Bugged up

>You're Non Anonymous, a secondary medical school student, amateur artist, writer, edgy, socially awkward and nicotine addicted pasta master.
>Things have been really comfy.
>Good grades, cigarettes for days and good responses for your writing in the Pony Transformation General related to the content you've been producing.
>Real good life.
>Well, up until now.
>You're stuck with your parents and three younger idiotic siblings, visiting grandparents in the far off reaches of the country.
>No internet connection.
>Not a single window of time available for you to smoke a cigarette or two.
>Not to mention the pasta fest you have to endure.
>At least you don't have to attend school because of the spring holidays.
>So that's a plus, you guess.
>You're stuck pondering this as you're lying on the couch of your grandmother, staring into the ceiling, as your parents socialize with the family relatives they see once a year, their muffled laughs leaking into the room.
>On the other hand, you're lying comfortably under the feather blanket, the plushie of a purple unicorn resting under your head.
>Alone.
>Since the younger brother you're supposed to share bed tonight is far more socially fluent than you.
>You're stuck watching the ceiling.
>The orange city lamps slide through the white curtains, casting reflections on the wall.
>You yawn and stretch, reaching out for your phone on a table next to you.
>It's...
>9:21 PM.
>Jesus...This early?
>You excused yourself early, saying that you were tired.
>Well, it wasn't too much of a lie, you really feel ran over.
>And the headache doesn't help it.
>You swear you're tired like you've been running for weeks.
>Travel.
>You've been sitting inside the car for a good portion of today.
>Yeah, you're just tired from all the traveling.
>On the corner of your eye, you catch some movement.
>Probably just a plant waving in the wind from the window, your grandmother took great pride in her gardening, and her bedroom looked more like a greenhouse rather than anything else, potted plants just about everywhere.
>And the couch is right opposite to a window.
>Now that you think about it, it's pretty cold out here.
>With a shiver, you stand up, sliding out of your quilt, walking over to the window.
>All of the family had went to accompany the visiting part of the family, judging by the door slamming behind them.
>Grasping the handle, you close the window, and return back to your beddings, sliding under the sheets.
>You're about to return to trying to fall to sleep, when something slimy brushes against your leg, close to your hip.
>In response, you jerk slightly, but write it off as a hallucination, one of those things that happen before you fall asleep.
>When you're about to fall asleep, your eyelids weighted down by the weight of the day, you feel once again something strong and slick between your boxers and your hip.
>Out of curiosity, you flop away the heavy blanket.
>And to your surprise, which you've always expressed with a mouth agape, you see a large black muscly tentacle, covered by a thick semiclear slimy liquid, throbbing and shivering slightly.
>To your even larger surprise, it launches straight for your mouth, ripping your boxers open in the process, as it moves.
>The slime covered appendage pushes itself down your throat, your gagging reflex on full alert all your attempts to pull it out being fruitless, the object almost reaching your stomach.
>In a futile attempt, you try to catch it, but the slimy surface only makes your hands slip, preventing from getting any sort of decent grip.
>The only thing you succeed in is spreading the slime everywhere, your hands sticking to each other.
>You can't move your hands.
>The tentacle begins to thrust.
>You feel your stomach filling, the appendage throbbing, filling your stomach with something.
>It starts to slowly pull out, continuing to pour out down your throat.
>Once it's completely out, it splatters something black all over your face, fading your vision.
>Your overflowing mouth, filled with the blank slime expels more and more of the substance, covering you up in a thick coat.
>You wince as the slime begins to harden, especially tight around your groin, you, sending your arms to it.
>Except, you can't even feel your fingers under the layers of the gel, and taping the region sends shivers of pleasure down your spine.
>You fall on your back, unable to move, as the slime begins to harden more and more, everything under it melting, dissolving, forming into new things.
>Arms and legs are stuck in a single position, pinned down by the slime hardening.
>Blinded by the slime, breathing through it, forcing more and more inside yourself whilst breathing in.
>You try to call for help, but you only hear a bubbling sound come out of your throat, spewing more of the slime out.
>Something slides its way around your legs, closer and closer between them, to an area which feels like on fire.
>And then it happens.
>Something thrusts deep inside you, on a spot in which you didn't even know something could enter.
>Pleasure tingles down your body, your throat producing a high pitched moan before being flooded again with a load of the black slime.
>You recoil back, as the object begins to move forward and backwards, with brutal force, sending more and more pleasure down your spine.
>You still can't move, forced into moans by this thing, which is rutting inside you, as the slime around you hardens more and more, reforming.
>The tentacle begins to thrust more and more, faster and faster, just as your moans. Faster, faster.
>Your mind melts to a single point, and that is demanding more of this.
>Everything grows numb for a minute, something inside you clenching the appendage, and then you explode.
>A loud cry escapes your mouth, entire body sent into a cramp from the new intense feeling.
>Your hands and legs finally move from their upright position, falling down beside you, sending your entire new heavy black body to a side, a blue long strain of hair clouding your vision, a buzzing sound mellowing you to sleep.
>The last thing you see before blacking out, is a semi transparent belly, and the black tentacle gripping around your back leg, tying through a few holes inside it, dragging you down from the couch into a puddle of black on the floor.

>The sound of birds chirping wakes you up, along with a pleasant heat of sunrise spreading on your face.
>You groggily open your eyes, in faint hopes of the last night events being nothing but an odd wet dream.
>A sloshy stretching sound responding to your request to stretch your arms and legs almost gives you a heart attack.
>You turn your head, and a load of blue silky, hair falls onto your...nose?
>Yeah, you have a fucking nose that you can see stretching out in front of you. A muzzle?
>Black, coated by some sort of a shell, looking a lot like something out of your greentexts.
>What was it the first time?
>Oh, right.
>This feels like your first story.
>Except the tentacle and the ludicrous amounts of black slime.
>Now, then, you probably know what a look down lower will reveal, considering your last night escapade
>You manage to sit, with a lot of cracking sounds.
>The shell must still be hardening.
>Four long legs, each with a few holes in the lower parts of the limb, all ended by a numb hard hoof.
>A tail between your hind legs.
>Two big juicy flanks, without a single mark on them.
>A semi transparent part of your belly, revealing whatever keeps you ticking.
>Urhg, freaky.
>A low pitched buzz catches your attention, as your wings remind you about their existence.
>You touch your head, exploring whatever lies there your eyes cannot see.
>Something long and hard sprouting out of your forehead, crooked in multiple places, with a few holes.
>A horn!
>A slide through your hair makes it seem like it's woven out of spider silk, holes just naturally occurring in couple places, as the entirety of the hair structure is a single curtain, rather than individual strains of hair.
>And another slide above your hair makes you stumble across something sensitive.
>Some sort of a growth, four appendages ended by a couple marbles.
>Well, this isn't half that bad, now you think about it...
>But you should still be very very freaked out.

>Launch mental_breakdown.js
>ERROR: Brain.exe stopped working, REASON: No past input detected, would you like to launch Realization.js?
>Y/N
>Y
>Launching Realization. js

>You're staring into the field of grass before you.
"I'm a fucking bugqueen."
>You stutter as the first syllable leaves your mouth, your own voice surprising you.
"I'm a fucking bug-horse-thing, just because a black tentacle fucked me."
>Oh, and you have a vagina.
>Hey, great.
>Very good.
>9/11
>It's okay.
>You slam your hooves against the dirt, trampling grass under the impact locations.
>Damn it.
>This isn't happening.
>God damn it.
>It is. You're awake.
>Screw all of this.
>Screw the universe.
>You're officially done with all of this bullshit.
>You've had too much and you only woke up.
>What the hell.
>This'll be one heck of a day.
>You have four hooves a chitin exoskeleton and FEMALE reproductive organs.
>What. The. Shit.
>You're a bug mare.
>Officially, You've became a little mare.
>You've achieved the PTFG goal. Hurrah?
>With stumbling, falling and swearing, you manage to stand up.
>And with even more swearing, inventing new words along the way, and using words from both Czech and English, you manage to make a few steps.
>Just to trip over your hooves.
>You stand up, and trot a little more, gaining confidence in your steps with each move of your hooves, with each step making yourself enjoy the situation more and more.
>Hm, this isn't that hard.
>With a bit more practice, you trot as if you walked like this since you were born.
>You smile.
>Almost enjoying this, aren't you?
>Tail swishing about, brushing against your hind legs, mane flopping about, played about with the forest's zephyr, each move and step adding to the velocity of your hair.
>Playfully trotting about, in the tall grass, smiling as the blades of the green carpet below you tickle your hooves, sometimes poking through the holes in your limbs, causing you to jerk slightly to the tickling sensation resulting from the attack.
>You smile, sit down in the grass and stare at the clear blue sky.
>So what now?
>Being able to walk is nice and all, but it doesn't really get you anywhere.
>How about trying magic?
>Changelings can disguise their appearance.
>And it'd be so much better for you to hide what you are, considering the circumstances.
>Changelings aren't too popular, especially from the things you've seen in the show.
>And you doubt the ponies are really open to the idea of a changeling living amongst them.
>And because feeding would be easier when they won't suspect anything.
>Wait, what?
>You're just hungry, yes. Just hungry.
>But now, you need to learn how to disguise.
>Alright...So, how will you do it?
>Well, you need a pony that you know well, something you see when you close your eyes.
>And something that wouldn't blow your cover straight away.
>Fingers crossed..
>No, you can't really say that now.
>Hooves crossed, no one will notice.
>You're in luck.
>You wrote three stories.
>In the third one, you didn't use changelings!
>So there's no need for you to make a new form on the fly.
>Yay!
>You can disguise into Sulphur, the white coated long blue maned unicorn mare, and no one would suspect that in truth, you're Chrysalis, the changeling which took over the world.
>Per-fect.
>You close your eyes, and focus.
>Right, you have the mental image right in front of you.
>The comfy white coat, long blue mane stretching out to the ground and a smile which could melt butter.
>A warm and fuzzy feeling from your horn and entire body, and a with a flash of green, you open your eyes.
>You've nailed it.
>Perfect work.
>You look around.
>The sun is past noon, the sky being clear and blue, without a single trace of anything.

>Alright...So did anything come with you?
>It would certainly be nice to have your jacket, considering that have your cigarettes and a lighter inside it along with your wallet.
>And you swear you could go for a smoke just to clear out your head.
>Too much on your mind, too much to think through.
>You're sitting out here for about an hour, by the sun's movement.
>So, some time past two PM?
>You never were too good at approximating the time by the sun.
>What you do need to know is where to find shelter for the night.
>You do need to get going and find someone or something to help you.
>Be it a pony or a city.
>You begin to trot, your long blue mane tied up behind you, the white fuzzy coat brushing against all sorts of things as you trot into the forest.
>You'd be so much happier if you could walk around as the mighty creature armored in black chitin, but alas you don't know what'll happen next.
>The trees seem to be taller and taller, blocking out more and more sun, only a few rays finding way to pierce the tree canopy.
>With more and more trotting you find yourself walking on...Leaves?
>The tree trunks grow from the ceiling, and you're walking on the leaves, the ground basking above you
>Upside down world?
>What is this witchcraft!?
>Well, you were turned into a changeling and dragged into this world by God knows what, so nothing should surprise you today.
>But walking on tree branches whilst the ground smiles at you from above is bizarre even for today.
>What's next, cotton candy clouds with chocolate milk pouring out of them?
>That'd be pretty nice.
>Though you're pretty sure you'd be stickier than glue, after meeting that sort of rain.
>And after much more trotting, you're standing on some sort of an edge of everything.
>Everywhere past the edge is a black void, with rocks floating in it, almost as if it were a sea with algae floating in it,  seagulls sitting on the plant.
>And on one of the slightly larger rocks, covered with grass, is a house!
>And there's light coming out from the inside!
>So, something must be inside!
>At this point, you could care less about what's there.
>But it's quite a distance away.
>More importantly, it's quite a drop down.
>You doubt you'd be able to take a leap of faith.
>Hrm, how will you get across?
>You could drop disguise and try to fly over in faint hopes of whatever is across won't chase you.
>Alternatively, you could try teleporting.
>Or, a wormhole.
>That's if magic works like you described in your stories.
>Damn, if this headcanon is canon, you'll have a lot of fun with the various spells you can create by bending space.
>If not, then you'll have to start throwing rocks at the windows.
>Take it easy, no pressure.
>You close your eyes.
>So let's refresh it. How does it work?
>The horn is nothing but a tool to manipulate the idle magic subfabric thinly laid below the spacetime fabric with multiple subdimensional layers between the core magical spacetime and the surface normal space.
>Almost like an onion with its multiple layers.
>Magical energy is never created, it's just affected by the horn.
>Either, it's made denser, or thinner, changed into a different type of energy, but none is ever lost or created from thin air.
>When made denser, it's just pulled from somewhere else, when thinned down just dispersed into other type of energy, light most often, just to soon return back to normal, like a pond after a rock is thrown inside it.
>And because the magical subfabric supports the spacetime fabric, lessening the strength of the magical support in a local area will create a denser spot of normal space, and vice versa.
>Easy.
>And if you make two dents big enough, and those two points will be lined up, the space between they occupy will collapse, sending multiple shockwaves into the subdimensions below, collapsing affected matter, making a tunnel one can pass through, getting from point A to B through point C, which is located in the subdimensional space between the fabric of reality and magic, in the top subdimensions, where distances stay equivalent to normal space.
>Talk about quantum physics.
>That's why it's called magic.
>Of course, a step up from that would be teleportation, where you'd just make a capsule around your body, and send yourself through the lower layer dimension, closer to the magical fabric of spacetime, where long distances in normal space are made shorter with how deep one goes to the magical core.
>So, if you travel a meter in magical space in a subdimension deep down enough, you could jump several kilometers in real space in hardly any time, creating an illusion of instantaneous travel.
>That requires a lot of input caster's energy to manipulate space, because one needs to move the capsule through the space layers above, along with moving the capsule through the desired layer itself.
>Also, the energy input from the caster required to travel this way steadily rises with depth of the desired magical field reached.
>And it's a lot harder to hit target.
>Or to prevent rematerialization in solid matter.
>It's just simpler to make a tunnel than a submarine.
>Of course, you have to have a line of sight on target.
>Along with the fact that after a certain distances, it's more efficient to use teleportation rather than a wormhole spell, just because the requirements on the caster to manipulate space further away from them are just too har to be useful, mainly because one only needs to input energy on entry when using teleportation, resurfacing is mostly about losing energy, rather than needing to input extra power to pierce the spacetime.
>And you aren't even getting started on how different energy  types repulse and attract each other, so you need to choose a correct type of energy to transfer the magical power to, or you could risk an explosion
>Light is mostly neutral, but the worst to radiate large amounts of magical energy into, just because it's so inefficient.
>That is, if this works here.
>Also, that is if the magic you can bend is sufficient.
>Oh boy, this'll be fun.
>So, focus.

>You open your eyes.
>You'll start with the arrival point.
>The space around it needs to collapse, so changing some of the magical support present into, say...radio waves will weaken the supporting fabric for some time, giving you time to make an entry point.
>The radio waves will disappear and the fabrics will return to normal, in time.
>You don't need a long term passage.
>You close your eyes, and focus.
>You almost see the exit point clouded by something around corners of your vision.
>There it is, just focus the energy into a different one and you're bending space.
>A warm feeling from your horn alerts you of things at work, along with the sight of the exit point slightly bending, almost as if there were a lens in the way.
>Wow!
>It's working!
>And you're halfway there!
>The entry point needs to bend out towards the dense one.
>This'll be harder, because you need to shape the energy transfer in a way and a correct angle.
>The both spacial anomalies have some sort of magnetism to each other, but you still need to be  careful and accurate.
>And when the both points will connect, the connection will start to degrade pretty fast.
>So you need to create the entry portal close by.
>That means you can't use any sort of dangerous energies.
>You're being good at something you've invented.
>Amazing.
>So you'll use light as it's neutral, over in the purple colour, as this releases most energy because of the wavelength.
>And...Boom!
>You've got it!
>The tunnel is enough to leap into.
>You smirk, and leap, carried through the space below the one you usually walk.
>A look around reveals a look at just an empty void.
>A black nothingness, distorted by the waves of the tunnel.
>Before you can have a good look, you're outside on the other side.
>Of course, all your velocity from the jump you've took into the tunnel carried over.
>That means you've literally flew out of the tunnel, and hit the door of the house on the island, belly first, head forced up almost like in a cartoon.
>That's one way to knock.
>You flop on your back and hear the portal closing.
>And a door opening in front of you.
>You try to get a look at whatever opened the door.
>It's not tall.
>Nor wide.
>You sit, and set your sights on a...
>Green coated colt, with a dark green mane and a question mark on the flanks.
>What the heck?
>He looks too young to live all alone.
>You have an unmistakable urge that you seen this face before.
>Where was it....
>The catalog!
>Dadoequnous!
>That silly greentext where Discord adopts an Anon and turns him into a foal and takes care of him and introducing him to magic of chaos.
>And if he's out here, this must be where Discord lives!
>You would probably know that if you were to watch the show.
>Wasn't there an episode where they showed this place?
>Yeah, there probably was.
>You look up to the sky for a second.
"Good afternoon! Is anyone else home?"
>"What are you here for anyway? No one ever comes here, except the postmare."
"Jehovah's Witnesses." You say and chuckle. "No. I'm lost and I hoped I could get some directions."
>"I'll get dad. Why won't you come in?'
>You stand up and follow the green colt inside.
>To say that the house is in chaos would be an understatement.
>Bunnies out of dust running about, armchairs on the ceiling and stairs that lead up and down at the same time.
>The fridge visibly boiling and the freezer with a visible load of cooled rock.
>Water flowing out of the sink through the pipe, new clean water entering from the drain.
>The oven has snow in it.
>What the actual fuck.
>You're left standing in confusion and disbelief.
>"Oh, good evening. Welcome to my humble home."
>You turn around and set sight on the most bizarre creature you've ever seen.
>Two horns, one of a deer and the other of a goat.
>A head that you'd connect with a goat, rather than anything else.
>A long body, upper limbs both mismatched from some feline creature.
>The other one being a talon from an eagle or a chicken.
>Two wings, one feathered and the other one from God know what.
>And a tail.
>A tail and two lower limbs, one probably from a donkey.
>It's the most random creature you've ever laid your eyes on.
>Your mouth is slightly agape, as it floats to you.
>It just...floats.
>No need to flap wings, or do anything else.
>It floats towards you, staring in your eyes, slithering through the air like a snake.
>You finally manage to kick yourself to return the creature's greeting.
"Good morning."
>Morning.
>The sun had set .
>Fuck.
>"You're out of sync, perhaps. Why don't you drop your disguise?"
>What.
>How did he find out?!

>How the hell did it find out?
>Throw away disguise?
>Deny everything.
"What? As if changeling disguise? That's silly! I'm not a bug!"
>The creature shakes their head.
>"It's not healthy to lie. You could get hurt."
"I'm not a changeling, um..What's your name?"
>"Discord. The single God of chaos!"
>Talk about megalomanic personalities.
>Jesus.
>Discord snaps a talon, and with a blinding flash of light, which knocks you over, you blink.
>Everything has a green tint to it.
>You're undisguised, then!
>Crapcrapcrap...
>"What did you say again, Queen?"
>You stammer and mumble in surprise.
>"Why are you here, in the chaos lands? The closest pony settlement is a hundred kilometers away from here.  And I want the truth this time."
"You wouldn't believe me anyway."
>"It would be more believable than your last cover-up. Using the guise of a honoured airship Captain from the Zebra wars, how silly was that?"
"Zebra wars? What do you mean? There was a war?"
>Discord looks at you in surprise, as if he was tasked with explaining colours to someone blind.
>"Well...Ponies advanced in technology, pretty far. They have airships the size of Canterlot with ability to fly up high, farther than the moon and faster than light."
>Extraterrestrial spaceflight with dirigible balloons?
"Powered by rockets for first ascent and sporting strong magic space generators, sailing though the layers right above the magic fabric, using condensed magical waves to sail on the energy currents present in the space below, then using their excess energy to resurface to normal space, light-years away from point of origin?"
>"Yes, just like that. How did you know?"
"I made it."
>Before Discord replies to your sentence, you start explaining.
>About who you were, how you got here and about how much you want to go home.
>About how confused and scared you are, and how much you can't make heads or tails of this situation.
>"Interesting, and actually plausible. Normal spacetime has some sort of resistance to other objects from other dimensions. But out here, in the  chaos lands, this resistance is nonexistent, which allowed you to materialize on their edge. Since you followed some sort of rules, you rematerialized on the edge of chaos space. But this!" Discord says and pulls up your jacket, smiling. "This had been too different from this universe, so it reappeared here, in point of zero resistance. I believe it's yours. You should keep it. I think I know a pony that'd be able to retailor it for you to wear!"
"That's lovely! Thanks!" You say and smile, to which the colt that has been sitting next to Discord the entire time shudders. Oh yeah, fangs.
>"But since you're already this, and from what I've heard, your universe has an infinite resistance. You can't return."
"C-Cannot return? What do you mean, cannot return?"
>"Just what I said. You can't return home, because your universe wouldn't accept you back. That's why extrauniversal travel is so difficult."
"But what will I do?! Look at me! Ponies would hang me on sight! What will I do?!"
>"Well, ponies on Equestria would destroy you on sight. But, I could sneak you onboard one of the large super dreadnought class airships as an engineer, and you could leave Equestria for the infinite seas of stars." Discord flies behind you, holds your shoulder with his paw, and uses his talon to wave in front of you. "Stars, stars everywhere."
"Let me think it through. Why do you even have access to one of those?"
>"You'll see in time. I'll expect you to make up your mind in the morning."
>You nod and yawn.
"Anon, here will lead you upstairs. Sleep well."
>Discord says and points to the colt.
>You nod, and follow the Colt.
>"Where are you from? I mean, on earth."
>You raise your eyebrow.
"Why? Are you from there as well?"
>"Used to be. Before Discord came and took me here."
"Well, I was from Czech Republic."
>"Damn, the first person to see from earth in years and he's a Slav."
"Shut up, faggot." You playfully say and smirk.
>"Y-You too."
>The both of you laugh.
>"Seriously, though. What's been happening back home, recently?"
"Besides Merkel cucking Germany with immigrants, and then thrown out on the street by Germans, Trump building a wall just like everyone did around Germany, Britbongs leaving the European Union along with every nation containing half a brain, and Russia destroying ISIS and conquering the Middle East? Nothing special."
>"So everything is going down the toilet?"
"Why do you even care? We're both comfortably out here, the turmoils of our past home unable to reach us. And now, we're going to space! Things cannot be more rad."
>"Yeah, but sometimes, I miss it. The way clouds moved in the sky, how the city hummed and damn, do I miss a good steak."
"I miss a good cigarette. Oh, wait."
>You turn to the jacket on your back, above your wings, sending tickling sensations down your spine, making your ears flop slightly.
>It all feels new and odd, but you're making do with whatever you're presented with.
>You're lead to a room, with a bed and a bunch of blankets lying about, forming some sort of a nest.
>A window lets through a beam of moonlight, revealing the star spilled night skies.
>The window is pretty big, and you trot closer, using your horn's magic to turn the handle and open the door.
"Mind if I light one?"
>"As long as you give me a cigarette too, we have a deal."
>You smile and rest your forehooves against the parapet of the window, staring out into the deep night sky.
>With a shine of your horn you have your cigarette box beside you, and opened, two long smokes floating midair, enveloped by a green mist.
>One goes between the lips of your mouth, the other to the colt.
>You levitate the jacket next to you,  rampaging through the pockets.
>Wallet, USB stick, house keys, bingo! Lighter.
>The small plastic object is afloat in front of you cigarette, and a with a couple sparks, it even lights it.
>You smile and light your friend's one.
>You pull in a lungful of smoke.
>The taste of the world's worst tobacco, the Mark 1, rolling in your mouth.
>How did your classmates describe them?
>Right, end of the month cigarettes.
>Except you smoked them all the month, mainly because everyone disliked them so much.
>Damn, your classmates. Another group of people you won't get to see again, despite all of them acting like assholes.
>What do your parents even think?
>That you've disappeared, took your jacket and went into the night, leaving your phone behind, without even saying goodbye?
>Probably that, that you're freezing somewhere outside.
>But no.
>You've went through to another dimension, lost your family jewels, and you're about to see space.
>See space, do something great. How would they be proud! How would your mother congratulate you and tell you to take a lot of pictures.
>You won't see mom ever again.
>How would dad make jokes and start to rant about the spacecraft even though he doesn't know anything about it.
>You  won't see him ever again.
>With a squirm, you take in another load of smoke to push away those dark thoughts.
>Now is now.
>It doesn't matter, you've got a new shot at life, and good odds of being someone great.
>"Damn, these are bad."
"Hey, make do with whatever you have." You say and try not to sound broken.
>"Mark One. Red, 100s. You have a terrible taste."
"It's not like you should he smoking anyway. What're you, twelve?"
>"When I was took away, I was twenty one. Discord just wasn't able to make me older because of some gimmickry of his."
>You crack up a smile and shake your head.
"It's not like I can change something anyway." You say and breath out a gray cloud, staring at the sky, the many stars spilled all around like sugar from a torn bag.
>"Not like either of us can change something. What can you even do anyway? A changeling Queen, what're your abilities?"
"Mine? As if directly me? Beside probably knowing how half things work out here? I'm not really sure. I guess I could hypnotize ponies on sight, probably change them into drones, and that's about it. Why?"
>"Dad has a plan, and I think it involves you, one way or another."
"What'd he want with me?"
>"I think we'll have to see. We'll have to see. And I don't like it."
"That's the two of us."

>In the morning you awake with the green coated colt splattered over your belly.
>Cutely sleeping, snoring silently.
>You smile.
>You don't remember when you fell asleep.
>You were tired and angry so much you couldn't even think straight.
>And you're still shaken.
>Stuck in this odd alien world, in an odd alien body, the universe working on odd laws that you made.
>Without the slightest hint of returning back home.
>This is one heck of a ride.
>You gently let the colt roll off your stomach, standing up.
>You grab your cigarette packet, standing up and trotting downstairs, in hopes of not falling down the stairs face first.
>Successful!
>You're standing in the room downstairs. It's basically a kitchen, dining room and a living room in one package.
>And next to a crackling fireplace, in an armchair, is Discord, book flipped open.
>You sit next to the fireplace, with an intent to warm yourself up, feeling stiff and tired.
>To your surprise, the fireplace, rather than making everything warm, sends a freezing sensation down your spine.
>Almost as if a cold northern wind blew from it.
"Is seriously everything out here in reverse? Literally nothing makes sense."
>"Where's the fun in making sense?"
>With a shrug, you reply.
"In the part where everything is calm."
>"Calm and boring! Calmness leads to peace and peace leads to stagnation! Everything grows faster in strive. Everything tends to develop more when under pressure."
"And by disturbing this calm state, you work as a prevention to stagnation?"
>Discord sighs and closes his book, the leathery desks flying to a shelf behind your host.
>"I used to. Then I seen friendship and all that. So I stopped. Well, I stopped poking ponies."
"So you never stopped working. You've just moved on to a different target audience?"
>"You could say that. Now I poke the bad guys so they can poke ponies harder, with ponies striving to beat the villains."
"So you're still keeping the goal. In all honesty, you weren't a bad guy in the first place."
>"Explain, please."
"You sort of helped ponies. You helped them grow, and when they grew enough, they rocked you." You think a little. "No pun intended."
>"That's a pretty smart and conclusive logic."
"Yes. But we should remember that ends don't justify means."
>"You're right. I never expected something like this from someone like you."
>You smile and nod.
"I'll go for a smoke. I'll be right back."
>Discord nods and pulls out another book.
>With a couple trots, you're outside.
>And with a few more steps, you're walking around the house, looking for the perfect place to sit and collect your thoughts along with your nicotine dosage.
>And after a few minutes, you find it.
>Sitting down, leant against the wall of the house.
>The cigarette package floating next to you.
>You open it and stare at the terrible state of supplies in the box.
>Just three more.
>You use your magical grip on the cigarette, and levitate it to your muzzle.
>And a flash of your lighter later, you're putting out smoke like a steam train.
>Or like a factory.
>You breath out a cloud of gray smoke, staring out into the chaos before you.
>Somehow it seems relaxing.
>The more you stare into it, the more sense it makes, oddly enough.
>The more you watch, the more it soothes you.
>So much peace where it shouldn't be, so much sense and normality where there should be none.
>What did your psychics teacher say?
>Adjustment to circumstances.
>The more you're in an odd situation, the less odd it becomes over time.
>You breath out another cloud of smoke, something coming from behind it?
>Ofcourse. Discord.
>"Did you make up your mind yet?"
>You tap your chin with the hole filled hoof.
"I'm not sure. Space would be cool and all but I didn't take a good look at this...place? Planet?"
>"And what'd you like to see? What'd you like to do? We can do anything, we can be anywhere. Take it as a...way to get your mind onto different things."
"From the fact that I won't see those dear to me ever again, knowing they're looking for me?"
>"Yes. Have some fun, some snacks and see everything sightworthy. How does that sound to you?"
"Some distraction would prove to be nice, I guess."
>"That settles it, then! What do you want to see?"
"Be my guide! Lead on."
>Discord grips you by his shoulder, with the most psychotic smile you've ever seen, and suddenly, you're sitting on some sort of a wooden floor, your half smoked cigarette replaced by a flower.
>A look around reveals books.
>Books on bookshelves.
>Books on the ground!
>Books on a few tables scattered about.
>Books absolutely fucking everywhere.
>So this is a library?
>With another look around the room, you spot a couple windows, showing some sort of a town outside.
>White facade houses with rock foundations, toppled off by thatched roofs, line as far as you can see, carefully arranged into five by five blocks.
>The place you're in takes a big clearing around it.
>Some fifty meters.
>So you can be in the middle of a square?
>Judging from the paths, lamp posts, and benches, more like a park, with ponies trotting about going through their daily business, all mediated by the see through glass in the windows.
>Just about you finish your second turn around the room, you're greeted by a face of a purple unicorn staring at you from a ladder, a stack of a few books floating beside her surrounded in an almost pink mist, her mouth agape more than an average door in an opened state.
>Discord, to finally break the staring contest you've unintentionally started with the unicorn before, and speaks up.
>"Hello Twilight! What a lovely day! This is my friend, Sulphur. Show her around the town, okay? Thanks, bye!"
>And just like that, Discord disappears, leaving you in the room with the unicorn.
>You're not sure what to do.
>Whether scream at Discord, or introduce yourself properly.
>You could always wait for the unicorn to break her silence.
>But considering the state of her jaw, you doubt she'll be able to speak ever again.
>A third voice enters the room.
>"Twilight! I've finished cleaning upstairs. Need help down he-"
>When you turn your head you see a dragon.
>Not the big kind.
>Nor the baby one, either.
>And his jaw unhinged too.


>You try to break the silence.
"Good morning?"
>The unicorn shakes her head almost as if to shake you from her sights.
>Nope. Still there.
>The purple coated pony trots up to you, leaving the books to be subjected to gravity.
>"A changeling, and a Queen nonetheless! This is amazing! Where did you come from?"
>You blink in confusion.
"What do you mean? You didn't see any Changelings?"
>"Not since the wedding. For that matter, no one seen any since the wedding. They just disappeared!"
"The wedding?"
>"Shining Armour and Candace Miamoure's wedding. We're you living under a rock? The changeling Queen Chrysalis has impersonated Princess Candace with intentions to feed on an infinite supply of love and destroy Equestria." The dragon speaks up for a change.
>"Thank you, Spike. The point is, no one seen the changelings, or heard of them for that matter, for the last ten years."
"So you're saying I'm the first contact with my kind that didn't come in intentions of burning down the place?"
>"Bluntly said, yes. I must notify Princess Celestia immediately! Spike, prepare a letter."
"Wait. I need to lay low for a while. Could you postpone the letter?"
>"I guess one day or two won't matter much."
"Thanks." You say and smile. "Could you show me around the place? Sights and such."
>"In a a bit. Why don't you disguise? Ponies don't take kindly to your kin. Especially after the wedding."
>You tap your chin.
>You close your eyes, and a green flame later, a white coated Pegasus with a brown mane and tail sits on the floor of the library, in place of the changeling Queen.
"This better?" You say and smile.
>The purple unicorn nods. "Give me a minute. I have to sort some new books."
>You sit and look around.
>Many books, from picture books through encyclopedias to cookbooks. This place had it all. Maybe you could spend some time into reading?
>Around twenty minutes later, the unicorn returns.
>"Alright. I'm ready. Let's go!"
>You nod and stand up, for the most exciting sightseeing tour you could ever hope to imagine.

>You trot outside, the brisk air flowing throughout your mane, the wings by your side shivering slightly as the zephyr runs through your feathers, sending shivers down your spine, the sensitive wings reacting to the slightest jerk, giving you the urge to spread them, and feel the air running through the underside of your wings, the underlaying feathery fluff flaring in the wind.
>The sudden springiness in your bones, the urge to fly fast and zip through clouds.
>The feeling is ecstatic.
>When you're about to give in to the urge, your tour guide speaks up.
>"If you look up, you can see the Equestrian Shipyards! It's a giant ring spanning across the entire planet. They call it the forge, or Hefaistos, from the forger of the gods. I'm not really fluent in mythology. But I'm sure it's the fruit of the entire world connecting together in peace and harmony for a better future, where we unite for the common good of our kin. It's amazing really, everyone has their turf on the station, but it's not like state borders. We're even working on colony ships."
>You stare in ave. From here, you can make out the thick ring, running around in the middle of the sky above you, spanning from North to South, small spics of dust floating around it, occasionally lighting up and disappearing in the twilight sky.
"How did you manage to mass so much resources anyway? There's no way there are enough down here, miss...."
>"It is, really amazing. And I'm Twilight. And you are?"
>The unicorn begins to trot, and you follow.
>Thinking for a little.
>Latin, don't fail me now!
"Verita. I'm Verita. I come from South. I think."
>Cover up, rolling. Charisma stat will help.
>"That sound interesting, Verita. Anywho, when the war ended everyone was short on resources. Us, Zebras, diamond dogs, everything that had land was lacking resources. There was one thing we weren't short on. Technology, plans and bright minds. A covenant was singed to build a fleet of mining long range spacecraft using remaining resources strengthened by our planners and great officers, and seek resource in the stars. And we found them. Some eight months of chemical flight away, in the largest asteroid belt in the system. We started towing asteroids full of iron, platinum, crystals and many other previous elements. Some of which we didn't know about! Everything began to flourish again, and we're standing now, together and stronger than ever. And we're about to travel beyond anywhere anyone ever was. I'm so happy to be living in this age, when I can see first hoof all the things, all the advancements!"
>You watch in ave. This had to be done, built and installed in some ten years. An entire ring around a planet, housing Shipyards, construction facilities, living quarters, food and life support, everything and more.
>Just in some ten years.
"I'm surprised you didn't stab me when I rematerialized with Discord on your floor."
>"I'm sure most ponies would. They still hold a grudge. But considering how long no one seen any of you, and for how long you've been safe, I find it irrational. I'm a mare of logic and science. Not of prejudice and superstition."
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
>"No problem. As long as you don't jump on me."
>You and Twilight walk past numerous noteworthy buildings, parks and even meet some ponies. But nothing catches your attention more than the ring floating overhead.
>The town hall and the mayor are sure interesting.
>Seeing Canterlot castle from Ponyville was breathtaking.
>Seeing Everfree edges amazed you and sent thrills down your spine.
>But the shipyard above you, the sheer business of the place, now made more visible by the darkness of the night.
>A metal ring housing ponies, off home but being a home.
>A metal ring around an entire planet, damn it!
>How far are they from a Dyson sphere?
>The sheer thought of something this big is amazing.
"Could we see the Hefaistos? I'd love to see how it ticks, if you get me."
>The unicorn taps her chin, as the two of you sit in a local restaurant, after a long tour. She invited you for a dinner. A nice gesture.
>"I guess I could get us a tour of the Equestrian Sector. I know some ponies that run the place."
"That'd be lovely. Thanks. But perhaps tomorrow. I doubt there's enough time for that today.."
>Your attention shifts to a thick sweet scent rolling it's way to your nostrils through the bar.
>With a turn of your head, you set sight at the supposed source.
>A young mare and a stallion sit next to each other on two barstools, smiling and nuzzling.
>The air around them has a slight pink tint, swirling slightly like smoke.
>You breathe in, and feel the smoke pulling in towards you, through your nose, down your throat. But rather than towards your lungs, you feel it dragging down to your stomach, slowly filling it up.
>The air is extremely sweet, your ears shiver.
>More and more of the pink slips down your muzzle.
>Soon, you're not only filling up your stomach, but something else behind it.
>And suddenly, it cuts out.
>Just like that, without a slightest hint, the smoke is gone.
>Twilight shakes your hoof.
>"Are you fine? What is it?"
>You blink a couple times and look at the purple unicorn.
>"You were stuck staring. Are you fine?"
"Yes. I'm fine. What did I miss?"
>"What will you order?"
"I'm...not hungry. I certainly was before, it was my idea to come here. But now, I don't really feel hungry anymore."
>"Hm, odd. Oh well, you sure you don't want anything?"
"No, I'm cool. Thanks."
>You spend the next of the evening talking with Sparkle over a bottle of wine.
>Technical things. She's just a  friendly pony.
>Right?


>It's God knows when you leave the restaurant.
>Slightly tipsy, laughing, and supporting the purple unicorn which is in a similar mindset.
>She's under your wing, leant against you, as you both trot for the library she resides in.
>Some stumbling and chuckling later, you're inside.
>The unicorn says something but it's basically gibberish.
>Yeah, she's way deeper than you.
>"Spwike!" She calls out, her tongue weighted down by alcohol.
>The dragon walks down a couple stairs, which you assume lead to the bedroom.
>His face is tired. And even slightly worried.
>"Twilight, have you been drinking again?"
>"Fwack you, Slike. "
"Come on, Twilight. Let's tuck you in."
>You and Spike help the drunken unicorn up the stairs, and lead her to the bedroom you assume she sleeps in.
"Get her a bucket." You say, with a bit of experience, and a light smile.
>Twilight is under the table.
>You on the other hand, are hardly even fazed.
>And you've drank just as much as she did. Hm, interesting.
>You trot down the stairs, and the dragon soon follows.
>"I'm sorry for how she acts. The war had put a weight on her back. And even though it's well over, Twilight still wakes some times at night, galloping to the basement because she thinks the air raids are happening again. Or at other times, she suddenly begins to shudder and cry."
>You put on a condolencing smile, and nod.
"So things didn't quite end for her? Why so? She served, didn't she?"
>"Yeah, how did you know?"
"Intuition." Yeah, things like this point to post traumatic stress disorder.
>You can't say a diagnose though. You're not authorized to.
>The dragon sighs. "Then she started drinking. She pulled it down a notch, but I'm still worried about her."
"What about the doctors? Did they say anything?"
>Spike shurgs. "Her body is okay. The head is a different task. No one knows how to heal that."
>You nod.
"And what about you?"
>"I'm going fine. A part time job and everything. Worst case, I can ditch her. But she's like a mother to me. I can't let her go. She took care of me, from the egg, you know?"
"So she's sort of a mother to you?"
>"Yeah...I don't want to talk about it. What about you? You sure must have a large family. A following maybe?"
>Urfgh.
>Fuck.
>Avoid.
"It's getting late. I should go to sleep. Where should I lie down?"
>"The couch is free. Want a blanket?"
"No, thanks. I'm fine. "
>"Alright. Good night..."
>"Verita. I'm Verita. Good night to you too, Spike."
>You smile and trot off to the couch on the other end of the room, coiling up in a ball of white coat, brown hair and a couple fuzzy wings covering you.
>And soon, sleep kindly slides in, followed by pleasant dreams.


>Pleasant dreams.
>What a joke.
>You're standing in the middle of nowhere, corners of your vision shrouded by a white mist.
>Along voice in the background speaking in old English.
>That's all nice, but a voice without a physical body is pretty creepy.
>But considering what you seen in last three days, this is just another addition to the nuthouse of oddities you see everyday.
>You turn around.
>The white void stretches from nowhere to everywhere.
>There's nothing.
>Except for a blue coated alicorn, with a wavy dark blue mane, looking like one of those fancy NASA images.
>You just noticed her.
>How long was she here?
>You trot up to her.
>The floor is soft, your black hooves make no sound.
>Wait. Black hooves?
>You're undisguised.
>It's just a dream. Doesn't matter that much.
>You stand face to face with the alicorn. You're as tall as her.
"Who are you?"
>"I'm Princess Luna. The dream walker and the raiser of the moon."
"And what the hell are you doing here? Why am I even talking to you. You're just a fruit of the REM state of my sleep."
>The alicorn tilts her head.
>"Rest assured, I'm very real. It's my duty to come into the minds of the confused and aid them in their dreams."
"Confused?"
>"Yes, confused. It reaks from you, almost like you have it written on your forehead. Something unusual, though. A confused changeling? And a Queen for that matter. This is the oddest thing I have ever laid my eyes on."
"Then what're you doing here?"
>"Well, I wouldn't dare to miss an opportunity to see an extinct species."
"There's nothing interesting inside my head."
>"I doubt it. I can feel something new in your memories. Something that no one in Equestria knows of."
"Yeah, you know a lot because you sniff in  pony heads, without their permission."
>"That was mean."
"But truthful. Leave me to rest. I have a lot on my plate, nowadays."
>The alicorn disappears and so does everything else.
>A warm fuzzy feeling on your face wakes you up.
>The sunlight had sprung up to the sky.
>You stretch, wings slightly flared.
>One heck of a night.
>Not even your dreams are free from this chaos.
>You roll down from the couch, and stand on your hooves.
>Yup. Still the library.
>Still a god forsaken mess.
>Still a Pegasus. So you can hold form whilst asleep.
>Great!
>No way you'll be blowing your cover.
>Cover to the outside world. Not to your new..
>friends?
>Yes, friends. How else would you describe this?
>But you need to get a move on. But now you think about it, you don't really want to go to space anymore.
>Certainly to see Hefaistos.
>But to leave Equestria, when there's so much to see and do, in a world where the possibilities are endless, and where you understand how most things work.
>You're basically trapped in a golden cage.
>You're but a simple bird.
>Unable to go back home, into the forest outside the window, caught in the luxurious golden cage, with everything you'd ever want.
>But you miss home so much.
>Your family, with many tiffs you've had between each other...
>You still love and miss them.
>Mom, Dad, everyone.
>Even your little annoying sister.
>Even your two dogs.
>But every bird needs to fly out of the nest one day.
>And you've flew through the nest.
>Only if there were a way to tell them that you're fine, that you miss them, not to mourn you, that you are living, just a bit off.
>To tell them what you've experienced, what you're doing and how are you doing.
>To say a proper goodbye.

>You look over to the jacket lying on the couch.
>A smoke would come in handy right now.
>You remember that there is a little balcony somewhere up in the tree.
>Time to find the stairs.
>You pick up the jacket and a throw it over your back, the wings by your side sending a couple shivers down your sides as the unruffled fabric slides over the feathers of your wings.
>A step up the stairs reveals a hallway, and a spiraling metal staircase, leading up, to a small door.
>Best bet you have.
>You trot up the stairs, opening the door with a push.
>The sunlight blinds you for a second, and you step out onto a balcony, judging by the railing from branches, covered by green leaves.
>You close the door behind you with a knock using your a hind hoof.
>You pull out your cigarette packet, unconsciously using your wings.
>Awesome! It's like hands!
>With some fiddling, you manage to pull out the cigarette.
>But how will you  light it?
>Your lighter needs hard input on the flint circle to get a spark.
>You hear the door creak open, and see Spike walking in.
>Uhrf, that's bad.
>You doubt it's usual for ponies to smoke out here.
>"Good morning, Verita! What you're up to?"
"Nwghing." You say the cigarette still locked between your lips.
>The dragon walks around you.
>"You smoke?"
"Pwoblwem?"
>"No, it's just not many ponies do. Mainly a dragon thing. Good for dragon lungs! Need help with the light?"
>You nod.
>The dragon walks up to you, squatting below you, and breathing out a small flame.
>You pull a first load of smoke and breathe out from the side of your muzzle.
"Thwanks Spike."
>You smile and pull in a load of smoke through the brown covered filter.
>You breathe it out and the dragon breaths in the resulting cloud.
>"That's new, never took a scent of something this odd. What's in it?"
"Twabaco."
>"Tobacco? That's into pipes, don't be silly!"
>You carefully grip the cigarette with a wing, showing the side with the filter to the dragon.
"Also into pipes, but this is a little different. There's a filter in here. Tobacco burns here with a very soft paper around it. When I pull on it, I take a mixture of air and half filtered tobacco smoke. Simple." You explain, putting the cigarette back between your lips.
>"That's odd. We don't use a filter. Could you give the butt to me? I have some friends in the business who would pay for such an idea!"
"Only if you split the profit."
>"Deal."
>Filterless cigarette. Jesus Christ, that's mad.


>You finish your cigarette, and Spike leads you downstairs, for breakfast.
>Not that you'll eat it, considering what you are.
>Twilight is already seated, with a typical hangover syndrome.
>An expression lacking any sort of readable mood, and a slight green undertone to her coat.
>The messiest mane you ever laid your eyes on, and bloodshot eyes.
>Yup, that's a hangover alright.
>"Morning, Verita. How did you sleep?" The unicorn asks, with the most tired voice you've ever laid your eyes on.
"Quite well, except for some odd dreams."
>"Odd dreams?"
"There was a blue coated alicorn in my dream. I told her to piss off. And she disappeared."
>"That was Princess Luna. She's quite weird as well, between us, that thousand year banishment to the moon messed up her noggin."
"Thousand year banishment?"
>"Wow, you really aren't from around here. Princess Luna was banished to the moon for her crimes as Nightmare Moon. And then, me and my five other friends discovered the elements of harmony, and used those to beat her and free Luna from within. All in one day. And then we saved Ponyville and Equestria on multiple occasions. We were celebrities, sort of."
"Were? As if in the past?"
>When Twilight is about to reply, Spike brings a bowl of salad and two glasses of water.
>"Enough of history. Breakfast!"
>You smile and Spike puts your glass in front of you. You don't even mind that much. You aren't even hungry, Why's that, though?
>No matter.
>With a surprise you see twilight taking a bite of her salad, and immediately galloping away, presumably to the bathroom.
>Yup. Hangover syndrome.