Ruffled Feathers

“Easy,” Sapphire murmured.

With his brow furrowed, Nimbus fixated on the mug in his feathered grasp. “I got this…”

The statement was both to bolster his wavering confidence and to assure Sapphire that he wasn’t about to spill the coffee he was cautiously moving to his muzzle. Touching the rim to his lips, he tilted the mug and helped himself to a well-earned sip of the steaming java. The accomplishment was small, not unlike a toddler successfully coloring within the lines of a picture book, yet it brought him no small amount of pride and happiness.

Sapphire waited until he’d sat the cup back down to exhale. “That’s fantastic! If you keep this up, you’ll be juggling with those things before long!”

Glancing to his left and right, at the wings he held out to either side of him, he beamed. “I…I don’t know about that, but thanks…”

It would have been impossible not to elated, but looking to Sapphire’s face marred his otherwise stellar mood. The moment she met his gaze, the smile left her eyes and she turned her head. He’d made a number of mistakes over the last few weeks, more than he’d hazard to count, but the one which had taken the heaviest toll had been a complete accident.

He reached out with a wing, caressed her shoulder, and brought her attention back to him. “Listen, I -”

A rosy aura leapt to his lips and sealed them together as she grimaced. “What did I tell you about that? It’s fine ~ ok? It’s behind us, we’ve moved past it, and we’re going to keep it that way…”

Nodding over at her, he forced a grin when her magic dissipated. “R…right.”

“Besides, it’s a big day,” she chirped, finishing off her coffee before slipping from her chair. “There’s no sense starting things off on the wrong hoof ~ right?”

“Right,” he softly repeated.

Pushing himself back from the table, he eased himself to his hooves while keeping his coffee held in one wing. “I’m gonna go get ready.”

“No toga!” she shouted back with a touch of mirth in her voice.

One corner of his lips turned up then immediately fell. A lot - a lot had changed over the last two weeks, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about all of it. While he had made no small amount of progress acclimating to his body, going so far as to be able to use his hooves and wings for simple tasks, his relationship with Sapphire had been turned completely on its head. Peering out the window to the sun creeping over the horizon, he gave a shuddering sigh.

It had been just before dawn when she’d eventually found him, the first rays of morning gracing the earth upon which he’d slept, and any question of her character had been erased in that moment. Her tears, the utter sorrow, regret, and concern she’d had for him, angrily demanding to know why he’d left while simultaneously apologizing and begging for his forgiveness - they were the very definition of somepony in crisis. She’d feared for him, assuming he’d abandoned her and run off into an unknown world, and he had, did, and would likely always feel guilty for causing her such torment.

Ever since that morning, after she’d found him slumbering beneath that oak, she’d treated him differently. The casual flirting had ceased, she hadn’t asked him to run errands or to help with chores around the house, and she’d worked herself to the bone for him. When she wasn’t on the job, she was attempting to reverse engineer the spell she’d used to summon him - when she wasn’t doing that, she was caring for him and helping him adjust to his new form. Looking back in the direction of the kitchen, he turned and faltered.

“Need some help?” he called.

There was a brief pause before she replied. “No, I got it, but you can get my keys and purse if you want.”

He would have had every right to let her toil at his expense, seeing as how it was her fault that he’d lost his human form and been flung to another world, yet actually seeing how much she cared, seeing how hard she pushed herself day after day to make amends for her transgressions, was more than he could bear. Though he’d tried to let her have her way, enough was enough, marching back into the kitchen, he moved to her side at the sink.

“Move over,” he grunted, gently pushing his shoulder against her.

Glowering up and over at him, she obstinately held firm. “I said I got it!”

“You made breakfast, so I’ll help with the cleanup,” he insisted, snatching a levitating plate from the air.

She channeled more power into her magic, pitting her sorcerous might against the grip of his pinions. “If I wanted help, I’d ask for help.”

Looming over her, he shifted and locked eyes with her. “Just like you asked for help when you dropped the groceries the other day?”

“I…” she stammered, taken off guard by the assertion. “I got distracted…”

“Or like when I found you passed out at the table with a spilled cup of coffee after you pulled another all-nighter?” he pressed, keeping his town firm but not remorseless. Lifting a hoof to her chin when she went to look away, he softly caressed her cheek. “You’re doing enough - no, more than enough. I may be stuck here for a while, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you bust your butt at my expense…”

Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before shooting down to the ground. “B…but…”

“If I’m not allowed to talk about that morning, you’re not allowed to talk about that night ~ ok?” he huffed, willing a bit of levity into his voice. He’d only known her for a short time, a mere blink in the grand scheme of things, but he knew her well enough to understand when to pull back. Lowering his hoof and shifting his attention back to the dishes, he nodded. “Donkeys ~ right?”

“I…yeah, that’s the most plausible explanation I can think of,” she explained, plucking a dish rag from the sink. “They can’t use magic or fly, most of them are from the Fields of Forever region, and they’re nomadic. Trust me, Crumble and Saturn don’t know the first thing about the region or the culture, so you don’t have anything to worry about.”

Having scoured a dish with the sponge, he moved it under the running tap. “And Crumble’s the husband?”

“Saturn’s the wife and Crumble is her husband, yeah,” she said with a nod, taking the rinsed plate from his wing. “It may not come up, but they used to run a bakery in Canterlot. She works as a business consultant, and he’s a part-time home economics teacher.”

He slowed and lifted a brow. “What happened to their bakery?”

“It got trashed during the changeling invasion,” she sighed. “Sweet Celestia - it doesn’t feel like it, but that was almost twenty years ago at this point.”

“I’m guessing they just took an insurance payment and decided to move on?” he postulated. Seeing her nod, he grinned. “At least they got a fresh start - plus you said the changelings aren’t bad any more.”

Turning her efforts to wiping off the counter, she nodded. “Yeah. We’re pretty sure that Chrysalis was the last unreformed changeling - sure, there are rumors or the occasional story that somepony saw or was attacked by one of them, but I think it’s all a bunch of bunk. If we’re going to start believing every tall tale that rolls around, we’ll be thinking ghosts and aliens are real.”

Nimbus snickered and smirked over at her. “Aliens like humans or aliens like little green ponies from outer space.”

“Ha ha,” she sarcastically laughed as she trotted past him and patted his shoulder. “Seriously though, it’s interesting how much overlap there is between Earth and Equestria.”

Finishing with the last piece of silverware, he turned the sinks’ knob and stemmed the flow of water. “It is pretty wild.”

“If it’s true,” she added.

Stepping around and to her side, he nudged her with his shoulder. “If it’s true.”

He snickered as he trotted out of the kitchen and to the foyer. Of all the traits Sapphire had, her honesty was one of the most admirable. She’d admitted that she didn’t fully believe him, telling him that it was impossible for her to tell if his memories were real or ethereal byproducts of a spell gone awry, but he didn’t hold that against her - on the contrary, he considered it admirable. She was a scholar and archivist, having gotten a degree in mythical studies, so it was only fitting that she questioned the nature of things - himself and his backstory included.

While he still wasn’t what he’d call pleased with his predicament, time and Sapphire’s consideration had tempered his fears and allowed him to assess things with a clearer head. It was abundantly clear that she hadn’t intended to steal him away from Earth, and it wasn’t like he’d wanted to be flung into a land of talking ponies, so it was hard for him to be mad at her for what was essentially a misunderstanding. Moving ahead of her, he lifted her keys from a bowl in the entryway.

“After - darn it,” he cursed, dropping the keys to the floor.

She opened the door with her sorcery, trotted by, and came to a halt just outside. “Are locks the same on Earth?”

“Yeah,” he grunted, finding success after a second failed attempt, “they’ve gotten smaller and more complicated over the years, but they’re pretty much the same. Believe it or not, there are some locks that you need a card or fingerprint to open.”

“Right, like on a hand,” she thought aloud. Remaining where she stood, she cocked her head as he stepped out and locked the door behind himself. “Do they use that electronic stuff?”

“Electricity, yeah,” he hummed, turning to face the street. “Most stuff nowadays uses electricity. A lot of locks are electronic, there are electric cars, and even toys - almost everything, really.”

“And you say magic is weird,” she joked, leading the way to the sidewalk.

He kept pace and passed her the keys, content with the change of topic from earlier. “Because it is weird! I can’t explain all the ins and outs of electricity, but it makes more sense to me than just poofing stuff around while ignoring the fundamental rules of the universe.”

“Magic doesn’t ignore the rules,” she tutted. “Sorcery is all about the use of energy, harnessing it and channeling it to do different things - if anything, it’s similar to your electricity.”

“Maybe, but humans can’t just produce electricity from - actually, no, humans do produce very small amounts of electricity, but not nearly enough to make things teleport or lift objects through the air,” he groused, stymieing himself by recalling biology lessons from high school. “They might be kind of similar, but they’re definitely not - Oof.”

He grunted and winced when she elbowed his side. Glancing at her and seeing her looking ahead, he followed her gaze and noticed a threesome of young ponies playing by an upcoming crosswalk. Considering he had no interest in hiding away in her house in perpetuity, and that he was still very much curious about the world he was stuck in, she’d devised a simple but effective rule for when they were out.

Under no circumstances was he to talk about Earth, humans, or any of the goings on with his old life - in short, he had to blend in as best he could. Sapphire may have made the mother of all blunders by ripping him from one planet to another, and that wasn’t even touching the changing of his species in the process, but she was far from being daft. The lengths she’d gone to to protect both of them was awe-inspiring, and he was genuinely impressed with her forethought.

As far as anypony else knew, he was Nimbus Breeze, the mail-order coltfriend from across the sea. He’d been raised by donkeys after he was found in a shipwreck, he has no known family members, and he’d woefully ignorant to Equestrian society as a whole. His fictitious history was, in a word, ingenious, bullet proof, and should ensure both he and Sapphire avoided any particularly sticky situations that may get them the wrong sort of attention.

He smiled and dipped his head at the youthful trio and earned himself a friendly wave in return. If there was one thing about Equestria that he could get used to, it was just how pleasant the world was. On Earth, the most he’d usually get is a slight nod of recognition by a passerby if he made eye contact - even then, it was less than personable. Every pony - every single pony he’d met had been nice to him, including the mares who’d quite enthusiastically tried to get into his nonexistent pants, and he’d quickly grown accustomed to smiles and congenial greetings whenever he was out and about.

When the three scampered off, laughing and chasing after a ball they’d been playing with, he smiled over at Sapphire. “Like I was saying, I think it’s fair to say that electricity and magic are similar but very different.”

“Fair enough,” she conceded. “I gotta say, if you’re making all this up, you’ve got a really wild imagination.”

“Heh -” he chuckled, “in the event that I get stuck here, maybe I’ll become an author. Would ponies even want to read about a world with tall, hairless creatures who’ve harnessed advanced technology?”

She shrugged and grinned up at him. “I don’t see why it wouldn’t be - after all, ponies love all sorts of different stuff. Did you know there’s a popular sci-fi series about how we conquered the stars and traveled into space?”

“No kidding?” he grunted, stunned by the assertion.

“Yeah! It’s about a mare named Del - Saturn!” she yelled, breaking into a canter and rushing forward.

Seeing her run off, Nimbus spotted a figure - no, two figures in the distance. He should’ve known that her friends wouldn’t live too far away, given that Greener Pastures wasn’t all that big of a town, but it was still a bit surprising to learn she had companions who were just a short trot from her house. As he casually trotted over while the mare who must have been Saturn and Sapphire embraced, his eyes swung over to the stallion.

Almost as tall as he was, the pegasus regarded him with curiosity and gave him a slight but curt nod. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t excited for the chance to meet and speak with another stallion, having only seen a small number in passing, but he wasn’t about to let his enthusiasm get the better of him. Though he was going to play the part of an unenlightened foreigner, he couldn’t just start peppering the pony with questions out of hoof.

“Crumble,” the stallion began as he extended a foreleg, “Crumble Crumb.”

“Nimbus,” Nimbus responded, accepting the proffered hoofshake.

Maintaining his grip, Crumble looked him up and down. “I would say you’re probably one heck of a weather pony, what with that build and all, but Sapphire tells me you ain’t exactly the sky-fairing sort. If you don’t mind me asking, is it true that you were raised by donkeys?”

Nimbus went to shake his head, then nodded. “Yeah, that’s about right.”

“I’ll be,” Crumble muttered in awe. Releasing Nimbus’ hoof, he rubbed the back of his neck and turned his eyes to the ground. “I…I didn’t mean nothin’ by that - just a bit surprised by it, that’s all.”

Waving away the stallion’s concern, Nimbus openly laughed. “It’s fine. Even if I hadn’t been raised by them, I think I’d still be making an ass of myself more often than not.”

Just like that, the ice was broken. He snickered and shared a moment of amusement with Crumble. Glancing to the side and seeing Sapphire looking over at him, he gave a faint, almost imperceptible nod. They’d both agreed that allowing him to chat with another stallion might ease his nerves, and give a bit of insight that would be difficult, if not impossible to get from a mare - as such, he loudly cleared his throat.

“Would you mares mind if we stretch our legs” he asked, looking between Sapphire and Saturn.

“Not a bit!” Saturn merrily replied. “Honey, can you go get me a tea? Sapphire and I will be waiting for you two in the park.”

Crumble gave a small bow to his wife, turned, and proceeded down the sidewalk. “Sure thing. Nimbus, want to come with?”

“I…yeah,” Nimbus sputtered, instantly thrown off by just how compliant Crumble was.

With Nimbus turning and trotting up alongside him, Crumble gave a pleased snort. “I’ll tell you one thing, it’s nice to have another stallion here in town ~ eh?”

“No complaints here,” Nimbus hummed. Trotting in silence for a hoofful of seconds, waiting until they were out of earshot from Sapphire and Saturn, he ran a wing over his hair. “Hey - um - I know we just met, but can I ask you something?”

“Shoot,” Crumble said with a grin, “and I was gonna ask you something myself! How’s about we take turns?”

Lifting his gaze from the sidewalk, Nimbus nodded when he spotted one of Greener Pasture’s two eateries that was just a street away. “You can go first.”

“So can you really not fly?” Crumble asked in disbelief. “No offense, but it’s hard to figure a strapping stallion like you can’t get airborne.”

“I wish I could say I was pulling your leg,” he lamented. “I’m sure I can fly, but it’s not like I’ve ever had anypony actually teach me.”

Crumble slowed at the intersection, looked both ways down the road, and bolted across to the cafe. “I - huh,” he grunted, coming to and pushing open the establishment’s front door. “Ya know, I never really thought about it, but that makes some kind of sense.”

“Yeah, it’s not exactly what I’d call ideal - on the other hoof, it could’ve been worse,” Nimbus sighed, coming to a halt at the front counter.

Trotting up alongside him, Crumble pulled a small purse from under his wing while waving down a server. “Let me get two boba teas to go,” he ordered as an employee stepped behind the register. “Want anything?”

Seeing the stallion look back at him, Nimbus gave a faint shrug. “I’m good, but Sapphire might want a tea.”

“Three boba teas, please,” Crumble cheerfully declared as he pulled a number of bits from his bag.

Nimbus stayed quiet while he waited for the order and drank in the surroundings. There were all sorts of things he wanted to ask Crumble, but one question stood head and shoulders above the rest. Biding his time until the teas were delivered, he drifted back to the exit and pulled the door open with a wing.

“Thanks for that,” he noted, motioning over at the trio of teas Crumble was carrying.

“Don’t mention it,” Crumble chirped. “You can always cover for us next time.”

With a smile on his face, Nimbus led the way to the nearby park. Learning the layout of Greener Pastures had been easier than he thought it would be - then again, the village wasn’t exactly what he’d call a bustling metropolis. The town had all the creature comforts one would expect, including a school, clinic, and library that was apparently renowned, although things had gone downhill over the last hoofful of decades.

The city’s star attraction, a university for the study of magic, had burned down nearly half a century prior - to make matters worse, new railways had been built which bypassed Greener Pastures. Like on earth, the settlement had simply been the victim of bad luck and modernization, withering over time and losing most of its appeal - yes, the library still drew in a decent number of tourists, but the town was a shadow of its former, glorious self. Reaching the boundary of the town commons, Nimbus scanned the area until his eyes settled on a table and two benches beneath a tree.

“Woohoo!” Saturn hollered, waving in his and her husband’s direction. As the pair made their approach, she slid over and made some room next to herself. “What are two handsome colts like you doing by yourselves?”

Crumble blushed, and his free wing fidgeted against his back, as he seated himself and sat the tea down. “Stop.”

“Come on, don’t act like you don’t love it,” she teased, plastering herself against him.

The interaction gave Nimbus a moment for pause, but he quickly eased himself down next to Sapphire. “I - um…”

He stopped himself and fell silent as he was hit with a wave of apprehension. Talking with Sapphire had been, and to an extent still was awkward at times, so he could only imagine how two perfect strangers were going to react to his curiosity about something that should have been commonsensical. Flinching when something brushed against his thigh, he twisted and looked over to find Sapphire encouragingly smiling up at him.

“Don’t be shy,” she softly urged.

“Celestia - don’t tell me he’s shy on account of us!” Saturn exclaimed. Leaning over the table toward him, she sat her chin on a forehoof. “Honey, you can say whatever you want! We don’t bite - not unless you want a little nibble or two.”

“That,” he exhaled. “That right there.”

Batting a hoof, Saturn withdrew. “I’m just playing with you! It’s -”

“Is that normal here? Like - hang on.” Nimbus pinched the bridge of his snout and gathered himself. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you off, but this is just so weird to me.”

“What is?” Crumble inquired.

“This - everything,” Nimbus groaned. “Where I’m from, mare’s don’t just go flirting and hitting on anypony - plus they’re not as outspoken or assertive.”

Save for a light breeze, a stillness and silence fell over the table. He’d picked Sapphire’s brain on numerous occasions, but it would be unfair to take the word of one mare as the gospel truth - doubly so, since she was incredulous of the many admittedly outlandish claims he’d made himself. Looking from Saturn to Crumble, he was stricken by how wildly different their reactions were to his small outburst.

Saturn peered over at him like he’d grown a second head, appearing shocked and befuddled in equal measure, although Crumble’s expression was almost sympathetic. Reaching out with a wing, the stallion softly caressed his shoulder. They could both be forgiven for acting the way they did, effectively hit with a bold, bewildering declaration, but he gave his attention to the one soul present to showed an ounce of compassion.

“That’s…that’s just crazy!” Saturn guffawed and slammed a forehoof to the table. “You’re telling me that stallions are the ones running things where you’re from?”

“No, not really - well, not anymore,” Nimbus answered. “There was a time when stallions were in charge of everything, including relationships, but that was a long, long time ago. As it stands now, we -”

“Well I’m glad that somepony has a decent head on their shoulders,” Saturn huffed. “Honestly, I can’t imagine having a stallion tell me what to do or -”

“Honey,” Crumble whispered, shifting and placing a forehoof on her shoulder. “Please let him talk. It’s rude to interrupt.”

“I…” Saturn trailed off as she glanced between Sapphire, Nimbus, and finally her husband. “I…I’m sorry, that was impolite…”

Rubbing her upper foreleg, Crumble nodded over at Nimbus. “Go on.”

“Things are more equal now,” Nimbus faintly continued. “It’s…it’s just that this is a lot to get used to. I’ve been here for a week - a single week, and I’ve been catcalled and hit on more than I had been over my last year at home.”

“Well you clearly wanted a marefriend,” Saturn groused. “Are you sure he’s not pulling a fast one on you, Sapphire?”

“He’s given me no reason not to believe him,” Sapphire sighed.

Saturn snorted, leered over at Nimbus, and tapped a forehoof against the table between them. “Well you’re here now, so you’re going to have to adapt. Equestria was, is, and will always be ruled by the Princesses,” she flatly stated. “You can’t just expect to come here as some mail-order coltfriend and think everypony will cater to your preferences!”

Nimbus bit his tongue and broke eye contact with her. “I guess…”

“Oh don’t pout,” Saturn added. “You’re young, very good looking, and you could probably get a job at the casino after it opens - that is, if Sapphire wants you to be more than just a trophy coltfriend.”

“And that’s enough of that,” Crumble grumbled. Slipping from the bench and trotting away, he waved for Nimbus to follow. “Maybe we can have a pleasant conversation if we go for a trot…”

“H…honey?” Saturn called, sliding over and reaching for her hastily retreating husband. “You’re not mad, are -”

Silencing her with a glare, Crumble turned his nose up. “I’m not talking to you right now - not until you remember your manners.”

Saturn sat motionless then buried her face in her hooves. “For buck’s sake,” she moaned before straightening up and shrugging at Sapphire. “Colts, am I right? I swear, they’re so darn moody!”

Being spoken of with such flippant disregard strained Nimbus’ patience to the breaking point. Without saying a thing, he wiggled off the bench, got his hooves under him, and chased after Crumble. He wasn’t done talking, not by a long shot, but he’d be darned if he was going to sit there and be patronized by anypony.

“Wait up,” he yelled, charging up to Crumble’s side. “Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to -”

“Is all that true, what you said?” Crumble faintly inquired, slowing to a crawl.

Easing his pace, Nimbus nodded. “Yeah, it’s true.”

Crumble weakly laughed and shook his head. “That’s…that’s just wild - like, not in a bad way, but definitely in a weird way. I can see why Sapphire wanted to show you off.”

“She didn’t want to show me off,” Nimbus corrected, “she just wanted me to meet some of her friends.”

“Well she’s worked with Saturn since - oh, the last seven years or so, but I’m sure you’ve already heard about that,” Crumble unsurely chuckled.

Trotting around to face Crumble, Nimbus shrugged with his wings. “Yes and no. I know they see each other almost every day at the library, but I don’t know how close they are.”

“I’m pretty sure that Saturn is the closest friend Sapphire has here in town,” Crumble quietly noted. “I don’t know her that well myself, mostly hearing about her from the wife, but she seems to keep to herself a lot.”

Nimbus had been eager to gather insight from another stallion, although he was savvy enough not to let an opportunity slip through his hooves. “What do you know about her? I’ve only been with her for a week, so I’d be happy to hear anything you’ve got to say about her.”

Rubbing his chin, Crumble thoughtfully looked up at the sky. “She’s pretty quiet, mostly sticks to herself, and she moved to Greener Pastures seven years ago or somewhere thereabouts. I think she’s mentioned that she went to school in Canterlot - no, was it Manehattan? Shucks, I can’t really remember. It’s not like I’ve spent all that much time around her.”

“It’s alright,” Nimbus said with a grin. “Given what your wife said, all of Equestria is like this ~ mares taking the lead with most things in life?”

“Been like that for as far back as the history books go,” Crumble remarked. “That’s not to say stallions can’t hold higher rank in business or hold office, although that’s relatively rare. What with us being the minority, it only makes -”

“What?” Nimbus croaked. “We - us stallions are a minority?”

Crumble narrowed his eyes at him and slowly nodded. “Last I heard, there are roughly four mares to every stallion - granted, that figure might have changed a touch since I was in school, but it’s still gotta be close to that. I’m surprised you hadn’t noticed just how few of us there are.”

Nimbus pursed his lips and turned his eyes skyward. While he hadn’t consciously paid much attention to it, the ratio of females to males seemed pretty accurate - on top of that, it would explain many, many things he’d seen and experienced. There were roughly an equal number of men and women on Earth, keeping the playing field relatively even for both sexes, but having the scales tipped so heavily in Equestria meant stallions could be viewed as a commodity or even status symbol - a concept that was both bizarre and somewhat logical.

“Guessing that’s another thing you’re gonna have to get used to?” Crumble mused, bringing Nimbus’ attention back down from the heavens. “Trust me, it’s not that bad. Once everypony here in town knows you and Sapphire are an item, you’ll be left be for the most part - plus being a stallion comes with a few perks.”

“Perks?” Nimbus quipped.

Glancing over Nimbus’ shoulder and in the direction of the picnic table, Crumble leaned in close. “Some stallions might think it’s beneath ‘em, but you can get a long way with a few nice words, a smile, and just a bit of flirting…”

Nimbus’ wings flapped excitedly as he reared back. “Get out!”

“Nope, it’s true,” Crumble insisted. “Picked up more than a few discounts in my day, gotten out of a hoofful of tickets, and even managed to charm my way into a Coloratura concert years back! If you want a few tips, I’d be happy to - heads up…”

Following his gaze, Nimbus turned and discovered both Saturn and Sapphire steadily making their way over. “Yeah?”

Saturn marched up and snared him in a firm but not unyielding hug. “Nimbus, I wanted to say I’m sorry,” she pouted, relenting and backing away just enough to look him in the eye. “If I’d had the slightest idea that you were orphaned at such a young age. I…I know it may not make much difference at this point, but I feel just awful about being so discourteous.”

Nimbus slipped Sapphire a fleeting glance, saw the faintest trace of a smile on her muzzle, then turned his full focus back to Saturn. “It’s fine. If I was in your horseshoes, I’d be just as skeptical myself.”

“As relieved as I am, that’s not going to cut it. If you’re willing to, I’d like to invite Sapphire and you over for dinner one night,” Saturn added.

She may have been putting on a show, although Nimbus got the feeling that she was attempting to make amends for being so abrasive. “I’d love to.”

“Perfect!” Saturn whooped. “I’ll hammer out the details with Sapphire this week.”

Nimbus folded a wing over Sapphire’s back as she leaned against him. “Sounds good.”

Spinning and plodding back to the table, Saturn motioned for Sapphire, Crumble, and him to follow. “Now that that’s settled, you have got to tell me what you think of Greener Pastures! Would you believe I was almost a councilmare?”

With a genuine smile splitting his snout, Nimbus trotted along while looking between Sapphire and the couple. Though he’d only been in Saturn and Crumble’s company, he’d already made a few revelations - even better than that, he could already tell that he and Crumble were going to get along swimmingly. As he retook his place at the table, sitting beside Sapphire, a sense of cautious optimism overtook him.

They talked for what felt like hours, their conversation meandering aimlessly from one subject to another. He tried to keep his questions to a minimum, understanding that to be coming off as too nosy might come off as ill-mannered, although he trotted away with plenty of new information to digest. After they finally parted ways, with Sapphire and himself moving in one direction while Saturn and Crumble went in another, he felt more relaxed than he had in ages.

“So…?” Sapphire expectantly inquired as she trotted along next to him.

He grinned as looked over at her. “They’re nice. Saturn isn’t what I’d call a reserved mare, but I guess that’s not uncommon.”

“It’s not,” Sapphire affirmed. “Most mares are fairly pushy, although that’s not a good thing or a bad thing; that’s just how most of us are.”

“I’m starting to gather that,” he chuckled.

Coming up to a crosswalk, Sapphire stepped in his way and faced him. “Since it’s getting a little late, do you want to go out and get a bite?”

He scrunched his snout, fully aware that he’d been living off her dime while giving perilously little in return since he’d arrived. “If you want, I can make us - well, no, I can try to make us some dinner. I saw a recipe in one of your Vanity Mare magazines for a pilaf recipe that looks simple and pretty darn tasty.”

“I…” she faltered. Her expression was hard to read, fluctuating between confused, stricken, and pleased, though she quickly collected herself. “I’d…I’d actually like that. Do we have everything we need at the house to make it?”

Recalling the recipe, he mentally checked off the ingredients in his mind. “I think the only things we need are raisins and chickpeas.”

“Just don’t burn the house down ~ alright?” she teased and brushed her shoulder against him. “Once we get home, do you want to come back out with me to the store?”

His smile broadened as he gingerly nudged her back. “Sure.”

They returned to her home, retrieved her purse, and went on their brief excursion to the grocery store while enjoying one another’s company. For something as simple as going on an errand, the excursion was startlingly pleasant - so pleasant that he felt genuinely relaxed by the time they found themselves on her doorstep. Balancing the shopping bag of beans, raisins, and a spontaneous purchase of fresh peaches in one wing, he stepped back as she unlocked and opened the door.

“Thanks,” he hummed, trotting past her and making a beeline to the kitchen.

Following after him, Sapphire slowed when he sat the bag down on the counter. “Nimbus?”

“That’s my name,” he responded before giggling to himself. “I mean, that’s my name now, but - what’s wrong?”

She stared down at the floor, her shoulders had gone slack, and any trace of joy seemed to have fled from her. “Hey - um - I’m sorry…”

“Sorry for what?” he asked, turning and trotting back to her. “Sapphire, you didn’t -”

“I didn’t believe you,” she mumbled. “I thought all this talk of yours was a hiccup or something, an anomaly of the spell being cast wrong, but a…after seeing you talking a…and…”

“Hey,” he breathed, folding his wings over her and pulling her to his chest. “It’s alright. This was a mistake, sure, but mistakes happen sometimes.”

A half truth, one that had been shifting more and more as the days drew on. It would be impossible for him to say where the fault lay, be it with her, the tome she’d borrowed, or the sorcery itself, but it was clear that she’d neither intended nor expected to rip him from his reality and into another. Stroking her back, he released her when she wriggled free and took a step back.

Squinting up at him, she held his gaze. “You mean that?”

“Cross my heart and hope to fly,” he solemnly whispered while holding a forehoof to his chest.

Her mirth returned, if only in the slightest degree, and she hesitantly spun in place. “I’m going to go get the mail. You got this?”

He gave her a stern nod and saluted with a wing. “I got this.”

The moment she was gone, he slowly exhaled. It was funny - he’d hoped that she’d believe him, but finally getting what he wanted was bittersweet. Getting her to understand exactly what she’d done, that he wasn’t some magical homunculus coltfriend crafted from stardust, was one of the biggest obstacles he’d have to surmount - now that he had, they could start putting all their efforts into setting things right and sending him home.

Opening two cabinets with his wings, he plucked a colander and bin of rice from their respective shelves with his wings as he heard hoofsteps approaching from behind him. “I gotta ask, were you intending to have me as a trophy coltfriend or were you going to put me to…” He went quiet when he looked back. Standing in the doorway, Sapphire stared down at an unfurled scroll. “Lemme guess ~ you got a bill?”

She shook her head but didn’t budge otherwise. “No…”

He waited for a reply that didn’t come, sat the rice and strainer down, then trotted over and looked over her shoulder. His brow furrowed as his eyes scanned the parchment. The letter was terse, only a hooffull of lines, but it filled him with a sense of foreboding.

Sapphire Shine,

I hope this letter finds you well. It’s come to my attention that there was an arcane anomaly within Greener Pastures recently. After a small investigation, and with several substantiated reports from the townsponies, I believe you may be able to help me figure out what is going on and if there’s any imminent threat to Equestria at large. Please contact me at your soonest convenience so we can arrange a meeting.

I look forward to speaking with you,

Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship