SymbioPony

Chapters

Chapter 1- Ejected with Predjudice
Chapter 2- Meeting the Sister
Chapter 3- Explaining Weird Stuff
Chapter 5- Meeting the Student
Chapter 6- First Impressions are Important
Chapter 4- Wooo hands!

Chapter 1- Ejected with Predjudice

You know, life has a seriously twisted sense of humor.

Wanna know how I know that? Because when life says, “Hey your life isn’t going according to specifications soooooo here’s a boulder to the face and we’ll be moving you to the afterlife now,” you’ve pissed SOMETHING off.

This was the situation I was dealing with.

I was just on my way to work, average day. Except, as I pulled into my usual workplace, I noted a particularly large and imposing space boulder coming at me. Now, I had all of 30 seconds to come to grips with inevitable death and surprisingly, you can get a lot of thought done in 30 seconds. I went over my life, reviewed my regrets, and appreciated all the awesome things I did in... SHIT! I never got to bungee jump! It’s all the fun of jumping off a bridge...without the death...but I’m boned anyway, so the point is kinda moot.

Interestingly enough, when you get crushed to death it only hurts for a few seconds, it’s like if you felt all the pain in one quick blast and then poof, dead. Oh and that whole “light at the end of the tunnel” thing is TOTAL BULLSHIT! There is no light, it’s more like a just pop into this reception area where Death/Grim Reaper in a stereotypical black robe is going through your life which is, in fact, an open book to him. So here I am...in Death’s waiting room, while he reads my life. I’m fairly certain this constitutes a new level of awkward.

After some time he let out a sigh. “Whelp, this is embarrassing,” the reaper said as he closed the book of my life.

I chuckle nervously, “Which part? The part where you just went through my life in under thirty minutes or the fact you know how much porn I’ve seen?” Should I have admitted that? What if he is judging me? Oh, crap. I hope I didn’t just secure a ticket to Hell.

Now, I’m not sure if a skeleton can raise an eyebrow but Death can. After destroying my perception of how anatomy works, he elaborated, “The latter is nothing new. Everyone looks at porn...seriously everyone. But that’s not the embarrassing part.”

Somehow, I should have seen that coming but now was the time for me to use my eyebrows because they are actually there and adhere to the rules of anatomy like true law abiding citizens of my face. “Oooookay? So what makes Death embarrassed?” Wow, that’s a weird thought.

Death looked at me... I think? Hard to tell if someone is looking at you when they don’t have eyes, but when a skull is turned in your direction you can make that assumption. Anyway, Death looked at me and told me, “You were living the wrong life.”

I... what? I don’t...

Dante.exe has stopped working due to an existential statement, rebooting...

...

Reboot successful.

Re-assessing life...

“Uh, so...would you mind elaborating on that, Mr. Death... Sir... Please?” I did my best to be courteous, but how do you respond to something like that?! ‘Oh, sorry you were meant to be in line 4-A, not 4-B, so you’ve lived the wrong life and everything you did was pointless. Sorry!’ Oh, no big deal! Just wasted twenty-three years doing what I thought were helpful and learning things that are now useless.

Death shook his head, “Sorry, Dante Morelo. But you’re already behind and we need to fast track you to where you need to be.” The minute he finished, his boney hand rose and pointed at me. Then with a snap of his skeletal fingers, the room disappeared and gravity took over sending me plummeting into the void.

Whoa! WHOA WHOA!.....WHEEEE- Wait, no! Bad, this is bad! I might die from...

Oh yeah... Fuck it.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

So after falling for about a minute, I’m fairly positive I hit warp ten because the blackness gave way to what looked like shooting stars racing past me. Soon the stars gave way to a planet. Wait, Earth? No, can’t be Earth the continents are in the wrong places... whoa, did death send me into the past!? Might explain the continent placements. Well, going to find out soon that planet, Earth or not was getting closer. Okay suddenly, I have an appreciation for exactly how fast I’m moving because, when I hit the atmosphere I saw the vapor circles from my sonic entry. Jesus, I am booking!

Now, a new sensation! Although I have a passion for going fast and doing particularly dangerous stunts for the adrenaline...this is too fast , I can’t slow down; worse I have no control! Seriously, I tried flailing, attempting to deviate my course, and yelling every expletive I could think of. Okay, that last one was mostly to deal with my annoyance of the situation, but I was moving at Mach three and couldn’t control anything. At least I could voice my frustration.

Oh hey, yet another sensation, fear. Why? Because there’s a mountain coming up fast and again can’t control shit. Hang on, is that a castle on the side of the mountain? Who builds a castle on the side of a mount....wait, I’ve seen this castle before. But from where?

Before I can attempt to determine this castle’s familiarity, I pass straight through a glass window of the castle, hit something else, then I collided with a wall with some extreme force.

Oh, hello, Pain my old friend! How’s the wife, Suffering? Oh, she’s in my everything? Fantastic. How about your son, Agony? Taking up residence on my left side for a few weeks? Glorious. Considering I hit a wall going mach three, I was surprised that I didn’t black out. Upside? I was in pain. Pain means I’m not dead anymore. Woo!... ow.

“Princess! Are you okay!?” I heard someone yell.

Oh crap, did my entry hurt someone? Oh man, they said, “Princess” oh man, don’t tell me I hit royalty. Well, I can feel guilt and it was back with a vengeance. I was moving really fast. Maybe I just winged someone? Please let it be I winged someone. Going that fast, full contact meant they were... ok, guilt compels me to get up off the cold ground and try to apologize, assuming that’s an option.

It felt like I was on my right side, so I placed my arm underneath me and rolled onto all fours. Weird, I must be numb. I can’t feel my hands, but I can feel my legs and arms. Ok, don’t freak out. There’s someone possibly hurt or dead. Help now, freak out later.

“Princess Celestia, stop! You were tossed into a wall! You might have internal damage!” the same voice said.

Celestia? Wait, the castle from before...oooooh shit. I need confirmation right now! I willed my eyes open and after the initial blurriness faded, I see two forms before me...equine forms. Ok, getting harder not to panic.

I check myself, from my perspective I can see two legs in front of me with pure alabaster white fur and two hooves. Well, explains not feeling my hands. Out of my peripheral, I can see something flowing off the side of my head. It looked like flowing green, pink, and blue hair. Oh, panic intensifying, maintain cool, Dante, maintain cool. I needed one final check to confirm my suspicions. I turned my gaze above my nose/muzzle until I’m nearly cross-eyed and spotted a long spiraling horn protruding from my skull...well, my host’s skull. A little exploration of the nervous system and I can feel two more legs behind me along with a tail...OOOOH TAIL! Up yours, evolution! Then I feel...two more arms? No, wait this is different. I glance to my left so the hair hides where I’m looking and spotted a wing responding to my commands and a little further past that I can see a bright yellow and orange sun on the white canvas of my host’s flanks.

OoOoOk, hehe he...he...fuck. I’m in control of Princess Celestia of Equestria. Hmm, what time is it? Panic-o-clock? Sounds about right.

Oh, wondering how I happen to know the name of the individual I seem to be occupying at the moment? Well, if you happen to not be net savvy or don’t watch Fox News this is the explanation for you! If you are, you can skip the next couple paragraphs.

There are a group of individuals (a very large group) who watch a certain show. This show is called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Now if your next thought is, “Wow that sounds like a show for little girls.” Congratulations! You found the TARGETED demographic, however; the vast majority who ACTUALLY watch this show are (drum roll) MEN. These men are bronies (Bro+pony= brony)

Clever, right? Again, let’s assume I’m psychic and the next thing you’re thinking is, “Why would men watch a show for little girls?” Answer: It was written so adults could enjoy it with their kids. Simple and sweet. There are adult jokes that only adults can get, the characters have some depth and aren’t some nimrod put on screen to keep a three-year-old occupied. And to top it off, it’s funny and it taught things kids should learn! So if you’re new “Hi, welcome, have some cookies and milk. Enjoy the fun!” If you are a brony yourself... yo.

But back to my crisis, where my panic is now at a level I’ve only heard of trauma victims suffering. This is not my body, worse this was royalty and the RULER OF A FREAKING NATION! So yeah, lots of things that could go badly. Need to calm down, breathe, and focus. Breathe, and focus… Focus....... Shit. I’m too jazzed , I can’t calm down!

I look at the two equine forms of both stallions. The one on the left looked like an aged butler. He had a monocle on his right eye (classy) and had his pure white mane slicked back and was wearing a very fancy suit with complimentary blues that went with his yellow fur color. His flanks had a picture of a serving platter with a cup of tea and cookies on the platter.

The other reminded me of a businessman, he had a jet black mane and dark gray fur. He was wearing a business suit with a handkerchief in the coat pocket (meh not as good as a monocle) and the mark on his rear was a stack of coins. Both had looks of concern on their faces.

What do I do?! I need time to think...wait. Ok, time to see how good my acting is. I turned to face the two stallions, “I...uh... I’m ok. Just a ...just a bit frazzled.” I realize I shouldn’t be surprised my voice didn’t sound out, but it’s super weird to hear my normally low voice replaced with a feminine one. I continued in Celestia’s voice, " I’d like to ask that you please excuse me, gentleme-colts. I need to recover and determine what has assaulted me.” I attempted to maintain the best poker face I could muster.

The two looked at each other. The business pony looked back to me/Celestia still wearing a concerned look, “But of course, Princess. We can discuss my proposal when you have recovered.” With that, he bowed to me and left. The butler pony didn’t leave but approached instead. I assumed he must be one of the servants of the castle.

“Your highness, do you want me to escort you back to your chambers?”, the butler asked.

Perfect! Considering I haven’t a clue about the layout of this castle it’d look weird to see the ruler wandering aimless and confused around her own castle. Well, lady luck has dealt me a good hand better cash in while I can. “Yes, yes. Thank you.”

He bows to me as well and starts to lead me out of the throne room. We are about to leave and I take note of where I was. I saw where I had apparently “thrown” Celestia into the wall. The wall had an impact crater. Jesus, no wonder they looked worried. Then a thought hit me.

“Oh, can you do me one more favor?”

The butler stopped and turned to me/Celestia again. “Of course, Princess. What can I do for you?”

So far, so good. “Could you have Luna meet me in my chambers? I know she is still sleeping but...I’d like her input on this.” The butler actually looked...shocked? Oh please tell me I didn’t just blow it.

“P-p-p-princess Luna? A-a-are you certain, your highness?” I might be mistaken but...he sounded scared. Come on, recover. Think, Dante, think! Ok, time to take a gamble.

“Yes, please. I believe her input will be able to help greatly.” Please let Luna be here! PLEASE!

The butler looked scared still but he nodded, “I’ll take you to your quarters and I’ll...fetch Princess Luna.”

And jackpot! Best cash out before I push it too far. I stayed silent as we walked to Celestia’s chambers. It was a bit tricky at first trying to walk on all fours, but I was able to wave it off as the effects of being flung into a wall. Thank goodness for small favors.

When we arrived, I couldn’t imagine how I could have missed this room. The doors were enormous wood doors. The borders had some kind of script along the edges and there was a large sun in the center of the two doors. If anything screamed “Here is where Princess Sunbutt sleeps” this was it.

There were two guards outside the room each holding a spear, they had on golden armor with a sun crest on the breastplate, the hoof guards were the same golden, but the helms reminded me of old Roman legionnaire armor with a sort of mohawk plum that ran from the snout to the back of the head. Their expressions were the best military poker faces I’ve ever seen. At least, until they saw Celestia/me. In the span of about two seconds, they went from surprised, concerned, then back to stoic. After that expression shift , they both saluted and held their spears tighter to their bodies.

Ok, stay in character. You’re almost in the clear! “At ease, my little ponies. I just need to rest from an... unexpected event.”

Ugh, I called them “My little ponies” Suddenly, I feel like I just kicked my masculinity right in the no-no zone. I mean yeah, I watch a show for little girls, so you’d think my masculinity was already in bad shape, but a little dubstep, rock, and working out a bit. I feel as good as can be… Hey, just because I’m not in front of you doesn’t mean I can’t feel you silently judging me. Stop it!

The guards flipped back to concerned again. They shot each other a look then both looked at me.

I wasn’t sure what my expression was. Honestly, I was beginning to feel the impact from earlier. With the excitement and the fact that I DIED earlier today, either I must have been running on adrenaline, or Celestia was. At this point, it was hard to tell, but I was definitely feeling some pain in the left wing. I waved them off with a hoof and entered Celestia’s chambers.

Despite wanting to come here to try and think, rest was starting to seem like a good idea. It’d have to wait until I got my mind straight, and hopefully convince Luna to help me.

That or she’d flip out and accuse me of trying to usurp Celestia’s through possession....

THE HELL, BRAIN?! I’m trying to stay positive! Ok , that might actually happen but I need to try and stay positive. Can’t break down now.

After shaking my mind of any more pessimistic ideas, I took in Celestia’s room. It was very large. I spotted a fireplace along the right side of the wall and a circular bed in the center that was calling to me. It almost looked like an oversized pillow but I could tell by looking...it would be damn comfy.

There was also a doorway that led to a balcony that overlooked the land outside. I took a quick peek outside, the sun looked like it was still arching towards the horizon. So it must be around evening. Damn, I was hoping maybe it was noon so I wouldn’t have to lower the sun the rest of the way.

Oh yeah, Celestia can do that. She can raise the sun and lower it. Giant flaming ball in the sky and Celestia can push it around like a magnet on a refrigerator... except I was now Celestia and I don’t know jack about using magic.

I mean I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to try. It’s magic! REAL MAGIC! Or some really, really advanced telekinesis that hadn’t been explained yet. Either way, would love to do magic but not at the risk of possibly dropping the sun onto a planet.

I re-entered the room and spotted a vanity desk with a large oval mirror. Might be time to take stock. I approached the desk and Celestia’s image reflected in the mirror. Ok, this is surreal. I’m looking in a mirror but I don’t see a twenty-three-year-old male, but a thousand-year-old ruler of a nation with near god-like power...and I was in the driver seat. I shuddered.

This wasn’t my body, I was an invader.

Worse, I was beginning to wonder if I might have shoved Celestia out. Oh God please tell me that’s not how this works! Of all the things I did not want on my life resume, killing royalty is definitely up there.

I let out a sigh, best to deal with that bridge when we cross it. I looked back at the mirror, Celestia’s face matched my current state, sad and sullen. Somehow it made me feel even worse.

I saw the wings on my backdrop. With a bit of concentration, I brought them back to an appropriately folded position. Now my ears perked. I was interested in messing with these just a little bit. How often do you get a set of wings? Some more concentrating and I managed to spread the left wing outward . Before it reached full spread I felt a twinge of pain. Gah, still sore I guessed.

”Ah, ow.”

What? Did I say that?

”Who’s there?”

“Could it be? Princess Celestia? Please tell me that’s you,” I called out hopefully

Ye-yes. Where are you? Wait, why can’t I move? What’s going on here!? Celestia exclaimed in clear shock and surprise.

Oh, look, someone put all the shit in a catapult, and they were kind enough to point it at the world’s largest industrial fan...Whelp, I best pull the cord before someone else does.

Chapter 2- Meeting the Sister

So, wanna know what is really, really difficult to do? Trying to convince the owner of a body that you, an invader and subsequent temporary controller of said body, are not enacting some kind of plot to take over the throne.

Oh, why is it hard? Because no matter what you say or how much you try to convince the person you mean no ill will, all present evidence likes to say otherwise. My experience in this particular situation went as follows:

"Princess Celestia, please calm down. I know this seems bad-" I attempted to calm down Celestia but given the circumstances, she was less than willing to listen.

"What did you do?! Why can’t I move my body?! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" I heard Celestia yell in my thoughts

"I...I don’t know, I swear! I didn’t want this! I didn’t ask for this!" I retorted aloud.

"Why should I trust you? You’re in my body and as far as I know you threw me into the wall!" She returned with a hard to debate comeback.

"Uh....ok, that last part, yes. That was my fault. I will accept any punishment you deem worthy, but believe me, I did not intend to crash into you! I was falling and I was just...it was just my trajectory I couldn’t stop or shift or anything!" I pleaded. Yeah, I was being stupidly submissive, but I wasn't going to pull anything either.

Celestia was silent for a bit, and for some reason the back of my head was really itchy.

"I believe you... For now," she said in a cool manner that calmed me a bit.

"Really? Um... Can I ask what changed your mind?" I inquired.

"Your memories," she replied with a bluntness that could knock anyone out cold.

"Uh...m-m-my memories? You read my mind?" Suddenly, the feeling of the privacy of my mind was not so private.

"Technically, it’s my mind, and you are occupying it. That makes it a lot easier to get information when the information you are seeking is already within your head. To a further point, what are you?" Fair question. Also, kinda weird.

"Oh, that...makes sense, I guess. I’m a human... was a human. Not sure what I am now. How much did you see?" I asked a bit worried she may have seen a bit too much of my past.

"Mostly your recent memories... I’m very sorry." I could feel the remorse in her non-audible words.

"Sorry? You haven’t done anything. I’ve thrown you into a wall and taken over your body. I should be prostrating myself for your forgiveness... Oh, by the way, have I mentioned how sorry I am for that?" Yeah I’m overly apologetic, but you’d be on your hands and knees too if a deity with the power of the sun was judging you

"Yes, you have, but I’m sorry for your death. The reason you are here is because you died according to your memories," Celestia was very sincere with her response and I could almost feel the empathy in her words.

Honestly, with everything happening, I had completely forgotten that... I'd-... I’m... I died. My parents, my friends, my family. I have to get back! Maybe Celestia can help me? Maybe they can like, planar shift or something like that! Then I can get back home.

...I got hit by a meteor! You can’t come back from that, no way in hell! Oh God no. No no no no no!

"Dante?"

Even if Celestia has incredible power, I can’t go back to something that’s impossible to salvage! Mom’s going to be distraught! I was all she had! To top it off, now I probably look like mangled roadkill! I don’t want her to see me like that!

OH GOD, DAD! He won’t even be able to comfort her until he gets stateside. They’re going to bury me. They get to say their goodbyes, but I… I… I can’t even-

"DANTE!"

Her cry startled me as I let out a shallow gasp and caught a glimpse at the mirror on the vanity desk. I was crying and shaking involuntarily. Tears were streaming down her face, and her eyes were puffy. I'd never seen Celestia look like this.

But in truth, it’s not her crying, isn’t it...

"T-t-thank you. I’m sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" Celestia inquired in concern.

"I don’t know. Felt like I should."

"You shouldn't. You've done nothing wrong..." She said, sounding like a mother comforting a child... Hell from the tears, I might as well have been. This was something new, and none of it was good.

I was about to thank Celestia for her consideration when a knock came from the chamber doors. Suddenly, I remembered that I had invited a certain sister to try and help with our predicament. I can figure this all out later. I wiped the tears away from Celestia's face and worked to get control of myself.

"Who is that?" Celestia asked in my head.

“Must be Princess Luna, I asked her to come here. I figured she might be able to help”, I whispered.

"Ah, good thinking!"

“I was thinking it’s what you would do...plus I feel like she deserves to know.” Then I cringed as my mind went back to that dark corner of every bad thing Luna might do when she learned what I had inadvertently done.

Damn it, Brain, GO TO THE CLOSET AND THINK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE NOT HELPING!

Well, no reason to stall. Either this can solve our problems...or kill me again. Time to flip the coin. “Come in, Luna.” I said in my best Celestia voice.

The door opened to reveal a slightly smaller alicorn princess. Her fur was midnight blue with a small black splotch on her flank where a crescent moon hung. Her mane was a much lighter blue and was short. It barely made it to the nape of her neck and fell just a bit over her brow. She was wearing her royal regalia, but it looked like she put it on in a hurry. Her piercing blue-green eyes were half drooped and slightly bloodshot. Guess my hunch that she was sleeping was spot on.

‘Good *yawn* evening, dear sister. Thou hast requested our presence?” Luna asked, placing a hoof to her mouth to cover a yawn.

“Any suggestions on how to break this to your sister?”, I ask Celestia mentally.

"Tell her the truth,"Celestia came back with what seemed like the obvious answer, but not exactly the one I wanted to hear.

I cringed, but summoned what courage I could muster and chose my words very, very carefully.

“Luna, I would like to discuss something with you. If you could do me a favor, close the door and soundproof the room, please,” I said in the calmest voice I could muster.

Luna gave me a confused look, but obliged anyway. Her horn glowed in a blue aura that matched her coat, then the entire chamber flashed the same color. It looked like she barely had any trouble with it. Man, If I manage to live through this I’m learning some damn magic.

“The deed is done, what is it that thou wished to discuss with us, sister?” Luna asked, still looking a bit confused. Without a doubt she was wondering why her sister didn’t use her magic to soundproof the room.

I let out a long sigh and I looked Luna straight in the eye. “Luna, I need your help. I have been thrust into Celestia’s body and I need help getting her back in control”

Luna’s facial expression made the fastest change I’ve ever seen. First her expression jumped to shocked, then back to confused, then finally skeptical. She was looking right at me, and when I say that, it felt like she was looking DIRECTLY at me, not Celestia. Celestia’s body was reacting in tune with my emotions. I was nervous, and I’m certain I was sure I was sweating. I needed to keep pressing forward. Another deep breath and I pressed forward.

“I realized this sounds a bit out there, but I’m very serious, Luna. I’m not from this land. I died and for some reason my... Essence? Being? I don’t know, it got thrown into Celestia’s body and now I have control of her body. We both need your help to-”

Suddenly Luna was right in front of me. I hadn’t seen her move, but within a blink of an eye she was inches from my face... Wow, her eyes are pretty.....NO! BAD, libido, BAD!

"Are you having lewd thoughts about my sister?" I heard Celestia chime in.

“Ah um, uuuh. I swear I’m trying not to!” I rebutted mentally, attempting to defend myself.

“What kind of joke doest thou think thou art playing upon us?” Luna asked.

“Luna, I swear on your sister, this isn’t a joke! I need you to believe me. I-I-I don’t know how to prove it to you. I don’t...wait. Can you read minds?” Come on, this just might work!

Luna was still in my face but her appraising look did not shift. There was a pause for a few seconds. Those were some really uncomfortable seconds. Then a blessing, Luna said that she could.

I was pleased...for a second before I began to wonder if she read my mind if somehow she might pick up Celestia’s by chance...DAMN IT, BRAIN STOP IT!

"Are you always this harsh on yourself? Your idea does have some merit." Celestia popped in again.

“Only when my mind conspires against me. He is an unruly beast that must be put in the corner so that it may learn not to be a pessimist! I try to be a fair leader in Optimist land, but I cannot allow the Realist rebellion to take over!”

Celestia giggled at that one. {Achievement unlocked: Got Princess to giggle at a stupid joke} Ooh, look at that, Whoo!

I looked to Luna and asked her to check my most recent memories and then I mentally crossed my nonexistent fingers that this might convince her. She touched her horn to Celestia’s and the back of our head started to itch again. Brain probing is really itchy, and FYI hooves are horrible at removing annoying itches. I’m missing fingers already. God I hope Celestia doesn’t get an itchy muzzle...GAH DAMN IT I JINXED IT!!!

After the itching stopped, Luna backed away from me and was looking way more shocked. It worked?

“You’re not Celestia!” She proclaimed with a hoof pointed at me.

Hey, it worked! Wow, I’m on a roll today!

It’s at this point that I should learn from previous lessons. Such as, Jinxing myself about an itchy muzzle. I should’ve known better, but allow me to show you the results of the endangered Mortus Dumbassicus.

The next thing I know, a blue blur slams me in the chest and pins me to the ground.

“YOU WILL RELEASE OUR SISTER THIS INSTANT VILLAIN!” She yelled in the Royal Canterlot Voice, which at point blank range leaves a ringing in your ear. I had to shake it out of my head because my forelegs were now pinned to my side.

" I don't know how! That's why-" I attempted to reason. Note, I say "attempted", because after I got the "I don't know how" out she straight bitched slapped me.

"OW!" "OW!" Celestia and I both felt that apparently. Wait, we share sensations? Ok, this could get bad if Luna doesn't calm down. Need to be more convincing.

"Luna, I'm being serious I don't- *SLAP* Stop it!" Seriously, why go for the face! It's not even mine and I can say that unnecessary...that and she popped me right on the snout! That freaking hurts! No wonder dogs hate it.

"Agh, why isn't she listening?!"

"Hell if I know!"

I looked back at Luna, I was starting to get a bit pissed but then I noticed something I missed before. She was on the verge of tears.

"We lost our sister because of our foolishness before, thou SHAN'T TAKE HER FROM US AGAIN!" Aw, she cares, which is good, but reasoning is falling. Shit shit shit! What do I do?!

Celestia had definitely slipped into leader mode. Her tone alone would have made armies snap to attention.
"Dante! She's hysterical. We need to get her to calm down."

"How? Every time I try to say something, she slaps us! And good Lord does she have a wicked back hand." Seriously, her back hand strike would be the envy of every tennis player ever.

"I hate to say this, but you need to overpower her and get her to focus."

"Uh...don't take this the wrong way but I'd really rather not. I kinda got a whole avoid violence if possible thing going on."

“Now is NOT the time for that! Either you get her to focus or she calls the guards. She will likely lock us up, and try to remove you from me in every and any way she can think of! Who knows what she might try!”

In all honesty I really like violent movies, video games, and anything involving hand-to-hand combat, but I feel really guilty when I hurt someone... I have a guilty conscience, okay? Whelp, I'm gonna hate myself for this later, but that’s a thumbs up from the princess.

Fuck it, let's do this.

I curled my back legs in and loaded them to shove just under Luna's midsection. With a curl of the back and a shove of the legs Luna was tossed off of me and I was able to scramble to a standing position. I was hoping that might buy me a second to close the distance between Luna and me but she just rolled mid air and landed square on all fours.

"So thou have shown thine true colors! Very well then! Have at thee!"

Ever get the sensation you just hit a hornet's nest with a baseball bat?

Oh crap, she's coming back! Uh, Uh, What to do, what to do?! Shit! Use Flail! *WHACK* I smacked her straight across the face as she was charging me, and I think I stunned her. Woot! Super effective! Wait, she's stunned I need to act now! I pressed the advantage. I plow into Luna and knock her onto her back.

After pinning her to the ground, which she did not like at all, and receiving some soon to be bruises to my inner back thighs, I was starting to get pissed again. I kept trying to get her attention but she just kept thrashing, and it was getting harder and harder to hold her down....I pretty much snapped after that.

“GOD DAMN IT LUNA CUT IT OUT! YOU'RE HURTING ME AND CELESTIA! CALM DOWN, NOW!”

Did...did I just use the Royal Canterlot Voice? I mean the whole room just shook! Well, it got Luna to stop and look at me. At first, she was shocked, but now she looked scared. As long as I have her attention. "Luna, I want to get Celestia back in control of her body, but I don't know a thing about magic, and I desperately need your help! Please!"

She still looked spooked. Did I really rattle her that much?

"Eyes," She squeaked.

"Eyes? What about eyes? Is that how we fix this?'

"No, what is wrong with THINE eyes?!"

Ok, this can't be good. I turned to face the vanity deck again. Now it was my turn to be shocked. I saw Celestia but her eyes were way different. Her violet iris were now swimming in a dark void. They were piercing, disturbing, and above all, too spooky for me!

Celestia was the first to say something, Wha-What's happening to my eyes? What is this?

I couldn't even track a single train of thought. This never came up in the show! Am I doing this!? Am I corrupting Celestia? Such concerns would have been voiced, but this was the final straw my system could handle. Darkness took me as I promptly blacked out.

Chapter 3- Explaining Weird Stuff

Aaaah, sleep is niiiiiice. Well, not sure if a system shock blackout counts as sleep. I can’t recall if I dreamed or not. Either way, when I came back to the land of the waking I was walking down a hall and....wait, I was walking? Do I sleepwalk now? Hold up, time to take stock.

Leg check...unresponsive

Wing check...unresponsive

Eye check... (if you haven’t figured it out yet)

Ok, not in control any more. Guess I’m riding shotgun for now. Best see what mood the driver is in. “Celestia? Are you back at the helm?” I probed.

My host stopped their stroll and looked about for a second. Then I could feel a small smile come across her face.Then Celestia responded in that tone that sounded like a mother talking to a child,“Dante. I’m glad to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

“Honestly, a bit better now that I’m not giving your body the ol’ Yeerk treatment. Seriously, I’m not sure if there is anything I can do to apologize properly to you.”

Celestia let a chuckle escape, “You really have a guilty conscience don’t you? I know you didn’t do it on purpose. You don’t have to keep apologizing.”

Despite the sweet tone and the calming quality to her voice, I still felt like an intrusive ass.

“Ok, I’ll lay off the apologies.” Then the really important question popped into my mind, “Wait, did Luna figure out how to put you back in control?”

Celestia shook her head, “She didn’t have to. The second you passed out, I was able to gain control. I was honestly concerned what had happened to you. You were very quiet for a long time, Dante. However, we did learn something.” That last part got my attention.

“Okay, color me intrigued. What did you learn?” I inquired. Any new info might help me figure out what was going on with my current existence.

“I know where you are.”

“...”

“What?”

“Not to be rude, but I’m pretty we established I was in your head...somehow.”

I couldn’t see it but I could feel the all-knowing smirk cross Celestia’s face. “Can you see what I see right now?”, she asked.

“Yeeeeeah? Why?” I didn’t quite understand where this was going but she said she knew where I was. Maybe I had did have a form in Equestria but I was just separated from my physical body? All things considered it couldn’t be THAT far fetched... right?

Without another word, Celestia turned her head so I could see the right side of her body. Then she lifted her wing and I saw something really out of place. And when I say “out of place” I don’t mean a few errant feathers or a tattoo someone would only get in a drunken blitz. It was a black splotch on the canvas of white that was Celestia’s fur. The hell is that? A bruise? No, bruises aren’t tar black. What could… Wait, she said she knew where I...Oh, No. Freakin. Way.

“Please tell me that spot is some sort of minimalist tattoo you got when you were younger.” I pleaded.

“I’m afraid not. When I regained control, I decided to do a scan to see if you were alright. The scan said that your essence led me to this spot.” She motions to the spot. “As far as I can tell. This spot is you.”

I’m a black spot...Somehow I felt like some kind of social commentary. I’m the black spot on the side of Royalty. Ugh.

“Uh excuse my skepticism, how certain that that is me?”

Again, without another word she poked the spot and I giggled...crap.

“Did that tickle?” Celestia asked curiously.

Oh no, I can feel her thoughts switching. Need to shut this down.

“What? No! No, not at all. Course not, I uh...just thought of something funny is all.”

She wasn’t buying it. She poked it again.

*Snnnnck* I tried to stifle the giggle.

Then I got this feeling, coming from Celestia. A dark feeling, a malicious feeling. The kind of feeling that could end empires should it be applied to any unfortunate soul in her path. Then I felt it culminate into a single solitary horrifying action....she smirked. Dear God no.

*Poke*

*snerk*

*Poke*

*heee*

“...”

“...”

*Poke**Poke**Poke**Poke**Poke**Poke**Poke**Poke**Poke**Poke**Poke**Poke**Poke**Poke**Poke**Poke*

I was in uncontrollable laughter and each laugh caused another poke.

“Celes- hahaha! Celestia-! Bwahaha! Stop! Hehe Please! AAAHAHAHAHA!”

“So it does tickle?” Trollestia was in full force, the pokes did not cease.

“Yes! Ahahaha! It tickles, Good LORD IT TICKLES! HAHAHAHA”

Then she stopped and allowed me time to regain myself. I didn’t have to breathe since Celestia was in charge, but the sensation from the pokes took a few seconds to subside.

“That...was cruel...and you know it!” If I had fingers, or hooves. or anything capable of pointing I’d had been pointing it right at Celestia.

I could feel that smirk turn into a smile as she turned to face down the hall again and started moving forward, “I haven’t a clue what you mean. I was just investigating your response to physical stimuli.” She said with that smile still plastered on her face.

Vengeance shall come, one day, and it shall be like ice cream, cold and sweet!

With my plans for vengeance stored away for a later date. I came back to the realization that I was still some kind of blob on the side of Sun Princess. “So, am I...stuck to you? I still don’t get what I am now.”

Celestia shifted and was contemplative for a second. She was going through how to explain my current form. Then she broke it to me in a solemn tone, “I don’t know what you are now.”

Well, that doesn’t help much.

“However.”

Oh,”However” could change things.

“You seem to be linked with my nervous system, which could explain how we both were able to experience the same pain before, and also how you were able to control my body in my mental absence. Not to mention I can sense your essence throughout me.”

Huh, sounded like I had attached myself to Celestia in every sense of the word. Was this permanent? Was I going to forever be this “thing” on the side of Celestia? Did I even serve a purpose?

...Wait a damn second.

“Celestia...am I a parasite?”

“I don’t think so. Actually,my scan said you are actually helping a bit.”

Did I miss something?

“Uh, did I clean the castle while I was blacked out? How have I helped?”

“You’re actively accelerating my healing.”

And straight out of left field comes a strange power that I had no clue about.

“Wait, so I’m giving you an accelerated healing factor? How? I wasn’t even aware I was doing that!”

Celestia took a second and collected her thoughts, “You appear to coercing my natural healing into an advanced form of cellular regeneration.” She rounded a corner and we were in the throne room from yesterday. She trotted into the throne room and made her way to the royal seat on top of a golden platform. I never really got to check out this room, but it was impressive.

The room was at least half a football field long and had several beautiful stained glass windows depicting different moments in Equestria’s history. The sun must have just been coming up as the western side of the room had multiple hues of colors flowing over the ground. It was astonishing.

Celestia snapped me out of my admiration of the room when she reached the top of her throne and turned her gaze to her left. I could see the impact crater I had caused. Oh guilt, back for another visit? Why, you look like you gained some weight since yesterday. Oh you’re here to crush me? Please go ahead. Uuuugh.

Celestia turned her gaze back to the front. “That impact should have broken most of the bones on my left side and left me with some kind of internal damage, Dante.” The tone she chose to say this in was very serious and didn’t help my guilt.

“Should have. Yet, I walked you out of here with only a few fumbles and a bit of soreness.” Thinking back on it, I had always thought alicorns were tough based on them being so powerful. To hear that they could take damage just like any other creature shifted my perspective of them. They were just ponies like any other who could get hurt like any other...but also had the power of the Sun and Moon at their disposal.

“The soreness seemed to be the main byproduct, but it is definitely coming from you. Despite your small size you are exuding a decent amount of magic which seems to be-”

I stopped paying attention. Did she say I’m using magic? Passive magic apparently, but hey I have magic! If I could do that without trying, I wonder if there are other things I might be capable of doing. Wait, she’s still talking. Act like you are listening still!

“- and with that type of potential you might be capable of incredible feats.”

DAMN IT! I missed something important....okay, okay, I can recover uh...play dumb!

“So...could you maybe explain that to someone who doesn’t quite get magic.” Come on luck don’t fail me now! You don’t want to admit to Celestia that you let your mind wander during a very important lecture.

“Oh sorry, I tend to ramble when it comes to new interesting things.”

YES! Dodged the bullet!

“Yeah, it's cool. I guess that’s where Twilight gets it from.”

Celestia suddenly stiffened and was quiet. Really quiet. Her mind on the other hand was not, “How do you know about my student?”

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! I slipped! Quick, make an excuse! Wait, I can’t. She knows I’m human and not from here. AAaaugh...this is going to suck donkey balls.

“I...I...I’ve seen her and her friends. What they’ve done. I’ve uh...wow, I need a word better than ‘watched’ right now.”

Celestia was getting mad, I didn’t even have to see her face. I could feel the temperature of the room rising.

“Ok, remember when you saw my memories?”

Celestia didn’t say a word. Why was this worse than if she had said something.

“Right, on my world there’s this show....and this show just so happens to revolve around your student, Twilight Sparkle, and her friends. Me and thousands of others know about them. They’re...interesting.”

I was nervous and couldn’t think of anything better to say. I dun goofed and had the power of the sun about to bear down on me if I didn’t explain my sudden knowledge of someone whom I had not met. Lying was definitely not going to help and I needed her to trust me. Especially, if I wanted her to help me determine what else I was besides a black spot.

“Interesting how?” Celestia asked darkly. Jesus she was scary when she was serious.

“Just interesting, we watched them to see what kind of adventures they went on, how they interacted with each other, what they learned from each other. They inspired us to be better people, to be creative, to..to...

"Honestly, I could hardly believe it when I was in control of your body. My mind was burning a mile a minute trying to determine if this was even real. But it had to be. I felt pain, guilt, worry. I...I just want to try and exist without causing too much trouble.

"I swear to you, I mean no ill will. This world is so different, cool, and interesting. I want to see it and learn about it, and I really want to know what I am now.”

I finished my spiel and it was quiet. I felt Celestia’s mind consuming what I had said. She was working out what to do with me. Her wings twitched and ruffled a bit. Must have been a bad thought. We were both silent for what felt like hours. Then Celestia spoke.

“While you were unconscious, I sent Twilight a letter describing what happened last night.”

Oh, that could be bad or good.

“I also asked her to do some research to see if anything like this has happened before. In all my many long years, I can’t recall anything like this ever being reported to me. I would like to know what you are as well, Dante.”

Whoo, progress!

“But”

Shit.

“You need to tell me everything you know about Equestria and my subjects.”

“How much time do you have?”

“I have an hour before my first hearing. Get through as much as you can.”

For the next hour, I went through the majority of season one of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I told her what I knew about Nightmare Moon and the discovery of the Elements of Harmony. I went through the various lessons Twilight learned. I did stop a few times when Celestia asked for clarification on things that Twilight left out of her reports. Apparently, Twilight never mentioned the hydra in Feeling Pinkie Keen. She wasn't too happy about that.

I got to the end of season 1 and the events of the gala. Celestia giggled at some of the antics the bearers got into while she was dealing with greetings. Then I went on to season 2, describing the return of Discord (which apparently I just missed. DAMN IT!) I was about to start on another episode when the guard announced the first hearing on the day. It was a dignitary from the Griffin Kingdom. COOL! We can pick this up later, if you want I told Celestia as the guards let the griffin in.

10 minutes later

Oh God they're just talking politics! It's like CSPAN live! Ugh, I wish I had my own head so I could beat it against a wall!

"Shush, you are distracting me," Celestia said, trying to silence my mental complaints.

"Mmmmph, fiiiiiiiine" I tried to keep my thoughts as non-distracting as possible. I decided to look over this griffin dignitary. I guessed he must have been a bit older based on how faded his gray coat was. That and his face looked old, worn, and just plain tired. The feathers on his face were pretty droopy too.

I Kinda felt sorry for the guy. He could definitely use a vacation to a tropical island where all the drinks were served in coconuts, that and a few young griffin girls to keep him company....What? I can't try to make an old man happy in his twilight years? You cruel unfeeling, bastards.

Anyway, I felt bad for the guy. He even had this weird twitch going on. It kept coming on every few seconds and his wings kept...wait. Something is off here. I kept closer focus on his wings. Those twitches had some kind of pattern going on. Left twitch, Left twitch, Right twitch, Right twitch. He kept doing this with a few variations. The hell was he doing? Then I had a feeling. The kind of feeling when you feel like someone you can't see is watching you.

"Celestia, sorry to bug ya, but can you look to your right, near the ceiling?"

"Why?" She asked with understandable confusion.

"Might be nothing...but I think something is watching us."

"How certain of this are you?"

"It's just a feeling. A bit paranoid. Like I said, I'm sure it's nothing. Just like to put it to rest, ya know?"

She still felt unsure but she obliged me anyway.

Ever been glad, you trusted your internal intuition? I might not be psychic but I was damn happy Celestia indulged my paranoia. There was a unicorn perched high in the rafters holding a crossbow, and that crossbow was pointed directly at Celestia! ASSASSIN!

The unicorn looked startled that Celestia had looked their way, but that didn't persuade them away from magically pulling the trigger. The bolt flew from the crossbow and was on its path to end a life. Time slowed, I felt Celestia's magic spring forward and reach out to grab the bolt and stop its flight.

Yet, it didn’t stop.

Something was off about this bolt, as it seemed to completely resist Celestia's magic completely! What the, actual, fuck?! Spell resistant bolts?! Oh God, she's going to die! I need to do something! DYING SUCKS! I tried to act, force her out of the way, will her body to move, SOMETHING! The bolt was within inches of ending Celestia's life.

Celestia was doing everything she could. She poured spell after spell she could in milliseconds, casting faster than the eye could track. Nothing was working. There was nothing she could do at this point. She was going to die.

NO!

Celestia opened her eyes and I got a glimpse of what lay before her; a pitch black hand gripping the shaft of the bolt that was centimetres from penetrating her skull. But what caught her interest was the source of this new appendage. She followed the arm to find it leading under her right wing to where I resided…

I just saved the life of Princess Celestia... and had no idea how I had done it.

Chapter 5- Meeting the Student

So, I learned something new about myself. I have the tenacity of bubble gum stuck to the pavement and the elasticity of a rubber band.

Celestia explained that she wanted to send me to Twilight for in-depth observation. She wanted to help me understand my current form, but with the assassination attempt she had to shift her priorities. She apologized, but asked that I collaborate with Twilight as much as possible. She also said she had a side project she had to work on, something she said with a smirk that would put fear into the heart of anyone with a sense of self-preservation...

So back to the Dante-ectomy. The first initial moments weren't so bad. I was able to practice a bit more with forming my newly dubbed "tendrils." I used my tendrils to grab onto a bar that Celestia had magically formed and she began to pull.

The first thing we learned was my tendrils had some serious stretch to them. I managed to stretch to nearly the other end of the room before I started getting a strange sensation. It felt like when you have a band aid on your arm and you start to remove it, that sensation of the adhesive slowly relinquishing its grasp on your skin.

As I felt the last piece of resistance give, I learned something else; what it's like to hit a wall at high speed. Now this would have been a painful experience, except I was Gak. The minute I made contact with the wall, my entire form spread out and distributed the force. I still felt the impact but I wasn't in pain...I was definitely seeing stars though. This was immediately made worse when gravity decided to be a dick and force me to the ground, further deafening my senses.

I heard a voice call to me, “Dante?”

I just shuddered, this was a bad idea. I couldn’t feel anything. I had no concept of self. I wasn't sure what was my head, body, or anything.

“Dante,are you okay?” Celestia asked, voice filled with concern.

Try as best as I might, I just couldn’t respond. Not like, “Oh, I’m in such pain. So I won’t speak.” No, I had no mouth and I could not speak. Hell, I couldn’t even really tell where my head was. My only reference was sight, which was… weird…

I could kinda see. Things were really trippy. Everything had this sort of ethereal flow. It was like seeing the wind (if the wind was this whitish-blue). I could see Celestia looking at me, but It was like I could only see this aura that was her. To me she was just this glowing outline of golden energy. She was practically a walking sun with a pony shape!

“Can you hear me?” She was sounding more concerned now. I’d better try to respond somehow. I did some experimenting and tried to find some sort of sensation of an appendage or something that would respond to commands. I looked up at Celestia and I tried to will myself towards her with little success.

Ugh, I need to think of something. Ok, Celestia said the tendrils appeared when I reacted out of instinct. Hmmm, you don’t walk out of instinct, you have to send a signal to your legs to get the muscles to move. Except, I don’t have legs...so maybe my body was just one large amorphous being. Wait, that might be it!

I adapted my thinking and shifted to moving more like a snake. I started moving. BOO-YA! Oddly, enough my body seemed to apply itself to my new form of locomotion. I felt myself elongate to allow for my slithering movements to work. I was able to make it to what I assumed was Celestia’s right foreleg and I craned what I assumed was now my head up at her. I was starting to realize I was now very, very small. I did not like it.

Celestia took pity on my new diminutive size and lowered her body until she was laying flat on the ground. She was now at eye level with me. Wait, do I even have eyes?

“Dante, I want to make sure you are alright before I send you to Twilight. Can you answer a few questions for me? They’ll be ‘yes or no’ questions.”

I felt compelled to try and answer verbally, but all that was audible was this high pitch squeak sound. I couldn’t make out Celestia’s expression but based on how fast her hooves reached her muzzle, she was either holding back laughter or containing a squee.

She regained herself and apologized. “Sorry, but...that was adorable.” Adorable? Ow...my man pride. I attempted to give an annoyed look, but again I couldn’t gauge her reaction due to how I saw things now. “Anyway, are you feeling, okay?”

Well, I had regained some feeling in my body. I felt some soreness from my recent encounter with Newton’s law of physics; otherwise, not bad. I nodded in response.

Celestia nodded, “Good, are you able to see?” Considering I was looking at a talking sun aura, that had to count. I nodded.

“Ok, last question. I have to put you into a container in order to get you to Twilight via dragon fire. Are you claustrophobic?” I thought back to many of my trips on airplanes due to my dad’s military career, and that one time I got to try out a g-force centrifuge. Both had their own variation of cramped but it never scared me. I shake my head.

With a nod, I saw her aura start to glow brighter around her horn and I saw the aura shoot across the room and grab a square shaped object. If I had to take a guess this was my “carriage” for this evening. Celesita took the box and placed it in front of me. Based on its size it could be a jewelry box. I looked at the box then up at Celestia. She motioned for me to get in the box.

I was never sure how snakes climbed things, and this was shown no better than my many failed attempts to slither into this box. Celestia didn’t notice (thankfully), as she was at her desk writing something down. I ended up hooking my head on to the side of the box and just hefting my body into it.

The inside was cushioned and was actually pretty comfy. Oooh. Was that velvet I felt? Swanky. I felt my body adjust to the box. I think I was spherical now. Hmmmm, I got all the right curves in all the right places.

Celestia finished her letter and grabbed a bottle of swirling green from a nearby rack. Her aura glowed again and her aura shot to the box I was resting in. The box rose from the ground and came to rest on Celestia’s desk. I looked at her, she was looking down on me.

“I’ve written a letter for Twilight. I’m going to send it through with you. I’m not sure what the journey will be like for you, but I wish you luck.” She put the letter down next to the box. “And one last thing.” I shifted my view back to Celestia. “I realize that you know a lot about our world as far as recent events. I would appreciate it if you did not mention these events to my student or my subjects.”

I could see the logic in that. Too many questions and problems. Best to keep the inner fanboy in the closet. I gave her a final nod, and Celestia closed the lid of the box with a clack of a latch. Whelp, best buckle up. God knows what this is going to feel like.

Dragon fire teleportation is AWESOME! It’s like being spun in a centrifuge before being yeeted like a rock in a sling shot!

My entry into Equestria was more like me speeding out of control to wherever I might land. This felt more controlled and directed. I felt some slight shifts in direction along the way.

Then suddenly, someone hit the air brakes...hard. I went from lightspeed to deadstop in a second. I felt myself splat to the front of the box before gravity asserted its tyrannical presence on myself again.

I heard the sound of a least a 7.7 out of 10 belch, followed by my container hitting the ground. Thanks to the cushions in the box, I hardly felt anything. I was regaining my senses when I noticed that there were two new auras outside of the box. One of the aura was a swirling green and the other was a vibrant violet.

“Whoa! That was way deeper than I expected” I heard a young voice say. “What’s the letter say, Twilight?”

“Hmmm, apparently Princess Celestia has sent us something to help with our research. I wonder what it is.” I heard a feminine voice say.

I’d heard enough to know who these two auras belonged to. This could be none other than Twilight Sparkle and her faithful assistant Spike the dragon. Hmmm, they want to know what’s in the box… My inner troll demands homage. A little shimmy, shimmy and the box gave a satisfyingly curious shake.

I saw both the auras flinch. Yes minions, right where I want you.

“Did...did that just move?” I heard Spike ask.

“I..I’m not sure.” Twilight replied.

The purple aura of Twilight was the first to approach. I saw her lower her head in front of the box. I suspected she was inspecting my container, and she was mighty close. C’mon, man, you couldn’t ask for a better opportunity. A quick lurch in her direction sent her scrambling back with an adorable Yelp.

Hehehe, ok I’ve had my fun. I want out. Time to pull out the universal greeting.

Knock, knock-knock-knock, knock.

Twilight gave Spike a look, one which he returned to her. Then the dragon looked to my box and I saw him reach a claw toward the ground to give his reply.

Knock, knock.

Mah dragon! With pleasantries out of the way, I guessed the two were a bit more at ease. Spike started approaching the box but Twilight cut him off, “Wait, Spike. Let me open it. We don’t know what this is.” Ooooh you do. You’ve just haven’t seen it yet.

I saw her aura reach out to the latch and unlock it. The box top flew open and I was there presented in all my non-newtonian, gaky glory. I wasn’t sure, but I could guess from their cocked heads that they were confused.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know, Spike. I can’t tell what it is.”

I decide now is a good time to get another reaction. I reach my head out of the box and slither out. Twilight screamed and immediately started backpedaling. “SNAKE!!!”

I started laughing my ass off at this. Well, squeaking my ass off, but you get the point. Twilight was not amused. She already had her back to the wall and was not happy with my current shape. I relaxed and let my form revert to something more resembling a blob. I saw Spike approaching and I shifted my body to face him.

“Hey, it’s kinda cute.” Spike said as he reached out to touch me.

Twilight tried to protest but he already had his hand on me. I felt myself attach to him slightly and for a second I heard his thoughts, “Huh, slimey.” Well, that was news to me. Better take advantage of this momentary link.

“Hi, Spike!”

His claw immediately retracted and my connection with Spike snapped. He pointed an accusing talon at me and said,“T-T-T-Twilight! It spoke to me!!!”

Twilight’s fear must have subsided as her aura was approaching me now. I turned to her and she stopped for a moment before hesitantly taking a few more steps toward me. She extended a hoof toward me and held it there “Hu-Hu-Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle. Who are you?”

I slipped forward until I made contact with her hoof, “Hello, Twilight Sparkle. I’m Dante Morelo, and I’m a Symbio.”

I couldn’t see her face, but based on how she was prancing about screeching “Omigosh” over and over again, she was over the hill. Spike on the other hand, was standing to the side with his head cocked to the side again.

“What did it say? How does it know my name?”

Best thing about mental conversations? They’re two-way with no possibility of eavesdropping.

After Twilight finished proclaiming her happiness to Gosh, Twilight zipped back in front of me and started releasing rapid fire questions about what I could do, where I was from, and how I was able to communicate telepathically. I could hardly keep up so I decided to do the one thing I could think of that would answer most of her questions.

I motioned for her to come closer and she seemed to get the idea. With her hoof extended I decided to make my move. I spiraled my way up her forehoof and nestled myself between the follicles of her mane. She freaked out and started yelling.

I was already nestled in and I started connecting to her nervous system. I felt her heart beating away at a rapid pace. Her eyes were checking herself for me. Her mind was racing trying to determine what I had just done, and her legs were shaking like mad. She was scared, probably best to try and calm her.

“Twilight, I need you to calm down. I’m currently on the back of your neck. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“What did you do?! How are you doing that?” she replied out loud still scared out of her mind.

“See what you’re doing right now? That’s not calming down. I can tell. I’m connected to your nervous system, I can feel what you feel and hear your thoughts. Now, seriously, calm down!”

Twilight was still hysterical. “You’re connected to my nervous system?! What? How?! That doesn’t make sense!”

I could see Spike was starting to look concerned. I decided it was going to have to get drastic, “Twilight” I mentally told her in my most serious tone. “I need you to calm down or I’m going to have to do something that’s really going to spook Spike.”

That got her to stop. She was still breathing heavily, but her heart rate was beginning to come back to normal range. “Ok, now we are getting somewhere. Sorry for springing that on you but it’s a bit easier to get information across when I’m attached.”

Her eyes were starting to focus more, I could actually see the Golden Oaks Library now. Aura vision is cool and all but it leaves out a lot of details. The library was just as big as depicted in the show. Wall to wall was lined with books of every genre and every topic one could imagine. Twilight and I seemed to be at the central table in the middle of the room while Spike was standing near the staircase that led to their rooms. Speaking of whom, said little dragon still looked worried.

“Just a suggestion, but Spike looks a bit concerned. You might want to let him know you’re ok.”

Twilight finally came back to Equestria and shook herself back to focus. She looked to Spike to confirm what I said. Guilt crept into her mind before it shifted to mild anger. “He wouldn’t be worried if you hadn’t startled me,” She scolded mentally.

“Yes, I know. I’m sorry, but it’s kind of hard to explain things when you don’t have a mouth. Take care of Spike and I’ll answer as much as I can. Promise.”

Twilight seemed to accept this and began to move towards Spike. “Spike, I’m ok I just-” She didn’t finish that sentence. Her legs were still shaken up from my performance a second ago and tripped over them. This led to a fall face forward and she connected with the ground pretty hard. It must have knocked her out, because she went limp.

Weeeell Shit.

I remembered what Celestia had told me about control in the absence of consciousness. I was still up and running, although I felt the start of a wicked headache. I gave an experimental twitch of the front foreleg. I got a reaction. Whelp, better finished what was started.

I opened Twilight’s eyes to see Spike kneeled next to me calling for Twilight. I slowly got onto all fours and nursed the sore spot on Twilight’s head. That should probably be a knot from the swelling alone. Guess that's the healing ability at work.

I turned to look at Spike who was still worried. Well, here we go!

“Hey, Spike...uh, Twilight kinda got knocked out. So I’m going to be in control for a while....Name’s Dante.” I held out Twilight’s hoof. “No hard feelings?”

Chapter 6- First Impressions are Important

Having control of a body again felt like a double edge sword. On one hand (or now hoof) I felt like I existed. I wasn't just a thing anymore. I was physical, solid, alive. Then on the other hand/hoof, I was suddenly an intruder again. That killed all the good that came with being in control again.

Spike was looking at me with utter contempt in his eyes. He was not happy with me, and for good reason.

I decided to put ‘my’ hoof down. Twilight’s ears were splayed back against her head. The ground was looking mighty interesting right now. Anywhere that wasn't in Spike’s direction seemed pretty good right now.

“What do you want?" I heard Spike ask, a startling amount of hate audible in his voice.

I felt Twilight’s ears snap to attention and my gaze shifted back to Spike, “What?”

“What. Do. You. Want?" he repeated deliberately.

They felt like a blade to the heart with each word. “I’m sorry, Spike. Really. Twilight will be back in control the second I fall asleep. I acted rashly and it scared Twilight and you. I am truly sorry.” I replied with Twilight’s voice. I was being honest, even if it wasn't on purpose, I was still at fault.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop from two miles away. Goddamnit, was this uncomfortable and awkward. I could already feel the guilt inside me swelling up. Of course he has no reason to accept my apology, hell, or even believe me. These thoughts of guilt were interrupted by a long sigh.

“Ok, I forgive you, just so long as nothing bad happens to Twilight.”

I finally met Spike's gaze. He was still looking at me with a stern expression, steel in his eyes. However, it was lacking that bite and hostility it had before.

I was dumbfounded. I mean yeah they were understanding and compassionate on the show, but this took it to another level. I just took over his surrogate sister and he forgave me. I couldn't help it.

I hugged him, “Dude! Thank you! I promise I’ll make this up to you.”

Resistant at first, the dragon eventually gave into the hug before adding, “Yeah, no problem. Can I mention how weird it is to hear Twilight say ‘dude’?”

I put the baby dragon down while letting out a chuckle. “Yeah, it is a bit weird.”

So yeah a bit of forgiveness. Feeling a bit better. I was preparing to ask Spike a question about Twilight’s research when I heard somepony yelling at the top of their lungs.

“TWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!”

*WHAM*

A bright pink pony with equally pink poofy mane and tail had just slammed the library door open. She was looking around the room until she set her focus on me. This was none other than the Party Princess Pony, Pinkamena Diane Pie. Pinkie was shifting her gaze between me and different locations around the library.

“Twilight, I need your help! There’s a new pony here somewhere and my Pinkie Sense is telling me that that somepony is here! Have you seen him?" She asked.

Wow, the Pinkie sense has some amazing reaction times. I’ve barely been here ten minutes and Pinkie has already pinpointed my location. Regardless of the almighty power of the Pinkie Location System, this could be bad. Pinkie’s abilities are a rogue element. If she found out what I did she might get mad.... and I did not want a pissed off Pinkie Pie after me…

Nuewp! Do not want!

Ok I need information on how best to deal with this. I looked at Pinkie and spoke in my best Twilight voice, “I think I might Pinkie, but can I talk to Spike about something first? It’s kind of important.”

Pinkie sat down on her haunches and gave a smile and a nod, “Sure, Twilight! I’ll keep looking! I know that new pony is ‘round here somewhere!" Her head was swiveling to different parts of the library and she was checking under errant objects.

I smiled and turned to Spike and motioned him to follow me to the kitchen. The kitchen was fairly simple and had all the amenities one could want; a simple stove with an oven attached, a decent sized refrigerator, and a simple sink in the middle. Oddly enough, the cabinets looked like they were more a part of the tree itself, rather than objects that were brought in and attached.

I held the kitchen door open for Spike and let it close behind him. Pinkie was checking inside books looking for me. I looked at the baby dragon. He still wore a mask of unamusement, but it wasn’t as bad as before.

“What did you want to talk about?" Spike inquired with his arms crossed.

I leveled with him, “I need to know how to break this to Pinkie.”

Spike arched a brow. “Just tell her."

Blunt, Spike, very blunt, and not too helpful, I think.

“Well, yeah, but what if she reacts badly to all this? What if she doesn't even believe me? I really don’t want Twilight’s friends to hate me.”

Spike’s brow furrowed this time, “How do you know Pinkie is Twilight’s friend? Better yet, how’d you know my name before?”

Ok, I actually have a valid excuse and a way to avoid exposing them as characters in a TV show this time.

“Celestia gave me the rundown of Twilight, you, and her friends. I’m...kinda alone here. I think she figured if I knew about you, Twilight, and her friends y'all might...help."

I was only half lying. Celestia didn’t need to tell me what I already knew. However, being alone in this new world and body for me will be taxing enough as it is… I could use some friends.

Spike’s expression softened a bit. “You..don’t have anyone? You don’t have any friends?”

I shook Twilight’s head.

“Family?”

I shook Twilight’s head again.

“Wow..." was all Spike said, trailing off.

“Yeah, I’m sorry for taking over Twilight but-”

“WHAT!?” a familiar voice said from nowhere. Suddenly, Pinkie exploded out of the oven.

My god mare, I know that you like to make the laws and constraints of reality your bitch, but could you lay off the cardiac arrest please?

“What did you just say?" Pinkie said, inches from Twilight’s face.

Spike and I were both equally startled. I had felt Twilight’s ears shoot to full attention,and absolutely dumbfounded by Pinkie’s spontaneous teleportation. “Uh...duh...what?”, was about all I got out.

Pinkie was eyeing me with suspicion. I mentally snapped myself out of it and decided that there was no way to predict where this would go. Best keep it short, sweet, and truthful (to a degree).

“Pinkie, you know that new pony you were looking for?”

Pinkie nodded, still holding a suspicious look.

I took Twilight’s hoof and I used it to pull away part of her mane on the back of her neck, where I was. “Do you see that spot? That’s me. My name is Dante.”

I watched Pinkie out of Twilight’s peripheral, staring at me. Then she raised a hoof and...oh no.

*Poke*

I giggled. Twilight’s hooves shot to her mouth. Oh God, tell me she didn’t hear that.

She looked at me again. Her eyes narrowed and she moved to poke me again.

I whipped around and backed away.

“Twilight isn't ticklish there." Pinkie stated.

“I am. Please don’t do that.” I requested.

*GASP* “You ARE the new pony. But not a pony! You’re some kind of black Gak thingie! Ooh, Ooh! I should throw a welcome party after we get you off of Twilight. *Gasp* I should get the girls!" She said out loud, before she was moving toward the kitchen door.

Uh oh, going down hill fast. She was about to zip out of the kitchen when I reached out and grabbed Pinkie by the tail with a tendril. I heard Spike gasp, and Pinkie soon shared the sentiment when she investigated what had stopped her.

“I know it’s freaky. I know both of you are concerned for Twilight. I know I’m making her look kind of evil right now. Just please, hear me out before you go for the cavalry.” I begged Pinkie. Her eyes were glued to Twilight’s.

I let my hand tendril retract and Twilight’s eyes return to normal. Pinkie still looked surprised and Spike was sharing the expression. I couldn't read past the surprise, I need to humble myself a bit more. “Look if you don’t believe me when I’m done. You can take me off of Twilight. I won’t resist.” I meant it...it was gonna suck, but it would show my sincerity.

Pinkie looked at Spike and he looked at her. Spike made his way next to Pinkie and took a seat, Pinkie mirrored him. “Okie-doki-loki, but I’m still going to get the girls after this. They deserve to know.” Pinkie informed me, still suspicious. I didn't protest.

I spent the next few minutes going through the events of the last day. I told Pinkie and Spike about my death, my entry into Equestria, and what happened after I linked with Celestia leaving out the assassination attempt. Of all things, to make them worry about, that wasn't one they needed. Celestia had it under control....I hoped.

Neither one of them interrupted me. I finished and awaited judgement. It was silent for a moment. I looked up to gauge their reactions. The Pink Party Pony pensively pondered perceptively my problematic positions. Spike looked a bit more distraught. I had mentioned I was alone, but I can imagine the tale of my death had put a new spin on it. Poor little guy...

Pinkie chimed in, the bubbliness of her voice had given way to a sort of monotone pitch. “I’m...I’m going to go get the girls. I’ll be back in a bit.” I just nodded and walked Pinkie to the door. She made her way into Ponyville, not saying a word as she left.

As she stepped out, I could see several ponies going about their business. Some stopped and waved at Twilight wishing her a good day. I gave them a courteous wave and closed the door. I turned to see Spike in the center of the library, waiting for me. I let out a sigh and I approached Spike. I had to make this right. “Spike, we need to wake up Twilight.”

Spike looked at me with a confused look. “How do we do that?”

I had to think about it. I could just slap her face until she woke up, but that might not be enough. I needed something that would shock her straight to consciousness. Hmmmmmm. OH! Time for another cliche!!

“Spike, do you have any ice?”

“In the freezer. But why do you need ice?”

I gave a bit of a devious smile. “I’m gonna add water and apply it directly to Twilight.”

Spike lit up like a Christmas tree. “YES! I’ve always wanted to do this!" He was as giddy as a kid in a candy store. I couldn't help but chuckle.

It didn't take long to find a bucket and fill it with ice and water. Spike led me to the bathroom, and I made my way into the tub. Heh, Hi, I’m Donte Morelo and this is my contribution to the Ice Bucket Challenge!

I gave Spike a nod and with gusto he dumped the contents onto Twilight’s head. The reaction was instantaneous, Twilight’s body tensed up and I heard a voice screech in the back of Twilight’s head.

“KYAAAAAAAAAAA!”

Well, what do you know. Cliches work! We were both drenched and cold, but the desired effect was obtained. I informed Spike of Twilight’s regained consciousness.

“Welcome back,” I said mentally. I felt Twilight’s mind attempting to recap what had happened. She seemed to have gotten as far as when I had arrived and when she fell, then reached a blank.

“What happened? Why can’t I move!?" Deja friggin' Vu.

“You tripped and knocked yourself out. Spike helped wake you up. We’re going to disconnect me from you before your friends get here.”

Twilight’s mind did a backflip. She must have thought I was just taking over. The fact I was willingly removing myself seemed to put her at ease.

“Spike, I’m gonna need a towel and something to grab onto.” I said out loud. Spike gave a salute and took off to get the requested items. Twilight was balking at her voice being used without her say so.

“How are you doing that?" She asked.

“When you are asleep or unconscious I can take over. Once I’m removed or I lose consciousness you will take over. I was overzealous to try and do something without letting you know first. I hope you can forgive me.”

Twilight was processing what I had told her. I let her think. Meanwhile, Spike returned with a towel and a broom stick. I used Twilight’s hooves to cradle the towel and rub it against her magenta fur and purple mane until both were no longer drenched. The cold we had been feeling before subsided and a natural warmth was beginning to return.

I gave the towel back to Spike and I motioned for him to follow me again. We made our way back to the center of the library. I explained what I wanted Spike to do with the broomstick and he nodded in understanding. Twilight finally came off her train of thought.

“You said your name was Dante, right? I’m not sure if I can trust you completely, but I want you to explain everything to my friends. If they are willing to trust and forgive you. I will do the same.”

“I understand. I’ll need to be in contact with you or somepony else so that I can communicate. Is it okay if I just stay on your back so you can relay my words for me?”

“Yes, that will be fine… Also, I keep getting these thoughts that aren't mine, are they coming from you?”

“Yeah, they’re probably mine. Celestia and I figured that when I’m attached everything must be shared. So, I can feel what you feel and I can understand your thoughts. We’re essentially synced with one another.”

Twilight’s mind went to determining how that was possible but ended up filing it away for study later. Twilight gave me the go ahead to remove myself. I told Spike to ready the broom and get ready to pull. He readied the stick and I used my tendril hand to grab on.

Spike began pulling and I tried to relax myself in the hopes that I’ve come off a little easier than before. It seemed to help out a bit. Poor Spike was straining himself to yank me off. With a final yank I came loose… right into Spike’s face.

I heard him yelling verbally and mentally. I on the other hand, was plastered all over his face that feeling of numbness from before. Eventually, I felt a purple aura wrap around me and I was removed from Spike’s face and placed on the back of the glowing purple aura that was Twilight.

“Uugh, that still sucks.”

I was able to link with Twilight a little. I felt a part of me wanting to connect with her completely but I was able to resist.

“Are you okay?" Twilight asked mentally.

“Yeah, I think getting disconnected drains me a bit. That and of the two times I’ve been pulled off of somepony, I’ve now immediately hit something twice.”

"What did you hit last time?"

“A wall.”

I wasn’t fully connected but I was still able to see her stifle a giggle.

“Not cool, Twilight.”

She didn’t say anything and just rolled her eyes. Um, rude!

“Well, I’m not sure how long until Pinkie gets back with the others. So, I’ll tell you what I told Spike and Pinkie in the meantime.”

It was a few minutes before Pinkie returned with the remainder of the Main Six. Thankfully, I was able to get Twilight through what had happened in the last day up until today.

The Mane 6 were all wearing looks of concern, asking if Twilight was ok. Apparently, Pinkie hadn’t given many details; only that they needed to come to the library. Twilight took the mantle to explain what had happened.

She went over the assignment Celestia had tasked her to identify a strange condition and how her research had led to something called Symbios as the possible cause of said condition. Rainbow Dash was the first to make a comment.

“Whoa, whoa, wait a second. You’re telling me there might be a thing out there that can make a pony into some kind of awesome warrior?”

“If what I’ve found is to be believed then, yes.” Twilight responded.

“That’s. so. AWESOME!"

Should have seen that one coming.

If her expression was anything to go by, Fluttershy didn’t seem to think so, and Rarity shared her sentiments. “Well, surely a creature such as that must be truly quite the brute.”

Gee, want to check your privilege there, Rarity?

Twilight caught that last thought. “Relax, they don’t know you yet. Let me finish, and then you can voice your concerns.”

I wasn’t happy with that. Not having a mouth sucked! I resigned myself to staying on Twilight’s back as she continued.

The unicorn scholar went on to explain how Celestia had sent her a box that contained something to assist with her research of the Symbios. That then led to what had transpired with Twilight, and the events that led up to Pinkie going to collect them.

There were mixed reactions from each pony: Rarity looked abashed, Rainbow Dash looked angry, Fluttershy was covering her mouth with her hooves, Applejack was probably the most stoic seeming to just let the information sink in and mull it over. Pinkie was looking over Twilight’s shoulder at me and back to her friends. I still couldn’t tell what she thought of me.

Rainbow was again the first to speak up, “Well, what happened to that ungrateful little freak!? I’ll make it pay for taking over your body when you were just trying to help!" I shrank...not liking where this was going.

I could see Fluttershy trying to say something but I couldn’t hear it. Applejack moved toward the now hovering Rainbow Dash.

“Take it easy there, Sugar Cube. We ain’t heard its side yet. It may have had a good reason doing what it did.” Her down to Earth country accent gave a calming tone to her words. Gotta love the voice of reason.

Applejack’s statement seemed to quell Rainbow’s anger a bit, “Ok, fine. But if it doesn’t, that thing is in a world of hurt!" Ok, that’s four times I’ve been referred to an “it”. I happen to have a- wait… do I?...

DAMN IT!! I don’t know if I even have a gender anymore!

Twilight turned and nudged me. It got my attention and snapped me out of the realizations that any erotic escapades for me were likely off the table for me until I could get back home. I looked up at her and she motioned to her friends. I guess it’s time for introductions.

“Girls, I know that this might be odd, but I want to introduce you to someone” said Twilight.

All the ponies present looked at Twilight as I craned my body around her side so I could be seen. Rarity and Fluttershy gasped, while Rainbow and AJ just looked stunned.

“This is Dante, he’s the Symbio I mentioned before.” Twilight held her hoof under me and I let myself fall onto it. She took the extended hoof and presented me to the others. An oppressive silence almost immediately fell over the room.

“Uuuh, Twilight...this is a new level of awkward silence.”

“Just give them a second. Remember, as far as anypony knows you’re the only one of your kind.”

“Somehow that doesn’t help much.” I thought solemnly. I was going to say something else when I felt warm air touching Twilight and me.

Twilight looked up from me and saw Fluttershy was a few inches away from me. When had she approached? Fluttershy was just staring at me. Her light green eyes were looking over every inch of me. Twilight looked at the others who hadn't moved an inch.

“Can...can he talk?" Fluttershy inquired. She didn’t seem as timid as she was in the show. Maybe she sees me as more of an animal than a thinking creature?

Twilight nodded, “He can but you have to make physical contact. He communicates telepathically”

Fluttershy was hesitant for a second, but eventually she raised a hoof and made contact with me. I felt the connection with her and with Twilight. Ok, this was weird. I could hear both of their thoughts. Too weird.

“Uh, Twilight, can you put me down? I’m hearing two sets of thoughts at once. It’s weirding me out.”

Fluttershy must have heard that as she retracted her hoof. Twilight seemed to understand and put me on the ground. I lost her sight and swapped to aura sight. Now, I could see and observe all of their auras.

Fluttershy’s aura was a light yellow that seemed to flow off her like a waterfall. Rainbow’s aura was cyan but her aura looked buffeted. Each time she beat her wings her aura was forced down to the ground. Rarity’s aura was more of a vibrant white with a blue underlay that started from her center and radiated out. Then there was Applejack and Pinkie’s aura. Their auras were different, it was like their auras were flowing out of the ground and building within them. I think I should remember this, Twilight might be able to make something out of it.

I saw Fluttershy approach me again. She extended her hoof, and I moved up and made contact. “Hello, Fluttershy.”

The small amount of contact was enough for me to see through her eyes...wow, I was small. Fluttershy was surprised but also interested,

“Oh um, hello. My, this is different. I’ve always been able to understand animals, but never like this!" She stated out loud. I felt her getting more excited, she put both hooves on my and I felt myself being lifted.

I wasn’t expecting this, and It’s starting to freak me out on an instinctive level. My body reacted before my mind and it started to curl around her leg. I wasn’t linked with her yet, but an omnipresent urge had grown, was getting really strong.

“Fluttershy..I-I need you to put me down, please.” I pleaded. It’s really starting to get harder to resist linking with her, and if I did, she might freak out. Good Lord, I could only imagine the rage of the bronies back on Earth if I traumatized Fluttershy.

Fluttershy was too enthralled by the prospect of a new creature to learn about that my thoughts didn’t reach her. The urge was getting unbearable. I just… needed to… not....

I saw myself in Fluttershy’s eyes. My whole body was spazzing! I had to act or the urge was going to overtake me. Shit, I’ve got to do this, or else something worse will happen. Please don’t hate me....

I yelled at Fluttershy.

“PUT ME DOWN NOW!!!”

That got her attention. She immediately relinquished me and I was airborne for a few seconds. I saw myself before she let me go. Just before i’d disconnected, I could feel that I had spooked her.

Hey, whatddya know, Guilt seems to be done crushing me. Now it was just content putting me in front of the firing squad and just shooting me until I was torn apart. Oh, what’s that? The firing squad actually practiced, and knows what sights to look down this time? Lovely.

Then I felt something new grab me. The connection let me see myself again but I was still in the air. Through the connection, I felt a strong urge to protect, and an anger that was directed at me. Whoever had me was about to toss me out the window.

That’s when that same urge that got me into this mess took over. I snaked up the arm of my soon to be host and found myself nestled in their mane.

“What the!?" I heard my host yell as I fully linked with them. Heart rate was up, muscles were tense, and wings were beating hard. Ok, Fluttershy tossed me, and there was only one other pegasus present.

I was linked to Rainbow Dash.

Well Fuck all KINDS of duck!

Ok, not feeling good. My is now attached to Rainbow Dash without my say so, I had yelled at Fluttershy, and I’m pretty sure I just blew any chance of gaining anybody’s trust. God DAMN IT!

“Hey! Quit shouting in my head and GET THE BUCK OFF OF ME!”

Aaaand now Rainbow is supremely pissed with me. I would have done what she said but that spaz attack from earlier had me rattled and I just couldn’t leave my host.

“R-r-rainbow Dash...Please...I...feel wrong....Please let me stay.” I pleaded, sounding pretty pathetic.

“No way! Get off me or I’m going to yank you off!”

We were still hovering near the library window. Rainbow was shouting her responses, while I was confined to telepathy. The others were listening to a one sided conversation. I tried to beg Rainbow to let me stay when I was suddenly feeling really tired. It felt like I’d just ran a marathon with the flu and hadn’t eaten for a week. I was starting to feel faint, and dizzy.

“Rain..bow...wrong...me...help....please” I managed to squeak out that last sentence before the tunnel closed on me, and my world fell into darkness as unconsciousness took me.

Chapter 4- Wooo hands!

Ok, more new powers, and I managed to stop an assassin’s bolt. I’m a freaking lucky S.O.B. Wait, there’s still a unicorn with a crossbow looking to kill Celestia. I can marvel at my blind luck later.

Through the use of Celestia’s eyes I could still see the unicorn, except now they looked stupefied at the intervening hand holding their bolt. I decided that since I had an arm and hand now within my control it was time to do something with it. I threw the bolt on the ground and freed my hand. Now I mentioned before that I’m not one to be violent, but this bitch here was about to get the royal smackdown!

Shifting my attention to Celestia who seemed to be balking at my newly formed appendage. I got her to snap out of it when I pointed to the would-be assassin then to the ground. Celestia seemed to have picked up what I wanted to put down, and cast her magic to the unicorn above and yanked them from their perch.

The unicorn yelled as they fell and was about to hit the ground when I put my...void hand? Death hand?....I snached the unicorn by their neck and pinned them to the ground. I’ll figure out a name for this thing later.

With the assassin subdued, Celestia called for the guards and they burst onto the scene within seconds. When they saw my hand holding the unicorn, (she was a mare now that Celestia and I got a good look at her,) they were hesitant to approach. It didn’t help that I could see that Celestia’s eye had gained that black void in the whites of her eyes again.

She was able to quell their fears, saying she would explain it to them later, and they moved to restrain the mare. I relinquished my grip of the mare’s throat and let my hand come to rest near Celestia’s wing. I could have let it go all the way until it was absorbed into the spot, but hey, I had a hand and fingers again. I was going to keep it around for as long as possible.

The mare was taken away, without much of a fight...I think I might have choked her out… ooops. Wait, where’d the gryphon go? “Celestia, that gryphon from before. Where did he go? I think he was signaling the assassin!”

That statement was enough to get her to shift her gaze back to where the gryphon had once been. He didn’t leave a trace of evidence he had ever been in the room. He was long gone.

“Blast! He’s gone! Are you sure he was involved?” Celestia asked with a bit of agitation.

“I think so, he was doing some kind of weird twitch pattern with his wing tips while you two were talking.”

Celestia was mulling the information over. A thought came to her mind, but she seemed to dismiss it. “Hmmm, I will have to interrogate that mare when she regains consciousness. She has to know who is attempting to kill me.”

Hearing the word “kill” coming from the leader of colorful ponies felt really out of place. Kind of like if I openly swore, which I was being very mindful NOT to do that. I decided to prod, “Has this happened before?” I was actually able to accentuate this question with a shrugging arm. Yes, I had my arm back and I was going to use it until I lost it.

Celestia was looking at the arm like it was me. Kinda weird looking at yourself (or what was essentially you) through the eyes of another. She let out a sigh and nodded. I didn’t press it further. Celestia’s gaze then fell on the bolt that had nearly killed her. She made her way towards the bolt that lay in the corner of the throne room. She was staring at it, scrying for some information. “Dante, can you pick that up for me?” She asked calmly.

I didn’t respond as not to interrupt her train of thought. I hung my pitch black hand over the bolt and picked it up and held it in front of Celestia with an open palm. Her eyes ran up and down the bolt inspecting every inch of it for some kind of clue.

I noticed her eyes stop at the head of the bolt. The head was a Broad, but there were two things that stood out. One, there was some writing along the metal of the head. I couldn’t make heads or tails of what it said, but I could tell somepony did. Time to get educated.

“You know what this writing is?”

“Yes, it is old. But what concerns me, is that these are Gryphon runic writings.” Her words were heavy with concern, but also confusion. Hmm, I’d better press this a bit more.

“Is that why you couldn’t grab it with magic?”

“Yes, these particular runes here” She pointed to the runes with a hoof. “are made to prevent any kind of magic from interfering with the bolt’s course.”

Yikes, someone was not happy with Celestia. Which was further proven by the fact that the head was barbed closest to the shaft. Had this penetrated it would have yanked everything out with it. This was bordering on sadistic!

“Celestia, I feel like my next question has an obvious answer, but who did you piss off enough for them to want to do this?”

“There are quite a few ,unfortunately. Years ago, war and death was not so uncommon, but this is unheard of in recent years! Worse is the level of brutality. I don’t know what to make of this. I need more information and more evidence.” Celestia went quiet again, but her mind was anything but. It was burning through information at a speed I thought only computers could do. I tried to keep track of anything she was thinking of, but she was on another level.

“Hey Celestia?”

She didn’t respond, her mind wasn’t slowing at all.

“Celestia?”

Still nothing. Ok, I can already tell this wasn’t going to stop, she was feeding back into past thoughts and memories. Time for a cliche! I dropped the bolt and lined up my shot. This was going to hurt both of us, but Celestia needed this more than me. Here’s the windup aaaaaaand.

*SLAP*

Ooooh that smarts, but it had the desired effect. Celestia’s speeding brain hit the brakes and came back to reality. She nursed the pink mark on the side of her face.

“Sorry, but it felt like you were going to burn out. I know you want to know who did this. So do I, but we both know we can’t do anything until we have more info. There’s no point in stressing out about it until we have said info.” I said with as much calm and sincerity as I could muster.

Celestia was silent for a bit more then she looked at my “hand” with an incredulous look, “That was bold of you, to strike the ruler of Equestria in the face.”

It was at that moment, I knew. I had dun goofed. My “hand” matched my new revelation and flinched away.

“Uh..I uh..was just...uh.....” I had hit her to snap her out of a mental feedback loop, but she wouldn’t do anything drastic....right?

Celestia was eyeing my appendage without so much as a hint of readable emotion (Note to self: Never play poker with Celestia).

Then I felt the return of that smirk. The Trollestia smirk. Oh no, not the pokes! Not again. My hand was still near her face.

Then she kissed it. It tickled a bit but honestly that just caught me off guard completely. My loss of concentration seemed to have an effect on me as the hand lurched and retracted under Celestia's wing.

"Thank you for saving my life and for making me see reason.” Her voice was smooth and compassionate. Then she added, “Are you blushing? It's getting warm under my wing.”

I attempted to reply to that statement, but what came out was the equivalent of baby babble. Celestia giggled, then suggested an early lunch. With the commotion of the assassination attempt, the guards were on high alert and all hearing for the day were canceled while the grounds were searched and ponies were questioned.

I was silent as for most of the trip to the kitchen. I was embarrassed, but for the life of me I couldn’t tell you why. I understand that the kiss was a sign of gratitude but that was the last thing I had expected. I figured it was just a kind gesture, and didn’t think much more of it.

We arrived at the kitchen and I was thankful the demon eyes I gave Celestia had long since worn off during our walk. That would have been weird to explain to the staff.

There were no less than eight chefs present. All of them were working on several different dishes. The minute Celestia entered though, every head snapped straight to her. Looks of surprise were painted on each chef's faces, except for one. This exception seemed the least surprised and was even wearing a small smile. He barked for the chefs to return to their respective dishes before he approached Celestia.

The chef pony had an orange coat with blonde mane that had a fairly fancy split that slightly came over the front of his face. He had on the traditional chefs’ buttoned vest with part of the top flap hanging slightly. His cutie mark seemed to resemble food being tossed in a wrought iron skillet. When he spoke there was a noticeable accent that was a subdued, but undoubtedly Scottish, “Ah, Princess Celestia. A pleasure to see you.”

Celestia gave him a courteous nod and a smile. “Good to see you as well, Chef Ramsneigh. How are things in the kitchen today?”

Ramsneigh? That name sounded familiar for some reason.

Chef Ramsneigh still held his smile and replied, “We’ve been busy that’s for sure, but everypony is doing fantastic. We are just under fifteen minutes per dish.”

I felt Celestia surge with pride over that statement. “I’m glad the culinary students I sent you are proving themselves. I’m sure you help keep them in line as well.”

The chef gave a prideful smile, “Nary a pot out of place, Princess.” He then shifted his stance so that he almost looked like the guards when they were at attention. “Was there anything I could make for you while you're here, Princess?”

Celestia noded in confirmation, “Yes, if you send up a fruit salad with that lovely dressing you made last week, I’d be greatly appreciative.”

The chef was beaming at this point. He gave a simple nod and immediately got to work.

Celestia turned to leave, but added, “Oh, and could you have it brought to my chambers? I’d like to go over a few things and would prefer to have my meal there.”

“Of course, your majesty.”

Celestia gave a final nod and proceeded to her chambers.

We got to her chambers after a short walk. Celestia promptly went to the center of her room and took a seat on the large pillow bed I had spotted the night before. Boy was I right this thing is DAMN comfy. She got into a comfortable position and let her wings spread. After she had stretched her wings she let the left side fold back, but left the right side unfurled, exposing me.

“Guessing you want to talk about before?”

Celestia noded, “Indeed, I’m very curious about what you did before. You were able to produce an arm and hand, but where did all of that mass come from?”

Now that she mentioned it I was getting a bit curious too. I was a spot the width of a child’s hat but I produced an arm and hand nearly double that. Did I have some sort of amorphous quality? I can see why Celestia was interested, I was just as curious now that I gave it some thought.

“Do you think you could do it again?” She inquired.

“I’m always willing to give it a shot.”

I put some concentration into forming a hand again. I noticed that the black spot warbled a bit at my coercion but did not form the hand. I tried a few more times but only managed to make the spot wiggle a bit more. “I’ve got nothing. I think I’m close but all I’m doing is making it wiggle.”

Celestia looked pensive for a moment but perked up when she had an idea. “Perhaps it’s a reaction?”

“A reaction?”

“Yes, perhaps it’s similar to when the body reacts to something more out of instinct than thought?” Without so much as a hint I see a book flying at Celestia's face! She is throwing books at herself to encourage a reaction, that’s dedication. I didn’t think about making the hands, I just moved to stop the book and sure enough a hand snagged the book. Alright, hypothesis confirmed.

"Ok, now that we've confirmed that suspicion. Let's see how far we can push it." Celestia said with a twinge of excitement.

Again before I can register her words two books come at us. The book I was holding dropped and I grabbed one of the books with relative ease but the other was still coming. As if by instinct, I felt myself reaching for the second book and a second hand materialized to grab it. I was dumbfounded. Did she know that would work? Then my curiosity compelled me to ask. "Celestia, check under your wing again."

Without a word she glanced back to her still outstretched wing. Something was different now The spot now had a line that looped around her wing and streaked across her back. Celestia swapped her gaze to the other side and lifted her left wing. The line looped around the wing, same as before, and linked to a similar disk that was now the base for the second arm.

"Amazing!" Was all Celestia could say.

I was about to add my own comments when a knock came from the chamber door. Must be Celestia's salad.

Sure enough it was. I let my arms retract and Celestia went to answer the door.

A young pegasus mare was on the other side of the door with a plate balanced on her back between her wings. She had a beautiful crimson red mane that flowed down the back of her neck and was clipped to the left side of her head. Her coat was a light shade of yellow from what I could see. She was also wearing a maid outfit(no, not french maid, perverts) that covered her flanks. I could see her tail poking out the back. It was pretty long and as straight as her mane, but what got my attention were her eyes. They were this brilliant blue that reminded me of the blue of tropical waters. I had to admit, she was cute.

I felt Celestia raise an eyebrow, I think she caught that. Celestia let the mare in with a greeting, “Good afternoon, Firefly.” Firefly entered the room carrying the salad on her back. She left the salad on a nearby table, bowed to Celestia and left. I was still fascinated by the mare that Celestia had to snap me out of my stupor. “Dante, if I didn’t know better I’d say you were having thoughts about Firefly just now.” She said with that all-knowing, motherly smile.

I knew she knew...I wasn’t exactly subtle in hiding my thoughts from her. Matter of fact, I had yet to discover a way TO hide my thoughts from her. “What? She was...pretty cute.” I was sure that I was blushing again.

For the next hour Celestia munched on her salad and I discovered that I could taste what she ate. Speaking of which, we are doing agriculture ALL WRONG! This was the best fruit salad I’ve ever had (vicariously). I shared this new info with Celestia, who was just as interested as I was. I felt she was making a mental list of my capabilities. When she finished I noted she was feeling fairly full, and for some reason I did too...was I also piggybacking her stomach too? Hmmm, I wonder.

“Celestia, I think I have an idea of how our relationship works.”

...Ok, I could have worded that better but this was a revelation that I had to share.

Celestia was confused at first before she caught on to what I was trying to say before motioning me to continue.

“It’s a symbiotic relationship. I’m not sure how, but I think I’m making the host, you, better through my attachment. Then in return, I guess I’m borrowing… Something from you?” I faltered at the end. I wasn’t entirely sure where I was going with this. I knew I wasn’t wrong, but I couldn’t point to what proved me right.

Celestia was contemplating this for a bit, she seemed at a loss as well. “I think you are on the right track. You might be gaining some kind of nourishment from me. What that nourishment is, I am not sure. Hopefully it is nothing detrimental. With hope, Twilight will-”

*FOOOOM*

As if on cue a bound scroll appeared in front of Celestia and fell to the ground.

“Well, perhaps this can shed some light on what you are and what you can do.”

She unfurled the scroll and we both read its contents.

Dear Princess Celestia,

After receiving your letter, I began researching this strange condition.

I managed to come across a few books that make reference to “dark-eyed warriors”.

According to the book’s author,

“...dark-eyed warriors were a rare breed of warriors that seemed to have supernatural abilities such as:

Advanced healing,
Super equine strength,
Incredible endurance, and
The ability to manipulate objects through the use of dark tendrils.

The main distinguishing characteristic of these warriors was that the whites of their eyes were encased in darkness.”

What strikes me as odd is the book that references this condition is a book of Old Equestrian Mythology. I have attempted to find anything else referencing these warriors and what could give them these abilities. So far I’ve only come across a very obscure reference to something called a Symbio. Supposedly, they could merge with any race and grant them the same abilities, but nothing else is mentioned about them. I’m very sorry, but this is all I can find at the moment. I promise to have more information by the end of the week.

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

Well now! This changes things! I had a species now, Symbio. Heh, kind reinforces that whole symbiotic idea. Well hell, this might actually get interesting.

Celestia seemed to share my sentiments, but something in her mind shifted. Her mind was suddenly split between two thoughts. One involving me, and the other involving this morning’s assassination attempt. She seemed to be weighing her options until she had an idea. Two actually.

“Dante, I’d like to ask a favor of you.”

“Sure, don’t know how much I can do while stuck to you but sure!”

Then she seemed to get a bit nervous. Nervous? Uh-oh.

“That’s part of what I want to ask you. I want to send you to Twilight so she can study you more thoroughly.”

“...”

“...”

“You want me to be Twilight’s science project?”

“In a ...manner of speaking. I want to disconnect you from me and send you to Twilight so that she may study you directly. Based on her letter she’s chasing an old pony’s tale. If I send you to her, she can get live data and perhaps learn about you faster. I realize it sounds bad, but I want to do this to help you.”

Hmmm, time to play pros and cons.

Pros:

Meet Twilight Sparkle,
learn what the hell I am and what I can do,
possibly meet the rest of the Main Six.

Cons:

Twilight is going to go nuts testing on me,
it might kill me/ be painful to be removed from Celestia.

Eeeeeeh. Ok she’s asking me to trust her and to have faith in her. This is going to suck.

“Ok, I trust you Celestia. How do you want to do this?”

Author's Note

In the words of the immortal Matt Mercer...