My restful sleep was interrupted unexpectedly by a beam of bright sunlight assaulting my face. I winced in pain as my hand came up to protect my eye. As I lay there, trying to figure out what was happening, a giggle beside me let me know that I was not alone in the living room. Tentatively cracking my eye open again, I glanced to my left to see Twilight standing there with a smile on her face, looking at me as a halo of sunlight shone down on her from the now-uncovered window. My gaze rose slightly as I looked at the clock on the wall behind her. Eight-thirty in the morning? It’s too damn early for this...

“Good morning,” Twilight said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Her horn glowed as she closed the blinds partially, blocking the sunlight that was striking my face. “It’s time to get up, sleepyhead.” Closing my eye, I pulled the covers over my head, growling quietly. I snuggled back into the warmth that the blankets provided, hoping that sleep might forgive my transgression and welcome me back with open arms. However, it was not to be.

“Come on,” I heard Twilight murmur, gently shaking me with a hoof. “You can’t lie around all day.” Watch me, I huffed, pulling the blankets tighter around me.

“Come on, breakfast is almost ready.”

~Wake me up when breakfast has become lunch~ This earned a snort from Twilight, and even though I couldn’t see her, I knew that she was rolling her eyes at me.

“Come on, you need to get up.”

~Is Spike up yet?~

“This is Spike’s day off; he gets to sleep in,” Twilight said. “We, however, have stuff to do today, so up you get.”

~It’s my day off too~

“You don’t have a job; it’s always your day off! Now, get up. I’m not going to tell you again,” Twilight said, her tone indicating that there would be no further argument. With a heavy sigh, I relented. In my opinion, it was too early in the morning to be having a mental war with Twilight.

~You sound just like my mother~ I sat up with a groan, the blankets falling down around my shoulders. Running a hand through my shoulder-length, unkempt hair, I yawned loudly, my jaw popping slightly as I did so. Twilight just laughed again, before turning and heading down the stairs. I watched her flank sway back and forth as she walked, my tired mind not processing what I was staring at until she was already down the stairs. Great, I thought, as my cheeks heated up slightly, now I’m starting to become attracted to them.

I slowly stood up, my body protesting as I did so. I would have liked nothing more than to fall back asleep, but I had learned long ago that when Twilight said it was time to get up, you got up.

That mare could be scary sometimes.

I shuffled towards the stairs, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Descending the steps, I reached the bottom just in time to see Twilight close the front door, the mail hovering beside her in her magical grasp. As she looked through the pile of letters and magazines, I shuffled my way into the kitchen, doing my best imitation of a zombie. The smell of cooking food, especially that of pancakes, assaulted my nose, making my mouth water. I wasn’t sure who the better cook was: Twilight or Spike, but either way I got free, delicious food.

I took my spot at the kitchen table, my chair squeaking quietly as I sat down. Glancing over at the stove, I watched with slight amusement as a spatula floated around the stove’s range, flipping pancakes whenever they were finished cooking. It was always fascinating to watch Twilight cook like this, even if it was only for simple things, and only for a short period of time. If she did it for too long, there was a good chance that she would ruin the meal, or set something on fire.

Tearing my gaze from the spatula, I rested my head on the table and closed my eyes.

“You know, you wouldn’t be this tired in the morning if you went to bed earlier,” I heard Twilight say as she walked into the kitchen. I grunted at her, refusing to raise my head, earning me a giggle from her in response. I listened as she walked around the kitchen, her hooves making that signature clip-clop noise as she walked across the wooden floor. It was surprisingly relaxing.

“Are humans from your world nocturnal?” Twilight joked as she rummaged through the cabinets. I shook my head, my forehead still pressed against the table’s surface. After several seconds I realized that she wasn’t looking at me, so I was forced to actually move my arms.

~No, but typically humans around my age stay up later in the night than others~ There was a brief moment of silence as Twilight looked over at me. At least, I think she did. It’s hard to tell when your eyes are closed.

“Why is that?” Twilight asked, the sound of plates clinking together resuming. “Does it have something to do with your culture?” I snorted, lifting my head and finally opening my eyes. I looked over at Twilight, who was busy stacking pancakes onto a couple of plates.

~No, that’s not the reason~

“Then why would somepony of your age have a different sleep pattern than other age groups?” she asked as she pulled the syrup out of the pantry. Uncapping it, she quickly covered the two stacks of pancakes in the sticky substance. I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I racked my half-awake brain, picking through my mental files of the random facts I know.

~No one really knows~ I began as she made her way over to the table, two plates stacked high with pancakes floating behind her head. ~but some scientists believe that it’s natural in origin. Typically infants tend to sleep whenever they want, but young children tend to go to bed early and wake up early. As they age, they tend to stay up later and later. This trend continues until around middle age, then it starts to decline again. This usually means that elders tend to have the same sleep schedule as young children~ It was hard to explain to her in hoof-language, as half the words I wanted to use don’t exist in Equestria.

“Interesting,” Twilight said, sliding a plate in front of me. I immediately picked up my fork and began digging into the fluffy goodness that was pancakes. “I wonder if the same can be said for humans here in Equestria.” She stared off into the distance for several seconds before shaking her head. “That’s an experiment for a different day,” I heard her mutter.

Looking down at her breakfast, she picked up a fork and began eating. While I was attempting to shove entire pancakes into my face hole, she ate daintily, taking small bites and chewing thoroughly.

~So, what’s the plan today?~ I asked as I tried to chew the five pounds of pancake now occupying my mouth. Twilight glanced up at me, an amused expression on her face.

“You forgot what day it is, didn’t you?” she said, laughing softly. I thought about it for a brief moment, then shrugged my shoulders and continued chewing. This just caused her smile to widen. “Well, Luna might have let it slip to somepony that you’re actually intelligent. And that somepony might have told her husband, and her husband may have asked his mother about it, and his mother might have sent a letter to me about it.

“Long story short,” she said, taking another small bite of her breakfast. “We’re going to my parent’s house for dinner… again. And they all know you’re intelligent this time.” I inhaled sharply, and immediately began choking as some pancake decided that my lungs would be a lovely place to visit this time of year.

Coughing and sputtering, I pounded on my chest with my fist, trying to clear my windpipe. Twilight just stared at me, a smug expression on her face. It slowly turned to worry, however, as I continued to hack up a lung.

“A-are you alright?” she asked, setting down her fork and starting to rise. I waved a hand at her, and she slowly sat back down. I eventually was able to extract the bits of food, and I took a quick swing of orange juice before staring at Twilight in horror.

~That's today?!~ I asked. The smile returned to her face, and she nodded as she resumed eating. I leaned back in my chair and groaned. I glared down at the remainder of my pancakes, pouting slightly. I stayed that way for several minutes.

“Oh, come now,” Twilight chided as she slowly finished her food. “It won’t be that bad. You’ve already technically met my mom, Cadence and Shining. You’ll just have to meet my dad, and have all of them ask you a ton of questions.” I grumbled, still glaring at my food. Eventually I looked up at Twilight, still pouting slightly.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

~Your brother’s gonna beat me up again~ I signed, quivering my lower lip as I looked at her. This earned me a smack on the back of the head via Twilight’s magic. I chuckled slightly as I rubbed the sore spot.

“Just be on your best behavior, and I’m sure that nothing bad will happen,” she said, picking her plate up in her magic. Standing up from the table, she carried the dirty dish over to the sink. Stabbing the remainder of my stack of pancakes with my fork, I crammed them into my mouth. Chewing them happily, I stood and also brought my dishes to the sink.

My back cracked several times as I stretched, before turning to look at Twilight.

~Have you already showered today?~ I asked, stifling a yawn.

“I took care of it before starting breakfast,” Twilight called out as she walked into the other room. I followed her into the main room of the library, only to see that she was already seated in a chair, reading. I paused and glanced back into the kitchen before looking back at Twilight. There had only been ten seconds between the time she left the kitchen and when I did, so how did she get there so fast?

Deciding that it was best just to accept the weirdness that came with living with a magical being, I turned and headed towards the stairs.

~I’m going to go get cleaned up then~ I signed.

“Don’t take too long,” she said, not looking up from her book. “We need to be at the train station in an hour and a half.” I grunted once, then continued up the stairs.

Entering the bathroom, I shut and locked the door behind me. I approached the mirror and gazed at my reflection. The face that gazed back at me was so different from what I looked like when I first arrived in Equestria that, if I had actually gone back home, I doubt that any of my friends or family would recognize me.

My dirty blonde hair, which used to be cut short, was now shoulder-length. Strands hung across my face and in front of my eyes. I had a scraggly beard that gave me a haggard appearance. My skin was darker: with no video games to keep me inside and away from the sun, my once pale skin had become tan. I had a large scar running across my face, the white line standing out against my skin as it went from my left cheek, over my nose, and across the bottom of my right eye, which was milky white and useless.

All in all, I looked like a completely different person than the slightly overweight college student that was dropped into a desert six months ago.

Still staring at the man in the mirror, I opened up one of the drawers under the sink and pulled out the straight razor that Twilight had given me. Since I’m going to meet Twilight’s parents, I thought, thumbing the edge of the blade, I should probably look presentable. Turning the faucet on, I splashed water onto my face before lifting the razor and placing the cold blade against my skin.

Half an hour later, I wandered out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist, drying off my head with another one. Rubbing absentmindedly at my now smooth face, I slowly made my way back to the couch that had become my official bed. Tossing the towel aside, I reached behind the couch and pulled out one of the new sets of clothing that Rarity had made for me.

The shirt was a dark lavender color, almost the same as Twilight’s mane and tail, with her cutie mark emblazoned on the back. It was made out of a soft material that was extremely comfortable, and—according to Rarity—was tear-resistant. Rarity had even made me a long-sleeved version of the shirt, for when the weather got colder.

The pants were made of a black material that reminded me of sweatpants. It, too, had Twilight’s cutie mark stitched onto them, located on both thighs. When I asked Rarity why she had put them there, she had told me that it was to imitate human brands, without having to go through the horrid process of the real thing. “Oh, I wonder if I could sell these to other human owners,” Rarity had squealed. “It could be the next trend!”

I whistled softly as I pulled the clothing on, That mare knows her stuff! The clothing fit impressively; the shirt was slightly baggy, but I didn’t mind.

Grabbing my bags that held my notebooks and charcoal sticks, I exited the room, picking up my towels along the way. Throwing them into the laundry chute as I walked past, I headed down the stairs.

Twilight was still reading, humming softly as she turned the pages with her magic. As I descended the stairs, she looked up at me and did a double-take.

“Aww,” she pouted, looking up at me with sad eyes. I glanced down at myself before looking up at her, confused.

~What?~

“Oh… um, I kind of liked the beard…” she said, her voice trailing off as a small blush spread across her face. I chuckled as I reached over a ruffled her mane with my hand. Her ear flicked as my fingers brushed against it.

~Don’t worry, it’ll grow back~ I sighed as she closed her book and placed it back on her desk. ~I’ll make sure that I just trim it up next time~

“Why did you shave, anyway?” she asked as she stood and grabbed her saddlebags. Placing them across her back, she fastened the straps.

~Wanted to look presentable for dinner~

“Aww,” Twilight cooed, looking up at me with a smug expression. “You want to make a good impression on my parents.” I closed my eyes and stuck my nose in the air, huffing indignantly.

~I care not what you common ponies think! I don’t need anypony’s approval!~ Twilight just giggled, pressing a hoof to her mouth. I kept my pose for several seconds before dropping the act.

~Ready to go, boss?~ I asked as I double checked my bag’s straps.

“Yes, I’ve already left Spike a note, so we’re good to go!” Heading towards the door, I slipped on a pair of simple flip-flops. I had made them myself, with some help from Rarity, in order to have something to wear on my feet. With how long I had been walking around Equestria in bare feet, my soles had long since become callused. It still hurt when I stepped on a random root or sharp rock though, so I decided that I wanted something simple to protect them.

Grasping the door handle, I opened the door for Twilight. She flashed me a grateful smile as she passed. Taking one last glance around the library, I turned and followed Twilight out into the daylight.

“You’re telling me you’ve never seen that before?”

~What, ponies spontaneously bursting into song at random? No, can’t say that I have~ Twilight looked up at me as if I had two heads. We were walking through the streets of Canterlot, heading towards the home of Twilight’s parents. We had arrived in Canterlot about mid-afternoon, and had just recently passed by the marketplace, where a group of ponies were singing a song, complete with music. That wouldn’t bug me, except for several key things:

One, there was no source for the music. It was coming out of thin air; no instruments, no musicians.

Two, everyone seemed to know exactly when to pitch in, and what their lines were. There were even a couple of duets in the song, and nobody messed up once.

And three, everyone had gone back to what they were originally doing as if nothing strange had just happened. According to Twilight, this was a normal occurrence in Equestria. I’m calling bullshit. Then again, it still wouldn’t be the strangest thing I’ve seen living here. That honor goes to Pinkie Pie. I will never truly understand how she got three circus tents, two banquet tables covered in food, and a large swimming pool into her party cannon.

“You’ve been here for this long, and you haven’t seen or experienced the music of harmony?”

~Music of harmony? Nope, can’t say I have~

“You didn’t have anything like that back… oh wait, you didn’t have magic on your old world.”

~We have something similar to that, although it involves people spending several months learning the words and where they need to be at what time. We call them ‘musicals’ and they’re quite popular, although none of them happen spontaneously out of nowhere~

“Interesting, a world with no magic has organized moments of musical harmony,” Twilight said, rubbing her chin with the tip of her wing as she walked. She cocked her head to the side as she mused. “I guess compared to that, our way seems a little bizarre, doesn’t it?” she chuckled.

~You have no idea~ I replied with a smirk.

“You wouldn’t happen to remember any of them, would you?” Twilight asked, looking up at me with big puppy dog eyes. I couldn’t help the barking laugh that escaped my mouth, the sound causing a nearby stallion to jump and look at me in shock. Grinning down at Twilight, I narrowed my eyes playfully.

~I might remember one or two of them~ The look of joy that spread across her face was too cute; she grinned up at me, her eyes sparkling as she squealed happily.

“Eeeeee! Music from another world!” she squeaked, her wings fluttering happily. “Not to mention it’s your world’s version of our music of harmony! Oh, this is so exciting!” As she continued her fanatic ramblings, I was mentally debating with myself at what point her heart would give out due to excitement.

~You do realize that there are some things you won’t understand due to different cultures and history, as well as language, right?~ Twilight glared up at me playfully, a small smile on her face.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “It’s the thought that counts—” An ear-piercing shriek tore through the air, cutting Twilight off. Both of us instantly covered our ears as the strange, otherworldly cry caused everyone around to cringe in pain. Blinking back tears, I looked around, trying to locate the source of the scream.

Suddenly, Twilight pointed a hoof behind me, her face screwed up. Glancing over my shoulder, my eyes widened as I caught sight of the disturbance.

A human stood in one of the side streets, mouth open wide as he wailed loudly. His hair was hung around his face in wispy, black strands. He wore tattered clothing, the rags hanging off of him like wrappings on a mummy. From the skin that was visible, it was obvious that he was sickly, his ribs clearly visible. On his thigh was branded three roses.

It was his face, however, that was the most shocking feature. It was twisted in pure, unadulterated rage as spittle flew from his mouth. Fire burned in his eyes as he raised a hand and pointed a long, decrepit finger at me. He held the pose for a moment before turning and sprinting down the side street, still shrieking to wake the dead.

A shocked silence fell across the street, everyone just staring at where the human had once stood. Some ponies huddled together, confused at what had happened, while others just held their heads in their hooves, pained expressions on their faces. In the distance we could see a group of guards, drawn by the unholy shriek, galloping towards us, their golden armor clattering as they ran.

I was too stunned to move, images of the pit flashing in my mind, the tortured screams of the humans filling my ears. The scar on my chest twinged slightly. I could slowly feel myself tensing, getting ready to run somewhere; anywhere but here. I was about to bolt when someone spoke up beside me, causing me to pause.

“W-what was that?!” I glanced down at Twilight, who was shakily getting back to her hooves. Her ears were flattened against her head, her eyes watering slightly. Her whole body was trembling, and she was breathing heavily. I relaxed slightly at the sight of her. Calm down, Max. Twilight’s here, which means if something bad happens, she can help.

“H-have you ever heard a human sound like that before?” she asked, looking up at me. Running a shaky hand through my hair, I took a few seconds to compose myself before I replied.

~What, like nails on a chalkboard?~ She nodded, rubbing a hoof in her ear. ~No, never~ We both stared down the side street as the guards began investigating, some talking to the surrounding ponies, others heading down the alleyway after the human.

“Max, have you ever seen that human before, here or in Ponyville?” Twilight asked softly, moving to stand next to me. She leaned into my leg and I took comfort in her presence; that whole ordeal had startled me horribly, and my heart was currently trying to break free of its bony cage.

~No~ She wrinkled her nose, looking like she had smelled something offensive.

“Well, he seemed to know you,” she said. “It was pretty clear who he was pointing at.” I glanced down at her out of the corner of my eye, swallowing thickly.

~You saw that too?~

“Yes, and it’s that fact that’s troubling me.” I chewed on my cheek as my mind raced. Thousands of thoughts rushed through my head as my heart rate slowly returned to normal. Eventually, I just shrugged my shoulders, turned, and began walking again, my legs trembling slightly.

~I wouldn’t worry about it too much~ I signed as Twilight slowly fell into step beside me, looking back over her shoulder at the side street. ~It was probably a territorial thing~ I hope.

“How can you be so calm about this?” she asked, her voice tense. I snorted softly as I walked. I’m not; I just want to get away from here as quickly as possible. “That was not typical human behavior, and it was directed at you. Something is wrong here; we should go investigate!”

~Nope~ I signed, continuing to walk down the street. ~We have dinner with your family to get to. We’ll worry about this later~

“But he’ll be long gone by then,” Twilight huffed, glaring at me. I stopped and turned to look at her.

~Did you happen to get a good look at him?~

“Yeah, why?” Twilight asked, blinking up at me.

~Did you happen to get a good look at his thighs?~

“No, not really,” she said, scrunching up her face in confusion. “What does that have to do with anything?”

~He was branded with three roses~ I replied. ~Which means he has an owner. We’ll go to dinner with your family now, and then afterwards you can send your guards to track down the owner and get your answers. Besides, there are guards investigating right now. If they catch him, then that’s that~ Plus I don’t want to deal with an angry human again, even with Twilight at my side, I added silently, shivering as I remembered a mass of muscles descending upon me, with murder in its eyes.

Twilight just blinked up at me, a blank look on her face.

“I guess you’re right,” she said slowly, chewing on her bottom lip. She sounded unconvinced, but let it go, although she did walk closer to me than before as we headed down the road towards her parents’ house. I couldn’t help but glance back at the alleyway once more, troubled thoughts still running through my mind.

Twilight was still so lost in thought when we arrived at our destination that she didn’t even realize we were both standing on the front step.

I watched her for several minutes as she muttered inaudibly to herself, her eyes darting back and forth as she mulled over what had happened earlier. Even when I waved my hand in front of her face, she didn’t seem to notice.

I leaned back, chewing on the inside of my cheek as I considered my next move. Slowly, my eyes drifted up to the door knocker. Shrugging my shoulders, I reached up and—grasping the knocker in my hand—banged three times on the door.

The sound of muffled hoofsteps grew louder before the door handle was wrapped in a magical glow, and the door swung open. Standing there, looking out at us, was Twilight’s mother.

Her lavender mane, striped with white, was similar to Twilight’s in style; the only difference was that her mother’s curled slightly near the end. Her coat was a milky white, with three purple stars upon her flank. Her fetlocks were longer than her daughter’s, but she kept them neat and trimmed. She stood slightly taller than Twilight, if only by a couple of inches. Comparing the two, you could see the family resemblance; if I had been color blind, it would have been like looking at an older version of Twilight, except with no wings.

“Twilight, so glad you could make it, hun,” her mother said, smiling at her daughter. Twilight didn’t say anything; just continued to stand there, muttering to herself. The smile slowly left her mother’s face and she cocked her head to the side. “Twilight? Sweetheart, are you alright?” When Twilight didn’t reply, she turned and glanced up at me in confusion.

“Um…” she began, but I held up a finger, silencing her. She raised an eyebrow as I slowly reached over and flicked Twilight’s ear with my finger. The action had the desired effect. Twilight jumped with a yelp, immediately clasping a hoof to her ear as she glared up at me.

“What was that for?!” she grumbled. I just pointed at her mother, who was watching the whole scene with a strange look on her face. When Twilight saw her mother standing there, a small blush appeared on her cheeks and she smiled sheepishly at her. “Heh, sorry about that; kind of got lost in thought.”

“I could see that,” her mother replied, her eyes glancing back and forth between the both of us. “Is everything alright, dear?”

“Yeah, just some odd activity from a human on our way here,” Twilight replied, adjusting her wings into a more comfortable position. “Nothing to worry about.”

“If you say so.” Her mother turned to look me in the eye. I noticed instantly that she had deep blue eyes which seemed to radiate motherly love and kindness.

“You must be Max,” she said, smiling nervously up at me. I gave her a quick bob of my head, a small smile on my face. “You can understand what I’m saying, right?” Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but I beat her to it by nodding my head again. Her mother just continued to stare at me, clearly at a loss at what to do next. Twilight looked back and forth between us, clearly nervous.

Finally, her mother spoke again, “I… I understand that we’ve, uh… met before, but I don’t believe that I have actually introduced myself.” She shifted uncomfortably from hoof to hoof before she slowly held out one to me. “My name is Twilight Velvet. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I glanced down at her hoof, before reaching out and gently grasping it in my hand. She flinched slightly as my fingers wrapped around her hoof, but she didn’t shy away.

Squeezing her hoof softly, I knelt down and gave it a quick peck before releasing it and straightening back up. Twilight Velvet just stood there, frozen, with her hoof still in midair. There was a small blush on her face as she gaped up at me with an awed expression.

“I didn’t know he was so chivalrous,” she said, turning slowly to look at her daughter, who was staring up at me with the same awed expression, her mouth hanging open.

~What?~ I asked, raising an eyebrow at her. She closed her mouth with a click, before shaking her head.

“N-nothing. It’s just, that’s not a very common greeting is all,” she said. “It’s typically only meant for nobles and royalty.” I glanced back and forth between the two mares before shrugging.

~I regret nothing~ I said, crossing my arms across my chest. Twilight rolled her eyes at me while her mother giggled at my antics, though I don’t think she could understand what I had said.

“Oh, I can tell he’s going to be a fun one,” she said before turning and waving us inside. “No point lurking on the doorstep. Come on in, you two.” With a smile Twilight headed in after her mother, with me following close behind.

“Dinner’s not quite ready yet,” Velvet called back over her shoulder as she headed towards the kitchen, “but we have snacks in the family room.” I kicked off my sandals and placed them beside the door, just out of the way of the walkway so that they didn’t trip anyone. With that, I followed Twilight out of the hallway and into the family room.

As we crossed the threshold into the room, we were instantly hit by a wave of heat. There was a fire crackling away in the fireplace, providing warmth for the entire room as the flames shot up into the chimney.

Three ponies were already in the room when Twilight and I arrived. Shining Armor sat on the couch, his foreleg resting on the armrest. Cadance was splayed out across the rest of the couch, her wings hanging lazily by her sides. She was lying on her back, her head in Shining Armor’s lap. Both were chuckling at some joke that had been told earlier, warm smiles on their faces. I blinked, staring at Cadance. It wasn’t that noticeable, but she looked slightly bigger than when I had last saw her, but when I looked again, I figured I had just been seeing things.

Across from them was a unicorn stallion I had never seen before, puffing away on a pipe. He had a gruff appearance, his coat a medium shade of blue, and his short mane and wavy tail were a darker shade. Golden eyes sparkled as he laughed along with the others. On his flank were two crescent moons, one nestled inside the other, facing opposite directions.

As he shifted in his seat, I could see muscles rippling underneath his fur, giving him a muscular, athletic look. Several small scars were scattered across his body, especially around his face. The horn on his head was long, with chips and scratches running across its surface.

As we entered the room, all the laughter ceased as heads turned to look at us—or more specifically—me. Suddenly the center of attention, I froze, doing my best impression of a deer caught in the headlights. Beside me, Twilight shifted uncomfortably, glancing around at her staring family members.

As all three of them continued to stare at me, I started to feel a little anxious. I wonder if I could make it to the train station before they caught me, I thought as I began to sweat. I didn’t like the intense gazes being sent my way.

Eventually, the stallion, who I was assuming was Twilight’s dad, reached up slowly and removed the pipe from his mouth. Rolling his tongue around the inside of his mouth, his golden eyes narrowed. When he spoke, his voice was deep and gravelly, “Damn son, what in Celestia’s name happened to your eye?” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Twilight stiffen.

~Hit my eye on a doorknob~ I replied automatically without thinking, a blank look on my face. His ear twitched as I signed. It was a few seconds before I realized that he probably couldn’t understand me.

I blinked in confusion as he burst out laughing, causing Shining and Cadance to look over at him instead. I looked down at Twilight with a questioning look. She looked just as surprised as me.

“Hit your eye on a doorknob, did ya?” he laughed, his eyes dancing with merriment. “Oh, I can tell I’m gonna have a great time with you.” Giving me a big grin, he continued to chuckle as he placed the stem of the pipe back into his mouth.

“Dad, you know hoof-language?” Twilight asked, looking at her dad incredulously. “Since when?”

“One of my squad members a couple of years back was deaf. Whole squad had to learn it in order to communicate. I’m a bit rusty, but I can still understand it fairly well.” Turning his attention back to me, Twilight’s dad took a long pull on the pipe before speaking.

“So, this is the human the princess was making a big deal about. She had my squad moving all across Equestria trying to find that Celestia-damned group,” he said, a smile still on his face. Pulling on the pipe again, he blew a quick smoke ring out of the corner of his mouth.

“Well, I would normally be hard-pressed right now to trust you, let alone like you, son,” he said. “But seeing as it was partly because of you that I received such a large bonus for running everywhere from Las Pegasus to Fillydelphia, I think I can make an exception.” Leaning further back into his chair, he gave me a brief look over before pulling the pipe out of his mouth and smiling.

“I’m Colonel Night Light of the Royal Guard, Search and Seizure branch to be precise. S’a pleasure to meet ya!”

~Max~ I signed, slowly moving further into the room, Twilight sticking by my side.

“You’ve caused quite a stir around here, boy; you’ve set a lot of wheels in motion. In fact, several laws have already been passed to crack down on human handlers to make sure that they aren’t doing anything illegal or unethical,” Night Light said as I removed my bags and placed them beside the couch, removing the notebook and charcoal as I did so.

I walked over and sat down in front of the fire. Placing her saddlebags next to mine, Twilight quickly ran over and gave her dad a hug.

“Hey there, pumpkin,” he said, ruffling her mane as they broke apart. “How ya doing?”

“I’m doing very well, thanks,” Twilight said, kissing her dad on the cheek. Turning, she trotted over and sat down beside me, snuggling up against my side. This earned her a confused look from Cadance. Shining Armor, however, was looking at me.

“So, you’re intelligent?” he finally asked. I nodded, never breaking eye contact. “You’ve been intelligent the whole time?” Another nod. “Even when we met the first time?” Flipping open my notebook, I quickly scratched out a message before holding it up. Both Cadence and Shining had to lean in slightly to read it.

+Ready for round two, you big wuss?+ Cadance giggled as Shining glared at me.

“I was taking it easy on you last time because I wasn’t sure how you’d react,” he said. I just nodded my head, giving him a mocking, knowing look. “It’s true!” Slowly, I let a large smile spread across my face. Everyone but Twilight flinched at the sight.

“Okay,” said Cadance, sitting up. “That’s pretty creepy.”

“It’s like staring into the face of a predator,” Night Light muttered, shifting in his chair. I just chuckled, the sound causing all of them to flinch again. I continued to snicker as I realized the situation I was in. I’m having dinner with a member of the opposite gender’s family. The last time this happened, I was being stared down by my girlfriend’s father.

My laughter continued to grow in volume until Twilight finally slapped me over the back of the her wing.

“Stop that,” she said, giving me a stern glare, “you’re making everypony nervous.” I gave her a sheepish smile before sticking out my tongue. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Cadance cock her head to the side as she looked at us. She chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes darted between us.

“Don’t stick that tongue out if you aren’t going to use it for anything useful,” said a voice from the doorway. Looking over, I saw Velvet standing there, smirking at me. I looked at her in confusion until she gave me a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows. I raised my eyebrows when I realized what she was implying, a smile tugging on my lips. I think I might actually like these ponies.

“Mom~!” Twilight whined, looking at her mother in horror, her face red. I had to suppress my laughter at the look on her face; it was too adorable. My sides shook with mirth as Night Light snorted, a cloud of smoke escaping his mouth.

“That’s funny,” he said, his eyes twinkling mischievously, “she said the same thing to me during our honeymoon, though she also told me where I could stick it as well.” As both Twilight and Shining looked at their parents in horror, I was trying my hardest to keep my laughter in. This was just too good.

“You were a quick learner though,” Velvet said as she walked further into the room. Now, I wasn’t sure if it was the situation, or something else entirely, but at that moment I couldn’t hold back any longer. I burst out laughing, clutching my sides as I rocked back and forth.

Ever since I arrived in Equestria, I haven’t really laughed hard. Sure, I’ve chuckled, snickered, chortled, and even giggled, but I had never actually had a good long laugh. Now, here I was, rolling on the ground while laughing hard: a good old belly laugh. Tears rolled down my face as I clutched at my sides, gasping for breath.

After several minutes I slowly began to calm down. I sat up, wiping tears from my eyes as I continued to chuckle softly to myself. As I looked up, I saw that everyone was staring at me with a variety of expressions. Shining was looking at me nervously, as though he wasn’t sure what to think. Nightlight and Velvet were both looking at me, amused smiles on their faces. Twilight was staring at me, her mouth hanging open slightly, a small blush on her face. Her eyes sparkled slightly as she gazed at me.

The only one not staring at me was Cadance; she was too busy staring intently at Twilight, a knowing smile slowly spreading across her face as her purple eyes narrowed.

“I like him,” Nightlight said suddenly, putting his pipe back into his mouth. “He’s a keeper.”

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Velvet said, looking at me with a smile. “Although that laugh of his will take some getting used to. I’ve never heard anything like it before.” She continued to look at me for a moment before blinking, her smile softening slightly. “I was just coming to tell you all that dinner will be ready in around fifteen minutes.” With that, she turned and headed back into the kitchen.

“Well, while we’re waiting for dinner to finish up, can I interest anypony in some snacks?” Night Light asked, getting up from the chair and walking over to a table in the corner that was covered in a variety of foods. “We have chips, carrots, crackers, cheese—”

~Cheese?~ I asked, perking up slightly. Back on Earth, I was a cheese fanatic. I loved all kinds of cheese, and could never truly pick a favorite. It was that fact alone that earned me the horrible nickname ‘Max & Cheese’ back in the fifth grade.

“Eeyup,” Night Light said. “We’ve got Kashkaval, Caciocavallo, Oxaca, Colty Cheese, Colty-Jack Cheese, Farmer Cheese, Pinconning Cheese, Swiss—” My mouth was watering as he continued to list off the different cheeses on the table. Twilight just rolled her eyes.

~Sir~ I signed, eventually cutting him off mid-list. ~You had me at ‘cheese’~ Standing up, I walked over and stared down at the little slice of heaven, a happy smile on my face. Night Light looked up at me, surprised.

“You like cheese?” he asked, as if he couldn’t believe such a thing.

~Do I like cheese?~ I taunted, giving him an amused look. ~Sir, you’d be hard pressed to find a cheese back home that I haven’t tried~ A look of pure joy crossed his face when I told him that.

“Splendid!” he said, patting me on the back. “At last, somepony I can have cheesy discussions with!” Leaning in, he pulled me down and stage-whispered in my ear. “Just between you and me, most ponies don’t like cheese just by itself. It has to be in or on something, like a pizza. It’s so hard to find somepony that appreciates cheese just for the cheese.”

“Because it’s weird, dad,” Shining called from the couch. “I still don’t understand how you like that stuff plain.”

~But you have cheese in your fridge~ I signed, looking at Twilight. ~I’ve seen it~

“Yeah, it’s for cooking. You know, putting it on pizza, omelets and stuff like that. Not for eating,” she said, scrunching up her face.

~Oh~ I paused, just looking down at Twilight. ~On a completely unrelated note, you’re out of cheese~ With that, I turned my attention back to the table. Glancing over the different cheeses, I reached for one that was yellow and gold. I was assuming that this was the ‘Colty-Jack Cheese’.

“Are you sure about this?” Twilight asked as I picked a large piece of cheese up. “There is a good possibility that this isn’t the same as the cheese you have back home.” She blinked before lowering her head and grumbling, “I can’t believe I’m talking about the differences in cheese between worlds.” I just ignored her, popping the piece of cheese into my mouth and chewing. My eyes widened and a smile spread across my face. This is more delicious than the cheese back home!

As I murmured happily while I chewed, Twilight just shook her head and wandered off, muttering “weirdos” under her breath. As I reached for a second piece, Night Light smiled happily.

“Ah, a stallion after me own heart!” he said, placing a hoof against his chest. “Twilight,” he called after his retreating daughter. “I fully approve of this young man; consider him part of the family!” Twilight didn’t turn around; her ear flicking slightly in acknowledgement as she walked into the kitchen. Cadance stood quickly from the couch and followed after Twilight. Shortly after, Shining headed into the kitchen as well.

Chewing on my fifth piece of heaven, I turned to look at Night Light.

~So, what kind of recipes do you have for cheese?~

“Sadly, not many,” he said, hanging his head dramatically. “Not enough ponies care enough for that many recipes to exist. It’s a shame, really.”

~You ever tried placing slices of cheese on some chips and heating it up, melting the cheese?~

“Actually,” he said, his face lighting up. “I’ve heard that they do that down in Mexicolt.” Of course they do, I thought, repressing the urge to roll my eyes and facepalm at the horrible pun. Instead, I picked up another piece of cheese and placed it in my mouth.

As I chewed, a idea popped into my head. Turning slowly, I waved my finger absentmindedly at Night Light as a slow smile spread across my face.

~I might have a recipe for you~ I signed, heading over to the fireplace to get my notebook. Nightlight looked at it curiously as I flipped it open.

“What do you need that for?” he asked as he levitated a piece of cheese over for himself.

~Hoof-language doesn’t have all the right words~ I explained before I began to write.

+Deep Fried Cheese Curds: Take some flour, baking powder, and salt and stir it together with eggs and milk. Coat some cheese curds with it before dipping them in heated oil for one minute+ Tearing out the page, I handed it to him before picking up another piece of cheese. I shouldn’t be eating all of this cheese, but I can’t help it; it’s too delicious!

“This actually sounds pretty good,” Night Light said, looking over the note. “I’ll have to try this the next chance I get. Ha, I now have a recipe from another world,” he said with a loud, barking laugh. Rolling the note up, he walked out of the room. A couple of seconds later, he returned, minus the note.

“Sorry,” he said, flashing me a quick smile. “Went to put it with my other recipes. I didn’t want to lose it.”

Just then a shout came from the kitchen, “Dinner’s ready!” I had just taken several steps forward before my way was blocked by Night Light. He looked up at me, the cheerful expression his face replaced by one of stone.

“A quick word before we settle down to eat,” he said, his tone steely. “I’m a soldier, boy. I’ve been out in the field and seen many things that I probably shouldn’t have. I’ve fought with griffons, minotaurs, and changelings. Humans, too.” I swallowed nervously as he stared up at me, the warmth gone from his eyes.

“Now, I’m not telling this to scare you,” he continued, stepping back slightly. “I wasn’t lying when I said I approved of you. However, I want to make one thing clear right here, right now.” Smoke billowed out of his mouth as he sighed heavily, the end of his pipe glowing slightly as he pulled on it. “Twilight is my little girl, regardless if she is an alicorn or not, and I’ll be damned if anything bad happens to her. You do anything, anything at all, that could bring her harm, and I will break you. Is that understood?” I stared at him for several seconds before my gaze became a glare.

First Celestia, and now him, I growled. I was getting really annoyed with ponies assuming that I was the one that was going to do something. I had lost my eye and nearly died because of these ponies.

Night Light apparently saw the angry look in my eyes, because he took a step back, looking uneasy.

~I’m sick and tired of you ponies assuming that I’m some mindless creature that could snap at any given minute~ I signed, advancing towards the unicorn. ~I’ve been kidnapped, forced to fight in a pit, and nearly killed. The pit fight even cost me my right eye~ Bending down, I shoved my face into his, snarling slightly as I did so.

~I’m going to make this very clear right here, right now. You can even tell Celestia this if you want, because I’m pretty sure that she has you reporting to her. I have NO intention of hurting any of you ponies, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll just lie down and take whatever you dish out. If I have to defend myself, I will. With force, if necessary

~That being said~ I straightened back up, putting on a neutral expression. ~Twilight is very, very important to me, and I have no plans to allow any harm to come to her. She may be your daughter, but she’s mostly the reason that I stayed in Equestria, and I’m willing to defend her, no matter the cost~ I finished with a huff, staring down at Night Light. He stared back at me, a blank expression on his face.

He stayed that way for several tense moments, and for a brief second I thought that perhaps I had gone to far, but then suddenly a small smile slowly spread across his face.

“Boy, you just continue to amaze me. I’ve seen members of the Royal Guard with less backbone than you.” His smile grew and the warmth slowly returned to his eyes. “I’m glad that we have an understanding, because after seeing that look in your eye, I’d be just a little hesitant to come to blows with you. I haven’t seen conviction like that in a long time. There is just one thing I’m curious about though,” he said, cocking his head to the side, his eyes narrowing. “How did you know that Celestia wanted me to give her a report about tonight?” I blinked several times before a large smile crossed my face.

~You just told me~ Night Light eyes widened and his mouth opened in a small ‘o’, before he threw back his head and laughed.

“Years of keeping the crown’s secrets safe from enemies, and I’m outsmarted by a human,” he laughed, nearly choking on his pipe, which immediately went out. “Boy, if you keep this up, I’m going to have to talk to Twilight about having you move in here with us. I could do with the entertainment.”

~It wasn’t just a guess in the dark~ I informed him as he calmed down. ~I have the feeling she doesn’t exactly trust me~

“It’s not that she doesn’t trust you,” Night Light said, re-lighting his pipe with a flash from his chipped horn. “She just rather protective of Twilight, and wants to make sure that nothing bad happens to her. She’s almost like a second mother to her.

“Don’t let it bug you too much. She also values Twilight’s opinion, and Twilight speaks very highly of you. But enough about that; I do believe that dinner is ready. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving! I need some food in my stomach before I waste away!” Turning, he headed towards the kitchen, a trail of smoke following behind him as he walked.

I stood there, staring after him for a moment or two, before smirking to myself. I like him, I thought to myself as I made my way after him.

“Weirdos,” Twilight muttered under her breath as she turned and walked away. Head hung low, she wandered towards the kitchen. Who makes such a big deal out of cheese?!

“Ah, a stallion after me own heart!” she heard her dad laugh behind her. “Twilight, I fully approve of this young man; consider him part of the family!” She rolled her eyes at this, but a small smile touched her lips nonetheless.

I’m glad dad likes him, she thought as she entered the kitchen. And to think, all that worrying for nothing.

A wonderful smell hit Twilight’s nose as she inhaled, making her mouth water. Glancing up, she found her mother standing by the stove, stirring a large, bubbling pot. Velvet glanced over her shoulder at her daughter, a surprised expression on her face.

“Twilight, what are you doing in here? Is everything alright?” Twilight just smiled at her as she took another sniff.

“Dad just found out that Max likes cheese as much as he does, so I thought I would come in here and get away from that.”

“Oh dear,” her mother laughed as she shook her head. “If there is one thing your dad loves more than family, it’s his cheese.”

“So, what are you making that smells so good?” Twilight asked, walking over to stare into the pot.

“Three-Bean Chili,” Velvet said, still stirring the pot. “It’s got some red bell peppers in it, as well as onions, red peppers, peeled butternut squash, tomatoes, pinto beans, cannellini beans, and red kidney beans. I accidentally added a bit too much salt, but we’ll just see where that takes us.” She winked at her daughter, causing Twilight to roll her eyes.

“Mom, humans aren’t affected by salt as much as ponies are,” Twilight chided. She was going to say more, but stopped when she felt somepony drape a wing over her back. Turning, she saw Cadance giving her a rather creepy smile.

“Twilight, may I speak with you for a second?” she asked, tugging at Twilight with her wing. She pulled her over to the far corner, away from her mother and the stove. Glancing over her shoulder to see if Velvet was listening in at all, she looked at Twilight and grinned.

“Okay, spill! What’s going on, here?”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Twilight said, confused. Cadance’s smile just grew and she chuckled, as if Twilight had said something funny.

“What’s going on between you and Max?” she asked.

Twilight’s breath caught in her throat.

“N-nothing!” she said loudly, taking a step back. She winced and glanced back at her mother, but Velvet didn’t seem to hear her outburst. Turning back to Cadance, she hissed under her breath, “Why would you think something is going on between us? There is clearly nothing going on between us. We’re just friends. Yes, that’s it. Friends!”

“Oh, come on,” Cadance giggled, wiggling her eyebrows at the smaller alicorn. “I saw how you were looking at him. I know love when I see it, Twilight. You can’t hide it from me~~~!”

“Y-yeah, I love him just like I love Spike. What’s the big deal?!”

“Twilight,” Cadance tsked, shaking her head and smirking. “There is sibling love, then there’s this.” Twilight opened her mouth to argue, but Cadance cut her off by shoving a hoof in her mouth. “Twilight, come on. You were looking at him like a schoolfilly looks at her crush, especially when he was laughing his flank off. You were practically drooling over him. You can’t tell me that was sisterly love!”

Twilight gaped at her, her face heating up as she blushed horribly. Whenever her friends heard Max laugh, they always said it sounded extremely creepy to them, almost animalistic. Applejack described it by saying that it kind of reminded her of a timberwolf’s bark. Even Sunny Breeze had said that she just couldn’t get used to Max’s chuckling. Twilight, on the other hoof, liked the sound of his laughter immensely, even if she never heard more than a chuckle out of him at any given time. However, when she saw him rolling around on the floor, laughing that deep, guttural laugh of his, her opinion had changed. She didn’t just like his laugh anymore: she loved it. She wanted to hear more of it.

She needed to hear more of it.

That loud laugh had something that a pony’s laugh just didn’t have; something that sent shivers down the alicorn’s spine and caused her heart to flutter and beat wildly in her chest.

I’ll have to find out what he thinks is funny and see if I can get him to laugh like that again, she thought absentmindedly, as Shining Armor walked in and went over to talk to Velvet. Shaking her head, the younger princess returned her attention to Cadance.

“There is nothing going on,” she said quickly, her ears splaying backwards.

Cadance just laughed softly, giving her a soft smile.

“Twilight, you can’t deny it,” she said, placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” Twilight swallowed thickly, but couldn’t bring herself to contradict her sister-in-law. Lowering her head, Twilight sighed in defeat. This just caused Cadance to squeal happily, earning her an odd look from Shining.

“Oh, this is so exciting,” she giggled quietly. “Little Twilight is in love! Oh, I’ve been waiting for this day for a while! So, does he know? Have you told him yet?”

Twilight winced at the questions, and glanced away.

“No, I haven’t,” she confessed. “I haven’t had a, um… chance to tell him yet. Besides, I don’t think it’d work.”

Cadance’s smile vanished, and she looked at Twilight in confusion.

“Why?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. Her eyes suddenly widened and she gasped, covering her mouth with her hooves. “Oh no! He doesn’t have his eyes on another human, does he!?” Twilight shook her head, refusing to look her in the eye.

Cadance blinked in confusion. “Another pony?” Again, Twilight shook her head. Cadance just deadpanned at that. “Does he have his eyes on any other creature?” Another shake of the head.

Cadance’s face scrunched up as she gave Twilight an incredulous look. “Then why wouldn’t it work?”

“He’s a human,” Twilight sighed unhappily. She blinked in confusion as Cadance began to laugh. Glancing up, Twilight looked at her, trying to figure out what was so funny.

“That’s what’s bothering you?” Cadance asked, shaking her head as she laughed. “Twilight, I’m astounded by you.”

“Wha—?”

“That human in there, talking to your dad about cheese and making both of your parents laugh. Do you consider him a mindless animal?” she asked.

“No!” Twilight cried angrily. “He is not an animal! He’s an intelligent, caring person!”

“Then what’s the problem? Is it because he’s a different species? Because interspecies relationships are a pretty common thing, you know? We even have them in the Crystal Empire, although that one mare with the yeti that goes around calling everypony ‘George’ and trying to pet them is pretty creepy.” She shivered and stared off into the distance, a pained look on her face as she rubbed her chest. She muttered something that sounded strangely like, “No more hugging… or petting… or squeezing.”

“N-no, it’s not that,” the young princess said, chewing on her bottom lip. Cadance seemed to snap out of her trance and turned her attention back to Twilight. “I-it’s just that… he’s a human.” She tried to put emphasis on the word to get her point across; Cadance just looked at her in confusion.

“I... don’t see what the problem is…”

Twilight sighed heavily, not really wanting to have this conversation. “To the rest of Equestria, he looks like a human; a mindless animal. I know he isn’t, and you know he isn’t, but that’s what everypony else would see. What would they think of me if everypony found out that their new princess was in love with a human? There’s already a bunch of nobles trying to find any reason to strip me of my title. If word got out about this, there would probably be a line of ponies running out to the castle, all petitioning for Princess Celestia to remove me from power because of it.

“Plus, what would my friends say? Rarity didn’t even like him until he saved her sister! What if they found it disgusting and didn’t want to be my friends anymore? What would Mom and Dad say?! What—” She was silenced by Cadance placing a hoof against her lips. Twilight glanced up and saw that she was smiling at her warmly.

“Twilight,” Cadance said, her voice soft. “When it comes to love, don’t let other ponies dictate who you can and can’t love. Max is an intelligent creature, just like you and me. Hay, he’s smarter than some ponies out there. I know that many ponies would find it scandalous, especially the nobles. Why? I don’t know, since most of them are rutting their humans anyways.” She got a sour look on her face, but it was soon replaced with a smile when she looked back at Twilight.

“It shouldn’t matter to you what others think, and I’m pretty sure that your friends would be supportive. As for your parents, well…” A loud laugh came from the family room, Twilight’s dad finding something humorous. This just caused Cadance’s smile to grow slightly and she nodded her head smugly.

“I think that they would be overjoyed just to see you happy, no matter who it is you’re with,” she said. “Just listen to what your heart tells you, and act on it.”

“I guess,” Twilight said, glancing off to the side. “But I don’t want to scare Max away.”

“I don’t think that is something you have to worry about,” Cadance said, draping a wing over her. “I’ve seen how he looks at you as well. There’s kindness in his eyes that I have rarely seen, especially in one who’s had to endure such hardship. He cares for you deeply. Hay, according to my aunts, part of the reason he stayed in Equestria was because of you. He gave up going home to his old life, just to continue to stay in Equestria… with you. I highly doubt that anything you do could drive him away. Just be yourself, and I’m sure that everything will work out just fine.”

Twilight looked up and gave her a small smile.

“Feel better?” Cadance asked.

“Yeah, I do actually. Thanks, Cadance,” Twilight murmured, nuzzling her quickly. As they broke apart, her mom called into the other room.

“Dinner’s ready!” Turning, she looked over at them. “Alright you two, into the dining room. Shining’s already there, setting the table.”

Nodding, they both headed out of the kitchen and into the dining area.

“Don’t worry,” Cadance whispered to her as they walked, bumping Twilight with her flank. “If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to send me a letter. I’m always happy to help. Just take it slow, and you’ll have him eating out of your hooves in no time.”

I stared down at the bowl of food in front of me, my head cocked to the side. Steam wafted up from its contents, and a pleasant aroma tickled my nostrils, causing my mouth to water. I knew what it was, and even though it didn’t have meat, it still looked delicious.

“Are you just going to stare at it, or are you going to eat it?” asked Twilight, who was sitting next to me. I glanced over at her, only to see her halfway finished with her own bowl. I just raised an eyebrow and sniffed haughtily at her.

~Food this delectable must be savored~

“Yeah, well, you savor it any longer and I’ll have to separate you two,” she said, waving her spoon at me before spooning another helping of chili into her mouth. I grinned at that, before picking up a chunk of cheese I had brought with me from the other room. Grabbing my knife, I proceeded to cut the cheese into smaller chunks before tossing them all into my bowl and stirring. I smiled as the cheese slowly began to melt, mixing with chili.

Glancing up, I saw that everyone was looking at me with curious expressions on their faces.

“You’re putting cheese in your chili?” Cadance asked, tilting her head to the side. “That seems like an… interesting combination. I don’t think I’ve seen anypony do that before.” I just shrugged before picking up my spoon and began to eat. As I lifted the spoon to my mouth, strings of melted cheese hung from the metal.

“So Max,” Night Light said as we continued to eat. “Anything exciting you’re looking forward to in the upcoming weeks?” I glanced up, my mouth full of chili. I looked between Night Light, Twilight, and the rest of the family, trying to figure out the best way to communicate with everyone. Writing would take too long, as the notebook would have to be passed around the table.

“Go ahead and use hoof-language,” Twilight said with a smile, seemingly realizing what I was thinking. “I’ll translate for you; it’s no problem.” I gave her a grateful smile before swallowing the food in my mouth with a loud gulp.

~Well, from what I hear from Twilight and her friends, Nightmare Night is coming up shortly~ I began after placing my spoon into my bowl. ~From the description they gave me, it sounds surprisingly similar to a holiday we have back on my world. Since I’ve been cooped up in the library for so long, I figured that I might actually try and make a costume and possibly partake in the festivities~

“Anypony in particular you wanted to do something with?” Cadance asked, a small smirk on her face. Beside me, Twilight shot her an alarmed look.

~Well, I was hoping to do something fun with Twilight here~ I replied, avoiding Cadance’s eye. Night Light had to translate for me because Twilight was too busy staring at me, mouth agape.

“W-wait… me? You want to do something with me?” she stuttered, blinking rapidly. “W-why?”

~You’re fun to hang out with~ I replied with a shrug. ~I like hanging out with you~ A blush spread across her face and she buried her face in her bowl. Across the table, Cadance’s smile grew.

“Well, you aren’t the only one who’s excited for Nightmare Night,” Night Light said. “Princess Luna has been prancing around, gushing about it. She’s talking the ears off of the Night Guard. It’s actually quite the sight to see; she’s like a filly in a toy store.” I frowned slightly as I tried to picture that. From what I’ve seen of Luna so far, she was rather reserved and collected. I couldn’t see her running around, giggling with glee.

“She’ll be visiting Ponyville again this year,” Night Light continued, sipping at his drink, “so you’ll both probably see her. Also, she said that she had something to tell you,” he said, looking at me. “But she also said that it was going to be a surprise, so I have no clue what you can expect from her. Nothing bad, though,” he added, seeing my alarmed expression. Twilight and I just glanced at each other, eyebrows raised.

“Well, that just made things more interesting,” Twilight commented, while I nodded in agreement. “I wonder what the surprise is.” I just shrugged and returned to my chili.

~We’ll find out come Nightmare Night~ We continued to make small talk as we ate, the gentle clatter of silverware filling the room. I was still trying to figure out what Luna wanted to talk about, and was content just to stare into my bowl, listening to the others talk. I was snapped out of my thoughts when something small struck my cheek.

Blinking, I glanced down at the object, and saw that it was a chili bean. I stared at it for several seconds before looking up. Everyone was busy talking about some big event coming up—I think I caught the word ‘Gala’ in there somewhere—but nobody seemed to notice that I had just been struck by a projectile. Nobody, that is… except for Shining Armor.

The stallion in question was staring at me, a triumphant smirk on his face. As I made eye contact with him, the smirk grew wider before he flicked another bean at me with his magic. The bean struck me on the other cheek this time, before falling to the table. I narrowed my eyes at my assaulter. He dares to attack me? That fascist pig! This is an insult to both me and my people and shall not be tolerated!

Subtly lowering my spoon into my bowl, I scooped up three beans that were covered in melted cheese. Still keeping my movements slow and deliberate, I raised the spoon to my mouth. Placing the edge of my spoon in my mouth, I pushed down on the spoon. Taking careful aim, I opened my mouth, releasing the spoon, and launching my own salvo towards the enemy.

Shining never even saw it coming. My attack hit him right on the nose, the melted cheese causing the beans to stick to his muzzle. He flinched slightly before glaring at me. I just smirked at him, sticking my tongue out quickly. That earned myself a bean to the nose.

As I rubbed the chili off of my nose, I placed my spoon on the table, the head facing Shining Armor. Picking up a small chunk of cheese, I placed it on the end of the spoon closest to me. Adjusting the spoon slightly, I lined it up perfectly with my intended target.

Quickly, I slammed my fist down on the head of the spoon, coughing loudly. The cheese flew through the air and landed with a splash in Shining’s glass. He glared daggers at me as I continued to cough, trying to mask my laughter. Twilight looked at me in concern.

“Are you alright?” she asked. I nodded, pointing at my bowl of chili.

~Spicy~ I replied before returning my attention to Shining, who was trying to fish the piece of cheese out of his drink without drawing attention to what he was doing. Twilight just shrugged before turning back to Cadance and picking up where she had left off.

After he had fished the soggy piece of cheese out of his cup, Shining placed it on his own spoon, and evil smile spreading across his face. Grasping his utensil in his magic, he raised it into the air slightly before giving it a quick flick, sending the soggy piece of dairy flying towards me.

Moving quickly, I pushed my fork off the table. As it clattered to the floor, I ducked under that table quickly. The projectile flew over my head and hit the wall with a “splat”. I peeked over the edge of the table, smirking at Shining Armor. He just glowered at me before lowering his head and huffing into his bowl.

“I hope you plan on cleaning that up, Shining,” Velvet said suddenly, not looking up from her meal. Everyone turned to look at Shining, who had a shocked look on his face. I threw my fists into the air, a victorious smile on my face. That earned me a confused look from both Twilight and Cadance, although I think Night Light gave me a quick wink.

“But Mom, he—” Shining began, pointing a hoof at me before his mother cut him off with a glare.

“Shining Armor, don’t you dare try and blame your antics on that poor, innocent human!” Velvet scolded, giving her son a disapproving look. I was biting on my lip, trying to stop myself from laughing at the look on Shining’s face.

“Besides, I do believe that it’s now two to one, Max’s lead,” Velvet continued, returning to her chili. “Really, Shining. I thought you would fare better than this. You used to be the Captain of the Guard. How embarrassing,” she tutted. I couldn’t help it anymore: that comment, combined with Shining’s horrified look, along with Cadance and Twilight’s looks of utter confusion sent me over the edge. Grabbing my sides, I fell out of my chair and rolled under the table, howling with laughter. I heard Shining grumbling something above me, which only made me laugh harder.

When I had finally calmed down, I emerged from underneath the table. Sitting back down in my seat, I glanced over at Twilight. She was staring off into the distance, a huge dopey smile plastered on her face. Across from her, Cadance was giggling into her hoof, her face red as she looked at Twilight.

I just looked back and forth between the two mares before shrugging and returning to my chili. As I ate, Shining glared playfully at me.

“This isn’t over,” he hissed, eye narrowing.

“Shining,” Velvet said warningly, not looking up.

“Sorry, mommy…” I nearly choked on my mouthful of food, earning another glare from Shining.

“Ugh… I think I ate too much,” Twilight groaned as she collapsed onto the couch. Rolling onto her back, she held her distended stomach in her hooves, her tongue lolling out of her mouth comically. I smiled at her antics. I sat in front of the fireplace, enjoying the warmth of the crackling flames.

We had all retired to the family room after dinner, Night Light stroking the fire back to life. He was now sitting back in his chair, happily puffing away on his pipe. Velvet was sitting in the other chair in the room, a book held in her magic, while a pair of reading glasses were perched on her nose. As she read, she would write little notes in a notebook placed on the armrest. Shining and Cadance were both sitting on the couch with Twilight, Cadance leaning against her husband. As she snuggled further into the couch, she winced and rubbed her back with a hoof.

“Are you okay, hon?” Shining asked, looking at her in concern. She smiled at him, shaking her head.

“I’m fine. I’ve just been having a little back pain lately. Nothing a trip to the masseuse won’t fix.” I perked up slightly, looking at Cadance curiously. As I watched, she winced again as she shifted on the couch. Sucking on the inside of my cheek, I sat up straighter and waved to her. When she glanced over at me, I waved her over. Exchanging a quick look with Shining, who shrugged, she got up and trotted over to me.

“What’s up?” she asked as she approached. I didn’t reply. Instead, I reached over and grasped her forelegs in my hands. With a soft tug, I pulled her down across my lap. She turned her head, looking back at me in confusion.

“What are you—” she began before she stopped talking and let out a low moan as I dug my fingers into her back. As I kneaded my digits into her tense back muscles, she let out a happy sigh. She was putty in my hands within seconds.

“This is better than hooves,” she moaned as I worked my knuckles into her flesh in little circles, making sure not to push too hard. After working the knots out of one part of her back, I moved quickly to the next trouble spot. Cadance just murmured happily as I worked, lazily petting my knee with her forehoof every now and then. Her eyes were rolled back in her head and she had a large smile on her face. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. I didn’t know I was that good at this.

“I didn’t know you knew how to give massages,” Twilight said, sitting up. It could have been my imagination, but it looked like she was giving Cadence an envious look.

~My mom suffered from chronic high blood pressure and headaches. She found that the back massages helped alleviate the symptoms~ I signed. Cadance whimpered, squirming in my lap when I stopped my massage to respond to Twilight. I chuckled as I returned to the task at hand.

“I’m pretty sure that the high blood pressure led to the headaches,” Twilight said, rubbing her chin with her hoof. “Is it genetic?” she asked before she yawned loudly.

~Yes, it was. Luckily, I did not inherit it from her~ I replied before quickly returning to massaging Cadance so she couldn’t complain.

I wasn’t sure how long we stayed like that, but I wasn’t complaining. The crackle of the fire was relaxing, and combined with the heat, I was fighting to keep my eyes open even as I continued Cadance’s massage. I was pretty sure that she had fallen asleep a while ago; she had a happy smile on her face.

I had just started to nod off when the clock above the fireplace started to chime nine o’ clock. I blinked, clearing the sleep from my eye as I twisted around to try and see the clock face. I didn’t know it was that late.

“I think it’s about time to send you two on your way,” Night Light said, looking at me. “The next train leaves in a half hour.” I slipped my arms under Cadance, causing her to twitch slightly. Slowly standing up, I walked over and deposited her gently on the couch with Shining. He smiled as she subconsciously snuggled up against him. Picking up my saddlebags, I strapped them on before turning my attention to Twilight, only to find her fast asleep as well.

The sight alone was enough to bring a large smile to my face and I mentally “d’awwww”ed. She was curled up, much like a dog, her head tucked slightly under her wing. Her side rose and fell as she breathed gently, quiet snores slowly escaping her mouth.

~I didn’t realize she was that tired~ I signed softly, turning to look at Night Light. He smiled down at his daughter, puffing on his pipe.

“We better wake her up,” he said, chewing on the end of his pipe. “We need to get you two to the train station.” He reached out a hoof to shake her awake, but I grabbed it. Shaking my head, I reached down and gently slipped an arm under the sleeping mare. Lifting her up, I flipped her over slowly, cradling her in my arms. She snuggled deeper into my embrace with a happy murmur, seeking the warmth my body provided.

Turning, I looked at Night Light. He just gave me an amused look, shaking his head slightly.

“Do you have train tickets already?” I nodded, motioning with my head towards Twilight’s saddlebags. Her dad picked them up in his magic, rifling through them until he pulled out the two tickets. Shifting Twilight slightly in my arms, I held out a hand for the tickets.

“I’ll take care of these,” Nightlight said, lifting the saddlebags and placing them on his back. “I’ll escort you to the train station.” Turning to glance at his wife, he continued “I shouldn’t be too long. I’ll just make sure they both get on the train to Ponyville safely before coming back.” Velvet nodded before smiling up at me.

“Take care, Max,” she said. “It was nice to properly meet you, and I hope we’ll see you again soon.” I gave her a smile and a nod before turning and heading out into the hall. Shining gave me a smile and a quick salute as I passed, sticking out his tongue afterwards. I just chuckled at that. As I slipped on my sandals, Night Light opened the front door. With one quick glance around to make sure that we weren’t forgetting anything, I followed the unicorn out of the house and into the night.

I shivered in the chilly night air. The temperature was beginning to drop more and more as autumn slowly came to a close; I could even see my breath as I exhaled. Twilight whimpered slightly in her sleep, nuzzling closer to my chest as she sought warmth. I wrapped my arms tighter around her before turning to Night Light.

“Come on,” he said, heading off down the road. “Train station is this way.” I fell in step behind him, and we made our way down the empty street. There were a few houses that still had lights on, but for the most part, the majority of the homes we passed were dark, the ponies inside likely already asleep.

As we walked, I couldn’t help but stare up at the night sky. Thousands of stars filled the night, twinkling happily against the blackness. Even with the street lights on, the view was so much clearer than back on Earth. The moon was larger too, glowing brilliantly against the dark backdrop.

As I stared up at the sky, Twilight nuzzled into my chest, inhaling deeply.

“Mmhmm...Max,” she whispered. I glanced down at her, blinking. A smile touched my lips as she continued to rub her head softly against my chest, a happy smile on her face. I looked up and saw the train station off in the distance.

I adjusted Twilight into a more comfortable position, the smile still on my face. Warmth welled up in my chest as I looked down at her again, the feeling keeping back the nip of the chilly night air.

Sweet dreams, Twilight, I thought, holding my dear friend close to my chest.

I landed in front of the human with a thud, my wings flared wide to either side. Neither him, nor the unicorn stallion walking next to him, responded to my presence. They kept walking with smiles on their faces.

I straightened up, looking at Max as he continued to approach.

“Max, we need to talk,” I said quickly, trotting forward to meet him. “It’s important.” He didn’t acknowledge me, nor what I had said. Instead, he continued to walk forward, passing through me with no resistance. I winced slightly at the sensation, before sighing heavily as I turned and watched him walk off. “I hate chaos magic.”

Flapping my wings, I flew around in front of him again, hovering a foot away from him as he walked, keeping pace with his strides. I glared into his eyes, pouting slightly.

“Come on, talk to me,” I whined, waving a hoof in front of his face. “I know I can communicate with you; I’ve done it before!” Still nothing. “What, do you have to be dying in order for me to be able to talk to you?” Not even a twitch. I swung a hoof at his face, just for it to pass through him.

Growling, I turned my attention to the elderly unicorn beside the human.

“Oi, Gramps! Can you hear me?” I asked. He didn’t say anything, just continued to walk along. “I’ll take that as a ‘no’.” A deep chuckle resounded around us, emanating from the direction of the Royal Gardens. I gritted my teeth, snarling slightly. Huffing, I turned my attention back to Max. He was currently looking down at the Alicorn of Magic, a warm smile on his face as he cradled her in his arms. I couldn’t help but smile as well, the adoration in his gaze warming my heart.

Sighing dejectedly, I flapped my wings and rose higher into the air.

“This is going to be harder than I thought,” I grumbled as I flew off into the night.