Author's Note

Act Five:

Equestrian Days

135-Back in the EQ

Shadow flickered before me and the goddess’s prophesy was fulfilled before my eyes. I had been promised aid in extremity and faith had been rewarded. I heard a cry of amazement behind me but there was no time to explain the genesis of our salvation.

We poured through the stone portal and into a clearing deep in the Everfree Forest.

Back on four hooves, I wheeled around to see if we were pursued. Through the portal I could see the pursuing ogliarchy enforcers chase into the sacred grove. Their interesti n my small band rapidly became of secondary importance to them as they learned the mistake of venturing onto holy ground with synthetics, metals, and electronics. One of the lead soldiers was carrying an articulated smartgun – he found himself frantically wriggling out of its armature as the metal grew red hot. Soon it would be hot enough for the ammunition to cook off and he’d have worse to worry about than his crumbling uniform and the smoking ruins of his hands. Another managed to stagger closer to the holy of holies – she was rewarded for her effort by the remnants of her gear bursting into flame. Even if one of them were to make the intellectual leap of stripping down and following us nude, they would receive a very un-fresh welcome from my hooves and Twilight’s and Discord’s magic. Today wasn’t going well for them at all.

For the moment the enforcers offered no threat to us.

But I knew that we would not be safe for long if the way stayed open – and never would I allow anything to lure danger to Equestria.

“Nothing that could threaten my friends better try to follow us through there!” Discord stood fiercely before the portal, already powered up and back in his naturally unnatural form. His clawed hand twitched for his chaos spear, but the power crackling around it looked dangerous enough.

At his side, Twilight stood with horn blazing, also ready to defend her home.

I nickered and nosed them both aside.

“Gaia, mother,” I called, “We thank thee, can you please close the way?”

Then she was standing there before us, luminous in her naked divinity. Though I had not seen her manifest before, this was unmistakably the same mother goddess I had met the night I first touched divine power. She towered above us – the cromlech scarcely reached as tall as her bare breasts.

At her side stood another being who could only be Aphrodite herself. Where Gaia radiated strength and protection, the sight of Aphrodite filled the viewer with holy arousal.

Twilight, Gloam, and Discord gawked, but I threw myself on the ground at the goddesses’ feet. Without even seeing, I sensed Isha do the same.

Aphrodite spoke and her voice dripped with raw sensuality.

“You who were once my priestess, I free you from my work but not my word. You have obeyed me through the temptation of the flesh and my bounty is upon you. Remember you my promise, for it comes soon.” She turned to me. “Adept, you have served me better than you will ever know. I thank you.”

Then the sacred presence of sexual love incarnate withdrew and mother Gaia spoke.

“Go to, children. Though we should never meet again know that I am well pleased with thee.”

She raised her arm straight up, fully extended, and made a fist. Grasping her wrist now with the other hand she brought her elbow down on the lintel in thunderous blow. The stone crack’d thro’.

“And know that my love goes with thee.”

The goddesses faded from sight as the doorway collapsed, closing the portal.

I stood again, and leaned forward to kiss the grass where Gaia and Aphrodite had stood.

“Well, that’s sorted. Thank you for your hospitality, Tangent, I had a terrible time,” Discord said. Still focused on my awe of the divine mother who had saved us, I didn’t acknowledge his words. “But now to catch up with Flutters!” he added happily, eagerly, and with a vanishment inducing snap of his fingers.

After completing my reverence, I raised my head and drank in the air of Equestria. After long years I was home again. Memories came flooding back, those few weeks when Twilight and I had—

Twilight coughed to get my attention. How long had she been trying to talk to me?

“Your world was certainly even more insane than I remembered. Its good to have you here in Equestria where I can keep you safe! I should point out that in the transition certain anatomical variations have returned to nor—”

“Mommy’s got a wee-wee! Mommy’s got a wee-wee!” Gloam chanted. She scampered gaily on four legs like she was born for it.

“—mal. Was that normal?”

Did I detect a hint of trepidation in Twilight’s question?

“’Fraid so, welcome to the next level of parenthood, dear.”

My voice was down a half-register; not that the return to my old tones resulted in anything very deep at all.

Isha, now a tall and muscular zebra, was still struggling to walk quadruped. Gloam’s antics, and the resulting laughter, didn’t make standing on four hooves for the first time easier.

“Don’t stare at Mommy’s wee-wee, darling,” I said, grateful that my divinely inspired erection had gone down as quickly as it came up. “And look at you, you have a wee-wee in the middle of your forehead!”

Gloam crossed her eyes to try to see her forehead. “A horn! It’s called a horn, a horn not a wee-wee!” She continued to look at her horn. “Wheeee-hoooo I’m a unicorn again, I can learn magic now from daddy, I can toast marshmallows without a stick!”

Gloam stretched and looked over her shoulders, one side, the other, and then the first again.

Now a quaver of sadness, almost a pout “I want to be an Alicorn like daddy…”

“Oh my tiny foal,” I sighed, “you need not weary yourself with the burdens of goddesses.”

“Mommy?”

“A great sorceress you will be, little one,” the scene dimmed. I knew my eyes must be blank and white to those hearing me, but though the unnameable she of this world spoke with my voice this time I spoke as well. “Know contentment thus.”

The moment passed and my vision cleared. I shook myself - it felt good to have a mane again, a tail to shake.

“What the hay—” Isha was already adapting to Equestrian dialect “—was that? Your eyes did a glowy thing. And your voice changed.”

“The holy one speaks, when needed, through the ponies who serve her. Even Princess Celestia heeds the messages thus given. Fluttershy, who we’ve mentioned to you, is the most frequent conduit in this age. That’s why they sometimes call her the Seeress.” There was another called Seer, I’d not mention. “Oh, and Gloam, honey?”

“Yes mommy?”

“Don’t try to toast marshmallows on your horn. Real bad idea.”

“Okay, mom, I won’t.”

“Where do you think we are?” asked Twilight “I can tell this is Equestria ‘cos my magic is working again, but I have no idea where. It looks like the Everfree, but I can’t swear to it.”

“I can,” I said, and cleared my throat. I knew that even after the goddesses left us we were not alone here in the forest.

“In the gloom of the Everfree, that much is clear,
‘twould be boon indeed were Zecora here!”

In reply I heard rhyme from the bushes nearby

“Even better than forest funky mushrooms,
bred in shadows and in glooms,
What is the lovely sound I hear?
A banished friend is once more near!”

Zecora stepped out of the trees, a basket of decidedly funky mushrooms at her side. She bowed to the Princess and embraced me.

“Good to see you, Zecora. This is my daughter Gloam, my joy and my delight.
You already know her father, the Princess Twilight.”

Zecora’s eyebrows shot up, but she said nothing and looked to Twilight for explanation.

“It’s a long story,” said Twilight, “nine years have passed in my wife’s world since he left Equestria.”

Zecora was bemused by the unusual interplay of title, pronoun and visibly obvious gender, but in her wisdom she did not demand answer.

“The worlds hold stories too strange to tell,
if you wish to share I shall listen well.
But now, comes evening, creeping tree to tree,
won’t you all come share some supper with me?”

I looked a question at Twilight from the corner of my eye and she nodded imperceptibly before I answered.

“We’d love to, and thank you. If you will lead the way,
I will finish introductions when we arrive, there is much to say.
My friend has had many shocks this day.”

Zecora smiled. I can’t rhyme as well as she does, but she appreciates the fact that I occasionally make an effort at it.

“The woods grow dim, follow my path there,
Princess Twilight and miss Gloam, please come ahead with me to prepare.”

Zecora went ahead with Gloam running along.

Twilight delayed long enough to whisper, “I’ll talk to you about flirting with Discord, later.”

“Eep!” I cried again, but she was already away, trotting after Gloam and Zecora.

Isha was still standing frozen, overwhelmed. When I was sure they were out of hearing, I spoke.

“Are you okay, hon? I bought you some time. But you need to pull yourself together.”

“I don’t know if I’m okay. I don’t know anything right now. I don’t understand what I am feeling. What just happened to me?”

“Everything is different. Welcome to Equestria, Mister Ishaz Myrtle. You’re a dude, and I think you just fell in love.”