I couldn’t believe my eyes at what I had just seen. It was like I was in some magical fairy tail that had a beautiful maiden commanding animals to sweep and clean a house. Which was kind of redundant, since those furry little buggers were tracking dirt into the home all the time. Though maybe that was why the birds did most of the work.

I looked down at the bowl of porridge I was about to consume, and wondered if she had one of those animals prepare it. I can’t really say it wasn’t bad, but the fact that I was eating out of a bowl identical to the other bowls the animals were eating out of… I just had a hard time just nibbling at my meal.

“I-is everything okay Button?” The soft voiced pegasus asked, while I just played with my food.

“Yeah… just wondering why.” I looked up to stare into her teal eyes, “Why are you doing this?”

She blinked and started to twiddle her thumbs, while I brought a spoonful of porridge to my mouth.

“Well,” She began, but started to look around, her head stops to look out the window. Her wings started to twitch and her face slowly turned to surprise, so I followed her gaze.

The sound of a spoon hitting china resounded with the noise of animals. Outside, behind a tree was a pony watching us through the window. I only blinked for a second and they were gone like they were never even there.

“Well… shit,” I said aloud as the sight of the pony sent shivers down my spine. For a second I could have sworn the pony had fangs bared at me, I looked back at Fluttershy, “So. A friend of yours?”

She shook her head but continued to look out the window.

“Great,” I mumbled as I continued to consume the porridge. This day had already started with Discord having his fun with the Pinky clones, and by the end of it there was just too many body parts turned to pies to count.

Then without further explanation the guy just ups and leaves me in the cavern yelling something along the lines of ‘I have stuff to do and I’ll be seeing you later.’ Somehow his voice was able to echo longer than what was plausible.

He could have at least walked me back to the road out of the Everfree, since that place was just too quiet without his megalomaniacal voice in my head. Though I do have to blame him for me being ensnared in the tumble weed. That stuff just doesn’t let go and with nearly little to no light it just wasn’t a pleasant experience walking back to FLuttershy’s place.

“So. Wanna head home or what?” I asked my gluttonous friend, as she wholeheartedly consumed her breakfast. She looked from her bowl of food, little bits of food clung to the sides of her chin. The little rodent raised her shoulders then returned to her meal. I just sighed and continued to eat the breakfast my host kindly prepared.

Fluttershy just sat there and trembled in her seat. She looked at me then back out the window, where the peeper once stood.

I just continued to eat my meal, the sounds of animals cleaning and going about their daily task seemed to calm my mind.

I was a bit adamant with the yellow mare about helping around the house. She was such a kind host even though she forcibly dragged me to her home. The mare was already overdoing it by giving me her bed and a warm meal.

Still I wondered if it was a common thing for grown mares to take young adolescent males into their homes. The incident at the train station was still a mystery to me, but my cause for worry is that no one actually stopped her from abducting me. Either these ponies are too trusting or they allow their children to brave the unknown of child kidnapping.

Don’t even know what life lesson that kids are suppose to learn from that, I just know I have to clean out these pens before lunch.

“Just how much land does she own,” I mumbled to myself, as I levitated piles of poop out of the animal pens. There was a bear cave that I had just finished and now I was working on cleaning out a lion habitat, “How can she even affords any of these animals?”

The cost alone is way beyond anything that any pony in this town could afford. Except maybe for that Diamond Tiara chick, but it’s unlikely she could even take care of a hamster for a week before it croaked.

As I continued my work I spotted the animal in question. The big mangy lion pushed open the cage door, it’s dark brown eyes stared at me. The huge cat slowly made it’s way toward me while stood there levitating poop unto a cart.

When the lion was next to me, the cat started to rub it’s head against my shoulder then like any cat he walked past me rubbing it’s pale yellow coat against me. My mind went blank from the action and I could only wonder how I could get Fluttershy to let me keep this guy.

“Y’know… If I had a bigger house I’d definitely adopt you right now.” I started to pet the big old cat with my free hand, while levitating his poop toward the cart. The cat turned his head toward me and to my astonishment it smiled. I felt the corners of my lips slowly rise as well, but it soon faded when the beast simply walked away, “Wow.” I scratched my head then looked toward where Coco was playing, “Maybe I could trade…”

The pens were cleaned well before lunch and I was kinda bored out my mind at the moment. I haven’t seen the lion since the morning and the other animals in the pens seemed a little boring compared to it. Then there’s Coco to deal with.

“So… what’s wrong with you?” I asked, the moody raccoon on my shoulder. She swiped at my cheek and I felt her claws sink into my coat. Coco proceeded to hiss at me, which I just shrugged in retaliation. She sunk her claws into my shoulder while I just chuckled.

I headed towards the cottage, and couldn’t help but notice the golden chariot that was parked in front of Fluttershy’s house. Two stallions in corresponding gold armor stood at attention by the chariot.

“Sirs.” I nodded in their direction, and proceeded to walk past the house in a calm fashion. The two ponies remained stone faced as I walked past. Coco looked at me and tilted her head, I whispered my concern to her, “Yeah. I’m not gonna deal with this.”

My direction was clear, and that was toward the town. The place filled with witnesses and shields.

“And where do you think your going young colt.” The honeyed voice sent shivers down my spin. I didn’t even to have to look to guess who it came from. There was only one pony that I know of with that voice.

Coco latched onto my shoulder her claws poked into my coat. She started to shake and my shoulder felt like it would be torn off by the little coon. I gulped down what ever reservations I had and continued my calm walk toward town.

I barely made took a single step before I was levitated off the ground. In her magical grasp I was slowly turned, and was faced with the dreaded white beast. She looked down at me with those concerning magenta eyes, to which my eyes turned away from.

“Follow me.” She turned and slowly started to walk toward the cottage. She takes a single step forward her head turned to slightly glance at me, “I promise that nothing will happen to you.”

I just remained silent while being dragged in her magical grasp. Coco hissed at the mare, but Celestia remained silent from the raccoons constant barrage of insults. Which I hope were insults or else the spittle from the rodent would not have been worth it.

Though my hopes were answered in the form of a shocked yellow mare. Her hand covered her mouth and what little I could see of her eyes, they were the size of dinner plates. Inwardly I congratulated my little raccoon, but the sight of a certain unicorn ruined any of that.

“Hello Button,” Beam greeted with a slight smile with a teacup slowly moved to her lips.

“Aw! This is so cute!” There on the opposite side of Beam, sat the mare that I’ve known as mother. From my vantage point I spotted a baby squirrel sitting atop her cleavage playfully swiping at her delicate fingers.

“Lucky bastard,” I mumbled eyeballing the furball slowly burrowing between the fluffy mounds.

“Now then,” Celestia said, my body slowly levitated next to Beam. Celestia smiled and took a seat on a couch which creaked as her bottom made contact, “Ms. Fluttershy… Thank you for letting us have this meeting in your home.”

“I-it’s my pleasure y-your majesty,” Fluttershy said followed by a bow to the wafting mane Alicorn.

Celestia gave a slight nod towards the mare, then directed her attention at me. Her smile wavered just slightly, as I continued to glare at the Princess.

“Ah. If only I meet a stallion like you,” Beam sighed, her hand patted my thigh. She turned to smile at me, “Not many stallions could stand against the Princess… but the few that due are quite the catch.”

“Noted,” I said, my grip on the staff tightened as Celestia’s horn began to glow. She levitated a cup of tea towards her lips then took a sip from it. I will still cautious of the Alicorn for what she had done to me.

“Button… are you alright?” Mom asked as she turned her affectionate gaze from the squirrel towards me.

“I’m okay Mom.” I remained stone faced as I answered her. She was just to calm, either Celestia hadn’t told her what happened or she was being manipulated by magic in some way.

“If you're wondering if we told her.” I slightly to look at Beam, her voice barely above a whisper, “We were going to tell her today… just to set things right.”

I turned to look at Mom with a smile on face, but inside I was having an internal conflict with myself. Whether to have Celestia admit her faults and have my this body’s mother go on a rampage to rip out the throat of the countries ruler or… actually I would love to watch that but I don’t think child services would be a better option at the moment.

“So.” Mom turned her smiling face toward the Alicorn as she asked, “Princess if you would be so kind… Why exactly is my son doing out here with some random pony?” I clenched my teeth and tried to keep my stone faced expression. In the pit of my stomach I was starting to fear this mare before me. She turns her sights toward the yellow mare, “No offense Fluttershy… But I would just Love to know why my son had left Canterlot and traveled all the way the back to Ponyville.”

Fluttershy was left speechless, as I could only hope that the icy gaze would not be directed toward me. Luckily Celestia was able to garner mother’s hidden anger, sue she’s smiling but I could feel that rage monster ready to let loose.

“I do believe I can enlighten you on that subject,” Celestia said, as I finally made up my mind on what to do. Celestia continued as I got ready to cut her off, “You see. Button here…”

“I failed,” I sighed acting dejected at the subject. A quick glance at the Princess and she was baffled at what had just occurred. I continued my in hopes that mom could be fooled, “It’s just that… it just didn’t workout.”

I gave mom puppy dog eyes and tried darndest to shed a tear or two. Her ears flattened a bit as her face took on a worried look.

Coco made noise on my shoulder as I continued to continue my story, “You see. I. I…ahh!” I suddenly started to cry and covered by eyes with my free hand.

It wasn’t long until I felt the warm confines of the mare’s bosoms but with the added claws of a squirly that tried to escape from my face and eternal bliss. Just to add to the little vermin’s misery I started to rub my head against her chest.

“Shh… it’s alright sweetie,” Mom cooed, her arms wrapped around me while I bit my tongue from the squirrels assault.

I had to wonder if she could feel those little claws, but I my thoughts were interrupted by the Princess’s sudden cough’s. I was happy to remove my face away from the little assailant, however the Celestia’s perplexed look was something of a new experience.

“Ahem… If I may,” Celestia said, her eyebrows raised with a quizzical look in her eye, “We may need to talk… in a more private manner.”

My head still was against the two pillows, as I noticed Celestia’s horn was aglow. It wasn’t until I moved away from the busty mare did I realize what the Princess had done.

“Surprised.” Celestia smiled, while my gaze was focused on the birds in mid flight that were suspended in mid air.

“H-how?” I said, as I placed a frozen raccoon next to me. I was paranoid that she might fall off and injure herself from any movement that I would have made.

“I just casted a little time around the room,” Celestia said, her hands clapped together tearing me away from the sight of still water being poured out of a teapot. I stared into Celestia’s magenta eye, “Now that I have your attention… What exactly are you planning?”

I tilted my head in response unsure of what was going on, “Uhm… What do you mean?”

Celestia sighed then proceeded to give me her single eye glare, “Why exactly are you lying about what happened.” Celestia bit her lip as she stared from me then toward mom, she sighs and ends that hardened glare of hers, “For what you went through… I thought you might have used it as an excuse to fight me.”

“Fight you?!” I started to laugh, my arms wrapped around my chest as I stared into her eye, “Your bloody stupid to even think I would fight someone like.”

“Oh. And why would you say that?”

“It’s simple.” I pointed at the mare then and with a toothy grin, “You're an Alicorn. A being whose lived for untold centuries and has the power to move the sun.” I let out a small laugh, “Who in their right mind would ever want to fight you?”

My laughter continued and Celestia just sat there staring at me. Though for the life of me I couldn’t help but here the slightest sound of something shattering in the background. I was laughing so hard to even care about that slight sound from somewhere.

“Are you done?” Celestia said, her mighty arms crossed her equally mighty chest, “Why exactly are you covering up for my misdeeds?”

“Why?” I gave the Princess a sadistic grin, “Tell me Princess. Why should I be angry at you?” I pointed my finger at her, her mouth started to move but I cut her off before she could even utter a word, “After All. wasn’t it you that put me through such a traumatizing albeit painful experience.” I sort of spat at the end, which Beam became the victim.

Celestia continued to look down at me not sure if I had finished or even knew how to answer. I however wasn’t even far from done.

“Say everyone,” I began as I spread out my arms along with a widest grin I could muster, “Why don’t we knock out Button here. Tie him up to a table. Then proceed to blast him with dangerous spells that will disintegrate him to dust!” I shouted the last word as my grin was replaced by a glare. My teeth bared as if I was ready to bite off Celestia’s head.

Celestia remained silent with that single eye of hers that looked me up and down. I couldn’t tell what was going through her head, but I could hear some sort of noise coming from the kitchen. It was like a slight thump and then it ended.

“You do have the right to be angry at me,” Celestia said, her smile faded and was replaced by this odd neutral mask. It wasn’t like the smiling one which she would usually put on since it was just too hard to tell what emotion she was hiding, “So then.” She placed both hands atop her lap as we stared into each other’s eyes, “What must I do to make up for my mistake?”

I was baffled at her blunt response which left very little in the terms of her trying to weasel her way out of this. My eyes blinked in response which my mouth remained shut. I really would have thought this mare would simply try to explain her actions and let me hear her side of the story, not to just simply say that she was sorry.

“Really. Aren’t you going to at least defend your actions or something?” I asked.

Celestia shook her head, “No. It is already clear that I had jumped to a conclusion that required more investigation.”

“And what is conclusion that lead up to me being nearly killed… If I may ask?”

Celestia sighs and takes a moment to compose herself. That single eye of hers, had not once turned away from me.

“My conclusion was. That you were a ghoul.” She said.

I took a moment to think what she had meant by that, either I was some walking corpse eager to sink my teeth into flesh or she was just pulling something out of her ass. Either way that just didn’t make any sense.

“So I’m a ghoul.” I took a look at my hand then turned it to look at the palm. I began to open and close said hand, “You do realize. That.” I thought for a second at my current predicament and realized that this mare had every right to question my existence, “Hmm. I can actually see where you're basing your assumptions from.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow then said, “You can?”

I nodded in response, “Of course.” I pointed my thumbs at myself, “A colt that should have been dead. Is still alive and is somehow able to do magic.” I nodded at myself, but stopped as something else hit me. I looked at the Princess with my brows furrowed, “Exactly how does that make me a ghoul again?”

“Your kidding,” Celestia said, her eye wide in astonishment, “You came up with slight bases of why I had thought you were some abomination and yet you can’t piece it to the puzzle.”

“Well.” I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment, “I mean sure I’m an earth pony that can do magic and stuff… does that even make me a ghoul.”

“No,” Celestia sighed and shook her head, “It makes you unique, but that isn’t why I thought you were a ghoul.”

“Really. Then why did you have me knocked out and nearly killed?”

“That. That was a mistake on my part.” I saw bit of what I perceived as annoyance, but was soon buried under that neutral mask, “Again. I’m sorry for what I had put you through.”

I kept my mouth shut wary and confused at what the Princess was getting at.

Celestia sighs and her shoulder sag, “I am truly sorry at what happened.”

For the first since I’ve known the Princess she was actually sad. No smiling mask, just a sad looking mare who could easily obliterate me with a single magical blast.

“So,” I said to ward off the creeping silence, “What now?”

I was still perplexed at the outcome of this conversation. I had really thought it was going to end up with mom slugging it out with the Princess. Instead I was sitting in a home which a mare kidnapped me into staying with her and now I was having a conversation in which an almighty being had admitted their own fault.

“My offer still stands,” Celestia said as her smiling mask returned, “I can just about do anything within my power.”

I crossed my arms as I blew air through my nose, “There’s nothing that you could that would make up for almost murdering me.”

I turned away from the Princess and stopped my gaze at her. There was something she could do for me and without her help I would be never be able to do it.

“Actually… There is something I want.” I turned to stare at the Princess a smile on my face, “just promise me that whatever happens. It stays between you and me.”

Celestia looks into my eyes then slowly nods in agreement. I couldn't help but smile in response.

“Thanks.” I said as I turned away from the Princess. I looked at the mare in question my body slowly moved closer. If this time spell is true, then the only ones to ever remember my actions will be the Princess and I. I smiled as I got closer to my target, “Oh how I’ve waited to say this to you.”