Life Outside The Cave

I reached the landing at the top of the stairs and went into the bathroom, there I quickly washed my face and hair with plain water and combed my hair with my fingers, my hair was in an undercut style with the sides and back being short and the hair on-top of my head remaining rather long by comparison, I looked rather more presentable after my hobo shower but my state of dress would ruin any chance I had of being considered decent.

I walked back down the corridor and made my way to the main room of the unique abode, it was in a circular style the walls being covered in books of every size and shape on any conceivable topic of the times, sitting on a round table in the center of the room was a bust not of anyone I would have feasibly recognized but from the rest of the room I could deduce that it may have had a similar meaning to a bust of Pallas perched above a chamber door.

Inside the room was 3 doors, the one I just came down leading towards the ground floors bathroom and the basement, The front door leading outside to the street, plus the archway which lead to the kitchen which was next to a staircase leading to the more personal abode of my patron and her, assistant? brother? child? it was kind of confusing to be honest, in my introductions they made it a habit to show a professional air but quite rapidly afterwards it was quite easy to see they were a lot closer than mere acquaintances.

I strode into the kitchen and greeted them both, “Mornin you two, what’s up?” I questioned civilly in my own, unique here accent.
“I’m making pancakes.” exclaimed the younger male, “Would you like some?”
I chortled, “Well I didn't just come here to talk.” I said taking a seat, “Yes, thank you”
The head chef had been anticipating this response it seemed and immediately placed a stack of food in front of me, he was exceptionally diligent, there was butter, jam, sugar, a tea cup and a fresh pot to use it with, there was just one thing missing.

“Do you have a knife and fork? It's kinda hard to eat with just my hands.”
“Hands? Oh yeah right sorry” he placed the utensils down on the table next to me, I quickly thanked him and began pouring myself a cup of the tea, it seemed to just be a typical black brew, I took a sip and realized I needed something else too, I stoop up with the cup walked to the fridge and added some milk.
“Why are you doing that?” questioned the girl who until now had been buried nose deep in a book while sipping her own tea, I hadn't even been sure up until now that she had even noticed I entered the room.

“This is how I’ve always had my cuppa.” I replied, “Milk and no sugar.”
“That's, weird” she stated turning back to her book, she looked a mess I had to wonder if she had gotten any sleep last night.
“Did you sleep alright?” I questioned her while placing a multitude of delicious toppings onto my food, while hoping she would actually answer me the first time rather than force me to use her name, which I wasn't sure I remembered correctly.
“After you fell asleep last night Twilight spent the whole of the night pouring over books trying to find anything on humans.” the serpentine butler explained, thankfully reintroducing her name, ‘I really need to make a better effort on remembering names.’ I thought for what must have been the millionth time.

“Spike, I didn't stay up all night” she sheepishly said, “Oh sorry I forgot that you were muzzle first in a book drooling when I came downstairs.” he riposted.
By now I had finished off the pancakes and the tea, taking both over to the sink to rinse them I asked another question, “So what are we going to do today?” It was the pertinent question, from all my conversations with Twilight she didn't want me to leave her sight, almost worried I would disappear back to the vapors from which I had seemed to have sprung.

“I thought I would show you around town, and introduce you to my friends.” she said excitedly, “You're lucky you got here when you did a couple of months ago and everypony might have been too scared to speak to you.”
“So Spike still would’ve spoken to me?” I asked, the language here felt very weird and confusing to me.
Thinking this question meant in jest she plowed on with her own, “How are you holding up?”
A simple question and I undoubtedly knew what she meant by it but decided to drag it out anyway, “Do you want the pleasant answer or the truth” I jested cocking a grin, she narrowed her eyes at me and I conceded to her request. “I’m tired, sore and, confused, with hardly anything to my name and I still can't tell that this is or isn't just some fever dream.”
“You think this isn't real?” She said shocked, “Of course this is real!”
“Okay then prove it, prove that this is all real and not a product of my own brain, that everything I’m seeing, hearing, touching, smelling or, tasting isn't just a hallucination.”
She was smart, almost dangerously so, the look of concentration on her face trying to work out a solution was powerful enough to set the table on fire and yet, she couldn't do it, it was impossible.

“I can’t.” she said “There is nothing I can say or do that couldn't just be rationalized away as your brain making it up.”

“That’s the problem, unfortunately this is something nobody can help me with, it's something I have to decide for myself” I state, shaking my downturned head. “But thankfully in the end it doesn't even matter, if this is a dream then there's nothing to lose by playing along and if it's real then by playing along everything works out just fine.”

“Twilight this has been a problem for Human philosophers for about 2300 years.” I explained turning to face her, “It's called solipsism, meaning roughly ‘alone with myself’, there are people in my world that believe the whole universe and everything in it, including memories were created just last Thursday and there is no way to prove them wrong no matter how ridiculous it seems to everyone else.”
“Spike did you get that!” Twilight exclaimed newly energized “Human philosophy, how exciting.” she looked ecstatic and was staring at Spike who with quill and scroll in claw was copying down every word I said. “Yes Twi.” he drawled bored.

“Okay.” I said weirded out by this animated display, “Though to be honest that isn't the thing that upsets me the most, It’s my lack of property” I explained gesturing towards my lack of attire, “I have no shoes, no shirt I was brought here with just the things I was sleeping with and, no cigarettes” I mumbled this last part, the rational part of my brain knowing that the first things were more important, the rest of me really wanted a smoke.
‘You know maybe this is a good thing too, ‘The things you own end up owning you. It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.’

“Well if you need some help buying essentials I can help.” Twilight smiled “Anything to help you feel more comfortable.”
‘Wait what, what’s with all the generosity, in the past 24 hours she's given me a place to stay, food and now she's taking me shopping, what's the angle.’
“That’s alright Twilight I think you’ve done enough.” I said flatly trying to see how she would respond to this.
“It’s really no trouble Princess Celestia gives me way too much money as it is” she explained with a smile on her face.
“Oh so there's some nepotism in the royal court is there.” I jabbed “Well alright then, thanks Twilight, I have just the thing to repay you.” I ran back to the basement before she could say anything grabbed the Kindle and went back upstairs. “Here take a look at this.”

Twilight grabbed it in her magic turning it around and examining it, “What, is this?” She questioned.
“It’s called a Kindle, It’s a portable way of storing and reading books, this one has about three-thousand five-hundred books on it give or take a couple of hundred.”
“Oh no” Spike said terrified, She had managed to figure out the controls, unmoving the only thing that gave us the impression she was even still alive was the gentle pressing of the buttons as she read.
“So what do you want to do Spike?” I directed to the draconid companion who was still trying unsuccessfully to get Twilight's attention.
“Sigh, want to play a board game?” Spike questioned as we walked out of the kitchen.