Chapter 4: Hello...

Mike and Gilda landed in a large area that seemed to be like a town square what with the stands and large broken down fountain. One strange thing was that the ponies here didn’t even bat an eye at Mike but most smiled when they saw Gilda. “Follow me.” Gilda said and Mike nodded and Gilda started walking down a dirty trail.

Mike looked around and couldn’t help but feel a small bit depressed at all the run down houses and businesses. He saw a few beggars and ponies hiding in alleyways but they just watched and never did anything. Soon Gilda stopped and Mike did the same and looked at where they had stopped.

The house looked to be two story and in better conditions than the surrounding ones. “Where are we?” Mike asked and Gilda smiled before knocking on the door.

“This house belongs to the richest ponies in the Slums.” She explained and the door opened and Mike had to hold his nose so it wouldn’t bleed. Standing there was the most beautiful pony had had seen. She had an hourglass figure and two large breasts that were contained in a black and pink striped long sleeve shirt and she had on dark blue jeans.

She had a short dark blue mane and bright yellow eyes that had slit pupils like a snakes. Gilda had to stop from laughing at Mike’s reaction and wrapped the mare in a hug. “Nice to see you again Leather Wing.” She said and the mare wrapped her arms around the tall griffon.

“Its nice to see you to Gilda.” She said and Mike heard a slight accent but couldn’t tell were from. She then looked down at Mike and Mike finally realized something very important and embarrassing.

He was short.

The mare was about an inch taller then him and Gilda was a head taller than both of them. “Well hello there, may I have your name?” She asked and he quickly shook his head to clear his thought and raised a hand to the slightly taller mare.

“My names Mike Schmidt, just call me Mike.” He introduced and she gave him a smile and shook his hand.

“Its nice to meet you Mike, I’m Leather Wing, Gilda’s friend. Please you two-” She moved to the side of the doorway, “-come on in.” Gilda walked inside and Mike followed behind. They seemed to have walked into a living room with a ripped blue couch and old looking coffee table.

The walls had chipping lime green paint but the house also had a cozy feeling that Mike couldn’t help but enjoy. “You two can sit at the table why I go make us some tea.” Leather Wing offered and turned around to head into the kitchen and Mike finally noticed the two large bat wings on her back.

“So she is a Bat Pony?” Mike asked while he and Gilda sat down on the couch.

“Well Thestral is what her pony type is, you know like unicorn, pegasus yada yada yada.” She said with a spin of her talions. Mike nodded in understanding and they both started to just talk while they waited which wasn't long. Leather Wing walked back into the living room with three cups of tea.

“Here you go.” She handed Mike and Gilda a cup and they both took a sip and sighed.

“Thanks Wing.” Gilda said with a smile. Mike nodded in agreement and took another sip. Leather then sat next to Mike which confused him only a little. ‘You’d think she would want to sit next to Gilda, but eh, what do I know.’

“So Gilda, Mike, what brings you two to the Oasis of Canterlot?” She asked and Mike raised an eyebrow at the name of the slums but kept his mouth shut.

“Well I was going to this small town called Ponyville to see an old friend when I met Mike. We hung out for a few days when suddenly an Ursa Minor showed up. Me and Mike flew to the town to help with evac when the town just turned on Mike like the fucking plaque.” Gilda explained and Mike let out a small growl.

“Yeah, usually small towns like that still have the old pony traits in them while bigger places like Manehatten and Canterlot have evolved from it.” Leather WIng nodded and then put a hand on Mike’s shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”

Mike grinned and said with a more happy tone, “Ah its fine, just glad I got away from them.” Gilda and Leather Wing smiled and spent most of the time talking to each other about this and that. Slowly Mike’s eyes grew heavy until he fell asleep and his sleeping form caught the girls notice.

“He can use my guest room.” Leather Wing offered with a whisper and Gilda nodded. She picked him up and through him over her shoulder and walked up the stairs that would soon lead to the guest room. Leather Wing sat in silence before speaking to herself.

“He’s kind of cute.”

Mike was woken by a sudden shuffle next to him. He slowly opened his eyes and they seemed to glow a bit in the dark. He then gave a small groan and rolled over only for his face to meet two large orbs. Mike stared at them for a moment before reaching out and grabbing one and giving a small squeeze.

He heard a moan.

…

‘Hmmm...too tired to question this shit.’ Mike thought and just turned back around and slept.

The child looked up at Foxy with a large grin.

He heard a man say hello.

He turned around and saw a man of purple smiling at him.

The man spoke.

The boy smiled.

The boy ran onto the stage and to Foxy.

Foxy greeted the child.

Something slithered into Foxy.

His eyes turned a dark black with a hint of purple.

Foxy lunged for Mi-

Slowly Gilda woke up and let out a groan as she stretched her back and wings and hearing a few satisfying pops. She got up and put on her clothes but left her jacket off and walked out of the room she was sleeping in. She then looked down the hall and walked over to the room Mike was sleeping in.

She peeked inside of the room and had to stop herself from bursting out laughing at what she saw. Mike was sleeping soundly with his head being held by Leather Wing and his head was in between her bust. Leather Wing’s wings were wrapped around Mike like a large blanket and her arms around his head.

Gilda quickly ran from the room and into the bathroom where she quickly bust out laughing. She was in there for a good five minutes before calming down enough to walk back into the room and giggling a bit as she saw them in the same position. She walked over to them she shook Leather Wing.

Slowly she woke up and opened her yellow bat like eyes and looked up at Gilda. “What is it Gilda? I’m trying to sleep.” She asked with a groggy voice. Gilda just smirked and pointed at Mike. She slowly looked down and her face turned from grey to a fiery red and she quickly got up, somehow not waking Mike up.

They both walked out the room and down the stairs to the living room. They sat down and Leather Wing stayed silent for a moment before she felt a talon grab her shoulder and she looked up at Gilda. “So, you're trying to seduce my friend hmm?” Gilda asked with a grin.

“I-I’m sorry Gilda! I-I Didn’t mean to.” Leather WIng...sobbed. Gilda looked at long time friend with a shocked expression. “I-I didn’t mean to try and seduce him! I just l-layed in his bed! I’m s-sorry.” She started to cry and Gilda quickly wrapped her arms round her friend and let her cry into her shoulder.

“Wing its okay, I’m not mad at you.” Gilda soothed and let Wing cry. “Why are you so sad though? I don’t mind if you were to go out with him, thats up to him.” Leather suddenly went quiet. “Are you okay?” Gilda asked worried. Slowly Leather Wing let go and looked at her with red eyes from her crying.

“B-But...aren’t you two...together?” Leather asked and Gilda looked at her with a straight face for a minute before falling onto the floor laughing.

“T-Together!? No! W-We are just bro’s!” Gilda said through her laughing and Wing’s face got even redder than before. Suddenly they heard a groan and a door opening and closing. They soon heard running water and groans before the water was turned off and they heard the sound of the door being open and closed once more.

They watched Mike walked down the stairs and they noticed he had small bugs under his eyes. He looked at the two girls and waved before walking into the kitchen. Gilda looked at Leather Wing and shrugged jerked her head towards the kitchen. Leather blushed a bit and got up to walk inside the kitchen.

She saw Mike over a frying pan and her stove with two eggs sizzling on it. “Um...M-Mike, you don’t have t-to make breakfast, I can make it.” She said with a nervous smile. Mike looked over at her with a small grin and spoke in a clearly tired tone,

“Nah its fine, you let us sleep here so its only right to do something around here.” Leather felt a small blush grace her face but smiled and walked back into the living room with Gilda.

“He said he was making us breakfast.” Leather WIng told Gilda who nodded. They just talked for the most part and soon heard the sound of clinking dishes and Mike came out balancing three plates of eggs with a fork in one hand and two plates on his arms and his other hand holding a plate.

“Here you go ladies.” He said as he lowered his arms and the two girls grabbed a plate and fork. He then sat in between them and they all digged into the eggs. Gilda was the first to finish with Wing and Mike finishing in that order,

“I’ll do the dishes.” Gilda suddenly volunteered and grabbed Mike and Wing’s plates and walked away into the kitchen. The two just sat in silence for a minute before Leather Wing scooted a bit closer to Mike with a small smile.

“So Mike...can I ask you a question?” She asked looked at him with a blush. Mike looked at her with a grin.

“Sure, what do you want to know?” She looked down for a bit before asking.

“Why do you always wear that night watch hat?”

…

Mike went silent for a minute before sighing and rubbing the back of his head. “Well...as I’m sure you've noticed I’m not exactly a pony.” Wing nodded. “I was a security guard back where I was from and I watched the night shift. I..think I was in an accident but no one would tell me what happened.”

He reached up and pulled his hat off and she gasped at the stitches in his head. “I lost my frontal lobe and...well I should be dead, but they said I was as healthy as ever only my skin pigmen was messed up and my pupils lost color and they glow a bit in the dark.” He chuckled. “I’m pretty much a flashlight.”

He suddenly felt two arms wrap around him and he was pulled into a tight hug. “I am so sorry you had to go through something like that.” Leather Wing said softly and Mike felt some tears well up in his eyes and he couldn’t help but cry into her shoulder.

“Yeah...I’ve been told that a lot.”

And so that was how it stayed for the three. They all lived in the large house, helping however they could. Mike had found out Leather worked for the Canterlot Night Weather Team and Gilda had found a job at the Day Weather Team. Mike didn’t even question the whole weather controlling thing.

Mike had found a small time jewelry shop in the oasis and had offered the owner to be a night guard. He agreed and with the three brining in bits, they were able to refurbish the house with new furniture and paint.

Life was good…

Then Mike met Her.

Mike lay on the top of The Topaz Jewelry and just stared at the moon. It was much brighter than the one back on earth. He had on his usual Night Guard outfit and white cloth wrapped around his hands from a thug trying to steal from the store only for Mike to beat the shit out of him.

He let out a sigh and stood up and was about to fly up into the air when he felt a small hand grab his. He looked down and almost screamed at what he saw, a small black figure with two glowing eyes and floating teeth. “What...are you?” Mike stuttered

The thing looked up at him then the teeth moved as if it had lips, “Mikey...I’m your friend…” His eyes widened when he heard the things voice was both female and young with an echo like tone.

“How old are you?” Mike asked while slowly kneeling down. The child like apparition walked over to him and hugged his chest.

“I’m ten years old.”

Mike’s pupils shrank then he slowly closed his eyes as he hugged the child back. “What happened sweetie?” His voice grew a more father like tone.

“The...the purple man hurt me.” The child started to shake.

“Did you know the mans name?” Mike asked with a sense of rage.

“No.”

Mike was still as the child started to sob. He looked up at the moon and sighed. “Whats your name sweetie?”

“...I don’t know.”

Mike was silent for a minute before he thought of an idea.

“Do you like the name Chica?” He asked and the child was silent for a minute before her teeth shifted into a smile.

“Yes...my name...is now Chica…” Mike smiled and ruffled her hair causing the child to give an echoed giggle.

“Well how about you stay with me?” He asked and the child nodded and then slowly melted into the roof and into his shadow. Mike laid down and he felt the child come back and lay next to him.

“Sleep tight, your save now Chica.”