Zeref sat in the library of Twilight’s castle, reading a book on pony history. Nothing really specific, just more knowledge for him to acquire. It was in the early hours of the morning. Twilight usually got up around this time whenever she didn’t pull an all-nighter. Zeref was a bit nervous about today’s schedule though. In fact, it is something that he dreaded when Twilight told him about it earlier that week.

--Flashback--

Twilight comes into the room and plops on Zeref’s lap and smiles big. He stares at her with an arched brow, but smiles and snuggles into her and kisses her gently.

“What’s got you so excited today, Twi?”

“Well, I got some good news. My family wants to meet you!”

Zeref’s eyes widen behind his sunglass at this, but he quickly recovers with a convincing smile.

“O-oh! They wanna know who is special enough to have claimed your affections huh?”

“Mhmmm, and we are going to Canterlot! This will be the first time you have actually gone to the royal city. Oooooh, I can’t wait!”

--Flashback Ends--

Twilight was clearly more than happy that she was going to get to introduce her coltfriend to her family. Even her brother and sister in law was going to be there. Should he ghost and bail…? No, nonono. He didn’t want to upset her. That’s the last thing he needed to do. He closes the book he was reading with a sigh and places it on the coffee table in front of him. He heard the sound of hooves clopping against the hard floor just outside the door. Yep, she was up and about, probably wondering where her living body pillow wandered off to again. Soon however, he was going to be more than that, as the month of her estrus was just next month. And something tells him after her first experience, she is going to be asking for more of it every day. She finally reaches the doorway of the library and peeks in, smiling when she sees him and quickly makes her way over to him. She pounces him and wraps her arms and legs about his body lovingly.

“Mmmh, there you are~.”

She said as she nuzzled into his chest and kissed him lovingly on the lips. She lifts her head up to look into his eyes with her beautiful purple gaze, Zeref couldn’t help but smile back to her. He lightly reaches up and caresses her cheek, lightly rubbing his thumb along it.

“Sleep well, Twi?”

“Mhmm, until I realized you had gotten up. I do not know how you are so sneaky about it when I have you in a full body hold!”

Zeref laughed lightly and tapped the side of his head.

“Ghost. Remember?”

Twilight blinks a few times and gave an adorable blush of embarrassment with a sheepish smile.

“Oh...right. That is a thing you can do.”

Twilight repositions herself into and straddling position over his lap and locks lips with him lovingly. Her hand lightly taking hold of a couple his dreadlocks. She breaks the kiss and presses her forehead against his. She was careful of her horn of course.

“But you are MY ghost.”

Zeref smiled for a moment but looked down from her gaze. Twilight could tell something was on his mind. She gently brings his eyes back to her and caresses her cheek gently.

“Zeref, what’s wrong…?”

She asked in a soft and caring tone of voice, her eyes showing genuine concern for her one and only. He sighs lightly and locks eyes with her again.

“Twi...I can handle being ridiculed by the princess. But I am going to be meeting your family today. I am very worried about what they will think of me. Because...well…”

Twilight kissed him again before he could speak, then gives him a reassuring nod.

“Zeref, I know you are afraid. But I want you to know that there is no reason to be. I chose you because I knew that you would never let me down and would protect me at all costs”

“Tch, yeah. In the matrix sure. But here you are an all-powerful alicorn who could hold her own. If I went up against some kind of huge monster or something, chances are I’d rely heavily on you with your magic.”

“And that is fine, Zeref. It’s okay for a couple to rely on one another in difficult situations. You need to understand that even though I may possess a powerful magic. I don’t see you as a weaker individual. After all, you possess abilities I will never ever have.”

“Yeah,I only possess them through some means of magic when I was brought here. Before it all happened, I was just a regular human. I had no special abilities or anything like that. I was just a shut-in gamer who went to college, hoping to at least start up a business. I’d have never even thought that I would be here of all places. Being a video game character that I created, with a princess saying that she loves me every day and every night. Especially with how cruelly I treated her before.”

Twilight didn’t say anything, she sat there in his lap, listening to his worries and doubts. This is actually one of the very rare moment that he opens up to her throughout their relationship. And she feels it drawing them closer each and every time. And he was right. She did love him, so very much. Even more so than her love for books, and that is saying something. After he finishes.She wraps her arms around him and pressed against his body, her wings coming around to embrace him as well. He loved her wings. Hell, he loved everything about her.

“And where would i be now if you hadn’t come along Zeref? I am glad Luna did what she did. Because I get to be with you. I never thought us being together would really happen. But, here we are. I wouldn’t change anything, not even our meeting. And so, you have nothing to fear. Even though you aren’t a pony, I know my family will absolutely love you. I promise.”

Zeref had to admit it, she had a point. If all this had never happened. He’d still be doing what he did. Struggling to make ends meet and living alone.

“Twilight, I love you. And I am happier than I have ever been because of you. I just want you to never forget that.”

“And I won’t. Just as I know you will never forget how much I love you.”

She kisses him once more and rests her head on his shoulder, her tail swaying behind her happily as she revels in his warmth. But, time was of the essence. They needed to get going or they’d be late.

“Come, let’s go and get a nice warm shower before we go.I certainly wouldn’t mind those wonderful hands of yours washing me down…”

Zeref blushed a bit but nodded. He did like to caress and fondle her very much. A first-rate mind and a first rate figure. He was damn lucky to have her all to himself.

--In Front Of Twilight’s Parents’ Home--

Zeref was still nervous about this whole meeting. But thanks to Twilight’s comforting before, it wasn’t so bad. Twilight knocked on the door. They waited for awhile. Finally, the knob turned and the door opened to reveal an older mare with light gray fur and a purple and light gray mane. Zeref finally saw where she got her looks. Her mother was absolutely stunning to look at.

“Twilight, my sweet daughter!”

“Hi, mom!”

She said before the two went in for a hug. Zeref’s eyes went straight for the ground to avoid any eye contact they may have been made. Luckily his sunglasses hid that fact. Her mother’s gaze however, fell on him after the hug. She looked him up and down. Zeref was expecting a face of unbridled disgust. But what he goes was a look of..curiosity and fascination.

“My goodness Twilight. You said he wasn’t a pony, but I most certainly didn’t expect this. Nonetheless, he is quite handsome. Very rugged features.”

Zeref arches a brow at that. Handsome? Rugged? Was she even looking at him?

“And what is your name, dear?”

She asked in a warm motherly tone.

“My name is Zeref, a pleasure to finally meet you, miss Sparkle.”

“Oh, the pleasure's all mine! I was so so excited to hear that my little Twilight finally has herself a coltfriend! She was always only interested in studying and books. Clearly, you are someone VERY special if you caught her attention! Please, come in, come in!”

Twilight goes in first, but Zeref stands there for a while longer. Velvet notices this and looks to him with a tilt of her head.

“Are you coming in, dear?”

“Yeah..just a bit nervous is all.”

She smiles lightly and gently grabs his hand to pull him in.

“Aaawww, I understand what you must be feeling. Trust me, my husband was the exact same way when he came to meet my family. He has taken that to heart and promised to not judge my daughter’s coltfriend on the spot. Pony or otherwise.”

Once he was in, Velvet shut the door with her magic and continued to lead Zeref into the main room. Once he was in there, all eyes were on him. There was her father, Night Light, her brother Shining Armor, and his wife Princess Cadence, Twilight’s former foal sitter. Zeref wanted to ghost and bail right then, his hands slowly forming into fists. But twilight lightly places a hand on his shoulder and rubs it. He turns to see her giving him a reassuring nod and a smile. The first to come up and approach him was in fact, her father. With a serious look on his face, he looks Zeref up and down just as Velvet did. He noticed that he kept his sunglasses on in a building. He arches a brow and crosses his arms.

“Come on, son. Shades off. Let me get a good look at your eyes.”

Zeref was hesitant, but reached up and removed his glasses and closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, revealing those icy gray as he stared right back at Night. The stallion stared for a moment, then a smile slowly crept across his face.

“Good eyes. I can see they hide a few things that you don’t want known. But they show loyalty and a willingness to protect.”

He offers a hand to Zeref.

“Good to meet you son. I am Twilight’s father.”

Zeref takes the hand and gives a firm shake.

“Nice to meet you mister Light. Twilight has told me all about you and your family. I am glad I am finally getting the chance to meet you all.”

After he spoke with Night, Shining got up and stood in front of Zeref. He offered a light smile.

“So you are the one who has been looking after my little sister? Thanks a lot. I am sure she is quite a handful at times.”

He said as he teased his sister a little bit.

“Shining! I am not a handful!”

Twilight said as she crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks. Which Zeref always found adorable.

“There is one thing I don’t get though. She told me you were a...ghost. Yet you seem pretty solid to me. So maybe you wouldn’t mind explaining? But first, I’d like you to meet my wife. Princess Cadence. She is the princess of love.”

Zeref arches a brow at this.

“Geez, you sure do have a lot of princesses here.”

Cadence chuckled at Zeref and stood up. She walks over to him and holds her hand out to him with a warm smile.

“It is good to finally meet you Zeref. Twilight has written to me about you. You seem like a rather interesting pony...even though you aren’t a pony.”

Zeref reaches out to take her hand, but then quickly pulls back as he hears a slight whisper within his mind. He backs away a couple of steps and blinks a few times. This shocking Cadence a bit.

“Sorry...I have things in my heart I don’t wish for others to know. Please don’t take it personally. I have a rather...complicated past.”

Twilight frowned, she knew exactly what he was talking about and understood why he rejected Cadence’s handshake. Since she was the princess of love, she was able to feel and sense what was deep within another’s heart.

You are quite clever, Zeref. Though, if Twilight chose you. She trusts you with her heart and life. So I have no right to judge you.”

“Please, sit. Tell us a little bit about yourself Zeref. Anything you feel like sharing anyways.”

Said Velvet as she came in the room with snacks and drinks. Zeref didn’t reveal much about himself, on that he was from a far away land and that he met Twilight and her friends through...odd circumstances. Technically he wasn’t lying to them. Then an important question came around.

“So son, what do you do for a living?”

Asked Night as he wondered how Zeref made his bits. Zeref got a little nervous on this.

“Well...it’s a little...complica-.”

Just then, his phone went off in his coat. Which startled every pony in the room but Twilight, as she knew what it was and what it meant. He pulls out the phone from his coat and sighs lightly.

Saved by the bossman…

“Excuse for a moment, I need to take this. It is my boss.”

He clicks the phone open and answers it. He gets up and walks out of the room.

“What’s up, bossman?”

Was all they heard before Zeref opened the door and walked out, closing it behind him. All eyes are then turned to Twilight. Night was the first to ask.

“He seems like a rather busy pony, Twilight. I take it that strange device he has is a way he and his boss communicate?”

“Well dad. That is one of his bosses yes, but he actually works for Shadowquine Industries.”

She wasn’t lying about that either. He was technically on Luna’s payroll as of recent. He was now an undercover GM. He acted as a player but maintained and surveyed the game and it’s overall status, not to mention Luna now knows all about the Assassin and his plans to reach outside the matrix. And since Zeref is pretty much the only real expert, Luna saw fit to offer him an official job position.

“Oh my...that big company that Auntie Lulu in running?”

Asked Cadence in delighted surprise.

“Mhmm, he works directly under her, but he also has another superior he speaks with on occasion. It’s more like a status check really.”

Night was especially impressed with this. He rubbed his chin in thought.

“A business savvy pony with a high payroll. And one that treasures my daughter above all else. You definitely have yourself a keeper. Never let him go, Twilight.”

“Oh, don’t worry dad. He isn’t going anywhere. He and I both know that.”

“There is one thing that is bothering me though, Twilight.”

Said Cadence as she sat by her.

“How did he know of my abilities…? And what doesn’t he want known?”

“I cannot say of how he knew of your abilities, Cadence. As for what he doesn’t want others to know, he has trusted me not to tell anyone. And I will not break that trust. I love him too much to even think of doing that.”

Zeref comes back into the house while putting his phone away. He looks down at Twilight

“Twi, we need to go. It’s urgent.”

When Zeref said it was urgent, that meant he needed her to come with him into the matrix. Something serious must have been going down. She stood up and nodded.

“Alright.’

She turns to her mother and father and hugs them both, then to her brother and Cadence.

“It was good to see you all. I love you all very much.”

“It was nice meeting you all. Thank you for making me feel welcomed into your home.”

“Son, before you go.”

Night said as he walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving a deep nod.

“I know you have been doing this already but, I want you to look out for my little filly. She may be a princess and all, but she is still young.”

Zeref could feel that her father had absolute faith in him. It was surprising but welcoming.

“Don’t worry. I’d kill to keep her safe if that is what it came down to. But...hopefully it never comes to that.”

He said before turning around and leaving with Twilight.

Author's Note

Aaah, good to have another chapter of this done, enjoy!

May the darkness grant you peace.