The Dancer and the Diplomat

Chapters

Art, Alicorns, and Anxiety
Clinics, Confessions, and Conflict
Tea, Talk, and Trouble
Manehattan, Mares, and Mayhem
Diners, Diplomats, and Debate
Dinner, Daniel, and Denial

Art, Alicorns, and Anxiety

Starlight’s hooves were conspiring against her.

As she paced back and forth on the floor of the UN Embassy’s Atrium, trying to remember her next cleaning assignment, her hooves kicked up a rhythmic beat. Thanks to the Atrium’s excellent acoustics, the noise echoed throughout the chamber, boring its way into her head and breaking her concentration. Sometimes she wished her hooves didn’t make such a racket, but pacing was the best way she knew to jog her memory.

Starlight knew she was almost finished for the day; already she’d cleaned the toilets, vacuumed the conference hall, and dusted the light fixtures. But somewhere along the line her memory had been invaded by jumbled thoughts. She only hoped she could maintain her self control long enough to finish her daily duties. Right then she was only a few moments away from dropping everything and galloping off to check on Daniel.

Letting out a groan, Starlight plopped down on a bench and rested her chin on her hoof.
She took a deep breath, held it until her lungs burnt, and finally released it in a long sigh. As the ball of stress at her core started to uncoil, Starlight found her eyes wandering around the embassy’s atrium.

From what the thestral could tell, the designers of the embassy had had an obsession with diversity. The structure was a hodgepodge of architectural styles and materials from all over humanity’s homeworld. Hardwoods and marble shared space with paper screens and bamboo, while Van Gogh’s Starry Night Over the Rhone hung guarded by two smiling Buddha. The last arrangement made Starlight smile; an embodiment of inner peace coupled with the work of a man whose life was marred by tragedy. There was a lesson in there somewhere.

Personally, Star would have picked a style and stuck with it. Mixing them all together just made a mess, albeit one with an eclectic charm.

Starlight hissed. This wasn’t the first time that week her train of thought had switched tracks. Yesterday, she’d worked a full shift without realizing that she’d worn her uniform inside out. The day before that, she’d poured orange juice on her cereal and found her keys in the fridge.

It was a good thing that her employers were so lenient. So far, her mishaps had earned her nothing more severe than a sympathetic smile and the offer of an ear if she ever needed anypony to talk to. Back in her home country, had somepony in her position had a similar lapse of concentration on the job, they’d have been whipped. That is, if they were lucky. It was yet another reason why she’d sworn never to return to Letyucha.

Starlight’s ears perked up. Of course, the windows. That’s what she was supposed to do next, clean the atrium windows. Her ears drooped again. She was supposed to clean the atrium windows. The twenty-hoof tall windows, both in direct sunlight.

Starlight dug through her pockets and slipped on her tinted glasses. Sometimes she hated her job.

With a sigh, Starlight reached into her cleaning caddy and strapped a spray bottle of cleaning fluid to her right foreleg. A few flaps of her wings brought her up to the windows.

Wait a minute, something was missing.

Offering a curse to the Nightmother, Starlight slapped her forehead, then swooped down and snagged the cleaning rag from the caddy like an eagle catching a fish. With another pump of her wings, she sailed back up to the windows.She spritzed some of the cleanser onto the window, wrinkling her nose at the harsh ammonia smell, before she started scrubbing the glass as hard as she could.

Normally, her mind would’ve been completely focused on her work. Just her and the washrag, melded together into a single being. But her mind was proving uncooperative. No matter how hard she tried, all roads seemed to lead to that fateful dinner, only a week before.

She’d been so close; just a few more words and her feelings would have been free, no longer a prisoner in her heart. So why did she choke at the last second? What was with that feeling of dread?

Was she afraid he’d say no?

Unlikely; she was no expert in human body language, but Nightmare take her if he didn’t feel something towards her. She’d seen it in his eyes, those sharp, wonderful eyes. And his hands; all week she couldn’t help but remember the way his hand had caressed her hoof. So warm, so strong.

Starlight realized that she had been cleaning the same spot for almost five minutes. Shaking her head, she moved on.

Something bothered her about Daniel. If he did like her, why didn’t he acknowledge it? She’d read that human males—at least the ones in Daniel’s culture—were encouraged to suppress their emotions. To do otherwise would be a sign of weakness, like a thestral stallion sticking his tail between his legs. It was possible Daniel feared that expressing his feelings directly would be taken as a sign of weakness.

Starlight frowned. No, that was ridiculous. Daniel liked her because he could be himself around her, not some actor It had to be something else. Was he worried what his den would think? From what she knew of human culture, ever since the portal had been opened, dating a non-human had been a controversial topic. An understandable reaction for a species that had spent most of its existence as the only sentient beings on their planet.

But then again, his past relationship with Princess Twilight was hardly a secret. His den had to know by now that he had been intimate with a pony.

She swore she’d never fully understand humans, or males for that matter. Just her luck she ended up falling for someone who filled both categories.

As she cleaned, the sun came out from behind a cloud, sending a needle of light right into her eye. Star fumbled with her sunglasses, in her haste nearly dropping them.

“Sun-scorched windows,” she growled.

Based on the few human made structures she’d visited or seen in books, it seemed as though human architects could not get enough of them. Windows in bedrooms, windows in hallways, windows on the ceiling. By Tartarus, some human structures were nothing but windows! It was as if they loved the sun so much they could not bear to shield themselves from it.

Starlight flitted around the atrium, taking care to stay away from the light fixtures, golden chandeliers that when lit sparkled with cold radiance.

Lights, that was another aspect of human architecture that annoyed her. She was used to being awake during the day—her half-unicorn son had made that a necessity—but for a creature adapted to dimly-lit dens and soft moonlight, it was almost blinding. At every opportunity the humans burned their electric bulbs, even in the middle of the day while the sun shone down on them. Sometimes it was so bad she needed to take her lunch break in her bedroom with the curtains drawn and the lights extinguished, just to give her aching eyes a few minutes of peace.

Finally, the windows were spotless. More than spotless, they were all but invisible.

Angling her wings downwards, Starlight began gliding to the floor. On a whim she concluded her descent with a loop, alighting on the floor with a click of her hooves, before giving a bow to her imaginary audience.

Crossing the the last item off her mental checklist, Starlight wiped some sweat from her brow, and pulled at her uniform. That was the problem with these uniforms; every time she sweated, the fabric would stick to her body. Specifically, the parts of her body that a refined mare such as herself had no business mentioning.

Starlight made a beeline to the Embassy laundry room, peeled off the garment and dumped it in the nearest available basket. She was no stranger to it. During Starlight’s old job she would sometimes get clients who wanted the ‘maid experience’. It was easy money really; she’d put on the outfit, pretend to clean up the dingy hotel room she was in, and let the client ‘seduce’ her. The main difference between that and her new job was that she was expected to remained dressed all the time. That, and she finished each day with her dignity intact. That was a definite bonus.

With a yawn, the thestral arched her back until she felt her spine crack. Right then, all she wanted to do was lay herself down on the nearest couch and rest until supper.

“Momma!”

Instinctively her ears perked up and swiveled, searching for the source. Hoofsteps. Directly behind her. Soft, light, very familiar hoofsteps.

Starlight turned just in time to see a grey blur pounce at her and wrap itself around her barrel. Two teal eyes stared up at her.

“Hi Momma!”

Starlight frowned. “Slate,” she said, switching to her native Letyan to afford her some privacy against nosey ponies. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to wait for me in our quarters.”

The little unicorn colt’s ears, tufted like his mother’s, drooped.

“I’m sorry, Mama. But I really wanted to show you my picture,” he replied, following his mother’s lead and speaking in Letyan.

Starlight’s expression softened. That look never failed to melt her heart. She gave her son a nuzzle. “It is alright. But please, next time, wait until we get home. Now let’s see this picture that just couldn’t wait?”

Slate rustled through his bookbag, and pulled out a piece of drawing paper. “Look, look!” Slate held out the drawing, practically shoving it into his mother’s face.

Three figures depicted in crayon smiled up at Star, limbs linked together like a living chain. The first two were obviously ponies: stick-like quadrupeds with circles for heads and muzzles, and two triangles for ears. One had a tiny cone sticking out of the top of its head, while the other had two curved lines sprouting from its back. Standing in between the two was a biped, dressed in a crudely-drawn suit.

“This is very good, Slate,” Starlight said, ruffling his mane.”You’re getting better.” She pointed to the third figure, the biped. “But who is this?”

“Oh, that’s Mr. Daniel!” Slate said, beaming. “See, we’re all holding hooves together!”

“I see,” Starlight stuttered, briefly lapsing back to Equestrian without even realizing it. As she looked down at the drawing, a lump formed in her throat, and her knees started quivering.

“Are you okay, Momma?” Slate asked, cocking his head.

“Yes,” she replied too quickly, shaking her head. “Momma’s fine. She’s just a little tired from work.”

“Okay,” Slate said, ears drooping, though he brightened a moment later. “Oh, oh! Do you think me and Mister Daniel can play together after dinner?”

“I’m sorry, little star, but Mister Daniel is very busy now. He can’t be disturbed.”

Very busy was an understatement. Daniel had not left his office in almost three days. Everytime she tried to talk to him, George and Lenny would politely, but firmly tell her that the ambassador was not to be disturbed. While long working hours were nothing new for Daniel—part of the job, as he always said—he usually found time to take at least one break each day in whatever form it came; a short walk, a shower, or a sandwich from the cafeteria.

Slate’s shoulders slumped. “Aww…”

“I know, little star, I know,” she said, giving Slate a nuzzle. “Maybe some other time.”

Hopefully that ‘some other time’ was soon. With the way Daniel was behaving, with his dogged refusal to stop, he was liable to drown himself under a tide of paperwork. Given the amount of red tape that came with his position, that could very well be literal.

As Starlight comforted her son, her ears perked up as she heard hooves clopping on the embassy’s hardwood floor.

“Excuse me?”

Two heads, mother and son, whipped around at once. A purple alicorn stood in the hallway.

Starlight’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Every muscle in her body turned to iron. By the Nightmother. Twilight Sparkle. Princess Twilight Sparkle—the mare who had saved Equestria three times over, and one of the most powerful mages in recorded history—had just walked into the embassy.

“Hello, I was perhaps wondering if you could help me,” the alicorn said, smoothing out her purple mane, acting so casual it was as if she had no understanding of her own importance. ”I’m looking for the Ambassador. Can you point me towards him?”

Long-forgotten lessons kicked in, forcing Starlight to prostrate herself on the floor, no matter how much it hurt her pride. “Your Highness,” she said in the humblest voice she could muster, ”How may this servant be assisting you?

The alicorn gave a sheepish grin. “At ease, everypony,” she said. “No need to bow. I’m just here to see a friend.”

Starlight stood back up, brushing dust off of her coat. “Of course, Your Highness.”

To Starlight's surprise, the alicorn winced.

“Please, just call me Twilight. Believe me, ‘Your Highness’ gets old really quickly.”

“Of course Your… Twilight,” Starlight stuttered.

Twilight's eyes lit up. “Oh, you must be Starlight!” The alicorn smiled. “It’s so nice to finally meet you!”

Starlight gasped. “You are knowledgeable of my name?”

Back home, if you were a servant, you’d be lucky if a noble even remembered you existed. Having a ruler who was practically a demigod address you by name was…

“Don’t be so surprised. Daniel’s told me so much about you,” Twilight said, trotting up to Starlight. ”Apparently, you’re the ‘only thing that’s been keeping [him] sane’.”

The princess’ reputation as something of a bookworm was no exaggeration. She’d even vocalized the square brackets in her quote.

The tension in Starlight’s chest relaxed. “It is… what I do.” There was something calming about Twilight’s voice, as if Star was meeting an old friend that she’d never known she had. But then again, what did she expect from the Princess of Friendship?

Twilight turned her head slightly towards Slate, giving him a soft smile. “Hey there little guy! What’s your name?”

In typical fashion, the little half-unicorn darted behind his mother, clinging to her hind leg like a drowning pony at a log.

“This would be my son, Slate.” Starlight gently nudged him forward. “Will you say hi to Miss Twilight?”

Slowly, Slate crept out from the shelter of his mother’s shadow. “Hello…” he said, his voice a whisper.

“Aw, don’t be afraid little guy.” Twilight crouched until her eyes were level with Slates. The unicorn shivered, his gaze falling to the ground. “Hey,” she said softly, using the tip of her hoof to raise Slate’s chin until he was looking her in the eyes. “Want to see something neat?”

Slate gave a tiny nod.

“Watch.” The alicorn princess closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her horn lit up, beginning to hum with magical energy as glittering bursts of light erupted from her horn like a miniature fireworks display, illuminating the Atrium with shades of emerald, ruby, and sapphire.

“Wow!” Slate’s mouth dropped, his eyes wide open, going from withdrawn to bouncing up and down on the spot in less than a second. “Again! Again!”

“Sure!” Another fireworks display exploded from Twilight’s horn.

“That was awesome, Miss Twilight!” Slate reared up on his hind legs. “Can you teach me, huh, can you teach me?”

“Perhaps a little later,” Twilight said, ruffling Slate’s mane. “Right now, I’d like to see Daniel, if that’s okay with you.

“That may be proving difficult.” Starlight sighed.

“Slate,” she said, “Miss Twilight and I are going to see Mister Daniel. Go back to our quarters and practice your magic until I get back.”

“Aww,” Slate moaned, “I wanna see more of Miss Twilight’s magic.”

“Slate, Miss Twilight and I have very important business with Mister Daniel. It is not something meant for little colts.”

She gave Slate a hug. “Do not worry. I’m sure that Miss Twilight will gladly show you more magic later.”

“Yes. I’d be more than happy to,” said Twilight.

Slate turned to Twilight. “You promise?”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

Slate giggled. “Okay.” He turned around, waving over his shoulder. “Bye Momma! Bye Miss Twilight!”

“Goodbye Slate!” Twilight said, returning the wave as the unicorn sped off.

“He certainly is quick on his hooves,” Twilight said.

“He is half-thestral. It is being in his nature,” Starlight smiled at the retreating form of her son, though as she looked back at Twilight it slid off her face. “Now, you are being here to see Daniel, no?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, I am. We exchange letters often. Every single week, in fact. But I didn’t receive his on the agreed upon day yesterday.” She glanced down at the floor. “I’m worried about him, he’s never missed a letter before.”

Summoning up her courage, Starlight placed a hoof on the Princess’ withers. “I am not surprised. He has been extremely busy lately. So busy that he is refusing to leave his office. I am worried myself.”

“How busy is he exactly?” Twilight asked.

“The Guards have reported that he has yet to bathe in three days.”

“Honestly,” Twilight muttered to herself, “that man can be too stubborn for his own good. I always said it’d be the end of him.” She shook herself out of her reverie, glancing over at Starlight like she’d only just realized she had company.

“Then again,” she said, blushing faintly. “I guess that’d be a case of the pot calling the kettle black.” Twilight motioned towards the hallway leading to Daniel’s office. “I’m going to try and coax Daniel out of his office. Would you like to accompany me? After all, two heads are better than one, and when you try to argue with Daniel, you need all the heads you can get.”

“It would be a great pleasure,” Starlight replied. “I am relieved to have the help. If truth be told, I was only a few hours away from kicking down his door myself, Nightmother give me strength.”

With that, the two mares set off down the main hallway.

“So, Starlight…” Twilight said after an uncomfortable silence, glancing over the waxed floors and fancy paintings. “What’s it like, working at the Embassy?”

The pair passed another pony maid, who stopped dusting a vase to stare open mouthed at Twilight. Starlight gave her co-worker a nod, though she doubted she even noticed it. “You are aware of the human tale of Sisyphus, no?”

Twilight nodded.

“Well, it is being exactly like that. Only I am not rolling a boulder up a hill. Everyday I am working to keep the embassy clean, and then everything is being undone the next day.” She chuckled.

Twilight laughed. “My job is more like Hercules versus the Hydra.” She snorted. “Everytime I solve one problem, two more pop up to take its place. Unlike him, I can’t burn them to keep them from coming back.”

Starlight couldn’t help but chuckle. “I am seeing what you mean.”

The two rounded a corner. At the end of the hallway was Daniel’s office. George and Lenny stood at attention, their armor hiding the rise and fall of their chests. Standing there like that, they were closer related to statutes than to stallions. The instant they saw Twilight, the two bowed, their movements jerky after hours of inaction.

“Your Highness,” George said. “Lieutenant Goldeneye.“ He motioned to Lenny. “And Lieutenant Silvereye, at your service.”

“At ease,” Twilight said just a little too quickly. “No need for bowing. I get too much of that from everypony else. No need for guardsponies to start doing it too.”

“Of course, Your—” He shook his head, tongue snaking out to wet his lips. When he spoke again, his voice was tentative. “Of course Princess.”

The alicorn just smiled. “How about Twilight?”

“Right, Twilight,” George said with a nod. “How may we assist you?”

“There’s no need to be so formal. I’m not here on official business, just here to see a friend. Would it be okay if you just treated me like an ordinary mare?”

The two squirmed in their armor, eyes darting back and forth. “Um, ah, yes.“ George said. He turned to Starlight.

George nodded to Starlight. “Good day to you too, Miss Starlight.”

“Uh, yeah,” Lenny said, “Nice to... see ya’ Star,” said Lenny, a slight smile on his face. “How’s the little guy?”

“He is the same. A hooffull.” Starlight chuckled.

“I’m can bet.” George took a deep breath. “So, Miss Starlight... Miss Twilight, what can we do for you two?”

“I’m here to see Daniel,” Twilight said. “Can you let me in?”

George glanced over at Lenny, who only shrugged in reply. “My apologies, Miss Twilight,” George said. “The ambassador has given us strict orders not to be disturbed. We can’t let you in“

“And even if we had authorization,” Lenny said, “Mr. H locked himself inside, and you can’t unlock the door from this side.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Twilight exclaimed, stamping a hoof. “What if there was an emergency? What if he needed help?”

George sighed, balancing his spear with one hoof while he used the other to rub the bridge of his nose. “That’s what we tried to tell him, Miss Twilight. But he refused to listen.”

“Yeah, you know how he is,” said Lenny.

“All too well…” Twilight grumbled. “Maybe I can make him listen.”

Both guards nodded. “You’re certainly welcome to try,” said George.

Both the guards shuffled to either side, their armor clanking, giving the alicorn more space to approach the door.

“I must warn you though,” said George. “ My partner and I have been trying to make him leave all day without success.”

“Yeah,” Lenny added. “I even tried pretending that the President of Japan was out here waitin’ to talk to him and he didn’t budge!”

George groaned and rolled his eyes. “You see what I have to deal with?” he whispered to the two mares.

Stifling a giggle, Twilight trotted up to the solid cherrywood door and rapped on it with a hoof. “Daniel?” Another rap. “Daniel, it’s Twilight.”

*****

Work, work and more work, that was all it had been for three days straight. It was never ending, and whenever he thought he’d finally getting on top of things, his secretary showed up to dump another issue in front of him.

To most people managing a conference over immigration to and from Earth may not have been an interesting job, or even a very important one. After all, on Earth, thousands of people moved to different counties every single day. But this wasn’t Earth, it was a totally new planet. There were no precedents for something like this. If he didn’t tread carefully, Earth/Equis relations could be set back decades. Even if it was a success, the proceedings would set precedents for future diplomatic meetings between the two planets.

The UN general secretary, Daniel’s de-facto boss, had made that very clear at their fortnightly teleconference a few days ago.

Since then, Daniel couldn’t even remember the last time he’d left his office. The closest he’d come to a break was the occasional trip to the ensuite restroom.

His last shower was a distant memory, his back and neck ached from the naps he’d been taking in his chair in lieu of sleep, and to cap it all off, hunger clawed at his stomach to the point that he felt faint.

But he didn’t dare stop, no matter how much his body begged him to. There was too much riding on the conference for him to waste time.

Shuffling one of the documents over to his discard pile, he pulled the next off his inbound stack. It was a memo from his secretary.

Griffon ambassador requesting attendance. Made veryclear political repercussions if ignored. - Studious Mind

The rest of the document was a list of diplomatic retainers that the Griffon Empire expected to be seated.

Fighting down a groan, Daniel began to shuffle over the of papers that cluttered his desk. He knew that he’d put the seating plan somewhere off to the side, but then again he couldn’t remember when exactly that had been. The sun had been shining in through the window when he’d seen it last… or had that been the moon?

Wherever it was, he needed it. After that border dispute with the Minotaur Republic, the griffons had withdrawn their ambassador as a protest, to which the minotaurs had responded in kind. Seating them together would most likely end in both parties trading blows instead of proposals. That would hardly give them a positive opinion of humanity.

Then, just as he thought he’d found it, a knock at the door, followed by a voice.

“Daniel, it’s Twilight.”

With a gasp Daniel jerked to the side, sweeping a bundle of papers off the table.

Cursing under his breath, Daniel had to pause to let whose voice he’d heard sink in.

“Twi?” he asked, before realizing there was no chance she could hear him through the heavy door when he spoke so softly.

“Twi?” he repeated, his voice raised. “What are you doing here?”

“Are you alright?” the muffled voice replied.

Grumbling, Daniel leaned forward and started picking the papers up off the floor, his back and chair protesting at the same time.

“I’m fine Twi. Just busy.”

“Daniel, the Guards said you haven’t left your office in days. Don’t you think you should, I don’t know, take a break?”

“I must agree, Ambassador,” George pipped up.

“Same here!” Lenny added.

“Twi, gentlecolts, I only have a few days left until the conference,” he said, trying his best to keep the irritation out of his voice. From what he could tell, he hadn’t done a very good job.

“If I’m not ready by then, everything I’ve worked for these past few days will be for nothing.”

Finally managing to snatch up the last piece of paper from the ground, Daniel straightened himself up, beginning to search through them. As luck would have it, the seating plan had made its way to the top of the bundle.

Just as he was about to bring pen to paper to rearrange the seating, there was another knock at the door.

“Daniel, it is Starlight.”

“Star?” Daniel asked, his heart leaping into his throat. He hadn’t realized how much he missed the sound of her voice.

“Star, look, now’s really not a good time. I promise we’ll get together next week. Right now, I really, really need to prepare.”

“Daniel, all of this work, it is ruining your health! Do you not know this?”

“I’ll be fine!” he protested, resting his chin on his hand as he tried his best to start the seating rearrangement even with all the background noise. “Just… just leave me alone and let me finish my work.”

A bang sounded out, making Daniel jump in his chair. It took him a moment for his thoughts to catch up on his instincts. Star must have bucked the door.

“Listen to me, you stubborn kretyn!” Starlight hissed. “If you are not outside of this sontse-scorched office within a khvylyn, I swear by the Nightmother’s name that I will—”

All he’d wanted was to be left in peace, to let him focus on his work and try his best to drag himself out of the hole his boss had thrown in him. But, it appeared that some people just couldn’t recognize a man who needed solitude

“Enough!” he yelled, not realizing until after it had been said that he was screaming. “Listen, you stupid pony. If this summit isn’t perfect, if one tiny thing is out of place, the immigration issue will be done!. The General Secretary will shove his foot so far up my ass I’ll be tasting shoe polish! He’ll take away my assignment, fire me, and have me thrown into the next available portal to Earth.”

The bottom of Daniel’s stomach fell out. Oh God, he hadn’t thought about any of that before, but he was right. His whole career was riding on this one event, his entire future. What would happen to him if he screwed up? Immigration would fail and he’d be fired. He’d be deported back to Earth and never be allowed to see his friends again. Starlight would abandon him, his parents would be ashamed to call him their son. Not even the dinner theater he used to work for would take him back!

He’d be a laughing stock, the kind of man who went down in history books as an utter failure. Earth-Equis relations would take decades to recover. They might even shut down the portals all together!

Though he couldn’t place when it had started, his heart was hammering in his ears, while his lungs worked overtime trying to draw in more air. But, no matter how quickly he breathed he just couldn’t catch his breath.

Clinging to his desk like a life raft he looked up at the ceiling. The office was spinning, while the darkened walls drew closer, sealing him in.

It just couldn’t be happening, it just wasn’t real. Nothing he did mattered at all, he was just a puppet with its strings being pulled. He was a passenger in his own body, a spectator as he looked down at the failure that clutched at its chest with a cry, just before it fell to the floor.

*****

“Ambassador? Ambassador?!” Lenny cried out, hammering at the door. The only response was a thud, followed by more gasping breaths.

“You two, break it down!” Twilight ordered, though her face had turned white. Starlight looked just as bad, her hoof holding Twilight’s as the mares lent against each other for support.

George and Lenny hurled themselves against the door, their back legs hammering at it with a precise rhythm. Under the onslaught the door splintered, then cracked in half.

“Daniel!” Starlight yelled as she hurled herself into the breach.

The office had definitely seen better days. The carpet was littered with coffee cups, energy drink cans, and food wrappers. Daniel’s desk was cluttered with books and papers, as if his desk was populated with miniature skyscrapers. On top of that the room stunk of stale sweat and unwashed bodies.

The two bodyguards rushed to Daniel’s side. “Silver,” George shouted, “get the doctor. Now!”

“You got it.” Lenny gave a salute, before dashing out the door.

George hovered over Daniel’s quivering form. Twilight looked him over.

“He’s having a panic attack!” Said Twilight. “We need to calm him down before he passes out!”

Starlight furrowed her brow and dashed to Daniel’s side. She helped him up and wrapped her forelegs around him.

She stepped towards him, running her hoof through his mane. Without warning, his arms snaked around her barrel, and with an eep of surprise she was pulled in close. He hugged her to him like a teddy bear, pushing his face into his chest. She could feel wetness again her coat, but barely noticed. His breathing was slowing down, and so all she did was wrap her forelegs around his neck and hold him.

“Daniel… listen,” she whispered. “Everything, it will be all right. I am here.” George and Twilight each put a hoof on Daniel’s shoulder. “We’re all here.”

Daniel’s breathing slowed to something like normal. His shudders became less violent.

In that moment, Starlight realized how silly it must’ve looked; A grown human twice her size hugging her like a scared child would his mother, while a princess ran her hoof through his hair.

But despite it all, she couldn’t find it in herself to be embarrassed. She just prayed that Daniel would be alright. Hopefully, the Nightmother was listening.

Author's Note

And now, a word from my co-writer, Comrade Pony

Hello everyone, it's been far to long. For those who don't quite know me I'm the co-writer on this story. Anyway, I'd like to apologize for the delay in getting this chapter published. Primarily it was my fault since I had my final semester of university exams a few weeks after the first chapter was published. This meant that for about a month I was unable to do my part on getting this chapter done. However, that's all in the past now and through our combined efforts we have a new chapter to share with you all. Perhaps it may take longer, and be more work on our part, but I am a firm believer in quality of quantity for writing. Five-thousand words written well will always have more impact then twenty-thousand written quickly with no effort put in. So, in that vein I promise that Flint and myself will always ensure that you receive the best quality we can manage for every single chapter of this story.

Until next chapter

Comrade_Pony

Clinics, Confessions, and Conflict

When the first thestrals settled in Letyucha, fear had been a necessity. Fear kept you alert while you were on watch. Fear kept you wary when you were out gathering food. Fear made sure that predators or rival dens couldn't ambush you on patrol. Even after all those centuries, many of Starlight’s kind considered fear as much a gift of the Nightmother as their thick coats and slit pupils.

However, as Starlight sat in the waiting room of Canterlot General Hospital, the Nightmother’s gift was quickly becoming a curse.

Please be alright. Please be alright… Starlight thought over and over. It echoed through her mind like a mantra. It was all she could think about, and maybe—just maybe—if she kept saying it, the universe would take pity on her and grant her prayer.

Given her track record, it seemed unlikely. Faith in divinity so often gave way to the fates.

She cocked her head toward the examination rooms. What could possibly be taking them so long? Her knowledge of medicine was limited—her denfather hadn’t had any desire for his daughter to be educated in a “merchant” profession—but surely it couldn’t take the doctor that long to examine Daniel.

In her anxious state, her thestral instincts had taken over; keeping her looking around the waiting room, searching for some non-existent threat. Of course, nothing she saw looked particularly threatening; the walls of the waiting room were painted a pastel blue, illuminated by hidden mage-lights. In the corner, colorful fish swam about in a tank, one of them staring out the glass walls as if plotting an escape.

To a pony, it would have been relaxing. To a thestral, it was useless. It was much too bright, and much too colorful.

Starlight tried to distract herself with an issue of National Equigraphic she’d scavenged from the magazine rack, but her imagination was too cunning for that.

What if the anxiety attack had damaged him somehow? What if Daniel had some inoperable form of cancer? What if he only had a few months left to live? What if this was his last night alive?!

As she stewed in her worry, Starlight remembered an old proverb one of her denmothers would always quote: Worry never stopped the moon from setting. The best thing she could do was keep herself calm and under control.

Starlight looked to George and Lenny. At least she was not the only one worried sick.

Though they’d tried their best to remain stoic, Starlight could see the way they fidgeted in their seats, eyes darting back and forth.

“Alright now, Slate, are you charged up?”

Starlight turned to see Twilight and Slate huddled together. The little half-unicorn closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, his horn sparking with stored magic energy.

“Okay, now, imagine all of that energy rushing out in a bunch of little bursts. Ready?”

Slate nodded.

“Go!”

A lone ball of magical energy shot into the air, then burst with a sharp pop. A sprinkle of electric-blue sparks rained down on Slate’s head.

“That’s it, you’ve got it!” Twilight clapped her hooves together. Slate reared up on his hind legs.

“Momma, momma, did you see that? Huh, did you see that?”

“I did. Good job Slate!” Starlight ran a hoof through her son’s mane. It seemed like only yesterday she was tying him to his bed so his magical surges wouldn’t send him flying. Her little colt was growing up.

Just then two doctors galloped past, their lab coats flapping in the air. The concerned looks on their faces was evident, and they spoke in hushed voices despite the speed they were moving.

Slate’s smile disappeared. “Momma,” he said, ears drooping. “Will Mr. Daniel be all right?”

“Do not worry, little star. The doctors here, they are the best. If anything is wrong with Mr. Daniel, they will be knowing how to fix him.” Starlight pointed over to the fish tank sitting in the corner. “Now, correct me if I am wrong, but there are fish over there. Perhaps they should be admired, no?”

”But, Momma, Mister Daniel’s hurt. How can I have fun if he’s hurt?”

“Slate, having a little bit of fun while we are waiting will not be hurting Mr. Daniel.” She smiled. “Besides, do you not think Mr. Daniel would like for you to be having fun?”

Slate ears perked up slightly. “Okay Momma, I’ll try.” With that, the colt trotted over to the corner and pressed his muzzle against the tank, the fish scattering on sight.

“Your son’s a pretty good spellcaster,” Twilight said, taking a seat next to Starlight. “He learns quickly, and has great control. You’ve taught him pretty well.”

Starlight couldn’t help but smile at the compliment, though she felt guilty for it when Daniel was hurt. Still, it was high praise when it came from the Bearer of the Element of Magic. “Thank you. It was not being easy.”

“I can imagine,” Twilight said with a smile. “Have you ever considered enrolling him at Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns?”

“The School for Gifted Unicorns?” Starlight had heard of the School. Virtually everypony had. Some of the most influential ponies in history had attended it. One of whom was sitting right next to her.

“Well, I am not sure,” she said, hesitantly. “It would be nice to be seeing him go to a good school, but I am not certain. It is expensive, and I am not possessing much in terms of money.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. Celestia has plenty of scholarship programs for students from lower-income families. She wants everypony to be able to learn and reach their full potential. If you want, I can even help you with the paperwork.”

“I see. That is a kind offer. I will be considering it,” Starlight said, staring off into the distance.

The conversation could only keep her anxiety at bay for so long. Already she could feel it seeping into her, twisting her stomach and freezing her heart. Her ears drooped and her tail went limp.

Twilight put a wing on Starlight’s back. “Are you alright, Starlight?”

“No, not at all.”

“Don’t worry,” she said, patting Starlight’s shoulder. “This isn’t the first time Daniel’s pushed himself too hard.” She chuckled. “Once, the day before he met Princess Celestia for the first time, he spent hours rehearsing his introduction, his farewell, everything. The next day, when he arrived at the castle, he was so exhausted he fell asleep halfway through the ceremony.”

Starlight giggled, though she felt a little guilty for doing so. That was Daniel all right.

“That is nothing. Once, when the two of us were beginning to date…”

She stiffened as she realized what she’d just admitted. The words had just slipped out, she hadn’t even thought about it.

“Something wrong?” Twilight asked, cocking her head. “You just seized up.”

Starlight took a breath, and then smiled. Yes, she and Daniel were a couple, there was no denying it. She knew it should’ve scared her, but it only made her feel happy.

“No, I am fine as one can be in a hospital,” she said. “As I was saying, Just after we had started seeing each other, we were out to dinner, and so distracted was he by a phone call that he did tip the waiter one-hundred bits.”

The two mares shared a giggle.

“Oh his face, it was tragic and hilarious all at once,” Starlight added with a sigh.

“Just like Daniel,” she said, glancing down at the magazine on Starlight’s lap. “Oh, you read National Equigraphic too?”

“I do. During my foalhood, I did steal into Denfather’s study at many times so I could be reading his collection. Sometimes, I would cut out pictures of places that I was wishing to visit from the pages: Stalliongrad, Saddle Arabia, Manehattan… so very many.”

“Same with me. It was just so interesting, all of those photographs, and those articles. In fact, between you and me, it’s a dream of mine to get an article published in there someday.

“And why would you not?” Starlight asked. “You are the Princess of Friendship, certainly they would be taking your article in the beat of a heart.”

Twilight shook her head, looking crestfallen at the very notion. “Oh no, I could never do something like that. I’d have to send it under a pseudonym. I want to get in because of my skill, not my title.”

Starlight shook her head, a smile on her face.

“What?” Twilight asked, blushing.

“Oh, it is being nothing. It is just, well, back in my country, our nobility, they were thinking that it was better to be using influence, rather than skill, to achieve things.”

Twilight nodded and sighed. “I know that all too well. But then, at least in Equestria they’re normally content with using it as a means to throw the most lavish party.” She peered over Star’s shoulder. “Oh, I love this issue. Especially the centerfold article on traditional Letyan skydancing.”

Starlight blinked at Twilight dumbly, before the words sunk in.

Not quite believing the coincidence, she flipped to a double page picture of two skydancers performing a twin S-loop, streamers trailing behind them. In her anxiety she must have overlooked it.

“So, you are interested in skydancing, no?” Star asked.

“I think it’s amazing,” Twilight gushed. “One time, my mom and dad took Shiny, Spike, and I to see a skydancing performance at the Canterlot ballet.” She sighed. “Watching them perform wasn’t like watching a dance, it was more like they were telling me a story.” She sighed, unfurling her wings slightly, giving them a ruffle. “And they make it look so easy too.”

“It is not being as easy as it looks,” said Starlight, tapping a hoof against the glossy page. “In skydancing, you must be becoming one with your fellow dancers. You must be training from sunset to sunrise. To fly until your wings scream for mercy. It must be becoming instinct.”

“I can imagine.” Twilight gave her wings a flap. “Knowing me, I’d probably crash into the side of a building on my first try… By the way, Daniel’s told me about your skydancing abilities.”

“He has…?” Starlight tensed. For years, her skydancing had been a closely-guarded secret, known only to her most trusted Denmates. Twilight was hardly her denfather, but old habits were hard to break.

“Don’t worry, he was very flattering,” Twilight added. “He said that you were the best skydancer he’d ever seen: that your flying would ‘make an angel go green with envy’.”

The chuckle that came from Star was bitter. “High praise from one who has never been seeing anypony else perform.”

Twilight shook her head. “You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. Daniel has an eye for this sort of thing. He said you’re extraordinarily talented, and I haven’t doubted that assessment for a moment. Have you ever considered auditioning for the Canterlot ballet?”

Starlight sighed. It seemed that no matter how many times the subject was brought up, she just couldn’t escape it.

“Daniel and I, we have talked about this. I have been trying, but they will not give me a chance. They are only wanting those from the big dance academies.”

“Well, Daniel has connections. Surely he could use his influence to get you an audition.”

Starlight’s stomach twisted into a knot. “No, I do not need his help. It would be too much trouble”

“Star, I’m sure he—”

“No!”

Twilight blinked in surprise. When she spoke again, the words were cautious. “Star, you’re hiding something from Daniel, aren’t you?”

“No! No I—” Starlight stopped mid-stutter. The look on Twilight’s said everything; don’t even try to lie.

“...Yes” Starlight sighed, ears pressing against her head. “Yes, there is a something I am hiding from him.”

Twilight put a hoof on Starlight’s back. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Starlight squirmed. “It is a… personal matter.”

“Pardon me,” George interrupted, rubbing his elbow with a hoof. “But would it be permissible for Silver and I to take Slate for an ice cream?”

“Hey, yeah, that’s a great idea!” Lenny chimed in, giving Starlight a sympathetic smile. “The little guy looks like he deserves a treat after today, and hospitals aren’t places for foals.”

Star hesitated, glancing between the two. It gave her the excuse to not look at Twilight and her searching eyes.

“Oh, can we, Mama, can we?” Slate asked, looking away from the fish tank and bouncing over to Starlight.

It didn’t feel right, to send her only son off with two stallions, even though Star knew she was being silly. They were members of the Royal Guard, and good stallions on top of that. Somewhat dysfunctional and occasionally goofy stallions, but good stallions nonetheless.

Eventually she sighed, and gave a nod. “Okay, but be good Slate, and stay close to Gold and Silver.” It took a bit of effort for her not to use the pair’s nicknames.

“Okay momma,” Slate said, bouncing back and forth on his left and right legs. That joy faded a moment later. “But what if I’m not here when Mr Daniel wakes up?”

“Mr.Daniel is already awake Slate,” Star corrected, smoothing down his mane. “The doctor, he is just making sure that he is okay.”

“Yeah, come on kiddo, I promise he’ll still be here when we get back,” Lenny said, picking Slate up and depositing him on his back. By instinct the colt’s forelegs wrapped around his neck. “And nopony should ever turn down ice cream!”

With that he gave a whinny, rearing back to kick his front legs in the air, before setting off at a trot down the corridor.

George moved to follow, though he paused to glance back at Starlight. “Don’t worry Miss, he’ll be fine. Silver is rather good with foals, and I’ll be there too.”

With that said he hurried off too, just as Lenny disappeared around a corner.

“So Starlight, it’s just us now. Do you think you can talk about it?”

Starlight hesitated. True, she trusted Twilight—a friend of Daniel’s was a friend of hers, and being a princess on top of that didn’t hurt—but a secret like hers wasn’t the kind that was easily told.

“Starlight, I know what it’s like to have secrets. I know that if you keep them to yourself for too long, they’ll eat you up from the inside.” Twilight paused for a second. “Especially when you’re keeping them from somepony you love, at least that’s what I assume. I’ll be the first to admit I am hardly skilled in romance.”

She put her hoof to her chin. “How about this, I’ll tell you a secret if you tell me yours?”

Starlight thought for a second. “Are you… promising to not tell anypony?”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

It was an unusual oath, but it did come from a princess.

“Very well.” Starlight took a deep breath. “If you would not be minding, could you start?”

“I can,” Twilight replied, sighing.

“Starlight, I might as well admit it; when Daniel first told me about you, I was jealous. It was only a small part of me, but I felt awful all the same.”

“Jealous?” Star tilted her head. “But I was thinking that you and Daniel were just friends?”

Another sigh. “Yes. When we broke up, we agreed that we would still remain friends. I knew and he knew that our relationship just wasn’t working out. I was sure that time had done away with any romantic feelings I still held for Daniel. But, when I learned that he’d started seeing somepony new some residual feelings came bubbling up.”

Twilight turned to Star.

“You know, before I met Daniel, I’d never really thought about finding a special somepony. There was always my studies, and ever since I met my friends I’ve never been lonely. Sure, sometimes in the past I’d thought about meeting somepony I’d taken a fleeting fancy to for tea, but, well, I just never got around to asking any of them.” She smiled. “Daniel certainly changed that. It turned out he and I weren’t meant for each other, but he did make me realize that I do want to find somepony to spend the rest of my life with. I suppose I’ll always love him in a special way for doing that for me.”

Starlight smiled. “He is having a, what is the word, knack for making ponies realize they are wanting to be loved.”

Twilight nodded. “At first, my interest in him was purely scientific, but the more I learned about him, the more I started to like him as a person. Twilight hung her head. “He was one of the few people who truly understood me, that just because I like my own space sometimes, it doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy their company. Ponies like that don’t come along very often.”

“Well,” Twilight sniffed, levitating a hoofkerchief from her saddlebag and dabbing her eyes. “That’s my secret.”

“Right. Now, to be keeping my end of the bargain.” Starlight took a deep breath. This was going to hurt.

“Long before our meeting, back in Letyucha, I met a stallion who did promise that he would be there for me when I was needing him.” She gritted her teeth. Old wounds began to reopen, and though she hated herself, she felt her eyes begin to burn.

“But when the unexpected was happening, he… abandoned me.”

Twilight held Starlight’s hoof. “And because of him, you can’t bring yourself to trust any stallion too much.”

“You are catching on quickly,” Starlight said, her voice thick. “Celestia and Lady Luna chose well.”

“Star,” Twilight said.“Listen, I’ve known Daniel since he first arrived in Equestria. He may be stubborn to a fault.”

Starlight snorted, though it came out more has a hiccup.

“But he would never betray a friend,” Twilight finished.

With a glow of her horn Twilight offered Star her hoofkerchief. With a smile that wobbled around the edges Star took it and wiped her eyes.

“Twilight, my mind, it is believing you… but my heart, it cannot forget past hurtings.”

Twilight sighed. “I wish I could do more, I really do, but I’m the Princess of Friendship. Love, well, that’s more my sister-in-law’s portfolio. But I know that if you want your relationship to last, you need to be honest with him.”

“I am not being sure if I can,” Starlight said softly.

Twilight put a hoof on the thestral’s withers “Starlight, sometime in the next few weeks, I want you to tell Daniel the truth. Do you think you can promise me that?”

Starlight took a shuddering breath, then nodded. “Yes. I can promise.”

“Good, Daniel needs somepony like you.” Twilight smiled. “After all, somepony needs to keep him safe.”

Starlight managed a weak chuckle. “I shall be doing my best.”

Feeling a bit more relaxed, Starlight turned her head towards the hallway leading to the examination rooms.

She was going to have a serious talk with him. No one had the right to worry her the way he had.

*****

Daniel glared at the inflatable sleeve around his arm, twitching with every pump.

He blamed his older brother for that.

When he was a kid, his big brother had told him about a friend of a friend who’d lost an arm while having his blood pressure taken. Supposedly, the doctor had pumped it so many times that it’d pinched the poor kid’s arm clean off. Like the gullible little nine-year old he was, he’d believed it.

Even then, as he sat on the examination room table some twenty years later, he still got the shivers whenever the inflatable sleeve went on.

White Coat Hypertension, that’s what they called it. Not that knowing the name for it made him feel any more relaxed.

Like a boa constrictor, the sleeve pressed against his flesh, growing tighter with each pump. Though he knew it was only his imagination, he swore he could feel it clamp down, slowly squeezing his arm to the breaking point.

There was a hiss, and the sleeve relaxed.

“How’s it look, doctor?”

Dr. Schweitzer, Daniel’s personal physician, held the dial up to his face and frowned. That wasn’t good. In Daniel’s experience there were three people who you never wanted to frown: fathers, policemen, and doctors.

“One moment, Mr. Habbuck.” The doctor ran a hand through his greying hair and scribbled something on his clipboard.

Daniel didn’t know why the UN had insisted on him having a human doctor. Pony doctors were more than equipped to deal with human medical needs. But at the end of the day he was their employee, and he’d conceded.

“I’ve reached a diagnosis now,” the doctor said, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Would you like to receive it privately, or with your… family?”

“The latter,” Daniel replied, not even pausing to think.

With that, the doctor opened the exam room door, leaning out of it to speak to someone just outside. “You may see Mr. Habbuck now, though I hope I need not remind you that there are other people here. Princesses and guards are not exempt from the rules.”

Daniel heard somepony break into a gallop. He braced himself.

Three... Two… One...

“Mr. Daniel!”

A grey blur shot between the doctor’s legs, nearly tripping him, then launched itself at Daniel’s chest. The next thing Daniel knew, he was laying flat on his back, pressed down onto his mattress, with two green eyes staring back at him.

“Mr. Daniel, you’re okay!”

Daniel smiled. “Good to see you too, Slate.” He scratched Slate behind his ears, running his fingers through the colt’s fur.

“Mister Daniel, Momma and Miss Twilight say that you got really really scared, and that you started breathing really hard!”

It was a simplistic description, but it struck Daniel how accurate it was.

“I did Slate, I did. But don’t worry, I’m okay now.”

Daniel had an idea. “Hey, Slate?”

“Yes?”

“Follow my finger.” Daniel slowly moved his finger around in a circle, Slate’s eyes following its every move.

“And… boop!” Daniel gently poked Slate’s muzzle, causing it to scrunch up in a suitably adorable fashion.

Slate giggled and nuzzled Daniel’s chest like a dog.

“You always were good with foals.”

Daniel looked up to see Twilight standing in the doorway.

“What can I say?” He smirked, prying Slate off of his chest. “I’m a sucker for cute.”

Lifting Slate up, Daniel set him on the floor next to the bed.“Why do you think I became friends with you?”

“Oh you.” Twilight nickered, trotting over to Daniel and slapping him playfully on the shoulder, before embracing him with her forelegs.

George and Lenny trotted into the room. Daniel could almost smell the relief they were feeling.

“Ambassador,” George said. “It’s good to see that you’re safe.”

“Yeah, ya had us all real worried for a moment there, Mister H,” added Lenny.

“Well, I’m alright now. Thanks to you two.”

“No thanks are necessary, ambassador,” said George.”We were only doing our duty.”

“Yeah,” added Lenny. “We’re your bodyguards. Our job’s to guard your body, even if it’s from yourself.”

He chuckled. “I think you mean especially—”

“Daniel?”

Daniel’s heart leapt. There was Starlight, peaking through the doorway, rubbing one foreleg against the other.

“Star, what’s wrong?” he asked, pushing himself further upright, eyes tinted with worry.

“No, it is being nothing,” she replied, shaking her head, before smiling.

That broke whatever had been holding her back, Starlight spreading her wings and leapt into the air.

Daniel opened his arms and caught the thestral in midair, holding her to his chest.

Hugging Starlight wasn’t like hugging an ordinary pony. Behind her coat he could feel corded muscles, hidden scars; the signs of a mare who’d endured more than she liked to say. For a while, he just wanted to hold her close; to let her know he would always be there for her.

They stayed like that for a while, her head burrowed into his chest. The other ponies shifted awkwardly; George and Lenny looked away, Slate just stared with wide eyes, while Twilight blushed.

“Daniel?”

He looked down, fully prepared to stare deep into the limpid pools of Starlight’s eyes.

“You stupid vyrodok!”

Lenny clamped his hooves over Slate’s ears. Starlight bared her fangs.

“By the Nightmother above, are all humans being as durnyy as you? Were you not thinking about your health? What about your friends, shutting them out when you were needing them the most?”

Daniel opened his mouth to speak, only for Starlight to cut him off, shaking him by the shoulders.

“And what if tam was being an avariynyy?” Starlight hissed. “And what...”

From there, Starlight completely lapsed into her native language. He couldn’t understand a word, but the gist was easy enough to catch onto. She berated Daniel for every stupid decision he’d made that day; from locking himself in his office, to nearly working himself to death. All the while Daniel just sat and beared it, giving the occasional nod. He didn’t even bother to argue; he deserved every scolding he’d gotten and more.

Finally, Starlight’s rant petered out, like a storm slowly losing strength. She took a few shuddering breaths before rubbing her muzzle against Daniel’s cheek. “You may be a stubborn vyrodock, but you are my vyrodock. It is being so good to see that you are safe.”

Daniel ran a hand through Starlight’s coat. Unlike the somewhat coarser fur of a pony, the thestral’s coat was soft and silky, more like angora than horse hair.

“Ahem.”

Daniel looked up to see Dr. Schweitzer standing in the doorway, alternating between tapping his foot and checking his watch.

“Forgive me for being rude ambassador,” he said, “but I do have other appointments today. Would you be opposed to me giving my diagnosis now?’’

Daniel’s cheeks flushed. He’d totally forgotten his doctor was even there.

“Well, doc, how is it?” Daniel pulled down the sleeves of his collared shirt. “Can I head back to the office now?”

Schwiezer’s bushy eyebrows met as he frowned. “Not for a while, I’m afraid.”

“Come again?” Daniel asked.

“Ambassador, pardon my bluntness, but your body is a wreck.” He leafed through his clipboard. “Not only is your blood pressure dangerously high for a man your age, but your immune response is the lowest I’ve ever seen.” He sighed. “Frankly, it’s a wonder you didn’t collapse sooner.”

The doctor’s pencil danced across his clipboard. “So, as your physician, I’m contacting the UN’s general secretary and through a firmly worded report giving my utmost recommendation that you take a one-week break from your duties as Equiss ambassador. I will also stress the need for them to ensure you do not overwork yourself in the future.”

“A week?” Daniel said in the calmest voice he could muster. “Doctor, while I appreciate your concern, I have a very important conference coming up in a few days.”

“I’m very aware of that, Ambassador. However, I’d be violating my Hippocratic Oath if I were to let you return to work in your condition.”

“Doctor,” Twilight said, raising her hoof like she was addressing a teacher. ”May I say something?”

“Of course, Princess,” he said.

“While I may not hold a medical degree, I have published a research paper on stress and hypertension, and I must disagree with your decision.”

Daniel smiled. That was Twilight. Always sticking up for her friends.

“Given the extent of Daniel’s condition, one week seems like far too short a time period. Two weeks seems more appropriate.”

The smile vanished. That was Twilight. Always screwing over her friends.

The doctor chuckled, but shook his head. “An excellent idea Princess, but that’s not my place to say.” He scratched something down on his clipboard. “One week is the bare minimum time off he needs. More is always preferable, but I cannot force that matter. You’ll need to work that out among yourselves. Oh, and do keep the UN informed if you decided to use some of your paid vacation days.”

For a moment, Daniel just sat there, nails digging into the palms of his hands. “Twilight, I appreciate the sentiment, but I still have work to do. A week off I can manage, but any more time without an Earth ambassador and the foreign relations I’ve worked to build will all fall apart.”

Dr. Schweitzer cleared his throat. “Actually Ambassador, in situations like these, I believe the UN will assign a replacement to take over your duties.”

Daniel blinked. His mouth opened, but all that came out was a strangled grunt.

“But surely this is being ridiculous,” Starlight interjected, wings flaring up as she pawed at the ground. “Daniel, he has given everything for the UN, now they will be taking it all away?”

“Miss, please.” Dr. Schwietzer held out his hands. “It is merely a temporary replacement to keep things running while the ambassador is away. This is a critical diplomatic posting after all, you cannot expect them to leave it vacant.”

The drumbeat in Daniel’s head slowly ebbed.

“Twilight,” he said through clenched teeth. “If you don’t mind, could I speak to you in private?”

“Sure,” Twilight said, smiling nervously. She turned to Starlight and the others. “If all of you don’t mind that is.”

“I am understanding,” Starlight said. “I suppose I should also be getting Slate back home. It is becoming late.” She put a hoof on Slate’s withers. “Come, Slate, it is time to go.”

Slate’s ears drooped. “But Momma, I wanna stay with Mister Daniel!”

“Slate, Mister Daniel is needing to be speaking to Miss Twilight now. He is needing some alone time. Besides, it is nothing you would be finding interesting. Diplomacy and nothing more.”

She shot a meaningful look his and Twilight’s way.

Daniel let himself soften a little. “Slate, Miss Twilight and I have some very important… things to discuss. I promise I’ll stop by and visit tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Slate hung his head. “Bye Mr. Daniel.”

“Bye, Slate.” Daniel waved as the pair trotted out the door. “I promise we’ll have a special day just for you really soon. Only fair after you had to wait in this boring place.”

He hadn’t meant to, but the kid had looked so heartbroken the words had come tumbling out. It didn’t matter though, the look of pure joy on Slate’s face already made it worth it.

It wasn’t until they were gone that Daniel realized Starlight hadn’t said goodbye. As if reading his thoughts Starlight stuck her head around the door, and blew him a kiss, before she was gone again.

Grinning like an idiot, he turned to George and Lenny. “If you gentlemen don’t mind.”

“We understand, ambassador. No rest for the wicked, though you must’ve been right vile to get the workload you have,” George said, more mirth in his voice than Daniel liked.

“We’ll be outside if ya need us,” added Lenny. “Just don’t go pushing yerrself. We’ll tell Miss Starlight on ya if ya do.”

The pair left the room, closing the door behind them.

Daniel turned his attention back to Twilight. He took a deep breath, held it in for a few seconds, then released it.

“Twilight, what the buck!?”

“Well what was I supposed to do? Let you work yourself to death?” Twilight asked, flaring her wings.

“Twi, in case you weren’t aware, that conference could change everything about Earth-Equis relations. If things don’t go perfectly, it could set things back by years!”

“Daniel, listen, there are people in the UN who could stand in for you during the conference. You’ve done the hard work, and everypony going has already made their decisions. Formality is all that’s left.”

“Formality is a lot more important than you think! Even if the negotiations go well, if whoever’s representing humanity doesn’t make a good impression, it could lose us a lot of respect. These negotiations need someone who can read non-humans, and, unless there’s someone else who's spent two years living in Equestria, I’m the only one!”

“That experience wouldn’t do you much good when you collapse at the podium!” Twilight shouted.

“I’ll go to bed early,” he grumbled, crossing his arms. “I’ll take some breaks.”

“You need a hay of a lot more than that.” Twilight ground her teeth. “You heard the doctor. If you keep this up you’ll kill yourself. What would that do to your family? What would that do to Starlight?”

That last part stopped Daniel in his tracks. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it.

Rule #2 of living in Equestria. Don’t try to argue with Twilight. You’ll never win.

Twilight’s scowl melted into a look of concern. The alicorn trotted over to Daniel and put a forehoof on his shoulder. “Look, I know you’re really stressed about this. To tell you the truth I can’t really blame you, but even if this conference doesn’t go too well it won’t be the end of everything. There’ll be other chances to negotiate.” She smiled. “But there’ll only be one of you.”

Daniel smiled. “Thank God for that.”

Twilight made a sound between a chuckle and a nicker. Ponies, there was something so adorable about the way they combined human and equine mannerisms.

“Sorry about yelling at you earlier,” Daniel said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m just too stubborn for my own good.”

“Stubborn is what you do best.” Twilight smirked. “You might say it’s your special talent.”

“True.” Daniel laughed and loosened the collar of his suit. “So, Twi, how have you been?”

“Same as always, busy,” Twilight said, arching her back until it popped. “Though my friends are always there for me.”

“Surprise, surprise. And to think you once thought friendship was pointless. I don’t think I would’ve had a chance in hell with that Twilight.”

“I don’t think anypony really did,” Twilight muttered.

Daniel slipped off of the bed and put his shoes back on. “You know, this isn’t really the best place to have a conversation. What do you say we head back to the embassy? There are ponies who need this room more than two friends catching up.”

“I think you’ve spent more than enough time at your office. How about instead we head to my castle? It’s been awhile since you last visited. Spike and I have just finished reorganizing everything according to the Dewey Decimal System.”

She squeed a little, clopping her hooves together.

“Sure,” Daniel replied.

It was hardly a short trip to Ponyville, but it wasn’t like he needed to be up early the next day for work.

“Right.” Twilight pulled out a pocket watch from her saddlebag. “If we hurry we can catch the 7:15 train to Ponyville.”

“No need,” Daniel said. “Just hire a flying chariot. It’ll be faster”

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked. “You’ve never flown on one of those before. You were always too afraid.”

“That was a long time ago, Twi. I’m a bit more seasoned now. I can handle it.”

Tea, Talk, and Trouble

I can handle it.

The carriage hit a pocket of turbulence, dipping briefly before regaining altitude. Daniel clutched the arm of his seat, his knuckles turning white as his face.

I can’t handle it!

Of all the stupid things he’d had said during his twenty-eight years of life, ‘I can handle it’ was definitely among the top ten, trailing just behind ‘Hey guys, watch this!’ and ‘I’m pretty sure this is a shortcut’. He didn’t know what would kill him first: his job, or his mouth.

Daniel’s stomach did a pirouette. Back on Earth, he could barely fly in a conventional airplane without going into hysterics. By Tartarus, he couldn’t even climb a ladder without his knees knocking together! So sitting in an open-topped carriage some five hundred feet in the air with nothing but a seatbelt was his own personal hell.

There was a sharp pain in Daniel’s stomach. It was official: his ulcer was back.

“Daniel, are you okay?”

Summoning up enough courage, he turned in his seat, muscles aching after staying clenched for so long. Twilight’s concerned face was there to greet him.

“Just fine,” he said through clenched teeth.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“Oh yes, I’m fine. Never better. Feeling peachy keen.”

He managed a smile and a chuckle, though both sounded fake, even to his ears. After all, he was only flying in a pegasus-drawn vehicle with the aerodynamics of an easy chair that was kept aloft by a mysterious force that continued to give human physicists sleepless nights. He had absolutely nothing to fear.

“Okay…” Twilight said with a deadpan expression.

A pocket of turbulence rocked the carriage. Daniel’s stomach somersaulted in reply.

“Gotta calm down,” Daniel muttered under his breath. “Just relax, nothing to worry about. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts.”

He closed his eyes, forcing himself to take deep, calming breaths. He hadn’t realized it until then, but he’d been all but hyperventilating. With the change, the chariot didn’t feel like it rocked so violently, and his head didn’t swim. Desperate for relief from the nightmare he’d found himself in, he searched his memories for something happy. He seized the first one that came forth, playing back every detail, no matter how minor.

He bellowed the blanket out over the grass, smoothing out the wrinkles once it had settled.

The night had taken ahold in Canterlot, and the moon hung above them, twinkling stars providing it with some company. Spring was starting to take ahold, and everywhere new life sprung up. The night was pleasant enough, though as the wind blew he wished he’d brought a jacket.

Despite the chill in the air, there were a few other ponies still about. Most were couples, strolling through the park, leaning against each other.

“There, I’m half proud of that,” Daniel said, taking a step back to get a better view, hands on his hips.

Starlight shook her head, trotting up to deposit the picnic basket she held in her mouth onto the blanket.

“It is fine,” she said. “But then nothing would be fine as well. It is unnecessary, when the ground is right there.”

“Oh come on, don’t be a spoil sport,” Daniel said.

To prove his point he plopped himself down on the blanket, and patted the spot next to him.

His guards had taken up positions a respectful distance away. Due to the occasion they’d gone armorless to help them blend into the population. George sat on a bench, kicking his hooves, while Lenny appeared to be snoozing under a tree.

Starlight trotted forward slowly, eyeing the piece of cloth as if it would attack her at any moment.

“I am not liking it,” she said. “It is too… garish.”

Glancing down at the red and yellow check pattern, Daniel couldn’t deny what it was.

“It’s meant to be like that. Now come on, before I drag you over here instead, and get grass all over both of us.”

That did the trick, and she took a seat with as much dignity one could on anything with a plaid pattern. Even the exasperated sigh had aplomb to it.

“It is nice out here, beneath Lady Luna’s moon. With my new schedule, I cannot be spending as much time in its light as I once did.”

Daniel gave a sympathetic smile. “Ah, I’m sorry it’s been like that. The last fortnight must’ve been rough, having to change your sleep patterns so much.”

Shrugging, Starlight glanced up at the moon, a motion that Daniel couldn’t help but notice left her back turned to him.

“Perhaps it was hard, but I will be taking it any day over what I had been doing before.”

He sighed. The last few weeks had been confusing ones. Starlight had taken his job offer just as he’d hoped, but paradoxically though they worked in the same building, he’d barely seen her since the night they’d met.

‘It was not proper,’ is what she’d told him. ‘Not proper for a maid to be seeing the master.’

The admission had made his heart hurt, but by the way she’d mumbled it, unable to look him in the eyes, he’d known she didn’t truly believe what she’d said.

His offer for a night under the stars had been his last ditch attempt to seal their friendship as something more than a flash in the pan.

Flipping open the top of the picnic basket, he set down what he’d been extra excited to show her. His portable record player had only recently come in as an order, along with a decent collection of pony records.

Thanks to Earth’s reluctance to hand over advanced technologies to unknowns, Equestria was still stuck using vinyl records. Daniel didn’t mind that so much; he’d collected records back before he’d fallen into the portal, and if his persistence paid off, they’d be shipped to Equestria soon.

“Thought you might find this interesting,” Daniel said, offering the jacket for the lone LP he’d brought with him.

Glancing back at him, Starlight took it, eyes scanning over the cover.

It was plain, nothing too special beyond a stylized image of a human, surrounded by skyscrapers.

“Human Classics and Folk Songs,” she read.

“Well with the copyrighted music ban until we can get the laws sorted out, they’re only public domain songs, but it looks like there’s a ton of good ones in there.”

Starlight hummed, and turned back to the moon.

“Please Star, can we just talk?” Daniel pleaded. His fingers twitched, wanting to grab Starlight’s shoulder, but he refrained himself. It’d only make things worse.

There was silence for a time, one that felt like an eternity to Daniel. To try and make it last longer he looked up at the moon, analyzing all its pockmarks and imperfections, it's craters, its empty seas . A childish part of him hoped that by looking upon something of such beauty at the same time, it might’ve bridged the gap between them.

Sighing, Starlight shifted her rump, turning to sit facing Daniel.

“I am being sorry,” she said, glancing down at her hooves. “This… whatever we are being, it is an unknown to me. I am not liking what Letyucha can be, and yet sometimes I am letting it influence me too much. There, to be fraternizing with someone of a higher station in life, it is—how do you say—taboo.”

Daniel blinked. Summoning up his courage, he rubbed her shoulder. To his relief, she didn’t flinch away, even leaning into it.

“Where we’re from, it can define us sometimes,” he said. “Even if we don’t want it to. But the great thing about moving to a new world, or a new country in your case, is that it lets us break the mold. Besides Star, we’re just two people. Stations in life, they’re silly concepts that deserve to be left in the past.”

She looked up, staring him dead in the eye.

“I cannot promise things will be changing overnight,” she said, voice serious, carrying conviction behind it. “But, whatever we are having, I will be trying to do what I want, instead of how my sensibilities are telling me. I am knowing myself well, and that is telling me I should hold onto you.”

Starlight smiled, and tapped a hoof against the record.

“Now, Lady Luna’s moon is too graceful a sight to be wasting on such things. Let us play your music.”

Nodding eagerly, Daniel pulled out the LP, even giving it a little spin before setting it down on the player. Setting the rpm to 78, he dropped the needle on and flicked the power switch.

It started up perfectly, crackling as it went through the blank outer portion of the record. Then it hit proper grooves, and the music came through.

Realizing he didn’t even know what song was first, he snatched up the jacket and scanned the contents.

‘Goodnight Irene’, it was titled. It rung a bell, though what it was did not come forward all at once. He had to work at it, all while the lead in music played, before it suddenly hit him.

“Oh hey, uh, how about we skip this one?” he asked, already reaching for the needle.

Irene goodnight, Irene goodnight
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene
I’ll see you in my dreams

“Why would we be doing that?” Starlight replied, pushing his hand away.

Briefly he considered arguing, but he let it go. What would be the point?

Last Saturday night I got married
Me and my wife settled down
Now me and my wife are parted
I’m gonna take me a stroll uptown

“It’s… nevermind,” he said. “I just worried you wouldn’t like it, that’s all. This is your first human song, and I wanted it to be a happy one.”

“First, it is always being about the firsts,” Starlight said. “First kiss, first date, first time we make love. Our whole lives, we are obsessing with first. It is something I was never much understanding.”

Daniel smiled, but he was tense as the singer drew breath to sing the next verse. ’Irene Goodnight’, one of the most depressing songs he’d ever heard, that was going to be the background music for their relaxing night under the stars?

Sometimes I live in the country
And sometimes I live in town
And sometimes I take a great notion
To jump into the river and drown

He tensed as the singer crooned the verse, watching Starlight closely. The mare sighed, playing with her mane, pulling it so it hung over her shoulder to tickle her barrel. The reaction surprised him. It had been whimsical; the sort of sigh woman gave during romance dramas.

But the worst part hadn’t come yet, that was reserved for the next line. Daniel didn’t know when he’d last taken a breath, and made no effort to change that.

I love Irene, God knows that I do
And I’m gonna love her till the seas run dry
But if Irene turns her back on me
I’ll take morphine and die

“I am not sure what is worrying you,” she said. “It is a nice song, very romantic.”

Arching her back, she lay herself down on the blanket.

He blinked at her. “Romantic? You find a song about suicide and infidelity romantic?”

She pushed herself up, looking at him. “Oh, you were worrying about my reaction?” she asked.

He nodded, a thousand questions churning away in his head.

Stop your rambling, stop your gambling
Stop staying out late at night
Go home to your wife and your family,
Stay there by the fireside bright

There was a pause, a moment of silence filled by nothing but the strum of the guitar.

“Well... I mean…” He managed a few more half formed words, before he hung his head. “Yes, yes I was.”

She burst into giggles, trying in vain to hide it behind her hoof. They were high and clear, like a schoolgirl’s. They were something that definitely didn’t fit Daniel’s image of Starlight, but adorable all the same.

He realized then that he hadn’t heard her laugh since the night they’d met, and never like that.

Deciding to test his luck, Daniel slipped out of his designer shoes and scooted towards Starlight. Not far enough to cross any boundaries, but still closer than was exactly necessary.

Irene goodnight, Irene goodnight

Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene

I’ll see you in my dreams

The song came to an end, but the mourning in the singer’s voice stayed with Daniel long after.

Starlight combed her hooves through her mane. “How so very lovely,” she sighed. “The romance, it is so real.”

Daniel coughed into his hand. “Really? First time I’ve ever heard someone associate that song with romance.”

“What? Are you not seeing the beauty, the devotion of it?”

“It’s a song about a man who’s so obsessed with a woman that it ruined his marriage, and suicide haunts near his ever thought. I’d call that a lot of things, but romantic isn’t one of them.”

“I am begging to differ,” Starlight tutted. “Such a narrow view. To have emotions that palpable, that strong, is it not what everyone wishes to feel? What is the point of living, if one’s despair cannot make the moon seem all the brighter when you have left the black pit to soar above the clouds again?”

Daniel didn’t say anything at first, content to look up at the stars. A gust of wind blew over the park, and thanks to his thin shirt, a shiver went through him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Starlight glanced down at the space between them.

“You are being quiet,” she said. “I am hoping I have not upset you. The outlook of Letyucha, I am told it was morbid. The girls I… I shared my street with, some found it funny when they found out, others didn’t look at me the same way.”

“Oh no, no, no. It’s fine, really,” Daniel quickly said. “It surprised me, but it kind of makes sense, I guess. Not for me, but I can kind of see it. Just remind me not to take you to see a Shakespeare play next time we go somewhere.”

“And you are one to be talking!” Starlight said. “This one picture you are telling me, the Wizard of Oz. Is not whimsy just as dangerous? To promise things that we can not possibly be achieving in our lives. Heartbreak, it hurts, but we may all feel it. A world of wonder, that is all the more elusive.”

Daniel shivered, not all of it was because of the cold, though he held his coat close to his body.

“I don’t quite know what to tell you Star,” Daniel said. “It makes sense what you’re saying, but I don’t really want it to. To live your life without a bit of whimsy, it must get awfully depressing.”

Something soft and furry pressed itself against his side. It took all of five seconds for Daniel to realize that it was Starlight.

“There, is that making you feel better?”

Daniel just sat there for a moment. “Uh, Star,” he said once his brain started working again. “What are you doing?”

“You were cold, so I was warming you up.” Starlight shrugged. “Why are you asking?”

“Well, it’s just that,” Daniel rubbed the back of his neck, trying to find the right words. “Where I come from, at least in my culture, we generally don’t do things like this unless we, uh, know each other really well.”

Starlight recoiled. “Oh, I am so sorry!” she said, blushing furiously. “It is just that, back in my home country, when our friends are cold, we draw closer in order to be sharing our heat.”

“It’s alright Star, it’s alright,” Daniel said, holding his hands palms out. “You can’t be expected to know human customs.”

The thestral’s blush faded. She turned her head towards him. “Well,” she giggled nervously. “At the very least, now I am knowing not to do that any more.”

Daniel smiled. Truth was, though, he didn’t really mind it. In fact, he’d actually kind of liked it...

“I am sorry,“ she murmured. “One does not need to be human expert see you are upset. If I am telling you the one moment when I felt whimsy, would you be forgiving me?”

He hesitated for a moment, but he reached down to pat her hoof. “Sure Star, I’d like that.”

“You are silly man, not realizing it. It was being the night I met you. Knight in shining armor, swooping in to save the day, and make a mare feel special. Out in the streets, that is being rare.”

Daniel tried to stop himself, but a snigger slipped out, followed by a full on laugh.

“What is being funny?” Starlight snapped, glaring at him.

“Oh Star, I’m sorry,” Daniel replied. “I didn’t want to be rude. It’s just, that night was going to be my proof to you whimsy does exist. If I was a knight in shining armor, that must make you the angel of mercy. I haven’t told you this Starlight, but back before I met you I was so lonely. I needed somepony, anypony to talk to. Well, it turned out I didn’t get just anypony, I got you. Charming and intelligent, talented and brave. They were all things I learnt you were that night.”

“It is… I have never been thinking of it like that before,” she said.

She craned her neck, and rubbed her cheek against his.

Daniel stiffened, but forced himself not to flinch away. “Umm… Starlight, didn’t we talk about this? About not knowing each other well?”

“I am remembering,” she said, but didn’t stop...

Something cold and fluffy smacked against Daniel’s face, tearing him from his memories. He opened his eyes to see the carriage, and everypony in it, covered with bits of cloud. Scraps of fluffy water vapor clung to his chin like a fluffy beard.

“My apologies,” the coachpony yelled back to them, voice almost lost to the rushing wind. “That darned cloud snuck up on me.”

“It’s alright.” Twilight shouted, picking bits of cloud out of her mane.

Daniel nodded in agreement, even though the coach pony was too busy focusing on the sky ahead to notice. He was rather grateful of that fact.

Busying himself, he brushed bits of cloud off of his chin, and wiped the worst of the condensation off his suit jacket. The physical laws of Equis were ridiculous things, more belonging in a cartoon than reality. During his time in Equestria, he’d seen gravity turn itself off and on, watched Newton’s First Law go on a coffee break, and witnessed the law of conservation of energy broken on a daily basis.Sometimes it was whimsical, almost comical. Other times it was a pain in the ass.

The carriage began to lurch as their descent hastened, the ground growing ever closer. They were soon low enough that there was actually a chance a fall wouldn’t be lethal, albeit a slim one. Daniel’s stomach didn’t take much solace in that, feeling like it was floating all while the bottom dropped out of it.

“Now arriving at Ponyville Castle,” the cabbie yelled.

Another lurch, and the carriage touched down on the grassy fields on the outskirts of Ponyville, shock absorbers bouncing. The coach pony pulled the carriage the rest of the way, trotting through the streets.

Daniel didn’t quite know why, but he’d been expecting there to be more a of spectacle associated with his return; the town clogged with reports barking questions and paparazzi snapping photographs. But there was none of that, and the only attention the pair received was a few neighbourly waves, to which they responded in kind.

It seemed to Daniel that Ponyville was the same as he’d left it, where titles didn’t matter, and everypony was your friend.

Eventually, they reached Twilight’s castle. It was much the same as it’d been the last time Daniel had seen it, though a few trees and flowers had been planted at its base. It made it look more homey, more welcoming. Just gave it a hint of the Golden Oaks in its appearance.

Daniel waited for Twilight to climb out of the carriage, then clambered out himself, resisting the urge to throw himself on the grass and kiss it.

Ground. Sweet, solid ground! He swore he’d never take it for granted again! He would relish every minute of being anchored to a solid surface, to be bound by the loving pull of gravity.

“Well... looks like we’re here,” Twilight said. “Let’s head on inside. I sent Spike a quick letter while we were in the air, so he should be working on the tea as we speak. I’m not surprised you didn’t notice that. From the goofy grin on your face, I’d guess you went to your happy place.”

In an effort to hide his blush Daniel walked through the main doors of the castle. Moonlight shone through one of the windows, reflecting off the crystal

“So, Daniel, what do you think of my new system?” She waved a hoof around the cavernous chamber.

“I think you need an intervention.” Daniel muttered under his breath. Everything bit of furniture, every vase, every potted plant, had been labeled. On a shelf near a window was a table marked ‘furnishing, 103’, on top of which rested a vase labeled ‘decoration, 104’. A rug labeled ‘decoration, 405’ lay sprawled on the floor.

“Well, Daniel?”

“It’s… something.” Daniel said.

“I know, isn’t it great?” Twilight cheered, rearing back to kick her front legs. “Oh, the castle has never been so organized!”

“Yeah,” Daniel said, feeling a little scared. That was Twilight alright: Princess of Friendship, hero of Equestria, and poster mare for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

The duo climbed up the stairs, and walked out onto the balcony, the one that encapsulated all of Ponyville.

Walking over to the railing for a better look, Daniel was struck by a sudden sense of nostalgia. He’d never realized it until then, but he missed the old days, missed his quiet life in Ponyville. From what he could see, the town hadn’t changed at all since his last visit; and for that, he would be forever grateful. A town like Ponyville was already perfect, and to change a single thing would be to tarnish it. There were still same old-world wood and thatch cottages. Same grassy streets, trampled flat by countless hooves. The city planners had even ensured the same heart motif was carved onto every wooden surface available.

A part of him, a more cynical part, wondered how long it could stay as it was. He could imagine it, masses of glass and steel rising amongst the houses like tumors. He could see the roads paved over with asphalt, and the charming gaslights replaced by blinding LED streetlamps.

“Daniel, you still with us? You’ve been staring out at the town for going on five minutes.”

Daniel caught himself, banishing the bad thoughts to the corner of his mind they belonged.

“Sorry. Just wanted to get a good look at Ponyville.” Daniel walked over to a wrought iron table labeled “furnishing 201” and sat down on one of the stools labeled “furnishing 200”.

“Spike!”

A purple-scaled dragon in a tuxedo walked onto the balcony, balancing a tea service in its claws.

“Sorry about the wait, Twi,” he said, voice more akin to a to a teenage boy’s than a reptile. He set the service down on the table, then turned to Daniel. “Hey, Dan!”

Daniel smiled. “Good to see you, Spike” He held out a fist. “Claw bump?”

“Claw bump!” Spike bumped a claw against Daniel’s fist. “It’s been awhile since you last came over. What’s been happening?”

The drake had definitely grown up. The chubby, stumpy-tailed baby he’d known two years ago was gone. Now he was a predator, with a lean, muscular body, pronounced muzzle, and whip-like tail.

“Oh nothing too interesting. I just locked myself in my office for a few days, preparing for that upcoming conference.”

Spike’s eyes widened. “Again? You really need to stop doing that.”

“Yeah, again. Now, thanks to Twilight, I’m on an enforced vacation for two weeks.”

Spike fidgeted with his claws. “You’re okay now though, right?”

“Well, work mandated time off with full pay. Can’t complain about that,” Daniel lied.

Relaxing, Spike managed a smirk, rolling his eyes.

“Only you, Dan. Things go bad, yet somehow you come out better off than when you started. Wonder when I’ll trip into a portal and end up as an ambassador to an alien world.”

“Just keep looking,” Daniel said, chuckling. “I’m sure there’s something in this gigantic castle of yours that’ll get you there.”

Reaching forward, he brushed piece of fluff off Spike’s dinner jacket. “You know Spike, Twilight can look after herself. She doesn’t need a butler.”

“Yeah, so?” Spike asked, setting out the cups and filling them with tea.

Daniel looked at Twilight. She shrugged. As Daniel had learned early on, she and Spike had a complicated relationship. While the little drake had acted as her personal assistant for most of his life, they were really something like a cross between best friends, siblings, and mother and son. Not a pet though. Spike did not like being mistaken for a pet. Daniel’s eyebrows could attest to that.

“Spike,” Twilight said, “it’s almost 8:00. You and Starlight had better get going”

Daniel’s brain paused for a minute, trying to process what he’d just heard. After getting past the fact she’d meant Starlight Glimmer, he didn’t feel much better.

Spike… Spike the dragon, that Spike, was dating Starlight Glimmer of all ponies?

She’d been around back when Twilight and Daniel had been dating, though they’d never really progressed past being acquaintances. He’d never quite trusted her, and could never rid himself of the doubt that she’d only reformed herself as a means to escape a more serious punishment.

“Oh, right! Sorry, gotta dash,” Spike said. “We’ll catch up some other time. Bros night out.” He hurried off into the castle, waving over his shoulder. “Later, Dan!”

He was gone before Daniel even had a chance to say anything. His brain was stuck on that revelation.

“Spike, and Starlight Glimmer?” he asked. “You didn’t think I needed to know that?”

Twilight blinked at him, before a scarlet blush spread over her face. “Oh, I never told you?!” she asked. “Guess it just slipped my mind, What with all the duties and research and such. Silly me, not telling you a big, important thing that any friend would.”

She let out an obviously fake laugh.

Sighing, Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose. “Well, better late than never I suppose. When did this start?”

“Oh! Visual aid. Visual aids make everything better,” she said.

“Twilight, it’s fine. You—” he started.

She vanished in a burst of light, only to reappear a second later with a book gripped in her hooves. Levitating it over to Daniel, she flipped it open to the first page in the process.

“Spike’s Super Secret Stuff,” Daniel read aloud, before looking up. “Twilight, should we really be looking at something like this?”

“Oh it’s fine, really it is,” Twilight said, waving a hoof, urging him to continue. “He wrote that at the start. He’s shown this to all his friends. In fact, he’s mentioned before that he wanted you to see it sometime.”

Daniel couldn’t deny his curiosity. Besides, Twilight would never lie about something like that. If she said Spike was okay with it, he believed her.

“Well go on then,” she said. “They’re very good. I never knew he’d make such an exceptional artist.”

Flipping through the first few pages, Daniel found all sorts of things. There were little doodles, and what seemed to be texture tests. They were all drawings, mostly pencil, with a few charcoal ones mixed in.

“It was pretty soon after you left actually,” Twilight explained. “Spike had gotten bored with the piano, but I refused to let him neglect his artistic side. So, he picked drawing as a replacement.”

“From the looks of things, he really got into it.” Daniel said, studying a drawing of a bowl of petunias. “He’s a drake of many talents.”

“Indeed. When he felt like he was good enough, he wanted to do some drawing of the… feminine form. Spike being Spike as he was back then, he immediately picked out Rarity for the job, but every time he went over to ask, she was always busy with something or another. I’m still not sure if that was by design or just coincidence, and Rarity isn’t telling. Eventually Starlight was ‘volunteered’ as a replacement model.”

Daniel flipped through a couple more pages. It was a drawing of a mare, draped onto a fainting couch in a pose that screamed sexuality, though the embarrassed smile lent her an air of vulnerability. It was very well done, though it wasn’t perfect. Some of the shading was a little off, and her muzzle was too elongated. It was the work of a skilled amateur, rather than a professional.

“So Starlight volunteered instead,” Daniel guessed. The cutie mark was a dead giveaway.

“Yes, that she did,” Twilight said. “You know yourself, those two spent quite a lot of time together anyway. I suppose putting them in an intimate a situation is shared between an artist and model, things were bound to come to a head. Came as a shock to me too, one day as far as I knew they were just friends, the next I caught them kissing between the stacks in the library like teenagers. Rarity was particularly thrilled when they made things public. She was always a great lover of romance, no matter who between.”

The rest of the artbook was a little bit of everything, though indispersed throughout were drawings of the same mare. Each one grew a little more stylized, with the technique behind it improving to match.

On the very last page was Starlight Glimmer, lounging in a field of flowers, staring off into the middle distance. The wind stirred her hair, and the sun shone behind her like a halo. If Daniel hadn’t met the model in person, he would’ve assumed it was meant as a personification of nature.

“Well, his emotions on the matter are rather clear,” he muttered.

Though Twilight had said it was okay, as Daniel looked on that final drawing, he couldn’t shake the feeling he was viewing something intensely intimate. Eventually, he could bear it no more, shutting it to put to one side.

“He’s absolutely smitten with her, and I don’t need to be the Princess of Love to tell you the feeling is mutual.”

“Well, good for him I suppose,” Daniel said, drumming his fingers on the table. “Twi, I’m sorry, but I have to say this. Aren’t you a little… concerned what with Starlight’s past, and you know Spike was never really one to see the bad in ponies.”

Twilight snorted. “Daniel, I know you never were Starlight’s biggest fan, but that’s really not fair. She’s paid her dues many time over, and even then her action were never anything more than an emotionally traumatized mare. Need I remind you that I was there to witness the wrong she’d done first hoof, and you weren’t. If I forgave her, you really should too.”

Daniel sighed, and glanced away. “Yeah, I guess. What she’s doing nowadays anyway?”

“Well she had a little revelation a while back, when we first made contact with her. It took her a little while, but she managed to find herself again. She’s become rather enamored with the concept of utopia, though she’s realized too how brutal and cruel her first attempt at one was. She’s reinvented herself as something of a scholar, and she and Spike have co-authored a number of papers in the field of sociology, while she also works on spells that could be immense boons to society. Suffice it to say she keeps herself pretty busy, and I collaborate with her myself from time to time.”

Daniel nodded, as they lapsed into silence.

He didn’t really know what to think, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling that Starlight Glimmer was bad news, despite all of the evidence to the contrary. Sure it sounded like what she was doing was all nice and fuzzy, but most political agendas could be made to have a positive spin. He settled for being happy for Spike, and reserving any further judgements until he saw her for himself.

Realizing he’d been neglecting his tea, he dropped in a sugar cube, before taking a sip. Sloshing the liquid around in his mouth for a second, he swallowed, tasting hints of rosemary and mint.

“How is it?”

“Delicious,” Daniel said, and took another sip.

Being in a relationship with Twilight had given him quite a taste for tea. While it hadn’t completely usurped coffee or energy drinks as his stimulant of choice, it was a serious contender for the throne.

“So, Twi,” Daniel set his teacup back on its saucer. “What have you been up to?”

“Busy, as always,” Twilight levitated her teacup, sipping it in a suitably adorable manner. ”In my spare time I’ve been collaborating with an anthropologist from Earth on a research paper.”

Daniel took another sip. “What kind of research paper?”

“It’s a thesis on the bizarre cultural parallels between Earth and Equis; the similiar names, somewhat similar customs, et cetera.”

“I see,” Daniel took another sip of tea. Physicists weren’t the only ones utterly baffled by Equis. Anthropologists and sociologists alike were pulling their collective hair out trying to explain the parallels between the two worlds. “What’s your hypothesis?”

“The idea I’m working on is that these similarities are not coincidental. Think about it; what are the odds that two entirely different worlds from two entirely different universes would develop such similar cultures? Even when those similarities don’t make any logical sense?”

“Maybe it’s coincidence,” Daniel said, waving a hand. “After all, you know what the old saying about monkeys and typewriters.”

“Daniel, Earth and Equis might be similar in many ways, but one has only one sapient race. The other has several. Both worlds have not had any contact with each other until very recently. Even when you take random chance into account, the odds that our respective cultures would naturally evolve along parallel lines are astronomically low.”

“Well then.” Daniel drained his cup. “If it isn’t coincidence, what is it?”

“Well, I have a hypothesis. I think that whoever, or whatever, built the portals may have also influenced Equisian culture, as well as your own.” She knickered. “For all we know, you could be the ones who copied us.”

Twilight gave her tea a stir. “Sadly, all it is right now is a preliminary hypothesis. We’ve only just begun data accumulation, so I can’t say yet if it’ll even hold water. As hypotheses are, it could very well be disproved, so don’t take what I’m saying as unequivocal fact.”

Daniel put a hand to his chin, tapping his cheek. Something was bothering Twi. He could see it: the slight twitch in her ears, the way her tail swished about like something was chasing it. Most others wouldn’t have noticed it, but to him, she might as well have had the words “I’m hiding something” floating above her in big neon letters. If he wanted to find out what it was, it was best to let the conversation flow, make her let her guard down first, then spring it on her.

“By the way, Twilight, how are the girls doing?”

“Oh same as always,” Twilight said. Her ears twitched.

“Rainbow and the Wonderbolts are touring on Earth, and are also negotiating some sort of crossover deal with a group called the Blue Angels, whoever they are. Rarity’s in Seaddle for the ‘Best of Both Worlds’ fashion show, looking for ideas for her upcoming ‘Human Fashions for the Equestrian Mare’ clothes line. Fluttershy’s busy working on her zoology doctorate.”

Daniel couldn’t help but smile at the last one. Sweet little Fluttershy with a PhD. He hoped they’d go easy on her during her dissertation defense. Knowing Flutters, she’d pass before she’d even made her presentation.

“What about Pinkie and AJ? Anything new with them?”

“AJ’s alright. She’s still working on the farm, business as usual, though she’s considering exporting some of her crops to Earth. Apparently Equestrian foodstuffs are in high demand, and in return she’s considering using some human techniques.”

“Really?” Daniel asked, eyebrows rising as a sense of unease settled in his stomach. “Applejack, strength of her own four hooves Applejack, is okay with using human techniques? I imagine there would be a lot of automatization involved, and you know what she thinks about that.”

Twilight waved a hoof, ears twitching again. “Oh, I don’t think she plans to go that far, least not while she runs the farm. Apparently there’s a bit of debate in the Apple Clan right now over how far they should take things. Either way, AJ just wants to do things like testing for soil pH, salinity, maybe hire a human specialist for suggestions on how to increase sustainability and yield using only natural techniques.”

He relaxed a little, though his fingers drummed against the table.

Glancing around the balcony, as if somepony was spying on them, Twilight leaned in closer.

“Don’t tell her I told you this,” she said in an almost whisper, the sort of whisper that was more conspicuous than if you’d just spoken in a normal voice. “But a representative from Monsanto approached her a couple of weeks ago.”

“Monsanto!” Daniel said too loudly, leaning back in his chair with wide eyes. “The human biotech giant? What did they want with her?”

Twilight shot him an annoyed look, one that said ‘please at least try and be subtle’.

“Well she refused everything they offered to sell her,” Twilight said. “Was rather furious about some of it too. Something about poisons and playing with nature. Anyway, they’ve changed tactics now, since she just got an offer from them to buy some of her trees, in exchange for a rather generous sum of money. Apparently Monsanto thinks that their scientists can incorporate Equestrian apple trees into the Earth counterparts and give us the best of both worlds.” She shrugged. “I’m not a biologist by any stretch of the definition, but from what I read I think it could be a very good thing if it works.”

Trying not to fidget, Daniel made a mental note to look into what exactly Monsanto was up to when he had a free moment.

“As for Pinkie,” Twilight continued, “well she’s been having a ball lately.” She nickered. ”With all the tourists Ponyville’s getting, her welcome wagon’s almost completely worn out. I’ve been trying to convince her to approach the mayor and ask to be made Ponyville’s official tourist liaison. Earn a salary and everything. Of course you know her, money was never really something she had any great love affair with. ‘What’s a bit worth of gold compared to a happy smile’ is what she keeps saying.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t mind, but now she’s had the bright idea to try and put us on the smile standard for currency. In fact, she’s already started a petition to do just that.”

Daniel smiled. That was Pinkie Pie all right. Two years and still as zany as ever. He could still remember when Pinkie had introduced him to the welcome wagon. The contraption had spurted confetti everywhere, then flung a freshly-baked chocolate cake right to the face. It had been the tastiest thing that had ever been launched at his head.

As the the conversation continued on, Daniel slowly edged his way closer to Twilight’s nervousness. He could see Twilight’s guard begin to drop; the mask she wore relaxed slightly, tail and ears not twitching so frantically.

Then, like a hawk, he struck.

“Twi?”

Twilight looked up. “Yes, Daniel?”

Crossing his arms, Daniel frowned. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

Twilight hung her head and sighed. “I never could hide something from you,” she muttered. “I’ll be frank: Daniel, I’m worried about you.”

“Twi, if you're still worried about my health, don’t be. I’ll take that vacation, take it easy for two weeks, and I’ll be back to normal before you know it.”

“It’s not just that, Daniel. You’ve done stupid things in the past, but ever since negotiations between our worlds started, you’ve developed what I can only describe as a ‘messiah complex’. You act as though Earth is some sort of demon bent on destroying Equis, and that you’re the only one who can save us all.”

“I’m not trying to protect Equis from Earth,” Daniel said. “I’m trying to make sure the two can coexist. Twi, you’ve read about human history, so you must know about colonialism, imperialism, and all those other wonderful ‘isms’ we’re so fond of. And you know firsthoof that Equestria has its own problems: monsters, out of touch and socially irresponsible nobles, hostile races and other rainbow-hued calamities. If those two mix, both our worlds will be destroyed, or at least ruined. It’s my job to make sure that both Earth and Equestria can co-exist without one destroying the other.”

“Maybe, but you’re acting as if you are the only person who can do it,” Twilight said with a snort, flaring her wings. “Take your embassy staff, for example. You represent virtually every nation on your planet, but you barely have enough manpower to keep the place clean. You should have a veritable army of people assisting you.”

“And that’s my fault? You know that our respective governments still don’t quite trust each other. Even though the partnership has both Cellie and Luna’s blessing, a lot of Canterlot nobility still distrust us, and the UN is hesitant about adding more ponies to its payrolls than it has to.”

“And you haven’t said a word about it!” Twilight said. “In the two years since you became ambassador, you haven’t filed a single complaint about insufficient staff. Explain that! Besides, it’s the human embassy, there should be humans staffing it. The Equestrian embassy on Earth has pony staff!”

Daniel opened his mouth, then closed it. Checkmate.

Twilight’s expression softened. “Daniel, please, tell me what’s going on. If not for yourself, than at least do it for me.”

Daniel stared at the table, trying to find the right mold to pour his thoughts into.

“Twi, what do you know about the Portal?”

Twilight tilted her head. “I don’t follow, how is that relevant?”

“Just answer my question, please. What do you know about the Portal?”

“Well, only what you’ve told me, and the official reports I’ve read. I know that was old, and that many of its systems were either corrupted or inactive. When you stumbled into it in the woods, it malfunctioned and sent you to a random location in its memory banks before burning out entirely.”

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Random? Who said it was random?”

“You think the Portal sent you to Equestria on purpose?”

“Twi, the engineers who studied that thing said that it had an archive of at least three million locations, many of them hostile. That portal could have just as easily dumped me onto an airless rock, or the center of a star. It could have dropped me in a universe with super-strong gravity, or a universe in the first few minutes of its life. But no, it sent me here, to Equis.”

Twilight shrugged. “Maybe it was a safety feature. You wouldn't build a machine like that without some sort of fail-safe.”

“True, but if that’s the case, why did it drop me in Equestria? Why not the Minotaur Republic or Imperial Griffonia? And why would it drop me in Whitetail woods, just as you and your friends were going on a walk?”

While I’m at it, what were the odds of me tripping into that portal in the first place? That thing was hidden deep in the forest and half buried in leaf litter. The odds of someone walking randomly into the woods and stumbling into it would be like dumping a crate full of dice on the floor and having each and every one of them roll a six!

“The odds are admittedly small,” Twilight said. “But it’s not impossible. Sometimes coincidences happen. That’s the way the universe works.That’s the way both our universes work.”

“This is no coincidence, Twi. Call me crazy, call me delusional, but I can’t help but feel that I was brought here for a reason. Someone wanted to make sure that humanity made contact with Equis, and that someone would be there to ensure that the relationship went relatively smoothly.”

Twilight froze. Her jaw went slack.

Daniel tensed and held out his hands. “Twi, listen, I don’t think that I’m some sort of Chosen One, destined to lead all us all to salvation or whatever. I just feel like everything that’s happened in the past few years is part of something greater than myself, like I’m an important piece of a very large, very complex machine. Without me, the machine grinds to a halt.”

Though her expression returned to something resembling normality, she still looked at him cautiously.

“Alright, let's say, for the sake of argument, that you’re right, and that you were destined to come here. That still doesn’t explain why you haven’t asked for more staff? If you really were destined to become ambassador to Equiss, why make your job any more difficult than it already is?”

Daniel rubbed his temples. “I don’t know, really. I just feel like this is something I have to do on my own. Like that if I let someone help me, they might screw it up.

Twilight held a hoof to her chin.

“Of course, why didn’t I see it before,” she mumbled to herself.

“What do you mean?” Daniel asked.

“Daniel, I think this is more than just a delusion of grandeur. Something’s bothering you, something you’re hiding from everyone, even yourself. And I think Starlight has something to do with it.”

Daniel resisted the urge to wince. “What makes you say that?”

“Daniel, what are your feelings towards Starlight?”

“Twilight, there’s no need to be coy about things. I’m sure you’ve seen and heard more than enough to reach the proper conclusion.”

“Well, I want to hear it from you.”

“Starlight...” Daniel trailed off, trying to find the right words. “Starlight’s special, Twi. She’s one of the few ponies who truly understands me. When I’m with her, I don’t have to be Ambassador Habbuck: Representative of Earth. I can just be good old Daniel Habbuck: the human.”

Twilight smiled. “Daniel, that’s really sweet. Have you told her something to that effect?”

Daniel sighed. “No.”

“Why not?” she asked. “Are you afraid that she won’t reciprocate?”

Another twitch of the ear. Twilight was definitely hiding something this time. She and Starlight had been in the hospital waiting room together. Who could say, but Daniel would bet money their Starlight’s feelings for him had come up. Twilight wasn’t one to leave stones unturned. What had been said though, he knew he wouldn’t be getting it out of her anytime soon. It was better not to push.

“No,” Daniel took a deep breath. “I’ve seen the way she looks at me. The way she acts when I’m with her. I don’t know if she loves me per se, but she definitely cares about me.”

“If that’s the case, why haven’t you told her?”

Daniel clenched his teeth. Barbed memories ripped through his mind. Swarms of “should’ve” buzzed around his head. I should’ve told them ‘no’, I should’ve made more time for us, I should‘ve paid more attention to her. I should’ve, I should’ve, I should’ve…

“I don’t know.”

Daniel felt a pang of regret, having to lie to his first pony friend, but this wasn’t something that could be discussed with Twilight. Letting her know about his unease would’ve just made things worse, more painful.

“I could write a letter to Cadance. She should be able to make an appointment for you and Starlight.”

Daniel held up a hand. “Thank you, Twi, but I’d rather you didn’t. Cadance is busy enough as it is, what with the Empire and Flurry Heart. I don't’ want to put any more on her plate than she already has.”

“Are you sure? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

“I appreciate your offer, Twi, but this...whatever it is, it’s something Starlight and I need to work out by ourselves.”

Twilight’s ears drooped. “I understand.” She put a hoof to her chin. “Well, what about a trip? You could take Starlight and Slate with you.”

A small smile spread across her face. “Yes, spending a little time together might help you open up. While you do that, I’ll rendezvous with this replacement ambassador to make sure the conference goes smoothly. You don’t need to worry while I’m there, I’ll stop him from making any mistakes.”

Daniel thought for a bit. Yes, a trip. After being cooped up in Canterlot for all that time, a change of scenery would definitely help; and with Twilight on the job, he could actually forget about work for once.

“Sure, that could really do me some good! I’ve been wanting to spend a week or two in Manehatten for years now, but I’ve never had the time. Whenever I’m there it’s always meetings and fancy dinners. I haven’t even visited the Statue of Harmony.” He whipped out his smartphone. “I’d better make reservations.”

“No need,” Twilight pulled out a purple dayplanner. “I’ll take care of everything.” Before Daniel could interject, the princess held up a hoof. “I know what you’re going to say and no, it’s not too much trouble. You’re a friend. Friends help friends.”

Daniel smirked. “I thought Rarity supposed to be the generous one.”

“I may have picked up a few things from her.”

“She taught you well.” A yawn escaped him. He hadn’t realized just how tired he really was. “What time is it?”

Twilight’s horn glowed briefly, tongue sticking out from the side of her mouth. “It’s currently 11:05.”

That internal chronometer spell, she’d been over the moon when she’d figured out how to get it to work. Daniel had always been a little jealous of it, but without a horn, he’d be stuck with a watch for the foreseeable future.

“That late?” Daniel asked, stretching. “Guess I’m a more interesting conversationalist than I thought. I’d better get going.”

“Where?” said Twilight. “The next train to Canterlot isn’t until tomorrow.”

“Horseapples!” Daniel said, cursing his forgetfulness. “Well, then I’ll just check into a motel for the night.”

“Not on my watch, you aren’t.”

“Twilight, really,” Daniel interjected, performing the false-refusal ritual good manners demanded. “I’ll be fine. I wouldn’t want to be a burden”

“Well, I could always hire another flying carriage.”

Daniel’s stomach did a loop de loop. “Well, if you insist.”

Twilight gave one of her ‘I thought so’ grins. “It’d be my pleasure.”

“Well, goodnight Twi. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Goodnight Daniel,” Twilight said. “If you see Luna, tell her I said ‘hi’!”

Daniel started off towards the guest room. It hadn’t been the first time he’d spent the night there. He just hoped that Twilight had gotten around to fixing that lump in the mattress.

“Oh, Daniel,” Twilight said, trotting over to him. “One more thing.”

Daniel stopped. “What is it, Twi?”

“About Starlight,” Twilight trotted over to Daniel, reared up on her hind legs, and hugged him. “Don't let her go.”

Author's Note

Sorry about the wait!

Manehattan, Mares, and Mayhem

Starlight and sleep had a strange relationship.

Sometimes sleep approached her like a long-lost lover. Other times, when she desperately wanted rest, it never came no matter how much she prayed for it.

As Starlight sat at the table, trying to focus on the card game, sleep was smothering her. Reality had turned grey and mushy around her, the universe falling out of focus as her mind grew foggy.

“Star?” a voice called to her. “Star, are you still with us?”

The thestral snapped to attention, wings outstretched, ready to confront whatever predator had snuck up on her. “What?! What is it?”

Sitting at the other end of the table with cards in hand, Daniel regarded her with a look of concern. “I said, do you have any threes?”

“Uh, no, no.” Starlight shook her head, trying to banish her sluggishness. “Go fishing.”

Daniel drew a card from the deck as if in slow motion, while Star watched on, desperate for their game to resume and distract her from her exhaustion.

It was funny, seeing him dressed as he was. Until then, she’d only ever seen him in his business suits. So much so that man and garment had merged in her mind, one inseparable from the other. He only wearing a t-shirt and jeans was just bizarre. Since their trip had begun she’d often needed to stop herself for a moment to remind herself that it was Daniel.

The human saying was true: the clothes did make the man.

“Are you having any fours?” Starlight asked.

“Nope. Go fish.”

Starlight struggled to draw a card from the deck. Her head swimming, and vision blurred.

What card was it? A six? No, an eight, definitely an eight.

“Are you having any... any…” With a groan, Starlight set her cards on the table. “I am most sorry Daniel, but I cannot be concentrating.”

The train hated her. Everything about it had been designed to aggravate her, from the excessively bright cabin lights that made her eyes water even with her sunglasses on, to the overly-loud air vents in every cabin. But the clacking of the train tracks was the worst of it all, they never ceasing, refusing to let her rest, let her relax.

“I’m sorry Star,” Daniel said. “This mustn’t be much fun for you.”

“It is all right, and beyond your control. There is no reason for you to be apologizing about it.”

Even after five years away from Letyucha, that custom still puzzled her. Why apologize over something that wasn't your fault to begin with? One might as well apologize for an oncoming storm, or for a rockslide. It was as if everyone in Equestria wanted to make themselves out as divine, responsible for everything in the universe.

A soft hand patted Starlight’s hoof. “Why don’t you lay down? Try to get some rest.”

With a yawn Starlight slipped off of her seat. “Yes. That would be… most helpful.”

Sighing with relief, she flopped back onto the cabin’s bed, wings flapping as she worked her way under the thick covers. Under there it was dark, and even the noises outside weren’t as loud. It was like being inside a fluffy cocoon, and already Starlight felt better.

“Come on now, Slate, a little further.”

Peeking out of her sanctuary, only exposing her eyes and muzzle to the outside world, Starlight saw just in time what her son was up to. He sat on the floor horn glowing and sparking, filling the cabin with the faint scent of ozone. A tiny metal ring floated in front of his face, enveloped in a shimmering blue aura.

“You’re almost there,” George said, as Slate attempted to thread the the little ring through a length of wire, gritting his teeth as he did.

Since Slate would be missing quite a bit of school, George had insisted on carrying out magical exercises to compensate. Since full blooded thestrals lacked horns, and her understanding of magic was so theoretical it would’ve been better suited to an academic lecture, Starlight was more than grateful for the help.

With one last spark from Slate’s horn, the ring cleared the end of the wire and clattered to the floor.

“Well done, Slate!” George gave the half-unicorn a pat on the back. “You’re getting really good at fine control!”

Slate beamed.

“Thanks, Mr. Goldeneyes,” he said, rubbing his horn. “Can we stop now?”

“Not yet,” George said, reaching into his saddlebag and pulling out a chunk of translucent crystal. “Now let's test your charging technique.”

Slate groaned. “Mama, do I have to?”

“Yes, Slate, you must be practicing your magic.” Starlight replied, using the “special” voice known by all mothers, the one that no amount of whining or arguing could shield against.

Powerless, Slate turned back to his teacher, though not without a whole lot of pouting.

As her son grudgingly trained with the inactive magelight, Starlight tunneled back under the covers. Back in the gentle embrace of darkness she closed her eyes, praying to feel the embrace of the Nightmother.

Manehattan. Ever since she was a filly, she’d heard tales about Equestria’s most populous city. Back then, it’d been an almost mythical place, where social stature and family connections meant nothing. Where even the lowest-born peasant could become a prince with enough hard work and cunning, and where artistry was the most valuable commodity of all. Even as an adult, with a hard crust of cynicism around her soul, she couldn’t help but feel a little giddy at the prospect.

Encased in blankets, Starlight tossed and turned. No matter how hard she tried, the train was determined to keep her chained in the waking world. Even with the blankets, there was still enough noise to keep her awake.

With a frustrated snort, Starlight tunneled her way out of the bed sheets.

The cabin door slid open, and a stallion walked in. Starlight was almost ready to leap at him, before she realized it was Lenny. Instead of the usual ceremonial armor, the two had opted for civilian clothing; George in his pinstripe shirt, and Lenny with his floral pattern vest and straw fedora.

“I’m back,” Lenny announced rather redundantly, levitating over a paper cup. “I got ya some coffee, Miss Star.”

Accepting the cup with a smile, she already felt better. If sleep would not have her, then she’d fight it with all she had.

As Starlight sipped her drink, she sloshed it around in her mouth, relishing the silky bitterness. While most ponies liked to dump cream or sugar into their coffee, masking everything it was supposed to be, Starlight preferred to leave hers unsullied. Coffee was so much more than a cheap caffeine rush, though too many ponies couldn’t seem to grasp that. A beverage as refined as it deserved the same consideration as a fine wine. You didn’t drink it, you savored it.

“Bought you all something,” Lenny said, rummaging through his bag.

For his comrade there was a bottle of mineral water, and Daniel some fancy sort of juice.

All the while State waited for his turn, almost bouncing in excitement. Lenny made a show of it though, digging around in his bag far longer than it was possible to take to find something in there. Finally he pulled out a bottle of caramel-brown liquid, and presented it to the unicorn colt.

“Thought you might like something cold.”

“Yay!”

Rearing up on his hind legs, Starlight’s son galloped over to Lenny and seized the bottle from his hoof.

“Slate” Starlight said with a smile. “Be sure to say thank you to Mister Silvereye.”

“Oh, yeah. Thank you Mister Silvereye!”

Gripping the bottle in his forelegs and sticking the cap in his mouth, Slate tried with all his might to pry it open, only for it to resist all attempts.

“Mama, can you open this?”

“Of course.” Starlight said.

Clamping her teeth down hard on the cap, she pulled until her jaw ached.. Nothing, it might as well have been cemented in place.

“Sun-scorched thing,” she muttered under her breath. “Would anypony happen to be having a bottle opener?”

“No need.” Daniel said, standing up and cracking his knuckles. “Lets see what ol’ Righty can do.”

With that, Daniel gripped the bottle by its neck, and a few grunts and twists the cap was off, filling the cabin the syrupy smell of sarsaparilla. Just smelling it was enough to give one a sugar rush.

“Thanks Mr. Daniel!” Slate said, gripping the bottle with his forelegs and quaffing down its contents.

Inwardly, Starlight cringed. Already she could see an army of plaque invading Slate’s teeth, nourished by the deluge of sugar. Still she left him be. After all, they were on vacation, and she’d be sure to have him brush his teeth properly when they arrived at their hotel.

The last of the liquid slid down Slate’s throat. Tossing the bottle aside, the colt licked his lips, then burped.

“Slate, what are you to be saying?” asked Starlight.

“Oh, excuse me.” The colt said. “Thanks again Mr. Daniel! Those hands of yours are really good at opening bottles”

“You’re most certainly welcome.” Daniel replied. “But that’s not the only thing they’re good for.”

Slowly an impish grin spread over Daniel’s face. With that, he leapt out of his seat and scooped Slate up into his arms, tickling the foal’s soft underbelly.

“Hahaha stop it, stop it!” Slate spluttered out through his giggles, wriggling wildly in a futile attempt to free himself. The unicorn’s horn sparked and sputtered, trying to push Daniel away, but his magic was useless against the power of tickling.

As she watched on, Starlight smiled, a gentle warmth spreading through her body. A part of her wondered what it would be like to feel his hands stroking her coat, basking in his body heat.

The smile vanished. But hadn’t there been another stallion like that, one with a charming smile and a tongue that could charm the scales off of a dragon? One who she’d thought would be the perfect mate?

Starlight shoved the unbidden thoughts back into her subconscious. For the last time, Daniel was nothing like him. Daniel would never go back on his word. Daniel would never leave her and her son to fend for themselves in a harsh, uncaring world. She knew that.

Then why did she have a knot in her stomach?

*****

“Manehattan!” yelled the conductor, the squeal of the train’s brakes threatening to drown him out. “Now stopping at Manehattan!”

Starlight groaned and trotted out of the passenger car, stretching her wings and legs in equal measure, muscles burning after staying idle for so long. Sometimes, she sincerely wished that the mages up in Canterlot would finally perfect long-range non-interdimensional teleportation.

Behind her, Daniel walked out, breathing in deep despite the steam from the train’s engine all around them.

“Thank Celestia for that, I thought that ride was never going to end,” he said, cracking his neck. “I was going stir crazy in there.”

“Really?” Starlight chuckled. “I was thinking that you were used to being locked in small, cramped spaces.”

“Ha ha, very droll,“ Daniel said. Though he tried to remain straight faced, he just couldn’t stop a smile from breaking through “With wit like that, we need to stop by a comedy club on open mike night.”

“Just you be trying,” Starlight shot back. “If you try, there is one certain human in mind who will receive quite the tongue lashing.”

“Heaven help if that happens,” Daniel said with a chuckle. “My self-esteem may never recover.”

“I was not sure that it was living in the first place,” Starlight muttered and looked towards the station’s baggage car, watching as workers unloaded a mountain of bags and suitcases. “It appears to be time for us to retrieving our luggage.”

But before she could take a single step towards it, Daniel held her back.

“Me and the guys will get our bags. You and Slate can wait here and relax, watch the people go past.”

Starlight put a hoof on Daniel’s side. “Daniel, please allow me to be helping. It is your vacation, no? I am no stranger to physical labors.”

“Correction, it’s our vacation. I can’t do all the relaxing by myself.” He smiled. “Consider my carrying the bags as penetance for scaring you with my little… episode.”

Though she didn’t like it, Starlight had the feeling such a tiny act was important to Daniel, so didn’t argue any further.

“Well it’s settled then,” Daniel said after no reply came. “We’ll be right back!”

With that, Daniel set off towards the baggage car, whistling some nondescript tune as he weaved through the crowd.

As they waited, Slate and Starlight took up a seat on a nearby bench. The little unicorn’s eyes glistened as they beheld station’s polished granite walls and floor, its arched ceiling and elaborate bas-reliefs. They featured ponies frollicing through fields, and conversing with those of other species as Princess Celestia and Luna looked down upon them from the sky.

For a moment, and against her better judgement, Starlight felt nostalgic. Once upon a time her denfather had taken her in a trip across Equestria, allowing her to witness it all from the safe opulence of his private rail car. She hadn’t know any better then, of how it was all just a means to control her, but they had been pleasant days where she’d been waited on for every moment of the day. It had been a comfortable life, but never one she wished to return to.

“It is nice here, is it not, little star?” she asked her son, as he gazed down in awe at all the ponies as they trotted path.

Turning to her he nodded, though he looked at her strangely. “Are you okay Momma, you’re speaking all funny?”

“Fine little star, I am just reminiscing, thinking on my past. It is a thing that grown ups do sometimes, it helps you to remember why you became the pony you are, and how you wish to be better.”

He nodded, but Slate still looked confused. Starlight didn’t blame him though, he was too young to understand what it was to be old enough to regret things.

Wrapping her forelegs around her son’s barrel, Starlight pulled him into a tight hug, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“It doesn’t matter little star, just me being a silly adult. When you are reminiscing one day, you might remember now, then you’ll understand what I mean. Now, how much do I love you?”

Having wriggled around so he was facing her, Slate looked up and giggled.

“More than anything,” he said, long used to the question.

Something tapped Starlight on the shoulder. She turned to see Daniel, George and Lenny standing behind her, each carrying a suitcase.

“Hey you two,” Daniel said. “Hope we aren’t interrupting. None of us could understand what you were saying, so we just had to take a gamble that it wasn’t anything important.”

It was only then that Starlight realized they’d been speaking in Letyan.

“Nothing important,” she said, shaking her head. “Just mother and son things.”

“Well we’ve got our bags,” Daniel replied, holding them up as if Starlight could’ve somehow missed them. “Guess we can head off to our hotel now, get settled in.”

With their group reunited, they made their way to the station’s exit, George and Lenny taking the lead to better clear a path through the throng of ponies.

“Daniel, where is it that we will be staying?” Starlight asked. Though she’d asked more than once, Daniel had outright refused to tell her where they were to be staying. She might’ve found it charming, if not for her hatred of the unending anticipation that always accompanied the promise of a surprise.

“Oh, no place special,” Daniel said with an impish grin. “Just some fleabag hotel called the ‘Waldhorse Esperia’.”

The thestral’s heart almost leapt out of her chest. “The Waldhorse Esperia? You are making retribution for my joking surely?”

“God strike me down if I were to ever do something so cruel.”

Fighting down the urge to take to the air and skydance then and there, Starlight instead opted skip the rest of the way out of the train station. She hadn’t skipped since she was a filly!

The fanciest hotel in Manehattan, the one reserved for the elite of Equestrian society and they’d be staying at it. Any second she expected see Lady Luna appear and tell her it was all a dream.

“This… this must be costing a fortune, no? I was knowing that you are well-paid but… this...”

From what she’d heard, getting a reservation for the hotel’s best suites could cost as much as a down payment for a home loan.

“Oh, much as I’d like to take credit, Twilight’s the one you should be thanking for all this,” Daniel said. “This whole trip was on her, reservations and everything. These sort of places love to give away their ‘Princess Suites’ to actual princesses and their friends in the hope of currying favor.”

“I am not thinking anyone could be more generous,” Starlight said, walking out the stations’ massive twin doors.

Daniel chuckled. “I imagine you’ll meet her friends at some point. When I find out you spent the day at a spa and then went for a fitting for a free professionally made dress, you can tell me that you were wrong on that account.”

Out on the street, he stuck two fingers in his mouth and gave a loud whistle. “Taxi!”

*****

As their cab weaved through traffic, Starlight’s first impression of Manehattan was ‘big’. Back in her home country, large buildings were rare; far too vulnerable to storms, and had no purpose when there were so many caves around to choose from. In Manehattan massive buildings rose up all around her, surrounding her in a forest of steel and concrete.

Of course, Starlight was no stranger to cities, having lived in Canterlot for almost six years. But Manehattan was different. The capital had an aura of authority and antiquity to it; the whole city was one great palace and time only moved forward whenever its residents wished it too. Every cobblestone, every brick, every lamp post was ingrained with history.

In Manehattan, however, there was a sense that time was constantly running out, and where the most important virtue was haste.

To be honest, it kind of scared her.

Starlight found herself squeezing Daniel’s hand, and he squeezed back.

“It’s pretty overwhelming at first, isn’t it?” he said. “It’s too easy to get used to the slow walking snobs in Canterlot.”

“Are your Earth cities resembling this?” she asked, trying to get her thoughts back into order.

“Even bigger.”

Bigger! Manehatten was so enormous it boggled her mind. There being even one city being larger than it, let alone dozens more, was almost inconceivable.

After a while, the cab lurched to the side, turning into the driveway that lead up to an elaborate art-deco skyscraper.

“Here we are, the Manehattan Waldhorse Esperia,” the cabbie called out.

As they all clambered out of the taxi Daniel and the guards moved to retrieve their luggage, only for it to be intercepted by an army of bellhops, who loaded everything onto carts without a word.

“Pardon us,” George said, he and his partner already heading towards the hotel’s revolving doors. “Silvereyes and I will confirm our reservation, then head off to our rooms.”

“Can I go with them, Mama?” Slate asked, bouncing up and down.

“Certainly,” Starlight said, “but please be certain to stay close together.”

The colt nodded, then trotted off into the hotel with the two guardsponies. As the trio passed through the revolving doors Lenny gave a quick nod and a smile over his shoulder at Star.

Impressive as the hotel was, all she really wanted to do right then was crawl into a soft bed, close her eyes, and sleep for the next few decades. Already she could feel the delicious chill of a darkened bedroom, and the silky sheets against her coat. Perhaps even have someone to cuddle with?

Trotting up to the main doors, which was pulled open by a doorman, Starlight stopped as she came face to face with a unicorn on the other side.

“Oh, my apologies,” Starlight said.

“No problem at all,” the unicorn replied, “these things happen.”

Eager to get inside, Starlight took a step to the left, hoping to let the unicorn past. The only problem was, the unicorn must’ve had the same thought, and they once again found themselves blocking each other’s way, only a little more to the left. Wanting to be done with it, Starlight stepped to the right, only for the unicorn to mirror her again.

“Oh my, it appears we’re in quite the predicament,” the unicorn said, sounding rather amused. “We’re both being too polite. How about on three, we let manners slip for a moment, and push past each other?”

Starlight nodded, giving an embarrassed smile. “I am being all for that.”

“Well darling, it was nice to meet you,” the unicorn said, brushing a bit of lint off her black turtleneck. “I do hope you have fun in Manehatten. One… two… Daniel!?”

Glancing behind her, Starlight found Daniel and the mysterious unicorn with identical looks of shock on their faces.

“Rarity?”

“Daniel!”

The unicorn galloped over to Daniel—not finding the need to say ‘three’ before brushing past Starlight—and reared up on her hind legs to embrace him.

“Darling, it’s so good to see you!”

Daniel returned the hug. “Good to see you too, Rarity.”

Struck dumb by the turn of events, all Starlight could manage to do was stand there.

She couldn’t help it, but seeing Daniel like that, with his arms wrapped around another mare, it awoke some part of her deep down inside that she didn’t like.

With a start, she realized what it was. She was jealous, and it made her feel so guilty she just couldn’t bare it. Just because he had done such terrible things, she wouldn’t let it change who she was, make her into the kind of pony who saw treachery in everything their partner did.

Finally, the unicorn released Daniel from her embrace and looked over at Starlight.

“You must be the mare Twilight wrote to me about. Starlight, correct?”

“That’s right.” Daniel smiled, gesturing towards her. “This fine mare is Starlight. Not to be confused with the other Starlight of course. Seems you two have already broken the ice, but we can’t just ignore formality, especially when it’s for you Rarity.”

He cleared his throat.

“Starlight, this is Rarity, an old friend from Ponyville. Rarity, meet Starlight. I guess... well I suppose there's no guessing about it, we're dating.”

The unicorn let out a squeal that could’ve shattered glass, while her eyes went as wide as saucers. For a moment, Starlight honestly thought the mare was about to have a heart attack.

With a strength that surprised her, Starlight found herself enveloped in a magical aura that dragged her closer to Daniel. Then Rarity flung her forelegs around both of them and hugged them tightly.

“Oh darlings, that’s wonderful!” she cried out, giving them both a kiss on each cheek. “I just adore when people find their special someponies. Why it is enough to make any mare swoon.”

Starlight was so stunned her etiquette training kicked in, and she returned the kisses. For his part though, Daniel just patted the unicorn on the back, while at the same time trying to get her to relax her death grip on him.

“Well, we’re not exactly special someponies, at least not yet,” Daniel said, looking rather embarrassed.

“Oh, there’s no need to play coy, Daniel dear. You’ve admitted it, and that is just marvelous. I can see the burgeoning rose of the romance between you two, slowly spreading its petals!”

“Rarity, I appreciate the excitement, I really do, but I’m having a little trouble breathing here,” Daniel said.

Blinking at the two as the revelation struck, Rarity lowered herself back onto all fours, blushing furiously. “Err… my apologies, darling. I suppose that in the presence of something so romantic, I allowed myself to become a little carried away.”

Chuckling, Daniel brushed some loose fur off of his shirt. “You haven’t changed at all, Rares.”

“Likewise.” The unicorn turned to Starlight. “My… enthusiastic congratulations aside, it is a pleasure to meet you Starlight.”

“It is a pleasure to be meeting you too, Miss Rarity.”

The mare tittered. “Please, darling, there’s no need to be so formal. After my little display of exuberance you didn’t turn tail and run for you life, which I think means we more than qualify to say we’re friends. Just Rarity will do.” She motioned with her head towards the Hotel Esperia, elaborately styled mane bobbing as she did. “I was going to visit Central Park, but that can wait. Let's head inside, shall we? The sidewalk is hardly the place for a reunion.”

Once in the lobby, Starlight’s jaw dropped for the second time that day.

It wasn’t a hotel, it was a palace, or perhaps something even grander. Palaces back in Letyucha weren’t as elaborate as the Waldhorse Esperia, with its gold-covered railings, plush carpeting, and a shimmering crystal chandelier to cap things off. Guests of all shapes and species filed about the lobby; griffons, minotaurs, ponies from all three tribes were present, along with more than a few humans, all dressed in attire that would’ve cost a Letyan worker a year’s wages.

As Starlight marveled at the hotel, she caught a whiff of expensive perfume as a Letyan lady trotted past, the bustle of her dress shaking in time with her steps. That scent, Starlight would’ve recognize it anywhere. One of her denmothers, it had been her favorite, and it summoned up one of the few happy times in her childhood where they would read together next to a roaring fire.

Rarity lead the group to a cluster of chairs placed for guests who somehow were too lazy to take the short elevator ride up to their own rooms. Taking a seat on the sofa, Daniel patted the cushion next to him, and Starlight took up his offer. Rarity sat on the chair opposite theirs.

“So, what brings you to Manehattan?” Daniel asked. “I thought you were supposed to be at a fashion show in Seaddle.”

“Well, darling, it’s quite the story,” Rarity said. “The fashion show wrapped up yesterday, and I must say it’s left me so drained it would take me a full week in the spa to recover.” She laughed. “But of course that would drive me bankrupt, so I’ve opted instead take a couple of days off in Manehatten. Make something of a vacation out of it you could say, because I’ve since realized I haven’t had a single trip to the big city that hasn’t involved my career, helping Coco with something, or a PSSSDWR. Oh, but forgive me, rambling on about nothings. What about you two?”

“Oh nothing much,” said Daniel. “Though I may have shut myself in my office for a few days with a mountain of paperwork then went into a panic-induced meltdown.”

“By goodness, Daniel I had no idea you were so overworked!” Rarity gasped, as dramatic as ever. “I certainly hope your superiors are raked over the coals.”

“Do not be worrying,” Starlight said. “When we are returning, Daniel will be giving his employers a—what is the phrase—a piece of his mind.”

Rarity snorted. “I wholeheartedly concur. I more than anypony knows how it feels to be overworked and at the mercy of a taskmaster. It never ends if you do not stand up for yourself.”

“Now ladies, we don’t need to be so militant,” Daniel said, looking just a touch uncomfortable. “I failed to request any help, but they didn’t force the point either. We’re both at fault, and I’m sure we’ll be able to sit down and have a calm discussion on how to fix things.”

“Whatever you feel is best darling,” Rarity said with a decisive nod. “Switching topics, I must say darling I love those sunglasses on you, they are ever so stylish.”

It took Starlight a moment to realize Rarity was referring to her. It must’ve gotten confusing, using the same title for everyone all the time.

“Thank you.” Starlight adjusted the tinted lenses. “Ray-Band Aviators, a human design. Though they are not being worn for fashion, only for function.”

“Oh darling, that makes them no less stylish,” Rarity said with a titter. “That is the thing far too many designers forget, that fashion is only born from function. Of course, sometimes that function is to make oneself look extra beautiful, but my point remains. You are a thestral, the light must be torture, hence you need sunglasses. But you have picked the most stylish ones you could find, hence fashion combined with function, the true achievement all designers must strive for.”

“I have never been thinking of it as such,“ Starlight admitted.

“And there is nothing wrong with that darling, because you did it without thinking.”

“Letyucha is where the Nightmother brought me into this world, and even though I am not being a recent immigrant, the aching eyes are never leaving. It is six years come Hearthswarming since I was becoming an Equestrian citizen. I am just being thankful my son does not have the same problem.”

“Darling, I hope I do not offend,” Rarity said. “It sounds like you only just moved here. Your accent, it is lovely, but it is still rather thick. ”

“It is being the truth, so I do not mind,” Starlight said with a chuckle. “Letyucha, she is a jealous land. She is liking to make it known which are her citizens, no matter how many years they have strayed from her.”

“I’ve always wanted to visit there, it just sounds so very wonderful; the snow-capped mountain peaks, crisp air, and lush pine forests. The culture too, it must be marvelous to live like that. Oh to see the skydancers in their traditional clothing as they dance under the stars. To breathe in that fresh mountain air.”

Rarity swooned, and Starlight suppressed a groan. There it was; the typical romanticization that virtually everypony attached to her homeland. It was just the kind of image the Foreign Ministry wanted.

“Believe me, Ms. Rarity—”

“Please darling, I’ve already said that formalities are not needed. If you keep calling me Ms. Rarity, then good manners would require me to call you Ms. Starlight. I don’t think either of us would like that.”

“Very well, Rarity. You are saying that my country is beautiful? Well, that is true, sometimes, when it is not ravaged by storms, or when the peasants are not rebelling, or when the crops have not succumbed to blight, or when the mountain beasts are not rampaging…”

“Stop darling, do please stop.” Rarity said, holding up a hoof all the while with an embarrassed look on her face. “I fear I have let romanticism cloud my judgment again, and I’d hate to look the fool any longer. “I suppose I shall have to revise my bucket list.”

“I am being sorry, it is—”

But just then the sound of little hooves on hard marble thundered closer, and Starlight paused, turning to look over at the crowd, searching for their origin.

“Mama!”

Dodging, ducking and weaving through crowds of ponies in the lobby, Slate vaulted over a luggage cart and onto Starlight’s lap.

“Mama! Did you know they’ve got a swimming pool here? Mr Silvereyes told me. Can I check it out, please please please?”

George and Lenny trotted up, gasping for breath. “My apologies, Miss Starlight. We tried to stop him, but he’s slippery when he wants to be.”

“I am seeing that!” Starlight picked up her son and placed him by her side. “Little Star, Mama is quite occupied at this moment. You can wait until I’m done, no?”

“Yes Mama.” Slate said, nodding excitedly. He took one look at Rarity and froze.

“Who’s this?” Rarity cooed, leaning over for a better look, eyes lighting up like lanterns. “Why hello there, little dear. It’s so very nice to meet you, what’s your name?

In typical fashion, Slate eeped and hid behind Starlight.

“His name, it is Slate,” Starlight said with a smile. “He is being rather shy.”

“Oh my, that can be a difficult thing to experience as a child,” Rarity said. “It’s ok darling, I won’t bite.”

Slate was unconvinced, refusing to leave his maternal shelter.

“Colts, you are knowing how they can be.”

“No, I’m afraid I don’t really. I never was much good with children, even when I was one.” She turned her eyes to George. “Oh, and you are?”

“Goldeneye, Miss Rarity. Lieutenant Goldeneye. My comrade Lieutenant Silvereye and I act as ambassador Habbuck’s bodyguards. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Yeah, it’s real nice to meetcha Miss!” Lenny chimed in. “My missus is a real big fan o’ yours.”

“Well, the pleasure is most mutual,” Rarity replied, her eyes drifting up the ornate clock overlooking the lobby.. “Oh my, is it past the hour already! I’m sorry darlings but I promised an old friend that I’d meet her at Central Park soon. I hope to see you again sometimes soon.”

“Well it’s been really nice to talk Rarity, even if it didn’t last that long,” Daniel said, shooting her a roguish smile.

The rest of the group echoed the sentiment, even Slate managing to pop his head out to wave goodbye.

With that the unicorn turned around, stylish mane swinging, only to pause.

“Oh, iddeeeaa!” she trilled. “Fluttershy, bless her heart, graciously gave me a… season pass to the Manehattan zoo for my birthday. Since it allows me to take five guests with me, I was wondering if you would care to join me?”

“Zoo?” Slate’s ears perked up. “Oh Mama can we please go?!”

“I am not…” Starlight began.

Memories of disastrous petting zoo visits flashed through her mind, every time Starlight left with angry business owners and a son upset for weeks. She couldn’t bear seeing her son go through that heartbreak again. It enriched the soul, but there reached a point where it became torture instead.

From the look on Daniel’s face, he shared her feelings.

“Um, little star, you are… certain that you are wanting to be going, yes? You are remembering what happened at the Nightmare Night carnival, yes?”

She laughed nervously, twiddling her hooves.

“That was ‘cuz the animals were all scared of the costumes. They won’t be scared this time!”

“And the petting zoo at your friend’s birthday party?”

“Somepony popped a bunch of balloons when I got close.”

With desperation in his eyes, Slate galloped over to Daniel, wrapping two furry forelegs around his knees.

“Please, Mr. Daniel. You said we could all have a special day together and do whatever I wanted. Can this be it. Can it, can it, can it?”

“Well…” Daniel said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess that we… could.”

“Yay!” Fireworks showered from Slate’s horn. The little colt reared on his hind legs, whinnying in delight. “Thank you Ms. Rarity!”

“My pleasure, little darling.”

Rarity gave the little half-unicorn friendly nuzzle, unaware of what she had just done, while Starlight shot Daniel a dirty look. He gave a forlorn shrug in return.

“Well everypony, now I absolutely must rush off or risk being late. It’s been a pleasure to see old friends and make new ones.”

After giving everyone a nod and a smile in turn, Rarity trotted towards the door, tail swishing back and forward.

“I’ll meet you all tomorrow morning right here at nine o’clock on the dot,” she called over her shoulder. “Until then, ciao!”

Everyone returned her goodbyes, some more enthusiastic than others. A hard ball of ice had formed in Starlight’s stomach, and all she could manage was a half hearted wave at Rarity’s quickly retreating form..

“Zoo zoo zooo zooo, I’m going to the zoooo” Slate sang, dancing around the couch. “Zoo zoo zoo zoo…”

They was going to the zoo. Her son was going to the Manehattan zoo.

Nightmother help them.

*****

The next day found Starlight, Daniel, Rarity and the rest of the group in a taxi carriage, en route to certain disaster.

Starlight should’ve been happy. The weather was pleasant; warm and breezy, with just enough dark clouds overhead to put her at ease. She was with her beloved son, a man she cared for greatly and more friends than she thought she’d ever again have in her life. Add on of that they were all about to spend the day together in the city she’d always dreamed of visiting, it should’ve made it perfect.

Instead, all she could think about was how badly it would all end. She could already see the tears in Slate’s eyes, and hear the frightened howls and roars of the animals.

As good an actor as Daniel was, Starlight could tell he wasn’t doing much better. The tautness of his smile, the way his hands never stayed still, it gave him away. It was strange, they were from different worlds, yet the way they expressed anxiety was all but identical.

“Boss, you okay?” Lenny asked. “You’re lookin’ kinda jumpy, and Miss Starlight ain’t doin’ much better, if you pardon me sayin’ so.”

“Oh, we’re fine.” Daniel said. “Just a bit... overwhelmed at being in a strange new city.”

He gave Starlight a nudge.

“Yes, that is all it is. Nerves,” Starlight added, forcing out a laugh.

Lenny searched their faces but eventually shrugged. “What you say goes.”

“Mama, Mama,” Slate said, tugging at her foreleg, while gesturing off towards the sidewalk. “Look do you see it, do you see it? Do you see the funny man?”

Eager to distract herself, Starlight scooted up to Slate and bent down so she could better follow where he was pointing. “What funny man?”

“That! See the funny man?”

There was quite the crowd gathered outside, but Starlight knew straight away who her son was talking about.

A stallion stood on the street corner, an enormous banner strung up behind him; a field of red on which lay a yellow hammer and sickle. Ponies looked on—expressions ranging from ecstatic, to bored, and even a bit of outrage—as he paced back and forth, speaking calmly but clearly to them all. Even as Starlight watched, ponies who trotted past curiously glanced his way, only to stop and listen.

Near the stallion stood a female griffon, simultaneously handing out pamphlets, and preventing any of the gathered ponies from getting too close.

Music too sounded out in the background, piped from a record player somewhere out of sight. It was just loud enough to be heard, and proved a rather good backdrop to the stallion’s speech.

The people’s flag is deepest red
It shrouded oft our martyred dead
And err their limbs grew stiff and cold
Their heart’s blood dyed its every fold

“Do not let yourself be cowed by the human history you have read. All their attempts at true communism have been failures, spurned by their greed, their inability to render themselves onto their fellows, and their technological shortcomings. We are different, and we hold advantages and sophistications that they lacked during their last great attempts. Comrade Marx and Comrade Lenin are men to be admired, men who fought with all they had to achieve a utopia that their times and technology prevented. They are martyrs whose attempts we must never forget; both out of respect, and as warnings to where we too can fail. Do not believe what the rich and ennobled have endeavored to make you believe. If we stand together as brothers and sisters, as comrades, a better world will be born out of the old. No longer shall we work just to survive, so we can put food on our tables and a roof above our heads. No, instead we shall work for our fellows, for the betterment of us all.”

Look round the griffon loves its blaze
The sturdy pony chants its praise
In Moscow’s vaults its hymns were sung
Canterlot swells the surging throng

Starlight had read about their philosophy. That the means of production should be owned by the workers, and that all property should be held by the communally. From what she’d heard, it was becoming popular amongst Letyan intellectuals, though given its checkered history that may not’ve been a good thing. Certainly the denfathers didn’t like it one bit, and there’d been rumors of another purge around the corner to bring academia in line with government doctrine.

And raise the scarlet standard high
For in its shade we live and die
Though cowards flinch, and traitors sneer
We’ll keep the red flag flying dear

As the song played on Slate hummed along to the hymn, blissfully unaware of its meaning. Sometimes Starlight envied that innocence, untouched by the cynicism that came with maturity. To him, politics was just something grown-ups did when they were bored.

“My, I’ve read about them in the paper,” Rarity said, having edged herself closer to the window to get a better look herself. “I’m all for being generous, but even I will admit there reaches a point where one can give away too much. To give everything you own over to your fellows, it must be quite the test of faith to trust they will respond in kind.”

It well recalls the triumphs past
It gives the hope of peace at last
The banner bright, the symbol plain
Of sapient right and sapient gain

Daniel had turned pale, and rubbed a hand over his face. “I didn’t… didn’t realize they’d learned about that sort of stuff.”

The taxicab came to a stop, and everyone piled out.

“Here we are, Manehattan Central Park,” the cabbie announced. “That’ll be twenty-two bits, please. Sorry ‘bout that lot back there, didn’t realize they were scheduled for a rally today. You humans don’t seem to like those communists very much.”

Pulling out his wallet, Daniel deposited the appropriate amount of coins into the cabbie’s hoof.

With a wave and a smile, the cabbie stashed the money into his saddlebag, and set off down the road. Things moved fast in Manehatten, and every second spent idle was money down the drain.

Like everything else in Manehattan, the city zoo was huge. Enormous wrought iron gates drew every passerby close, welcoming them into a world of wonder and education. It was one of the city’s pride and joys, and a tourist’s dream to boot, so it only made sense the Manehatten city council spent a whole load of bits every year to ensure its stable of animals, monsters and beasts was always expanding.

Of late it had received new standing in the scientific community, it housing a team of human zoologists working to compare Earth and Equis native species. According to some of the scientific journals Star had read, with a few very notable exceptions, many of the more common animals on Equiss were almost identical to their Earth counterparts right down to a genetic level. Needless to say, it raised a lot of questions.

While there was a ticket booth and an area designated for queuing up, thankfully that day there wasn’t anyone in line. Schools were still in session, and it was the middle of the week.

“Wait here everypony, I’ll just sort everything out at the front desk,” Rarity said, already hurrying off to do just that. “They have my name on a list you see. Tickets just waste too much paper.”

A short while later, in which they could all see Rarity chatting amicably with the pony staffed at the ticket booth, the fashionista motioned them to come closer.

“It’s all sorted darlings,” she said. “In we all go.”

As the approached the gate, Starlight’s stomach began to churn once again. Each hoofstep brought them closer and closer to a certain disaster. But, there was nothing she could do to stop them either.

“Um, Miss Rarity?”

“Yes?”

“Your mane is really pretty.”

“Why thank you, darling,” Rarity said with a smile. For his compliment, Slate was rewarded with a gentle pat on the head. “That was very sweet.” The unicorn turned to Starlight, “ Your son is quite the gentlecolt, Starlight.”

“He is indeed.” Starlight said, feeling slightly less anxious.

It was odd. From what Daniel had told her, Rarity and children were like nitro and glycerin. If you mixed the two together, chaos would ensue. Yet, against all expectations, the pair seemed to be getting on rather well.

“So, Slate,” Starlight said, adjusting her sunglasses as they trotted up to one of the colorful maps dotted around the place that detailing the various exhibits. “Where would you like to be going first?”

“Uhh…” Slate arched his neck, peering closely at the map. Helpfully, there were two copies; one set at the height of quadrupeds, and one for bipeds.

“Oh! Oh! There, Everfree creatures!”

He pointed a hoof at the stylised picture of an enormous glass dome and a cartoon Manticore, then reared back onto his hind legs, ready to charge off into the crowd, only to be stopped by Starlight resting her wing on his back.

“Be calm, little star, we must be sticking together. What is our rule when we are walking through a crowded place?”

“Stay under your wing,” he groaned, reciting the often repeated rule.

After a short walk, they entered the exhibit. The zoo had spared no expense on it, with a faux dirt trail and artificial trees aplenty. To cap it off the glass panes of the structure were all tinted, plunging the interior into eternal night and making it feel like there really were actually trotting through a cursed forest.

All around them, signs dangled over the exhibits, pointing out the zoo’s exotic specimens.

As they entered, Daniel hand began to shake, only for him to jam it deep into the pocket of his pants. He was trying to hide it, but even his acting abilities had their limits and Starlight noticed it immediately.

“Is something being the matter?” she asked.

“Sorry, Star. I kinda had a bad experience in the Everfree once.” He shivered. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Well we must all be having our secrets,” Starlight said, patting his hip, smiling slyly. “If you would be holding my hoof, would that stop the shaking, giving you something else to think about.”

“I’m not a child,” Daniel said, sounding sulky. “I can deal with my own fears.”

“Then we will not being doing it for comfort, we will be doing it because we are wanting to.”

She tapped her hoof against his hand, and didn’t stop until he held it. The blush he wore was adorable, and if he was thinking about anything, it certainly wasn’t any past terrors experienced in the Everfree.

Walking was made a little difficult on Starlight’s part, with the loss of a hoof and the need for her to stretch up to reach his hand, but she made it work. The warm fuzzy feelings she was having made up for any awkwardness.

Slate stopped in front of fenced-off pit with the sign ‘Manticores’ hanging above it. Two of the patchwork felines lazed about on the bottom of the pit; one curled up on a rock, sleeping and purring like an overgrown mutant housecat, the other sitting in a corner and grooming itself.

“Cool…” Slate said, darting out from under Starlight’s wing to press his face up against the protective glass.

Starlight braced herself for the inevitable; the yowls, the roars, the screams of fear. Instead, nothing. One of the creatures stared at him for a second, yawned, then went back to sleep.

To Starlight’s relief, the pattern seemed to hold for the rest of the exhibit. The cragodiles outright ignored him, the Ursa Minor barely gave him a second glance. The most violent reaction they got was from the Bugbear, and that was only a confused buzz.

Really, the only creature that seemed afraid was George. Though his stoic expression stayed, Starlight could hear his teeth chattering.

By the time they exited, Starlight wasn’t nearly as nervous. Almost calm. Normally, one look at Slate was enough to frighten any animal. Even predators hated being near him.

Perhaps it was because most of the unusual nature of most Everfree predators, or it could’ve been that them being zoo animals had left them long used to seeing guests of different shapes and sizes.

“Are your feelings much better?” she asked Daniel.

“Definitely,” he said with a smile. “You can, uh, let go my hand now. Not that I didn’t like you holding it, it’s just that...”

“Do not be worrying. I am getting the idea.” Starlight said. “For being on the record, I was liking holding yours too. It was helping me stay calm when worrying about Slate.”

Slowly, she released him. Maybe, just maybe, their visit to the zoo wouldn’t be a disaster after all.

“Alright, now.” Rarity unfolded the complementary map she’d picked up from somewhere. “Where shall we head to next?”

Lenny gave the map a look. “How about the Zebrican Wildlife Exhibit? I’ve always wanted to see a giraffe.”

“Giraffe?” Slate jumped. “I wanna see a giraffe too!”

“Well then, come this way darlings.”

As their little group made their way to the exhibit, Rarity leading from the front like a general with her troops, Daniel hunched down to whisper in Starlight’s ear.

“So, do you think this will hold up?”

“I can only be hoping.” Starlight responded.

With the pace Rarity had set, any hope at delaying the inevitable was squashed as they rounded a corner, and crossed over the bridge that lead into the zebrican exhibit.

In stark contrast to the enclosed structure of the Everfree exhibit, the area they found themselves in was wide and expansive. Acacia trees were dotted around the place, while the ground underfoot was sandy and littered with shrubs.

“Lions!” Slate exclaimed, trotting up to the glass barrier that surrounded a pit.

Pressing his muzzle against the magically-hardened glass, he gazed down at awe in the felines who lounged in the sun. There was a moment where nothing happened, before one of the lions turned its head towards Slate, regarding him with its glittering eyes. It bared its teeth and hissed.

Ice formed in Starlight’s stomach.

The rest of the pack soon joined in, hissing and growling at Slate. Nearby patrons stepped back in shock, looking over to gape at the half unicorn.

Slate tilted his head. “Why are they angry?”

Two zookeepers rushed out, throwing chunks of still bloody meat at the lion’s feet in an effort to distract them.

“I think we had best be getting going.” Starlight nudged Slate away from the lion pit.

The rest of the Zebrica exhibit met with similar results. The elephants trumpeted and scattered on sight. The wildebeests took one look at Slate and ran, nearly trampling a zookeeper in their haste. And worse of all, when Slate finally got to see a giraffe, the long-necked creatures took one look at him and ran.

By the time they finally left the exhibit, Slate was crushed. His ears lay flat against his head and his tail as limp as a piece of rope.

“They’re scared of me,” Slate said, plodding over to a nearby bench and sitting himself down on it. “Why are they scared of me, Mama? I don’t wanna hurt them...”

Tears began to trickle down his cheeks, leaving dark trails on his gray coat. Starlight sat down beside him, hugging him to her side and stroking his mane, while Rarity trotted over to dab at his cheeks with a hoofkerchief.

“What are we going to be doing now?” Star lamented ears folded flat against her head.

That day supposed to be his special one with Daniel, the one he’d been promised. For it to be such a disaster...

As Slate wept, Daniel gently stroked his mane, while his other hand planted itself on his chin. He tapped his foot against the pavement, deep in thought.

“Star?” he said.

“Yes?”

“This zoo, it gets thousands of visitors each year from all over the world, and I imagine that includes thestrals.”

“I would be assuming so,” she replied, eyes never leaving her son. “My kin are not often traveling outside mother Letyucha, but there are some who receive permission to travel abroad.”

“Well, thestrals frighten animals, yet the zoo let you two in without any trouble. So, they must have a protocol for this sort of problem. Maybe you can ask one of the zookeepers.”

He pointed over at an earth pony wearing a zookeeper’s vest, reassuring a couple of worried onlookers about the lion’s behavior.

Starlight tensed. The mere mention of an authority figure brought up memories: Memories of her denfather playing puppetmaster with her and her sisters. Of being forced to smile while he tried to mold her into another ruthless tyrant.

“I… actually, Daniel, it would be better if you were to be asking them.”

“Is something wrong?” Daniel asked, a concerned look on his face.

“No, no, nothing is being wrong.” Starlight said. “I would… just be being more comfortable if you were the one who was asking. Slate is needing me to stay with him.”

Daniel pursed his lips, looking between Starlight and Slate, and back again. He didn’t look too convinced, but he nodded.

“...Okay Star, no problem. I’ll be right back.”

Lifting himself off the bench, he hurried over to the zookeeper, who turned to face Daniel with a friendly smile on his face.

The two conversed for a bit. With all of the background noise, Starlight couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, though from the way Daniel’s hands were moving about, he seemed rather calm.

After an agonizingly long wait, the zookeeper shook his hand. To Starlight’s immense confusion, Daniel then made a beeline to a souvenir stand. and purchased a pony-sized baseball cap before racing back to the bench.

“So, what is it he was saying?” Starlight asked.

At some point Slate had stopped crying, though he sniffled occasionally. He watched Daniel with hopeful eyes. If no solution was given, then Starlight knew her son’s anguish would return in full force.

“Scuse me Rarity, is there any chance I could borrow your sunglasses?”

The unicorn looked rather confused, but to her credit she slipped off the tinted frames she wore, and levitated them over to Daniel.

“Certainly darling.”

Starlight tilted her head. What was he doing? A part of her was worried Daniel had bought into Equestrian whimsy, and was only setting her son up for even more hurting. The rest of her, well… she hoped beyond hope that it would work.

“Much appreciated,” Daniel said, taking the sunglasses out of midair. “Okay Slate, wipe away those last few tears now, we don’t want to get Ms. Rarity’s glasses all wet.”

Nodding, the colt did as Daniel had said, a slight smile spreading across his face as the disguise was put in place.

“Daniel, what is it that you are—” Starlight began, just as idea clicked. “Oh, I am seeing it now. Are you really certain this will be working?”

It was a creative solution, to say the least.

“Trust me on this, Star,” Daniel said, placing a hand on Slate’s back. “Hey buddy is there some other animal you’d like to see?”

Tilting his head, Slate said nothing, staring off into space.

“Come on Slate, one more try,” Daniel urged.

”Well…” he began cautiously. “This morning, when I was listening to the radio, they said that they were showing some ponies from Earth. Can we see them?”

“Of course Slate, you’re the boss today.”

Starlight gulped. Equusian animals were one thing, but a creature from a completely different universe, there was no telling how it’d react. For all they knew, it would see Slate as a being straight out of a nightmare, sunglasses or not.

“Alright then, everypony.” Daniel said, starting down the path that lead to to the zoo’s children's exhibit. As they went, Starlight’s stomach tied itself in knots. This had to work; right then, Slate’s special day hung on a knife’s edge.

Arriving at the exhibit, it buzzed with activity. Children of all species wandered through the fenced in exhibits, petting and stroking creatures that could’ve only evolved in a totally different cosmos. The smell of hay mixed with the unmistakable musk of animal hung heavy in the air.

“Where is it?” Slate asked, eyes searching all around.

“It’s that animal there Slate,” Daniel said, pointing to the pen that the colt’s eyes must’ve passed over about five times. “That’s an Earth pony.”

When she saw the creature, Starlight wasn’t sure whether to laugh or shiver. Its features were equine enough—muzzle, mane, tail, and legs—but the resemblance was superficial at best. With its pot belly, ridiculously long muzzle, and dopey eyes, it was more a caricature of a pony than anything else. Yet, as she stared at the beast, Starlight couldn’t help but feel that she was looking at something familiar, that it was what her kind could’ve become, had evolution taken a different path.

It was eerie, to say the least.

Slate didn’t share her uneasiness. Rather he giggled at the strange-looking creature, and smiled at it widely.

“It’s so funny looking!”

“I know,” Daniel said with a chuckle. “Do you want to feed it an apple?”

Slate squeed, and Daniel retrieved an apple from a nearby zookeeper how carried a variety of fruit in a basket

“Here, give this to it,” Daniel said, passing the apple to Slate.

Starlight tensed. For her son’s sake, she hoped it would work.

Entering the pen, Slate approached the terran equine with due caution. Compared to Daniel, the terran Equine was short, but in Equestria it would’ve been taller than everypony, except perhaps Celestia. So, right then it towered of Slate.

“Hi...” the cold said, holding out the apple.

The pony took a hoofstep forwards, eyeing Slate’s little offering. It gave the fruit a tentative sniff, then bit into it with a loud, satisfying crunch. A few more crunches and the apple was gone. In return for his generosity, the pony trotted up to Slate and rubbed its muzzle against his cheek, followed by a lick.

Starlight fell flat on her rump, eyes wide. What she was witnessing, it was nothing short of miraculous. Lady Luna could have descended from the sky playing a saxophone, and she wouldn’t have been as surprised.

Something tapped her shoulder. “Star? You ok?”

Breaking out of her stupor, Starlight’s mind finally accepted the scene as real. It had been right in front of her. Literally. If not for her race’s instinctual habit of keeping their distance from animals, she just might’ve figured it out herself. But then, she knew deep down that opportunity never would’ve arisen.

“Yes,” she said, watching Slate and Lenny play with a group of terran rabbits. A smile spread across her face. “Yes, I am.”

*****

Five hours later found the group trotting out the zoo’s exit, tired and aching but in good spirits.

“Well, now that was quite the experience,” said Rarity, hiding a yawn behind her hoof. “Though I’m not sure my hooves will ever stop throbbing without a nice long trip to the spa as a peace offering.”

“I liked how the seals went ‘arf, arf arf’,” Slate said, doing a very credible imitation of one. “Oh, and when we went into the bird house!”

“Yeah,” said Daniel, adjusting his newly bought baseball cap. “Who’d have thought you were so good at bird calls. Maybe you’ll get a birdcall-making cutie mark.”

After waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green, the group crossed the road to enter into Manehatten Central Park.

“Well, everypony, it’s been grand but…” Rarity said, stifling another yawn. “I fear it is time that I must depart.”

Starlight trotted over to Slate. “Slate, I believe you should be giving Miss Rarity her glasses back.”

The colt started to slide the glasses off of his face, only for Rarity to hold up a hoof. “Oh, there’s no need, keep them! I think they suit him marvelously, far better than they did me.”

“Thanks miss Rarity!” Slate said, giving the unicorn a hug of his own.

“You’re quite welcome, darling.”

“You are being welcome to stay, do not be feeling like we are wanting you gone,” Starlight said.

“Oh no darling, it’s nothing like that. The boutique I own here requires me for some administrative work, so I have quite the early morning ahead of me. I would love to stay, but I fear I will fall into a heap if I push myself too hard.”

“Then we are promising to meet up again sometime,” Starlight replied, leaning in to give the fashionista a kiss on both cheeks, which were returned in kind.

“Oh darling, I’m sure we will. I’ve been dying to design a dress for a thestral, and I have a feeling you’d make an excellent model.”

As the rest of the group said their goodbyes, and Starlight blushed, Daniel stepped forward.

“Come on, I’ll escort you to your carriage,” he said with a wink. “Least I can do is pay the fare in advance.”

There was a pause in the conversation as Rarity and Daniel began to make their way towards the street, only resuming when they thought the others were out of earshot.

Too curious to not listen in, Starlight trained he ears onto them. For any other creature, they would’ve been inaudible, drowned out by the constant background noise. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case for thestrals.

“Why every would you feel the need to do that darling?” Rarity asked, smiling nervously. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“Rarity c’mon, I wasn’t born yesterday. You just so happened to have a season pass that allowed you to take five friends exactly? That’s kind of stretching it, even if it was very sweet. Why didn’t you just say that you were willing to pay for our tickets?”

“Well darling…” she began, pawing at the ground. “I didn’t want to make a big fuss. Forgive me for the deception, but all too often people feel guilty when I give them something. This way, everypony can walk away happy, even if I never realized things would be so… eventful.”

Daniel folded his arms and smiled. “Well I better thank you then, solving this problem with Slate is a big weight off Starlight’s mind. Just can’t help but be generous, can you?”

“Tis a curse I must bear.”

It was then that a cabbie trotted up, regarding them with a curious look.

“You looking for a ride?” he asked.

“Just me, darling,” Rarity trilled, climbing aboard.

“Well look after yourself Rarity, I’m sure we’ll see each other soon. I’ll send you a postcard about the rest of our trip if you like.”

“Sounds marvelous. Do tell that pretty marefriend of yours that I expect to make her a dress at some point.”

As Daniel’s cheeks flushed red, Rarity nudged the cabbie, and he set off.

“Tata,” she said, bidding him goodbye with a teasing smile.

Starlight couldn’t help but chuckle. That mare was quite the character, and certainly knew how to make a suitably dramatic exit.

Caught off guard, all Daniel could do was wave goodbye. Say what you wanted about Rarity, she certainly knew how to make an exit.

With hands in pockets, he returned to the remainder of their group, just in time to see Slate point out a nearby ice cream stand.

“Ooh! Ice cream! Can I have some, momma? Can I, can I, can I?”

Starlight smiled. “Certainly.”

It was his special day. If he wanted to further rot his teeth with processed sugar, then she would let him to it.

“I’ll take ‘em, Miss!” Lenny dug through his saddlebags, then snorted. “Rats, outta bits.”

“No problem.” Daniel dug through his wallet and pulled out a few copper coins. “Here, get yourself something as well. Star, you want something?”

“No thank you, I am being fine.”

Money in hoof, Lenny and Slate made a beeline for the ice cream stand, while Starlight and Daniel claimed a nearby bench, sitting side by side to drink in the scenery.

As they relaxed, George sat down on a bench across from them and pulled a book out of his saddlebag, making a show of reading whilst keeping an eye out for trouble.

All around them, fillies and colts romped around the grassy playfield. Over by the swingset, a human filly pushed a unicorn colt. By the park’s pond, an earth pony couple cuddled under a tree.

Starlight furrowed her brow. This was it. It was time to keep her promise to Twilight.

“Daniel?”

“Yes?”

Nightmother help her, she froze up. She tried to say it, to tell him her true feelings but the words just wouldn’t come forth.

“You know, Slate is looking up to you,” she managed to say, seizing the first stray thought that came to her.

“He is?” he replied, too surprised to notice Starlight’s bout of strange behavior.

“Yes.” Starlight said. “A few nights ago, when I was putting him to his sleep, he was saying that he was wishing to be like you when he is grown up.”

“Really?” Daniel raised an eyebrow. “He wants to be like me? Best you find him a good girlfriend then when he’s all grown up, one who’ll knock his head in and drag him out when he decides he needs a multi-day work extravaganza.”

“I am wishing you would stop beating yourself up about that,” she said with a sigh.

“Hey, hey it’s all done. I’m… getting there I suppose. It was supposed to be a compliment, guess I messed that up too.”

“It is… do not be worrying about it. It was a nice thought, to compliment me.”

Inside, she was a mess, and outside she wasn’t much better. Her wings kept twitching, and she couldn’t sit still.

“Star, is something wrong? You’re looking a little antsy.”

This was it, the moment to strike.

“Daniel there... is something that I have been wanting to be telling you.”

“What is it?” Daniel said, turning and looking her in the eye.

Somehow, the way he rested his arm on the back of the bench, it only made her even more flustered.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Starlight tried to force the words out. “I… I…”

Before the truth could spill out, an memory rose from the depths of her mind. A unicorn stallion, one with fur so white it could’ve been snow, and was so very handsome he thought no one would ever question him. And his voice, she would never forget that voice; like honey laced with poison.

“Star?”

With a quick shake of her head, Starlight did her best to push the memory away, but the damage had already been done.

“I am…” Starlight croaked. “I am not feeling well.”

“Do you want me to get you something?

“No. I… I am just… needing to be using the restroom.”

Before Daniel could respond, Starlight was already halfway to the nearby public toilets.

Shouldering open the door, she hurried on inside, away from his worried expressions. A matronly looking mare shot her a withering glare, but Starlight ignored her, and she promptly left with a huff.

A splash of cold water from the sink brought her back to her senses.

“Idiot” Star cursed in Letyan, water trickling down her face. “Sunscorched idiot!”

It had been the perfect opportunity, the perfect opportunity and once again she’d completely botched it.

“Are you alright?” Daniel asked, his voice echoing off the restroom walls, making Starlight jump.

“I am just tired!” Star snapped, instantly regretting it. “I apologize for that. A little cold water is all I was needing.”

There was a moment of silence. “Star, people who are tired don’t run off like that. If something is bothering you, I’m here for you.”

“No, really, I am better now.”

“Well, alright then, I understand” Daniel said with a sigh. “Looks like Slate’s back with his ice cream. Take as long as you need, I’ll keep an eye on him until you’re ready to come out.”

“Thank you. It is not being much longer,” Starlight replied.

Tearing a towel off a nearby dispenser, she quickly dried herself off. Throwing it into the overflowing wastebasket, Starlight caught sight of herself in the smeared, cracked mirror.

It struck her then, she looked utterly terrified.

Five years later and that stallion was still ruining her life.

Author's Note

Here it is, the chapter you've all been waiting for! Really sorry about the long wait!

Diners, Diplomats, and Debate

Daniel lay on the bench, submitting himself to the hotel sauna.

Even back when he still lived in Ponyville, there had been days when he’d just felt…stretched. Perhaps it had been a particularly demanding performance at the Ponyville Foals Theater, or maybe it was just the strain of being the only human in a land of candy-colored equinoids. Whatever it was, there was very little that couldn’t be eased away by a nice steam at the Ponyville Day Spa.

What he wouldn’t give to have those days back again.

Wash over me, steam. A ladleful of water splashed onto the hot rocks, flashing into vapor with an angry-sounding hiss. Sweat all of the junk out of my body. Steam all of the troubles and worries out of my brain. Reach into the corners of my mind. Relieve this tension from my body. Uncoil that little spring in my stomach and let me know true peace.

For a time, Daniel lay still, eyes closed and hands folded on his lap as he awaited inner peace. Nothing. The corners of his mind were still untouched and full of worry. His stomach was still very much wound up.

Why couldn’t he relax? This was a vacation. A forced vacation, yes, but a vacation nonetheless.
There was absolutely nothing for him to worry about. Nothing whatsoever… except for the fact that at that very moment, some stranger had taken his place as Earth’s representative, and that both his career and the future of Earth/Equis relations hinged on the upcoming conference...

Never mind.

With a frustrated grunt, Daniel pushed himself up, cinching up his bathing suit as he walked out the sauna door toward the changing rooms. He wiped some condensation off his iPhone and checked the time. He scowled; almost midnight and he was still wound up. As much as he hated to admit it, Twi and Doctor Schwietzer had a point; with his condition, he did need to find a way to relax.

As he recalled, there was a small tea house right next door to the hotel. That was one of the many things Daniel appreciated about Equestria: Starbucks had yet to sink its tentacles into it, thank God. Perhaps he could go and get a cup of tea to calm his nerves.

Just as he was about to make his way to the changing rooms, he paused.

There were sounds—loud thumps—coming from the adjacent room, the hotel’s gym. There was a pause, followed by panting.

At first, he thought nothing of it. It was probably just some guest up for a late-night workout, but as he listened, the grunts became more and more familiar. He’d heard those before. Could it be...?

Curious, Daniel pushed open the exercise room door just a tad. Inside, he could see a very familiar thestral mare pounding the literal stuffing out of a hapless punching bag. She stopped, and for a brief moment, he thought she’d discovered him. But instead, she wiped the sweat from her brow, and continued on with her assault.

Wow. Daniel stood there, too stunned to move. This wasn’t fighting. This was art. Every jab, every punch, every kick had an effortless, fluid grace to it as if it were all part of some choreographed dance routine. Beneath her coat, he could see corded muscles flexing, could see the way her toned flanks jiggled faintly with each move. He could smell her, the exotic musk only accentuated by her sweat, and those legs!

Who would have thought a fluffy alien bat-horse could be so sexy?

Something tickled Daniel’s nose. Before he could do anything, a loud sneeze exploded from his mouth. Starlight froze in mid-jab, then whipped herself around wings flared and fangs bared for a second.

Stupid! That was one of the things he’d learned about dating a thestral: don’t spook them.

“Oh, Daniel.” Her wings folded back against her slick, sweaty flanks in a way that made Daniel feel uncomfortably warm. “It is you.”

“Hi, Star,” he said, sheepishly. ”Sorry, I shouldn’t have, well…”

“Oh… no no it is quite all right,” she said, taking off her sweatband. “I was just not expecting you to be there.”

“Guess I wasn’t either,” . A bit of the tension eased from Daniel’s body. “I thought you were back in the suite with Slate and the others.”

“Yes. Slate, he was protesting at first, but he is now—what is the phrase?—out like a light. Well, I I was... feeling restless, so I was hoping that some exercise would be helping.”

“Well, has it?”

Starlight sighed and stretched her wings. “No, it has not. Letyucha’s touch, it is still on me. When it is nighttime, I am feeling as though I should be active, that there is much working to be done, and I am wasting time.”

“I know the feeling,” Daniel said as he looked into his marefriend’s eyes. That was one of ponykind’s more disarming traits: those large, beautiful, eyes. It was part of the reason so many people, himself included, found them adorable, and it also made them very easy to read. Right now, Starlight’s eyes were practically screaming “anxiety.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Say, Star,” Daniel said. “How would you like to come with me and get a cup of tea?”

“No coffee?” Starlight tilted her head. “I was believing that to be your beverage of choice?”

“Yeah, well, coffee’s good for when I need a boost of energy, but it’s not exactly good at helping me relax. That’s tea’s job.”

“Very well then, let me shower and I will be joining you.” With that, Starlight trotted off to the showers, tail swishing back and forth with nervous energy. That silky, indigo tail...

Star stopped and looked back. “You are enjoying the show, yes?” She said with a mischevious grin and an amused chitter. Despite himself, Daniel blushed.

“You humans…” Starlight chittered before continuing on towards the showers.

] - - - -

“Here you go.”

The griffon waitress poured some steaming hot tea into two china cups, then set them on the formica tabletop with the same care as one might handle high explosives.

“Be careful, it’s hot,” she said before walking off, apron swishing with every step.

“Never would have guessed,” Daniel muttered under his breath. Curls of aromatic steam wafted from the tiny cup, blowing slightly in the breeze from the tea house’s ceiling fan. He lifted the cup from its saucer, blew on it a little, then took a sip, wincing when the hot tea singed his tongue. Not bad. A bit hot for his tastes, but not bad.

“How is it, Starlight?” He took another sip.

Starlight set her cup back on the saucer, licking her lips. “It is decent.”

“Same.” Daniel took another sip, swishing the tea around in his mouth before swallowing. His eyes fell on a painting on the wall opposite their table: a reproduction oil painting of several figures in a small diner in the middle of the night. It seemed fitting.

Normally, this would be the perfect place for a conversation: quiet, peaceful, and kind of charming. Normally, he and Star would already be chatting about human literature or whatever else was on their mind. Now, it was like something in his mind was stopped up. He felt like a chess player waiting for his opponent to make their first move.

While he struggled to make conversation, Daniel scanned the tea house, a habit of his since childhood. Over by the counter, a reformed changeling and a human woman stared into each other’s eyes . In a booth by the building’s picture window, a stallion in a rumpled business suit nursed a cup of coffee, occasionally stopping to yawn. In the booth behind him, a griffon wearing a beret nursed a cup of tea while scribbling in a notebook.

Daniel frowned. There, in a corner, was an older human man holding an issue of the Manehattan Times, the paper comically small in his hands. Though he tried to remain inconspicuous, the man always kept one eye focused at their table.

“So, Daniel.” Starlight said. “The zoo. It was… fun, yes?”

“Yes. Yes, it was,” he said, running a finger along the side of his cup. “Slate really seemed to like it, once we got that disguise on him. Daniel gave a short snort. “Who’d have thought? A couple millions of years of instinct, fooled by some sunglasses and a ball cap.” He took another sip of his tea. ““Some very nice sunglasses, I might add. Slate looks really sophisticated in them, very suave.”

“Yes, he is a most handsome colt.”

A moment of silence. “So, Star...I was thinking. Maybe tomorrow we could all head to the Manehattan Science museum. I heard that they’ve just finished updating their exhibits.”

“Yes…” Starlight said without a hint of emotion. ”That is sounding nice.”

The conversation quickly withered and died after that. Man and mare just stood there, stirring their tea, occasionally stopping to take a sip. Daniel knew what he wanted to say. He had to ask it. But the words just seemed to stick in his throat.

Ironic; he’d successfully negotiated with minotaurs and griffons alike, sometimes both at the same time. He could, and had, held a conversation with a fully grown dragon without showing a hint of fear. But he couldn’t even ask his marefriend a simple question without seizing up.

Say it.

SAY IT you dumbass!

Daniel gathered up as much courage as he could… only to have the older man from before shuffle up to them, resting a hand on the back of one of the table’s unoccupied chairs.

“Excuse me,” he said, giving a fleeting little smile. “Would you mind terribly if I were to join you?”

His accent was hard to place, but it was foreign. Still, he spoke perfect English, almost too perfect. It was learned through the classroom, not naturally like any native speaker.

“Err…” Daniel said, looking the stranger up and down. “I’m sorry, I think you may have the wrong table.”

He was an older man, maybe early sixties, with a receding hairline of fragile snow white hair. He was nothing but skin and bones, with sallow cheeks and sunken eyes, but stood ramrod-straight. The suit he wore must’ve been tailor-made, because anything off the rack would’ve hung off him.

“No, no,” the stranger replied. “This is the right one for me.”

Daniel quickly glanced around the shop. There were plenty of empty tables awaiting a customer. What made this one so special

Starlight was shooting him a confused look, and all he could do in reply was give her a small half shrug.

“If you want to sit with us, I suppose there’s not much I can do to stop you.”

“You are most kind,” the stranger replied, sitting himself down and placing his hands on the table before him.

Reaching into the jacket of his pocket, he pulled out a silver case. Flicking it open, he offered it out to Daniel and Star. Inside were cigarettes, packed tightly.

It was like something out of a movie, and the stench of tobacco wafted off of them, making Starlight cough into a hoof.

“No thank you,” Daniel replied, pushing it away.

Though he tried not to, he couldn’t help but glare. The stranger was really starting to get on his nerves. First, he interrupted them, without saying so much as a word of acknowledgment to Starlight, and then he was going around making himself nice and comfy with no regard to manners.

“Probably the right idea,” the stranger said, picking one of his own, and closing the case with a snap. “Disgusting habit, but I promised my wife I’d stop smoking my pipe, so this is what I must resort to.”

Fishing out a lighter, he lit the little stick with a quick inhale, and blew out a long trail of smoke into the sky above.

Daniel clenched his teeth.

Stay cool, Daniel.

In his line of work, inconsiderate assholes like this old man were the exception rather than the rule, and while telling him where he could put that cigarette was tempting, it wouldn’t make the situation any better. All he could do now was just sit there and hope this night wouldn’t get any worse.

“Um…” Starlight said, twiddling her hooves and smiling nervously. “Well... we are all having our bad habits, Mr….?”

Finally, the man smiled and inclined his head to Starlight. “Jöran Drekt. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Thank you,” Starlight said, holding out a hoof. “My name, it is Starlight.”

“And I’m Daniel,” he held out a rigid hand. “Daniel Habbuck.”

Surprisingly enough, but Jöran reached forward without hesitation to grip Starlight’s hoof, and gave it a dainty shake, followed by an equally dainty, yet polite, shake for Daniel.

“Ah yes, then I definitely am in the right spot,” Jöran said, tapping off a bit of ash from his cigarette. “I suppose it would be rude if I were to ask if my name seemed familiar to you.”

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “I’m afraid not.”

“Well, I came to see you as a matter of professional courtesy. I’ve been appointed an interim ambassador to Equestria, I thought it was only fair you heard this straight from me, rather than from an insulting letter or the UN general secretary.”

Though Daniel tried to hide his surprise, he couldn’t stop his eyes from popping wide open. “Hold on, you’re my substitute?” This man was supposed to be his understudy during his enforced vacation? Seriously?

“Temporary substitute,” Jöran was quick to correct. “Then I will be your Supervisor. If things go well with my posting in Equestria, they intend to appoint me ambassador-at-large to Equis as a whole.”

For a moment, Daniel sat perfectly still. It took everything he had to keep his jaw from dropping.

“...Excuse me?”

“Ambassador-at-large?” Starlight said. “This is being a mistake. Earth is already possessing an ambassador. What is it that is going on?”

Sighing, the older man took a deep puff of his cigarette, looking decidedly unhappy.

“Your… incident, it broke a deadlock that has been going on for quite some time. Your country, the United States, they saw the value of having an all American ambassadorial team. It was realpolitik to the nth degree, but I suppose I cannot blame them when one considers what they had to gain. Of course, no one else agreed, but the US had veto power, and so we ended up with one ambassador working an assignment way above their level of skill and experience, in an embassy understaffed and forced to hire from the local population. That would be you.”

If that wasn’t a backhanded insult, Daniel didn’t know what was. “So, let me get this straight…” he said, rubbing his eyes. ”The Equestrian Embassy was understaffed because the UN couldn’t agree on who to send?”

He’d never had a high opinion of his employers, but that… that was stupid even for them!

“More like the US wouldn’t accept the prevailing opinion that every country should play a role. But, yes, you are essentially correct. Overall, they put it to a vote, and I was chosen. Of course, the purpose was to ensure that every nation on this world has their own human ambassador and embassy.”

“I see.” Daniel frowned. So far, Mr. Drekt was everything he would have expected from the UN; the kind of diplomat who ate, drank, slept and smoked politics, who had memorized every custom, every regulation, every treaty every written. Perfect for Terran diplomacy...

“Mr. Dreckt, would you mind if I asked you a question?”

Jöran broke into a wheezing chuckle, it ending with a cough.

“I have the feeling I could not stop you, even if I said no,” he said, administering a few thumps to his chest, before clearing his throat. “But nevertheless, ask away. I am an open book.”

Despite his politeness, Daniel could see there was caution in Dreckt’s eyes.

Okay, Daniel, you can do this. You are the first ambassador to a world other than Earth. You’ve negotiated with creatures straight out of mythology and come out on top. Nothing can take you off guard. Nothing can phase you.

If he said it to himself enough times, maybe it’d actually come true.

“Well, and forgive a man for prying, I just can’t stop wondering why they chose you?

That was it. He could do this.

“The UN felt my prior postings best suited this new one.”

“What kind of prior postings?”

“I spent the previous fifteen years posted to North Korea as Special Representitive for North Korea Policy. They will not talk to anyone else in the west, and so they only speak through Sweden.”

↶—
Daniel felt his heart drop into his stomach. Fifteen years as ambassador to one of the most isolated, xenophobic nations on Earth, versus two years as ambassador to a world of talking ponies. Yeah, this wasn’t going to end well.

“Indeed,” Starlight said. “I have been reading on these ‘North Koreans’, and for that you have my respect. But I am still being unsure what all this is about. If I was a distrusting sort, it is sounding to me like they are trying to force Daniel out.”

“You must understand miss, I have been a part of His Majesty's Diplomatic Corps for forty years, I have earned my place here, just as I earned my position as ambassador to North Korea. It may sound harsh, cruel even, but just because your… “

He trailed off, pinching the bridge of his nose. Though his lips moved, no words came out at first, before with a deep breath he managed to continue speaking.

“Just because your… pojkvän is the first human to step foot on this world, it is not a substitute for experience, mentoring and training.”

Daniel frowned, clenching his fists. He didn’t have a clue what a “pojkvän” was, but it was fairly obvious that it had something to do with his relationship with Star… and that the old man hadn’t meant it as a compliment. “I’ll admit, I may not have had much experience in politics or diplomacy, but I do have something just as important. Something no other human has: first-hand knowledge.”

“Take griffons, for example.” Daniel said and pointed towards the beret-donning griffon. “If you want to talk to a griffon ambassador, you need to act like a predator; cunning, swift, and most of all,” he slammed a fist into the palm of his hand “...ready to strike. Conversely, if you want to negotiate with a pony, friendliness is key. Get to know them a little better, maybe strike up a friendly conversation prior to the actual negotiation. Do that, and your negotiations will go much more smoothly. Plus, you might gain a new friend.”

“So you would compromise your own humanity, to put on a mask, in order to accomplish your goals. Perhaps it works for the time being, but all of humanity will not act the same way. Better to be as you are, and find common ground, rather than take the easy route and manufacture it.”

“Mr. Drekt, if I acted as I am, I wouldn’t be a very good ambassador. On Equis, it’s not just about what you say during negotiations. It also matters how you say it. Heck, Griffon envoys won’t even talk to you if they don’t see you as an equal.”

“Your intentions are admirable, and I shall not fault you for them. But, Earth holds every advantage, with the technologies and ideas that every nation on this world are scrambling for. There is no need to bend over backwards to appease these species, we will approach them as we are. Meekness may work in the short term, but do it for too long, and we will only appear weak.”

“You are sounding just like my Denfather…” Starlight glared.

Daniel sighed. “No, if we keep them with respect, everyone will start trusting us. It’s true that Earth has a lot of tech, and a lot of countries on Equis desperately want that tech, but not everyone is on board with it. They’ve read about human history, so they know about colonialism, imperialism, and all that other nasty stuff, and they fear they’re next.”

Folding his arms before him on the table, Drekt gave a thin-lipped smile.

“I do admire your idealism, but I am afraid I cannot embrace it. Allow for me to tell you a story. Once, in the 70s, North Korea made a request of my country. They wanted one-hundred Volvos, and were willing to pay all thirty million US dollars they were worth. Of course, my government pounced on the offer, hopeful it would be the first crack in the isolationism the North has partaken in since the Korean War. Do you know what happened?”

“Enlighten me.”

“They took the delivery and never paid. They still owe us, even to this day, and to prevent an incident there is nothing we can do but send them reminders. That is the lesson you must learn, that to build relationships is important, but you must never lapse into wide-eyed idealism. No matter the nation, they will exploit it to achieve their own goals.”

“You’re a real optimist, aren’t you?” Daniel began gently stroking Star’s back, relishing both the feel of her fur and the look on Drekt’s face. “I’ll admit, you do have a point; during my time here, I’ve met more than a few politicians, pony and non-pony, who tried to use me for political gain. Sometimes I have to be careful with what I agree to, but there’s a difference between being careful, and being paranoid.”

“Either way, and whatever your personal opinions are on the matter, I can assure you that my viewpoint is one shared by the UN as a whole,” Drekt replied, his face a picture of calm, while his hands were clenched into fists. “When you are fit to return to work, you will remain as ambassador to Equestria, though only on probation pending my report to the UN on your behavior. There are all manner of rumors going around, and many believe you have been compromised.”

He didn’t say it, but the way Drekt’s eyes fell very deliberately onto Starlight, the implication was clear.

Daniel’s eyes shot open. “Compromised?”

Star frowned. “Those are most serious of accusations, Mr. Drekt.”

“You understand that I make no accusations leveled directly at you Ms. Starlight,” he replied with a polite nod. “Merely that it is a possibility, and even if you did not intend anything, it can still sway a man’s mind.”

“What would I be swaying him towards?” Star added. “As you may have been guessing, I am being an immigrant to this land. I am having no interest in its politics!”

“It was to my understanding Letyuchahas exceptionally close ties to Equestria; your close genetic relation playing a large role. Besides, I already said it was not done as an intent, merely that your charms could’ve… swayed him towards a fondness for particular nations at the expense of many others.”

“My ‘charms’?” Starlight bared her fangs and snorted. “Listen here, you nehidnuk, I…”

“Star, please…” Daniel pressed a hand against the thestral’s barrel. “Let me.” He turned to face the ambassador.

“Mr. Drekt.” He said through clenched teeth. “Contrary to what you may have heard, Starlight is not some cheap whorse. She is an honest, hard-working mare who would do anything for their son.”

Daniel could see Star’s expression soften. A small smile spread across her face.

Before the ambassador could respond, Daniel held up a hand. ”Furthermore, when it comes to my integrity as an ambassador, I think my record speaks for itself. You know what I’ve accomplished since I was appointed: Forging a trade agreement with the Minotaur Republic, negotiating the tariffs on minerals to prevent traders from flooding the market with cheap gems.”

For the first time, a brief glimmer of a smile appeared on Drekt’s face. “Which is why, despite your shortfalls and something of a temper, your services are being retained. You stand at a crossroads, Mr Habuck. One road leads to a long and successful career as an ambassador, another to your dismissal and return to Earth. All this is dependent on you; if you wish to learn and follow my advice, or remain rebellious. So, which shall it be?”

Something uncoiled inside Daniel. Well, it seemed the old codger had a heart after all.

“Mr. Drekt, while I don’t entirely agree with you…” He took a deep breath, clearing his mind. “I admit that while I may have a talent for negotiating with Equestrians, I’m still an amateur when it comes to politics. I’d be happy to listen to your advice, but first…”

Daniel motioned towards Starlight. “First, I would like for you to apologize to Starlight. I know you didn’t mean to insult her, but still, those words hurt. If you’re going to be an ambassador-at-large, you need to start respecting ponies.”

“I am an ambassador, I speak every day in pleasantries and kind words. For me to speak honest, that is the greatest sign of respect I may give.”

Still, his eyes turned to Starlight, and he gave a bow of his head.

“Nevertheless, I apologize for hurting I may have inflicted and will repay it with a piece of advice. If you were planning any trips to Letyucha, it would be best to waylay them. We have a few citizens who are willing to speak to our agents within the country, and they all say something big is brewing, something that the denfathers do not want the rest of the world to know about.”

“If I am knowing them, it is most likely another of their purges,” Starlight returned the bow. “Your apology, it is accepted.”

“No, not purges,” Drekt replied with a shake of his head, suddenly looking sad. “They are all too common. No, this is something outside of their control. By all accounts, they are nervous.”

“Nervous?” Starlights gulped. “What is… what is it that is happening, exactly?”

“That is a very good question and one that we are not exactly able to receive a definitive answer from. All we can figure out is that human influence is at play.”

. Starlight’s eyes widened. “Communism. That is what it must be!”

Drekt blinked, his face turning white, as he regarded Starlight closely. “Do not play with me now Ms. Starlight, this is not a joke I would appreciate. Have you heard something, or is this a guess?”

“No, it is not a joke. I have been hearing rumors from those who might know. In my homeland, there are those in the intelligentsia who are being most interested in communism, and that it is gaining much support from them.”

“Communist revolutionaries, in the 21st century,” Drekt said, running a hand over his face, and suddenly looking tired. “You see now why we must be careful Mr Habuck. It appears I will be having a lengthy and uncomfortable conversation with the UN committee for Interdimensional Affairs.”

“Mr. Drekt.” Daniel said, sitting up straight. “I know our partnership got off to a rather rough start, but I know that you’ll need my help on this one. If you ever need advice, just ask.”

“If this is true, there is not much we can do now I’m afraid,” Drekt replied. “Though the offer is of course appreciated. The Chinese will stop any attempts to curb communist sentiment, and the Europeans will refuse to prop up the denfathers. We simply must leave them to it, and hope that common sense wins out.”

“If I am knowing the Denfathers, then that is most unlikely.” Starlight said bitterly. “They would rather be seeing the entire world burn rather than be restricting their own power.”

“Then things are going to get interesting.”

Later, Starlight trotted out of the cafe, trailing closely behind Daniel. She gave a final wave to Drekt, then followed Daniel back to the hotel with a contented warmth in her belly and a smile on her face.

Daniel. She’d met many a stallion during her...career, but none of them had come even close to him. What she’d just seen… The way Daniel had defended her honor, even when his own career had been on the line…

He would never have done that.

On cue, the old reservations returned to rasp away at her resolve, but they were blunter, minor pinpricks against her mental armor. As they walked through revolving doors into the hotel lobby, Star remembered the offer Daniel had given her; to use his connections to get her an audition with the Canterlot Ballet. It didn’t seem like such a bad idea now...

Author's Note

Holy Crap did this take a while. Hopefully you'll find it worth the wait.

Dinner, Daniel, and Denial

Starlight used to pity humans.

The Nightmother of their world had been rather stingy when it came to blessings: no magic, no natural strength, no wings, not even coats! There were times when she used to wonder just how they’d managed to survive, flourish even, without the things that most ponies took for granted.

As she learned more about the strange primates, she realized that humans didn’t need pity. They may not have had magic or wings, but they had something even better: a talent for invention. With their wonderful tools, they could build chariots that could fly higher and faster than any pegasus, cannons that could turn the strongest castle to rubble, even mechanical worms that could bore their way through mountains. It was no wonder that they were the dominant species on their world.

However, there were times when she wondered if it was possible to be too inventive. Once, she’d read the story of a human stallion who flew close to the sun, carried by wax wings, only to have them melt and send him falling to the earth. The more she’d pondered on it, the more she’d realized that story spoke of humanity as a whole.

“Damn it,” Starlight’s dinner companion cursed, pecking at the glowing tablet in his hands.

Case in point.

“Daniel?” Starlight growled.

The human held up a palm. “One second.” Her companion tapped something on the screen, then slammed a fist on the table, making the silverware rattle. ”Dammit!” he growled, his finger pecking at the screen like a hen at grain. “Send the message. That’s all you need to do. Just send one miserable little…”

“Daniel! Stop right now, ”Starlight shouted at him, using the voice she normally reserved for her son when she caught him chewing on the furniture. That little unicorn could be a handful.

Restaurant goers were beginning to take note of the nearby commotion, some openly stared while others whispered and caught quick glances. Starlight ignored them; if they found their companions so boring, then let them stare.

For a moment, the human was freed from his technological trance. He looked up. “Sorry, Star,” he said, holding up a hand. ”Just give me one second. I need to send this.” His eyes turned back to the cyclopean gaze of his master, falling back under its spell.

Starlight gave a low hiss. Back in her home country of Letyucha, such a brazen act of poor manners would’ve socially obligated her to crush the infernal device beneath her hoof. In some dens, it would have been grounds for a duel, or even war.

In Canterlot, it was just rude.

Starlight sighed and returned to her meal. She gripped the two wooden sticks by her plate—Daniel had called them “chop sticks”— with her wrists and tried to pick up some of the noodles on her plate. After several failed attempts she gave up and went back to using a fork.

Popping some more noodles into her mouth Starlight let out an appreciative murmur, licking the sweet and sour sauce off her jet-black lips. They certainly didn’t have food like this back in Letyucha. There was no bitter aftertaste, no thick rinds, and no coarseness, just flavor.

With her dinner companion under the spell of his electronic overlord, Starlight passed the time by looking around the restaurant. With the huge demand for human products and services, businesses like it were popping up all over Canterlot. The restaurant smelled of cooking oil and spices, with a hint of barely-dried paint. Stylized gold dragons were carved into the walls, while jade lions guarded the entrance to nearly every doorway. The restaurant was staffed by a mix of human and pony waiters, who dashed back and forth between tables and the kitchen like worker ants.

With a final flourish, Daniel tapped his phone one last time, then tucked it away into the pocket of his coat. “Really sorry about that Star,” he said, smoothing down his salt-and pepper hair. “Modern conveniences my hairy human ass,” he muttered under his breath.

Starlight rolled her eyes and groaned. “Must you take your work with you everywhere?”

Ever since she’d started working at the Human embassy some four months ago, Starlight had noticed something odd about Daniel’s culture: its total obsession with work. It seemed that everywhere she looked, she’d see a human checking those strange little tablets—what Daniel had called “Eye-Phones”. While Daniel claimed that the devices could be used for recreational purposes, she had a hard time believing that humans would be that invested in an expensive toy.

Then again, there was still a lot she didn’t know about humans.

Daniel rubbed his temples. “I don’t have a choice. With that big conference coming up, I have to stay in contact twenty-four seven.” He pulled at a strand of hair. “I swear, I’m gonna be completely grey by the time this is done.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. “If this conference is stressing you so much, can you not take a vacation? I am certain that the princesses would not mind if you, how do you say, took a break?”

“Starlight, in my job, there’s no such thing as a break,” Daniel said with a wry smile. “No matter how far I go, no matter how much fun I’m having, there'll always be that little voice in my head telling me that there’s still work to do back at the office.”

“I am knowing the feeling,” Starlight said. “When my Denfather was educating me, it seemed that I could never escape my studies. Mathematical problems appeared every which way I looked. Every cloud in the sky, when I looked at them, was turned into a diagram of troop movements during the Griffonic Wars. ”

“My senior year in a nutshell.” Daniel said with a chuckle.

Starlight nodded. “Since we are speaking about stress, why are humans stallions so, what is the word, ‘worked up’ about grey hair?”

Daniel sighed. “Because it’s a sign that we’re getting old.” He ran a hand through his hair, a grimace on his face. “When you get your first grey hair, you know that the best years of your life are gone, and your slow, steady slide into old age has begun.”

Starlight couldn’t help but scoff at the melodrama of Daniel’s comment. Ever since they met about six months ago, the human had a talent for making everything seem like some horrible burden.

“Not so in my country. In Letyucha, a greying mane is a sign of great wisdom. It is a sign that one had survived much, and has overcome all obstacles that life has put in their way.” She gave a sly wink, hoping to coax out a smile from her companion. “It is also considered very handsome.”

Daniel gave a half smile. “Handsome, huh?” He chuckled. “If that’s the case, I’d be a real hunk in your country, huh?”

“Yes you are—” Starlight stopped in mid-sentence. Are? Why had she said are? “Would, I mean yes you would very much be a hunk there.” Starlight laughed, it sounding hollow even to her own ears. She felt an urgent need to change the subject. Now. “So, your food, how are you liking it?”

“It’s good.” Daniel lifted a piece of sauce-slathered chicken with those “chopsticks” and popped it into his mouth. “It’s been a while since I’ve had actual Chinese food.”

As her human companion ate, Starlight found her eyes wandering down to his hands, watching every small twitch and movement in fascination The first time she’d seen a human, those appendages had revolted her; so pale and spindly, like five-legged spiders. Now, she envied them.

She wondered what it would be like to have them in her everyday life, how easy it would be to write a letter or to clean a room. Even fixing her mane in the mornings would be remarkably easy. The thought was so palpable it made her shiver; a soft hand combing through her mane, before its fingertips brushed down her side, running across her leathery wings, only pausing briefly before it continued its journey....

“So, Star. What do you think of this place?” Daniel asked, bringing her daydream to a screeching hault. Starlight took a shuddering breath, a light blush playing over her cheeks. Bad thoughts. Very bad thoughts.

“It is a nice place,” Star hastily murmured, before taking a long draught of water to cool herself down. She prayed to the Nightmother that Daniel hadn’t noticed her odd behavior. “It reminds me of time when my Denfather made me accompany him on a business trip to Chineigh.”

“What was that like?” Daniel asked.

Starlight slumped into her seat, feeling her muscles unclench. “It was, in some ways, very similar to this little meal.” She snorted, a smirk playing across her face. “The Empress and my Denfather talked business while I sat there, ignored.”

“Sorry...” Daniel hung his head.

Starlight chittered. “Tis alright. Just do not do it again.” She continued. “The big difference between that meal and our own: no veiled threats disguised as compliments, no food tasters, and no Denfather watching every move that I am making.” She pointed to the two Royal Guard ponies sitting at a table across from them, one short, one tall. ”Though I still have bodyguards, albeit not nearly as, what is the word, intimidating?

Daniel looked over at the two and smirked. The shorter one, who he’d dubbed “Lenny”, had given up any semblance of manners and was stabbing at his plate with a chopstick. “George”, the tall one, delivered a smack to the back of his partner’s head, before hoofing over a fork.

“That still sounds better than my visit to the Diamond Dog’s underground city,” Daniel said with a grimace. “Everything there smelled like wet dog, including the food. One of the regents’ daughters tried to trick me into marrying her, and I’m pretty sure I almost started a war by sneezing,” He snorted. “I’ve been a cat lover ever since.”

”One can bet,” Starlight said, giving a soft laugh, though her expression soon soured. “I do not care for either. A son does tend to dull one’s ambitions for pet ownership, and Slate has always been unlucky when it comes to animals,” She tutted, shaking her head. “Poor boy. He loves animals, but thestrals… animals are unnerved by us.” Her ears drooped. “They are not the only ones.”

“Why? Is it the sharp teeth?”

“No, not entirely. It is our eyes.” Starlight pointed a forehoof at one of of her cat-like eyes. “These eyes, they are good for seeing in low light. But when I am talking to a non-thestral they are… not so good.” She sighed. “When most see these eyes, they see a predator, observing its next meal.”

Daniel leaned forward, hunching over a little so as to bring him down to Star’s eye level. He blinked at her, his green eyes unmoving as he regarded her, his expression unreadable. Fighting the urge to look away, she instead stared right back.

When Starlight first met a human, their eyes had unnerved her; to have such tiny eyes lost in the great canvas of their face just looked so alien. But Daniel’s were different. Behind the weariness, cynicism, and perpetual stress, there was a warmth, coupled to an unyielding loyalty to his friends.

“Hmm…well, I don’t know about everyone else,” he said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. “But I didn’t see a predator in there.”

“Oh?” Starlight said. “Then what did you see?”

“I saw a being that grew up in one of the harshest lands in Equestria. One that has been tempered and tested every single day of her existence, yet always manages to pull through. In short, I saw you.”

Starlight smiled. “You are good.”

Daniel beamed. “It’s a gift.” His face turned sour. “One that’s often more trouble than it's worth.”

Starlight gave a chittering laugh. “That it is, that it is.”

As the conversation lulled into silence, Starlight became aware of how her tail was sandwiched against the back of her chair, putting pressure on the base of her spine. Making sure that Daniel wasn’t looking, she gave her rump a quick shimmy, just enough to free her trapped tail and leaving it hanging off one side of her seat. It had only taken a few seconds, but Starlight couldn’t help but notice the eyes of the stallion the next table over observing her flank.

“Speaking of things that are trouble,” she said with a nervous laugh, shooting the peeping stallion a glare. “Let us talk about the conference. It is about immigration, no?

Daniel wiped his mouth with a napkin, to Starlight’s trained eye it was a sure sign of stalling. “That’s right. In a week or so, I’m going to try and convince the Council to liberalize Equestria’s immigration policies.” He rubbed his eyes, Starlight noticing the dark bags under them. “I’m not exactly looking forward to it.”

“Do not be such a, how do you say, ‘nervous Nellie’,” Starlight said, reaching over to give his hand a reassuring pat. “I am certain that the Council will see the benefits of letting more humans into Equestria. The economical benefits alone will deter most of the neighsayers”

“Yeah.” Daniel stared off into space, pushing around a piece of chicken with a chopstick. “Star, can you keep a secret?”

“Always,” replied Starlight, not hesitating for a second.

“Right.” Daniel took a sip from his wineglass, one that looked far too deep for polite company. After that he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, then released it. ”The thing is, I don’t want more humans in Equestria ”

Starlight nearly choked on a noodle, only managing to displace it with a spluttering cough that drew a few curious eyes. “What?! But you yourself were the first immigrant. How can you be saying something like that?”

Daniel held his hands palms out. “I’m not saying humans should never be allowed in Equestria. I know that our two worlds can really help each other out. It’s just...”

“It is just what?” Starlight interrupted, her eyes narrowing.

Daniel rested his chin on his open palm, propping his head up. “How do I explain this.” He drummed his fingers against the table. “Star. You’ve heard of economic and cultural imperialism, yes?”

“Yes. It is not exactly exclusive to humans.” The gears in her head started turning. ”Is that the problem; you are afraid that your world's culture, it will absorb ours, no?”

“Something like that,” Daniel said. “Well, I’m worried that It won't so much absorb it as it will shove it aside. Marginalize it.”

“I am seriously doubting that.” Starlight said. “Human and Equestrian cultures are very similar, yes? There should be a minimum of, how do you say, compatibility issues.”

“I know that.” Daniel snorted. “Back home, anthropologists are tearing their hair out trying to explain it.” Daniel went to take another sip of wine, only to find his glass empty and no waiter in sight. With a frown he returned it to the table. “But, there’s one very big difference.”

“Magic?”

“Not just that. It’s… well, I guess I can only describe it as a whimsy. Everything about Equestria; its holidays, its culture, even its naming conventions, all have a whimsical, fairytale charm to them. I mean, you have towns named ‘Appleloosa’ and ‘Hoofington’’. For cripes sake. Your most recent armed conflict was a town of ponies throwing apple pies at buffaloes!”

Daniel sighed. “It all gives Equestria a sort of childlike innocence. One that Earth lost a long, long time ago.”

“And you are believing that too many humans will destroy that innocence?”

“Exactly. Just look at Playboy and Hustler; they’ve already found a thriving market in Equestria by marketing it as ‘adult educational material’, and I’ve heard whispers of a mares only edition in the works. It’s only a matter of time before everyone’s scrambling for a piece of the Equestrian pie. Soon we’ll have McDonald's adding hayburgers and hayfries to their menu. Disney will turn Equestrian history into animated musicals and merchandise them to death. Nike will start marketing designer horseshoes. ”

Daniel closed his eyes and took a breath. “Once that starts, everything will change; before you know it, we’ll have ponies walking along human-made sidewalks listening to human music on a human music player while wearing human clothes and shouting human greetings to their friends.” He hung his head. “Equestria just won’t be Equestria anymore.”

Starlight shook her head and clicked her tongue. That was Daniel. The eternal pessimist. “I think you are underestimating Equestria.”

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Come again?”

“Daniel, despite what you might be thinking, Equestria is not some delicate flower that must be cared for every second. It has survived Windigoes, Discord, and Nightmare Moon,” Starlight smiled. “I am very certain that it can survive Disney and McDonalds.”

Like a true diplomat, Daniel’s expression did not change, though Starlight noticed his shoulders dropped. It was no more than an inch or two, but at least some of their tension was gone. “Maybe you’re right” His thumb ran along the edge of his wineglass. Maybe I’m just being a ‘nervous nellie’.” He chuckled. “I guess it comes with the job.”

“I think it is noble to care so deeply about the future,” Starlight said. “In order to apply as diplomat, one must...” Starlight trailed off. Something was resting on her forehoof. Something warm and smooth. Starlight looked down to see a Daniel’s hand cupping her hoof, his thumb running back and forth through her fur.

At the pause in the conversation Daniel blinked, his eyes refocusing back on her face. At the same time he snatched back his hand as if Starlight were red hot. “Sorry Star…” He blushed. “I… kind of…”

“No, no, it’s alright.” Starlight said, barely louder than a whisper, her own cheeks burning. The sudden contact had startled her, but now that the hand was gone she missed its warmth.

For a minute, thestral and human just stared at each other. Every sound in the restaurant thundered in her ears; the giggle of the mare a table over, the scraping of a waiter’s shoe as he exited the kitchen.

“So, um, Star... enough about me,” Daniel mumbled, breaking the silence, though his eye did not leave his plate. “How… how about we talk about you for a change. How’s…” He paused for a minute, tapping a finger against the tabletop. ”...How’s your son doing?”

Star felt something uncoil inside her. Talking about her little shining star always helped her relax.

“Oh, Slate... he is... doing well at magical preschool. Already he is making new friends. Though he is tending to chew on things.” She groaned. Just thinking about it made her head pound, and it was even worse now she was living at the embassy. “I am very much impatient for his fangs to develop. It is one blessing of the Nightmother I am thinking we could do without.”

“Hey, it could be worse,” Daniel said. “He could be going through puberty.”

Starlight shuddered. “That I am not looking forward to.”

“And what about yourself, Star, how is the new job?”

“It is a tiring job, being a maid. But it is much superior to my previous occupation.”

It wasn’t the whole truth. While her new job was much more respectable than being rutted for money, she was still… uneasy.

“That’s good. What about your skydancing? Had any luck?”

Starlight's ears drooped. "No." She sighed.

“I might be able to help you with that,” Daniel said. He rubbed his chin for a second. “One of my colleagues is a regular contributor to the Canterlot Opera. He’s a decent pony, I’m sure once he saw you perform he could see about getting you an aud-”

“No!” Starlight slammed a hoof on the table, a few drops of red wine staining the pristine tablecloth. She took a deep breath, forcing her anger deep down inside her. “I mean, you have already been doing so much for my son and I, with our new job and home. I would not wish to be a bother.”

“A bother?” Daniel smiled. ”Star, these little get-togethers have been the only thing keeping me sane these past few months. If it weren’t for you, I would have been committed months ago.”

Daniel put a hand on her shoulder. “Star, if anything, you’ve earned it.”

Something stirred within Starlight. “Daniel…” She said, her voice starting to crack.

Something bloomed within Starlight’s barrel; a little voice in the back of her mind, screaming Say it, say it over and over again.

Sweat trickled down Starlight’s brow. Her stomach turned to ice. No, not now, not here.

She furrowed her brows. Yes here, and yes now. The Nightflier family may have cast her out, but their blood still ran through her veins. Her ancestors had carved out a home in the harshest region of an inhospitable country. Entire generations of her family had fought against the griffons. There was no obstacle too high for them. No challenge too daunting.

So why did she feel like a foal about to take their first flight?

“Daniel, there is…” Starlight gulped, trying to keep her voice from cracking. “...something I am needing to tell you.”

Daniel folded his hands in front of him. “All right. What is it?”

Daniel, you make me happy?

Daniel, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me?

Daniel, I can’t stop thinking about you?

How could she sum up all of her feeling towards him?

Starlight took a deep breath, her heart pounding. “Daniel, I-I..”

The words grew thick and sticky in her throat. Old memories bubbled up from the depths of her mind; flashes of loneliness, memories of betrayal and anger, spikes of irrational fear.

“I-I…” Starlight slumped in her seat, her ears drooped “...Nothing. It is nothing.”

Daniel just sat there. Hands folded in front of him. “Yeah,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “Yeah it probably is.”

*****

Idiot!

Daniel clenched his fist, manicured nails digging into his palm. The human propped his head up against the carriage window, smearing the warded glass.

“Apple-headed, hay-brained idiot!” he swore under his breath. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he was relieved to find Star looking out the window. The last thing he needed was an awkward conversation over his self-abuse.

It had been the perfect chance; the kind that came around once in a lifetime. With just a few words, he could have told Star how he really felt about her, but he’d panicked, like some lovestruck teenager talking to his crush.

“You okay, Mr. Ambassador?”

Daniel turned to see Lenny looking at him.

“Yes, I’m fine,” He sighed, his hand starting to throb. “Just… had a little too much to drink that’s all.”

“You sure?” asked the guardspony

“Yes,” Daniel replied.

“Okay, if you say so, Mr. Ambassador,” Having said his part Lenny returned to attention, his face a mask, though Daniel could feel the stallion’s eyes watching him.

Something shuffled in the seat next to him. Daniel turned to see Starlight staring out the passenger side window.

As the thestral gazed out the window, Daniel reached into his wallet and pulled out the old photograph of himself and Twilight Sparkle at the Ponyville Summer’s End carnival. Both pony and human were huddling next to each other, cradling a stuffed Timberwolf between them and making silly faces at the camera. He let out a soft sigh.

Would it happen again?

“Daniel, Daniel. Are you okay?” Star asked, her silky voice a searchlight, piercing through the fog of self loathing.

“Yeah,” he said, rubbing a hand over his face. “I’m fine.”