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                         Equustale                         
                      -by neorenamon-                      
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                     Cave of Wondering                     
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Cave of Wondering
by neorenamon
"Well," mused Asriel as he looked down at his improvised loincloth, "At least we're... uh... presentable now."
"I'd say so," replied Chara as she ran her fingers through his chest fur.
"Uh... this is a tad... awkward."
"I know, but somehow we've grown into adults. That causes some... changes. Creates new... urges that one never felt before."
"Wow... I never even got a chance to get 'The Speech' from Asgore and Toriel yet."
"The one about the birds and the bees?" she purred into Ariel's ear up close.
"So... that's what humans call it?" he replied as he tried to back away from Chara.
"What do you monsters call it?" she said as she tried to keep up with him.
The two of them were slowly moving away from the light on Frisk's head.
"Uh... well... it's called... Lesser Dog and Greater Dog," he replied slowly.
"Well then... oh, who's grabbing my foot?" she asked as she looked back. The light passed over her face as she muttered, "Oh, it's just you, Frisk dear."
'We need to get out of here before you can worry about... grown up stuff,' said Frisk.
"Oh come now," she replied, "You think that... he... and I... were going to... *snicker* Right here? Right now?"
A glance at Asriel's face told Frisk she wasn't the only one thinking like that.
'Even if you're just flirting, it's not really the time nor place, Chara.'
"Someone is such a wet blanket," she purred as she turned about to face Frisk. Then she placed her hand on her shoulder as she continued, "Or is someone jealous because I'm not flirting... with them?"
'WUT?!' she thought as she looked about for the FLIRT Button. It wasn't there.
She couldn't sense any 'buttons' nearby. No RESET. No SAVE. No LOAD. She would have thought harder about it if Chara wasn't so much in her face at the time.
Chara's hand slipped down her chest. Then is moved up her stomach under the all too tight shirt to rest in the cleft of her bosom.
'Stahp that!'
"I can feel your heartbeat like a truck engine," she purred right next to her ear.
'I hope Chara can't see my blush,' she thought frantically.
"Oh, I think I know you... better than you think," she cooed as she laid a big wet kiss on her cheek.
'GAH!!'
"After all, I've spent more than a year living in your head," she said as she poked Frisk's forehead. "As well as your heart," she added as she poked her in the chest just to the side of her left breast. Where her heart would be.
'Please! Stop this now!'
"After the kindness you've shown. After the mercy you've given so freely," she purred, "How can I not show you some affection back?" Her thumb tugged down on Frisk's quivering lower lip. She moved in to plant a kiss on her slightly open mouth.
'I've never been kis...' she pleaded as Chara's lips connected with hers.
"MMMPPPHHH!!" Frisk protested into the other woman's mouth.
Chara slipped a hand from Frisk's chest to behind her head to keep the startled one from pulling away.
"Oh!" purred Asriel, "Is this going to be one of those female-on-female things?! I've seen some of Asgore's more interesting..." He paused when Chara tensed up. Before he said, "I didn't ruin the moment, did I?"
Chara backed up from Frisk's lips as she said, "Bingo. The moment... has passed..."
'Thank goodness...'
"For now..."
'Oh goodness!'
"But I guess we should start looking for a way out of here," she said as she left Frisk soundlessly panting.
'Your heart... maybe you soul itself... It's got brighter...' said Frisk as she looked at Chara.
"Well I'm not surprised by that," she replied, "and I bet your heart is the same way."
Frisk looked down. She was sure her heart was glowing brighter too.
"What about... him?" Chara asked as she looked over towards Asriel.
'His heart... his soul...' she thought as she looked at his 'upside down' white heart, 'It's brighter too.' She paused before she added, 'The strange energy there... It's not so different than... what's going on with us...'
Chara laughed.
Asriel, who was only hearing Chara's side of the conversation, asked "What's so funny?"
"Love triangle anime are so amusing," she purred.
'WUT?!'
"What?!" he replied.
"Or perhaps you're planning to gather a harem from this new world?" she mused aloud.
'GAH!! You're... YOU'RE...'
"I must have learned from all of your FLIRT actions, my dear," she purred as she kissed Frisk on the cheek again.
'I used JOKE a lot too!'
"Yes. You're a regular comedian. Just like Smiley..."
'IT'S SANS!' she thought hotly, 'His name is SANS!'
"Oh, just a bit... touchy..." she purred back, "Just how much feeling do you have for him? Hmm?"
'Oh get your mind out of the gutter! He's... he's... like the big brother I never had! Nothing more! Just like all the other monsters I've made friends with in the Underground!'
"Someone's not being honest with themselves," she replied, "but... I guess that can wait until later." She glanced at Asriel and added, "I guess we don't need... another scene... He gets worked up... pretty easily."
"WHAT?!" he asked.
To Frisk's surprised, Chara took one of her hands and touched it to Asriel's elbow.
'Don't get aroused! Don't get aroused! Don't get aroused!' kept running through his mind. He focused his thoughts on images of his father tending to the flower garden. Doing chores around the house. It was a hard struggle not to think naughty thoughts with Chara and Frisk barely dressed and right in front of him.
'GAH!' thought Frisk at the images she couldn't help but see.
She pulled her hand back from him with great force. Then she turned to crawl away from them both across the water and flower bed.
"Oh look," said Chara looked up, "I think the sun is trying to shine down the shaft above us."
'I can't see the sun anymore, but I can feel the light on my skin. It's somehow... magical light as well. How can the sun have magical light coming from it?'
"HEY!" called a strange masculine voice from up the shaft, "Is somepony down there?!"
'Somepony?' thought Frisk as she looked about.
Asriel and Chara seemed confused as well.
"Maybe it was just one of those... you know... cave creatures?" asked another masculine voice.
"What are they saying?" asked Asriel, "I don't understand a word they're saying."
"Me neither," replied Chara.
'I'm the only one who understands?' asked Frisk as she came back to the other two. She took one of their hands in each of her own.
"Princess Luna... she said this was the place... are you sure she didn't prank us or something?"
Now that Asriel seemed to understand as well, he called back, "HEY! There are people down here!"
"What was that?" asked the first, "I've never heard that language before."
"It doesn't matter," replied the second, "The Princess gave us orders and we need to obey her. She is one of the two Princesses of the land, after all."
"She just got back from a thousand year banishment. Is her authority?..."
"It's still as valid as ever!" he replied, "Now get the rope ladder secured so we can throw it down the shaft!"
"We're sending down a rope ladder so please be just a little more patient!"
"Funny," mused Asriel, "As soon as you touched me, I could understand what they're saying."
"Me too," agreed Chara.
A moment later, a rope ladder came tumbling down as it unrolled. It hit the bottom with a loud splash.
"The ladder is secure," called down the first, "Can any of you not climb out on your own?!"
"We're good!" Asriel yelled back.
"That's great!" he replied.
"I guess since I'm touching Frisk, he can understand me too. That's... some useful gift... you got there."
'Maybe that's how the... pony Princess in my dream... understood what I said...'
"I really have to see her in person," mused Chara.
"Give me your pack," said Asriel, "It's best if you go first. You have the best chance of talking to them... so to speak. We don't know how strong the ladder is so leave it down with me. I'm going up last."
"How gallant of you," sighed Chara with a hint of sarcasm.
Frisk removed her backpack and handed it over to him. Then she headed over to the ladder and started climbing.
Chara went close behind as she looked up at the tight shorts about Frisk's butt. Firm yet padded. Her smooth yet muscular legs. The athletic calves and thighs. She really really enjoyed the view.
"Chara! You should have waited!" called Asriel from below, "The ladder might not take both of you at once!"
"I'm not the patient type!" she called back down.
He watched the light from Frisk's mining lamp grow dimmer as they climbed. Even when she looked back down to check on Chara, it was getting harder to see. The shaft they were climbing had to be pretty long.
"OH MY GOSH!" called Chara, "They're ponies! WITH WINGS! They're so small! SO CUTE!"
Someone called down, but he couldn't understand so he just assumed it was his turn to climb up. If it took the weight of both women, he figured it would take his weight and the backpack as well. It was loosely slung over one shoulder as he began climbing.
"OH MY GOODNESS!" squealed Chara, "Some of these ponies are wearing armor like... some of the dogs!"
'Armor?!' he thought, 'There's probably weapons up there too! I better hurry!'
* ASRIEL climbs faster with DETERMINATION.
'Oh great,' he mused, 'I'm getting messages too... but if it's not Chara's doing...'
There was a mass of speakers up above. All apparently male and all jumbled up. It was like there was mass confusion. He hoped that they weren't threatening the ladies in any way. He knew Frisk had the Antique Gun, but prayed she didn't need to use it. The Cowboy Hat she wore added to her Defense as well as her Attack abilities.
"It's alright!" called Chara, "Me mean you no harm!"
As he climbed the ladder, the confusion grew louder. He could hear the sound of hooves running away.
"This isn't good!" he said out loud.
"WAIT!" screamed Chara, "That's A MANTICORE?!"
'Mantiwhat?!' he thought, 'If it's a monster, maybe it hasn't learned humans aren't so bad yet! Only a little more and I'm out!'
"AH!! It's coming this way!!"
Poking his head up through the hole, he saw a pretty terrifying sight. A large lionesque beast with bat-like wings and ears, and a very long scorpion tail. His teeth were bared as he walked closer to Frisk and Chara. Frisk was holding the revolver as if it was loaded, and he knew that couldn't be right.
"Stay back!! We don't taste good!!"
Whoever dropped the ladder was no where in sight.
'Cowards!' he thought, 'Leaving a pair of women defenseless!'
"What are you doing?!" hissed Chara, "I don't think that creature knows what a revolver is!"
But Ariel noticed that the gun... was glowing. Frisk turned the gun away from the beast towards a medium sized tree between them. There was a good dozen yards between the two women and the tree she aimed at.
'What is she doing?!'
A bright spark of light shot from the gun so fast, he could barely see it. It slammed into the tree trunk which caused it to explode on the side towards the Manticore's path.
"What da what?!" asked Chara.
* Frisk is a dick to trees.
"You mind your own business," muttered Asriel.
A second passed as the shattered tree groaned. It fell into the path of the Manticore which startled it. The shot, the explosion and the falling tree all convinced it to go somewhere else. Quickly.
"What kind of magic was that?!" he asked.
Of course, she couldn't respond directly. She wasn't touching him. Chara was.
"She doesn't know," said Chara, "The gun... it's just suddenly gained some of her magic... She just knew the gun would work... like it had some kind of ammo in it! The magic in her hat added to the gun's attack power!"
A few moment's passed as the pegasus ponies began coming back. Now that he saw their 'armor', he realized it appeared to be more ceremonial than actual battle armor. Half of their face, their neck, legs and their full wings weren't covered by it at all. None of them seemed to be carrying a weapon either.
'No wonder they ran from... whatever that beast was...'
The ponies were talking among themselves, so he ran over to touch Frisk. He wanted to hear what they were saying about them too. A glance told him they were all stallions... which made sense to him. Undyne wasn't a common soldier in Asgore's kingdom either.
"What kind of magic was that?!" asked a white-hided guard.
"It's amazing and terrifying at the same time!!" said a black hided guard.
Frisk calmly slid the revolver back into it's holster.
"My hero!" cooed Chara as she hugged Frisk against her chest and kissed her on the cheek.
'Please don't FLIRT again!' groaned Asriel mentally as he looked at the ponies.
Frisk was blushing again. He knew she wasn't immune to Chara's charms.
'I wonder if Chara and I,' he continued to muse, 'Do we have strange magical powers too? Could it only be Frisk? I'm... kind of jealous of her right now. She protected Chara... like I should have. Yet she didn't kill. She didn't gain any ExP.'
Ponies without armor began mingling among the armored ponies. Some of them had horns, some wings and some neither.
"I've never seen the likes of them," mused one brown unicorn stallion.
"What if they're dangerous?!" asked a blue pony mare without horn or wings.
He realized the three of them... could still be in big trouble.
Just then, a smaller unicorn mare ran up and proclaimed to the other, "Princess Luna just sent a message! She ordered us to take these over to Ponyville! She'll meet us there with more Royal Guards soon enough!" There was a little pause before she added, "But in the meantime, we're supposed to meet with Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony. They should be waiting for us at the edge of town."
'What's a Twilight Sparkle?' he thought, 'And what are Elements of Harmony? Could they be some kind of weapons?'
"We better walk to town," said the white guard, "It's not that far from here. I don't expect any more monster attacks."
"I hope," said the black guard more quietly.
"I'm not sure if we're strong enough to carry... these large creatures..."
'Creatures?!' he thought.
'To them, we must look like monsters they've never seen before,' mused Frisk, 'I can... understand their caution... After what I did...'
'So they're like humans in that regards,' thought Chara, 'Terrified of things they don't understand.'
'A lot of monsters weren't thrilled to see me either.'
"They... must be scared of us," said the brown unicorn, "See how they cling to each other?"
"Well wouldn't you be worried about ponies in armor? There's so many of us compared to them," said the blue mare.
"But... one has such powerful destructive magic... Why would THEY be scared of US?"
"I think the one... with the attack magic... is protecting the other two."
"Oh, that makes sense."
* ASRIEL feels his manhood levels falling.
"Oh be quiet you," he hissed under his breath.
"Be quiet who?" asked Chara.
"Oh, just the voice in my head," he replied.
"That's not creepy at all."
"Hey, Frisk heard that voice too," he answered defensively.
"Funny. I thought that voice was me," she mused, "Maybe you have a ghost in you too?"
"Please let that not be the case!" he replied.
The closest guards were now giving them a curious look.
"Great," he muttered, "Now they think we're crazy."
"Speak for yourself, paleface."
'Hey,' thought Frisk, 'Only the guards are wearing armor and none of them... wear clothing.'
"Maybe nudity isn't taboo here," said Asriel quietly.
"If they're anything like Earth ponies," mused Chara, "They have well defined breeding seasons. The mare makes a smell that let's the stallions know... she's ready to breed. That's why stallions like to stick their nose up a mare's..."
Frisk coughed loudly.
"Breeding season?!" said the blue mare, "I've never heard of the likes. I certainly don't stink when I'm ready to..." Her voice faltered a bit as she suddenly blushed.
"Ready to what?" asked Chara suggestively.
"Never you mind!" she replied.
"I hope we get to Ponyville soon," muttered the white guard.

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                        Marketplace                        
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Marketplace
by neorenamon
As the ponies led the three humanoids towards Ponyville, Frisk held hands with both Asriel and Chara the whole way. It kept the attention of the ponies fixed on them most of the time, but it was the only way Frisk could maintain contact with them. The only way the Chara and Asriel could understand whatever language the ponies were using.
'It's kinda strange,' messaged Frisk.
"What's that?" asked Chara.
'These ponies. They can't be any larger than Dartmoor Ponies, but... they're fully sapient. They all seem to posses some magic inside them that seems to be linked to the strange marks on their flanks.'
"Well perhaps they're just smart," replied Asriel, "A Lot of monsters are smart and they're smaller than these ponies. Heck, a ghost is smart and you can't even find a brain in one."
'That's true,' she replied, 'Nothing in the Underground was like Earth animals.'
"The funny thing," added Chara, "is they're somehow using tools with their hooves."
'Not their mouths?'
"That's kinda strange even for the monsters of the Underground," mused Asriel.
"Oh, I'm sure it's some kind of contact telekinesis," said Chara with a smirk, "The unicorns can channel the same power through their horns to manipulate things at a distance."
'Wow. Telekinesis would be so useful.'
"Perhaps we too have such a power. It's not like any of us tried using it. I'm going to try making something move on it's own right now." She looked around for anything she could use, and spotted a broken branch lying on the ground not far ahead. Pointing her open hand towards it, Frisk could see the magic from her heart go out to her hand. It gathered around it as it grew brighter. Then suddenly, the stick glowed and flew right into her open palm.
The ponies around them seemed startled by the fact Chara could do that.
'That stick... it kinda looks like the first weapon I ever had when... I fell into the Underground.'
"I think I'm going to have fun around this place," mused Chara.
Frisk blinked.
Asriel asked, "How so?"
"There's no sign of humans anywhere," she mused, "No one to spoil everything with their greedy hands."
"Evil isn't limited to humans," he replied evenly, "So I wouldn't just assume all of these ponies aren't good too."
'But we shouldn't assume they're evil either.'
"So we'll treat them as good folks until they give us a reason to believe... otherwise."
'Spoken like a Prince among monsters.'
"Oh stahp that," he replied as he blushed a bit.
After a short while, they left the forest and came across a dirt road. The ponies took the road to the others followed along as well. As they went along, the passed a fence line on one side of the road. Behind the fence lay an expansive apple orchard, and many of the trees were ready for harvesting.
"Say," asked Asriel to one of the nearby guards, "What's that orchard over there?"
He looked around and replied, "I think that's the Sweet Apple Acres."
'So ponies have agriculture,' mused Frisk.
"Who runs it?" continued Asriel.
"Oh, that place has been run by the Apple Clan for going on three generations," replied the guard.
'So these ponies... they have extended families as well.'
"I just got this feeling..." mused Asriel as he looked around, "like we're being watched."
'There's a stallion behind one tree,' thought Frisk, 'and a mare behind another.'
"Wow," said Chara, "The stallion... that shade of red... with an orange mane."
"And the mare. She's so... orange. Her mane is blonde," added Asriel.
'Well now color has no meaning for me.'
"I wonder why they're hiding from us?"
'They've probably never seen anything like us before.'
"The hat on the orange mare..." mused Chara.
'It's shape seems a lot like my hat,' replied Frisk, 'but it doesn't seem to have any magic in it like mine.'
"Hey! You Apples over there! Can we take a few of your apples?!"
Chara's call took many of the ponies by surprise considering how loud it was. The red stallion nodded, so she took that as a 'yes'. Three large and juicy red apples popped off their limbs and floated over to her open hand. Frisk had to release Asriel's hand so she could take one of the apples herself while Chara and Asriel also took one for themselves.
Asriel took a bite and proclaimed, "These... are delicious!"
"Yes they are!" agreed Chara. Then she looked back at the Apples and called, "Thanks so much for the apples! Bye!"
Since Frisk only had one free hand, Asriel put his free hand on her shoulder instead.
They quietly walked along until they were done eating their apples and discarded the cores back into the orchard across the fence.
"Too bad you can't see color," she said as she looked ahead.
'There's a pony coming towards us on the road. What's strange about that?'
"She's light gray with black stripes."
'She also has metal rings about her neck and left foreleg,' added Frisk, 'and some rather large metal earrings. She seems to have... more magic in her... than most of the ponies we've encountered so far. Her saddlebags seem kind of heavy too.'
"The guards seem wary of this strange new pony," added Asriel as he looked about.
The zebra boldly approached them, and none of the guards seemed willing to challenge her. She got close enough to sniff at Frisk's clothes before in turn sniffing Chara and Asriel. Then she sniffed at the backpack that Asriel still carried over his shoulder.
'She seems to use her nose much more than most ponies.'
"What is this thing that I smell?" asked the zebra in an odd voice, "Poison Joke and Heart's Desire as I can tell?"
Frisk shrugged.
"Were you in the forest so Everfree?" she continued, "The only place these plants should be?"
"Sorry," replied Asriel, "We're not from around here."
"Yes," said the brown unicorn stallion they met outside the cave, "We were sent into the Forest... to find these creatures."
"You clearly are from Canterlot," replied the zebra, "Not often around here a lot."
"Well the Princess Luna is going to meet..."
One of the guards bumped him with his shoulder as he said, "We need not discuss royal matters with everypony we see."
"Oh," he replied, "I... guess not."
Then Frisk broke away from the other two. She took a few steps towards the zebra who didn't not appear to be afraid. Reaching out, she touched the black nose.
'You're name is Zecora, isn't it?' asked Frisk, 'Making potions with your magic is what you do best.' Now no one else could hear what Frisk was communicating.
"Perhaps you can let me know," replied Zecora, "where these plants on you did grow?"
She thought about the image of the plants growing in the magical waters down in the cave. Down under the shaft where they could still get some sunlight from the surface. She even remembered how some flowers were shaped differently than others.
"Poison Joke and Heart's Desire growing in magic water too?" asked Zecora in amusement, "I'd would hate to see what would come from such a witch's brew."
'I take it you've never mixed a potion like that before?'
"Poison Joke, it be a curse," she replied evenly, "and Heart's Desire makes it worse."
'I guess that explains where I can't open my eyes or use my voice anymore,' sighed Frisk.
"If it were just the Poison Joke affecting you," she said, "I'd know exactly the cure and what to do."
'So... the Heart's Desire... complicates matters?'
"In your mind the truth does ring. The Heart's Desire changes everything."
One of the guards walked over and spoke to Zecora saying, "Move along, civilian. We cannot keep Princess Luna waiting. She should be coming to Ponyville anytime now."
'I'm sorry about that.'
"You should not worry then," she replied, "It seems we'll meet again. The supplies I bought in Ponyville need to come home. Then perchance I'll take another time to go roam," Then the zebra pulled away from Frisk's hand and began walking down the road.
"What were you two talking about?" asked Asriel, "That zebra... sounded like she said everything in rhyme."
Walking back over, Frisk took his hand once more to say, 'Yes she's speaking in the rhyme. Something she does all the time.'
"Why do I have the feeling she would get along just fine with Smiling..." said Chara before Frisk cut her off with a glare. "With my good friend Sans."
Asriel shrugged before they continued walking. Frisk also went back to holding the hands of both him and Chara. Soon houses could be seen in the distance. Some places had smoke coming from their chimneys, but most didn't. Although everyone could see the house roofs clearly, Frisk realized there was a finite limit to how far she could 'see' with her new senses.
"I betcha we're going to have to duck through every doorway or we're going to hit our heads," mused Chara.
"Makes sense," replied Asriel.
There was a commotion as the orange mare they saw earlier came running past them at full gallop. She ran so fast, her hat was blown to the back of her head. Everyone moved to get out of her way.
"Wonder where she's going in such a hurry?" asked Chara.
Asriel shrugged.
"And why isn't that larger red stallion with her?"
Frisk shrugged.
"You'd think from the commotion we caused, there would be a larger reception."
'I can't... sense... that far ahead.'
"Oh, well there's two winged ponies, two with horns, and two with neither. I can see behind them more of those guard ponies. Behind them is a larger mare with both horns and wings."
'That is most likely the one I saw in my dream. She... feels like someone very important.'
Then Chara chuckled, "and one of those ponies is the orange one who just ran past us not that long ago."
"But she wasn't wearing a necklace before," noted Asriel, "Five of the ponies are wearing strange necklaces... and the last one a rather ornate tiara. Could these be the Element of Harmony devices they spoke of before?"
* Asriel recognized the Elements of Harmony.
Asriel ignored the message, but Frisk noticed it as well.
"They don't really look that threatening," said Chara.
"If they're as magical as I think they are, then they don't have to look threatening."
'Good point.'
Chara nodded in agreement.
"It seems that we're being watched by a lot more than the ones we see," muttered Asriel.
"Yes. From the windows of just about every building around us. They think that just because the shutters are almost closed, they won't realize that we're being watched."
'Seems like a pretty normal precaution.'
They were well within the borders of Ponyville by then. Everything seemed so quiet as they walked along. Even the birds were quiet up in their trees.
'Many of the ponies... I can just feel how afraid they are... of us.'
"I guess fear of the unknown... is pretty universal," mused Chara.
"It's them strangers again," muttered the orange mare, "I... didn't think Twilight summoned me here fer this..."
"You know them?" asked the violet unicorn.
"Ah saw them passing by the farm on the way up here. We really didn't talk much... or anything."
Just as they were passing a small house, a door burst open as a mint green unicorn with a cyan mane and golden eyes came rushing out towards them. The symbol on her flank was golden lyre.
"LYRA?!" called a mare with a light yellow hide and a mane that was half hot pink and half deep blue, "COME BACK HERE!!"
Everyone seemed so surprised by this that none tried to stop her. She skidded to a halt in front of Frisk. Her body trembled as Frisk broke her grip on Asriel's hand to reach out and touch her nose. Asriel simply placed a hand on her shoulder instead. It wasn't fear that made her tremble, but excitement.
'Lyra Heartstrings, is it?' communicated Frisk, 'That's a nice name.'
"What are those exquisite appendages you have?!" she asked excitedly.
'Hands?'
"Oh, that sounds so useful!" she cried, "So delicate! So intricate! I bet you must have a thousand uses for them!"
'I guess...'
"That's strange," said the violet unicorn mare, "They seem to be talking, but I can only hear what Lyra is saying..." She paused before she added more excitedly, "That must be some kind of magic! I have to understand how it works!"
"Can't you just do things by touching them with your hooves?" asked Asriel.
"It's... not the same," she replied awkwardly, "Hooves... they aren't a precise. Even the limbs of minotaurs... they just so much more clumsy than your hands!"
"Minotaurs?" asked Chara, "They don't... eat humans do they?"
"What now?" she replied, "Oh, of course not! Minotaurs don't eat meat... any more."
"Well that's a relief."
Frisk mentally laughed before she sent, 'Chara is just being silly. Minotaurs aren't real monsters in our world. It was just a scary story that King Minos of Crete had a minotaur under his castle and demanded humans be fed to it every year.'
"If a monster demanded ponies to eat, I guess I'd be scared too," said Lyra.
"Lyra," growled the other mare as she walked over, "You're embarrassing us!"
"Aw c'mon, Bon Bon," she replied, "I may never again get to see something as fascinating as these... humans."
"How do you know that?!" she asked.
"I... just got a... uh... feeling from the one called Frisk. That she and Chara... are called humans... and Asriel is from a race called... monsters."
'Perhaps you saw something in my mind.'
"And that's not creepy at all," said Chara.
The ones with the necklaces were moving closer to them.
"This... this... this could be the most exciting day of my life!" squealed Lyra.
One of the white guards came over and scolded the two saying, "Please move out of the way immediately. You are interfering with Royal matters."
"I think no harm is being done," replied Asriel.
"It's alright," said Bon Bon quickly, "We were just going back to our home... Aren't we?!"
The last part was directed right into the ear of Lyra.
"I imagine we'll meet again," he said as Bon Bon pushed Lyra away from Frisk's hand and towards their front door.
The violet unicorn moved up as Frisk reached out for her nose.
"Are y'all sure this is safe?" asked the orange mare.
"How scary can being touched be?" replied the rainbow maned pegasus.
"Kinda... scary," mused the light yellow pegasus with the pink mane.
"Hello," said the unicorn, "I'm..."
'Twilight Sparkle. Your Element is Magic. A prized student of the ruler Princess Celestia.'
"Magic... is an Element?" asked Chara.
"I guess it is in this world," replied Asriel.
Frisk looked at the orange mare as she added, 'Applejack. Her Element is Honesty. She's an Earth pony...'
"Wait," said Chara, "How can we be on Earth?!"
'It's not Earth,' she replied, 'but something called... Equus.'
"Then shouldn't they be Equus ponies?"
Frisk shrugged before she continued, 'The other Earth pony: She's Pinkie Pie. Her Element is Laughter. Her mane... it acts like a storage room... It's really big and mostly full of party supplies.'
"She must be a blast at parties."
'She is the premiere party planner of Ponyville.'
"That's right!" said Pinkie.
"How did she hear you from over there?!" asked Asriel.
'She has something called Pinkie sense that defies explanation.'
"Don't I know that," muttered Twilight.
'The other unicorn. Her name is Rarity. Her Element is... Inspiration? No, it's Generosity. She's the town's clothier and resident fashionista... She thinks our clothing is atrocious.'
"Rarity!" replied Twilight as she looked over at Rarity, "We can't just apply our standards..."
'She's right. None of the clothing has is appropriate anymore. The magic of this land... made us grow up.'
"Grow up by magic huh?" she asked, "I guess that would complicate matters."
"Well darlings," replied Rarity, "I'd love to whip up all new clothes for you all!"
'The small dragon named Spike,' she said as she looked at the small purple dragon back by the guards, 'He's smitten with the one called Rarity, but you haven't realized it yet.'
"Oh Spike is a baby dragon," said Twilight, "I'm sure... he's not ready for..." Her voice trailed off.
'The one with the rainbow mane. She's Rainbow Dash. Her Element is Loyalty. She believes she's the best flier ever, and once dove so fast, she shattered the sound barrier.'
"Yeah," said Twilight, "She wants to be a Wonderbolt more than anything..."
"They're talking about me, aren't they?!" giggled Rainbow.
"Ah reckon they all are talkin bout alla us," said Applejack, "Not just you."
"Maybe she realizes just how AWESOME I am!"
"Anything that can fly faster than sound with just wings... that is awesome," replied Asriel.
"I JUST KNEW IT!!"
'The shy one... She's Fluttershy... An appropriate name. Her Element is Kindness. She's very good... with animals.'
"How can you tell all that?" asked Twilight.
'I can just see... things... on the top of your mind...'
"I just have to study your magic as soon as I get the chance!"
Chara grabbed Frisk and pulled her back as she yelled, "NO! None of my friends are going to be experimented on like lab rats! I won't allow it! NOT AGAIN!!"
Everyone blinked at Chara's outburst.
'It's alright,' said Frisk, 'That's not what she meant.' She pulled away from Chara to touch Twilight's nose again. 'Sorry, but Chara... was concerned for my safety.'
"So her name is Chara," replied Twilight, "Then I guess you're Frisk and he's Asriel, I take it?"
'Something happened to Chara that she's never told me about,' thought Asriel quietly, 'I wonder what...'
"Yes... that's us..." muttered Chara.
"Funny, but I just sensed that from Frisk even though she didn't..." said Twilight slowly, "communicate that to me."
"Well I am Asriel Dreemurr," he said as he puffed up his chest, "A Prince among the Monster Race."
Twilight knelt down before him.
"Oh, you need not be so formal," he said, "Please stand. I'm not here... in any official capacity."
"What a showoff," muttered Chara as Twilight stood up again.
"You're just jealous that I'm a Prince and you're not," he replied as he blew the raspberries at Chara.
"Don't spit at me, you little twerp!" she growled back.
Pinkie Pie jumped ahead as she said, "I BET YOU'RE HUUUUUUNGRY!!"
The mood changed as Asriel replied, "Yes, but we have no currency to pay for..."
"Don't worry about that, silly," she giggled back, "I'll give you all the baked goods you need for FREE!!"
"I thought Rarity was supposed to be the Element of Generosity," muttered Chara.
"Well I can be quite generous TOOooOO!!"
"Is she... always... this cheery?"
"Yes," replied Twilight, "Yes she is."
"Nothing creepy about that..." she muttered under her breath.
"What was that..."
"It's nothing!" replied Asriel quickly, "Just a strange sense of humor she got from the skeleton brothers!"
"Skeleton brothers?!"
"Ain't nothin creepy bout that," muttered Applejack.
"THEN EVERYONE FOLLOW ME TO SUGARCUBE CORNERS!" said Pinkie as she bounced away.
Twilight glanced towards Luna, who simply nodded her approval. Everyone began following Pinkie.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                      Friends like Me                      
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Friends like Me
by neorenamon
"Welcome to The Sugarcube Corner!" called Pinkie as she opened the door to the Cake's bakery, "Come in and make yourselves at home!"
"Goodness, Pinkie," said Mrs. Cake from behind the counter, "Wherever did you find..." She paused when she saw a certain Princess coming up behind the energetic pink earth pony. "Princess Luna?!" she stammered as she knelt behind the counter.
Now that she was kneeling, she could no longer be seen from the front of the store.
"Good day, citizen," said Luna in the Royal Canterlot Voice, "We are pleased that you respect us, but we are here to conduct business with you!" The voice loud enough to blow Pinkie's mane ahead in the force of the sound.
Pinkie kept bouncing in spite of the Voice as she said, "And we've got special company from another dimension!"
Mrs. Cake raised her head to see two humans and a monster walk in behind Luna. They could see Mr. Cake look over the window between the front area and the kitchen were he was apparently baking something (judging by the smell that wafted in from the oven).
"Goodness, your grace!" he said as he knelt where none could see, "How can we help you today?"
"We require some of your baked goods for our new acquaintances from another reality!" she proclaimed.
"Why is she talking so loud all of the sudden?" asked Chara.
'She must be... old school... from when before they had megaphones,' mused Frisk.
"Asgore can be like that as well when making public addresses," added Asriel, "Toriel... was never really big on speaking to the monsters publicly like that."
"Come over here and select whatever you want," said Mrs. Cake, "I'm sure we can..." Her voice seemed to falter as she looked for words.
"It's alright," said Pinkie quietly into her ear, "I'm sure my savings will cover this. Just think how many more customers we're going to get now that Princess Luna has graced us with her business."
"I... guess so... but you shouldn't have to..."
"I promised I wouldn't charge them, so I have to."
"Alright," she replied as she nodded her head.
"So come up and order what you wish, Princess," said Pinkie to Luna as she turned about.
Luna came up to examine what was behind the glass counter and what was on the shelves behind. "Surely big sister is more into these sorts of things," she mused as she looked about, "She eats so much cake in her own room... I swear such sweets are going to be the end of her..." She spent a good moment thinking and looking until she finally selected a three layer cake. "We wish to have a slice of this. Why should Celestia get all the good cake?"
'Oh goodness,' thought Mrs. Cake with concern, 'That's the wedding cake for Turnip and Parsnip. It's going to take all night to bake another in time for the wedding tomorrow.'
"Does something trouble you with my selection?" asked Luna in a normal conversational tone as she looked at Mrs. Cake's face.
"Oh, she's concerned that it's not good enough for you," replied Pinkie in her place. She leaned closer and whispered, "Between the three of us, I'm sure the replacement cake will even be better."
Mrs. Cake nodded nervously. She looked back to the kitchen as she said, "Why don't you bring out some plates, forks and a serving knife so we can cut the cake?"
Mr. Cake nodded back as he ducked his head into the kitchen.
Frisk, Asriel and Chara came up next. With one hand on each of Frisk's shoulders, she could now use both hands to lean against the glass countertop.
"Are those donuts?" asked Asriel as he pointed with his free hand.
"Yessiree!" replied Pinkie.
"They aren't made with spiders, are they?"
"Of course not, silly!" she giggled. The ponies sighed their relief. "The only day I add spiders is for the super duper very special donuts I make for Nightmare Night!" The local ponies suddenly stared at her wide eyed.
"No wonder those Nightmare Night donuts taste so different," muttered Applejack under her breath.
Twilight blinked because she hadn't been in Ponyville long enough for her first Nightmare Night. It wasn't as much of a big deal in Canterlot as it was in the smaller towns like Ponyville. They just had private parties instead of passing out treats, and none actually bothered to leave an offering to a statue of Nightmare Moon.
"Now darlings," cooed Rarity as she walked in, "After brunch, we'll go over to the Carousel Boutique to make our guests... more presentable. These... rags... they wear. They surely won't do at all."
"We shall allow this!" proclaimed Luna in the Royal Voice.
"Do you have Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie?" asked Chara.
"Well we do have butterscotch and cinnamon," replied Mrs. Cake, "But... I've never heard of having both in one pie before."
"It's alright," said Asriel, "It's one of my mom's... specialties."
"Like her snail pie," added Chara.
"She makes pies... with snails?" asked Mrs. Cake awkwardly.
Most of the ponies around them looked a bit green from the thought of snails backed into a pie.
"It's... an acquired taste..." muttered Asriel.
'Ugh,' thought Frisk, 'All this talk about snail pies and spider donuts... They must think we're a bunch of weirdoes now.'
'That ship sailed hours ago,' mused Chara.
'Well donuts without spiders sounds interesting,' repied Asriel as he looked down, 'They're so... colorful.'
'Everything in here is colorful.'
Asriel waved over Mrs. Cake and pointed out a half a dozen of the more colorful donuts.
'Don't be piggish,' scolded Frisk.
'What?' he replied, 'I'm a growing boy monster.'
Chara just smiled as she pointed at the cake that was being sliced up. 'What?' she thought, 'It's already be cut up to be served. I might as well enjoy a slice myself. It does look... sinfully delicious.'
* Frisk feels Chara's food sins crawling down her back.
Frisk wasn't phased by the strange signs anymore. She backed away from the counter.
"Is something wrong?" asked Asriel.
'Look at all the ponies here,' she replied, 'They're going to clean out everything the Cakes have made. What will they serve to the customers for the rest of the day?.. I can't do that to them...'
"Is something the matter?" asked Mrs. Cake as she looked at Frisk.
"Uh," said Asriel quickly, "She's not hungry yet."
"Well we'll gladly box something up for them to go," she replied cheerfully.
'You don't want to insult her by spurning her hospitality,' added Asriel, so Frisk stepped back up to the counter.
She looked about until she saw two bagels and selected them. It seemed that bagels we'ren't moving as fast as other baked goods were.
"Well I'll box those up for you in just a moment!" replied Mrs. Cake.
As their orders were being prepared, Frisk noticed how pampered Luna was being treated. She had the best table in the house, and one of the guards was using his magic to float the fork to her mouth and back to the cake. The Princess was exerting no effort on her part at all. 'It must be nice to be served hand and foot... or hoof and hoof as the case may be.'
'Well she's royalty,' replied Chara, 'The people expect that they're going to be treated much better than them. If they got the same treatment as everyone else, the people would stop thinking about them as being special at all, and that could risk their rule. It also adds to the notion that they're isolated from the common people and their concerns.'
'Let them eat cake!' thought Frisk in her impersonation of Marie Antoinette. Even if she really knew what she sounded like.
'What's wrong with that?'
'It's... a history joke...' she mentally sighed.
The three of them moved to a table to eat. Oddly, there were no chairs anywhere. The ponies just sat on the floor. Soon their orders were delivered on two plates and one cardboard box. Asriel and Chara began eating ravenously while Frisk looked down on her 'to go' box.
"This... is almost as good as Goat-Mom's cooking!" said Chara as she ate the super frosted cake.
"Almost," replied Asriel between donuts.
Frisk quietly put the box in the backpack where Flowey used to sit. Asriel was still carrying it over his shoulder so he didn't have to use his hands. She looked to the line of ponies, and how quickly every baked good in the shops seemed to vanish onto their plates and into their mouths. Between Luna and her procession alone, there was a good thirty ponies. Twenty of them alone were her guards and escorts. The others appeared to be there to study the newly 'discovered' humans. She wondered what sort of notes were being taken about them.
'It's a bakery,' said Asriel, 'Don't feel too bad because they'll bake more goods tomorrow. It's just for... one day.'
Pinkie Pie walked by and whispered, "Yeah. I wouldn't do this to the Cakes if I thought the hardship was unbearable. They're... practically my family away from home now."
* Frisk feels somewhat better.
She slipped a small plate from her mane with a chocolate cream filled eclair on it, and added, "Go on. I won't say anything to anyone else about it." Then she slipped a fork next to it.
Reaching out to touch Pinkie's nose, Frisk sent, 'Thank you so much for being so kind and understanding.'
"Okie doki loki," she replied as she bounced away.
'She has... so many thoughts... so many senses... I wonder how it doesn't drive her mad.'
'Aren't we all just crazy to one degree or another?' replied Chara.
'No,' replied Asriel.
'This from the guy who wanted to kill Frisk just so everything would RESET? So no one would leave and you would be left behind? All alone?'
'That's not the... okay, I guess I was acting a little crazy... back then.'
'That's all in the past too,' replied Frisk as she slowly began eating her eclair, 'We only need to look ahead and see what better things lie in store.' She was trying not to be noticed eating it. She looked back at the counter and noticed that no matter how concerned Mrs. Cake looked, she was doing her best to hide it under a fake smile.
"Well darlings," cooed Rarity, "I guess it's time to get some better clothes for our guests." She stood and walked towards the door. Then she paused as she looked back and added, "Most of you will need to wait outside. There's only really room for a dozen of you on the showroom floor. You understand, don't you?"
Luna nodded even though her Royal Guards didn't seem too happy about the matter. They were there to protect Luna from all threats and they didn't like being further away from her than they absolutely had to. The group stood (except Frisk, Asriel and Chara who never sat on the floor in the first place) leaving their dishes to be bused by Mr. Cake.
The group walked down the street towards Rarity's shop with the white unicorn mare in the lead. From ahead, a gray pegasus mare with one eye out of alignment with the other was coming towards them.
"Derpy darling," cooed Rarity, "Is my special order ready for delivery yet?"
"Sorry Miss Rarity," she replied, "You package isn't scheduled to arrive until about noon tomorrow."
"But... you will bring it as soon as you can, right?"
"Of course," she answered, "That's what a mailmare does! Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds!"
"You have no idea how important this delivery is to me," she cooed as she stepped up and kissed Derpy on the cheek.
"Aw gosh, Miss Rarity," she replied with a blush, "I'm jus doin my job..."
* Rarity uses FLIRT to get what she wants.
"Do you mind?" muttered Asrial under his breath as he looked up.
"What's wrong with a good FLIRT?" asked Chara as she leaned closer to his ear.
"She probably does that a lot... like you have since you've regained your body."
She reached out to stroke his furry ear, making him blush as she said, "Jealous she doesn't FLIRT with you?"
'Cut it out, you two,' interrupted Frisk, 'They're starting to stare at us again.'
'Let them stare all they want. I don't even care what they think of us.'
Frisk sighed.
"Well here we are, darlings!" called Rarity as she stopped before her shop.
'It does kinda look like a carousel,' mused Frisk as she looked at the building's design.
Chara grinned as she thought, 'Aren't you supposed to ride the ponies, going up and down, up...'
'I don't think that's how it works here!' she groaned back in her mind.
'I joke!' she replied defensively, 'I'm... sure... it's not like... that either.'
"Hello, Miss Rarity!" called Spike as he stepped out from behind an oddly dragon-shaped pot by the door, "How's it going?"
'That must be the baby dragon that has the crush on Miss Rarity,' mused Frisk as she looked at the purple scales and the green spines on the back of his head and neck.
"Spike?" asked Twilight, "What are you doing here?"
"Miss Rarity promised to make me the best Nightmare Night costume ever."
"That's still more than a month away."
"It's never to soon to look your best," replied Rarity, but turned to Spike as she added, "But not today. I have... some  very special customers." She glanced at the two humans and a monster. "I promise we'll get started in the next day or three." She leaned closer and whispered, "But you can hang around if you don't mind helping out."
"Of course," he replied as little hearts popped out of his eyes.
'FLIRT,' thought Asriel.
Luna, the Mane Six and a couple of Royal Guards made their way into the shop's showroom. They looked about at the several pony fashions on display.
'Do you think she can make clothes for us?' asked Frisk.
"Frisk... she'd like to know if you can make clothes for us?" asked Asriel aloud.
"Of course darlings," she replied, "You can design clothes for anypony... or being... as long as you have the right measurements. The rest is just creative sewing." Glancing at Frisk, she added, "Well you might as well go first, my dear." She pointed at a door to the back and said, "The measuring room is back here." Asriel let go of Frisk, but Chara held on and followed behind.
Ponies looked on in curiosity as Rarity blinked.
"She's a bit shy and doesn't like to be left alone from people... she knows very well," said Chara.
"Very well," she replied, "Come along."
The three of them vanished behind the swinging door.
"She's going to have to take off those rags to measure properly," she sniffed as she began pulling out her tape measure.
'Chara!' thought Frisk as her hands began removing her clothes.
"She said it had to be done," she purred as she kept stripping Frisk.
* Chara enjoys stripping Frisk.
"I do at that," she replied as Frisk blushed.
"Well let's start," said Rarity as the tape measure floated over.
Then Chara began stripping as well even as she managed to keep touching Frisk.
"Darling? It's not your turn yet."
"Humans are odd..." said Chara, "We're all more comfortable if we're all dressed... or all naked."
"I... guess I can understand... that."
Frisk became nervous as Rarity eyed pretty much every square inch of her body.
"Something wrong?"
"Well," she replied as she placed a hoof on one of Frisk's breasts, "I can't understand why these teats of yours are so high on your chests. You'd practically have to lay on your back or crawl on all fours just to let the foals get to them."
Frisk blushed even hotter.
"Yep," said Chara, "Humans are made strange like that. I think they're placed so high so that..." She paused to reach around Frisk's chest and grab her tits with both hands, "We can do this more easily."
Steam shot from Frisk's ears as her cheeks turned beet red.
"Well... I guess that makes... some kind of sense."
Chara began molesting and fondling Frisk's breasts right in front of Rarity.
'STAHP THAT!' thought Frisk hotly.
'Make me,' she replied.
'GAH!!'
"Well you'll have to move those... hooves... when it's time to measure her chest."
"Oh," replied Chara, "There are called 'hands'."
"How interesting," she replied, "Overly complicated and too delicate looking. My magic is probably just as useful."
"Nah, how can doing this be fun if you're just using a spell," she mused as she kept groping Frisk.
"Well, we ponies use our tongues for such things... not our hooves."
"Oh, we use them as well," she purred as she paused to nibble at Frisk's neck. Frisk blushed so hot, she looked like she might faint dead away at any second. Her knees wobbled so much that only Chara was keeping her from collapsing onto the floor.
Rarity began taking all the measurements of Frisk's legs and feet. "I think I can do something with this," she muttered as she measured, "Some modified pants or perhaps a waist-strap skirt will do nicely." She looked up at Frisk's pants and asked, "Is she tired? Feel free to use the bench behind you. I'm almost done measuring this part."
"Oh," purred Chara as she paused from nibbling, "I'm sure she's good. It's just been... a long day for all of us."
"I see."
'I've created a monster,' thought Frisk as she thought at how her FLIRT actions must have affected Chara.
'I learned from the best,' replied Chara as she sat them both down on the bench seat behind them, 'They might not have chairs, but they do seem to have benches and sofas.'
"I'll need just a moment before I start measuring the upper half of her body, so just relax," cooed Rarity.
"Oh... I couldn't be more relaxed than this," purred Chara.
'Well I couldn't be more anxious!' thought Frisk.
'Don't worry. I'm only going... so far...' she replied as her hands slipped down around Frisk's waist, leaving her nipples worked up and firm in their wake.
'Thank goodness... for small favors...' thought Frisk just before she passed out against Chara. Her head rolled back against the other's shoulder.
Rarity blinked.
"Like I said," mused Chara, "She's had... a really long day."
"Well let the poor dear get some rest on one of my fainting couches in the back," replied Rarity, "I'll measure you now and finish up with Frisk later on."
"You're all heart."
Rarity used her telekinesis to open the back door to the measuring room into a side room just off the storage area. There was a rather nice couch there that looked big enough to allow Frisk to sleep on it comfortably.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                      One Jump Ahead                       
//-------------------------------------------------------//
One Jump Ahead
by neorenamon
Now that Frisk lay passed out was napping on the couch, Rarity had her full attention on measuring Chara. Even though neither could understand what was being said by the other, no verbal communication was needed in order to tell the other what was expected if them. A simple tug with the magic from Rarity's horn was all that was needed to tell the human where to place their arms, shift their legs or adjust their head.
Rarity particularly found Chara's breasts to be puzzling. They stuck out from her chest like an udder, but seemed to be mostly composed of fatty tissue. Somehow, the shape of the breast seemed to be more important than their ability to produce milk for a newborn human foal (as apparently only dragons and the like who get called 'baby'). She would definitely have to modify the top of Chara's dress to allow for said 'bumps'.
She also found that while she had ample mane, the rest of her hide was bare but for a single patch of hair placed just above the placed where their legs met their abdomen. Unlike Twilight, she just wasn't curious enough to ask about it... especially since the two of them couldn't talk to each other anyways.
Her mind raced with the possibilities of what colors she could use to bring out the best... in these 'humans'... and the one they called a 'monster'. She figured this one would be suited for earthy colors like green and gold. The resting one, on the other hand, would be better served by reds and blues. There was also many possibilities with the white furred one. He had a hide that was more like the pony bodies she was used to dealing with.
While finalizing the measurements on Chara, she could hear a commotion out in the front area.
"Oh goodness," she whined, "Now what's happening?"
Poking her head through the doorway into the front, there seemed to be a bit of a panic among the guards of Princess Luna. One of them seemed to be moving Luna away from the front door. The one they called Asriel, the Monster Prince, was sitting quietly on one of the sitting sofas by the back of the showroom.
"We can assure you," said Luna to the guard, "It is quite safe in here as long as you keep the Bugbear away from the front door. They are surely not known for breaking in windows or walls."
"Bugbear?!" asked Rarity as she thought about summoning a fainting couch.
"I can assure you, citizen," said the guard, "The matter is well under hoof."
"The way you handled Nightmare Moon?" she muttered under her breath.
Luna and the guard ignored Rarity if either of them overheard her comment.
...
Chara was getting a strange feeling while Rarity was prattling at the ponies in the showroom. There was something large. Something dangerous nearby. It was calling out to her to deal with it. She somehow felt that she had the power to do so. Her heart beat faster even as her breathing quickened.
'It's time to GET DANGEROUS.'
A pair of black machete-like blades appeared in her hands. Black threads came from the base of the hilts that wrapped about her forearms as if they somehow controlled the blades even when she wasn't holding them.
'Oh yeah! I'm about to go *God Of War** on someone's ass!!*'
Yet she strangely felt... like she was crying. Well something was running down her cheeks from her eyes. With superhuman speed, she jumped over the startled Rarity's back, avoiding her head as she rushed the front door. In the corner of her eye, she could see the expression of shock on Asriel's face. He reached out towards her with an open hand. Everyone else was shocked to the point of immobility. She raced out into the street where the guards were in a confrontation with a huge monster that seemed to be some combination of bear and wasp to the point of having six legs, insect wings and a rather impressive looking stinger.
Some of the guards had been raked with claws, others bitten and at least a couple more met the wrong end of the monster's stinger. They didn't look like they were doing so well.
'Someone needs to be *DE-CLAWED!***'
Almost as if responding to her very thoughts, the blades lashed out at the monsters dozens of times every second. For a few seconds, nothing seemed to be happening. Even the guards were starting to wonder what Chara was playing at. But then the claws, fangs and stinger were all falling off the creature as if cut apart cleanly.
'TOO EASY! I thought you were going to be A CHALLENGE FOR ME!!'
Now the guards were as terrified of Chara as they were of the bugbear. She looked about at their horrified faces.
'So weak! So cowardly! How do you even serve your Princess like this?!'
She looked back at the monster. It was surely gathering itself to attack her in spite of what just happened to it.
'NOW IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO DIE!..' she thought as she was grappled from behind. 'WHO DARES?!' She struggled against the iron hard arm that was wrapped about her.
"Chara!" shouted Asriel as he wrapped his arm about her torso and pinned her arms, "Stop it!" He shoved a 'hand' mirror in front of her face with his other hand. The whites of her eyes had turned black. Her iris were blood red. Something black was leaking from her eyes and the corners of her mouth. She looked like a total fiend. Her reflection horrified her.
"What... what have I become?!" she cried as Asriel let the mirror fall. It was polished silver so it wouldn't break.
Asriel pointed his open hand towards the bugbear. "CHAOS BREAKER!!" he yelled as several vertical lightning strikes came down to blast the bugbear.
The monster was only slightly burnt by the attack, but the shocks finally convinced the beast it was in a battle it couldn't possibly win. With nothing to further lose but it's own life, it turned and beat a hasty retreat back towards the Everfree Forest.
He looked down to see where the mirror fell when he saw his own face. The whites of his eyes were now as black as Chara's. He also felt just a bit weaker from using that attack on the monster. Looking around, he could see that every pony in sight was just as scared of them as they were of the monster that attacked the village.
"I'm so sorry..." sobbed Chara, "I'm so sorry..." Her hands were now covering her face.
By then, Chara's blades turned into a black thick liquid that dropped to the ground. Thinking fast, he used his other arm to sweep her legs up and carry her back into the shop. Knowing the guards were right behind, he carried through the showroom straight into the area Rarity took Frisk and Chara to take their measurements.
Looking about, he asked, "Where's Frisk?!"
"She... she..." she sniffed back, "I teased her until she fainted... She's on a fainting couch... in the back room."
Grabbing Frisk's discarded shirt, he moved her hands aside as he used it to wipe off her face. Once her face was clean, he could see her eyes were now the proper shade of white once more.
"We have to be careful about how we use these... strange powers," he said in a firm voice, "We can't tell... just how they're affecting us." He sat down on a bench while still holding Chara in his arms.
Chara nodded.
"So we should only use these powers of ours... when there's no other choice."
She nodded some more.
"Frisk... she didn't seem to be affected by using her powers... like we are. Maybe that's just her determination... her will... making the magic do only what she wants it to."
Chara was now leaking perfectly normal tears from her eyes. She buried her face in his furry chest.
He patted her back as he softly spoke into her ear, "Everything's okay now. I'll keep you safe. This I promise you as a Prince among Monsters. I give you my word."
"Even when we were little snot-nosed brats," she sniffed back, "You were always... the knight... even when I was pretending to be the... daring Indiana Jones explorer type..."
"Those were the days," he replied.
"The best days I've ever known," she continued.
"You... never had good days... on the surface?" he asked.
"Most of the scars I had after the fall... Those weren't from the fall... They happened to me long before I went to Mount Ebott and hoped to never come back..."
"I'm so sorry," he replied, "I... didn't know..."
"But the Dreemurrs... they taught me that... monsters... people can be good..."
"So much that we came up with that crazy plan to save all monsters... I was a horrible friend!! You suffered!.."
"That was my own choice and no other!" she retorted, "I knew I was going to suffer before I died. We both saw Asgore suffer from the poisoning even though we... knew he would survive... We both thought it was the only way... at the time..."
Asriel rested his chin on her shoulder. She could feel him crying as well.
"Just... promise me we'll never doing anything as crazy as that again!!" he wailed.
"That's an easy promise to make," she sniffed back, "If we're lucky, it will be just as easy to keep." She wrapped her arms about his chest as she hugged him as firmly as she could.
"I want to be your prince," he whispered into her ear, "Your knight."
"You already are," she softly replied as she kissed his cheek. Then she surprised him with a second kiss right onto his lips. Soon their mouths were fully engaged as their tongues sought to play in the mouth of the other. They both felt the heat rising in their cheeks. He never felt more love for Chara than he had ever felt for her before.
She broke off the kiss as she whispered into his ear, "Asriel darling... your boner is rubbing against my pussy."
'GAH!' he thought as he realized what she said was totally true.
She teased him by closing her thighs about his shaft.
"Are you... trying to tell me something?" she asked as her flirtatious self returned.
He was so shocked by her question that he stood, dumping her onto the floor right onto her ass. She made a startled squeal as her cheeks slapped the carpet beneath. At once, the showroom door opened and Rarity poked her head in even as the door to the storage room opened and three filly heads poked in one right above the next.
Asriel quickly clamped both hands over his erection as he cussed, "SHIT!"
"Sweetie Belle?!" asked Rarity in alarm as she looked at Asriel and Chara, "What in the name of Celestia's horn are you doing?!"
Her horn glowed as the three fillies were pushed back, and the door slammed behind them.
"Wait," said Chara, "Frisk is back there with those little ponies!"
Rarity charged across the room as Chara and Asriel moved to follow. One door slammed as another opened before them. When they came through, Frisk was sitting up, rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands before she started looking around at the three fillies gathered around the fainting couch.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                        To Be Free                         
//-------------------------------------------------------//
To Be Free
by neorenamon
"What kinda critter are you?" asked Apple Bloom.
The three fillies had surrounded the fainting couch that Frisk was resting on. With the back of the couch against the wall, she didn't really have anywhere to go.
"And what kind of creature has no hair on their hides?" asked Sweetie Belle as she looked over Frisk's bare skin, "It must be horribly cold for you in the winter."
"Hey!" said Scootaloo, "Why don't you say anything?"
"Maybe they don't speak pony tongue?" replied Apple Bloom.
Frisk gingerly reached out for Sweetie Belle's head. The unicorn filly cringed at first.
"I don't think they mean to hurt you," assured Apple Bloom, so Sweetie let the strange being touch her.
'My name is Frisk. I'm called... a human.'
"I'm Sweetie Belle," she replied, "Big sister says we're called unicorns."
'You're... a cutie... aren't you?'
"I'm not cute," she sniffed, "I'm elegant."
'Of course you are... but you can be both at the same time.'
"I... guess."
"How come we're only hearing half of a conversation here?" asked Scoots.
"The human... is somehow speaking into my head. I don't need ears... to hear what she's trying to tell me."
"That's not creepy at all," she muttered in reply.
'So... you're looking for your purpose... your special gift in life.'
"Well yeah," replied Sweetie, "When we figure out what our special talent is, that's when we get our cutie marks!"
'That's the strange image on your flanks? Like your big sister, Rarity, has on hers?'
"Yes. Yes it is. But... it's not strange."
'Sorry, but it is to me. Humans... we don't have anything like a cutie mark. I can sense that you are... anxious... about getting one of these cutie marks.'
"Well... yeah. We're getting to be among the last in our class to get our marks."
'So you're trying to get one by doing anything and everything?'
Sweetie nodded.
'Perhaps you're trying too hard then,' she mused, 'Work harder on doing the things you want to do. Perhaps if you felt more at ease doing what you're good at, your cutie mark will come to you.'
"So... how do you... humans... know what your special gift is... without cutie marks?"
'We can never be truly sure about that... but some of us... just know in our hearts and minds... what we were meant to do.'
"What were you meant to do?"
'I think... my purpose... was to free the monsters of the Underground.'
"Well that sounds like a worthwhile purpose," she mused back.
'I like to think so.'
"SWEETIE BELLE!" called Rarity as her magic made the door burst open.
They all turned to see her standing in the now open doorway with Asriel and Chara just behind. Her horn glowed as Frisk's hand was yanked away from Sweetie's head.
"Calm down, Rarity," said Sweetie calmly, "We're just talking... and stuff."
Asriel and Chara glared at Rarity. Frisk was glad these ponies didn't have eyes in the backs of their heads.
"I'm sorry," said Rarity as she walked over, "I... just overreacted..."
Frisk touched her nose instead. 'Don't worry. If I had a sister, I suppose I'd do anything to protect her too... or anyone else I truly cared about.' She looked back over Rarity, but Asriel and Chara didn't seem to understand her. However, the two of them sensed the change in Rarity's tone. It indicated that she was sorry, so they seemed to be more relaxed.
But much to their surprise, Chara pushed past the fillies to glomp hug onto Frisk.
"I'm sorry," she said into Frisk's ear softly, "It's my fault..."
'It's alright. Could you... just ease up... on feeling up my boobs... from now on?'
"I promise," she replied as she planted a big wet kiss on Frisk's cheek. By the time she was done, she had crawled onto the couch with Frisk and was all but covering her with her own body.
Frisk glanced at where Asriel was holding his hands. Her special sight told her almost more than she wanted to know. 'So... you've been teasing Asriel as well?'
"I gotta be me," she whispered into Frisk's ear.
The fillies were looking where Asriel was holding his hands as well.
"Say," said Apple Bloom, "What all do you call..."
Rarity's horn glowed as Asriel was tossed back into the measuring room. "Well look at the time," she said quickly, "I better get these measurements finished or they won't have anything to wear tomorrow!"
"Aw..." she replied, "I wanna get ta know these 'humans' better..."
"Well there's always tomorrow," she replied as she used her magic to pull the fainting couch through the open door with both Chara and Frisk on it as well.
"I'm sure we'll meet again," said Chara as the door magically slammed shut behind them.
"Those... sure are some strange... critters," muttered Apple Bloom.
"Hey!" replied Scoots, "Maybe they know some awesome human activity that we can get a cutie mark in!"
The other two filly's eyes lit up at the prospect.
...
Asriel sighed. It seemed like forever before he could stop thinking about Chara and Frisk being naked in the same room with him. To get himself calmed down enough to he wasn't still having a raging boner. He just hoped that Chara wasn't going to try and tease him again. Still, he needed one hand on Frisk to understand what Rarity was saying.
Chara had one hand on Frisk as well.
"Well now that I have Chara and Frisk's measurements," said Rarity as the tape measure hovered in the air magically, "I guess it's time to take your measurements." She waited as if she expected Asriel to stand from the couch, so he did so. "Hmm..." she mused as she looked at his crotch, "I guess I'll have to make some... adjustments... for that."
"Don't stallions have those?" asked Chara.
'Yeah,' said Frisk, 'Stallions walk about here naked for the most part... yet I don't see any... you know...'
"Well sort of..." replied Rarity, "It's... just you don't normally... see it..." As she spoke, her cheeks turned flush. "Well... you don't see it... until the stallion is... uh..."
"Ready for action?" asked Chara.
'There's no need to be so blunt,' chided Frisk.
"Uh... something like that," replied Rarity.
"So... how come we can't see your... marebits... either?"
'CHARA!'
"It's just... just magic!" retorted Rarity as she sat on her haunches.
"Oh my... an entire race with... modesty magic," snickered Chara.
'Chara. You're insufferable.'
"Oh you wouldn't have me any other way," she purred into Frisk's ear before she nibbled on the earlobe.
Frisk's cheeks turned red as Chara nibbled.
"Well..." stammered Rarity, "It's... just the way things are!"
"Actually," said Asriel to change the subject, "Do you have some pen and paper I can use?"
"Of course, darling," purred Rarity.
"Perhaps some colored pencils as well?"
She nodded. "Just give me a moment to fetch them," she said as she stepped out of the room.
Once the door was closed, Asriel said, "So can you stop fondling Frisk for a while there, Chara?"
"Why?" she replied, "She's already on the fainting couch..."
"That's not the issue here," he retorted.
"Fine... I'll stop having fun... for now."
'Oh that's totally reassuring me.'
Rarity came back as Asriel got down on the floor. He began making a design with ink. Rarity looked over his shoulder with utter fascination making her eyes twinkle.
'The Dreemurr Family Crest?'
He nodded.
"Is that some kind of coat of arms?" mused Rarity.
"Yes," replied Asriel, "and as a Prince among monsters and a representative in this land, my new clothes should display this crest front and back prominently."
"Oh, I'm sure I can do something with this that will... suit your needs." She looked at the finished drawing and added, "I see. Blue and white. Well that's definitely good taste at least."
"Say," he mused, "I haven't heard anything out front for a while. How's Princess Luna?"
"Oh. I imagine she's gone back to Canterlot for now. She does have her Royal Duty to raise the moon once Princess Celestia lowers the sun for the day."
"Raise the moon?" he replied.
"Lower the sun?" asked Chara.
'Their magic... it must be hugely powerful.'
"Well yes," replied Rarity, "They do this magic twice a day. Once in the morning and then reverse the process at night."
"Did the Princesses always do this?" asked Asriel.
"Well Starswirl the Bearded and a group of unicorn mages did it before the Princesses did."
"And before them?"
"Well... no one really remembers... I'm not even sure if Celestia knows that."
"That's... wow... Is there anything the Princesses can't do?"
"Well now that the Elements of Harmony are back..." mused Rarity, "I guess they don't have to."
"And you're one of them?" asked Chara.
Rarity nodded. "I am the Element of Generosity," she stated.
"Funny," mused Chara, "Where I came from, we had the Elements of Air, Earth, Fire and Water."
"That's a funny way of classifying elements," she replied.
"But then we got science and moved from four elements to 118 last I checked."
"That's... a lot of elements..." she replied slowly.
"I wonder how you make things from Generosity?" mused Asriel.
"Well... that's not what the Elements of Harmony are meant to do."
"What do they do?" asked Chara.
"Well... they maintain harmony and balance."
"That's... interesting..."
'And a touch confusing... it's almost more... like a religious system.'
"Do you have gods?" asked Asriel.
"What are gods?" she replied.
'I'd take that as a 'no'.'
"So what do you believe in?" he asked.
"The Princesses, of course."
'They do seem to be different. I sensed that Luna has both wings and a horn, but so far no one else has both.'
"What kind of beings are these Princesses?" asked Asriel.
"Well they're called alicorns," replied Rarity, "They say they combine the best aspects of Earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns."
'So they wield god-like powers, but don't call themselves gods.'
Asriel nodded.
"So who's your King or Queen?" asked Chara.
"We don't have one of those," she replied, "We... don't really listen to them... they aren't really..."
"So you have a King and Queen?"
"Well... King Sombra was pure evil... he was dealt with a thousand years or so ago," she replied, "And Queen Chrysalis... she's only really the Queen of Changelings... not ponies."
"Changelings?"
"Oh, you don't want to meet them," she mused, "They're evil shapeshifters who... feed off the love of others."
"They can't feel love themselves?"
"Not that anyone can tell for sure, but Queen Chrysalis is supposed to have no heart... no love... no soul of her own."
"That sounds... familiar," mused Asriel as he remembered what it was like to be Flowey.
"So what did this King do?" asked Chara.
"Oh, he enslaved the Crystal Empire for... quite some time. He forced his own people to mine crystals for them... as slaves."
"I guess he had trouble dealing with love as well."
"Well they say his heart... it was a black as the blackest night."
"Sounds like fun," mused Chara as Asriel and Frisk cut her off with their glaring. "What?!" protested Chara, "I kid you!"
Asriel and Frisk sighed as one.
"Party poopers," she sniffed.
"But those two probably aren't the worst of all," added Rarity.
"Oh? Who tops those two?"
"DISCORD," she hissed under her breath.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                      On a Dark Night                      
//-------------------------------------------------------//
On a Dark Night
by neorenamon
"Well getting you measured and set for a meeting with Princess Celestia was surely... an adventure," murmured Rarity as she led the three of them to the front door. The Boutique had closed hours ago and the jewel of the night hung high in the sky above them among all the glittering stars.
Asriel had a white and blue unisex gown much in the style worn by his mother, the former Queen Toriel. As instructed, the Dreemurr Royal Crest shown prominently on both the front and back of the tabard worn over the gown. He didn't wear shoes in favor of a more familiar and simpler wrap of his feet. It left his clawed toes fully able to operate while giving some padding to the rest of his feet.
Chara had a simpler outfit consisting of a top of alternate evergreen and golden stripes. The top was neckless and rather open, but not quite plunging in the neckline as she first requested. The others suspected that it could be pulled over her head or even down to her feet with minimal trouble, and that alone made it somewhat suspicious to them. The micro miniskirt barely covered her assets and one wondered what would happen should a stiff breeze should come along. Of course, bending over far enough or some other action could just as likely give anyone behind Chara... quite an eyeful. To finish it off, Chara had something like stockings that seemed to hold some special sexual significance to ponies (judging by Rarity's blush as she showed off a set of her own). They were held up by straps coming down from the belt of the skirt underneath the material of the skirt itself.
For Frisk, Rarity made her a red flannel shirt and skirt. Over that, she wore a blue fake leather vest and similar chaps. After all, real leather required the use of a living animal that pony society rejected as barbaric. The vest had red trim on the collar and down the outsides of the arms. Rarity assured her the look was all the rage down in Appleloosa even though she didn't normally consider that area an inspiration for fashion. She offered to replace the hat as well (as it didn't quite go with the rest), but Frisk assured her through touch that it had to remain. However, she did agree to have a new red silk hatband tied over the old one just to make it look a bit better. She also didn't care much for the clunky look of the revolver, but it was another thing... that just had to remain as it was. The dark brown boots were also fake leather, but thicker to get the durability one needed from such footware.
* Our heroes. All dressed up and nowhere to go.
"Who keeps saying that?!" asked Asriel as he looked up.
* Oh, you really want to know who I am?
"No," he replied dripping with sarcasm, "I ask questions just to hear myself speaking."
* Well aren't you the comedian?
"Actually we all are kind of wondering the same," chimed in Chara.
* Oh, I'm sure I'll meet you all before too long. Once you get to Canterlot, I'll be closer than you know.
"That's not creepy at all."
"Hmm..." mused Asriel as he looked about, "It looks like all the welcome mats are rolled up around here at sunset. I don't even know if this town... has an Inn or Motel. Where will we sleep?"
Chara stepped up to him and caressed his cheek as she purred, "I know where I'm sleeping, but I'm not sure about poor Frisk."
He sighed. Then a little wicked grin crossed his face.
"Oh," she purred, "What are you thinking about?"
He stuck out his dripping tongue and licked her face from chin to forehead. Her reaction was not what he expected.
"My my," she said as she licked his cheek back, "Are you trying to turn me on?"
"Do you even come with an 'off switch'?"
"Of course not."
He glanced aside to see Frisk's hot cheeks as her hands covered her eyes. "Chara dear," he purred, "We're making the innocent one over here blush. Do you expect me to carry her if she faints again?"
Chara looked as well and replied, "I'm sure a big strong hunk like you can manage, can't you?"
"I'm glad we're not touching her right now. Her thoughts would probably be too hot to think about."
"Well we have to do it sometime if we're going to have any meaningful input from her, aren't we?"
He chuckled. "Perhaps after our thoughts return to something... less naughty." Leaning close, he gave Chara a quick kiss to her lips. After a moment, he broke off only to have her return the favor.
* Frisk sees something in the bushes.
"What?!" he asked as he looked about.
Frisk was looking at a purple flank partly sticking out of the bushes on one side of Rarity's shop. Judging by her butt stamp, Asriel quickly realized it was the one called 'Twilight Sparkle'. Before he could say anything, Frisk reached out and touched her cutie mark squarely in the middle.
"Magic spells are the conjunction of the unicorn's determination and their magical aura!" shouted Twilight as she jumped almost twice her own height into the air. "Please don't send me back to magic kinder..." she spluttered as she landed before she paused to look about her.
Frisk touched her nose.
"Oh, that was... just a silly nightmare..." she replied awkwardly, "Don't... worry about it... Princess Luna does enough of that..." Her voice trailed off until it was a quiet as Fluttershy.
Reaching out to touch Frisk's shoulder, he asked, "How many hours have you been waiting out here for us?"
"Huh?" she replied, "Not too... It's not that important. I... was just wondering where you're... going to sleep tonight."
"That... subject hadn't come up before now."
"Well I have... a spare room at the library," she replied quickly, "I'm sure you can manage that overnight."
'That's not true,' replied Frisk, 'You're planning to give us your only bed while you sleep on a pile of books.'
"I... guess that's true..." she murmured, "It's... not like I haven't... spent my share of nights sleeping on books... like in the days back in Canterlot..."
"It wouldn't be very nice to have to owner of their home..." he said.
"Actually, I'm just using the Golden Oak Library as a place to live while studying friendship lessons. I don't really own it."
'Princess Celestia has all but turned the place over to you. The library wasn't even tended to before you moved in.'
"I'm sure it won't be more than a day or two... so I wouldn't mind at all."
Asriel nodded. "I shall do my best to see that you are compensated for your sacrifice," he said to her softly.
"I don't need compensation... It's just I want to help my new friends."
"That's very kind of you, friend. I'm glad to count you among them."
He wondered if Twilight was blushing just a little from his praise.
"I'll lead the way," she offered as she turned about, "It's... not that far from here."
Chara moved up to touch Frisk as they followed. Frisk mentally caught Chara up on what Twilight had been telling them.
'Should we tell her what 'The Voice' told us?' asked Asriel in Frisk's head.
'And have her think we're completely bonkers too?' replied Frisk, 'I don't think that's going to help any.'
'If you think so...'
So they followed Twilight without further comment. The Library came into the view of the group as it was lit up under the white glow of the Equestrian moon.
"Are you sure that's the right place?" mused Chara, "I'd swear a place like that should be full of little elves baking cookies."
"What was that?" asked Twilight as she paused.
'Chara!'
"It's a joke!" blurt out Asriel as he elbowed Chara in the side.
"Humans... must have a different sense of humor... than we do."
"Human and monsters both," he answered.
"Don't even get me started on Smiley..." said Chara before she was cut off by two sets of glares, "what Sans the Skeleton believes is... humorous."
"Skeletons... tell joke?" she asked as she stopped at the front door.
"Yes," replied Asriel, "Skeletons are one of the monster-kind."
"That sounds fascinating. I'd love to study one some day," she replied as she used her magic to open the door.
"He'd just as likely take you to Grillby's so you can watch him get drunk on ketchup all night."
"Get drunk on ketchup?"
"Sometimes I wonder if he's really drunk or just faking it," he muttered in reply.
"Well I do notice that Papyrus tries to avoid ketchup," said Chara, "He certainly doesn't drink it straight up like Sans does."
"I sometimes have to wonder just what Grillby is putting in his house ketchup..." he mused as he scratched his chin, "It doesn't affect me or anyone I know who isn't a skeleton." Then he darkly chuckled as he continued, "Well it's definitely not the same as what goes into his Elemental Hot Sauce..."
"You didn't!" said Chara with a wicked grin.
"Oh I did... as Flowey... You should have seen the flames shooting out of San's mouth... before he used his blue magic to chuck me pot and all into the kitchen with Toriel."
"Oh I wish I was there to see that one!"
"You were sharing a body with Frisk then, weren't you?"
She nodded. "I was the original source... of the voices in Frisk's head. The one who initially translated all those monster signs... into something sweet Frisk could understand."
He nodded as they all walked inside.
"Spike is sleeping upstairs in his basket," said Twilight softly, "Why don't you go upstairs quietly while you go to bed?"
They crept upstairs to see one double-sized bed and a baby dragon sleeping at the end of it in a basket just large enough to fit his growing body. A comic book lay open and face down on his chest as he snored.
"So they have comic books in this world too?" mused Chara.
"Well it's some kind of pamphlet or booklet," replied Asriel softly.
"Well..." she added as she looked at the bed, "It's going to be cozy for three..."
"You two take the bed. I'll sleep on some books downstairs with Twilight."
"Always the gentlemonster, aren't you?" purred Chara.
He shrugged. By the time he turned, Chara was already stripping of Frisk's vest as she cooed, "No point in letting your new clothes get... all sweaty... during the night."
Judging by Frisk's blush, he could almost hear her response in his head. 'CHARA! You're... you're just too much!'
He hurried downstairs because seeing them both naked again might give him... problems later. Then he realized that nothing he would say would make any sense to Twilight, so he just imitated the way she was laying out books to form a bed. She seemed to understand what he meant without having to say or hear anything. In a matter of moments, the two of them were laid out. Each on their own bedding of open books.
Upstairs, he soon heard the sound of panting. He hoped that Chara would at least have the decency to cover themselves under the sheets before she 'amused' Frisk in some way. There was no way to tell what such a sight would have on a baby dragon he could only assume was still... impressionable. Putting a book over his head... kept the sounds down to manageable levels... until he drifted off into a deep slumber. It had been a long day for him.
"Well... Aren't you the Prince among monsters?" asked a strange voice.
His eyes opened to show that he wasn't in bed. He was in someone's statue garden. Something large with broad stone paths throughout. Off in the distance, he could see the opening to a very large hedge maze. The arch in the hedge was marked with red, pink and orange pennants.
"Who is this?!" he asked, "Show yourself!"
"Oh, just think of me as a friend who wants to help you get back to your real home. I'm sure you'll see me soon enough... so just be a little more patient."
'He must be hiding behind one of these statues.'
"After all, her high and mightiness Princess Celestia won't bother to come here to see you. She'll surely summon you to her royal presence soon enough. I imagine her chariots may well come for you in the morning."
"You don't sound like you have much respect for... this Princess Celestia," replied Asriel.
"Oh," said the disembodied voice, "We've... had our differences... in the past."
"Are you one of her enemies?" he asked suspiciously.
"Oh, 'Enemy' is such a strong term. I prefer to think of us... as disagreeing on some things."
Then he heard a royal sound coming from the moon.
"Asriel, Prince among Monsters," said the regal voice, "Does thou dream well?" A beam came down from the moon as Luna stepped forth.
"Nah," he replied, "Just... chatting with the voice in my head... Isn't that right, voice?"
There was silence.
"Oh great," he muttered, "Make me look like a fool in front of a Princess, why don't you?"
"Tis not the way of the foal to have conversations with one aspect or another of they dream self."
"I guess so..." he looked about from one statue to the next. He couldn't quite place a claw on it, but one of the statues seemed to much... odder compared to the others. "Are you visiting me for a reason?"
"There... seemed to be something... off in they dream," she replied, "but whatever it was is gone now... I shall leave you to your own repast."
He sighed softly as she went back into the moon overhead. Soon, Asriel would awaken on his pile of books.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                      A (Little) Kiss                      
//-------------------------------------------------------//
A (Little) Kiss
by neorenamon
Frisk yawned as she woke up. She spent most of the night under Chara who in turn had them both under the sheets. It was only after Chara fell asleep that Frisk managed to. She couldn't just fall asleep while Chara was amusing her. Oh, the things Chara could do with her tongue...
The glow of the light against her skin told Frisk it was past morning, but still she wasn't sure how late it was. Sitting up with the covers against her chest, she looked about and couldn't see Spike's basket over the end of the bed. Quietly slipping out of bed, she hoped that the baby dragon wouldn't see too much. She had no idea how to explain the details of human anatomy to him.
She realized that Chara was right about at least one thing. After a night of being amused by Chara under the sheets, she did smell kinda sweaty. Chara didn't smell exactly springtime fresh herself either. She didn't really want to put her new clothes back on until she cleaned herself up a bit.
"G'mornin, angel," purred Chara.
Frisk glanced over to see her propped up on an elbow while giving her a most smug and satisfied Cheshire cat grin. She simply turned her head and placed one finger over her mouth in a 'shushing' motion.
"Sleep soundly last night?"
Reaching over, she placed the tip of her index finger against her forehead and replied, 'Yeah... after you let me sleep.'
"You had a lot of pent up tensions to release," she purred as she sat up.
'Part of which you created yourself.'
Chara pouted.
'Don't give me that look, little Miss Innocence,' she rebuked.
She sniffed as her eyes became damp.
'Nono... Don't try that with me...'
Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.
'Oh, I can't stay mad at you,' she replied as she dragged Chara into a hug.
Frisk could almost feel the smugness from Chara radiating from her hidden grin.
'Now how will we get to the bath without making a scene?'
"Who says we shouldn't?" asked Chara softly into Frisk's ear.
'**CHARA!* We're guests at this library and they're a completely different species than we are.*'
"Then seeing us nude shouldn't bother them at all?"
'I suppose you want to see Asriel get wood too?!'
"Am I that predictable?" she replied as she dragged Frisk closer to nibble an earlobe.
Frisk nodded as Chara slipped out of bed.
"Oh, I'm sure that Asriel will be a gentlemonster and avert his eyes," she cooed into her ear.
Frisk sighed as the two of them walked towards the top of the stairs. She glanced at Spike in his basket and he was still snoring soundly. Not like Napstablook and his fake snoring. She could still remember that little thing.
The two of them suddenly stopped cold when the main room came into view. They almost immediately noticed that over a large pile of open books, Asriel was cuddling Twilight like some long lost unicorn plushie. Her forelegs lay around his torso as her hind legs were both on top of his one thigh. They could also see him pitching a tent in his unisex robes underneath Twilight's thigh.
'Chara! Don't you dare...'
Too late. Contact with her body was suddenly broken as Chara was already running to the backpack with Alphys' upgraded Cell Phone to take pictures of the little scene. She no doubt intended to use them to blackmail Asriel later.
Frisk simply sighed as Chara snapped pictures. She was grateful that he didn't sleep in the buff like they had. Otherwise, the pictures surely would have looked more... incriminating.
Then Chara crept down the stairs. But instead of waking him up, she slipped by quietly leaving Frisk to wonder just what she was up to. So she slinked down the stairs herself towards the monster prince and his new 'living plushie'.
Twilight was muttering something in her sleep. "Moondancer..." she whispered, "I'm so... so sorry... I left you behind..."
Asriel was murmuring something as well. "Chara... I'm so sorry... I let you down... I failed you..."
She wondered if Luna was being amused by either of their dreams at the moment... Then she remembered it was day and her 'shift' was over. It made her wonder if anyone monitored dreams during the day?
Slowly, she began reaching out to touch Asriel's shoulder when he suddenly dragged Twilight into a kiss. His aim was off so he wound up kissing her nose instead of her lips. Frisk was so glad the camera-phone was back upstairs. Twilight awoke with a startled squeal that woke up Asriel almost as quickly. Her squealing made him squeal back.
He sat bolt upright while still clutching Twilight to his chest.
Chara returned with a bucket of water and a look of disappointment on her face.
"I hate it when the neighbor's cats fight in the morning," muttered someone. Looking back upstairs, Frisk could see that Spike had spoken and he was rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
Twilight and Asriel gazed into each other's eyes as they blushed.
Frisk began waving away Chara. She knew that nothing good would come from getting handwritten books wet, and that more than anything would piss off someone acting as a librarian. Chara slipped back into the kitchen area before Spike noticed her.
"Uh... Good morning..." said Twilight awkwardly.
"And good morn to you as well," replied Asriel diplomatically... as he could... under the circumstances.
"Wow... it hardly feels like... I've been sleeping that long..."
"Yeah," he agreed as he looked about.
Frisk suddenly realized she had to do something. She covered her breasts with one hand and her crotch with the other. The increasing blush in Asriel's cheeks to her she was just a bit too late in covering herself up.
"Where's the bath in this place?" muttered Chara as she came back from the kitchen sans bucket.
"Oh, I can show you where that is," replied Spike after he yawned loudly.
She walked over and mussed up Asriel's hair as she purred, "Ooo... Like the new plushie. Be careful or all the kiddies will be demanding their own from Santa Claus this year."
"Chara!" he protested as Twilight pushed herself away from him.
* No books were harmed in the making of this episode.
"Don't you start already," growled Asriel as he looked up.
"Start what?" asked Twilight curiously.
"Oh!" he blurt out in reply, "It's nothing!" He realized she must not be aware of the strange signs in the room. 'Now she really must think I'm weird,' he thought glumly.
* Ah, it seems your chariots are here. They're probably fired up...
"What?" he asked softly.
* You know... Chariots of... Oh nevermind. Youngsters these days...
Asriel sighed before Twilight could question him again. That and a knock at the door. Spike raced to the door to find one of the Canterlot Royal Guard staring back. He looked rather official in his shining metal armor and helmet.
"Her majesty, the Crown Princess Celestia, would like to have Monster Prince Asriel, Frisk the Magical Gunslinger and Chara the... uh... something... to attend the Morning Sun Court," he said officially.
"BIG BROTHER?!" blurt out Twilight as she raced for the door.
"IS THAT YOU, TWILLIE?!" he called back as the two came face to face at the door.
* Told you they'd come for you in the...
Asriel and Chara both growled under their breaths.
* Well this is unexpected... A family reunion so soon?
"Family reunion?" asked Chara. Without touching Frisk, she had no idea what the two ponies at the door were saying. By the way he was leaning down to neck hug the smaller mare, she guessed that the two were happy to see each other. They surely didn't seem like they were old enough to be man and wife, so she guessed they were brother and sister.
Frisk wandered over to them and touched their shoulders.
"Oh, I'm a Captain in the Royal Guard now!" blurt out the guard.
"And I'm one of the Elements of Harmony!" she cried back, "The Lost Element of Magic!"
"I always told you that you were special, Twillie," he gushed.
"Like I told you the day you went off for guard training, Shining Armor!" she replied.
"I heard how you saved all of us from Nightmare Moon, little sister! That's amazing!"
"Oh," she blushed, "I'm sure you'll do great things in the Royal Guard as well..."
"I can live without excitement," he replied softly, "It's enough for me to be assigned to Princess Cadance..."
"My foalsitter!" she squealed.
"Uh... yeah..." he mused, "That's the one..." He then sighed and said, "Isn't she... just amazing?"
* I think I just threw up in my mouth... just a little bit... A hard thing to do in my current state...
It was ignored.
"Well even Celestia is going to have to wait," muttered Spike, "Twilight isn't leaving here without a solid breakfast and neither are our new guests."
Shining Armor nodded.
"And we really need a bath," added Chara.
"We want to look and smell our best for the Princess," agreed Asriel.
He nodded again. "It's completely understandable," he replied, "The Princess said it wasn't a real hurry to get you back to her Morning Court." He paused as he stared at the naked humans and added, "How do you get by without a coat? You must be..."
Twilight cut him off as she clamped a hoof over his mouth. "Brother..." she hissed, "We'll discuss that later... along with a couple of lessons about not asking inappropriate questions..."
He mumbled something incomprehensible from under Twilight's hoof.
"Why don't we go outside and chat a while?" she continued.
"You better be back soon before your breakfast gets cold," retorted Spike.
"Of course," she replied quickly as she pushed Shining Armor out the door.
"Well this day is going to be... interesting..."
"Why does that sound more like a curse than a blessing?" mumbled Chara.
Asriel shrugged.
'Hmm... Glossy photos or postcards?' mused Chara before Frisk elbowed her in the side.
"What was that?" asked Asriel softly.
'Oh, I'm sure Chara is just being silly again!' offered Frisk quickly.
"As much as Chara and Sans like to think they don't like each other, I think Chara is secretly..."
'DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE!!' hissed Chara.
He giggled nervously.
'I'm sure you two like each other more than you let on,' replied Frisk. She cut off Chara's upcoming retort with a full kiss to her lips. She even wrapped her hands behind Chara's head to keep her from pulling back.
"MMMPPPHHH?!" said Chara in surprise into the kiss.
"That does keep her manageable," muttered Asriel softly.
'I'll manage you, you... mmm... spoiled royal brat!' she hissed before Frisk added some tongue to the kiss, 'Alright! I'll be... mmm... good!'
The two women could feel the power of Asriel's smirk radiating about the room. Chara was panting lightly when the kiss finally ended, and Frisk was red-cheeked as well.
"Well... I think you've been... MMMPPPHHH!!" Yes, Frisk turned on a dime and gave him the full(-lipped) Monty kiss as well.
'Serves you right,' smirked Chara.
'If you want seconds, just keep it up,' replied Frisk as she Frenched Asriel.
'Sorry dear!' she answered.
"Ugh," moaned Spike, "I'll start breakfast. It should be done by the time you're cleaned up... assuming you won't spend all day sucking each other's faces off." He strode off towards the kitchen. He paused to point and say, "The bath is the second door on the left. You can't miss it."
"Thanks," said Asriel after he managed to break away from Frisk's deep kiss.
'Oh, he's a baby dragon alright,' sighed Chara.
...
One bath and change of clothes later
...
'It's hard to bathe with your hand up my...' thought Frisk as she blushed, 'up my...'
"I prefer to think of it as a challenge," Chara cooed into her ear.
'Did you have to... make Asriel... that stuff... in my hair?!'
Asriel's ears were turning as red as his cheeks. Almost as red as Frisk's blush.
"They say it does wonders for one's hair."
"Can we never speak about this bath again?" he asked quietly.
"Fine," muttered Chara as she sniffed the air, "Well it looks like breakfast is going to be... interesting."
Twilight and Shining Armor were already waiting for them as Spike prepared breakfast. They were working on some kind of rolled oat cereal with milk, a side of whole grain toast covered with creamy white butter, and a small serving of sliced apples on the side. It looked very good.
"The haybacon is almost done," said Spike from the stove. He was standing on a stool so he could work the frying pan.
"Hay bacon?" muttered Chara.
"Don't knock it until you've tried it."
"It's just... we've never heard of anything like that before," offered Asriel diplomatically.
"Oh, well it's the best haybacon bits can buy!" assured Spike.
"That's so... reassuring," muttered Chara.
Frisk reached out to touch Shining Armor's nose. 'Where's the other guards?' she asked, 'Aren't they invited in? Aren't they hungry too?'
"Oh, there's not enough room in here," he replied, "and don't worry. The juice and rations that Celestia sent with us as surely good enough for them. The Princess doesn't leave her Guard in their time of need."
"A real Prince of a Princess," smirked Chara.
"What?.."
'Nothing,' replied Frisk as she elbowed Chara's side with her free arm.
...
One breakfast later
...
"Wow, I hardly remember eating breakfast at all," muttered Chara.
"It's like we were suddenly rushed through a breakfast montage," agreed Asriel.
* * innocent whistling *
"I also feel an urge coming on..."
Frisk covered her mouth with her hand.
"I feel... like I need to... SING..."
"Wuht?" asked Asriel suspiciously.
She sharply inhaled while the others blinked. She began to croon... (with Pinkie Pie as the backup no less...)
My name is Chara (Hello!)
And I am here to say (How ya doin'?)
that breakfast is the most important part of your day
It doesn't matter how (What's up?)
If you are hungry or blue (Howdy!)
'Cause that's what pancakes and syrup are here to do
'Cause breakfast makes you smile, smile, smile
Yes it does
It fills my belly with sunshine all the while
Yes it does
'Cause all I really need's a smile, smile, smile
From these happy friends of mine
I like to see you eat (Awesome!)
I love to see you scarf (Rock on!)
The mouthful of food you have is always Chara's dream (hoof bump!)
But if you're kind of worried
And your face has made a frown
I'll make breakfast and do my best to turn that sad frown upside down
'Cause I love to make you eat, eat, eat
Yes I do
Bust it out from ear to ear let it begin
Just give me a joyful grin, grin, grin
And you fill me with good cheer
It's true some mornings hungry and lonely
And maybe you feel sad
But Chara will be there to be sure breakfast is had!
There's one thing that makes me happy and makes my whole life worthwhile
And that's shoveling breakfast in my face all the while
I really am so happy
Your smile fills me with glee
I give a smile I get a smile
And that's so special to me
'Cause I love to see you beam, beam, beam
Yes I do
Tell me what more can I say
To make you see
That I do
It makes me happy when you beam, beam, beam
Yes it always makes my day
Come on every everybody eat, eat, eat
Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine
All I really need's a smile, smile, smile
From these happy friends of mine
* By Celestia's horn, can this get anymore random or corny?!
"My work here is done!" said Pinkie as she skipped out the kitchen door.
* How did she even get into this scene?!
"The world may never know," muttered Asriel.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                     The Ends of Equus                     
//-------------------------------------------------------//
The Ends of Equus
by neorenamon
"If we had things like this in the Underground..." sighed Asriel as he looked over the side of the chariot they were riding in pulled by a pair of Royal Guard pegasi.
"I guess it's a classy way to get around," agreed Chara, "The best you could have hoped for was a Greater Dog sled."
"Huh?" he asked as he looked over his shoulder.
"Oh, it's nothing."
'Isn't it great that we'll have diplomatic relations with a nation of pastel ponies?' asked Frisk through her contact with Asriel's hand. They had been holding hands for some time since they mounted the chariot.
"They don't consider themselves monsters," he agreed, "but I feel like... there's a kinship between us and them."
"We seem to have more common with them than we do with the human race, don't we?" agreed Chara as she took Frisk's other hand in hers.
'Well we haven't seen everything about this pony society.'
"So... You think this society isn't all sweetness and light?"
'They say "hope for the best, but prepare for the worst",' she thought back.
"They do seem to have an odd mix of magic, science and social structure," added Asriel.
'How so?'
He looked down as he said, "Well we're passing over a steam locomotive right now, yet they still have carts and wagons that they pull themselves. We passed over a herd of cattle earlier, but they're vegetarian."
"Magic tends to mix things up," mused Chara. She leaned closer as she whispered in his ear, "After all, their magic seems to have replaced your lack of soul. I think I like the results."
"And it's given you a brand new body," he replied as he looked Chara over.
"How do you like the results?" she asked as she leaned back enough to let him see the swell of her chest.
"I... I definitely can't see you as the little kid I once knew."
"Funny. Thinking the same thing myself."
He sighed as he looked down at the train they were passing over. "But Chara... You're like my sister," he said slowly, "Why don't I think about you like that anymore?"
"Because we're related only by name, not by blood."
'I'm technically a Dreemurr as well.'
"We're molded by our experiences, after all. There's so much we've been through together. The kind of fire that forges the deepest of feelings. The tightest of bonds."
'Still I'd feel awkward trying to explain that to Mom and Dad.'
A quiet fell over the chariot for some time.
"Canterlot is coming into view!" called one of the Guards pulling the chariot.
"Wow," mused Chara, "A city built onto the side of a mountain? That's... pretty big."
'Look at all of those towers and spires.'
"A city fitting of royalty," agreed Asriel.
'It looks like Twilight and Shining Armor had a lot to catch up on,' mused Frisk as she looked towards the chariot flying alongside them. The two had been chatting up a storm ever since they left Ponyville with them.
Two more chariots carried the other Elements of Harmony. One for Applejack and Pinkie Pie, and another for Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity.
"It seems they've both been... rather busy with their work."
'I wonder if that's the way it is with Celestia and Luna?'
"You think they're related?"
'That was the impression I got when I touched Luna.'
"We shall be landing in the Royal Garden soon!" called the Guard, "The Princesses will be meeting you there!"
Asriel looked over the edge and took a white-knuckled grip on the chariot's rail with his free hand.
'Is... something wrong... Asriel?'
"Oh... ah... it's nothing!" he replied quickly.
She looked down into the garden. 'Is something about the garden bothering you?'
"Oh it's just a silly..."
"Those statues," mused Chara, "So... lifelike."
'Still too far away for me to sense effectively.'
"That one statue is really creepy though."
"It's some kind of monster," mused Asriel.
"That's strange even by Underground standards. Two kinds of horns. One arm has talons while the other has paws. Hind legs are different too: A goat leg and some kind of dragon leg. A serpentine body and tail, but the chest and torso appear to be fur covered. One side of his mouth has a large fang."
'So it's some kind of chimera, I guess.'
"Who would imagine such... a nightmarish creature?"
Asriel looked up and around.
'Something wrong?'
"I was half expecting some kind of snide comment to appear," he mused.
"Disappointed, are we?" replied Chara.
"Only... a little."
"Goodness. Look at all the ponies that have gathered to meet us," she said as she looked ahead.
"They've quite literally rolled out the red carpet for us, haven't they?" he said as he looked down on the red carpet rolled out as it stretched out to the length of a football field. No pony stood on the carpet, but Guards lined both sides. Beyond the guards lay no doubt the elite of Canterlot dressed in their finest. At the end was a wooden stand with thrones for both Celestia and Luna. The throne of Celestia seemed a bit larger and more impressive than that of Luna.
"Everyone's staring at us."
"Well we are the center of attention this day," agreed Asriel as they drew closer to landing.
'Something just... feels off.'
"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."
'Perhaps...'
The chariots flew in to land near the end of the carpet. Every pony was staring at them in wonder and curiosity. Everyone began to dismount from their rides as they looked ahead. Frisk noticed that Shining Armor was moving away from them to take his place among the Royal Guard. He was putting on his helmet as he walked.
"See you later, big brother!" called Twilight after him.
The chimera statue caught the attention of Frisk. She could see almost unimaginable amounts of power coursing through it from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail. Stranger than that, it had a soul. It was... alive?! She broke her handholds with both Chara and Asriel as she stepped forward.
"Are you shedding?" asked Chara as she brushed a few loose hairs from his collar.
"Very funny," he mused as they walked to join Twilight and the others.
"Pretty amazing," said Twilight, "don't you think?"
"A great place for a party!" called Pinkie.
"She has party on the brain," mused Asriel, "doesn't she?"
"You make that sound like something bad," replied Chara.
"All in moderation."
"Say, where is the other one?" asked Twilight, "Frisk?"
They looked about. She was walking around the end of the line of guards and by the group of ponies that were at the end of the carpet. Her destination seemed to be the chimera statue.
"How are you speaking with us?" asked Asriel.
"Oh I studied a translation spell before we came here," she replied, "Now we can understand each other as long as you're within earshot of me."
"That's useful."
"But I wonder what she wants with that statue of Discord?"
"Discord?" asked Chara, "I thought that was a concept."
"Oh no, Discord is a real being. A creature of chaos and disorder. He was beaten more than a thousand years ago."
"Well I have to admit he looks like a chaotic mess."
"He caused no end of suffering and confusion when he ruled Equestria."
"Sounds like my kinda guy," she muttered.
Celestia and Luna seemed to be aware of the delay at the other end of the carpet, but seemed unaware of the cause.
"I didn't know Frisk had such a... strange taste in sculptures," she added as they began following Frisk.
"This seems to be more than just idle curiosity," observed Asriel.
"Maybe she just wants to see what it feels like," suggested Pinkie.
"It looks perfectly dreadful to me," sniffed Rarity.
"WAIT!" called Twilight, "Something's going on! Something... magical!"
A blue heart emerged from the statue's chest.
"It's like San's blue magic!" called Asriel, "But... how can a statue have a soul?!"
Frisk touched the soul and the statue at the same time. It began to glow brightly. The soul returned as beams of light began to burst from cracks forming in the torso of the statue.
"Pinkie sense!" called Pinkie Pie as she looked at her knee, "Something bad's going to happen!"
"I think it's a little late for that!" called Twilight as the area was engulfed in a bright burst of light.
...
Frisk found herself floating in a sea of white light.
"Well aren't you the precious one?" asked a voice behind her.
She turned to see the statue now quite alive and colorful. Very colorful.
'You're Discord, aren't you?' she replied.
"Why yes I am, and you're the one called Frisk?"
She nodded.
"So... this is what a human looks like, eh?" he replied, "Not terribly impressed, but I've... seen worse."
'Why were you trapped as a statue?'
"Oh, that's a long story that I'll tell you all about... some day. But right now, I have other matters to take care of." He raised a paw like he was going to snap his 'fingers', but paused. "Oh, and thank you for setting me free... even if you didn't intend to. Don't worry, when I restore chaos to the world, I'll be sure to thank you more properly."
'WAIT! I set you free because I sensed you are alone! You're trapped in your own ways!'
"Moi?! DISCORD?! Lonely?!" he hissed, "Surely you're mistaken! I NEED NO ONE!!"
'Everyone needs someone special!'
"You surely are... amusing... perhaps we'll talk more later, but I must go now... I'm sure you'll keep yourself amused until I return then." He snapped his 'fingers' and vanished.
He returned to the garden to hear a human female yelling, "Where's Frisk?! What have you done with her?!"
"Another human?" he replied, "How... amusing."
"Bring her back right now!" she hissed.
"Or what?!" he sneered, "You'll hurt my widdle feewings?!"
The whites of Chara's eyes turned black as blades appeared in her hands.
"Hold that thought, would you?" he said as he snapped his talons. A book appeared in his other paw. One that he simply swallowed whole.
Celestia and Luna were coming down the runway carpet as guards moved in from all sides.
"Discord!" called Celestia, "Don't move or I shall be forced to..."
"Don't make a promise you can't keep, Princess!" he replied.
"The Elements!" she replied, "They shall..."
"Oh those," he sneered, "Already been taken care of! Don't think you can stand a chance against me without them!" He turned to stare at the two of them as he added, "You know, I owe you two about a thousand years of suffering for what you did to me." Smiling, he added, "I was aware those thousand long years about what was going on around me. What was said in the garden by those who thought I was an ugly statue. The conversations you had with your little sister before she became... a total nightmare, shall we say?"
Luna stopped and shuddered at his words.
"We've both been wronged by Celestia," he added, "Perhaps you'd like to see some payback..."
"Celestia," replied Luna, "She has forgiven us for how we have wronged her. It was a fitting punishment..."
"Feh," he snorted, "You're no fun anymore. Maybe Nightmare Moon will feel differently?"
"Please," she begged, "Don't turn us back... into her!"
"GUARDS!!" called Celestia, "Protect the guests! Try to keep Discord contained!"
"You should really issue your Guards red shirts," mused Discord as he snapped his talons.
Celestia, Luna and all the Royal Guards suddenly found themselves wrapped neck to back hoof in black thorny vines.
"YOU SHALL NOT!.. MMMPPPHHH!" called Celestia as she was suddenly muzzled by more vines.
"She talks to much," he noted to no one in particular.
Black blades flashed by him as his arms fell off with a spray of black blood. He turned around as if he didn't feel anything and said, "If you want my attention so bad, you could have just asked." His arms floated up and flew at Chara. With the blades attached to her with thin chains and obeying her will, they cut the limbs to pieces. Many pieces.
To their surprise, the pieces turned to smoke as his arms just popped back out of his torso.
"I'm giving you ONE MORE CHANCE to give back MY FRISK!" she growled as her blades whirled about her hands. Her eyes bled black fluid, and it leaked from the sides of her mouth as well.
"Well, that look oddly suits you," he asked, "I guess that's just how ugly you look on the inside as well?"
"Twillie!" called Applejack, "Ain't ya got some kinda spell for this?!"
"I'm not that good!" she replied, "Not without my Element of Magic!"
"His chaos!" called Asriel, "It's warping the area around us!"
They realized the clouds were now made of cotton candy and chocolate milk was starting to rain down from them. The garden maze was turning tartan plaid in color and the pennants now all showed Discord's face on them.
"Well I guess it's time to stop being nice!" called Chara as she attacked him once more.
"Be careful!" he yelled after her, "His determination is much stronger than yours!"
"I don't know what determination is," answered Discord, "but I know I have a hellova lot more MAGIC than you!" He snapped his talons and a column of flame shot up from under her. Her clothing was ruined in an instant and she realized that one attack took away most of her HP. It hurt like heck.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" screamed Asriel as he lashed out at Discord with his CHAOS BREAKER lightning attack.
"Goodness," he sneered, "I felt that. You shall suffer for this, you strange creature."
"I AM ASRIEL DREEMURR!" he replied as he rushed to Chara's side, "PRINCE OF MONSTERS!"
"WELL I AM DISCORD!" replied the draconequus, "KING OF CHAOS!"
He used his power to heal Chara as he muttered, "I wish I was more skilled at healing like Mom."
"Fine," he mused, "I'll wait until you're done with her. Then I can take care of you, little one." He scratched his chin and added, "Why don't you attack me together? I want you to think you have a sporting chance, after all."
"Make... him... give... back... Frisk..." murmured Chara.
"What's so special about this Frisk?"
"I... love... her..."
"LOVE?!" he chuckled, "I have no use for that or friendship!"
"Get used to it!" replied Asriel, "Because I love her too!"
"Well if you want her back so bad... JUST DEFEAT ME!"
"If that's what you want, then that is what you'll get!"

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                        Prince Ali                         
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Prince Ali
by neorenamon
Now that Chara was healed up, she and Asriel faced off against the might of Discord. Asriel used his magic to summon up his Chaos Blades (that appeared to be even larger than the chain-falchions of Chara).
"Give back Frisk before we have to hurt you!" he called.
"Just you try, Prince Alibaba!" he yelled back.
"That's Prince As!.."
"But I'll just call you Prince Ali instead!" he continued, "Rolls off the tongue a little nicer."
"We need to get back the Elements of Harmony he ate!" called Twilight from the sidelines.
"Aren't you the naughty little thief?!" asked Chara.
"Naughty yes," he sneered, "but hardly little!" At his taunt, he grew until he was a good ten stories tall.
"Chara!" called Asriel, "Let us attack him together!" He rushed forward to lash out at Discord's legs while Chara struck higher at his chest and stomach.
Discord seemed to be mildly amused by their efforts to cut him to ribbons. Even without legs or a tail, he just floated in the air as if it took no effort at all.
"Maybe I should get you two to act as my masseuses?" he suggested as he pulled himself back together, "I must admit that you two give delightful massages."
"You're pretty good at acting," hissed Asriel, "but I can tell our attacks are hurting you more than you're admitting!"
"Hurting?" he asked smugly, "No. Annoying me? Yes. It's very bad to annoy the likes of me." He snapped his talons and turned into hundreds of normal sized copies of himself. "Let's see if you're any good at crowd control, shall we?"
"Dammit!" hissed Chara as six of them rushed her at once, "They're bloody everywhere!" Her spinning blades carved up any Discords that tried to get too close to her.
"I'm not sure which him is the real him!" added Asriel. The Discords near him were similarly chopped up.
"We need stronger attacks!"
"I don't know how much determination I have left to do anything with!"
"My power is without limits!" hissed all of the Discords at once.
"That's not creepy at all," replied Chara.
Pinkie Pie ran up beside a bewildered Twilight as she grabbed her tail in one hoof and her head with the other.
"Pinkie?" asked Twilight as Pinkie began cranking her tail, "What are you... AHH?!" Her horn began casting magic bolts like some kind of magical gatling gun. The shots began taking down the Discords by the dozen within seconds.
"Leave some of them thar varmints fer us!" called Applejack as she lassoed a Discord with a lasso she controlled with her tail. In a flash, she had the Discord hogtied.
"These might be some kind of strange clouds!" called Rainbow Dash as she pushed one of the clouds down to the battlefield, "but I bet I can still do my stuff with it!" She kicked the cloud and 'lightning bolts' of dark, light and milk chocolate began blasting Discords all around her.
Several Discords surrounded Rarity as she tried looking in all directions at once.
"What are you going to do?" sneered one of the Discords, "Bedazzle me to death?"
She looked around frantically until she summoned a fainting couch and proceeded to faint dead away with a little whimper.
"What a Drama Queen," he muttered under his breath.
"Now now, Mister Discord," said Fluttershy softly as a few of his copies backed her up against the off color hedge wall, "There's no need for violence here."
"You're absolutely right," said one of the Discords with a leer.
"So you aren't going to fight anymore?"
"No," he replied, "Well... just not you. I'm taking you as an insurance policy against the rest of your friends."
She gasp as he snapped his talons, and Fluttershy vanished in a flash of light.
"They all got Flutters!" called AJ as he watched Fluttershy vanish.
"Give her back, creep!" growled Rainbow Dash.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones!" hissed several of the Discords at once, "but names... wait, stupid sticks and stones don't hurt me either!"
A few of the Discords found it quite amusing to use their tails to spank the helpless Princesses on their flanks. They moaned into their vine muzzles as their back cheeks turned red. Yes, Luna was now muzzled too.
"I wonder how you'll feel about me after a few hundred years of spanks!" sneered a Discord as he leered at the pair of almost glowing butts.
"Stop that, you pervert!" growled Twilight as Pinkie kept firing her.
"Pervert? Moi?" asked one of the Discords in a mockery of innocence, "Keeping me as a statue for a thousand plus years is by far more perverse than that!"
"If you weren't such a creep, I'd love to party with you!" added Pinkie.
"Well after Equestria falls into a proper state of disorder, I'm sure I can arrange something," answered yet another Discord.
"It's time to up my game!" called Asriel as he dismissed his Chaos Sabers and replaced them with his Chaos Buster Cannon.
"Good," said Discord, "You ain't got no game so far..."
"STAR SHOWER!" he called as several large glowing stars began falling from the sky.
"You really expect to hit any of me with an attack that slow?" he replied as his clones looked up.
"Just a distraction for this!" he called as his cannon began firing bursts of shots into the Discords like some crazy automatic shotgun weapon. Some of his clones were taken down as they were busy looking up.
"You really think you're witty, don't you Prince Ali?!" he asked as the earth rose to form a barrier between Asriel and them.
"Why yes," he replied, "Yes I am."
The slow moving stars burst into showers of faster moving, but smaller stars that fell all over the place. Numerous more Discords were destroyed by contact with them.
"Clever boy," growled Discord.
"That's what my parents say about me all the time," he smirked as his cannon fired a powerful beam through the earthen wall and blasted several more Discords.
"What did we say about hogging all the fun to yourself?!" asked Chara as she shredded several more Discords with her spinning blades on chains.
"So teary eyed one," sneered Discord, "This is all just a GAME to you?!"
"Basically."
"I like your style!" giggled several Discords, "Well I'm sure we'll find a way to keep playing with you for years to come!" Several Discord clones piled on top of Chara at once until she could no longer be seen under the pile.
"Those attacks," panted Asriel, "They... took a lot out of me."
"Too bad," he hissed, "My powers are LIMITLESS! Without the Elements of Harmony, NOTHING CAN STOP ME!"
"Pinkie!" moaned Twilight, "My tail is sore! Let me go!"
"Sorry," replied Pinkie as she released Twilight.
"Ah'm runnin outta rope over here!" called Applejack as she looked back at the dozen or so Discords she hogtied. Just then, several more Discord jumped her. Once the cloud of dust cleared, she was hogtied even tighter than the other Discords where.
"Sticks and stones may break our bones," hissed one into her ear, "but ropes and chains excite... Wait, that's not quite right."
"HHHMMM!" moaned AJ into her rope muzzle.
"Well as long as I don't run outta clouds,.." said RD, but the cloud literally swallowed her up before she could finish that sentence. A dark chocolate pegasus pony fell from the cloud to land on the ground with a thud.
"It's never too early to start the lawn ornament collection, is it?" hissed Discord, "Maybe I'll just put this one on top of my soon to be created chocolate fountain."
"Alright!" said Pinkie as she pulled a cannon from her mane, "It's Party Cannon Time!"
"Well," said Discord as he popped in next to her, "Is that kosher with the show or just your idea?"
"What?"
"In other words, is it a canon cannon or just a headcanon?!" he chuckled as he stuffed Pinkie down the barrel of her own cannon head first.
"Hhhmmmppphhh!" she replied.
"Everyone's a critic," he muttered as her tail waved around the mouth of the cannon.
"Why are you doing this to us?!" asked Twilight.
"Why?!" asked Discord as he teleported next to her, "Because I just can!"
Vines sprang from the ground all around her and hogtied her like the Princesses. She could see them squirming as the tails of the Discords continued to spank them.
"No other choice," sighed Asriel as he floated up. His legs turned into glowing wings as they shifted up to his shoulders. He grew even larger until he was as large as the ten story version of Discord was. "It's time for the GOD OF HYPERDEATH to appear!!"
"Compensating for something, are we?!" sneered several Discords at once.
...
* Meanwhile, in another dimension...
...
"Ugh," moaned Fluttershy as she looked about the white void, "Where am I?"
'That's something I'd like to know too,' came something from behind her.
"Goodness!" squeaked Flutters as she turned about, "You're that human, aren't you?"
'I'm Frisk,' she replied as she scratched her chin.
"Oh my," she answered awkwardly, "I'm... Fluttershy..."
'I guess you're being used against your friends as well?'
"I... guess so."
'Well as long as we're going to be here awhile, why don't you tell me about yourself?'
"Well," she began a little more confidently, "I was never a really good flier... not like my friend, Rainbow Dash..."

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                       Asriel's Word                       
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Asriel's Word
by neorenamon
By shifting into his God of Hyperdeath mode, Asriel also shifted the battle from Equestria to a place where only souls exist. A private battlefield where few can interfere. But unlike a normal battle against this force that Asriel turned into, he realized that Discord was still able to move.
"I'm mildly impressed," said Discord as he looked about, "but you're still wasting your time if you think it's enough to take down the likes of me."
"We'll see about that," replied GoHD, "Feel my Angel of Death Attack!"
A serious barrage of small fireballs emerged from his fingertips as they swarmed in the direction of discord. While they were automatically locking onto Discord's soul, they couldn't come back if they missed. Discord was pretty good at evading so the majority of the attacks did miss.
"This is thrilling!" called out the King of Chaos, "No one has ever provided me with such a challenge before!"
"I am glad you're amused," replied Asriel.
A black heart floated before the GoHD.
"Chara?" he asked, "Is that you?"
"Yes," she replied, "You can't beat Discord like this. Not without absorbing my soul."
"NO!!" he yelled, "I promised I wouldn't do that again!!"
"It's alright!" she assured him, "I'm not dead so you can give my soul back when you're done with it! Just like the way you released all the human and monster souls when you became the God of Hyperdeath the first time! I promise I won't suffer this time!"
"Still, will one human soul be enough?"
"I hope so," she replied as he took her soul and absorbed it into his GoHD form.
"Ugh," grunted Discord, "All this mushiness is making me a little queasy. I'm so glad I don't need anyone for my powers."
"We are stronger together!" shouted Asriel and Chara as one.
"Then just you prove it!"
They unleashed a barrage of Angel of Death so great that not even Discord could avoid taking multiple hits.
"I've never been so hurt before in my lives," muttered Discord, "You should be proud that you've done what no other has before this point."
"Yet you have been defeated!"
"Only because those Princesses used a power that I never faced before!" he retorted, "You have no such power over me!"
"The stakes are different now, arrogant one! We fight not to erase our timeline and start over! We fight not because we don't want to be left alone again! We fight because our friends need us!"
"Oh, again with the Friendship thing!" moaned Discord, "I'd swear you're just trying to bore me to death!"
They launched another Angel of Death attack against Discord.
* HP: 999
Discord looked up as he asked, "What the heck is that?!"
"The remaining strength of your soul!" they replied, "We've weakened you enough that now it can be measured!"
He snorted, "Big deal. That seems like a pretty big number to me."
The next Angel of Death attack was weaker than the one before.
* HP: 799
"Well it looks like you're running out of coal... or whatever it is you're running on now," hissed Discord.
"Then we shall use the rest of our power to defeat you!!" they swore as a giant beast skull formed over their heads, "REVISED HYPER GONER!!" A massive beam erupted from the mouth of the skull that was so wide and tall that it was impossible to avoid by anyone it targeted.
"ARRGGHH!!" screamed Discord.
* HP: 399
"If we can keep this up, we'll defeat Discord!!"
But their magic was being drained so quickly that no one was sure they could keep it up.
* HP: 199
"The King of Chaos... cannot be destroyed!!" he swore.
* HP: 99
"Please!" called a voice from somewhere nearby, "Don't destroy Discord!" It was the voice of Twilight Sparkle's soul. "Even he doesn't deserve that fate!"
"Are you willing to let him get away with what he's done to you?!" they asked, "For what he's going to do to you?!"
* HP: 49
"He spent a thousand years as a statue!" she replied, "I think that covers his past punishment! Show him mercy!"
"I'm Discord!" he retorted, "I have no need to be shown mercy and even less need of anypony to speak up for me!"
* HP: 24
"See?!" replied the GoHD, "He is without remorse or regret about anything he's ever done!"
"But even the worst person can change!"
* HP: 12
"The worst person..." they mused, "The worst person can change?"
"Why should I change?!" retorted Discord, "I have no need to change!!"
* HP: 6
"You would rather die than admit you can be wrong?!" asked Twilight.
"I would rather die free than live as a slave!!"
* HP: 3
"No one wants you to be their slave!"
"You want me to be a slave to love!" he cried back before he paused, "I mean friendship!"
* HP: 1
They stopped the attack.
"You cannot force friendship," she replied, "You cannot make someone love you. It's not slavery. It's liberating."
"So... what do I have to do?" he asked somewhat meekly.
They released Chara's soul as the world returned to normal, but something was very wrong once the world returned to focus. Asriel was missing. In his place, there was but a single yellow flower.
"Oh no," it moaned, "I'm... I'm... FLOWEY AGAIN!"
Frisk and Chara ran up by them.
"It's alright," said Chara.
"It's not the same this time," agreed Frisk.
"How can it be different?!" moaned the flower.
"Because I can see the magic returning to you from the environment," she replied, "When you're gained enough of your magic back, you'll return to Asriel. I swear."
"I thought... I was over this... forever..."
"FLUTTERSHY!!" called Twilight, Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie as they rushed over to surround their returned friend.
"But who would want to befriend someone like me?" asked Discord quietly.
"HMM!!" moaned Celestia.
"Mmm," agreed Luna.
"Oh, I forgot about them," he replied as he snapped his talons and freed both the Princesses and all of the Royal Guards.
"Take him before he changes his mind!" shouted one of the guards. They advanced on the chimera en masse.
"STOP!!" called Celestia and Luna as one.
So the guards stopped.
"I will be your friend if you give me the chance," said Celestia as she walked up.
"We would be your friend as well," added Luna as she followed.
"I would be your friend," said Fluttershy as she walked up.
"I would too," added Twilight.
The others of the Mane Six made agreeing sounds as they walked up too.
"As an ambassador from the Underground," said Flowey/Asriel as he touched her ankle with a leaf and Chara touched Frisk's shoulder, "We would like to be your friends as well."
'Thank goodness the Great Papyrus isn't here,' mused Frisk among themselves.
They chuckled at the joke that no one else heard.
"Oh darling!" moaned Rarity as she looked at Chara, "You clothing is positively destroyed!"
"I feel like I need a bath too," she agreed.
"Well don't worry, darling," she replied, "I'm sure I'll have more clothing made for you by morning. I promise."
"It's fine," purred Chara as she leaned in to give Frisk a big wet kiss on her cheek, "I'm sure I can amuse myself... for one evening."
The environment began returning to normal all around them.
"All of that chocolate rain," moaned Pinkie, "and not one dollop of whipped cream! NOT ONE!!"
"Y'all go on bout the strangest things there, Pinkie Pie," muttered Applejack.
"EEYUP," agreed Big Macintosh as he walked up to the group.
Another pink alicorn walked in from a flight into Canterlot.
"So, did I miss anything?" she asked as she walked up to Shining Armor.
"Oh, nothing important, darling Cadance," he replied as he kissed her on the lips.
The Princesses and the others found other 'interesting things' to look at while the two of them kissed each other passionately before them all.
"Ah..." sighed Celestia, "To be the Princess of Love..."
"There is such a thing as decorum, big sister," replied Luna.
Celestia noticed that Chara had swept Frisk back enough that only her arms held her up, and was proceeding to give an equally passionate kiss to the blushing woman herself. Frisk braced herself by wrapping her arms about the chest of Chara and embracing her tightly in reply. One of Frisk's legs was loosely wrapped about Chara so that her lower leg was just under her buttocks.
"It seems to be... catching."
Flowey sighed as he sat in his pot on the ground. "Please let me go back to Asriel soon," he muttered to no one in particular.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                       Flowey's Hour                       
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Flowey's Hour
by neorenamon
Twilight was confronted by something she scarcely imagined before then. A talking flower. A flower with a face. It moved. It was a bright yellow flower with six large petals and a really creepy face.
"Howdy!" it said amiably, "I'm Flowey. Flowey the Flower."
She glanced over at Chara standing at the door and wondered why she was rolling her eyes so much. By then, Rarity had whipped up a few more sets of clothing for her to wear in case she had any more... unfortunate 'accidents'.
"I thought you said this was..."
"Golly. You must be so confused," he continued, "I guess it's up to me to explain how things work around here."
"You mean why you're now a flower?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow.
The world seemed to change suddenly as a red heart emerged from Twilight's chest.
"You see," he continued, "This is your soul. The culmination of your being."
"Hey!" protested Twilight, "I'm still using that!"
"Your soul starts out weak... OW!!"
Chara had walked over and smacked Flowey in the back of the head.
"What was that for?!" he asked hotly as his head turned about.
"Because Asriel," she announced, "This isn't the Underground, Twilight didn't just fall off the turnip truck, and we don't need to hear The Speech again. Now put Twilight's soul back before I have to hurt you."
Flowey grumbled as Twilight's soul returned.
"Why is Flowey... uh, Asriel... acting so different?" asked Twilight as she cocked her head to one side.
"It's a long story," sighed Chara, "but it involves my own death by flower poisoning, taking my soul, going to the surface, getting mortally wounded, dying..."
"The short version is I was brought back to life as a flowery abomination with no soul and no feelings!" snapped Flowey.
"I see..." muttered Twilight.
"Well once we were freed from the Underground," continued Chara, "The scientist Alphys tried to make an artificial soul to replace Asriel's original soul. We thought that would bring him back. The experiment was deemed a failure until we got here... The magic of Equestria seems to have filled his 'soul' and turned him back into Prince Asriel."
"I knew it wouldn't last!" hissed Flowey.
Chara sighed as she continued, "But turning into the God of Hyperdeath seems to have drained all his magic. Now he's back to being... this." Her hand gestured towards Flowey. "I'm hoping... that once his magic returns... he'll become his more agreeable self in short order."
"Asriel was always a crybaby! I'm better off without!.. OW!!"
Chara had smacked the flower again as she hissed, "I don't care who you think you are! I won't let you badmouth Asriel even if you are Asriel!"
"I suppose that can be... a little confusing..." admitted Twilight.
"Got a spell that will let him soak up magic faster? Flowey... can be a pain in the pot."
"I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY!!" hissed the flower.
"I wish Frisk was here. She's much better dealing with this miscreant than I am."
"Oh," said Twilight, "She and Fluttershy are having a meeting with the Princesses about what to do with Discord."
"Why her?"
"He's probably some perv... OW!!" hissed Flowey as he got gobsmacked again, "Stop that or I swear I'm gonna... OW!!"
Twilight's horn glowed as Flowey floated over to her pot and all. "Look," she said softly, "There's those who care about you and they want to see you whole again."
"Why do you care so much?!" he hissed back, "You don't even know me!"
"Because I want to help everypony I can."
"I'm not a pony!" he snarled.
"That's a figure of speech!" hissed Chara.
"You know, I think a wise pony named Zecora might be able to help you much better than me," said Twilight.
"How can she help?"
"She knows ancient magics and potions. We've never actually met face to face, but I was told about her while we were going through the Everfree Forest. I might have gone to see her then, but we were a bit busy dealing with Nightmare Moon."
"Yeah," replied Chara, "Let's go to see the forest."
"It's a place where magic works... differently..." she replied slowly, "and it's full of beasts we normally call... monsters."
"Gee. Maybe this trip won't be so boring after all."
"Since I'm pretty much the only pony available who's been there, I guess I'll have to lead you to Zecora's hut."
"She lives in a hut?" asked Chara as she raised an eyebrow, "Is she some kind of witch doctor?"
"I'm not sure. Zebra culture is very mysterious to the rest of us ponies."
Chara sighed, "I guess I get to carry the flower this time."
"I'm sure it's going to be a thrill for both of us," muttered Flowey.
"Oh, I'm sure I can put Flowey and his pot in one of my saddlebags," offered Twilight.
"That sounds even better," he replied with heavy sarcasm.
...
Fluttershy looked nervously into the calm face of Princess Celestia as she was surrounded by the members of her Day Court. Frisk was next to her with her hand on the back of her mane. Discord stood between Celestia and Luna.
"I'm not sure why you think I can teach Discord about friendship," said Fluttershy softly. She paused before she added, "Frisk is wondering why she's even here."
"Because you two have very special perceptions," said Celestia with a soft look in her eyes, "You have gifts that I'm sure is going to be a great help teaching Discord what he needs to know."
"Heh," interrupted Discord, "I bet it has something to do with the fact I set the two of you aside so you won't get in my way."
"You set them aside to keep them from getting hurt," countered the Princess, "So I think you think more highly of them then you are willing to admit."
"So you're willing to gamble on them on the slightly off chance I think more highly of them?!"
"You cannot learn about friendship from power," she replied evenly, "Even one as powerful as Starswirl the Bearded had trouble grasping the true meaning of that."
"Thou should return to us the Elements of Harmony!" interrupted Luna.
"Why? So they can be used against me at the first chance?"
"We need them in case another threat to Equestria should arise!"
"Do you think I'm a fool?!"
"I promise that I won't use my Element of Kindness against you if you give the rest back."
"Hmm... without one of the Elements, the rest would be..." mused Discord as he scratched his chin.
"We would be powerless against Discord!" proclaimed Luna.
"Well I find Fluttershy's terms agreeable," he said as he snapped his talons and five of the six Elements of Harmony returned.
Celestia's horn glowed as the returned Elements floated over into a new strongbox that was made proof against magical tampering. Of course, it would open to Celestia's horn and the right spell.
"I hope that by learning the value of friendship, you can become an asset to all of Equestria," said Celestia regally.
Discord scooped up Flutters and Frisk as he announced, "Well now that we're besties, where should we go first?!" He looked about before adding, "You know, a place a little more cozy and private might be better than a loud and stuffy court."
"A place away from the Royal Guards," muttered Luna under her breath.
"Well... We can always go back to my cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville..."
"I thought you'd never ask!" replied Discord cheerfully, "Toodles!" He simply vanished with his two charges.
"We surely hope that big sister is not making a big mistake," sighed Luna.
"I have much faith in the... persuasive powers... of those two," replied Celestia softly.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                         One of Us                         
//-------------------------------------------------------//
One of Us
by neorenamon
Chara sipped her hot tea. It was strong, lightly bitter and good for one's soul. Just the way she liked it. She wondered how someone with hooved could so easily hold a cup as her fingers curled around the sides.
'Must be some kind of contact telekinesis,' she mused as she watched Zecora sip her tea. Looking at Twilight, she noticed the glow about the tea cup that matched the magical glow around her horn. It seemed more 'natural' than manipulating things with one's own hooves.
"Is there something I can do," said Zecora out of the blue, "to make the tea pleasing to you?"
"Hmm?" she replied as she snapped back into focus, "Oh... the tea is fine. I was just... thinking about the things that happened... since I came here."
"I suppose it can be a tad... awkward... dying and coming back to life like that," agreed Twilight.
"Not to mention living in someone's head for years in a world where ghost monsters are perfectly normal."
"Ghost monsters?" she asked as she cocked an eyebrow.
"Well yes," she replied, "In my world, ghosts are from the spirits of humans. These ghosts... they don't know if they ever had a 'life' before they became a ghost. I think they were... 'born' as ghosts. The same applies to skeletons. They're mostly human skeletons in form, and yet they don't seem to have ever been human. Just skeletons."
"I suppose that is a bit strange even by our standards."
"We are filled with fear and dread," agreed Zecora, "by the thought of restless dead."
"They're not normal in my world either," replied Chara evenly, "Most people don't even believe they exist anymore."
She looked out the window and noticed the sun was setting. They must have been there for hours. Flowey needed time to adapt to the place he was given in Zecora's garden, but she had no idea how the time passed so quickly.
"Look at the time," she mused, "We better get back home."
"Well," replied Twilight, "It's dangerous to travel the Everfree Forest at night."
"Even I must agree," added Zecora, "This place at night no place to be."
"I hate to impose on you any more than we already have," sighed Chara, "and this place doesn't look like it's made to handle guests to any degree. I should just go back to the Library even if it is dark. It's not like I fear anything that goes bump in the night, you know."
"It's not just the creatures, but the other features."
"Other?"
"She means there's other threats in the dark like the Poison Joke plants", offered Twilight, "If you touch them, they affect you. Plants that are very difficult to see in the dark."
"Welp," she mused as she stood, "I better see how well As... Flowey is getting along in his new soil before I turn in for the night. I hope being planted is to his liking."
"If we're lucky, he may have changed back already."
"That would be nice," she replied as she made her way out. She liked how he looked naked. His big muscles. His big smile. His big tool between his legs.
She walked out into the fading light as she watched the sun drop from the sky.
'Night sure falls fast around here.'
Her footfalls were quiet as she made her way to Zecora's small garden plot. After all, she only bothered to grow a handful of herbs that would otherwise prove difficult to find in the forest as needed. She wasn't adverse to foraging for common herbs and plants from the area in spite of the presence of creatures like Timberwolves. It boggled her mind that a living creature could quite literally be made of timber like some animated tree.
In the fading light, she caught sight of Flowey. He was in his own corner of the plot where Zecora didn't have anything else planted at the moment. She just tilled some plant matter into the dirt and was waiting for it to decompose and enrich the soil for whatever she was planning to plant there before they showed up.
"Come to gloat over me?" asked Flowey as she approached. He was glaring at her.
"Of course not," she replied, "but it looks like I'm staying here overnight. It's apparently too dangerous to travel in the Everfree Forest at night."
"I'm still... this," he grumbled as he looked at the dirt beneath him.
"I wish Frisk was here," she admitted, "There's no way for me to tell how full your 'soul' is, or when you'll change back."
"I still feel as soulless and heartless as ever."
"Maybe the sun just needs to rise so it's magical light can..."
"Whatever!" he snapped.
"You should try and be more..."
"Optimistic?!" he hissed, "Remember I was Mister 'Kill or be killed'?!"
"Yes, I was there after all... in Frisk's head as it were."
"Well," he mused as he looked about, "Being in this dirt is kind of... pleasant. I feel something coming up my roots even if it's not... turning me back into Asriel."
"I swear... it will get better..."
"If I just believe it'll get better?" he asked sarcastically.
She nodded as the light faded. The moon was popping up into the sky. If Flowey was a normal flower, he'd be switching from photosynthesis to respiration much like animals do all the time.
"You know I care about you no matter what you look like, Asriel."
"Don't call me that!" he hissed, "I'm not Asriel now!"
"But you are him!"
"Not without a soul!"
Chara stumbled over something in the dirt. "What the?!..." she asked as she looked down. Her foot was entangled in a root she could have sworn wasn't there when Flowey was planted in the garden. She tried to step back when she noticed the root had grabbed a hold of her foot.
"Look at that," he hissed, "I guess I'm branching out."
She was shocked because she was a good dozen feet away from Flowey. 'How could have his roots grown so long so fast?!'
"Flowey!" she called, "Let me go!"
"But I want you to stay the night here with me," he replied suggestively.
The grip of the root was too strong for her to pull loose.
"Flowey," she hissed, "You better let me go right this..."
His roots burst from the ground all around her. She realized he was all over the garden and she was in deep trouble.
"TWI!!... MMMPPPHHH!!" As she tried to call out, the roots wrapped her from head to toe, gagging her in the process.
"Kinda reminds me of that opening scene from Evil Dead, doesn't it?" he cooed.
The roots were invading her clothing. They were rubbing her awkwardly as they wrapped about her body.
'Wait! Wasn't that poor woman raped by vines?!'
Her top was starting to split open as her breasts came into view. The roots were constricting around them. Groping them like some kind of tentacle monster.
'NO NO NO! Don't do this to me Asriel! PLEASE!'
"MMM!!" she protested into the gag.
"Don't act like you aren't going to like this," he hissed.
'Oh I'm not going to like this!' as her shirt and skirt tore apart. Her arms were pulled away from her body as the roots entwined her fingers in an almost obscene embrace. 'Please... don't do this...'
"You must be getting used to be naked by now," he said with a sneer as she was soon basically nude once more.
She could feel the heat growing in her cheeks as the roots around her breasts were teasing them without mercy.
'Please... stop this now...'
"I may not have a soul and cannot feel," he growled, "but I still know what fun is."
A violet light appeared in the dark. She turned her head enough to see Twilight at the edge of the garden, her horn glowing brightly in the darkness.
"Chara?" she asked, "Are you going to be out here... BY CELESTIA'S HORN!!"
'RUN!!' she tried to say, but it just came out as "MMM!!!"
Roots erupted from the ground wrapping about Twilight's front hooves even though she was a couple dozen feet away from the edge of the garden.
'OH NO, HE'S GOT HER!!'
"ZERCOR!!... HHHMMM!!" called Twilight as the roots quickly cocooned her as well and gagged her as well. The light from her horn quickly went out.
"And here I thought I was going to be bored all night," hissed Flowey as he looked over his two helpless victims.
...
In another dimension (where time flows differently and the definition of space is fluid)
...
"Goodness," said Fluttershy as she looked at the monster before them, "What are you?"
Frisk looked on as well.
'Half brother?' she thought as she touched Fluttershy's neck, 'They don't even look like the same species!'
The one that Discord called Anarchy was a sight to behold. Almost an Eldritch Abomination. She had the head of a Nile crocodile with the horn of a unicorn. Behind that was a spiny crest like the back fin of a Spinosaurus. On the right side of her head was three glowing red eyes, and the other one huge eye that was nothing but a black orb. Behind her red eyes was one longhorn bull's horn, but nothing was behind her other eye. It ran down her back where she lost sight of it. On her right appeared three limbs: One feline, one like a bird's talon and the other like a pony leg. The limb on the other side looked like one massive gorilla arm. The chest looked furry like a dog (or perhaps a cat) even down to the four pair of small teats. The abdomen looked shiny and serpentine like some kind of anaconda. Her broad human-like hips had a pair of elephant legs coming from her right side and a pair of moose-like legs coming from the other. Behind her was three tails: One long and serpentine like a dragon, a lion-like tail to it's right, and a fox-like tail to it's left. Just above them all was a massive peacock tail that was closed at the moment. On her right shoulder was also one large leathery red dragon wing, and the other side was two more large wings: One black and bat-like, and the other white and feathered. She had a two pair of dragonfly wings sprouting from both sides of her hips. As she stood by the table, they could tell she was easily twice as tall as Discord.
"Finally crawling out from under your rock?!" she hissed in his ear.
"I've missed you too, dearest sister," he replied dripping with sarcasm.
"Are... are you two... really related?"
"Well this one is quick on the uptake."
"This is my new... associate... Fluttershy," he replied dryly, and added, "The other one is called Frisk."
"So you've found even more pathetic creatures to hang out with? Is that where you've been hiding lately?"
"Actually he's been imprisoned as a statue for one thousand years."
Anarchy began laughing loud enough to make their ears hurt as Discord muttered, "She didn't need to know that." Half the creatures in the place were now staring at their table. With her mouth wide open, all of her five rows of teeth could be seen. One row of shark teeth, one row of fangs, one row of a saw-toothed ridge, one row of jagged piranha teeth and finally something that looked like the teeth of a pony.
'It's not that funny,' mused Frisk.
"Oh but it is," she replied as she wiped her red eyes that appeared to be crying blood, "One of our kind imprisoned by lesser beings?! That's so pathetic. Just what I'd expect from a loser like Discord."
"Didn't you look for him?"
"We're immortal," she replied, "Even if he was gone a million years, it wouldn't be that long."
"Not that anyone missed me," muttered Discord under his breath.
"But he ruled Equestria for some time..."
"Oh that's surely a big deal!" she hissed dripping with sarcasm.
"Some of us weren't meant to rule one of the upper realms," he grumbled.
'So you aren't as strong as the others?' asked Frisk as she touched Discord's paw.
"Please don't remind me."
"But you're one of the most powerful beings in all of Equestria."
"A pathetic small fish in an equally pathetic small pond."
'She's so big.'
"Oh please," he grumbled as his size doubled, "Size means nothing."
"It does when it reflects your true power," she replied as she doubled her size.
"Look," he muttered, "These are my new toys. I'd appreciate if you don't break them."
Anarchy smiled. It was really scary.
"Your... toys?"

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                      Flowey's Shadow                      
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Flowey's Shadow
by neorenamon
"Well well there Chara," said Flowey as he held her and Twilight in the iron grip of his vines, "What ever am I going to do with you and your little friend here?"
With both if their mouths tied shut, neither one could do anymore than mumble protests.
"Oh!" he said a moment later, "I think I'll take your souls and see what I become!" His dark smile increased as he added, "After all, who knows what kind of power I can achieve by taking a new type of soul."
Chara's red soul emerged from her chest to be gripped by one of Flowey's roots. Then Twilight's pastel purple soul emerged from her chest to be likewise taken by another one of the roots.
"Ah," he cooed, "Such a nice color... such great power... These will serve me well."
He leaned his head back to unleash a truly evil laugh.
Chara and Twilight both continued to struggle against his vines, but they didn't have the power to escape. It looked like having physical contact with the vines was suppressing Twilight's magic as well. The root was wrapped about her horn rather tightly. Then the two fell limp as their souls moved towards the face of Flowey. In a matter of seconds, their souls became part of his.
"Blast!" he cussed, "I guess even in this world, just two souls even this powerful isn't that much of an improvement!" Then he grinned again as he mused, "Well, there's a third soul nearby, so I'll just have to collect her soul as well. Then I can move onto this Ponyville and gather many, many more!" More evil laughter here.
He paused as he tried to move towards Zecora's hut. After all, having such a large root system was slowing him down. So he began pulling his roots closer and forming a more humanoid body to work with. Soon he had a body the size of a minotaur and he was much more pleased with his ability to walk. Yet he had enough root in his feet to lay them down whenever he stopped on some good soil.
"This... body... It shall serve my needs well enough. It's no Omega Flowey, tho."
He walked rather boldly to the front door and stuck his fist right through it. Then he leaned into the hole he just made.
"Honey!!!" he called, "I'm HHHoooOOOoooMMME!!!"
...
Meanwhile
...
"Well," mused Anarchy as she looked over Frisk and Fluttershy, "I suppose your pets... they are kind of cute." She reached out and scratched Frisk under the chin with one of her talons. "I haven't seen a creature like this before. They seem to have some kind of power inside their beings."
"She's from an alien dimension," replied Discord softly, "I was planning to do some... experiments... to see just what her powers are good for."
"So you are planning to use them for your own goals?"
'Use us?!' thought Frisk.
"How quaint, half-brother. You haven't informed your toys what you plan to do with them? How sneaky of you."
"Need to know basis," he replied, "and they don't need to know. I'd appreciate if you didn't handle them. Your raw chaos could infect them and throw off the results of my experiments."
"Oh, I didn't know you cared," she said as she pulled her talon back.
"About my experiments, yes," he answered coldly.
"So this... mostly hairless, scaleless creature..." she mused as she looked at Frisk again, "It communicates by thought?"
"Contact telepathy," he replied, "A rather unusual phenomenon that I plan to research further."
She then looked at Fluttershy as she mused, "And this one? It can fly even with such... small wings?"
"Yes," he muttered, "as well as other strange powers. She seems to be able to communicate with and control... lesser beings." He scratched his chin as he continued, "These... animals... They seem to be eager to obey her commands."
"I don't really control..."
"She's even convinced herself that somehow, these animals are her... friends or something."
"Well I see you haven't totally wasted your time away from home," she chuckled under her breath.
"What? You don't think any of you has rubbed off on me?"
"Well I've had my doubts about that," she replied.
Discord smiled as he replied, "You'll soon see just how much I've learned from you."

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                      A Zebra's Stand                      
//-------------------------------------------------------//
A Zebra's Stand
by neorenamon
"So the day has come to see," muttered Zecora as she stared at the flower sticking its face through the hole it just made in her front door, "should a flower be annoying me."
"Oh, I'm more than just annoying," scowled Flowey.
"It's also coming to be a fact," she added, "that you're surely lacking tact."
"Just be quiet and give me your soul, you striped freak!"
"I have many things I haven't tried," she replied as she tossed a clay pot at the flower, "like this powerful herbicide!"
Flowey coughed before he grinned and announced, "Oh, like I'm an ordinary plant! You're wasting your time if you think that will do more than slow me down!" To make his point, he began opening the hole he made in her door.
He ducked just in time to avoid the spear that came flying at his face.
"Watch where you're pitching that crap!" he hissed, "You might hurt someone like that!"
"So you have something to fear," she replied, "from a little humble spear?"
"No!" he growled as he floated Chara's body and Twilight's body before him, "but your friends here sure do!"
"You surely must be no flower," she replied, "when behind the innocent you cower!"
"In this world... or any other... it's KILL OR BE KILLED!" he snapped.
"Even if you are a plant, mercy is something you should grant."
"Mercy?!" he replied, "Only a couple have ever truly shown me anything like that!"
"If it's been shown to you before, then surely you are worth more."
"I have to admit I've finally found someone more annoying than that Smiling Trashbag!" he scowled.
"What I am is what you see," she replied, "There's nothing else that I can be."
"It seems we're at a bit of a standoff here," he mused, "You have potions and weapons... I have hostages."
"So perhaps you should reveal," she answered, "what you're looking for in a deal."
"Give me some more of that fertilizer potion... and I'll think about what I want the most."
She nodded as she pushed a bowl of green fluid in front of him.
"This isn't made with shit, is it?" he asked as he looked it over.
"This is made with sweat and toil," she replied, "from loam, minerals, water and soil."
"You look pretty smart," he answered as he gave the bowl a sniff, "so you should know I'll kill both of your... friends here... should you try to poison me again."
"While it gives me a fright to admit I know you're right."
Flowey drank the fluid in one gulp. "Well it's not the worst crap I've ever taken," he mused, "It's far from the best."
"Well my fertilizer is good for the stalk," she replied, "Most of the plants taking it don't talk."
"I guess that makes feedback a little hard, doesn't it?"
Roots burst out from the floor under Zecora.
"Oh your little bloody slime!" she cried as the vines hogtied her, "You were just stalling me for... HHHMMMPPPHHH!!!" The vines cut her off as she was muzzled.
"Actually," he muttered as he began extracting her soul, "I was feeling a bit... undernourished."
Then he looked over Zecora's soul as he pulled it in closer. Her soul was black with white stripes... or white with black stripes... he couldn't be sure.
"I'm sure this power will serve me well," he growled as he sucked it into himself.
After he grew larger and stronger, he piled the human and two mare bodies over in the corner of the hut.
"I hope the monsters around here don't know how to use doors," he grumbled as he slipped out. He grinned darkly as he closed the door behind him.
As he walked away, he slowly transformed into a unicorn stallion form made from wood and plants. Almost like a pony version of a timberwolf.
"I need to go to Ponyville to gather some more pony souls!" he chuckled.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                   Cantina we get along?                   
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Cantina we get along?
by neorenamon
Frisk and Fluttershy grew more nervous as Discord continued to talk about them like lab rats before his older half-sister, Anarchy. They also felt a touch offended that they were anyone's playthings as well as the fact he never said anything about it before they ran into the other draconequus.
"Am I making your pets nervous?" mused Anarchy as she looked down on their wide-eyed stares.
"More like queasy," replied Discord, "After all, you violate just about every rule of biology in their world."
She just responded by laughing again, drawing attention from the other patrons once more.
"You see, my half-sister hates symmetry," he said as an aside to his two companions, "almost as much as she hates having a set appearance. She changes her look every thousand years or so, and each one is... more convoluted than the last one."
"I prefer to think of them as... imaginative."
"As much as I appreciate that," he replied, "I do have some sense of decency about my creativity. In fact, I prefer functionality over excess. That's why I have one head, two arms, two legs, two wings and one tail after all. I don't really need more than that."
"It's just so... basic," she replied.
"Why does she have to be so... scary?" asked Fluttershy softly.
"Because respect begins when someone fears you, little one," she sneered back.
"Oh... my..."
To everyone's surprise, Frisk reached out and touched the back of the gorilla's hand on Anarchy as she mused, 'Trust based on fear isn't truly trust. It's just obedience and a fickle one at that.'
"So you say you aren't afraid of me?"
'No, I'm not. You may be vastly more powerful than me, but I have *DETERMINATION*.'
"And what pray tell is this DETERMINATION?"
'I use it to...'
"THAT'S what experiments are for," said Discord as he cut off Frisk, "No point in spoiling the surprise, now is there?"
"Are you hiding something from your dearest sister?" she smirked, "I'm almost impressed."
"Half sister," he muttered, "as you're always reminding me. But yes, I want to make sure my results are final before making any... announcements."
"You always were good at talking big, little brother."
'Yet for all your god-like power,' mused Frisk, 'you aren't happy, are you?'
"I'm... perfectly happy, you little brat!"
'Your soul is as tormented as your heart. It's fractured and weak in spite of it's power. Disharmony within yourself... it's tearing you soul apart even if you don't realize it.'
"SHUT UP!" she hissed, "What do you know about me?!"
"Calm yourself, big sister," sneered Discord, "I'm sure her... observations... aren't meant to be any slight against your power."
"Now I'm bored!" she hissed, "I'm going to play with some of my supermassive black holes!" She then vanished without a trace.
"Well aren't you the bold and brave one?" smirked Discord as he looked down on Frisk.
'I just told her what I saw inside her,' replied Frisk as she touched Discord's paw once more.
"The last being who spoke to her like that has their molecules scattered over 13 different dimensions and about 13 million square light years," he replied evenly.
Fluttershy gasped even though she wasn't quite sure what Discord was speaking about. It just sounded big.
'We're just your experiments?!'
"Look," he snorted, "You have no idea how my kind thinks or operates!"
'I shouldn't need to know that much to know when a species is covering something up.'
"Look... in the world I was raised in, friendship and cooperation... are weaknesses. A crutch for the weak and unworthy. The truly powerful and competent... they only depend on what they can do alone."
"That's... so sad."
"When Celestia and Luna... defeated me together... with the Elements of Harmony..." he mused as he looked up at the elaborate ceiling lights, "I began to realize there was more than just me. That I failed... because I worked alone."
'You began to realize the value of friendship and the power of teamwork.'
"So you... just said those things... to try and keep your sister's respect?"
"Not that's there's much there to work with... but yes."
'Well now that she's gone off, can we get some food?'
"Very well," he replied, "Order whatever you like. I'm sure my tab here is still valid."

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                     A Hole New World                      
//-------------------------------------------------------//
A Hole New World
by neorenamon
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the intellectual property of Lauren Faust and DHX. Undertale is the intellectual property of Toby Fox. Blah blah blah. Thank you.
...
Frisk and Flowey made their way through the path to The Ruins. It hardly seemed like a year since the barrier was broken and the monsters were set free from the Underground, but now they were searching to make sure that every monster who wanted to leave the Underground was informed of their freedom. To give them to choice to stay or leave. It was almost unanimous: They wanted to move back to the human world. A world once shared by humans and monsters.
"Why am I stuck with you again?!" grumbled Flowey.
"Because everyone else had their own assignment," replied Frisk, "and Goat-Mom wouldn't let me come back down here alone."
"Great. I'm stuck as a human sitter..."
"I wish I was old enough for everyone to trust me on my own," Frisk replied under their breath.
"Yeah. You could be carrying a real gun instead of that unloaded antique," said Flowey as he looked down on the empty revolver sitting in it's holster.
"Well pardner, I reckon it's still good enough to scare any varmints we all come across," they replied in a faux cowboy accent and adjusted their cowboy hat.
"Feh! You are no cowboy!"
Frisk adjusted the backpack that Flowey was riding in. The flower was placed to the left hand side of the pack so he could see around Frisk's cowboy hat. He was in the upper part of the pack where he could be alone instead of sitting on all the supplies that Toriel packed for the two of them. While they would be in the Underground for a day at the most, she packed enough water for three days and enough prepackaged rations for a good week or so. Goat-Mom could be a tad overly cautious at times.
"This is where we first met," sighed Frisk as they came to the first chamber since returning to the Underground.
"Yeah," muttered Flowey, "and I gave you some pretty shitty advice back then too."
"In this world, it's KILL or BE KILLED," they replied in their best impersonation of the flower.
"Well you didn't listen to me, did you?"
Frisk shook their head 'no'.
"After all the times I tried to kill you, you still spared me didn't you?"
Frisk nodded and patted the flower on the head.
"Stop that!" he hissed, "I have no soul and can't feel love!" There was a pause before adding, "Not anymore."
"It's a shame that the artificial soul Alphys tried to implant in you didn't work."
"Well I for one wasn't holding my breath. After all, she created the amalgamates too, and look how well they turned out. Look how well I turned out. Maybe I would have been better off..."
Frisk put a hand over his mouth and scolded him saying, "Don't talk like that. You're never better off dead. Chara thought that by being dead, things would be better off and it wasn't."
"You came to the Underground fully expecting not to come back," he muttered once the hand was removed from his mouth, "That's pretty much the same as looking to die, isn't it?"
"Oh look, it's the passage where Goat-Mom told me to walk alone even though she was just hiding behind a pillar towards the end."
"Nice change of subject," he muttered softly.
"Where I met that odd Napstablook for the first time."
"A stellar character."
"Every monster is special in their own way," said Frisk as they walked down the path once more. This time, there was no Toriel to show them the way. It wasn't needed even a year later.
However, they were walking down the passage when the ground began to shake.
"An earthquake?!" asked Frisk, "Do those happen often?!"
"I've never experienced one in my lifetime," replied Flowey.
But the tremors passed quickly.
"Well that wasn't so bad," mumbled Frisk, "Let's keep going. I don't think we're in any danger."
"Didn't Smiley Trashbag say something about tremors the last time he came here?"
"In Snowden, but you really shouldn't talk about Sans like that."
"We don't always get along," grumbled the flower, "I mean he's the one who threatens me with 'dirt naps'."
"I think he's joking. You do live in a flowerpot full of soil, right? So technically each time you sleep, it's a 'dirt nap'."
"You like taking his side..."
Frisk stops.
"Are you even..."
"That breeze... It's strange... There shouldn't be a breeze in this part of the ruins."
"I guess not," muttered Flowey.
"Let's find where it's coming from. Perhaps a new route to the surface has opened."
"Like we could get that lucky," he grumbled.
They moved on until Frisk said, "The breeze seems to be coming from behind that pillar."
"The one Toriel hid behind while you walked the passage."
They moved to the pillar to see that the wall behind was partly collapsed leading into a natural passage neither of them had ever seen before. It was dark inside.
"Flowey," said Frisk, "Get me the miner's light that Goat-Mom packed for us. You didn't think we'd need that, did you?"
"Fine," he muttered as he pulled it out. It was a modern LED lamp lit by a small battery. He placed the lamp about the hat and secured it in place before turning it on.
Then the two of them made their way past the crumbled stones into the new passage.
"If this passage was walled over, then maybe it's not safe?" asked Flowey.
"Or perhaps they just didn't need the extra space?" suggested Frisk.
* Or maybe there's something in here that even monsters didn't want to deal with.
Frisk paused.
"What is it?" asked Flowey.
"I think that odd voice in my head... I can hear it again."
"Great. I can see therapy in your future..."
"Says Mister Kill or be Killed," replied Frisk.
"Better safe than sorry!"
"Well all the monsters in the Underground would be dead if I went by that philosophy."
"I never claimed I was perfect!" grumbled Flowey.
"The passage is too small from here to walk," noted Frisk, "I'll have to crawl. You'll have to keep your head down."
"I think I figured out that one all by myself, thanks."
So Frisk got on their hands and knees and began to crawl. Fortunately, Toriel insisted on full leather gloves as well as elbow and knee pads for the human.
"The wind is definitely coming from somewhere down here," noted Frisk.
"I can smell... water ahead..."
"We better be careful. The tunnel could be flooded, and stagnant water could be poisonous."
"Thank you for being so optimistic."
"Don't like someone else doing your job?" Frisk chuckled.
"Whatever."
The two of them continued down the passage in silence.
"I wish... I could do something to save Chara. They died for nothing... in such pain..."
"Funny," replied Frisk, "If ghosts exist in the Underground, why hasn't anyone seen Chara?"
"Perhaps they've already moved on to the next world?"
"If you believe in such things..."
"Well I think my soul's moved on to leave me to rot in this husk of a..."
Frisk covered Flowey's mouth again as they said, "Talking like that accomplishes nothing. As long as you can remember who you were, you must have hope. You must have DETERMINATION."
The flower mumbled into Frisk's hand. Then the hand was pulled back as they crawled along.
"Something... strange is going on... I can just feel it," said Frisk softly.
"Maybe we should go back."
"I don't think it's dangerous, but I suppose I should call Toriel just to be safe. You make the call."
"Fine," he muttered as he took out the phone and looked at it. Pushing a button, he listened. "Great," he muttered, "There's too much rock here blocking the signal. I can't get through. Maybe we should just turn around..."
* Go on. There might be something... special... ahead.
"Oh, it won't hurt to go a little further," said Frisk.
Soon the passage opened into a vertical shaft. Looking up and down, they could not see a top or bottom. The shaft was too twisting.
"Could this lead to the surface?" asked Frisk looking upwards.
"Not that it would be useful. Now let's go back before..."
Another tremor was felt. Then the edge of the passage collapsed into the shaft dropping the two of them. They fell screaming into the darkness as small rocks and dirt fell with them. The light was almost useless in the cloud of dirt. After hitting the edge of the shaft a few times, Frisk mercifully passed out. They felt a massive tingle throughout their body just before that happened.
...
Frisk awoke in their bed back in the ruins. They looked at themselves and realized they wore the same clothing they had worn the first time they came to the Underground... or fell into it.
'Could I have somehow *RESET?!' thought Frisk in a panic, 'No, it doesn't feel like a **RESET. Something else must be going on.*'
Getting out of bed, they went to the door. There was nothing to hear on the other side. So they opened the door and entered the hallway. It wasn't hard to turn toward the sitting room where they hoped Toriel would be waiting. Waiting for them reading a book. Walking into the room, it became clear that the chair was facing the other hallway. They couldn't see who was sitting in the chair, but could see the hint of a black spiral horn over the top. A horn they had never seen before.
Walking closer, Frisk wondered what they were getting themselves into.
'Uhh... Hello?' they asked. Then they wondered what changed in their voice.
The chair turned to reveal a midnight blue pony with wings. They wore a black tiara on their head and a black necklace about their neck showing a white symbol of a waxing crescent moon. The... monster just blinked in surprise.
'What manner of creature art thou?' it asked.
'I was going to ask you the same,' replied Frisk.
'I am Luna,' came the reply, 'One of the Princesses of Equestria. I am the alicorn of the night. Part of my job is to monitor dreams. I hadn't expected anything like this tonight. Thou art?'
'I am Frisk. You normally invade dreams?'
'Invade? That's a strong word. No, I visit dreams when I sense... somepony needs my help.'
'I'm no pony.'
'Clearly that is so,' replied Luna evenly.
'Great. I'm having a strange dream about some monster I've never heard of before.'
'Monster?' she giggled, 'Ponies are not monsters. We are quite civilized.'
'Well you aren't human,' replied Frisk.
'So I take it that there's only humans and monsters in your world?'
'My world?' asked Frisk curiously.
'You are clearly not from...' said Luna before she paused.
'What's wrong?'
'There's something going on with your body... something very magical... I suggest you wake up now. Once I figure out where you are, I shalt surely send aid thy way.'
'Allllll-righty then,' replied Frisk as they woke up.
...
Frisk awoke in a patch of flowers. There was water slowly running through them. It was getting into their mouth. As a reflex, they spat out the water and sat up. They felt... tingly all over. Thier muscles were sore, but not as sore as expected from such a fall. The cowboy hat lay nearby with the light still one. Fortunately, the light was waterproof. Something needed in caves and mines. Retrieving the hat, it was placed on their head so they could use the light without hands.
'Ugh,' they thought, 'My clothes are so tight. They must have shrunk somehow.' Shrinking in the shirt made it pull up until most of her midriff was exposed. The boots were so tight, they made the feet positively ache. So the boots were removed as quickly as possible. The socks shrank so much, they split at the toes so those were removed as well. Even the hat had shrank a bit.
They she realized something felt very strange in their chest. More than just a shrinking shirt. Something they never felt there before.
'I... HAVE... *BREASTS?!** My body... it's somehow grown up!*'
She opened her mouth to cry out to Flowey, but... nothing happened. No sound other than her own breath escaped her mouth.
'I'm mute?!'
So Frisk looked about frantically searching for Flowey, but saw something she wasn't expecting at all.
'ASRIEL?!'
Asriel lay on his back among the flowers and water. She saw that he was naked and... well... grown up as well... in more than one way. His face and horns like like the first adult form he took after he turned back into a kid. The horns long and curved, and there was black 'fang marks' coming up around the corners of his jaws.
'Mmm...' she thought as she stared at his... asset, 'Big...'
She crawled to his side and began shaking Asriel.
'WAKE UP!!' she screamed at him mentally.
"Mommy..." he muttered, "Just... 5 more minutes..."
'NO! WAKE UP NOW!'
When he opened his eyes, she could see that the whites of his eyes... were white. Not black like when he began the transformations into the more powerful forms.
"Ugh," he groaned, "Would you stop blinding me?! What time is it?!"
She looked away. 'I don't know. We're stuck in a cave somewhere. You aren't Flowey anymore. You're *ASRIEL*!'
"WHAT?!" he asked, "How can I be myself without a SOUL?!"
'I don't know. There's some strange new energy. It's filled the empty space that was left by Alphys' failed experiment. I can somehow see this energy inside your body. This strange energy... it's all around us... in the water... in the flowers...'
"Wait! How can you talk to me without using your mouth?! How can you see with your eyes closed?!"
'I DON'T KNOW!!'
"Okay okay," he replied as he hugged her, "Just calm down and think about this rationally."
'You chest... so strong... so furry...' she thought as she snuggled against his chest.
"WHAT?!"
'It's nothing! Damn, I didn't mean to tell that... to you.' In a panic, she pushed herself away from him. He lost his grip because he wasn't expecting that. She backed up through the flowers and water.
"What's wrong?!" he asked as he got on his hands and knees.
'I'm so sorry!' she thought, but he didn't respond. 'Asriel?' He crawled closer. 'He can't understand me now?!'
"I don't understand you any more," he said as he reached out to her.
Reaching back, their hands met. Their fingers entwined.
'Can you hear me now?'
"Yes," he answered, "I guess you can only 'talk' to me... when we touch."
"Are you going to ignore me all day?" asked a voice from the dark.
Frisk turned her head. The light revealed a pale skin woman with rosey red cheeks. She was quite grown up judging by her breasts, hips... and other things. Her neck length hair was straight and brown.
"CHARA?!" asked Asriel, "You're... you're... NOT A SPIRIT ANYMORE?!"
"I think that's pretty obvious..." replied Chara, "and why is Frisk giving you the silent treatment?"
"She can't use her voice! By touching me, she talks to me in my head!"
"Voices in your head? Well that's not creepy at all."
"And she can't open her eyes, but she can... somehow... see things we can't."
"Not's not creepy at all either."
He glanced at Frisk before saying, "Frisk says she didn't ask for this to happen!"
"And I'm not blaming anyone either," she replied casually.
"Oh just get over here!" he replied.
Chara crawled over on her hands and knees. Soon, she was embraced in one of Asriel's arms while the other continued to hold onto Frisk. By the time he hugged Chara, he was crying freely.
"Oh what's wrong now, ya big baby?!" chided Chara.
"I'm the one!" he sobbed, "The one who made you suffer and die! FOR NOTHING!"
'I... somehow know you so well,' added Frisk.
"Well I've been in your mind... your body... for quite some time... ever since you fell into the Underground."
'That's not creepy at all.'
"But as for you," she said turning to Asriel, "You didn't force me or trick me into anything. I wanted to save the monsters. They deserved to be free. I knew that dying the way I did... wasn't going to be pleasant. That's all in the past now so stop crying."
"I'm so sorry!" he whined as he cried.
"Well we'll never do anything stupid like that again. Okay?"
He kept sobbing so she shut him up... with a kiss.
"MMMPPPHHH?!" he asked as their lips met. Their mouths came together.
'Am I getting some of this LOVE too?' asked Frisk.
'Just be happy you aren't getting any ExP,' replied Chara mentally.
'Wow, when Frisk touches us, we can transmit our thoughts to each other,' noted Asriel.
'Now there's a mixed blessing.'
'No stranger than the winged unicorn I met in my dream,' thought Frisk.
'THE WHAT NOW?!' thought Ariel and Chara as one.
Frisk imagined Luna as she appeared in her dream.
'What manner of monster is that?!' asked Asriel. Chara and him almost forgot how they were still smooching.
'She said she was an alicorn. A Princess. She lives in a land called... *Equestria*.'
'That's not creepy at all,' thought Chara.
Chara broke off the kiss, but kept the hug going. There was a momentary pause. A silence before Chara announced, "Asriel. You boner is pushing against my stomach. If you cum on me, so help me I'm going to..."
Her words were cut off by his scream. His cheeks turned beet red as he rolled away from both Frisk and Chara. "I'm so sorry," he bleated.
'None of the spare clothing Goat-Mom packed is going to cover that... package.'
"We'll... just have to make a loincloth from a spare shirt... for now," replied Chara. Then she looked at Frisk and asked, "How can you be wearing panties? They should have split..."
'I never wear panties...'
"Oh..." she replied, "Let's get some protection on and get going."
'I'm not going to get far until I adjust the gunbelt as well as these knee and elbow pads. They're... really tight. Lucky there's room to let them out.'
"That's my mom," sighed Asriel as Frisk began pulling out handfuls of spare clothing.

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Root of the Problem OR I've run out of song titles from Disney's Aladdin to base chapters on
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Root of the Problem OR I've run out of song titles from Disney's Aladdin to base chapters on
by neorenamon
Twilight and Chara stood outside the door of Zecora. Flowey grumbled about the long trip all the way over. It was well past noon by the time they arrived.
"The time is now well past four," muttered a voice behind the door, "Now my dinner I must ignore."
"Uh..." said Chara.
"Yes," answered Twilight, "She always speaks like that."
"There's nothing creepy about that."
"Well I think it's more of a..." said Twilight as the door opened.
"Do I have it right?" noted the zebra as she looked out, "Are you called Twilight?"
"Yes, I am," she replied.
"Well greeting and how do you do," she said evenly, "I believe you're new around here too?"
Chara looked about as she noted, "This doesn't exactly look like the kind of place you'd find a zebra living."
"And you brought a friend I see," added Zecora as she leaned further out the door, "What manner of being might you be?"
"Oh, I'm what you call a human," she replied as she scratched the side of her head.
"What am I?!" asked the irritated flower, "Chopped daisies over here?!"
"I am tempted to balk," said the zebra softly, "at the flower that does talk."
"Ya think the face would have been the dead giveaway," he grumbled.
Chara smacked him in the back of his flower head.
"OW!!" he said, "What was that?!.."
"Manners," she snarled in a low growl.
"Well I've heard that you have some extensive knowledge of potions and medicine," said Twilight as she ignored what happened behind her head, "and my new friend here..."
"With friends like you... OW!" said the flower before he got smacked again.
"... is currently not their... normal selves."
"Yeah," said Chara, "He's usually a lot cuter, furrier and cuddlier when his magic is at its normal levels."
"I am NOT cute!" hissed the flower, "I am not!.." Flowey stopped talking when Chara raised her hand to strike again.
"So when his magic is not low," mused Zecora, "His form is different as you know?"
Twilight and Chara nodded.
"Then why don't you all come inside," said Zecora talking the flower's comments in stride, "I'm sure the trip here has been a long ride."
They walked in.
"I should go and see," she added, "about making some tea."
"Sounds good," agreed Chara as she smacked her hand over Flowey's mouth.
"Mmmppphhh..." he grumbled into her hand.
"Long have I spent to labor and toil," she continued, "to know even magic plants need good soil."
"Well it does make sense that the soil of the land contains low level magic the plants used to grow," agreed Twilight, "It seems that the concentrations of soil magic are markedly higher in places where magical plants grow."
"So you're saying sticking Flowey in good potting soil will making him turn back to Prince Asriel sooner?"
"We can plant him in the ground of my garden back around."
"Hhhmmm..." replied the flower.
"I can also make a potion that I know," added the zebra, "by which plants shall larger grow."
"I don't suppose you have Earl Gray?" asked Chara as she looked about at the tribal features along Zecora's walls.
"That is strange, I must say. Who is this one called Earl Gray?"
"It's just a kind of tea that... ah..." replied Chara as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, "it's not important."
"She's from another dimension," interrupted Twilight, "I'm sure... there's a bunch of things... different there."
"While there's surely things not the same, there's many things with another name."
"Yeah," agreed Chara, "I guess tea leaves are still tea leaves."
...
Meanwhile...
...
"Uh..." said Fluttershy as she looked about, "This isn't exactly my cottage..."
Frisk was savvy enough to know they were in some kind of nightclub. She was keeping one hand on the back of Fluttershy's neck and mane as they stood there.
"Well since we're besties now," said Discord with a toothy grin, "I thought I should show you one of my favorite hangouts."
She noticed he used his magic to change into a zoot suit complete with a wide brimmed fedora hat. It was so magical that even Frisk could sense it was a rather bright red in color. He walked up to the front stand.
"Table for three... entities, my dear," he said to the creature behind the stand.
"Well I haven't seen the likes of you in a long while," hissed the golden naga waitress with four feathered wings. Frisk noticed that under her top, she clearly had two pairs of considerable breasts. She even had two pair of roughly human arms sprouting from her sides just under the cobra-like hood around her head.
"Well duuUUuuUUuude," he replied in a strange voice, "I was into like some really gnaaarrrly stuff and like I got stoned for a long time."
"You always did like to experiment," she giggled.
"It was like some really good nyborg that lasted like a thousand yahren!"
"I totally gotta try that!" she hissed with a grin.
"Oh, like I'm toootaaally out."
"Bummer," she sighed, "You want a booth or bar seating?"
"Oh a booth would be nice," he replied as his voice returned to what passed for normal.
Frisk watched the waitress slither towards the dining area when she realized she was floating several inches above the floor as her body undulated. Her wings were tightly folded against her back as she moved.
"Oh... my..."
Frisk and Fluttershy were gazing upon a scene that made the bar scene in Star Wars' first movie look... positively tame by comparison. The ceiling was so high, it had cloud cover. There was different levels of light around each table from brighter than the sun to darker than the darkest night. The customers came in an almost unimaginable variety of shapes and sizes ranging from fairies the size of her thumb to colossal abominations larger than Gojira, the King of Monsters. Yet every seat and every table was the appropriate size for the being sitting at/on it.
They walked towards a huge table nearly ten stories tall. Just as Frisk wondered how they were ever going to manage, it shrank down to a size more compatible with them. Even the chairs and bench seating reduced in size as well.
"I know you're going to love it here," he sighed as he sat on the bench seat in back and gestured for Frisk and Flutters to take a seat next to him. He placed Frisk between so she wouldn't have to reach far to touch him should she be so inclined.
"A waitress will be along shortly to take your order," said the waitress as she turned to slither back to her station.
Discord picked up a menu as he said, "Order whatever you want. It's my treat."
They also picked up their menus which seemed to be in the language they were most comfortable reading.
'Must be psychic paper,' mused Frisk.
"I guess."
"Well well," said a nearby voice, "If it isn't my half brother, half loser."
"Anarchy," growled Discord under his breath.