Elusive made his way through town, trying to find information regarding the recent events in his new life.

If only somepony would talk to him!

“Blast it all… I need to find somepony who knows and is willing to share, if I am to live this new life I must fix it the best I can,” Elusive said.

Elusive wandered through the crowd but only got noncommitted answers or avoidant responses, he was about to give up when he spotted Filthy Rich nearby.

“Oh blessed, somepony who understands,” Elusive said before he approached him.

At least he was going too until Berry popped up in front of him.

“Hiya!” Berry said with a hopeful look on his face.

“...” Elusive just narrowed his eyes and walked around Berry.

“Oh come on Lucy, I got something you may want to hear,” Berry said.

“Unless it is a way to fix this mess, I don’t wish to hear a peep,” Elusive said marching on.

“But I-”

‘No Berry! Just leave me alone,” Elusive said before noticing several ponies were looking at him with disapproval.

“Great… more unwanted attention…” Elusive said walking over to Filthy who was busy reading a book.

“Pardon me Mr. Rich, can we talk?” Elusive asked.

“Sure,” Rish said not putting his book down.

“I have been thinking that perhaps I need to take action to fix things, and to start things off I must inquire about the location of Mrs. Scarlet, in hopes of… reconnecting,” Elusive said.

“Can’t help you,” Rich said.

“Why?” Elusive asked.

“Because I’m not the person you should talk too,” Rich said.

“I… beg your pardon?” Elusive asked.

“I’m sure your friend Berry can help you, he wise and knowledgeable and has a very curly mane-” Elusive pulled the book down and saw Berry in a Mr. Rich costume.

“BERRY!” Elusive exclaimed.

“Heheh! I still got it!” Berry said.

“Where did Rich go?” Elusive demanded.

“I dunno, I was watching you from this bench the whole time.” Berry stated.

“But I saw you… forget it,” Elusive said getting up and Berry popped up in front of him.

“C’mon Lucy, lighten up!” Berry said casually.

“I will lighten up when this tragedy is over!” Elusive said walking around Berry.

“If you listen I can tell you that I know where Scarlet is,” Berry called after him.

“For the last-... oh of course you do,” Elusive sighed before turning to him “And where pray tell is she?” Elusive asked.

“In a town nearby called Rain Row, I can take you there,” Berry said.

“No offense Berry but I need alone time,” Elusive lied.

“No you don’t, you need a travel buddy to navigate,” Berry said.

“Berry I’m serious,” Elusive said.

“So am I, look I am genuinely sorry for what happened but being all grumpy isn’t going to fix it,” Berry said.

“Forget it, I will find somepony who knows,” Elusive said turning and walking away.

“Lucy! You are my friend and I won’t let you go through this alone, like it or not this barnacle is sticking to this ship!” Berry said.

“That didn’t even make sense,” Elusive said.

“Either bring me or I will…..ask again!” Berry said getting desperate to not let his friend walk out on him.

“....Oh fine…” Elusive said.

“YAY!” Berry cheered before Elusive put his hand up.

“But! I am in no mood to talk, so do me a favor and make small talk,” Elusive said.

“Just watch, you‘ll forgive me soon,” Berry said walking past him.

“Mmmh…” Elusive grumbled as they walked towards the train station.

Dusk had flown with Barb riding on his back.

“Pick up the pace,” Barb said.

“Not my fault you got heavier since your last ride,” Dusk said before getting a thump on the head.

“It’s rude to comment on a girls weight,” Barb reminded him.

“I was talking about your growth spurt since last time you rode on my back, I remember when you were the size of a toddler and then in the course of a week you sprang up,” Dusk remembered.

“Yeah, so?” Barb crossed her arms underneath her chest.

“Just let me concentrate,” Dusk sighed as he flew up to Rainbow’s house, when he got there he saw Greywind.

“Hey Grey!” Dusk called out.

“Hello Prince Dusk, Grey called.

“I told you to only call me Dusk,” Dusk said remembering when he was Twilight she would always tease him through letters by calling him various honorifics.

“I can’t help always teasing my cousin and hey Barbra!” Grey walked over and hugged Barb.

“Hey Grey!” Barb said hugging her back.

“… So… can you teleport us down? In case you forgot I have a problem with heights.” Grey asked turning to Dusk.

“You sure you don’t want a ride?” Dusk asked knowingly.

“Don’t even tease about it, please,” Grey sighed.

“Ok ok,” Dusk said as he teleported them and they were in midair, he was holding Barb by her hand.

‘AAAH!” Grey cried before she hit the ground, having only fallen seven feet.

“You never said how high,” Dusk teased back before setting himself and Barb down.

“Har har,” Grey said getting up and dusting off her skirt “Don’t do that again please,” Grey asked.

“Sorry,” Dusk chuckled as he gestured for them to follow him.

As they walked into the castle Dusk decided to ask the question nagging at him.

“What were you doing at Rainbow Blitz’s house?” Dusk asked.

“Remember when I said I was going to the spa and wouldn’t make it on the exact day I was supposed to arrive?” She responded.

“Yeah,” Dusk said.

“A mare named Soarin found me still stressed from that last book conference and convinced me to pay her friend with lots of benefits a visit… I admit I never experienced such pleasure… needless to say, he lives up to the rumors,” Grey said with a rosey-cheeked look.

“Ugh, please stop,” Barb sighed.

“Your old enough to appreciate a mare letting off some steam with a stud,” Grey said.

“Anyways, now that we got that covered, it’s time I talk to you about the reason I sent a message,” Dusk said.

“Figured it wasn’t just to say hi,” Grey said.

“Sorry… things have been busy ever since the wings… anyways I need your connections to set up something,” Dusk said sitting at a desk with Grey and Barb sitting at the other side.

“And that is?” Grey asked.

“I need you to set up a line of close communication with your friend Raven Inkwell, and provide a more secret commune with Luna,” Dusk said.

“...Wow… I mean, I’m flattered you need my aid for that but don’t you have Barb for sending messages? And besides, I’m just an author, a high-end one but still an author, I’m close to Inkwell but I’m not sure I can set up a communication chain with Luna,” Grey said.

“The messages Barb sends go to Celestia, I need a private means of communicating with Luna, we’re, working on something,” Dusk said.

“Is mister ‘prize for the mares’ aiming high as well?” Grey asked teasingly.

“Nono, I just need to… converse with her on an experiment, one Celestia can’t know about yet,” Dusk said.

“I dunno, going behind the princess's back like that sounds treasonous, I’ll think about it,” Grey said.

“Thank you,” Dusk said.

Butterscotch woke up on the right side of the bed, and went about his daily tasks, luckily nothing was severely changed in terms of schedule by the accident, and even though he’s stuck as a stallion he had a pleasant chat with Red Gala last night that made him feel… fuzzy inside.

“She looked at me… and not like she wanted to take advantage of me,” Butterscotch said.

He felt a tug on his pant leg and he looked down to see Angel looking up at him with an expectant look on his face.

Butterscotch’s happy feeling dwindled as he remembered what he was doing soon…

“I’ll tell everyone, don’t worry Angel,” Butterscotch said.

Angel nodded and hopped off.

“Better earlier than later…” Butterscotch said before moving on.

Around lunchtime, the animals were gathering in the living room and Butterscotch sat in a chair across from them.

Angel stood in the middle as a mediator.

Butters animals looked to him wondering what the meeting was about.

“This won’t be easy to say… but I would rather be honest with you all than go on deceiving you…” Butterscotch said.

The animals nodded understandingly.

“You heard the rumor going around that I am acting strange and have been distressed for seemingly no reason, right?” Butterscotch asked and the animals nodded.

“Angel suggested to me that I be straightforward, you see, he’s seen through me, and won’t trust me until I prove I am the pony he’s always known,” Butters said.

The animals looked confused.

“I’m not Butterscotch… I’m not even a stallion…” Butterscotch said.

The animals looked shocked and immediately started clamoring, some of them sending messages accusing him of being a Changeling.

Angel hopped onto Butterscotch’s lap and waved the other animals down.

“Thank you Angel… what I meant is that my real name is Fluttershy, and I am a mare who took part in a fateful experiment that Dusk whose real name is Twilight did that resulted in me turning into a stallion and everypony thinking I was always a stallion…” Butterscotch said.

The animals resumed clamoring about various things suggesting that they don’t trust him right now.

Only one way to prove he is who he is…

“Be quiet!” Butterscotch said doing the stare and every animal quieted.

“Would anypony else know how to use the stare?” Butterscotch said quietly.

The animals looked at eachother and then him and they shook their heads.

“What about this?” Butterscotch used a special hand sign that he they use to identify eachother.

The animals looked shocked and immediately bowed their head in apology.

“It is alright… I’m sorry for keeping this from you all,” Butterscotch said.

Harry made a noise.

“Since a day or two ago,” Butterscotch replied.

They nodded and approached Butterscotch, he braced for more accusation but instead they nuzzled him, Butterscotch was surprised before he hugged them back.

“Thank you, thank you all for not rejecting me,” Butterscotch said hugging Harry as he nuzzled up to him.

After the animals had scattered into groups to resume their tasks for the day, Angel hopped up to Butterscotch.

“Well, I did it… I hope that things will go on like normal,” Butterscotch said.

Angel patted him on the leg and pointed at the door “I guess your right Angel, maybe I can go see if my friends want to spend some time catching up,” Butterscotch said “Do you want to come Angel?”

Angel shook his head no and then he whispered something before hopping away.

Butterscotch turned a little red at the thought of what he mentioned he should do…

Sweet Apple Acres…

Applejack wiped some sweat off his forehead as he worked the fields. He was wearing a white shirt and jeans and his usual stetson.

“Ah gotta admit the extra strength is nice…” AJ said more to try and look at the positives of the situation rather than dwell on the fact he’s been forcibly genderswapped and there’s no way to go back.

“No more periods… or estrus… and ah can stand while taking a leak,” Applejack assured himself.

After finishing the fields he stood straight and wiped his brow, it wasn’t hot today but it was warm.

He glanced around and shrugged before going over to a fence post and removing his hat before pulling his sweaty shirt off, exposing his well-earned working muscles, he put his hat back on and wiped his brow again.

He didn’t even turn to the fields to resume when he spotted a flash of light in a nearby tree.

“What in tarnation?” AJ said.

Leaves rustled before settling, confirming there was an intruder.

“Either Rainbow is here to sneak some of the hard cider or somepony’s gotten brave enough ta try and rob us when ah’m on watch, better play it carefully,” AJ said before casually walking over to the trees, making sure to loudly speak his next words.

“Guess it’s time ta buck some of the trees,” AJ said before doing a spin kick and knocking some apples to the ground.

His kicks were a bit slower now but had more power behind them so he was confident he could pull off his little trick.

He went deeper into the trees pretending to buck them, and then when he was sure he wasn’t being observed he snuck over to the tree the intruder was hiding in and kicked it with all his might.

“WHOAAA!” A female voice cried out as a black pegasus mare tumbled out of the tree and onto the ground.

“Got ya!” AJ shouted as he jumped out and prepared to fight the intruder.

“Wait! Wait! I was just taking pictures of you! Nothing illegal I swear!” The mare cried out.

“You-huh?” AJ saw the mare, she wasn’t a mare he’d seen before but rather than voice it outloud he studied her carefully.

“I’m serious, I’m not here to rob or hurt you,” The mare said cautiously, she had a blackish-grey coat and a blue-silver mane.

“Wait a minute, Thunderlane?” Applejack said confusedly, the mares face mirrored his.

“No my name is Thunderstrike, we’ve met,” She said before getting up.

‘Either Rumble has a sister he never told me about or the swap happened to Thunderlane too,’ Applejack thought before speaking again.

“Why were ya taking pictures of me?” Applejack said.

Thunderstrike blushed red “Uh…………………. School project?” She lied.

“Ah can smell a lie,” AJ said.

“Uh… oh look at the time Rumble must be getting off from school bye!” Thunderstrike flew away.

“Weird… well as long as the situation is resolved,” Applejack shrugged before returning to work.

Elusive and Berry sat in the train silently, Berry making light humming noises to distract himself from the awkward silence.

“Please cease the humming Berry,” Elusive said.

“Sorry…” Berry said stopping.

They waited a few minutes and Berry wanted to make conversation but Elusive was still too grumpy towards him, what is a fella to do?

Maybe…

“Hey Lucy?” Berry asked.

“What?” Elusive replied.

“So about Scarlet-”

“I’ll stop you there, I don’t know Scarlet because I never met her as Rarity,” Elusive said.

“I was just wondering if you heard anything regarding the incident in this realities Gala?” Berry asked.

“What?” Elusive asked.

“Well, you got to admit you of all ponies causing a scandal is odd,” Berry said.

“Get to the point Berry,” Elusive said.

“What if something else happened?” Berry said.

“Like?” Elusive inquired.

“What if somepony made you do what you did?” Berry asked.

“Hmm… it is something to consider…” Elusive said.

“Well, I hope that helped,” Berry said.

“Somewhat,” Elusive replied.

The two sat in silence once again until they arrived at Rain Row, as they got out they found that the town lived up to its name, it was raining.

“Ok Berry, lead the way,” Elusive said.

“Alright,” Berry said bouncing ahead.

Elusive sighed “I hope I can at least settle things while I am here,” Elusive said as he followed his pink friend through the rainy streets using his magic to form an umbrella-like barrier overhead.

Author's Note

Things are picking up again, where will our stallion's journeys take them next?