“That was awesome, Mr. Allens,” Dinky happily chirped from my side. The cute little pony was holding up a glass with a straw in front of me. All I had done was successfully lean forward, grasp the straw with my lips and suck down the drink. Not exactly an earth shattering accomplishment, but with Dinky’s cheerfulness pushing me along there was no way I wasn’t going to be smiling back at her.

“Aww, thanks there, ‘Official Helper.’” I said, trying to match her billion watt cheer. “But it was a team effort, after all. Thanks for holding the glass for me.”

“No problem,” Dinky said, wiping my still clean chin with a napkin. The first day of trying to drink had resulted in a fair bit of mess, today was much better. “Princess Twilight says that tomorrow you get to start working on getting your legs to move right.”

“Good, because someone I know deserves a big hug for all the help she’s been giving me,” I said, looking down at Dinky, who went from a billion watt smile to a gazillion watts of pure cute.

“Awww,” Dinky said, and she threw her hooves around my chest hugging me fiercely. “I’ll just help you with the hugging for now. Okay?”

My limbs jerked uselessly in their restraints as I automatically tried to return the hug. My legs all had plenty of strength, but controlling them was still beyond me two days after arriving in Equestria. I’d almost beaned poor little Dinky once when she held a sandwich for me. So, for the protection of everyone...everypony working with me, my legs had all been cuffed to the bed rails. They were fastened with a simple looping hook that I could tell would be easy for me to undo, once my limbs were willing to listen to orders again.

“Thanks kid,” I said, rubbing the underside of my jaw against Dinky’s mane in thanks. My head, all the way down to my neck, was at least fully back under control so I could do that much at least to show my thanks for the little filly.

“You’ve been a very good filly today and been very helpful to Mr. Allens and your Momma,” Derpy said, from the other bed. Her torso and wings were still bound in a wrapping of gauze strips holding closed the dressings over the wound she had taken from a would be mugger back home. Doctor Stable still wouldn’t let her out of the bed, nor would he let her lay on it any way other than on her stomach.

If my condition was frustrating, hers had to be at least ten times worse. Derpy was a pegasus, a lithe and lovely creature of air and sky, and her enforced bedrest had to be driving her crazy with boredom. I was bored and I was what was apparently called an “earth pony,” which was an odd term considering we weren’t on Earth. As I was contemplating respective levels of institutionally inculcated insanity, Doctor Stable came through the door, with an orange mare trailing in his wake.

She was a tough mare, I could tell right off. Most people tended to be a little nervous in hospitals; not this mare. Her blond mane under a classic cowboy hat framed a strong face that showed strength and trust in those around her. Her blond tail matched her mane and it was the crowning glory to a pair of muscular hips that would wrap, and... What the hell was I thinking?

This was the fourth time today I’d had to mentally club myself with buckets of ice. I was just super thankful a blanket was covering my torso. The orange mare in question was giving me an odd look though.

“Hi there,” I said, introducing myself. “I’m James Allens. I’d shake hands or something but...”

“Applejack!” little Dinky shouted with excitement, spinning in place on my lap and launching herself off the bed towards the newcomer. The kid got me where kids and small animals always seem to get a guy, and that part of my body exploded in pain, loudly complaining that the part of my anatomy in question was most definitely not intended as a springboard.

“Hey there, sugarcube,” Applejack said, ruffling the little unicorn’s mane and wincing a bit at my obvious pain. “Why don’t you go get your homework, Applebloom is waitin’ for ya.”

“Okay, thanks,” Dinky said, still with that happy excitement kids have. “See you later, Momma.” Dinky grabbed up her school backpack that she had left by the door, and headed out of the room.

“You okay there, partner?” Applejack asked me, a slight frown of concern on her face.

“Miss Applejack,” Doctor Stable said, asserting himself. “This is my hospital and I will be the judge of who is and who is not okay.” He stepped up to me and, sliding a hoof under the blanket, started to probe for damage.

“It’s okay, Doc,” I said, “Just a little...Nrrg...sore.” My voice changed as the doctor found Dinky’s launching pad.

“Hmm,” Stable said to himself. “No long term damage, slight tumescence indicating that the limbic system is functional.” Applejack tried not to smile at my discomfort as she moved over to Derpy, checking out her bandages as she did so.

“As for you Ms. Hooves,” Dr. Stable said, turning to his other patient. “It looks like it’s a good thing you’re here.”

“What?” Derpy asked, looking as concerned as I suddenly felt. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re running a slight fever,” the doctor said. “As I was afraid of, it’s very possible you have an infection. I’m going to change your bandage now and have a look at the wound. Miss Applejack, if you would move please.” The orange mare came around the bed to stand beside mine, and as she did a nurse came in, wheeling a tray of tools I’d seen used before to change Derpy’s bandage.

“She’ll be okay,” I whispered to Applejack, who had a very worried look on her face. “Stable’s a pretty good doc.”

“Ah just hate hospitals,” Applejack said, wincing and turning her face away as Doctor Stable began to cut along the length of the bandage. "Ah try not to show it."

“Got some discharge here,” the doctor said. “Nurse Redheart, get some topical disinfectant ready while I get the rest of these off.”

Applejack made herself watch, and I had to match her fortitude, as the two medical ponies revealed the half healed wound with swift, sure motions of their hooves, and I couldn’t help but marvel at how skillfully they were able to do their jobs. The last bandage came off and Derpy tried to move her head back to see what it looked like, but Doctor Stable expertly nudged her head back so that Derpy was laid out in a straight line. As he moved, I got a clear look at the wound and it didn’t look good at all.

The wound was puckered and red, with the occasional bead of yellowish pus. I didn’t know a whole lot about medicine, especially pony medicine, but I knew that could not be good.

“I’m sorry Derpy,” Doctor Stable said, accepting some gauze wipes with some sort of goop on them. “But this is going to be a little painful. We’ll try to be as quick as we can.” Derpy just nodded her head, closed her eyes and let the doctors work on her side, giving out the occasional hiss of pain as every inch of the infected wound was cleaned, disinfected and rebandaged.

“I guess I’m not getting out of here in the morning, am I, Doc?” Derpy asked.

“I’m afraid not, not until we get that infection knocked down anyway,” Doctor Stable said. “Sometimes I hate being right, but we’ll get you on some good medicine and hopefully you can be out of here in a few more days.”

“It’s okay, Doc,” Derpy said, then she looked over my way and smiled. “It just means I get to help out James a bit more.” I couldn’t frown when that smile came my way and I answered it with one of my own. “Applejack, I hate to ask but...” Derpy began.

“Think nothing of it,” Applejack said, without a seconds hesitation. “Dinky can stay with us for as long as you’re laid up. She’s a good little filly, pitches right in on the chores without us even having to ask her. You just work on getting better, okay?”

“Thanks, Applejack,” Derpy said, sighing as Nurse Redheart came back in with an IV bag on a pole, obviously meant for her.

“Well, I better let Dinky know,” Applejack said, looking nervously at the IV setup. “James, good to meet you. We’ll talk again soon, and by the way, welcome to Ponyville.” Applejack made herself scarce as Nurse Redheart began to probe for a vein.

“By the way, Derpy,” I said to distract my room partner from the coming jab. “I thought I was in Equestria. What’s this Ponyville Applejack was talking about?”

“Ponyville is in...” Derpy paused as Nurse Redheart slid the needle for the IV into her leg and deftly taped it in place. “You stinker! You distracted me!”

“Guilty as charged,” I said, chuckling. “But seriously, how about a little crash course in Equestrian geography?”

“Well, it's not like we’re going anywhere,” Derpy said as the nurse left on silent hooves.

After dinner, Derpy filled me in on some of the rough geography of Equestria. From the way I understood it, Equestria was roughly the shape of North America, but significantly smaller. At least it seemed that way based on the travel times Derpy told me about. She also filled me in on just who I’d signed on to work for. The nurses got us ready for sleep a little after that bombshell and I drifted off wondering if I still had ownership of my soul.

A worry that was not allayed as my dreams became filled with visions of me walking through shadowy mists, and being led toward Hell by a misshapen creature who had tied a leash to my transformation collar. Every time I tried to stop, the creature would just yank me forward saying, “You signed the contract, buddy.”

I was just beginning to see smoke come off my hooves from the heated ground, when a great dark shape swooped down out of the gloom, and sent the creature dragging me to my doom tumbling away, snapping my leash in the process.

“That shall be enough of you, foul phantasm,” a voice I recognized said a moment later, as Princess Luna landed in front of me, her glowing horn pointing in the direction she had knocked the beast. I probably should have been paying attention to what she was saying, but I was mesmerized by the glory of her nebulous tail, as it swished back and forth in agitation. I took a step closer, noting the crescent moons on her either flank that were guiding me toward the Holy of Holies like landing lights on a runway. I moved even closer and I felt my nostrils flare as a glorious scent filled them and an electric fire seemed to fill my limbs and settle into my lower abdomen. Before I even realized what I was doing I was rearing up on pure instinct, my IQ dropping to single digits as blood drained away from my brain.

“Now th--eep!” Luna squeaked, as she felt my weight settle on her hindquarters and her hips were pulled towards mine. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a little voice was trying to make an objection to what I was doing, but it was quickly clubbed to death by long frustrated desire.

“I don’t know how this turned from a nightmare to a fantasy,” I heard myself growl, as I tried to line things up properly. “But I’m not passing you up. That would be rude to whatever god gave me this dream.”

“You don’t realize this is...” Luna began, and her horn flared a cobalt blue, wrapping me in a cocoon of energy and pulling me away just as I was about to experience nirvana.

“Hey! Hey, come back here,” I demanded, pawing my front hooves in the air. “Let me--” My voice cut off as once more my brain itself felt like it had cold water dashed against it and I came to my senses.

“First off, my little pony,” Luna said, and the humidity in her voice could have pulled water out of a salt flat. “I am not offended that you find me pleasing, or that you wished to mate with me.”

“Oh...fuck,” I said, as I came to my senses, realizing what I had been about to do. Luna’s eyebrow lifted at my curse, telling me she knew exactly what the idiom meant and it made me realize exactly how ironic the word was at that moment.

“Indeed,” she said, lowering me back to the ground and releasing me from her magic. I did the only sensible thing I could think of at that moment. I groveled. I mean, I tried to bone an actual goddess and remembering my mythology told me that the attempt usually did not end well for mortals.

“Look...Ma’am,” I gibbered out, laying myself as flat as I could in front of her. “uh...Your Highness, Your Majesty, Eminence...um...Lunar Mistress, Night Moth--” My voice was cut off as a band of cobalt power wrapped around my muzzle, clamping it shut.

“Pony...James,” Luna said, her voice kindly now. “I said I take no offense, and I do not. You are by far not the first pony to react so, when I have come upon a dreamer. I consider it something of a compliment that you were so willing to cover one so far above your station.” She let go of my mouth so that I could answer her.

“Look, Princess,” I said, my brain finally finding the correct title for the Royal Mare in front of me. “I’m really sorry about that. I thought this was a simple dream, a nightmare turned to fantasy. I mean, I knew you could visit my mind like you did before, but this is a dream.”

“I have special purview over the Dream Realm,” Luna said, drawing me to my hooves. “One of my responsibilities is to watch over the dreams of all ponies. Your nightmare drew me to you, but I’m sorry to say it took me some minutes to enter your dreams to put a stop to the nightmare.”

“A minute ago you called me ‘your’ little pony,” I said, noting that here, at least, my body worked properly. “Does this mean I belong to you now?”

“Yes, James,” Luna said, a smirk gracing her lips. “You are mine now.” I’m pretty sure my eyebrows set a land speed record climbing to the top of my head. “But you are mine only in that as a resident of Equestria, you fall under the rule of my sister and myself. Nothing more.” I let out a breath of relief, and then felt a sliver of ice congeal in my chest as I recalled what I had been thinking of as I had fallen asleep.

“What about Discord?” I asked her, a little scared at what her answer was going to be. “I mean, he is the Spirit of Chaos and I signed an actual contract with him. I don’t know about here, but back home we have a lot of stories about people who did that and it never turned out well for them.”

“Discord has been to your world before?” Luna asked, and a stormcloud marred that heavenly brow.

“Well maybe not exactly him, but we have someone in our mythology who is considered the father of chaos and evil,” I supplied.

“Curious,” Luna said, tapping her chin with a hoof. “James, if this is true, it means Discord has lied to us repeatedly in the past. May I search your memories to see if this is so?”

“Of course,” I said, in quick agreement. The more I could do to make Luna forget about me trying to hump her, the better.

“Very well,” Luna said, moving to stand directly in front of me. “This should not hurt at all.” Saying that, her horn glowed blue again, and she touched it to my forehead. It was an odd sensation, not painful, but definitely strange as her magic penetrated my head. The best way I can describe it, is that it felt like soft feathers stroking the inside of my skull. After several minutes she stepped away from me and the magic went away with her.

“Well?” I asked. “Did I actually sell my soul to the Devil?” Luna let out a delicate little snort and relief washed over me as she did.

“No, my little pony,” Luna said, smiling down at me to confirm what had to be on my face. “You are still the captain of your destiny. Discord is not the Devil of your legends, so your will and spirit are still your own.”

“Oh, thank God,” I said, and then another thought occurred to me. “Can I ask you a question about something else Ma’am? It’s sort of related to what happened earlier.”

“Oh? You wish to pursue relations with me?” Luna said, and she lifted an amused eyebrow. “A pony must possess a special quality of some sort to be worthy of being taken to my bower, but considering your origins, I suppose you would qualify.” She was kidding, of course. She had to be, but for the space of a heartbeat or two my heart did a little pitter-patter.

“Oh James,” she laughed, putting a hoof on my shoulder. “The look on your face. I jest with thee, consider it your penance for earlier. Please, ask your question.”

“Well, the thing is,” I said, rubbing my hoof behind my head. “Okay, you know how I kinda pounced on you earlier?” Luna nodded, and smiled to show that she really did understand what had happened. “The thing is, I’ve been having the urge to do that with every mare I’ve run across. Derpy, Twilight, Nurse Redheart...you”

“Each of the mares you name have their own special qualities and attractions,” Luna said, thinking. “I dare say even myself might be considered attractive to one such as yourself, who does not know my history.”

I did not like the hint of self-loathing I heard from her in that. No woman should feel like that about herself, because to quote Londo Mollari, “Of all the things in the universe, are not females the finest?”

“Princess,” I said, looking her in eye as much as I could. “Were I sure my feelings were my own, I would take you in a manly fashion.”

“And if the night should last forever?” Luna asked, and I could see her spirits had lifted a bit at my pronouncement.

“Then it would be an eternity well spent,” I replied, and my efforts were rewarded with a smile that went all the way to her tail. “The thing is, that yes, while I’m a male and find females to be attractive, I don’t usually want to instantly have sex with them. And, I definitely do not try to force myself onto them, like I did with you.”

“You think something has changed your desire to mate?” Luna asked, her eyebrows and her ears both standing straight up.

“Big time,” I responded, instantly.

“You believe Discord may be responsible for it?” Luna asked, thinking. “It would be consistent with his style of prank.”

“The thing is,” I said, letting my frustration show a bit. “Is that I just don’t know and it’s starting to drive me nuts. I don’t know what is and isn’t normal for this new body of mine. Hell, I’ve barely started to control it physically, never mind get a handle on whatever urges might come pre-packaged with it.”

“There is a way to check on this,” Luna said, her ears going back a bit. “But I will need you to trust me, to follow my commands and...” her voice trailed off.

“And what?” I half asked, half demanded of her.

“And I will need to manipulate your emotions...,” she paused, “intimately.” Gulp.

“Well, if you can’t trust the Princess of the Night, who can you trust?” I asked, trying to make light of things. “Princess, I place myself in your hooves. I’m yours to do with as you will.”

“Very well James,” Luna said, and her magic flared, settling over me like a warm blanket. “Do you like my body?” The question took me by surprise, so I took a breath and tried to take a fresh look at Luna’s form. I had to admit, despite the fact that I had been equine for less than a week, Luna’s body was magnificent. Her elegant neck, her strong legs, the firm curves of her hips, all called out to me and something of my admiration must have shown itself on my face.

“Come close James, inhale my scent,” Luna commanded me, and obediently I stepped up, and placing my nose against her shoulder I deeply inhaled the rich perfume of perfection. Her musky scent invaded my nose as a spiraling mix of wild night flowers, rich earth and the slight tang of ozone came from her. The power of desire for the Mistress of the Night filled me again, pouring liquid fire into my limbs, and once again that fire began to swirl and filter its way into my sheathed maleness.

“Speak your desire James,” Luna said, her soft voice a symphony of gentle tones. “I will not be offended by anything you say or do on my behalf. Tell me… my stallion, what is it that you want?” Her voice was the caress of a gentle breeze at night, and I fought to keep myself lucid under the assault of erotic images that were trying to steal away my reason.

“I… I… what are you doing to me?” I asked Luna, barely keeping myself from trying to mount her, again.

“Arousing you, my dear, dear stallion,” Luna purred into my ear. “Do not try to control what you are feeling. Let it flow. Listen to my voice, let go of reason and let your passions be your guide.”

“S-sure?” I gasped out, and I felt something begin to caress my underside, gently drawing me out with rippling touches.

“Of course, I am sure. Few show your bravery, and it must be rewarded,” Luna said, nibbling on my neck as her magic caressed me intimately. “How would you like me, my stallion? Would you like me saddled, to be ridden as you will? Or, would you prefer a bridle on me, with you in command as you plunge yourself deep into me, filling me completely?” Luna’s words, combined with what she was doing to my body had me on the cusp of exploding, and just as the mounting pressure within me reached the breaking point...

Everything stopped.

I stood there, frozen. Trapped in the moment of exquisite agony, unable to move, to speak, unable even to think. I had an impression of something all around me, of Luna moving in blinks of an eye, of an eternity of missed time, and all the while my mind and body kept experiencing the same endless second of the moment just before orgasm. It was both the most wonderful sensation of my life and the most horrific torture I could ever imagine, both at the same moment.

Then, as quick as it had come, it passed and I collapsed onto my side, making a mess of myself as my body finished what my mind had started. Luna lay down beside me as I shuddered and gasped with the after effects of what she had done to me, and I found myself fighting back tears as she cleaned me off and pillowed my head against her side as I slowly recovered.

“Rest, brave stallion,” Luna said, her voice gentle and full of care. “I am sorry I had to put you through such an ordeal, but it was the only way to be sure. You are young, and possessed of a great vitality. Virility in one of your years is to be expected, and I had to raise it to it’s highest possible level so as to eliminate it from my delvings of your spirit.”

“Wha--what’s the scoop then?” I managed to ask her as I slowly brought myself under control, physically and emotionally.

“First, you should know that I have alerted the hospital in Ponyville to the current condition of your body in the waking world,” Luna said, nuzzling the top of my head. “I’ve informed them it was my doing and to maintain your privacy at all costs.”

“Thanks,” I said, and I meant it. Without any decent control of my body in the real world there was no way I would be able to clean myself, and lying in a mess until morning held no appeal for me, not to mention how embarrassing it would be for Derpy to find out.

“Secondly, my stallion,” Luna said, still nuzzling me. “You were right to be suspicious, your libido has been both magnified and pushed to a hair trigger.”

“Crap,” I said, my breath easy now but making no motion to move my head. “How bad is it?”

“I would say about double that of a normal pony your age, with half the control,” Luna said, flicking her tail so it lay over my body like a star filled blanket. “Worse, the effect is definitely tied to your transformation into a pony somehow. I shall have words with Discord on your behalf, as I do not believe it was his intent to alter your emotions, even though that seems to have been an effect of his magic on you.”

I was really glad I had a pony with the… horsepower Luna had, in my corner when it came to this. However, what she had said about how my desires had been ramped up meant I couldn’t trust how I had felt around any mare, including the one pony I had come to like and trust more than any other, Derpy.

Derpy had put herself in harm’s way for me. She was in the hospital bed next to me because of what she had done for me. My feelings for her couldn’t be fake, or could they? How could I tell? A mix of confusion, anger, worry and doubt began to come over me, and my breathing sped up a bit as anxiety began to spike.

“Easy, my stallion,” Luna soothed, and my mind calmed a bit as a creeping lassitude began to spread over me. “Time enough to dwell on those things come my sister’s sun, and you require true rest now. Sleep.” Luna’s tail over my body warmed me, and I felt myself relaxing against her side even further.

“What if another nightmare comes?” I asked sleepily, and a part of me mused on the irony of falling asleep in a dream, as things grew dim around me.

“Worry not,” Luna said, as I began to drift away into a deeper sleep. “Your dreams shall be peaceful, I protect what is mine.”

Author's Note

What's life without a few complications?

Just a note, this will probably be the last update for this story this month. I have a private one-shot commission to fill, then a new chapter of Twilight Learned, and Brightly Lit is in the queue after that.

Take care all, and fear not, we'll look in on James soon.