Still wrapped in their warm embrace, I can’t help but wonder what sort of place this is. Mom was already an alicorn, but Aunt Twilight... she was a unicorn before I was hit with the elements, yet this development somehow doesn’t surprise me. How long has passed?

“I don’t understand, though,” I whisper. “Where am I? What is this place?”

The alicorn pair shares a look. Seemingly, without ever sharing words, they are debating how much they should tell me. After a while, Cadance nods to Twilight.

“This is the Astral Plane,” Twilight says softly, taking a step back. With a sweep of one of her broad, purple wings, a pathway forms through the cloudy void. Several windows appear alongside the path. “It’s a place ponies come when they ascend, becoming something more.”

Cadance nods. “When I was a filly, I came here after defeating an enchantress named Prismia,” she explains. A window appears between them, showing a small pegasus pony standing in this same void with Princess Celestia. “Celestia was here to guide me and help me to my ascension.”

The image shifts, and shows Twilight being struck by the Elements of Harmony. She too, is joined by Princess Celestia in this ‘Astral Realm’. That seems to be a common thread between the two: Princess Celestia.

So if I’m here to ‘ascend’, why isn’t Celestia here? Am I not worthy of her presence? No, that’s not it, I decide as my form flickers between the bipedal and quadrupedal forms.

“Luna, relax!” How long ago had I heard that? Weeks? Months? Years? “We’re retired now... Leave this sort of thing to Twilight to figure out.”

That’s right; they’re retired. My eyes flick back to Twilight. She’s wearing a crown and a gilded peytral, and she looks so much older. And she’s an alicorn!

That’s when it hits me. I’ve been sleeping here for a long time. Countless years have passed, maybe even decades. Twilight’s not just an alicorn; she’s a princess—how could she not be? Celestia and Luna have retired, too. Alicorns can live for thousands of years but...

“How long have I been gone?” I ask, looking down at my own distorted form. Why isn’t it consistent? Sometimes I’m a pony and sometimes I’m only half... “There have been times where I’ve heard things, like the Princesses Celestia and Luna being retired, or Aunt Twilight taking a pony under her apparently not so metaphorical wing.”

The pair share a look, before Mom moves to her side to drape a wing over my shoulders. Once again, my shifts in form pause, locking me in the bipedal state. “It’s been twenty five years, Penny.”

“Is that so,” I mutter reflexively. So that would probably put Dad in his fifties now. He’s still got a good fifty left. Maybe even more. “So... when I return to Equestria, am I going to be an alicorn like both of you?”

This time, it’s Twilight that speaks up. “That I don’t know.” She looks me up and down once, before glancing at the array of windows that cropped up along the pathway. “Cadance and I still both had physical bodies when we ascended. Yours... crumbled after being sealed.” With a sad smile, she adds, “It’s a miracle you’re here at all.”

Pushing away from Mom, I move to look at some of the windows. Almost all of them show events from my life: learning from Twilight, training with the guard, my fight with the demon, even talking to Evening Script under the moonlight. But there are a number of panes that I don’t remember.

As I stare at an aquamarine unicorn and a female biped at a cafe in Ponyville—the name of the species evades me—a feeling of loss fills my belly. I don’t see myself anywhere in the image. Worse, I don’t remember any of this.

I wander to another nearby window, showing the aquamarine unicorn bloodied and on the ground, looking up at Aunt Twilight. Despite the condition she’s in, the victorious look on her face tells me that she’d willingly drive the piece of crystal she’s levitating into the back of my aunt’s neck.

More and more, I find images I don’t remember. Eventually, ponies vanish entirely from the windows, being filled with more of the bipeds. Tears rim my eyes as I reach out and touch a window with a family of the bipeds gathered. Clearly it’s some kind of wedding, but I feel next to nothing when I look at any of them—just loss.

Twilight and Cadance evidently notice my distress. They rush over to join me as I stare at the window. “They look so happy, Penny,” Cadance says, looking at it. “Was that your family before becoming a pony?”

Becoming a pony?

“I... I don’t remember any of these ponies... I don’t know their race at all,” I whisper quietly. Alarm fills my core. “I don’t... why don’t I remember anything before meeting you and Dad in that park?”

Both alicorns gasp and recoil in surprise. Although Twilight looks concerned, I can see in her eyes that her mind is already thinking it over. Cadance, on the other hoof, pities me.

Before either can say anything, however, a small mote of light appears before me. It’s very dim, and seems to flicker in the same glitched out manner I do. I reach out a hand, and it lands in my palm, pulsing gently.

“Sorry, I tried to get as much of your memories together as I could, but I don’t think everything made it with us back when you ejected us from your body,” it says in a familiar voice. “I took a lot of damage when we ditched, and if I haven’t found everything by now, those memories are probably lost...”

Wait a second...

“Book? Is that you?” I ask incredulously. “If you had to pull me back together, wouldn’t it have been better to just become the primary consciousness that way?”

She dims slightly. “I don’t know if you noticed, but we’re both broken,” she says in a trembling voice. “Look at yourself, and you might notice you’re flickering between my shape and yours... Since you have all the form data, you were more likely to manifest if you somehow returned... I felt it’d be better to put everything I found into you... like I’m supposed to, but...”

“You’re all burned out,” I finish for her, cradling her softly in my cupped hands. She worked tirelessly for 25 years just to put my mind back together, but she was never meant to do that... “We’re both incomplete, and you’ve got nothing left to give.”

A solemn silence fills the void around me. Although Twilight knew about my communion with Book, I don’t think Cadance ever really knew about the memory imprint. If she’d been a pegasus before, she might not even know she has such a redundancy. Even so, Mom is the most empathetic pony I know. She drapes a wing over my shoulder.

“Rest, Book—no, Memnosyne.” That was the name she wanted to go by... The least I can do is honor that in the end. I don’t know what spurs my next action forth, but with great care, I pull the dimming light forward and clasp her to my breast. Warmth fills my chest and spreads through my entire body. When I pull my hands away, the light is gone. “I’m still here, and you are gone, but I remember you, so you are eternal.”

Looking down at my hands, the flickering has gone. I no longer look like a glitch in the system, whatever that means; my form is solid and unwavering: both Penny and Memnosyne. I won’t ever be the same again, but I’m ready to let it all out. I’m ready to let go.

Wrapping my arms around Mom’s neck, I cry. For what feels like a short eternity, I do nothing but weep. Neither can do more than watch or comfort me, and for some reason, I’m more than happy with that.

“How do I get out of here, Mom?” I ask in a tired tone, I murmur into her silky soft fur. “I want to go home.”

Putting her neck down on my shoulder, Mom looks to Twilight and asks, “How do we get her home, Twilight?”

My aunt tilts her head in thought. “We both left when the magics of this place completed our ascension to alicornhood, but Penny ended up here accidentally. I’m not entirely sure she was ever supposed to end up here, but...” She raises a fetlock to touch her chin. “If she goes with either of us, she should be fine.”

Tiredly, I hug Mom tighter. “Take me home to the paradise city where the crystals are clean and the mares are pretty...” I murmur, feeling my consciousness beginning to dip toward true sleep. “Oh won’t you please take me home.”

A bright white light envelops me, quickly followed by the darkness of sleep.

~ 18 ~

When I wake, there’s no standard trope of not knowing where I am, or thoughts that the ceiling is unfamiliar. Somehow, I just know that I’m safe, that I’m in a guest room somewhere in the castle in the Crystal Empire. There’s lingering memories of being brought here by Mom, and her telling somepony to see to it that I get whatever I need.

Pushing myself into a seated position is interesting to say the least. It’s not because my only remaining memories are of living as a quadruped, or the fact that I’m used to sleeping on my belly. No, it’s because the first thing I notice upon sitting up is the shift of weight on my chest.

My teats haven’t just migrated... They’ve grown considerably. Dusted with a thin coat of silver fur, they definitely look to be more than a handful... but why? Maybe ‘cause I’m an adult, duh. Bipeds have their mammaries on their chests because they carry their young around in their arms.

Folding my arms beneath my new bust, I can’t help but blush. Why are they so big? My arms struggle to be seen past them, but is that because of their resting position, or them being squeezed together? I know I’m not pregnant, and Memnosyne never showed much in the cleavage department.

I gently slap myself on the cheeks in order help wake myself up, and then examine my hands. They have the same amount of fur as my breasts and upper body, but my nails seem like they’re made of the same material as a horn. Shouldn’t they be keratinous like my hooves?

Speaking of hooves, I flex my hind legs. Yup, those still feel the same. At the same time, my hips feel different, wider—maybe even stronger. As I flex, however, it feels more like the structure might have changed somewhat. For a bipedal build, probably. Tail’s still present, thankfully. I’d miss that.

With a quick kick of my left leg, the covers fly off of me completely. Sure enough, the fur on my legs is far thicker than my upper body, but what’s noticeable is that on the outsides of my thighs, my cutie mark is still present. The thick fur terminates evenly at my hips, giving way to the thinner fur... and then there’s the bare cleft of my vulva. Not exploring that right now.

Turning my attention to the rest of the room, I’m kinda blown by the sheer size of the room. The walls, ceiling and floor of the room are constructed from a translucent blue crystal material. There’s a large double door inset on the wall at the foot of the bed, while there’s a glass door opening onto some sort of balcony to my right. No other ways in or out. To my left, there’s a vanity with a mirror. Even a few dressers beside it. Doubt there’s anything in it that’d fit me, but the mirror definitely interests me.

Without giving the movement much thought, I swing my legs over the side of the bed and slide down onto my hooves. It’s a little awkward, but I’m able to stand upright. I kinda have to bend my knees to properly distribute my weight, but I can stand.

Walking, on the other hoof, is weird. I feel like I should be walking completely upright, but the equilibrium is kind of weird. I might need to construct some sort of walking stick until I can get a proper rhythm down. In a way, it’s like walking when your legs are asleep. Maybe ask somepony for some support for the time being.

It’s weird when I finally get to the vanity. I can tell that this is the sort a full-grown pony would use, rather than a depraved midget like I was. Yet when I look in the mirror, I’m not looking at the top of my head; I’m staring myself in the eye.

My reflection is kinda weird, though. My muzzle’s smaller, although still clearly equine. My ears are more out to the side, and my horn is longer. This is so freaky... I rub a hand up the back of my neck, and my mane stops at the base of my skull.

Other than that, I’m still me. Same bright blue eyes, white mane with blue stripes, and silver skin and fur. Definitely less mass than a fully grown pony though. My lips might be a bit fuller, but I’m pretty scrawny looking. Other than that, I’d say I’m still damn sexy.

Hmm, I can’t remember the last time I had a nice long soak in a bath. There were the sponge-baths in the hospital, but actually sitting in a bathtub with hot water, just letting my muscles melt? Twenty-five years too long.

But at the same time, there’s this desire to cover up. It’s kinda chilly with my breasts on display and this thin upper body fur. Also, with the orientation of my lower body, my muff is right out there in the open with nothing hiding it.

Instead of making my way straight to the door, I move over to one of the chests of drawers. The first two drawers don’t yield anything, but in the bottom one, I find a very big, fluffy white towel. It’s more than enough to cover my breasts and waist, so that’s what I do; I wrap it around my midsection.

I almost want to take one of the bedsheets and make a cloak in order to conserve extra heat and maybe cover myself up more. Dunno who all Mom’s told about me yet, and for all I know, she’s planning a surprise for Dad.

Nah, I’m good. I think I can still cast magic. If push comes to shove, I can probably just use a quick illusion spell to alter my colors. Easy peasy.

The walk from the chest of drawers to the door is thankfully a bit steadier. No longer am I walking like both my legs are asleep, but instead, like I’m very tired. That’s fine; I can work with a tired gait.

Opening the door is actually a bit problematic. I don’t have the strength of an earth or crystal pony, and this door feels like it was built to be opened by someone with the muscle mass of a fully-grown pony. My problem is that I’m effectively bipedal foal with wide hips and big tits, for all the muscle mass I have.

Magic’s definitely an option, but I want time to center myself before I fuck around with that. Even passively, I can tell there’s magic flooding into me. My magic reserves are still at least as deep as they were; and if I don’t take caution, I might blast the door off is hinges, or hit someone.

Rapping on the door with the back of my fist, I say, “Hello, is somepony there?”

A crystal pony mare, complete with crystalline regalia, pushes the door open. I’m kind of surprised to pick up on the same anonymity enchantment I’d seen on guard armor in Canterlot without actively exploring the magic in the area. With it right in front of me, I can feel it there.

“Is there a problem, Miss Penny?” the mare asks.

I smile at her, taking pleasure in being at eye level with other adults again. She flinches slightly, but it’s not until idly lick my teeth that it occurs to me that I have canines again. Again?

“Yeah, I noticed there’s no bathroom in this suite, and after twenty-five years in a magical sleep, I’d kinda like to have a soak, y’know?” I say. Idly, I cough into my hand, hoping to distract from the little spook I gave her. “Is there some sort of guest bathroom I can use? Hell, I’ll take a stall in your barracks if it means hot water.”

That actually elicits a giggle from the mare. “Relax, ma’am,” she answers in an easygoing tone. “Princess Cadance instructed me to help you in whatever way I could, and no VIP will be using the barrack block showers on Dusty Jade’s watch.” She backs up enough to let me exit through the gap in the door, and then pulls it shut behind us. “Just follow me.”

~ 18 ~

In the private dining room of the royal family, the eldest living daughter sat pondering her options. Now that she was of age, Etherea was expected to start taking on diplomatic duties on behalf of the Crystal Empire. Meeting beings of all kinds at conferences, and learning about other races firsthoof, had a certain appeal to the inquisitive alicorn.

At the same time, though, she wasn’t sure that she was ready for such a commitment. She had all of her friends here in the Empire, and her talent’s link to dreams already put a heavy yoke on her withers. She would eventually be expected to take over for Luna. The bat pony elders had already expressed their wishes to train her in their arts.

Prodding her salad lunch with a silver fork, she glanced at her mother’s spot at the table. Princess Cadance had simply up and left in a flash of magic in the middle of breakfast. One moment, mother was eating poached eggs and toast, and then the next, she was gone.

It was quite worrying. Usually, her mother would politely excuse herself, as she had tried to instill in her own daughters. The look of shock on her face before she took off—without even telling father why, no less—was terrifying.

Was there some sort of major incident that she was responding to right now? There were rumors of a roaming band of dragons violating the Treaty of the Six—the nonaggression pact between the ponies, dragons, changelings, hippogriffs, griffons, and yaks—by hitting gem caravans between the Crystal Empire and Equestria. Was this related?

Her head dropped as she stared at her meal, a curtain of blue falling across her vision. Even at twenty-four, she worried whether or not she was ready to deal with that sort of thing. No, she wasn’t a fighter; if there was encroachment on Crystal Empire sovereignty, it would be her father to deal with it.

Turning her thoughts to the arrangements she’d made with Sea Breeze and the rest of her friends, she pondered what to do. They’d all planned to go visit a traveling circus that was in town for the afternoon. At the same time, she knew that her status granted additional responsibility, and she should be prepared to assume her princessly roles in a moment of emergency.

“Oh! There you are, Etherea!” came her mother’s exclamation. She looked up and found her mother standing in the dining hall doorway. Abandoning her food, Etherea rushed over to greet her mother. Cadance of course welcomed her daughter with an open wing. “Is Flurry around too?”

Etherea cringed at the mention of her younger sister before shaking her head. “I think she said she was going out with that goth colt-toy of hers,” she grumbled as she stepped back. “Probably defiling a crypt or something spooky like that.”

Princess Cadance heaved a sigh and looked away. “You know she’s just going through her rebellious phase,” she replied. “Must you think so ill of her?”

Etherea wanted to say that she wished Flurry Heart was more like their deceased half-sister. If Flurry showed even the slightest bit of interest in learning or in helping others, it would be so much easier to get along with her. She’d never voice that to her mother, though. As open as the family was, neither Mother or Father liked getting too deep into discussions of Silver Penny, and she didn’t feel it was her place to bring hurt.

“I guess I’ll just have to tell her later,” Mother said dejectedly. Looking back to Etherea, she smiled with a twinkle of excitement in her eyes before stepping out the door. “Don’t make any plans for dinner tonight, dear; I have a special guest I want everypony to meet.”

That perked the young alicorn’s ears. A special guest was joining them at the evening meal? Not family, she quickly concluded as she returned to her meal; if Princess Twilight, or Grandfather Light and Grandmother Velvet were to visit, there wouldn’t be any need for the element of surprise. Likewise, her grandparents on her mother’s side were both deceased.

She quickly consumed her salad, pondering who it was. She’d surely have heard word from friends in the palace staff if there were diplomats about. Who, then?

Her stomach sank as the next thought occurred to her. If not a diplomat, or family, that left only one option that made sense. Her mother was being pressured by the nobility into having her meet a suitor again.

There was nothing else to be done; she would need to see to Sea Breeze personally, excusing herself from the day’s arranged adventure. If Mother and Father were having her meet suitors, the least she could do is not half-flank it like Flurry might. A bath was in order too, and then she’d ask her hoofmaiden to help her prepare.

With a mischievous smile another thought occurred to her: if she were to go incognito, she could learn a bit about whomever the guest was in an informal manner. After all, she was no stranger to using a transformation spell taught to her by one of her changeling friends and some persuasion to find out things her mom didn’t want her to know.

~ 18 ~

Being escorted through the halls by Dusty Jade is an interesting experience. There are guards posted at every hallway juncture in this part of the castle, all different shapes and sizes. In addition to the crystal ponies like Jade, there are your standard array of Equestrian ponies, griffons, and strange brightly colored insectoids. These last ones are difficult not to gawk at.

I tend to draw just as many curious glances, and it’s not hard to see why. I’m nothing if not a curiosity: not quite unicorn, not quite minotaur, frail, but with a strange presence about her. One thing I notice most, however, is a lack of fear. As servants to strong mages, that makes sense.

“Ah, so you noticed the security,” Jade comments not long after we exit. “Ever since somepony broke into the castle to nick Princess Twilight’s crown, Prince Shining Armor overhauled guard training here in the Empire; he doubled it after Princess Cadance had her first daughter.”

First daughter... meaning I have at least two siblings now... I file that away for the moment, grunting an affirmative. Instead, I just idly marvel at the architecture. It looks almost naturally grown in places, but in others it’s positively level and smooth. Is that the natural magics of the Crystal Ponies at work? Or did King Sombra do so during his reign? Either way, it’s a beautiful sight.

Something about this bluish purple stone really calls out to me. Like it’s a superconductor for magic. What sort of enchantments could it hold—or already be holding? If I could get a sample for experimentation later...

“I’m not asking because you’re a crystal pony, and having said that, I realize that I sound like a racist for having to state that... Do you happen to know what kind of crystal this is?” I ask, unable to withhold the curiosity bubbling up in my stomach. “I’ve never seen anything like it, but I can tell even passively that it’s gotta be a useful enchanting material.”

Have I always been this inquisitive? Sure, I’ve been adventurous and a tinkerer, willing to put myself on the line so others don’t have to, but... beyond the failed railgun spell, I’ve never felt so driven to create new enchantments or spells. It’s inspiring.

“Imperial Corundum,” she answers without a hint of emotion; it’s probably a question she’s been some variant of several times over the years. She probably has a script and everything. “One of the most magically conductive materials this side of the world, and only a step removed from being Imperial Sapphires. Only grows in the gem farms here in the Crystal Empire”

Another detail to file away, I think to myself as we stop before a set of large double doors. I know she said I was going to the VIP baths, but anything that requires large double doors seems a bit excessive. I was just hoping for something like a clawfoot tub like the one back at Aunt Twilight’s library.

As Dusty pushes the door open, I can’t help but gawk at the room. It seems more like an indoor pool with accompanying showers. It’s like some kind of spa... There’s no privacy here at all!

“Welcome to the real VIP baths, Miss Penny,” she says proudly, giving a flourish as she leads me inside. “Castle guests normally have access to just the guest baths, but that includes those nosy nobles that stay from time to time. Your mother won’t want the nobility knowing about you before your father or sisters.”

Did Mom tell her who I was? It makes me stop and really think. If she needed to be absolutely sure that I would be cared for, she might divulge that information to a trusted guard... but at the same time, something feels off.

“If you plan on ensuring your mother gets to surprise your sisters and father, make sure to fully cover that cutie mark,” she says with a laugh, as though she’s been reading my face. “Not all of the guards will recognize it, but a few of us were around when your remains and belongings were interred in the family crypt. We saw the mark engraved on the casket.” With that, the guardsmare pulls the door shut, leaving me free to stew in my questions and a nice hot bath.

With a sigh, I totter over to one shower stall with a detachable head and a full length mirror. I hardly even give it much thought as I reflexively channel magic through my horn and grab the shower-head as my left hand turns the shower to hot.

I just levitate that showerhead above me as the near boiling water cascades down my body. The heat seeps into my coat and muscles as I stand there. It’s hard to suppress the contented moan that rises out of my throat, but I still manage a soft, “Oh yes...”

Somepony had left unopened bottles of mane and tail, and coat shampoos in a nearby nook, and although I feel a bit guilty about opening somepony’s new shampoo, I need to use something. With trepidation, I stretch out my hand reaching for the first shampoo bottle, and a blue spell-aura wraps around it... At first, I’m surprised to watch it float straight to my hand, but as I stare at my hand, and see the corresponding corona around it.

So I can use magic this way, I reflect as I pour a gob of shampoo into my hand. I step back as I massage the shampoo into my mane, before later moving onto my tail. My aetheric system has definitely changed... subconscious response to thought... new manifestation of personal magic? I will definitely need to be more cautious for a while. Don’t think of explosions, for fuck sake.

As I move on to my tail, my thoughts begin to drift back toward Memnosyne. It’s weird thinking of her with that name, but she gave her last to ensure I could live. It fills my chest with pain like none I’ve never felt before. An important part of me—a friend, confidant, and partner—is gone.

Sure, I could try and build up my next memory engram and allow it to become its own being like I did Memnosyne, but... it wouldn’t be the same. It’d never be like her. She was special. There will be no replacing her; it would be an insult to her... her memory.

Before I realize what’s happened, I’m on the floor sobbing and stroking my tail. The shampoo has long since rinsed clean, but my account for time seems lacking. I’m just kneeling on the floor, stroking my tail and hugging it close.

I could’ve lain here for minutes or hours... I think Dusty Jade would have checked up on me after the first hour, though... Normally, I’d be concerned about losing time, but I have this gut feeling. If my body was literally stitched back together by the fabric of reality between planes, there’s bound to be some... quirks. I just need some time to relax and smooth my psyche out.

Pushing myself back up, I levitate the first shampoo bottle back to the alcove. I don’t immediately reach for other. Instead, I tilt my head up to let the hot water cascade down my face. The tears that remain around my eyes are washed away, but my eyes feel puffy. Go figure, I cry and they feel puffy, right?

It occurs to me as I’m reaching for the coat shampoo that now would be a good opportunity to center myself... to get a feel for changes in my system while I cleanse myself. I’m alone, and I’m in a fairly safe place, surrounded by water in the event of fire.

Smoothing shampoo into my coat, I begin with a breathing exercise, breathing in through my nose, and out through my mouth. Ambient magic flows in through my horn, and also through my fingertips, only to be expelled as a cloud of personal magic exactly as it came in.

As I’d done so many times in the past, I reach out, beyond the door as far as my magic can take me. There’s easily over a hundred beings in just the area of the castle. At first, it’s hard to make out the individual shapes, and worse, get a feel for everything magically without getting too intrusive. But as these beings interact with the natural magics around them, I begin to get a feel for many of them.

Unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies are the easiest to pick out, having been what I’ve been exposed to the most in my life, and then the griffons aren’t too hard to pick up on either. The crystal ponies almost seem to blend in with the castle itself, magnifying the natural magics.

Then there are the odd insectile beings. There’s a feeling about them that causes the back of my mind to prickle with unease. What are they? I know I felt something like them before, but where?

Inside what I can only assume to be the throne room, I feel a great wellspring of power... and with just a caress of magic, and the feeling of love as my magic intermingles, I know it’s Mom. That would make the second brightest point with her... Yes, that’s Dad. There’s a certain resonance, him being a part of me.

But that’s not what catches my interest. It’s the great wellspring of magic that is drawing closer to me that catches my inner eye. It’s unmistakably moving right for me and it feels similar to Mom. But as it stops outside the door, lingering near Dusty before casting it casts a spell. Even with the muted murmur of conversation and laughter on the other side of the door, this doesn’t feel right.

I know what those bug ponies are now, at least... I’ve felt magic like what that pony is using before. I felt it in the alley when that infiltrator took Evening’s shape... Those bug ponies are changelings, and this source of power has to be a changeling queen. Chrysalis? If it’s a queen, then... She wants revenge for the one I killed in Canterlot so long ago... she must.

I pull my cloud of magic back in through my hands and begin casting some minor illusions. My coat goes black, while my mane going a nice bronze color. For all the good it’ll do me, I hide my horn by projecting the illusion of skin. Finally, I spread the black across my cutie mark until by all appearances, my thighs are perfectly uniform.

It’s only a simple glamour that any spellcaster worth their horn would pick up on if they looked hard enough, but I’m not ready for a fight. If I ground myself, hide my fear, and fake my way, I might... But if they transformed in front of Dusty, then...

The door cracks open, and I quickly return to scrubbing shampoo into my coat. Even though my back is turned to the door, I see the pony that enters: a soft-yellow pegasus with a soft blue mane. She even has a cutie mark that depicts a warm glow emerging from behind pastel clouds. How much more pegasus can you get?

As soon as she steps in, her eyes are on me. There’s a look of shock as she takes in my form. Maybe she didn’t expect a biped? Or maybe she can feel my own growing magical presence. There’s curiosity in those eyes, too.

With a deep breath, I look over my shoulder and pretend I’ve just noticed her. “Oh, hello!” I greet her in a soft voice, channeling my inner Fluttershy. Just smile and flutter your eyelashes, Penny. “I didn’t see you there.”

She snaps out of her apparent stupor and returns my smile. “I’ve never seen you around the castle before,” she replies, stepping up beside me. Much to my amusement, the mare offers a hoof. Her eyes shift to the side slightly as she speaks again. “My name is Cloudy Skies, and I am Princess Etherea’s... hoofmaiden.”

Uh-huh, I think to myself as I shake her hoof with one sudsy hand. Not a very convincing lie. While covering my chest with my free arm, a flush creeps across my cheeks. Changeling Queen or no, I'm naked in front of another sapient. I'm used to solo bathing, even if ponies don't mind the whole communal bathing thing.

“I am Arcana Noire,” I reply, quickly deciding that lies of omission and vagueness should probably be my best course of action. If this is somehow not a changeling here hoping to kill me, and an ally of my mother, I can apologize and clarify my statements. Besides, I was never all that great of a liar. “I was brought here by Her Highness, Princess Cadance after being away from Equestria for many years. I... am not very used to this new form, and I lack knowledge of recent history, so I’m being kept from the sight of those who might take advantage of me.”

I fully expect her eyes to light up upon hearing that, and in that sense I’m not disappointed. After all, what sort of manipulator wouldn’t light up upon being told you’re vulnerable and could be taken advantage of? But this isn’t like that. If anything, the look in this mare’s eyes is like Aunt Twilight when you show interest in something she’s been working on. A genuine desire to share knowledge.

I swear on my Mom, I even hear her squee before she speaks. “When did you leave Equestria?” she asks in a tone that speaks of a genuine desire to help. “Where did you go?”

With a smirk, I answer, “Let me put it this way, before I left to wander beyond the veil of the world, Princess Twilight was still just a unicorn.” Dangling a little hint, I quickly add, “I think she had a student or charge with her in Ponyville.”

Her expression visibly drops upon hearing this, although she does her best to quickly hide that fact. Odd, why would mention of her ‘student’ upset a supposed hoofmaiden?

“Yes, I think I can tell you most of the important pieces since then,” she says in a hitching tone. Her eyes flick to the mirror, seemingly locked on my back. “Would you like assistance getting your back? I cannot imagine it is easy to reach like that.”

I follow her gaze over my shoulder, and there, peeking from behind my mane, are two equal-sized patches of silver. They’re just beneath my shoulder-blades, and would probably stick out even on my normal coat color. Drat, if I knew about those discolorations, I could’ve hidden them!

“Um, I guess,” I reply, slightly uncomfortable. Still, the pony way sticks in my mind. It’s not intimate; it’s just friendly. And it will give me a better opportunity to gauge whether she means harm. “I’m not really used to bathing with others, but I don’t mind.”

Author's Note

Sorry about the delay folks. Christmas time is always a hard time for me to write and find focus, and I needed to take care to carefully plan out this chapter and the next. I also confess that I needed to consult with Shachza on this chapter, as—as with the end of the Alchemist’s Heart—his character Princess Etherea is canon in my universe as a continued nod to his own story, To Love a Pony. While I may end up having to take liberties with adapting her, I want to capture the wonderful mare of that Story’s essence. Plus, it’s nigh time that Silver befriend somepony her own age who shares interests who isn’t a canon cast member.