This City by the Bay: A Mare's Story

Chapters

Invitations
Housemates
Partners
Arrival

Invitations

Bent and stooped and burdened by an expression of pure discontent, the hulking bronze figure struck an imposing image as it sat atop its granite pedestal, looking out across the museum’s courtyard like some troubled monarch presiding over an empty kingdom.

"The Thinker," I said to myself, reading the name off a bronze plaque before I craned my neck so I could gaze up at the colossus looming above me. Harsh rugged features scowled beneath a prominent brow, deeply furrowed with thick lips pressed against five equally thick knuckles.

Well, the name certainly fit the description and the longer I looked at it, the more I felt as though I were looking at some twisted reflection of myself.

I suppose it goes without saying that my first day in the human city of San Francisco didn’t exactly end on the best of notes, what with my losing all of my most important travel documents because of a faulty saddlebag strap. The fact that I had been able to walk away from the whole experience on all four legs was nothing short of a miracle, especially considering how close I came to being run down by one those automobiles the humans had created.

I could still remember the moment when those awful machines came roaring out of the darkness with eyes glowing like balls of fire and metal faces that grinned and glared. The whole experience had been a nightmare and all I could do was sit there and watch while the whole world became crushed under the wheels of a dozen infernal machines.

By the time I’d finally gotten back to my hotel room, tired and utterly beaten down by the evening’s unfortunate turn, I looked like something that had been rescued from a storm-drain. My lime-green coat was matted and filthy and my poor beautiful mane, once the vibrant color of strawberry-pink, was now a tangled horror far too awful for me to describe.

And my tail... don’t even ask me what my tail looked like.

I was an absolute wreck and not even a three hour soak in my room’s human-sized bathtub could alleviate the weight of my worries and troubles. Thank Celestia the hotel offered 24 hour room service. Before the night was over, I had practically gorged myself on three ice-cream sundaes and a plate of pancakes drenched in raspberry syrup, all of it happily provided by the ever cheerful bellhop named Trevor, who finally managed to calm me down with a cup of his ‘special’ blend of herbal tea.

I had no idea what was so ‘special’ about his so-called ‘special’ blend, but it was warm and smooth as it washed over my tongue and coated my mouth with the spicy flavor of cinnamon. After about two cups, my nerves began to settle and I was finally able to feel like a pony once again.

For all his flamboyance, the foppish young human proved himself to be a surprisingly good listener and after I finished telling him about all that had happened earlier that evening, he offered me his personal brand of sympathy. The way he carried on, one would have thought he was performing on stage with his animated way of moving and speaking.

I think the only reason I was able to stomach more than a few seconds of Trevor’s routine was probably thanks to the calming effects of the tea he had brewed. I’m serious, the stuff worked so well that I probably could have spent a whole evening with my parents and not bat an eye.

It was around my second cup that Trevor ceased his foppish antics long enough to finally offer up something useful, suggesting that I contact the Equestrian Embassy. I was nearly floored by how simple the solution was and even more so by the fact that it was a solution that had completely passed over me. Had it not been for how relaxed I was, I probably would have leapt about my room in absolute glee.

But the tea’s soothing blanket could only last for so long and by the time I woke up the next day I was once again a jittery ball of worry and frayed nerves. I may have found a possible solution to my worst predicament, but there were still others that I would have to contend with. The loss of my money pouch had left me with almost nothing, just barely enough to last me for another two days provided that I was careful about how I used it.

Of course, once that was spent and gone, I had absolutely no idea how I would make do. I couldn’t very well wander around the countryside eating grass for the next two weeks until the boat finally arrived to take me back to Neo Equineox.

Thank Celestia I at least had the foresight to leave my boarding pass in my hotel room... in the little safe where I should have also had the foresight to place everything else.

So why, with all my concerns and all my burdens, was I wasting time at a museum, staring up a bronze figure of some naked human? The weight of my troubles felt as though I were carrying Luna’s moon on my shoulders and yet there I was, all for the sake of keeping a loosely planned date with a man that I hardly knew.

If somepony were to ask what I had been thinking at the time, I’m fairly certain that the short answer would have roughly translated into something around the lines of, ‘I don’t know.’ I suppose it really just boiled down to the fact that my troubles had even left me without a sense of harmony and I desperately needed something to bring it back, even if it was something as simple as a kind word and gentle touch.

So as far as I was concerned, the Embassy could wait, and so could my problems.

It was mid afternoon by the time I’d reached the Legion of Honor and like the cold dreary morning that had welcomed me the day I arrived, the sky was already clouded over. Endless gray stretched from one horizon to the other while chilly winds left the air so cold and dry that I could see my own breath.

The clouds themselves seemed so lifeless when I looked up at them. They hung in the sky like dead things, like ugly gray lumps floating on invisible strings and the longer I stared at their bloated underbellies the more depressed I felt.

Actually, looking back on it, I don't think it was so much the clouds that bothered me as it was the lack of pegasai weather patrols to herd them. Just another difference between Earth and Equestria to add to the increasing sense of culture shock I'd been feeling since I first arrived in San Francisco.

It was a bit of a shame really; the city was such a lovely place that it would surely benefit from its own localized weather patrol. Until then, I suppose I had no choice but to suffer through Earth's unpredictable weather cycle, along with everyone else.

With that particular thought in mind, I scrunched myself into a tight, little ball with nothing but my ridiculously puffy jacket to keep me warm while I stood alone and sullen, much like the bronze colossus that was looming over me.

It really was a marvelous piece; grotesquely beautiful and a true testament to the mastery of human craftsmanship. With its rough features and harsh shadows and the almost monstrous proportions that made up the figure's hulking form, I had no doubt it would have been regarded as visually ‘unappealing’ and perhaps even ‘ugly’ by Equestrian standards.

Make no mistake, there was indeed an ugliness to it, but it was an ugliness that was somehow balanced by the sheer beauty of the artist's skill and craftsmanship. It was certainly a different breed of creature from those elegant portraits of fine marble that could be found in almost every major park and museum in Canterlot.

Where us ponies tended to favor the pretty and visually pleasing, the master whose skillful hands had rendered this bronze figure into existence had a rougher and less refined approach. From the prominent brow to the enormous feet that extended from two well-muscled legs, the figure possessed a ruggedness that could almost be described as primal. It may have been called 'The Thinker' but the body clearly belonged to something far more raw and vigorous with strength sculpted into every bulge and lump of muscle.

So what was it that had reduced such a gladiator of a man to such a state of ponderous concentration? What devious riddle had left him the hunched the over creature sitting before me? What unsolvable problem had left him with his chin resting against his enormous fist while his mind remained locked away in the vault of his thoughts? It was almost as though I were gazing up at some ancient titan who had stopped to contemplate its own existence.

"What could you be thinking?" I said to myself.

"He's probably wondering where he left his keys."

I smiled at the sound of Daniel's voice, recognizing it instantly before turning around to see him standing only a few steps away, dressed in a thick, woolen overcoat and a scarf that gave his neck a rather puffed-up appearance. His hair was still the unruly mess that I had remembered from the day before, held in place by a hat that it clearly resented.

"Or he could be wondering if peanut is one word or two," he went on while he closed the distance between us. "With a mug like that, I'd say he could be thinking just about anything." He stood beside me and rubbed his chin and pursed his lips as though he were lost in a quandary of his own. He then buried both his hands in his pockets and smiled a strange, little smile.

"Then again..." he said with his brow furrowed. "If you stop and look at how he's seated... the angle of his slouch... the way his left eyebrow is arched just so..." He tilted his head to one side, rubbing his chin and clicking his tongue. "Yeah, you can pretty much figure out what he's thinking."

"And just what is he thinking?" I asked, unable to resist.

"I'm gonna be on this toilet all morning!" he said, deepening his voice and frowning as though he were trying to mirror the figure's grave expression. "I knew I shouldn't have gone out for tandoori last night!"

My cheeks reddened and I burst out laughing despite my best efforts to hold it inside.

"That's terrible!" I said.

"Made you laugh, didn't it?" he asked.

"That's beside the point and you know it."

"Maybe," he said. "You still looked like you could use a good laugh."

"I'm alright, Daniel," I replied, knowing it was a load of horseradish. "Really now, there's no need to worry yourself over me."

"If you say so, Dew," he replied.

“You don’t believe me?”

Daniel shrugged. "You just look like you’ve had a rough night, that’s all."

"Let's just say I needed a little something to lift my spirits." I answered, surprised by how sharp the young human could be without realizing it. "I'd actually prefer to just forget the whole thing if it's all the same to you."

I tried not to be short with him, reminding myself that his company was the whole reason I had come to the museum in the first place. His concern for me was obviously genuine, and as endearing as it made him, a pony could only take so much before they reached the point of overflow. And the last thing I wanted was alienate the only real friend I had in this strange, unfamiliar world.

"Sure, no problem," he said.

"You're sweet to be so concerned over me, but I'm a big girl."

"In other words, I'm becoming a pain in the ass and just need to back off."

"What?" I nearly gasped. "No, no, not in the least! I was just trying to..." My words trailed off when I saw the hint of a grin spreading across Daniel's face. "Oh I see… you were just joking, weren't you?" He nodded, tapping a finger to his nose.

"Of course," I replied rolling my eyes. "Now are we going to just stand around all day like a couple of cows? Or do you plan on showing me this famous museum of yours?" I tilted my head towards the main entrance. "That was the original plan, wasn't it?"

"I stand by the lady's preference," Daniel said before making a gentle sweep of his arm, with all the courtly grace of a highborn Canterlot stallion. "After you, my dear."

And thus began our second afternoon together.

With my human companion at my side I couldn't help but move with a tiny bounce in my trot, letting the clop of my hooves echo across the courtyard as we made our way to the main entrance. As expected, Daniel moved a few steps ahead so he could hold the door open for me. As I stepped past I let my tail brush against his leg. I'm not sure if he noticed, but if he did, he was very good at hiding it.

As far as museums went, the Legion of Honor proved itself to be a truly fascinating place, filled with some of the most wonderful pieces of artwork I had ever seen. Oh, I know there were bigger and more famous museums to be found on Earth, but that hardly mattered, for it was a beautiful building with plenty of equally beautiful sights to be admired.

It was almost as though we were walking through an old Equestrian palace, with its smooth marble floors and towering white columns and walls of stone that loomed above us no matter where we turned. I marveled at my surroundings as Daniel lead me through this labyrinth of spacious halls and high-ceilinged galleries, where groups of ponies and humans moved about the exhibits like a great, noisy congregation of tourists and sightseers.

Truth be told, I honestly hadn’t expected to see such a turn out, at least not for something like a museum, and that’s coming from a mare who was born and raised in the upper crust of Manehattan high society. Between the uncountable numbers of curious families, bored looking teenagers and groups of excited children on class field-trips, the museum was hardly the somber and quiet place that I had pictured it to be.

With Daniel acting as my guide, we made our way past the initial crowds and towards the museum's less congested galleries where only a few humans and ponies were scattered about, quietly admiring whatever painting or sculpture held their attention. Before long I too found myself immersed in the world that had been crafted by the human imagination.

Ahh, the human imagination. Such a strange and marvelous thing really, so full of passion and creativity and limitless potential. With ponies, it’s always been about fitting the world into two very distinct categories: Things that are pretty and things that aren't pretty.

I think it’s safe to say that we ponies have always prided ourselves on how pretty we are and have more or less spent our entire existence making sure our society was just as pretty; from our houses to our food to the frills and lace of our clothes.

Now, was there anything wrong with any of that? No, of course not. Ours has long been a culture both ancient and beautiful, the object of both admiration and envy since the first days of its founding.

Even still, Equestrian culture has always tended to get a little... how should should I put it... formulaic when it comes to things like art and decor, favoring aesthetics over variety.

Humans on the other hoof... while they certainly shared some of our sensibilities, as a species they seemed more willing to expand their horizons. From the breathtakingly beautiful to the horribly grotesque, the human imagination seemed capable of producing almost anything, from portraits of powerful rulers to scenes of tender affection shared between two lovers.

So many images to behold, like magical windows into the souls of their creators, filled with so much joy and passion and sadness and anger.

"You seem a little overwhelmed," Daniel said quietly, leaning close to me so he wouldn't be heard by the other visitors.

"Do I?" I asked before pulling my attention away from a marble bust of an imperious looking human with broad shoulders and cruel looking eyes that seemed to be glaring down at me.

"Just a little." He side-stepped his way over to a neighboring painting. "Though I honestly can't tell if it's the good kind of overwhelmed or the bad kind."

"It might actually be a little of both," I said. "Ever since I first stepped off the ship from Neo Equineox, there've been times when I wasn't sure if I should be excited or afraid." I looked up and saw the amused look on Daniel's face before quickly looking away. "It sounds silly, I know."

"It sounds like culture shock,” he replied. "The same thing happened to me fifteen years back, when my folks drove me and my sisters down to Tiajuana for my cousin's wedding. After one day in that city, I pretty much spent the rest of the trip locked away inside our hotel room with nothing to do but watch Spanish soap-operas."

He looked so serious that I found myself shrinking slightly under the intensity of his gaze. That was until the corners of his mouth pulled back into a smarmy little grin, emphasized when he winked at me from behind his glasses.

To this I just shook my head and snorted quietly. "Everything's just one, huge joke to you, isn't it?" I asked.

"You make it sound like that's a bad thing."

I would have responded had my growling stomach not interrupted me. I'm not sure how it's possible, but I think the two stallions standing at the other end of the gallery might have heard me, as they both turned their eyes in my direction, diverting their attention away from the female nude they had both been admiring.

"Oh dear," I said to myself with my cheeks flushed and eyes pointed towards the floor.

"I think your stomach just growled at me," Daniel said while pointing at my belly.

My ears folded back as I looked away in embarrassment, searching desperately for some lame excuse to stare at my hooves. Despite the fact I had gorged myself like a swarm ravenous parasprites the previous evening, I could still feel my insides crying out for more and my poor stomach clenched inside my belly.

Before I could protest, I was once again the recipient of Daniel's generosity when he offered to treat me to lunch for a second time.

Though I was glad to find that the museum had its own cafeteria, I'm afraid the same couldn't be said about the food. Besides being overpriced and embarrassingly limited in variety, everything looked so bland and tasteless. Even just by looking at it, I could tell that most of the food seemed to lack both the artistic flare of Equestrian cooking and the potent flavors that the human palate seemed to favor.

Even Daniel seemed to be having second thoughts about the sandwich he had ordered for himself.

Thank Celestia I had the foresight to stick to the cafeteria's small but decent selection of apples which were piled along with the other fruits. With a tray clenched tightly between my teeth, I followed Daniel as the two of us wove our way through a forest of chairs and tables, passing the other diners until we eventually found a quiet place to sit by the window.

Like the rest of the museum, the cafeteria was wide and spacious, brightly lit with spotless marble floors and crystal clear windows that looked out onto a luscious grove of trees. As with the hallways and galleries outside, the air was positively buzzing with the ambient noise of activity, from the clinking dishware to the murmur of a dozen different conversations carrying on at once.

As we made our way past, my eyes drifted to the other tables where I stole a few glances at some of the other diners; humans for the most part, much like the rest of the museum's visitors, with a few ponies scattered about here and there, sometimes with other ponies and sometimes in the company of a human companion like Daniel and myself.

Daniel's courteous nature revealed itself once more when he held my chair for me while I climbed into it.

"Do you always go the extra mile, like this?" I asked before taking my first bite of apple, savoring the tart, crisp flavor while Daniel took his seat across from me.

"You'd rather I didn't?" he asked while he poked at his sandwich with a fork.

"It's just been a long time since I was treated this nicely."

"If you need me to tone it back a bit—"

"You don't have to do that," I said a little too quickly, before pulling back and adding, "What I mean to say is... it's sweet of you to go out of your way for me like this, a strange pony from another world that you only just met yesterday." I looked down at the table and watched as I rolled my other apple around with my hoof. "I suppose I just don't know what to do when that sort of kindness and generosity comes along."

"Would it help to even things out if I let you pay for lunch this time?"

"It would certainly be a step in the right direction."

Daniel smiled and pointed a finger at his plate. "Then consider yourself the proud owner of this overpriced, pretentious crap." He slid the receipt over to my side of the table. "I still get to pay for dessert though."

"A dessert that won't taste like overpriced, pretentious crap?" I asked.

In the end, the only appropriate response he could come up with was to stick his tongue out at me; a gesture that I was more than happy to return with a raspberry of my own, sending a spray of spittle halfway across the table. When I saw the first disapproving looks we were getting from some of the other diners, I quickly sucked my offending tongue back into my mouth. Daniel did the same, though I don't think his look of embarrassment even came close to matching mine.

In fact, I honestly don't think there was even a look of embarrassment to begin with. It was almost as if the whole thing had just completely gone over his head.

We turned our attention back to our meals and for a while we both just sat there, quietly listening to the murmur of the other diners while we ate. Sometimes we would glance at each other from across the and I would watch as he slowly consumed his bland looking sandwich one agonizing bite after another until nothing but the crusts remained.

My stomach sighed after I swallowed my last bite of apple and when Daniel asked if I was feeling better I could only nod quietly while I licked a bit of juice from my muzzle.

"I think I needed that more than I realized," I said. "Especially after everything that happened last nigh... umm, I mean..."

Oh horse apples! I thought to myself after realizing that I'd probably said too much.

"What happened last night?" Daniel asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing really worth mentioning," I said quickly. "I just... got caught up in the rain, that's all."

"Dew," he said, once again using that funny, little nickname that he had given me. "We both know that's a load of horseshit."

Well that certainly had been unexpected.

I stared at Daniel, blinked at the bluntness of his statement as I searched for some way to respond. "You're obviously not a human who minces words," I said.

"I have my moments." he said. “So do you want to tell me about last night, or do I have to keep guessing?”

"Why is it so important for you to know?" I asked.

"Why is it so important for me not to know?" he countered.

For the love of Celestia, why did he have to be so persistent?

"I just had a bad night.” I said and let out an exasperated sigh. “That's all. No mysteries or conspiracies, just a really bad night!"

"How bad could one night have been?" He asked and I tried not to let my irritation show. "I mean... did you see some homeless guy taking a huge dump on the sidewalk or something?"

"I lost my damn passport, alright?" I practically screamed. "Along with all my important travel documents and pretty much all of my money, which means now I can't even cover the cost of my hotel room!"

I slammed my hoof down on the table causing Daniel to flinch. "The whole world's been kicked out from under my hooves and all I can do is hop on a bus and take it all the way out to some stupid museum so I can spend the day looking at a bunch of stupid paintings and watch you poke another one of your disgusting sandwiches with a fork!"

By the time I was finished I was practically gasping for breath. My heart pounded loudly and I could hear an unpleasant buzzing between my ears. It was only then that I realized that every head in the cafeteria, both human and pony, was turned towards our table.

Whatever embarrassment I had felt before was nothing compared to what I was feeling when I saw all those eyes staring at me. My ears practically molded themselves to my head as I lowered it to the table and buried my muzzle between my hooves. I really hadn't meant to snap at Daniel like that, not after all the kindness he had shown me.

I couldn't even bring myself to look at him, even when I could feel his eyes resting on me, watching me quietly while I sat there with my face attempting to permanently merge with the table. I could already feel my throat begin to tighten and scowled when I felt the first tear roll down my face.

"Dew..." Daniel said quietly. "Dew, I'm sorry."

I nearly gasped when I felt his thumb brush gently across my cheek and wiped away the tear and for a moment my nose was filled with the smell of his scent. His touch was gentle and soft and I could almost taste the salt on his skin when his thumb brushed past my lips.

"I had no right forcing that out of you," he said before bringing his hand to rest on my hoof. “I’m sorry.”

"It's alright," I whispered back with a tiny sniffle. Oh Celestia, his touch felt so right... so unbelievably right that it was almost frightening.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked, taking a moment to remove his glasses so he could rub his eyes. “I mean really talk about it. No jokes and no smart ass remarks.” He held up one hand as though he were taking an official oath. “Scout’s honor.”

“What's there to talk about?" I answered. "The strap on my saddlebags snapped and everything I'd been carrying ended up getting spilled all over the street."

"Damn," was all he could say.

"And now what hasn't been crushed and flattened is now probably spread out across the rest of the street."

"Including your passport?"

I nodded. "And just about everything else I would have needed for the return trip to Equestria." I breathed deeply, trying my best to calm myself down before I pushed my nerves over the edge. "The only thing I can do now is find the Equestrian Embassy and see if they can help get me out this whole mess. Quite honestly, I don't know whether to laugh or cry or scream."

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Dew," Daniel said. "Your situation sounds pretty bad."

"Your deduction skills are a credit to your species," I muttered.

Yes, I realize that probably wasn't the most gracious response I could have come up with, but at the moment I just couldn't bring myself to care. I was tired of the stress and tired of feeling helpless and tired of not knowing what new calamity was waiting for me around the next corner.

"I just want to be able to close my eyes, count to three and be back in my Manehattan apartment," I said.

"Afraid I can't help you there," Daniel said, seemingly unfazed by my earlier barb. "But if it's the Equestrian Embassy you need to find, then that's something I think I can help you with."

"Can you?" I asked, lifting my head from the table. "Can you really?"

"I can try looking up the phone number for you at my place," he said. "I'll even make a couple of printouts for you if you'd like."

"Oh I would!" I said. "I would be so grateful if you could do that for me." Before my excitement could carry too far, I paused suddenly, my ear twitching as I just realized part of what Daniel had just said. "Wait a minute. Did you just say, we'd be going to your place?"

"…Yes?"

"As in, the place where you live?"

"Well I certainly can't do any of that here, now can I?"

"I thought you humans all walked around with those silly little devices that most of you claim can do anything."

"Oh you mean like one of these?" Daniel asked before he reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a scuffed up bauble he had won from a carnival booth. "I don't think this thing is quite up to the task."

He unfolded the strange little object in his hand, opening it like a pocket watch to reveal the portable telephone within. The tiny numbered buttons were worn with age and the little screen above them was split down the middle by a jagged crack.

"Believe me," he went on. "I would love to have that kind of disposable income. Until then, I'm afraid I'm stuck with this outdated piece of crap."

"Oh," I said quietly.

"You know, I can alway drop the information off at your hotel if coming home with me is going to be a problem."

"The only problem is that I don't even know how much longer I'll be staying there… or anywhere else for that matter, now that I've been saddled with an almost non-existent budget." I stopped to finish the rest of apple. "And even if I could find a cheap enough place, the only way I'll be able to afford it is if I stop eating for the next two weeks."

"You could try that," Daniel said. "Or you could depend on the kindness of strangers.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Daniel replied. “Why don’t you just let me give you a place to stay at my place until you can get this whole mess straightened out."

"Oh...OH!" I sputtered, my cheeks burning brightly beneath my coat. "That would be, ummm… that is…" Oh for the love of Celestia! Why did he always have to go and complicate things further than they already were? "I wouldn't want to be a burden."

"You wouldn't be," he countered. "My apartment may not be too much to look at, but it's got enough room for two people to move around without being ass to elbow."

"It's a very kind gesture, Daniel."

"But…?"

"But, I can't ask you to do that. You've been nothing but generous with me since we first met. Yesterday you treated me to lunch and today, you’ve just taken me on a lovely tour of one of the most incredible museums I've ever seen. You've even offered to help me get in touch with the Equestrian Embassy." I reached across the table and took his hand in both my hooves. "You have no reason to go this extra mile for me."

"Are you done?" my human companion asked. "Are we really going through this song and dance again? Can't you just accept the hospitality so we can both move on with our lives?"

"It's too generous."

"It's just until you can get your problems solved," Daniel countered.

"And neither of us knows just how long that's going to take!"

We both stared at each other and it was only then that I came to realize that I was facing down my human equivalent when it came to uncompromising stubbornness. He may have been as handsome as a well-bred stallion but he was also as stubborn as a mule, and as we continued our awkward little standoff, it became all too clear that neither us was going to back down.

Surprisingly though, it was Daniel who eventually broke the silence. He removed his glasses and began to clean them, breathing onto each lens before wiping them both on his sweater. I then watched as he took his time checking them over before once again returning them to the bridge of his nose.

For a while I wasn't sure if he was going to say something, or just sit there tapping the tips of his fingers together.

"Do I have to start begging?" he finally said.

"Excuse me?"

"I'll do it, Honeydew," he went on. "I'll get down on my knees and start begging right here in front of all these people."

"You wouldn't!"

"It'll be the single most embarrassing display you'll ever witness. People and ponies will be talking about it from here to Neo Equineox and beyond the portal itself."

"I don't think you've got the guts," I challenged.

"And now you can watch while I prove you wrong." With that, my human companion suddenly rose from his chair and to my absolute horror addressed the rest of the cafeteria.

"Folks,” he announced. “I'd like to apologize to everyone in advance for what they're about to see here." And just like that, he made his way over to my side of the table and proceeded to lower himself to his knees. Whether or not he was actually planning to follow through would always remain a mystery because the moment he opened his mouth, I started batting him in the shoulder with my hoof.

"Will you sit back down!" I hissed. "What is the matter with you?"

"Hey you practically dared me to do it."

"What are you, twelve?" I asked. "Did you go to bed last night and wake up a twelve-year old boy again?"

"It would certainly explain the surprising lack of body hair," Daniel replied. "All kidding aside, will you stop treating this like a marriage proposal? All I'm doing is offering you a place to crash for the next few days."

"So what's the catch?" I asked.

"No catch," he answered. "No strings and no ulterior motives and the offer will still stand no matter how many times you try to shoot it down."

I let Daniel's words sink in, considering my options while I poked at an apple core on my plate. Was I really so averse to sharing a living space with this kind and gentle creature who had yet to give me reason to suspect his intentions of being anything less than honorable.

Truth be told, the thought of the two of us living under the same roof was enough to bring another blush to my cheeks. Just the mere thought of it was enough to send shivers of titillation down my spine and it filled my belly with a something hot and aching and impossible for me to ignore.

So why the trepidation, you might be asking?

Was it because I didn't trust Daniel?

Or was it because I didn't trust myself?

It had been nearly five years since my last serious relationship came to an unpleasant conclusion and during those first agonizing months of loneliness, I came to learn that a mare's body can an unpredictable thing when somepony starts messing with its environment. Now, after being on my own for so long, I could only imagine what sort of circus act my body was going to put me through if I agreed to become Daniel's temporary house guest.

"I don't want to put you out," was the only thing I could bring myself to say and I nearly cringed at how utterly ridiculous I sounded when the words left my muzzle.

"You won't be putting me out, Dew," he insisted. "I promise."

I scrunched my muzzle while I stopped to consider my options, which had been pretty much narrowed down to nothing.

"Before I give you an answer, " I said. "I do have a few conditions. Firstly, I'm only staying for as long as I need to."

"Sounds fair enough," Daniel replied.

"And I expect you to let me pay for at least half the expenses when it comes to food and such."

"Sure, no problem."

"And lastly…" I felt the words die in my throat when I realized that this was more or less the same laundry list of conditions I'd given my last relationship when we first moved in together. And if my memory served me correctly, I’m pretty sure the third condition involved a certain bedtime activity that was more complicated than it was worth at times.

I'm sure if you use your imagination you can pretty much get the basic idea.

"Lastly?" Daniel asked, pressing me further.

"What? Oh yes, condition three… No leaving wet towels on the floor."

"No wet towels on the floor?"

"Yeah, stuff like that's always driven me crazy," I said quickly, hoping my little ruse was convincing enough.

"Seriously?" Daniel asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's really your third condition?

"These things always sound more important when they come in lists of three,” I said, wondering if I was making a mistake by agreeing to this. I know I said that my options were pretty much non existent at that point but even still... The thought of living with a male again was almost enough to bring me to fits of anxious laughter.

"Well, you certainly know how to drive a hard bargain, Miss Blossom." Daniel stood up from his chair once more and favored me with another one of his funny little half-smiles. "I guess this means I have a new housemate." And before I could stop him, he darted off to the front counter and returned a few minutes later with a slice of apple pie in each hand.

"How about a little something to mark this auspicious occasion?" He asked before setting one of the plates down in front of me. "And I've already paid for these, so don't even think about saying no."

I looked down at the tasty looking treat that Daniel had placed in front of me and smiled despite myself. "You're the most incomprehensible human I've ever met, Daniel Laughlin," I said and my human companion just grinned and reached across the table with his fork so he could scoop himself a bite of my slice of pie.

"That's why you love me," he said before he curled his tongue around the crumbly little morsel and sighed with delight while slipping the empty fork from between his lips.

Author's Note

A special thanks to all my readers who've been waiting patiently for this chapter. Sorry to be AWOL for so long.

And another special thanks to my proofreaders. I honestly couldn't have done this without you guys.

More chapters to come, guaranteed.

Housemates

When both our bellies were good and full, my human companion and I said our farewells to the Legion of Honor, taking in one last look at the museum's majestic structure as we made our exit. I took a moment to admire the Thinker's colossal bronze form one last time before Daniel lead me out of the courtyard and towards the museum's enormous parking lot.

I suppose after my rather unfortunate experience with the human's automobiles from the night before, I was less than thrilled to be in an area the was full of them. Whether it was a car or truck or one of those monstrous buses that lumbered about like clumsy whales, moving fast or slow or just parked on their inflated wheels, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with the beastly machines.

So you can imagine my less than enthusiastic response when Daniel raised one hand so he could hail one of those taxis that I had seen many times since arriving in San Francisco. I watched with a mix of fascination and apprehension as the vehicle pulled up along the edge of the sidewalk, painted in the most appalling shade of yellow and reeking of petroleum.

Suffice to say, it took quite a bit of gentle coaxing from my human companion before I was finally able to work up the courage to enter the taxi's cramped interior. The moment I settled myself into the back seat my world became an all encompassing smear of dark, tobacco-smelling stickiness that I could feel crawling up my skin like spider legs.

It wasn’t long before I started to wonder if this whole thing had been terrible mistake.

When the smell of stale cigarette smoke and air freshener first touched my nostrils, it was so thick and putrid that I had to stick my head out the window just to avoid being sick. The bumpiness of the ride certainly didn't help matters, nor did the fact that San Francisco was a city that had been built on a bunch of hills that always seemed to be in competition with one another.

It was enough to make war on anyone's stomach, pony or otherwise.

When Daniel saw that both the smell and the bumps and the agitation were starting to bring me to the edge of nausea, he asked me if I was alright. When I didn’t answer him, too preoccupied with keeping my lunch down, he reached over and started to gently rub his hand up and down my back in an attempted to alleviate some of my discomfort.

My ears perked at the sound of his voice as he whispered for me to relax.

His hand was so warm and gentle that it almost set my skin ablaze the moment he touched me. Though I flinched at first, the feel of his hand moving slowly up and down my back was enough to reduce my every bone and muscle to jelly and I soon found myself leaning against him, closing my eyes and letting myself forget about everything else.

The taxi…the hills…the smells… All of it just seemed to wash away until all that remained was myself and my human companion and the quiet affection he all but lavished upon me.

I think that I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I was suddenly pulled from a strange dream involving custom agent Bullafarht being devoured by a swarm of ravenous parasprites. When the fuzz finally cleared from my head, I found that during my nap I had somehow managed to curl up beside Daniel with my head resting on his leg. He smiled when I looked up at him and gave my shoulder a small nudge.

"Honeydew," he whispered. "It’s time to put your shoes on, we're at Grandma's."

The combination of his warmth and the softness of his leg made it a rather difficult task to accomplish and I found myself stretching like a cat rousing from a very long nap. It was only then that I finally took notice of the taxi's lack of movement and the all too noticeable stability that now rested beneath my hooves.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Home," was all Daniel said before unlatching the seat-belt and sliding out the door.

I crawled across the backseat, doing my best to ignore the smells that seemed to come belching up from the cushion each time I set my hoof down. Bit by nauseating bit, I finally managed to make my way towards the door and onto the sidewalk outside. From there, I watched while Daniel paid the driver's fair before the taxi pulled away so it could merge with the rest of the traffic.

"Honeydew Blossom," he said with a sweep of his arm. "Welcome to Chinatown."

I blinked at the name, recognizing it from all the travel guides and brochures I had read before going through the Gate. My eyes started roaming, once again drinking in the sight of the new environment in which I had found myself.

Like the promenades of Fisherman's Wharf, the district seemed to be entirely made up of storefronts and restaurants, many festooned in garish looking facades of reds and golds and greens. Everywhere I looked, I could see rows of strange looking calligraphy made from harsh, slashing lines that formed words that I could not read. Images of dragons, like mad-eyed serpents adorned the entrance to one of the more fancier establishments while a pair of ferocious looking statues of snarling beasts watched over the doorway.

After a moment of taking in the sights, it became clear that a vast majority of the district's residents were made up of families of humans from one of Earth's 'eastern' counties. Their faces were sharp and golden hued at first glance, with a touch of bronze and smooth black hair to emphasize their almond shaped eyes.

Mothers tended to round faced children who toddled about in puffed up jackets and little wool hats to protect them from the cold while groups of adolescents loitered about the street corners. Across the street, I could even see a pair of older looking men presiding over some sort of game. They both sat like a couple of hunched over gargoyles while groups of onlookers crowded around them, watching each move they made with with such intensity that that one would think it was they who were the ones playing the game.

I know it wasn't the first time I had seen humans of Asian descent, seeing as how the ongoing influx of tourism and immigrants coming through the Gate each day had made Equestria veritable melting pot of human activity, but it was a whole other experience to actually see them on their home turf.

"Dew," I heard Daniel call out to me. When I looked up I saw that he had already started making his way down the street. "It's this way."

"Coming!" I called back, trotting after him until we were once again moving side by side at a leisurely pace.

It could only last for so long however as I soon came to learn that in Chinatown, everyone was always in some sort of a rush. Everywhere I turned I could see dozens of humans and even one or two ponies, all moving along the sidewalks in a manner that could only be compared to a herd of stampeding buffalo. Actually, looking back on the whole experience, I'd say it was almost like being caught in an avalanche and on more than a few occasions I had to stay close to Daniel in order to keep myself from getting trampled.

I continued to follow my human companion as he led me past rows of food stalls and grocers, each selling everything from strange looking fruits and vegetables to bags of rice and tins filled with fragrant smelling leaves. There were stores that even seemed to specialize in nothing but dried goods and herbal remedies that hung on the walls of their shops like the sun-baked husks of shed basilisk skin.

We even passed one of the local fish markets where rows of dead fish were laid out on beds of ice while others floated about aimlessly in large tanks of water, blissfully ignorant of the grizzly fate that awaited each and every one of them.

After circumnavigating the rest of the crowds, we eventually arrived at a tight little cluster of buildings, squat and rather ugly looking with exposed brick exteriors and windows that were mostly covered up by hanging laundry. I was led down a narrow path that cut between the two largest buildings, dark and ripe with the smell of mildew and garbage. All along the walls, I could see countless pipes and cables, like a webwork of veins bulging from the brick itself.

My vision was suddenly obscured by an unexpected blast of steam that seemed to come out of nowhere. The suddenness of it startled me and I took several steps back, stamping my hoof against the ground.

"You okay?" Daniel asked.

"I think so," I said, breathing in and out, using a relaxing technique that Platinum had taught us during one of her orientations. "I can't believe this is where you live."

"Having second thoughts?" he asked.

"After coming all this way? Hardly!" And with a flick of my tail I continued onward with my nose in the air as I made my way past my human companion.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me," Daniel said to no one in particular and I just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Thank Celestia the alley didn't go much further, opening up into a dreary little park that lay tucked away in the shadow of the surrounding apartment buildings. Everywhere I looked, the ground was littered with all manner of trash from old food wrappers to broken bottles; a splay of castoffs left behind to be some other human's problem. I did my best to not be too put off by my less than flattering surroundings and continued to shadow Daniel as he led me towards the smallest building which stood wedged between its larger siblings like the runt of the litter.

Like the rest of the area, the building didn’t really leave the best first impression, especially when we had to pass through the main entrance which looked as though it had been taken from an old jail cell or some long abandoned dungeon. Once unlocked, he pushed the door open with an iron-heavy swish and soon we were both making our way up the creaking steps of a narrow staircase.

Step by treacherous step, we made our way up to the third floor where Daniel's was waiting for us. Down the dimly lit hallway we continued, moving past one door after another before we finally reached the very last one on the left.

"I really hope you’ll forgive my lack of preparation for your arrival," Daniel said before he was finally able to get the door unlocked with a brassy ‘click’. He stepped through first, nearly disappearing behind a slick of darkness with me following only a few steps behind. My hooves clopped against a hard-wood floor and every time I took a step it was like walking with a blindfold.

"And man said, let there be light!" he exclaimed before flipping a switch on the wall. An overhead light suddenly sparked to life, filling the room with a dull, yellow glow, allowing me to have my first look at the apartment for the first time.

I think small was probably the first word that came to mind when I first began to take in my new surroundings. Walls that looked as though they hadn’t been repainted in decades rose from a hardwood floor, colored in an off-white hue that caught the yellow glow of the overhead light. One side of the room didn't even have that much, just a wall of exposed red brick, unpainted and bare, save for the few posters and photographs tacked to its naked surface.

The furniture looked as though it had been purchased at a yard sale, from the ragged looking couch with the chewed up arms to the ancient looking television sitting in the corner. A tiny kitchen extended from the main living area, so small and cramped that it almost seemed like it had been included as an afterthought.

"Welcome to my Sanctum Solarium," my human companion said with obvious pride in his voice. "Our breakfast hours begin at seven a.m. and end at ten, Monday through Friday. Any questions or complaints can be directed at myself or any of our on-call staff."

And here I thought the flamboyant bellhop at my hotel had a taste for the melodramatics. "I'll be sure to keep all that in mind, Daniel." I replied with a roll of my eyes as I stepped deeper into the apartment.

Now, I'm going to be perfectly honest with you; when it came to simple housekeeping, Daniel’s skills left much to be desired. In fact, I think I'd even go as far as to call him one of the worst house-keepers I had ever encountered. Empty glasses seemed to sprout from every flat surface like patches of translucent fungus, from the coffee table to the makeshift bookcase leaning against the wall. Old socks and shirts lay strewn about the floor and couch along with several piles of magazines and old newspapers.

To put it simply, the place was two steps away from being a complete and total dump and I think the only thing it had going for it was the fact that it didn't reek of old laundry and week old garbage. The bathroom probably could have used a scented candle or two but I suppose that could be forgiven.

It was strange really. Despite their obvious differences, men and stallions were remarkably similar, seeing as how they were both practically lost without someone or somepony to keep their lives from slipping into complete and total chaos.

"So?" Daniel asked while he helped me out of my jacket. "What's the verdict?"

"It's…" I began, laboring on the 's' as I frantically searched for something to say. "It's nice… yes, it's a very nice place you have here." And I suppose it wasn't a complete lie. The apartment did have a certain charm to it,, not all that different from my old room from my days at Talent School. "It could use a mare's touch here and there, but I think you've done… well for yourself."

I turned to face him while he tossed my very expensive jacket on the couch, along with his own coat and sweater and anything that just happened to be in his pockets at the time. My mouth opened before quickly snapping shut, trapping the horrified squeak that had suddenly blossomed from deep inside my throat.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," I replied a little too quickly while I stared at my jacket heaped upon Daniel's couch. "I don't suppose you have… I don't know… someplace you can put those? A closet perhaps?"

"Yeah, but I'm currently using it to store my meth lab," he replied. "At least until I can afford to buy myself one of those big-ass camper vans, like the one those guys had in Breaking Bad."

"I really do hope you're not being serious, Daniel."

"Dew, after knowing my for nearly two days, do you really need to ask?"

"No I suppose not," I answered. "In any case, I really should thank you once more for doing all of this for me. I honestly don't know what I would have done had you not taken me in like this."

"Come one, Dew," Daniel said with a dismissive wave. "You know you don't need to thank me for that."

"You can say that as many times as you need to, Daniel," I countered, poking his stomach with my hoof. "But I'm going to say it anyway." I poked him a second time, causing him to giggle. "And I'm going to keep saying it no matter how much you tell me not to."

"I just can't win against you can I?"

I grinned at him. "No you can't."

"Fine, fair enough." He stepped into the kitchen and flipped on another light. "You want something to drink? I've got… let's see here." He went over to the refrigerator and opened it just wide enough fro him to stick his head through. "I've got soda… O.J… some purple stuff… and I seem to be all out of Sunny D."

"Just water if it's not too much trouble."

Daniel touched his finger to the tip of his nose before grabbing the nearest glass from off the counter, one that I'm sure he had used previously and simply forgot to put away. I watched with widening eyes while my host proceeded to fill the glass with water from the faucet.

Celestia above, what had I gotten myself into?

I did my best to keep a straight face when he handed me the glass. I clutched it between my hooves, knowing for certain that it was in fact a glass of water that I was holding despite the voice in the back of my head telling me it was something else entirely. The longer I stared at it, the more my equine brain tried to convince me that I was holding some noxious mixture that had been pilfered from a science lab. For a moment, I could have sworn that I saw something looking back at me before disappearing beneath the water's surface.

"Thank you," I said, pretending to take a sip before placing it on the coffee table.

I watched as Daniel made his way across the room, taking a seat on the couch before inviting me to join him. When I climbed onto the neighboring cushion, I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the ratty old piece of furniture actually was.

"So," Daniel said, trying his best to mask the uncertainty in his voice.

"So," I mirrored him.

"Things have certainly taken an interesting turn, haven't they?"

"I'd be lying if I said that I hadn't noticed."

"And you're okay with that? You're sure you're not having any second thoughts now that you've stepped into the belly of the beast."

"No, no, of course not!" I said said, paused for a moment before then adding, "Alright, maybe just a tiny bit."

"I know it's not a five-star suite at the Fairmont but–"

"It's fine, Daniel," I said. "I don't plan on staying long, so as far as temporary accommodations go, I think your apartment is everything that it needs to be." My human companion blinked several times and for a one heart-stopping moment, I was almost certain that I had said something to offend him.

"Honeydew Blossom," he said slowly. "I think that's just about the nicest thing anyone's ever said about this glorified flop-house since I first moved in."

"Oh… you're quite welcome." I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm glad my approval means so much to you."

Our moment of relaxation was brought to an abrupt end by the ringing of Daniel's phone. Cursing under his breath once more, he pulled the obnoxious little device from his pocket and flipped it open so he could bring it to his ear.

"Zack if this isn't you calling to tell me that we've been nominated for a Crowbar Award I am hanging up this phone… Yes I'm on my mobile… Yes I know you can't technically hang up a mobi– seriously, Zack are we really doing this?" He stopped talking long enough to hear what the voice on the other end of the line, something I always thought made humans look ridiculous whenever I saw them doing it.

"Uh-huh," he said. "How bad are we talking about?… Uh-huh… Right, so where exactly do I fit into all this?" Another silent pause, longer than the previous and with each passing second I could see the frown on Daniel's face deepening. "Okay, so why can't you just get Rusty to take care of it? I mean in all fairness he probably understands those codes better than I could… what do you mean he's already gone home for the day?"

He stopped to take a quick look at his watch "Zack, it's only a quarter past three… Uh huh… Shin dared him to what?… How much wasabi?… Your kidding!…The whole thing?" He shook his head slowly and I could see by the look on his face it wasn't good, whatever it was he had been told. "Alright I guess that's as good a reason as any."

Daniel suddenly rose to his feet, giving his back a stretch before grabbing his jacket from the pile. "I can be there in twenty minutes, maybe fifteen if I'm in time to catch the next bus." He closed the jacket with a quick pull of the zipper. "And you can tell the others that I'm well aware that it's nine days till Christmas, so they can stop emailing me pictures with my face photoshopped to look like the Grinch."

With that, the device clicked off with flip of Daniel's thumb.

"Well shit on me and call me a double-fudge sundae!" he said.

"You'll forgive me if I decline that particular offer," I replied and he actually looked surprised when he heard my voice, spinning around to face me as though I had just set off the world's loudest party-popper.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I guess I sort of forgot you were sitting there."

I grinned at his look of embarrassment. "I never realized that I blended in so seamlessly with the rest of your apartment," I said. "Is everything alright?"

"Ugh!" Daniel groaned, holding up his phone. "Every time I have to answer this stupid thing, I feel like I'm putting a gun to my head!" He then brought the device to his temple. "Sometimes I think it would be less painful if I just used the real thing."

"It's nothing too serious, I hope."

"That all depends on your definition of 'serious'." he replied. "I am going to have to head out for a while to take care of this little set back, though."

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" I asked

"I honestly have no idea" Daniel said. "This sort of stuff can take anywhere between a few minutes to a few hours. It all pretty much depends on what sort of damage we're looking at.

"I see."

"I'm really sorry to leave you alone like this, Dew."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Not unless you know how rewrite seventy-five lines of corrupted C++ code."

"Then I'm afraid that you're on your own as far as that goes."

"All part of the glamorous world of independent game development," Daniel said before wrapping his scarf around his neck. "We're nearly two weeks behind schedule and less than a month away from deadline. What does the lead artist do to celebrate the occasion? He dares one of our programmers to eat enough wasabi to send him to the fucking emergency room!"

"The poor thing," I said, remembering my own ill-fated experience with the pasty-green substance that I'm still convinced had been made from concentrated hydra venom. Suffice to say, it was the last time I let Ever Ring talk me into going out for vegetarian sushi for lunch. "I hope he's not in too much pain."

"You want to feel sorry for someone Dew?" Daniel asked. "Then feel sorry for the poor bastard that's gonna have to fill in for him so we don't wind up being three weeks behind schedule." He slipped his hat over his head and gave himself a quick once-over. "If that wasn't bad enough, I've also got about seventeen programmers and artists ready to throw an office riot because they're going to have to work during their Christmas break."

"I see," was all I could really say.

"Just one of those things you gotta take care of when you’re working on a project like ours," he said before snatching up his keys and heading straight for the apartment's front door. He stopped only when his hand touched the doorknob and turned to face me once more. "Are you sure you're going to be alright here all by yourself?"

"I'm pretty sure I'll be able to manage, Daniel"

"You sure?"

"Positive," I said. "Now go do what you need to do. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to find something to keep myself occupied until you get back."

"I might be able to help with that." Daniel then picked up a thin rectangular object with one side riddled with large, square buttons. Each was marked with either a number or an arrows or some other strange symbol that I was unable to recognize. "You know how to use a T.V?" he asked.

"When I came over from Neo Equineox, they had one in the ship's rec-room," I said. "It was easy enough to figure out, but after browsing everything the ship had to offer, I found that there just wasn't anything worth watching."

"Sixty-three channels," Daniel returned, tossing the remote onto the couch. "I won't make any promises but I'm fairly confident that you'll be able to find at least something in there that isn’t complete crap."

"I appreciate the thought, Daniel," I said. "And don't worry about your apartment, I'll gladly watch after it as though it were my own."

"Then I shall leave it in your capable hooves until I return," said Daniel before he nodded towards the kitchen. "My refrigerator is kind of pathetic at the moment, but feel free to scrounge around if you start to get hungry."

"Thank you," I said.

"And there's plenty of hot water if you decide to wash up." he went on. "Just remember to give it a minute or two to clear out the rust."

"Ummm… alright. I'll be sure to remember that."

"And if you gotta use the toilet, always remember to let it flush for thirty seconds, or you'll have to do it a second time. And don't freak out if a little bit comes back up, because that's perfectly normal."

"Shouldn't you have been out the door by now?"

"Okay, okay, we'll consider the line officially drawn on that one." With a brassy click, he pulled the door open and turned to face me one last time. "I'll try to pick up something for dinner on my way home."

"Please be careful, Daniel," I said.

My human companion just grinned. "You can send out the search parties if I don't return within a fortnight." He winked at me as he stepped out of the apartment and pulled the door shut behind him.

And so, left to my own devices once more, I slid off the couch and gave my legs a stretch before setting off to do a little exploring. After a second walk through, I realized that the apartment was actually rather cute, or at least it would have been were it not for the few obvious flaws that fouled up the rest of the package. Between his lack of organizational skills and inability to take anything seriously, it was a wonder that Daniel hadn't driven himself out of his own apartment.

I poked my head into the kitchen, still unable to believe just how small it was, from the tiny stove tops to the stunted looking refrigerator that rumbled to itself as it sat in the corner. After a quick look through the kitchen's few cupboards, I was almost horrified to discover that the only food that Daniel's apartment had to offer was a sad looking assortment of pre-packaged goods.

From boxes of brightly colored cereal to bags of corn chips that crinkled at the slightest touch, Daniel's taste in food seemed to be limited to whatever could be packed and preserved in plastic and a cardboard box.

The apartment's only bathroom proved to be not that much better than the kitchen, with everything crammed together so tightly that I could barely move around without bumping into something. The bathtub on the other hoof proved to be a rather amusing sight when I saw just how tiny it was.

Even by pony standards a tub that size would have been considered ridiculous and I had to stop and wonder how a human was even expected to use such a thing. I nearly laughed myself to tears when I imagined Daniel attempting to fit himself inside, squeezing his arms and legs into a tight ball until his knees were pressed against his chin.

Oh well, at least he knew how to keep a clean toilet, which I'm now fairly certain would have been the final deal-breaker.

Because the only place left for me to explore was Daniel's bedroom, I decided to bring my little self-directed tour to an early conclusion, leaving me with nothing else to do but look at the various pictures and images that Daniel had tacked to the walls. From posters and magazine covers framed in glass, to photographs and newspaper clippings, it was almost like looking at a page that had been taken from a very large photo album.

There was one photograph in particular that managed to capture my attention the moment I first laid eyes on it. I stepped closer, staring up at the framed picture of Daniel standing next to none other than Princess Luna herself. My mouth nearly dropped to the floor and for a few seconds I forgot how to breathe.

The Princess looked so regal as she stood beside the young human, smiling at the camera while using her alicorn magic to sign her name on a poster with the words 'E3 2015' written on it. The look of excitement on Daniel's face was just too adorable to ignore and I found myself smiling at the image. A sense of admiration for my Princess washed over me as I watched her bask in the adoration of Daniel and his fellow humans. There was clearly a story behind the picture and I made a mental note to ask him about it when he finally got home.

After a while I eventually got bored with nosing around Daniel's things. With nothing left to explore, save for Daniel’s bedroom, I made my way over to the pair of windows that stood at the other end of the living room. I stepped up to the closest one and with all the bounce of a spring, raised myself onto my hind legs so I could have a look at the view outside.

A shame the only 'view' Daniel's apartment had to offer was one that was all but dominated by the unwashed backsides of the neighboring buildings. I peered through the window with a look of disappointment when I saw just how badly these fat, ancient stumps of brick and mortar obscured the rest of the urban landscape like a set of badly placed curtains.

On the other hoof, the view did provide more than a few opportunities for me to peer into the windows of some of the other apartments. As I pressed my muzzle against the glass, I found myself looking from one window to another, taking in the sights each one had to offer from small glimpses into kitchens to full views of living rooms that were even more disheveled than Daniel's.

At one point, I even found myself engaged in an unexpected staring match with a cat sitting in the window directly across from me. I won of course, but only because the cat's attention was quickly drawn to a pigeon that suddenly flew by.

All the windows were pretty much identical in every way, save for the few that were decked in strings of colored lights that flickered and blinked like tiny stars. Peering closer, I could even see one of the human's decorated Christmas trees that were all but identical to the ones ponies put up around Hearth's Warming Eve.

With their prickly, green branches adorned with all manner of baubles and ornaments and lights that blinked like the ones lining the windows outside, it was almost as though I were looking at a tiny piece of Equestria that had somehow found its way through the Gate.

Hearth's Warming Eve and Christmas.

Nightmare Night and Halloween.

Hearts and Hooves and Valentines.

There were times when the similarities between our two cultures was almost staggering and it often left me wondering what else ponies and humans will find they have in common.

With most of my equine curiosity satisfied, I once again returned to my place on Daniel's lumpy, moth-eaten couch and felt the springs creaking beneath me as I lowered myself into the cushion. After I managed to get comfortable, I looked down at the television remote that Daniel had set aside for me before he left. I leaned in close and sniffed the device before poking it a few times with the tip of my hoof.

After the Gate had linked our two worlds together, word of the human's technology quickly spread. Stories and rumors and far-fetched tales moved from mouth to ear then back to mouth again. It wasn't until the day of the Equestrian World's Fair, where many different examples of Earth's technologies finally made their debut and ponies from all over could finally see for themselves what their human neighbors were capable of.

I held the remote between my hooves and traced my eyes along the rows of numbered buttons. I suppose it goes without saying that I had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to do, having little to no experience with either remote controls or televisions. I must have done something right, because the moment I pressed my hoof to one of the larger buttons the television suddenly sparked to life.

Suffice to say, the unexpectedness of it all was enough to leave me more than a little started. When I finally managed to coax myself out from behind the couch, I settled in once more and attempted to make sense of the piece of 'alien' technology that Daniel had left in my care. After a little more trial and error, I eventually figured out the remote's basic functions and proceeded to browse the television’s various channels and stations, amazed by how many different programs were available and the range of topics they covered.

From sports to news to shows that seemed to be all about cooking and food preparation, there seemed to be no limit. There were shows that took place in greasy looking workshops and others that followed the everyday lives of those that others considered famous. There were comedies revolving around the antics of a single family and even heart-stopping dramas that left the mind reeling.

On and on this went, with me making several full cycles through all the channels, including the ones that were nothing but static and noise. It wasn't until my third sweep that I finally settled on what appeared to be some sort of mystery story, one that followed the exploits of a very eccentric detective and his level-headed companion.

It was strange experience, perhaps almost as strange as watching all those foals playing in the arcade, with me just sitting there and staring into this flickering window of electrified color and light. After getting used to the idea of looking at something that I knew wasn’t really there, I sat back and watched as the two humans worked together in order to uncover whatever devious plot had been placed before them.

Though I was often left a little confused by what was happening, I found myself gradually becoming more and more captivated by both the story and the way all the answers seemed to just fall into place one tiny piece at a time. At least that was until my body could no longer resist the feeling of exhaustion that had finally caught up to me. My eyes grew heavy and it took everything I had to try and keep them open, at least until I could see who it was that was behind the devious mystery.

In the end, the tendrils of sleep eventually overpowered me, wrapping me in a gentle cocoon that blossomed inside of me like a bouquet of iridescent flowers. Behind my eyelids dreamscapes fluttered. The world peeled away like the skin of an orange until nothing remained but the sweet feeling of being bathed in the warm caress of Daniel’s hands.

I'm not really sure how long I was asleep, but my nap was eventually brought to a close when I felt myself drifting back into the world of the waking. I lifted my head from my hooves, yawning out the last bit of dream-fuzz from between my ears. My nose was soon touched by the welcoming smell of food wafting in the air and when I was finally able to blink my eyes back into focus, I was surprised to find a pair of unfamiliar plastic bags sitting on the coffee table.

I peered at them curiously, leaning in so I could have a closer look and maybe even have a sniff of the strange but appetizing aromas that had pulled me from my slumber.

"Her Majesty awakes," Daniel said, surprising me as he suddenly stepped out of the kitchen with a small pile plates and bowls and silverware in his hands. "I was starting to think that I was going to have to eat alone, tonight."

"You're home early," I said groggily, rubbing my eye with one hoof. "I honestly didn't think you would be back so quickly."

"Umm…Honeydew," Daniel replied, raising an eyebrow. "I've been gone for nearly six hours." He nodded towards the window and truth be told, I honestly wasn't expecting to find the afternoon sky had been covered over by night time's black curtain.

My ears pulled back and I looked away in embarrassment. "Right…" I said with a shy laugh, praying to Celestia that he couldn't see the blush creeping across the my cheeks. "I guess…I must have dozed off."

"Happens to everyone, Dew," he assured me before reaching into both bags and pulling out several white boxes. I watched as he set them down side by side, arranging them in a way that seemed almost uncharacteristic for him. Each box wafted with curls of steam that filled my nose with the smell of freshly cooked vegetables and spices and other tantalizing things that I couldn't quite put my hoof on. "Hope you don't mind that I picked something up on the way home."

"Why would I mind?" I asked, my nostrils flaring as I breathed in the foreign smelling aromas that practically radiated from each box. "What is it?"

"Chinese takeout from the place down the street. And don’t worry, I ordered from the vegan side of their menu, so no meat.… You know… just in case you were wondering about that."

"It all smells really good," I felt my stomach start to rumble as I licked my lips. "Thank you so much, Daniel."

Daniel grinned. "Think of it as the dinner to go with your show," he said before setting a couple of plates and forks in front of us. "You've already had your show, so now all that's left is the dinner."

"But there wasn't any show," I teased. "Are you trying to get cheap with me, Daniel?"

"You've seen my apartment haven't you?" he replied, opening a can of soda and pouring us both a glass. "Don't they have freak shows in Equestria?"

"That's terrible!" I said, laughing as I lowered myself onto my stomach with my hooves hanging over the edge of the couch.

"I do my best," Daniel returned. "Now what do you say we dig in while we both still have appetites."

"You'll get no arguments from me," I said and together we spent the rest of the evening enjoying perhaps one of the most incredible meals I had eaten since leaving Equestria.

The food was both exotic and delicious, with each box containing one mouth-watering dish after another. There was freshly cooked rice and something that Daniel called egg rolls that crunched like fresh carrots when I bit down into their paper thin crusts. There was an assortment of differently prepared vegetable as well, some plainly steamed while others were stir-fried in a spicy sauce that tasted like garlic and pepper. He'd even brought back a carton of soup that sizzled loudly when he poured in the deep-fried rice that came with it.

Daniel wasted no time digging into the small feast set before us and neither did I. While my human companion busied himself with the soup and noodles, I chose to go straight for the stir-fried vegetables, relishing the tempest of flavors that exploded in my mouth the moment I took my first bite. The sweet, tangy flavor and spices and the way the vegetables practically melted on my tongue were like nothing I would have expected from food that had just come out of a box.

I'm a little embarrassed to say it, but I think I ended up eating the stallion's share of the food and found myself quickly going back for seconds and thirds while Daniel was still on his first. He didn't seemed to mind though, in fact whenever there was even a hint of my plate getting empty he was always there to ladle me another helping.

Sometimes I would lift my muzzle from my food and just simply watch him as he ate, amused by the way he would shovel stringy tangles of noodles into his mouth, slurping them up like a bird gorging on worms. One particularly lengthy bit of noodle took longer than the rest and both Daniel and I ended up laughing when one of them suddenly whipped around and smacked him in the eye.

Meal conversation drifted about at its own pace, once again moving from one topic to the next without any real sense of itself. It wasn't until I asked him about his picture with the Princess that things finally started to pick up.

"It was at last year's E3 convention," he said. "And my partner had somehow managed to snag us a booth in the independent developer's section. I'm sure he must've bribed someone, or at least that's as far a scenario as my sick imagination is willing to venture. Either way, we had ourselves a place to showcase our project at one of the biggest video game conventions in the world."

He stopped to pour me a second helping of soda. I smiled, thanking him before tipping the glass back and savoring the sweet taste of the fizzy beverage as it washed over my tongue.

"So anyway," he went on. "There we are, Zack and I. We're both sitting at our booth like a couple of really dumb kids running the most pathetic looking lemonade stand on the street. So after two days of this, we're both ready just to call it quits and cut our losses. Actually, Zack was the one who was ready to call it quits and I was the one who was ready to commit ritual suicide as a last ditch attempt to get a little attention."

"It sounds like it was very frustrating," I said.

"Dew, it was a nightmare of epic proportions," Daniel replied "Half the people at the convention ignored us and the rest thought we were some kind a joke… or a publicity stunt. Whatever they thought we were, it was pretty clear that no one was going to take us seriously." He leaned back into the couch, his hands pressed over his eyes as he made a noise that I could describe as being somewhere between a groan and a sigh. His fingers plowed through the disheveled mop of his dark hair, pulling back the skin of his face as though he were trying to stretch it over his entire head.

"But none of that mattered after she suddenly showed up."

"Princess Luna?" I asked.

Daniel nodded, looking over at the photograph of the two of them mounted on the wall. "The Mistress of Midnight herself." He then began to laugh, shaking his head while he rested his cheek against his knuckles. "Seeing her there was such a shock that I think I just about shit a brick the moment she started talking to us."

"I can only hope you were able to hold it in until you could find the nearest restroom."

"Only just barely," he said. "Though surprisingly enough, the Princess turned out to be much more approachable than I honestly would have expected from a member of Equestrian Royalty… one that's supposedly immortal and able to control the movement of an entire moon? Not exactly the type you'd expect to see at a videogame convention of all places."

"What was she doing there?" I asked, still having a hard time believing what I was hearing. "I know the Princess had announced an interest to study Earth’s cultures more closely but I never once imagined her curiosities would take her… well… to such strange places."

"Hey, at least it wasn’t at a furry convention."

"A what?"

"It’s nothing, forget I even said anything." Daniel took a sip of his soda. "And to answer your first question, I can only imagine the Princess was there for the same reason as everyone else; to satisfy a near-religious love of the electronic arts."

"Unbelievable," I said quietly. "Princess Luna… Royal Sister to Princess Celestia…and lover of human videogames…" I couldn't help but laugh at what I'd just heard myself say out loud. "I honestly never would have figured her for having an interest in such things."

"From what I understand, she supposedly got hooked on the whole gaming scene while she was attending university." said Daniel. "I heard she even calls herself ‘GamerLuna’ whenever she’s playing on multiplayer.

"What was it that drew her attention to your booth?" I asked, genuinely intrigued by my human companions story. "We are talking about one of Equestria's rulers after all, and one with a reputation for having quite a taste for the theatrics. And from the way you described it, you and your friend weren't exactly a high-point at this convention."

"I think Zack may have dared me to take my pants off at some point."

"No, really," I said, trying to coax him further. "I really do want to know."

"Truth?" Daniel asked. "I'd say that it had a lot to do with our project."

"Why yours?" I asked. "I know you've mentioned this project of yours before, but I feel like I still don't really know what it's about." I reached over and gave him a friendly nudge. "I don't think I've ever met a human or pony who could spend so much time talking about something without actually saying what it is they're talking about."

"What can I say?" Daniel replied. "I've always been a natural born motormouth,"

"Oh I knew that from the first moment I met you." I moved across the couch, flashing Daniel an impish grin as I crawled my way towards him. "So what's the big secret?"

"No secret," he said, scooting back an inch as I closed the distance between us. "I just wasn't sure if you'd understand what I was talking about."

"I'm more than willing to try if you are."

"You promise you won't laugh?" he asked.

"I'll Promise that I'll try very hard not to." I gave my eyelashes a flutter and tilted my head just so, letting my mane tumble over one shoulder. "Come on Daniel…Pretty Please." I pulled my ears back and added a little extra pout to my lips.

Daniel laughed, clearly unable to resist the same face that I had been using on my father since I was a little filly. He was quiet for a moment, favoring me with a lopsided grin before removing his glasses, once again reminding me just how different he looked without them. He tapped them against his knee before leaning back so that his face was once again parallel with the ceiling.

"Remember how I said that ponies could save the arcade industry?" he finally asked.

"I remember you saying something about that," I answered, surprised by how serious his tone had become.

"Well, that wasn't just me trying to be cute," He said. "I really do think it's possible."

"If you don't mind my asking," I said. "What do you have to base that on?"

"Well, you saw how many colts and fillies were in that arcade."

"One crowded arcade doesn't necessarily mean a growing trend, Daniel."

"Do you realize that nearly all the old-school arcades in California have pretty much been closed down?" Daniel asked. "And the ones that haven't are just barely getting by. The one you saw at the Pier was probably just one year away from shutting its doors as well."

"And ponies are the reason that never happened?" I asked.

"Exactly!" Daniel replied with a snap of his finger. "When tourism between Earth and Equestria finally started to pick up, colts and fillies pretty much fell in love the moment they laid their eyes on their first Pac-Man machine." He smiled when he said that, almost as if he were reciting a piece of history. "It was like a the 80's all over again, with nearly every colt and filly flocking to the nearest arcade they could find."

"That's wonderful!" I said with a tiny laugh, enjoying the childlike wonder in my human companion’s eyes. "It sounds like my kind has made quite an impact."

Daniel nodded. "It's actually gotten to the point where some of these places are having to bring in extra machines just to keep up with their customers." He then brought out the notebook that I had seen him with the day we first met. "What I'm holding here is about two years worth of researching the gaming habits of the foals who've come through that one arcade."

"I see." My lips pursed while my equine mind digested this new little detail that Daniel had just shared with me. "So that's what you were doing there."

"You were expecting something more nefarious?"

I gave him a sultry little half-smile. "If I had, do you really think I'd still be sitting here?"

"Probably not," he replied.

"But what does it all lead to?" I asked. "Your project, I mean. The work and the research and all the hours you've must have put into it after all this time. I know this project means the world to you, Daniel. but I'm afraid that I still don't completely understand what it is that you and your teammates are working towards."

"Well…" Daniel began. "If all goes well, then quite possibly the very first videogame to be designed specifically for ponies."

I blinked a few times. "A videogame… for ponies?"

He nodded. "When I saw how much they loved playing those old machines, I knew deep down in my gut that it was just the beginning." He stood up and began to walk around, gesturing with his hands as he continued to pour his dreams and passion out to me. "It was almost like a whole world entire had opened itself to the gaming industry, a new frontier of possibilities to explore.

He stopped suddenly and looked at the picture of him and Princess Luna. "I guess I just wanted to be one of the first pioneers to cross that frontier." He gave me a shy smile, and I couldn't help but silently coo at the touch of red that had spread across both his cheeks "You know… to boldly go where no man has gone before."

"It sounds…" I slowly began, not really sure how to respond to any of what I had just been told. "It sounds like this is something you really feel passionate about."

"It's pretty much been the driving force behind my existence for the past two years." Daniel replied before sitting back down. "And yes, I realize that it comes with the risk of utter failure, but isn't that just something that comes with the territory of creating… well…anything? At least anything that isn’t just dry macaroni glued to a piece of paper?"

"Even if it doesn't turn out the way you planned?" I asked, wondering how and when the tone of our conversation had become so heavy handed.

"Dew, after you pour your sweat and blood into something this important to you, you reach a point where it doesn't really matter if it rises above your expectations or burns up in total failure. Either way, in a few weeks we release the final product and then finally get to see whether or not my team and I have been wasting our lives for the last two years."

"But why videogames?" I asked.

"Games are just something that I've loved since my parents got me my first Nintendo for Christmas. I was hooked the minute I turned that bad-boy on and started wailing away on goombas and metroids. And I was good at it too. In fact, it actually got to the point where my parents were ready to take away my privileges because all I did one summer was sit in my room and play games all day."

"A little moderation never hurt anyone," I said.

"That's what they said before my dad decided to just hide all my cartridges."

"And all of this is what lead you to pursuing this as a career?" I asked.

"Pretty much…that and the fact that I'm pathetically under qualified to do anything else."

"Fair enough," I said before slurping up a mouthful of noodles.

Dinner continued well into the evening, ending with a pair of the oddest looking cookies I had ever seen. Daniel took one for himself and handed me the other. With all the curiosity of a newborn foal, I watched as he showed me how to split the cookie open, revealing the the little slip of paper inside. I honestly couldn't help but laugh, unable to fully grasp the idea of a so-called ‘fortune’ hidden inside a dessert.

It was a cute concept and one that I probably would have gladly enjoyed were it not for my lack of working fingers. After fumbling about several times with nothing to show for my efforts, my impatient nature soon managed to get the best of me, resulting in the cookie being smashed between my hooves.

"Well… okay, I guess that's one way to get it open." Daniel said before reading his own fortune out loud.

"Enjoy being unique and credit all amusements."

When he asked what my fortune said, I peered at my own slip of paper which now lay in a sad little pile of crumbs and broken bits of cookie.

"Unexpected turns will lead to unexpected opportunities."

After that, my human companion quickly introduced me to the humor of adding the words 'in bed' to the end of our fortunes, which actually turned out to be funnier than I would have expected under any other circumstances. Before long, the two of us were laughing so hard that our stomachs began to hurt. And it was at that moment, just sitting there with him on that ratty old couch, that whatever worries I had about staying here went straight out the window.

Whatever it was that came of this temporary arrangement of ours, I promised myself that I would make the most of it and enjoy every wonderful moment I could spend with the human who had so unselfishly brought me into his life.

"Que Sera Sera" I said to myself, remembering the words to an old Earth song that I had once heard my Gentleman singing together. "Whatever will be will be."

Partners

"You're seriously having a business meeting in a bar?" I asked while Daniel held the door open for me. "When you told me that’s where we were going, I honestly thought you were just joking."

Dark, musky air enveloped me the moment I stepped inside, and my nose became filled with the smell of old wood, spirits and the smell of something greasy coming from the kitchen in the back.

"I think Vesuvio's is just as good a place as any," my human companion replied while he followed me inside. "I mean, would you have preferred it to have been held in a McDonalds instead?"

As though he really needed to ask.

I suppose as far as most places went, Vesuvio’s was nice in an offbeat sort of way, like a tiny bubble of reality separated from the rest of the universe by nothing but a swinging door. Sunlight turned to amber shadows as it passed through stained-glass windows, accented by the muted glow of an antique chandelier hanging overhead. Dark, thickly varnished wood seemed to have been the favored material for when the place had first been built, giving it a noticeably old-fashioned atmosphere.

Nearly every inch of wall space was dominated by a collage of old posters and paintings and adverts that were at least half a century out of date. The more I continued to take in my bizarre, new surroundings, the more I felt as though I had just stepped into the world’s biggest closet.

A closet that hadn’t been cleaned in years.

For several heartbeats my natural equestrian sensibilities were practically screaming in horror at the sight of such blatant disharmony and it took a moment before I was finally able to think clearly again.

"Are you sure you're cool with this, Dew?" I heard Daniel's voice as it reached past my scattered thoughts.

"No not completely." I said before reaching out with one hoof and nudging his leg. "But this is part of your job." I gave him a coy smile. "So I'll be a good girl while the grown ups talk."

Daniel laughed. "The generosity of your species will always continue to amaze me, Honeydew," he said, before gently flicking one of my ears which made me giggle in a way that always used to drive my mother crazy.

When the giggles finally passed, I opened my mouth, ready to respond, but then quickly decided to just let it go.

For all his intelligence and good humor, Daniel was very much a creature set to his own way of thinking. Though it was something that I had genuinely come to enjoy about most humans, with Daniel it was almost like a kind of art form, one that he had obviously taken the time to master a long time ago.

I suppose I shouldn't have been all that surprised, now that I think about it. After nearly three days of being a guest in his apartment, I had come to learn that trying to change him was both fruitless and aggravating and resulted in nothing but long headaches afterwards.

But in the grand scheme of things, all of this was unimportant when I stopped to consider what sort of situation I would have found myself in had Daniel not offered to let me stay at his place. It was an unexpected kindness on his part, one that may have saved me from the worst kind of trouble and I was grateful to him for all that he had done for me.

Despite my initial reservations about sharing a living space together my time spent with Daniel had been an exceedingly present one. So pleasant in fact, that it sometimes felt as though I were a guest at very tentative Bed & Breakfast.

It was a strange little friendship the two of us shared, though I think unconventional would probably be a better way to describe it. But as unconventional as our friendship was, it was one that I enjoyed immensely.

What can I say? I’ve always enjoyed the strange and unconventional.

"Danny!" Someone called out cheerfully from somewhere above us. "Hey, Danny-boy!"

Daniel was the first to look towards the voice. When I lifted my own gaze towards the cafe's second floor, I was greeted by the sight of a tall, sharply dressed human male who was waving down at us like an excited colt on Nightmare Night.

"I was wondering when you were finally going to show up." he said, leaning over the wooden guardrail.

"Yeah, well," Daniel said. "You know how much I love your last minute meetings, Zack."

"You complain now, but you know it's what helps keep you on your toes."

"I could probably get the same result from a steady coke habit."

"Brother, if you want it, I know a guy who's just one phone-call away."

"I think I'll just stick with the meetings, thank you very much." Daniel shot back "So you wanna tell me why I had to come all the way out to North Beach and miss my cartoons?"

"All shall be revealed in due course, my friend." the other human said. "Now what do you say we order ourselves a couple of irish coffees and get this thing started."

And just like that, he was gone, disappearing from sight just as quickly as he had appeared.

Daniel looked down at me and gave me a funny look. "Well you heard the man," he said before urging me forward, letting me take the lead like he always did.

As we both made our way past the bar and its row of padded stools, my eyes were soon drawn to the many shelves of bottles that dominated the wall behind it. I nearly gasped at the sight of so many different varieties of human-brewed spirits that crowded each shelf and the rainbow of earthy colors their bottles created. From liquors and brandies to wines and scotches, it was impossible for me to list them all.

Humans really do love to drink, make no mistake about it

The place was practically empty, save for the few chairs occupied by the establishment's most loyal afternoon patrons. I spared one or two a quick glance, being careful not to stare as Daniel and I made our way towards the narrow flight of stairs that stood tucked away in the corner.

As we made our way up, I could hear the steps creak beneath the weight of my hooves. It was a harrowing experience, to say the least and by the time we were halfway to the top, I was convinced that my next step would be my last.

Actually, now that I look back on it, I honestly think the only thing that kept me from turning back was the feeling of Daniel's leg against my rump when I accidentally backed into him. I know it sounds silly, but the feeling of his warmth against my coat and the knowledge that he was there was enough to put my worries to rest.

Well, most of them anyway.

And of course I certainly couldn't ignore the strange but thrilling touch of his jeans against my tail whenever I'd let it 'accidentally' brush against his leg.

Once the last treacherous steps were cleared, my human companion and I were soon greeted by the same cheerful voice that had called out to us only a few minutes earlier. My eyes drifted across the rows of tables and chairs, all of them empty save for one booth where Daniel’s sharply dressed friend was seated, nursing a glass of something that gave an icy rattle when he raised it.

"There he is!" he exclaimed with a grin.

"Here I am," Daniel replied while he approached the booth, moving a few steps ahead of me before reaching out to shake the other human's hand.

"Punctuality still the big handicap, I see." The taller human said with a look that could only be described as charmingly devious.

"You know damn well that I'm just as punctual as the next shiftless layabout to work in the indie game industry." Daniel protested.

"Says the man who always used to miss the opening previews to every movie we saw in college."

"Hey, In my defense, most of what I missed were the coca-cola commercials and recruitment ads for the military."

I watched and listened with quiet fascination as the two friends exchanged pleasantries and friendly banter. Other than the few exchanges I had witnessed between him and his landlady, I think it was the first time I had ever seen Daniel interacting with another human since first meeting him. It was a curious sight to behold for me, despite the fact that I had been living with him for the past three days.

I know this may sound strange, but he had always struck me as the type who was more comfortable when left to his own devices. Seeing the back and forth that Daniel was sharing with this other human was like watching an earth pony suddenly sprout wings and take flight as though it were natural to them.

When the two humans finished greeting one another, Daniel called me over to join them.

"Zack, I'd like you to meet Honeydew Blossom." he said as he lay his hand on my shoulder. "Dew, this is–"

"Zack Pendleton," the taller human cut in, extending his hand so he could wrap his fingers around my hoof. "Senior Vice President of New Frontiers and all around wonderful guy." He shot me a grin, before bringing his lips to my hoof and favoring it with a tiny kiss. My eyes went a little wide at the unexpected gesture, and I felt my cheeks slowly turn to pink beneath my coat.

"Ummm…" was all I could manage to say in the face of this new human's openly friendly nature. His outward demeanor and unabashed sense of forwardness was enough to make Daniel seem like a quiet little mouse by comparison. "…it's very nice to finally meet you Mr. Pendleton."

"The pleasure's all mine, Miss Honeydew," he returned before favoring me with a smile that showed far too many teeth.

"I guess he also forgot to mention that he's also a shameless womanizer on top of everything else," Daniel chimed in.

"Always better to be on top than on the bottom, I always say."

"Let me guess," said Daniel. "Another brilliant excerpt from Zack Pendleton's guide to life?"

Zack favored him with a lopsided grin while raising one of his dark eyebrows.

"You laugh now," he said. "But when I'm signing book deals and raking in that Best Seller cash, you'll soon see the error of your ways."

"Sure, Zack," Daniel replied with a sour expression on his face. "And maybe while I'm at it, I'll just go ahead and have that one-night-stand with Anita Sarkeesian, like I've always talked about."

"Hey if you manage to pull that off, I reserve first right of inclusion if it turns into a three-way."

"I'll keep your number next to the condoms," Daniel replied.

"Just so long as you remember me, Danny Boy," the taller human said with a look on his face that was just too enthusiastic for my liking. He then leaned back in his seat and rubbed his hands together. "Now to business!"

With a roll of his eyes Daniel turned to me and made a face that looked as though he were being choked. I giggled quietly while I watched him shed his jacket like a second skin before taking a seat across from his very talkative friend. I joined him shortly after, sliding up beside him and sitting on my haunches.

"So what's the big emergency?" Daniel asked before scooting over a few spaces so I could sit down as well. "Landlord trying to get us kicked out of the office again? I told the guys to stop hosting those weekend laser-tag tournaments there."

"Nah, Kevin found an abandoned hospital which they’ve been using since last Halloween. I went there once and holy-fucking-shit, it was like something from out of those old Silent Hill games." From out of a leather briefcase, Zack produced a rather thick stack of papers which he promptly dropped on the table in front of Daniel. "I just needed you to fill out the last set of contracts and release forms for the game before we send it off to be published."

"You're kidding me, right?" Daniel asked, looking at the stack of papers as though it were a rotten piece of food. "Zack, seriously, who the hell put this thing together?" He flipped through several pages before tossing it back onto the table. "This thing looks like its got more pages than a goddamn phone book!"

I had to admit, it did seem like an excessive amount of paperwork for something so trivial as a video game. I don’t even think Gentlemen for Mares had contracts with that many pages, not even for newly recruited gentlemen.

"Nothing wrong with being a little anal-retentive every now and then," said Zack.

Daniel just shook his head, not once taking his eyes off the stack of papers. "I thought we were done with this shit months ago," he said bitterly.

"Well," Zack began to say. "Required paperwork is like a really bad case of the crabs. You think you’ve gotten them all until that last little bastard rears its ugly head and says, hey asshole, you missed!"

"Crabs?" I said, unsure as to whether or not I had misheard the taller human’s rather colorful analogy.

"Could you possibly be any more disgusting, Zack?" Daniel shot back.

"What?" Zack protested with a look on his face that was similar to the one I used to give my mother when she found out I had been snacking on cookies before dinner. "What did I say that was so bad?"

"Nevermind," said Daniel before giving me a very apologetic look. "Let's just get this done." He reached for the stack of papers but his hand was swiftly batted away.

"First, I think we need to order us some drinks," Zack replied.

"This early in the day?" I asked.

Zack just smiled that toothy smile of his. "I never do business on an empty stomach." And just like that, he turned and shouted down an order for three Irish coffees.

Before long, our drinks finally arrived, and I watched as the young waitress set them down on the table in front of us. Zack was the first to start, followed shortly by Daniel and myself. I suppose it goes without saying that it took a little convincing from Daniel before I finally worked up the nerve to partake.

I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth, zesty flavor that quickly erupted in my mouth when I took my first sip. As the drink slid over my tongue, my taste buds felt as though they had each been sucker-punched by the perfect balance of sweet and bitter. There was even a hint of chocolate and cream to compliment the flavor of the coffee beans and brandy.

It was almost like eating a slice of rich chocolate cake and using spirits to wash it down.

From there, the meeting quickly became all business and I watched with silent fascination as Daniel suddenly went from casual goof-off to serious businessman. It was a jarring transformation to say the least, and the longer I watched him, the more I started to wonder what else he might be hiding beneath his otherwise clownish facade.

It was remarkable just how different the two humans were from one another. When it came down to it, Zack was probably as different from Daniel as griffins are to ponies. He was a tall, sharp featured creature, bold and handsome with an undeniable charm that practically radiated from his smile alone. And unlike Daniel's unruly mop of dark tangles and curls, his golden hair was like a field of finely cut wheat; well trimmed and combed to perfection.

If he were ever recruited as a Gentleman, I had no doubt his looks alone would have fetched a fine price.

I sipped my bitter-sweet beverage, still very much enjoying the adventurous new flavors that were having their way with my tastebuds. All the while, Zack proceeded to fill Daniel in on the various ins and outs of the ridiculously thick contract that he had produced from his very expensive looking brief case.

It was all very technical, and the more I attempted listened to them, the more it felt like I was listening to a whole other language. And after nearly twenty minutes of trying to make sense of it all, from beta and alpha builds to scrums and blogs and glitches and bugs, my head began to feel as though it had just been pushed through mud.

And so, having once again been left to my own devices, I settled into my seat and just let my thoughts wonder.

The past three days had been a relatively pleasant experience, which was actually quite a relief considering my initial reservations when Daniel had first offered to let me stay at his apartment. Though the apartment itself proved to be surprisingly comfortable, it took a while before I was finally able to settle in, adjusting to my temporary housemate's routines and habits while he in turn attempted to adjust to mine.

True to his word, Daniel had helped me in every way he was able and wasted no time finding me all the information I needed about the Embassy, from the street address to the phone number. Soon, all that was really left for me to do was pick up a phone and call them, a task which proved to be a little more difficult than I expected, considering most human phones weren't designed to be used by hooves.

Daniel was quick to remedy this. After his nimble fingers had taken care of dialing the number, all I had to do was wait by the phone until my call was eventually picked up by whoever it was that was on the other end of the line.

I know it must sound a bit silly, but the longer I stared at Daniel's phone, the more it felt like I had just drifted into unknown waters with neither a compass nor a map to guide me. I honestly had no idea what to expect and I'm pretty sure Daniel must have found my look of unease to be a source of great amusement, because every time I turned my back on him I could hear him snickering quietly.

After what seemed like hours of waiting and listening to the same atrocious music again and again, Celestia's grace shined down upon me and I was finally connected to another living creature.

I was more than a little surprised to find that it was another mare. She greeted me with a sweet oh-so-cheerful voice that practically filled Daniel's apartment as it came bubbling through the phone like a piece of badly composed music.

I think that voice must have been the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. Before the pony could finish speaking, I immediately began bombarding the poor mare with an angry stream of complaints and questions, barely giving her a chance to respond.

After I practically screamed the last word, I had to stop to so I could catch my breath while the whole world buzzed like angry hornets between my ears. When I turned my head to look at Daniel, he quickly hid his face behind a magazine.

Truth be told, I honestly didn't blame him.

Fortunately for me, the mare on the other end of the line was a kind and patient pony and took my verbal abuse with an absolute grain of salt. After asking a few standard questions, she promptly added my name to the embassy's very long list of appointments and named a time and day for when I could come in to bring my case before one of their resident problem solvers.

Now it was just a simple matter of playing the waiting game.

And I've always hated playing the waiting game.

I'm not sure when and I'm not sure where, but at some point the conversation between Daniel and Zack suddenly shifted to other, less business related subjects. By the time I finally began to notice, Zack was already in the middle of a rather sordid little story about him and some nameless female human whom he had attempted to woo several nights before.

"I’m talking full-on zipper busting package, all wrapped in the tiniest, sluttiest dress you'll ever find outside a vegas stage-show!" the taller human exclaimed, and when I looked across the table, I was more than a little surprised to find that he had ordered a second irish coffee along with a shot of whiskey to wash it down.

"So I'm talking her up, right?" he went on while Daniel just listened. "I've finally got her alone and I'm pretty much telling her every bullshit line that's never failed to get me laid, and this chick couldn't care less." He paused just long enough for him to down the last of his whiskey, scrunching his face before slamming the tiny glass down on the table "I swear to god it was like I was trying to go to bed with a nun from the dark ages!"

"Well, you always did go for the prudish types," Daniel replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Speaking of prudes," Zack continued. "You're still coming to the Christmas party, right?"

"Zack, in the nine years that we've been friends, have I ever passed up a chance to NOT be the center of attention?"

"So, that's a yes then?"

Daniel just shrugged. "It's a definite maybe."

"Maybe?" Zack asked with a look of utter disgust on his face. "Danny-Boy, if that's your idea of a joke, I'm not laughing. I am not only shocked to hear such words coming out of your mouth, I am disgusted!"

"Always with the drama," Daniel sighed.

"My good sir, if we were still living in the days of powdered wigs and frilly coats, I would have challenged you to a duel for such an insult!" The other human suddenly stood and pointed a finger at Daniel's face. "Challenged!"

"Zack, you think you might be able to take it down a notch?" Daniel said, swatting Zack's accusing finger out of his face.

"Fine, fine," Zack replied. "At least tell me why it's just a maybe and not a 'hell yeah' like any decent bro would say."

"Prior engagements," Daniel said before gently placing his and on my head. "Miss Blossom here is staying with me until she can get a few things sorted out with her passport."

"Please don't let me be the reason you don't go, Daniel." I said, feeling a tiny shiver ripple through the hairs of my coat when I felt his thumbs brush against the sensitive part of my ear. "This party sounds like it might be a lot of fun."

"Why don't you come along with him?" Zack asked. "There's always room for another hot booty on the dance floor and I've got friends who would love to meet you!"

I blinked at the unexpected invitation. "That's very… kind of you, Zack," I finally managed to say.

"Hey now, any friend of my boy here is a friend of the Zack's," he said. "Now be a sweetheart and try to convince this nimrod to come to the party before I have him put on trial for crimes against humanity."

"Daniel seems to capable of making his own decisions," I said. "And in any case, Neither of us knows how long I'll be stay—"

"Shhh-shhh-shhh…" Zack whispered before he brought one hand up to his ear. "Do you hear that, Honeydew?" he asked. "That's the spirit of Christmas calling to you! It's saying 'Come to the party, Honeydew… come to the party!" He then stopped and listened again, a look of astonishment plastered across his face. "What's that Spirit of Christmas? You say this party is going to be so awesome that even Jesus Christ himself would want to be there?"

My ears flattened against my head and I found myself becoming uneasy in the face of Zack's very intense personality.

"So come on guys," Zack continued. He held up one hand. "Option One: come to the party and spend Christmas Eve dancing and drinking until the angels are singing, Oh come all ye faithful?" He held up his other hand. "Or Option Two: Stay home and watch the Star Wars Christmas Special?"

"Man makes one hell of a sales pitch," Daniel said, leaning toward me. "What do you say, Dew? You feel like getting a little crazy on Christmas Eve?"

"You want to go?" I asked, raising an eyebrow

"Don't you?" Daniel countered with mock confusion plastered across his face. "I thought parties were supposed to be a big thing with ponies."

"Having an affinity for parties kind of comes with being a pony," I said before leaning closer so my muzzle was almost pressed against his ear, "But this doesn't sound like a party at all, Daniel. It sounds more like a controlled fire."

"Now, I'd actually pay to see something like that."

"Daniel…" I was going to say more before I noticed Zack watching us from across the table.

"You two kids want some privacy?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows while he rested his chin atop his clasped hands. "Seriously though, what's it gonna take to convince you two that missing out on this party will be the single biggest mistake of your lives?"

"This is all because you want me to bring ribs again, isn't it?" Daniel replied.

"I make no apologies for my ulterior motives." The taller human then looked at the fancy watch on his wrist. "Ouch, I gotta get my ass out of here!"

"They having another two-for-one special down at the sperm bank again?" Daniel asked.

"Have I already told you to go fuck yourself?" Zack shot back while he slipped on a rather expensive looking leather jacket.

"Not yet."

"Oh… well in that case, go fuck yourself."

"Will do, good-buddy," Daniel said with a tiny salute.

"I'll see you two at the party, then." He wrapped a scarf around his neck before slipping a pair of mirrored sunglasses over his eyes. "Until then, keep it real, you hear?"

And with that, the human named Zack Pendleton finally took his leave of us, turning on his heel and heading for the stairs.

"Well that was an interesting experience," I said.

"Yeah," Daniel replied. "Zack's always been the talkative type."

"I suppose that's one way of putting it."

"He's alright."

"If you say so, Daniel."

"In any case," he went on. "I'm just glad that the whole thing is over and done with."

"I thought you were looking to make your mark in your industry." I replied with an amused look on my face. "You can't make a mark if you don't put in the work."

"I'm an idea guy, Dew," said Daniel. "Every other part of the process can go suck a railroad spike for all I care."

"Be that as it may…" I said, nudging his shoulder. "When it comes to conducting business, I think you handle yourself very well."

"You really think so?"

I nodded. "You were very professional."

A faint blush crept onto his cheeks. "I never really considered myself the professional type," he replied.

I leaned in closer and whispered, "Up until an hour ago, neither did I."

"Oh, ha-ha," Daniel said before giving my snout a little tap. "Thanks for having such a high opinion of me."

For a while, the two of us just sat there, quietly enjoying the comfort of our closeness. I could smell the shampoo he used that morning, mingled with his aftershave and the intoxicating aroma of his own natural scent.

"But why games?" I finally asked. "You seem like a human who's smart enough and creative enough to accomplish anything you put your mind to." I ran my hoof along the rim of my glass, tipping it this way and that while I did my best to hide the bashful little smile that had been creeping onto my face. "I know I’ve asked this before but, but I still don’t understand why anyone would invest so much time and money into something so..."

"Stupid?" Daniel finished, raising an eyebrow.

My ears flattened against my head once more and I suddenly I felt myself shrink back into my seat. "I was going to say frivolous."

"Sometimes frivolous can be a good thing every once in a while."

"But wouldn’t you rather be part of something more... important?"

"Everyone wants to be part of something important, Dew," Daniel said.

"Fair enough," I said.

"Let the big, important types make their big, important contributions," he went on. "I just want this."

I stated at him, blinking several times before a tiny giggle poked its way past my lips. Maybe it was the alcohol buzzing through my head, but without thinking, I leaned over and nuzzled his shoulder.

"You are a funny, funny human, Daniel, Laughlin." I said, taking a moment to admire his features once more, from his slightly crooked nose to the way his dark eyes seemed to glitter like beautifully polished stones behind his glasses. Celestia help me, but something in those eyes of his just seemed to send a pleasant shiver down my back whenever they looked my way. The alcohol only seemed to intensify the feeling.

Daniel regarded me with an unreadable expression on his face and I quickly looked away, trying my best to hide my blush once again. He then leaned closer and gave the tip of my muzzle an affectionate pinch.

"You want to get out of here?" he asked.

I nodded, ‘humming’ a reply, before picking up my empty glass. "Maybe after one more of these?"

His smile only seemed to grow wider and with a wave of his hand, he called down to the barkeep for a second order for the two of us.

Before long, one more drink became two and then two eventually lead to a third. When we finally paid our tab and headed out the door, the sun had set and the streets had already been claimed by the hustle and bustle of the evening crowds.

With our bellies full and our heads gently swimming in the pleasant buzz of alcohol, Daniel and I began our journey back to his apartment. As we made our way through the streets of Chinatown we laughed at embarrassing stories and bad jokes with me occasionally having to provide an extra set of legs when he started to wobble about.

Thank Celestia we didn’t have all that far to travel.

By the time we finally reached Daniel’s apartment I was practically carrying him on my back with his keys dangling from between my teeth. Completely oblivious to the task at hand, he proceeded to prattle on about one of the many inconceivable plots to one of his old video games, stopping every now and then to compliment the softness of my rump.

I’ll admit it was cute at first. Despite the partially slurred words that lacked the usual charm that I had come to expect from him, I couldn’t help but feel a little flattered. Compliments and praise for such things were few and far between for most mares and only Celestia knew when the next one would pop up.

But the cuteness eventually wore off, leaving me with only a seemingly endless stream of ramblings that came pouring out of Daniel’s mouth. Soon, all I could do was give him the occasional nod, humming half-hearted replies while I fumbled about with the lock. Though I really can’t say for certain, I think it must have taken me at least five attempts before I finally managed to get the door unlocked.

Once inside, I guided Daniel across the living room, being careful not to let him trip or stumble before finally depositing him on his ragged couch. He let out a few drunken giggles as he lay back against the lumpy cushions with his limbs dangling over the edge like four old carrots that had gone soft and mushy.

"You still with us, Danny Boy?" I asked, giving him a gentle nudge with my hoof. I couldn’t help but grin when I saw the sour look spread across his face.

"Did I happen to mention just how much I hate that name?" he asked.

"Of course," I replied, enjoying my little bit of retribution while I lifted his arm onto his chest with my muzzle. "But I just love the way your face gets all scrunched up whenever you hear it."

"You really are an evil little creature, Dew," he said. "Anyone ever tell you that?"

"Constantly," I said while I carefully removed one of his shoes, using my teeth to undo the laces.. "And I always take it as the highest possible compliment." I set the first shoe aside before moving on to the other one.

I was a little surprised when Daniel pulled his foot away.

"I can do that," he said while his fingers fumbled about with the laces.

"No, Daniel, you really can’t," I countered before pushing him back onto the couch. "Now stop fidgeting and let a mare do her job."

"Your job huh?"

I nodded and said, "Human or Pony, in the end every stallion needs a mare to take care of them." I leaned in close so that my muzzle was only a few inches from his ear. "Especially the ones that are too drunk and too stubborn to recognize their own limitations."

With that being said, I quickly slipped the other shoe off his foot and gave his leg a gentle pat.

"There we go," I said, admiring my handiwork. "That wasn’t so bad, now was it?"

"Come back when the room stops spinning and we'll talk."

I smiled and gave his unruly mop of hair a little rustle. "Would you like me to make you some coffee?" I asked.

"Make it hot-chocolate and we'll have a deal," he replied before suddenly belching. "And maybe some Pepto to settle the cauldron of industrial waste that's sloshing around what used to be my stomach."

"I’ll see what I can do," I said with a roll of my eyes. "But if you throw up, don’t even think about asking me to clean it up."

"Sorry, Dew, but no guarantees on that one."

Well, at least he finally managed to get the slur out of his voice. Though I did find his promise to never drink again to be more than a little dubious.

When I returned with Daniel’s hot chocolate and some medicine to help settle his stomach, I wasn’t the least bit surprised to find that he had already passed out. I watched him as he lay sprawled across the couch like a pile of old laundry, snoring so loudly that he could have easily put a hibernating dragon to shame.

Setting the items aside, I bit down on the old blanket that lay piled at his feet and quietly tucked him in. He didn’t stir once, not even when I gave him a little good night nuzzle on the cheek.

With nothing else left to do, I gathered up our jackets and made my way over to the closet. When I managed to get it open, I was completely unprepared for the avalanche of clutter that suddenly came crashing down on my head. Within seconds I was practically buried alive in a hill of out of date magazines with faded covers and old clothing that reeked of mothballs.

Daniel had warned me time and time again about the dangers of venturing into his closest. Truth be told, I never once imagined it to be a veritable death trap just waiting to ensnare the first unfortunate soul that was foolish enough open the door.

Live and learn, I suppose, I thought to myself before spitting out an old sock that had somehow found its way into my mouth.

When I finally managed to dislodge myself from the junk-filled quagmire that had fallen on top of me, I backed my way out of the closet, nearly tripping over a small box in the process.

Rubbing my hoof and grumbling under my breath I bent down to push the offending object back into the closet from whence it came. On closer inspection, I was surprised by what I found inside.

Photographs!

Lots and lots of photos!

All with Daniel in them!

I guess it goes without saying that my curiosity was more than a little piqued at the unexpected discovery. Without thinking I quickly scooped the box up in my hoof and headed for Daniel’s room, taking a moment just to make sure he was still passed out on the couch.

And passed out he was indeed, blissfully oblivious to everything and anything around him. He snored and mumbled in his sleep, shamelessly scratching himself like a dog while he lay snuggled in his blanket. I have to admit, the mischievous little filly in me was very much tempted to see just how passed out he actually was.

Fortunately for him, the little treasure trove I held in my hoof was far more enticing and absolutely refused to be ignored for even a second longer. With a tiny grin I pushed my way into Daniel’s room, kicking the the door closed behind me as I made my way over to his bed.

Though I suppose it was technically my bed, now.

When Daniel had offered me a place to stay while I got my affairs sorted with the embassy, he was absolutely insistent that I take the apartment’s only bedroom, opting to sleep on the couch. Within seconds the two of us once again found ourselves going through what had become an almost predictable routine for us.

I politely declined and he refused to take ‘no’ for an answer.

I insisted that I was perfectly fine sleeping on the couch and he countered by saying he wouldn’t feel right about making a guest sleep on something where he was convinced a homeless person had died.

You know that age-old question about unstoppable forces and immovable objects? Well, I think Daniel and I were a perfect example of what happens when you apply it to real life.

In the end, I had no choice but to relent to my host’s relentless sense of hospitality and took his bedroom for my own. I could only watch while Daniel quickly went about stripping the bed down and replacing the old linens with what I could only hope were clean ones. Not that I was complaining of course, I being a mare who always appreciates a little pampering every now and then, but sometimes you just reach a point of saturation that makes even the sweetest gesture more than a little unpalatable.

"Well my little friend, it looks like it’s just you and me again, tonight," I said, addressing the room’s only other occupant which just happened to be a little caterpillar plushie whom Daniel affectionately referred to as Mr. Wiggle Woggle.

As usual, the fuzzy green caterpillar wasn’t much for conversation and just continued to stare blankly with its bulbous blue eyes and goofy little grin that was permanently stitched across its fuzzy, green face. As I climbed up onto the bed I reached over with my hoof and teased the tuft of orange hair that stuck out from atop its head like a poofy, little flame.

One would think that something so childish would be out of place in an adult’s room, but oddly enough, the fuzzy green plushie seemed to compliment its surroundings perfectly.

Maybe it was just me, but the room itself seemed like it would have been more suited for a young boy rather than a grown man. Every inch of wall was either covered over with posters and magazine covers or lined with shelves that were each cluttered with an impressive collection of toys and action-figures.

In addition to everything else, the room was ridiculously tiny and even by pony standards I’m certain it would have been considered a tight fit.

All things considered, I suppose I really couldn’t complain. The room was warm and dry and relatively clean, with not even a trace of roaches or vermin that were an all too common sight in many human cities. And despite it’s obvious flaws and discomforts, I had no doubt that it was far better than anywhere I would have found myself considering I had almost no money.

As I crawled my way across the bed, I relished the feeling of the sheets against my coat while I buried my muzzle in those delightful wrinkles. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell of Daniel which was practically soaked into the room’s every surface, from the bedsheets and pillows to the flexible desk lamp sitting atop the end table.

Even through the smell of the soap, I could still make out the unmistakable scent left by Daniel’s body; sweet and musky with a touch of saltiness that hung in the air like a fine mist on a wintery morning.

Truth be told, getting used to having Daniel’s scent constantly wafting in my nose took some getting used to during that first, restless night. But after finally becoming accustomed to it, I soon found that the smell was perhaps the one thing that made up for the rest of the room’s shortcomings.

I inhaled a second time.

Oh Celestia, this was heavenly!

I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I had been able to enjoy the sensation of being surrounded in the tantalizing aroma of a male, be it stallion or man or even the occasional griffin if I was feeling a little more adventurous.

But thoughts of amorous adventures would just simply have to wait, because at that moment, my mind was just too focused on the photographs that I had pillaged from Daniel’s closet. I lifted the box in both hooves and gave it a few good shakes, dumping the photographs onto the bed until they formed a neat little pile.

When the box was finally empty, I quickly tossed it aside and began to spread the photographs out so I could have a better look at them.

Many of them seemed to have been taken during what I could only guess was some sort sort of graduation ceremony, with a younger looking Daniel standing among a group of other young humans that seemed to be around the same age as he. They were all dressed in glossy blue robes with strange looking square hats with tassels hanging off to one side like little donkey tails.

I couldn’t help but giggle when I saw how different Daniel had looked back then, with his pimpled face that was almost completely hidden behind a pair of comically large glasses.

The next one I looked at had obviously been taken many years before when Daniel was still just a baby. My smile only grew wider while my eyes took in his adorable little face with its tiny nose and round little cheeks that just begged to be nibbled and kissed.

I continued to smile to myself as I looked through the rest of the photographs, letting each one carry me away to a tiny piece of Daniel’s past, from birthdays to holiday outings with his family. There were pictures of him at the beach and pictures of him that had been taken while at some sort of amusement park.

There was even a picture of him standing beside an older man with graying hair and a face that I could only describe as uncompromising and stern, like something that had been chiseled out of the hardest stone. Neither of them were smiling, and even though the older man’s hand was resting on Daniel’s shoulder, I could see the discomfort in both their expressions.

But when my eyes came to rest on one photo in particular, I was shocked by what saw looking back at me. My chest suddenly tightened and my last breath seemed to die before it could leave my throat.

The more I stared down at the photo, the more I felt myself being pulled in by the image depicted on its glossy surface.

It was a picture of Daniel, sitting on a park bench with a very attractive pegasus mare leaning against him with her hooves wrapped around his shoulders and her wings spread proudly to either side.

The mare’s coat was the color of light turquoise, with a cutiemark in the shape of a single white lightning bolt and three little stars. Her mane and tale shimmered brilliantly with streaks of amber and gold and her eyes were sharp and prideful. They were like two golden coins that gleamed with unabashed confidence that was matched only by her smile as she pressed her cheek against Daniel’s.

When I saw the look of affection in both of their faces, my eyes narrowed and my nostrils flared. I swallowed hard while something cold and painful began to twist its way through my insides. In the end, I was left with nothing but an unhappy lump in the pit of my stomach that threatened to come bubbling up the back of my throat.

After I carefully stuffed the photographs back in the box, I lay my head down on the bed, all while trying my best to ignore the smell of Daniel in my nose.

It took a long time before was finally able to fall asleep. When I awoke the next morning, my head was throbbing, my mouth was dry and for some strange reason, I found myself holding Daniel’s toy caterpillar in my hooves.

Author's Note

Hey there true believers!

Wow... I can't believe that it's almost been a whole year since I last updated this. It feels good to get back in the swing of things. Sorry for being AWOL all these months, but you know how it is with real-world issues. Between getting my online shop up and running and all the other stuff that the universe hurled my way, I guess I just lost track of everything else.

Well I'm back and I so is this story.

A special thanks to: Demon Eyes Laharl, Coranth, Firemedic755, Xzeron2000, Vanu, Genisis1212 for proofreading and editing.

Couldn't have done this without you guys!

Till next time!

-Ponyboy245

Arrival

The Golden Gate Bridge.

At least that's what the humans called it.

Though I was a little disappointed that the bridge was not in fact made of gold, it was still an impressive sight, nonetheless. As our ship passed beneath that man-made colossus of iron and steel, I gradually came to the humbling realization that a pony like myself would be hard-pressed to find its equal back in Equestria.

It was a cold December morning when we first arrived in San Francisco Bay and the sky had just turned that certain shade of grayish-blue that comes just before the sun can set it ablaze. As I leaned out over the handrail, with my hooves warming beneath my chin, the ship's foghorn gave an unexpected bellow that shook the upper deck like a freshly-plucked guitar string. The sound blossomed outward, rippling across the water as it cut through the blanket of fog that had swept across the entire bay.

My eyes strained against the thick, foggy stew that now surrounded us like an impenetrable wall of gray as I tried to spot the first, tell-tale signs of the city. It was almost impossible for me to contain my excitement and on several occasions I found myself giggling like a filly on her first day of school.

To this day, I still don't fully understand why I chose San Francisco.

It's actually kind of strange when I stop to think about it.

Of all the places on Earth I could have chosen to spend my holiday, why this particular city? Why not Paris with its romantic architecture, or the pretty lights and excitement of Las Vegas? Why not the mysterious pyramids of Cairo, or perhaps even the stoic majesty of one of the world's great capital cities?

Well, how does one describe what they feel the first time they fall in love? How does one describe the indescribable, and put into words something so beautifully profound that it goes beyond description?

A little over the top? Yeah, probably just a tad.

I'm normally not the type of mare to gush like that, even though resisting the urge to do so pretty much goes against my equine nature. But truth be told, all that ooey-gooey stuff was pretty much the way I felt the moment the travel agency had given me the brochure.

Some might have called it an irrational flight of fancy, (I'm pretty sure my travel agent did) but my mind was set the moment I first laid eyes on those first breathtaking pictures of San Francisco with its rolling hills of houses and buildings and its two majestic bridges lit up as though it were Hearth's Warming Eve.

I sighed to myself, watching as my breath curled and twisted about before dissolving into nothingness. The air was getting chillier than before, nipping me through the hairs of my light-green coat. For the first time since leaving the port of Neo Equineox, I was actually glad to be wearing the puffy little jacket that had just been taking up space in my saddlebag.

The four-day voyage from the tiny, south-pacific island had been a relatively pleasant one, if not a tad boring. I suppose in hindsight, I could have used one of Earth's speedier modes of transportation had I been willing to part with the extra bits it would have cost me. The fact that I practically froze up whenever the subject of air-travel was even hinted at certainly didn't help either.

Now I'm just as adventurous as the next mare, but the way I see it, if I had been meant to travel the skies, I would have been born a pegasus instead of an earth-pony.

The ship itself was a decently sized vessel, one of the first in the fleet of ocean transports that had been constructed shortly after trade agreements between Earth and Equestria had been established. Though it had been built for the transportation of passengers, the notion of traveling in comfort seemed to have been included only as an afterthought, lacking the sort of lace and frill that one would expect to find on a typical luxury cruise.

Not that I'm the kind of pony to be nit-picky about that sort of thing. I may have been born and raised in the upper-crust of Manehattan society, but that didn't mean I expected to be pampered like some over-privileged show-mare.

That being said, after nearly a week of sleeping in a lumpy little bed, in a stuffy little cabin, with nothing but a tiny porthole for a window, it was a miracle that I didn't wind up going stir-crazy before we even reached our destination.

My wandering thoughts were soon forgotten when the first dubious shapes of the city began to emerge from the fog; just a dark swell of a hill that bristled with the subtle hint of human architecture, rising and falling and spreading outward so it could merge with the neighboring hills.

For a moment I felt almost compelled to worship this vast behemoth of concrete and steel that human hands had rendered into existence and the closer we got to it, the more overwhelming that feeling became.

Feeling bold, I leaned out over the handrail and watched as we pulled into port, moving alongside the dock until power to the engines was cut, and the ship properly moored and secured.

I then collected my belongings, thankful that I had the foresight to pack everything the previous night. I was already halfway down the gangway before most of the other passengers could even emerge from their own cabins. The moment my hoof touched solid ground I felt as though the shroud of weariness and fatigue suddenly lifted from my spirits.

Oh Celestia, I don't even think I have the words to describe it! It was like standing on the smallest toe of some colossal beast. I could feel the overpowering presence of the city and it tickled all five of my senses with the sort of excitement that I had not felt since I was just a filly.

Unfortunately the feeling was not meant to last, because it was gradually squeezed out of existence as I was corralled through one security check point after another, along with the rest of the passengers.

It's strange when you stop to think about it. For all their curiosity and their need to explore the unknown, humans seemed to be a people governed by their shared paranoias. The whole process was enough to test the patience of even the most temperate of creatures, with its ridiculous security procedures and background checks and x-rays and bag searches.

And need I mention the page after page of every kind of invasive question one could think of asking? I swear, if Equestria were to ever adopt such absurd security measures, I think it would lead to what I believe the humans refer to as “complete and total anarchy”.

When I finally reached the check-in windows for all new arrivals from Equestria I was directed over to a rather fat looking customs agent who was seated behind a marble counter with the glow of a computer monitor on his round, flabby face.

When he saw me approach he quickly stuffed the last of his sandwich into his mouth, dripping mustard and grease down his chin and onto his uniform. I tried not to notice the stain it left, just like I tried not to let my intimidation show.

I know it probably sounds stupid, but what can I say? As disgusting as his eating habits were, the fat, slovenly human was an imposing sight to behold, with his blunt features and thick hairy fingers. When he asked to see my passport and immigration documents, I could smell the stink of cheese and onions on his breath. I reached a hoof into one of my saddlebags and produced the required papers and documents, resisting the urge to wrinkle my nose as I quickly handed them over.

The customs agent looked over my documentation while he scraped his tongue along the inside of his mouth, stopping only to dislodge a sesame seed that had gotten stuck between his teeth.

“Name?” he asked bluntly.

“Honeydew Blossom,” I answered, detesting the subtle trace of a squeak that had crept its way into my voice. I could tell from the quick rolling of his eyes that he thought my name sounded ridiculous, something I thought was a little ironic, considering the badge on his uniform read: Tobias Bullafarht.

“Purpose of your visit to the state of California?” he continued while typing something onto the keyboard sitting atop his work-station.

“I'm on vacation.”

“How long do you plan to staying in the State of California?”

“About ten days, I think.”

And for the next few minutes it was just question after another, from the current state of my health to whether or not I had any fruit of vegetables to declare.

Now I could have been wrong, but I was fairly certain that I had already answered most of these questions when I had been asked to fill out those degrading immigration forms. Was this guy honestly planning on taking me through each and every last question?

Yeah, that was pretty much the general idea.

By the tenth question I was ready to tell the balding tub-of-guts where he could stick his questions. At least that was before I noticed the pistol, and the baton, and the Taser, that were strapped to his belt; and I had no doubt they would be used if he thought I had stepped too far out of line. All at once, my mouth snapped shut and my sense of reason returned to me once more. I made no complaint nor did I voice the slightest bit of irritation, not even when I was asked to remove my saddlebags so they could be “inspected for contraband”.

When he was finally satisfied that I posed no significant threat to national security, the customs agent marked my passport with a rubber stamp before handing it back to me along with a half-hearted welcome to the United States.

I didn't bother thanking him.

______________________________________________________________

Words alone would never be able to describe the sense of relief I felt when I took my first step outside the customs building and for a fleeting moment, it was almost as though I had stepped through a second gate.

A bright smile stretched across my muzzle.

I had made it.

I had finally arrived in the city that had captured my sense of wonder from the moment I saw my first picture. Just that realization alone was enough to banish all memory of Customs Agent Bullafarht and his cheese-smelling breath.

There was nothing left but the sheer delight of having finally reached my destination. With a gleeful nikker, I broke into a bouncy little trot, putting as much distance between myself and the customs building as I could manage. Before I knew it, I was soon standing on the corner of my first San Francisco street.

As far as cities go, San Francisco was about as different from Manehattan as Earth was different from Equestria. Instead of the bright palette of colors that most ponies tended to favor, the city was a chaotic splash of browns and grays and off whites of beige and blue that lacked even the slightest hint of harmony that I was used to seeing back in Manehattan.

And yet, as I proceeded to make my way from one street to the next, I soon came to realize that everything seemed to fit together. It was like a chaos of colors and textures and shapes that all merged to form the breathtaking metropolis that now surrounded me.

However, I'm afraid that the same thing can't be said about the sounds of the street, which I could only describe as being like a perpetual symphony of noise. It literally saturated the air, coming from every direction as it bounced off the buildings and the streets.

Now, don't get me wrong, Manehattan hasn't exactly been a city known for its peaceful atmosphere, but even on its busiest day, the Equestrian city was a butterfly's whisper compared to this beast that the humans had constructed.

Though it was only a guess on my part, I suspected that the leading contributor to much of the noise were the self-propelled wagons the humans called automobiles or just simply cars for short; just one of the many technological wonders that the humans had built to improve their lives.

Sweet Celestia above, what could have possibly possessed them to bring such contraptions into existence? Compared to our beautiful stage coaches and carriages back home, these so called technological wonders, were just noisy machines that fouled up the air with noxious smelling fumes whenever they rolled on by.

I'll gladly tip my hat to the human’s sense of ingenuity when it comes to their technology, but they really should stop and think it over next time they decide to unleash their next ‘ground-breaking’ idea on the rest of the world.

And then there were the buildings themselves! Some stood only a few stories tall, squashed together in tight little rows and some were absolute giants. Even the tallest office buildings in Manehattan would be dwarfed in the shadow of these monoliths of concrete and steel.

And the humans! How could I have forgotten about the humans! They were literally everywhere! Every time I crossed a street or turned a corner, or just looked to my left or my right, the sight of a human was always there to greet me. Tall, short, large, small, fat and thin and young and old. Some with fair complexions and others with skin tones ranging from bronze to the color of rich mahogany.

They came in so many shapes and sizes that it was nearly impossible to comprehend their diversity. Some smiled as I passed while a few gawked and stared; but, most just seemed to treat me like any other pedestrian they encountered by ignoring me entirely.

As I crossed a rather busy intersection I was treated to my very first look at one of the city's famous cable cars as it came rumbling down a set of rails that were built into the street. I stopped in my tracks and watched as the ancient looking pile of wood and metal rolled on by, ringing its little bell as it turned a corner and began climbing one of the nearby hills.

They say that San Francisco had first been established during a time when the surrounding hills were rich with gold, and humans traveled from all over the world in hopes of claiming their share of the wealth. They say that the dirt was so rich that it practically glittered, that all you had to do was dig a hole and scoop out all the gold you could carry.

Whether or not the stories were true or just products of exaggeration, it made no difference to me, because I was finally there! And for the first time since I was just a little foal, a sense of adventure and excitement began to burn like a fire in my belly.

Unfortunately, that fire could only burn so bright for so long. As excited and eager as I was to explore this human-made metropolis, the sleepless hours of the previous night had left me tired and more than a little fuzzy-headed. I quickly checked into the first hotel I could find; a four-story building with an attractive facade of red brick, and rooms that offered lovely views of the bay.

Suffice to say, the service was top-notch, and the reception I received from the staff was a far cry from the welcome I had received at the customs office. The young man who helped me with my bags was a lively fellow named Trevor, tall and flamboyantly handsome, with the hint of a neatly trimmed beard on the tip of his chin and impeccably styled hair that glowed with golden highlights. He moved with a dancer’s grace as he led me to my room, talking about how much I was going to love San Francisco and offering up little tips about where to get the best cocktails and kitschy souvenirs.

When we finally reached my room, I thanked the cheerful man for his assistance and placed a twenty dollar bill in his hand. I think I may have been too generous, because when he saw how much I had given him, the poor man looked as though he was about to burst into tears. Before departing, he leaned in close and quietly told me that if I asked the front desk for him, that he would gladly see to everything I needed during my stay.

It was an offer that I could hardly refuse.

When I was finally left to myself, I took a moment to have a look around. Though it was nothing particularly fancy, the room was clean and fresh smelling, and even came with a yummy little mint on the pillow.

Now, I'll be honest with you, I really hadn't been too keen on the whole vacation thing at first; and I probably should have done a better job in hiding that when Platinum politely informed me that I was in need of one.

One thing I should probably tell you about myself is that I'm a mare who prides herself on the love she has for her work. It's the sort of love that's often found me slipping into the sort of work schedules that most other ponies would consider a little excessive; not that I ever let that stop me, of course.

Unfortunately, when your boss just happens to be the founder of one of the most highly rated human escort agencies in Equestria, a recommendation to take a little holiday isn't really one of those things you just casually blow off.

Like I said before, I'm a mare who loves her work, and the moment something comes between me and my work, I start to show my darker side, which, according to the few surviving witnesses of my last meltdown, is not a pretty sight.

Ooooh, I was so angry, that I nearly marched into that self-important unicorn's office to tell her off, because nopony was going to put Honeydew Blossom out to pasture and not get an earful. Thank Celestia, I'd managed to get most of my temper under control, otherwise I probably would have gotten my flank tossed out of the building the minute I opened my mouth.

The fact that my friend, Ever Ring had been there to hold me back with her magic until I finally got the stupid out of my system probably didn't hurt either.

So, when all was said and done, I was given my three weeks vacation and a choice of ideal places to spend it. It's still hard to believe that only five years ago, a trip to the world of the humans would never have even been considered possible, let alone an option.

At least not until that one fateful morning, when an unforeseen accident suddenly ripped open a dimensional rift in the fabric of space and time, a story that I'm sure most of you are already quite familiar with.

After a nice, relaxing nap followed by an equally nice and relaxing shower, I was completely rejuvenated and ready to take in in the sights of the city that would be my home away from home for the next ten days.

Though I'm a little embarrassed to say it, I think my excitement got the best of me, because the minute I was back on the streets I was once again like a little filly set loose in a candy shop on her birthday. Thank Celestia, I had the foresight to grab a few maps from the hotel's front desk or I probably would have gotten lost within the first ten minutes.

From the hotel, I made my along the waterfront, passing harbors and marinas filled with boats of all manner of shape and size, some being tended to by their owners while others just rocked slowly to-and-fro like little toys bobbing in a bathtub.

My nose twitched as the smell of the ocean touched my nostrils, thick and pungent with the flavor of salt that stuck to my tongue whenever I opened my mouth.

At some point, my path took me alongside a small construction site, where a new building was being erected. The crew was a surprisingly diverse mix of men and stallions, all dressed in the same brightly colored uniforms and sporting the same protective hard-hats that covered their heads like yellow bowls.

Five years ago, the very notion of pony/human integration would have been laughed at. Now, ever since the signing of the trade agreements, that same idea had become the reality of both worlds. In just a few short years, rising communities of ponies and humans living and working together had quickly become a common sight to be found on both sides of the portal.

It’s unfortunate that there were those small-minded few who had opposed the idea of integration between our two cultures and continue to do so to this very day. Human politicians and Equestrian nobles, all trying to outdo each other in the wasting of time, the raising of voices and spewing of xenophobic vitriol.

In fact, I think the only thing that’s kept me from completely losing faith in both our species, was that for every bigoted voice that condemned the idea of unification, there was always five more voices of reason to shut it down.

A smile touched my muzzle when I saw a group of men and stallions and even a few mares, just lounging about on what I could only assume was their afternoon break, swapping stories and no doubt a few dirty jokes while sipping coffee from disposable cups.

As I passed by, one of the bolder stallions stood up and whistled in my direction while another shouted compliments regarding the roundness of my rump. A few humans even joined in, cat calling and whistling, with promises of a good time should I decide to come around when they got off work.

I favored my admires with a wink and a sultry smile that glowed with just the right amount of invitation. I even gave my tail a nice little swish for added tease, which ignited an explosion of hoots and hollers from both man and stallion alike.

Yes, something else you should probably know about me is that I'm a shameless flirt.

After continuing to make my way along the waterfront, it wasn't long before I found myself in a part of the city where the streets were lined with countless restaurants and souvenir shops, filled with T-shirts and postcards; and all manner of little nick-nacks to catch the eyes of passing tourists.

Truth be told, I honestly never dreamed so many people could be in one place at the same time, moving along the sidewalks like a great flood of human activity.

There was a definite nautical theme that practically smothered the atmosphere, from decorative pictures of brightly colored sea creatures to widows made to look like the portholes of a ship. All of it just for the sake of adding that extra bit of glitz to the already garish facades of the surrounding structures.

And then there was the smell; the thick, oily stink of what the humans called ‘seafood’, which all but saturated the air. Everywhere I looked I saw plates of the stuff, from slabs of deep-fried fish to sizzling skewers of bright-red prawns to plates of steaming clams.

I even passed a row of stalls where live crabs were dropped into giant pots of boiling water before being served to tourists in little rectangular boxes that dribbled sauce and juices onto their shoes. Though the sight of the humans and their eating habits was nothing I hadn't seen before, I think it was the smell that finally drove me away. I quickly picked up the pace when my stomach gave its first twitch, leaving the humans to their unappetizing repast while the stench of crab and melted butter clung to the inside of my nostrils.

I guess when it comes to what humans consider to be appetizing, there really is no accounting for taste.

Now the stores, on the other hoof, were a whole different barrel of apples.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I think the sight of so many shops and stores clustered so tightly together must have set something off inside me, because I was struck by a sudden need to do a little trinket shopping. I'm not really sure how long my little shopping spree lasted, but when it was over, both my saddlebags were bulging with all manner of baubles and trinkets, from a few bags of the most delectable looking chocolates I had ever tasted, to a cute, little snow-globe featuring a miniaturized Golden Gate Bridge.

I even purchased an amusing little T-shirt that said something about cake being a lie.

To this day I still have no idea what that's supposed to mean.

Before long, I eventually found myself walking the length of a long promenade of shops and restaurants that extended from the waterfront like an incomplete bridge. It was almost like a tiny amusement park, built upon the remains of an old pier, complete with vendors selling cotton candy and popcorn. There was even a charming little carousel that was filled with dozens of human children who squealed and laughed as their wooden horses bobbed up and down and pouted when their parents tried to collect them.

There were shops filled with nothing but candy and sweets, enough to make even the most dignified ponies salivate. There was even an old fashioned crepe stand, the sight of which nearly drove me into a fit of delighted squeals.

I suppose, if nothing else, the one thing ponies and humans could always find in common was our shared love of sweets.

“Come on Beat!” a shrill, little voice shouted “Hurry up before someone else gets it before we do!”

I was suddenly jostled from my thoughts when a pair of young colts suddenly galloped past, spilling one of my bags of chocolates when one of them bumped into me. I called after them, and shouted for them both to come back before they got too far.

Neither seemed to notice me as they swiftly made their way across the promenade. The sound of their youthful laughter was matched only by the jingle of their money pouches before they both disappeared through a pair of swinging doors.

“Colts will be colts,” I said to myself, closing my eyes as I tried to take a slow, calming breath. “Colts will be colts.”

Now, remember me saying something about having a bit of a temper? Well, I think it probably goes without saying that my little encounter with those colts must have lit a major spark under my flank. Because before I knew it, my scattered chocolates were quickly forgotten and all I could think about was giving them both a good chewing out.

Colts will be colts.

Never has there been a more profound truth spoken.

Too bad I was too riled up to bring myself to care.

My hooves became a blur of motion as I tore across the promenade, nostrils flaring, my eyes locked on the swinging doors which the colts had disappeared into just moments before.

________________________________________________________________________

The moment I came bursting through those doors, my anger was swiftly quelled by a world of lights and sounds and colors. Everywhere I looked, dozens of young ponies and human children were crowded around rows of large, boxy objects; machines housed in garishly decorated cases, with glowing screens that flickered with some of the strangest imagery I had ever seen.

Now, up until that point, I had only been vaguely aware of the devices the humans called 'video games' and couldn't for the life of me remember a time when I had seen one up close. They were a curious sight, that much was certain, as if each machine was a tiny portal to its own little universe, one that was controlled by the shift of a stick and the press of a button.

As I wandered deeper into the noisy labyrinth, I found myself becoming genuinely entertained by the some of the stranger images; from a yellow circle gobbling white dots and little blue ghosts to strangely dressed warriors locked in vicious, bloody combat.

Surprisingly enough, it was the fighting machines that seemed to be the most popular games with the human children and I was soon treated to a grotesque display of blood and brutality when one fighter ended up ripping his opponent's head off.

I'm honestly not sure which was more unsettling; the over-the-top violence or the elation it evoked from the two young boys standing at the controls.

Humans.

Even as children they're still a complicated bunch.

Perhaps more intriguing than the games themselves was the amount of attention they received from their young patrons, the majority of which was made up of a large number of colts and fillies who were absolutely entranced. I found myself giggling at the sight a particularly young unicorn filly who stood atop her older brother’s back while her tiny hooves fumbled with the controls.

“Come on, Bagle!” the colt whined while his legs trembled under his sister's added weight. “You've been playing forever, and I still haven't had a turn!”

The filly just stuck her tongue out at her brother before turning her attention back to the game, squealing with glee when the little man on the screen hopped over another barrel.

It wasn't long before I eventually caught up with the two colts that I had encountered earlier, both engaged in what I could only guess was some sort of dance simulator. Vastly different from the other game machines I had seen, it required them both to step on a set of panels that were somehow linked to the lines of arrows scrolling up the screen in front of them. They were surprisingly skilled, their movements perfectly matched with each other and the upbeat music that blasted around them. It was especially impressive considering the game had never been designed to be used by ponies.

I don't know how long I had been watching them, but I was distracted long enough that I failed to notice that I wasn't their only audience.

“Those two really are something,” I heard someone say, nearly startling me out of my horseshoes. When I looked to the source of the voice, I found myself looking up at a tall, casually dressed human who appeared to be in the early years of adulthood.

He was a handsome creature, not quite as striking as some of the gentlemen I worked with back at the agency, but handsome all the same. He had the face of a thinker, sporting a pair of wire-rimmed glasses that framed his two intelligent eyes. His hair, on the other hoof, was like an unruly mop of dark, brown curls that clearly resisted any attempt to comb or brush it into submission.

He favored me with a smile that brought a faint blush to my cheeks.

“They come here about three times a week,” he said nodding towards the two colts while he jotted something down in the notebook he carried. “And they don't leave until they've run out of quarters.”

“They seem to be really enjoying themselves.” I replied, forced to raise my voice so that it wasn't drowned out by the blasting music and noise. “I've got to be honest, when I first arrived in San Francisco, I never once imagined that I'd be standing in a place like this.”

“Your first time inside a video arcade?” he asked, a look of mild amusement creeping into his features.

“Is that what this place is called, then?” I asked. “We've nothing like it back in Equestria.”

“Not yet anyway,” he replied, his smile unchanged.

I asked him what he meant by that, but his attention had already returned to his notes, stopping frequently to consider something while he chewed the end of his pencil.

“In fact,” he started up again. “I'm actually convinced that ponies could resurrect the arcade industry.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

I laughed at his confidence while delighting in it at the same time. “You sound awfully sure of yourself,” I said, adding just the right amount of cheek to the tone of my voice.

He just chuckled. “After all the time I've spent in this place, I'd sure be disappointed if I were wrong.”

“And what is it that brings you here, in the first place?” I asked, moving a little closer. “Not meaning to pry into another's business, but you seem a little... old to be hanging around this particular crowd.” I pointed to a large group of colts and fillies who had just challenged their human companions to a game of blasting away whatever flashed across the screen.

The sound of cheering brought both our attention back to the dance machine, where the two colts had managed to draw a small audience with their skill and mastery of the the game's mechanics. I watched in awestruck silence as they both kept in perfect sync to the music, their legs a blur of motion as their little hooves danced across the controls.

“They're so young,” I said. “How could they have gotten so good at that in such a short a period of time?”

“Hours of practice.”

“Oh come on,” I scoffed. “There's got to be more to it than that.”

“Did I also happen to mention the insane amount of quarters it takes as well?” he asked. “I think between the two of them, those guys have probably spent about a hundred dollars on that one game alone. Just do the math and you'll see that adds up to a lot of quarters.”

I did the math; twice, just to be sure I had it right the first time. “It sounds like an expensive hobby,” I finally managed to say.

“Oh, it can be,” the young human replied. “Speaking from my own personal experience, I think I once blew about three hundred dollars from just playing Bubble Bobble for a few days. I guess you could say it happened back when I was too stupid to handle money responsibly.”

“Now, now,” I replied, giving him a gentle nudge. “We were all young and stupid at some point in our lives. No need to beat yourself up for something that happened years ago.”

“Actually,” he said with an ironic little grin on his face. “I'm pretty sure this happened just last month.”

He was joking of course, and according to him, the look on my face was 'priceless'. For a moment, all I could do was stare at him in disbelief before we both burst into a fit of laughter that caused several heads to turn our way. When we both finally managed to stop making spectacles of ourselves, I quickly introduced myself.

“I'm Honeydew,” I said, extending my hoof which he gently took into his hand. “Honeydew Blossom.”

“Daniel Laughlin,” he replied, before handing me a business card which he had produced from his pocket. My eyes glazed across the card's surface as I held it in my hoof, impressed by the quality of the print work and lettering.

“New Frontiers Interactive,” I read aloud “Independent game design, development and consultations.” I raised an eyebrow. “You make games?”

“That's always been the plan, at least as far back as I can remember,” Daniel answered. “I teamed up with an old school buddy of mine a couple years back. I had the ideas and his family had the start-up cash, so it was a perfect match.”

“So it's just the two of you, then?”

“Only at first,” he said. “But my friend knew enough people who were willing to work with us for practically nothing. So in a few months time, we went from being two guys who were nearly broke, to a bunch of guys who were nearly broke.”

“It doesn't sound like there's a whole lot of job security in this business,” I said.

“Can't argue with that. But then again, it sure as hell beats the alternative.”

“And what's the alternative?”

“Not making games.”

I pondered that for a moment. A risky business venture that had no guarantees, all for the joy of creating something purely for the love for the work. At first it seemed like an odd declaration, and yet, from the determined look on Daniel's face, I knew he meant every word.

“It's good to be passionate about something,” I finally said, feeling the rising heat in my cheeks when the edge of his jeans brushed against my shoulder.

He then surprised me by asking if I wanted to try the dance-machine for myself. I took one look at the brightly lit contraption and did my best to polity decline his unexpected invitation. I don't know how he managed it, but Daniel was somehow able to talk me into it, leading me over to the dance machine with a rather pleased look on his face.

Oh Celestia, what had I gotten myself into!

He surprised me further when he introduced me to the two colts we had been watching, greeting them both with all the familiarity of a close friend while gently bumping his fist against their hooves. They were an energetic pair who went by the names of Beat and Rhythm and seemed positively elated by the human's sudden appearance. Their smiles were bright and their tails flicked about excitedly as they bragged about their latest victory over the dance-machine that day.

When they both realized who I was, I couldn't help but laugh at the sheepish looks on their adorable little faces. My need for retribution over spilled candy long since forgotten, I gladly accepted their apologies and smiled as they both breathed sighs of relief.

Setting my saddlebags to one side, I cautiously stepped onto the dance-machine's controls, settling my hooves atop the arrowed panels while Daniel dropped a few quarters into the machine.

I think it goes without saying, that my first introduction to the world of video games proved to be an embarrassment of epic proportions. My hooves kept fumbling and the constant shifting of sound and color quickly left me feeling dizzy and confused. I'm not sure how, but through my feeble attempts to keep up with the game's unforgiving rhythm, I somehow managed to make it all the way to the end of the round.

When Daniel asked me if I had enjoyed myself, I looked him straight in the eye and told him that I never wanted to go through something like that again. This declaration probably would have had more of an impact had I not been giggling at the time.

Perhaps it was a bit premature, but I quickly decided that I liked this human. Though his mind was sharp and clever, there was a genuine sweetness to him, a quality that I found to be very endearing.

My original plans to spend the rest of the day shopping and exploring were soon abandoned when Daniel asked if I would like to join him for lunch. It was an offer that I found difficult to refuse considering that I had barely eaten that day, not unless you counted that complimentary mint from the hotel.

I accepted the human's generous invitation and together we made an unnoticed exit from the arcade before setting off towards the promenade of cafes and restaurants.

Now, I'll be honest with you. When I'd first made plans to spend my vacation on Earth, my biggest worry had been about the food that would be available to a pony like myself. It was no secret that the humans had forged a unique place in their world's food chain, essentially turning the entire planet into one gigantic dinner menu.

But despite the average human's taste for meat, I soon came to discover that many of the city's restaurants had been restructured in order to cater to Equestrian patronage. When we sat down at an outdoor restaurant, I honestly never thought that I would be able to order a hay and dandelion salad from the same menu that Daniel used to order a cheeseburger.

Just another example of our changing times I suppose.

And contrary to what humans might think, the sight of meat was not enough to send us ponies screaming into the hills, though our natural instincts as herbivores made it a topic best left out of dinner conversations. That being said, trying to fully enjoy my salad proved to more difficult than I had expected, especially when Daniel proceeded to devour one of the biggest, greasiest sandwiches I had ever seen; a three layered monstrosity of meat and cheese and bacon that crunched beneath his teeth with each bite he took.

Oh well, at least it wasn't seafood.

I think he noticed me staring at him, because he eventually abandoned his gargantuan sandwich and spent the rest of the meal nibbling on a side dish of little fried potatoes. It was a thoughtful gesture and no matter how many times I tried to convince him otherwise, he insisted on sparing what I believe he referred to as my ‘delicate equestrian sensitivities’.

To this, I simply reminded him of the prudish nature of humans when it came to things like clothes and nudity.

“Well, you've got me there,” was all he could say on that particular matter.

Our conversation moved in erratic patterns, shifting from one subject to the next. He seemed genuinely interested in finding out what he could about me, asking about what part of Equestria I came from and about my trip through the Gate and what it was that had brought me to San Francisco. I was more than happy to answer his questions, taking pleasure in his curiosity.

And then he had to ask about what line of work I was in, to which, I simply told him that I was in the business of improving pony/human relations.

I had no idea why I lied to him like that and the minute the words left my mouth I instantly regretted saying them. It was the first time that I had ever felt the need to keep my work a secret, having always chosen to be upfront and honest should ever the subject find its way into the conversation.

Was it shame?

Was it fear?

Fear of what he might think or what he might say?

My line of work as a handler at Gentlemen for Mares may have been unconventional in the eyes of many, but it was good honest work that I took very seriously. And after nearly four years of doing it, whatever trepidations I may have once had in the beginning had long since been replaced by an unwavering sense of pride and love.

Love for both the job itself and for the five wonderful men it allowed me to work with. And yet I had chosen to lie about it and the guilt was already starting to take root in the pit of my stomach. I did what I could to shift the conversation to his side of the table, letting him take the subject to places other than the dubious nature of my job.

Time must move faster on Earth than I realized, because by the time we had finished our meals, the afternoon had relinquished the skies to the first hours of the evening. Though I was reluctant to part ways with my new acquaintance, I felt that wandering around an unfamiliar city at night would probably not be the best idea I ever had.

I made an attempt to excuse myself, thanking him for the meal while I reached for my saddle bags.

“Tired of me, already?” he asked.

“Oh please,” I shot back, rolling my eyes. “A mare should be so lucky to spend an afternoon with a man of such impeccable character.”

“Okay, now you're just straight up mocking me, aren't you?”

“What? Oh no, no, of course not! What could have possibly given you that impression?”

“I grew up with two older sisters. Trust me, I know the signs.”

“Yes, I suppose you would,” I replied, snickering into my hoof. “In any case, I really should be getting back to my hotel before it gets too late.” I rose from my seat, my legs unfolding like paper before I went to collect my saddlebags. Daniel managed to beat me to it, gently settling the bulging sacks over my back. I think my legs nearly buckled under the weight of my purchases.

“You alright carrying all that?” he asked. “I've heard that earth-ponies are supposed to be pretty strong, but if you need any-”

“Please don't trouble yourself any further on my account, Mr. Laughlin,” I interjected. “Believe it or not, this isn't the first time I've found myself in this sort of situation.”

“I never would have guessed.”

“And would you have guessed right if you had tried?”

“Maybe,” he said with a cocked eyebrow and a lopsided grin plastered across his face. “Are you sure I can't convince you to stick around a little longer?”

I had to shake my head, unable to keep myself from laughing. “Mister Laughlin-”

“Miss Blossom,” he mirrored. “And I'd really prefer Daniel, if it's all the same to you.”

“You're a shameless charmer, Mister Laughlin,” I said, emphasizing the 'L' with a slow roll of my tongue. “And as much as I've enjoyed your company, I really shouldn't be out much longer.”

“San Francisco is actually is pretty safe city so long as you stick to the right areas,” he tried to reassure me. “If you're worried about someone messing with you on the street-”

“Oh I'm not worried about that, Daniel,” I said. “Ponies may be smaller than humans, but we're far from defenseless.” I then lifted one of my hind legs and gently kicked the air behind me. “Believe me, you don't want to be on the receiving end of these things.”

“I think I'll take your word for it. Alright then, I guess nothing I say is gonna change your mind.”

“No, I'm afraid not.”

“How long were planning on staying?”

“In San Francisco? Not nearly as long as I would like. I'm sorry to say that I probably have another ten days until I have to catch the ship back to Neo Equineox.”

“Only ten days?”

I shrugged. “Maybe eleven.”

“Any chance I might be able to steal you away for some of those days?”

“Maybe,” I answered, trying my best not to laugh at the unexpected turn this little getaway had taken. It really hadn't been my intention to become involved with one of the locals, but then again it was supposed to be my vacation. And my companion seemed to enjoy my company as much as I enjoyed his.

What was the harm in having a little fun?

I knew plenty of mares back home who wouldn't have thought twice about dragging a fine specimen like Daniel back to their places and rutting his brains out, sight unseen. In fact, knowing her own predilections when it came to courting human men, I'm fairly certain that Five Stars would have already found some excuse to stick her tongue down his throat.

I probably could have gone that route myself, if I chose to, but that would have just been doing a disservice to both Daniel and myself.

“What did you have in mind?” I asked.

“Have you been to see the Legion of Honor yet?”

“I've only just arrived in the city this morning, so no, I can't say that I have.”

“It's one of the best fine arts museums in San Francisco,” he said with a tone that could almost be described as reverent. “If you're at all interested in that sort of thing, we could meet there in the afternoon and then grab something to eat afterwards.”

“That...” I started to say, licking my lips nervously. “I think I would enjoy that.” I closed my eyes and let my smile grow. “Yes. I think I would enjoy that very much.”

“It's a date then!” he said, trying not to let his excitement show, which of course was very cute to watch. He was like a colt that had been given an extra cookie at desert. He then took one of my hooves in his hand, surprising me with the gentleness of his touch. My mind took me to places where I could almost feel those beautify tapered fingers gliding across every inch of my body like little tongues of pleasure, bringing me to heights of ecstasy that I never thought possible.

Oh, don't give me that look! My mother may have raised me to be a proper Manehattan Lady, but that didn't mean that I couldn't be a little raunchy every now and then.

After resisting the urge to run my tongue along my human companion's ear, I made as graceful an exit as I could, with promises to meet him at the museum the following afternoon.

I moved with a swiftness that only an earth pony could achieve, leaving the district known as ‘Fisherman’s Wharf’ behind as I broke into a steady trot. You can probably imagine my surprise when I soon discovered that my day of exploring had put a rather substantial distance between myself and my hotel.

And if that wasn't enough, before I could even make it halfway there, the weather up and decided that it would be the perfect time for a surprise rainstorm. In less than a minute I was soaked from head to tail in a freezing torrent of rain and wind. I hurried as fast as my legs would carry me, weaving through the small number of pedestrians that had not yet retreated indoors.

The rain only seemed to be getting worse, making it difficult for me to keep my hooves from slipping on the surface of the sidewalk, and the added weight of my saddlebags certainly didn't improve the situation.

I honestly didn't expect things to get any worse, which was probably the second mistake I had made that day.

And the first mistake, you're probably asking?

Not buying a better saddlebag, which I soon came to realize when the strap suddenly snapped while I was crossing the street, spilling every last item onto the ground.

“Oh, no!” I cried as I tried to collect the contents of my two spilled bags. “No, no, no, no!”

It was a hopeless mess, with all of my purchases spread across the pavement. I made a futile attempt to gather what items I could into the little pile and my heart just about sank when I found the snow globe, shattered and empty like an egg that had just been dropped.

Now bare in mind that it wasn't just a few souvenirs that had me down in the street, fumbling around the way I was, because I'm not nearly that materialistic. No, no. What had me practically nose to the ground was not a few baubles and trinkets that could be easily replaced, but my passport and travel documents, not to mention the rest of my money!

Those things were not so easily replaceable as a T-shirt that spoke of cake being a lie.

I was so distracted by my predicament, that I completely failed to notice the traffic light change from red to green. My senses were suddenly overwhelmed by a barrage of light and sound when I saw the wave of automobiles barreling towards me. Something deep and primal took hold of me and with a powerful thrust of my hind legs, I reared back and leaped out of the first vehicle's path and just barely managed to avoid being run down by the second.

The contents of my saddlebag were not so fortunate and my ears were soon treated to the sickening crunch of glass and plastic being crushed under the wheels of a dozen fast moving cars.

When I finally managed to reach the safety of the sidewalk without being run down or flattened into a pony shaped pancake, the last of my things had been smashed to pieces. In fact, what few bits remained were pretty much spread across the road, like the way my father used to smear marmalade on his toast every morning.

The last of my strength suddenly left me and I fell back on my haunches with my rump providing the only bit of cushioning against the cold, wet concrete. For the longest time, all I could do was sit there, beneath the pale glow of a street light, with the rain endlessly falling on my head and my face a perfect mask of absolute misery.

I stared out into the street, unnoticed and ignored by passersby, a sad and broken lump of a pony who now felt as helpless and alone as a foal lost in the woods. And while this particular jungle certainly lacked the goulies and ghosties and all the long-leggity beasties that went bump in the night, it didn't change the fact that I had lost my passport, my money and all my most important traveling papers.

Without them, I was as good as stranded.

As the rain continued to pelt me with its spiteful little droplets, the weight of my situation just continued to get heavier and heavier until it finally broke me and the first stream of tears came pouring down my cheeks.

I couldn't stop crying until well after the rain had stopped falling.

And the rain didn't stop falling for a very long time.

Author's Note

A great big thanks to my proofreaders, JohnPerry, Nonameknight and WhatTheMoo for their feedback, their suggestions and all the help they gave me in polishing this first chapter until it was finally ready to be posted. And an even bigger thanks to Demon Eyes Laharl for both letting me contribute to his gentlemanverse and for writing the two stories that inspired me to take up this endeavor in the first place.

Looking forward to those next updates, good sir!