a cutie mark. “Hey there.” Sunny leaned in close to the stallion. The stallion nervously recoiled. “Umm err hey…who are you?” Sunny giggled as the stallion took a sip out of his cup of cider “Why, I’m Sunny Skies. Who are you?” Sunny said with a bat of her eyes. Amethyst could practically feel Sunny put the stallion on the spot. His eyes darted around the room as if searching for his own name. “I-I-I’m,” the stallion stammered, “Dog kennel.” Sunny smiled. “Nice to meet you Kennel. So, what do you do for a living?” “I work in a local pet shop, specifically with dogs. How about you?” Kennel replied with a blush. Sunny giggled and bounced up and down. “That’s awesome. I work for the weather team.” Sunny put on a fake frown. “Oh dear. I forgot all of my money at home and I’m sooo thirsty.” Sunny batted her eyes at Kennel. Kennel blushed and smiled. “Err; I could buy you a few drinks, if that’s ok with you?” “Oooh thank you. You‘re such a kind stallion.” Sunny hugged him. Amethyst rolled his eyes; Sunny’s flirtatious nature wasn’t anything new for Amethyst. He internally groaned at the memories of coming to this place. Amethyst had come to the bar not more than a week ago when pretty much the same thing happened to him. He glanced over at the table he’d sat at as the memories flooded back to him. Amethyst brought a hoof up to his neck as he remembered he was nursing a wound he had gotten from the castle that day. As Amethyst had sat there a mare came up to him and out of the blue tried to nuzzle him. Brother I feel your pain. Amethyst thought as he saw Kennel continue to recoil from Sunny’s advances. A few minutes later another stallion came up to Sunny. “Hey if he’s not interested I’m always available.” the stallion looked smugly at Sunny. Sunny looked into the stallion’s eyes. “Well if you buy me a drink we might have some fun later.” Without a moment’s hesitation, the stallion ran up to the bar counter and returned with a pair of mugs full of hard cider. “Here you go miss.” The stallion set the mugs on the table. “Thanks for the drinks,” Sunny said with a wink. “We can start having fun as soon as I have a chat with my friend over there.” Sunny motioned over to Amethyst. The stallion blushed, muttering “no problem” under his breath. Sunny walked away from the stallion and over to Amethyst. She sipped on a mug of apple cider as she did so. “You see Lavender, that’s how you get free drinks. Why don’t you try it?” Amethyst glared at Sunny. “No thanks. I’ll pay for my own drinks.” “But he looks like such a good catch.” Sunny motioned over to a stallion at the other end of the bar. Amethyst groaned. “Not interested.” “Come on where’s your sense of fun? Go on he won’t bite.” Sunny nudged Amethyst in the direction of the crowd. “No, Sunny!” Amethyst immediately moved back. Sunny shot a quizzical look at Amethyst. “What’s wrong with you? Why wouldn’t you want to enjoy the company of such handsome stallions?” Amethyst glanced around nervously, sweat formed as he searched his mind for any excuse. “Because I’m a lesbian!” Amethyst blurted out. He clasped his hooves to his mouth and looked around nervously as it dawned on him what he had just said. A surprised look formed on Sunny’s face, “Oh! I didn’t know. I’m sorry Lavender.” Sunny paused before a smile formed on her face. “In that case...” Without a moment’s hesitation, Sunny walked up to Amethyst and kissed him on the muzzle. Amethyst blushed at being kissed by what he felt was the opposite sex. Why did I say that? Amethyst thought as Sunny continued her kiss. After what felt like several hours, Sunny broke away from the kiss and grinned. “If I had known, Lavender, I wouldn’t have tried to set you up with that stallion over there.” Sunny motioned to the stallion from earlier. “That doesn’t mean you should go without a date tonight. I’ve been coming here a while and I know most of the mares here are into guys. Although,” Sunny winked, “I have been known to swing both ways if you catch my drift. I’ll be back later.” Sunny promptly walked off as she leered at a stallion on the other side of the bar. Amethyst sighed a breath of relief and took a seat at a nearby table. “I can’t believe that actually worked.” As soon as Amethyst sat down, a female voice spoke to him “You’re not a lesbian are you?” Amethyst turned to look at the origin of the voice and saw a unicorn mare with teal fur, golden eyes, and a lyre shaped cutie mark. “Err not really, why do you ask?” Amethyst looked at the mare. “I figured you used that as an excuse to escape that pushy mare. I would, too. I hate being hit on by the stallions. Since I came in here I’ve had five guys slap my plot and ten more than that tried to buy me some rather questionable cider,” the teal colored mare said with a slight roll of her eyes. “Then why did you even come here in the first place?” A wonderful aroma filled Amethyst’s nostrils and he quickly realized this mare had ordered a broccoli pizza. The unicorn smiled as she levitated a slice of the pizza up to her mouth “I just came here because somepony told me that the food was the best in town.” The unicorn took a bite as she looked over Amethyst. She continued to munch on her pizza. “Yeah this is good pizza.” Lyra’s voice was muffled by the mouthful of pizza. Lyra swallowed her pizza and examined Amethyst. “Hold on, haven’t we met somewhere before?” “Not that I know of,” Amethyst replied, scratching his chin. As Amethyst sat there, he saw a bright look grace the unicorn’s face as if a light bulb had just gone off in her head. “Oh, now I remember. We met at the hairdressers a few days ago. I’m Lyra, remember?” Amethyst scratched his muzzle as he recalled the day that he went to the mane stylists. A few seconds later his eyes lit up as he remembered the conversation the two had shared at the mane stylist’s. “Oh yeah, Lyra. Cryptozoologist right?” Lyra nodded, “And you’re Lavender Star. You got abducted by a llama girl.” Amethyst nodded at Lyra’s correct recalling of their conversation. “Remarkable coincidence running into you here Lavender. So what are you doing here, and who’s that mare?” Amethyst sweated a bit as he formulated a lie. “My brother comes here all the time and that mare is Sunny Skies. She told me that she would take me to my brother’s favorite hangout for some fun; I didn’t know what kind of fun she had in mind.” “That sucks. Hey, care for a slice?” Lyra levitated a slice of pizza up to Amethyst. Amethyst took the slice in his own aura. “Sure, I could eat.” Within a matter of minutes both mares demolished the pizza post haste. As Lyra ate the last slice of pizza, Amethyst saw her head turn toward the back of the bar. In the far right corner, there was a wooden archway. Various bloops and other loud noises emanated from that archway. “What‘s over there?” Lyra asked as she got out of her chair. Amethyst followed her as Lyra went over to the arch. Beyond the arch there was a small room filled to the brim with arcade games. Numerous large consoles lined the left hand wall of the arcade, and a pair of pinball machines sat at the far end of the room. In the center, a large air hockey table stood prominently for everypony to see, while to the right, there was a pool table with several stallions crowded around it. The entire room had several ponies playing many different games as Lyra and Amethyst looked in with awe. “Wow this is totally awesome. Who woulda thought a place like this would have such a cool arcade,” Lyra said as her eyes glittered. Amethyst smiled at seeing this place. I’ve never been so happy to see this place. Everything these past few days has been so weird it’s very comforting to see something familiar. As the two mares stood in front of the archway, a pair of stallions hacked away at each other at the air hockey table. The two exchanged the puck furiously until the air cut out. The stallion closest to them threw his hooves up in defeat and stormed away from the table. The stallion on the far end smiled to himself as he took a sip of a mug of apple cider and departed as well. “Oooo, I so wanna play that,” Lyra squealed as she darted over to the far side of the air hockey table with Amethyst following her. Lyra smiled at the sight of seeing Amethyst join her at the air hockey table. “I didn’t know you liked air hockey.” “You bet I do; I’m a pro at this.” Amethyst smirked with confidence. Lyra smirked right back at Amethyst. “A pro huh? Let’s put that to the test!” Lyra promptly used her magic to levitate the puck hitter and attach it to her hoof. Soon after, Amethyst did the same with his. Amethyst levitated two bits and put them into the machine. The moment she did that, the table lit up with air. A puck came out on Amethyst’s side of the table. Without a moment’s hesitation Amethyst served the puck. Lyra hit it back and Amethyst missed the puck allowing Lyra to score a goal. It was Lyra’s turn to serve the puck and she quickly did so. Amethyst intercepted the puck and hit the puck back at Lyra. The exchange of the puck went on for a few hits before Amethyst scored a goal on Lyra. The game continued for several minutes. At first Lyra dominated the scoring, earning a 5-point lead. However, Amethyst quickly responded by stepping his game up and he scored 6 points on Lyra before the air for the table cut off. “Wow, you’re good. I haven’t seen a pony beat me since I met that little colt back in Ponyville.” Lyra said slack-jawed. Amethyst walked up to Lyra and extended his hoof. “Good game.” Lyra reciprocated Amethyst’s offer of a hoof shake. “I better go Lavender, it’s getting late.” “See you around Lyra.” Amethyst smiled as Lyra walked away. “Not bad…for a mare.” Amethyst turned to see an earth pony stallion with lime green fur and teal eyes. “Pardon?” Amethyst asked as he gave the stallion a skeptical look. The stallion smirked. “You played well against that other girl, but there’s no way you can beat me.” “Why’s that?” Amethyst asked with a sneer. “Because you’re a mare, and mares can’t play games,” the stallion said with a smirk. Amethyst felt his face grow red, “Excuse me?!” Amethyst screamed. The stallion kept his cool and leaned against the wall. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re good for a mare but a mare just can’t compete with a stallion in the gamers’ arena…especially me.” The stallion shot a smug look at Amethyst. Amethyst stared daggers at this stallion and bolted right up to him. “Would you care to put that assumption to the test, plot head? You and me, that air hockey arena, right now!” “Eh, I’ll pass. I got drinking to do.” The stallion said as he walked away. Amethyst scowled. “What’s the matter? You afraid you’ll lose to a mare?” The stallion turned to face him after he said that. “No, I’m not afraid.” “If you’re so confident that mares are so bad at games and that you’re so awesome, then prove it!” Amethyst smirked. “All right, you’re on,” the stallion said as he went over to the air hockey table followed shortly by Amethyst. Amethyst pulled two bits out of his mane and inserted them into the machine. Once again, the air hockey table lit up with air and the puck popped up on the stallion’s side. The stallion promptly hit the puck at Amethyst and Amethyst hit it right back into the stallion’s goal. The game continued and quickly it became pretty one sided. Amethyst scored goal after goal on the stallion on the other side of the table. The stallion looked increasingly desperate as Amethyst surpassed the fifteen-point mark. In his panic, the stallion hit the puck and it bounced off the sideboard and right into his own goal. Soon enough the game was over, Amethyst won the game twenty points to negative one. The stallion sat there slack jawed as the air hockey table lost its airflow. “I--I can’t believe it. I lost. To a girl!” the stallion exclaimed. Amethyst sat there smugly and looked back at the stallion. “Well well, it seems that mares canplay games just as well as stallions.” “You…you cheated. There’s just no other way you could have beaten me,” the stallion said as sweat poured down his face. Amethyst rolled his eyes “Dude, just be a stallion and accept you lost, because right now I’m more of a stallion than you are.” The stallion slumped to the floor and stared absent-mindedly into the distance. As Amethyst turned away from the table, he bumped into three stallions standing immediately behind him. “Hey there. Err that was pretty awesome. Wanna play a round of poker with us?” the middle stallion asked with a smile. Amethyst grinned at the idea. “You bet boys. If there’s one thing I like more than winning at games it’s winning at games and earning an extra bit or two.” The night dragged on, although nopony could actually see that the sun had set several hours ago. A large clock decorated with cider imagery was the only indicator of the sun’s present state. Amethyst was sitting at a table in the bar along with three other stallions. His face was unmoving. He looked down at five cards he was levitating in his aura. In Amethyst’s mind’s eye, he smiled as he looked down at his hand. “I raise ten bits and a kiss.” Amethyst grinned as he slid ten coins onto a pile of bits in the center of the table. A stallion on Amethyst’s immediate left slid five bits into the pile and grinned. Another stallion to Amethyst’s right sneered and set his cards on the table. “I’m out,” he pouted. The last stallion at the table was across the table from Amethyst. He grinned and slid a large pile of bits into the center of the table. Amethyst stared the stallion down as he discarded a single card and drew a new one. The stallion simply nodded as the pair continued to stare each other down. “What do you have?” Amethyst grinned. The stallion laid his hand onto the table. “Three princes, a five and a two,” he announced. “A pair of twos, a five and a jack,” the stallion on Amethyst’s left announced as he set his hand down. Amethyst soon followed suit “An ace, a discord which I’m making an ace and three princesses.” Both of the stallions threw their hooves up in defeat as Amethyst levitated the entire pile of bits to his side of the table. “I can’t believe you won again…I’m gonna quit before I lose my horseshoes,” the stallion to Amethyst’s left said as he got up from the table. The stallion on the right soon joined him. “I’m with him,” he said. “I’m out of money so I can’t play anymore,” the third stallion said as he too got up from his chair. “Aww come on guys, just one more round,” Amethyst pleaded as his eyes grew big. The stallions just ignored Amethyst and continued walking away. “Hey bozos you all owe me a kiss,” Amethyst scowled at them. At hearing that both of the stallions turned around and the one in the middle spoke, “I thought you didn’t want to be kissed?” “Buy me another glass of hard cider and I’ll call it even,” Amethyst smiled. Reluctantly the stallions went up to the bar table and ordered another mug of cider. Amethyst held his hoof to his head; an odd headache had developed after Amethyst had begun sipping on his first mug of cider. A minute later, the three stallions returned to the table and set the second mug next to the first. “Enjoy your evening madam,” one of the stallions said. After that, the stallions left the table. Amethyst just sat there, sipping on his mug of cider. All the while, his headache started to grow more and more intense. I’ve never felt a buzz this strong, maybe I should stop. Nah I can handle three ciders easily. Amethyst thought to himself as he took yet another sip. Amethyst continued to drink down his cider. By the time he reached his second mug, the world was becoming blurrier for Amethyst. He found it increasingly hard to focus on anything. Despite these feelings, he continued to drink the cider. He finished the second mug and slammed it down on the table. Amethyst tilted in his chair, his eyes drooped as he looked around the bar. “Wow…I’ve never been so buzzed in all my life,” Amethyst slurred as he hiccupped. He just tipped in his chair until a yellow blur sat down in front of him. “Hey Lavender.” “Hey there umm err what was your name again,” Amethyst hiccupped. The blur replied “I’m Sunny Skies, remember?” The blur began to come into focus, the image of Sunny became clear for Amethyst to see. “Oh, right, Sunny how could I forget such a sexy face,” Amethyst leered. Sunny looked back at Amethyst, a look of lust rapidly developed on her face. Amethyst found himself blushing at Sunny. She looked into his eyes, Amethyst looked right back. Soon enough, Amethyst had also developed a lusty look on his face. “Well Lavender, it seems like I couldn’t get any good catches in the stallion department; may as well try the mare department.” Sunny grinned. A look of confusion developed on Amethyst’s face. “Mare department? And who’s Lavender?” Sunny stared at Amethyst in confusion. “Err, you’re Lavender. Don’t tell me you’re so drunk you forgot your own name?” “Oh you,” Amethyst giggled. “I’m surprised you got so drunk as to think that I’m a mare. Geez I must have been breathing a lot of helium, my voice sounds waaaay too squeaky.” Sunny looked on at Amethyst in growing confusion. “What are you talking about Lavender?” Amethyst hiccupped kissed Sunny right on the lips “My name isn’t Lavender. I’m Amethyst Shard, the most smartest pony in all of err wherever we are” “I thought Amethyst was your twin brother?” Sunny asked with a cocked eyebrow Amethyst waved his foreleg into the air. “Silly Sunny, I don’t have a twin sister. And you have like the totally best mane I’ve seen on a mare.” Amethyst leaned in with a smirk. “But--you’re a mare Lavender, Amethyst or whoever you are,” Sunny said while waving her forelegs. Amethyst giggled, “That’s a good one Sunny. I’m not a mare I’m a big ol’ manly stallion. See?” Amethyst started rubbing around on his lower body. Panic began to build on his face as he continued to rub. “What the heck, where did it go? Oh, how could I forget!” Amethyst sarcastically face hoofed. “I got poofed into a mare by some magic statue thingy. Lavender Star is just a made up name so ponies don’t find out what happened, like you, Sunny.” Sunny just sat there slack jawed. She looked on at Amethyst with wide eyes at what he had just said. “So… you’re actually Amethyst Shard?” “Yeppers. The one and only.” Amethyst smiled and hiccupped. As Amethyst stared at Sunny, a pleasant sound filled his ears. He turned to see somepony had set up a karaoke machine and somepony had started singing. “Oh sweet, its karaoke night! I’m totally gonna go sing tonight. I bet my voice is super sexy while I’m a super sexy mare.” Amethyst got out of his chair and stumbled toward the karaoke machine. As soon as Amethyst got there, the pony who was singing was gone. Without a moment’s hesitation, Amethyst got in front of the karaoke machine. “Ok everypony. Now it’s time for some real fun” Amethyst giggled “I’m gonna sing ‘Love is in Bloom’.” Amethyst clicked a few buttons on the machine and ‘Love is in bloom’ appeared on the screen. Within moments, the song started playing and Amethyst started singing. As far as he was concerned, his singing voice was crisp, clean and perfect. However, the audience had a different opinion. Soon enough boos echoed from the crowd as Amethyst’s drunken singing penetrated their ears. They love me! Their boos of joy are so encouraging! For the past hour, some mare’s bad singing penetrated the entire bar. Since Misty had arrived, he had taken a seat at the bar stool and started sipping away at some cider. He glanced off into the air in deep thought. It’s still hard to believe Amethyst is a mare now. I wonder how extensive the change is. Could it be changing his memory so he thinks he’s always a mare. Sweet Celestia I certainly hope not;I like Amethyst the way he is. Misty winced as another ill-formed note graced his ears. “Good grief, that mare is too drunk to sing her way out of a paper sack.” Misty groaned as he put his ears to the side of his head. After a few minutes of listening to the drunken mare sing, the music stopped. “Finally!” called out a random stallion. Misty sighed and took another sip of his cider. I wonder how Amethyst is doing. As Misty was sitting there, another pony joined him in the seat to his right. Misty turned to see Amethyst. Amethyst looked extremely unsteady; he tilted quite a bit as he sat on the barstool. His eyes were half closed and a rather creepy smile graced his face. “I can’t believe those ponies. How dare they say I have a terrible singing voice.” Amethyst slurred as he took a sip of a mug of hard cider. Misty looked stunned the sight of Amethyst like that confused him to no end. “Hey Shard, are you ok?” Amethyst hiccupped and leaned in close to Misty. “Oh silly. I’m fine Fisty, perfectly fine.” “Misty,” Misty corrected with an awkward glare. “How many ciders have you had?” “Oh just three and half.” Amethyst giggled. “Hardly enough to get me that drunk.” Misty nodded nonchalantly. “Yeah, sure, not drunk.” “You know Listy,” Amethyst slurred while waving his left foreleg. “Misty,” Misty corrected again. Amethyst blushed, “Yeah right Misty, sorry. So Anyways I was just thinking about how much I total liked you. I mean like.” Amethyst abruptly hiccupped again. “You’re the most awesomest friend a guy like me could ever have.” Amethyst wrapped a foreleg around Misty’s shoulder. Sweet Celestia I’ve never seen Amethyst so sauced before. I think he overestimated how much alcohol his new body could tolerate. Misty thought as he looked over at Amethyst. “Yeah totally most-awesome friend,” Misty replied with a nod. Amethyst giggled and released Misty from his embrace. “You know. I had the most interesting dream yesterday.” “Yeah...” Misty nodded. Amethyst drunkenly smiled and took another sip of cider. “I was in the bar and I was like totally a guy again. I got some coffee and then I saw you. And girly me was totally right next to you then we kissed and boom we made sweet love right over there,” Amethyst pointed over at a spot next to one of the table. “Oh man, you felt so good up in my mare bits.” Amethyst put on an awkward looking smile. Misty cringed and shied away from Amethyst, “Ooook, I didn’t need to know that.” “I’ve been thinking about that awesome dream. And I kind of think I had it because I’m curious about how you would feel inside me,” Amethyst giggled. “I can’t tell for sure because I’m into mares but from what I’ve seen you’re supposed to be pretty hot.” Misty blushed as his eyes darted around the room. “Ever since I became a mare I’ve had all kinds of questions. Oh, Celestia. I can’t help it anymore. I’m so curious.” Without another word, Amethyst lunged at Misty and planted a passionate kiss on Misty’s muzzle. Misty went wide-eyed at the unexpected and sudden kiss that Amethyst gave him. He tried to break away, but Amethyst just held on tight and continued the kiss. Thirty seconds later Amethyst let Misty go. “Oh Celestia that felt amazing. I’ve never kissed anypony else like that before, especially another stallion.” Amethyst shot a lusty look at Misty, “So what do you say we make my dream a reality? I’m interested to know what it feels like to make love to a stallion.” Misty shook his head. “No Shard, I’m not interested.” A frown soon graced Amethyst’s face. “Oh come on Misty. It would only be a one time thing. You take mares to your bed all the time. Why should I be any different?” Misty looked nervously back at Amethyst. “Do you hear yourself Shard? You’re obviously drunk” “I’m not drunk Difsty,” Amethyst said with a slurred voice and a hiccup. “Yes you are Amethyst. You’re my friend and I wouldn’t violate your body while you’re in a female body. Especially since you’re so drunk.” Misty said with a concerned look on your face. “Let me take you home Amethyst.” “Will you do naughty things to me?” Amethyst smiled as he started tipping in his chair more and more. “Err yeah, sure. I’ll do such naughty things to you—yeah such naughty things.” Misty’s eyes darted around the room. “Sweet, hey Misty mind if I take a little na-” Amethyst promptly passed out and fell face first on the floor. Misty looked down at the unconscious Amethyst and sighed. I better get him home before he wakes up and does something he’ll really regret. Without another word, Misty slid his neck under Amethyst and hoisted him onto his back. “Seems like Amethyst took in a bit more booze than he could handle.” Misty nodded “Yeah, I think he overestimated his body weight.” “Ah ha! So that really is Amethyst!” Misty turned to see who was talking to him and saw none other than Sunny Skies. Misty mentally jumped out of his fur at the sight of Sunny. She looked at Misty with an intense glare. “Ok Charm, start talking, why’s Amethyst a mare?” Sunny glared at Misty. Misty shrank at Sunny calling him by his middle name, he knew Sunny well enough to know she only called him Charm when she meant business. Misty shied away from Sunny, “How did you know?” “He told me a half an hour ago. Right around when he started getting hammered. So again, Misty Charm, kindly explain to me what in Tartarus is going on!” Sunny growled at Misty. “Look Sunny, I have to get Amethyst home so he doesn’t get into trouble. Come by my place in the morning and I promise I’ll tell you everything I know.” Misty turned to walk away. Sunny continued her cold stare. “Ok but this better be good.” Sunny promptly stormed away and towards the front door. Misty followed behind; as he was walking, he felt a sudden force of something hit him in the side of the head. He felt something splatter against his head and he heard a clang as a silver tray landed next to him. Red goo dripped off the side of Misty’s head along with an occasional bit of what looked like cheese. Did somepony just chuck a pizza at me? “Get your filthy hooves off her.” Misty looked over to see the source of the voice was an orange earth pony with green eyes, a brown mane a pizza cutie mark ,and a chefs outfit. “What gives!? You threw a pizza at me,” Misty said as he wiped the pizza sauce off the side of his head. The stallion had a look of sheer rage on his face as he bolted out from behind the counter and placed himself between Misty and the front door of the bar. “You were going to take that mare home and take her to your bed, don’t deny it!” the stallion shouted. Misty recoiled from the accusation, “What! No I wasn’t I was just going to get her home before she does something she regretted.” “Don’t lie to me Misty Charm. That’s right Misty, I know all about you. How you come into this bar looking for drunken mares. You promise them a relationship then you just cast them away when they no longer suit you!” the stallion said as he shuffled his left hoof. Misty looked around nervously. “Yes I do take mares home and do that but not this mare. She’s my roommate’s sister. If I were to take her to my bed Amethyst would beat the crap out of me.” “A likely story. You’re just taking this mare home to violate her. Well I won’t let you, this mare is delicate and I won’t let you take advantage of that like you did with Orchid.” ”Orchid? Look—” Misty paused. “—Name please?” “Scrumptious,” Scrumptious replied as his tail flicked. “Look Scrumptious. I’ll grant you that I absolutely took advantage of Orchid when she was at her worst but I won‘t do that to Ame—Lavender. He—she means a lot to Amethyst and Amethyst means a lot to me.” Misty looked back at Scrumptious. “A likely story.” Scrumptious continued his hard stare at Misty. Misty sighed and brought a hoof to his forehead. “Could you please move Scrumptious. I’m getting kind of sick of this.” Misty stared down Scrumptious. “I knew I’d find you here Misty!” A feminine voice shouted. the two stallions were broken from their staring contest to see none other than Orchid Seed standing in front of the door. “Orchid? What are you doing here?” Misty asked with a confused look on his face. Orchid stared daggers into Misty’s eyes, “I went to check on Lavender and I noticed neither of you were home. So I figured you took her out to this horrid bar to get her drunk so you could have your way with her. And it looks like I got here just in time.” “You don’t understand Orchid, I wasn’t going to do anything to her. Lavender got herself drunk and—” Misty stammered. Orchid growled. “Just cram it, Misty. I’ve had enough of your lies, and who the buck is this guy?” Orchid motioned to Scrumptious “I--I’m err um Scramptious—err I mean Scrumptious Delight.” Scrumptious looked around as sweat started to bead on his forehead. Orchid glared at Scrumptious, “I bet you’re one of Misty’s bum friends. What are you hoping for? A three-way?” Scrumptious gasped. “What!? No no no! I’m not one of Misty’s friends. I’m on your side.” Misty felt his anger rising at these accusations. “Damn it Orchid why do you always have to make everything into a fight? I wasn’t going to do anything to Amethyst other than take him home and get him to bed.” Misty shouted. “Well if you’re so keen to get this young lady home then why don’t you let Orchid take her?” Scrumptious grinned. Misty groaned. “Fine if you insist, you two can take her home.” In a huff, Misty plopped Amethyst onto the ground and stormed out of the bar without another word Author's Note thanks to http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Westphalian_Musketeer , http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Samaru163 , and, http://www.fimfiction.net/user/McPoodle for helping with this story chapter 10Amethyst’s eyes snapped open. He found himself in his own bed with the sun shining through the window. He searched his memories for what had transpired last night, only to be greeted by a huge blur. Amethyst held his hoof to his forehead as a sharp pain radiated through his entire skull. “What the buck happened last night?” Amethyst asked the air in the room. “I feel like I’ve had somepony smash a wine bottle over my head…again” Amethyst looked towards the window. He immediately winced as a ray of light shot into his eyes, intensifying his headache even further. Cautiously, Amethyst swung his fore hooves out of bed, trembling as he felt his stomach lurch. “Oh Celestia, I’m gonna be sick.” Amethyst looked around in a panic. With a flick of his magic, he levitated a green gemstone out of a nearby drawer and zapped himself with its magic. Instantly, Amethyst felt his stomach settle as some magic sparked off his horn. “That was close,” Amethyst let out a big sigh before the intense headache returned. “Better do something about this headache.” Amethyst rooted around in the drawer where the green crystal had been and levitated out a red gemstone. With a quick motion, Amethyst zapped himself with the red gemstone’s magic as well. Amethyst sighed in relief as his headache started to wane. “Much better”, Amethyst said, bringing a hoof to his chin. “I wonder what could have caused such a big headache?” “Hangover,” Amethyst whipped his head around to see none other than Sunny Skies standing in the doorframe with a look on her face that could scare off an changeling. “You got yourself pretty damn drunk last night, Amethyst.” Amethyst cocked an eyebrow at Sunny. “Drunk?” Amethyst shook his head. “I never get drunk, and my name is Lavender not Amethyst” “Drop the Act Amethyst, I know the truth. You’re really a stallion and some magic statue changed you into a mare.” Sunny spread all four of her legs and stared confidently into Amethyst’s eyes. “So go on, confess”. The ex-stallion flinched at Sunny‘s gaze. How could she possibly know? Maybe I was drunk last night. Amethyst squirmed a bit. Calm down Amethyst, you got this. She has no real proof of anything. “I am not Amethyst. My name is Lavender Star and I’m most certainly a mare.” Amethyst closed his eyes and looked up into the air. Sunny groaned and rolled her eyes. “You‘re not fooling anypony, Amethyst. You told me the truth last night. You should really avoid hard cider when you’re trying to keep a secret.” Amethyst mustered his most confident face and looked Sunny right in the eyes. “Look Sunny, I don’t know where you got the idea where my name is Amethyst, but I assure you I most certainly am a mare, the mareiest mare that ever mared.” “Ok then, I believe you.” Sunny’s hard look started to warp into a more neutral expression. Following that, her eyes bugged out and she pointed her hoof at a spot right behind Amethyst, “Hey Amethyst, look at that!” Amethyst snorted, “Look Sunny, I’m not Amethyst. how many times do I need to tell you that before it sinks in?” “It’s no use Shard, she knows.” Amethyst looked over and saw his friend Misty standing in the doorway to his room. Amethyst glared at him, “Of course she knows NOW, you just bucking told her!” He swept his foreleg across his chest sarcastically. Misty cringed. “I’m sorry Amethyst, she… tricked me into telling her last night.” He blushed a bit. As Amethyst shot Misty a look, Sunny broke out into a giggling fit. “I’m sorry I must have missed the joke,” Amethyst groaned. “I’m sorry,” Sunny squeaked between giggles. “It’s just that the whole idea of a smart pony like you falling prey to a tiny, yellow rock is downright hilarious!” Sunny couldn’t contain herself any longer and broke out into hysterical laughter. Amethyst sighed, rolled his eyes, and watched as Sunny rolled on the floor in laughter. His eyes drifted toward a clock and watched in agony as eleven whole minutes went by before Sunny got up. “I can’t believe I got so sauced up last night,” Amethyst brought a hoof to his forehead as his headache and nausea started to reemerge. “I could have done or said anything and wouldn‘t remember a thing…” Without much warning, Amethyst’s eyes bulged out of his head. Misty moved in closer at noticing Amethyst’s sudden demeanor change. “What’s up Amethyst?” “I could have done anything. What if the reason I’m so sick is because I somehow got myself pregnant last night!” Amethyst’s eye started twitching. Misty tilted his head and cocked his entire body. Sunny scrunched her face but that didn’t last long and she broke out into laughter again. “You? pregnant? That’s just rich. I can’t…” The laughter resumed as she started pounding her hoof on the floor. “Shard that’s got to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard you say,” Misty face hoofed. “Look Amethyst I’ve been around with a lot of mares and trust me pregnancy doesn't turn up that fast.” Sunny had stopped laughing while Misty was talking. “Look Amethyst, we pretty much had our eyes on you the whole night and we can both say for certain that you didn’t have sex with any of the stallions. The only time we didn’t watch you was when Orchid took you home.” “Then that means there’s a whole period of time that you can’t account for!” Amethyst started sweating. “If that’s true than I could have had sex with a stallion. Sure I’m confident Orchid wouldn’t let it happen on purpose but Orchid could have gotten strong armed by a strong stallion or worse…” Amethyst sighed and brought a hoof to his head. “Celestia, I sure wish I paid more attention in sex-ed class.” Sunny sighed and stretched out her hoof, “OK Amethyst there is one thing we can do, we can go and talk with Orchid.” “That’s a good idea” Amethyst said with a nod. “What the buck do you think of me?” Orchid glared at Sunny. Amethyst, Sunny and Misty were in Orchid’s apartment. Orchid and Sunny stood muzzle to muzzle glaring at each other with an intensity that was making Amethyst and Misty flinch. “You think I’d be so stupid as to allow my best friend to get raped right after I rescued him from another rapist?!” Orchid screamed Sunny gave Orchid the stink eye. “Hey! That’s my friend you’re talking about, how dare you assume he would do such a thing. He’d never rape Amethyst or any other mare!” Misty shrank from the implication. Orchid rolled her eyes. “Suuuuure, of course Sunny. Misty hasn’t raped anypony and you’re not an ungrateful bitch!” Sunny pointed at Orchid. “I’ll bet Amethyst did get raped because you were too busy prettifying yourself in front of a mirror.” Sunny spoke in a sarcastic voice and made a gesture and pose to look sarcastically stylish. “You little whore! Amethyst was on my back the whole way home. If anypony raped her Misty did after I brought him home.” “No I didn’t. He’s my best friend. Do you have any idea how awkward that would make things?!” Misty glared at Orchid. “Will you all shut the buck up!” Every pony turned to the source of the voice to see an exacerbated Amethyst looking on. “For the love of Celestia will you please stop this pointless bickering? Let’s leave the cat fighting to Hair Ball’s cat colony.” Amethyst took a deep breath. “Now, Orchid, Misty and Sunny have told me that nopony had sex with me in the bar and I know most of the ponies well enough to know they most likely wouldn't be using or carrying a pregnancy inducing crystal. With that said Misty, Sunny, would you please leave I’d like to talk to Orchid alone.” With a sigh Sunny said, “Fine, come on Misty let’s go--the weather team needs us today.” Misty nodded and said, “You’re right; see you tonight Shard.” Without another word both Sunny and Misty left. “Now then Orchid, what exactly did you do with me last night? I don’t remember anything aside from some cheering for something, so I need to get some blanks filled in.” Orchid let out a deep sigh. “After I took you from Misty and Sunny, I brought you straight home to your bed then I locked the door behind me. I even stayed up all night to make sure Misty didn’t try any stunts.” Amethyst smiled. “Thank you Orchid for looking out for me. One more question: did you see any magic flashes in the darkness?” “Most certainly not!” Orchid said with a shake of her head. At hearing this, Amethyst let out a deep sigh. “That’s good to hear--it means I most likely didn’t get exposed to any magic that would make me pregnant. When I woke up sick this morning I thought for sure I was having morning sickness.” Orchid stared blankly at Amethyst. “Morning sickness doesn't develop overnight, and I must admit your understanding of how mares work in a physical sense is a little bit off. Maybe you should see a professional.” Amethyst nodded, “Perhaps you’re right, Orchid. If I end up stuck like this, I better get more acquainted with my new self.” “I need an appointment, I’ve got some reproductive issues to discuss with the doctor.” “OK, the doctor will see you in a few minutes.” Amethyst stood in front of a glass window in which sat a young mare with a nurse’s hat on. Amethyst turned around, glancing at the tan wallpaper of the room he was in. His hooves clicked against the clean black and white tiles on the floor. With a sigh, Amethyst leaped up into a red fabric chair and sat on his haunches. He sat there for a few minutes before levitating a selection of magazines off one of the nearby racks. Boring, boring, uggh why does that magazine even exist? Amethyst thought as he glanced through the magazine titles. With a huff, he returned the magazines from whist they came and took to looking at the various ponies in the doctor’s office. One stallion had his head completely wrapped up in bandages; another nearby him was a young mare holding back vomit and sporting a green head standing in contrast to her orange body. Amethyst couldn’t help but cringe as his eyes found their way to a blue furred mare with a heavily distended stomach. She rubbed it with a blissful look on her face. Sweet Celestia I hope that isn’t going to be me in a few months. What if I were to have a baby, first would be all of that morning sickness just the thought of that puts me on edge. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to do any adventuring. I’ll be too busy looking after my foals to get in any work. Not to mention the huge belly would get in the way. Just the idea of having such a large belly- even for a week or two- is freaky. Amethyst cringed and stretched out his legs. Then there’d be the foals. In all of the years, I’ve been looking for artifacts, the most terrifying monsters I’ve ever encountered have been toddlers, and I’d have to deal with one for a very long time. I can’t even begin to imagine the…. Amethyst’s thoughts came to a screeching halt by the sensation of someone tugging on his teats. He let out a small eep at the sensation and looked down to the source of the irritation. There was a young foal not more than half a year old suckling on his left teat. “What the buck is going on?” Amethyst tried to scoot away in his chair but the youngster persisted. A young pegasus mare with a similar shade of purple fur to Amethyst quickly rushed over. “Stop it sweetie,” she said, snatching up the youngster from Amethyst‘s teat. “I’m so sorry miss, he got away from me when I wasn‘t watching.” “It’s… OK,” he replied, sweating and jittering all over. ”No harm done.” The mare walked away from Amethyst; he could hear the young mother scolding her child as she sat back down.. How could I forget feeding my foals, the thought of having that happen to me intentionally...gahhhh. “Miss Star, the doctor will see you now,” the nurse said as she casually opened a door right next to her. Amethyst gulped and rose to his hooves, “Well, here goes nothing.” Amethyst sat on the examination table. He looked around at the imposing room. Outside the window, he saw the bustle of ponies in Maple Mountain. He looked over at a device hanging on the left wall. Amethyst put a hoof to his chin in recognition. “I know that device, Silvertail came in and asked me to repair it a while back.” He glanced over to the other side of the room and saw a counter with a steel sink built into it. The door to the examination room opened and the sudden noise of it caused Amethyst to jump about half an inch. Sitting in the doorframe was a mare with red fur, a brown mane, a nurse’s cap, and a dull look on her face. The nurse walked over to Amethyst, her hooves clicking against the tile floor. “Ok Miss Star, I’m going to need some things from you. Can you light up your horn for me?” Without hesitation, Amethyst complied. The nurse held up a white film to his horn before pulling it away. “Ok now I’m going to need a sample,” the nurse produced a small plastic cup. With a blush, Amethyst took the cup in his magic aura and silently proceeded to a lavatory just down the hall. Amethyst entered the small bathroom, it’s relatively unclean appearance caused him to sneer. That piece of brown paper has been there since I started coming here Amethyst waited in the bathroom for a few minutes before he felt the urge. Several awkward splashes later, he had filled the small cup. He washed off his tail and exited the bathroom. Before leaving however, Amethyst put his sample into a cabinet nearby. Once back in the examination room, Amethyst took a seat on the examination table. “Just wait there, Miss Star, the doctor will see you shortly.” Without another word, the nurse left and shut the door behind her. Amethyst sat alone in the examination room once again. I better milk Silvertail for all the info he’s got, who knows what pitfalls there are in this body. Once again, Amethyst leapt up at the sound of a male gryphon walking into the room. He had brown fur, a black feathered head, a tail ending in prominent silver fluff, and green eyes. “Good morning Miss Lavender, I’m Doctor Silvertail. I see you came in because…” Silvertail looked at a chart he was holding. “you’re looking for advice on reproductive health,” disbelief evident on his face. “Miss Lavender, this is more a question for your gynecologist, you do have a gynecologist right?.” Amethyst looked on wide-eyed, “Sure I do…but she’s out of town. I apologize, doctor. I know you’re a busy gryphon, and I shouldn’t have troubled you with something like this.” Silvertail shook his head, “It’s no concern, Miss Lavender. I figured since you came all this way I might as well give you a regular checkup. So I had your magic analyzed and it indicates there‘s no anomalies in your magical aura.” “You can do magic analyses, how?” Amethyst smiled internally, already knowing the answer. “A young stallion that comes to my office was kind enough to donate a magic scanner to my office after my wound healer over there” Silvertail motioned to the device on the wall, “broke and he repaired it.” “Can you tell me about him?” Amethyst’s smile became external and he leaned in on his forehooves. “Umm OK… He’s a very smart unicorn but I think he’s a bit reckless. He often comes in with pretty major physical injuries, patient confidentially unfortunately prevents me from discussing further.” Reckless? Is that what he thinks about me…? “Let’s not dwell on him any further I’m going to do a reflex test.” Silvertail produced a metal hammer. “Doctor Silvertail I know you’re not a gynecologist but can I ask you a few questions anyways?” Amethyst looked away squeamishly. Silvertail hit Amethyst’s left hind leg knee and it reacted immediately. “Sure, I’ll try my best.” “I know this might seem like a stupid question but what is estrus like? I haven‘t experienced it before because… I take potions to suppress it.” Amethyst nodded nervously. Silvertail hit Amethyst’s other hind leg with the hammer. “Well Miss I can’t personally speak from experience, and I’m sure the textbooks I read in medical school won’t mean much to you. Some of my other female patrons describe it as an intense sensation in the vaginal area that occurs every few months.” Amethyst nodded and winced at having his left foreleg hit by the hammer, “So how about pregnancy? I’m just curious.” Silvertail hit Amethyst’s other foreleg, “Reflexes are sharp as ever. Mothers who come into me for natal care are always keen to tell me how much their little ones like to kick them. Say ahh, miss,” Amethyst complied and opened up his mouth. Silvertail stuck a tongue depressor onto Amethyst’s tongue and used a flashlight to look around in Amethyst’s mouth. “Nothing out of the ordinary there; let’s take some blood pressure readings.” Silvertail walked over to the nearby counter and produced a blood pressure cuff from a drawer. Amethyst looked on as Silvertail went over to his right side and strapped the cuff onto his left foreleg. “So, umm, Doctor Silvertail…I’ve been having trouble keeping my tail from getting dirty while using the bathroom.” Amethyst rubbed the back of his head. Silvertail carried on as if he hadn’t heard Amethyst’s question. Amethyst heard several hisses as Silvertail squeezed on the black ball of the blood pressure device. He slowly released air from it until he completely removed the air and the cuff. “Blood pressure is a little high, but I suspect that’s just because your heartbeat is a little fast right now. Let’s get a listen of that heart, miss.” Silvertail returned the blood pressure reader to the drawer and while there, he pulled out a stethoscope. Amethyst cringed as he felt the coldness of the stethoscope touch his left side. “Deep breath, Miss,” Silvertail asked and Amethyst complied. What felt like several minutes passed as Silvertail held the scope on Amethyst’s chest. He then switched the scope onto Amethyst’s back and once again held there for what felt like an inordinate amount of time. “Heart rate is normal. So Miss Lavender, when was the last time you saw your gynecologist?” “Gynecologist?” Amethyst tilted his head. Silvertail shot Amethyst an odd look, “You do have one, right?” Amethyst shook his head before enthusiastically nodding, “Yes of course I do… Her name is Doctor Down… There. Yeah, Dr. Down There.” “OK sure, well you seem to be in good working order, you may leave now.” Silvertail promptly opened the door to the examination room. “OK, thanks, Doctor.” Amethyst smiled and showed himself out. “How could I have been so stupid?” Amethyst paced back and fourth. He was once again in the basement of his cabin, his research notes sprawled out on the desk. The green book he found in Clovis’s castle sat on the left side of the desk and a map of some tunnels sat on the right. “Dr. Down There! Damn it, that has got to be the stupidest thing I’ve said since I told Dad that I couldn’t make the gala because of a thrown horseshoe.” Amethyst paced furiously back and forth in his cabin. “And I thought I was pregnant. Come on Amethyst, get a grip on yourself. I’ve gotta change myself back and soon before I really do end up pregnant…or go totally nuts.” Amethyst stopped his pacing a moment to glance back at the map. “Blue alicorn? Who is this blue alicorn? I’ve heard rumors that the princess has a sister with blue fur, but is she truly the key? Of course that’s considering this blue furred princess actually exists. Nah, that can’t be right.” Amethyst leapt up from his chair and started pacing again. “Think, Amethyst, think!” He stopped and hit his left fore hoof on his forehead. “There’s got to be something I’m missing...” As Amethyst stood there, he found his eyes drawn to the map once again. His eyes went wide as they settled on the far left side of the map. “By Celestia’s mane…a stain.” What Amethyst was looking at was a large red splatter mark on the left side of the map. He rushed into a back room of the basement and returned with a teal crystal. With a sweeping motion, Amethyst waved the crystal over the stain and it vanished. What lay before Amethyst was a hidden chamber cut off from the rest of the map. Within the chamber, Amethyst saw the diagram of a blue alicorn. “That’s gotta be it. The blue alicorn has to be in that chamber. Now if only I could divine a way to enter it...” Author's Note thanks to samaru163 for pre reading, and westphalian musketeer and mcpoodle for editing sorry for the long delay I intend to update a bit more frequently from now on
chapter 1 (revised)Author's Note thanks to http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Samaru163 for helping me edit chapter 1 (revised) “Go through the chimney,” the unicorn sarcastically remarked to himself as he looked around his near black confinements. “Great idea Amethyst. Why didn’t I just try and find a window to get in?” The unicorn named Amethyst slowly rose to his hooves. Centuries of soot covered his body from head to hoof. Briskly he shook himself. Most of the soot was gone when he’d finished shaking, save for a few black splotches against his dark purple fur. Looking up the chimney, he wagered the fall had taken him half a story inside the ruins. The thought excited the young explorer. Carefully, he crawled his way out of the castle’s ruined hearth. Before him lay two halves of a cobblestone hallway. One end seemed to stretch further into the ruins then his field of vision would allow. The other was closer, but led to a dead end with a beautiful stain glass window of a white unicorn. “Oh, forgot my saddlebag,” Amethyst remarked. His horn glowed with a flash of pink light- the same color as his cutie mark. A few seconds later, the saddlebags he had left on the roof levitated down the chimney and once again rested on his back. With a deep breath, Amethyst began walking down the hallway, away from the window. As he walked, he made a point to take note of the various rooms he passed by. Every few feet he would stop, take out a notepad, and expand on a map of the ruins. It was miraculous that Amethyst even found the castle at all. It had been a prime topic in the rumors of the ponies who lived in Maple Mountain for years. Everypony feared the old cursed castle of King Clovis, but not Amethyst. He’d been exploring these old ruins for a year, and had come out unscaved, save for the ocassional scrape or cut. If the rumors were true, old King Clovis had some long lost magical treasures hidden away, and Amethyst was more than willing to cut through superstition to do it. He continued through the hallway until he came to a corridor. It was larger than the one he had just come down- a dusty red carpet lay across it. A little bit of the dust got into Amethyst’s nose and he sneezed. “This castle is always dusty,” Amethyst remarked to himself. He drew in his notepad again before turning down the left pathway, which lead him to a large oak door. On it were the carved designs of unicorns coated in paint long worn away. Below them were a pair of brass door handles. Amethyst used his magic to tug the door open. He walked into the room, looking around at the objects inside: a two-pony bed with an overhang, several old portraits, an oak vanity with an assortment bobbles on it, and several dresses of varying design. “This must have been princess Mineral’s room,” he remarked before walking over to a pink dress with a few moth holes in it. Carefully, he ran his hooves across it. “Feels like silk. This princess certainly had good taste.” Amethyst looked over at the vanity and his horn began to glow slightly. With an observant hum, Amethyst walked over and inspected the objects on it. There wasn’t anything special, just a few bits of ancient beauty products and a hairbrush, worn with time. That is until his eyes spotted a small statuette about, three inches high, and made of gold colored stone. “Oh, now look at you,” Amethyst grinned. “You’re something special aren’t ya?” Without a moment’s hesitation, Amethyst levitated the statuette into his saddlebag. Once it was inside, he brought forth a golden pocket watch and rested it in his hooves before opening it. "Crud," he said, looking at the watch, "I'd better head back, it'll be dark soon." Amethyst bolted out of the room, and ran back the way he came. When he got to the chimney, he simply teleported himself back up to the roof he’d been on earlier. He sped across the roof until he reached a ladder at the edge of the roof. The ledge he found himself on was several stories above ground level. From here, he could see the dirt road leading to town. In a flash, he teleported down to the ground below, and ran down the dirt road. An hour or two later Amethyst had left the forest, his short black and pink mane glistened in the setting sun. He stood in front of a wooden archway with the words ‘Welcome to Maple Mountain’ written on it. He walked through the gate and continued down the road he was running on. His pace slowed to a canter; the road had switched from being made of dirt to being made of red bricks. his moderately long tail swished back and forth as he walked. Amethyst glanced at the log cabins around him. Most of them appeared to be empty; however, he saw one with a buggy parked in front of it. Amethyst walked on, until he had arrived at a four way crossroads with a large fountain in front of it. Around the fountain, Amethyst could see several wagons belonging to various traveling merchants. Street lamps and benches also lined the plaza. With the sun just beginning to set, the streetlamps were beginning to flicker on. He headed eastward from the plaza down a large street. Various businesses lined the streets around him, mostly fashion stores, cafes, and winter sporting goods stores. Amethyst came to a side street and he turned and walked down it. The side street had other businesses of minor note, such as souvenir stores. He came to a stop three stores into the side street and turned to face the store on his left. The store Amethyst was facing was a two-story building. Right in front of him was a door with a yellow handle; above the door was a sign that read, “Amethyst’s Magical Devices and Books”. Below that sign was an arrow shaped sign, that led to the upper part of the building. That sign read, “Orchid’s Perfect Flowers.” Amethyst used his magic to levitate out several keys on a key ring and he used one of them to unlock the door. He went into the door and flipped a light switch and several lights turned on. The room that Amethyst was in had several shelves and tables strewn around it. Junk of all descriptions littered the tables; all of them had a price tag tied to them. Several bookshelves lined the walls, filled with books on various subjects, though the majority were spell books. In the far right corner was a desk with a cash register on it, and behind that desk was another door. Amethyst walked toward that door and unlocked it with another key on his key ring. He went through the door into another room. This room had two sections: a kitchen area behind a stub wall, and a living area. The kitchen consisted of a small stove, a fridge, some counters, overhead cupboards and a two-sided sink. The living area had a small table, a bookshelf, a lamp, a clock hanging on the wall, and a pull out couch bed. On the far side of the room -across from Amethyst- were two doors, one without a handle and another with a brass handle. The couch bed was fully out and had a blanket on it. Under the blanket were two ponies, a mare and a stallion. The mare had dark green fur, an orange mane and purple eyes, the stallion had blue fur, a green and orange mane, and dark blue eyes. A bulge around the shoulders indicated the stallion was a pegasus. The stallion and mare were sharing a passionate kiss when Amethyst walked into the room. Not wanting to disturb them, Amethyst tiptoed across the room to the adjacent door. He wasn’t quite quiet enough, however, as the two ponies broke from their kiss and looked at him. “Misty, who’s this?” The mare asked in confusion. “Don’t mind him dear,” the stallion replied. “He’s just my roomie.” Amethyst just shrugged at them and continued walking toward the door without a handle. By the time he had gotten to the door, the mare and stallion had resumed kissing each other. Good old Misty, Amethyst thought to himself. He lowered his horn to where the doorknob would normally be and closed his eyes. Within moments the door had opened. Amethyst walked into the room and, with a thought, the door swung shut behind him. The room Amethyst was in had a desk, a trunk with several carved channels in it and a one-pony bed. Amethyst walked over to the desk and opened up his saddlebag. He proceeded to place several objects, including the statuette from earlier on the desk. With a yawn, Amethyst went to bed and promptly fell asleep. The next morning, Amethyst awoke with a yawn. He heard the sound of something cooking and got out of bed. He went over to the door he had entered from last night and used his horn to open said door again. The fold up couch from last night had been folded up, and Misty was in the kitchen baking hay. The pegasus’s full body was visible and so was his cutie mark depicting three rainclouds. “Good morning, Misty,” Amethyst said to the pegasus. “Mornin, Shard,” Misty replied. “You’re up early.” “Had to get up early, got that big mountain climate summit in Manehatten. If I’m gonna make it, I have to be on the 9 am train,” Amethyst glanced over at the clock on the wall. “Its 8:40 and you’re honestly expecting to have some fried hay and still make it.” At that, Misty looked at Amethyst, dumbfounded by his friend’s words. “8:40? But my watch says it‘s only 7:15,” “Misty, remember how you told me your watch is broken?” Amethyst said in a somewhat annoyed tone. Misty stood there for a few minutes, staring off into space. His eyes went wide and his wings flared outward. “Horse feathers, I’m late!” Panic was evident in Misty’s voice. Without another word, he bolted over to a suitcase he’d left next to the front door. Misty grabbed the suitcase and without a goodbye rushed out the door. Amethyst chuckled to himself. “He’d lose his own wings if they weren’t attached. At least I get the house to myself for a few days.” Amethyst heard somepony singing upstairs. The voice of the singer was Orchid seed, a mare that lived on the floor above theirs. He listened to her for a while, smiling. The singing reminded him of his sister, who also used to sing in the shower. Sweet Celestia, did she have a beautiful voice. At that thought, Orchid botched one of the notes in her song, which caused Amethyst to cringe. “At least my sister wasn’t tone deaf,” he muttered to himself. Amethyst went back into the room he had slept in the previous night and walked over to the desk. “Ok, time to get to work” He said, before stopping in his tracks. “Oops, nearly forgot to open the shop.” He walked back out of his office, grabbed an open sign from a counter in the room with the cash register and hung it up on the front door. Satisfied, he walked back to the desk he had been at previously. Amethyst began to look over the things on the desk. He prodded them with his horn, ran tests on them, and documented the findings. He did this for several hours, he only stopped when customers came into the store. When noon rolled around, Amethyst went into the kitchen to get lunch. He made himself a daisy sandwich and started to nibble on it. He brought it back to the room with the desk and picked up the mare statuette with his magic. Biting into his sandwich, he turned the statuette around in a levitation field. Quizzically, he picked up a sheet of paper in his magic and wrote on it with a quill and ink. “Artifact B56: this artifact is a three inch high figurine made of yellow stone.” he said aloud as he wrote. “It has been carved into the shape of a female unicorn. The eyes are painted green, and the carving isn’t that well done. There are no discernable features on its face or any part of its body. It’s radiating a slight magical field I do not recognize, I believe this statue will cast an effect I haven’t encountered befo-” As Amethyst was writing out that last sentence, the artifact began to glow with an eerie pink light. Amethyst froze as the glow began to grow brighter and larger. He set the statuette on the desk and began to slowly back away from it. He only back stepped three paces before the glow formed into a bolt and hit him square in the chest. Amethyst cringed in discomfort as his body glowed with the same pink color the bolt had been. A few seconds passed before the glow vanished. “Wow… that was weird,” Amethyst remarked. He turned around and started to walk in the opposite direction when a sharp pain overcame him. The pain caused him to stop in his tracks and groan. He could feel his insides churning as if some force was reshaping his entire being. A spike of pain shot through him, forcing him to his knees. Before his eyes, his mane grew longer until it reached all the way down to the base of his neck. His muzzle collapsed in on itself. It folded and down his face, stopping a third of its former length, and settled on a rounded tip. He cringed hard as he felt his entire body shrink, and much of his stallion-esk bulk vanish; his barrel also shrunk. He fell over on his side and stared out at his forelegs just in time to see them shrink and slenderize. He felt his rump expand like a balloon, becoming rounder and fuller in shape. Amethyst felt intense tingling in the nether areas of his body. Looking down that way, he saw his nethers retreat between his legs at an alarmingly quick rate. Then, to his horror, he felt something split open. After that, the pain began to subside. Amethyst lay on the ground, panting for few seconds before regaining his composure. He stood up, slowly, and wobbled in place. “Wow that was fun.” He muttered sarcastically. His mind stopped at hearing his own voice, no longer was it the low-pitched voice he was accustomed to hearing. His voice had raised several octaves during the change and the new voice caught him off guard. Amethyst looked at his front hooves and saw their much smaller form. He also crossed his eyes to get a look at his snout. “What the hay happened to me?!”
chapter 3The next morning, Amethyst opened his eyes to the sight of the bright morning sun. With a slight groan, he opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. Morning already? Amethyst thought to himself. Why does morning always have to come so quickly? Once fully awake, Amethyst decided to eat some boiled carrots for breakfast. He swung his back legs over the side of the bed. He glanced down and saw, to his dismay, that he was still a mare. “Crud, and here I was hoping that yesterday was all a dream,” Amethyst muttered. Before he could speak another syllable, his stomach growled at him. Amethyst got out of bed and went into the kitchen. He reached into his fridge and pulled out several carrots. He reached toward the cupboard that contained the pots so he could boil the carrots. However, he found that he couldn’t quite reach the cupboard’s handle. Grunting, Amethyst stretched his leg to its fullest. He fell two inches short. What’s going on here? Amethyst thought. I’ve never had a problem reaching that cupboard before. Amethyst used his magic to levitate the pot down and set it on the counter, in defeat. Amethyst turned on the sink and levitated the pot under the spigot to begin filling it with water. He put the carrots into the pot and turned on the stove. While the stove was heating up, Amethyst levitated the pot onto the stove. As the water boiled, Amethyst took the time to ponder his situation. I have to be at least five inches shorter now, which is why I couldn’t reach the cupboard. What else about my life is going to be altered by this change? Amethyst brought a hoof to his chin. Work won’t change much in the end. And, considering Orchid took this rather well, maybe I’ll get lucky and the rest of my friends will stay by me. Then there’s Misty, Amethyst thought. Despite the pegasus being one of his closest friends, he didn’t particularly look forward to seeing how his lecherous friend would react. On the one hoof, he’d remember that Amethyst was born a stallion, and they could sort things out from there. On the other hoof, though... I’ll have the problem fixed long before that happens, Amethyst reassured himself. A slight pressure soon became evident in his lower areas. Amethyst realized it as the need to relieve himself. Quickly, he walked into the bathroom and stood in front of his toilet. Of course there’s bathroom issues, I’m gonna have to sit down from now on. With a groan, Amethyst sat on the toilet and did his business. After an uncomfortable period of time, he walked back into the kitchen and removed the carrots from the pot with his magic. He set them on a plate and promptly ate them. Might as well have another shower, don’t want to go out with Orchid smelling like a sweaty horse, Amethyst thought. He headed into the bathroom again and turned on the shower. As he waited for the water to heat up, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror again. I just can’t get over my new reflection, He thought as he admired his reflection. I wasn’t really interested in my own reflection before, but now... Amethyst paused. I’m… beautiful. Briskly he shook his head. Celestia,I feel like a pervert, ogling myself just because I happen to be a hot mare. At that last thought, Amethyst found himself blushing and an alien tingle emanated from his lower areas throughout his body. It caught him off guard, causing his cheeks to flush red. Was this new body enticing him? This is weird, Amethyst thought. I mean, I doubt there’s a stallion out there who wouldn’t find his female self attractive. As he pondered, Amethyst became aware of a growing warmth from his new feminine parts. He stood there a few minutes, taking in the strange warmth that, to his horror, was only growing stronger. Flustered, he entered the shower, trying hard to forget the growing sensation between his legs. Amethyst washed his mane and scrubbed his coat vigorously. Yet, the sensation didn’t go away, it only magnified. Frustrated, Amethyst tipped his head back and let the water rinse over him. It rushed down his neck and over his back. The water danced across his shapely flanks and rounded rump. A trickle even slid down his thighs, and he emitted a soft moan. Unconsciously, he moved a hoof back towards his nethers. Just before he made contact, he realized what he was doing and snapped his hoof away. What am I doing? He scolded, internally. Am I seriously considering doing that while I’m in this body? Only a perv like Misty would do such a thing, and there is no way I’m going to stoop to his level! As if sensing his thoughts, his nethers nagged him with heat once more. Then again, Orchid did bring up a good point yesterday. If I’m going to be stuck like this, I might as well get to know the female sex ‘personally.’ For science, of course. Amethyst reasoned. Before his rational mind could counter argue, another trickle of water touched his flushed nethers. Aww, buck it! Orchid yawned and levitated her pink sleep shade off her eyes. She sat upright in bed and stretched, moaning in satisfaction as she felt her joints pop. What time is it? Orchid thought. She looked outside her window at the rising sun Wow; I’m up early, for once. I Might as well treat myself to a nice, warm bath. She got out of bed and walked towards her bathroom door. Closing it once inside, she stepped toward a medium sized bathtub, and used her magic to turn the handles next to the spigot. As the tub began to fill with warm water, Orchid continued thinking. Let’s see, what’s on the agenda for today, Orchid thought as she watched the water steadily fill up. I did agree to give Amethyst mare lessons today. How should I go about that? Orchid paused, and chuckled to herself. Wow, never thought I’d ever find myself thinking of what girly activities to practice with my guy-friend turned girl. The tub finished filling and Orchid took off the pink robe she’d worn to bed. She gently slid into the tub and used her magic to dim the lights. A smile spread across her face as she sank into the warm water. He’s pretty lucky neither of us need to open shop today. Orchid thought. She closed shop every Sunday to relax and restock on necessary plants. This week’s sales had been slow going, so once she sent an order in for some roses for the upcoming spring festival, the day would be free. Except for this Amethyst issue. Maybe a bubble bath will help me think, She thought. Using her magic, Orchid opened a small cupboard embedded in the bottom of her bathroom sink. She levitated out a box of suds and sprinkled them into the tub. Seconds later, bubbles began to froth from the water. Ah, that’s better, Orchid thought as she lathered shampoo into her mane. Now, what to do about Amethyst? It’s not like there’s an instruction manual on being a mare I can just show him—granted, that would be so much easier. She sighed and ran her hooves through her mane. He’s a smart pony. I’m sure he’ll pick up on it pretty quickly. Orchid dunked her head under the water again to rinse the shampoo from her mane. Her thoughts drifted to a few quips she’d heard a customer say one Hearts and Hooves Day. “He’s a great guy,” the mare had said. “But he’s still a stallion, and you know how thick headed they can be.” That I do, Orchid mused, before remembering the second thing the customer said before leaving the shop. “Wouldn’t it be great if they could live in our horseshoes for a day?” Orchid hadn’t paid the comment any more thought than a wishful fantasy. Now, however, it seemed to take on a new light. One of the parties not understanding the other’s situation had been the downfall of many relationships she’d seen over her life. Now, here she was, given the unique opportunity to instruct Amethyst to avoid making that mistake. I owe it to him, Orchid thought, pulling the plug from the tub and stepping out. He doesn’t deserve what happened between myself and Misty. Orchid took a moment to dry herself off before heading down to her kitchen. She levitated an apple out of a fruit bowl and bit into it. Come on, Orchid, why is this so hard? She groaned and set the apple down. What do you do for fun, besides going to the- “Ah ha, that’s it!” She cried aloud loud. “The paradise mall! I can take him to get his mane done; I’m sure Stylish will work miracles for that tangled mess he’s got for a mane. And heck, why not buy him a new wardrobe to boot? After all, there’s no telling how long this is going to last.” Her excitement was interrupted by the sound of her doorbell ringing. She walked out her front door and opened the door of her store. Standing before Orchid was none other than the very mare she was just thinking of. “Umm errr, morning Orchid,” Amethyst said as he shuffled a hoof. Orchid smiled back to the former stallion. “Good morning Amethyst, I hope you’re ready for a fun day.” “As much as I can be,” Amethyst sheepishly replied. Orchid was about to explain the day’s plan, when she caught whiff of an interesting aroma. Pausing for a second, she investigated the smell and found that it came from the mare in front of her. “You certainly smell nice today,” Orchid complimented. Amethyst didn’t blush, like she was expecting. Rather, his pupils dilated, and his body went rigid. “Calm down, girl, I was talking about your body wash,” she said, causing Amethyst to instantly calm. “So, you ready to get started?” “Yes, Orchid,” Amethyst said. “But, before we go and do… whatever it is you want to do to- I mean with me today, we need to make a quick stop somewhere.” At that point, Orchid took notice of Amethyst’s saddlebags carefully resting on her back. “Oh, umm ok Amethyst, whatever you say.” “Thanks Orchid, oh and could you not call me girl… it’s kind of disheartening” Amethyst asked. Orchid chuckled. “Well, but I can’t go around calling you a stallion in public, so you might as well get used to it,” Amethyst tried to reply, but she cut him off. “So, where are we stopping?” “My cabin.” Amethyst replied. “Come again?” Amethyst shot Orchid a stunned look, “You mean you don’t know about my cabin?” “Not before today,” Orchid said. “You mind enlightening me as to what you’re talking about?” Amethyst inhaled. “Ok, I technically live in a cabin in the old cottager’s town. It’s where the bulk of my equipment and more dangerous relics are stored. I want to drop off the mare statue there where it can’t be accidentally activated.” “Wait, hold up,” Orchid said, raising a hoof. “You mean to tell me you have your own house, yet you're sharing a place with Misty?” Amethyst groaned. “OK, so I moved into town and I couldn’t afford both a house and a store. I ran into Misty at the prancing pony bar, and he came to me with an offer. He owned a joined store and house, and was willing to lend me his shop space to use, as long as I kept the business profitable. “So with a little paperwork, he made me a co-owner of the shop and I set up my magic shop there. Eventually I moved in with him and bought him a nice fold up couch.” Orchid was scowling by the end of Amethyst’s tangent. “You still haven’t answered my question. Why don’t you just live in your own house?” “It might be better to just show you why rather than tell you,” Amethyst replied. Orchid grunted. “Fine, let's go already.” Amethyst nodded before walking off with Orchid in tow. They headed down the side street until they arrived at a larger one. Hustle and bustle was evident, with ponies walking all around, visiting stores and enjoying snacks at the occasional cafes. Buggies traversed down the main street, alongside the occasional bus. The two mares walked down the sidewalk for several blocks until they arrived at a bench covered by black a tarp. Amethyst stopped there and sat down. “We need to take the bus,” he said to Orchid. Orchid nodded and sat next to him. Several minutes passed before a bus finally pulled to a stop beside them. Orchid waited until the departing ponies had finished before rising from her seat; Only for Amethyst to put a hoof on her shoulder. “We need a Breezy Clearing bus. This one is heading for the mall.” Orchid nodded and let the bus depart. Another minute passed and another bus arrived. This time, Amethyst motioned for Orchid to get on the bus. Soon after departure, they found themselves outside of civilization on an old dirt road. It twisted and winded its way through a pine forest for several miles. They came to a rest next to a bench next to a clearing. There were several log cabins located inside, each connected by dirt pathways. Most had lights coming from their windows, or smoke billowing from the chimneys. Amethyst and Orchid left the bus and began walking down the path. After two steps, Orchid noticed Amethyst’s saddlebag begin to slip down her friend’s midsection. “Amethyst, your saddlebags,” Orchid pointed out. The former stallion turned around and noticed his bags were almost off his back. With a flash of magic, he slid them back along his sides - shivering from the sensation - and adjusted their straps. “Thanks Orchid,” he said. “No problem,” she said, silently tallying new saddlebags on their list of things to do today. The two finally stopped at a lonely cabin located in the far back of the clearing. It was single storied, with only one front facing window. The door was what caught Orchid’s eye, however; it was decorated with dozens of locks, and seemed to lack a door handle. Amethyst walked up to the house. His horn illuminated with magic, and one by one, the locks opened. He then tapped the handle less metal plate with his horn. The door swung open and Amethyst walked into the cabin, with Orchid cautiously following behind. From Amethyst’s description, Orchid didn’t know what to expect. A cluttered mess or gaping holes in the ceiling and walls were the first things that popped into her mind. Upon entering the house, she was shocked to discover a neat, orderly building with a well set up living room. To her left, Orchid spied a door less kitchen, free of clutter. This doesn't look so bad, Orchid thought. Amethyst walked past her and headed to an open stairwell leading to the basement. “Hey Amethyst, where are all the relics?” Orchid asked. “They’re all in a well protected safe in the basement,” he replied. “But most of the furniture also have lesser enchantments on them. So, please, don’t touch anything.” Enchanted furniture? Orchid thought as Amethyst vanished down the stairwell. Once he was gone, her eyes locked onto a red armchair, inspecting it curiously. Hmm, what’s the worst thing an enchanted chair could do? As if to test the question, Orchid walked towards the chair and motioned to sit down. “Ah!” Orchid cried as she fell rump first onto the wooden floor. She rubbed her hindquarters and looked around. The armchair had moved itself to the other side of the living room. “Well, ask a stupid question,” Orchid said, picking herself up. A second later, she heard a soft giggling. Turning towards it, she spotted Amethyst standing in the living room doorway. “Now you see why I moved out of the cabin,” he said between giggles. “You could say that,” Orchid said, casting the armchair a venomous look. “You think that’s bad, you should see the mattress. I enchanted it gently tilt me out of bed when my alarm went off. Unfortunately it doesn't quite understand the meaning of gently” Almost reflexively, Amethyst rubbed his muzzle as if feeling the pain again. “Anyways, now that the figurine is safely stored away, why don’t we go do whatever you have planned for today?” “Hold up Amethyst,” Orchid said. “Before we get there, we need to go over a few things.” Amethyst nodded and let Orchid continue. “As I said earlier, you can’t be put off by ponies who use feminine terms to address you. Remember, to the rest of the world, you are a mare.” Amethyst nodded slowly. It looked like he wasn’t paying close attention, and his eyes were wandering off absently. “Second, you can’t turn your head anytime someone calls you Amethyst.” Predictably, Amethyst turned his head at the mention of his original name. “Yes, I’m listening.” Orchid groaned. “See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about. For the time being you are not Amethyst Shard, you’re Lavender Star. Right, Lavender?” “Um...” Amethyst’s eyes darted around, unsurely. “Right, Lavender?” Orchid repeated. Amethyst sighed, “Yes, Orchid.” “Good. Now, repeat to me. Who are you?” “I’m Lavender Star; Amethyst’s twin sister visiting from Canterlot.” he said, begrudgingly. Orchid brought a hoof to her chin. “The back-story needs a little work, but we can think of that on the ride over.” “Alright, now will you tell me where we’re going, Orchid?” Amethyst asked. With a huge smile Orchid exclaimed, “The paradise mall!” Amethyst’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding, right?” “Nope,” Orchid said. “I’ve got an entire day planned out.” The former stallion stared wordlessly at Orchid. Then, he turned on his hooves and made for the stairs. Orchid was quicker and caught Amethyst’s tail between her teeth. With a quick tug and a grunt, the violet mare was on his back. Orchid stood over him, smiling down as a blush appeared over Amethyst’s face. “Heh, can’t blame a guy for trying?” Author's Note thanks to Samaru163 for editing
chapter 4For Amethyst, the bus ride back felt three times longer than when they’d ridden to his cottage. He tried to tell himself that it was the distance to the mall, but more than likely it was apprehension. Which would make sense. After all, he was only going to one of the most feminine places in town, according to Orchid. His friend had not made the trip any easier. After she’d noticed his apprehension, she’d started asking him odd questions about his house and artifacts. Which was fine; Amethyst enjoyed informing ponies about the neat stuff he collected. However, every so often, Orchid would test Amethyst by saying his fake female name. Needless to say, Amethyst failed most of the time. “Ok, Amethyst here we are,” Orchid declared as the bus began to slow to a halt. “You know Orchid, I’ve been meaning to ask you, why the Paradise Mall?” Amethyst inquired. Orchid smiled. “The Paradise Mall has all kinds of places that mares go to. Heck, I go there all the time. What better place to show you how the fairer sex lives than one of my favorite hangouts?” “I could think of a couple places Misty mentioned,” Amethyst grinned, which received him a hoof upside the head. “Ow! Just kidding!” “Well straighten up, because we’re here.” Holding his head, Amethyst looked out the bus’ window. The mall building was about two stories high in the center, and three stories high on the left and right sides. Out front, there was a large walkway decorated with fountains. “Well, come on Amethyst. We have an exciting day ahead of us!” Orchid said, smiling. The bus came to a complete stop, and the driver opened the door. Orchid shot up from her seat and headed out, with Amethyst following behind shyly. He thanked the bus driver, and followed Orchid along the large pathway leading to the mall. When they reached the building, an earth pony with a yellow mane and a sash that read “greeter” greeted them. “Welcome to the Paradise Mall, where every visit is simply paradise. Here, have a flier!” The mare gave Orchid and Amethyst a pamphlet. “Enjoy your stay,” she said before galloping toward a yellow pegasus mare. Amethyst followed Orchid through the front doors of the mall. Once inside they saw the hustle and bustle of ponies all over the place. The roof was made of glass and stood two stories high. Balconies adorned both sides of the plaza, and a large golden statue of a stallion with long hair and a beard stood in its center. Amethyst scowled at the statue. Clovis never looked like that. “Come on Lavender” Orchid called, which snapped Amethyst out of his daze. Quickly, he caught up with Orchid. Taking an elevator to the second story, Amethyst found himself gazing at the various stores in the mall. Most of them were very feminine in nature. They were mainly mare’s clothing stores but they were accompanied by other feminine stores of lesser mention. Among the lesser stores, Amethyst saw perfume and jewelry stores. He also thought he saw a grocery store but he couldn't be sure. Amethyst also took notice of the various ponies in the mall. Predictably, most of them were mares; the majority of the stallions present were most likely husbands or boyfriends roped into accompanying their significant others, the looks on their faces made that abundantly clear. Some of the mares had young fillies and colts in tow. After some more walking the two mares arrived at a store that read, “Cobalt’s Fantastic Dues.” I recognize that name. Amethyst thought. I met him at The Prancing Pony bar once. The Prancing Pony was a hangout that he and Misty frequented at least once a month. It was a bit of a run down establishment that served a lot of hard apple cider. Cobalt was the name of a stallion that Amethyst had seen there occasionally. He was there for the same reason as Misty, to score a tipsy mare or two. “Here we are Lavender,” Orchid said, again snapping him from much more pleasant thoughts. “We’re going to get our manes done by the best mane stylist I know!” I hate getting my mane cut, Amethyst grumbled in thought. Before he could voice any objections, Orchid wrapped her hoof around him and dragged him into the salon. To his surprise, it wasn’t all that different from most high-end mane treatment places. Mares of all descriptions sat in beauty chairs having their manes dried. Pretty much any stallion in the salon was sitting in the waiting area staring off into space. At the very back of the salon was a drawn curtain, and several stacks of magazines. There were mares walking around the salon, but most of them were running cash registers and operating the mane driers. As Orchid and Amethyst walked in they saw a pegasus stallion emerge from behind the red curtain. “Hello there girls, and welcome to Stylish Cobalt’s fantastic dos. I’m Mr. Fantastic himself, Stylish Cobalt,” said the effeminate stallion. “Why if it isn’t Miss Orchid Seed, one of my favorite customers.” He said, trotting over to the mares. “What can I do for you today, dear?” Amethyst took the time to look him over. He had deep violet fur, and blue eyes. His equally blue mane was done up in a pompadour. Just like how he’d remembered the stallion from the bar. “This is Lavender Star,” Orchid said, “She’s the sister of one of my close friends.” “Amethyst Shard I presume,” Stylish burst in. “They have the same, everything even down to the special talent. I never knew he had a twin sister.” “Yeah, well she needs a makeover pretty bad. Think you could you help her?” Stylish moved up beside Amethyst and took him in from every angle. “Oh my stars! What have you been doing to your hair, girlfriend? I’ve never seen so many split ends. Don’t you even comb the bed head out of your mane in the morning?” No why would I? And since when did Stylish have that wacky voice? Amethyst thought. The Stylish Cobalt of the bar sounded very different from the stallion he was looking at. When Amethyst had spoken to him, he’d had a very thick Manehattenite accent, and a much deeper voice. “I’ll put you right on the schedule book, girlfriend; we need to do some serious work with that mane of yours. Just wait in the chairs over there and I‘ll get right too you.” Amethyst nodded and walked over to a group of normal chairs next to the beauty chairs. He took a seat and waited, with Orchid following suit. “Isn’t this great, Lavender? We’re going to look gorgeous after this,” Orchid said with a grin. Why did I let Orchid rope me into this? This is the most uncomfortable I’ve been since my parents took me to see the princess. Amethyst thought, though he managed to reply, “If you insist.” “Miss Lavender Star, Stylish will see you now” rang out the voice of a rather dull sounding mare. “That’s you Amethyst, I’m going next,” Orchid said. Cautiously, Amethyst got up and walked into the back of the salon. Stylish was waiting beside a barber chair, smiling. “Just have a seat dear,” Stylish said as he shut a curtain. He then turned to an assortment of scissors and combs. “So, Miss Lavender, what kind of mare do you want to look like?” I don’t want to look like any kind of mare. I just want to be a stallion and go to my regular barber. Amethyst thought, but his voice replied. “Umm, err… attractive?” “Attractive to whom girlfriend, are you planning on going on a date?” Amethyst blushed at the thought. “No, no. I just want to look beautiful today, is all.” “Nothing wrong with that girlfriend,” Stylish paused. “Ah! I know just the look for you!” With that, Stylish went to work. First, he put Amethyst’s head into a sink and gave his hair a thorough washing. Next, he went to work trimming away the excess back hair on Amethyst’s mane. “So, Lavender, I assume you’re here visiting your brother?” Stylish asked as he trimmed away. “Yeah, we haven’t talked in a while since he quit his last job.” Amethyst said. “He‘s told me good things about you, Stylish. But I wonder why you‘re talking weird, he said you have a deeper voice and an accent.” “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Head forward please” Stylish said nervously Amethyst obeyed his command, but didn’t let up. “He said pretty clearly that you’re from Manehatten, and that you have an accent. “Oh, you must be referring to my twin brother, Stylish Indigo.” Stylish said as he trimmed around Amethyst’s ear. “He’s an interior designer and a much less fashionable pony than me.” Wow. Amethyst thought as Stylish rinsed his mane again and put some hair curlers in Amethyst's mane. I didn’t know those two were twins. Maybe I should talk to those ponies more often. “OK, sweetie, you’re done.” Stylish said, before calling over his shoulder. “Petunia! Please show the young lady to a drier.” A single mare walked over to Amethyst and herded him to an open hair-drying seat. Amethyst sat down and the mare pulled the top down over his mane. A second later, hot air started blowing down all sides of his head. “Would you care for a magazine while you wait for your mane to dry?” The mare asked. “Umm, no thanks,” Amethyst replied. The mare nodded and left without a word. “Hey, that’s a nice fur color you have,” a feminine voice said to Amethyst. It was a lime green unicorn mare, with amber eyes and a harp for a cutie mark. “Um, thanks,” Amethyst said. “So, who are you?” “Lyra Heartstrings,” the mare said. “My name’s Ame-” Amethyst caught himself. “... Lavender Star.” “Pleased to meet you,” Lyra said. “So, from the sounds of things, you’re from out of town as well?” Amethyst nodded. “I work for the Canterlot archives, so I travel a lot. I‘m here to visit my brother, Amethyst Shard, we‘re twins.” “That must be awesome, having a sibling that looks like you.” Lyra mused. “I guess so,” Amethyst said. “So, how about you?” “I live in a town called Ponyville. As for my career, I’m a musician.” “Oh, what kind of instrument do you play?” Amethyst asked. “The lyre,” Lyra answered. “Also, on the side, I’m a cryptozoologist. You know, someone who studies imaginary creatures.” “Yeah… sure.” Amethyst replied awkwardly. “So, you mentioned you travel a lot. Got any neat stories to tell?” Amethyst brought a hoof to his chin. “Well, one time I was in an ancient Binician pyramid, and almost fell victim to a 100 foot pit trap. And there also was this one time I got myself kidnapped by some crazy llama girl in the Santa Crossa jungle. Luckily, my uncle and our guide Pedro were able to rescue me.” “Whoa,” Lyra replied, wide eyed. “It wasn’t all that bad,” Amethyst replied. “Plus, the llama chick was kinda hot.” “Pardon me?” Amethyst blushed as he realized what he’d just said. “Um, nothing.” “OK, Miss Heartstrings, you’re done,” announced the assistant from earlier. “Thanks,” Lyra said as she was helped out of the drying chair. She picked up a few shopping bags in her magic, and turned to Amethyst. “Well, thank you for the chat, Lavender.” “You’re welcome,” Amethyst replied. Lyra smiled, passed the assistant a few bits, and then exited the salon. “Nicely done,” said a very familiar voice. Amethyst whipped his head to his left and saw Orchid sitting in the chair beside him. Her mane and tail was adorned with curlers. “How long have you been sitting there?” Amethyst asked. “I sat down around where you were getting abducted by that Llama,” Orchid giggled. Amethyst rolled his eyes at the memory of that whole affair. It was most certainly not his proudest moment. “OK, Miss Lavender, you’re done,” the assistant announced. She walked over and carefully assisted Amethyst from the chair. “Thank you,” Amethyst said. He turned to leave the store, but shuddered slightly as he felt a hoof rest itself on his shoulder. “Hold up sweetie, we’re not done yet. Your friend Orchid paid for a tail package as well.” Stylish called out. With a slight sigh, Amethyst went back and sat in the barber chair. Stylish then completely inclined the chair, and put a reflective screen up in front of Amethyst’s rear. “What’s that for?” Amethyst asked, suspiciously. “You’ve never been to a salon before have you?” Stylish asked, to which Amethyst nodded. “Well, let’s just say it’s illegal to trim a mare’s tail without a screen up to block the view of the more sensitive areas.” At the mere mention of his new, alien privates, Amethyst’s cheeks flushed bright red. So fixated on the thought, he didn’t notice Stylish prop the chair up an inch. “So, how short do you want your tail, girlfriend?” Stylish asked. “Short tails are in this season just so you know” Amethyst flinched at being put on the spot like that. He hated having his tail cut because he was kind of sensitive down there. And a long tail was his own personal preference for his appearance. However, he noticed that the transformation into a mare had significantly lengthened his tail. “I don’t want it shortened, too much,” Amethyst blurted. “Maybe just an inch or two, please.” “Can do,” Stylish said, before getting to work. To the best of his ability, Amethyst didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to interrupt Stylish’s work on him, primarily out of fear of causing more damage, but also on part of curiosity. Stylish was able to grip scissors and combs with the feathers of his wings, and maneuver them around as if they were additional limbs. It was a curious trick, which seemed to help calm Amethyst’s nerves. “And we’re finished,” Stylish declared. He set his scissors down and used his teeth to remove the hair curlers from Amethyst’s mane. After that, Stylish rolled over a large mirror and positioned it in front of Amethyst. Reflected in the mirror, Amethyst could see that his bangs were curled up into two distinct curls at the top of his mane. The back part of his mane was significantly shorter, and was combed into a distinct ending at the left side of his head. Just as he had specified, his tail only had an inch taken off, along with the unwanted twisted and tangled hair. The sight of his mane cut made his mind come to a screeching halt, save for one thought. I look gorgeous. “So, what do you think?” Stylish asked. Amethyst swung her head towards him, eyes beaming. “I love it!” “Glad to hear it,” Stylish said. “Now, just head back to the lobby, Orchid should be done any second now.” Nodding, Amethyst got up from the seat and took a less comfortable one in the waiting lobby. Sure enough, Orchid rejoined him not a few seconds later. “You look fantastic” Orchid complimented. “Gee, thanks,” Amethyst blushed, then looked at a clock on the wall. “Well, let’s go home. It’s been a fun morning, but I really should start trying to cure myself.” “Oh no, you don’t you’re not getting off that easily,” Orchid said as she walked in front of Amethyst. “We’re going clothes shopping!” “What!?” Amethyst stopped in his tracks. “The mane cut was bad enough, why do I need clothes now?” “Because it’s my day to show you how mares live their lives and mares shop for clothes.” Orchid said authoritatively. “Could have fooled me, since half the mares here are plot naked?” “Don’t argue with me Amethyst. I said we’re going to have fun today and by Celestia we’re going to have fun!” Orchid said, staring daggers at Amethyst. That look was more than enough to remove Amethyst’s resistance to the idea. “OK, OK, fine! If you really think its necessary,” Amethyst said defeated. Orchid’s terrifying look suddenly shifted to one of glee. “Yay! Thank you Amethyst” Orchid said followed by a quick hug There are days when that mare scares the crap out of me. Amethyst thought, just before his stomach rumbled slightly. “Could we eat first?” Amethyst asked shyly. “Of course,” Orchid replied, leading the way towards the food court. Author's Note thanks to samaru for editing
chapter 5“There’s nothing like a hayburger!” Amethyst exclaimed, letting out a huge belch. Orchid turned towards the stallion-turned-mare and sneered. “Lavender, show a little self respect, please.” “Oh, umm sorry Orchid,” Amethyst said as he shrugged away from Orchid’s scorn. Something about his tone made Orchid’s eyes linger on him longer than usual. She noticed Amethyst’s movements were slightly stiffened, as if he were trying to hold himself back. “Something wrong, Lavender?” Orchid asked. “Yeah, I really need to go to the bathroom,” Amethyst replied as his face turned sour. “Well, serves you right for eating all that cheap fast food,” Orchid said, looking around the mall. “Looks like there are some restrooms over there, just try not to take forever.” “Thanks, Orchid,” Amethyst said before awkwardly bolting towards the restroom. I hope he doesn’t have any problems in there, Orchid thought. Then again,he’s been acting passably as a mare. Still, if the food court was any indication, it’s going to be a while until he’s a proper lady. Not that I want him to be, Orchid told herself. It’s the weirdest thing seeing him like this, all female and such. And at the ratehe’s taken to being a mare... She swallowed hard. In her attempt to help disguise Amethyst, was she doing more harm than good? Was she making him into a mare mentally? No, he’s still the same Amethyst Shard, Orchid reassured herself. After all, only a stallion could have made as big a pig of himself as he did over lunch. Orchid sighed in relief after thinking that last bit. Suddenly, a tap on her shoulder shook her from the thought. She twisted her neck and saw Amethyst standing beside her waiting. Soon the two mares were off walking through the mall again. Eventually the two of them stopped in front of a large store located at the end of one of the mall’s larger corridors. Orchid admired the various dresses on the racks immediately inside the store. Most were high-end dresses with fancy trimmings and various other extras. “Here it is, Lavender, the biggest clothing store in the whole mall, the feminine delight boutique!” Orchid shouted with a smile on her face. The two mares walked right into the store. Deeper in the store a glass case filled to the brim with extremely overpriced jewelry sat next to an escalator that lead to a second story of the store. Orchid watched as Amethyst glanced around at the sights: Rows of clothing flanked the mares on either side, all neatly sorted and aligned based on brands, sizes, and colors. Above them were overhanging signs to assist customers with distinguishing the different sections. “This place is huge,” Amethyst said, darting his eyes around the store. “Where do we even begin to look for clothes?” “Wait here Lavender, I’ll be right back,” Orchid said. Before Amethyst had time to respond she was already heading towards the checkout counters. Behind one of the registers was a dark green earth pony mare. Her eyes were purple, and her light green mane was done up in a simple ponytail. Orchid watched from a distance as the mare behind the register put several bits into the register she was working at. With a slight smile, the customer walked away. Since the transaction that Orchid saw was complete, she trotted over to the mare. “Hi, River,” Orchid addressed the mare. The mare turned towards Orchid, a joyful grin spreading over her face. “Heya Orchid, didn’t think to see you back so soon.” “What, can’t a girl stop by and say hi to an old friend?” Orchid asked, feigning shock. “Sure you can, but I know that look in your eye. What do you need my help for?” River asked. “Well, since you insist on knowing, my friend’s sister is visiting for the weekend, but the girl is seriously lacking in a spring wardrobe. Think you can help?” A huge smile crossed River’s face as she spoke. “Sure I can help, Orchid. It’s my job after all. Now, where is this mare?” “I’ll take you to her.” Orchid turned to face towards where she left Amethyst. River stepped out from behind the counter and followed Orchid back to the front of the store. They found Amethyst poking at some of the swimwear with a contemplative look on his face. “Lavender,” Orchid called out, pulling the former stallion from his thoughts. “This is my friend River Oasis. She’s gonna help us today.” “Err, hi.” Amethyst said with shy look on his face and an awkward wave. “Hi there, Miss Lavender,” River replied with a smile. “Now, how about we get started on that wardrobe?” The bus hummed as Orchid and Amethyst rode back toward town. Amethyst was dressed up in a black shirt, a red miniskirt and a fancy new pair of green socks. Amethyst also donned a pair of pure white saddlebags around his waist “I can’t believe you chose that outfit, Lavender.” Orchid said. “What’s wrong with it?” Amethyst asked “It makes you look like you want attention from the opposite sex. I thought you wanted to keep a low profile,” Orchid said with a look of confusion on her face. For Amethyst, the whole shopping trip had been an ordeal in and of itself. He had spent the entire time at the mercy of Orchid and River. They had put Amethyst into many outfits; Amethyst had hated every single one of them. Apparently, so did Orchid and River. The two mares could consistently come up with a reason why any given outfit wouldn‘t work. The whole point of the excursion, so Amethyst believed, had been to get him to pass as a mare and maybe even teach him something about how females lived their lives. The only thing Amethyst had definitely learned was that the fairer sex was a whole lot stranger than he thought before all this happened. He smiled internally at the future prospect of being a stallion again and not having to worry about what color skirt went with his coat. Amethyst felt a lurch as the bus stopped at the bus stop in Maple Mountain. “This is our stop,” Orchid said as she got up and levitated a few shopping bags. It had taken hours, but eventually Orchid and River had given up and let Amethyst pick his new clothes. He had promptly picked some clothes that he had thought he would look cute wearing. Amethyst only really intended to use these clothes to ogle himself in the mirror in the morning so he figured why bother with anything serious. The shopping bags that Orchid had were clothes that she had decided to buy for herself; Amethyst only had the outfit he was wearing and the saddlebags that Orchid had bought for him. “Well, now that we’re back, do you think you’ll be OK on your own?” Orchid asked. “I need to go and put in an order for some more flowers for the shop.” “I’ll be fine; I’m just gonna head home, the less time I’m out and about the better,” Amethyst replied. “Ok, have a good evening Amethyst,” Orchid said as she started to walk away A few seconds after Orchid began walking, Amethyst turned his head and called out, “Oh Orchid!” On hearing that, Orchid turned to face Amethyst and replied, “Yes?” “Thank you for taking me out today,” Amethyst said. “You’re quite welcome Lavender, see you tomorrow then,” Orchid smiled as she departed. Amethyst waved at her until she was out of sight. Now to get home, Amethyst thought as he too departed the area. Amethyst walked down the sidewalk. As he walked he took notice of something; all of the stallions he glanced at out of the corner of his eye were staring at him. The sudden attention took Amethyst a bit off guard; he wasn’t used to having so many eyes fixed on him. Amethyst tried his best to ignore the stallions leering at him but he couldn’t help but glance at them. Buck! Orchid was right about this outfit. I gotta get this thing off me ASAP. “Hey there,” a very masculine voice said to him. Amethyst turned to see a green unicorn stallion to her immediate left with a huge grin on his face. “Nice outfit, Sweetie,” he continued. Amethyst cringed at the compliment; he knew what was likely coming next. I gotta escape this situation like now or else he‘ll never leave me alone. Amethyst thought in a panic. “Err... thanks. Hey look over there!” Amethyst pointed at a random mare on the street. The stallion turned to look and Amethyst used the opportunity to teleport away. He materialized in an alleyway. “Thank Celestia. I sure hope he’s not as good at teleportation as I am.” He rather doubted that the stallion was. Amethyst had been top-ranked in his class for teleportation back in school. Without a second thought, Amethyst ripped the outfit he was wearing off and slipped it into his new saddlebags. With a sigh of relief, Amethyst started walking down the alley again. As he walked, he turned his head to see a massive poster. On the poster there was a white unicorn mare with pink and blue hair. Her eyes were brown and almond shaped. Her cutie mark was a silhouette of a pony being stylish. She held a rose in her mouth and smiled seductively at the viewer. The poster was an ad for some mane shampoo but Amethyst didn’t care, his attention was on the mare. Under most circumstances, Amethyst would be turned on by this mare. Her build was physically perfect and very pleasing to the male eye. No arousal was present on his face though, only a depressed frown. “Dazzling.” Amethyst trailed off. A tear trickled down his face as he took in the mare’s appearance. Amethyst knew this mare very well--she was his older sister. Most of the time when he would be reminded of her, he would be brought to the brink of tears, but his desire to appear as a strong stallion always forced him to swallow those tears before they emerged. Now after all he had been through these past few days, coupled with the fact that he was more or less alone in the alleyway, he snapped. He immediately slouched to the ground and started crying his eyes out. Time become a nonsensical object to Amethyst as he sat there, letting several years of pent-up depression spill from his eyes. A voice became apparent to Amethyst as he continued crying, “Hey Miss, are you OK?” At that point Amethyst didn’t care who the voice belonged to--he just replied, “No, no I’m not.” “What’s wrong?” the voice asked. Amethyst’s eyes were still focused on the ground and with the tears he was producing, he didn’t see who was talking to him “I miss my family,” Amethyst blurted. “That mare on the poster was very close to me. I haven’t seen her in three years and I miss her so much. I can’t just go and see her because she models all over Equestria and I can’t ask my father about anything she’s doing because he hates me.” There was a slight pause before the voice replied, “That sounds terrible, is there anything I can do to help?” “I don’t know, I’ve never felt this unhappy before. I’ve always held my feelings back but given the day I’ve had I just can’t anymore,” Amethyst said as he resumed sobbing. A few seconds later Amethyst felt something warm wrap around his neck. Amethyst opened his eyes to see white fabric in front of his face. Is this stranger hugging me? Amethyst thought “Everything is going to be ok,” the voice said. Amethyst was taken aback. He had never been hugged by anypony before. It freaked him out, but he also felt comfortable. Amethyst nuzzled into the stranger and he felt the stranger squeeze him tighter. The embrace put Amethyst’s ailing mind at ease. He had never felt so secure before, but his rational mind realized that this was a total stranger. Alarm bells were sounding in his head at the embrace. It felt like the hug wouldn’t end, but eventually it did. Amethyst stepped back to get a better look at this stranger. Amethyst’s mid froze when he saw it was a stallion. An orange earth pony stallion with green eyes, a brown mane and a pizza for a cutie mark. “Who are you?” Amethyst asked. “I’m sorry miss, I’m Scrumptious Delight. I work in the restaurant over there.” He motioned toward a door on his left. “What’s your name?” “I’m Lavender Star; I’m just visiting in town.” Amethyst replied. “Nice to meet you Lavender, how long are you staying in town?” “Not sure really, could be a while though.” “I see. So is everything OK now?” Scrumptious asked. “I’m feeling a lot better, thank you.” Amethyst smiled. “Just doing what anypony would do if they saw a mare crying in an alley.” He seems very nice, but now that I get a better look at him, I can’t help but feel I’ve seen him before. “So you work here? Maybe we could talk again sometime, I could introduce you to my brother,” Amethyst said, kind of hoping to get himself a new friend when he managed to change back. “Umm sure, I work here most nights. Just watch yourself; the ponies who come here aren’t that respectful to mares. Anyway, I gotta get back to work. See you around, Lavender.” Scrumptious turned to the heavy metal back door of the nearby building. “Ok see you soon, Scrumptious,” Lavender said. The orange pony opened the door and walked through it. Amethyst walked away, smiling internally at having had pleasant discourse with a pony. Then it dawned on him. Sweet Celestia! That was a stallion… A stallion hugged me. Soon Amethyst’s thoughts shifted to disgust at having felt good during the long embrace. Amethyst then turned to see what restaurant he was working at. Amethyst’s mind froze when he saw the letters “Prancing Pony Bar” plastered in big green neon lights. At seeing that his mind was flooded with memories, Amethyst realized just who that had been. “Holy crap, that was the bar’s pizza chef!” Amethyst knew about him, or rather he knew about his food. The bar had some of the best pizza that Amethyst had ever tasted, though he had never seen Scrumptious before. However, Barley the bartender had mentioned, ‘We got the best pizza cook in the whole town; I don’t know what we’d do without him.’ I’ve gotta get to know that pony better, he seems so sweet, Amethyst thought as he started his walk home. Author's Note thanks to http://www.fimfiction.net/user/McPoodle , http://www.fimfiction.net/user/SPark , http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Westphalian_Musketeer , and http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Samaru163 for helping edit
chapter 6“Uggh why isn’t anything working?” Amethyst was in his cabin and still as much a mare as ever. The hairdo that Stylish had crafted on his head was long gone, lost forever to his tendency not to comb his mane in the morning. Three days had passed since his trip to the mall with Orchid and his new wardrobe was safely tucked away in a chest in the cabin somewhere. Surrounding Amethyst were the machines that he used to examine magical relics. he held his head in frustration. “Why won’t you just reveal your secrets to me?” Amethyst practically screamed at the object in front of him. That object was the mare figurine that had landed him in his feminine predicament. “The most I’ve learned from my three hard days of work is that the magic of the statue is something I haven‘t encountered.” In his growing frustration, Amethyst pounded his hooves on the table. soon after, he got up from his chair and started trotting around the basement. “I could try my more complex devices but those could take months to work, and Misty comes home a day or two after the spring festival.” Amethyst said. This statue is truly a remarkable device,Amethyst thought. There’s no doubt in my mind that King Clovis made it. The craftsmanship in the magic is flawless. The curse it put on me is seamless. My own ‘tests’ seem to confirm I’m a biological female. he blushed, bringing his hoof up to his muzzle. With a slight groan, he said, “Unfortunately there’s only one quick way to undo this: find the enchanting formula for the statue.” An enchanting formula was a set of magical instructions on how to enchant an object with a certain charm. Most Sorcerers – Amethyst included – kept these formulas written down somewhere. he hadn’t found any of Clovis’s formulas in the castle – this led him to the conclusion that they were all compiled into a single, very large volume that he had yet to locate. Amethyst groaned at the possibility of going to look for the alleged book. Exploring the castle had become a pain in recent weeks as he steadily weeded out the easy-to-access areas of the old castle. My hooves are tied; I gotta find Clovis’s old notes if I expect to get my stallionhood back in a reasonable time frame. In the meantime, I should put the statue into one of the scanners that’ll take a while to run. The binary scanner will take at least 48 hours to run completely; plenty of time to go looking for that enchanting formula, Amethyst thought as he levitated the statue into a large machine directly behind him. He flipped a red switch on the device and it began to hum. Gotta get to Orchid and tell her where I’m going, normally I’d just tell Misty but he’s not here and frankly I think he’d be more interested in saving my plot than the rest of me if I got trapped, Amethyst reminded himself. With that, Amethyst draped his saddlebags over his back and went out the door. Amethyst trotted over the landscape blackened by Luna’s night. he looked upon the familiar sight of King Clovis’s old castle. It had been four days since he laid eyes on the architecture of the castle. It certainly wasn’t an elegant castle like Canterlot’s. Where Canterlot Castle was made of beautiful white marble, this castle was made of dull grey stone. A large wall surrounded this architectural marvel, obscuring the bulk of the castle from view. Amethyst knew the chateau well; it was three stories high but that was only the tip of the iceberg so to speak. Below ground there was a massive network of catacombs that extended for miles. Amethyst inspected his bag and ran through a verbal list of some of the supplies he needed for his expedition, “Emergency food, check; two canteens full of water, check. Map of the castle, check. Some canned tuna and milk, check.” The last item was for what he considered the most dangerous hazard he had ever found in the castle, and it had always waited for him to appear whenever he was there. Slowly, he approached the old crumbling ruin. Amethyst stopped abruptly about half way – a pair of glowing eyes had fixed themselves on him. he looked back at the eyes; he knew that this was the wicked, evil danger of the castle. He promptly pulled out the fish and milk. Immediately the horrid monstrosity responded to the sight, with a meek meow. The devilish figure revealed itself to stand a terrifying three feet high, have green eyes that pierced the soul, fur as black as the night, and claws that could tear out the throats of many mice. A few weeks ago, this cat showed up at the dig site, and followed him into the castle. The cat accidentally knocked over a piece of rotting timber and caused a hallway to collapse. That nearly got them both killed. From that day on he brought food and milk for the cat so the kitty wouldn’t follow him into the castle. Amethyst promptly opened the tuna and poured the bottle of milk into a saucer. Immediately the cat started lapping away at the milk. Without another word, he trotted past the cat and onward to the castle. As Amethyst approached the aging castle, he took note of the ladder he had used a few days ago to enter a chimney from the outside. He walked right past the ladder and through a set of aging oak doors. Once inside he went past a gatehouse and through an archway with iron barred gates. Beyond the gate, he looked around. The area beyond the gate was an enclosed courtyard; a ruined fountain and broken throne stood immediately in front of him. he turned to his left and walked toward a rotting wooden door. With a gentle flick from his magic, Amethyst opened it and walked through. Furniture covered in white sheets cluttered the room that he entered. Wooden floorboards creaked lightly under his hooves. Amethyst went to his left and into another corridor. This corridor was different from the room before, because it was made entirely of grey stone instead of wood. As he trotted down it, he glanced around the hallway, admiring the fact it was perfectly spotless. he smiled internally at seeing the results of a considerable amount of time spent removing the debris and dust that had coated the hallway when he had first arrived. As he glanced around, he saw that one of the statues had acquired a new cobweb. Amethyst sneered at the web and promptly trotted over to the newest bit of chaos to mess up his hard work. He looked at it and quickly discovered that the cobweb had an inhabitant, namely a small black spider. “I hate spiders,” Amethyst declared as he used a weak magical bolt to kill the spider. With a slight wave of his tail the new cobweb was gone. He pulled out the notebook in which he had doodled the map of the castle. He flipped through the pages until he stopped at one in particular. Ok I’m here, where should I search first? Amethyst stared at the map. He had searched and mapped a large portion of the aboveground section; the section he had found the mare figurine in was one of the last of places in the castle he had yet explored above ground. The catacombs however were still very much of a mystery to him. The network was massive, on a scale to rival that of the caves beneath Canterlot. It extended for miles and miles with seemingly no end. Amethyst had only mapped a small fraction of these underground tunnels, but that fraction equated to at least another castle’s worth of space to be explored. Sadly, it appeared that many of the catacombs beyond had caved in centuries before he had even been born. He suspected that the book he was looking for was somewhere down there, written on paper that might have turned to dust long ago. he shook his head at that thought. No, can’t think like that. I have to believe that the formula is written somewhere. Clovis had enchanted paper – there’s no reason to assume that his formulas are written on anything else. It bothered Amethyst quite a bit that he hadn’t been able to find a single enchanting formula for the relics he’d uncovered. This lack of information had convinced him that all of the formulae were compiled into a single place: either one large book or several smaller books. He still had to choose exactly where to search for the book that day. A few minutes of pondering later, he settled on going through a passageway deep underground. Amethyst promptly set off down the hallway. Several minutes of walking, and he found himself a few levels down and in another stone hallway. That hallway was more cluttered than the one he was in a few minutes ago. He tripped over a piece of fallen rubble as he walked through the hallway – he hadn’t been in that hallway long enough to clean it properly. As Amethyst trotted on, something caught his eye. He turned and saw a collapsed passageway to his left. Amethyst checked his map and found a big black X over where that passageway was. He had determined that whatever was behind that passageway was completely inaccessible. There was a small gap in the rubble, Amethyst cringed at the memory of that passageway; he had tried to squeeze into that small gap quite some time ago and quickly got his barrel caught in the rubble. With a groan, Amethyst went onward. I gotta find that book, being a mare is so weird. Going to the bathroom is strange. I get those creepy stares from stallions I know. Then there’s the whole size thing, I’m at least a whole foot shorter than I – he stopped mid-step and thought. I’m smaller than I was as a stallion. Maybe I can fit into that gap now. A huge grin spread on Amethyst’s face. He bolted back to the collapsed passageway and approached the small gap in the rubble. With a deep breath, Amethyst said, “Well, here goes nothing.” Amethyst went towards the gap and began to squeeze into it. With a smile, he realized that he fit pretty well – the only resistance he encountered was his rump. The gap was pitch black, so Amethyst made his horn glow a bright pink. He smiled as he looked on to see that there was another tiny hole in the rubble presumably leading to the hallway on the other side. Before he went any further, he pulled out a yellow gemstone and levitated it. In an instant, the entire passageway glowed with a pink force field. “Can’t be too safe; don’t want all of that rock crushing me flat while I’m in here.” Amethyst had brought several enchanted crystals with him to the castle to aid in his expedition. he tossed a blue crystal back into the hallway he had come from. The blue crystal was a scrying crystal, he could see everything through it via a paired crystal that acted like a crystal ball. This was vital for Amethyst. With that crystal there, he could teleport back whenever he wanted. Since teleportation was a line of sight magic, he needed to see where he was going to teleport effectively. He went on through the passageway until he ran into a problem; a single part of the gap in the rubble was much too small for him to fit through. He poked his head through the small gap and smiled at the sight of a massive hallway on the other side. A faint blue light illuminated the large hallway; stone debris and cobwebs covered the stone. The ceiling of this passageway towered well above Amethyst’s head, and columns held the roof up. With a smile, he teleported beyond the small gap and right into the large hallway. “I can’t believe I made it!” Amethyst exclaimed with a smile. His enthusiasm was quick to fade when he suddenly felt a dozen crawling sensations on his fur. In a panic, he looked down and laid eyes on several spiders dancing across his hooves. A loud girly shriek rattled the hallway as Amethyst felt his new eight legged companions enjoying his company. A spider fell onto a black and white checkered floor. It tried to scurry away before a bolt of pink energy from above quickly ended its life. The bolt had originated from an exacerbated Amethyst, who was no longer covered in spiders. “I HATE spiders!” Amethyst screamed in anger as he drew heavy breaths. he stood there for ten minutes or so before regaining his composure. With a deep breath, Amethyst walked on. The hallway was impressive beyond words; it had an elegance and beauty to its stones and crystals that he just couldn’t help but admire. He found the gemstones to be of particular note; most were embedded in the mouths of stone unicorn statues spaced evenly along the length of the hallway. The entire passageway was illuminated with a faint blue glow, thanks to some irregularly shaped blue crystals on pedestals near the top of the hall. He had found a few other hallways a lot like that one and they were still quite breathtaking despite being old and worn. As Amethyst walked through the hallway, his horn began to glow violently. “By Celestia’s mane, I sense a huge concentration of magical artifacts. I must be getting close to something!” Amethyst said. He started going toward the source of the magic when he stopped dead. He heard clicking and rumbling. He looked upward to the source of the sound to see several green crystals protruding from the walls above, “Son of a b-” Amethyst barely had time to say, as the crystals began shooting green bolts of energy at him. With quick reflexes, he was able to dodge the first barrage of magical blasts. Soon he found himself running through the corridor like a maniac as the crystals continuously shot magic blasts at him. he had years of working as a relic hunter to thank for being able to dodge those blasts. Sometimes he had to teleport to escape, but he still did. “Crap how could I forget about the defenses – gotta get to the power relay box,” Amethyst said as he continued to dodge magic blasts. He quickly spotted a stone sticking out from the side of the wall several yards ahead of him. With great haste, he made his way toward the stone. His run there was made more perilous as the crystals on the unicorn statues fired laser beams in response to his proximity to them. In a scene out of a Daring Do book, he managed to dodge all of the lasers and magic bolts. He arrived at the stone after a minute of uninterrupted fire from the laser beams and magic blasters. Without a moment’s hesitation, Amethyst used his magic to open a panel on the face of the stone, exposing a light blue crystal. With one quick magic motion, he pulled the crystal forward. Instantly the magical bombardment ceased. Amethyst slouched against the wall to catch his breath. “Wow that was terrifying, yet so exhilarating. I have the best job in the world!” A quick rest later, he was back on his hooves and walking down the hallway. About five minutes after that, he arrived at a stone archway. He glanced through and saw a descending spiral staircase. “What’s it with Clovis and stairs?” Amethyst groaned. He quickly began his descent. Several minutes went by, and Amethyst found that he was nowhere near reaching the bottom of the stairwell. Suddenly he felt a section of the stairway give way, he fell down into the layer of stairs below. He grunted as he found himself tumbling down the last few feet of stairs. After finally landing at the bottom, he wobbled as he got to his feet, stars swirling around his field of vision. he found himself in a small chamber with several wooden doors adorned with crystals of differing colors. The pony used his magic to open all of the doors, and found nothing but smooth stone on the other side of all of them. “My magic indicates that the artifacts are on the other side of this wall. One of these doors must be real,” Amethyst remarked. He hummed as he attempted to compute a solution to this puzzle. “Clovis used magic riddles to conceal important secrets, so whatever is beyond this door has gotta be good. I suspect he would have made it simple for him to use, like a simple revealing spell. But only one door is likely the correct one to use the spell on. I’ve only got one guess, and I don’t want to speculate what’ll happen if I chose wrong.” Amethyst continued thinking for a few minutes. His face lit up as it hit him. “Clovis is fond of the color red. I’ve seen it all over his castle and personal effects; maybe the red crystal is the one. Well, here goes nothing.” he took a deep breath and cast the revealing spell on a door with a blood red crystal above it. Gently the door opened into another room. This room was about two stories high, with stone tables full of baubles and old paper. On the left and right sides, he saw several stone-carved shelves with all sorts of odds and ends on them. In front of him, on the other side of the room, was a large window made of crystalline squares of glass overlooking a large underground lake. The sound of roaring water echoed in the room as a massive waterfall next to the window poured continuously into the lake below. The magic in the room was all around Amethyst, emanating from the many enchanted objects in the room. Gazing at the artifacts in the room lead Amethyst to a single conclusion: “I’ve done it, I found Clovis’s magical laboratory!” Author's Note thanks to http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Westphalian_Musketeer and http://www.fimfiction.net/user/McPoodle for editing now with 100% more cover art
chapter 7Once again, Amethyst found himself at his desk. No more than a few hours ago, he had hit the mother lode, a huge cache of magical artifacts inside King Clovis’s secret lab. He spent hours going back and forth from the lab to the upper areas of the castle to get all of the artifacts out so he could start studying them. Slowly he had begun to catalog the various devices he had found in the castle. On Amethyst’s desk sat a small clock, no more than a few inches tall. “Artifact CSL24...to the best of my knowledge this clock shows you what time you wish it was,” Amethyst said as he wrote the same words on a piece of paper. As Amethyst was writing that, a pink furred rabbit hopped past his desk. He turned to see the small animal hop away from him and into the living room of his house. Oh, it’s just Fluffy he always does that, Amethyst thought, paying little mind to the small rabbit. With just a shrug, Amethyst went back to work. He levitated another bauble from a bag on the floor. He stared at the bauble and thought. Ok next artifact, it seems to have a minor charm on it so analyzing it won’t take too long, Amethyst thought. He soon started studying the relic but couldn’t divine a purpose for it. With a defeated sigh, he leaned back in his chair and stared off into space. “All this work is making me thirsty. I could use a drink,” Amethyst said aloud. “What’ll ya have?” a voice rang out. In an instant, Amethyst realized he was no longer in his house but in the prancing pony bar. He found himself on a barstool in front of a bar counter made of brown wood. The bar was empty, its various round wooden tables and chairs lacking any occupants. In front of Amethyst stood none other than the ruler of Equestria, Princess Celestia. “Umm, I’ll have a cup of hot java please, Princess,” Amethyst said. With a start, he realized that his voice was no longer feminine but had returned to its former masculine tone. Amethyst looked down and saw that his body was once again male down to the last detail. However he wasn’t completely normal, he also took notice of the fact that he was wearing a pink dress. Despite the peculiarity of the whole situation Amethyst just said, “And a muffin to celebrate my return to stallionhood.” “No problem, my little pony. I’ll get to work on that java. If you want a muffin you need to make the muffin face,” Celestia said with a smile. Amethyst nodded and promptly crossed his eyes; a muffin instantly appeared right in front of him. After he started nibbling on his muffin, which was strangely tasteless, he watched as the princess took out a map and cut out a piece of it using a scalpel. The piece of the map she had cut from the map was of the island of Java. Celestia promptly stuffed the map piece into a coffee mug and floated it to Amethyst. He peered into the mug and found the map had been replaced by actual brown liquid. Without a second thought, Amethyst started guzzling the coffee down. he stopped a few seconds later. “Hey princess, you forgot the seasoning,” Amethyst said, motioning to his coffee. “Oh my bad. One or two lumps?” Celestia said with a smile. “Just one, I’m trying to cut down,” Amethyst replied. Celestia proceeded to levitate a small teacup-sized cat from behind the desk and promptly dropped it into Amethyst’s coffee. The cat vanished from sight inside the cup. “Thanks” Amethyst said as he continued drinking the coffee and munching on the muffin. “Hey princess, a drink for me and my most recent conquest!” a familiar voice rang out. Amethyst turned to see the familiar sight of Misty Charm with a blurry looking mare standing next to him. “Hey Misty, who’s the mare?” Amethyst asked. “It’s you, silly,” Misty replied. The moment Misty said that, the mare came into focus and she turned out to be a gender-bent Amethyst. Amethyst blinked at the sight, and the moment he blinked, he realized that he had swapped places with the mare. Amethyst gazed back in awe as he saw his stallion self sitting at the barstool drinking the coffee and wearing what Amethyst now realized was the dress his youngest sister had worn during her ballet recital when he was fifteen. “So babe, are you ready for a good time,” Misty asked the once again female Amethyst. Amethyst couldn’t help but smile seductively at Misty at hearing the sound of his voice. “You know I am,” Amethyst replied flirtatiously. Misty and Amethyst promptly found themselves passionately kissing one another. Soon after that the situation got progressively more passionate, eventually evolving into the two making love to each other. Throughout the whole experience, Amethyst was terrified his biggest fears were becoming a reality. Amethyst froze in terror as he felt the weight of Misty on top of him. As Amethyst’s panic began to wane, a new feeling welled up in him, need. Amethyst couldn’t explain it but he suddenly felt overwhelming need. He didn’t just want Misty to do him he needed Misty to do him. As Misty continued, Amethyst found himself in pleasure. Sweet Celestia, this feels so right. Amethyst thought. Amethyst lost all capacity to think properly as pleasure overwhelmed his entire being. Amethyst could feel something was coming. He didn’t know what but he wanted it to happen with every fiber of his being. Then it happened, a sudden burst of pleasure. Before Amethyst could regain his composure, he was suddenly in his bed. Misty was no longer present, Amethyst found himself alone, in the home he shared with Misty. Soon after Amethyst realized the whole thing had been a dream. After regaining his composure, Amethyst started to think back on the dream. “I don’t even like coffee, it’s so bitter. “ Amethyst scowled as waves of disgust washed over him. Amethyst noted that his voice was feminine as he said that, this meant that Amethyst was still a mare. Soon after that revelation was over, the full impact of the dream flooded his mind. “Oh buck… I dreamt that Misty bucked me, and I loved it,” Amethyst said. He soon curled up in his bed, eyes wide at the implication of that. He hugged his tail as thoughts danced in his head about the dream. I’ve never had such a disturbing dream; it felt so real. I suppose I have thought about Misty and me… doing it since the moment I changed. Honestly I have even been a bit curious. But that was too much for me. It felt so real, so good. I’ve had wet dreams before, but this is entirely different, I’ve never had a wet dream in this body before. As Amethyst thought that, his stomach growled. May as well get some breakfast, hopefully it’ll take my mind off this whole mess, Amethyst thought. He promptly got out of bed and got out some carrots for breakfast. As he did, he became aware of a smell on his body. “Better take a shower,” he said as he went into the bathroom. As he walked toward the bathroom, a green book on his desk caught his eye. As Amethyst looked at the book, he promptly remembered everything that had transpired the night before. He wasn’t analyzing any of the artifacts he found in Clovis’s lab, they were all in large bags in his cabin. What got Amethyst’s attention in the large collection was a single book. The book was small, a single hoof or a very weak levitation spell could easily lift it, and it was only about 1000 pages long. The entire book was blank save for a single sentence on the first page that read, “The words of this book shall only appear in the light of the blue alicorn.” Amethyst could sense immediately that the book was enchanted to some degree. He strongly believed that this book – despite its small size – was indeed the enchanting formula book he was looking for. All he needed to do was decipher the odd riddle in the front of the book. After reflecting on that, Amethyst got into the shower and quickly showered off the smells he had accumulated since yesterday. After he got out of the shower, he sat on the couch for a moment. “Hey Amethyst are you here?” a familiar voice called out as Amethyst sat on the couch. “Back here, Orchid,” Amethyst called out. Soon the sounds of hooves could be heard as Orchid came into the living room with Amethyst slumped over the couch. “My gosh Amethyst, you look terrible,” Orchid commented. “It’s nothing Orchid, just a bad dream is all,” Amethyst replied “It must have been one heck of a dream, you’ve got bags under your eyes,” Orchid said. “I do?” Amethyst asked. Orchid pulled out a small pocket mirror and levitated it in front of him. Amethyst was surprised to discover that Orchid was right, he could see very noticeable bags under his eyes. “Hey, maybe you should take a day off. Clearly you‘re more on edge than usual,” Orchid suggested. Amethyst knew that Orchid wasn’t wrong; the cumulative stress of being a mare piled on with the stress of day-to-day life was indeed putting him in a progressively foul mood. With a reluctant sigh Amethyst replied, “You’re right Orchid, I have been more stressed out than normal and that nightmare I had hasn’t helped at all.” “How about I take you somewhere to relieve that stress,” Orchid suggested. “I don’t know Orchid, last time you took me somewhere to have some fun I ended up being tortured for hours trying on the most nauseating array of dresses I've seen in a long time,” Amethyst said hesitantly. “Please Amethyst, I promise it won’t be as bad as the clothes shopping was,” Orchid begged. With a slight groan Amethyst said, “Fine.” “Yay! Let’s go.” Orchid bounced up and down, she stopped after a few seconds. Orchid sniffed in the air and commented, "is that perfume I smell?" Amethyst blushed and silently nodded. "Hmmm," Orchid took in the aroma. "Smells like Perhaps, nice choice, it suits you." Orchid smiled. "Err, thanks," Amethyst said with a blush. “This is not what I had in mind Orchid,” Amethyst grumbled. The two mares stood outside in front of a two story, white building with a sign that read “Maple Mountain Spa”. “When you said somewhere relaxing I was thinking of something like the bar, not a spa,” he quipped. “Come on Amethyst, what’s wrong with a little relaxation at the spa? I come here all the time,” Orchid said. “That’s the point…YOU come here all the time, not me. I’m Amethyst Shard. I’m a stallion for Celestia’s sake! Why would a stallion enjoy such a frilly place?”. “Well last I checked you weren’t a stallion. At least try it for me Amethyst?” Orchid asked with a frown. “No Orchid, enough girly stuff!” Amethyst said, pouting. “What’s wrong with trying this at least once? What’s the matter, you afraid you might enjoy it?” Orchid asked smugly. “I’m not afraid.” Amethyst blushed nervously. “If you’re not afraid then prove it – go in with me.” Orchid grinned. Amethyst couldn’t help but growl as he said, “Fine I’ll go in. But there’s no way I’m gonna wear makeup or something like that. I’ve got enough problems to worry about.” With a slight squeal, Orchid snatched Amethyst up and dragged him toward the front of the building. Amethyst looked on nervously as the revolving glass doors of the entrance began to approach in his field of vision. Why do I let Orchid talk me into this stuff, Amethyst thought as he was tugged through the doors. Inside was an extravagant waiting room. Amethyst could feel the moisture of a large fountain grace his small muzzle. As Amethyst admired the extravagant fountain his eyes drifted to a brown desk right in front of it. behind the desk sat two mares talking to various ponies in a line in front of them. Orchid released her grip on Amethyst and said, “Wait here while I get us a spot.” Orchid soon began walking away toward the front desk; this gave Amethyst the opportunity to take in his surroundings. The whole lobby had a bathroom like feel to it: Amethyst shuffled his hooves on the red carpet of the lobby. after that Amethyst found himself looking at the blurs of various ponies rushing from place to place their hooves clicked on white tile that also graced most parts of the floor. Most of the ponies were mares in bathrobes and white uniforms. Any stallions present were in the white uniforms the staff wore. As the mares in bathrobes walked past him, Amethyst found himself leering at the saying hips of the beautiful mares as they walked by. “Ok Lavender, they’re ready for us,” Orchid said, shaking Amethyst out of his trance. With a nod, Amethyst followed Orchid. She led Amethyst through the crowd and to a set of glass doors. Orchid continued through the doors into a hallway with red carpet, brown walls and fancy lights. Amethyst looked around as Orchid led him onward through the hallway. About halfway down the hall, Orchid stopped and turned to face a wooden door. “Here we are, we’re gonna start out with some massages,” Orchid said with a smile Amethyst looked around as he and Orchid entered the room. White tile lined both the ceiling and floor of the room. Various ponies were on massage tables getting various types of treatments from the staff of the spa. As Amethyst was watching, a beautiful mare approached himself and Orchid. “So are you two ready for your massages?” she asked. “I sure am,” Amethyst replied, looking at the mare with some hidden lust. “Ok then, Orchid you follow me and Lavender your masseuse will be with you shortly,” the mare said as she led Orchid away. Amethyst found himself frowning slightly at the fact that he wasn’t going to get a massage from that attractive mare. “Buongiorno si unicorno, are you ready for your massage?” a male voice rang out. Amethyst turned to see a brown furred stallion with a slight moustache and a short brown mane. He had a very prominent southlander accent. “Come my lady, relaxation awaits,” the stallion said motioning to be followed. It finally clicked for Amethyst that this stallion was his masseuse. Hesitantly Amethyst walked toward him. “Excellent, follow me back to my station,” the stallion said with a smile. Amethyst followed close behind. Soon the two came to a vacant massage table. “Get on the table and we can begin. Oh where are my manners: I’m Giorgio.” “Err...” Amethyst said. How stupid am I, he sounds like he's from the southlands. I’ve gotta be polite, Amethyst thought. He promptly shook his head and smiled politely. “My apologies sir, I am Lavender Star.” “Pleased to meet you Madam Star, shall we begin?” Giorgio said as he motioned to his table. With a nod, Amethyst hopped up and stuck his face into the hole on the table. “Ok let’s begin,” Giorgio said as he started feeling around Amethyst’s back. Amethyst couldn’t help but wince at the touch of Giorgio - he wasn’t used to being touched like that. “My god, Madam, I’ve never met a mare with so much tension in her body. You must have a really intense and stressful life to accumulate so much tension. But not to worry Miss, one session with me and you’ll feel better than you’ve ever felt in your life,” Giorgio said. Amethyst’s eyes went wide at the last phrase Giorgio said, memories of the dream he had last night soon flooded his mind once again. The thoughts made Amethyst start to fidget. Soon Amethyst felt a pressure on his back and that made Amethyst think about his dream even more. Soon enough, Amethyst found himself quivering at the very touch of Giorgio. “Is there problems miss, you seem uneasy?” Giorgio asked. Amethyst took his head out of the hole and said, “I’m not too sure I’m comfortable with this.” Amethyst got up from the table. “There is no need to fear, tell me what is wrong and I shall work to make sure you are comfortable,” Giorgio said. “Well” Amethyst fidgeted “I had a rather unpleasant dream last night, about me and a stallion… together.” “Ahh I see, the touch of a stallion such as myself brings back memories of that nightmare. Here,” Giorgio said as he reached into his front pocket and removed a picture. Understanding the cue, Amethyst took the picture in his magic and promptly looked at it. The picture was of Giorgio wearing a sombrero. Next to him, there was a vanilla furred pegasus mare with black hair, brown eyes and a red dress. In front of the two of them, a filly and a colt smiled as well. Neither of them had their cutie marks. “Who’s that?” Amethyst asked. “That is my lovely wife Marzia and my two young children. I love my wife more than anything in the world, I wouldn’t dream of leaving her for another mare. I only wish to give you a massage, nothing more. I hope that puts your mind at ease,” Giorgio said as he looked on reminiscing. This could be a ploy - some sort of pick up line, Amethyst thought, until he looked at Giorgio and recognized the look in his eyes: distant longing. Amethyst knew the look well because he’s seen it in his own eyes from time to time in his own reflection. “Ok Giorgio let’s do this,” Amethyst said as he got back up on the table. “I thank you Madam. I shall not disappoint you,” Giorgio said as he started rubbing around Amethyst’s back. “So Giorgio, where does your wife live?” Amethyst asked. “She lives in town,” Giorgio said as he continued to probe around Amethyst’s back. “I’m curious - where you are from, Giorgio?” Amethyst asked. “I’m from Venti Monstro,” Giorgio said as he started rubbing Amethyst’s back. Soon after Amethyst felt his muscles tingling, he wasn’t feeling super relaxed but certainly a lot better with the pressure Giorgio was applying. “Buona giornata Giorgio,” [Good day Giorgio] a new voice rang out. The voice was male and speaking Italian, but Amethyst couldn’t see what the speaker looked like. “Ciao Saffiro” [Hi Saffiro] Giorgio responded. “Vedo che hai una signora bella come patrono” [I see you have an attractive lady as your patron] the stallion named Saffiro said in a suggestive tone. “Per l'ultima volta, ho una moglie e sono stanchi di cercare di farmi imbrogliare su di lei.” [For the last time, I have a wife and I am getting tired of you trying to get me to cheat on her.] Giorgio replied in a somewhat irritated tone. "Ok mi scuso per questo commento, ma mi sarebbe arrivata questa donna alla mia tavola, che ha la maggior parte della stampa ho visto in un lungo periodo di tempo." [ok I apologize for that remark. Still I wish I could have gotten this woman at my table. She has the most beautiful plot I have seen in a long time] "La dama con il bellissimo ploto sa italiano, cretino." [The lady with the beautiful plot knows Italian, dumbass] Amethyst said while rolling his eyes. The next thing he heard was the sound of the other stallion stammering at hearing Amethyst talk. “I apologize I umm hear my laundry calling, I must run!” the other stallion said, the statement was quickly accompanied by the sound of frantic hooves galloping away. "Si parla italiano, ora mi ha colpito. Dimmi, dove hai imparato a parlare?" [You speak Italian; now I am impressed. Tell me, where did you learn to speak?] Giorgio asked with glee. "Ho viaggiato in equestroa centrale per molti anni. Io sono un archeologo da scambi ho dovuto imparare tutte le lingue necessarie per sopravvivere. So anche alcuni gryphoa." [I traveled in central Equestria for many years. I am an archaeologist by trade so I had to learn all of the languages necessary to survive there. I even know some gryphon language,] Amethyst replied proudly. “Grifone lingua, ora che è incredibile, può dire qualcosa del grifone lingua ed è raro che un cavallo apprende la lingua.” [Gryphon language, now that is amazing. Would you say something in the griffon tongue? It is rare that a pony learns that language.] "Certo, qui si va,” [Sure here I go] Amethyst said before taking a deep breath and continuing in gryphon language, “Tashma madeh kharga pesara fadash'a” (Your massage feels good.) “Wonderful, now I hate to spoil the good times but this next step will cause you considerable pain, but I promise you that once it’s over you’ll feel a lot better,” Giorgio said. “Err...ok?” Amethyst hesitated. “Are you ready? Giorgio asked. “Yes,” Amethyst said as he winced in anticipation. Soon after Amethyst felt a rather forceful push on the left side of his back. He couldn’t help but cringe as he felt a dull pain shoot through his body. As the pain continued he felt Giorgio furiously rub the spot that hurt the most. After what felt like a few minutes, the pain subsided, and Amethyst felt more relaxed than he had ever felt in his entire life. His eyes partially closed as Giorgio continued the massage. “Ok miss, I’m done. How do you feel?” “Like I turned into a pegasus and I’m sitting a nice puffy cloud,” Amethyst replied in a very relaxed tone. “I am pleased, you can get up now,” Giorgio said. Amethyst got off the table feeling limp as a wet noodle. “Come again real soon.” Giorgio smiled as Amethyst walked away with a huge relaxed grin on his face. Soon enough, Orchid had put herself in front of Amethyst. “Soooo how do you feel?” “Awesome,” Amethyst replied with a lazy smile. “Yay! now let’s move on to our next room,” Orchid said with a slight clap of her fore hooves. “I’m sooo ready if it’s as good as that massage was. I can’t wait to get there,” Amethyst said. “Well follow me then,” Orchid said as she led Amethyst away. The two walked through the halls until Orchid opened another pair of doors. Beyond them lay another room with mares getting their hooves polished by the spa attendants. “We’re getting hooficures,” Orchid said. Hooficures? What the hell is this? Amethyst thought as anger started to rise up in him. He contained the bulk of his frustration but his face couldn’t hide his emotions that well. “Orchid, can I have a word with you…in private?” Amethyst said through clenched teeth. “Umm sure there’s a mare’s bathroom to the left,” Orchid said as concern built on her face. Soon the two mares found themselves inside a vacant bathroom. “Orchid, why are you doing this to me?” Amethyst asked doing his best to keep the irritation out of his tone, something which he was largely successful at. “Doing what?” Orchid asked. “This whole feminizing thing, the moment I ended up in this body you’ve done nothing but try to turn me into this girly girl thing. The only question I have for you is why? Why are you so gung ho on making me into a ’proper lady’? And don’t say it’s because you’re trying to keep my cover, I’ve learned enough these past few days to know that I probably would have passed fine for a mare without all of these so-called lessons. So for Celestia’s sake tell me why you’re really doing this,” Amethyst almost screamed. His anger soon came to a screeching halt when he noticed tears on Orchid’s cheeks. “If you really want to know,” Orchid sobbed, “when Misty broke up with me I-I...” Orchid broke out crying for a moment before regaining her composure. “I could barely take it, he was my first coltfirend and he chewed me up and spat me out like a piece of trash! You’re my best friend Amethyst, but you’re a stallion and few stallions know the fine art of making a lady happy. “I, I was kind of hoping that if you learned a little more about how mares live than maybe, someday when you change back and have a mare to love of your own, you would know how to treat her right. I love you as a friend Amethyst. I can’t bear the thought of seeing you devastated by having a relationship go bad for you the way my relationship with Misty went bad for me. I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable. I promise I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do anymore.” Orchid resumed crying soon after finishing. Really! That’s her explanation. I can’t believe she would try and do that to me, Amethyst thought with a scowl. As Amethyst watched Orchid sob to herself, Amethyst couldn’t help but feel guilty for yelling at her. I sure hope I don’t end up regretting this, Amethyst thought as he glanced around. Soon after, Amethyst walked over to Orchid. Orchid looked up and watched as Amethyst wrapped his forelegs around her. “It’s ok, Orchid. I know you meant well. However, I just don’t feel right being the lady you want me to be. Listen, I’ll get a hooficure for you. I promised I’d at least try this whole spa thing. I hate seeing a good friend of mine cry, especially you, Orchid. You’ve been through too much. Nopony deserves what happened to you and despite my friendship with Misty, I will never forgive him for breaking up with you the way he did.” “Oh, Amethyst,” Orchid said as a smile crept across her face. “Thank you for saying that. You’re an awesome friend.” “You’re welcome Orchid, now shall we get that hooficure?” Amethyst asked with a smile. “Of course. Hey Amethyst could I ask you to do one more lady-like thing for me?” Orchid asked hesitantly. “Tell me what it is first,” Amethyst replied. “I’m having a party with some of my friends, could you come please?” “Ok Orchid, but that’s the last feminine thing I’m doing. Besides, a party could be fun - when is it?” Amethyst asked. “Just before the spring festival.” “Next week then. Excellent, I might be back to normal by then,” Amethyst said with a smile. “Umm Amethyst...it’s a mare’s only party,” Orchid said matter of factly. “Oh, well I’m definitely gonna come then, how often does a stallion get a free pass into a mare’s only slumber party?” “Thanks Amethyst, I promise that I’ll bail you out if they want to do something you’re not comfortable with.” Orchid smiled. “Thanks Orchid, now shall we finish off this spa trip?” The locks on the front door of Amethyst’s store clicked open and promptly was swung open. A blue Pegasus entered through the front door. “Hey Shard, I’m home early. Yo shard you here?” Misty called out. “Ehh must be in that rickety old castle,” he continued to himself. Misty began walking through the store until he was back in the living quarters. He propped himself up on the couch and let out an “ahh” as he put his hind legs on the table. “Well that was a bad convention. I never knew that Spitfire could hit so hard.” Misty said as he started rubbing his cheek. As he sat there, he caught wind of a smell in the air. “Hmmm I know that smell, the delightful scent of Perhaps perfume. wonder where it came from?” As Misty scanned the room he caught saw a red miniskirt on the couch arm and a black mare’s vest. “Wonder whose clothes those are?” Misty thought for a moment. “Oooooh man the smell and these clothes can only mean one thing: Good old Amethyst got himself a marefriend - about damn time he got himself a girl.” Misty smiled. “I hope she’s hot!” Misty mused as he put his hooves up on the couch. Author's Note thanks to the wesphalian musketeer, mcpoodle, spark, and apple fritter for editing if anyone sees any problems with the Italian translations in the story please PM me
chapter 8The sun of Celestia was setting to the west; in an hour or two it would set completely. Orchid Seed and Amethyst Shard walked up the sidewalk, their hooves sparkling in the sunlight. Amethyst turned his eyes to the sky. “I’m surprised that whole spa trip turned out as well as it did; even the hooficure turned out better than I thought it would be. I wouldn’t do it every day to be sure, but I’d definitely be up for that spice bath a bit more often.” Amethyst sighed. “I’m glad you had fun, Amethyst,” Orchid said with a smile. “So Orchid, what do you think the girls will want to do at the party?” Amethyst asked as he shot a quizzical look toward Orchid. “Oh just normal girly stuff. Like make overs, truth or dare...” Orchid smiled and waved her hoof in the air. Amethyst and Orchid arrived home, and Amethyst unlocked the front door to his house. The pair proceeded to enter as they continued talking. “Girly stuff..if this had been a few hours ago I wouldn’t even consider such a thing. But honestly, after that whole spa trip, I’m willing to at least try it once.” Amethyst smiled with his eyes closed. “That’s great!” Orchid replied as she and Amethyst giggled a bit. “So who’s going to--” Amethyst sputtered to a stop. He and Orchid had just entered Amethyst’s house and sitting on the couch was Misty. Amethyst’s eyes bulged upon seeing him. The color drained from his face the more he took in the sight of Misty reading through a dirty magazine. Misty looked up and visibly jumped at the sight of Orchid. “Orchid!” Misty said as his eyes darted around the room. He got off the couch and walked over to her. “Misty, I thought you were supposed to be at some convention somewhere,” Orchid said coldly. Amethyst watched as Orchid’s tail started to flick and her ears pulled back on her head. “They sent me home early… what are you doing here, and who’s the girl?” Misty said while motioning to Amethyst. Orchid’s eyes narrowed into an angry glare. “She’s a friend of mine, why does it matter?” “I’m just wondering if--” Misty paused for a second. “--Why does she look exactly like Amethyst?” “Listen Misty,” Amethyst timidly started to say. However Misty raised his eyebrows in response to Amethyst’s small squeak. “Let me guess, Amethyst went into that old castle, unearthed some magical doohickey, and somehow made a completely female clone of himself. And of course being exactly the same person, Amethyst and mare Amethyst hit it off and mare Amethyst is Amethyst‘s new marefriend.” Misty smirked. Orchid promptly rolled her eyes and replied, “And what makes you think that Amethyst is dating this mare? Even if she was a female copy of Amethyst he wouldn’t do that.” Without a moment’s hesitation, Misty interrupted and continued talking. “The signs are everywhere Orchid: the skimpy dress….” Misty motioned to the dress. “...The perfume...all the signs are here that these two are dating.” “Ugggh!” Orchid fired back with an intense glare. “Misty you’re always so sexist. Just because a mare wants to wear a short skirt doesn’t mean she automatically wants a stallion to like her.” “But it’s such a skimpy outfit--why else would a mare even have a dress like that?” Misty said with a suggestive grin. “Because she likes how short skirts make her feel. Seriously do you know anything about the mares you ‘conquer’?” Orchid replied with a roll of her eyes. “All right, let’s clear this whole mess up right now. Where’s Amethyst? Let’s just let him explain it.” Misty crossed his hooves. “He’s right here.” Orchid said as she motioned to Amethyst. Amethyst looked towards the ground as Orchid motioned over to him, the look of shyness was evident on his face. Misty scratched his head and raised his eyebrows at Orchid’s gesture “Umm so Amethyst turned himself invisible too?” Orchid promptly face-hoofed at Misty’s remark. “Misty, you’re as thick-headed as ever.” A glare formed on Misty’s face as he set his magazine down.“Will somepony kindly explain to me what the buck is going on here?” Amethyst couldn’t take the tension in the room anymore. He felt his legs quake. Misty and Orchid stared at each other intensely. Then Amethyst squinched his eyes together and he blurted out, “Misty I’m Amethyst; I’ve been transformed into a mare.” A shocked look developed on Misty’s face. “Ummm, what?” “I found a magic figurine in King Clovis’ castle and...it changed me into a mare.” Amethyst continued with a slight blush and shuffle of his left forehoof. Silence descended over the three ponies as the weight of the matter started to sink in for Misty. Misty’s eyes were wide as dinner plates, and his mouth hung from his jaw as well. Orchid merely stood there, a neutral expression gracing her face. “When did this happen?” Misty asked, his face still aghast with shock. “Just after you left,” Amethyst answered as he shuffled his hoof again. There was a long pause.. “Wow Amethyst, that’s a lot to take in. You being a mare is kinda strange but to be honest I think it’s kinda cool.” Misty said with a smile. “Kinda cool?” Amethyst raised an eyebrow in both suspicion and incredulity. “Sure dude, I mean how often does a stallion get the chance to see a sexy mare first thing every morning? A mare that basically will do anything he wants to because he is the mare.” “Err...yeah,” Amethyst mumbled back. “So Amethyst, what’s it feel like to wear a dress?” Misty asked with a growing smile. “Oook, I can see where this is going.” Orchid said as she rolled her eyes again. “I’m gonna leave before Misty says something particularly rude and offensive, because I don’t want to hear it.” Fitting actions to her words, Orchid abruptly did a one-hundred-eighty degree turn and left the room. After she left, Amethyst noticed that Misty had begun to develop a somewhat lusty look on his face. The expression made Amethyst shrink in his stance even more than he was already. “So anyways, the dress, what‘s it feel like when you wear it?” Misty asked, his lusty look only growing more prominent. “Well when I wore it, I felt pretty hot in more ways than one…” Amethyst blushed as he tried to avoid eye contact with Misty. “Awesome. So, Amethyst, mind if I ask a few more questions?” Misty smirked. “Not really...fire away,” Amethyst replied as he started to look more in Misty’s direction. “So...did you test out the new-ahem-recreation areas yet?” Misty said with a wink. Amethyst blushed hard and shrunk a bit from the question, “Errr yeah once or twice.” Amethyst looked back over at Misty and noticed that his lusty smile had given way to a neutral look. At seeing that Amethyst started to calm down a bit and looked back at Misty. “So how long do you figure you’ll be like this?” Misty asked again, his voice carrying a no-nonsense feel to it. Amethyst felt himself get a lot more comfortable looking in Misty’s direction. “At the rate I’m going in deciphering how the figurine’s magic works, I figure I should be able to devise a counter relic in a week or two.” “Cool. I figure since you were with Orchid she must have seen you like this early on,” Misty noted. Amethyst nodded in response. Soon after Amethyst noticed Misty looking at his hooves, a look of confusion also developing on his face. “Err, Shard.” Misty paused. “You got your hooves done. Why?” “Orchid’s been showing me how mares live their lives since she found me like this. She took me to the spa today and I...got a hooficure.” Amethyst said with a slight giggle. “So you’re learning how a mare behaves, from Orchid?” Misty cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah...” Amethyst replied nervously. Misty sighed and put his hoof to his forehead. “Shard, Orchid Seed is most certainly not your average mare. She’s a nice mare to be sure but she’s...umm how do I put this?” Misty raised his hoof and looked up to his left. A few seconds later, Misty resumed his normal stance. “...Boring, You can’t go assuming that all mares are like Orchid. There are cool mares in Equestria.” He jumped a little bit, as if a lightbulb had just gone off in his head. “Hey Shard, since you’re open to the whole ‘learning how mares tick’ thing maybe I could get you in touch with a friend of mine who knows a lot about cool mares.” Misty put on a trusting smile. “Umm, sure I guess it could be ok,” Amethyst replied in an uncertain tone. “Cool,” Misty said with a huge grin on his face. “We can go see her tomorrow morning. So, care for some hayburgers? I got some on the way home.” “You bet I am!” Amethyst smiled from cheek to cheek. “Same old Amethyst, always up for some hayburgers,” Misty chuckled. “So Misty, who is this mare we’re going to see today?” Amethyst asked. A quizzical look graced Amethyst’s face. A day had passed since Amethyst came home to find Misty there. Misty and Amethyst were walking down a street in the town of Maple Mountain; the sun was approaching noon and the skies were crystal clear. There was a spring in Misty’s step today, the joy on his face was evident to Amethyst.“A good friend of mine. She works with me on the weather team. She’s like the coolest mare I know.” “Don’t you have to do weather work today?” Amethyst asked. “Nah, I only have to work on cloudy days. And as you can see, it’s as sunny as ever,” Misty replied. Amethyst looked to his right and noticed a small, wispy cloud drifting off in the distance. “But what about that cloud over there?” Amethyst said motioning to the cloud. “Errr, hold on a second.” Misty took to the air. He flew towards the cloud and with a swift kick of his hind legs disposed of it. “The captain always appreciates it when off-duty pegasi do some weather control.” Amethyst nodded and the two continued onward. As they walked, Amethyst took note of a distinct change of scenery. The graffiti-slathered walls of the buildings they now passed stood in contrast to the clean walls of the town beforehand. The former part of town had ponies of all descriptions visiting high-end stores, while this section of the town had considerably less hoof traffic and most were just heading to unseen locations or just standing around. As the pair walked down the street, Amethyst took note of a small group of gryphons sitting outside of a small restaurant. Amethyst noticed that Misty was tensing up at the sight of them. Amethyst instead decided to keep his cool, making no change in his stance as they walked by the restaurant. Soon the two ponies were well clear and on their way to another street. Several minutes later, the two ponies found themselves at a cabin several blocks away. The building was in shambles: its roof was missing shingles, and the lawn was extremely uneven. Amethyst’s ears twitched at a vague sound coming from inside. “Here we are, Amethyst, the home of the coolest mare I know,” Misty announced with a wave of his hoof. With a nod Misty lead Amethyst onward to the house of this mare. When they got to the front door, Misty knocked, only to receive no answer. The noise that Amethyst heard from before became more prominent as they waited. Sounds like rock music, Amethyst thought. Misty banged on the door harder and once again received no response. The pegasus sighed and looked around the porch. He set his eyes on a foam statue of a mare sitting on the porch. The statue leaned back on her hind legs as she held a guitar. The pedestal of the statute read “Rock On”. Misty reached his hoof under the statue’s pedestal and produced a metal key. He walked over to the door and used this key to unlock the door. With a turn of the handle, Misty opened the door wide open. Instantly, their ears were assaulted by very loud electric guitar music. The interior of the cabin was similar to that of Amethyst’s cabin. The living room was right out in the front. The kitchen and basement entrance were not present in this cabin. Crumpled up hayburger wrappers and wrinkled clothes littered the floor. A raised rectangular platform could be seen at the end of the room, and two large speakers stood on either side of it. Atop the platform was also a yellow pegasus mare playing a red guitar, the living embodiment of the statue outside. Her spiky red mane rustled as she nodded her head to the beat of the music. Amethyst took notice that she also had several piercings on her face and several small earrings. Her cutie mark of a red music note stood prominently on her flank as she continued to play her electric guitar. Misty and Amethyst just stood there and watched the mare play her heart out on her electric guitar. Amethyst’s ears winced at the extreme volume of the music this mare was playing. The solo continued for about five minutes before the mare leapt into the air and scooted along the platform as a final riff echoed throughout the room. She opened her blue eyes to see Misty and Amethyst standing in front of her. She quickly got back on her four legs and set her guitar down. “Hey Misty, what’s up?” the mare said as she extended her front hoof for a brohoof. Misty promptly hoofed her back. “I thought you were at that big summit?” she asked Misty with a cocked eyebrow. “They kicked me out early. Apparently, Spitfire doesn’t like me hitting on her,” Misty said with a grumble. Amethyst couldn’t help but mentally face hoof. “Seems she couldn’t handle the good old Misty charm,” the mare said with a smirk on her face. “Yeah,” Misty chuckled. The mare got up into Misty’s face, a huge smile on her lips as she put her snout within mere inches of Misty’s.“Sooo, what did you think of the song?” she asked. “Awesome as ever, Sunny,” Misty said with a nervous smile. After hearing that, the mare leaned back a bit. “So Misty, what’s up?” she asked. “This is Lavender Star,” Misty said, using the name Amethyst had told him to use. Amethyst shyly waved at the mare. The mare looked over at Amethyst, then waved back. “Hey there Lavender. I’m Sunny Skies.” “So Misty is this your latest hook-up?” Sunny asked Misty with a smirk. “She‘s got a nice plot.” Amethyst and Misty both blushed pretty hard at the implication. “No no Sunny,” Misty said nervously. “She’s a sister of my friend Amethyst.” “Amethyst‘s sister? Wow good looks must run in his family!” Sunny replied with a lusty grin. “Anyways Sunny, Lavender here doesn’t have any idea how to have any fun. She lives in Canterlot, and she’s looking to have some fun while she’s here. I figure you’re the most fun and awesome mare around. Maybe you could show her a little something?” Misty asked with a smirk. “You’re looking for some fun Lavender?” Sunny asked. “Well you’ve come to the right place. I’ll show you how to have lots of fun.” “Err, ok then,” Amethyst said, as he stared towards the ground nervously. “Splendid!” Sunny smirked a bit “Let’s get going and you can come along too Misty. After all, the more the merrier!” “Sure ok,” Misty said nervously. “Where are we going?” “We’re going shopping. But not boring old dress shopping...we’re going fun shopping!” Sunny said with a confident look on her face. Sunny, Misty and Amethyst stood outside of a store with a sign that read “The Beachside Shack”. The three of them were on a wooden pier next to a beach. Most of the buildings out here were made of wood, and several benches sat in front of them. The pier was in pristine condition, and potted plants and flowers were all over the place. The area was bustling with ponies, most of them were unicorns in upscale clothing. The rest of the ponies were just regular ponies of other races, most lacking any real clothing at all. “Here we are, the most awesome store in the whole town,” Sunny announced with a motion toward the location in front of them. Amethyst watched Misty turn his head and look around the area. “Sunny I thought you hated the tourist areas, so why are we here?” Sunny closed her eyes in disgust and stuck her tongue out. “I hate most of those upscale places. But the Beachside Shack isn’t one of them. Sure the owner doesn’t get a lot of tourist money, but he carries the most awesome clothes in the whole city,” “So how exactly is going shopping here going to be fun?” Amethyst asked with a sceptical eye. “Where we’re going later today, you’re gonna need a killer bathing suit.” Sunny put her hoof to her chin as if she were in deep thought. “Also, I could use a new board.” “But what am I doing here?” Misty asked in exacerbated confusion. “Just sit back and act confused about why we girls like to shop,” Sunny said with a smug look on her face. “Oh wait, it’s not an act, is it?” The answer only made the confusion grow on Misty’s face. “Come on Lavender, we have a great day ahead of us!” Sunny said as she pulled a somewhat freaked-out Amethyst into the shop. Sunny opened the door and an attached bell rang. Amethyst looked around the shop in awe at the sheer volume of stuff available for sale. Wooden walls and floors surrounded Amethyst, while the ceiling had yellow thatching for its roof. A window graced the far side of the building with a good view of the beach outside. Amethyst glanced around at the ponies in the store as they sorted through racks of various bathing suits. “Just pick anything you like Lavender. I’m gonna go and buy a new surfboard,” Sunny said as she walked away. “Well here goes nothing, Misty,” Amethyst said with a blush as he walked further into the store. As Amethyst walked, he took note of the merchandise that was available. All around him, Amethyst saw various colors of swimwear. He blushed at the sight of the bikini bottom pieces. Some the bottom pieces also had special bra like attachments to accentuate the teats of a mare. He also saw trunks made specifically for stallions, to hide any potential embarrassments. Amethyst focused on the mares’ swimsuits because that’s what Sunny wanted him to get. The store carried swimwear in just about every color Amethyst could imagine. Not all of the swimwear there were bottom pieces though, Amethyst saw a few mare’s bathing vests along with the occasional full body suit. Amethyst browsed through the swimsuits looking for just the perfect one, then his eyes fixed on a lime green bottom that showed off the teats very well. Hmm that one looks nice, and from what I know about color science green will compliment my purple fur, Amethyst thought as he grabbed the bathing suit with his magic. “May as well try it on to see how it looks,” Amethyst said as he searched for a dressing room. Sure enough, he spoted a blue mare coming out of a dressing booth to his left. He promptly went over to the dressing room and entered it. He slipped on the one-piece suit and quickly discovered that it was painfully tight on his backside. “Crud, too small, why can’t I ever get these sizes right?” Amethyst muttered as he took the bikini back off again. Amethyst thought back to the last time he went shopping with Orchid. He remembered that Orchid’s friend measured him for size. Sadly, Amethyst had completely forgotten what size he was since then. “Seems like I’ll have to just keep on trying out suits until I figure out what size I am,” Amethyst said to himself with a sigh. Amethyst exited the dressing room and went back into the store. As he was walking he passed several mare’s trying on various swimsuits. Amethyst blushed as he observed the predominantly female clientele shop around. Soon enough, Amethyst found himself at another rack of swimsuits. May as well start here. Several minutes went by, as Amethyst tried on bathing suit after bathing suit only to have them be either too big or too small. Ten suits later, Amethyst found himself looking at an X-13 sized pink bottom with a matching bathing vest. “I’m going to try this one, even though I hate pink.” Amethyst remarked as he levitated the bathing suit back to the dressing room. Within moments upon entering the dressing room, Amethyst had taken the suit off the hanger and put it on. “Finally, a suit that fits.” Amethyst sighed as he realized the suit didn’t pinch or sag. “Now that I know what my body size is, should I go looking for another suit, or should I quit while I’m ahead?” Amethyst pondered to himself. With a shrug, he walked out of the stall wearing his new suit. He searched the store until he came upon Misty. Misty turned to look at Amethyst and remarked, “Nice suit Shar--err Star. It looks great on ya!” He also smiled. “Umm thanks,” Amethyst replied with a slight shuffle of a hoof. “Hey there!” Sunny’s voice rang out. Misty and Amethyst turned to see Sunny standing there with a new pair of sunglasses and a red surfboard. “Nice choice Lavender, you’ve got a decent fashion sense,” Sunny complimented with a slight hoof bump. “Thanks, I tried my best,” Amethyst said as he looked down a bit. After that, Amethyst made his way to a wooden desk at the side of the store. There was a short line of mares waiting there to be checked out. Behind the counter sat a stallion with a brown mane, mustache and a pair of sunglasses. As Amethyst approached the counter he noticed that the stallion also had a hawiian shirt on. “Nice choice miss, that suit looks great on you. five bits please” the stallion said. Amethyst nodded and levitated a large bit from his mane and put it on the counter “ here, a ten bit piece” The stallion nodded and took the bit behind the counter and promptly put five gold coins in front of Amethyst. The stallion smiled, “here’s your change madam.” Amethyst took the bits and put them in his mane. “Good hunting madam.” the stallion winked. Amethyst walked away from the stallion as quickly as he could. Soon after he found himself standing next to Sunny and Misty. “Well guys, let’s head to the beach. The day is still young and the stallions are hot.” Sunny gave a large grin. Waves crashed on the shore of the beach. The day remained clear. Ponies of all descriptions were having fun playing on the beach. Everyone there was having a good time...except for Amethyst. Misty looked on at Amethyst as he just stood on the beach with a sour look on his face. The pink two-piece bathing suit Amethyst wore stood out prominently on his wet body. Misty sat on a beach towel, soaking in the rays of the sun. He took a sip of some pink punch as he looked around the beach. Misty could see the other side of the lake from where he sat. While the ponies on the other shore were hard to discern, Misty could make out the dots of several pegasi flying over the center of the lake. They provided a moderately strong breeze to help cool the beachgoers off and generated decent sized waves for anypony who wanted to surf. Misty couldn’t help but focus on Amethyst’s wet, feminine plot as the stallion-turned-mare walked up to Misty. “Why are we here Misty?” Amethyst asked with a slight roll of his eyes. “I hate beaches; my family used to vacation in Los Pegasus, and I always hated it when we went to a beach,” Amethyst continued, disdain evident in his voice and on his face. “I don’t know Shard,” Misty said with a tilt of his head. “This is all Sunny’s idea, not mine. Besides, I thought you liked being by the sea?” “I like sailing, Misty; I enjoy the thrill of adventuring on the high seas, not sitting on a boiling hot beach, my fur soaking wet from a shower, and being hit on by every stallion that lays eyes on me. I might have hated beach trips with my parents, but this is a completely new low for me. At least when I was a stallion I didn’t have to wear this ridiculous outfit!” Amethyst huffed and crossed his forelegs into a pout. “Come on, Lavender,” the voice of Sunny called out as she swooped in from the skies. She wore a prominent white bikini bottom and a pair of sunglasses. “There’s a volleyball game in a few minutes and my team needs another player,” Sunny said as she started dragging Amethyst by the tail. Amethyst teleported a very short distance to escape Sunny “No thanks, Sunny,” Amethyst said. “Aww come on, please Lavender, don’t be such a Canterlot tightwad. Come and have fun with us!” Sunny said with a look of pleading on her face Misty knew full well how Amethyst would reply to that remark; he shielded himself behind a magazine, knowing that Sunny was totally in for it. “I am NOT a tightwad!” Amethyst exclaimed. “I hate those snooty Canterlot scumbags almost as much as I hate Mythic Fire. So, to prove I’m not one of them, I’ll play volleyball!” “All right then, atta girl!” Sunny said as she slapped Amethyst’s back. Sunny put her hoof behind Amethyst’s neck and led him away. I gotta see this, Misty thought as he followed the mares. They all walked down the beach until they arrived at a makeshift volleyball net. Several ponies had gathered around and were waiting with anticipation. Three mares of various races stood on one side of the net while a single mare stood on the other side of the net. Misty took a seat next to an attractive young pegasus mare with green fur and a black mane. Maybe I can get another girl into my bed tonight if I play my cards right! Misty thought as he glanced over at this pegasus. As soon as Misty thought that, an orange pegasus stallion sat down next to the mare. Misty frowned as he watched the two of them nuzzle each other. Rats, she’s taken already. Oh well might as well enjoy the show. Misty turned his attention back to the volleyball game. Sunny and Amethyst had both joined the lone mare while Misty had been preoccupied. The game got underway. The mares on the opposing team spiked the ball at Amethyst and he flinched as the ball landed next to him. “What’s the matter with you? Put your head in the game! You wanna win, don’t you?” Sunny said as she harshly glared at Amethyst. “Sorry, I lost focus for a moment,” Amethyst said as a frown spread across his face. Sunny’s team had control of the ball next. When the opposing team tried to spike the ball at Amethyst again, he reacted and hit the ball into the air, only to have it drop right next to Sunny. She glared at Amethyst and he flinched at the scorn of Sunny’s glare. Misty clasped his forelegs to his mouth and shouted. “Come on Lavender, I know you got it in you! You’ve done all kinds of awesome stuff. Just imagine that you’re in a temple or something.” Misty smiled as he saw Amethyst’s ears perk up at his words. Soon enough Amethyst’s face was brimming with confidence. Misty watched as the three mares on the other side of the net grinned and nodded to each other. Soon enough the opposing team had spiked the ball at Amethyst again. Without missing a beat, Amethyst intercepted the spike midair and passed the ball to Sunny. Soon after, Amethyst started playing flawlessly. He intercepted numerous spike attempts and scored several points on the opposing team. Misty couldn’t keep the joy off his face as he saw the entire crowd rooting for Amethyst. Words of cheer echoed from the crowd as Amethyst scored goal after goal on the opposing team. Amethyst was about to make another spike on the opposing team when a stallion called out from the audience: “You got a great ass!” The catcall was more than enough to break Amethyst’s concentration. He ended up spiking the ball right into the head of a unicorn mare on the other team. The ball hit her square in the forehead and her horn popped it. The enthusiasm from the crowd died down. Misty was stunned when he heard the catcall and was shocked to see Amethyst’s face. Sunny looked pretty upset, her face was burning up and she stamped her hoof on the ground. “Lavender you idiot! Now the other team gets a point.” “Is the game over?” Amethyst was looking at the ground, a look of shame rapidly building on his face. “No, Spinner can repair the ball. See?” Sunny said as she motioned to the unicorn. The unicorn named Spinner had cast a spell on the ball, knitting the pieces back together and filling them with air. “How often does that happen?” Amethyst asked with a quizzical look on his face. “Not often during a game, but all the time when she practices at home,” Sunny replied. Misty looked over at the frowning mare. She had purple fur similar to Amethyst’s, but her mane was light blue instead of black. Her cutie mark was a multi-colored spinning wheel and her eyes were green. Amethyst walked over to Spinner and said, “Sorry for spiking the ball into your head.” “It’s ok, that rude stallion distracted you. I just wish I could get better but the ball keeps popping whenever I practice at home.” Spinner replied with a frown. “I can help with that,” Amethyst smiled as he lit his horn with magic. An aura formed on Amethyst’s horn and slowly trickled into the ball. Soon enough the aura dissipated. Amethyst smiled as he looked over at Spinner. “Try to pop it.” Spinner reluctantly pushed her horn into the beach ball and it didn’t pop. She pushed harder and harder and the ball didn’t give in to the pressure. Spinner looked impressed at seeing the ball not pop, “Wow, what did you do to it?” “I enchanted it to be impenetrable by sharp points. That charm will last for a few years before it’ll need recharging,” Amethyst said with a cheerful grin. Spinner looked at Amethyst. “Thanks Lavender. Don’t think this means I’ll go easy on you.” “Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Amethyst said as he returned to his position on the other side of the field. The game promptly resumed. Once again, Amethyst’s scores quickly dominated the game again, and before too long, the game was over. Amethyst had scored 15 points, his team had won. With a cheer, Amethyst smiled and bowed to the crowd. With a smile on his face, he took a moment to shake the hoof of the pegasus mare that was in charge of the opposing team. The crowd soon dispersed and Sunny, Misty and Amethyst started walking along the beach together. Sunny was bouncing up and down with glee.“Wow Lavender, I’ve never seen a mare from Canterlot play like that!” Amethyst blushed somewhat at hearing Sunny talk. “Thanks Sunny,” he said. “You know, I think you’re more than awesome enough for this,” Sunny said as she held up her red surfboard. Amethyst looked at it for a few seconds before nodding. “All right,” he said. “I’m willing to try it.” “Awesome, let’s go!” Sunny said as she led Amethyst down the beach. Misty just stood there, his eyes focusing on the swaying of Amethyst’s large plot. Gosh I never realized how hot Shard is in that body. He’s got his sister’s butt and that, coupled with an awesome attitude makes him the sexiest mare I’ve ever seen. I bet Amethyst is having the time of his life in that beautiful body. I‘d certainly be happy if I had attention like that. As Misty continued to watch a stallion came up to Amethyst and started saying something, Misty couldn’t make it out. He watched as Amethyst shrank from the stallion and promptly began walking away. The stallion turned his steps in Misty’s direction. Misty waited for him to arrive. “I see you’re admiring the plot on that lovely catch over there,” the stallion said to him. “Err yeah…” Misty said with a blush. “I Wouldn’t bother with that one; she’s certainly not open to lovin’ from awesome stallions like us,” he continued with a shake of his head. Misty grinned as he realized he could impress this stranger with a single phrase: “She’s my roommate.” The other stallion’s jaw dropped at hearing that “Whoa, you two are roomies?” A grin formed on his face. “That’s gotta be awesome!” “Yeah, it is. He--” Misty caught himself making the error and corrected himself. “--She’s a great friend.” Misty had a nervous look on his face. Fortunately the other stallion didn’t notice. “You strike me as a stallion who gets his way in bed,” the stallion said with a knowing grin. Misty couldn’t help but grin as he thought back on a few of his previous marefriends. “Yeah, you could say that...” Misty said with pride. “So what was it like havin’ her in your bed? I bet she’s just as gnarly in the sack as she is in real life!” the stallion replied with a wink. Misty recoiled at the assertion and replied “What?! No, no we’re just friends!” A look of shock crossed the other stallion’s face. “You’re not workin’ hard enough man. Look at her--she pulls away from the guys. Take it from me, brother, when a mare is that uptight about flirting, then she’s just yearning for a stallion to make her a mare--if you catch my drift. You’re her roommate, don’t just give up and stay in the friend zone! Assert yourself. Make yourself the stallion you know she craves!” The stallion bumped Misty’s shoulder and with a smirk said, “Go get ‘er tiger!” before walking away. Misty felt himself growing extremely angry as the stallion’s remarks resonated through his mind. The nerve of that bastard! That’s my friend Amethyst. Why in the name of Celestia would I want to have him as my girlfriend, we’re the same gender for crying out loud! Ok sure we’re not the same gender currently, and that stallion doesn’t know any better, but still! It’s Amethyst, he‘s the best friend I‘ve ever had, not some trophy to acquire… Misty paused in his thoughts as a realization hit him. Wow, being a mare must be a nightmare for Amethyst. It must be totally tearing him apart to have others think of him as nothing more than a sex object. Guess being female is a lot more complicated than a sexy ass to look at in the morning, Misty thought. “Hey everypony, the mare from the volleyball game is riding that wave out there,” a random mare shouted. Misty promptly turned to look out on the lake. Sure enough, there was Amethyst, riding on a surfboard on top of a modestly-sized wave. “Be careful Shard,” Misty said under his breath. Misty frowned with concern as he watched Amethyst ride the growing wave. Amethyst was very wobbly--Misty knew enough about surfing to know that Amethyst would likely fall off his board any minute now. Sure enough, the entire beach watched as Amethyst fell off his board and went into the water. Shard! Sweet Celestia I hope he’s alright, Misty thought as he chewed the edge of his hooves a bit. He sighed in relief when a soaked Amethyst reappeared on the beach in a teleportation field. Without a moment’s hesitation, Misty rushed over to Amethyst. “Sweet Celestia, Shard, are you ok?” Amethyst breathed heavily, his mane dripping wet and matted all over the ground. “Don’t worry about me Misty. I’ve come a lot closer to drowning than that before.” “Wow Lavender, that was totally radical!” Sunny called out as she rushed to Amethyst’s side. Amethyst sat up to address Sunny. “Thanks Sunny. Mind if I sit down for a bit?” Amethyst promptly flopped back on the ground without waiting for an answer. “All right then, let’s go greet your new admirers,” Sunny said as she motioned to a group of leery-eyed stallions. Amethyst never even bothered to get up this time. He just sat there flat on his back. “No thanks. I just wanna get myself some nice cold cider, maybe a nap while I’m at it.” “Come on Lavender, there’s so much fun to be had, especially with attractive stallions like them,” Sunny said as she winked at the group. “Sunny, we should just go,” Misty said with a concerned look on his face. Sunny’s eyes went wide. “What? Why? We’re having such a good time!” Misty motioned over to Amethyst. “Lavender’s all tuckered out from doing awesome stuff. Why don’t we go to the next place you wanted us to go?” Sunny looked pretty disappointed by this answer. “Tch fine, if you insist, Misty.” “Thanks Misty.” Amethyst whispered to Misty. Misty smiled, “Anything for my best friend,” he said. Sunny pouted and made an iconic duckface. “Spoilsport.” Author's Note thanks to mcpoodle and the wesphalian musketeer for editing
chapter 9Confusion was the only look on Amethyst’s face as he looked at Sunny Skies. Amethyst watched on as Sunny flirted with a red-furred unicorn stallion. He watched with wide eyes as Sunny planted a kiss on the stallion right on the spot. With a wink Sunny smiled at the stallion and he walked off with a goofy smile on his face. Misty smugly looked over at Sunny. “So, did he bite?” “You bet he did--what stallion alive can resist this charm?” Sunny asked as she swayed her behind in Misty’s face. Misty smiled at the sight of Sunny’s backside. Meanwhile Amethyst just stared on in more confusion at Sunny’s antics. “So where are we going?” Amethyst asked. “A special club, the best and most awesome club in town, you’ll definitely have fun there, Lavender, your brother loves it.” Sunny said with a smile as she led on. The Prancing Pony Bar, that’s the only ‘club’ I ever go to. Amethyst thought. The three ponies continued walking down the street. Amethyst found himself drifting closer and closer to Sunny as he walked. “Hey Sunny, can I ask you something?” Amethyst asked with a raised eyebrow. Sunny looked over at Amethyst, “Sure.” “Why do you like flirting with stallions so much?” Amethyst cocked an eyebrow. Sunny giggled. “Why else Lavender? They’re cute, and sooo gullible. One wave of the plot and they’ll be tripping over themselves just to please me any way they can.” Sunny winked. Slowly, Amethyst started falling back in his pacing. Soon he found himself walking alongside Misty. “What’s up Shard?” Misty asked with a puzzled look on his face. Amethyst looked over at Misty. “Oh, I just asked Sunny why she’s so flirtatious with the stallions. Honestly the answer sounded like something you would say.” Misty tilted his head. “Pardon?” Amethyst looked over at Misty, a skeptical look graced his face. “I’m just saying. In the few hours I’ve known Sunny I can’t help but notice that you two have a lot in common.” “Why does it matter?” Misty asked with raised eyebrows. Amethyst blushed. “Well I just thought maybe… err you two would make a good couple.” Amethyst winced at what he had just said. “I’m sorry Misty. Normally I don’t like to comment on relationships like that, but you two seem perfect for each other.” Misty chuckled at the implication “You’re right Shard. We would make a very good couple. In fact we were for a little while.” Amethyst’s jaw dropped and eyes went wide. “Wait! You two actually dated each other?” “We sure did. We met about two years ago in the bar and we hit if off from there. You shoulda been there Shard, the lovemaking was awesome.” Misty drooled as he reminisced. Amethyst cocked an eyebrow. “But if you two are such a good match for each other why aren’t you two together now?” “Because we were too good a match for each other,” Sunny chimed in. Amethyst glanced at Sunny. “When we started dating we both only had one thing in mind…having fun.” Sunny nudged Amethyst. “As we continued to date each other we realized that the only thing we really wanted from the other was sex, not a relationship per se.” Amethyst tilted his head. “Really, why would you only want each other for sex and not for something more?” “I’m too much of a free spirit to get attached to Misty,” Sunny said with a wistful smile. “And I’m too much of a mare’s stallion to settle with Sunny,” Misty chimed in. Sunny nodded. “Yup so we decided to break it off with each other.” “Err yeah--right.” Amethyst nodded awkwardly. Sunny smiled at Amethyst. “Don’t worry about it, Lavender. We’re still friends and from time to time we get back together when we’re having a dry spell.” Sunny giggled. Amethyst blushed, the deep red of the setting sun reflected in Sunny’s eyes as the three ponies continued walking down the street. The light of the bar’s green neon lights filled Amethyst‘s eyes as they came to a stop. “Here we are. The best club in town: the Prancing Pony bar. You’re definitely gonna have fun here Lavender,” Sunny said as she slapped Amethyst on the back of the neck. Amethyst’s eyes darted around nervously as Sunny led Amethyst through the front door of the bar. It was pretty much exactly the way Amethyst remembered it. He subconsciously smiled as he looked around at the wooden floors, and the familiar round tables. Several lamps hanging on the ceiling dimly lighted the entire room. Most of the lamps were made of green glass and had yellow crystals generating the light. Amethyst passed by several stallions as he looked around, pretending to be surprised by the establishment. The clientele looked very gruff and very strong. Most of the stallions sat around their tables drinking mugs of hard apple cider. Amethyst’s ears perked up at the sounds of ponies talking all around the bar about the day’s activities. On Amethyst’s left there was a table lined with barstools. The grunts of stallions sitting on the stools occasionally pierced the veil cast by the large volume of ponies talking. They too were drinking cider, a tan stallion with a blonde mane and blue eyes did the serving. Amethyst blushed at the sight of the mares also present in the bar. His pupils shrunk as he saw numerous mares right next to the stallions. Some of the mares were nuzzling the stallions, others were just flirting; Amethyst couldn’t quite hear exactly what they were saying. As if watching mares flirt with stallions wasn’t disconcerting enough, Amethyst’s stomach sank at the sight of a few mares sitting around at the bar being hit on by numerous stallions. Why did I let Sunny bring me here!? “Well Lavender why don’t we go introduce ourselves to the crowd.” Sunny leaned in the general direction of a group of stallions. “Just watch me Lavender. With a plot like that you and me won’t be paying for our drinks tonight.” Sunny walked away from Amethyst. He watched intently as Sunny walked up to a dark blue pegasus stallion with green eyes, and a dog bone for a cutie mark. “Hey there.” Sunny leaned in close to the stallion. The stallion nervously recoiled. “Umm err hey…who are you?” Sunny giggled as the stallion took a sip out of his cup of cider “Why, I’m Sunny Skies. Who are you?” Sunny said with a bat of her eyes. Amethyst could practically feel Sunny put the stallion on the spot. His eyes darted around the room as if searching for his own name. “I-I-I’m,” the stallion stammered, “Dog kennel.” Sunny smiled. “Nice to meet you Kennel. So, what do you do for a living?” “I work in a local pet shop, specifically with dogs. How about you?” Kennel replied with a blush. Sunny giggled and bounced up and down. “That’s awesome. I work for the weather team.” Sunny put on a fake frown. “Oh dear. I forgot all of my money at home and I’m sooo thirsty.” Sunny batted her eyes at Kennel. Kennel blushed and smiled. “Err; I could buy you a few drinks, if that’s ok with you?” “Oooh thank you. You‘re such a kind stallion.” Sunny hugged him. Amethyst rolled his eyes; Sunny’s flirtatious nature wasn’t anything new for Amethyst. He internally groaned at the memories of coming to this place. Amethyst had come to the bar not more than a week ago when pretty much the same thing happened to him. He glanced over at the table he’d sat at as the memories flooded back to him. Amethyst brought a hoof up to his neck as he remembered he was nursing a wound he had gotten from the castle that day. As Amethyst had sat there a mare came up to him and out of the blue tried to nuzzle him. Brother I feel your pain. Amethyst thought as he saw Kennel continue to recoil from Sunny’s advances. A few minutes later another stallion came up to Sunny. “Hey if he’s not interested I’m always available.” the stallion looked smugly at Sunny. Sunny looked into the stallion’s eyes. “Well if you buy me a drink we might have some fun later.” Without a moment’s hesitation, the stallion ran up to the bar counter and returned with a pair of mugs full of hard cider. “Here you go miss.” The stallion set the mugs on the table. “Thanks for the drinks,” Sunny said with a wink. “We can start having fun as soon as I have a chat with my friend over there.” Sunny motioned over to Amethyst. The stallion blushed, muttering “no problem” under his breath. Sunny walked away from the stallion and over to Amethyst. She sipped on a mug of apple cider as she did so. “You see Lavender, that’s how you get free drinks. Why don’t you try it?” Amethyst glared at Sunny. “No thanks. I’ll pay for my own drinks.” “But he looks like such a good catch.” Sunny motioned over to a stallion at the other end of the bar. Amethyst groaned. “Not interested.” “Come on where’s your sense of fun? Go on he won’t bite.” Sunny nudged Amethyst in the direction of the crowd. “No, Sunny!” Amethyst immediately moved back. Sunny shot a quizzical look at Amethyst. “What’s wrong with you? Why wouldn’t you want to enjoy the company of such handsome stallions?” Amethyst glanced around nervously, sweat formed as he searched his mind for any excuse. “Because I’m a lesbian!” Amethyst blurted out. He clasped his hooves to his mouth and looked around nervously as it dawned on him what he had just said. A surprised look formed on Sunny’s face, “Oh! I didn’t know. I’m sorry Lavender.” Sunny paused before a smile formed on her face. “In that case...” Without a moment’s hesitation, Sunny walked up to Amethyst and kissed him on the muzzle. Amethyst blushed at being kissed by what he felt was the opposite sex. Why did I say that? Amethyst thought as Sunny continued her kiss. After what felt like several hours, Sunny broke away from the kiss and grinned. “If I had known, Lavender, I wouldn’t have tried to set you up with that stallion over there.” Sunny motioned to the stallion from earlier. “That doesn’t mean you should go without a date tonight. I’ve been coming here a while and I know most of the mares here are into guys. Although,” Sunny winked, “I have been known to swing both ways if you catch my drift. I’ll be back later.” Sunny promptly walked off as she leered at a stallion on the other side of the bar. Amethyst sighed a breath of relief and took a seat at a nearby table. “I can’t believe that actually worked.” As soon as Amethyst sat down, a female voice spoke to him “You’re not a lesbian are you?” Amethyst turned to look at the origin of the voice and saw a unicorn mare with teal fur, golden eyes, and a lyre shaped cutie mark. “Err not really, why do you ask?” Amethyst looked at the mare. “I figured you used that as an excuse to escape that pushy mare. I would, too. I hate being hit on by the stallions. Since I came in here I’ve had five guys slap my plot and ten more than that tried to buy me some rather questionable cider,” the teal colored mare said with a slight roll of her eyes. “Then why did you even come here in the first place?” A wonderful aroma filled Amethyst’s nostrils and he quickly realized this mare had ordered a broccoli pizza. The unicorn smiled as she levitated a slice of the pizza up to her mouth “I just came here because somepony told me that the food was the best in town.” The unicorn took a bite as she looked over Amethyst. She continued to munch on her pizza. “Yeah this is good pizza.” Lyra’s voice was muffled by the mouthful of pizza. Lyra swallowed her pizza and examined Amethyst. “Hold on, haven’t we met somewhere before?” “Not that I know of,” Amethyst replied, scratching his chin. As Amethyst sat there, he saw a bright look grace the unicorn’s face as if a light bulb had just gone off in her head. “Oh, now I remember. We met at the hairdressers a few days ago. I’m Lyra, remember?” Amethyst scratched his muzzle as he recalled the day that he went to the mane stylists. A few seconds later his eyes lit up as he remembered the conversation the two had shared at the mane stylist’s. “Oh yeah, Lyra. Cryptozoologist right?” Lyra nodded, “And you’re Lavender Star. You got abducted by a llama girl.” Amethyst nodded at Lyra’s correct recalling of their conversation. “Remarkable coincidence running into you here Lavender. So what are you doing here, and who’s that mare?” Amethyst sweated a bit as he formulated a lie. “My brother comes here all the time and that mare is Sunny Skies. She told me that she would take me to my brother’s favorite hangout for some fun; I didn’t know what kind of fun she had in mind.” “That sucks. Hey, care for a slice?” Lyra levitated a slice of pizza up to Amethyst. Amethyst took the slice in his own aura. “Sure, I could eat.” Within a matter of minutes both mares demolished the pizza post haste. As Lyra ate the last slice of pizza, Amethyst saw her head turn toward the back of the bar. In the far right corner, there was a wooden archway. Various bloops and other loud noises emanated from that archway. “What‘s over there?” Lyra asked as she got out of her chair. Amethyst followed her as Lyra went over to the arch. Beyond the arch there was a small room filled to the brim with arcade games. Numerous large consoles lined the left hand wall of the arcade, and a pair of pinball machines sat at the far end of the room. In the center, a large air hockey table stood prominently for everypony to see, while to the right, there was a pool table with several stallions crowded around it. The entire room had several ponies playing many different games as Lyra and Amethyst looked in with awe. “Wow this is totally awesome. Who woulda thought a place like this would have such a cool arcade,” Lyra said as her eyes glittered. Amethyst smiled at seeing this place. I’ve never been so happy to see this place. Everything these past few days has been so weird it’s very comforting to see something familiar. As the two mares stood in front of the archway, a pair of stallions hacked away at each other at the air hockey table. The two exchanged the puck furiously until the air cut out. The stallion closest to them threw his hooves up in defeat and stormed away from the table. The stallion on the far end smiled to himself as he took a sip of a mug of apple cider and departed as well. “Oooo, I so wanna play that,” Lyra squealed as she darted over to the far side of the air hockey table with Amethyst following her. Lyra smiled at the sight of seeing Amethyst join her at the air hockey table. “I didn’t know you liked air hockey.” “You bet I do; I’m a pro at this.” Amethyst smirked with confidence. Lyra smirked right back at Amethyst. “A pro huh? Let’s put that to the test!” Lyra promptly used her magic to levitate the puck hitter and attach it to her hoof. Soon after, Amethyst did the same with his. Amethyst levitated two bits and put them into the machine. The moment she did that, the table lit up with air. A puck came out on Amethyst’s side of the table. Without a moment’s hesitation Amethyst served the puck. Lyra hit it back and Amethyst missed the puck allowing Lyra to score a goal. It was Lyra’s turn to serve the puck and she quickly did so. Amethyst intercepted the puck and hit the puck back at Lyra. The exchange of the puck went on for a few hits before Amethyst scored a goal on Lyra. The game continued for several minutes. At first Lyra dominated the scoring, earning a 5-point lead. However, Amethyst quickly responded by stepping his game up and he scored 6 points on Lyra before the air for the table cut off. “Wow, you’re good. I haven’t seen a pony beat me since I met that little colt back in Ponyville.” Lyra said slack-jawed. Amethyst walked up to Lyra and extended his hoof. “Good game.” Lyra reciprocated Amethyst’s offer of a hoof shake. “I better go Lavender, it’s getting late.” “See you around Lyra.” Amethyst smiled as Lyra walked away. “Not bad…for a mare.” Amethyst turned to see an earth pony stallion with lime green fur and teal eyes. “Pardon?” Amethyst asked as he gave the stallion a skeptical look. The stallion smirked. “You played well against that other girl, but there’s no way you can beat me.” “Why’s that?” Amethyst asked with a sneer. “Because you’re a mare, and mares can’t play games,” the stallion said with a smirk. Amethyst felt his face grow red, “Excuse me?!” Amethyst screamed. The stallion kept his cool and leaned against the wall. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re good for a mare but a mare just can’t compete with a stallion in the gamers’ arena…especially me.” The stallion shot a smug look at Amethyst. Amethyst stared daggers at this stallion and bolted right up to him. “Would you care to put that assumption to the test, plot head? You and me, that air hockey arena, right now!” “Eh, I’ll pass. I got drinking to do.” The stallion said as he walked away. Amethyst scowled. “What’s the matter? You afraid you’ll lose to a mare?” The stallion turned to face him after he said that. “No, I’m not afraid.” “If you’re so confident that mares are so bad at games and that you’re so awesome, then prove it!” Amethyst smirked. “All right, you’re on,” the stallion said as he went over to the air hockey table followed shortly by Amethyst. Amethyst pulled two bits out of his mane and inserted them into the machine. Once again, the air hockey table lit up with air and the puck popped up on the stallion’s side. The stallion promptly hit the puck at Amethyst and Amethyst hit it right back into the stallion’s goal. The game continued and quickly it became pretty one sided. Amethyst scored goal after goal on the stallion on the other side of the table. The stallion looked increasingly desperate as Amethyst surpassed the fifteen-point mark. In his panic, the stallion hit the puck and it bounced off the sideboard and right into his own goal. Soon enough the game was over, Amethyst won the game twenty points to negative one. The stallion sat there slack jawed as the air hockey table lost its airflow. “I--I can’t believe it. I lost. To a girl!” the stallion exclaimed. Amethyst sat there smugly and looked back at the stallion. “Well well, it seems that mares canplay games just as well as stallions.” “You…you cheated. There’s just no other way you could have beaten me,” the stallion said as sweat poured down his face. Amethyst rolled his eyes “Dude, just be a stallion and accept you lost, because right now I’m more of a stallion than you are.” The stallion slumped to the floor and stared absent-mindedly into the distance. As Amethyst turned away from the table, he bumped into three stallions standing immediately behind him. “Hey there. Err that was pretty awesome. Wanna play a round of poker with us?” the middle stallion asked with a smile. Amethyst grinned at the idea. “You bet boys. If there’s one thing I like more than winning at games it’s winning at games and earning an extra bit or two.” The night dragged on, although nopony could actually see that the sun had set several hours ago. A large clock decorated with cider imagery was the only indicator of the sun’s present state. Amethyst was sitting at a table in the bar along with three other stallions. His face was unmoving. He looked down at five cards he was levitating in his aura. In Amethyst’s mind’s eye, he smiled as he looked down at his hand. “I raise ten bits and a kiss.” Amethyst grinned as he slid ten coins onto a pile of bits in the center of the table. A stallion on Amethyst’s immediate left slid five bits into the pile and grinned. Another stallion to Amethyst’s right sneered and set his cards on the table. “I’m out,” he pouted. The last stallion at the table was across the table from Amethyst. He grinned and slid a large pile of bits into the center of the table. Amethyst stared the stallion down as he discarded a single card and drew a new one. The stallion simply nodded as the pair continued to stare each other down. “What do you have?” Amethyst grinned. The stallion laid his hand onto the table. “Three princes, a five and a two,” he announced. “A pair of twos, a five and a jack,” the stallion on Amethyst’s left announced as he set his hand down. Amethyst soon followed suit “An ace, a discord which I’m making an ace and three princesses.” Both of the stallions threw their hooves up in defeat as Amethyst levitated the entire pile of bits to his side of the table. “I can’t believe you won again…I’m gonna quit before I lose my horseshoes,” the stallion to Amethyst’s left said as he got up from the table. The stallion on the right soon joined him. “I’m with him,” he said. “I’m out of money so I can’t play anymore,” the third stallion said as he too got up from his chair. “Aww come on guys, just one more round,” Amethyst pleaded as his eyes grew big. The stallions just ignored Amethyst and continued walking away. “Hey bozos you all owe me a kiss,” Amethyst scowled at them. At hearing that both of the stallions turned around and the one in the middle spoke, “I thought you didn’t want to be kissed?” “Buy me another glass of hard cider and I’ll call it even,” Amethyst smiled. Reluctantly the stallions went up to the bar table and ordered another mug of cider. Amethyst held his hoof to his head; an odd headache had developed after Amethyst had begun sipping on his first mug of cider. A minute later, the three stallions returned to the table and set the second mug next to the first. “Enjoy your evening madam,” one of the stallions said. After that, the stallions left the table. Amethyst just sat there, sipping on his mug of cider. All the while, his headache started to grow more and more intense. I’ve never felt a buzz this strong, maybe I should stop. Nah I can handle three ciders easily. Amethyst thought to himself as he took yet another sip. Amethyst continued to drink down his cider. By the time he reached his second mug, the world was becoming blurrier for Amethyst. He found it increasingly hard to focus on anything. Despite these feelings, he continued to drink the cider. He finished the second mug and slammed it down on the table. Amethyst tilted in his chair, his eyes drooped as he looked around the bar. “Wow…I’ve never been so buzzed in all my life,” Amethyst slurred as he hiccupped. He just tipped in his chair until a yellow blur sat down in front of him. “Hey Lavender.” “Hey there umm err what was your name again,” Amethyst hiccupped. The blur replied “I’m Sunny Skies, remember?” The blur began to come into focus, the image of Sunny became clear for Amethyst to see. “Oh, right, Sunny how could I forget such a sexy face,” Amethyst leered. Sunny looked back at Amethyst, a look of lust rapidly developed on her face. Amethyst found himself blushing at Sunny. She looked into his eyes, Amethyst looked right back. Soon enough, Amethyst had also developed a lusty look on his face. “Well Lavender, it seems like I couldn’t get any good catches in the stallion department; may as well try the mare department.” Sunny grinned. A look of confusion developed on Amethyst’s face. “Mare department? And who’s Lavender?” Sunny stared at Amethyst in confusion. “Err, you’re Lavender. Don’t tell me you’re so drunk you forgot your own name?” “Oh you,” Amethyst giggled. “I’m surprised you got so drunk as to think that I’m a mare. Geez I must have been breathing a lot of helium, my voice sounds waaaay too squeaky.” Sunny looked on at Amethyst in growing confusion. “What are you talking about Lavender?” Amethyst hiccupped kissed Sunny right on the lips “My name isn’t Lavender. I’m Amethyst Shard, the most smartest pony in all of err wherever we are” “I thought Amethyst was your twin brother?” Sunny asked with a cocked eyebrow Amethyst waved his foreleg into the air. “Silly Sunny, I don’t have a twin sister. And you have like the totally best mane I’ve seen on a mare.” Amethyst leaned in with a smirk. “But--you’re a mare Lavender, Amethyst or whoever you are,” Sunny said while waving her forelegs. Amethyst giggled, “That’s a good one Sunny. I’m not a mare I’m a big ol’ manly stallion. See?” Amethyst started rubbing around on his lower body. Panic began to build on his face as he continued to rub. “What the heck, where did it go? Oh, how could I forget!” Amethyst sarcastically face hoofed. “I got poofed into a mare by some magic statue thingy. Lavender Star is just a made up name so ponies don’t find out what happened, like you, Sunny.” Sunny just sat there slack jawed. She looked on at Amethyst with wide eyes at what he had just said. “So… you’re actually Amethyst Shard?” “Yeppers. The one and only.” Amethyst smiled and hiccupped. As Amethyst stared at Sunny, a pleasant sound filled his ears. He turned to see somepony had set up a karaoke machine and somepony had started singing. “Oh sweet, its karaoke night! I’m totally gonna go sing tonight. I bet my voice is super sexy while I’m a super sexy mare.” Amethyst got out of his chair and stumbled toward the karaoke machine. As soon as Amethyst got there, the pony who was singing was gone. Without a moment’s hesitation, Amethyst got in front of the karaoke machine. “Ok everypony. Now it’s time for some real fun” Amethyst giggled “I’m gonna sing ‘Love is in Bloom’.” Amethyst clicked a few buttons on the machine and ‘Love is in bloom’ appeared on the screen. Within moments, the song started playing and Amethyst started singing. As far as he was concerned, his singing voice was crisp, clean and perfect. However, the audience had a different opinion. Soon enough boos echoed from the crowd as Amethyst’s drunken singing penetrated their ears. They love me! Their boos of joy are so encouraging! For the past hour, some mare’s bad singing penetrated the entire bar. Since Misty had arrived, he had taken a seat at the bar stool and started sipping away at some cider. He glanced off into the air in deep thought. It’s still hard to believe Amethyst is a mare now. I wonder how extensive the change is. Could it be changing his memory so he thinks he’s always a mare. Sweet Celestia I certainly hope not;I like Amethyst the way he is. Misty winced as another ill-formed note graced his ears. “Good grief, that mare is too drunk to sing her way out of a paper sack.” Misty groaned as he put his ears to the side of his head. After a few minutes of listening to the drunken mare sing, the music stopped. “Finally!” called out a random stallion. Misty sighed and took another sip of his cider. I wonder how Amethyst is doing. As Misty was sitting there, another pony joined him in the seat to his right. Misty turned to see Amethyst. Amethyst looked extremely unsteady; he tilted quite a bit as he sat on the barstool. His eyes were half closed and a rather creepy smile graced his face. “I can’t believe those ponies. How dare they say I have a terrible singing voice.” Amethyst slurred as he took a sip of a mug of hard cider. Misty looked stunned the sight of Amethyst like that confused him to no end. “Hey Shard, are you ok?” Amethyst hiccupped and leaned in close to Misty. “Oh silly. I’m fine Fisty, perfectly fine.” “Misty,” Misty corrected with an awkward glare. “How many ciders have you had?” “Oh just three and half.” Amethyst giggled. “Hardly enough to get me that drunk.” Misty nodded nonchalantly. “Yeah, sure, not drunk.” “You know Listy,” Amethyst slurred while waving his left foreleg. “Misty,” Misty corrected again. Amethyst blushed, “Yeah right Misty, sorry. So Anyways I was just thinking about how much I total liked you. I mean like.” Amethyst abruptly hiccupped again. “You’re the most awesomest friend a guy like me could ever have.” Amethyst wrapped a foreleg around Misty’s shoulder. Sweet Celestia I’ve never seen Amethyst so sauced before. I think he overestimated how much alcohol his new body could tolerate. Misty thought as he looked over at Amethyst. “Yeah totally most-awesome friend,” Misty replied with a nod. Amethyst giggled and released Misty from his embrace. “You know. I had the most interesting dream yesterday.” “Yeah...” Misty nodded. Amethyst drunkenly smiled and took another sip of cider. “I was in the bar and I was like totally a guy again. I got some coffee and then I saw you. And girly me was totally right next to you then we kissed and boom we made sweet love right over there,” Amethyst pointed over at a spot next to one of the table. “Oh man, you felt so good up in my mare bits.” Amethyst put on an awkward looking smile. Misty cringed and shied away from Amethyst, “Ooook, I didn’t need to know that.” “I’ve been thinking about that awesome dream. And I kind of think I had it because I’m curious about how you would feel inside me,” Amethyst giggled. “I can’t tell for sure because I’m into mares but from what I’ve seen you’re supposed to be pretty hot.” Misty blushed as his eyes darted around the room. “Ever since I became a mare I’ve had all kinds of questions. Oh, Celestia. I can’t help it anymore. I’m so curious.” Without another word, Amethyst lunged at Misty and planted a passionate kiss on Misty’s muzzle. Misty went wide-eyed at the unexpected and sudden kiss that Amethyst gave him. He tried to break away, but Amethyst just held on tight and continued the kiss. Thirty seconds later Amethyst let Misty go. “Oh Celestia that felt amazing. I’ve never kissed anypony else like that before, especially another stallion.” Amethyst shot a lusty look at Misty, “So what do you say we make my dream a reality? I’m interested to know what it feels like to make love to a stallion.” Misty shook his head. “No Shard, I’m not interested.” A frown soon graced Amethyst’s face. “Oh come on Misty. It would only be a one time thing. You take mares to your bed all the time. Why should I be any different?” Misty looked nervously back at Amethyst. “Do you hear yourself Shard? You’re obviously drunk” “I’m not drunk Difsty,” Amethyst said with a slurred voice and a hiccup. “Yes you are Amethyst. You’re my friend and I wouldn’t violate your body while you’re in a female body. Especially since you’re so drunk.” Misty said with a concerned look on your face. “Let me take you home Amethyst.” “Will you do naughty things to me?” Amethyst smiled as he started tipping in his chair more and more. “Err yeah, sure. I’ll do such naughty things to you—yeah such naughty things.” Misty’s eyes darted around the room. “Sweet, hey Misty mind if I take a little na-” Amethyst promptly passed out and fell face first on the floor. Misty looked down at the unconscious Amethyst and sighed. I better get him home before he wakes up and does something he’ll really regret. Without another word, Misty slid his neck under Amethyst and hoisted him onto his back. “Seems like Amethyst took in a bit more booze than he could handle.” Misty nodded “Yeah, I think he overestimated his body weight.” “Ah ha! So that really is Amethyst!” Misty turned to see who was talking to him and saw none other than Sunny Skies. Misty mentally jumped out of his fur at the sight of Sunny. She looked at Misty with an intense glare. “Ok Charm, start talking, why’s Amethyst a mare?” Sunny glared at Misty. Misty shrank at Sunny calling him by his middle name, he knew Sunny well enough to know she only called him Charm when she meant business. Misty shied away from Sunny, “How did you know?” “He told me a half an hour ago. Right around when he started getting hammered. So again, Misty Charm, kindly explain to me what in Tartarus is going on!” Sunny growled at Misty. “Look Sunny, I have to get Amethyst home so he doesn’t get into trouble. Come by my place in the morning and I promise I’ll tell you everything I know.” Misty turned to walk away. Sunny continued her cold stare. “Ok but this better be good.” Sunny promptly stormed away and towards the front door. Misty followed behind; as he was walking, he felt a sudden force of something hit him in the side of the head. He felt something splatter against his head and he heard a clang as a silver tray landed next to him. Red goo dripped off the side of Misty’s head along with an occasional bit of what looked like cheese. Did somepony just chuck a pizza at me? “Get your filthy hooves off her.” Misty looked over to see the source of the voice was an orange earth pony with green eyes, a brown mane a pizza cutie mark ,and a chefs outfit. “What gives!? You threw a pizza at me,” Misty said as he wiped the pizza sauce off the side of his head. The stallion had a look of sheer rage on his face as he bolted out from behind the counter and placed himself between Misty and the front door of the bar. “You were going to take that mare home and take her to your bed, don’t deny it!” the stallion shouted. Misty recoiled from the accusation, “What! No I wasn’t I was just going to get her home before she does something she regretted.” “Don’t lie to me Misty Charm. That’s right Misty, I know all about you. How you come into this bar looking for drunken mares. You promise them a relationship then you just cast them away when they no longer suit you!” the stallion said as he shuffled his left hoof. Misty looked around nervously. “Yes I do take mares home and do that but not this mare. She’s my roommate’s sister. If I were to take her to my bed Amethyst would beat the crap out of me.” “A likely story. You’re just taking this mare home to violate her. Well I won’t let you, this mare is delicate and I won’t let you take advantage of that like you did with Orchid.” ”Orchid? Look—” Misty paused. “—Name please?” “Scrumptious,” Scrumptious replied as his tail flicked. “Look Scrumptious. I’ll grant you that I absolutely took advantage of Orchid when she was at her worst but I won‘t do that to Ame—Lavender. He—she means a lot to Amethyst and Amethyst means a lot to me.” Misty looked back at Scrumptious. “A likely story.” Scrumptious continued his hard stare at Misty. Misty sighed and brought a hoof to his forehead. “Could you please move Scrumptious. I’m getting kind of sick of this.” Misty stared down Scrumptious. “I knew I’d find you here Misty!” A feminine voice shouted. the two stallions were broken from their staring contest to see none other than Orchid Seed standing in front of the door. “Orchid? What are you doing here?” Misty asked with a confused look on his face. Orchid stared daggers into Misty’s eyes, “I went to check on Lavender and I noticed neither of you were home. So I figured you took her out to this horrid bar to get her drunk so you could have your way with her. And it looks like I got here just in time.” “You don’t understand Orchid, I wasn’t going to do anything to her. Lavender got herself drunk and—” Misty stammered. Orchid growled. “Just cram it, Misty. I’ve had enough of your lies, and who the buck is this guy?” Orchid motioned to Scrumptious “I--I’m err um Scramptious—err I mean Scrumptious Delight.” Scrumptious looked around as sweat started to bead on his forehead. Orchid glared at Scrumptious, “I bet you’re one of Misty’s bum friends. What are you hoping for? A three-way?” Scrumptious gasped. “What!? No no no! I’m not one of Misty’s friends. I’m on your side.” Misty felt his anger rising at these accusations. “Damn it Orchid why do you always have to make everything into a fight? I wasn’t going to do anything to Amethyst other than take him home and get him to bed.” Misty shouted. “Well if you’re so keen to get this young lady home then why don’t you let Orchid take her?” Scrumptious grinned. Misty groaned. “Fine if you insist, you two can take her home.” In a huff, Misty plopped Amethyst onto the ground and stormed out of the bar without another word Author's Note thanks to http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Westphalian_Musketeer , http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Samaru163 , and, http://www.fimfiction.net/user/McPoodle for helping with this story
chapter 10Amethyst’s eyes snapped open. He found himself in his own bed with the sun shining through the window. He searched his memories for what had transpired last night, only to be greeted by a huge blur. Amethyst held his hoof to his forehead as a sharp pain radiated through his entire skull. “What the buck happened last night?” Amethyst asked the air in the room. “I feel like I’ve had somepony smash a wine bottle over my head…again” Amethyst looked towards the window. He immediately winced as a ray of light shot into his eyes, intensifying his headache even further. Cautiously, Amethyst swung his fore hooves out of bed, trembling as he felt his stomach lurch. “Oh Celestia, I’m gonna be sick.” Amethyst looked around in a panic. With a flick of his magic, he levitated a green gemstone out of a nearby drawer and zapped himself with its magic. Instantly, Amethyst felt his stomach settle as some magic sparked off his horn. “That was close,” Amethyst let out a big sigh before the intense headache returned. “Better do something about this headache.” Amethyst rooted around in the drawer where the green crystal had been and levitated out a red gemstone. With a quick motion, Amethyst zapped himself with the red gemstone’s magic as well. Amethyst sighed in relief as his headache started to wane. “Much better”, Amethyst said, bringing a hoof to his chin. “I wonder what could have caused such a big headache?” “Hangover,” Amethyst whipped his head around to see none other than Sunny Skies standing in the doorframe with a look on her face that could scare off an changeling. “You got yourself pretty damn drunk last night, Amethyst.” Amethyst cocked an eyebrow at Sunny. “Drunk?” Amethyst shook his head. “I never get drunk, and my name is Lavender not Amethyst” “Drop the Act Amethyst, I know the truth. You’re really a stallion and some magic statue changed you into a mare.” Sunny spread all four of her legs and stared confidently into Amethyst’s eyes. “So go on, confess”. The ex-stallion flinched at Sunny‘s gaze. How could she possibly know? Maybe I was drunk last night. Amethyst squirmed a bit. Calm down Amethyst, you got this. She has no real proof of anything. “I am not Amethyst. My name is Lavender Star and I’m most certainly a mare.” Amethyst closed his eyes and looked up into the air. Sunny groaned and rolled her eyes. “You‘re not fooling anypony, Amethyst. You told me the truth last night. You should really avoid hard cider when you’re trying to keep a secret.” Amethyst mustered his most confident face and looked Sunny right in the eyes. “Look Sunny, I don’t know where you got the idea where my name is Amethyst, but I assure you I most certainly am a mare, the mareiest mare that ever mared.” “Ok then, I believe you.” Sunny’s hard look started to warp into a more neutral expression. Following that, her eyes bugged out and she pointed her hoof at a spot right behind Amethyst, “Hey Amethyst, look at that!” Amethyst snorted, “Look Sunny, I’m not Amethyst. how many times do I need to tell you that before it sinks in?” “It’s no use Shard, she knows.” Amethyst looked over and saw his friend Misty standing in the doorway to his room. Amethyst glared at him, “Of course she knows NOW, you just bucking told her!” He swept his foreleg across his chest sarcastically. Misty cringed. “I’m sorry Amethyst, she… tricked me into telling her last night.” He blushed a bit. As Amethyst shot Misty a look, Sunny broke out into a giggling fit. “I’m sorry I must have missed the joke,” Amethyst groaned. “I’m sorry,” Sunny squeaked between giggles. “It’s just that the whole idea of a smart pony like you falling prey to a tiny, yellow rock is downright hilarious!” Sunny couldn’t contain herself any longer and broke out into hysterical laughter. Amethyst sighed, rolled his eyes, and watched as Sunny rolled on the floor in laughter. His eyes drifted toward a clock and watched in agony as eleven whole minutes went by before Sunny got up. “I can’t believe I got so sauced up last night,” Amethyst brought a hoof to his forehead as his headache and nausea started to reemerge. “I could have done or said anything and wouldn‘t remember a thing…” Without much warning, Amethyst’s eyes bulged out of his head. Misty moved in closer at noticing Amethyst’s sudden demeanor change. “What’s up Amethyst?” “I could have done anything. What if the reason I’m so sick is because I somehow got myself pregnant last night!” Amethyst’s eye started twitching. Misty tilted his head and cocked his entire body. Sunny scrunched her face but that didn’t last long and she broke out into laughter again. “You? pregnant? That’s just rich. I can’t…” The laughter resumed as she started pounding her hoof on the floor. “Shard that’s got to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard you say,” Misty face hoofed. “Look Amethyst I’ve been around with a lot of mares and trust me pregnancy doesn't turn up that fast.” Sunny had stopped laughing while Misty was talking. “Look Amethyst, we pretty much had our eyes on you the whole night and we can both say for certain that you didn’t have sex with any of the stallions. The only time we didn’t watch you was when Orchid took you home.” “Then that means there’s a whole period of time that you can’t account for!” Amethyst started sweating. “If that’s true than I could have had sex with a stallion. Sure I’m confident Orchid wouldn’t let it happen on purpose but Orchid could have gotten strong armed by a strong stallion or worse…” Amethyst sighed and brought a hoof to his head. “Celestia, I sure wish I paid more attention in sex-ed class.” Sunny sighed and stretched out her hoof, “OK Amethyst there is one thing we can do, we can go and talk with Orchid.” “That’s a good idea” Amethyst said with a nod. “What the buck do you think of me?” Orchid glared at Sunny. Amethyst, Sunny and Misty were in Orchid’s apartment. Orchid and Sunny stood muzzle to muzzle glaring at each other with an intensity that was making Amethyst and Misty flinch. “You think I’d be so stupid as to allow my best friend to get raped right after I rescued him from another rapist?!” Orchid screamed Sunny gave Orchid the stink eye. “Hey! That’s my friend you’re talking about, how dare you assume he would do such a thing. He’d never rape Amethyst or any other mare!” Misty shrank from the implication. Orchid rolled her eyes. “Suuuuure, of course Sunny. Misty hasn’t raped anypony and you’re not an ungrateful bitch!” Sunny pointed at Orchid. “I’ll bet Amethyst did get raped because you were too busy prettifying yourself in front of a mirror.” Sunny spoke in a sarcastic voice and made a gesture and pose to look sarcastically stylish. “You little whore! Amethyst was on my back the whole way home. If anypony raped her Misty did after I brought him home.” “No I didn’t. He’s my best friend. Do you have any idea how awkward that would make things?!” Misty glared at Orchid. “Will you all shut the buck up!” Every pony turned to the source of the voice to see an exacerbated Amethyst looking on. “For the love of Celestia will you please stop this pointless bickering? Let’s leave the cat fighting to Hair Ball’s cat colony.” Amethyst took a deep breath. “Now, Orchid, Misty and Sunny have told me that nopony had sex with me in the bar and I know most of the ponies well enough to know they most likely wouldn't be using or carrying a pregnancy inducing crystal. With that said Misty, Sunny, would you please leave I’d like to talk to Orchid alone.” With a sigh Sunny said, “Fine, come on Misty let’s go--the weather team needs us today.” Misty nodded and said, “You’re right; see you tonight Shard.” Without another word both Sunny and Misty left. “Now then Orchid, what exactly did you do with me last night? I don’t remember anything aside from some cheering for something, so I need to get some blanks filled in.” Orchid let out a deep sigh. “After I took you from Misty and Sunny, I brought you straight home to your bed then I locked the door behind me. I even stayed up all night to make sure Misty didn’t try any stunts.” Amethyst smiled. “Thank you Orchid for looking out for me. One more question: did you see any magic flashes in the darkness?” “Most certainly not!” Orchid said with a shake of her head. At hearing this, Amethyst let out a deep sigh. “That’s good to hear--it means I most likely didn’t get exposed to any magic that would make me pregnant. When I woke up sick this morning I thought for sure I was having morning sickness.” Orchid stared blankly at Amethyst. “Morning sickness doesn't develop overnight, and I must admit your understanding of how mares work in a physical sense is a little bit off. Maybe you should see a professional.” Amethyst nodded, “Perhaps you’re right, Orchid. If I end up stuck like this, I better get more acquainted with my new self.” “I need an appointment, I’ve got some reproductive issues to discuss with the doctor.” “OK, the doctor will see you in a few minutes.” Amethyst stood in front of a glass window in which sat a young mare with a nurse’s hat on. Amethyst turned around, glancing at the tan wallpaper of the room he was in. His hooves clicked against the clean black and white tiles on the floor. With a sigh, Amethyst leaped up into a red fabric chair and sat on his haunches. He sat there for a few minutes before levitating a selection of magazines off one of the nearby racks. Boring, boring, uggh why does that magazine even exist? Amethyst thought as he glanced through the magazine titles. With a huff, he returned the magazines from whist they came and took to looking at the various ponies in the doctor’s office. One stallion had his head completely wrapped up in bandages; another nearby him was a young mare holding back vomit and sporting a green head standing in contrast to her orange body. Amethyst couldn’t help but cringe as his eyes found their way to a blue furred mare with a heavily distended stomach. She rubbed it with a blissful look on her face. Sweet Celestia I hope that isn’t going to be me in a few months. What if I were to have a baby, first would be all of that morning sickness just the thought of that puts me on edge. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to do any adventuring. I’ll be too busy looking after my foals to get in any work. Not to mention the huge belly would get in the way. Just the idea of having such a large belly- even for a week or two- is freaky. Amethyst cringed and stretched out his legs. Then there’d be the foals. In all of the years, I’ve been looking for artifacts, the most terrifying monsters I’ve ever encountered have been toddlers, and I’d have to deal with one for a very long time. I can’t even begin to imagine the…. Amethyst’s thoughts came to a screeching halt by the sensation of someone tugging on his teats. He let out a small eep at the sensation and looked down to the source of the irritation. There was a young foal not more than half a year old suckling on his left teat. “What the buck is going on?” Amethyst tried to scoot away in his chair but the youngster persisted. A young pegasus mare with a similar shade of purple fur to Amethyst quickly rushed over. “Stop it sweetie,” she said, snatching up the youngster from Amethyst‘s teat. “I’m so sorry miss, he got away from me when I wasn‘t watching.” “It’s… OK,” he replied, sweating and jittering all over. ”No harm done.” The mare walked away from Amethyst; he could hear the young mother scolding her child as she sat back down.. How could I forget feeding my foals, the thought of having that happen to me intentionally...gahhhh. “Miss Star, the doctor will see you now,” the nurse said as she casually opened a door right next to her. Amethyst gulped and rose to his hooves, “Well, here goes nothing.” Amethyst sat on the examination table. He looked around at the imposing room. Outside the window, he saw the bustle of ponies in Maple Mountain. He looked over at a device hanging on the left wall. Amethyst put a hoof to his chin in recognition. “I know that device, Silvertail came in and asked me to repair it a while back.” He glanced over to the other side of the room and saw a counter with a steel sink built into it. The door to the examination room opened and the sudden noise of it caused Amethyst to jump about half an inch. Sitting in the doorframe was a mare with red fur, a brown mane, a nurse’s cap, and a dull look on her face. The nurse walked over to Amethyst, her hooves clicking against the tile floor. “Ok Miss Star, I’m going to need some things from you. Can you light up your horn for me?” Without hesitation, Amethyst complied. The nurse held up a white film to his horn before pulling it away. “Ok now I’m going to need a sample,” the nurse produced a small plastic cup. With a blush, Amethyst took the cup in his magic aura and silently proceeded to a lavatory just down the hall. Amethyst entered the small bathroom, it’s relatively unclean appearance caused him to sneer. That piece of brown paper has been there since I started coming here Amethyst waited in the bathroom for a few minutes before he felt the urge. Several awkward splashes later, he had filled the small cup. He washed off his tail and exited the bathroom. Before leaving however, Amethyst put his sample into a cabinet nearby. Once back in the examination room, Amethyst took a seat on the examination table. “Just wait there, Miss Star, the doctor will see you shortly.” Without another word, the nurse left and shut the door behind her. Amethyst sat alone in the examination room once again. I better milk Silvertail for all the info he’s got, who knows what pitfalls there are in this body. Once again, Amethyst leapt up at the sound of a male gryphon walking into the room. He had brown fur, a black feathered head, a tail ending in prominent silver fluff, and green eyes. “Good morning Miss Lavender, I’m Doctor Silvertail. I see you came in because…” Silvertail looked at a chart he was holding. “you’re looking for advice on reproductive health,” disbelief evident on his face. “Miss Lavender, this is more a question for your gynecologist, you do have a gynecologist right?.” Amethyst looked on wide-eyed, “Sure I do…but she’s out of town. I apologize, doctor. I know you’re a busy gryphon, and I shouldn’t have troubled you with something like this.” Silvertail shook his head, “It’s no concern, Miss Lavender. I figured since you came all this way I might as well give you a regular checkup. So I had your magic analyzed and it indicates there‘s no anomalies in your magical aura.” “You can do magic analyses, how?” Amethyst smiled internally, already knowing the answer. “A young stallion that comes to my office was kind enough to donate a magic scanner to my office after my wound healer over there” Silvertail motioned to the device on the wall, “broke and he repaired it.” “Can you tell me about him?” Amethyst’s smile became external and he leaned in on his forehooves. “Umm OK… He’s a very smart unicorn but I think he’s a bit reckless. He often comes in with pretty major physical injuries, patient confidentially unfortunately prevents me from discussing further.” Reckless? Is that what he thinks about me…? “Let’s not dwell on him any further I’m going to do a reflex test.” Silvertail produced a metal hammer. “Doctor Silvertail I know you’re not a gynecologist but can I ask you a few questions anyways?” Amethyst looked away squeamishly. Silvertail hit Amethyst’s left hind leg knee and it reacted immediately. “Sure, I’ll try my best.” “I know this might seem like a stupid question but what is estrus like? I haven‘t experienced it before because… I take potions to suppress it.” Amethyst nodded nervously. Silvertail hit Amethyst’s other hind leg with the hammer. “Well Miss I can’t personally speak from experience, and I’m sure the textbooks I read in medical school won’t mean much to you. Some of my other female patrons describe it as an intense sensation in the vaginal area that occurs every few months.” Amethyst nodded and winced at having his left foreleg hit by the hammer, “So how about pregnancy? I’m just curious.” Silvertail hit Amethyst’s other foreleg, “Reflexes are sharp as ever. Mothers who come into me for natal care are always keen to tell me how much their little ones like to kick them. Say ahh, miss,” Amethyst complied and opened up his mouth. Silvertail stuck a tongue depressor onto Amethyst’s tongue and used a flashlight to look around in Amethyst’s mouth. “Nothing out of the ordinary there; let’s take some blood pressure readings.” Silvertail walked over to the nearby counter and produced a blood pressure cuff from a drawer. Amethyst looked on as Silvertail went over to his right side and strapped the cuff onto his left foreleg. “So, umm, Doctor Silvertail…I’ve been having trouble keeping my tail from getting dirty while using the bathroom.” Amethyst rubbed the back of his head. Silvertail carried on as if he hadn’t heard Amethyst’s question. Amethyst heard several hisses as Silvertail squeezed on the black ball of the blood pressure device. He slowly released air from it until he completely removed the air and the cuff. “Blood pressure is a little high, but I suspect that’s just because your heartbeat is a little fast right now. Let’s get a listen of that heart, miss.” Silvertail returned the blood pressure reader to the drawer and while there, he pulled out a stethoscope. Amethyst cringed as he felt the coldness of the stethoscope touch his left side. “Deep breath, Miss,” Silvertail asked and Amethyst complied. What felt like several minutes passed as Silvertail held the scope on Amethyst’s chest. He then switched the scope onto Amethyst’s back and once again held there for what felt like an inordinate amount of time. “Heart rate is normal. So Miss Lavender, when was the last time you saw your gynecologist?” “Gynecologist?” Amethyst tilted his head. Silvertail shot Amethyst an odd look, “You do have one, right?” Amethyst shook his head before enthusiastically nodding, “Yes of course I do… Her name is Doctor Down… There. Yeah, Dr. Down There.” “OK sure, well you seem to be in good working order, you may leave now.” Silvertail promptly opened the door to the examination room. “OK, thanks, Doctor.” Amethyst smiled and showed himself out. “How could I have been so stupid?” Amethyst paced back and fourth. He was once again in the basement of his cabin, his research notes sprawled out on the desk. The green book he found in Clovis’s castle sat on the left side of the desk and a map of some tunnels sat on the right. “Dr. Down There! Damn it, that has got to be the stupidest thing I’ve said since I told Dad that I couldn’t make the gala because of a thrown horseshoe.” Amethyst paced furiously back and forth in his cabin. “And I thought I was pregnant. Come on Amethyst, get a grip on yourself. I’ve gotta change myself back and soon before I really do end up pregnant…or go totally nuts.” Amethyst stopped his pacing a moment to glance back at the map. “Blue alicorn? Who is this blue alicorn? I’ve heard rumors that the princess has a sister with blue fur, but is she truly the key? Of course that’s considering this blue furred princess actually exists. Nah, that can’t be right.” Amethyst leapt up from his chair and started pacing again. “Think, Amethyst, think!” He stopped and hit his left fore hoof on his forehead. “There’s got to be something I’m missing...” As Amethyst stood there, he found his eyes drawn to the map once again. His eyes went wide as they settled on the far left side of the map. “By Celestia’s mane…a stain.” What Amethyst was looking at was a large red splatter mark on the left side of the map. He rushed into a back room of the basement and returned with a teal crystal. With a sweeping motion, Amethyst waved the crystal over the stain and it vanished. What lay before Amethyst was a hidden chamber cut off from the rest of the map. Within the chamber, Amethyst saw the diagram of a blue alicorn. “That’s gotta be it. The blue alicorn has to be in that chamber. Now if only I could divine a way to enter it...” Author's Note thanks to samaru163 for pre reading, and westphalian musketeer and mcpoodle for editing sorry for the long delay I intend to update a bit more frequently from now on
