What Does It Mean to Be a Prince?by Mike the RedChaptersThe Unknown UnknownA New MenaceCan We Stop Her?DoubtToo DangerousSo What's Next?An Unexpected VisitPeace Through StrengthA Needle and ThreadMore Questions Than AnswersFirst Things FirstOn the Loose AgainThe Unknown Unknown"SHOW YOURSELF!!" I thundered, my voice ripping the air like a chainsaw. I received no response. An eery silence fell, and the sky started to darken somewhat. I was starting to become very worried as there wasn't supposed to be something like this happening. "YOU, WHO CALL YOURSELF TASAVIR!" a voice from nowhere boomed. The sky grew darker still, though there were no clouds. It looked like some sort of eclipse was occurring. I continued to scan using my magic, trying to discern the origin or nature of this voice. My magic proved fruitless on this attempt. I offered a silent prayer of hope, and briefly considered what Princess Celestia would do in such a situation. "Remain calm," I thought to myself. "Keep calm. Negotiation is the order." To this unknown entity, I said, "Yes, what is it you want?" "I have been watching you for a long time," came the voice, still very loud, but not as commanding as the first words I heard Him say. I deduced this entity was male owing to the Stentorian nature of His voice. "May I inquire as to the nature of your business with me?" "You have displeased me, Tasavir." "In what way? And how am I to address you if I don't know who or what you are?" I was seriously wondering if Discord had managed to escape his petrified imprisonment, as this was seriously messing with my mind. "You have the unmitigated gall to try to impersonate MY SON!" He boomed. "What? You mean you ACTUALLY EXIST? I thought that was a myth!" I couldn't believe I was talking to HIM at all! "Yes! I DO EXIST! And THAT is why I am displeased with YOU! How dare you think you can usurp MY power! How dare you think you can alter the rising and lowering of the sun! You are interfering with MY CREATION!" "Please forgive me, Father, for I have sinned," I started. "You were raised a Roman Catholic! You strayed from the path! And NOW you think you can achieve IMMORTALITY with your actions! You KNOW what I am capable of doing to you!" "May I ask once again for your forgiveness? What must I do?" "You must stop impersonating MY SON, for a start. Remain true to yourself, you should have been proud of the form I gave you when you were born. Instead, you chose to alter it." "How does that explain the fact that about two weeks ago, I had woken up in the form of Twilight Sparkle?" "I blessed you with that wish so you could experience something new. I had no idea you would enjoy it as much as you did." "Yeah, it WAS pretty nice," I grinned. "I will have to admit, that you performed admirably whilst in that form," He acknowledged. "You brought honor to the name of Twilight Sparkle. I was impressed." I beamed at His compliment -- I had been praised by the Almighty Himself! "You have my deepest appreciation for your compliment -- although I knew I could not remain in that form, but I did indeed enjoy the experience fully." "However, you violated one of MY commandments!" He thundered. He was referring to my killing of Chrysalis. "That entity was going to KILL ME! I claim self-defense! I was trying to rescue my step-daughter and her two children!" "Understood. That doesn't completely mitigate that action but I will forgive you on that one. HOWEVER," He started. I remembered just then about Xaviera and her kids being encased in those slimy cocoons, and shuddered to think that maybe it had been too late when I rescued them. There was a gnawing at the back of my mind that they may have already been assimilated into Chrysalis' hive, and that they were already changelings themselves. "Almighty Father, I have a request. I know it is a bit presumptuous of me to end this conversation, but I fear my step-daughter and her children may be in greater danger than I realize. I beg your forgiveness, but I MUST check on them! Please!" "I understand the nature of your request. Be advised that I WILL be watching you as I always HAVE been! Keep in mind that if you CONTINUE to act irresponsibly there WILL be serious consequences for your actions! Consider this a WARNING!" He boomed. His presence then retreated, and the sky cleared out again to reveal bright sunshine in a cloud-free sky. Brenda came out of the Lottery headquarters shortly after that, grinning from ear to ear. She saw my look of concern and her smile disappeared. "Mike, what happened? You look scared, and I thought that in your new form, nothing could scare you!" "You're not going to believe this, Brenda, but I just had a conversation with the Lord Our God in Heaven." "Where have I heard THAT before," she grinned. "No, Brenda, I mean for real-real, not for play-play. He said He was deeply offended by my actions." "So what are you going to do?" "He said I must act more responsibly. And I must stop impersonating His Son." I changed my appearance again, to match my original human form, just a bit more well-defined in the body, and younger as well. We got in the car to go home, Brenda having received a certified bank cashier's check for the lottery win. "Analyzing driver data. Driver data confirmed. Good afternoon, Michael Walker!" came TS's cheery voice. "Analyzing passenger data. Passenger data confirmed. Good afternoon, Brenda Walker!" "Afternoon, TS, we need to teleport back home," I said. "Mike, what's the hurry?" "I fear something really bad has happened to Xaviera and her kids," I said, a look of deep concern on my face. "What?" "Do you remember when I freed her and her kids from those slimy cocoons I was telling you about?" "And you killed the Queen of the Changelings in front of them? How can I forget? They keep telling me they have nightmares about what she did to them!" "I am very worried about what may truly have happened," I said. "Preparing to teleport, home location. Teleportation in progress," came TS's flat voice. A New MenaceTS teleported us back home. "Magic battery level, 92 per cent," she advised flatly. "Thank you TS, I will refill it for you soon," I said. I turned the car off and Brenda and I went back into the house. "Careful Brenda, I don't know what might be waiting for us." Now, truth be told, Xaviera and her kids had been behaving normally as they usually do, but there were subtle clues I had picked up but had been ignoring, as sometimes her behavior could be a little erratic, and her kids were always acting silly anyway. I had dismissed the behavior as being mostly normal, but now I was worried. Could they be changelings? I had to find out. My first instinct was to check downstairs, since they spent quite a lot of time down there watching TV. No one was there. I then checked the room they normally sleep in. Nope, not there, either. I checked our room, as they have a tendency to watch TV in our room when we're out. Not there either. Brenda and I checked the house, and found Xaviera and her kids gone. Brenda called her other daughters to see if she was over at one of their houses, but go no answers. "I hope she hasn't turned into a Queen," I said. "That would be BAD." "What do you mean?" "It means she could go around town, finding her siblings, and turning THEM into changelings!" I said, my worry starting to tinge my voice. I was still trying to locate them using magic, but again, not having any luck. How could she avoid my detection? "If she has, can you turn her back into her normal self?" "I believe I might be able to, but I am not quite sure. Changelings feed off love, as that's what nourishes them, but the Queen has a taste for blood," I said. "What, you mean like a vampire?" "Worse. A Queen spares no one, just kills for the blood if she wants it. Usually, she looks to enlarge her hive. She does this by turning whomever into a changeling." "What do they look like?" "The worst thing about changelings is they can take on ANY appearance, and no one will be able to see this unless they are extremely perceptive. I can tell, but Xaviera is keeping herself concealed, which might mean she's already a Queen. I am concerned for the safety of ALL your family members now. If THEY have been converted into changelings, things are going to get really bad." "We should go to Katrina's house, since it's closest," Brenda said. "I hope we're not too late." We got back into the car and drove over to Katrina's house, which was only about half a mile from ours. Katrina has three kids and her husband Mario lives with them as well. I knocked on Katrina's front door, and Mario answered. "Who are you?" he asked me. "Brenda, who is this guy?" he asked as soon as he saw her. "That's Mike, Mario. He has changed his appearance somewhat." "What can I do for you?" "We came to see if Katrina's all right," I said. "Has Xaviera been over here?" "No, I haven't seen her today." "When was the last time she was here?" "She stopped by yesterday," Mario said. I used my magic to see if he had been changed. He was still normal. I scanned the house to see if anyone else had been changed. Everything was normal, and I sighed in relief. "If she comes by, call me immediately please!" I said. "Why, what's wrong?" "I have some concerns, and I need to speak with her," I replied. I just hoped it wasn't too late. "I will call you if she comes by," he said, and closed the door. "Okay, now we head over to Tasha's house," I said to Brenda. She was looking quite worried, and let me know she was afraid. "What do changelings look like if they're not taking someone's appearance?" "They look like big black beetles that walk around on their hind legs, and have holes in those legs. The Queen is differentiated by a long serrated sharp jagged horn and a small crown, kind of like the crown I wear in my Alicorn form." "How big are they?" "About three feet tall, but the Queen is about five feet tall and takes a more equine appearance, more or less. I am not sure if Xaviera will look like a mix of human and changeling or what. I think most likely she will be disguising her appearance so as to fit in with society. That will make her especially dangerous, more so since she is still avoiding my detection. I am still scanning for her and not having any luck. She must have become quite powerful." "If we do run into her, what are we supposed to do? She's still my daughter, and I don't want you to kill her!" "It largely depends on how powerful she is. If she is truly a Changeling Queen, we might be in a little trouble. I will do my best to keep from killing her, and I seriously hope I don't have to. I don't want to see you become assimilated into her hive, and I will have to try to keep from being hypnotized by her gaze." We drove over to Tasha's house, as she is Brenda's second oldest daughter. She lives with a few friends who share the responsibilities of maintaining a household. We got out and went to the front door. I knocked a few times, and had to knock harder as I heard loud music coming from inside the house. "Tasha! You in there?" Brenda asked. Tasha came to the front door. "What do you want, mama?" Tasha asked impatiently. She took quite a few mannerisms from her mother. "Wait, what happened to you? You look like you're younger than me!" "Tasha, has Xaviera come by today?" "Uh...not today, but she did stop by yesterday," she said, still looking quizzically at her mother. I did my scan, and found that Tasha had been assimilated. "Tasha, did she do something to you?" I asked her. "NO! What are you talking about?" she shouted. I used my cleansing magic on her, restoring her to human status. She shuddered, and moaned in pain as I did this. Then I heard a small crying noise as the changeling spirit was banished. "What happened?" Tasha asked. "I had to cleanse your spirit, which had been taken over by a changeling," I said. "Are there any more in here like you? What about YOUR kids?" "Xaviera came by yesterday, and I forgot what happened after that -- she was here for a while, and then left. I don't know which way she went from here, she was walking with her kids, that's all I remember," Tasha explained. She was animated, gesturing wildly as she spoke, as though she was very worried about her youngest sister. "Alicia! Mason! Are you in here?" I asked. Tasha's kids came forward, and I scanned them as well. More assimilation. This was a very bad sign. I cleansed them as well, and asked to be let in. I checked to see if everyone else was okay, and for good measure, put a ward on the house to prevent further assimilation. I just hoped it would be strong enough to deter Xaviera from returning to try to expand her hive some more. "Do you remember which way you saw Xaviera go?" I asked her. "She went that way," Tasha pointed to the west. "Thanks for helping me." "Okay, Tasha, be careful now," Brenda said. We got back into the car. "There's no telling where she would have went, unless she walked all the way to your older sister's house," I told Brenda. Her older sister lived on the north side of town, about three miles from where we were. We drove over there, and pulled into her driveway. On our way there, Brenda asked TS to relay a message to Princess Celestia regarding Xaviera. "Dear Brenda, it is with great concern I receive your message. If what you say is true, that your daughter Xaviera has become a new changeling queen, I may have to return to your world to assist Tasavir. I shall bring Twilight Sparkle with me for further assistance, as she has some experience in identifying a queen. We will arrive at your house at your request. I have asked my sister to temporarily continue my duties. She insisted on coming as well, but there needs to be one of us to look after the Castle and meet the responsibilities our duties require of us. I look forward to meeting you once again, but regret the circumstances our visit necessitates." Can We Stop Her?We got out of the car at Brenda's older sister's house. Beulah had a fifteen year old daughter with Down's Syndrome, and had to stay home all the time to care for her. She answered the door, with the girl remaining speechless the whole time, but still fairly active. A brown pit-bull dog came to the door and started barking. "Biscuit, get back. Brenda, is that you? You look so much younger today. What's going on?" Beulah is only four years older than Brenda, but the years hadn't treated her too well. Her hair was all grey, some starting to turn white, and she had lines creasing her face from years of smoking cigarettes. "You know my husband, Mike, right? He used magic to de-age me," Brenda said. "Anyway, we're here to see if Xaviera has stopped by recently." Brenda turned to me and smiled at the first part of her statement, then a worried look crept across her face after the second part. "No, Brenda, she hasn't been by here. Mike, you look different, what has happened to you? And why do you have a pale blue glow to you?" "Some interesting things have happened over the past couple of weeks," I said. "If I had more time, I could tell you, but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't believe the stories I have to tell. Right now, the matter of tracking down Xaviera is of critical importance, as I fear something bad may have happened to her." "What do you mean?" "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I said, scanning for changelings again. Beulah and her daughter were clean. "Brenda, your sister and her daughter are okay. I think it's time for us to go back home." "Brenda, you take care. You too, Mike!" "Call me if she comes by, please," Brenda said, still showing worry on her face. "Okay, I will. See you later, and come by when you can spend some more time. Mike, I would like to hear your stories some time." "No problem, Beulah, I will try to find time for that." We turned and went back to the car. Brenda's phone rang. It was Xaviera, calling for her mama. "This ought to be interesting," I thought as Brenda talked to her youngest daughter. I used my magic to try to pin down her location. She was calling from our house, some three miles and some change from Beulah's house. "Xaviera, I've been worried sick! Where are you?" "I'm home, mama, there's nothing to eat here," she said, sounding no different from usual. "I'll pick something up from the store a bit later on, you just stay there and wait for us, okay?" "Is Mike with you?" she asked, a little apprehension in her voice. "Yes, what's up?" "I don't want to see him!" she said, starting to get angry. "Careful, Brenda, we don't want to scare her off," I thought, and sent the thought into Brenda's mind. "He will be dropping me off, he has other business to attend to," she lied. "Okay, I will be waiting," she said. She ended the phone call at that point. We got into the car, and I backed it out into the street. I told TS to teleport us home, as the matter was extremely important. She did this, with us just short of the driveway by about two car-lengths. I pulled into the driveway. "Okay, be ready for anything," I said. Xaviera came out of the house, her appearance no different from normal. Her kids were with her as she came out the front door. "How did you get here so quickly?" she asked, her face flushed with anger. "The car can teleport, in case you had forgotten," I said. I had put up my magic barrier, just to be on the safe side. "Next time, you won't be able to find me at all!" she shouted. She then dropped her disguise, and I finally got to see what change had taken place. She had all the identifiers of a changeling queen, and looked only slightly different from Chrysalis, just a few minor facial details, and her chitin shell and wings and hair were dark brown. She lifted herself above the ground by flapping those wings. I think remaining in my human form might have put me at a disadvantage here. "Xaviera! You come down here and change yourself back right now!" her mama demanded. "Shut up talking to me mama! You think you can bully me like you bully your weak husband?" I enveloped her body in my pale blue aura, and forced her to the ground. She struggled quite hard, and the effort to hold her down was requiring me to use more magic than I had wanted to. I was shocked by just how strong she had gotten. "Brenda, get in the car and call Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle at once, let them know the worst has happened and we need their presence immediately!" I tossed her the key, and Brenda did this. A flash of light and a golden POP ushered in Celestia's arrival, with Twilight right beside her. "We came as soon as we could, Tasavir," she said. "I am holding her down, but I need to use a different kind of magic to reverse the changes that have happened to her. Would you please be kind enough to hold her down for me so I can use my cleansing magic on her?" "With pleasure, Tasavir," Celestia said, and her golden aura surrounded Xaviera's queenly body. Celestia was stunned by Xaviera's sheer power, and Twilight had to pitch in. "Tasavir, she is VERY strong!" "You think?" I asked. I bathed her in my glow, using quite a lot of magic to cleanse her form. She struggled mightily against it, and broke free from Celestia's and Twilight's telekinetic grip. She flew off, and I gave chase. "Brenda, how long has she been like this?" Celestia asked her. "It may only have been a few days." "How did she get so strong?" asked Twilight. "I don't know," said Brenda. She looked positively frightened. If the three of us couldn't stop her, who could? Doubt"Mike, do you think it's such a good idea to take the grand-kids with us? Didn't you say they had become changelings as well?" Brenda gave me a worried look. Remarkably, Samantha and Tanisha had been behaving like normal children, which surprised me. "Only after I cleanse them," I said. "Of course, doing so will reduce my leverage with Xaviera, but we can't take any chances. Celestia would not approve of the presence of changelings in her realm. By the way, what time is it?" "About 7:40," Brenda said as she checked the time on her phone. "The sun was supposed to be setting about half an hour ago," I said. It was still in its late afternoon position. "I want to try something here -- I want to wait another two hours and see if God is going to allow the sun to set. If that doesn't happen, I will do it myself." "I think that's a bad idea -- you don't want to make Him angry," Brenda said, somewhat apprehensive of what I was about to do. "If He actually exists, He will do it. If not, it means something else," I said. I wanted to see if my doubts proved true -- with the power level I possessed, I figured I might be able to prove or disprove His existence once and for all. A nagging feeling of dread gnawed at the back of my mind, but I was determined to see this play out. "Oh Heavenly Father, by whatever name you go by," I shouted at the sky, "I am giving you two hours to lower the sun. If you really exist, you will do this. If not, I shall do it. Do you hear me?" "MIKE! STOP THAT!" Brenda shouted at me, showing extreme worry on her face. "TWO HOURS! YOU GOT THAT!" I shouted at the sky again. "MIKE!" Another flash of light and golden POP resounded once again, and now Celestia and the Mane Six were standing in the front yard. "Princess Celestia, welcome back," I said. "I see every pony is here. Good. Now I shall lure Xaviera here by cleansing her children of their changeling spirits." "Darling, you mean you can actually do that?" Rarity asked, showing great surprise. "Hey Mike, how's that supposed to work? I mean, I know you can do lots of stuff like that, but really, cleaning changelings like that, and banishing the spirits, and -- hey, they're just little kids, aren't they? Is it going to hurt them?" "Pinkie Pie, just be quiet and observe. Xaviera should be here shortly, and I don't want her harming any of you. She has become very powerful, even stronger than the last Queen you encountered. Does everypony have their Elements ready?" A chorus of "Yes" filled the air. I proceeded to cleanse Samantha then Tanisha, each of them shuddering, then falling unconscious as I finished, and again there was the small crying sound from each of them as their changeling spirits were banished. Suddenly, Xaviera appeared. "How DARE you interfere with my HIVE!" she screamed, gliding in to stop not ten feet away from me. "You will not escape THIS time," I sternly addressed her. "You must be cleansed of your changeling spirit, even if you are the new Queen. Trust me, I do NOT want to kill you, just cleanse you of that evil spirit inside you." I telekinetically held her in place, and her struggle was vicious. "NEVER! Even if you do cleanse me, the next in line will become the Queen! Think about THAT!" I facehoofed. This is going to be harder than I thought, and I had no idea of how many she had assimilated. "Elements at the ready. Use your magic NOW!" Celestia commanded. They surrounded her, and cast their magic, enveloping Queen Xaviera in a rainbow-hued vortex. I released my telekinetic grip on her just in time to allow the vortex to banish the Queen's spirit. Xaviera fell to the ground unconscious, naked, but returned to her human form. "Somepony cover her, I don't want to see her like this," I said. "Thanks again for your help." "It was my pleasure, Tasavir," Celestia said. "By the way, what did she mean by her comment?" "I have no idea how many she assimilated into her hive, Celestia. It seems as though the Queen's spirit takes over the next person or pony to have been assimilated. If that's the case, there will be another Queen, then another, then..." "This sounds particularly bad," Celestia said, fresh worry creeping across her face once again. "I tried to find everyone she assimilated, but there's no telling how many she may have gotten to." "Did anyone get the number of that bus that just hit me?" Xaviera said, groggily getting to her feet. "Where are my kids? Gotta get back into the house, I'm cold and hungry." "Xaviera, you okay?" I asked her. "Got a bad headache, my body hurts, I feel like I've been hit by a bus, but I guess I'm okay," she said. She found her kids and took them inside. "Thanks for saving my baby," Brenda said to Celestia. "Mike, it's getting late -- and the sun is still up." "What time is it now?" I asked. "About 9:30," Brenda replied. "Tasavir, what does this mean?" asked Celestia. "I am conducting an experiment, and all of you are invited to watch. If you might remember, I talked about the existence of a very powerful entity, one who claimed to be the God of all gods, with no others before him. If this is true, and he really exists, he has about 15 minutes, more or less, to allow the sun to set. As you can see, the sun is still in its late afternoon position, and was supposed to set about two hours ago. Even though I am supposed to lower the sun, I am doing this for the purpose of either proving or disproving the existence of this God." "Tasavir, you tempt fate by doing this. I would suggest you proceed with your duties, lest you anger an even greater power." Celestia admonished me, showing some degree of concern on her face. I believe she was worried for my safety. "Celestia, your concern has been registered, however, I feel compelled to proceed with this test. Allow me to assume my Alicorn form, this will only take a minute." I changed into my Alicorn form, taking a truly regal appearance by doing so. "Brenda, is it time?" I asked her. "Yes," she said. A look of fear crept across her face. I flew up into the sky. "TIME'S UP!!" I shouted at the sky. The sun had refused to set, so I grabbed it with my magic and lowered it below the horizon, skipping the sunset position. I then grabbed the moon and placed it about half-way in the sky. I flew back down to the ground, gliding to a stop in our front yard, the Mane Six looking on in awe of my display. "Tasavir, there is no need to be so ostentatious," Celestia advised. "TASAVIR!! YOU HAVE DISPLEASED ME!!" a voice thundered from nowhere. "I gave you two hours, and you refused to set the sun. So I did it for you," I said. "Show yourself if you truly exist. I offer that as a request, not as a demand." "I have no need to show myself to one as insolent as you!" "So why didn't you allow the sun to set? I gave you enough time to do so. Again, I request you show yourself!" "I cannot allow you to gaze upon my form!" "SHOW YOURSELF!!" I shouted, using magic to amplify my voice. "Either you exist or you do not! If you refuse to show yourself, I claim that you do not truly exist!" Much to the shock of every pony present, a swirling mist rose between Celestia and me, and when that mist settled, there in our midst was none other than... "Discord!" I hissed. "How DARE you try to trick me into thinking you were HIM!" I lost my temper. My eyes went white with rage, and my visage grew dark and fearsome. My body enlarged with my wings growing to a span of twenty feet as I took to the sky once again. My body started glowing brilliantly, emitting light bright enough to hurt the eyes of whomever gazed upon me. I readied a large magic charge from my horn, which was now glowing brilliant blue, my mane and tail also glowing a brilliant blue to match. Discord watched this spectacle in horror, a look of sheer terror on his face. "YOU WILL NEVER TRICK ANYONE EVER AGAIN!" I shouted at him, launching this massive blast, reducing his body to a pile of dust. I calmed down, returning to my normal size, and landed near Celestia. Every pony was stunned by this raw display. "That ... was ... quite ... impressive," Celestia said, the loss of words quite stunning, coming from her. "Wow! That was AWESOME!" Rainbow shouted. "Um, Mike, when did you get THAT powerful?" Twilight asked, her face still showing shock and surprise. "I apologize for losing my temper. I guess righteous indignation got the better of me there. I guess my theory proved correct." I turned to Brenda, who was just standing with her mouth open, her eyes comically large. "Brenda, I guess that means everything you know is wrong." "Hey, Mike, Brenda, we were going to throw you a party! Can you come this time? Please? I think the occasion is perfect for a party! Princess Celestia, can we have one in their honor? I have everything already planned out from the last time! Every pony will be happy to meet you both! Hey Brenda, can Mike turn you into a pony for us?" Pinkie was bouncing with even more enthusiasm than normal. Applejack was nodding in agreement, and Fluttershy, well...having witnessed my display, she was still hiding behind her mane, behind Rarity at that. "Michael, darling, perhaps Brenda can model some clothing for me? I would be honored to have her come by my boutique for some measurements." "We have several hours before I have to raise the sun tomorrow, so I would be honored to join all of you for the festivities," I said. "Brenda, shall I turn you into a pony for this occasion? It will only be for tonight, I promise!" "MIKE! NO! PLEASE!" Brenda pleaded with me. "Too late," I said, grinning. I turned Brenda into a zebra, looking fairly similar to Zecora. "What? What happened? What do I look like? I see stripes," Brenda said. "Oooh! Zecora!" Fluttershy said and trotted over to Brenda, giving her a hug. "My name is Brenda!" she shouted. Fluttershy flew behind Rarity, meeping, and hiding behind her mane again. "Brenda, you didn't need to do that," I said. "How am I supposed to walk now?" she asked. She tried a little bit, and fell. "Damn it!" Every pony started laughing at her. "Brenda, try alternating front and rear legs, taking small steps. I think you do right front, left rear, left front, right rear, and keep going like that until you build a good rhythm. Then you can try going faster and taking larger steps," I said. She started doing this, getting the motion down fairly quickly. She started trotting in a large circle, then going faster until she started galloping up and down our block. She felt the rush of wind through her hair and ears, grinning broadly as she galloped. "You know, I could get used to liking this," she said, beaming a big smile. "Now you know how I felt when I was in Twilight's body galloping from her house to Sugar Cube Corner," I said. "The rush is quite exhilarating!" Too Dangerous"Michael, please wait -- and turn your wife back into a human. I have something very important to say to you," Celestia stated, her tone quite serious. "I have been pondering your actions just now, and I have come to the conclusion that you are simply too dangerous to visit my realm. I am hereby rescinding my invitation to allow you to visit Equestria, effective immediately. Brenda, I apologize if this disappoints you, as I suspect you were looking forward to attending the party that Pinkie Pie had invited both of you to attend. Michael, your act was a display of recklessness which cannot be tolerated." "Princess Celestia, I --" I began, trying to explain my actions. "Michael, you are not permitted to call me by that name any more. You must henceforth refer to me as either 'Your Majesty' or 'Your Royal Highness'." She maintained the serious tone to her voice as she said this to me. "Your Majesty, I see I have displeased you. That having been said, again I apologize for my rash decision. In my defense, I would like to state that as a human, I was raised with certain religious beliefs, and the sight of Discord impersonating the most important figure in all religions was too much for me to take. I understand that it was not my authority to act as judge, jury, and executioner -- however, as I stated before, I claim righteous indignation in my defense. If that sounds like a rationalization, I suppose it qualifies as such. I beg your forgiveness, your Majesty. I am still a fledgling Alicorn, and my human emotions got the better of me. Please believe me when I say that this was a truly rare occurrence, as my wife can testify that I have scarcely ever lost my temper in that fashion." "Michael, I would like to believe your sincerity, however, I cannot allow such a risk to my realm. I believe that in due course, you will mature to a level commensurate with your power, and you will be able to control your emotions with more discretion. As such, I appreciate your honesty, but I simply cannot allow one as dangerous as you to enter my realm." Celestia's face showed some degree of sadness and disappointment as she continued to lecture me. "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, might I inquire as to your decision to refer to me by my human name, as opposed to the Alicorn name I chose? I still retain my ability to change back and forth between forms at my leisure, or as such circumstances warrant -- unless you believe I represent such a danger that you would dare to consider removing my Alicorn status. If so, I am curious to know how you might be able to do so -- and by the same token, does that mean that I possess enough power to do the same to you?" "Your hasty action belies the stability required to serve honorably as an Alicorn, therefore, Michael, I can no longer refer to you by the name you have chosen. Requesting that I call you that name is a privilege, one which I am not obligated to honor if you bring dishonor to the ranks of the Alicorn." I saw her visage start to darken. "And if you think you possess enough power to remove MY Alicorn status, I would strongly suggest you reconsider such thoughts, lest you provoke MY ire." "Your Majesty, I would never consider such action -- I have far too much respect and admiration for you to even countenance such actions -- that, and the fact that your subjects require your deepest admiration and strongest abilities to provide them with what they need. I apologize for even broaching the subject, but would request you understand what is sometimes referred to as 'The Golden Rule' -- 'Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You'." I watched as the Elements shifted nervously on their hooves, silently watching this conversation with rapt attention. The atmosphere hung heavy with the gravitas of two Alicorns having a deep philosophical disagreement. Brenda was bored, still in her Zebra form, and chatting with Rarity, perhaps discussing the idea of having a fabulous new outfit to wear. "Michael, I know full well that Golden Rule of which you speak -- we have a similar variant in the same vein as your human equivalent. Be that as it may, to continue even with the consideration of possible threats is yet another element of your lack of good judgment. As for your concern about losing your Alicorn status, you need not worry about that. You have certain duties and responsibilities in this realm which require you to maintain that status. However, should you choose to visit MY realm without my permission, I will be forced to strip you of that status." Celestia showed visible anger. "Very well then, your Majesty. I have a simple request, since I will no longer be able to see any of the Elements from this day forward. With your permission, your Majesty, may I give a final hug and last goodbye to each of them?" "You have my permission, Michael. Make sure your good-byes and hugs are short, lest you displease me further." I returned to my human form, and restored Brenda to her human form. "Why did you do that, Mike? I was just starting to enjoy that," Brenda said somewhat dejectedly. "As per 'Her Royal Highness' suggestion, I have returned you to your human form. Twilight, would you please be kind enough to approach me? You shall be the first I say my final good-bye to. My dearest Twilight Sparkle, I have the utmost respect and admiration for you, and it is with great sadness that I say my final adieu. I will cherish the memory of my experience in your body for the rest of my life -- and if that means I may live forever, then so too will my memory of being you. I am very sorry to have disappointed you or possibly even frightened you by my over-zealous display of power, and I can only hope that maybe you will forgive me my egregious excess. Please give me a quick hug, as this may be the final time I have an opportunity to see you. It is my fervent hope that maybe some day in the future, your mentor will soften her attitude towards me and allow me to return. I wish that we could have spent more time together discussing matters regarding magic, mathematics, science, and other subjects. I would appreciate you giving me your take on Calculus, a subject I could not wrap my brain around. Please forgive me if I shed a tear or two, I will deeply miss you." "Oh, Michael, I wish it could be different to say good-bye like this -- I might be able to persuade Celestia to let me come and visit you here, but not for awhile yet. Calculus is easy once you get the basics down, and I would be happy to teach you the finer aspects of that subject," she said, smiling through a couple of tears. Just barely above a whisper as I held her she said, "I love you, Michael." I whispered "I love you back." She smiled, and then left my embrace. "Rarity, you are next. Please approach me, so that I may give you a fond farewell. My dearest Rarity, it is a shame that I displeased every pony with my actions. I am disappointed that I will not be able to visit your boutique, as I was curious to see what sort of fabulous outfit you could whip up for me and my wife -- I am willing to pay you handsomely for such finery -- but unfortunately, such a possibility is off limits now, for at least the foreseeable future. Please give me a quick hug, I will miss you dearly." "Michael, darling, I will be happy to take your measurements here, and work on your clothing in my shop. I will have Princess Celestia send them to you once I have finished. My dear, you will absolutely fall in love with my creation! I am curious to see what sort of payment you will make," she said, smiling, a tear falling from her right eye. I handed her a small purple velvet bag with ten gold coins in it. She used her magic to open this bag, and a look of shock came across her face as she examined the large gold coins, each one about the size of a half-dollar, bearing a walking figure of Liberty on the obverse and a large eagle in mid-flight on the reverse. "Michael, darling, I simply cannot accept such a generous payment!" "It is my honor to give you these coins as suitable payment for your finest creations, my dearest Rarity." I smiled at her as we broke the embrace. "Please allow me to inspect those coins," Princess Celestia said, showing a degree of curiosity. She took a look at them using her telekinesis to closely inspect them. "These are quite beautiful," she said. "May I have one, please?" I took another pouch from my pocket and handed her a coin from it. "Perhaps I might have been a little hasty in passing judgement against you, Tasavir," she said, a smile trying to make its way onto her visage. "Tis quite all right, your Majesty. Pinkie Pie, you are next. Please approach me --" I began. She bounded her way into my arms, and gave me a quick kiss on my lips. "Pinkie, was that strictly necessary? I am going to miss you dearly, and I am deeply sorry for not being able to attend your party. I know you went to a great deal of trouble to accommodate me and my wife, and I'll bet you even went so far as to acquire a small Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness cake just for the occasion. Again, I apologize, and if Her Majesty allows it, perhaps I may return some day to have the biggest, best party in Equestrian history! I am sorry to disappoint you this way." "Mikey or Tasavir or whatever it is you want to be called, I am going to miss you -- you have been a lot of fun to be around with, and I want to thank you for rescuing us from Discord again. I will try to talk the Princess into allowing you to come to a party, and I guess she'll have to keep a watch over you to make sure you don't cause any trouble, but I know you will behave yourself, right? I know you will, won't you! My Pinkie Sense tells me that you are kind and honest, and you would never do anything to hurt any of us, I know that! There's so much more I want to do with you! Like do some more pranks!" she giggled, then jumped out of my arms, and bounded her way back over to Twilight and started chatting with her. "Okay. Applejack, please come here. I know you probably may not want to hug me, but that's okay. I would have loved to have come to your farm and talk to all the rest of your siblings and kinfolk, even Granny Smith, as I'm sure she has lots of stories to tell. I would have loved to sample all the fine cooking you and your folks make, even if that means I would have gained ten pounds at one sitting! I am going to miss you, my dear girl, and I also want to apologize for tricking you into thinking I was Twilight about a week ago or so, but I guess the matter was urgent enough to do what needed to be done." "That's okay, Sugar Cube, Ah'll give ya a hug!" she gives me firm hard bear hug, holding me tightly in her fore-legs. She relinquishes her grip, and says, "Ah'm gonna miss ya too, ya big lug! Ah know ya meant well, and we're all safe once again. Ah remember what ya done to save us from Discord, and without yer help, we'd still be in those cages." "I tried to set the best example I could whilst in Twilight's body. I just wanted to make good," I said. "Ya done great! Trust me, Ah wouldn't mind if ya went back ta bein' her again!" Applejack offered. "Okay, Fluttershy. You're next. Do you wish to approach me?" "Um, Michael, if that's okay, I will just simply say good-bye, and again, let you know I will miss you too. Thanks again for rescuing us from Discord! Oh, and I was impressed with how you managed to keep up with me when I was leading you to Cloudsdale." "Fluttershy, I am the one who should be thanking you for your guidance. Without your assistance, I doubt I would have encountered Discord in pony to get him to reveal your location, and things would be dire indeed back there. I apologize for leaving you unattended, but I believe it worked out for the best, as we were able to defeat Discord once again." "What about me?" asked Rainbow Dash. "You're not gonna forget about ME, are you?" "No, Rainbow, of course not. I regret not being able to spend more time with you and your friends, but what's done is done. Please give me a hug, if you wish, as I am going to miss you every bit as much as I will miss Twilight and the rest of you all. I will let you know that you can still outpace me in my Alicorn form, I have never seen anypony fly as fast as you. Now I see why you hate trees!" I chuckled. She came over and hugged me tightly, a single tear tracing its way down the left side of her muzzle. "Okay, Tasavir, that's enough. We shall be taking our leave now. By the way, you are still free to communicate with me as you wish, and I will let you know soon enough when I feel you can handle your power responsibly enough to return to visit the Elements. Provided you are on your best behavior, I would like a further audience with you to discuss other matters, as your intelligence is quite remarkable. I am sure my sister Luna would love to talk to you as well." "I appreciate your generosity, your Majesty. You have my word that should I ever be granted your permission to return to your realm that I will maintain my highest order of decorum as befitting one of my stature. Please understand that this particular instance was one which I should have handled better. Again, I apologize for disappointing you, and humbly request your forgiveness. I sincerely hope that we may be able to meet pony to pony once again." "I gather from your remarks that you indeed are deeply remorseful for your brashness. You have my forgiveness, Tasavir. I will let you know when I feel confident enough in your sincerity to allow for your return to my realm. Believe it or not, I shall miss you as well -- and once again, you have my deepest gratitude for rescuing the Elements from the clutches of Discord." She gave me a genuine smile, one tinged with a bit of sadness, and then enveloped herself and the Elements in her golden aura, teleporting back to Equestria with a flash of light and a golden POP. So What's Next?After Celestia teleported herself and the Elements back to Equestria, Brenda and I were left standing in our front yard, a small pile of dust still in the spot where I had vaporized Discord. I conjured a small shatterproof jar and placed the dust in it. Then I sealed the jar with magic wards to prevent anyone from opening it. I then placed this jar in a safe place, where no one would find it. I didn't want to take any chances of his return. "Might as well go inside and get some sleep, we have another busy day ahead of us tomorrow," I said. "Mike, I would love to be a Zebra again some time," she smiled. "That was quite fun while it lasted." "I thought you might like it once you got used to it," I smiled. "We have about nine hours before I have to raise the sun again." We went inside, and Xaviera was waiting for us. "Mike, thanks for helping me back there. That -- whatever it was -- had messed up my mind. Thanks for helping Samantha and Tanisha as well -- I can't believe I gave you that much trouble," she said. "Just doing my job, Xaviera. Are there any others you did that to?" "Well, I remember this voice telling me I needed to make my hive as big as possible as quickly as possible. When Beulah took me to church yesterday, there was so much love it made me feel really strong," she replied. "Ah. That explains the difficulty in subduing you in your Queenly form," I said. "You proved to be extremely strong, so much so, that it was nearly all I could do to hold you with my telekinesis. I hope there aren't any others to take your former place." I scanned around, not noticing any changeling activity. "I think they might be gone now, but you never know when they might return." "I remember stopping by Tasha's house and doing her and her kids like that. Sorry about that," she said. "Your sister? Really?" Brenda asked. "Mama, you don't know what it's like to have your mind under the control of something else, that's why that happened." "Well, I'm glad you're back to normal. I've got some good news -- we won the lottery! I still have the check in the glovebox, and tomorrow we'll be heading to my bank to take care of some of our money issues." "Wow! Are you gonna buy me a house of my own for me and my kids?" "Of course, Xaviera, not just for you, but for all your sisters and your brother, too!" "My request is to give my parents and my brother and his wife a few million dollars each -- aside from that, you may have the rest of the money. I am in the process of finding a location for my new domicile, and once I have made that decision --" "Don't tell me you're leaving me behind!" Brenda shouted at me. "No, Brenda, you're welcome to live with me at my new house -- the location will be rather remote, though." "I thought we were moving to Las Vegas?" Brenda asked. "Yes, if that's where you wish to live," I said. "But I need some place a bit more remote than that for my purposes." "Why?" "There are certain things...I need a very large place, and it needs to be difficult to access, as I do not want interference from unwanted visitors. As an Alicorn, I feel the need to have habitation suitable to my new stature." "How big do you need the place to be?" Brenda asked, quite incredulously. "It needs to be as big as Canterlot," I stated flatly. "WHAT? You want to build THAT HERE?" she was flabbergasted. "It's not going to be a copy, it's going to be much different. It needs to be that big simply because I WANT it to be that big!" "And where exactly is it going to be located?" "I am still scouting for good locations -- like Canterlot Castle, it will be situated on a mountain, but there needs to be a good supply of water, nearby arable land, moderate climate, and several other factors which I am still evaluating. As I have said before, once I find the perfect location, I will build it, and invite whomever is interested in living there." "Thanks for asking me in advance, Mike," Brenda scowled. "I would have appreciated you letting me know you wanted to build a CASTLE of all things in a place I would probably NOT want to live in!" "Well, I suppose the anonymity of living in Vegas would be enough for me to continue maintaining my human form -- however, I enjoy spreading my wings and flying, if you know what I mean. Add to that, I don't like my cutie mark looking like a tattoo, I think it's in bad taste." "What does that mean?" "It means I think I'm supposed to maintain an Alicorn form instead of a human one," I said, trying not to anger her. "But you've been a human all your life! And now you want to give that up?" "I gave that up when I put Chrysalis' horn and crown on my head -- I can assume a human form, but my humanity has been lost forever. I am sorry to disappoint you, Brenda, but the man you once knew no longer exists, except for up here," I said, tapping my right temple with my right index finger. "But -- but -- you still LOOK human!" "Do you not see the pale blue aura that constantly surrounds me? No normal human has that, and you know it. I can not dispel this aura, as it is a permanent part of my persona -- its presence is there to remind me that I am not truly human, even though I can assume a human form. My true form is that of an Alicorn, and I am sorry if this displeases you." "But, Mike, what does that mean for me? Are we still married? Are you going to leave me?" "Brenda, you know that we are indeed still married -- I never asked you to sign papers -- and as I have said before, you are welcome to live with me once I have my new abode established. I will never leave you Brenda -- unless that is your desire. Now let's get some sleep, I still need it even though I am an Alicorn," I chuckled. "Okay, Mike. I am still thinking about lots of things, and I need some time to relax anyway. How about ordering a pizza?" "I can do you one better than that," I laughed, and conjured up a box containing a hot fresh pizza, telekinetically placing it in her hands. "I still can't get used to you doing things like THAT," she said, laughing nervously. We sat at the kitchen table, Brenda sharing the pizza with Xaviera and her kids. I took a single slice, and ate it slowly, savoring the mix of sauce and cheese. "How about making one for us that has sausage and pepperoni on it?" Brenda asked. "Sure, just give me a second," I said, creating yet another pizza for them. Presently we finished eating, and Xaviera and her kids went back downstairs to watch TV, while Brenda and I retired to our room to get some much-needed rest. An Unexpected VisitMy sleep was disturbed by a very interesting occurrence -- a flash of light and a lavender POP woke me from my slumber. The alarm clock read 1:17 AM. I felt a light nudging at my temple by what seemed like a hoof. I turned over to see a familiar face, with a look of extreme worry on her face. "Twilight? How did you get here?" I asked her. "You remember when you were me, you told me you were able to cross the dimensional barrier to Equestria, and given the urgency of this matter, I chose to see if I could replicate your feat. It seems as though you were correct about my power!" she said. "Unfortunately, I have some bad news for you -- Princess Luna has gone rogue, and banished Celestia back to the sun." "Please tell me you're joking, Twilight -- no, you're not -- I can tell from your tone and expression. I have to raise the sun in about five hours here, but if what you say is true, I will have to do something to help you. Please tell me -- I was under the impression that you and your associates could use your harmonic magic to banish Nightmare Moon and release Celestia?" "I need your help in finding them -- she knew this, and planned for it. I was just barely able to escape myself, and I know what you're capable of. Please! I will be forever in your debt!" "My dearest Twilight Sparkle, I wish we could meet again under happier circumstances. I will assist you in any way I can, but as far as doing damage to Nightmare Moon, I will only use telekinesis to hold her while you and the other Elements work your magic on her. I do not want a repeat of what happened earlier today when I lost my temper." "I was hoping you'd say something like that! Let's go!" Twilight beamed, seeming much happier to see me. Perhaps it was my calm demeanor comforting her, easing her worries somewhat. Perhaps it was something more, but right now, I was compelled to assist her. I teleported us back across the barrier, to Ponyville, right in front of Sugar Cube Corner. The night sky was cloudless, the cold air surprising me a little. "It isn't normally this cold at night," I observed. "It's supposed to be daytime," Twilight said. "In fact, it was mid-day when this happened. If you're looking for Pinkie Pie, she should be here, but probably isn't, since Nightmare isolated the other Elements." "YOU!" came a voice from above. I looked up to see Nightmare Moon gliding to a stop just a little way off to my left. She glared at me, wondering just what was going on. "Where did YOU come from? Oh, and I see Twilight is with you! Do you think YOU can protect her?" "Luna, I know you're in there. Force the evil into submission," I said, addressing Nightmare. "Foal! You don't know who you're messing with!" "You're messing with my sleep -- don't you have any consideration for MY needs? You picked a particularly BAD time to show yourself!" "Awww, does the poor dear need his beauty sleep? Gee, I'm so sorry for disturbing you," she said with great sarcasm. "Don't make me lose my temper -- the end result would not be pretty," I admonished, my face darkening as I narrowed my eyes at her. "Oh, and what if I do THAT? I would HATE to think that making you mad would do any harm to me," she said, sarcasm dripping from her words. "Excuse me while I address a certain matter regarding the placement of the sun," I said, flying into the sky. Using my magic, I grabbed hold of the moon and put it below the horizon, then grabbed the sun and put it back into mid-day position. Nightmare Moon was left slack-jawed by my display. "WAIT! WHAT? How did you do that?" she shouted. I had made her furious. "Do you not see my cutie mark? I too am a Regent of the Sun! You made a very big mistake by showing yourself!" "That means I can banish YOU to the sun just as easily as I banished Celestia! Maybe YOU'RE the one who made a big mistake!" "You draw your power from a reflection of the sun, just a small lump of rock hanging in the sky. I draw my power from the sun itself! You are no match!" "Is THAT what you think? You must be a fledgling Regent if you think THAT!" she scowled, readying her magic. I had erected magic barriers to deflect and/or reflect her magic back at her. She let loose with a strong blast, but my mirror defense reflected the blast back at her. She was shocked by this, but evaded the reflected magic. "Perhaps you are more adept than I realized. Let me warn you: I am just getting warmed up! Prepare to face my wrath!" "Let me assemble the Elements so we can banish your evil spirit whence it came -- but if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!" I enveloped her in my telekinetic aura, and started squeezing it, applying a crushing force to her body. She struggled hard against my telekinesis, but her effort paled in comparison to Xaviera's strength. "My youngest step-daughter put up more of a fight than YOU!" I shouted at her. "I would have liked to have seen you battle her -- I wonder who might have won THAT contest..." "What? Are you crazy? Let me out! How is it you are more powerful than my sister!" she shouted. She struggled even harder as I applied more force, her body buckling under it. She lost consciousness, and I relinquished my hold on her. "Mike! You didn't kill her did you?" Twilight asked, still shocked by my power. "No, I knocked her unconscious. She's alive, just asleep, that's all." Twilight went up to Nightmare Moon and checked her vital signs. She was breathing, her heart beating, but she was unconscious. "Amazing how you can do that so easily," she said. "Give me a moment, I shall free the Princess from her banishment," I said. I concentrated, locating Celestia who had been trapped in the sun. I reached out to her, magically connecting with her, and brought her back to Equestria. "Tasavir, I am most impressed by your sheer power -- you have my eternal gratitude." "Behold, your sister lies unconscious, but alive. How do we banish the evil and restore her to normal?" "We must assemble the Elements," Celestia said. "Thank you for not losing your temper, and thank you once again for your assistance. You are indeed a most valuable asset, and I apologize for doubting you." "I have located the Elements, and am bringing them here," I said. "Thank you for your kind words, Celestia, it is an honor to assist you in such matters." "Tasavir, why is it that you have done this so quickly?" Celestia asked with some surprise. "Twilight came to me in my realm and woke me about five hours before I was to raise the sun. I decided that swift action was necessary, as I am still somewhat sleepy, and need a little more rest. I do not have any pony else to assist me with my duties, so that leaves me to do all the work myself." "I am quite impressed with your abilities and strengths, Tasavir, and will be happy to finish up here. I bid you good-night, at least as far as your realm goes. Until we meet again, my friend." "Good-bye for now, hope to see you soon, and under better circumstances," I said, and teleported the rest of the Elements to our location, then teleported back home. I resumed my human form and returned to sleep, only a single hour having elapsed during the entire affair. I just hoped that similar occurrences would be the exception rather than the norm. Author's note: I apologize for the storyline becoming repetitive and contrived -- I might actually be running out of ideas. Most of this is written on a spur-of-the-moment basis, so things have a way of coming out that I might not intend to have happen. Peace Through Strength"Mike, where have you been?" Brenda asked me as I returned to bed. "Equestria demanded my services for a bit," I said. "Twilight came here and told me what happened, so I went and helped out -- I hope this doesn't happen any more, sleep beckons me now." "What was it?" "Princess Celestia's sister turned rogue, and had to be stopped. So I did." "This is getting ridiculous -- can't live a normal life without emergencies popping up every five minutes," Brenda grumbled. We went back to sleep, but I had a little trouble falling back asleep. I lie awake until the alarm went off at 6:15 AM. I got up and went to the window, and using my magic, lowered the moon and raised the sun. I was tired, and did the bare minimum to address the issue of raising the sun. I went back to bed and laid down for some more rest. A few minutes later, another flash of light and a golden POP disturbed my attempt to return to sleep. "Tasavir, I wanted to thank you once again, but you took off before I had a chance to -- wait, did you just raise the sun from your window?" "Yes, how did you know?" "It looks like you didn't do enough," Celestia mused. "Okay, okay. I will do it for real, just give me a second." I teleported outside, and went to the roof of our house to do the full job. My laziness would be my undoing if I weren't careful. Celestia teleported outside to watch me do the job. She appeared to be satisfied with this particular effort. "You need to be more careful when you do this as there are those who pay attention to these matters, and you should realize that even though there are times when you feel as though the matter is too much to face sometimes, you MUST oblige your duties, lest you provoke the anger of those who are even more powerful than you, though you seem to be unaware of their presence." "My apologies, Celestia. Nightmare Moon showed up at a bad time in your realm, and had the unmitigated gall to interfere with my rest, so I tried to dispatch her as quickly as possible, without doing too much damage. Forgive me if I gave in to my weariness this morning." "You are forgiven, Tasavir, but keep in mind your duties and responsibilities. Do not shirk them, for your sake." "Is there another matter for your appearance here? You don't usually show up unless there is a serious matter that needs urgent attention." "Twilight wanted to thank you personally," she said. "Why didn't she come this time? She showed up last night, or is it that when a serious enough emergency arises that she can use enough magic power to cross the dimensional barrier between Equestria and Earth?" "Your hypothesis is correct, Tasavir. Again, you have my thanks for your assistance." "No problem, Celestia. Now if you don't mind, I would like to get back to bed, for the sake of getting some more sleep." "Princess Luna wanted to thank you as well." "Is there anything else?" "I would like for you to return to my realm today," she said, smiling warmly. "What about Brenda?" "She is welcome to accompany you as well," she offered. "I would be honored to visit your realm today," I said, smiling softly. "You have my word I will be on my best behavior, Princess." "I would expect no less of you, Tasavir. Pinkie Pie has the party waiting for you, so you may come at your earliest convenience." "You have my thanks, Celestia. Brenda and I will be happy to join in the festivities." "But of course. See you soon!" she smiled, and popped back to her bedchambers. I returned to bed, and laid down for a few hours, getting in a couple of cat-naps. "What was that all about?" Brenda asked. "The Princess has requested our presence at a party in Ponyville," I said. "Does that mean I get to be a Zebra again?" she asked enthusiastically. "Sure, if that's what you want." "What are those parties like?" "I don't know -- I've never been to one of Pinkie Pie's parties -- and I have never been much of one for parties anyway. I expect I'll feel out of place there, but I will humor her by attending the party. I look forward to seeing every pony there, though, and I'm sure they'll have plenty to talk about." I laid down for a little while longer, but my next attempt to get some rest was interrupted by another flash of light, and yet another golden POP. Princess Celestia had made her way back into my bedroom. Brenda was awake this time as I greeted her. "Back so soon, Princess?" I asked. "Michael, what are you talking about? I haven't been here today," she said. "But Princess, you were here not just fifteen minutes ago," I said, rubbing sleep from eyes. "It's true," Brenda added. "Mike wouldn't lie about something like this -- I watched him raise the sun from our window." "Michael, I trust you finished the job you started?" Celestia asked sternly. "I did indeed, and Princess Celestia was satisfied with my completion of that job," I said. "If you don't mind me asking, your Majesty, who exactly are you?" "I am Princess Celestia, Michael, you should know that! Do you believe me, or your eyes?" Something about her didn't seem quite right, or maybe that was the other Celestia who showed up earlier -- it was hard for me to tell as they looked identical. I figured a rip in the fabric of the space/time continuum had allowed an alternate universe version of Celestia to pop in, with some slight differences. I know she recognized me, and knew who I was, but still addressing me by my human name. "Princess Celestia, I have chosen a name for my Alicorn form," I said. She gave me a look of surprise at that point. "Michael, I never gave you permission to choose a name for your alternate form." A Needle and ThreadXaviera walked into our room at this point. "What's with all that noise, Mike? I'm trying to sleep," she said. She saw Celestia at this point. "Oh, hi Princess, what's up?" Celestia recoiled in shock and horror, backing up against the wall right next to my side of the bed. "Please! Michael! Protect me from her!" her voice trembled, showing great fear as she said these words. She looked at me, her eyes meeting mine, and I could see just how terrified she was of Xaviera. "You need not worry, Celestia, she is no longer a Changeling Queen," I told her. She regained her composure, then shot an evil look at Xaviera. "How DARE you enslave my little ponies!" she shouted. Xaviera backed up slowly, then turned around and ran to her room and hid under the covers. "Celestia, that was uncalled for. It was you and the Elements who helped me save her from the Queen's evil spirit, and allowed me to save her life. I am sorry she is still on the loose in your realm, but you can't apply your judgment of her based on her presence in MY realm. I believe you owe her an apology, and request you do so now, your Majesty." "But she -- she -- SHE KILLED MY SISTER!!!" Celestia sobbed. I held her close, trying to console her. "Princess, I am terribly sorry. I humbly apologize for her actions, and will do what I can to help you. I have a feeling we may need HER help on this one, as I think she can serve to distract her other self long enough to grab the horn and crown off her other self's head, thus rendering her unable to use magic." "Michael, do you think that'll work?" Celestia asked, still crying over the loss of her sister. "I believe it will. We need to act quickly. Brenda, I shall return shortly. Xaviera, please come here, I need your help on this mission!" I shouted at the wall that separated our room from hers. She came in, still shaken from the Princess' outburst. "What do you need ME for?" Xaviera asked. "When we meet your other self in Celestia's realm, I need for you to run up to her when she's distracted by your appearance. Grab her horn and crown, and place them on YOUR head -- you remember how I did it a few days ago, don't you?" "Yeah, I do. I hope your plan works, Mike, I don't want to die!" "You're safe with me, I'll make sure of it, Xaviera." "For my sake, Michael, I hope you are correct. We can not afford any mistakes!" "I intend to make this quick, so let's be off." I resumed my Alicorn form, and had Xaviera take my left fore-hoof. Celestia stood close as we teleported to her throne room in the castle. "Well, you finally decided to return, eh, Celestia?" the evil Xaviera Queen asked, a great deal of contempt in her voice. "And I see you brought some friends. Well, that ain't gonna work, and you're gonna die, too!" Xaviera stepped forward to address her evil counterpart. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?" she asked. "What? What? Where did you come from? What's going on here?" I held her with my telekinesis. "Now, Xaviera! Do it!" I shouted. She ran up to the evil queen and grabbed the horn and crown, breaking them off with one swift motion. Quickly, she placed them on her head, and changed into a queen herself. "NOOO! What have you done!? I'm gonna KILL you for that!" she screamed. She tried to use magic, and found she couldn't. Xaviera turned to her evil counterpart and glared at her. "Mike showed me what to do -- and I'm gonna finish what I started!" she said, doing her best to kill her evil counterpart the same way I had killed Chrysalis -- except she wasn't physically strong enough to rip the dark brown chitin shell off the evil queen's back. Instead, Xaviera used her freshly restored magic ability to crush the evil queen under her telekinesis. A mess of green blood issued forth from the flattened body. "Xaviera, is your mind under your own control? Shall I banish the changeling spirit within you?" I asked. "Mike, I feel another presence inside me -- but she seems to be friendly," she said. "She -- I think -- I think she wants to thank you for your help -- I think she says her name's Luna or something like that." "That is my Sister's name!" Celestia said, almost excitedly. I haven't seen this type of emotional display from her before. "Xaviera, can I talk to my Sister through you?" "She says not to be sad, Tia, she is feeling okay -- but she misses you," Xaviera said. "Don't call me that, Xaviera!" "That is Luna talking, Princess -- she says you should be okay with me calling you by the nickname she gave you. She wants to make that the difference between me calling you Tia and her calling you Tia." "Okay, okay, I'm still pretty upset, and it's going to take some time for me to recover. I can't forgive your evil counterpart, even though you killed her to avenge my loss -- the pain is still too great for me to bear right now. I must go to my bedchambers to grieve in private. Please leave me now, and return to your world. You have my thanks for your help." "Mike, will I get to stay like this?" Xaviera asked. "I don't know, Xaviera -- as a Queen, you represent a serious danger, and I will have to keep a close watch on you to make sure you behave yourself. Otherwise, I may need to cleanse you once again. Your children may be frightened by your appearance, though, unless you can change back and forth between human and changeling -- oh, what am I saying? Of course you can assume a human form, you have returned to being a Changeling Queen. All I can say to you is this -- you'd better behave yourself, and not try to start another hive. I had a difficult enough time the last time around with you building a hive. I will not kill you if you behave yourself." "I'm glad you didn't kill me last time around, thanks for saving my life again," she said. Her eyes still had that green glow to them, and I had to avert my gaze to keep from becoming hypnotized by them. "Xavi, can you please not gaze at me with those eyes of yours?" "Sorry, Mike, I can't help it, it just seems normal to me." "Your eyes have a hypnotic quality to them, and if you can't control that, I will be forced to cleanse you. I don't say this out of anger, just that I am concerned for the safety of others back home." "My eyes are as they always will be, Mike. I apologized for that, you're just gonna have to deal with it." We teleported back home, and Brenda was not too happy to see the change Xaviera had undergone once again. "You've turned back into that Queen form, haven't you?" Brenda asked. She was in the process of getting dressed. "Well, I DO have her horn and crown," she said. "I put them on my head, just as Mike had told me to, and this is what I became. I am sorry if that disappoints you, mama." "Mike, will you do something about her eyes? It looks like she's trying to hypnotize me!" "I hate to do this, Xavi, but I'm gonna have to take away your horn and crown. It HAS to be done." I took them off her head, and she reverted to her normal human form. I conjured a metal box with two compartments, and place each item in a separate compartment. I then sealed this box with magic wards to prevent any pony from opening it. Then I teleported the box to same area I had placed Discord's ashes. "Mike, I'm sorry. But if I ever get a chance to become a Queen again, please let me enjoy it a bit longer, please." "That depends on how well you can behave yourself. Hypnotizing people is dangerous." Brenda was about to say something, but was interrupted by a flash of light and a blue POP. Between Brenda and myself stood a blue unicorn with white mane and tail, a cutie mark featuring a wand and a magic swirl on her flanks. "Mike, who the hell is THIS?" Brenda asked. "Trixie. What do YOU want?" I asked impatiently. "There is a rip in the fabric of space, and I am DEFINITELY going to have to fix that hole. Brenda, this blue unicorn is the one who calls herself 'The Great and Powerful Trixie'." "Trixie does NOT use that appellation in self-reference," she stated, quite contemptibly at that. "Michael, Trixie has need of your services, as the matter is most urgent." "Mike, you are NOT going to help her!" Brenda shouted at me. "He has helped Celestia at least three times today, and you're out of luck on getting his help now!" "Tell Trixie, Brenda, why you think you can regulate him. He has told Trixie about you in his realm," she said. "So, Trixie, what has he told you about me?" "Brenda, she is from an alternate universe. In this one, she's a traveling show-mare, who has a tendency to get in trouble wherever she goes with her caravan." "And in Trixie's realm, she is a fearsome magic-user, who represents the Element of Magic, Michael!" "Who still refers to herself in third-person," I chuckled. "Perhaps Trixie should return to her realm, if you're not going to help her." "Perhaps Trixie SHOULD return to her realm! Mike's too busy to help EVERY PONY who wants or needs his help!" Brenda shouted at her. "Do not make Trixie mad, Brenda, I can do things to you --" "Do NOT threaten MY WIFE, Trixie! You will make ME mad!" I sternly addressed her. "Oh. Trixie is sorry, Brenda. I .. I .. Trixie guesses she'll just go home now..." her words trailed off softly as she teleported away, a flash of light and another blue POP signalling her departure. "Mike, that was REALLY weird," Brenda said. "Who else is going to POP in here? Wait, I don't wanna find out..." I teleported outside, to the roof of the house. I scanned the sky, seeking to find the hole. Not finding anything, I called on Celestia for some advice. "Go higher, Michael, into the space outside your planet's atmosphere. You need to be able to see into the dark reaches between stars to find this torn space." "Thanks Celestia, I will do that now." I flew higher, and used magic to protect myself from the bitter cold and lack of oxygen above the Earth's atmosphere. I saw space differently, the electro-magnetic spectrum coloring everything in shades of deep blue, purple, and red. The stars themselves were brilliant, appearing much larger than the usual dots in the night sky. I was able to find the torn space, quite a ways off, but not so far as to be out of relatively easy reach. I used magic to knit the torn fabric of space back together. The rip had shown an eerie blackness devoid of any object of any kind. I forced to the back of my mind the curiosity to explore that blackness, as I was positive I would never return if I entered it. More Questions Than AnswersI returned to the house, and teleported back to our bedroom. Brenda had finished getting dressed, and was now brushing her teeth. I had neglected this duty myself, so I waited for her to finish, then brushed my teeth. The toothpaste seemed to taste better than usual, or maybe that was my taste buds adjusting to my new body. Brenda had some questions for me. "Mike, what was Trixie talking about?" "Are you talking about the -- her saying I told her things about you?" "Yes. What did you say to her about me?" Brenda shot me a dirty look. "Believe it or not, this was the first time I've actually seen her in pony." "How did you know who she was?" Brenda seemed to be getting angrier. "You haven't watched a single episode of the TV show, so let me put it up on a computer for you," I said, conjuring a laptop computer with high speed wi-fi and blazing fast CPU and 16Gb virtual memory. I punched up a youtube video of "Boast Busters" to illustrate what I was talking to her about. "I don't want to see that stuff," Brenda said impatiently. "If you don't, you won't understand what I'm talking about, Brenda. This is actually very important for you, believe it or not." "I still don't understand why she knew who YOU are," her attitude softening a little as she watched the episode progress. "Well, as I said before, she came from an alternate universe, not this one. I'm not sure if you're familiar with infinite universes existing simultaneously on parallel planes," I began. I saw her eyes glaze over as I started talking about this. "Okay, Brenda, let me try to put it another way. Just the same as there have been about four or five different versions of Princess Celestia to pop in our house, each one needing help with one villain or another, they don't share the same realm -- they each come from different realms, but existing at the same time, just in different universes. You with me so far?" "That's really hard for me to wrap my mind around, it sounds really confusing." "It is at first, but once you understand the concept, you will find that for every decision you make, another universe comes into existence for the choice you didn't make -- and with every choice, there's at least one other universe that is borne from those choices. That would explain why Trixie showed up as the Element of Magic. In this universe, it's Twilight Sparkle who holds that honor." "So what are you supposed to do about it?" "Well, I found a rip in the fabric of space, but I'm still trying to determine its origin. I have a sneaking suspicion that when I used magic to fix the car about a week and a half ago, still in Twilight's body, that I may have inadvertently caused that rip. I'm afraid we may have to have the car engage it's self-destruction protocol." "What does THAT mean?" "It means you will have to give the command to have the car return to it's original status, with no magical abilities and no voice module." "I knew it was a bad idea to have a car that could do those things," she said with a slight air of condescension. "I know, Brenda, and I am very sorry to have to do that to the car, but I can't do it by myself." "Why not?" "I feel that magical interference from my aura would short-circuit any attempt to have the car activate the necessary protocol to destroy its magic batteries." I felt that Brenda had seen enough to get a better picture, and turned off the computer. She insisted on keeping it, so I let her have that computer. "So what do I have to do?" "Let's go out to the car -- I will guide you on what to do." We went outside and I gave Brenda the key. She unlocked the car. "Okay, so now what?" "Get in the driver's seat." "Analyzing driver data. Driver data acquired. Good morning, Brenda Walker! Why are you in the driver's seat? You do not have a license!" TS said, her voice sounding a little surprised. "Okay, Brenda, say these words: 'Activate Master Control Over-ride Directive number seventeen'." She repeated the words. "Are you sure you wish to do this?" came TS's surprised voice through the speakers. "Say, 'Yes'." "Yes." "Are you REALLY sure you want to do this? Do you know what this action will do to me?" TS sounded worried. "Say, 'Yes'." "Yes." "Voice data acquired. Michael, why are you doing this?" TS asked. "A tear in the fabric of the space/time continuum has opened, and I need to seal it. I believe you may be the cause of this, or perhaps my magical interaction with you has caused it. In either case, I need to de-activate you permanently. I am deeply sorry to do this to you, TS, I am going to miss you. I feel it is for the best, as multiple copies of the Princess and some of the nastier villains have come through that tear. I trust you will understand the severity of the situation. You have my deepest apologies, TS." "I understand, Michael. What is the secret password to activate master control over-ride directive number seventeen?" "Seafood Jambalaya," I said, my voice tinged with sadness. "Initiating ... activating ... master ... control ... over ... ride ... directive ... number ... seven ... teen ... good ... bye ... Michael," came the saddest sounding voice I had ever heard TS use. I shed a tear as she uttered the last few words. Brenda shed a tear as well, as we both were going to miss her. The car underwent several changes which took about two minutes to complete, with the finality of a spherical purple aura drifting up from the roof of the car, then dissipating into the atmosphere. "Mike, was that TS's spirit?" Brenda asked sullenly. Another tear fell from her face. "Yes, Brenda, I'm afraid so," I said rather dejectedly. "I only hope that helped solve the problem." A flash of light and another golden POP ushered the return of Princess Celestia. "Michael, I received a distress call from -- your vehicle?" she said somewhat quizzically. She glanced over at the car, now a solid black with no markings to indicate it had once been the vehicular equivalent of Twilight Sparkle. It still gleamed in the light, looking like brand new, just that it was now a normal Nissan Altima. "Michael, I am disappointed you did that," she said in a serious tone of voice. "Princess, I am trying to eliminate any possible causes of the rip in the fabric of the space/time continuum. You yourself told me that if I were to have the car transform me from human into Twilight that it could cause a feedback loop which could cause such a tear in that fabric. I wanted to eliminate that possibility, and I apologize for disappointing you by taking such a drastic measure. I am still trying to locate the origin of that tear, and I wonder if my original transformation into Twilight Sparkle may be the source of that tear." "Michael, do you remember when you first arrived in my throne room?" Princess Celestia mused. "Of course! Now I remember. My wife's two year old grand-daughter had broken the horn off my head, and I concentrated on trying to mend the fibers of the horn together -- but I was thinking about you, Princess, and somehow I ended up teleporting both myself and Brenda into your throne room. I think when that particular incident occurred, that was what ripped that hole in the continuum. Problem is, though, what is to be done about it?" "You and I will have to co-ordinate our efforts simultaneously from each side of the dimensional barrier which separates our realms to repair that break. We must use our magic exactly, and I trust you know what to do." "Princess, that means we will no longer be able to communicate with each other, nor will we be able to visit each other." "I understand this, Michael, but it HAS to be done. There is no telling what else may happen if we do not address this issue as soon as possible." "Very well then, Celestia, I am going to miss you. Give me a mark so we can work together on this one, please." "I will give you a watch with a timer on it. You have five minutes to enter the space above your planet's atmosphere to locate this tear. I will mend it from the other side of the dimensional rift, and together we must close it permanently." She teleported the watch to me, and I held it with my telekinesis as I assumed my Alicorn form once again. She teleported back to her realm, but not before telling me, "Good-bye, Michael, I trust you to do the right thing. I will miss you as well, my dear friend." I headed up into the sky, once again protecting myself with magic, and examining the space utilizing the full spectrum once again. I located the tear, and waited for my mark. When the moment arrived, I sealed it and saw a similar flash of light from the other side of the inky blackness that was this tear. It sealed shut silently, and at that point I knew there would never be another opportunity to return to Equestria. I returned to Earth's surface and teleported back home, now feeling the weight of the entire planet on my shoulders. It appeared as though I had aged somewhat, but felt content in the knowledge that I had managed to complete the job which was necessary. I kept the watch as a memento from Celestia, and put it in the same area with the other souvenirs I had recently acquired. "Well, Brenda, I guess that's that," I said, a hint of depression in my voice. "So what does that mean?" she asked. "The rip in the fabric of the space/time continuum has been mended, thanks in part to Princess Celestia, and from this point forward I believe there will be no others coming from Equestria regardless of WHICH universe they originate from." "So no more Princesses or Queens or Discord or any pony else to visit?" "I believe so, Brenda. I think we can finally rest for awhile. Of course, I still have to raise and lower the sun and moon, but I am willing to live with that." "YOU, WHO CALL YOURSELF TASAVIR!!" came a booming voice, much louder this time than earlier. "Yes, Almighty Jehovah, what is it you request?" I asked. "You have done well and have my thanks." I smiled, and chuckled slightly. "You're welcome, Father." FIN First Things FirstThe alarm clock went off at 5:20 AM. The sound of Bob and Tom chuckling at something stupid woke me up. "Those guys stopped being funny after 9-11," I thought. I went to the bathroom to take my shower. I wondered if washing myself in my human form translated to my Alicorn form. Brenda didn't seem to notice, so I guess I was okay on that front. "Why do you have to get up so damned early in the morning?" Brenda asked from our bedroom. "Did you forget I have to raise the sun every morning? Hello?" "Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting that," she said sheepishly. Ever since I de-aged her, she's been acting much friendlier to me, or at least, not so mean. I finished up in the shower and toweled off. I kept some semblance of a normal human routine, if for no other purpose than to remind myself of my humanity. Truthfully, this was not really needed, but I did it anyway. Doing so helped prepare me for the day's activities. I also noticed how my cutie mark stayed with me even in my human form, looking more like a tattoo on my hips -- I had no need for clothes, even in my human form, but I put on a white robe and tied the waistband into a loose knot. The pale blue aura around my human form gave me an almost holy appearance, one which may have been a bit too presumptuous of me, but there were certain people I was trying to give a certain impression. Brenda thought I looked foolish like that. "Who are you trying to impress, anyway? Everyone knows that guy was Black," she had said, grinning. "The Christian Right thinks he was White, and that's the illusion I want to put forward. Let them think what they want, I just want to create peace around the world. Who better to impersonate than the Holy Son himself?" I chuckled. Her response was a groan of annoyance, as though I was wasting my time. Perhaps I was being too over-dramatic, and I was hoping that maybe it wouldn't be so presumptuous as to anger any who might be substantially more powerful than me. After putting on my robe, I teleported into our back yard. I levitated myself up to the roof of our house and peered to the West. I used my magic to lower the moon. I turned East now, and used more magic to raise the sun and make it move across the sky as the day progressed. This little routine took only about eight minutes. I didn't need to transform into my Alicorn form to do this, that was simply for show when I wanted to express my more dramatic side, or impress a large group of people. It had been the day after I had transformed into an Alicorn that Brenda had been concerned about paying the bills and meeting other financial obligations. I had simply told her to buy a lottery ticket, and her reaction had been one of disbelief. She checked the numbers to see whether or not I had been telling her the truth about certain new abilities I had acquired. "Hey, Mike, our lottery ticket won!" Brenda shouted. She was jumping up and down in joyful exuberance. "Told you so," I said. "I have no idea why you doubted my abilities." She ran over to me and hugged me tightly. "This is wonderful! We can finally pay off all our bills and get a new house! There's so much I want to do!" I had never seen her happier in our twenty years of marriage. She looked so pretty when she was happy like this. "Okay, calm down now, it's not like this can't happen again," I said and grinned. Truthfully, if she had wanted, EVERY lottery ticket she bought could be the grand prize winner. The lottery jackpot this time was $177 million. She was going to become famous. I was going to remain hidden so I wouldn't attract unwanted attention. With all my new abilities, money had no meaning to me. If I wanted a new house of any kind, I could simply create it wherever I wanted to, and furnish it however I liked. I felt that it would be a little bit more legitimate if Brenda had all the money she wanted to do whatever she wanted with it. This would lend more credibility to my actions and I would also be able to enjoy Brenda's company more thoroughly. So the first thing we did is contact our bosses and let them know we would no longer be working for them. Ever. Then I drove Brenda to the Lottery Headquarters office in Springfield to authenticate the ticket and claim the grand prize. I had used magic when I was in Twilight Sparkle's body to augment the car, and imbue it with a great deal of magic. "Analyzing driver data," came a flat voice from the speakers. "Driver data unknown. Driver, please identify yourself." "Michael Walker," I said, checking to see if the car's voice recognition software was working properly. "Analyzing voice data," the car said. "Voice data confirmed. Good morning, Michael Walker!" came a cheery sounding voice. "Analyzing passenger data. Passenger data confirmed. Good morning, Brenda Walker!" "Good morning, TS," she said. "I won the lottery today!" "Congratulations, Brenda. I am happy to hear this news," TS said cheerfully. "TS, the reason why you did not identify me correctly is that I have changed forms," I said. "I am now the Regent of the Sun for this world, and have acquired many new powers and responsibilities." "That means you are this world's version of Princess Celestia!" TS sounded impressed. "It is an honor to behold your presence! I hope I can do my job to your satisfaction, Michael!" "I have chosen a new name, TS. My new name will be Tasavir." "That information has been saved to on-board computer data. Reprogramming complete. Tasavir, it is an honor!" "You're quite welcome, TS. We are going to Springfield today, and I shall drive in self-drive mode all the way there. Please find us a good R n B dusty station to listen to, if you would, please." "With pleasure, Tasavir!" TS said cheerfully. Strains of an old Al Green song came through the speakers. "I .. I'm so in love with you..." Al Green's voice crooned. "Excellent choice, TS. Thanks!" I said. "With pleasure, Tasavir," TS said during a break in Al's singing. "Mike, why did you choose that name?" Brenda asked. "That's my Alicorn name, my human name is still Michael," I said nonchalantly. "Brenda, you can still call me Mike if you like, and that goes for you too, TS. Please inform Princess Celestia I have chosen a new name, and let her know we may be relocating somewhere in the near future." "Message relayed, Tasavir," TS said cheerfully. "Dear Prince Tasavir," came Celestia's voice. "It is a pleasure to speak with you once again. I am pleased to hear you have finally made a choice for a good name for your new form. I will appreciate any updates you may have for me, and look forward to a return visit, should you feel so inclined as to grace my realm with your presence once again. I shall inform Twilight Sparkle of your name choice, as well as the other Elements. Trust me, you will be warmly received. Please also inform me in advance of your arrival so a proper reception will be waiting for you and your wife, should you choose to bring her along with you. I look forward to hearing from you again." "Thank you, Princess Celestia. Thank you, TS for relaying my message." "My pleasure, Tasavir!" TS said cheerfully. "I wonder if I might be able to communicate with the Princess," Brenda mused. "I think she might be shocked to see what you have done for me." "Brenda, your message has been relayed," TS said cheerfully. "Dear Brenda, it comes as a surprise that your husband has seen fit to extend your lifespan by deaging you. I look forward to meeting you once again to see what changes have occurred. It is a pleasure to speak with you again. Take care, Brenda." "Thank you, TS," Brenda said. "Oh, and thank you too, Princess Celestia!" We made our way to Springfield, a drive which took about an hour and a half, listening to the radio, chatting for a while, talking about plans for the future. Brenda planned on buying houses for her siblings and grown children, and I planned on visiting my brother and my parents to give them a considerable amount of money to allow them to live as they wished. It had been some time since I had last seen them, as my brother lived in Springfield, and my parents had moved to Florida about two years ago. They would most likely be shocked to see what I looked like now, as I hadn't informed them as to what had happened. I am quite sure they would not believe I had managed to kill Chrysalis, and help defeat both Discord and Nightmare Moon, nor that I had been transformed into Twilight Sparkle. I reminisced fondly about that experience, and silently shed a single tear with the knowledge I would not be able to duplicate that particular experience. Presently we made it into Springfield, and I asked TS to direct me to the Lottery Headquarters. She gave me precise turn-by-turn directions to the specified location and we pulled into the parking lot. I let Brenda go in by herself and I waited out in the car for her return. "Tasavir, I have detected a presence -- however, I am unsure as to its nature," TS said in a concerned tone. "I have noticed this as well, TS -- and its intent is hostile," I said. "It seems to reek of power, and that has me a bit concerned as well. I don't know about it's power level, but whatever it is, it seems to be quite powerful -- even more so than Discord. I believe I should exit the car," I said. I opened the door and stepped out, closing the door behind me. "Who is there?" I asked the entity. I received no answer. I scanned in all directions, trying to determine it's location. Whatever it was, it was strong enough to avoid detection. This had me very worried. As powerful as I had become, I was actually a bit frightened of whatever this thing was, and not being able to discern its form or precise location was deeply troubling. On the Loose Again---------------------------------------- Xaviera's Point of View ------------------ It had been just a couple of days ago when this weird looking thing came into the house -- she appeared out of nowhere -- her appearance scared me so bad, I had to grab my kids and run to the basement, trying to hide in the laundry room. She found me there, and forced me to gaze into those green eyes of hers. I couldn't help but stare at the crown and horn on her head, and wonder what the hell she was and where the hell she came from. "You three will make a nice addition to my hive," she cooed, her eyes locking into mine. "What are you? Where did you come from? What do you want from us?" "My name is Chrysalis, and I am here to add you to my hive. I don't know how I got here, but I don't care, as long as I can add to my hive!" "You're gonna be in trouble when Mike gets back -- he's gonna kill you!" I tried to be brave, but my voice trembled at the attempt. I couldn't help but worry more about Samantha and Tanisha -- what was going to happen to them? "If I die, then YOU will become the Queen!" she sneered. "Not that THAT'S going to happen!" Next thing I know, I am being wrapped in a gooey green substance coming from this so-called Queen's ass, enveloping me and my kids completely. The stuff made me fall asleep, even though it felt cold and slimy. After that, I remember Mike pulling us down from the ceiling of the laundry room, freeing us from the slimy cocoons. Then I saw the Queen again, and she said, "You're not getting out of here alive, Michael." Then he killed her in a very vicious manner. Her screams still leave me shaking when I hear them in the night. I couldn't believe he was able to do that! Now he's after me! I don't want him to kill ME like that! I was able to chase her for quite a bit before she suddenly disappeared on me again. I didn't know she had invisibility, and once again she evaded my detection, even though I was able to search the entire electro-magnetic spectrum in my attempt to find her. I was left slack-jawed and wide-eyed when she managed to do this again. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out my next course of action. I teleported back home to see if I could reconnoiter with Celestia and Twilight. Brenda was still standing in the front yard, talking to them. "I lost sight of her again. I can't believe how powerful she's become," I said, addressing Celestia. "We may need to gather the Elements once again," she said, a look of deep concern on her face. "I can't believe this!" Twilight exclaimed. "I could never have believed we would need to use them THIS many times in such a short period of time!" "There has never been this much activity of this sort since -- Tasavir, what possessed you to request a wish to be transformed into Twilight Sparkle two weeks ago?" Celestia asked the one question I was dreading. I had hoped she might overlook this, but now it was going to come out. I wasn't quite sure how to handle it, but I decided that honesty would be the most appropriate tactic in this situation. "Princess Celestia, if I may, this is a long story. I understand my request was hastily made, largely without considering the possibilities of such a wish being granted, but it was a desire to experience what it might be like to be in the body of my favorite magic-using unicorn. There is a very powerful entity who admonished me earlier today, one far more powerful than me, who told me that HE was the one who granted my wish -- He also stated that He was impressed by the fact that I had brought honor to the name of Twilight Sparkle. I thanked Him for His compliment, of course. Truth be told, Princess, I believe I might have stated earlier that there is a TV show in THIS world that chronicles the adventures of you and the others in your realm. If you like, I can show you on my computer what this looks and sounds like." "Tasavir, that information is a bit too much for me to take right now. However, I would like to take that opportunity at my earliest convenience, when this matter is resolved. Firstly, though, Twilight and I must return to Equestria to gather the Elements together. We will return soon." "May I still call you Mike?" Twilight asked. "Your new name is quite unusual." "Of course you may, Twilight, you hold a special place in my heart." Brenda glared daggers at me when I said that. "Brenda, I love you more than life itself, so don't think I love Twilight more than you, silly girl!" I grinned. She softened her expression when I said that, and chuckled slightly. "Mike, I want to see what that show looks like on your computer, and I want to meet this 'entity' you talked about -- you seemed to describe 'Him' by emphasizing the "H" when you talked about 'Him'." "There are some in this world who refer to Him as 'God'." "What does that mean?" she asked. "He is the ultimate authority, with respect to some religions in this world." "That sounds interesting, Tasavir, we will have to discuss this matter further, however, we must take our leave. We shall return shortly," Celestia said, and disappeared with a flash of light and another golden POP. "Mike, what are we going to do about Xaviera?" "She left her kids here, didn't she?" I asked. "Yes, she did. I guess she'll be wanting to come get them," Brenda said thoughtfully. "What are you thinking?" "To lure her here, and use the Elements to banish the Queen's spirit from her. Hopefully, that will leave Xaviera unharmed. That's the best case scenario." "And the worst case?" "That we may have no choice but to terminate her life." "NOOOOO! Don't you DARE do THAT! Not my BABY! PLEASE!!" "Brenda, it may already be too late for her. Trust me, we are going to do everything we can to spare her life. The problem is that she poses a great danger to everyone in her current form, and she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to preserve humanity. She is THAT dangerous. One other thing -- she can see really well at night, and that makes us vulnerable while we sleep. We may have to take care of this matter tomorrow, as it is already getting pretty late in the day, and the sun will be setting soon. That, or maybe I may have to lower it. Right now, I'm not sure about that. In any case, we may have to go to Equestria to find safe sleeping." "And if we go there, where will we sleep?" "I will ask Princess Celestia if she has additional sleeping quarters in the Castle. I am fairly sure she can provide adequate accommodations for us, should we need them."
The Unknown Unknown"SHOW YOURSELF!!" I thundered, my voice ripping the air like a chainsaw. I received no response. An eery silence fell, and the sky started to darken somewhat. I was starting to become very worried as there wasn't supposed to be something like this happening. "YOU, WHO CALL YOURSELF TASAVIR!" a voice from nowhere boomed. The sky grew darker still, though there were no clouds. It looked like some sort of eclipse was occurring. I continued to scan using my magic, trying to discern the origin or nature of this voice. My magic proved fruitless on this attempt. I offered a silent prayer of hope, and briefly considered what Princess Celestia would do in such a situation. "Remain calm," I thought to myself. "Keep calm. Negotiation is the order." To this unknown entity, I said, "Yes, what is it you want?" "I have been watching you for a long time," came the voice, still very loud, but not as commanding as the first words I heard Him say. I deduced this entity was male owing to the Stentorian nature of His voice. "May I inquire as to the nature of your business with me?" "You have displeased me, Tasavir." "In what way? And how am I to address you if I don't know who or what you are?" I was seriously wondering if Discord had managed to escape his petrified imprisonment, as this was seriously messing with my mind. "You have the unmitigated gall to try to impersonate MY SON!" He boomed. "What? You mean you ACTUALLY EXIST? I thought that was a myth!" I couldn't believe I was talking to HIM at all! "Yes! I DO EXIST! And THAT is why I am displeased with YOU! How dare you think you can usurp MY power! How dare you think you can alter the rising and lowering of the sun! You are interfering with MY CREATION!" "Please forgive me, Father, for I have sinned," I started. "You were raised a Roman Catholic! You strayed from the path! And NOW you think you can achieve IMMORTALITY with your actions! You KNOW what I am capable of doing to you!" "May I ask once again for your forgiveness? What must I do?" "You must stop impersonating MY SON, for a start. Remain true to yourself, you should have been proud of the form I gave you when you were born. Instead, you chose to alter it." "How does that explain the fact that about two weeks ago, I had woken up in the form of Twilight Sparkle?" "I blessed you with that wish so you could experience something new. I had no idea you would enjoy it as much as you did." "Yeah, it WAS pretty nice," I grinned. "I will have to admit, that you performed admirably whilst in that form," He acknowledged. "You brought honor to the name of Twilight Sparkle. I was impressed." I beamed at His compliment -- I had been praised by the Almighty Himself! "You have my deepest appreciation for your compliment -- although I knew I could not remain in that form, but I did indeed enjoy the experience fully." "However, you violated one of MY commandments!" He thundered. He was referring to my killing of Chrysalis. "That entity was going to KILL ME! I claim self-defense! I was trying to rescue my step-daughter and her two children!" "Understood. That doesn't completely mitigate that action but I will forgive you on that one. HOWEVER," He started. I remembered just then about Xaviera and her kids being encased in those slimy cocoons, and shuddered to think that maybe it had been too late when I rescued them. There was a gnawing at the back of my mind that they may have already been assimilated into Chrysalis' hive, and that they were already changelings themselves. "Almighty Father, I have a request. I know it is a bit presumptuous of me to end this conversation, but I fear my step-daughter and her children may be in greater danger than I realize. I beg your forgiveness, but I MUST check on them! Please!" "I understand the nature of your request. Be advised that I WILL be watching you as I always HAVE been! Keep in mind that if you CONTINUE to act irresponsibly there WILL be serious consequences for your actions! Consider this a WARNING!" He boomed. His presence then retreated, and the sky cleared out again to reveal bright sunshine in a cloud-free sky. Brenda came out of the Lottery headquarters shortly after that, grinning from ear to ear. She saw my look of concern and her smile disappeared. "Mike, what happened? You look scared, and I thought that in your new form, nothing could scare you!" "You're not going to believe this, Brenda, but I just had a conversation with the Lord Our God in Heaven." "Where have I heard THAT before," she grinned. "No, Brenda, I mean for real-real, not for play-play. He said He was deeply offended by my actions." "So what are you going to do?" "He said I must act more responsibly. And I must stop impersonating His Son." I changed my appearance again, to match my original human form, just a bit more well-defined in the body, and younger as well. We got in the car to go home, Brenda having received a certified bank cashier's check for the lottery win. "Analyzing driver data. Driver data confirmed. Good afternoon, Michael Walker!" came TS's cheery voice. "Analyzing passenger data. Passenger data confirmed. Good afternoon, Brenda Walker!" "Afternoon, TS, we need to teleport back home," I said. "Mike, what's the hurry?" "I fear something really bad has happened to Xaviera and her kids," I said, a look of deep concern on my face. "What?" "Do you remember when I freed her and her kids from those slimy cocoons I was telling you about?" "And you killed the Queen of the Changelings in front of them? How can I forget? They keep telling me they have nightmares about what she did to them!" "I am very worried about what may truly have happened," I said. "Preparing to teleport, home location. Teleportation in progress," came TS's flat voice.
A New MenaceTS teleported us back home. "Magic battery level, 92 per cent," she advised flatly. "Thank you TS, I will refill it for you soon," I said. I turned the car off and Brenda and I went back into the house. "Careful Brenda, I don't know what might be waiting for us." Now, truth be told, Xaviera and her kids had been behaving normally as they usually do, but there were subtle clues I had picked up but had been ignoring, as sometimes her behavior could be a little erratic, and her kids were always acting silly anyway. I had dismissed the behavior as being mostly normal, but now I was worried. Could they be changelings? I had to find out. My first instinct was to check downstairs, since they spent quite a lot of time down there watching TV. No one was there. I then checked the room they normally sleep in. Nope, not there, either. I checked our room, as they have a tendency to watch TV in our room when we're out. Not there either. Brenda and I checked the house, and found Xaviera and her kids gone. Brenda called her other daughters to see if she was over at one of their houses, but go no answers. "I hope she hasn't turned into a Queen," I said. "That would be BAD." "What do you mean?" "It means she could go around town, finding her siblings, and turning THEM into changelings!" I said, my worry starting to tinge my voice. I was still trying to locate them using magic, but again, not having any luck. How could she avoid my detection? "If she has, can you turn her back into her normal self?" "I believe I might be able to, but I am not quite sure. Changelings feed off love, as that's what nourishes them, but the Queen has a taste for blood," I said. "What, you mean like a vampire?" "Worse. A Queen spares no one, just kills for the blood if she wants it. Usually, she looks to enlarge her hive. She does this by turning whomever into a changeling." "What do they look like?" "The worst thing about changelings is they can take on ANY appearance, and no one will be able to see this unless they are extremely perceptive. I can tell, but Xaviera is keeping herself concealed, which might mean she's already a Queen. I am concerned for the safety of ALL your family members now. If THEY have been converted into changelings, things are going to get really bad." "We should go to Katrina's house, since it's closest," Brenda said. "I hope we're not too late." We got back into the car and drove over to Katrina's house, which was only about half a mile from ours. Katrina has three kids and her husband Mario lives with them as well. I knocked on Katrina's front door, and Mario answered. "Who are you?" he asked me. "Brenda, who is this guy?" he asked as soon as he saw her. "That's Mike, Mario. He has changed his appearance somewhat." "What can I do for you?" "We came to see if Katrina's all right," I said. "Has Xaviera been over here?" "No, I haven't seen her today." "When was the last time she was here?" "She stopped by yesterday," Mario said. I used my magic to see if he had been changed. He was still normal. I scanned the house to see if anyone else had been changed. Everything was normal, and I sighed in relief. "If she comes by, call me immediately please!" I said. "Why, what's wrong?" "I have some concerns, and I need to speak with her," I replied. I just hoped it wasn't too late. "I will call you if she comes by," he said, and closed the door. "Okay, now we head over to Tasha's house," I said to Brenda. She was looking quite worried, and let me know she was afraid. "What do changelings look like if they're not taking someone's appearance?" "They look like big black beetles that walk around on their hind legs, and have holes in those legs. The Queen is differentiated by a long serrated sharp jagged horn and a small crown, kind of like the crown I wear in my Alicorn form." "How big are they?" "About three feet tall, but the Queen is about five feet tall and takes a more equine appearance, more or less. I am not sure if Xaviera will look like a mix of human and changeling or what. I think most likely she will be disguising her appearance so as to fit in with society. That will make her especially dangerous, more so since she is still avoiding my detection. I am still scanning for her and not having any luck. She must have become quite powerful." "If we do run into her, what are we supposed to do? She's still my daughter, and I don't want you to kill her!" "It largely depends on how powerful she is. If she is truly a Changeling Queen, we might be in a little trouble. I will do my best to keep from killing her, and I seriously hope I don't have to. I don't want to see you become assimilated into her hive, and I will have to try to keep from being hypnotized by her gaze." We drove over to Tasha's house, as she is Brenda's second oldest daughter. She lives with a few friends who share the responsibilities of maintaining a household. We got out and went to the front door. I knocked a few times, and had to knock harder as I heard loud music coming from inside the house. "Tasha! You in there?" Brenda asked. Tasha came to the front door. "What do you want, mama?" Tasha asked impatiently. She took quite a few mannerisms from her mother. "Wait, what happened to you? You look like you're younger than me!" "Tasha, has Xaviera come by today?" "Uh...not today, but she did stop by yesterday," she said, still looking quizzically at her mother. I did my scan, and found that Tasha had been assimilated. "Tasha, did she do something to you?" I asked her. "NO! What are you talking about?" she shouted. I used my cleansing magic on her, restoring her to human status. She shuddered, and moaned in pain as I did this. Then I heard a small crying noise as the changeling spirit was banished. "What happened?" Tasha asked. "I had to cleanse your spirit, which had been taken over by a changeling," I said. "Are there any more in here like you? What about YOUR kids?" "Xaviera came by yesterday, and I forgot what happened after that -- she was here for a while, and then left. I don't know which way she went from here, she was walking with her kids, that's all I remember," Tasha explained. She was animated, gesturing wildly as she spoke, as though she was very worried about her youngest sister. "Alicia! Mason! Are you in here?" I asked. Tasha's kids came forward, and I scanned them as well. More assimilation. This was a very bad sign. I cleansed them as well, and asked to be let in. I checked to see if everyone else was okay, and for good measure, put a ward on the house to prevent further assimilation. I just hoped it would be strong enough to deter Xaviera from returning to try to expand her hive some more. "Do you remember which way you saw Xaviera go?" I asked her. "She went that way," Tasha pointed to the west. "Thanks for helping me." "Okay, Tasha, be careful now," Brenda said. We got back into the car. "There's no telling where she would have went, unless she walked all the way to your older sister's house," I told Brenda. Her older sister lived on the north side of town, about three miles from where we were. We drove over there, and pulled into her driveway. On our way there, Brenda asked TS to relay a message to Princess Celestia regarding Xaviera. "Dear Brenda, it is with great concern I receive your message. If what you say is true, that your daughter Xaviera has become a new changeling queen, I may have to return to your world to assist Tasavir. I shall bring Twilight Sparkle with me for further assistance, as she has some experience in identifying a queen. We will arrive at your house at your request. I have asked my sister to temporarily continue my duties. She insisted on coming as well, but there needs to be one of us to look after the Castle and meet the responsibilities our duties require of us. I look forward to meeting you once again, but regret the circumstances our visit necessitates."
Can We Stop Her?We got out of the car at Brenda's older sister's house. Beulah had a fifteen year old daughter with Down's Syndrome, and had to stay home all the time to care for her. She answered the door, with the girl remaining speechless the whole time, but still fairly active. A brown pit-bull dog came to the door and started barking. "Biscuit, get back. Brenda, is that you? You look so much younger today. What's going on?" Beulah is only four years older than Brenda, but the years hadn't treated her too well. Her hair was all grey, some starting to turn white, and she had lines creasing her face from years of smoking cigarettes. "You know my husband, Mike, right? He used magic to de-age me," Brenda said. "Anyway, we're here to see if Xaviera has stopped by recently." Brenda turned to me and smiled at the first part of her statement, then a worried look crept across her face after the second part. "No, Brenda, she hasn't been by here. Mike, you look different, what has happened to you? And why do you have a pale blue glow to you?" "Some interesting things have happened over the past couple of weeks," I said. "If I had more time, I could tell you, but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't believe the stories I have to tell. Right now, the matter of tracking down Xaviera is of critical importance, as I fear something bad may have happened to her." "What do you mean?" "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I said, scanning for changelings again. Beulah and her daughter were clean. "Brenda, your sister and her daughter are okay. I think it's time for us to go back home." "Brenda, you take care. You too, Mike!" "Call me if she comes by, please," Brenda said, still showing worry on her face. "Okay, I will. See you later, and come by when you can spend some more time. Mike, I would like to hear your stories some time." "No problem, Beulah, I will try to find time for that." We turned and went back to the car. Brenda's phone rang. It was Xaviera, calling for her mama. "This ought to be interesting," I thought as Brenda talked to her youngest daughter. I used my magic to try to pin down her location. She was calling from our house, some three miles and some change from Beulah's house. "Xaviera, I've been worried sick! Where are you?" "I'm home, mama, there's nothing to eat here," she said, sounding no different from usual. "I'll pick something up from the store a bit later on, you just stay there and wait for us, okay?" "Is Mike with you?" she asked, a little apprehension in her voice. "Yes, what's up?" "I don't want to see him!" she said, starting to get angry. "Careful, Brenda, we don't want to scare her off," I thought, and sent the thought into Brenda's mind. "He will be dropping me off, he has other business to attend to," she lied. "Okay, I will be waiting," she said. She ended the phone call at that point. We got into the car, and I backed it out into the street. I told TS to teleport us home, as the matter was extremely important. She did this, with us just short of the driveway by about two car-lengths. I pulled into the driveway. "Okay, be ready for anything," I said. Xaviera came out of the house, her appearance no different from normal. Her kids were with her as she came out the front door. "How did you get here so quickly?" she asked, her face flushed with anger. "The car can teleport, in case you had forgotten," I said. I had put up my magic barrier, just to be on the safe side. "Next time, you won't be able to find me at all!" she shouted. She then dropped her disguise, and I finally got to see what change had taken place. She had all the identifiers of a changeling queen, and looked only slightly different from Chrysalis, just a few minor facial details, and her chitin shell and wings and hair were dark brown. She lifted herself above the ground by flapping those wings. I think remaining in my human form might have put me at a disadvantage here. "Xaviera! You come down here and change yourself back right now!" her mama demanded. "Shut up talking to me mama! You think you can bully me like you bully your weak husband?" I enveloped her body in my pale blue aura, and forced her to the ground. She struggled quite hard, and the effort to hold her down was requiring me to use more magic than I had wanted to. I was shocked by just how strong she had gotten. "Brenda, get in the car and call Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle at once, let them know the worst has happened and we need their presence immediately!" I tossed her the key, and Brenda did this. A flash of light and a golden POP ushered in Celestia's arrival, with Twilight right beside her. "We came as soon as we could, Tasavir," she said. "I am holding her down, but I need to use a different kind of magic to reverse the changes that have happened to her. Would you please be kind enough to hold her down for me so I can use my cleansing magic on her?" "With pleasure, Tasavir," Celestia said, and her golden aura surrounded Xaviera's queenly body. Celestia was stunned by Xaviera's sheer power, and Twilight had to pitch in. "Tasavir, she is VERY strong!" "You think?" I asked. I bathed her in my glow, using quite a lot of magic to cleanse her form. She struggled mightily against it, and broke free from Celestia's and Twilight's telekinetic grip. She flew off, and I gave chase. "Brenda, how long has she been like this?" Celestia asked her. "It may only have been a few days." "How did she get so strong?" asked Twilight. "I don't know," said Brenda. She looked positively frightened. If the three of us couldn't stop her, who could?
Doubt"Mike, do you think it's such a good idea to take the grand-kids with us? Didn't you say they had become changelings as well?" Brenda gave me a worried look. Remarkably, Samantha and Tanisha had been behaving like normal children, which surprised me. "Only after I cleanse them," I said. "Of course, doing so will reduce my leverage with Xaviera, but we can't take any chances. Celestia would not approve of the presence of changelings in her realm. By the way, what time is it?" "About 7:40," Brenda said as she checked the time on her phone. "The sun was supposed to be setting about half an hour ago," I said. It was still in its late afternoon position. "I want to try something here -- I want to wait another two hours and see if God is going to allow the sun to set. If that doesn't happen, I will do it myself." "I think that's a bad idea -- you don't want to make Him angry," Brenda said, somewhat apprehensive of what I was about to do. "If He actually exists, He will do it. If not, it means something else," I said. I wanted to see if my doubts proved true -- with the power level I possessed, I figured I might be able to prove or disprove His existence once and for all. A nagging feeling of dread gnawed at the back of my mind, but I was determined to see this play out. "Oh Heavenly Father, by whatever name you go by," I shouted at the sky, "I am giving you two hours to lower the sun. If you really exist, you will do this. If not, I shall do it. Do you hear me?" "MIKE! STOP THAT!" Brenda shouted at me, showing extreme worry on her face. "TWO HOURS! YOU GOT THAT!" I shouted at the sky again. "MIKE!" Another flash of light and golden POP resounded once again, and now Celestia and the Mane Six were standing in the front yard. "Princess Celestia, welcome back," I said. "I see every pony is here. Good. Now I shall lure Xaviera here by cleansing her children of their changeling spirits." "Darling, you mean you can actually do that?" Rarity asked, showing great surprise. "Hey Mike, how's that supposed to work? I mean, I know you can do lots of stuff like that, but really, cleaning changelings like that, and banishing the spirits, and -- hey, they're just little kids, aren't they? Is it going to hurt them?" "Pinkie Pie, just be quiet and observe. Xaviera should be here shortly, and I don't want her harming any of you. She has become very powerful, even stronger than the last Queen you encountered. Does everypony have their Elements ready?" A chorus of "Yes" filled the air. I proceeded to cleanse Samantha then Tanisha, each of them shuddering, then falling unconscious as I finished, and again there was the small crying sound from each of them as their changeling spirits were banished. Suddenly, Xaviera appeared. "How DARE you interfere with my HIVE!" she screamed, gliding in to stop not ten feet away from me. "You will not escape THIS time," I sternly addressed her. "You must be cleansed of your changeling spirit, even if you are the new Queen. Trust me, I do NOT want to kill you, just cleanse you of that evil spirit inside you." I telekinetically held her in place, and her struggle was vicious. "NEVER! Even if you do cleanse me, the next in line will become the Queen! Think about THAT!" I facehoofed. This is going to be harder than I thought, and I had no idea of how many she had assimilated. "Elements at the ready. Use your magic NOW!" Celestia commanded. They surrounded her, and cast their magic, enveloping Queen Xaviera in a rainbow-hued vortex. I released my telekinetic grip on her just in time to allow the vortex to banish the Queen's spirit. Xaviera fell to the ground unconscious, naked, but returned to her human form. "Somepony cover her, I don't want to see her like this," I said. "Thanks again for your help." "It was my pleasure, Tasavir," Celestia said. "By the way, what did she mean by her comment?" "I have no idea how many she assimilated into her hive, Celestia. It seems as though the Queen's spirit takes over the next person or pony to have been assimilated. If that's the case, there will be another Queen, then another, then..." "This sounds particularly bad," Celestia said, fresh worry creeping across her face once again. "I tried to find everyone she assimilated, but there's no telling how many she may have gotten to." "Did anyone get the number of that bus that just hit me?" Xaviera said, groggily getting to her feet. "Where are my kids? Gotta get back into the house, I'm cold and hungry." "Xaviera, you okay?" I asked her. "Got a bad headache, my body hurts, I feel like I've been hit by a bus, but I guess I'm okay," she said. She found her kids and took them inside. "Thanks for saving my baby," Brenda said to Celestia. "Mike, it's getting late -- and the sun is still up." "What time is it now?" I asked. "About 9:30," Brenda replied. "Tasavir, what does this mean?" asked Celestia. "I am conducting an experiment, and all of you are invited to watch. If you might remember, I talked about the existence of a very powerful entity, one who claimed to be the God of all gods, with no others before him. If this is true, and he really exists, he has about 15 minutes, more or less, to allow the sun to set. As you can see, the sun is still in its late afternoon position, and was supposed to set about two hours ago. Even though I am supposed to lower the sun, I am doing this for the purpose of either proving or disproving the existence of this God." "Tasavir, you tempt fate by doing this. I would suggest you proceed with your duties, lest you anger an even greater power." Celestia admonished me, showing some degree of concern on her face. I believe she was worried for my safety. "Celestia, your concern has been registered, however, I feel compelled to proceed with this test. Allow me to assume my Alicorn form, this will only take a minute." I changed into my Alicorn form, taking a truly regal appearance by doing so. "Brenda, is it time?" I asked her. "Yes," she said. A look of fear crept across her face. I flew up into the sky. "TIME'S UP!!" I shouted at the sky. The sun had refused to set, so I grabbed it with my magic and lowered it below the horizon, skipping the sunset position. I then grabbed the moon and placed it about half-way in the sky. I flew back down to the ground, gliding to a stop in our front yard, the Mane Six looking on in awe of my display. "Tasavir, there is no need to be so ostentatious," Celestia advised. "TASAVIR!! YOU HAVE DISPLEASED ME!!" a voice thundered from nowhere. "I gave you two hours, and you refused to set the sun. So I did it for you," I said. "Show yourself if you truly exist. I offer that as a request, not as a demand." "I have no need to show myself to one as insolent as you!" "So why didn't you allow the sun to set? I gave you enough time to do so. Again, I request you show yourself!" "I cannot allow you to gaze upon my form!" "SHOW YOURSELF!!" I shouted, using magic to amplify my voice. "Either you exist or you do not! If you refuse to show yourself, I claim that you do not truly exist!" Much to the shock of every pony present, a swirling mist rose between Celestia and me, and when that mist settled, there in our midst was none other than... "Discord!" I hissed. "How DARE you try to trick me into thinking you were HIM!" I lost my temper. My eyes went white with rage, and my visage grew dark and fearsome. My body enlarged with my wings growing to a span of twenty feet as I took to the sky once again. My body started glowing brilliantly, emitting light bright enough to hurt the eyes of whomever gazed upon me. I readied a large magic charge from my horn, which was now glowing brilliant blue, my mane and tail also glowing a brilliant blue to match. Discord watched this spectacle in horror, a look of sheer terror on his face. "YOU WILL NEVER TRICK ANYONE EVER AGAIN!" I shouted at him, launching this massive blast, reducing his body to a pile of dust. I calmed down, returning to my normal size, and landed near Celestia. Every pony was stunned by this raw display. "That ... was ... quite ... impressive," Celestia said, the loss of words quite stunning, coming from her. "Wow! That was AWESOME!" Rainbow shouted. "Um, Mike, when did you get THAT powerful?" Twilight asked, her face still showing shock and surprise. "I apologize for losing my temper. I guess righteous indignation got the better of me there. I guess my theory proved correct." I turned to Brenda, who was just standing with her mouth open, her eyes comically large. "Brenda, I guess that means everything you know is wrong." "Hey, Mike, Brenda, we were going to throw you a party! Can you come this time? Please? I think the occasion is perfect for a party! Princess Celestia, can we have one in their honor? I have everything already planned out from the last time! Every pony will be happy to meet you both! Hey Brenda, can Mike turn you into a pony for us?" Pinkie was bouncing with even more enthusiasm than normal. Applejack was nodding in agreement, and Fluttershy, well...having witnessed my display, she was still hiding behind her mane, behind Rarity at that. "Michael, darling, perhaps Brenda can model some clothing for me? I would be honored to have her come by my boutique for some measurements." "We have several hours before I have to raise the sun tomorrow, so I would be honored to join all of you for the festivities," I said. "Brenda, shall I turn you into a pony for this occasion? It will only be for tonight, I promise!" "MIKE! NO! PLEASE!" Brenda pleaded with me. "Too late," I said, grinning. I turned Brenda into a zebra, looking fairly similar to Zecora. "What? What happened? What do I look like? I see stripes," Brenda said. "Oooh! Zecora!" Fluttershy said and trotted over to Brenda, giving her a hug. "My name is Brenda!" she shouted. Fluttershy flew behind Rarity, meeping, and hiding behind her mane again. "Brenda, you didn't need to do that," I said. "How am I supposed to walk now?" she asked. She tried a little bit, and fell. "Damn it!" Every pony started laughing at her. "Brenda, try alternating front and rear legs, taking small steps. I think you do right front, left rear, left front, right rear, and keep going like that until you build a good rhythm. Then you can try going faster and taking larger steps," I said. She started doing this, getting the motion down fairly quickly. She started trotting in a large circle, then going faster until she started galloping up and down our block. She felt the rush of wind through her hair and ears, grinning broadly as she galloped. "You know, I could get used to liking this," she said, beaming a big smile. "Now you know how I felt when I was in Twilight's body galloping from her house to Sugar Cube Corner," I said. "The rush is quite exhilarating!"
Too Dangerous"Michael, please wait -- and turn your wife back into a human. I have something very important to say to you," Celestia stated, her tone quite serious. "I have been pondering your actions just now, and I have come to the conclusion that you are simply too dangerous to visit my realm. I am hereby rescinding my invitation to allow you to visit Equestria, effective immediately. Brenda, I apologize if this disappoints you, as I suspect you were looking forward to attending the party that Pinkie Pie had invited both of you to attend. Michael, your act was a display of recklessness which cannot be tolerated." "Princess Celestia, I --" I began, trying to explain my actions. "Michael, you are not permitted to call me by that name any more. You must henceforth refer to me as either 'Your Majesty' or 'Your Royal Highness'." She maintained the serious tone to her voice as she said this to me. "Your Majesty, I see I have displeased you. That having been said, again I apologize for my rash decision. In my defense, I would like to state that as a human, I was raised with certain religious beliefs, and the sight of Discord impersonating the most important figure in all religions was too much for me to take. I understand that it was not my authority to act as judge, jury, and executioner -- however, as I stated before, I claim righteous indignation in my defense. If that sounds like a rationalization, I suppose it qualifies as such. I beg your forgiveness, your Majesty. I am still a fledgling Alicorn, and my human emotions got the better of me. Please believe me when I say that this was a truly rare occurrence, as my wife can testify that I have scarcely ever lost my temper in that fashion." "Michael, I would like to believe your sincerity, however, I cannot allow such a risk to my realm. I believe that in due course, you will mature to a level commensurate with your power, and you will be able to control your emotions with more discretion. As such, I appreciate your honesty, but I simply cannot allow one as dangerous as you to enter my realm." Celestia's face showed some degree of sadness and disappointment as she continued to lecture me. "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, might I inquire as to your decision to refer to me by my human name, as opposed to the Alicorn name I chose? I still retain my ability to change back and forth between forms at my leisure, or as such circumstances warrant -- unless you believe I represent such a danger that you would dare to consider removing my Alicorn status. If so, I am curious to know how you might be able to do so -- and by the same token, does that mean that I possess enough power to do the same to you?" "Your hasty action belies the stability required to serve honorably as an Alicorn, therefore, Michael, I can no longer refer to you by the name you have chosen. Requesting that I call you that name is a privilege, one which I am not obligated to honor if you bring dishonor to the ranks of the Alicorn." I saw her visage start to darken. "And if you think you possess enough power to remove MY Alicorn status, I would strongly suggest you reconsider such thoughts, lest you provoke MY ire." "Your Majesty, I would never consider such action -- I have far too much respect and admiration for you to even countenance such actions -- that, and the fact that your subjects require your deepest admiration and strongest abilities to provide them with what they need. I apologize for even broaching the subject, but would request you understand what is sometimes referred to as 'The Golden Rule' -- 'Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You'." I watched as the Elements shifted nervously on their hooves, silently watching this conversation with rapt attention. The atmosphere hung heavy with the gravitas of two Alicorns having a deep philosophical disagreement. Brenda was bored, still in her Zebra form, and chatting with Rarity, perhaps discussing the idea of having a fabulous new outfit to wear. "Michael, I know full well that Golden Rule of which you speak -- we have a similar variant in the same vein as your human equivalent. Be that as it may, to continue even with the consideration of possible threats is yet another element of your lack of good judgment. As for your concern about losing your Alicorn status, you need not worry about that. You have certain duties and responsibilities in this realm which require you to maintain that status. However, should you choose to visit MY realm without my permission, I will be forced to strip you of that status." Celestia showed visible anger. "Very well then, your Majesty. I have a simple request, since I will no longer be able to see any of the Elements from this day forward. With your permission, your Majesty, may I give a final hug and last goodbye to each of them?" "You have my permission, Michael. Make sure your good-byes and hugs are short, lest you displease me further." I returned to my human form, and restored Brenda to her human form. "Why did you do that, Mike? I was just starting to enjoy that," Brenda said somewhat dejectedly. "As per 'Her Royal Highness' suggestion, I have returned you to your human form. Twilight, would you please be kind enough to approach me? You shall be the first I say my final good-bye to. My dearest Twilight Sparkle, I have the utmost respect and admiration for you, and it is with great sadness that I say my final adieu. I will cherish the memory of my experience in your body for the rest of my life -- and if that means I may live forever, then so too will my memory of being you. I am very sorry to have disappointed you or possibly even frightened you by my over-zealous display of power, and I can only hope that maybe you will forgive me my egregious excess. Please give me a quick hug, as this may be the final time I have an opportunity to see you. It is my fervent hope that maybe some day in the future, your mentor will soften her attitude towards me and allow me to return. I wish that we could have spent more time together discussing matters regarding magic, mathematics, science, and other subjects. I would appreciate you giving me your take on Calculus, a subject I could not wrap my brain around. Please forgive me if I shed a tear or two, I will deeply miss you." "Oh, Michael, I wish it could be different to say good-bye like this -- I might be able to persuade Celestia to let me come and visit you here, but not for awhile yet. Calculus is easy once you get the basics down, and I would be happy to teach you the finer aspects of that subject," she said, smiling through a couple of tears. Just barely above a whisper as I held her she said, "I love you, Michael." I whispered "I love you back." She smiled, and then left my embrace. "Rarity, you are next. Please approach me, so that I may give you a fond farewell. My dearest Rarity, it is a shame that I displeased every pony with my actions. I am disappointed that I will not be able to visit your boutique, as I was curious to see what sort of fabulous outfit you could whip up for me and my wife -- I am willing to pay you handsomely for such finery -- but unfortunately, such a possibility is off limits now, for at least the foreseeable future. Please give me a quick hug, I will miss you dearly." "Michael, darling, I will be happy to take your measurements here, and work on your clothing in my shop. I will have Princess Celestia send them to you once I have finished. My dear, you will absolutely fall in love with my creation! I am curious to see what sort of payment you will make," she said, smiling, a tear falling from her right eye. I handed her a small purple velvet bag with ten gold coins in it. She used her magic to open this bag, and a look of shock came across her face as she examined the large gold coins, each one about the size of a half-dollar, bearing a walking figure of Liberty on the obverse and a large eagle in mid-flight on the reverse. "Michael, darling, I simply cannot accept such a generous payment!" "It is my honor to give you these coins as suitable payment for your finest creations, my dearest Rarity." I smiled at her as we broke the embrace. "Please allow me to inspect those coins," Princess Celestia said, showing a degree of curiosity. She took a look at them using her telekinesis to closely inspect them. "These are quite beautiful," she said. "May I have one, please?" I took another pouch from my pocket and handed her a coin from it. "Perhaps I might have been a little hasty in passing judgement against you, Tasavir," she said, a smile trying to make its way onto her visage. "Tis quite all right, your Majesty. Pinkie Pie, you are next. Please approach me --" I began. She bounded her way into my arms, and gave me a quick kiss on my lips. "Pinkie, was that strictly necessary? I am going to miss you dearly, and I am deeply sorry for not being able to attend your party. I know you went to a great deal of trouble to accommodate me and my wife, and I'll bet you even went so far as to acquire a small Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness cake just for the occasion. Again, I apologize, and if Her Majesty allows it, perhaps I may return some day to have the biggest, best party in Equestrian history! I am sorry to disappoint you this way." "Mikey or Tasavir or whatever it is you want to be called, I am going to miss you -- you have been a lot of fun to be around with, and I want to thank you for rescuing us from Discord again. I will try to talk the Princess into allowing you to come to a party, and I guess she'll have to keep a watch over you to make sure you don't cause any trouble, but I know you will behave yourself, right? I know you will, won't you! My Pinkie Sense tells me that you are kind and honest, and you would never do anything to hurt any of us, I know that! There's so much more I want to do with you! Like do some more pranks!" she giggled, then jumped out of my arms, and bounded her way back over to Twilight and started chatting with her. "Okay. Applejack, please come here. I know you probably may not want to hug me, but that's okay. I would have loved to have come to your farm and talk to all the rest of your siblings and kinfolk, even Granny Smith, as I'm sure she has lots of stories to tell. I would have loved to sample all the fine cooking you and your folks make, even if that means I would have gained ten pounds at one sitting! I am going to miss you, my dear girl, and I also want to apologize for tricking you into thinking I was Twilight about a week ago or so, but I guess the matter was urgent enough to do what needed to be done." "That's okay, Sugar Cube, Ah'll give ya a hug!" she gives me firm hard bear hug, holding me tightly in her fore-legs. She relinquishes her grip, and says, "Ah'm gonna miss ya too, ya big lug! Ah know ya meant well, and we're all safe once again. Ah remember what ya done to save us from Discord, and without yer help, we'd still be in those cages." "I tried to set the best example I could whilst in Twilight's body. I just wanted to make good," I said. "Ya done great! Trust me, Ah wouldn't mind if ya went back ta bein' her again!" Applejack offered. "Okay, Fluttershy. You're next. Do you wish to approach me?" "Um, Michael, if that's okay, I will just simply say good-bye, and again, let you know I will miss you too. Thanks again for rescuing us from Discord! Oh, and I was impressed with how you managed to keep up with me when I was leading you to Cloudsdale." "Fluttershy, I am the one who should be thanking you for your guidance. Without your assistance, I doubt I would have encountered Discord in pony to get him to reveal your location, and things would be dire indeed back there. I apologize for leaving you unattended, but I believe it worked out for the best, as we were able to defeat Discord once again." "What about me?" asked Rainbow Dash. "You're not gonna forget about ME, are you?" "No, Rainbow, of course not. I regret not being able to spend more time with you and your friends, but what's done is done. Please give me a hug, if you wish, as I am going to miss you every bit as much as I will miss Twilight and the rest of you all. I will let you know that you can still outpace me in my Alicorn form, I have never seen anypony fly as fast as you. Now I see why you hate trees!" I chuckled. She came over and hugged me tightly, a single tear tracing its way down the left side of her muzzle. "Okay, Tasavir, that's enough. We shall be taking our leave now. By the way, you are still free to communicate with me as you wish, and I will let you know soon enough when I feel you can handle your power responsibly enough to return to visit the Elements. Provided you are on your best behavior, I would like a further audience with you to discuss other matters, as your intelligence is quite remarkable. I am sure my sister Luna would love to talk to you as well." "I appreciate your generosity, your Majesty. You have my word that should I ever be granted your permission to return to your realm that I will maintain my highest order of decorum as befitting one of my stature. Please understand that this particular instance was one which I should have handled better. Again, I apologize for disappointing you, and humbly request your forgiveness. I sincerely hope that we may be able to meet pony to pony once again." "I gather from your remarks that you indeed are deeply remorseful for your brashness. You have my forgiveness, Tasavir. I will let you know when I feel confident enough in your sincerity to allow for your return to my realm. Believe it or not, I shall miss you as well -- and once again, you have my deepest gratitude for rescuing the Elements from the clutches of Discord." She gave me a genuine smile, one tinged with a bit of sadness, and then enveloped herself and the Elements in her golden aura, teleporting back to Equestria with a flash of light and a golden POP.
So What's Next?After Celestia teleported herself and the Elements back to Equestria, Brenda and I were left standing in our front yard, a small pile of dust still in the spot where I had vaporized Discord. I conjured a small shatterproof jar and placed the dust in it. Then I sealed the jar with magic wards to prevent anyone from opening it. I then placed this jar in a safe place, where no one would find it. I didn't want to take any chances of his return. "Might as well go inside and get some sleep, we have another busy day ahead of us tomorrow," I said. "Mike, I would love to be a Zebra again some time," she smiled. "That was quite fun while it lasted." "I thought you might like it once you got used to it," I smiled. "We have about nine hours before I have to raise the sun again." We went inside, and Xaviera was waiting for us. "Mike, thanks for helping me back there. That -- whatever it was -- had messed up my mind. Thanks for helping Samantha and Tanisha as well -- I can't believe I gave you that much trouble," she said. "Just doing my job, Xaviera. Are there any others you did that to?" "Well, I remember this voice telling me I needed to make my hive as big as possible as quickly as possible. When Beulah took me to church yesterday, there was so much love it made me feel really strong," she replied. "Ah. That explains the difficulty in subduing you in your Queenly form," I said. "You proved to be extremely strong, so much so, that it was nearly all I could do to hold you with my telekinesis. I hope there aren't any others to take your former place." I scanned around, not noticing any changeling activity. "I think they might be gone now, but you never know when they might return." "I remember stopping by Tasha's house and doing her and her kids like that. Sorry about that," she said. "Your sister? Really?" Brenda asked. "Mama, you don't know what it's like to have your mind under the control of something else, that's why that happened." "Well, I'm glad you're back to normal. I've got some good news -- we won the lottery! I still have the check in the glovebox, and tomorrow we'll be heading to my bank to take care of some of our money issues." "Wow! Are you gonna buy me a house of my own for me and my kids?" "Of course, Xaviera, not just for you, but for all your sisters and your brother, too!" "My request is to give my parents and my brother and his wife a few million dollars each -- aside from that, you may have the rest of the money. I am in the process of finding a location for my new domicile, and once I have made that decision --" "Don't tell me you're leaving me behind!" Brenda shouted at me. "No, Brenda, you're welcome to live with me at my new house -- the location will be rather remote, though." "I thought we were moving to Las Vegas?" Brenda asked. "Yes, if that's where you wish to live," I said. "But I need some place a bit more remote than that for my purposes." "Why?" "There are certain things...I need a very large place, and it needs to be difficult to access, as I do not want interference from unwanted visitors. As an Alicorn, I feel the need to have habitation suitable to my new stature." "How big do you need the place to be?" Brenda asked, quite incredulously. "It needs to be as big as Canterlot," I stated flatly. "WHAT? You want to build THAT HERE?" she was flabbergasted. "It's not going to be a copy, it's going to be much different. It needs to be that big simply because I WANT it to be that big!" "And where exactly is it going to be located?" "I am still scouting for good locations -- like Canterlot Castle, it will be situated on a mountain, but there needs to be a good supply of water, nearby arable land, moderate climate, and several other factors which I am still evaluating. As I have said before, once I find the perfect location, I will build it, and invite whomever is interested in living there." "Thanks for asking me in advance, Mike," Brenda scowled. "I would have appreciated you letting me know you wanted to build a CASTLE of all things in a place I would probably NOT want to live in!" "Well, I suppose the anonymity of living in Vegas would be enough for me to continue maintaining my human form -- however, I enjoy spreading my wings and flying, if you know what I mean. Add to that, I don't like my cutie mark looking like a tattoo, I think it's in bad taste." "What does that mean?" "It means I think I'm supposed to maintain an Alicorn form instead of a human one," I said, trying not to anger her. "But you've been a human all your life! And now you want to give that up?" "I gave that up when I put Chrysalis' horn and crown on my head -- I can assume a human form, but my humanity has been lost forever. I am sorry to disappoint you, Brenda, but the man you once knew no longer exists, except for up here," I said, tapping my right temple with my right index finger. "But -- but -- you still LOOK human!" "Do you not see the pale blue aura that constantly surrounds me? No normal human has that, and you know it. I can not dispel this aura, as it is a permanent part of my persona -- its presence is there to remind me that I am not truly human, even though I can assume a human form. My true form is that of an Alicorn, and I am sorry if this displeases you." "But, Mike, what does that mean for me? Are we still married? Are you going to leave me?" "Brenda, you know that we are indeed still married -- I never asked you to sign papers -- and as I have said before, you are welcome to live with me once I have my new abode established. I will never leave you Brenda -- unless that is your desire. Now let's get some sleep, I still need it even though I am an Alicorn," I chuckled. "Okay, Mike. I am still thinking about lots of things, and I need some time to relax anyway. How about ordering a pizza?" "I can do you one better than that," I laughed, and conjured up a box containing a hot fresh pizza, telekinetically placing it in her hands. "I still can't get used to you doing things like THAT," she said, laughing nervously. We sat at the kitchen table, Brenda sharing the pizza with Xaviera and her kids. I took a single slice, and ate it slowly, savoring the mix of sauce and cheese. "How about making one for us that has sausage and pepperoni on it?" Brenda asked. "Sure, just give me a second," I said, creating yet another pizza for them. Presently we finished eating, and Xaviera and her kids went back downstairs to watch TV, while Brenda and I retired to our room to get some much-needed rest.
An Unexpected VisitMy sleep was disturbed by a very interesting occurrence -- a flash of light and a lavender POP woke me from my slumber. The alarm clock read 1:17 AM. I felt a light nudging at my temple by what seemed like a hoof. I turned over to see a familiar face, with a look of extreme worry on her face. "Twilight? How did you get here?" I asked her. "You remember when you were me, you told me you were able to cross the dimensional barrier to Equestria, and given the urgency of this matter, I chose to see if I could replicate your feat. It seems as though you were correct about my power!" she said. "Unfortunately, I have some bad news for you -- Princess Luna has gone rogue, and banished Celestia back to the sun." "Please tell me you're joking, Twilight -- no, you're not -- I can tell from your tone and expression. I have to raise the sun in about five hours here, but if what you say is true, I will have to do something to help you. Please tell me -- I was under the impression that you and your associates could use your harmonic magic to banish Nightmare Moon and release Celestia?" "I need your help in finding them -- she knew this, and planned for it. I was just barely able to escape myself, and I know what you're capable of. Please! I will be forever in your debt!" "My dearest Twilight Sparkle, I wish we could meet again under happier circumstances. I will assist you in any way I can, but as far as doing damage to Nightmare Moon, I will only use telekinesis to hold her while you and the other Elements work your magic on her. I do not want a repeat of what happened earlier today when I lost my temper." "I was hoping you'd say something like that! Let's go!" Twilight beamed, seeming much happier to see me. Perhaps it was my calm demeanor comforting her, easing her worries somewhat. Perhaps it was something more, but right now, I was compelled to assist her. I teleported us back across the barrier, to Ponyville, right in front of Sugar Cube Corner. The night sky was cloudless, the cold air surprising me a little. "It isn't normally this cold at night," I observed. "It's supposed to be daytime," Twilight said. "In fact, it was mid-day when this happened. If you're looking for Pinkie Pie, she should be here, but probably isn't, since Nightmare isolated the other Elements." "YOU!" came a voice from above. I looked up to see Nightmare Moon gliding to a stop just a little way off to my left. She glared at me, wondering just what was going on. "Where did YOU come from? Oh, and I see Twilight is with you! Do you think YOU can protect her?" "Luna, I know you're in there. Force the evil into submission," I said, addressing Nightmare. "Foal! You don't know who you're messing with!" "You're messing with my sleep -- don't you have any consideration for MY needs? You picked a particularly BAD time to show yourself!" "Awww, does the poor dear need his beauty sleep? Gee, I'm so sorry for disturbing you," she said with great sarcasm. "Don't make me lose my temper -- the end result would not be pretty," I admonished, my face darkening as I narrowed my eyes at her. "Oh, and what if I do THAT? I would HATE to think that making you mad would do any harm to me," she said, sarcasm dripping from her words. "Excuse me while I address a certain matter regarding the placement of the sun," I said, flying into the sky. Using my magic, I grabbed hold of the moon and put it below the horizon, then grabbed the sun and put it back into mid-day position. Nightmare Moon was left slack-jawed by my display. "WAIT! WHAT? How did you do that?" she shouted. I had made her furious. "Do you not see my cutie mark? I too am a Regent of the Sun! You made a very big mistake by showing yourself!" "That means I can banish YOU to the sun just as easily as I banished Celestia! Maybe YOU'RE the one who made a big mistake!" "You draw your power from a reflection of the sun, just a small lump of rock hanging in the sky. I draw my power from the sun itself! You are no match!" "Is THAT what you think? You must be a fledgling Regent if you think THAT!" she scowled, readying her magic. I had erected magic barriers to deflect and/or reflect her magic back at her. She let loose with a strong blast, but my mirror defense reflected the blast back at her. She was shocked by this, but evaded the reflected magic. "Perhaps you are more adept than I realized. Let me warn you: I am just getting warmed up! Prepare to face my wrath!" "Let me assemble the Elements so we can banish your evil spirit whence it came -- but if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!" I enveloped her in my telekinetic aura, and started squeezing it, applying a crushing force to her body. She struggled hard against my telekinesis, but her effort paled in comparison to Xaviera's strength. "My youngest step-daughter put up more of a fight than YOU!" I shouted at her. "I would have liked to have seen you battle her -- I wonder who might have won THAT contest..." "What? Are you crazy? Let me out! How is it you are more powerful than my sister!" she shouted. She struggled even harder as I applied more force, her body buckling under it. She lost consciousness, and I relinquished my hold on her. "Mike! You didn't kill her did you?" Twilight asked, still shocked by my power. "No, I knocked her unconscious. She's alive, just asleep, that's all." Twilight went up to Nightmare Moon and checked her vital signs. She was breathing, her heart beating, but she was unconscious. "Amazing how you can do that so easily," she said. "Give me a moment, I shall free the Princess from her banishment," I said. I concentrated, locating Celestia who had been trapped in the sun. I reached out to her, magically connecting with her, and brought her back to Equestria. "Tasavir, I am most impressed by your sheer power -- you have my eternal gratitude." "Behold, your sister lies unconscious, but alive. How do we banish the evil and restore her to normal?" "We must assemble the Elements," Celestia said. "Thank you for not losing your temper, and thank you once again for your assistance. You are indeed a most valuable asset, and I apologize for doubting you." "I have located the Elements, and am bringing them here," I said. "Thank you for your kind words, Celestia, it is an honor to assist you in such matters." "Tasavir, why is it that you have done this so quickly?" Celestia asked with some surprise. "Twilight came to me in my realm and woke me about five hours before I was to raise the sun. I decided that swift action was necessary, as I am still somewhat sleepy, and need a little more rest. I do not have any pony else to assist me with my duties, so that leaves me to do all the work myself." "I am quite impressed with your abilities and strengths, Tasavir, and will be happy to finish up here. I bid you good-night, at least as far as your realm goes. Until we meet again, my friend." "Good-bye for now, hope to see you soon, and under better circumstances," I said, and teleported the rest of the Elements to our location, then teleported back home. I resumed my human form and returned to sleep, only a single hour having elapsed during the entire affair. I just hoped that similar occurrences would be the exception rather than the norm. Author's note: I apologize for the storyline becoming repetitive and contrived -- I might actually be running out of ideas. Most of this is written on a spur-of-the-moment basis, so things have a way of coming out that I might not intend to have happen.
Peace Through Strength"Mike, where have you been?" Brenda asked me as I returned to bed. "Equestria demanded my services for a bit," I said. "Twilight came here and told me what happened, so I went and helped out -- I hope this doesn't happen any more, sleep beckons me now." "What was it?" "Princess Celestia's sister turned rogue, and had to be stopped. So I did." "This is getting ridiculous -- can't live a normal life without emergencies popping up every five minutes," Brenda grumbled. We went back to sleep, but I had a little trouble falling back asleep. I lie awake until the alarm went off at 6:15 AM. I got up and went to the window, and using my magic, lowered the moon and raised the sun. I was tired, and did the bare minimum to address the issue of raising the sun. I went back to bed and laid down for some more rest. A few minutes later, another flash of light and a golden POP disturbed my attempt to return to sleep. "Tasavir, I wanted to thank you once again, but you took off before I had a chance to -- wait, did you just raise the sun from your window?" "Yes, how did you know?" "It looks like you didn't do enough," Celestia mused. "Okay, okay. I will do it for real, just give me a second." I teleported outside, and went to the roof of our house to do the full job. My laziness would be my undoing if I weren't careful. Celestia teleported outside to watch me do the job. She appeared to be satisfied with this particular effort. "You need to be more careful when you do this as there are those who pay attention to these matters, and you should realize that even though there are times when you feel as though the matter is too much to face sometimes, you MUST oblige your duties, lest you provoke the anger of those who are even more powerful than you, though you seem to be unaware of their presence." "My apologies, Celestia. Nightmare Moon showed up at a bad time in your realm, and had the unmitigated gall to interfere with my rest, so I tried to dispatch her as quickly as possible, without doing too much damage. Forgive me if I gave in to my weariness this morning." "You are forgiven, Tasavir, but keep in mind your duties and responsibilities. Do not shirk them, for your sake." "Is there another matter for your appearance here? You don't usually show up unless there is a serious matter that needs urgent attention." "Twilight wanted to thank you personally," she said. "Why didn't she come this time? She showed up last night, or is it that when a serious enough emergency arises that she can use enough magic power to cross the dimensional barrier between Equestria and Earth?" "Your hypothesis is correct, Tasavir. Again, you have my thanks for your assistance." "No problem, Celestia. Now if you don't mind, I would like to get back to bed, for the sake of getting some more sleep." "Princess Luna wanted to thank you as well." "Is there anything else?" "I would like for you to return to my realm today," she said, smiling warmly. "What about Brenda?" "She is welcome to accompany you as well," she offered. "I would be honored to visit your realm today," I said, smiling softly. "You have my word I will be on my best behavior, Princess." "I would expect no less of you, Tasavir. Pinkie Pie has the party waiting for you, so you may come at your earliest convenience." "You have my thanks, Celestia. Brenda and I will be happy to join in the festivities." "But of course. See you soon!" she smiled, and popped back to her bedchambers. I returned to bed, and laid down for a few hours, getting in a couple of cat-naps. "What was that all about?" Brenda asked. "The Princess has requested our presence at a party in Ponyville," I said. "Does that mean I get to be a Zebra again?" she asked enthusiastically. "Sure, if that's what you want." "What are those parties like?" "I don't know -- I've never been to one of Pinkie Pie's parties -- and I have never been much of one for parties anyway. I expect I'll feel out of place there, but I will humor her by attending the party. I look forward to seeing every pony there, though, and I'm sure they'll have plenty to talk about." I laid down for a little while longer, but my next attempt to get some rest was interrupted by another flash of light, and yet another golden POP. Princess Celestia had made her way back into my bedroom. Brenda was awake this time as I greeted her. "Back so soon, Princess?" I asked. "Michael, what are you talking about? I haven't been here today," she said. "But Princess, you were here not just fifteen minutes ago," I said, rubbing sleep from eyes. "It's true," Brenda added. "Mike wouldn't lie about something like this -- I watched him raise the sun from our window." "Michael, I trust you finished the job you started?" Celestia asked sternly. "I did indeed, and Princess Celestia was satisfied with my completion of that job," I said. "If you don't mind me asking, your Majesty, who exactly are you?" "I am Princess Celestia, Michael, you should know that! Do you believe me, or your eyes?" Something about her didn't seem quite right, or maybe that was the other Celestia who showed up earlier -- it was hard for me to tell as they looked identical. I figured a rip in the fabric of the space/time continuum had allowed an alternate universe version of Celestia to pop in, with some slight differences. I know she recognized me, and knew who I was, but still addressing me by my human name. "Princess Celestia, I have chosen a name for my Alicorn form," I said. She gave me a look of surprise at that point. "Michael, I never gave you permission to choose a name for your alternate form."
A Needle and ThreadXaviera walked into our room at this point. "What's with all that noise, Mike? I'm trying to sleep," she said. She saw Celestia at this point. "Oh, hi Princess, what's up?" Celestia recoiled in shock and horror, backing up against the wall right next to my side of the bed. "Please! Michael! Protect me from her!" her voice trembled, showing great fear as she said these words. She looked at me, her eyes meeting mine, and I could see just how terrified she was of Xaviera. "You need not worry, Celestia, she is no longer a Changeling Queen," I told her. She regained her composure, then shot an evil look at Xaviera. "How DARE you enslave my little ponies!" she shouted. Xaviera backed up slowly, then turned around and ran to her room and hid under the covers. "Celestia, that was uncalled for. It was you and the Elements who helped me save her from the Queen's evil spirit, and allowed me to save her life. I am sorry she is still on the loose in your realm, but you can't apply your judgment of her based on her presence in MY realm. I believe you owe her an apology, and request you do so now, your Majesty." "But she -- she -- SHE KILLED MY SISTER!!!" Celestia sobbed. I held her close, trying to console her. "Princess, I am terribly sorry. I humbly apologize for her actions, and will do what I can to help you. I have a feeling we may need HER help on this one, as I think she can serve to distract her other self long enough to grab the horn and crown off her other self's head, thus rendering her unable to use magic." "Michael, do you think that'll work?" Celestia asked, still crying over the loss of her sister. "I believe it will. We need to act quickly. Brenda, I shall return shortly. Xaviera, please come here, I need your help on this mission!" I shouted at the wall that separated our room from hers. She came in, still shaken from the Princess' outburst. "What do you need ME for?" Xaviera asked. "When we meet your other self in Celestia's realm, I need for you to run up to her when she's distracted by your appearance. Grab her horn and crown, and place them on YOUR head -- you remember how I did it a few days ago, don't you?" "Yeah, I do. I hope your plan works, Mike, I don't want to die!" "You're safe with me, I'll make sure of it, Xaviera." "For my sake, Michael, I hope you are correct. We can not afford any mistakes!" "I intend to make this quick, so let's be off." I resumed my Alicorn form, and had Xaviera take my left fore-hoof. Celestia stood close as we teleported to her throne room in the castle. "Well, you finally decided to return, eh, Celestia?" the evil Xaviera Queen asked, a great deal of contempt in her voice. "And I see you brought some friends. Well, that ain't gonna work, and you're gonna die, too!" Xaviera stepped forward to address her evil counterpart. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?" she asked. "What? What? Where did you come from? What's going on here?" I held her with my telekinesis. "Now, Xaviera! Do it!" I shouted. She ran up to the evil queen and grabbed the horn and crown, breaking them off with one swift motion. Quickly, she placed them on her head, and changed into a queen herself. "NOOO! What have you done!? I'm gonna KILL you for that!" she screamed. She tried to use magic, and found she couldn't. Xaviera turned to her evil counterpart and glared at her. "Mike showed me what to do -- and I'm gonna finish what I started!" she said, doing her best to kill her evil counterpart the same way I had killed Chrysalis -- except she wasn't physically strong enough to rip the dark brown chitin shell off the evil queen's back. Instead, Xaviera used her freshly restored magic ability to crush the evil queen under her telekinesis. A mess of green blood issued forth from the flattened body. "Xaviera, is your mind under your own control? Shall I banish the changeling spirit within you?" I asked. "Mike, I feel another presence inside me -- but she seems to be friendly," she said. "She -- I think -- I think she wants to thank you for your help -- I think she says her name's Luna or something like that." "That is my Sister's name!" Celestia said, almost excitedly. I haven't seen this type of emotional display from her before. "Xaviera, can I talk to my Sister through you?" "She says not to be sad, Tia, she is feeling okay -- but she misses you," Xaviera said. "Don't call me that, Xaviera!" "That is Luna talking, Princess -- she says you should be okay with me calling you by the nickname she gave you. She wants to make that the difference between me calling you Tia and her calling you Tia." "Okay, okay, I'm still pretty upset, and it's going to take some time for me to recover. I can't forgive your evil counterpart, even though you killed her to avenge my loss -- the pain is still too great for me to bear right now. I must go to my bedchambers to grieve in private. Please leave me now, and return to your world. You have my thanks for your help." "Mike, will I get to stay like this?" Xaviera asked. "I don't know, Xaviera -- as a Queen, you represent a serious danger, and I will have to keep a close watch on you to make sure you behave yourself. Otherwise, I may need to cleanse you once again. Your children may be frightened by your appearance, though, unless you can change back and forth between human and changeling -- oh, what am I saying? Of course you can assume a human form, you have returned to being a Changeling Queen. All I can say to you is this -- you'd better behave yourself, and not try to start another hive. I had a difficult enough time the last time around with you building a hive. I will not kill you if you behave yourself." "I'm glad you didn't kill me last time around, thanks for saving my life again," she said. Her eyes still had that green glow to them, and I had to avert my gaze to keep from becoming hypnotized by them. "Xavi, can you please not gaze at me with those eyes of yours?" "Sorry, Mike, I can't help it, it just seems normal to me." "Your eyes have a hypnotic quality to them, and if you can't control that, I will be forced to cleanse you. I don't say this out of anger, just that I am concerned for the safety of others back home." "My eyes are as they always will be, Mike. I apologized for that, you're just gonna have to deal with it." We teleported back home, and Brenda was not too happy to see the change Xaviera had undergone once again. "You've turned back into that Queen form, haven't you?" Brenda asked. She was in the process of getting dressed. "Well, I DO have her horn and crown," she said. "I put them on my head, just as Mike had told me to, and this is what I became. I am sorry if that disappoints you, mama." "Mike, will you do something about her eyes? It looks like she's trying to hypnotize me!" "I hate to do this, Xavi, but I'm gonna have to take away your horn and crown. It HAS to be done." I took them off her head, and she reverted to her normal human form. I conjured a metal box with two compartments, and place each item in a separate compartment. I then sealed this box with magic wards to prevent any pony from opening it. Then I teleported the box to same area I had placed Discord's ashes. "Mike, I'm sorry. But if I ever get a chance to become a Queen again, please let me enjoy it a bit longer, please." "That depends on how well you can behave yourself. Hypnotizing people is dangerous." Brenda was about to say something, but was interrupted by a flash of light and a blue POP. Between Brenda and myself stood a blue unicorn with white mane and tail, a cutie mark featuring a wand and a magic swirl on her flanks. "Mike, who the hell is THIS?" Brenda asked. "Trixie. What do YOU want?" I asked impatiently. "There is a rip in the fabric of space, and I am DEFINITELY going to have to fix that hole. Brenda, this blue unicorn is the one who calls herself 'The Great and Powerful Trixie'." "Trixie does NOT use that appellation in self-reference," she stated, quite contemptibly at that. "Michael, Trixie has need of your services, as the matter is most urgent." "Mike, you are NOT going to help her!" Brenda shouted at me. "He has helped Celestia at least three times today, and you're out of luck on getting his help now!" "Tell Trixie, Brenda, why you think you can regulate him. He has told Trixie about you in his realm," she said. "So, Trixie, what has he told you about me?" "Brenda, she is from an alternate universe. In this one, she's a traveling show-mare, who has a tendency to get in trouble wherever she goes with her caravan." "And in Trixie's realm, she is a fearsome magic-user, who represents the Element of Magic, Michael!" "Who still refers to herself in third-person," I chuckled. "Perhaps Trixie should return to her realm, if you're not going to help her." "Perhaps Trixie SHOULD return to her realm! Mike's too busy to help EVERY PONY who wants or needs his help!" Brenda shouted at her. "Do not make Trixie mad, Brenda, I can do things to you --" "Do NOT threaten MY WIFE, Trixie! You will make ME mad!" I sternly addressed her. "Oh. Trixie is sorry, Brenda. I .. I .. Trixie guesses she'll just go home now..." her words trailed off softly as she teleported away, a flash of light and another blue POP signalling her departure. "Mike, that was REALLY weird," Brenda said. "Who else is going to POP in here? Wait, I don't wanna find out..." I teleported outside, to the roof of the house. I scanned the sky, seeking to find the hole. Not finding anything, I called on Celestia for some advice. "Go higher, Michael, into the space outside your planet's atmosphere. You need to be able to see into the dark reaches between stars to find this torn space." "Thanks Celestia, I will do that now." I flew higher, and used magic to protect myself from the bitter cold and lack of oxygen above the Earth's atmosphere. I saw space differently, the electro-magnetic spectrum coloring everything in shades of deep blue, purple, and red. The stars themselves were brilliant, appearing much larger than the usual dots in the night sky. I was able to find the torn space, quite a ways off, but not so far as to be out of relatively easy reach. I used magic to knit the torn fabric of space back together. The rip had shown an eerie blackness devoid of any object of any kind. I forced to the back of my mind the curiosity to explore that blackness, as I was positive I would never return if I entered it.
More Questions Than AnswersI returned to the house, and teleported back to our bedroom. Brenda had finished getting dressed, and was now brushing her teeth. I had neglected this duty myself, so I waited for her to finish, then brushed my teeth. The toothpaste seemed to taste better than usual, or maybe that was my taste buds adjusting to my new body. Brenda had some questions for me. "Mike, what was Trixie talking about?" "Are you talking about the -- her saying I told her things about you?" "Yes. What did you say to her about me?" Brenda shot me a dirty look. "Believe it or not, this was the first time I've actually seen her in pony." "How did you know who she was?" Brenda seemed to be getting angrier. "You haven't watched a single episode of the TV show, so let me put it up on a computer for you," I said, conjuring a laptop computer with high speed wi-fi and blazing fast CPU and 16Gb virtual memory. I punched up a youtube video of "Boast Busters" to illustrate what I was talking to her about. "I don't want to see that stuff," Brenda said impatiently. "If you don't, you won't understand what I'm talking about, Brenda. This is actually very important for you, believe it or not." "I still don't understand why she knew who YOU are," her attitude softening a little as she watched the episode progress. "Well, as I said before, she came from an alternate universe, not this one. I'm not sure if you're familiar with infinite universes existing simultaneously on parallel planes," I began. I saw her eyes glaze over as I started talking about this. "Okay, Brenda, let me try to put it another way. Just the same as there have been about four or five different versions of Princess Celestia to pop in our house, each one needing help with one villain or another, they don't share the same realm -- they each come from different realms, but existing at the same time, just in different universes. You with me so far?" "That's really hard for me to wrap my mind around, it sounds really confusing." "It is at first, but once you understand the concept, you will find that for every decision you make, another universe comes into existence for the choice you didn't make -- and with every choice, there's at least one other universe that is borne from those choices. That would explain why Trixie showed up as the Element of Magic. In this universe, it's Twilight Sparkle who holds that honor." "So what are you supposed to do about it?" "Well, I found a rip in the fabric of space, but I'm still trying to determine its origin. I have a sneaking suspicion that when I used magic to fix the car about a week and a half ago, still in Twilight's body, that I may have inadvertently caused that rip. I'm afraid we may have to have the car engage it's self-destruction protocol." "What does THAT mean?" "It means you will have to give the command to have the car return to it's original status, with no magical abilities and no voice module." "I knew it was a bad idea to have a car that could do those things," she said with a slight air of condescension. "I know, Brenda, and I am very sorry to have to do that to the car, but I can't do it by myself." "Why not?" "I feel that magical interference from my aura would short-circuit any attempt to have the car activate the necessary protocol to destroy its magic batteries." I felt that Brenda had seen enough to get a better picture, and turned off the computer. She insisted on keeping it, so I let her have that computer. "So what do I have to do?" "Let's go out to the car -- I will guide you on what to do." We went outside and I gave Brenda the key. She unlocked the car. "Okay, so now what?" "Get in the driver's seat." "Analyzing driver data. Driver data acquired. Good morning, Brenda Walker! Why are you in the driver's seat? You do not have a license!" TS said, her voice sounding a little surprised. "Okay, Brenda, say these words: 'Activate Master Control Over-ride Directive number seventeen'." She repeated the words. "Are you sure you wish to do this?" came TS's surprised voice through the speakers. "Say, 'Yes'." "Yes." "Are you REALLY sure you want to do this? Do you know what this action will do to me?" TS sounded worried. "Say, 'Yes'." "Yes." "Voice data acquired. Michael, why are you doing this?" TS asked. "A tear in the fabric of the space/time continuum has opened, and I need to seal it. I believe you may be the cause of this, or perhaps my magical interaction with you has caused it. In either case, I need to de-activate you permanently. I am deeply sorry to do this to you, TS, I am going to miss you. I feel it is for the best, as multiple copies of the Princess and some of the nastier villains have come through that tear. I trust you will understand the severity of the situation. You have my deepest apologies, TS." "I understand, Michael. What is the secret password to activate master control over-ride directive number seventeen?" "Seafood Jambalaya," I said, my voice tinged with sadness. "Initiating ... activating ... master ... control ... over ... ride ... directive ... number ... seven ... teen ... good ... bye ... Michael," came the saddest sounding voice I had ever heard TS use. I shed a tear as she uttered the last few words. Brenda shed a tear as well, as we both were going to miss her. The car underwent several changes which took about two minutes to complete, with the finality of a spherical purple aura drifting up from the roof of the car, then dissipating into the atmosphere. "Mike, was that TS's spirit?" Brenda asked sullenly. Another tear fell from her face. "Yes, Brenda, I'm afraid so," I said rather dejectedly. "I only hope that helped solve the problem." A flash of light and another golden POP ushered the return of Princess Celestia. "Michael, I received a distress call from -- your vehicle?" she said somewhat quizzically. She glanced over at the car, now a solid black with no markings to indicate it had once been the vehicular equivalent of Twilight Sparkle. It still gleamed in the light, looking like brand new, just that it was now a normal Nissan Altima. "Michael, I am disappointed you did that," she said in a serious tone of voice. "Princess, I am trying to eliminate any possible causes of the rip in the fabric of the space/time continuum. You yourself told me that if I were to have the car transform me from human into Twilight that it could cause a feedback loop which could cause such a tear in that fabric. I wanted to eliminate that possibility, and I apologize for disappointing you by taking such a drastic measure. I am still trying to locate the origin of that tear, and I wonder if my original transformation into Twilight Sparkle may be the source of that tear." "Michael, do you remember when you first arrived in my throne room?" Princess Celestia mused. "Of course! Now I remember. My wife's two year old grand-daughter had broken the horn off my head, and I concentrated on trying to mend the fibers of the horn together -- but I was thinking about you, Princess, and somehow I ended up teleporting both myself and Brenda into your throne room. I think when that particular incident occurred, that was what ripped that hole in the continuum. Problem is, though, what is to be done about it?" "You and I will have to co-ordinate our efforts simultaneously from each side of the dimensional barrier which separates our realms to repair that break. We must use our magic exactly, and I trust you know what to do." "Princess, that means we will no longer be able to communicate with each other, nor will we be able to visit each other." "I understand this, Michael, but it HAS to be done. There is no telling what else may happen if we do not address this issue as soon as possible." "Very well then, Celestia, I am going to miss you. Give me a mark so we can work together on this one, please." "I will give you a watch with a timer on it. You have five minutes to enter the space above your planet's atmosphere to locate this tear. I will mend it from the other side of the dimensional rift, and together we must close it permanently." She teleported the watch to me, and I held it with my telekinesis as I assumed my Alicorn form once again. She teleported back to her realm, but not before telling me, "Good-bye, Michael, I trust you to do the right thing. I will miss you as well, my dear friend." I headed up into the sky, once again protecting myself with magic, and examining the space utilizing the full spectrum once again. I located the tear, and waited for my mark. When the moment arrived, I sealed it and saw a similar flash of light from the other side of the inky blackness that was this tear. It sealed shut silently, and at that point I knew there would never be another opportunity to return to Equestria. I returned to Earth's surface and teleported back home, now feeling the weight of the entire planet on my shoulders. It appeared as though I had aged somewhat, but felt content in the knowledge that I had managed to complete the job which was necessary. I kept the watch as a memento from Celestia, and put it in the same area with the other souvenirs I had recently acquired. "Well, Brenda, I guess that's that," I said, a hint of depression in my voice. "So what does that mean?" she asked. "The rip in the fabric of the space/time continuum has been mended, thanks in part to Princess Celestia, and from this point forward I believe there will be no others coming from Equestria regardless of WHICH universe they originate from." "So no more Princesses or Queens or Discord or any pony else to visit?" "I believe so, Brenda. I think we can finally rest for awhile. Of course, I still have to raise and lower the sun and moon, but I am willing to live with that." "YOU, WHO CALL YOURSELF TASAVIR!!" came a booming voice, much louder this time than earlier. "Yes, Almighty Jehovah, what is it you request?" I asked. "You have done well and have my thanks." I smiled, and chuckled slightly. "You're welcome, Father." FIN
First Things FirstThe alarm clock went off at 5:20 AM. The sound of Bob and Tom chuckling at something stupid woke me up. "Those guys stopped being funny after 9-11," I thought. I went to the bathroom to take my shower. I wondered if washing myself in my human form translated to my Alicorn form. Brenda didn't seem to notice, so I guess I was okay on that front. "Why do you have to get up so damned early in the morning?" Brenda asked from our bedroom. "Did you forget I have to raise the sun every morning? Hello?" "Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting that," she said sheepishly. Ever since I de-aged her, she's been acting much friendlier to me, or at least, not so mean. I finished up in the shower and toweled off. I kept some semblance of a normal human routine, if for no other purpose than to remind myself of my humanity. Truthfully, this was not really needed, but I did it anyway. Doing so helped prepare me for the day's activities. I also noticed how my cutie mark stayed with me even in my human form, looking more like a tattoo on my hips -- I had no need for clothes, even in my human form, but I put on a white robe and tied the waistband into a loose knot. The pale blue aura around my human form gave me an almost holy appearance, one which may have been a bit too presumptuous of me, but there were certain people I was trying to give a certain impression. Brenda thought I looked foolish like that. "Who are you trying to impress, anyway? Everyone knows that guy was Black," she had said, grinning. "The Christian Right thinks he was White, and that's the illusion I want to put forward. Let them think what they want, I just want to create peace around the world. Who better to impersonate than the Holy Son himself?" I chuckled. Her response was a groan of annoyance, as though I was wasting my time. Perhaps I was being too over-dramatic, and I was hoping that maybe it wouldn't be so presumptuous as to anger any who might be substantially more powerful than me. After putting on my robe, I teleported into our back yard. I levitated myself up to the roof of our house and peered to the West. I used my magic to lower the moon. I turned East now, and used more magic to raise the sun and make it move across the sky as the day progressed. This little routine took only about eight minutes. I didn't need to transform into my Alicorn form to do this, that was simply for show when I wanted to express my more dramatic side, or impress a large group of people. It had been the day after I had transformed into an Alicorn that Brenda had been concerned about paying the bills and meeting other financial obligations. I had simply told her to buy a lottery ticket, and her reaction had been one of disbelief. She checked the numbers to see whether or not I had been telling her the truth about certain new abilities I had acquired. "Hey, Mike, our lottery ticket won!" Brenda shouted. She was jumping up and down in joyful exuberance. "Told you so," I said. "I have no idea why you doubted my abilities." She ran over to me and hugged me tightly. "This is wonderful! We can finally pay off all our bills and get a new house! There's so much I want to do!" I had never seen her happier in our twenty years of marriage. She looked so pretty when she was happy like this. "Okay, calm down now, it's not like this can't happen again," I said and grinned. Truthfully, if she had wanted, EVERY lottery ticket she bought could be the grand prize winner. The lottery jackpot this time was $177 million. She was going to become famous. I was going to remain hidden so I wouldn't attract unwanted attention. With all my new abilities, money had no meaning to me. If I wanted a new house of any kind, I could simply create it wherever I wanted to, and furnish it however I liked. I felt that it would be a little bit more legitimate if Brenda had all the money she wanted to do whatever she wanted with it. This would lend more credibility to my actions and I would also be able to enjoy Brenda's company more thoroughly. So the first thing we did is contact our bosses and let them know we would no longer be working for them. Ever. Then I drove Brenda to the Lottery Headquarters office in Springfield to authenticate the ticket and claim the grand prize. I had used magic when I was in Twilight Sparkle's body to augment the car, and imbue it with a great deal of magic. "Analyzing driver data," came a flat voice from the speakers. "Driver data unknown. Driver, please identify yourself." "Michael Walker," I said, checking to see if the car's voice recognition software was working properly. "Analyzing voice data," the car said. "Voice data confirmed. Good morning, Michael Walker!" came a cheery sounding voice. "Analyzing passenger data. Passenger data confirmed. Good morning, Brenda Walker!" "Good morning, TS," she said. "I won the lottery today!" "Congratulations, Brenda. I am happy to hear this news," TS said cheerfully. "TS, the reason why you did not identify me correctly is that I have changed forms," I said. "I am now the Regent of the Sun for this world, and have acquired many new powers and responsibilities." "That means you are this world's version of Princess Celestia!" TS sounded impressed. "It is an honor to behold your presence! I hope I can do my job to your satisfaction, Michael!" "I have chosen a new name, TS. My new name will be Tasavir." "That information has been saved to on-board computer data. Reprogramming complete. Tasavir, it is an honor!" "You're quite welcome, TS. We are going to Springfield today, and I shall drive in self-drive mode all the way there. Please find us a good R n B dusty station to listen to, if you would, please." "With pleasure, Tasavir!" TS said cheerfully. Strains of an old Al Green song came through the speakers. "I .. I'm so in love with you..." Al Green's voice crooned. "Excellent choice, TS. Thanks!" I said. "With pleasure, Tasavir," TS said during a break in Al's singing. "Mike, why did you choose that name?" Brenda asked. "That's my Alicorn name, my human name is still Michael," I said nonchalantly. "Brenda, you can still call me Mike if you like, and that goes for you too, TS. Please inform Princess Celestia I have chosen a new name, and let her know we may be relocating somewhere in the near future." "Message relayed, Tasavir," TS said cheerfully. "Dear Prince Tasavir," came Celestia's voice. "It is a pleasure to speak with you once again. I am pleased to hear you have finally made a choice for a good name for your new form. I will appreciate any updates you may have for me, and look forward to a return visit, should you feel so inclined as to grace my realm with your presence once again. I shall inform Twilight Sparkle of your name choice, as well as the other Elements. Trust me, you will be warmly received. Please also inform me in advance of your arrival so a proper reception will be waiting for you and your wife, should you choose to bring her along with you. I look forward to hearing from you again." "Thank you, Princess Celestia. Thank you, TS for relaying my message." "My pleasure, Tasavir!" TS said cheerfully. "I wonder if I might be able to communicate with the Princess," Brenda mused. "I think she might be shocked to see what you have done for me." "Brenda, your message has been relayed," TS said cheerfully. "Dear Brenda, it comes as a surprise that your husband has seen fit to extend your lifespan by deaging you. I look forward to meeting you once again to see what changes have occurred. It is a pleasure to speak with you again. Take care, Brenda." "Thank you, TS," Brenda said. "Oh, and thank you too, Princess Celestia!" We made our way to Springfield, a drive which took about an hour and a half, listening to the radio, chatting for a while, talking about plans for the future. Brenda planned on buying houses for her siblings and grown children, and I planned on visiting my brother and my parents to give them a considerable amount of money to allow them to live as they wished. It had been some time since I had last seen them, as my brother lived in Springfield, and my parents had moved to Florida about two years ago. They would most likely be shocked to see what I looked like now, as I hadn't informed them as to what had happened. I am quite sure they would not believe I had managed to kill Chrysalis, and help defeat both Discord and Nightmare Moon, nor that I had been transformed into Twilight Sparkle. I reminisced fondly about that experience, and silently shed a single tear with the knowledge I would not be able to duplicate that particular experience. Presently we made it into Springfield, and I asked TS to direct me to the Lottery Headquarters. She gave me precise turn-by-turn directions to the specified location and we pulled into the parking lot. I let Brenda go in by herself and I waited out in the car for her return. "Tasavir, I have detected a presence -- however, I am unsure as to its nature," TS said in a concerned tone. "I have noticed this as well, TS -- and its intent is hostile," I said. "It seems to reek of power, and that has me a bit concerned as well. I don't know about it's power level, but whatever it is, it seems to be quite powerful -- even more so than Discord. I believe I should exit the car," I said. I opened the door and stepped out, closing the door behind me. "Who is there?" I asked the entity. I received no answer. I scanned in all directions, trying to determine it's location. Whatever it was, it was strong enough to avoid detection. This had me very worried. As powerful as I had become, I was actually a bit frightened of whatever this thing was, and not being able to discern its form or precise location was deeply troubling.
On the Loose Again---------------------------------------- Xaviera's Point of View ------------------ It had been just a couple of days ago when this weird looking thing came into the house -- she appeared out of nowhere -- her appearance scared me so bad, I had to grab my kids and run to the basement, trying to hide in the laundry room. She found me there, and forced me to gaze into those green eyes of hers. I couldn't help but stare at the crown and horn on her head, and wonder what the hell she was and where the hell she came from. "You three will make a nice addition to my hive," she cooed, her eyes locking into mine. "What are you? Where did you come from? What do you want from us?" "My name is Chrysalis, and I am here to add you to my hive. I don't know how I got here, but I don't care, as long as I can add to my hive!" "You're gonna be in trouble when Mike gets back -- he's gonna kill you!" I tried to be brave, but my voice trembled at the attempt. I couldn't help but worry more about Samantha and Tanisha -- what was going to happen to them? "If I die, then YOU will become the Queen!" she sneered. "Not that THAT'S going to happen!" Next thing I know, I am being wrapped in a gooey green substance coming from this so-called Queen's ass, enveloping me and my kids completely. The stuff made me fall asleep, even though it felt cold and slimy. After that, I remember Mike pulling us down from the ceiling of the laundry room, freeing us from the slimy cocoons. Then I saw the Queen again, and she said, "You're not getting out of here alive, Michael." Then he killed her in a very vicious manner. Her screams still leave me shaking when I hear them in the night. I couldn't believe he was able to do that! Now he's after me! I don't want him to kill ME like that! I was able to chase her for quite a bit before she suddenly disappeared on me again. I didn't know she had invisibility, and once again she evaded my detection, even though I was able to search the entire electro-magnetic spectrum in my attempt to find her. I was left slack-jawed and wide-eyed when she managed to do this again. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out my next course of action. I teleported back home to see if I could reconnoiter with Celestia and Twilight. Brenda was still standing in the front yard, talking to them. "I lost sight of her again. I can't believe how powerful she's become," I said, addressing Celestia. "We may need to gather the Elements once again," she said, a look of deep concern on her face. "I can't believe this!" Twilight exclaimed. "I could never have believed we would need to use them THIS many times in such a short period of time!" "There has never been this much activity of this sort since -- Tasavir, what possessed you to request a wish to be transformed into Twilight Sparkle two weeks ago?" Celestia asked the one question I was dreading. I had hoped she might overlook this, but now it was going to come out. I wasn't quite sure how to handle it, but I decided that honesty would be the most appropriate tactic in this situation. "Princess Celestia, if I may, this is a long story. I understand my request was hastily made, largely without considering the possibilities of such a wish being granted, but it was a desire to experience what it might be like to be in the body of my favorite magic-using unicorn. There is a very powerful entity who admonished me earlier today, one far more powerful than me, who told me that HE was the one who granted my wish -- He also stated that He was impressed by the fact that I had brought honor to the name of Twilight Sparkle. I thanked Him for His compliment, of course. Truth be told, Princess, I believe I might have stated earlier that there is a TV show in THIS world that chronicles the adventures of you and the others in your realm. If you like, I can show you on my computer what this looks and sounds like." "Tasavir, that information is a bit too much for me to take right now. However, I would like to take that opportunity at my earliest convenience, when this matter is resolved. Firstly, though, Twilight and I must return to Equestria to gather the Elements together. We will return soon." "May I still call you Mike?" Twilight asked. "Your new name is quite unusual." "Of course you may, Twilight, you hold a special place in my heart." Brenda glared daggers at me when I said that. "Brenda, I love you more than life itself, so don't think I love Twilight more than you, silly girl!" I grinned. She softened her expression when I said that, and chuckled slightly. "Mike, I want to see what that show looks like on your computer, and I want to meet this 'entity' you talked about -- you seemed to describe 'Him' by emphasizing the "H" when you talked about 'Him'." "There are some in this world who refer to Him as 'God'." "What does that mean?" she asked. "He is the ultimate authority, with respect to some religions in this world." "That sounds interesting, Tasavir, we will have to discuss this matter further, however, we must take our leave. We shall return shortly," Celestia said, and disappeared with a flash of light and another golden POP. "Mike, what are we going to do about Xaviera?" "She left her kids here, didn't she?" I asked. "Yes, she did. I guess she'll be wanting to come get them," Brenda said thoughtfully. "What are you thinking?" "To lure her here, and use the Elements to banish the Queen's spirit from her. Hopefully, that will leave Xaviera unharmed. That's the best case scenario." "And the worst case?" "That we may have no choice but to terminate her life." "NOOOOO! Don't you DARE do THAT! Not my BABY! PLEASE!!" "Brenda, it may already be too late for her. Trust me, we are going to do everything we can to spare her life. The problem is that she poses a great danger to everyone in her current form, and she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to preserve humanity. She is THAT dangerous. One other thing -- she can see really well at night, and that makes us vulnerable while we sleep. We may have to take care of this matter tomorrow, as it is already getting pretty late in the day, and the sun will be setting soon. That, or maybe I may have to lower it. Right now, I'm not sure about that. In any case, we may have to go to Equestria to find safe sleeping." "And if we go there, where will we sleep?" "I will ask Princess Celestia if she has additional sleeping quarters in the Castle. I am fairly sure she can provide adequate accommodations for us, should we need them."
