Chapter 2

Kuriosity

Written by: Deverer

Edited/Preread by: Shinzakura, BlueBastard, and Cody Fett

Chapter 2:

Karl sat with a wide smile as pulled his microphone toward himself. "Okay, time for me to truly, truly blow your minds guys," he said. "I actually liked something."

"Suuuurre," Susan said back. "You said that fifteen minutes ago just to get a laugh out of the shock we all had, now you're gonna pull another fast one."

He shook his head. "I ain't kidding here. For once I liked a modern movie."

"And like I said before,” spoke Wavelength. “Hell and Tartarus will freeze twice over each if that's the case. So humor us, and also convince us that you're not desperate to get another sadistic fix."

Karl clapped his hands together, wrapping his fingers together and pointing both his index fingers forward. "Iron Jawed Alicorns."

"Huh?" William deadpanned.

"Wait, that sounds familiar..." Wavelength added, placing a forehoof on his chin.

"Same here," Susan commented.

"It's a ponified remake of our movie," Karl started. "Replace the movement for women's suffrage with the movement for stallion representation. Also replace World War Two with the Lunar Rebellion- or Moonfall, or something. Sorry, can’t remember it at the moment."

Wavelength slammed his hoof against the table. "That's it! Dang, I forgot to go see that!"

"Ya should. Not joking, no actual rants; go freaking see it. But if I do hafta rant- of course that's mah job; the same things about the original apply to a degree. For one, if ya don't know the history, you're gonna get lost harder than Disney's creative direction. Seriously, Cars 4?

"Also, what the heck happened with the end? It was a literal freakin’ cliffhanger! We just see the main character looking off into the sunset and then a group of other ponies approach him- then boom! End! And this was after the credits!

"I tell ya folks, it was more jarring than the faces on my friends here. So much so that it seems I gotta be the one to talk us to the conclusion here. So folks, hope Wave gets the subliminal message here as I say," he faux-kissed his palm before speaking in a higher pitch, "good night everybody!"

Wavelength blinked, quickly leaning to his own microphone. "What the man said, amend that we'll resume our schedule after these messages." With the push of a button, he ended the broadcast. Susan and William both began to chuckle, with Karl taking a drink. "Damn, Karl. Didn't know what would come first; you liking a modern movie or you liking modern music."

"I’m probably the only person on this planet who listens to music from the seventies, eighties, and nineties- born in post two thousands that is. If I'm wrong, may god," he quickly pointed a finger to Wavelength, "or goddess; send a message to me in person."

"That's a lot considering you." Wavelength flashed a smile of his own.

"I just can't get behind the whole 'alicorns are goddesses' thing." He shrugged, Wavelength doing the same. "Speaking of 'alicorn,' could you possibly explain the ending for me of the movie?"

"I'm curious as well," William added.

"Same here, Billy," Susan spoke.

Karl quirked an eyebrow. "I thought you said only those who quote on quote 'love' you can call you that." William merely smirked, tilting his head down slightly to make a faux glare. Karl's eyes widened. "Aaaahhh..."

"If you're ready for a history lesson then," Wavelength interjected. "What they portrayed was Adept Polarity's death. After the nobility gave stallions their rights, he was murdered by 'disapprovers.' Mostly mares, but also a few stallions who were subscribing to the 'Mare Master' mentality.

"Celestia herself took time away from dealing with the rebellion to mourn him, even giving his wife, Wisteria, a seat in the nobility. They say if he were an alicorn, he'd be the Avatar of Equality- or was it Balance? One thing's for sure though, when his friend Lucid Burns became the first stallion General, he really took out his rage on the rebellion.

"Anyway, so yeah, big turning point in Equestria's history. People say Equestria could have turned into a polygamous-focused society. Perhaps where each stallion is sacred to the mares involved, but still looked down on at the same time to the public if they tried to step up."

"Imagine if we contacted like that," Karl commented.

"Frankly, I don't want to imagine it. That's one Alex fantasy I don't want to imagine anyway." He clapped his hooves together. "So, Karl. You said you had some news to share with us?"

"Do I ever, my nerves are all over the place. No, seriously- I've been feeling itchy lately." He began to rub one of his arms. "And no, it's not the wool on my gloves here."

"Well, what's this news then?" Susan asked. "Maybe it'll justify it."

Karl took in a deep breath, pausing for a moment before releasing it. "You all remember my girlfriend, Karyn?"

"And how she surprised you by coming onto the broadcast just after your birthday?" Wavelength asked. "Although not nearly as much as how big she- OOF!" He clutched his side, Susan pulling her arm back, shaking her head at him.

Karl shot a miniature glare before continuing, "Well... a month ago..." He took another deep breath before finishing, "she agreed to marry me." A second later, the other three roared with their own cheers.

"Congrats, man!" William yelled.

"When's the ceremony?" Susan asked.

Karl chuckled a bit before he spoke, "Well, that's the thing. We don't know when... 'cause... we're having a child." He gripped his wrist.

Susan gasped. "Oh... oh my..." She placed a hand over her mouth, the silence that followed making the air around them all tense.

"Oh wow..." Wavelength said. "I knew they released the spell details about half a year ago- but that's the first I've heard of a couple actually using it."

Susan looked over to him. "What do you mean?"

"There may be quite a few pony/human couples nowadays- but that doesn't mean they want to have kids. You ask me, one of the reasons deep down the relationships happen is because they don't have to fear unexpected kids. No offense, Karl."

"None taken," Karl answered back.

"Even then, I think there's not even five chimera kids in the- er... 'making' outside of the few announced. Most of the couples don't want to have kids that way- and that's not counting the ones who didn't speak up or decided not to go through with it. So... yeah, this is interesting for me considering... well..." he tapped his horn with a forehoof.

"I getcha," Karl shot back.

"Though... already thinking of kids?" Susan asked.

"She's already pregnant," said Karl, Susan's reaction evident through her eyes widening. "Yeah... I'm... gonna be a father." He breathed outward, a hand being placed on his forehead. "Don't know what's easier, saying it out loud or in my head."

"We're not the ones to answer that. Still though, already?" She said, waving her arms out as she asked.

"Yes, ‘already.’ My uncle Patrick had my cousin Kevin for five years before he married his girlfriend finally, according to my dad."

Susan shot her hands up. "Alright, alright, not judging here. Just... observing."

"Wait, how do you know she's already pregnant?" Wavelength asked.

"Modern tech," William answered, looking over to him. "Seriously, bud, there's lots of things that your magic doesn't trump yet. Nowadays you can find out the process has started basically the day after."

"...And if I recall correctly, the spells we have currently aside from X-rays take at least two weeks. Alright, touché."

"Speaking of spells," Karl spoke up, also rising out of his chair, "that... ann... anio... um, ‘gene spell,’ is really something else." He walked across the room, grabbing his pack.

"Oh, I bet. I'm tempted to take it out for a spin just for walking around like one of you guys. Would do the organic version, but I'm tempted to experience the whole thing."

"I can sympathize, it was a whole new experience for me as well; just wish the first time it wasn't such a shocker for me." He shrugged, stepping to the door. "Alright, I'd better clear out of here now. Seeya guys next week!" he called out as he stepped through.

"Later!" Wavelength called to him.

After the door was shut, Susan spoke immediately, "Did you really have to bring up your shock of Karyn again? I have a feeling she herself may be sensitive about that."

Wavelength looked over to her. "I can't help it, okay! I'm at the average for stallions, that would put me like half a pony head above the average mare. Then she comes walking in and rocks my world." He began to rub each of his eyes. "I... I just... I'm sorry. But when you have a mare that stands I think just an inch or two under Princess Cadance when both are on all fours- it's a real eye opener for anypony. Even then, I can easily be wrong about that part.”

William cocked an eyebrow as he spoke, "You sound obsessed. Did you really do your homework on this?"

Wavelength gave his flank a quick tap. "It's in my nature to be simpactico if you know what I mean.” He gave a shake of his head. “I bet Dusty would wonder if she was cross bred with a bulldozer and-" he stopped, eyes widening and his head turning to the door.

"What's wrong?"

"I... Karl. Did he say he was the one who morphed for their… you-know-what?"

Susan curled her lip in thought. “Um... don't know. Does it matter?"

"It does, actually." He turned to look back at them. "It doesn't work both ways- well, it can. The thing is though, the spell… let’s say ‘streamlines’ chromosomes to make genetic compatibility. The easier route would be to streamline the one with more chromosomes, in this case the pony. To streamline a human, more genetic material is needed. Trust me when I say it’s common knowledge that the spell is designed to go one way at the moment.”

William shrugged. "Eh, the guy's got a lot to deal with. Maybe he just misspoke. Either way, I think based on what you said: Nothing should have happened. I mean, I think nothing’s happened to them if she’s pregnant."

Wavelength froze for a second, before he gave a slow nod. "Mmmmm... yeah, that's true. Every unicorn should know that, and Karyn's definitely not an idiot. Heck, she's smarter than me."

"Maybe you should relax yourself, take a backseat this cast for the music."

"Alright, alright. Let's get started."

Karl sighed as he dismounted his bike, also shuddering slightly despite the merely brisk air. His first broadcast on the countdown to becoming a father. He locked up his equipment, stretching himself out and heading to the door. A rush of wind passed by him, generating another shiver from him.

“Okay, seriously. First the itches, and now the chills. I better not be coming down with something here,” he said aloud. As he approached the door, he added to his comments, “Bad enough with Karyn pregnant. I just… fuck…” He placed a hand on his head. “I’m gonna be a dad… fucking… dad! I’m not even married yet! Jesus!” Shaking his head, he stepped inside the house, sighing in relief as the inside heat almost seemed tropical. He dropped his pack on the floor, heading immediately for the kitchen. As he leaned inside the fridge, shivering again as the cold hit him, he heard footsteps approach him.

“Welcome home, sweetie,” Karyn greeted. Karl smiled a bit as he pulled out shredded cheese and pre-cut chicken.

“Hi, Karyn,” he said back, as she brushed a foreleg across his back. He turned and placed both packages on the counter, also turning on one of the electric stove burners. “How was your day?” he asked, as he leaned back into the fridge.

“Just peachy. Took a drive to stock up on our food, also got my eyes on a new draw screen for my computer, wireless to boot.” She walked past him further, opening a cabinet and pulling out a frying pan. “I missed the broadcast, how was that?”

“Fun as usual- I blew their minds when I told them how I liked a movie.” He closed the fridge door, holding a bag of tortillas and an already open can of sliced olives.

“Even I'm surprised.” She placed the frying pan on the burner as Karl placed his items on the counter. A bottle of olive oil was uncapped then poured slightly into the pan via Karyn's magic. Then like clockwork, they each stepped into each other and embraced. As moments went by, Karyn's magic directed the contents on the counter into pan, with Karl snuggling into her. As the food sizzled, Karl began to involuntarily massage Karyn's stomach, causing her to moan slightly- as well as causing her magic to fizzle.

“Oop, watch it!” Karl yelped, breaking away from her. She blushed and chuckled as he placed each of the items back onto the counter. “Can you get me a spatula and two plates?” he asked; she nodded, opening up the respective cabinets to do so.

Meanwhile outside of their home, a lone figure walked along the streets, its head darting back and forth. Once in a while it would shoot out a limb, and a small glow of green would produce. As it passed by their home in particular, it paused to gaze at their abode. As it walked into the light, passers by would see a green eyed, blonde haired woman. Though in reality, there was more to Emmé than at first glance.

“I'm close... so, so close,” she whispered. “It's around here somewhere... I can feel it in the air. I'll put an end to this.Aidez-moi donc, par mon propre nom de Emeraude.”

The next day, Karl and Karyn sat at the kitchen table next to each other, both gazing at Karyn’s laptop. Karl himself held disinterest, with Karyn holding general excitement.

“So... I'm not sure how we want to approach this,” Karyn started. “Do we want to start planning on furniture? Or perhaps actually tackling the room layout first?”

Karl groaned a bit, scratching his arm. “Do we need to do this now? We still got ten months or so, right?” He leaned back in his chair, also adding, “If anything, all we really need to do for now is just start a separate savings for the baby.”

“There’s more than just that, dummy.” She glanced over to him. “A budget would help us be prepared for this, sure, but there’s a lot of other things we gotta do. I mean, I myself gotta deal with my bodily changes and all that crap.” She looked back to the computer. “Apparently, it’s not recommended that I walk upright in my last three months- that’s gonna be a pain. I hope that doesn’t mean I can’t drive.”

“Why now though?” he asked again. “Karyn, we may be able to do this on paper, but we gotta focus more on getting to that point.”

She looked back over to him, her eyes squinted somewhat. “What do you mean by that?”

“I’m just saying that we’re worrying too much right this second perhaps? Look, I’m well aware we can’t take this lightly, but there is such as a thing as too much focus.”

“‘Too much focus?’’” Karyn echoed, her teeth also showing somewhat in a clenched format. “We’re having a kid! Don’t you kind of think this deserves all of our focus and more?” She shot to him, also pivoting her chair in his direction.

“I’m well aware we should focus on this!” Karl snapped back, also turning his chair to her. “Don’t forget those ‘bumps in the road’ that we talked about!” He raised a hand up, curling a finger out. “We get this planned out here, that doesn’t mean it will take into account financial woes down the line. You still got your college loan payments.” He raised another finger. “Then there’s also changes to the plan itself since we’re thinking about freaking furniture right now!”

“What’s wrong with that though?”

“We’re not even a freaking month into this!” Karl yelled, leaning himself forward. A scowl was present on him as he continued, “Honestly, did it occur to you that perhaps your grand plan may have hitches on the way? Did your previous career account for a faulty rental car and a bigoted boss?”

Karyn flinched slightly, but took a breath before speaking, “No, but why can’t we start laying groundwork?”

“Groundwork this early though?” Karl asked, his hand pointing toward her computer screen. “Karyn, your income depends on your mood most of the time; you’re gonna have hormones in, like, a month or something and then we may start hitting dry spells. We need to know what kind of groundwork we can lay when troubles like that come around.”

“Then let me bring this up to you then,” Karyn started, a scowl of her own now visible. “If you brought up my previous job and planning; did you not think of this conversation when you showered me with emotions on that night we agreed to this?”

Karl snorted, smacking his palm on the table, “I did, but this early?! Why do you form these fantasies in your head all the time?!”

“Excuse me?!” Karyn yelled, standing up out of her chair. “Are you saying I got a problem here?”

“You’re damn right! You don’t think ahead here! It’s bad enough with all the shit I gotta deal with daily! Now I gotta deal with making you happy by having a kid I don’t know we’re ready to have!”

“What was that?!” Karyn yelled, reeling herself back. “You… you aren’t fully committed to this?!” Tears began to form in her eyes.

Karl froze, clenching his fist. “I- ERGH!” He stood up himself, his own chair sliding back somewhat. “The day we get engaged, you already start thinking of kids! Do you not expect me to have doubts and hesitation about this?!”

“You’re the one who said you wanted it! After you said you thought about it over time!” She stomped a hind hoof on the floor. “I… I can’t believe this! I thought you were better than this, Karl!” She knocked a chair over as she began to run out of the kitchen. Before she left his sight, she turned back to him. “You know, I guess you enjoyed becoming a pony more than actually making me happy with us having a kid. So you know what? Fuck it! We’re not doing our magic sessions since that seems to be what you clung to the most!” She stormed out of the kitchen, Karl kicking the overturn chair slightly.

“Fine! In hindsight, what was I gonna do with the magic anyway?!” He heard the sound of a door slamming fly by him. He spun around with a grunt and began a fast walk toward the back of the house. He opened a closet, and pulled out a green camouflaged carrying case. As he carried it with one hand, he also ran by a pile of recyclables and plucked out a few plastic bottles with the other.

He stepped out into the backyard porch, shivering a bit as the wind blew past him. He set the case on the ground, and walked to the opposite railing, placing the bottles in a line. He huffed and practically ran back to the suitcase, opening it up and revealing an old AR-15 rifle with a chrome finish and a jet black colt 1911. He picked up the pistol, and pulled the chamber open- revealing it to be empty.

He responded by picking up a magazine out of the case and inserting it. “Pays to have these things preloaded.” He snapped the chamber close, and pulled the hammer down. He immediately aimed to one of the bottles and pulled the trigger. He watched as a plastic pellet grazed one of the targets, causing it to merely wobble. “I really can't thank you enough for these, grandpa,” he muttered. He raised the gun again, but snapped it back before he pulled the trigger. “Mask… always gotta put the mask on.” The click of him setting the safety on rang right before he reached back down to the case. As he stood back up, he looked over the mask. It was similar to his motorcycle helmet, minus the covering of the very back of the head. The mouthpiece was also held more holes, though smaller. The visor also dropped down somewhat where his eyes would show, and there was a skull’s teeth painted across the mouthpiece. Karl recalled somewhat that his grandfather really loved the design, as did he himself, and just laughed whenever someone accused either of them of it being from an old video game.

Snapping the mask in place, he disengaged the safety and raised the gun back up. He placed his other hand on it, staring down the sight. He pulled the trigger again, this time hitting a bottle square on. As it wobbled back, he pulled again, causing it to fall over. “Can't fucking believe this, I can't fucking take her looking so far ahead!” He gritted his teeth, and began to rapidly fire, nearly all of his shots missing the targets. The sound of clicking reached his ears soon after, he growled a bit and placed the pistol back into the case. As he brought the rifle out, he adjusted the firing setting, placing it to semi-automatic. Though in Karl’s case, it was ‘BANG!’ as emphasized by the silver engraving.

After sliding in a magazine, he began to repeat his angered history, each pull of the trigger firing a single pellet. Seconds later, after the bottles were over, he huffed and looked around the area. As his eyes drifted, they eventually landed back at the house itself. His thoughts of what happened came rushing back to him, and the conclusion of which rang in his mind: he just made Karyn upset. A tear suddenly threatened to escape one of his eyes like a poorly secured pipe. He crouched down toward the ground, placing the gun down and wrapping his arms around himself.

“Oh, god, what have I done?” he whispered. “Me and my fucking mouth. Are we ready for this? If I'm asking that does that answered the question?” He sniffed slightly, pinching his arm. “Focus... focus... maybe it's just a bump in the road.” He stood back up, taking a deep breath. “I'll let her vent her feelings, guess this'll be my first 'sleep on the couch' punishment.” He cracked a slight smile, leaning back down to pick up the gun. ‘Who am I fucking kidding? This could all be fucking over… a marriage ruined and a child involved...’ A rush of wind blew past, causing him to shiver again. “Okay, what the fuck? It's fucking August! Why is it so fucking cold all of a sudden?”

As he asked the question, he felt all his hairs immediately stand up on end all at once as if he were in complete fear. He stepped away from the case, also furiously running his hands up and down his arms. After a moment, he broke his arms away and reached to his head to pull off the mask. Ignoring the wind now passing his exposed face, he reached back down for the case- only to find his arms tinted somewhat blue.

“What the fuck?” He dropped the mask and brought his arms closer to his face, and then began to hear the twinkle of magic not unlike Karyn's own. “The fuck?” He looked around, also turning his whole body to scan the area. “Someone there?!” he yelled. He continued to look around as the sound of magic continued to resonate. As he did, he stole a glance back down to his arms, and also found a cobalt blue light on them. “Hn?” He waved his arms over each other, finding that a shadow was cast away from his face.

He cautiously moved a palm toward his eye, his whole body shaking slightly as the cobalt blue intensified. With a yell, his whole body jerked straight, the sound of what might be mistaken for a twig snapping accompanying it. Both of his fists were balled up, his eyes clenched tighter than a bank’s safe, and his whole self tensed as he screamed more and more with agony.

Meanwhile, Karyn snapped to attention, quickly wiping tears from her eyes. She took a few quick, deep breaths and quickly ran out of the bedroom. As she neared Karl's position, his screams only became louder. She swore she heard what she hoped wasn't bones snapping as she drew closer to him. The moment she got within a position to see him, she stopped and gasped at what she saw.

Karl was a pony.

Not only that, but she saw him doubled over, and a glow escaping through his eyelids. Hyperventilation began to overwhelm her as she looked him over. While most of his clothes were just loose on him now, yet his tail seemed to be forced out through the back of his jeans; his gloves were off, though fine. She looked back and forth between him and the inside of the house. Taking a quick breath, she dropped to her hind knees quickly, and leaned in to whisper, “I’m getting an ambulance, hang on…” He responded only with a groan, his forelegs wrapping around himself. She choked slightly as she got up to run back into the house.

Across the street, hidden in the shadows of the trees, Emmé looked dead-on at the house. She clenched her fist, the inside glowing slightly with magic.

“Finally…” she whispered. She took a step forward, but stopped as she heard more yells in the air. She glanced over and saw neighbors both young and old running toward their house. “Damnit!” She stepped back, crouching down as well. “I can’t make a scene, I can’t just up and take it down. They might not be involved…” She breathed outward as she saw them approach the front doors, seeing Karyn open it up and conversing with them. “A unicorn? Is she involved in some conspiracy?” She reached a hand out, glowing slightly with magic. “Okay… I hear you all now…”

Karyn herself wiped sweat away from her forehead and she talked with the neighbors. “I don’t know what happened. Karl and I…” She paused for a moment. “We… just went our separate ways for a moment, and then I just heard him screaming his head off. The next thing I knew, I found him turned into a pony!”

“A pony?” a man in the group asked. “How?”

“No idea. I don’t think Treble and his wife are that sadistic.” She shook her head. “I’ve already called an ambulance. I think he’ll be in good hands, they have non-human specialists here.” The distant sound of the siren began to reach all of their ears. “Listen, I need to go tend to him. Just get them updated on what’s happening, I need to go see him.” Another of Karl’s screams was heard, Karyn looked behind herself, a tear escaping her eye. She immediately ran from the group, and back to Karl.

As she approached the back porch, she stopped and gasped as a cobalt blue blast of magic rushed past her. She ducked down and looked over to Karl, seeing his horn eradiating sparks and struggling to stay fully lit.

“That… that didn’t feel like any magic I’ve ever seen…” She looked to where the blast hit, seeing a section of wall not so much as destroyed, but vanished completely.

Another scream from Karl snapped her attention back to him. She winced as the sickening sounds from before came back. She found herself covering her ears as his fur receded, horn and tail meld back into him, and his proper limbs grow back in.

“Ahaaa…” Karl wheezed out, as he fully reverted back to normal. Karyn took in a quick breath and rushed to his side.

“Karl? Karl, are you okay?!” she screamed aloud.

He groaned again, opening her eyes to look at her. “K… Karyn…” he forced out. Moments after, footsteps and mumbling was heard. Karyn turned and found dispatch personnel running into the room.

“Ma’am, we’re going to need you to step back,” one of them, a stallion said. Karyn complied, watching them suddenly beginning to lay out a stretcher. The stallion’s horn began to flare, the light from it scanning over Karl. “There’s definitely some kind of magic at work here, but… I’ve never seen this before.”

“Are you suggesting a new kind of outbreak perhaps?” a woman in the group asked, who was at the stretcher.

“It could be possible. Signal a hazmat team, prepare a possible-” he stopped, as suddenly Karl jerked upward, his eyes glowing again. “Oh Celestia above…” He looked over to Karyn. “Ma’am, we need some questions answered from you.” He looked back to Karl, but still spoke aloud. “Have the local department see if they get in contact with the Mage Guild, maybe they can scan the house too. Put out a preparation for possible quarantine.”

“On it!” the woman replied, stepping away from the scene out of the house.

“Okay crew, fall in!” the stallion called aloud, as he levitated Karl onto the stretcher. The rest of the dispatch encircled the two of them. He looked back to Karyn. “Meet us at the ambulance.” She nodded, and then they all disappeared in a flash of his magic.

Back out front, Emmé continued to watch, seeing Karl and the dispatch materialize in front of the house. She focused her gaze on Karl himself, her muscles tensing up as she did so.

“You…” she growled. “I would very much like to just get up close and personal.” She glanced around, looking at the neighbors and the ambulance crew. “Too many witnesses…” She slammed a fist into the ground. “What do I do?!”

“Maybe you could use some help, perhaps?” Emmé jumped to her feet, spinning around to see who just spoke to her.

“Faust?” Emmé squeaked out. “What the- when did you-”

“About ten seconds ago,” Faust started. “I actually would have been here sooner, but I had to…” she sighed a bit, looking away. “‘Convince,’ the Conclave to let us handle this.”

“Huh?”

Faust looked back to her, her face devoid of emotions as she spoke, “This time, I felt it. This is actually more than just entering Wing and Horn business now. If we let the Conclave do this, we may have to disappear for well over a thousand years given the rise of technology and magic.” She stomped forward slightly. “Believe you me, after finally finding love, I am not letting that happen.”

Emmé growled a bit, looking to the ground. “We may be too late: He’s in public hands and we can’t cause a scene.”

“What do you know?”

“Two people, man and a mare, are involved; he’s being taken away on a stretcher, and a team is being signalled to inspect the house- they’re gonna find out.” She looked back to the house. “Unless you want me off to off the lady with the radio, I don’t see how-” she stopped as a flash of white light emitted past her. She turned back around and found Faust now standing upright as a pink unicorn with a white mane. “What are you-”

“Leveling the playing field,” she interrupted. Her horn flashed again with white magic, clothes appearing around her. “I’ve studied my ponies enough here on this Earth to know how they’re working nowadays. I want you to follow them to the hospital; we’ll rendezvous there.” She walked past Emmé, looking over the scene.

“What about you, Hornhead?”

“Covering our tracks,” she stated back, disappearing in another flash of light.

Emmé shook her head. “And you call me unpredictable…” She watched as the ambulance with Karl in it began to pull away. She waved her hands as she began to run after it at unnatural speed, her body disappearing from sight as the magic washed over her.

Faust dropped back into reality, directly in front of her target.

“Whoa! What the heck?” the woman from the dispatch said aloud. She moved her radio away, while also looking over Faust’s form. “Wait… how did you-”

“Let’s just say I’m… really on the clock,” Faust interrupted, holding out a badge. “I’ll take over from here.”

The woman gave a tentative nod. “Yes, ma’am.” She quickly brought her radio back to her mouth. “Cancel the request,” she spoke into it.

“No interruptions, go around the house while I work.” Her horn flashed again with magic, the light beginning to scan over the area. The woman merely nodded again before she ran off. As Faust watched her leave her vision, she stopped her magic and gazed over the house as a whole.

Definitely human magic… but there’s not much of a lingering presence. She leaned down next to his case, eyeing the guns inside. She levitated one up with her magic, turning it over back and forth. Built for humans, recently used… yet… barely any trace of the stuff. No wonder she didn’t find them quicker.

She placed the gun back in the case, running her magic over the area next to the case. I’m guessing this is where he was last… some trace… She stood back up, stepping inside the house, her magic scanning the whole of the room. As the light passed over the hole in the wall, she froze for a split second. She immediately ran up to it, placing her hooves near it. “Oh my… this… this is probably what I felt,” she whispered. It’s… this… oh wow. It could be mistaken for one my pony’s spells, but… so human in execution. A perfect union of the two. She stepped back, clutching her head a bit. “Okay, get the rest of the crew away from here… then meet back up with Emmé. First though...” Her horn flared again with magic, a blast shooting off and striking the hole itself. Leave no trackable trace of this. To them, this was a pony spell now.

Emmé watched as Karl’s ambulance pulled right into the drop off area, all crew immediately flying. She scowled as his stretcher started to depart the vehicle.

You idiots… you’re bringing a ticking time bomb into a hospital! And that bomb is as dangerous as a nuke! She practically slapped her face as she clutched the bridge of her nose with two fingers. Think, Emeraude… think dammit! She removed her hand from her face as another flash of magic came next to her, she turned and saw Faust standing next to her, still in her disguise. “Well, we’re boned here, Faust. We can’t just go in, kill it and teleport away- they’ll track us down. What are we supposed to do? Just ask for him nicely?”

“That’s actually exactly what we’re going to do,” Faust replied. Emmé looked back to her, crossing her arms.

“Seriously?” she deadpanned. “It may be my bias against direct approaches along those lines, but do you care to explain how that’s going to work, oh Avatar of Creation?”

“We’re not going to be the ones who ask,” Faust started. “We’re going to assume custody of their patient. Get yourself dressed up, hope you worked on walking on hind hooves. First though, did you find out anything interesting about him?”

“Just that possibly his first indulgences into magic involved shapeshifting. Guess he has ponies on his mind.”

“That unicorn mare may have something to do with this then, so make sure she comes along,” Faust advised. Emmé nodded, snapping her fingers and a flash of magic erupting from her.

Karyn watched with slightly teary eyes as Karl was navigated toward the door. She began to walk to him, but was stopped by a staff member, a man.

“Ma’am, I’m gonna need you to stay back,” he started. “Civilians aren’t authorized beyond this point. I’ve been informed that we have all the information that we need from you by my co-worker.”

Karyn scowled slightly, directing it at the man. “That’s my fiance right there!” she yelled.

He shook his head. “Rules are rules, you aren’t allowed through those doors.”

“Then let me speak with her while I’m still outside them!” Both of them turned to the source of the voice, realizing it was Karl who yelled it. As he leaned his head up, visibly straining, he looked around. “Ten seconds… that’s all I want. Just. Ten. Fucking. Damn. Seconds!” He snapped back to Karyn, desperation projecting to her.

The man sighed, stepping to the side. “Ten seconds,” he whispered, waving his arm. The moment he did, Karyn immediately bolted to Karl, some of the staff stepping aside. She immediately took his hand in her forehoof.

“Karyn…” Karl breathed. “No matter what happens… I love you… and…” A tear fell from his eye. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… for the promises I broke to you…”

A sad smile forced itself upon her face. “I love you too,” she whispered back. She leaned in close, but stopped as footsteps approached them. She choked slightly as they began to wheel him away. The doors opened, and they all started to practically sprint.

But stopped as a flash of emerald green magic appeared in front of them, a tan unicorn with an emerald green mane standing in its place.

“Everyone, stop where you are, now!” she yelled. She reached for a pocket on her coat, a badge being presented. “I’m officially overriding this operation and assuming control of the patient in the name of the CDC Exotic Outbreak division.

Karyn herself scowled at the new arrival. “What?! He needs attention now!” she yelled out.

“And he’ll get it.” She turned back and found the man from before walking up to her. “That unicorn there, she’s… well, let’s just say ever since we got magic involved with medicine and special diseases; there’s been a lot more success with saving patients in cases like these. Her being here is basically special help for you.”

“‘Special help’ indeed,” the unicorn said aloud, stepping toward the stretcher and Karl. She placed a forehoof on it, and then looked over to Karyn. “All of you step back- except for her. I need her to come with me.”

Karyn gulped a bit. “R-right! Okay!” She ran up to the stretcher, retaking Karl’s hand in her forehoof. The other unicorn nodded, taking a glance around. “As you all were- this is our business now.” Her horn flared with green magic not unlike her mane, and suddenly they were all gone.

As they all landed back in reality, Karyn crouched down, nearly breaking away from Karl. “Oh… god, I never fucking liked teleporting.” She shook her head, standing back up. The footsteps of the other unicorn rang as she looked around. “Wait… this doesn’t look like any hospital room,” Karyn commented. She looked around, seeing walls coated in what looked like metal plates. It didn’t feel like a hospital, but a prison.

“It’s not,” the other unicorn answered back. “Faust, where are we? I got here based on your magic signature.” Karyn and Karl looked over, seeing her walk up to- to them- a red haired woman.

“Fifty miles away from the Long Island Expressway, deep in the forest preservation,” Faust answered. “Now that you’re here, we can put up a shield to hide magical and electromagnetic signatures.”

“Good.”

“Hey!” Karyn yelled. “What’s going on here?! Karl needs help here!”

“Oh, he does alright.” The unicorn lifted up a forehoof, Karyn gasped as it began to glow. A flash of magic came nearly after, another woman dropping in the unicorn’s place. “He needs mental help for indulging in human magic, and help from my wrath!”

“What the fuck?” Karl whispered.

“The fuck is going on here?!” Karyn yelled, stepping away from Karl and holding each foreleg out in a gesture to shield Karl. “What do you want from us?! Who are you?!”

“You don’t need to know that,” Emmé answered. “But what I need to know, is how this whole incident started, so I can prevent it from happening again!”

“You are you talking about?I have no fucking idea!” Karyn yelled. “I was hoping the hospital could help! And then you came along here!”

Emmé groaned. “Of fucking course this is an accident!” She began to walk toward them. “Let me put it lightly: Either tell me something of interest, or I’ll just off him right now, and possibly you!” Karyn froze, her scowl quickly turning the opposite direction.

“Emmé, stop!” Faust yelled, running up to her.

“Why should I?!” She looked over to Faust. “You know how dangerous human magic is!”

“If used incorrectly!” Faust started. “There’s always a chance to correct a wrong!”

“Not in this case!”

“What about Kuzu?” Emmé visibly flinched. “She indulges in it, she’s fine, and her followers are fine.” Faust stepped between Emmé and Karyn. “We all need to calm, down.” She poked Emmé with a single finger as she spoke, “Let me take over for now. Just observe, and we can contain this.”

Emmé groaned, also shaking her head. “The minute something goes wrong here-”

“We’ll figure this out,” Faust interrupted. Karyn continued to just stare at the two, her stance drooped down somewhat and her body seemingly more relaxed. She jumped as Karl began to groan again, his body pushing against the restraints of the stretcher. The sound of fingers snapping whizzed by her, and she jumped again as Faust suddenly teleported on the other side of the stretcher.

Faust’s hands hovered over Karl, a white light emitting from both of them. After a few seconds, Karl’s groans began to subside, and he relaxed back into the bed.

Karyn turned back to Emmé, who was crouched onto the ground, her hand planted onto it as it glowed with her magic. Karyn’s expression crossed as she asked, “Okay, what the fuck is going on here?! The last time I checked: humans can’t do magic!”

“You’re actually wrong,” Faust said aloud, causing Karyn to snap back to her. “Humans can do magic- but the word you’re looking for is actually ‘shouldn’t.’ Most, if not nearly all humans shouldn’t do magic; otherwise you end up with situations like this man here.” Karyn paused for a moment, as if she were temporally left behind by time. Faust snapped her fingers again, a metallic table appearing. The stretcher was engulfed with a white light, and was then levitated up onto it, the legs folding up.

“Wait,” Karyn started. “Then why can you two do it?”

“Because I’m special,” Emmé answered, “and in her case… well, I’ll let her explain.”

“I’m special too,” Faust echoed, causing Karyn to scowl once again. “Let’s just leave it at that. All you need to know is that we’re special cases: unlike this man here.”

With a shake of her head, Karyn spoke, “For the record, I’m Karyn Miles, and his name is Karl, both with ‘Ks.’ O’Donnell is his last name.” At the mention of his name, Faust paused for half a moment, Emmé herself cocked an eyebrow at the motion. Karyn though continued on, “And would you care to tell me what’s happening to my fiancé?”

“You two are engaged?” Emmé asked, as she stood back up. “Shield should be up now, Faust. No one will detect our magic here.”

Karyn paused for a moment upon hearing Faust’s name, but shook it off quickly. “We are,” Karyn started, turning to face Emmé. “We’re also having a child, whom I’m pregnant with at this very moment.”

“Wait, what? A kid already?” A smirk forcibly appeared on Emmé’s face. “He must be dumb in his own way then if you’re going that fast.”

“Shut it,” Karyn snapped back. “At least we didn’t get married in some kind of quickie wedding!” Faust suddenly blushed, Emmé seeing it out of the corner of her eye.

“Alright, touché then.” Her hand suddenly glowed with magic, Karyn taking a step back. “Though… that does lead into the question if his magic sank into you then…”

“What are you-”

“Relax,” Faust interjected. Karyn turned her head halfway around to look to her. “I recognize that spell makeup. She’s just going to quickly scan you, perhaps even tell you if you’re having a boy or girl.” She gave a wink, which Karyn didn’t respond to.

“I’m not seeing anything here,” Emmé stated. Karyn looked back, shading her eyes with a forehoof as the emerald green light washed over her and moved down. “She doesn’t seem to have any signs of human magic contamination in her, I guess it’s just-” Emmé froze as the light passed over Karyn’s stomach. “What… that’s…”

“What?” Faust asked.

Emmé’s voice cracked slightly as she spoke, “She’s… they’re… it’s a foal.” Faust’s twinkle and shine of her magic suddenly ceased.

“Please tell me you’re joking,” Faust said with a lack of emotion. Karl started to groan again, Faust’s magic immediately starting again which was followed by silence from him. “If… if you aren’t… then…” She took a breath. “If I’m thinking along the same lines as you, then I think I know how that magical blast happened back at the house. Are you absolutely sure, though?”

Emmé nodded. “It’s early, but I’ve watched over enough births to know that’s not a human fetus forming.” Emmé glanced up to Faust. “He’s not just being corrupted, he’s being changed. A union of pony and human DNA, and with that, magic. Since they have no idea about human magic, he didn’t change himself,” she paused, pointing to Karyn. “You did.”

Karyn jumped slightly at the accusation, “I… well…” She took a quick breath. “Y-yeah! When we… ‘conceived’ our... child; I used the amniomorphic spell on him accidentally! He transformed, so I thought nothing of it! Then we did it again, and some more… and then… kid! What’s wrong with that?”

“Lots of things, you idiot!” Emmé yelled. Karyn cringed backward at this, Faust shooting her friend a glare. Emmé took notice of this, taking in a breath.

“I guess I should explain then,” Faust started. “The amniomorphic spell- which I’ll refer to as the ‘gene’ spell, is what you did use. The abridged, technical version, is that it’s supposed to lock down chromosomes of one of the partners for child compatibility.” She looked up to Karyn. “In short, the pony is supposed to be the one to change, not the human.”

“But… then how did it work? I mean… if it was supposed to work on me…” She hung her head down. “I just… assumed that since it worked on him, it was fine…” She looked away from the others. Karl was right, I really don’t think.

“Well… it’s not.” Faust sighed slightly. “Under normal circumstances, that spell would have defaulted to an organic transformation- possibly going to you also due to extraneous magic. I think I remember seeing an article about that. However, this wasn’t a normal circumstance.”

With a groan, Karl asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Humans have forty-six chromosomes, ponies have sixty-two. Dialing back genetic information follows the rules of physics and magic just fine, since the chromosomes being shut off can be redistributed to help shape the new body, or just be kept locked for the process. Dialing up though…” she paused. “Well, that requires an additional source aside from the trigger magic.

“That source,” she looked down to Karl, “Came from inside you. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but there are still traces of magic here on this Earth. They’re dormant, but still there. Likewise, that goes for humans themselves. They have magic stored inside them still, just locked away. Think of it like your appendix- it’s there, but not doing anything. Because it’s locked away, it’s a hidden trove of resources that are available.”

“Wait, slow down a second,” Karyn spoke up. “What about innate magic inside say… a gryphon? Or hell, one of you guys? Couldn’t that be used to… dial up?”

“Magic is tied to genes,” Faust answered. “I’m… guessing you don’t know about magic fully.”

“I’ll say,” Emmé snarked. Karyn shot her a glare, Faust as well. Emmé merely rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she continued to watch.

“All magical creatures, they have what is called ‘ley cells.’ These cells are the genetic source of magic in all of them. However, typically non-magical species, such as humans, and sapient donkeys, do not have these. The gene spell… well, works with genes. The magic itself cannot be the source of new material- you cannot create something from nothing.”

“And before you bring up conjuration magic,” Emmé spoke up. “That still applies.” Her hand glowed, and suddenly a piece of paper appeared in it. “This may look like a piece of paper- but it’s really magic, and in this case some air, formed to look like it. Now, I could write something down on it. Heck, even with a conjured pencil. However, it only serves as a visual and placeholder substitute- not a practical one.” She brought her other hand to it, and gave the paper a slight tear. The piece of paper burst into green stars, which floated up into the air. “A real piece of paper can at least endure some punishment. At best, maybe your conjured paper can survive a flamefax trip or two.

“Going along those lines- that’s why no one conjures food. No matter what, it’ll just be a wallpaper of that food. I could it eat it, maybe it’ll taste like it- but I’ll be getting nothing from it. Heck- conjuring food for you to eat is a waste of energy. Simply put, conjured stuff ain’t no substitute for the real thing. There are very few exceptions since some stuff can act like the real thing like say… metal, but that requires a lot of magic. Only someone like Faust there, who kinda specializes in that area, could make a good copy. Even then, the real thing would always be better.”

“Gee, thanks a lot,” Faust commented. “I thought you liked my conjured croissants.”

“I’m just saying,” Emmé shot back. “As for myself, it would still be impossible. The difference between him and I is that I had magic tied into myself already.”

“That leads us back to him,” Faust spoke up. “I don’t know how exactly, maybe your mindset or something about him, but your spell cast somehow brought his dormant magic into fruition. If he was a balloon being filled constantly by say… pipes, a bunch of new pipes that were supposed to stay closed were opened again. Suddenly, he had more material to work with. Let’s just say sixteen or so new ones were added that could make him a pony.

“Now… said pipes that were supposed to stay closed… well, they’re still open. You can over inflate a balloon maybe a few times. But too many and…” she pause, closing her eyes. Karyn gasped, Karl choking a bit.

“He’s gonna… die?” Karyn asked, tears nearly escaping her eyes.

“Actually, worse,” Emmé spoke up. “Truth be told, if somehow his human magic didn’t make itself known- that genetic transformation probably would have killed him.” She took a few steps toward them. “There’s a true reason why human magic died off- a damn good reason: because it’s a corrupting influence- there’s a reason the term ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’ exists. Unless you’re resolved enough like I am, it will eat you alive. If you’re lucky, your mind will be twisted into having villainous and evil intent. If you’re not… it turns you into something that defies the laws of nature.”

Karyn sat silent for a moment, choking as she asked, “But who are you?”

“To the public, I’m known as simply Emmé ‘Rubella’ Saffron living in Montreal, who went to college in Cleveland with Faust there to become a nurse. In reality…” She brushed her hair back. “I am the Queen of Sorceresses, Emeraude. Across history, I’ve also been called Cavatina and Titania.” Her gaze hardened into a glare. “Also across history, I’ve dedicated myself to ridding this whole planet of human magic. And I’ll repeat history with your fiancé there if this problem isn’t fixed.”

Karyn’s jaw fell open. “You-”

“Centuries yes,” she interrupted. “No way in hell I’m telling you how to do that.”

Karyn growled a bit. “Wasn’t going to say that, but since you did- because a fuck ton of magic,” Karyn scoffed, looking away also. “Just like alicorns- they live long because they have a fuck ton of magic. They’re not gods!” She looked back to Emmé. “Speaking of ‘gods,’ and going back to what I was actually going to say: who the fuck gave you the right to decide if he should live?!”

“The ones who decide to indulge in evil, intentional or not, like him there!”

“Emmé!” Faust shouted. “That’s enough!”

“Well, are you fixing this problem then?!” she shouted back.

“I… no…” Faust conceded. “No matter what, I can’t contain it. He has ley cells in him now, ravaging his body. If there were a few, maybe I could. But there’s too many, possibly from the amount of times he transformed.”

“If it helps you… clarify,” Karl strained. “I… when I was also a pony for our… you know, I kinda… wanted to learn about magic.” He took a breath. “During… that time, Karyn taught me. I… I was able to do some levitation before we stopped entirely.”

“And that only served to dig your hole deeper,” Emmé commented. “That wasn’t pony magic you were doing- that was human magic. Bringing it out like that only sped this thing up, and is what’s leading you to a fate worse than death.” She crossed her arms again. “Normally, maybe you’d just go mad with power and feel the need to burn off excess energy- but not in this case. You went full-on pony, with magic that is now in you trying to make itself at home. Pretty soon, you’re not gonna be human- you’re going to be a literal monster. That magic came about by genetic manipulation, and now that’s all it’s focusing on because you can’t control it.

“And because also Faust there can’t stop it.” She held out her hand, it glowing with a swirl of magic. “Get out of the way.” Karyn’s eyes went wide.

“Emmé!” Faust shouted, running around the stretcher and table.

“You had your chance, Faust! He needs to go! Him, and the foal!”

“WHAT?!” both Faust and Karyn yelled.

“That foal being conceived was made possible by human magic! It’s going to carry those corrupted genes Karl there passed on with it! If it wasn’t for ponies naturally separating the two’s signatures, she would be corrupted too!” She stepped closer to Karl and Karyn, the latter pressed up against the table. “So get out of the way, you maudit oversized mare!”

Karyn flinched, a flash of anger appearing before she spoke, “I… I won’t!”

“If you don’t, I’ll take you all then!” Her other hand began to glow. “After this, I’m going to make sure that this won’t happen again! Apparently the right push of magic in some way can unlock human magic and-” Emmé froze, the magic from both of her hands disappearing. “Wait a god damn minute…” She hesitantly looked over to Faust. “Sarah… and Jon… this could happen to them.”

Faust froze for a second, the mentioning of her childrens’ names sending her nerves out of control. “W-what do you mean?”

“They have your genes… ley cells in them… if they activate… this could happen to them. They have a human makeup… that means they’ll be carrying corruption too that can be easily be exposed because of their pony halves.”

Karyn blinked, looking over to Karl. “That other one’s a pony?” she whispered. Karl merely grunted, before his eyes clamped shut. Karyn took his hand in her forehoof, looking back to the other two.

“Emmé! That’s not going to happen!” Faust shouted.

“It might, and I will not risk it! They may have your guidance- but you couldn’t guide this!” Emmé screamed. “Them… and all other chimeras… I’ll do it if I have to!”

“They’re my children!” A tear fell from Faust’s eye. “You and I never found even a trace of human magic in them! They could be carrying pony magic!”

“It could very well just be sealed away!” Emmé stepped past Faust toward Karyn again. “I’m done with this! This is your last chance!” Both her hands ignited with magic again. “Move. Now,” she demanded. Karyn closed her eyes, her teeth gritted.

A moment later, she opened them, both of them glowing white. “No!” she stated, before a cerulean light erupting from her horn and washed over the whole room. Both Emmé and Faust raised their arms to shield their eyes, the latter stepping back slightly.

Faust blinked somewhat, dropping her arm down. “Did she-” she stopped as a thud happened on the ground. She jumped backward as something suddenly snatched Emmé up off the ground. She blinked again, and looked up at what had grabbed Emmé, gasping a bit.

It was Karyn, only about four to five times larger.

“I WON’T LET YOU HURT HIM!” Karyn boomed, punching Emmé into the wall with one hoof. She reeled her other hoof back, her horn also flaring again with magic.

Emmé herself coughed slightly from the impact, she looked up directly to Karyn with a mask of rage. As Karyn’s hoof started to come forward, a green light exploded out of Emmé. Karyn herself yelped aloud, which echoed outward. With a step back that caused a vibration, she cringed downward with her affected hoof held by the other.

As Emmé dropped back down, both her hands ignited again with magic. A blast was fired from one hand, striking Karyn in the chest. Another scream came from her, and she turned away from Emmé slightly. Emmé unleashed the second blast, this one striking her in the flank.

Karyn yelled once again, and started to tumble back. Her whole body flashed with cerulean light. When the light disappeared, she was back to normal, tumbling straight into the table. Emmé growled a bit, both her hands glowing again.

“We’re done with this…” she growled. Both her hands released their held magic at the same time, flying towards the duo. They both screamed as it came within meters of them.

The magic was stopped as it collided with a white shield, both of their screams dying off soon after, being replaced by words and breaths of relief. Emmé blinked as she saw Faust standing in front of them, her hand held out and glowing magic.

Emmé’s jaw dropped open. “The fuck are you doing, Faust?” she yelled.

“Stopping you from making a mistake,” her friend answered back, her tone even. She looked over her shoulder to see Karyn struggling to push herself up, groaning as she did so. Faust turned back to Emmé. “Everyone deserves a chance, these two included.”

“We already gave them a chance! And then she decided to go monster herself on my hide!”

Karyn growled, causing Faust to turn her head back around. She watched as Karl leaned over slightly, despite his restraints, before he wheezed out, “Damn… I didn’t know you could do it on yourself.” As he finished, he immediately snapped back to his laying position, a groan escaping him.

Faust quickly glanced toward where Emmé had struck Karyn, seeing burns through her clothes. Her chest was exposed, as well as her cutie mark. Faust’s eyes widened as what it was registered in her mind. ‘That mark… it looks inherited, a family line?’’

Karyn chuckled slightly, looking over to Emmé with dreary eyes as she sat herself upright. “‘Monster’ she says… hehehe…” She lowered her head, and then shot it back up with a scowl. “What’s the use hiding it anymore?! Size magic! My special talent is fucking size magic! Are you fucking happy now?! Is your morbid intrigue or whatever satisfied?!” Karyn pushed herself up slowly with one forehoof on the table, heavy breathing accompanying it. “Do you know how fucking embarrassing it is having a talent like that?!

“How do you think I felt when putting your talent on your job application was fucking required?!” She stomped a hind hoof on the ground. “And the stares… all the fucking stares when people found out, and it still fucking continues to this day- even you did it! I remember those whispers very god damn well. ‘Hey, there’s that mare! She always feels the need to be standing tall!’ ‘Damn, mare, you realize stallions don’t like to be literally belittled, right?’

“But they’re wrong! They’re all fucking wrong! I’m all fucking natural here! Yeah, fucking fine: I’m probably the tallest mare in both worlds who’s not a fucking alicorn! It’s also served to remind me of this fucking thing! Like the universe wants to remind me day in and day out that I got this thing!” She pointed a forehoof out to Emmé. “That leads me to this and you: Fuck destiny!” She stomped the ground again. “I’m not some slave to a cosmic force! I’m the one who makes my fucking life! Not you, or some kind of fur pattern! And I’m not gonna let some destiny bullshit about human magic make you take my future husband and my child away from me!” Karyn snorted, also beginning to breath heavily from her mouth.

All of them sat in silence, the only sounds coming from Karyn, or the occasional loud breath from Karl. After what seemed like minutes, Emmé herself merely sighed. Karyn snorted again to this, her horn glowing with magic.

“Well, I’m sorry for all the stares and whatnot,” Emmé began. “But it still doesn’t change what the situation is here.” She snapped her fingers, and suddenly she was right in front of Karyn. Both she and Faust gasped as Emmé held an orb of magic right to her face.

Faust’s own eyes suddenly flared with light. “Enough,” she stated, her voice echoing across the room. Like a supernova, the whole room was engulfed in a bright light. Both Karyn and Karl screamed as everything melded into each other. Moments, later the light died down, which was immediately followed by a gasp from Karl.

“Oh my fucking god!” he yelled. “It’s the god of ponies!” He and Karyn looked with open jaws as they looked upon Faust’s true form, with Emmé grasped in her magic. Faust turned her whole frame around, swinging Emmé back to the far wall, and slamming her back into it. She stepped up to it, looking at Emmé head on.

Karyn herself found her legs give out on her, her eyes firmly locked as Faust as she whimpered, “It can’t be…” She slowly began to shake her head. “It’s… I… she’s- I thought the name sounded familiar. But… holy shit…” She began to rock herself back and forth, trying to process who she was actually seeing.

Faust herself stared firmly at Emmé, before closing her eyes and touching her horn to her friend’s head. “Listen to me, Emeraude, your emotions are getting the better of you,” she began. “Just as you’re afraid of letting this magic take over, you’ve let your own feelings overtake you in that same regard.”

Emmé felt Faust’s own magic wash over her, and suddenly she began to watch her own history unfold. By herself or by Faust there memories coming back she didn’t know, nor care. Her rise in her kingdom, the constant wars that tyrants all around waged, her own father dying because he held back his magic for her sake.

She relaxed slightly as more images came back. Her own coronation, declaring her first siege- and subsequently winning that very siege and war when she herself struck down the tyrant who threatened her.

She remembered when she faked her own death and began to assume her self proclaimed title of the Queen of Sorceresses. From there, all she would do was hunt down other tyrants of magic, fighting off the urges her own magic gave her. She took in the fascination of her people truly starting to develop out of the dark ages, and deep down; she credited herself and her efforts for it.

Of course, in the regard to magic, she remembered where it suddenly came back around the twelfth century, hitting her like a speeding train. After discovering the backlash to be from a ravaged pre-Tachogi. From there, she dedicated herself to tracking down this threat.

Yet, that escapade would be interrupted by the Hundred Years war. With her homeland under siege, she took up mantle once again and stepped forth for the French army. In what would become playful banter today, Emmé remembered well the tension that arose from one figure- Jeanne d'Arc- or Faust in actuality. Back then, Jeanne of that time seemed to absorb all the attention from others, all because she seemed to radiate some kind of ‘holiness.’ It drove Emmé up the wall that she seemed to inspire the armies more by words and presence, rather than action as she herself was trying.

When she visited Jeanne’s grave, she found traces of magic surrounding it- but not of the human variety. Struck in awe, she quickly faked her death and again, and began a trek to find this new source. A few years later, she would find herself in the Venetian Rupublic, where she would finally claim friends to grow alongside.

It started as a chat between a woman and her doddering aunt. As they talked though, Emmé could feel the strange magic emancipate off the younger of the two- though a nagging feeling came off the elder. Damning the consequences, Emmé soon cut right to it and let out that she knew the younger’s secret.

To Emmé’s own surprise though, they both knew all along of her own secret. After slipping out of public eyes, they found themselves sitting in a lone room in the Torre dell'Orologio, discussing their own experiences. Though initially tense, due to magic being the topic, she was struck awe by their own secrets. Faust and Kuzunoha, not only two users of magic, but also not human.

Of course, then when their magic nature was revealed, Emmé suddenly recognized the magic from Kuzu being from the Tachogi incident. Emmé wanted right there to end Kuzu, yet… she saw Kuzu for who she was. A kind woman with an inner fire, with many years of wisdom beyond her own to guide people and her descendants.

Descendants… children… children that proved to be able to tame the human magic. Cases where her life’s vendetta brought about exceptions. Emmé forced her eyes open, managing to steal a glance at Karl and Karyn before she let the memories continue to flow: the accepting of Kuzu, watching the world grow without magic, the start of America, the rise of technology and machinery, First Contact.

Emmé then found herself looking over Faust’s grief of not being able to return home. Like Kuzu forever cursed to be without her fox form completely, Faust was still banished from her home. They all questioned why the Rules restricted Faust in this regard, but herself and Kuzu were exempt.

Emmé suddenly gasped in revelation. Exemption… so much was staring her right in the face. Greg staying with Faust despite her true nature, Kuzu’s descendants: all given a chance and turning out fine. Herself being an exception to the destiny of human magic she preached, she was a special case, and Karl and Karyn… they were a special case. She began to smile as the message either her mind run amok or Faust was relaying finally set in.

“Emmé?” Faust asked.

The sorceress opened her eyes, content coming out from them. “I don’t like this at all, I really don’t like it truth be told.” She took in a breath, and released it before she admitted, “But I’ll give them a chance.”

“Do you mean it?”

“As much as I can. I don’t know what kind of chance we’ll give them… but, we’ll give them one.”

“If you mean my children, and the other chimera children... you’ll let them keep going. Kuzu’s descendants have been just fine. I think it’s fair to say that children born from pony magic have a safer chance in their lives.”

“We’re not dealing with a human born from pony or human magic though; we’re dealing with a pony being born from human magic.” Emmé chuckled slightly. “Like I said… I’ll give it a chance… but you better make sure you figure something out. Start by telling me what the chance is exactly, because you and I both know what’s going to happen soon.”

Faust nodded, releasing Emmé from her magical grip. “Stay back,” she ordered, as Emmé landed back onto the ground. Faust turned and trotted slowly over toward Karl and Karyn, the latter of which was staring up at her with her eyes holding a sense of both wonder and emptiness. Faust neither smiled or frowned as her horn flared with magic, which quickly washed over her.

Karyn gasped a bit as Faust stepped up to her again, only much shorter than her previous form. Karyn mentally guessed that Faust was maybe her own height if on all fours.

“From a current mother, to a future one,” Faust began. “I promise you I’ll do what it takes to save your future family.” She reached a forehoof down, Karyn hesitating in taking it. “I can’t promise you though it won’t come without pain, as he’s already enduring a lot, and there’s more to come.” Karyn reached her other forehoof around to the table to push herself up to her full height, also letting go of Faust’s own hoof. Karyn looked away from her, only staring back to Karl- who looked to be fighting back pain. Faust frowned, quickly adding, “You hold your doubts, don’t you?”

Karyn tentatively nodded. “It doesn’t help that you’re… you. I always look for miracles, and meeting Karl was definitely one of them.” She looked back to Faust. “Yet… well… I can’t explain it.”

“My mere presence makes you question reality?” Faust asked. Karyn didn’t budge, merely looking away from her.

“If… you ask me,” Karl spoke, causing both females to look to him. “Now I’m suddenly thinking I’m about to go to hell, since you’re here.”

“Karl, please…” Karyn pleaded, kneeling down slightly to be at his level. “Don’t force yourself, just…” she paused. “Just…” She hung her head down, no words coming out, small whimpers instead.

“I don’t consider myself a god,” Faust stated. Both Karyn and Karl immediately looked back to her. “Truth be told also? I’ve never liked what you described as ‘destiny’ either, ‘prophecy’ is the word I use. Take it as you will, but powers greater than I have dictated my own life, and I’ve hated it every step of the way.

“I’ve always struggled fighting against it, trying to find some way to break it. Throughout the years, I slowly lost that will. Slowly, I began to just accept my fate and just play the hand I was dealt. But… it’s people like you, and my husband, who I envy so.”

Karyn blinked. “Wait, you’re jealous of me?” She stood back up, wiping away potential tears. “Jealous of a simple freelance digital artist? While you’re a fucking alicorn queen or whatever? Why?”

“Because of what you remind me of, and what I appreciate so much: will.” Faust smiled as she continued. “Like my husband having the will to love me for who I am, you showed me a similar will to stand up for who you are. It’s that kind of will that gives me hope to shatter prophecy. It’s also the kind of will that I think will help solve this.”

Karyn paused, processing the words. She looked back to Karl, and then back to Faust. “What do you mean?”

“Well… if the prophecy revolves around human magic, which I know for a fact has been broken before, then we can break this.”

“I’m all for fixing this, I really fucking am.” Karyn looked back to Karl. “But I’m kind of at the end of my rope, and… he…”

“Stop,” Faust said in a firm, commanding tone. “That’s not going to fix this.” Her horn ignited, and she turned back to her human form. “Like you, I was at the end of my rope around when I met my husband… my Greg…” She walked up to Karyn, placing a hand on her shoulder. Karyn herself looked back and down to Faust. “What Karl is to you, my husband Greg is to me: A miracle. In a way for me, it was an unintended miracle. We can make this intentional.”

Karl gasped, sweat beading down his head. Karyn shook her head as she looked back down to him. “What can I do though? You gonna say some bull like ‘have hope?’ This ain’t some fairy tale or sci-fi epic.” Faust froze, Karyn’s word derailing her thoughts. “Look, there’s literally nothing I can do but hope for him at this point. So whatever it is you’re planning…” She turned back to Faust. “At least tell me so I can pray in some way it can work.”

“I actually don’t know,” Faust blurted out, Karyn’s eyes dulling even more. “If his process is a rapidly spreading cancer, than the normal thing would be to isolate it. Unlike actual cancer, there isn’t a miracle cure that is well known. Yet… once again, ‘miracle.’ If we see this through… we can perhaps find an opening.

“I don’t know how he’s going to turn out, maybe he’ll die when it happens, or maybe not. If he doesn’t… there have been cases where an overwhelming force has been purged from others. Perhaps…” Her eyes lit up. “We can purge it… yes!” She clapped her hands together. “Purge the magic, and we fix him! It’s the magic that allowed his change to happen! Isolating is one thing, something I couldn’t do because there was so much. Purging it though, that can let us isolate it!”

“That actually sounds plausible.” All eyes turned to Emmé, seeing her walk up to the group. “As much as I doubt it, I could see it possibly working. Don’t know how we’ll do that, I’ll probably just try to end it before this becomes too much, but that’s something.”

Karl let out a yell, a small crack skin to maybe someone cracking their knuckles following. All eyes turned to him as he railed against the restraints somewhat. “Fuck!”

“Karl!” Karyn yelled, running up to and kneeling beside him.

Karl forced his head over to look at Faust. “You’re… you’re a part of the Royal… F-Family, right?” he wheezed out.

Faust blinked, looking and back forth as if she lost where she was. “Yes…. why?”

Karl maneuvered his head to Karyn, squeezing her forehoof. “M-marry us…” All eyes went wide, Karyn taking in a slight gasp.

“What?”

“Marry us!” he yelled, choking as he jerked around a bit. “I made a fucking promise to her…” he inhaled sharply. “And I’m making sure I don’t break it!”

“Karl?” Karyn asked, her voice mimicking her own feeling of uncertainty..

He looked Karyn in the eye. “Come hell… or high water…” He gave her forehoof another squeeze. Karyn’s eyes started to water, the words of his promise ringing in his head.

“Emmé,” Faust started, looking to her. “You’re our witness.”

Emmé suddenly did a double take. “What?!” she yelled.

Faust didn’t say any more as she stepped up to the duo. She placed her own hands on top of theirs. Karl on her left, Karyn on her right. “In holy matrimony these two souls are here to be joined,” Faust began, as if rehearsed. “They both have consented to this union, and now we are gathered at this ceremony to finalized in the face of the world and its selected inhabitants.

Despite Karl’s groans and Karyn’s rapid breathing, Faust continued. “May they always be devoted towards each other, holding integrity pure to one another. Through compassion and charity before that brought them together; let us and them continue to hold the optimism to keep this harmony each other through time. But let us not forget, that their own magic wants to make this union complete.

“Let us judge this union before the inhabitants: what is their judgment? Do any speak out? Or shall their silence let this time not be interrupted?” Emmé remained frozen, her mouth hung open at the display. Karyn looked back to Karl, a sad smile forcing its way onto her. “The inhabitants have judged, no deterrence presented.

“The judgment of the world, rests with the souls to face. I call upon their names: Karl O'Donnell, and Karyn Miles. Two souls to be joined, and now for them to echo their wish to the heavens.” Faust looked toward Karl. “Karl O'Donnell, do you take Karyn Miles, to be your wife henceforth? To love, to protect, to care for her? To be at her side where and whence needed? To let her harmony be a part of yours?”

Karl put Karyn’s hoof in a vice grip as he stated. “I do.”

Faust looked back over to Karyn. “Karyn Miles, do you take Karl O’Donnell, to be your husband henceforth? To love, to protect, to care for him? To be at his side where and whence needed? To let his harmony be a part of yours?”

Karyn sniffed a bit, tears dropping of her head as she answered, “I do.” The couple look to each other, a sad smile on each of their faces.

Faust looked upward, bringing her hands up. “Then by their decree, and through the power vested in me, let it be so. By my crown of Equus, as queen sovereign, I declare these two: husband and wife.”

Karl yanked Karyn over to himself, Karyn completing the motion and joining their two lips together. Faust stepped away and swayed her arms outward, letting the two share their moment.

Each of their floodgates were opened completely as the continued their embrace, neither breaking away from each other nor showing any signs of wanting to. Faust lowered her arms, stepping back further.

Emmé stepped up to her side, “I can’t freaking believe this happened and you actually did it.”

Faust looked back to her with a smile. “If I recall, you said those exact words when you found out Greg and I had our first marriage.”

“No time for jokes here, A’licorne,” Emmé snapped back. “Remember what we’re dealing with here.” Faust’s smile dropped, both her assumed last name and the matter at hand tantamount to that. Both of them looked at the couple, time slowing down for them as the moments passed.

Their embrace was broken by groan from Karl. Karyn reluctantly stepped back as Karl’s whole body snapped straight.

“Karyn…” Karl moaned out. “Love… you…” he drifted off.

Then it began.

Karl screamed outward as his body forcibly shifted, each accompanying snap causing the rest of the to garner more unease. Faust and Emmé stepped past Karyn, each fanning out their limbs in order to give makeshift cover for her.

The whole table and stretcher shook as Karl’s body continued to flail with each movement, more and more it seemed to curl as the intensity increased. His eyes lit up with cobalt blue, soon crawling its way across his body. His hands began to darken, the normal skin shifting away and this new substance ending just past its wrists, ending up a charcoal gray.

All over his still exposed skin, navy blue fur forced its way to the surface. The strands were spread out, still showing his normal skin through the newly presented filter. From underneath him, a swath of black not unlike his hair snaked out, resembling a pony’s tail.

From just above his scalp, a horn began to arise, carrying the same navy blue like his new fur coat. His ears shifted upward, fur covering them completely as they began to sharpen, but still remain on the side of his head.

The light covering his eyes intensified, and then it spread outward covering more of his face. Each of these new formations were the size of a pony’s eyes, the glow seeming to be both under and on his skin at the same time.

Finally, the thing that was formerly Karl collapsed back down. With each breath, it sounded ravenous and empty. With a growl, it curled its head upward, gazing down at itself. With a roar that echoed the neanderthals and hunter-gatherers of old; it began to rebel against the restraints. All eyes watched as it roared and fought, seemingly barely held down.

With a sudden glow of magic around its arms, it tore straight through the restraints. It fell of in its hubris, landing onto the floor. As it picked itself up, the connection of its hands to the floor made the sound of a pony’s clop. With a snarl, it turned to the stretcher, grasping it with both hands, and throwing it across the room.

It then looked back to the table, staring at it for a few moments. It roared again and brought both arms up. It swung downward with both, striking the table with no effect. It repeated the action and with a minimal dent. On its third go around, magic surrounded its arms again, and then the table snapped in two.

As it breathed outward from its task complete, the remains of the tables suddenly exploded into white stars. It craned its neck around, looking to the remaining group. With lumbering steps, it turned itself around to face all of them. The eyes of both parties were locked on each other as it breathed outward.

Then it charged forward with another roar.

Author's Note

Who knew moving to another country across the world could take a lot out of you?

Anyways folks, here's the second chapter at long lost. Next one shouldn't take as long since I'm settled down now. Hope you all enjoy!

Constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged.

PS: I moved to South Korea from the USA.