Shifted

Raul walked into the bathroom and looked around. “Smells like horse in here,” he joked as he closed and locked the door behind himself. Several minutes later he left the room and closed the door quickly. “Now it smells like man!”

Ariel and Luna looked at him with bemused expressions. “You’re so gross.”

“I’m also hot as lava, chica. What’s going on with you two?” he asked as he skipped gaily over.

The females giggled. “What the hell was that just now? The prancing?”

“Just doing my morning stretches. It’s great for the glutes and knees, try it sometime. And…”

“Oh, we were talking about hair care. Turns out manes are a lot like our hair so we can share soaps!”

“Rather, experiment. Some soaps are not made for royal coats,” Luna’s chin rose slightly.

“Yeah, yeah, and I bet toilets aren’t made for your royal poop? Get over it, amiga, and remember where you are.”

Luna frowned at Raul. “For a knight you are foul mouthed to your-”

“You’re not my princess!” Raul snapped, anger across his face. “I, I’m sorry. It’s been a long few days and I just lost a good friend.”

“Ah, yes. Dave died the way of a true warrior and will be remembered.”

Ariel opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Raul. “He died because of your magic sleep spell. I’ve lost enough friends over the years to know loss and it doesn’t hurt like it once did, but watching him turn to dust next to you…” he closed his eyes and sighed.

“It never becomes easier,” Luna admitted while she sat next to Ariel, who produced a brush from her side and began to brush Luna’s mane. “Believe me, Raul. When you reach my age,” she gulped and looked at him apologetically, “if you were to, that is,” he rolled his eyes, “you’d learn that all you can do is hide the pain, not vanquish it.”

“I know what loss is over time,” he narrowed his eyes, “and don’t assume to know me or what I’ve been through in my life so far, princess. I’ve done well enough here and I’m proud to live on in my fallen friends and family’s honor.”

Luna winced as Ariel hit a snag and tugged it free. “Raul, I did not mean to imply or insist at thy experience but thee must understand that mine needs are simply to return to whence I came and right the wrongs of my past.”

“Hey, I know you two are in a lovers quartet, or whatever,” Ariel said to both the others’ surprise, “but Doc Blue says breakfast is ready.”

Luna closed her mouth and swallowed hard as her gaze returned to Raul, who was blushing the same as she was. “We, he and myself are not swiving.”

“Heh, ‘swiving’,” Raul chuckled, “I haven’t heard that one in ages. Princess, care for a-” He stopped at the glare she shot him and wisely changed the topic. “So, what’s for breakfast?”

“A meal for us and them?”

Raul rolled his neck and stretched his arms. “Well, I’m ready to feast on a dozen unborn fowls,” he grinned. Luna grinned. Ariel grimaced and stuck out her tongue. “It means eggs, ya freak,” Raul and Luna began to laugh.

…

Luna held the rifle in her magical grasp and squeezed the trigger, a smile crossed her muzzle. “I like this one. I can feel the magic inside it and it flows with my movements quite nicely,” she spun it around in the air and smirked as Ariel and Raul ducked.

“Do, not do that again,” Ariel scolded.

“It’s a magic weapon and you’re a magic pony, so it makes sense that it’d work for you. Ariel and me can’t use it since we can’t use magic,” Raul said, standing tall and proud. Luna nearly called him out as a magic user but stopped herself. “As a magic user you can use all the weapons we know of and plenty I’m sure we don’t.

“Because magic weapons use magic bullets or beams you may never run out, but be careful because it’s easy to pump too much magic into these kind of weapons and drain yourself in the middle of a battle. Granted, real battles are rare, but you wouldn’t want to take the chance, right?”

Luna looked to the distance in thought and hummed. “Yes, there is another thing I have noticed. My magic isn’t replenishing as quickly as it normally should. I feel slightly drained from my sparring match with Aran.”

“You teleported him to the moon,” Raul said flatly, “you both should have died, not to mention the lunar dust that should have made you both sick for days.”

“No, my spell protected us from the dusts, but it feels tiring to use magic. Perhaps Aran will know why.”

“Perhaps. I’ll go get him,” Raul excused himself with a slight bow and wink to Luna.

“...So, just us ladies again, huh?”

“It would seem so. Is there something on your mind, child?”

“Nah, just excited to get back to shooting. You’re leaving soon and I’m coming with you, kinda excited to-”

“Wait, pardon me? When am I leaving? Did Raul tell you this?”

“Well,” Ariel scratched her head, “yes, I thought you knew. He talked with Aran and me about getting your stuff back so you can get home and we agreed to tag along. We’re tired of this town and Doc Blue can take care of himself. He’s, like, ninety years of bamboo.” Luna giggled.

“He is the most peculiar creature I’ve met so far. He’s a living plant, of sorts, a genius, a mage,” she looked at the target, “and lost from his home as well. One of a very few that won’t see another of his kind for the rest of his days,” she sighed, “yes, it is about time we moved on. But promise me this, Ariel. That if it becomes too dangerous you will run or hide. I cannot travel with a clear conscious knowing you will be in danger.”

“That won’t be a problem, I’m the best sniper in a thousand miles, I take my own trail with Aran a ways back and we cover you from above and behind, it’s a classic tactic in this world. You just have to be ready to go all magic mane when the time comes.”

“Yes, as long as my magic lasts.”

With a light landing Aran phased into existence behind Luna and nodded to the mare. “You aren’t going to recover magic as fast, Luna,” he was wearing a mage’s outift with various runic symbols dangling from chains along his hips and a mask dangled from his neck, he tented his fingers, “this is the world you’re from,” he rounded his hands, “this is our world, magically speaking.

“Your world is infused with a different source of magic and your body is absorbing it at a slower rate here. You’re essentially like me, and can only recharge quickly at a leyline. Well, quicker than normal. I’m sensing a well of magic in you, but it’s not as deep as it was. Teleporting me to the moon,” he smirked, “took a lot of magic and it may take months before you recover it all naturally.”

“So, what am I to do? I knowst that some of my magic can be used without draining me, like my telekinesis.”

“That’s a different power, from the mind not the heart. Your horn channels it, I’d wager, and manifests it with that tell-tale color that gives away your position. Can you do anything about that?”

“No, it is how it is. We must work around it as we can.”

“What if we covered it?” he asked reaching into a pocket and rummaging.”

“It will not work. The aura of a unicorn spell is to be seen and not even I can dispel it.”

He stopped and rolled his eyes, taking out a pair of sunglasses. “Then let’s get you some more target practice and hit the road after lunch, we can’t stay for too long.”