It had been a hectic night and while the four friends seemed to have gotten over their initial shock, they were still a bit shaken up about Euphoria's condition. She tried to stay cheerful and while she kept her hair down most of the time, she was no longer self-conscious about it. I stifled a yawn. It was more than just late; we'd have to hurry home if we were going to catch any sleep before sunrise.

As we left the spa, Twilight thanked the sisters for staying open so late. They insisted we think nothing of it. I suspect they did us this favor mainly due to Rarity. She'd always been their best customer. As we parted ways, Twilight told Fluttershy she'd send Spike to help out with the animals in the morning. The buttercream colored pegasus just smiled and nodded before taking off, flying gracefully back towards her cottage. The others retreated to their respective dwellings and as Euphoria, SAM and I made it back to our cottage, we headed straight for bed.

As I lay on my back, I held Euphoria's slender body in my arms. It was nice, feeling well enough to embrace her properly and she seemed to like it. I'm sure we both had a lot on our minds, but mental and physical exhaustion brought us under within seconds.

We'd slept so soundly, the damned crowing of the rooster didn't even wake us. As I came to, the shock of the evening prior was forgotten in a sleepy haze. The pristine white mare still lay curled up in my arms, looking lovelier than ever. I was used to rough nights and even recovering from my injuries, which were mostly healed at this point, I felt fantastic. That spa cure had really hit the spot. Euphoria on the other hand was in a very different situation. Her muscles had grown weak with disuse and from the minute she'd been freed from that awful prison, she'd worked herself well past the point of exhaustion every day. She was feeling the burn, but even that seemed to please her. So naturally, she was not as quick about getting out of bed. I didn't mind, I just lay there admiring her. I'd occasionally stroke her face or mane and she'd lean into the caress in her sleep.

When she finally did wake, she looked blissful. We helped ourselves to some breakfast from one of the inumerable fruits baskets that still littered the cottage. The morning groom - if you could even call it that this late in the day - had been a bit problematic at first. Euphoria proved extremely capable of wielding tools with her mouth, but that just wouldn't do with a hairbrush or a toothbrush. At first, I'd helped her but it was demeaning for the both of us, like I was teaching a toddler how to brush. So we'd soon found a solution by fashioning a sort of glove for her front hoof, with a rubberband to hold her brush. It gave her a sense of independance, being able to groom herself.

A few minutes later and we were both ready to tackle the day. By this time, she seemed to have recalled the past night's events and she looked hesitant facing the front door. She heaved a small breath and pushed it open, revealing the bright light of a spring day with just a few clouds here and there, providing some much needed rain for the crobs.

"I've gotta stop by Rarity's and see if she can't fix my flight suit," I explained and Euphoria blushed, glancing towards the skirt she was always wearing. Even with the jagged tears where I'd ripped it from the leggings, the black cloth hung stylishly over her flanks like it was made for the mare. It had been skintight on me and while her hips were not as wide as my shoulders, the elastic material clung to her flanks like a miniskirt would hug the curves of a human woman. I knew how she treasured the thing and I wasn't about to reclaim it. It was hers.

She reared up on her hindlegs to hug me, giving me a quick peck on the cheek before dropping down, turning about with a bit of a sway in her hips as she waved and started towards the centre of town. She drew more than a few appraising stares from the local stallions who all noted the skirt. In pony society, where nudity is the norm, clothes are thought of as enticing rather than concealing. They draw the eye and the one wearing them is seen to be showing off their good looks. On earth the equivalant would be to dress revealingly rather than practically.

I chuckled to myself and shook my head as a few of the stallions gave me envious looks and one even paused to give me a hoofbump which I returned with a clenched fist. I greeted a few other acquaintances and remembered to thank them for the cards and flowers as I made my way to Carousel Boutique. Entering to the familiar bellchime, Rarity's trademark reply was slightly delayed and lacked the same musical lilt that it usually carried. As the fashionista wandered into the front of the shop, I noted she looked slightly disheveled, for Rarity's standards that is. Even on a day like today she still looked more meticulously styled and groomed than any other pony I'd met.

"Oh Samuel, just the colt I was looking for," she enthused and I could tell her mind was still on the previous night's revelations as she drew closer and spoke in a hush, "is she alright? I know it was quite a shock for her, well, for all of us, really..." she trailed off, pouting at the thought of the horrible injuries.

"She's fine, really. A bit relieved, actually. She won't have to worry about keeping her horn concealed around you anymore," I tried to soothe the depressed mare. She looked up at me with slightly raised brows, surprise warring with relief at the news as I continued, "she's been so conscious about it this whole time, being careful not to toss her hair or even turn her head too suddenly."

Rarity nodded, chewing on her lip as she struggled to appeace herself with the idea of being confronted with the grim looking injuries again in the future. "Well, she did seem very happy all this time when I didn't even know. I suppose if there's anypony who can live through such events and even thrive in spite of it, I have to respect that."

I could tell it was definitely still a sore topic with the fashionista, not that I could blame her. She'd always been adamant that everything be in order and if there was even the slightest imperfection in a dress or even a pony, anything to make it seem broken or sullied somehow, she had to fix it. But she couldn't 'fix' Euphoria. Needless to say, it would take some getting used to before she could look at Euphoria's injuries without flinching. I knew she meant well.

It seemed a welcome change of topic to the fashionista when I brought out the worn leggings of my flight suit, asking if she could repair the damage I'd caused. She threw herself into the challenge with a sense of relief, tut-tutting at the tears I'd left when I'd simply ripped the suit in half with my hands. She went on about the composition of the fabric, informing me that it was not unlike certain materials used in actual Pegasus flight suits like those worn by the famous Wonderbolts. She did keep such articles in stock and she seemed thrilled to get a chance to work with them.

I watched as she wove her magic, enveloping a roll of the stretchy fabric in her aura as she levitated shears, measuring tape and a note with my measurements all at the same time. I had always found it amusing how the fashionista seemed incapable of multitasking with her horn except when she was being creative. It only took a minute before she had merged the new article with my old flightsuit and one trip to the changing room confirmed that it was a fit. I didn't bother with removing it, opting instead to wear my grey button down shirt and black slacks over the suit in case I'd be needing it.

Euphoria

As she wandered the streets of Ponyville, it came as no shock to her that her legs had carried her unerringly to Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie was as cheerful as ever, working behind the counter. She'd somehow vanished the instant she'd caught sight of Euphoria, only to rematerialize next to her, launching into a lengthy greeting and giving a rundown of her day, all without pausing to breathe.

She'd loved Pinkie right from the start. She was so easy to get along with and smiling felt so natural around her. Better still, there was no chance of interupting the babbling Earth Pony. She could supply her own non-verbal cues as Pinkie whipped up a storm with her words. She'd giggle wordlessly or gasp whenever the pink ball of joy said or did something funny, which was often. If the pink baker had heard anything of last night, it wasn't showing in her behaviour.

She'd insisted on paying for the treats this time and Pinkie had just grinned and replied, "okey-dokey-lokey!" and swiped the bits off the counter, making them vanish the moment Euphoria had nosed them towards her. She was in the middle of another mind-melting taste sensation, chewing on a sprinkled doughnut when Pinkie had grown oddly quiet.

"I heard what happened in the spa," she said in a low voice, no longer grinning from ear to ear. She was wearing a fragile little smile, which for Pinkie seemed the equivalant of a full-on pout, but the corners of her mouth just never dipped that far.

She'd nearly spat out the bit of pastry she was chewing, remembering to swallow before she returned the fragile smile, arching one brow slightly in silent query as if to say, 'and...?'

"You should try the ones with rasberry jam filling," Pinkie sudenly enthused, launching into the biggest non-sequitur the pristine mare had ever witnessed. She just gave the pink Earth Pony a deadpan stare which seemed to go entirely unheeded as the baker went on and on about how this particular piece of confectionary would make her tastebuds sing. She waited and waited, but the questions never came. Anxiety gave way to confusion as it dawned on her that the pink pony really wasn't going to hit on the topic any further. Finally, realisation came as she sensed the unconditional acceptance that seemed to radiate from Pinkie. It was ridiculous that she should be moved to tears, but sure enough, her vision blurred as the tears started to silently stream down her face.

This amazing, incredible pony had been told everything. She knew how horribly broken Euphoria was, that she would never sing again, never be capable of levitating even a feather. She'd learned the truth and literally come to grips with things overnight and so here today, Euphoria stood before her and she'd just treated her with the same cheer as always. Impossible as it sounded, Pinkie had grasped the full extend of her crippled nature but it didn't color her perception of her friend. To her, she was simply Euphoria. Not a broken thing but a friend and fellow pony, an equal.

She wasn't sure when the pink Earth Pony had embraced her and started to stroke her mane, and frankly she didn't care. She just sobbed quietly into the frizzy pink mane and Pinkie Pie giggled, "aww, silly pony you're supposed to laugh when you're happy."

If any of the other patrons or the Cakes found the display odd, they didn't say. Eventually, the flow of emotion had ebbed and Euphoria gradually regained her composure, sitting back on her haunches, smiling sheepishly as she sniffled. Without a word, Pinkie conjured a box of tissues and left them with her as she returned to her work station. She carefully pulled a tissue from the box using her teeth and draped it over a hoof, wiping away the tears.

Then she'd sunk her teeth into the next treat and she nearly suffered another white-out. Somewhere in the background, Pinkie giggled and supplied cheerfully, "rasberry jam filling, isn't it just scrumptious?"

...

Scrumptious indeed.

She'd waved goodbye to Pinkie, leaving the shop with a smile on her face. She really did love that pony. As she wandered the streets of ponyville, it occured to her that her stallion was getting ready for more travels like the one that had brought them together. He'd been growing restless and with his injuries fully healed and the Pegasus Frame restored, he only needed the flight suit, which he'd gone to Rarity's for. Thoughts of how the Unicorn had reacted in the baths still haunted her. In the end, the sight had been so gruesome she'd just fainted, but not before giving that twitch of the eye. That twitch that meant it had truly disturbed her on some deep level.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she went home to retrieve her saddlebags and her 'grasping sock,' which her stallion had thoughtfully provided when he'd seen her struggles with the toothbrush. She had no idea why he'd called it a 'glove' but it was the same word he'd used to describe the material covering his right hand. In the end it didn't matter. With her sock she could at least hold onto things without having to use her mouth for everything.

With her tools ready, she gave one glance to the immobile Pegasus Frame and SAM heeded her silent command as the almond shaped eyes lit up with a soft red glow. He followed her out the cottage, pausing to lock the door with his tail. If they were going to be on the road, she'd need food for the travels so she trotted up the path towards Sweet Apple Acres. The yellow Earth Pony had always seemed a bit distant, mostly because she was so caught up with work, but then again she hadn't known any of these ponies very long. Perhaps the apple farmer would turn out to be nice, like Pinkie Pie.

As she wandered between the rows of appletrees, some already bearing fruit, she wondered where the Earth Pony could be if she wasn't out applebucking. She found the energetic mare busy at work in one of the barns, taking inventory to make sure they had enough baskets for the coming harvest. She knocked on the doorframe with a hoof and the applefarmer greeted her with a cheerful, "howdy there, Euphoria, 'n SAM too. What can I do ya for?"

She smiled and stepped into the barn with SAM tracing her steps. Turning to bob him on the nose, she giggled silently when she found he'd already unfolded the screen before she could even raise her hoof. Using the eye-tracking software, she spelled out a simple list and the applefarmer peered over her shoulder, arching a brow as she read aloud, "food fer the road, survival knife 'n rope..." she seemed to think it over, idly adjusting her stetson before nodding and turning to go dig through the crates for the tools as she spoke up, "got the knife 'n rope right 'ere 'n the food's just up by the house, we'll go fetch that next."

She brought out a sleek steel blade not unlike the bayonet fastened to the end of SAM's tail and a bundle of hemp rope, placing the knife in a scabbard before putting the items in Euphoria's saddlebags. The applefarmer paused just then, seeming to stare through the saddlebag to the ruined Cutie Mark underneath. So she'd heard of that, too. Euphoria steeled herself for the barrage of questions and/or potential fainting episode, but rather than do any of that, Applejack just fixed her with a look as if asking for permission before she bit down on the straps of the saddlebags, lifting them off and then carefully, she grasped the edge of the skirt in her hoof and lifted it, revealing the thick scar that ran across the silvery musical note. Euphoria steeled herself for a reaction, but the mare just stared at her 'Cutie Scar' for a few moments before letting the skirt drop back down. She then walked around to stand facing Euphoria and again she hesitated, warning her with those bright emerald green eyes before she reached up to brush the blonde mane aside, revealing the broken horn. Again, she simply stared for a few moments before letting the curtain of hair fall into place, once again concealing the injury.

Finally, she just shook her head and exhaled, looking more bewildered than anything, really as she spoke plainly, "I had to see it to believe it, but it's really true. Broken horn, broken Cutie Mark 'n yer' a mute to boot..." she trailed off, still staring at Euphoria with something akin to awe as she searched for the words. Finally, she continued, "I can't even imagine what that must'a been like 'n to tell you the truth, I don't think I could've lived through it... You're damned strong, Euphoria. Really damned strong, to just power on like ya do. I guess Samuel's lucky to have you watchin' his back," she smiled.

She hadn't known what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this. She was floored. The applefarmer had lived up to her reputation and spoken the plain truth, letting the words pour from her mouth as soon as they'd formed in her mind. Unlike Pinkie, she'd felt a need to see the evidence with her own two eyes, and unlike any of the others, she hadn't even flinched.

...

She was starting to like Applejack. Honest to a fault and best of all, she didn't seem to pity anypony for their fate. She smiled and hugged the pony who tensed for a moment before returning the hug, reaching up to gently pat Euphoria on the back before untangling herself, blushing slightly with the show of affection.

Together they'd soon gathered some wrapped and dried food items, stashing them in the saddlebags along with the tools. Even with the rope, the knife and food for days, she wasn't overburdened. Weak as she may be, having four legs to distribute the weight over made it easier to carry. She waved as she headed back to town with SAM still tracing her steps. She easily picked out Samuel's towering figure, cantering up to him with a happy smile. He knelt to kiss her and she returned the gesture, blushing slightly as a few ponies paused to stare, but they quickly moved on when she looked their way.

"I see you're all saddled up for a trip," her remarked with a crooked smile. She knew he found the horse puns humorous and she could appreciate the jokes, too. She marveled at the way his dark brown eyes shone from the depths of their sockets under his bushy brows as he looked her over. Other ponies found his face strange with the small, straight nose and square jaw so unlike the snouts of most other creatures, but she thought it was beautiful, in a sort of scary way. Everything about his features seemed designed to protect the delicate parts, with the way the sturdy bones of his brow protected his eyes and his chin shielded the short neck.

He rose to his full height and heeding an unspoken command, SAM slinked up to her and detached the upper left half of his visor, using his clawlike appendage to place it over her eye, once again allowing her to see the world through the machine interface. Turning to face the long road ahead, his ghostly voice spoke up, "I've looked over the maps and determined that there may be an old abandoned Unicorn settlement a day's flight from here. We can cover the first leg of the trip in the air but we'll have to land and trek through the woodlands as we search for the ruins."

Flight? She would get to see her stallion soaring through the skies. Giddy with anticipation, she watched as the Pegasus Frame unfolded and enveloped Samuel, covering him head to toe in deep purple plating. With the upper half of the visor missing, she could see his left eye which pleased her. She liked being able to read his expressions. With a soft whirr the equine hind legs extended, causing Samuel to grow even taller. The massive wings unfolded to their full wingspan, more than four times her body length. She marveled at the way the reflective surface shone in the sun, harnessing its rays to power the suit.

He had the halberd slung over his back and the rifle strapped to his thigh. Walking with dull thuds on the hoof-shaped leg frames, he approached her, towering over her. She suddenly felt very small and not for the first time, she felt a rush of excitement mixed in with the fear. Samuel looked fierce and battle-ready as he bent to scoop her up in his powerful arms. He started to run in great, bounding strides with the hooves moving like pistons to absorb the impacts and propel him further and higher with each stride. Suddenly he began to beat those titanic wings and just like that, they were soaring through the air as the lush green hills rolled away below them and the horizon grew impossibly wide. She felt the wind in her mane as he held her close to his chest, allowing her to wrap frontlegs around his forearms. They flew towards unknown lands in search of ancient lore long forgotten by any living thing.

SIMULATED ARTIFICIAL MIND

According to legend, the Unicorn sages that lived in those regions had researched dangerous magic, presumably able to conjure beings from other planes of existence, such as Tartarus. It may not be much to go on, but it is the only clue I was able to find that hinted at transdimensional travel. With this, we will be one step closer to reaching Earth.

As she read the scrolling red letters in the visor, she trembled with excitement. She knew Samuel had fought desperately to prevent his home world from being engulfed in war, and if there was any way of returning to finish what he'd started, he would take it. She only hoped she could be there to see it. The immensity of his task left her awestruck. It seemed impossible, but then again, doing the impossible appeared to be his specialty.

...

Earth. What would await them there? She could scarsely imagine. Well, first they had to get there and even SAM seemed skeptical of their chances of success.

Author's Note

Like I said, more adventure coming up. Now that the two main characters have recovered and reconnected a bit with the world around them, I plan to have them searching for a way home. Afterall, I can't imagine Samuel just kicking back his feet, leaving Earth to burn while he's enjoying the pony life. As far as actually getting there, I don't even know if it's going to happen. We'll see.

As always, please leave a comment. I'm thankful for any feedback you care to give.

P.S. Sorry if I seem to be making fun of AJ's accent. I just find it adorable in the show. I can clearly picture her trying to pronounce the name, 'Yewphoria.'