When Riley shrieked, I pushed her back against the wall and put myself in front of her. The noise was so loud it was starting to hurt my ears. Then a bunch of stuff seemed to happen at the same time.

The siren stopped.

A bunch of guys in black suits with guns drawn came down the hallway from where we'd been.

The door we'd been trying to get through opened up—pulled off its hinges by Dad.

"Sir! Stand back!" one of the guys in black shouted to Dad.

"They're my kids! Back off and point your guns somewhere else!" I'd never seen Dad look so—He wasn't angry, just intense. "Saf, Riley, what did you do?"

I opened my mouth, but Riley managed to squirm out from behind me. "We were trying to come back in, but the door handle didn't work, so I pointed at the security box thingy and when Saf touched it…"

It wasn't a lie. There was nothing actually incorrect about what she'd said, it just didn't have all the bits where we'd been trying to short-circuit the control box. Dad's eyes turned to me and he looked at me—briefly glancing at the feather-braid.

"Maybe it has something to do with my pegasus magic? It's not like I can even feel how much static I have built up without my feathers." Time to take a leaf out Riley's book. "I didn't mean to set off the alarm."

"Everyone calm down. They are guests of mine, and I'm sure they promise not to poke any more security equipment." Jeff was visible over Dad's head mostly because Dad was short, but the presence of the president had a calming effect on everyone. "We're done with the heavy bits of the conversation, why don't you and Riley come in so we can have a chat."

Riley stuck her tongue out at the security guys before she followed Jeff and Dad back into the Oval Office. As I walked to follow them, I realized Dad had really done a number on the door and ripped it clear off its hinges. When we were all back in the room, he just kinda pushed the door back into place.

That's when I realized there was a big camera being set up by a pair of guys who looked like they were fussing all over it.

"Saffron, I'm going to have to ask you not to touch anything else electrical—and particularly not their camera." Jeff pointed at the couches as he walked over to one himself. "Speaking of, how are you doing with it?" The last he asked of the two guys working on the camera.

There was also more of the black-clad goons in here. They had their guns away at least. I guess we did just set off the alarm in the White House. I wonder how often that happens?

I realized one of the camera guys was looking at me. Really intent, he seemed to forget to answer Jeff. It took me a few seconds to realize he was looking at the feathers, not me. To test my theory, I turned my head and made the braid flick the feathers around the side of my face. His eyes stayed glued to me.

"Almost ready, Mr. President. We weren't running on mains when it happened, and I think we'll keep running off the battery until everything's under control," the other camera guy said before elbowing his workmate.

"Those feathers aren't from birds," the focused guy said.

Okay, time to show off and have some fun. Standing up, I took a step toward the camera before Jeff cleared his throat and reminded me not to go near it. Rolling my eyes at Jeff, I looked back at the guy. "You're right, no birds. These are pegasi feathers. My friends' feathers, in fact. Riley helped get them to make me a birthday present that would help me chill a bit while here. I'm not allowed to come closer to your camera, but you can come over here and look at them if you want." I saw the light on the back of the camera flicker to life.

"S-Sir?" The guy looked to Jeff.

"If Saffron Ree said you can, you can. Go ahead and look at the feathers—but don't touch them," Jeff said, sounding a bit like Mom when she wants us to look but don't touch. I guess, considering my status as a possible lightning rod, it was a good idea to be careful. At least he didn't suspect I'd actually done it on purpose.

"I've never seen a bird big enough to grow feathers that big." The guy walked closer and seemed to put his hands behind his back—like he wouldn't trust himself not to touch them. "I-I'm Tom."

"How do you know so much about birds?" I asked.

Tom blushed. "I-I'm into birding—birdwatching. Are they really from a pegasus?"

"Each one is from a different one, actually. Spitfire, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Sudden Turn, Surprise, Fleetfoot, Thunderlane…" I listed off each as I touched them. "They're the Wonderbolts of Equestria—the best fliers ever."

"Are you a pegasus too when—" Tom seemed to come to his senses. "Sorry, I need to get back to work."

"Yeah, I'm a pegasus when I get to Equestria. The age-change thing is a bit of a mess, but I can still fly pretty good, or so Slowpoke—that's Surprise's nickname—she keeps admitting when she thinks I can't hear." I realized how Tom had gone from ready-for-work back to fawning over the feathers. I remembered how Princess Twilight tended to get people to do the same. How strong was this effect?

"We're live in twenty seconds!" Tom's friend shouted.

The words seemed to shatter whatever magic had Tom enthralled. He practically ran around the camera and moved in to stand beside his co-worker.

"Wait, live?" I asked.

"Sit down, Saf," Mom said, "and try to act natural."

Not given much choice in where to sit, I fell back onto the couch and was closest to the camera. Another look at Jeff showed him smiling really wide in what I thought wasn't a politicians' smile—it was too happy.

Tom held up his hand with five fingers up, then four, three, two, one. When the last finger closed into his fist, the light on top of the camera turned from green to red.

"Good afternoon, America." Jeff was looking into the camera and was far into his warm-but-serious look he mostly used when on TV. Shit, that's what the light meant, wasn't it? The camera was live, but to where? What channel? Fuck. Probably all of them. "We have long had stories of alien spaceships and little green men visiting us, but I can assure you that the first and only alien race to meet humanity—at least that they tell me—are the ponies of Equestria.

"I don't need to extol the virtues and advantages our friendship and peace with Equestria is bringing us, you can see them everywhere yourselves. From new medication to new construction methods, our continued relations with Equestria are strengthening not just America, but the Earth itself.

"But today I'd like to introduce you to four of our heroes. And make no mistake, all four are heroes." Jeff gestured across to our couch, and the camera panned at his silent command. "First on the right here we have Saffron Ree, and by all accounts he's one of the best new fliers Equestria has seen for a while—when he's a pegasus at least. Beside him is Ambassador Clair Ree. You've all seen the reports on her past deeds, I'm sure, but she's been working hard to ensure our relationship with Equestria stays strong and broadens to new allies.

"Beside her is her husband, Philip Ree. There're few men I could say I respect more than Philip, and it seems like he's had a similar impact on the rulers of Equestria's neighboring nations. And lastly we have Riley Ree, who I have heard is more than just a model student, she's doing original research into ways we could improve our teaching system here in America.

I hadn't realized before how smart Riley was. Like, she's only in middle school, and she's doing college research? The hell is going on in her head?!

"Now, in case anyone is wondering why Clair and Philip have retained their pony shapes, I'm told it's some testing our medical teams are doing—all routine stuff. With the introductions over with, I'm told that everyone watching will now see a website they can go to and register questions to ask. The best ones will be coming up in a moment." Jeff picked up a tablet that had been sitting on the chair beside him and tapped the screen. "Firstly, why don't you all describe what it's like being back here?"

"Thanks, Jeff." Mom looked pleased with herself. She reached a hoof up to her chest. "I am excited to come home—we all are—but in particular I wanted to see what difference our work was making. Seeing reports and listening to recordings is far too dry—I want to know that this is making a difference for everyone. So I'm excited to meet as many of you as I can and to hear your stories."

Dad looked like a deer in headlights for a moment. I guess he must have realized a good chunk of America was tuned in and watching. "I won't lie—it's a bit disorientating. Ponies are smaller, as you can see, and I find myself having to look up a lot to see people's faces."

"I'm missing out on schoolwork," Riley said.

I couldn't help myself. Snorting, I reached over Mom's back and poked Riley in the shoulder. "It's only a few days. I'm sure you can find someone to teach you something here."

Mom turned her head just enough to look at me from the corner of her eye. Okay, so maybe a little fun wasn't fit for national TV.

"Sorry, Riley." The apology came so easily. Back in my human body, I could almost feel the same level of hostile indifference I did before we left, but being a pony had changed me.

"Despite being a universe away, kids will be kids," Mom said.

Jeff cleared his throat to get our attention. "We've gotten a few questions in, if you don't mind answering them for us. If they're uncomfortable, just let me know. The first is for Clair. Alise from California sends her thanks that you acquired the new anti-viral medication, and asks what new things are you trying to get?"

It was the kind of question Mom ate up. I realized they all would be, given that someone was vetting them, but this almost seemed like it was staged. "Well, Alise, the biggest problem we've had so far is managing the connection to Equestria from this side. I'm happy to announce that after recent negotiations with a third nation, America's link to Equestria and beyond is now usable with greater frequency. This opens up the possibility of more trade."

"The next one's for Riley. Michelle from Washington state asks, what do things taste like as a pony?"

"Oh! Everything that's sweet is ten-million times better. You wouldn't believe it! And then there's the fruit. One of my friends says that apples are best—and hers are super-good—but I love bananas." Riley looked about to say more, but stopped and shifted to sit back on the couch a little more.

Hell. This was going to be a ratings hit. Jeff could stand for president of the world and no one would say no. Little girls asking other little girls what kinds of fruit they like as a pony? Forget cats, the internet will eat this up.

"And one for Saffron." All my attention snapped to Jeff when he spoke those words. I dreaded what he'd ask, and what it would make me say to the entire world. "Frasier from Texas asks what it's like to fly? He's seen the videos you sent back, and wants to know how it feels to be able to let go and just… He actually wrote that trailing off."

I tilted my head down a little in thought, and in doing so the feathers swung around and into my sight. "Flying is the single most amazing thing ever. When I spread my wings and let the air itself lift me up into the sky, I become free in a way I never felt before. Every little movement of air on my wings is the wind talking to me—telling me what it's doing and what it plans to do. Flapping my wings tells the air what I want to do and it listens to me."

"Heck, Saf, that was pretty intense," Riley said.

Looking at my strand of hair with its feathers woven into it, I swore I could feel my magic just there. Then I remembered the thing with the alarm and the security goons. Taking a few steady breaths, I let my magic settle back down on its own. "Flying is intense."

"Well, I've got one more before we take a break. This one's from Sean in Nebraska, and he asks of any of you, what do manes feel like when you have one yourself?"

"I should probably take that, since I haven't had a go yet." Hearing Dad's voice annoyed me—I couldn't turn my ears to listen, and had to rotate my whole head. "The parts of Equestria we've seen are all cold for most of the year, and having a thick layer of fur as well as a mane and tail makes it comfortable. Add to that Canterlot is almost at the top of a mountain, and you have a much cooler place than Washington D.C., he was from Nebraska?"

Checking the tablet, Jeff nodded.

"Well, it's probably something like that. Coats are really soft, and manes are softer still," Dad said.

"I think we can pause there. We'll be back in a few moments." Jeff smiled at the camera with that real smile again. There was something almost more unnerving about seeing him so happy than his usual fake smile. The light on the camera went from red to green, and still his smile didn't quit. "Great work, all of you."

"You know they're going to have a lot more focused questions next time, right?" Riley asked. "I mean, now they've heard us answer and had time to think of more stuff."

Okay, I'll give her credit—she is smarter than me. That's not an easy thing for a big brother to think let alone say, but there it is. Still, she can't fly worth a damn. "So what's up now? We just keep doing this until we need to use the bathroom or something?"

"One more round and I'll do a more formal solo address. Today's a big day for America—some of its bravest heroes just came home." Jeff looked along the row of us, but focused on Mom. "Unless you want to sit in on that, Clair?"

Mom tilted her head a little to the side, then straightened up. "You know, Jeff, I think I might. It's good that people get more used to seeing ponies, and right now that means I can just stand to the side and look pretty while you do the talking."

"Beautiful," Dad said. "You look beautiful."

"So what are we going to do, then?" I asked.

"You're an adult, Saf. You can do whatever you'd like." As he spoke, Dad's eyes flicked to Jeff and he raised an eyebrow.

Yeah, right. Drag me away from my training and then tell me I can do whatever I want. "Honestly? That whole transmagrifier thing still takes it out of me. Maybe head home or something? Our old home, I mean."

"Your house is being leased. I have arranged for you all to have a room at a hotel in the city," Jeff said.

"Right. Let's go there, then. I want to get my balance back, and having more of your goons around isn't helping with that." I gestured with a hand toward the Secret Service guys who were standing like lamps to one side—unmoving and unobtrusive.

"You're back on in thirty seconds," one of the camera guys said.

"I want to go to a park. If Saf can do his pegasus thing, maybe I can talk to plants here?" Riley asked.

Jeff cleared his throat. "Sorry to let you down, Saffron, but you're going to have to put up with my goons a little longer. They'll be accompanying you to your hotel and elsewhere. They don't have to be in the room with you while you're in your suite."

I groaned and turned to look at the "lamps". They still looked like goons, and their faces were carefully blank. One stood a little taller than the other, and I could see a little wire going up and to an ear of each of them. "Yeah, whatever. Just so long as they don't try to shoot me again."

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five…" The guy kept counting with his hand, silently. When he got just past one, the green light turned red again.

"Welcome back, everyone, to our informal little chat with the Rees. You've all had a little time to ask more questions, and I can already see a few good ones coming, so in the spirit of AMA, let's keep going." Jeff was smooth as silk again, talking through his smile easily, like he was making a home movie and not broadcasting live to the world. "Saffron, there's been a lot of variations of this question, so bear with me. Do you have a girlfriend in Equestria, and if not, are you looking for one on Earth?"

Well that wasn't what I'd expected. How do I tell them I'm too young for a fillyfriend in Equestria, and here I haven't gotten my game on (and probably won't have time to). Should I try to hook up? Would that be wrong?

"We're allowed to talk about the age-thing, right?" I asked.

"You can talk about any aspect of your time in Equestria, Saffron," Jeff said.

"Right. So the thing is, when I'm in Equestria, I'm just a young foal. If I had to guess, compared to a human, I'd be about ten or twelve. So getting a fillyfriend is not really a thing yet. As for here, I don't know as I'll be looking for a girlfriend, but I'd like to make some friends."

Yeah. I'm an idiot, but I'm still a pony. A friend would be better than all the—Dammit. It would have been nice to hook up with Candy again.

Jeff seemed, for the first time, a little surprised. "Well, there you have it. Now, Philip, a few people have asked about your cutie mark. Would you like to explain it?"

Oh hell. Ask a pony—even Dad—about their cutie mark and special talent, and you'll be getting a life-story. "That's a big one," Dad said. "Near as we can tell, the scales mean literally balance. Just a glance and I can tell exactly what you need to get your body into a healthy balance. It all started with Clair. I'd been getting odd feelings about her for days, and it wasn't until I really pushed myself to work out what was wrong that it literally came to me.

"My cutie mark, that is—not wrong, just it all made sense. Which I know I'm not doing well right now, but that's just how magic can be sometimes. Cutie marks and special talents aren't anything to do with the kind of magic unicorns do—it's wild and does its own thing. Now—"

"I don't think everyone needs a magic lesson, dear." Mom cut in on Dad before he managed to ramble too much. "Do we have time for another one, Jeff?"

Dad just snorted, but Jeff seemed to find it a good joke.

"Maybe one more, but I'd like to get a little answer from everyone for it. What's it like without the internet?" Jeff asked.

"You know, I haven't even turned on my computer since moving to Equestria. The closest thing to the internet I have used is the phone you got me to record video on," I said.

"Same." Riley held up her fist to me, and of course I gave it a bump with my own. "Computers are boring. They can't even talk to you like trees do."

"I've been using a computer regularly, but not to access any networks. I'm writing a book," Dad said.

We all turned and looked at Dad. Out of all of us, he was the one using a computer in his spare time?

Mom was first to turn her attention back to the camera. "I only use mine for work. It's not particularly easy to type with hooves, but I'm working with some ponies on making a keyboard ponies can use."

Jeff looked to be puffing up for another big speech bit. "Well, that's all we have time for. I sure found the answers enlightening. Thanks to the new equipment Clair obtained and Philip helped install, we're ready to announce regular mail runs to and from Equestria, as well as opening up to phase two of negotiations."

That was a setup if ever I'd heard one. He'd have people clambering to find out what the equipment was and what "phase two" meant.

It was all boring stuff. I just wanted to get this over with so I could go back home and get back to my training. The light on the camera turned from red to green, and I could see the camera guys seem to relax. "That's it?"

"For today. There's a dinner tomorrow night I'd like you all to attend." Jeff stood up from the couch and I could practically hear his mind ticking over to see what I'd want. "You're all invited, of course, I could even—"

I wanted to have some fun, and that meant putting one of the smartest people I knew on the back foot. "Sounds good. Free food is always great. Will there be a vegetarian option?"

It took him two seconds to find where I'd taken the conversation and get back on a script. "Of course there will. I'd have thought you two would like something a bit more normal for this side?"

Dad spoke up before I could reply. "Depends on what it is. Saf has enjoyed some shellfish in his diet, but the rest of us have been fairly strict on the ovo-lacto side of things. What about you, Riley?"

"Eww. No meat. I can't believe Saf still eats fish."

Jeff walked over to his desk—the fancy-looking one—and touched a button on the intercom. "Caroline? Make sure at the dinner tomorrow night that there's vegetarian options for the Rees, three need to be ovo-lacto, one pescatarian." He looked at me for confirmation.

Alright, so he was actually going out of his way to make this work. I gave him a thumbs-up then jumped to my feet from the couch. I felt way too stationary. I wanted to fly, but the chances of that were basically nil, so I needed to do something else. "I need to get out of here and do something. Screw just sitting around."

"Why don't we go for a run?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, that'd be a good start. Alright, where can we go for that?" I looked at Mom and Dad, then at Jeff.

"Perhaps head down to Presidential Park? There's a nice big oval there I enjoy running on myself." Jeff looked at Dad. "You could head down there too, Philip, though we'd need more security."

"I'll be fine for a few days of inactivity. This is a working holiday for me."

Shopping was what we had to do first. Running in the suits Jeff's people had gotten us wouldn't be good at all, so we were bundled into a black car and two of his goons drove us to a mall of all things. We walked around with the goons right behind us, literally wearing the getup we'd had on for the TV broadcast. It took me some time to realize that people didn't recognize us because most probably hadn't seen the video yet.

So we got some clothes, the goons swiped a card whenever we needed to pay, got changed in a mall bathroom, and we got bundled back into the car.

There wasn't a lot of people walking around the park. I climbed out of the car first and was hit with the smell of trees and grass. It might not be the sharp scent of ozone from the cloud factory, but it was preferable to basically everything else I'd smelled since getting back. "I'd give anything to fly here."

Riley jumped out behind me. "Well, I'd give anything to be able to keep up my class here, but we both got boned on that one. I want to look at some of the trees, though. I wonder if I can get them to talk?"

"Let's try that after a lap. I hate sitting around all day."

Holding up her hand in a fist, Riley said, "Totally. Even learning isn't as bad. Ponies stand up all the time!"

I met her fist with my own and started off at a jog. It was good to stretch my legs, and at the pace I set Riley could keep up no problems.

The goons, however, weren't having anything to do with our running. They jumped back in the big car and started driving around just behind us. Moving was everything I expected it would be. Using my muscles and stretching was the best, but Riley quickly got distracted halfway around by a small tree with a fence around it.

"What's up with this?" Riley asked as she walked toward the fence.

One of the goons jumped out of the car and walked over. "What's the problem?"

Riley pointed at the tree. "Why's there a fence around this tree?"

"It's to stop anyone vandalizing the tree while it's growing." The guy looked bored as hell, though when Riley started climbing the fence he seemed more excited. "You shouldn't—Ah screw it. Just don't hurt the tree."

I helped Riley with a boost to get her over the fence, then vaulted it myself. I only realized after I'd done it that I'd just jumped over a six-foot fence without any effort at all. For a moment I was freaked out, but then I just realized getting over high things was what pegasi do. "So, what's the plan?"

"I don't know if it will work, but I'll try doing it solo first. If I can't get my magic to trigger, I'll get you to try touching me to give it a push." Riley walked right up to the tree and knelt down at the base of the little sapling.

The trunk was about as round as my thumb, but it needed to be closer to my leg. "'Kay."

She reached her hands out and pressed one to the ground at the base of the trunk and the other on the trunk itself—closing her fingers around it.

From experience, I knew this could take some time. Tree's were slow, though this one was probably young enough she could get it to reply quickly—"quickly" being a few minutes.

"Nothing. Okay, Saf, gimme a kick-start!"

I reached a hand out and put it on Riley's shoulder. "I don't know if this will work, or what might happen, but damn it feels good to use magic." With my free hand I reached up to my feather collection and ran my fingers over them.

The tickle I'd gotten inside came, and I felt that echo of magic course through me. "This would have been so much easier if we'd come over as ponies." I released the trickle of magic and sent it into Riley.

"Hey that—Oh!" Riley let out a giggle. "Okay, I think that did it. Right, here goes nothing."

Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. I could feel my heart beat then pause for ages before another thud happened. What was going on? That's when it hit me—Riley's magic was affecting me just like mine affected her.

I tried to pull my hand back from her shoulder, but whatever was going on made it impossible to move. Stuck like a statue, all I could do is think about what she might be talking to the tree about.

It seemed like forever before she stopped her magic and let time move properly again. I gasped and let go of her shoulder. "Warn me next time."

"Huh?" Riley asked.

"Everything was moving real slow and I couldn't move. Did the tree say anything?"

"A bit. It can feel the tree they removed before it. It didn't want to grow too fast, but I told it to speed things up a bit, and that people would protect it. I don't have the kinda magic I would back home, or I would have fed it, but I made it stop worrying."

"You realize this means our magic works here, like this, right? Can you do that again or would you need another kick-start?" I held out my finger to her in the classic joke style.

Riley just stared at me as if I was crazy. "Not on your life. But, anyway, I don't think I can do it without your help. Even now I don't have that spark. It's like all the magic is bottled up inside, but I can't get the top off."

"Guess these feathers are the key then, hey?" I held out my hands—fingers laced together—to give her a boost back over the fence.

"Is it just me, or do you feel lighter with that pegasus magic?" she asked as she used my hands to get a boost to the top of the fence.

Following her up and over reminded me of the first time. "Yeah, I think so. I can just jump over this without much help from the wire." Coming down on two legs was a bit more difficult than the four I was used to, but it wasn't like I'd forgotten how to use them.

"Look, Saf."

I turned and followed Riley's finger to see the tree was unrolling new leaves, though much slower than what her magic would do in Equestria. "It was really holding back, huh?"

"Yeah. That's not my magic, either, that's the tree just wanting to do something now. This is so cool!"

"We still have half a lap to run. Come on." As I turned to start jogging again, I saw the goon staring at the tree with his mouth open. It made me smile to see people freak out over what we were doing. Magic is what ponies do best, sucker!

Riley ignored the guy and ran to catch up to my side. "What was up with that guy?"

"He's probably never seen real magic before. Remember what this was like before Princess Twilight arrived?" My new habit of using titles was sinking in and taking root. Almost everypony in Equestria had some title to use, and they were as important as names.

"I guess. You'd think he saw it on TV, or even working at the White House."

"It's different seeing it in person. Remember what it was like when you first met Princess Twilight?"

"Huh. You're probably right. Hey, that person is waving at us." Riley nodded to the side, then lifted her arm and waved at the person.

And that's probably when I realized it—we were now celebrities. People we didn't know would recognize us and know our names. The woman Riley had waved to ran over and struggled to keep up with us. "You're the people from TV earlier, right? You went to the pony world?"

I looked around for Jeff's goons, but they were still catching up after the confusion over our magic. "Yeah. I'm Saf and this is Riley."

"Hi!" Riley said.

"Can I get a selfie with you two?" The girl looked about my age, maybe a little younger. She didn't look like she was dressed for running, but rather sight-seeing.

"Sure, I guess. Just don't touch me while you're holding your phone or it might go pop. Pony magic and all that." I grabbed Riley and the girl leaned in from the other side of Riley.

"This is so awesome!" She held her phone out and took the picture. "Will you be running here every day?"

The raw enthusiasm and excitement was something I just wasn't prepared for. How the fuck had meeting me become the high point of someone's day? "Yeah, I guess." I looked at Riley and thought of something. "But there'll be a rule—you only get a selfie if you run with us. At least a lap."

"First one was a freebie," Riley said.

"I'll tell my friends to come prepared. Thanks!" She didn't even tell us her name, but meeting her had been an experience to remember even after she ran off.

Riley turned to look at me for a moment before she let out a giggle. "We're famous, Saf."

"Yeah. Still kinda taking that in. What do you think this will mean?" I started back up with a jog, trusting Riley to keep up.

We managed another full lap before Riley said, "Well, that's enough for me. I don't have as much—"

I reached out a finger and poked her, jolting her with some pegasus magic while I did. The change was immediate and Riley let out a laugh. "Good for more now?" I asked.

"Yeah! You're the best, Saf!" With her earth pony magic burning, Riley would probably be able to outrun me without a problem.

This time, two laps later, I was lathered up in a sweat and was done with running—Riley still looked like she could run ten more laps. "Stop. Dang it, Riley. Turn off your juice."

"Spoilsport. Okay, but what do we do now? It's still… Oh! I'm hungry!" Riley stopped on a dime and turned to look for our goons.

I turned, feeling like I'd really been on a good run now, and looked back to see Riley walking up to the black SUV the goons drove. She walked up and spoke to them while I was still trying to catch my breath.

Staggering back to the car, I climbed in the back with Riley. "So, what now?" I asked.

"Lunch!" Riley bounced on her seat. "Where are we going for lunch?" The last she asked of our goons. As I sat beside her, however, her head spun to look at me. "Saf, you stink! Change of plan, guys, we need somewhere to clean up first."

"Your parents have a suite at the Lafayette. We can drive you there and escort you up." It was the most I'd heard either of the two say since meeting them.

The pony side of me came out and chided me for not being nicer and trying to make friends. "Thanks. And thanks for putting up with us, I know it's not as glamorous as protect—"

"We protect who the president tells us to protect. We don't see it as babysitting, I promise." The guy speaking was the one driving. He pulled out into traffic while he spoke. "You're under protection because you're important to the United States of America, and that's enough for us."

"Not me," the other goon said. "My mother was on dialysis and got an infection. Took just one pill—from the medical stuff your mother secured—and she pulled out of it in hours. Not all heroes wear capes."

I actually laughed at the final comment. "Nice quote." I was surprised when he offered his fist for a bump—one I gratefully returned. Okay, goons was probably a bad name for them. They were just guys with jobs to do, and Riley and me'd completely fucked with that. "Let us know if we're making this too much of a headache."

"Headache? You want to know what a headache is? It's raising my little sister." This was the driving goon again. "We lost our parents ten years ago, and it's not been easy keeping up with her."

"Little Katie?"

"'Little'? She just turned sixteen."

The two men seemed to be talking comfortable together now I'd broken the ice. "Wait," I said, "if she's sixteen, I think I get why she's being a headache."

"You're eighteen, right?" Driver asked.

"Yeah. And Riley's twelve almost thirteen. Anyway, what I mean to say is that before we went to Equestria, I was a pain in the neck to my parents. Alternating between not wanting to do what they say and doing everything to the letter, depending on if it was to my advantage. It's funny how getting a new perspective on things can realign all that."

"You think I should pack her off to another world?"

"Nah. I don't know what the docs are saying about all this anyway. We thought it was all safe before, but then Dad didn't turn back human. What I mean is she might want a change of pace. Well, she might not want it, I didn't, but it's what I needed. That's just how harmony and destiny work, though." It had been pure stream of consciousness. I hadn't even really thought that much on it myself, but everything I'd said was right. I really needed to get away.

There was silence in the car as we traveled past the White House, then Driver let out a thoughtful sound somewhere between a grunt and a hrmm. "You might be right. Maybe I'll put in for a transfer out of security detail, go to a quieter part of the country."

"You what?" Passenger (the other goon) asked. "Just like that?"

"Just like that I'll think on it, sure. All this time I've been asking my friends what they think I should do, when I should have asked someone Katie's age what I should do. Thanks, buddy." His eyes connected with mine in the rear-view mirror and he nodded to me.

If I was a pegasus right now, I'd probably flick my wings and preen a little. Getting a compliment from an adult felt good, plus he'd called me "buddy", which was more like a term for a peer, not a kid. "Saffron Ree, but just call me Saf."

"Trevor Lane, just call me Trev. We're going to be parking in a moment. I want you both to get out with Mike here, let him lead the way while I get the car squared away. We're not expecting any danger, but the boss-man doesn't want any chances taken." Trev flicked on his indicator and pulled us up to the front door of the most crazy-rich-looking hotel ever.

"Okay, after me. C'mon," Mike said as he climbed out.

I opened my door behind Mike and climbed out while reaching back to grab Riley's hand. "Come on, both out this door puts us right behind Mike and gets us inside quicker."

We bundled out of the car and followed Mike inside. The place was huge and everything was either shiny and chrome or shiny and gold. We wound up standing beside the lifts for Trev to come in too. He approached the front desk, spoke with them a moment, and got a key.

As he approached us, I realized he had a sports bag in one hand. "I've got a key to your parents suite. They promised to send someone up to refresh the toiletries once you are done."

"Sweet. Hey, does this place have somewhere to have lunch? Could save you finding us somewhere else, and might have less chance of causing a crowd," I said.

Trev looked at Mike and they both nodded silently. "That would work well. I've got your things in this bag, you can both get changed into your fancy stuff again after you clean up." When the doors of the lift opened, Mike stepped in first, we piled in after him, and Trev stepped in and tapped the keycard to the lift's sensor. It beeped and closed the doors.

"I'll be honest," Mike said. "I thought it was babysitting. That stuff you did with the tree kinda reminded me who you were, though. Now, if you help us out by not being pains in the neck… you get a definite upgrade there."

As soon as he finished, I realized he hadn't meant to say it. It was like the camera guy in the oval office. How often were people going to just open up like this around me. Or us. I looked aside at Riley.

"Is this your magic again?" Riley asked.

"Magic?" Mike asked.

"Back when we were doing the show things with Uncle Jeff, one of the camera guys got really freaky and talkative with Saf. It was kinda cute in a creepy way. Almost like Saf had asked him about his cutie mark—if you ever want to hear a pony talk for an hour, ask them about their cutie mark."

"Are you saying you just wizarded me to tell the truth?" Turning to look at me, Mike raised an eyebrow but had a smile on his face. I didn't even know goons could smile.

"Oh, yeah! Totally. Just like I wizarded you to remove the stick from your ass and smile."

All four of us were laughing when the doors opened. Mike walked out first and looked around before beckoning us down the hallway. All too soon we were at a door, inside, and I was in the shower.

The shampoo and body-wash was surprisingly good stuff, but then, given the look of this place it would be expected. I got out and dried myself off with a plush towel, then walked into the living room without a thought. That's when it hit me that I was naked. "Where's my clean clothes?"

"Naturalist?" Trev asked as he tossed the bag in my direction.

"Somethin' like that. Ponies don't wear much in the way of clothes most of the time, but nothing's all that visible." That's a lie and I know it. I'd seen more vaginas in my months in Equestria than all the porn I've ever seen, and given my life on the internet before going to Equestria, that was a startling fact even for me to digest. "Thanks."

As I walked back toward the bedroom I'd been using, Riley stepped out of a different one—though she had towels wrapped around her. "Is my stuff in that bag too?" she asked, and when I shrugged, she looked at the goons.

"I put everything you didn't wear running in there," Mike said.

She followed me into the room, and the moment the door closed she started giggling. "You forgot you weren't a pony."

"Yeah. I just don't think about clothes much, I guess. What do you need?" I dropped the bag on the bed, unzipped it, and then turned it upside down. I started picking through the things I'd need.

"Bra, underwear, socks, top, skirt…" She let out a sigh. "I wish I had some makeup."

"You should have grabbed some when you got that skirt." I grabbed out my selections and noticed there was yet more clothing that was brand new from the mall we visited. "I'll change in the bathroom."

"'Kay. So what are we going to have for lunch? I hope they have something good." I heard her pulling things on and making biting sounds. "Ugh, these damn tags." That explained the biting sounds.

"I might see if they have any seafood. I have no clue what this kind of place would serve. How will we pay for it?" I realized I'd have to do what Riley was doing for some of the things I'd grabbed, though the suit pants from earlier would be fine.

"Duh, Mike or Trev will sort that out. Maybe I could get something with apples in it—just to compare it to Bloom's apples."

That made sense—the first bit, at least. "You know they won't. Nothing tastes as good as food grown by an earth pony, and you know it." I was about halfway dressed.

"Yeah, I know. But it's still good to remind ourselves of that. I bet they do have good seafood, though."

"Are you turning a little pegasus?" I asked. "Maybe have some wings growing in? How would that be, if we went back through the teleport thingy and we both ended up as pegasi?"

"Eww! I don't like it as a pony!" She screwed her face up her face. "Can you toss me my socks?"

Everything I did, from breathing right up to running, reminded me that this was all strange now. I was missing two limbs and couldn't walk right and—I needed to calm down. Maybe I was a little hangry, too. "Well, why not have a steak?"

"What?!"

"I mean, you're human now, you can eat one and I bet it would taste good."

"Why don't you get one too then? We can both eat all the red meat." Riley glared at me in a way that told me she knew exactly why I wouldn't take her up on that. Well, time to call her on it.

"You know why." Just thinking of how much Fluttershy would look hurt by me admitting to eating red meat stung part of my soul.

Riley finished buttoning up her shirt and turned back to face me. "It's because of her, isn't it? She'd give you those big, sad eyes."

"Shut up, Riley."

"She wouldn't say a word, but I bet her bottom lip would tremble a bit and her ears would fold back."

"Alright. You win. I can't believe she's a whole universe away and I still can't look at meat without picturing her expression. Fish it is." I got my pants on and tucked my shirt into them. "It feels weird wearing all these clothes, too."

"Says the guy who was walking around naked five minutes ago."

I turned and stuck my tongue out at her. "Like you were much better."

"I kept my underwear on…" The way she trailed off made me think that hadn't been as certain as she'd have liked it to be.

"Let's face it, Riley, we're both ponies now. This"—I smacked my chest with my palm—"is strange now."

"Yup. Ponies through and through. So what can we do to be silly with it?" The look Riley gave me spoke of mischief on a large scale.

"We could order salad bowls and try to eat from them only using our faces."

"Ohh! And what about getting sippy straws for everything and just trying to never use our hands?"

Pulling our shoes on together, I shook my head. "You're not thinking far enough. We make it a contest. See how many times we have to resort to using our hands. Least amount wins."

"No. It counts 2 points if someone sees you, 5 if they comment, and only 1 if you get away without anyone noticing," Riley said.

Standing up, I flicked my braid to the side and watched the pattern of colored feathers swoosh across my vision. "You're the smart one in the family, and it shows. Okay, those points sound good, but how do we record them if we can't use our hands to write them down?"

"We'll work something out."

Author's Note

Ask Saffron: What are your thought that you are now an electro-man?

"That it sucks. Everything here is full of electronics, and if I so much as breathe wrong they're going to blame me for destroying it." Saffron rolled his eyes. "But it was kinda fun to make all those thugs come running out to protect Jeff from the evil teenager pony."

So I do this "Ask X" thing. X can be any pony within the story. You can ask them anything and they will definitely, hopefully reply. Keep the questions appropriate to the age-rating of the stories, and they will answer the best question in the author notes of the next chapter. The more votes a comment has the more likely I will get it to the right pony to answer. Try to keep it to one question per post! They will pick one question per chapter.

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