The Puppeteer

Chapters

The Dust Settles
Damage Control
Dinner for Two
Tea Stains
Straws
Haggling
Foundations
Marked
Scattered Fragments
Hack and Snap
Building Amends
Like Magic
Castle
Together
Tangled Strings
Dismantled
A Night to Remember

The Dust Settles

Miles glanced back over his shoulder, only to see a large, swirling shadow with two familiar mismatched eyes piercing into his soul from within. It appeared to be coming from one of the picture frames behind it. Miles frowned and said, "It's you..." He chose to ignore the figure and instead reattach his attention to Twilight. He needn't a repeat of what happened the last time he and Discord crossed paths in this manner.

"Oh, don't sound so disappointed, Miles," Discord chided as the apparition began to swirl until Discord's usual form came into being, "I merely need to have a little private talk with Sparkle-butt over there." Discord jutted a talon in Twilight's direction as though he were pointing a thumb.

"Hey!" Twilight used her magic to toss a book at Discord. The book seemed repelled from Discord like a magnet, instead veering towards Miles's head.

"What in the-?" Miles was startled, swatting at the book with his fist. The book careened across the room, but then began flapping like a bird and repeatedly dive-bombing him. Discord couldn't help but chuckle mischievously.

"Discord! Stop it! Where are your manners?!" Twilight seethed, grabbing the book in her magic once more and attempting to bring it back to her desk to no avail.

"Oh, you're no fun... Fine." Discord snapped his talons and the book appeared back on Twilight's desk in perfect condition.

Miles grabbed onto the nearest ornament, gritting his teeth as he gently smiled up at the draconequus. Twilight cleared her throat and addressed Miles calmly.

"I apologise on his behalf, Miles; Discord gets carried away often." Miles looked over at her as she spoke, his suppressed rage not showing through on his features in the slightest.

"It's quite alright, Twilight." Miles's warm tone and subtle smile soothed Twilight's nerves; she felt relieved Miles was such a tolerant character, especially around someone so abrasive as Discord.

Discord noticed Miles had not yet left the room, raising an eyebrow at the man as Twilight spoke up. "So, Discord, what's the matte-?" Twilight was interrupted by Discord snapping his fingers, causing Miles to disappear in a flash.

Twilight face-hooved. "Discord?! Couldn't you have just asked him to, uh... Oh, I don't know... Leave for a moment?!"

"Well, this was faster and easier." Discord grinned deviously.

"Yes, but... N-Never mind..." Twilight sounded defeated, settling back into her chair. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

Discord returned to his usual mischievous smile as he snapped his talons and summoned up a long couch to sprawl across, suspended upside-down in midair. "I don't trust him, Twilight."

"Wow, straight to the point, huh...? Must we really have this conversation with you upside-down?"

"I don't know, Twilight. Must we?" Discord chuckled as he grabbed his head and twisted it upright whilst his body remained upside-down.

Twilight sighed in exasperation, tired and wanting nothing more than to return to her much more lucrative conversation with Miles. "Just get on with it... Why do you not trust him? He's barely been here for half an hour, and you know what they say about first impressions."

"Don't you find it concerning that the very first thing he questions you about is our world's magic?" Discord's smirk disappeared as his tone became serious, yet Twilight struggled to take him seriously with his currently twisted head.

"Um, no, I don't. If he is indeed from a world bereft of magic, I would imagine he'd be extremely curious to learn about it. I know I certainly would." Twilight closed her eyes with a proud smile and placed a hoof against her chest.

Discord chuckled humorlessly. "Twilight, he's much too polite. He's clearly buttering you all up for whatever reason. He had blood on his skin when he arrived."

"You don't know the circumstances preceding his summoning here!" Twilight almost sounded like she was whining at this point.

"He clearly already has you under his spell..." Discord folded his arms and looked off to the side, shaking his head in disbelief.

Twilight raised a hoof with a smug smile as she refuted him. "Don't be silly, Discord. We already know he doesn't have magic."

"Never change, Twilight."

"Wha-"

"-After you first summoned him, he made a remark about how if he had 'wanted to harm you ponies', he 'would have done so already'." Discord lowered his voice in mockery of Miles as he quoted him. "He also attempted to intimidate and flick your dear mentor. I don't find it too hard to believe he would be curious about our magic so that he can use it against us."

"Discord, you're overthinking things. He was likely scared, with his actions being sort of a... Defensive gambit. Besides, as you said, he claims he means us no harm." Twilight sounded flippant as she blew a raspberry and wafted a hoof at Discord dismissively. "Anyway, there's not a chance in Equestria that he could harm any of us with you around, even if he did somehow develop a magical sense."

"Twilight, have you ever heard the phrase 'it's not what he said; it's how he said it'?"

"Of course I have."

"Well, it applies here." Discord began to sound frustrated.

"Honestly, Discord..." Twilight regarded Discord seriously and addressed him with a warm, gentle tone. "I must admit, it makes me so very proud of you and Fluttershy to see just how well you seem to have developed as far as caring for your friends is concerned, but you really shouldn't worry so much here."

Discord sighed and pushed his paw against his brow. "Oh, fine... Just please be careful of what information you give him. I managed to catch you moments before you described how he would be able to use magic. Don't you see how that's a risk-?"

"Wait, you were spying on us?!"

"Of course I was, my dear - through the eyes of the pictures hanging on the wall."

Twilight sighed explosively and asked, "Can you please just bring him back in here now? I want to finish my conversation with him."

"Alright, but just remember what I told you."

"Yes, yes, of course. Thank you for expressing your concern, Discord."

Discord readied his talons to snap Miles back into the room.

Miles was standing in the presence of Twilight and Discord in one moment, and in some room he had never seen before in the next. It looked like some sort of storage room, albeit an almost empty one. He couldn't help but feel his frustration building as he thought of how many times that monstrosity of nature had disrespected him, his emotional bottle being forcibly crammed full of bubbling, carbonated rage.

He spied a sharp, lengthy quill upon a desk on the other side of the room. Miles had been somewhat bare and vulnerable since he had arrived here, and so made his way over to it. He picked up the quill and turned it over in his palm, bending it slightly to test its durability. Satisfied with its strength, Miles broke off most of the quill's feather, leaving a sharp pointed end of a few inches in length remaining. It wasn't much, but it would have to do for now. He pocketed this after a cautionary glance around the room, paying particularly close attention to any picture frames hanging from the walls.

Miles stepped outside of the room after a moment, only to see he had been transported to a room adjacent to the living space the rest of the ponies had been occupying. They were still sitting around the room, seemingly chatting about whatever came to mind. They had not yet noticed his presence.

Miles cleared his throat and the chatter immediately silenced as all eyes were drawn to his frame. "How's it going, folks? Did you miss me?" he asked. The room mostly remained silent apart from a few hesitant chuckles. Miles smiled and strolled over to the couch, seating himself next to the small yellow pony with pink hair. She squeaked girlishly and huddled into the side of the couch opposite him, hiding her face behind her hair.

Miles looked down at the little pony, offering out his hand in greeting. "Hello there, little miss. I believe you know who I am by now, but I don't believe I've yet had the pleasure of making your direct acquaintance."

"Oh... Oh my... So very polite... M-My name's Fluttershy..." She came out of her shell somewhat and leaned across the couch, placing her left fore-hoof in his palm. He gently laid his other hand across the top of her hoof and shook equally as softly.

Miles muttered to himself, "Of course it is."

"Hmm?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing, Fluttershy. I was just musing over how pretty that name is."

"W-Well, thankyou..." whispered Fluttershy. By this point, the regular babble of the room had returned, but not without the occasional cautious glance in Miles's direction.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to know a lot about Disco-" Miles poofed out of existence mid-sentence, leaving Fluttershy dumbfounded.

Miles blipped back into existence beside Discord once again, wobbling slightly in surprise. "Welcome back, Miles! I trust you had a safe trip back to visit the others?" Discord said with a smirk.

Miles chewed the side of his tongue for a moment and placed his hands in his pockets. "Yes, I did, thank you," he said. "I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of one 'Fluttershy'."

Suddenly, Discord's tail flung out like a whip and wrapped around Miles's mid-section, pulling him close as Discord growled, "Oh? And just how did that go down?" Miles struggled slightly, testing just how tightly pinned his arms were to his sides. Miles raised his eyebrows at Discord's response and winked at the mismatched creature.

Twilight had seen just about enough of these two butting heads already, thrusting a hoof down on her desk in frustration and blinking owlishly as a quill flung against her face. Her ears folded against her head with an embarrassed smile, her cheeks flush as she spoke. "Alright, you two, that's enough... Discord, can you finally leave us in peace to finish our conversation?"

Discord narrowed his eyes at Miles for a couple more seconds before finally releasing him. He said, "I can, yes..." Several pregnant moments passed and Discord made no movement to leave. Twilight sighed explosively.

"Okay, Discord, may you leave us in peace to finish our conversation?" she growled.

"Fine." He readied his talons to snap his way out of the room.

"And no spying on us this time!" Twilight said.

"Yes, yes, whatever." Discord snapped and he was gone, leaving Miles and Twilight in a slightly awkward silence. After a few seconds, Miles seated himself once more.

Twilight chirped, "So! Where were we?"

Discord popped into existence beside Fluttershy, who squeaked in surprise and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could do so however, Discord snapped again, and the two disappeared from the room instantly.

Fluttershy then found herself in Discord's pocket dimension beside his house. She glanced around at the murky, disorienting purple space for a few moments before squinting slightly in confusion. "Discord? Why did you take us here?" she asked.

After leaning down and placing his paw upon Fluttershy's withers for a moment with a smile, Discord floated over to the front door and opened it in wordless offering. Fluttershy's features immediately softened as she made her way past him and into the house. She took to the air and settled upon one of Discord's floating seats, running a hoof through her locks as her nervousness returned slightly.

"Fluttershy, I brought you here so we may have a conversation without risk of being pestered by our little friends." Discord gently closed the door and blinked onto the chair opposite Fluttershy, holding a teacup and saucer. "Now, dearest, I know it's a little early for our weekly tea party, but how's about some ginseng tea as we chatter?" Discord grinned cheerfully and snapped his talons. His singing ginseng teabags began chanting and floating around the room. Fluttershy giggled.

"Oh, I don't mind if I do..." At her word, a cup and saucer appeared before her, and she took them in her hooves gratefully with a smile. "S-So, what did you want to talk about? Do I even need to ask?"

Discord began crunching on his teacup as the teapot floated over to Fluttershy in offering. She daintily held her cup over to the teapot and began to feel her shoulders unwind their knotted muscles as a singing teabag finished its tune and dropped into her cup. The teapot flipped upside down and poured its steaming hot water into her waiting pottery. The sound of the liquid being poured into her teacup made Fluttershy close her eyes for a moment, her anxiety melting away like a glacier showered with soothing, warm water.

"Well, I heard from our new ape visitor that the two of you had a little conversation. Of course, I trust you more than I trust myself, Fluttershy. You know that." Discord paused for a moment, his half-eaten teacup being filled with anti-gravity water. He sipped at the liquid, causing his cup to recede further with each sip. "However, I don't trust him."

"Oh! Whyever not?" Fluttershy was surprised to hear Discord could be distrusting of someone so seemingly gentle and polite as Miles.

Discord huffed with impatience, unwilling to recite his earlier conversation with the bookworm. "Let's just say he's a little too polite. I merely wish to be careful around him for a while until we know he means you ponies no harm. For all we know, he could want to eat you!"

Fluttershy giggled dismissively, holding in a d'aww at her best friend's display of concern. She sipped at the remains of her drink and wafted a hoof at him. "Oh, Discord! You worry too much... I know you care deeply for your friends' well-being, but you honestly should let him be. He's surely just frightened and confused about this whole thing. Try and put yourself in his horseshoes and imagine how you'd react to being taken away from everything you knew and held dear." Fluttershy placed her cup down on the table between them and beat her wings softly, bringing her seat closer to his. She gently laid a hoof upon his paw.

"I would simply snap my talons and return to where I came from," Discord said. He pulled away, folding his arms and lifting his chin. Fluttershy put her hoof to her mouth and giggled again at her ancient-god-friend's childish display.

"Yes, but he can't do what you can, Discord. He's stuck here. When you put yourself in his place, you have to imagine that you share the same limitations that he does. I know you, Discord. You're just as capable of empathy as anypony else." Discord thought back to the lesson in role-play he learned when he first played Ogres and Oubliettes with Spike and Big Mac, his features squinting as he ruminated. His expression softened and he glanced over at Fluttershy, who smiled warmly at him and placed her hoof on his arm once again. He allowed her to pull his arms apart and sighed.

"Thankyou, my dear Fluttershy. Perhaps I am being a little too... Paranoid..." he said.

"Oh, Discord... You're merely being protective. Don't worry, I understand," she replied.

"But I swear on my name, if anything happened to you, I'd-" Fluttershy silenced him with a hoof to his snout and a comforting smile. She then floated slowly back over to the other side of the room with careful beats of her wings. Discord couldn't help but admire how everything that mare seemed to do looked like an elegant dance - graceful and gentle.

After a few moments of silence, Discord grabbed his teacup that had been floating in the air next to him and finished it off, the cup now totally vanishing and leaving behind a mass of tea. He then summoned a fresh teacup and squeezed the lump of tea over it, causing the tea to drain from the lump like juice from a lemon.

The teapot floated over to Fluttershy once again and she held her cup up for a refill. As her drink was topped up, Discord cleared his throat and spoke with renewed vigor. "Alright! With that nonsense out of the way, how's about we shift our weekly tea party forward a few days and move onto brighter topics?"

Fluttershy laughed gently, taking a dainty sip from her drink. "Or, we could still have our weekly get-together as usual, but count this as an extra...?" Fluttershy raised an eyebrow hopefully as she trailed off.

"Oh, ho ha ha! Of course, dearest," Discord chuckled with mirth.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry that it took a while; I've been busy with job transitions and the likes in real life, so please forgive my tardiness. Also, this section is somewhat lengthy and uneventful, I know, but this kind of stuff is necessary for us to get to the action! All in due time.

29/09/2024 - Touched up with fixes, some additions and re-writes.

Damage Control

"So, that should about cover it... I guess?" Twilight glanced at Miles from the corner of her eye, trying her damnedest to read his blank expression. "Of course, there's a lot more for you to know and learn, and I so desperately want to dump everything on you, but..." Twilight pawed at her desk for a moment as she desperately resisted the urge to splurge anything and everything about her world to this alien newcomer. Miles folded his arms and leaned back in his seat.

"Don't worry, Twilight. Thank you for the introduction. I'll have my answers prepared when the test comes around." Twilight's ears perked upon hearing this, and she shot bolt upright with a poorly concealed grin rippling across her features.

"O-Oh, the t-test?! Did I mention a...?" Twilight trailed off before shaking her head. Miles took note of how her mane somehow seemed to remain kempt in spite of the erratic movement. A spell of some kind? "W-Well, how about we have the test nex-"

"-Don't worry, Twilight," Miles said, holding up a hand, "I was kidding; I remember everything you told me just fine."

Twilight looked somewhat deflated, yet swiftly returned to her friendly-princess smile with practiced fluidity. "Ah, I see... We've been here for a while now, so I guess we can chat about your world next time."

Miles stood from his seat and wandered over to the window behind Twilight, addressing her as he gazed across the open landscape before him. "So, I'm lost in a world of various sapient creatures, of which some can use magic. You mentioned that there is some way for non-magical creatures to also make use of magic, but that it's complicated..." Miles whirled his eyes back over his shoulder, glaring at Twilight as she looked shyly down at her desk, unaware of his gaze. "My experience with 'magic' thus far has been..." he trailed off into a breathy whisper to himself, "Less than pleasant..."

Twilight looked over her shoulder to meet his gaze, and Miles turned himself to face her. Twilight seemed perplexed by part of his comment that she heard. "You've experienced magic already...?"

Miles raised an eyebrow at her in confusion and said, "Yes - you teleported before we entered this room; I witnessed Discord appear from behind me earlier; I was supposedly brought here via magic... Need I go on?"

As though caught with her hoof in the cookie jar, Twilight's ears jerked upwards for a moment before flattening down onto her scalp in embarrassment. "O-Oh, yeah... Silly me. Hehe..." She folded one hoof over the other and looked off to her right at nothing in particular.

Returning his attention to the window, Miles began to drum his fingers along the windowsill in contemplation. After a few moments, he continued. "As for your offer to allow me to take refuge in your castle, I am indeed very grateful. It will do until I can find my own footing."

"Ah, yes! I'll let you have a portion of my royal stipend to keep you afloat," chirped Twilight.

"Thankyou, Twilight. Well, this may be a strange new world, but I do have skills I'm sure could be put to use... Even despite your 'magic'." Miles narrowly avoided spitting the last word with all the venom of a striking cobra.

"Ah, that's great to hear!" Twilight beamed up at him happily.

Miles leaned down to Twilight's level once again. "So, shall we be off then to visit the others?" Miles purred into her ear. "I'm dying to make everyone's acquaintance with a little more intimacy." He offered an outstretched hand to help her to her hooves.

Twilight hopped off her seat as though she had been sitting over a pit of hot coals and hurriedly trotted around behind Miles before turning to face him, leaving him looking where she just was in surprise. He withdrew his hand with a grimace and turned. Twilight seemed somewhat hurried. "Y-Yes, of course! Hold still for a second..." she murmured. Before Miles could so much as open his mouth, Twilight charged up her horn and blipped them both into the living space once again.

Miles looked unsteady once they appeared, putting a hand to his head for a brief moment in frustration. "Still not used to this accursed teleportation..."

A nervous giggle rang out beside him, followed by the clip clop of hooves as Twilight made her way over to a seat behind him. "S-Sorry! I'm sure you'll get used to it in no time."

Turning to glance around the room, Miles saw trepidation written across the faces of most of those present; Twilight, however, was struggling to meet his gaze, her face slightly flushed. Miles smirked slightly as he felt a bite on his lure, but the moment was short lived as he realised he was once again the centre of attention, being the lone person in the room to not be yet seated.

Miles felt an odd chill run up his spine as he noticed a bright pink pony with a very fluffy mane was looking at him with stars in its eyes... Literally. He shook his head slightly and thought little of it as he made his way over to the space available between an orange pony and a white pony. Someone looking at him funny is far from the most bizarre thing to happen to him today, after all. After a few moments of silence, the orange pony turned to address him. "Howd-"

A lone finger pierced the air with all the speed and silence of a bullet whipping across an empty plain, slicing through the words of the orange pony the instant she began to speak. Everyone in the room gasped slightly and leaned back in surprise, unsure of what such a sudden gesture could mean. Celestia even jumped off of her seat and looked about ready to run Miles through for a moment. Miles had opened his own mouth to speak as his finger raised, however the reaction from those in the room had left him somewhat bemused, as he glanced at Celestia for a moment before she coughed in embarrassment and returned to her seat.

"So... Before I get to know you all personally, as I am quite eager to do, I should add; I'm afraid I have a burning question on my mind." Miles lowered his finger and the others in the room immediately relaxed. Miles leaned forwards slightly, smiling ever so slightly as several others in the room mirrored his movement. "Judging by your appearances, everyone in this room besides me is a female, correct?" He then winced as a squeaking shout dug into his skull with all the subtlety of a bulldozer.

"Yeperoo!!!" The pink pony leapt into the air and somersaulted herself over and past him. She then bolted across the room several times, moving faster than his eyes could follow. She came to a sudden stop, standing in front of him with her nose touching his as he leaned forwards in his chair. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! The super-duper-bestest-partyest-est pony party planner in Ponyville!"

The room went deadly silent for a moment, with the pink mare grinning to high heaven and seemingly frozen in space-time as Miles met her gleeful expression with one of masked irritation. However, his expression quickly became one of major alarm as he felt a sudden yet forceful impulse coarse through his body; he had recently been denied that which he craved the most, after all. It felt as though molten magma was burning him from the inside out, trying its absolute best to bust its way through his superego in a fit of carnal rage. The silence was ringing in his ears like a cacophony of tortured wails.

He discreetly reached into his pocket and ran his finger across the tip of the broken quill therein as he began to frown; his eyes shrunk into pinpricks and the beginnings of a wretched smile tugged at his cheeks. The gleeful smile from the pony in front of him waned ever so slightly at his reaction.

This pony was so small and innocent. So irritating... Such an easy target... Thoughts of his mother barraged their way through his internal war.

Seconds passed like minutes as Miles felt his inner impulses battle it out for supremacy when suddenly, the tiny reptile shouted across the room, slicing through the silence like a rocket through the atmosphere.

"Pinkie! We are not all girls, remember?! I'm here too!" Their stare-down was broken as quickly as it had started.

Pinkie gasped and looked over at her favourite little dragon, bouncing over to greet him.

Miles sighed quietly as he straightened out his already-straight collar to recompose himself with steady breaths. It would spell the end for him to lose his composure so early.

"Oh, Spike! Of course I remember, silly!" Miles noted the little lizard's face turn from angry to terrified in the blink of an eye as the mare's rapid bouncing seemed not to be slowing as she approached him.

Miles felt a hoof land gently yet firmly on his shoulder, and he turned to face the orange mare it belonged to. Pinkie and Spike were causing chaos on the other side of the room as the mare spoke.

"Never mind them, sugarcube. My name's Applejack, an' it's a pleasure ta meet ya!" Applejack then offered him her hoof and shook his hand vigorously.

"The pleasure is all mine," Miles replied.

Applejack then pointed back over his shoulder. "This here's Rarity." The small yet elegant looking mare waved daintily at Miles as he turned to greet her.

"How do you do, darling?" asked Rarity.

After observing her demeanour for a moment, Miles reached out and grasped her waving hoof, bringing it to his lips as he kissed the tip and then clasped his other hand over the top of her hoof with a gentle nod. He uttered not a word, and while her initial reaction was one of surprise, she visibly relaxed at his action, even shuffling in her seat slightly as she got comfortable. Miles then glanced across the rest of the room, allowing each pony to introduce themselves in turn.

"I'm Starlight Glimmer." Miles noticed this one sounded somewhat deadpan as she spoke. He had expected her to add more, but was left disappointed.

"And I'm Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in Equestria! I'm also a Wonderbolt a-"

"-You've already met myself and Pinkie Pie, as well as I believe Fluttershy and Discord. Those two aren't here right now, but at least you've made their acquaintance," Twilight interrupted Rainbow. She ignored the irritated protests of the cyan blue pegasus as she spoke to Miles.

"I suppose you could say that..." Miles muttered to himself.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. Please, continue."

"Okay, then... I don't think Spike is really in a position to introduce himself right now." Twilight glanced over at the commotion on the other side of the room as Pinkie Pie gave Spike what looked to be a playful yet painful noogie to his head. "He's a baby dragon, and serves as my personal assistant around the castle. We've known each other for all of his life."

Miles listened patiently before turning his head upon hearing someone clear their throat to his left. To Miles's irritation, it was the large, white pony. She addressed him with all the warmth of ice-water flowing between his toes. "My name is Celestia; I am Princess of the Sun and joint ruler of Equestria with my sister Luna, here." Celestia signalled over to her sister, who nodded in Miles's direction, yet offered no words.

Having 'met' everyone in the room, Miles decided to address them all at once. "I must admit, I'm still very much confused and shocked about this whole situation. For all I know, I may well be dreaming..." He placed a hand to his chin for a moment in thought. "Hmm, I suppose that hardly matters; I'll be getting to know you all and your world in good time, and Twilight has offered to let me stay here in the castle until I sort myself some stability." Starlight and Celestia shot concerned glances the way of an embarrassed-looking Twilight.

"Y-Yes, so I think we should all probably go home for today so Miles and I can finalise our living arrangeme-"

Poof!

Twilight was cut off as Discord and Fluttershy blinked into existence in the room mid-conversation with each other. "And then you know what I told him?!" Discord asked Fluttershy excitedly.

Fluttershy looked as though she was about to burst out laughing. "W-What did you say?" she forced out between suppressed giggles.

"I told him that I hid it behind his left ear, but when he felt to check, I made it appear on his nose! Ohohaha!"

"Oh, Discord, you're so mean!" Fluttershy scolded, yet couldn't help but giggle at whatever it was they were discussing.

Discord looked up to meet the eyes of an irritated looking Twilight. "Oh, well hello there, Twilight! Ah, and the rest of the gang, too! You're all still here." He opened his arms wide. "Thankyou for waiting for us. You're such good friends..." Discord's arms extended and weaved around the room, surrounding the ponies and pulling them towards him like fish in a net. "Group hug!"

Miles noticed, with gratitude, that he had not been included in the hug. He carefully observed their varied reactions to the surprise embrace. Twilight and Rainbow Dash appeared furious, while most of the others merely looked like they were waiting for it to be over.

Fluttershy's cheeks flushed and she was looking up at Discord's face with a gentle smile as she embraced the hug, holding onto his torso tightly. Discord himself hadn't noticed this, since he was busy chuckling at the group's collective annoyance.

Rarity was desperately covering her mane with her hooves in an effort to keep it pristine; she seemed desperate and close to tears. Pinkie Pie was giggling with joy while somehow still holding onto Spike, who looked about ready to spiritually pass on to the next plane of existence any second as the eternal noogie continued.

"A-Actually, Discord, we were just about to all go back home for the day..." Twilight struggled and yelped as she tried to free herself from Discord's grasp. Eventually, he gave in and let everyone go.

"Oh, well that's a shame... I was hoping to chat some more with my dear new friend Miles over there." Discord looked up at Miles and their eyes met for a brief moment. Miles's expression was blank, but Discord held his usual cocky smirk the entire time. Twilight looked deep in thought for a moment before she lit up with an idea, giving Discord a smirk of her own.

"Hmm, well... Maybe you can meet up soon or something... Oh, I know! He could join you and Fluttershy on one of your weekly get-togethers! How does that sound, Miles?" Twilight asked. She looked over to Miles upon her offer, and he shrugged in response.

"I suppose I wouldn't mind getting to know the two of them better. Besides, I feel as though Discord and I got off on the wrong foot," said Miles.

"The wrong what?" replied Twilight.

"Never mind," Miles sighed.

Discord squinted as though he had just sucked a thousand lemons, about to berate Twilight for even suggesting such a thing, as well as having the gall to suggest Miles come to their get-together when it's not her place to offer it. However, he eventually tsked as Fluttershy placed a hoof upon his leg and gave him a reassuring smile. "You know what? Fine, why not?! But just this once... Just this once." Discord narrowed his eyes at Miles. Twilight sighed in exasperation.

Discord finally snapped his talons and disappeared, yet reappeared a second later, looking down at Fluttershy with an excited smile on his face. "Oh! I almost forgot; would you like me to take you home, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy looked around the room for a moment before gently shaking her head with a shy smile. "O-Oh, um, thank you for the offer, Discord, b-but I think I'll have a walk home today with the others. I'd like to get some fresh air as the day wears on... I-I'm sorry..."

Discord blew a raspberry and hit the back of his own head so that his eyes came tumbling out. Princess Luna looked horrified and gasped in terror for a moment, receiving a raised eyebrow from Celestia. Surely Luna should have been used to Discord's antics by now?

He caught the eyeballs in his paw and rolled them across the floor to Pinkie, who picked them up and rolled them over in her hooves for a moment before jumping in the air like a cat as their pupils became mouths. "Yah!!!" They then jumped back across the floor to Discord using their tongues before he popped them back into his head. "Fine, fine, I understand..." He folded his arms for a moment and pouted before resuming. "Have a fantastic rest of your day, everyone. Adieu!" With another snap, he was gone.

There were collective sighs of relief from most in the room once he was gone. Fluttershy shook her head and giggled slightly.

Eventually, everyone else said their farewells and parted ways, leaving just Miles, Twilight, Starlight and Spike behind.

"So, Miles. How's about we sort a room out for you to stay in for now?" Twilight offered.

Before Miles could reply, Starlight interrupted, "Yeah, well, I'm gonna go back to the school to get my stuff ready for the new week's start." She immediately set off for the door without waiting for a reply, making her way out of the castle.

"O-Okay..." Twilight looked somewhat concerned at how bored Starlight sounded. Why was she not excited and intrigued about this entire inter-dimensional event with Miles? No matter, she could have Spike help her out. "So, Spi-" When Twilight glanced down, the little dragon was already gone, clearly not wanting to deal with Twilight putting him to work to serve their new guest. Twilight looked up at Miles and laughed nervously as her ears flattened against her head. "Ehehe... A-Alright, this way, please. We'll set you up in one of the guest bedrooms for now."

Miles watched her trot away, his mind racing. All the work he had done back on Earth had all gone to waste. However, this new world was supposedly a lot smaller than Earth, so he would hopefully have less trouble. It was only a matter of time from there. However he would need to be more careful about keeping his urges in check; he had to make sure he did everything by the book.

Miles clenched and unclenched his fist as he set off to follow Twilight. His mind flooded with possibilities, making the outwardly silent journey between the two towards the bedroom quiet and awkward for one, but hopeful and exciting for the other.

Life had just thrown Miles a curve-ball, and he couldn't wait to get to work on driving it into a home run.

Author's Note

29/09/2024 - Polished up with some additions/rewrites.

Dinner for Two

In the middling hours of the night, Twilight Sparkle was digging through her kitchen cupboards in search of something very important.

"Miles?" called Twilight.

"Yes, Twilight?"

"Could you please pass me that corkscrew from the other room? The one on the mantle." Miles had been living in the castle for scarcely a day now, and Twilight was going to try and make him a meal of sorts to make him truly feel at home.

She had insisted that neither Spike nor Starlight help with the preparations.

"Of course I can, Twilight. I'll only be a moment." Miles walked over to the door and peered back around the frame at Twilight. "Don't do anything too fun without me, princess." Miles winked as he disappeared from the room.

Twilight smiled bashfully and waved just as he turned to leave the room, leaving her waving at nothing and feeling like a dork.

"Ahem..." Twilight coughed into her hoof, playing it off cool in case anyone happened to be watching. She returned to digging through the cupboard, huffing in frustration as she dug.

The stove above her head held various pots and pans. Twilight seemed to be preparing enough food to feed an army - perhaps she had overestimated Miles's appetite on account of his size? No, he was very large; this should be enough for him... She hadn't even asked what his species' diet was like, but she assumed she couldn't go wrong with various thick soups and fresh bread.

The saucepans bubbled and popped as her frustration grew, the ambience of the kitchen taking on a droning hue that mirrored her growing impatience.

About an hour previously, Spike had been unable to warn Miles of Twilight's obsessive, panicky nature and her horrifically abominable cooking skills before she had ushered him out of the room in a hurry.

Twilight said to herself, "Oh... Where did I put that bottle?" She flicked her tail in irritation as she continued to dig through the seemingly endless cupboard. "It's gotta be here somewhere..." Before she knew it, she had dug so far into the cupboard that only her tail stuck out of the opening. "I can't make a nice meal for Miles without the red wine! Oh, please let it be in here..." She continued to dig deeper and deeper, not realising that she had subconsciously dug herself about 5 feet deep into her cupboard.

Twilight heard Miles's heavy footsteps as he returned with the corkscrew. Her head bolted up in alarm, not wanting to be caught in an embarrassing or compromising position, causing her to bump her head on the ceiling of the cupboard.

"OW!!!" she yelped.

Miles looked around the room for a moment. After sourcing the noise, he made his way over to the open cupboard. Miles said, "Are you alright in there, Twilight? I have your corkscrew." He leaned down to peer through the entrance of the cupboard only to see Twilight rubbing her head and hissing in pain.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine..." she replied.

"Okay, good. Why is your cupboard so... Deep?"

Twilight looked over at him and then around at her surroundings, noticing her cupboard was not only around three times as deep as it was supposed to be, but also that its contents had seemingly been multiplied. "Huh... How did I not notice that...? Oh, well. I'll check some of the other cupboards in just a second once I get out."

Twilight wiggled forwards for a few moments with her eyes squinted closed, grinning in Miles's direction sheepishly. She opened them again, however, after she realised she was still in the cupboard. Miles was looking down at her with an eyebrow raised and a hand to his chin. He said, "Twilight... I don't mean to cause you alarm, but... The more you attempt to approach me, the deeper you're being pulled back into the cupboard."

"W-What?!" Twilight now began to scramble in Miles' direction, and sure enough, the inside of the cupboard seemed to extend more and more as she crawled. The walls of the cupboard seemed to bend and warp. Suddenly, she was weightless and screamed as she fell into unknown depths below her kitchen.

"YAAAH! MILES!!!" she screamed.

Miles merely looked down into the cupboard, now no longer able to see Twilight at all, an expression of confusion plastered across his face. "What in the world just...? I swear, this damned magic..." He felt no need to follow her into the cupboard; he'd been the victim of magic's horrors one too many times already.

Upon hearing her scream from deep inside the cupboard, Miles decided to go and find Starlight or spike. They might know what to do about this, considering he knew next to nothing about magic.

Twilight heard no reply from Miles as she continued to fall seemingly forever. She tried to flap her wings in a desperate attempt to fly back up to the surface, but her wings were pinned to her sides by an unknown force. After about a minute of falling, Twilight became hysterical, flailing around as she feared she would be stuck in an endless descent until she passed into the next world.

Suddenly, all of her momentum ceased, and she floated in place. Somehow, her instantaneous deceleration from terminal velocity to stationary had caused her no bodily harm whatsoever.

She flared her horn and glanced around at her surroundings. She seemed to be floating in an infinite void of purple space. Twilight's panic settled down just as quickly as it had peaked when she noticed a familiar, serpentine being pop into existence below her.

"Discord! What in Equestria are you doing?!" Twilight snarled down at the draconequus, attempting to swat at him with her hooves, but remaining held in place by the now known force of Discord's magic.

"Oh! Twilight! How nice of you to drop by my dimension... What brings you here on this fine, chaotic day?" Discord snapped his talons and the two were suddenly standing on a floating piece of land in the void, which held Discord's house.

His eyes were half-lidded as he summoned up a lounge chair and flung himself on it. He snapped his talons and Twilight found herself lying next to him on one of her own, a pair of sunglasses across her brow and a ray-reflecting mirror in her hooves.

Twilight angrily flung away the mirror and glasses and shouted, "Discord! Why'd you just drag me here?! I was terrified!"

"Now now, Twilight, let's just caaalm down." Discord sat himself up and poked Twilight's snout with his paw, causing her face to scrunch up in confusion. Discord chuckled before grabbing her and pulling her towards him, petting her mane like a villain holding a cat.

He noticed Twilight twitching with rage in his lap as her horn powered up, and so snapped his talons and removed it, immediately rendering her powerless. "H-Hey, give that back! And stop treating me like a pet!" She hopped off of his lap and faced him with a murderous glare. Discord was clearly amused, yet relented.

"Alright, alright. Just please calm yourself; I had a very good reason for bringing you here, my dear." He snapped his talons and her horn reappeared on her head.

Twilight scoffed, "I'm sure you did, Discord, but not a good reason for the way you brought me here. I could've had a heart attack!"

"Look, I'm sorry. I was just having fun," replied the draconequus, letting his arms drop to the floor. Literally.

Twilight's anger slowly dissipated as she sighed explosively. She knew Discord by this point; he had his... Unique ways of doing things. Him being so ready to offer up an apology was a fantastic contrast to when he had previously struggled to force the word 'sorry' past his lips: a further testament to just how far her chaotic friend had come. "Okay... Anyway. Why did you bring me here, Discord? What's your good reason for summoning me so suddenly?" Twilight sat down on the grass, indignantly waiting for a reply.

A gigantic, blue and orange speckled monster that Twilight had never seen before flew past their island as Discord stood from his seat and said, "Well, I would invite you inside, but this will be very brief..."

"Yes?" Twilight prompted, raising an eyebrow impatiently.

"I'd like you to watch our little tea party with the ape in secret."

Twilight groaned in frustration. "Guh! I knew it! You still don't trust him..."

Discord sighed and ran his paw down his snout, stretching it out like an elastic band as he did so before letting go as it snapped back against his face.

"You seem to trust him - and while I still have my doubts - I would like to trust him too." He dropped to the ground, now standing with his claw to his beard as he spoke. "So, if you watch our tea party together, you'll be able to watch for any aggression from him if he tries to mess with me when Fluttershy isn't looking." Twilight rolled her eyes. Yet, she smiled at his expression of concern, willing to hear him out and potentially humour him. "If I'm to have good reason not to trust him," Discord continued, "I'd like a second pair of eyes seeing it. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, I can understand why you'd want me to do something like that. If it turns out your suspicions are unfounded, we'll both see evidence of that and be able to put it to rest, and if they are not, then at least you won't be alone in your knowledge of it. Does that sound about right?"

"Exactly, Twilight, you adorable little egghead, you! Not sure I'd have put it quite so long-winded, but..." Discord trailed off. Twilight deadpanned, butchering his current tangent on the spot. He quickly recovered and continued, "Ahem, so, waddya say? Give an old draconequus some piece of mind?" Discord's demeanour switched from serious to teasing in a heartbeat as he leaned in towards Twilight's face, invading her personal space as he was so often wont to do.

She rolled her eyes once again and lightly pushed him away with a hoof. "Well, like I said, I understand how such a thing would help you rest easy, but I'm not sure it would feel right..."

"Whatever do you mean?" Discord put his claw and paw to his hips and pouted.

"Well, I'd be spying on him and Fluttershy without their knowledge, which just doesn't feel right to me..." Twilight held a hoof to her mouth as she bit her lip in indecision.

Discord blew a raspberry and wafted a claw at her. "Oh, pfft, don't worry; I already talked it over with Fluttershy, and she'd be fine with it."

"Oh, s-she would?" Twilight did not sound convinced. "But Miles..."

"Please, Twilight?" Discord clasped his claw and paw together in prayer and jutted his bottom lip at her in an attempt to look cute. Unfortunately for him, it just made him look even goofier than usual. However, Twilight knew she wouldn't hear the end of it unless she agreed. What harm would it do? Miles would never know, and Discord would be allowed peace of mind.

"Oh, alright, Discord... But just this once, okay?" Twilight raised an eyebrow at Discord as she recycled his lines in a lightly mocking tone. "Just this once."

Discord let it slide. "Oh, thank you, Twilight! You really are a wonderful friend." He picked her up and gave her a big, exaggerated hug before setting her back down. "Alright, well, you'd better be off back to the castle, I suppose. Tell Miles to be at Fluttershy's cottage by three tomorrow!" Twilight blinked, but before she could reply, Discord snapped his talons and she suddenly appeared back in her kitchen.

However, she unfortunately found herself upside down inside her cupboard with her hooves sticking out of the end. It appeared to be back to its natural size.

To Twilight's horror, Miles and Spike were seated at the table, looking down at her.

Miles appeared surprised and yet amused, while Spike merely looked bored. Spike said, "See? I told you she'd be fine. Discord's a good guy now, so weird stuff happening is usually just him playing around. Later." The tiny dragon hopped down from his seat and waddled out of the room.

Miles began to chuckle lightly as Twilight wiggled around; she was grateful that her tail was hanging down between her hind legs and covering her shame, yet felt unbelievably embarrassed to be caught in such a compromised position nonetheless.

"Twilight," Miles stated, flatly. She stopped her squirming for a moment to look up into his emerald eyes, blinking her own in an adorable display of curiosity. He simply pointed to his forehead with a light smirk, causing her eyes to widen as she lit up her horn and teleported upright and outside of the cupboard.

She coughed in embarrassment and seated herself across the table from him, fiddling with her hooves as she looked down into her lap. She struggled to find words, and continued to grow increasingly uncomfortable as silent seconds passed. She couldn't help but notice that the arrangement of the table had changed, with the cutlery and pottery now being perfectly symmetrical.

"So, what happened, Twilight?" She was ripped from her thoughts by Miles' voice.

"Oh, just Discord pulling another one of his pranks on me... Ehehe..."

"Hmm... Well, as long as you're okay," replied Miles. He leaned forwards, looking directly into her eyes. Upon noticing his hand begin to move across the surface of the table, Twilight looked over at the cooker hastily.

"Oh! The dinner must be done by now!" She hopped down from the seat and trotted over to the cooker, lifting the lid of the biggest pan and taking a sniff after a shy glance over her withers.

Miles remained seated, looking slightly irritated as he bore holes through her neck with his stare. This mare was clearly emotionally juvenile, which would make his job both easier and harder simultaneously. He tsked to himself before standing and making his way over to Twilight's side. His gut had told him to choose her and he would not turn his back on it.

"It smells delicious, Twilight. We humans are omnivorous, so this should do just fine." Miles leaned across and sniffed at the steam wafting from the pan.

It took every ounce of his composure to avoid explosively filling the pan further.

"Oh, excellent! Let's get this plated up, then." Twilight dished out some of the soups in a selection for Miles, and the two seated themselves across from each other.

"My goodness, Twilight. I only just arrived and you're already wine and dining me...? Whatever did I do to deserve the honour of a private meal with a princess?" Miles slowly rotated his spoon around in the bowl closest to him, lifting up the alarmingly slimy, steaming broth to his lips and placing the end of the spoon holding the liquid into his mouth. He hummed contentedly, feeling thankful the food did not taste quite as bad as it smelled. "Delicious soup, by the way. Thankyou."

Twilight giggled into a hoof as she poured the now uncorked wine into some glasses and floated one over to Miles. "Well, Spike and Starlight tend to take care of their own meals since I'm not much of a..." She looked off to the side for a moment before catching herself. "Ahem... what I mean is that they've already eaten, so that's why it's just the two of us for today." She began slurping at her own after a moment before realising he had complimented her. "Oh! I-I'm not a good cook, but thankyou..."

The room fell near-silent for the next few minutes, with nothing but the sounds of wooden spoons scraping against pottery and the slurping of soup filling the void. Neither felt uncomfortable, and Miles watched her every move like a viper waiting to strike, yet remained careful not to be caught staring.

Twilight seemed unsure of herself, awkward in her movements, perhaps lacking in pride. Turns out she was the perfect choice, after all.

Miles smiled to himself as he slurped another spoonful of soup. He grabbed the last of his bread and wiped it around the inside of his third small bowl of soup, finishing the food with a smack of his lips. He reached into his pocket in search of a napkin, but must have misplaced it in the fight shortly before he had been taken to this world.

Patting down his pocket to smooth it out, he instead reached across to his right to procure a napkin from a stack resting in a small, hatched trunk lying open at the edge of the table. As he slowly and deliberately brought the napkin to his lips, he looked down into Twilight's face with interest.

Twilight noticed him dabbing at his mouth, and suddenly felt severely self-conscious. Was she making a mess of herself? Was she being improper? Her horn lit up and she roughly yanked a couple of napkins from the top of the stack, causing the one underneath the two she had pulled off to fall out onto the table.

Miles hummed to himself nonchalantly and strummed his fingers across the table. This mare was an open book.

Twilight rubbed the napkins around her lips as she swallowed the last of her soup and then dropped them into her bowl with satisfaction once she was done. She was a princess; she knew dinner etiquette! She noticed Miles pick up the stray napkin from the table and flatten it out before folding it up and placing it into his breast pocket, making sure to line up the edges perfectly.

Twilight was about to comment on this when Miles broke the silence. "That was wonderful, Twilight. Thankyou, once again." He interlocked his fingers and leaned very slightly across the table towards Twilight, silently demanding her attention. "Now, what is the plan for me going to Discord and Fluttershy's little get-together?"

Twilight matched his lean, drawn in by the tone of his voice. "Oh! Yes, they'd be willing to have you at three tomorrow," she replied. "I'm honestly impressed by how quickly you've picked up everypony's names!"

Miles chuckled. "Well, you are all aliens. I've never encountered creatures like any of you before, so I suppose you just stand out well in my memory."

Twilight lowered her face and fiddled with her hooves. "T-True," she responded, lamely.

A few more seconds of silence passed. Eventually, Miles smiled and said, "So, you've spoken with those two already about timings?"

She appeared somewhat panicked for a moment in the context of her earlier conversation with Discord. "Ah, y-yeah... Discord told me to t-tell you the timing when he pranked me earlier, hehe..." She fiddled nervously with her hooves. "Of course, I'll escort you there since you haven't yet been around the town."

Miles raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, you got to speak with him? And you were chatting about little ol' me?"

Twilight began to sweat slightly, not wanting to be caught in a lie, her guilt dragging her towards the floor as gravity's pull suddenly felt about ten times as powerful. "W-Well, yeah, since you just arrived here and all, and this situation is so bizarre; it's hard for discussion of you not to come up, you know?" She grinned nervously at him and silently prayed. "Also, you're definitely not 'little'. A-At least when compared to us ponies."

Miles sat in silence for a few moments, locking his eyes to hers like a laser. He smiled and chuckled once he noticed her begin to squirm. "Of course, Twilight. That makes sense." He tapped her hoof with a finger. "And yes, you ponies are quite small. Certainly smaller than the ponies from my world."

Twilight's eyes widened and began to twinkle. "There are ponies in your world, too?" She let out a squee of excitement. "That's another thing to add to our list of things to talk about!"

She summoned a quill and parchment out of thin air, adding to the bottom of it eagerly. Miles felt his heart sink at the sheer length of the list. He coughed into a fist as she blipped the list away. She jumped slightly at his cough, bringing her nerves back in full force.

Miles said, "Regardless, I look forward to tomorrow; that little butter-yellow pony seems ever so kind."

"W-Well it's unsurprising that you'd think that. She is the element of kindness, after all."

"Oh? What does that mean, exactly? I seem to be missing some context there."

"Ah, yes, I didn't tell you about the Elements of Harmony yet..." She held a hoof to her lip for a moment. "Never mind - that's a story for another day. It's gotten so late so fast! Spike and Starlight are probably in bed already." She stood from her seat and magicked the dishes into the sink, ready for Spike to wash come morning. She also covered the leftovers in the various pans with their respective lids. "W-Well, I should probably be heading off to bed for the night. Feel free to take a look around the castle or simply go up to your room and hit the hay."

Miles looked over at her from his seat as she hastily trotted for the door. He chuckled. "I certainly hope it isn't a bale of hay waiting for me. I thank you once again for your hospitality, princess." His voice was warm. Twilight's hoofsteps slowed as she turned to look at him with a smile.

"Goodnight, Miles," she said.

"Goodnight, Twilight." Miles listened to her trot down the hall and up some nearby stairs.

Once certain she was out of earshot, he mumbled to himself with a gentle smile as he flipped and caught a leftover wooden spoon he had held on to. "Strike..."

Author's Note

02/10/2024 - Touched up with some additions/fixes.

Tea Stains

Piercing rays of golden sunlight slipped between the cracks of the curtains in Miles's guest room. Unfortunately for him, they were placed across his eye-line. Miles slowly opened his eyes. Upon glancing at the clock to his left, he noticed it read twelve o'clock.

Miles dragged his legs across to seat himself on the side of the bed. Thankfully he slept well, as these ponies had beds that were much too long for them, and so it suited his large frame quite well. He still berated himself for oversleeping, though. He had been glad to note the previous evening that their bathrooms were also seemingly identical to those on Earth.

He stood from his bed, straightening himself up to his full height with a crack of his back. He then made his way over to the chair leaning against the radiator under the curtains, which held his clothes upon it, neatly folded into a pile. He took his clothes in hand and brought them into the bathroom to put on after a shower. He barely fit in the shower, but made it work well enough to clean himself of any leftover carnage from yesterday. After being cleaned and dressed, Miles began to make his way around the castle, taking himself on a self-guided tour. He had not taken Twilight up on her offer to explore the castle the previous night.

As he plodded along, making sure his posture was perfect at every moment, Miles cast his mind back to the previous day, and found himself struggling to come to terms with all that had transpired. In the space of a near-instant, he had seemingly travelled across dimensions. Unless he had fallen into some kind of coma and was currently dreaming of rainbows and unicorns. However, this whole experience seemed much too vivid for that to be the case.

Miles chuckled to himself as he mused over how this entire ordeal felt even stranger now that he'd had some time to digest it than it did in the immediate moments following his arrival.

He eventually reached a door and heard voices chattering behind it. Upon opening the door, he was greeted by the other three inhabitants of the home eating breakfast over a small table. Twilight looked over in his direction and her eyes lit up immediately. "Oh! Miles, you're just in time for breakfast. Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"I slept splendidly, thank you, princess," replied Miles.

"Princess?" Starlight spoke up, sounding disgusted by the almost affectionate tone Miles had used.

"Yes. She is a princess, isn't she?" Miles raised an eyebrow at her as he made his way over to the table. Twilight subconsciously gulped as she noted how heavy his footsteps seemed. Miles then seated himself across from Twilight and between Spike and Starlight.

Yeah, I suppose she is..." mumbled Starlight. The stools at this table were a little smaller than the seats they had used the previous night, so Miles had to hunch uncomfortably so as to not push Starlight and Spike off of their seats with his broad shoulders. With the four of them huddled over a small table like this, the size disparity between them became more vividly noticeable than it was before, and Starlight in particular began to look very uncomfortable. Miles noted the uncomfortable expression on her face was not one of fear. She shrunk away from him, as though touching his arm would give her some kind of disease.

Twilight had her cheeks stuffed full of pancakes like a chipmunk as she ate faster than her little body should have been capable of. She looked over at Miles with shimmering eyes, gesturing to the huge stack of pancakes to her right. "Miuws, feew fwee ug-" Twilight tried to speak before swallowing, causing her to choke briefly.

Miles gritted his teeth slightly as he looked down at the table in front of him, hearing Spike and Starlight giggling quietly at his sides. Spike was the first to speak. "Twilight... You might wanna work on swallowing all those pancakes before you try to speak... pfff" Starlight simply held her hoof to her mouth in an attempt to muffle her giggles, but to no avail.

Twilight bolted upright in her seat, flushing a deep crimson as she hastily swallowed the full quarter pound of pancakes held within her apparently cavernous cheeks, wincing slightly as it all painfully slid down her oesophagus. She panted slightly and said, "Ehehe... S-Sorry... As I was saying: Miles, feel free to take some pancakes for breakfast and use anything you'd like from the kitchen."

"How come we're in a different kitchen from last night?" Miles questioned as he glanced up from the table and rolled his jaw in an attempt to loosen it once more.

"Well, I'm glad you asked! This kitchen has better suited storage for breakfast time, and is positioned better for required accessibility and any atmospheric-"

"-What Twilight is trying to say is we have different kitchens for different stuff, since this castle is big." Spike deadpanned, cutting off Twilight.

Twilight frowned. She then simply went back to stuffing her cheeks with pancakes. Miles said, "I see... Well, I don't mind if I do, then." He reached over and grabbed three pancakes with a pair of prongs, however appeared slightly troubled by the pancakes, glancing feverishly between the large stack and the ones he had chosen.

Spike and Twilight were busy stuffing their faces, but Starlight took note of his expression in earnest. He began to sweat slightly, seemingly making his mind up after a few moments. He placed the middle pancake of the three he had chosen back onto the pile and then split the pile in a specific point, selecting a pancake from around the middle and substituting it for the one he had previously. He then rebuilt the stack and moved it back over to the side of the table, now seemingly somewhat content with his choice.

After one final cautious glance in Miles' direction, Starlight went back to her own breakfast, wanting nothing more than to be done with her food and far away from this creature.

Twilight broke the silence that followed. "So, Miles, how's about I show you around town before you go meet up with Discord and Fluttershy at her place? Princess Celestia messaged me this morning already and told me she's issued a local notice of your arrival to the citizens, so there should be little panic if you go out and about."

"That sounds great, Twilight; I can't wait." Miles smiled at Twilight as they continued to eat. Once they were done, Spike waddled over to wash the dishes as Twilight made her way towards the exit of the castle immediately. Starlight was already nowhere to be seen once again. "Hold on there, princess. I only have two legs," Miles teased.

"Please, call me Twilight; it feels weird to be addressed as a princess for me, still." Miles grimaced subtly.

"Alright, Twilight," he said.

Once they had made their way outside, Miles got his first taste of life in this world beyond the looking-glass. "Wow... So you ponies live in a world that's almost as colourful as you are."

"Yeah, it sure is a nice town... We don't have enough time for me to show you everything, but I can take you on a quick tour to the more well-known spots. Come on!" Twilight sprinted off to the right while giggling to herself, seemingly excited to show her world to Miles. She had expected another remark from him about how he only had half as many legs as her, but to her surprise he matched her speedy pace with no issue. He actually appeared quite content.

Twilight, however, was unable to keep this pace for long, and so slowed with heavy breaths as they reached their first landmark. "T-This... Is Sugarcube Corner, where Pinkie stays with the Cake family and sells baked goods... Huff..."

The many ponies walking around the market square showed varied levels of reaction. Some slowed their pace, looking up at Miles seemingly in awe, interest or fear; others picked up their pace, dashing away in fear or shovelling their children off.

It seemed these ponies were quite skittish; he hadn't done anything since his arrival and yet many were already terrified of him. Miles chuckled to himself for a moment, while Twilight looked up at him in confusion.

"What's so funny? Don't mind those ponies, Miles, they'll get used to you soon enough. Us ponies value love and tolerance above all else, so you're unlikely to experience a lot of discrimination from them once they get to know how gentle you really are."

Miles's laughter picked up. He held his stomach as he chortled. His laugh was exceedingly loud, and Twilight's ears pinned against her head in embarrassment as she looked around in a panic. "M-Miles, you're not helping yourself here!"

"I-I'm sorry, Twilight. Perhaps it's just nerves getting to me, you know?" Miles feigned the wiping away of a tear in his eye as his laughter died down.

"I guess I can understand that..." trailed Twilight.

"Excellent," Miles said, clearing his throat. "So, where to next, Twilight?"

"Well-" Twilight suddenly stopped, leaving Miles confused. She was looking off behind him with an unreadable expression.

Miles turned around, following her gaze. At the end of it he found a small, green pony approaching him with apparent wonderment. He found his eyebrow climbing.

The green pony said, "H-Hello there..."

Another female. Miles took a step towards her and smiled. He replied, "Hi."

Her jaw seemingly came loose. Miles took note of her legs quivering the slightest bit. She remained silent, gawping at the human for what felt to Twilight like an eternity. Miles held the green pony's eye hostage, crossing his arms as he tilted his head to the side. His smirk grew.

Eventually, Twilight could take no more and said, "Uhh, hi, Lyra. This is uh, well... I'll let him introduce himself, I guess."

To Twilight's horror, Lyra did not react at all to her words, and neither did Miles. The two remained in their staring contest. Eventually, Lyra shook her head and made to speak. However, as soon as her vocal cords began to vibrate, a cream-coloured pony trotted up to her and roughly dragged her away. The green pony yelped and tried to scramble back towards Miles.

Miles snickered and turned back to face Twilight. He said, "Well, that was certainly something."

Twilight's ears folded and she replied, "A-At least she didn't do anything bad, I guess."

They then started a staring contest of their own, with Twilight unsure of just how to follow up on such a bizarre moment. Miles took a knee in front of her and said, "So, you said we're going somewhere in particular..."

Twilight perked up and shouted, "Oh! We'll next be going to Carousel Boutique, which is Rarity's home and place of business. Maybe she can get you fitted up with some clothes sometime soon. You mentioned during our first proper conversation yesterday that you humans almost always wear clothes, right?"

"That's right, Twilight. We don't have natural coats, and it's also a public decency standard."

"Hmm, that's interesting..."

Once they had been to look at Rarity's boutique, they made their way past several landmarks of Ponyville, such as the town hall, the schoolhouse, the hospital, the School of Friendship, the day spa and a few of the various shops around the town.

Twilight and Miles were finally close to Fluttershy's home shortly before three o'clock. Twilight sighed with satisfaction and said, "Of course, there are other places, such as the train station and Sweet Apple Acres, but those are a little out of the way, so we can visit those some other time."

"That's great, Twilight. Thank you very much for the tour," replied Miles.

Twilight lifted her chin slightly, replying in a posh, joking mockery of his English accent. "You're very welcome, Miles. The pleasure is all mine." Twilight giggled to herself once she finished, not noticing Miles's slightly strained smile. He began to chuckle along with her after a few moments, however.

"Oh, aren't you funny, Twilight?"

"You know, Miles, it might just be a coincidence, but your accent sounds just like that of Octavia Melody..."

"Pray? I'm afraid I do not yet know of whom you speak." Miles smothered some extra lather on his accent in self-mockery.

Twilight's giggles erupted into laughter, and Miles laughed along with her. "I guess I can look into that coincidence later," she said as her giggles slowly began to die down. "For now, you better head on up this path here to Fluttershy's cottage; I'd guess they're already waiting for you."

Miles patted her gently on the withers. "Thanks, Twilight. I'll see you later. Do you want me to meet you back at the castle? I remember my way back from here."

"Sure! See you then!" Twilight waved at him as she trotted off and rounded the corner, peeking back around it once Miles had set off up the path. She continually berated herself for what she was about to do, but remained steadfast in her decision that it was for the greater good. Surely Miles earning Discord's stamp of approval was imperative to his integration into their world.

The short path to Fluttershy's cottage was serene and peaceful, unsurprisingly reminiscent of the mare herself. Birds seemed to flock, drawn in through shared birdsong. Their chirps harmonized with the gentle flow of a nearby stream beneath the bridge he crossed. As he approached the front door of the cottage some birds flew by his shoulder towards a birdhouse in a nearby tree. Miles hummed. He was somewhat surprised that Discord would venture anywhere near this place.

Miles cocked the joint of his forefinger and rapped on the font door, noticing its being partitioned around the midsection. He stepped back from the door in anticipation and after a few moments he heard the approaching clopping of hooves. The top half of the door slowly creaked open and a little butter-yellow head poked from behind it.

"O-Oh, Miles, good afternoon..." An almost silent voice called to him. "Come on in; you're right on time. Discord is here already, so..." She appeared as though she wanted to say more, but instead found herself rubbing her forehooves together. Eventually, she spoke, somehow even quieter than before. "J-Just sit, uhm... Feel free t-to sit with Discord while I go, uhm..." She squinted her eyes closed and the bottom half of the door opened. She lowered her head and trotted deeper into the house with her strawberry-pink tail tucked.

Miles had to crouch down to fit through the door, but was pleased to note the ceiling of the interior was much higher than the doorway. The inside of Fluttershy's cottage was as warm and homely as one would expect, with various ornaments and critter beds scattered throughout, including picture frames of Fluttershy with her friends and many of her with Discord. Miles blinked slowly and rolled his tongue.

As expected, Discord was sitting across the room upon a large chair, with a small table in front of him. Two other chairs had been pulled up around that same table. Discord quickly noted his presence and waved at him cheerfully.

"Miles! So good to see you again! Won't you join me?" Discord gestured to the chair across from his with a paw. "Fluttershy won't be long; she's quite adept at preparing tea." Miles walked across the room and over to his seat without a word.

Miles heard a very muffled, slight twinkling sound to his left for a moment. He looked over at the window, but saw nothing. Before he could investigate further, Discord cleared his throat loudly. Miles leaned back and smiled at Discord, offering up a hand. "Good to see you again too, Discord," he said. "I must admit I've been quite looking forward to this; I feel as though our impressions of each other yesterday were somewhat unsavoury." Miles offered up his right hand. "To a better introduction?"

Discord reached out and took Miles's hand in his paw. "Agreed. To better times." They shook and released without a hitch. Discord then snapped his talons and summoned up a large plate of cucumber sandwiches. "Care for a cucumber sandwich while we wait for dear Fluttershy?"

"Did you already have these prepared?" Miles questioned with a raised brow.

"Oh, no no no, I can create these at will. Fluttershy and the rest of our friends certainly seem to enjoy them... Although, Pinkie Pie seems to prefer my chocolate rain..." Discord turned his head away and looked at Miles from the corner of his eye with a slight smirk.

"Chocolate... Rain?" Miles raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Discord had already tipped the entire plate of sandwiches into his mouth (including the plate itself) and summoned up another. "Yes, chocolate rain," he said simply between chews.

"I think I'll be okay for now, Discord, but thank you for the offer." Miles seemed troubled by something.

"Well, if you'd prefer, I could make something else for you... Is there anything else you'd like to eat? Just name it and it's yours," offered Discord.

Miles frowned slightly in disbelief and replied, "You can create food from nothing?"

Discord nodded. "I can create anything from nothing, Miles. I'm Discord, the Lord of Chaos; I can do anything!" Discord raised his arms to his sides and lifted his chin. Trumpets sounded behind his head and showered them both with confetti that dissipated before it touched anything.

Miles sat in silence as he watched the sandwiches on Discord's plate split their crusts from their whites roughly. Discord noticed Miles's chest pocket contained a neatly folded napkin. He then closely watched Miles's expression as he ate the crusts and haphazardly mushed the whites into a ball. He placed the ball into a pocket that he pulled out from his chest, which snapped shut and showed no signs of ever having existed. He then daintily patted the place the pocket had been and summoned up a fresh plate of sandwiches on the table between them.

Discord pretended not to notice Miles shuffling in irritation, instead summoning up a nail file and filing his claws absentmindedly as the gentle clip-clop of Fluttershy's hooves approached from the kitchen. She trotted into the room with her tiny rabbit friend Angel Bunny in tow carrying a small cup of sugar.

"So sorry I took so long. Th-The kettle has been acting up a lot lately..." Fluttershy lifted the tea tray from her back with her mouth and placed it close to the centre of the table. As Fluttershy trotted over to her seat, she thanked Angel for his help and he hopped off upstairs. She hummed uncertainly in her usual angelic voice as she seated herself. Discord noticed Miles wringing his hands slightly beneath the table and staring intently at the tea tray.

Discord looked over at Fluttershy and cheerfully remarked. "Oh, no worries, dearest. Miles and I got to have a nice chat while you were away. I feel we're on much better terms, now. Isn't that right, Miles?"

"Hm?" Miles seemed distracted by the tray, yet did his best to remain polite. "Oh. Yes, I do believe I can agree."

Fluttershy clopped her hooves together. "Oh, wonderful! How's about we get started with some tea, then? Discord, do you mind if I take a few of these sandwiches?"

"Of course, dear, take as many as you'd like." Discord's eyes were half-lidded. He felt glad to see Fluttershy's nerves dulling with him around.

"Thankyou..." Fluttershy gently beat her wings. She grabbed some sandwiches and placed them on a small, pearly plate. She placed it on the arm of her chair and then went back to remove the three teacups from the tray and placed one in front of every individual at the table. She then reached back for the teapot. However, she felt her hoof be stopped by a gentle push from Miles's hand. Discord visibly bristled in his seat.

"Please, allow me, Fluttershy. I have longer... Appendages." Miles hummed as he looked into Fluttershy's eyes. His dulcet tones rumbled the table beneath her hoof. She then giggled lightly and leaned back into her chair.

"Of course... Thank you, Miles," she said. She looked up at Discord with her baby blues. "Isn't he a sweetheart, Discord?"

Discord screwed up his face at his friend's comment and quietly mumbled as he looked off to his right, "Yes, yes, a real sweetheart..."

Discord noticed Miles use his reaching for the teapot as an excuse to nudge the tea tray directly into the centre of the table. Discord then looked over towards the wall of the house. He could see Twilight looking through with her magic. He hoped she could also see Miles's odd behaviour.

Discord signalled towards Miles subtly with his eyes as he looked at the wall, but flinched as he noticed Miles glaring at him. Miles poured Fluttershy's tea into her cup without breaking his lock.

Discord swiftly looked back over in Fluttershy's direction with a smile and smoothed over his beard as Miles came over to pour his drink for him. Miles looked into Discord's face with a friendly smile. Once again, he began to pour Discord's drink without looking at what he was doing. Discord's blood chilled by just a few degrees.

Fluttershy appeared pleased as she watched the two, but Discord remained frozen. Miles's gaze stripped Discord down to his soul. At that precise moment, Discord returned the smile. His essence writhed and creased in a chaotic storm. Miles set the teapot down. The gentle clink caused the pair to blink, severing their spiritual mingle with a silent screech.

Miles's gaze slowly turned towards the wall Discord had been looking at, and Miles couldn't help but notice this was the direction from which he had heard a twinkling sound when he first entered the cottage. Discord began to sweat slightly as he cleared his throat and said, "Thankyou, Miles. Me being the Lord of Chaos - I could have filled them all instantly myself - but I appreciate the gesture."

Miles turned back to face Discord as he sat back down in his seat. "Of course. My pleasure."

Discord detached his arm and wrapped it around Fluttershy, pulling her close. She eeped. "Oh, Fluttershy, I have to say," he mused as he sipped from his cup, "this tea is delicious... What kind is it today?"

Fluttershy appeared startled, as this was the same tea she had prepared for him many times, but answered honestly regardless. "O-Oh... Thank you, Discord. This is just normal yellow tea..." Fluttershy had noticed their gazes wondering over to her wall, and so she grew anxious that she had perhaps left something embarrassing over there. She feared she would simply drop dead on the spot if either of them spotted her secret saucy writing projects.

Fluttershy began to shake a little bit as she quickly scanned that area of the cottage for anything she might have left there near the images of herself and Discord... Thankfully, she couldn't see anything she feared she might have left lying around, and so breathed a sigh of relief.

Miles returned his gaze over to the other two members of the gathering, and suddenly clapped his hands together in an effort to reset the mood. His clap made Fluttershy flinch into herself and hide behind her mane. He continued, "Alright, that should be everyone sorted. Now, let's see how good this tea is..." Miles lifted his cup to his lips, flicked his eyebrows up at Fluttershy and took a sip, finding that he did indeed enjoy its contents. "Discord is correct, Fluttershy; this tea is indeed quite tasty."

"Th-Thankyou..." she replied.

Silence reigned over the table for the next minute, as everyone sipped from their cups. Surprisingly, this included Discord. Miles finished off the last of his beverage first and set down the cup in satisfaction. He then leaned back in his chair and spoke up in a teasing tone. "So, is this all you guys do: sit and drink tea in silence every week? Or do you, you know...?" He bit his lip and touched his fingers together. He suppressed a chortle.

Fluttershy looked down at her cup and fidgeted with its rim. A deep red flush threatened to spill off the sides of her face.

Discord merely frowned at Miles and said, "I'm not sure what you're implying. We simply have a nice chat about our lives and enjoy each other's company, like best friends do." Discord and Miles stared each other down for a few moments.

Fluttershy felt the atmosphere begin to crush her shoulders.

"I... I'll be right back..." Fluttershy meeped. She flapped her wings and quickly took off upstairs, leaving Discord and Miles alone once more.

Miles looked over at Discord with a slight grin. "Well, that one went down like a lead balloon, eh?" Miles elbowed Discord in the side, and Discord felt tempted to drop a lead balloon over his head, but resisted the urge. Miles paused, his smile disappearing. "You know I was kidding, right?"

"In case you couldn't tell, Miles: dearest Fluttershy is a sensitive soul." Discord tossed his cup into the air and it fell onto the tray directly on top of Miles's, the two slotting together perfectly. Miles noticed this and grated his teeth. Discord continued, "I'm going to go up and check on Fluttershy. I suggest you get going for today." The door to the cottage flung open.

Miles peered through the exit and smacked his lips. "Hmm... Alright, no problem. I'll see you around. Send Fluttershy my kindest regards and utmost apologies." Miles cracked his knuckles as he made for the exit, hearing another twinkling sound come from the wall as he approached the door. Miles exited the door and glanced over to the right, yet saw nothing from whence the twinkling sound came. The door closed roughly behind him and he cracked his neck with a twist.

Miles kicked a stray stone from the path into the stream running below the small bridge leading to Fluttershy's home as he made his way back towards the castle. "A sensitive soul... 'Best friends'..." Miles laughed quietly to himself. The next piece of the puzzle reared its head in his mind's eye.

Author's Note

06/10/2024 - Touched up with some changes/additions.

Straws

Miles made his way along the path he remembered as leading back into town and towards Twilight's castle. His mind went back to the tea party and its unsavoury conclusion. He would get back into Fluttershy's good books later; she seemed like the easily forgiving type.

As he made his way into the town square, the cobblestone paths almost seemed to shine in the sunlight as ponies ventured to and fro across his vision, presumably running errands as they lived out their daily routines. Various stalls bustled with life and conversation as ponies interacted with everyone as though they were lifelong friends.

The entire situation felt somewhat familiar to Miles, yet uncanny in that the creatures in front of him were unlike anything else he had experienced in his life. The bizarre nature of the environment was beginning to sink in once Miles was allowed to soak it in without personal company.

On the other side of the square sat the bakery he remembered Twilight referring to as 'Sugarcube Corner'. Twilight had promised him a supporting income, but he was determined to begin earning his own way towards his ultimate goal, lest he feel bittersweet in its conclusion. And so, without delay, Miles made for Sugarcube Corner, as it was the nearest landmark that he could draw reference to.

As he made his way across the square, ponies appeared to dodge and weave out of his path as though he were parting the red sea. Noticeably, Twilight seemed to be correct in that Equestria was mostly inhabited by females. From what she told him, the ratio is supposedly three to one in favour of mares, and a quick head count seemed to support that hypothesis - there must have been a lot of lonely mares in this world.

The males seemed only marginally larger than the females, with a slightly different body shape. They still held very similar anthropomorphic qualities and an uncomfortably large amount of human character in their faces. Miles could not help but feel this was uncanny.

They were supposedly 'ponies', and yet their similarities to any ponies he had ever known started and stopped with their quadrupedal nature and general body shape. They were supposedly prey animals, and yet their eyes faced forward...

He saw some ponies standing and even moving around on two legs here and there in order to perform certain activities or for the purpose of emoting, and due to their stout body shape, they were not much taller on two legs than four - another far cry from any equines he had ever seen. Miles still found this entire scenario unbelievable, and yet here he was seeing it all with his very own eyes.

This world was so full of colour and vibrancy. The way the light danced and the ambience bubbled held such a stark contrast to the muted world he was used to that he almost felt his head throb. Should Twilight's claim that he had been brought here through dimensions be true, then he had great reason to be excited at his prospects in the long run. He almost looked forward to seeing his recent chum Jarvis again.

As he continued to walk, the expressions on ponies' faces varied, with many seeming terrified much like before, while others were seemingly intrigued, confused or even disgusted by his presence. Their faces were so exaggeratedly expressive that Miles saw nothing but an all you can eat buffet. It would take an extremely skilled pony to hide any of their emotion from him.

Many of the ponies began whispering to each other, and Miles could only glean snippets of what they were saying. They appeared to be talking about him, as their eyes kept pointing in his direction as they spoke, often in an almost cartoonish manner. A small group of three pegasus mares nearby began giggling to each other in a small huddle with their hooves to their mouths in a futile attempt to stifle their chatter.

In the brief moment they were not watching him, Miles walked over to the group. The rest of the square gasped and retreated behind the various stalls, yet did not flee. The mares continued to laugh and chatter as he eventually reached them and caught the tail-end of their conversation.

"... exotic..." one of the mares purred. She was an earth pony with a blazing red coat. She had a long, deep blue mane with white highlights. Her face had been dolled up with makeup to perfection, perhaps rivalling even that of the small white pony he had met earlier. Strangely, a pony in makeup did not feel particularly odd to him when considering how human-like these creatures were.

"But he might be dangerous... D-Did you see his sharp teeth? What if he eats ponies...?" the smallest mare said, sounding and looking somewhat like Fluttershy in terms of mannerisms. She was a unicorn whose mane was a dull purple of middling length, and her coat was a silky smooth chocolate brown with faun highlights running up her legs, almost looking like long socks. Her baby blue eyes squinted with visible anxiety.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't mind if he ate m-" the red mare began, yet swiftly bit her tongue as the final mare tapped her on the withers and pointed behind her with a shaky hoof. This final mare was a pegasus with an amber coat that glistened slightly with the residues of sweat in the sweltering heat. Her short, pink mane quivered as she pointed.

The red mare whipped around to be met with Miles leaning over her and the rest of the group, now down on one knee to bring him much closer to their level. Miles merely waited in silence for a few moments with a polite smile, waiting for one of them to attempt to speak.

The moment the red mare opened her mouth, Miles began speaking. "Good afternoon, ladies. Apologies in advance for the specific question, but I'm in a bit of a hurry: you wouldn't happen to know if there's a board around here offering odd-jobs from commissioning customers or anything like that, would you?" The mares' eyes widened as he spoke. The red mare wiped her lip with a hoof.

"... U-Uh-" the red mare stuttered, but was cut off as Miles clasped a hand over her snout - a snout so short it could easily pass for a nose. The shy, brown mare frowned.

"Feel free to think for a few moments before you reply," said Miles. "Take your time. Say, while you think that over, may I inquire as to what you three were giggling about as I came over? I must admit that I hate to miss out on a good joke!"

The amber mare spoke up. "O-Oh, nothing... We were just talking about... Our trip to the day spa! Yep!"

"Oh, I see... 'Exotic' session, was it?" grumbled Miles.

"Y-Yeah, you could say that..."

"Well, I didn't say that, Miss... Your friend here did!" Miles laughed as he roughly released the red mare's mouth. She remained frozen, her friends looking at her in suspense. Judging from their expressions, Miles would say these were very close friends indeed, considering they appeared as though they were expecting her reaction.

The red mare eventually took her hoof and pushed the locks of her mane back over her neck. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, feeling grateful for her crimson coat in that moment. The amber pegasus merely rolled her eyes and looked away.

Miles couldn't help but feel frustrated. Had he truly lost his touch, or were these ponies simply spoiled by peaceful circumstance?

"Well, I don't know about any boards per se," the red pony said, "but I can think of a couple things you could do for me if you're looking to make a few bits..." As the mare winked at him and giggled, Miles immediately felt himself losing his temper.

He stared intently at the floor for a few moments.

"Well, I'll keep you in mind, Miss. However, I'm afraid I must spend my time finding a stable source of clientele." Miles rose back to his full height. The mares looked up at him, with the red mare seeming somewhat disappointed and downtrodden. With a strained smile, he gave them a brief wave as he made his way over to Sugarcube Corner once more.

Once Miles was out of earshot, the girls began chattering in a hushed whisper once again as the rest of the ponies in the square began to peek out from their hiding places and visually check on the three mares before resuming their activities. The amber mare chided, "Well, looks like there'll be no hot monkey dick for you, you dumb sl- oof-"

"Are you sure you wanna finish that sentence, Nougat?!" the red mare hissed with a snarl after shoving her friend.

"-Can you two stop fighting, please?" The brown mare finally spoke once again, yet this time her gentle voice could have flash-frozen a lake. Her two friends were brought to attention immediately. Her posture became more rigid and her eyes seemed to shine with determination. "It seems our new monkey friend has some... Reservations... The papers said he was unwillingly pulled from another dimension, so he's likely just scared at the moment." She looked over at the red pony. "But, I'm sure we can get you what you want, Match..." She stepped away from her friends, who continued to discreetly bicker behind her as they slapped at each others' hooves when they thought she wasn't looking.

She whipped around and caught them in the act. "Girls! Stop this. Now." She walked off to the side of the square and out of the way of passing ponies, with the other two naturally following her lead.

"S-Sorry, Muddy..." The red mare lowered her head.

Muddy sighed and walked back up to Match, bringing her into an embrace. "Is this something you want?" Muddy asked. Match nodded. "I don't quite know what you see in that creature, but I will get you what you want. I always have, haven't I?" Match nodded into her embrace, breathing a sigh of comfort as she began to nuzzle into the crook of Muddy's neck. Considering that Muddy was somewhat smaller than the other two mares, Match had to lean down to do this.

Nougat stepped forward, seeming somewhat reluctant to speak. An understanding and affectionate look from Muddy was all it took to coerce her into speaking her mind. "Y-You know, if Match wants help... I wouldn't mind, uh... Helping out... N-Not that I want to or anything!" She looked off to the side indignantly as she breathed through her nose.

Muddy broke her embrace with Match and trotted up to Nougat, bringing her face around with a hoof and gently forcing her to look into her eyes. Nougat felt her nerves unwind as Muddy's loving gaze melted away her concerns.

Nougat huffed and puffed up her cheeks with a blush, causing Muddy to laugh to herself. Once Muddy stepped away and seated herself on a patch of grass nearby, Nougat's facade seemed to break down a little as her excitement took over and she jumped over to Match. Match now jumped into her hold and they bounced around together, giggling like school fillies as they chatted away.

"I wanna know where he came from!" shouted Nougat.

"We never even got his name..." whispered Match.

Muddy watched them both with adoration as they continued to natter about the alien creature. She looked off towards Sugarcube Corner, wherein their new monkey friend now lay, running various scenarios through her mind.

She was broken from her thoughts as Match sauntered over to her. "So, you girls actually wanna take a trip to the spa today? I need some way to unwind after our run-in with that hunk," Match purred once again with a brief, distant look in her eyes. She caught herself and cleared her throat before continuing. "M-My treat!" She looked down at her pristine hooves in slight concern. "I do need a hooficure, now that I think about it..."

Nougat trotted over and grabbed Match's head, teasingly ruffling up her immaculately-styled mane, much to the mare's horror. "Bah! You and your petty makeups; you should try going eu naturale once in a while," said Nougat. She released Match's head and lifted her chin with a sarcastic flutter of the eyelashes.

"My mane! My beautiful mane!" cried Match. Nougat merely laughed and nudged her playfully on the shoulder.

Muddy stood to her hooves as her posture shrunk down once more and her shy demeanour returned. "W-Well, I think a trip to the spa sounds very relaxing... Let's go!"

After a few moments of fiddling with her mane to bring it back in order, Match celebrated. "Yes!" She then took off at a run towards the spa.

"Guh! Fine..." Nougat followed after her at a more reserved pace.

"W-Wait up! My legs aren't as long as yours..." Muddy scrambled to follow them both as the sun slowly began to lower in the bright blue sky.

Miles stepped through the entrance of Sugarcube Corner, having to lower his head to fit through the door, as usual. Once he raised his head once more, he heard the gentle jingle of the bell attached above the door. Much to his irritation, the entire establishment went silent upon his arrival; various ponies halted with their mouths open and food left just inches away from their gaping maws.

A short, seemingly overweight mare behind the counter gasped and trotted away into the kitchen, returning with the pony he was reluctantly pleased to see. Pinkie gasped when she saw him and floated in the air for a few seconds. "Miles! Hi! Watcha doin' here today?" The rest of the establishment seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and return to their activities upon Pinkie's words, causing Miles to raise an eyebrow. Pinkie launched herself at Miles from across the room and attached herself to the front of his clothes as she pressed her short muzzle against his nose.

Miles reached around behind her neck and grabbed her by the scruff. Her legs went limp like a puppy and her eyes seemed slightly confused as he placed her back down on all fours.

"Pink pony. Do you mind if we have a chat somewhere more private?" Miles casually dusted off his shirt as he spoke, glancing around the store with frustration.

"Sure! Follow me!" Pinkie began bouncing across the store and behind the counter, passing the plump mare. the latter pony appeared somewhat distressed.

"Pinkie, are you sure you want to-" The mare was cut off as Miles walked past her, causing her to jump backwards and look up at him fearfully. Miles ignored her as he followed Pinkie deeper into the back of the store.

A somewhat tall, thin stallion was holding some paperwork in his hoof. He looked down at it and made his way past Pinkie towards the overweight mare. He said, "Honey, do you think we can handle all these- Woah!" The stallion scrambled to press himself against the wall as Miles walked past him, dropping all his papers in the process.

Miles stopped and looked down at the stallion, who was now frozen in terror and glancing nervously back towards Pinkie. The stallion then looked over at the overweight mare, who Miles assumed was his wife. He spoke in an extremely hushed voice, as though Miles would tear him in half if he made too much noise or moved too many muscles on his face. "H-Honey... The kids..." The stallion signalled to his wife with his eyes.

The overweight mare shrugged in frustration and seemed torn over what to do. "I-I don't..."

Miles leaned down and gathered up the stallion's papers, neatly stacking them into a pile and handing them to him. "Good afternoon, sir," he said before looking over at the mare and nodding in acknowledgement. "Miss."

The two remained perplexed, yet visibly relaxed as Miles followed where he'd last seen Pinkie Pie hop off to.

Pinkie slammed open the door to her room and began bouncing on her bed wordlessly. Miles followed her inside and gently closed the door. Pinkie stared at him as she bounced with a large grin on her face. It seemed she was waiting for him to speak. "So, Pinkie Pie..." The name slithered off his tongue like toxic waste. "You seem like the outgoing type. I figured that you might know a fair bit about this town, considering you work here - is that correct?"

"Yepperoo!" Pinkie replied.

"So, would you happen to know if there is anywhere around town I can go to look into finding people with D.I.Y needs that they would like addressed?" Miles began pacing around the side of the room at a snail's pace, observing the various party assets and bright coloured streamers cascading around Pinkie's room. He pulled the part of the quill he had taken from the castle from his pocket and began fiddling around with it, making sure Pinkie could see him do so.

Pinkie immediately seemed distracted from his question. "Ooooh! Whatcha' got there?" Pinkie bounced onto the floor and ran up to Miles, jumping up at him to look closer at the quill.

"Oh, I found a quill in my room last night and it unfortunately broke. I like to keep something to write with on my person at all times, and this was easy enough to fit into my pocket," he lied, his eyes becoming hazy as his distaste for this hyperactive pink pony spiked. "Would you like to take a closer look?"

As Miles reached down for her hoof, Pinkie blew a raspberry and pulled away from his grasp, actually seeming somewhat bored by this point. "Oh, pfft, it's just a silly quill? I've seen sooo many of those before!"

Miles silently snarled as his temper neared its limit. He replaced the quill into his pocket. Pinkie had made her way back over to her bed and was bouncing once again, giggling at Miles's display of anger. "Oh, you! You should find something better to carry around with you, like a party cannon!" Pinkie bounced onto the floor once more, and pulled a miniature cannon seemingly from nowhere and aimed it at Miles.

His eyes widened and his instincts kicked in. Before he could react, Pinkie let the cannon rip, and it showered him in an explosion of confetti. Miles merely stood there in confusion for a moment, before he turned his back on her and began picking the pieces of confetti from his person and dropping them to the floor. He held his fingers to his brow. Coming to this pony of all ponies had been a mistake. "Surprise!" Pinkie had appeared on top of his head, and was now leaning over his face upside-down.

Miles thudded backwards with a grunt and reached up to his head, trying to pry the pink pony from his cranium; however, once he reached for her, she was already gone, rolling around on the floor behind him with snorting laughter.

Miles turned, and Pinkie continued to giggle despite the light scowl on Miles's face. "Woooah! You're huge, so you must be strong, right? You're like a living fairground ride! Oooh, spin me round in the air! Pleasepleasepleaseplease!"

Miles picked Pinkie up by her scruff once again and held her out in front of him. He remained completely still and glared at the wall. Pinkie reached into the air and was still begging him to spin her around, but her voice had become distant white noise to him by this point. He placed his free hand into his pocket, running a finger along the tip of the quill once again as he teetered on the crux of his current ultimatum.

After a few moments, he made his move.

Author's Note

06/10/2024 - Touched up with some changes/additions.

Haggling

"Pleeeeeeeeease?!" Pinkie continued to beg as Miles made up his mind on how to deal with this pink menace. He snapped his fingers with his free hand and dropped Pinkie to the floor, trying his utmost to ignore the squeaky toy sound as she landed. "Awww! C'mon!" She pouted.

Miles turned and glanced down at the floor, noticing the wooden flooring was damaged from his stumbling earlier. He put his fingers to his chin and stroked his stubble for a moment. He raised a finger and said, "Pink pony-"

"Pinkie Pie!" she corrected.

Miles continued to stare at the floor. "Pink pony, I see you have some damage done to your flooring over here." He pointed down at the floor for her to see, but Pinkie's mind was elsewhere.

"My name is Pinkie. Pie! How did you forget already? You got it right a minute ago!" She crossed her fore-hooves across her chest with a pout as she sat back on her hind legs.

Miles approached Pinkie once again and spoke through a slightly clenched jaw. "Yes, of course... Pinkie Pie," he spat, "I came here to ask you about work, and it seems I have a potential commission sitting right here." Miles pointed down once again. "Would you ponies be willing to pay for this kind of thing to be repaired? Or is there some kind of fix-all pony magic nonsense I don't yet know of?"

"I dunno, you'll have to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Cake about that! Besides, it gives my room some character!" Pinkie returned to her bubbly exterior in an instant, closing her eyes as she bounced up to him. Once she opened them, however, the human was already gone and her door firmly closed. She hummed to herself thoughtfully for a moment before becoming distracted by a balloon in the corner of her room which had been gradually deflating over the past few days and obviously needed replacing.

Miles made his way back the way they'd come, cursing quietly to himself in frustration over his time being wasted. "Cretinous ponies..." he mumbled. As he reached the front of the store once more, Miles made his way past a slightly cowering Mrs. Cake and stood at the back of the line approaching the register she was now stationed at. Some of the ponies smiled at him as he passed them, while others cast their gaze to the floor. Miles was indifferent at this point; he needed answers.

The line gradually shortened in an agonising reflection of Miles's patience. He'd considered ignoring the line and addressing Mrs. Cake regardless, but he had a public impression to cement. A large, red stallion stood in front of Miles, chewing on a piece of hay. He had a huge, green apple adorning his flank and seemed perpetually bored.

Miles tapped the stallion on the shoulder. The stallion turned to glance over his withers. His eyes crawled up and down Miles's frame at a sluggish pace, yet he remained stoic and seemingly unaffected by Miles's presence.

Miles smiled at the stallion and placed a hand upon his hip. "Young stallion, may I ask why you chew on that little sprig in your mouth? What benefit does it bring you?"

The stallion glanced left and right, now seemingly uncomfortable. "Uh... Nope." With that, the stallion turned once again and returned to his previous state of impersonating a statue. Miles got the impression the stallion had either misheard him, or did not understand what he had said.

Miles sighed to himself and instead took a closer look around the room instead to kill the time. The many ponies chowed down on their sweet treats, their blissful little faces beaming with joy, albeit not without the occasional cautious glance in Miles's direction.

One mare greedily stuffed her face with cake, sending crumbs cascading around her and tumbling onto the floor. Miles began to grow increasingly frustrated as the colourful miniature equines went about their meaningless, insignificant business as though the world they live in were to be taken for granted.

A polite cough sounded from behind Miles. Upon coming out of his daydream, he noticed the line in front of him had dissipated and a mildly irritated, elderly mare had attempted to get him to move. Miles peered down at the mare and placed a hand to his chest. "Terribly sorry, madam. I was in a world of my own, just then."

The mare quietly hmph'd as Miles stepped up to the counter. With each step he took, the chubby mare behind the counter shrunk further towards the floor, trying her best to merge with it and disappear. "H-How can I help you, Mister...?" she stuttered.

Miles frowned and abrasively grabbed the edge of the counter as he peered over at the mare, who had now seemingly tucked her legs up into her own belly. Miles snickered slightly to himself. The mare looked and likely felt like a colourful loaf of bread.

"I don't know, you tell me," Miles said with a wink.

"What...?"

Miles frowned. "You deaf, little pony? I asked you to tell me how you can help me."

Mrs. Cake appeared flustered as she slowly rose to her shaky legs. "W-Well, you're supposed to request something from m-"

"I know, I know," he laughed, "I'm messing with you. I do hope I'm not making you too uncomfortable, miss." Miles reached out and twisted a post-it note pad next to the register so that it was now parallel with the edge of the counter. "I don't look that disgusting, do I?" He feigned insecurity as he ran his hands across his body, straightening out his clothes.

"N-No! Of course not, sir... So, what can I do for you today, i-if I may ask?" Mrs. Cake slowly settled back into her skin as Miles folded it back around her plump frame.

"Well, I noticed that there has been some damage done to the floor of Pinkie's room. I was wondering if you ponies would be willing to pay for something like that to be fixed?" Miles leaned back and rolled his shoulders as he settled his gaze upon the mare with a belated and deliberately drawn out release of breath.

Mrs. Cake thought to herself for a moment. "Well, we sometimes call someone in to fix those kinds of things, but my husband usually brings out his toolbox to fix things himself..."

Miles couldn't help but smile as his worries concerning magic preventing the flourishing of his livelihood dissipated. "Well, I don't know how much those ponies usually charge, but I can guarantee I could have it fixed in good time." His grip on the countertop stiffened.

"W-Well, I suppose I'd be happy to pay you the standard rate. Although, I'd-"

"That's great, little miss. You won't regret hiring me, I assure you." Miles interrupted the mare as he leaned across the counter and ruffled her mane. "I'll be back in a couple of hours to fix it. That sound alright to you?" Miles had already begun to walk towards the door, looking back at the mare over his shoulder.

Mrs. Cake struggled to see him past the massive line of ponies now shuffling forwards towards the counter. She said, "Y-Yes, that sounds good, but I-"

"Alright, see you later." Miles held up a hand as he made his way out of the door.

Wasting no time, Miles began looking through the various stores Twilight had briefly shown him, looking for a place to purchase the necessary tools and supplies. Eventually, he found a D.I.Y store. The interior looked somewhat dim, yet cosy, with various tools and products hanging from the ceiling and scattered across the walls.

Upon walking through the door, a drowsy-looking, youthful earth stallion with a light grey coat glanced up from the magazine he was reading on the counter. He was clearly well built, yet spooled through the magazine with clumsy movements.

His sky blue eyes went slightly wide and he dropped to all fours, assuming position behind the register. Miles immediately walked over to him. "Good afternoon, friend. How has your day been? Oh, and what are you reading there?" He reached for the magazine, noticing various mares clad in erotic clothing covering most every last inch of the pages. The stallion immediately snatched up the magazine and stashed it below the counter before Miles could touch it.

The stallion seemed reluctant to reply through his embarrassment, but hesitantly cleared his throat and forced out a mewling response. "H-Hello. What can I do you for?"

Miles stared down at the pony with half-lidded eyes and a smug smirk. It seemed there was a trend in this world concerning these ponies and their inability to answer simple questions. The pony was clearly bemused, yet couldn't keep his eyes on Miles for long before looking away. Eventually, Miles spoke up.

"Well, I'm looking for some D.I.Y supplies: sealant and the likes. You have any?" he asked.

"Oh, y-yes. Right over here, sir," the stallion replied. He trotted over to the back of the empty store, signalling to some bottles of products as well as some nails, hammers and other various tools.

"That's great." Miles said as he reached out and grabbed what he needed. The rattling of tools filled the silence that followed. "You don't mind if I pay you back later for these, right? I have no money right now, but I should be coming into some very soon."

The stallion went silent for a moment, then said, "Well, I don't usually do that for new customers, but..."

"But...?" Miles knelt down to his height and raised an eyebrow.

"But, I mean... I'm sorry, I c-can't trust new customers to pay me back like that... Especially not..." The stallion caught himself and petered out into silence before he could finish.

Miles frowned. "Especially not what?" asked Miles. The stallion began to shake on his hooves, looking between the supplies Miles was holding and the register with fervour.

"I-I can't let you do that... I'm sorry." The stallion steadied his shaking and looked up at Miles with determination. "Times are tough for me, you know...? I can't afford to take these kinds of risks."

Miles closed his eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath. He then gently grabbed the stallion's mane and pulled him close enough that the stallion's face was a mere inch from his own as he whispered, "Especially not what?"

The stallion's pupils became pinpricks as his shaking returned. "S-Sir, I-I..."

Miles noticed the stallion had tucked his tail between his legs. With a sigh, he released the pony and stood to his full height. He dusted off his sleeves and looked down at the quivering pony. "Buddy. Hey. Hey!" Miles said. With a playful smile, he used the handle of a hammer to tip the stallion's chin up.

"I'm messing with you," chuckled Miles. "Why would I want to put the business of a good pony like yourself at risk over such a small thing, hm?" The stallion reluctantly looked up into Miles's gaze and followed his lead back to the centre of the empty little store. Miles placed the various items on the counter and beckoned the stallion to join him.

"A-Ah, yes, I'm glad you understand. Times are tough for us all, you know?" The stallion said. He felt his nerves begin to ease slightly as he chuckled.

Miles smiled and replied, "Indeed. It is a shame that it has to be this way." The stallion noted how Miles sounded forlorn as he said that. "Oh well. It is what it is, I suppose." Miles stroked his hand across the handle of the hammer he had intended to purchase. "Boy, I really got you going there, right?!" He laughed, slamming the hammer down on the counter with a little more force than was natural as he finished speaking.

The stallion flinched. "Y-Yeah! Haha... I was kinda freaked out, I'm not gonna lie!" The stallion nervously laughed along with this strange, muscle-bound creature.

"No worries, buddy. I'm sorry that I took it a little too far. I just wanted to test your mettle," chuckled Miles. "You're clearly a cultured stallion, anyway, so it might help you to gain some confidence, eh?" Miles winked at the stallion and signalled under the counter with his eyes. "Ladies love a man who can stand up for himself, after all."

"Heh, yeah, you got me good... I-I'm not all that cultured... Uh, what's a 'man'?" The stallion coughed into a hoof.

Miles picked the hammer back up and tossed it between his hands, examining it closely for a moment. "Oh, right, forgive me. I'm new here. Just pretend that it means 'stallion'."

The stallion nodded. Miles then said, "Alrighty then, pal. You know, I can tell you'd be a real hit with the ladies around town if they knew just how cultured you are." He shrugged dismissively. "Oh well. Regardless, I'll be back in a little while with a payment for you." He lowered his voice as he spoke, gently laying down the hammer directly in front of the stallion with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

As Miles made for the door, the stallion began stammering from behind him. "W-Wait! I-I mean, uh..."

With a knowing smile, Miles turned around to heed the pony's call. The stallion had begun sweating once again. "I suppose I could let you take... Half of this stuff with you for now, and you can pick up the rest of it later when you pay...?" The stallion sluggishly turned his head away from Miles as he hesitantly forced the words past his lips.

Miles smirked and made for the stallion once more, patting him on the head encouragingly as he retrieved some of the items the stallion had allowed him. Miles raised an eyebrow in question and the stallion nodded. "Good lad," said Miles. "You've done me a favour, thankyou. I'll be back later today with full payment. What time do you close?"

"Uh, I close at ten..." mumbled the stallion.

"Alright, I'll see you, then."

"'Then'...?" the stallion asked quietly with poorly concealed concern.

"Punctuation is important, my friend," Miles chided.

Miles exited the shop with tools in hand. He looked down at the hammer with a victorious grin and said, "Looks like we're in business."

Author's Note

06/10/2024 - Touched up with some additions/revisions.

Foundations

Twilight glanced up from the book she was scanning with passive attention when a large creature stepped through into her study.

"Oh, Miles! So, how did the tea party go?" The purple princess pony gave the best smile she could muster for her new friend. As Miles raised an eyebrow and made for the seat across from Twilight, she cast her mind back to just moments before Miles arrived back at the castle...

"Surely you now see something is off with this creature?!" Twilight flinched at the obvious venom in Discord's voice; she would have liked to hope she and her friends had taught Discord better than to be so reluctant to accept a newcomer into their circle of friends, but she knew better than to question Discord's dedication to his best friend Fluttershy.

"Discord," she sighed, "he might be a little... Different..." She peeked reservedly at Discord from behind a wing. "But, he really doesn't seem to be mal-intentioned. There's clearly good in him..."

"Oh, please... He's done nothing but terrorise everypony but you ever since he got here!" Discord visibly fumed as sparkling steam blasted from his ears. "Didn't you see poor Fluttershy?! I just finished consoling her moments before I came here!"

"W-Well, we both know how overly sensitive Fluttershy can be..." Discord visibly frowned as Twilight attempted to reason with him. "Plus, all he did was make a joke, so I wouldn't call it 'terrorising'." Twilight ruffled her feathers and bit her lip before she continued, "Y-You didn't exactly respond in the best way, so the blame can't be placed completely on Miles..." Twilight brought her wing back across her face once again.

Discord gaped in disbelief with a belated intake of breath. "What?! You're defending him? He doesn't know us nearly well enough to be making such jokes. Who does that monkey think he is?" Discord's demeanour sank as disappointment spread across his features, his booming voice trailing off to almost a whisper. "Or - better yet - who are you, Twilight? I feel like I barely recognise you..." Twilight hesitantly stepped towards him with a worried expression and a frog in her throat.

Discord sighed and said, "Twilight. I can understand if you don't care about aiding my suspicions, or think I'm somehow to blame, but it breaks my heart to see you brush aside your good friend Fluttershy's plight just because you're attracted to the alien..."

"Wh-Wha-n-no! I-" Discord sorrowfully closed his eyes and snapped his talons, vanishing in an instant as Twilight ran over to him desperately. "Th-That's not..." Twilight collapsed, her ears and wings drooping towards the now damp, oak floor of the dingy study as tears began lightly dripping from her eyes.

"I'm the Princess of Friendship... How could I-?" Her head bolted upright at the sound of a door opening at the bottom of the stairs. Immediately, she fixed her mane and quickly wiped her eyes, bringing a book out from her desk in an attempt to look busy.

Miles maintained his raised eyebrow as the princess seemed lost in thought with an absent, clearly forced smile across her face. Upon closer inspection, he could visibly see her eyes were slightly puffy. He placed his tools upon the desk with a gentle clink. He mused, "Well, thank you for asking, princess. The tea party was fine. Although, I'm afraid poor Fluttershy may have been upset by the friendly banter between Discord and myself."

Miles leaned back in his seat and closely watched Twilight's expressions as he spoke. She did not seem at all surprised to hear what he had said about Fluttershy. "Don't worry - I'll be sure to make it up to her later." Miles winked reassuringly at the mare, and she couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved.

Miles was not perfect, but Twilight would remain steadfast in her belief that there was clearly a whole lot of good in him. Discord would calm down over time as Miles integrates into their world. "Oh, that's great to hear, Miles..." Twilight said. She made a silent vow never to downplay the problems of her friends in future. Gradually, her shoulders relaxed.

"That Discord character certainly can be fiery one, eh?" Miles chuckled, and Twilight couldn't help but giggle along with him. Sometimes she forgets how new Discord is to the concept of friendship, despite his countless years of life. Discord certainly was fiery, but only because he's sweet enough to care.

"...And I let him down..." Twilight muttered to herself.

"Hm? What was that?"

"Ah, nothing. I'm just feeling a little exhausted from our hasty trip around town, is all."

Miles did not look convinced. "Of course, yes," he said with a grimace. He fiddled with the cuff of his shirt as he spoke, brushing it for dust that Twilight's eyes could never hope to distinguish. "Hm, Twilight," he smacked his lips and raised a finger before he continued, "would you say that we're friends?"

The mare perked up upon hearing this, seeming somewhat caught off guard. "Yes, of course!" she said, hastily.

"And friends help each other out, right?" Miles rose from his seat and approached the seated princess, slowly making his way around the desk.

"U-Uh, yeah, absolutely..."

Miles halted beside her as he leaned down on the desk, bringing his face close to hers from above. He made a show of checking to see if they were being observed and whispered, "Well, you see, while I was in town I came across some potential work..."

Miles knelt down to her level, commanding her to maintain eye contact. "O-Oh, that's great!" Miles smiled at the praise.

"Thank you, princess," he said. Twilight felt his breath wash across her face in a wave of hypnotic vapour, leaving her reeling and slightly aloof. "But I'm troubled," he continued, "as I do not yet have a place from which to conduct my work."

Twilight's ears slunk back down to the sides of her head as she forced another smile and said, "Oh, y-yeah..."

Miles brought a large, gentle hand around the back of her neck and gently maintained her full visual attention. He took her hoof in his other hand and held it tenderly, the mare becoming putty in his hands as he enveloped her entire world. "I could really use my own station of operations, so to speak. A house, if you will."

Miles felt her hoof begin to slip away very slightly as the mare appeared somewhat reluctant. "W-Well, houses are somewhat cheap, b-but I don't know if I can afford to disrupt my budgeting to buy..."

He smirked as Twilight trailed off in her hesitancy. "No, no, what am I saying? I'm terribly sorry, princess; I couldn't- no, I shouldn't ask so much of you..." Miles said as he looked toward the door and loosened his grip slightly. Twilight pushed her hoof back into his grip with alarm. She brought his face back to meet hers with her magic.

"W-Wait, no! I mean, uh..." she stammered. Miles peered wistfully into her eyes for a moment only to slink away once more. Twilight suddenly felt crushingly cold and empty. "I-I could- I, uh..."

"It's alright, Twilight; you've already done so much for me already, what with promised monthly financial support-"

"I could ask for you!" Twilight blurted, almost in a shout.

"...Oh?" chimed Miles.

"I could ask... Mayor Mare..." Twilight huffed, discreetly beating her wings to keep herself cool.

Miles steadily drew closer once more, this time placing one hand on her hind leg and squeezing ever so slightly.

"Of course, I would ask far too much by requesting a house, but... Friends still help each other to an extent, right?" Miles mused. He slid his hand not so much as an inch and restrained a victorious grin. Twilight was now breathing feverishly as her pupils dilated in anxious excitement, with the size difference between herself and Miles becoming increasingly apparent.

Miles continued, "So, how about I just ask for the right to build one myself right here in this little town... Where we'll still be able to-" He gently squeezed Twilight's thigh. "-Hang out."

"Y-Yeah..." Twilight slurred. She now audibly panted as her eyes were locked onto Miles's face. This feeling was unlike any magic she had ever seen or experienced. His somewhat unfamiliar, yet confusingly handsome features breathed fluid life into his pale flesh. His accent, the deep pitch of his voice, his form, his size; all of it was so excitingly alien to her. He was an entire alien world waiting to be studied, befriended and... She shook her head.

It was as though he was reaching out and engulfing her entire being; her soul was fully prostrated for him to dissect, and yet for some indescribable reason, she couldn't have been happier for it. "Yeah... I guess I could ask M-Mayor Mare for a..." Twilight trailed and continued to gently pant as she almost lost herself once more.

"Permit?" Miles finished for her with a slight smile. The mare absentmindedly nodded as Miles swiftly removed his hand from her leg and ruffled her mane playfully. His smirk became toothy and wry once he noticed the disappointment permeate her frame. "That would be perfect, Twilight. Thank you for helping out a friend in need. I only just arrived in this world, but I have always been the type to bounce back from complications and find my own way."

"N-No problem... Heheh..." Twilight couldn't help but let her ears droop slightly. Her throat was scratchy and dry from her rugged breathing.

Miles walked towards the door. "I have a client to take care of, but I'll be back later tonight." He cocked his head. "Alright?"

Twilight smiled sweetly at him and said, "A client...? O-Okay, no problem!" She failed miserably to hide the sadness in her voice.

Miles winked at her as he made his way through the doorway. "Thanks again," he said, and the door clicked closed.

Twilight sat alone in the dimly lit room, listening closely to the heavy thuds of Miles's footsteps as he made his way back down the stairs. With each and every echoing thud, images of the day's events flashed through her mind one by one as though on a looping film reel.

The tour, the tea party, the blow-up with Discord and Miles being so close to her she could practically smell him. All but the former of those events had left a hole in her heart, yet not a single one of Miles's footsteps succeeded in doing anything but brutally forcing those holes to expand.

She put a hoof to her chest and resisted the urge to freak out. Miles had only arrived but a day ago, so now that she was cooling off, she couldn't help but feel surprised by how forward he was being with her.

Admittedly, his world and its culture was completely foreign to her. Perhaps such touch was not uncommon in his world. Perhaps he merely sensed her general unease and attempted to placate her in a way he knew how and she took it the wrong way... She sighed explosively as her hormones, brain and heart slugged each other to near-death in confusion.

"Twilight?" A tiny drake peered around the corner of the doorway in concern. Twilight gasped and sucked her sorrow into her back pocket before answering.

"O-Oh! Hi, Spike," she said, just a bit too cheerfully.

"Hey... Was that Miles just now? How's the big guy doing?"

"Yeah... He's just gone into town for some work he's found." Twilight peered down into her lap meekly.

Spike raised an eyebrow and said, "Already? Huh... And more importantly, how are you doing? He didn't hurt you, did he?" He began looking her up and down.

Twilight looked up in alarm and grabbed the dragon, pulling him to face her with his magic. "Nonono, Spike, of course not!" Realising she'd overreacted, the purple mare let Spike go as quickly as she'd grabbed him. She sighed. "I-I'm sorry, Spike... Just had a long day, is all."

Spike did not look convinced. "If you say so. Just, uh... Take it easy, I guess?"

Twilight gave a slight, yet very genuine smile of appreciation. "Thanks, Spike..."

As Twilight tried to bring him into a hug, the tiny drake slapped at her and slipped away in a hurry. "Uh, yeah no worries, so long as you're alright... Okay, bye-" In a zoom of wind, Spike vanished. Twilight giggled lightly at his antics before turning to her desk. She smushed her cheeks for a moment and sighed.

"Well, guess I have a letter to write..."

Miles strutted along back towards Sugarcube cornerwith a smile, a hammer in one hand and the rest of his supplies in the other. In the course of a single day, he was on track to having both a house and a form of income within the imminent future.

As he progressed, the various ponies he crossed paths with continued the trend of their reactions, ranging from awe to disgust or even fear. He couldn't help but enjoy being so much taller than the other inhabitants of this world. He was used to that, of course, but the feeling was even stronger here.

The recent series of events thus far had felt to him like destiny; the multiverse had chosen him to come here. It was in this world he could achieve that which his old one could not offer him. The thought brought a grin to his face. As baffling and unknown as this world was, it was nothing he couldn't get used to in the name of purpose.

The sun had been slowly sinking for a while now, and Miles could not help but recall Twilight's tale of the tall, white pony he had met being behind the Sun's movements. Such a notion remained ridiculous, but nonetheless endearing that these innocent little ponies were gullible enough to believe their ruler could move an astral body of such immense size in such a way, even with magic.

As Miles neared Sugarcube Corner, he began flipping the hammer around in his hand as though it were an oversized pen. He straightened out his clothes, and then noticed those three little mares from earlier that day back over by the square. They appeared to be fighting over something. After lingering only slightly, he returned his attention to Sugarcube Corner and pushed through the door.

"Look, look, there he is!" Match shouted. She pointed with her hoof as she prepared to sprint over towards the town's resident alien, only to be firmly jerked back by a comparatively smaller hoof.

"What did I tell you?" Muddy's disapproving gaze snuffed out Match's struggles.

The crimson mare sighed in disappointment and defeat. "Think with my head, not with my-"

"-Black hole..." Nougat interrupted with a snigger, making sure to avoid all eye contact with the other two mares.

Match's nostrils flared as she growled at Nougat and made to swat at her. "Why, you little-!" The two mares began wrestling in the mud, doing little other than pulling at each other's manes.

"Girls! We literally just got out of the spa, and now you're rolling around in the mud!" The miniature mare slapped a hoof to her face with a shake of her head. "I'm not sure that today's the day we make a move on the hairless monkey."

Match looked up at Muddy, her cheek being pulled comically by Nougat's hoof as she did so. "Wha-? B-But you-"

"Match." Muddy glared down at Match and the two larger mares went still, releasing each other begrudgingly.

"Fine..." muttered Match.

Muddy's frame went slack as she scraped idly in the dirt with her hoof. "Let's go home, girls... We could build a pillow fort or something and get some cups of hot cocoa, i-if you'd like..."

Nougat and Match perked up immediately. "I'm gonna build the biggest fort! Everypony knows I have the greatest sense of balance in Equestria..." Nougat raised up onto her hind legs and spun like a ballerina in an effort to illustrate her point.

Match gave her a shove, causing Nougat to tumble to the ground. "No way! I'll build the biggest and best fort!"

Nougat smirked at Match and replied, "Oh yeah...?"

The pair bent down as though readying for a race home, when Nougat suddenly whipped around and gasped, pointing behind Match. "By Celestia! It's the alien!" she shouted. "And he's naked now, like us!"

With a jump and a stumble, Match whipped around, her eyes scanning every inch of the town centre like a laser beam. "What?! Where?!" Upon not receiving any response, and noticing Muddy roll her eyes, Match turned back around to find Nougat already halfway down the street. "H-Hey! No fair...!" She immediately set off running after Nougat at breakneck speed.

Muddy had simply seated herself in order to enjoy her friends' light bickering. She stood up to her hooves once she noticed Match glance over her withers to check Muddy was following. "I-I'll catch up! See you both at home!" Muddy set off after Match to show that she was indeed following, but came to a halt once her two friends had rounded the corner at the end of the street.

After a few moments, Muddy set her sights on Sugarcube Corner. Match would be overjoyed if she arrived home with some good news to end their day, and she couldn't help but crave the ever so sweet ring of Match's grateful voice.

Casting aside any doubts or reservations, Muddy made for the door with a silent prayer.

Miles had begun work on the flooring of Pinkie's room, doing his utmost to ignore the clearly insane mare's million questions and incomprehensible speech patterns.

"So, Milesy, what's your favourite food, huh? Do you hyoo-mans eat ponies? Are there ponies in your world? You're real big; just how big are ya, exactly? What's the-"

Miles had heard just about enough. He grumbled, "Pink pony..." He then took his hammer and slammed the last of the nail he was working on into the floor in one almighty swing. The floor benath Pinkie's hooves shook, and she started to bounce in place with her mouth forming an 'o' shape.

"Ohmygosh! That was so loud! I'm good at that too, ya know? Like this!" Pinkie suddenly pulled an entire band's worth of instruments from her mane and played them all at once, the disharmonious cacophony of blaring white noise halted Miles's hand for a good twenty seconds.

Pinkie put all her instruments away as quickly as they had materialised. "Also, it's Pinkie Pie, remember?! You say it like this, easy: Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pi-"

Miles placed his hands over his ears and cradled his head as the party pony continued to rapidly chant her own name. He eventually released his ears, with a large vein popping out of his forehead along with the whites of his eyes having some compromised blood vessels on account of his fury. "I'll take a shotgun blast to the chest before I allow such a ridiculous, inane name to pass my lips again," he snarled.

Pinkie was now bouncing around in circles. She briefly stopped and asked, "What's a 'shotgun'?" Miles did not respond and returned to his work, however found himself treating his tools a little more roughly than he should have been. Pinkie simply continued to bounce around the room, mostly talking to herself.

Miles heard a polite cough from behind him, and turned to find a meek-looking Mrs. Cake, seemingly shaken by all the noise. "M-Miles, there's somepony here to see you..."

Miles swallowed thickly before he smiled at the plump pony and then walked over to pat her on the head. "Thank you, Mrs. Cake. Tell them I will be finished up here shortly and then they can have me."

He found himself rushing his work as he hammered in the finishing nails, not of course without making sure they were placed as perfectly as his brain would allow him first. At this point, he was desperate to escape the pink party pony, lest he truly do something he would regret.

As Miles arrived back at the front of the store, Mrs. Cake wordlessly handed him a bag of bits with a nervous smile and pointed over to an extremely small, brown mare seated in the corner of the store. "There's the mare asking to see you... Thankyou for your help fixing the floor, Miles..." she said.

"No problem, Mrs. Cake. Feel free to call on me any time you find yourself in need of-" Miles trailed off as the mare had already slunk away back behind the counter and was serving a new customer.

He frowned as he readied his hand to snap his fingers, but begrudgingly let it fall back to his side. He then made his way over to the colourful corner of the store.

Immediately, he recognised this mare: her amethyst mane shimmered slightly in the light as she fiddled with her faun hooves in wait, clearly unaware of his current presence. The mare's muddy brown coat almost reminded him of home. As he approached, the mare looked up into his face. Her deep-purple irises seemed glazed as though she were about to cry, yet upon her face he could read no sorrow.

The pair stared each other down for a few moments before Miles signalled to the seat across from her. "May I...?"

"O-Oh, of course..." The mare's tone of voice distinctly reminded him of Fluttershy; perhaps excessively shy females were common in this world? "Do you remember me? I'm Muddy. We met earlier today... W-Well, sort of..."

"Of course I remember you, Muddy. My name is Miles. How could I forget a face like yours?" he said, his lids drooping and his chin tilting upwards by just a few degrees.

"Oh?" The mare's face hardened for the briefest of moments and the tone of her voice completely changed. Miles's eyes ever so slightly widened as a glimmer resounded from behind his flesh-mask, awaiting a response from a potential doppelganger concealed beyond a thin veil of glassy eyes and short, dark fur.

The mare quickly corrected herself, however. "I-I mean, thanks... Heh..." she mumbled.

Miles strummed his fingers for a few moments along the table, watching her closely. "So," he said, as he crossed his arms and inclined his head slightly, "how can I help you?"

"W-Well, I remembered you were looking for 'odd-job' work when you spoke to me and my friends earlier..." she trailed.

"Yes?"

"Uh..." Muddy appeared lost in thought for a moment. "Chairs."

Miles allowed a few moments of silence to pass, expecting more. "Chairs?" he questioned.

Muddy looked at him somewhat eagerly. "Y-Yeah! Our chairs have been, uh... N-Not working properly..."

"Your chairs 'aren't working properly'?" Miles deadpanned.

"Yeah, so maybe you could come over and... Fix them...?" Muddy tucked her fore-hooves between her hind legs much as a shy child would back on Earth. Miles sighed with a slight chuckle.

He glanced over at the clock on the wall. The day was not much longer for this world. "I might be able to find time, I suppose."

Muddy's features became hopeful as she raised her head. "Oh, thankyou! What time will you be able to come?" Her eyes went wide for a moment. "I-If you don't mind finding time for us today, that is..."

Miles interlocked his fingers and rested his hands upon the table-top. "Hmm... Alright. I'm going to purchase some things in a moment, so I'll come over after that."

"Great! Thank you, Mister Miles..."

"Just Miles is fine, little pony." He then stood to his feet and ruffled the tiny mare's mane. "So, where do you live, then?"

"O-Oh, silly me! Eheh..." Muddy bashfully bumped her hoof into her head, likely in an attempt to appear cute. A muscle twitched just below Miles's left eye. "We live just down the end of this street going towards Twilight's school," said Muddy. "Turn left at the end and we're three houses down on your right. We have a little cockerel on the side of our postbox, so you can't miss us..." Muddy lowered her head once more. "O-Of course, it's okay if you do... We'd just have to rearrange..."

Miles shook his head and chuckled. "No worries, little pony. I'll see you soon." He then swiftly made his way out of Sugarcube Corner, leaving the chocolate mare to her own thoughts.

After a couple of minutes, she silently hoof-bumped herself as she hopped off her chair and cheerfully skipped out of the door to go home and deliver the good news.

She and the girls had better get ready...

Author's Note

13/10/2024 - Touched up with some additions/changes.

Marked

Miles ducked his head through the door to the supply shop and smiled at its familiar shopkeeper. The stallion immediately stood to attention, being but a salute shy of a soldier.

"Ah, hello again, sir. I wasn't expecting you back until later," said the stallion.

Miles raised an eyebrow at him with a chuckle and replied, "Yes, well, it turns out I work even faster than I give myself credit for."

"Not that it's a bad thing you're here early or anything, bu-"

"Of course. However, I had some other business come up that I need to be attending to, so I came right away. I know I promised you a thorough payment, and here I have it, as promised," Miles interrupted.

As Miles began to reach into his pocket with slow movements, the stallion tensed up, watching Miles's hand with fear. "W-Wait! I-"

"Hm?" Miles paused, looking the stallion squarely in the eyes. The stallion did not respond, his eyes drifting back down to Miles's hand. Miles smiled and finally drew the bag of coins from his pocket. "So, how much do I owe you?"

The stallion appeared relieved. He sighed and approached the counter. "O-Oh, heh... That'll be twenty bits in total, sir," he said.

"Bits...? Is that what this currency is called?" questioned Miles.

The stallion chuckled breathlessly. "Yeah, those there coins are bits."

Miles gathered up fifteen bits from the small sack Mrs. Cake had given to him and handed them over to the store pony. "There you go. Thankyou, Mr...?" Miles offered up a hand to the pony as he trailed off.

"O-Oh, uh, I'm Pointy! Heh... A-Also, you only gave me fif-" Pointy appeared cautious as he closely watched Miles's fingers wrap firmly around his hoof, wincing upon contact.

"I'm sure you are..." Miles murmured with a mirthful laugh.

"Wh-What?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm Miles, and it was a pleasure doing business with you." Miles grabbed the supplies still sitting on the counter-top since their last encounter. "I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other somewhat often." He ducked under the doorway once more and left Pointy to his own thoughts.

Pointy sighed to himself once the hulking human had departed. He peered down at the bits and whispered, "Great..."

Muddy smiled to herself with anticipation as she patiently awaited the arrival of her new human friend. The girls were already upstairs preparing, and she'd been left alone to greet their visitor upon his arrival.

Celestia's sun had mostly set, and the heavens had just begun to open. Light rain pitter-pattered down onto the cobblestone path outside; the residual puddles it created glistened with the last few gracious rays of sun, bequeathing their energy for the satisfaction of those so inclined to appreciate it.

Muddy sighed to herself in admiration of nature's beauty as her head lulled lazily onto her hoof in rest. All of her preparation was done. The chairs had been kicked and broken so as to give Miles something to do. The house looked presentable, from the mounted cuckoo clock to the cross-hatched carpet; all was thoroughly dusted and cleaned. Not that this was any different from her usual standards, of course, but she did an extra once-over just to be sure.

Muddy heard her friends squabbling over something from upstairs, yet just rolled her eyes and hurried over to the kitchen to make sure she had her appliances ready to provide any kind of hospitality that Miles might need. As she turned the jug of her coffee grinder to positioned perfection, Muddy heard a loud knock on the door.

"Oh! Coming!" She dashed over to the door, noticing her friends had suddenly gone quiet upstairs. She opened the door to be greeted by the friendly, ever-smiling face of Miles looking down at her.

"Good evening, Ms. Muddy," he said as he leaned down and ruffled her mane. "May I come in?"

"Of course! Welcome, Miles..." Muddy stepped to the side and held out a hoof, puffing up her chest in pride as she awaited his reaction to her picture-perfect home.

"Thankyou." Miles stepped past her and briefly glanced around the room. The living area housed multiple couches with what looked like an archaic television set, yet was joined onto the throughway between the kitchen and the stairs leading to the upper floor. The kitchen area was open and also connected to the throughway, the stairs and the living space.

No complete walls separated any of these four areas from each other - only waist-high counter-tops and over-embellished cup holders. "Nice place, I must say. There is no way you have a home like this all to yourself. Is your husband home?"

Muddy giggled "O-Oh, no. I'm single, and I share this home with my two best friends, whom I believe you've already met."

"Ah, yes, I did..." Miles scratched at his stubble as he made a point of looking for a place to set his tools down.

"You can put your stuff down on the tea-table over there, o-or anywhere you like, really..." stammered Muddy.

He placed his tools down on the nearest surface and cracked his knuckles. "So, would you like to point me in the direction of the malfunctioning chairs...?"

"Just over here..." Muddy trotted past Miles and into the kitchen before turning to face him. Miles followed.

"Alright, this should be an easy fix. It will only be a matter of minutes." He reached for his tools.

Muddy appeared moderately alarmed. "O-Oh! Well, for these, I guess..."

"For these...?"

"Y-Yeah... There's, uh... There's more upstairs. Mhm." Muddy looked hopefully towards Miles.

Miles cocked an eyebrow at her. "Okay, then... Well, I'd best get to work, now."

"O-Oh, is there anything I can get for you, like a cup of coffee, or...?"

"Coffee would be lovely, thankyou."

Muddy scurried over to the counter, standing on her hind legs and working the coffee grinder. After a few moments, she placed the beans into the mixing machine and chanced a glance over her withers.

It was only for a very small moment, but as she stole a quick peek over her shoulder, she saw Miles standing upright, facing her directly with a hammer in hand and a dark expression on his face.

As her bones chilled, she chanced a double take.

He was not looking at her after all. He was kneeling down and working on the first of the four chairs. But after a moment, he glanced up at her, noticing her disturbed expression and heavy breathing. He winked at her before swiftly returning to his work.

Muddy chalked it up to being a figment of her paranoia and returned to preparing the coffee.

As the coffee continued to boil, Muddy's thoughts raced a mile a minute - how would Miles react to finding out she'd bluffed about the chairs upstairs? He hadn't seemed interested in any of them when they first met, so why would that have changed after the fact? If he rejected them, how would she deliver on her promise? Had she been brash in even making such a promise? Was she letting her love for her friends cloud her judgement in allowing a massive alien into their home?

"Mud, could you pass me that small toolbox, please?" asked Miles. He pointed off to the counter without looking up from what he was doing. Muddy snapped back to reality and turned around to look for the box.

Mud? Had she heard him correctly? She grabbed the toolbox and trotted over to Miles. The machine continued to bubble. She froze in place with the toolbox held within her teeth next to Miles, unable to shake the uncomfortable feeling his speech had given her. The bubbling pressure on her eardrums caused her to draw breath as her mouth acted on impulse. "It's Muddy," she blurted.

"Hm? What was that?" asked Miles. He slowly turned his gaze towards the usually demure mare and halted his work in fascination. He could see the ironclad scales of her armour once more shed and cascade down her sides in a twinkling dance toward the floor.

"I said, it's Muddy."

"What's Muddy?" Miles appeared amused, folding his hands over his knee as he squatted. "The coffee?"

As Miles began to laugh, Muddy placed the toolbox down and began to walk back over to the coffee machine. "Heh, I h-hope not!" She chirped as she switched off the machine and regained control of herself, hoping she could simply drop the issue.

"As do I, Mud. But that's not really an answer to my question," Miles purred with guttural, practiced grace

Muddy ducked her head as Miles bore witness to her shell hardening once more. "Y-Yeah, I'm sorry, but I forgot what I was even referring to..."

A sudden force gripped firmly onto her shoulder, and her entire frame seized up in terror. She heard a gentle breathing in her left ear, yet dared not to look back into the malignant maw now holding her hostage. A thousand spidery tendrils voraciously hooked their barbs into her flesh, attempting to drag her down into the floor and merge her being with the vapid vacuum of arrested existence.

All sound in the room vanished as it became a secluded dimension of its own. Anxious anticipation caused the muscles around Muddy's eyes to spasm slightly, forcefully squeezing the beginnings of tears from their ducts.

A breath rolled over her ear, its volume amplified by her mental state.

Muddy squealed with a small hop and said, "M-Mistake!"

Miles knelt down and placed a hand on the mare's mane. "Are you alright? What happened?" Miles said, alarm lacing his voice as he began to stroke the mare's back gently.

"I-I made a... I made..."

"Oh, Muddy..." Miles shook his head with a sigh and lifted her chin to sink directly into his inviting gaze. "I'm sure the coffee's fine, even if you did make a mistake with it."

Muddy looked up in confusion. "W-What? N-No, I made a... With..." she muttered in confusion. The diminutive mare slowed her breathing, steadily regaining her composure. "Oh, I'm s-sorry, Miles. Never mind..."

"Don't worry about it, Muddle. I shouldn't be much longer with these chairs, now." Miles patted Muddy reassuringly on the back and moved over to resume his work.

"Muddle...? Oh, the coffee! It'll be going cold!" Muddy scrambled back to her hooves and began pouring the coffee. One cup for Miles and one for herself. "Alright, here you go." Muddy held out the coffee to Miles with a shaky foreleg; he looked between the cup and the mare holding it a few times. He did not move to take it from her. Her muscles began to complain after a few moments of reaching out to him. "Y-You don't want it now? I'm sorry it's not piping hot..."

"Oh, that can be excused. It's just that I do recall asking for two sugars." Miles said sweetly and inclined his head at her. "Please."

"Oh, y-you did?" Muddy's brow furrowed. She then swiftly placed the cup down and reached into one of the ocean blue cupboards for a pot of sugar cubes. After plopping two cubes into Miles's cup and stirring, Muddy attempted to pass the drink to him again, this time with a steadier hoof.

Once again, Miles did not take it, instead thrusting the base of his palm into the leg of one of the chairs to test his fix. He nodded with satisfaction and stood to his feet, only now reaching out and taking the drink from Muddy. "Grazie, Muddy."

"Grat-see?" Muddy tilted her head to the side in confusion, causing her droopy, purple hair to trail along the round of her face.

"It's Italian: a language from my home world." Miles noted with a sip of his coffee. "This coffee is lovely, thank you."

"Oh! You speak multiple languages?" Muddy appeared interested as she felt the rest of her nerves begin to settle at the sound of Miles's voice.

"A couple, yes. But not Italian." He set his drink down as he began work on the next chair.

"Ooh, Match will be very happy to hear that..." Muddy snickered to herself.

"Your friend?" Miles did not look up from his work.

"Yeah, the one with the gorgeous red coat!" Muddy clopped her fore-hooves together excitedly and yet reservedly.

"Oh, okay," Miles muttered. He appeared disinterested, focusing on his work as he moved onto the third chair.

Had Muddy been Pinkie and thus not already donned naturally droopy hair, it would have literally deflated in dejection on behalf of her friend.

Suddenly, as though called upon by a higher power, the door at the top of the stairs blew open and somepony could be heard clamouring down the steps leading to the lower floor of the house.

As Match sprinted round the corner, she ran her mouth with an impatient squeal as she began stamping her hooves. "Muddy, was that him?! I can't wait any longer!" she shouted.

Muddy's pupils shrunk. She looked awkwardly between Match and Miles. Match and Miles stared at each other, with the former's mouth hanging open in embarrassment and the latter appearing mildly irritated. A good ten seconds of this passed, and Muddy could no longer stand the tension.

Her voice, while perfectly smooth as ever, screeched like a fork on a plate as she sliced through the excessively viscous atmosphere. "H-Hey, Match... In fact, our guest is already here! Heh..."

Another short silence. Muddy said, "S-So, Miles, this is my friend, Match! I believe you two have already met..."

After yet another short silence, and as Match appeared to be attempting to melt into the floor, Miles stood to his feet and made his way over to her.

Intimidation had not worked the last time they met. Perhaps this mare was too dim to even pick up on passive aggression. "Bonjour, petit poney," he mused. A hand made its way down to Match, pulling her gently to her hooves before shaking her left fore-hoof. He cupped her hoof with both hands and smiled. She gasped quietly to herself at the feel of his foreign appendages, each digit's contact sending tingling sensations through her foreleg.

Match's eyes glistened as her heart was viciously and yet oh-so-delightfully pierced with a frilly pink arrow. Miles held her awe-filled gaze for a few more moments before quietly slinking away, leaving Match feeling somewhat woozy.

Muddy glared at Match, and the moment she caught her eye, Match stood to attention and coughed into a hoof. "Ahem... Y-You speak Prench, Monsieur Miles?" asked Match.

Miles was already back to his work as he now tinkered with the final chair. "Prench? You mean French?"

"Uh..." Match was lost for words. Another awkward silence began draining Muddy's psyche.

"W-Well, how about the 'Triple M Crew' head right on upstairs once Miles finishes on that chair? I-If you're nearly finished with it, that is..."

"Aaand, done." Miles lifted the chair, as if on queue, and bashed his palm against it once again to check for weak spots. "Also, we're not a crew."

Miles noticed Match flicking her head discreetly with an irritated look on her face as she looked up the stairs.

"Hmm..." Miles hummed and rounded the table. He polished off the last of his coffee and set the cup down with a clink. He did not take his eyes off of Match as he stepped to the side and waited to follow the others upstairs. Match smiled awkwardly at him.

Muddy made her way over to Match's side and glared up into the mare's face in silent communication. Match nodded with subtlety.

"H-Hey, Match... Did you know that Miles here can speak different languages from his home world?" Muddy attempted to fill the space as the trio ascended the stairs.

"What?! So it wasn't Prench? Wow..." Match grinned to herself with a dreamy sigh.

"How many more chairs did you say there were going to be again?" asked Miles, the irritation lacing his voice audible only to the smaller mare.

Time almost seemed to freeze when Miles posed this basic question. However, Muddy blundered, and failed to stop her friend from opening her mouth before it was too late.

"Chairs? Upstairs? What chairs?" Match placed a hoof to her mouth in confusion as she noticed Muddy's panicked expression all too late.

Miles froze in place just before they reached the landing. Muddy could feel the air grow thin, with what little that remained seemingly swirling around the alien's form in discordant harmony with his flaring temper. Muddy began stammering.

"O-Oh, Match, silly f-filly... The chairs we called Miles over here to fix...! There were some more upstairs, remember?"

"Of course... I forgot... M-My bad..." Match ducked her head in remorse, not for fear of the giant who now coincidentally had them cornered, but instead for fear of Muddy's disappointed and scolding glare.

Muddy couldn't help but slap a hoof to her face on account of her friend being such an airhead. An adorable, lovable airhead, but an airhead nonetheless. Muddy opened the door and led the others through. Miles appeared reluctant, as he thudded through the door several seconds later.

Muddy hardened her shell once more and began lightly scraping her hoof on the ground as she spoke to Miles without looking up at him. "Say, Miles... Would you mind waiting in here for a moment while we go fetch our other friend? We won't be long, and I'm sure you'd get along..."

"I fail to see why there needs to be a gathering of persons just so I can fix a bleeding chair," snipped Miles. These ponies were treating him like a fool.

"Ehehe... We'll be right back!" Muddy dashed off down the hall with Match in tow, leaving Miles alone in the middle of the hallway. These ponies were seemingly well off, if the house and its furnishings were anything to go by. Miles couldn't help but notice the various picture frames lining the walls of the hallway, most of which depicted the three mares smiling together in various scenarios, from snowboarding to what appeared to be a pizza party. He failed to find anything they could offer him.

The ponies were taking their sweet time, and so Miles took matters into his own hands and began looking through the surrounding rooms in search of the supposed chairs he had to fix. He had peeked inside two bland bedrooms and one sparkling clean bathroom before the trio of mares finally meandered down the hall towards him with sheepish looks on their faces.

"I've checked these rooms, and there are no broken chairs in sight," Miles stated. He raised an eyebrow as the mares looked between each other awkwardly. "Would any of you care to tell me what's going on here?" He began striding forwards, meeting the mares halfway.

Miles stood immediately in front of them, a towering behemoth with a slightly sinister glow in his eyes. Nougat's eyes grew to dinner plates as she peered up at the human, unsure of what to think. Match licked her lips with literal hearts in her eyes as she soaked in the human's domineering presence. Muddy, on the other hand, fought through her uneasiness and stood as tall as her tiny frame would allow, facing the creature with confidence.

As Muddy straightened her neck and stared the human down, Miles turned his gaze to meet hers, with a look of wonder creasing his features. "W-Well... The chairs are back here, Miles, in this room at the end of the hall." Muddy motioned behind the trio with a hoof. "We were just making sure you'd have good working conditions before you got there..."

"And your friend?" Miles motioned towards Nougat.

"Oh, Miles, this is Nougat." Muddy looped a fore-hoof over her friend's shoulder. "Nougat, this is Miles!"

"Pleasure," stated Miles. He pushed through the ponies and made his way towards the room at the end of the hall without so much as a glance in Nougat's direction, determined to pocket his payment and be on his way as soon as possible.

"H-Hey! Don't ignore me!" Nougat's voice was whiny, and as Miles turned he noticed she'd lifted her chin and closed her eyes, looking away from him. Miles cracked his neck and took a step back down the hallway towards them.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"J-Just a second... I really gotta pee..." Muddy dashed off into the bathroom at the end of the hall at lightning speed.

"W-Wait... Muddy...?" Nougat whispered. Her indignation fizzled out in tandem with her miniature brown friend's disappearance. "M-Match...?" Unfortunately for Nougat, her other friend was still mostly motionless, the hearts now floating above her head and popping.

"Look at those muscles..." Match trailed, hopelessly lost in a world of her own.

As Miles approached Nougat, he watched her reaction very carefully. His face was unreadable. Nougat shrunk further and further into herself, appearing as small as she possibly could.

Miles reached down towards the mare, attempting to grab her by the back of her neck, much as he did with Pinkie Pie. "Little pony..."

Moments before contact was made, Muddy reappeared next to Nougat, panting almost as much as Match, albeit for an entirely different reason. Muddy appeared apologetic at first... Until she saw the terrified expression on Nougat's face.

"Miles..." The human stopped dead with his arm outreached. Muddy's voice deepened and laced with venom. "What are you doing...?" She scuffed her fore-hoof along the carpet.

Miles peered closely at her expression. He then shook his head in disbelief and began to chuckle. Nougat quivered while Muddy appeared perplexed. Her expression gradually softened.

"I was just taking a moment to introduce myself to your other friend here, actually," said Miles. He wiped a finger across his eyelid as his laughter faded. "Apologies for laughing, but you looked so cute standing there with your face all scrunched up like that!"

Muddy's jaw hung loose, while Nougat ceased quivering and questioned her interaction with the alien. Had he simply been trying to fix his mistake of ignoring her?

Match on the other hand was checking herself in a nearby mirror with a frown and muttering something about being cuter than Muddy.

Eventually, Muddy sighed, pulling over Nougat to address the human. Nougat turned her head away once again, closing her eyes as her short, pink mane bounced slightly with the motion. "Now, Nougat here," Muddy said, placing her hoof on the side of her friend's head and forcing her to face Miles with little difficulty, "would like to introduce herself properly..."

Nougat looked down at the floor with puffed cheeks.

"Nougat..." Muddy warned with a tilt of her head.

Nougat sighed. "My name is Nougat... Nice to meet you, or whatever. You know, like... Mmf!" Once the deed was done, her head immediately flung to the side again as she refused to look directly at Miles. Muddy shook her head with a small laugh as she mouthed the word 'sorry' to Miles.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, too," Miles said. He stood to his feet, his speech rapid. "I'm Miles - a human from planet Earth. I appeared here against my will - Earth might be in this Universe, or it might not. I don't really know or care." He turned and made his way towards his destination once again with a crack of his knuckles. "I'm sorry, but I really must be fixing these supposed chairs now and be on my way."

Muddy dashed in front of him, attempting to block the door. "Ah, yeah, the chai- oof-" Miles walked through her and into the room. Nougat slowly crept down the hall, but noticed Match was still mushing her own face with her hooves in the mirror.

"Hey...! Psst!" Nougat whispered at her.

"What?!" Match hissed back in irritation.

Nougat signalled towards the room with her head, and Match's expression softened immediately as she attempted to regain her not-so-subtle seductive smoulder. Nougat rolled her eyes and trotted up to the now fallen Muddy, lifting her to her hooves. "Are you okay, Muddy?"

"Y-Yeah..." The trio froze once they noticed Miles standing by the master bed with a dead expression on his face, peering down at it.

Muddy internally screamed when Match stepped into the room with a flourish of her mane. "You know, Miles," purred Match, "in just a few short minutes, I can make you forget your old world even exists..." She sat back on her haunches and batted her eyelashes with a giggle. Nougat rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"You've fallen into a whole new world," continued Match. "Now that you're here, why not just... Let yourself go and have some fun?" Her words and motions were completely lost on the human, as he had not so much as glanced in her direction.

After an agonising twenty seconds of silence that followed, Miles reached out and dug his hands under the bottom edge of the bed with a snarl.

"W-Wait, Miles, we can explai-" Muddy stammered, but she had spoken too late. Miles had already flung the bed across the room with the force of a stampeding bull.

Time slowed to a crawl as the bed impacted a bookshelf against the wall and brought both down in an almighty crash on the floor. The various sexual instruments that had been covering the bed careened all around the room with comical bounces. A small amount of dust from the plethora of books that had been lining the shelves of the bookshelf gradually settled over the residual chaos.

Miles stormed over to the trio and grabbed Muddy by her mane; he lifted her to his eye-line with a blank glare. "Look at this mess. I'll be here for hours fixing this." he said, his voice unsettlingly calm.

Muddy blabbered in confusion. "W-Wait, y-you'll fix this...? B-But you just made this mess yourself..."

Miles began breathing rapidly as he put the tiny pony down and smoothed out his hair, calming himself down. "Muddy... You lied to me about the chairs."

Muddy's ears drooped down in shame. "I-I know..." she mumbled.

"You lured me here to play along with your sick kinks," growled Miles.

"I'm sorry..." All three of the mares now sat, their expressions a mix of regret, disappointment and, in the case of Match, arousal.

"You angered me and caused me to mess up a perfectly clean and tidy room..." Miles turned with a sigh and put his hands to his hips as he lowered his head in thought. After a few seconds, he said, "Tomorrow."

"Huh?" Muddy raised an eyebrow.

"I'll fix this tomorrow. All of it."

"R-Reall-"

"Not because you deserve it, but because it's what's right for the world." Miles pointed a finger at her.

"Uh..." The three mares looked at each other in confusion before speaking in unison. "Thanks...?"

"Don't thank me. Just give me my payment for the chairs downstairs and I'll come by tomorrow." Without another word, the human looked between the three mares, seemingly deep in thought. He snapped his fingers and then pushed through them. The girls could hear him thudding back down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Muddy, Match and Nougat sat in silence for a minute or so, not uttering so much as a word as they stared at the astounding amount of damage the alien had caused to their master bedroom in one movement.

Eventually, Match spoke up.

"I wish he'd sling me around like that..."

Muddy blew an involuntary raspberry and looked at her friend in disbelief. "You can't be serious, Match..." she said, breaking into incredulous laughter. "I... I think I made a mistake in making my promise to you earlier. I'm sorry..."

Nougat rolled her eyes and punched Match on the shoulder. "The guy's kind of a hothead..."

"Kind of...?" mumbled Muddy, incredulously.

Match lunged at Nougat and began rolling around with her. "You're half right...!" shouted Match. The two mares laughed their hearts out.

Muddy facehooved. This had to end here; this alien clearly wasn't safe. She'd have to find a way to distract Match long enough for her to lose interest. She pulled her friends' faces upwards to look at her.

She took a breath and said, "Girls. I'm sorry, but I don't think this is going to work with the alien."

"His name is Miles!" whined Match.

Muddy sighed. "I don't think this is going to work with miles. Match, if you're somehow still interested after what just happened, then this is going to have to happen much more slowly."

Match huffed and fixed up her mane. She then sat on her haunches and crossed her forehooves with a pout. Muddy could not help but stifle a giggle, causing Nougat to snicker.

"Match, if your flank manages to pull this alien rage-ball, I'll happily be your personal shopping assistant for an entire month!" teased Nougat.

"Now, now," said Muddy, placing a hoof on Match's shoulder, "we just have to put it on the back-burner." She pursed her lips.

"Aww, but Mud-" Muddy placed a firm hoof to Match's lips, silencing the mare's protest.

Muddy said, "I'm sure he's not going anywhere, Match. Slow. Down." Match's expression softened and she released a breath at Muddy's words. Muddy continued, "Now let's go down and see him off. It's been an eventful day for all of us."

The three mares made their way back down the hallway. Nougat looked up and muttered, "Black hole..."

Match snarled and readied to pounce Nougat, but the two flinched when Muddy stamped a hoof, stopping their fight before it could start.

Once the three reached the top of the stairs, Muddy caught Miles's eye for a moment. He stood leaning against their fridge with an unreadable expression.

As she led her best friends down the stairs, Muddy smiled to herself and began planning how best to distract them once the alien was out of their manes.

Nougat scratched her ear with a hoof and said, "So, uh, where are we gonna sleep tonight?"

Muddy's smile vanished.

Author's Note

14/10/2024 - Touched up with some revisions and additions.

Scattered Fragments

Princess Celestia lay curled upon her large bean bag chair within her chambers, mulling over paperwork for the upcoming transaction Canterlot was to make with the griffon empire over the coming weeks. The night was young, and she had plenty of work left to do.

She had left the doors to her balcony ajar, allowing a gentle breeze from the raging storm outside to flow through the room, which caused the silken curtains of her four-poster bed to gently sway. Sadly, neither the pattering of rain outside nor the fireplace and cup of hot cocoa in her magical grasp did much to quell her mounting frustration.

The papers hovered in magical suspension before her face. Every few seconds she would glance across the room, fiddle with her hooves and shift her regal frame to imprint herself within the surface of the bean bag chair as much as she could. Each time she finally became comfortable, her eyes would wander once more and her discomfort resurface, leading to another shift.

Her face scrunched up in frustration as she yet again glanced at the food cart by her dresser, placing her cup on the carpet beside her.

Another shuffle.

Celestia sighed and pressed the papers to her face, huffing in annoyance and shuffling once again. She then let out an uncharacteristically girly squeak as she lost her balance and fell from the bean bag, faceplanting the floor.

With a quick flash of her horn, Celestia stood in front of the bean bag, legs slightly splayed wide and still as a statue as her eyes darted around the room with a flush in her cheeks. Once she had verified she was indeed still alone, her embarrassment faded and she faced the food cart once more.

Her features brimmed with newfound determination, eyes glistening in her sister's moonlight. She made her way over to the cart with a steady pattering of her "Sunnyside-up" slippers. With a slipper-clad hoof, she began removing the foil covering a plate resting upon the oaken, patterned surface of the cart. She bit her bottom lip as she glanced around the room a few more times, lest her sister drop in uninvited and catch her in the act. Eventually, the foil fell free from her prize and the usually reserved princess began to drool in anticipation.

The most beautiful, delectable-looking sponge cake she had ever seen in all her thousands of years lay before her upon pearlescent dining ware. Her ever-teasing royal chefs had prepared this cake for the visiting griffon ambassador and his entourage the following day, having filled and decorated it with thick, ruffled cream, strawberry jam drippings and an embossed layer of icing in the pattern of her very own cutie mark on top.

The cake had been sealed within an enormous safe down in the pantry of the kitchen, with an attached note addressed to Celestia herself. Since she could smell cake from no more and no less than precisely six miles away, she had thus promptly demolished the safe and escaped to her chambers with the cake in tow.

She hadn't bothered to finish reading the note's blabbering. All she'd read was 'Celestia, don't you bucking da-' before she blasted the safe to Tartarus. She'd known the chef all his seventy-eight years of living; he surely wouldn't mind too much if she snuck a little piece of it early...

"That's right..." she whispered to herself, wiping a dribble of saliva from her muzzle, "I'll have just a small piece tonight and return it to the kitchen by morning..."

Once the princess of the Sun had raised her cake knife high into the air, she brought it down with all the fervour of a filly tearing into her gifts on Hearths Warming-

Only to quietly whine in dismay as the knife had slipped from her magical grasp, now suspended above her head by an unknown force. Celestia peered up at the knife with watery eyes and a trembling lip. She attempted to grasp the knife once more, only for her golden aura to dissipate as she attempted to touch it.

Celestia sniffled. "Even the cutlery wishes to keep me from life's one true joy..." She grunted with frustration as she attempted to jump up and grab the knife with her hooves, only for it to move just slightly out of her reach each time. Her slippers had now been cast randomly around the room by her flailing hooves and flapping wings.

A whimsical, playful cackling began from over Celestia's shoulder as another presence made itself known.

"Don't you think the royal flanks have had enough cakes for the next few moons already, my dear princess?" Celestia squealed with surprise, jumping a few feet into the air. She swivelled around and regarded none other than the Lord of Chaos himself. He flung the knife over to her bed and began floating above the food cart with a teasing grin.

"Discord?! Don't frighten me like that..." Celestia gasped. She lifted a hind leg and peered back over her withers. "And my flanks aren't that big... Right?"

Discord chuckled at her antics and promptly picked up the entire cake from the food cart, shoving it into his mouth whole and swallowing it instantly.

Celestia's mouth hung open in horror. "Th-That was mine! Well, I never..." She stomped a hoof and turned away from the draconequus with a pout. She did her best to resume her princess-like demeanour once she had finished mumbling to herself.

Discord licked his talons with exaggeration. "Mmf! That cake was delicious! I'd quite like to try it a second time..." He reached into his torso and pulled out the whole, untouched cake, eliciting a mixed reaction from Celestia somewhere between hope and disgust.

Her restrained smile dropped, however, as Discord once again swallowed the cake whole. This time, he chewed it thoroughly.

"Discord..." growled Celestia.

"My goodness, Celestia, you have to try some!" He pulled the cake from his mouth, fully intact, before swallowing it yet again. He repeated this six more times before Celestia dove at him in an attempt to snatch it from his grasp.

Discord vanished and then re-appeared sitting on her beanbag with the cake perched upon his talons. Celestia crashed head-first into the food cart. "Ah-ah-ah, no no no, Celestia," chided Discord, "snatchy ponies get no treats."

Celestia struggled to her hooves and slumped her head in disdain.

After a few moments, her head raised and her expression became kind. She said, "I sincerely appreciate the comic relief, Discord. Legal documents are bland even after a few thousand years of experience with them..."

Discord smiled sweetly, and Celestia mirrored it. Discord said, "I am being serious, though, Celestia." Her smile vanished. "Perhaps you should really consider cutting down on the cakes-"

Celestia huffed, interrupting him. "-But I'm not f-"

"-I'm not saying you're fat, Celestia... You just have to watch your blood sugar... Or something. I don't know." He tossed the cake to her and she snatched it from the air like a bachelorette at a wedding. Celestia placed the cake once more upon her fine dining ware to be returned to the kitchen later; or at least, that's what she told herself.

"I'll keep that in mind, Discord." Celestia giggled slightly, her regal demeanour then returning as she sat on her haunches across from him. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"It's about the ape..." Discord said with slow enunciation and a roll of the eyes. He snapped the beanbag to life and it began panting like a dog. It leapt across the room and took refuge by the fire. "I'm going to get straight to the point - I have a reading session with Fluttershy that I'm late for." He stuck a talon in his mouth and blew on it, causing his tail to inflate like a balloon, which he then reclined on in place of the now-canine bean bag. Celestia merely blinked and looked at him expectantly. "I want to know what he's capable of."

Celestia raised an eyebrow and asked, "Whatever do you mean?"

"I mean that I want to know just how much of a threat the ape poses to our friends and the residents of Ponyville." He folded his arms. "We won't always be there to protect them at every waking moment, after all."

Celestia sighed with a gentle smile, shaking her head slightly. "Discord, he is not an ape; I believe he's a 'human'. I'll admit he seemed potentially dangerous at first, but according to my report from Twilight, he seems to be adjusting just fine."

Discord ground his teeth. "You really trust Twilight's word on this over mine? That mare has the emotional intelligence of a peanut!" Celestia now stood and made her way to Discord's side, resting a hoof upon his paw.

"Oh, Discord... Ever since I made the decision to see you reformed, with every passing day I have grown more thankful for it. It makes me very happy to see now that you've come to care for my subjects as I have..."

Discord yacked. "Ugh... I can sense a 'but' coming... There's always a butt coming with you - a big one." Discord grumbled. He looked away from the princess and folded his arms.

Celestia screwed up her face as she glanced back at her flanks for a moment. "B-But there's a point at which I think you may worry too much," Celestia said with a sigh, "that's all."

Discord stuck the tip of his tail in his mouth and sucked all the air from it, causing it to rapidly deflate. He pulled his paw from under Celestia's hoof and strolled over to the balcony and through the doors. Celestia joined him under the dim light of the moon soon after, enjoying the cool feeling of rain washing over her pristine white coat. Discord glanced down at her.

"I don't trust him, Celestia. Not even the slightest bit," said Discord. "You should see the way he treats the pony down at Ponyville's hardware store." He peered over the edge of the balcony with a forlorn expression. "He reminds me of what I once was..." Celestia looked up at him with sympathy as she waited for him to continue. "A bully..."

"Discord, while he may not be the most pleasant creature in Equestria, he has not brought harm to any creature within this land." Celestia looked back down at her hooves. "We cannot act against him on prejudice alone. Please, stop spying on him. I won't allow myself to partake in such hypocrisy."

Discord said, "Celestia, I don't wish to harm the ape." His tone and speech patterns held not one hint of his usual playfulness. "I only wish to test him for my own peace of mind."

"Discord, Twilight has assured me that he is kind and not at all dangerous-"

"-that silly little filly is infatuated with the creature!" Discord snapped, snarling out from the balcony. "Of course she would think that!" The raging storm picked up pace as Celestia shivered from the violent rain. Discord noticed her shivering and his expression softened, as did the storm. "I'm s-sorry, Celestia... I didn't mean to frighten you..."

"It's alright, Discord, you didn't frighten me. I'm just cold, is all..." Celestia walked back into her room, dripping from head to hoof. "I understand what you're saying. In her message she does seem somewhat... Excitable about the human." She summoned up a towel and began drying herself. "Just remember that he is an alien, ripped from his old life against his will. He may well be clinging to Twilight as an anchor of sorts, pushing away other ponies as elements of a world that is frightening and unfamiliar to him - even if he would never admit it."

Discord followed in behind the princess, snapping the bean bag dog away and back to its original position and form. Celestia silently thanked him and curled up upon it once more.

Discord sighed and replied, "I can tell you harbour some mistrust towards him, too..." He appeared by the fireplace, staring into its crackling depths. "This test will not necessarily tell us of his full nature, but it will help me inform our friends about how best to prepare for whatever that nature may be."

Celestia suppressed a smile at his words. He truly had come a long way to refer to the elements as 'our' friends. "I truly appreciate you approaching me about this first," she said, "when you're more than capable of acting outside my awareness." She turned to face him, meeting his gaze as he did the same. "I don't want you to hurt the human. But, I cannot stop you from assessing the level of threat he poses to my little subjects... Nor would it be right for me to do so."

Discord turned and looked back into the fire. Celestia tapped his shoulder with a wing and said, "Discord... Just promise me that you won't hurt him, even in the slightest. Promise me." Her voice was gentle, yet commanding.

Discord's expression tightened. "I promise," he replied.

Celestia picked up her now lukewarm cocoa in her golden aura and took a dainty sip, trotting away from him. Her face screwed up at the cold temperature of the beverage. "Now, I simply must return to these papers... The griffon ambassador will want every painstaking detail of our agreement relayed in full..."

Discord noticed her exhausted expression and figured it was time he took his leave. Like the flip of a switch, his grin returned as he wrapped himself around Celestia like a snake. The princess yelped in surprise, dropping her cocoa all over her expensive carpet. "Oh, alright. Don't have too much fun without me!" Discord said with glee.

He glanced over at the cake, which was now resting upon the food cart. "You might want to wash that..." he muttered, pointing at it. Celestia scowled in disgust. "Just kidding! Or am I...?" He waved his arms around mysteriously. "Tata!" The mad god booped Celestia on the nose before disappearing in a brief flash of light.

Celestia looked down and noticed her cocoa sitting unharmed on the carpet, now fresh and steaming hot once more.

She smiled.

"Miles...? Miles...?" Miles opened his eyes, blinking several times as the feminine, gentle voice eased him into consciousness. "Rise and shine, my little light." Miles looked up into the softly smiling face above him. Upon glancing around the room, Miles realised he had been sleeping in his bedroom. From the small lamp resting upon the large dresser to the pristine rug and polished surfaces, this room was unmistakably his own.

"Katherine!" shouted an old, gruff voice. Katherine's face froze.

"Yes, father?" Katherine replied. Her southern English accent matched that of Miles.

A slow, loud thudding sound approached from down the hall outside Miles's bedroom door. After a few seconds, a huge, towering man appeared in the doorway. The man was elderly and clearly struggled to walk, but Miles knew the power he still held within his tired frame.

"You know I 'ate it when you call me that, Katherine." The enormous man dipped his head as he entered Miles's bedroom, approaching Katherine across the creaky floorboards.

Katherine rolled her eyes and said nothing. The man continued, "So, what are you an' Miles 'ere doin' today?" He sat down on the edge of Miles's bed and glared at the plain white wall in front of him.

Katherine said, "We're probably going to begin Miles's graduation. It is quite the accomplishment." Her impossibly beautiful face gleamed as she glanced over at Miles. Miles held his head low, his lips set in a thin line.

The old man scoffed, "The lad finished school last year. I'm not fuckin' stupid. Y'know, Kath - you an' this little sod got it good, don't ya?"

Katherine looked over at him. "I'm not sure what you're referring to, father. If you're talking about our lives," she said, opening her arms wide, "then I'm endlessly thankful to have you both in mine." The man laughed.

"You know, just 'cause me lass kicked it, don't think that means I'll be your fuckin' servant while I stay 'ere." His cheek twitched upwards and he made to stand.

Katherine sighed and said, "Father, I don't expect anything from you. You don't have anything material to offer me, anyway."

The man snarled and spun to face Katherine. "An' it's shit like that that I'm always so fucked off with!" he bellowed, pointing a finger into her large chest. Katherine sat motionless. Her iron smile did not so much as melt an inch.

"Now now, father," she said, steadily, "you already learned this lesson." The old man flinched back at her words, clutching his side subconsciously.

He hobbled back to the doorway and slipped a packet of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket. When he went to light one, Katherine lightly 'tsk'ed and stepped over to Miles. She patted him on the leg and said, "Come on, darling. Let us seize the day."

Miles climbed out of bed and began to dress himself. The old man peered at Miles and asked, "What's got ya quakin', boy?"

Miles glowered at him and said, "I was just thinking about Grandmother, Rodney."

Rodney glared at Miles for a few moments and then replied, "Eeeh, fuck right off." He left the room and plodded back down the hall. Katherine stepped over to Miles once he was dressed.

She looked up at him and said, "Don't worry, my little light. He shouldn't bother us for too much longer." Her gaze hardened. "I assume you're ready for your graduation."

Miles did not respond. His eyebrow twitched involuntarily. He'd know a question if he heard one.

Katherine turned and led Miles out into the hallway and towards the door to their cellar. From Miles's perspective, her long dress in combination with her graceful movements gave the illusion of her simply floating across the floor.

She stood by the doorway, facing Miles. She held one of her hands with the other, letting them rest in front of her as she waited for Miles to enter. Her smile still did not fade, yet Miles knew she watched his every muscle movement.

Miles opened the door, and as he faced the darkness below, he felt his beloved mother's presence looming behind him. He took the first step down into the cellar. After a few more, his vision faded to black.

He now found himself standing in the kitchen of his workshop. He was a few years older now, and much larger, too. Miles thought little of the transition; it felt natural to him.

To his left, in the front of the workshop, his diminutive mother knelt scraping some oak with a wood planer. To his right, his grandfather Rodney sat at the kitchen table on his wheelchair, watching the wall-mounted television. He appeared considerably more frail than he had before, coughing once in a while after dragging his cigarette. Each time his coughing escalated, he would take a sip from his glass of water. Miles noted with disgust the brown, murky mucus he left on the edge of the glass after every sip.

"Boy," a hoarse voice called. Miles turned. "Be a good lad an' bring yer grandpap some fresh water." The withered husk held out its glass to Miles, who grasped it and rinsed it through under the tap. Upon filling the glass with fresh water, Miles wordlessly set it down in front of his grandfather. The old man offered no thanks as he continued to watch the tiny television with little interest. "You know, boy - we really should be investin' in a better tv."

Miles did not turn his head as he addressed his grandfather from the corner of his eye with a smile. "Money is tight, Rodney. Mother and I are doing all we can to remain in business." He now turned to face the old man. "Perhaps you should consider cheaper cigarettes." His grandfather scoffed.

"Tight, my arse. Tell me yer not hangin' around in the pub every weekend! An' all them gym memberships, too!" Rodney tried to slam his fist on the arm of his wheelchair, but was barely able to create an audible thud. "You've no right to talk, boy! Why would my dear sweet lass give everythin' to you an' your whore of a mother when she passed?" He began spluttering again, his chest heaving and his eyes leaking.

"I drink neither in great quantities nor often, Rodney," said Miles. He took a step closer to the old man.

"Those savings belong to me an' yer grandma! Yer crooks! Both of ya! My darlin' would never sell me short like that - never!"

"Grandmother is long dead," stated Miles, curtly. The texture of his surroundings began to lose detail, becoming smooth and over time. Miles thought nothing of it.

"I'm well aware 'a that, you little fucker!" Rodney's outburst drove him into a fit of spluttering. Shakily, the contents of the glass were gulped down.

Miles took another step closer and placed a hand upon his grandfather's shoulder, now standing behind Rodney's wheelchair. Miles smiled and pulled out a packet of cigarettes. "Please, Rodney, calm yourself. Grandmother gave everything to us, but we're kind enough to look after you, aren't we?" said Miles, squeezing Rodney's shoulder gently. "Here." He placed the packet of cigarettes in Rodney's hand and closed his fingers around it. He patted Rodney's now closed fist and said, "Why don't you just have a smoke and relax yourself? On me."

The soft sounds of his mother's fingers snapping and her angelic voice caused him to turn. "Miles, my little light... Could you come and help me finish this desk? I feel as though this will be one of our finest yet..." she sang. Rodney looked at the packet in his hand and began to mumble through laboured breaths, not bothering to dry his leaking eyes.

Miles walked over to his mother and brushed himself off. Katherine glanced at the withered old man and watched him light a cigarette. Her smile widened the for briefest of moments.

She placed a hand upon Miles's back. Miles followed his mother across the workshop, where a tiny oaken desk sat, unpolished. She had smoothed out the surface and indicated some minute, swirling details since he had last seen it. His mother's creativity and perfectionism left him ever awe inspired.

Katherine remained silent for a few moments. Miles glanced down at her as she stared at the desk, seemingly frozen. Suddenly, she said, "You know as well as I do that there is no meaning to life other than creation and control, my little light..." Her gentle gaze met his own. Miles blinked in surprise at the sudden shift in tone. "In light of what's happened this week, Miles, I think we should have a talk," she said with an unreadable glint in her eyes. "You are very capable, but we both know your blood runs much hotter than mine."

"Mother, I-" started Miles.

"-Let me finish," she interrupted, firmly. Miles snapped his mouth shut. "Very few strive to create - to control..." She brought her other palm to cup his face, bringing their foreheads together. Miles bowed his knees to maintain contact. "Most waste what life is given to them, Miles..." She glanced at Rodney and then pulled her head back to look into Miles's eyes. "When I'm no longer around, promise me you won't burn too bright, too soon."

She placed a deceptively dainty finger to Miles's lips and whispered, "I won't be there to cool you down."

Despite her words and her permanent smile, her eyes still remained frozen in stasis. Her breathy voice drilled through his skull like a sharpened icicle as she said, "Remember. Control is everything. Let nothing stray beyond yours. You are everything to me."

"Why did this have to happen so soon, mother?" asked Miles, closing his eyes with a clenched fist.

"Miles," warned Katherine, "what did I just say? Control." He felt her cold fingers pressure the joints of his own. His fist unfurled and locked up at her touch. He found himself following her movements as she effortlessly pulled him down to her level.

"Whydd...yulet e di, Mil...?" His mother's speech now muffled behind static, as the television blared white noise across the household. Neither his mother nor his grandfather seemed to take notice.

"What...?" gasped Miles. The static stopped as the kitchen, the workshop and his mother suspended in motion. "Mother, what's wrong?" he asked. Rodney now stood at the junction between the kitchen and the workshop with a lifeless grin plastered across his face. Miles grabbed a hammer from the workspace his mother had been using for the desk and slowly made for his grandfather, with a glare.

Miles heard a rasping gasp rattle from behind him and turned.

There, lying on the floor, was his mother. Her long, platinum-blonde hair was gone and she breathed with great difficulty. He gasped and scooped his mother into his arms. His grandfather exhaled, and a rancid black smoke escaped his lungs, swamping the workshop in its smoggy depths.

Miles looked down into his mother's lifeless eyes as her skin began to dry and tear. Her once icy blue eyes shrivelled up and dropped through their sockets; her limbs grew skeletal and crumbled between his fingers.

"No! NO!" Miles roared with defiance. "I can help you, mother! I'll fix you!" He pulled her close to his chest.

He felt his grandfather now breathing the toxic smog over his shoulder. Miles leaned and sheltered what was left of his mother with his body.

"ENOUGH!"

Suddenly, an indescribably loud voice pierced through the thick smog, accompanied by a blindingly bright light. Miles shielded his eyes until it faded, only to find himself now sitting within an endless blue void. In front of him was none other than the deep blue pony he'd seen soon after his arrival in Equestria.

"Human. We are sorry these nightmares trouble thee. We know what it is like to be troubled by one's memories," she said.

Miles sighed to himself upon the revelation that it had been a dream, calming his breathing. He smoothed out his hair and straightened his cuffs. The space around them swirled and ebbed.

His confident gaze returned before he stepped towards the alicorn and took a knee. Luna scrunched her face as he took her hoof in his hand and squeezed it gently. She jumped back and her wings popped out in surprise. "Thankyou, Princess Luna. I appreciate your help." He stood back up to his full height, now dwarfing the mare once more. "Although, how can I know that I'm not still dreaming, hm? Isn't invading dreams a breach of privacy?"

Luna recovered and coughed into a hoof. "Ahem... Thou art- we- I mean, you are still dreaming, Miles... However, this dream is considerably more... Lucid. As for your privacy - worry not. I only appear to ponies when I sense distress. I do not watch your dreams."

Miles raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, am I currently speaking to the real Princess Luna?" She nodded. Miles shook his head. "Unbelievable. Your world never ceases to amaze me, little pony."

Luna appeared amused and said, "The realm you now inhabit is a shared space within your own conscious mind that I am using to speak with you." Miles nodded sarcastically. Princess Luna turned tail with a huff and began to walk away. "You will awaken soon, Miles. I do hope you're adjusting well to our world... For what it's worth - I know how you feel to be lost in a world that's strange and unfamiliar to you."

"Thankyou again, Princess Luna," said Miles.

"Of course, Mil-" Princess Luna crouched down, looking around with alarm as the blue void began to swirl and grow purple. She spoke rapidly. "Human, we- I am losing control over this dream! I know not what is happeni-"

Luna suddenly vanished before his eyes, immediately replaced with a rather stern looking draconequus. After several seconds of silence, the draconequus spoke.

"Miles."

"Discord," Miles replied. He folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "This might just be the longest dream I've ever experienced. I'm so very glad you decided to drop by and offer greetings."

"I didn't come to offer my greetings, ape. I hope you understand, but some precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of my friends." Discord said, stepping up to Miles and peering down at him with a slight scowl. "Have fun."

Miles frowned before Discord shoved a talon into his chest, causing him to fall through the infinite purple void.

An open, brown field of dirt approached from below him. Moments before he could be turned to paste, he suddenly ground to a halt mere inches from the field. Miles was unceremoniously dumped into the dirt. His hammer thudded into the dirt somewhere nearby, having fallen with him. He quickly stood to his feet and began dusting off his shirt with a deep frown. The dirt field stretched off in all directions as far as the horizon.

A grey pegasus stallion stood before him, its eyes empty husks of white light. Miles stopped and regarded the stallion with curiosity. "Well, how are you, good sir?" asked Miles. "I don't know what's going on here, but I'd really appreciate if-"

The stallion suddenly pulled a spear from under its wing and pointed it up at Miles, much like an automaton. Miles widened his eyes and scoffed, but did not take a step back. His face twisted into a grin and he dusted off his pants.

"Alright. Let's go, then."

Author's Note

16/10/2024 - Touched up with changes, additions and amendments.

Hack and Snap

The pegasus remained steadfast in the face of Miles's challenge, seemingly unable to hear him. Its grip on the spear remained unwavering as Miles lowered his face toward its sharpened tip.

"Go ahead. Show me what you can do with that little stick." Miles's expression was calm, his eyes half-lidded and his smile subtle. After several more seconds of silence and not even the slightest movement from the stallion, Miles slowly reached out a finger towards the tip of the spear. Still, the stallion did not respond, rooted in place like a long-forgotten monument.

Miles flicked the tip of the spear with a snigger.

As though a switch were flicked, the dull stallion thrust the spear into Miles's face with blinding speed. He just barely managed to pull his head to the side in time, the weapon slicing across his cheek and immediately drawing blood. Miles pulled back upright and touched a hand to his face. Upon looking down at his blood-soaked fingers he began to chuckle, his eyes lighting up with a childlike glee. He almost felt disappointed that the injury had barely hurt in the slightest.

The stallion cleanly swivelled its spear across its withers using its wings before swiftly thrusting it towards Miles's stomach. The human grabbed the shaft of the spear without so much as moving the rest of his body an inch. He yanked the spear past his waist, pulling the stallion along with it. He then seized the husk stallion by the throat as it was yanked towards him.

The stallion began struggling in Miles's grip, kicking at his stomach in an attempt to continue existing. Miles was now laughing with exuberance, the thudding sensation the kicking sent through his belly exacerbating his high. "A valiant effort, little horse!" bleated Miles. The stallion's kicking began to weaken as it could no longer draw breath around Miles's hold, which dug deep into its neck and caused throbbing veins to swell beneath its hide.

"This may be a dream, but I won't let that lessen the satisfaction of watching that little light leave your eyes..." Miles hissed as he began breathing feverishly. His arms quaked with ecstasy. "You clearly do not deserve it..." Grinning, he then lifted the stallion several feet into the air, still holding it by its oxygen passage, before thrusting it down into the dirt with an almighty slam.

Miles felt the stallion's windpipe cave and tear between his fingers as its neck splintered and snapped upon impact. A brown, billowing cloud of dust whipped up around the two. The stallion's light briefly flickered and then died.

Miles rose back to a standing position, breathing hard, yet experiencing no exhaustion. "I must remember to thank Discord when I awaken - I assume this playground is his handiwork," he chuckled.

A fizzling sound resounded from over his shoulder. Upon turning, Miles found a group of five ponies, near identical to the one he had just snuffed out, charging him with various forms of weaponry. There were two pegasi, two earth ponies and one unicorn. Their expressions were lifeless and they made no vocalisations of any kind, yet their movements were determined and aggressive.

Miles widened his stance and crouched down a few inches, holding his vice-like appendages out to his sides. He charged at the group and stepped to his left moments before being skewered on the end of their weaponry. He grabbed the left-most pony with his right arm and threw it into the ground. The other four split up and circled him.

The pegasus he had just thrown dropped its weapon, yet swiftly scrambled to pick it up and climb back to its hooves. One of the earth ponies charged Miles with a sword, slicing at his calf. Miles grabbed the pony by its mane. Just as the other pegasus circled him from the air and dove in to strike, Miles slung the earth pony in his grasp at it, causing its spear to slide between the ribs of the earth pony with a squelching crunch; it made a deep gargling sound before quickly going limp.

The fresh meat sack knocked the pegasus from the air, the two crashing to the ground in a heap. The unicorn immediately freed the pegasus from beneath the earth pony corpse with its magic. Miles adjusted one of his cuffs. "You little bastards are tougher than you look - I'll give you that."

Miles began to feel weightless. As he looked around him, he noticed the ground grow gradually distant. The unicorn held him in the air; however, it appeared it could do little else other than hold him there as its face contorted in strain.

Miles growled in frustration as the other three drones charged him with their weapons in an attempt to brutalise him into a fleshy cactus. Miles quickly dug his hand into his pocket - nothing.

He instead deftly grasped the earth pony's spear once it reached him, stopping the pony in its tracks. His breath hitched as he felt a sword pierce the muscle of his shoulder, its parting blade tearing the sinew of his arm with a searing burn. He also caught the pegasus's spear just before it skewered his abdomen.

Miles's grip on the spears did not waver. He yanked the spear from the earth pony's grasp and violently thrust it into the spear wielding pegasus's eye. The husk's eyelids reflexively attempted to scrunch shut and protect the glowing eye, only to instead quiver and bleed against the sharp, cold steel of the spear. The pegasus dropped to the ground and began to violently shake in its death throes.

The remaining Earth pony began to withdraw its blade as the now spear-less pegasus scrambled to retrieve a weapon from its fallen comrades. Miles gripped the escaping sword with his hand, ignoring the slight tickling sensation when its blade sliced through the thick flesh of his hand. This slowed the earth pony long enough for him to look to the unicorn and take aim with his spear. After a fraction of a second, he let it soar with all his strength.

Time seemed to slow as the unicorn, deep in concentration from holding the 300 lb human in its magical grasp, made no attempt to dodge the incoming freight train.

The spear found its mark, slicing all the way through the stallion's neck and sticking half a dozen inches out the exit wound. Its razor-sharp tip steadily dripped blood onto the dirt. The stallion gurgled quietly as it fell backwards. It was left with its back arched unnaturally once the tip of the spear sank into the ground, suspending the pony's head above the dirt.

Miles dropped to the earth with a loud thud, landing on his feet. The two remaining ponies left him no time to recover as they now piled on top of him, attempting to jab their filthy weapons into his neck.

With adrenaline pumping unlike anything he had experienced in a while, all semblance of exhaustion departed Miles's body as he kicked the earth pony away, the miniature equine soaring a dozen feet before scraping to a halt in a tumble of limbs and rocky dirt. Miles then swung his fist into the muzzle of the pegasus, knocking it onto its side in a daze.

The grinning human quickly climbed to his feet and began stomping the pegasus into the dust, making sure to force his weight onto its chest until he felt its ribs crack and give way. The stallion made a sharp intake of breath as one of its ribs punctured a lung. All of its limbs shot out straight as though electrocuted, and crimson fluid pooled beneath its maw. Miles turned to the remaining Earth pony, leaving the pegasus to choke on its own blood and mucus.

Miles had not felt so alive in quite some time. These little ponies had given him a much better fight than the fat drunkard and his cronies some days ago. Rotating his arm a few times and being pleased to still find it functional, he approached the final survivor of the group.

The earth pony, sword gripped between its teeth, charged Miles once more in an attempt to gash the man's stomach. Miles chuckled and flung his right leg at the pony's head. With a clonk, the pony careened off to the left and its weapon slid several metres out of reach.

The stallion shakily attempted to climb to its hooves as Miles calmly sauntered over. Just as the stallion was about to make it upright, Miles delivered another solid kick, this time to its stomach. It jolted slightly into the air before crashing down into the dirt once more.

Miles laughed and said, "You know, as much as appearing in this prissy little equine land has been a pain in my backside, I think I can come to appreciate the little things like this..." Miles kicked the pony a few more times. It clutched at its stomach and curled into a ball in agony.

"Hmm..." Miles looked over at the five corpses sprawled across the dirt before making his way over to the unicorn. He roughly slid the spear from its throat with a wet schlick and dragged the cadaver over to the still cowering earth pony. He laughed and patted it on the head. "Well, it's been fun, but I'll be snuffing you out now. Goodbye."

The earth pony squirmed and kicked. Its muzzle was forced open. It then made a feverish snorting sound as the horn of its fallen comrade was thrust through the roof of its mouth and into its brain in one swift motion. Its eyes rolled into the back of its head and a broad tongue flopped uselessly over its teeth.

Miles stood up and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes, feeling a raw satisfaction wash through his pleasantly aching muscles and seep into his gaping wounds as though dunking his head in a barrel of water after crossing the desert. He chuckled softly and said, "You know, it's not polite to attack people unprovoked, Discord. Although, I know this is a dream, so I suppose I can let it slide."

Miles sighed with satisfaction and dusted off his pants. "Well this was something, but would you mind telling me when I'm going to wake up...?"

Discord observed the scene below him with keen interest. The human had just flicked the tip of his phantom's spear and was now choking the 'life' out of it. There was a gentle fizzle by his side as Princess Luna popped into the dream once again.

"Discord! The realm of dreams is our domain!" shouted Luna. She pointed a hoof up at his face in accusation. Discord barely acknowledged her and simply continued to observe Miles. "We will not have thee simply snap thine appendages and take hold of our realm!"

The draconequus finally regarded Luna with a tired stare. After a few moments, he perked up as his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! I do apologise, dear Luna. I had to have a word with Miles over here before he woke up, you see. I am truly sorry about throwing you out like that," Discord proclaimed with a dribble too much sarcasm for the princess of the night's liking.

Luna sighed and took a few deep breaths. "Please, do not do that again, Discord. We cannot have thee interfering with the dreams of our subjects..." They both turned to observe the scene below them. "What is going on here, spirit? The human was meant to awaken upon the end of my conversation with him."

Discord huffed and said, "Oh, Luna, must you really call me that? And he isn't your subject."

"We do not see the issue," Luna swiftly muttered as she lifted her muzzle and sat on her haunches with a near-silent hmph.

Discord sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine... Whatever." He gestured to Miles with his paw. "I'm judging Miles's combat strength at the moment. The realm of dreams just happens to be the perfect place for it. Sorry."

Luna gasped and said, "You cannot do such a thing, Discord. It would be of poor decorum!" Luna hastily pressed a silver-clad hoof to Discord's side. He moved away from her touch.

"What in Equestria is that supposed to mean? His situation in our world is surely stressful," Discord said, glaring at Luna. "What if he reaches a boiling point and lashes out at ponies when we're not around?" His eyes began to spark. "They'll have to restrain him, so I have to know how much damage we're risking here." He rested his claw across his brow and took a deep breath, that spark leaving his eyes as quickly as it came. "I'm sorry, Luna, but for now I'll have to remove your-"

Luna cut him off when Miles slammed the pony into the dirt. "-Discord, stop this at once! Let the human awaken!" She stepped towards Discord.

Discord did not respond.

Snap!

Several more phantom ponies appeared behind Miles and began charging him. Discord regarded Luna calmly. "Luna, these are merely puppets - they feel nothing."

Luna growled, "We were not referring to the ponies, spirit! We saw quite clearly that thine puppet attacked the human first!"

Discord held up a paw in response to her archaisms and said, "Hush, Luna, you're droning in ye-olde ponish again..."

"The human still feels some dulled form of pain in the dream world, Discord. We know thou art aware of this..." Luna began to charge her horn, facing the Lord of Chaos as though she could extinguish a forest file with a thimble.

With a quick snap, her horn was gone. The princess sputtered in protest.

As Miles was sliced by the ponies, Luna became enraged. "Thou'rt harming the human, Discord! Such barbarianism is unbecoming of thee!"

Discord snapped his head around to face her with a snarl. "One more word and I'll remove you from this dream! For your information, I dulled his sense of pain before doing this..." Discord took a breath and set his features. "I want you here to vouch for my findings. Don't make me change my mind..."

Luna dipped her head, ground her teeth and closed her eyes. However, her ears peaked as she heard an unexpected sound from below. The human was laughing. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"What in my sister's name...?" Luna stood to attention and peered down at the human, cringing slightly as the final pony was brutally slain. She was speechless.

Discord shook his head and said, "I knew it. What was that about 'harming' him?"

Luna stammered, "W-Well he is lucid right now. He is aware this is a dream and is simply playing around." She could not meet Discord's eyes. "We know the joy of combat from experience, too... Y-Yes..."

The two sat in silence for several moments. Eventually, Discord spoke up, his voice a null void. "Well, if he's enjoying himself... I suppose I'd better wake him up now."

Another snap.

All of the corpses and weapons disappeared, instead replaced by around twenty earth ponies that appeared before Miles, none of which were armed this time. Miles appeared ecstatic.

He briefly scanned the scattered weapons from his previous scuffle, before his sights rested upon a tool of great interest. To him, it seemed to glint in the light, and his grin reciprocated the sentiment.

As the group of stallions charged, Miles sauntered past the bloodied swords and spears and over to the fallen hammer. He picked it up with a flourish and a few taps to clear off any dirt. With his hammer now in hand, he turned to face the horde.

Luna gawked as they swarmed him.

For minutes he fought, bludgeoning the ponies into submission with his hammer and his limbs. Luna and Discord watched in silence, the princess of the night making no move to stop the senseless violence this time; she instead perched upon her royal rump in disgusted resignation.

Discord growled in frustration while creating ever more puppets to swamp Miles in an unstoppable tsunami of pony husks. For every marionette he crushed, two more would take its place. Miles continued to expertly punch, kick, hack and snap his way through over three dozen members of the horde, until eventually his limbs were pinned under the enormous sea of puppets.

Miles dropped his blood-soaked hammer - it slowly tumbled down the mass of lifeless limbs before eventually lying still, staining the dirt with its worth. He managed to grab several ponies with his hands and toss them away with a grunt, only for several more sets of stubby appendages to take their place in viciously halting the blood flow to his arms. His legs suffered much the same fate as the miniature equines struck at his flesh with all their might.

Luna closed her eyes and turned away with a bite of her lip. Discord folded his world-breakers and glared down at the carnage.

Miles cackled, his teeth sliding down into his lungs and his eyes weeping the syrupy essence of life. Eventually, he felt nothing as he grew closer to becoming another corpse swallowed by the mountain of flesh and bone.

His world faded to black.

Luna launched out of her slumber with a shout. Her crescent bed rocked as she pressed her hooves to her face. After several moments of silence, glistening droplets of shame began pattering over the linen sheets. Eventually, this pattering turned to sobs as the princess of the night let herself go.

She did not hear the creak of her jewel-encrusted door being pried open, yet did feel the soft embrace of a large, pure white wing wrap around her frame.

"Lulu..." an angelic, motherly voice whispered into her twitching ear. "Shh, Lulu... You're okay. It was but a dream..."

Luna's sobs lessened. "N-Nay, sister... T'was not..."

Celestia tightened her wing's cocooning of her little sister in concern, yet spoke not a word. Luna's sobs died down to sniffles.

"D-Discord... Took control of our realm... He h-harmed the human..."

Celestia bristled and furrowed her brow slightly. "Little Lulu, you know that one cannot truly be harmed within a dream," said Celestia. She pressed her muzzle to her sister's cheek. "Things may vaguely hurt in the moment, but you know better than I that he will awaken with little but the general memory of whatever it is he went through." Celestia climbed onto the bed with her sister. "I know you, Lulu." She blew a lock of her sister's mane.

"We know of this, Tia... Yet you know not of the extent to which Discord pushed the alien." Luna sniffled. "The poor creature... Not all pain is physical, sister. W-We... I imagine it is not something he shall soon forget..."

Celestia's gaze steeled over for a moment, her expression unreadable. "Lulu... I understand, and yet, I can see that there is more." Luna remained silent. She closed her eyes as she felt Celestia's wings shield her quivering muscles and her melodic breath warm her still soaking wet cheek.

Luna took several calming breaths of her own as she felt her heartbeat slow. "Discord took over my realm, sister..." She huddled closer into the curve of Celestia's long, warm neck. "He made me powerless as he dominated that which is mine." Her eyes now closed, her hooves grasping at Celestia's peytral, yet failing to make purchase. "I was... Helpless..."

Luna gasped and continued, "I was helpless to stop him. I was helpless to rescue the alien!"

Celestia sighed, "Oh, Lulu... You have known Discord long enough now to know that nothing is beyond his influence." She looked over at the opposite wall, her expression neutral. "Yet, whatever transpired tonight proves he still has a lot of learning to do."

Celestia lifted her sister's chin with a wing to meet a warm smile and said, "Lulu... You'd be surprised just how much he now cares for this world and the ponies within it."

She leaned in to nuzzle her little moonshine and said, "While I will have to give Discord a stern talking to, I am sure the human's memory will be hazy enough for this not to escalate further between the two of them." Luna opened her mouth to comment, but Celestia beat her to it. "If he truly held violent intent towards the alien, then poor Miles would already be long gone."

Luna did not respond, her eyes glued to the beautiful, hoof-stitched bed sheets she had hired a wandering noble of Manehattan to painstakingly craft for her. Its deep-blue waning crescent moon ever gravitated her swirling thoughts into a pool of warmth and comfort.

The night princess almost whined when her feathery blankets retracted to her sister's sides. Celestia hopped off the bed with a pep in her step. "Now enough about him, sister," she said. "You should try and get a couple more hours of sleep before you have to lower your moon." Luna pouted and Celestia chuckled with a motherly warmth. "I have to say, my little sister - I am always glad to see you slip into the modern tongue. You are adjusting quite nicely." Luna blushed as her elder winked.

Celestia trotted to the doorway, flinging it open with a sparkle of golden magic. "Now, if you'll excuse me - I have a cak- ergh -bundle of papers in my room with my name on them... G-Goodnight..." The door swiftly slammed shut; Luna heard her sister's hooves hurriedly scamper down the hall.

Luna fell back onto her silken pillow with a dull thud. She sighed softly and turned onto her side; her hind legs tucked towards her chest and her eyes drifted shut, the concerns of the day drawing further away - until a loud ping caused her to yelp and spark her horn to life. She sat up and scanned her bedroom in anger.

There, floating precariously close to her extremely expensive chandelier, was the chaotic being she and her sister had just finished discussing.

His expression appeared remorseful.

"I, uh... S-Sorry?" He held his paw and claw to his chest and cringed as he spoke, slightly shrinking in size.

Luna huffed with a quivering pout and hastily pulled the covers over her head, shoving her face into the pillow.

Discord sighed and tapped his digits together guiltily. He mumbled, "Oh, poo..."

Author's Note

16/10/2024 - touched up with some amendments.

Building Amends

Author's Note

All chapters before this one were improved/overhauled on 29/10/2024.

If you previously read the story before that date, I highly recommend you go back and read the story from the beginning.

For anyone reading this story after 29/10/2024, don't worry, you have read the final versions of all chapters.

Enjoy.

Building Amends

Miles opened his eyes, finding himself tucked away in bed. The room was bathed in the soft glow of the morning sun. He smiled to himself. Perhaps he could find some joy in Discord's existence after all.

As he swung his legs out of bed, he noticed something sitting on his night stand. He picked it up and examined it more closely. It appeared to be a picture of Twilight and her friends. They all wore some similar-looking necklaces and beamed at the camera with joy. He placed the picture back down, carefully centering it on the night stand.

A moment later, he heard a gentle rapping on his door.

"Princess Luna, please..." Discord said. "I waited here all night to talk to you, and you still want to ignore me?" He snapped his talons and appeared in the bed next to Luna, smirking at her.

Luna yelped and fell off the side of her bed. After taking a few breaths, she glared at Discord and picked him up in her magic. Discord's expression grew bored and his body went limp. He cocked an eyebrow, however, when he noticed Luna dancing lightly in place out of frustration.

After some deliberation, she set him down and sighed. It's not like anything she could do to him would make them even anyway. Discord appeared genuinely concerned. "Look, princess, I'm sorry. Alright? I'm sssorry," he said.

"It is not I you should be apologising to, spirit," Luna snarled. "Just wait until my sister gets her hooves on you... I have already told her about what you did to the alien." She huffed and turned to face the window, admiring her sister's beautiful sunrise. "It is actions such as these which make me regret deciding to wake by day. It is insults such as these which make me question my sister's decision to allow you freedom."

Discord winced. "I don't know what else to say, Luna. I just wanted to know what we're preparing for," he said.

Luna swivelled on him, pointing an accusatory hoof. "It is that kind of hypocrisy which we do now forbid!" She jabbed her hoof into his brown fur.

"Princess, language..." murmered Discord.

"No, spirit. That was not the royal 'we'. Stop deflecting." Luna placed more pressure on her hoof. "You yourself have felt the sting of pre-judgement. We both have. What right do you have to harm and ostracise an estranged creature?" She turned from Discord once more, flicking him with her tail. "It is not your place. The human has harmed nopony - he is lost. Cease your unwarranted crusade."

Discord lowered his head and prepared to snap his talons. Luna caught his digits in her glowing blue aura and said, "I shall be informing young Fluttershy of your actions." Discord closed his eyes as he heard this, his features beginning to melt. Luna continued, "I suggest you speak with my sister and then apologise to Miles posthaste."

She looked over her withers and up into his expression, searching. Her gaze softened at what she found.

"I'll make this right," he said, simply. With a snap, he was gone.

Luna let go of a breath. Her sister was correct.

Discord was so different than he had been all those years ago that she momentarily forgot she was speaking with a creature capable of decimating their entire world with a mere thought.

She shivered.

"Oooooh, this is so exciting!" Twilight skipped around the cozy study, dancing excitedly in place. "Now we can get some hard data on Equestria's newest resident!" She gasped and held a hoof to her mouth. "Maybe I could even get this published in Science Monthly... The things this could do for the scientific community!" she shouted.

Miles stood by her side patiently, looking down at her with interest. Spike sat at Twilight's desk, idly playing with loose parchment and swirling a quill in its inkwell. He sighed and said, "Twilight, I'm bored."

Twilight ceased her excited jittering and looked at Spike, slack-jawed. She ran over to him, mushing her face into his as she rambled, "Spike, I don't think you understand what this could mean for all of us and I think you should really consider how many ponies will read it and how it could possibly lead to-" Spike stuck his claw over her muzzle and sighed in defeat.

"Okay, okay," he said, "what do you need me to write down?" He lifted the quill from its inkwell, but frowned when he found its tip to be missing. "Uh, one sec." He hopped from his seat and grabbed a quill from the nearby shelf. Twilight was already beaming up at Miles, who had continued to wait in silence.

"So, Miles! I'll just be taking some basic measurements at first, before we go into anything too invasive," Twilight chirped.

Miles raised an eyebrow at her, his gaze gently drifting over towards Spike. When their eyes met, Spike gave him an apologetic grin and pushed his arms out slowly in a placating gesture. Miles got the message and gave him a subtle wink.

Miles looked back down at Twilight and said, "Of course, Twilight. Though, I hope you don't mind if I make us even once this is done?"

A blinking of eyes was the initial response. A nearby clock's ticks filled the silence that followed.

Twilight eventually said, "Uh, sure?" She tilted her head and moved to grab her kit in a lavender aura.

"Good," said Miles. "So, what do you need me to do?" He eyed her various floating implements with caution.

"Just stand on this scale for me, first, please." She pointed at a weighing scale she had placed at his feet. Miles stepped on it and watched Twilight without a waver. Twilight lowered her head to take some readings.

"Three hundr-... That can't be right. One second, Miles. Would you please step off the scale for me?" asked Twilight.

"But of course," responded Miles.

Twilight picked up the scale, fiddling with it in an attempt to get it to reset. Miles took note of the lack of a digital weighing scale. Shortly after, she placed the scale back down and looked into Miles's eyes with a smile. When he did not move, she signalled to the scale with a hoof.

Miles gasped and feigned surprise with a playful smile, chuckling as he stepped back onto the scale. Twilight rolled her eyes and looked over at Spike, who watched the interaction with no shortage of amusement.

She once again peered down at the reading, and Miles noticed her brow furrow in confusion. He tapped her on the base of her tail, causing her to squeak. She quickly covered her mouth with a hoof and blushed heavily. Spike could contain himself no longer.

"Bahaha! Twilight, seriously, you're gonna kill me! We'll be here all day if you don't hurry up," said Spike, giggling between breaths. Twilight lowered her ears and glared at him in embarassment. She stole a quick glance up at Miles before returning her attention to the scale.

"You know," said Miles, "if something is confusing you, you could always just ask me." Twilight jerked her head and slowly looked back up at him with a sheepish smile.

"S-Sure, sorry... Well, the scale is saying that you weigh three hundred and nineteen pounds."

"Yes...? What is your question, princess?"

Twilight's eyes widened. "W-Well, I know you're large, but you're as heavy as a manticore! They are definitely bigger than you are, so how can that be possible...?" Twilight's eyes glazed over as she stared at the patterned wall with a hoof to her lips.

Miles gently grabbed the tip of Twilight's horn and used it to pull her gaze to meet his own. Twilight's flush returned with force. "Well, Twilight," he said, "how about you let me test something myself and I'll see if I can help you with that?"

"W-Well what do you meaaaAAAN?!" Twilight yelped as Miles hooked a hand under her side and picked her up, holding her by her fluffy chest. He raised and lowered her a few times as though performing reps with a dumbell.

"Hmm..." hummed Miles. "It's just as I thought." Twilight did not struggle, but instead gawped at the opposite wall and occasionally glanced at Spike in embarassment. This was Miles being scientific. Yes. She wouldn't want to squirm and disrupt his readings.

Twilight coughed into a hoof and looked up at Miles when he set her back down. Her hooves gently clopped as they met the solid flooring. She mewled, "What's that? What did you find out?"

"Well, you see, I found out that you ponies have outlandishly soft coats." Miles smiled at Twilight, his expression innocent.

Twilight jerked in alarm at this and found herself suddenly unable to look in Spike's direction. The small drake deadpanned at her and raised a brow. She stamered, "Uh, well, uhm..." Spike folded his claws and gently shook his head, his disapproving gaze never leaving Twilight. She could have sworn she felt his eyes singeing the fur from her side. "We p-ponies always keep our coats pristine. Eheh... Anyway, what else did you find?"

Miles noticed Spike facepalm out of the corner of his eye. His interest was piqued by the silent conversation his two companions just had. However, Upon noticing Twilight's panicked expression, he decided not to push the subject. "Well, I noticed that you are even lighter than you look," he said. "It seems you weigh, say, twenty five or so kilograms?"

Spike scoffed and muttered, "Hayburger addict..." Twilight glared daggers at him before looking over herself self-consciously.

Miles frowned and said, "Twilight, what is the matter? The reason I mention it is because for your size, small as you may be, I would expect you to be somewhat heavier than that."

Twilight blushed and waved a hoof at him. "Oh, you flatter me..." She smiled to herself. Miles chuckled at this.

"I'm serious, Twilight." He patted her on the head. "If you were in my world, you would certainly be heavier than that."

One could hear a pin drop in the short silence that followed. The freshly oiled gears in Twilight's mind grinded with a newfound sleekness as it all came together for her. "Wait, that's it!" she shouted.

Spike huffed and looked off to the door, resting his chin on his palm. Twilight stepped onto the scale as her epiphany continued. Her grin faded when she made another realisation.

They had a scale right here. So why did he...?

She looked up at Miles with a questioning gaze. He raised his eyebrows at her, his smile innocent. Perhaps he simply forgot...

She shook her head and took her own weight reading. Miles was right - she currently weighed around fifty five pounds. Although, it seemed Miles preferred the metric system, so she said, "You're right, Miles. Twenty four kilograms... So I'd weigh more than that in your world?"

Miles nodded. "Yes, although you ponies are built very differently to the ponies from my world," he said. Twilight's eyes sparkled at the prospect of alien ponies. Miles paused for a moment to chuckle. "They're much bulkier than you are. So, I'd say you would not weigh more than thirty five or forty kilograms at most in my world."

Twilight held her tongue for now, but made a mental note to ask him more about ponies from his world later. "Well, in that case, perhaps gravity is different on your world. Have you noticed yourself feeling any different on your, uh..." She pointed down at his feet and looked at him questioningly.

"Feet, Twilight," he clarified for her.

"Right... So, have you felt any different on your feet since you got here?" she asked, silently wondering if his 'feet' held any connection to the unit of measure. Miles shook his head.

"No, not at all, princess." He folded his arms.

"Oh... Hmm... Well, if that were true then you'd still be lighter here, which you aren't..." She stuck out her tongue in thought. "In that case, the only conclusion I can draw from this is that objects in your world are more atomically dense than ours... This will require more thorough testing later!"

Twilight hopped in place and Spike groaned in disdain. "Spike, write this down! Miles weighs three hundred and nineteen pounds, and is..." She grasped a tape measure in her magic and placed it alongside Miles's stature. "Six feet and ten inches tall."

"Done and done," said Spike. "Can we go now? Please?"

Twilight ignored him, slipping into her patented scientific trance. "Also, take note of his apparent atomic density and how we'll need to conduct further testing on that in future." Spike merely grunted in response.

She looked back up at Miles. "So, Miles, now that you have helped us understand the general size and weight of a human, we can move on to the next steps!"

Miles laughed and ruffled her mane. "Twilight," he said, "I'm afraid I'm not the best subject if you're wanting data on the size of the average human."

"Oh, you're not? I suppose that makes sense, considering your, uh..." She looked closely at his arms, going silent for a few seconds. "...Build..." She attempted to clear her throat, her voice having become hoarse from breathing something down the wrong way.

Miles resisted the urge to grin and said, "Yes, the average human male stands around five feet and nine inches tall and weighs one hundred and sixty pounds." Twilight nodded eagerly at him and looked over to Spike, who rolled his eyes and proceeded to write.

"And a human female?" Twilight asked, clearing her throat one more time.

"Five feet and four inches; one hundred and twenty pounds."

Spike growled to himself and continued to scribble down notes on his parchment. Twilight blinked as the information she had just been given settled in. If what he said is true, then... She gulped.

"Is that really true, Miles?" asked Twilight. "I'll admit, I find it hard to believe that you're double the size of the average human male..."

"All I can really do is ask for you to trust me. I do not have any other humans around to show you." Miles laughed, now leaning against the wall. "Most humans do not put in as much effort as I do to maintain a strong physique. Add that to my abnormal height and I'm sure things will begin to add up in that little purple head of yours." He absently stroked at his stubble.

Twilight caught herself staring once more. With all her might, she resisted the urge to reach out and... She shook her head.

For his part, Miles attempted to count his blessings, yet found himself unable to keep track.

Spike coughed into his claw and stared at Twilight, appearing more than a little frustrated with her by this point. Twilight took a deep breath, nodded to herself and clopped her forehooves together. Considering the circumstances, Miles could not help but smile to himself.

"So," Twilight sang, "get those clothes off, Miles!"

His smile dissipated.

"Twilight," sighed Miles with a frown, "there are a number of reasons us humans keep our clothes on almost all of the time. I'm not going to just strip down for you..."

Twilight appeared confused. So his kind were not comfortable with being unclothed... Her eyes widened and her grin returned as an opportunity for cultural exploration presented itself. She opened her mouth to reply to Miles, but he barked out in laughter and continued before she could so much as make a sound.

"...At least take me to dinner first!"

Discord yacked and pulled himself away from the scene. He'd rather sit through another thousand years in stone than watch Twilight Spergle act up like a filly in heat for a moment longer.

And yet, the scene he had just observed, cringeworthy and painful though it may have been, filled him with a deep-seated feeling of regret. Miles showed no signs of aggression. Perhaps he truly was just a lost creature putting on a brave front of bravado.

He tried to ignore the itching and biting of an unfamiliar sensation as he teleported into Celestia's chambers.

Princess Celestia gasped when the lord of chaos appeared behind her. She had been sitting at her oaken dresser, in the middle of applying lipstick. After briefly taking note of his distinctly guilty-looking posture, she grunted in frustration and turned on him.

"Discord, please don't do that!" she shouted in frustration. Discord suppressed a laugh as he noticed smudged lipstick along her chin.

"Alright, alright. I'll fix it." With a snap, the smudge was gone. Celestia breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness... I was worried that I'd have to meet the ambassador like that for a moment." She sighed and relaxed her features. "Discord - I know why you're here." Discord looked into her eyes. The fire he found therein caused his face to turn away. He physically shrunk to around the size of Celestia's head.

The princess groaned inwardly. She didn't have much time before the ambassador's arrival. "I don't have time for this, Discord..." she said.

Discord said nothing. He walked over to her dresser and grabbed one of the chair's legs. He peered around at her from behind it with the best puppy eyes he could muster.

Celestia frowned and grabbed him with her magic. She walked over to her bed and placed him on the end of it with a huff. "I don't think much needs to be said. I asked you not to harm the human, and you broke your promise. I needn't tell you the rest."

Discord inflated back to his usual size. He interlocked his digits and said, "Celestia, perhaps I..." Celestia could see that Discord was really struggling to force the words past his mouth. But she would not stop him. He needed to do this himself. "Perhaps I was... wrong about the human. At least, in part. I still don't like him, but it was wrong of me to treat him as something dangerous when he hasn't done anything to put anypony in danger..."

Celestia smiled, but did not speak. It was not her forgiveness that he needed, after all. "I'll be apologising to him today, after he's done doing..." Discord trailed off. "...Whatever it is he's doing with Twilight."

He frowned to himself and then held his palms out to Celestia. "With that being said, I do think you should reign in your dear student." He floated on his side, his usual demeanour gradually returning. "I swear, if I'd turned her into a cake and cut her down the middle, there wouldn't be a knife in Equestria sharp enough to slice through all that sexual tension knotted up in that little purple body of hers." Discord spat the words as though they were poisonous.

Celestia could not help but hold a hoof to her mouth and snicker. These snickers very quickly built to joyful laughs.

Discord rolled his eyes and said, "I'm serious, Celestia. I think you need to get that wannabe scientist laid, and fast-" Celestia's laughter escalated to belly laughs, and Discord grinned. "-Maybe then she'll let the alien breathe."

Celestia's laughter gradually died down. "Discord, I think you should be more considerate of my student," she chided, playfully. "She is a grown mare, after all. It is not our place to control who she's attracted to." Discord threw his arms behind his head and groaned.

"Ugh, fine, whatever. Now, I believe I have business to attend to. Tata, my dear!" Celestia looked to him and held out a hoof, but he was already gone. She smirked to herself and lowered her head. He never was one for formalities.

A gentle breeze blew in through her window, breathing new life into her tired spirit. She looked to her door and took a steadying breath.

The glaring sun hung proudly in the sky above Ponyville. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, through the clatter and thunk of produce carts and carriages alike, one relieved human stood. With his tool bag in hand, he made his way back towards Twilight's castle.

Thankfully for Miles, those repulsive ponies from the marketplace gave him little grief during his visit to fix their bedroom. Whether they were too afraid or too disinterested to speak mattered not to him. They had nothing to offer him yet, anyway.

Speaking of which, it was about time he made some real progress. He spared nary a glance around the town as he beelined for Twilight in anticipation of what he knew would be good news.

It had been a long day. Twilight had grilled him about many other aspects of his species before he was finally able to leave. He had every faith that she had succeeded in obtaining his permit. After his experience with her today, it wasn't even in doubt.

Eventually, he arrived at Twilight's castle, having paid no mind to the various ponies on his way. While not so severe as when he first arrived, they for the most part still gave him almost as much space as they did visual attention.

Perhaps once they see their princess's approval of him, things would change.

After some gentle knocks, Miles was met with none other than Spike, his diminutive dragon form apparently having somehow reached the handle.

"Well hello there, Spike. Is Twilight around?" asked Miles, casually.

Spike sighed, knowing exactly why he's looking for her. He remained silent for some time, before eventually speaking up. "Yeah, she's here... You know, don't you think it's a little soon?" Spike grimaced awkwardly as he looked up into Miles's gentle expression.

"'Soon'?"

"Uh, yeah... Don't you think it's a little too soon to be setting up your own place, in a new town," Spike said, counting with his claws as he spoke, "in a new world, on your own, before ponies are even comfortable being around you?"

Miles chuckled. "Spike, my friend, allow me to answer your question with a question." He took a knee. "How are these ponies going to grow more comfortable around me if I remain locked away in a castle with their princess like a VIP guest?"

Spike blinked, but did not respond.

Miles pursed his lips for a moment before continuing. "If I integrate myself with them like any other average creature, then perhaps that will help them see me as such. I'm sure you and I both know how it feels to stand out from a crowd here." He patted the small drake on the shoulder before rising back to his full height. "Now, then. Twilight?" He raised an eyebrow at Spike.

The afternoon sun had begun to set, casting the pair in a deep orange light. Spike looked off toward the horizon for a moment and smiled. He looked back up at Miles with newfound understanding and said, "Oh, of course! She was over in her study looking over the notes from today's 'study session', last I saw her." Spike shook his head and smirked, pointing a thumb over his shoulder into the castle.

"Anyways," said Spike, "I've got a hot date with an encrusted pastry. See ya, dude." With that, he waddled away into town with what Miles supposed was attempted masculine swagger.

Miles made his way into the castle, only to be met with yet another obstacle. This one had seemingly transformed the castle's entryway into a massive ocean of pudding. The pudding appeared to be held back by some kind of invisible dam, meaning that although Miles was not drowning, he certainly wasn't getting through without first confronting the entity he already knew was responsible.

Miles sighed internally. Without warning, Discord emerged from the pudding on a large Celestia-shaped floatee, wearing a pair of star-shaped sunglasses and carrying a lengthy shower brush that he used to scrub his back with the thick, custardy pudding.

As his floatee gradually turned to face Miles, Discord gasped and dropped the brush into the ocean. He lifted his glasses and eyed Miles before snapping his fingers. In an instant, the ocean of pudding was gone and Discord hung in the air in front of Miles, upside down with a smirk.

Miles frowned, pushing through Discord wordlessly on his way to meet Twilight.

"Miles." Miles froze in place, but did not turn. "Look, Mr. Alien, buddy ol' pal," said Discord. "I just wanted to say that I'm s-sorry for what happened..."

With the tension broken, Miles turned to face Discord. He still did not speak.

Discord groaned, his playful grin completely gone. "Ugh, Miles, I was just trying to look out for my friends... I suppose now is a good time to confess that I have also been watching you." Miles did not appear surprised, yet still remained mute.

"And I have to say," said Discord, "I think I might have been a little too... judgy with you, since you arrived." Discord folded his arms and looked to the side. Miles struggled to hold back his laughter as he watched this godly creature squirm. "You have every right to be angry with me, and I don't expect forgiveness. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry if I hurt you. I promise not to spy on you anymore. Th-That's it." Discord huffed in annoyance once he finished.

A few seconds of silence passed. Miles glared at Discord, his mind dancing with glee in the twisted grip of silence for as long as he was able. Eventually, he spoke.

"Of course - no problem. You and I both know that having power doesn't necessarily mean it will be used for harm." Miles stepped closer to Discord and held out a hand. "Take it as a lesson, I suppose."

Discord rolled his eyes at Miles's words, and with a reluctant grimace, he grasped the human's hand and the pair shook. Discord couldn't believe what he was now willing to do for his friends. His thoughts drifted to Fluttershy and his crooked, spluttering old chaotic heart fluttered in kind.

Neither of the two said a word for several moments, and Discord began to feel increasingly uncomfortable under the human's relentless, blazing gaze. This alien was clearly no threat to him, yet Discord couldn't help but feel... Off.

After they broke their hold, Miles remained standing in Discord's space. A few more seconds of silence passed and Discord prepared his claws to snap, his expression blank and his eyes now locked firmly with those of Miles.

Miles smirked with a wink and said, "See you later, friend."

With a Snap, Discord was gone.

Miles and Twilight stood at an empty plot of land some short distance from Ponyville's marketplace. The plot was small, but more than enough for what Miles needed. The plot of packed dirt was tucked away in a corner, surrounded by old, tall buildings. Their looming presence provided a strangely comforting atmosphere. The spot could easily be missed should one not have been informed of its existence before passing it.

"Well, here we are!" chirped Twilight, holding out a hoof in presentation. "I'm afraid this is the best I could do..."

"It's splendid, Twilight. You really do spoil me." Miles placed a hand to his chin, already building his new home in his mind. "It will take some time for me to build it, but it'll be done, thanks to you." Miles placed a hand on Twilight's withers, giving her a gentle pat. She shivered at the warmth of his touch.

"Hey, what are are friends for, right?" Twilight was practically beaming. "I, uh... I know it's only been a couple weeks now since you arrived, but it's gonna feel odd not having you around the castle all the time once this is built."

Miles chuckled. "Well, I'm sure it will, but I'm equally sure we will still bump into each other." He gently tapped her foreleg with his foot and walked away from her. Once he reached the plot, he squatted down to more closely observe the ground he was working with. Twilight felt the air around her grow colder.

"Y-Yeah... So, do you think you'll be alright building this all by yourself?" She reached a hoof out to him subconsciously.

"Of course, dear purple pony," said Miles, "it will be absolutely no problem. You have already done more than enough for me. Although..." He rotated one of his arms as though warming it up. "It will certainly take me some time, and I may well end up out here for most of the day, every day for a while." He looked over his shoulder without moving his head, already knowing what Twilight was going to say.

"Oh... Yeah, I suppose you'll be pretty busy. L-Like me, I guess, heh..." Twilight hung her head slightly and pawed at the ground. Miles did not respond, choosing instead to continue observing and smoothing out the ground as nature ran its course.

"B-But, you know," stammered Twilight, "I think we could get you some help, with uh, all of this." She waved a hoof around at the plot with an apprehensive expression. Miles still was not looking at her. She pawed the ground a couple more times with a furrowed brow, this time with speed. "I'm sure my friends would love to help us. Yeah!"

Miles could feel this mare's gaze burning through the thick, corded muscle of his back. He couldn't help but grin to himself at her words.

'Us'.

Finally, he turned, gracing her with a winning smile. As he did so, Twilight's anxious expression melted and her face soon sported a smile to rival his own.

Miles stepped back closer to her and reached down to scratch behind her ear. She gasped lightly at this action with a coo and leaned into his movements. Her eyes drooped as his fingers worked their magic.

"Whatever could I possibly do to repay all of your numerous acts of kindness, princess?" purred Miles. The warmth with which he spoke and the alien, yet overwhelmingly pleasant sensation of his fingers' ministrations sent Twilight's mind on a journey she felt glad he was unable to see.

With heat in her cheeks, she opened her mouth to answer, yet found herself unable to say what was on her mind. In an act of either mercy or punishment, Miles stopped his scratching. Twilight caught herself before she could whine in complaint at the absence of his digits.

Twilight shook her head, now finding herself able to answer. "Um, just... Just keep being you!" She placed a hoof to her chest. "Being your f-friend is more than enough for me. I didn't do any of these things for you expecting any kind of reward. That's just what a good friend does!"

Miles gave Twilight a thumbs up, causing her to look up into the sky with a raised eyebrow. She looked back down at him and cocked her head.

Miles ignored her confusion and said, "Well, honestly, I'm flattered. I still feel quite odd about this whole situation, and you are very much helping me 'ride out the storm', so to speak."

"That's understandable. I'd be more than happy to ride you-" Twilight blanched, coughing a few times with wide eyes in hopes that it would mask the words that just crept past her lips. "R-Ride with you! We'll ride - I-you..." Miles raised his eyebrows as Twilight mentally scolded herself.

Twilight took a breath and said, "I mean to say that I'm happy to help you ride out that storm." Her words now sounded almost robotic and rushed. Miles took notice of her eyes discreetly darting to his hands and her cheeks flush with embarassment.

Miles inclined his head and looked down at her with a friendly smile. Placing his hands on his hips, he then turned and smacked his lips. "Well," he said, walking over to his bag, "I had better take some measurements before we get started tomorrow. I will see you at the castle later, Twilight. Thankyou again."

Twilight sheepishly looked off to the end of the street and began to trot away with her ears folded against her head. She prayed her purple fur would be enough to conceal her still burning cheeks. "Tomorrow... Y-Yeah... See you later!"

Miles turned his attention to his tools and peered down at the land, pretending not to notice her linger for a moment at the corner of the street.

Once she was gone, he chuckled and flicked his spirit gauge before mumbling to himself, "You know what they say about distance and the heart, princess..."

Like Magic

Applejack took a few steps back to admire her work, a hammer held securely between her teeth. She used a forehoof to wipe the sweat from her brow and looked over at her friends.

Most of them appeared exhausted, with the exception of Rarity; the marshmallow mare stood some distance away from the newly-constructed home and examined her pristine hooves as she absent-mindedly held a few nails in her magical grasp. Twilight appeared moderately frustrated, yet satisfied, likely due to her raw magical prowess being of little help when performing something as technically unique as building a home.

The ambient bustle of the nearby marketplace veiled their pants and huffs with a harmonic blanket of comfort, reminding them of the community they were helping to strengthen with their efforts. Their satisfied soul-bonding was trampled into the sawdust beneath their hooves as a booming clap pierced their eardrums, causing the mares to lightly flinch. The towering creature responsible then clapped a few more times, with considerably less force.

Miles stopped clapping and stepped up to his new home. He placed his hands on his hips and beamed at his companions with joy. "Well, ladies, I have to say - you have truly outdone yourselves here. Excellent work," he said. Twilight and Fluttershy looked at him with gentle smiles. Applejack rose to her hind legs and leaned against the home with a tilt of her stetson.

"Well, partner, it's the least we can do for ya," said Applejack. "I think ya deserve at least somethin' of yer own, considerin' all, uh... Y'know..." She twirled a hoof as she spoke.

"Yes, well, I appreciate it nonetheless," Miles replied as he stepped over to Twilight and playfully ruffled her mane. "You little ponies are beyond kind. Thankyou."

Pinkie Pie hobbled around behind the gathering, attempting to balance a hammer on the tip of her snout. Miles followed her with his eyes and then swallowed thickly, directing his attention to the front door. It was simple and plain, yet sturdy. He had insisted upon having the strongest wood his money could buy. The bungalow had a few small windows, yet the floor plan was expansive enough for them to have constructed a few rooms to accommodate Miles's needs.

It turned out that working odd jobs around ponyville was surprisingly lucrative. Whether that was due to a genuine quantity and quality of work, or simply because the clients wanted to see what was up with the alien creature that dropped into their midst mattered not to Miles. The outcome was the same.

"So," said Miles, "how about we head inside and I pour you lovely ladies some water for all your hard work? We already stocked the kitchen with glassware."

Twilight and Fluttershy stepped up onto the small porch to meet him. Applejack dropped back down to all fours and said, "Well it's mighty kind 'a ya to offer, sugarcube, but Dash and I have somethin' we gotta settle back at the farm." Her leering gaze drifted up to Rainbow Dash, who had been reclining in the air with a bored expression on her face.

Dash perked up at Applejack's look and replied, "Uh, yeah, we do." She grinned challengingly down at Applejack. "And we both already know that I already won." With a breathy chuckle, Dash sped off in a blue blur, leaving Applejack literally spluttering in her dust.

"Ah, consarn it, she-" Applejack puffed some of her mane out of her face. "I'll see ya later, folks. Gotta go!" And with that, Applejack too sprinted away in an effort to follow Rainbow's trail.

Rarity instinctively gulped as Miles's piercing emerald eyes flicked to her frame. "I have to- I have some work to do for an upcoming pageant in Manehatten. Yes..." she said with an awkward laugh. "G-Goodbye." Rarity blinked away with a sparkle of magic, leaving just Pinkie Pie still stumbling around with a hammer on her muzzle.

Miles looked down at Twilight with an almost pleading expression, causing her to giggle into a forehoof and pluck the hammer from Pinkie's face with her lavender aura. "Pinkie," said Twilight, "are you coming in, or...?" Miles crossed his arms and looked down at Fluttershy. When their eyes met, he rolled his with a playful smile. Fluttershy, too, giggled like a filly.

"Uhm, do you have food in there yet?" asked Pinkie. Twilight groaned.

"No, Pinkie, we literally just finished building it. There's no food."

"Oh, well... I'm hungry! So, I'm sorry, but no can do!" She pulled out her party cannon and aimed it at the trio. Miles set his jaw. "Congrats on the new home though, Milesy! I'll be sure to throw you a housewarming party later!" The cannon detonated, showering Miles in confetti, yet leaving the other two mares comparatively confetti-free.

Miles did not speak, but when he cleared his eyelids of papery frustration, the pink mare had already vanished completely. He sighed and turned to wordlessly enter his home. Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other behind his back and suppressed further giggles at his expense. "Aww, come on, Miles," said Twilight. With a flash of her horn, the confetti covering him was gone. "I think you'll warm up to Pinkie's antics eventually."

Miles grumbled under his breath in response, his light growl causing Twilight to bite her lip and lightly flick her tail, something Fluttershy noticed with a blush. Miles said, "Well, it took months to finish building this house, and she was around for a good portion of that time." He sat down on one of the sofas they had placed in there a few days ago. Although, the rest of the room was mostly barren, making the sight somewhat uncanny. "And yet, I still find myself feeling no differently about her 'antics'."

The two mares took their seats across from the human. A small tea table between them separated the two sofas. To Miles's left was a door leading to the hallway, and to his right was a small window. In front of Miles, and behind Twilight and Fluttershy's sofa was a large window with a view of the porch outside that could be seen while seated. Twilight rolled her eyes and said, "Just give it time, Miles. Just give it time."

While Fluttershy had been present for some of the construction of the house, she still had not spent much time with Miles outside of their tea party back when he first arrived. Thoughts of that event filled her with anxiety. However, this was not due to the actions of the goliath himself sitting across from her. No, her mind was instead reminded of his words, and her closest friend they relate to. Her breath hitched in her dry throat, and her face flushed deeply at the thought - something Miles took notice of.

"Oh, dear me; I do apologise. Let me get you that water I promised." Miles stood to his feet and made his way over to the kitchen. The house had been constructed with his stature in mind, so he did not need to duck his head as he walked through the door and out into the hallway.

Twilight and Fluttershy sat in silence, simply enjoying each other's company in the afterglow of their exhaustion. The sounds of glass and running water resounded from another room. Some moments later, Miles arrived with some glasses of water. He handed them to the mares with a smile and took his seat. He took a sip of his own water and eyed Fluttershy. She found herself fiddling with her glass and struggling to meet his gaze.

"So, Fluttershy. We haven't spoken much since our little run-in," said Miles. He pulled a paper towel from the pocket of his shirt and wiped at the condensation forming around the outside of his glass. Twilight watched him do this with curiosity.

"Y-Yes... We haven't..." muttered Fluttershy.

"Well, I do hope there are no hard feelings between us. I am sorry for being inappropriate at the time." Another wipe.

"Oh, n-no!" said Fluttershy, a little too loudly. Her voice then lowered. "Uhm, I mean, you don't need to be sorry. I may be a little shy, but I still know a joke when I hear one." Twilight looked at Fluttershy as she spoke, her expression neutral and unsurprised.

Twilight jolted ever so slightly, however, as she felt Miles looking at her from the corner of his eye. It was at this moment that she made a realisation. Her neutral expression transformed to one of forced surprise and confusion.

Miles closed his eyes and listened to the gentle twinkle of Twilight's magic surrounding her glass. He smiled softly to himself as he made a realisation of his own.

Twilight spoke to Fluttershy, doing her best to control her stuttering. "Joke? What joke?" She turned her eyes to address Miles, the ensuing eye contact searing her retinas like a staring contest with the sun. "Sorry ab-bout what?"

"Oh, it's nothing serious, Twilight. Miles just made a joke back then about how close Discord and I are, and I got a bit embarassed about it. That's all," mumbled Fluttershy.

"Yes, indeed," said Miles. "I was being insensitive. I still offer my apologies, regardless." Twilight breathed a sigh of relief once freed from Miles's gaze. She felt glad to have salvaged that blunder.

Fluttershy giggled into her glass and swallowed a sip of cool water. Miles offered out his hand with his palm facing upwards. Fluttershy wiped a hoof on her fur to clear it of condensation from her glass and reached over to Miles, allowing him to cup her hoof and gently bow his head. She smiled with appreciation at the gesture.

Twilight watched this interaction with an expression almost as transparent as the glass held in her magical aura. She watched Miles soothingly rub Fluttershy's hoof with a thumb just before he pulled away. Something in her brain began to writhe in protest, causing her to huff and sit back into the sofa.

Miles and Fluttershy shared a look across the table. The human cocked an eyebrow in apparent confusion, while Fluttershy smiled awkwardly. It was once Fluttershy noticed the extremely quiet mumbles from Twilight and the occasional glance she would send Fluttershy's way that the butter-yellow mare knew it was time to take her leave.

The warm orange glow of the autumn evening sunset spilled through the windows, bathing the barren room with its fallen sunlight. Fluttershy took this as an opportunity to make her leave, and so she hastily finished the last of her glass before delicately placing it on the coffee table. Condensation dripped down and permeated the fresh, beige wood of the tea table, deepening its colour around the base of the glass. Miles's eyes widened and he pulled at his collar with a concealed frown.

Fluttershy hopped off of the sofa with a graceful flap of her soft wings. Once her hooves gently clopped against the carpet, she said, "Well, I suppose I had better be getting back. Angel won't be happy if I miss his dinner time." She giggled and stole a glance at Twilight, who was now looking at her with a smile. Fluttershy was not one to miss its slight strain, however.

"That is understandable, Fluttershy. I'm sure we can catch up again soon," said Miles. He stood from his seat and made his way past her. Fluttershy appeared confused for a moment until she stepped out into the hallway and saw him opening the front door for her. The warm light spilled through the entryway, its glow framing the man's jawline as it cascaded through the bristles of his stubble. He leaned against the doorframe with a gentle smile as he waited patiently.

Fluttershy troted past him, turning once she reached the bottom of the porch. Twilight appeared in the doorway next to Miles. The mares smiled at each other and Twilight said, "Thanks for helping us with the house, Fluttershy. I know it isn't usually your kind of thing, so it means a lot." She turned to make her way back inside. "See you later." Her voice was soft.

Fluttershy briefly flicked her eyes between the pair and then began walking away. "Goodbye, Twilight," she said. "A-And Miles..." She waved over at the pair one last time before the door clicked shut.

Twilight stepped back into the living room and reclaimed her seat. Miles followed shortly thereafter and did the same. She noticed that Miles's paper towel from earlier had been placed beneath her glass on the tea table. Miles's glass sat, having been wiped completely clean. Miles leaned over and picked up Fluttershy's glass, stacking it inside his own. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out another paper towel. Twilight remained silent as he wiped the circular water stain from beneath Fluttershy's glass. He rubbed at it, and yet the stain remained. His brow furrowed.

Twilight smiled at him and with a flash of her horn, the stain was gone. He looked up at her with surprise, yet soon found his smile matching her own. "Thankyou, Twilight," he whispered.

"Oh, it's no problem..." She looked down and off to the side, wondering what to say next. "So, do you think you can make it work?"

"Hmm?"

"Y'know... The house. Do you think you can make it a home?" She gave him what she thought was her best winning smile. It was one she had practiced in the mirror for hours. It was a smile she had rigorously and mathematically ensured was precisely the kind of smile a stallion would adore. If Miles's expression was any indication to her, the veracity of her results was all but assured.

Miles chuckled. "Yes, I think I can, Twilight. It will not take long to put the finishing touches on the interior." He licked his lips and pointed to her glass. "Would you like another drink?"

"Oh, no. I'm fine, thanks." She didn't take her eyes off him. What more was she missing? "Did you read that book I gave you?"

"Ah, yes. I did, actually. I finished it last night." Miles leaned forward in his seat, demanding her attention. Not that he didn't have it already. "I meant to ask you a few things about that. I must say, magic is an absolutely fascinating subject."

"Yes, it is!" Twilight shouted. She quickly placed a hoof to her lips and coughed. "S-Sorry... Yeah, it is." Miles laughed.

"Well, if you're interested in magic, imagine how interesting it is for me, having come from a world bereft of it completely. To be quite honest, depsite the ridiculous things I have seen since I arrived here, I find time travel to be a bit of a stretch." Twilight's eyes widened to orbs, practically glowing with childlike excitement.

"Well, all I can tell you is that it's possible! I have a story about that, actually," She giggled. "But another time, perhaps. Anyway, now that you have the entire history of magic in Equestria covered, what more do you want to know?!" Twilight leaned across towards him, her front hooves resting on the edge of the table in order to keep her upright. Had her excitement been any more obvious, and her coat framed by a deeper, more masking orange light, Miles could easily have mistaken her for Pinkie Pie.

Miles placed the heel of one leg above the knee of the other as he settled back into his seat. "Well, for one, I find the idea of non-magical creatures wielding magic to be exciting. I know that only very basic spells are possible, but it still piques my interest. Would you tell me more about that?"

"Of course!" Miles's smile gradually grew lopsided as the purple princess began enthusiastically sharing her special interest with him. "The book I gave you mentioned that it was possible, but not how. Put simply - spells can be stored in spellstones, which can be crushed and used when needed by anyone. This includes non-magic users." Twilight raised a hoof at nothing, as though she were pointing to a blackboard. Miles stifled a laugh. "There are several other methods, but they're generally either less reliable or less ethical."

Miles raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh? Like what? Does this have anything to do with the magical leeching I read about with the centaur villain you defeated? Tirek, was it?" He gave her a wink.

Twilight rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly and continued. "Y-Yeah, sort of. But not exactly like that..." Twilight trailed off, suddenly appearing hesitant.

Miles leaned forward once again, his face alight like a Hearthswarming tree. "Not like that...? Is there more to it?" Miles's eager, innocent expression and Twilight's desire to share her special interest overwhelmed any wondering her mind did to her friend Discord. She had known Miles for months now; there was no reason not to share these things with him. If he found them so interesting, who was she to deny learning to an eager student?

Twilight discreetly jostled her head. She needs to stop overthinking things. A good friend trusts her friends, after all. "Well, I'm sure you read about Grogar and his distant past in Equestria." Miles nodded eagerly, causing Twilight to grin once again. "Well, he once had a great power similar to Tirek's; however, he instead used a bewitching bell to steal magic from other creatures and take it for himself in its purest form."

"Oh, I see. So it is a direct transfer of power, then. As in, abilities one to one? The book mentioned the bell, but not exactly how it works." Miles struggled to contain his now very genuine excitement.

"That's exactly right. He couldn't take magic from the bell without taking all of the magic from the bell. He either took all of it, or none of it. It also required a specific spell in order to activate it. I believe it's all explained in further detail in Dark Magic: A History of Equestria's Forbidden Arts."

Miles reigned himself in for a moment. "Well, that sounds quite interesting, yet somewhat intimidating." He laughed bashfully, causing Twilight's shoulders to relax. "So, I think I will stick to learning about quaint spellstones before I learn about the 'dark magic' to stay away from. I quite like the idea of performing simple spells for fun."

Twilight saw a twinkle in his eye - a twinkle that resounded in her mind, producing images of herself as a young filly, desperate for knowledge and basking in the joy of magical discovery and experimentation. Her legs twitched and she once again bit her lip as she peered at Miles through her bangs.

He looked over at her and they both froze for a moment, neither saying a word. Twilight flushed, yet noticed he was looking not at her, but through her. He smiled and winked with a small grin. Twilight furrowed her brow.

As quickly as it started, it was over, and Miles's gaze returned to her in full.

Twilight looked behind her and out of the window, yet saw nothing. "Miles?"

"Hmm? Oh, I am sorry, Twilight," he said. "I got lost for a moment there; thought I saw something." He folded his arms across his chest. "Anyway, would you care to teach this human a thing or two about performing magic?"

Twilight paused for a brief moment and then perked up once again. "Of course! I have some spellstones back at the castle. I can show you how they work!"

"Wonderful," hummed Miles. "It's not dangerous, is it?" Twilight shook her head. "Well, before I end up killed by a magical mishap, you should know that we humans have very potent resilience." Twilight listened intently. "Should we be brought to near death, we briefly gain an overwhelming durability and strength in order to exact our revenge before passing on."

"R-Really? That's incredible!" Twilight clearly wanted to learn more, but held herself back. he had made a request of her, after all.

"Yes, I believe that biologically, it is supposed to help protect offspring in the case of an attack, or something along those lines. Not too much is known about it, but many believe it to be a spiritual power." Miles leaned across and collected the glasses from the table as he casually said this. He stood to his feet and hummed, "There - now our exchange of knowledge is not so one-sided, eh?"

Twilight followed suit and chirped, "Well, I'll make absolutely sure we don't have to test that. You're in safe hooves. Let's go put our parts together and I'll show you some magic!"

Miles coughed out a barking laugh and ruffled her mane as he walked off into the kitchen with the glasses. Twilight appeared confused for a moment, but soon realised what she had just said.

Her tail tucked between her legs and she stammered, "I-I meant heads! Let's p-put our heads together! So that I can share my knowledge with you!" She received no response, and so started to shuffle from hoof to hoof. "But I was also thinking about... P-Parts that I'll need to tell you about so that I can show you how to do the thing with the spellstones and-"

Miles stepped back into the room and stopped her speedy rambling by clamping her muzzle shut. "Twilight. We can go play with your parts, no problem." Twilight's eyes widened and her tail flicked once again. She looked at the hand clamped over her muzzle and then up at him with a mixture of hope and embarassment. "Let's get going. I'm extremely eager to learn about using these parts for spellcasting." Her features quickly sagged.

She followed Miles out of the door with her wings covering her eyes and her cheeks on fire.

Castle

Upon a throne of wafer and pickled candy canes sat Discord, Lord of Chaos, idly twistling a crumpled mass of paper round his talon. His headspace throbbed with concern and, begrudgingly, sympathy when regarding his purple friend within his mind's eye.

The now less-recent events concerning a certain alien creature had done nothing but prove to him that this plan was the correct move.

Twilight had to learn to lead, and not rely on others to solve her problems and insecurities. The carelessness with which she approached Miles's arrival was...

Discord's brow furrowed and the paper began to tear and melt. She had counted on his presence to protect herself and her friends, and thus had not so much as regarded an alien creature from an entirely different dimension as a potential threat at all.

For all she knew at the time, Miles could have been hiding vast power on par with his own chaotic might. She was supposed to be an intelligent mare...

It simply wasn't good enough; not good enough to rule.

Discord sighed and blipped his throne out of existence. He folded his arms behind his back and gazed off into the swirling purple void of his own personal dimension.

He sighed a tired, aged sigh.

The time was now - could Twilight take on her past foes in a horde, all at once? Would she crumble and fold, coming to him to fix everything for her, or would she rise like a destined ruler and smash through the onslaught with fervour?

Perhaps her blatant emotions for the creature will drive her in a favourable direction, for once.

CRUNCH

"GYAAAAH! Nh... N-NO MORE, PLEAS-!!!"

CRUNCH

Muddy's jaw rattled and her teeth chattered, her horn blazing like an iron rod sinking into her head, driven deeper through her brain cage by the tortured wails of her friend.

The basement she found herself in was grey and barren, lit by nothing but a small set of candles. The only furnishings in the room were some small wooden workbenches and a single stool.

Despite the cold clawing through her fur, her blood continued to run hot, desperately pumping her reserves into overdrive to satiate the ravenous beast feasting on her magical teat.

Said beast peered down at her with an affectionate smile as it gently bumped her searing horn with a small, magically-conductive stone. "Do you have any more for me, little Miss Mud? I would much rather not wait until tomorrow, you see."

Muddy strained, her neck growing vascular and her temples pulsing as though they housed a writhing parasite. "Nnnyuh...! I-I can't! I... I have no more to give you!"

Miles hummed and returned his attention to Match. He walked over to the workbench and took a seat on the stool. After a quick search through the various bloodied tools set up across its surface, he subtly shook his head, appearing satisfied with the tool already in hand.

Miles roughly gripped Match's mane once again and yanked her head backwards. As her drooping eyes refocused upon his own, he blew her a kiss with a throaty chuckle and brought his pliers back to her bloodied muzzle. Her eyes widened and her lip trembled.

He prized her mouth open with his free hand and felt through the darkened, sludge-like life essence for another nugget of leverage. Match's cries grew increasingly defeated and pleading as her body tensed for what she knew was coming next.

"Wait! Wait, I can! I-I can do it... I have more!" Muddy roared with frustration as she willed her horn to life. Some small magical sparks crackled from its tip, but she found her efforts to be in vain. "No..."

"Oh, come now, Mud. We both know that isn't true. It seems I will not be getting any more out of you until tomorrow," mused Miles.

"Th-Then wh... Then why? STOP!" Muddy struggled against her confines as Miles's face lit up upon successfully feeling out his prize.

"Why?" He laughed, roughly yanking Match's head around with the boisterous heaving of his chest. "For the exact same reason I explained to you earlier, Muddle." Muddy found it difficult to focus on the human's words through the frantic cries of her friend. "I could give you a lengthy explanation about your failures and lack of contribution to the world, and while it would be both profound and true - ultimately, little pony..."

He locked his grip on Match's tooth, sinking his pliers between the tooth and gums at its base with a vice-like pressure. Match's breathing doubled in speed, her pupils shrinking and her cracked hooves subconsciously grasping at any nearby surface she could find.

The bloodied blood-red mare wept, her small body writhing against the human's chest. "Peeeease... D-Duhn, duhn do hiss! Nuhn n-"

Muddy averted her eyes and squinted them closed as her friend began to squeal like a pig to the slaughter. Upon drawing breath, Match's cries turned to a bizarre gurgle followed by a hopeless, hacking mewl. A moment later, something that sounded unsettlingly like rustling branches and a few muffled crunching noises barraged Muddy's ears and churned her stomach.

Bound as she was by rope and clasp, Muddy had no way of blocking out the noise. "...I'm doing this because I want to." Miles laughed with glee as Match howled once more.

Muddy once again felt her gaze repelled by the cruelty of the scene before her. She looked over at her amber friend in hopes that she might find comfort and distraction in tortured kinship; yet, the mare appeared lifeless, laid on her side and facing the wall to Muddy's right. A large welt swelled from the side of her head, appearing as though her brain was making a break for greener pastures.

What was left of Nougat's crooked, mangled wings sprouted from her back and pointed out into the room, their gnarled appearance reducing her from a proud pegasus to little more than a spreading mound of fungus suctioned to the damp wall of the basement.

With one final, sickening crunch, Miles jerked his hand away from Match's maw, and with it came his prize. Muddy struggled to hold in what little food he had given her.

Match screamed, collapsing forward and onto the floor as Miles finally let go of her matted mane. She crawled away from him and attempted to touch her face with her hooves, but each time she brought them close, they would instinctively jerk away.

As she gasped for air and stewed in an boiling inferno of agony, she found herself peering down into a pool of her own blood. Therein, she found a rippling reflection of herself staring right back.

Her thoughts slowed and her pain was replaced with the sort of uncanny dread that could only come from a lack of self-recognition. She forced herself to grin into the reflective pool of bodily leakage.

Once Match saw what was left of her once beaming smile, that grin shrivelled - twisted and broken. Her body grew numb and her cries dulled as her brain began to provide mercy from the pain once again.

Miles smacked his lips and looked down at the now unconscious pony with disgust. He briefly glanced at Nougat and then over to his workbench. Muddy's brow drooped and her quaking legs began to lose sensation.

"M-Miles...?" murmured Muddy. The man's eyebrows lifted in surprise at the name.

"...Yes?"

"I can fill them... I can fill them tomorrow, so please. Please, let her rest today." The clarity with which Muddy spoke appeared to give Miles pause for the briefest of moments. He stepped out of his stool and made his way over to her.

"You know," he said, "you remind me of her." He went down to one knee and cupped her muzzle with a hand.

"Wh-Who...?"

"Or at least, I thought you did. I would very much like to be certain."

His other hand reached out and gripped at the fur of her face, pinching around its frame in a circle until he landed back where he started. Muddy's quivers escalated as she locked her vision with his. With eyes half-lidded and lips set in a flat line, Miles gripped one of her cheeks and started pulling. It was a soft touch, at first, but Muddy quickly started to squirm.

She winced and attempted to pull her face away, but that only led to an increase in agony, and so her attention remained forcibly gripped by his deceptively handsome features.

"...I would love to see who's really hiding beneath that mask of yours..." The thinly pressed line of Miles's mouth jerked up into a grin, and yet not a single other muscle on his face so much as twitched. Muddy's spine began to ripple like waves pulled by nothing less than Luna's very own moon.

His grip finally subsided, sending Muddy's head rattling against the concrete wall behind her with a grunt. He chuckled and stood to his feet.

"Perhaps later, Mud. For now, I have some business to attend to with my favourite princess," said Miles as he walked over to the basement stairs and, after throwing the door open, thudded back up to the rest of his cozy home. For the briefest of moments, Muddy hoped the goliath would blunder and forget.

Seconds later, Miles's deafening footsteps descended once more, crushing her hope as quickly as it had presented itself. Upon re-entering the basement, he walked over to the middle of the room carrying a small bundle of pitch-black shards, bound together in a webbed rope.

After stepping on Match's rear leg on his way over, he lifted the bundle of shards to a small hook hanging in the centre of the ceiling and threaded it through the rope.

With the bundle now hanging out of the mares' reach, Miles gave Muddy a wink and left them to dread his next visit.

As the bolt to the basement door was slammed shut, Muddy's muscles turned to jelly and she collapsed into a pile of shattered willpower.

"Oh, h-hey, Miles. I'm so sorry, but I won't be able to go out to lunch today." Twilight paced around her study, her brow a firm crease and her features a small surprise away from a panic attack.

"Whatever is the matter, Twilight?" Miles leaned down to place a hand on Twilight's back, halting her frantic paces.

"Miles... A pony has gone missing! W-Well, three mares have, actually..." She brought a hoof to her forehead and rubbed at her temple. "Right here in Ponyville! Miles, ponies don't just disappear! This almost never happens. It just doesn't..."

Miles bent down to one knee and cupped Twilight's face. Her fearful expression softened at his concerned gaze. "Are you sure, Twilight? I think you need to slow down. Start with your breathing." Miles took a deep breath in and raised his eyebrows at her, prompting her to follow his lead.

The pair let out their breath together, and after a small smile of appreciation, Twilight said, "Well, ponies seem pretty sure about this. Nopony has seen them in days, and I had a letter sent to all their parents in Manehattan. They haven't seen them, either. They're probably on their way here right now..."

Twilight leaned in and pressed her forehead to Miles's shoulder, being mindful to avoid spearing him with her horn. "As the resident princess, I can't help but feel... W-What if something's happened to them, Miles? It'll be..." She took several more deep breaths into Miles's shirt. The human began stroking the side of her neck.

"It will be okay, Twilight. From what I have heard, you've faced many threats before. Now, again - you need to slow down and think." Miles gave her a quick scratch behind the ear. "What have you done already?"

Twilight picked her face up and wiped a hoof across her muzzle, taking one final deep breath as she did so. Miles smiled and stood back to his full height. "Well, besides contacting any known relatives, I've sent out some guards to search for them. While they're out searching, I've been considering how far I should escalate this."

Twilight looked pleadingly up at Miles. "Do you think I should contact Princess Celestia? I-I think this might be something I can handle myse-"

"-I think you should ask Discord for help," interrupted Miles.

Twilight blinked owlishly as silence hung over the pair for several seconds. "Uhm, I suppose I could..."

"Those ponies may well be in trouble, Twilight. Discord is not shy when it comes to boasting of his power." Miles gently gripped Twilight by the side of her neck and guided her towards the door of her study. She found herself naturally following his lead.

"You know, I think you might be right. I'm sorry... It was selfish of me to consider trying to solve this on my own, when ponies could be in danger. You know..." Twilight looked up at Miles as they began to descend the stairs of her castle. "...I'm glad I have you, Miles. Th-Thanks for keeping me grounded."

"Of course, Twilight. Now, let us find these little ponies. Together."

Twilight smiled and inclined her head towards the ground. "Yes... Together," she murmured.

"And then, once everything is set in motion, how about you and I make up for lost lunch today and go out to dinner tonight, instead?" Miles scratched behind her ear as they finally reached the grand entrance of the castle. "...Together."

With a magical push, the door was pressed open; however, Twilight's vision remained solely set upon her alien companion.

Her initial repsonse was the widening of her eyes and the brightening of her smile, but one quick slap from her brain shook her head and forced a response. "W-Well, what if we haven't found them by th..." Twilight trailed off as she noticed Miles's expression droop at her words.

Her heart throbbed and heaved in protest, its nervous connections with her brain entangling each other in a tug of war with their cranial master.

As the pair stepped through the door and descended into the town, Twilight recovered and, with a reserved smile she said, "Th-That sounds good... I-I think I'd like tha-"

"-Uh, howdy Twilight." The purple princess literally jumped in place at the sudden sound of Applejack's voice.

"Hello there, ladies," said Miles, giving a small nod. The seven mares now standing before the pair muttered a polite response to Miles while raising an eyebrow at Twilight's antics.

"P-Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!" Twilight briefly bowed in a panic before standing bolt upright.

Applejack tsked to herself and frowned at her purple friend. Princess Celestia stepped forward from the elements and her sister and regarded Twilight directly. "Good afternoon, Twilight. I hope you've been keeping well, my little pony."

Once again, Twilight found herself blinking, but this time at the politeness of her teacher's speech. Upon making a realisation, her ears flattened against her skull. "I've been okay, I guess... I assume you're here to help us search for the missing ponies." Twilight's statement was intoned more as a question.

"I am indeed," responded Celestia. "Thankfully, the elements thought it best to make sure we were made aware of the situation." Twilight winced and brought a hoof to her chest. "It isn't every day that ponies go missing, after all."

"Y-Yes, and we've been doing everything we can here to make sure they're found. So, don't worry, princess! You can count on me." Celestia visibly swallowed and cast her gaze to the grand entrance of Twilight's castle. Twilight did everything in her power to avoid cringing into herself.

"If I may, Princess Celestia?" Miles cut in once he noticed Twilight flailing. Celestia's neutral gaze snapped up to his face, the afternoon breeze eerily silent as several pregnant moments passed. "Twilight and I were putting our heads together, you see..."

"Sure... Heads," whispered Applejack, but as far as all those present were concerned, she may as well have been bleating all the way down to Tartarus. Rainbow Dash snickered, earning her a stern glare from Rarity.

"... And we ultimately decided that asking Discord for assistance may well be the most appropriate course of action."

"Wow, what brought ya to that conclu- Oof!" Rainbow Dash's sarcastic remark was cut short by a solid elbow to the side from her orange friend. If looks could kill, Applejack would have perished on the spot.

Celestia's eyes widened, her face remaining otherwise neutral. She took a step closer to Miles and sniffed at the air. She then turned to her sister and lightly shook her head. Satisfied, Celestia faced Miles once more and asked, "What makes you say that, Miles?"

Miles raised an eyebrow, looking down at the diarch with incredulity. "Well, he is the most powerful of you all, correct?" Celestia's brow furrowed at his choice of wording. After a moment, she nodded. "So, why not simply ask him to scan for the trio of missing mares?"

"Well, well..." A large paw rested upon Miles's shoulder. The human did not so much as flinch at the sudden appearance of the God of Chaos. "So the alien does have a soft spot for me, after all," chided Discord with a teasing chuckle.

Miles smiled as the draconequus slipped round him and into his field of view with a rubbery twang. "Oh, you know me," said Miles, jovially. "I'm soft on just about everyone... Unless they threaten my friends, of course." Miles reached over and ruffled Twilight's mane, and yet his gaze remained firmly fixed upon Discord.

Discord's eyes half-lidded and he reclined on a floating 'bag-bean', as he kept calling it. None besides him were able to make out what it looked like, as it always seemed to disappear once out of one's peripheral.

"Quite," stated Discord, flatly.

Princess Luna now stepped forward and nuzzled her sister. "We already called for the spir- ahem, Discord's aid before we arrived." She looked over at Miles. "Mayhaps great minds tend to think alike, Miles."

Miles chuckled and straightened out his already-straight collar. "Oh I am sure your mind is far beyond the scope of my own, Princess Luna... Even despite your obvious youth." He jokingly flicked his eyebrows at the deep blue mare, earning him an honest giggle.

Twilight frowned and twitched her muzzle, her expression so transparent that Fluttershy audibly sighed. "Hey, M-Miles?" Twilight eagerly pulled on his pant leg. When he faced her, she continued, "Princess Luna is actually quite-"

"-Twilight," Miles said with a rising tone. "I think it should be about time that Discord search for the missing mares."

The earnesty in Miles's voice relaxed Twilight's shoulders, but before she could respond, Discord leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. "A little eager, aren't we?" growled Discord. Celestia's shoulders sagged as she let go of a breath.

"I am unsure of what you mean, Discord. Why would we wait? Just go ahead and do it, my good chap," replied Miles.

Discord scowled and mimicked Miles's words with an axaggeratedly robotic tone, his body becoming polygonal as he did so. "'I am unsure of what you mean', oh please." Miles fought with all his might to restrain a grin. "And just what makes you think I take orders from you, human? I'm well aware of the need to search."

"Well, then you should have no problem doing it... Once you have finished untwisting your knickers, of course."

Discord did not respond to the man, and a silence hung over the group as the two males stared each other down. Only once Celestia noticed the sky pulsating and turning a manacing shade of shimmering purple did she realise it was time to intervene.

"Discord, please calm down... We're all friends here." Celestia's tone was motherly and soothing; however, Discord swivelled on her with a light snarl upon his face.

Before he could speak, he felt a tap on the side of his neck, and turned to find Fluttershy by his side, flapping her pillowy wings. "Discord, it's okay. I understand that you're frustrated, but I think Miles is right." Discord flinched and leered at the floor, but Fluttershy gently pushed his face back to regard her own once more. "Every second we waste is a second they could be... Uhm, I-I think you should search for them, too."

Discord blinked and rolled his neck as his breathing grew ragged. "And I will; it was never in doubt." he said, as Fluttershy nuzzled his face. He then pointed his paw at Miles. "All I'm saying is that he seems awfully eager in leading this search effort, especially when it's for ponies he barely even knows..."

Twilight stepped in front of Miles, causing the human's eyes to widen and his mask to nearly fracture. "A-And just what are you trying to say, Discord?" Twilight's legs trembled; she had previously stood before the Lord of Chaos in defiance, but not once when he was angered. "Why don't you just go ahead and say it?" Twilight's voice cracked, ruining the intended effect of her challenge.

Discord growled, stepping closer to the brave alicorn; each step crumbled the earth and threatened to swallow the party whole.

Fluttershy frantically hugged Discord's neck and pulled at his beard with a hoof. He allowed his head to face hers, and once he saw the concern and affection pooling in the corners of her beautiful baby-blue eyes, his expression softened, bringing his rancorous approach to a halt. "Discord. Search for those poor mares," stated Fluttershy, with finality.

Discord looked over his company and soaked in their varying expressions, though he could not bring himself to face the alien. While most appeared disapproving, a few of the younger mares appeared... Fearful.

He looked back to Fluttershy and swallowed, his brow drooping in an expression of remorse. "Yes, of course... I'm sorry, dearest."

Fluttershy smiled and cupped his face with a hoof. "It's okay..." she whispered back.

Suddenly, Discord's neck extended upwards into the air and his eyeballs swivelled in their sockets at lightning speed, causing Fluttershy to reel back and gasp. After no time at all, it was done, and his head snapped back down to its usual length.

After a few moments of silence, Discord spoke. "I... Don't understand," Miles's lip twitched.

"What's wrong, Discord?" asked Celestia, her brow furrowed.

"I don't see them. I saw every single other living creature on the planet, but I didn't see them... Are you sure you showed me the correct ponies to search for?" Celestia nodded gravely.

"Then that's that. I don't see them." Every pony present appeared to grow restless at this announcement, the implications appearing to knock their sense of balance and light coals beneath their resting hooves.

Celestia's gaze glazed with a titanium lens. "Then it may well be that Equestria faces its next threat," she said. "The last time ponies went missing, Chrysalis had returned. It could be any one of the many villains from our past, so we must-"

"-It wasn't any of them," muttered Discord. Celestia's neck flinched so minutely that none besides her sister noticed.

"H-How would you know that...?" asked Twilight.

Discord stomped his cloven hoof in frustration and huffed through his nose. Fluttershy placed a hoof to her lip and gently bit down. "I just do. It isn't any of your past villains, Twilight." He turned to face her and sighed, his features softening. "So... What will you do to solve this, my dear?"

Twilight audibly gulped. "I'll think of something... If you can't see them, then I'll have to think of something else besides aimlessly searching. I'll just need time." Miles stepped up to Twilight and rested his fingertips on her withers. He rubbed her gently, and her breathing slowed in kind.

Discord watched Twilight for several long, tense seconds. Appearing satisfied, he turned to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, would you come and stay with me for a while, dear? I don't want you out of my sight with... Whatever it is that's going on."

"Uhm, I think that sounds lovely, but we should probably st-"

"-Next time, I think you should just help..." Twilight interjected, nervously rubbing one hoof with the other. She then turned and hurried her way back into the castle, her colourful mane bouncing all the way. The rest of their company appeared reluctant to look Discord in the eye, yet offered neither support nor condemnation.

Discord bit the inside of his cheek and finally stole a look at Twilight's pet project. His eyes were met with something that made his blood simmer and his crooked heart writhe its way around his stomach.

Miles stuffed the tip of his tongue between his rear molars and stared directly back into Discord's wellspring, an otherwise blank look on his face. Despite this absence of anything, Discord felt the presence of something reaching out to him from behind those emerald windows.

Discord held his talons up in stasis, prepared to snap. Although his digits tensed and itched to make their move, he couldn't find the strength to snap, remaining arrested by the influence of a supposedly powerless being.

His eyes widened, and after finally breaking eye contact and glaring directly ahead of himself, he completed the snap.

Together

Twilight sighed and dropped her quill with a clatter. Her tail flicked and her throat hummed with delight at the feeling of a large hand running down her back. Her mind raced with urgency, its acceleration dulled by the spidery appendage smoothing over her fur.

Whenever somepony had gone missing in the past, or if ever a villain had approached, she would already have been on the trail of solving the problem by this point. But this time, the trail was completely cold.

The map had not presented itself to anypony, either, which merely compounded her concern. Twilight sighed once again and mashed her hooves through her mane. The stroking feeling along her spine sped up before the hand that caused it wrapped around her barrel, tugging her into the side of her dear friend.

Twilight cursed herself as she felt her cheeks flare up. Yes... Friend.

"Twilight. I think you have done all you can for today," murmured Miles, ripping her from her thoughts.

She looked up at him and snorted with frustration. "Yeah, I know," she said, "and that's exactly the problem! I haven't done enough. The longer those ponies remain undiscovered, the lower their chances are of ever being found..."

Miles, standing by the desk that Twilight laid upon, used the hand he had tucked beneath her barrel to jostle her a couple of times. "Come now, Twilight. I think you need to unwind. How about that din-"

"-the date!" She slapped her hooves over her lips for a moment. "I-I mean the dinner... That dinner you said you to me, you... Uh..."

Miles flicked his gaze briefly across the room, letting a small silence linger over the pair. Twilight noticed his grip around her barrel intensify for a short moment, before relaxing once more. "Yes, Twilight," he chuckled, wiping a thumb along the side of his nose. "Some dinner. How about it? I will pay."

Twilight snapped her head up to him and began fiercely shaking it. "Oh, no no - I'll pay! I'm a princess, and you're..." She felt his grip strengthen once again, yanking her breath away and halting her speech.

Miles began to crouch down, his hand remaining locked around her barrel with an impossible grip all the while. Had he not been a creature she was so close with, the sheer strength and blatant lack of exertion he demonstrated in the act would have frightened her.

But she did know him. And yet, she did not. For all their familiarity, he still remained an alien banquet of things to be discovered and studied. A large, strong, handsome banquet with cute little eyes... Not that she'd ever say that last part to his face.

As Miles brought his visage beside her own, she did not notice his blank expression. Instead, she focused on the warmth of his breath, the feeling of his fingers gripping her torso and the power they threatened and promised and teased all at once, just... Swirling around in a masculine melting pot of temptation.

"I'm what?" growled Miles.

"H-Huh?" Twilight panted. Months of restraint and desire bubbled and churned at the base of her horn. He was so close that she could simply... Miles noticed her horn spark for a brief moment and smiled.

"You were going to say something, dear princess. What am I?"

"To me...? What are you t-to me?"

Miles frowned ever so slightly. "Yes, of course. We can go with that. Just tell me what you were going to say."

"W-Well..." Twilight flushed deeply, now casting her eyes to the floor. "I've actually been wondering, w-would you-" She gasped, torn from her speech by Miles firmly cupping her chin with a hand. Her large eyes glistened and glittered in the candlelight as they peered up into the beady, loving emerald eyes of her human.

Miles's cheeks hardened as he grit his teeth, and yet Twilight was far too lost to notice - lost in two emerald oceans of mere centimetres in width, yet a seemingly infinite depth. Those oceans called to her. Such a call from the deep void she was unable to refuse.

Twilight felt her breath quicken and her legs tremble as he drew closer. This was the moment she had read about in so many of her favourite books; the time when a male makes his move and claims his mare. How badly she ached to be claimed...

As Miles ran a thumb over her lower lip and cleared his throat, the reality of the day's events came crashing back down on her through his oceanic orbs like a tidal wave. Had Miles not been supporting her barrel, her spine may well have snapped in twain.

Twilight rubbed her face and gently struggled in his iron grip, and so he let her go. She hopped down to the floor and took some deep breaths. "M-Miles...?"

"Yes, Twilight?" Miles stood back to his full height and rolled his shoulder.

"Maybe dinner isn't... Maybe we should just have dinner here tonight, y'know? I'm not sure what ponies would think if they saw their princess on a night out during a crisis..." She lowered her head and stepped closer to him, pawing at the floor with a hoof.

After one more breath, Twilight looked up into his face once again. Upon being met by his gentle smile, her now waterlogged brain listed to one side. "I hope you don't mind. I'm sure it'll still be fun, if you feel like..." She swallowed the accumulated water escaping through her natural bailer. "...Staying over here tonight. Like old times? Eheh..."

Considering that the tip of Twilight's horn barely reached his belt, Miles found himself taking a small step backwards in order to better regard her. He folded his arms and arched a brow. "Hmm, I'm not quite sure, Twilight..." Twilight's expression fell. "Can I trust you not to try and take samples of my bodily fluids while you think I'm sleeping again?"

Twilight spluttered and lifted a hoof to her chest. "W-Well that, uh... I mean, I didn't... Okay! It won't happen again this time - promise!"

Miles's eyes widened as he hacked out a very genuine belly laugh and said, "Well, I will admit..." He paused as his chuckles died down. "I made that scenario up on the spot, but thankyou for informing me." Twilight swallowed thickly. "You really are a little mad scientist horse, aren't you?"

Twilight gasped and slapped her hooves over her mouth. Miles laughed once more and turned to make his way from the room. "And I w-was just playing along! Yeah, haha..." Twilight cleared her throat before continuing. "And I'm a pony, not a horse. Remember? Unlike your old world, ponies and horses are two completely different species here." Miles closed his eyes and nodded along to her rambling. "Also..."

Miles stopped as he stooped his head to exit through the doorway of the study. The suddenly muted nature of her voice pulled his attention back to her. "...You didn't answer my question yet, Miles."

The gentle ticking of the study's clock segmented the silence that followed. Despite the picture of innocence on Twilight's face, Miles couldn't help but find a form of startled amusement in her phrasing. He smacked his lips and replied, "Right you are, Twilight. Of course I will stay with you tonight. I shall remain and protect the dear princess from whatever villain lurks within our midst."

Twilight rolled her eyes at Miles's cheeky wink that followed. She then shook her head and made to follow him out of the room. "Come on, you," she said. "Let's see what Spike has cooking for tonight, and ask him to make enough for four..." She paused to make a point of scanning her eyes across his frame before grinning sheepishly. "...Okay, maybe six."

Miles placed a hand to his chest in mock offence. "Twilight, you would not be calling a humble man such as myself fat, would you?"

Feeling suddenly bold, Twilight trotted out in front of him and turned to face him directly. He stopped in his tracks with a confused expression before she reared up and slowly ran a hoof up his muscular torso. She then coughed to herself and said, "No, certainly not fat..."

"Mmm, I see," Miles replied. Twilight folded her ears to the sides of her head and returned to his side. "That is good. I will be sure that you are spared if I remain hungry tonight, then." He playfully flashed a canine at her. She shivered with delight and bit her lower lip.

After a few moments of silence, from the side of her mouth she murmured, "Seven..."

The resulting flick to her ear caused her to flinch away with a giggle.

"That was wonderful, little dragon. Thankyou kindly." Miles set his plate down, satisfied.

Spike hopped down from the table and patted his rotund belly as he collected both Miles's plate and his own. "No problem, dude. Glad to have you back here again," said Spike.

"And Twilight, I do not say this often enough - I am grateful that you still import meat especially for me. I doubt I would be able to maintain this physique without your assistance." Miles patted one of his biceps with the opposing hand before wiping his thumb along the edge of his plate and regarding Twilight with half-lidded eyes.

Twilight appeared somewhat lost in thought, resting her head on a hoof with a clearly frustrated expression. She continually glanced in Spike's direction once in a while, and yet the drake did not seem to take notice. Some few minutes earlier, Starlight had quickly scampered off with her food once she noticed Miles sitting at the table. Twilight didn't mind in the slightest.

"Speaking of physique," said Miles, "I should probably be off to the gym for an hour or two, Twilight. Do not miss me too much while I'm gone." He winked, breaking Twilight from her stupour.

As Miles made to stand up and leave the room, Twilight grabbed his wrist with her magic. The human raised an inquisitive brow. "Wait! Don't go just yet... I-" Twilight began, but caught herself once she noticed Spike cleaning the kitchen space surrounding the table. "-Spike, it's fine; I can clean the kitchen. Thanks for cooking."

Spike glanced up from the sink with a bright smile. He then trotted back over to his seat and made to sit down. "Gee, thanks, Twilight! I really wanted to talk with Miles about th-"

"-Actually, Spike, don't you have that hoofball game to go and watch with Big Mac?" Twilight grinned at Spike with a pleading expression, causing the young dragon to scowl.

"Oh yeah," Spike grumbled, with a bored tone. "I guess I do..." He then hopped back down from his chair and waddled from the room in a huff. Just before he rounded the door frame, however, he looked back over at Twilight and raised a claw. "...Does this have anything to do with that book I found under your bed recently? I think it was something like: How to Give the Perfect Blow-" Spike bolted out the door as a spoon careened over in his direction at an alarming speed.

Miles had turned his head to watch him go, pursing his lips and lightly chuckling through his nose. "I'll talk to you later, dude, okay bye!" called Spike from beyond the doorway.

"Of course, Spike. Any time," replied Miles, cupping his hand around the side of his mouth.

Miles's eyes then flicked back to Twilight, who was now looking down at the table she was leaning across with a frantic expression. She mumbled, "S-So what I was going to say was that we..." She then huffed and sniffed a lungful of air through her nose.

Miles watched with amusement, feeling only slightly concerned by the fact that he found the arm held within her magical aura now completely immobile.

Twilight continued, "...We could do a workout of our own here, if you'd like." Her face burned with such intensity that Miles was surprised her eyeballs hadn't filled her bowl in a milky-white soup. "T-Together."

Her request had been hard-fought, and ended with a hitch of breath. Miles noticed a few of the hairs in her mane pop out of place, and her pupils begin to shrink. He then felt a gentle tugging at his arm - the arm which was now entirely encapsulated and locked within Twilight's control.

The reality of the situation momentarily pressured the man's shoulders. He knew Twilight was a powerful magical creature, but he had not felt the true force of it before now.

Despite her sheer demonstration of power, the expression on her face gave him everything he needed, and so his own countenance remained firm and unyielding.

A victorious smile threatened to tug at the corners of his mouth, the force of it almost enough to fracture rivers into the intricate map of his masquerade.

"Of course, Twilight. I think I know just the thing, too," he said as he looked her up and down and smiled.

"Oh, uh... G-Great. So I'll just..." With a flash of her horn, the pair now found themselves in Twilight's bed chambers. She peered at the carpet and scuffed her hoof, like a dog that had finally caught the car it was chasing and now didn't know what to do with it.

She had been alone with him in her chambers plenty of times in the past, of course. But this time, something felt... Different. The lavender carpet and ornate furnishings felt unfamiliar, and yet comfortable.

She found herself feeling increasingly panicky as to whether the room was presentable enough for him. Had she left any of the books and toys from beneath her bed laying around?

She quickly scanned the room, feeling only somewhat comforted by the brief check. It seemed she was safe. She and Miles stood between the oaken foot of her bed to her right and the blue, crystalline hearth to her left. The miniature chandelier above their heads twinkled in the limited natural lighting that cascaded through the half-drawn curtains leading to her balcony.

"This should work just fine. So..." Miles said, holding a hand out to the petite equine. "Shall we?"

Twilight turned her head to the side and smiled bashfully. With little hesitation, she gave him her hoof and made to step over towards the side of the bed. However, she instead felt him tug her up onto her hind legs before bringing her in close to his front. She blinked in surprise and looked up into his eyes. He winked at her and began to step back in a rhythm, prompting her to follow suit.

Considering that her head barely reached his upper stomach even on her hind legs, their movements were awkward and unnatural. Twilight sighed and whispered, "This wasn't what I..." She trailed off, leaning her head into his stomach and allowing him to lead their chaotic dance.

"Hmm? Did you say something, dear Twilight?" Miles grumbled. Due to the closeness of their bodies, she felt his voice rumble through her bones, heating them like the embrace of a warm blanket. Miles nipped at his bottom lip with his teeth as he noticed her resulting snuggling attempts to fuse their bodies together entirely.

"N-No, I didn't. This is fine. Here." Her horn sparked to life and the old gramaphone in the corner of her room churned out a slow, gentle piano tune. It was one she was familiar with, and one that got her scrambled brain through many a night of intensive study. With another brief spark, the hearth sparked to life as well, bathing the room in a cozy orange glow.

Despite her frustration and disappointment, she felt the stress of it all wash down her shoulders and soak into the carpet beneath her hooves with every step they took. Together.

She closed her eyes as she leaned into him and smiled. The crisis, their uncertain relationship, her desires and her untold loneliness were all naught but an afterthought within the gentle and yet firm embrace of his alien arms.

"Twilight?" With reluctance, the purple mare lifted her head from the human's body to look him in the face.

"Yes, Miles...?"

"I have been thinking about the current... State of affairs regarding those missing ponies." Twilight remained silent, waiting for him to continue. "Earlier today there was talk of potential 'villains' being present. And that got me thinking, you see."

"About what?"

"Well, if there is truly a dangerous villain lurking nearby, you would be able to defend yourself just fine, what with your beautiful magical abilities." Twilight flushed with embarassment at his compliment, yet remained quiet once again. "And while I would be perfectly capable of defending myself physically - I would not be able to use any of your fabled 'friendship magic', and so be susceptible from a distance."

"That's true..." Twilight lowered her gaze to look directly into his torso, and momentarily felt a strong compulsion to rip those frustrating articles of clothing from his body. With a quick shake of her head, she refocused herself and regarded him once more. She was beginning to find it difficult to focus on their conversation with all their bumbling and rocking motions.

Miles tilted his head to one side and raised an eyebrow at this behavior, but decided not to push her on it. "Ah, never mind, Twilight. I will indeed be fine, surely." He briefly cast his gaze over towards her bedside, where a small pile of spellstones still sat from their various sessions in spellcasting.

The hearth crackled as she subconsciously followed his gaze, its sound twinging some tightness within Twilight's neck and spurring her to reply. "Oh, well, you can never be too safe. Though, you can't use magic withou-" Miles smiled at her as her expression told him an entire story within a few brief seconds.

Twilight turned her head back to face him once more. "Miles, we could just load up some spellstones with pure magic! Here..." Twilight looked down at the arms still holding her to his body, and he quickly got the message. Upon being relinquished, Twilight plopped back down to all-fours and walked over to her little bedside table.

Her body suddenly twinged with a profound cold and longing, halting her steps for a short moment before she reached the stones. She glanced back at Miles and gave him a look, filled with promise. In response, he raised his eyebrows in a demonstration of curiosity and patience.

Upon returning her attention to the stones, Twilight reached out with a hoof and grasped one, before bringing it to the tip of her horn. She focused her latent magical energy through the tip in a careful, practiced flow suitable for the size of the stone she had taken.

After a silent minute or so, she turned back to Miles with a now cheerful smile, holding several stones within her magical grasp that practically hummed with her alicorn might.

Miles resisted the urge to grin as he stepped towards her and held out a hand. "What should I do with these, Twilight?" he asked.

Twilight placed the stones upon his waiting palm and said, "Those are loaded with my pure magic, like I said. And as I've taught you before, they can be used as a weapon in order to defend yourself." Her demeanour completely shifted into teacher-like mannerisms as she briefly lost herself in the explanation. "You took a test on this, remember?"

"Of course, Twilight. My mistake." Had Miles's eyes lidded any further, he would be considered a blind man.

Twilight balked and held a hoof out to him. "W-Well there was no mistake! I was just reminding you. Heh."

"Alright. Well thankyou, Twilight. I will be sure to keep them safe in case they are needed." Miles made a point of placing the small stones into his pocket.

"Sure, that's fine. If you do need them - which you hopefully won't - just remember to throw them at the hooves of your attacker, and they should release all the magic at once in a small explosion upon breaking."

What followed was a long silence. The gramophone garbled to a stop and the hearth needed kindling. In what dim light that remained, Twilight found herself wondering if she might have just one last chance before Miles would retire to his old quarters.

She cast her eyes over her ornate bed frame, before rolling her gaze all the way down to her silken bed sheets. Being the master quarters, the bed would surely fit the both of them, despite Miles's enormous size and weight...

But then, another thought reared within her swirling mind. Despite the many months they had known each other, she had not once come out and explicitly expressed her desire to court Miles. She had been waiting and waiting for him, but perhaps he simply wanted her to make the first move.

Even if she managed to get him into bed with her right here, right now - would it be too much too soon? Standing now within this small slice of space-time they had shared together, she knew her feelings were real. This wasn't something to be rushed, no matter her lust.

Maybe that is what he had been trying to tell her with his invitation to dance. She knew she wasn't a stupid mare - she had noticed his flirting, and so felt confident he would reciprocate an advance, should she venture to take that step.

So... Why? Why couldn't she open her mouth in this moment?

She would profess how she feels, he would reciprocate, and then they would blush and be unable to meet each other's eyes before returning to their separate chambers after planning their first real date. Just like the books taught her. She would squee and hug her pillow so close it would beg for mercy, and it would be the greatest day of her life.

... Except, it wouldn't. Now was not the time. Her mind once again was brutally skewered by the reality of the missing mares, and the urgency of the ongoing crisis. She cursed her rotten luck; the setting, mood and situation was perfect, and she would potentially never have a chance like this again, for all she knew. It just had to come at a time like this, didn't it?

Miles watched as her mane grew increasingly frazzled, despite her making no physical contact whatsoever with it. He had been an unfortunate witness to several of this mare's meltdowns in the past, and so knew that now was the time to make his move.

"Twilight, I know you're stressed. I will be fine - doubly fine now that you have given me these stones. So please, do not worry about me," whispered Miles as he took a knee before her. Twilight looked up at him with a furrowed brow. "And yes, I know, Twilight."

Her eyes widened and she felt her heart begin to race. "Y-You know what?"

"I know how you are feeling right now," muttered Miles. He smiled at her before looking to the side with a flushed, bashful expression - something she had never seen on him before.

... He wore it well.

"I feel it too, Twilight." His tone grew stronger as he continued to speak. "We can only dance around each other for so long before we grow weary and collapse, side-by-side." He cupped one of her cheeks with a hand, and she leaned into it with passion, barely able to believe what was happening in that moment. "We will get through this difficult time and rescue those mares, and then you and I will talk about us."

Her heart was practically beating out of her chest. "U-Us?"

"Us. You and me. Together." Miles then leaned in and placed his forehead just below her horn. Their lips were so close that she could practically taste him. After greedily sharing several breaths with him, Twilight decided to try and close the distance between them just as Miles pulled away, leading to her almost faceplanting the carpet. "Now come on, Twilight. Let's get you to bed, so you can rest..."

Twilight maintained her balance despite the near-fall, smiling up at Miles with newfound hope and enthusiasm. She dared to rub her cheek against one of his legs before hopping up onto her bed. "That sounds great, Miles," she said. "It's been a long day."

"...There will be plenty of time to keep each other awake at night in future," teased Miles with a restrained laugh.

Twilight rolled her eyes and slapped at him with a pillow, causing his laughs to escalate as he hurriedly evacuated the room.

Once he had disappeared through the door, she giggled quietly to herself and hugged the pillow to her chest. However, to her dismay, she looked back up to see Miles leaning around the doorframe, watching her.

"Caught you laughing, Twilight," he joked with a wink.

Twilight lobbed her pillow across the room, but he was already gone.

Miles released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and shoved a hand into his pocket. As he ran his fingertips over the smooth stones therein, he felt that familiar excitement bubble through his veins.

It was time to corner the king.

Tangled Strings

"Yes, it's the very reason I live and breathe," a man dressed in a short grey overcoat finished to a young lady in the back of the bar, gently smiling at her perplexed expression as he turned and made his way towards the exit. The cadence of his footsteps was solid, confident and heavy. The old bar's floorboards creaked ever so slightly under his weight.

"Just where do you think you're goin', pal?" An overweight drunkard slurred, his voice abruptly silencing the ambient babble of the bustling evening bar. Nothing could be heard but the heavy pattering of rain on the skylights looming above the rotting furniture.

The man halted mid-step, sighing softly and snapping his fingers a single time. As he quickly glanced around the room, he could see nothing but the inclined heads and frozen expressions of both the bar's staff and its patrons.

The drunkard swivelled round in his stool and grunted. The sweat on his balding head glistened like an oil slick. He looked expectantly towards the man as he pulled the front of his jeans back up over his bulging gut. After a brief moment of pause, the sober man turned towards his aggressor, his emerald eyes taking on a momentary glint before he lifted his chin and gave a warm smile.

"It's not a matter of thinking, my friend; I know where I'm going."

The rabble-rouser raised his eyebrows, chuckling slightly as he turned to his friends and shared a disbelieving laugh. He then rose from his chair with a smack of his lips after finishing his drink and sauntered over towards the man, a confident swing in his step.

Following close behind were a couple of his friends, light smirks on their faces as their eyes darted along the lone man's exceedingly tall frame. The man removed his overcoat, and with a neat fold, it was draped over a nearby chair.

He looked to be just over six and a half feet tall, somewhere in his later 20s and built like a tank. He had short, dark brown hair that contrasted with his comparatively pale complexion and looked to have been painstakingly styled to perfection, yet showed no signs of having involved any excess of product. His stubble was somewhat short, yet cleanly cut to an even symmetry. He wore a navy blue blazer that was left open, revealing a white t-shirt underneath. He also wore a pair of dark grey suit pants tailored to fit his abundant musculature.

As the group drew closer, the men felt their confidence fade as they saw nothing but warmth in his emerald eyes; they seemed to dance and glow with mirth in the dim light of the bar in the evening, the unadulterated kindness they emitted throwing the men for a loop in light of the nature of their approach.

Being just shy of six feet tall himself, the drunkard had always been proud of his own moderately impressive stature; however, this man simply dwarfed him.

After taking a glance back at his friends, the drunkard looked up without tilting his head and addressed the man with a smirk.

"I own this place, pal. You can't just come in 'ere, drink up and then fuck off without 'paying the toll' to yours truly. Now, I'm not sure I've seen you 'round 'ere before, so you must be new." He leaned in closer to the man. "I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt on this'n and assume I didn't 'ear you right..." The smile dropped from his face and he continued in a dangerous, yet slightly drunken, slurring tone, "Now, I'm gonna ask you again... Where exactly do ya think you're goin'?"

The man remained silent for a few seconds, simply peering down at the drunkard with his gentle poker face in tact. Eventually, his limbs began to move. He dusted down the front of his blazer, pulled each of his sleeves taut and smoothed down his hair. He then placed a hand on the drunkard's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before clearing his throat and leaning down. With their faces now mere inches apart, the man's smile grew slightly as he noticed the drunkard suddenly struggling to meet his gaze.

The room seemingly shrunk with a speed that sucked the drunkard's breath away.

"Before I answer your question," said the man. "Please, let us first become better acquainted with one another! My name is Miles, and I'm pleased to meet you." Miles then pulled back from the drunkard, releasing his shoulder and offering up his hand in a gesture of good will.

The drunkard paused for a moment, eyeing the hand in front of him before reaching his own hand out to greet it. He winced ever so slightly once contact was made, as he could easily have mistaken his own hand for a water balloon.

"You're shaking!" Miles quietly exclaimed in concern as he rubbed the back of the drunkard's hand with his own. "Whatever is the matter? Too much to drink?" Miles's sarcasm ran almost as thick as the spittle dribbling down the back of the drunkard's throat.

The drunkard spluttered for a moment, a belated breath having sucked his accumulated mucus down the wrong pipe. "Y-Yeah, I've 'ad a few... Right, lads?" The drunkard asked, turning back to his companions with a nervous smile. The two grunts mumbled a response along the lines of agreement and then fell back into silence. Miles looked into their eyes in turn for a few moments, before he let out a quiet hum of contentment and turned his attention back to the drunkard.

"I'm sorry; I didn't quite catch your name?" Miles questioned as he continued to grip the drunkard's hand.

"Jarvis... I'm Jarvis, a-and this is Landon and Ethan..." The drunkard trailed off, as he noticed the grip on his hand somehow tighten considerably more. Suddenly, his arm was almost shaken out of its socket when Miles barked into laughter. After a few moments, he feigned wiping away tears and then settled back down.

"Well, Jarvis - good show, my friend! You're quite the entertainer!" Miles commended as he slapped Jarvis on the back. Jarvis buckled briefly before quickly righting himself.

"Oh, yes, your question. I'll get to that now, Jarvis." Miles's smooth, deep voice rumbled. It immediately lost all joviality, sending chills down Jarvis' spine; it was like the most sickly sweet of sticky caramel, yet it burned scolding hot as it entered his ears and slowly reverberated throughout his entire being. Jarvis was rooted in place, the substance rapidly hardening in his veins.

Every patron in the bar now bated their breath in anticipation of Miles's response. However, Jarvis intervened before he could do so.

"O-Oh, yeah! Never mind the question, mate; the moment's passed, anyway..." Jarvis sputtered. He began trying to tug his hand away from the monster standing before him. In response to his squirming, Miles pulled him closer with his arm, not taking his eyes away from those of Jarvis for even a moment as he did so.

Miles's deadpan expression quickly morphed back into a smile after a minuscule moment of pulling, the whole ordeal lasting but a mere second. That moment had been a private one, like an undressing of the soul, leaving all laid bare between them. Miles barked out in laughter once again and jerked Jarvis into a brief, yet bone-crushing embrace, literally yanking him out of his thoughts.

"Ah, well isn't that a shame?! I tell you what... How about I buy you chaps a drink? Eh? Come on, let's drink up!" Finally releasing Jarvis, Miles folded his arms behind his back with one hand clasping the other, before walking casually over to the bar and taking a seat on one of the stools. He beckoned Jarvis and his cronies to join him with an inviting smile.

Gradually, the regular babble of the bar returned.

Jarvis turned away and rubbed his hand once it had finally been released, mouthing his curses with a wince. His friend tapped him on the shoulder and nodded towards Miles, urgency written across his features. Eventually, Jarvis took slow, hesitant steps towards Miles. He glanced at his friends as the trio joined Miles at the bar.

"So, Jarvis," said Miles, "tell me a little bit about yourself. I assume you are a regular here?"

Jarvis felt his nerves begin to settle. "Yeah, I'm pretty well known 'round these parts... I practically own this pub!" Jarvis boasted, pulling back his shoulders with a chuckle.

"Yes, you already said that. It must be nice having that kind of community spirit, I suppose. Although, it must be quite the odd spirit, considering how everyone reacted to you earlier, eh?" Miles winked as he elbowed Jarvis in the side playfully with a chuckle; the drunkard snorted, prompting he and his friends to laugh nervously along with Miles.

"Ha! W-Well, I wouldn't know... What about you, lads?" Jarvis signalled his friends out of their silence.

"Mmm..." The short, tan man mumbled.

"I dunno..." said the other rotund man, his hands tucked in his pockets.

Looking betrayed, Jarvis chose to turn his back on his friends.

As though Jarvis's friends had never spoken, Miles glared at Jarvis and muttered, "Is that right...?"

Silence overtook the group as Miles continued to stare at Jarvis, waiting for a reply. Jarvis simply sat still, his gaze fixated upon the knotted bar surface in front of him. He couldn't help but notice the size of Miles's hand, resting mere inches away from his own. Phantom pain began to tickle his pinky finger in anticipation, his brain tricking him into expecting Miles's hand to leap and bite him like a tarantula. Eventually, Miles mercifully broke the tension.

"Hmm, I suppose it doesn't matter. Have you lived in Leeds all your life?" Miles questioned.

"Well, I've been comin' to this pub since I was old enough to drink," Jarvis replied, letting loose a breath he didn't know he was holding. "How 'bout yourself? You don't sound like you're from 'round these parts."

"Oh, well, you'd be correct in assuming that." Miles let loose a short, hollow laugh. "I was born and raised in Cambridge and lived there most of my life. I moved here a few years ago for a... Change of pace, you could say," Miles said with a chuckle, before continuing in a tone cold enough to freeze over the sun, "however, I do believe I very specifically asked if you have lived here for your entire life - not how long you have been coming to this pub."

Silence reigned once again in the moments that followed, and Jarvis looked like he was close to losing his dinner. Miles's smile had not wavered. He licked his lips for a moment and waved down the bartender, offering up a twenty pound note. "Four Red Stags, please. Straight. And would you please be so kind as to fetch me a new beer mat; some cretin has deemed it necessary to damage this one."

Jarvis let out a weak laugh at Miles's comment, which was swiftly snuffed into a pathetic whimper by a curious sideways glance from Miles. After a few moments of feeling like a puppy being smothered by a pillow, Jarvis was relieved to see their drinks had arrived.

Jarvis laughed and whimsically returned Miles's slap to his back once the drinks and a new beer mat were placed down in front of them. "I thought we just said I've 'ad too much to drink, mate? Fuckin' Red Stags?! Ha!"

Miles's smile disappeared immediately, his lips forming into a thin line as he turned away from Jarvis and began to fiddle with his fresh beer mat in an attempt to place it directly in the center of the bar surface. Jarvis immediately caught himself and continued, "B-But of course, I'd never say no to a hearty drink, pal! Heh... Cheers to new friends!"

Jarvis brought his glass to his friends', clinking them together in succession. Upon offering it to Miles, Jarvis very quickly assumed the role of an overweight Statue of Liberty.

Miles remained in silence until he finally seemed satisfied with the placement of his mat. He looked back towards Jarvis with a strained, somewhat forlorn smile. "You still haven't answered my question, Jarvis."

Jarvis appeared remorseful as his arm unceremoniously lowered. "Oh, yes, well, uh... I've lived 'ere all me life, yeah."

Miles nodded his head slowly to himself as his eyes betrayed the smallest hint of concern, before giving Jarvis his friendliest smile and softly replying, "Thank you."

Jarvis hastily downed his drink and moved to stand up from his stool. Before he could fully stand up, however, Miles grabbed Jarvis by the shoulder once again, lightly squeezing it and pulling him closer. He leaned past Jarvis's face and spoke directly into his ear.

"I'll see you later."

Jarvis felt a sinking in his chest. It rolled between his ribs, painfully squeezed through his gut and almost yanked him down through the floorboards. He noticed that his friends had already left by this point, and so scurried out himself without another word. He bumped into a young couple on his way out, giving them a brief apology. The couple's expressions were fearful as he bumped into them, but quickly morphed to that of confusion at his apology.

Miles remained seated for a while afterwards, simply enjoying the white noise of the customers' babble. Swirling the liquid in his glass, Miles continued to take small sips of the icy cold beverage as he considered all that had just transpired. He pulled a napkin out of the pocket of his blazer and used it to wipe the bottom of his glass each time he picked it up.

He was surprised, to say the least. It usually takes a little more probing to get under someone's skin, but it seems these men had lived a somewhat sheltered existence in this closed social community. It was unlikely they ever loitered anywhere other than this bar. All it took was for Miles to simply assert that Jarvis was shaking in order to cause him to actually do so. He laughed silently to himself.

Miles finished off the last dregs of his beverage before thoroughly wiping it one final time and setting the glass down in the centre of the beer mat.

"Be rid of that glass, please, bartender; wouldn't want to sodden this beer mat with perspiration." The bartender frowned at his comment. He then swiftly and silently snatched up the glass and took it away, indignantly muttering something once out of earshot.

Folding up his napkin into a neat, triangular shape, Miles replaced it into his pocket and recovered his overcoat. With a wink, he left a tip for the bartender and made his way towards the door. He intended to finish what he started, and there were preparations to be made.

"Spike?! Could you fetch me a few extra quills, please?!"

Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and the Element of Magic, was sitting at her desk, sorting through the usual paperwork her many commitments demanded of her. A small, purple and green dragon waddled into the room, carrying a bundle of feathered quills in his stubby little arms. "Geez, Twilight... How many of these things do you plan on going through this week?!"

Twilight sighed in exasperation, lowering her head as she levitated the quills out of the drake's arms and onto her desk. "I don't know, Spike; I just have so much work to do at the moment, what with my princess duties, friendship school duties... Not to mention, my own personal projects..."

Spike looked dejected, crossing his arms and looking away from the mare. "But you said we would go to the spa together today..."

"I know, Spike, I'm sorry..." she said.

Spike unfolded his arms and stood with a claw to his lips in thought. "Well, I can't just go without you. Why not just take a break from the work?" Twilight avoided eye contact, folding up her ears as she pretended to go back to work. "Come on, Twilight, please!" The little drake begged, dramatically dropping to his knees and suppressing a smirk. He clasped his claws together and shook them at the alicorn princess.

Rolling her eyes, Twilight stood up from her desk and trotted over to her most faithful assistant, daintily patting him on his head with a hoof. "Aaalright, Spike, but only for an hour."

Spike jumped to his feet and pumped his fist in victory. "Yes!" he shouted. "You have no idea how much I need a nice, hot, steamy bubble bath right now..." Spike's eyes glazed with longing while his tongue hung comically out of his mouth.

"Well, let's hurry up and get going. I can't leave my work for too long. I swear, I'm on the cusp of something big with my inter-dimensional teleportation studies! I'll be giving a demonstration for everypony tomorrow morning in the throne room!" Twilight suddenly looked full of life, skipping towards the door with an elated smile plastered across her face.

"Yeah, yeah, sounds amazing, Twilight. Hey, my claws are cramping too, could we get the-" Twilight stopped her skipping and looked over her withers at the young drake, raising an eyebrow. "Heheh, n-never mind..."

Miles was sitting on the bench just outside his shop, simply watching in silence as people passed him by along the pavement and traffic sped through the intersection. It was a gloomy Sunday afternoon, and he wanted nothing more than to relax and prepare himself for the night ahead working on his creation. He had been busy gathering information on his newest friend, Jarvis, and had found him exceedingly simple to track down. As it turns out, it was true that Jarvis was well known amongst the community; while this was concerning, it did not render his plans impossible to accomplish.

Miles was suddenly torn from his thoughts by a man sitting down next to him on the bench. The man had greasy, overgrown hair and a long, scraggly beard that had the remnants of his previous meal interwoven within its bristly depths. He wore patchy, brown clothes that were battered and torn from use. His woollen hat looked almost wet and soggy as it threatened to fall from its perch on his head at any moment.

"Hey there, friend... Ya mind if'n I set up shop 'ere?" The man's voice was hoarse and grating, like an overused chew toy. Miles frowned slightly to himself before turning to face the man and giving him a kind smile.

"Good afternoon, sir. Of course you may sit here; in fact, this is my shop," Miles gestured to the carpentry shop behind them, which had a banner running along the top of the display window that read, 'Miles's Hack and Saw', "but, if you were to set up shop here too, we might have an issue on our hands!" Miles joked, looking curiously towards the man.

"Oh, no, I meant jus' settin' this here hat on the pavement..." Miles watched as the man set his hat down like a bowl on the ground, before leaning forwards and looking up at the people as they passed by.

Miles continued to glare at the man, shuffling slightly in his seat and smacking his lips together in irritation. "You know, I just told you this is my shop," he said. The man turned to him, looking slightly taken aback by Miles's aggressive tone.

"I-I meant no offence, sir... Ya see, I'm jus' outta the job right now an' I need some way ta get by unt-"

"There are more than enough benches along this street, 'friend'." Miles's face began darkening, as a noticeable vein began popping out on his forehead. The man's tongue tied, jarring him from spouting any kind of response. After a few moments of silence, he finally managed a hesitant grumble.

"W-Well, this 'ere's the traffic junction... it's the best place to, uh..." The man awkwardly cleared his throat, struggling to voice his thought in full. Miles snapped his fingers once while chuckling softly and nudging the man in the side.

"I'm only kidding, pal. Why would I care what you do on a public pavement? I tell you what: let's start over, Eh? My name's Miles."

The man appeared unconvinced, simply leaning away from Miles and preparing to dash. Miles looked at the man expectantly, waiting with patience until he finally spoke up. "I think I'll jus' be goin' now..." said the man. As he picked up his hat and made to stand up, Miles reached over and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Hang on there, pal. Listen: I'm sorry, I was only joking with you. What's your name?"

The man hesitated for a moment, before allowing himself to be gently pushed back down into his seat. "I'm Malcolm..."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Malcolm. Say, you must be hungry. What would you say to a free meal on me, by way of apology?" Miles smiled at Malcolm, patting him on the back and standing up before offering him a hand. Malcolm accepted it, climbing to his feet and looking up at Miles.

Miles looked over towards his shop and pointed a thumb in its direction. "My shop is closed for today, but I actually live here, too. Come on, let's run along inside and I'll put us some coffee on." Miles walked through the entrance door of his shop, stopping and holding it open for Malcolm once he was inside. The gentle jingle of the door's bell dulled Malcolm's apprehension somewhat. He glanced left and right, hesitating slightly before finally making for the door. His tattered boots crossed the threshold of the entryway, eliciting a gentle chuckle from Miles as he slowly closed the door, sealing them both inside. Miles clinked the lock into place, firmly checking the handle to ensure it was sealed tight. Malcolm looked around, feeling slightly uncomfortable in the dark gloom of the workshop.

Nothing could be heard but the heavy thud of Miles's footsteps as he made his way towards Malcolm, the noise barraging Malcolm's ears like a train approaching from the depths of a dark tunnel. Miles's steps ceased suddenly, his umbral silhouette towering over that of the considerably smaller man. The next few seconds crawled by like minutes as Malcolm's sensory deprivation began to take its toll. A fly helplessly tangled in a spider's web.

However, Miles soon reached over towards the wall on his left, flicking a switch and ending their shadow-play as quickly as it had begun. Malcolm blinked as his eyes re-adjusted to the light, yet still found himself unable to move a muscle. Miles took his eyes away from Malcolm and made his way over to the back of the tidy workshop. He rested his hand upon a large device, before turning and addressing Malcolm with a brief clearing of his throat.

"Do you know what this is, Malcolm?" Miles began strumming his fingers along its smooth, curved surface.

"Uh... No, I don't."

Miles grinned impishly, reaching down to flick a switch on the device, causing it to roar to life. "This is a simple lathe, and it's used to warp, cut and change materials in several ways..." Miles glanced up at Malcolm and noticed his distracted expression. "Alright, I'll cut to the chase: I installed this device with the intention of it aiding me in creation. We can't get by in life without making something of it, or in this case, with it. Do you see what I'm saying?"

Malcolm was unresponsive, watching with vague interest as Miles continued to monologue. "My point is, I've taken something bland and uninteresting, such as a slab of wood or metal, and turned it into something new. All it took was a little time and effort." Miles looked into Malcolm's eyes for a moment, before sighing softly in defeat and nonchalantly adding, "I didn't necessarily need a lathe for it; that's simply one of many avenues to that same end."

"Okay... So yer a carpenter. Do ya dabble in anythin' else?" Miles winced and gave a slightly more agitated sigh, quickly switching off the lathe.

"Well, I was trained as an engineer back in London, but decided to move over here a few years ago to pursue a career in carpentry. My only work is in the manufacturing of materials." Malcolm looked mostly uninterested, the small talk pleasantries of his question having rolled off his tongue like clockwork.

"Yea, okay... So, ya said somethin' about food...?" Malcolm said with a rise in pitch. the prospect of eating a decent meal recklessly barged its way to the forefront of his mind.

"Ah, yes, food. Of course," Miles replied. He turned his back to Malcolm and walked towards a door in the back of the workshop. After reaching the doorway, Miles looked back to see that Malcolm hadn't moved an inch, and was instead simply staring anxiously in his direction. "Well? Are you coming?"

As if broken out of a trance, Malcolm jumped in place before meeting Miles's gaze with his own. "Through there...?"

Miles looked to his left and right, chuckling slightly. "Well, where else would we be going? Do you see any other doors around here?" Malcolm briefly looked back over his shoulder towards the front door of the workshop, before lowering his head and clutching his stomach as it growled in protest. Miles watched Malcolm's turmoil with keen interest, casually rubbing at his stubble. Malcolm, with his mind now set, eventually made his way to Miles's side, waiting for him to take the lead.

"O-Of course..."

Miles chuckled, noticing Malcolm visibly bristle as he did so.

"This way. Age before beauty," said Miles, jovially. He ushered Malcolm down the stairs behind his workshop and deeper into his home. Malcolm could swear the descending passageway looked like a spiralling web for a moment before being ripped back to his senses by the clunking of the door behind him, followed by the soft click of another lock.

Twilight and Spike arrived at the Ponyville Day Spa just as Celestia's golden sun reached its peak in the glittering summer's day sky. Twilight appeared confused as she scanned the interior of the spa reception, which was almost completely empty, save for a few locals.

"Huh... I'm honestly quite surprised that there are so few ponies in here on a day like this."

Spike shrugged before scurrying off towards Aloe on reception. "Two, please! For the full- oomph" Twilight roughly barged him out of the way before addressing Aloe herself with a slightly embarrassed tone.

"Hey, Aloe, I hope you're doing well on this fine shimmering day! Ehehe... C-Could we please get two for the body massage and bubble bath steam room, as well as a manicure for Spike?"

Aloe turned away from Twilight's cringing grin for a moment, glancing awkwardly down at Spike. After clearing her throat, she addressed Twilight's request. "Y-Yes, of course, darling, anything for our resident princess! Please see yourselves down the hall and to your right where my sister will take you through for your treatment."

Twilight muttered her thanks before pushing Spike back to his claws with her nose and hurrying down the hall.

Miles sawed away diligently, yet with practiced grace, yanking away at the last of it as he felt sinews pop and tear before finally, it gave way and snapped off with a thunk as it hit the floor. He tried his best to ignore the muffled cries, as they were distracting him from his work.

"Can you please just be quiet for a moment?!" Miles bellowed, sending spittle hurtling down towards his captive. He took a brief breath and set his features, his lips forming a thin line as he worked on regaining his composure. "This wasn't meant for you, but I'm giving you the honour of taking it out for a test drive. Now, cease your squirming and crying so I can concentrate."

The cries swiftly died down into whimpers and fevered breathing, as Malcolm struggled against his bonds, eyeing the wooden contraption Miles was working on with panic and fear. "You know, having a panic attack will get you nowhere, here. I'm giving you a gift."

Miles began to saw through yet another wooden limb, slowly but surely working on his creation. He was once again disturbed from his work as he began to hear thuds coming from the front door of his workshop upstairs. He froze in place for a moment, listening intently. He then hung his saw back in its designated spot on the wall and rolled up his sleeves, glancing down at Malcolm for a moment. He wrung his hands and grabbed a hammer off the tool rack. He then made for the door leading back to the workshop. "You stay right there, Malcolm. I'll be back to tend to you very soon."

Malcolm continued to struggle before falling over to lay on his side. Glancing around the brightly lit basement, Malcolm could see nothing of interest to aid an escape. Unfortunately for him, Miles's basement area was just as spotlessly tidy as his workshop; he could not reach any of the tools hanging from the walls to free his bonds, as his hands and legs were tied. Malcolm began to feel his malnutrition and the shock from his panic attack begin to take their belated toll on his scrawny body, feeling light as a feather in the wind. He simply continued to lie there, his eyes dull and lifeless, wishing nothing more than for death to snatch him away from this place before his tormentor returned.

Malcolm was torn from his stupor by some commotion coming from the workshop upstairs. He bolted up with a start as the doorway to the basement flung open and a large man came hurtling down the stairs at alarming speed, landing like a rag-doll on the solid, cemented floor of the basement. The man was out cold.

"Come on, Twilight... You were really looking forward to this yesterday!" Spike and Twilight were standing in the throne room of her Friendship Castle, with an anxious and agitated Twilight trotting back and forth in front of a concerned Spike, trying to calm her nerves.

"Yes, Spike, but I can't help being nervous!" Twilight blurted. "I mean, what if the princesses don't like it? What if my friends get hurt? Oh, I can't believe we have to rely on chaos magic to perform this demonstration..." Twilight looked as though she was about to break down into tears.

"It can't be helped, Twilight, the spell's still in early stages, right? You gotta rely on Discord's magic to even try! It's not like we're trying any kind of risky spell that could hurt somepony; it's just teleportation, dude..."

"Did you not hear me?!" Twilight snapped, causing Spike to jump in place. "Discord's magic is chaos magic! It could do literally anything!" Twilight danced in place, her pupils shrinking as her hair became rugged and her voice coarse as sand. "Also, I'm not a dude! You should know this." Spike was alarmed, as he knew what she was like when she got like this.

Spike said, "Please, Twilight, just calm down! I'm sure Discord is perfectly capable of controlling his own magic. There will literally be three of the most powerful beings in the whole world gathered in one room helping this go smoothly. You have nothin' to worry about, Twi." Spike's voice gradually became soft and reassuring as he saw Twilight visibly relaxing at his words.

Twilight breathed in slowly, bringing her hoof to her chest before extending it as she let that breath go. "Okay, Spike... I can do this."

As if on cue, the door to the throne room burst open and her intended guests made their appearance. Starlight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and the two diarch sisters came through to greet Twilight, while Discord and Rainbow Dash appeared to be taunting each other as Fluttershy tried to settle them down to no avail. Celestia was the first to address Twilight.

"Good morning, Twilight, Spike," Celestia hummed in her powerful, motherly tone. She leaned down to nuzzle Twilight. "I must admit I am quite excited to see how this little experiment of yours will go, my little student."

"Thankyou, Princess. I really hope-" she was cut off as Rainbow flew over to the pair, mumbling through a zipper closed across her lips; she pointed to it and then towards Discord with her hooves. Discord began whistling and kicking at pebbles that formed on the ground. Each one that landed after being kicked snapped upwards with a pop, much to the delight of the present pink menace.

"Ooooh! Free popcorn! Woohoo!" Pinkie immediately bounded over and began catching them in her mouth one-by-one, her tongue flopping around like a sweltering dog. Discord quickly began chuckling, kicking the popcorn in as many directions as he could to overwhelm the pink whirlwind. Fluttershy began hiding her head in embarrassment at her friends' behaviour.

Twilight cleared her throat briefly before continuing, choosing to ignore Rainbow's continued frustrated grumbles, "I really hope to achieve something big here today, Princess. If inter-dimensional travel could be possible with our magic, then I thoroughly believe anything could." Twilight beamed, pride lacing her voice albeit with a slight wobble.

Princess Celestia replied, "Well, we shall see about that, Twilight. I think your immediate focus should be in attempting to rid us of the need for chaos magic when casting this spell, depending on the results of today's experiment." She glanced over towards Discord, who put a claw to his chest in mock offence. "No offence, Discord."

Discord closed his eyes and tilted his chin before commenting. "Oh, please, carry on! Don't mind me. I'm not even here." Discord snapped his fingers, disappearing for a moment before poking out of Celestia's ear and patting the alicorn on the cheek. Celestia let out an uncouth yelping noise before righting herself and looking off into the distance ahead with a glare that could make a manticore cry.

Another snap rang out and Discord reappeared next to Celestia, patting her daintily on the withers and floating away, as though nothing at all had happened.

Twilight noticed Celestia was still frozen solid, only to be broken out of her trance when Pinkie began giggling at Discord juggling his own eyeballs to pass the time. Applejack was currently trying to keep Rainbow calm on the other side of the room, who was zipping around with the zipper over her mouth. Starlight, Luna and Rarity were glaring at Discord in hopes that he might catch fire.

Celestia's eye twitched as she did her best to continue in her regal tone, "I believe that your findings today could potentially make some-" Celestia was interrupted once again as yet another snap beside her resulted in her horn and mane being pulled from her body by Discord, who, using her horn as a handle, began eating her mane like an exceedingly colourful batch of cotton candy. He attempted to bat away the pink menace as she tried to jump up and snap at his newfound candy.

Celestia observed this and retained her smile, practiced to perfection over millennia. Upon closer inspection, though, Princess Luna noticed her sister's mane begin to char and flicker.

"Sister, please, calm down," interjected Princess Luna. "We-I understand that Discord is irritating, but please try to ignore him so that we can proceed with the demonstration. Poor Twilight must be anxious to show us what she's come up with, and we're keeping her waiting." Luna looked over at Twilight with a smile and a wink, the former of which was immediately mirrored in the younger princess's features. Celestia sighed and turned to Discord.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, Discord. May I please have my body parts back?" she said.

This drew a laugh from the draconequus. He said, "Oh, my dear Celestia, I was just kidding around. Of course I'm not 'offended'! Honestly, do you really think me so petty?" He snapped his fingers with a smirk, returning Celestia's horn and mane to how they once were. Rainbow's mouth was also finally freed, resulting in the pegasus taking in deep, grateful breaths. Applejack finally caught up with her and began patting the rainbow mare's back, but not without a few dirty glances at Discord.

Turning back to Twilight, Celestia nodded towards the side of the room with a gentle smile, where Twilight had prepared a space for the performance of the spell. Twilight cleared her voice and puffed up her little chest, trying her best to appear professional as she led the group over to the testing area. Celestia couldn't help but chuckle.

Twilight said, "So, as you are all aware. I have been working on a very 'special' spell of sorts: the kind of spell that will hopefully allow controlled inter-dimensional travel using pony-based magic. Discord is already capable of such travel; however, I am looking for a way us ponies can mirror his successes." Discord scoffed from across the room, causing Twilight's tail to swat at the air before continuing. "For this demonstration, we will require his help to activate the spell. The key thing to take away from this is that the basis for the spell-casting is pony magic," Twilight looked over at Discord for a moment, waiting for an affirming nod from the draconequus before continuing, "and I will need the most magically able ponies in the room to gather around this apple."

Twilight signalled down to the lone apple sitting in the clearing. "Discord, would you please be so kind as to put a tracking spell on this apple? As in, one that can still be traced across dimensions?"

"But of course, Twilight." Discord snapped his talons, and although nothing appeared to have changed, everypony trusted that he had done as asked.

"Now, we are going to be attempting to send this apple across dimensions. We don't particularly care about where, so long as it's not just teleported elsewhere in our current dimension. Discord, we have to be careful to only send this apple elsewhere, and not bring anything back from the other side. Do you understand? I need you to focus on controlling your chaotic magic as best you can."

"Oh, please. I've been practicing my magic for eons. I'm perfectly capable of having it do as I intend." Discord huffed, crossing his arms impatiently.

Twilight looked unsure for a moment, before quickly shaking her head and turning her attention to the rest of the group. "Starlight, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, you three circle around the apple with me and ready your horns to blast it with as much teleportation magic as you can muster. I will work on directing that magic for our intended purpose." The three of them nodded, readying their horns as they looked to Twilight for the signal to go. "Discord, you stay here and just give the apple a little influx of chaos magic when I say so. We only need a little, as the magic from Celestia, Luna and Starlight will do most of the heavy lifting. Understood?"

"Yes, yes. Get on with it," said Discord.

"And the rest of you please stand over on the other side of the room and watch from a safe distance. That includes you, Spike." Twilight looked down at the little dragon by her side who ruffled his arms in disappointment.

"Fine..." He waddled over to the other side of the room with the others and turned to watch from afar.

"Okay, girls, on three." Twilight began breathing heavily, wiping her brow as her nerves began to make a comeback, "One... Two... Three!" The apple was suddenly blasted by a massive amount of magic, causing it to lift slightly in the air. With a frown, Discord noticed Fluttershy looking frightened on the other side of the room. He did not hear the frantic calls from Twilight until a moment after the fact.

"Discord, now! Now!!!" she shouted.

"O-Oh, yes, right..." Discord snapped his talons and blasted his intended target, still seeming somewhat distracted.

There was a sudden, bright flash of light, and a blast of force from the focal point of magic sent everypony bar Discord reeling, cutting off all magic output. The light seemed to linger for a moment, until the room grew silent.

Twilight was the first to recover, her jaw going slack and her eyes going wide as she gawked at where the apple once was.

Malcolm looked bemused as the man beside him remained unmoving. He heard further commotion coming from upstairs, before noticing that the man had been holding a knife. Suddenly, Malcolm felt a resurgence of life, leaping forward to wriggle on his belly towards the blade. Just as he got his hands on it, however, another man came flying down the stairs and landed on the crook of his neck, which made a loud, muffled crunching sound before he also lay still. Malcolm noticed that this man had been holding a crowbar, but quickly dismissed the event and went to working on his bonds. Miles began walking down the stairs, holding yet another man in front of him. This one was struggling, preventing himself from being tossed down the stairs, yet being unable to prevent Miles from pushing him deeper.

"Pardon my language, but damn. I'll admit, I did not expect this," Miles grunted, shoving the man once more, causing him to fall flat on his back at the base of the stairs. "I honestly didn't expect you to actually come at me. I guess I didn't give you enough credit; you do have some balls on you! For now." Miles leaned down and began wiping his blood-soaked hands on the man's shirt.

"F-Fuck you, pal! You disrespected me in me own pub!" The man replied, sounding winded and shaky, yet resilient.

Miles laughed, almost giggling for a moment as he grabbed the man by his shirt and lifted him to his feet. "Oh, come now, Jarvis. Do you understand how much of a man-child you sound right now? You know, I did just say you have some balls, but bringing five men to break down my door and assault me in the night? Now, that's certainly somewhat cowardly, I must admit."

"I 'ave much more than that, too, ya cunt!" Jarvis spat in Miles's face as he was being manhandled. "Just you wait! If I don't show up in that pub tonight, you'll 'ave the whole fuckin' town crashing down yer door!"

Miles turned his attention away from Jarvis for a moment and looked over at Malcolm with a smile, wiping away Jarvis's spit from his face. Miles said, "Apologies in advance, Malcolm; I know I promised you a run of my new project before anyone else, but it seems circumstances have changed. You'll have to wait your turn." Finally, Malcolm broke free from the bonds on his hands, but held them behind his back until he was no longer the subject of Miles's attention. Once Miles turned back to Jarvis, Malcolm began subtly hacking away at his leg bonds with the knife.

Jarvis threw a wild punch at Miles, who parried it with his forearm and thrust his opposing fist into the man's flabby stomach, causing him to lurch into the air for a moment before crumpling into a hunch on the floor. Jarvis was having trouble breathing - he frantically coughed and spluttered. Miles swung the hammer down to shatter Jarvis's ankle. Jarvis screamed in agony.

To his horror, his troubles only worsened as he felt an arm wrap around his neck and squeeze. In a panic, his legs shot out in front of him and began flailing. He brought his hands up to the arm around his neck and attempted to tear it away, desperately. Miles locked his grip by pulling his wrist with his other arm, imprisoning Jarvis in a vice as he continued to squeeze. He was careful to only cut off Jarvis's blood supply so he would pass out, and not cut off his breathing completely and accidentally kill his victim early. He wasn't finished with him yet.

Miles felt Jarvis go limp and loosened his grip, the drunkard's body crumpling to the ground like a rotten sack of potatoes.

Snap!

Miles quickly spun around to see Malcolm rush for the stairs. Miles swung his arm with all his strength towards Malcolm's neck, who noticed this too late and tried to dodge to the left, ending up being grazed across the cheek instead by Miles's hand. However, even with a slight graze, the force of the swing racked Malcolm's eyeballs through his head like pinballs.

Dazed, Malcolm swung the knife at Miles, who dodged backwards and then grabbed Malcolm's wrist, controlling the blade arm. Miles felt someone grab at his ankle as he grappled briefly with Malcolm, and looked down to see the first man he threw down the stairs had come to and was trying to pull him over. It seemed the man's legs were broken, or at the very least not working properly in his dazed state.

"Oh, for goodness' sake..." Miles dropped his hammer and slammed Malcolm's head against the wall behind it with his palm, instantly knocking the man out cold. He then grabbed the knife from Malcolm and knelt down to the man holding his ankle. With a massive grin plastered across his face, Miles grabbed the man's hand and began hacking and sawing at his wrist. He closed his eyes and listened to the man's screams with gleeful excitement. The man fruitlessly tried to prize Miles's hand away and stop the agonisingly slow dismemberment.

Suddenly, Miles's smile disappeared, as he felt a wave of nausea overcome his body. A blinding white light enveloped him and he stood upright, clutching his hands to his head. The knife fell to the concrete with a clatter. Nausea was quickly replaced by a searing fire that coursed through his veins in a blazing inferno; yet, his skin felt so unbelievably cold. Miles roared in agony, his body blazing like a bonfire in the bite of a freezing winter evening.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, it was all over. Miles unclenched his eyes and observed the world around him, doing his best to control his breathing after that agonising experience. This did not look at all like his basement. The walls glistened, and the room was enormous.

He heard a collective gasp around him. A tiny purple and green creature with wings on the other side of the room pointed at him and screamed.

"M-M-Monster!!!"

Author's Note

Well, after working on this for over a year, it's finally here. The number of re-writes this went through is inordinate. :twilightsheepish:

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it so far. I plan on this story being a pretty long one. I decided to try my hand at writing my own original character, in particular my own villain.

I haven't forgotten about An Unprecedented Advancement. I promise I'll be releasing more for that story; I've just been very busy trying to perfect the opening chapter of this one.

Kind regards,

Nito :heart:

P.S. I don't consider Equestria Girls to be canon. Just a personal preference.

29/09/2024 - Chapter touched up and polished, with some small rewrites.

Dismantled

Miles narrowed his eyes at the creature. He could have sworn that little lizard just-

"Twilight! You brought a monster here!"

"Spike, please, calm down!" A feminine voice spoke up from Miles's left, but when he looked over to confirm the source, Miles saw to his bewilderment that the voice had come from a small, purple equine. However, it was distinctly shorter and less vascular than any equine he had ever seen, with a much shorter snout and large, orb-like eyes. This, combined with its voice, made it seem almost... Human.

"Twilight, ready your horn! We know nothing of this creature's origins; it could be wielding immense magical power!" Miles peered over to his right only to see three more of these equines of varying sizes, although all seemed to be relatively small. The one that had just spoken was the tallest, with the tip of its horn likely reaching up to around his jawline. Miles couldn't help but notice that the horns of all three of these equines were alight, and they had a dangerous look in their sapient eyes.

Miles took a few more deep, steady breaths, trying not to laugh in utter bewilderment. He frowned and firmly patted himself down, feeling for any painful spots he might have been injected by a needle. The glowing from their horns increased as he did this, threatening him to remain still. Miles sighed after discovering no needle pains and closed his eyes for a few moments to collect himself. Eventually, he opened his eyes once more, put on his most charming smile and held up his hands in a non-threatening manner.

"Now, now... Ladies...?" he questioned with a slight tilt of his head. "Let's not get too antsy. I'm honestly not quite sure what's going on here, or where here even is, for that matter. But, I do know that it would be better for all of us if we just... Talk." Miles's voice seemed to work its magic immediately, as the light from their horns dimmed, but did not cease. Miles noted that across the room, a few more of these equines were huddled together with the lizard from before. They all quivered, eyeing him with uncertainty.

However, most startling of all these creatures was the tall, mismatched monstrosity slightly off to his left. It looked to be about 9 feet tall at full height, with a long, serpentine body. Its eyes were yellow, and sported a pair of red irises of differing sizes to each other. It appeared bipedal, although all four of its limbs were from a different animal, such as the paw of a lion and the talons of an bird. The creature did not appear startled by his presence, unlike the rest; instead, it seemed to look upon him with a keen interest.

Miles heard the small, purple equine to his left clear her throat, grabbing his attention once more. "Y-Yes, I agree... Let's all just calm down. Girls, can you please lower your guard? I don't sense any magical energy coming from him whatsoever." At her word, the light show to his right ceased, albeit not without some small grumbles of reluctance.

The purple equine stepped towards Miles with trepidation and said, "So. How about we get ourselves off to a better start? I understand you're probably confused right now... Uh, i-it seems quite clear you're not of this world. Your being here is my..." She sneered over at the tall creature, which avoided her gaze and folded its arms. "Our fault. Weirdly, it seems we even speak the same language, which should make this a whole lot easier!" She held out her hoof in what Miles assumed was a greeting. "My name's Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, and these are all my friends!" She briefly gestured around the room with her hoof.

Miles pursed his lips and reflexively sucked in a short breath. What sort of name is 'Twilight Sparkle'? Hesitantly, he reached down and grabbed the equine's hoof. He held it gently and knelt down to her height.

Her face immediately began to crease and tighten as he came close. Miles was astonished to find that the face he was presented with appeared overwhelmingly human, with the only notable differences being the colour and the large eyes.

Her face gradually smoothed over upon being greeted by his warm smile and velvety voice. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Sparkle. My name is Miles, and I must admit this is beyond anything I could have imagined would happen to me today." He briefly looked down and shook his head, appearing lost for words for a moment. He sighed. "But, my dear mother once taught me to roll with the punches, so to speak." As he spoke, Twilight became visibly more and more relaxed, as though she were melting into the soft melody of his tones.

Miles soon released her hoof and stood upright, turning to face the rest of the room. Twilight blinked owlishly, as though she'd just been released from a trance. "W-Well, Miles," she trotted up to his side as he gazed around the room, "you can get to know everypony better soon. But for now, how about we all go through to the living area and get a little more, uh... Settled?" Most in the room muttered their agreement, before shuffling quietly towards a door with the occasional frightened glance in Miles's direction.

Miles noticed that the tall, white equine from earlier remained with him, as well as the large mismatched creature. The others looked back at Miles, but as he moved to follow them, he felt a gentle tug on his left hand from an unseen source. The other alien horses in the doorway quickly dipped their heads and left the room.

Both of the remaining creatures were standing in silence, peering at him cautiously. Miles walked up to the equine, making sure to stand as close to her as he was able, and looked down into her eyes. She did not so much as flinch. Miles opened his mouth, however she was the first to speak.

"Greetings, Miles. We can save the pleasantries for later. I understand you're likely confused, and maybe even a little frightened; but, I must inform you that the safety of my little ponies comes first and foremost." Celestia remained stoic as Miles folded his arms and tilted his head at her with a deadpan expression. She continued, "Unlike the others, I am not shocked by your presence enough to fail in noticing the blood drying on your skin."

Miles looked down at himself and silently cursed. So much for first impressions. Celestia said, "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt here and assume this presence of blood is innocent. However, during your stay here, I will be keeping a close eye on you. Is that understood?" Her features went from stone-faced to bemused as Miles began to lightly chuckle in amusement, wiping and scratching at the remaining blood on his hands and face.

"Oh, dearest horse. Firstly, I must offer my thanks for offering to look after an alien like me. However, I assure you I am not in the slightest bit frightened. I mean your 'ponies' no harm whatsoever." Miles now leaned down to meet the equine's gaze, narrowing his eyes. "Besides, if that was my intent, you'd all know about it already!" Miles flicked the tip of her horn and threw his head back in jovial laughter, only for it to dwindle into nothing as he noticed a shadow looming over the both of them, its source standing directly behind him.

Leaning down to lock its gaze firmly upon his was the towering, mismatched creature from earlier. It did not look happy at all, as its face was now mere inches from his.

Instinctively, Miles whipped around and made to shove the creature away; however, his arms simply fell through its form like a hot knife through butter. Its body seemed to simply reattach the parts where his arms had gone through without affecting its stature, as though nothing had happened. The creature folded its arms, before raising an eyebrow at him and snapping its talons. Miles immediately lost all feeling in both of his arms, and to his horror, they appeared to now be made out of thin strips of cloth, limply hanging down by his sides.

"What in the-?!" Miles attempted to flail his arms, but they were merely phantom limbs as the strips flapped down by his sides like silly string. He stepped backwards, knocking into the equine behind him. Suddenly, he felt weightless as he was lifted into the air by a glowing, yellow light.

"Miles. Don't joke about such things so lightly around me, or else Discord here will ensure you lose more than just your arms next time. Also, I am not a horse, I am a pony. Now, I will ask you again... Am I understood?" Miles was snarling down at the pair as he was held helplessly in the air. He soon sighed and nodded his head reluctantly. "Good," she said. He was lowered back down to the ground and the light ceased. "Discord, please give him his limbs back. Miles, I am sorry about this show of force, but we know absolutely nothing about you and I don't like taking chances." Another snap rang through the air and Miles was suddenly able to feel his arms again, as they had been returned to normal.

For the first time since Miles's arrival, Discord spoke. His voice was charming, masculine and yet playful as his demeanour shifted from aggressive to condescending in a heartbeat.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but I could really use a nice, crispy bowl of snacks after all this drama..." Discord rolled his eyes and wafted his paw at the pair. "I'll be waiting through in the lounge. Tata!" With another snap, Discord suddenly vanished, leaving Miles alone with the white pony.

"Follow me," She simply put as she walked calmly towards the exit of the room. Miles rubbed his arms briefly, getting over his bewilderment once again with some steadying breaths. He relaxed his features once more as he made to follow the pony out of the room.

It still seemed most likely to Miles that this was some kind of drug-induced fever dream. Either that, or some very convincing illusion work. There's no such thing as magic.

The journey across the establishment was silent, with Miles walking several feet away from the pony the entire way. Eventually, they arrived at a dimly lit room, littered with couches and other such comforts. All of the other creatures from earlier were already seated in silence, scarcely daring to glance at Miles as he made his way past the white pony, who had held the door open for him. At first, Miles could not see Discord; however, upon looking up, Miles noticed him resting upside down against his own couch on the ceiling, eating what appeared to be crinkled bits of paper from a salad bowl with a disinterested look on his face.

"Please, take a seat." Another one of the ponies spoke up. This one was a little taller than most of them, with a deep blue coat and a glistening mane and tail. Miles remained silent, making his way over to a free seat across from Twilight Sparkle, where he seated himself promptly. Twilight opened her mouth as she made to speak, however seemed to catch herself before she could do so. She put a hoof to her lip in contemplation for a moment and then made her way over to the doorway, beckoning the tall, white pony to follow her outside before shutting it.

The room's eerie silence returned with vigour as one could hear nothing but their own breathing. All of the ponies in the room looked down at their laps, seemingly unsure of what to do or say next.

"Tough crowd..." Miles mumbled to himself. After about a minute of silence, the door reopened, revealing a dishevelled-looking Twilight and a frustrated white pony.

"Okay, so... I've talked it over with Celestia, aaaaand I'm gonna just have a teensy little one-on-one chat with Miles elsewhere before we all begin to, uh... Mingle... Hehe..." Twilight began signalling towards Miles with her eyes that he should follow her out of the room.

"Alright. Well, I won't be long, folks. Don't go missing me too much while I'm gone." Miles winked at a small, white mare with a purple mane, who scrunched up her stubby muzzle in reply.

Miles had been following alongside Twilight in relative silence for a few moments before he decided to question her.

"So, would you mind informing me of just what the purpose of our little chat is going to be?"

Twilight looked slightly sheepish as she replied, "Well, I was thinking we could just... Talk over the basics of our world, and settle on some living arrangements for you, and... Stuff, you know? It's the least we can do, considering you being here is kind of our fault... You see, I don't quite know how to tell you this, but w-we don't know if we'll be able to send you back to your home world... At least, not yet..." Twilight ruffled her feathers, avoiding Miles's gaze, who simply looked down at her with an unreadable expression. "The spell we used that resulted in your being brought here is still experimental, and we don't know if the all the things we send through it survive in one piece, considering that as far as I'm aware, we don't know what happened to the object you seem to have been exchanged for."

Miles chose not to respond, instead bringing his attention to the nearest window. So he had been transported to another world... He approached the window steadily, looking out upon this whole new sparkling landscape with intrigue. Twilight halted in her tracks and slowly walked up next to Miles, cautiously glancing at his slightly slack-jawed expression before gently smiling and laying a hoof on his thigh.

"Welcome to your new home, Miles... I promise we'll try and send you back to your world, but for now I recommend you get used to Equestria and its inhabitants. We have at least 50 million ponies in our world, so that's a lot of new faces for you to meet!" Twilight giggled, before trotting back off towards their destination. "Now, come on, Miles. There'll be plenty of time for you to get accustomed later."

Twilight looked content as Equestria's newest inhabitant seemed somewhat calm about this whole ordeal. As she trotted away from Miles, however, she missed the grin now slowly spreading across his face. "Only 50 million, you say..." Miles whispered to himself with a chuckle as he followed in Twilight's tracks.

An instinctive shiver rippled through Twilight's spine for a moment. Upon turning around, she was greeted with Miles looking down at her with a gentle smile and a half-lidded gaze. He said, "I think I like this place already, Twilight. I can't wait for you to tell me all about it. Every single thing."

Twilight clopped her hooves together excitedly with a childish grin. "Oooh! Of course I will. I can't wait to tell you everything! There are so many interesting things to teach about my world!" Twilight turned back around, skipping off at a faster pace than before, muttering to herself like a maniac. "I've never had an opportunity like this before... Teaching an alien about our world from scratch with no prior knowledge of anything! I should take notes... This could be an important breakthrough for science!" Twilight whipped back to face Miles, eyes sparkling like a puppy at dinner time. "Oh, will you tell me about your world, too?! Please? We can swap information!"

Miles chuckled to himself for a moment in mirth, almost unable to believe his luck. He then walked up to the little purple pony and patted her on the withers. "Of course, Twilight. Anything you want to know. It seems we might be in for quite the lengthy and detailed conversation."

"Yes! Alright, let's go! Not much further to my room now. We can get settled in there, and I have all my notes there too." Without another word, the pair took off down the hall towards Twilight's room. Once outside, Twilight perked up with a small gasp. "Oh! I should let the others know we'll be taking longer than expected to be back with them. One moment." In a flash, the pony was gone.

Miles blinked and shoved his arm through where the pony once stood. He tsked lightly to himself upon feeling nothing. How is such a thing possible?

In another flash, Twilight reappeared in the same spot. She sighed and said, "Phew. Okay. Let's do this." Twilight entered first, holding the door open for Miles once she got there. Miles was somewhat surprised to see her room was unkempt to an extent, as she seemed like the organised, studious type. Pictures of various things hung from the walls, and Miles could not help but feel as though they were watching him.

Twilight took a seat at her desk after pulling up a lounging sofa directly across from it. "Okay, Miles... So, where to start...?" Twilight put a hoof to her chin in contemplation.

"How about your world's level of technology, and this strange 'magic' you seem to possess. Is it scientific, or...?"

"Well, our magic is inherent and very much 'magical', but science and magic do cross paths and work together very often. There are actually even some artifacts in our world which allow non-magical creatures such as yourself to perform magical feats! And- Waah!!!" Twilight gawped at the wall behind Miles with a startled expression, hiding into herself by pulling her hooves to her chest.

Miles looked concerned by her sudden outburst, however swiftly became aware of yet another shadow looming over him from behind.

Author's Note

This story is set before Twilight's coronation in Season 9, but very shortly before.

29/09/2024 - Touched up and some parts added/re-written.

A Night to Remember

"What sort of bogus 'idea' is that, Match?" asked Nougat. She was sitting at the dining room table, tucking into a large plate of hayfries.

"The kind that'll get me a one way ticket through that purple whorse and into those big alien monkey's arms," replied Match.

Match lounged on a couch a short distance away from Nougat, looking out of their window and into the quiet town. She was thankful they had chosen Ponyville of all places to move in together. Life was peaceful here, all things considered, but sometimes a little slow for her taste.

Nougat groaned and glanced over her shoulder at the crimson mare. "Match, all the offence, but leave the thinking to Muddy from now on." She didn't notice the rapidly approaching clops until it was too late. "H-Hey!"

"Mmm... Thanks!" Match proclaimed as she chomped down on one of Nougat's hayfries. Nougat covered her plate with her wings and forehooves with a growl as the mares stared each other down.

Match's expression was blank, but her swishing tail gave her away - Nougat was ready for her.

As Match made another dive for Nougat's dish, the latter mare quickly scooped her entire plate of fries into her maw in one swift movement. Match froze with her hoof on the table, simply staring at Nougat's chipmunk impression with bewilderment.

Nougat placed her hooves to her waist in triumph and made a show of swishing the food around her mouth before spitting it all back out on her plate. Match remained speechless and watched as Nougat casually resumed eating.

Moments later, Muddy trotted down the stairs and approached the table. She walked past Match and asked, "Um, do you think I could have a couple of those...? I'm starving."

Nougat's pupils shrunk, her only response being a bizarre, breathy whining sound that ended in a gurgle. Muddy grabbed a few fries with her magic and daintily bit into them. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. Th-Thanks, Nougat..."

As Muddy continued past the pair and over towards the couch, Match finally thawed out and held a hoof out to her friend. "Uh..." Match quickly glanced at Nougat, and the pair made a silent agreement. "S-So what's the plan today, Muddy?"

Muddy plopped down onto the couch and brought a hoof to her lip. "Hmm... I'm not sure. I didn't have anything in particular in mind."

"Oh, well that's good," said Match, "because I was hoping we could go to the market today." Nougat began shaking her head and made a point of dropping her hooves to the table with a thud. Match did not acknowledge this, causing Muddy's brow to raise.

"Okay... Sure, we can do that. What are we going for? I'm pretty sure we're well stocked at the moment." Muddy's tone and posture gradually shifted as she spoke.

Match grinned and sat down next to Muddy. "Well, Miles and his disgusting purple 'friend' come back from the changeling kingdom today, so I suspect he'll be showing up in the marketplace at some point soon." Match's eyes half-lidded as she leered over at Muddy and whispered, "I want to show off my new hoof polish..."

Nougat groaned again, this time more explosively. "Muddy, she's just trying to suck things into her big black hole again!" Nougat turned her attention directly to Match. "And that isn't even a plan! You just want to 'show him your hoof polish'? Really?! I swear to Celestia, you're going to be looser than a changeling before the new year at this rate..."

This time it was Match's turn to growl. "Oh, please. Every stallion you've ever had was one I shared with you! Without me, you'd be a desert mare - a dry, shrivelled, lonely little pegasus drowning in her own heat."

Muddy rested her chin on a hoof and sighed as Nougat choked on a hayfry and spluttered, "Yeah?! W-Well... Well, I... Uh..." Nougat continued to stutter with a twitch of her ear, her cheeks gradually matching the hue of Match's coat as her shame spread like a stoked fire.

"You know I'm right, don't you, huh?" Match goaded with a grin.

Muddy had seen her fill. "Girls, enough," she commanded. The bickering mares immediately ceased their banter and gave Muddy their full attention. "I still haven't gotten over what happened when Miles first came to our home, but..." Match's eyes widened. "To be honest, he was brand new here at the time. He must have been stressed, and we tried to force ourselves on him."

Match looked at the floor and scuffed at the couch with her hoof. "So...?" Match peered at Muddy from the corner of her eye with her ears folded against her head.

Muddy sighed. "So, we can go and see him again today. He's been here for a few months, and we've seen him plenty already. He seems to have grown friendlier recently in the face of your repeated approaches, so..." She planted her hooves down on the couch and blew a strand of hair from her face. "Maybe you'll get lucky."

With a small jump, Match pumped a hoof into the air in victory. "Yes!!! Oh, Nougat, you'll see. Your ol' pal Match is gonna get us laid tonight. How long has it been for you, huh?" Nougat couldn't meet Match's eyes, her face contorted in embarassment. Match's smile grew lopsided. "Too long, eh? Well, don't you worry," said Match, waltzing over to Nougat's seat at the table, "mama's got you."

Nougat made small vocal protests as Match began playfully kneading her cheeks with her hooves. "How do you even know that him and Twilight aren't a thing?" asked Nougat, slapping at Match's invasive hooves. "You might be too late."

Match snickered and ruffled her amber friend's pink mane. "Hehe... Since when has a stallion being taken ever stopped me?" she quipped. Nougat frowned with a resigned sigh.

"On one condition," Muddy interrupted, causing the pair to freeze. "If you go anywhere with him, you don't go without me." Match turned around to face Muddy, the chocolate mare's tone commanding Match's limbs to draw the pair closer.

"B-But-"

"No buts. Do you understand me?" Muddy stepped into Match's space and looked up at the taller earth pony. Muddy's horn sparked to life and pulled Match's face down to her own. "Do you understand me?"

"Y-Yes, Muddy... I understand."

"See you later, Miles! We can do a review tomorrow!" chirped Twilight.

With a wave, Miles gently clicked the door to his home shut and took a deep breath. The tips of his fingers tingled, his body feeling as light as the air he displaced. Making his way over to the kitchen counter, he gently placed down his backpack and pulled its drawstring.

Once the bag opened, his lips pulled back over his front teeth. His breathing grew heavier and he pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth. With steady hands, Miles pulled his prize from the backpack. He turned it over between his fingers, its cold touch nipping at his skin like a fond childhood memory. He ran his thumb over its tip as he sucked on his teeth.

It had been so long. So many months spent playing with these pastel ponies. Held within his grasp now was a key in all but form. A key to unlock his future, to kickstart his growth - a key to shut off the noise.

He clinked it back down into the backpack on top of its fellows and pulled the pack shut. With a crackling smile, Miles peered at his bookshelf in the hall through the kitchen doorway. Time to find out if his prize was worth the trouble.

"Where is he? Where is he; I don't see him!" Match reared up on her hind legs, placing one hoof to her hip and the other to her brow as she scanned the area for signs of the local anomaly. "Oh, look, there he is!"

The sun was setting over Ponyville, yet the marketplace still bustled with the evening rush of creatures making their purchases after school or on the way home from work. Match clopped back down to all fours and made her way through the crowd. She found herself almost knocked flat on her side as a yak to her left backed into her, but managed to make a quick adjustment and veer past with a wobble.

"Match, wait up! We can't... Ugh!" Nougat grew frustrated as a gathering of what appeared to be students from the School of Friendship flocked around a stall they were passing by. Muddy was hunkered down low at Nougat's side, avoiding the attention of the masses as much as possible.

"Muddy, we need to catch up with Match! She's disappearing into the- oof!" Nougat grunted in frustration at the changeling that had jostled her, and it scurried away sheepishly with an apologetic frown.

Nougat caught Muddy's eye. No words were exchanged, but Muddy quickly nodded her head, causing Nougat to smile in thanks.

With that, Nougat took to the air with a flap of her freshly-preened wings and scanned the marketplace in search of her blood-red friend.

Miles quickly surveyed the marketplace, surprised by just how busy it was compared to usual. Perhaps everyone simply happened to come at the same time, or perhaps it was because it was one of the first times he had visited the market without Twilight by his side. While the thought of the latter brought a smile to his face, it ultimately didn't matter.

"That'll be two bits for those, sir!" squeaked the mare behind the stall. She looked up at Miles with all the joy of a widowed gold digger. Miles smiled at the pony and reached over to place the bits in the pony's hoof. He paused with the coins between his fingertips, holding them over the pony's hoof for a few seconds longer than was necessary. Once the mare's smile began to fade, he dropped the coins into her hoof and gave her a wink.

"Thankyou, miss. I hope you have a nice rest of your day." Out of the corner of his eye, Miles spotted the red mare who had been hounding him for at least a couple of months now, and she was quickly approaching. His heart swelled with satisfaction as he turned to leave the marketplace, pretending not to have seen her. How fortunate he felt that these ponies controlled the weather; nothing would be left to chance. Yes, today would work just fine.

Miles's home was not too far from the marketplace, and so he stepped into the shade of the nearby overhanging buildings, making his way at a pace brisk enough to make some distance from the marketplace before the red mare reached him.

Once the clopping of her hooves grew close enough, Miles turned to face her with a surprised expression. "Oh! Red pony. It's good to see you. How have you been, my friend?"

Match stopped in front of the human and looked up at him with a smile. "Oh, you know... Same old stuff. Like, Nougat being a pain in my flank and just shopping around and stuff and, uh... Then I saw you and I was like, 'oh my gosh, I have to see how his trip to the changeling kingdom went', so..."

Match trailed off, lifting a hoof to her lips and blowing on it. After rubbing it on her chest fluff and turning it in the light, she glanced up at Miles's face with a sly grin - every stallion loved black hoof polish; it was just a fact. Miles noticed the gleam of her hooves, yet did not change his expression in the slightest.

"Well, thankyou for asking, miss. You see, since I appear to be stuck in this world, I suppose I had best explore as much of it as I can. After all, I'm the only human to ever have experienced it. Surely that in itself is valuable, no?" Match's eyes were partially glazed over, transfixed by his odd accent and soothing voice.

Her mind began to wander, circling around itself with little end in sight. Why did his accent sound so similar to that one grey musician mare that she didn't care to recall the name of? If he was from another world, how did he even speak the same language as everypony else? She remembered that Miles could speak more than one language, so maybe he just learned Equestrian at super speed the moment he arrived, using his amazing human powers...

Miles snapped his fingers in her face. She jumped back in surprise before shaking her head to try and recall what he had actually said. "Red pony?" asked Miles, innocently looking down at her. "Are you doing alright down there?"

"Umm..." Match held a hoof to her chin for a moment and glanced over her withers towards the marketplace. She noticed Nougat flying above the crowd, no doubt searching for her. Her mind played through scenarios in which Nougat's heckling sabotaged her current opportunity, and so she decided to cut to the chase.

Match reared up to her hind legs and placed a hoof to Miles's stomach as she leaned on him. "Well, you see... I could be doing better down there, to be honest." She fluttered her lashes and gently bit her bottom lip. "And I think it might be something you can help me with..." Match rested her head against Miles's stomach and began drawing little circles on his shirt, her mind running wild at the thought of what he might look like beneath it.

The bell of the town hall resounded for a moment, delaying Miles's response by a few seconds. During this time, he peered down at her without inclining his head. Slowly, a smile spread across his features. It was a genuine smile - one filled with excitement. That tingling feeling returned to his fingertips as he observed the raunchy mare leaning against his front.

"Is that right...? And how might I do that, dear?" Miles leaned down and scooped the mare into his arms, bridal-style. Her eyes widened in concern for a moment before the reality of the situation hit her.

Her face now beside his, Match breathed directly into Miles's face. He flexed his upper lip to the side for the briefest of moments, but Match didn't seem to notice. "Well, I think that maybe some drinks and a side couldn't hurt, if you..." Match took a brief pause. "If you're up for it?"

"Hmm..." Miles half-lidded his eyes and looked off towards the market. "I don't see why not. How ab-"

"-Can my f-friends come, too? It'd be a more varied welcome to Equestria for you..." At her interruption, Miles's eye twitched and he licked the corner of his lips.

He gently set the mare back down on her hooves and said, "Oh, I'm certain I have enough to go around. These things do tend to be merrier with more, after all." His voice retained its warmth, the offer making Match's heat come crashing down on her a season earlier than nature intended.

Match resisted the urge to do a backflip, her heart racing like steam engine. Before she could respond, however, Nougat finally zipped into view, landing beside Match with a stumble. "Match! Don't just dash off like that, you stupid bimbo! You'll have plenty of time to feed your black hol..." Nougat trailed off as she just now noticed the massive presence looming over the pair of them.

A loud crash could be heard in the distance, but Nougat's attention was focused solely on the human before her. After staring for a few moments, she chuckled reservedly and said, "Oh, uh. Hi, Miles, h-how are you? And uh... And stuff."

Miles smiled at her and replied, "I'm splendid. Thankyou for asking." He straightened his shirt sleeves, dusted down his front and ran a hand through his hair. "Match?"

Match's ears perked up. "Yeah?"

"My place at ten. Not a minute earlier and not a second later; I have things to prepare." He winked at her, and though her eyes remained wide open, she found herself winking back.

"Okay... Yeah. We'll be there!" With that, Miles set off walking towards his home once more. Match turned to Nougat with a giddy expression, her legs but crumbling columns struggling to bear her weight.

Match nestled her face against that of her friend and began to excitedly whisper, "Nougat, I did it! After months, I won him over..." She lifted a foreleg to observe her shining black hoof. "I knew the polish would do it! And you doubted me! Me!"

Nougat grumbled beneath her breath and turned to leave. The sun had mostly set, leaving the marketplace rustling with a few straggling ponies and the paper remnants of wasted grocery bags dropped in the chaos. Match bumped Nougat with her hip and raised her eyebrows a couple of times.

Nougat rolled her eyes and continued her march across the marketplace. "I still think he's a weirdo..."

Match mimicked her gesture and replied, "Well, duh. He's an alien - that's kinda the point." She wrapped a hoof around her friend's neck. "Just think, we'll be the first ponies in the history of Equestria to tumble in the hay with an alien. And a hot one, at that!"

Nougat scrunched up her muzzle and said, "I'm not so sure about that last part, but uh... I guess you're right. Mostly."

"Of course I'm right, featherbrain. You liked him too when he first got here, so don't give me that. Now, we don't have long, so we shou-" The pair skidded to a halt when they noticed Muddy leaning back against one of the tomato stalls at the far end of the marketplace. She stood with her hind legs crossed and her forelegs folded across her chest.

Nougat blew a small raspberry at the sight. "All you're missing is the stetson and a sprig of hay!" Match laughed along with her as Muddy dropped back down to all fours.

"Yes, very funny. So, how did it go, girls? Judging by your attitudes, do I even need to ask?" droned Muddy.

Match pursed her lips and sashayed over to Muddy's side. "Well, all I'll say is that we're gonna have a busy night tonight!"

Muddy sighed and smiled at her friend. "I said I'll be going with you - not that I'll be joining in."

Match raised her eyebrows and whistled. "Whew, kinky," she said. "Never thought you were one for watching from the wardrobe, Muddy."

Nougat involuntarily spat once again as she exploded into laughter.

Muddy shook her head and made to leave the now barren, darkened marketplace. And yet, she couldn't help but chuckle. The joyful looks on their faces were worth every moment.

Heavy rain pelted down on the quiet town in a barrage of chaotic, and yet soothing ambience. The trio had not seen a single pony on their hurried trip over to the resident alien's abode, as was to be expected.

"Hey, Muddy, how do I look?" Match inspected her hooves and did a quick spin in place.

"You look just as gorgeous as ever, Match," replied Muddy. Muddy reached out towards the large, foreboding door and prepared to knock. Nougat watched Muddy with a furrowed brow, noticing her friend's hoof quiver ever so slightly.

Match quickly grabbed Muddy's hoof and yanked it away from the door. "Wait! Are you sure? We got a little bit wet, even with the umbrella... Does my mane look o-uck!" Nougat smacked her friend upside the head with a wing. Match glared at her, but said nothing.

Muddy briefly glanced at her friends before rubbing her brow. "Girls, come on. You wanted this, so you'd better not just spend the whole night fighting. I won't be covering for you on that." She looked upwards. "Thank Celestia he has a sheltered porch..."

Match paused and raised a brow. "Whuh? I thought covering for us is why you said you were coming along," questioned Match. When Muddy didn't respond, she continued, "We know he's friendly, anyway, since he's been here for a while now and he's pretty popular around town. Just relax, Muddy."

Muddy sighed. "Yes, I know. But at the same time, you never know. So I'm here, just in case." Once again, Muddy faced the door and prepared to knock.

She had noticed they were unable to see through the large window at the front of the house that overlooked the porch upon which they now stood. Thoughts of what that could mean ate at her mind, muddying her brain and causing her to hesitate. As she paused with her hoof in the air, she could have sworn she heard an audible creaking of her foreleg even above the white noise of the late, stormy night.

Before her hoof could make contact, Match excitedly reached across and knocked first. When Muddy shot her an irritated glance, Match grinned before attempting to check her makeup in the reflection of her own hoof polish.

As the mares felt a soft thudding somehow permeating onto the porch from inside the house, Muddy once again felt an odd twisting sensation in her stomach. In her brief panic, she considered coming up with an excuse to pull her friends away from this engagement. Upon catching the excited glint in match's eye, however, Muddy locked her jaw in place.

She was being ridiculous, she told herself. Had she learned nothing from this town's history? Miles had been in Ponyville for months; if he meant anypony any harm, he would have done it by now.

The door swung open to reveal an immaculately dressed biped. His emerald-green eyes pierced through the darkness and immediately landed squarely upon Muddy's face. For a few moments, he said nothing, simply staring at Muddy with a smile.

Match glanced at Muddy with a frown and quickly looked over herself once more. A distant crow's call jerked Muddy back to reality. She opened her mouth to speak, yet before she could so much as inhale, Miles leaned against the frame of the door and said, "Good evening, ladies."

Match looked the man up and down, licking her lips as she greedily drank in the sight of his form-fitting white shirt. Just what exactly did he feed those muscles? She lightly shoved her way in front of Muddy and purred, "Well hello there, Mr. Alien. Mind if we come in? Thanks." Match slithered around Miles and made her way into his home. Muddy noticed a small wave of something flash from behind his optical windows.

The look on Miles's face immediately morphed into an expression of joy, however, as he stepped to the side and ushered the other two mares in. "Oh, but of course; come on in out of the rain," he said. "Make yourselves at home."

He held out a hand and presented his living space to Muddy and Nougat. "I will be through in just a moment, since, despite my specific instruction, you're a couple of minutes early." He offered a hand towards the umbrella Nougat was holding. Unable to meet his eyes, she shyly let him take it. "So, go and get yourselves settled. Can I get you anything?"

"How about an apple cider?" called Match's fetching voice from the living room. Miles smiled down at the other two mares in wordless question.

"Uh, I'll have the same, I guess. Or, whatever, y'know..." Nougat scuffed a hoof on the floor, unable to make eye contact.

Muddy wrapped a hoof over her friend's withers and looked Miles in the eye. With a wink, she said, "Make that three."

Miles clapped his hands and said, "Alright, no problem. I'll be right back."

Miles's brogue boots met the hardwood flooring with satisfying thuds as he made his way down the hall. Muddy took a moment to observe her surroundings. The interior had style, that was for sure. From the hazel tones of the floorboards and the lighter beige tones of the walls, all the way to the hand-crafted console table and the framed mirror hanging above it, this hallway certainly seemed to indicate a home that was held with a degree of pride.

As they made their way into the living room, Muddy took note of the intricately-decorated fireplace and the classy furniture. While the furnishings were indeed minimal, their arrangement with an accompanying coffee table gave the room a warm and inviting atmosphere.

What struck her as odd, however, was the fact that the windows were all firmly covered with what appeared to be thick curtains. Even the walls of the living space appeared to be partially covered in dark, padded, admittedly cosy-looking fabric. That must have been why she was unable to see through the large porch window.

Though this gave her pause for a moment, she quickly remembered why they were here in the first place. In light of that, Miles most likely just wanted to make sure they would have privacy for the night. She couldn't help but feel a small smile cross her lips.

Match sat upon one of the sofas beside the fireplace, the warm glow of its burning embers turning her deep red coat into an endearing bronze. She turned to the other two mares with some crackers in her mouth and attempted to communicate. "Thit down, girlth. Mmthf gud." Muddy glowered in her direction, and so Match quickly swallowed her mouthful and said, "Ahem, uh. I mean, sit down, girls! You have to try these crackers; it's real important."

"No, it's not," retorted Nougat, peering down at the pony-shaped crackers with distaste.

"Uh, yeah it is," spewed Match, with irritation. "You can't sit down at a stallion's place, where he's clearly set out food for us to try, and just not try it!"

"She's got a point, Nougat," said Muddy.

Nougat huffed a lock of her mane out of her face and muttered, "Mmf, whatever, fine..."

"You okay there, Nougat?" Muddy placed a hoof over that of her friend. Nougat looked into her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm okay. You seemed tense before, so I was just... I dunno... I'm nervous."

"Why's that? I was just being silly earlier - worrying over nothing." Muddy asked in the most cheerful tone she could muster. The effect was instantaneous as she noticed her friend's head lift slightly.

Match stuffed another few crackers in her mouth with a chuckle and said, "I fink I knoe why..."

Nougat snarled in Match's direction before returning her attention to Muddy. "Well, it's just... It's been a w-while for me."

Match heartily guffawed. "Baha! Aww, does the widdle filly want me to hold her hoof while she does it?"

Muddy flinched back in her seat with a deadpan expression when Nougat suddenly lashed across the table at her jeering tormentor. In doing so, Muddy noticed some framed pictures sitting upon the mantle of the fireplace. Most of them appeared to feature Miles posing with Princess Twilight and the other elements in some way. They certainly appeared happy together...

Match appeared to follow Muddy's gaze, and so Muddy quickly reached out to grab some crackers. Match's attention was immediately pulled back to her. "See, now you're gettin' it!" cheered Match.

"You know, for a 'lady', you sure don't act or speak very ladylike..." muttered Nougat. At Match's resulting sneer, Muddy noticed Nougat's demeanour gradually begin to brighten, and so in turn did her own. Perhaps this could be a good night, after all.

The trio was interrupted as a thudding sound with a familiar cadence approached from the hall. Miles gently pushed the door open with his shoulder, as his hands were occupied with carrying four fizzling drinks. Match and Nougat froze and stared at him, their hooves tangled in each other's mane. In a panic, Match shoved Nougat back, setting the pair at opposite sides of the coffee table once more.

Miles chuckled throatily, causing Muddy to facehoof once she noticed Match swoon. "So, ladies," said Miles, "who ordered the apple cider?" Match and Nougat glanced at each other in confusion and Muddy met Miles's eye with a chuckle.

"Oh, I don't know... Just put 'em on the table and we'll fight amongst ourselves, big guy," said Muddy, jovially.

"Be my guest." Miles set the drinks down on their respective placemats and took a seat beside Match. Across from them sat Nougat, with Muddy sitting to his left on a padded recliner. Immediately, Match latched onto his arm and settled in.

Miles glanced down at her, his expression unchanging. Nougat fiddled with her hooves and looked to her left and right, appearing somewhat isolated. Muddy hopped over to Nougat's sofa and seated herself with her friend.

The ticking of an intricately-crafted wooden clock on the wall to Match's right filled the silence, providing a gentle rhythm to enhance the crackle of the fire. Muddy noticed a distinct lack of pattering against the windows... Perhaps the fire was merely drowning it out.

Miles gently pulled his arm from Match's grip and instead wrapped it around her frame, pulling her body against his waist. Muddy watched with curiosity, while Nougat continued to fiddle with her hooves, albeit more rapidly.

Miles looked down at Match with affection and spoke so quietly that Muddy had to strain an ear to catch it. "So, what do you think of the place? A bit of a hodge-podge, I know."

"Oh, it's beautiful! You did an amazing job," replied Match, as she flicked her mane over her shoulder and immediately changed the subject. "S-So, I've been wondering... How do humans-"

Muddy zoned out of their conversation and focused her attention on Nougat. She was here for support, after all, and match appeared to be doing just fine. "Hey," whispered Muddy, "seriously, Nougat - loosen up. There's nothing to worry about."

"I know, but... What if I'm no good? Stallions find me boring. A-And what if we're not even compatible like... That..." muttered Nougat.

Muddy chuckled with affection. "Oh, Nougat. If he has a penis, then you're compatible. And I'm pretty sure he's a mammal, so please just stop worrying. See, watch this..." Muddy turned her attention to Miles and Nougat's expression quickly turned to one of concern. "You have a penis, right, Miles?" Nougat's eyes widened and her cheeks flared like the roaring flame of the fireplace.

"Muddy! Stop!" Nougat shouted with indignation, yet her tone and the tiny smile on her lips told a different story.

Muddy giggled at her friend's expense. Upon Muddy's question, Miles turned his attention away from Match and raised an eyebrow. "This is not the place for silly questions, brown pony," he said with a wink in Nougat's direction. Nougat tucked her forehooves into her lap and stared intently at the floor, wishing she could just shrivel up and sink into the cracks of the sofa.

Nougat remained silent, and so Miles returned his attention to Match, who had been waiting with an impatient look on her face. As they resumed talking, Muddy hooked a hoof around Nougat's shoulders and said, "Now come on. Let's try each other's apple cider and see which one is better."

Nougat raised an eyebrow. "Uhm, I'm pretty sure they're exactly the same."

"Only one way to find out! Here, try mine." Muddy focused her attention on her glass and picked it up with her magic.

Or at least, that was the plan. The glass did not move an inch. She frowned before trying again several times, and yet the glass still would not budge. Muddy felt an uneasy twisting in her stomach.

"Muddy? What's wrong?" Nougat's tone did little to loosen the knot in Muddy's gut, and yet Muddy still lifted her attention from the glass to respond. As she did so, however, she caught Miles's eye. What she saw caused the twisting pressure to spread to her bladder.

As Match continued to natter by his side and munch on the pony crackers, Miles's mouth had twisted into a subtle, lopsided smile. He held her gaze with such intensity that all air in the room turned to tar. Her breathing grew laboured and her muscles were suddenly held in sticky bondage.

The only mobility remaining in Muddy's body ran from her brain to her eyeballs, and so she could do nothing but watch as Miles reached across and swiped one of the pony-shaped crackers from the table.

He placed a thumb to the cracker's leg and slowly applied pressure. After several long, agonising seconds, it snapped off and into his waiting palm. He glanced at Match and spoke, yet Muddy hadn't the slightest idea what either of them had said. Still held in stasis, Muddy continued to observe, her breathing picking up speed and her senses growing numb.

She needed more oxygen.

Miles locked eyes with Muddy once more, and snapped off the pony's remaining legs. She could see him savouring the taste as he rubbed them against the roof of his mouth with his tongue until they disintegrated completely. Some distant part of her subconscious mind could feel a shoving in her left side, yet she paid it no attention. The world remained silent to her.

With all the speed of a sleeping dragon, Miles brought the pony's head to his waiting maw and paused. After a few seconds, he crunched down on the pony's neck, severing its head while simultaneously reattaching that of Muddy.

With a gasp, Muddy looked to her left at Nougat's pleading expression, yet felt the searing gaze of the gargantuan human flaying the skin from her right cheek. "Muddy... W-What's wrong...?" whimpered Nougat, now appearing almost as panicked as Muddy felt.

"Nothing... Nothing's wrong."

"W-Well why are you-"

Nougat was interrupted by a loud clap. "Okay, well. I think that should be enough chatter," said Miles, with finality. Muddy almost lost her dinner as her eyes quickly scanned the room. Her brain kicked into overdrive, instincts taking over.

Where were the exits? Could they take him on together if she called this off and he attacked them? Should she keep playing along? When was the time to act? Was he just messing with her? A million thoughts flooded her mind in an instant, and yet, they all battled against each other. As a result, she froze up once again.

"Let's get to the main event, shall we?" purred Miles.

Match grinned at him and gave Muddy a disapproving glance. "Sounds good to me, handsome. Now, how about you show me what you've got under ther- oop!" Match squeaked as Miles picked her up and set her on his lap, their faces now a mere salt lick apart.

"Good pony. I want to watch your face closely when I do this. You ponies are far more expressive than my fellow human ever was," growled Miles with a deep-seated hunger.

At Miles's words, Muddy felt her muscles spasm once again and urge her to leap across the table and pull her friend away. Yet, her base instincts dragged her in the opposite direction - he was huge; there was simply no way.

Match, now happily straddling Miles's lap, bit her lip and panted. She was more excited than she had ever been in her life. As he held her hooves to her sides with those obscenely powerful 'hands' of his, she felt herself almost reaching her peak right there on the spot.

Nougat held her hooves to her chest and quivered as she glanced between Muddy and the rowdy pair across from them.

Muddy's heart pounded in her throat, and yet she couldn't find the will to act. Why couldn't she just move? She had to do something... Right?

As Match licked her lips and began clumsily fiddling with Miles's belt using her clumsy hooves, she felt the human's hands slide up from her waist, over her shoulders and then settle firmly on her neck. He gripped her gently, and rubbed at her throat with a thumb.

Match's breath hitched for a moment at first, taken by surprise, but she swiftly recovered. "Mmmf... K-Kinky! Eheh-erk!" Match spluttered, but soon found her air cut off. She smiled at Miles awkwardly for a moment as he started to squeeze her neck with greater force.

Gradually, as seconds passed, Match's expression went through several stages. What first was excitement transformed to confusion, and once she felt her eyes begin to bulge and water - abject horror.

"H-Hey... Hey, let go of her! What are... W-" Muddy's voice caught in her throat, the very concept of the current situation lying beyond her scope of possibility. Things like this just didn't happen - it couldn't be happening.

Miles glared directly into Match's soul, greedily feeding on every moment, and every detail of his victim's struggle. From what he had been told, earth ponies were supposedly the strongest race of these creatures, and yet, as her hooves frantically kicked into his stomach, he felt very little.

"Match!!! Match, keep fighting him! Somepony, HELP!!!" Muddy had broken from her stupor, shouting out to potential rescuers. With a roar, she charged the human. Despite these vocalisations, the terror in her brow was evident; Miles drank such details in with a heady bout of exaltation. He grinned with delight and stood to his feet, still holding the struggling mare out in front of him.

As Muddy reached the towering man's form, she directed her horn towards his flesh in a desperate effort to gore him. With a speed seemingly impossible for a creature of his size, Miles freed up a hand to reach down and grab Muddy's horn, ceasing her charge. She found herself completely stationary, with Miles's large hand wrapped around her bony appendage.

In a panic, Muddy attempted to rip her horn free of his steel grip, but the effortlessness with which he held on brought tears to her eyes. With her fight response failed, her instincts screamed at her to flee, and yet she could not. Her legs scraped and burned, the noise they produced clouding her sense of restraint and focusing every ounce of her being into that one singular goal.

Now being held out to Miles's side, Match kicked at his arm with all her strength, her mighty earth pony hooves rapidly losing their power as she began to lose consciousness. Miles took note of this, and so finally loosened his death-grip.

The moment Match wheezed in a gulping breath, he swung all of his weight into his arm. The resulting choke-slam ragdolled Match through the coffee table and into the gaping jaws of darkness.

"MATCH!!! Celestia, no! NO!" Muddy's hooves scrambled and scuffed at the carpet, and yet the keratin of her hooves caused nothing but violent slips. With every movement, Miles's grip on her horn strengthened even further.

The man cast a glance down to Match and sniffed as he twitched his upper lip in satisfaction. Left alone with Muddy, Miles now lifted the squirming pony by her horn and brought her all the way up to his eye level.

With her hooves now dangling at least a couple of feet off the floor, Muddy's squirming did nothing but weaken her aching muscles further. Miles looked her dead in the eye and said, "How are we feeling, brown pony? Where is that little shy version of yourself? I feel as though I have not seen her in a while."

Muddy swung her right hoof into Miles's jaw, but she may as well have been trying to strike down a castle. Upon this revelation, tears began to stream like waterfalls from her eyes. She sniffled and choked, all four of her short legs curling up into her torso in an instinctive effort to protect her core.

"W-Why...? Why? Why us...?" Muddy's voice now shrivelled to a whisper. Her view drifted over to her fallen friend. Match remained out cold, with several large, splintered pieces of wood lodged into her flesh.

Miles chuckled incredulously and brought his thumb to Muddy's eye. He affectionately wiped the tears from her eyes and gave her an inviting smile. With all the kindness of a father reading to his child before bed, he said, "Oh, little pony... It's really quite simple..."

He set her down on the floor and let go of her horn. Muddy's eyes widened, and yet she did not run. What was the point? He was too close. As she slumped down and attempted to meld with the fibres of the carpet, she prayed to sweet Celestia that he would give her time to reason with him.

As Miles opened his mouth to continue, a loud crash rumbled from the hall. With a single step, he reached the door past Muddy and shoved through into the hallway. Muddy's eyed widened in horrific realisation.

"Ah, the golden one. Don't you know - that's the selfish way out. Hmm... Your red friend said something about you joining in on the fun tonight." Miles took a step towards Nougat and spread his arms. "So, come on. Let's play."

Nougat eyed the front door feverishly. After toppling the bookshelf blocking its path, all she had to do next was... Her heart convulsed. Miles had not come for her yet, and she was standing right by the door, which meant...

Miles retracted his arms and folded them across his chest. His expression grew disappointed. "Well? It looked like you were leaving. I understand if I'm not good enough for you, so go right ahead." With quivering hooves, Nougat reached for the handle and attempted to leave. She slowly closed her eyes, lowered her head and bit her bottom lip - locked. Of course it was.

"Oh! I almost forgot," chirped Miles, as he pulled a key from his pocket. He stepped over to Nougat, forcing her into the corner of the hall. She shrivelled up as small as she possibly could, retracting from the invading alien's massive body as much as possible. Her eyes grew wide and she could feel her pulse throbbing through her hooves.

"Here you are." He made to pass the key to her, but just as her hoof touched it, he pulled it back into his palm and closed his fingers around it. "On one condition: Tell your mud friend here..." Miles marched back into the living room, only to find Muddy absent. He paused upon hearing a thudding sound coming from the kitchen. Upon closer inspection, he found Muddy standing on the kitchen counter, bucking the boards covering the kitchen window.

Muddy's body seized, and once her eyes caught his, she suddenly let loose a harrowing scream. It was the scream of a mare on her last legs - the scream of a damned soul approached by the ferryman.

She turned her head to direct her voice at the boarded window, yet did not let Miles out of her sight. He folded his arms and leaned against the door frame as he watched her with interest.

She once again found herself praying - praying that anypony would hear her cries and send help. Even as her vocal cords flexed to near the point of tearing, she continued to wail. Soon, these wails died down to shouting sobs, the miserable kind projected by those with all hope strangled and devoured.

Miles shook his head and made to grab her by the horn once again. "You know, I'm glad that you in particular have a built-in handle. It makes this somewhat simpler for me."

"Wh-What did you do to my..." Muddy's voice croaked. "...My magic..."

"I just made it disappear, little one. With a poof. Like magic." As Miles stepped back into the hallway, he slung Muddy before the still-quivering Nougat with a meaty thud.

Miles leaned down and cupped Muddy's face by the muzzle, pushing up her cheeks with his index finger and thumb. He presented her damp, snotty face to Nougat and said, "Tell your mud friend here that you're leaving her to die."

Nougat visibly flinched. She closed her eyes and broke down into trembling sobs. Miles used his free hand to dangle the key beside Muddy's head, a slight smile masking his calm features. Blinking through the tears, Nougat could make out the form of the key, and with a shaky voice, she muttered, "M-Muddy... I'm so sor-ry... I... I- I'm leaving you to... T-To..."

"That is not what I told you to say, animal." He looked down at the floorboards beneath Nougat's flanks and scrunched his nose in disgust. "Consider yourself lucky I don't make you clean up your piss before you leave..." His tone continued to remain unnervingly calm. The fur on Nougat's back prickled.

Nougat sobbed several more times, her breathing coming fast and hard. Miles whipped out a hand and grabbed her by her pink mane, forcing her face directly before Muddy's. Her friend's expression was completely defeated, her eyes glazed and empty.

"Now say it!!!" roared Miles. Nougat's eyes flicked over to Miles's suddenly enraged face, her bloodshot eyes shrinking to pinpricks.

"I-I'm leaving you to die..." murmured Nougat.

"I don't think she heard you. Say it louder. And then once you have scurried scurried out through that door, announce it to the whole town. Tell everyone that you left your friends to die!"

"I'm leaving you to die!!!" screamed Nougat, a second torrent of urine dampening the hazel boards beneath her hooves.

"Good girl!" cheered Miles, his voice shaking the walls and the boards beneath Nougat's hooves. He tossed Muddy off to the side and presented Nougat with the key once more. "Off you pop now, miss," he said, his voice warm and calm once more.

Nougat took the key while making sure not to make contact with his flesh, and scrambled to her quaking hooves. She placed the key in the lock and to her immense relief found that it fit. Continually, she glanced over at Miles, making sure he remained in place as she clumsily fiddled with the lock.

Her tail tucked between her legs, as the threat of an approach at any moment created phantom pain in her lower back. Once she heard a click, a small smile graced her lips that contrasted with her furrowed brow, and she made to open the door by its handle. Her rugged breathing grew more intense, as freedom was mere moments away.

Without use of her wings, Nougat found herself taking to the air. In a split second, an ocean of agony came crashing down upon her skull as her brains were scrambled and every direction became indistinguishable, as though drowning underwater.

Muddy agonisingly climbed to her hooves and backed away, what strength she had been reserving returned to her. As Miles repeatedly and viciously slammed Nougat's head into the wall of the hallway, Muddy reached the door to the living room. Doing her best to block out her friend's feverish wheezing and the slicked splattering of her head's collisions with the wall, she looked inside the living room.

What she found was Match, still passed out in a pool of her own blood. The sight gave Muddy brief pause, and yet she prepared to make a play for her own life.

As Muddy continued to stare at what may very well be the corpse of one of her dearest friends, a wet hand made its home around the side of her neck, nestling into her fur affectionately. "You know what I find quite humourous about that over there, little Muddle?"

Muddy's eyes painfully dragged across the room and up to meet a pair of gentle, beady eyes. "W-What?" she whispered.

Miles smacked his lips and regarded Muddy's feral expression with one of calm and sincerity. "With the colour of its coat, it almost looks like a pony-shaped ice-pop, melting by the fire." Muddy blinked. "Do you think we could get those little splinters out of it with a pair of tweezers?"

With no warning, Muddy dashed away into the kitchen, running as fast as her exhausted legs would take her. Miles simply watched with a chuckle, giving her a decent lead. "Alright," he said, "you are still prey animals after all, I suppose." He opened the hallway's dresser and pulled out a hammer. He lowered his stance and bolted after her like a freight train. His expression had morphed to one of unhinged joy, his pearly-white teeth glinting in the remaining light of the dimming fire from the living room.

Muddy scanned every inch of each and every room she skittered through. To her dismay, all she could find were boarded doors and windows, and thick fabrics lining the walls. The skin of her rump tingled with anxiety as she heard the behemoth stampeding through an adjacent room.

After skidding to a halt in what appeared to be an strangely pristine workshop space, Muddy whipped around to find Miles approaching from behind her. The sheer weight behind his charge and the enormous sound of his thudding feet almost fossilised her bones where she stood.

Thinking on her hooves, she bounded over to the door and whammed it shut. She slammed its bolt lock across and moved over to a workbench on one side of the room. She huddled beneath it, eyes spinning in her head as she searched for any means of escape or defence as she prepared for him to enter the room.

To Muddy's horror, the cacophonous thundering of Miles's approach did not slow. Her shoulders tensed, and she prepared to bank everything on her next move.

She had no time to think, however, as Miles exploded through the door with an earth-shattering crack, sending it soaring across the room where it boomed against the opposite wall before finally coming to rest. He immediately set his sights upon the miniature mare and gave her a raising of the eyebrows. Reaching over to a nearby workbench, Miles grabbed a second hammer.

With a hammer now in each hand, Miles crept towards Muddy with a hunched posture. His immense musculature rippled beneath his now blood-spattered white shirt, its seams screaming in protest.

Once he had come close, but not too close, Muddy bolted out from under the workbench and skimmed the outside edge of the semi-circular room, clamouring over the fallen door with a noisy rumble. Miles roared with gusto and took a swing at her as she passed him. His hammer caught her left flank, almost toppling her with its force compounding on her effort to dodge.

Now back out into the hallway, Muddy found no solution as to where to go next. The front door was covered with the bookshelf once more, and the key was nowhere to be seen. She had checked every single room, and had found no escape. Her leg now bled profusely, most of its feeling gone.

The walls of the hallway appeared to shunt and gradually begin squeezing the space-time between them as her body neared its limit. The effects of shock were closing in, fast.

Miles slowly approached from behind the diminutive mare, now straightened and less aggressive. He stood directly behind Muddy, her shadow being completely consumed by the human's murky darkness. As soon as all seemed lost, she noticed something to her left... A passageway.

Judging from the marks on the wall surrounding it, the bookshelf fallen by the door likely sat here most of the time, covering a door almost indistinguishable from the wall it was built into. With legs barely obeying her commands, Muddy limped over to the supposed door, with Miles casually and silently matching her stride as she went. With a trembling hoof, she pushed it open.

What she was met with was a pitch blackness so deep that it sucked all remaining warmth from her body. Its mysteries both threatened the end and promised the world.

With nowhere else left to go, Muddy stood in the doorway and peered into the endless dark, barely able to remain standing. Her eyes began to roll, threatening to leave her completely defenceless as their lids drooped.

The slope of the ceiling just across the threshold suggested a descent. Perhaps, should she take the step, she would end up in Tartarus and suffer forevermore. Or maybe, just maybe, she would wake up tucked in bed beside her dearest friends - warm, comfortable and loved.

With an exhausted smile, muddy lifted a hoof and made to step down into whatever fate had in store.

After barely registering a force to the back of her neck, she found herself sinking, drifting off into the void below.