SquirtlePWN - I'm inclined to agree. Lol I'll admit that I was a little more tired than I should have been when I was writing her dialogue...

PyraohXBlaze - He just might, we'll have to wait and see. Lol and you had better be sorry :P (Lol I can't talk though, I probably would've come up with something worse...)

PBJFanFiction - Well, if the limb had simply been scattered, yes; but her limb was actually destroyed, so it has to regenerate from scratch rather than simply reforming from the scattered pieces.

cking1996 - Nice. Sounds like a good time. I was curious because my grandmother makes trips to Branson several times a year to see him perform. Or, she used to, until her health got in the way.

Chaosstripe - Oh, don't worry, we haven't seen the last of it... or them.

centaurus2 - Lol. I thought so ;)

DragonLovingBrony - At least it's something mundane this time... I like Derpy for her simplicity too, but I just felt she was a little too simplistic, at least to be a lasting character.

KillerWoW - I haven't played a Mortal Kombat game since the second one first came out (Lol shows how old I am...), so I wasn't aware of that character until I looked it up; I just thought it would be interesting for her to talk like that.

coldshadow92 - Lol nah... too obvious. Besides, as far as I know, the jokes always stay the same for each pony. Oh, we'll find out what she's going as, eventually.

DragonLord RyuKizoku - Lol define 'bad' :3

pianouniverse - Lol why thank you, I'm glad you enjoy it. I did look up the name, but I don't really think it fits her, unless Chrysalis was going to be the one to name her.

Kyguy - Lol I dunno, do you? :P

Mikalzilla - Nope. Especially since it's a shrinking potion that never should have worked in the first place.

WhiteLust - Lol well congratulations on First then :P

A/N - Howdy everypony! I hope everyone who celebrates it had a Happy Thanksgiving, and if you don't, that you enjoyed whatever other holiday you may have celebrated in the past week! Lol I know I've spent more than my fair share of time in a food-coma these past few days. Also, I still urge anypony who's interested in quality pony art (clop or otherwise) to check out CandyClops on Tumblr; when her next commission cycle opens up, I'm going to be commissioning her for some new artwork to use for my cover, if I can get a slot that is. As always, don't forget to follow/favorite, review, and most importantly; enjoy!

Twilight and I watched and waited as Zecora mixed together a string of seemingly random ingredients and stirred them together over a primitive, yet elegant, Bunsen burner. After a few minutes, she took the bottle off of the burner and swirled it around, causing its contents to glow a faint yellow color. "This potion works like many others, so I think you can do the math; all you need to do, is take a bath."

She trotted over to the table in front of us and poured the bottle's contents into a large, empty glass. I picked Twilight up gently and held her next to the glass, allowing her to climb out of my hand and into the makeshift bathtub.

She stuck a hoof into the substance, which looked a lot like a glass full of egg yolks, and pulled it back. "It's really warm…"

"The potion needs to be warm in order to work. Don't worry, I wouldn't make it too hot for you; that would just make me a jerk."

Twilight nodded, and slowly lowered herself into the brew, sighing as she went. "This is a bit cooler than the hot tub back home… but it's not too bad…"

I turned to Zecora as she got comfortable. "So, how long will she need to stay in there?"

Zecora shook her head with a smile. "Not long, only a minute or two. That will give me just enough time to talk to you." She beckoned me closer, and when I was close enough for her to whisper, she continued. "You should have a talk with young Scootaloo… if you had gotten here much later, these effects I wouldn't have been able to undo."

I felt a tingle of alarm run through my body. "I understand. I already talked to those two about it once, but I'll be sure to talk to them about it again so they know just how bad this could have been."

"Just be careful not to give them too much of a fright." She looked over my shoulder for a moment. "Ah! It would appear that Twilight is now ready to prepare for Nightmare Night!"

I looked back behind me and saw Twilight, back to her normal size and sticking out of the glass by her flank. She kicked her hooves in a futile struggle to free herself from her tiny prison. "Well! Isn't anypony going to help me?!"

I chuckled and scooped her up with one arm, grabbing the glass with my free hand and tugging it free of her backside. "There you are, good as new." I set her gently down on her hooves.

She reared up and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. "Thanks, lover-colt…" She purred in my ear. "I may just reward you for that later tonight…" My whole body shivered at the implication.

I chuckled and whispered back. "Why you naughty mare you… I think I should punish you for such dirty talk…" I felt her shiver in my arms as I nibbled on her earlobe playfully.

Zecora chuckled from across the room. "Go on you two, out of my hut! Go back to your own home if you wish to rut!" She shooed us out of her tree hut with a smirk and closed the door behind us. I looked to Twilight and saw her face was beet red. After staring at one another for a moment, the two of us burst out into laughter and headed back towards Ponyville.

We made our way back to the library and went inside. We found Luna sitting on the floor and sipping a cup of tea while she and the fillies put together a puzzle. Twilight's jaw practically hit the floor when she laid eyes on the scene. "Wha… But… how did you…?"

Luna giggled and used her magic to place a piece. "You'd be surprised what I can do with foals."

Scootaloo grinned up at us. "Mama promised us a share of her candy!"

Luna's jaw dropped at her statement. "You little scoundrel! That was supposed to be a secret!"

"I wouldn't worry too much about it Lulu, there was no real harm done." I turned to Scootaloo. "That doesn't mean we're not going to have a talk about keeping promises later though."

Scootaloo gulped and pinned her ears to her head. "I'm sorry Mama…"

Luna smiled and placed a hoof under the filly's chin, lifting Scootaloo's gaze to meet her own. "It's alright, I forgive you. I remember what it's like to be young and have something exciting you want to share."

Scootaloo's eyes went wide. "Y-you do?"

Luna nodded with a soft smile. "I do. I was a filly once too, you know. Though that was long, long ago."

Sensing a shift in the flow of the conversation was in order, I snapped my fingers. "Hey! Why don't we all go back to the house and have a bite to eat? That way, we aren't starving when all the fun kicks off."

The two fillies scrambles to their hooves. "Yeah! That sounds awesome!" I chuckled and helped Luna to her hooves as the pair scampered for the door.

"Thank you, dearest… that conversation was becoming more melancholy than I cared for."

I gave her a quick kiss. "Don't mention it, Lulu." I leaned close and whispered in her ear. "Besides, it doesn't matter how old you are; you're always going to be beautiful to me…"

Twilight groaned and headed towards the door. "Maybe you two are the ones who should get a room…"

I gave her a sly grin. "The three of us could always get a room together you know…"

She blushed heavily, and started stuttering. Luna walked over to her. "He's right you know… we are all in a herd together, and that means that our bond goes deeper than any friendship." She placed a hoof on Twilight's cheek gently, and Twilight's face lit up red.

She moved her head closer to Twilight's, and I fully expected her to pull back, to tell Twilight it was all a prank, like the one I had heard that she'd pulled on AJ. This was no joke, however; Luna suddenly closed the distance between them, connecting her lips with Twilight's with a quiet moan. Twilight stood there in wide-eyed shock for a moment, but I saw her relax, and she slowly accepted Luna's kiss, reaching up and placing her own hoof on our Lunar Lover's cheek as she melted into those soft, warm lips.

I stood there and watched as the two mares shared their affection for one another, the small part of me that was aware of the rest of my surroundings was glad that Scootaloo and Dinky had already gone outside. I saw Luna's mouth open subtly, and I felt my heart skip a beat as I watched Twilight's eyes spring half-open in surprise before sliding closed again as her tongue no doubt began to dance with Luna's.

If I had been in my right mind, I would have been wondering what brought this out in Luna, but at the moment, all I could do was watch as the two moaned softly in one another's embrace, and do everything in my power not to draw attention to myself.

Luna eventually broke the kiss, pulling back and panting slightly as the two stared into one another's eyes. "You see? Our love for Blake has made us closer than we ever could have been simply as friends. And as time passes, that bond will only continue to grow, opening the doors for new possibilities. In fact, you'll find that everypony in our little herd can feel this bond, though they may not be aware of it."

I could see the gears in Twilight's mind suddenly going back to work. "So, wait… down in the spa room… when you and Applejack…"

Luna nodded. "Yes, I meant what I said to her; if she had been willing, I would have showed her that Blake is not the only one in this herd that has affections for her. Just as he is not the only one who has affections for you." I felt blood rush to my face and a certain other part of my body as her meaning clicked in my mind.

Twilight blushed heavily. "I… I have been noticing that I've felt different about Applejack lately… but I thought it was just all the time we were spending with each other."

Luna smiled at her warmly. "That is a small part of it, though the more time we all spend together, the stronger and more quickly the bond will grow between us all. It is a truly wonderful bit of magic that not even my sister and I fully understand." She leaned in, giving Twilight a soft peck on the lips before standing. "Now come, we have kept the poor fillies waiting long enough."

Twilight nodded, finally glancing over to me as she got to her hooves. Her eyes went wide, as though she'd forgotten about me, which was entirely possible, and her entire face flushed red.

I walked over to her as she got to her hooves. I leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips as she struggled to find words, and her struggle instantly ceased. I stood back up and smiled at her. "Don't worry Twi, I won't tell the others. I won't lie though; that was really hot…"

Twilight smiled, and her blush deepened a bit. "Y-you really liked that?"

I smirked and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Of course I did, Twi… I love both you and Luna, and to see you two kiss like that… it was something else…"

Her smile brightened a little. "I… I don't know what to say…"

I gave her a peck on the cheek and motioned to the door. "You don't have to say anything, Love. Now come on, we don't want to keep Luna and the fillies waiting."

Twilight shook her head, her blush fading as she did, and we walked out the door to meet up with Luna, who was sitting just outside the door as Scootaloo and Dinky giggled and roughhoused in the grass in front of the library.

Luna was looking up to the sky as we exited the library, heaving a melancholy sigh as she watched the dreary clouds blot out the early evening sun. "It will be winter soon…" She placed a hoof to her chest and closed her eyes. "In a matter of months it will be one thousand and five years to the day since I last saw my first true friend… Snowdrop…"

I sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. I remembered her speaking of Snowdrop once before, and she seemed equally melancholy then as well. "You really miss her, don't you?" She opened her eyes again and looked at me, and I could see the sadness there.

"I do… the last time I saw her, she was still just a filly, no older than Scootaloo… but that was over a thousand years ago, and she is gone… I never even got to say goodbye to her…" I hugged her close as tears began leaking from her eyes, doing my best to comfort her. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, and hugged me back. "Blake… there's something I'd like to ask you to do with me…"

I squeezed her a little tighter. "Of course Luna, you know I'd do anything for you…"

She sighed, and nuzzled into my neck. "I want you to come with me to Canterlot before the first snowfall. There is a tradition that my sister began long, long ago, and I'd like you to be a part of it." She pulled back from the hug to look me in the eye. "Every year, my sister releases one of the snowflakes that Snowdrop herself carved during her lifetime… I'd like you to be with me when we release this year's snowflake… it is the first one she ever carved… and the last one that remains…" Her voice began to crack as she finished.

I pulled her back into the hug. "Of course I will, Luna… you know I'll always be there for you when you need me… And I would be honored to be a part of such a meaningful tradition." She took another deep breath and looked to Scootaloo and Dinky, who were still playing in the grass, oblivious to the emotional moment happening mere meters away. "Now, why don't we keep our promise to those two and enjoy the rest of our evening?"

Luna gave a reserved smile. "Yes, that sounds like a perfect idea." Twilight nodded in agreement with a soft smile of her own.

I stood up and walked over to the wrestling fillies, who were somehow oblivious to my approach. The pair yelped in surprise when I reached down and scooped them up. Their yelps of surprise were quickly replaced by giggles of delight as the pair scrambled up to perch on each of my shoulders.

I heard Luna whispering to Twilight behind me, just loud enough for me to hear. "It's so good to see young Scootaloo acting like a little filly, instead of the gruff tomboy persona she's given herself."

Twilight whispered back, also just loud enough for me to hear. "I know what you mean… ever since I've known her, she's always tried to act so tough, but it's like Blake brought out a whole new side of her that she tried to keep buried deep down inside… I think it's wonderful."

The five of us made our way back to our sprawling home, where I deposited the fillies onto a couch with a faked wrestling move, leaving them laughing as I went into the kitchen to make us all something to eat. I knew that time would be relatively short, but I didn't want to make the meal too simple either.

Eventually, I settled on linguini smothered in a white sauce that I had canned a month or so before, and topped with crunchy bean sprouts. The sprouts were some of my favorites, and thanks to my now up-and-running aquaponics garden, we would never need to worry about running out of them, or any other vegetable we wanted to grow there for that matter.

When the food was cooked, I carried it out in three separate bowls, each containing just one of the ingredients, to allow everyone to make it as they pleased, and we dug in. Once we had all eaten, I took the dishes into the kitchen to wash later. When I came back out of the kitchen, I noticed Twilight staring up the stairs towards the second level. She looked back to me when she heard me coming. "Can… can I meet the changeling you found?"

I looked up to the second floor as well. "Well, she was sleeping the last I saw her, but if you want to take a quick peek while she's up there, I suppose there isn't any harm in it."

Twilight nodded silently, and I led her up the stairs and down the hallway to the room where the changeling was resting. Aurora was still in her bed next to the door, snoozing away peacefully. I walked up and patted her on the head, waking her gently. "Hey there girl… is our new guest behaving?" Aurora looked to the door for a moment and then yipped quietly, wagging her tail slightly. I chuckled and stood up. "I guess that's a 'yes'."

I opened the door quietly and peeked in through the small crack. I could see the lump in the sheets made by the changeling, and watched for a moment as it slowly rose and fell, indicating that she was still asleep. I took a cautious step onto the room, and gestured for Twilight to follow me.

We crept into the room and over to the bed, where we could just see her glossy black horn and the top of her head poking out from under the covers. She stirred suddenly, and stretched with a big yawn.

She blinked her turquoise eyes several times to clear them, and her undoubtedly foggy gaze quickly fell on the two of us. She sat up with a happy smile and her wings buzzed excitedly. "His Highness has returned! That makes this one so happy!"

Twilight looked to me. "'His Highness? Where did that come from?"

The buzzing died down. "His highness saved this one's life, and showed her kindness… and so this one has pledged her fealty to Him for the rest of her life."

I walked over and sat down next to her. "Ok…There's something we need to discuss; I've been thinking about it, and I think that since you have no place else to go… that you should stay here."

Twilight's eyes went wide. "What?!"

I ignored her for the moment and pressed on. "I don't see you as being a danger to anyone, and it wouldn't be right to force you out on your own again, especially since you nearly died the last time, so you can stay here with us." She grinned brightly, and her wings bussed happily. "However, I do have a few ground rules to lay down first. The first one is; no more calling me 'His Highness'. I'm not your king, or your master, or your owner. This is my home, and you're my guest, to be treated just like any other pony."

The changeling blinked several times. "Wh-what should this one call you then?"

"Well, you could call me 'Blake', or 'Mister Marshall', if you wanted to be formal about it."

The changeling paused for a moment to think about it. "This one doesn't think those names fit her Savior… could… could this one call you 'Sir'?"

I sighed and looked to Twilight, who shrugged. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that, but… if it would help you adjust, I suppose you could call me that until you feel more comfortable being here."

She nodded vigorously. "This one agrees! What is your next rule, Sir?"

I sighed again. That's going to take some getting used to… "My second rule is; I don't want you referring to yourself as 'this one', or 'she'. You're an individual now, and all individuals have names, so I'd like you to have one too."

Her wings buzzed excitedly again as her eyes lit up. "This one gets to have a name of her own?!"

I nodded. "Yes. But, after you have one, I don't want to hear you refer to yourself as 'this one', or 'she' ever again. Do you understand?"

She nodded vigorously. "Thi- I understand, Sir."

I smiled and nodded. "Good. We'll leave you alone for a while so you can have some time to think about a name you'd like."

I started to stand off of the bed, but she stopped me by placing a hoof on my wrist gently. "Will… will you pick a name for th… for me?"

I sighed and finished standing. "I'd rather you pick your own, but if you want me to do it… then I won't say 'no'." I walked over to the blinds. "First, I'd like to get a better look at you. Could you change back to your natural form for me please?" I opened the curtains, and the changeling was enveloped in green fire.

A chill went down my spine, since I thought she'd somehow burst into flame from the sunlight, but that quickly faded, as did the fire, revealing a larger version of the changeling that had been sitting on the bed previously. "Oh wow…" Twilight took a step forward and rested a hoof on her foreleg. "Blake, come look at this…"

I walked over to the pair, the changeling obviously uncomfortable with being scrutinized, and examined her myself, doing my best not to make her any more uncomfortable. I quickly spotted what Twilight had seen; the changeling's chitin-like skin sparkled in the sunlight, as though some sort of gem dust was embedded all throughout her skin. I smiled warmly at her. "I think I have a perfect name for you. What do you think of 'Shimmer'?"

Her eyes went wide with delight, and her wings buzzed again. "I love it! Thank you, Sir!"

She lunged forward and wrapped her hooves around my waist, and I wrapped my arms around her the best I could. "You're very welcome, Shimmer. Welcome to your new life, here with us." I looked down suddenly as she began sobbing softly into my abdomen. "Hey now, it's ok; you're safe with us, there's no need to cry."

She looked up at me, tears streaming from her turquoise eyes, shaking her head slightly. "I'm not crying because I'm afraid… I'm crying because I'm just so… just so happy…"

Twilight leaned in and joined us in the hug. "Don't worry Shimmer, this is just the beginning; me, Blake, and all the rest of us will make sure you're as happy as you can be."

Shimmer cried for nearly a minute before calming down some and simply allowing us to hold her. I stroked her back several times. "Shimmer... I have to ask; do you like your natural form, or is there another that you'd rather have? It's entirely your decision to make, I won't force you one way or the other, so think about if you have something you'd rather be."

Shimmer nodded. "I will think about it. If I am to be among ponies, I would like to look like a pony… but I don't know what I should make myself look like."

I smiled warmly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, take as much time as you need to decide; no one in this house will judge you for your appearance… I'll make sure of that myself."

Shimmer nodded, and I stood up. "We'll give you some time alone to think now; this must all be a huge change for you."

Twilight smiled and turned to leave with me, looking back over her shoulder for a moment. "It was nice to meet you, Shimmer. I hope we get to talk more later."

Shimmer nodded again. "I'd like that."

Twilight and I walked out of the room, and she watched as I shut the door behind me. "She seems to pick up on things fairly quickly. Did you notice how fast she went from 'this one' to 'I' and even using contractions?"

I nodded. "I did. I guess that's kind of necessary when you need to be able to adapt to new personas and appearances, and even races on the fly."

Twilight nodded as well. "That's very true. But, if she's really as cooperative as she seems, there shouldn't be any need for to do that anymore."

"I hope not Twi… she seems like a good pony, and I'd hate for her to have to go back to that kind of lifestyle. In fact, I'm guessing she didn't like it, and that's why her 'Queen' decided she was useless."

Twilight let out a quiet sigh. "Yeah… from what I saw of her at Cadance and Shining's wedding, she seemed… misguided… Like she loved her subjects, but at the same time, wasn't above casting aside those that couldn't benefit the whole hive." She shook her head to dispel the thoughts that were forming. "Anyway, I'm going to go get ready; the festivities are going to start soon, and we don't want to miss them."

I followed Twilight into the master bedroom in order to make some final adjustments on my own costume to make sure it was going to stay comfortable and fitted right. Twilight took a small box in her magic and trotted off into the bathroom with it. I guessed that she didn't want me to see it until she was fully dressed, so I didn't say anything.

She walked back out of the bathroom a few minutes later, and my jaw nearly dropped; she was wearing a blue dress with intricate leaf-and-vine patterns in a lighter shade of blue weaving their way all across the fabric. The dress also had a plunging V-neck that showed off a large portion of her chest, and the garment as a whole hugged in all the right places, accentuating her curves perfectly. Her hind legs were covered by a pair of black leggings that sported the same leaf-and-vine pattern as the rest of the dress. She also carried a gold-colored staff that sported an intricately designed head topped with a large sapphire. She wore a blue cowl that matched her dress, and somehow brought all attention to her sparkling eyes, which were framed by a pale blue eyeshadow.

Twilight blushed as I stared at her. "D-Do you like it?"

My jaw worked up and down several times as I struggled for words. Just as she started to appear disappointed, I found them. "Twilight… you're… you look amazing!"

Her brilliant smile alone made my first Nightmare Night one to remember, and it hadn't even started yet.