Chapter 5: Warning: Rule 63
Steel woke to a cool breeze across his flank and to Lightning Flicker floating on a cloud staring at him, wings open.
"By Celestia, GET OUT!" Steel roared.
"But, it happened!" protested Lightning.
"I know, now GET OUT!"
"Fine," muttered lightning, reluctantly pushing his cloud out the open window.
Steel Script swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, the sensation of being shorter and sleeker bringing back bad memories from the last time he had come into contact with Poison Joke.
"I hate it when this happens," said Steel, looking over his shoulder.
Lightning's head appeared in the window, a grin on his muzzle.
"I don't."
Steel lit up his horn, slamming the window shut is friends face.
"Can't a stallion get any piece around here?" he muttered.
The window opened again.
"Don't you mean mare?" Lightning said after dropping the screwdriver he had been holding in his mouth.
"That's not the point!" yelled a transformed Steel Script.
Steel had indeed become a mare overnight after last night's Poison Joke incident, now standing roughly half a head shorter than normal.
"Well it's not like anypony is going to notice. I'm the only one who knows what happened," Lightning pointed out.
"Except that my muzzle looks . . . wrong"
"Not to me, it doesn't."
"You don't have an opinion on this, you're not the one who just lost their stallionhood!"
Lightning burst out laughing before managing to stammer out "Will you sleep with me this time?"
Lightning got a glimpse of Steel's butt before being bucked out the window.
Lightning managed to right himself and open his wings mere inches before hitting the ground. His eyes widened and he shot straight up, a black and silver trail following his path as he took a sharp turn into Steel Script's bedroom, flinging himself onto his friend, muttering incoherently.
Annoyed at the sudden contact in light of the recent events, Steel shook her mane.
"Lightning, get OFF!" she yelled, before realising what the pegasus was saying.
". . . nonononononononononono, not the ground, not again, Cloud Roller, everyone, not the ground, no, no, no . . ."
Steel Script's face instantly changed as the full extent of Lightning's situation dawned on her.
"Lightning, relax, it's over. It's okay, you're here, you're safe, you're off the ground, and you're going to be fine. Let's get some chocolate."
Steel Script carried her panicking friend to the top of the stairs, granting a clear view of the kitchen. Lighting up her horn, Steel levitated a bar of chocolate out of her fridge and up to where she stood. She turned and entered her bedroom.
Steel hovered the bar of chocolate over her bed and used her magic to unwrap it, letting the smell reach Lightning Flicker's nose and coax the frightened pegasus onto the bed.
"It's okay Lightning, It's over," said Steel as her friend gingerly nibbled at the bar, "I'm sorry for bucking you out the window."
Steel left Lightning to calm down and entered the study, reluctant to leave Lightning home alone in his current state of recall.
Levitating quills, ink, and blank scrolls of parchment to the oaken desk opposite the door, Steel started to document her success with Vulpes.
Steel Script looked up from her work, the rays of the afternoon sun filtering in through the window.
She stood up and left the study, entering the bedroom where she had left Lightning Flicker, only to find an open window and empty room.
"Well fuck."
Steel exited the bedroom and trotted down the stairs, reasoning that Lightning had probably left to stretch his wings.
Levitating her saddlebags onto her back, Steel once again left her house and set out to find the ingredients to mix up another batch of the Poison Joke antidote.
Upon Steel Scripts return to her house, she came across a mail-mare knocking on the door to her home.
"Can I help you?" she asked, wondering who was sending her mail.
"I'm looking for a 'Steel Script,' do you know him?" inquired the mail-mare, turning around.
"That would be me."
The mail-mare focused her skewed yellow eyes on Steel, confusion furrowing her brow.
"It's complicated," Steel explained.
"Okay, here you go,' said the mail-mare, reaching into her saddlebags and withdrawing a brown envelope addressed to Steel.
"Thank you, have a safe flight," farewelled Steel, opening the door into her home.
"Goodbye," replied the grey pegasus before launching herself into the air and flying towards Ponyville.
Once inside, Steel sat down on the couch in her lounge, levitating the letter in front of her, using her magic to open the envelope and withdraw the folded contents.
To Steel Script
I feel obligated to inform you that your friend, Lightning Flicker, has returned to his penthouse in Las Pegasus. While this alone is cause for little concern, it is the manner of Lightning Flicker's return that drew my attention. He appeared to be in a state of depression, and refuses to leave his room. He only opens his door to receive the ponies that are delivering copious amounts of chocolate and ice-cream. I urge that you come to Las Pegasus at your earliest convenience and see if you can talk him back to sense, I have asked the same of Crackerjack, though his visit was met with nothing but silence.
Yours in faith
Tuxedo Prism
Butler to Lightning Flicker
Steel lowered the letter.
"Well, fuck."
Steel set about rapidly gathering items that would prove useful on her trip to Las Pegasus before catching a glimpse of her reflection in a mirror. As she looked at her reflection, a war arose in her mind between her desire to return to her true self or to aid her friend and forego curing herself until the situation with Lightning had been resolved.
"Oh bugger this. And bugger you, Lightning," sighed Steel as she resumed her preparations to leave.
After ensuring that she had everything she might need, including the ingredients for the Poison Joke antidote packed safely, Steel left her house and hurried through Ponyville to the train station.
"One ticket to Las Pegasus, please," requested Steel, levitating several bits out of her saddlebags and onto the ticket vendor's counter.
"What's the hurry?" asked the vendor, producing a ticket from beneath the counter.
"No time to explain," Steel yelled as her train pulled into the station.
Steel galloped onto to the train, flashing her ticket to the conductor and quickly taking a seat.
The stopping of train jerked Steel awake as the train slowed to a stop.
Looking out the window, the horizon was obscured by towers of metal and glass, skyscrapers that were a credit to Earth Pony engineering.
Steel had arrived in Las Pegasus.