And so, there I stand. Two seemingly impossible creatures standing before me, frozen in time.

And then they hugged me.

The next thing I hear are screams of "It's been too long!" and "How have you been?!". I then decided it might be a good idea to direct them towards the couch and have them settle in as I collected my thoughts.

Okay then. They are real. They are honest to god real. Living, breathing, loving real..

Before I could get much further in my thoughts, a rumbling arose from the couch. My head turned to what seemed to be a hungry Cloudchaser, sending me a silent but obvious message with those purpleish-amber eyes of her. So captivating.... So...Lifelike. I nod to her and head to the kitchen, having prepared ahead of time. I take the salad ingredients out of the fridge and begin to create her meal. Part of my now justified preparation was learning home economics. Some lettuce, tomatos, carrot shreds, nothing out of the ordinary for me. I never was one for meat. This could explain my rather....skeleton like build. No matter, I'm still alive and no worse for wear.

I can hear them talking in the living room. They seem to be satisfied so far. Little snippets make their way to my ears.

"This is a very nice place he has. I can't believe he hasn't had us over yet" Flitter idly wonders.

"Well he hasn't been able to until now featherbrain! The whole traveling ordeal is horrible, he hasn't been able to get us here safely yet" Cloudchaser responds.

So that's what they think....Vogon certainly took care of the gaps, didn't they. And I must be an "old friend"... Intresting, Intresting....

I finish making the salad for the three of us and set the table with fixings before I step into the living room

"Hey, if you gals are hungry, I've got some salad in the dining room" I announce to them

"Alright! Grub time!" Cloudchaser declares as she pumps her fist and walks to the dining room

"Sorry about her... She's just a little brash" Flitter says to me as she files past.

I nod and follow them as they get settled at the table. I take my seat and we begin to eat. The sound of munching and crunching fills the room for a bit before I speak up.

"So, how have you two been?" I ask, seeing if a vauge question like that garnered any results from the two

"Oh, you know, life as usual.... But somepony just had to get feisty with our weather captain and put us in this situation" Flitter says, shooting a glare in Cloudchaser's direction. Cloudchaser throws her hands up in defence.

"Well excuse me, he was an absolute plothole!" Cloudchaser returns

"Cloudchaser! How can you use language like that in front of the stallion that's housing us?!" Flitter almost screams

"It's okay, it's fine, I've heard worse" I try to dispel the fighting between the two. Cloudchaser begins to apologize.

"W-Well.... She's not wrong... I'm sorry that we have to stay with you, I know you may not have wanted to house us. It's my fault for getting us kicked off the weather team"

"Not a problem Cloudchaser, on the contrary, I rather enjoy your company" I quell her worries, making her blush a bit in the process.

So... They got kicked of the weather team, and I wouldn't put it past Cloudchaser, and they have to stay with me....Good work Vogon, even I can accept that... The best thing to do now is just roll with it

We continue on with the dinner and finish up fairly quickly. I take up the bowls and walk over to the sink to wash them. That's when a thought strikes me. The water bill, the electricity, the food. My god. How am I going to do this? How can I pay for all of this? I just took on two more mouths to feed, two more bodies to wash.....I need a job. I cannae just sit on my ass anymore, that just isn't an option anymore. Okay. Problem, I need money. Solution, Get a job. Problem, I have no experience in anything but vehicles. Solution, Find automotive job. Problem, All mechanics are hired by the rich. Solution..... Donnie.

With that laying on my mind, I began to gather my things. I best not wait to fix this problem. I bid farewell to the girls and tell them to make themselves at home as I exit to the outside world.

Flitter's Point Of View

I wonder why he's leaving but he's out the door before I can ask.

Gosh. I guess he'll be back in a while, it must be important. He said make ourselves at home so....I guess kick back and relax for a while

I sigh and head over to what is marked as my room by a sign on the door. I open the door and step in, taking in the rather nice smell. The room smells of flowers, very pleasant. I better enjoy it now, if I'm to share this room with Cloudchaser, the smell will be gone within the hour. The room is very lush for a small space, owing to a comfy looking bunk-bed, some beanbags, fresh carpet, the works. Emile really is a sweet soul to go through this much trouble.

I look over to the holo-projector and decide to watch something. My friends, whom for some reason seem hazy in my mind, used to own these, so I was fairly fluent with the controls. Flipping through the options, I settle on an old movie series. All of these movies are practically vintage now, looking at the production years.

Forrest Gump....It sounds like something Fluttershy would like, nature and stuff... Oh well, sounds pretty interesting, maybe Cloudchaser will watch it with me

"Cloudchaser! Come over here!" I yelled to her

"Just a second, I think I found the cider! Want one?" She yells back

"No thanks!" I reply as I hear the tell-tale clinking of glass on glass. She walks in a second later, clothes discarded somewhere.

"You really took the whole 'settling in' thing to heart, didn't you?" I chuckle

"I don't even know why we wore our work-out gear, it's so stuffy!" She says to me

I nod in agreement and peel off my gear, sighing in relief. I feel so much better out of those hot clothes. I smile as I hit the play button and the film begins.

Emile's Point 'O View

The garage is humble. Brick and mortar on the outside, rustic vibes emanating in waves from it. However, modern technology is housed inside to be used by the resident mechanic. Two garage bays adorn the building, lifts and all. Gasoline, Diesel, Hydrogen, Electric, all are welcome to be fixed. The mechanic is truly out of lore itself, having been around for as long as time itself. Some say that he was there to hear the first turn over of the engine as we know it. Others say every car is his child. Today, I know these aren't true, but it's nice to remember the childlike wonder I once had when I over-idolized my uncle. Not my real uncle, so much as a "Dad's old friend" uncle. Close enough.

The smoke rising from the first garage bay tells me everything I need to know. He's there all right. Either his lungs really are made of iron, or they've shriveled up into black mass. There he is, working on the undercarriage of a car, just like I remember. I remember being young and walking aimlessly around the garage all day, him and dad trading dirty banter as they worked together. They were bigger than life to me. He was always so mysterious to me, hell I didn't even know his full name for years! Now I know the man who is Donnie Shanks. The mystique is gone for me, but it's always fun to see him put on a show for the small ones when they come with their mothers.

He turns around and notices me leaning on the bay door frame. He puts down his tools and walks over to me before embracing me in a hug, patting my back. I appreciate the gesture but I just wish he'd realize I've gotten over dad. He was dad's best friend though and he probably knows what's best for me, even if I don't. We stay there for a moment before he releases me and throws me a filter wrench. We set off on the standard oil job, one I know by heart.

"So kid, haven't seen you in a while. Thought you got drunk off your ass and did somethin' really stupid" He tells me

"Not yet.... I think I'm done getting wasted for now" I say back as I grab an oil drain pan

"I see. I take it it's got somethin' to do with the two girls under your roof now?" He surprises me with his response

"How'd ya know?" I ask, bewildered

"I'm the one who showed him Vogon in the first place. Gave me a good laugh it did, but he took it to heart I suppose" The man with the chocolate hair tells me

"Well yeah... Anyways, that's why I came here. I'm gonna need a job, I figured you'd be able to help me" I beseech of him

He motions for me to take off the filter and let it drain, which I do.

We go and sit on the stack of tires in the corner. He scratches his chin, lost in thought. He's not one to rush a decision, never has been. I take in his thoughtful appearance. He's the "entitled to the sweat on your brow" kind of guy. Skin cracked red, clothes stained black. Smell of sweat adorns his figure, muscle and beer-belly, practically the image of a southern man. One you would never want to fuck with in a bar. I know he wouldn't do that to me but I best stay on his good side. My attention is drawn back to his face as he opens his mouth to talk.

"Tell you what. I know you're a good worker, Seamus made sure of that. You come in everyday except Sunday and I'll make sure you and your girls don't go hungry" He says to me

I smile and hug him saying many "thank-you"s to him in undying gratitude. He pats me on the back and we separate again. We nod and go back to the car, replacing filter and oil before sending it on it's way with a very happy owner. We talk a bit and laugh. He tells me when I need to be in and works out a good schedule with me. After a few beers and stories, we bid farewell to each other and I head home.

The walk home is uneventful as usual. Quiet. Peaceful. Night. I like it.

I walk in the door and go to check on the girls. I come to find two things. Flitter is crying onto Cloudchaser's shoulder as the scene on the holoprojector is paused on the shore of a Vietnam jungle. Oh.... Poor Bubba. Cloudchaser is shooting me a kind of "Save-Me" look but that's passing me by completely. What's grabbing my attention are their clothes....or lack thereof. I duck out of the room spewing "sorry" as fast as I could. This proves to be in vain as she joins me outside.

"What's wrong?" She asks of me, as if the answer isn't obvious....Which I suddenly realize it's not

"Y-You don't normally wear clothes, do you?" I ask her

"Why would we?" She says

"I-It's just....." I sigh and relent. It's what they're used to. "It's fine in the house but when you go out you need to wear clothes" I tell her.

She mulls it over for a moment and decides that it's a fair deal. I decide to go over to her sister and hopefully fix things.

I approach Flitter and pat her on the back reassuringly. Suddenly, she's clinging to me and crying into my shoulder. Guns and ponies don't mix very well I suppose, though Cloudchaser might've caught-on that it was only fictional.....Bubba at least. I gently stroke her back and tell her none of it was real, and I let her cry into me. This is no world for a pony, but they'll have to adapt to the way the world is. That's the sad truth. With more pats and strokes, I settle in for a long night.

I lay in bed, Flitter curled up to me. Cloudchaser decided that it may be a good idea to let her stay with me. She sees me as a beacon which.... Makes my heart swell to be honest. It's a wonderful feeling to be loved and depended upon, like an old friend. Of course, I suppose that our relationship will go a bit further than that. I hope at least. Flitter seems to have relaxed as she breathes gently. To trust me enough to be in such intimate quarters with me is very comforting. I feel the sandman tug a bit on my eyes and decide to let him take over. Sleep is blissful when it's just right. For the first time since dad left.....I fell asleep knowing all would be okay.

Author's Note

So! First really dialogue heavy chapter. All of it seems right but I can't help but feel it's messed up. Dialogue is not me strong point. And before anyone points out the "Cannae" thing, I'm Irish, that's a thing we say. So, I hope you enjoyed and as usual, thanks to the man RJP himself for helping me out and the guys at the Facebook chat! Y'all may be the reason it takes me so long to write a chapter but I enjoy it nonetheless.

On that bombshell, it's time to end, good night! -Jezza