It had been a few weeks since I had last saw Kenmore. Celestia knows what she did with those bits I gave her. Maybe a few bottles of booze, a few nugs to light up, or whatever that shit is that they like to shoot into their arms. I know it seems like I’m speaking about her as if I’m missing the one I love, but it was more than the opposite.

I was curious -- curious about where she had gone. Would she have used what I did as a stepping stone to seek more help in the future? Did one night on my suite’s couch make her envious of a more lavish life? What did she think of me? I knew I would most likely never see her again, but it was intriguing to wonder, ‘what if’?

Oh! I spent that whole day with Octavia. Best, decision, I ever made! Hanging out with her felt right. Now, I’m going to start fawning, hard! But, with Octi, I mean, she’s smart, she’s hilarious, she’s even petty! We were sitting on a bench after grabbing some drinks, and this kid, he couldn’t have been no older than fifteen, sits between us and starts up a conversation with her. After he left, she completely lambasted him, saying that he looks like he has a garage band full of suburban unicorns that whine about their mom telling them to take out the trash! Oh… you had to be there.

Turns out she can dance… very well, in fact. While we were in the club, she was moving in ways I wouldn’t have even imagined a mare of her stature could. And the whole time her gaze was locked on me, awkwardly dabbing at every beat drop. I mean, she would have had me fooled for being a showgirl, and a damn good one at that. I know I was staring harder than I would like to admit, but the way she moved her body was so… alluring.

I even decided to go back to her and Vinyl’s hotel room. I know you must think that I had a little fun, well, not exactly. The most we did was a three way cuddle as we waited for our livers to die a little. I can’t complain though. It was nice having two mares on me.

I don’t know what they want from me. I know Octavia cares, and… well, I don’t know what the hell Vinyl thinks. She’s mute, so she isn’t the most talkative one, even though they have conversations as if they are telepathically linked. She was comfy enough to sleep on me, or maybe she was drunk enough… whatever. I digress.

I don’t know what Octavia wants with me. I definitely feel something for her, but I’m a goddamn brick when it comes to knowing if a mare likes me. Any other stallion would drill into my skull with a drill bit labeled ‘It’s pretty fucking obvious, dude’, but I still have my doubts. Either way, I am more than happy that I said yes.

So, here I am, sitting on a park bench, train tickets in my pocket, and a smile on my muzzle. The day was bright, and birds sang as they danced through the trees. Just another perfect cliched day in paradise. Although, I felt like there was some familiar presence sharing the day with me.

There he was, sitting on a park bench doing little to nothing. I know that basically stalking him wasn’t the best course of action, but what was I to do? He turned his back on me the last time I saw him. I couldn’t just walk up to him, pleading for him to let me stay. Besides, I only just found him again today after I had taken a much needed nap in the grass.

I don’t know why he plagued my mind. Maybe it was because I was a devious little sneak who wanted to see how I could sucker this kind fool into giving me whatever I wanted. He probably would do it if I fully exercised my acting chops. But, then my conscious pulled at me. He took me in, even made me a meal, and he didn’t take advantage of me, even when I wanted him t- I mean! When he had a chance…

He rose from the bench and started off, most likely towards his posh hotel. This was my chance. I darted ahead of him, yes, in broad daylight, and propped up against a tree all cool like.

“Hey there, Charity,” I greeted. He jumped a little, clutching his chest and giving me a glare.

“Damnit, girl! You scared the everything outta me!” he gasped.

“Sorry, I thought you saw me.”

He looked me up and down with a frown as if to make sure he knew who I was. “So, how did you find me?”

“You’ll be surprised how small Manehattan is, G.”

He quirked a brow at the nickname. “So, how are you? I see that you’re still pretty okay looking.”

“I can't complain, those bits helped me out a little. Had more than a few double cheese hayburgers.”

“That’s good… well. I have to get going. It was nice to run into you again.”

He started off not even giving me so much as a glance back, and I watched, desperately thinking of anything to say. “Wait!” I shouted, much louder than what I intended to. He gave a curious look over his shoulder.

“C-Can I.... can I come w-with you…?”

He turned to face me with a look of bewilderment.

“The hell? Why?”

“I… can’t give you a good reason why…”

He started to frown and look away. My words had obviously made him start thinking about his next course of action.

“What did you do with those bits I gave you?” He asked sternly.

“Huh? Well, after you left me in the hallway, thanks for that by the way, I caught a carriage cab to a local hangout and stayed there. Then I went to get some hayburgers, then I got-”

“Do you… have any left?”

I rummaged through my pockets and pulled out five gold coins. I presented them like a child preparing for a scolding. He eyed them and sighed.

“You can come with me…”

I didn’t say a word. I didn’t feel the need to. I could hear the reluctance in his tone, but I could also see the same kindness that took me out of the rain when we first met. Not another word was uttered as we left the park.

They say that if you speak of the devil, he will appear. Well, if that’s the case, then I must be lucy’s best fuckboy I do feel bad for this girl, but I’m not sure of what I can do for her, or what she thinks I can do for her. That’s what I get for flexing my ‘wealth’ for a lesser class mare. Well, after I leave tomorrow I won’t have to see her ever again.

I opened the door to my suite, letting her enter first, and closed the door. She stood there as if she was waiting for a command, or permission. “Uhh… you can have a seat.” She silently sat on the couch, upright, and with her hands politely on her lap. This was a complete and curious turnaround from the mare I ran into last week. She wanted something.

I rummaged through the kitchen, thinking up ways to expose whatever scheme she was cooking up.

“So…”

“Hmm?” She looked back at me.

“What made you decide to come hunting me down?”

“I really don’t know,” she sighed. “I thought I’d come crash my old buddy’s pad.” She gave a big toothy smile, exposing her yellow teeth.

I suppressed a cringe. She must have noticed because her smile went away as fast as she formed it. “Look, Glass was it?”

“Gliss…”

“Gliss, I need help…”

Sirens roared to life in my mind.

“And, I think you may be the only one who can help me.”

The sirens blared furiously with a little voice screaming, “Kick ‘er ass out, big fella!”.

“I don’t have anywhere to stay. I’ve been on the streets for as long as I can remember…

The voice and the sirens blended together, downright hollering, “Danger! Danger! Danger!”

“I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I was wondering if you could help me?”

“Say no, big fella! It ain’t worth it!”

“Uh… I uh… well…” I stammered.

“You already got the sexy cello player and her quiet ass girlfriend! We don’t need no fourth wheel!”

I continued to stutter while she looked over the couch at me with puppy dog eyes.

“What do you need?” I asked, my inner voice screaming, “You finta die!”

“Just a place to stay for a while…”

“Oh, well, I’m catching a train to Fillinois tomorrow morning, so you can’t stay…” A poignant look of disappointment sullied her already dirty face. This is where I made the decision that would either make, or break me entirely. I didn’t know this girl, and it was enough of a risk letting her stay the first night. Besides, she was acting much differently than I remember.

Everything in me fought against it. But, I was a kindhearted fool. “I… I have…” She looked at me with hope igniting in her fuchsia eyes. “Let me think about it…” I said with a heavy sigh. I knew I was going to bring this strange girl along with me, but I had to sure that I wasn’t losing my damn mind for wanting to do so.

“You can relax there. I’m gonna go practice. Music helps me think clearly…”

I had him right where I wanted him. I mean, can you blame a girl? He was all too willing to let me stay in this expensive suite, so why not push my luck? He didn’t say no. Yes, my moral compass was starting to pound on the door of my conscious, but it’s not like I haven’t had to act to get what I wanted before. Even though he is really kind, he’s extremely gullible too.

Soon after he he left, a beautiful sound came resonating from the room. Though muffled, I could make out the smooth sorrowful yet determined tone of the piece. I had heard it before, when I was a kid in music class. ‘Canon’, I believe it was. He was magnificent on that piano, though. He soothed me to sleep the last time I was here.I don’t think I’d be mistaken if he was trying to do the same here.

I leaned against the door, listening to the repetitive climb of the harmony, yet every time it started it felt new and unique, as if you were holding twins with details so minute in their difference you would need a professional eye to tell them apart. It filled my heart with a unique serenity and joy the further it went along.

My curiosity getting the better of me, I opened the door slightly. It was as if you had opened a door on a windy day! The music came gushing out loud and clear from the tiny slit that I peeked through. His eyes were closed, but his hands played as if they weren’t his own. With every rise and fall in the volume I could see his posture change from fully erect, to slumped and hunched.

Before I knew it, his song was over, and I was left desperately begging for more. He pinched the brow of his nose, raising his glasses to his forehead.

“You play really good,” I spoke with very little thought. He jumped and looked at me intruding into his private studio.

“Thanks!” he flinched. “You’ve got to stop scaring me like that.”

“Sorry, I was just listening… it sounded beautiful.” I was shocked by how sincere I was being.

“Thank you. That was Canon in C by Johann Pachebull.” He stared at the keys as if he were waiting for something. I eyed him curiously, waiting to see what his next move would be. I mostly expected for him to tell me to leave, but what he did surprised me. His right hand began scaling up the piano in a fashion that resembled a spider scuttling across its web. Again, he started on the lower register of the piano, diligently working his way up until he struck a double chord in quick succession, and repeated yet again.

I didn’t say a word. With how he was shredding the keys, I’d feel guilty if I stole away his concentration. There wasn’t much more I could say about this song. It sounded… angry; passionately so! The fluctuations in the volume painted an image in my mind of a stallion slowly being eaten alive by his anger and insanity.

Then I began to think of my own tumultuous past. All of the people I’ve turned my back on, and all of the moments I acted on nothing but my own blind rage. I sat on his bed, my mind being torn to shreds by this damned piece…

I’m not sure why she came into my room, but I welcomed an audience, even if it was one pony. Could you believe that I’ve been playing this landmark piece for fifteen years and I still have problems keeping up with the original composer? Braythoven was a crazy but talented son of a bitch. Every now and then I would take a glance over my shoulder, catching Kenmore with her eyes locked on the carpet. She had an expression of worrisome contemplation. I had to say something.

“Hey… are you okay?”

Her eyes stayed glued to the ground.

“Kenmore?”

She cut her eyes up at me, wide and soulful. “Are you okay? You were having a staring contest with the ground,” I chuckled.

She shook her head, and gave me a sheepish smile, flashing those yellow teeth again. “I was thinking about some heavy shit…”

“I could tell.”

“Look, Gliss. You don’t have to let me stay with you. I don’t want to burden you anymore than I have so far.”

“Well, aside from assing me out of a-hundred bits, you haven’t been a burden.’

“Well,” she sighed and rose to her feet. “I’ll leave so I won’t become a burden…” She started towards the door, but I stopped her.

“I’ll help you out the best I can, but I want to see maximum effort from you or I’m cutting you off faster than Celestia shot Luna to the moon,” I spoke, my mind made up.

“Maximum effort? I-I don’t-”

“If you’re going to be riding my coattails, that means I’m putting you to work.”

Her frown of worry returned with a smile in tow. I know that this was most likely going to bite me in the ass, hard, but I hinged my trust on my judge of character. She was much more than just a common street rat. Well, pop always said my curiosity would end me up in a ditch. Let’s see if the old stallion’s words carried any weight.

“First thing’s first. You need some clothes, and a shower… plus a toothbrush, some white-strips, a comb-” She stared daggers at me while clenching her fists.

“Heh, one thing at a time, right?”

She left the room with a blank face, leaving me to marinate in the decision I just made. I sighed a heavy sigh, stood up straight, and sauntered out with confidence that that this won’t end in a miserable failure… half confident at least...

Author's Note

I hope you all like this little update. Hopefully Gliss’ suspicions turn out to be nothing other than him being paranoid. Anyway, see you all next chapter, all feedback; good, bad, kind, mean, all of it are welcome.