By the time Miguel returned, Twilight had roused the other two. She took the tray and managed to juggle all the mugs it had on it. "Thank you." She passed one each to RC and Brad, taking a third for herself.

The three nursed from their respective mugs as they began their morning rituals. Twilight stopped by the mirror, grooming herself.

Brad paused, looking at himself in the mirror. He ran a brush down his beard slowly. As he looked into his own eyes, he thought back on his life before this mess. He would never have imagined that he would become an adventurer. He wasn't Indiana Jones or a famous explorer, yet here he was, having traveled to another world more than once.

He laughed at the idea, but a new idea came. "Miguel, come over here."

Miguel hopped to his side, leaning against him from behind. "What is up?"

Brad offered the statue of the pony to Miguel. "Here."

Miguel took it and examined it closely, trying to figure out what sort of prank Brad was playing on him. "I'm going to regret not making myself a coffee now too."

Brad swatted at him lightly. "This will either be nothing, or amazing. Just hold that and imagine yourself as a pony, or a horse, whichever you prefer. I vote pony. They can fit here better and can talk."

Miguel gazed at Brad from under his hat. "I don't get it, but okay." He focused on the pony, willing it to do something. He wasn't sure what it was supposed to do, but maybe it had some sort of magic powers? With a puff of rainbows and magic, his world became light and changed. He blinked, finding himself looking up at Brad, then to Twilight. He glanced over himself. Black body, white markings. His horn glowed as he tried to focus on what he had become. "Oh! I'm a unicorn!"

Brad leaned down to hug Miguel. "It works for you too. I wonder if it works for everyone?" He took the statue from where it had fallen. "So, welcome to pony life. How does it feel?"

Miguel wiggled on his hooves, getting a sense for his change in form. His long legs allowed him to walk with a sort of grace. "Interesting, amigo. I think I could get used to this."

Brad patted the new equine's back. "Well, don't too much. Not like you can walk around outside like this." He offered the statue anew. "Hold this and focus on your old form and it should get you back to it."

Miguel took it and looked at his hooves again. "Nope. I'm going with you. I want to see this world of ponies." He tossed the statue up in the air for Brad to catch. "If we're going there, I'll fit right in." He skipped on his new hooves. "And I want to fit in this time. Just another pony."

Twilight nodded with a warm smile. "Excellent. Yes, let's go." She took the lead, jogging out into the ranch. They headed out, away from the dormitory and barns, towards where Bella was waiting.

Miguel, despite being new to hooves, trotted along easily. He was a bit unsteady, but still able to keep pace well.

RC walked alongside him. "You're taking this pretty well. You know, unicorns can grab stuff with their magic. Can you manage that?"

"Hmm." Miguel's horn lit up as he grabbed the hat from Brad's head, making it float between them. "Oh wow! This is so cool!" He turned and tried to grab some grass, but his magic fizzled out.

RC laughed at that. "Ponies don't need magic to grab grass. If you're that desperate you want to eat grass, just shove your face in and enjoy. Still, there are better options, cooked options."

Miguel's stomach grumbled at the thought of food. He had been too busy to eat earlier, and only just now remembering that fact. He pushed on, ignoring his hunger.

They reached Bella's stall. She was inside, and already quite alert. She moved towards them as far as her stall allowed her, eyes focused on them. Brad opened the door so she could step out. Bella came out of her stall and turned back around to face the group. She stepped in close, rubbing noses with Brad affectionately.

Brad ran his fingers over her mane slowly. "It's a different world." Knowing Bella had so many words she wanted to say, but couldn't, changed things for him. "We're heading back over. The pony's Miguel, if you couldn't already tell." Brad gestured from Miguel to Bella. "He's joining us on our trip."

Bella nickered softly at Brad. She looked at Miguel, leaning in close. She sniffed along his neck.

Miguel returned the examination, coloring faintly. "She's saying hi, and she likes me. As an amigo, I think?"

Brad laughed gently, giving Bella a final pat before he led her and the whole motley team off the ranch. "Miguel, am I missing anything important today?"

"No. Slated to be a sleeper of a day." He shook his head as he trotted along. "Better spent in pony land, I say."

Twilight nodded. "Yes. Let's go there." She took to the lead position, guiding them towards a good spot for the bridge to come out.

It was just a patch of open space, with some trees in the distance, and grasslands all around. "Brad, Bella?" She looked to them. "Do your magic."

Brad mounted Bella, settling into the saddle comfortably, and he gave the reins a gentle click. Bella started trotting. Brad leaned over her, rubbing along her shoulder gently. "You ready?"

Bella responded by speeding up into a canter. Brad held on tight as she began weaving about before turning into an all-out gallop towards a distant tree line. With a powerful leap, they landed atop a rainbow that hadn't been there a moment before. With some cheer, they all proceeded across it back to Equestria.

As soon as they crossed into Equestria, Brad hopped off Bella, letting her run about at speed, no longer forced to be constrained by human riding laws and limits. Miguel ran after Bella, laughing merrily as he matched her speed.

But that all came to a stop when Brad got the statue out. Bella looped back around and charged for him. He held out the statue for her, letting her snatch it from his hands in her mouth. She changed, becoming a pony once more. She rubbed her muzzle against his shoulder. "Thanks, my stallion."

"You're welcome. Good to hear you talking again." He put an arm around her.

Twilight cleared her throat gently. "Our turn." She pointed between RC and herself. "And I have an experiment to try, if you're alright with it."

Brad offered the statue to them both. They were both returned to their pony selves in short order, with the statue floating in Twilight's magic. "Your question was a valid one. Can anypony, or human, make use of this? Can any horse? We can test with some ponies without an issue, with your permission?" She looked to RC and Brad.

"Sure, I don't see why not," Brad answered for them both. "But who will we ask? I mean, you know them better than I do."

"Of course. We need only ask around, perhaps starting with Applejack and her family." She turned, looking around, getting a sense for their location before starting off towards Sweet Apple Acres. "We'll just borrow them for a few minutes, promise."

The others followed her, including Bella. They all moved at a trot, making good time as they headed towards their destination. Miguel pulled upalongside Brad. "Am I that cute?" He turned a new ear at Brad. "Stupid question, I know. All ponies are muy lindo."

Brad laughed quietly to himself. "Yes, you're very cute, and hopefully Applejack will see you the same, in the best way."

Miguel darkened quickly. "I hope so, amigo." He rubbed at one of his enflamed cheeks with a hoof. "If we're both ponies, then." He rolled a hoof to fill in the training end of that.

Brad snorted gently. "I am the last person that could argue if you two want to get, uh, familar. So long as you two agree, have fun."

Miguel chuckled. "Oh, I think I can convince her. After all, who could resist all this?" He gestured along his equine form. "I mean, besides the obvious answer of anyone, I guess."

They met, balled hand to hoof, and advanced with a shared chuckle as they passed onto the orchard proper.

Big Mac spotted them first, trotting over. "Ayup." His eyes went from one to the next, pausing on Bella. "Howdy." His eyes went instead to Miguel.

Brad saw the question. "This is Miguel, in pony form."

"Ayup?" Big Mac nodded at the pony Miguel. "Sis is in the house." He pointed the way.

Miguel turned towards the house in question. "I'll take care of this. You two get set for whatever comes next." He winked to them, then trotted off with purpose.

Twilight smirked a moment, but her attention was on Big Mac. "Big Mac, a moment of your time." She floated the statue towards him. "As you've seen, we can turn humans to ponies, and back again. We wanted to see if it worked on you. Would you be willing to hold this and imagine yourself as a human?"

He stared at the statue with some suspicion before taking it in hoof. "Ayup." As he started imagining the change, but nothing happened. He gave up after a moment and offered it back towards Twilight. "Nope."

"It's fine." She smiled reassuringly. "Thank you for trying."

Bella nudged Brad gently. "So what does that mean? Why didn't it work? He wasn't focused enough?" Bella was confused by the failure.

Twilight shrugged slowly. "I don't know, but now we have a new question." With a frown of her own, she added, "We could test other ponies and see if they can change or not."

While they went about their experiment, inside, Miguel almost bumped into Applejack as he came inside. "Senorita! I was hoping to find you."

She perked an ear at the strange new pony, but their words were quite familiar. "Miggy?" She examined him carefully, then nodded. "Well I'll be. Ya clean up nice."

"Gracias." Miguel bowed his head lightly. "Maybe after you're done working today, we can talk?"

Applejack pulled him in for a proper hug. "Don't be so stiff. That present ya brought last time, it was mighty nice." She nuzzled his cheek. "But the you managed to one-up it! Does this mean what ah think it means? Yer serious, about us?"

"Only as serious as you are, senorita, and not a drop more." He winked at her, making her cheeks go red.

"Ah'm serious enough." She glanced away, then went in, touching noses with him. "But ah need a pony that ain't gonna vanish on me." She put hoof on his shoulder. "Are ya willin' to stay?"

Miguel thought for several long moments. Would he give up his life back home to live here? It would be hard. "Give me some time?" He rubbed her shoulder gently. "It is a large question you are asking, after all."

Applejack rubbed her snout to his. "'Course. Ain't no small thing not one bit. But ah want an honest answer. Don't go breakin' mah heart with no lies, ya hear?"

"As I said before, I wouldn't dare." Miguel nuzzled against her cheek lightly. "You still have the best apples, and if I don't get to them, there would be something wrong with the world."

The two laughed at that and she led him outside. "Ya became a unicorn? Pity, but we'll see if we can't eke out some bucks from you. Lemme show ya how."

Author's Note

Miguel has a big choice to make there.

Bonus adult chapter here:

[Adult story embed hidden]

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