I awoke and rolled out of bed with a stretch. "Thank god for a body that works." I had tried to be positive as a human. I still tried as a pony and kirin. "Let's check in..." I grabbed the keyboard and did that, quickly catching up on owed words and saying hello to my friends. They were arguing about AI eagerly. I left them to that and pulled my hooves away. "Breakfast!"

I emerged to see Twilight looking at me oddly. "Did I miss something?"

Twilight held up a mirror that I rushed up towards. Scales. I had them all over my face in clear lines that formed the traditional kirin patterns. "Huh... not bad." I reached up a cloven hoof to feel over them. "How does it look?"

Twilight tucked the mirror away. "That you didn't even know you got them implies it didn't hurt. Good."

"The back scales didn't hurt either." I looked back at the blue-purple scales that matched the ones on my face. "The only things that really hurt would be the hooves." I lifted one. "And the horn." I pointed with the raised hoof even as my magic met it in a high-five that sounded with a clap.

I lashed my slender tail. "All done now, I think?"

Twilight's horn glowed as she grabbed a book over, looking over something. "Mmm, I think so... You are a physiologically complete kirin. Congratulations. If you're comfortable, then... good."

"Good." I sat at the table and nodded at Spike. "Mornin'."

"Hey." He casually patted me on the head, rubbing one ear gently. "We're going simple today." He gestured to a bowl of more types of nuts than I had imagined. "Help yourself."

"Neat." I scooped up a bunch with my magic and spilled them across my plate. "I love nuts. I have no idea what half of these are, but I plan to find out." I tossed a big one in my mouth and got to crunching.

Twilight hiked a brow. "That was adorable, but raises questions."

Twinkle landed on the table's edge suddenly. "David gave Spike permission for touches, even if he looks uncomfortable. Spike is letting the power go right to his head."

"Am not." Spike withdrew his hand defensively. "Good luck at school."

I flushed embarrassed at Twinkle bluntly airing private permissions granted in confidence. Still, Spike's casual presumption did echo her concerned caution upon reflection. How readily sensitive exposures became norms without periodic reality checks...

I gently elbowed his hulking wrist as he withdrew, easing any unintended shame. "You're alright Spike, just caught up enjoying things is all..." I offered a crooked grin his way before meeting Twilight's eyes unflinchingly.

"Honestly, we're both still mapping boundaries as trust builds between, um, us." I waved the admission away with a nervous chuckle. "Finding what works."

Twilight inclined her head slowly as I crunched on new nuts. "You realize, he's my familiar."

"Yeah?" Mmm, that one tasted like pistachio, but larger. "So?"

"So..." She rolled a hoof. "One does not engage in relations with a familiar. That's the... same..." Her face was coloring. "As... having relations with the pony whose familiar it is. Spike is me."

Spike took a turn patting Twilight gently instead. "So, in that case, you're allowed to touch him too."

"Spike!" Twilight glared at him, then coughed into her hoof. "I will not assume that. Our guest is just learning this. If he wishes to extend that invitation, he can do so now that he understands. Still... Spike is me... You two having a... relation... is... awkward, at best." She laughed nervously. "You understand?"

My cheeks burned brilliant crimson comprehending at last the intensely intimate implications from Twilight's standpoint. While simply basking in long denied positive attention myself, I was making Twilgith uncomfortable, putting it mildly.

I rubbed my neck self-consciously under Twilight's discomfited gaze, eyes darting towards Spike offering only playfully oblivious grins back completely undaunted. Evidently neither dragon nor human social mores framed such contact as nearly so taboo between consenting minds.

"I clearly made a mistake..." I managed finally, inclining my head contritely Twilight's way before shifting my stare firmly Spikeward. "I got ahead of myself without thinking it through." I reached to gently grasp Spike's wrist anew with my magic, residual fondness lingered still. "So, do we need to call this, um, off?" Had we even properly begun?

Spike waved dismissively but kept our contact joined. "Like Twilight said, the offer stands now you know the score." He winked roguishly. "But sure, ground rules probably should be hashed out clearer going forward either way huh?"

I pressed his warm scales affectionately before carefully withdrawing contact fully once more. However fascinating the prospect, competing cares came first. "This is new. Can we hit pause? I'm going from desert to drowning instantly."

With a self-conscious cough I pressed on my class schedule instead. "Speaking of going forward, I believe Professor Twilight has advanced casting techniques on the lesson plan today?"

Twilight waved a hoof. "You're getting tunnel vision. Don't forget the 'Introductions 101' with Fluttershy. A valuable class."

If that hadn't been marked as mandatory... "I know how to say hi. That's the one social trick I know."

Twilight smiled at that. "Listen and learn. You're new to school, especially in our world. Pay attention in every class, hm? Now, we all have things to do." She pushed to her hooves. "See you later, Spike."

I chuckled ruefully under Twilight's gently chiding reminder. It was a fair point that school offered opportunities expanding emotional insight from guides. Perhaps understanding grew less through avoiding discomforts but leaning in embracing it.

I took a last lingering look Spike's way, possibilities paused but... maybe later, I didn't know.

Swallowing the last sweet nutty dregs, I turned my thoughts fully school-ward where mentors familiar and newly met awaited equally. I had only met that Equestria's Fluttershy breiefly. I looked forward to seeing her in the class.

Spike waved, nearly swatting Twilight. "Watch the wings! Have fun learning or whatever." He turned back to the table, only to notice I had eaten everything. "Aw..."

So I got to school. This was my pattern, a new pattern. I did my work on the keyboard, had breakfast, attended school, and did any games I had due in the evening, cycling over and over. At least until I got a letter I couldn't ignore, but that's another story.

It was a comfortable pattern.

Being a pony was... alright. Being a kirin, also pretty fine as things went.

I took some time one morning to fluff my mane. I had lost the afro I once had, but also not entirely? The thick curls of a kirin mane were pretty close. It was like someone had just snuck up on me and done up my old natural curls into new, still natural, curls. "Looking good." And that was, itself, an odd thing to say.

I so rarely enjoyed what I saw in the mirror. Kirin me, pretty good. I clicked my teeth and flashed a smile at my reflection. "Looking good." I wandered out to greet the day.

I didn't feel vain. I didn't think I was the prettiest thing around, just that I was good, and so were a lot of other people, and that was great. I still had to deal with outputting emotional intensity only faintly higher than Maud, but at least I presented something worth staring at as one worked out what I was trying to say.

That was why I was at a friendship school, right?

But that was a mental thing. That was how I was wired. I could learn to mask it, but those who got close to me? They'd have to learn and accept and, hopefully, like that part of things. It wasn't going to change, no matter how much they taught me.

On the positive, ponies seemed inclined to be alright with it. "Heading out," I called, trotting out the door and heading down the road.

One of the creatures I was meeting with spotted me and closed in at my side. "Ready?" demanded the large female.

"Hey, Yona. Born ready. Very alarming to my doctors."

Yona frowned, imagining that, but a smile came. "Came out and smashed! Doctor applauded."

I held up a hoof and got a high-five from her. She gave powerful ones. It stung, but I said nothing, just setting the hoof down. "Right on. What's the topic today?"

Yona inclined her head. "We have to pick where visit."

"Visit? Oh." Right, it came back to me. "For the class trip?"

"Yes." She nodded her head firmly. "Each class pick." She pointed at me. "You in class, you pick with us. We go somewhere fun. Somewhere learn. Fun and learn. Ready?"

"Ready," I laughed out. However cool my face was, I could laugh at least. "Are we thinking a city, or somewhere rural?"

"Ask later." She nudged against me and hurried ahead towards the meeting.

The other creatures would answer that question.

It was time to live my new life in Equestria.

I would do my best not to repeat Earth mistakes.

I could make whole new ones! I looked forward to them.

Author's Note

And fin. I will be starting a new story sequel to this, but this one, right here, feels done as it is. We've wandered very far from where things started. I do hope folks enjoyed the trip. Here's to the next leg.

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