Chapter 9: Metamorphisis

The gray pony woke up in a hospital room.

Wasn't I on the other side of the room? He thought. He looked over and saw his friends huddled around the other bed. He raised his hand to rub his eyes, but yelped in suprise when raised a hoof instead. Everypony looked at him.

"What?" He asked.

"Who...who are you?" Dash questioned.

"Come on, Dash, it's me." He stated as if it was obvious. They just stared at him.

"This isn't funny." He said. He saw a mirror on the desk next to his bed. When he looked in it, he jumped back, falling off the side of the bed, still covered by the blanket. He stood up and came to a realization. His friends had the same one.

"Am I a-" he started.

"Unicorn." Dash finished. "Josh, is that you?" He looked up and, sure enough, a horn sat above his eyes.

"Whoa, freaky." He said.

"It is you!" Dash exclaimed as she ran over and hugged him.

"How is this possible?" Celestia asked. The others were still in shock.

"I don't know. I guess the spell had a delayed effect," He shrugged. He turned back to Dash.

"Come on, yall. Would should give this two their privacy." Applejack giggled as she and Pinkie pushed the others out of the room. When they were gone, Dash hugged Josh again. When she let go, she slapped him.

"What was that for?!" He yelled, rubbing his face.

"For dying!" She said with tears in her eyes.

"Well in case you haven't notice, I wasn't trying to-" He was cut off when she kissed him.

"And that?" He asked softly when she pulled away.

"For being a hero." She said shyly, which wasn't like her at all. "You guys can come back in now." She said, turning around. They all filed into the room, blushing.

"Welcome back from the dead." Spike said.

"Thanks. Now let's get out of here. I hate hospitals." Josh used his mouth to pull the blanket off his back. Everypony gasped. Josh shrugged and streched his legs one at a time, popped his new bones, and extended his wings.

Wait! Wings?! He thought. He looked back and saw that he had a pair of black wings.

"Am I an Alicorn?" He asked.

"It's not possible!" Luna gasped.

"Only royalty are Alicorns!" Celestia realized.

"That means he's a..." Twilight said before bowing. The others soon followed.

"Welcome, Prince Josh." Celestia announced. Josh just stood their as they rose.

"So... can we leave now?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course." Rarity said.

/

As they walked back towards the library, Dash walked next to Josh.

"So, I was wondering..." She trailed off.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Would you like to go to the Grand Galloping Gala with me." She asked. He knew about the dance because he would be attending anyways.

"I don't know. I have a lot to do that day." He said. Dash looked crest-fallen before realizing what he said.

"I never told you what day it is." She accused. He laughed.

"Of course I'll go with you." He said. Before she could say anything, Rarity jumped between them.

"Ooh! I just have to start working on a suit for you!" She yelled before running off towards her boutique.

"I think I'll go help her!" Spike said as he ran after her. Everypony laughed when he was out of earshot.

"So... what do you plan on doing now that you're a pony?" Applejack asked.

"I... I don't know. At the very least, I want to find out what happened to my friends back on earth." He said. His horn began to glow.

"Is that supposed to happen?" He asked. A lance of light shot from his horn to the air in front of him. As it did, a small portal opened up. The others stopped and looked at him. When a picture began to form in the portal, their jaws dropped.

Josh could see a man behind a desk. Then it hit him. This was Cameron Clark, one of his friends from Palmdale. He looked different, though.

"Cameron?" Josh asked. Cameron jumped, then looked at him.

"Corporal Jones, this better not be another prank." He said. Josh realized that Cameron did not recognize him. He focused on an image of himself as a human. Everypony gasped.

"Josh!? Is that you?" Cameron asked. Josh could see now that he looked... older.

"Yes, it's me. How's the war going?" Josh asked.

"You're a little late for that, my friend." He laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"We won the war, and I got a fancy new desk job." Josh looked at the label on the desk. It said 'Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces'.

"That was quick." Josh said simply.

"Quick? It's been six years." Cameron said.

"B-but I have only been here for two weeks!" Josh exclaimed.

"Well, now you can come back to your home." Cameron offered. Josh looked down.

"I can't. I've sworn an oath to protect these ponies." He said. Before Cameron could call him crazy, he rotated the portal so that his friend could see everypony. When he turned it back, Cameron looked slightly sad.

"Looks like you got your hands full." He chuckled quietly. "Good luck, my friend."

"Thank you." Josh said as the portal began to close. When it disappeared, he reverted back to his pony form. He suddenly felt light headed. Twilight and Rainbow Dash caught him as he fell forward.

"How did you do that? You don't know the first thing about magic." Twilight asked.

"I don't know. I just thought about it and, boom, there it was. Same with changing form." He said groggily.

"I do not see how you could do that. The amount of energy needed would take many Alicorns to handle, but you wield it as easily as your weapons." Celestia spoke. Josh stood up slowly.

"How about you guys ask me about something I actually know the answer of." He laughed.

"Of course. Now, who was this Jesus that you mentioned in your song?" Luna asked. Josh shook his head.

"Now that's a story I'll be happy to tell, but I'll have to start at the beginning. In the beginning, there was only one being. God of all things. He created everything that exists, in only six days. All the planets, stars, plants, animals ,everything. Including the first man and woman..." Josh began.