Dragon Spirit

     "What? Me? B-but she's a mare! A-and I'm not, and and.. that's not right!" Thunder Lane scrambled backwards, shocked.

     Pinkie pie shrugged. "Think about all the fun things you can do with the two of you?"

     Thunder Lane backed up another pace, trying to get away from the pink menace in front of him. "Just WHAT are you implying?!"

     "You could play all kinds of games and everything, like a long-lasting sleepover party!"

     "Where I come from, that probably does not mean the same thing as it does here!" Midnight almost shrieked.

     "He lives alone, he's only a couple years older than you so you guys would be able to be friends without it being like babysitting, and there's really no reason why not." Pinkie Pie said, shrugging. "Who cares what it means?"

Is she serious? Thunder looked at her broad smile and honest helpfulness in her blue eyes. This crazy feather-brain is really serious! What is she, the pink party matchmaker?

     "I don't think you understand what I'm trying to say." Midnight squeaked, face-hoofing.

     "I think it's a good idea!" Twilight Sparkle chimed in, obviously not understanding the social references. "There's really nothing wrong with it."

Oh, great. The socially awkward purple pony.

     "Oooh, me too!" Rarity added. "I think it's a wonderful idea." Her eyes sparkled like they do when reading a romance novel.

Crap! A sane one agrees.

     Fluttershy had retreated into her house, probably avoiding an awkward situation, and Rainbow Dash was holding back laughter. "I think you should, Thunder Lane. It'd be a nice experience for you."

     He glared at her. That little troll!

     AJ made a moment of eye contact with the cyan Pegasus, then nodded with an amused smile. "I agree."

     "I don't get a say in this, do I?" Midnight echoed Thunder Lane's thoughts in a grumble.

     The six ponies watched him expectantly, their own unique interests in the situation in each of their eyes.

     "Alright, alright. I'll let her live in my house." Thunder muttered, scowling.

     "Then it's settled! Midnight will live at Thunder Lane's house until further notice!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear at her "good deed."

*     *     *

     Thunder Lane plotted down the road with an awe-struck mare trailing behind him, gazing at the buildings around them.

     He stopped on his porch with an exasperated sigh, and opened the door. "There's a couch. There's a TV. Bathroom. Kitchen. My room, and your new room." the Pegasus pointed unenthusiastically at all the rooms and things in his home.

     Midnight Fox inspected each room carefully, dark green eyes wide and alert. "My room?" She echoed, peering past him with a gasp. "A whole room? In the tribe, I had a tiny little hut thing!"

     "Well, this isn't the tribe."

     She shuffled past him and nuzzled the bed. "Wow! It's so soft! And big, it's reeeaally big!" She cantered into the bathroom door, which connected the two bedrooms. At the sight of the shower, she cringed for some reason. Bad shower? came Thunder's amused thought.

     Midnight went back to her bed and pulled the covers back. "Do I sleep under these? Wow!"

     She nuzzled her head under the blankets and climbed into the bed, turning around and popping her head back out. "it's so comfortable.." The mare nuzzled her head into the pillow.

     "It's five o'clock.. a bit early for bed, wouldn't ya think?" Thunder Lane reminded her.

     "Oh, right." Midnight clambered out of the bed and leaned forward, reaching to pull the covers back over the bed. She had to stretch to reach all the way.

     Thunder Lane watched with an amused snort, and his eyes darted toward the clock on the wall. He looked at the mare again, who was sniffing a lamp. "That's a lamp." He said. "Here." Thunder trotted up next to her and pulled the small string of beads, the light flashing on.

     Midnight's eyes widened, and she blinked against the light. "Why do you light a fire in here? Isn't that dangerous?" A wave of realization hit the dark pony's eyes before Thunder could explain.

     "It's not fire, it's--"

     "Electricity, I know. I'm not that primitive, you know; I've heard of electricity. I just.. forgot up to now." She smiled, amused at herself.

     Thunder Lane rubbed a hoof over his neck. "Yeah..."

     She plotted out of the room, toward the living room.

     "It's about time for dinner, I can make some if you're hungry."

     "No, thanks." Midnight replied. "I can make my own dinner. I lived by myself, remember? Do you think other ponies came to my house every night to make me supper?"

     Thunder Lane followed her. "Oh, right."

     "Do you want some, too?"

     "Sure." He shrugged. "Everything's in the kit... chen..."

     Midnight Fox had gone out the door and was picking plants from his yard. "Are you planning on eating lawn grass?"

     "No, there are herbs out here." She picked a small purple plant. "Here's lavender. I can use this in our food."

     "But there's a ton of stuff to cook with in the kitchen."

     As Midnight bent over her neck to pick another hard-to-spot stalk of herbs, her mane fell forward into her face.

     The sweet smell of what she had in her mouth drifted into Thunder Lane's nostrils as she straightened up and looked at him.

     "I see you know what you're doing, but just take a look in the kitchen."

     "Alright, alright." She muttered, gathering her bundle of plants and plotting into the house again.

     Thunder Lane followed her until the couch, and plopped down, taking the remote in a wing and clicking rhythmically in search of what to watch.

*     *     *

     Thunder twitched his nose as a sweet aroma drifted past. He opened his eyes from his apparent doze after a minute of savoring the smell to see Midnight sitting in front of him with a bowl in her hooves.

     "Here, I finished." she murmured, as if conscious of his drowsiness.

     He sat up and stretched. "Thanks, Midnight.." he muttered groggily, suddenly aware of his growling belly. He took it in his hoof and looked at it. There were plants and herbs floating in a thick, caramel-golden, sweet-smelling broth. Chunks of other things he couldn't guess were bobbing in the bowl, and it all just looked delicious. "Wow.." Thunder Lane murmured. "What's in this?"

     "Daffodils, chrysanthemum, herbs like lavender, apple slices, dragon fruit, purple yam, a mixture of herbal tea and a few other things for a thick sweet broth, um... " Midnight listed off the ingredients, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling.

     "Where'd you learn to make this?" Thunder Lane was thoroughly astonished.

     She shrugged. "I developed it with trial and error for .. as long as I can remember." Midnight looked back at him. "Would you stop staring at it and eat the stuff?"

     "A-alright.." He tipped his head back and the hot, thick broth rolled sweetly over his tongue, warming his throat as he swallowed the sweet substance. He set the bowl down and smiled. "It's awesome! You could be Celestia's personal cook."

     A pink twinged Midnight's cheeks. "I wouldn't go that far.."

     "You should eat too, shouldn't you?"

     "I guess."

*     *     *

     With a full belly and an empty cooking pot, Thunder Lane put the dishes in the sink. "Ok, we should go to bed now." He said, a stuffed Midnight cleaning the pot next to him.

     "Ok." She said cheerily. This was probably the first meal she had in three days. Earlier, she'd eaten five apples when she first arrived, but that wasn't necessarily a meal.

     Thunder Lane plotted to his bedroom and slid into his bed. He let sleep drag at his eyes until he slumbered soundly in its warmth.