I carefully walked into my room with a tray full of breakfast food. Searing, in her human form, was still asleep, but she started moving as I got closer. "Hey, Searing~"

"Hmmm. . ?" She groaned out.

"I have breakfast for us."

She catapulted up and looked at the tray. "So that's why my dream suddenly had bacon in it."

"Is that a problem?"

"Well, I was fighting an elite force of vegans, so no, not really. And is bacon ever a problem?"

"Good point." I handed the tray to Searing before getting back in bed with her. "Have I ever told you how much I like this arrangement?" I asked as we started on our breakfast in bed.

"I don't think you need to."

"And I don't think you're against it either," I teased.

She looked at me inquisitively. "Why do you think that?"

"Well, the window's been fixed for more than two weeks and you're still coming over here to sleep. Human form, I might add," I pointed out. "You've also been turning the guest room into a storage room/workshop of some kind."

"Well. . ."

"I'm fine with it. By the way, happy Hearth's Warming."

Searing's expression dropped, then she slumped over her breakfast. "I didn't get you anything."

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, that's fine. How about you give me a tour of the stuff from your trip after breakfast? If you want to."

"I guess I can. There's a lot, though."

"-And this is the one thing I absolutely do not want to open: the Ark Driver."

I held the box with the belt in question and saw two evil looking Riders on it. "Is it because it's evil?"

"Scary evil. Evil voice, evil character, and just. . . Evil." She shuddered at the description. "I'm glad Mei is the opposite of that thing."

"And you said all this stuff works like it does in the show?"

"According to Discord, and that's why I don't want to touch the Ark Driver. That thing is pure malice with a drive to kill and destroy everything."

"Alright, I get it." I carefully set the box to the side. "Do you want to give me a demonstration of anything?"

"I suppose I-" Someone knocking on the front door interrupted her. "I'll go get that."

"Alright." As Searing left, I started looking the items over again, starting with the Attache weapons. The idea of weapons disguised as briefcases was pretty cool.

Just after I set the Authorize Buster down, Searing, unicorn, walked in. "Hey Yang."

"Yes, Searing?"

Searing, unicorn, walked in again. "Hey Yang."

I looked between the two. "One of you is the double."

"But which one?" They asked in stereo.

"Hmm. . . Who wants an autograph?"

One of the Searings raised her forehoof. "Ooh ooh, me, me!"

"You're the double."

The excited Searing paused before groaning. "Aaagh. Yes, I'm Human Searing." She glowed blue and was soon in her human form, wearing a kimono that looked pretty warm. She also had a hefty looking backpack on. "I'm so happy I get to meet the Yang Xiao Long!"

"Actually, that would be me, when I was at Signal," Unicorn Searing smugly said. "She even unlocked my aura, and I have my own semblance too."

Human Searing turned to Unicorn Searing. "Whaaat? No fair! What is it?"

"Determination. The greater the odds against me, the tougher my aura becomes. Having armor and weapons doesn't seem to affect it that much, but having allies does."

"So, does that mean you would be more bulletproof if you only had a swimsuit on and were alone?"

"Probably not. Aura can reinforce armor, and reinforced aura means even tougher armor, which then means less aura drain per hit."

"Ahh! That's awesome! Hey, before I forget, I have some presents for you." Human Searing dropped her backpack on the ground and pulled out some sizable wrapped presents. Unicorn Searing got a red one with a blue ribbon and I got a larger yellow one with a purple ribbon.

I turned to the unicorn. "You first."

"Alright." Unicorn Searing opened her package, revealing a familiar looking set of black and brown furs. "Don't you have something like this, Yang?"

I looked over the fur set with a critical eye. "Hmmm. . . Yes, but the bits of white fur along here aren't the same pattern. I think. But now we can go out with matching winter furs." I was honestly a little freaked out over just how similar it looked to mine.

Unicorn Searing had a dreamy look on her face for a moment. "That. . . That sounds nice. What did you get?"

I carefully opened my present, revealing four bundles of silky fabric in white, light green, yellow, and orange. "What are these?"

"A kimono for each season," Human Searing proudly said. "Perfect for making a humble, proud, and tasteful statement in casual settings or nicer events."

"Huh." I inspected each one without unfolding them. "I like them already!"

"So, what have you been up to?" Unicorn Searing asked Human Searing.

"Well. . . Things got a bit weird shortly after I graduated. Well, weirder. It started with something about a girl at Canterlot High turning into a demon. . ."

". . . So, yeah. Magic is kind of becoming a thing over there? I mean, nobody's turning into a unicorn or anything."

"Except you," I pointed out from my comfortable position between the two different Searings. We were sitting on the bed in the room with the unicorn on my right and the human on my left.

"Hey, I only become a unicorn in private," Human Searing defensively said. "Mostly for fun, but also for the luggage haxx. It makes travel so much easier. By the way, how did Sunset find out about me? I never met her before she approached me in the mall."

Unicorn Searing shrugged. "I don't know who this Sunset girl is."

"She said she used to be a unicorn."

Something clicked in my mind. "Waitaminite. Is her full name Sunset Shimmer? Yellow skin, bacon hair?"

"Yeah. Have you met her?"

"I think Twilight might have something to do with this meeting."

"This is more like something Discord would do," Unicorn Searing said with a resigned sigh. "Then again, that doesn't mean it couldn't have been both of them. It makes no sense, but then it makes sense."

Human Searing promptly changed the topic. "So, what's Hearth's Warming like for you two?"

"Hibernation," I said. "Mostly. At least it was last year."

"Never really had one," Unicorn Searing said with a shrug. "I know what it is, but I was busy with other stuff."

"Is that why this place isn't decorated?" Human Searing asked.

"It would be cold and miserable for me to put decorations up, cold and miserable for me to take them down, and a pain to store," I explained. "It also works out for the business as a bit of relief from all the Hearth's Warming stuff in town."

"Ah. That. . . That makes sense. There are some restaurants I've found myself going to more often to get away from the Christmas stuff. Is there anywhere we can go to get a holiday meal?"

"I can get something cooked up for a quick lunch. Just let me get my winter furs on."

Human Searing looked at the holiday meal as I brought it out of the kitchen. "I'm. . . I'm honestly a bit underwhelmed," she said as I set the food down.

"Nowhere in town is open, and I don't have any of the usual holiday stuff," I said. "Chicken strips, side salads, and fries are the best I can come up with for now."

"But. . . That's just a regular barbecue meal."

"It's still a good meal," Unicorn Searing said as she levitated the drinks and condiments out. Just as she set it down, there was a knock on the front door. "I'll get it." I heard the door open. "Oh, hi, Asada. Come on in."

"Asada?" Human Searing asked. "As in, carne asada?"

"You'll love her and she's going to love you," I said with a smile. "She specializes in bear hugs."

"Is she a pony?"

"Nope."

Unicorn Searing showed up with Asada. "This is Asada."

Human Searing backed up a bit. "A-a-a-a-a-a bear? A freaking bear!?"

"Come on, she's got enough love for all of us." I pulled Human Searing to her feet and dragged her over to Asada. She had grown quite a bit since I saved her, and looked like she had become a full adult. She was big, strong, fuzzy, and had enough reach with her powerful arms to pull all three of us into a big bear hug.

"Aww, thanks, Asada." Unicorn Searing said.

Asada responded with a happy bear sound.

Human Searing had a distant gaze and was showing all the resistance of a ragdoll.

"Well, we broke her," Unicorn Searing casually noted. "Then again, a sudden bear hug will do that."

"Hmm. . ." I looked the catatonic young woman over, then came up with an idea. I took her arms and moved them so she was giving Asada a return hug.

"Why is there a bear here?" Human Searing eventually asked.

"I saved her when she was small. The barbecue I fed her probably helped. Since then, she's. . . Well, she's kind of a part time pet? She visits and acts like a pet, but isn't here all the time."

"I thought bears were supposed to hibernate during winter."

"Asada's an exceptional exception. And she's a smart bear. She was here for Thanksgiving and the griffon kids love her." I saw Asada nod in agreement. "She's basically a person in bear form. The worst she'll do is lick your face off, unless you provoke her."

Unicorn Searing diverted the discussion. "Let's have some lunch." Asada released the hug and the four of us went to the table. Human Searing wound up with Asada while I was with Unicorn Searing. As we started on the meal, Unicorn Searing turned to Human Searing. "Say, how are Mr. Trender and Buddy doing?"

Human Searing was still nervous at being with Asada, but got an answer out. "Well. . . Mr. Trender. . . He was in an accident and had to be rushed to the ER. He's getting better, but he won't be out for a while. I'm taking care of Buddy in the meantime. We visit him at least twice per week."

Unicorn Searing slumped at the news. "What happened to him?"

"He was on his way home from the hardware store when some idiot in a big truck sped past the stop sign and t-boned him in the intersection." Human Searing looked a bit incensed as she told the story. "His car tumbled down the road for at least 400 feet before coming to a stop. They had to use the jaws of life to get him out." Asada pulled Human Searing in for a hug and rubbed her arm. "Thanks."

"Did you get a chance to punch that idiot?"

"It turned out the idiot was high and watching a video on his phone when the crash happened. I gave him a proper backhand across the face when I saw him."

"Just one?"

"Just one. Even if the officers hadn't warned me, I was planning on only one anyways. I got my catharsis in before I went to see Mr. Trender. He was. . ." Tears and a few sniffles started to break out. "He was in terrible shape when I first saw him. He was covered in bandages, loopy from the anaesthesia, and kept asking for Buddy. He sounded scared. I promised him that I would take care of Buddy and I've been doing just that."

Unicorn Searing thought about the story for a moment. "I want to see him again."

"I'll come with you," I quickly said.

"Really?"

"Even if the portal turns me into a pony again, I'll go with you."

"Hold up a moment!" Both Searings said. The human one deferred to the unicorn. "What portal?"

Human Searing asked her question next. "You've been on my side before?"

I pointed to Unicorn Searing. "It's in Twilight's castle. It turned me into an earth pony when I went through." I pointed to Human Searing. "Yes, but not for too long. I wasn't particularly fond of having hooves, but if she wants to go through to see someone important, then I'm willing to deal with it so I can go with her."

"What if I didn't want you to come along?" Unicorn Searing asked.

"Then I would be confused and slightly saddened, but I would respect your wishes and wait here for you. Alone. Possibly with Asada. But without you."

She made an exaggerated sigh. "Alright, you can come along."

I pulled Unicorn Searing into a hug. "Aww, thanks!"

"So, are you two a thing?" Human Searing asked as Asada enjoyed some chicken strips with barbecue sauce. "Because I'm getting those kinds of vibes."

"Umm. . ." I looked between the two Searings. "I think so? We're comfortable with each other."

"Every night," Unicorn Searing added before realizing what she said. "Uhh. . . Not in the internet kind of way, just. . . I go human and sleep with her. We started doing that after a nightmare I had."

Human Searing pointed to Unicorn Searing with her fork. "So you're willing to go human to sleep comfortably with her-" She pointed to me. "-And you're willing to go pony to go with her to see someone important to her. Have you two kissed yet?"

"No," we said at the same time. "Shipper."

"But you two make it so easy!"

I diverted the topic. "You seem to have warmed up to Asada."

"Huh?" Human Searing looked up and saw Asada pop a sauce coated chicken strip like it was nothing. "Uhh. . ."

"We'd better eat up before she eats up all the chicken strips." I quickly grabbed a handful of strips to share between myself and Unicorn Searing while Human Searing grabbed a few for herself, ripped a couple up, and put them on her salad.

The three of us stood at the inactive portal while Twilight was off to the side. We were waiting on a response from Sunset on a very important question. "Do you think it'll work?" I asked Human Searing.

"With the way things are going on my side, it has to," she answered. "Are you nervous about it?"

"Yeah. A bit."

Twilight's journal vibrated and she checked it. "Alright, this plan is good to go. Sunset will have details on her side." She put the journal over the portal and it flared to life.

"Thank you, Princess," Unicorn Searing said.

"Hey, no need for the formalities. Go take care of your business."

I leapt into the portal first. I felt the uncomfortable transformation happen before I came out the other side and landed on shaky hooves on cold concrete. My fur, at least, kept the cold tolerable. "Still weird." Both Searings came out shortly after I did. The first one out was wearing her fur set while the second one was a unicorn. The unicorn glowed blue before turning human, wearing her kimono. "Now I'm jealous."

"But you're so adorable like that!" Human Searing said. "You even have your emblem as your cutie mark. That is the right term, right?"

"She is a good looking mare," Sunset said, making us aware of her presence as she pulled her book off and deactivated the portal. "But there will be time to adore her later."

"You are pretty cute like that," I heard Not-Unicorn Searing quietly say.

"The hospital will allow Yang in as long as she has a lead on, behaves, and is cleaned up after. Ponies aren't normally allowed in there because, well, let's just say the idea and practice of holding it in isn't exactly common among the equines here."

"Well it's a good thing I took care of that at the castle," I said with undue pride before her full explanation caught up to me. "Wait, a lead?"

"I suggest you try not to talk while you're in there. Three young women with two animals visiting an old man is odd enough before you consider that twins and a pony are part of the group. You start talking, and that could be it."

"Hey, there's odd stuff happening all around because magic," Human Searing argued. "A talking pony could be just another thing it made happen. You know how the meme goes: It's magic. I ain't gotta explain anything!"

Sunset considered the words and sighed. "With what I know about magic, that sounds incredibly stupid. But, you also have a point. People know magic is happening here and there, but not much more. Thankfully, there's no panic. Yet. We can talk more in the car."

I stumbled a bit as I remembered how to walk on four hooves and followed Sunset to her car. Human Searing opened the passenger door and she had to take a moment to keep a happy chocolate lab from getting out. I went in after her and Not-Unicorn Searing was the last one in. "This is awkward," I noted as Sunset got in the driver's seat.

"Two women who can turn into unicorns, a unicorn turned human, a human turned earth pony, and an aggressively happy dog are all in one car."

"That sounds like-hey, stop it~" the dog started unangrily licking my fuzzy face mid-sentence. "Is this Buddy?"

"The only one," Not-Unicorn Searing said as everyone who could buckled up and we left. "I've never seen him sad before."

"I have," Human Searing said. "It was. . . It was bizarre. It wasn't until Mr. Trender gave him an ear scratch that he started perking up. I think he knows I'm just taking care of him for now and that Mr. Trender is healing. He's pretty smart."

"Hey, Buddy! Did you miss me?" Buddy went over to Not-Unicorn Searing and was promptly given ear and chin scratches. "Oh yes you did~ Oh you are so mad~ You're about to tear me apart, aren't you?"

I ran a forehoof along Buddy's back as I carefully petted him. Something about petting a dog just felt right and good.

"I don't like this." I went cross eyed as I looked at the lilac harness and lead that was on my face.

"You don't like it? Think about how I feel on this end," Sunset said as we got out of the car and she picked up the lead.

"I can't look," Not-Unicorn Searing said. "Not for long."

"I don't get it," Human Searing said, Buddy on a leash in her hand. "Could someone explain?"

"NSFW," Sunset said, as if it explained everything.

It apparently did. "Oh. Ooooohhhhhh."

"And now you know what I'm dealing with," Not-Unicorn Searing said, her voice laden with frustration. "You'd think spending most of a year in a fetish world would help with that, but it doesn't."

"You haven't told me anything about that part of the trip," I said. "First I'm hearing of it, actually. Better save it for later."

"Hush, you," Sunset said.

I played the role of a quiet, well behaved pony as we went through the hospital. Sunset took care of some stuff at the front desk while Human Searing led the way to Mr. Trender. "I just realized something," Human Searing said with a hint of urgency in her voice after we got on the elevator.

"What?" Sunset asked.

"We didn't get Mr. Trender a Christmas present."

"I'm here," Not-Unicorn Searing said from her corner of the elevator by the buttons.

"Pony," I casually said.

"NOT HELPING."

The elevator opened up and we got off, hooves, paws, and shoes making their own distinctive sounds on the floor as we went through the halls. The walk was simple, though I was worried about being stopped at any moment.

Eventually, we were stopped. "Hold it there," one of the nurses firmly said. "Is that pony a registered therapy animal?"

"I called ahead and got approval," Sunset retorted. "You can check with the reception people."

Human Searing took over. "Nurse Snowpea, I promise she's very well behaved, and will not bite, stomp, kick, or otherwise attack or inconvenience anyone."

"That doesn't matter," Nurse Snowpea affirmed. "The pony needs official papers to come through here. That, or he needs to do something incredibly impressive."

"Like what?" Sunset asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Can he talk?"

Sunset sighed and reluctantly nodded at me. Human Searing simply nodded. Not-Unicorn Searing was off to the side not looking at me. I decided to take the input as my cue to break the plan and say something. I got my face fairly close to Nurse Snowpea's and spoke in a firm, level tone. "I'm a mare, thank you very much." I could almost hear the gears in Nurse Snowpea's head grind to a sudden halt at the words. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have someone to visit."

We walked past the stunned nurse and were just about to go into a room when another nurse stepped out of it. Human Searing greeted her with a much warmer tone. "Hi, Nurse Joy."

I had to hold back a snicker at the name, a task that became a bit trickier when Nurse Joy responded. "Hello, Searing. You brought some friends today." She looked past us. "Why does Nurse Snowpea look like she just saw a talking pony?"

"Hi," I, the talking pony, said.

Nurse Joy was quiet for a moment. "Hug?"

"Sure." As Nurse Joy gave me a hug around the base of my neck, I awkwardly returned the gesture with one foreleg. "Happy?"

"Best. Holiday shift. Ever." Nurse Joy reluctantly broke the hug, then noticed Not-Unicorn Searing. "Searing, why is there a doppelganger of you here?"

"Oh don't mind her," Human Searing casually said. "She's just having a bit of a hard time working out some kinks in her head."

"You just had to say it that way, didn't you?" Not-Unicorn Searing seethed.

"Anyways, we're here to see Mr. Trender."

"Of course," Nurse Joy said. "Go on in while I go try to reboot Nurse Snowpea."

We went into the room and the heavily bandaged man on the bed saw us. I concluded that he was Mr. Trender. "You must be. . . There's Searing, Searing, and. . . It'll dawn on me eventually."

"Sunset," Sunset said.

"No, it'll be too late by then. Or too early."

"My name is Sunset."

"Oh. Well why didn't you say so?"

Searing, Searing, and I worked hard to suppress our giggles. One of us let a little bit of one slip, just enough for Sunset to hear. "What? What's so funny?"

"You don't get it do you?"

Sunset was amusedly confused. "What am I supposed to get?"

"Take a seat and think it over. Maybe it'll dawn on you too." As Sunset did that, Buddy bounded to the bedside, stood against it, and was soon getting some petting. "Hey, Buddy. How are you? Has Searing been good to you? Or has she been mean?"

"The worst I've done to him is scratch his ears and his chin at the same time," Human Searing said. "He had no idea what to do."

Mr. Trender let out a mock gasp of horror. "How could you treat him so meanly?"

"Like this!" Human Searing approached the bedside and promptly demonstrated, scratching Buddy's chin and ears at the same time, eliciting happy dog noises from the happy dog. "And sometimes. . . I even run a brush through his fur. Repeatedly! I've even given him belly rubs and trimmed his claws!"

"You fiendish rascal!" It wasn't long before the two started laughing, though Mr. Trender's laugh was the weaker of the two. "So, you brought a pony today?"

"Ehhhh, kind of?" Human Searing picked up the lead and I followed it to the bedside. "Hey, get over here, Searing."

"Does she still have the lead on?" Not-Unicorn Searing asked.

Human Searing quickly and gently removed the thing off my face. "I just took it off her."

Not-Unicorn Searing was soon at my other side, but still wasn't quite looking at me. "Hi, Mr. Trender."

"And how have you been?" Mr. Trender asked. "Where did you go?"

"I went to. . . A lot of places. Strange places. I even got drunk on a single mug of. . . I don't know what it was, then beat two chaos spirits at their own game. It was some strong stuff. Woke up on a pirate ship. Like I said, very strange places."

"That does sound strange. So, the pony?"

I answered. "Human turned pony. Magic."

"Ah." He took the explanation in stride. "Kind of like how Searing can turn into a unicorn?"

Not-Unicorn Searing and I looked at the kimono clad woman. She looked at us. "What?"

"I thought you only became a unicorn in private?" Not-Unicorn Searing asked.

"Not in public, I don't. What about you? How often do you go human?"

"When I want to?" Not-Unicorn Searing warily answered.

"So there's two unicorns in this room?" Mr. Trender asked.

"Three." I pointed to Sunset. "I don't know if she can change like that, though."

"Huh?" Sunset looked up from her seat.

"Is the joke still going over your head?" Mr. Trender asked. "Here's a hint: what's the opposite of sunset?"

"Sunrise, or dawn. . ." The realization suddenly dawned on her. "Stupid puns."

"Hey, it certainly. . . Brightened up my day," I said with a grin.

"Sweet Celestia, no. . ."

"Sweet Celestia, yes!"

Not-Unicorn Searing got in on it. "Come on, don't be gloomy, be a ray of sunshine."

"Yeah, let's lighten the mood around here," Human Searing added.

"Please, stop. . ." Sunset groaned.

"Ladies, please stop punishing her like that," Mr. Trender said.

"Okay," the three of us said.

"Thank you for tha. . . Dang it!" Sunset exclaimed before burying her head in her hands.

"So, pony, do you have a name?" Mr. Trender asked.

"Yang Xiao Long," I said. "Or just Yang."

"Hmm. . . That sounds familiar. . ."

Human Searing showed him a picture on her phone. "Something like this."

"Ah. You know, that brings back an old question of mine. How do you deal with that much hair?"

"Shampoo, conditioner, hair ties, fear of my hair trigger temper, things like that," I listed. "Literal hair trigger temper. It gets damaged, I get mad, and I kind of lose control. Can't really bring myself to cut it either. Oh, Searing told me about some advice you gave her? Something about respecting your elders?"

"Ah, that." Mr. Trender took a moment to smile before answering. "Respecting your elders is fine, and you should do that, but remember that you have your own life to live. There are times to defer, but don't be afraid to question them or say no. If they have no polite response, they haven't grown up. That, or it's a sensitive topic."

I smiled at the advice. "Thanks."

"That is really good advice," Sunset said. "Imagine what could be done if that was applied to politicians."

"Don't get me started on them," Mr. Trender said.

"Do get started, do get started!" Human Searing chanted. "Rant! Rant! Rant!"

He sighed. "If I must. Most politicians have no idea what they're doing. Sure, they may know what their plans are and what their bills contain and what the immediate effects may be, but it's called the law of unintended consequences for a reason, and they can't seem to wrap their heads around it until their grip gets so tight that things start to crumble around them, if they see it at all. They always try to sell these things as ways to protect people, like making something mandatory to have in order to protect others, or making a thing illegal to have or take. They think we're too stupid to drive without insurance, so driving without insurance is punishable. If you're driving without insurance, who exactly are you hurting? Nobody! If you decide to not get health insurance, who are you hurting? Nobody! And then there's taxes. Taxes are only one part of the problem. The other part is spending. The spending needs to be cut back, and that's an understatement. It's out of control, and there are so many pointless things that they spend on. You bring that spending under control, and then you start getting rid of taxes. The payroll tax taxes your productivity. Income tax taxes the money you make after that. Property tax is just paying rent to the government on things you own. The car tax is paid on its own at the DMV after you buy your car. Purge it all! If there's any tax that could stay, it would be the sales tax. That is something everyone would pay into, regardless of income or nationality. We also have the technology to properly transfer the funds in seconds. Why aren't we doing that?"

"Because the government is dumb," I said.

"Exactly! The only good thing it can do, and the one thing it won't do, is get out of the way so people can do what they want and need to do. Reconstruction of anything after a disaster has never been accomplished by the government. It's always the people that take care of themselves and each other that get it done." A coughing fit made him stop. "Well, I guess that's that for now. Rant's over, kids." A yawn followed and his hand finally left Buddy's head. "Well, I'd love to talk for a long time, but all this bedrest is making me tired. Yang, tell me this: what did you do before getting turned into a pony?"

"I run a successful barbecue restaurant, the Carne Den. It's closed for the holiday season, but it will open back up soon."

"Barbecue, huh? Maybe I'll see it someday. After all, you got here somehow, and it sounds like you're going back, so it's certainly possible."

"The chicken strips and side salads are pretty good, especially when you put them together with a bit of barbecue sauce," Human Searing said. "Can't say anything about anything else."

"Come back later and you can have a barbecue loaded baked potato," I offered. "Those things are pretty popular."

"What am I, a taxi service?" Sunset suddenly asked, getting us to laugh. "If I'm going to keep doing this for you, I'd better get something out of it in the future."

"We'll think of something," Human Searing assured her. "Anyways, I think it's time we let Mr. Trender take his nap." She walked over to the bed, leaned over, and gave him a sideways hug.

Not-Unicorn Searing somewhat awkwardly did the same thing.

I didn't give him a hug because I didn't have the same kind of friendship they did and I didn't want to accidentally worsen anything he was still healing from. I gave him a light hoof bump instead.

After Sunset put the lead back on my face and human Searing got Buddy, we left Mr. Trender to sleep. The walk back was perilous for me, filled with chin scratches, ear scratches, hugs, and the hospital staff we came across giving me affection. It felt weird, but it wasn't bad. Not-Unicorn Searing didn't look at me until the harness and lead were off.

On the way back, both Searings briefly turned unicorn and the backseat was momentarily filled with ponies.

"Well, it was a good trip," I said as we gathered around the activated portal. "I'm glad I got to meet you, Human Searing."

"I'm glad I got to meet you too," Human Searing said. "Even if you aren't the real Yang Xiao Long. You're way too modest to be the real deal."

"Never said I was." I turned to Sunset. "Hey, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get that lead on such short notice?"

"Discord gave it to me a few days ago," Sunset said.

"Of course he did," Not-Unicorn Searing said, frustration dripping from her words. "Let's go, Yang."

"Oh. Alright." I followed her through the portal and felt it do its thing, returning me to human and back in my winter furs. "That was a pretty abrupt exit, Searing."

"He planned it out," she seethed, each hoof hitting the floor loudly. "He set things up just to make me uncomfortable. He was probably laughing his rear off the whole time from a safe distance."

I gave Twilight a quick wave as I followed the upset unicorn. "So. . . Do you want some time to yourself?"

"Yes! No! I. . . I think I just want to beat up Discord again. I'm going for a walk. I'll see you later."

Twilight came up as I stopped to watch Searing turn a corner. "What was she talking about?"

"Discord," I said. "I had to wear a lead on the other side and she. . . She didn't react to it very well. He apparently gave it to Sunset before we got there."

"Was she angry?"

"Flustered. She said something about a fetish world. I'll have to ask her about it later."

"Ah. Well, I hope she can work out her frustration in a productive way."

Searing's voice echoed through the hall. "HEY DISCORD! TZEENTCH DOES CHAOS BETTER THAN YOU! YOU'RE GETTING PREDICTABLE!"

Twilight and I looked around the corner just in time to see Discord wearing a gold horned helmet appear and Searing go human. "Me? Predictable? I am unpredictable! I am chaos! There is no way you could-"

Searing grabbed him by his tail and started swinging him around with a vengeance, smashing him into the floor repeatedly. After a few hits, she swung him just hard enough to make him bounce. Before Discord hit the ground, she grabbed him just under his head and rammed him into the wall hard enough to stick him in place.

"Okay, yeah, she's mad," I said after the puny god style beatdown. "Searing, are you feeling better?"

"A bit," Searing answered, still mad. "I'm taking that walk." She stormed off and turned unicorn as she left the hall.

"Twilight?" I worriedly said.

"Yes, Yang?" Twilight responded.

I turned to her. "You're the princess of friendship. What should I do to help her? I don't like seeing her mad."

"You don't like seeing anyone mad."

"She's different."

"Clearly. But to your question, the best thing I believe you can do is nothing. Just give her some space and time to herself." Twilight went up to Discord and pulled him out of the wall. "Not getting involved can be difficult to do. Just ask Applejack."

"What am I, chopped liver?" Discord asked.

"No, you're Discord," Twilight responded without missing a beat. "Anyways, yes, taking a step back and letting things happen is difficult. Just go home and wait for her. Be there when she returns."

"The waiting is the hardest part," I quietly said. "Thanks, Twilight."

After over an hour of waiting at the Carne Den, I heard the door open and close. Searing came in and was shivering. Her fur was damp, and she looked ready to collapse. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she got out through chattering teeth.

I decided she wasn't fine and pulled her into a magically warmed hug. She offered no resistance, and within a minute, she was asleep. "Happy Hearth's Warming," I whispered to her as I took her to bed.

Author's Note

Now Yang has met both Searings, and she gets along well with both of them. Not much else to say, really.