I don't know what I did to make Twilight so worried. I wonder if she's been freaking out like this all day. I'd talk to her about it, but she's currently on a rant that is starting to get annoying.

"I expected you here hours ago! When you didn't show up I got worried that something may have happened to you, like maybe an accident at work, or maybe you got into trouble somehow!" she fusses, walking back and forth restlessly. I adopt a deadpan expression.

"Twilight..."

"What was I supposed to think when you didn't show up right on the time I put in for your visit on my schedule? What if it were my fault? What if I'd said something to offend you and keep you from ever coming back to talk to me?" she continues, but at this point she's talking mostly to herself.

"Twilight."

"I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive myself if I'd driven you off. I mean, I know I'm not the most social of ponies, but I do really..."

"Goddammit, Twilight! Shut the fuck up!" I yell at her impatiently, startling her into silence. Twilight gulps and looks sheepish. "What the hell is your problem anyway? So what if I had other things to do before coming to you first? That doesn't mean you should freak out like a foal with a crush!"

That line gets an embarrassed blush to form on her face. "I'm sorry, Seth. I just don't know how to handle it when something on my schedule doesn't work out," Twilight admits.

"You don't say," I deadpan. These fucking ponies. I swear, they're all insane. "Anyhow let's get this started. I have a few things I want to know about."

"I suppose that's fair. Do you think you can tell me a bit about humans as well? I'm really curious how your kind lives," Twilight ask, watching for my reaction with a hopeful expression on her face.

"Fuck no. I told you, I'm not telling you ponies anything," I deny her, moving away from the door. Twilight's ears fold back, and she looks disappointed.

"Tea's almost ready!" Spike hollers from the kitchen. Twilight jumps a bit at that, and she looks at the kitchen, visibly surprised.

"But, Spike, I hadn't asked for tea yet," she says, bemused. I hear a chuckle from the kitchen as a response.

"You were going to. You always want tea when a guest shows up," Spike explains, walking back out into the main room.

"I guess you're right," Twilight admits with a sheepish smile. Then she looks back at me. "Come into the kitchen, Seth? I can answer your questions there."

"Fine, whatever," I grunt, following the purple unicorn into the kitchen, which smells of that same tea that I've come to enjoy so much. God, I can't wait, I'm so fucking thirsty. Sweating out half of your body's reserves of water tends to do that to you.

I sit in my usual seat, sighing at the relaxing feeling. If I think about it, this is probably the first time I've sat down all damn day. It feels amazing to be able to relax after a long day like this.

"How did work go today, Seth? You look pretty rough," Twilight observes, resting on her haunches next to the table. I guess she's referring to the state of my clothes. That doesn't stop me from coming up with a way to fuck with her, of course.

Twilight watches me, perplexed, as I reach over to her with my hand. Then she squeaks in protest when I plonk my hand down on her head and start mussing up her mane relentlessly. I stop when her previously immaculately groomed mane is now as untidy as a mop. "And now, so do you," I quip, a triumphant grin on my face.

Spike erupts into hysterics at seeing the state of Twilight's mane. Twilight herself is staring up at the few strands of her mane that are now hanging down over her face. "Seth! That wasn't very nice. I spent thirty minutes tidying that up this morning!" she admonishes me, levitating a mirror and comb to her. She runs the comb through her mane, hoping to fix the damage I caused.

"You seem to be under the impression that I'm a nice person," I remind her. All I get in a response is a frustrated huff as she sorts through the tangles in her mane. God, this sight looks so fucking hilarious. A fucking purple unicorn is acting super butthurt about her mane looking like shit. This image would probably be a meme in less than a day on the internet back home. Sucks I don't have a camera though.

Moments later, Spike brings the finished tea to the table, along with two cups. Since Twilight is busy with her mane, I take the teapot and pour myself a copious amount of the gloriousness that is her tea. Then I set the teapot down. Twilight can pour her own fucking tea. I take a gulp of the tea, and then regret it. Dammit, when will I learn not to gulp down a scalding hot drink?

"So...I'm going to be blunt. Have you found anything on Sombra? Anything at all?" I begin, drinking my tea with more moderation, Twilight almost drops the comb, and then she looks at me sadly. That tells me all I need to know. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Look, Seth, I tried, I really did. I went through every book in my library, even the ones that weren't relevant, and I didn't even see a single mention of this King Sombra," Twilight attempts to placate me, but no matter she says, my mood is taking a nosedive.

"She's not lying, this place was a mess for most of the day," Spike chimes in helpfully. I slam the teacup down on the table with a clatter, frustrated.

"Are you sure he isn't from your time?" Twilight questions. I shake my head vigorously. There's not even a doubt in my mind about this.

"He can't be. Humans don't have magic. He looked like us, but he was definitely from the future. That much I am certain of," I argue. Twilight doesn't look convinced, which makes sense, because she didn't see the video in the school.

"Okay, if you say so. I'll keep trying then. If you're that certain he's from this time, I'm sure I'll find something," Twilight sighs resignedly. I cock an eyebrow at that.

"Didn't you just say you searched every book in this library? How the fuck are you going to do anything?" I point out. Twilight flinches at my coarse language.

"There is something I can do. I can ask Princess Celestia for access to the Starswirl the Bearded wing at the Canterlot Royal Library, but I'd have to head up to the city myself, and that might take a while," Twilight suggests. Okay, I know almost nothing about anything she just said, except that she's planning on asking the fucking royalty for help. Also that it's in a place called Canterlot. I wonder if they have a round table?

"Right. Because the royalty is honestly going to care about the request of one pony," I remark sarcastically. Twilight looks at me in confusion.

"Why wouldn't she? I am her personal student, after all. I send letters to her every week," she explains. I am still for a moment, and then I facepalm at my own forgetfulness.

"Right. Personal protege. I keep forgetting that you're somewhat important." Twilight looks affronted by that, but she doesn't say anything, instead choosing to wait for me to continue. "All right. Do it. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to find that bastard."

"What...what did King Sombra do to you to inspire this much hatred?" Twilight asks me tentatively, as if unsure how I'd react. I give her a deadpan look.

"Maybe I'll consider telling you when I have his head on a pike," I lie. I don't know what I'm going to do when I find Sombra. Perhaps I'll have him work his magic and send me back home. All I know is that I want him dead. Once I tear his internal organs from his body, I'll probably find some way to get myself killed. Killing Sombra is really my only reason for living right now.

Twilight pales at my graphic description, but she does a good job of keeping her voice stable when she addresses Spike. "Spike, could you take a letter for me?" she asks.

"Yeah! Gotta grab paper though. I'll be right back!" Spike answers, running out of the kitchen as fast as his little legs can carry him. Huh. Seems awfully enthusiastic to be a total slave to a purple unicorn. He's back a moment later with a box of stationery, which he plonks down on the table and opens to reveal rolls of parchment, inkwells, and quills. So...you ever feel like you're in trippy modded version of Skyrim? Because I certainly do.

Spike unrolls some parchment on the table, and then he dips the tip of a quill into the inkwell. He looks up at Twilight expectantly.

The unicorn clears her throat, and then begins to dictate. "Dear Princess Celestia. I would like to request access to the Starswirl the Bearded wing of the Canterlot Royal library for the weekend, as information that I do not currently possess has been requested of me. In my presence as I write this is a human, which you may recall is the species of sentient beings that precedes us by three thousand years. Seth Rogers is his name, and it is he that is requesting information concerning a certain "King Sombra." Granting my request would be great help in my quest to aid him, and would be greatly appreciated. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

Spike had stopped writing halfway through that, glancing at Twilight with a blank expression. When she notices him, Twilight raises an eyebrow. "Spike? Is something the matter?" she asks curiously.

"You used a lot of big words in there. I don't know how to spell most of them," Spike admits reluctantly, causing me to roll my eyes. What do you know, a dragon that doesn't know how to spell? What are the odds? In my world, fucking zero. In this world, apparently dragons are par for the goddamn course. Go figure.

Following Spike's confession, Twilight has him join us at the table. Then she starts helping him through the spelling of each word that he has trouble with, while I just sit here and twiddle my fucking thumbs. I'm lying. Twiddling thumbs is a dumb way to pass the time. No, I'm doing the smart thing, and drinking my tea. Man, I love this stuff.

"Okay, I think I've got it now. Thanks, Twilight!" Spike exclaims. After waiting a few moments for the ink to dry, the dragon rolls up the parchment and then carefully seals it shut with a weird golden seal. To my shock, he proceeds to incinerate the letter in a gout of green flame. "And sent!"

"What the fuck?! After all that work, you just burned it up?" I demand. Spike glances at me incredulously, as if he can't understand why I have a problem with what he just did.

"Spike, he doesn't understand our methods," Twilight lightly admonishes the dragon. She turns to me next. "Seth, Spike knows a basic spell that allows him to transport small objects directly to Princess Celestia through his magic-based flames."

"Of course. The answer to everything that doesn't make sense in this world. How are letters sent? Magic. Why do ponies get butt tattoos? Magic. How do pegasi move the clouds? Fucking magic!" I mutter, annoyed.

"Well, it's not quite that simple. If you are interested, I can tell you that the link works by magically entangling two mana particles in-" Twilight starts to explain.

"Yeah, how about no? I'm not quite ready for nap time, if you don't mind," I interrupt her rudely, which Spike finds quite amusing. Twilight huffs, annoyed that her explanation was cut off.

"Well, then you can't complain about magic if you don't want to hear how it works," Twilight shoots back at me petulantly, putting on an adorable pout.

"I most certainly can. No one says I have to follow proper logic," I disagree with a bored expression on my face. Twilight looks nonplussed at that.

"But...the logic determines the legitimacy of the complaint! Without logic, you don't have a basis to form a compelling argument!" Twilight has a point, but right now I'm having way too much fun just annoying her. "How can you complain knowing that you're wrong?"

"Because fuck you, that's how," I respond dryly, already done with this conversation. Meanwhile, on the floor, Spike is rolling around, finding this whole situation funny as hell. Twilight is speechless, completely unable to come up with a proper retort as a light blush forms on her face. Apparently these ponies are taking my profanities too seriously. "Now that that's done, how about I actually start asking questions now?"

"Y...yes, right. Ask away," Twilight stammers after she collects herself. Good. Now if I remember correctly, I wanted to ask her something about the school I went to.

"Why do some ponies not have butt tattoos?" I ask, remembering Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.

"I told you, they're called cutie marks," Twilight corrects me, earning a deadpan stare from me.

"I will never call them that, ever," I tell her flatly.

"Why not? It's the proper term!"

"Because it's a fucking stupid name for a tattoo, that's why," I reveal. Twilight gets even more frazzled at my stubbornness.

"Tattoos are completely different from cutie marks, in that the former utilizes needles to inject pigment directly into the skin, while the latter is an important cultural aspect of pony society!" Twilight is getting so frustrated it makes me chuckle.

"I know what they are. I'm just fucking with you," I tell her with a grin. Twilight's blush returns, and then I realize what it is I just said. She probably has no idea what that phrase means.

"N...no...we're having a conversation," Twilight stutters, while I facepalm.

"It's a human phrase...it means I'm joking. You really need to get out more if you take what I say so literally," I explain with a groan. Twilight nods shyly in understanding. "Now then, answer the question."

"Okay. Getting a cutie mark is a coming of age for any young foal, because it signifies that he or she has discovered what they are best at. If a foal doesn't have a cutie mark, it simply means that they are still searching for that talent," Twilight explains, her blush fading as she starts to talk about a more normal subject. God, if someone had told me that a pony could blush a week ago, I'd have probably called him a moron.

"Easy enough to understand. Now, here's the doozy. Why the fuck can pegasi control the weather? I literally saw a group of them push that giant ass thunderhead into town yesterday," I continue. This one I really want to know.

"I'm no pegasus, but my studies tell me that they use the magic intrinsic to them to produce and control weather patterns, and that's how our crops get the sunlight and rain that they need," Twilight discloses. So...magic. I don't know what I expected.

"But why do they need to do that? Three thousand years ago, weather patterns moved on their own, whether we liked it or not," I press. Twilight's eyes light up with interest. Shit...I just told her something about my world, didn't I? Fuck.

"Really? That's fascinating! What kinds of weather patterns were the most common? How much rainfall did you get per year? How did you keep the lightning discharge from harming your species? Why-"

"Shut up, Twilight. I asked a question first," I cut across her petulantly. Twilight flinches, looking like I'd slapped her in the face.

"I'm not quite sure, to be honest. It's been this way even before I was born. I think it might have something to do with the reign of Discord, over a thousand years ago," Twilight hypothesizes, resting her cheek on a hoof.

"Uh...Discord?" I repeat in a questioning manner. For some reason, I have a flashback to Final Fantasy's Chaos, the god of Discord. Now wouldn't that be the plot twist of the century.

"That's right, you don't know our history. The princesses weren't always the ones reigning in Equestria. Over a thousand years ago, an entity named Discord ruled over the world, twisting and perverting the landscape to his whims, and changing the laws of physics to suit himself," Twilight divulges. I blink, regarding her skeptically.

Twilight is astonished when I burst out laughing. Come on, really? A being that can literally move mountains and fuck up nature because he feels like it? That seems like something out of a Xanth book. "Okay, I guess I deserved that one. I'll get you back, though," I chortle, bewildering Twilight even further.

"What are you talking about?" Twilight demands. I give her an incredulous look.

"You're fucking with me, right? I mean, changing physics. Really?" I ask her suspiciously. I don't like that she looks so serious.

"No...I'm not...joking," Twilight says slowly. I am a bit amused that she didn't use my particular phrasing, but then again I feel like it would be weird seeing these ponies curse like I do. "Discord was a very real threat. After the princesses sealed him away in stone, they worked to reverse the damage to the world, but I guess some aspects of the natural order were permanently disrupted...I'll have do some research, but that's my primary theory."

"I...what? That's...I don't get it. How did everything go from making sense to being bat shit crazy?" I demand, resting my head in my hands. Not even a week ago, my preconceptions of reality were completely destroyed by the existence of magic. Now there are deities that can control reality itself? I mean, that kind of shit was what the church would preach back in my era, about some almighty god or whatever, but I never believed them either. "Twilight, I need proof. I can't just accept this."

"I understand. This is probably a lot to take in. If Princess Celestia approves my request, I'll take you with me to Canterlot and show you Discord himself," Twilight responds. My head shoots up with shock and I gaze at her with a panicked look. That fucker is still around? As if she notices my distress, Twilight adds, "Don't worry, he's sealed in stone."

"How comforting. So because this fucked up god ran around making the world FUBAR, pegasi have to work the weather themselves?" I summarize in an attempt to understand everything a bit better.

"FUBAR?" Twilight repeats, not understanding. Ugh...goddamn these ponies not knowing human mannerisms.

"Fucked up beyond all recognition," I clarify, slumping in my seat a little. Oh, that reminds me. I have more tea to drink. I sip some more from the cup while Twilight replies.

"Oh. Well, that's my theory. Whether or not it's true is another matter. Hm, I might actually write a thesis on this. It's been such a long time since I've had a research project to work on, it'll be-" Twilight starts getting really excited about shit I don't care about.

"Yeah, that's great I don't care," I cut her off, raining on her parade yet again. Twilight pouts for the umpteenth time. God, I've met someone who likes to work. This world is still FUBAR. "Now, there's something else that's been-"

Suddenly, Spike lets out a loud belch, and a wave of heat passes over me. I turn to see a stream of emerald flames jetting from his mouth, which then...how do I even describe this...coalesce into a roll of parchment, held shut by a very fancy looking seal in the shape of a blazing sun. "Mail's here," Spike deadpans, tossing the scroll to Twilight, who grabs it eagerly with her magic.

"That was quick. I expected a least a day's wait, even if you are her personal student," I comment, watching Twilight open the scroll. She doesn't answer me, instead clearing her throat and reading the contents of the letter aloud.

"Dear Twilight Sparkle. Your mention of a human presence in Ponyville is a matter of some concern. Our records on their culture are scarce at best, and as such it is our recommendation that you treat this human with the utmost caution," Twilight begins, her voice wavering as she reads.

"I like her already," I remark. Seems like the royalty realizes that I have the potential to be dangerous, even if the other ponies don't think so.

"It is your mention of King Sombra, however, that is most alarming. As his existence is a well guarded secret, it came as a shock to both Luna and I that the human knows of him. As a result, there is no need for you to visit the Canterlot Royal Archives, as Luna and I will be arriving in Ponyville on the morrow to personally address this issue. You can expect us at dawn tomorrow. I apologize for the short notice, but this is a matter of national security. Your loving mentor, Celestia," Twilight finishes, a dumbfounded expression on her face. She drops the scroll, losing the ability to focus on her magic. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are coming heretomorrow?!"

"Oh no..." Spike sighs as Twilight's face becomes frantic.

"I must clean EVERYTHING!" Twilight shrieks in panic, and then she starts dashing around the room in a frenzy, using her magic to replace books, dust off shelves, and other assorted tasks that don't really seem like they're all that important. I glance at Spike.

"Does she do this often?" I whisper to him. Spike gives me a look.

"Too often," is his telling response. Well, that's my cue to get the hell out of dodge. It looks like it's getting dark outside anyway. If I'm waking up at dawn to meet royalty, I need to get some sleep.

"I'll leave her to it then. I'm ducking out," I tell Spike, who nods at me as I move towards the door. I've been around ponies all day, so I can't wait to get back to Vinyl's and spend some time alone, even if all that means is lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling.

"SETH!" Twilight's scream causes me to pause in the middle of reaching for the door. "The princesses will be here at dawn. Don't be late!"

"Whatever," I reply, and then I leave the library and its crazed inhabitant behind.

Okay, now that I have nothing else to do today I should probably...my own thoughts are interrupted by the uncomfortable pangs of hunger shooting through my stomach. That answers that question. I need to eat first before going back. But where can I go?

I can probably go back to Carrot Top again, but she's probably closed by now. I have no fucking clue where to find any restaurants either. I don't want to go back to Vinyl's and beg food off of her, because she'll bitch and moan about it when I try to pay her for it. There's no way she can talk me into not paying her like Rarity did. She's a musician, so she can't feed me some bullshit about a "culinary challenge."

Or I could...wait. Shit. I'm meeting royalty in the morning. Like, way early in the morning. I don't have the clothes to meet them with. I don't usually give a fuck about fashion, but even I know it's an abysmally bad idea to meet royalty dressed clothes that are torn, grimy, and spattered with paint. I hope Rarity has something ready, because I'm waking up before dawn and waking her ass up. Hopefully she'll have something for me.

Now, back to food. Ah, fuck it, I'm too lazy to ask around for restaurants. It'll be a pain in the ass, but I'll just pay Vinyl to make me something.

My sense of direction has always been somewhat decent, so it's only a matter of time before I finish cross-referencing landmarks in my mind and end up back on the path to Vinyl's place.

Before I can get all the way there, I run into a lone pony in the streets. No, it's not Lyra, thank god. It's no her friend Bon Bon either. No, to my surprise, there's a familiar wall-eyed pegasus mare not far from me, attempting to pull a large package down the street with her.

Huh, it's Derpy. That one mare Rainbow Dash threatened to beat my face in over. I should probably just ignore her. I move to do just that, but then I hear a squeak of pain as Derpy accidentally backs into a mailbox. As she tries to move away, her tail gets caught in the flag of the mailbox, and she wails piteously when she realizes she's stuck.

Idiots will be idiots, I guess. I'll just le...fucking...dammit! I turn around and stride towards the beleaguered mare. You're so damn lucky I have a conscience, as numb as it usually is. The moment Derpy sees me coming, she gives me a pleading look. "Mr. Rogers! Can you help? I'm...stuck."

That...that fucking face. Damn you ponies and your innate cuteness. Especially this one. I don't...whatever, I've committed to this now. I might as well see it through. "Yeah. Be still," I answer, trying to use a few words as possible. I'm helping her, but I don't want her to get attached. Best to be as cold as possible, while not being outright mean. I'm no bully.

Derpy obediently stops struggling as I grab her tail and gently disentangle it from the flag, stopping every time I encounter a knot that would hurt her if I tug on. Finally, I manage to get it free, and Derpy leaps away from the mailbox, a bright smile splayed across her face. "Thank you so much, Mr. Rogers!" she gushes, and then to my utter shock, she rears up on her hind legs and places her front hooves on my chest, all for the purpose of giving me an affectionate lick on my cheek.

She gets down a second later, but I'm frozen. How the fuck does somebody react to being thanked likethat? Rainbow was right, this really is a strange pony. Shaking my head to clear my mind, I decide to change the subject. "Don't mention it. What's in the package, anyway?"

Derpy's face brightens at the question. "My daughter, Dinky, has her birthday the day after tomorrow, so I wanted to get her gift home early. I didn't think it would be so heavy, though," she explains, glaring cutely at the package.

"Okay. Guess I'll leave you to it then," I say, and then I continue on my way. Or, at least I would have, if I hadn't started thinking after I got a few meters away. Rainbow said Derpy was really clumsy, right? There's not that many ponies out, so its entirely likely that she would have been stuck at that mailbox a lot longer If I hadn't been here. So if she gets into trouble again, the same thing might happen.

Not that I care. She's just some pony I barely know...that happens to be impaired. That has treated me with nothing but respect since I met her. And has a voice so adorable it could give a guy diabetes. So why should I go out of my way to help her...fucking...what a damn hassle.

"On second thought," I say, turning back around to see that Derpy had gone back to pulling weakly at the package with her teeth. She looks up hopefully at my voice, and then smiles when she sees me walking back to her. "Get out of the way."

Derpy whinnies a bit as I gently move her away from the package. Looking at it, I reach down and test its weight. Huh, it's not that heavy. I should be able to lift it. I bend my knees and wrap my arms around it, finding a proper grip. Derpy gasps when I unbend my body, lifting the entire package off of the ground. "Wow, Mr. Rogers! You're really strong! But...you don't have to do this for me."

"You're right. I don't. As to why I'm doing it, your guess is as good as mine," I tell her dryly, which only seems to confuse her. "Now, show me where your home is. "

"Okay! You're really nice, Mr. Rogers!" Derpy exclaims, her expression now much brighter than before. Yeah...don't get used to this. I don't even know what it is about you that makes me do all of this shit. Actually, yes I do. It's pity. I feel sorry for you.

"I prefer to be called Seth," I grunt. Together, the two of us move through the streets. To my surprise, we're still heading in the direction of Vinyl's house. Does that mean she lives near...holy shit it does. Derpy lives right across the damn street from Vinyl. I guess that makes us neighbors.

"This is my house." Derpy tells me, opening the door with her mouth. Without answering, I push past her and set the package down in her living room. "Thanks again for the help!"

"Whatever. I'm leaving now," I tell her uncomfortably. I really wish she wouldn't look at me so happily. I did it because I wanted to, not because I wanted to help you.

"Okay. Come by sometime! I owe you a muffin," Derpy offers. I wave my hand, and then I shut the door behind me.

Without bothering to knock, I walk into Vinyl's house and shut the door behind me. There's a shower upstairs that is calling my name. I think I'll head there first.

A snore distracts me just before I walk up the stairs. I peer curiously over the edge of the living room couch to see Vinyl resting on her back, her hooves splayed out in a random fashion. Her mouth is wide open, and her breathing is steady, telling me that she's asleep. That's one of the most undignified sleeping positions I've ever seen. To be fair though, I've never really seen any other positions, because I don't make a habit of watching ponies while they sleep.

I should leave her be. For now at least. When I get back down after my shower, I'll flip over the couch if she isn't awake by then.

Man, I can't even say how much more I appreciate showers now, as opposed to back in college. I remember I would always procrastinate my showers because I had so many other things to take care of. On the weekends, I wouldn't even shower at all unless I was meeting Amaryllis or going back to my mother's house.

Now, as I stand under the hot water, I feel like I've died and gone to heaven. Yeah...I think I mentioned this before. But what I am doing this time around is taking my grimy clothes into the shower with me, soaking them and scrubbing the dirt and sweat away with my bare hands. Using Vinyl's brush to do so would be kind of a dick move. But this way, if Rarity doesn't have anything ready for me in time, I can wear these again. I don't think the paint stains are going to come out, but it'll be less filthy than before.

Once I'm done cleaning the clothes and myself, I shut off the water and dry myself off. The damp clothes I leave hanging over the edge, except for my boxers. Those I wring out well and put on, as there's no way I'm going downstairs to eat naked. Even boxers is pushing it...hell, I'll wear this towel too.

I stomp down the stairs, and the first thing I notice that Vinyl is not on the couch anymore. Instead, I see a light on in the kitchen, and I think I hear Vinyl humming to herself. Hey, she's not that bad. I wonder if she sings at any of her gigs.

Moving into the kitchen, I see Vinyl throwing together a strange looking salad that is a mish mash of fruits and vegetables. There's also a loaf of sliced bread next to her, as well as a pile of what looked like hay.

The moment I join her in the kitchen, she turns and sees me, regarding me with those magenta eyes of hers. "S'up, dude. Welcome back," Vinyl greets me in that same chill manner that she always does. When she notices that I'm wearing almost nothing, she nods approvingly. "I see you decided to take my suggestion...though why are you wearing my towel?"

"Because I have some dignity left. This towel is my clothing until my other clothes dry," I explain tersely. Vinyl rolls her eyes.

"I'm telling you, just go without. Clothes are a pain in the tail, anyway," she advises me, but I shake my head vehemently.

"The answer is no. You ponies may think it's acceptable to go waltzing around totally naked, but I certainly don't," I snap. "Anyhow, here."

Vinyl blinks as I toss a bit at her. She catches it with her magic, and then looks at me quizzically. "What's this for?"

"I'm hungry. I want a bit of that salad," I tell her bluntly. Vinyl blinks.

"Dude...you know I've give you some for free," she admonishes me. She sighs when I give her a pointed stare that clearly tells her what I think of that. "But, I know how you are. Awright, take a seat and I'll serve you up."

Part of me wants to trust this pony, considering how chill she is about this. If it were Twilight, you can be damn sure she'd be shoving food down my throat. But...there's no way I can. I thought the same about the last person I trusted like that. I'm not talking about Amaryllis.

"How was work?" Vinyl asks conversationally as she spoons some of the salad into a bowl for me.

"I can't really complain. I was left to do my own thing, mostly," I reply, my mouth watering as I watch the bowl hover in front of me. There are spinach leaves in there, which is good, because I haven't had any meat since getting here, and that means I need the iron it has. I see some pineapple, apple slices, and strawberries in there as well as cucumber and carrots. This is going to be heaven.

"Sounds pretty rad. What's your evening look like tomorrow? Got time for a gig?" Vinyl inquires as I gorge myself on the salad. How am I eating it without silverware? With my hands of course. I'm clean, thanks to that shower.

"It it means more money, then I've always got time," I answer matter-of-factly. Vinyl raises an eyebrow, but doesn't comment on it.

"It won't be a Pinkie party, so it won't pay as much. It's in that club we met at," she informs me. Huh. Well, at least I am getting paid. That club was pretty chill, anyway.

"That's fine," I say tersely, returning to my food. The conversation dies after that, because I really didn't give Vinyl much to work with. She joins me at the table with her own bowl, which she just sticks her whole face into, clearly not one for eating in a dignified manner. Then again, neither am I, seeing as I'm eating with my damn hands.

"Can you wake me up a bit before dawn?" I ask suddenly after swallowing a particularly delectable strawberry. Vinyl looks at me in confusion.

"Heck, dude, what for? That's really early," she questions with an appalled expression. I give her a wry look. I guess she's not a morning person. Makes sense, given the whole nightclub thing.

"Probably has something to do with the fact that I'm getting a visit from the princesses in the morning," I say offhandedly, shrugging. Vinyl nods.

"Sounds pretty cool. I'll make sure to do that then," she answers, and then she lifts a cup of water to her lips to drink. Two seconds later she spews an entire mouthful of water all over the table. "WHAT?!"

"Did I stutter?" I retort, enjoying the flabbergasted look on my landlady's face a little more than I should.

"Princess Celestia is coming here? To my house?!" Vinyl shrieks, standing up and placing her front hooves on the table. She looks around frantically at the mess that is her place.

"Nah, she's going to Twilight's. And I think she's bringing another, called Luna," I clarify. Vinyl sits down, releasing a relieved sigh.

"Gah, don't scare me like that, dude. It would be totally uncool for the princesses to see my crib looking so messed," she says, and then pops a strawberry into her mouth. "Still, it's pretty sweet that you get to meet them."

"Good that one of us does. I think it's a pain in the ass. Because I really care to be fawned over by two stuck up royal types," I remark. Vinyl looks troubled at that.

"You really shouldn't talk about them like that. They've done nothing but do right by us," she reprimands me. I shake my head, unconvinced.

"Uh-huh. I'll believe it when I see it. As far as I know, all those upper class freaks hide their corrupt and power hungry nature behind a mask of benevolence," I deadpan. My words earn a pained expression from Vinyl. "If they want my respect, they'll have to earn it."

"Dude, you're so negative," Vinyl comments, and then takes another drink of water, this time not spitting it everywhere.

"Cry me a river," I scoff, not caring in the least what she thinks about me. Ignoring her hurt expression, I finish off the rest of my salad and drain my glass of water. "I'm going to bed now."

"Okay. Good night, Seth," Vinyl calls after me as I rise from the table. I make sure to keep the towel from falling away from my waist. Leaving the six bits for my rent on the table, I stride out of the kitchen and through the living room. From there, it's not long before I'm back in my comfortable room.

Sitting down heavily on the bed, I let out a contented sigh. Alone at last. Now I can lose myself in my own sorrow again.

This world really sucks. It's not a good feeling to know that you're the only one left of your kind in a world that thinks of you as a wondrous being, caring little for you as a person. But then again, that's how people are, and ponies aren't that much different. If this world is anything like mine, then the moment the ponies find out I exist, there will be hordes of reporters. I hope to god that doesn't happen. I'll kill every damn one of them if they make my now shitty life any worse.

So...for the rest of my life, I'll be completely alone. No friends, no family, and no chance of ever starting a family of my own. Not that that thought ever crossed my mind that often before, but I have to admit, once or twice I'd entertained the odd fantasy of settling down with Amaryllis. Too bad she's dead now.

Hopefully the princesses will be able to shed some light on this whole thing about Sombra. They seem to know who he is, and if all goes well, I'll be able to put an end to him with extreme prejudice.

With these thoughts in my head, I lay back on the bed and stare at the ceiling. It feels good to rest after an entire day of being on my feet. For a moment, I start to worry over what the princesses might do upon meeting me. If I were a brightly colored pony and I just happened to show up in my era, I'd have been captured and dissected in a lab somewhere. That hasn't happened here yet, obviously, but who knows what the future holds?

"Fucking...brain, stop your shit. I want to sleep," I growl at myself. "Just because I lay down on the bed isn't an excuse for you to go all philosophical on me. So fuck you, and good night."

Now I'm talking to myself. Thankfully, it seems to have worked. I can quell these troublesome thought rolling around in my mind at last, and sleep starts to overtake me.

Whatever happens tomorrow, happens, and worrying won't change that.

---

Writer's block hit me halfway through this chapter, but I beat it. It's probably because I'm setting up for the princesses to arrive. But I'm not putting down this story because it gets hard to write.

Also, character development for Seth! \o/