The End Of The Line

Chapters

Prologue: Departure
Chapter 1: Arrival
Chapter 2: Approach
Chapter 3: Junctions
Chapter 4: Danger Signal
Chapter 5: Derailment
Chapter 6: Sidings
Chapter 7: Mainline
Chapter 8: Industry
Chapter 9: Work Orders
Chapter 11: Dispatch
Chapter 12: Branchline
Chapter 13: Knuckle Couplings
Chapter 14: Head on Collision
Chapter 15: Station Stops
Epilogue: End Of The Line
Chapter 10: Switching Yard

Prologue: Departure

The moon shined high over a wooded area in rural Pennsylvania. The night was filled with the sound of the breeze against the trees, the chirping of crickets, and the occasional sound of an owl hooting. But if one were to venture far out into the forest, that person maybe lucky enough to hear another sound.

That one person is currently walking along the trail with a lantern in hand. After walking and pushing his way through a few thick branches, he stumbled in his destination. A huge warehouse building. It had a few lights on in some places but the metal walls were showing signs of rust and graffiti and most of the windows were boarded up.

Despite this, he approached a door on the side of the building and knocked. A few moments later a slot on the door opened and a pair of eyes peeked through. “Tonight’s password?” Asked the voice behind the door.

“Moonlight.” Said the man.

A split second later the door opened to reveal a man of African descent, who smiled upon seeing him and offered a fist bump. “Andrew you son of a gun. I thought you were down in Florida on vacation.”

Andrew, the Caucasian man outside returned the gesture and bumped his fist. “No that was last week Robbie. Just got home yesterday. Anyway I came to see the boss. I hear it’s finished.”

Robbie just looked at him. “Didn’t you also hear we’re not supposed to gather for another month? We still need to gather supplies.”

“I know, but you know how I like to see things for myself.”

Robbie sighed he knew his friend was excited as he was along with others they knew. “Alright boss is working in the engine. Can’t miss him.”

“Thanks Rob.”

The inside was enormous. The building was basically long enough to house a ten car train. In fact that’s what was inside.

Andrew took a moment to marvel the consist from the front to the back. Up at the front was an EMD SD40-2 diesel locomotive. It wore Conrail blue but the logo looked like it was scratched off. Behind it were two tank cars both of them were black. After that was a red 50 foot boxcar. The next car was a stainless steel vista dome car followed by a refrigerator car.

The next car stood out the most. It looked like an old railroad canon car, particularly a K5 rail gun. To Andrew it looked like something out of a steampunk sci-fi movie.

The next two cars were gondolas that looked like they were filled with construction materials. Behind them was a flatcar that had a generator and a Caterpillar D6R2 bulldozer. The last car was a former Chessie System caboose with what seemed to be a satellite dish on the roof.

After taking in the sight he decided it was enough and went to the engine. There he saw another man working on something in the cab. Andrew hoped it wasn’t anything serious. “Excuse me Howard!”

The cab window of the engine opened to reveal Howard’s bald head as he looked down at him. “Ah Andrew, I was expecting you to come see this.”

He soon exited the cab and climbed down. “Quite a beauty isn’t she. Hard to believe we found a whole scrapyard full of this stuff abandoned and decided to put it to use. Those railroad museums were too foolish to not check that place out.”

Andrew nodded. “Yes I agree sir. Hard to believe we are all one step closer to performing this grand plan. But don’t you think the canon is a bit much? I don’t think ‘they’ would want to see that.”

“It’s just in case we run into bigger threats other than our intentioned target.” Howard said sternly.

“Ok I think I understand. What about our path to get there? Is it stable?”

Howard smiled. “Yes in fact I went through it myself and it worked well for me. I’m confident it can handle a train. Especially with those tracks we laid. We just need to lay them to connect them to the mainline when we get there.”

“And are you sure this is wise? If it was just us walking through it be subtle but this practically makes us stand out like a vegan at an all meat barbecue.” Said Andrew referring to the train.

Howard laughed before answering. “Sometimes we got to be loud to make our voices heard like a train at a crossing. Now since you’re here I actually have a favor to ask of you and Robbie.”

“Yeah, what is it?” asked Andrew.

“I need you and the others to gather supplies and load them up. We may have a train, fuel, and construction materials, but we still need food, water, and other supplies.” Explained Howard as he gave Andrew a list.

“Understood, it will be done.”

Andrew turned and left leaving Howard alone. Howard watched him leave before walking up to a bulletin board that was by a workbench. On it were pictures of ponies, some of them were screenshots from episodes of a TV show. Although some screenshots had a human who appeared to be either yelling at ponies in a courtroom or melting piles of gold bits while ponies watch in sadness. Howard grunted at the sight.

The bulletin board also had what looked like cut pages from newspapers as well as printouts from news sites. He could easily read the headlines from a mile.

UNEXPLAINED DARK EPISODES AIRED ON CHILDREN'S CARTOON. ORIGIN UNKNOWN.

WE NEVER WROTE THEM SAY EPISODE WRITERS.

LAUREN FAUST OUTRAGED AT NEW EPISODES.

MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC TO BE PULLED FROM PROGRAMING AMIDST OUTRAGE.

NASA REPORTS STRANGE PHENOMENONS FROM INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

Howard scowled at the bulletin board and all it's details. He knew what happened wasn't the show staff's fault. He remembered he and a few friends of his stumbled on a strange portal while exploring an abandoned theme park, only to step in and get a glance at the other side only to see a world they thought was make believe. Despite the amazement they quickly had to leave only to make a pact to come back and right the wrongs.

"Enjoy your reign while you still can Jason Wright, because we'll be coming for you very soon."

A month passed by and one day the warehouse had a lot more activity. Many men and women were working around the train as they make the final preparations. Andrew sat in the engine's cab as he went through the check list wearing an Engineer cap with the MONON Railroad logo.

He picked up the walkie talkie. "OK Howard fuel is topped off, air brake supply is steady, and everything is working fine up here in the engine. How are things on your end?"

"Everything is ready and set. Bubba! Get the door."

The huge man grunted and pushed the huge door opened. The tracks that lead outside looked almost new. Andrew smiled as it seemed like only yesterday those tracks were worn out and falling apart. Bubba quickly got in the dome car along with the other people. "Everything set Andrew you can pull out while Stacy works her magic here in the rear. ALL ABOARD!"

Andrew blew the horn and pulled out of the warehouse. The engine's new coat of black paint glistened in the sun with the white words on the side saying 'IRON WAR HORSE.'

The train rocked and rolled on the tracks as they went along and slowly picked up speed. Andrew took in the sights of the Pennsylvania scenery knowing it would be a long time before he could see this world again. Then again he might not see this world ever again. But he was ok with that.

The train rounded a bend and Andrew saw it. The rocky wall side of a mountain. There was a strange looking generator and two strange tall metal structures on both sides of the track. He quickly picked up the radio. "Howard we are approaching."

Howard grinned and looked over to a young girl with glasses who sat with him in the caboose who was typing something on an old fashion computer. "Hehe you heard him Stacy. On we go to Equestria!"

"Yes sir!" She said excitedly.

She pressed a button and just like that a large glowing light appeared on the mountain until it became a swirling vortex. Andrew saw the portal and braced for impact. Only for the impact to never come as the vortex swallowed the train and disappeared right after the caboose entered the vortex that was actually a portal.

"Huh?" Said Gregory as he perked up from the food he was eating at a table.

A small pink pegasus and a blue adult dragon turned to him in concern "Is something wrong daddy?" Asked Cozy Glow,

"Yeah, you looked like you've just saw something strange. Is there someone strange outside the window?" Asked Ember as she stood up from the table and looked to the window with a scowl.

"No you two it's nothing. It's just I had a strange feeling. Like something happened."

"What do you mean? It's not like there's a threat, or a giant reptile or ape monster outside." Said Cozy.

Gregory turned to his adoptive daughter. "First of all, you need to stop looking up those earth movies Jason told you about. Secondly I just don't know what this feeling is. Maybe I'm working too hard."

The small family continued eating their dinner. But Gregory's feeling barely went away and he would be right to think something is going on because the human population of Equestria just went up in a flash.

Chapter 1: Arrival

[Train Tracks To Ponyville - Morning]

The sun rose high over Equestria as the train rolled along the tracks. Andrew smiled with excitement as he took in the scenery. He was finally here. No, they were finally here in Equestria. The land where many stories were made and friendships were forged. They were currently heading towards a town that suffered a great loss from a man seeking vengeance. Andrew frowned, hoping he could help the ponies in any way he could. He looked down at the map he’d printed up online before coming to Equestria. There was only one more curve and Ponyville would be straight ahead.

He was excited but then the thought of suffering to two ponies came. A certain blue pegasus and an orange earth pony that were not only suffering aches but constant strikes of pain at certain times during the day. “Don’t worry AJ and Dash. Just hold on a little long- huh? What the…?”

Back in the caboose, Howard was reading over some notes as Stacy typed something on a laptop. “What are you doing, Stacy?” Howard asked.

“I figured I could write in my diary a bit,” she explained. “I mean with all we’re doing, I feel I should document certain events. Who knows, this might make a great novel or something.”

Howard chuckled as a certain lavender alicorn crossed his mind. “You’re just like her in a way. Like Twilight. Soon I will- I mean we will make her dreams come true. She’ll get to open that School of Friendship and make her the true-”

Before Howard could finish he heard Andrew on the radio. “You guys might want to hang on to something!”

The two people in the caboose grabbed onto something as the train came to a screeching halt. Howard wasn’t fast enough and fell over on all fours. He got up and picked up his radio.” What the hell, Andrew?! Why did we stop!? Are we at least close to Ponyville?”

There was a brief silence until Andrew came back on.” That’s one of the two problems, sir. There aren’t any more tracks to Ponyville, because there is no Ponyville.”

Stacy’s and Howard's eyes widened as they both had the same reaction. “WHAT?!”

Everyone filed out of the train only to find a shocking site. The place that had once been Ponyville was now a lifeless landscape. Nothing seemed to be growing anywhere. The silence was eerie as they wandered around, taking in the desolation.

Some started wandering around mostly to either stretch their legs or find clues. The end of the tracks looked like they were torn off by something. Howard looked at the map, his expression becoming a mix of shock and frustration. “This is impossible. We should be close. This area can’t be Ponyville. It’s practically bare.”

Just then another member ran up frantically pointing towards what must have been the center of town. “Sir, look what I found!”

Howard and the others followed him. They were led to what looked like a glass podium encased around some sort of plaque. However, on closer inspection, they discovered that the glass was actually some kind of ice. They all looked at what was written on said plaque as Howard read it aloud. “Ponyville; a town that tried to live in harmony but was lost in the storm. While the citizens have moved onward, we shall never forget the rise and fall.” By the time he finished reading it, everyone had a look of horror on their faces. Howard trembled before he hit his fist on the ice. It didn’t break and only served to make his hand hurt. “It's worse than I thought. It would seem Ponyville’s bits weren’t enough punishment to him so he decided to outright erase it.”

“What are we gonna do?” Andrew asked. “If the ponies moved on they must still be out there somewhere.”

Howard thought for a long moment he then turned to his fellow bronies and pegasisters. “Let’s set up shop nearby and lay some tracks. Get the materials and start pitching up the tents. Andrew, once a siding has been laid, I need you and Stacy to take the engine, drop the cars and explore Equestria. The rest of us will stay and set up base and explore the area. The Everfree Forest must still have something we can use. Oh, and take one of the fuel tankers. You may need it.”

“Yes sir!”

[Yggdrasil - That Same Time]

Gregory was walking with Cozy Glow down the stairs from their apartment to school. The stairs were wide enough that the two of them could walk down side by side. Cozy seemed excited for another day of school, but Gregory was preoccupied. He had felt some kind of disturbance. An emotional disturbance. He knew he had the ability to sense emotions thanks to his Windigo abilities. Nothing quite like the changelings, but it was there.

After dropping Cozy off at her normal classes, he headed to Starlight’s office. It was normal for her to have meetings with the staff every morning, and he loved to be early. Today was no exception as he walked into Starlight’s office to see her sitting behind it looking over some paperwork. He raised his hand in greeting. “Sup, boss lady?” he asked as he took his traditional seat in the chair made specifically for him.

Starlight looked up from her paperwork at him. “Oh, good morning Gregory. You’re here early as usual.”

He nodded, but his smile faded quickly. “I actually hoped to catch you before the others came. I needed to talk to you.”

She seemed to catch his tone and put her paperwork down. “What is it?” she asked.

Gregory knew how he would sound, but he said it anyway because it was the truth. “I’ve felt a great disturbance.”

Starlight frowned for a moment before giving him a deadpan look. “Is this one of your Star Wars jokes? Because I hardly find that amusing anymore.”

“You know, I wish it was a joke,” Gregory replied, “but something has felt off ever since last night. I wish I could understand what it is.” He took a deep breath. “It’s like something’s coming, or…” He trailed off before letting out a breath. “Honestly, I’m really concerned.”

Starlight listened and nodded in understanding. “I think I understand what you’re saying,” she said, “but have these feelings brought other things to you? Like dreams that maybe Luna can help you understand or maybe visions?”

“This feeling started last night when I was having dinner with my family,” he explained. “Other than that, nothing. I didn’t have any dreams last night.” He pursed his lips. “I was actually gonna go to the Briarwood before my classes today and meditate.” Magical Meditation was something that Celestia and Luna had taught him about after he’d expressed concern about his emotional state being affected by his new magic. They both used it sometimes and had encouraged him to use it if he felt the need, so after Ember had proposed to him he’d begun practicing. “Maybe I’ll find something during that.”

Starlight smiled upon hearing that. “That’s probably a good idea. Maybe some meditation would also help ease your mind of any stress or anxiety. Should I let your class know you might be a bit late?”

Gregory couldn’t help it. He smirked and shook his head. “I’ve gotten decent at Magical Meditation so I shouldn’t be late.” Slipping into a gravelly voice similar to Yoda’s, he said, “Teach my class on time, I will, hmm, yes.”

Starlight rolled her eyes and went back to her paperwork.

About an hour, after the normal meeting with the other teachers and staff, Gregory was in the Briarwood. He sat in a large circular area on a flat stone with his eyes closed, legs crossed and his mind delving deeper into himself. He might have been his usual nerdy self when he slipped into Yoda’s speech, but he took the Magical Meditation seriously whenever he did it. It was one of the few times he had to himself and it definitely was a relaxing experience.

One moment he was seeing the darkness of his eyelids. However, the deeper into his meditative state he fell, he began to see and hear something else as well. It was dim at first, but with some sudden crystal clarity it appeared before him from the dark. He heard various yelling and screaming and saw nothing but fire. It sounded like a riot or a battlefield.

He concentrated, trying to figure out what he was seeing. Visions during Magical Meditation were rare, but they did happen. He trusted what Twilight had taught him about Magical Meditation and let his magic flow. His magic might not be like that of a unicorn, alicorn or changeling, but it was similar enough that his teacher, Twilight Sparkle, was extremely helpful in teaching him the basics of what to do in the event of some sort of vision.

Suddenly through the fire he saw something emerging above it. The shape was almost hard to make out but it looked human and gigantic. The figure was holding something in one of its hands. Before anything else could happen, a strange but familiar sound came from the fire. Something big and black came charging out of the fire and straight towards Gregory. There was a blaring horn coming straight from it as it raced towards Gregory.

Gregory was flung from the vision down onto his back onto the cool grass in the forest, panting. He couldn’t quite understand what he’d just seen. He knew Equestria had a train system, especially since one of the stations led near Haven City, but this sounded more like a train from Earth. An older train, to be sure, but a train from Earth nevertheless. He was also not alone anymore. Celestia of all people was hovering above him, looking down with some concern. He looked at her and waved his hand. “Sup, Sunbutt?”

Celestia sighed in relief before letting out a chuckle. ”I had a feeling you had that joke too. I always thought it was just Jason that had that nickname for me.”

“You do realize I called you that during our snowball fight this past winter, right?” he replied as he accepted her hoof. After she pulled him up, he stood and stretched. “Besides, lots of fans of My Little Pony love that nickname for you. And it’s not like you mind. Remember when I called Luna Moonbutt?”

“Yes I do,” Celestia giggled before frowning in concern. “While I'm glad your sense of humor is still intact, I must ask you in all seriousness, what happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Gregory sighed. “I was doing some Magical Meditation. The stuff you told me about and the one that Twilight taught me.” Once more, he proceeded to explain just what he’d told Starlight earlier before adding on what he had seen in his rare magical vision. When he finished, he looked back up at the former monarch. “Thoughts?”

Celestia pondered for a bit, trying to process everything he described. “That’s quite a vision, Gregory. Are you certain of all the details?”

“Honey, if I can never forget everything that the Gjallarhorn showed me about Ponyville’s sins, I’m fairly certain that anything magical will stick with me forever,” he replied. “So yeah, I’m fairly certain.”

“Well if it makes you feel better, I’ll send a letter to my sister to keep a close watch on things,” Celestia said.

“Yeah, good call. Better to be safe than sorry.” Gregory smiled. “I have a fiancée and a daughter now. I can’t just let them be hurt.”

Celestia nodded in understanding, then looked to the entrance to the forest. “Indeed.”

[Everfree Forest - A Little Later]

The sounds of the forest were interrupted as the rumbling of a bulldozer could be heard coming in from the north. Howard held tight to the side while Bubba was in the cab handling the controls. “Steady as we go, Bubba,” he said, “we don’t want to run over anyone like Zecora. If she’s still here that is.”

“You got it boss!” Bubba replied.

The dozer continued on until the two noticed something along the other side of a river they were treading alongside. “Hey, is that a cave?” Bubba asked, pointing to said cave.

“It must be his cave from when he was hiding,” said Howard as he climbed off and started trudging across the shallow river. “Stop here! I’m gonna check it out.”

Upon reaching the cave entrance he took out a flashlight from a backpack and turned it on, illuminating the darkness. It was a decent sized cave, but it was also full of what he could only describe as death and despair. He then flinched as the smell hit him. ”Geez no wonder you went mad,” he muttered to himself. “With this odor I’d run all the way to Canterlot with no train.”

He continued looking around the cave, seeing nothing but the tattered shreds of clothing and fish skeletons. He cringed at the sight until he noticed something odd. Something emitting a faint glow seemed to be coming from behind some rocks. Curiously he went over and carefully moved the rocks out of the way. After he removed the last stone he could only stare at the sight before him. “This…It can’t be…”

In front of him was a jar that was glowing with the most unusual color pattern. It almost felt like a piece of art that was abstract or rather chaotic.

“Hey Boss! Have you found anything?” Bubba called from outside.

Howard quickly picked up the jar and placed it inside his backpack before turning to the cave entrance. “Uh, no Bubba, there’s nothing important in here! Just some old fish bones and tattered clothes.” He began walking out of the cave, grinning somewhat. ”For now at least,” he muttered to himself.

Author's Note

I like to give a special thanks to morbiusgreen for being my cowriter. I look forward to making more with you as we continue on.

Chapter 2: Approach

[Train Tracks To Haven City - Afternoon]

The Iron War Horse rocked and rolled on the rails with the fuel tanker behind it. Andrew kept one eye on the tracks while the other he kept on the gauges. He then at some point looked over to Stacy who was typing on her laptop. He decided to break the awkward silence.”So, where do you think Twilight and her friends went off too after what happened to Ponyville?”

Stacy looked up from her laptop and pushed her glasses up her nose bridge before giving her response.”If I were to hazard a guess, I would assume AJ went to be with her family at Appaloosa. Fluttershy and Rainbow most likely went back to Cloudsdale. We all know Pinkie is with her family on the rock farm. Rarity probably went to sell her products somewhere near the border or beyond, and I can assume Twilight went back to Canterlot.”

Andrew nodded in understanding. But deep down he wished that wasn’t the case.”Speaking of Canterlot, you think these tracks lead to there?” He asked.

Stacy looked at the map growing even more confused. “I don’t know. When we backed up towards that last junction I thought we might have detoured around Ponyville and were heading there, but for some reason these twists and turns are telling us otherwise.”

Andrew sighed. “I’m sure we’ll find something at some point. What do you think we’re gonna do if we find the ponies of Ponyville?”

Stacy looked up from her laptop and straight ahead, her mind processing that question. “Honestly, beyond confronting Jason, I don’t know. I just want to help these ponies get a decent life back without suffering. I just want to help a nation like my Dad has. You remember what I said about him.”

“Oh yes, you said he served in the military?” Andrew asked.

“U.S. Air Force,” she replied. “At first he fixed aircraft, then he flew them. When he came home for Christmas when I was seven he would talk endlessly about the cool technology that was used, much to Mom’s annoyance.”

“And that’s how you got involved with electronics?” Andrew asked.

“I was already obsessed with computers when I was a kid, and Dad just encouraged it.” She laughed before frowning. “But all that changed one day. I was just barely in high school when it happened.”

“What happened?”

Stacy was quiet for a moment before answering. “I was doing homework when Mom answered the door only to see a man in uniform. I could barely make out the conversation but when I came out of my room I saw my Mom crying with the man there looking pretty somber. I soon learned that the man was a Casualty Notification Officer. My father died.”

Andrew was stunned for a moment.”I’m sorry to hear that.”

Stacy took a moment to collect herself before continuing. “I was sad for a long while but then one day while browsing the internet I saw it. An episode.”

“My Little Pony?”

“What else? It was the episode when Rainbow did her famous Sonic Rainboom and saved Rarity and the Wonderbolts.” Stacy smiled. “It actually made me happy. To me it felt like more than a show.”

“I agree, and we were right. It’s a whole other world we are now in,” Andrew replied.

“What about you? What got you into the show?” Stacy asked.

Andrew thought for a moment. “I was browsing YouTube one day. Some of my favorite channels started putting pictures of ponies in their videos, even though they were mostly about another fandom. Eventually curiosity made me look into it.”

“And you discovered the show?” Stacy asked.

“I discovered the fandom, but at first I only saw what the haters were saying along with a news channel,” he replied, “but then I started to dig a little deeper and soon I watched an episode. It was actually an episode about Spike. Secret of my Excess.”

“And then you watched another?” Stacy asked.

“And another and so on,” Andrew replied.

“Say, you said those channels were a part of another fandom. What other kind of fan are you? A Trekkie? A Potterhead? A Whovian?”

“A Tankie,” Andrew replied with pride.

Stacy paused for a moment. “A...what?”

“I know, not many Bronies take kindly to fans of Thomas the Tank Engine, but I’m not like one of those cringe crossover people who use tons of different characters in a single video with subtitles.”

Stacy sighed in relief. “So what's your plan here aside from Jason?”

“To undo the painful punishment he inflicted on Rainbow Dash and Applejack, my two favorites. The trials may have shown their sins but they don’t deserve that torture. If I was suffering a painful ache with timed strikes with no end, I’d go insane and jump in front of a train,” Andrew explained.

The two were quiet again until the train rounded the bend. It was then Stacy noticed something and looked through a pair of binoculars.”I think I see some kind of settlement or town up ahead.”

“Aha! Civilisation at last! Let’s get ready to greet them and let them know we’re coming,” he replied as he reached for the locomotive’s horn.

[Yggdrasil - Around That Same Time]

“Music is important to human society, and it always has been,” Gregory was explaining as he presented a projection from his laptop onto the whiteboard behind him. Around the class, eyes of many various creatures were glued to him or the screen. He smiled as he replied,“Now, you know me. I love singing. I’ve engaged in several of what you call Heart Songs since I arrived here, but Earth doesn’t have magic so we can’t just burst into song with a full band playing from nowhere.” This got the class, including the Mane Six, laughing. He smiled as he continued. “In our early history, music wasn’t only used for entertainment, it was also used to keep records of history. Before we had paper or even carved out language on stone, we had to either tell stories through the generations or sing songs of real or mythical heroes.”

He saw a lavender hoof shoot into the air. He sighed, but smiled as he pointed to Twilight. He knew she was about to school him on Equestrian history. He pointed to her and she said, “Ancient ponies did the same thing. Even some of our holiday songs started out as Heart Songs that tell our history.”

Gregory nodded. “Music is important to us just as much as it is here, despite our lack of Heart Song. The current music industry back on Earth is massive. You have artists here like Songbird Serenade or Countess Coloratura. We have a lot of musical artists or bands back on Earth as well. People go nuts for many different artists.”

Gregory was about to continue, when he took a deep breath and noticed just how stuffy it had become in the classroom. It was spring, after all, and he’d kept the window closed since it was still pretty cold outside, but he knew he had a lower tolerance for temperatures than his students. He turned to Smolder, who was the closest one to the windows. “Smolder, you mind opening some of these windows to let some air in?”

“I thought you’d never ask, teach,” she muttered as the brand new Bearer of the Element of Honesty spread her wings and flew to the windows, opening them. When she finished, she sat back down and returned to idly taking notes.

“Thank you,” Gregory said, “now back to what I was saying. Humans have a very wide range of musical genres, from classical, to new age, to techno, to alternative, to rock and roll. Each of these genres has a specific type of sound. I know the same is true here, but I just wanted to reiterate it to emphasize our similarities.”

He was about to continue when he heard something coming from the outside. It had been silent when the sound was heard, and everyone’s ears perked up. One of the ponies in the room, a teenage colt named Rail Crossing, spoke up. “That sounds a lot like a train, but I can’t identify the whistle.”

The class devolved into whispers of confusion, but Gregory’s heart dropped. The sound of that whistle was incredibly familiar. He rushed over to the nearest window which had a birds eye view of Haven City and its nearby train station. He looked to the north, but saw nothing. When he looked to the south, he saw what looked like a train engine coming from the south. He peered at it but it was too far away to get a good look. There was normally smoke that came from the trains from Equestria, but they hadn’t developed anything like diesel or electric yet. The whistle came again, a bit louder, and he knew something was wrong. He had a good rapport with Princess Luna and she would sometimes talk with him in their dreams about current events in Equestria. He doubted that a train development like this would be secret, but he couldn’t be sure. Perhaps it was Luna coming to surprise him?

He remembered his vision and shook his head. Something was coming, and he had to be prepared for the worst. He heard the murmurs of concern from behind him as he turned. “Everyone, I’m afraid that for now this class is gonna be converted into a study hall. I have to go.”

He grabbed his overcoat, flung it on, put his goggles over his eyes and lastly put his hood over his head. After that, he slipped both of his magical rings on and concentrated, feiling the ice wings forming behind him. Everyone was trying to ask him questions, but he simply reiterated that he needed to go and that he’d tell them what was going on later. He rushed out of the window, spreading his ice wings as he began to soar through the air towards Haven City.

[Haven City Train Station]

Many creatures gathered at the train station platform as the strange train drew closer. Its horn occasionally blaring and its bell dinging. As it got closer to the platform, it slowed to a crawl then it stopped with a hiss of its brakes.

Inside the cab, Andrew and Stacy looked outside in utter disbelief. “Look at all the different creatures,” Andrew said in amazement.

“It's like the song of the canon final except it's not a school,” Stacy added.

Andrew looked at the crowd through the window once more before turning to Stacy. “Alright, remember we are new humans and need to show we can be far better than Jason. Just keep calm and don't do anything stupid.”

“Right,” nodded Stacy as she closed her laptop and slipped it into her backpack.

At that moment, a few of the creatures looked up and pointed. Their smiles indicated that someone they liked was arriving. The new humans looked up to see a hooded bipedal figure flying towards them. It landed on the platform and slowly removed its hood, revealing a human. However, this was clearly not Jason. This human had snow white hair but wasn’t old, bright icy blue eyes, and a scar across one eye. He spoke to the creatures on the platform, and they all backed away. The human looked at the train. “Who’s in there?” he demanded.

To say Andrew and Stacy were shocked would be an understatement. There was another human but it didn’t look like their target nor did it look like anyone they knew. “Who the hell is that?” asked Andrew. “And how did he do all that magic?”

“Not one of our guys, that's for sure. I think we were never the second humans to come.” Said Stacy with worry.

The human looked around, then reached down to grab something on his belt. They all saw he was armed…with a pistol. His hand hovered over it as he called out, “Come on out, whoever you are!”

Suddenly the cab doors opened and the two humans stepped out with their hands in the air. Both of them looked scared and confused by this new development. The human removed his hand from his belt, and the wings behind him vanished into the air with what was clearly magic. His piercing icy blue eyes narrowed at the two. “Well, this is unexpected,” he said as he straightened. “Who are you? You’re not changelings, are you? I know Chrysalis can become human, but nothing like this.”

The two humans exchanged confused looks before Andrew answered. “We mean no harm and we’re not changelings. I am Andrew Wilberts and this is my friend Stacy Brendom.”

The human looked at them, then nodded. “I can sense you’re not lying,” he replied. “My name is Gregory Graystone. I teach at the Seeds of Yggdrasil school nearby. But I can also sense you’re hiding something from me.” He stared at the two, then let out a sigh. “Come with me. We need to talk.”

The two hesitantly climbed down from the locomotive and started following Gregory. Andrew then whispered to Stacy, “What are we gonna tell the boss? This is clearly something we never expected.”

Stacy pondered for a bit but then whispered back. “I have no idea but this now begs the question, What on earth happened between the trial and our arrival?”

Gregory led them through the town, which to the two humans looked rather medieval and a lot like Ponyville. They eventually left the town and were led towards a massive wall with a towering building behind it. Gregory turned back and gestured. “That is the Seeds of Yggdrasil school, run by Starlight Glimmer. It’s a school where many representatives of each race on Gaia can live and learn about each culture around the world. Think of it as the superior version of Twilight’s School of Friendship.”

The two marveled at the sight. They couldn’t believe that a school of friendship was built and even bigger too. Andrew shook off his shock and turned to Gregory. “How on Earth did this come to pass? I assume a pony named Neighsay tried to derail this project.”

“Oh he tried, but since Starlight decided to build in the Neutral Lands, he couldn’t do much,” Gregory explained. “And the fact that you know his name tells me you’re a Brony and a Pegasister.”

“Is it that obvious?” Stacy asked. “We know there can’t be any other humans here unless someone tinkered with the mirror to the human world.”

“Oh, I have Sunset go through that every so often to buy me and the other human here some things,” Gregory chuckled. “Video games, food, and the like. Bacon hair loves challenging me and Jason to video games all the damn time.”

Before the two could say anything, they heard the sound of someone calling out, “Daddy!” A familiar pink blur flew right into Gregory’s arms, nuzzling him affectionately.

Gregory chuckled and hugged the young pegasus filly. “Cozy, you should really be in class, sweetie,” he replied, giving the young filly a kiss on the forehead.

“Professor Celestia said she was busy, so she had to leave early!” Cozy Glow said before she turned towards the two newcomers. Her eyes went wide as dinner plates. “Whoa…”

The two humans stared wide eyed at Cozy Glow. Andrew only had one thought on his mind. ‘Well nice to know he spared a child from a stone imprisonment.’

Gregory turned back to them. “I may not be able to use my magic to read minds, but I can sense emotions,” he said. “There’s a lot of distrust for this little filly. However, I ask that you please behave around my daughter.”

Andrew waved his hands in front of him.”On no Mr, Graystone, we’re just surprised she’s here and even more surprised she called you Daddy. I assume you know her origin?”

“Why not?” Cozy asked. “My birth parents are both flankholes. They treated me like shi-”

“Cozy, language!” Gregory interrupted her, flicking Cozy’s nose. “Behave, sweetie, alright?”

“Yes, Daddy,” Cozy said, before burying her face right into Gregory’s chest.

Gregory turned back to the two newcomers. “She’s right, though. Her birth parents abused her. She’s not the evil mastermind from the show. Hell, she even started a movement called Creatures For Equestria after the abuse on nonponies in Equestria was brought to light.”

‘We know about that movement we all saw the trial,’ Andrew thought.

Gregory sighed. “So, how the hell did the two of you get here? The portal I came through closed the moment I drove my car through.”

Andrew and Stacy looked at each other before nodding and turning back. “You see, a few months back some whistleblower from NASA revealed strange phenomenons on Earth in the form of strange lights in random locations. The more recent one came in rural Pennsylvania. Just like you, we drove a train through it. It all happened so fast.”

Gregory looked at them with a frown. “What year is it back on Earth?”

“Around 2024,” Stacy said.

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “Strange…I left Earth in 2027, and I don’t remember ever hearing about anything like that in the news. Tell me more. I sense there’s something more to tell.”

“Daddy, can I go back home now?” Cozy asked. “Mommy promised that she’d show me some dragon fighting.”

Gregory sighed, but smirked and looked down at Cozy. “Tell Mommy that I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Okay!” She kissed Gregory’s cheek then flew off towards one of the smaller towers.

Gregory watched her go, then turned back to the two humans. “Alright, let’s walk and talk.”

Stacy perked up. “Actually, you and Andrew can do that. I think I left something important back on the train. I think I'm gonna go and grab it.”

Gregory didn’t react to this, but simply nodded. “We’ll wait here, then,” he said.

Stacy quickly left, leaving Andrew alone. Andrew then remembered something and turned to Gregory. “You said something about another human. How many are there other than just us?”

Gregory frowned at this. “Just me, Jason, you two, and whoever you’re lying to me about,” he replied.

Andrew’s eyes widened somewhat. “Lying? What do I have to lie about?” he asked, startled by this human’s words.

“The moment you said ‘just us’, I could feel the deception,” Gregory replied. “I told you before that I can feel emotions thanks to my magic. I know what a lie feels like.” The air around them began to grow colder. “Not only that, but your friend was telling a partial truth about needing to get something important back on your train. Then again, I don’t need to be able to sense emotions to know the two of you couldn’t pilot this train on your own.” He took a step forward. “If you intend harm to anyone I care about, it’s best you rethink that position.”

Andrew shivered, not just from the sudden cold but from the icy eyes that were staring into him. “Look sir, I’m not here to harm anyone in your community. I want to help people in need. As for the train, well, I volunteered for a scenic railroad a few times back home.”

“And that makes you qualified to run an entire vehicle?” he asked. “You and your friend have lied to me moments after meeting me, and while I sense no deception in what you just said, I need more to go on.”

Andrew then plucked up whatever courage he had left. “Look, I would never harm anyone, even if your daughter did bad things that aren’t really canon anymore. I just want to help ponies who are suffering. Surely you can understand that.”

The cold air around them started to dissipate. “Hmm, okay, I sense no lie there, but there’s one more question. Why did I sense a level of hatred when I mentioned Jason Wright?”

Andrew took a deep breath. “Well, it’s just-”

Before he could say anything else Stacy came back carrying a small bag with her. “I’m back. I just had to get my emergency gear just in case.”

Gregory looked at the bag and nodded. “There was no need for that, since you two will be staying with me and my family for the time being. But I would appreciate my question being answered.” He turned back to Andrew. “Jason Wright. What about him fills you two with so much burning hatred?”

The two froze for a bit before Andrew started by saying, “It’s just…well, what if I told you-”

At that moment another pegasus came flying in. To the humans he was a rather familiar sight. Flash Sentry landed near the group and turned to Gregory. “Professor Graystone, Princess Luna demands your presence.”

Gregory sighed. “I told Moonbutt all she has to do is send a letter via Spike mail, but alright. Besides, I’m not an Equestrian citizen anymore.”

“She knows that but she says it’s urgent as she feels this should concern you. She’s waiting in Starlight’s office,” Flash explained.

Gregory nodded. “Understood, I’ll head there immediately..” He then turned to the two humans. “You two are coming with me. No arguments. Humans and ponies have not had the best of interactions.” He touched the scar on his eye. “I got this when a pony attacked me because I was a human. Now come.”

[Skies Over Ponyville A few moments Earlier]

A flock of Pegasi were soaring high on patrol over what had once been the bustling village of Ponyville. One of them turned to his comrades in annoyance. “Tell me I haven’t gone mad,” one of them said. “Why would the Princess increase our patrols? I felt like I haven’t slept well in a while.”

“Quit your bellyaching!” their commanding officer barked. “We’re only on this increase in shifts for a day.”

The flock of five pegasi continued their flight until one of them looked down and noticed something. “Hey, Striker. Is that smoke?” one of them asked.

The officer looked down and saw not only a fire but strange structures as well. From a distance it looked like a huge camp site as well as two strands of railroad tracks. He then looked up to his soldiers. “Alrighty, colts, we’re diving in for a closer look. Remain sharp.”

The flock began to descend only for what was on the ground to become clearer. It was indeed a campsite. Several tents were pitched up and there were indeed two sets of railroad lines with one of them having a short train of cars. Then to their shock they saw the inhabitants. And they saw them. The humans stared in wonder at the pegasi hovering above their camp site.

Striker glanced around then he saw how one of the cars looked like a cannon. He then turned to the troops. “Firelight, Meteor Shower, fly back to Canterlot and inform the Princess. The rest of you follow me. Let's see if these strangers are as hostile as that cannon.”

Firelight and Meteor Shower saluted before turning and zooming back towards Canterlot.

Meanwhile inside one of the tents, Howard was looking at the jar of chaos he’d found in Jason’s cave. He was wondering how he could use this to his advantage. That was until a nearby radio emitted a static sound. “Stacy to base. Come in.”

Howard could only grin as he had a feeling the luck of his mission was going well in his favor. He picked up the radio and replied, “Base, Howard here. What is it?”

“Base, there’s been a new development,” Stacy said. She sounded a bit worried.

Howard raised a brow. “Please elaborate.”

“Sir, we found a human living in some town with a school nearby,” she replied. “A human that’s not only able to use magic, but a human who isn’t Jason!”

Howard’s eyes widened in shock. This he wasn’t expecting. “Who is this human? Does he know why we’re here? Does he even know about all of us?”

“We haven’t told him anything,” Stacy replied. “Sir, Cozy Glow called him Daddy.”

“Then it's clear her movement didn't cause any harm and her origin might’ve come to light. Where is the engineer, Andrew?”

“He’s back with this new human,” she explained. “Sir, this new human said he could read emotions. He might know if someone’s lying.”

Howard thought for a moment and sighed. “If he can read emotions then try and keep yourself calm. If he even tries to derail your search for Jason, you’re to get out of there and back here. We don't want him knowing our true intentions yet.”

“I’ll try, sir, but it seems he knows about Jason. He mentioned another human.”

“Hmm…then it might give us an advantage. See what you can learn about him and we can arrange for something.”

“Understood, sir. Stacy out.” The radio went dead as she cut the connection.

Howard looked back to the jar before putting it away. Little did he know the moment he stepped out of his tent that his day was about to get more interesting.

Chapter 3: Junctions

[Yggdrasil - Starlight’s Office]

The mood in Starlight Glimmer’s office could be described as ominous. One moment she was reading a newspaper, the next moment, Princess Luna was in her office and gave her news that would be nothing like the papers. “Your soldiers saw this?” the unicorn asked.

“Yes, two of them from a squad of five came back to me and confirmed it,” Luna said. “We don’t know what they want, but judging from that cannon that Captain Striker saw, they could be hostile. Our nephew Blueblood volunteered to negotiate with them in case they wanted an audience with royalty.

“Are you sure about that? Because I doubt he can represent Equestria in a good light,” Starlight said.

“Do not despair, Starlight. That act of a royal buffoon is something he dropped after the Spring Purge,” Luna said. “Our nephew will be more than adequate to-”

But before Luna could continue the door opened to reveal Flash Sentry followed by Gregory and then, to the shock of the Princess and Head Teacher, two more humans. Their eyes widened at this. “Well, this is quite a turn of events. How are you Professor Graystone?” Luna asked.

“Well, seeing as I’ve just encountered two more humans on Gaia, I’m doing alright,” he said.

“And who are these two?” Starlight asked. “Are they with that group of humans we just now learned about?”

Andrew and Stacy went slightly pale as one thought shot through their skulls. ‘That was fast.’

The air in the office began to drop in temperature as Gregory turned back to the two humans. “Another group of humans, you say?” he asked, his tone even as he faced them. “I trust now you can explain your current hostility towards Jason Wright now, then?” The air around them began to move as if an icy wind was surrounding Gregory.

Stacy shivered and hid behind Andrew. The engineer sighed and looked at Gregory. “Listen, it's a long story and it can be described as hard to shorten. But would it be ok with you if we discuss this over dinner? It's getting late and we haven’t eaten since arriving. But I can assure you. Our reasons for being here are not as dangerous to your community as you may think.”

From behind them, Ember suddenly stepped into the room. Seeing Gregory’s mood, she walked up and put a surprisingly tender claw on his shoulder. “Sheesh, and I thought I had a bad temper,” the Dragon Lord said, leaning in and kissing Gregory’s cheek.

Gregory turned, then smiled at Ember before the temperature rose again and the wind ceased. He put an arm around her and pulled her close before turning back to the two humans. “First, I think we can do that,” he said, “and second, are there any other humans on the train?”

“Just us two,” Andrew replied, somewhat surprised about Ember’s appearance and affectionate approach to Gregory.

Gregory pursed his lips and nodded. “That, at least, was the truth. Alright, you two will come with me to stay in my apartment.”

Ember turned towards the two humans and frowned. “More of them? And that one looks different from you and Jason,” she said, pointing to Stacy. “That’s a human female, right?”

“A real one, yes,” Gregory replied.

Stacy snapped out of her fear and turned to the couple, “You never taught them human anatomy? I feel so offended.”

“I think it was something else about you that gave it away.” Said Andrew.

“There were only two humans here, both male,” Gregory replied, “so I didn’t feel the need to teach it. However, it’s time you two came with us.”

The two followed Gregory out the door as they now wondered how the others were doing.

The room they reached was up a number of stairs in a northern tower. It was huge, with a loft where the main bed was. There were large ceiling to floor windows that looked out onto the landscape below, along with a large dining table, a desk with a computer on it, a flat screen television, a full kitchen, full bathroom and more. Gregory pointed to the large couch. “Go ahead and sit down,” he said as he headed to the kitchen and opened the fridge. “You want something to drink?”

“Water would be fine,” Stacy said.

“Got any cola?” asked Andrew.

Gregory nodded and brought them a glass of water and a can of genuine Coca-Cola. “I can’t replenish the genuine article, but there’s a drink in the other human world that tastes the exact same,” he said as he handed them both their drinks before sitting on a nearby loveseat. Ember sat down next to him. It was then that it registered to the two newcomer humans that she was actually wearing clothes. She wore a pair of jean shorts and a white mini-T. She kept a somewhat suspicious eye on the two, but kept close to Gregory. When the two were settled in, Gregory cleared his throat. “So, the truth now.”

Stacy looked away, feeling scared. Andrew, however, perked up feeling determined. He took a deep breath and spoke. “I’m sure you and everyone else are aware of the TV show right?”

“Everyone in the world here knows about that child show of yours,” Ember replied.

“Well then you say you came here in 2027? I don’t know how it’s possible but are you aware of the Pony Broadcast Incident of ‘23?”

“No, no I’m not,” Gregory replied. “Explain it to me.”

“It was around the fall of that year,” Andrew began. “The Discovery Family Channel just aired the recent episode of G5. The Bumblebee movie was supposed to be premiering next but instead something else aired in that time slot.”

“And what was that?” Gregory asked.

“Some people called it the G4 Lost Season. For a whole day, these new episodes of Friendship Is Magic aired. These episodes were different. The first episode only showed what looked like Twilight Sparkle announcing her plans to open a new school. But that couldn’t be right since she already opened a school back in Season 8.”

“Hmm…lemme guess…The Trial against them was shown including all the crimes of the Mane Six against Jason Wright,” Gregory said.

“Yes, it was horrifying. We didn’t want to believe all that was possible.”

Ember growled. “Believe it,” she snapped before she pulled up Gregory’s shirt to reveal a scar. “Some damned pegasus attacked him and nearly killed him because of his species!”

Gregory put a hand on Ember’s shoulder, calming her down. Ember relaxed and released his shirt. He then turned back to the two humans. “Believe it, because when I arrived in Ponyville before its destruction by the Windigos I saw everything that Ponyville did against any nonpony. The death of Matilda thanks to neglect, the zebra slavery during the beginning of its history, all the abuse against Jason, Zecora, Spike and many others.”

Stacy perked up in confusion while Andrew raised a brow. “Windigos?” Andrew asked.

“Everything?” Stacy asked.

“Yes, the Windigos wiped Ponyville off of the map,” Gregory replied. “And yes, I saw every single time that a pony from Ponyville abused a nonpony. I can remember every single sin they committed as if I was there myself. Not only that, but I know that there are many more examples of abuse against nonponies by the ponies of Equestria. Like you just saw, I bear the scars of an attack that nearly killed me when I was staying in Ponyville.”

Stacy pondered for a bit but then realized something. “How long was it between the trial and your attack?”

“Just over a year,” Gregory replied.

“Well, I can see why that pegasus attacked you,” Stacy replied. “The first human practically crippled your-”

Suddenly Andrew jabbed her in the sides. “Quiet!”

Gregory’s eyes narrowed and the air around them began to cool again. “Oh no, you don’t. Explain yourselves right now. If I find you want to harm my friend Jason Wright for seeking justice against those who wronged him so horrendously, then I will be forced to take action.”

Stacy stood up even though Andrew tried to stop her. For some reason she practically had more determination. “We all believe Jason crippled the entire nation. Creating distrust with the heroes who gave their lives to save them. After the Broadcast the show got pulled from airing and G5 was canceled along with it.”

Gregory stood slowly, as did Ember who had smoke coming out of her mouth. “The Mane Six are no longer the Bearers of Harmony,” he explained evenly. “They were deemed unworthy of such titles. The Young Six are now the new Bearers of Harmony. And besides, the Mane Six have accepted their punishments with honor and dignity. Jason even offered to rescind those punishments after he began reconciliation with them, but they refused.”

“What?? how on earth could Rainbow and AJ live those pains. If I was suffering with that kind of punishment I would jump off a building.” Andrew said.

“Did you even see what those two did to Jason?” Gregory asked. “Applejack attacked him without provocation and Rainbow Dash was pretty sadistic with her attacks on him for trying to live his life. Rarity betrayed her element by chasing him out. Fluttershy betrayed her element by refusing to be kind. Twilight Sparkle let her fear of humans cloud her judgment. Pinkie, well, she was being Pinkie, but she was the only one to try and fix what she did at The Trial even when the others were denying their actions as heinous. This is not the world of sunshine and rainbows you think it is. It’s a real flesh and blood world full of prejudice and hatred, but also one of hope and kindness.”

“Just like our world is going through, especially with Ukraine and Palestine,” Andrew said, looking down at his drink.

Gregory nodded. “I’m close friends with the Mane Six. They’re all doing very well for themselves despite their punishments. I’ve actually gained a lot of respect for them for not asking Jason to lift their punishments. They easily could have, but they didn’t.”

“As reassuring as that sounds, a lot of fans back home never saw it that way. When I saw Rainbow in the aftermath I didn’t see a sadistic monster. I saw a broken pony who lost everything just like my mom had.” Said Stacy

“Then those fans are all naive idiots,” Ember snapped.

“You do realize what lightning does to a human, right?” Gregory added. “Jason lost his sight and is in constant pain because of the actions of those ponies. And because of their hatred, more than half of Ponyville’s citizens were killed in the Windigo attack, including ponies like Derpy who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“What?!” Both humans exclaimed

“Oh, Robbie’s not gonna like this,” Andrew said.

“And that brings us both back to the current question. What are you doing here?” Gregory asked.

“Many of us have different reasons. But mostly to confront Jason,” Andrew said.

A small electric bolt shot out of Gregory’s left hand, hitting his right hand as he glared at them. “And what about you two, now that you know the truth?” he asked.

Andrew was silent for a moment before standing up and lifting the sleeves on his shirt. Both his shoulders had tattoos. One had three red apples on the right and the left had a rainbow lightning bolt coming out of a cloud. “I wanted to help those two. I know what they did was horrible but I believe a different punishment would’ve been the right call instead of pain.”

The air around them warmed up as Gregory calmed down. “Hmm, then perhaps you should meet them.” He pointed to the large town to the east. “See that town there? That’s called Haven City. All of the Mane Six live there happily. If you want to see them, I will take you there.”

“You trust me to do that after everything you learned?” Andrew Asked with confusion.

“I think it’s best if you hear it straight from the horse's mouth, as it were,” Gregory replied. “Now, why don’t we go and see them now? Rainbow Dash is probably still in school teaching PE.”

[Yggdrasil Gym - Several Minutes Later]

When the four arrived, Gregory pointed out Rainbow Dash, who was standing on the sidelines with a baseball cap on her head and a whistle in her mouth. She was blowing it and barking orders to the younger children of multiple races as they ran around a track. “Come on, you can do it!” she shouted, “move your butts!”

Gregory laughed as he approached the prismatic pegasus with the two humans and Dragon Lord beside him. “Sup, Crashie?”

Rainbow flinched, but then turned and narrowed her one good eye at Gregory. “Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in!” she chuckled as she held up a hoof towards him.

Gregory hoof/fistbumped her as he grinned. “Keeping these young whippersnappers in shape, I see?”

“Hey, they can’t all be as awesome as I am, but they’re definitely close. Especially the squirt over there.” She pointed to Scootaloo, who to the shock of the other humans was actually flying. “My little sister’s amazing.”

“Scootaloo is really coming along well with her flying lessons,” Gregory said with a chuckle before he became serious. “Dash, I have someone here who wants to talk to you.”

“Oh?” Rainbow looked past Gregory and her eyes shot open wide. “Whoa! Another human!?”

“So much for Scoots being flightless, huh Andrew…? Andrew?”

Andrew stood there nervously. He couldn’t believe that he was actually standing in front of the actual Rainbow Dash. ‘I can’t believe it's her. Geez, that scar looks disturbing in real life.’

Rainbow saw him tense up, and she rolled her one good eye in amusement. “Lemme guess, you’re a fan of the most awesomest pegasus this side of the Canterhorn?” she asked.

“Oh he’s really a fan,” Stacy teased as he raised one of his sleeves to reveal the tattoo.

Rainbow’s eyebrows shot up. “And here I thought Gregory and Jason were hardcore fans. You got my cutie mark tattooed on your skin??”

Andrew shook off his shock and regained his composure. Shrugging and smiling sheepishly he raised the other sleeve.“Well you're tied for first place with my other favorite.”

“Eh, you could do worse, I guess,” Rainbow shrugged.

“AJ’s one of my favorites, too,” Gregory said, “but that’s mostly because I used to work on a farm when I was a teen and I like a strong farmgirl.”

“I’m right here, dumbass,” Ember snapped.

“Oh, I know, my strong and sexy Dragon Lord,” Gregory purred in response, which caused the blue dragoness to blush.

Stacy rolled her eyes and muttered, “Scaly.”

“What was that?!” Ember replied, snapping her head over to Stacy.

“Calm down, sweetie,” Gregory replied, “she doesn’t mean anything by it. Anyway, Rainbow, this guy’s name is Andrew, and he wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Oh? Well shoot,” she said, planting herself into a sitting position.

“Did you really accept the painful strikes and aches for the rest of your days?” He asked.

Rainbows’s ears flattened a bit. “Ah, it’s about that, eh?” Her ears perked up a bit and she gave a sad smile. “Yes, yes I did. To quote Jason and Gregory, I fucked up big time. I need to be a big mare and accept my punishment like one. Besides, some of my punishments won’t last the rest of my life.”

“Oh yeah I thought I heard about one of them being on a timer.” Stacy realized.

“Yeah, I’ll feel the same lightning strike I gave Jason again for three years, although it’s been two years since then, so one more year to go.” She took a deep breath. “Jason offered to release us from the punishment last New Year’s, but we all said no.”

Andrew was processing all this information but Stacy spoke up. “Really? If I was constantly being hit with no end I’d go Pinkie crazy.”

“Trust me, I wanted to do that some days,” Rainbow replied. “During my first year, I became a drunkard. I drank myself silly, my old cloudominium was a pigsty, and my parents came by to clean it every week because I was acting like a little filly. I hated Jason with a passion, but Pinkie knocked some sense into the rest of us.”

Andrew thought long and hard. “I can understand what you're saying, but believe me there are others that won’t see it the same way even if we all saw the crimes. We only heard the sounds. Your strikes were censored.”

Rainbow looked confused, but Gregory raised a hand. “I’ll tell you and the girls later,” he said.

“Right…” Rainbow turned back to Andrew. “I don’t know what’s going on, but is it too much to respect what we want?”

“Uh…I’m going to have to sit on that question,” Andrew replied in an unsure tone.

She sighed. “I’m not the smartest pony in the shed, but I’d like to think I’ve learned a lot these past two years. Respecting what other creatures want is important.” She snorted. “Ah geez, I’m starting to sound like Twilight.”

“Speaking of her, where is she?”

At that moment a young colt came up. “She said she wanted to get a better look at your fancy train,” he said.

Gregory snorted. “That’s my magic teacher. Nerdy to the end.”

They all let out a giggle until Stacy's eyes widened with alarm. “Oh no!”

“What?” Andrew asked.

“We forgot to lock the doors on our engine!”

Gregory shook his hand. “Twilight’s gotten a lot better at not being so nosy, so I doubt she’ll be trying anything. Besides-” and here he suddenly stopped. “Nah, never mind. She won’t be able to do much. She’ll just be writing down everything she sees until she meets you.”

“It’s not Twilight we should be worried about. Do you know what happens when a curious child tries to drive something so big?”

Gregory nodded, then turned to Ember. “Ember, you mind taking a look?”

“Yeah, sure,” she said as she turned towards the open door and ran towards it, wings spread. When she left the room, she shot up into the air, heading east towards the train station.

When she had left, Gregory turned back to the two humans. “Now, you both want to meet Applejack?”

[Ponyville- The Same Time]

Prince Blueblood stepped out of the tent feeling pleased with himself at his successful talks with these new humans. “I appreciated the hospitality, Mr. Marison,” he said to the bald human who followed him outside.

“You’re quite welcome, Prince Blueblood. And I deeply appreciated the information you gave to me. Something tells me we might get along well,” Howard said.

Blueblood chuckled. “Is that so? Well, I dearly hope so. I must confess, Equestria’s track record when it comes to how we’ve dealt with humans has been horrendous. Not to mention our track record with other nonponies.”

“Oh don’t you worry, your Highness, I can understand but don’t worry. What we have planned will certainly benefit society in a way unseen by any in your world.”

“I look forward to it,” Blueblood replied as he extended his hoof towards the human. “I understand that humans have what’s called a handshake. In lieu of this, I offer a hoofshake.”

Howard accepted it but also offered him a scroll with his other hand. “And I trust you'll see to it this letter will be delivered to the changeling hive?”

“I will have to consult with Princess Luna about that, but I assure you I will make the effort to see that it’s delivered,” Blueblood promised.

“Perfect,” Howard said. “Please also let Princess Luna also know we send our best greetings to her as well.”

“I will,” Blueblood said. “Is there anything else you wish to speak about today?”

“No, nothing else. Just please make sure that letter gets sent, that's all we ask.”

“Of course. Well, if there’s anything else you would like, tell one of the pegasi guards and they can deliver the message to Canterlot.”

“Of course, your Highness. Safe travels home,” Howard said.

Blueblood said his goodbyes and then departed on his flying chariot back to the distant but clearly visible Canterlot. Howard’s smile quickly vanished and turned to his big ally that was standing by the entrance. “Bubba, don’t leak a word about what you heard today to anyone. This could put our plans in jeopardy.”

“Yes, boss,” the aforementioned Bubba said.

[Changeling Hive- Hours Later]

Jason was sitting on a small couch with Chrysalis snuggled up in her human form beside him. Both were watching a television show on his old PC, the same one that Gregory had given him for Christmas. He was enjoying himself after a long day of helping with a minor accident that had left a few changelings injured, but not seriously. They’d make a complete recovery.

The peace was interrupted with a knocking and a voice calling out, “Excuse me, your majesties, It's Thorax.”

Jason reached over and paused the video he was watching. “What is it, Thorax?” he asked.

“Didn’t I say we were not to be disturbed during our private time unless it was an emergency?” Chrysalis asked in an annoyed tone.

“I'm sorry for disturbing your rest, but we received a letter from Equestria. This letter came from a group that Prince Blueblood described as human.”

Jason immediately stood, walked to the door, and opened it, looking down at the nervous looking changeling. “Let me see it,” he said, holding his hand out.

Thorax gave him the letter, saluted then flew off. Chrysalis came up and stood next to Jason. “More humans in Equestria?” she asked.

Jason took the scroll and opened it, reading its contents.

Dear Jason Wright,

We hope this letter finds you well. We are human travelers who have recently come to learn about your misfortunes and the justice you delivered to the ponies. However, we would like to meet you and your friend Gregory in person. Please come to our camp near the Everfree Forest furthest away from Ponyville and meet us. However, some of my members aren’t huge fans of changelings. We ask that you refrain from bringing any with you.

-Howard Marison

Jason’s eyes narrowed a bit at this. He began slowly pacing the room thinking. Chrysalis held the piece of paper in her hand, looking it over. There was silence for a bit before she turned back to Jason. “This smells like a trap.”

“Hmm, probably,” Jason nodded in agreement. He held up his hand, watching the green glow of his new magic surrounding it. “Still, if they really want to meet me and Gregory and they spring a trap on us, they have another thing coming.”

“What are you going to do?” Chrysalis asked.

“Not be an idiot, that’s for sure,” Jason replied.

The room was so quiet that even an ant could be heard skittering across the room. “I’ll write them back,” Jason said after a while, “but if we’re really going to meet them, we’ll do it on neutral ground. Feel like taking a trip back to Equestria? We could even visit Haven City after we’re done.”

“And miss a chance to tease that simp and tsundere?” Chrysalis asked with a grin. “What’s that human phrase you use? Ah, yes! Sign me the fuck up!”

Jason smirked. “And there’s no way we’re going in without any changelings. Just make sure you’re all disguised as small animals or insects or something.”

“We’re changelings, dear,” Chrysalis said, “we know the art of stealth. I’ll assemble a team of our best. But later.” She dragged Jason back to the couch. “I want to see what happens next.”

“Okay, okay, we’ll watch it.” The two sat and continued watching. Little did the two know, their lives were about to change, and not in a good way.

Author's Note

It seems Howard is up to something else.

Chapter 4: Danger Signal

[Sweet Cakes Shoppe - Evening]

Gregory sat at a booth in the shop run by Mrs. Cake, Pinkie, and Bon Bon. Across from him the other two humans sat. Pinkie Pie was sitting in Gregory’s lap, eyes closed and making a purring sound as he stroked her mane affectionately. Standing next to the table was Bon Bon, who was looking at the two humans with a small frown before she turned back to Gregory. “If they’re fans of the show like you, does that mean they know about you-know-what?”

Gregory looked up at the earth pony. “I suspect they know as much as I know, which is next to nothing.”

Bon Bon took a deep breath and exhaled. “Alright. I trust you now, so do you think they’d be trustworthy?”

“I’m still determining that,” Gregory reassured her. “I’ll let you know.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Bon Bon said.

“Relax, Bonnie,” Pinkie said with a silly looking smile as Gregory scratched behind her ears, “it’ll be fine.”

“Hmm…we’ll see,” Bon Bon said as she turned and headed back to the kitchen to place all four of their orders. Soon, their orders came and all began to eat.

Andrew and Stacy sat either eating a few sweets and drinking either milk or hot cocoa. The two spent most of the day meeting the remainder of the main six and learning from them. They even learned the love story between the human and the Dragon Lord.

From everything they’d learned about the Mane Six, they had mixed feelings about their situations. On one hand they still felt conflicted about Jason’s choice of punishment but on the other hand they understood why they would feel the need to accept it. But the day was still nice except for the fact Andrew had to prevent Stacy from hugging Fluttershy too tightly.

After taking another bite of a donut, Andrew turned to Stacy. “You gonna contact Howard after this to let him know everything we learned?”

“Shoot, should’ve done that when we were back at the station meeting Twilight,” Stacy said as she looked toward Gregory. “Mind if I go and do that? I’ll meet back up with you guys at your apartment.”

Gregory, who was still stroking Pinkie’s wavy mane, looked up. “Just don’t leave the city and you’ll be fine.”

“Sure thing, I’ll be in and out in a few minutes,” she said as she got up and left, leaving the guys and Pinkie alone.

After she left, Pinkie sat up and actually rubbed her forehead against Gregory’s cheek like a cat. Gregory smirked. “You better quit before my fiancée comes in and goes on a jealous rampage again.”

Pinkie giggled and gave his cheek a quick lick before settling back into his lap. “She knows I like my Gregory-Grade headpats.”

“Silly filly,” Gregory smirked.

“I swear you're gonna give me a heart attack with the cuteness,” Andrew said.

Gregory chuckled. “You should have seen what happened when she and I and my two guards went to Berry Punch’s old bar back in Ponyville,” Gregory chuckled. “We were flirting up a storm.”

“I can’t tell if you're a teacher or a mare magnet,” Andrew teased.

“Nah, Ember’s the only woman for me,” Gregory said.

Just then the door to the sweet shop opened and three very familiar fillies came in. They looked around and Applebloom spotted Gregory. “Professor Graystone!” she shouted as she and the other two came over, Scootaloo hovering in the air with her wings buzzing.

“Hey hey hey, if it isn’t three of my favorite fillies,” Gregory said as he scooted over. Sweetie Belle jumped up and began to accept more headpats from the human.

“First of all how would Cozy feel if she heard you say that, and secondly why can’t I have some of that?” Andrew complained.

Applebloom finally noticed Andrew and her eyes went wide. “Another human??” she asked in shock.

“It’s okay, AB,” Gregory reassured her, “he’s a town guest.”

Applebloom tentatively walked up to him and put her forelegs up onto the bench where Andrew was sitting. “Well, if Professor Graystone says you’re okay, then I guess that’s alright.”

“You’re not gonna do something bad here, are you?” Scootaloo asked, hovering behind her friend.

‘She’s adorable in real life, don’t do anything silly,’ Andrew thought. “Not to a pair of cute munchkins like you,” he said smiling. ‘Doh!’ he thought.

Gregory smiled. “If they’re okay with it, you can pet them too. Ponies absolutely go wild for headpats. I’ve even given Sunbutt headpats and belly rubs.”

“Really?” Andrew asked as he placed a hand on Applebloom’s head.

As Applebloom jumped onto his lap and laid down in a ponyloaf on Andrew’s lap, Gregory nodded. “Tia’s a real snugglebug. When Ember found her in my lap asleep she wasn’t really happy.”

Andrew just started petting the yellow filly like a cat, feeling her soft fur against his hand. His mind felt like eternal bliss. Scootaloo came up on his other side, looking a bit unsure about him, but once Andrew began scratching her mane, she relaxed immediately. Gregory could only chuckle. “Cozy goes absolutely crazy for these. Mabel and Dipper do, too.”

“Wait, Mabel and Dipper? Are they two foals who fought a giant triangle?” Andrew asked with Amusement.

Gregory chuckled. “Nah, but their voices sound an awful lot like those Gravity Falls characters. Those two both have insane imaginations, though. Anyway, what are you thinking now about Jason?”

“Well to be honest- oh wait you can sense it anyway,” Andrew said.

“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear it from you,” Gregory replied.

“Right. Well anyway, I feel pretty conflicted. I came here to undo the pain of two of my favorite ponies who brighten up my day and give my world color, but after what I learned today, well I’m not sure what to think anymore.”

“I was like you once. Still kind of am,” Gregory admitted. “But I very quickly learned about how cruel this world can be.”

Pinkie sat up and nuzzled Gregory’s cheek gently, making Gregory smile. “But this world is pretty, too. Right?”

Gregory chuckled and nodded. “Very. I love it here. There’s a nice big forest full of glowing crystals that looks an awful lot like Bridlewood, the mountains nearby are gorgeous, and there’s actually a nice natural bay nearby. I plan on taking my family there this summer for a beach day.” Pinkie’s smile grew knowing, and she leaned in to whisper something into Gregory’s ear, making the human blush. “Oh, yes. Definitely,” he agreed. He faced Andrew again. “You and your companions need to really get it through your heads that this isn’t the show.”

“I understand that and I’m sure Stacy does too,” Andrew replied, “and that’s most likely what she’s going to inform Howard and the others.”

“I certainly hope so,” Gregory replied. “The last thing we need are naive and insane bronies and pegasisters taking their anger at their favorite ponies getting their just desserts and calling it ‘justice’. The Gjallarhorn wouldn’t have done anything if what Jason had done was wrong. It’s, for lack of a better word, a holy relic.”

“Heh, and here I thought the Holy Bible would be a human’s best relic,” Andrew said with a smile.

Gregory smirked. “The creatures of this world believe in a goddess called Faust. I’m not even joking.”

“Huh, who knew brony headcanons would come true here. What’s next, Doctor Whooves being the real Doctor?”

“Nah, I checked that out. He’s just an eccentric inventor. I actually made a couple headcanons real. Human loving Lyra and Gamer Luna were all on me.”

“Heh, nice, so are we going to your apartment soon? As much as I like sweets. I prefer a decent home cooked meal for dinner.”

Gregory nodded. “Once these needy fillies get off of our laps.”

Andrew didn’t notice until now but a certain white unicorn filly had left Gregory’s lap to join in too and he didn’t realize one of his hands was on her back. His heart once again melted. “So…cute…”

[The Iron War Horse - Around The Same Time]

“Stacy to base, come in,” Stacy spoke into the radio only to be met with static. “Base this is Stacy, please respond,” she repeated, only to receive no answer again. “This can’t be right, Howard promised someone on the radio at all times,” she said to herself.

At that moment a knock came from the nearby open door. Stacy turned and there stood Twilight Sparkle. “Is something the matter here?” the alicorn asked.

“Yeah, for some reason our team isn’t responding,” Stacy said worriedly.

Twilight took on a thoughtful look. “Maybe they’re away?” she suggested.

“No, our rules state the base radio is to be monitored at all times, no exceptions,” Stacy explained.

“Could it be broken?” Twilight asked.

“No, I spoke to them earlier. You did tell me no one came in since we arrived, right?” she asked.

Twilight nodded. “Objects from your world act very strangely on Gaia,” Twilight explained. “Gregory was even able to permanently kill a Timberwolf with his weapons. I made sure nobody got into the vehicle.”

“Well first off this is a locomotive and secondly these things were working fine even after we came here,” she stated.

“Then maybe something’s happening over there that requires all hooves-er, hands-on deck?” Twilight suggested.

“Maybe. Or it could be some kind of interference,” Stacy said.

“That’s highly possible,” Twilight said. “I’m not too familiar with your world’s technology even now.”

Stacy sighed and got up. “I’ll try again first thing in the morning. For now I could use some real dinner. Want to join me and my friends?”

Twilight’s ears perked up. “Sure. I’ll bring Spike along, too. He likes going over to Gregory’s place especially after our first Thanksgiving there.” With that, she turned and trotted back to the town, a bit of pep in her step.

[The Everfree Forest - Moments Later]

A chariot flew high above the trees as the two passengers took in the view. Jason could only look onward, his mind filled with so many thoughts on what was going on. While he was surprised by the opportunity to meet more humans, the voices in his head were giving him a bad feeling about the situation. It was why he and Chrysalis had agreed to send some disguised changelings down in the form of actual insects and small animals.

“Hmm. I used to think changelings had size limits for change,” he said.

“Then you thought wrong,” Chrysalis chuckled. “Even in your show, when Thorax usurped my throne he managed to turn into a creature larger than himself. It’s easy but takes practice.”

“Hmm…okay, I think I see something that looks like a small camp at that clearing over there,” Jason said, pointing to the edge of the forest.

The chariot soon landed and Jason hopped out. The camp had three humans cooking something over a fire with a tent nearby Two of them retreated into the tent, looking a bit scared. Jason raised his hand. “She’s with me,” he called out.

“Sorry,but she actually gave nightmare fuel to some of these guys! Look, it won’t be long, so can she at least stay at that distance?” the remaining human called out.

“Sure, but I’m staying here too,” Jason called out, pulling out the letter and holding it up. “I got a letter from someone named Howard. Is he here?”

“Yeah, he’s in that tent. He’s been looking forward to meeting you and Gregory.” the human called.

“Is Gregory here yet?” Jason asked.

“Yeah, he’s in the tent with Howard.”

Jason frowned. He knew Gregory might be a bit silly, but he knew that the younger icicle wouldn’t be that stupid. His suspicions were confirmed when Chrysalis leaned down and whispered, “He’s lying.”

Jason didn’t react. Instead, he called out, “Well that’s good. Is his girlfriend here too?”

The other human flinched a bit. “Uh, no. I think she went away, you know how scary this forest can be.”

Jason crossed his arms. “I lived here for three fucking years. If I can deal with it, so can she.” He lowered his voice and whispered to Chrysalis, “I think it’s time to run.”

Chrysalis nodded, then raised her horn to signal for her other changelings to converge on their position. Jason held his hands behind his back, charging his own magic up just in case. “They’re on their way,” she whispered.

Jason nodded, then turned to the human he was talking to. “I’ll stay here until Gregory’s done there!”

“Okay that’s fine!” the human said as he poked his head inside the nearby tent. “He’s on to us. Prepare for plan B,” he whispered.

The drones were slowly making their way closer. The other human ran out looking scared. “Uh sir, we might need your help. Looks like Gregory is having an allergic reaction. We might need your chariot to get him to a hospital!”

Jason pretended to look concerned. “Quick, bring him out and we’ll fly him to Canterlot! They treated him when he was attacked by ponies a year ago!”

The two other humans who had retreated earlier came out carrying a stretcher with something covered by sheets but the head part was blocked by something.

Chrysalis tilted her head to the side, listening to something only she could hear. Her eyes widened and she whispered, “My changelings are feeling others approaching from all around. We may need to teleport out. Put your hand on my withers just in case.”

Soon the stretcher came but all of a sudden everything happened at once. One human reached underneath the sheets and suddenly Chrysalis’s face was met with a metal baseball bat which passed through her shield, sending her sprawling. Jason lifted his hands, which were now glowing green, and picked up several nearby rocks and hurled them at the nearest human, hitting him in the head and sending him sprawling with blood pouring from a deep gash. He ducked and avoided a swing from the bat before he shoved the second human away with his telekinesis, sending him flying into the air. The human fell crying in terror, only for the cry to be cut the moment he hit the ground with a hard thud.

However, the third human had an advantage and jabbed something in his chest. He pulled out to reveal a syringe. Several changelings appeared in green flames and began firing magic at the humans who had attacked Jason. The magic hit a couple others and sent them flying back.

“Freeze! You're surrounded!” a voice yelled.

The drones turned to see five more humans appear from the bushes. All were holding melee weapons. “Uh oh,” a rather thick changeling said nervously.

Pharynx smirked. “Psh, we can take them.” More humans emerged holding more weapons, all aimed at the changelings. Pharynx frowned nervously. He was familiar with human weapons after Jason told him about their effect on magic in this world. “Uh or maybe…” A tent collapsed revealing a bulldozer with more humans with deadlier weapons standing on or around it. “Never mind.”

“Well, Jason, how do you feel? Defeated, sleepy or both?” one of the humans asked with a sneer. Jason tried to get something out before he collapsed, completely unconscious. “Put him in the Dozer and tie up the changelings.”

However, before they could even grab said changelings, Chrysalis stood. Her eyes blazed green with utter hatred and she began to glow. Pharynx looked up at his queen in fear and understanding. He turned to the other drones. “Tactical retreat, now!” With that, the other drones spread their wings and zipped up into the air.

Chrysalis began to transform, and this transformation was by far the most terrifying thing these humans had ever seen. She became massive, using her changeling magic to become a large reptilian creature. A creature that looked to the remaining humans like Godzilla. “Release my mate! NOW!” a deep monstrous voice called out in pure fury.

The humans looked up in fear, but one of them picked up a radio. “Boss…”

“I see it. FIRE IN THE HOLE!”

A distant bang was heard as a giant fireball came over the horizon of trees and they knew a monster of her size would not react fast enough. Thanks to the weapon being from Earth, when the fireball struck Chrysalis, she was sent flying, transforming back into her natural form and being knocked unconscious once more. She flew into the forest and was lost to sight.

“Alright, everyone, let's load up and head back to base.” With the order given, the camp was struck, and the now unconscious Jason was taken away.

[Yggdrasil - Gregory’s Apartment]

The mood in the apartment could be considered wholesome as Andrew, Gregory, and his family sat down to dinner. They knew it wouldn’t be long before Stacy could join them. Gregory had prepared locally made fried chicken, although he had explained that it wasn’t quite made from the poultry they were used to, but instead were made from a dumber and bigger counterpart. For Twilight and Cozy he made a special macaroni salad along with a vegetarian lasagna.

“Wow, this is more delicious than what Chick-fil-A makes. My compliments to the chef,” Andrew marveled as he took a bite.

“It took me a while to get it right,” Gregory admitted, “but I got there in the end. I even managed to make a type of hamburger from hydra meat.”

“Huh…not sure if I want to know if hydras are sentient but I won’t question it.”

“Some of the first local meat I ate here was hydra steak,” Gregory said looking over at Ember. He gave her a grin as he turned back. “There are a lot of different meats that carnivores can eat here aside from fish. Jackalope is pretty good.”

“Good to know,” Andrew said as he took the last bite of his meal. “With all that I don’t think I want dessert.”

“There’s always room for dessert,” Gregory snickered, “especially when I have some locally made chocolates from Bon Bon herself. That mare can make them really well. See’s Candies could learn a thing or two from her.”

“Well maybe I might sample it after I let a bit of dinner digest, maybe some dancing could help.”

Gregory nodded and walked to a cupboard. Cozy’s eyes shot open wider. “Dancing? You can dance? Daddy can dance too!”

“Not too well,” Gregory admitted as he brought over a pink box of chocolates and set it on the table.

“Well have you taught the ponies many dances like the YMCA or the gangnam style?”

“I’ve shown them a few, including the Chicken Dance, the Macarena, and I even tried to teach slow dancing to Ember here,” he said, gesturing to the frowning dragoness.

“Dragons don’t do dancing,” she retorted, a blush on her face.

“Well mind if I teach your daughter some dancing that is not well known but fun?” Andrew Asked as he pulled out his phone.

Cozy’s wings flapped excitedly as she gave Gregory the cutest puppy eyes. Unlike the false ones in the show, these were entirely genuine. Gregory rolled his eyes, then pulled Cozy into a hug and kissed her forehead. “Go ahead, sweetie.”

The two went where there was more space. Andrew hit play on his phone and placed it on a nearby table. “Oh hang on a bit,” Gregory said as he stood and rushed to the entertainment center. He grabbed a small speaker and turned it on. “Connect to this,” he said as he handed Andrew the aux cord.

He plugged it in and pressed play again. The song started with a bit of jazz piano intro. Andrew then started dancing as the singing started.

“Now there's a brand new dance that has just hit town.
“It won't take you long until you get it down.”

“It's called the Boxcar Boogie.
“It's called the Boxcar Boogie.
“It's called the Boxcar Boogie just a rollin' down the railroad track.”

Andrew decided to sing along, dancing and grinning as Cozy giggled while dancing along with him.

“Now you just play it cool and hang real loose,
“then shuffle your hooves and shake your caboose.”

“It's called the Boxcar Boogie.
“It's called the Boxcar Boogie.
“It's called the Boxcar Boogie just a rollin' down the railroad track.”

It wasn’t long until it felt like a small earthquake in the room with many individuals dancing to the beat.

“You can feel a tingle goin' up your back.
“When you’re chuggin' along down the railroad track.”

“It's called the Boxcar Boogie.
“It's called the Boxcar Boogie.
“It's called the Boxcar Boogie just a rollin' down the railroad track.”

Andrew took a moment to observe the scene before him. He looked over to see Spike and Twilight really getting groovy as they danced side by side. He then turned to the family of three. Cozy was dancing and giggling, while Gregory watched with amusement as he tapped his foot and clapped his hands to the beat. Ember wasn’t dancing. She just watched with her arms crossed.

“It's called the Boxcar Boogie.
“It's called the Boxcar Boogie.
“It's called the Boxcar Boogie just a rollin' down the railroad track.”

Gregory then saw Stacy leave the bathroom after washing up. She looked troubled for a moment but smiled upon seeing the scene. Gregory wondered when she’d shown up, but shrugged and continued watching the dance go down.

“It's called the Boxcar Boogie just a rollin' down the railroad track.
“It's called the Boxcar Boogie just a rollin' down the railroad track.”

As the song ended, Gregory clapped. “I’m gonna need to get that on my computers and iPhone,” he said. “You got the mp3 on a computer I can copy?”

“Stacy can help with her laptop. Right, Stacy?” Andrew asked, turning to her.

Stacy was looking down looking a bit anxious but perked up. “S-Sure I can help with that,” she said, sounding a bit distracted.

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “I sense you’re worried about something,” he said. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m not worried, just confused,” she replied. “I was trying to make contact with home base but I didn’t get an answer.”

Now it was Andrew’s turn to be confused. “You sure? I’m certain the boss would always have someone watching the radio.”

“How many of you are there again?” Gregory asked.

“About twenty of us, maybe slightly more.”

“Not many, but still, that’s concerning.” Gregory stroked his chin thoughtfully.

At that moment there was a knock at the door. Cozy went to answer it only to reveal Princess Luna. “Ah, Sir Gregory, you're still here. I thought for sure you left already.”

“Left? Left for where?” he asked.

“The Everfree Forest, Prince Blueblood came back with a letter that was meant for you and Jason to meet.”

Gregory looked more confused. “I didn’t get any letter,” he said, turning to Andrew and Stacy. “Do you know anything about this?”

“Our mission was to explore and find either Ponyville citizens or Jason,” Andrew said.

Stacy pondered this for a moment, then she looked up, her face filled with fear and realization. Andrew immediately noticed this. “Stacy, what's wrong?”

“Andrew, we need to fire up the train right now!” she exclaimed.

“What’s going on?” Gregory asked, looking less confused and more worried.

Stacy was quickly gathering her belongings. “If there’s one thing I know about Howard, it’s that he has a habit of taking drastic measures without thinking too much. We need to move!”

Gregory was immediately on the move himself. He walked over to a nearby chest and opened it. He pulled out a few weapons, such as a shotgun, an assault rifle, two pistols, a pair of long knives and a pair of short ones. He turned to Cozy. “Sweetie, Daddy’s gonna have to go for a while.” He turned to Twilight. “Can she stay with you and Spike?”

Twilight nodded immediately. “Of course she can. I can help you pack, Cozy.”

Cozy looked nervous, but nodded as she, Twilight and Spike went to her room to help her pack for a stay with Twilight. Gregory looked back at the two humans. “I can’t believe you follow this guy,” he said as he pulled out some ammunition and stuffed it into a backpack.

“In our defense, he founded this group and pioneered portal travel for this world.” Andrew said as he hoisted his backpack.

“He sounds like a sadistic bastard and he needs to be stopped before he hurts or kills Jason,” Gregory snarled.

“You don’t expect me not to come, do you?” Ember asked, grinning as smoke came from her mouth.

“I know I can’t stop you,” Gregory chuckled, “so why don’t you gather a few dragons and meet us back where Ponyville used to be?”

Ember nodded, spread her wings, and walked over to the balcony door. She threw it open and flew away. “I’ll let my guards know what’s going on immediately,” Luna said as she teleported out.

Twilight came back in, looking up at Andrew and Stacy. “Please rescue Jason,” she begged. “He’s been through too much already.”

“I’ll do my best,” Andrew said

“Like my dad taught me, a good soldier leaves no friend behind,” Stacy said.

“Good,” Gregory said. He gripped his backpack and looked back at the two. “Let’s get moving. We have a stupid brony to beat down.”

The group were racing towards the train station when suddenly a green flash appeared before them. A battered and bruised Chrysalis appeared, eyes full of malice and fury. When she saw the two new humans, she lifted Gregory and placed him away from them. “Back away, Gregory!” she hissed.

“That’s not a good sign,” Andrew muttered.

Gregory immediately put a hand on Chrysalis’ withers. “Talk to me, Bug Horse. What happened?”

Chrysalis lifted a hoof and pointed it shakily at the two newcomers. “Their companions abducted my mate! They took Jason!”

Gregory’s own fury began to rise as he slowly looked back at the two. “Is this Howard guy a fucking moron? Does he think nobody would notice if one of the two humans in the world was captured, especially the mate of the changeling queen?”

Stacy slowly approached the queen, hands raised. “Did they attack you with a super weapon?” she asked.

“It was a damned fireball!” Chrysalis snarled, narrowing her eyes at the human female, her horn glowing brighter.

“The K5 railgun,” Andrew muttered.

“And here I thought I was bringing too much with my weapons,” Gregory said. He spun on the two. “You brought a fucking RAILGUN TO GAIA?!”

“Howard assured us it was for bigger threats bigger than the Storm King.”

“AND YOU BELIEVED HIM?!” Gregory bellowed, a blast of cold air erupting from him. He took a deep breath and the cold air around them dissipated. “It’s clear to me that the people he recruited are mostly all naive and gullible.” He turned to Chrysalis. “I don’t have time to explain what’s going on, but I’m asking for your help. We need reinforcements. There are only around twenty humans here. These two are trying to help us, so don’t attack them.”

“I’ll rain down all the might of the changelings on them!” Chrysalis snapped back before looking at the two humans. “If I find that my mate has been harmed in any way, tell your superiors I will show no. Fucking. Mercy!” With that, she teleported away.

Andrew shook off the shock and started running again with the others. Soon the station came into view with the black diesel and tank car still sitting there. “Get on board quickly.”

“Alright, just one more thing to bring out,” Gregory said. He held out his hand and a swirling vortex appeared on the ground below his hand. A simple metal pole with a glowing crystal on top shot out and he grabbed it. “Ready. Let’s go.” He jumped in.

“Andrew? Remind me again of this unit and its power?” Stacy asked.

“Uh, a couple thousand horses. She’s not a hotshot like her modern friends but she still has a lot of life left,” Andrew explained.

“You’d better hope we get there before Chrysalis does,” Gregory said. “If she gets there, let’s just say your idiot commander signed his own death warrant by attacking an ally of Equestria.”

Andrew gulped and proceeded to throttle up the engine. Luckily, Haven City had a railroad turnaround which they used as quickly as they could.

Gregory took a breath, then sat in a chair and closed his eyes. The metal staff’s crystal near him began glowing a soft white as did the two rings on his fingers. Power radiated from him, and the air cooled around them, but nothing uncomfortable for anyone. Gregory’s face became placid and soon it seemed as if he was in a meditative state.

The train whistled as it left Haven City and into the night. It and the three passengers aboard her traveled quickly towards the scarred land that was once Ponyville.

Author's Note

Things take a turn or should I say a spin.

Chapter 5: Derailment

[Ponyville - Howard’s Tent]

Bubba walked inside to find Howard looking over the radio. It was shut off. Howard looked up but didn’t turn to his big ally. “If it’s true that two of our own might be compromised, then you know what must be done.”

Bubba nodded but he carried a concerned look. ”I can understand the need for such measures, but you seem to be ignoring the consequences among us. You and a couple others might approve of it. But what would the rest say? What about the storm that might come, or the fact we don’t have our locomotive? Are you at the very least concerned about that?”

Howard smirked, “Concerned?” he asked. “Why would I be concerned about something they have no knowledge about?”

Bubba nodded, understanding. “Okay, then. It will be done,” Bubba said as he turned to leave.

“Wait, is he here?” Howard asked.

“Yes sir he’s in the boxcar resting comfortably but many are barely containing their excitement.”

“Excellent,” Howard grinned, “Let the festivities begin.”

Howard left his tent and walked. He passed by many of his comrades as they either chatted, celebrated, or were tending to the wounded. He then approached the boxcar that was parked on the track. The two guards by the door opened it to let him climb in. There sitting in a chair tied up and with a lamp for light was Jason.

Howard approached his unconscious form as he knew the sedative would wear off any moment. As he got close he saw him stir and decided to play. “Wakey wakey.” He said.

Jason groaned as he slowly began to come back to consciousness. He opened his groggy eyes and looked around, a look of panic passing over his face as he tried to come to terms with what was happening. That was, until he locked eyes with Howard. “What’s…going on? Who are you?”

“Howard Marison is the name. Fixing the world will be my game.”

Jason looked around a bit, then noticed that he was tied up. He turned back to Howard and narrowed his eyes at his fellow human, his good eye locked onto the other man. “Fixing the world?”

“Yes good sir, fixing the world from the fall you caused from your Stygian approach as I call it.”

Jason raised an eyebrow. “Stygian approach?”

“Oh well, might as well give you the crash course, but first a little privacy.” He said as he walked over and shut the door on the boxcar. “Now onto the first lesson. Do you believe everything that happens here is magically watched by eyes?”

Jason frowned. “The entire world knows about My Little Pony,” he said, “and I mean this world here. The world of Gaia.”

“Yes and unfortunately you became something of a star on our world. Almost like a creepypasta in a way.”

Both of Jason’s eyes went wide. “The fuck are you talking about?”

“Perhaps you need a visual aid,” he said as he walked over to a crate that had a laptop on it. It was opened to a video file. He pressed play.

Jason watched this with wide eyes. He saw an animated version of himself setting up the punishments of the Mane Six at The Trial. He watched as the onscreen Gjallarhorn distributed the punishments to them. When Howard paused the video, Jason turned to Howard. “How the hell did you get that?”

“In the fall of 2023 after a recent G5 episode your trial somehow aired on TV instead of a Transformers movie,” Howard explained. “At first we all thought it was an insane animator hijacking the studios, but there was no link. It was like everything appeared out of thin air. That was until I started learning about a strange phenomenon by some NASA whistleblower.”

Jason looked a bit dumbstruck by this. “But…that’s not possible. Nothing like that happened on Earth, at least according to Gregory.”

“Oh? How long was it since this trial until Gregory appeared? Come to think of it, what year was it when you and he came?”

“One year,” Jason said, “and he came from the year 2027. I came in 2023. But that’s not important right now! What do you want from me?”

“Oh it’s not just me that wants something from you. It’s something everyone wants. You see, after the incidental broadcast so many people were outraged. Even Lauren Faust couldn’t believe her greatest creation went down this path. So as a result it was canceled and pulled from the air.”

Jason remained silent for a bit, then suddenly he began to grin. That grin spread and he began to laugh. “Oh my God…I can’t believe this! Haha! You came here to get some misplaced revenge on me! Ahaha! Oh, this is hilarious!”

“Laugh all you want, but you won’t be laughing after some of my friends share a few things with you especially after what they learned about Derpy and the others.”

Jason looked at him. “You see how the Ponies tormented me all over my body, right? You can’t do much more to my body anyway. And as cliche as it sounds, you all will soon be in a hell of a lot of trouble. The changelings will definitely come for me, as will the dragons and ponies!”

“That’s what you think, but until they come, we might as well make the most of it,” Howard sneered.

Jason continued to laugh in Howard’s face. “I’ve been through three years of torment at the hooves of your precious xenophobic ponies!”

“We know about your torment, but did you really have to go down such a dark path? There were other ways you know.”

“You know nothing about how the Gjallarhorn works, do you?” Jason chuckled. “If I had done something wrong, the horn wouldn’t have worked! It was made by this world’s goddess Faust!”

“Is that so? Well we might as well see what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.”

Jason watched as Howard raised his fist and threw it right at Jason’s face. He flinched, but nothing came. Instead, he saw that Howard had himself been flung back, almost as if he’d been struck by his own fist. Jason chuckled. “You didn’t see how Rainbow tried that back at The Trial. Did you think I would come here without activating the protection of the Gjallarhorn??”

Howard groaned as he rubbed his face, blood pouring from his nose. “Not bad, but let's try another approach,” he said as he walked to a crate. Jason watched as it looked like he was dipping his hands in something glowing.

Jason’s eyes widened as he recognized the substance on Howard’s fist. “How the fuck…? I thought I destroyed that!”

“No. If I remember what you and Discord said, this world can’t function without chaos. And didn’t you say you were gonna hide it.”

“No, I said it was going to be dispersed around the world,” Jason said. “But go ahead. Even Discord was vulnerable to the Gjallarhorn. Using his remnant magic won’t work on me.”

“Oh, well there's one thing about Discord’s power I always had a theory about. The use of chaos is limited to a user’s imagination.” Howard said as he readied his fist that was glowing brighter.

Jason flinched once more as Howard threw it. However, even now, the effects of the Gjallarhorn’s protection were more powerful and he watched as Howard was practically flung back into the table. He heard the sound of a pinball machine as Howard bounced around like he was a pinball. Finally, Howard landed on the train floor, creating a comic imprint of himself in the metal. Jason leaned down and said, “Like I said, Goddess power beats Chaos power every time.”

“Wow, that was a rush,” Howard said as he dusted himself off. “Well then, part of me wants to ask what would it take to remove your protection?”

Jason sighed. “You obviously don’t know what’s happened since The Trial. Not all of it. I’ve begun reconciling with the former Elements of Harmony. Hell, I even offered to remove their punishments a few months ago, but they said no.”

“Oh, I know that. Blueblood told me everything. Too bad I didn't want to tell everyone else.”

Jason’s eyes widened. “Damn, and you claim me to be a monster. The truth’s staring you in the face, but you choose to ignore it.”

“All I wanted was for this place to be just like how it once was without the racism of course.”

“Oh, I get it, believe me,” Jason said, “but unfortunately that won’t happen for a while. Hell, you saw it in the show! Zecora! How the ponies view the dragons as dangerous! There were signs in the damn show!”

“Silence! I’ll get this to work and I will make my own dreams for this land come true even if I have to kill the one that started the domino effect.”

“You know, the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again while trying to get a different result each time,” a brand new voice called out from above. A hatch opened from above and a brand new human fell into the room, some sort of ice wings spread from his back. He landed gracefully and stood, then in a British accent, he said, “Hello, there!”

Jason frowned. “Even now, you gotta be a nerd?”

“Oh great, who invited Jack Frost to this party?” Howard deadpanned.

The newcomer pulled out a pistol from his side and aimed it at Howard. “I’d shut your fucking mouth if I were you,” the new human snapped as two ponies in guard uniforms dropped from the ceiling. One of them was a pegasus and the other a unicorn. Without missing a beat, the newcomer said, “Swift, Moonlight, get Jason safe.”

“Understood, sir,” the unicorn said as the two made their way towards Jason’s location swiftly. The pegasus began undoing Jason’s bonds while the unicorn stood between Jason and Howard.

“Yeah…no,” he said as he moved to snap his glowing fingers.

Without hesitating, the newcomer fired his pistol. Howard tried to deflect the bullet, but it did nothing. Instead, it hit Howard’s left arm, opening a brand new wound there. “Earth beats Gaia,” the newcomer said as he raised his free hand. A bolt of lightning shot out towards Howard, sending him back with force and colliding with the back of the car.

The pegasus had just gotten Jason free, and he turned to the young mare. “Thanks.”

“As Sir Gregory likes to say, get your ass out of here!” the pegasus said, “reinforcements from Canterlot are coming soon!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Jason said as he opened the door and jumped out. From the outside, there were sounds of fighting.

Howard could hear the sounds outside but despite the horrific sounds he grinned as he saw that during his epic pinball bounce the glowing jar from the crate rolled out and it was conveniently at his side. He quickly grabbed it. “No one moves or we see if this is a bomb or something greater.”

The newcomer, who still had his pistol and free hand aimed at Howard, narrowed his eyes. “You must be the yandere for Twilight Sparkle, right? Howard, was it?”

“What!? Who told you that!? Was it Stacy?!”

The newcomer grinned. “So I was right. You just wanna make Twilight yours and only yours. Got a newsflash for you, kid, she’s got a special somepony already.”

“Oh? Who? Flash the waifu stealer?” He asked.

The newcomer rolled his eyes. “If she knew what you were doing, she’d hate you,” he said. “She would call you a monster, just like she once called Jason Wright a monster.”

“You shut up! I have plans that even she would fall head over hooves in love with.”

“Jesus, how delusional can you be?” the newcomer said as his free hand began to glow.

At that moment another human appeared at the door, this one wearing a railroad cap with the words Southern Pacific. The white haired human saw this and looked over. “Hey, Andrew. Just in time.”

“Would’ve got here sooner but me and Stacy found the five captured pegasi that were patrolling here,” he said as he climbed in.

The newcomer human turned to Howard and narrowed his eyes. “You made a big mistake. You and your fellow idiots made an enemy of not only Equestria, but the changeling hive and the Dragon Lands.”

“Oh it'll all be worth it in the end, especially with this. You both may recognize this from Season 4 right? The color should look familiar.”

The newcomer frowned. “Chaos magic will corrupt you even more than you’re corrupted in your insane lust for Twilight, and that’s saying something considering she wouldn’t give you a second thought after I tell her what you did to her friend Jason.”

“We’ll see,” Howard replied as he popped open the jar.

“My God… He wouldn’t!” Andrew exclaimed.

The newcomer sighed. “He’s a yandere, Andrew. He would do anything to crawl into the skin of his beloved pony waifu.”

“Oh it’ll be more than a mare I'll be doing,” he said as he poured the contents over him in one swift movement. “It’ll be the true Princess of Equestria!”

The newcomer pushed Andrew out of the car, following swiftly as he opened fire with his pistol at Howard. Unfortunately, all he managed to hit was Howard’s right leg as he jumped out.

There was a bright glowing light from the car until it exploded which caused everyone to suddenly stop fighting, including the dragons and changelings that just arrived.

Ember ran over to the newcomer, and to the shock of the other humans there save for Jason, Andrew, and Stacy, she took him in her arms and looked him over with a worried frown. “You know, Gregory, for my mate, you’re a real idiot,” she said.

“You can punish me later,” Gregory said as he turned to the now big crater that was once a train car.

“Where is the fool who attempted to capture my mate?!” an enraged Chrysalis bellowed as she looked around. “I will tear their skin off and boil their entrails in lava!”

Gregory turned to Jason. “Remind me never to piss her off.”

“Says the guy who entered with an Obi-Wan Kenobi line,” Jason deadpanned.

Andrew pointed to the crater. “You mean the guy who just poured liquid chaos magic on himself?”

Chrysalis’ eyes went as wide as saucers. “The fool did what?!”

“Made myself powerful,” a booming and demonic voice said from the dust cloud surrounding the crater.

Everyone turned to the crater and then after a moment of silence, a large reptilian claw the size of a locomotive emerged and slammed onto the ground, followed by what looked like a giant tiger claw. Slowly and surely something began rising from the ground with glowing eyes piercing through the dust.

“When am I gonna learn to aim for the fucking head?” Gregory sighed.

“Sir! Time to retreat!” the unicorn guard came up. “The amount of magic coming from that creature is immense.”

“Good idea, Moonlight,” Gregory said.

“We’ve captured the other humans,” the pegasus said.

“Thanks, Swift,” Gregory replied.

“You mean my own army?” said the voice as a strange orb shot out of the dust and into the air.

Andrew turned to Moonlight nervously. “Where are the others? Just point the direction.”

“The other humans are over there,” Moonlight said as she pointed to where the twenty or so humans were being watched by armored pegasi and unicorn ponies.

The orb hovered in the air before coming down on the humans who tried to flee but unfortunately were struck. The pegasi and unicorns, having seen this coming, jumped out of the way just in time, avoiding the blast.

Within the next second the sounds of screaming came along with the sounds of popping and cracking. As the dust settled laughter filled the air as an army of grotesque mismatched creatures stood where the group of humans had once stood.

Gregory and Jason looked on in horror. “How in the fucking hell did you all manage to fall for this guy’s bullshit?” Gregory asked Andrew.

“He wasn’t always like this,” Andrew said. “It's a long story, but right now we need to RUN!”

Swift and another pegasus grabbed Andrew and Stacy, lifting them up into the air as they flew back towards Canterlot. Jason was grabbed by Chrysalis who did the same. The unicorns were picked up by their pegasi counterparts as they began to retreat. Gregory spread his ice wings and flew away beside Ember.

“Wait what about the dragons and changelings?” Stacy asked.

“They’re coming behind us!” Gregory shouted above the roar of the wind.

“Are you sure about that?” Andrew asked as he looked back to see a large dragon grabbed by a long arm and dragged to the ground.

Gregory saw this, and with a swift motion he pulled his machine gun off from his back and fired at the arm. He shot with precision and the arm let go of the captured dragon who regained his flight and fled. “Like I said, Earth beats Gaia,” Gregory quipped as he lay down covering fire to help the changelings and dragons escape. Soon, they were all gone, and his clip was empty. “Time to go.” With that, he turned and sped off after the others.

[Train tracks Near Ponyville Junction]

The locomotive stood motionless on the tracks by a switch. The train was stopped as the switch leading to Ponyville was broken. From the distance one could see what looked like a firework show of rainbow orbs. One flew so far it landed directly on the engine. A strange blue aura surrounded the engine for a bit before dying.

The engine sprang to life and revved as the sound grew louder and louder. Then its horn blared as the throttle in the cab moved. The engine detached the car from behind it and rolled into the night away from the lighted display.

[Haven City- Twilight’s Library]

Spike and Cozy Glow were getting ready for bed, both of their minds were filled to the brim with worry. But Twilight was there to offer what comfort she had. “You think Daddy’s gonna be okay?” Cozy asked worriedly.

“Don’t worry, knowing Gregory and Ember, he’ll be fine. He’s probably on his way back right this minute.” Twilight said As if she was a mindreader, there was a knock at the door. “That’s probably him, now.”

But as she headed to the door an odd feeling began to cloud her. It was like she was in the crosshairs of a predator. She turned to Spike and Cozy. “Spike, Cozy, head to the basement,” she said.

Cozy wanted to argue, but Spike gently took her hoof and headed to the basement. He closed and locked the door. Twilight then turned towards the door. “I’m sorry, but the library’s closed for the night,” she called out.

Suddenly the door was busted down as the face of a cat appeared. “HERE'S KATY!” the head yelled in a female voice.

Twilight jumped back and grabbed a poker from the nearby fireplace. She aimed it at the strange creature. “Who are you?!” she demanded.

The creature slowly entered, its head was on a rather large slender body. She walked in on insect-like legs and had butterfly wings on her back. “Oh don’t mind me, hun. I’m just here for someone.”

“And who’s that?” Twilight asked, eyes narrowed.

“You,” she said as she snapped her fingers on her dragon-like claw. The next moment chains appeared around Twilight.

Twilight dropped the poker and began to struggle. “Let me go!”

“I will but not now.” She said as she snapped again making them both vanish.

Spike and Cozy watched through the door in horror. “W-We need to tell someone,” Cozy said, turning to Spike.

“I’ll send a letter to Princess Luna,” Spike said as he and Cozy ran out into the main room of the library. He grabbed a pen and paper and began to write.

Author's Note

Things get chaotic.

Chapter 6: Sidings

[Canterlot Castle - Midnight]

It was quite a scene at Canterlot Castle as many armies filed in. Some of the soldiers were taken to medical tents to be treated while others were trying to recover in their own way. In the crowd however, four humans, a queen and a dragon made their way through the crowd and soon entered the throne room where much to their surprise were the main six minus Twilight along with Cozy Glow and Spike talking to Luna and Blueblood. “Are you absolutely sure about this?” Luna asked.

“There’s no question about it,” Spike replied.

“We both saw Twilight being foalnapped by some nasty looking creature,” Cozy said.

“Oh no…” Blueblood said with dread.

Soon they all noticed the newcomers. “What’s going on?” Gregory asked.

“Apparently, some creature of unknown origin came to Haven City, Kidnapped Twilight Sparkle and vanished. Cozy Glow and Spike managed to hide in the basement but saw it through the door,” Luna replied.

“What was that abomination?” Spike asked.

Gregory sighed. “Probably one of the humans who came to this world to try and punish Jason for what he did.”

The room went silent for a bit as everyone processed this. Cozy flew up to Gregory and hugged him tightly, trembling in fear as the human did his best to reassure her that everything would be okay. She was quietly crying into his shoulder. After a few seconds, Luna looked at Jason. “Jason, we’re pleased to see you back.”

Jason grunted and shrugged. “Yeah, I’m alright more or less,” he began, “but I’ve got something to tell you.”

“What is it?” Applejack before remembering something. “Hey wait a minute, what do you mean human? Ain’t you humans related to primates and not felines?”

“Not unless you combine chaos magic with human DNA,” Andrew said, earning a look of horror from the two Canterlot royals, five former bearers, and two children.

“I’m afraid it’s the truth. It would seem a part of my punishment for Discord somehow found its way into the hands of a Twilight Sparkle stalking nutjob named Howard,” Jason stated.

“My goodness, how could I have been so daft? I practically shook hands with a human who became a draconequus,” Blueblood said as he rubbed his face with his hoof.

Princess Luna groaned. “This is just perfect. We’ve gone from one small problem to a very huge one!”

“Now what do we do? Surely We’re not gonna let these ruffians take Twilight are we?” Rarity asked.

“We gotta rescue her!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Don't even think about it, Dashie,” Gregory said. “We barely got out of there in one piece.”

Jason scoffed before turning to Andrew and Stacy. “Yeah, speaking of which, who the hell are you guys?! Were you working with that fan!? Were you also here to hunt me down because I ruined your precious cartoon?!” he snarled as his hands glowed.

Stacy hid behind Andrew in fear. Gregory got between them. “Jason calm down. While they were here to confront you, they had more humane reasons to come here. I told them our story.”

“Yeah, Blueblood here did the same with Howard but it seems he didn’t want to tell everyone,” Jason said, calming down a little.

“Actually while we were fleeing I thought I heard one of those abominations say ‘get the Windigo bringer’ while pointing at you,” Ember said.

Jason stared at Ember before letting out a snarl. “Great, just great! Now Howard is twisting the facts to make me look like the villain!”

“They want the Windigo bringer?” Gregory said darkly, an ice cold mist swirling around his boots, “then they’ve got it in me.”

“Steady yourselves everyone,” Luna said placatingly. “We understand tensions are high but now we need to keep ourselves calm and think clearly.”

Gregory’s magic subsided and he nodded. Turning to Andrew and Stacey, he said, “You two, front and center. Tell us about all of your companions.”

Andrew sighed. “I only knew Stacy and Robbie before the group formed. I don’t know the others well.”

“And I knew Howard for quite a while. He always seemed like a nice guy to all of us,” Stacy explained.

“Yeah, well now he’s a yandere fuckwad who’s probably gonna use his new chaos powers to infect Twilight to become his personal sex slave,” Gregory growled. When he noticed the reactions of everyone in the room, he frowned deeper. “Don’t give me those looks. It’s very likely!”

“Or maybe Howard might do something more,” Stacy muttered shakily.

“What do you mean?” Luna asked.

“Well, long before we came Howard had so many plans for this world,” Stacy explained. “They seemed like nice ideas but now I think considering what happened to Ponyville he might change them.”

“What kind of plans for this world?” Luna asked.

“Well, for one thing he wanted to keep Mr. Justice over there from melting more of the town’s economy,” Stacy said, gesturing to Jason.

“If you’d known the real truth, you knew that a lot of that money I actually teleported back to my hive,” Chrysalis snapped, “and don’t speak about my mate like that ever again!”

“Look, he had a lot more plans but amongst the ultimate goal was to undo everything Jason did to Ponyville.” Stacy deflated a bit. “Of course, that was before Howard learned everything.”

“That won’t happen,” Gregory said. “New Haven is where the Mane Six live now. Not only are they happier there, but the town is a melting pot of other races as well. It’s an experiment that’s actually been successful. I even heard that interspecies couples are forming.”

Luna’s eyebrow shot up at this, and she smiled. “Good to know that things are going well back there.”

Stacy sighed before turning to the two original humans. “Look, we’re sorry things are going so far south but I promise we’ll do everything in our power to help. Right Andrew?.....Andrew?”

They all noticed he was gone. It was then they heard the sound of feet going down a hall.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, I’ll go after him!” Gregory walked out of the throne room, spotting Andrew walking away slowly. He sped up and when he reached the other human he put a hand on his shoulder. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

Andrew quickly swiped his hand off him. “Anywhere that's not here. I want to be alone,” Andrew said as he quickly ran leaving Gregory in the dust.

Gregory sighed, created ice wings with his magic, and flew after him, flying above him in the high sloping hallways of Canterlot Castle. “Don’t go running away,” he chided.

Suddenly Andrew faced Gregory with a look of pure frustration as tears poured down his face. “You don't understand!” he snapped as he quickly took a left, heading towards a hallway with several balconies.

It wasn’t long before Jason caught up to Gregory. “I think maybe you should let me help you with this one.”

“Yeah, good idea,” Gregory said as he landed and dissolved his ice wings. The two humans continued walking down the hall.

“Let me help too,” a voice said. It was Rainbow Dash as she galloped up to them.

“Sure, let’s go,” Gregory said.

They quickly found him sitting on a bench on a balcony overlooking the beautiful city of Canterlot. The stars glistened brightly in the spring night and the moon was just beginning to set. Gregory held up his hands to Jason and Rainbow. “I’ll go first,” he whispered. “I’ll signal you when you can join.”

Andrew could only look down at the city below, seeing the few changelings, ponies, and dragons traversing the streets to either heal or grab a bite. Most of the city was asleep, of course. He then heard footsteps behind him. “If that's you Stacy, I’m not in the mood.” He said sadly.

“Wrong human,” the voice of Gregory said as he took a seat next to him. Jason and Rainbow were waiting inside for his signal.

“What do you want? Here to call me out for being naïve? I don’t want to hear it anymore.”

“You think you’re the only naïve person who came to this world?” Gregory asked. “Jason was naïve . I was naïve. We both paid dearly for it. Jason spent years being tormented by ponies simply for being different. I was attacked and nearly killed because I’m a human. And you really think I can’t understand what you’re going through?”

“I don’t know how you never saw that incident broadcast, but you have no idea what me and so many others went through when we saw it,” Andrew argued.

“Bullshit,” Gregory replied. “You and I may likely come from different versions of Earth, but I know what it feels like to have your whole worldview about this place shattered.” He turned to face Andrew. “Remember Jason’s last punishment? The one directed at Ponyville? The one specifically about everyone who enters the town seeing each and every crime Ponyville committed against another sapient creature?” Raising a finger, he pointed at his temple. “Every single incident from the past hundred or so years of Ponyville’s existence is here. From the very first instances of zebra slavery to Spike’s abuse to Matilda’s neglect and Jason’s torment. I can absolutely never forget the gritty details. So don’t fucking tell me I don’t understand. I was a firsthand witness to everything that Ponyville ever did in their xenophobia.”

Andrew stayed silent for a moment. “Maybe so, but we all came here because of the fallout from the broadcast. We just wanted to help set things right. Now all I see in myself is a pawn.”

“That’s maybe what you wanted to tell yourself, and maybe some of you believe you were helping,” Gregory said, “but you were just acting on your knee-jerk reactions. Sound familiar? Your precious television show was being tarnished, and you wanted to make things go back to normal. It was a more selfish reason than you care to admit. If you had really been paying attention, then at least some of you would have sympathized with what Jason went through. Seems like none of you cared. At least, not until you learned the truth. And even so, some of you are choosing to ignore it to satisfy your own selfish desires. If you really want to be truly helpful and not be a pawn, you’ll help us stop your fucktard of a boss and rescue Twilight. Put him in his rightful place as king of the douchebags.”

“He wasn’t always like this,” Andrew said, “especially on the day I first met him…”

[Chicago Museum Of Science And Industry - Winter 2023]

Andrew wandered through the big museum as he took in the sights. He let the warmth of the museum’s heater system wash over him as he stopped in front of one of the museum’s well known exhibits: a black 4-4–0 steam locomotive numbered 999. He read the small plaque. “The Empire State Express also known as the Queen of Speed. Bet Rainbow Dash would win a race against her.”

“Oh she certainly would,” a voice from nearby said.

Andrew turned to see a bald man approaching him. He was wearing a t-shirt that said Twenty Percent Cooler under his jacket. “Whoa, you came out of nowhere. Who are you?” Andrew asked

“Oh I'm sorry, how rude of me,” The man said. “My name is Howard, and judging from what you said about old Dashie, you seem to have good taste.”

“Well, you can say that,” Andrew said.

“Hmmm… Judging from your shirt, I’m guessing you're not from Illinois,” Howard chuckled as he gestured towards the shirt Andrew was wearing, which had the Pennsylvania flag on it.

Andrew smiled back. “Yeah, you guessed right. I came up here for a bit of a getaway from the stresses of life.”

“You mean the broadcast incident from October?” Howard asked.

Andrew frowned. “Yeah, it was quite a shock.”

“You’re not the only one. I hear rumors that so many famous pony content creators have dropped out of the fandom entirely.” Howard said, sounding a little frustrated.

“Well not many. I mean, we still have Bliss, Dr. Wolf, and even Silver-”

“Well as reassuring as that sounds, we still lost so many but…” Howard leaned in and whispered into his ear, “what if I told you there was a way to bring back the magic?”

“What? You mean like a revival or maybe a generation six?” Andrew asked with curiosity.

“Oh no my new friend. Something bigger.”

“What do you mean?” Andrew asked.

Howard gave him a slip of paper. “Find this username on Discord, use this password when asked and it’ll take you to a server where we can discuss more. Tata for now.” He said as he turned and left, disappearing into the crowd.

Andrew watched him leave and looked at the paper. “What a strange guy.” He slipped the paper into his pocket and went back to exploring the museum.

[Present]

“Okay, judging from that story, I’m pretty sure he was always like this deep down,” Gregory said. “Stalker types like him keep things on the down-low so as not to arouse suspicion. He’s just a good actor. He also sounds very controlling. He wants things his own way. If things aren’t perfect he forces them to conform. How noble.”

“True, but still he helped us find a way here,” Andrew said meekly. “Some would say he was eccentric.”

“Some would say he used you all,” Gregory added. “Why are you defending his past self?”

“I don’t know anymore…right now I feel betrayed and lost.”

“And that’s understandable,” Gregory said in a softer tone. “You were betrayed. You were used for the selfish and wicked ambitions of one man who wanted only one thing: power. Now, are you gonna sit here and just mope?”

“Wouldn’t recommend it,” a raspy feminine voice said from beside Andrew as a prismatic pegasus joined him on the bench, looking at him with her magenta eyes. “I did that after Jason punished me. I became an alcohol addict. You thought I was addicted to cider before? That was nothing!”

“Oh yeah, she was wasted when I first had any interactions with her,” Gregory chuckled, grinning at Rainbow who stuck her tongue out at him.

“I spent so long hating the ponies myself, and I still don’t particularly care for some of them,” Jason said from behind them, “but only those who really deserve it. I’m on decent terms with everyone in that Haven City town now.”

“Even Discord?” Andrew asked.

Jason raised his hand and shook it, indicating a ‘Meh’ attitude. “We’re on speaking terms. I would say we’re friends, but we can hold a civil conversation without me wanting to leave the room.”

“Then I have a question to ask all three of you. Do you all still want to trust me after everything that just happened?”

The three looked at each other, or more specifically Rainbow and Jason looked at Gregory. He nodded and turned to Andrew. “Trust is earned, not given,” he said, “but I can sense your sorrow and remorse. If you really want to earn the trust of everyone here, then you and Stacy need to help us as best you can.”

“Not the answer I was expecting. Didn't you trust me to get you to Ponyville by train despite you having wings?” he asked with a somewhat smug look.

Gregory smirked. “Train tracks can’t move, dumbass,” he chuckled. “Besides, I was armed to the teeth. If it was a trap, I’d have unleashed my full arsenal and my full mage power.”

“Don’t go full nerd,” Jason groaned as he facepalmed.

Rainbow walked over and stood closer to him. “And hey, if you're still feeling down, I got something for a good fan,” she said as she nuzzled him. Andrew blushed somewhat.

“You just got Dashed,” Gregory snickered.

“Congratulations Rainbow, you're no longer tied with AJ as my number one favorite.” Andrew laughed.

Rainbow smiled proudly and pumped her hoof. “To quote Gregory, awwww fuck yeah!”

Jason sighed. “Stop corrupting ponies, Gregory!”

Gregory stood and struck a pose. “Nevah!”

Soon the balcony was filled with laughter from the three humans and one pony, but that laughter was cut short by a strange sound in the night. “Wait, you guys hear that?” Andrew asked. “Sounds like a trumpet,”

“Nah, that was like a train horn, but not like any steam train I know,” Gregory said. The blast came again. It was a bit clearer and familiar to Andrew and Gregory. “How is the train horn being blasted if it’s still in Ponyville?” Gregory asked.

Andrew looked on from the balcony in the distance. “That’s because it’s not in Ponyville. It’s coming here, I can see the light!”

Gregory looked down. “Holy shit…who’s driving it?!”

“I think…oh no, they found us!” Andrew exclaimed.

“Wait!” Gregory stopped them all as he walked to the edge of the balcony. “Give me a moment.” He closed his eyes and reached out one hand towards the train. There was silence as the three others watched Gregory curiously. The train horn blasted a couple more times. After about fifteen or so seconds, Gregory’s eyes opened. “There aren’t any emotional signatures coming from that train, but there is something. I’m gonna go check.” Gregory spread his ice wings as he flew away while the other three, unable to fly, ran back to report to the others.

At the station, some soldiers quickly surrounded the train as it slowed to a stop. Gregory landed nearby and pulled out a pistol, joining the soldiers who acknowledged his presence. The train stood there, idling as if waiting for someone to approach. Curiously, Gregory reached out and touched the train, and immediately felt something that shouldn’t have been possible. The engine was surrounded, or better yet, infused, with magic. Chaos magic. He walked up to the front of the engine. “Well, this is an unusual surprise…” he muttered as he gazed at the train.

A pegasus soldier opened the door and went inside. He came out a few seconds later. “There’s no one inside.”

“That makes sense,” Gregory said as he stepped inside. The moment he did, he felt the magic surrounding him, but not only that, he felt a surge of what felt like raw emotion. “Whoa, there!”

“Sir, are you ok?” a guard called out.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Gregory looked around, not noticing anything too different about the place physically. He took a flashlight he’d seen on a nearby shelf and looked around. “So…what’s happened to you today, eh, Miss Train?”

He heard the sound of approaching hoof and footsteps, but didn’t acknowledge them as he continued towards the drivers area. The emotional surge kept on growing as he did so. Suddenly static started playing on the wire radio. Gregory rushed over to it and sat at the controls. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to speak,” he said as he grabbed the mic and pulled the switch he’d seen Stacy use earlier to try and contact the others. “Hello?”

“You’ve discovered my presence,” a feminine voice said.

“Well, aren’t you the articulate one?” Gregory chuckled, “and yes I did. I can sense magic a bit, and emotions even more. Who are you, ma’am?”

“I am what you humans call Conrail SD40-2 6516,” the voice replied.

Gregory chuckled again as the others from the castle began rushing into the engine. “That’s a big name. Mind if I call you Connie?”

“You may call me Connie,” the voice replied.

“Gregory? Who are you talking to?” Andrew asked as he and the others filed into the cab.

“And why does this train feel like Discord before he lost his power?” Jason asked.

“No idea, but this train’s somehow come alive,” Gregory said.

“What?” Andrew looked around, then shook his head. “Okay, now that's weird. If anything, it's like that Harry Potter car. It moves itself yet is not alive.”

Gregory shrugged. “Eh, believe what you want,” he said as he got out of the chair. “Regardless, this train’s been combined with chaos magic somehow, and she came here for a reason.”

“She? What, you think this is a Rule 63 Thomas the Tank Engine?” Jason asked.

“All trains are ladies,” Gregory smirked as he stretched. “Point is, she came up here. Not sure why, but she did.”

Andrew sighed. “Okay, while I’m glad we have this back, what’s our next move?”

“I can have my dragons scout the tracks for signs of those humans,” Ember scowled.

“They might all remain in Ponyville and make it Chaosville by tomorrow. I say we go to sleep and get a lay of the land around Ponyville tomorrow,” Andrew suggested.

“Good call,” Jason said, “I think we could all use a breather.”

As they left, Gregory paused and turned back to the radio. “Connie, you gonna be alright here, or should I ask that someplace be set up for you?” he asked when the others were out of earshot.

“Me and my many siblings are used to sleeping outside, so don't worry.”

“Well, if you’re sure,” Gregory said as he gently patted the side of the train. “I’ll find a place for you later. Goodnight.”

The radio crackled a bit, and it sounded as if there was giggling coming from the radio. “That tickles,” the voice said.

“Were you just showing affection to a train?” Jason asked as he watched Gregory get out of the cab.

“Eh, I’ve done weirder,” Gregory said as he hopped out of the train only to have Ember fly up and glomp onto his back. “Ooof!”

“Lucky,” Andrew said quietly as they all walked back to the castle.

Gregory smiled as he took Ember’s hand. “I’m very lucky.”

“You’ll be luckier tonight,” Ember whispered.

“Not in public!” Gregory laughed.

Jason watched the two walk off, shaking his head in confusion but with a small smile on his face. “How does he snap back so fast like that?”

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay a lot of things happened. Also just to remind any train enthusiat. Connie is a former conrail sd40-2 now painted black with the words Iron war horse.

Chapter 7: Mainline

[Ponyville - Morning]

Twilight Sparkle stirred and groaned as she began to wake. As she did so, she tried to remember what had happened. The last thing she remembered was seeing a strange cat and bug-like creature in her home only for everything to go black directly afterwards. She got up when she felt sheets covering her and opened her eyes only to find she was in a dark room with only a lightbulb hanging above her to illuminate the darkness. To her it felt ominous and uncomfortable despite the warm blankets she was under. “Hello?” she called out nervously.

Nothing happened for a bit, then from the darkness came a voice. “Hello, my dear. I hope you had pleasant dreams because they might get more exciting.”

From the darkness a figure emerged. As it stepped into the light, the shape became clearer. What she saw was a creature like a draconequus about the same size as Discord, except it had a reptilian claw, a tiger claw, a long snake-like body with an odd color pattern and two horse-like legs, and two bug-like antennas coming out of its head. But the strangest part was its head alone. It looked mostly human.

Twilight looked up in fear at the monster in front of her and attempted to back away only to feel her body back up against a headboard. The creature looked down at her with a gentle smile. “Oh do not fear, little princess, I bring no harm to you. If anything, I wish to make your life better. Oh yeah, sorry for the way Katy handled you.”

Twilight for a moment felt less scared and looked backed up at the creature. “Who are you?” she asked.

“My name is Howard and I’m the leader of this clan of fans.” Howard said.

Twilight then remembered her new friend Andrew mentioned something about a guy named Howard who he works for. “Wait you’re Howard?!”

“Yes I assume you met my acquaintances Andrew and Stacy?” Howard said, his smile dropping somewhat.

Twilight stammered “B-but they said you were a human not some dracon-”

“Yes yes but this is the result of being exposed to Discord’s magic.” Howard explained.

“Exposed to WHAT?!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Never mind that for now. Let’s just talk and have some tea.” Howard said as he snapped a tea kettle and cup into existance and began pouring tea into the cup.

Twilight just continued to stare up at Howard. So many questions were clouding her mind. After accepting the cup of tea she took a cautious sip before asking. “What do you want from me?”

Howard looked down at the alicorn. “What do I want from you? I don’t want anything much from you but I would like to give you something you want. Let me shed some more light here.”

He snapped his fingers and suddenly as if by magic the darkened room became something else. To Twilight it looked very familiar. She looked around and saw many things. Lines of bookshelves, a horse head made of wood and the familiar smell of oakwood. “Golden Oaks Library? That's impossible. Tirek-”

“Destroyed it. I know that,” Howard said before patting her head. “And I also know how much you loved this place before you got that castle. It's amazing how a little bit of chaos and memory from the show can make this possible. Go ahead get a feel, I believe I managed every last bit of detail just right.”

Twilight got out of the bed and trotted around, feeling the wood beneath her hooves and grabbing a random book to see its contents being exactly how she remembered. After exploring for what felt like an hour she looked back up at Howard. ”Why do you do this?” She asked.

“This is just a small part of my grand plan. Why don’t you look outside the window?” Howard said, pointing to a nearby window where daylight was peeking through the curtains.

Twilight cautiously trotted over to the window and pulled the curtains. She gasped as her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. “No…it’s impossible. How could you even do this? How did you even…”

[Northern Train Tracks to Ponyville - Same Time]

“Okay, we came in from the south side so they might not expect us to come crawling in from the otherside that is if they hadn’t discovered the engine going missing from the same junction we left it at,” Andrew said as he sat in the driver seat.

Andrew, Gregory, and Jason were riding the engine to Ponyville. It was decided that morning that Stacy would stay in Canterlot and give any information to royals while the men go down to Ponyville to get a look. To Gregory it felt weird because ever since they came back on Connie somehow gone mute and didn’t even move or even start herself. It was as if she was never alive. Rather than look like an idiot in front of the others he decided to not try and talk to her via radio mic. He still sat at the radio just in case, though.

Jason looked over a map of the Railroad they were given before leaving. “Looks like we have a tunnel and after that just one more bend to the loony town,” he said.

True to his word they saw a tunnel ahead. Andrew immediately turned the headlight on as they entered the darkened tunnel. After barely a bit of distance inside, an ominous feeling began to creep up Andrew’s spine. “Any of you guys got a feeling we might be watched?”

“Oh, we’re definitely being watched,” Gregory said as he stood up from the radio station. “There’s some nasty magic around us. Time to go faster.”

Andrew throttled up the engine another notch. The feeling never went away. However in the darkness just outside the windows, they could’ve sworn they heard a whisper. “Go away…”

“Thunderlane…” Gregory said darkly as he grabbed his metal magic staff. “And here I thought there weren’t any ghosts in this world.”

“I’m starting to worry…” Andrew said as he throttled up more.

“Connie, baby, go faster,” Gregory said. Before anyone could say anything, the horn blared without anyone touching it and the train sped up without Andrew touching the throttle. “Atta girl!”

“Jaaaasoooon…” another voice called out with venom.

“Guys, I see a light ahead…” Andrew said with fear.

Gregory rushed over and looked through. “Thank God, we’re almost out. Punch it, Connie!” Once more, in response, the train sped up, sending everyone but Gregory sprawling as they punched through the exit into broad daylight again. Gregory chuckled as he patted the side of the train. “Thanks, girl.”

“And here I thought dark tunnels were a fear I got over as a child.” Andrew said with relief

“This is Gaia, dude,” Gregory said, “and apparently ghosts exist here. Okay, Connie, you can ease up now. No need to overexert yourself.” The train started to slow a bit.

“I don’t know what you're playing at, but I think you need to stop talking to her because I’m pretty sure her controls are sensitive,” Jason said with annoyance.

“Eh, Connie knows herself better than most,” Gregory said as he took a seat next to the radio, patting it gently. “Right?” The horn seemingly blared in response to that. “Hehe, thanks Connie.”

“Uh, Greg, that was me blowing the horn,” Andrew said.

“Okay, one, don’t call me Greg,” Gregory said, “I hate that name. Two, I know you didn’t do everything. I was watching.” Andrew shrugged as he processed everything.

Gregory picked up the headphones and put them on, connecting them to the radio. Immediately, he heard Connie’s voice in the headset saying, “I’m sorry, I’m not quite ready to reveal myself yet.”

Gregory nodded. “No worries, hun, I get it.”

After what felt like another few miles, they soon came to a stop near a small wooded area. “Okay, it shouldn’t be too far from here. The tracks may go a bit longer but I don’t think we should risk being exposed,” Andrew suggested.

With that, the train stopped and everyone dismounted. The three humans got out and got ready to go. However, before they did, Gregory had one more brief conversation with Connie. “You gonna be okay waiting over here?” he asked the train.

“I’ve waited thirty years in a scrapyard, a couple hours here mean nothing,” she responded.

Gregory chuckled and gave her a nice solid pat. “See you later,” he said as he hopped out and closed the door.

The three began walking down the tracks, pushing their way past shrubs and bushes that had built up on the old rail tracks. “Strange, when we first arrived I don’t remember seeing these plants. I know we all saw flatland upon arriving in Ponyville,” Andrew explained.

“Chaos magic can do crazy shit,” Jason said.

Andrew poked his head through another bush and gasped. “You mean like rebuilding an entire town?” he asked.

The other two walked over and gaped at the completely rebuilt town of Ponyville, laying snugly in the valley where it once had thrived. “Weird, you’d think it wouldn’t quite work like that,” Gregory said. “Not without harming the host since chaos magic shouldn’t be able to display order.”

Andrew put on some binoculars and looked. “Oh yeah, and it also looks like we might be expected. They got patrol groups on the ground and a couple of them flying like police choppers,” he said.

“I see them,” Gregory said. “Hmm…if I were a megalomaniac yandere, where would I-is that Golden Oaks?!”

They all looked through their binoculars and sure enough there it was. “That explains why we can’t see Twilight’s old castle.” Andrew said.

“Was Howard one of those guys who preferred Twilight’s library more than the castle?” Gregory asked.

“He always liked the earlier seasons.” Andrew stated

“There’s also the fact that I doubt he could recreate the castle with chaos magic,” Jason said.

“It was made with harmony magic,” Gregory agreed.

“Hey, I think I saw Twilight at one of the windows,” Andrew said as he pointed to the library.

The other two looked, but by the time they did she was gone. “She’d probably be kept in there anyway,” Gregory said. “Now, we’re gonna need to get into town, but those choppers need to be grounded first.”

“Even if we force those guys to land we need to deal with the ground troops as well. We all saw how huge Howard can be,” Andrew said.

They continued to look over the town trying to see any easy way in. “I know a way to get them out of the air and to get them away,” Gregory said, “but there’s a catch. Who’s prepared to get cold?”

“If you do that, they might be alert and for all we know they might have fire powers too.” Andrew said.

“You don’t get it,” Gregory replied. “I possess the power of the Windgos, plural. I’ve been practicing creating massive storms. I believe I can do just that.”

Andrew sighed and zipped up his jacket. “Just don’t give Twilight or me frostbite.”

Gregory stood and held up his staff towards the sky. The rings on his fingers as well as the mana core on his staff began to glow. The sky, once clear, began to slowly darken with storm clouds. He frowned as he held up his arms to the sky. “A blanket of snow and ice shall be their tomb. Fly through the skies on a cloud of doom! Now go with a curse, and serve me well! Round rebuilt Ponyville cast my spell!”

“Such a nerd,” Jason sighed as the massive storm clouds began pouring out thick snow towards the town. As they watched, the humans began to land, unable to take the wind and snow. They headed towards the Golden Oaks. The storm became intense as the town itself began to be buried.

Suddenly a strange sound was heard from a distance. The three humans turned to see a big beam of light erupting from what could be the center of town. “Gregory, please tell me that the orange beam is part of the plan.”

“Something’s interfering, and it’s probably them! Time to move!” Gregory poured twice as much of his magic into the storm and the light began to be swallowed up.

The beam suddenly became bigger and brighter. It pierced the cloudy sky like an arrow. Then the clouds began to dissipate and the temperature started to rise. The snow was also beginning to thaw and melt. “Not the winter wrap up I was hoping for,” Andrew said.

Gregory winced, but poured more magic into his storm. His eyes slowly began to glow and the light began to slowly vanish again. The melted ice began to freeze, and suddenly bolts of lightning began striking at the buildings, making them all dissolve into what seemed like nonsensical objects. Rarity’s boutique dissolved into beach balls, a few houses into ice cream cones and pancakes, and Sugarcube Corner became a mess of dissolved candies and pastries. More and more lightning bolts struck buildings, uncreating them as the power of the Windigos grew. Gregory chuckled. “The angrier they get, the stronger I become.” The lightning increased, and soon half the town was gone, dissolved into nonsensical things.

“Gregory, look out!” Andrew yelled as something huge came hurtling towards him.

Gregory leaped up, spreading ice wings and barely dodging the object. The lightning only increased, and in a few seconds over seventy percent of the town was gone. He saw more and more objects being hurled at him and he ducked and dodged as his massive storm destroyed more and more of the ‘rebuilt’ town. Finally, a massive bolt struck town hall, reducing it to licorice. With that, the only building remaining was the library. Gregory waved his hand, and the storm took on a normal life, no longer under his control. Landing, he pushed the other two humans forward. “Move!”

Unfortunately that victory was cut short as the ground beneath them suddenly exploded like a landmine. One moment they were still standing the next moment they were standing covered in sticky bubble gum. Of course that was also before noticing the draconequus army around them, growling, hissing, and snarling.

Gregory reached down, freezing the bubble gum around them and grabbing both humans. With strength he’d built up since coming to Gaia, he pulled them out and stared at the army of mishmashed creatures. “Jesus, you’re all ugly as sin,” he quipped as he began to fly away from them.

As they flew away they barely dodged what looked like rockets. They looked down to see one shooting at them with an arm that resembled a bazooka. “If you know what's good for ya, you will run!”

“And if you can all think for yourselves, you’ll realize that Howard is a massive manipulator who’s trying to control the world!” Gregory called back down.

They didn’t listen as they all began firing and throwing stuff at them. “Let's get out of here. They won’t listen to reason!” Andrew said.

Gregory dodged and weaved again, heading back to the train. As they approached, the door to the engine opened and a female voice called out, “Get in! Get in!”

Gregory threw the two others inside while using his electrokinesis to fire lightning at the approaching rockets, making them explode in midair. The train began moving back towards Canterlot. As the door shut on its own, Gregory turned towards the radio. “Thanks for the assist, Connie.”

“Someone had to make sure your asses were watched,” the female voice called out.

“Wait, you’re alive?!” Andrew asked.

“Told you so,” Gregory chuckled.

“So why’d you only talk to Gregory?” Jason asked.

“He sensed my soul first,” the voice said. “For some reason thanks to this so-called chaos magic, I felt more alive.”

“Chaos magic can do crazy shit,” Gregory said as he took a seat next to the radio, gently rubbing it. “Again, thanks for the assist, Connie.”

The train began its backwards journey. The group seemed relieved they left danger but then they saw the tunnel again.”Think those ghosts will bother us again?” Andrew asked.

“Probably so,” Gregory said, “but we just need to go through them. This train was made on Earth, which means that Connie’s consciousness aside, it can permanently damage magic.”

Just as the train barely made a few feet in the tunnel the headlights on both ends went out. “Oh not this now! Probably an electrical issue. Hang on, I'll fix it,” Andrew said as he carefully stepped out.

“Jesus, don’t go outside!” Gregory shouted with disbelief.

A few seconds later they heard the sounds of whacking. “He honestly thinks whacking my headlight will fix it?”

“Stop hurting Connie!” Gregory shouted.

“I’m not!” Andrew shouted back. “Well it sure ain't a loose bolt. This should do it.” Andrew gave one more small whack.

The headlights flickered on and suddenly hovering right in front of them was a ghostly figure. “HOLY!” Andrew shouted in terror as he quickly went back inside and slammed the door.

“You gotta be kidding me!” Connie said.

“Why would you go outside in a ghost-filled tunnel!?” Gregory shouted.

“You try getting a light to work after flipping the switch so many times.”

“We were moving just fine when the lights went out!” Gregory said, “we could have just kept going!”

“Okay, let's calm down. It’s just a ghost pony. It can't hurt us here right?” Andrew said.

Gregory nodded. “This train, like I said, is made on Earth. Earthmade objects can permanently harm magic. I managed to kill several timberwolves permanently with my guns.”

“Yeah, but isn’t this basically-” But before Andrew could finish there was a sudden jolt as the train felt like it got hit by something. They looked out to see the ghost pony ram her body right into the engine’s side, causing the cab to shake like an earthquake. The ghost pony couldn’t enter, but it could still hit.

Gregory looked at the radio. “Connie, now would be a good time to-”

“Already on it,” she said as the horn blared and the train began to move, sending ghosts flying.

“Is it me or does the tunnel look bigger than last time?” Gregory asked as he noticed the tunnel walls looking bigger.

Another strike against the train. Connie grunted. “Ugh, it's like the force of five of my siblings!”

Just then, several more ghosts appeared, shoving the attacking ghosts away. Among them were two familiar ones, a wall eyed pegasus mare and a shorter pegasus colt. The three humans recognized both immediately. “Rumble and Derpy…” Jason said.

Despite the empty, vacant eye sockets. They could see they were looking at them with smiles. Rumble gave a wink while Derpy just waved. “We have ghostly allies!” Gregory shouted in relief as the train picked up speed.

Andrew looked to the window where Jason was seated by. “Not enough, though-Jason LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!”

Jason turned and saw a few ghostly figures pounding at the window. Fortunately, it seemed Gregory was right. They were unable to even shatter the glass. Their eyes were full of hatred but he was still beyond their reach. Even so, he still backed away. “That’s fucking terrifying…why are they still here?”

“Why are any ghosts here? Unfinished business, probably,” Gregory said.

Andrew looked at all sides that the ghosts were attempting to strike from. He then turned to Jason. “I think I have an idea but I don’t think you'll like it. They are mad and blame you for the downfall. They may have treated you badly but maybe, just maybe, if you spoke to them maybe they can, I don’t know, ease up?” There was another bang to the train’s side. ”This may sound crazy but I think maybe an apology or something?”

“Oh yeah, they need to apologize to me first,” Jason said.

“He has a point,” Gregory said. “Honestly, it’s their fault that they’re in this mess.”

There was another strike, this one felt more powerful. “You got any other bright ideas? We might derail before we get out of here!”

Jason sighed, then walked to the window. He pointed at the angry ponies. “Listen up, dipshits,” he said, “I came to Ponyville to make friends with you ponies, and you fuckers turned me away at every turn, beating and abusing me for three years! All I wanted was justice, but I never wanted you dead! If you want to blame someone, blame yourselves!”

For a brief moment they actually looked a little remorseful, but the moment they heard ‘blame yourselves’ they got mad again. Gregory joined them as well, pointing at them. “Get off your high horses!” he shouted. “I came for the same reason as Jason, and it hardly took you racist ponies a week to kick me out, but not before you tried to destroy my car and murder me!”

“We hated you because of him!” a ghost shouted as it pointed at Jason.

“And you hated him because he wasn’t a pony,” Gregory shouted back, “so much for harmony and love in this country!”

“He’s right,” said a familiar voice. It was Derpy, who was riding on Connie’s low hood in front of the windows. She had a more angelic appearance now as she looked down at Jason. “I forgive you for the justice you gave us. I’ll forever embrace the guilt I have within me. Just promise me that my daughter will be raised properly.”

“Fluttershy adopted her,” Gregory said kindly, “and she’s doing just fine.”

Derpy smiled teary eyed and nodded. “Good, I’m glad to hear it. Tell her I love her, please?”

“I will,” Gregory replied.

Suddenly Derpy began to glow brighter. “What are you doing?! He needs to suffer!” one of the ghosts shouted.

“No…it’s time for all of us to move on,” she said.

“She’s right,” another ghost said. Rumble appeared, looking at Jason and then at Gregory. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to make it to your storytelling,” he said.

Gregory shed a tear and smiled. “Maybe when I finally die, I can tell you the full stories.”

Rumble smiled, nodded, and began glowing more brightly.

The tunnel became so bright that the three humans had to shield their eyes. All they could hear was screaming as well as the sound of Connie’s engine rumbling. When the light died down the three humans saw that the tunnel was empty. A few seconds later they then saw daylight as Connie raced out of the tunnel.

“Well, looks like I’ll be making a visit to Fluttershy’s orphanage when this is all over,” Gregory said.

“Let’s hope that's the last bit of danger on this ride,” Andrew said.

“When are people gonna learn not to jinx shit?” Gregory asked as he gave Andrew a deadpan stare.

“What do you mean?” Andrew asked

But before Gregory could reply the radio emitted a static sound. “That’s what I mean!” Gregory said.

“Pick it up, that's not me.” Connie said through the static.

Gregory nodded and picked it up. “Well, considering that the only other people who have radios like this on the planet are full-on television villains now, I’m assuming I’m either talking to limp dick Howard or one of his mindless drones?” he asked into the radio.

“Oh and here I thought Stacy had a spare,” a voice said. It was Howard.

“Limp dick whoreward, what a big surprise,” Gregory sneered into the radio. “So, like what happened to your worthless Ponyville mockup?”

“Impressive, wasn’t it? Lucky for you I can easily patch up damages,” Howard said.

“Well, shame that Twilight knows that it’s nothing but lies, you yandere cuck.”

“Tsk tsk, such language. We might as well be on Adult Swim,” Howard chuckled.

“Nah, you’re not good enough to be on Robot Chicken,” Gregory snickered.

Howard grunted before continuing. “Well, either way I’m glad you had fun with my model. Makes me wonder what more I can do, especially for mister Justice with you.”

Andrew grabbed the radio. “Howard, the problems with Jason are far over.”

“The problem will be over when I say it's over!” He said as the sound of a banging fist was heard.

Gregory took the radio. “Oooh, someone’s throwing a temper tantrum. Does baby need his blankie while he watches baby cartoon shows he can’t control?”

“Laugh all you want, but I Pinkie Promise you won’t be laughing after I share some news with Jason.”

“Pinkie Promises don’t exist anymore,” Gregory replied.

“Jason better be with you to hear this because I won’t be repeating this warning,” Howard said darkly.

Jason took the radio. “Speak up.”

“Nice to hear from you again Jason, I wanted to tell you I’m preparing a present to send to your hive. A little something to end your reign with a bang so to speak.”

Jason snarled as he said, “If you so much as sneeze in the direction of the hive, not even the Gjallarhorn will be able to save you.”

“Oh don’t worry, that might not even happen if you were to do me a few small favors,” Howard said.

Jason sighed. “Such as?”

“Give yourself and the Gjallarhorn up within twenty four hours or your hive is going to receive the package and in case you're wondering what it is, I'll give you a hint. It’s the one thing Russia is best known for and not alcoholic.”

“How the hell did he get a hold of a nuke?” Gregory asked with the radio off.

“Don’t ask me the K5 Railgun isn’t capable of shooting those and we never loaded any nuclear material,” Andrew said.

Gregory frowned, took the radio, and said, “How the fuck did you get a Tsar Bomba into the country, fuckwad?”

“I didn’t bring it. I made it. You’ll be surprised at how much imagination can come from the human mind.” Howard explained.
Gregory shook his head. “You realize if you set that kind of nuke off, the entire continent is dead.”

“Not unless I were to shoot a small one. Russia had warheads capable of destroying small targets. I just made this special. So don’t worry, Haven will be spared unless Jason refuses to give up after the hive is destroyed. This is your only warning. Out.” With that, the radio went dead.

There was silence in the cab as the words of the clearly deranged human were digested. Suddenly, Gregory began to chuckle, which quickly turned into a laugh. The other two began to look at him as if he’d gone insane. Even Connie’s horn honked in what sounded like a questioning tone. When he noticed what was going on, he slowed down. “You know, he missed one key detail. He didn’t tell us we couldn’t warn the hive.”

“And just how are we gonna warn the hive?” Andrew asked.

Jason then suddenly got a look of understanding on his face. “Our two way communication stones,” he said. “Like in that episode where Chrysalis captured the Mane Six and the Princesses and it was up to Starlight, Trixie and Discord to save the day.”

“Chrysalis won’t be happy,” Jason sighed, “but I’ll make her understand.”

“Good,” Gregory said. “We need to get back to warn her double time.” As if in response, the train picked up speed. “Thanks, Connie.”

“Oh yeah we’re gonna be having quite a chat with you old girl,” Andrew said. “As your engineer I'm your cowboy and you're my horse.”

“Dude, no, that’s not how you talk to a living being,” Gregory said.

“Oh no, it’s okay, that's how many of us see our drivers. After all, we are called the iron horses.” Connie said, chuckling slightly.

“You should meet my real horse, Theophilus,” Gregory said. “For now, though, time to get back and warn the hive.”

The train continued with the three humans. All three were still determined to win despite the ominous feeling in the cab.

Author's Note

Sorry for another delay had some things happening

Chapter 8: Industry

[Canterlot - Noon]

Connie slowed and stopped at the station where she was then moved into a siding and out of the way of the other trains that needed to use the station. The three guys climbed off. “We’ll be back Connie,” Andrew said as he then looked at the other two. “Well, what's our next move?”

“First we need to talk to Chrysalis. I can take care of that,” Jason said.

“Good,” Gregory said. “Hopefully she can understand and-”

Before he could finish, the flapping of wings came and they both turned to see Flash Sentry landing right by them. The stallion looked worried. “Thank Celestia, you three are back. We have a problem.”

“Oh no, did the other humans come? Has anything been stolen? Is anyone hurt?” Andrew asked worriedly.

“No, no one has been attacked. It’s Stacy, she collapsed in the halls and is now in one of the guest bedrooms being treated.”

[Canterlot Castle Library- An hour earlier]

Stacy looked through the many books and scrolls in the library. She was hoping to learn anything she could about chaos magic, hoping to find a weakness. She was also hoping to maybe learn more about holy relics they could use as well. She was hoping to find Discord but no one had seen him. She sighed as she closed another book. “Another dead end with very little to find.” She said to herself.

At that moment the doors to the library opened and a pegasus Royal Guard, who Stacy immediately recognized as Flash Sentry, walked in. The two looked at each other for a bit. The mood in the room felt awkward. “Uh…hi,” Stacy said.

“Hello, I was told I was to be guarding and protecting you from any hostiles,” Flash explained.

“Oh that's nice, thanks,” Stacy said.

Stacy opened another book and began reading it. After a few minutes she turned back towards Flash. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be a guard at the Crystal Empire? What are you doing here?”

Flash paused for a moment before answering. “Ever since the trial of Jason Wright, the crystal ponies didn’t feel comfortable with normal ponies protecting them after what they learned about Spike’s treatment. So Shining Armor and Princess Luna got me reassigned here.”

“Do you miss the Crystal Empire?” Stacy asked.

“Sometimes I do. I do agree that Equestria has to face consequences for what happened, but I just wish they didn’t use it as an excuse to kick me out.” Flash sighed. “The view from the Crystal Palace balconies were amazing and Princess Cadence would sometimes offer us a chance to make funny faces at Flurry Heart whenever she carried her.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Stacy said.

“It’s fine. With how things are looking now, I might go back one day.”

“That’s great,” Stacy said as she stood up and picked up a few scrolls. “Mind escorting a lady to the throne room? I got some things to share with Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood.”

“Of course, follow me,” Flash said as he turned.

However as they walked Stacy felt something odd and placed one hand on her temple. Flash immediately noticed this. “Ma’am you ok?” He asked with concern.

“I don’t feel… so…good.” she uttered before she suddenly collapsed on the floor.

Flash looked down and panicked. “Medic! Doctor! Somepony help!”

[Canterlot Castle Suite - Present]

“And that's what happened,” Flash finished as he and the three humans stood outside the door to the bedroom. They could hear the sounds of medical ponies chatting beyond.

“Did anything else happen? Wait, where’s Ember and Chrysalis?” Gregory asked.

“Some emergency situations came up in both the Changeling hive and the Dragon Lands, so they both left to get them sorted out and then come back here. Ember left your daughter in the care of Fluttershy.” Flash said.

“Great. The one moment I need to talk to her about something urgent,” Jason complained.

“You do realize you can contact them using the changeling communication stones,” Gregory said, “and I have a two way communication device of my own to Ember. Excuse me.” He stepped away into an empty room and touched the ring on his finger. Soon, a three dimensional magical image of Ember appeared in front of him. “Ember? What’s going on over there?”

“Gregory? I’m sorry I had to leave but things are a mess here right now,” Ember said.

“What kind of a mess?” Gregory asked, worried about his lover.

“Howard sent some of his goons to raid the Dragon Lands. They looked like they were searching for something but they left.”

Gregory frowned. He’d visited the Dragon Lands a few times, but there wasn’t too much there. He had actually seen Scaly Island, the same island from G5 where the older Spike had been Dragon Lord. Nothing much was there since dragons were a rather nomadic people. “Probably a stupid question, but any idea what they might have been looking for?”

“Whatever it was, they either found it or lost interest,” Ember said, “because despite them taking a few dragons down they looked like they were leaving in a big hurry. I’ll have to ask some of the older dragons at some point. They are still things my father never taught me before he died.”

Gregory nodded in understanding. “Understood. Sorry for interrupting. I’ll let you get back to it.”

“It’s fine, I’ll be back later tonight,” Ember said with a cocky smile.

Gregory chuckled. “Good luck over there, and I’ll see you soon.”

Jason, meanwhile, was setting up his personal communication stones that connected to Chrysalis. When he saw her form appear on a floating magical screen, he frowned. She looked exhausted. “Chryssi? What’s wrong?”

Chrysalis was silent for a moment before answering. “Never thought I would see the day where my hive would be attacked by a swarm of nonsensical monsters!”

Jason nodded. “Yeah, I get it. Chryssi, you need to evacuate everyone there. The other humans are threatening to destroy the hive.”

Chrysalis’s eyes widened. “What?! Can’t you and the others prevent it? What happened?”

“Remember when I told you about human nuclear weaponry? Somehow, Howard has one and he’s threatening to destroy the hive. You need to get everyone out of there before he uses it!”

“But Jason, this is our home!” Chrysalis argued. “We can’t just abandon it because an idiot has declared war on us.”

“There’s no time to argue!” Jason replied. “We can always rebuild somewhere else, but if we lose lives, we can’t exactly rebuild them!”

Chrysalis groaned and rubbed her temple. “If we’re staying in Haven City, make sure I'm not bunking with Celestia.”

Jason chuckled. “We won’t be staying anywhere near her, I promise. Just get moving! I don’t know how much time we have!”

Just as Chrysalis was about to cut the feed, a drone hovered right by her and whispered something into her ear. Chrysalis’s eyes widened somewhat from what was being said to her. “Very well, Jason, I’ll see you soon.”

Jason nodded. “Be safe, alright?”

After saying goodbye the other two humans joined Andrew in the bedroom. Stacy was lying unconscious on the luxury bed with medical staff examining her. One doctor was looking through a scope into her ear. “That’s odd,” he said before turning to the humans. “Which one of you has more knowledge of your species biology?”

“I brought medical books with me when I came here,” Gregory said, “but right now they’re mostly back in my apartment. What’s going on?”

“Tell me, young stallion, what would you see if you were to look through an ear canal on the human body?” he asked.

Instead of answering, Gregory knelt beside Stacy’s unconscious form and held out his hand towards the doctor. “Give it here.”

The doctor gave him the scope. “Just hold the trigger for the light. I haven’t seen anything like this before.”

Gregory looked inside the ear. He had a vague idea of what should normally be inside the human ear, but what he saw nearly made him drop the instrument. Inside it looked like some kind of huge garage with machines running around. They all looked like tanks and not just modern military tanks but vintage tanks as well. Even tanks from around the world.

Gregory turned to the doctor, who he noticed was a unicorn. “She needs a magical scan.”

“But I thought humans didn’t normally have magic,” the doctor said.

“Normally, no, but what I’m seeing inside her is impossible,” Gregory replied. “Just perform a scan.”

“Of course, Stand back everycreature,” he said as his horn lit up, encasing Stacy in a magical glow. Soon a screen appeared above the bed. To the humans, it looked a lot like a medical screen. The doctor pointed to a very unusual line that, unlike the rest of the orderly lines, looked too chaotic. “This human has either been infected with magic, or has become like the two of you.”

“She has her own magic?” Jason asked.

“How?” Andrew asked, surprised.

Gregory held up his hand and created a small sphere of ice. “Jason and I both gained magic, so it’s not impossible for her to have it.”

“Unlike your magic, hers is more chaotic,” the doctor said worriedly.

“Well, shit,” Gregory swore.

“But if she has chaos magic, how is she not a multi animal hybrid?” Andrew asked.

“Chaos magic has no rules,” the doctor said. “Then again, I’m no expert on chaos magic.”

“We know someone who is, though,” Jason said, crossing his arms.

Before anyone could say or do anything one the lines on the screen started beeping but it wasn’t like a heartbeat. “What the…is that Morse Code?” Jason asked, looking at the screen.

“Sounds like it, but all I know in Morse Code is SOS,” Gregory said.

Andrew raised his hand. “I think I know. I think it says…Warning unknown life… Protect the mistress.”

Gregory looked around. “Okay…so sentient magic. Everyone, let’s be very careful.” He turned to Stacy. “Whoever you are, we don’t want to hurt your mistress.”

Suddenly there was a spark that shot out of Stacy’s ear. The spark landed on the floor and the next moment it turned into what looked like a miniature tank. A T26e5. It was barely the height of the human’s knee. Its barrel raised and pointed it at Jason. Jason slowly backed away, arms raised. “Why is it always me?”

Another spark shot out of Stacy’s ear, only this time it became a French panhard tank. Its barrel pointing at Gregory. “Huh, not just you. We’re her friends,” he said, “we’re not here to hurt her.”

The Panhard EBR jerked forward making Gregory flinch. “State your business,” it said in a French accent that sounded like it was talking through a radio.

“We’re worried about your mistress,” he replied. “She passed out and we’re trying to figure out why so she can be healed.”

The two small scaled tanks turned their turrets to each other, as if they were silently communicating. They turned back to Gregory. “The mistress is under mental stress. We will see to it that she's ready to awaken,” the Panhard said.

“Hmm, doc? Thoughts?” Gregory asked.

The doctor could only shrug. It would seem he was confused by this as well. The tanks burst into flashes of light and disappeared. A few seconds later, Stacy began to wake. She then rubbed her head and looked at the guys. ”Whoa…I just had the strangest dream. Wait, how did I get here?”

“You passed out on the way to the throne room,” Flash, who had been nearby, explained, “but I managed to get you in here and call a doctor.”

“Oh thanks.” Stacy said as she looked at the three other humans. “Did something happen?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Gregory said with a bit of sarcasm, “just the fact that two weird looking tanks came out of your ear and told us to back off.”

“Wait? Weird tanks?” Stacy asked with a mix of confusion and worry.

“Remember that game we played, World of Tanks?” Andrew asked. “Apparently two of your favorite models came out and tried to threaten us.”

“Of course they went after me first,” Jason grumbled.

“Yeah, they weren’t too friendly,” Gregory added.

“Wait, so that wasn’t a dream I had?” Stacy asked.

“What do you mean?” Andrew asked.

“I dreamed that I was in a huge facility and there were tanks everywhere,” Stacy said. “Each time I passed by one its barrels lowered down, almost like it was bowing to me.”

“Yeah, that looks like what I saw when I looked in your ear,” Gregory replied.

“Ma’am, try not to panic, but it seems you gained some chaos magic,” the doctor said.

Stacy could only let her jaw drop as she remembered something. “While we were fleeing Ponyville I thought I felt something hot hit my head.”

“You think it was a chaos remnant.” Andrew asked Gregory.

“Yeah, but something’s different about this case,” Gregory said. “She still has her normal body. If I had to guess, it was because she’s no longer Howard’s ally.”

“Or maybe she was exposed to a small amount. Everyone else was hit by a huge ball of it.”

“That too,” Gregory nodded in agreement. “Nevertheless, I think it’s a good idea for you to rest,” he added, looking at Stacy.

Stacy tried to relax but it felt like a train load of information to process. “So what now? Is there like a procedure or something for this?”

“Maybe you should learn more about chaos control.” Andrew said before turning to Jason and Gregory. “Does Discord live in Haven City?”

“He lives with Fluttershy in her orphanage,” Gregory said.

“How soon can he get here?” Andrew asked.

“Not sure it’s a good idea for him to come here,” Gregory said uncertainly. “Not sure if he’s a target anyway.”

“Well, do you know how to properly handle and control chaos magic without becoming a lunatic like Howard?” Andrew asked. “Besides, we need him to learn more about Howard.”

Gregory sighed. “It’d be better if Stacy went back to Haven City instead, but it’s your call.”

“But I want to stay here and help,” Stacy insisted. “You guys are practically targets for Howard and the others at this point. And now me and Andrew are labeled as traitors.”

Gregory groaned, but nodded. “I’ll write a letter and ask Spike to deliver it,” he said.

Soon Jason and the doctors left but Andrew and Gregory stayed back a little longer. “Stacy? Are you feeling ok?” Andrew asked.

“I...I don't know,” she admitted. “It feels weird and sometimes I hear voices in my head, but they’re not loud enough to distract me. It’s like the voices of so many people from around the world.”

“If those voices belong to more of those weird tank things, I’m sure you can command them,” Gregory said. “They seem loyal to you.”

Stacy flinched a bit as if she was struck by a flick of a finger. “They prefer to not be called weird but instead historically accurate.”

“It wasn’t meant as an insult, but sure,” Gregory said. “Just be careful, they’re overprotective of you.”

Stacy said nothing, instead lying back down. The other two humans left. “You think I might have some magical power?” Andrew asked.

“I can’t feel any sort from you,” Gregory said, “but like I said, Jason and I got magic in two very different ways, so maybe you’ll get it. Just don’t go searching for it and don’t expect it. I didn’t.”

“Wasn’t planning on it. I’m not power hungry,” Andrew said, rolling his eyes.

“Good. Let’s get something to eat. I actually taught the griffon chef in the castle how to make tacos, and I’m craving some.”

“I wonder if they’re good enough to attract a certain siren girl,” Andrew said with a grin.

“I’ve met her once. She’s a sweetheart, more so than the others,” Gregory said as the two made their way to the castle kitchen. “She’s a princess, you know? They all are.”

“Yeah but is she obsessed like the fans have theorized?” Andrew asked.

“I mean, I like tacos too, but she likes them more. Not really obsessed, but she still loves them. She told me they’re her comfort food. There’s a restaurant in the human world called Taco Town. No, I’m not even kidding. A real live Taco Town.” Gregory snickered.

“Huh, okay,” Andrew said as they walked down the hall.

Author's Note

I like world of tanks.

Chapter 9: Work Orders

[Canterlot - Late Afternoon]

The Friendship Express pulled into Canterlot with a hiss of steam. Amongst the passengers to disembark was what could now be considered the only friendly draconequus in existence. Discord stretched his limbs as he got off the train and began his trek to the castle, all the while many species were giving him a wide berth. Discord rolled his eyes. “I know my sins were horrible but you all don’t have to be nasty about it.”

Little did Discord know it wasn’t just his crimes that were the reason for the avoidance. He soon made it to the castle entrance where the guards opened the doors to let him in. He was escorted to the cafeteria where he heard chatter. “Jesus, when is he going to show up?” Jason groaned.

“I know you gave the six mares the offer to reduce their punishment, but did you at least offer Discord that same chance? If you have given back some of his power maybe he could have teleported,” Andrew asked.

“There will be a man on Pluto before I could ever give him that chance,” Jason deadpanned.

Discord entered the room. “Oh? Is someone talking about me? I’m flattered. Hello again, Andrew.”

“Hey, glad you responded. We need your help,” Andrew said. “Apparently your magic has found its way into the hands of more humans that became you and it's affecting one of my best friends as we speak.”

Discord’s friendly smile immediately vanished. “What?”

“Long story short, a human who has the yandere hots for Twilight found some remnants of your magic that weren’t spread throughout the world and is using it for his own nefarious purposes,” Gregory said. “Typical Saturday morning cartoon villain shit.”

“Oh… I see the problem. And you want me to further explain chaos magic to you all?” Discord asked.

“Especially since Stacy seems to be infected with some chaos magic, but hasn’t gone all chaos-y,” Gregory added.

“Chaos-y?” Discord raised an eyebrows in confusion.

“He means she hasn't become a mismatched hybrid like you and the others in Howard’s ranks,” Andrew explained.

“Oh, I see,” Discord said before clearing his throat. “Well, if you must know, there is something I haven't really explained to you about my magic for a few reasons. One of them is that sometimes pieces of chaos remnants can find each other again.”

“And you have not revealed this because?” Princess Luna asked.

“In my defense, Jason hasn’t said how far apart he would spread my magic and also in my defense the world was in shambles at that time.”

“It was meant to spread across the entire world, dumbass,” Jason snapped.

“Ease up, dude,” Gregory said.

“Yes you did spread it but how far apart were two pieces closest together? Chaos magic is like matter, it can’t be created nor destroyed and it behaves like strong magnets.”

Everyone drank in this new information, trying to think it through. Finally, Luna said, “The fact that the magic gathered is impossible. The Gjallarhorn would have prevented it. I believe Jason’s exact wording during the punishment he placed on you was ‘Your punishment will be as follows: you shall forever be stripped of your chaotic magic. You will know what it feels like to be like the rest of us; powerless, average, normal.’ He also explained that in his world, chaos is normal and natural, flowing freely. The thing is, the Gjallarhorn would have taken that into account when stripping you of your powers. It would have made chaos magic just that. Unless there was something else that happened before this punishment. Perhaps you made a backup plan, Discord?”

“Well, ever since the Tirek incident I wanted to place a safeguard but Jason’s punishment has somewhat altered it. There’s more forgotten history about chaos magic that you all never knew and I recently remembered,” Discord stated.

“And it’s shit like this that made me not even offer to rescind his punishment,” Jason said.

Discord turned to Jason. “Well, let me ask you this. Did you know that my power was the remnant of an old holy relic as old as the horn?” he asked, frowning as he did.

“Why would I?” Jason asked. “MLP is a kids show. They wouldn’t talk about holy relics on a show about multicolored ponies made for little girls.”

“And the show never showed my true power origin I take it?” Discord asked.

“Nope, although there are a few fan theories,” Gregory explained before Jason could say anything, “including one being that you were nothing more than a creation of Grogar.”

“Well that's half true,” Discord admitted. “I was actually his apprentice. He gave me my power by transforming the pieces of an ancient holy relic that was salvaged from a great battle into pure energy. The relic was called the sword of Eris.”

“Eris? Why does that sound familiar?” Andrew asked.

“It’s a fan name given to Discord’s Rule63 version,” Gregory explained. “That, and there was a comic character named that. A cousin or something, I forget.”

“That would be Eris, the second you're thinking about,” Discord explained. “Eris was the original goddess of chaos. Legend has it she was more vile than me. It was said she finally met her downfall but I couldn’t remember if it was Gusty or goddess Faust that took her down. Either way, her sword had fallen to the ground where Grogar found it and used his magic to make it into a gift for me.” Discord gave a sad smile. “I guess you can say we were like Celestia and Twilight.”

“Nah, they were heaps better than you two,” Jason said.

“Ease up, Jason,” Gregory cautioned.

“I meant like he was the closest thing I had to both a mentor and a father,” Discord explained. “Now back to the bigger topic. Right after you drained me of my power it would seem the remnants started tracing themselves back together and it somehow manifested into a random object as well. I didn’t expect them to come together so quickly. It would’ve taken decades for them to become a small stone.”

“Again, that’s impossible with the Gjallarhorn,” Luna said, “unless, like I said, you had a backup plan.”

“I didn’t, but it’s possible that Grogar did,” Discord said. “When he and I fled the Neutral Lands, I did have a week where I felt a little bit weaker, but when I felt back to normal I thought nothing of it. Perhaps he siphoned some magic out of me and hid it somewhere.”

“Or maybe a source to where all the remnant pieces go to. Like a more powerful magnet,” Andrew thought.

“Or both,” Gregory said. “Look, regardless of where this chaos magic came from, the fact remains that it’s here. It’s corrupted several humans, given another some unusual guardians, and made a train into a living, breathing individual. We need to be able to defeat it.”

“Gregory, your magic is that of the Windigos,” Discord explained, “which means you could be a match for them.”

“Last time I fought, it was a stalemate,” Gregory said.

“And if we try again, Howard might be prepared,” Andrew said.

“Hmm… you said your friend Stacy hasn’t become a full draconequus?” Discord asked.

“No, but she has a huge garage in her head,” Gregory said.

“Then you shouldn’t have to worry too much about her becoming corrupted. She only gained a unique form of spawn powers. That’s a pretty common trait for my kind,” Discord said.

“Is that why they are so overprotective of her?” Jason asked.

“Those guardians you mentioned may also be pieces of her personality. Like the voices inside your head. They all share your friend's traits, her different emotions, and all her memories and experiences,” Discord said. “But since they are alive and in her head they see her as either a goddess or a mother.”

“I think General or Colonel would be a better term,” Andrew said.

“Point is, how do we combat it?” Luna asked. “Aside from the Elements of Harmony.”

“We could ask them to come, but they’re still somewhat new to their new abilities,” Gregory said.

“Yeah, but do you also think their families would allow it? I’m certain Garble doesn’t want his little sister going into battle yet,” Andrew asked.

“Smolder’s a tough cookie, but I see your point,” Gregory said.

“Look, if Howard said he would launch the missile in twenty four hours we still have until tomorrow at noon to come up with a plan. I say we wait for Stacy. She’s always been the strategic one.”

“Chrysalis said she was evacuating the hive, and we’ve clocked evacuation drills in as little as six hours before,” Jason explained, “so Howard’s threats are really just smoke in the wind.”

“Still, maybe we should wait for Stacy. She’s practically a genius of not only tech but military strategy. Something she got from her dad,” Andrew said.

“Howard thinks he has leverage because he probably forgot changelings can use magical Facetime rocks,” Gregory said.

“Or maybe he just wants to destroy everything Jason owns and holds dear starting with his home.”

“It’s not the hive’s location I hold dear,” Jason said, “it’s the changelings themselves. They treated me with the first semblance of kindness I had here. If the hive’s location is blown up and Howard expects me to throw a fit about it, he’s an even bigger idiot than we all thought.”

“Yeah, but think what if Howard doesn’t stop there? For all we know he could go after Chrysalis next,” Andrew said.

“He’d have to find her,” Jason said. “Changeling evacuation routes are secret and extremely well hidden. Remember the stuff the changeling throne is made out of? There are places that are lined with the same stuff, so Howard and his goons can’t even find them using magic and even if they did, they’d have to use human weaponry against them.”

Andrew just sighed. “Still, whatever happens, Howard is desperate to do many things at this point. He’s hell bent on turning you into either a punching bag or a playtime co-puppet.” Jason gave him a confused look. Andrew looked back at him before realizing what he’d said. “Oh yeah, you've been here since 2023. Remind me to make a list of all the great games you missed out on.”

“Back to the topic at hoof,” Luna said, “we must fortify the defenses of every town in Equestria. I will also send out messages to our neighboring nations about this new threat.”

“Maybe we should check on Stacy. Even when she’s in bed her mind is going through plans like a sergeant,” Andrew said as he got up from the table.

[Ponyville - That Same Time]

The scene could be described as ominous as many mismatched monsters worked around strange structures that had rockets. Howard grinned as he looked down from the Golden Oak’s Library balcony, the only building that hadn’t been destroyed by Gregory. “My my what a scene. You there! Paint my name on the side of that one. BIG letters. I want the world to know who's responsible for destroying the changeling hive.”

Twilight, who was simply sitting in a nearby chair, stared at the floor. The books in the library were exact copies of what she’d had, but she hadn’t touched them. When she’d seen the strange storm that had destroyed the replica of Ponyville, she realized that the building she was in was nothing more than a fake. Of course, she knew that already, but it was merely a way to reinforce it in her mind. She didn’t want to be there. She wanted to be back in her new house with Spike, holding him close and maybe sharing some snacks while she read to him some of his comics or a story they’d enjoyed when they were younger. This place was her past, and her new library home was her present.

Nearby was another draconequus, this one looked more like a cross between a minotaur and a centaur. Twilight looked up to him after hearing Howard’s words. “You know he’s insane right?”

“We prefer to call him eccentric,” the hybrid said.

“No, he’s crazy,” Twilight insisted. “Honestly, what do you see in following someone who would use deadly weapons to get revenge?”

“We see the promises he made to us.”

“What promises? To destroy the world?” Twilight asked.

“No, to hunt and destroy the human who put an end to the greatest story of all,” he said.

Twilight frowned. “You don’t know the whole story.”

“We all know the story. Your bits weren’t enough so he sent a storm to destroy and kill some of the ponies we came to love.”

“Jason was corrupted,” Twilight said with a scowl. “He wasn’t in control. Besides, he wouldn’t have been corrupted if the ponies in Ponyville hadn’t beaten and abused him. You know we did that, right? We permanently scarred him and tortured him for three full years.”

“Silence! I won’t hear the words he forced into-”

“Calm down, Robbie. We’re all friends here are we not?” Said Howard as he strolled inside the room.

“No, I will never be a friend to someone who would kill my friend Jason because you refuse to accept that we abused and tortured him,” Twilight snapped. “Besides, he even offered to release us early from our punishments, but we refused. We deserve them.”

However, as Twilight was explaining the offer, Howard raised his claw and the next thing that was happening Robbie’s eyes began to spiral. “Robbie? How about you go and check on the status of the rebuilding of Sugarcube Corner.”

“At once, sir,” Robbie said as he made his way to the exit.

Twilight scowled at Howard. “You can’t hide the truth forever,” she said. “The Gjallarhorn will eventually show everyone in town what really happened here.”

“Oh I know Jason won’t give it up so easily but luckily my team has found other relics. Like this.” Howard said as he snapped to reveal a sword with a broken blade on it.

“What in Equestria…?” Twilight’s eyes went wide in shock and confusion.

“This is another holy relic made long ago,” Howard said. “The blade on this was shorter when I found it, but ever since last night it was growing the more chaos it was exposed to. This is the sword of Eris.”

“Sweet Celestia…get rid of that thing!” she shouted.

“No, this is the perfect tool to rival Jason’s horn and Gregories frozen powers.”

“It’s corrupting you even more than you’ve been corrupted!” Twilight said. “You know the truth and you’re still thinking about revenge! Have you ever thought about what WE want? It’s not this foalish facade around us!”

“I may not know what you want, but I know what was rightfully meant for you and trust me you’ll love it more than you could ever imagine.”

“I love what I have already! I don’t want to be a princess! I want the life I have now!”

Howard moved his head closer to Twilight. His eyes slowly became spirals. “Do you really?”

Twilight closed her eyes and looked away, then kicked out with her hind legs, smashing him between his own legs. “Get away from me, you monster!”

Suddenly Twilight was grabbed by a pair of gorilla-like arms. “Oof. Thanks for grabbing her Bubba. Now you listen to me, my little pony.” Howard once again brought his face to hers. “Look at me when I’m talking to you.”

Twilight continued to keep her eyes shut, but she did have the strength to spit in his direction. “Let me go! I don’t want the false promises you’re making!”

“Oh but my promises to you are real” Howard said as he placed a finger on Twilight’s horn.

“If the town can be destroyed by Gregory’s magic with ease, then they’re false! Just like you!”

Then, much to her shock, her eyelids were pried and forced open. “I tried my best to replicate your home.”

“This isn’t my home anymore,” she said, looking away from him with a look of pure disgust on her face. “My home is where your goon took me from!”

“Are you really sure?” he asked when suddenly more eyes appeared around them.

“Nnng…you may be able…to hypnotize me,” she said as she felt her consciousness slipping, “but you will…never truly…have me…you mind rapist…” and with that, she went limp and passed out.

“That’ll do Bubba. Release her gently.” Howard said.

Bubba did so and slowly the alicorn slowly regained consciousness. Her eyes however looked different. “Hello, my dear. Had a nice nap?”

“I had a lovely nap,” she said in a monotone voice.

“Lovely to hear. Pretty soon you’ll be the ruler of a nation. Won’t that be nice?”

There was a hint of hesitation, but then in the same monotone, she replied, “Yes.”

“Perfect, and I’ll be there with you,” he said as he kissed her cheek.

However what he didn’t see was Robbie had seen everything through the door. He was holding a small strange horn. The spirals on his eyes were gone and a look of horror was on his face. “Good God… what have we done?” he muttered.

Chapter 11: Dispatch

[Ponyville - Morning]

Two draconequi turned humans stood outside in the streets guarding a once more recently rebuilt Ponyville. The one called Katy turned to her coworker who was a furry cross between a cheetah and a wolf. “That Gregory made quite a mess of the mock up, right Derek?” she asked

“Yeah, but we’re lucky that we can fix all this literally in a snap,” Derek chuckled.

“Yeah. So, do you think the wedding is before, during, or after the firework show?” Katy asked.

“Not sure but judging from the boss’s excitement it’ll probably be very soon. Maybe tonight.”

“Or maybe in a few minutes if he’s really excited,” Katy said.

That got both of them laughing until they heard something. They snapped their heads in the direction of the sound. There seems to be rustling coming from the bushes nearby. Katy raised an arm that had what looked like a pistol while Derek raised his bow and arrow in his cheetah paws. “Who's there?”

Suddenly emerging from the bushes was a certain pink pony pulling a colorful wagon with her. The two just stared at the smiling party pony as she stopped and gave the wagon a buck suddenly carnival music began playing as Pinkie Pie started singing.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome!
“A fine welcome to you!”

The two continued to stare but started to smile.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome!
“I said, "How do you do?’”

Then, to their surprise four more smiling mares jumped out. They were even more surprised to see Rainbow Dash not having a scared eye. It was still blind, but the scarring was gone.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome!
“I say hip hip hurray!”

The two then started dancing a bit.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome!
To Ponyville today!”

The two smiled wider as Pinkie slid to them on her knees with her hooves wide open. “Wait for it…”

Suddenly the funnels on the wagon exploded confetti and a cake popped out of a small oven and landed perfectly in her hooves. “Yes! I knew I’d get it right eventually.”

“I can't believe it. You’re all here!” Katy said with excitement.

“That’s right, and we want to officially welcome you to Equestria with a party!” Pinkie exclaimed.

Derek turned to the village. “HEY EVERYONE! PARTY WITH THE MANE SIX RIGHT HERE!” he yelled. A few seconds later a few more came and started crowding around the former bearers.

In the distance Gregory, Andrew, and Stacy watched through binoculars. “One, three, nine fourteen, looks like Howard isn’t there. Must still be sleeping. Wait, I don’t see one that could be Bubba either,” Andrew said. “He would be something of a heavy brute.”

“We’ll worry about him later. Let’s make our way in before they notice something’s up,” Gregory said.

After sneaking their way past the party they were soon carefully sneaking through Ponyville. “Wow, they really did rebuild this. From what material, I don't know,” Stacy said, fascinated.

“Technically this is Ponyville rebuilt version 2 after Gregory here attempted to make a tundra out of it,” Andrew said.

“I didn’t use my full abilities here,” Gregory said, “because if I did, I’ve been told my magic can cancel out chaos magic. The problem is the numbers. Anyway, enough talking. Time to move.” He pointed towards the library.

“Wait, let me place some units nearby,” Stacy said as she conjured up two tanks and pointed to a nearby alley. The tanks went there and hid.

“How many have you placed so far?” Andrew asked.

“About thirty tanks and I'm running out,” Stacy said.

“That’s your last one for now,” Gregory said as they made their way towards the Golden Oaks.

The three quietly opened the door only to hear loud snoring inside. Andrew cautiously looked inside. He gestured to the two to follow quietly.

They headed inside and slowly spread out. Gregory pulled out two pistols, both fully loaded. Chaos magic or not, he knew that if he used these weapons on a being of magic it would do permanent damage. He headed slowly towards the source of the noise. He was doing this against his better judgment, but he wanted to save his friend and magic teacher.

He soon found himself upstairs where Andrew stood by the doorway. He saw Gregory and made a shushing gesture. He pointed inside and there was Howard with a sleeping Twilight Sparkle in bed.

Gregory frowned. He couldn’t feel or sense any emotions coming from either. Even if someone was sleeping, he could detect some sort of emotion. He gestured for Andrew to pull back, and when they were out of earshot, he whispered, “There’s nobody there.”

“What do you mean? You saw what I saw. Our friend is there in bed with the enemy.”

“There’s nobody there,” he whispered. “Those two aren’t emitting any emotions whatsoever.”

“So, wait how could they not be there and yet sleeping in that bed?”

“Because that’s not them,” Gregory said, “just a magical image, or illusion.”

“If that's the case, where are they?” Andrew whispered.

“Probably heading to Canterlot to find and kill Jason,” Gregory said darkly.

“Shit, you're right. What are we gonna do?”

“Well, there’s one thing we can do here, and that’s convince the others that they’ve been lied to.” He pulled out the small horn he’d brought with him. “One blast and they see the truth.”

“Or maybe one snap and you're gone,” said a new voice that made both guys jump.

Gregory whirled around, creating a large shield of pure Windigo magic around the two humans, something he’d recently learned how to do. “Not a chance, fucker,” he said.

Andrew pulled out a weapon Luna gave him and aimed at Howard. “Howard? Is that you really here?” Andrew asked worriedly.

“No, he isn’t here,” Gregory said. “He’s probably using the same trick Discord used at The Trial to evade the Gjallarhorn.”

“Oh no, Prince Elsa, I’m here,” Howard said as he picked up a random object and threw it at the shield. The object, a small jar, simply shattered into bubble gum balls which rolled around the floor.

Gregory took a step back as Howard’s form flashed briefly. “Ah, there he is,” he said. “Teleported in.”

“You mean he-?”

“Peek a boo!” Howard said as his head was right by the shield. “Well, that’s annoying,” he said with a smirk as his head reattached to his body. “Windigo magic is something else entirely.”

Gregory smiled as he put one of his pistols away, then held out his hand. His magic staff appeared in his hand from a portal that appeared beneath his outstretched hand. He twirled it expertly and aimed it at Howard. “Wanna see what my full magic can do to this sham of a town?” he asked. “I’ll give you a hint: Ponyville’s original destruction would pale in comparison.”

“Oh, you really want to risk the life of your friends like the dragons that are outside the town.”

Andrew paled. “He knows about the strike.”

“I warned you this was a stupid idea,” Gregory snapped. “I swear, it’s like you make impulsive decisions all the damn time.”

“Hey, this was Stacy’s idea, not mine.”

“Enough! You think your frozen magic will stop me?”

“Stop you?” Gregory grinned, then stepped forward. “It might now stop you, but it can certainly hurt you!” With that, he dropped the shield briefly, and a bolt of pure red lightning shot out of the staff’s glowing crystal. It struck Howard’s chest, interacting with the chaos magic inside him like matter and antimatter colliding. Gregory could hear Howard’s screams of pain as he was shot back into the wall. Gregory put the magic shield back up around him and Andrew. “Okey, time to run, Andrew!”

“Going somewhere?” Howard asked as he appeared by the stairs.

“What the-”

“Was I over there?” Howard asked as his head now appeared out of a nearby trash can.

Gregory frowned, then he grinned. He grabbed Andrew’s hand and thrust his staff down on the floor. The floor gave way underneath them and they fell right into the living room below where Stacy was. “What’s going on up there? It sounds like a fight,” Stacy said.

“No shit!” Gregory said as he enveloped Stacy up in the shield as well, pulling them towards the door. “This idea’s a bust! Howard’s not an idiot! He knows what’s going on!”

“What about the guys outside? We still need to send a signal for attack.”

Gregory pulled out the Olifant. “We’ll just have to trust that the magic in this horn will show Howard’s goons the truth,” he said as he kicked the door open and rushed out with the other two close behind.

Unfortunately, there were more Howards standing, all grinning with malicious intent on their faces. Stacy looked around and made a decision. “Object 277, NOW!”

A bang was heard and a red flare shot up in the air, followed by the sound of a hundred battle cries. Soon, as if by magic all of Stacy's tanks came out and started firing at the Howard clones. They were all taken by surprise and all went down. “I know you want to use the Olifant but we should at least have the armies gather and restrain the fans.”

“Once they’re all incapacitated, yes! Now let’s get moving!” Gregory gripped the Olifant in his hands tightly, ready to make a break towards where the party was going on.

They soon arrived to the sight of all the draconequi having all been bound by either rope, chain, or changeling goo. “Here we go,” Gregory said as he brought the horn to his lips, lowered his shield, and blew a loud blast that echoed throughout the valley.

This did one of two things. It made the buildings around them begin to flicker and distort, slowly beginning to vanish as if they were fading into nothing. It also made the other struggling humans freeze, their eyes going wide. “Let’s hope this works…” Gregory said.

It seemed to be working well as their bodies began convulsing and distorting as the animal features began either popping off or shrinking.

“Hold them as best as you can and make sure they don’t hurt themselves!” Gregory ordered.

The moment they all looked like humans wearing tattered clothing, they all went unconscious. Ember, who was nearby, stood tall as she ordered the dragons to carefully lift these humans and pull back towards their fallback point where they could be treated.

“Well that was a tense fight,” Andrew said.

“Our only loose end is Howard,” Gregory said, “and I’m pretty sure he’s either gone or was never here in person. He probably is on his way to Canterlot with Twilight as his hostage.”

“If he was going to Canterlot, why would he take a hostage anyway?”

“For leverage,” Gregory said, “and because he’s a yandere sociopath.”

Andrew looked back to the crowd and noticed something. “And we still have his brute of a right hand man still out there as well.”

“Of course we do,” Gregory groaned.

Andrew looked back at the empty space of what was once Ponyville and saw something else. It was the small base they set up. Most of the freight cars were still there as well as that crater that had something glowing. “Hey, what’s that?” Andrew asked as he started to walk towards there.

Gregory grabbed him by the shoulder. “Hang on a moment,” he said before putting a shield around them again. “There, now let’s go. And slowly.”

They managed to get to the crater with a few tanks following as well as a few soldiers. They peered into the crater and saw a glowing rock. To Andrew it was for some reason mesmerizing to look at. Gregory held him back, however, and stared at the rock intently. “Hmm…don’t touch it. There’s some powerful magic emanating from it.”

“Wasn’t planning on it-Whoa!” Andrew then felt something push him as he fell towards the crater, however he was stopped by the shield.

Gregory pulled him back to his feet. “The hell was that?” he asked.

“Something pushed me,” he said as he looked back to see a T1 Cunningham tank at his feet. “Stacy, keep your tanks on a leash.” Andrew looked back at the rock. “What do you think it is? A chaos remnant?”

“It does feel like chaos magic, but it also doesn’t,” Gregory said.

“So do you think we should take this back?” Andrew asked.

Gregory lowered the shield and stretched out his staff. The tip glowed and the glowing rock was encased by ice. “Let’s see if that helps. It’s enchanted ice, so it shouldn’t melt.”

As he lifted it out, the rock then began vibrating. It was shaking so hard the ice was beginning to crack. Bits of ice fell off, and it seemed that no matter how much Gregory added it continued to fall off. He quickly placed it on the ground again, and the vibrating ceased. “Well, it’s very powerful. It was reacting to my magic. Maybe someone with chaos magic of their own can approach it. Stacy, wanna ask one of your tanks to approach and see what happens?”

“I’ll give it a shot,” Stacy said as she ordered Cunningham to approach. But despite the order to approach gently the tank rammed it at a fast speed. The rock then vibrated more powerful this time. “Uh oh. Everyone get back!”

Gregory put his most powerful shield around the rock as he and the others pulled back. Moments later, the entire area covered by the shield became a white glowing mass, like an explosion had just gone off. Eventually, the glowing stopped, revealing a new crater and the glowing rock. However, this time, the rock was on one of the edges, moving as if it was trying to get somewhere. Curious, Gregory stepped away from the rest and began pulling the shield towards him, watching where the rock would move to. As it moved, he noted that the rock seemed to be trying to get towards Andrew. He made the shield slowly approach Andrew, and everyone saw that the rock seemed to calm down the closer it got. “Huh…well that’s interesting,” he muttered.

“Okay, this may sound stupid, but how about you lower the shield and we see what happens,” Andrew said.

“That does sound stupid,” Gregory said. “For all we know, this was a trap laid by Howard.”

“If it was then this rock would be doing something else other than trying to get to me. Maybe I don’t know, maybe this is something far bigger or more complex.”

Gregory looked at him incredulously, then sighed. “If you die, I get to say ‘I told you so’ at your funeral.” He slowly lowered the shield, and was relieved when the rock didn’t move.

Andrew slowly picked up the rock and looked at it. “Hmm nice color pattern.” Suddenly the rock shook again and then both the rock and Andrew shot up in the air. Everyone watched as the two went flying and flew in the direction of the fallback point. A few seconds later there was a boom along with a blaring horn from Connie.

“It’s like you all have no survival instincts whatsoever,” Gregory muttered as he spread his ice wings. “Let’s go to the callback point! Take the humans with you!” he ordered the dragons.

They arrived to see everyone staring at Connie the locomotive. Her interior cab lights were flickering. Gregory then opened the door to her cab to see Andrew on the floor with a dazed expression. “Ugh… sorry, Sir Topham Hatt, the trucks made me do it.”

“When are you people going to learn that magic isn’t some cool toy to play with,” Gregory said as he helped Andrew up. “Okay there, Thomas, wakey wakey, eggs and bakey. You gotta get the coaches ready for Gordon’s Express.”

Andrew got up. “Wow, what a rush. What did I miss?”

“You being a reckless idiot,” Gregory snapped back at him. “Now, where’s that damned rock?”

“Oh, here it is,” Andrew said as he picked up the rock. Now, however, it was no longer glowing and looked like a normal rock. The moment he showed the rock it puffed and turned into ashes.

“Hmm…where’d the magic go?” Gregory wondered.

“I don’t know, but I think I have an idea where it probably went. Because I feel more weird than I should,” Andrew said as he placed a hand on Connie’s dashboard.

“Great…” Gregory groaned, “do any of you have any survival instincts?!”

“Hey, don’t get mad at me. When I stared at that piece I felt something with it unlike you and the others.” He snapped as he banged his fist on connie.

“Magic is not something you mess with!” Gregory said sharply. “It can be dangerous to normal humans!”

“Well, maybe you should-!” Before Andrew could finish something happened. The cab began making strange sounds when all of a sudden many parts began shifting around. “Whoa! Connie!?” The two were now dumbstruck, one moment they were in a cab the next moment they were outside being hung by their shirts by something big.

Gregory looked up at the now transformed train. “Okay, who the fuck ordered a Transformer?” he asked.

“Connie? Is that you?” Andrew asked.

“You two bicker like young trainspotters on the mainline,” Connie said.

The two were now taking in the full site of Connie. She did indeed resemble a Transformer but her cab compartment made up her head.

“Always with the train puns,” Gregory sighed.

Just then, a burst of fire briefly engulfed the head. They all turned and saw Ember flying nearby, eyes ablaze. “Let my husband to be go!” she demanded.

“Tell your husband to be to not treat my engineer like he’s a loser!” Connie snapped back.

“Enough of this!” a new voice called out from above. Celestia herself came flying down, looking at everyone with a frown. “This is no time to be bickering! There are more important matters at hoof!”

“Oh, right. Howard, Twilight, and Bubba. Any sign of them?” Gregory asked.

“Their magical signatures vanished after you blew the Olifant,” Celestia said.

“That won’t stop them, I’m sure,” Gregory said.

“We should get back to Canterlot and hope Howard hasn’t done anything yet,” Andrew suggested.

“Then let’s get a move on,” Ember said before wrenching Gregory out of Connie’s grasp. “What should we do with these humans?”

“Leave them to us,” Rainbow said. Her makeup was gone, revealing her scars once again.

“If that horn thing got rid of their brainwashing, then we can talk to them and make them see reason,” Rarity added.

Andrew then turned to the transformed locomotive. “Alright, it’s agreed, Connie can you-”

“On it,” Connie said as she transformed back into a locomotive.

As Andrew got in the cab Rainbow Dash ran up to him. They both stared at each other for a bit. Andrew smiled down at her and said one thing. “Good luck.”

“Thanks, same to you.” She said smiling softly.

“Does anyone else think that came out of fucking nowhere?” Gregory muttered to himself as he and Ember began flying back towards Canterlot.

“Eh, let the flying pony have her fun,” Ember said.

Gregory sighed, but nodded and they began flying back to Canterlot, hand in claw.

[Canterlot - That Same Time]

Jason sat in the dining hall sipping his coffee. With him was Chrysalis in her human form. The two were sharing an awkward silence. After a while Jason cleared his throat. “So, I’m going to be a father,” he muttered.

“Apparently,” Chrysalis said.

Jason put his coffee down. “My first question is how is that possible?”

“Well, it wouldn’t be possible in my true form but I guess when I fully mastered the human physique I guess we became more compatible than I thought.”

Jason pursed his lips. “So…are you going to give live birth? Is it an egg? What can we expect?”

“You saw the Flashback from Thorax’s debut on the show, remember? I’ll eventually lay an egg and we have to keep it in a nursery for some time.”

“Chrysalis, I’m a mammal. Mammals give live birth.” He waved his hand. “Never mind, you’re probably right. Priorities, Jason, priorities.” He looked at her again. “Sorry, guess I’m still in shock.”

“I know you weren’t expecting this. Hell, I was going to surprise you but then you got captured.” Chrysalis said sadly.

“It’s alright,” he said gently, reaching out and taking her hand in his. “I’m happy we’re going to be parents. I’m nowhere near ready, but with you I think we can become great parents.”

“Agreed. Maybe Gregory has advice with his experience with Cozy,” Chrysalis said smiling.

Jason chuckled. “He managed to skip the Terrible Twos,” he joked, “but sure. We can talk with him later.”

“Or maybe talk to him never,” a new voice said.

Jason quickly stood, getting into a defensive position, his hands glowing with his magic. Chrysalis stood as well, her horn glowing brightly as she put a shield up around the two.

“I knew you wouldn’t surrender so easily. I figured you would take the coward's way out of a deal,” the voice continued, yet the source couldnt be found.

“I know they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” another new voice said from the door, “but you lack presentation.” Standing in the doorway was Discord, who looked around with a frown. “Imitating how I first talked to Twilight and the others after my first release? Lame.”

“Oh Discord, how nice of you to join us. Real big fan of your work.”

“I can’t say the same for you,” Discord said with a scowl. “Even I would never brainwash someone just to take sexual advantage of them. That’s not chaotic at all. That’s the mark of a wannabe villain.”

“Sexual advantage? I’m not that crazy. I'll have that fun after the wedding,” The voice of Howard said.

“No, you’re not that crazy,” Discord agreed. “You’re worse than that. If the real Twilight was there, she would react to you like Padme did to Anakin on Mustafar.”

Howard’s voice let out a chuckle. “If parody jokes are gonna be a regular theme, then this would be considered a running gag!” At those words, an arm shot out of a nearby potted plant and grabbed Discord by the throat.

“He has no magic, so let him go!” Jason demanded.

“Let him go? You mean the one you hate the most? What would you give in exchange? Money? Far too common.”

However, before anyone could respond, Discord reached down and pulled out a black knife. He jabbed it into the arm. Blood gushed out of it and everyone heard Howard scream in pain as he let Discord go. He coughed a bit, then held up the knife and gave a thumbs up. “Earth weapons. You won’t be able to heal that wound with chaos magic.”

“I see Gregory let you borrow one of his knives,” Jason chuckled.

“As long as I give it back to him intact,” Discord nodded.

Howard’s voice hissed in pain as he said, “Damn you, you little shit! I’ll show you!”

Then all of a sudden many arms sprouted from the pot and the coffee pot nearby suddenly exploded and spiders flooded out of it. The curtains from the window also started twisting too, becoming tentacles.

Jason and Chrysalis began firing magical blasts at the spiders and tentacles. Discord, who could still fly, flipped up and over and stabbed at the spiders. The knife did its job well, disrupting the chaos magic permanently from the chaos creations. “How boorish, as Rarity would say,” Discord said as he thrust the knife into a tentacle which tore itself apart as the magic within was disrupted.

“Grrr, that’s it!” Howard’s voice bellowed in rage. “I hope your hive has insurance because I lied about the missiles! I’m not using them. I actually planted a bomb when my crew ransacked your place. When your pal Gregory gets back, tell him that Haven City will be next if you don’t surrender.”

The voice left, leaving the room in silence.

Chrysalis took a deep breath, then sat back down in the chair, a saddened expression forming on her face. Jason took a seat next to her. “Chryssi, it’s alright, we’re all safe, and that’s all that matters,” he said reassuringly.

“I-I know,” she said, “b-but I have so many good memories there…”

Jason took her hand and squeezed. “We’ll make new ones in our new home.”

She took a deep breath, then exhaled. Wiping her tears, her face grew determined as she stood. “We need to warn the others what Howard’s about to do.”

“Yes, good plan,” Discord said. His mismatched eyes were ablaze with fury. “He dares to destroy Fluttershy’s and my home and the home of the others to get his revenge. Sound familiar, Jason?”

“He’s worse than I was,” Jason said. “Come on, we need to warn Princess Luna too.”

With that, the group quickly exited the room, heading towards the throne room. It was time for a new plan.

Chapter 12: Branchline

[Canterlot - Exterior]

As the group that had gone to Ponyville returned, Jason ran out to meet them, panting heavily as he did so. There was a lot on his mind and he knew that he needed to tell them everything that had just happened. As they landed, an out of breath Jason said, “Hah…hah…thank God you guys are back…hah…you won’t believe what hap-” He stopped in mid sentence as he noticed a new addition to the group. Standing near the train tracks was a large metallic creature that had some kind of train parts scattered all over its body. He pointed at it, then looked at Gregory, Andrew and Stacy. “Transformer?”

“We’ll explain later,” Gregory said as he turned to the dragons who were carrying the other unconscious humans. “We need to get them inside.”

Princess Luna teleported in at that moment, surveyed the scene, and nodded. “Follow me. I will lead you to the medical wing of the castle.” She then turned to Gregory. “Do you still have Grogar’s Bell in your possession?”

“It’s in my guest bedroom. I’ll go get it.” So saying, he spread his ice wings and flew up towards his room, Ember following close behind.

Luna turned back to the others, then gestured for them to enter.

[Canterlot Medical Facility - Later]

“Aaand…that’s the last of them,” Gregory said as he held Grogar’s Bell over the remaining unconscious human. Despite the Olifant having removed their draconequus forms, it hadn’t removed their new magic, so it had been agreed that their magic should be temporarily taken from them until they could be trusted with it. Gregory hung the bell around the chain he’d placed on it and checked the pulse of the random man. “Yep, still sleeping.” Turning back, he held up the dark green object hanging around his neck. “They’re just powerless humans now, at least until we say so.”

Luna was the first to speak out of all of the others in the room, which included Jason, Chrysalis, Ember, the Mane Six, Celestia, Andrew and Stacy. She turned to the latter two. “Are you confident that you can convince them of the validity of our claims?”

“Well it’s not like I’m talking to Robbie,” Andrew began. “I only managed to convince him because he’s my best friend. We’re kinda like brothers. With the rest however? It will be a challenge. But I think the horn Gregory blew made them see enough.”

“Let’s hope so,” Luna said as she turned back to the sleeping humans. “Do you foresee any of them being an issue?”

“I don’t know. I’ll be surprised if they go from attacking Jason to just giving him the stink eye.”

“I should leave the room just in case,” Jason said, “but before I do, I should warn you all that Howard was here earlier.”

Everyone snapped their heads toward Jason. “He didn’t hurt you or Chrysalis, did he?!” Gregory asked.

“No, although Discord got quite the drop on him with one of your knives,” Jason chuckled.

Gregory grinned, then turned to Discord, hand extended. “I’ll take that back now, by the way.”

“Aww, but it’s so nice and well-made,” Discord pouted before he reached down and pulled the knife out of a belt he wore around his waist, handing it back to Gregory. “Thanks for lending it to me. There’s still some of his blood on it.”

“Good, maybe we can use that somehow,” Gregory said as he took the knife and placed it in a bag before putting it in his small bag.

At that moment Spike walked in. The little dragon was carrying a scared expression along with a scroll in one of his claws. The others noticed this immediately. He looked up to everyone. “I belched this out and I don’t think it’s from a friend.”

Luna thanked Spike and took it in her magic. She opened it up and read aloud, “What the… ‘Connection established’?”

Suddenly the words twisted and formed a mouth. To the humans it looked like another howler. “Testing, testing, is this thing on?” an all too familiar voice said, a voice that most everyone at this point recognized.

“To whom am I speaking,” Luna asked.

“Ah, your majesty Princess Luna. I was expecting someone like Gregory to take this call.”

“As the sole monarch of Equestria, I am the one who deals with terrorist threats,” Luna said with a dark tone, “now, to what do we owe this displeasure?”

“Oh, I just wanted to check in on my traitors, targets, and other favorite people and to remind you about my firework show. I wonder if Jason filled you all in.”

“I assume he was about to before you interrupted,” Luna said, “now state your business immediately.”

“I bet you all thought those rockets in Ponyville were my threats. Well here's the thing: they were all duds. I knew you wouldn’t give in too easily.”

“And what are you threatening now? To kill more of the former citizens of Ponyville?” Luna asked.

“Oh no, those ponies are well known. But for how long? That will be depended on if you give me what I want or I will continue to bomb many places with well hidden explosives.”

“You would kill the very innocents you claim to love in the name of something as foolish as revenge over something that is not your business?” Luna asked.

“When it comes to the fallout of a huge incident that ended a well known icon, then it is my business. Oh listen, I gotta go, my bride is calling me. And just in case you want to know what a bombing sounds like, open a window and look in the direction of the hive.”

Everyone ran to the window, gasping as a massive cloud began erupting from the far off direction of the Badlands. Chrysalis broke down in tears, tears mixed with a rage that even those who couldn’t detect emotions could feel. Jason ran to her side and did his best to comfort her. In the background, Gregory shook his head in disgust and disbelief at how stupid this Howard really was. He felt true empathy for Chrysalis in this moment

Luna’s jaw dropped, then she turned to the still floating piece of paper. “You are irredeemable, you monster.”

“Call me what you want but I can't stay. I have a mare that needs me. Oh, and if Jason wants to surrender all he has to do is stay where he is without anyone nearby.”

Unable to bear listening to him, Gregory reached out his hand and a bolt of electricity impacted the paper, which erupted into flames, destroying the paper and turning it into ash which fell to the floor, disrupting and permanently ending the call. There was silence in the room as everyone processed what had just happened. Finally, Celestia turned to Jason and Chrysalis. “If it means anything, I am truly sorry for what you have lost.”

“Save your apologies,” Chrysalis said, “I know you didn’t do this. It’s that bastard Howard!” She put a protective arm around Jason’s shoulders. “I will NOT let that man have the man who is the father of my child!”

That made everyone else go completely quiet. All save for Gregory, who stepped out of the room. He pulled out a small crystal and poured his magic into it. A magical holographic image appeared, and the human form of Sunset Shimmer appeared in front of him. “Gregory? What’s wrong? You don’t normally call until the weekend.”

“You’re the only one in range,” Gregory whispered. “Listen, there’s a situation back here that I need your help with.”

“What is it?” she asked, all business.

Gregory quickly explained the situation, then concluded with, “I need you to quietly inform Haven City’s citizens and evacuate them to the human world until the crisis is averted.”

Sunset pondered this. “That might be a bit dangerous,” she finally said. “If there are too many on this side, the imbalance between worlds might cause cracks to form, like when Midnight Sparkle tore the fabric of time and space apart at the end of the Friendship Games.”

“Take as many as you can,” Gregory said. “Yggdrasil has very deep cellars where others can hide. Try and do it as quietly as you can.”

Sunset nodded. “I’ll do my best. See you soon, gaming buddy.”

Gregory chuckled. “Same to you. When this is over, it’s a Call of Duty marathon for us!”

“Hope you’re ready to get your ass beat!” Sunset smirked.

“You’re on, Shimmer Code.” The two chuckled at that before they said their goodbyes and cut the connection.

When he returned into the room, everyone was still silent. Luna looked over and asked, “What were you doing?”

“Putting a possible plan into motion to save the citizens of Haven City,” he said.

“You mean an evacuation? I’m pretty sure with all the chariots and the trains we have at our disposal we can make that possible. But we don’t know when he’ll strike.”

“No, I had something else in mind. Evacuation through Starswirl’s mirror to the human world, and anyone who can’t get through will hide in Yggdrasil’s deep cellars. They were made to withstand enormous magical blasts.”

“You mean sending a city population to a world of human counterparts? Won’t that cause confusion?”

“You forget that Haven City is only a city in name,” Gregory explained. “It’s more of a town in terms of population. Besides, flying citizens can fly away fast, but it needs to be as stealthy as possible. Sunset’s smart, and so is Starlight. They can make it work.”

“And what if ponies like Bon Bon see her human counterpart? I’m pretty sure we don't want to cause an interdimensional identity crisis.”

“Twilight met her counterpart once before,” Gregory said, “and besides, Sunset and Starlight are smart. They can do it under cover of darkness if they need to and find a place for them all to hide out. Canterlot High is a safe place and Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna are caring and understanding individuals. Not to mention that their Bearers of Harmony are pretty badass.”

“Well, that's nice for Haven City, but what about the other places Howard is planning to blow? Manehattan? Mount Aris? They could be doomed for all we know,” Andrew stated.

“He did say his next target was Haven City,” Jason said, “but you have a point.”

“We need to call for a worldwide broadcast,” Gregory suggested, “similar to how the entire world saw The Trial. We need to denounce these two as traitors to peace and harmony, but also mention that they are not to be trifled with.”

“Telling the whole truth could cause a worldwide panic,” Luna stated, “and perhaps that’s what he wants.”

“Perhaps,” Gregory acknowledged, “but the public does need to know something.”

“What if we-? Hmmph?!” Spike was about to suggest until he felt his stomach squeeze. “Not again,” he said before belching out another scroll.

“Oh, what now? More threats?” Andrew said as he carefully picked up the scroll. This time it had no mouth, just normal words. “Hey, it’s Robbie’s handwriting.”

“What does it say?” Stacy asked.

“It says Howard has hideouts all over the world but that he managed to find one. Here’s an address,” Andrew read as he squinted at the address detail. “Hmmm… according to this it’s a location in Manehattan.”

“The Big Apple, huh?” Gregory said. “What should we-?” Everyone heard a slight groaning from one of the beds. One of the humans was just about to wake up. Jason and Chrysalis, who was still inconsolable, quickly vacated the room. “Well, this is gonna be fun,” Gregory said as he took a seat nearby and turned to Andrew and Stacy. “You’re up, kids.”

Andrew sighed and looked at Gregory. “You owe me a drink when this is done.”

“Sure. The last big bottle of Jack Daniels in the universe work for you?” he asked.

“Sure…” he said as he and Stacy turned back towards the beds while Luna, Celestia, and Ember all left the room. He then turned back to the Mane Five. “Hey wait, didn’t you girls say you were gonna do this?”

“We can help, but you know ‘em better than we do,” Applejack said.

Outside, Ember, Celestia and Princess Luna watched the scene. They couldn’t hear what was being said as they spoke to the person, a young girl as young as Stacy.

Gregory, sitting inside the medical ward, was of course privy to what was being said. He wasn’t about to leave the room, but he wouldn’t interfere unless absolutely necessary. He sat in a chair, hands in his lap and a patient expression on his face.

The girl sat there in silence as she listened to the two people. Of course, at some point, the Mane Five chipped in and spoke up themselves. The girl’s reaction was almost hard to read but at some point Gregory noticed her face slowly started to shed tears. It wasn’t long before the sounds of sobbing and crying filled the room.

This, of course, woke up another human, this one nearer to where Gregory was sitting. When said human noticed Gregory, his feature twisted into anger and he raised his arm, presumably trying to use his chaos magic, but when he was unable to, he demanded, “What happened to my magic?!”

“You’ll get it back when you’ve all calmed down,” Gregory said patiently before looking over at where Stacy and Andrew were consoling the newly awakened girl. “One of your friends woke up,” he called out.

Stacy went up to him. Andrew sighed. “This is gonna be a long day.”

“But worth it in the end if things work out in the favor of peace,” Gregory said as he placed his hand over Grogar’s Bell which was still hanging around his neck.

“And what about this address in Manehattan? Are we going there tonight or something?”

“We? No, your places are here with your friends,” Gregory said. “They need someone they trust to help them through this process.”

“Actually, I can handle this myself,” Stacy said. “Besides, even it gets tough I got some tanks and pony friends to keep them in line. Also, Andrew’s hardly the comforting type.”

“Still, you two should stay behind,” Gregory said. “You’ll be at least safer here, and you can keep an eye on Jason for me.”

“Is this because you’re afraid I’ll jinx things up again?” Andrew asked, growing a little agitated.

“No, this is more so the fact that Jason needs people here to help protect him,” Gregory said calmly.

“You’re kidding? There are guards everywhere and not just pegasi and unicorns in armor.”

“How good are they against chaos magic?” Gregory asked. “You have Stacy with her tanks, you have Connie, and then there’s you. You have something growing inside you, a magic that is slowly growing.”

“Then let's consider this nightly mission a test drive to see what it is.”

Gregory gestured for him to leave the room with him. Once they were in the halls, he turned on Andrew. “Magic is not a toy,” he explained patiently. “It’s not something that you can just master overnight. I’ve had magic for a while, and I'm still learning about it from Twilight. You can’t just waltz into some potentially dangerous place and expect to get some heroic boost of magic. Sure, that might happen, but more than likely something might happen outside of your control and people could get hurt.”

“Another reason to go with you. If I have something growing inside me, it’ll be best to do it away from my friends.”

“And right in the middle of the most populated city in Equestria?” he asked.

Luna then approached the two hearing everything. “Actually, the address is in an abandoned warehouse far from the metropolitan area,” she explained.

Gregory rubbed his forehead slowly. “If anything goes wrong and we make it back, you’re grounded from doing anything more until you learn more control of whatever magic is growing inside of you. That is non-negotiable.”

“No worries, Donut Lord, this blue devil hedgehog will behave himself.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow, clearly not getting some of the reference. “Be ready to leave before sunset. Ember, another dragon and I will be waiting.”

“Whose the other dragon? Garble?” Andrew asked.

“Nope, someone stealthier,” Gregory said. “But for now, help your friends.”

Andrew nodded as they headed back inside.

[Manehattan Warehouse District - Later That Evening]

A small chariot pulled into the district two dragons, two ponies, and two humans stepped out. The pegasi pulling it saluted and immediately took off.

“It’s nice to be working with you again, Sir Gregory,” Moonlight, Gregory’s former personal unicorn guard, said with a warm smile.

“Damn right,” Swift, the pegasus mare guard, added. The two had been a late addition to the group, both wanting to help their former charge.

“It’s good to have you two by my side, too,” he said with a smile before becoming serious. “Okay, everyone, let’s go over the plan one more time. Andrew, repeat it back to us.”

Andrew nodded and said, “Swift and the other dragon will peer through the windows and see what’s inside. Once it’s safe, we’ll either break the door down or bust up the lock.”

“I still think we should be stealthy about this,” Gregory said.

“Dragons don’t do stealthy,” Ember said, turning to the other dragon with them. The one who had helped to carry Andrew since he was the only one aside from Moonlight who couldn’t fly. “Right, Smolder?”

Smolder grinned. “We kick ass and take names,” the teenage Bearer of Harmony said, throwing punches as she said so.

“Remind me again, what element is she?” Andrew asked.

“Honesty,” Gregory said.

“And she honestly thinks the same thing?” he asked.

“Funny,” Gregory deadpanned before he pointed up towards the nearest window. “Up there.”

Ember nodded, spreading her wings. Smolder and Swift did the same and the three quietly flew up to the window. Peering inside, they saw nothing but crates with no sign of any life whatsoever. Swift saw that the door they were closest to had no guards or any security systems of any kind. But she remembered there was a lock outside.

When they returned and reported their findings, the group moved quietly to the closest door. Ember used her fire breath to melt the lock into slag. Gregory then cautiously opened the door and peered around, trying to detect any emotional hotspots that could indicate someone was there. He closed his eyes to be able to concentrate better.

“Getting anything?” Andrew asked.

Gregory held up his hand to indicate silence as he concentrated. Slowly, he locked onto something, and his eyes opened back up slowly. “Yes. It’s faint, but someone’s here.”

Smolder walked to a nearby crate and opened it up. She peered in. “Wow this Howard guy really likes Twilight. Look at all these stuffed toys.”

Everyone gathered around the crate. Gregory reached down and pulled a random one out. Looking at it, he found a tag and looked it over. “These are toys from Earth,” he murmured as he put it back.

“We did load the train with a lot of stuff. Guess Howard slipped this on board as well,” Andrew explained.

“That’s even creepier than-oh Faust, is that me…?” Smolder asked as she picked up a stuffed animal that looked a lot like her. She dropped it like it was garbage. “Creepy.”

“We need to find out what’s going on in here, and quietly,” Gregory said, putting a finger to his lips.

The group continued to search the place. Andrew then saw a crate in the corner of the room which was occasionally shaking a little by itself. He cautiously approached it with the others close behind. He placed a hand on top and immediately to him the wood on the crate no longer felt like wood but rather paper. “What the? Did I do that?” he asked as he slowly peeled the paper.

“Be very calm about it, but yes you did,” Gregory whispered as the others peered into the crate.

Andrew was the first to speak. “Well, they’re not puppies but they’re cute, I guess. Boy, how I remember these. Hey Gregory, remember that fluffy pony meme from the early days?”

“I became a fan later, but I know the meme. Did he really make them?”

“Not sure but they don’t look as fluffy as Fluffle Puff.”

“If Howard thinks he can create sapient life with chaos magic, he’s an idiot,” Gregory said. “Faust would never allow anyone but her to be able to create true life.”

Andrew picked up one fluffy pony and immediately got bit as he dropped it back in the crate. “Ow! Okay, not cute!”

“I told you to be stealthy,” Gregory sighed. “That means don’t touch anything that could be dangerous.”

The fluffy pony looked down in shame. Andrew immediately looked down. “Awww I can’t stay mad at you. You don’t know any better.”

Gregory pursed his lips thoughtfully. “These are more like golems than anything, but perhaps they have some sentience. If we can save them and find a way to help them become more complete, we will, but just remember that only the creator of this world can bestow true life on these creatures.”

“Fair enough. You know, these six fluffy ones kinda look like-”

But before he could finish another door burst open revealing a huge figure. “What do you think you're doing?! Get away from them!”

Gregory quickly stepped between the open box of now whimpering fluffy pony golems and the figure. “You can fuck right off,” he snapped as he raised a shield around the group and the open crate.

Andrew looked at the figure. “I know that voice. Stay away, Bubba! We’re not gonna allow you to hurt these cute-well maybe cute is not the right word-but we won’t let you hurt them!”

Suddenly, Bubba thrusted a gorilla palm towards the group with an elastic arm, hoping to grab only to be met with an electric shock that he immediately recoiled as his palm hit the shield. The fluffy pony golems all shrieked in alarm and pressed themselves against one another in an attempt to stay safe. Moonlight and Swift were quick to place themselves nearby to protect the fluffy foal sized creations.

“You people don’t understand. I’m not trying to hurt them,” Bubba said as he rubbed his shocked palm.

“And why should we believe you?” Smolder asked.

“Because I found them in a garbage can in Ponyville,” Bubba began. “I assumed they were hiding from those tanks that were prowling the area. So I took them to safety.”

“Huh, he’s not lying about that.” Gregory said, “but he is keeping something from us.”

“Well, anyway, I’ve been taking care of them when I got them here and we soon bonded. I even gave them catchy names, Rainy Bow, Tiny Jack, you know, parodies.”

“If they really bonded with you, then why am I sensing a large amount of fear directed at you?” Gregory asked, pointing at Bubba.

“That’s because they don’t trust intruders. They saw what you and your magic is capable of.”

“No, there’s fear directed at you too,” Gregory said. “Not all of it, sure, but there’s fear of you.” He could sense a slight shift in Bubba’s emotions, and his frown softened. “They’re afraid of you too. I doubt keeping them locked up in a crate does you any favors.”

“I may have attacked another intruder and they may have witnessed it.” Bubba said embarrassingly.

Gregory shook his head. “These golems are like children. They saw a big mean scary looking monster like yourself hurt someone. What’s to stop you from hurting them?”

At that, one of the fluffy ponies, a bright pink one with blue eyes, jumped onto Gregory’s shoulder. The pony reminded the humans of something of a mix between Fluffle Puff and Pinkie. Gregory could feel the terror coming from the pony, and at once he knew. He knew that these ponies were more than just golems. Golems, according to his research, didn’t express emotions. His jaw dropped. “My God…Faust really made you all come to life…” He reached out, touching the fluffy foal sized pony gently. It flinched a bit, but slowly relaxed as it seemed to realize that Gregory wasn’t a threat.

“Well, if you were here earlier, you would’ve seen the relief they had long before the intruder came. Hell, you should’ve seen how little Flutterfly clung to me.”

“You’re still keeping them prisoner,” Gregory insisted. “Ponies, even these types, need more freedom. You can’t restrict them.”

“You may be right, but how would you be protected if your protector is a wanted man? No doubt you guys were already hunting me down.”

“Your so-called protector is an insane megalomaniac who wants to destroy the world,” Ember snarled in anger.

“He’s caused nothing but heartache and misery in this world, including for Twilight’s friends,” Gregory added.

“I wasn’t talking about Howard being my protector. I was talking about myself being their protector,” Bubba said.

At that moment another fluffy pony that was white got out of the crate and walked up to Bubba. Bubba carefully picked her up.

“You want to truly protect them?” Gregory asked as he cradled the pink fluffy filly in his arms, “then join our side. Help us to take Howard down.” He pulled out the Olifant from a bag and held it up. “He’s willing to destroy the entire world to get his foolish revenge and he’s dragging you down with him. He’d slaughter these innocent foals to get his way.”

“Slaughter innocent foals? What are you talking about? I only heard he blew up a hive.”

“He’s going to destroy Haven City,” Moonlight stated.

“Wait what? No he wouldn’t. He maybe insane but not that horrid.”

“No, he would,” Gregory said. “Let me show you,” he added as he brought the horn to his lips and blew a short blast.

Bubba’s eyes went wide as they glowed for a brief second. The glowing then died but his chaos features remained. “Whoa, wait- I don’t understand-” He looked down to the other fluffy ponies that were gathered around him. “What kind of monster would do this to you all?”

Before anyone could say anything a new voice came. “Right? Sounds like something only a horrible person would do.” There, floating in the room was a head with a Cheshire cat style grin. Howard’s head looked down at the group. The fluffy ponies that looked like Rarity and Fluttershy immediately felt fear as they clung to Bubba. Gregory held the pink fluffy pony close as she buried her face into his chest. Other fluffy ponies, who were not close to Bubba, crowded around the newcomers, now not seeing them as a threat but as their protectors as well. Howard grinned as he looked down at his big friend. “You see, Bubba, there's a reason why they look so much like the Mane Six. They’re my prototypes.”

“Your Prototypes?” Bubba asked.

“Yes. You see, I wanted to recreate the cast only cuter and for something for the people who liked that My little Dashie story. However, I ran into some snags. I wasted so much chaos magic into creating these golems that it became a headache the more I tried to perfect them. So instead of continuing this side project I took these supposed lifeless puppets and disposed of them as quietly as I could.”

Bubba was growing angry. “You’d just throw them away?!”

“Pretty much yes.” Howard answered.

“Now you know just how much of a heartless bastard he really is,” Gregory said as he picked up another fluffy pony. This one looked a lot like Twilight Sparkle, and she clung tightly to Gregory’s chest. He didn’t pick at random, however. He made sure Howard saw which one he’d picked up.

Howard saw the tiny one and grinned. “Oh yes, and thinking about it now, I assume Faust wants to pull a fast one over my head. Then again, these fluffy ponies were prone to heavy trauma. You’d be surprised how much people glorified fluffy pony abuse back in the day.”

“This isn’t Earth,” Gregory snapped back, “just like the thestral ponies on Gaia, these will be treated better than you’re treating Twilight, which isn’t saying much considering you’re mindraping her.”

“We’ll see about that,” Howard said as his head disappeared.

Gregory inhaled, then held out his hands. The shield around them grew larger until it enveloped the entire warehouse. He made sure not to let the shield touch Bubba as he detected a switch in allegiance. “We need to get these poor ponies back to Canterlot where they can be taken care of,” he said. He turned to Bubba. “Are you with us now, or no?”

“I don’t know. Will the rest of your clan even accept me?” Bubba asked.

“Actions speak louder than words,” Gregory said as he held up Grogar’s Bell. “If you want to gain trust, I’m afraid we’ll have to take your magic away temporarily. But not before you teleport us all back to Canterlot.”

“Pwease…” said a voice.

Bubba looked over and smiled. “Rainy Bow, your first word.”

“Pwease hewp,” Rainy said in a filly’s voice. However, she then turned to the others. “Hewp Unca Bub.”

Gregory couldn’t help himself. He smiled a bit, but the smile faded as he approached the hulking draconnequus. “You’ve heard my terms. Trust has to be re-earned, and with your chaos magic, there’s a lot of uncertainty. I’ll talk to Princess Luna and recommend that you be a part of the group that helps look after this new tribe of ponies, but you need to surrender your chaos magic after we get back to Canterlot.”

Bubba just looked at the fluffies, their eyes wide and quivering. He sighed and looked at Gregory. “Okay…”

Gregory nodded. “Can you teleport us and these new ponies back to Canterlot?” he asked, “as well as anything else in here that Howard might use against us?”

Bubba chuckled, “Honestly, all I found in here are useless pony merchandise as well as…well, let’s just say it’s better you don’t know. Trust me.”

“I’ll at least take your word on that,” Gregory chuckled.

“Pony ‘toys’ are pretty interesting, aren’t they?” Swift said snarkily.

Andrew opened another crate after turning the wood to paper. “Jesus, I see what Bubba means. Don’t look in here.”

“It’s nothing us mares haven't seen before,” Swift chuckled.

“Let’s just get these poor fluffy ponies somewhere safe,” Gregory said.

[Canterlot - A Few Minutes Later]

“So, it’s agreed. Until further notice you’re to remain in this room until we decide what to do with you,” Luna said to Bubba, who was now human again as his chaos magic had been taken from him. He sat on a bed with the Fluffies around him, all except for the two who were still holding onto Gregory, the Twilight one and the pink one, which he learned was meant to be like Pinkie.

“Understood, now if you all don’t mind I think we would all like to get some rest,” Bubba said as he looked down at the Fluttershy fluffy.

Swift and Moonlight moved in as well, both gently helping to herd the foals into their hastily gathered cradles. They had volunteered to keep an eye on the new foals as well as Bubba. The Twilight and Pinkie fluffy ponies seemed not to want to be separated from Gregory, but he gave them both reassuring scratches as he placed them with their new sisters. “Sleep well, okay?”

They all started to leave but Andrew looked back at Bubba one last time. “Hey, you gonna be okay big guy?”

Bubba looked down at the sleeping ponies with a calm caring smile. “I’ll be okay.”

Andrew left and caught up to Gregory. “So my power is matter manipulation? Interesting.”

“It would seem that way, but that is a very dangerous power,” Gregory said. “You just need time to practice it, but unfortunately we don’t have that kind of time.” He puffed his cheeks and blew out a breath. “You’re like the Ahsoka to my Anakin, having to learn as we fight this damned war.”

“Don’t you mean I'm your Anakin to your Obi Wan? I’m not a girl.”

“Yeah, that works better,” Gregory said with a chuckle, “but it’s time we find Stacy and see how she’s doing with the others.”

“Agree, you know I'm surprised you didn’t pick up on my Sonic the Hedgehog joke hours ago.”

“Oh, I got the Sonic bit, but not the the part about Donut Lord.”

“Well when you say grounded that reminded me of when Sonic called the sheriff his dad and not Donut Lord. I loved those Sonic movies. Hey, since you came from 2027, do you know if Amy Rose appears in the next movie?”

“I downloaded the Sonic movies, but I haven’t watched them yet,” he said. “Was never really into Sonic, but I figured I’d download movies to watch if I ever got bored. When this is over, you can watch them. If my computer isn’t destroyed by nuclear fire.”

“Deal,” Andrew said.

Soon, they arrived back in the medical ward where everyone had woken up and were all sitting and eating a late night snack.

The two guys walked up to Stacy and Celestia who were nearby. “So how’s everyone holding up?”

“Have they accepted the truth?” Gregory asked as he took a seat nearby.

“They mostly did. Jason came by earlier. Most just accepted him, others just glared, and one girl ignored him the same way he did to Pinkie,” Stacy Explained.

“Jesus,” Gregory muttered as he brought the horn out again. “I don’t need to use this again, do I?”

“I doubt it,” she said. “They all saw everything about the destruction and what Ponyville did to Jason and other nonponies, unlike how Andrew saw literally everything about Gaia.”

Andrew turned to Celestia. “There won’t be any serious charges or punishments will there?”

“I’m not a princess anymore,” Celestia reminded him, “so that’s up to Luna. However, were I still princess there would still be disciplinary action taken against them.”

“And did Luna say anything?” Gregory asked.

“No, but she will soon I suspect,” Celestia said.

Gregory stood from his seat and touched Grogar’s Bell. “I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but since you now know all of what Ponyville did to Jason and all it’s done to nonponies, are you still bitter at Jason for seeking justice? Let me remind you that the Gjallarhorn wouldn’t have responded to him were he in the wrong for seeing justice done.”

There was silence for a bit as the humans looked at each other. “Well I guess you can say I’m not that bitter anymore. Like I said, my only goal was to undo the pain punishments,” Andrew stated.

“And what about the rest of you?” Gregory asked, looking at the other humans. “Surely the former Bearers explained their thoughts on the matter of their punishments. You also know the xenophobia of Ponyville, from the zebra slavery up to Jason’s abuse and torment.”

“Twilight’s school would’ve handled those problems peacefully yet Jason’s approach looked pretty dark.”

“No, no it wouldn't have helped,” Gregory said patiently. “Think about it. A school about teaching people to be friends. That sounds pretty condescending, dontcha think? And there were no zebras in the school. There were no minotaurs. There were no centaurs. Starlight’s school is leagues better. It’s a multicultural school.”

Another human stood up and approached Gregory. “And you don’t seem to know about the major fallout we had from Jason’s trial. Then again I don’t blame Andrew and Stacy for not going into the grizzly detail.”

“I came from the same world as Jason, but you came from another Earth,” Gregory said.

“Yeah, an Earth that had the displeasure of watching a big downfall which led to several other events outside the TV,” the man scowled. Andrew and Stacy looked at each other nervously.

Gregory sat down, crossing his arms, and looking up at the man patiently. “Do tell.”

“Trust me bud, it's best you hear from someone else. Hey Andrew, how about you tell Greg here about that friend of yours. What's his name? Markus?”

Andrew flinched as Stacy put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. To Andrew the memory struck him like a train. “You can tell me whenever you want to, or not at all,” Gregory said calmly.

“I-I I need to go. I think I’ll talk to Connie and check on her diesel tank, ” Andrew said as he quietly left the room.

As he fled, Gregory turned back to the man who was still standing over him. “Just because of that, you lost a lot of trust. He’s your companion and you threw him under the bus to make a foolish point. None of you are thinking logically. You’re thinking with your fandom hearts. Your emotions are ruling you right now. You think I wasn’t upset when I realized the truth? I managed to accept things when I heard the entire truth. If you all thought about it, you’d see my point.”

There was silence for a moment before a girl stood up. “I’m not that bitter anymore, and I see things clearly now.”

“Yeah, so do I,” said another man as he stood up.

“Same here,” said another.

“I wasn’t that bitter with Jason anyway, I just wanted him to know what Pinkie went through and now I'm satisfied.” said another girl.

The man who spoke first just scowled harder. “You can’t be serious, guys.”

“The truth is, Howard knew about this and hid it from you all,” Gregory said as he stood.

“I think we all know that now. One pony did fill me in,” said another man.

“Howard is planning to kill thousands with whatever nuclear weapons he has to get his foolish revenge on Jason,” Gregory said, “and not only that, but he’s brainwashed, or rather brainraped, Twilight into being his unwilling toy.”

The humans in the room began murmuring among themselves. Some looked horrified. One of them spoke up after a bit. “What do we do now?” he asked.

“You’ve done a lot of damage already,” Gregory said, “so your judgment has to come from Princess Luna. I don’t know what you’ll be doing, however your companion Bubba’s already been put on house arrest with some newly created ponies as his charges.”

At that moment Luna entered and Celestia stood up, both of them approached Gregory. “We’ll take care of things from here. I believe you should find Andrew. I saw him crying on my way in,” Luna said.

Gregory frowned, but nodded. “I’ll go talk with him.” So saying, he walked over to the window, which was high above the city, then opened it and leaped out, spreading his ice wings and flying towards the train station where Connie was. He wondered what he was about to learn, and figured that it wasn’t going to be pretty.

Chapter 13: Knuckle Couplings

Author's Note

Warning this chapter will include a suicide.

Chapter 13: Knuckle Couplings

[Canterlot - Trainyard]

The yards of Canterlot only had a water tower, a coal chute, a few small tracks for storing rolling stock and a shed for engine maintenance. Inside the shed were Connie and Andrew, the latter of whom was sitting at a table with his face in his hands. Connie, despite having no eyes and in her locomotive form, could sense Andrew was there and could sense how upset he was. “Andrew, you can’t blame yourself for what happened to him,” she said in a reassuring tone.

“How could I not? I could’ve done more but he…” he trailed off as he choked back a sob.

The door to the shed opened, letting in light from an outside lantern. Gregory stood in the doorway, arms at his side and a calm demeanor surrounding him. “Jesus, dude, I could sense your emotions from the medical ward,” he said as he came in and closed the door behind him.

“Oh hey… What is it? Did Howard send off another threat?” Andrew asked as he lifted up his face to reveal his red tear soaked eyes.

“No, I’m here to check on you, my young padawan,” Gregory said as he approached. He took a seat on a nearby small barrel. “We can’t be falling apart at a time like this.”

“I know, I just wasn’t expecting a blast from my past to rear its head here. If anything, it's more like a link to my own demon.”

“Well, it’s not my business to ask what’s going on or what happened,” Gregory said, “but it is my job to make sure your head’s in the game completely. So, you don’t have to tell me anything, but here’s some tough love incoming.” His tone softened a bit as he continued, “Find someone to talk to about this. Someone who can understand and empathize with you. Doesn’t have to be me. You can talk to someone like Stacy, Rainbow Dash, hell, even Celestia if you want. Clearly this issue is gonna impact your performance in the upcoming battle.”

“Stacy already knows what’s going on in my head, in fact me, Stacy, and Robbie were a witness to something that happened in the days following the incident,” Andrew said, his mind deep in thought. “I’m afraid I haven’t been completely one hundred percent honest with you.”

“I know,” Gregory said, “but is this gonna affect the mission to stop Howard and his insanity?”

“I don’t know but I think maybe you of all people should know because if Jason finds out about this I don’t know how he would react.”

Gregory frowned a bit, then crossed his arms. “If you wanna tell me, then tell me.”

Andrew sighed after taking a deep breath. “Well, it would be easier to show you with the Gjallahorn but I'll describe it as best as I can.”

“Sure, go ahead,” Gregory said.

[Strasburg Railroad - Summer 2023]

The early morning passenger train left the station pulling its first tourist train of the day. As it passed the engine workshop, two humans watched it go by. “So what, he just assumes nothing would happen?” Andrew asked.

“Yeah,” the other guy said. “You’d think one could easily tell the difference between kerosene and diesel fuel. Now he has quite a huge bill to pay to fix the engine of that truck.”

The two guys chuckled for a bit before the other guy sighed as he continued to watch the train pull away into the distance. “You know, I ought to get back to content creating soon, I mean pony videos were nice while they lasted, but I ought to get back in the saddle, as they say.”

“But I thought you didn’t like G5,” Andrew said.

“Yeah, but I mean make content about another show like Thomas and friends,” the guy said.

“Oh, like Jasper Pie and Thespio used to do? I can see you doing that,” Andrew said.

“Oh, then how about you join me?” Markus, the other guy, asked. Andrew gave him a perplexed look before Markus continued. “I can see you voice acting a few characters, you do a nice impression of James and Thomas.”

“Guilty as charged,” Andrew replied with a chuckle. “It would be nice to work with you in entertainment again.”

“Yeah. Back in the pony days people would call us AJ and Dash, but maybe now we can be called Henry and Gordon.” That got both of them laughing up a storm.

[Somewhere Along The Northeast Corridor - Late Autumn 2023]

A car raced along the road as three occupants were inside, all three of them looking worried. “Robbie, are you absolutely sure he went this way?” Andrew asked after a while.

“Yeah. I recognized the background in that selfie,” Robbie said. “I did some trainspotting there a few times.”

The car continued to speed on the road until it reached its destination, a roadway bridge that overlooked the high speed rail lines and there standing on the edge was Markus. The car screeched to a stop as all three jumped out. “Markus! Don’t do it!” Stacy shouted desperately.

Markus remained silent as he just stared down the tracks beneath him. Andrew stepped closer to him. “Markus, please think about this!”

Markus didn’t even turn back, just continued looking down at the rails. “This world… this world will never be happy like Equestria…” he said in a dull tone. “Everything we knew was not magical.”

“Markus, please don’t!” Andrew begged. “This world can be happy! For all we know those episodes were made by haters or hackers!”

“No, I saw it all. It was so real. There is no harmony. Maybe there is in the next life,” Markus said as he took a step forward as a distant horn sounded. A horn that was quickly approaching.

“Markus, NO!” Andrew ran up and tried to grab him but unfortunately all he could do was look over the ledge and see his best friend smiling one last time.

[Present]

Gregory took in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry for your loss, I really am,” he said in an empathetic tone, “but you need to understand something. His death is not your fault. This Markus guy clearly had bigger issues on his mind than just those new episodes. Sure, they didn’t help his mental state, but that is not the main reason he took his life. Don’t put all of that guilt on your shoulders. You did what you could, and nobody can ask more of you than that.”

“He wasn’t the only one,” Andrew began. “There were so many suicides by people who saw those episodes.”

“My point still stands,” Gregory said. “It wasn’t just those episodes that drove them to taking their lives. They all more than likely had something more going on in their lives for them to take that path. I know that makes it sound like I don’t care, but I do. It’s not something I take lightly, especially since Jason tried to kill himself too.”

“You’re right,” Andrew said after a few seconds of contemplative silence. “It wasn't those episodes if anything those episodes gave the media fuel to label bronies as more dangerous than the toxic side of the furry community. You should’ve seen the memes and the amount of bullying everyone got.”

“Pff, the media,” Gregory said with a scoff. “Every bit of media has an agenda. Most of them are heartless bastards who only care about scaring the population and getting good ratings. That happened here too, especially when Cozy was ousted as the leader of the CFE movement.” His tone softened again. “Don’t put the weight of the multiverse on your shoulders. Your friend’s death wasn’t your fault. Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs. My counselor back on my Earth helped me out and taught me that the past happened, and there’s nothing we can do to change it. Mourn your friend’s passing, and learn to accept that it’s not your fault. That sounds hard, and I understand that it can be, but you’ll forever be stuck in a rut if you keep looking backwards.”

Andrew was silent but then much to their surprise Connie spoke up. “You know, he’s right. If anything, you did far more good, and I’m sure Markus would appreciate it. Remember when you found me in that scrapyard? There were so many other broken diesels ready to become rust, but you insisted that a lone SD40 could help you. You did more than give me a new lease on life, you saved me.”

“Connietron here is right,” Gregory said without missing a beat, which caused Andrew to smirk involuntarily. “Like I said, it’s not your fault that those events happened, and it’s certainly not Jason’s fault. We’re all responsible for our own actions, not those of others.”

Andrew looked down at his hands on the table. After a moment he smiled. He got up and hugged Gregory. “Thank you.”

This surprised the other human, who hugged back after a bit. “Never really pegged you for the hugging type,” he said with a small chuckle after he let Andrew go.

Andrew grew serious after they broke the hug. “Right, as happy as I am for the comfort, I’m afraid I got a bit of bad news about Connie’s fuel tank.”

“Lemme guess, no diesel refueling,” Gregory said.

“We had two tankers that were meant to last us a while. We spent one in Haven City and the other one blew up in Ponyville. We only have a couple gallons left in her.”

Gregory stroked his chin. “The human world has diesel,” he said, “so I could call Sunset and ask her to look up how to make it so we could recreate it here. Or…” he paused and thought.

“Do you have any idea how complex the formula is and are you aware how much a machine likes this drink? Getting it from that world will take forever.”

“I did download all of Wikipedia with me, so I could look it up,” Gregory said. “However, there is another idea that might work, and with your new magic, it could be possible.”

“I just tried that with water,” Andrew replied, “but it turns out I can only convert whatever is solid.”

“Maybe we can convert her into a steam engine,” Gregory suggested. “They have steam engines here, so it’s not like we can’t provide fuel for her.”

“So I saw, but that could take a while.”

“Again, like I said, you can convert solid objects,” Gregory said, “so you could convert what’s inside Connie here with your magic.”

“But something this complex could take-”

Connie interrupted them. “Ahem.” Both men turned to the converted engine. “He’s right, Gregory. Both steam and diesel are complex designs. Look, all I have left is what's in my tank and we may not have time. Let’s make it count. I should have enough for a journey to Manehattan and back.”

“You should stay here,” Gregory said. “What you’re doing isn’t expending any fuel, and I’m not comfortable with letting a new form of life sacrifice themselves when we can fly.”

“Well there's that. So what’s our next move?” Andrew asked.

“First, we go back to the castle and there we come up with a plan of action there,” Gregory said.

“Very well. Maybe Robbie will find out where Howard is having his wedding and tell us,” Andrew thought.

“I can think of a couple places where he might do it,” Gregory said. “For all we know, he might want to do it in Canterlot itself.”

“With all this activity? That’s as fat chance as Garfield.”

“Hmm, well then maybe in Ponyville,” Gregory said. “But it seems like Howard loves showing off his superiority. It’ll be a big party.”

[Changeling Hive Ruins- Same Time]

“This will be a big party,” Howard said as he watched his clones work throughout the bright starry night.

“Yes, it will,” Twilight said in the same infuriating monotone she’d been using ever since the spell had been cast on her.

“I should work on your tone, you're sounding like Siri.”

Twilight just stood there, not saying anything. Instead, she stared out at the scene before her while the clones worked underneath the stars.

Howard then snapped his fingers which revealed a big glowing sword in his hand. He waved it when it suddenly shot a lightning bolt at a random clone that turned it into ashes instantly. He looked down at it. “Best thing ever since the lightsaber. Wouldn’t you agree, Twilight?”

“Yes, it is,” she replied in her normal monotone demeanor.

“I thought so. Now what can we do about our security? Or what can I do about Gregory and my traitors?”

Twilight didn’t respond for a bit, and there was a slight twitch in her left eye. However, after a few seconds, she replied in a slower tone, “Whatever…you want…”

“I’m glad you think so, my dear,” Howard said as he waved the sword again. In the distance, several strange cannons emerged from the ground. “Those might keep some pests away, but what do I do if…? Hey Twilight, do you know if Gregory's magic will be a match for my Sword of Eris?”

There was another eye twitch, then silence for a bit. Finally, Twilight replied, “I don’t know.”

Howard rolled his eyes. “Well, so much for that. Not everyone can be an Albert Einstein.” Howard then lowered his face to Twilight and snapped his fingers, making a dress appear on her. “Tomorrow morning will be our hour of love. You will become something far greater, my dear.”

“Yes, Howard,” Twilight said after yet another eye twitch and a few seconds of silence.

“Perfecto, sleep well Twilight,” Howard said as he waved her off.

Twilight turned and walked to the tent where she was sleeping. She lay down and closed her eyes. As she was about to fall asleep, a small tear fell down her cheek onto the pillow. Four words escaped her lips before she passed out. “Help me…my friends…”

[Canterlot Castle - The Same Time]

Celestia, Luna and Blueblood waited patiently in the throne room. They were hoping to speak to Jason before he went to sleep. A few moments later Jason entered being escorted by two drones. “Ah, Jason, thank you for coming, we won’t make this long.”

“Please don’t,” Jason said with a yawn as he took a seat, “I’ve had a long day and bed is calling. What’s on your mind?”

“We’ve come to ask a small request of you,” Celestia said.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“We understood you temporarily removed the punishments for the former bearers.”

“Yeah, and then they asked for them back earlier this evening,” Jason said.

“Yes, we know. We wanted to have your permission for something. You see, with all the growing problems, it’s becoming harder for both me and Blueblood to handle the concerned citizens.”

“And we can’t exactly trust any elites to help us anymore since the purge,” added Blueblood.

“What about Noblesse Oblige? Or Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis?” Jason asked. “Those three are some of the good nobles, and they have a lot of influence.”

“Yes, but even they have their own problems,” Luna said. “We wanted to get your permission if my sister could rejoin us and help us until the crisis has subsided.”

“Not as a princess,” Celestia quickly added, “I know I don’t deserve that anymore.” She then turned to Luna. “Also, the three ponies Jason mentioned are more than able to help. They are free of the foolish elitist ways of the other nobles.”

“I did say you couldn’t have a say in the ways of nobility anymore,” Jason said, “but advisors technically don’t have a say. They can just give suggestions.” He was tired and looking more annoyed. “Tell me you thought about this before you called me here.”

Luna and Blueblood looked at each other, then Luna sheepishly turned back to Jason. “We…we did,” she admitted, “but we wanted to be sure of the intent.”

He took a deep breath, then stood. “Well, you have your answer. If there’s nothing else, I need a long bath before bed.”

“Jason, I know you said my sister can’t be a princess anymore,” Luna said, “but in truth I really miss working alongside her. Ever since she left for Haven City this castle has never been the same.”

“Lulu, we will be working alongside one another,” Celestia said. “I just won’t be a princess. You know I was planning to retire, remember? Besides, you have been doing an amazing job at filling my shoes. You can come to me for advice anytime, you know?”

“I know, but I’ve been so busy I barely have much time for myself, everyone looks up to us more than a unicorn stallion.”

Celestia chuckled. “I know how that feels,” she said, “but don’t forget that you have our nephew, and he’s grown a lot.”

Blueblood smiled at this. “Thank you, auntie.”

Celestia smiled back at him, then looked back at Luna. “Back in ye olden days, nobles were, well, noble. They helped a lot to take some of the workload. If I know Noblesse, Fancy and Fleur, they’re eager to help. You’re taking too much on yourselves, both of you.”

Jason just watched the scene a little while longer before turning and walking away. On the way back to his room, however, he entered the wrong door. He saw a familiar looking mare brushing her mane. Said mare turned, and her eyes widened. “Oh my, Mr Wright!” Fleur De Lis said in alarm.

“Oh, my bad, sorry,” Jason said as he turned away apologetically. “I meant to go into the room across from you.”

Fleur chuckled a bit. “No need to apologize, sir,” she said kindly, “I can see you’re exhausted.”

“Dear, who is it?” a male voice called out.

“Mr. Jason Wright accidentally walked into our room, love!” Fleur called out.

Fancy Pants stepped out of a nearby room, mane wet and wearing a light blue bathrobe. “Mr. Wright! A pleasure to see you again.”

Jason turned. He liked Fancy Pants and his wife. They treated him with kindness and respect, so he smiled a bit at them. “Again, pardon the intrusion.”

“Not at all,” Fancy said, “it’s good to see you.”

“You’re lucky you stumbled in here and not the room next to you. I saw something quite interesting in there,” Fleur said with a smirk.

“Do I want to know?” Jason asked a bit worriedly.

“Only if you’re curious about your new human acquaintances,” Fluer said.

“Lemme guess, a young man and a certain blue rainbow pegasus?” Jason asked.

“No, why don’t you look if you're curious?” Fleur asked.

“Dear, please don’t,” Fancy said.

“I’m not the type to snoop,” Jason said with a neutral expression and turned to leave, only to stop. He turned back. “Hey, you two, this isn’t my place to say, but I think that Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood could use your help on something.”

“We’re aware of the situation, Mr. Wright,” Fancy said, “but even we have issues we must face. Someone has to try and help keep the civilians calm in these trying times.”

“Even so,” Fleur said as she turned to her husband, “we are nobles of the crown. We can and should step up and do a bit more. I can handle it.”

Fancy looked at his wife, then a slow smile crept onto his face. “Yes, you’re right. We can certainly do more to help ease the burden on the Prince and Princess. It’s our duty as nobles.”

“I’ll leave you to it, then,” Jason said as he slowly walked across the hall to his real room.

As he reached for the doorknob, he heard some sounds and noticed the door next to his was left ajar. He heard what sounded like whispering, but not being the type to snoop, he simply turned the doorknob to his room and walked inside. There was a candle lit on the windowsill and he saw Chrysalis stretched out on the bed, already fast asleep. He closed the door behind him, walked up, and crawled into bed next to her. She immediately snuggled up to him, making him relax.

“Finally, I was starting to think I was gonna have to feed off the love of the new couple next door,” Chrysalis said seductively.

Jason rolled his eyes and smirked. “Sorry, but Luna and Blueblood wanted to talk to me. Seems as if they’re resolving their own issues, though.” He buried his face into her chest and hugged her close. “I am exhausted…”

“Oh? Not as exhausted as the two next door I hope.” It was then Jason saw a small hole in the wall. “I actually gave a couple ponies a special present, courtesy of one of the other changelings here.”

Jason chuckled. “Of course you did.” He used his magic to cover the hole with a nearby chair, then grabbed Chrysalis’ wrists, pinning her onto the bed. “Miss Chrysalis, are you trying to seduce me?” he asked in a husky tone.

“Oho? Now we’re talking,” Chrysalis said as she removed the t-shirt she was wearing. “Take me, stud. Right now!”

Meanwhile, next door a human girl and pegasus could only blush as they heard the sounds of the human and changeling next door. “You think he saw us?” Stacy asked.

“I don’t know,” Flash said with uncertainty. “I thought these walls were stronger and soundproof.”

“Let’s worry about that later and take advantage of the noise they’re making next door.”

Flash looked a bit nervous as he slowly pulled out something he’d actually gotten from a changeling friend he’d made. It was a golden bracelet with a green gem encrusted onto it. Apparently, it was similar to the rings that Gregory wore to enhance his magic. “Let’s hope this works,” he said as he placed the bracelet over his right hoof. His body was immediately encased in changeling fire. Instead of a normal pegasus pony standing in front of him, there now stood a humanoid version of the young pegasus guard, all naked and all blushing as he used his new hands to cover certain areas. This, of course, made the new bipedal anthropomorphic pony stumble and fall onto his back onto the bed. “Whoa!” he said before holding up his new right hand. The bracelet had shrunk to become a ring that was on his middle finger. “Huh…she was right. It did work.”

“Eh, I would've preferred either way but you do look awesome,” Stacy said with a grin. A grin that turned saucy as she approached.

Flash looked even more nervous as she walked up. “A-Are we really doing this?” he asked.

Stacy shushed him as she climbed in bed before reaching over to a candle and blowing it out. “Shhh, big boy, Stacy’s here to make you feel good.” With that, she leaned down, and kissed him deeply.

Meanwhile, Andrew was walking with Rainbow and Gregory to their rooms when he stopped and felt something, like a jolt of electricity. “Whoa, something wrong there, engineer?” Rainbow asked.

“Why do I get a feeling we missed something amazing?” Andrew asked.

Gregory closed his eyes, then stumbled back a bit. He had a grin on his face. “Ho ho ho, noice,” he said. “And actually, I have something I got from a changeling earlier. She told me to give it to Rainbow Dash, but only if she promised to use it in private.” Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a gold bracelet with a slightly glowing green crystal encrusted onto it.

“What is it?” Rainbow asked curiously.

“Try it on in private, and you’ll see,” Gregory said as he reached his room. “Well, this is my stop. You two have a good night.” With that, he entered his room, only to see Ember sprawled on their bed, looking at him with the all-too familiar bedroom eyes. “You could smell it, couldn’t you?” he asked as he closed the door.

“Get in here,” Ember demanded, “and lose the clothes!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.”

Rainbow and Andrew just looked at the door hearing the sounds of those two. They both stared at the bracelet and shrugged as they went to their room. When they entered, Rainbow looked at the bracelet with curiosity. “What do you think it is?” she asked.

“No idea,” Andrew said.

“Welp, best way to find out is to use it!” Before Andrew could object, she slipped it onto her right forehoof. Before either could react, she was engulfed in green changeling flames, only to reappear as a slender, slightly athletic, but very attractive anthropomorphic pegasus pony. A pegasus pony who was completely naked. “Whoa…whoa!” she shouted as she began to fall, not used to her new form. She fell back onto her ass, wincing in pain. “Ow…”

Andrew shielded his eyes. “Why couldn’t that give you clothes like the human portal?!”

“A little help here, please?” Rainbow asked.

“Sure, just cover your chest first,” he said as he handed her a blanket.

Not used to her new fingers, she used her wings to wrap herself up with the blanket. “Okay, all done.”

“Great, now why would a changeling want to give you something like that?” Andrew asked.

“Who knows?” Rainbow said as Andrew helped her up. However, this only caused her to fall forward, wrapping her new arms around him. “Whoa whoa!”

“Whoa, easy there Dashie.”

She clung to him, looking a bit scared. “H-Help me to the bed?” she asked. He helped her to the bed. He looked over her new form, of course avoiding looking at her private bits. “Do I look like a human mare?” she asked curiously.

“Somewhat,” Andrew replied. “Some of the features are like human women, but you still have your fur, your head, mane and tail. And your cutie mark, too. You’re what humans call anthropomorphic, or a furry.”

“Well, do I look okay?” she asked, looking a bit worried.

“Actually, yeah, let's hope the pain strikes don’t become stronger in this form.”

“I don’t feel any more pain than normal,” she said, “and I just experienced the lightning strike pain ten or so minutes ago.”

“Still doesn’t answer why would a changeling give you this. But I will admit you do look awesome,”

She smirked a bit. “I always look awesome,” she said. “So, what do we do now?” She looked at her right hand and saw that the bracelet was now a ring on her middle finger. “Should I take this off?”

“No, let's see how well you can sleep in this form tonight,” Andrew said, getting in bed.

She nodded and slowly lay down, pressing herself against him like she normally would with someone she would sleep with. “Am I bigger than normal?”

“You’re roughly my size, maybe a couple inches shorter,” Andrew said.

“I guess I’m not a little pony anymore, eh?” she said with a chuckle.

“No, but you’re still an awesome one,” Andrew said, holding her close.

She blushed slightly before she lifted her blanket and covered both her and him. Her fur was soft and warm against him and she wrapped an arm and leg around him. “This is…oddly comfy,” she said.

“Agreed,” Andrew said, blushing as he felt her soft fur against him as they both snuggled together until they fell asleep.

Chapter 14: Head on Collision

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 15: Station Stops

[Haven City Train Station- Two Weeks Later]

Gregory stood on the station platform pacing back and forth. Nearby Rainbow Dash and Stacy sat on a bench, watching the human pace. Stacy looked down the tracks then to Rainbow Dash. “So, any idea what’s going on other than the first couple of supposed reform humans that are arriving?”

“No idea,” Rainbow said. “Ever since he moved in with me Andrew and Luna have been teleporting to Celestia knows where. When I asked, he only told me it’s a surprise. I assume maybe it’s coming on this train.”

Stacy shrugged before turning to Gregory. “So what kind of reformation test did you give the others?”

“It was more of Luna’s idea,” Gregory said as he turned back to them. “Basically, she arranged for each human to have a one on one conversation with Jason. They would be judged by their behavior. If they pass then Luna would give them approval to come here to attend the school and do some community service.”

“And for those that fail?” Rainbow asked.

“They will remain in Canterlot’s dungeon until they are deemed fit to leave or at the very least try not to have a hissy fit at Jason,” Gregory replied.

“Have you seen any of these tests?” Stacy asked.

“I only saw Bubba’s test,” Gregory began before letting out a chuckle. “He passed, but I think Jason was intimidated by his normal heavy size and muscle. Dude’s a fucking tank.”

“Ahem,” Stacy began tapping her head with a finger. “My troops kind of take that as an insult.”

“The voices in your head need to take a chill pill,” Gregory replied, “and to learn slang.”

Before anyone could say anything, a train whistle could be heard along with the traditional sound of an engine on the tracks. Steam could be seen coming from a smokestack as said train approached. When Gregory saw it, his eyes widened. “No fucking way…he didn’t…”

Rainbow squinted her eyes as she looked down the tracks. “That does not look like the friendship express or the Appaloosan Cannonball.”

“Or the Wabash Cannonball for that matter,” Gregory said. “It’s a steam engine, sure, but it looks more modern. And now I understand the surprise he mentioned.” He grinned. “Son of a bitch…”

The engine pulling the train was a steam locomotive but unlike Equestria’s normal train engines it had four small wheels up front, six big drive wheels, a headlamp mounted on the smokestack, and a fuel tender trailing behind.

“Who ordered a female version of Donald and Douglass?” Gregory asked with a chuckle as the train pulled into the station. He walked up to the engine, placing his hands on the side, and said, “Welcome back to the world of the living, Connie.”

“Oh damn it…I wanted to surprise you,” a voice complained, taking Rainbow and Stacy by surprise.

Gregory smiled as he ran his hand along the sleek new engine’s exterior. “You can’t hide that massive emotional presence from me. I’m so glad to see you, though. Love the makeover, by the way. It’s like stepping back in time.”

“You know what they say, old is gold,” a new voice said as a familiar figure stepped down from the cab.

Gregory turned to Andrew. “You sneaky bastard,” he said, “no wonder I didn’t sense grief from you these past two weeks!”

Andrew strolled up wearing a pair of overalls and a cap that said Union Pacific. “Not only was I busy with this project, but somepony was also teaching me how to handle steam trains. They’re a lot simpler here than on the Strasburg Railroad.”

“Oh God…are you seriously gonna start using everypony and somepony?” Gregory said. “So cringe…”

“Only when I’m talking about ponies, but don't worry, I'll refer to your mate as somedragon.”

“That’s still super cringe, but you do you,” he replied, “Or rather, you do Rainbow.” Gregory smirked.

Rainbow blushed hard at this and smacked Gregory with her wing. “Hey!”

Gregory laughed, then turned back to Andrew. “So, can Connie go full Transformers in this body like her old one?”

“That’s the thing, it turns out she was able to transform by my touch,” Andrew, still blushing from Gregory’s innuendo filled comment, explained. “Remember when we argued and I slammed my fist against her dashboard?”

“What about it?” Gregory asked.

“When I struck her dashboard I somehow imagined her as some transformer and I guess that's when she changed with us inside.”

“Interesting,” Gregory said before turning back to the carriages. “So, who do we have today?”

“According to Blueblood, only about a dozen succeeded,” Andrew replied. “Yeah, we still have a few stubborn stragglers. Some were less…violent than others.”

Gregory reached down to where Grogar’s Bell hung from his neck. “Well, they’re not yet getting their magic back, at least not until they learn more about how magic works.”

“Actually, they all don’t want it back,” Andrew explained. “They’d rather remain normal. Besides, they were corrupted like Jason was.”

“They were only corrupted due to their hatred of Jason, but alright.” Gregory looked at the bell again. “I’ll look for ways to spread the chaos magic into the air, but it won’t be going back to them ever again.”

“Why spread it when we can find a new carrier?” Andrew asked. “Someone who is willing to use chaos for good. If we spread it, it will find its way back together again.”

“Nope, not happening,” Gregory said. “If that’s the case, it’ll remain inside this bell until we can safely distribute it. The gathering chaos magic was a fluke anyway. The Gjallarhorn has been successfully spreading the rest.”

“If you say so,” Andrew said as they heard the carriage doors opening. The passengers consisted of many creatures including a few humans. Some of the humans took in the sight around them with awe, especially the massive Seeds of Yggdrasil school fortress in the west.

Among the few humans, a rather large one stepped out with six fluffy creatures clinging to him. He soon noticed Andrew and Gregory and walked up to them. “Hey,” he greeted. The fluffy ponies waved at them.

The pink and purple fluffy ponies leaped out of his arms and ran to Gregory, or rather the pink one ran and the purple one flew. They leaped into his arms and nuzzled him playfully. Gregory smiled and held them close. “These two obviously remember me.”

“Mithtah Gwegowy!” the pink one said.

“Hi again!” the purple one with wings and a horn said.

“Well now, you can talk already,” he commented, giving them both a warm smile and a peck on their cheeks. “You all must be very smart.”

“Pawty?” the pink one asked.

“Pink Cake, now is not the time,” Bubba said. “We have to get to our new home.”

“Where are you living?” Gregory asked as he continued letting the two who seemed to be the most attached to him nuzzle him.

“Oh, after my test I was supposed to be sent to some halfway house,” Bubba began, “but Applejack insisted I serve my community service helping out at her farm. Plus it has plenty of space there for the kiddies to play in.”

“Just be careful,” he said, “or I might take these two cuties.” He gave the Twilight fluffy pony and Pink Cake a kiss on their cheeks before placing them back on the ground.

“Yeah and don’t give Cozy a reason to be jealous,” Andrew teased.

“Hey, she’s got plenty of cool friends, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind having two extra fluffy siblings to snuggle with,” Gregory chuckled.

“Whose an awesome one? Whose an awesome one?” The group turned to see Rainbow Dash playing with her fluffy counterpart.

“We are! We are!” the Rainbow Dash fluffy pony said, her wings flapping excitedly as she hovered slightly off the ground.

“Well anyway, you guys know which way it is to New Acres?” Bubba asked.

“Oh, it’s on the northeastern side of town,” Gregory said. “The house and barn are carbon copies of Sweet Apple Acres, and I think I saw them building a new place yesterday. Probably your new home with the kiddies here.”

“Perfect thanks for that. Oh and uh thank you guys for putting in a good word for me.”

“Good child rearing services are in demand these days,” Gregory said, “especially with Fluttershy’s orphanage. Don’t be surprised if she needs help there.”

Bubba nodded and left with the fluffy ponies, or fluffies as they were beginning to be known, in tow. A moment later an earth pony stallion walked up. To the humans he looked like a ponified version of an old US President. “Ah, hello there, you must be Andrew,” the stallion said. “I’m Golden Spike, owner of the Equestrian Greater Railway.”

“Huh so that’s what the company is called,” Andrew said. “I was starting to think it was called Pontrak.”

“How did you know that we were planning on rebranding to that name?” Golden asked.

“I didn’t,” Andrew replied, “It was a guess and a joke about a similar company back home called Amtrak.”

Golden looked at him for a moment, then shook his head. “Well, I have seen this engine in action and I’m thoroughly impressed. It’s gone faster than anything we have and it’s a lot sturdier.”

“The design was a combination of both Equestrian engineering and American design,” Andrew said. “I did give the Baltimare workshops that book about the Baldwin locomotive works.”

As the two continued talking shop, Gregory began gesturing Rainbow, Stacy, and the other humans off of the platform. “We’ve lost him to the train. Train nerd.” He turned to the other humans. “Have you all gotten your assignments?”

They all nodded and began following the guards that arrived. Gregory was almost out of earshot when he heard Golden Spike saying. “Well I want to know if you're interested in coming to work for me?”

Andrew was surprised. “I don’t know…this is huge what you're offering. I knew you would take my ideas but I didn’t think I’d be getting an offer. I need time to think it over. You don't mind, do you?”

“Oh not at all,” Golden said. “I’m here on holiday for the week, so feel free to take your time.” With that, Golden grabbed his bags and walked down towards the town.

Andrew walked up to Gregory. “Does that guy remind you of anyone? I mean we do have pony Rick and Morty but he looks like someone real.”

“Looks like Grant,” Gregory said.

“Did you hear what he was offering? I wasn’t expecting my ideas to make this happen.”

“You’re beginning an industrial revolution,” Gregory said, “what did you expect to happen?”

“At least some of my ideas getting taken,” he said. “You know how on Earth some ideas were just stolen by strangers and the real thinkers get no recognition. I actually would’ve been alright with that.”

“That may still happen, but for the most part I’ve found that ponies don’t act as disreputable in business ventures,” Gregory said.

Andrew smirked. “Next I suppose there's a pony version of Elon Musk somewhere.”

“Elonged Musk here, actually,” Gregory replied, “although here he’s just getting started. And he isn’t as crazy as Elon is. It helps that there’s no Twitter here where he can make himself look like a complete moron.”

The two were about to leave when Cozy Glow fluttered on to the platform holding a scroll. She marveled at the new locomotive before turning to her daddy. “Hi Daddy, hi Uncle Andrew.”

Gregory picked her up and cradled her before looking at Andrew. “Looks like you’re now a part of Cozy’s family now.”

“We may have shared a few games of chess even though I prefer checkers,” Andrew said.

“She told me about those games,” Gregory said with a smirk. “She kicked your butt.”

“Well excuse me for trying to remember every piece’s role,” Andrew complained before looking at the scroll. “What's that you got there?”

“Oh right. It seems my old penpal sent me a letter. I think it’s about his new roommate.” Cozy opened the scroll and held it out for the three to read. ‘GET ME OUT OF HERE! I”LL CHANGE FOR THE BETTER! I’LL DO ANYTHING! JUST KEEP THIS BLABBERING LUNATIC AWAY FROM ME!’

“Yeah…I don’t feel sorry for Tirek,” Gregory said. “I actually drank that potion that lets you see into the past. He is guilty on all counts. And his grandfather Tirac was even worse.”

“Tirac?” Rainbow asked, “Who the hay’s that?”

“He was a villain in one of the very first ever My Little Pony cartoons,” Gregory explained. “In fact, I think a human saved the ponies from him. A young girl named Megan Williams. Although the cartoon got a few things off.”

“Yeah, Danny was a brony before it was cool,” Andrew said with a chuckle.

“Well, the three existed and saved Ponyland,” Gregory said, “but history lessons can wait.”

“But if me and Chrysalis were bad in the show and good here, Isn’t it possible for him to be reformed too?” Cozy asked with pleading eyes.

“I don’t think it works that way Cozy,” Andrew said.

“Not everything can be different here,” Gregory said. “Maybe someday he can really change, but that’s not our call. We’re not in Equestria here. We’re in the Neutral Lands, hundreds of miles away from Canterlot. We're closer to the Crystal Empire than we are to Equestria.”

Cozy looked down in sadness before she felt a hand under her chin. She looked up to see Andrew. “Chin up there Glow, maybe someday he will reform and maybe you can teach him,” Andrew said. That earned a smile from his honorary niece.

[Tartarus - Around The Same Time]

“Oh yes my beloved, I will happily reorganize your reports summarizing all your lessons hehehe,” Howard said from his cage as he rocked back and forth while holding a rock that had been carved to resemble Twilight Sparkle.

In another cage was Tirek. He didn’t know what was really happening, one moment it was quiet the next moment two guards came in and dropped another cage by his. All he knew now was that this newcomer was making his stay more unbearable. He tried his best to ignore him as he quietly wrote on another scroll. “Come on, somecreature, read this,” he pleaded.

“Oh hello neighborino, want to hear about my bedroom fantasies with my beloved again?” Howard asked as he looked at Tirek with a look that screamed insanity.

“NO!” Tirek screamed.

[Changeling Hive Reconstruction - Around The Same Time]

“We are proceeding on schedule, your majesties. The new nursery and your master bedroom are almost completed,” Thorax reported.

“Almost isn’t good enough!” Chrysalis snapped.

“Hey hey, ease up on them.” Jason said, putting a hand on the humanoid Chrysalis’ shoulder, “you can’t rush them.”

“No no you’re right,” Chrysalis said with a sigh, “it’s the mood swings.” Chrysalis transformed into her normal self, her belly showing a slight bulge.

“And maybe some other frustrations?” Jason asked. “Like us not having any soundproof room or privacy these past weeks?”

“Don’t remind me,” she groaned. “It's bad enough feeling discomfort in my human form with our child, but it’s getting harder every time.”

“I’m here, okay?” Jason said tenderly as he put a hand on her back, rubbing up and down.

Chrysalis returned the gesture by nuzzling him then she smiled at him.”The medics have the results of which sex.”

“Really? Boy or girl?” he asked.

“We’re going to have a daughter, and I know the name you’ll love for her,” she said, smiling warmly.

“Really? What?” he asked.

“Susie, after your niece,” she said as she placed a hoof on her belly.

Tears formed in his eyes as he hugged her. “You’d do that for me?” he asked.

“You’ve been through too much. I think you deserve this.”

“Awww…” said the drones who gathered around.

“Hey! Lollygaggers won’t have a bed to sleep in if they slack off!”

Jason chuckled. “Let them have this, okay?” he said.

“Oh right, I almost forgot,” Thorax said as he reached into his saddlebags with his magic. “Some pony by the name of Golden Spike has been sending these letters to world leaders.”

He presented a scroll., which Jason took. He broke the seal, opening it as he held it up for him and Chrysalis to see. It was a contract to allow construction of a trans-continental railroad connecting the various nations. At the bottom was a line with the words 'Ruler signature and homeland here.’ “Those train obsessed humans actually got the attention of someone,” Jason chuckled.

“I thought it was just one. That engineer Andy,” Chrysalis said.

“Andrew, but they’re all somewhat obsessed with trains,” Jason said. “Still, a train station near the hive…I dunno. I kinda like our privacy.”

“Well to be honest traveling by flying can sometimes be turbulent,” Chrysalis said. “Besides, maybe Ocellus wants to bring friends to study.”

“We’re gonna have to spruce the place up a bit then,” Jason said.

“Should we add a train station to the reconstruction plans then?” Thorax asked.

“I think we should and maybe have our first train here bring construction supplies. We might run out,” Chrysalis said, looking towards the piles of stone that were being used for the reconstruction.

Jason looked at the stones and nodded as he grabbed a quilt and signed his name. Chrysalis signed as well, then resealed it. “Send this back to the sender,” Jason said.

Thorax saluted and took to the sky, leaving the royal couple in the barely built office room. “We should probably patch up this hole in the wall next.”

Jason nodded in agreement and they got back to it.

[New Acres - Later That Evening]

It was decided that night that a party should be held on the farm. The many humans came and immediately started acquainting themselves with the locals. The one human who had lived there the longest spent his time mingling with his friends, although for some reason whenever he saw Ember she was having some sort of conversation with a nervous looking Twilight. The conversation looked serious, so instead he spent time with Pinkie, giving her headpats which she enjoyed immensely.

At some point a random human walked up. “Can I give headpats too?”

“Me next,” said another human.

“Hey ladies first you guys,” said a female one.

Pinkie looked up at the other humans coming over to her, and her smile widened. “Hey, there’s plenty Pinkie for everyone!” she said as she slowly got off of Gregory’s lap and lay on a nearby couch. “I’m all yours.”

“God, that sounds a lot like the start of a gangbang porno,” Gregory said quietly to himself as he stood from his seat to find something to eat. As he was walking, he nearly walked right into Applejack. “Whoa there, partner,” he said, narrowly avoiding running into her rump with his legs, “almost hit ya.”

“Oh howdy there, Gregory, enjoying the party?” Applejack asked.

He nodded with a smile. “It’s nice to unwind with some Pinkie Pie cuddle time, but she’s got some more humans giving her headpats now. Food’s great, and the music is pretty banging. Only thing I’m missing is Ember. She’s been talking a lot with Twilight recently. Any idea why? It’s like anytime I see Twilight she’s talking with Ember.”

“I don’t know, I’ve been more focused on getting the new farmhand settled in along with his munchkins.”

“Ah yeah, the fluffies,” Gregory chuckled. “It was sweet of you to give Tinyjack a small replica of your Stetson. She absolutely loves that thing.”

“Well, you can also thank Rarity for that. Bubba himself has been a huge help as well. He’s like my brother in a way. Real gentle giant he is,” she said.

“Yeah, having children can really mellow a guy like that out, especially six cute terrors like those. They’re all like little versions of you guys, so imagine how hard it is to keep them in check.”

They both shared a laugh before Gregory noticed Andrew talking to Golden Spike, the latter of which just nodded and turned to leave smiling while doing so. Andrew then turned and walked up to the snack table for food. “That guy’s been busy with business all evening,” Gregory said. “Dude needs to chill and relax.”

“I’m right here you know,” Andrew said as he picked up a potato chip.

Gregory looked around, as if looking for the source of the sound. “Someone say something?” He then looked down at Andrew. “Ah, there he is!” He clapped Andrew on the shoulder. “Welcome back to the party!”

“What do you mean? I’ve been here, Golden just wanted to talk before going back to the inn.”

“You’ve been talking business all night, so no, you’ve not been here. Not really, anyway.”

“It was just a quick chat, I just wanted to tell him I accept his offer under a few small conditions,” Andrew said.

“Well, now that you’re really back, wanna try something that you haven’t experienced yet?” Gregory smirked.

“Like what?” Andrew asked.

Gregory’s smirk deepened. “Two questions first. One, how’s your singing voice, and two, how many MLP fan songs do you know?”

“You heard me sing that Boxcar song before Jason was captured,” Andrew answered.

“I meant how’s your singing voice tonight,” Gregory asked.

“Might be good but I barely remember a few songs by the bronies,” Andrew replied.

“Eh, that doesn’t matter,” Gregory chuckled before he stepped away. “You’ll pick it up!”

“Hmm… Actually there is this one song that still plays in my head for this day,” Andrew grinned.

“What song?” Gregory asked.

“Stand back and get ready for some dubtrot. Ever heard of Twenty Percent Cooler?”

Gregory grinned. “You should stand back singing partner.” He then began snapping fast, and music came from everywhere. “Excellent choice.”

There was a brief silence before a light from nowhere shined on Andrew. “Yeah I own this beat!”

A light then shone onto Gregory as the music continued. He grinned and joined Andrew as the two began singing in unison and dancing in perfect sync. “You can call me the king or the ruler! Felon on bass, getting hoarse at the mic! We're getting twenty percent cooler! We had a great day out, calling my name like Ferris Bueller! It's time to wrap this up! We're getting 20 percent cooler!”

Many walks of life looked to the singing pair as Andrew picked up a mic and spoke in a robotic voice. “We’re getting 20 percent cooler!”

The nearby DJ stand immediately blasted the sound as Vinyl Scratch worked her magic. Many creatures started dancing. Some of Stacy’s tanks were shooting confetti randomly. Gregory even saw one human doing the Fortnite default dance.

“Seven colors in your hair! Get your boots on dear 'cause we're going out there. Don't care 'bout the dress code. Put it on, let's go. Girls go wild cause we're going al fresco." Andrew sang.

“Ha!” Gregory laughed before singing. “No need to perform. Hands on our bodies gonna keep our skills warm. We need social reform 'cause we're just so criminal, Linguist subliminal, damage is minimal.”

Andrew smirked as he continued. “Top percentile, largest fraction, massive attraction, girl-on-girl action. Stop that, I'm gonna need a redaction. Drop that, you already got your reaction.”

Gregory pointed to himself. “Me? I'm gonna keep on smiling”

Andrew pointed to the crowd. “You? You're gonna need restyling. I got the quote back. From the jeweler. You're getting 20 percent cooler.”

The sounds were doing nothing but keeping everyone dancing.

“You can call me the king or the ruler! Felon on bass, getting hoarse at the mic! We're getting twenty percent cooler! We had a great day out, calling my name like Ferris Bueller! It's time to wrap this up! We're getting twenty percent cooler!”

To Gregory’s surprise he even saw Ember dancing like there was no tomorrow.

“Reduce that treble, there's an eight or a nine who think they're on my level. Like a rebel in a bunker getting shelled with a mortar. Bump up and down 'cause I think you ought'a place your hand on my thigh. Don't be coy, I can hear you sigh. Grinding your hips, I'll be flashing my pink and in ten seconds flat you'll be back with a drink. Wooo!”

“Bring out the Bacardi! Twilight, Sparkle, up in the party!” Andrew sang pointing at Twilight.

“Tap that, like a phone in the Cold War! Room on the third floor, knocking at my front door!”Gregory sang.

“Me? I'm kind of a rarity,” Andrew pointed at Rarity.

“You? Work that dexterity!” Gregory sang pointing to the crowd.

“Lean back now, here's what I meant. Getting cooler by 20 percent!” They both sang.

“We're getting twenty percent cooler!”

The whole mood of that party could be described as awesome and thrilling.

“We're getting twenty percent cooler!”

The music began dying down as the crowd applauded the two. Gregory offered a fist bump at Andrew who returned it. “Hey, have you taught them the thriller when Nightmare Night came?” Andrew asked.

“Nah, but we can always sing ‘This is Nightmare Night, it is such a fright, ponies scream by the dead of the night,” Gregory replied, “or we could do ‘Welcome fillies and gentlecolts, there’s no reason to scream, your favorite princess is back, she’s walking up on the scene’ or so many more.”

“Nah, I miss listening to Michael Jackson. Let’s put on his thriller when Nightmare Night comes,” Andrew suggested.

Soon the party was winding down and many were returning home. Andrew helped with tidying things up when he heard what sounded like a talk between Twilight, Ember, and Gregory outside.

Gregory had just left to look for Ember, and when he had, he found the two standing outside in the moonlight underneath a nearby apple tree looking quite serious. Ember looked incredibly serious while Twilight looked a bit more nervous. He knocked on the house to get their attention. “Hey, is everything okay out here?”

The two looked over to Gregory. “Everything’s fine Gregory but…” Twilight said before clearing her throat and looking at Ember who nodded, ”but we need to talk.”

Hearing the seriousness in her tone, Gregory walked down to them. “Sure, I don’t mind,” he said.

Andrew heard this and attempted to listen in. Only one thought crossed his mind. ‘What is going on with those two?’

Gregory joined them near the tree. “So, what is it?” he asked.

Ember took a deep breath, then exhaled. “Remember when we first met and what I said about herds and hoards?” she asked.

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “Um…yeah, you pretty much said you didn’t like the idea of them and that there was no way that you and I would do something like that. Why?”

Ember placed a claw on Gregory’s shoulder, then brought him under the tree before pushing him gently but firmly onto the ground. “Listen to what winged Twilight has to say.”

Andrew raised a brow as he watched from behind another tree. ‘Does she still confuse Starlight and Twilight or is she colorblind to the stripes in their manes?’

Gregory looked towards Twilight, noticing how nervous she looked. “Teach?” He’d taken to calling her that during their daily magic lessons together as a term of endearment. In fact, he had a few terms he used like that with her. “You look like you’re about to go full ‘Want It, Need It’. Your mane’s a mess.”

Andrew placed the pieces together in his head as he grinned and thought ‘This is gonna get juicy.’ All he could do was sit back and watch the magic happen.

Gregory could only watch as Twilight inched herself closer to him. Already Gregory could hear her breathing and could feel her breath. “Easy there, Twi,” he said, looking a bit worried as he reached down and took her front hooves, “take some deep breaths. Relax and calm down.” He began to brush her mane with his hands.

“I’m calm, I’m calm,” Twilight said before she closed her eyes and moved her muzzle closer to Gregory’s face.

He looked a bit startled by this because such affections weren’t given out lightly by her. Sure, ponies loved to nuzzle, but Twilight always was a bit more reserved. “Twi?”

‘What’s going on here, a love triangle?’ Andrew asked in his mind.

“Ugh, Faust, just come out and tell him, pony,” Ember said, clearly finding this irritating, “we talked about this!”

“I love you!” Twilight finally said.

Gregory looked stunned at this. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Finally, he looked up at Ember, who just sighed and sat down next to him. “This is not easy for me,” she growled before she took his arm and pulled him against her. “I know you two are close friends, but I guess-well, I’ll let her explain it.”

“Explain what? Is there still a bit of Howard’s spell in you or something?” Gregory asked. “Twi, ever since you were released from Howard’s spell you’ve been acting odd. You sure you’re okay?”

“I…I don’t know. Ever since we came back things have felt different. Even more different than the building of Haven City,” Twilight explained.

Gregory gently led her to sit next to her underneath the single apple tree. “Have you talked to anyone about this?”

“I spoke to Rainbow Dash about it,” Twilight said, “and her experience with Andrew so far has taught me something. I shouldn't hide my true feelings.”

“Never thought you’d talk with Rainbow about this, but whatever works best for you I’m all for it,” he said, “but why me? Didn’t you understand that Ember doesn’t like herds or hoards?”

“We’ll have more talks about that later,” Ember said, “just let the Starlight with wings talk.”

“I realized these feelings while under Howard’s spell,” Twilight began. “I’ve enjoyed being your teacher more than anything I ever experienced.”

“Even more than when you used to be Starlight’s teacher?” Gregory asked.

“Well you never started out as a time traveling saboteur,” Twilight said sheepishly.

“And here I thought you made up,” Gregory said.

“You were different,” Twilight said, “you were eager to learn and you used whatever you learned to help me and you even let two strangers help us despite having ulterior motives.”

“If you mean Andrew and Stacy, that was because you’ve been helping me develop my ability to experience emotions from sentient and sapient species,” Gregory said.

“Exactly, you used what you learned and applied them. That makes me more than proud of you.”

Gregory smiled. “My magic may not be like pony magic, but you really stepped up and helped me with learning a magic you didn’t know. I’ve enjoyed being your student.” He inhaled, then exhaled. “I can sense your fear right now, but more than that I can sense determination and affection and romantic love. It feels…different than Ember’s type of romantic love, though. Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” he quickly added as Ember growled and pulled him closer.

“Well if it also means anything I also find it…attractive the way you snap back to a jovial attitude despite what life throws at you,” Twilight blushed.

He chuckled. “It’s something I’ve had to learn how to do. I used to have a messy life. I had parents who didn’t care about me and a girlfriend who constantly cheated on me and gaslit me. Not only that, but I had a job that treated me like crap. I’ve got a better life here than I ever did back on Earth. That’s probably why the chaos magic latched onto me and my desire to come to Equestria overwhelmed me. But even so, even after that chaos spell on me was broken, I still love being here. This world is so much like my own in so many beautiful ways, but in other ways it’s super different. I love to explore and see things that couldn’t exist in my world. I guess in that way, you could consider me a nerd.” He smiled sheepishly.

Twilight was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. “And all that is a reason…is why I’m in love with you.”

Gregory was silent, taking this all in. Beside her, he felt Ember let go. “Twilight here has been very persistent in talking to me about…opening things up,” she said. “I know that there are dragons who can live in a hoard, and I know I said that I couldn’t do it, but…” She sighed before continuing, “I’ve watched your magic lessons a few times. I may have trouble distinguishing ponies from each other, but I can tell this one has it bad for you. I am…willing…to give this a try, but only if it’s her. It’s a trial only, got it?”

Gregory looked completely worried. He loved Ember with all of his heart, that much was certain, but could he even consider this? He looked at Twilight, then back at Ember. Now it was his turn to look scared. His legs curled up and he hugged them. “Fucking hell…” he muttered.

Andrew just continued to watch the scene intently. He knew after tonight he would either go home smiling or walk home in disappointment if this potential romance failed.

From where he stood, however, it seemed like Gregory was having a slight panic attack, which he was. It didn’t look serious, but Gregory had his hands in his hair, tugging at it and trying to breathe normally to calm down. “Shit, oh shit…oh God…”

‘Oh come on’ Andrew thought, ‘you summoned a snow storm, fought against a godzilla sized beast and you can’t handle this?’

Ember, on the other hand, surprisingly seemed to understand. “Gregory…I know this isn’t easy…” she put a claw on his shoulders then gestured at Twilight to come help.

Twilight placed her hoof on his other shoulder. “I understand if you don’t want this, but all I want from you now is honesty,” she said.

He took a few breaths, finally seeming to relax. “Twi, this is kinda sudden, I’ll admit,” he said shakily, “but…if I’m serious about even thinking about pursuing this, I’m gonna do it my way. And my way may be…a way you’ll actually enjoy, to be honest.”

Twilight perked up from that. “And what way is that?”

“I need to learn whatever there is to learn about how herds work in this world,” he said, before turning to Ember. “We both do.” Ember scowled, but slowly nodded as he turned back to Twilight. “I’m not completely saying no to this, but I have to build up my knowledge about how they work here. Not only that, but Ember is clearly not completely on board with this, and her happiness matters to me. If there is a way for all three of us to be happy in some kind of three way relationship, I’m willing to seriously consider it, but if not, I’ll put my foot down and have to turn you down. Do you understand, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight was silent for a long moment then slowly nodded.

Gregory reached over and wrapped his alicorn magic teacher and friend into a hug. “Will you help me and Ember learn?”

“I will,” Twilight simply said as she smiled and let a few tears stream down.

Gregory’s grip on her tightened. “No matter what happens, Twi, I will always care for you. You were my very first friend in this world despite you not telling me about Jason. You’ve been helping me with my magic and in some of my other studies about this world. Rainbow’s been increasingly calling me a ‘taller egghead’, which is something that the eavesdropper behind that other tree over there can talk with her about!” Gregory’s glance shifted to where Andrew was hiding.

“DOH!” Andrew said as he walked out of his hiding spot. “Has anyone ever told you your emotional reading powers are a bit excessive?”

“And has anyone ever told you not to listen in on private conversations that don’t involve you?” Gregory retorted.

Ember was on her feet, growling at Andrew. “How much did you hear?” she snapped.

Andrew looked at his watch “About ten minutes worth, which is most of the talk.”

Gregory, with a now scared Twilight still in his arms, sighed and reached out, touching Ember’s arm. “No bloodshed tonight,” he said, “we’ll get our revenge on him another way.”

Andrew gulped but remained calm. “Sorry about that, but you weren’t the only one who was concerned with Twilight’s behavior. Besides, I wanted to share with you some exciting news for the future.”

“What, is Rainbow pregnant now?” Gregory asked with a small smirk.

“First off, I hope that was your revenge,” Andrew said, “and secondly no. It’s about a special project that is going to connect the world in more ways than one.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“During my time in Baltimare, me and several others were hoping to extend the railroads to many nations that agree to be connected and according to Celestia, it seems my speech has somehow encouraged many leaders to reopen their hearts to Equestria, even Queen Novo.”

“Hmm…that seem a bit too good to be true,” Gregory said, “not the extending the railroads, good for you on that, but the reopening of hearts to Equestria part. A couple of right things that Equestria did doesn’t right the wrongs that make an entire millenia of speciesism and xenophobia created. It’s a decent first gesture, sure, but this will take a long, long time.”

“Well the whole world was under the huge threat of a monster willing to turn this planet into a new star.”

“Yes, but it will still take years, perhaps a decade or two,” Gregory replied. “Still, this is a start.”

“You may say it might take years but according to my new boss, many leaders have signed a contract, even Jason.”

“Again, that’s a good start,” Gregory said, “but it will still be a bit slow going. Keep up the work, though.”

“I will,” he said before he perked up more. “Oh! and some surveyors have discovered a beautiful coast that will make a lovely tourist spot. I guess you can assume what this location will be called.”

“Ah, I’ve seen the very place when I flew around there,” he said. “I call it Maritime Bay, just like I called the forest near Haven City Briarwood and those beautiful mountains over yonder I called Zephyr Heights.”

Ember rolled her eyes. “I swear…you’re insufferable sometimes.”

“And yet, you still love me regardless,” Gregory teased, reaching down and putting an arm around her lower waist.

She let out a brief breath of fire before relaxing. “The things I do for you…”

[Haven City Library - A Month Later]

“Spike, it’s not like Twilight to be running so late,” Gregory said to the young dragon as he sat in the main part of the library while waiting for Twilight to come downstairs. “Is she really okay up there?”

“Uh… I think so,” Spike said. “She said she needed privacy for something she thinks I won’t understand.”

Gregory smirked. “I’m guessing you know a loooot more than even she thinks you do, especially about more adult topics?”

Spike blushed as he scratched the back of his head. “Well, Stacy may have given me a lesson about the human female body.”

“I’d have thought that would have been Gabby, considering you two are always together,” he said.

“Well… hey! What I do with her is my business alone.”

“Of course it is,” Gregory said, “and I’m happy you found someone you can be happy with, dragon boy. I knew she was a happy-go-lucky griffin from the show, but I’ve never seen her happier.”

Spike smiled but soon a door was heard closing from nearby and out came Twilight Sparkle. However, the version of her that came out was one that Gregory hadn’t expected. He’d seen Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry walking around with those changeling rings that let them become anthropomorphic versions of themselves, and it had amused him when the two of them had begun wearing clothing similar to their human counterparts. Still, he never expected Twilight to do the same. Her outfit was practically identical to the one he knew about from Equestria Girls with the addition of some holes in the clothing where her tail and wings could comfortably pop out of. She was about a couple of inches shorter than he was, and in her new form she was rather attractive.

“…Wow…” was his initial reaction. Part of him was impressed. She’d come a long way from the human hating mare she’d first been when she’d first gone to the human world. If she was willing to do this, then she had either grown a whole lot more, loved him enough to do this, or most likely both. “This is a big surprise. I didn’t expect this.”

“Yeah…Chrysalis was surprised too when I asked her to give me one of those rings,” Twilight said sheepishly.

“Can I ask why you wanted to get one?” he asked, curious to hear her reason.

“I thought maybe I could see what it's like walking and having fun in this form. Rainbow described cuddling in this as comfortable.”

Gregory chuckled at this and nodded. “Well, do you have a bathing suit for that body?” he asked, “because we did have plans to go for a dip in the lake later, remember? It’s already pretty hot outside.”

Twilight said nothing but reached into her room and pulled out a swimsuit on a hanger. “Will this suffice? I had Rarity do a rush job on this.”

Gregory looked at it, then chuckled. “A one piece is so you, and that will do perfectly. Hope you’re ready for a nice leisurely day.” He held out his arm towards her. “You ready?”

Twilight took his arm and followed him outside. As they left, Spike turned to a certain filly who was reading a book. “Don’t you feel kinda weird about this?”

“Dunno, are you feeling jealous?” Cozy asked.

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that,” Spike deadpanned.

“Well I’ll pretend you did hear it,” Cozy teased back before going back to her reading.

Outside the sun was nearing noon, and the temperature continued to rise. The day promised to be a hot one and Gregory found himself already sweating a bit. He was wearing a pair of shorts, a t-shirt with a picture of the original U.S.S. Enterprise on it and was wearing a black stetson. As he and Twilight walked arm in arm, he turned to her. “So…have you seen Shining’s and Cadance’s new twins yet?”

“They’re my family, of course I heard,” Twilight responded. “I think one of them was named after an OC from your fandom. Skyla Heart Sparkle, I believe?”

“Not really an OC,” he said, “but it was an actual toy Hasbro made when they hadn’t settled on the name Flurry Heart. I still can’t believe they actually took my suggestion seriously.”

“You mean like how the Baltimare workshops took Andrew’s suggestions from that book,” Twilight said.

He laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right about that.” He held out his hand and it began to cool around them as he cast a slight mist around the two of them. “God, I love having the ability to be a magical AC unit,” he joked.

“And you’re mastering it more well, my padawan,” Twilight teased with a giggle.

“I’ve turned two people into monsters,” he groaned, “first Ember and now you.” He reached out and ran a hand playfully through her mane. “Oh?” He noted something, and brought his hand to his nose. “New shampoo?”

“Yeah,” Twilight nodded. “It’s something Sunset gave me from the human world. I thought it would be nice to try it.”

“What’s it called?” he asked, giving her his full attention.

“She didn’t say the name but she said she found it at someplace called a Whole Source Market.”

“Damn, then it must have cost an arm and a leg,” he muttered.

As they got close to the lake they heard a new voice. “Well look what the cat dragged in.” It was Rainbow Dash as she stood on a rock near the water. She too was in her anthro form and wearing a rainbow colored bikini. Her mane was already wet.

Gregory turned to her, grinning. “Sup, Skittles?”

“Nothing much, just trying out these new skills Andrew taught me,” she said as she stretched her arms.

“What skills?” Gregory asked. Rainbow still hadn’t regained any ability to fly yet, although she could glide a bit if she really tried.

“Just this,” she said as she jumped off the rock and did a corkscrew dive into the water.

“That reminds me, you probably don’t know how to swim in this form, do you Twilight?” Gregory asked.

“I don’t think it's that different,” she said

“Don’t underestimate your new body,” he said as he turned and called out to Rainbow, who had just broke the surface again, “Skittles! Can you help Twilight here into her bathing suit?”

“Can’t you do it? I only learned how to put this two piece suit on with Andrew’s help.”

He nodded, then turned to Twilight. “Let’s go to the changing rooms.”

A few very awkward minutes later the two emerged. Twilight’s face was as red as Big Mac’s fur. Gregory was blushing a bit too. “Sorry that it was so awkward in there,” he apologized. “It’s hard to help put on something when I’m trying not to…check you out.”

“Let’s agree not to bring this up with Ember,” she said out of embarrassment.

“You know we can’t do that,” Gregory said softly, taking her hand in his and squeezing. “The biggest thing we’ve learned about herding is communication. I’ll tell her about it and help her understand that nothing happened between us, okay?”

Twilight nodded and the two joined Rainbow in the water. Gregory was wearing a simple dark light blue pair of trunks with some white stripes on the side. When he got into the water, he chuckled at how warm it already was. He turned and took Twilight’s hands. “Let’s see if you can swim in this new body.”

It was a little difficult at first but Slowly, with a little additional help from Rainbow, she was starting to get the hang of swimming. Gregory stayed by her side as they went deeper into the water, holding her hands and watching to make sure she didn’t panic. However, Twilight was a quick study and soon she was going through the water with Gregory, laughing and splashing him and Rainbow around. Gregory then turned to Rainbow. “Say, if you’re in this form right now, where’s Andrew?”

“Oh I just wanted to practice in this form. He's with that Railroad Tycoonist setting up his new office in town. He was originally going to have some office in Canterlot but he insisted on working closer to his friends here.”

“That guy seriously loves trains,” he chuckled.

“Heads up!” another new voice said as a light blue blur dove right into the water. Steam rose from the spot and Ember suddenly came up, snorting out smoke from her nose. “Faust, this water’s cold! How do you stand it?”

“We can’t all be able to swim in lava like you can, babe,” Gregory said.

Ember waved her claw dismissively before noticing the new form Twilight had. She pointed at the alicorn. “You. We need to have a talk.”

As the two left the water, Rainbow turned to Gregory. “What did she do this time?”

“I don’t know,” Gregory said, “but I can sense that Ember’s reached some sort of conclusion.”

On the shores, Ember’s body was steaming as she made the water on her scales evaporate with her heat before turning to a clearly scared looking Twilight. “Relax, human Twilight,” she said, “I’m not here because I’m angry about anything.”

“Oh? Then what’s going on?” she asked.

Ember took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “I know I’ve been difficult to deal with lately, or well, more than usual,” she said. “Gregory’s told me as much. So first of all, I wanted to apologize for real, not those other half apologies I’ve given you.”

“Oh, it’s fine, Ember. Wait, are you apologizing about how many times you confuse me for Starlight or just getting mad in general?”

“That last part, but mostly about how I’ve been possessive over my mate-I mean, over Gregory,” she corrected herself. “When I stormed off last week, I went back home to talk to some of the more well known dragons who have a hoard. I’ve been…well, I did bring them here to talk, but I was being too stubborn to listen. Argh! This is so frustrating!” She stomped around, clearly agitated.

“Don’t worry, Ember, I understand. I agree things have been difficult but I’m glad we’re making strides in understanding things better.”

“Yeah…about that,” Ember began, “remember what I said a month ago about how if I accept this that it would only be the three of us? Nobody else?”

“Yeah? You also said this was a trial,” Twilight added.

She inhaled deeply, then nodded. “I am…willing to accept you two becoming a bit more…physical with each other. That doesn’t mean taking him to bed!” she said quickly. “I’ve seen how you make him happy in your own way, but I’ve also noticed that he hasn’t given me any less attention.”

“Of course he does, you are his fiancée and his true lover,” Twilight said smiling.

“Yes, yes he is,” Ember agreed proudly, “but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible for you to join in on that.” She growled. “Argh! Just…go over to him and kiss him already! I know you want to!”

Twilight hugged Ember for a bit. “I’ll make this up to you later,” she said quickly before letting her go and dashing back to the water.

Gregory watched as Twilight shot up into the sky. “Whoa, she’s moving pretty fast,” he said to Rainbow.

“She is and I don’t think she’s slowing down. I think she’s speeding… uh oh…Watch out!”

Gregory ducked out of the way, or tried to as he was tackled, sending the two into the water. Eventually the two came up for air. “Gah! Warn a guy next time, Twi,” he groaned.

“Sorry, I got excited that I can now do something special,” she said nervously.

“You can do something special?” he repeated in confusion. Suddenly he felt a pair of lips touch his. His eyes widened as Twilight threw her arms around him as the two tread water together. He looked over at Ember, who simply nodded with a small smile. He closed his eyes and pulled Twilight closer, deepening the kiss.

Rainbow watched them in utter disbelief. She then looked to the clocktower in the distance. “Uh excuse me!” she said as she quickly dashed out of the water.

When the two broke the kiss, Gregory looked into the light purple eyes of the mare in front of him. “Heh…now we know how to get rid of Rainbow,” he joked.

Twilight then looked to the clock tower. “Actually, I think I know why she left in a hurry.”

Gregory looked at the time, then nodded in realization. “Oh, right.”

Meanwhile, Andrew was reading something in his new office when all of a sudden a mare in a bikini came charging through the door. “Rainbow what are you-?”

“You! Me! Time! Now!”

Next thing Andrew knew he felt the lips of the mare he loved crash into his. He looked at the clock and immediately tickled her while swinging her around. After a solid minute he stopped. “Well that was one way to make an entrance. Do I really make the shocks less painful like that?”

“I still feel them but with you. They make our cuddle sessions more intense and awesome.”

Andrew just laughed. “Well if the calendars are right you only have like two or three months left. Maybe they’ll be gone on the day of the ceremony.”

Rainbow gave him a confused look. “What ceremony?”

“A little celebration, my colorful lover.”

“Are you gonna keep me in the dark here, Andy boy?” she asked.

“Don’t worry, you’ll see soon enough,” he chuckled.

[Yggdrasil Classroom - One Month Later]

Stacy stood in front of the class she taught once a week, a class the head teacher Starlight Glimmer had approved of after much deliberation. Next to her was an object covered by a sheet. “Morning everycreature,” she began, “in today’s lesson I’m going to teach how to defeat…” she then pulled the sheet off to reveal a strange looking tank. “..the Maus.”

The class just stared at the strange looking tank as Stacy continued. “The first thing you should know is that the armor is thicker than any shield in the army. The German army knew this would come in handy but as Gregory told you one time even with a tank this strong the Germans couldn’t win. Any questions so far? Yes, you in the back.”

“If it’s so strong how was it able to be defeated?” Smolder asked.

“Good question,” Stacy said. “In order to defeat the Maus it’s a good idea not to attack from the front, nor the side, or even from behind. No, the best way to defeat a Maus…is from above.”

Suddenly Flash Sentry popped out from behind the desk with a hammer and attempted to bash the top only for the hammer to bounce off and go flying out a window. “Flash…honey…that’s not what I meant,” Stacy deadpanned.

The entire class giggled at Flash’s expense. “Right. Just kidding. Here, look.” Flash then placed a firecracker on top only for it to blow but the only thing it did was leave a tiny pile of ash on the tank.

Stacy just rolled her eyes. “Okay, maybe it’s best to show you all outside.”

Soon the class was outside and the Maus was surrounded by a few additional tanks. “Alright boys, fire when ready!”

BOOM!

The class had to shield their eyes and ears from the barrage of shells that exploded around the Maus. Stacy looked pleased as the smoke cleared. “Sometimes a straightforward attack is all it takes. I'm sure that was enough to destroy the…Maus.” Stacy deadpanned as the smoke cleared to reveal an undamaged Maus.

She turned to the class. “Anyone want to try an idea? Remember there are no dumb ideas so don’t be afraid to speak up.”

A few claws, hooves, and talons rose up. Stacy looked over and picked one. “You there.”

“Um…hit it ‘till it dies?” a young griffin asked.

“No, incorrect. On Earth, this machine isn’t usually alive. Anyone else? You there, What's your idea?”

“Perhaps…figure out how to weaken it from below?” a changeling asked.

“Ah, land mines! Perfect Idea!” Stacy exclaimed.

A few minutes later small landmines were placed on the ground in front of the Maus. The tank crept slowly on the ground and within a few seconds it was exploding with every few inches. “Perfect the moment the treads come loose it won’t have a reason to go on. Every tank with the exception of a few have treads to navigate their way through-”

“Uh, Miss?”

“Yes, Gallus?”

“The tank is still moving and it’s still undamaged.”

Stacy turned to see the Maus still moving despite running over all the mines. “What?!”

The tank stopped and turned to Stacy and spoke in a German accent. “It zeems effen mein dezigner didn’t offerlook ein zing effen ven it comes to mein undercarriage.”

Stacy facepalmed and turned to the class. “Anyone else want to try an idea?”

An hour or so later, Stacy could only watch in disappointment as the class just resorted to hitting the Maus with baseball bats, all of which broke after a while. Ocellus walked up holding a broken bat. “Sorry Ma’am.”

Gregory appeared from the air, flanked by Twilight and Ember. “So, remind me again why you wanted to teach a class about human weapons and such?” he asked Stacy.

“I thought it would be fun,” she said, “besides don’t kids like explosions these days?”

“This isn’t Earth,” Gregory said, “but eh, your call. And the only children I know who enjoy explosions are the CMC. Those teen fillies are chaos incarnate.”

The rest of the class walked up with the tank travelling with them. Stacy just looked down at the tank. “You’re one tough cookie. You know that?”

“I am, but desbite not destroying me your class zeemed to haffe fun,” The tank then turned to the class. “Come, mein new friends, choin me for ein drink.”

The group started making their way back to the school. Stacy just smiled. “Well with all I showed and with all we could do. I can safely say nothing destroys the Maus, absolutely nothing.”

Suddenly Fluttershy flew up to them. “Oh, I know how to destroy a weapon.”

“You? Fluttershy?” Stacy asked before turning to Gregory. “Is she serious?”

Gregory shrugged, “Hey, let’s give her a shot. Go ahead, Flutters.”

Fluttershy smiled and hugged the turret of the tank before hovering above. “Really? You honestly think that would-”

BOOM!

Everyone turned to see the Maus in pieces. Despite it being blown up, it was still alive as it let out a groan. “Loffe hurts.”

Stacy just stared before she let out a response. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?”

“Magic, girl,” Gregory smirked, “it’s pretty sweet.”

“But we tried unicorn and changeling magic… how?”

“Did you try the magic of friendship?” Gregory smiled.

Stacy just looked at Gregory with a deadpan look. “You think Andrew still has that Jack Daniels bottle?”

“If not, I can get you some of the Apple family’s new Applejack Daniels,” Twilight suggested.

“That would be nice,” Stacy said.

[Canterlot - One Month Later]

In a fancy conference room located in a large business building in Equestria’s capital, many ponies and a lone human sat at a long table looking over sheets of paper scattered everywhere. One stallion turned to the only human in the room. “Have you had a chance to review the updated proposals, Mister Wilberts?”

“I have, Mister Streak, and suffice to say I’m not happy with some of these new proposals,” Andrew said with a stern look.

“Oh? What seems to be the problem?” Silver Streak asked.

“Judging by these projections,” Andrew said, “we seem to be putting a lot of focus into the construction of the Maritime Branchline and not focusing on the building of several new lines that are meant to connect the Minotaur and Zebra lands. I’m also not pleased that construction has stopped in the Badlands.”

“Well, ah, these are trying times,” Silver Streak explained, “so we have to focus on tasks that are easier and safer for our workers. We don’t have the workforce we once had. We think it's best to put our best ponies forward to build the simpler lines.”

“Have you thought of hiring nonponies that were living in this nation?” Andrew asked. “Maybe it’s best to seek help. Minotaurs are known for their strength and skills in metal work. Griffins are pretty strong too and fairly agile.”

“We tried putting out want ads but our recent applicants are all ponies. The Trial seemed to have driven everyone else away but we’ll go back through it and maybe make some adjustments to allow construction to pick up.”

“In your words leave it as is,” Andrew muttered.

“Excuse me sir?” Silver asked.

“Nothing,” Andrew said dismissively. “Tell me, Silver, when will these supposed proposals go into effect?”

“By our projections by the end of next week.”

“Is there still time for submissions?”

“Yes but who would-?” Andrew placed a packet of paper on the table loudly, interrupting Silver’s answer. “You’ve written more of your own ideas out?”

“I have, with the assistance of my staff, some of Haven City’s most respected locals and my engine Connie.”

“Why would you consult your engine?” asked another pony.

“Because any changes in railways are bound to affect her.”

“That’s pretty unusual sir and not a normal way we do it,” Silver said.

“Oh? You want the local newspaper to hear about that?” Andrew asked.

“Oh no no sir,” Silver said quickly. “While not normal, we’ll be glad to look into your idea as they have greatly improved the operations.”

“Splendid,” Andrew said. “Let’s start with this one.” Picking up a paper, he looked it over and then back at the others around the table. “Consider this, mares and gentlestallions: What if, rather than have all our lines controlled under one company, they instead be divided and run by the nations that own them.”

“Yean mean build tracks there and give them control of the railways within their borders?” a random mare asked. “The changelings only have one hive.”

“This is meant for the nations that have more cities and industries,” Andrew said. “In addition to tracks and stations, they will also have their own fleet of locomotives and rolling stock customized to their own standard specifications.”

“Is that why I hear Baltimare is making a huge engine with eight drive wheels?” another pony asked.

“Yes,” Andrew replied with a nod. “That engine is meant for the heavy freight trains of Minotauria. They have heavy steel industries and they need brute power to move and deliver it. Not to mention the steel mill in Fillydelphia can’t keep up with demand.”

“What if they need to deliver beyond the borders?” someone else asked.

“That is why we have railroad interchanges, train drop off cars only for other company locomotives to pick them up,” Andrew explained. “As far as I know all companies will be sharing their freight cars. They’ll only own locomotives and passenger cars and lease them out should the extra demand for help arise.”

The other ponies began murmuring to each other, and they all seemed fascinated by the idea. All but one. Silver Streak just scoffed. “Is this really how your kind handles operations? This is open to abuse and loopholes.”

“True, but in the future there’ll be small changes to make this more efficient. What do you all say?” Andrew asked.

“I think this would work,” another stallion said.

“It could work,” said a mare.

“It can work,” said another.

“It’s working already,” said Golden Spike as he stood from his seat at the end of the table.”We have so many countries signing my contracts and with this new idea we might actually get more help. In fact maybe we should ask the minotaurs if they are willing to start building their own main yard and maybe meet our crews halfway.”

“Perfect,” Andrew said as he stood. “If there is no more to discuss, I would like to catch up with my friends at Restaurant Row. Good day fellow railroaders,” Andrew said as he got up and left.

He would soon catch up with a few individuals at Restaurant Row, more specifically The Tasty Treat. Amongst them being Gregory and Stacy, his fellow humans, the mane six, and even Ember. Twilight and Ember sat on opposite sides of Gregory while Stacy sat next to Flash, the latter of whom was in his anthro form and wearing a pair of blue jeans, a white t-shirt and a black zipper hoodie. Basically, Stacy had dressed him similar to his human counterpart.

Gregory spotted him first and waved. “Look what the cat dragged in! It’s Sir Topham Hatt!”

“I can’t tell if you’ve forgotten, but Golden Spike is still the pony in charge or if you’re calling me fat,” Andrew said.

“I seriously doubt your new marefriend would even let you get fat,” Gregory smirked.

“You got that right,” Rainbow said as she raised her drink. She, like Flash, was in her new anthro form, wearing clothing that was also similar to her human counterparts with the addition of some extra holes for her wings and tail. “So how did your meeting go?”

“Well, the boss man along with most of his colleagues seemed to love my ideas. Key word being most,” Andrew replied.

“Seems like ponies still don’t all like working with nonponies,” Ember said with a small scowl. “I haven’t signed that contract yet, but not just because of that.”

“Is it because of how nomadic your kind are?” Andrew asked.

“Eh, well that’s part of it,” she said. “I personally don’t like riding on trains. One reason is that the Dragon Lands are separated from Equestria by the Celestia Sea, and unless you’re planning on building a large bridge across an entire ocean, it wouldn’t be practical.”

“Well, there have been bridges that were made entirely of earth and rubble but that also turned into a dam in some cases,” Andrew said, “however, some railroad companies back home did own ferry and tug boats.”

“You said it again,” Rainbow admonished him with a waggle of her finger.

“Said what again? Ferry? Tug?”

“‘Back home’,” Rainbow said.

“Do you still not consider this world home now?” Fluttershy, who was sitting nearby, asked softly

Andrew was silent for a moment before he spoke “Well…to be honest, me and all the other humans came here for a better life, and not just to hunt you know who.”

“It's true,” Stacy said. “I only wanted to help fix communities through humane efforts.”

“Well, this is your home now, like it or not,” Gregory said. “I call it home.”

“Well, I like it. But it's only natural to refer to Earth as home because that's where I was born and where most of my happiest memories came from,” Andrew said.

“Then call it your old home,” Rainbow insisted.

“Okay, I will,” Andrew said as he nuzzled his mare.

“How romantic,” Rarity cooed softly from nearby.

“Okay enough mushy stuff,” Rainbow said as she playfully pushed him away. “Waitress is coming.”

After a good hearty meal, the group left. However, as they were leaving, Rainbow noticed Andrew looking down at something in his hand. It looked like a small scrap of paper from where they were standing. However, upon closer inspection it was a polaroid. She walked up to him and asked, “Whatcha got there?”

“One of my most precious things I took from my old home,” Andrew said before showing her the picture. It showed four humans standing in front of a large steam locomotive. Rainbow immediately recognized two of them as Andrew and Stacy. However, the third and fourth ones she didn’t recognize.

“Who are the other humans?” Rainbow asked.

He pointed at them. “That’s Robbie before he became a lone draconequus, and that’s Markus, my childhood friend,” he replied.

Rainbow’s ears flattened. She knew about the tragedy of his death. “S-Sorry,” she said.

“Don’t be,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s watching us right now making new adventures.”

Rainbow smirked and bumped his ass with hers. “You are such a dork.”

“And you can be a real softie,” he teased back.

“Tell anypony about that, and you won’t get to touch this sexy body for a week,” she said, walking away with a sway in her hips, something she hadn’t done before.

“I swear that mare is getting more skillful with that every week,” Andrew said to himself.

Rainbow had gone to join her friends, walking and laughing with them. The other humans were talking among themselves, and Gregory was walking with Ember and Twilight, the latter two of whom said something to him before breaking off, leaving the white haired human mage alone.

Andrew walked up and spoke. “Do you think that Silver Streak pony will try to derail my ideas before they even go into effect?”

“How much power does he have in that company?” Gregory asked.

“He’s one of the few financial directors, his economic background can sometimes play a role in decision making, of course that was before I met Golden.”

“Does he seem like the type of pony who is xenophobic and speciesist like a lot of the ponies in Equestria?” Gregory pressed.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Andrew said, “but I heard through the grapevine that he’s one of the ponies on our team who wanted us to, and I quote hunt the angry justice seeker.”

“Howard or Jason?” Gregory asked.

“Jason,” Andrew replied. “Silver had close business relations in Ponyville, especially with the Rich Family”

“And now Spoiled has remarried the former mayor of Ponyville who took over from that bitch Mayor Mare,” Gregory chuckled.

“Maybe” Andrew said, “but I have a feeling he might change his mind, especially given what I’ve learned about his family tree.”

“Blackmail?” Gregory turned, a smirk on his face. “How dastardly.”

“Not really, but I might mail a letter to her little Silver niece in Haven City, telling her about her xenophobic uncle.”

He shook his head. “Because that’ll totally get him on your side,” he said sarcastically.

“You will be amazed how effective the sad puppy filly eyes are,” Andrew grinned.

“Oh believe me, I’ve lived with Cozy enough to know how it goes,” Gregory said, “and with how much more time I’ve been spending with Twilight lately, I get to see more of Flurry Heart before she becomes a big sister. Those fillies…I swear…”

“You know that always bothered me, why were Flurry’s eyes so different from Pound and Pumpkin cake?”

“In this world there’s no difference, you know,” Gregory said. “We’re not cartoonified.”

“You’re right,” Andrew said. “I blame lazy animation at the time of design.”

Gregory nodded, and the two continued walking. Gregory then looked ahead where Ember and Twilight were both walking and talking. Ember had a serious look on her face, while Twilight looked nervous but determined.

“Good luck with those two. Something tells me things might heat up in your place both figuratively and literally,” Andrew said.

Gregory sighed. “Ember’s having a difficult time with things. She’s never liked the idea of a herd or hoard. I’m on the fence about it too.” He bit his lip a bit worriedly.

“Don’t worry about it too much. If she crosses a boundary that's when you put the brakes on,” Andrew suggested.

“I love Ember with all my heart,” Gregory said, “and now the three of us are experimenting with me sharing that love. Honestly, I don’t know…”

“Just take things easy and go with both your heart and gut, and besides maybe Cozy likes the idea of having a second mother and being closer with Spike.”

“Spike already has Gabby as a future love interest,” Gregory chuckled.

“I meant as family,” Andrew corrected.

Gregory pursed his lips, then nodded. “Yeah, she might like having a strong dragon brother. Although having Shining Armor as a brother in law is a bit nerve-wracking.”

“I’m sure he would be okay…ish. And if he has a problem you could maybe, I don’t know…”

“Do what?” Gregory asked.

“I was going to say either remind him of his failures at the Canterlot Wedding or maybe pray he doesn’t stab you with a spear and hope his wife is nearby.”

“I’m not guilt tripping the Emperor Consort,” Gregory laughed. “He already knows an entire planet has access to that information.”

“True, but pray he doesn’t go full protection mode and try to end you, and maybe hope Cadence can convince him not to,” Andrew suggested.

“Well, I’ll keep that in mind,” Gregory said.

[Gregory’s Apartment - One Month Later]

Gregory entered his apartment, feeling exhausted. The classes today had been a bit more rowdy than normal, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. All he really wanted to do at the moment was to pour himself a nice glass of apple wine, pull up a good book and relax before he had to make dinner. Thankfully, Cozy had asked to spend the day with her friends in town and to have a sleepover at New Acres, so he had the rest of the late summer/early autumn day to himself.

He grabbed a change of clean casual clothes, stripped out of his work clothes and set them aside to wash later, took a shower, then came back out and walked to his new liquor cabinet. He grabbed some apple wine, poured himself a glass and was about to take a long hard drink, but before he could, a familiar blue claw reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Whoa there,” Ember said, “what do you think you’re doing?”

Gregory turned to Ember, a warm smile on his face. “I’m so glad to see you,” he said, wrapping her up in a hug, one which she returned after a couple seconds, “just had a hard day at work, and seeing you is a breath of fresh air.”

She smirked. “Fresh air? More like smoky air,” she said. “Now come with me, there’s something up in your room I want to show you.”

Confused, Gregory let her lead him up to the loft where his bed was. When he entered the room, his jaw dropped before he was pushed in, the door closing behind the two. Because lying in bed was the anthro form of Twilight Sparkle. She was wearing what could only be described as black lingerie and while she was lying in a rather…seductive…pose on the bed, her face was beet red. “T-Twi? Is that really you?”

“Y-Yes,” she said nervously before she continued speaking faster. “Spike is having a guys night and it felt lonely in the library.”

“And…Ember’s somehow okay with you coming over and…wearing this?” he asked. He tried hard to not stare, but with how attractive her anthro form was, it was hard not to.

Twilight said nothing but just lifted up a hand and gave Gregory a come here gesture with her finger.

Gregory slowly walked over and slid into bed beside her. “Somebody’s gotten bolder,” he said, equally as nervous but trying to hide it behind a light joke.

She giggled. “I had…some lessons,” she said.

The next thing Gregory knew, he felt a pair of arms slowly pulling him into an embrace. Gregory wrapped his arms around Twilight and the two kissed deeply. The kiss broke, then he was pulled quickly to the other side as Ember’s lips crashed against his. He kissed her deeply, then when they broke, he looked at the red eyes of his dragon fiancée. “Are we really doing this?” he asked.

Ember just gave him a smirk before turning him around. “Claim her,” she ordered.

As he and Twilight locked eyes again, she reached over and cupped his cheeks with her soft velvety hands. She pulled him forward and the two locked lips again. As they did so, he felt his hands begin moving downwards. Twilight gasped and a cute moan escaped her lips. She got onto her back and looked up at him, a pleading look in her eyes. “Please…be gentle…it’s my first time…”

Gregory got on top of her, then said, “I will,” before moving in for another kiss, his hand reaching to undo the lingerie…

[Tartarus - The Same Time]

“Yes, yes I would gladly destroy those places selling quesa-” Howard stopped as he felt something. Tirek looked over, confused as to why his neighbor stopped. Howard was silent before he started hyperventilating. “No…No…NOOOO!”

“What in Equestria is wrong with you now?” Tirek, having gotten used to being able to drone out Howard’s tirades, asked, knowing it was a mistake.

Howard turned to the centaur with a face that looked twisted. “It happened! She was supposed to be MINE! Why would she fall for HIM!?”

There was one more brief silence before Howard looked up and screamed. “I’LL KILL HIM AND JASON!!”

Tirek only sighed. “No. No you won’t. Because you’re stuck here just like I am.”

Suddenly a portal opened and Princess Luna strolled in accompanied by two guards. The Princess of the Night just stared at Howard before shaking her head and turning to Tirek. “Good news, you’re being moved for a special reason. Consider yourself lucky.”

“As long as I’m as far away from this nutjob as possible, I don’t care what the reason is,” Tirek said. “He’s blabbing on about how that purple pony’s seemed to have fallen for someone.”

Luna looked at him confused before getting a look of realization. She giggled as Tirek’s cage was lifted up. “Oh, Cellie will likely be a protective mother and dress down Gregory for this,” she said.

Tirek just continued to look confused but relieved as he was moved away. Howard could only watch in horror. “Hey! Where are you going?! You're taking him and not me!?”

“Better me than thee,” Tirek said with a wave as he was taken through the portal.

After the portal closed all Howard could do was scream louder in despair, rage, and utter hatred.

Epilogue: End Of The Line

[Haven City Train Station - A Week Later]

It was quite a scene at the station as many creatures gathered around the train that was parked at the platform. Because of how far north Haven City was, the leaves had already fallen off despite being the beginning of September. The air was nippy and there were clouds in the sky that threatened snow. Connie sat there with a line of newly built passenger cars that looked like American Pullman coaches. Connie also had streamers decorating her boiler and a banner on her tender that said ‘Maritime Express.’

Andrew was looking over Connie as he made final preparations. Gregory stood next to him as they talked. “So after all that drama that was the outcome of the twenty four elections?” Andrew asked.

“Yeah, pretty much, but maybe it ends differently on your version of Earth,” Gregory replied.

“Good thing I’m not there to find out,” Andrew said. “I don’t think I can stand to see a repeat of January sixth or another liberal protest. I’m on the fence with politics.”

“I lived in a smaller Pacific Northwest town, so I didn’t really get into the bigger politics of the grand old Red White and Blue,” Gregory said.

Next to him, the anthro version of Twilight stood, dressed in warm winter clothes. Ember was next to Twilight as she crossed her arms. “Can we hurry this up? I’m freezing here.”

“We still have a few VIP passengers that have yet to show up,” Andrew said, holding up a clipboard.

“Can she at least get into the warmer car?” Gregory asked.

“Of course I’m not forcing her to watch me perform Connie’s inspection,” Andrew said as he pointed to the coaches behind Connie.

Ember quickly rushed into the coach, leaving Gregory alone with Twilight. He smiled. “We’re gonna be having snow soon.”

“Would there even still be snow at our destination? We’re heading for a coastal beach.”

“Maritime Bay doesn’t get much snow, remember?” Gregory chuckled. “Not unless you wanna start saying Frosty Shivers.”

“Nah I prefer the sunny beach. Besides, even if I want a white Christmas I can ask you to fix that.”

“Then start saying Warm Wishyhoof,” Gregory smiled, “and I don’t normally interfere with the weather. It was just that one time last summer where the kids asked for a snow hill to beat the heat.”

“If you say so,” Andrew said before looking up to see a flying carriage ascend from the sky and land. “Looks like more royal guests have arrived and it looks like an egg has hatched as well.”

Gregory watched as Jason and Chrysalis walked up, the latter holding a small baby in her arms. Twilight clung a bit more tightly to him, and when he looked down, he saw her giving him a smile. “What is it?”

“Nothing, just…is that your new daughter?” Twilight asked.

“That she is,” Jason said, smiling a bit with pride.

“What’s her name?” Gregory asked.

Jason kissed the baby changeling’s head before responding. “Susie.”

Gregory smiled. “Can I see her?”

Chrysalis removed the blanket exposing their offspring. The changeling grubling had Chrysalis’ color scheme, but to Gregory’s surprise she was anthropomorphic. There were no holes in her body, and her eyes were wide eyed and curious. Gregory reached down and held out his finger to her. Susie looked at it, then grabbed it and began sucking on it. Chuckling, he looked up at the royal couple. “Is this her natural form, or has she already learned to transform?”

“As far as we know, this is her normal form,” Jason said.

Gregory chuckled. “So…is that something that would happen if a changeling and human have a kid together, or is that just a Chrysalis thing?” he asked as Susie continued sucking on Gregory’s finger.

“We’re not sure but we might tackle that together as she grows older, although the story of her birth is quite an interesting one,” Jason said.

“Is it, now?” Gregory smirked, looking down at Twilight. “I’m sure my egghead girlfriend here would be more than interested to learn about that. Ain’t that right, Twi-Hard?”

Jason looked at them with surprise before turning to Andrew. “I see you weren’t lying to me.”

“Well when you talk business for a while, we have to switch to juicer topics at some point,” Andrew said.

At that moment, a unicorn stallion dressed as a conductor walked up. “Mr. Andrew, we’re about ten minutes to departure, so whatever social visit this is we have to wrap up.”

“Right, we're just about done, Whistle Stop.”

“I’ll never understand pony names,” Gregory muttered before Twilight suddenly snuggled up closer to him. “Twi?”

“You lovers better get on board,” Andrew said. “I hear the seats in these new coaches are really comfortable. Besides he’s right, we have a schedule.”

“Right, let’s go,” Jason said as he led his wife and daughter into the train. Gregory and Twilight followed after. A few minutes later Rainbow Dash walked up wearing a bandana around her neck along with a pair of goggles. “There’s my fire mare, are you ready to get dirty?”

“You’re letting Rainbow near the firebox?” Gregory asked with a raised eyebrow.

“She’s been wanting to work closer to me and ever since her lightning strikes stopped it’s like she wants to do even more,” Andrew explained.

Gregory was about to say something dirty, but Twilight smacked his chest with her hand. “Ow!” he groaned, looking down at her.

“Let’s not have any jokes like those until we get to the bay,” she said. “Besides we have a lot more going on there already.”

“Oooh Gregory’s in trouble with Twilight,” Rainbow snickered. “Better hope she and Ember don’t put you in the dog house.”

Gregory gave her a dirty look, then chuckled. “Just behave. No hanky panky in the caboose. I know you train type have all sorts of-OW!”

Andrew and Rainbow just laughed at Gregory’s misfortune, but that was cut short when they heard someone shouting. “ALL ABOARD!”

Everyone climbed aboard, and just as the train began heading west, the snow began falling. The coaches were alive with activity as some of the passengers mingled in the cars. Some ate in the dining car, others drank at the bar in the parlor car, and others just sat and watched the scenery go by in both the chair coach and the observation car. The last one was where Jason, Gregory, Ember, Twilight and Chrysalis were all sitting. Spike was with his friends the CMC and Cozy Glow in the dining car eating, so Twilight didn’t have to worry about her little brother. As they sat, Jason decided to broach a conversation topic. “So…Twilight…have you told your parents about you and Gregory?”

“I told them a while ago,” she replied, “and well, let's just say their reactions were mixed. In fact I can't believe that was the first time I spoke to them since The Trial.”

“Huh, mixed eh? I half expected them to further disown you from how they treated Spike,” Jason said.

“Well their lives have been flipped since The Trial,” Twilight explained. “Let's just say the old house has become a target for graffiti artists and you don’t want to know what they…uh… painted on their walls.”

“Not surprising,” Chrysalis said.

“Yeah, well at first they were a little worried that a new human might hurt me like what happened with Jason, but when I mentioned Ember they got scared and accepted me for it. I think they were afraid Ember might hunt them if they disowned me.”

“I’d be sorely tempted to,” Ember, who was snuggling very close to Gregory to absorb his body heat, said. “You’re my mate’s secondary mate. That means as the primary I make sure you’re secured and safe. At least that’s how it works in dragon hoards.”

“Well, thank you for that I guess, blue female Spike,” Twilight teased.

That got the humans, the changeling queen and new changeling princess all laughing. Ember seethed a bit. “Not gonna let those times go are you?”

“Nope,” Twilight said.

Gregory kissed Ember deeply, then broke it after a few seconds. “You know we love you,” he said before turning and doing the same to Twilight. “Play nice, Twiggles.”

Meanwhile, Golden Spike and Silver Streak were sharing drinks in the parlor car, the latter of whom was carrying a scowl on his face. Golden noticed this immediately. “What's the matter now? You told me those projections were working well.”

“It's not those sir,” Silver said, “I just, I have to ask: why do you insist on this ceremony? It’s just a useless gathering of species, most of them known for causing messes in Equestria. In fact ninety five percent of all our crises were caused by nonponies.”

“And ninety five percent of your life involves you working your magic on a calculator and giving me sass I don’t need,” Golden replied sternly.

“But sir, those Minotaurs are asking us for even bigger loans we can hardly afford! They’re stealing from us!”

“Listen, if you read the report from Andrew like I asked, you would’ve seen the number of steel bridges and tunnels they’ve had to build. Their terrain is more treacherous than ours. Now if I were you I’d knock off your speciesism now.”

“Why?”

Golden took another sip of his drink and grinned. “Look around you.”

Silver looked around and noticed a dozen eyes on him. Many of them nonponies. The representatives of the yaks and zebras looked especially mad. Silver felt surrounded as he felt the stares closing in on him.

Golden shrugged. “Fortunately there is one way to save a company from a display like that.”

“Oh h-how’s that s-sir?” Silver asked nervously as he continued to look back at the angry crowd.

“By telling you that you violated our new non discriminatory policy and you’re fired,” Golden said smiling as he took another sip of his drink.

“WHAT?!” Silver Streak shrieked in horror.

Golden chuckled. “I know your niece Silver Spoon tried warning you about your xenophobic attitude. Maybe when she’s old enough she can succeed where you have failed.”

“But sir, this is absurd!” Silver shouted. “I’m your best financial advisor! Who will take my place?!”

“Eh, I have dozens of applicants,” Golden said. “Andrew and I will be performing interviews after our trip. Now if I were you I’d enjoy this luxury trip to the coast because you might be sleeping in economy on the return journey.”

Silver then noticed the other creatures now wearing looks of satisfaction as they slowly dispersed. He then noticed Golden had left. All he could do now was turn to the bartender who had appeared. “Give me your strongest,” he said.

The bartender, a griffin, glared at him. “Oh? Not too afraid I’ll ruin it for you, pony?”

When Silver saw who the bartender was he just slammed his head on the counter.

Meanwhile in the dining car a unicorn walked up to one of the tables that had a dragon and a few fillies. “What will you have today, fillies and dragon?”

“We’ll have five orders of the special,” Cozy said.

The waiter wrote it down and left. Spike was by the window wearing an unreadable expression on his face. In truth he had a lot on his mind to be hungry. Sweetie Belle noticed this first and said, “Spike? Something wrong?”

“Huh? Oh no…maybe… I don’t know,” he sighed. “It’s just hard to imagine how things can change so quickly. I’m still finding things hard to believe.”

“You mean like the whole thing with your sister and my daddy and mommy?” Cozy asked.

“Yes, I mean she’s my sister yet she’s with your dad. Would that make me your uncle or your brother?”

“Huh he’s right, that does sound like a pickle,” Scootaloo said.

“Um, does it really matter?” Applebloom asked. “Isn’t Twilight happy?”

“Yeah, but it’s like ever since Howard, she sometimes acts jumpy and a little nervous. I don’t know if it's PTSD or she’s still trying to adjust to herding or I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like she’s almost losing it. At least Gregory keeps her mind stable.”

Spike immediately felt a hoof around him and then felt Cozy embrace him. “Everything will be okay. After all, she doesn’t only have daddy and mommy, she also has you and me. Let’s agree to work together, bronkle Spike.”

“Bronkle? Really?” Spike deadpanned.

“Eh, we can think of a better title,” Cozy said.

“Has Professor Graystone been spending time with you?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yeah, whenever he can,” Spike replied. “He’s fun to play with.”

“How did your older brother react to Mr. Gregory starting to date Twilight?” Scootaloo asked.

“Oh you should’ve seen him. He maintained a good positive vibe but I did catch them while they were alone.”

“What happened?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well…”

[Yggdrasil - Secluded Hallway - One Month Prior]

Spike walked through the hallways. It had been a busy day helping out. At one point he rounded a corner and there at the end was a stoic looking Gregory and an assertive Shining Armor. The stallion had him pinned to the wall while staring deep into his eyes. “Just remember this, hurt my little sister and I will end you!”

Gregory wrapped one hand around Shining’s fetlock and said hand began to glow icy white. “Don’t threaten me like that again, Mister Armor,” he said as Shining began to wince as ice formed around his hoof. “The overprotective brother shit is old and severely outdated. Your sister’s an adult and can make her own decisions.”

“Grr yeah, an adult who is still recovering from what Howard did to her,” Shining said, still wincing from the ice.

“You think I don’t know that?” Gregory asked, pushing Shining off gently but firmly, looking down at the burly unicorn stallion. “You think I haven’t had to hold her tightly several nights a week when she’s had horrible nightmares? You think I’d just ignore her like that and mistreat her? Maybe you’re more like your parents than you realize.”

“I’m just trying to make sure my sister doesn’t get hurt again like before.”

“By a filthy scary human?” Gregory asked with a frown.

“By a human with powers that could rival nature and dark magic.”

“Just like Jason, then,” Gregory scowled. “And here I thought you were different from other ponies.”

“I am, but I value the life of both my little sister and brother along with my wife and children.”

“And I value the lives of Ember, Twilight, and Cozy Glow!” Gregory shouted, the air around them dropping in temperature.

“What is going on here?” Cadance asked as she appeared at the other end and gasped at the sight of her husband's ice coated hoof. “What are you doing?!”

“I’m getting the fucking riot act from your xenophobic overprotective husband,” Gregory said, waving his hand and dismissing the ice, “and I was defending myself.”

Cadance narrowed her eyes. “If he was xenophobic why has he now started letting griffons join the crystal guard?”

“Xenophobia against humans,” he clarified.

“I can understand your concerns, Gregory, but if you don’t calm down now, I’ll make you hold Flurry while she sneezes magic in your face.”

“So now I’m being ganged up on by two ponies,” Gregory frowned angrily.

“Thank you dear,” Shining said gratefully.

“Shining, go back to the cafeteria, I’ll talk to you later,” she said sternly.

Shining recognized the look and immediately left. Gregory grit his teeth, turned, and began walking in the opposite direction before Cadance could say anything, at least at first. Cadance ran after him, falling into step with the human. “I know it may look like he’s xenophobic, but trust me he’s like that around every stallion Twilight tried getting close to. Why do you think Flash Sentry hasn’t bothered dating her?” she asked, letting out a chuckle.

Gregory didn’t return the sentiment. He stopped, knelt down, and got a bit close to her face. “Look,” he said with a trembling bottom lip, “I don’t have to deal with that stallion’s overprotective complex! If he can’t accept that his sister’s able to make her own decisions then that’s his hangup! I get he’s worried about her PTSD, but does he think he has a monopoly on that worry!?” He stood up, hyperventilating a little bit before turning and throwing a fist right at the wall. “YAAH!” He held his fist and slid down the wall, wincing. “Fucking hell…”

“Can you honestly blame him?” Cadance asked. “You know his follies in the show. If I’m honest, he hasn’t been the same since our wedding and the return of Sombra and Tirek may have made it worse,” she explained. “But he’s getting better even if you don’t see it. Just give him time, alright? Besides, if he wasn’t better he could’ve done something a lot worse.”

He stood up, a bit of blood dripping from his knuckles. He didn’t acknowledge it, however. “He hasn’t been there to hear Twilight’s night terrors. I HAVE! AND I CAN ONLY SIT AND HOLD HER!” Tears of fury and frustration fell from his cheeks as he turned and began walking away again, only after a few steps he stumbled and grabbed onto a nearby pillar.

The pink alicorn was immediately by his side and offered support. “He actually has in a way. Twilight sends us letters and all we can do is respond. I’m not saying it’s an excuse, but it’s only my way of saying we try what we can.”

“Just…keep him away from me,” he said. Cadance, now closer to him, could see the bags under his eyes and the despondent look on his face. “I don’t want to do something I’ll regret, and right now I’m not in the right mindset to be fucking calm…”

[Present]

“I remember those times,” Cozy said. “Daddy wasn’t really too happy. Mommy Ember was gone and couldn’t help. Didn’t your brother apologize after Daddy collapsed from exhaustion twice?”

Spike was silent for a moment then smiled. “Kinda after that Cadance and Ember kinda forced them to work out their differences.”

“What happened?” Scootaloo asked.

“Cadance wanted them to talk in a room, but Ember shoved them both in a closet and locked the door. While they were in there many words were shared, many tears were shed, and eventually they both had an understanding. I even caught them hugging,” Spike said.

Cozy shivered. “Daddy didn’t sleep for weeks before that, and I could hear Twilight crying a lot. It was scary. At least now she’s looking better.” She relaxed. “Good to know they made up.”

“Still, maybe after the ceremonies things will be even better,” Spike said.

“Ceremonies? I thought there would be one,” Scootaloo said.

“Oh you didn’t hear? This is also a wedding trip as well,” Spike explained.

“Really?! You mean for Ember and Professor Graystone?” Applebloom exclaimed.

“About time!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “I was starting to think they would never do it.”

“I’m surprised they didn’t ask you three to be the flower fillies,” Cozy giggled.

“Maybe he wants to surprise us,” Scootaloo said.

“Maybe,” Spike said, “but he did ask me to be the ringbearer.”

“Of course he would,” Sweetie giggled. “So wait, if Twilight is gonna be a part of this, would it mean she too would be with Ember at the altar?”

“I don’t think Twilight is marrying Gregory today,” Spike said. “That may come later. They haven’t been together as long as Ember and Gregory have.”

Meanwhile in another car, Gregory and Jason walked through a door on their way to get a snack for their female mates when they noticed a small crowd forming at the end near one of the benches. They could hear giggling. “Bubba, make them do it again. It’s so cool and cute,” said a female human.

Curious, the two walked over and were able to cut through the crowd. Bubba who had two fluffies in his lap noticed the two. “Oh hey there guys.”

The Twilight and Pinkie fluffies ran over to Gregory, jumping into his waiting arms. He smiled as he pet the two. “Hey there, you two, and hey everyone. What’s happening here?”

“Oh, I just taught these cuties a cool meme trick, wanna watch?” Bubba asked.

Gregory, who was now seated while the Twilight and Pinkie fluffies snuggled in his lap, nodded. “Go ahead.”

“Pink Cake, Sparky time to do it again,” Bubba said, making the two get off Gregory and onto the floor with their sisters. Bubba then pulled out his phone and pressed play and just like that a short song played and the six fillies started doing a short but familiar dance on their hind legs. The crowd started laughing again as Gregory and Jason immediately recognized the moves.

“Is that the fortnite dance?” Jason asked.

“You should have taught them Carameldansen!” Gregory laughed.

“Tried that, they got exhausted real quick from that one,” Bubba explained.

“Chicken dance?”

Rainybow just crossed her front legs in annoyance. “Well I tried teaching them that, but I guess Rainybow has a bit of Scootaloo in her,” Bubba said.

“Gangnam style?”

“They had a bit of balance trouble with that one,” Bubba said, scratching his head. “That jumping is rigorous.”

“Hare Hare Yukai from Haruhi Suzumiya?”

That just earned Gregory a round of confused looks. “I don’t know that one.”

Gregory chuckled. “It’s from an old anime. I’ll show you later.” He sat down as the two fluffies from before came running back to snuggle with one of their favorite humans.

“You haven’t introduced the explicit kinda otaku culture right?” Jason asked sternly.

“No way,” Gregory said, “not even Celestia and Luna are ready for that.”

“Good, now let's get the snacks before I decide to make cotton candy out of them,” Jason grinned.

That made the fluffies jump and cling to Bubba in fright. “You know, it’s stuff like that which gets you in trouble,” Gregory said, petting the Twilight and Pinkie fluffies. Gregory tried to get up, but the two in his lap were still clinging to him. “These two really like me,” he said.

“Relax, I’m just kidding,” Jason said as he was now looking at the frightened crowd and the very intimidating Bubba.

“You really should know better, you moron,” Gregory said as he gently pried the two fluffies off of him before dragging Jason out of the room.

Meanwhile up in the engine. Andrew kept one eye on the tracks ahead and another eye on the gauges. “Hey Rainbow, how's the water tank looking?” he asked.

“Pretty good,” she replied, “and if this map is accurate we should have more than enough to get there.”

“Good, just keep Connie’s fire hot,” Andrew said before the sounds of the cab were soon filled with sounds of coal being shoveled and the frequent roaring of a fire.

Andrew looked over to Rainbow. “And how are you holding up? If this gets too hot you can take a break.”

Rainbow shook her head. “Nah, I’m fine.”

“Geez with the way you’re moving it’s almost like you don’t have any aches at all,” Andrew said astonished.

“Well duh, I’m awesome, even in this body!” She put her hands on her hips proudly.

“Yeah, hands are useful for shoveling,” Andrew smirked. “But you know you’re always awesome in regular pony form too you know.”

“Heh, but without hands, I couldn’t do…certain things,” she said in a now saucy tone, eyes narrowed as she licked her lips.

“You two better not be doing that in my cab. I can’t do all the work,” Connie said.

“Relax, we won’t do it when you’re working,” Rainbow said. “Only when you’re asleep.”

Andrew then felt a slight jerk. “She’s kidding, old girl. We didn’t do that in your cab when you slept, right Dashie?”

Rainbow snickered. “Yes yes, he’s right. We only do that elsewhere.”

Connie said nothing more continued on. Andrew just sighed as he reached into his pocket and took out a small box. After taking one quick look he shoved it back in his pocket before anyone could notice. He then noticed something up the tracks. “I can see the sea. We’re almost there.”

“Maritime Bay, huh? What’s there now?” Rainbow asked.

“Bigger train station, more shops, a nice resort catered to all species, and a special junction where the last spike will be driven into the track.”

“You had this all built in only a few months?”

“Well not just me,” Andrew said. “I had several walks of life contribute their own ideas. This coast was seen by many but the journey here was always hard but now with rail access it’s possible.”

“Why’d you decide on this place?” she asked

“Because this world needs more places like Haven City, and what could be better than a beautiful beach for many species to bond with?”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “You’re not exactly the best liar,” she said.

“What do you mean? All this was planned by many leaders.”

“Oh, I know you meant what you said,'' she said, “but Gregory told us more about the show. Specifically about a certain earth pony mare who lived in a lighthouse in a town called Maretime Bay.”

“Oh that.” Andrew looked a bit sheepish. “Well, G5 took place in the future and well we all thought, ‘Why wait for ponies to build when we can beat the future to the punch?’”

“Such a fancolt,” Rainbow teased.

“Hey, he may be a Brony, but he’s still a full time Railfan” Connie said.

“Egghead.”

“Speed demon.”

The two looked at each other before Rainbow pounced, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him with intense passion.

Connie groaned as she heard the sounds of kissing. “This ain't the love train, kids,” she groaned but after a bit she sighed. “Fine, we’re close to the station anyway.”

Rainbow broke the kiss, panting as her cheeks were a bit red. “There’s better be some private place for us.”

“Oh don’t worry, Gregory and I reserved a lot of rooms for us at the new resort,” Andrew said as Connie started slowing down into the Station.

“Good, because you’re not sleeping tonight,” she cooed.

Connie groaned at this. “Oh, for crying out loud!”

[Maritime Bay Junction Ceremony - A few Minutes Later]

After Connie unloaded her passengers, she went further up the line only to stop at what looked like a makeshift platform with a podium. Many creatures were gathering around a barricade that kept them a small distance away from a section of train track. Within the closed off section was a small wooden box and a steel hammer. Above it all was a huge banner hanging between two buildings that said ‘United by friendship, hope for peace, and rails.’

Gregory, Jason and their loved ones and friends had front row seats in the crowd. Jason then noticed someone was missing. “Hey Rainbow, where's Andrew?”

“He’s with Golden Spike,” Rainbow replied. “Apparently, since he’s part of the board he has to stand with him and other ponies at the podium.”

Jason then turned to Gregory. “Remind me again is the wedding tonight or is it gonna be tomorrow at noon?”

“Tomorrow,” Gregory said, placing his hand on Ember’s claw.

The crowd then got silent as Golden Spike walked up to the podium. After tapping the microphone he began. “Greetings everyone,” the stallion began. “We are blessed to be here on this beautiful albeit snowy day to celebrate an important milestone, not just to a simple company but to the world as a whole. Why it seemed like only yesterday, this world was on the brink of collapse, but today we can take joy in what we have built and for that I want to give the attention to a friend who made most of this possible, Mister Andrew Wilberts.”

The crowd applauded as Andrew walked up and took the mic. “Thank you Golden,” he said as he then turned to look at the audience. “You know, life is like a big journey. Sometimes we have a map that can help us through and sometimes we end up lost but eventually found. And I believe we have found our way to this. This was all possible with us coming together. In fact, an old man in my old world once said without unity there is no peace, only bitterness and fury.”

There was a brief silence before Andrew continued. “With unity we all became better than what history used to describe us as, and we managed to build something big and special to us. We did it.”

And just like that there was a huge cheer from the crowd. Golden Spike walked up to the wooden box and opened it and pulled out a literal golden spike. “Does this kinda thing look familiar to you?” Jason whispered to Gregory.

“He probably lifted it from something from Earth,” Gregory replied. “I’ll ask and then look it up on my archived Wikipedia file.”

Golden Spike carefully placed the spike on the wooden tie. He picked up the hammer and walked up to Andrew. “The honor should be yours.”

Andrew nervously took the heavy hammer. He took a moment to feel the weight of it. He then walked over to the spike sticking out. He took a moment to look at his friends out in the crowd. Gregory smiled and waved at him while Jason gave a small smile and a nod. He looked over at everyone else. Connie may not have had a face but he could tell she was smiling as were Rainbow and the other ponies. Stacy and some of her tanks watched with bated breath. He then saw a strange figure up on a rooftop. It looked like a centaur but he could tell it wasn’t Tirek, but rather a friend.

Finally, Andrew took a deep breath, lifted the hammer and slammed it down on the spike driving it into the wood. Moments before he did so, he could feel a slight cold breeze pushing the hammer up and over his shoulders, increasing its speed and helping to drive it down into the rails.

The ringing of the hammer on the spike rang out and echoed all over the bay. And just like that the crowd erupted into an even louder cheer along with Connie’s whistle. A second later, he felt the impact of an anthropomorphic prismatic pegasus crashing into him.

[Maritime Bay Resort Ballroom - A Half Hour Later]

The ballroom in the resort was large enough to house a crowd of many as VIPs with guests mingled in the party. Andrew walked through with a now normal Rainbow Dash by his side. “Why change now? I thought you liked that form?”

“Yeah, but Rarity insisted I wear my normal party clothes because she can’t tailor my new anthro clothes fast enough.”

Andrew just patted her head. “You know I like you either way. Besides, your normal self makes cuddling more fun.”

“Flatterer,” she giggled.

He then walked over to Gregory and Jason were helping themselves to punch. “So what did you guys think of my new Speech?”

“It was good, but it sounded like you were quoting something,” Gregory said.

“I did say what an old man in Washington once said,” Andrew explained. “Have you seen Biden’s inauguration?”

“I didn’t,” Gregory said.

“Well I wanted to ask you two an important question, how did you two propose to your mates?” Andrew asked.

“I did it the traditional way,” Jason said. “Got on one knee and pulled out a ring.”

“What about you, Jack Frost?” Andrew asked Gregory.

“Eh, I was a bit more casual about it,” he said.

“Meaning I asked him,” Ember chuckled.

Gregory nodded. “She gave me her heart ruby, and I accepted it. I still have it placed near my heart.” He pulled out a necklace with a heart shaped sapphire gem hanging from it.

Andrew pulled out the small box in his pocket. He looked down at it, his feelings were described as nervous. “I’m gonna ask her tonight,” he simply said. “I don’t want to screw this up. Is it possible to screw up?”

“Rainbow’s not really a traditional pony,” Gregory said, “so I doubt you’ll have any troubles.”

“Have troubles with what?” Rainbow asked as she trotted up. Andrew jumped and immediately shoved the box back in his pocket.

“With any of the railway expansions planned,” Gregory replied instantly, “I mean, after today’s little speech I’m sure things will be easier.”

“Okay?” Rainbow said as she trotted away.

“Thanks for that,” Andrew said.

“Hey, you’re not a good liar,” Gregory chuckled, raising a glass of wine in his hand.

“Easy for you to say. Not many people have built in lie detectors.”

“I don’t need it to tell when you’re lying,” Gregory smirked.

Later that night many creatures were out and about as the bay was filled with lights. Some of the male creatures were having a bachelor party for Gregory, but Andrew just went outside. From where he was in the resort, he had a good view of the ocean. The moon and the stars made the water glisten and reflected off of the snow that had fallen the night before. He sighed and looked down at the small box in his hand. “Lord above may this night end in hope.”

“May what end in hope?” A female voice asked. From nearby, Rainbow came walking up, now back in her anthro form. She was wearing a hoodie and sweatpants.

Andrew took a deep breath. It was now or never. “Rainbow, can you stand next to me? There’s something I want to ask you.”

Rainbow did so, shivering a bit in the cold as she tried to warm her arms. “The one downside about this form is that my fur is…thinner.”

“Then maybe this talk could warm you up,” Andrew began. “I want you to know you’re an important element in my life. When I first saw you on the screen years ago, I thought you were one of the most magnificent beings I ever saw. Seeing you in that show gave me color in a world that felt…gray.” Rainbow listened, taking in this information as she slid a wing around his back gently. “And even after I saw The Trial, I still liked you because I knew you were more than a flier that can fight. I came here because I thought your sins could’ve been dealt with in a way that wasn’t suffering. The railroad plans were just another plan. Yet during my time here you were still my symbol of color in a gray world.”

Rainbow took in more of this, she didn’t know what to think or how to react. But eventually she found her voice. “Well, does it really bother you that I’m not the same perfect pony you saw performing that rainboom? Sure, my suffering wasn’t easy but I was lucky and grateful to have friends. And now I’m grateful for the punishment. It’s something I know I deserved and something that really helped teach me a valuable, well, friendship lesson.”

“I still think constant pain is never the right punishment but that’s something Jason and I will always agree to disagree with,” Andrew said.

“Andrew, I’ve forgotten friendship lessons in the past before,” Rainbow said, “so this is a very good reminder to me.”

“If it was a physical scar maybe, but I won’t argue with the end result.”

“The scar and my eyesight being gone was my doing,” she said, “but it sounds like we’re getting off topic.”

“You’re right but to answer your question a few seconds ago. You were never truly perfect. You were just there when I needed you, even after the Howard incident. And now I want to return the favor with a very simple question.”

Rainbow’s eyebrow shot up in confusion. “What’s that?”

Andrew took out the box and got on one knee. He opened it to reveal a shiny diamond. “Will you marry me?”

Rainbow’s eyes shot open, and she went silent for a bit. Finally, she sniffed and nodded. “You big egghead, of course!”

Immediately they shared a big embrace so warm they didn’t feel the cold at all.

Meanwhile in a room above them. Little Susie’s eyes popped open. Chrysalis looked down at her as she held her. “What’s wrong little one?” Little Susie said nothing as she sniffed the air and immediately started licking her lips, babbling cutely. The queen then smiled in realization. “Aww, you had your first fresh love taste.”

[Maritime Bay Town Hall - The Next Day]

Bells were ringing as an organ started playing. The entire hall was filled to the brim with friends and family. Gregory stood at the front by a dragon who had some ceremonial jewelry on his person. Andrew was sitting at the front. “Nervous, Gregory?” he asked.

Gregory shot him a glare, adjusted his tie, then turned towards the door as music began to play, the familiar wedding march.

The doors then opened to reveal the Cutie Mark Crusaders dressed as flower girls as they went down the aisle spreading flower pedals as they went. Behind them was Ember, wearing a white dress and jewelry. He was caught a bit off guard by how beautiful she looked in this dress. Her bridal procession, which consisted only of Smolder and Twilight Sparkle, the latter in her anthropomorphic form, followed behind the bride, taking their places as dual maids of honor for the dragon lord. Behind Gregory stood Jason, who he’d asked to be his best man.

As the bridal procession reached the front, the music stopped. The dragon between Ember and Gregory stepped forward, bringing out a long fiery red vine and held it up. It had the most beautiful flowers growing from it along with black thorns. Without saying a word, both bride and groom brought their right arms out towards each other, clasping hand and claw tightly. The dragon officiator tied both of their wrists together with the vine. Gregory winced a bit as he felt thorns entering his skin, and he saw Ember holding back her own pain as the thorns found their way through her armor. He’d been initially worried about this, but he was assured that they were not poisonous, simply a defense mechanism.

As another dragon nearby began to beat on a drum with a rhythmic beat, the officiator spoke. “Today, we are gathered here to witness the union of these two into True Mates, bonded together for life. As this is the union of two beings of different species, they have both decided to honor the traditions of a human marriage and a dragon union ceremony. I have bound their wrists in the heartvine, a symbol of their eternal union both in this realm and the next. The flowers serve as a reminder that the union of True Mates can be a blissful experience, but the scars they will bear from the encounter serve as a reminder that there will be times in the future where they may harm one another. These will remind them to remember the beauty of their bond, for there can be no beauty without the knowledge of pain.”

The crowd was enraptured by this, especially Twilight. She had no idea that a dragon wedding was so ritualistic and profound. She hated seeing Gregory bleeding a bit, but he was taking it well and had agreed to it because it meant so much to Ember. That only made the alicorn librarian love him even more.

The dragon officiator continued. “Throughout all of Gaia, Faust has given us the gift of love for our fellow creatures, and even if in recent times that love has been nearly forgotten, let this union be one shining example of our unity, because while one is from our world, she found love in a being from a completely different world.” He brought out a pair of what looked like golden ceremonial knives, handing one to each of them. Both reached out their free hand or claw and took them, holding them before their faces. “Let these daggers be a reminder that you will fight for and protect one another in their darkest hours.”

Both bride and groom slowly placed their new daggers in the metallic sheaths at their sides as the officiator said, “Now, we deviate from our dragon customs while I will ask the two here several questions. Normally, True Mates do not speak, but this was agreed upon by both parties.” He pulled out a piece of paper, then faced Gregory. “Do you, Gregory Eugene Graystone, take this dragoness, Dragon Lord Ember Flare, to be your lawfully wedded wife and True Mate? Do you promise to love her, honor her, and cherish her in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” Gregory replied without hesitation.

The officiator then turned to Ember. “And do you, Dragon Lord Ember Flare, take this human, Gregory Eugene Graystone, to be your lawfully wedded husband and True Mate? Do you promise to love him, honor him, and cherish him in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”

Ember, looking a bit embarrassed by having to speak, simply nodded and said, “I do.”

The officiator looked at the crowd. “There was going to be a reading of some personal vows, but our Dragon Lord vetoed that.” This got a laugh out of nearly everyone in the room. “And now, the rings.”

From nearby, Spike walked up. He was wearing a very well sewn suit and tie and held a dark purple felt pillow with two rings on them. The bride and groom picked up the rings and the officiator said, “This human tradition symbolizes their unity in much the same way our fire ruby represents us dragons giving our heart to someone. Let the two place the rings of their True Mate on the other.”

With their left hand/claw, Ember and Gregory placed the simple gold bands on the appropriate appendage of the other. They then clasped their hand/claw against each other once more. Leaning in, Gregory lifted the veil separating him from her, and the two kissed. Then, in one swift move, both began to unravel the vine from their wrists, revealing the small cuts on each of them. When the vine was unraveled, they both held the vine up, then Ember inhaled, breathing fire onto it while Gregory froze the ashes with his magic, creating a small sphere of glowing blue ice. He caught it, and both he and Ember held out the sphere to the crowd.

They erupted into applause as the two began walking down the aisle, receiving congratulations from everyone they passed.

“I love happy endings,” Andrew said.

“And I love happy beginnings,” Rainbow said as she leaned in to nuzzle him, once again in her anthro form and now wearing a dress. “And I love the fact that Rarity got all of these dresses done at the last minute.”

The reception was soon in full swing. Many friends and family were able to fit inside the largest building in the town that was now being used as a ballroom. There was of course food, two DJs working together and of course the wedding cake. “Looks like Vinyl Scratch has a new music partner,” Andrew said looking at the human working the music system.

“Which one is that?” Rainbow asked.

“Derek Winslow, huge fan of Vinyl and Octavia, and a part time DJ,” explained Andrew. “Oh and he’s one of the few who has a human girlfriend with us as well.”

“Oh yeah? Nice,” Rainbow said.

The two were soon dancing on the dancefloor. Along with many couples, such as the newlyweds and Jason and Chrysalis. At one point Andrew accidentally bumped into Gregory while trying to teach Rainbow to tango. “Oof sorry about that.”

“Trying to teach the prismatic menace to dance?” Gregory said with a smirk. “Now this I gotta watch. Rainbow and dancing go together like Rainbow and pie.”

“Oh? Have you forgotten that one scene where Rainbow did a-”

Andrew’s mouth was suddenly shut by Rainbow’s hand. “No one needs a reminder of that scene.”

“At least it was better than Twilight’s dancing,” Gregory chuckled. “Little Miss Ballerina Dash.” He grinned at her.

“I heard that!” Twilight said.

Gregory turned to her and chuckled. “Hey, come on, this isn’t a dance.” He then did a pretty good imitation of the dance from her birthday party.

“Well aside from that. I have a feeling things could only go up from here,” Andrew said.

“You can say that again,” a new voice said. The three males and two mares turned to see Stacy and Flash walking side by side up to them. Andrew noticed something on one of Stacy’s fingers.

Rainbow’s eyes went wide. “No way…did he-?”

“That’s right! You and Gregory aren’t the only love trains pulling into the bay,” Stacy said.

“Okay, you four are having a double wedding,” Gregory smirked.

“No, I didn't know Flash was going to propose. Is there any other relationship news we should know about?” Andrew asked.

“I have noticed Sandbar and Yona hanging out a lot,” Gregory said.

“I was being rhetorical,” Andrew deadpanned.

“Actually you guys aren’t the only ones,” said another voice.

Everyone turned to see Bubba holding Applejack in his big arms. “We’ve actually just started datin’,” Applejack said.

“We’ll raise fruit and cute fluffies together,” Bubba announced.

“Jesus Christ, if this keeps up and if there’s even some sort of magical way we can all have children with each other, we may have to expand Haven City,” Gregory said.

“There’s always the orphanage,” Andrew suggested.

“How true,” Gregory said, “and last I heard, I thought I saw a young colt and filly set of twins with apple related cutie marks who’d just arrived there.” He gave Applejack a raised eyebrow. “Anyone you might know?”

“Fuji and Cripps Pink of Las Pegasus,” Applejack said. “Ah did just recently hear their parents were involved in an accident with an airship. Ah also thought they were goin’ tah live with Braeburn and Little Strongheart.”

“Well, they showed up in Fluttershy’s orphanage before we left for here,” Gregory said.

“Well ah’ll be…”

Fluttershy walked up and placed a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “I’ll arrange for you to meet them when we get back.”

“Well enough about that,” Gregory said “Time to get back to dancing.”

“Alright, you love birds. Get your partners and join the newlyweds, we’re gonna play a slow love song next,” Derek announced over the mic.

Before the dance floor got crowded Andrew quickly whispered to Gregory. “You have Grogar’s Bell with you by any chance?”

“Yeah, why?” he asked.

“I think I know a guy we can trust to keep it safe,” Andrew said. “We’ll talk after the dance.”

“Hmm, we’ll see.” And with that the dance resumed.

Later that night, Andrew and Gregory walked to the edge of town with a lantern. “He should be somewhere here. Can you sense any emotion?”

“I know who you’re talking about,” Gregory said, “but I’d still feel better keeping it on my own. And yes, I can sense the emotions from nearby.”

They soon stopped only to hear hoofsteps coming from a nearby alleyway. There, emerging from the darkness was Robbie, still in his chaotic hybrid form. “I’m assuming today went just as well for you two like it did yesterday,” he said.

“Yes, and I’m glad you got my message,” Andrew began. “Is it true that you found a new place to lay low?”

“Yes, and it’s actually a little similar to Discord’s home in a way. Could use a bit of sprucing up though,” Robbie said as he now noticed the bell around Gregory’s neck. “Is that it? It looks overloaded.”

“And I still think I should hold onto it,” Gregory said, “but Andrew insisted I come out here to at least talk to you.”

“I can see why Andrew would think I would be a good fit for this. After all, I'm now the last draconequus with any power at all. Yet I can sense your lack of trust with me and that's understandable.”

“It’s not a lack of trust with you specifically,” Gregory said, “although that’s definitely true. It’s a lack of trust of anyone. Jason and I have held magic within us the longest among the human population of Gaia. I don’t like just giving this up to someone inexperienced.”

“And what do you think I’ve been doing these past few months?” Robbie asked. “Did you not hear any strange reports about a creature sneaking into library’s only to leave?”

“I did, and we figured it was you,” Gregory said, “but I don’t like the idea of letting this be placed into the hands of someone I barely know. I’d sooner just release the chaos back into the air and destroy the bell, but since that’s not an option I’d prefer to keep it hidden where only I know about it.”

“Look at that bell,” Robbie said, pointing at it, “it’s shaking like an overpressured can. I may not be Discord but I have read everything and I went as far as to place safeguards on my plans. If you keep it contained forever, do you have any idea what would happen if you allow the bell to shake apart?”

Gregory looked at it, the glow of the dark green bell reflected in his eyes. He gave Robbie a very stern look. “If I give this to you, it is not yours. I will be loaning it to you for safekeeping. I will be making sure I have access to it if need be. I will be making sure I can teleport it to my side whenever I see fit. You will be required to keep it very well hidden, its location known only to me and you.”

“Keeping it hidden is my true intention. But if it’s okay with you, I would like to relieve some of the pressure inside.”

Gregory looked at it, then back at Robbie. He took the bell in his hand, aimed it at Robbie, and concentrated. He began letting a slow amount of chaos magic leave the bell, entering the human/draconequus hybrid. He continued letting out a slow portion of magic until he could sense that the bell was stable. He then let it hang around his neck again. “I will have to think about it,” he said. “Drop by my place in a week, and you’ll have your answer.”

Robbie, who now had giant batlike wings instead of dragonfly wings, nodded. He then gave Andrew a wink and turned to leave. “Maybe if I become the next chaos lord, I can succeed where Discord has failed,” Robbie said before taking off.

“No, he shouldn’t do that,” Gregory said as the two turned to head back to their temporary residences. “Chaos should not belong to only one person. It’s a force of nature, nothing more.”

“Then maybe he should just be the chaos guardian, like Knuckles and the master emerald,” Andrew said.

“Never got into that fandom, but maybe,” he shrugged. “I still don’t like the idea of even loaning this to your friend.”

“I knew him for a long time, almost as long as Markus, he’s a good guy and he always follows his heart and not his gut. I’m sure he can keep it safe.”

“You’re forgetting the old adage: absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Gregory said.

“I’m not saying he should have all that bell has inside, at least as the saying goes, keep the key bell and hold the chaos door closed.”

He looked at the bell, then raised an eyebrow. “Hmm…my magic and chaos magic are like matter and antimatter,” he said, “but perhaps…there’s a way…” and with that, he went silent.

[Seeds Of Yggdrasil- One Week Later]

Robbie walked outside the entrance of Gregory’s apartment and stretched his limbs. It was a long meeting with Gregory but they both reached an agreement. In his hand he held a bright blue globe of ice which encased the bell. It was an enchanted ice spell, unable to be touched by chaos magic or any other magic aside from Gregory’s own. Gregory had also been stubborn on only loaning it to Robbie, keeping it within teleportation range of the ice mage.

Just as he finished stretching he heard a pony approach and saw Celestia. “Celestia, it’s an honor to meet you,” he said. “I wish we would’ve met in better circumstances.”

Celestia looked at him with a bit of a worried look, but then relaxed a bit. “I take it you are this Robbie that Andrew and Professor Gregory have talked about. And what is that object you have encased in enchanted ice?”

“Grogar’s Bell, filled with the last of Discord’s power,” Robbie explained. “My good friend Andrew thinks I have the capability of keeping it in a safe place away from those that might steal and abuse it.”

“Gregory was wise to encase it in ice that no magic can break or melt,” Celestia said. “And to keep it hidden away is also wise as well. I wish there was a more permanent solution but until we can find one, this is the best option.”

“Nothing can last forever but I can agree a better solution can and it will be found,” Robbie said.

Celestia said nothing for a bit but then smiled. “In that case I have something very important to ask of you.”

“Oh?”

“Do you swear to never again jeopardize the safety of this world?” Celestia asked.

“I do,” he responded.

“Do you swear to protect that bell with your life?”

“I do.”

“And do you swear from this point forth you will help build a better future built on hope?”

“I do,” Robbie said beaming.

“Then I hope you can live up to that promise,” Celestia said, smiling warmly.

“I will,” he said before leaving. “For Derpy.”

Celestia heard this and gave him a small empathetic smile. “Good. See you later, then.”

Andrew and Rainbow were giving Connie a wash at the train yard when they saw Robbie flying away. “Looks like that talk went well.”

“I wonder what the terms were,” Rainbow said.

“Either way, he looks happy, it was nice of you to do this for him,” Connie said.

“Well you know what they say, everyone has to do their part. I figured he needed an important one. Just like how you have.”

“Yes, just like I have. Where would you be without me?” Connie asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m glad you were there,” Andrew said as he patted her boiler.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there even when there are no tracks,” Connie said softly.

“Do I have to keep an eye on you two?” Rainbow teased.

“Oh Rainbow, you know I love you, Connie is just like a sister and I know you like her too,” Andrew said.

“Even if your sense of humor is as dirty as my coal dust,” Connie teased.

“You think mine’s dirty?” Rainbow chuckled, “you haven’t heard much of Gregory’s, have you?”

That got them all laughing. Andrew just looked down the tracks leading to the mainline. He smiled and wondered what the future held for him. He knew changes would come and, to quote his new friend Jason, “Some things never end.”

Chapter 10: Switching Yard

[Canterlot Castle Training Grounds - Sunset]

The mood was tense as Stacy stood in front of three small scaled tanks. An M24 Chafee, a KV-2, and a Maus stood in the field. She locked her gaze on them in a stare that could rival Fluttershy’s. The tanks stood there motionless, their barrels raised in anticipation. Suddenly in three swift movements, Stacy quickly chucked three basketballs in the air. She quickly pointed to the M24. “CHAFEE!”

BOOM!!!

“KV!”

BOOM!!!

“MAUS!”

BOOM!!!

All three tanks fired at the balls in the order they were called. They all hit them with precision and just like that the balls were reduced to blackened burnt rubber. On some bleachers were Discord, Andrew, Gregory, and Rainbow Dash. They all watched the scene with amazement and approval. “Wow, they’re just as precise with targets as I used to be,” Rainbow said.

“You’re not jealous, are you?” Gregory asked.

“Jealous? Me? Now why would I be jealous of someone who could snap tanks out of nowhere?” she huffed.

“For a beginner, she’s mastering it quite well,” Discord said with astonishment.

“I think she’s played too many war games to get this skill,” Andrew said. “Then again, she was a champ in the World of Tanks servers. You think she’d have a better score with world of warplanes given her Dad’s background as an airman.” The group continued to watch until Stacy decided to call it quits. She walked up to the group. “How was that?”

“Impressive skills you displayed. You might as well have a movie titled how to train your tanks,” Gregory said.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Stacy said.

They were getting ready to leave when they heard a buzzing sound above. They looked up to see Chrysalis being escorted by two changeling drones. The Queen looked exhausted and saddened. Gregory approached her. “Chrysalis are you-”

“Where’s Jason? I need to talk to him.” She said not looking at Gregory.

“I think I last saw him in the castle library,” Andrew said, pointing to the doors that led inside.

Chrysalis said nothing but walked inside. The others watched her in a mixture of confusion and worry. They soon followed her quietly inside after Stacy made her tanks vanish. The group soon found the doors that led inside the castle’s library. They decided to listen in on the conversation. “I’m sorry, they stole how much?!” Jason asked, alarmed.

“All of it. Every bit and every last scrap of treasure we had hidden. It’s like they wanted to clear out everything before bombing it. We couldn’t grab it all in time. Thorax confirmed it.”

“Well that's not important. What’s important now is that you and the others are out,” Jason said, putting a hand on her neck.

“Still, did we really have to leave?” Chrysalis asked, “So many memories came from that hive and so many drones didn’t want to leave either. That overpowered friend of yours can stop rockets with his windigo powers can't he?”

“We don’t know how fast the rocket will travel. For all we know it would make his flight speed appear as slow as a turtle. Some missiles are capable of flying faster than Rainbow Dash.”

Gregory came walking in at that moment. “What happened?” he asked. When Chrysalis repeated what she’d said, he sighed. “Lightning is fast, but rockets are faster. Besides, it’s not the hive that makes the country, it’s the people.”

Chrysalis gritted her teeth, then exhaled. “You and Jason keep saying that, but what if it was your home being threatened?”

The two humans looked at each other, then Gregory sighed again. “This insane Howard guy is going after what Jason cares for the most just to get his childish revenge because his pwecious wittle cartoon was changed. It would hurt a lot more if you and your changelings were destroyed than if the hive was destroyed. Still, the fact that they ransacked the hive beforehand is a bit disturbing. Was there anything dangerous in there?”

“Well, during my reign we had several artifacts that had special magical abilities from healing to mass destruction. I originally wanted to use them during my first attack but decided against it because then there wouldn’t be any ponies to harvest love from.”

“And that is why some people back home thought you weren’t an intelligent leader,” Gregory said blankly. “What’s the most dangerous object there?”

“Well, aside from the horn we once had, the only other thing we had was a grenade that would immediately pull itself back together after detonation.”

“Don’t tell me, it was called the Holy Hand Grenade,” Gregory quipped.

“This isn’t Monty Python, dumbass,” Jason retorted, “but I remember that grenade. The more magic that gets poured into it, the bigger the detonation.”

“Well, fuck me sideways,” Gregory swore.

“Well, this situation gets more dire every second. Is there some miracle waiting to happen?” Andrew said as he walked in.

“We’re in the world of a television show where the good guys always win,” Gregory replied, “so of course there is. We just don’t know where it’s gonna come from.”

“Oh, and I suppose that miracle might come in the form of something crashing on one of the balconies?” Andrew retorted.

Suddenly, the sound of a loud thud came from nearby, followed by a scream and the doors bursting open to reveal a scared filly. “Daddy!”

“Cozy?!” Gregory rushed over and scooped the pegasus up in his arms, holding her close. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

“Something just crashed onto one of the balconies!”

Gregory turned back to Andrew. “Now think of a nice ham and cheese sandwich,” he deadpanned.

“Me and my big mouth,” Andrew deadpanned.

The group headed towards where Cozy directed them as quickly as they could. There on the balcony were a few guards surrounding a big boulder. “Oh look, could it be Tom?” Andrew asked.

“I thought Rarity said never to talk about that ever again,” Gregory murmured.

“I was looking outside when I saw this thing flying,” Cozy explained. “I think it came from Ponyville.”

Gregory put her down and stepped forward, holding up his hands. Sparks of electricity began shooting out of his fingertips. “Stand back,” he warned, “this could be dangerous.” He grabbed a small metal hilt on his belt and a glowing blue blade made of ice formed on it.

“I don’t think it’s dangerous. Look, there's a scroll tied to it,” Andrew said pointing to the paper.

“Will you stop fucking jinxing everything!?” Gregory snapped before he slowly approached the scroll, cutting the rope tying it to the rock and letting it fall. It slid down, opened, and began hovering into the air. It formed a mouth, then it began to speak. To the humans it reminded them of a howler from Harry Potter.

A male voice began speaking. “I have something of great interest to you. If you value the preservation of life, meet me at the southern edge of Ghastly Gorge. If you don't trust this, then I encourage you to bring a friend who ever finds this.”

As the paper landed on the floor, retaking its shape, everyone looked at each other. Gregory looked to Andrew. “Who was that?”

Andrew thought then realized. “Cinders and ashes, that's Robbie’s voice.”

“Robbie?” Stacy asked. “Why would he reach out to us?”

“Cinders and ashes, really?” Gregory deadpanned. “Look, if it’s one of those morons following Howard, then it’s most likely some kind of trap.”

“If it was, why didn’t he ask someone to come alone?”

“The more of us that he could take out of commission,” Gregory said.

“What if he does have something we can use? For all we know it may actually be a relic from the hive.” Stacy asked.

“Far too trusting, these two,” Jason said, gesturing to the other humans. “Sounds like you when you came here.”

Gregory chuckled and flipped Jason off. “Bite me.”

“That’s Ember’s job,” Jason retorted.

Gregory rolled his eyes before turning back to the two. “Even if he is on the level, who’s to say that Howard or one of his goons doesn’t know what’s going on already? If he was really on the level, he should have suggested to meet somewhere closer. Ghastly Gorge is farther away from Canterlot than Ponyville. Haven’t you seen the official Hasbro map?”

“Maybe he doesn’t want to appear as if he wandered off. For all we know, Howard might be keeping tabs on who goes where.”

“Of course Howard would be keeping tabs on his people,” Gregory replied. “That’s what I’d do in his place.”

“I’d say we should go. Besides, they don’t know I promoted myself to general yet.” Stacy grinned.

“And I thought I was the naive one,” Gregory said with a groan, “but fine. Jason, though, you’re not going anywhere.”

“Fine by me,” Chrysalis said. “I’ll go instead. If this is a trap, that human bastard will pay.”

[Ghastly Gorge - A While Later]

A bright flash appeared in the foggy area as three humans, a changeling, and an alicorn appeared. The humans recognized this place as where Rainbow Dash made Tank her pet. The area looked as if it had light fog surrounding it.

Gregory held up his hands and concentrated. Since he had been practicing his weather abilities, he’d discovered that he could control more weather phenomena. Soon, the fog began to swiftly lift. However, as it lifted, a voice called out, “I wouldn’t lift this fog if I were you.”

Everyone turned to see a silhouette of a centaur trotting through the fog towards them. As it got closer it’s feature started to look mismatched. It had the head of a minotaur as well as dragonfly-like wings.

Gregory held up his hands in a defensive position, lightning sparks shooting out slightly from the fingertips again. “I recognize you,” he said, looking at the being darkly, “You’re one of the morons following that childish dick Howard that I knocked out when we came to rescue Jason.”

The being said nothing as he stopped. “I didn’t ask you here to fight. I asked you here to give you all something.”

“And what, pray tell, is that?” Luna asked, lowering her horn at the being in defense, the horn beginning to glow.

“I came to give you these,” Robbie said as he pointed to the ground. Sitting on the ground were two items: a small horn and a small bell.

Stacy gasped “Grogar’s Bell!”

Gregory quickly ran over and picked both of them up. The horn in his hand was not the Gjallarhorn, but he did recognize Grogar’s Bell.

“Gregory, stay back! Those things could be rigged to blow!” Luna warned.

Gregory nodded, then aimed the horn at the creature. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t drain you of all your magic right here and now.”

“Trust me when I say you’ll need these for the storm Howard is brewing,” the draconequus known as Robbie said.

“What about the other artifacts or Twilight Sparkle?” asked Andrew

“In the order you said, they’re under Howard’s possession and she’s under heavy guard.” Robbie stated. “And she’s under Howard’s spell.”

“Yandere bastard,” Gregory snarled as he slipped the horn onto his shoulder. “And what’s this horn? I don’t recognize it.”

“I found it earlier in an alleyway,” Robbie explained. “The moment I touched it. I saw your story. I only ask that you use these artifacts wisely. The bell was the only thing I found myself.”

“The horn is something that can break enchantments on anycreature who touches it and it can reveal hidden truths if it so desires,” Luna explained quickly. She then turned to Robbie. “What are the plans of your leader?”

Robbie frowned. “He’s planning on many things such as an ultimatum on the world: Jason dead or alive or the world sees fire in the form of rockets. Another plan he has is to capture Chrysalis and use her as a ransom.”

“Again, he’s just some Saturday morning cartoon villain,” Gregory said while rolling his eyes.

“It gets worse. The mirror pool was rediscovered,” Robbie said darkly.

Andrew grew pale. “I’m not liking where this is going.”

“Seriously, why didn’t you destroy it?” Gregory asked Luna.

“We tried to, but for some reason the water keeps coming back and the pool itself keeps regenerating whatever stone it loses. We already tried explosive magic.”

“He’s probably planning on replicating himself, and Twilight can’t use magic right now even if she wasn’t under his spell,” Gregory said, pacing the ground worriedly. “The only other ponies I can think of who could cast that spell are Sunset, Starlight, Luna and Celestia. But who knows the spell? That book was probably destroyed when Tirek blew up the library.”

“Even if Twilight remembers it and wasn’t under Howard’s influence, wasn’t her magic dampened by Jason’s punishment?” Andrew asked.

“I just said that she can’t use her magic right now,” Gregory said.

“Are you going to ask to join our side?” Luna asked Robbie.

Robbie could only look down as if he was thinking about his options. Andrew stepped up. “Robbie, we can fix this. Think about it: what would she want?”

“Even after everything I learned, all I see in Jason is a man who was instrumental in ending the life of a pony I cared deeply for.”

“You’re a fucking moron,” Gregory replied. “Ponies died, yes, but this is NOT THE DAMNED SHOW! Shit here is real!”

“Gregory, calm down and let me handle him,” Andrew said.

Andrew walked up and all the group could do was wait. The conversation seemed hushed. Chrysalis turned to Stacy. “You really think he can influence him?”

“I’ve known those two for a long time since we met at a convention,” Stacy said. “Those two are Robin Hood and Little John.”

The group then saw the two hug but then much to their surprise, Robbie spread his wings and flew away. Andrew’s expression became almost unreadable as he turned back to the group and walked towards them. “Well? What happened?” Luna asked with concern.

Andrew was silent for a moment before answering. “He’ll help however he can, but he’d rather remain in solitude.”

“Why is that?” Luna asked.

“I don’t know, but what he said to me reminded me of something I heard in another cartoon,” Andrew stated.

“And what’s that?” Luna asked.

“I have been a fool, made mistakes, monumental ones. I have now gained a new understanding of who I am and who I should be. Robbie the humble servant to no master. The lone ranger of Gaia.”

“Well, at least you know the real name of this world,” Gregory said. “Okay, so he’s gonna be a lone wolf. Fine. We should get back to Canterlot.”

The group grabbed the items and left. However what no one saw was a head peering out of a nearby tree. Howard gritted his teeth. “Why, that no good double crossing traitor! He’ll get what’s coming to him, mark my word…”

[Canterlot Castle Dining Hall - Evening]

The five former bearers, the four humans, the royals and two children were seated in the dining hall having dinner. The mood could be described as almost peaceful. Once Ember arrived back Gregory explained everything that happened. To say Ember was surprised would be an understatement. Andrew sat next to Rainbow Dash, all the while feeling a little flustered. “Is it stuffy in here or is it just me?”

Gregory looked at him, then grinned. “Heh, oh I bet it’s stuffy for you,” he smirked.

Chrysalis chuckled a bit as well, putting an arm around Jason’s shoulder (she was in her human form). “It’s just you,” she said.

Rainbow Dash grinned as she carefully maneuvered a hind leg and touched Andrew’s side. Almost immediately, Andrew’s temperature rose but he tried not to show it. “Kids, no flirting at the dinner table,” Gregory said while wagging his finger at them, “you’ll spoil your appetites.”

“How the hell does he recover so quickly?” Jason muttered.

“I’m not spoiling anything, but maybe if my fan wants dessert I can get him some skittles,” Rainbow teased.

“How does she know about those?!” Jason asked.

“Where do you think she learned it?” Gregory grinned wider.

“He shared some with me,” Rainbow said. “They’re delicious.”

Andrew blushed a bit harder but then had an idea. “Careful Dashie, you're already on the highway to my danger zone,” he said trying to sound a little flirty.

Jason stared at him blankly before turning to Gregory. “Please tell me you didn’t tell her about Top Gun or the Blue Angels.”

“Of course I did,” Gregory said. “I have the movies and downloaded plenty of Blue Angels footage before coming here.”

“Aww, is my mate jealous he’s not getting attention?” Chrysalis cooed.

Jason scoffed. “Eh, let him have his fun.”

Ember, who was next to Gregory, groaned. “Okay, knock off what humans call the PDA.”

“She’s right,” Gregory said, “it’s time to be serious.”

“That goes double for you two.” Ember said, pointing to Stacy and Flash Sentry. Flash was standing next to the table with his spear.

They both gave the dragon confused looks. “We didn’t say anything.”

“First off, what is this horn?” Gregory asked, slipping it off of his shoulder and placing it on the table.

“The horn you hold now is called the Olifant,” Luna explained. “It isn’t as powerful as the Gjallarhorn, but it can reveal truths that anycreature who touches it needs to see the most. It also is powerful enough to break most enchantments on anyone who touches it or hears its blast.”

Gregory pursed his lips. “So why didn’t I see anything when I touched it?”

“Because you were touched by the Gjallarhorn’s powers already,” Luna explained, “so the truth you saw is no longer something you need to see again.”

“Tell me about it,” he muttered. He then turned to Stacy and Andrew. “Hmm…”

Andrew noticed his staring. “What?”

He held out the horn towards him. “Maybe you should touch it. Both of you.”

“Why? I thought you already knew our truths from the day we met,” Andrew said.

“No, you may have some truths that you need to see,” Gregory said. “It shows truths to those who touch it.”

Andrew hesitantly touched it. The horn glowed and Andrew’s eyes glowed for a bit. He then started hyperventilating. After a few more seconds he began shaking. Rainbow Dash immediately pulled him away, making him crash back down in his chair. “Holy shit, you okay?!” Gregory asked as he got up and helped him to a sitting position.

“Jesus…that was more terrifying than how everyone described it. My head feels like it got stomped by a bull,” Andrew said as he rubbed his head.

“What did you see?” Luna asked cautiously.

“Everything, from the Goddess Faust to today,” he said.

“Fuck, that’s a lot,” Jason said.

“There's something else. Someone give me something to write with.”

Luna teleported in a piece of paper and a quill pen. Everyone watched as Andrew began to draw something. “Okay, so you guys know about Biblically accurate angels?”

“I downloaded a few videos some guy made of them, yeah,” Gregory said.

“They were horrid!” Rarity said.

“I thought they were kind of interesting,” Fluttershy admitted.

“And biiiiig!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Well, apparently you guys thought goddess Faust was just an alicorn with a red mane and white coat, right?”

“Actually, she’s more than that,” Gregory said. “I saw her briefly in my Gjallarhorn visions. She has no real form. Each race on Gaia sees them as their own race. Dragons see her as a dragoness, ponies as an alicorn, hell, I saw her as her human form. But go on.”

“I saw her true form, and it’s not the redhead animator we know,” Andrew said as he lifted up one of the scrolls. It looked like a floating Unicorn head with many different wings and had rings with eyes circling around it.

“A mix of a Seraphim, Cherubim and Ophanim,” Gregory said. “I wonder why the Olifant showed you that…?”

“It wasn't just that. This here is a god called Awdry.” He said as he lifted up another scroll he drew. This one resembled a steam locomotive with a giant eye and it appeared to be on tracks made of stone.

Gregory sighed. “A train? Really? Jesus Christ…”

“There was more. It turns out these gods were the creators of several universes. It was easy to distinguish which one. I even saw one that resembled Mickey Mouse.”

“This is getting ridiculous,” Gregory said.

“The way I see it, Faust too knew the magic of friendship and these gods were her friends that created several different worlds that were meant to be viewed by the eyes of so many more people,” Andrew said.

“That’s not really the big issue right now,” Jason said.

“We need to focus on the here and now with Howard and the danger he and his idiot crew are to the world,” Gregory added.

“Yes, and based on what you guys told me. I think I have a plan,” Stacy said.

“What sort of plan?” Luna asked.

“We might be able to get inside if we distract Howard’s crew,” Stacy explained. “They may be under his influence but deep down they’re still the same fans who watched this show.”

“So what are you suggesting?” Andrew asked.

“Perhaps we get down there and blow the horn, lifting the spell?” Gregory asked.

Stacy turned to Gregory. “Look they won’t listen to us, they won’t listen to you and they will definitely kill Jason the moment they see him. But there are five certain individuals here that they might listen to.”

“You think that this Howard guy will even let us get a word in edgewise?” Rainbow asked.

“I’m not talking about Howard. I’m talking about the others. When they joined we were asked who was best pony and Howard was the only one who said that it was Twilight.”

“No, you didn’t hear me,” Rainbow said. “If Howard knows the truth and sees us coming, you honestly think he’ll let us talk to them?”

“He’ll be expecting a huge army of creatures ready to hit hard. But I’m sure the fans won't expect a surprise visit from the ponies they worship.”

“No, absolutely not. That's way too dangerous. The moment they see AJ and Dash wince in pain because of the punishments, they’ll be reminded of Jason and go ballistic,” Andrew said.

“That happens every hour on the hour,” Jason explained.

“So what if we go shortly after the hour strikes?” Gregory suggested. “That’ll give us less than an hour, sure, but it might be worth the risk.”

“Actually the way I see this plan it would require one small but important thing,” Stacy said hesitantly.

“This planned pony social party may last more than an hour so maybe you could, I don't know, temporarily reduce the punishment?” Pinkie asked, turning to Jason.

“We’ll gladly take it back when we’re finished, pardner,” Applejack said.

“Of course!” Rainbow said.

Jason nodded. “Yeah, a good call.”

“Great, so here's how it works. The ponies will distract the goons, we sneak in and I’ll have my tanks at certain areas. The moment we get to the library we’ll send the signal for you girls. When that comes you can either help fight alongside the armies who are hiding or you can retreat.”

“Not a bad idea,” Luna said, “but I cannot ask anyone here to place themselves in danger.”

“I’m willing to help even if I have to use either a tree branch or a crowbar as a weapon,” Andrew said.

“You will be properly armed,” Luna said.

“Are you girls willing to go through with this?” Andrew asked the former bearers.

“We might not be the Elements anymore, but we can’t let these humans keep doing what they’re doing,” Applejack said.

“She’s right,” Pinkie added. “They’re threatening our friend Jason, and we let him down for far too long.”

“It’s time to kick some butt,” Rainbow said.

“Or, um, just talk to them,” Fluttershy said. “Besides, I have a daughter to protect now.”

“And I will not let some ruffians make Twilight into a slave,” Rarity finished.

“Great,” Andrew said before turning to Luna. “Any word from the neighboring nations?”

“The griffins are sending some of their best warriors,” Luna said, “and the yaks are sending their military force. We’ve heard nothing yet from Minotauria.”

“What about Queen Novo?” Gregory asked.

“The hippogriffs still are not on good terms with us,” Luna said, “but we did receive a message thanking us for the warning.”

“The dragons are ready for a fight,” Ember said.

“As are the changelings,” Chrysalis added.

“Good, Stacy, when should we make our move?” Andrew asked.

“We still have until noon before the missile launch,” Stacy said, “so we’ll perform phase one at dawn.”

“Get plenty of sleep, everyone,” Luna said with authority, “because tomorrow, it’s possible that everything changes.”

Everyone got up and started leaving but Chrysalis stayed behind, looking worried. Andrew noticed this and went up to her. It was now just those two alone in the dining hall. “You okay there?”

Chrysalis said nothing as she looked down at the floor for a while. Gregory came back in, peering at the changeling queen. “Andrew, why don’t you head to bed? I’ll talk with her.”

“You sure?”

“Rainbow is offering for you to bunk with her,” Gregory said with a chuckle.

“Oh, in that case I guess I’ll go.”

After Andrew left, Gregory took a seat next to Chrysalis. The two sat in silence for a while before he said, “I might not be able to sense emotions as well as a changeling, but if Andrew can see something’s bothering you, I sure as hell can. You okay?”

“It’s all too much for me to handle, especially after what I recently learned from one of the medics in my hive.”

Gregory’s eyes slowly widened as he looked towards Chrysalis’ stomach, then back to her. “You should really tell Jason,” he said calmly and kindly, “and you shouldn’t go into battle tomorrow. That kind of stress isn’t what you need right now.”

“I know, but I made a promise to my family that I would protect them to the end. What good am I as a queen if I stand by and watch my soldiers sacrifice themselves for me?”

Gregory put a hand on Chrysalis’ shoulder, a kind smile on his face. “I can understand what you’re feeling,” he said, “but the stress of battle won’t do any good for the egg inside you.”

Chrysalis sighed as a tear went down her face. “It was supposed to be a surprise, but then he got captured and I nearly stressed myself by almost killing those two other humans.”

“I don’t know much about changeling pregnancies,” he admitted, “but I really don’t think you should go out tomorrow. Jason’s not going, and he can stay behind and comfort you. Do you have anyone in your ranks that you trust to keep this secret?”

“Just Thorax and his brother. They were always my most loyal subjects.”

Gregory chuckled. “Then tell them and Jason. They’ll keep the secret for you, I’m sure. Tell them to make an excuse for why you can’t go into battle at the moment. Or tell the truth. It’s your call.”

“No, I’ll tell Jason when I meet him in bed. It was supposed to be a romantic night in my hive to tell him, but now I have to share it in the one place where I had my first failure. Ironic, isn't it,” Chrysalis said with a frown.

“Maybe so, but you can override that bad memory with a good one tonight,” Gregory said reassuringly. “I know if it were me, I’d be so happy to hear the news that I was gonna be a father. Stressed, sure, but happy. I’m sure Jason will feel the same.”

“You already have a kid,” she deadpanned.

“Yes, yes I do,” Gregory admitted, “but if by some miracle I got Ember pregnant, I’d still be happy. Happy to have a bigger family and to be able to give Cozy a younger sibling.” He removed his hand from her shoulder. “Feeling a bit better?”

“Yes, thank you Gregory,” she smiled.

“No problem,” he said as he stood, helping her to her feet. “Go ahead and find Jason.”

Meanwhile in a bedroom Andrew was in what some would call an awkward situation. “You know when I heard you were offering to let me bunk with you, I thought you meant a shared room with two beds not one.”

“What, are you complaining that you get to snuggle with a pony?” Rainbow grinned. “You know how many times I’ve found Gregory and Pinkie napping while she sleeps in his lap?”

Andrew just smiled as he held her closer. “When it’s you, I’m not complaining.”

She smirked. “Flatterer.”

The two happily went to sleep knowing tonight would be the only time they could enjoy a warm feeling before the storm tomorrow.