Anonymous woke up at 6:00 am and made his way to the kitchen. The man, much to the annoyance of his family, always woke up early. Bat pones never were fans of the morning, for obvious reasons. But Anonymous didn’t care; he loved being consistent in his sleep schedule as much as possible. It was also an excellent opportunity to get ready for the day without everypony else getting in his way.

He always took his morning vitamins, protein shake, and green vegetable powder mix to keep his body well-regulated. Diet and fitness were a priority for the man as he cranked out his morning sit-up and push-up routine. After quickly knocking his sets out, the man prepared breakfast for himself and his wife.

A simple bowl of oatmeal mixed with butter and brown sugar, with a variety of chopped fruit, a cup of coffee, and a cup of whole milk. It was a well-balanced breakfast for any bat pony or human, though Anonymous wished he could have bacon and sausage now and then.

”I should have made a southwest-style skillet. Damn, I miss Denny’s!”

The man took the tray of food to his wife, who peacefully lay in bed still. The scent of oatmeal and coffee stirred her sense of smell and woke her. Sweet Shade wiped her eyes, adjusted her vision, and noticed her husband holding a breakfast tray. Despite having been married and around bat ponies for a long time, Anonymous still found it interesting how bat pony eyes worked. It was not unlike a cat’s eye, and his wife’s green eyes made it all the merrier. He also loved Sweet Shade’s mane style, making her stand out amongst the other bat pony mares.

Most other bat pony mares had a dark blue or black colored mane and tail, along with yellow eyes. Their fur coats were usually gray, but Sweet Shade had an attractive soft violet coat. It reminded him of the violet-colored night skies that Equestria had from time to time. Her blonde mane in a blunt bob style just happened to be his favorite type that a lady could have. He also thought it was adorable his eldest daughter took after her mane style. However, she had decided to grow it a little longer than most other fillies her age. All of his foals had blonde manes and tails.

Anonymous had at least expected that one of them would have a black mane and tail similar to his hair. However, her genetics won out in that department. Everypony had green eyes, the same color as his and her eyes. He was also surprised none of them came out as human. The crossbreeding potion was very expensive and usually required a doctor’s visit to discuss potential health issues for the foals. It took a while, but it eventually worked as advertised. The Doctor explained that while it was rare for different species to have foals, the offspring usually came out as whatever species the mother was.

If the mother was a pony, the foal usually came out as a pony but with characteristics borrowed from the father species. Although very rare, the offspring came out as a hybrid. The Hippogriff race was a prominent example of such. The Doctor also said that the chances of the foal having the father species’ body was about 30 percent. Anonymous was disappointed he didn’t have a child of at least one human body, but it didn’t matter in the long run. Those foals were his, and nothing would ever change that.

He was eternally grateful she birthed all of them for him, and he made it his mission to give her the best in life. She avoided a cesarian section with all her foals, reasoning that she didn’t want a scar making her ugly for him. Sweet Shade believed stretch marks were the least bad option, despite natural birth being more painful.

Anonymous would never have perceived a scar would ruin her beauty, but she didn’t change her mind. As Anonymous rose on the company ladder, they could afford the latest anti-baby stretch mark treatment that was all the rage. It was expensive, but Anonymous wanted the best for his wife. The remedy worked, and nopony could tell that she had foals. It was well worth the ten thousand bits spent, and he enjoyed the benefits in bed with her.

”She deserves the best, and the best sometimes comes as simple things, like breakfast!”

None of their foals had any health issues, and Anonymous was grateful magic provided the chance for him to have offspring. The potion cost him a thousand bits per bottle, and he had to save up money every time. He considered himself lucky; the potions ran an average of three thousand bits per bottle due to the complexity and rare ingredients required. He was grateful the potion didn’t cost as much due to his friend Eclipse Cover sourcing it for him. Eclipse Cover ran a private ingredient business and seemed to do well for himself.

This was especially helpful since Anonymous’s pay was mediocre when Sweet Shade tried to conceive with him. They also had to buy extra fertility boosters to ensure their chances remained high. They were also sourced from Eclipse Cover at a better price. Before coming to Equestria, Anonymous had his sperm count checked, and the doctors on earth told him he had a very high count. He thought the extra fertility supplements were unnecessary but having foals was a serious business. Both he and Sweet Shade wanted them badly, and she made it clear she wanted to carry his foals and not adopt.

Anonymous smiled, knowing his swimmers and her eggs made excellent foals that every parent would be proud of. He greeted his wife as she sat up in bed.

“Good morning, babe. I made you breakfast.”

Sweet Shade frowned a second before smiling at Anonymous. The man didn’t understand why his wife had been acting strange recently, but he brushed the concern off. Her smile returned as she said, “Wow! Thank you, honey! It looks delicious! You even sprinkled the brown sugar like they do in restaurants!”

Anonymous grinned at the compliment and was satisfied his efforts at the small details were appreciated. He had recently taken up some cooking classes on his ever-increasing days off and flexible work schedule. He was considered to be amongst the elite of the company employees, and being elite came with special privileges. Anonymous chose to use some of that free time to improve himself, and taking cooking classes was a good way.

Anonymous set the breakfast down on the bed and kissed her. The mare blushed as he winked and said, “You’re welcome, babe. I’m going to shower and get dressed so we can pick up our foals from your parents.” The man took off his underwear and set it in the hamper in the corner of the room. The man turned around and noticed she was looking at his “plot.”

”I’m still laughing my ass off at pony’s words. Oh well, when in Rome and all that shit.”

Anonymous smacked his fit and gorgeous glutes before winking and saying, “Enjoy the view, honey. You married this delicious man plot.”

Anonymous grinned as he walked away and made his way into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and shaved before starting the water in their new luxury glass shower. As Anonymous began to wash, he heard the door open and noticed his wife joining him.

The mare smiled as she said, “Got room for one more?”

Anonymous grinned and nodded before moving out of the shower and letting his wife get soaked. Her mane and tail were wet, making Anonymous erect. His wife knew the thought the wet mane look was sexy, and she seductively winked at him. Without warning, her tail was lifted from her private parts. She exposed herself to Anonymous and used one of her front hooves to move a plot cheek. She spread herself and invited Anonymous by saying, “You’re not the only one with a nice plot. I know you LOVE this juicy plot and my hot threstral pussy. Now stick that thick human stallion meat stick of yours in me...NOW. Use your wife like the good little servant she is.”

If Anonymous wasn’t fully erect, he was now. He grabbed his cock and used his hand to grab one of her plot cheeks. She moaned, feeling his fingers holding her as he carefully aimed it toward her.

He grinned and said, “I’m going to wreck you. Enjoy it, obedient slave wife!”

Their happily married but lustful encounter lasted an unexpected hour. The mess they made took longer to clean than expected.

After cleaning up the dishes and finishing breakfast, Anonymous and Sweet Shade made their way outside their apartment again. Since it officially fell, the temperature outside was colder than expected. Anonymous and Sweet Shade completely forgot to read the local Manehatten newspaper they were subscribed to. The section in the back usually covered the planned weather from Cloudsdale, along with the expected temperatures.

Anonymous and Sweet Shade had to return to their apartment to gather their fall clothing. Since it was the weekend, Anonymous elected to wear his fall cargo pants in dark grey solid color. He elected to wear a simple dark green hoodie and wore thin black gloves to cover his fingers from the cold air.

Sweet Shade wore her black saddle, her black scarf, and her black ushanka-looking fur cap. In addition, she wore expensive fur boots covering her hooves. Anonymous, many years ago, would have scoffed at the idea of purchasing such costly things, but he was now officially upper class. The man loved succeeding and never ceasing to strive for his purpose.

He could only hope to be an excellent example for his foals and wanted neither of them to settle or aim low in life. The walk to the tram station wasn’t long, and they paid for the more excellent and safer car. Anonymous had paid a yearly pass for the higher-end tram rides and initially didn’t want to. His wife insisted it was worth paying for more marvelous things when they could afford them.

Anonymous eventually caved in, and he had to admit that nice things were nice when they could get them. The tram car was not only cleaner, but it was quieter and safer. It made not having to drive a car a pleasant experience, and Sweet Shade was amazed when Anonymous told her how humans traveled back on earth. His foals, most notably his son, thought Anonymous came from a futuristic world full of wonders and marvels galore. Anonymous laughed and said the charm would wear out if he experienced the day-to-day life on earth, but his son would have none of it.

Anonymous drew as many sketches as he could for his son, Moon Flash, who always showed them off at school. His son was in many ways like him when Anonymous was a boy. He took liked cars, trucks, trains, and planes as well. Except for trains, none of those existed in Equestria. Anonymous had seen one or two very primitive propeller planes, but they were rare. Most aircraft were balloon ships, all fantasy-like in appearance. His son believed human transportation devices were superior to Equestrian-made ones.

In addition to his interests, video games were now becoming a thing in Equestria; however, they were SNES quality at best. Most video games were found in arcades, some of which were similar to earth games. They reminded him of being a kid again whenever he took his foals to the arcade. Anonymous couldn’t have asked for a better son, who also had a funny sense of humor. His grades were good enough, though he could improve a little in some areas.

”Their video games will get better over time. I’m still upset there’s no PC master race, though. I need to get Moon Flash into RPGs, though. He will miss out if I don’t steer him into the good stuff.”

Sweet Shade laid her head upon Anonymous’s lap as she ran his fingers through her clean mane. The sound of the tram was gentle, providing a nice white noise in their private room. Anonymous could only wonder how his daughters were doing right now. His middle child was probably the most excellent, sweetest little filly, or girl, for that matter, he had ever known. His youngest daughter, Eventide, always ran to her daddy, happiest as she could be whenever he came home.

She always liked to collect flowers whenever possible and was into the typical filly stuff. She also never asked for much, only a new mane ribbon or flowers here and there. All were cheap, even if Anonymous could afford much more. Her school grades were fantastic, earning all straight As, and well behaved in class with a good set of friends.

She also liked to make everypony smile whenever possible, and her mother called her the “brightest little moon of the night.” Anonymous had to agree; she was a warm, bright moon wherever she went. Anonymous and Sweet Shade would have to give her the talk seeing how she was about to hit puberty soon. He dreaded that talk, but Sweet Shade would be there to help him. Anonymous also wanted to clarify that she needed to be careful around colts and not trust everypony in Equestria.

This also brought his thoughts to their eldest foal and daughter, Glisten Sheen. She had been not too dissimilar from Eventide, but in recent years she had changed. She started embracing the pony equivalent of the “goth” style. His sister on earth did the same thing, forcing him to take her to Hot Topic. Anonymous hated it and wished he could burn down every store, but his sister had very hot friends. She knew this and dangled hooking him up, provided he drove her around town. Anonymous begrudgingly agreed, but he did get some ass from her friends for his troubles.

His daughter embraced not only the look but the attitude as well. It was an annoying parallel trend; she had claimed to be in “pain” but never elaborated. The man could only guess it was her expressing himself. Still, it got annoying as she came off as ungrateful for the lifestyle he provided.

The “woe is me!” and the “my heart aches” started driving him up the wall, but his wife stopped it from getting out of hand. Her grades were also mediocre, which annoyed the Tartarus out of him. Her cutie mark was a beaker with a green liquid representing her special talent in chemistry. Her talent had enormous career potential, and Anonymous wanted her to pursue it after high school.

With how Anonymous produced new and innovative ideas, it was only a matter of time before non-magical solutions became more viable. Earth’s knowledge of chemicals and their applications quite frankly blew Equestria’s knowledge out of the water, sans the field of Apothecary. If she genuinely used her special talent, she could provide for herself, pursue other hobbies, and have plenty of money to provide for a future family. He knew that, eventually, she would want one, seeing how she wanted to be like her mother.

”I need to discuss her long-term goals and desires. This pseudo pity party has gone on long enough.”

Anonymous and Sweet Shade enjoyed the view of the tram as it moved through the city with the most scenic route. Anonymous laughed when he learned that Manhattan existed after meeting Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. It caused great confusion among the Princesses, and he felt like a jerk, but he explained how a similar city was back on earth. The Princesses rolled their eyes but accepted his explanation nonetheless. When he was discovered, Guards brought him before the Princesses upon realizing he was a human. Not since the days of Megan the Great had Equestria seen a human.

The Princesses clarified that he was not in trouble and apologized for any bad impressions the Guards had made. They instead wanted to help any human who had wandered into their lands once again. Ponykind owed its existence to humans long ago and was never forgotten. Because of this, Anonymous felt grateful for the Princesses assisting him in integrating into Equestria.

Manehatten was his speed, and he didn’t regret choosing it, even if it was a comical equine version of Manhatten. The Statue of Marica made Anonymous facepalm when he first saw it. He practically groaned in annoyance and called it a “Shameless Rip-off” when he first saw it.

Just as the tram passed a building, Anonymous saw the statue in the distance. What was once an annoyance was now a slice of his new home, making him smile every time he saw it. He still remembered when the family visited the park and got the picture taken. Eclipse Cover, for some reason, just happened to be there, but Anonymous felt it wasn’t a big deal to let him join the photo. The day was a good memory, and he needed to cherish it.

The tram stopped at their destination, and a short walk later, they made it to her parent’s apartment complex. The place wasn’t a bad spot; it was better than their old apartment in what could be considered a “middle-class” area. The area was relatively clean and safe, making it a decent area for an older married couple. They made their way to the top floor via the elevator and walked to the end of the hall. The man and his mare could hear laughter on the other side of the door, making the couple smile at each other. Anonymous knocked on the door, which his mother-in-law opened.

The bat pony mare was around her late 50s, not really old but just around the corner of the senior citizen range. She, too, had a soft violet coat like Sweet Shade, a common trait amongst the female lineage. Her mane was also blonde but was more or less fading into a soft white, with her mane held in a nurse’s bun.

The older matriarch mare had just retired from nursing and was happy to spend time with her grand foals for the rest of her life. Her eyes were also green and had a syringe for a cutie mark. His mother-in-law, Sundown Soft, always was friendly to him and welcoming. She was delighted Anonymous provided him with foals and was generally open-minded. She welcomed them,

“Anonymous! Welcome back! I hope things have been good for you!”.

The mare gave Anonymous a warm hug before turning to her daughter.

“Awww! My little sweety!”

The mare hugged her daughter, making Sweet Shade smile.

“Hi, mom! I’m here to get my foals.”

The mare let go and made a playful pout.

“Aww! Already? Just let me have them another day.”

Sweet Shade shook her head but smiled again, “Sorry, mom, it’s my turn to get them back. I promised my daughters to take them to the movies today.”

Anonymous groaned since he knew what movie they were going to watch. It was another run of the mil bat pony romantic comedy, a dull and predictable film. Anonymous had no doubt it was one of those movies with terrible writing, with the only saving grace of having attractive actors and actresses. Moon Flash had the same opinion and had asked his dad to take him to the arcade. Anonymous was happy to oblige as he wanted to play games too.

”My son and I will have REAL fun. Not that lame estrogen snooze fest.”

Sweet Shade was annoyed at her husband and lightly punched him.

“Oh, stop it! Our movies are great. It’s not our fault you have bad taste.”

Anonymous rolled his eyes before replying, “Nah, Moon flash and I prefer real fun. You ladies can watch that movie...What was it called again?”

“Afterlight. A romantic movie about a forbidden love between two thestrals, with funny situations along the way.”

”Called it.”

“Sounds like a cookie-cutter crap film. Moon Flash and I will have real fun, the right way, at Planet Arcade.”

Sweet Shade stuck her tongue out and said, “Of course, you two will. Typical colts, only interested in points and winning.”

Before Anonymous could reply, Sundown Soft motioned them inside. The man let his wife go first, closing the door behind him. He noticed his father-in-law having a flower crown planted on his head. The older thestral was not amused but went along to make his granddaughter happy. Eventide giggled as she sat it on his head and said, “See, pappy? You’re the King! Hooray!”

“Woohoo!” said the elder thestral in an unamused tone.

Moon Flash laughed while Glisten Sheen rolled her eyes and sat in a corner reading a teenage filly magazine. He could tell it was of the goth variety and mentally rolled his eyes. Anonymous then turned his attention back to the youngest daughter and said, “What about me? Am I not the King and you the Princess?”

Eventide turned around and shouted, “Daddy!” before running immediately over to Anonymous. The filly hugged him and said, “I missed you, daddy!”

The man knelt and picked her up, hugging her with love.

“I missed you too, my little lunar princess.”

Anonymous received a nuzzle from Eventide, which he returned. After setting his daughter down, Sweet Shade also gave her a nuzzle before turning her attention to Moon Flash. The colt took notice of his parents and waved hello to his dad, trying his best to ignore his mother. It didn’t work as his mother pointed a hoof to the spot before him and commanded him to come to her with a slight glare. The colt groaned before walking over and receiving a kiss on his cheek with a nuzzle. He blushed in embarrassment as his Eventide giggled at him, making Moon Flash stick his tongue out in retaliation.

“Knock it off, you two!” commanded Sweet Shade. “Be nice to each other, or neither of you will get to go out today.”

The brother and sister nodded as Sundown Soft turned her attention to Glisten Sheen. The elder mare asked, “Well, Ms. Sheen, are you not going to greet your parents?”

The teenage filly set the magazine down and huffed before saying, “Hey.”

Sweet Shade and Anonymous hated indifferent greetings. Sundown Soft then commanded, “Glisten Sheen! You will show your parents respect this instant! I did not tolerate this kind of behavior from your mother when she was a filly, and I’ll not tolerate such behavior from you! Come over and give your parents the respect and love they deserve!”

Glisten Sheen’s eyes widened as she immediately walked over when ordered. The matriarch mare was kind and gentle, but the punishment was not light when she was crossed. Glisten Sheen knew the older mare had no scruples to hoof out a nasty flank spanking. The teenage filly refused to be embarrassed before her family in such a way.

Most thestral families had no issue with corporal punishment compared to the other pony races. It had been a long time since punishment of this type was hooved out in their family. However, Sundown Soft reminded her grand foals the option was still on the table if they misbehaved. Glisten Sheen went over to her mother and nuzzled her, who returned it with love.

To anonymous, it seemed as if his oldest daughter did not want to nuzzle her mother. Anonymous figured it was just the typical teenage phase, though her goth style did her no favors. The teenage filly then turned to her dad, embarrassed at what would happen next.

“H-hey, dad. Do we have to”

She didn’t get to finish as Anonymous effortlessly picked up his eldest daughter and hugged her. His muscular upper body strength made it easy to lift her, and her efforts to squirm out of his grasp were in vain. The man kissed her cheeks and nuzzled her, making her blush. The younger foals were holding in laughter, doing their best to behave at the comical sight. Glisten Sheen then said, “Okay, dad! I get it! I love you too.”

The teenage filly nuzzled him back and was set down when Anonymous was satisfied. After Glisten Sheen adjusted her disheveled mane, Anonymous turned his attention to his father-in-law. Despite giving him three grand foals and providing the best for them and his daughter, the older stallion never got along with him.

Anonymous was curious whether it was because he was not a bat pony or their personalities differed too much. The stallion was a retired infrastructure safety inspector for the City of Manehatten with having served in the Lunar Royal Guard before that. Anonymous hoped their shared knowledge of buildings and construction would build a bond or common respect.

But that was not the case, as Stalwart Stealth never warmed up to him. The stallion wasn’t hostile, nor did he disrespect the man, but their conversations were neutral and basic. He always felt his eyes scrutinizing him, which annoyed the man.

”I need to talk to him someday; I’ve more than earned this stallion’s respect.”

“Stalwart Stealth, I take it they behaved well?”

With his typical thestral yellow eyes, the stallion locked onto the man and slightly narrowed his eyes at him. He merely responded, “They did. My wife and I had a good time. It would be nice if they came over more often, you know...”

”Is that what he’s pissed off about? It’s only been one month since they’ve been here last time. My in-laws aren’t that old, for crying out loud. They could always come over to our house. I might as well tell them they’ll get their wish.”

Anonymous nodded before replying, “I gotcha. And to tell you the truth, you’ll get your wish soon. Sweet Shade and I have a party tomorrow night. Our foals will need to stay with you and Sundown.”

The elder thestrals both smiled, hearing the news. Stalwart Stealth asked, “Of course, we’d love for them to stay the night again. But may I ask what’s the party about? It isn’t this often we get to see our grand foals again so soon.”

Anonymous was eager to brag to the stallion and hoped to show off as a high-value son-in-law. Anonymous smirked before saying, “Well, it’s because the company secured a very high-priced deal. We’re talking about hundreds of millions of Bits, and the company is celebrating. And to top that off, I got a raise of 250,000 Bits added to my salary of 200,000 Bits.”

Moon Flash and Eventide jumped up and down and cheered.

“Good job, daddy! You’re amazing!” beamed Eventide.

Moon Flash smashed his hooves and made a loud hoof clap. He then cheered, “Cool! Yes! Hoo-yeah! My dad is making it rain! So full of win!”

Even Glisten Sheen genuinely smiled at her dad, and it warmed him to know his oldest was happy about his success. Her smiles were almost a rarity these days, and Anonymous would take them whenever he could get them. The senior stallion stared at Anonymous and made neither a comment nor changed his poker face. Sundown Soft then cheered, “Wow! That’s so wonderful, Anonymous! I’m thrilled to hear you’re doing well in your career. I’ll bet my daughter is very proud of you.”

Sweet Shade rubbed up against Anonymous and said, “You got that right, mother! I’m so proud of my stallion! But that’s not even the best part. Go on, honey, tell them the rest.”

Stalwart Stealth turned his attention back to Anonymous and asked, “And? What else is there?”

Anonymous grinned as he said, “A bonus of 500,000 Bits.”

The room went silent as everypony went quiet as the man said, “Not a joke. A year’s salary added today, and it should have dropped in the bank an hour ago.”

The room cheered in celebration; even Glisten Sheen jumped in celebration before hoof stomping in applause for her dad. Stalwart Stealth’s jaw dropped, and Anonymous was finally happy to surprise his father-in-law. After the room settled down, the stallion got out of his couch and walked over to Anonymous. He held a hoof and said, “Well, good work Anonymous. I’m glad you’re a success; it’s good to know my daughter and grand foals are being given nothing but the best.”

”FINALLY! I finally got this guy’s respect.”

The man took the stallion’s hoof and shook it. An exchange of respect had finally happened between the two, and the man felt like another achievement was made. Anonymous said, “And your daughter and grand foals won’t receive anything but less than the best.”

Stalwart Stealth then nodded before returning to his couch to sit down. Moon Flash asked, “Does this mean I can get a new game?”

”Ooh, maybe I should have told them that when the foals weren’t around. Oh well.”

“Get your grades up, and we’ll see about it.”

Instead of whining, his son agreed and said, “Sure thing, dad! I’ll work hard for it.”

Anonymous held out a closed fist for his son to hoof bump, which he eagerly did. Sweet Shade told her foals, “Okay, now I want all of you to grab your cold weather saddles, scarves, and hats. It’s cold outside today.”

The foals did as they were told, and Sundown Soft gave each of her grand foals a hug before they left. Anonymous waved goodbye before saying, “We’ll drop them off tomorrow afternoon. See you two tomorrow!”

Sundown Soft waved goodbye while Stalwart Stealth gave the nod.

As the foals ran ahead to the elevator, Anonymous told his wife, “That went well. I finally got your dad’s respect.”

Sweet Shade kept her eyes focused on her foals as they reached the elevator. Moon Flash kept mashing the button while Glisten Sheen told him to knock it off. His wife replied, “You know my father doesn’t hate you because you’re a human, right?”

Anonymous snapped his fingers at Moon Flash after he ignored Glisten Sheen’s order, and his antics stopped. The oldest foal was about to turn 16 and only had a short time until her high school graduation. She was expected to watch over her siblings whenever their parents weren’t around. For the most part, she did a good job, even though it annoyed her being the one in charge. Anonymous hoped spending time at the arcade would expend his son’s plentiful energy.

Anonymous asked, “Then why does he always make the bare minimum conversations with me? He’s always watching and looking at me like I don’t belong with you. You’d think after 15 years and 3 healthy foals, he’d have passed the “What are you doing with my daughter?!” phase.”

Sweet Shade shook her head before saying, “He just wants his daughter to be happy. I’m sure you’d never stop asking for the best in Eventide and Glisten Sheen.”

Anonymous replied, “And our son as well. I see your point, but it’s just annoying as Tartarus.”

”You know you’ve been here long enough when you use pony words too damn much.”

Sweet Shade and Anonymous finally caught up with their foals and made their way down to the lobby. The tram ride was nice as the calming white noise of the private car tempered the energy of their foals. About 25 minutes later, the tram arrived at the Manehatten Recreation Complex. Anonymous thought the ponies could have just called it a “Mall” and been done with. Nevertheless, it had many things one would expect in a North American mall. The Planet Arcade and the Manehatten Mega Cinema were inside, making it easy for the family to split and go to their planned activities.

The foals didn’t stray far from their parents, who followed close behind. Many families, couples, singles, and workers were moving about in the Mall. Anonymous did have to admit when it came to malls, the ponies ignored the efficient symmetrical, square-shaped buildings that most were on earth. To Anonymous, the complex was almost like an entertainment park in its own right.

The Equestrians usually went out of their way to give off that fantasy appearance and to make their buildings pleasing to the eyes as much as possible. The walls were adorned with various Equestrian-inspired art, with enchanted glowing lights and a pleasant perfume scent that Anonymous was sure the ponies put in the vent system.

The man had wished other malls on earth went out of their way to make it a fun trip. When he was a kid in the early 90s, the malls were fun with neon lights and sounds. Online shipping came along and killed them off for the most part. This ruined having an excuse to get out of the house. As the foals “ooohh’d!” and “awww’d!” at the shops, the movie theater and the arcade came into view. The foals turned around and waited for their parents to join them.

Anonymous looked at his wife and said, “Well, are you ready to watch that movie and feel your marely feelings?”

Sweet Shade responded, “Yup, I’m gonna be the merriest mare, whoever mare’d. You colts, stay out of trouble. Be sure to let our son win a few games.”

Anonymous grinned and said, “Oh, don’t worry. I’m gonna teach him my skills of winning. Have to prepare the next one to take the torch.”

The man leaned down and kissed his wife. Eventide gushed while Moon Flash again stuck his tongue out in a gagging noise. Glisten Sheen frowned and looked away, appearing depressed at the loving sight. This caught Anonymous’ attention, and the man-made another mental note to talk to his oldest daughter when they got home. As his wife joined his daughters, his son ran up and joined him by his side. Anonymous waved goodbye, which the female thestrals waved back.

As the female family members walked to the theater, the man turned to his son and asked, “You ready to win? You ready to destroy the Timberwolf horde threatening the village?”

Moon Flash’s eyes widened as he smiled. He knew exactly what game his father was talking about. The game, Howling Horde, was a very new arcade game released last week. It was a first-person shooter using video game crossbows. It reminded him of the games back on earth, and Anonymous had to admit, it was just as fun as the Time Crisis series.

It was one of the few things that didn’t make the man laugh at pony-made stuff, and he couldn’t wait to play it with his son. Moon Flash jumped and flew a well-executed summersault and said, “Hay-yeah! Let’s go get those plotheads!”

As the father and son made their way into the neon-lit arcade, both were unaware that a mare had spotted them a few yards away.

“Is that-is that Anonymous? That can’t be...no, it can’t be his colt!”

The earth pony ponicemare stood with her mouth agape on the other side of the walkway. She was surprised to see the man she once knew walking into an arcade with a colt next to him. Her partner for their assigned beat, a stallion unicorn, walked up to her carrying donuts and coffee on his back. He set the food and drinks down on a mini-table next to them with his magic and turned to see his partner. He noticed the look of surprise on her face and asked, “Did you spot something? What’s got you all shaken?”

The mare snapped out of her stupor and took a coffee with her hoof from the table. The native-born manehattenite mare responded, “Nothing wrong, just saw somebody I used to know.”

The stallion took the other coffee and asked, “Somebody? Do you mean that human stallion? That’s a surprise, for sure. Where’d he go?”

The ponicemare pointed at Anonymous with her hoof. The man and his son walked into the arcade and disappeared into the maze of lights and games. The ponicestallion raised his eyebrow and said, “Well, whaddya know?! It is the famous human, and it looks like he’s got a son too. Why don’t you go say hello to them or somethin’?”

The ponicemare shook her head and said, “Maybe when they’re done. I don’t wanna bother them having fun. Maybe when they come out and if we’re still here.”

The ponicestallion shook his head and said, “I don’t mind patrolling the complex while you wait for them. Barely anything wrong happens on this beat anyway.”

She turned to her partner and asked, “Are you sure?”

He shrugged his shoulders as he hovered a donut to his mouth and said, “Yeah, no big deal. We only have a few hours left here anyway. Kind of a slow and boring say, which is the best day a cop could have.”

As the stallion bit the donut, the ponicemare turned her attention back to the arcade entrance and said, “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

The ponicemare took another sip from her coffee and waited patiently. Not since her rookie days had she felt this anxious. She could only hope he remembered her and that their reunion wouldn’t be an awkward experience.

Author's Note

Chapter 1 Part 2 complete! Well, now we've met the foals. Aren't they good kids or what? But what's bothering Glisten Sheen? And who could that Ponicemare be?! Stay tuned for Chapter 1 Part 3. I hope you guys enjoyed it, this was fun to write.