The Equestrian Double Gamble

~Summer~

I yawned as I woke up, hearing voices chattering nearby. I was at least awake enough to register I was still in wolf form, despite the sun being up, but the feeling of the sun on my fur left me feeling kind of uncomfortable. Almost like the feeling you get when you eat something you later realize you probably shouldn’t have. Cracking open one of my eyes, I spotted Vinyl and Octavia having an argument in front of me and FC.

“Aww, cmon Tavi, can’t we at least help them out.  One is part wolf and by the looks of the stallion, he looks to be part dragon.  We could learn why they’re here.”  Vinyl said with some excitement.

“Vinyl, no.  I don’t feel comfortable about them.  We should tell the Royal Guard or at least Princess Twilight.  Plus, I do not want the wolf coming into our house, she might be carrying diseases.”  Octavia said with a stern voice.

I yawned, pointedly being loud.  I said, using the same spell as earlier to connect to those two and looking right at them. As a bonus I used my Gaster voice.

Vinyl and Octavia were stunned.  Well, Vinyl was for about five seconds before going over and grabbing hold of me and lifting me up.  “Oh my god, you’re a psychic wolf-pony?  Awesome!”

Octavia on the other hand, looked like she just blue screened.  “She’s sentient.”

 I said, switching to my own voice, modified to sound female. Using my magic again, I created a pillar of ice that launched just over me, and I grabbed the edge as it passed. Then I let go, falling back down onto all fours, before turning to them with a smirk.

Octavia just sat there, just not being able to comprehend.  Vinyl on the other hoof, just squeed from the awesomeness, before asking, “What about the stallion?”

 I said, after a moment of pause.

“So, are you going to wake him up so we can see.”  Vinyl said, still excited.

“Vinyl, I think that was a bit rude.  We shouldn’t just wake him up just so he could sate your curiosity.”  Octavia replied.

 I replied. Then I grinned.

“Lick his face, that would be fun to see!” Vinyl said, ready to see something funny.

“Really Vinyl”  Octavia deadpanned.

I just chuckled a bit as I headed over and prepared to start licking his face like a puppy.  That is until his hoof shot out and booped me. I recoiled and blinked. <... I guess he’s awake.> I muttered with a slight whine.

“Nice try Summer, but you woke me up using the Mental Link spell.  I just pretended to sleep to lure you into a false sense of security, considering how much you like to prank others.”  FC said as he got up and stretched.

I chuckled as he got up.  I asked, not really having any idea myself.

“One word: breakfast.”  FC said before turning to Octavia.  “I’m sorry if I caused any distress.  Me and my friend were attacked last night in the Everfree Forest.  May we please have breakfast with you, madam.”  He said in a polite tone.

“Well, at least somepony here has manners.  Yes, you are welcome to have breakfast with us.” Octavia said before going into the house, followed by Vinyl.

“Come on Summer, breakfast awaits.”  FC said as he started to follow.

I followed, but not too enthusiastically.

“Maybe eating some plain biscuits will help, that usually helps with an upset stomach.”  FC said out loud before I heard his voice on the mental link. <Plus the transformation process, using coldfire, and flying last night has kind of made my energy reserves run low, so I am really hungry.  Also I will refrain from making jokes about dog biscuits.>

<What, you think I can’t take a ruffjoke? Come on, I could pun about it furever.> I shot back over the line, keeping it just to him.

<I know you can take a joke, but it sounded a little demeaning, and I usually feel bad about making demeaning jokes.>  FC replied guiltily.

<Ah, whatever. I guess it might be pawsible to hurt my feelings that way… if you weren’t my friend and I knew they weren’t meant to harm.> I dismissed it, moving on. That feeling I had was getting stronger, and my mind kept getting drawn back to how uncomfortable the sun felt on my back as time passed, despite it not being on me most of the time inside.

<Are you feeling okay, the Hive Mind is letting me feel something is wrong.>  FC replied, a bit of worry carrying over.

 I replied, slumping a bit in my seat.

<Oh, I got sick once from too much sun.  It was hell.  Maybe we could go swimming so you could cool off.  It sounds like it would be really icefor you.>  FC replied before he saw what was for breakfast.  It was biscuits and gravy with eggs, hay bacon, waffles, and pancakes.

 I replied. Just lying down by the table, since I wasn’t hungry, I started working on processing the information I still hadn’t sorted in my head, idly listening to the others.

<Still worth giving it a shot.  Plus, it might give you some privacy to shift forms if you need to.>  FC replied.  He took a bite of hay bacon, letting out a “Nom” sound.

“So, could you please explain what happened to you last night.”  Octavia said.

“Yeah, I am actually kind of surprised.  I mean, there would be reports of a wolf pony and a dragon pony in Equestria before, so you must have just got here.”  Vinyl chipped in.

 I put it bluntly.

Vinyl and Octavia were shocked.  Then FC interjected.  “Yes, but the only reason why I accepted because I knew my soul based healing factor would prevent me from dying, and I have only two major threats to deal with.  Also before the fact we were humans and Summer here was a male.  Considering I can change into different forms, including my human form, I can adapt to situations.”

 I added that last bit to the girls after speaking out in indignation.

“Sorry about that Summer.”  FC replied.

“Wait, you guys were human!...Huh, looks like I owe Lyra twenty bits.”  Vinyl said.

“Also, what do you mean by soul based healing factor?”  Octavia looked at FC.

“Basically, if my entire body is somehow destroyed, I can regenerate a new one, but it uses up energy, so I tend to eat a lot and sleep.  Which also means any normally lethal blow would not kill me.”  FC replied.  <And no Summer, I can’t do anything comedic with it like Deadpool.>

 I warned.

<Well I might be able to help deal with that, as I have a hatred of other demons.>  A third voice came in. It seemed to use FC as link.

<No Night Terror, this is between me, Summer, and the Gambler.  I have to deal with this, not you.>  FC said to the voice.

 I asked, curious.

<That would be Night Terror, a Nightmare/Demon hybrid who was befriended by who I am now at a young age after Night Terror was banished from the Demon Realm.  He is kind of the Discord of dreams and demons.>  FC replied.

<Correct-o Mundo!  I was exiled because of the pranks I played on demons.  I am more of the prankster type for being the Lord of Fear, but I hate how certain people ruin the power of fear, like fucking Sauron and King Sombra.  Who knew ghost peppers were too hot even for demons.  Because of that, I do tend to hold a grudge against demons.  But usually I am here in the background unless demon business comes, it is Nightmare Night, or you call for me. Ta ta for now.> With that, Night Terror went silent.

<... He seems eccentric. I think I like him better than the reformed version of the demon I gotta fight. My demon is actually pretty powerful too. He originally was a human on Earth, but then stole a Demon’s magic and became one himself. Got powerful enough to even ignore a Summon sacrifice as powerful as the life of a woman’s newborn first born.> I responded.

<If someone tried that on Night Terror, he would be pissed.  He hates blood sacrifices or someone using other demon summoning techniques.  Except for one, and it is weird.  It involves five pieces of candy and dancing around them to the Living Tombstone remix of Spooky Scary Skeletons.  I think the weirdness and Halloween likeness of it is the only reason why he likes it.>  FC replied.

 I asked, curious about his power.

<Normally it is a delayed reaction for him.  He only answers those summons so he can kick the butts of those for doing that.  If they don’t die from the encounter, they tend to suffer his namesake dream for the rest of their lives.  Night terrors are souped up versions of nightmares. At this point, it sounds like maybe that demon might have stolen some of Night Terror’s powers when he was human, then developed some of his own.> FC said, his mind starting to work in overdrive.

 I cut off as I caught one bit of info in my sorting.  I said. I then proceeded to access my new Wolf Gene and turned it off. As my fur receded away and bonse shifted, I watched as holes started to form on my hooves.

Vinyl and Octavia started to freak out.  “Whoa, it’s okay.  I know what you’re thinking, and yes, it is partially true.  But I have known Summer for a long time, and she isn’t like the changelings of Queen Chrysalis.” FC said assuringly before either could run out the door.

I leaned over to him and whispered to him, “Actually, Chrysalis was just an angry leader. Not evil or abusive, and her changelings were just following her. She also had a pretty deep grudge for something she didn’t know was out of the Princess’s hooves.”

“I know that, but they don’t.  Ponies tend to be skittish, and tend to let their fears get out of hoof.  Stereotypes tend to get out of hand when it comes to this world.”  FC whispered back. I just shrugged in response as my holes finished up.

“I’m a bit worried about these holes. As far as I know, they’re signs of malnutrition.” I said in a normal tone. That comment about Malnutrition hit the girls with a train loaded with shock.

“She feeds off of pride, not love.  And no, Prince Blueblood would just be poison to her.” FC said. “But the good thing is, I am proud to call her my friend.”  Then he proceeded to hug me.

As good, pure, and drug-like as FC’s emotions were though, it wasn’t as straightforward as that. There was pride there of course, but it was hardly anything, too smothered by Love to really be noticed if I wasn’t looking for it. “Sorry dude, not proud enough. Hey Vinyl. Got any great tracks?” I asked, immediately triggering her own pride to burst forth.

“Heck yeah I do!” Then she proceeded to zip over to her turntable and proceeded to lay out some jams.

“Now that is Pride.” I said, laying back with a smile and soaking it up.

“I thank you for the meal.  Oh, I just remembered, I forgot to give my name.  My name is FC Dracsemi and this is my friend Summer Dash.” FC said to Octavia as he was getting up.

“I suppose we forgot to introduce ourselves too.  My name is Octavia Melody, and this is my roommate, Vinyl Scratch.”  Octavia replied.

“We’re more than roommates.” Vinyl with a raising of eyebrows.

“Vinyl!” Octavia said indignantly.

“It is okay, I do not judge people based on things like that, but instead judge on if they have harmed others.”  FC replied as he left, but the Mental Link conveyed that something was wrong with him.

“Okay then… I’m gonna go talk to him.” I abruptly announced, getting up and heading out.