My Life on a Cassette Tape

"So you finally popped the question, huh?" I said with a wide smile, leaning back as I crossed my arms. "The stallion went and did it. What's the parents' opinion?"

"My parents were actually disappointed when I first told them we broke up." Thyme said, looking over to Double. "Later when I told them we made up, they were happy we had worked out our differences. The proposal was... well, they were certainly pleased. They've always liked Double."

"And mine are concerned as always that I might be going a tad fast. Most ponies wait until they're in their twenties. I mean sure, I'm about to hit twenty, but most of the time we're talking twenty-five if not later."

"How the heck did you afford the ring... if you mind me asking." I stumbled a tad. Money was a sensitive topic, I realized, and not exactly what ponies wanted to hear when they just got engaged. "Did your parents chip in or something?"

"No, actually I was saving up for one for a while now. I had an understanding with Thyme's father that I wanted to marry her since... well, I think I first talked to him when I was sixteen now that I think about it." I chuckled at that, Double Time was certainly living up to his name, that was for sure. "At the time, of course, he took it about as seriously as you would take any expression of interest from a sixteen year old. We weren't even dating officially, we were just friends, but I felt confident then that Thyme here was the mare for me and I was the stallion for her. We actually started dating about two weeks after that, which might've helped move him towards changing his opinion of me. I think his disposition towards how serious I was completely changed when I reiterated my interest a year later - I might have also helped matters with the fact that I was able to prove that we weren't in it for the sex since we had both abstained. We both made sure to always have a third pony with us to keep us honest."

"Wait... really?" I looked at the two ponies. "You two of all ponies haven't done it yet? The two ponies who have their entire lives planned out with plans for children and everything? Are you just saying that you haven't done it with each other, or are you totally, like... untouched?" Thyme blushed. "No judgement... well maybe a little to be fair. Most ponies in my grade have at least one or two fuck buddies, if not more."

"We both got our V cards... though we have masturbated of course, just... not with each other." Double said at a substantially lower volume. "I wanted to make my first time with a mare special, make it the mare I wanted to be with the rest of my life."

"And... well, it's hard to find anything but wallflowers and actual flowers in the gardening club. Not to mention most guys felt less than enthused at the prospect of dating a student who never dipped below an A minus. Most guys in our school wanted to get with mares who were either the same level or lower so that they could brag about how smart they were on occasion and not have their mare show them up with their report card." Thyme said, awkwardly twisting a loose strand of hair as she talked.

"Well... uh... good for you two?" I wasn't sure how I should feel for them on that score, but they seemed happy. Happy. It was infectious. Not a few minutes prior I had been morose, consumed in my hatred against the heap of flesh in my basement, but now... now I was happy. I considered this for a second, and leaned into a hand I hadn't noticed being placed on my shoulder, knowing it was Raven's.

"So, I see you've found somepony special too." Double said, nodding at the mare. I looked up at her and smiled, giving a nod.

"Yup, pretty darn special." I looked at the empty chair at the table. "Want to take a seat?" Raven smiled and shook her head.

"I would love to, but I came by to tell you that Twilight needs you pronto. The news she had to relay just got increased from a five page summary to a doctoral thesis, and I feel it's only going to get worse for us. She was going to send a text, but knowing you were with family, it only felt right to tell you in person, but she was needed for... other things." She looked over at the two other ponies. "Sorry, a lot has been happening recently; I don't want to pull you all apart so soon after getting together, but... well..."

"We could tag along." Double offered, looking over to Thyme with a questioning glance. "I mean, we bought one way tickets to here, so really we can stay as long as we like." Turning back to look at me with a gaze that wasn't pleading, but certainly was asking very nicely, Double added, "If that's alright with you, of course. It sounds important and we wouldn't want to intrude." I didn't want to get these two tangled up in this situation. I much preferred the thought of fighting a shadow war that no pony was aware of, not even - or honestly, especially - my family.

"Well, they were wanting to meet you at our place, so the space is less... well it isn't the same level of grungy it would be otherwise." Raven added. "Me and the others could entertain them while you talked with Twilight." That... actually sounded like a decent idea; and then the thought of putting these two up in the big house struck me. It was the only rational thing to do considering the circumstances. It wasn't like there were hotels in the country town of Ponyville.

"You know what," I began, turning back to Double, "sure, come on along. Plus, I'll put you two love birds up in my place. We got plenty of space to go around." 'And I have a recorder that would be able to smooth over any rough patches that might pop up as a result of the way I live.' I thought to myself. The two looked more than pleased at the thought of being able to stay with me. "Plus, this business with Twilight will hopefully be short so that we can get back to talking." Turning towards Raven I asked, "When were they going to be back at the house?"

"Well, they started walking towards it at the same time I started walking over here. I'd say they are either there or nearly there if nothing has come up."

"That does bring up a question, how did you know I was going to be here? Did you just piece it together or guess?" Raven smirked, holding up two fingers.

"One, Twilight took your text about Pinkie running Sugar Cube as you telling her that was where you'd be. Two, Pinkie... well... I'm just starting to get used to it but apparently she's got a... a sense? Anyway, she said you'd be out here, even gave me directions to the table instead of the shop." I cast a few quick, surreptitious glances around to check to see if there might've been any cameras, but Ponyville seemed as low tech as ever.

"Alright... that certainly isn't creepy." I said, slowly standing up. "If you two are ready, the sooner we get this out of the way, the sooner we can get back to hanging out."

"And the sooner we can discuss some other important details of the coming days." Double nodded. I had a sense what that meant for him, with the eventual wedding and all, but I couldn't help notice it also applied for how my life was going. Life was getting complicated, unapologetically so.

The walk to the house was uneventful. I was relieved to see that Twilight had removed the charms on the house, letting it show for what it was: the bigger and nicer than normal house of a pony who had her share of misfortune. 'Misfortune,' I thought, 'that I can fix.' How true that was wasn't clear, but I wasn't about to make the mistake of not trying it like I had with Starlight... I'd just have to do that later on, now wasn't the time. Double and Thyme had just about the reaction I had expected to the house.

"How in the HAY did you afford this place!?" Double cried as soon as he realized we weren't turning off towards any of the other more modestly sized homes. "Are you a secret drug lord or something?"

"No, it actually... well, I'll explain once we get inside. It might help you out to have the ponies present." I said with a pleased smile that faded slightly as a thought struck me. "Uh... Raven, could you go on ahead and make sure the place is in order... as well as the ponies inside." I didn't think that Berry would be as audacious as to start an orgy in the house while they waited for me, but I also didn't think she had enough self control to NOT do exactly that.

"Right, see you there." Raven said with a nod, likely catching my drift. I certainly hoped she wasn't on Berry's side of any perversion the massively perverted pony went through with.

"Oh, so you got house mates? Makes sense, probably how you landed such a nice place." Double commented. "Still, one of those ponies is going to have to be stacked, and I know it ain't you, otherwise you are a drug lord."

"Well, things'll be a tad clearer when we get inside... hopefully. I got a nagging fear somepony is gonna try and muddy the waters somehow." I muttered. Closing the gap, I opened the front door, offering them entry, only to notice them looking over Periwinkle's Arcano-Wagon.

"A flippin Series L Wheel Turner Arcano-Wagon with dual mythril driving core. Yeah, somepony is loaded." Thyme said to Double, looking over the technology in open admiration, surprising me with her offhand knowledge of the vehicle.

"That would be my aunt." Periwinkle said, coming out form the door I held open. "She was big on technology and had a lot of bits to throw at things." Periwinkle ran a hand along the door of the driver side seating area. "When she passed she left it to me, along with a few other less impressive, but still sentimental, things."

"Wow... oh, uh, I'm Crescendo's cousin, Double Time. Nice to meet you!" Double said, extending his hand for a shake.

"Spring Periwinkle, a pleasure." She smiled, looking over to Thyme.

"I'm Spring Thyme, Double's fiancée." She said, extending her own hand.

"Congratulations!" Periwinkle said, as she and the other mare began gushing over the ring, which, was quite nice. Something Periwinkle missed and that I didn't was the look Double gave her. I knew it well: the look of a pony who isn't sure if they know somepony. I smirked at the memory of us in the little store where this all started. Things certainly had changed since then.

"Why don't we move this inside?" I asked, still holding the door. "You all can talk while I square away whatever business I have with Twilight." The ponies seemed to find this agreeable as they moved into the house, the two Springs going back and forth, already fast friends. Raven was the last one at the door.

"Fair warning, Cress, Twilight is in the basement with the Doctor and a certain griffon." She confided in a whisper. "She isn't exactly pleased, and to be honest, neither am I. I don't like this thing you're doing with Gunther, and that's coming from me. I hate him for all the same reasons as you." That struck a nerve in me. My vision blurred slightly as pure rage flowed briefly through me, but I was able to calm myself down. "Be careful, Cress." She said in a calm tone. "I love you enough to tell you this: what you're doing with him needs to stop or change severely. I don't want you to be what he and Brass once were. I might've advocated for dulling out punishments, but this goes a tad beyond that."

"I'll keep that in mind." I said simply.

"I hope you do more than that, Cress. I don't want this hatred of the griffon downstairs to be the wedge that drives us apart. I want to be with you for a long time, so please, do what's right." She pleaded.

"I'll keep it in mind." I reiterated. Raven seemed so sad at that pronouncement, but my burden was set firmly on my shoulders, and I wasn't about to shirk it because it left a bad taste with some ponies. She sighed and walked in the house. I stayed outside for a moment and looked out over Ponyville, my hand back in my pocket as I swirled a finger around the circle indentation of the record button. My problems were a button press away from being gone. How long until I pressed them into oblivion?

I shook my head. What was that thought? That was nothing like me! When had my thoughts gotten so... dark? I cast my eyes down, looking at the free hand. It was my hand, still blue as the day I was born, but somehow it seemed... off. I was changing as much as the times were changing it seemed. How much of my cousin's 'Cresh' would be left when it was all said and done? How much longer until I was only connected to that pony by physical form? How much longer until Cresh died? I clenched my fist. I wouldn't go peacefully, that was for damned sure. I'd hold on to what made me me. But... how much was left now?

Looking back towards Ponyville, the small bustling town of ponies unaware of the shadowy Empire that loomed over their lives still. I'd protect them all, I resolved, and no pony would keep me from that purpose, not even myself. I'd find this Emperor and put an end to it all, and then... then I'd rest.