The morning came quickly, with sunlight of increasing intensity beginning to filter into the castle library. As if she had risen in tandem with the sun, Twilight had long since been awake, cleaning herself and much of the room. She hummed softly as she worked, stacking cushions and cleaning away some of the bedding, which, in hindsight, she may have gone too far with. Although, if anything, her overcompensation the previous night gave her a way to pass the time whilst giving her three guests the opportunity to catch up on their sleep.

She looked over at David, who was still sleeping in the room’s centre. At some point during the night, he had been joined by his two ‘foals’, who had each found themselves a spot on his bed. Eva lay with her back to her guardian, having found herself wrapped between his arms, quietly snoring. To Twilight, the complete lack of concern or apprehension on the girl’s face made her look like she was the safest that she had ever been.

Eve reflected a similar carefree attitude, laying on her stomach just in front of her sister, her left arm draped over her sister’s head. A thin strand of saliva drooped from her mouth and led to a small puddle on the bedsheet. The raven-haired girl would occasionally twitch in her sleep, rubbing her body into the mattress and smudging the pool of liquid into her face.

Twilight giggled at the sight. She briefly considered lifting the girl’s face to clean it, but ultimately decided to just let her rest. The last thing she wanted at that point was to cause any unnecessary disruption.

That did not stop her from looking at the scene before her with confliction. Her mind thought back to the minute exchange she had had with herself the previous night, and she wondered if the one in front of her would eventually be able to open his heart to others or whether he would wish to return to his own kind. Either side could be justifiable, but she knew far too well that isolation was an easy trap to fall into- and much harder to crawl out of.

“Twilight…?”

Her train of thought was interrupted by someone else who needed her assistance. Her assistant, Spike, had woken up just as Twilight had done and was now stumbling around in search of the mare.

“In here, Spike!” Twilight called out to him. Sure enough, the little purple dragon soon appeared in the doorway. Miniature in size perhaps, but he did not let that stop him, with bright green eyes that sought the world out- provided that the world’s movement never outmanoeuvred his stumpy limbs.

“Oh, there you are, Twilight,” Spike called out before making his way over to the alicorn. He brushed at the green spines atop his head as he walked. “I was wondering where you were last night when you weren’t in your room. What are you doing down… what the heck is that?!”

Holding out his claw, he, of course, pointed out the strange creatures sleeping in the centre of the room. For a creature possessing such a sharp array of teeth, his words lacked any bite as he took in the much-larger-than-him human. It was a good thing that David was still asleep, or else Spike may have blown a gasket right then and there.

“Shh, Spike,” Twilight whispered to the dragon. “He’s still asleep.” She pointed to the man in question with a forehoof before bringing it back to shush at the dragon. Spike was untroubled by the gesture.

“But what is it?”

“He, Spike. He’s a ‘he’.”

“Sure, sure- ‘he’,” Spike responded. He looked back at the intruder before scratching at his chin in realisation. “Wait… is that the muman that you were talking about yesterday?”

“Human, Spike. He’s a ‘human’.”

“…He’s the pony you were so worried about?”

“Spike! Don’t say things like that- it’s disrespectful!”

“Okay, okay! Sorry,” the dragon consoled with his arms raised. “But who is this guy? Where did he come from?”

“That’s… a good question,” she answered without really answering at all. She thought about the best way to phrase a second attempt at answering the dragon’s questions, only for him to beat her to the punch.

“Wait- he’s got foals?!”

“They’re not his foals-”

“He stole somepony’s foals?!”

“Spike- listen!” Twilight shouted, growing more and more frustrated with each misinterpretation. “He’s from Princess Celestia-”

“He’s Princess Celestia’s foal?!”

“Spike-!”

Some form of inane shrilling signalled the end of my slumber. Opening my tired eyes, I was treated to the sight of Twilight appearing to have a schizophrenic episode. “Jesus, you’re shrill,” I plainly told her. Snapped from her apparent trance, the mare turned to meet me as I sat up amidst an avalanche of falling children. “Morning, Twilight. Who are you yelling a- what the hell is that?”

In a moment of confusion, I stretched out one of my arms and pointed down towards some little purple thing, who immediately ran to the safety of Twilight and stood behind her, sneaking occasional glances as the mare sought to defuse any possible tension. Fucking Short Round has joined the brawl.

“Oh, good morning, David!” Twilight greeted me, her cheeriness doing little to coax her little friend out from behind her. “Did you sleep well?” She stepped forward towards my bed, ignoring the thing’s attempts at pulling her back. “This is Spike. He’s my baby dragon.”

She used her magic to push ‘Spike’ out from behind her and into the open. This caused him to look back and glare at the mare before attempting to turn towards me, stopping halfway. With this, he crossed his arms and committed to looking off into nothing. “I’m not a baby anymore,” Spike muttered glumly, unwilling to meet the gaze of neither Twilight nor myself.

“Yeah, alright, half-pint,” I commented dismissively. Spike jumped upon hearing my voice and made an immediate retreat. “Didn’t know you were a parent, Twilight.”

“Oh no, I’m not his mom,” Twilight elaborated, undeterred by Spike’s backtracking. Once the dragon had nestled behind her once more, she continued. “I hatched his egg for one of Princess Celestia’s exams.”

“Celestia’s giving everyone kids nowadays,” I commented. I waited for a response but a confused look from Twilight forced me to think through the implications of what I’d said. “Not like that.”

My response garnered a giggle from Twilight. “No, you’re the only one,” she reassured me. “Spike’s pretty dependable, though he sometimes gets a little scared…” She lightly kicked out with one of her back legs to nudge the dragon away from her. This achieved nothing as Spike instantly disappeared back behind the mare, prompting a sigh to escape from Twilight’s lips.

“Listen, I’m gonna get these two cleaned up if that’s alright with you,” I interjected, having seen that Spike was both literally and figuratively going nowhere. “Might as well do it before they’re awake enough to question… this.” I gestured to where I assumed Spike was standing and moved to stand up, nudging Eve on the back and causing her to raise her head.

“Of course,” Twilight was happy to answer. “It’s just across the hall.”

“Alright, I’ll be back in a minute. Come on, you two- you desperately need a shower.”

I gave both sisters a light shove before looking down at them expectantly. Eva did what I expected her to do and reluctantly dropped down onto the floor and stood alongside me. Eve did not. Instead, with a raising of her arms, she repeated a familiar gesture.

“I’m not carrying you again,” I stated with a grin that I struggled to hide. To emphasise my point, I picked up the raven-haired girl only to place her straight back down next to her sister.

“I think you are,” Eve rebuked, doing several small jumps to show her enthusiasm.

“Maybe I’ll just carry Eva instead.”

“That’s not fair!”

“Well, she might ask me nicely.”

As I spoke, I winked at Eva to try and encourage her to play along. I wasn’t too confident- even as the girl’s eyes lit up in understanding. “Can you carry me too?” the little one thankfully asked as she mimicked her sister’s raising of her arms. I was admittedly a bit too delighted at her inclusion in the conversation, as I let my guard down badly when giving my answer.

“Of course, sweethea- wait, no-”

“-Aha!” Eve proclaimed, having caught on to my misstep. Victorious, she raised her arms and looked up at me expectantly once more. “Carry me.”

I couldn’t really argue with that; I knew when I’d been beaten. Being outsmarted by children… I was unsure if Eva’s smile implied that she had knowingly lured me into a trap, but, if I was honest, I found it difficult to imagine her having that level of critical thinking at such an age. Still, a deal was a deal.

“Y’know, I just… might!”

Over several attempts, I managed to eventually carry both sisters with only a moderate degree of difficulty. I was thankful that the distance to the bathroom was a short one.

“Ooh, how’s your arm?” Twilight suddenly asked enthusiastically. She pointed towards the limb in question, and I followed her gesture. Despite the lifting that I’d just done, I hadn’t even considered it; Twilight had done a good job with it.

“It feels great. Bit sore, but great. You’re a star, Twilight.”

A prominent blush found its way onto Twilight’s face and displayed everything you needed to know. It was a good thing it did; her mouth seemed incapable of doing anything coherent anytime soon. Instead, she shifted again in slight discomfort, but in a good way. If there was ever a ‘good uncomfortable’, this was it, and I was happy to let her bask in this afterglow. She’d earned it.

“Anyway, back in a minute,” I added to my earlier comment. Now, I was intent to leave Twilight alone for a moment while I went to take care of all the shower business, but the mare had other ideas. Her cloudy mind had noticed something and was planning to act- regardless of how unintelligible she may’ve sounded once she opened her mouth.

“Wait!” she shouted out at a volume far higher than was necessary. “Um…give me your clothes. I can…clean them for you.” She tried to speak through her blush, but she seemed to have reverted to the awkward mare that I’d assumed that we’d left behind.

“Uh… I’ll leave them outside the door.”

The muffled sound of running water provided Spike with the background noise he needed before he turned to Twilight with a smug expression.

“Geez, Twilight- why don’t you just ask him on a date already?”

Twilight jumped at Spike’s comment, whipping herself around to face the dragon with a look of exasperation.

“What do you mean?!”

“C’mon, Twilight- you were falling over yourself back there!”

That set Twilight off. Being called out on something, whether it was true or not, caused the mare’s composure to unravel in a way that was usually reserved for special occasions.

“Whaaat?” she started with an exaggerated casualness that even the blind could see right through. “I don’t like him- no, I like him, but I don’t like him. Besides, he’s a human. He wouldn’t be interested in me…b-but I’m not interested in…him.” Sensing her stumbles, she forced her mouth closed and hoped that she had not done too much damage.

“I don’t think you’ve ever had a coltfriend before, Twilight.”

It appeared that she had failed. Spike’s continued persistence increased Twilight’s concern- and her volume; the dragon began to wonder if the shower was louder enough to block out their conversation.

“I told you- it’s not like that! He’s not my coltfriend!”

“But you want him to be.”

“Nooooo…”

Twilight made an effort to drag out her response with a laidback swing of a foreleg. Her actions were just as helpless as her words, and Spike kept his smug smile and folded arms. He had seen some rom coms before; he knew what this meant. Probably.

“Sure took you long enough to find somepony.”

“Spike!”

It appeared that I’d interrupted a period of intense pondering once I- still clothed and covered in dirt- re-emerged from the bathroom. Twilight had had her eyes closed but she quickly opened them upon hearing my entry. Judging by the look on her face, her calmer demeanour had returned to her in the silence. Whatever conclusion she’d reached while I was gone, it seemed to have brought her a bit of peace.

“That made me so refreshed!” the voice of Eve called out from behind my back, breaking the silence with an injection of positivity.

“You’ll feel even better in some clean clothes,” I called back, looking over my shoulder and projecting my words back into the steam. I cocked my head to the side once my attention came back to Twilight, calling the mare forward to deliver on her offer.

“Ta-da!”

From behind Twilight’s back came the girls’ clothes- washed, dried, and folded with an expert level of care and attention. They landed in my hands with good grace like the gifts they were, with a satisfying bounce and a vague whiff of lavender.

“You’re on a roll now,” I commented before taking a sniff of his shirt. There was something so alluring about that scent. I could breathe it in for hours…

…Where was I?

Oh yeah: I couldn’t be bothered to check if Twilight’s cheeks could get any redder as I turned back to carry out my delivery. “There you go, you two- you know what to do.”

“Okay!”

Both sisters’ voices would occasionally ring out, but, despite spending much of the previous day with them, I could imagine that Twilight would struggle with deducing which voice belonged to whom.

“In the bathroom, though, yeah?”

“Of course. I like my piracy.”

“Privacy.”

“Nice word again.”

“…Just get changed, you.”

I ended this miniature exchange by creating a heart with my fingers in a motion that I hoped wouldn’t become a mainstay in my interactions. The bathroom door was then promptly shut in my face, leaving me to pollute the hallway with my odour. “I’ll clean myself up when they’re done,” I explained as I continued to take up space in the hallway.

“You can put your clothes on here,” Twilight suggested as she failed to share the girls’ need for piracy.

“No, I can’t,” I answered resoundingly to shut Twilight down, crossing my arms as I did so. There was no response to this, so we stayed locked in a period of uncertainty; no sound, no movement- just an overwhelming stink.

“…I’m gonna go make breakfast,” Spike stated, unwilling to witness anymore of this impasse. Where the hell did he come from? “Unless you want to wait for lunch,” he continued, nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders and waiting for Twilight’s answer. But I beat her to the punch, as his suggestion brought a previous proposal to the front of my mind.

“Oh, yeah, that reminds me: I need to go find Rarity in a bit.”

Like Twilight before him, some random, innocuous statement ignited a fire of agitation in the young dragon. Completely forgetting about his earlier fears, he stepped towards me as if I was some sort of challenge, tensing his arms with a huff. He stopped very quickly once the difference in height became much more apparent, but that didn’t stop him from throwing out an accusatory question: “What are you doing with Rarity?”

“Don’t give me that look, mate- it’s not like that.”

I crouched down to close the distance between myself and the dragon, watching him flinch slightly at my movements. But he didn’t let that stop him. “Let me tell you something,” Spike started with a voice that was much larger than he was. “Don’t even try anything with Rarity ‘cause she’s my mare!”

He surely would’ve liked to have pulled me closer to reaffirm his attempted threat, but his short height prevented him from reaching anything worth grabbing onto. This, combined with…lots of things, made the dragon’s little speech very ignorable.

Maybe Spike was looking for some sort of reaction- an argument, an apology, anything really- so he was surely left disappointed as I merely shook my head and stood back up. I was growing a bit impatient with how long the girls were taking, so I cracked open the bathroom door just enough to be able to project my voice into the room.

“Are you two done yet?”

“Nearly there!”

“You can’t rush this, Mr. Bayard!”

“Well, hurry up!”

And the door was closed once more. Sighing, I turned back to Spike who was still making a show of his aggression. I didn’t have time for this. “Yeah, sure- do what you like. Why don’t you ask her on a date or summat?”

My tone was deadpan and cynical, just how I like it, but it seemed to anger Spike due to some perceived disrespect. Although it may’ve been fun to do so, I had little interest in escalating the situation, however; even though I couldn’t actually see her at that moment, I was sure that Twilight was moments away from intervening. “She’s mine- and don’t you forget that!” was Spike’s answer to the entire situation.

He pointed a claw at me one final time before storming off down the hallway to presumably where the kitchen was. “I don’t think that’s his decision to make,” I suggested to Twilight once Spike had disappeared around the corner. Poor little bugger; such a possessive nature won’t do him much good.

“Probably not,” Twilight calmly agreed as she moved to stand beside me. “He’s still a baby- he’ll be heartbroken when Rarity finds herself a stallion.” Her demeanour changed as she lowered her head slightly, presumably lost in her thoughts once again. I gave her a moment before commenting again.

“Still… him, Blueblood… at this rate, everybody’ll be after that mare…”

“We’re ready now,” came from behind the bathroom door as it was slowly opened. Out stepped the two sisters, ignorant of the conversation that they’d interrupted. Either way, they were squeaky clean and well-dressed, and I felt a little bit better just looking at them. Satisfied with the girls’ collective condition, I set off for the bathroom, only to be interrupted by a question from Twilight.

“Are you staying for breakfast?”

Spike may’ve been bitter, but he was a good cook. Good thing, too, as neither I nor the two sisters had eaten a decent meal in a while. It was with regret, then, that I’d needed to tear myself away in order to find Rarity.

Twilight was oh, so generous to keep the girls behind so that I could have a more peaceful time. Eva had been against it, of course, but, after some reassurance, she took my departure much better than she had the last time I’d left.

Regardless, my heart was barely in it- my stomach even less so; I only wanted stay at the castle. But I couldn’t mope around too much: Rarity had technically got me out of a fairly dire situation, albeit entirely without her knowledge. And I’d never just refuse to show up to lunch; I still wasn’t sure of what these ponies were capable of.

It was with this sense of reluctance that I arrived at Carousel Boutique before knocking on the door and waiting for the mare’s response. I received none, as a piece of paper stuck to one of the boutique’s windows was quick to explain.

Off to the spa and then to lunch. Will be back in the afternoon.

Fantastic. Guess I was going off on a scavenger hunt.

Asking for directions was painful. I was never one to ask for help, even back when everyone in the world looked somewhat similar to me, so I struggled through the stares and the questions of “Aren’t you that [insert word that sounds vaguely like ‘human’]?” in order to find out where the accursed spa was located- provided Rarity was still there.

Still, I’d found it. Across a dainty bridge lay a building that looked like a large tent in the sense that the roof flowed at different elevations with peaks and dips as if it was all made a soft cloth. I’d grown to appreciate the ways in which structures either appeared to be needlessly extravagant or designed in such an unspectacular way that all the effort must have gone in distorting the laws of physics rather than actually designing the thing.

That didn’t matter right now, though. With every step, I felt my desire to abandon having lunch increase to the point where I could barely be bothered to go anywhere near the spa’s front door. I would’ve thought that Rarity would have it in her to remember the arrangement; the possibility that she’d forgotten all about it put my commitment on a knife edge.

But then out came the unicorn that I’d been looking for. Looking just as elegant as she had the day that I’d met her, she trotted towards me with a slight hurry to her movements. She sported a large smile once she found me, showing off a nonchalant enthusiasm that she had no trouble projecting.

Such as to the pony who accompanied her. I had no idea who she was, but I assumed that she and Rarity were together. Her features weren’t too dissimilar to Rarity’s with a coat of only one colour and a large, swooping mane and tail that curled slightly at their respective tips. The colours of which set the duo apart, with this new mare sporting pale, mellow shades of yellow and pink on her fur and mane respectively.

She didn’t look to have the same overt confidence that Rarity possessed, but she showed a great deal of grace in her movements- or at least great care. In fact, the overly cautious way that she walked and her more confined body language served to make her appear more elegant than her friend.

This new mare looked somewhat surprised upon seeing me, but no more than that. Her reaction was- if anything- slightly underwhelming when compared to the other ponies I’d passed. If those two were together, Rarity must’ve told her friend about who I was, or else the unicorn really did forget about our lunch.

“Good morning, David,” Rarity greeted me with a hint of confusion in her voice. “Fancy seeing you at the spa. You don’t strike me as the type to need a hooficure.” She stopped just in front of me with the mare from earlier very much in tow.

“Morning, Rari- wait… ‘morning’?”

I looked down at Rarity with clear confusion on my face. The mare snickered in amusement.

“Confused about something? Yes- the morning, although maybe too late for breakfast. But we agreed on lunch, did we not?”

“We did, but the clock in the square says it’s about one o’clock.”

“Oh, that clock hasn’t worked since last year’s Winter Wrap-up. Even then it was never the most accurate.”

“Um… excuse me,” our mellowed friend spoke up with a voice as cautious as her hoofsteps. “But I think the time is 10:30.” She shook her head once so that her mane fell in front of her left eye, limiting the extent to which I could view the blue orbs that rested within. Her eyes- or eye, I suppose- showed concern, yet also a determination; maybe speaking up was difficult for her.

“Only half 10? What time does Twilight wake up?” I wondered to myself; Rarity cocked her head to the side.

“You spent the night with Twilight?” the unicorn asked, her voice showing amusement more than shock. “She’s grown very bold lately, inviting a stallion back for a night of goodness-knows-what. Would she be happy that you’re on a date with another mare?”

“No! No, no, no!” I responded in a hurried panic. “No, I was… my foals- children…shit.” I struggled to get my words out as the implications of what Rarity had said dawned on me with increasing severity. Pony relationships…

A hearty laugh brought me back to reality. In front of me, Rarity threw her head back and pointed at me with glee. “There’s no need to look like that! I’m only pulling your leg, as it were. I’m sure that you have your reasons.”

Rarity’s laughter did little to prevent the blush that had found a place throughout my cheeks. Such a level of redness was impossible not to feel- or ignore, as the mare very quickly dropped the humour. “My, I didn’t expect you to get so worked up about something like that,” she commented with a slightly disappointed tone.

“I dunno. I, um… it’s just something that’s quite hard to think about,” I responded before shaking my head. “Not like that- I’m sure she’s a lovely girl, but…” I trailed off and gestured erratically with my hands in the hopes that some greater meaning could be inferred from their nonsensical movements.

Rarity’s friend giggled in response to this. She covered her mouth with her hoof as she did so, yet she made enough noise to remind me of her presence. “Sorry, love- I haven’t asked your name yet,” I quickly added, gesturing for the mare to introduce herself which, arguably, she did.

“I’m Fluttershy,” she whispered. I think. With a volume like that, it was difficult for me to know exactly what she’d said, so I looked to Rarity for some help.

“Fluttershy,” Rarity reaffirmed.

“Fluttershy,” I repeated.

“Yes. I’m Fluttershy.”

A mare of few words, I see. I’m sure somebody out there would find this adorable. “It’s a pleasure, Fluttershy,” I said to the mare, who’d retreated back behind her mane. She looked as if she wanted to disappear, so I let her be and turned back to Rarity. “Is she coming with us?”

“I don’t see why not,” Rarity proudly proclaimed, turning to Fluttershy. She faced her friend expectantly, who looked back with cautious optimism.

“Oh no- if you two have plans…” Fluttershy started before by cut off by her friend.

“Nonsense, Fluttershy! You know how much I enjoy a good lunch with friends.”

“Are you sure?” Fluttershy insisted, taking a step back. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt…” She lowered herself closer to the floor, following a likely routine of making herself appear smaller. This idea of routine was reinforced when Rarity carried what looked to be a well-versed practice of approaching her friend and draping a forehoof over her back.

“You never interrupt,” Rarity reassured Fluttershy, her voice barely louder than her friend’s previous whisper. The unicorn pulled her companion in for a hug, keeping her there for as long as it took for her to make a decision.

Where did this come from? What happened to lunch? Can I go home now?

“Sometimes it’s better to interrupt,” I added as I interrupted the huddle in front of me. Once my voice reached their ears, both Rarity and Fluttershy turned towards me, looking more upbeat than they had before. Fucking…I don’t know.

“Sure. I’d love to join you.”

It had been a while since I’d been forced to travel through the centre of Ponyville. The stares and the increased noise did a lot to keep me away, yet Rarity had chosen a place to eat that ever-so coincidentally lay smack-bang in the centre. I just had to bear it- just this once.

I hoped- maybe beyond the realms of logic- that I’d grow numb to the constant chatter and gossip, or that it would simply cease entirely, but, until then, I continued to be plagued by it as it lingered in the air and threatened to suffocate me. In the midst of my discomfort, Twilight’s castle loomed large in the distance, mocking me with its unreachable offer of safety.

I’d ordered…something- something that seemed edible amidst the flowers and similar ‘delicacies’ that littered the restaurant menu. The journey to the spa hadn’t changed my hunger after the generous breakfast from Twilight’s castle, so I preferred not to order anything expensive. Still, looking at the menu brought fresh concerns about how my dietary needs were going to be met in a world that seemed strictly vegetarian at best.

There was little else to focus on, as Rarity and Fluttershy had entered themselves into a conversation that I surely wouldn’t be able to fit into. Believe me, I’d tried to eavesdrop with the hope of contributing, yet I was held back by the conversation’s constant flow of vocabulary that I didn’t fully understand. With every minute and every new discussion, the castle seemed further and further away.

“…Are you okay? You seem…unenthused.”

Rarity must’ve noticed my absence, as she had called out to me while I was engaged in my mournful monologue. I only caught the second half of her question, yet the way that her and Fluttershy’s conversation had stopped must’ve meant that I was about thrust into the limelight.

“Hmm? Sorry, was that for me?”

“Of course, Darling. Is something the matter?”

“I don’t know,” I answered, rubbing my eyes. “I’ve just got other things on my mind.”

“Your foals,” Rarity stated. Whether she was trying to find the reason for my mental absence or merely bringing up a new topic was anyone’s guess. “I’m surprised that they aren’t with you.” Next to her, Fluttershy perked her ears; I wasn’t sure if the pegasus was interested in what I had to say before Rarity’s comment, but she certainly was now.

“Part of me feels bad for not being with them right now. I disappeared for a few days and now I’m off again, if only for the afternoon. I feel a bit bad about it,” I tried to explain, but my justification was surface level and told unenthusiastically; It would’ve been easier if I had nothing else to say.

“What are their names?” Fluttershy asked to try to coax me back. “Your foals.” The pegasus’ eyes glimmered brightly as she waited for an answer with unreasonable expectations and bated breath.

“Eve and Eva,” I stated simply in reply. Despite my continued reluctance, I felt myself being slowly dragged into the conversation as Fluttershy showed enough interest for the two of us.

“They’re lovely names,” she continued. “I love when parents give their foals similar names.”

“No, I didn’t…” I started before trailing off with a sigh. I looked down at the floor as my mind entered a bout of confliction.

“What’s wrong?”

“…It’s hard to explain and I’m sick of explaining it.”

“They’re not his foals,” Rarity elaborated, taking me by surprise. How someone could say something so…illegal with such ease was beyond me. With that said, her questionable interjection startled me back to life somewhat, as I felt legally obligated to further explain.

“I don’t know whose foals- uh, children they are,” I continued to explain. “At least, not fully. I’m just their teacher.” I held my hands up defensively in the hopes that Fluttershy would be okay with how dreadfully my backstory was being explained.

“I see,” the pegasus commented, placing a forehoof on her cheek and looking down at the table. She thought for a moment, furrowing her brow as she thought of what to say. “But you care for them, don’t you?”

“Yeah…?”

“You want them to be safe and happy?”

“Of course.”

“Then maybe they can be your foals.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Maybe…even if they’re not your ‘children’…they could be your foals?”

The combined stares of Rarity and myself caused Flutttershy to lose confidence in her assertion, retreating back behind her mane. Maybe she should’ve expected to receive such a look after making such a bold statement, but the pegasus was paying for her lack of preparation as she looked to Rarity for support.

“…I believe she’s saying that, although you may not be their parent, you may have to become one for the time being. You may need to ‘step up’, as it were,” Rarity clarified on her friend’s behalf. “Best of a bad situation, and whatnot.”

I thought about this- about what Fluttershy had said- and its implications on whatever my role was supposed to be in Equestria. I’d praise the mare for her idealism, but I struggled to see a scenario when that’d be even remotely acceptable- I’m not their dad.

“I don’t think that’s how it works, Fluttershy.”

Fearing that the timid pegasus would collapse in on herself if she received too harsh a criticism, I tried to keep my tone calm and soft as I delivered an ambiguous rebuttal.

“I agree that it may be a bit of a stretch,” Rarity began, hopefully sharing my sentiment. “But Fluttershy’s heart is in the right place. There’s no better pony in Ponyville when it comes to taking care of others.” The unicorn’s little speech was more likely aimed at giving Fluttershy some confidence than granting me any reassurance, so I glumly returned my gaze to the floor. The dirt below me continued to receive a series of filthy looks as my mind whirred away, conducting various worst-case scenarios.

The smell of food brought me back; whatever I’d ordered certainly smelled decent enough. Fluttershy’s meal had also arrived and she, sensing my continued scepticism, offered me one final suggestion before tucking into her lunch.

“It’s just something to think about.”

The rest of the lunch passed by with little fanfare. Fluttershy’s occasional apologies broke up an otherwise meandering chat that I did well to cling onto. Simple discussions over Canterlot, vacation spots and other miscellaneous topics did little to capture my attention.

This level of disinterest carried on up until I was finally able to break away, albeit on good terms. Rarity and Fluttershy both appeared to have enjoyed themselves- although my presence likely had little to do with that. We’d exchanged pleasantries and agreed to meet up again, which was at least something, I suppose.

No level of mutual agreement would’ve been able to stop me from all-but sprinting back to Twilight’s castle. I’d had enough, and I wanted to be anywhere else- in some form of normality. But as I got closer to Twilight’s castle, the mere sight of it reminded me that normality was nowhere to be found. I banged on the castle’s door and tapped my fingers on its surface as I waited for a response. God knows how long I waited there before the door flung itself open.

“Oh, David!” Twilight exclaimed in surprise. “You’re back early.” She threw open the door with her magic and looked up at me with a pleasant smile. That little smile. Without a word, I slinked into the space that the alicorn had left behind, moving past her before stopping a few feet behind her.

Without warning, I grabbed Twilight from behind and pulled her up into a strong hug. Spun around, the mare squeaked and fumbled with her forehooves until she hooked herself around my shoulders. “You were only gone a few hours,” she commented, sounding slightly breathless. “Did something happen at Lunch?”

A rustling signalled that the mare’s wings were fighting to extend themselves, likely an instinct to give her more control as her rear legs dangled inches from the floor. I assumed, at least; I wasn’t really paying attention to anything. I simply stood with my eyes closed, listening to my own heavy, deliberate breaths.

“It reminded me of where I wanted to be,” I softly explained, perhaps caught up in the moment. With this explanation, I dropped Twilight back down onto her hooves and watched her recover from the sudden embrace. “Sorry, I’m not normally like this. I’m just having a moment,” I added as Twilight ran a hoof through her hair.

“No, no- don’t be sorry,” she reassured me. “Equestria must be getting to your head. I doubt it’s easy to travel to a different world.” She banged a forehoof against her forehead to illustrate her point, hoping to elevate the mood.

“Mr. Bayard!” came a familiar interruption, this time with a happier intonation. Looking towards the voice’s source, I saw Eve running towards me at a breakneck pace before leaping into me. With everything that’d happened already, I didn’t really know what to say to her, but no worries: she quickly broke off again and tore back to whence she came, shouting out her sister’s name.

And so, Eva arrived. With a similar level of pace, she replicated her sister’s actions and clung onto me, glancing and jumping up at me as she wriggled with excitement. I pushed her into my side with an arm, doing the same with Eve once she came to join her sister again.

“I was only gone a few hours,” I commented, seeing Twilight smile in the corner of my vision. Eva hummed happily in response, standing on her tiptoes to push herself higher into my reach. Still sporting a smile, Twilight stepped towards my little huddle.

“Got anything else to do today?” she asked with a cheerful tone. The optimism in the room was infectious, as every second felt like another exhale through tired lungs.

“There isn’t much to do, to be honest,” I answered plainly with an attempt at a shrug. Admittedly, this was unsuccessful as the two sisters continued to lay waste to my arms. “I guess I get a day off.”

“Is any day a day off with these two?”

Twilight’s question was playful in nature, but it caused me to look down at my company, my vision immediately filling with the two sisters in a scene of comfort. I ruffled Eva’s hair, who was so blissfully unaware in her contentedness that she may as well have been asleep. Eve wasn’t quite as content as her sister, always looking as if she had something to say. Yet, she continued to look up at me with eyes that were, if anything, slightly misty.

“I have high hopes.”

The events of the morning, or more likely the past week in general, had left me in a rather sentimental state. I feel like I’ve said this before, albeit with slightly different phrasing. I gave Eva an experimental push to see if she was ready to let me go, only to be met by fierce, stubborn resistance. “Thanks for the bed, by the way,” I added, looking back up at Twilight. “We really needed that. I, uh…I don’t really know how I can thank you, to be honest.”

“You don’t need to thank me; my castle’s open any time. For you and your foals,” Twilight continued to reassure me. After this comment, she showed a degree of mental absence, looking at my little huddle for a while before quickly being brought back by my attempt at continuing the conversation.

“Well, we’ll likely head back to Canterlot in the evening. All our stuff’s there, so it makes sense. Plus, I don’t want to saddle you with this lot,” I commented, patting Eva on the back as she showed a continued desire to cling onto me for dear life. Despite how comforting the gesture was, her insistence was becoming a bit much, so I was relieved to see Eve move about in agitation.

“We were very well behaved,” the little one protested, her voice calm yet playful. She placed her hands on her hips and moved towards Twilight, who followed the girl’s movements with her eyes as she approached.

“Easy for you to say,” I fired back. “What about the little guy… actually- Spike!”

“What?!” called the titular dragon from deeper in the castle.

“I’m not after your girl!”

“Awesome!”

“We’re affable,” I commented with another attempt at a shrug. Twilight smacked a forehoof against her face in response.

“You don’t have to be so loud…” Eve mentioned with her hands over her ears. The girl continued to wander over to Twilight, who giggled softly in response.

“Actually, Spike could maybe use a male role model around here,” the mare added hopefully. “You’ve probably noticed that there are a lot more mares than stallions.”

Her comment reminded me of the observation that I made during my first night in Canterlot, when looking down at the streets below. I’d noticed the disparity between the number of mares and stallions, but I hadn’t thought about it since. “I’ll…” I started, still reluctant. “Well, I guess it’s not up to me, anyway. If the princess needs me up there, then my hands are tied.”

“I guess so…” Twilight conceded. “But if she doesn’t…”

“I’m not sure if I like that grin…”

“…You leave it with me, young one.”

“Don’t you start with that as well.”

Twilight’s deviancy made me nervous- I’d come to expect bad things whenever ‘young one’ was uttered, no matter whose mouth it came from. This worry continued to grow as Twilight looked off to the side with an almost manic grin on her face as she rubbed her forehooves together. “Just leave it to me.”

Even as Twilight finished her ominous proposal, an increasing discomfort urged me to grip Eva more tightly, pushing her further into my side. Ironically, the increase in pressure caused the girl to dislodge. This movement normally meant that she had something to say, but, following a usual tradition, Eve beat her to the punch.

“Can you come see my picture? We finished it now.”

The second floor of the castle was much like the first, albeit much barer. Not that I minded; I wouldn’t’ve been unable to fill up the space even if I tried. But in this hallway devoid of decoration, the door to whichever room the girls had been using for their drawing was clearly marked with one of the girls’ bags and a selection of crayons.

“So, what’s your drawing about?” I asked as part of idle chit-chat as I reached for the door handle.

“Not yet,” Eve announced as she moved to stand in front of the door, arms stretched to cover its width. “It’s not ready.” From the look on her face, she clearly meant it, and I knew better than to argue with a child over something like this anyway, so I saved my breath.

Eva snuck underneath the arm-turned-barrier before disappearing from sight. Soon after, Eve, giving one last glance, followed her sister inside, closing the door firmly behind her. I shot Twilight a look, who returned in kind with a knowing smile that suggested that we were on the same wavelength.

The two of us waited for a moment- maybe a while, actually. Muffled movements and raised voices hinted at an intense level of preparation before suddenly ceasing. “We’re ready now,” was heard from behind the door as it opened. Seeing no resistance, Twilight and I stepped inside, into the girls’ lair of crayon-infused carnage.

A crudely drawn tapestry filled with drawings that barely resembled anything spanned the width of the room. On it, a symphony of bright colours and stick figures did its best to portray a series of events that would take some explaining. Obviously pleased with their work, the two sisters looked up at me expectantly.

“You’ve made yourselves busy,” I observed as the lower half of my vision was consumed with expectant smiles. “Talk me through it- what have you drawn?” I gestured for the girls to explain their artwork which they took advantage of, dragging me by the arm to where their tale seemingly began.

“That’s us at school doing show and tell, like we used to. And then we made gingerbread men- I liked making gingerbread men. Can we make gingerbread men again? Because…”

Eve did the narrating, swiftly looking between me and the drawing whilst going off on various tangents. It was all fairly unexceptional, as well as difficult to keep track of, but I was still more than happy to hear what she had to say. She was so proud.

“…And then you went away…”

She skipped over that part; a dourer tone suggested that this was on purpose. In a more subdued way, she went through a set of drawings that showed some of the events that had happened since our arrival in Equestria.

“Is that…”

“That’s where you went away again…But you were in my dreams!”

“Me too!”

The girls’ drawings became increasingly detailed, with an impressive level of shading for a pair of four-year-olds. The girls must’ve been very aware of the contents of their dreams; a large section of the drawing showed just that. At least, I assumed so. The backgrounds looked consistent with my memory, but the contents in the foreground made little sense to me.

“Do you remember what you dreamed about?”

“I remember that you were there. And Eva too!”

Given what I could remember, I thought it’d be better if I didn’t probe; I trusted that Eve would talk to me about it when she was ready.

“What’s this bit?”

“That’s you beating monsters. That’s what the big one said you were doing.”

“The big one?”

“The big one.”

I probably knew who Eve was talking about and I’d surely need to try that nickname when I next saw Celestia. She was the biggest one, after all. As I chuckled to myself, Twilight kept her mouth closed, sitting on the floor with a blank expression on her face. “And then the last bit…” I prompted.

“That’s us at school again,” Eve answered happily. She spent a while looking at the drawing, getting lost in its contents.

“Looks like you’ve got Mrs. Stuart there as well.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Having reached the last panel, and with Eve somewhat distracted, I stood up and dusted myself down. As I bent down to do this, part of the scroll was shoved into my face.

“For you,” Eva explained, refusing to make eye contact with me. Even if I wanted to capture her gaze, I knew that the little girl would turn her head further away or simply close her eyes altogether. It was strange for her to be so averse with someone that she trusted; she looked scared-to-death.

“You didn’t have trouble bringing me stuff before, sweetheart,” I tried to reassure her, unfortunately to no avail. I took the scroll from the girl’s hands and made an exaggerated show of scanning it. “It’ll be a bit of a faff bringing this on the train…” I led the girl on, enjoying the sight of her incredibly frequent nervous glances. “…But It’d be a shame to leave something as good as this to collect dust.”

“Do you like it?”

“It’s wonderful. We’ll have to hang it up on the wall when we get back.”

“Really?!”

“You’ll have to help me, though.”

“Thank you!”

I felt the girl fall into me again; through its repetition, the action had lost much of its meaning, but the warmth stayed the same. Once she was through with that, she continued the process of handing me the rest of the scroll, which I allowed to pool in my lap. “Okay, let’s see…how are we gonna pick this up…?”

“Let me help you,” Twilight offered as she raised the scroll away from my lap. As expected, she began to roll it up with an expert level of care before gently placing it into one of the girl’s bags.

“Oh, you’re back from the dead,” I noted as I relinquished control.

“Oh, hush,” Twilight retaliated. It was still impressive how she managed to speak with me and fold a piece of paper on the far side of the room simultaneously. Once she’d finished with the scroll, she bumped herself against my side like the cheeky bastard she was. “I was thinking.”

“What about?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

She shut me down quite quickly with a shake of the head. She turned to look out of one of the windows, observing the setting sun. “You might need to head back soon. The trains don’t come as often at night.”

Now that was surprising. Yeah, my day had felt relatively busy today, but I hadn’t even realised- or expected- that sundown had approached us so quickly. Maybe it was earlier in the year than I thought. Or did time move differently? Is the concept of time going to become a major plot point? I hope not. Way too complicated.

“Kicking us out already?” I retorted as I moved to join Twilight at the window. I placed a hand on the mare’s head and softly ruffled her mane. A contented sigh escaped from her mouth as her body relaxed before glancing up at me.

“It was your idea to go.”

“I’m just playing with you- it is quite late now,” I conceded, releasing my hand from Twilight’s head. “And you’re yawning,” I continued as I pointed at Eve, who forced her mouth to close in a suppression of what was left of her yawn. She kept a straight face, even as her cheeks puffed out in defiance. I guess it was quite late, then.

Therefore, despite the novelty, the girl’s yawn was just one of many signs that the day may well have been up. So, stating, “Go and get your stuff, girls- we’re going.”, I helped the two sisters grab their things and head for the door, motioning for Twilight to follow.

As we made our way down the stairs and to the door, I dragged my finger along the castle walls. The action left a slight tingling on my fingertips that lingered long after I removed myself from the wall’s surface. It was such an enjoyable activity, that I continued to do it up until the walls ran out. Eventually, with nowhere else to go, my finger collided with Twilight’s horn as she stood by the door, and its impact did far more to startle me than it did for her. Only for a moment, though.

“Thanks again, Twilight,” I remarked as the little ones and I stood at the door to the mare’s castle. Much like the previous evening, the air was still with a slight breeze that allowed the girls’ hair to flutter slightly in the wind.

“You’re very welcome,” Twilight beamed. “Don’t think that it’s a burden on me; I’ve loved your company.” She waved us off with enthusiasm, and, truth be told, I was somewhat conflicted as I left: I needed a break from these ponies, if only for a few hours, but Twilight’s alright. It’s nice to have found some good people.

As Twilight had alluded, the train journey was a quiet one; Eva had already submitted to the call of sleep and her sister wasn’t too far behind. The raven-haired girl pressed her face into the train window with a little bit too much force than was necessary to try and keep herself awake.

“Come here,” I prompted. “You can fall asleep if you want to.” I lifted my arm as I spoke, revealing a place for the girl to slide into once she’d had enough of fighting herself.

“No,” Eve fought back. “I wanna stay awake.” Naturally, she still decided to press against me, likely the kiss of death to her attempts at staying awake.

“You’re gonna lose,” I half-taunted as I rubbed the girl’s arm.

“Maybe…” she relented as I could hear her breathing deepen. “But I wanna try.” Once she had lodged herself in a comfortable spot, she began her ongoing war against herself, her eyes fluttering periodically as she continued to resist her body’s demands. I had to give the girl credit- she was certainly trying.

“Is Twilight your girlfriend?” Eve managed to ask as her eyelids grew ever heavier. I repeated the action of rubbing her arm as I delivered a simple reply, not too surprised by her question.

“No, she’s just a friend.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m very sure. There’s a big ol’ difference between flirting and friendliness.”

Eve would likely have probed further, but a gentle snoring signalled that her body had finally beaten her. I offered a meaningless, “Come here, you,” to the sleeping girl as her body gratefully accepted the extra support.

The sleepy train car offered a familiar scene, as I began to think familiar, melancholy thoughts. Again, the people who I’d left behind were brought to the front of my mind- but instead of sadness, they brought a sense of determination. A call to arms, perhaps.

I’d gotten a taste of life here, after all- both good and bad. Still, this little excursion didn’t seem to have offered me any clues as to how I could get home. I clutched at the sleeping child at my side as I stared at the train’s ceiling with a frown. “I’m gonna need Twilight again,” I concluded. “She might have a clue.”

The walk back from the station was as wordless as it was uneventful. There was minimal resistance from either sister as I managed to carry them back to the castle. I’d never felt so excited to return to a bed that wasn’t even mine to begin with.

Inside my room, a large sack packed with coins caught my attention instantly, although I knew that it would have to wait until morning. After all, my arms were getting tired, and the day was only getting later. “Hey, we’re back,” I whispered to the girls as I put them down on their bed. They were largely unresponsive, so I gave them a poke until their eyes opened. “Oi, do you want to get changed or are you happy as you are?”

“I want my pyjamas,” Eve grumbled as she rubbed her eyes. A large pout and withered eyes suggested that she’d truly had enough. I moved away towards the large pile of clothes that Rarity had made for us and began to inspect them.

“I don’t think we have any, I’m afraid. I think… a light dress will probably be the closest. Eva, go with your sister- and take a dress with you so you can get changed.”

Whilst the two sisters disappeared into the bathroom, I rooted through their bags in a long-overdue inspection. There was little to be found aside from colouring books and a half-empty lunchbox. “They might have less than I do.”

I could take a guess as to where most of my money was going to go, as I threw the lunchbox to the far side of the room. I had no idea how the girls had kept themselves busy in my absence, but it surely wasn’t going to last.

The sound of the bathroom door swinging open brought me back to the present. “We’re back,” Eve declared, moving back to her bed and pulling herself onto it alongside her sister. “Can you tuck me in?”

“Come on, then,” I whispered to the pair. I grabbed the bed covers and got to work. A couple of hugs later, the two were wrapped up and ready to drift off. Another day ended- hopefully with the promise of a better one tomorrow.

“Goodnight, Mr. Bayard.”

“‘Night, sweetheart. Sorry we never made it to show-and-tell.”

“That’s okay- we’ll just go next week.”

“Yeah…there’s always next week…”

Author's Note

Hello there fellow reader, should you choose to get this far.

I've never made one of these before so I don't really know what to put here except for a thank you for getting this far. I've kinda just been throwing these chapters around from time to time and it's been nice.

So, yeah. Cheers.

I can't even remember if I edited this...