It felt good to be home. Lounging in the bed, Bucky refused to budge, even though there were very important things to look after. It was also very hard to leave the bed when a large, pregnant pegasus lay half on and half off of him, crushing him into the mattress.

“Violet, I am sorry about the setting,” Bucky said in apologetic tones.

A faint grin spread over Violet’s muzzle. “This isn’t so bad, sir.” Violet cleared her throat. “The disturbances down south have grown bad enough to require some manner of response. There is a petrified crystal unicorn sitting in Canterlot that demands your attention. And then there is the matter that Sunset Shimmer brought to your attention briefly last night when she was here.”

“I just got home… do I get a little bit of downtime?” Bucky rolled his eyes and let out a groan. “I have changed my mind, away with you Violet… I have proclaimed myself ‘King of the Bed’ and today I will not be holding Court—”

“Sir, I know that you just came home, but to be fair, you’ve been lounging on an airship for the past few days. Things have piled up. And some things really are priorities,” Violet said as she lifted Sukari up off the floor and set Sukari down upon the bed.

“Play with me.” Sukari sat down inches from where Bucky was resting his head.

“See Violet? I have no attention to spare… hello little zebra, welcome to the Kingdom of Bed.” Angling his head, Bucky looked at Sukari and smiled. “Have you been a good foal this morning?”

Sukari shrugged.

“Violet, have Sunset Shimmer meet with me in a few hours. I agree, messages from Star Swirl of the Great and Powerful Beard are a high priority. The petrified crystal unicorn isn’t going anywhere. I already know how to make him talk… as for the problem down south… I promise I will read the reports and give them my full attention at some point today before noon, but I cannot say when exactly.”

When Bucky was done speaking, he reached out and pulled Sukari closer to him. He pressed his face into her belly, puckered his lips, and blew a raspberry. Kicking and squealing, Sukari tried to get away, but didn’t put very much effort into it, making only a few halfhearted attempts at escape.

“Where is Harper?” Bucky asked as he lifted his head.

“Harper is currently quite irate with you for leaving and remaining gone for so long,” Violet replied. The mare adjusted her reading glasses. “When I was in the living room, she was pitching a fit… having a tantrum if you will.”

“See Violet, this is why I can’t work today… so many things to fix and put back into order.” Bucky nuzzled his nose against Sukari’s barrel, causing the foal to close her eyes and giggle.

“Sir, this is exactly the reason you have to work today… there is much to put back in order.”

Frustrated, Lyra Heartstrings let out a heaving groan. The house had slipped into utter anarchy. The foals refused to go to school. Harper decided to vent her frustrations with endless high pitched shrieking. Because of Harper’s wailing, both Tranquility and Lunacy were now crying. The house was crowded with ponies and there seemed to be no place to go for quiet or personal space. Bon Bon was far too busy looking after everything to make Lyra feel better.

Lyra needed routine. Lyra needed calm, stable environments. Lyra did not deal well with change. Closing her eyes, Lyra listened to the sounds of Ripple and Loch Skimmer rough housing in the living room, the thump of bodies against the floor as well as the furniture. Then came the sound of Rising Star hooting and hollering, cheering on the brawling pegasi in the living room as the foals continued to shriek at the top of their lungs.

For a moment, Lyra thought about blaming the chaos on Discord and Fluttershy, but then thought better of it. Lyra’s ears perked straight up and then fell back against her skull as Sparkler shouted something unintelligible at Dinky. There was the thunderous sounds of hooves running down the hallway, clattering upon the wooden floorboards.

There was a crash and a thump as something heavy collided with the wall, followed by a triumphant shout from Ripple, who was proclaiming victory over the big sister menace. Lyra covered her eyes. Pegasi. She shook her head and slumped over the kitchen table. This was not a good environment for introverts. Not at all.

There was a high pitched squeal, it sounded as though it came from Piña, followed by shouting about noogies. Lyra fell forwards and banged her head upon the table, over and over, there was a loud thud each time Lyra’s skull connected with the wood.

“No fair! Teleporting away is cheating Dinky!”

Teleporting away was cheating. And that is what Lyra did. Horn flashing with golden light, Lyra winked away, vanishing from the kitchen.

“Hmm, I should make wishes more often,” Bucky said in a low growl as he pulled Lyra closer to him. He ran his right hoof down her side, trailing over her ribs, and pressed his lips against the back of her neck.

“What are you talking about?” Lyra asked as she tried not to giggle.

“I wished for a nice looking unicorn to share my bed kingdom with and then you showed up,” Bucky replied and then kissed Lyra just behind her ear, causing her to shiver.

“Hey, I want some of that.” Derpy, still half draped over Bucky, wiggled forwards, crushing Bucky a bit more, causing him to groan, and got ahold of Lyra. “Now I have both my unicorns in bed with me.”

“Sukari, are you smooshed? Where are you?” Bucky asked, wondering where the zebra filly went. He looked around, unable to feel her, and then spied her head sticking out from beneath a large pillow at the head of the bed. “I’ve gotta get up… I fear I must leave my kingdom.”

“No!” Derpy wrapped her forelegs around both Bucky and Lyra’s necks and squeezed.

“Stay with us,” Lyra begged, rubbing the back of her neck against Bucky. Lyra shivered as she felt Bucky’s nose snuffling along her neck, in her mane, along the base of her skull. “The rest of the house has gone mad, this is the only sane place… a little more to the left… no, your other left… and up a little…” Lyra closed her eyes and began to relax.

“I can hear that the house has gone crazy. Bucky, if you lift me up and carry me, I can go lay down the law,” Derpy said, whispering into Bucky’s ear.

“No, stay here, hold me.” Lyra, feeling warm and secure, didn’t want this to end.

“This is only the beginning. Soon, we will be overrun by foals. We shall have to barricade ourselves into this room and this this room… yes… this very room shall be our fortress against the chaos.” Bucky ran his hoof along the smooth, velvety flesh of Lyra’s stomach, and he could feel Lyra quivering at his touch.

“Bucky, the nursery is right next door to this room,” Derpy said.

“Curses! Foiled by interior design!”

Hearing Bucky’s words, Lyra began to titter.

The house was now almost silent. Sitting in the farmhouse library, Bucky read through several long reports, feeling a growing sense of concern about what was going on down south. The area between Appleloosa and Dodge City Junction had all manner of undead, more than usual, and now, there were bodies drained of all liquid. Shining Armor had placed several memos about this issue at top priority, an issue that demanded Bucky’s attention right away and would not wait.

Tossing the papers down, Bucky began to rub his head with his talons and he closed his eyes. He began to realise that there would be no downtime and that he was going to break Derpy’s heart.

There was also the matter of the apparent letter sent from Star Swirl and the Tower of the New Moon. Having read a copy of the letter several times now, Bucky felt a growing feeling of unease. Buckminster Belmont Bitters. If this was a hoax, it was a very elaborate hoax.

“I am Buckminster Beauregard Bitters,” Bucky said to himself as he opened his eyes.

Hearing a scuttling sound, Bucky’s ears perked. He looked around, not feeling alarmed, but there was a feeling of concern. His talons flexed, his tendons creaking, his ears straining to listen over the sound of the fire roaring in the farmhouse library. His eyes narrowed into slits.

Something clattered over the floor, moving closer. Reaching out with his mind, Bucky snatched it with his telekinesis, lifted it up, and had a look at it. He blinked in astonishment, not believing what he was seeing.

A spider golem wiggled in Bucky’s telekinetic grasp, its legs kicking. Bucky knew of only one other spider golem, and it was Tourmaline’s guardian golem. He watched as the spider golem joyfully kicked its legs and danced as it was suspended in the air.

“I called all of you to come with me,” Bucky said to the golem.

The golem beeped a few times, went silent, and then let out a long stream of golem garble, waving its legs around, letting everything out all at once.

.. / .-- . -. - / .- -.. ...- . -. - ..- .-. .. -. --. / .. -. / - .... . / . ...- . .-. ..-. .-. . . .-.-.- / -- . - / .- / -. .. -.-. . / ... - .-. .. .--. . -.. / .--. --- -. -.-- .-.-.- / ... - .-. .. .--. . -.. / .--. --- -. -.-- / ... .--. --- -.- . / .. -. / .-. .... -.-- -- . ... .-.-.- / ... - .-. .. .--. . -.. / .--. --- -. -.-- / .-- .- ... / ...- . .-. -.-- / -. .. -.-. . / - --- / -- . / .- -. -.. / - --- --- -.- / -- . / .. -. .-.-.- / ... - .-. .. .--. . -.. / .--. --- -. -.-- / .- -. -.. / .. / - .- .-.. -.- . -.. / .- / .-- .... --- .-.. . / .-.. --- - .-.-.- / .... . .-.. .--. . -.. / ... - .-. .. .--. . -.. / .--. --- -. -.-- / ..-. .. -. -.. / ... .--. . -.-. .. .- .-.. / .-- . . -.. ... .-.-.- / ... - .-. .. .--. . -.. / .--. --- -. -.-- / .- -. -.. / .. / .... . .-.. .--. . -.. / .- / ... .. -.-. -.- / -.. .-. .- --. --- -. .-.-.- / ... - .-. .. .--. . -.. / .--. --- -. -.-- / - --- .-.. -.. / -- . / -- .- -. -.-- / ... . -.-. .-. . - ... / .- -... --- ..- - / - .... . / -- --- --- -. .-.-.- / - .... . -. / .- ..-. - . .-. / .. / .-.. . ..-. - / - .... . / ... - .-. .. .--. . -.. / .--. --- -. -.-- --..-- / .. / ..-. --- ..- -. -.. / .- / -... .. --. / -.-. .- ... - .-.. . .-.-.- / .. / . -..- .--. .-.. --- .-. . -.. / - .... . / -... .. --. / -.-. .- ... - .-.. . .-.-.- / ..-. --- ..- -. -.. / - .-. . .- ... ..- .-. . .-.-.- / .... .- ..- .-.. . -.. / - .-. . .- ... ..- .-. . / -... .- -.-. -.- .-.-.- / .-.. . ..-. - / .. - / .. -. / - --- .-- . .-. --..-- / .. -. / .-. --- --- -- / .-- .... . .-. . / .-- . / .-. . ... - .-.-.-

“Adventure? Secrets of the moon? Castle? Treasure?” Bucky grinned. “Sounds like you had a nice time. I guess that explains why you weren’t there when I called you. I’m glad you skipped off… the others… the others are…” Bucky’s words trailed off and he realised that he didn’t have the heart to say what had happened. “The others had an adventure of their own.”

Bucky set the spider golem down upon the table and released it. It began to dance around, tapping its legs, waltzing over Bucky’s papers. Sighing, Bucky felt a painful sense of loss. He was going to have to make more golems. He thought about the Heart of the Golem and wondered what it was. Sombra’s memories, sometimes helpful, told him nothing.

The golem let out another stream of beeps.

“No… no, they will not be coming back from their adventure,” Bucky replied, shaking his head, not knowing what to say or how to explain everything that had happened.

More beeping and golem garble came out of the diminutive golem in front of Bucky.

“Striped pony named you?” Bucky eyebrows lifted. “What does Buibui even mean?”

The golem bleeped and blooped a few times.

“How do you not know the meaning of your own name?” Bucky asked.

The golem shrugged with four legs then beeped.

“No, don’t leave. Stay with me, Buibui. Remain at my side, if you will.”

Author's Notes:

A zebra named Zebra named a spider...