Prince of Errors

Chapters

1 - What Will You Bring?
2 - Can You Slow Down?
3 - Embrace the Sky
4 - For Mom
5 - You're Fabulous!
6 - Work the Camera
7 - Enough!
8 - To Die For
9 - Cutie Mark Doppelgangers
10 - Responsibilities
11 - Not Your Place
12 - Calling In Help
13 - Ideas!
14 - Family Time
15 - Harrowing Journey
16 - Nurse Pinkie
17 - Analysis
18 - Comparing Notes
19 - Gathering Evidence
21 - And the Verdict Is...
22 - Make New Friends
23 - Got You
24 - Shy Parties
25 - Behind the Thicket
26 - Gentle Recovery
27 - Withdrawal
28 - Animal Way
29 - Social Challenge Convention
30 - We Shall Call You
31 - Somber Affairs
32 - Pinkie Promise
33 - The Horror
34 - A Perfect Evening
35 - Make Some Friends
36 - Welcome Jacob
20 - Sidetrack: I Have My Eyes On You and You
37 - An Introduction to Social Dynamics

1 - What Will You Bring?

His fingers tapped at his phone in a rapid reply. "Stupid Internet Debates," he grunted to himself, letting the phone and his hand slump to his side as he walked. A soft chime had him raising it quickly back into view. "Mm?" A text message from an unknown number.

Would you like to visit Equestria?

He raised a brow at the message. A prank? Advertising? Messaging a random person that would be a strange way to sell anything. Very few of his Internet associates had his number, and they didn't seem like that kind of people...

He shrugged as he wove around the incoming people without actually looking at them. He had no business with them. He jammed out a reply, "Sure, why not?"

The reply came quickly, before he could even lower his phone.

What would you take with you?

He rolled his eyes as he began pressing the buttons in a quick fury, "I don't need anything, except maybe for people to be happy to see me. I want to fit in, and I bet I could."

He cut off quite abruptly. Why was he confessing feelings to a random phone number? A reply arrived without him actually hitting send.

As you wish. Go in the door.

Door? He glanced left and right and saw a rundown building crammed between two skyscrapers. It didn't belong there. It also had no door. It had a doorway, leading into darkness. Everyone else was just walking right past it. He wondered a moment if he was being led to his doom.

On the other hand, if he didn't check it out, he'd wonder about it forever. He diverted across the broken pavement and scraggly grass that led up to the door. Nobody cared. They never did care what he did, unless he got in their way.

Whatever. It was almost certainly a crazy prank, or maybe he'd be pushed up against a wall and they'd take what little he had. Joke's on them if they thought it would be much... With a bit of a smirk, he pushed through the opening and everything went dark.

He next knew that he was crashed to the ground on his belly. He felt sore all over, but seemingly in strange places he couldn't quite place. He put his... hands? down. Those were not hands. He sat up with wide eyes, trying to spread his fingers, but that only resulted in the hooves at the end of his arms wriggling a bit, most of his fingers refusing to respond at all.

He had a hoof, a dull grey hoof. There was slightly lighter shaded fur that ran up from there, some hanging down over the hoof. He focused on his nose, realizing that the thing he'd spent most of his life ignoring had changed. He didn't have a nose, not a human one. He had a big pony snout, covered with the same light-grey fur. "What the hell?" he asked, his voice largely unchanged.

On the other... hoof? He stood up on all four of his hooves and looked back over himself. He had wings. He spread one, then the other, slowly looking them over before a twitch caught his eye. He had a tail too! It swayed more as he gazed at it. "This isn't... all bad, right?" Sure, it'd be hard to text with hooves, but he was a pony. That was... good, right?

His eyes slid towards his rump, looking for a cutie mark, but none appeared to be there. There was a little discoloration in his pelt, like someone had worked some darker grey in there, but it didn't seem to mean anything, or display anything. "Maybe I have to earn it," he spoke to himself as he took a cautious test-step.

"Where am I?" He looked around, only starting to care about the where of things instead of his personal condition. He was in an alleyway, dark and a little stinky. His hooves cooperated with him, and he began to amble in a trot just as he saw countless ponies do in the show. It was just the natural way to walk, and one his new body fell into without too much thought.

He was in a city. Manehattan? Baltimare? He couldn't say, and there were no signs that declared one or the other. On the positive, there were ponies, everywhere. They were clip-clopping around in a rush to whatever business was on their little furry minds.

He smiled brightly at the sight, but it faded almost instantly. Different city, but same problem. None of them had a reason to talk to him, and he didn't know any of them. Just walking up to one and saying 'Hi!' felt like an awkward thing to do. He glanced back at his wings. He could try those?

His wings wouldn't judge him! He spread them both out wide and gave a powerful flap, but didn't rise into the air. They looked as large as the wings of the pegasi he could see already up in the air, so he wasn't a Bulk Biceps or Scootaloo. He ambled forward, breaking into a half gallop as he flapped, hoping a little speed would make the difference.

He crashed right into a stallion that shoved him back. "Watch where yer goin', eh? We're trottin' over here."

He mumbled an apology, quickly scurrying away from where he'd made a fool of himself. That hadn't gone very well. As he walked sullenly, he noticed he was walking past a storefront and he could see his reflection. Rising up above his eyes, he had a horn. He stopped and gawked at it. He was a monochrome alicorn? How? Did that mean he had magic?

He tried to do... something with his horn. He imagined glowing. He imagined picking himself up. He imagined a rock on the sidewalk moving. Beside grunting with effort and waving a hoof at things, nothing happened. His horn was just as useless as his wings had been. "I'm a broken alicorn?"

Despite him looking quite foolish, to himself, all the other ponies ignored him entirely. They didn't even look at him nervously like one might a crazy person. They just passed on by as if he wasn't even there. He didn't like it, and he didn't like being entirely alone.

He'd have to be bold. He moved to cut off a mare about to pass him. "Excuse me?"

"Mm, yeah?" She focused on him, suddenly aware of him. "Whazzup?"

He smiled with relief. He wasn't invisible. "I'm new here and a little lost."

"Tourists." She smiled despite the disparaging tone in her voice. "Where're ya trying to get to?"

He wondered why the pony didn't seem to care about his alicorn state. To test, he spread his wings as he spoke. The ponies around them swerved around the wings, but still didn't seem to care that he was there. "I don't really know. I'm out of bits."

"Yeah? Sucks. You should get a job." She nodded towards him. "Good luck though, eh?"

He let her go, not thinking of too much else to say to her. Get a job? Maybe he'd have to do that. Even pony land needed jobs. Who knew?

A significant amount of time passed. He had started to learn how his new life worked. With that, he walked through the picturesque houses on either side. He wasn't in the city anymore. He also wasn't a stallion at the moment. That happened at times.

He wasn't sure who he was at the moment. On his modified rump was a picture of a picnic basket. Was he supposed to join the festivities? He'd had much worse jobs before, though he wasn't sure how that'd get him any bits. It was starting to get dark, but he was following the voices of ponies towards where they had gathered.

"Ponyville," he said to himself with the voice of a mare. He was a mare, for the moment. He spied the crowd he had heard, all sitting on blankets, on their haunches or bellies, eyes cast skywards expectantly.

He joined them with a smile, sitting down on an empty blanket. He didn't have any snacks, but he was doing his part, he hoped. It was the only time he was allowed to have color, currently an off-cyan and gold. He was still not quite right. He had wings despite feeling certain he was an earth pony. The wings did little.

A sharp whistle caught his attention. Lights trailed behind the sound before it flared out into a brilliant blossom of fire and light. The ponies around him gave an appreciative, 'ooo', and he joined in. Others popped and crackled, a full firework demonstration in effect.

"Nice show, huh?" A cupcake was suddenly thrust in front of his face, dangling at the end of a pink hoof that held it in defiance of logic.

He accepted the muffin with a little noncommittal noise. Wait. He'd been approached without him taking the first move? He dropped the muffin in surprise as he looked to the left at the mare. Pinkie was already diving at him, catching the cupcake before it hit the blanket. "You gotta be more careful."

"O-oh, yeah," he smiled awkwardly. "Uh, hi."

She sat up, offering the muffin anew. "Never saw you here before."

"Yeah..." He accepted the muffin nervously.

"But I've seen that face before." Pinkie bobbed her head.

"Yeah?"

"But you aren't them," concluded Pinkie with a soft finishing nod.

He tensed. Pinkie had seen through him instantly, without even trying! Of course, it was Pinkie. That was the sort of thing she would do...

"What's your name?" she asked as she leaned in, smiling warmly.

"Oh, uh..." He couldn't say his name while he was disguised as a pony with colors and purpose. He tried, and a foreign name spilled from his lips.

"Nope," she replied curtly. "I just said you aren't her." She reached out and booped him right on the nose. "Don't like cupcakes?"

Oh right. He remembered he had one of those balancing awkwardly at the end of his hoof. He leaned in and chomped the frosted top of the treat. Mmm. A real Pinkie cupcake was... even better than he had dared to hope. "It's great." He really meant it, savoring the almost overwhelming tastiness that swept over his modified tongue. "Thank you."

"Now there's a smile," she cried with joy, bouncing in place. "I've done my part. Now, I should get these cupcakes to more ponies, so you enjoy the show, alright?" She grabbed the basket full of more muffins with a snatch of her tail, grabbing it in further defiance of how physics worked. "Oh, hey, there she is."

She pointed off into the crowd and his eyes followed. There she was, the mare he was currently copying. He went still with dread. "Aw sh--" He didn't get to finish his naughty word, collapsing with the sound of snapping bones, pulling ligaments and general misery as he groaned and hoofed feebly at the ground.

Pinkie squeaked with alarm, dropping the basket of muffins, though none of them spilled out despite her sudden motion. "Are you alright?!" He wasn't responding though, rapidly losing color as he grew into his monochrome alicorn self. "Don't worry, I'll help!" She put her hooves on him and hefted his disquietingly warping form into the air, running off with him on two legs as if she were born bipedal.

The town went by in a blurry combination of pain and the speed at which Pinkie traveled. He could only really take anything in when he was slapped down onto a bed, head against a pillow. "Don't worry," spoke Pinkie right beside him. "Nurse Pinkie is here to get you back on your hooves."

She was wearing a nurse outfit, and they seemed to be in a bedroom. When had she put that on?

He gawked at her as the pain echoed through him, fading slowly.

Author's Note

Let us begin a new story. This one is for a lovely patron, and will be updated weekly until it is done!

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2 - Can You Slow Down?

Pinkie gave him a soft prod with the flat of a hoof. "That's a nice color."

He cocked a brow at that. "Dull grey?"

"I was more thinking 'steel grey'." She nodded primly. "Or maybe slate grey? That works! So, what happened? You feeling better?"

He knew who Pinkie was. He loved her, in the show, on television. Thrust in front of him it was a bit overwhelming. Sure, he was used to random other ponies, but he knew Pinkie. "Well... I..." What do you say to Pinkie?

"I've never met you before," suddenly noted Pinkie. "Do you live here or are you just visiting?"

He felt his words drying up and fleeing, unable to form them. He was naked and vulnerable without an identity and purpose.

"Do you have a name, a real name?" she continued to gently prod him for information, looking quite curious. But he was shut down, just squirming a little. "Well, alrighty, Mister Strangepony." She shrugged softly. "But when you want to talk, the pinkster's right here." She hopped up to her hooves, her nurse's hat flopping to the side a little. "You look better at least."

"Look, I just made a stupid deal," he suddenly blurted, his face heating, but it only darkened, not becoming red as it should, as if his blush had to follow the rules of his monochromatic body.

"What kind of stupid deal?" Pinkie leaned in dangerously close, her attention captured.

"The kind where you stop being a pony because you think all ponies are jerks and go live with the hippogriffs but, surprise, they're jerks in a different way, but now you're a weird hippogriff." He rubbed behind his head, squirming in place.

"Oh..." She tilted her head a little before reaching for him, patting him on the shoulder softly. "Well I'm guessing you aren't a hippogriff, but whatever you were, you're a pony now, and you live in Ponyville, so that means--"

"--I don't live here."

"Where do you live?"

That caught him off guard, since he slept in different places more often than not. "Well, uh..."

"Sounds like Ponyville to me," sings Pinkie gleefully.

He put a hoof to his head. "Look, I just want to, if not get home, at least not be a pony everyone, but you, ignores. I want to stop changing into things."

"You shouldn't be sad being a changeling," she chided with a wagging hoof.

"I'm not one of those, I think? Am I?" Hope lit in his eyes. Had it been that simple?

"Turn into me!" she eagerly encouraged. "Do it, do it! I'm used to it, promise!"

"I'll try." He slipped from the bed and spread his wings wide. "Mmm..." He imagined being Pinkie, being all pink, maybe being as cheerful and social. "Is it working?"

"You're, oooo, wait, no. It's not working." She shook her head a bit. "Aw… It's okay. Um, alright, not a changeling, hmm… Maybe we should ask Twilight?"

"No!" He half-pounced her in a sudden leap. "Keep it a secret!" Visions of becoming a pony scientific curiosity drifted through his mind.

"Alright alright, a secret, but only if you tell me your name." She crossed her arms, looking at him pointedly.

He sighed slowly and deeply, placing a hoof at his chest. "I am the animation error."

She tilted her head. "Oh, huh, that's a funny name. You're more like a Prince of Errors to me."

"I'm an alicorn, male, and I'm a walking error. I… guess that works." A little smile touched his lips, as if the title had pleased him. "Um, nice to meet you, for real, Pinkie."

"Oh yeah, how do you know my name? I mean I guess a lot of ponies know my name, but most of them I know their name already." She booped him right on the nose. "Reveal your secrets, oh strange prince."

"Well, alright." Pinkie seemed to be on his side, and they weren't strangers anymore. He could talk to her, right? "I was once a human."

"Like those things Twilight saw past the mirror?" She waved her hooves in a loose approximation of the shape of the mirror portal.

"Exactly, those." He nodded quickly with a growing smile. "I was one of those."

"Wow, neat." Pinkie bounced free of her hat, which landed on her nightstand as if it had been carefully placed there. "What's it like being all naked and stuff? Is it cold?"

His ears flipped back against his head. "It could be, um... clothes."

"Clothes are cool," agreed Pinkie. "What does that have to do with it though?"

He fidgeted a moment before taking a step towards the door. "I should go."

"Wait!" She slapped a hoof down on his back. "You didn't finish explaining! Why do you turn into other ponies?"

"O-oh, well..." He sat on his haunches, rubbing his hooves on one another. "Look, when someone's missing, I can fill that spot. I don't get... asked, it just happens." He huffed softly. "Whether I want it to or not." He reached up to poke at his useless horn. "I usually have something off, like parts that shouldn't be there, or the wrong color, or something."

"Oooo, well, why can't you turn into me?"

"Mm?"

"There's always room for at least one more Pinkie." She nodded with certainty. "Just not twenty of them. That didn't work out so well." She waved a hoof dismissively. "Nevermind that. With this super power, we need to get to work!"

The prince of errors perked an ear at her. "How would that work? This isn't a group thing."

"It is now," she sang, bouncing in place. "For instance, I know the weather ponies are down one pony. He had to hurry off for some family stuff and they're really stressed out. I bet you could help them out."

"But I do--" He didn't get to finish, feeling the wave of tingles and the pulling and pinching that signified he was assuming a role. With wide eyes, color swept over him as he became a soft cyan shaded pegasus, though his horn remained. "Oh... But... How?" Never had his ability turned on at the prompting of someone else like that before.

Pinkie rolled a hoof at him. "See? It's working great! You don't have a place to sleep, right?"

He nodded, stunned but recovering quickly. "Did you do that? Was that Pinkie magic?"

Pinkie tilted her head. "I don't think so? I just know where ponies are needed." She poked him on the nose, a habit she seemed to enjoy. "You look just like him, neat! If I'm ever missing, I guess you could do me, but then I wouldn't see it, aw."

He flapped his wings, lifting from the ground a few inches. While he was assuming a pegasus identity, he could fly. "I've never done weather before though. Are you sure I can handle it?"

She pointed at his rump, where a lightning bolt and a cloud resided. "You look ready to me."

While the idea might have seemed silly to an outside view, he looked relaxed at that. "Yeah..." If his cutie mark related to it, he could usually muddle through it. "Alright, let's do this... I'll help, and get paid." Having some bits sounded good. It was one of the better parts of assuming a needed position. "It's late though."

Pinkie peeked out the window to where it was clearly still night. "Oh yeah." The fireworks were still exploding brilliantly in the night sky. "For tonight, you stay here." She pointed at her bed. "Get some rest. First hint of the sun, I'll show you where the weather ponies meet up."

He felt his cheeks warming, actually turning red with the borrowed color of the pony he had never met before. "I shouldn't..."

Pinkie waved a hoof at him. "Go on. What do you think this is?" She thrust a hoof upwards at something only she could see. "This isn't that kind of story."

He blinked softly at that. "What kind of story is it?"

"The kind where you go to bed." She rolled her eyes, still grinning. "See you in the morning."

He flew the few feet to land on her bed. It was soft and yielding to his hooves as he sank down onto it. A sleepover with Pinkie? There were worse fates out there. Besides, he had already assumed an identity. If he tried to ignore that, it wouldn't go well. It never did. It was like the fabric of the world conspired to make sure whatever form he had taken was properly filled, by him, or else.

She pronked to the door. "There's still a party going on, which means I need to get back to it. Sleep tight!" She bounced right through it, her tail lashing around the door's knob and pulling it shut without the rest of her slowing down a moment.

He was left on the comfy bed. It wasn't his. He didn't have a bed and rarely did. He weighed his options as he tried to nod off at the same time. Pinkie could approach him without him starting the conversation, was that a plus? He put it gently towards the plus side of the spectrum. Did it mean the other Mane Six could all see him? Possibly. That... could be bad, or good?

On the other, er, hoof, she was Pinkie. There was a good chance it was just a case of Pinkie being Pinkie. More worryingly, she had just grabbed hold of his curse and commanded it as if she was born to do it. He wasn't sure he liked that.

Maybe, after he finished the weather duty she had signed him up for, he could just slip quietly out of town. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of Pinkie having that much power over him. Even as a lone drifter, at least he decided where he was, even if he didn't always get to decide who he was.

He faded off, sleeping on the sugary-smelling bedding.

"Wake up," came a loud, but friendly, female voice. Pinkie pulled a string, pulling the blinds on her window open wide, allowing the sun to spill in, but even it wasn't fully awake yet. "Time for you to report for weather control!"

He sat up, blinking sleepily. "Already?"

"I know, I'm excited too." She bounced in place before pointing up at an angle. "I saw them, just over there. Head on over and say hi!"

He shook himself out and hopped down from the bed, clip-clopping over to Pinkie's mirror. "Let me get ready." He looked meaningfully at a brush, but he wasn't imitating a unicorn, so no magic happened. "Dang it."

"Need a hoof?" She pronked over, tail snatching the brush and starting to work him over from the top down easily. "I didn't figure you'd be the sort that'd be worried about that."

He tensed a little, but her brushes felt nice, and she seemed pretty harmless in doing it. Relax, he chided himself. She wanted him to be ready and get out there. "Um, thanks, really."

"Not a problem." She set the brush aside. "Not perfect, but if you want that, you'll have to bother Rarity or the spa sisters. You're good enough for some weather work."

"Thanks." He flapped his wings softly in experimenting. "You're even nicer in person, Pinkie."

Pinkie smiled brightly at the compliment, but it faded to confusion. "In person? How did you meet me before then?"

He lifted into the air. "I'd better get going or I'll be late." He flew out the window that she opened at the last second. Why were pony windows perfectly clear half the time?! Regardless of that, he made it out without crashing and ascended into the sky.

Flying never failed to bring a smile to his face despite anything else. The feeling, the liberation. He could see Ponyville spreading out beneath him and the wind rustling his recently brushed fur. It was time to do a little weather work.

Author's Note

We get to know a little more about our character and how he operates. I hope things are coming a little closer to focus. Apologies for the confusing entry into things.

Pinkie has this under control. That works, right?

This update was voted on as an extra by the patreon.

Want to get your own story written or get this story updated more often? Want to just support the author in his writing? Join the atreon!

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3 - Embrace the Sky

For a start, he just flew. Having wings that worked was too tempting, and he soared and turned and twirled through the brisk morning air, savoring it. Being a given kind of pony was always so... nice. Pegasi could fly. Unicorns had their magic. Even earth ponies had their perks, more subtle but always there.

When he was in his grey default form, he had none of it. He was a grey smear in the vague shape of a pony.

A shape darted past him, just barely missing him. He whipped his head to follow it and saw a rainbow-tailed mare joining other weather pegasi. They started talking animatedly, but he couldn't hear what they were saying across the distance.

Well, he had come to help with that, he decided. "May as well get to it." He lifted towards them, flapping his able and willing wings. Pegasus wings were not nearly large enough to lift a pony from the ground. That was part of the magic. He could feel that magic, a soft warmth that buoyed his body along. The flapping was part of it, but sort of... like how a classic wizard had to wave their hands and waggle their wand.

"Hey!" he called out to them.

Rainbow turned to him instantly, spinning in the air without effort. "Soarin! I thought you were busy today." The illusion had taken root. He was seen and accepted as Soarin. "Glad to have you aboard. Today's gonna be rough."

The not-quite Soarin flinched. How had he not recognized Soarin of all the ponies to become? "Well, no problem," he assured with a voice that was not his own. "Just point me in a direction."

"Always good to have you around." She nudged him lightly before pointing off to the horizon. "We got a big group of nasties drifting in from the Everfree. The catch: We want some of that water, just without it storming all over Ponyville."

He bobbed his head. "Got it. So, uh, just keep them away from the town, right?"

"Duh." She rolled her eyes. "And don't get caught up in them. Wild weather can be the worst." She pointed far down below. "We'll try to get them to roll over the pond and refill that. Once the word's given, we bust them all. You up for it?"

"Got it." He saluted as best he could and took off towards the clouds. He understood why flying had felt especially nice that morning. He was a trained stunt pony! His body knew how to fly precisely and in tight formations with ease. He cracked a little smile. He was usually just a random nopony background character. Soarin...

He'd have to try and enjoy it while it lasted. With a bank of his body, he swerved towards the angry black clouds. He brushed against it with his wings, nudging them. He didn't know exactly how to do what he was doing, but when he relaxed, the memories of his borrowed body seemed more than capable of filling in the holes. He was shepherding the cloud, forcing it to divert in the direction of the pond they wanted to fill. He could feel the water in the cloud splashing against his athletic body, running smoothly free of his feathers, but clinging tenaciously to his less-than-waterproofed pelt.

"Just like that," called out Rainbow, directing her own massive cloud. "Follow our lead and let's do this!" A chorus of cries echoed up as the rest of the weather team dove enthusiastically at the project.

Time passed in a flurry of effort and work. It often did when he was called to a job. He saw Rainbow dart past and threw a hoof onto her shoulder. "Hey, everything cool?"

She bobbed her head. "Almost topped off, then we get to bustin'. You know how it is." She shrugged and darted away.

Part of him was sad. When the job was done, there was a good chance he'd return to being grey and ignored. Heck, she didn't even notice Soarin should definitely not have a horn. There was nothing for it. He got back to work, diligently trying to keep his cloud on track, drenching the ground beneath it without even being asked to in its rude wild way.

"Eee!" cried a pony, a form vanishing into the dark mass. "Help!"

"I gotcha!" Rainbow dived in after them, and so did not-quite Soarin. He was running on auto pilot, and diving towards a pony in trouble came naturally. He only realized what was happening a split second later.

He was in the dark mass. Flashes of lightning offered brief snatches of light. The rain battered down and around him, attacking from all angles. The wind was furious, whipping around him wildly. His wings shook, his magic wavered, struggling to keep him flying straight. He was terrified. It was not just a cloud, but a wild cloud, one perfectly willing to kill a pony if given a chance, and he was heading deeper inside of it.

A splash of color caught his eye. It was the mare that had gotten swept in, visible for an instant before she was pulled away into the swirling and angry cloud mass. He banked towards her. "I'm comin!" he shouted, as much to encourage himself as her. He was Soarin, he knew how to fly. He could do it!

Or so he kept telling himself. He wasn't wearing his Wonderbolt uniform. He wasn't even wearing his goggles. He had to squint through the pouring rain that battered him and his eyes stung where the rain irritated them despite the effort. "I'm coming!" he called, hoping it was true.

He heard a muffled cheer, almost lost to the sound and fury of the storm he was in. Had someone else rescued the pony? Probably Rainbow Dash. It wasn't his job, the replacement pony, to make heroic saves. Well, alright, he just had to get out of the cloud. He tried to turn, but it was becoming hard to tell what direction was what.

He found the ground. There was no doubting that. The softened earth suddenly greeted him with an unwelcome embrace, and everything went dark.

He felt something tugging his tail. He was pulled from his head-first burial into the air and he gasped loudly.

"Hey, nice try, Soarin." Rainbow patted his back and started brushing away all the dirt with her wings. "It's all taken care of now."

Soarin looked around, blinking. The angry clouds had been banished. The job was over. "O-oh, good!"

"HQ said to give you this." She held a jingling bag between two feathers as if they were fingers. "Kinda odd. It's not payday, but they said it was hazard pay or something." She rolled her eyes. "Like I wasn't in the same danger." She put a hoof at her chest. "Then again, they know I can handle it." She was smirking so very confidently. "Still, thanks for trying, and I won't tell the other Wonderbolts, promise."

"Thanks." He reached up with his mouth, taking the bag.

Rainbow suddenly blushed, yanking her wing away. "Hey, cool it buddy. You need to get closer to a mare before you go for preening privileges." She snorted softly. "Anyway, it was fun flying with you today. Take it easy." She was gone in a streak of rainbows.

He stood up, the color leeching from his body. The ability to fly was gently snuffed. He was an alicorn of errors once more, with no power. He looked to the bag of bits he held. It was, perhaps, a kindness of his curse. They tended to at least pay him for his work, despite whatever normal pay schedule was in place. He'd only get the day's worth of pay, but it was a lot better than nothing.

He looked left and right. There was a crater where he had smashed into the ground, but other than that, nothing looked damaged. It was time to move on. He had some bits, so he could catch a train and get out of there before--

"Hey!" Pinkie appeared before him, popping up out of nowhere. "How'd it go?!"

He scrambled backwards in surprise. "Oh! Hey Pinkie."

"Hiya Princie," she replied with a grin. "How'd it go? They looked happy. Are you happy?"

"Super happy," he said without conviction. "I made a real impression on things."

"Great!" She bounced in place. "Now, for the next one."

"Next one?"

She bobbed her head. "Of course. There's so much to do. So, next one! And this one'll be fun, promise."

He tilted his head at her, unsure of how true it would be. He did enjoy flying while he could though... "Does it involve wild weather storms?"

"Nah." She waved the idea away. "Just two adorable little foals. This time you get to be me! I was supposed to watch over the twins but, oops, I double-booked myself and both are Pinkie Promise level commitments so you can do me a huuuuge favor and--"

Even as she was describing it, he felt the tingling rush of color sweep over him, no, her. He was becoming a mare, rounding out in all the ways Pinkie was round. Soon there were two Pinkies looking at each other. The original was far more critical, examining herself closely. "Not bad... But you'll have to act the part too, don't forget. The twins need lots of love and care and I can count on you, right?"

The new Pinkie sagged a little. "The Cake twins right?"

"I knew you'd be ready for this." She threw a leg over her twin and hugged her tight. "You're the best! Now, whatever you do, don't go towards the center of town." She pointed with her free hoof. "That's where I'll be, and if somepony sees us both, well, you already showed me what happens. Glad to know I can't ruin it when you're me. That'd be kinda crazy." She tilted her head left and right in a rapid one-two. "Maybe it's because I already knew what you were and what you were doing?"

Not-Pinkie suddenly smiled. Maybe she had Pinkie powers. That would be something! Maybe this would be fun, even if it involved foalsitting. "Are they past their power surges?"

"Oh, yeah, that only lasts a little while." She sat down to bring up her forehooves close together. "Thank Celestia, that was rough." She raised a brow sharply. "And you owe me an explanation later on how you know about that, and their names. You're not telling me the whole story, and I wanna hear it!"

The pink prince of errors nodded towards her. "You got it. When do I need to be there?"

"About ten minutes ago," she admitted, smiling awkwardly. "Hurry," she hissed before pronking away.

He bounced up to his hooves and started trotting, but it felt odd. Oh yeah. He stiffened his legs and jumped forward. As he hit the ground, it felt like he was riding a pogo stick and bounced right back up again. He was pronking! It was a joyful little motion that gobbled up distance easily, allowing him to cross towards Sugarcube Corner rapidly.

As it came into view, he got an idea. How did Pinkie slip from place to place? She made it look so easy. He stopped right in front of a barrel and sidestepped behind it, imagining the inside of Sugarcube Corner as he did so.

He emerged behind the counter, the smell of baked goods filling his nose.

"Pinkie, there you are," came the maternal voice of Missus Cake. "We were wondering if you had forgotten all about us. The twins are upstairs, in their room." She pointed upwards. "We'll be out until a little after sunset. You're ready?"

He nodded his head, smiling at Missus Cake. She was round and a little older than many ponies, but that just made her a little special, in his eyes. She was a mom, and he would do his best for her. "Don't you worry, Pinkie is on the case!"

Author's Note

There is no rest for the wicked. Pinkie keeps his life occupied with things to do, while also keeping him from running away from Ponyville. Crafty tricks, or just Pinkie being Pinkie?

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4 - For Mom

The prince trotted past her, arriving at the twins' room shortly. He hadn't asked, but he was close enough that simply wanting to do his new job was enough to help him make the right turn. The real Pinkie wouldn't have had to ask where they were, so he'd be a tepid replacement if he had to, he figured.

"Are you asleep?" he asked quietly, reaching for the door's knob. Pinkie's hoof was especially sticky, able to grab the knob quite easily and turn it with all the natural agility of fingers. Pinkie's body had a lot of perks, he quietly noted to himself.

If one didn't mind being a mare. Not that being a mare was really the end of all things. Peeking in past the cracked door, he saw two bright eyes faces looking right back at him, both grinning and gurgling happily. "Guess not," he said with a little smile, coming in the rest of the way. "Hello..." Crud, what were their specific names again? "--you two! We're gonna have so much fun!"

They cheered in unison, little forehooves raised a moment as they sat on their little haunches. Pound and Pumpkin, even if their names were forgotten by him, reached towards her in an unspoken question. She tilted her head, not getting it right away, but it came quickly enough. "Oh, you want to come out of that crib." She reared up and reached past the bars, grabbing the two up in a soft hug.

Ponies were nice to hug, when they let you, which they had few reasons to. Pony foals were even better, he decided. Except... His borrowed pink nose wrinkled up. "One of you needs a change." He carefully set down the clean one and began looking for the supplies to address that problem.

The dirty one was the boy-foal with the wings, Pound. Yes, Pound. He nodded to himself, pleased that he recalled the name properly. There it was. He moved over to the collection of replacement diapers and the changing table eagerly, only realizing he wasn't using any of his hooves to hold Pound. He gasped in alarm, looking around for him, but he wasn't on the ground with his sister, nor in the crib. He looked around the room wildly. Was he flying?! He didn't see him.

Pound dipped into her view, giggling. Pound was held in the not-Pinkie's mane as if that was normal. The prince let out a little wry laugh. "Oh, right..." It was easy to forget how many tricks came with his borrowed body. He quickly set the foal down on the changing table, only to realize it was time to change the tyke.

Ick. Still, he had accepted the job... Maybe a little Pinkie magic could make it more pleasant. He took one of the fresh diapers and laid it beside the colt, then gathered the baby powder and wipes. "If I do it right..."

He bonked Pound, knocking them right out of their mess like that was a normal thing to do, she patted him with the wipe and dusted him with the powder even as he flew, only to be caught in the new diaper. Pound hit the other end of the changing table with an excited squeal, cleaned and changed.

He could really get used to Pinkie's body. Pity he'd have to give it back as soon as the job was done. He reached for the dirty diaper with a hoof that grabbed it easily and tossed it into a small trashcan that waited for such smelly offerings to its unending hunger. "Alright, now let's get you back down to your sister."

With a snatch of a mane that was far too agile than hair should ever be, he placed Pound beside his unicorn sister. "Pumpkin," he blurted, remembering. "Pound and Pumpkin Cake." Two tasty cakes, not that he figured the foals were valid for that consideration.

The play began. Not always interacting directly with the prince. The foals seemed just as happy sometimes playing with each other, or even finding a toy they had a momentary fascination with, banging on a little xylophone or bouncing a ball around on their own. The little foals had different needs at different times, and he was alright with just watching them do their thing.

If one didn't mind the loud squeals they made sometimes or the sounds of whatever they were doing, at least. Pumpkin waved at him suddenly, pointing at a book up on a shelf. He perked and pronked over, bouncing up and grabbing the book with a delightfully sticky hoof. He looked at the cover that declared it was a coloring book and flipped it open. About a third of it was already colored, often sloppily and in colors that barely matched reality. "You want to color?"

She gurgled and waved her hooves up at the book with obvious interest. He sank down on his haunches beside her and set out the book in reach. "Well, alright." Where were the crayons? He looked around in a darting search before the colorful case of a tin with a picture of a lot of crayons came into view. "There we go." He left the book behind and bounced over to the tin, grabbing it in his unnatural mane. "Let the coloring begin."

A crash made him wince before looking up to see Pound had been trying to climb a shelf and it ended about as bad as one might expect it to. He quickly set the tin down beside Pumpkin and rushed to the stunned colt, half covered with things knocked off the shelf. "You alright?" He quickly brushed the things that had landed on Pound aside, thankful that none of it looked particularly heavy. "You're safe now."

Pound gave a single pitiable sniffle as he sat up, shaking off the daze. Seeing not-Pinkie there, he suddenly smiled and pointed up at the shelf. He followed the point and saw Pound was gesturing at a can of silly string, perhaps the same can Pinkie had once used to make one heck of a mess on their sneeziversary. "Uh, let's... not play with that."

Pound crossed his little arms with an unhappy noise.

"We can color!" he suggested loudly, hoping to distract Pound away. He grabbed up the foal and set him down beside his sister.

Pumpkin had managed to work the tin open and already had a crayon in her little mouth. She was coloring the page quite happily, paying little mind to where the lines were, or what color she was using in the end. Pound tilted his head at her before casually knocking the tin over to more easily grab a big blue crayon for himself. With a happy giggle, he started coloring with her, working on the opposite side of the open book to create a nightmare of nonsensical shades.

He was alright with that. While they colored, they were close together and content. He started picking up the things Pound had knocked over, setting them back up on the shelf they had come from. Part of him wanted to really try out some more Pinkie tricks, but how did one do that while also keeping a close eye on two little foals?

One did not. He huffed softly, sinking to his new pink belly while watching the two. He was locked in the body of what was a low level goddess of fourth wall... The curiosity became far too intense. He looked around wildly a moment before he saw it, or you, in particular. "Oh dear god," he said with Pinkie's voice, jaw going a little loose. "Is... hey? Can you give a hand?" Alas, just because he could see beyond the fourth wall didn't mean he could hear any replies. "I guess that would be a bit much..."

The strangest part, for him, was that he could see he was being watched, but not really make out many details about it. Girl, boy? Some eldritch being from beyond the stars? He couldn't tell. He wasn't even sure if it was just one thing or lot of things. He just knew with absolute certainty that he was being watched. Did they confuse him for Pinkie like the ponies? How could he even check? "And this is why Pinkie doesn't look past the fourth wall too often." He nodded to himself, eyes closed a moment to banish the thought of what he had seen. Some things were not meant for men to know.

"How are my cute little foals doing?" Yes, watching the foals was better than considering the strange nature of the reality she was more aware of in her pink body. The two of them held up the book, showing off the mess they had made of the page. "Oh, hmmm, I like what you did with the orange." He pointed at the smear of orange that meant nothing. It wasn't remotely in the 'right' place, but still... "What were you trying to convey?" They giggled and babbled at him, offering no real reply. "Oh, I see, quite a bold statement..."

Adults were annoying at times, at least kids were straightforward. He could grasp what they were going for. He saw Pumpkin yawn softly and he hopped up to his hooves. "Time for a little nap so you can recharge for more fun." They pouted, but he gathered them up easily. "Don't you worry, Ste--" He shook his pink head. "Pinkie's not going anywhere."

He gently set both down in the crib and kissed either on their little noggin. They smiled and began to settle in. "Good little foals." She tiptoed towards the door, slipping from the room to let them slumber. Sugarcube Corner was abandoned. The Cakes were out, doing whatever they had to do. There were no customers, with nobody there to serve them. It was dimly lit and eerily quiet. "Huh, this isn't an angle you see much in the show."

On the bright side, he realized, the twins napping meant he could try a few other things before they woke up again. He couldn't go far, in case they did wake up and make some noise. What could Pinkie do... He smiled brightly and reached up a hoof to her forehead. "It was a disguise all along." He pulled down, unzippering her pink self that fell away lifelessly, leaving a new pony beneath.

With a barely restrained giggle, or more of a titter, he rushed to a mirror and saw Rarity looking back at him. "Oh, darling, aren't you fabulous?" He snorted at that and reached up, unzippering the Rarity disguise just as easily, revealing Pinkie once more. "How do you get anything done at all, you pink goddess?" He looked back and saw the first Pinkie disguise was gone as if it were never there. Only the Rarity suit remained. "And I bet, if I stop looking at you, you'll just kind of go away too."

The suit did not reply to his theory.

"Something useful, right." He was hungry, so he reached out and grabbed some food. He imagined a pizza, and didn't care where it came from. When he pulled back his pink hoof, a slice of pizza was dangling off of his hoof, waiting to be devoured. "How have you not taken over the world by now?" he asked nopony in particular before munching into his slice. "Hot!" He hadn't expected it to be quite so fresh, but that was good, right? He resumed eating a bit more carefully, enjoying the fresh slice.

"Could use some cheese." He reached out with his other hoof and pulled back a canister of parmesan cheese, shaking it generously onto the pizza. He casually put it back where it had come from, wherever that was and resumed his devouring. Of all the jobs he'd had so far, replacing Pinkie really wasn't so bad.

He hopped up, pizza consumed, and moved for the window to peek at the sky outside past the pulled blinds. The sun was growing heavy. "They'll be back soon."

He'd have to surrender the foals, and his pink form. He'd go back to being grey and useless.

Author's Note

The powers of Pinkie are vast and terrible! He enjoys them, mostly. He also has mostly fun with the Cake twins. That could have gone worse, I say.

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5 - You're Fabulous!

He heard a key going into a lock, and the door opened a moment later, the married couple entering, looking pleased enough if also tired. They saw not-Pinkie and smiled. Carrot Cake nodded towards him. "The tykes asleep?"

"Out like a light," he replied with Pinkie's voice. "They were wonderful." Being able to play at being Pinkie a while was also fun. "How did things go?"

Carrot Cake waved for the door. "Well, you're off the hook. Thank you again, Pinkie."

"Oh, yes, thank you very much, dear."

They both looked happy. They were also not paying him. That's when he realized, Pinkie might not normally be paid. She was paid in room and board and... "I was hoping to get a little something." He wobbled his hooves in a vague motion. "You know how it is."

Misses Cake laughed at that. "We never know exactly how it is with you, Pinkie, but certainly." She coiled on herself and pulled out a bag of bits, soon producing a small pile that she surrendered towards the prince. "I'm sorry we ever doubted you. You've really become something of an aunt for them."

He wasn't sure how to reply to that. "I... sometimes think of it more like a big sister." He accepted the bits with a smile so wide his cheeks squeaked. "Thanks! You two get some sleep, you look tired."

With shared waves, he departed. The moment the door closed behind him, the color fled him as if the sound of it clicking shut sent a shockwave that blew the pink right off of him. He was dull grey once more, an alicorn of no power. He was also a stallion again, for what that mattered.

He couldn't teleport, or whatever Pinkie did. He couldn't reach off-camera and grab things, and trying to unzipper himself only resulted in him lightly bonking himself on the noggin. "Ah well..." He would miss the sticky hooves the most, he decided. Having perfectly selectively sticky hooves was a really nice creature comfort.

Well, that was over, and Pinkie was busy. He could just--

"How'd it go?" Pinkie was just beside him, grinning like the loon she was. "Were they good?"

"Just fine," he sighed out, turning to face her. "I asked for a few bits. I don't usually have to."

Pinkie tilted her head a little. "Oh, I woulda paid you. The Cakes usually don't pay me for the twins. They're too cute! How much did they give?"

He held up the small pile and her eye swept over them critically. "I'll pay them back. Were they good?"

"I said they were fine." He raised a brow at the repeated question.

"Just fine?" She leaned in a little.

"They were cute."

"Just cute?" She leaned in further, their noses almost touching.

See, the kids he could get. What did Pinkie want exactly? "They were alright! We played some games. They colored. Pound knocked some things over but I picked them up, no big deal. They went to sleep, happy ending."

"Yay!" She threw her forehooves wide in celebration. "So... I had a silly question."

"Yeah?" He had a hard time imagining most of Pinkie's questions were less than silly.

"Are you alright, you know, flipping back and forth? I mean..." She wobbled her hooves a bit oddly, as if her arms were made of jello. "Stallion, mare, stallion, back and forth like that? I mean, I know Bon Bon, so changing voices, I got that down."

He took a half-step back. He had stopped thinking about it. "I, well... it's... just part of the package. Not like I do anything with it."

She leaned dangerously close once more, her brows waggling. "Nothing?"

"Nothing," he repeated gruffly.

"Noootttthing?" Her brows were attempting to fly away from her face with the waggling they were doing. "Not even a little?"

"I don't even know what you're talking about. I change to do a job, and I do the job." He gestured broadly to the left, then the right as he spoke, "There's not a lot of time for other stuff. At least today I got to try out some of your powers."

"I have powers?" She tilted her head with genuine confusion.

He peered at her. How could she not be aware? "Being able to grab things, even if they weren't there before? The whole unzipper thing, the ignoring of casual physics thing? Teleporting?"

"Don't be silly." She blew a ripe raspberry. "Unicorns teleport, not earth ponies, really, teleporting." She laughed at the idea as if it was ridiculous.

"Seeing past the fourth wall," he added with a raised brow. "What are those th--"

She slapped a hoof right over his mouth. "That's quite enough of that. Next mission!"

He grunted into her hoof. Already? He pulled back sharply. "How do you keep finding them so quickly?"

"I'm the friend of everypony!" she chimed with a smile. "I keep notes on everycreature in Ponyville and I know when something's amiss. I've been extra diligent with you here, since I can do something about it now. Tomorrow you're going to save Rarity."

Rarity? He thought back to when he briefly was Rarity, or wearing a Rarity suit. It was hard to know for sure with Pinkie's powers. "Is she in trouble?"

"She won't be, with your help." She thrust a hoof forward, poking him right on the chest. "A photographer was supposed to come take some pictures of her and her outfits, but he's all sick and sad. Worst part, he forgot to send a letter to her so she'd know, so she's gonna be all super excited and no one will show up."

He could feel the color returning to him. He was becoming a new pony. His curse had eagerly accepted her task, which meant he would not be fleeing Ponyville, not yet. With a soft weight, a camera landed against him just above her poking hoof. It wasn't the first time his disguise came with accessories, but it still made him jump when it happened.

Pinkie looked thrilled. "Ooo, that's useful. I was worried about that. So, you just have to show up and take pictures. Easy peasy."

"Lemon squeezie," he sighed out with a new voice. "What about tonight?" It was far from the next day.

"Duh, you sleep with me." She threw a leg over his withers, pulling him close. "It's the least I can do for a pony that's saving my friend from certain disaster. I bet you know how she can cry when things don't go the right way."

"You ask a man--"

"Ask a what?"

He shook his head quickly. "Stallion about that sort of thing, then we sleep together?"

She rolled her eyes. "If you saw what I saw, you know that's not a problem."

He hadn't seen whatever it was she had referred to before. He silently bemoaned that he hadn't thought of looking for it. Then again, considering what he had found, maybe it was better he hadn't. "Alright." Not like he planned to do anything odd with Pinkie. "So we just go right back in?" He pointed towards Sugarcube Corner.

"Righty-roonie." She began pronking gayly, clearly seeing no issues at all. He followed behind her with a little smirk. What was it like to know what people around him were thinking or might react? A super power, he quietly decided, and one Pinkie had more often than not, when she wasn't failing at it too, but it never bothered her when that happened.

"Pinkie," came a male voice, Carrot Cake perking up as they entered. "Already back?" He didn't notice nor care about the prince's presence, even as he walked in behind her. "Changed your mind?"

"I have a lot to do," she agreed. "Better get some shuteye, oh yeah, here." She produced a small pile of bits. "I changed my mind. I miscounted my bits before. How silly of me."

"It's not a problem," he assured as he accepted the bits. "You do a lot for us, a few bits isn't out of the question."

"You guys are the bestest." She hugged him tightly around the neck. "See you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Pinkie."

The prince walked past Carrot Cake. When he was being ignored, he could go anywhere he wanted, for the most part, so long as he had a reason to be there or it wasn't expressly forbidden. He couldn't wander into the back of a bank for instance. He could follow Pinkie, since she had told him to do just that. Provided he did nothing outrageous, ponies would just ignore him. He was a background pony, to be casually looked past until he stepped fully into his new role.

When he approached Rarity, he knew, that would be when he'd pop right into the part and he'd step out of the background for a little while. He followed Pinkie up the stairs to her room. For just a moment, a fraction of an instant, she moved as if she were going to close her door right in his face, but it snapped back to her before she did that. "Come on in," she invited, throwing the door open instead of closed.

He nodded to her on the way past. It hadn't changed since the night before. There were pictures of Pinkie being happy with happy ponies she knew. The other Mane 5 were there, smiling in the pictures or caught in the middle of silly situations. He stopped in front of one, a new one. It showed Pinkie looking at Pinkie, but the other pinkie had a little nub of a pink horn. "How did you get this one?" He tapped at it with his borrowed hoof.

"I took it before you left, duh." She bounced over and grabbed the picture. "Isn't it nice?! You were right though, nopony noticed I had a horn while I was foalsitting. That's kinda silly." She snorted in amusement, setting the picture back down. "So... What did you do?"

"I foalsat the twins?" Duh? He boggled at the question, raising a brow at her.

"No. You talked like you tried a few things." She hopped up onto the bed, bouncing lightly. "What did you do?"

"Oh." Right. "I made some food, te--skipped from one place to another, however you call it."

Pinkie clopped her forehooves together, coming down from mid-jump on her haunches. "You skipped? Neat! Isn't that a lot of fun? Not sure what's special about cooking though. Anypony can cook if they want to."

He reached dramatically to his right and pulled back the hoof. "Now imagine there's suddenly a slice of pizza there."

Pinkie tilted her head. "That would be silly. There's no pizza there."

He let out a little sigh. Did she just not see her own magic? She got skipping... "Well, I did that. It was good pizza even, just the way I like it. Then there's the zippering."

"Zippering?" Her brows went up as one. "Like this?" She drew a hoof over her snout, zipping her lips shut casually. "Mmf?"

"That looks... painful." He hopped onto the bed beside her and sank down on the soft bedding. "I mean unzipping your whole body to reveal another body."

"Neat! You were wearing a Pinkie costume that whole time?" She tilted her head at the curled form of her bed-mate. "I didn't even notice. I mean, that sorta makes sense if you think about it. You were disguised as me and all, why not a costume?"

He had lost the will to argue it any further that night. "Kinda cool," he agreed tiredly. "Gonna go to sleep."

"Good night," she sang before curling up herself. With a puff of air, all the lights went out and her snores filled the room in simple contentment.

He was sleeping beside a dreadful and terrible goddess that could destroy him at a whim. She was also a kind and caring goddess that would much rather get him to smile. She was also entirely unaware of being anymore than an earth pony. He shook his head, burying his snout under a foreleg.

He had a new day and a new job to look forward to.

Author's Note

Things are looking up, maybe? Signs are unclear. Let me check this for typos...

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6 - Work the Camera

He trotted lightly down the Ponyville road. Ponies swerved to avoid colliding with him, but paid him no more mind than that. He was a pony-shaped tree that they had to avoid to continue on their days, worthy of no further consideration than that.

Sure, he could, in theory, wave one of them down to strike up a conversation, but he had a place to go to too. What would they even talk about? On one level, it was good for all parties, on another, he hoped, just a little, someone would greet him unexpectedly.

Rarity's Boutique sprang into view as he took a turn. It loomed in defiance, daring him to approach it and interact with the seamstress that owned it. Rarity wouldn't be too bad to work with, right? Besides, she loved attention, and that was what he was there to deliver.

He looked down at his camera as he went. It had one big button to take pictures with, and he felt bits of knowledge coming to the fore. He knew how to focus it, and how to mount it up on a little tripod that was hiding inside of it. He knew what the ideal lighting was, and felt impressions of good angles for the shots.

One thing that was not clear was how the pictures he took got anywhere useful. He assumed his curse would handle that. Somewhere else, the pictures would just, poof, appear where they were needed and all the ponies would accept that the pony he was disguised as put them there without even thinking about it, because he had no idea where that place would be.

He softly tapped a hoof on the door. "Missus Rarity?"

The door swung inwards. "In here, Darling, but I'm afraid I haven't given my hoof away just yet."

Why had he said missus? He quietly berated himself as he stepped in past the door and reached a hoof back to close it. "My apologies. Are you ready to have some pictures taken?" He felt the background fall away. He was in a role. As far as Rarity and anyone around her was concerned, he was important, for a little while.

He looked around the boutique and all its clothing options. Hats, dresses, pants, skirts, and other manner of pony covering options were laid about in an order he knew not. Shopping for that felt extra useless with his curse deciding what he should wear when he wasn't basically invisible to start.

"It's no problem at all, Dear," assured Rarity as she entered with a coy smile. "Some stallions like to check to see if things have changed, but I am pleased to report that I am still available." She put a hoof on her chest, tittering softly in much the same way the prince had when he was wearing the Rarity suit. "Now, let me show you the new lineup so we can get some fabulous pictures."

Was he not taking pictures of her? Dress shots made more sense, when he thought about it. It was what she did, and she wasn't really a fashion model. That would be--

Fluttershy walked in, blushing brightly with a dazzling sequinned dress that clung to her curves in a way that fluffy pony fur normally didn't allow. It was at that moment that he could see why ponies thought Fluttershy was attractive. Rather than any sudden want to approach her, he just felt a wave of unease wash over him and his cheeks warmed to match hers. "Do I have to?" she quietly whispered towards Rarity.

Rarity threw a leg over her back. "Please, Darling, just for a few minutes. Our handsome photographer will take his shots and you'll be on your way. You're doing me quite a favor, I assure. Humor me."

He sat on his haunches and grabbed the camera in his hooves. Holding it out just so, the tripod fell right out of the bottom and clacked against the floor as it deployed, giving the camera a secure foot to rest on. "Don't worry, Miss Shy, we'll get your good side." Did she have a bad side? When she was sad or stressed out, he supposed. She was just shy at the moment, and that only made her somehow more attractive.

She smiled at him, nervousness on display. "Oh, alright... Um..." She turned a little, her wings spreading just faintly. "Like this?"

Every move she took was somehow making it better. "That's great." He pressed the button, click! First picture of the day. "Turn to the left and look like someone you haven't seen in a while just walked in the door."

Fluttershy obediently turned as she gasped with surprise. Click! "Like that?" she asked with a soft blink.

"Yes, perfect." He wasn't sure the pictures he was taking were perfect, but trusted the curse to give him the right skills if he trusted in them. "Now one of your animal friends just did something naughty."

Fluttershy tapped a hoof on the ground with a little frown, glaring at an invisible animal friend. Click! She burst into airy giggles. Click! "Oh! I didn't know you were planning on that one."

"I wasn't, but it was great. I hear you were a model, once."

Her blush returned with a fury. "That didn't... work out."

He dimly recalled the episode in question. "You were fine, they were just pushing you too hard. You're perfectly photogenic just the way you are." Click.

Rarity reminded them both she was there with a sudden twirl of a hoof. "Fluttershy, dear, could you turn about for our friend so he can get all the angles?"

Fluttershy squeaked in surprise, starting to turn in place. Click Click Click Click. He rapidly took pictures as she went to get a quick shot of the full rotation. "It's a shame," the prince said as he clicked away. "You really are worth taking pictures of."

She tilted her head at him, blushing a more diffuse but wide-spread expression. "T-thank you, I think, but I would rather be with my animals rather than posing, if you don't mind."

"I could take pictures of you with them," he said without really thinking it through. "That would be adorable." And maybe a little... He shook the inappropriate thought from his head. Fluttershy was an innocent creature.

Fluttershy tilted her head. "Do you think so? Hm." She looked towards Rarity. "Maybe I should call him before we do the next big animal adoption push. I bet he could take some lovely pictures of them for us. He seems interested." She was suddenly far less shy, thinking about how she could help her animal friends instead of focusing on his taking pictures of her.

He clicked softly, capturing that moment of confidence on her face. That was worth saving, and she, and the dress, looked different in that instant. "I would be happy to help!" Would he? Would the pony he was replacing end up having to do it? He hoped that pony would enjoy the job. "Now think of all those happy animals, being taken care of." He pressed down the button, capturing her radiant smile, thinking of happy animals instead of being photographed.

"Excellent work," whispered Rarity in his left ear, standing beside him. "Somepony's getting a fat tip when this is over."

He liked tips! It was also a little nice to know he was doing a good job. He didn't pick the jobs, but it was still good to know he was doing it well. "Are there any other dresses we want to photograph? There are so many, uh, great pieces in here." He had no idea which ones were new or in fashion. He hoped that was not needed information.

"Do you think we have enough of Fluttershy?"

"I think she's good to go. Thank you, Fluttershy. It would be nice to get another chance with you and thanks for being a sport."

"Oh, um, you're welcome." She dipped her front lightly. "You are a lot less... pushy than Photo Finish, um, don't tell her I said that." She glanced around nervously as if the other photographic mare might pop up at any instant.

"Have no fear," he assured. "It's my job to capture photos, not gossip. I, uh, want to capture 'ze magics', not create it myself."

Fluttershy smiled at that. "Yes, I see... Thank you." She turned and walked quickly from the talk, stiff as that looked without breaking into a proper trot.

Rarity circled around to replace Fluttershy's place, eyelashes fluttering. "I'd ask you to capture me, but I'm not wearing one of the ensembles." She gestured to the left. "But here we have a few." She pulled one dress forward, a dark purple, clearly evocative and sultry. "Go on."

With her holding it? It wasn't his job to question, he decided as he took quick clicks of the new pieces as she went from one to the next. Some were on ponyquinns, and those felt more natural, held in a pony-like shape as he captured their images. "You've been busy, Rarity."

"One has to be," she deferred. "In this business, you're either racing for the top, or wallowing at the bottom, and I'd rather not take the latter if it can be avoided. You know how it is." She reached for him suddenly, a hoof on his cheek as she leaned dangerously close. "Thank you for coming out. I had the most dreadful dream that you wouldn't make it, but I took a deep breath. 'Darling', I told myself, 'He'll come and his pictures will be wonderful!'"

He took a half-step back, escaping her sudden presence. "No problem, um. I should get these developed, and I'll have to pick the best ones." He reached for his camera, the tripod snapping up into the thing from beneath before he strapped it back ground his neck. "Glad you're happy with it."

"I'll be even happier when I have the pictures in hoof. Go on." She shooed him away before freezing. "Oh, how silly of me." Her horn glowed as a bag slipped free of her. "Good work deserves good pay. I'll bear you in mind for my future needs if these pictures are even half as good as I think they will be." She drew out a collection of bits in her magic, setting them on his upturned hoof.

They bits looked fancier than usual, higher denomination coins that they were. He nodded towards them and the mare that was giving them. "I hope you'll be more than happy with them." A thought tickled at him. "You know... if you want a session more about you, the maker, instead of the clothes..."

"Can we?" she almost jumped forward. "I never would have thought..."

He doubted that. "It could make a good piece. I'll have to, uh, pitch it past a magazine or two and see what they think." He pocketed the funds and turned for the door. "For now, let's get these pictures."

"Yes, let's. Ta ta, Dear." She waved gently as he departed. As soon as the door closed, she stopped thinking about him, or rather, the prince. She remembered the photographer and would speak well of him.

But that incarnation of the photographer was gone, color fleeing him rapidly. His camera broke apart into sparkles that fled away, hopefully to have their photos developed and dropped off wherever they needed to be. He really wasn't sure how that worked, but it seemed to do just fine.

He was a monochrome alicorn of no importance. He did have a nice stipend of bits from that job and the few others that he really hadn't had much chance to spend. It was the perfect time to flee! He started in a gallop towards the train station, glancing around nervously, lest--

"Hey there," enthusiastically exclaimed the pink menace as she bounced right into his path of fleeing. "How'd it go? Was she amazed by your super awesome pictures?!"

Author's Note

Thought you could get away, did you? Prince of typos, it's not that easy.

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7 - Enough!

"It went fine."

Pinkie looked skeptically at that, a brow raised as she leaned in dangerously close. "Just 'fine'? Rarity's rarely alright with just 'fine'."

"She gave me a big tip, so I think she was happy." The prince of errors shook his head. "Anyway, that's done."

"Ooo, great!" She pronked in place with a broad smile. "Isn't it fun?"

"What's fun?"

"You know, being all these different ponies and trying all these different things." She gestured wildly as she spoke, trying to pantomime too many things at once. "That has to be kinda fun. I've tried disguising as a pony before, but never being them. That's, like, a whole other level."

He felt a refusal hot on his lips, but it didn't make it free, considering instead. "Well... sometimes... It was nice seeing Fluttershy and, you know, helping her?"

Pinkie tilted her head. "You didn't mention Fluttershy! You took pictures of her and she liked it?! Wow, you are good." She reached to patpat at his shoulder rapidly. "Ooo, Ooo, take a few of me!"

"I don't have a camera," he reminded, eyes half-lidding. "I'll go get one, maybe in Manehatten."

"Oh, alright... Wait a second!" She pounced in front of him, cutting off his retreat. "You can't go yet!"

He glanced to the other ponies wandering past. They were ignoring him. He was just a dull grey mistake and had no room in their lives. They didn't care that Pinkie was speaking loudly at him. "Why do you care?"

She threw a leg over his withers. "Because you're a friend, duh. A friend who needs my help."

He pushed against her with a frown. "A friend who needs help, or a friend you like getting help from? You've been giving me jobs without a break."

Pinkie allowed herself to be pushed free and plopped down on her haunches. "Well, gee, sorry. I didn't mean... How often do you usually do these things?"

He huffed softly at her, turning and plodding a few steps. Ponies swerved to avoid bumping into him, but made no mention nor paused. They didn't even complain about his sudden hindering presence. "As often as I have to, which is usually not that often. Maybe three times a week? You beat that in about a day!"

Pinkie's ears sagged, but only for a moment before they perked back up. "Well, then the answer is clear."

"It is?" He eyed her skeptically, bracing for shenanigans.

"You need a day off." She casually wrapped an arm around him. "You've been a busy boy, working so hard. You have bits, go on, relax. Go watch a movie or eat some sweets." She leaned in closer. "Maybe find a sweet to enjoy it with." Her brows waggled suggestively.

He snorted at that, wrenching himself away. "That would be very unlikely. She'd wander off the moment I stopped talking to her."

"Well, then keep talking to her?" she said it as if it seemed an obvious answer. "Works on me! Now go, have fun, and I'll come find you tomorrow, but no jobs until then, alright?"

She pronked away without missing a beat, leaving him there. He could wander away, he realized. He could just get a train ticket to anywhere and be free...

"Hey," came a male voice.

The prince jumped in surprise. People were not supposed to talk to him first! He wheeled in place to see the voice had come from... a human? "The hell?"

The human chuckled softly. "Language. This show's TV-Y, don't forget."

The prince pointed at the human. "It's also full of ponies and absent of... humans?"

"I'm an exception." He shrugged softly. "Name's Jake. You are?"

Jake? It was an almost painfully normal name compared to the more overtly meaning ones of the ponies. "Hey, uh... Jake." He circled the reasonably slender and fit human. "You can see me?"

"Either that or I'm talking to myself again." He put a hand on a hip, turning to keep the prince in view. "I do that sometimes, but this isn't one of those. You make a deal with the words?"

"Words?"

"Text, words, whatever you wanna call it." He waved it away. "It's how I got here."

The prince could remember the text messages that led to his coming. "Oh yeah... that guy. Is it even a guy? I never saw them, just words."

"That's how that works." He casually reached to muss up the prince's grey mane. "So why are you looking so down?"

"I don't know you." He reached up to smooth his mane back down.

"Until you do." He shrugged, looking confident in his logic. "You didn't say your name."

"Pinkie says I'm the prince of errors." He shrugged a little. "What's the point in the original? I'm not that anymore."

"Error?" He seemed to consider that a moment. "Is that why you're greyscale and everything?"

"Hey, Jake," greeted Carrot Top as she wandered past towards something.

"Hey!" He enthusiastically returned, waving before she was gone.

The prince sagged a little. For just a moment... "So they can see you?"

"Huh? Why wouldn't they see me?" He crouched a little, putting himself more on the prince's level. "I saw you just fine."

"Most don't," he grunted out with a little acid in his tone. "So, uh, were you a fan of the show before you started living in it?"

"Oh man, number one fan." Jake jerked two thumbs at himself. "I was so excited to be here, I was a bit of a spazz, but that's worn off and they didn't throw me off a cliff, so that's a win, right?"

The prince could easily imagine someone wanted to chuck Jake off a cliff. "Yeah... I don't have to worry about that though."

"Yeah?" Jake rose up to full height. "You good with people?"

He couldn't resist the bitter laugh that spilled out of him. "N-no. No... Look, uh, Jake? Don't you have things to do?"

"Well, yeah." Jake gestured broadly at the prince. "But I don't get to talk to a fellow human that often, even if you have hooves at the moment. That happens. Twilight still thinks I'm overdue to fall on all fours one way or another."

The prince's ears splayed off to the sides a moment. "So, uh... You from modern day, smart phones and Internet for everyone?"

Jake shook his head. "I had a flip phone, didn't have money for a Blackberry or whatever."

The prince placed Jake about ten or so years before him. "Huh, interesting... Never heard of an iPhone?"

"They turn you into a phone?" His brows went up together. "Freaky."

The prince smiled a little at that. "Not quite, just Apple being Apple."

"Apple makes phones? Man, what am I missing...?" Jake pointed with both hands. "The Apples around here mostly make apples, and that's alright."

"Hey!" came a chorus of three younger voices. The crusaders rushed up to Jake and began to circle him.

"It's time," called out Scootaloo.

"Let's embark," agreed Sweetie Belle.

"Yer not doin' nothin' anyway, why're you late?" chastised Apple Bloom, bumping into him to get him moving.

"Alright alright, see you later, man." He was shepherded away by the foals to whatever crazy adventure they had in mind.

The prince huffed softly, watching the first human he'd spoken to in ages just wander away at the behest of the fillies. "Figures..." Even when someone could see him, they'd wander away.

With a little sigh he started towards a restaurant he could see. He had bits, as Pinkie had reminded him. He was going to at least have a nice dinner and maybe do some pony watching. Not like they'd notice him staring.

"You have to meet him," begged Pinkie Pie, her forehooves pressed together.

Rarity tilted her head. "Why didn't you just bring the stallion over then?"

Pinkie thrust one of her hooves behind her head, laughing nervously. "Well, today's his day off."

"That makes it a perfect day for a little meeting." She tossed her head towards the spa, her finely done mane bouncing. "We could make an event of it if you think we'll get along so famously."

Pinkie huffed out dramatically. "I promised him I wouldn't bother him today, but you two really should meet."

"Well, at least tell me what the dear looks like." She fluttered her lashes at Pinkie. "Is he handsome?"

"He's cute." She bounced in place.

"You say that about most stallions," noted Rarity with a single fine brow raised. "Can you be more specific?"

"Well, he has a grey coat." Rarity gestured for Pinkie to continue. "Darker grey mane." Rarity tilted her head, but kept gesturing for continuing. "Cute wings, normal size."

"Oh, a pegasus then?" Rarity smiled a little. "And his wings are properly grown in, that's nice."

"He has a spired horn right here." She thrust a hoof up at her forehead.

Rarity blinked softly, growing confused. "Pinkie, dear... darling... That isn't how ponies are built. Well, except the princesses, and he's obviously not one of those, being a 'he', dear. Does he have a horn, or does he have wings?"

Pinkie frowned at Rarity. "Hey, you've met a boy prince before and you know it!"

Rarity thought to the two princes she knew. One, Prince Blueblood, was not a 'proper' prince, and she didn't like him anyway. She shook her head in distaste. The other, Prince Silver Watch, was... "You have a point, but he's an exception. There's precisely one of him."

Pinkie rolled a hoof. "Not anymore. I met another, and he needs our help."

Rarity raised a brow. "Needs our help how?"

Pinkie glanced around nervously. "Well maybe I'm jumping to conclusions, but you should meet him at least. He's... uh..." she looked around, but there was no hint of him in Carousel Boutique. "Around town somewhere."

"That's not much to work with." She hopped up onto a stool. "If I see a grey on grey prince wander in, I'll be certain to greet him properly. It would only be proper, of course."

Pinkie huffed softly. "Look, he has a hard time talking to ponies. He's like... Cranky Doodle, without yelling so much."

"Is he that bad?" She resumed her seamstressing. She had work to do and felt she could concentrate while chatting idly. "Does he freeze up, or just avoid entering the conversation to start, dear?"

Pinkie tapped at her chin, realizing she wasn't entirely sure, since she had just pounced him each time. "I'll have to watch him more carefully... I think he's scared of what ponies will think of him."

"Does he have something that would make ponies not want to think kindly of him?" She worked the clothes through the sewing machine with the soft thwip-thwip of the needle working through it. "Bad habits I should be aware of?" Her snout wrinkled. "Don't tell me he's full of himself like some princes."

"No no no! Not like that." She waved her hooves wildly. "He's quiet, and, um..."

"So he's shy? Well, that's alright." She nodded softly. "Shy is a thing you can work on. Why, just ask Fluttershy. She's made considerable efforts in defeating that portion of herself. Quite laudable, really."

Pinkie sprang to her hooves. "If I bring him over, you'll say 'hi', right?"

"Of course, darling. Not saying hello would be quite rude." She adjusted the clothing in the machine, making another row of stitches carefully. "Perish the thought. Just bring him by and we'll see what he's made of."

"Pony parts," answered Pinkie with a raised brow. "What else would he be made of?"

"Pinkie, dear... never change." She chuckled softly as she pulled the dressed up to inspect meaningfully. "I really should focus on this. Is there anything else I need to know of?"

"Nope." She pronked towards the door. "Good luck with the dress!"

"Thank you, dear." She slipped the dress back into the machine as her magic floated over some gemstones to add some highlights. "I almost have this..."

Author's Note

What, a chapter without a mission in it? Is it possible?! Clearly this is a typo.

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8 - To Die For

The prince hadn't returned that night. He had a surplus of bits, so he opted for a nice room in a local spot. Calling it a hotel would have been generous. Like a motel? Without any cars present. It was still nice. It even included breakfast, so he was satisfied.

It also had a pool he intended to try in the morning. When he roused and started for it, he found Pinkie already floating along, grinning at him from atop an inflated Luna toy. "Mornin'!"

He rolled his eyes with a soft smirk. "Should I ask where you got that?" He pointed at the toy.

"What? This thing?" She hugged it around its goose-like neck. "I've had this forever. And youuuu have something special too, a date!"

He blinked at that. "A date?" He leaned forward a bit. "I don't do blind dates. Nothing but misery lay in that direction."

Pinkie snorted at that, floating towards him despite any obvious effort on her part to move her craft. "Rarity just wants to meet you, again. This time you don't have to take pictures of her, or pretend to be a pony. She wants to meet you." She thrust a hoof at the prince for emphasis. "All you have to do is be yourself."

"She'll forget I'm there the moment I stop talking." He rubbed at his cheek lightly with a hoof. While Pinkie, and that human, seemed to be exceptions, he doubted Rarity would be the same.

"Give her a chance!" She sprang free of the pool toy, landing next to him athletically. "What's the harm? Worst case, she wanders back to making her dresses. It's what she does. Nopony gets hurt."

Except maybe his feelings. He shook his head, banishing that thought. "I'll do it, just to prove the point." He touched her nose with a hoof. "Just because you can, doesn't mean anyone else can, alright?"

"Alright!" She cried in a much more enthusiastic tone than he had used. "She's at her boutique. You ready?"

He glanced towards the pool. It would still be there... "Let's get this over with." He walked around Pinkie and started for the boutique. He knew where it was, having been there just two days prior. "So, uh, no cake duties today?"

"Plenty," refuted Pinkie with a smile. "But they can wait until after I get you two together." She poked him in the side with the same freedom he had with poking her. "You are a friend in need, like I said, so you get some time. I can do the chores afterwards."

The faintest smile touched his lips. It was kinda nice to have someone actively caring about him, even if they were a spazzy pink menace that saw beyond what men were meant to know on a regular basis. "Maybe you'll be right." His tone didn't imply a great deal of confidence, but... maybe?

They arrived side-by-side in front of the boutique. Pinkie pronked forward and clip-clopped on the door. "We're here!"

"Is that you, Pinkie?" came a melodic voice from within. "Did you say 'we?' Come in, dear."

Pinkie reached for the door's handle despite a lack of fingers, opening it effortlessly. "I brought him with me."

Rarity looked over from where she had been eyeing a dress. "Him? Him who?"

The prince huffed softly, what little hope he had sinking.

"The prince!" She gestured broadly at him as he came in after her. "Ta daaaa!"

Rarity looked past her hoof as if she had to follow it to find the alicorn that wasn't even trying to hide. "Oh, there he is. Pardon me." She moved away from her dress to approach. "My my my. What an interesting color scheme for a pegasus. Do you have something to do with controlling inclement weather?"

Before he could reply, Pinkie reached up and started poking at his horn. "Prince," she repeated with a grin that was too wide to be comfortable.

Rarity's eyes drifted upwards, staring a moment before it seemed to click. "Oh! How silly of me, you're a unicorn." She tittered softly. "And a prince she says? Mmm, forgive me for asking, but are you related to Blueblood?"

"No!" That he got out quickly enough. "Who'd want to be?"

She let out a breath of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. Well, welcome to my boutique." She gestured around, waving at her many ponyquins and their dresses on display. "You seem to be missing proper attire. I'd be glad to assist with that."

Pinkie grunted as she crashed to her haunches. "Rarity..."

"Yes, Pinkie?" She turned to look at Pinkie, forgetting about the prince quite easily.

She reached and grabbed one of his wings, unfurling it upwards towards his horn so the two were right beside one another. "He's not a unicorn and he's not a pegasus, because he's an alicorn."

Rarity blinked at where wing touched against horn. Her mouth worked silently as her brain struggled to process the elusive information. "He has a horn, and wings. He's a little small for an alicorn, but he has... Oh. Well..." She frowned a little, her mind trying to toss out this forbidden knowledge. "Well... Would you like to get some clothing dear?" She smiled at him brightly. "Someone of your station shouldn't be prancing about unclothed. Simply unsuitable."

The prince shook his head. "She can't see it, and she forgets like the rest, Pinkie. I mean, nice try, I guess." He dipped his head at Rarity. "It was nice meeting you."

"A pleasure, Dear." She smiled brightly at him. "You simply must come by again." She turned to Pinkie, casually censoring the prince's existence from her senses. "When are you going to bring by that prince you were speaking of?"

Pinkie's jaw fell open. To see it work that quickly and that thoroughly was a wonder. A terrible and horrible wonder that made her shiver a little. "Oh... sometime soon." She laughed nervously and started for the door. "I'll... let you get back to work."

"Of course. You take care, Pinkie." She waved gently and warmly as Pinkie fled, the prince following after her.

As soon as she got outside, she ducked around the corner and pulled the prince in beside her. "That was nuts!"

"Welcome to my world," he sighed out. "At least you can see me."

"You live like this?!" She bounced in place, eyes wide. "This is horrible! You need, like, so much help!" She threw her forehooves wide. "I'd go crazy if ponies just..." She shivered again just from imagining being in the prince's hooves. "That was worse than you made it sound like."

He put a hoof on her shoulder lightly. "Hey, thanks for trying at least. That's something."

"No! No no no! You're planning to try and leave again, aren't you?" She hopped in front of him, blocking the way with her pink form.

His brows fell. "Last I checked, I am an adult capable of making decisions. You can't keep trying to make mine for me. If I want to leave, you should respect that."

Pinkie sat and put a forehoof on either of his shoulders. "Please! You need help, and I'm the only pony that can even try!" She drew her hooves back hesitantly. "I mean... you're right... If you want to go... But, I mean, c'mon!" She danced in place, bouncing from hoof to hoof. "Is that what you really want?"

He looked away from her. There were ponies wandering past them, back on the street. None of them even glanced their way. But there was Pinkie. She was watching him. All of her attention was on him. He was her entire world, at least for a little while... "Alright."

"Alright?" She tilted her head. "Is that a good alright or a bad alright?"

He raised a hoof and gently bopped her on the head. "I'll stay..." It was... nice, if awkward, to have a pony that seemed to really care. "So what's your next big plan?"

"Can we try Twilight now?" She smiled hopefully. "With all of her crazy magic and tons of books, she might be able to help."

He tapped his hooves together. "One, she'll probably have the same trouble Rarity did." He tapped them with a soft clop. "Two, if she doesn't, she'll probably think I'm super interesting and get distracted just trying to figure out how I work, rather than fixing it."

Pinkie sank to her haunches, tapping her chin with a forehoof. "Well, hmm... I'd better get back to Sugarcube, but we'll try more later, promise. Thank you for staying! Oh, want another job?" She smiled brightly. "I have one that'd be perfect for you, but I won't say it if you don't want it."

"What'll make me like it so much?" He rolled a hoof for her to explain, one brow raised.

"If you're anything like the humans I know, you like being around Twilight and her friends. I mean, sure, you're avoiding Twilight, but you've been alright with me and Rarity so far. This one'll have you close to us. Super close!"

He blinked slowly, wondering what it could be. Would he be replacing one of the Mane Six? If one of them was missing, he really should help. It could mean the fate of Equestria! Maybe? He'd never replaced a foreground pony before... Was that possible?

Only one way to find out. "Alright, what's the job?"

"Apple Bloom fell down a hole," started Pinkie. "She was playing with that other human and they got into trouble. She's fine, promise, but while she's laid up, Applejack is down an assistant, and ponies will ask questions. I mighta mentioned to her that I knew a way to maybe fix that, so if you could take her place for a little while..."

As she spoke, he could feel rushing waves of power tingle through his altering body. The world grew larger and larger around him as he became a little filly. He felt a ribbon pop into being in his bright red mane. Pinkie seemed so much bigger then. "Oh," he said with a young Southern accent. "Ah never replaced a foal before." He twisted around to look back at himself, shaking his little filly bottom. "Huh..."

Pinkie bounced in place with a joyful smile. "You look perfect! Aw!" She grabbed the prince by his smaller cheeks, rubbing them gently. "Now you go out there and, uh, be Apple Bloom. Have fun with it! She's a fun filly and gets up to things, so don't worry too much."

She bounced off, leaving him to his new filly identity. "Huh..." he repeated, still a little stunned at how things felt as he circled in place before daring to venture towards the street. Even his gait was off, ambling along in the way that foals did instead of the trot he was more accustomed to. "Well, nothin' fer it." It was uncanny how his accent could shift to fit a role, but it helped avoid awkward questions, so he didn't complain.

"Ah hope she's alright." Pinkie had mentioned Apple Bloom was doing alright, but if she fell down a hole hard enough to need a replacement, that couldn't have been fun. Still, Pinkie had said she would be fine...

"Apple Bloom!" came an excited cry. The prince barely had time to look up in time to see Scootaloo heading towards her at an uncomfortable speed on her scooter, her little wings fluttering wildly for speed. She kicked back, her scooter jumping and coming down facing sideways, bringing her to a screeching halt just a preciously small gap from crashing into the prince. "You're already better?! Wow! They weren't kidding when they said earth ponies are tough! Guess we don't have to explain to Applejack what happened then, huh? Phew!"

He was surprised. He didn't think he had formally entered his role yet, but maybe just being Apple Bloom in vision of Scootaloo counted? "Ahm alright." He tapped at his little chest, smiling at his temporary friend. "Where's Sweetie hidin' at?"

Author's Note

Welcome to the next assignment. Cutie Mark Dopplegangers, go! Wait, is that a typo?

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9 - Cutie Mark Doppelgangers

The prince, as Apple Bloom, held on tightly to Scootaloo. He discovered that little ponies smelled subtly different. He also noticed that Scootaloo was even faster than she had appeared. With rapidly beating wings, they were traveling at an entirely uncomfortably fast pace through town. The other ponies were a blur of shapes as he held onto her for dear life.

With the sound of skidding, they came to a stop.

"Hey! Is that Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle was seated on her haunches, looking quite perplexed. "Wow, you practically bounced back from nothing."

Scootaloo stepped down from her scooter with Apple Bloom attached to her. "Uh, we're stopped. Why are you so edgy?"

Sweetie Belle gasped loudly. "Maybe she's shy because she just got hurt and she's scared." She hopped up to her hooves and sprang towards Apple Bloom. "It's alright, your friends are here!"

The prince forced himself to release Scootaloo. "Ah'm fine, promise. Uh, what are we doin' today?"

Sweetie tilted her head. "You forgot? I mean, I guess that isn't that surprising..." She turned and pointed at a humble-looking house. "We're here for him."

Scootaloo nodded softly. "We never helped someone so old before, but..."

The house looked familiar. The prince tried to place it desperately as the other two went right up to the door and knocked on it. Would he be helping some adult pony get their cutie mark?

"Who is it?!" called a gruff male voice. The door's top swung open and a donkey's head came into view. Cranky eyed the three crusaders. "Someone lost their kids."

Matilda's head came into view beside his. "Oh, the crusaders. I called them, darling."

"What fer?!" He was scowling at them. "I don't deal with anyone's kids."

Matilda gently poked him from behind, turning into a soft petting that seemed to take the edge off of him. "I asked them to come and talk to you, dear. You need a purpose, besides being my husband, as lovely as that is."

"Yeah?" He hiked a brow at her. "What's yer purpose?"

She sank to her haunches. "Well, to be fair, we'll let them talk to both of us. A little outside perspective could be good for both of us."

Sweetie and Scootaloo shared a look before glancing back at the prince with a communal shrug. He smiled a little. This was looking a little nuts, but he was intrigued. "Don't you worry none. We'll figure thin's out. Let's all head inside and get all comfortable like."

The lower part of the door swung outwards and they all headed inside. Soon they were in the living room, crusaders scattered about the room with the couple side-by-side on the sofa. Matilda gestured a hoof at a tray. "Have a cookie if you'd like."

None of the enterprising foals turned it down, even the one only wearing the body. It was a sweet treat that tasted mildly of pumpkin. As she chewed, not-Apple Bloom began to talk, getting crumbs on the floor. "So! Let's start with Matilda." He didn't know much about Matilda, but he was curious. "What did you do, when you were younger?"

She laughed gently at that. "I had a long and successful career, but I've put that behind myself." She gestured at Cranky and then herself. "We're both retired. Therein lies the challenge."

Sweetie tilted her head. "If you're retired..."

"--Doesn't that mean you already won?" finished Scootaloo tilting her head the other way.

Cranky waved at the two of them. "See? We don't need any stupid purposes. We already did that. Thanks for coming, you can go now."

The prince bounced forward. He didn't want to give up that easily. "Just because you're retired doesn't mean you have to give up on doin' anythin' at all! Yer still alive, so ya wanna do thin's, right? What do you like to do?"

Matilda put a hoof at her chest. "I enjoy attending the social functions of the town. Watching the ponies of Ponyville compete and make merry makes me happy in turn. I enjoy being a friend and a bright spot in what might be a dull day." She leaned forward, fluttering her long lashes. "You can think of me as a more sedate Pinkie Pie if you'd like."

The prince doubted Matilda could hold a candle to the terrible wonder that was Pinkie Pie. "That's somethin', an' you?" She looked to Cranky with a big smile on his little filly face.

He grunted softly, going quiet a moment with only little grumbles before he reached for Matilda with one hoof. "I have all I need right here." He pulled her close. "My best and closest friend."

"Close enough you put a ring on them." She kissed his cheek gently and they softly laughed and nuzzled, looking quite happy for a small time.

Sweetie awwed appreciatively. "I hope when I get married I'm that happy..."

Scootaloo stuck out her tongue. "Not sure I'm up for that sappy stuff, but alright..." She pointed at Matilda. "You enjoy group settings and hanging out with others." She pointed at Cranky. "And you want to be with her."

"And no one else," he added with a grunt.

"Aw, don't be like that." She gently nuzzled one of his ears. "You've had fun before..."

"They sometimes have food I like," he admitted with a soft shrug, looking unconvinced.

"I understand you." All eyes turned to not-Apple Bloom. "Really, ah do." He put a hoof on his chest. "You're in a big crowd, all the eyes. They all run on rules you don't... always get and everyone else seems to get it like it's nothin'. Then they get angry when you don't get it. They never gave a manual for this, but they expect you to just... know it, always judging and frowning. Makes you wanna frown right back at 'em!"

Cranky's head slowly tilted at the almost-ranting little filly. "I, uh... yeah... kinda like that. I mean, Matilda gets me, you know." He leaned against her gently. "She never gets upset with me over something stupid, so we can be mad at important things."

Matilda rolled her eyes softly. "Or we could try not being angry at all?"

"Feh."

Sweetie leaned in towards the prince. "Where did that come from? Nevermind, we're onto something!"

Scootaloo nodded in vigorous agreement. "It's alright, Cranky. We're not here to judge."

"I mean technically." Sweetie rubbed behind her head a little. "But we're not here to be mad or make fun of any...creature. We want to help!"

Matilda nodded towards the three small ponies. "Yes, hon, they only want to help, if you'll let them."

"What if I don't want to be helped. Pinkie tried to help me once before, turned out--"

"--She brought me," reminded Matilda. "It didn't end that badly.

"... Yeah... there is that..." He shrank a little and huffed out a low sigh. "Alright, I'm listenin'."

The prince bobbed his little head, ears erect and directed at Cranky. "I get it, really. After tryin' to play that game so many times, you jus'... kinda want to be left alone. It's less painful to, you know..." He shuffled on his little hooves. "Better to not play than to keep losing all the time. It really isn't fair..." He was lost in his own thoughts, rambling, "people don't even see when you're trying so hard."

"Y-yeah..." Cranky lifted an ear briefly at Apple Bloom. "How? I mean, you have friends." He pointed to Scootaloo and Sweetie in a broad wave. "Yer talkin' like you ain't had no one. I mean, really, you even have a family and they love you."

"Apple Bloom has those thin's!" he spouted before turning cherry red. All eyes were on him. "I mean, uh, sorry. I was... usin' a therapy technique ah read about." She laughed nervously, a hoof behind her head just behind her ribbon. "To understand a pony, you have to step into their hooves, right? Sorry, got kinda carried away there."

Sweetie Belle coughed into a hoof. "Regardless, I think we have a better understanding of the situation, and you, Cranky. I, for one, welcome you just as you are. I think a lot of ponies would be happy to do the same."

Scootaloo bobbed her head. "Yeah! I mean, you're a little cranky, but that's literally your name. It's cool." She waved it off like it wasn't a big deal. "We came over today just as quickly as we would for anyone else."

Matilda leaned back against him. "And that was very nice of you all. What do you recommend?"

The prince looked at Cranky directly, matching his eyes. "What do you want, more than to be left alone? More than even her?" He pointed at Matilda with a thrust of a little hoof. "What do you really want? What... are you too scared to think about so you just... hide?"

"I don't hide!" he hotly defended, hopping up to his hooves. "Now look here. Just 'cause you read some fancy head shrinkin' books or whatever doesn't make you no expert." With an angry snort, he pointed to the door. "I think we've talked enough for one day."

All three fillies shrank at the blunt dismissal. He had messed that up, even in a disguise. Some part of him had thought, riding Apple Bloom, he would be able to muddle through. It had worked before... Maybe... "Come on, girls."

Sweetie nodded at Matilda. "You have a nice day, both of you."

"If you want to try again, let us know." Scootaloo joined the retreating and defeated crusaders.

They met up just outside. Matilda was in the doorway, the bottom closed, the top opened. "I'm sorry about that. He's not really angry... I'll calm him down. If you're willing, I really would like to try again." She gave a gentle and unsure smile. "I think he could be happier, and if I can do that for him, I want to."

"Are you still talking to them? How much do you owe them?!" came Cranky's voice from inside.

"Just a moment." She coiled on herself and produced a small pouch that she set down just outside the house. "Here you are, for your trouble today. Thank you, all of you." Even as the crusaders waved, she retreated inside, the door closing behind her.

Scootaloo turned to Apple Bloom. "I don't know what book you read, but it didn't really work."

"I have to agree." Sweetie nodded her head. "You just made him more defensive. I mean, kudos for your attempt." Her little horn glowed as she picked up the bag and nodded. "For the crusader fund." Without even thinking about it, she took some out and held it towards Apple Bloom.

The prince accepted his curse-given share and tucked it away. "Sorry. I was..." He felt increasingly awkward. He had fallen into the trap he had just been describing. He broke a rule in that dense text of human, or pony, interaction. The rules he'd never been allowed to see, just expected to follow.

"It's alright." Sweetie patted the prince's back gently. "We all have our off days. We tried. We won't be defeated by one sour customer."

"Got that right!" Scootaloo thrust out a hoof towards them. Sweetie's hoof joined it an instant later.

The prince hesitated a moment before reaching out more timidly, tapping his little hoof against theirs. That felt nice and he smiled. He wasn't alone, even if it was with a borrowed identity. "Well, that's done... What's next?"

Sweetie pointed off. "Well, for you, you have to get back to the farm. If your sister finds out you weren't doing official crusader business and didn't come to help with the harvest, she'd be really annoyed."

Scootaloo trotted towards her scooter. "I can give you a lift if you want. We'll get there in a flash!"

A flash of terror was all that the prince could see, but there was little reason for Apple Bloom to say no.

Author's Note

Things got personal, and emotional. That's when the typos come out.

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10 - Responsibilities

Ponyville sped by in a blur of rapidly beating little pegasus wings. She hit a bump and cheered wildly at their airtime. The prince could feel the board moving beneath them as Scootaloo performed a trick ever so casually. He just clutched to her all the tighter, eyes screwed shut with the hope that it would soon be over and he would be safe.

She was airborne. There was no board. He, her, she, they were airborne, wrenched free of Scootaloo who she heard, in retrospace, yelping with surprise.

The prince struck something solid but it didn't break him. "Woah there," spoke an adult female voice. Applejack. "Scootaloo, ah won't be a happy mare if'n ya go hurtin' mah little sis."

He opened his eyes and saw he was thrown right across Applejack's back sideways, flopped from one side of her to the other side, his hooves against her barrell. "Oh, hey sis! Ah'm back!"

"Ah see that." Applejack twisted on herself, grabbing the prince by his scruff and setting him down gently. "Just in time to start on the east side."

Scootaloo got her scooter back upright and waved eagerly. "Have fun!" And off she vanished, buzzing softly into the distance.

The prince was no expert on pony behavior, but he was pretty sure Scootaloo was vacating rather quickly. Had she been the one that had gotten Apple Bloom actually hurt? Possibly. He figured there was a good chance Apple Bloom could also be blamed in part for what had happened. He still didn't know what exactly happened there, but it was why he was there, to avoid further problems. "You got it, Sis."

He wasn't going to kick any trees, being so tiny, so... "Am I on basket duty?"

"Sure are." She pointed to a basket laying there. "Catch the ones that don't fall towards another basket and we'll get this done nice 'n fast."

And lo did the work begin. The prince darted and jumped and galloped to get the basket into position each time. His borrowed body had some skill at the task, thankfully, allowing him to perform the job adequately. It was an interesting experience. Thump-thump-thump went all the apples, dropping right on his head. It didn't hurt, but he knew he was still catching apples, with his head.

Ponies were curious creatures.

"So, what'd you do with yer friends?" asked Applejack on her way to the next tree.

The prince tensed. He still had no idea what they were doing, or what the excuse they had worked out was... Ah! "We were doin' some counselin' duty, Can ya beleive we had to help an adult today!? Ah mean, not the first time, come to think."

Applejack nodded softly. "True. Ah remember you talkin' 'bout when Bulk Biceps came to visit. Did it work out as well as that time?" She kept one ear trained on the prince as she set up the other baskets to catch the apples. "Ya done made that pony right happy as a cat at a mouse convention."

He smiled as he got into position, ready to catch the apples. "'Fraid not. Ya know Cranky, right? He's a tough nut to crack. What's Matilda see in him? She's so... nice." He felt guilty in a way even calling that out, but he couldn't quite put a hoof on why.

"Cranky?!" She paused a moment before shaking her head. "Tough nut feels like an understatement." She turned away from the tree. "But don't be judgin' love like that. They're really happy togetha, even if he's unhappy with everythin' else in th' world. Togetha, they're happy, and that's wonderful."

He had no real argument for that. "Ah suppose." He began to duck and bob, catching the apples as they came raining down. "Ah mean... He's just tryin'... It ain't all his fault."

Applejack tilted her head. "That's a mature way t'look at it, but why were ya hopin' his ladyfriend would wander off then?" She started hefting up apple baskets one at a time in her teeth, setting them down in a carton that groaned gently with the added weight. "Wouldn't be nice."

He stopped a moment, not even noticing when Applejack took his basket and emptied it into a larger one. "Oh, oh yeah, huh... Guess yer right." Maybe if he had a big sister like Applejack, the world would have made more sense to him growing up. He felt envious, but it wasn't the first time, nor likely the last. The ponies he replaced all had lives, full of things, many of them good.

"What's on yer mind, Sugar Cube? Ya lookin' mighty distracted." She plopped the basket down on her sister's little head. "We're makin' good progress."

They worked through the orchard under the hot watch of the sun above. Their wagon become more and more full of apples, ready to be put into so many possible uses. Applejack was happy to list some of them as they went, detailing all the delights that would come as a result of their hard work.

"An' it ain't just us." She shook her head as she nudged a basket into place. "Ponies all around benefit from our work. This whole town might not be here if it wasn't for us Apples, doin' what we do." She lined up with the tree, never slowing in her work despite her rambling. "Feels good, knowin' we're a part of somethin' bigger than us, ya know?"

"Yeah..." He wasn't sure he felt that way, but was he part of something bigger? Something had given him the strange position he had. He darted to catch apples, the basket wobbling on his head. "What if, uh, just in theory like, ya didn't understand what you were part of. Would ya still be proud of it?"

Applejack perked an ear at Apple Bloom. "Huh, that's a mighty funny question, seein' as we both know what we're a part of." She took his basket and unloaded it quickly as she went to get the others. "But if ya know a pony like that, well, what else is there ta do? Ya find out what yer a part of and learn why ya should be happy, or not. Ah mean, if ya really don't know, maybe ya shouldn't be, but you won't know until ya find out."

The prince frowned a little, hidden under the basket as he followed after Applejack. What she was saying made enough sense. He really had no idea what he was doing, or what the larger scheme was. Maybe he was doing good, or not. He had to know. He figured Apple Bloom was a rare obvious case. She literally had asked him, indirectly, to be there, taking her place for a moment.

He smiled a little, imagining Apple Bloom sweating bullets in the hospital. Poor little filly, getting up to trouble. He did hope she was alright, and imagined she was probably fine, in time. She just needed him for a little bit. He could do that. He was doing that. "Say, uh, Applejack..."

"Mm?"

"Jus' wanted to say thanks." He smiled up at her, basket tilting. "Fer being a good sister."

"Aw." She knocked the basket right off his little head on the way to plucking him up and hugging tightly. "Thanks fer being a good little sister." She put him down gently. "One more hour, then we can head home, alright? Granny said she's workin' on a real tasty dinner for us hard workers."

The hour passed without incident, and they returned to the barn. The prince trotted alongside Applejack, who bore the burden of the laden wagon full of more apples in one place than he had ever seen before. "That sure is a lot of apples..."

Applejack peeked back at it. "It was a good season, weren't it? I've seen bigger, but ah also seen way smaller. A good season." She nodded with clear satisfaction. "I blame it on having such responsible family members. Wonder how Big Mac's doin', come ta think." She looked at the prince expectantly a moment, but he didn't respond. "What, not curious about his big date?" Her brows fell a little. "Don't think I don't know ya had a part in that."

The prince stiffened. She knew Apple Bloom was involved in that?! "Oh, um, hope they're havin' a good time, ya know, kissin' an' all that mushy stuff."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "And nuzzlin' and sighin' happilly and stuff. Those two are deep in it." She smiled brightly. "It's sweet, really... Ah never figured he woulda had... the nerve. I'll blame that on you." She nudged the prince gently on the way past. "Little troublemaker, meddlin' with yer brother like that. Bet he's really thankful."

He watched her vanish into the barn to put the wagon away and secure the apple stash. "They're, uh, sweet together."

Applejack laughed on her way back. "Yeah... real nice couple. She's a good down-to-earth pony too, bakin' and she even works with apples! A perfect fit." She nodded confidently, moseying towards the farmhouse that was her home. "Now let's see what Granny made up for us. I bet it's a real hum dinger. Ya know harvest dinner is the best dinner."

He wondered a moment, about who he was replacing. Was she sad? She had to know she was missing out on special dinners, at a special time. For a moment, he wondered, but it faded and he ran after Applejack, wondering just how special harvest dinner could be. Would apples be involved? He felt confident they would be in there somewhere.

Dinner, as it turned out, was delicious. Every morsel was a delight on his tongue. Big Mac wasn't there, still on his date, according to the others. "He'll be back tomorrer," said Granny Smith with an even thicker accent. "He'll make up fer lost time when he does it, so don't you two worry none. He's a pony of his word."

Applejack waved it away. "Being laid up one day ain't so bad compared to the time he was actually hurt. Boy howdy did that make things rough. Remember that?"

"That time Twilight ended up helping?" The prince looked up from the food he had been scarfing down.

Applejack sighed at that. "Unicorns have it too dan' easy. Good thing most of 'em aren't as, uh, talented as Twilight. If ya asked Rarity, she wouldn't be managing that none." She frowned then. "I shudder to think what Starlight would do... Anyway! Yea, that was the time. Boy was that a mess... We got through though."

Too easy? The prince tilted his little head up at not-his sister. "If you had magic, wouldn't you use it?"

"Well, sure, maybe?" She shrugged softly. "But ah don't, so I won't, and that's that. Ah gotta do it the hard way, and get it done right, 'cause there ain't no take backs with earth ponies, and that's the way."

He reached for a large carafe, nudging it closer. Magic sure made mealtimes easier, but he didn't say that part out loud. It suddenly nudged towards him, making him blink before he realized Granny Smith had done it. "Oh, thanks." She got it the rest of the way easily and poured herself some of the orange fluid. "Thanks fer dinner. It's great!"

"And she worked extra hard to earn it." Applejack nodded firmly. "Ah thought she'd be gone longer with her crusader friends, but she came back early and got right t' work."

"Oh? That's good t'hear." Granny nodded in satisfaction. "You three helping ponies still? That's a mighty fine callin'."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "It's a mighty fine hobby, but ya know yer inheriting this farm eventually, right?"

The prince decided that was a mighty fine time to drink the sweet juice and not answer that question. He was not equipped to give Apple Bloom's thoughts on that matter, and the conversation mercifully slid on to other things that did not involve the future of the body he would not wear for long.

Author's Note

This is a sweet little slice of apple pie. In this chapter, we are an Apple. I'm alright with that. You?

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11 - Not Your Place

The prince awoke the next morning in a bed that was not his. It took him a moment to remember where he was, and what he was. He was a little filly that belonged there and he was not intruding. He slipped from bed and fetched one of many ribbons to place in his mane.

Hoofsteps marched just outside. "Ya up, Apple Bloom? Yer off today, on account of Big Mac. Enjoy that!"

He heard Applejack walking away and smiled a little. A day off as Apple Bloom? That didn't sound so bad... He made his way downstairs and enjoyed breakfast. Granny Smith was there, Applejack was already gone.

The older mare was watching him. "Bad mane day?"

He peered at her with some confusion. She casually bent her head down, grabbed a mirror from nowhere in particular, and held it up for him.

While his ribbon was in the right place, the rest of his mane was not. It looked like, well, he had slept and not brushed it, which was true. "Oh..."

"Will you let your granny take care of it?" She set the mirror down and soon had a brush wielded menacingly.

He tilted his head a little. "Sure." He hopped down and hopped right up onto the chair she was on, sitting down right between her legs. Her forelegs came around, holding him in place as she began working the brush through his mane.

"Ya know, Apple Bloom'd sooner catch fire than let her granny fuss over her like this." She kept working though despite having just called him out.

He tensed with worry. "Oh, uh, that was a right tasty dinner, and it was, uh, silly ah me, so..."

"So this is your way of saying thank you, is it?" She worked through a small knot before continuing, gently brushing at the prince while holding him steady. "Ah ain't that daft, Missy. While ah appreciate a chance to do this again, who's mane am I brushin'?" She arched a brow softly. "You one of them changerlin's?"

That was a possible excuse, filled with more questions he couldn't answer. "Ah ain't nopony. Don't worry, Apple Bloom's fine and will be back soon."

"Hmm..." She gently nudged him down. She set the brush down and replaced it with the mirror once more. In it, he could see that his mane was sitting the way it should once more, bed head removed nicely. "That better be true. Don't worry an old mare."

Was he being accepted at his word that easily? "She... asked me to cover for her."

Granny arched a wrinkled brow at that. "Did she? She up to trouble? That figures..." She hopped down from her chair lightly and began a slow walk towards the kitchen. "You see her, you let her know she better tell me what happened. Ah won't tell her sister if she fesses up."

He nodded quickly. "Will do!" He fled, unnerved by being spotted like that. Would she remember him if she saw him outside of his guise? The odds were still against it. There was a good chance if she saw too deep, the guise would be ripped away and he'd be left reeling and forgotten.

"Psst!"

He came to a stop as suddenly as he had started running. He was on the road towards town and the hiss had come from the right. Peeking, he saw a familiar filly with a big ribbon waving at him. There was Apple Bloom. He approached her with an unsure smile. "Oh, hey there."

"Wow." Apple Bloom was looking him over intently. "Ya really do look like me."

"Ah am you." He reached and booped her little snout.

"Well, uh... can ya stop now? Ah'm back." She smiled a little. "Thanks though. Everything work out?"

He felt the color draining away as she shrank in his view. She had officially ended his duty and his curse apparently accepted the request for her to retake her life. He was a big grey mistake.

She turned and resumed her walk to the house, entirely forgetting she had been in the middle of a question. He was left alone by the roadside with nothing but his share of bits from their failed time with Cranky. He never did get a share from the apples, but he did get that dinner... That counted, he supposed.

Oh yeah! He hurried after Apple Bloom. "Hey, one thing!"

"Huh?" She looked over her shoulder at him. "What's up?" She was looking at him as if she had no idea who he was.

"Your grandmother knows. Tell her why you stepped out and she won't tell your sister."

Apple Bloom's eyes widened with obvious fear. "Oh! Um... Shoot..." She kicked at the dirt lightly, then resumed her trek, forgetting the prince was there or speaking to her.

Would she even remember his warning? He wasn't sure, but he had at least tried. That would have to do. He ambled back towards town, thinking about his place in the grand scheme. What was pushing him along. What was behind the curse and what was its end game?

Was he a good thing, or a bad thing, or just... a thing? With a shrill cheer, he saw Scootaloo and Sweetie zip past on a scooter towards the farm. From his larger vantage, it didn't look nearly as terrifying as it had felt in person. They paid him no mind, racing right on past the monochrome pony towards their friend without hesitation.

"How'd it go?" Pinkie was there. She hadn't been there a moment before.

He jumped back a step. "Hey! Um, went fine. Apple Bloom's not in trouble, I think..." He wasn't sure how it'd go with Granny... "Granny Smith noticed me."

Pinkie tilted her head. "That's good, right? Or is it bad?"

"She noticed I wasn't Apple Bloom but not what I actually was. Pretty sure she thought I was a changeling stepping in for Apple Bloom."

Pinkie turned for town, pointing the way. "Well, that isn't that far from the truth. She's a smart mare, and it all worked out, so why complain?" She began trotting alongside him into Ponyville. "I was... thinking, you know, about you, and me, and... I won't keep pushing you."

He smiled a little. "Thanks." But... "What will you do then?"

"Be your friend?" She jumped sideways, thumping against him. "If you want a job, you ask, and Pinkie will provide." She clopped her hooves mid-jump. "Just like that. Until then, I'm just a friend you can talk to who won't forget you're still there and still an amazing pony. Now about your little 'curse' thing..."

He raised a brow with clear uncertainty. "You found out something, or you have some kind of crazy plan?"

"Well..." She bounced ahead of him and turned in mid-air to land facing him. "You don't want to talk to Twilight, so how about an honest and good pony that surely won't make it awkward."

His brows fell. "No. Applejack is not going to have an answer."

"Why not!?" She bounced in place, frowning a little.

"She's a farmer." He tapped his forehooves together. "She knows apples." He tapped his hooves again. "Did I mention she's a farmer? What's she going to do, make me some cider to forget the problem? Maybe buck the curse away?"

Pinkie snorted softly as she sank to her haunches. "Are you sure we can't try Twilight?"

He hiked a brow. "Tell you what. How about a challenge?"

She perked right up, bouncing to her hooves. "I'm ready!"

"Go ahead and talk to her. Tell her about me. If she ever even approaches me, like this--" He waved a hoof over his dull grey body. "--then maybe she has something to add. If not, well, you tried, and I guess thanks for that."

Pinkie's ears danced atop her head. "Alright, that sounds... fair. Okay Dokey! I'll tell her about you and she'll get curious and find you and then we can get to the curse fixing."

He put a hoof on her withers just before she could jump away. "Before that, I want to know why I am what I am before we just... fix it. Maybe I'm just not getting how it's supposed to be."

"Wow." She grinned as she began bouncing around him in a happy circle. "That's a really mature way of looking at it. You got it! I mean, I wouldn't want to 'fix' this if I could do that. I'd be all over the place, being different ponies and brightening days. You know you really saved Apple Bloom's rump."

"She doesn't even remember it," he sighed out with a frump, resuming his slow walk back to town. "She walked away, right in the middle of our talk. She's probably forgotten she ever met me."

Pinkie flinched back a little. "Well, alright, I might not like that part... Still, I like your attitude, keep it! We'll work together and figure this out, promise." She vanished in a puff of pink smoke, likely searching for Twilight, or so he figured.

Odds were, she would not be able to find him even if she did listen to what Pinkie said and wanted to do so. He was the animation error, present but unseen. There but entirely non-canon. He smirked a little, wondering what he could do if he wanted to be a bad person. He could cause no end of trouble...

And get mostly nothing for it. It would be a destructive and lonely life he would lead.

Or he could hang out with Pinkie.

That didn't sound so bad. He mosied to the spa, his right hindleg kicking a little. All that physical work had left him stiff and sore. Maybe spending a few bits on some attention would be nice... If they didn't forget he was laying there on the table.

He sighed at the front of the day spa, pondering how wasteful it would be to even try. Food and a place to sleep, those were safer. Ponies didn't need to remember you past getting you what you asked for, then they could just forget you and nopony was hurt in the process. He shook his head, deciding to try it anyway. "Nothing ventured..."

"Hello!" chimed Aloe at the front Desk. Had she seen him?! He was suddenly nudged out of the way by Mayor Mare.

"Yes, hello. I have a big meeting today and I simply must look my best."

"Oh, absolutely. You come this way." Aloe gestured to the side and led Mayor Mare away, leaving the front room entirely empty, if one didn't count the prince, and no one had.

He sank to his haunches with a thump, frowning at where Aloe had just been. That hadn't gone very well. There was a bell on the desk. He reached for it and rang it with a gentle chime.

"Yeah!" Bulk Biceps poked his head out of another room into the main room, looking around without seeing the prince. "Yeah?"

The prince considered his options. Did he want the loving attention of Bulk Biceps? That could be terrifying, or not. He wouldn't be there if he didn't make ponies feel good... "Hey."

"Oh, hey!" Bulk Bicep's eyes fell to the prince, suddenly seeing him. "Here for a massage?"

The prince smiled nervously. "I don't want anything too rough, please. Just something to work out the tension from a hard day's work, and maybe a relaxing steam after that?"

"Not rough, alright..." He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around a hoof, then repeated it for the other hoof, giving himself boxing mitts of towels. "Ready! This way."

The prince followed him with a little nervous laugh. That promised to be an experience of some sort, though he wasn't sure if it would be one he would treasure or not.

If it turned out poorly, maybe he would stop if the prince just got really quiet. He had a safeword, and it was mum.

Author's Note

Sorry for being late today. At least it's still today, yay!

12 - Calling In Help

Pinkie bounced left and right around the studying Twilight. "He's super nice, but also kinda sad, and he needs your help!"

Twilight kept a lone ear trained on the bouncing pink mare. "Slow down, Pinkie. What does this pony need help with?"

"Everypony forgets him!" She bounced in place. "It's super sad!"

Twilight frowned a little. "You didn't forget him. Maybe he's just not being assertive enough?"

"No no no, I mean..." She huffed out a sigh. "Not like Fluttershy unseen. We're talking... next level! Like he could walk right through here right now and you wouldn't notice. He could take a book you weren't reading, next to you, and you wouldn't notice."

Twilight hiked a dubious brow. "I'd notice if a pony was taking one of my books."

"Not him you wouldn't!"

"Why is he taking my books?"

Pinkie threw up her forehoves. "He's not taking your books! He's a good pony. He's also kinda an alicorn prince."

Twilight's brows lowered. "We have exactly one of those, and that one is a country and an ocean away at the moment. Wait, is this one human, or used to be human?"

Pinkie rolled a hoof. "Make room for two, and this one's right here in Ponyville, and needs your help. Also, yes. How'd you know that?!"

Twilight shook her head slowly. "I really think you're confusing ponies."

"I was just talking to him!" She bounced in place. "C'mon, Twilight. You know I don't make these things up."

Twilight looked ready to argue that, but past lessons surfaced within her and she let out a slow sigh of a breath. "Alright, what does he look like?"

"He's about normal sized." She held up a hoof to her own head's height. "But he has wings and a horn. Neither work. He's all grey and stuff, darker in the mane than his fur. His eyes are a pale grey, but he's a good pony, not creepy like he probably sounds like."

Twilight frowned, a new frown, one with thought. "He has non-functional wings and a horn that doesn't work either?"

"Not a bit, but it gets better." She clip-clopped her forehooves excitedly. "He can become other ponies if they need him to be there. While he's being a pony, he can use what they have. So if he was, um, Applejack, he would be strong and good at farm stuff, or if he was Rarity, he could make dresses and his horn would work. Odd thing is he usually still has the other parts, even when he's--"

Twilight popped a hoof in Pinkie's mouth. "Slow down there. If he's a pony with the wrong parts, wouldn't other ponies notice that right away? How could he pretend to be anypony if he always has the wrong parts?" She hiked a brow at Pinkie. "This is sounding very unlikely at best."

Pinkie put her hooves on Twilight's arm, drawing Twilight's hoof from her mouth. "It's true! I've seen it! He pretended to be me to take care of the twins. Poof! Just as pink and bouncy, but he had a horn right here." She pointed to her forehead, hidden behind fluffy hair as it was. "Not a single pony noticed or cared. He's a good foalsitter, by the way."

She shook her head slowly. "I'll... talk to the Cakes."

"You do that." Pinkie nodded with rising certainty. "You'll feel... wait. They won't know what you're talking about. I mean, what are you going to ask?"

Twilight rolled a hoof. "If they remember you ever having a horn?"

"They won't."

Twilight frowned a little. "Then what about the last time you foalsat?"

"I foalsit all the time, Twilight." Pinkie crossed her arms as she sat on her haunches. "That won't help either."

Twilight let out a slow breath, almost silently counting. "Alright... so what, exactly, are you suggesting?"

"I want to bring him here, to you, so you can talk to him."

Twilight nodded uncertainly. "Why didn't you just do that in the first place? It's not like I would be opposed to meeting a new pony in general."

Pinkie raised a hoof. "Because there's a good chance you won't see him! I mean, if he talks, you'll see him, but you won't see all of him at the same time, like how he has a horn and wings. Rarity couldn't even force herself to see both at the same time, it was crazy!"

"And you see him... how?" She poked Pinkie lightly in the chest. "You're sounding a bit more crazy than usual, Pinkie, and you've set that bar fairly high."

Pinkie shook her head, mane bouncing in the motion. "Look, it's... just pretend it's what you call 'Pinkie Stuff'. I need you to trust me, Twilight. Just trust me."

Twilight sagged at that, a little smile spreading on her snout. She set a hoof gently on Pinkie's shoulder. "Alright... I'll put all logic to the side where it belongs in these situations. I trust you, Pinkie. What do you want me to do?"

Pinkie echoed the smile with budding hope. "Thank you!" She glomped onto her friend and hugged her tight. "You're the smartest pony I know and he really needs your help! Being forgotten by everypony you know, minus me? That's just mean."

Twilight nodded with obvious uncertainty. "I could... imagine that would be difficult. So where is he?"

Pinkie pointed off in the direction of the town. "I bet he's relaxing and waiting for me to mess up and not get you to see him. He's so sure you won't be able to."

Twilight rose to her hooves, her magic closing her book lightly. "Well, let's go surprise him then. You can spot him, right? So bring me to him and we'll see what's going on."

Pinkie pronked in place with a big smile. "Yes! Let's go!" She began bouncing forward towards the exit. "We'll have this little curse tamed in no time at all, with our combined might."

Twilight followed behind with an arched brow. "I'm not sure any of the words you just used were quite appropriate, but I'm here, and I'll do my best." Even if she wondered if Pinkie was having one of her flights of fancy. Really, as if ponies wouldn't notice an alicorn walking among them. The very idea was ludicrous, and involved ponies who were not Pinkie acting illogically.

Spike noticed the two walking past his room and poked his head out at the two going down the hallway. "Headed somewhere?"

Twilight tossed her head at Pinkie. "We're going to visit an alicorn that nopony apparently notices."

Spike blinked softly at that. "Huh... weird. I'm pretty sure people would notice that."

"But they don't!" cried Pinkie with a little snort. "Wanna come see too?"

Spike shrugged softly. "The comic will still be there. Sure, show me this princess that nopony else sees."

"Prince," corrected Pinkie. "It's a he, and he's a nice pony, just, you know, kinda cursed? But with all of your help, we'll fix that!" She resumed her forward pronking. "First step, getting you there. He'll be so surprised when you start talking to him. It'll make his day!"

Spike took flight, easily keeping pace with his hooved friends. "Prince huh? Like that Silver guy?"

Twilight hike a hoof towards Pinkie. "Smaller, closer to Pinkie's size, by her report."

Pinkie bobbed her head. "He looks like any other pony, but more grey, and he has wings and a horn. Oh, and neither of them works, but who's counting?"

"You are?" He hiked a brow at Pinkie.

The prince floated placidly on an inflated raft in the water. He trailed a hoof gently through the water, bobbing and splashing placidly. Ponies were all around him on every side, but they ignored him. Even when they were in a rush, they tended to swerve around him.

It was rare that a pony bumped through him, though it did happen, sending his raft bobbing in a new direction. His life as a grey blob was peaceful, if nothing else. He could watch all the other ponies enjoying the pool, safe in his little bubble of anonymity and unimportance.

His hoof was bumped from below. A pink head rose up with it parked right on top of it. Pinkie grinned at him hugely. "I brought a friend!"

He yanked his hoof back in surprise, blinking at his sudden visitor. "Oh, Pinkie. Hi?" He glanced around and spotted the other pony, and her dragon friend easily. "They're not looking this way," he noted. Both Twilight and Spike were chatting with one another, casually ignoring them as ponies tended to do.

Pinkie thrust a hoof up out of the water and wave wildly, water splashing about in the motion. "Twilight! Over here!"

Twilight perked up at her call and wandered towards the edge of the pool. "Pinkie, come out of the pool and show us that friend of yours."

"He's right here!" She grabbed his raft and started swimming to the edge of the pool, dragging him along.

Spike lifted his shoulders in an emphatic shrug. "Nice raft, but doesn't it belong to the hotel here?"

The prince had a developing soft spot for Pinkie, and seeing her pout like that made him sigh. "Hey."

Both Twilight and Spike snapped their attention on him with the word. Twilight blinked. "Oh, hello there. I hadn't noticed you before." Her eyes wandered over him curiously. "You are as grey as she reported."

Pinkie climbed out of the pool. "It's more than that." Water ran free of her, leaving her amazingly dry in just a moment. "See, he has a horn and wings."

Spike pointed. "He sure does have a horn. So, a unicorn huh?"

The prince stepped carefully from his raft up onto the pool's side. "Close enough." He fluttered his wings as if daring either of them to even notice the motion.

Twilight nodded at him. "Pleasure to meet you, Mister...?"

"Error."

"Prince of Errors!" sang out Pinkie with a smile. "Prince, Twilight, and Spike."

"I know them, hey." He nodded towards either of them.

Twilight's eyes were intently examining him. "He seems like a perfectly standard unicorn to me..."

His smirk grew deeper as he spread his wings out wide, forcing other ponies to veer around them.

Pinkie groaned with frustration. "Twilight!"

Spike shrugged at it. "So, uh, Pinkie said you were cursed?"

"Just a little." He sat down, wings still spread, and brought up two hooves close together. "Don't worry, you'll forget about it."

Spike hiked a brow. "Yeahhhh, I don't think it works that way."

Twilight blinked, her frown remaining. "You appear to be healthy to me. Can you describe what the problem is, exactly?"

He sighed gently. "I could, but you'll forget it." He saw Pinkie looking at him pitifully and huffed. "Fine. As soon as you stop talking to me, you'll forget we said anything at all."

Twilight arched the opposing brow that Spike had up. "I find that hard to believe."

He went quiet.

Pinkie knew what he was doing and jumped at him. "No! Don't do that!"

Twilight tilted her head at Pinkie. "Pinkie, you're extra bouncy today. Where is that pony you were going to take me out here to see?"

"Yeah." Spike shrugged. "I wanted to see an alicorn that wasn't super sized."

"I'm not super sized!" hotly defended Twilight with a dark blush.

"You got bigger when you got the crown." He waggled his brows. "I think it comes with the territory."

Pinkie sagged against the prince, knowing in her heart that their thoughts had already slid right off of him onto other things. She sighed miserably even as she squeezed him. "I'm not giving up. You hear that? We'll fix this!"

He put one arm around her, gently hugging back. He didn't like seeing her so... sad. "Hey, look. Don't be sad. I'm not... that bad off. I have you as a friend, right?"

She brightened at the thought, squeezing him all the harder. "Yeah! We'll figure this out!"

Author's Note

Pinkie uses Twilight! It wasn't very effective...

I blame the typos! This is their most cunning plan yet!

13 - Ideas!

Pinkie parted from the prince to say her goodbyes. "Thanks for coming out at least. He's still here, and you didn't see him any better than the other ponies." She sighed gently.

Twilight just looked baffled. "How can I see him if you don't introduce me to him? Pinkie, this really is a new level of strange that I didn't think you could reach." She glanced around softly. "None of the ponies here look especially surprised, though I suppose that fits what you said."

Spike pointed at Pinkie. "Didn't you say once he talked, we could see him? Is he just being quiet or what?"

Pinkie's ears lifted with a smolder of hope. "So you remember that?"

Spike's brows fell. "You told us that, why would we forget it?"

Pinkie tapped at her chin, trying to reason things out. "Right, so... um... Thanks, again, really! I'll keep thinking about it and I'll come up with a super-awesome idea to try later."

"So they can talk about me." The prince nodded softly. Neither Spike nor Twilight took note of his words, not directed at them. "That's... something at least."

"Yes!" Pinkie slapped a hoof down on his back. "That is something. We're getting closer to an answer."

Twilight nodded at the prince, seeming to notice him but not thinking much of it. "We'll see you later, Pinkie."

Spike leaned in towards Twilight as they left, whispering, "That was a little stranger than usual."

Pinkie tilted her head. "Wait, she saw you?"

"She saw her friend was interacting with another pony." The prince shrugged softly. "She didn't see who the pony was, or care to find out. You brought me from utter irrelevance to a tiny beep on the radar."

"That's still an improvement." Pinkie smiled hopefully. "But we did learn something. What I tell them, they remember, so she can learn about you and what's going on, even if she can't actually chat with you about it."

He pulled up the raft he had been floating on, grabbing it in his teeth and setting it beside the pool. "I mean, sure, you can, but how long until she decides you're 'just being Pinkie' and gives up?"

"She would never!" Pinkie floofed up a moment. "Look... I'll keep searching for answers. In the meanwhile! Enjoying your day off?" She pointed at the raft he had just beached. "Done floating?"

"Yeah..." He glanced at it, then her. It was unusual having a pony so intensely focused on him when he wasn't pretending to be some other pony. "I... What do you do for fun?"

"I was hoping you'd ask." She grinned as she bobbed her head. "There are so many options, but they're all better with a friend nearby." She wobbled a hoof. "Now, don't get me wrong. That's just me. I've learned it's not like that for everyone. Some people recharge in a nice quiet room, maybe with a book." She raised a brow up at the castle in the distance, but it refused to reply to her insuations.

The prince started to step away from the pool, veering towards some long chairs that had been set out. "I guess I'm more of the second option? I was never much for books though."

Pinkie bounced alongside him easily, matching his pace. "What do you like to do then?"

"I liked the Internet, when I had that." He flopped down onto the chair, sprawling out on his side, eyes on Pinkie. "Do you know what that is?"

"If you had asked a few months ago, I woulda said no, but lucky for you!" She clopped her forehooves as she sat down beside his chair, watching him. "That's the thing where you type on a typewriter and you can see what other people are typing on their typewriters and you can check out all kinds of art and words and even music, right?"

"That sounds about right." He smirked a little. "Where did you learn that from?"

Pinkie pointed off into the distance. "You're not the only human, remember?" She leaned closer, ears trained on him. "But I don't have an internet to give you, sorry... Hm... What part of it was the best part?"

He considered softly, eyes mostly-closed. "Mmm... I... usually played games."

"Ooo! What kinda games?!"

"Adventure games?" He sat up. "I guess I liked the idea of... being someone important, saving people, being a hero..."

"Eh, it's not all that once you're doing it, but somepony has to, right?" She shrugged softly. "Oh! But I know just the thing! I mean, I know two things actually, but one of them needs a bunch of people and we know how that wouldn't work out."

She vanished in a puff of pink smoke, off to get... whatever it was. The prince snorted gently at her absence as he let his eyes finish closing. The sun was nice. The soft noises of happiness from the other ponies was pleasant, he decided. He was content with the moment.

But what was she getting? He wondered dimly as he tried to relax, but the question kept poking at him. He sat up with a little grunt, unable to get into proper relaxation. "Where'd she go?"

"Right here!" She was back, pulling along a wagon with something in it. "Button Mash was willing to part with one of his old games. You'll love it!"

He blinked at the package as it came closer. Button Mash actually existed? He thought that was a 'fan' thing... Well, they had to get it right once in a while... "You mean the foal?"

"Uh-huh." She bobbed her head. "Nice colt, a little distracted at times. He's already beaten this one a bunch of times, so he said we can borrow it for a while, so be careful with it." She pulled the wagon up beside him and pressed a comically large button at the back of it.

With a soft humm, its screen came to life. 'Adventure Scroll!' displayed on the screen. She grabbed a controller with a sticky hoof and offered it towards the prince. "Go on!"

The prince reached for the controller, but his hoof was not nearly as adhesive. It took some work to cradle it properly before he realized. "Oh duh." It was meant be placed between his legs. Then he could move the joystick with his left hoof and press the buttons with his right. "Let's... try this."

He depressed one of the buttons with his right hoof and the game began. He was a little pixelated pony. The animation was woeful. The graphics were worse. The sound effects were nothing but little chip-tune squeaks and chirps. The plot was paper thin.

None of that stopped him from playing it. He got the hang of the controls and was soon moving his little adventurer around, beating up other little pixels and taking their stuff, which translated mostly into points. Sometimes they had keys to open doors, which he quite happily did.

"You're smiling."

He glanced up at Pinkie, having forgotten she was there in a strange twist. "Huh?"

"You're smiling." She reached out a hoof and gently brushed his cheek. "It's nice... I'm glad you're enjoying it." She stood up and turned away. "I'll let you have fun. If you want another awesome job, you just tell me. I'll check in on you later, unless I get an awesome answer."

He was left warm in the cheeks. "It's not that big of a deal..." He smiled all the time! Right? He frowned a little in thought before a sad noise from the game informed him that his little pixel pony had met a lamentable fate. "Damn it..." He pressed the button and restarted the game, all the more determined to get further.

Would she ever forget him? Would that be a good thing, or a bad thing? He frowned a little as he moved his character around on the screen. "Damn it..." He was getting used to having her around. The idea of her... not being there was starting to be a sad one. He wondered if the game might even be just a tiny bit more fun if Pinkie was there, rooting him on, or making inane observations about it.

"Friendship sucks." He reached and pushed the big button on the little game console, turning it off. He took a slow breath and slipped from the chair he had been sitting on. He collected the joystick and set it onto the wagon the game came with and Pinkie had left behind. "Guess I better make sure this gets back to her." He didn't want her to get in trouble. Did the wagon also come from Button Mash?

He pulled the wagon along, leaving the hotel and looking around. Meeting that little colt could be fun, he decided. Especially if they could just play games. Maybe he had some competitive games. Would a pony fighting game exist? That would be... pretty rad.

There! He saw not Button Mash, but his mom. It was hard to not recognize her, the MILF that the fandom had drooled over with enough saliva to float a boat in. He raced towards her as quickly as the wagon allowed. Suddenly she was quite a bit larger, growing to great stature and the wagon seeming to get heavier.

"There you are, Button. I have been looking everywhere for you." Cream Heart smiled gently at what she thought was her son. "Were you off playing games?" She nodded towards the wagon he was pulling. "I swear, little colt, I don't know what to do with you."

"Oh, um..." The prince could hear his altered voice and feel the color filling him. He had stumbled right into a job. Where was the actual Button Mash? It wasn't his job to find that out, just to fill in the hole. He couldn't have been that far. Didn't Pinkie just talk to him?!

"You alright?" She gently set a hoof on his back. "You look a little... lost."

The prince smiled with his new teeth. "Nah mom, I'm fine." Once he decided to do the role, the speech came easier. "I was just trying out an old game of mine."

She looked past him to the console. "Adventure Scroll? A classic. You know, I beat that." She gestured to herself, looking smugly satisfied with her accomplishment.

"Wow, good going, Mom. I'm still working on it." He grabbed the wagon's handle in his teeth. "I'll see you at home?"

"I'm going that way, why don't you walk with me?" She began walking, easily matching his pace through the town. "How are things at school?"

How were things at school?! He didn't know! "Eh."

She smirked at his noncommittal answer. "That sounds about right. I know it isn't the most fun thing, but you have to grind out those experience points if you ever want to see the higher levels."

He went quiet, stunned by the nerdiness of that statement. "Wow, that was... amazing."

"You're welcome." She gently nudged against him, radiating a warmth he had not felt before. He was loved by the larger mare. It was a full and deep connection.

Except it wasn't for him. He was just wearing the suit. For a moment, he was intensely jealous of the colt he was replacing, but it faded in a sputter. He was the prince of errors, as crowned by Pinkie herself. He would gently patch this error, not be a pouty jerk about it. "Hey, Mom... What do you wanna do today?"

Cream Heart inclined her head at him. "That isn't a question you ask very often, hmm..." It was her turn to be in thoughtful silence a moment. "I'd like to take you and your brother to the movies. There's this one I really want to see, but I know it isn't your favorite."

How bad could it be? "I'll watch it if you're there."

"Aw." She nipped his closer ear. "If I learn you did something wrong later and are buttering me up, I'll be very upset."

Author's Note

Does Button's Mom actually have it going on? Let's find out!

14 - Family Time

After dropping off his wagon in his borrowed room, he perked an ear at a female call.

"Button, we'll be heading out in half an hour!"

"K, Mom!" he bellowed with equal zeal.

"You coming?" A male pony with a similar earthen tone casually strolled into the room. "I didn't expect that. This ain't your usual kind of movie."

The prince struggled to place the pony. They acted like they belonged there, so probably did... "It's for mom."

"Who are you and what did you do with my brother?" The pony laughed, grabbing what he thought was Button up and giving a hoof-powered noogie. "Good on ya! But you missed mother's day by like half a year or so."

The prince stuck out his tongue, glad to be put down away from the painful noogies. "It isn't that weird!"

"Guess not. You always were kinda a mommy's colt." He waved Button away. "Put on your fancy fan. You know she likes that." He chuckled as he strolled back out the same way he had come in, leaving the prince still wondering who he was, besides Button's brother.

Left to solitude, The prince started looking around his new room. There were countless toys, comics, and gizmos strewn about. There could be no mistake that this was the room of a small boy horse with small boy horse needs and desires. It stood in contrast in his mind with Apple Bloom's room.

He had gone from rarely being foals to two in the same week. A sign? More likely, coincidence. Where was Button Mash?! "Hope he's alright," he muttered to himself. He seemed like a cute colt. It was easy to see that, currently residing in his body.

"Hey there, kiddo." Another male, a little larger and a little older than the brother pony. "Glad you could make it. It'll be a real family outing now." Father? The prince guessed father.

"Yeah, Dad!" he chimed, hoping he got it right.

"This is mostly for your mother." He leaned in and his voice got quieter in a stage whisper, "None of us are really for romances but her. These are the sacrifices stallions must make."

"Button" snapped up a hoof in a salute. "I will die on this hill if it means mom is happy, Sir!"

He broke into a wide smile. "That's my boy. I'll get you a large tub of popcorn for yourself." He turned for the exit. "Maybe we'll do something fun afterwards, for the rest of us."

He trotted off and away, leaving the prince smiling a bit. Button had a nice family, he decided. It was also one of the few complete families he could immediately remember taking part in. Apple Bloom had brothers and sisters and a grandmother, but no parents, for example.

Did the cheerful ponies actually have societal issues with creating and upholding a cohesive family that lasted? He blinked slowly at his heavy thoughts, shaking them out of his head. His beanie suddenly fell off, its fan twirling on the way to the ground.

That reminded him! He left it there and went scurrying to the drawers, searching through them one by one until he found the jackpot. There were dozens of beanies in there, each one with a little propeller waiting to be used. One seemed to shine, gleaming in the light.

He reached for the sacred little propeller hat with wide eyes, somehow awed by its presence. This was the king of the beanies, awaiting his fine display when they went to the movies. He placed it on his head gently and smirked. He never understood why people got excited about clothes, but that beanie somehow worked for him.

He trotted over to a mirror to check it out. It was new, polished, and ready. The propeller even turned around without his touching it, just born to spin. "Looking good..."

"Time to go," came the call of Cream, summoning all the males she lived with to join her at the door.

The prince was with them, walking out past Cream who was busy waving each person past her and only going last. "That's everyone. Let me lock up." She pulled the door shut with her teeth as was the way with earth ponies, then got a key into the lock and gave it a twist. "Let our family night begin!"

An uneven cheer erupted. Brother seemed only half-desiring to be there. Father was faithfully upbeat about it, and Button gave a, perhap over the top, cheer. He still had no idea what they were going to see, outside of it being some kind of romance, and he'd get popcorn. He'd suffered through worse things. Was the popcorn his payment for being there? Unless Button got allowance, he had a hard time imagining much else was coming his way.

Oh well.

They made their way through evening Ponyville. "Hey!" came a sudden little female voice. The prince looked to the side to see the crusaders all waving excitedly. Sweetie leaned forward on the fence she was leaning against. "Where are you going, Button?"

Before he could answer, Cream was doing so, "we're going to the movies, Sweetie Belle."

Sweetie's eyes widened. "Ooo, are you going to see For Want of a Shoe?!"

Cream smiled victoriously at that. "Good guess."

"On the release night! So lucky!"

Apple Bloom tilted her head down at the prince, perched on the same fence. "I didn't figure that was a colt movie, but ya done and got all yer fellas with ya."

Cream waved dismissively at all three fillies. "My boys just love me enough to bear with my occasional need for a family night."

The prince's "brother" suddenly nudged him with an elbow. "So which of them is your girlfriend?" He waggled his brows salaciously.

"W-what?!" The prince felt a hot blush burning at his cheeks. "None of yer business!"

"Boys, be good," came the soothing tones of Cream.

"Yes, Mom," replied both as if by trained instinct, and the argument ended.

The crusaders waved them off as they walked past, Sweetie giggling softly as they went.

Those moments of impulse never failed to disorient the prince a bit, and he was quiet in recovery. How much of himself was put to the side when he put on a disguise? "So..."

Father waved a hoof at a theater that only looked big enough for one, maybe two movies. "Here we are! Gibson, go grab us some seats. Honey, you tell me what you want. Button, you're with me on snack patrol!"

Gibson, the brother, muttered something as he strolled off, full of teen angst. Father grabbed some tickets and passed one to Cream and Button. "I'll pass Gibson's to him when we get inside."

Ponies could just... walk in and have tickets later? They were trusting souls... The prince pointed inside to where he could see a concession stand. "That's where we have to go."

"Exactly right." Father nodded gravely. "It will take all of our courage, but maybe we'll get a few XPs for it."

Cream rolled her eyes. "Don't put the S at the end, dear, but you get credit for trying." She smooched his cheek. "Get me a diet soda and a small popcorn."

That left two. "Come on, kiddo." He nudged the prince along once before walking easily towards the concession stand. "Now, I seem to recall something of a promise of, uh, sugary loops?"

The prince blinked softly, processing that a moment. "Do you mean... sweet loot?"

"That's the stuff," said the father with a big smile. "I swear, it's like you and your mom have a secret code..."

The prince returned the smile. There was a pony tripping over rules he didn't know, but he was brave enough to keep trying. The prince decided he was a good pony. "You're cool the way you are, Dad." He looked to the great collection of popcorn that filled an entire display. "But right now, popcorn!"

The father stepped up when it was his turn. "I'll take a small popcorn, one large, a medium diet soda, one regular, extra strawberry, and..." He glanced over at the prince, but whatever meaning was being implied was lost. "And... a box of Squishy-Pops."

The prince perked his ears curiously.

"Now that's more of the reaction I was expecting. You never watch movies without those." He passed the small box towards what he thought was his son. "Here you go."

Bits were exchanged but he clopped a hoof on his head. "My mistake. Can you toss in one more medium popcorn?" He put down a few more bits.

Soon they were both heading into the theater, burdened with their hard-earned prizes.

"Got enough there, Bro?" Gibson smirked at the great tub of popcorn balanced impossibly on Button's propeller, slowly turning in place.

The prince had no idea how that... worked, but it did and it had just kept right on spinning slowly as he walked. "Just barely enough. I get a free refill." He hopped up onto his seat, the bucket casually falling into place between his legs, ready to eat from. "And a box of candy." He pulled out the box of Squishy-Pops from his pocket.

Though it was dim, he could see the bright cover art for the candy, showing sugar-encrusted cartoon ponies grinning goofily with little electric shock waves coming off of them.

"You got everything." He put out a hoof subtly. "Hook a brother up?"

Well... he was literally his assumed brother... "Sure." He grabbed the edge of the box in his teeth and tore it open, then upturned it towards Gibson's waiting hoof, shaking out a few little sugary bits.

"Huh, you're feeling extra generous today." He stuffed two of them into his mouth and began chewing loudly.

Cream smiled in the darkness. "Button's been an extra good boy today. I choose to believe it's entirely out of a desire to be a good pony." And not some attempt to cover up some major naughtiness she'd find out about later. "Now shh, it's starting!"

There were no trailers, a fact that caught the prince off-guard. It just got straight to the movie. As promised, it was a sappy romance about two ponies trying to get together after a comedic series of mistakes tears them apart. The prince wasn't terribly interested, but he didn't feel insulted by it. The popcorn helped as he munched happily.

Suddenly a hoof came down and Gibson just casually snatched up some popcorn.

"Hey!" The prince scowled at him. "Give that back!"

"What, now you're not feeling generous?" He stuck out his tongue and stuffed all the popcorn where the prince was not likely to get it back, gone with a great swallow. "Not bad."

A soft rustle in the darkness revealed that the father was nudging Gibson with the smaller bit of popcorn he had. "Yeah yeah." Gibson took another grab, but went for father's popcorn instead. "Just messin' with him."

Cream sniffled softly, apparently having emotions about what was on the screen. The prince did not share in them. It all seemed both contrived and yet arcane at the same time. He just couldn't get into it. The popcorn was good at least...

When the movie was over, the popcorn was gone. When he stood up, he heard something hit the ground with a rustle of candy. He had forgotten all about the Squishy-Pops! He grabbed them up and stuffed them away quickly with a smile. Something to enjoy later. He'd never even tried one.

Cream rose with a smile, leaving with everypony else. "That was a delightful movie, just as good as they said it was in the paper. What did you all think?"

Father nodded properly. "It was nice. I liked the twist."

Gibson shrugged softly. "Can I get a pet lizard?"

Cream made a face at that. "That was the only part of that movie you paid attention to?"

He grinned a little. "Are you surprised?"

"I suppose not." She looked past him to the prince. "And you?"

He considered. He had blanked out huge bits of it. "My favorite part... was being here with all of you."

"Aw."

"Gag me."

Author's Note

Movie-excursion successful! How much XP is that worth?

Button Mash is being unusually nice to the family, getting aws and suspicion in equal dose.

15 - Harrowing Journey

The prince burst into his borrowed room. With a lash of a hind hoof, he kicked the door shut, granting some modicum of privacy. They never did the 'fun thing for everyone else', with half the party ready to retire, but that was alright in his book.

He tapped at his chin as the other hoof took off his special beanie to put away. That was when he noticed he had sticky hooves. Some earth ponies had them really good, some less so. It sorta made sense that a video-game loving little colt would develop sticky hooves.

The selective adhesion made it easy to grab his beanie and set it away with one hoof and no use of his mouth. Why didn't all not-unicorns get sticky hooves? Some seemed perfectly content using their mouth on everything. If he were in charge, he'd make it a mandatory class in kindergarten. No foal would escape without having learned to use a key with only their hoof.

That was, perhaps, one of the reasons he was not in charge. He smiled a little, easily able to realize his 'master plan' would annoy a lot of ponies. "They'd get used to it after a generation or two," he joked to himself as he looked around Button Mash's stuff. "Where is that colt?"

Because of the nature of Equestria, that is when he returned. That was also when he saw his double.

That was when the prince became grey suddenly and collapsed, holding his head between two hooves as the world violently heaved around him.

"Who are you?" asked the little colt as he flopped down from his window sill to the floor, gracelessly thumping chest first to the ground. "Why are you in my room?"

The prince grumbled something, filled with all the intelligence he felt like mustering while reeling from the whiplash of being evicted from his disguise.

His lack of returned speech was enough to make Button forget he was there. The colt's face perked up into a half-smile. "Bet they didn't even miss me..." He tip-toed towards the door and put an ear against it, listening.

The prince sat up slowly, squinting at the world through blurry eyes. He hated being kicked out of a shape; just the worst.

"Huh? Why are you in my room?" His presence in Button's room was enough to gently trip over his sense of wrong. "Who are you?" Button turned to regard the prince again.

The prince shook his head slowly, letting the throbbing pain ebb away slowly. The silence was enough for Button to start forgetting him again without movement to trigger his interest. "Stupid family night. Brother promised to get revenge." He put a small hoof to his equally small face, grinning. "But I won!"

That was revenge? "He just took some popcorn."

"Huh?" Button blinked, noticing the prince for the third time. "What? Who are you? Why are you in my room?"

The prince dared a little smile. "Hiya. I'm the pony Pinkie borrowed the game for."

"Oh yeah! That old thing. How was it? Bet you didn't get past the ogre." Button smirked viciously.

"I... didn't get to the ogre," admitted the prince to Button's triumphant cry. "I was moving your wagon and ended up taking your place."

"My place?" Button tilted his head, looking confused. "I'm right here."

"You weren't before, so here I was, being you."

Button squinted at the prince. "Huh... Cool!" He perked right up. "Can you take my place in school? That'd be awesome!"

The prince shook a dull grey hoof. "Nah. I get called where I'm needed, not where it's mildly convenient."

Button scrunched up his nose. "Oh, well, uh... Thanks for filling in. Did you say anything stupid while you were me?"

"I told your mother I was happy to be with her and your family. Oh." He reached into his pocket and produced a box.

Button was on it instantly. "Ooo! Squishy-pops!" He claimed it without delay with a sticky hoof. "You are officially the best!" He noticed it was already open. "Did you try some?"

"I never had a chance. I did give a few to your brother."

Button's jovial expression cracked. "Ugh, losing points there pal." He pointed at one of the prince's hoof. "You have to try at least one though. They're the best."

The prince held out a hoof towards Button and soon a few sugary treats landed on it. "Are they that good?"

"Maybe not the best thing ever, but the best in the movies for sure." Button shook out some for himself and popped them in his little snout, chewing noisily. "Mmm."

That was when it clicked. He really was being paid in food. Popcorn and a few Squishy-Pops. He decided to accept that. Spending time with Button's family was far from that offputting. "So, just so you know, you will forget me."

"Huh? This like a crazy super power or something?" Button tilted his head up at the prince. "Besides, if I'll forget you, then I won't know this, so why even tell me?"

The prince blinked slowly, his logic ruined by the small colt. "I was just trying to be polite."

"Thanks for the thought." Button suddenly noticed his beanie on the ground. "Oops." He picked up the beanie that the prince had left there and casually added it to his collection. "So he didn't get any revenge at all?"

"He tried to embarrass you in front of the crusaders." The prince shrugged softly. "It didn't last long. Mom shut him down."

"Yeah, that sounds like her." He smiled a little. "Maybe I was scared about nothing... Or maybe you were all nice and stuff and that threw him off the trail. You did share squishy-pops with him. Also, crusaders?"

"Cutie Mark Crusaders?" The prince gestured vaguely, trying to imply the three fillies. "Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo?"

"Oh, them." He shrugged a little. "I just call them by their name, not 'crusaders'. That's, you know, their job. Isn't that weird, having jobs when you're that young? I don't want a job yet, unless it was, like, super-mega-cool!"

"Like... being a spy?"

Buttons hopped in place. "Yeah! Or maybe an astronaut or something. But a... whatever the crusaders thing is? Pass. Can you get paid for playing videogames? I'm good at that. I could play them all day and make tons of bits!" He let out a dreamy little sigh, clopping his forehooves together.

"What if you made games?" the prince suggested with a little smile.

Button blinked slowly at that. "You can do that?"

"Someone has to. Why not you? I bet you could make pretty awesome games."

Button stepped from one hoof to the next, prancing in place with a thoughtful look. "Huh... That would be pretty cool. Button Mash's Adventure! Now with five secret levels and branching endings! Can you find them all?!"

The prince smiled at that, hoping some shred of the conversation would last beyond his presence. An idea struck him. "You'd better write this down for yourself. Remember, I'll be gone and you'll forget all of this."

Button frowned at the prince. "Why? Can't you just... not use that super power?"

"It's stuck on," admitted the prince with a shrug. "The only pony it doesn't hit is Pinkie Pie."

"That figures." He rolled his eyes as he ambled in his foal-like way to grab a pen and a paper. Despite his sticky hooves, he held the pen in his mouth and scribbled busily. "That explains why she came asking about the game. Are you friends?"

That was when he realized she really was his first friend in the pony world. "Yeah... My best friend." Easy to be best when you were also only. "I'd love to be your friend too, but, you know."

"You're an adult." He stuck out a tongue at the prince. "And that whole 'you'll forget everything!' thing."

There were both of those things, but... "Who cares if I'm an adult? An adult can't talk to a foal?"

"We're doing that right now." Button dropped the pen onto the paper and turned around to face the prince. "But talking is not the same as being buds. I mean, if you were my brother or uncle or grandpa or something maybe? Can you take my brother's place? Then we can hang out, and you'll let me try your guitar! That'd be great."

It was one of the many little rules society put in place. This one, at least, had some root in the hard reality that some sick people did bad things to little people. He wasn't one of those! "Well... if you see me somehow, you're welcome to say hi and hang out a little. Oh!" He perked up in place. "Do you have any fighting games?"

"Fighting... yeah!" Button scrambled off to return with a new arcade cabinet. "Barn Combat II!" He gestured at it grandly. "Now with a roster of nine fighters. I'm best at Hayseed."

The prince perked his ears at the cabinet. It was a ponified version of Street Fighter, which became all the more obvious when it turned on. The characters were mostly quadruped, though there was one bipedal cat in the ranks.

"Did you want to challenge me?" Button puffed out his chest looking mighty proud. "I'll kick your tail, fair warning."

The prince smiled at the idea. "I'd love to, but you can't play Hayseed." He didn't want to be thrashed that badly. He reached for one of the joysticks. "I never tried this one before, but I've played fighting games before."

"You'll get the hang of it while I beat you up. I'm doing it out of love, promise." He pressed the start button and the match began.

"You have to try." Pinkie frowned softly. "Even if you can't see him, you know what I told you about him, so put that big brain to work!"

Twilight rolled a hoof. "I know what you've told me, but I have no supporting evidence. Am I supposed to create a cure for... ever being forgotten? How would that work?"

Pinkie snorted softly. "Not like ever being forgotten ever. That would be kinda funny. Just his specific curse. You know, being forgotten mid-conversation if he goes quiet. That's not normal, Twilight. That. Is. Not. Normal." She threw her forehooves wide to emphasize this. "He needs our help."

"And you insist I've spoken to him before?" She raised a brow. "Because I remember you taking me to a hotel where nothing was happening."

"You did," sighed out Pinkie. "You and Spike both talked to him, and he was responding and it was great, until you forgot him."

Twilight looked skeptical. "For this moment, let's assume everything is just as you said it. This... is just one of those odd Pinkie things. Alright, you want me to apply science to it, but last time I tried that, it ended poorly. I thought we had agreed that science and Pinkie don't get along?"

Pinkie shook her head quickly. "This isn't a 'me' thing. This is a 'him' thing. You're helping him out! Nothing bad will happen!"

Twilight pulled a book off a shelf with her magic, holding up a hoof just in time for the spine to touch it, then get set on the table beside her. "Taking this at face value, I need something to work with. Since I can't approach him myself, you'll have to. Bring me some samples."

"Samples, got it!" Pinkie bounced in place, smiling with triumphant happiness. "What kinda samples?"

"The more the better." Twilight rolled a hoof. "Take a picture, get some hair, get a lock of his mane, get him to spit for you. Hay, I'll take urinary and stool samples if you can manage it. The more material you give to me, the more things I can search for. This reminds me..."

A hypodermic needle floated into view, set with Twilight's magic on the same table. "Do you know how to use one of these?"

Pinkie blinked softly at it. "No, but I'm listening."

Author's Note

Pinkie approaches you with a smile and a hypodermic needle.

What do you do?

16 - Nurse Pinkie

They played several rounds with little conversation. Button Mash was clearly better, though it was not entirely a landslide as the prince managed to win once to his muted grunt of annoyance.

Button suddenly hopped to his hooves after a round and casually walked over, clicking the system off. "Well, that was fun!" He never turned to face the prince, instead veering towards bed. "I should get some sleep before mom comes in and gets mad."

The prince felt himself deflating a little. He had been forgotten mid-game at some point. Did Button Mash think he was playing against the AI, or perhaps just really wasn't thinking about how the other pony moved. He raised a hoof to wave gently to the settling foal.

His movement to the window did not alert Button and a little smile returned to him. At least he had stopped being innately 'wrong' simply by being there. It was the tiniest victory, and one he accepted. He pulled himself up onto and subsequently through the window without much of a pause, flopping about as gracelessly as Button had coming the other way.

"Oh yeah." Button appeared a moment later, pulling down the window closed. He vanished a moment later, likely back towards bed.

He was outside, in the dark. Ponyville did not become completely dark after the sun set. Light spilled from some homes, dispelling pitch darkness. The moon was also out, shining brightly with its starry cohorts. He moved by their guidance, trying to make his way back to the hotel he had chosen to inhabit.

"Hey!" He stepped back a half-step as Pinkie sprang from a bush just in front of him. "There you are. I've been looking all over for you. For a moment I was scared. 'Oh no! Now I can't see him either!'" She clopped both forehooves to a cheek as she gasped dramatically. "That would be just awful, but phew, nope, there you are."

The prince shook his head as he recovered. "Still here, and you can still see me." He glanced back towards Button's house. "Oh yeah, I returned his game."

"Already?" Pinkie tilted her head at that. "I thought you'd play it a little longer."

"It was fun, promise. It was kinda by accident." He shrugged softly. "Nothing for it now."

"I could go get it again," she offered as she reached a hoof behind her back. She rose up onto her hind legs as she did so. "By the way, I talked to Twilight again."

"And she had no idea who I was," he completed the thought with a soft huff.

"That's not true. She remembered everything we, I mean her and me, everything we talked about. She even agreed to try to help!"

The prince cocked a brow at Pinkie. "I'm not going to be put in an cage to be forgotten about. That sounds like a sad way to go."

"What? No! Blah, no." Pinkie shooed the thoughts away with wild motions of her hooves. "She just said to bring her some 'samples'. You know, a little fur, some mane, that kinda thing."

"Oh, sure." He shrugged softly. "So far as I know, I just grow new fur whenever I become another pony, so go ahead."

"Thank you!" She bounced towards him, scissors wielded in her hair suddenly. "Just a little snip snip!" Each time she said snip, the scissors closed, chopping off a bit of his mane, then getting some fur off of his shoulder, each falling into a different little baggie. "Spit please." She held up a new little dish as the other baggies were put away quickly.

"What? Really?" He peered at the empty little dish. "Whatever..." He soon produced the desired fluid. "Do you think she can do much with that?"

Pinkie topped the dish and had it put away. "Dunno, but worth a try! It was her idea and all. Now, uh, this next part needs you to trust me." Out came the hypodermic needle, wielded between her hooves. "Twilight said it'd pinch a little, but it'll be over in a moment."

The prince cringed, backing away quickly. "Woah! I don't like needles!"

"Is that what this is?" Pinkie peered at it suspiciously. "How can you make clothes with one of these?"

He applied a hoof to his face. "Not that kind of needle, and that makes me even less want to let you poke me with it."

"I'll be super careful, promise." She took a step close, balancing on two legs quite well. "Don't you want Twilight to fix this?"

"She probably won't," he sighed out in defeat. "I appreciate you wanting to help though."

"So let me help. Just a moment." She tossed her head towards his back end. "She said right in your cutie mark was a good spot."

The prince glanced away and back at Pinkie wielding a needle. That was not what he had imagined he would encounter that night. "Do you even know how to use that thing?"

"She showed me." She took another step closer. "And I paid attention, promise. I don't want to hurt a friend. That would be just awful."

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. It was... kind of nice being called someone's friend. "Will... it hurt?" The question felt lame even coming from his lips. "Nevermind, of course it'll hurt. You don't get jabbed without it hurting." He put a hoof to his face and closed his eyes. "Just make it fast."

"You got it." she took the last step and reached out an empty hoof. She felt along the smudge that was his cutie mark. "Here." She tapped a part. "She said to look for where I can feel your heart going thump-a-thump. Now..." She set the needle into her hair to be held as she pulled out a cloth and wiped the prince down with something that smelled of alcohol. "No infections for nice ponies."

Being sterilized relaxed him a little. Maybe Pinkie did know what she was doing? Suddenly he was bit, or jabbed. He felt the needle poking into him and squeaked. "I thought you'd warn me!"

"But then you'd be all tense and stuff. This way I'm already done." Pinkie gently withdrew the needle full of his life essence. "Now we bandage..." She applied a big wad of cotton to the part of his leg she poked and got some medical tape going the full length around the leg. "Ta da!"

The prince looked over his shoulder at the new bandage. The pain was already ebbing away bit by bit. "That... wasn't too bad... So, are we done then?"

Something plastic was shoved up against him. He blinked before realizing it was a potty. "W-what?"

"Do your business." She shrugged softly. "Last thing, promise."

His cheeks warmed dangerously. "Not in front of you!"

Pinkie looked around a moment. "Borrow a pony's outhouse if you have to." She pointed to one of the few in Ponyville. Most of the residents enjoyed indoor facilities. "Just, you know, do... everything, then come back."

He shook his head quickly. "May I remind that I can't use my horn without being disguised as a unicorn? My hooves aren't sticky, and my wings aren't that good either. You want me to hold this in my mouth? No!" He stomped a hoof down. "Give me like a cup or something and I can... do half of it and leave it for you. That's my best offer."

"Why not just do all of it and leave it for me?" Pinkie bounced in place. "That's a great idea."

He emitted a noise between a grunt and a sigh. "If I don't have to kiss something that... fine." He looked around for that outhouse. "Put it in there, come out, let me have my turn, then it's all yours."

"You're really sensitive about what your mouth touches." She shrugged softly. "Seeing as you're basically an earth pony when you're not being something else, you should work on that." She trotted towards the outhouse, slipping inside a moment to emerge without the potty. "All ready!"

The prince approached more sedately. "What you put your mouth on, you taste. You also smell."

"I do not!" hotly defended Pinkie, scrambling back a step.

The prince blinked, getting it a moment later. "I mean, whatever you hold that close to your face, you're going to get a good whiff of."

"Oh, well, that's true." She shrugged softly. "Go on." She pointed to the outhouse. "I'll wait out here."

"Good, you... do that." He did not require assistance to perform what was ahead. He vanished into the outhouse, emerging a short time later. "All yours." He did not pause in his scurrying flee. That was enough Pinkie for one evening as far as he was concerned.

Pinkie clopped her hooves excitedly. "Got it all in one evening. I thought I'd need at least a full day." She went in to retrieve the last of the samples. "Twilight'll be so proud of me!"

Twilight accepted the box Pinkie had brought her. On one side 'Prince of Errors' was written in a foalish drawing. "This is... everything?" As she floated it past herself, her nose wrinkled. "Oh, yes, everything... No problems with the blood sample?"

Pinkie shook her head quickly. "I did it exactly like you said to do it. It wasn't that hard once he relaxed."

Twilight pondered how she had managed to calm this theoretical prince. She had her doubts, but the evidence was in front of her, so... "I'll examine these and see what I can find. Of course, there's no assurance I'll see anything obviously abnormal, but this is a fine start."

"I'll leave you to it." Pinkie saluted sharply. "I'm no good at science stuff."

"Thank you." Twilight nodded as she turned away. "I'll tell you the moment I know something worth reporting."

Spike shrugged softly as Twilight wandered off. "So, really, this isn't some crazy prank of yours? I would think I'd remember talking to somebody."

"You did!" Pinkie huffed through her nostrils, flaring them in the motion... "I was there, I saw it. Only the prince and me remember it though. Oooo, it's so frustrating!"

"I can imagine," agreed Spike without sounding convinced. "You know, it's perfectly normal for ponies to have imaginary friends, though they usually have them a bit... younger."

"Spike!" Pinkie frowned at him. "That wasn't even nice."

He held up his hands. "Hey hey, just saying. If you're embarrassed, don't be. This'd hardly be the strangest thing you've ever done."

In another room, Twilight set down the box gently. "If that fur is pink, I swear..." She pulled open the flaps of the box with her magic to reveal the samples. The fur and hair were in the baggies she had supplied. Inside them, pony hair and fur! Also, pink.

Twilight's eyelids closed to halfway, glaring at them. "She... didn't...." Had Pinkie just taken samples from herself to validate her mysterious pony friend nopony else could see or interact with?

"Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions. She's not the only pony in the world with pink fur or a pink mane." She let out a slow breath. "Approach this methodically. Let's have a look." She willed the baggy with the mane clippings up into the air and pulled it over to her microscope. She slipped it into the viewing portion and took a peek.

Each hair was curly and vibrant. It was difficult to imagine they had come from any pony that was not Pinkie. "They have a few dead ends," she muttered in observations. Aside from that, the hair looked perfectly normal. She swapped the mane for the fur clipping. "Smooth, healthy, just the right amount of gloss... How does she manage that on a diet of 80% sugar, I remain baffled."

She could conduct more invasive chemical tests, but it was feeling like a waste of her time. "Let's skip to the most telling bit of evidence." She plucked up the full needle. "Blood can't lie. If this came from Pinkie..."

Author's Note

Samples gotten! Or... were they?

What's going on here?! What manner of typo is this?!

17 - Analysis

"It's not good." Twilight rolled a hoof. "She actually dumped off a full box of 'evidence' and it's all from her! Even the blood is a match. She... took blood from herself to validate a non-existent pony..."

Rarity nodded softly. "Pinkie was trying very hard to talk to me about a royal friend of hers, but she never brought him around, no matter how much I insisted she could. I mean, darling, she said she would, then acted as if she already had. It was very confusing."

Applejack nudged her sister forward. "Apple Bloom's been told about it too, tell 'em."

Apple Bloom looked nervous a moment, glancing around. "Uh, well... Pinkie said she could get a pony that could make sure I wouldn't get in trouble."

Applejack smirked lightly. "Didn't work, did it?"

Apple Bloom sagged. "No..."

Applejack leaned to set her head on a hoof, the arm propped on the table. "Granny saw right through her. But that's three ponies she's gone on about that supposed friend ah hers."

Rainbow shrugged. "Huh, surprised she didn't talk to me about it. She's usually pretty eager to share stuff with me, even crazy stuff. Now I'm kinda curious..."

Fluttershy raised a hoof. "Maybe she just... needs a new friend?" All the other ponies looked to her. "Just an idea..."

Rarity looked to Rainbow. "Maybe this is all some amazing prank that we're just not 'getting'. You two understand each other; maybe that's why the dear hasn't tried it on you yet. Why don't you try bringing it up with her? Be casual, maybe you can work something out."

Twilight perked at the idea. "That's a great plan. See if you can't get a different angle on this, Rainbow."

Rainbow huffed softly with a flick of her tail. "Yeah yeah. If this is just some kind of crazy prank, I'll get a confession out of her. I'll let you know when I talk to her." She took off without waiting for any additional words.

Fluttershy lifted her shoulders. "What if she's... just being Pinkie?"

Applejack pointed at her sister. "I told her not to involved mah sister in any of her crazy shenanigans again. She promised. This ain't right."

Twilight lifted a hoof. "We're not here to lay accusations on her. She isn't even here to defend herself. I just want to compare our experiences and consider how to react. If this is just... a Pinkie thing... maybe it'll blow over. Hopefully, Rainbow will dig up something."

Fluttershy waved a hoof lightly. "What if she isn't lying?"

Rarity cocked a brow "How would that even work? I mean, really, a pony that nopony but her can see? It's more fanciful than even we typically deal with. It seems far more likely that this is all some strange acting out on her part. I just wonder what prompted it. Is the poor dear in some kind of emotional furor? Does she need our help?"

Twilight rubbed at her mane gently with a hoof. "I didn't consider that... If she's hurt and calling out for help in this curious way, I'd want to be there, as a friend... Has anything happened around her that could have caused this? Anypony from her farm hurt or missing?"

Rarity lifted her shoulders. "Maud was by just the other day with a delightful shipment of gems; so she seems fine."

Applejack hopped down to her hooves. "That's one Pie down, but she don't have no small family. Ah'll swing by their farm and check in wit' 'em. Ah admit, kinda hopin' there ain't nothin' to find out there."

Twilight nodded. "Of course, though it would explain some of this. Good luck, and keep us informed."

Applejack saluted and marched off to play her part.

Fluttershy was looking towards Apple Bloom, who seemed far less nervous with her sister gone. "Excuse me, Apple Bloom? Could I have a moment?"

Apple Bloom perked up with a jump. "Oh! Sorry, was spacing out a moment there." And trying to not be noticed by her larger sister. "What can I do fer ya?"

"It's about Pinkie's friend. What did she say, exactly?" Apple Bloom began to look nervous again. "I promise." Fluttershy put a hoof to her chest. "I won't tell your sister a word if you don't want me to. This is more about helping Pinkie."

Apple Bloom glanced to the other adults in the room. "They have to promise to, or ah ain't talkin'."

Rarity held up a hoof. "Not a word... Unless Pinkie hurt you? Did she hurt you?" She cocked a brow. "Hard to imagine, but if she did, please tell us."

Twilight nodded softly. "That seems a safe promise to make. Go on, we're listening."

Apple Bloom shuffled in place a moment before letting out a weary huff of air. "Me an' the girls did somethin' a might stupid and I got hurt real bad. Applejack still doesn't know that part... somehow..."

Fluttershy raised her hooves to her snout. "Oh my... You look alright now, at least?"

"Ah'm fine, promise." She smiled gently. "While I was all laid up, Pinkie stopped by. She said she had a friend that could make sure Applejack never found out, and to not worry about it. It was a real relief... at the time."

Twilight cocked a brow. "But you just said Applejack still doesn't know that part, so what happened?"

Apple Bloom turned towards where the Apple Farm was. "Granny happened. She, uh, saw through it or somethin'? 'cause she was ready for me when ah got back and she grounded me and got Applejack mad, but Applejack still has no idea what really happened, and I don't figure Granny does neither. They just know... somethin'. Ah ain't even sure what it is, but it got me grounded either way."

Fluttershy reached for the filly, getting stroking her mane. "Thank you for trusting us enough to share that. We appreciate it."

Apple Bloom smiled gently. "Now, ya promised, no tellin' Applejack! Still, uh, Pinkie didn't tell me to do nothin' stupid. Ah was already laid up when she showed up, an' there ah still was. She didn't change nothin' in the end. So don't be mad at Pinkie. The way I see it, all she did was not keep me out of trouble that I put m'self in."

Rarity let out a happy sigh. "It's a relief, really. To even imagine our beloved Pinkie could cause harm to a foal, it was dreadful, and delightfully set aside. Still, just to be crystal clear, I don't care if it was Princess Celestia herself, if anypony hurts my little Sweetie Belle, I hope she comes and tells me about it."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "Yes, no matter how scared you might feel, know that we would help you. We're your friends too, even if we are a bit older... So, please, trust us."

Twilight softly coughed. "Actually, being slightly distant, we might have a better perspective on things than even your family, but at least we'll listen, and we would want to know about something like that. Anyway, that's not what happened, and I'm glad. I am curious how you got hurt, but... I have a feeling you're not ready to talk about that part yet."

"It wasn't Pinkie," assured Apple Bloom. "She wasn't even around durin' that part. That was my fault. You'd think gettin' mah cutie mark woulda meant the end of trying stupid things, but..."

Rarity laughed gently. "You can't stop a crusader that easily, I should imagine. Please be mindful of Sweetie in your little 'adventures'... And don't hide it! I'd rather cry at her bedside than have her being hurt a secret, please..."

Fluttershy smiled at Apple Bloom. "Well, that was helpful. Pinkie did... something, and Granny Smith should know what it was." She placed a hoof at her cheek as she leaned off to the side against it. "But what? Did Pinkie just try to make up an excuse and got caught telling a tall story?"

Twilight hopped from her chair. "Well, somepony should go ask her. Thinking about it won't get us the answer in this situation."

Apple Bloom squeaked. "Promise! You made one, don't go forgettin' now."

Twilight put a hoof over her chest. "I won't tell her what you said, promise. I just want to hear what she thinks happened. We need to get all the perspectives to unlock this mystery."

The prince was seated on a bench. Lyra was just next to him. It amused him that he, a former human, was sitting like a pony. She, the actual pony, was casually sitting in a human fashion. Bon Bon was nowhere in sight.

"Hey."

Lyra looked over at him, only noticing him the moment he began talking. "Hey," she replied, raising a hoof that had been draped across the back of the bench. "What's up?"

"Do you like humans?" The prince perked an ear, expecting confusion.

Instead Lyra looked suddenly awkward. "Oh, um... Dude..."

The prince tilted his head. Instead of causing confusion, he was faced with it himself. "I didn't mean to offend."

"It... isn't that, exactly. I mean, sheesh... How did you even hear about that?" She sat up straight, peering at the prince oddly.

He wasn't sure how to respond... "Would you believe it was just... a rumor?"

Lyra's eyes darted wildly. "They're talking about that? Here?! Aw shoot... I thought..."

He could see her breathing hard and increasingly upset, though he was still befuddled as to why. "Not here in Ponyville."

"Oh! Oh... Thank Celestia... So... What can I do for you? You like humans too?"

"Love them." He wasn't sure exactly how true that was, but he felt confident he had more appreciation for them than the average pony. "Their wriggly fingers are the best." It was nice having those.

"Yeah," she sighed out dreamily. "So... did you hear about my human?"

The prince cocked a brow. Lyra had a human? "Do tell."

"I shouldn't... I mean, I don't have him anymore. I mean, I never really had had him. You can't own a creature, right? Not the ones that can argue about being owned anyway." She let her hooves flop against the bench. "We were a thing, for a little while, but I was stupid, real stupid."

"I had a human once." He was a human. That counted, right? "He had those wriggly fingers and he loved to play stupid games, but he was pretty bad at talking."

"Not like you." Lyra smiled at the prince gently. "You were good for him, I bet... Where is he?" She glanced around as if the human could be hiding anywhere.

"Close." That was technically the truth, right. He sat up onto his haunches. "I'm good at talking?"

"You're talking to me, right?" Lyra offered a hoof towards him. "Speaking of which, I'm Lyra Heartstrings, nice to meet you."

He reached a hoof, clopping it against hers. "Prince of Errors."

"That's a great name!" she gushed, laughing as she said it. "What kind of prince is that?"

Dare he try his luck? He dared. "I have a horn." He pointed to it.

"Yep, unicorns have those. I have one." She pointed up at her own.

"I also have wings." He pointed back at them.

"Yep, pegasi have those. I don't have those." She shrugged softly. "Looks kind of fun though, flying around. I'm pretty happy with magic though."

She had completely missed the connection between the two. The prince smiled awkwardly. He had expected that... "Magic's pretty great, right?"

"So long as you're careful! Magic's... easy to make a mess with... I kinda messed up my human something fierce with it... He's not mad at me, but he's also not a human anymore, technically... I still feel awful." She put a hoof to her face. "You're a pegasus though, so all you have to do is not make a storm on accident."

He smirked at that, going quiet.

Lyra casually sat back in her seat, slowly forgetting she was engaged in a conversation. "I should write him a letter... I wonder how he's doing..." Some small kernel of the conversation remained, gently reminding her of her old human friend.

Author's Note

The girls have an emergency meeting, and plans are set in action to figure out what the hay's going on with Pinkie.

Meanwhile, the prince tries out the fan theory about Lyra.

18 - Comparing Notes

Applejack stepped off the train. It was still a good trot to reach the rock farm, so she got right to it. It wasn't going to come any closer to her. "Let's see if we can't' get to the bottom ah this..."

Rainbow landed next to Pinkie. "Hey, Pinkster!"

"Dashie!" She smiled brightly, as was the norm for her. "How's my favorite super speedy pegasus?"

"Pushing clouds, perfecting tricks, you know how it is." She leaned in a little. "But I'm getting a little bored. Maybe you could help."

"You know I'd love to help." She bounced in place, only growing more excited. "Want a party?!"

"Not that kind of bored." Rainbow waved it away. "I'd rather, you know, play a little trick on some ponies... Got anything cooking?"

Pinkie tilted her head a little. "Not right this moment, mmmm..." Her eyes scanned over the town slowly with a thoughtful expression. "Fleur is stopping by for a visit. I know you love poking fun at prissy ponies."

Rainbow twitched up an ear. That did sound... no, focus! "Yeah maybe... Aren't you up to something? C'mon, share. We're buds, right?"

"Of course we are, Dashie." Pinkie bobbed her head rapidly. "But I'm not doing any big pranks right now. You'd be the first, uh, second pony to know, unless I was doing it to you. You know how that goes."

"Second?"

"Well, duh." Pinkie pointed at herself. "I'd be the first, or something went wrong."

Rainbow laughed a single note. "Ha, yeah, suppose that's true." That wasn't working. She shifted gears. "So... I hear you met a prince?"

Pinkie bounced. "Yes! He's a really nice pony, but he's under a super not-nice curse. I'm trying to help him, but it's really hard and he super needs friends and only I can see him and I don't even know what to do!"

Rainbow flicked her ears back at the explosion of words with questionable grammar and few pauses. "Sounds... heavy."

"Super heavy," she agreed, sinking to her belly with a whumph. "The worst part is that everyone else who talks to him forgets they talked to him."

Rainbow lifted her shoulders. "Why not write it down?"

Pinkie blinked slowly. "That... what if they forgot they wrote it down?"

Rainbow pointed at Pinkie. "Good thing you're there to remind them."

Pinkie cautiously rose to her hooves. "I mean, that's totally worth a try, but I don't... want to be awkward again. I do that enough on my own without crazy curses. Can you help?"

Rainbow smiled a little. "What are friends for?" Besides, she figured, this was potentially leading her to information on the so-called prince. "What d'ya want me to do?"

Pinkie thrust forward a notebook she hadn't been holding before and a quill to go with it. "Check it to make sure it's completely empty."

Rainbow grasped the book with both wings, casually flipping through it. "Nothing but blank paper in here," She confirmed, taking the quill in her mouth. "Alright, what am I writing down?"

"Now we hunt a prince! Pretty sure I know where he's hanging out." She began to pronk away, eyes alight with hope.

Twilight flew over the orchard, apples in every direction, including some with four legs. She waved at Big Mac as she soared past, though he seemed too busy working to glance up and see her. That was just as well, she decided.

She landed gently in front of their home, folding up her wings and trotting for the door. "Granny Smith, are you home?"

"Who's that a hollerin'?" The door swung outwards to permit the matriarch of the home to step free. "Oh, Twilight. Pleased to seeya. What brings ya 'round these parts?"

"Nice to see you too." Twilight smiled with genuine warmth. "Sorry for not visiting more often. I'm embarrassed to admit I'm not here on a social call."

"Mmm? I suppose you wouldn't be. What can I do fer ya?" She hiked a curious brow at Twilight. "Not every day we get a princess knockin' on the door."

"Stop that," she warded with a little smile. "I'm still just Twilight to you." Forcing an elderly pony that she was friends with to obey honorifics? Not her style. "It's about Apple Bloom. I wanted to hear what happened with that, from your perspective."

Granny glanced left and right with a raised brow. "C'mon inside... Ah don't really want to get into it out here." She vanished back into the house at the slow rate of the elderly.

Twilight followed without delay, casting a final glance towards the fields that Big Mac was working in. "Apple Bloom said you..." she trailed off. "Actually, let me not not assume anything, let's just hear your side of things."

"It was a strange thing." She stepped up carefully into a chair and sank onto it, resting herself. "Weren't the first time ah ever saw one, mind you."

"Saw one?"

"One of them change-things." She rolled a hoof. "Right in my house, pretendin' t' be mah grand-filly." She shivered softly. "It was very... unsettlin', but as they went, was pretty nice. Reckon it was one of the good-pony ones. Apple Bloom probably set up the poor thin' fer her, t' cover up whatever trouble she was busy gettin' up ta."

Twilight's ears danced. "Huh, so... you're certain whatever was there was not Apple Bloom?"

"Ah'd swear it, or I ain't Granny." She snorted softly. "Nice, but not her."

Twilight tapped a hoof on the ground thoughtfully. So Pinkie had done something, but was it a changeling? That would... explain parts of it... But not all of it. "I see."

"Did she say what it was she was doin' that she needed a change-bug to fill in fer her? Ah mean, the fella did pitch in proper with her chores, and she came back right as rain, so ah ain't even mad at the critter. Ah bet she begged the poor thing to do it."

Twilight opened her mouth to reply when her promise jumped back into memory. "She's alright. You've been very helpful."

"Ah heard Pinkie was involved. Was the changerthing a friend ah hers?"

"Maybe." Twilight tilted her head a little. "That's what we're trying to find out. Thank you, again."

"Now don't you be in too much of a rush." Granny pointed across the way. "I have an apple pie coolin' just this moment. Maybe you'd like to try the first slice?"

Well, maybe there was time for that...

The prince perked an ear. He was sitting on that bench, watching ponies. When they came to use the bench, they just sat next to him, as if the portion of the bench he was on was just not there. Perhaps, he figured, they just saw 'a' pony there, one not worth thinking about, so they didn't.

He had heard someone calling him, and only one pony would do that. He sat up as Pinkie came rushing into the area. She wasn't looking directly at him, at first, clearly searching for him. "Prince! Where are you hiding?"

"Over here." He raised a hoof to wave at her. It was nice seeing her smile like that. She looked so relieved to see him.

"Thank goodness. I went to your hotel and you weren't there."

Rainbow flew in with a streak, catching up to Pinkie. "Hey, we're looking for a prince? Monochrome?" She was talking to the prince, ignorant of his alicorn nature. "You seen him?"

"Dashie, this is him!" Pinkie gestured at him grandly, rising to two legs to do it better. "Prince, this is Rainbow Dash, but I think you already know her? I hear she is one of the human's favorite ponies for some reason."

Rainbow blinked softly at that. "Well, there is that Jake guy, he thinks I'm the best, which is fine, since I am." she polished a hoof on her chest fluff lightly. "But that's also besides the point. Uh... Prince?" She offered a hoof towards him.

He met it with a soft clop. "Hey, Rainbow."

"Hey yourself. You do not look like any human I ever saw, just saying. Just a random pegasus, not that there's anything wrong with being a pegasus, take it from me." Rainbow shrugged softly. "Alright, so, where's the prince?"

Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Pegasi do not have horns, Dash."

Rainbow squinted at him and his forehead. "Huh, oops. Nothing wrong with unicorns either, promise." She held up a hoof placatingly. "So what's your name?"

"Prince of Errors." He extended his wings, an awkward act. They never seemed to want to obey him smoothly unless he actually was a pegasus. He brought them in and brushed his horn with them. "Nice to meet you."

Rainbow looked dazed before she seemed to casually censor out the confusing sight of wings and horns close together. "Yeah, good stuff. So you're the pony nopony can see? I can see you." She reached out and poked him in the chest. "I can touch you too."

Pinkie pointed at Rainbow's back end. "Get out your notepad and write this down! You'll forget, remember?"

"Huh? Really? I mean, I don't feel like I'm forgetting anything." She pulled the notebook and quill free of her pocket and sat down, starting to write. "This feels silly..."

The prince tilted his head lightly. "What does it feel like to forget something? I don't remember ever... feeling a thing when it happened."

Rainbow twitched an ear towards him. "Huh, got a point there..." She scribbled softly, eyes darting between the page and the pony she was chatting with. "So... I hear Pinkie's been trying to help you."

"She has." He settled on the bench. "Really hard... I, uh... Thanks, Pinkie, for trying. I mean... really." He put a hoof behind his head, starting to blush softly. "It's... kinda stupid, but... really nice... You're..."

Pinkie suddenly threw an arm around him, hopping up onto the bench to hug him properly. "Pinkie does not give up on friends easily."

Rainbow smiled a little. "That is very sappy, so, uh, what is she helping you with, exactly?"

"She's the only pony that can see me." He pointed at Rainbow. "I mean, when I'm not talking to them."

"Talking to them?"

"If I... stop, you'll forget. I don't want to hurt Pinkie right now." He felt certain she would be crushed, again, if he went quiet and Rainbow started acting like he never existed. "We met before, by the way."

"Huh? I'd remember a unicorn like you," she protested, sticking out her tongue. "This is the first time, for sure."

Pinkie rolled a hoof. "I know at least one time."

He nodded in quick agreement. "I was playing the part of--"

Pinkie caught him as he collapsed, suddenly unconscious. "Oh no! What happened?!"

Rainbow perked an ear. Why was Pinkie holding some random pony? "Maybe you should let them go? Looks like they're taking a nap."

Pinkie cringed back, ever so gently setting the prince down. "You don't remember."

"Don't remember what?" Her eyes fell to the notepad. "Huh? When did you sneak this away from me? When did I pull it out?"

"Rainbow Danger Dash!" Pinkie suddenly squealed. "You wrote those! Read them, and please tell me you wrote good things."

Rainbow arched a dubious brow at Pinkie, but nosed to the first of the written pages. "Alright, if you... say so?"

So this is the pony? Looks like a normal pegasus to me. Pinkie is so random.
I am the best pony.
So Sappy!
We met?

Pinkie was leaning over Rainbow's shoulder to look at the words. "You write really big, and kinda sloppy."

Rainbow began to blush brightly. "Shut up! I ain't no egghead, alright?"

Pinkie pointed at the words. "Do they mean anything?"

"They mean, uh... There was a pegasus? They loved me, because who doesn't... Something sappy, and we met?" She tilted her head left then right. "Huh..."

Pinkie clopped a hoof to her face. "Please at least tell me you believe me."

Author's Note

The Main Six are digging into this vigorously. Will answers begin to emerge?! Will they be the right ones?

19 - Gathering Evidence

Applejack strolled down that final hill, following the road through the rock farm towards the house that rested at the center.

"Hello, cousin," greeted an acidic voice. Limestone emerged from behind a rock, eyes on Applejack. "I wasn't expecting you around anytime soon."

Applejack reached up to tip her hat. "Howdy! Long time no see. How're things?"

"Eh."

"Well, uh, Ah was... just checkin' in."

Limestone arched a brow at Applejack. "That's a long way to go just to 'check in' with us. I'm not buying it."

Applejack flashed an awkward smile before sighing, head sagging a little. "Well fine, we're makin' sure nothin' bad happened round hereabouts that would have Pinkie in a snit."

"You try asking Maud?" When Applejack look confused, Limestone rolled her eyes. "She lives near you, and she'd know if something happened around here about the same time Pinkie would."

Applejack's jaw worked soundlessly a moment. "Oh yeah... Huh, that woulda been a lot smarter..."

Limestone shrugged with a potentially cruel smile. "Happens to the best of us. So, now that you know none of us are dead or anything, you'll be running back home, right?"

Applejack perked an ear, hearing a hint of resignation in that voice. "I don't need to go right back. 'Bout time I talked a spell without Pinkie around being... Pinkie. I love her to pieces, but, well, you know."

"Yeah, I know." Limestone threw a leg over Applejack and crushed her close. "Alright, you're with us. Marble! Tell the folks we have family over for dinner."

Marble came scurrying out from behind the same stone, galloping for the house and avoiding making eye contact with Applejack.

The prince woke up with a soft murmured grunt.

"He's awake!" blurted Pinkie, bouncing beside the bed he was in.

"Huh, who? Oh. Why were we watching a pony sleep?" Rainbow tilted her head with obvious confusion.

"Check your notes, Dash," sighed out Pinkie. "Again."

"Notes? Right! Notes." She pulled up the notebook and scanned over it rapidly.

The prince sat up, blinking. "What happened? I was in the middle of talking, right? I... I kinda hated that."

"Hated what?" Pinkie tilted her head. "We brought you back to your room to rest."

"My memory's a little fuzzy. I'm usually the one that remembers." He slipped from the bed. "Thank you, both of you. Man, I... must be such a pain. Why are you putting up with this? Why haven't you let me wander off already?"

"This can't be right." Rainbow was peering at her notes. "I've forgotten eighteen times?! But I remember deciding on this system, so... wow..."

"And you didn't tell me what it is," added Pinkie, though her eyes were on the prince. "Rainbow believes me, even if she isn't quite sure what she's believing."

"Well, I mean, him right there, right?" She trotted over towards him. "Why though? Did you make somepony that mad they'd put a super curse on you?"

He opened his mouth, only to slowly close it again. "What if I knock myself out again?" he barely whispered. "Pinkie... I'm scared."

Pinkie couldn't hug him fast enough, crushing him with both arms. "We're here, promise! Let's start with nodding or shaking. Do you know anyone that could be that mad at you? You had to know them before it happened."

He went a little red, perhaps from the pressure pushing his blood, or just the proximity. "Uh..." He shook his head slowly. "I mean... Wait..." He frowned, thinking back. "One person."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "She said nod or shake your head, dude, but that works too. Who's the one person?"

"Yeah, tell us. We'll go teach them a lesson or two." Pinkie clopped her forehooves loudly.

"If they can curse me that good, who's to say they aren't protected the same way?"

"Maybe." Pinkie lifted her shoulders. "Let's find out."

"Before I came to Equestria, I got a few messages asking me what I wanted, and that's when it started." He rubbed behind his head. "I don't know who it was though..."

Rainbow snorted softly. "Well, sounds good, but not much to go off of. Where were you before Eq--Wait, are you a human? Like Jake?!"

He perked his ears. "Oh, Jake, yeah. I talked with him once."

"Nice guy, a little obsessed with me." She smirked softly. "He's the biggest member of my fanclub. He's also a human too, and we don't forget him, even when we want to."

Pinkie slapped him on the shoulder. "See, you were able to tell us that without anything exploding. Stop worrying so much."

"That's... good at least." He gave a shallow nod, not looking entirely convinced. "Pinkie?"

"Yes?"

"If you forget me... I won't bother you. I'll just let you get back to--"

She popped a hoof in his mouth. "I won't forget you, but if I did for some reason, I'd want you to bounce on me until I came to my senses. I'm not giving up!"

Rainbow smirked at the sight. "And now I remember, sorta, why I wrote sappy. So, alright. You're from human land, where there is no magic, so whoever that was couldn't have put a curse on you, because no magic."

The prince considered that. "Yeah... I guess... that's true?" He wasn't entirely convinced of that. "So what do we do?"

"But you were cursed the moment you showed up?"

He could faintly remember that first mare in the city. "Right away... At first I thought it was just... me being me... People never paid a lot of attention to me to start with. It's not like I gave them a lot of reason to, I guess." He rubbed behind his head. "People confuse me sometimes."

Rainbow snorted softly. "You should talk to Fluttershy, except then the conversation would slow to a crawl, and she'd forget who she was talking to."

Pinkie frowned at her friend. "That wasn't nice, but... probably accurate." She rubbed behind her head. "She has a point though, I bet Flutters would get where you're coming from."

"And I bet you already know her." Rainbow leaned forward with a grin. "Jake said humans know way too much about Twilight and her best friends, which would include her."

"Y-yeah, but wait, there was something off." He reached a hoof back into his pocket and drew out his long dead smartphone, setting it on the ground.

Pinkie perked an ear at the curious device. "What's that for?"

"He was surprised to even hear about these, but they were everywhere, for years." He gestured at the device. "Like he'd never even heard of one... I didn't get it, and I still don't."

Rainbow tilted her head softly. "I mean, interesting, but off-topic? Look, you keep talking while I add to my notes." She got to scribbling on the paper. "This is the last time I forget today. We have to go report this."

"Report it, to where?"

"Twilight?" he guessed.

"Got it in one, keep talking."

The prince smiled a little. "It's, uh, easy to forget you're all good... people. I mean, you were just a show where I came from, and shows like to exaggerate and lie... I think I was a little... scared that you'd all be worse than you were showed in the show."

Pinkie sat up tall. "But, instead, we were even better than that show of yours?" She leaned in close, noses almost in contact. "Now, we may not fix all of this tonight, but I'm feeling really good! Rainbow's on the case, and she doesn't give up easily."

"And you do?" He reached up to put a hoof on her nose, gently pushing it back. "I gave you permission to give up a few times now."

"Thank you for the permission I didn't ask for." She stuck out her tongue at him. "Sheesh, it's almost like you want ponies to forget you."

"But I don't!" he shouted, only to turn a dark red. "I don't," he repeated a little more quietly.

Marble was watching Applejack quietly. Limestone was far less reserved, grinning in what could be a troubling way. "It ain't a holiday, you know. So... what's Pinkie been up to that has you worried?"

Applejack nodded across the table towards Pinkie's parents that had been sitting there quietly. "Thanks kindly fer invitin' me in. Now, uh, could be nothin', just Pinkie acting... kinda funny, but she is who she is, so it could just be us overreactin'."

Igneous nodded stoically with a soft 'hmm'. "She has always been a curious one, twice so since her... coming of age."

Cloudy smiled demurely as she tilted her head, ladling some slop into Applejack's bowl that promised to be a taste experience. "All our girls are wonderful."

Limestone leaned over, seated beside Applejack as she was. "That's key for 'it would be impolite to be specific.'"

Applejack laughed nervously. "Now don't be that way. Y'all are family, and ain't nothin' wrong with ya. I'm here to check up on ya. Glad ta say ah..." She noticed Marble then, staring in that shy way, moisture in her eyes. "Ya alright?"

Marble hid behind her mane with a miserable squeak, but Applejack kept right on looking, not having the decency to forget she existed. "W-well... Um... How... How is Big Mac... doing?"

Applejack opened her mouth. "He--"

"--Because I think about him," cut in Marble. "I think about him, maybe too much. I know he has a mare. Good for him! Good... for him..." The tears were spilling down her face. "He deserves to be happy. Big shy guy... I thought... I..." She suddenly stepped down from her stool and took off, sobbing.

Limestone let out a slow ragged sigh. "Great, now she's miserable." Her volume raised as she directed it towards the fleeing Marble. "Welcome to the family!"

Applejack forced a smile. "Well, uh..."

Cloudy nodded towards Applejack. "Think nothing of it. She's at that delicate time in every mare's life. She'll come around. Now, how is your farm doing?"

"Yes," agreed Igneous with a more firm nod. "Are your hard efforts rewarded with bounty?"

Applejack's smile eased a little into a more natural expression. "Oh, yes! The apples are big and tasty smelling and we just can't wait fer harvest season. Gonna be a goodun." She swung a hoof for emphasis. "How're things round these parts? Rock farm, uh, producin'?"

Limestone elbowed Applejack. "Hey, food's getting cold...er."

Applejack glanced down at her slop. It wasn't rock soup, instead some kind of mashed... something? Barely any scent reached her nose from the lukewarm whatever it was. Rock soup was a holiday thing, right? She kinda wished Pinkie was there to help translate a bit for her. "Well we can't have that!" she said in an exaggerated tone, trying to be more enthusiastic than she felt.

There was nothing for it. She reached for the bowl and lifted it up between her hooves. With a tilt, she braved the new culinary challenge. It was... alright, as it turned out. It was neither strongly good or strongly bad. She was left... reasonably satisfied as she half-drank it down. "Mmm," she said, trying to imply she liked it more than she did.

Igneous gestured with his head. "The fields yield well to our work. The farm is secure, provided we continue to labor justly."

Applejack wasn't sure how one labored in a just or unjust manner. "That's good t'hear. Speakin' ah that, I should get up and move before ah go missin' the train. Ah'll be sure to tell Pinkie ya'll say hi."

"I didn't say hi." Limestone raised a brow. "Whatever, go ahead. She'll probably like it." She rolled her eyes with a huff.

Applejack made good her escape, food devoured and goodbyes shared around. With a lively trot, she fled towards home. They were family, but that didn't mean she really understood them.

She had things to report in to the others. "Wonder what they found..." Hopefully more than she did.

Author's Note

I feel Applejack visits the Pies could be a story all by itself... But we have other plot threads to focus on.

21 - And the Verdict Is...

The Council of Five had gathered once more. Pinkie had not been invited, that would have made it six, and that would have been silly for a council of five. Twilight nodded properly. "Alright, I have some interesting information and I'm hoping you all do as well?"

Rarity shook her head. "Nothing new from me or Fluttershy, I imagine; but quite good investigation before we parted the last time, Dear. You really got us off on the right hoof."

Fluttershy smiled timidly. "I was... just helping. Besides, Apple Bloom looked so nervous, I had to help her."

Twilight raised a hoof. "Which leads perfectly into my own findings. Approaching Granny Smith with the questions we had, she confirmed that Apple Bloom was in two places at the same time. Her theory is that one of them was a changeling, a nice one."

Applejack hiked a brow at that. "Granny didn't mention none of that t'me... Wait, what were you helpin' Apple Bloom with?" She scowled at her friends. "Yer hidin' somethin'."

Twilight shook her head firmly. "Let's focus on the task at hoof. Applejack, did you discover anything?"

"Oh, uh..." She raised a hoof behind her head, rubbing lightly. "Not so much... Everything's mostly alright with the Pies, minus one of them being heartbroken and the rest being... interesting in their different ways."

Rainbow barked out a laugh at that. "Heartbroken? That's a story you'll have to share, some other time." She pulled out a notebook and slapped it down. "Bam! I brought the goodies." All eyes turned to the loud slap of paper on the table and she grinned. She was in the limelight, right where she liked to be. "I got Pinkie to talk and I met whats his face myself, like over a dozen times."

Rarity gave a polite little clopping her her hooves. "How lovely, and what have you determined, darling?"

"One, forgetting things sucks, two, you can trick it." She tapped at the book. "Like calling him what's his face helps. If you don't even pretend he has a name, you get less fuzzy. He's just some pony. He doesn't look very special. If you want to read the specifics, well, that's what the notes are for, but to remember, he's that stallion that hangs with Pinkie."

The notebook wreathed in magic, floating towards Twilight. "How... fascinating? So, you can second Granny in Pinkie's friend's existence, great." She willed the book open. "That doesn't explain how I ended up with a box full of Pinkie parts when I asked for things from him."

Rainbow shrugged emphatically. "Read the notes. I'm pretty proud I remember Pinkie has a bland stallion friend. I had to forget that over a dozen times before it stuck. Something about a curse? There was definitely a curse in there somewhere. Oh yeah, and Fluttershy."

"Yes?" She twitched an ear at Rainbow.

"Huh? No. I remember mentioning Fluttershy... Uh... Probably in the notes." She shrugged softly. "Give them back when you're done. Reading back over them is the only way I can keep up."

Twilight's eyes were moving left and right, scanning the notes. "Rainbow... are you certain about what you've written?"

"No and yes. I don't remember writing half of it, but I know I wrote it." She sat forward, wings flaring. "I put in tests for myself just to be totally sure, and to keep track of how many times I forgot things. So, yeah, freaky..." She shrugged softly. "On the bright side, Pinkie's not any more nuts than she usually is, so there is that."

"Darling, that is delightfully clever of you." Rarity was smiling at Rainbow quite proudly. "I wouldn't have expected it, you've truly impressed me."

Twilight turned an ear, but her eyes were on the paper. "If it is the presence of this... unknown factor that causes the amnesiac response, maybe just reading your notes will avoid it."

"Yeah, right." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "You think I didn't read it after I left them? Be prepared to read that over and over. Me? I'm settling with what I got stuck in there. Pinkie has a new friend, kinda plain stallion, all I need to know."

Fluttershy frowned a little. "Doesn't he... have a name?"

"Check the notes."

Twilight tapped at the table as she read. "Why isn't Pinkie affected by this?"

Applejack snorted softly. "Because she's Pinkie? Her brain ain't quite wired the same as us, bless her heart."

Rarity shrugged at that. "You do have a point... Still, if we're certain the mare isn't playing a trick on us, or taking leave of her senses, shouldn't we invite her to speak on this matter?"

Fluttershy pointed at the floating notebook. "For now, I think, we should let Twilight read and decide what needs to be done. Still, we should treat Pinkie nicely. This must have been a terrible burden, and it must have been even worse if she thought we were not believing her."

"We were not believing her," agreed Rarity with a cocked brow. "Still, you are correct. I'll be certain to apologize; even if I still have no idea how to assist exactly. She already tried bringing him over, if you recall. I forgot he existed. Poor things, both of them..."

"Fascinating..." All eyes turned to Twilight. "This failsafe." She pointed a hoof at the book. "When he assumes the form of another pony and is caught, it results in a painful backlash... But only sometimes? It seems if the subject is already aware of them, this is avoided, even if only tangentially. I think we should try something with that."

Applejack peered at Twilight. "Sounds interestin', but how?"

Rarity suddenly smiled. "Oh, that's easy. If he were to imitate one of us, and we knew he was doing it, then..."

"Precisely," agreed Twilight. "And... Hmm." She tilted her head at the notes. "And that is where Rainbow's notes end on that topic, so it may or may not lead to what I hope, but worth a try?"

Rainbow pointed directly at Fluttershy.

"Eep! What?" Flutter shied away from the accusing hoof.

"I think he should do you. Just a hunch."

"O-oh, I mean... how?" She looked around the room nervously. "Does he just... do that?"

"Notes," sang Rainbow Dash, eyes settling on the floating notebook.

"Right, right." Twilight flipped through the book one way then the other, looking it up. "Uh, yes, here we are. He takes on the role of a pony that needs to be somewhere but can't be for any miscellaneous reason."

"Oh, oh my. That's... very thoughtful, actually." Fluttershy smiled gently. "He's an agent of harmony, just like us." All eyes began to focus on her. "What? I mean... he is... He stops unharmonious things from happening... It's very nice."

Rainbow pointed a wing at the book. "Hey, Twilight, you better write this down. We'll be forgetting most of it real soon, probably as soon as we finish talking about it. You love taking notes, right?"

Twilight softly snorted, but a quill did rise into view and the notebook flipped under the influence of the magic to a clean page for new notes to start being made. "We're going to have to trust one another. Until we get to the bottom of this, our memories will be full of holes and inconsistencies, and we just have to be certain that our friends are telling the truth."

Rainbow nodded towards the book. "I know my book is full of things I forget, so if you write it there, I'm sold." Her brows suddenly fell. "If you use that to play a prank on me, I will never forgive any of you."

"Dear me, that would be quite uncouth," agreed Rarity. "This is certainly not the time for pranks or jests. To think, I met a pony and had a delightful conversation just to... forget it... It's unsettling."

Rainbow scowled softly. "You don't know the half of it. It's so fast! I remember that, after the, like gazillionth time I checked my notes. Like you know something... Bam, gone. It was really driving Pinkie nuts."

Fluttershy pointed to herself. "I'd be happy to help, but how? There are so few things I need to be there for that I'm not actually there for..."

Rarity tittered softly. "He'd have an easier time with me. I have far too many appointments, though I do try my best to keep up with them." Her smile faded a little. "I'm not sure I'd want him trying his first hoof at sewing for one of my clients..."

Rainbow clopped her forehooves. "Let's try being sneaky! We'll say you can't make a thing when you really could, he shows up, you walk out, and bam, done!" She threw her hooves wide. "Ta da!"

Twilight hiked a brow at that, quill still writing a storm of words. "That may be a good idea, if only to see just how omniscient this 'curse' is. If it falls for it, then it clearly has limits, which would be good. If not, that makes things... more difficult, but at least we'd know."

Fluttershy nodded towards the book. "We'd at least have notes about it... Even if we don't remember..." She slipped from her chair to her hooves. "I have my weekly visit with Discord. He could try filling in for me for that? I'll actually be there anyway, so Discord won't be hurt."

Twilight made a firm dot with her quill. "Excellent. Rainbow, I assume he already knows you, so I'll leave it up to you to mention how Fluttershy just can't make it to the tea party. With hope, he'll try to assume the missing role, and we'll see how it goes. Girls, I need you all to come back every day until this is done, to refresh yourselves on what we know." She wagged the notebook in her magic. "Let's solve a mystery!"

Rainbow thrust a hoof up towards the book. "Yeah!"

Applejack joined in, clopping her hoof up against Rainbow's. "Let's do it."

Rarity placed her hoof aside her friends. "Nopony should have to suffer in such a strange way."

Fluttershy reached to join in the team effort. "Should I warn Discord what we're doing?"

Twilight hesitated. "That's a good question... I think you should. If he sees two of you and isn't expecting it, it could cause a backlash and ruin the entire effort." She drew the notebook away as the quill added the new thoughts. Her hoof replaced it, completing the grand brohoof of the friends assembled.

Rarity slid to her hooves, joining Fluttershy. "Well, it sounds as if we're in agreement. I'll see you all tomorrow, one supposes; perhaps with Pinkie."

The group began to scatter then, those who were not Twilight leaving the castle.

"Um." Fluttershy turned an ear to Rarity. "I was supposed to tell Discord something, right?"

Rarity frowned thoughtfully. "That... sounds right. Oh dear..." She shook her head slowly.

"You get used to it," sighed Rainbow. "One second." She vanished in a trail of rainbows.

Applejack looked after Rainbow. "I feel like we talked a lot about nothin' at all..."

Rainbow came zooming back, dropping books as she went, one notebook in front of each of the mares. "Twilight made copies of my book. Take notes, lots of notes. ALL the notes, alright?"

Applejack reached down and took up the book in her mouth. "Well, alright. Ah'll give it a gander when I'm home."

Rarity floated her book beside herself. "Fabulous. I'd hate to think we wasted an afternoon." She trotted away, confident in the order of her world. "Not that time spent with any of you could ever be a complete waste, of course."

Fluttershy took up her book with a wing. "Oh, alright, hm... I wonder what he'll think of this..." She moved off towards her home at a light trot.

They all had their battleplans, written for posterity.

Rainbow flipped open hers and made a quick note, "Don't forget me, dummy."

Author's Note

You have all been asking about Discord, looks like you may get your wish.

Odds of success?

22 - Make New Friends

"Discord?" Fluttershy looked around her home, peeking under cushions and around pots. Discord could be anywhere, she knew, at any time. Her only hope was to call for him and assume he would appear when he was ready to do so. "Are you there?"

A soft thump on her leg announced Angel's presence. He had kicked her lightly. Looking towards him, he thrust a paw towards the outside world.

"Is something going on?" She walked around him towards the exit and opened the door. There was Discord, sunbathing peacefully on her lawn as if he'd been there for hours, though she was certain he was not there when she had first come home. "There he is!" She was happy to see him, even if he hadn't appeared right in front of her.

"Now there was... something I wanted to ask him." She remembered the notebook at least and reached for it, flipping through it, learning all about the prince all over from the top. "Oh, oh dear... Hmm... I see..."

"Is it that good?" Discord was standing behind her, peering over her shoulder as she read. "You don't normally call for me just to start reading a book. Are you starting a reading club? Am I invited? You really have to tell me what we're reading first."

Fluttershy squeaked, dropping the book in surprise. "Discord! Don't sneak up on a mare like that."

He casually caught the notebook before it hit the ground and glanced at the page before his eyes narrowed. "Oh no you don't!" He tossed the book to Fluttershy. "You should stop reading that, it'll give you a headache."

"I am aware, unfortunately." She tilted her head up at him. "But we really do need your help with it. I'll be there twice for our next meeting, I mean, there will be two of me at the same time, and you shouldn't worry about it. One of them won't actually be me."

Discord hiked a brow. "I can practically smell order dripping from this, and let me remind, that's really not the best smell."

Fluttershy twitched an ear up at him. "But I'm pretty orderly, and we all work, you know... to keep order... Do we... stink?"

Discord leaned in, wearing a clothespin on his nose from nowhere and having never put it on. "You're worth mild unpleasantness, my dear. Besides, even you and the girls aren't this bad."

She smiled gently, a thought coming to her in her coy expression. "But, Discord, isn't the most fun thing to take something so perfectly orderly and give it a little twist? You wouldn't even get anypony mad at you, and you could help us get around this big heap of order in a way I'm certain only a chaotic person like you could."

He tapped a foot, stroking his chin at the same time. "Well, when you put it that way... That is something of a bad habit of mine. Very well, I'll expect a stinkier Fluttershy at our little gathering. Anything else?"

Fluttershy turned the book around in her wings, flipping back to that part in the plans. "Mmmm, nope. The fake me will come out first and likely say hello. You should treat them kindly. I'll come out second. Poor thing will likely be surprised, but we'll all be in on it."

"Ooo, it's a practical joke? Why didn't you start with that in the first place." He flashed an almost-malignant grin. "Pranking a force of order sounds like fun. Count me in."

"I knew we could rely on you." She hugged him, and he became that much more convinced that he had chosen correctly.

"Hey, Rainbow."

Rainbow looked down from where she was flying to see a bland grey pony. Bland... grey... Oh yeah! She came for a landing as she drew out her notebook. "One second." She began reading quickly, catching herself back up. "Yeah, uh huh... Hey, Prince, oh yeah, keep talking."

"Um, hi. I thought I'd just... try saying hello." He tilted his head at her, looking unsure. "You seem to remember me, sort of."

"Sort of," she agreed, lowering the book. "More like I keep reminding myself. I am so looking forward to this being fixed. How's it going?"

"I was going to chillax by the pond and hope nopony needed me for anything."

"About that..." Rainbow glanced at one of the later notes. "Turns out, Fluttershy can't make a meeting with Discord. How do you think he'll react to that? Guy can get a little hard to read when it comes to Fluttershy, especially when she's not there."

He gasped, his voice changing mid noise as he became a she, color flooding into him. He was Fluttershy. "Oh my..." He glanced back at himself, spreading one wing, then the other. His wings always felt so much more real when he was wearing a pony that actually had them.

Rainbow squinted a little. "Huh, not like a changeling at all." She started taking notes. "You just... kinda flow... Does that feel weird?"

"Very," agreed the prince with Fluttershy's voice. "Especially when I become a mare. The more different the pony is from where I started, the more things have to flow around. At least it doesn't hurt, usually." He rubbed behind his altered head. "She has her meetings at her house, right?"

Rainbow cocked a brow. "Wonder how it'd work if you had to be Celestia."

"Oh my... I hope that never happens. I think I'd just... die." He shook his head quickly. "I wonder if Discord will see right through me... I may just end up with a migraine the moment he sees me." He sighed gently in the soft sigh only Fluttershy had. "Nothing for it. If I don't try to fill in, the curse will get mad."

Rainbow reached for him with a free wing, patting his shoulder. "You really do look, and sound, just like her. Kinda cool if you ask me." She casually took some more notes about the act. "Say, now I'm curious... can you talk to animals?"

The prince looked around for an animal, and saw a cat perched on the inside of a windowsill. "I suppose we could find out." He lifted into the air gently, moving at the speed Fluttershy would be comfortable with on a slow ascent to the feline. "Hello there, Misses Kitty."

The cat met eyes with the prince, and he knew. The cat was judging him, harshly. Who was this pony that was interrupting her sunbathing? Did she have food? Likely not.

"Oh, um, no, no treats, sorry..."

Then what use was she? The cat jumped down out of sight.

"That wasn't very polite..." He flew down back to Rainbow Dash. "It worked, but that cat was kind of... rude."

"See: Every other cat ever?" Rainbow snorted softly. "Hay, we met a bipedal one and the first thing he does? Try to sell us as slaves. Cats are like that."

"I suppose that's true." The prince smiled a little. "It was kind of neat though, being able to know what they were thinking. I suppose I should get over to her cabin. I should feed them too, if I'm taking her place."

"Yeah, you do that." Rainbow quickly made a last note and tucked the book away. "I'll catch you later, alright? Remember, you can always say hi at me, even if I don't notice you at first."

The prince's smile only deepened. "You did say that, and it worked... thank you. This has to be really frustrating for you."

"I got this." She patted where the notebook was tucked away. "It'll take more than some lame curse to get past Rainbow Dash!" She soared away with a rainbow trail, the conversation abruptly over.

The prince trotted towards Fluttershy's cottage. "She is a much nicer pony than I would have guessed..." He had expected an egotistical braggart... which she was... but she was also a really nice pony on top of that. "She really cares..." About him. What made him worth all the trouble, he wasn't sure, but he also kind of liked it. That made two ponies that cared about him.

He saw a bear, Fluttershy's friend the bear? He wasn't sure, but he raised a hoof in a soft wave. "Hello there."

The bear made a soft noise, but he knew it was a greeting, and an invitation for a hug.

What would Fluttershy do? Accept the hug, of course. He flew up to the bear and they exchanged a brief embrace. "How is everyone doing?"

He made some bear noises and pointed. The chickens needed some feed, and the goat had eaten something it shouldn't have.

"Oh my, I'll take care of that." Falling into Fluttershy's patterns made finding the feed easy, and he poured just a little into the chicken's area for them to peck up. "Enjoy." He put the feed away and looked around. "Now where is that goat."

"Baa."

The prince perked a yellow ear. Looking towards the sound, there was the goat, a little green around the gills. "Oh dear." Though he thought sheep went baa. "What did you eat?"

"Baa." A tasty looking horseshoe.

The prince's eyes widened. A whole metal shoe?! "What kind of shoe?"

"Baa." About as big as the prince's head, purple, and soft.

Not metal. The prince let out a sigh of relief. Right, ponies could wear normal shoes if they wanted to. "Well you just sit right down and I'll get something for you."

The medicine was in the house, he just kind of... knew. He walked to the cottage and nudged it open. Fortunately, ponies rarely locked their doors. They were trusting souls.

"Ah, there you are."

He squeaked at the sound of Discord's voice. "Oh! Right." He had forgotten why he had come in the first place, to see Discord. "I just need to, um, give a goat some tummy medicine and I'll be right with you."

Discord watched him move past, peering at him a bit oddly. "That is peculiar, even for me..."

The prince found the medicine and rushed back out past Discord to deliver it to the goat. The label thankfully said how much to give. "Open wide." With a gaping goat mouth, she squirted in the medicine. "Now swallow, and you'll feel better soon. Um... if you feel... queasy, don't fight it." Throwing up the problem was a perfectly valid way to get past the issue.

"Now, I have to entertain a guest. You can rest here or at the shelter."

"Baa." Thanks.

Confident the goat would recover, he returned to the house, where Discord was staring at him oddly. "Um..."

"Trust me, the feeling's mutual." He coughed into a fist. "So... Fluttershy, dear dear Fluttershy. How are you?"

He glanced away and back. "I should put this away." He hurried past Discord, only to crash into another yellow pony.

Fluttershy squeaked softly. "Oh, hello there."

"Yep, there... he? is." Applejack poked her head out from another room.

"Fascinating." Twilight poked her head out too, a quill scribbling wildly in the air above her, jotting onto a book much like Rainbow's.

The prince yelped, dropping the medicine to the ground with a thump, thankfully not breaking the bottle. But the agony he expected did not visit him. He was still Fluttershy, in front of Fluttershy and all her friends.

"Don't look so worried." Rainbow was there, leaning in from a window. "We planned this."

Fluttershy pulled out her notebook and quickly flipped through it. "Oh, yes, right. Prince, I would like you to continue filling in for me, please."

His color had started to fade faintly with the thought that he wasn't required, but that reversed course, becoming vibrantly Fluttershy, minus the extra horn on his head. "I am really confused right now. What are we... doing, and does Discord kn--"

"Yes I know." He huffed softly, standing just behind the prince. "Not that I like it, but I know. Now will someone tell me what's really going on?"

Author's Note

Things can only improve from here, yes?

23 - Got You

Twilight directed her quill at Discord. "First, I would like to know what you see? You seemed suspicious from the start before there was a second Fluttershy, why was that?"

Discord waved a hand at the prince a bit wildly. "My Fluttershy does not... this. Whatever it is, it's practically lousy with magic of the worst kind." His brows went up. "Much like a certain reform spell you were preparing; oh the memories."

The prince looked between each mare in part. "Wait, so you... remember me?"

Rainbow shrugged gently. "Sort of, remember?" She fished out her notebook. "We all have one of these now."

Fluttershy waved hers, and Twilight's floated above her head. Applejack sighed and got hers out.

The prince ran a yellow fetlock over his cheek. "Huh... where's Pinkie, and Rarity?"

Applejack shrugged at that. "I think Rares just forgot. Can't really blame her none."

Twilight blushed softly. "And I... forgot to invite Pinkie. We should have done that. Let's put that aside for the moment. So it's like a reform spell, but instead of reforming the one it's on, it reforms everyone around him?" Her quill took notes busily. "Fascinating..."

Fluttershy timidly reached for the prince, touching his shoulder. "Excuse me, um, I heard you moving around in the medicine drawer... Is everything alright?"

Discord hiked a thumb outside. "They got a bottle, oh, here it is." He plucked it up from where it had fallen and offered it to the real Fluttershy.

"Thank you." She read it quickly. "Why did you need this?"

"A goat has stomach problems. Poor thing ate a shoe."

"Oh my."

"That's what I said." The prince smiled a little awkwardly. "He should get better now."

Twilight pointed at the prince directly. "Before we were faced with two Fluttershies in the same place, everything seemed easy to remember. I can recall your entry and movements without difficulty, and that was before we started talking. What you do as a pony is not subject to the same rules, it seems, provided you stay in character."

Applejack tilted her head a little. "Ah mean, can anyone make you fill in fer 'em? I could always use another hoof in the fields. Can you be another me?"

The prince did not change. He was still Fluttershy. "Sorry. Um... Not to be rude or anything, but..." His speech was Fluttershied, still wearing her, "can you not plan how to use me?"

Fluttershy blushed softly. "They're right, that was rude, Applejack."

Applejack snorted softly. "I was just testin'!"

"Test results recorded." Twilight's quill hadn't stopped in its note taking. "Appeals to 'assist' are not persuasive enough. So far, it seems, they have to replace a pony. Interesting... You sound like Fluttershy, this may be difficult to answer, but do you think like Fluttershy?"

Discord's hands closed in around the prince, plucking up the false-yellow-shy by their shoulders. He turned the prince around to face him along the way. "Who are you, exactly? You do have a 'thing' besides being someone else, right?"

The prince's ears folded against his head as he squirmed, unable to make easy eye contact with the irate chaos spirit. "Oh, well, um... yes, of course. I mean... I am someone when I'm not... someone, specific that is..."

"About the thoughts?" Twilight advanced, moving to be at his side with her scribbling quill.

"I don't know? How can anyone know that? I mean... when I'm... someone else... I can think like they do. It comes, you know... naturally?"

Applejack pulled down her hat a little. "Nothin' natural about this."

Fluttershy raised a hoof over her mouth. "Oh my. You know my secrets?"

Discord hiked a brow with sudden interest. "Do you now?" He gave the prince a little shake. "Divulge and maybe I'll forgive you."

The prince rapidly shook his head. "No! I mean... I musn't. I can't! That would just be... mean." Stronger words were in his mind, but the Fluttershy filter did not permit them. Gushing out a pony's secrets? Fluttershy's no less?! Of all the ponies he could tweak the nose of...

Applejack's expression warmed. "Ah can appreciate a pony that has some respect. So, partner, what's yer real name?"

All eyes were on him. He wriggled a little in Discord's grip. "Can you... put me down, please?"

"After we have your name," flatly replied Discord, cocking a brow. "And no fancy pseudonyms either. I'm onto you."

"I..." He felt... violated, and under attack. "Let me down!"

"Just a name, a little thing, go on." Discord's soft words casually ignored any discomfort he was feeling, watching him like a serpent ready to strike.

"No!" With a mighty thrash, the false Fluttershy tumbled to the ground. "Besides, I'm Fluttershy right now." The instant he was free of Discord, the panic attack began to ebb. "That's just... how it is."

"Fascinating..." Twilight was still taking notes, an activity that had little pause. "Rainbow's notes include your previously being a human. Not right now, of course. You're Fluttershy."

"Yes." He smiled a little, feeling better at his guise being affirmed. "Your dear friend, um... if that's alright." He rubbed behind his head. "I mean, you... this is complicated." He sank to his haunches. He knew Twilight wasn't actually his dear friend. "Fluttershy was never a human, except past the mirror."

Twilight's ears perked up. "Tell me about that Fluttershy."

"She loves animals too," easily provided the prince with a little smile. "She doesn't actually talk to them as often, but she can. I prefer the pony Fluttershy to the human one."

The actual pony Fluttershy began to blush brightly. "Oh, um, thank you?"

Twilight brought her forehooves together in a firm clop. "Fascinating. I never went into detail with the, uh, other Fluttershy." She casually made a note: "Human, has seen 'the show'". "Who is best pony?"

Applejack cocked a brow. "What kinda cockamamie question is that?"

Rainbow pointed at herself. "Me, obviously. Why would we even ask that?"

Discord snorted with agitation, a glowing neon sign appearing just behind Fluttershy, pointing at her without her knowledge.

The prince wriggled a little. He felt... itchy in some strange way. "Best pony, oh, well, they're all so... lovely in different ways. I don't want to hurt anypony's feelings. Um... I guess... Pinkie is my favorite right now." He thrust a hoof at Rainbow Dash. "But you're a close #2!"

"Right now?" Twilight leaned forward, quill dancing. "Who was your favorite... a moon ago?"

Despite living in Equestria, he still had no solid grasp of what duration of time was a moon. It was like ponies just... sorta knew and assumed everyone else knew. It was maddening! "Oh, um..." He looked across at the other Fluttershy. "I guess... it would..." His cheeks began to burn, unable to finish the admission.

Discord suddenly slapped him across the back, making his yellow wings pop out to either side. "It's alright. There's plenty to like about dear Flutters. Why, she is objectively the best pony. It boggles my mind why anyone would think otherwise. Well, unless they picked me. I can't really argue that."

The actual Fluttershy's cheeks were just as bright. "T-thank you, I think? Um... wait, are you a... mare or a stallion? I mean, oh... you're me, so you're a mare... right now, obviously, um... I'm not asking this right."

Twilight nodded softly. "She poses an excellent question, but one I think I already have the answer for." She flipped through her notebook with her magic. "Pinkie refers to them as the 'Prince of Errors'. Assuming that gender can be used, when not Fluttershy, male. I won't ask you to confirm that right now."

The prince felt relief of tension he didn't realize he had. "Talking about, um, not Fluttershy is difficult. I'm Fluttershy." He looked to the other Fluttershy. "What was it you needed me to fill in for? You... seem to have everything under control."

Applejack's eyes fell to the prince's hooves. "Uh oh." Greyness was starting to tease upwards, threatening to break the illusion. He wasn't actually needed as Fluttershy, and whatever power allowed it seemed to be taking notice.

Rainbow elbowed Fluttershy to act, getting a squeak out of her. "Oh, yes, could you please feed the animals for me? I'm really not feeling well."

"Certainly." The prince turned towards the exit, the yellow flowing back down over his hooves as he trotted outside to see to the animals' needs.

"I feel awful just lying like that..." Fluttershy shook her head a little. "Did we, um, learn what we needed?"

Discord hiked a brow. "I don't know about you, but I'm not feeling particularly 'enlightened'. I can feel that reform magic trying to do its nasty business."

Twilight reached up to tap at her floating notebook. "This is why meticulous note taking is required. Discord, can you resist it?"

Discord had a whip out and was cracking it at a glowing ball of nothing. "Doing the best I can. Back, back!" He grabbed a chair to join the act of trying to 'tame' the magic. "Sit!"

Applejack shook her head slowly. "What were we talking about and when's the, uh, other Fluttershy showing up?"

Rainbow's face fell. "Already?" She flipped through her notebook quickly. "Here we go. He was already here, and... shoot, I forgot to write what he did last. Oh! Twilight, totally a dude. I've seen him when he wasn't Fluttershy. Kinda shy, but a dude."

Twilight read back and forth through her book, muttering to herself. She was, perhaps, the least affected of the group. "Reform spells are almost specific manifestations of order, imposed on a mind to force conformity with how things 'should' be. While I agree that there probably shouldn't usually be two Fluttershies, I cannot agree that this human slash pony deserves to be forgotten." She thrust a hoof at the note of humanity.

Fluttershy shook her head. "I wouldn't want to be forgotten, even on my, um, worst days."

Twilight suddenly pointed at the shy pegasus. "Which is why I think you may be the key."

"Me?!" she squeaked, jumping back.

"I want you to talk to him, when he's not busy trying to be you. I have a theory."

Applejack shook her head. "Ah don't pretend to even slightly get a lick of this, but what's yer theory?"

The prince set out bowls for the animals, whistling as he filled each with a different food suited for the animal depicted on the side of each bowl. Even the meat was poured, he noted, worked into dry food like dog or cat food back home. Where did they actually come from, he didn't know, just that no precious animals were hurt in the process.

The animals came when he rang a little triangle and a happy flood of bestial flesh filled the area. They said their thanks in a chorus of different animal noises and he felt a little blush coming on. It was nice feeding animals, but extra nice actually hearing them say thanks.

"You're all very welcome. Eat up." He gently pat the the head of a racoon close to her. Racoons were always so... cute, but he wouldn't have dared to try approaching one as a human. As Fluttershy, it came so easily, and the racoon wasn't upset by it.

A soft kick arrived. He looked down to see Angel glaring at him expectantly. "Oh, yes." He fetched a bowl of fresh greens and carrots, not pellets like many of the other animals. It paid to be Fluttershy's personal pet, he supposed. He set it out in front of the needy rabbit.

About time, he seemed to imply before starting to devour his food.

The prince's snout wrinkled a little. What Fluttershy saw in the sour rabbit, he couldn't say exactly... but it also wasn't his job to try and sort through that.

Then there was the gang of ponies that had ambushed him. His skin still crawled thinking about it, and he wasn't even sure why, exactly... They were trying to help, right? He should be happy.

Author's Note

Reform magic? The foulest of sorceries.

How would you resolve this if you were stuck in this situation?

What plan does Twilight have?

24 - Shy Parties

Pinkie pronked along down the road. "You have no idea how much of a relief this is!"

Fluttershy perked an ear at her animated friend as she walked far more sedately. "I'm glad to hear that, but, um, what is?"

Pinkie paused mid-air a moment in defiance of casual physics. "You're helping the prince, remember?"

"Oh, no, but... thank you for reminding me."

Pinkie started going over the details again, finishing with, "I'll really be happy when we beat this curse, and knowing the girls don't think I'm, you know, totally crazy."

Fluttershy tilted her head. "Is that why Discord's upset? He hasn't wanted to talk to me the last few days. I hope he gets better soon..."

"You mentioned it was an 'order' thing, and Discord's, like, anti-order, so he probably didn't like it." She lifted her shoulders. "But he'll get better. He always does, and he has you for a friend, so how can he not?!"

Fluttershy smiled with a little blush at the compliment. "I'll do my best. But let's focus on one friend at a time. I'm supposed to talk to your prince. I wonder if he's nice..."

"I heard you met him already."

Fluttershy did not remember that. She followed Pinkie until the pink pronker perched on a wall.

Pinkie thrust a hoof forward. "There he is! Go say hello."

"You're not coming with me?" Fluttershy tilted her head up at Pinkie.

"Nope." Pinkie pointed firmly. "Go on. Twilight told me it's supposed to just be you and him. I'll wait here, in sight. So you're not completely alone, promise."

"Right." Fluttershy followed the thrust hoof into the crowd, working her way until it broke apart, making room for a grey pony that was just... sitting there. But there was nothing interesting about the grey pony. Where was that prince? She looked left and right, frowning softly.

"Hey, um..."

Fluttershy's ears perked. The grey pony had spoken to her. "Oh, hello. Do you know where a 'Prince' is?"

The grey pony sat up and pointed at himself. "That's me. You forgot." He didn't seem shocked at that. "You may want to check your notes again."

"Oh, right." She dug out her notes, scanning quickly from one page to the next.

"This must be annoying," noted the prince, watching her read. "I'm curious, why are you all so ready to help?"

"It's the right thing to do," replied Fluttershy. "Besides, you're a friend of Pinkie Pie, which makes you a friend of us too, and we like it when our friends are happy." She closed the book and nodded firmly, looking confident. "Alright!"

"All caught up." He patted a spot beside himself on the blanket he was perched on.

"Yes." She sat down on the indicated place. "So... it's rough, isn't it?"

"Which part? Being forgot? I mean, I think it's rougher for the people that want to remember me... I make do."

Fluttershy twitched up an ear. "Oh, well, a little, but..." She brought up two hooves to tap together. "Ponies sure can be confusing, can't they? They're so... loud, and complicated, and sometimes you just... want to hide."

"Your animals weren't those things." He smiled gently, thinking back on that brief experience. "Each of them had a clear need, and when you gave it, they got happy. The end."

"Sometimes, I bet you wish everyone could be like that... but they can't... And it's... um... hard."

"Yeah..." He inclined his head a little at Fluttershy. "You ever feel that way?"

"All the time," she gusted out with an awkward smile. "All... the time. But I'm getting better! Really..."

"Good on you." He reached for her shoulder, patting it gently. "You're very brave. I know some people complain that you aren't 'learning your lessons', but I think they're full of it. You're so brave, coming out of your shell like that. You're making such obvious progress, little by little... I mean, shoot... You manage to have the other five as friends and not go into a panic attack when one of them acts weird, and they all act weird."

Fluttershy sat up, surprised at the sudden gushing words coming from the prince. Her cheeks began to warm at the compliments. "Oh, um, thank you... That's very kind of you to say, but I think it's partially because of them that I've come so far... If it's a, um, shell, like you said, they were reaching into it with kind hooves and pulling me out."

"And sometimes you get scared, and you run back inside, and that's not.... not learning a lesson, that's just being human."

"Pony."

"Right, being pony, same thing." He smirked a little, ears fixed on Fluttershy intently. "Sorry."

"I'm sorry," she retorted. "I mean... I'm here to talk about you, not me. I, uh, appreciate your words, but..." She reached out a hoof. "If I... may?"

He blinked softly at her extended hoof, not quite grasping what was being offered. "May what?"

"May I reach into your shell?" She smiled a little. "It's scary... but it's worth it."

His cheeks darkened, not to a red color, but darker hues of grey. "Oh! Um... You make me look like an extrovert. You're pretty good at talking with people."

"Because of practice." She reached further, touching his side. "Because of friends. You already have some, but you keep hiding. Don't you... want to see what's outside that shell?"

"I didn't decide this!" he half-squeaked. "It's weird curse... thing."

"Maybe." She tilted her head a little. "But I imagine you like it, just a little... I mean... if I say something you don't like, you can just... be quiet, and I'll wander away... You can hide in that shell, and nopony can get past it."

Like how he should have been quiet right that moment! He could just shut up, and the awkward conversation would end, just like that... "People are confusing."

"They are," she gently agreed. "They want so many different things, and they're loud and they expect so much without even knowing what they want... It's scary and hard but... It's worth it..."

"Whatcha starin' at?" asked Applejack, looking up at Pinkie.

Pinkie held up a hoof. "Shhh, they're talking!"

"Oh, uh, that's good, ah guess?" She quirked a brow up. "Who's talkin'?"

"The pony you probably forgot already and Fluttershy. I think it's working! She's getting through to him." She practically vibrated with excitement. "Ooo!"

"Huh, well..." She considered her pink friend a moment. "Are you matchmaking? That hasn't ended well fer you in the past."

"The only way to get better at something is to keep on trying." Pinkie nodded with confidence, her eyes not leaving the exchange between the prince and Fluttershy.

"Can't argue that none, if nopony's gettin' hurt by it. Good luck, Pinkie."

"Thanks!"

"Why do you like Angel?" he asked, changing topics abruptly as he turned towards her.

"Huh?"

"Angel, the bunny. Why do you put up with him? He's not nice like the other animals."

"Oh, but he is." Her expression eased into a little smile. "He may not seem it, but he loves me dearly. He's... practice in some ways, of someone a little more complicated. He really does care about me."

"Does he?" The prince raised a brow. "He doesn't show it."

"He does! With actions." She nodded once with confidence. "When I need something, he's there. A supporting presence, a reminder, whatever he can do, he just does it. Sure, he's loud, and fusses, but he never... doesn't do what needs to be done. He is a friend."

"Huh..." He frowned at her a little, looking pensive. "If I was that annoying...?"

"Well, I barely know you... You're not that annoying so far." She smiled a little. "Not that I see Angel as 'annoying', just challenging, and... I have that worked out."

"Right... You have a life, a full life. Even when you're not dealing with ponies, you have dozens on dozens of animal friends." He waved a hoof wide. "You may hide from other people, but you're not alone."

Fluttershy was quiet a moment. "Were... you alone?"

"I..." He was ready to defend himself. He had friends! Online friends? They... "I..."

"It's alright." She reached gently petted his side with the hoof she never took back. "It's alright."

"I was alone," he admitted, half to himself, a little shiver running through his body. "Oh god."

"You really are a human."

He blinked the tears away. "Huh?"

"Only humans refer to god, whatever that is." She lifted her shoulders softly. "It's not a bad thing, just a thing. It just tells me you're one. So... what's it like?"

"Being a human?" He quirked an ear up at her, the other off to the side.

"No, you can't tell me that. You were born a human, like I was born a pony. What's it like being a pony?"

He blinked rapidly at that. "I didn't think of it that way... Being a pony is nice in some ways, less so in other ways, uh..." He reached out a hoof. "I miss hands a lot. How do you pick things up with your hooves? Pinkie's really good at it!"

Fluttershy slid in a little closer, reaching for a fork that was set on the carpet. "Were you having a picnic?" She tapped her hoof against the fork and pulled it back, the fork attached to the frog of her hoof. "Like this?"

"Exactly like that..." He reached for the fork, clopping his hoof against hers. He could feel the fork pressed to her hoof and it felt like it didn't want to move as he jiggled his hoof about trying to dislodge it. "Can you feel that?"

"Of course." She smiled softly. "It takes effort to hold something like this though. I'm going to let it go." It went limp between their hooves, falling from where it had been held up. "Pinkie is very good at it. It's like she isn't even really trying. I'm always amazed a little."

He drew his hoof away just barely and the fork fell to the blanket. "Can... um... I'm already taking up your time."

"Go ahead," she gently encouraged with a smile. "I'm here for you."

"Would you show me how to do that?" He pointed down at the fork. "My horn only works when I'm pretending to be a unicorn."

"I would be delighted." She put her hoof to the fork but did not lift it. Instead she nudged it towards him. "Press the frog of your hoof directly against it."

He did as she instructed. "Alright?"

"Now imagine a muscle, just behind your frog. It has to pull back a little." She reached with a wing and tickled the bottom of his hoof. He started to giggle at the ticklish sensation, but she didn't stop. "Can you feel it fluttering? That's the one you need to move."

"O-oh! Oh, um..." When the tickling stopped, he tried to move things around with thought instead of as a reaction. "Mmm, unnn..."

"Relax," she gently encouraged. "Relax... Just that one muscle..."

"Just that..." He pulled his hoof up. The fork fell to the blanket limply.

"You did it." Fluttershy clopped her hooves gently.

He blinked at the limp fork. "I didn't pick it up.

"Yes you did, or it wouldn't have fallen." She nudged the fork back to its starting point. "You picked it up just a little bit and it fell. Keep practicing and you'll get better, promise."

He inclined an ear at her, but moved the hoof to try again despite his uncertainty. "Like... this." He lifted his hoof and the fork fell again. "This is going to take time..."

"Like most good things." She nodded softly. "Like making friends. It takes time and it can be scary... but it's worth the trouble."

He made another limp attempt to pick up the fork, making little progress that could be seen, but he was trying. "Say... Fluttershy?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I... help with the animals?"

"Of course you can." She smiled gently. "Any assistance would be appreciated. There are a lot of them and only one of me. You should see the poor veterinarian. She's often overworked."

"You're going to forget that, aren't you?"

Fluttershy was quiet a moment, tapping a hoof to her chin, watching him work with the fork. "Do you want me to forget that? I mean, even with your curse you could just walk over and help my animals and I suppose I'd never know. Would you want that?"

That would be a lot easier, he realized. He'd never have to actually talk with her, just be with the animals. It would be so easier and less stressful.

He pulled the fork up and managed to curl his hoof around so the fork was resting on his hoof, successfully picked up. "Hey look!"

Fluttershy softly clopped her forehooves. "Very good! Um... but... do you want that?"

He rolled his ears back. "I'm going to say something stupid eventually and you'll stop wanting to be around me."

"I'll probably say something silly first." She shrugged lightly. "I won't run away if you promise not to either."

Was it that simple? The fork fell from his hoof to the blanket. "I'll... think about it."

"That's all that I ask. I, um... know what it's like, having people who are more outside their shells pulling a little too... fast... If you want to visit and help the animals, you're welcome to do so. Say hello... if you feel like it, or don't, and that's alright too." She perked her ears. "Oh!"

"Oh?"

"Yes, you talked to me first today. That was very brave of you. What made you do that?" She had such a kind smile on her face. "Now that I think of it, that took real effort, and I appreciate that."

What had made him do that. "You looked like you were searching for someone... I see a lot of ponies. I... thought maybe I could help?"

"And you did." She giggled softly into a hoof. "You knew exactly where the pony I was looking for was. Thank you."

His heart was racing, he realized. When had that started? He rose to his hooves. "I... should go. It was nice talking to you."

"And to you." She stood up as well. "Don't forget your things."

"Oh, yeah." He started gathering up his picnic supplies together, wrapping the blanket around it all to carry it. "See ya."

She let him go, watching him depart into the crowd.

"How'd it go!" asked Pinkie, standing next to Fluttershy.

"Eep! Oh, hello Pinkie. How did what go?"

Pinkie sagged. "Oh... You didn't take any notes, did you?"

She shook her head. "Notes about what? Oh... I was supposed to find that prince... No... I..." She frowned softly, her mind fogged. "We did speak..."

Pinkie's expression lit up brightly. "You remember?!"

"No." She sat on her haunches. "Just that we spoke... It was... a good talk, I think... That's all I remember."

Pinkie began clopping her hooves excitedly. "Woo! That's a step in the right direction and I'll take it." She hugged Fluttershy tightly suddenly. "Twilight was right, you are the secret!"

"I feel like a secret," she muttered, wondering what the conversation had actually covered. "I should probably get back to the cottage. It's almost meal time."

"Oh, alright." Pinkie released her and bounced back. "Thanks again, and one more thanks from the prince, since I bet he said that but you don't remember."

"That sounds right." She smiled gently as she turned for her house. "If I can help, you know where to find me, Pinkie."

"She remembered it?" Twilight raised a brow.

"Only a little, but a little is a lot more than nothing!" Pinkie threw her hooves wide. "I don't know what they said, but she's the closest to putting a dent in this thing. I mean I don't even count, since it just doesn't work on me. Why doesn't it work on me anyway? I'm not complaining or anything but--"

Twilight popped a hoof in Pinkie's snout, quieting the pony. "We don't know, but I am curious about that as well. My theory is that this is a problem rooted in socialization. He doesn't want to be reached, and this... curse... if you want to call it that, obliges him. You--" She pulled her hoof back to point at Pinkie instead of clogging her mouth. "--have a habit of shoving yourself in past pony's desires for solitude, and it seems to persist even in this case."

Pinkie's grin went wider. "Is this a literal friendship problem?! Why didn't the map tell us about it?"

"The map never did tell us about every single friendship problem ever, besides..." She rolled a hoof in the air. "You were in the right place and did the right thing without its prompting, so maybe it just let things happen the way they would, since that got things done without any intervention."

"Huh... I missed out on a map quest because I'm too good at making friends?" She stuck out her tongue a little. "That's almost disappointing, really."

"Think of it this way; you are on a map quest, minus the cutie mark signals." Twilight patted Pinkie's shoulder. "It was very brave and good of you to stick with this when everypony else was doubting you. Now, I think, Fluttershy has to finish this, or at least get him to the next step in the journey."

"But... how? She still can't see him, and she barely remembers they talked. How will--"

Twilight set a hoof gently on Pinkie's chest. "You've told me this before and now I return it; have some faith. I can't explain what this is, but I believe in Fluttershy. She'll do this, and save that pony."

"I do believe in Fluttershy," she agreed with a headbob. "But I'll also keep an eye out to see if I can lend a hoof."

Author's Note

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25 - Behind the Thicket

Fluttershy nodded with confidence, her animals cared for. "Now I must be off." Her departure was interrupted by running right into a pony she hadn't realized was there a moment beforehand. "Oops, excuse me. Sorry."

The prince lifted an ear, blinking. "Ponies usually avoid me if they don't see me."

"Prince!" she squeaked, scrambling backwards in surprise.

"You remember my name too?" His eyes were wide for a moment before slowly blinking. "What else do you remember?"

"O-oh, is that your name?" She took an uncertain step forward. "I just... I didn't really think, I just said it. Hello. Were... you the one helping?"

"Yeah." He hadn't said a thing, just quietly lending a hoof, and things had gone so smoothly until she just crashed into him. "Where... are you headed?"

She fetched a basket in her mouth, speaking despite it, "I need to get a few herbs from the forest."

"The white tail forest?" He looked off in the direction that it would be in, not that it was anywhere in sight. "That's a long way to go this late in the day."

"Oh, no, right here." Fluttershy tossed her head towards the Everfree. "I just need... Oh dear." She looked left and right, but whatever she was searching for wasn't there.

"What do you need? I didn't put something away in the wrong place, I hope?"

"Oh, no... no... I usually go with Harry, he's... big and--"

"--The bear!" interrupted the prince. "Oh, yeah, he isn't here. Was he supposed to be?"

"He usually is, and he's big and strong and I feel safer with company in the Everfree..."

"I could go with you," he volunteered, standing up. It struck him a moment later. "Oh, hey, I guess I can't replace animals, just ponies."

"That's quite alright... You're doing it the normal way and that's kind of you." She held out the basket towards him. "Let's go."

He leaned in to get his teeth on it. He could smell her breath, their snouts brushing in the exchange. His cheeks started to warm dangerously. Ponies didn't think a thing of passing things like that, but he still had some human sensibilities, which said touching faces, even casually, was an intimate invasion of space. "L-let's go."

She trotted right past him, seemingly ignorant of any awkwardness he had felt in the exchange. "Thank you, for coming with me, and, I suppose, helping me? That was funny, in a way... I... knew a pony was helping, but I just didn't worry about who it was. Just a friend, I thought."

The prince was at her side, his pace a little slower on account of being just a little bigger than her. "I didn't mean to fool you."

"Fool me?" She inclined an ear towards him as she jumped up onto a log, her wings assisting with a lonely flap before she jumped down the other side. "It was right, wasn't it? It was a friend. I just feel bad I didn't say hello."

"Are we?" He stepped up on the same log and stepped down the other side, rushing to close the small distance that was made. "You don't remember me. That doesn't make for good friends."

"I remember we're friends. I remember you're... familiar. Do you want to be friends?"

She hadn't checked her notes, he realized. She was working off of whatever she actually could recall, which was more than most ponies who weren't pink party ponies could manage. "What are we looking for?"

"Oh, yes." She curled on herself and pulled free a paper from her pocket. She laid it flat, revealing pictures of several types of leaves and berries. Next to each was a number that ranged from 1 to 20, but not in any sequential order. "This is my list. If you see any of them, let me know."

He set the basket aside to get a better look at the list a moment. "Isn't... that--" He pointed at a berry picture. "That?" He pointed at an actual berry on a thorned bush.

Fluttershy leaned in to squint at the picture, then the real berry. "Very close, but this berry has little spots. We have to be extra careful. Using the wrong plants could hurt an animal."

"Oh..." He wasn't a survivalist. He felt silly even trying and he resumed following her, his face dark with shame.

"Don't feel bad," she counseled in gentle tones, not even facing him. Her eyes kept scanning for things as she walked. "I've made that mistake a lot of times. Only practice makes it better. You should see Zecora. She can spot the right plant without even trying, it's amazing... I feel silly when I compare myself to her... but I'm not Zecora. I'm just Fluttershy, and... I guess... I just do the best a Fluttershy can do."

"You're way better than me," countered the prince, the basket swaying in his mouth as he walked. "I guess if I saw Zecora I'd feel extra dull."

"You're not dull. Oh, here we are." She leaned in towards a bright red leaf dangling from a tree. "Still nice and fresh, perfect."

He hurried up, setting the basket down. He reached with his mouth to snatch the leaf, but she set a hoof on his back, making him hesitate. "Huh?"

"It's very prickly," she warned. "Don't grab it like that or you'll get hurt." She coiled and drew out a small set of tweezers. With a clench of her jaw, she could make them close and relaxing allowed them to open again. "Like this." She held the tweezers towards him in her mouth.

That was too much. "Uh... That is too... It'll be pointing the wrong way once it's in my mouth."

Fluttershy tilted her head, hair leaning off in the other direction, gravity caring little for her gestures. "Turn it around." She casually closed her mouth over it, sucking it in. A moment later she pushed it free with the butt end forward, turned about in her mouth as if it was nothing. "See?"

"O-oh... uh, well." It was facing the right way at least. He leaned in to accept it, but his blush kept getting worse and worse. Before their snouts had brushed, this time it was literally going in, touching noses as he got his teeth onto the little tweezers. "There."

She drew back, leaving him holding the tweezers. "Perfect. Now you can get the leaf. Just remember not to touch it."

He opened and closed his jaws, making the tweezers click softly when metal hit metal in a clack-clack. "Okay..." He leaned in, working the metal on either side of the leaf, trying to keep his lips away. Inch by inch he drew closer, then over it, nervous and shaking a little.

"Whatcha doin?!" exclaimed a new pink pony.

"Agh!" He jumped with surprise, the tweezers falling to the ground and a new pain suddenly blooming across his face. He had jumped right into the leaf and countless little pins had found his flesh. He squealed in pain and collapsed to the ground, pawing at his face with his hooves, trying, poorly, to rid himself of the agony.

Fluttershy's wings popped out. "No, no! I mean, calm down, please, oh dear, please. I'll help, please." She was dancing in place, having a little panic attack of her own. "It'll be okay, please, calm down."

Pinkie took an uncertain step back. "Oh... maybe this is a bad time?"

"You think?" Fluttershy scowled at Pinkie. "I know you care about how he's doing, but you just hurt him very badly."

"I didn't mean to!" she squeaked, her ears flopped to either side. "I'll get him somewhere safe." She pulled out a wheelbarrow from nowhere in particular and quickly scooped up the prince, throwing him into it. "Pinkie's on the case."

"Take him directly to the hospital, and I'm coming." She quickly snatched up her tweezers with a wing and tucked it away. "Now."

"Yes, Sir, missus assertive." Pinkie snorted even as she began to race off with the prince. The two ponies raced through the town with their precious cargo. Eyes turned as they went, following the doppler-shifted wail of pain as it passed them. Screaming in pain as he was, his mystic shell seemed to offer no protection. For at least a few minutes, everyone knew where he was.

Fluttershy was flying next to the wheelbarrow, a hoof reached in to the pony inside. "I know it hurts, but you're not alone," she urgently encouraged. "We'll fix this, promise. Just hang in there."

The prince was in a world of pain. It was beyond any reasonable amount for such a casual brushing of the leaf. How could any one plant inflict that much torment? He could barely think. He wanted it to stop.

He was vaguely aware that he was being moved. There was a kind presence. A hoof touched him. He hugged it. He hugged it so hard, as if he could squeeze it enough to somehow chase away the pain. He cried into the arm attached to the hoof, almost senseless, all senses focused on whatever the leaf had done to him.

Pinkie burst through the double doors of the hospital. "Emergency!" she yelped as she pulled up to the front desk but kept running in place. "Where do I go?!"

Nurse Redheart sat up in her chair, blinking at the abrupt entry. "What is--What happened to him?!" She could see angry red lesions across the otherwise grey pony that was still wailing as if they were being actively tortured at that very instant.

Fluttershy was hovering beside the wheelbarrow, her arm thoroughly captured by the prince. "There was an accident, he brushed his face against a Bright Red Stickler."

Redheart's eyes widened. "Oh Celestia--This way!" She pointed and led the charge into the hospital. "Doctor!" she called as she fled. "We have an acute case!"

"Nothing cute about this," argued Pinkie as she chased along, pushing the prince in his wheelbarrow. "Can you help him?"

Redheart turned and thrust up a hoof at Pinkie, stopping the progression. "We're going in here. The wheelbarrow can... leave now." She pulled over a gurney. "Fluttershy, you appear to be... Just help me get him onto this."

"Of course." The two mares worked together to heft the prince up and over onto the gurney, free of the wheelbarrow. "Um, I can't... get him to let go." He was quite attached to her, clinging desperately. "I suppose I'll come along?"

"For now." She pushed the gurney ahead, leaving Pinkie behind.

"Oh... I... guess I'll just... wait..." She turned the wheelbarrow around and started walking it out. "You done messed up this one, Pinkie... Yeah I know that, Pinkie, you don't need to remind me. Someone has to remind you..."

"Bright Red Stickler?" Twilight raised a brow. "Never heard of it. Hm." Her horn glowed as she grabbed several books on botany and floated them over. "Is he alright?"

"He really wasn't," sighed out Pinkie. "He never stopped... screaming..."

Twilight cringed at that. "That sounds bad... At least he's at the hospital. I'm sure they'll take care of him."

"Fluttershy's with him." She flopped in her chair bonelessly. "They were bonding so well and I wanted to be a part of it..."

Twilight hiked a brow. "You already know him better than anypony else. I'd say you two are pretty well bonded."

"Yeah," she sighed out, deflating all the more. "I messed that up..."

Twilight hesitated, setting her books down. "Pinkie, we all make mistakes. Don't let it get you down."

"You don't make mistakes."

Twilight suddenly laughed, a snort interrupting it before it resumed. "Me? Never make mistakes? I'm sorry, have we met? My name is Twilight Sparkle." She pointed at hoof at herself. "I once time traveled to warn myself to take it easy, causing myself to freak out for a week. I once mind controlled the entire town on accident! Don't make mistakes... Welcome to being a pony, Pinkie. Mistakes will happen."

Author's Note

That escalated quickly... There are plants in the real world that will do much the same thing to you. Don't touch them.

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26 - Gentle Recovery

The screaming had stopped. Sure, they had to tranquilize him to do it, but their ears were finally spared the constant wail.

The doctor sighed with relief and returned to his side, the needle put away. Examining the prince quietly a moment, he nodded softly. "Where is the next patient?"

Fluttershy blinked softly. "Doctor?"

"Mmm? Oh, hello Fluttershy." Doctor Horse looked up at the hovering form of Fluttershy with a little smile. "You shouldn't be here if you're not hurt and I don't have a chart for you."

Fluttershy pointed with her free hoof, her other forehoof caught in the prince's sleeping grasp. "You were helping him."

"Mmm?" He looked down at the grey pony he had already ejected from his memory. "Hmm... They don't look very pressing. I really should get going. Have a nice day, Fluttershy."

He left with a quiet swinging of the door behind him.

Fluttershy gaped at the space that once held a doctor. "Okay... Okay... don't panic..." She drew her held hoof away from his limp grip and instead worked both hooves under him, lifting him into the air and holding him close. "I'm with you."

She took off down the hallway as quickly as she could, which wasn't as fast as she'd like with the new weight, but she was still moving. None of the other ponies seemed to care that she was carrying an injured ponies with angry red welts out of the hospital.

She was entirely unchallenged as she burst free into the outside world. She turned in place in a slow fluttering before deciding on Twilight's, moving towards the castle. "Hang in there..."

When she knocked on the door desperately, it was spike that answered it, opening the door a few precious inches. "Yeah? Oh, hey Fluttershy." He wriggled a few fingers at her.

"Hello, um..." Spike seemed to be casually ignoring the injured ponies in her aching arms. "Is Twilight home?"

"Library 6." Spike hiked a thumb into the castle. "Want to come in?" He began to open the door without a reply. "She's with Pinkie, talking about something, or maybe planning a party? It is Pinkie."

"Thank you!" She rushed past him into the castle, looking around wildly before she sagged a bit. "Where is library 6?"

Spike pointed to the stairs. "Third floor, door's open and there are two ponies, shouldn't be hard to spot."

"Yes, right, thank you." She dipped her head towards him then started fluttering away, huffing and puffing with the strain of carrying the prince so far. "We're almost there..."

"Hey, uh, Flutter? You're looking really tired. If you're tired of carrying whoever there, maybe I could help?" Spike was following her, showing concern for her, but none for the forgotten prince.

"It's alright." She could only imagine where the prince would end up if Spike took charge and then forgot he was there. "I really need to finish this." She lifted up the first flight of stairs slowly. "I can do this..."

"Yeah..." Spike ran out ahead of her, vanishing up the next flight of stairs.

Twilight's eyes were wide. "This is a terrible plant..."

"That bad?" sighed out Pinkie. "It looked kinda goofy when I saw it."

"No matter how goofy it appeared to be, this plant is extremely hazardous!" She tapped at the open book in front of her. "Ponies report it to be like being melted with acid while being electrocuted. What was Fluttershy planning to do with this?" She shook her head firmly. "I wouldn't want to have anything to do with it."

Pinkie looked like she was possibly being melted with acid, gooping all over the seat she was in. "I didn't mean to," she muttered. "He's going to hate me for forever, and then some..."

The door leading out suddenly busted open. Spike stood in the doorway, pointing back where he had come from. "Fluttershy's looking super exhausted carrying a pony up here."

Twilight sat up, blinking. "Who is she carrying?"

Spike shrugged lightly. "Eh, some pony? She's really worn out, not sure if she'll make it."

Pinkie sprang back up, whole and intact. "Oh no!" She zipped right past Spike, leaving him spinning in place. Twilight grabbed him in her magic, slowing his wild spin.

"Huh..." Spike shook his dizzy head clear. "Pinkie sure is eager today."

"I expect it's much the opposite, Spike. I'm going to be busy. Could you get us some tea, please?"

"Alrighty." He emphatically thrusted a thumb into the air before fleeing in the same direction as Pinkie. He went right past Pinkie and Fluttershy and whatever pony they were changing who was carrying. It didn't matter.

Pinkie accepted the limp form of the prince. "They forgot he was there, on the table?!"

Fluttershy flopped to the ground, huffing for breath. "They... just left him... Please, bring him to Twilight..."

Pinkie's mane saluted for her, her hooves quite occupied. "You got it!" She pivoted right in place and marched back where she came from. "It's the least I could do. I'm so sorry!"

To her surprise, when she came back, the room had a new powerful smell. "Twilight? What are you... doing in here?"

Twilight gestured over the large beaker in front of her. "A mild solution of hydrochloric acid. Did you bring him?"

Pinkie cocked a brow as she set the prince down gently on the seat she had occupied not long before. "He's right here, and you forgot."

"Is that him? Oh, yes. I didn't forget what I'm doing." She slapped a hoof on her book. "This is how you treat it. Ever see a pony get waxed before, Pinkie?"

Pinkie winced back a step. "Oh, um... I've heard of it, but no thanks!"

"Waxing?" asked Fluttershy, catching up. "Oh my, what is that smell?"

"Twilight's got a bunch of acid!" Pinkie waved a hoof wildly at the prepared acid. "I don't get it either."

"We have to weaken and loosen the quills that the Red Stickler placed in its victim." She took out long strips of sticky stuff with her magic. "We will pull it right out of him, along with his fur. He'll be bare skinned in spots, but no longer in agonizing pain. A fair trade, I think."

Fluttershy winced, but moved to the prince's side to gently stroke his side. "Please, be careful. This is... at least partially my fault... Why did I think it would be alright to let him try such a dangerous harvest?"

"I'm still curious what you do with a stickler that's productive." She approached with the acid and the strips. "Let's get to work." She splashed the acid mixture right on Fluttershy's face, leaving her blinking in shock.

"Twilight! I'm not the one that needs that!" To her surprise, it didn't immediately begin dissolving her. As diluted as it was, it tingled oddly, but wasn't immediately painful. She grabbed the beaker in a wing. "I think it would be better if I handled this... thank you."

Twilight rolled her ears back. "I... hmm, the effects of this 'curse' are quite dangerous in times like this."

Pinkie tilted her head slowly. "Wait... Fluttershy! You're remembering him! You did it!"

Fluttershy pinned her ears against her head. "How can I forget him, like this? I... did this. I have to fix it..." She began to gently dab the diluted acid across his face, working it in while trying so very hard to not break or disturb the needles that were causing the pain. "Hang in there..."

Twilight swiveled an ear towards Pinkie, but her eyes were on Fluttershy. "Fascinating..." She resumed taking notes, catching herself up. "Do you find it easier to think about him, even when he's being quiet?"

Fluttershy brought over one of the strips, almost getting her wings and hooves stuck to it with a little squeak. With some effort she pressed it firmly against his face, sealing the goopy wax to his skin. "I'm glad you're asleep right now." She did not envy anypony the sensation of so much fur being ripped free at once. "On the count of three... One... Two..."

The strip wrenched free without her pulling, glowing with Twilight's magic as it pulled away far more quickly than Fluttershy likely would have managed. Attached to it was a mess of fur and needles, leaving half of his face looking oddly naked and exposed. Fluttershy lifted an ear as she leaned in close. "Oh dear..."

She coiled on herself and pulled out the same tweezers the prince had tried to use before. "The needles, there are still some here." She settled over him and began plucking at each tiny little needle, working each slowly and carefully free of his abused flesh.

Pinkie clopped her hooves with each one tossed aside. "You can do it! You're the best, Fluttershy!"

"I don't think this is the right time for cheering...." Twilight kept up her notes, her tongue extending a little. "Who is she, right..." She had to remind herself what was going on, but she could do that easily enough. "It's not normally so quick while the matter is still at hoof, as it were."

Fluttershy spat out her tweezers and leaned in close, looking over his poor face slowly. "I... don't... see anymore... Twilight? Can you check for me?"

"I can try, but I feel I can't assure anything."

"Tea's here!" Spike came in with a tray of teacups, three for the three mares. None for the prince. "Things calm down up here?"

Twilight lifted her cup with her magic. "Ah, good timing, Spike. I could use a little drink."

Fluttershy put a foreleg over her face. "Pinkie, do you have a magnifying glass?"

Pinkie had one in a jiff and was soon inspecting the prince, not forgetting what she was doing as she peered and stared. "Ah ha! Pass those tweezers." Fluttershy quickly hoofed them over and pinkie's mane took it, snipping and pulling. "Just a few tiny ones, but I'm guessing we don't want even one."

"Right, yes." Fluttershy let out a sigh of breath, looking relieved. "Thank you."

The prince groaned and all eyes turned to him.

"Oh, right! I can help!" squeaked Twilight, remembering what she had forgotten a few moments ago.

"Mmm?" The prince began to slowly sit up. "My face is on fire..." Despite describing such a horrible thing, he wasn't screaming, and he moved a hoof to touch the affected area with slow purposefulness instead of blind panic. "What happened?"

Pinkie hugged him suddenly. "I'm so sorry! I surprised you and bam, face full of a bad plant that poked you and then so much... screaming."

"It was awful," agreed Fluttershy. "She helped us treat you though." Pinkie mouthed a quiet thank you. "You're missing some fur, but I think you'll be alright. How do you feel?"

The prince slowly stood up, shaking a little. "I feel like I forgot a week... Is it still the same day? We were in the Everfree... getting stuff... Then... that hurt. That hurt so much..." He crashed back to his haunches. "But there was a pony there, a friend. I kept hoping she would help me..."

Fluttershy's cheeks warmed. "I did what I could. You're better now. Your face may... probably sting for some time, but..."

"It's better..." He let out a slow breath. "So much better... Thank you."

Twilight reached out a wing to poke at the prince. "Pardon me, but I must know, do you consider Fluttershy a friend?"

He blinked at that emptily a moment. "Huh? Yeah..."

"And now she remembers you." She gestured at Fluttershy with a confident smile. "You let her in. This is under your control."

"This is... my fault?" The prince sagged against a hoof. "I'm just being a stupid moron and causing trouble?"

"No! No... You're only being, uh... stupid... if you don't see the good news." Fluttershy smiled timidly, unable to quite meet the prince's eyes. "We've found a hole in your shell. If you trust me, I'd like to bring you out of it, as quickly as you're ready, and not a moment faster than that."

Spike lifted his shoulders. "I only brought three cups. Be right back."

Author's Note

There is light at the end of the tunnel! How would you go about drawing this reluctant prince free of his shell?

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27 - Withdrawal

The prince sat on a bench, one hoof gently rubbing at the bare stripe across his face. It still hurt. It was less of a hurt than when he had brushed his face against the angry plant, but it was still hurting.

He also looked silly. He had confirmed it in a mirror once the excitement had died down and he was allowed to escape. He had a big ole' band of missing fur, the skin underneath a bit red in places, angry at both the aggressive waxing and whatever horrible stuff the needles had been using to make him wish for it all to end.

With a soft thump, a pony joined him on the bench. It was the only pony that could have fit with all the space he was taking up.

Lyra was sitting in human-mode, flopped against the back of the bench. "Gah..." She reached up a hoof for the sky. "I can't get him out of my head... He has his own life. I can't pine for the human that got away forever." She was talking to herself, apparently not noticing, or caring, about the prince's presence.

The prince sat up on his haunches slowly, his eyes closing as he did it. Every motion seemed to bring some small new pain to his face. How long would that last? "Hello."

Lyra's ears turned to the prince instantly. "Hey! I didn't see you there." Her cheeks were going red swiftly. "You didn't hear any of that, right?"

"I like humans too" He cracked open one eye. "Missing yours?" He didn't take that human's place, he noticed, then again, he wasn't sure if he could take anyone's place, as miserable as he felt.

"Yeah, but he isn't even a human anymore." She shrugged softly. "He's a unicorn, small, brown, cute, but not nearly as cute as when he was a doughy human."

The description of a pony target was enough. The prince felt the color rushing over him, transforming him into a unicorn that was barely out of being a colt. His face tingled fiercely, but it wasn't a painful signal, for once. Fur swept in over the naked portion of his face and the agony faded away. He had to laugh in his new voice. He just had to take someone's place?!

"Silver!" Lyra hopped up onto the bench. "When did you get to Ponyville?! I mean, who cares?! Hi!" She fell to all fours, smiling brightly at the prince. "How are things?"

"I thought I'd visit," he spoke in the new voice, though he also felt a blush of awkwardness. Whoever he was assuming also had some social hangups. "I didn't come at a bad time, right?"

"No way." Lyra suddenly grabbed him in a fierce but brief hug before hopping to the ground. "I was just talking about you to some other pony and you have the best timing ever. Bonnie's at the shop, she'll want to say hi too."

The prince slipped down after her. With the pain abolished for the moment, nothing seemed like a bad idea. "Lead the way." As he walked with her though, he realized something was nudging him. A glance showed that he was wearing a saddlebag. Did this pony not realize they had pockets? All ponies have pockets...

With a glowing horn, he popped open the saddlebag curiously and reached inside mentally. The first, largest, thing was a book that he pulled free. "Hmm."

"Gonna cast a spell?" asked Lyra, watching him over her shoulder as she trotted forward, luckily not crashing into something as she did it. "I'm sorry I wasn't more help, you know, at college..."

College? "It's okay," he assured as he drew the book around to in front of himself and flipped it open. It was full of funny symbols. Magic symbols for magic ponies. He had never learned the unicorn dialect for magic...

"I bet you learned all kinds of crazy spells by now, and I see you still have your stone right where it needs to be." She suddenly swatted at him with her tail, lashing a dangling orb around his neck that glowed a faint purple color.

The prince frowned faintly. This was a complicated pony with too many accessories he didn't know about! Then again, the curse had always let him fit in, if he went with it, so he ignored the fact that he had no idea what the magic said and tried to just... cast it anyway.

A thin beam of magic emerged from his horn and struck Lyra right on the rump.

Lyra jumped with a squeak, coming down facing him. "Hey! You have... ponies, I know that. Don't tease me." Her face was a dark red as she raised a hoof to rub at one of her warmed cheeks. "Not cool, man..."

"I was trying to cast something," lamely defended the prince, his own face heating up. He stuffed the book away quickly, lest he make more of a mess of things.

"You still mess up sometimes? We all do." She snorted softly. "What were you trying to throw at me?"

Aw crud... "I... was trying to turn you into a human, so you could feel what it was like."

Lyra's eyes widened. "What? You have that spell?! You are too awesome! Wait, guess you don't, since it didn't work. Still, uh, thanks for trying, but I'll stick with the unicorn life." She booped him with the flat of her right hoof. "You don't make a bad unicorn either."

She resumed her march for the candy store, hopping up on the lip of a flowerbed to balance as she trotted along it. "Human Lyra, that'd be silly."

"I shouldn't have been, uh, hasty."

"That is you sometimes." She hopped down from the narrow walkway to the ground and moved to walk alongside the pony she thought was there. "How long are you in town?"

The prince realized he could, at that moment, decide how long he would be in that form. "Just a little bit." He wasn't confident in his ability to imitate the pony he didn't know and had too much... stuff... "I wanted to say hello though."

"That's really sweet." She threw an arm over his withers, drawing him close. "I missed you too." She released him a moment later, rushing ahead. "C'mon!" She led the way speedily through the town, ignoring everyone else in favor of getting to the candy shop. She burst through the door triumphantly. "Bonnie! Look who I found!"

Bon Bon looked up from a customer. "One moment, Lyra. Did you want strawberry or would you like to try lime? It's extra good today."

Apple Bloom's face lit up. "Ah never tried lime before. Can ya toss in one lime, rest strawberry?"

"You got it!" Bon Bon grabbed a scoop in her mouth and got to filling a small paper bag with candies. "Some sweets for a sweet customer."

"Aw, thanks Bon Bon." Apple Bloom tossed up a bit into the air that Bon Bon caught in her scoop before it could hit the counter or the floor. The two earth ponies seemed to be in sync about moving things around. Bon Bon dropped the bag from her mouth for Apple Bloom to catch in hers. "See ya later!"

The little filly fled with her delicious goal.

The prince had to duck to the side to let Apple Bloom depart in a blur of youthful joy. "She looks excited." Even he could tell that easily enough.

Lyra snorted softly. "Of course she is. She just got a bag of sweets at least half as sweet as the mare that made them." She trotted up and touched noses with Bon Bon even as the other mare rolled her eyes at the over-sweet words.

"Who are you leading along there?" Bon Bon's eyes turned to the prince in his brown-furred disguise. "Hello."

"Heya." The prince trotted into the shop, his nose filling with an assortment of sweet scents. "Sorry things went so awkwardly last time." He wasn't even sure what he was talking about. It had just sort of... come out.

Lyra put a hoof behind her head, rubbing over her own mane. "Uh, yeah, this is, er, was David, now Silver. You know, the human?"

Bon Bon blinked before it turned into a scowl. "It's hard to forget the human who you got tangled up in and ended up basically banished for."

Banished?! The prince took half a step back.

Bon Bon saw him looking nervous. "You know I'm exaggerating... She was forced to do community service, in Canterlot, remember?"

"She was my teacher," he spouted without comprehension. "For a little while."

"Very little while." Lyra held up her hooves close together in front of herself. "Anyway, he stopped by to visit. You know, say hi and stuff."

"Do you like sour things?" Bon Bon was looking at him with an expression he struggled to place.

"Yes." No! Unfortunately, the pony he was wearing did. Maybe that would make it more bearable? "I shouldn't though. I didn't come for free stuff," he demurred, trying to escape testing it.

"Nonsense!" She scooped up a single blue candy ball and flicked the scoop at him, sending it flying with alarming speed.

The prince squeaked, which was enough. The candy flew right into the opening provided, suddenly crashing into his tongue.

Blueberry. "This isn't--" Oh there it as. The sweet blueberry gave way to an avalanche of sour, slapping his tongue. It wasn't as... immediately awful, perhaps mitigated by his disguise's like for sour things, but it was powerful and he could do little but pucker up and hope it would pass.

"My extra strength sweet and sour blast," reported Bon Bon, smiling so smugly as she watched the prince struggle with it. "I know it wasn't your fault, exactly, but that also won't hurt you, exactly. I just needed to... do that."

"Bonnie!" complained Lyra in a loud whiny pout. "Don't be mean to a friend! C'mon... he swung by just to be friendly."

"He's fine." Bon Bon waved it off. "But he also took you out of my life for... what felt like forever. Don't you ever do something so stupid again." She kissed Lyra suddenly on the nose. "Or I'll kill you myself."

"Bonnie!" Lyra was a deep dark red, backing away from her amorous and yet deadly marefriend. "Hey, uh... well... I'm glad to see you again. You have fun, wherever you're going, right?"

The prince really had no idea what had occured between the three ponies, except that Lyra and Bon Bon seemed close. "I should go."

"Take it easy."

With departures given, he felt the colors draining out of him. He no longer needed to be that other pony. The pain returned to his face and he reached up. His fur was back, but the skin underneath still had idle complaints about what had happened to it recently.

Still, it was nice not having that bald stripe. He slipped from the store, the two mares there already having stopped paying attention to him.

That had been a reminder that though Equestria was certainly Equestria, it was more than was shown on his computer. These ponies had wickedly complicated lives that went beyond that, and he was but a small part of that greater picture. At least he hadn't made a complete fool of himself, he decided.

A new thought tickled at him. Had that sour candy been what little payment he had earned? That figured. He laughed at himself as he walked down the road. Nothing like being given bad candy to make a work worth doing! It was at that point he realized he still had the candy in his mouth. He had gotten used to it, and it wasn't as awful as he had originally placed it.

It was... actually kind of nice, now that he was over the shock of it.

Maybe sour candies were alright sometimes.

Author's Note

In this chapter, the Mane 6 are nowhere to be seen!

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28 - Animal Way

"Fluttershy?" asked the prince as he wandered across her front lawn, looking around for her as if she could be hiding under a rock or behind a fencepost. "Are you here?"

The door to her house opened. "Prince?" She emerged with a little smile. "Oh, your fur is back, wonderful. I'm... really sorry."

"You mentioned that." He rubbed one foreleg with the other. "But it's alright, really... I guess I should be more mad at Pinkie, but whatever... I'm alright now, mostly. Look." He pointed to his restored face. "When I imitated a pony, it all came back."

"How wonderful," gently agreed Fluttershy with a little smile. "Did it stop hurting?"

"Mostly." The prince approached Fluttershy, not directly, but in a curious weaving, more like a shy orbiting moon that was uncertain about the act. "Sorry for not helping for a little while."

"It's quite alright." She put a hoof right on his cheek where he had been stung so many times, gently inspecting the site. "I would want to take a break too after something like that. But you're better now." She pulled her hoof back suddenly when she spotted him wincing. "Mostly... Sorry."

"It's okay," he quickly blurted with an awkward smile. "Really. Flutter, this will sound kind of odd, but I really kind of like... being with you."

Fluttershy's ears flattened and she looked like she was caught in headlights. "Oh! I mean, oh. Um... I know humans sometimes... move a bit quickly... I'm, uh..."

"No!" It was his turn to darken in his grey cheeks. "Not, uh, romantic stuff. I mean..." He rubbed behind his head. "That would probably be amazing but I wasn't asking for that. I just want to hang out, with you, if that's alright?"

"Oh! Oh... That's... alright, sure." She nodded softly as she looked over what felt at times to be an awkward male reflection of some parts of herself. "I was going to take a walk to Harry's. We're due for a picnic."

"That's the bear, right?" He turned in place until he was facing the forest, the same that had been quite a pain last time. At least they weren't hunting any deadly red plants that day. "Will he mind one more guest?" He wasn't sure if animals would ignore him as ponies did.

"We usually have a lot of guests." Fluttershy tapped her chin lightly. "But they're usually other animals... Still, I don't think he'd mind so long as you were polite. I know... for a lot of ponies, animals are just... animals, but they're so much more, and Harry especially! He's such a caring and thoughtful soul."

"Animals just don't make it complicated for no reason." The prince smiled a little. "I'll be nice." Being not-nice to a bear seemed like an awful idea, social implications entirely ignored. "Silly question, but do you play games? I mean, with the animals."

Fluttershy's ears rose back to their normal state as she vanished inside a moment, grabbing a basket. "I could bring a checkerboard, he likes that game."

"I haven't played that in years." The prince laughed softly at himself. "I remember the rules, sure. Please."

"Certainly." She emerged with her basket, packed with things, with a checkerboard peeking out of one of the flaps. "It's this way."

They went off into the woods that day, for a bear was having a picnic.

"I have to fix it!" Pinkie flopped bonelessly over a rock.

Maud looked over her shoulder at her despondent sister. "Do you?" Her voice was calm and neutral, as it usually was.

"Of course I do, silly." She sat up and was soon perched on the rock instead of flopping over it. "We made some progress! He really likes Fluttershy, and now she can remember him."

"He has a friend. That's good." She picked up her little miner's pick in her mouth and tapped at the wall as if everything had been handled.

"But so many ponies don't remember him!" Pinkie hopped down from the rock. "He's still mister nopony that nopony knows!"

"You know him." She didn't pause in her tapping, working around the slowly emerging glittering stone that she had found.

"Well, yeah, I do, but I know everypony. That hardly even counts." She stuck out her tongue in a ripe raspberry of a noise.

"I know him."

Pinkie blinked softly. "Huh, you do? You never met him before."

"You told me about him." With a final tap, the gem fell free of the wall, landing right on her upturned hoof. "Oh. Just another of these." She tossed the gem onto a pile of others that looked similar. "I thought it was a rare one." She didn't sound disappointed, but she rarely sounded like an emotion.

Pinkie squinted softly. "I mean, sure, I told you about him, but I bet you couldn't pick him out of a crowd."

"Bet I could."

"Nuh uh!"

"Uh huh." She started tapping at the wall, working on the next project.

"How?!" Pinkie threw her arms wide, eyes wide in exasperation. "How?"

"You already told me. You can talk to him because you will talk to ponies who don't want to be talked to."

"Yeah huh... how does that help you?" She raised a brow in suspicion. "You're not, uh, a super party pony."

"No... I just don't read people." She looked over her shoulder at Pinkie, pausing her tapping. "I don't always know when they want to talk, or not. I don't know what to say sometimes. I bet I'd walk right up to him when he'd rather be alone and--"

Pinkie glomped her sister, cutting her off. "As if you could ever be unwanted! Stop being silly."

"Pinkie..." Maud smiled just faintly. "Thank you, but it is true. I am not the best at that." She reached for her dropped pick and got back to work. "I could probably see him."

Pinkie sat down on her haunches instead of hanging off her sister, even if Maud could support her and mine at the same time without issue. "That's a great idea!"

"What is?"

"You two should meet." She bounced in place with a big grin. "I bet you two would hit it right off."

"Would he mind if I brought Mud Briar with me?" She hadn't stopped tink tinking at the wall. "I get nervous around new ponies without someone I know there."

"Why not bring me?!" She pointed a hoof at herself with a big grin. "I already know him, and you, and you two could be--"

"--Pinkie," she cut in calmly.

"Yeah?"

"You're too high energy for this. I love you, but we both know this is true." She set her pick down and turned to face pinkie directly. "I will tell you everything that happened."

Pinkie could imagine the dispassioned review of the event that would emerge from Maud's sedate lips afterwards. "Uh, yeah. Alright, you and Mud Briar go say hello to him if you can." She quietly vowed to park herself somewhere nearby and watch. "He's a little shy."

"You told me." She turned back to the wall, resuming her casual mining. "Mud Briar's great at talking to ponies. It'll be fine."

Pinkie imagined Mud Briar and a mental storm of 'technically' raged through her. "Yeah, great..."

"Pinkie."

"Hm?"

"Do you trust me?" She wasn't facing Pinkie, mining placidly.

"Of course I do!" Pinkie half-turned. "Of course... Alright, alright. Yes. This is in your hooves."

"Thank you."

Pinkie walked away, trying to calm herself. "It'll be fine..."

"It'll be a disaster!" She flopped onto a cushion near Starlight's bed.

"One: Why are you in my room? Two: Why are you in my room?" Starlight had a hiked brow, watching Pinkie melt down. "Three: What's wrong?"

Pinkie sat up on her haunches facing Starlight. "Maud and her boyfriend are going to talk to the prince and Mud Briar will Mud Briar all over everything!"

"Prince? And Mud Briar isn't that bad, Pinkie. Really, he and Maud are a cute, weird, couple. They both get each other, and aren't gotten by most of the rest of the world, just as it was intended." She slowly swept a hoof across the sky in a profound statement of destiny. "I thought we've been through this."

"Ugh, Starlight!" Pinkie bounced in place, landing on all fours. "I'm not trying to split them, but there's no way this can work out well. If he starts going--" She quickly did up her mane into Mud Briar's manestyle and affecting his voice, "--technically--" Her mane puffed out to its usual bounciness. "--everything will be ruined!"

Starlight's horn glowed as she plucked up the perturbed pink pony. "Pinkie, Maud is perfectly capable of making her own decisions, and it even works out most of the time. As her friend, as your friend, and for the sake of the sanity of Ponyville..." She set Pinkie down just outside of her room. "Chill out." Her door slapped shut with the glow of her magic.

As it turned out, Harry was pretty good at checkers, but the prince wasn't awful either. They pushed their pieces back and forth at each other, seeming to have a good time. "This is a good day..." Harry looked up at him. "I mean, I'm playing checkers, with a bear. That's... pretty great."

Harry snarled in what could have been taken in many ways, but pushed a piece forward, clearly willing to continue play.

"Are you two having fun?" called Fluttershy. She was with some of the other animals, enjoying snacks and having a perfectly chill time, as Fluttershy seemed to prefer.

"Tons." It wasn't a video game, but he was playing checkers, with a bear. He hopped a piece forward, using his recently acquired hoof-hold technique to do it almost smoothly. "Yeah."

Harry grunted and looked thoughtful a moment before he grabbed a piece and hopped over one of prince's pieces, swiping it off the board in revenge. The game was underway!

A soft thump on his side made the prince look down to see Angel standing there, looking up at him with an expectant and unkind expression. "Uh... hi?"

Angel pointed at the board, then the prince, then himself.

The prince tried to put it together. "You... want to challenge me?"

Angel thrust a paw at the prince, then at Harry, then crossed his arms, then at himself.

"You... want to get a turn against Harry?"

Angel bobbed his head with a satisfied expression.

"Oh." Well, he had gotten in a few games, sharing the board was... probably a nice thing to do. "Sure. Harry?"

Harry shrugged softly and swept the board clear before starting to put the pieces back where they started. That game was over.

"All yours." The prince scooted back and gestured at the space he vacated.

Angel smiled, bowing as if a polite thing by habit, then took his spot. He pointed at Harry and slit his paw over his throat with a low laughing rabbit chuckle. Harry did not look intimidated. He gestured for Angel, and the rabbit took the first move.

The prince ambled over to join Fluttershy, sinking near her. "How are things over here?"

"Just delightful." She sipped softly from her teacup. "They were just telling me about a new den they found."

A few squirrels chittered in what could have been excitement. "They say it's just the right height off the ground, and nice and dry. It sounds lovely."

The prince perked his ears at the squirrels, listening and watching them emote and squeak in their funny ways. "Huh, I miss being able to hear what they were saying... Um, hi?"

The squirrels waved back at him, that much communication possible.

"Oh, they can understand me?"

Fluttershy reached out gently, patting the head of one of the squirrels. "Many animals understand a lot of what ponies say, but ignore it. Ponies don't want to talk to them, and usually get in their way."

"I like animals." He reached for one of the cashews in the picnic basket, holding it carefully with his somewhat able but still practicing hoof. "Here you go."

One of the squirrels darted up and back, snatching the nut along the way to share with its friends, or were they family?

At least animals had simple needs. He could grasp that.

Author's Note

Plans are cooked up. How will the prince and Maud get along, plus one Mud Briar?

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29 - Social Challenge Convention

Maud walked placidly alongside her +1.

"Why do they call it--"

She pointed and he went silent without any vocal prompting.

Across the street, ponies filtering past, was a dull grey pony apparently watching ponies on a bench.

"That's him," she confirmed out loud.

"He doesn't look special." Mud Briar raised a hoof to his chin, not tapping, just holding his chin with his hoof. "What's the plan?"

"We say hi." She strolled towards him. Much like the prince, she did not weave through the traffic, instead others weaving around her as if she wasn't there. Mud Briar had to bob a bit more than she had, working to keep up with her.

The prince's attention snapped to them at about the halfway point across the street, noticing two ponies that noticed him, watching him, and approaching. His ears went up as he pushed up to an upright position. "Hello..."

"You know who I am," calmly stated Maud as she stepped up beside him and sat.

Mud Briar did much the same on his other side, sandwiching the prince between them.

It wasn't as if he didn't know who Maud was, but... "What I assume I know isn't what I actually know, I've found. It's nice to really meet you, Maud. Who is this?" He hadn't seen the episode with Mud Briar in it. The other pony seemed to be following Maud, and was listening to their conversation.

"That's my boyfriend. Say hello, Mud Briar." She leaned just enough to catch his eye across the prince.

"Hello," helpfully responded Mud, nodding his head. "Technically what you assume you know, you do, it's just wrong." He offered a hoof. "What's your name?"

Even his dull sense of propriety beeped softly in his furry ears. Mud Briar was someone not following the book. Maud was also someone not following the book. He smiled a little, puzzling through it. "Pinkie calls me the Prince of Errors... And we--" He gestured at both of them. "--are the socially inept of Ponyville I think."

Maud hiked a brow. "While it may be true that ponies often confuse me, I don't like being called 'inept'." Her voice didn't really raise or lower, a flat statement of fact. "I'm not good at expressing myself sometimes... Compared to my sister, I feel like a stone sometimes."

Mud Briar shrugged softly. "The people who matter understand me, and the ones that don't, don't matter." It sounded more like a mantra he told himself rather than any wise words he was just thinking up. "Maud gets me."

Maud reached across and they touched hooves briefly, the two apparently in agreement on that matter.

The prince watched the point of physical contact and felt a smile creep onto his snout. "You two really do get each other..."

"I'd like to get you."

"Technically, you could get him right now." Mud Briar made a lifting motion with his hooves.

Maud's eyes were set on the prince. "What is your name?"

"I thought I said? Uh, hey, how do you two see me anyway? I mean, now I'm talking, so that's alright, but you saw me before that." He tensed a little, a sensation of being trapped between the two rising uncomfortably. He suddenly wanted to be alone, but neither of the ponies seemed to care.

"You gave me your title."

"Technically, that isn't your name," finished Mud Briar, and they both nodded in agreement.

He could feel his heart hastening in his chest. They were... aggressive. Maybe if he went quiet.

...

They were still staring at him, waiting for a response. His defense had failed him.

Maud stood up on the bench in a slow motion. "I understand. We're being too fast."

"Technically, we haven't moved." He inclined his head at the prince. "Why are you scared to tell us your name?"

"Because it's--" His words dried up in his mouth, along with his tongue. Why was he holding onto that? "I mean... Can... we talk about something else?" He wobbled a hoof between the two. "How did you two meet?"

Maud smiled. Sure, it was a faint smile, but it was a smile. "We found each other by the intersection of our passions."

Mud Briar echoed the expression with a soft nod. "A fossilized stick. Stick--"

"--and stone." Both sighed with fond remembrance of the time. Maud suddenly raised a hoof and put it on his chest with a low thump. "It's alright. You don't owe me anything."

"Technically true." Mud Briar shrugged softly. "It would be nice to have a name though."

The pressure was easing a little and the prince allowed himself his own smile. "So... you like sticks?"

Mud Briar's ears went up. "Love them. There are so many out there, and I haven't seen even half of them. I spotted a perfectly curved spruce branch on the way here, but we were already walking so I left it behind."

Maud inclined her head. "You should have said something. We could have paused long enough to pick it up."

"You seemed to be..."

Maud reached across the prince and set a hoof on Mud Briar's shoulder. "I have time for you."

The prince felt his smile deepening a little. They were not perfectly in tune, they still tripped, but they also worked past the troubles.

"Technically, you can't own time... but you can own my heart." They were looking at one another with love-stricken eyes, the prince caught in the middle.

He softly coughed into a hoof. "Well, um... Nice meeting you both. Maud... Mud Briar was it?"

"It still is." He nodded in placid agreement.

Maud stepped down calmly from the bench. "I have some gems to polish. Want to come with me?"

Mud Briar pointed back down the street. "I'm going to get that stick." He hopped down and trotted away after his prize that was hopefully still where he had last seen it.

Maud's eyes had never been on Mud Briar during that though, resting on the prince.

One of them was less scary than both... "Um, sure?" He stepped down next to her. "I don't know how to polish a gem though."

"I can handle it." She turned away and began walking sedately, in no particular hurry. "A little company is nice sometimes."

"Yeah, but it's hard." He hurried to get up to her side. "You said that."

"I did... And it is. It's still nice, sometimes." She glanced aside at the prince. "I don't understand how ponies do it, and you don't either. How about we be ourselves?"

"No rules?"

"No rules." Maud smiled faintly. "Just two ponies being themselves."

The prince felt his steps becoming lighter. That sounded... nice. "Sure." He followed her to her cave. After grey tunnels and rocky crevices, they emerged into a large cavern with water flowing freely and lush green plants that didn't seem to mind being underground.

The prince smiled as he looked around, sniffing at the curious air. It was clean and floral, but the hints were all different, exotic. "This is really nice..." The show had not done it justice, and he found himself wandering, taking in the sights, and there seemed to be so many.

Some time later he realized he had just walked into somepony's house and casually got to exploring, ignoring them entirely. With darkened cheeks he hurried back over to Maud.

She had a big magnifying lens over an eye and was carefully chipping at a gem, with only the faint noises of the pick and hammer working away imperfections in the gem.

"Sorry for leaving you like that."

"It's alright." She continued chipping softly. "Like it?"

"Your home is amazing," he easily confessed. "It's pretty in every way. It looks nice, smells nice... Sounds nice even!"

"I like it," she calmly agreed, chipping away with a tink-tink-tink. "And it's close to my sister."

"Pinkie's... special, in a good way."

"In a good way," softly agreed Maud. She released the hammer from her mouth and blew across the gem before reaching for a rag. "Do you understand her?"

"No." The prince tilted his head. "Do you understand her?"

"No." Maud began rubbing the gem softly. "But I love her."

"That has to be hard, to love something you don't understand..." He watched her work and listened to her soft tones. Yes, it was much less stressful with just one person.

"Do you understand how this cave formed?"

"No?"

She held up the gem at the end of a hoof, turning it this way and that. "Do you understand how this cave stands?"

"No?"

"But you love it."

The prince blinked softly, looking around. "I... guess you're right there. Ponies are more complicated than caves though."

"They can feel that way." She set down the gem. "Caves are very complicated. A different complicated." She stood up, facing him with her piercing, yet calm, eyes. "I know rocks. What do you know?"

The prince blinked. What did he know? "I've gotten good at filling in for ponies that need help."

"Before that."

Well crud... "I wasn't that good..."

"You did bad things?"

"No! I mean, no, sheesh, no, uh..." He sat on his haunches and began fussing his forehooves together nervously. "I did my job. I did what they told me to."

"You still do that." Maud tilted her head faintly. "You're good at it."

The prince felt heat rushing into his face. Even in ponyland, he was doing what was asked of him. He was still a wage slave, though one with a twitchy tail and cute ears. "Oh god..."

"It's nice to be good at something." She reached for another gem. "What do you want to do?"

"I'm not a wage slave!" he suddenly blurted out.

"I never said you were." Maud didn't seem shocked by his cry, starting to examine the next gem carefully. "What do you want to do?"

"I found it," came the proud call of Mud Briar with a strange clack-clack-clack noise. He came into view, holding a stick in his mouth. The stick was bouncing off the floor as if hopping with the force of his forward steps and its own elasticity. "It's lovely!"

"Good find," agreed Maud as she reached her mouth for the hammer and took up the chisel in a hoof, starting her work on the next gem. "I was just asking the prince what he likes to do."

The prince looked between Maud and her boyfriend, rubbing behind his head nervously. "I should... let you two be together."

"We are together," argued Mud Briar. "What do you like to do?"

Maud directed her hammer at Mud Briar. "He doesn't get the rules either. Let him be himself."

"Right..." Just three incredibly socially challenged ponies in a cave. That was normal, right? He quirked a faint smile. "I... actually like helping ponies, and animals... It feels nice when I make a day better than if I hadn't shown up."

Maud nodded softly. "That's a good thing to like. So why aren't you happy?"

Mud Briar shook his head. "You're too giving. You have a precise number of days, you should enjoy them." He sat down next to Maud.

The prince blinked at Mud, considering his words. "I do... enjoy those, but being forgotten all the time... I don't like that."

"We haven't forgotten you." Maud began changing the angle of her hammer strikes, working on the gem diligently. "You could live here. You don't seem too loud."

Living with a mare that had a boyfriend sounded awkward even to the prince's awkward ears. "Thanks. You're nice, like your sister."

Maud stopped her work a moment. She was still and silent.

Mud Briar pointed at the gem. "It's not finished."

Maud suddenly smiled, that coy little expression. "Thank you. I doubt I could ever be as nice as Pinkie." She started to work again, gently easing away imperfections in the gem.

"You didn't answer the question." Mud Briar was looking at the prince expectantly. "Technically it wasn't a question, but do you want to live here?"

Author's Note

I used to take pride in finding sticks just like that and holding them just so to make them bounce and jump in front of me as I went down a road.

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30 - We Shall Call You

Mud Briar was watching him, staring and waiting. Maud wasn't, already working on another gem with the soft noises of her polishing to break the silence that would have filled the cave despite the burbling water the prince could hear.

They wanted his name. That... wasn't even a big request, right? Just... his name. It'd been so long since he last used it. It felt somehow brittle in his mind, as if he would break it if he touched it. As if it just shouldn't be disturbed. As if it was something precious he had to protect.

"Did you forget it?" Mud Briar stared at him with placid eyes. He didn't quite have Maud's intense gaze, but it was just as unshaking, locked onto a subject.

Yes, forgot it. That would be a great way out. He could lie and neither of them would ever know. They couldn't read a pony, they admitted it. But he didn't lie. He just looked awkward, failing to muster up the words to take up the excuse offered to him.

Maud put aside the gem she had been working on. "He asked if you wanted to live here."

The prince blinked rapidly. Oh, right, yes, that had been the last question. There he was thinking about something else. "Oh! Thank you, both of you, but I have a nice enough place."

"He doesn't live here." Maud picked up the next gem in need of attention. "Why are you thanking him?"

The prince tilted his head at that. "Well, uh, he's saying he's alright with some strange stallion moving in with his girlfriend. That's nice of him, isn't it?"

Mud Briar raised a hoof to his chin to rest it there. "Why would that be a problem?"

The prince suddenly felt a little more socially savvy than he had a moment before. "Technically, you're a nice person either way."

Mud Briar blinked softly. "Please don't do that."

For all the technicalities he threw out, having it turned back on him apparently wasn't something he liked. "I'm going to put this stick away." He turned and departed at a sedate rate, his stick carried along the way.

Maud worked a rough rag over the gem she was working on. "Sorry about that."

"About what?"

"I said there were no rules, but he brought one up." She scrubbed vigorously a moment before setting the rag aside. "Sorry."

"It's alright. I... actually thought he'd like it." The prince raised a hoof to his cheek, rubbing softly. "I got that wrong."

"I think maybe I will order a cake." She glanced up at him. "With your name on it."

The prince's ears went erect. Was Maud trying to be subtle in that inquiry? That was... laughably bad, he decided. "'Prince of Errors'?"

"I could do that." She tapped a chisel against the gem. "Do you know a better name?"

It was just a name. He just had to open his mouth and share it with the special little rock mare. Nobody was around but her and the softly flowing water, and the water likely had no interest in his name. "It...."

She was quiet, working on her gem. He could guess she was listening, even if she gave no outward sign of doing so. She didn't even have an ear raised towards him.

"J..."

"Juh?" She held up the gem as she examined it with the magnifying glass over an eye.

Why wasn't he saying it? He trembled softly in place. "N-no! It's, uh... Ja..." It was just a name! He could say a name, right? Just a name. Just a name. He clopped his hooves down in frustration.

"If you tell me your name." She set the gem down gently and reached for the next one. "I'll tell other ponies." She quietly resumed work. "Then they will know who you are. Even if they think you don't want to talk, they will say hi, because they know you."

The prince flopped back onto his haunches. That made too much sense. "I thought you didn't 'get' ponies." Who was this and what had they done with Maud?

"I don't." She tinked softly at the gem, tapping away at faint imperfections. "But I know that. Since ponies started to learn my name, they say hi a lot more often in town, even if I'm busy with something." She glanced towards him, still holding the gem up and ready. "You have to say hello back or they get angry as if you said something bad to them. Sometimes, I forget. Rules..."

The unspoken book. The social playbook. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything." She resumed tapping at her gem. "You get used to it. They say hi, or hello, or hey there, Maud. Either way, you say hi back. If they say hey there, Maud, to you, don't say hello back. They must have the wrong pony."

The prince smiled awkwardly, imagining ponies greeting him as Maud for no discernible reason. That would be quite odd. "What if I am you?"

Maud set down her chisel and took up her polishing rag. "You're not me."

"I can be."

Maud turned then to face him, as if somehow just rotating in place without actually standing up or even shuffling in place. "There is only me. There is not two of me."

"I can be," he repeated with a firm nod. "If you were missing somewhere, and somepony mentioned it. Replacing ponies is what I do."

Maud watched him quietly a moment. She put down her gem, dropped her rag, then slowly worked free the magnifying glass over her eye. "Mud Briar is the closest pony to understanding me. You can do better?"

He flinched back, feeling her attention focusing on him with a laser's precision. "I'm not trying to be 'better'. I--"

"Prove it."

"Huh?" He blinked, confused at the idea. "Prove what?"

"Copy me. Show you understand me."

He was certain that would not be enough to imitate a pony, but he felt the change creeping over him. He didn't gain much color, for Maud was also a grey pony, but he was becoming a mare, which continued to be a powerful transition of internals and externals. He didn't make any faces though. He just didn't need to. He was Maud. "Hello."

Maud examined her double with placid eyes. "What do you see?"

"I see Maud," he replied with her even tone.

"I don't see Maud." She reached for him and gently poked the horn on his head. "Maud isn't a unicorn."

He looked up at the horn he had forgotten was there. "That's true," he agreed placidly. "You're Maud."

"I'm Maud." She stood up and began to circle him, studying his copied appearance. "Tell me."

Tell her what? His wanted to follow her with his eyes, but his eyes felt like looking forward at the moment, perhaps under the influence of who he was copying.

Maud moved up on him from behind and casually sniffed his back. He could feel her hooves casually touching his sides then, poking and prodding as if to take measure of him. Part of him, his usual self, wanted to recoil and flee the invasive prodding and the extreme proximity, but Maud's part of his mind was relaxed.

"Alright." She came back around in front of him and sat down facing him. "Now tell me why I can't talk."

He slowly blinked at that. "You're talking right now. I'm talking right now."

She shook her head. "To other ponies. Why can't I smile more often? Ponies do it all the time, but I don't."

"Does that bother you?"

Maud raised a hoof part way only for it to fall again. "No, but I think it should. Tell me."

He raised an ear at her, studying her. Staring at things came easily enough, but he felt like he wasn't actually learning much. He was just... looking, his thoughts somewhere else. He knew that feeling at least. "I feel... alright. I feel... okay." He felt a frown coming but it only emerged faintly. "That isn't quite right. I feel... a lot of things."

Putting a hoof on his chest, his eyes on Maud, he could feel her placid heart beating strongly in his chest. "It's all in there, but it doesn't all come out."

Maud nodded slowly. "Is that... bad? Am I broken?"

The prince tensed powerfully on the inside, even as his borrowed body barely registered his internal screaming. "You are a great pony," he said in the placid tones and voice of Maud. He thought they were there to pry into his head, not Maud's. How had he arrived in that position?

"Pinkie thinks so. My sisters, my other sisters, don't understand me sometimes. Pinkie doesn't understand me. She loves me, but she does not understand me." That faint smile crept onto her snout. "I understand that. I don't understand her, but I love her. Do you love her?"

"I love her," he easily agreed, both him and Maud-him having affection for the strange pink pony.

Being Maud was strangely uncomfortable. Being most ponies was a chance to see the world with clearer eyes. It was like each borrowed body came with a copy of the social rulebook and the world made sense for a little while.

Maud did not have that. He felt even more muffled, as if everything made just a little less sense than it normally did. It was frightening, and it was Maud's every day life. Despite his words, the urge to grab up the other mare was growing by the moment, as if he could chase away the problems if he just squeezed hard enough.

Maud reached out and touched the fake her on the nose, resting the flat of her hoof there. "Thank you."

The prince blinked rapidly, though the motion slowed as he did it, shortened by several blinks and extended over time by the brakes applied by his form. "What are you thanking me for?"

"I got to see myself." Maud put a hoof at her chest. "I appreciate that. You said you are not a wage slave, but you deserve something, for helping."

"Can I hug you?"

Maud blinked, once, slowly. "I expect that from Pinkie, but she does not usually ask."

"I'm not Pinkie," argued the prince in Maud's voice.

"If you want to." She sat down on her haunches, watching him.

He rose to his grey hooves, approaching the mare. "We are even." He reached out a hoof towards her slowly, unsure.

Suddenly she hugged him. The tension somehow managed to ramp up and melt at the same time. He returned the hug, feeling her warmth and knowing that under the steel wool that hid her emotions, there was a mare that cared. There was a pony that wanted to be understood.

"I understand," he whispered in one of her ears.

She squeezed harder, perhaps a touch too hard, but his body was strong and tough, built to Pie standards. For all her hidden emotional vulnerability, he could feel intense musculature at work, both in his own arms and the ones wrapped around him. They hugged tightly in that quiet cave.

For that moment at least, they understood, and it was good.

With a powerful sensation of change, he became himself. Her arms were suddenly squeezing far too tight and he squeaked in pain, being compressed in the vice-like grip of the archetypal earth pony.

Maud gently released him. "Sorry."

"It's alright. You feel better, right?"

"I do..."

That made sense to him, why he changed back. Maud didn't need her copy anymore. "I meant it. I... understand, uh, from your perspective."

"You could help a lot of ponies." Maud directed a hoof at him, pointing. "You can get inside them, help them understand. Or even just know... That's a special thing."

She looked at him with a new intensity suddenly. "Have you been Pinkie before? Have you seen in her eyes? Tell me about it. You said you don't understand her. Did you lie?" She almost almost sounded excited about the idea, as close as she might ever come.

Author's Note

Maud has feelings. Who knew?! We all knew that, let's be real. Maud is a good pony.

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31 - Somber Affairs

"Alright, girls, we have a job to do." Twilight thrust a hoof out and was met by her five girlfriends, and a Spike. With a mutual nod of assurance, they rushed off towards the train station. They had a Crystal Empire to save, again.

Sombra had returned, whole, well, and just as creepy as ever.

He hadn't destroyed anything, yet, but they would get there before he caused too much trouble, hopefully.

The prince strode imperiously down the street, crystal ponies shrieking and running away as he came. Of course they would, for he was King Sombra at the moment. He had to play the part, it was just part of things. He could put his own slant on it, but if he veered too powerfully away, he'd be punished for it.

"Subjects," he roared as he marched through the city towards the castle. "Come and greet your king!" He wasn't sure who had need of King Sombra, but it had to be somepony, or he wouldn't be in the form. Announcing his presence felt like the right thing to do, searching for that pony.

Three guards landed in front of them, Flash Sentry at the head of the small formation. "Stop right there!" He said with almost painfully obvious bravado, shaking a little, a spear raised towards the prince. "We won't let you hurt anypony."

The prince felt dark power welling up as he waved dismissively, grabbing the spear in dark magic and flinging it away so powerfully it slammed into the wall of a crystal building and embedded itself there. Thankfully it didn't actually hit anyone on the way. "I don't have time to deal with mewling whelps! Someone has summoned me, and I would know who is so brazen!" He had meant to ask politely who wanted King Sombra. That was polite... for the king.

The other two guards rushed at him in a brave act of defiance. The prince snarled, his eyes flaring as they were tossed aside almost as roughly as the spear had been, their weapons clattering to the ground, separated from them in the sudden shove. He thrust a hoof at the one left, Flash Sentry. "Where is the one that summoned me?!"

Really, he just wanted to find that pony, pat them on the head, and tell them whatever they needed to hear from Sombra. What could a pony want from Sombra? "Tell me and we can avoid... pain." Ack, he had meant that much more nicely than that.

Flash took a half step back, shaking like a leaf. "Your time is over! G-go back where you came from!"

"I will, as soon as I have what I want." He drove a hoof down with a loud thump, glaring at Flash Sentry. "Ugh, nevermind. You're useless." He had no wings, but wanting to go to the castle was enough to make his borrowed body go into motion, floating up on dark mists, his body becoming smoke and mist on the breeze.

"It's him!" came an excited little squeak.

Cadance stepped out onto the balcony with a scowl. Flurry Heart was safely ensconced in the castle, tucked far away.

"Do you see him?" Shining Armor joined her, looking out over the city. "There!" He thrust a hoof at the dark figure, a cloud with the face of a pony, terrible and sinister. "There he is!"

Sombra appeared to be entering a house. Cadance drew a low gasp, teeth set at the sight of their enemy going to harm one of her citizens. "We have to stop him..." He was already in the city limits, meaning erecting a barrier would do little. "How is he this close?" The Crystal Heart was there, exuding its lovely powers. It should have chased him away.

"I don't know, but we can't just do nothing."

"How close is Twilight and her friends?"

Shining looked over his shoulder at a clock inside the room they had emerged from. "She should be here soon. I can't just watch and wait. You stay here, I'm on the way." He turned to leave, but her hoof went up in front of him.

"Don't be so hasty. I don't want you getting hurt." She kissed one of his twitchy ears. "Please."

"I promised to defend this nation," he replied sternly. "I can't just... do nothing. You know that."

"I'm just asking that you not forget yourself. I want my husband back, in one piece." She lowered her hoof out of the way. "Keep that in mind."

He dipped his head in silent agreement, and charged forward to be the brave warrior of the city and his family.

"Who dares to call me!" boomed the prince, looking around.

There was a crystal colt, bouncing in place with... excitement? They didn't seem to be scared of him at all. "You're here! You're really here!" He was clip-clopping his forehooves rapidly. "Oh wow!"

"Y-yes... I am here..." The prince floated to the ground, starting to reform into a solid shape once more. The youth's exuberance was disarming, even to his gruff Sombra shell. "What is it that you... wanted?"

The colt flashed the biggest smile. "They always told me that if I didn't eat all my veggies and feed the cat every day, King Sombra would come and take me away and here you are!"

Not-Sombra blinked softly, trying to parse that. The foal wanted him to snatch them up and make off with them? "What ridiculousness is this?!" He had meant to ask more gently than that... "Why?"

The colt shrank back a half-step, glancing around nervously. "W-well, you see..."

The door leading from his room burst open. "Why ar--" The words were cut off by a deafening shriek. The mare that had come in on them saw the prince and began wailing with a terror that would not be easily rivaled. And it didn't stop. She just kept screaming like a pot of water left on the stove, whistling away with only the hope that it'd eventually run out of water as any sign that it could some day end.

Not-Sombra shoved a hoof forward, pushing the mare without touching her in a sudden slide across the crystal ground. The door slapped shut in her face, muffling her continued scream. "Is that your mother?"

The foal's ears were pinned down in a futile attempt to keep the sound away. "No! She's a bad mean mare and you're going to take me away from her. C'mon, let's go!"

The prince was increasingly unsure what was going on, but that screaming... He reached for the foal and the colt floated into the air, drifting towards him. "I will expect a full explanation!" he boomed, becoming black smoke and drifting away with the colt securely in his ephemeral grip.

Shining Armor burst through the front door. "I'm here!" he called towards the screaming he could hear, scrambling through the house towards it. "You'd better not be hurting anypony, Sombra. I won't allow it!"

There was a mare at the top of the steps, pointing at a door, still screaming.

"It's alright...." But she was still screaming. "Ma'am?" She did not pause. "Miss?" He reached out and softly shook her. "I'm Shining Armor, remember? I'm here now."

She looked him over even as she screamed, only starting to slow down as she seemed to soak in who she was in front of. "Oh... oh... Shining Armor, thank Celestia! Sombra stole my child!" She pointed at the door more emphatically. "Save him!"

"I'm on the case!" He saluted sharply, as he had learned from his time as a guard, then ran for the door, barreling through it into a perfectly empty room. It wasn't entirely empty. There were plenty of signs that a young colt lived there. Toys and posters that matched the fact were strewn about, but there was no pony present. There was no window open either.

Then again, he had seen Sombra seeping in through the cracks in the window to start. Could he take a foal out the same way? Apparently yes. Shining rushed to the window and threw it open, but there were no shadow kings there, or lost foals. The city was quiet, save for the nervous peeking of ponies just starting to poke their heads out of their homes, looking for much the same thing as he had just done.

"Dang..."

The prince gathered in a cave, spilling out the colt to the rough floor before he became solid once more. "There, we are far away from that infernal noise."

"You did it!" He looked around the cave with wide eyes. "Huh... I thought your place would be more... I dunno... grand? Maybe evil looking, with tons of servants and stuff?"

The prince hiked a brow at the child. "I require answers and you will give them." He snorted, dark magic escaping his nostrils. "Why have you summoned me just to take you away?" Was that kid a few flowers short of a bouquet?

"Ugh, if I have to..."

"You do," stated not-Sombra flatly. "Begin now."

"My real mom and dad went away... a long time ago... That mare isn't them, but she keeps telling me what to do and I hate her!" He stomped down a little hoof with a pout on his face. "I want to join you. Everyone's scared of you. I'll be your right-hoof pony! We'll take over everything and then we can have dessert for breakfast and play arcade games whenever we want!"

The prince softly blinked at the colt. He was summoned to act out a childish power fantasy? He struggled to think of how to get the child back to where it belonged, and get them to stop wanting Sombra, without breaking the veil and being left with a crippling migraine to add to the annoyances of the day. "I will not promise any titles! Is ice cream what you truly desire?"

"Yes please!" The colt bounced up and down with a big smile, apparently entirely happy with the presence of the dread King Sombra and seeing no possible harm in it. "One of those bowls with so many scoops." He waved his hooves wildly, trying to pantomime the incredible sugary snack he saw coming. "You just have to ask for it. They'll give you whatever you want."

"If they know what's good for them..." He still planned to set some bits down, even if the words he said tended towards being rough. "Very well. We will get your iced cream, then you will be happy?"

"Then we get to work!" The colt bounced forward and started to trot for the exit with a silly grin, visions of being Sombra's second bouncing in his mind just as eagerly.

The train came to a soft halt, allowing Twilight and friends to disembark. Spike wasn't wearing his disguise. "In a time like this, I think ponies will be comforted by the presence of--"

"Spike!" came a sharp happy cry. "Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious." An excited hoof waved down from a window and ponies began to emerge from the city in droves despite the group not even reaching the city borders yet. By the time they got there, there was a mob waiting for them, their crystal faces lit up with hope at the presence of one of their greatest heroes.

"You've come to defeat Sombra like last time," assured a mare as if talking herself up as much as Spike. "I kept hoping you'd come."

A stallion nodded softly. "There won't be any problems now. How do you plan to take him down?"

Spike waved at his pony companions. "Let us through, good ponies of the empire. We'll have a cunning plan to set this straight in no time at all."

Ripples of awe and delight spread through the crowd. Surely anything Spike, their glorious hero, came up with would be amazing! They began to part the way, allowing them to proceed as they cheered and called to him, as if he was the only one there actually doing the fighting.

Rainbow rolled her eyes as she followed along. "Yeah, that isn't a little annoying... I helped too you know!"

Applejack lowered her hat a little over her eyes. "Ya helped lie to them, not sure how much of a hero that makes ya really."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "I certainly did more than that, but we're not here to discuss our public image. Let's find Sombra and settle this before anypony gets hurt."

Sombra sat on his haunches in front of an ice cream stand. A bowl was filled with more and more scoops of different colors. "Is this enough," squeaked the stand pony, shaking softly.

"No!" countered the colt, watching it stack higher and higher.

"That is sufficient," grunted the prince. He floated it in fell magic, setting it in front of the colt. "Now eat!" The moment the view was blocked between them, he pulled out his bit pouch and quickly paid the stand-operator, but said nothing, his eyes on his young ward. "If you can even finish half of that, I will be amazed."

"Challenge accepted." With a final clap of hooves, he buried his face in the frozen treat and began eating voraciously with loud snaps and licks.

Rainbow landed with a sudden crash, bit of stone kicked up from the impact of her hooves. "Stop right there, Sombra! We creamed you once, we can do it again!"

He meant to ask where the others were, wondering if Rainbow was alone. What came out was, "You and what army?"

"Awesome!" squeaked the colt, watching them with ice cream stained lips. "Go on, show her a lesson!"

The prince tensed. He had to fight Rainbow or fail in his role as Sombra. "Y-yes, of course. Foolish pegasus! You think you have even a tiny chance against me?!"

Rainbow waved the colt away. "Go on before you get hurt. Alright, Mister Shadow, let's do this." She reared up on her hind legs and danced back and forth, pumping her fore hooves in the air in mock punches. "I'll knock your block right off!"

Rainbow looked far from fearsome in his eyes and he laughed at her cruelly as only Sombra's voice could do justice. "You are not even worth my time!" He had meant to tell her to calm down. That was almost the same, right? He waved her back and suddenly she was propelled, dark magic grabbing her up and tossing her across the street away from them.

"Stop right there!" It was Twilight and Spike, flying in just a little slower than Rainbow had. Twilight was scowling at him, horn glowing brightly.

The way the prince saw it, she wasn't happy. He glanced at the small colt, who seemed overjoyed at the coming conflict. "Twilight Sparkle..."

"King Sombra," she growled back at him. "I don't know how you got so close to the heart, but we're here to kick you out."

"I fear no heart!" He wasn't actually a creature of shadow, why would it hurt him? "Now I will defeat you; unless you want to just give up?"

Spike blinked at the offer. "What? No. We're ready to kick your back end into next Tuesday!"

He could see Rainbow being helped up by Rarity. They were all arriving, so he had to act quickly. "Feeble ponies. You will make passable slaves in the crystal mines." He made to wave them away, as had worked so well up to then.

Twilight's form was surrounded by a bright sphere of energy that seemed to resist the shove entirely. "Not so fast! We're better prepared."

"Yeah!" Pinkie bounced up towards them, her eyes locked on him as the rest of her bounced up and down eagerly. "You should just give up now."

With a great hiss, he drew up into smoke and fog, darting away from the gathering of ponies that could likely beat him up if they so wanted. "You will regret making an enemy of me!" He had meant to say they weren't enemies, oh well...

Rainbow suddenly zoomed from where she had landed across the street. With a hind hoof out, she flying-kicked the prince, but he was a shadow, and she passed through him like a puffy cloud, soaring right past and landing on a rooftop when she could get her velocity under control.

He tried to think quickly on how to avoid the Mane Six, and Spike. He had to get away from them, and convince that colt to stop needing him... "You can't stop me." You shouldn't need to stop me! With a growl of announce, he swooped down towards Rainbow. "I have this under control. Begone!"

Spike suddenly came between him and Rainbow. "Stop right there!" He gusted out fire at him in a great cone of heat.

The prince expected it to wash past him without effect, but he was wrong. Fire still hurt! He gutterly called out in pain and veered away from the angry dragon, aborting his approach of Rainbow Dash.

"Brave and glorious," laughed Rainbow, taking new flight. "C'mon, we have him on the ropes!"

The prince ducked just inside a small alcove he spotted in what could have been a school. There were no teachers or students present, possibly because of his presence. Still, it was a break.

"You're acting funny."

He swirled around in shadow form to find Pinkie had come up on him out of nowhere. "You haven't said 'Crystals' as much as I remember."

The prince scowled at her, trying to think of a proper response to that. Was she safe to confide in like that? Maybe... maybe not... "I have no interest in that damnable crystal."

"Oh, well that's good." Pinkie bobbed her head with a satisfied expression. "So what do you want?"

Well... maybe?... maybe... "I need to discipline my right-hoof foal," he hissed out, rising into the air. "Stop getting in the way!" He fled the building and Pinkie, fuming silently at how terribly he'd phrased that.

The colt wiped his snout with an arm. "Huh... he should have kicked all your flanks by now."

Fluttershy tilted her head at the foal. "Why would you want that?"

"He's gonna take me away from all the bad stuff."

Fluttershy reached a hoof for him, but he danced away. "What kind of bad stuff?"

Rarity trotted up next to Fluttershy. "Shouldn't we be getting him home?"

"No!"

Fluttershy extended a wing between the foal and Rarity. "Wait, please... Um... would you tell me what the bad things are?"

"I just want someone that cares about me. She has like a dozen colts!" complained the foal, bouncing in place. "I never get to... do anything!"

Twilight soared on powerful wings, Rainbow at her side. They could see King Sombra weaving between buildings and banked down to try to intercept him. Just as he burst out between the two aisles of buildings, Twilight came down in front of him. Rainbow came up from behind, trapping the dread king between them.

"Stop right there," ordered Twilight, a hoof extended. "You've hurt these ponies enough. We won't let you bring any further harm to the ponies of the city."

Ugh. He snorted explosively, dark gloomy magic escaping him. "I just want to educate one stupid little foal!"

Rainbow punched at his shadowy rump. "As if we'd let you torture some little colt! Give it up!"

With a flash of magic, Twilight encased the not-Sombra in a shimmering field of magic. "I have you now."

No! With a mighty roar, the prince surged outwards, dark lightning crackling over his foggy form. The bubble he was in cracked and splintered, Twilight squinting in concentration, trying to contain him.

A bolt of lightning pierced the magic from the inside and he started to rush out of it, a foul vapor through the crack in the glass. "You won't stop me!"

Rainbow rushed up and slammed a cork into the hole made by the lightning, suddenly cutting off Sombra's retreat. Half of him was inside, and half was on the outside. He could feel through both in a confusing blur of sensory input. "Impudent fool," he said twice at once, his world swirling dangerously.

He fled with the half he had control of, the other half struggling against the sphere, but it seemed Twilight could hold him, even constricting it tighter to keep him from bouncing around.

Though they saw a wisp of dark magic fleeing, they focused on the half they had, bringing it back towards the others.

"Did you get him?" Spike joined in their wing. "Oh yeah, there it is." He squinted at the captured form in the ball. "He sure looks smaller than before."

Rarity shook her head slowly. "Poor thing, but they're doing their best, I believe. It's not an... ideal situation, don't get me wrong, I understand that."

"Not ideal?" The foal took a step back. "What does that even mean?"

"We're back," announced Rainbow as all three came in for a landing.

The foal's eyes locked onto the captured small form of the half-a-Sombra. "What... happened?"

Spike gestured to the captured dark magic. "We captured Sombra. He won't be bothering anyone ever again."

The foal blinked softly at what was his savior. "Oh..." It was then that he noticed who was pointing. "Hey, aren't you that dragon? You beat him up once before, huh?"

"Twice now," proudly reported Spike, putting his hands at his hips and striking a very proud stance.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "With no help at all."

"Wow!" The foal clapped his hooves together sharply. "Maybe I'm just hoping for the wrong person. Can I be your assistant dragon instead? I can eat gems real good, promise!"

"Uhhh..."

Elsewhere, the prince felt his 'self' drawing back together as color fled him. The dark greys and greens and purples became soft shades of grey and he sprawled out over the ground. Somehow, he had completed his duty, and he wasn't suffering a pounding pain in his head, implying he had done it properly.

Why was everything in double though? He tried to shift his focus between the two perceptions, but they were hopelessly muddled, leaving him seeing a lot of basically nothing. He closed his eyes rather than struggle with it, feeling a headache starting to form just from his brain trying to reconcile it.

Pinkie tilted her head up at the bubble. Everyone else had forgotten about it, but at some point Twilight was holding a small version of the prince in there, with his eyes closed. He looked uncomfortable. She moved just under the bubble, which was good as Twilight forgot why she was even holding the bubble up and it popped with a loud cork of a noise.

The prince fell right on Pinkie's back, like a foalish sized passenger. While the other girls spoke with the little colt about his situation at the orphanage, she wandered off with him, keeping an ear trained on him but being quiet until they were around a corner. "Why are you so small and why did Twilight have you in a bubble?"

"Is that you Pinkie?" asked the small prince that still had his eyes closed. "Everything is really confusing right now... I think I'm in two places at the same time."

"Woah, don't do that. It's really dizzying."

"Tell me about it," he agreed with a faint smile. "I'm going to open my eyes a moment..." He cracked open his right eye, seeing both places he was in. "I... think... I'm behind a crystal rock candy store?" He squeezed his eye back shut. "Can you get the two mes back together?"

"I'm on it." Pinkie trotted through the streets as they started to resume normal activity. Sombra had been scared off, as far as people were concerned, done by the valiant action of Spike, Brave and Glorious.

Pinkie tilted to the side, letting the prince on her back slide down and off, bumping into the other prince. The two flowed into each other with a loud sound of a drain unclogging, reforming into one larger pony that blinked open his eyes. "That is much better. Thank you, Pinkie." Without thinking about it, he gave her a hug, and she seemed entirely alright with her reward for helping a friend.

Author's Note

Happy April 1st! It wasn't that happy for the prince, but we'll fix him soon, maybe.

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32 - Pinkie Promise

The prince took a timid half-step away. He had seen behind her eyes,and she hadn't made him promise not to speak of it. Not that he had really gotten into much detail about what he had experienced... Still... What little he had assembled of the Book of Social Law implied he shouldn't just... rush. "I did."

"Tell me about it." Maud abandoned all else, all her attention on him, even if her voice remained even and placid. "What did you see?"

"Would you..." His eyes went for the ceiling, suddenly so fascinating. "--want me to tell ponies what I saw when I was you?"

She shrugged softly. "I wouldn't care."

Assuming she wouldn't care was easy, but he... felt that was untrue. She did care, about a lot of things. "You're just saying that."

Maud paused, slowly blinking. "I'm not sure I like this."

That was more honest. "Like what?"

She pointed at him. "You're in my head. I want to know what you saw. I know Pinkie won't care. She loves people talking about her, so long as it's about nice things. Did you see nice things?"

Good things... "She is very in tune with her body, more than basically any other pony I met. She can move in ways... She can grab things effortlessly, and even her mane is a part of that. She is completely at one with everything that makes her up and it's a... liberating feeling." He raised a grey hoof and wobbled it limply. "I barely feel like these are mine at times, but when I was Pinkie, I was all of Pinkie. It was amazing."

"That sounds like her," she placidly agreed with a nod. "But that isn't really in here." She reached up and tapped her own head lightly. "What are her thoughts like? You saw mine, how are they different?"

He frowned a little, thinking about the two in comparison. "When I was you... I was trapped behind steel wool. What I wanted to say or feel couldn't get out around it. When I was Pinkie, what I felt just came out almost like it was pushed out. I really cared what other people thought of me too, now that I think back on it..." He rubbed his cheek softly. "Oh, but she didn't... actually have the book."

Maud cocked a brow high. "The book?" She half-nodded. "Oh, the social book? How does she not have that? She is very social, all the time."

"I know the difference," assured the prince with two raised hooves. "She doesn't always know the rules, or why ponies do what they do, but she can't hold what she's feeling back, and she cares what they think of her too much, so she just pushes ahead anyway with a big smile. It works, usually, but sometimes it really doesn't." He could remember episodes where Pinkie's rush to defuse tense moments exploded in her face or even hurt people around her. "But she's ready to get up on her hooves and try again."

Maud sank to her haunches, staring at him with her intense neutrality. She was perfectly still for a long and silent time, watching him, or perhaps thinking and just happening to be facing him. "Hmm... So she wins... by just trying over and over. She is very persistent." She added an inflection, breaking her monotone a moment. "That... makes sense. I don't think I could do that; it's not how I do it, but I think I understand my sister a little better." She rose to her hooves. "Thank you."

He stood up too, watching her turn away towards her gem pile. Was the discussion over? "You're welcome, glad it helped. Uh, thanks, for offering a place."

Maud turned an ear towards him but was otherwise unresponsive, resuming her work with her gems with the next one gently picked up.

"But I think I'll pass. You're nice, don't get me wrong, um, but you're also involved."

"Are you attracted to me?" She didn't turn towards him or pause her work.

What a question! "Oh, um, you're a very pretty mare, but I more meant that you two will want some alone time and there I'll be, in the way."

Maud faintly nodded her head between soft hammer strikes, shaping her gem. "We wouldn't mind, but alright."

Some part of him could see that, the two casually ignoring him even as they did things couples do, not at all put off by his presence. That didn't make it much better. "I'm, uh, glad you found him."

Maud paused. She set down the gem she was working on and turned her head towards the prince. "What made you say that?" she asked in her usual placid tones.

"You two are... uh... good for each other. You complete each other." He pressed his forehooves together awkwardly. "Two wildly uneven puzzle pieces that fit together. It's... really good. I'm happy for you, and him." Jealous too? Yeah, maybe that too. If she didn't already have such a good match, he wouldn't have minded hanging around Maud more. A person to just be quiet around and passively enjoy the presence of? That sounded kind of nice.

"I like him too." She turned back to her gem and plucked it up with a hoof easily, showing suction control. "Will you be upset if I say hello to you later?"

"N-no! No. We're friends now, I think." He set a hoof on his chest. "You say hello whenever you want, just don't be surprised when I'm surprised at first."

"What should I call you?"

He opened his mouth to reply before it hit him flatly. "You almost got me."

"I had to try." She didn't sound upset about it, flat as usual. "Have a nice day."

It was time to go, and he felt better about doing it. He started for the exit. "Thanks for bringing me here, this was good, I think." There was no reply given on the way out, but none was really needed. He left with a smile, and a new friend or two.

"Behold!" Trixie raised her hooves into the air as the rope on the stage lifted with them, only to suddenly become flowers that spread across it rapidly. "I am the master of life itself!"

The prince watched her performance from in the crowd. Ponies sat all around him, but none of them really cared he was there, which was fairly normal for him. He wasn't much paying attention to that. It was time for Trixie. He softly clopped his hooves in appreciation of her trick, wondering if it was magic magic, or stage magic.

"For Trixie's next amazing feat to defy reality itself, she will want an assistant." Her eyes scanned over the crowd. "She will add color to the colorless, so if somepony with a dull pattern would kindly step forward?"

"Me?" he said without thinking about it. It was enough. His shields were stripped away for that one precious moment.

"You!" With a glowing horn, she yanked him up to his hooves and began drawing him closer. "Don't be shy, you're absolutely perfect for Trixie's new act of bedazzlement! Everyone put their hooves together for this brave volunteer."

The crowd stomped their approval as the prince walked in an awkward combination of steps and being pulled in Trixie's magic. Even his silence wasn't good enough. He was her assistant, so it didn't matter how boring he was or how much he wanted to be left alone. He was part of her act. His blandness may even have added to things, making her more dazzling in comparison.

"Oh yes, perfect." She set him down in the middle of the stage. "Now tell Trixie and the crowd, what is your favorite color? And don't say grey." She rolled her eyes mildly at the idea of turning a grey pony grey again.

He liked grey just fine! "Um... blue?"

"Blue it is!" She stomped the ground and a shower curtain sprang up, blocking his view of the audience and her just as they couldn't see him any longer. "Behold as I infuse this pony with more blue than anypony should have to endure." She began weaving her hooves in odd patterns, reared up on two legs as she made her magical motions with a glowing horn. "Behold as Trixie draws on all the blue in the world!"

He didn't feel anything at first. Nothing seemed to be happening. Was she doing it wrong? He was still pretty... oh. He felt blue suddenly sweep over him, but it wasn't her magic, it was his. He was a deep and vibrant blue from nose to tail, fulfilling what Trixie was expecting to see. His wings suddenly gave a flap and he realized she had seen him as a pegasus, so he was suddenly a pegasus, a blue pegasus, just as she expected. At least she had thought he was a stallion, so he remained that.

Trixie made a sudden parting motion with her hooves, drawing away the curtain to reveal the very blue prince. "Ta da!" she cried, only opening her eyes a moment later. "Oh, it worked. I mean of course Trixie's spell worked! Trixie practices these things to perfection." She nodded with building confidence. "How do you feel, now-blue pony? Would you step forward?"

The prince stepped forward, his wings shuffling softly, feeling eager to be used. He smiled lightly, some of his internal fog lifted. Was that what Trixie had imagined for him? "Hello everypony."

"Behold!" called out Trixie, waving a hoof at him. "That dull grey pony is now a happy blue pony, reunited with his favorite shade, he's not dull and forgettable anymore."

That was nonsense, the prince thought to himself, but its thought sort of worked. He had stepped into the form of a blue version of himself without the usual shields. "Where did you learn that trick?"

Trixie wagged the end of a hoof slowly. "Ah ah ah, that's a secret and Trixie does not disclose her secrets. You've been fantastic, go on back to your seat now." She pointed down into the crowd and she went right on to the next trick as if he was never there in the first place.

His shields were down, that was just Trixie being Trixie. She could screen someone out if she wanted to... He stepped down in a soft hop. Other ponies were looking at him, watching him at least half as intently as Trixie was being watched.

"Is that paint?" asked Doctor Horse, leaning in to give a sniff, but there was no paint to smell.

Rose shook her head softly. "I didn't know Trixie knew that much actual magic, nice. I like my color though." She ran a hoof over her soft tannish fur and her dark red mane. "You look nice though."

The prince felt a blush coming on, but he wasn't paralyzed. Whatever personality Trixie had imagined he had didn't freeze up. "I'm happy with grey, but blue isn't bad either." He raised a blue hoof into view. "Oh, you're Rose, right?"

"Roseluck," she corrected with a smile. "I don't think I've run into you before."

"Nor I," agreed Doctor Horse, completely unaware of his failed attempt to cure the prince of the red stickler situation. "What is your name, good sir?"

"Jacob." The prince collapsed, out cold. The mentality given to him by Trixie had reacted before he had time to consider what he was saying. Color fled him in a rush, and he was a slumbering grey pony.

Doctor Horse turned back to Trixie's performance, clopping at it, but Roseluck did not. Her eyes were on Jacob's fallen form, a concerned look on her face. "Jacob," she whispered to herself, the name not leaving her. The name felt... important. "Let's get you somewhere safe."

She abandoned watching the magic show, instead gently picking up the fallen one and taking them away. The other flower ponies noticed her efforts and joined in relocating the stallion.

Author's Note

Another layer of the shield is worn down. Thanks Trixie? With an assist from Roseluck and Doctor Horse.

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33 - The Horror

Daisy and Lily watched the slumbering prince from either side of the bed. Rose was gently watering flowers. "Watching him won't make him wake up any faster."

Daisy glanced over at her fellow flower-themed earth pony. "There's a stallion... in our space. This is very unusual."

Lily nodded softly in agreement. "Highly so. And with such a strange name. Jacob?"

"That was the last thing he said before he passed out. His name is Jacob." She set down the watering can carefully and turned back to the others. "He seemed nice."

"He seems... odd." Lily kept glancing between his horn and wings, almost but not quite grasping what she was seeing. "Something feels... off."

"He has all the parts a unicorn stallion should have," argued Daisy with a shrug. "That's what bothers me."

Lily canted her head. He did have a horn, but... She reached and gently brushed one of his wings. "Do unicorns have these?" She couldn't quite vocalize it, but it refused to entirely leave her senses, her perception just a step too far for the curse to fully shroud it.

Rose popped up between the two and gently pushed them away in either direction. "He's obviously a pegasus. Trixie said so."

It was Daisy's turn to frown. "Do pegasi have this?" She tapped at his horn awkwardly from where she had been displaced to.

Rose felt a headache threatening, as did they all, minds warring with the magic involved. "He must.... be...." She shook her head violently. "He has both? Jacob is one strange pony..."

Lily sagged with relief. With the acceptance that he had both, the magic lost a grip on them, and the tension flowed away. "Yes, he has both," she repeated, taking that as a fact. "Kind of a crummy princess though... Starting with the stallion parts."

"Tell me about it," sighed out Daisy. "Ten bits says he awkwardly makes a pass at us."

They all tittered, but it broke off as he stirred. With a soft grumble, he opened his eyes to discover three sets of them looking down at him from different angles. He squeaked and scrambled back against the baseboard of the bed he was in. It took a moment to realize who he had been snatched by. "The flower sisters?"

Daisy snorted at that. "We may be sisters in a social kind of way, but not, you know... We don't share parents."

Lily nodded swiftly as she reached for the other two, hugging them. "We may as well be at times, but we're not sisters. How are you feeling?"

"You passed out so suddenly." Rose was watching him intently. "Just as you said your name."

Jacob went still. "Which you... forgot?"

Rose hiked a brow high. "Jacob? Not a hard name to remember. So unusual... But not bad. Hello, Jacob."

"Hello... Rose." He sat down stiffly. "Roseluck! Sorry... I forgot."

Rose waved it away. "Thanks for remembering, but Rose is alright too." She leaned forward, restrained by Lily's grip. "Why do you have wings and a horn?"

Jacob ran his tongue over his lips. Why were they remembering so much? "I'm honestly not sure... Pinkie calls me a prince."

All three laughed at the very idea. Daisy was shaking her head. "You are very clearly not a prince. Can you imagine the colors Blueblood would take if somepony told him that." She stuck out her tongue. "Ugh, typical stallion."

Jacob felt his ears pinning without his input. "Don't like stallions?"

Lily softly bopped Daisy on the head. "Smooth."

Daisy huffed as she glanced away. "Not all stallions, just most of them. They... act..." She trailed off, peering at Jacob. "Ugh, it's not the same with you staring at me."

"Sorry!" He sat up a little, trying to be less awkward. "I mean, I can't really help being one of these. My parents made that decision before I was here."

Rose nodded softly. "Too true. Stop being such a downer, Daisy. I know some perfectly nice stallions, and so do you. Would you say any of that to Big Mac?"

Daisy sagged a little in place. "The one good one, snatched by a mare from a whole other town..."

Lily elbowed her forlorn sister. "That's what happens when you never even try to make a move."

"But artless passes annoy me so much!" She clopped a hoof down. "I don't want to be the same thing, but a mare."

Jacob felt some tension fleeing. They were literally arguing about not understanding the social rulebook. He could understand that... "Have you tried just saying hello, and asking if they want to hang out?"

All three pairs of eyes turned to him at once.

Daisy waved it off with a frown. "It can't be that easy!"

"Um, sometimes..." Not that he was any great expert, but... "If a pretty mare asked me to just hang out... I don't think I'd say no."

Lily suddenly burst into airy giggles. "He just called you a pretty mare."

Rose was grinning lecherously. "That was a pass, but a good one. You lose the bet."

Daisy groaned loudly. "Not fair... Um... Do you mean that?"

"Yeah, just... ask?"

Daisy tilted her head left and right and left and right, looking quite uncertain. "This is too much! Alone, with a stallion? What if he tries something?!"

Rose put a hoof over her face. "They're still ponies, Daisy. Look, there's one right there, talking with us just like anypony else. Sorry about her, Jacob."

"It's cool." He really wasn't sure how much he liked having his name used. It had been so distant and forgotten, only to return at full strength. "Um... That should be it though."

Daisy suddenly thrust a hoof forward, pressing it against Jacob's furry chest and nudging him back against the bed's backframe. "So you're saying all I have to do is... say hello?"

"Um..." He didn't really know any advanced techniques for the art. "Yeah?"

"I don't believe you." She crossed her arms petulantly. "Anypony can say that."

Rose rolled her eyes dramatically. "We have a stallion right here. Have you tried your 'new technique' on him yet?"

Lilly was too busy giggling at the entire exchange, a hoof over her mouth.

Daisy glared at Rose, then smiled at Jacob, an uncertain one full of her doubt. "Oh, well... hello."

"Hi." Jacob tried to smile easily, but he wasn't sure how well he was pulling it off. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, fine, just... there's a stallion in our bedroom and I have to ask him out and I'm getting more and more nervous and I'm afraid I'll pass out..." She laughed nervously, hoof behind her head.

Jacob smiled gently, far more easily. There was a mare that really didn't know the book, that unspoken book. "Have you tried just asking him?"

"It's not that easy!" She threw up her forehooves. "Hey, you, wanna go walk by the pond? As if--"

"Sure."

"--he'd agree to that! Wait what?" She stared at Jacob with wide eyes. "He said yes. Girls, he said yes. I have to walk, alone, with a stallion." She suddenly went limp, collapsing much as Jacob had before being brought there.

Lily gently patted Daisy's side. "We're all a little like that."

"We get excited." Rose shrugged softly. "You will go walk with her, right? And be a perfect gentlepony." She raised a hoof to her eyes, then turned it towards Jacob. "We'll be watching. She better be treated like a princess."

Lily grinned at Jacob. "You do that too. It's nice having another pony that gets a little too worked up sometimes. It all just rushes to your head and out like a light."

Rose worked her hooves under Daisy and Lily joined in, getting her up and onto the bed. Jacob hopped off without being told.

"She'll be alright, I hope?" He reached for the blanket and pulled it up over the slumbering mare.

"She's fine." Rose had more focus on him than her. "You have a date to prepare for. We need somepony that can break this bad habit of hers, treating half the population like they're after her."

Lily rolled her eyes softly. "I enjoy my time with my sisters, but there's nothing wrong with a nice stallion. Are you one of those?"

"I try to be." He sat on his haunches with a little smile. "We'll just hang out, walk around the lake, um... talk about things?"

"Great." Rose clopped her forehooves. "I had a good feeling about you. There's... It's hard to put a word on it, but it's like you understand the female point of view."

He quietly decided to not mention the various days he'd spent as a mare, doing all the things mares did, not that it was that different from the days he was a stallion, but it was different... "We never decided what day to do this?"

Lilly waved her hooves in a flat denial. "Don't you even worry about it. We'll hash that out when she wakes up and let you know."

Rose patted the bed gently. "We have to talk her up to it, so she doesn't go flat on you again during the walk."

"Wouldn't that be something." Lily shook her head. "Have no fear, the Flower Ponies are on the case." She put out a hoof and Rose met it with a firm clop of solidarity. "You just go... do whatever it is you do."

"Which is...?" Rose was peering at him with renewed interest. "Besides watching magic shows."

Jacob put a grey hoof to a grey chin. "I usually like pony watching."

"Ooo," they both crooned as one.

Lily nudged Rose. "You were right."

"Right about what?" He took a timid step back.

"That you think a little like a mare." She reached up and tapped her head. "Pony watching is one of my favorite things too."

"Ditto," sang out Rose with a smile. "Daisy would agree too, but, you know. She'll wake up soon. " A thought soured her smile a little. "Wait a minute... Are you... I mean, do you... prefer the company of other stallions?"

Jacob blinked dumbly, lost a moment before it clicked. "Oh! No! I mean, they're cool, uh... You do different things with stallions than with mares. I mean..." He was going a darker grey in his cheeks, floundering and becoming lost. For just a moment, it felt like he was really in control of a social situation. That had fled. "What... about you?"

"I have my sisters." Rose nodded softly. "But you..."

"Are not asking about that." Lily was grinning at Jacob lecherously. "You're asking if we 'keep to ourselves' and the answer is..." She walked past Jacob just to thwip his nose with the tip of her tail. "That's a rude question, but I'm feeling generous. Daisy is scared of getting involved with a stallion. Rose has to beat them off, but I know she's been around."

"Lily!" Rose's cheeks were just as red as her vibrant mane. "I swear! Why would you share that!?"

Lily didn't even glance at Rose, her eyes on Jacob. "I think both have their appeal, in different ways. Sometimes I get in one mood, or another... At least I have my favorite mares right here."

Rose clopped up and bopped her right on the head. "You might not keep having that if you go talking like that! I swear..." She cleared her throat softly and returned her gaze to Jacob. "That was... part of the reason I asked. You weren't ogling me nearly as much as the average stallion, and I was wondering if you just didn't go for that kind of thing."

Jacob blinked rapidly. "I didn't see many ponies, uh, staring at each other, unless they were really good friends or already involved."

"It's a trick." Rose sat and brought up her hooves together. "You learn to read between the lines. The angle of the ears, the twitch of a tail. It's really obvious once you learn the tells when a pony is thinking naughty thoughts about another pony.

Jacob sat up, ears perked. "Could you show me?" He could add another little bit to his tattered book of social laws. "Please?"

Author's Note

Jacob makes friends, yay! In some ways, he is not as socially maladjusted as he thinks.

Enjoy the writing? Help me stay afloat and show your support by joining the Patreon!

Join my discord to chat!

34 - A Perfect Evening

He stood next to a stand where ponies got shaven ice with various flavors drizzled on top. The ponies that came up to it ignored him, as was normal, but he was not ignoring them.

Under the later-afternoon sun, he watched each come up, his eyes on the angle of their ears, the way their eyes turned, the flicks of their cute tails, and other little hints Roseluck had advised him about.

He was judging them silently, taking measure of their thoughts. It felt like a super power, and it was all his to enjoy in silence.

Sure, Jacob wasn't entirely certain he was reading them all correctly. He'd have to touch bases with Roseluck again and keep practicing, but it was... uncanny. That little colt was super happy when he got to the front of the line, but he kept glancing away, nervous. Had he snuck there without telling his parents he was getting a sweet treat?

The next mare strolled up with a bored look in her eyes and tilt of her ears. She showed no interest in the ice cone she ordered and was delivered. The cone wasn't for her, maybe? She was told to go get it for somepony else, perhaps?

Jacob giggled a little to himself, getting an odd glare from her before she strode away. Oops, giggling didn't help his shield. He waved a hoof over his face, dismissing his expression. He felt... different, but good. He was seeing through the veil and it was a heady experience.

"Hello." There was Daisy, walking right up to him as if his shield never existed. "Um... good afternoon... Jacob..."

He turned his grey eyes onto his would-be date. He tried to turn his new vision on her, but it... wasn't as easy. This was a mare he was going to date. She looked, uh... nervous? Excited? He couldn't tell. He was too close to the situation and cursed softly. He needed to grind this skill a bit higher before he could use it reliably when it counted. "Daisy! Good to see you."

"It is?" She glanced around and back at him, smiling a little awkwardly. "I mean, of course, ha ha... I didn't keep you waiting for long, I hope?"

"I was just pony watching." He waved a hoof towards the cart he had parked next to. "Want a little treat for the walk?"

"Oh, they have carrot flavor." Her eyes were on the sign that displayed the choices. "My favorite."

"Two carrots," he ordered, reaching for coins he could grab with his hoof thanks to another recent trick he had learned. He felt a moment of pride, as if he had really grown as a pony. He could even see that the stall owner was bored as heck, and mildly irritated, though he wasn't sure why.

Jacob had never stood in the proper line, but he had also been standing right there the whole time, just not really noticed. The stall-keep accepted his coins and had two cones set in their waiting hooves in short order to get to the next customer, deciding just serving him was faster than even trying to argue. He had other ponies to get to.

Daisy softly nibbled at her cold treat, walking towards the lake that wasn't far beyond the stand. "So... do you walk here a lot?"

"Honestly no." He licked and chewed at the crushed ice as he walked, one hoof raised to keep it in mouth-range. "I usually lurk closer to the center of town, but this is nice. You?"

"Me neither," she sighed out softly. "I'm usually with the girls, handling our flowers... Um... do you like flowers?" She glanced nervously out of the corner of her eyes at him.

"They're nice... smell good." He wasn't sure what else to say about flowers... "They come in nice colors."

"They do!" she blurted out, grasping desperately for conversation she could take part in. "I love the shapes they come in too. Getting colors and shapes to balance out is what makes a bouquet really stand out."

"I never thought of it like that." Jacob had never really thought about flowers much at all. "What's your favorite?"

Daisy went red in her cheeks. "I bet you expect me to say a daisy... well, sorta... There are actually a lot of daisies out there, and each of them is great in a different way." She glanced back at her rump where two flowers rested.

Jacob glanced back there, but she went even darker instantly and he quickly looked away. "Oh, uh, was just looking at what you were looking at."

"Oh... you can look at that." She smiled, nervous enough for him to notice. "Sorry, this is... new."

"A good new, I hope?" He glanced at her rump-adorning flowers. "What about those flowers?"

"A good new, I think... Those are nice flowers, but I don't feel like that right now." She pointed a hoof across them towards the lake, the cone still stuck to the end of it. "The swans are so graceful."

There they were, with curved necks, graceful and drifting across the water. He imagined their feet paddling with all the fury that was absent from their face, propelling them forward. "They're nice..." He took a big bite of his cone, wanting to finish it off. It was gone. In its place, a sudden sharp pain as his head complained about the temperature difference.

He stopped, hoof going to his pounding head. "Too fast, too fast..."

"Be careful..." She set her cone down carefully and turned towards him. "Brain freeze is just the worst."

He looked to her face and smiled a little. She was looking concerned, and not nervous for a change. She was prettier when she wasn't worried. "I'm alright, promise. Don't let your cone get dirty. Thanks."

Daisy squeaked, reclaiming her cone. "Right. So..." She started walking again, walking alongside him. "So what do a mare and stallion do, once they've gone around the lake?"

"Anything they want." Jacob lifted his shoulders as he went with her. "We only promised to take a walk, so if you want to go home, that's alright. If you want to hang out more, that's alright too." Daisy was nervous, he decided, but not terrible company. "We could get something real to eat, or do some pony watching. Maybe we could drop in on the other flower mares and tell them how it went."

"I can handle that," she squeaked, wobbling in place. "Leave... that to me, thanks, ha ha... um..." Daisy looked anywhere but at Jacob, the talk going quiet for a little while.

He noticed she didn't seem to lose him even in the quiet. "Say, Daisy?"

"Hmm?"

"If you could hang out with any stallion at all, just... any stallion, maybe one that doesn't even exist, what would they be like?"

Daisy blinked with wide eyes. "What a question! Oh, wow, um..." She dropped the remnants of her cone into a trash bin and curled the hoof around to her chin, looking thoughtful. "They wouldn't be one of those 'strong' stallions. Muscles like that turn me off."

"Aw." Bulk Biceps slunk away, dejected.

Daisy raised a brow at him. "When did he get there? Um, anyway... Soft... Yes, soft and not too pushy..." She canted her head a little. "Someone who likes to listen instead of always talking? They'd ask more questions instead of just... assuming things, like a stallion knows everything." She rolled her eyes. "A stallion like that."

Jacob filtered through the stallions he knew. No wonder she was sad about Big Mac being claimed, though... "Big Mac isn't very soft. He's really strong, and big."

"You said I could make up one." She snorted softly, tongue extended. "Don't change the rules on me halfway in."

"Oh, right, sorry... Uh... Anything else about them?"

"Well..." They were about three quarters of the way around the pond, walking along the idyllic scenery. "They would... care about me. Like... they wouldn't ever just assume 'she's fine'. They'd just ask... Even if I got shy."

"Are you fine?"

Daisy lit up brightly. "No," she squeaked. "Here I am, describing a stallion that doesn't exist to a stallion that does. Am I hurting your feelings?"

"Nah... They sound like a cool stallion."

Daisy blinked at that, peering at Jacob. "You like stallions?"

"As friends. A good friend is good, boy or girl." He stopped a moment and turned towards Daisy. "We're just about done, and, uh, this sounds silly probably, but you did good. Go... home, and tell them how it went. You did good."

Daisy took an unsure step away. "Are you telling me to go away?"

"No! No... sheesh..." His ears flattened and he looked away. "I'm trying to not be pushy... You're a nice mare, and I don't want to push being friends. Relax, you know? If you want to hang out again, just ask."

"Just ask..." She glanced away before taking an unsure step forward. "There's one last thing to do."

Jacob raised an ear as he asked, "what's tha--" She suddenly darted in the last few steps, planting a kiss on him, stiff and nervous, but still a kiss. Daisy pulled back just as quickly and ran away in a wild gallop, unable to face him a moment longer.

He was left behind, crashing to his haunches. That wasn't his first kiss, but it was a special one, he decided, raising a hoof to rub over his lips. He tried to use his new super powers, but they refused to come to him. Before he had been too close. It had advanced to drowning in it. He gave up and stood up slowly.

He wandered off, looking for a quiet place to sit down and gather himself.

Twilight brought down her hoof on a paragraph. "I think I have it!"

"Have what?" Spike looked over from where he was hovering, a comic in his hands.

"I was researching the prince problem." Twilight set the book aside and stood up. "Did you forget?"

"Forget? I thought everyone forgot... oh, huh... I... didn't forget?"

The door to the library burst open, admitting Pinkie into the room on her knees sliding in, forehooves wide. "His name is Jacob!" she declared with a big grin.

Twilight looked over with a raised brow. "Huh? Who's name is Jacob?"

"I'm going to guess it's the prince's? Pinkie timing is hard to argue."

"Exactly so." She bounced up to her hooves, pointing one of them at Spike, another moving for her nose. "He admitted it to Roseluck, and she told me, and I've been telling everyone! Jacob! Jacob!" She bounced in place excitedly. "What a human name, but a good one."

Twilight blinked softly. "I... oh. No wonder I was able to conduct proper research. This discovery must have weakened his shield of anonymity. With the discovery of his name, we 'know' him, even if just a little. I wonder if it's had any other immediate effects." She raised a hoof to her chin. "I wonder if I'd spot him now, or if I'd walk past. I couldn't be certain."

"One way to find out," noted Spike with a shrug. "Shall we go prince hunting?"

Pinkie twirled in place on one hoof, coming down facing the exit. "You mean Jacob hunting, duh. Let's go! I want to give my friend a hug, and that's easier when you know their real name."

Spike lowered from his perch, setting his comic aside along the way. "You could give a pony hug without knowing their name."

"Yeah but then it's weird and they complain." Pinkie shrugged softly. "I tried it a few times."

"Haven't you hugged Jacob before you knew he was a prince?" Twilight moved to join Pinkie in departing. "I'm reasonably certain you have.

"But he's special! I'm helping him not be forgotten. Hugs can be forgiven for that, I think. Right? He didn't complain, so I'm rolling with that."

Author's Note

Did you notice when the pony noticed him with just a giggle? Is the end in sight?

Enjoy the writing? Help me stay afloat and show your support by joining the Patreon!

Join my discord to chat!

35 - Make Some Friends

Twilight walked with Spike hovering beside her. Pinkie pronked as was one of her favorite ways to move. "Now where could Jacob be hiding?" half-sang the hunting pink pony. "I bet he's..." She bounced around a corner to bring his favorite pony watching bench into view, but he wasn't there. "Aw. Or maybe!" She diverted courses smoothly.

Spike hiked a thumb at her as he flew along. "I'm guessing she's learned all the places he usually hangs out."

"It wouldn't surprise me." Twilight softly shrugged as she followed. "I'm more interested in if I'll be able to pick him out before he begins speaking. I can remember him, so that's a distinct step forward."

Pinkie led them to his favorite pool, but there was no grey pony floating in the water there. "Hm...

"What are you looking for?" Roseluck was standing there, peering at Pinkie. "You have that 'I'm hunting down a pony whether they want it or not' look."

"I do not!" defended Pinkie. "Well, okay, maybe a little." She held up two hooves close together.

Spike smirked as she closed the distance with soft flaps. "Called it in one." He landed a little to the left of Roseluck, watching other ponies move past. "We were looking for Jacob."

"He's on a date," Rose explained simply.

Pinkie bounced in shock. "Date?! Date? Really? I mean..."

Twilight softly nudged her pink friend aside. "There's nothing wrong with a pony going on a date."

"I mean, sure, but I didn't think he would go on a date. Kinda like you really, just not something they did?"

Twilight began to darken rapidly. "I could go on a date whenever I wanted!"

Spike snorted softly in clear disagreement on the likelihood of a date occuring in Twilight's near future.

Rose shook her head softly. "He's taking Daisy on a walk, and he's being a perfect gentlepony about it. I have Lily keeping an eye on them, just in case, and since she hasn't shown up, I am going to assume everything is going well."

Pinkie bobbed her head as she reached for Rose's shoulder. "That's fantastic! So, to answer Twilight's question, she saw him, right? 'Cause that would be a silly date if they didn't meet."

Rose hiked a brow at that. "So far as I know? Is that usually a problem? Pinkie, you are so random at times."

Twilight gestured towards Pinkie. "She is that, but she's speaking plainly this one time. How fascinating... Would you mind terribly showing us where he is?"

Rose glanced off a moment. "This is really important to Daisy. I don't want this interrupted, even by a princess, Twilight." She suddenly poked Twilight in the chest. "I knew you before you got those wings, and you knew Daisy. She needs to just have a nice time and, you know, lighten up around stallions."

Twilight blinked with clear confusion. "She has a problem with stallions?"

Rose quickly set a fetlock over her face. Pinkie was faster to actually speak, "She's scared of them. You didn't know that?"

Rose gestured towards Pinkie. "That. Jacob, on the other hoof, is pretty passive as stallions go. He's quiet and nice and perfect. I just want Daisy to have a good time and learn that being around a stallion isn't something that has to be a scary thing."

Spike shrugged softly. "Coulda called me, but I'm already spoken for." He put his hands on his chest as if grabbing at straps there were not there. "I couldn't be disloyal to Lady Rarity."

Rose smiled at Spike with the expression of a pony holding back a snort. "Of course, Sir Spike. You are a paragon of faithfulness, which is why I didn't ask you. Rarity is lucky to have you."

Twilight rolled her eyes at the exchange. "Well, that's alright. I hope they both have a perfectly pleasant time, but if we could watch, from a distance? We won't approach until they're finished, promise."

Spike raised a brow. "That's against the bro code."

Twilight's brows fell as one. "Bro code?"

"No watching other bros get their move on unless you're a wingpony." He shrugged softly. "And he didn't ask me to do that, so, you know, just rude."

"You're making that up," replied Twilight with a dry tone, eyes moving to Pinkie. "Besides, two of us are not brothers at all, so we can go."

Pinkie sprang forward to land just next to Rose. "Lead the way!"

With a soft smirk, Rose did just that. "Just remember, you promised. No interfering, just watching, from a distance. Lily could use the company anyway."

They departed without Spike, Rose taking the front as they wove through town and approached a lone bush. "Lily?" she called as they came closer. "Still here?"

"Shh!" Lily waved a hoof wildly from the bush for them to come closer. Once everyone was safely hidden, she pointed across to where Jacob and Daisy were talking and walking around the pond. "She hasn't passed out!"

Twilight fixed her eyes on the grey pony. "So I can see him. His lack of name must have been pivotal to his anonymity. That makes sense, in hindsight. Hello there, Jacob."

Jacob paused a moment as if he had heard her, but was soon walking again, speaking something they couldn't hear to Daisy.

Rose bopped Twilight on the head. "You promised!" she harshly hissed, crossing her forehooves. "Well, I did my part. Enjoy, and don't get in the way! Daisy is having a good time."

They all watched as Daisy walked along with him, a little nervous smile on her face. She did seem to be mostly happy with where she was and who she was speaking with. She even laughed and pointed things out that he looked towards quickly, clearly leading the conversation as much as following it.

Pinkie pressed her legs together and leaned her head against them. "Aw, it's super cute! I just want to--"

Twilight put a hoof in front of Pinkie. "Sit right there and enjoy the show without interfering in any way."

"Yeah... that." She sank back to her haunches with a huff.

Daisy suddenly pressed her face against Jacob's, giving him quite the smooch before dashing away in what could be taken as a panic. Lily and Rose frowned.

She was not running in a random direction. She dove into the same bushes the rest were hiding in, curling up between Lily and Rose without a moment's delay. Rose began to stroke her mane gently. "Did he ask for that kiss?"

"N-no..."

Lily blinked with confusion. "But you kissed him."

"Did I mess up?" asked Daisy, sitting up a little. It was only then that she noticed Twilight and Pinkie. "What are you two doing here?!"

Twilight put a hoof to her chest. "I am here on a purely scientific basis. Good luck in your social endeavors." Despite her analytical words, her cheeks were a soft pink as she stood up. "I should go."

Pinkie was giggling without shame. "Aw! Was that your first kiss?"

"No!" squeaked Daisy, hiding her face behind her hooves. "I've kissed ponies before."

Rose's brows fell a bit as a smirk spread wide. "But they were always mares. So... was he nice?"

"Yes," drifted out from between her hooves.

"Do you want to try that again?"

"Maybe..."

Rose leaned in towards the hiding Daisy, barely taking note of Twilight departing. "Any mistakes you want to share? We're here for you, Daisy."

Lily pat Rose gently along the side. "You know we'll always be there."

"Thanks..." She peered at Pinkie doubtfully. "So why are you here?"

"I'm a friend, duh. So was he any good at kissing?" She flashed a bright wide smile.

Daisy's cheeks darkened swiftly. "I have no idea. I was... too scared to think about it while I was doing it. Look, he's... fine, a good pony. Kinda wish he could be a mare, but he isn't. As stallions go... I like it. He's soft and quiet and he cares. He kept... asking about me, instead of talking about his own problems... That was nice."

Pinkie rolled her shoulders. "He's been a mare before."

Rose nodded at that. "He mentioned. You saw him do that? What is he, a changeling? I never met a changeling before."

Lily threw up a hoof. "What if we have met a lot of changelings but we never knew! They're just in disguise, judging us!" She turned to Pinkie. "Are you a changeling?"

Pinkie quickly shook her head back and forth, mane bobbing about. "Not last I checked. Are you?"

"I hope not!" Lily put her hooves to her cheeks, looking mildly panicked.

Rose poked Pinkie right on her snoot. "Focus. You saw him change?"

"Oh, yeah, a few times." Pinkie bobbed her head, carrying Rose's hoof with it. "One time he was me! That was fun. He foalsat for me when I double booked, really saved the day there. He's such a helpful pony!"

Rose lowered one brow as the other rose. "Tell us more. Can he just... be whatever pony he wants to be?"

"Oh, no. That would make him a changeling." She threw a hoof dismissively, snorting mid-laugh. "He becomes ponies that are missing, like me when I couldn't be there to foalsit. If a pony is missing and he hears about it, poof! He is that pony. Boy, girl, young, old, I don't think it matters. I wonder if he could do Celestia..."

Rose stroked over her chin softly, devious ideas simmering behind her eyes. "I see... What an interesting ability."

Daisy suddenly put her hooves on Pinkie's shoulders. "You know him! Do you think he's thinking bad things about me?"

Pinkie blinked at that. "I doubt it. He doesn't think bad things about ponies usually, unless they're, you know, super mean. Were you mean? I doubt that too, so he probably likes you."

"He likes me?!" She squeaked before flopping limply against her sisters, out cold.

Lily softly pet her fallen sister. "She's like that."

"We're all like that sometimes," huffed out Rose. "I assume you meant 'like' and not 'like like', right?"

Pinkie tilted her head left and right a moment before it seemed to click. "Oh! You mean like a special somepony? I bet he's too scared to try calling somepony that. If you want him to be a special somepony, you'd better ask him yourself instead of waiting for him to do it."

Lily smiled a bit askew. "I think Daisy would fall over long before she finished asking that." She cradled the unconscious pony carefully. "She's delicate, like a flower."

"Maybe they need to get to know each other more first?" proposed Pinkie as she bounced to her hooves. "The more they hang out, the more natural it'll be for both of them to just say what's on their mind instead of hiding it in a dark place forever."

Twilight spotted Spike peeking in the window of a store that sold comics. "There you are."

"Huh? Oh, hey Twi." He lifted away from the window towards her. "What's up? Found Jacob?"

"He's fine. He and Daisy had a perfectly nice time. About that, I have an idea. Since his name seems to be instrumental to breaking down this wall, it may be time for a real Pinkie Party."

"Huh? Didn't she already throw one of those for just you girls?"

"And that is what I propose we change." She pointed a hoof at random ponies in the area. "One with everyone in the town. We announce him, and his name, and everyone will get to know him. His shield will be broken and the curse, poof, gone, just like that." She clapped her forehooves together with a confident smile. "What do you think?"

Author's Note

Does Twilight have a good idea, or a bad idea?

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36 - Welcome Jacob

"Jacob!" Roseluck slid in beside the grey pony with a bright smile, the two walking down the busy road. "Just the stallion I was hoping to see."

"Hiya, Rose." He returned the smile, though not as wide. It was taking some getting used to, having ponies just walk up to him like that, but... It was... maybe a little nice? Rose was a nice mare so far he could tell. "How can I help?"

"Help? What? Me? Nah." She waved off the idea with a nervous laugh.

Which he noticed. Using the very skills she had shown him and he had been practicing constantly, he could see she was hiding something. "Is something wrong? You can be honest with me."

"Am I that transparent?" She rolled her eyes. "Or are you the best student I ever had? I swear, it feels like just yesterday I was telling you how to watch for what to see what a pony might be thinking."

Her angles and voice implied she was proud and happy, so his smile deepened a little. "I paid attention, and now, uh, I pay even more attention. I watch people for the signs, which includes you." He was becoming an expert at social! He thought? Maybe... He felt less clueless at least.

"You do that." She bumped against him gently. "So hey, remember that date? Daisy's still all a flutter. You really made an impression, a good one."

His cheeks warmed swiftly. "W-what was up with that kiss? I mean... It wasn't... bad, but I wasn't expecting it either."

"I thought you got better at reading ponies?" Rose cocked a brow at him.

"It's hard when you're involved with them and worried about what they think. I... guess I panicked a little and I couldn't really keep track of her." He raised a hoof behind his head, rubbing lightly. "You don't make me feel that way. We're just, you know, friends, not trying friend friend stuff."

"Just friends," she quickly agreed. "And that's alright. But, you know... There is a little something missing in Daisy's life."

He twitched an ear towards Rose curiously. "What's that?" Perhaps it was the conversation matter, but he missed a few signs that Rose was up to something.

"A nice girly stallion, of course." She brushed against Jacob gently. "Like you, really, soft spoken, nice, caring, but also smells like a mare and is, you know, mare shaped." She raised a hoof to his chin. "You're a cute little stallion boy, anypony can see that at a glance."

But instead of shapeshifting, he awkwardly shuffled away a step. "Oh, um... She doesn't like me then? It's alright, I guess, we--"

"Wait!" Rose frowned a little at how that had been received. "She likes you a lot. I'm just saying how we can make it better, and fill in a need she has. You want her to be happy, right?"

"I do," he uneasily replied, licking his lips. "But not as... not me? I thought she... likes me me..." He waved a hoof at himself in a wide circle. "Me, you know? Do you know? I'm rambling, sorry..." His confidence collapsed as soft pink'sh purple fur swept over him. "Maybe she really does need me," sighed out the pony he had become, an effeminate male version of himself.

Rose smiled awkwardly, suddenly feeling a little guilty. "It's not that she doesn't like you. In fact, you should be honest."

He blinked at her confusedly, asking in his suddenly far more female voice, "How do you mean?"

"Go ahead and tell her you're still Jacob," urged Rose with a quick nod. "You're Jacob, and you're doing this for her, for her comfort. She'll know it's you and she'll be really happy you went out of your way for her like that."

Jacob raised a hoof to his pink chin. "I'll... try, but that might break things. How do I look?" He turned left and right, displaying his mare-like form to Rose. If one did not know Jacob, they would likely be fooled.

"Adorable, but you were cute to start with." She patted him on the back and pointed forward with the other hoof. "Shall we go say hello to the other girls? I bet they'll be happy to see you." Rose softly took a sniff of him. As requested, he even smelled like a mare, with floral notes added. "You are too perfect."

She inclined an ear. "Though that makes me wonder. I mean, you are still a stallion in there, right?"

"Yes," Jacob assured. He hadn't felt things inverting as they did when he became a proper mare; always a strange sensation when it happened. "It's not my fault ponies are rated G."

Rose blinked slowly at that. "Rated G? G for... great?"

"They are that," he allowed with a smile. He giggled as a mare might, walking along with Rose. "They don't show a thing until they're using it, is what I meant, or you're really looking hard for it. I think it's pony magic."

"Must be." Rose shrugged softly. "I never really thought about it before. There we are." She pointed towards the flower stand they were approaching. "Girls! I brought a special friend."

The two of them blinked in unison, Daisy and Lily peering at the strange light-pink mare with a smudge for a cutie mark. Daisy was the first to respond, raising a hoof in a wave. "Hello there. A friend of Rose's?"

Jacob opened his mouth to reveal who he was before realizing it was Daisy, and just telling her could cause her to pass out. "I have a surprise, a little one, but I don't want to shock you." He didn't mean to flutter his new longer lashes, but they fluttered anyway. "How can I do that?"

Daisy's cheeks puffed out. "I can take a surprise! Just not... a surprise surprise. You told me it's coming. Lay it on me."

Lily bobbed her head in agreement. "We're made of tough stuff!"

Jacob curled his softly rounded hoof to his chest. "It's me, Jacob."

Daisy blinked with wide eyes. Lily crashed to her haunches. "Jacob?! What? Are you trying to fool me?"

Rose suddenly threw an arm around Jacob, squeezing the feminized stallion firmly. "I'll vouch, this is Jacob. And he's this way for a special reason. Go on, tell her."

"For you!" he blurted awkwardly, smiling sheepishly at Daisy. "So you can be comfortable with me, and not scared, and happy." He sat on his haunches and worried his hooves together. "Do you like it?"

"Aw, Jacob..." Daisy approached curiously. "You didn't..." She circled around him, examining his mare of a body. "You... really look like a mare, but are you?" She reached a hoof for his especially soft and pretty tail, casually lifting it up off the ground and tilting her head. "Nope!" The tail was dropped as if it were hot. "Nope... But... Jacob...."

"Like it?" he repeated with a nervous smile on his female face. "Now you don't have to be--"

"--I like you just the way you are." Daisy shook her head quickly. "It's... really nice that you'd go this far, but you don't have to. I don't need this, Jacob. You're a nice pony, even as a stallion."

With her official declaration of not needing the form, it faded almost instantly, leaving him as the dull grey stallion. She let out a relieved sigh. "That's... better."

Jacob didn't look shocked. He was smiling, a joyful expression on his face as he reached out a hoof for either of her shoulders. "That's great! You made real progress. I'm really proud of you."

Soon they were hugging, neither really thinking about how awkward they should have felt.

Roseluck slowly tilted her head. "That... isn't what I planned... but alright." She rubbed behind her head. "I kind of wanted to see how that worked..."

Daisy was the first to realize she was affectionately hugging against a stallion and she squeaked, but didn't recoil. "I... Can I say what I'm feeling?"

"Yes, please..." Reading Daisy's emotions was still harder than with basically any other pony. "Even the bad ones. I'd rather just know."

"I feel... safe." She didn't press further into the hug, but she wasn't retreating either. "I feel that you care about me, a lot. I feel... safe. Wait, I said that, but it's true." She sniffed softly. He was a stallion for sure, but he was one that cared about her and her happiness. He wasn't after anything. He didn't expect anything from her. "What do you feel?"

"I feel like I made a friend." He gently squeezed her. "One that needs me, but not to be someone who I am not, and that is special."

Lily sat beside Rose. "They are too adorable..."

"Too adorable." Rose rolled her eyes and smiled at the two. "Let's get back to work." She led Lily back to the stand only a few paces away.

"I dunno." Pinkie tilted her head left and right. "You know I love an excuse for a party as much as anypony else."

"But...?" Twilight rolled a hoof at her pink friend.

"But everypony already knows him, and he's been here for a while, so a welcome party doesn't even make sense." She shrugged softly. "I already told everypony that would listen what his name was." She sprang to her hooves with a spring of a noise. "Oh oh! What a bout a 'congratulations on coming out of your shell' party?"

Twilight blinked softly. "Wait, everypony?"

"We could invite everypony, sure!" She bobbed her head, only looking more excited.

"No no. I meant you told everypony his name already?"

"What do you think I spent the last day doing?" Pinkie rolled her eyes with a snort. "Everypony. Once I knew his name, I had to share it with the world! Well, at least Ponyville." She wobbled a hoof at the town as a whole. "There isn't a pony that doesn't know him now."

Twilight rubbed behind her head with a hoof. "Well... that does negate the purpose I had in mind. But did it work? Are ponies remembering him?"

"Hey!" Pinkie waved at a random pony wandering by. Time Turner looked to her quizzically. "Have you seen Jacob today?"

"Not today," confessed Turner with a shake of his head. "Wasn't he with Daisy before?"

"Oh yeah, thanks." Pinkie nodded rapidly. "Just checking."

"Any time, Pinkie." He trotted past onwards to whatever business he had.

Twilight put a hoof to her cheek. "Well... then we won? Problem solved."

"Mostly." Pinkie shrugged softly. "I mean, he's not cursed anymore, in Ponyville, but I bet he'd go right back to being cursed if he left. I think you were right."

"I was right?"

"Yep! He still has a problem up here." She pointed to her own head. "We have to finish teaching him that he wants ponies to know who he is and that he's an amazing pony that's worth knowing."

"If you believe that," she started with skeptical tones. "Why did you go around town telling everyone his name?"

"Because forgetting him was the worst part of this. I was the only one that knew him and that was the pits." She stuck out her tongue. "At least now we have a safe place to work, and you can stop calling me crazy!"

"Any crazier than usual, at least." Twilight reached out a hoof, pulling Pinkie in for a hug that wasn't resisted. "You know I love you dearly, even when I don't understand you, right?"

"What are friends for?!" She returned the hug, both squeezing tight enough to produce a squeak from either of their bodies before they separated. "Now let's finish showing him how great friendship is. Miss Princess of Friendship, are you ready to do your royal duty?"

Twilight blinked rapidly at that. "He's far closer to you, Pinkie. Would it really help for me to intercede at this time?"

"Aw, he likes you too, I can tell. A little chat won't hurt." She bumped against Twilight with a bright smile.

Author's Note

Party, cancelled on account of Pinkie.

... That's not how this is supposed to work at all!

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20 - Sidetrack: I Have My Eyes On You and You

The prince flew through the air. Flying was normally a liberating experience of joy, that day, less so. His eyes refused to align quite right, and the world gently bobbed and swayed in heaving patterns that made it quite a trip. If he flew directly through empty space, it wasn't so bad, but the moment he was close to solid objects, he couldn't tell exactly how much space he had.

"Ow!" he cried in his borrowed female voice, flopping to the ground from where he had smacked into the side of a building.

As luck would have it, the address written on the building was the right one. "Woo!" he cheered, bounding to his hooves and moving for the door. Of all the ponies he could have become, why Derpy, and why on a workday? He reached up a wing to adjust his mailmare's hat carefully as he ascended the stairs. "I have a letter for somepony here."

He reached for the door, but it just rattled. There was no mailbox. There was no mail slot. It was just a door, defying him. "Huh..." He tilted his wall-eyed face, considering the situation. The mail had to be delivered, they made that clear. Dumping it on the porch in the city felt like a bad thing to do...

He spread his wings and flew up and back a little, getting a better look at the building. 'Sleepytime Pillows', read a sign mounted on it. "Sounds nice," he said in his soft female voice, flying up to the roof in a dart. He clipped the edge and tumbled up and over onto the roof in an unsteady pile, the world spinning around him.

The prince reached up to rub his horn, a bit sore from bumping into the building on the way up. "Derpy, you deserve a medal for flying like this." Slowly he rose to his hooves and started for the door he could see. "Please be open, please be open!"

It wasn't locked! He pulled it open with a wing and trotted inside with a smile. "Things are looking up!" Maybe he would celebrate with a big muffin... He slowed to a stop, frowning. Had that been his thought, or feedback from the pony he was imitating? It wasn't like he had a thing against muffins...

He shook his head vigorously and descended the stairs to the first actual floor below the roof. "Where to put mail...?"

To his left was a room labeled 'Pillow Quality Assurance'. "Nope." To his right was a room with a sign declaring, 'Customer Service'. "Nope..." He trotted past both of them. An elevator! He pressed the call button, wings flapping idly as he waited for it to arrive.

With a little ring, the door slid open, allowing him to enter and turn to the buttons. "Mmm..." What floor? Why not start from the start? He pressed a big hoof against an almost equally large G button. The elevator descended smoothly, but stopped at the second floor. "What the?" The door slid open, revealing a stallion.

The stallion blinked softly at her. "I expected a robber, or an employee. You are neither." He squinted a little, a hoof held where the elevator door would not close. "Why are you here, and who are you?" His eyes darted to her cap. "Mail?"

"O-oh, yeah." The prince stepped out of the elevator on unsure hooves. "I have a letter. Do you know where I should put it?" He reached with a wing into a saddlebag to produce the large manilla envelope.

He leaned in to squint at it. "It's your lucky day."

"Yay!" Cheering came very easily in Derpy's body, it seemed. "Why?"

"It's addressed to me." He leaned in and grabbed the envelope in his lips, pulling it away from Derpy. "You're a hard worker, why didn't you leave it in front? And how did you get in?"

"I thought someone might take it if I just left it there..." He rubbed behind his head with a hoof. "Why don't you have a mailbox or a slot or something?"

He smiled at that. "New in town? Ponies don't take each other's mail around here, glad to report. Still, thanks for thinking of us." He turned away, starting to walk down the hallway he had come from. "So how'd you get in?"

Derpy followed after him, head tilted a bit. "From the roof. The door's not locked up there."

"I told them... Thank you. I'll have that fixed, but next time, just leave it out front, Miss...?"

"I'm Derpy Hooves," he introduced, gesturing at himself with flared wings and a goofy smile, which also came easily to the form. "But my friends call me Muffins."

"Well, alright Muffins. You better get back to your route."

Route? Oh yeah! "Yeah!" The prince fled, getting back to his deliveries.

None of the things he delivered seemed that urgent. He was never entirely sure why he had been drawn into the role of the missing Derpy just that moment. At least he was paid for a day's work at the end of it.

"Mom!" Dinky raced through the house with a package floating along next to her, held up with her glowing horn and equally shimmering magic. "Mom!"

"What is it, Little Dinkster?" Derpy leaned out of her room to see Dinky racing towards her. "Ooo, a package?"

"It's for you!" Dinky came to a sudden stop, but the package didn't. It bounced right off of Derpy's head, leaving her blinking and wobbling. "Oops, sorry."

"It's alright." Derpy shook her head clear and reached for the package. "Huh, from Sleepytime Pillows? I always liked their billboards... They're not soft when you run into them, just to warn you."

Dinky smirked at that. "Duly noted. What's inside?!"

Derpy applied hooves and wings, tearing into the box eagerly. "Ooo wow! This is great!" She held aloft a big soft pillow in her wings. "I could never afford one of these! Did they send it on accident?"

Dinky looked around. With a glowing horn she pulled free a letter. "Thanks for the delivery, and good luck on future ones."

Derpy brought the pillow down to nuzzle into its delightful softness. Sometimes it paid to be a mailmare.

Author's Note

The prince has helped Derpy twice now, to my recalling. This was a bonus chapter as requested by Kiki.

37 - An Introduction to Social Dynamics

It was a few days before Twilight could seek out Jacob. She was a busy mare with a school to run. Jacob was, in her eyes, moderately low priority, especially with him being visible to the ponies of the town. He wasn't suffering, and she still wasn't entirely sure her input on the matter would make a critical difference.

Still, she had made a promise, and when she saw him there chewing a carrot and perched on his favorite bench, she wandered towards him. "Good afternoon, Jacob."

"Hey." He looked over her, applying his new super power to deduce that she was a little nervous about something by the way one of her ears was pinned back. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong? Oh, no! I'm fine." She smiled, forcing her ear up. "I was more concerned about you. Tell me, now that ponies can see you, have things improved, or deteriorated for you in terms of your quality of life?"

He tilted his head a little to the left. "That's a, uh, interesting way of asking how I'm doing." He began petting the bench next to himself. "I think I'm good. I think I'm... a little better? I have a girlfriend!" The last part he suddenly blurted, looking excited and perhaps a little terrified. "I never thought I'd have one of those. Um, since you're asking, maybe you can help?"

Twilight hopped up lightly beside him. "That's what I'm here for," she assured as she put a hoof to her chest. "Also, congratulations! The initiation of a romantic relationship is an quite the advanced step in socialization. You really are improving."

"I wasn't trying." He shook his hooves in the negative quickly. "It just... happened. She feels safe around me and I like being around her and we hang out a lot. The other girls said we were a... thing long before either of us did. I don't want to mess this up but I'm afraid I will any moment. She's the only pony I can't read."

"Can't read?" She lifted an ear towards him, looking faintly doubtful. "What do you mean, read?"

He gestured to that lifted ear. "Pony body language. Rose taught me and I'm still getting better at it, but it's amazing and it doesn't work the moment Lily comes into view." His cheeks began to burn thinking about her. "I just panic instead of reading."

Twilight's tensioned suddenly eased. "Oh, I understand." Nodding with building confidence, she patted his back with an extended wing. "You're nervous about failing this test and it's causing you to forget what you already know. But! There's an important factor you're not considering."

"What's that?"

"You already passed this test." She nodded softly once more. "Lily clearly wants to be your friend, and to be around you. You have nothing to prove. She has stated as clearly as a pony can that she enjoys you." Twilight pointed at him directly. "As you. You can be yourself."

"Everyone says be yourself." Jacob rolled his eyes. "Be yourself, be yourself. It--"

"--You have a girlfriend," interrupted Twilight. "I know those words can feel hollow when you're alone." She reached behind her head and rubbed lightly. "I mean, really... When I wanted to attempt romance, being told to 'be myself' felt like the worst advice, but you already did it. Whatever you are, she likes it."

"She likes it..." He sat up slowly, chewing on the words. "Yeah... She really kind of does. She likes it when I'm quiet. She likes it when I ask about her. She likes it when I get confused and just go quiet for a little while. She likes it when I ask what she wants and what she's thinking about."

Twilight set a hoof on his shoulder. "So maybe 'fixing' this isn't really what's needed, since it sounds like it's working quite admirably."

"Yeah..."

"Did I hear you have a girlfriend?!" Pinkie sprang out from nowhere, smiling up at the two on the bench. "Now we have a reason for a party!"

He considered that a moment, reading Pinkie. She was actually very easy to read, wearing her emotions on the outside without reservation. He could see she was joyful and excited. She was happy, for him. "Pinkie?"

"Yep?"

"Thank you, for being a friend." He reached down from the bench and placed a hoof right on her forehead. "Without you, I wouldn't be here."

"Aw!" Her happiness only redoubled. "Glad to be here!" She hopped up next to Twilight, placing Twilight between herself and Jacob. "Now about that party...?"

Twilight gestured to Pinkie, then Jacob. "You two have fun planning that. I should get back to work, but it's good we had this little chat. Feel free to stop by if you need anything else." She suddenly stopped. "Oh! You can seek out Starlight too, she's a counselor at the school and would be delighted to help."

Pinkie slid closer as Twilight jumped off the bench and took to the air. "Her schedule is always full." Pinkie rolled her eyes. "I mean, I get busy too, but she doesn't know how to just enjoy not having things to do, not like me and you." She suddenly threw an arm around Jacob.

Jacob blurt out a little laughter. "I'm just an amateur compared to the real expert."

"Ooo, who's that?"

"Rainbow Dash, of course."

"Someone call me?" Rainbow landed with a thump on the far side of the bench. "Hey Jacob, Pinkie. What's happening?"

"RD!" Pinkie threw her forehooves wide with a smile. "We were just planning a 'Congratulations on becoming special someponies' party for Jacob and Lily."

Rainbow burst into laughter, her tongue extending slightly. "How mushy. Not my thing, but hey, congratulations." She extended a hoof towards Jacob.

Jacob met it with one of his own, clopping the two together. "Thanks. How are things going?"

"Today's supposed to be a clear day." She extended a wing towards the sky. "And, as you can see, not a single cloud. My job is done! Speaking of done jobs, it's kinda nice not forgetting you constantly. Enjoying that?"

"It's a lot better," he agreed, nodding. "I... have a lot of friends," he said as if just realizing. Rainbow was a friend. Twilight was a friend. A lot of ponies knew him, even beyond a name, and they liked what they knew. Pinkie was a friend, even if she was everyone's friend. Then there were the flower mares, one of which had become a special somepony. "I never want to be a background character again, I think. Being in the--"

All was suddenly darkness. He was sitting on his haunches in the purest black void. He could see himself, but there was nothing else there, as if it was somehow perfectly lit nothingness. "Uh..."

It's been quite a while.

He peered at the words that formed in the air, glowing with a strange power. "We met before?"

You forgot? Rude. I gave you that form. I gave you this life. I saved you from your old one.

Jacob's eyes swept over the floating letters, reading them with faint muttering and moving his lips. "Wait. You're the one that cursed me!"

Is that how you want to see it? You haven't enjoyed this?

Jacob raised a hoof to his chin. "Why don't you come out?"

Come out? I am out. I am here. I am Text.

"No no, besides the words. You have a body, right?" Jacob squinted at the glowing letters. "Let me see you."

(annoyed) I don't have a body to read the signs of, so let me provide some helpful prompts. I cannot exist in the way you would desire. (calm) Let us return to the point. You wished to fit in, and I gave that.

"But I don't need that, not anymore. I fit in now. Ponies like me, as me." He stood up with a little half-smile. "I'm a good pony."

(placating)You're serviceable. (calm) But do you not want what I gave you?

"Do you mean being able to change? I like it... as an option. Can we just turn off the 'forget who I am' part? I don't want to be invisible anymore."

(emphasis) Anymore. (calm) You wanted it. Now you do not?

"Please?" Jacob smiled and reached out a hoof. "Thank you."

This experience has made you more polite. Still, this is your matter to resolve. My gift is given. You grow beyond it, and I will continue to watch. (skeptical) Don't bore me.

"Then I'll just introduce myself," he swore. "I'll tell everyone my name, and they'll remember me."

If you wish. This was your request, I remind. Do you want to return to humanity? I could send you home, lessons learned. You could find a human girlfriend, get a human job, do human things...

He considered that a moment, but when he thought of a human girlfriend, there was Lily, smiling at him nervously. "I can't leave her behind like that. That would be so mean... Besides, I like her."

Gone native, like so many others. Go on.

He was suddenly back on the bench.

Rainbow rolled a hoof at Pinkie. "Are you sure he wants a big party? No offense but he strikes me as more of a Fluttershy than a Pinkie Pie when it comes to party sizes."

Jacob shook himself out, blinking against the light of the sun. "Huh?"

"We were just talking about your engagement party," explained Pinkie happily.

Engagement? "We haven't decided on that yet! We're, you know, a couple, and that's cool."

"Right right, that." Pinkie nodded sagely as if that had been what she had said in the first place. "So do you want a big thing or a small thing?" She moves her forehooves far apart then close together to emphasize the words.

"I think..." He paused and frowned. "Lily would prefer a small thing, with ponies she knew well. Can you talk to her? I'll be happy with however many ponies are there. If I don't know them, I'll say hello." He smiled softly. "Saying hello is something I should have been doing before."

The greyness began to fade, becoming blue across his form in a slow line that started at the end of his nose and worked back over his body. His cutie mark remained, the smudged outline of a pony, for he could still stand in for others if he wished to. "But she's still coming out of her own shell, and I'll wait for her."

Pinkie suddenly had an arm around him, squeezing firmly. "I have passed the torch!"

"What torch?" Rainbow had a brow raised high. "Also you know you just... uh... colored. Are you standing in for a pony or something?"

Jacob returned the squeeze, both with one arm around the other, hooves at the other end of one another. "Pinkie helped me come out of my shell, and I'll help Lily. That's the torch, right?"

"Yup! But she's not kidding. You're all blue now." Pinkie tilted her head left and right, though she was not fighting the hug exchange. "Nice color, not that there's anything wrong with grey. My sisters are grey, you know."

"And she helped." He released Pinkie and stood up. "I should go talk to her. Maud was... great. Maybe she has some tips for special someponies, and she deserves a few more thank yous." It was only at that point that he really looked at his own arm as it moved to put his hoof down in front of himself. "Oh! Huh..."

"Yeah..." Rainbow smirked a bit. "You still Jacob in there?"

"I am Jacob," he stated firmly. "Nice to meet you, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie."

Rainbow lifted into the air and reached, mussing up Jacob's mane with her hoof. "Already know you, but hey, welcome to the world of color. Pinkie, tell me when the party's gonna be." Just as suddenly, she was gone, darting off into the air.

Pinkie waved at Rainbow before pulling out a mirror for Jacob. There he was, a soft blue shade. He had wings on his back and no horn atop his head. "No more errors."

"And that's alright," he agreed with a smile.

Author's Note

I think this is an ending! Thoughts?

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