!Pinkie‘s Party Journal ! - Tremendous Trix!
“What a twist! Twilight Sparkle actually promised me a surprise? Will I ever cease to be amazed? Why, I can’t wait! Let’s get this on the roooad already!
♪ - Get this Party Started on a Saturday Night! - ♫”

“You certainly have an euphonious singing voice, Pinkie. But why would it need such a statement of wonder about a surprise from my end?” Twilight mused from behind the party pony. “And you missed two letters there in the title.”

“Gah! If anyone just reads my journal, how am I gonna surprise them at all? That’s cheating, Twilight. Dirty, dirty cheating. I’ll put you on the naughty list this year.” the pink party pony declared, pointing her hoof accusingly.

“...You’re not Pony Santa, are you? Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Of course I am! I’m always joking, Twilight. I’m also Pony Santa.” Pinkie casually declared, just to quickly jump again on “But so, this surprise of yours. Iwannaknowallaboutit!”

Twilight groaned softly, appealing “Wait, wait. Didn’t you tell me like seconds ago you hate surprises being spoiled? Oh, nevermind.” she exhaled, then taking a more lecturing tone. “Pinkie, this is a running operation. I’ve been preparing this for a good while. So let me get you up to speed, so things don’t go...wrong, okay? We already control all the important variables. Just let me explain...”


One week earlier, in the outskirts of a larger town not too far away...

“Sold? AGAIN? I can’t believe it! ‘Neighborhood Improvement Fund’ my butt. More like ‘Greedy Gentrification Scam’, you evil bastards.” Andi groaned as he devoured the terrifying document that had just arrived. Those bureaucrats should be working on a horror novel all right, as they managed to pack pretty much all the worst things together. There would be outsourced company call centers instead of on-site staff, strict no-noise rules, rent increases, forced renovations and the worst of all: Cable-Based Internet and Elevator service interruptions are expected to occur throughout the renovation process. Repeatedly. Without warning. Andi shivered. It truly was a plan from his very nightmares.

The young-ish, black-haired male tossed the paper away in disgust. Of course no one had asked the renters. Though to be fair, you maybe couldn’t grasp that visceral hatred of stairs till you lived on the 5th floor, moving what must be tons of life-sustaining liquid uphill, ten flights of stairs with no mercy.

It wasn’t exactly paradise, but this had been the last compound in his price range with sensible work commute time. Yet it looked like he would have to try and appeal desperately to his boss once more. Something he definitely didn’t look forward to, the old choleric was a piece of work. Fun... Could this day get any better?

A ping from his main phone was distracting him briefly from the misery. He chuckled at the question mark picture. Apparently, Mystery_Amy still hadn’t decided on a new avatar. He pulled down the message, eyeing the short paragraph.

“Thanks again. Really helped me out there. Mystery solved. Wasn’t as bad as feared, but have to be more careful with these things. Placed the tips as needed, hope it’ll get picked up. But so, what kind of favor do you want now? Within reason, of course.”

He smirked, typing “You’ve got the magic touch in these things, right? I’m in the market for a little miracle.”

“...Very funny. I’m not a Genie, Trickster. So?”

“So maybe you can make my kindly old lady landlord not sell to a predatory corporation and drive me out to live on the street?”

“Tricks...damn...that’s harsh. Look. I could talk to some people, offer you a new job?”

“It doesn’t matter. Amy, I’m not going to extort you here. You’re doing good work, bringing down the oppressors and revealing the guilty to the public. But I actually do have a more sensible thing in mind. I have a certain old friend I lost contact with a while ago. He went a little cray cray and then vanished off the earth. If you could put your detective chops to work on that?”

“I can try that, Sure. Give me a few more details.”

“Just take a look at his private profile page here. Maybe that helps.” ‘Trickster’ typed, posting a social network link.

There was quite a bit of a wait, then a hastily typed: “Oh. Oh my. Yeah, I’ll see what I can do. Listen. You hang in there, okay? Your luck might turn soon.”

“Yeah, sure. They always say that. Anyhow, let me know, kays?”

“Sure. Signing out.”

He sighed, leaning back in his ratty old computer chair, letting his gaze float across the assortment of repurposed hardware and minimalist homebrew servers running his many projects. Their mass of cabling pretty much turned his little one-room apartment into a maze of tripwires. Still, to him, it was a familiar sight at least. Compared to that...the world was going crazy lately all right. Besides his old school friend vanishing, there were more and more reports of abductions and unpleasant moves from the state apparatus towards censorship and information control too. Something was going on, and he didn’t like it one bit. He sighed and popped another dose of multivitamins and an aspirin. Stroke prevention started early after all, and there were plenty enough reasons to boost the immune system against all the more or less country-sanctioned pollution.

Of course it was a little hard to worry about governmental power abuse and secret service operations if you barely could scrape enough money together to eat. There still was that three day old open bag of chips left he picked up from a park bench on the way home. Oh, and water. Absolutely not polluted water from the trusty good 100 year old house pipelines. That, or ten flights of stairs...hell in little pieces.

He seriously needed the funds. Sighing, Andi grabbed his jacket and decided to tackle his nemesis once more, hoping he’d at least make it to work without any extra troubles.


Work, unfortunately, did not break the string of misfortune. His polite, almost grovelling inquiry about at least moving on to Tier 2 Tech support to actually put his knowledge to use had once again been denied, citing “lack of up-to date certifications” and “procedural knowledge deficiencies”. His boss was also yelling about his quota again, and he was sent straight to the T1 phone cubicles, those insidious torture cells designed to slowly but surely sap your sanity and will to live.

So he was stuck for a good eight and a half hours telling people how to press the big, shiny button on their devices, that an optical drive was, in fact, still not a cup-holder, and that if you browsed Pornhub, at least to cover up the darned keyboard to prevent liquid damage, which was, of course, not covered by their warranty anyhow. As he finally hung up his headset with a shudder, a colleague came over. No, the WORST colleague came over. Of course it was Dave.

He approached with his usual hands-in-pockets saunter, waving like a spaz. “Hey, hey Andi! Could you stay a bit longer for me? Gotta head to a gender reveal party, favorite uncle duties and all. You won’t mind, do you?”

Andi stared at him with furrowed eyebrows and grumpily accused “And what if I did? That’s the fifth time this month. How many relatives do you have?” Also, it didn’t exactly help that the other had a severe case of beer breath that made his stomach churn. How come they let that slacker get away with that? Yet the immediate reminder didn’t make it any better:

“Important relatives, as you should know. Then I’d have to just tell my cousin, and you’re gone like that. Come on. It’s not much to ask for. I’ll get you another fruit basket too.”

Andi groaned in displeasure, remembering the stale, industrially packed, barely ripe mess from last time. He focused on his main gripe though: “Will it have bananas again? You’re aware tasty bananas are extinct, thanks to extreme monoculture, cloned plants and fungal infections? What they sell now is a pure abomination, and it poisons everything it touches with that foul stench and taste.” he laid out his case.

“Pfft. Who cares? It’s still bananas. And you have to learn to be less picky and accept your lot. I don’t know what they package. Now here. Account info, badge, do your thing. See ya tomorrow!”
And with that, the repulsive man was gone, leaving Andi the last one on the call floor once again. Would be another hour till the night shift arrived, leaving him with all those nasty in-between “emergencies”, while his head was already swimming. He was so done. With all of it.

He took the seat, picked up the phone, and dumped it next to him. Then he logged in, and went straight to his co-workers calendar info. What he found was entirely unsurprising. “Friday night bender with Klaus and Karl” was unironically entered, with a big beer mug emoji to boot. Of course. Some gender reveal party all right. Not that he had expected anything different.

Andi rubbed his brow to cope with the oncoming headache. It would just never end. That drunk fuck would trample him every chance he got. He bet it was Dave’s fault the promotion requests never made it past human resources too. No, enough was enough. This time, he wouldn’t take it lying down, oh, most definitely not.

He got to work on the computer. Dave’s private and company mail addresses? Signed up to the biggest spam lists he could find. Correspondence with his secret mistress? Surely something his wife would love to accidentally get forwarded this season. And no two factor auth on his payment processor? He’d sure not mind making a few charitable donations to good causes, of course, always bragging about being such a philanthropist after all. Oh. And that interesting browser history would be perfect for his boss to see. With timestamps in office hours to boot! Just a well placed screenshot accidentally shared on the company slack. That’d be fun in the morning. Even if the boss protected him, his coworkers would let him know for sure. Poor, poor Dave’s reputation was about to take a very deserved hit.

Finally, he leaned back and sighed. While that had been cathartic, it also meant he was out, effective pretty much immediately. He’d not even have to turn up next day. But there was no undoing that.

Andi took a deep breath, then got up. He tossed both sets of worker IDs into the trash bin, and just trotted out of the company. Giving the porter one last wave, and exited into the chill December air, his mood a weird mixture of satisfaction and despair.


It was a strange night. Frost crystals coated everything, and the chill air turned his breath into large clouds under the faded streetlights, and it was nearly dead silent. He pulled his jacket closer and proceeded on the slippery pavement. Though the cold and darkness didn’t stop encroaching on him, and so did worries about loosing what little he had. When he stopped near a bridge and peeked down into the dark waters, his mind was in about as dark a state.

It was finally a ding on his smartphone to shake him out of it, yelping and nearly having it fall into the water from his cold-stiffened hands. There was a single message from an unknown sender: “Don’t despair. Help is on the way.”

He blinked. What the heck? Was that something of Amy’s doing? Or some unknown party getting involved? He’d have to trace it later. Either way, while it didn’t really improve his situation, at least it gave him motivation to head back home through the cold dark.

Once home, he made a brief beeline for the mailbox, if mostly to remove the numerous advertising fliers and brochures which always ended up there despite any “no ads, no magazines” stickers on the box. He briefly scanned each before dumping them in the trash bin, getting a chuckle out of the silly cover page story about a rich investor and their planned pony sanctuary, rolling his eyes about the horse-pun laden card from a local farm, and did a double take about a new magic shop in town. They still actually had those? Well, overpriced merchandise anyhow. Suppressing the momentary interest, he dumped it all into the bin, moving inside.

There was another note posted, about renovations and a bit more noise due to a new renter. He passed the scribbled “T.S.” doorbell on the way, but didn’t pay it much mind, as braving his old nemesis, the staircase, required most of his focus to brave. Finally, his own door, then a glass of stale juice from somewhere he didn’t even want to know, and then he just collapsed in the chair.



He didn’t even notice he’d fallen asleep until the doorbell rung. It was a tall brunette, similarly pale as himself, and sporting a surprising number of rather expensive smart devices. He tilted his head. “Are you here for some repairs?”

“Oh. Yes. That too. I’m the new party that just moved in, and was told you could help me with some repairs? My smartphone doesn’t connect properly to the internet anymore. I also bring bribes in food and drink.” she voiced politely, holding out a carrier of lemonades, some yogurts and “happy hay protein shake”, along with a few bills.

“Sure. Just put it all on the table, don’t mind the mess. You are housed one level below? I’ll let you know when it’s fixed.” he said, nodding and accepting her offer. She gave a little bow and walked back down with a bit of a weird shuffle. It reminded him of something, but he couldn’t quite place it.

Shrugging, he sure wasn’t about to look the gift horse in the mind, and dug into the treats – even if leaving that suspicious protein shake out for now. In the end, he passed out in his chair again, at least this time more contently.


Life went on, as it’d still be half a month till his inevitable eviction. But it had been a strange week to say the least. One day after the other, inhabitants changed, all replacing their doorbell signs with weird two-letter initials. “R.D.”, “F – S”, “D. H.” and “A. J.” once more let something in his mind stir, but he couldn’t quite place it. He occasionally encountered the one or other new inhabitant, waving him in an overly friendly manner, or leaving “for good neighborhood” gifts in front of his door. It all was very suspicious, but with the sale plan, he figured maybe that was some corporate ploy to make him feel at ease before they delivered the deathblow.

It didn’t stop though, and only got more weird. When he got to dissect the smartphone, it turns out it had been “accidentally” stuck in record mode the whole time, even if not showing anything. An unlikely, if possible glitch. But it made him suspicious. Could this girl be working for some undercover investigators? He’d have to keep an eye on her. Maybe the others were in on it too? But who would go to such lengths? Lately, he had kept his “investigative hacking” to a minimum, but there were a few things that he’d just needed to find out. Maybe someone was on to him?

He made a point to return the phone in person, try to get a gaze into the room and suss out something from conversation, but she was very noncommittal and friendly. He never was the best at social engineering, but she seemed to know just which questions to dodge. Once more, very suspicious.

It nagged him all week, even more so as the weird postal dumps didn’t stop coming. It was horse charities and prize contests, weirdly pink personalized party invitations, and eventually, a whole “Party Magic Kit” showed up as a free sample to boot. This wasn’t remotely normal, and he was about to bolt and lay low for a few days. But then, something entirely unexpected happened.



He had known the flat opposite his own was also getting a new tenant. But just as he was about to head down, someone came up that flight of stairs. A very familiar someone. Andi’s mouth gaped like a stranded goldfish.

“Martin! What are YOU doing here? Heck, what happened to you!!” Andi was rather unsettled by the pale, downtrodden, weird-eyed and almost flakey-skinned appearance of his old school friend. He looked like he’s been through some kind of intense withdrawal or medical crisis. But the other still cast a wide smile recognizing him.

“Ohhhh. Andi! It’s been how long? Months by now? Seriously sorry we fell out of touch. But this is even better. I’m just moving into the flat on the other side, you know? We can see each other every day.”

Andi blinked in confusion, startled and suspicious by that surely-not-a-coincidence, especially after all those other weird things. Did Amy come through? Or was someone else using him? Or her? It was hard to say. He couldn’t help but inquire:
“Just like that? Where have you been? What’s up with that weird pony-themed stuff on your profile? Hell, I thought a gang of Furries abducted you or you joined some extreme Brony LARP or something? That was some weird shit, man, if sure funny, now that I know you’re hopefully okay?” he voiced, with both concern and amusement. “Also, since when do you wear long hair? And you look terrible. Didn’t you always tell ME I need more sun? You’re so pinkie-pale I could swear you didn’t spend a day outside the last few months. Heck...is that scented skin wax? What happened to you!”

Martin waved a hand, if really weirdly. Like someone who hadn’t used one in a good while...not too unlike a certain other new denizen. But he still sounded confident. “Don’t be a worrywart, come on. All is good! Let’s just say I had some seriously engaging times. Can chat about it soon. Just come over anytime, okay?”

Suspicious or not, Andi really did want to reacquaint himself with his old friend, get to the bottom of this, and maybe lend the needed support. “Well, tonight then. You still have your game console? We can do some nice retro gaming with junk food and energy drinks and everything!”

“Oh, I’m more into sweet stuff, but sure! Might invite the one or other friend over later too. Would that be okay?” Martin cheerily asked.

“Mh. Not too many please, okay? I want to hear from you first and foremost.” Andi considered, also taking note of that change in habits. Just what HAD happened those months? Maybe some kind of extreme dieting? But Martin didn’t look any thinner. If any, maybe a bit more roundish, if still wiry and strong. And there was that odd, sweet scent reminding him of the bakery in the air. It was all mighty suspicious.

He was so in thought he barely caught the answer of “Okay, works for me. See you then, Trix.”

“What?” Martin blinked in confusion.

“I said: See you then, Andi.”

“No, you did not. I heard something else.” he insisted. Oh yes, something was up. Not a hint of doubt here. But he’d get to the bottom of it tonight.

Martin did just take it easy, giving a shrug and claiming “I don’t have your ears, Andi. But don’t worry. Just be there this evening, okay?”, before once more waving and vanishing into the flat swiftly, leaving his confused friend outside.


The second the door slammed shut behind, there was a whiny complaint of “I’m going CRAZY here, Fluttershy! Where’s my suit! How can humans live like this? Pinkie Now Now Nooooooow! I’m having cupcake code red fun withdrawal here!”

Dash squeezed between them, holding the plushless pony back “No! Bad Pinkie! Have you looked at yourself? You’re shedding frosting already! It was crazy work getting you out of the costume this morning. If you hadn’t snatched that darn water AGAIN, we would not have this problem. But you just can’t quit it, can you?”

“Oh come onnnnn. Luna wanted me to experiment with working it into bakery goods and sweet treats better, see if it got safer that way. That was all fair and square.” Pinkie defended herself with an innocent, if manically twitchy shrug.

“Yes. But no to EAT THEM ALL, and spilling the rest of it all over you! And then plunder the storage! That was the biggest mess I’ve ever seen. We nearly had to evacuate town.”

“But we learned a lot, right? Twilight says she’s still got books to write about it!”

“I think she meant damage reports! They are still cleaning the sugary toppings out of most chimneys, and we haven’t even caught all the damn living balloon animals yet.” Dash recalled the ‘Pinkapocalypse’.

Pinkie, of course, didn’t see it remotely as dramatically: “You can be such a sourpuss sometimes, Dashie. We all know you’d have done the same. There’s nothing you’d not do to be able to fly.”

Now, the pegasus pony seemed quite flustered and nervous herself. “That’s not…that’s different. Plus, I have only gotten little bits. For the mission!”

“Suuure. Why don’t you take off your suit then? Mhhh? Maybe it’s just a wee bit stuck? Or you just can’t be without it just as much?” Pinkie edged the rainbow pegasus on. Someone else had enough, though:

“PONIES! Please, stuff it.” Fluttershy yelled out in frustration. “You both have a point. Pinkie. Please, keep away from the suit for now. You can wear your pink pony pajamas, and you remember all the tasty treats we brought with us? Pick your favorites, sit down by the TV and watch something nice and distracting, okay?
As for you, Dash, I appreciate you trying to disarm the situation, but you needn’t push back so hard. We all understand. That need too. But Twilight’s new research is really promising. Flight or not, you’re a pegasus pony. Wear things whenever you like, but we might need you in human form tonight. Our target is a little cautious. Baby steps, just like we prepared all week with those little nudges, okay? Let them bond again first though, and then we’ll see about the rest of us joining in, be it before or after. Just keep yourself available if anything goes wrong. Backup plans are important.”

“Fiiine. So pony pajamas and fighting is magic tourney it is. Up for passing some time, pal?” Dash conceded.

“Eeeeyupp!” Applejack agreed from the living room, fondly imitating his brother’s usual saying.


Later that Evening…

“Heeeey! Andi! Glad you could make it.” Martin cheered happily as he opened the door to find his old friend as hoped.

Said friend just stood there for a moment, blinking and pointing upwards. “Uhm...what is that on your head, dude? You know now you’ll have to spill a LOT of stories.”

Martin just shrugged, unperturbed at the pink, cute pony-head and cozy fleece pajamas being pointed out. “Comfy pony sleepwear? I mean, you know it’s gonna be late. Let’s make it a sleepover. As you already figured, yeah, there was an, uhm, pony play camp of sorts. Yes, you could say that. Was real fun, got some nice spoils too. And yes, part of it is about channeling your inner pony, for positive change in your life. I got a lot better at party planning and baking.”

“Yeah, right. You and an oven of delicate dough? Not on your life. But fine, “Pinkie Pie”, I indulge you. Though you are aware I hope, that if there are any recording devices involved, I swear coming out as a hardcore Brony will be far from humiliating by comparison.“

“Pinkie Swear. Now, which one do you want?” came the cheery answer, the pajama-pony bouncing towards a nearby closet chock-full of similar attire. Anything from Cheerielee to Daring-Do to Spitfire in soft fuzz with lush manes and tails graced the colorful collection.

Andi was stunned. Sure, he had expected some pony crazyness, but this was a bit much. “Where did you...” he started, only to have his friend interrupt:

“Secret Brony Camp, obviously. But actually, they’re quite affordable off Ebay.” Martin was claiming innocently.

Andi eyed the collection. Ebay? Cheap? They didn’t look anything like that, many even coming with elaborate accessories too, and they all had detailed cutie mark embroidery on their flanks too. But he also noticed something else that made him blush a little. “You know I’m not into the whole girly stuff. Don’t you have anything more normal that’s cozy? Sweatpants or something?”

“Oh please. It’s anthropomorphic cartoon ponies. Who cares about gender? They’re ALL mares here. And they’re soft and warm and snugly. Don’t look the gift horse in the mouth, will you?” Martin insisted as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Andi shook his head, still suspicious, though then his gaze fell upon a certain pale blue flank with a lush white and light azure tail and mane. The pajama pony in question sported a rather strikingly confident smirk on its plushy headcover too. It even came with cape and a hat to boot. After looking around again in suspicion, he eventually conceded: “Well, Trixie is... kind of well sewn. I like the colors.”

“Sure you do. Hop in, will ya?” Martin cheered eagerly, pulling it out and pushing the Trixie pajamas straight into Andi’s face.

He held up his hands in defense. “Hey, hey. I can’t just get into my undies in front out here. Heck, and please at least lower the curtains. Where’s the bathroom?” he insisted on a bit of a more dignified procedure.

“Suuuure. Gonna have to sample some choice bakery after though. I even made you a welcome cake!”

“Hmhmm. Did you put on a candle or frosting writing, maybe?” Andi ribbed lightly.

“Puh-leeze. You’ll see. Now get your butt into proper plush so we can huddle up and enjoy some good ol’ games!”


Hours Later…

It had been suspicious, nostalgic and weird all at the same time. Yes, the cake was not a lie. And of course it said “To my Best Pony-Gal”, which was just plain weird... but incredibly tasty. As were those cupcakes.

Still, soon as they both crashed on the couch, broke out the good ol’ SNES and spend the rest of the evening playing every cartridge up and down while gorging themselves on delicious snacks, the fact they were doing it in colorful plush pony pajamas became less and less of a thing in mind, and they were really cozy.

It might’ve been that, or something about the food, but in the end, they just both passed out on the sofa contently, lulled to sleep by good old memories, not even noticing the other figures sneakily entering the flat and going to work.


The morning after…

“Hey! You’re finally Awake! Slept like a Filly. Come on, Breakfast’s waiting!” came the really cheery voice from above. It sounded vaguely like Martin, but much more happy and girly. And that sight…
Andi blinked hard, then pinched his arm...then his ear. But he couldn’t assess to be still dreaming. Yet what he saw all too closely resembled a certain wildly improbable picture meme often passed around among Bronies:

Pinkie, of course, was right in his face, upside down, smiling wide and cute with those big azure eyes and the wild mane. Rainbow Dash peeked in from the side with a curious, slightly cocky expression, her mane a stunning river of colors. Fluttershy’s gaze was gentle and comforting, while Applejack grinned enthusiastically, tickling his face with her mane. Twilight also was front and center, holding out a hoof to help him up.

Andi yelled, tried to jump back and looked around in a frenzy. “No, no, NO. What? Oh, come ON, Martin, what are your crazy friends up. I did not hit my head, and we’re not in Equestria!” he voiced, trying to find something to reassure himself this was still just his friend’s apartment. But while the layout was the same, everything else had been changed – there were artworks of ponies and hoof print insignia, toony carpets and giant sweets and not a hint of regular décor... and then of course those five stunningly show-accurate plush ponies just peeking at him, beckoning him. Those weren’t pajamas at all, and they left no hint of a human to be seen.

“But we’re all ponies, just like you.” Twilight couldn’t help but still claim, prodding his Trixie hat with her hoof.

“Martiiiin. What have you done? Are those your friends? If you just dragged me into a Bronycon, I swear…”

“Shhh. I go by Pinkie Pie, kays? But they’re my friends. As you are. We’re going to have SO MUCH FUN together. Twilight planned all this so...well, barely adequately that I still insist on a happy pony birthday party for you later. Can’t have your recruiting be such a slow-burn snooze-fest. I’ll make sure everyone’ll have a great time. You needn’t worry one bit.

“This is bonkers. I’m outta here!” the overwhelmed Andi yelped, squeezing past all the soft plush with a fierce blush and then dashing for the bathroom to lock himself in. He panted hard as the door slammed shut behind him. Just some crazies. Just some... crazy things all right. Could there be something to the weird abduction stories Amy had only mentioned in passing? Either way, they seemed much too crazy to be a threat. He’d just wait them out, maybe call the cops. Yes, surely, they’d help.”



Meanwhile, out on the street...

“We’ve located the hacker, Sir. Local law enforcement will cooperate and stand by as we need.”, an uniformed specialist in front of the large, unmarked van reported.

“Good. Higher ups have been pretty explicit we cannot allow any more tapping into our feeds by this individual. We’ll do this the old fashioned way. The serious talk first. But the men should surround the house already, just in case. I’ll not let some punk slip my grasp.” the unit leader loud out the plan.

“Understood, Sir. I’ll instruct the men. Do you need any help?”

“Just send Agent Smith up with me. His physicality will make the talk easier.”


Back Upstairs...

“No, I’m not coming out!” Andi grumped. “Not till I have the best explanation in the world what the heck happened to you, Martin, and what is up with you hanging out with this pony lifestyler gang. You know I don’t mind the show, but seriously? There’s taking things too far.”

“Oh, come on. I just want you to have a good time. We all do. Why do you want this life? We can offer you something so much better.” Pinkie answered, with a hint of exasperation. “I thought you’d find this super fun to wake up that way. We joked about this meme too together, you remember?”

“Super different from actually waking up like that. Loony bin’s not my style. I still don’t even know what they did to you. You’re almost a completely different person, costume or not!”

“Just lighten up, will you? I swear. This is the new, improved me.” Pinkie insisted, adding a more thoughtful “And was I ever this bad in accepting pony things?”

“YES.”, “According to Luna, way worse.” Dash and Applejack insisted from the sides.

“Oh, Shush. It’s suuuuper fun. There’s no better thing than being a plush pony, believe me” Pinkie voiced eagerly, dismissing the concerns. Andi just worked to further barricade the bathroom door, thinking hard about escape options.

Outside, more voices spoke up, and eventually, a more soft-spoken Fluttershy knocked. “I am very sorry for my friends being a little overzealous. I can assure you we mean you no harm. How about this? We all back off to the other room, and let you come out with enough space to bolt if you really want to. And we talk this out until we come to an agreement? We can answer all your questions.” she suggested.

Andi thought it over. There was no good escape from the tiny bathroom window, and it would actually increase his chances to run. Plus, he sure was kind of curious to hear more details even in the face of all. He peeked out from the door’s tinted tiles, and noticed they were indeed all backing off. After waiting a little more, he sighed “Okay, deal. But no tricks. That’s my domain.”

“Of course it is, Trixie! We all think you’re great...AND powerful!” Pinkie yelled, before Dash groaned hard and held her muzzle shut again.

Andi shook his head and finally emerged, just now realizing he hadn’t taken off the ridiculous clothes yet. He was about to state his questions when there was a knock on the door. “Oh come on. Deal breaker right there.” he accused the ponies.

“That’s not us, I swear. Let me...” Twilight began, before Pinkie just ran to the door “Diiibs!”, much to everyone’s chagrin.

Though neither of them expected the two suits with badges actually waiting impatiently outside. Twilight groaned and muttered something about really needing some com-links in their suits.

Despite the downright bizarre encounter of pony – Pinkie blocking the whole floor with her mass of mane and tail – the agents tried their best to remain professional, even if it was obvious they could barely control their facial muscles. Still, the smaller one mentioned: “Mr...Pie? We require your cooperation in an important matter. Did you notice the individual living across your flat leave the building today?”

“What? Nooo. I don’t think he was here at all. Maybe he has a sleepover with friends?” the pink pony deflected casually.

“Is that so? Would you object to us having a quick look through your flat?”

Pinkie shook her head unabashedly: “Oh, actually it’s ponies only tonight. Sorry, gentlemen, you’ll have to inquire another time when we’re open to new members.”

They weren’t having it. “I think not. State police. We are following a solid lead, and you will not impede our investigation. Comply, or you could be accused of harboring a fugitive and hiding them from state powers.”

“Fugi... ohh, like that fun show about that doctor on the run from the evil state troopers? That was exciting. You guys totally looked like Buffoons all the time.” the party pony snickered. Twilight’s head was completely buried in her hooves by this point.

“That’s enough. Move aside, or we will have to use force.” the smaller one threatened.

Pinkie just cheered and clapper her hooves in reponse: “Awww. You can use the force? That’s so cool! Was that a jedi mind trick? Sorry, it doesn’t work on Ponies. But can I try out your lightsaber?” It was impossible to tell if that was sarcasm or not.

The two agents were absolutely not amused either way. “Smith, if you would?”

“Heeey..Rude! The droids you’re looking for aren’t here!”

A new voice spoke up behind Pinkie: “Excuse me, Misters. This is private land. Can I see your actual search permit?”
Applejack wasn’t much more massive than the larger Agent, even with the slightly padded costume. But she sure as hell looked surprisingly intimidating and cross for a cartoon pony.

“What kind of meeting is this? Are you the fugitive, hiding under that pony mask? Remove that at once.”

“Hah! Wanna rip off my face or something? You doofus. Best scoot before I toss ya’ll out of our barn.” Applejack scoffed.

“Barn...Doofus? You cosplayers ought to show some respect. You’re all under arrest.” the smaller agent yelled with a face of anger.

The pony easily kept her cool, hoofs folded. “Hah. Make us!”

The bigger agent wasn’t having any of it. He simply advanced, trying to take the farm-pony into a choke hold. He could as well have tried to squeeze steel. Applejack just smirked – an actual smirk on that pony snout, as if the costume was very much alive. It was enough to make the present non-ponies gasp.

“Oh, is that all? You wouldn’t last ten minutes Apple-bucking. Last chance, buster. Hoof it outta here, or I’ll show you what I do with the rotten ones in the bunch.” Applejack clearly enjoyed her speech.

“ENOUGH. Raise your ho...hands. NOW.” the other agent yelled, fumbling for his pistol.

He never got it. Rainbow Dash rushed over and tackled the agent against the wall, putting HIM into a chokehold now. The azure-hued pony had little trouble holding the more diminutive intruder down, even without Applejack’s supernatural earth pony power.

Said farm-pony tilted her head, slowly advancing on agent Smith’s more muscled form. This must’ve been the first time in his life he was intimidated by an overgrown cartoon character.

“Good, very good. A few more steps, and you’re out of our hay. Then you’ll march back, tell your people to can it, and scamper off like the beaten dogs you are. Don’t meddle with mares, you’ll regret it.”

He made one last attempt at punching Applejack, just to have his hand caught in a hoof with ease, and a light kick sending him cartwheeling out, to collapse in a dazed heap on the other side. Rainbow dash carried and dumped the other agent a moment later, confiscating both their guns.

“And stay out” she yelled, slamming the door shut, leaving only five costume-ponies and one human in the room.


Andi peeked from one snout to the other, baffled, yet thinking hard. “Okay. Will anyone tell me what’s up with Mrs. bionic pony here? That’s well beyond what Animatronics could do. Either there is some seriously high-tech, low noise power armor hidden under that pony costume, or there’s a lot you’re not telling me, Martin. I also can’t fathom how well Dash can see in that costume. And as for you, Martin... Pinkie... don’t think I didn’t notice that cutie mark tattoo on your side during our tickle-fight yesterday?”

“It’s not a tattoo. But If I tell you, well, I will once you are a proper pony.” his old friend mouthed, the slightest bit embarrassed.

Fluttershy harrumphed a bit. “Now that everyone got their issues vented, could we focus on minimum violence solutions to the mess we have in our hooves?”

“Nothin’ wrong with a good arsewhoopin’ if they got it coming. These penguins are messin’ with things they shouldn’t.” the farm-pony stated.

“Yeah, I’m with Applejack. If they’re all such rank amateurs...” Dash chimed in.

The yellow pegasus shook her head. “I assume they will have back-up. A considerable amount. We cannot risk them using their guns, even more with Trixie still being this vulnerable.”

“Wait a second. You mean...me? Really? Really really?” Andi inquired, still trying to wrap his mind around all the condensed crazy happening around him.

“Yes. They’re looking for you. You know there’s only one way out of here. I am rather sure by now, you have figured our cause. We tried to break it to you more gently, in a supportive, familiar environment. But our not quite friendly agents down there unfortunately messed up our plans.”

Andi was silent for a moment, then inhaled softly, just to say: “Two things. One, you’d not have to tell me to try that kind of crazy well made costume twice normally, if I didn’t have to have a damned audience. Two...what guarantee do I have that you haven’t arranged for this whole mess just to get me to do that?”

“Would it make a difference? Please. If it was a trap, we would have you trapped. If it was a coincidence, we could save you.” Fluttershy empathically offered.

Andi still wasn’t quite satisfied. “Let me inspect that thing first.”

“Of course. You can have the bathroom, but be quick. Doesn’t look like the two misters will be held up by bureaucracy for long.”

“Speaking of. You need to sign this.” Pinkie yelled, waving around a lightly crumpled sheet of paper right in front of Andi.

He caught it and briefly scanned the writing, quite confounded. “…Really? REALLY? And I thought Amy’s Ideas were a little far out! You realize this won’t hold up in any human court anyway, though? Also... where’s the catch? Do you want to eat my first-born? Sell my organs on the black market if I break the rules? This whole elaborate scheme just to surprise me with ponies, and then make me come with you? Why? Why me?”

“Mhh. It will hold up in every pony court, and Twilight Sparkle would get another freak-out if we don’t have our forms correct. Oh, and no. We’d not need any of that. We just give each pony a fair choice – join us voluntarily and be brainwashed a little, or refuse and be made a pony the hard way. Which I call the fun way, by the way. You can sign, but of course I’d love to give you the full pony party experience anyhow!” Pinkie said eagerly. “Have you noticed how much more fun I have now? I want you to be just as happy.”

“Look. You lot are crazy. And I’m disappointed in you, Pinkie... How could you do that to me?” Andi accused, feeling just a bit betrayed, even if part of him was compelled by the surreal and colorful conspiracy.

“Well. For one, Amy also joined us voluntarily. So you’ll have two long-time pony pals already. Also, you can take your Computer with you. We have a lot of really cool IT stuff there, free gigabit connections for everyone!
We are a modern pony village!”

Andi shook his head in disbelief, almost laughing at the compelling absurdity of it all. “Of course she did. So that’s how this came about... okay. Let’s put it that way. If your zany pony ways can get us all out of this pinch, AND I get to keep my computer, undamaged and networked whenever I wish... you got yourself a Trixie. Sounds good?” he offered. In the end, if he could keep most he cherished in life, stay with good friends, and have a stable high-fidelity net connection, plus, hopefully no more shabby overpriced fifth floor housing? Who’d care about having to wear an – admittedly rather great – pony costume.

Pinkie, of course, was full of cheer already: “Sounds gooooood! It’s gonna be so much fun. We can do parties and shows together, and can be best pony gals all year. You can even come with and help out on some of our recruiting drives!”

“Shhh, let’s not get ahead of yourselves. Escape first, okay?” Andi brought them back to reality, just a wee bit worried about that enthusiasm.

Pinkie shrugged and peeked around. “Fine. Dash? What about an air-lift?”

“Sorry, Celestia and Twilight have me on a water-free diet still. Derpy could deliver, but she’s not as fast, and can’t carry us all.”

“Wait, wait. Air lift? You guys got a helicopter? And you let Derpy fly it? Are ye mad?” Andi blabbered in disbelief.

No one seemed to care though, as Pinkie just went on: “Well, y’all know who hasn’t yet gotten too much of the water, right?”

“Pinkie...” almost all the other ponies complained at the same time.

“ME, of course! No, you know what I mean. What’s the harm? Could just as well do it now. Celestia needn’t know all the details anyhow.”

They all groaned to that, so Pinkie just continued. “I actually saved you some. I know you have questions – cliff notes or story time?”

Andi blinked, just then realizing that was aimed at him. “Definitely cliff notes. What is with this water? Performance-enhancing drugs?”

“WHY is everyone always thinking it’s drugs?” Pinkie groaned. She continued: “Nope. It’s Magic Pony Water. It makes you part of the herd if you drink it. If you get enough, it’ll make you into the pony you are supposed to be, and it even gives you awesome pony powers based on your cutiemark and ponykind. For a while, that is. Luna would make you drink a bit anyhow eventually, so why not get started on that?”

“Wait, wait. You have water that can brainwash people on ingestion? How and Why do you not control the country yet?” Andi mouthed in complete disbelief. Just what kind of conspiracy was this?

“Eh, we take our time. Quality over Quantity. Plus, the water’s a limited resource. It only trickles in slowly.” Pinkie justified with a shrug.

“Assuming I believe all this, what about side effects? What will it do to my personality?” Andi still wanted to know.

There was another dismissive hoof-wiggle, explainaing: “It’s not a brain eraser, silly. It just takes what is there, makes you understand ponies and your pony self, and pushes those fitting traits to the front. Easy peasy.”

“Still sounds like some serious brainwashing to me.”

“Well, I can bake now. Does that convince you?”

“Of the existence of Magic all right, yeah.” Andi had to concede with a laugh, but he nonetheless asked again: “You still haven’t told me about side effects.”

Pinkie sighed, trying to draw more on her experience to explain it. “Well... you get addicted to being a pony. Eventually, you become a pony. Well, not completely, but as close as you can be. You asked about my cutie mark, right? That’s actually permanent now, if I wear the costume or not. You couldn’t even laser it off, it’d just regrow like this. My hair also grows into a mane naturally and poofs out, and... who knows what else will happen? But heck, it’s soooo fun! Come on, you’re gonna love being a pony!”


“You’re completely crazy for coco puffs. But you’re Pinkie, so I get that. The others seem to at least be more... well adjusted. So I assume Trixie would also be less on the crazy side. I hope?” Andi speculated, still trying to figure out exactly what was going to happen. But his curiousity was piqued.

“Yeah, yeah, but we’d be party besties!”

“Can I do anything to talk you out of this?” was the only thing left to ask, even if he knew the answer.

“Nope. If you say no, I’ll haunt you forever with your costume, and make sure everyone in your life knows you’re a pony now, and abduct you for super intense party special effects training. You know we got all kinds of awesome magic and can just brainwash anyone, so it’s impossible to escape.” she elaborated cheerily.

“I could try...”, Andi mumbled, even though shivering a bit at how much he believed Pinkie would do just that – and believe it to be what was best for both of them to boot. She definitely could be the most scary pony.

Right now, though, she seemed to go another route, emphasizing: “But you want to be Trixie. Come on. The Great and Powerful? Magician Pony extraordinaire?”

He sighed, not able to dismiss that out of hand. “I do like those last parts. So is this reversible?”

“Twilight told me the critical dosage was likely about half a liter per month. You can just take a few sips. But you gotta wear the costume”

“Fine. You got yourselves a deal.” It seemed there was no other out right now.

“Sooo... Magical My Little Pony Cupcake? I didn’t actually eat all of them. Would never leave my good gal-pal without.”, Pinkie presented. It was a yummy-looking treat in Trixie’s colors, with a sparkly wand-like candle and a magic hat from marzipan ontop. In a way, it was flattering how crazy much effort they put into all this.

Andi sighed, but it really smelled good. He took the fancy cupcake, and took a bite. And waited... and waited…

“Uh. So what am I supposed to…?” he began, before he looked at the ponies. He had paid extra close attention to his mental state, so he noticed there was something new all right. A bit like a... built-in thesaurus, giving a gentle suggestion to an extra level of meaning on some things. So when he looked at the ponies, he more felt than heard: Kin. Herd. Like you. Audience, accompanied by a gentle pull of trust and companionship. It should’ve been unsettling, but there was no force behind it. Simply a suggestion and an invitation. Likewise, peeking at those thick plush hooves gave a feeling of familiarity and comfort.



And gazing upon their cutie marks made his mind fill with a surprising, immediate understanding of what each of them symbolized, putting emotions and expressions into those mostly static pony faces in an unexpected, but immediately appealing way. Especially Pinkie seemed to downright glow from the inside, and the feeling of sheer happiness, exuberance and the intense want to be reunited with her friend was very visceral and heartwarming. A mode of communication he never thought he’d experience, feeling most honest and open. He couldn’t notice deceit from any of them, even if there was something a lil’ weird about Applejack, a sort of looming hint of doubt hidden away deeply. But also confidence and determination. And as his gaze fell upon the elaborate Trixie suit, there was even a hint of pride and a soft, tempting whisper of “Me. You. Us...Embrace Greatness!”

He really should’ve been creeped out, but it all actually made him smile. This was more like a little pony on your shoulder playfully commenting on things and sharing an emotional bond with its kin, taking all the uncertainty and awkwardness out of things. Though after a moment more, the effect seemed to slowly fade a little, becoming more like a subdued thing. Just little hunches. Soon, it was just him again in his mind, almost a bit lonely. But now he understood why it was something so special. And he wanted to know more. Much more.

“Okay. Let’s get this done. Gimme that thing, please?” he pointed at the Trixie suit.

“That thing? Nuuuh. Don’t let her hear that... well... you... well, you know what I mean. She can be a lil’ bit insisting on proper addressal.” Pinkie snickered.

“Yeah, sure. It’s just a costume, weird pony magic potions or not.”

“Hmhmm. Juust a costume. Well, anyhow, go dress then, I’ll help!”

“Pinkie...” he grumbled, though still gave a smile. The name sounded right now, and he didn’t mind so much. “Fine. But no peeking, you others!”

It felt only mildly awkward to wiggle out of the pajamas, and then slowly sink into the much softer and nicer material of the thick Trixie costume. It was definitely measure-made and had an amazing liner, with those hooves slinking around his limbs with ease. Sure it meant giving up a large amount of dexterity, but the feeling almost gave him goosebumps. Even more so as Pinkie started to pull the zipper tight, contracting the whole cute, if sassy pony-shape around him. “One more bite?” Pinkie offered, and he didn’t object. She pushed the thick pony-head on while he was still chewing, adding the magician’s hat and unfurling the cape. Occupied as he was, he didn’t notice the soft click of the lock hidden under said cape.

It felt... different. Very different. Sure, all motions were a bit more clumsy and muted now, but he looked and even felt a little bit like a living cartoon pony. His favorite one nonetheless. And ...did Trixie just... wink at him?

He stared at the bathroom mirror. Yupp. No doubt.

“So that’s us now, mh? Fancy, are we not?” he almost jumped at the renewed voice in his head.

“Wh... what? Who’s speaking.”

“Oh, please. You know full well. Magical unicorn pony costume here? Could just be a figment of your imagination as your mind copes with the effects of enchanted pony potions, but it’s just as well. Trixie. Nice to meet us.”

“Oh, right. So I’m speaking to an inanimate object, myself, or have hallucinations?”

“Could be all of that, really. But the important thing is: Do you want this enough? Everyone taking the water has a choice. What the others told you was true. This isn’t just brainwashing. You take a sip, you get a hint. Then you can mull it over. If you binge it... you either accept what you’ll become, or you might go insane. I’d rather not have that happen to us, so your mind has to sort out what it wants to do.”

“Okay, Trixie-in-My-Mind. What do you suggest?”

“Obvious, isn’t it? Become a proper pony. And not any pony, but the great AND powerful Trixie! Could you have made a better choice? You’re pretty knowledgeable yourself. If we combine our talents and aptitudes, we’ll reach even more amazing heights of greatness!” the pony in the mirror explained patiently, if a bit annoyed at having to lay out the obvious.

“Are there downsides?”

“To being a pony? No. It doesn’t seem you have much to loose, and everything to gain. Do you think you have what it takes to be the most dazzling magical pony in all of Equestria?”

“Heh. Just watch me. So, what do I have to do?”

“Take that bottle Pinkie is holding. She’ll binge it soon herself otherwise, and you don’t want that.”

He snatched it and caught it in both hooves, while still affixedly staring at his mirror image. That light blue magical unicorn pony he was trapped as now. He brought the flask to his snout, finding the small opening to push into, and took a long gulp.

This was different. Way different. Maybe it wasn’t as effective in bakery form, but as he swallowed now... It was like liquid, magical fire searing through his mind and body. It felt like his skin was on fire, and the costume glowed and contracted, fitting ever more perfectly. He opened her eyes, and could swear they were glowing with white light. And they understood!

There was no more mirror-image Trixie. There just was a Great and Powerful unicorn pony stretching its hooves and looking satisfied at her outfit. Sure, the wearer was aware of his old identity and personality, but plenty willing to embrace what this entailed. Trixie laughed, if a bit madly. “Oh, this is golden. So that is what Pony Power feels like? What is this? Probability Vector Field Manipulation? Directed Brownian Motion? Induced Proximity Quantum-Pair Bonding? How do we do this stuff? Ponykinesis, mh? The best there is, of course. Ohh yes. We’re great and Powerful all right.”

Trixie’s Horn glowed, and another cupcake floated into her hoof, which easily bent to catch it. “Oh, the shows we’ll have. Everyone will recognize the magnificience of Trixie, the Great and Powerful!”

“Whoooohoooo! Kazam!” Pinkie voiced from the side, holding a pair of burning blue party fountains, and pointing out “Fun! I talk to myself all the time too. It’s not too weird.”

The new pony blushed just a little. “Ehrm... The Great and Powerful Trixie just uses pluralis majestatis. It’s a stage presence thing, you know?”

“Oh, Right. Are the cupcakes good?” Pinkie winked happily.

“Yes. I admit, you can bake now. But we have a bit of other trouble at our hooves, right?” Trixie voiced, inwardly wondering just how much of that she had voiced out loud, and if that weird notion of having a sort-of inner voice and vault of knowledge and confidence would stay or change.
It was a little addictive, though the separation between her inner and outer self was sure not all that clear-cut anymore. Was it like that for all ponies? She inquired:
“So. We’re about to give a proper show and a taste of my power to those foolish agents, yes?”

“I was going to say we create a distraction, snatch what you need and high-tail it out of here to rendezvous with our support?” Twilight suggested.

“And deprive all of them of a good show? No can do, Twilight. Maybe you’d tuck tail and run, but the GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie...”

“Oh ye gods. Get on with it then, please!” Applejack mouthed in mild annoyance.

“Certainly. Prepare to be amazed.”

Trixie stepped to the window, peeking down below. There was the gray squad car and a whole bunch of troopers preparing to get off, with many already more or less well positioned on the street an surrounding roofs. It sure looked like a big operation. But oh, they’d sure get second thought soon.

It wasn’t hard to feel down there, and extend a mental grip right around the paddle and steering wheel of the tropper truck. Maybe it’d be taxing to a regular unicorn, but for the great and powerful trixie, it was none of that. She pushed, and the car jolted forward, the dazed driver trying to hold on, and everyone inside hollering for him to stop as the car rushed off with its load, slaloming to make sure to chase most of the streetbound troopers to dive for cover, then make a little jump, just to get stuck in the nearby park’s muddy little creek. That took care of one part. But the fun had only just started.

With the scene set, Trixie set out to grab her next target – a trooper with a tear gas launcher found his aim suddenly not so true, and the weapon and trigger janked enough to fire straight into the small squad gathered in front of the building’s entrance. There were yells and curses en masse. Especially as more detonations followed, all aimed down the streets, as if there already was an escape going on – with one of the parked cars starting and heading into that direction as well. Conveniently, the squad’s comms seemed to only produce static right now as well. What a trick indeed. Telekinetically manipulating fine electronics at such a range was certainly a feat worthy of the Great and Powerful Trixie – even if it was just a well tugged loose wire. But it was all about the effect. And she sure had made an impression. Most of the troopers seemed to be in disarray, either following the fake “escape car”, hiding from the tear gas clouds, or yelling at each other and trying to make their sabotaged equipment work.
“Hmph. How’s that for a distraction?” Trixie stated with confidence, if trying to mask a light headache and throbbing below the costume’s horn.

The other Ponies sure seemed impressed, if a bit speechless at this use of power. In the end, it was Twilight taking charge and speaking for them all: “Mighty swell, but let’s all rush now? Derpy will fetch your computers for you. We have a car to meet on the other side.”

Trixie hurried out as well, grumbling something about unreliable pony mail, but still snatched the contents of the houses’ apothecary into a little bag to be stocked for their travel, then followed the others. There already were shouts and footsteps downstairs, and they all gave it a good rush...just to come face to face with a dozen of assault weapons.

“Oh please. Let the Great and Powerful Trixie handle this! Gentlecolts, please. Let’s not get this in the way of...” she began with confidence, well intent to grip and pull away those guns. But the horn only gleamed slightly, then faded. “Whooops. Out of juice already? Seriously, watered down water… well, you see. Then I’ll have to lead with... this!”

She was barely aware what her hooves had completed with ease from the assorted medications and a pocket lighter. But she tossed the makeshift smoke bomb right at their feet, biting fumes filling the room and letting everyone cough – the enclosed pony masks doing a decent job at protecting them though, so following Applejack’s bashing lead, they bowled the commandos over and stormed out, high-tailing it to a certain ice cream van parket nearby.

“SERIOUSLY? I know who’s gonna pay for dry cleaning!” Rainbow Dash complained, pulling the doors closed in a hurry.

“Oh please. My Magic’s gotten us out of the sitch, can you complain any more?” Trixie defended her craft.

“Your STINK BOMB has. Magic my butt!”

“Picky, picky. It was effective.”

“Please, Mares. Focus. You can resume squabbling once we’re back in Ponyville.” Fluttershy advised. “Trixie. I bet you have a lot to catch up with Twilight Sparkle too – which you now as Amy.” Mostly though, it was a thoughtful move to prevent their planner pony from fussing about the whole drive how her first own operation went so far south and what Luna would do. Either way, it was a relief when the van finally started on their trek towards their old and new home.


Not too far away though, there were two Alicorns standing on a nearby roof, watching the ice cream truck slowly leave the scene, veiled in shadow and unnoticed by the confused and uncoordinated state troopers.

“Complete chaos. I was so sure Twilight would get this done neater. With all that set-up... yet now that is still going to require quite some clean-up. And without our aid, their escape might have failed. You were wise to have us here, even if I still don’t quite approve of this liberal use of the water.” Celestia sighed.

“Oh, lighten up” the moon-pony voiced, her horn glowing lightly as she kept the van shielded in darkness till it was out of range, while maintaining their own cover as well with practiced ease. “Sometimes, there are variables out of your control. And it will be a good large-scale test of our new infiltrators and clean-up team. Convenient the investigative office of those agents recently switched catering suppliers too. You wanted to upgrade our guardspony force after all. And yes, it could have worked more smoothly, but we got what we wanted. Trixie will be an asset to Ponyville in the times to come.”

“You are strangely agreeable and calm, Luna. I noticed that lately. Another side-effect of those experiments?” the sun princess observed.

“Ponyville has been growing, sister. Yes, we made missteps. We face more threats. But we also grow stronger all the time, both in our bonds and in how we can shape the world. I always knew we would be able to do it. Who knows? Maybe one day, every sentient being on this planet will be united as ponies in peace and prosperity.”

“Your ambition certainly is without peer, Luna. I just sometimes worry...”

“Don’t. Please, sis. You have seen the signs. Pinkie is already bound to be a pony for life. She’ll never want to be without her costume again. Applejack never really had a choice in what she is now. Dash is well on her way to being a permanent pony too. It sets a good example if their alicorn rulers are the same. And as you have seen, it does not even take large doses to achieve what we need with some practice. Yes, there might always be part-time ponies, but for us, this is our life.”

Celestia peeked out across the city scape with a sigh, her wings curling up slightly. There was truth in her sister’s words. Maybe it was unavoidable, with all the help they had to give in this phase. And maybe they really would not repeat the mistakes of the past. Either way, she didn’t want to feud with her fellow princess over this, so instead just comfortingly cradled her head against Luna’s. “I understand. We’ll go on, with both compassion and zeal. Together. Bring cheer and pony friendship to the world. One more to join our herd, many to follow.”

With that, they took to the skies, heading home.



Epilogue...a week later, in Ponyville

The sky was on fire. Lush flame bouquets filled it with glittering embers, slowly descending downwards, where colorful ponies with party hats danced around sparkling fires, laughing and toasting the new year. It had a bit of a battle of Endor victory vibe, Trixie mused softly. Despite having set up most of the pyrotechnics, by now it would all run by itself, leaving the unicorn pony to enjoy the company of a certain old and new friend.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” the magician pony mused softly.

“Hmhmmm! You’re awesome, Trixie. Loove the cutie mark rockets and the sky-glitter.” Pinkie cheered, slapping her back with a hoof.

That actually made her blush a little. “Heh, thanks, but no, I mean...this. All this here. Our little magical pony kingdom, hidden away from all the world’s strife. It’s so...weirdly pure. Look at all of them. Just having fun, being what they want to be, not a single worry to feel this night.” Trixie mused, surprisingly soft spoken. She sighed contently, taking in the atmosphere of laughter, distant firecrackers and howling fountains in the sulfurous and cold night. Not that it bothered their thickly plush-bound bodies.

“Of course not. And you had doubts! Sure we abduct people and force them into pony costumes to make them part of our secret society. But we do it cause we care. Well, usually!”

“Pinkie...don’t overdo it, kays? You silly, silly pony.” Trixie snickered. “It’s strange, though. You have changed so much. All those worries, fears and clinging to the status quo... entirely gone. Yet I feel like we’re closer than ever, and maybe even more ourselves.”

“You always liked Trixie, though, right? I didn’t know I was a good Pinkie Pony before all this, but sure wouldn’t pick anything different.”

“Yeah, Trixie’s pretty Great, mhhh?” the pale blue pony nagged. “Your Cupcakes and Pies rule too though. Baking is magic all right. Once it’s past midnight, we sneak into Sugarcube Corner and raid what’s left in the pantry, okay?”

“Heck, Sure, pony-sis!”

“That still sounds weird. But ye...