“So, how would you like to come back home with me today?”

Derpy stretched her wings and knelt down to invite Karyn on.

“I could do that. An extra day off would be nice. Is there any particular reason?”

“Oh, no. What do you need the extra time for?”

Karyn threw her leg over Derpy’s back. “I’ve just had a hectic week. Meeting people is tiring.”

“Any good ones?”

“I’ll tell you about it later. Let’s get the clock stopped.”

Derpy took off and activated her spell, but Karyn sensed hesitation as she did so. They landed, and Derpy let Karyn off on the porch.

“If you’d like to sit outside for a while, I could bring you some lemonade or something.”

“I think I’d rather go inside. It’s a little chilly.”

“You’re cold?” said Derpy. “I’ll go and move a few clouds so that the sun warms you up. Wait right here.”

“No, that’s all right. Let’s just go in.”

Derpy reluctantly fumbled with the latch, then took a deep breath and opened the door. “There, now you’ve seen it.”

“Seen what?”

“After getting on you last week, it’s my turn to have the messy house. I was kind of hoping you’d let me finish cleaning while you waited outside, but now you’re witness to my shame.”

Karyn scanned the room. Derpy’s “mess” consisted of a book left unshelved, a lemonade glass left on an end table, and a cat toy on the floor, which was only noticeable next to the utter lack of clutter.

“Yeah, it’s a real pigsty in here,” said Karyn sarcastically.

“It is. Don’t go in the kitchen. It’s too much for anypony. You should just sit out here with your eyes and nose closed while I finish.”

With Karyn wondering if ponies could actually close their noses, Derpy finished her housework. Karyn wanted to help, but Derpy would cut her off and scowl each time she tried, so instead she picked up the unshelved book and was about to open it, when she heard the knock at the door.

Derpy was busy removing a single mote of dust, so Karyn opened it herself. “Oh, Rarity. Derpy’s upstairs, I think, but if you’d like to wait for her, I’m sure she won’t be long.”

“Actually, it’s you I came to see. I was in the square and saw a pegasus pony popping into existence, which could only be Derpy, and enough of a figure was on her back that I concluded it was you. I just wanted to thank you again for putting me onto the idea of silver and gold as accessories.”

“You’ve thanked me enough,” Karyn said, thinking of her gift. “But did you really get your teeth drilled just for that?”

“What? No.” Rarity put her hoof to her mouth. “It seemed clever, but not fashionable enough. Instead I designed these silver shoes.”

She turned the hoof she had lifted out, and Karyn saw that indeed she had a traditional horseshoe nailed in, but that it had a polished shine that no horseshoe on Earth had ever had.

“It’s very nice. But I thought silver was more malleable than that. It doesn’t crush under your weight?”

Karyn worried that she had inadvertently insulted Rarity’s weight, but the unicorn let it pass.

“I did have to magically temper it, but that was no trouble. I’m more worried that they go unseen. Perhaps I should redo them as the kind of slippers Princess Celestia wears. And I’m still thinking of augmenting them with gems, if only because I’m so familiar with them. Maybe something in red, for color.”

“Replacing silver shoes with red slippers? Could work.”

From the back, a rustling was heard, and Karyn turned to see. “Ah, Derpy must be done cleaning.”

But it was not Derpy. Her cat Muffinhead emerged, stretching and yawning, from the unknown dimension that cats go when they don’t want to be found. He looked at Karyn and took a wide arc around her, then approached Rarity. Maintaining his distance, he tilted his head and purred.

Rarity stuck out a hoof. “Here, puss,” she said. He approached cautiously and sniffed the hoof, then rubbed his head against it. Becoming very energetic, he walked a figure-eight around her legs.

“I don’t know what it is with him,” said Karyn. “He seems to love ponies, but won’t come near me.”

Derpy flew down from the upstairs. “Hello, Rarity. I thought I heard somepony come in. What are you doing with Muffinhead?”

“Don’t look at me. He approached and is being very affectionate.”

“Maybe he smells Opal on you.”

Karyn privately thought that Rarity would be sure to mask any cat scent with the perfumes, moisturizers, and creams she used for her skin, but that maybe the cats could get past all that.

Derpy took the opportunity to show Rarity around her house, evidently feeling confident enough in its cleanliness to display. As the tour wound through, Muffinhead did not leave Rarity’s side, mewing and purring all the way, begging for attention. Karyn watched as Rarity used her magic, and a glow appeared over the cat’s head. She was petting him telepathically, and Karyn wondered if that was as nice as physical contact.

“It certainly is a lovely house,” Rarity said. “As delighted as I am with my own, I sometimes wish that I could live separately from where I work.”

“Really?” said Derpy. “If I could deliver all the mail without ever leaving my house, that would be amazing!”

Karyn, perhaps sensing that Rarity would not be as patient as most ponies with Derpy’s peccadilloes, tried to change the subject. “Muffinhead’s really all over you. Derpy, maybe you should let him out more often so he can meet other ponies.”

“I had to make him an indoor cat ever since he ran away about two months ago.”

“You never told me about that.”

Derpy picked him up and stroked him. “There was nothing to tell. I let him out, he didn’t come home at dark, I left his food outside the door, he came home in the morning. Everypony’s pet knows how to get home.”

“I guess it’s different here. We worry about our pets when we can’t find them, but I suppose Muffinhead can’t be run over by a car or attacked by a dog. The dogs here don’t attack cats, right?”

Rarity stepped back, as if a little afraid of a person from a world where pets were in trouble, but Derpy said, “Don’t worry, they really love animals on Earth. It’s rough on everyone there.”

“Well, I’m no Fluttershy, but I certainly wouldn’t want anything to any little animal, especially a good little kitty like Muffinhead here. Poor Opal, she’s been feeling under the weather herself lately. I should really get home to her, but I just had to pick up a few things, and then I saw Karyn…”

“Shouldn’t you also put on a formal dress?” asked Karyn.

“Beg pardon?”

“Well, don’t you always put on something a little fancy when Opal’s not feeling her best? I remember you telling everypony that once.”

Rarity stared, blinking, while she scoured her memory. “Goodness me, that was a long time ago! And it wasn’t, if you want to be perfectly technical about it, true.”

Karyn concluded that Rarity wasn’t the type who liked to be teased, so she didn’t pursue the question. But Derpy, who had picked up her cat and was petting him more traditionally, said, “Why don’t we go over and bring Muffnhead? Maybe Opal would like to have a friend kitty visit.”

Everyone agreed, and so it was that Muffinhead was let out of the house again, with prods and pokes from Derpy to make him come along, as they made their way to Carousel Boutique.

Though Karyn had been there once before, she had not then taken a good look at the building, which had to be one of the nicest in Ponyville. She wondered exactly how the concept of a carousel had entered the Equestrian lexicon. Ponies didn’t ride anything, so they wouldn’t have the merry-go-round, unless it was just a round spinning platform. Still, the statues of the horses on the upper circle topped off the building nicely, and symbolized the dress forms that Rarity used in her work.

The bottom floor emphasized the roundness of the architecture, with its full-length egg-shaped windows that let Karyn peek through and see some of the dresses that Rarity had for display. As they entered, she saw the one work room that was cordoned off, and with good reason. There were so many odd pins, threads, and scraps of fabric lying about that Opalescence could hurt herself if she got in.

The rest of the room was pristine, and Derpy could avoid looking at the workroom and enjoy the order she craved. The only thing out of place was Opal herself, and that nopony could complain about.

Rarity had been right that she was not well. Opal’s breathing was labored and, though she could raise her head to see the new entries, took no action either to greet them or to run away.

“You poor little thing,” said Rarity. “Mommy’s got all your favorite treats, and we even brought a friend over for you to make a sick call. Say hi to…what was your cat’s name again, Derpy?”

“Muffinhead.”

“To Muffinhead.”

Derpy heard the emotion in Rarity’s voice, the tone she used for things that she considered gauche or uncouth. She took it in good humor. “Opalescence is kind of a silly name too, considering that she doesn’t become dichroic if you shine perpendicular beams of light through her.”

Rarity and Karyn both stared at Derpy, wondering what she was talking about and if she really knew something they didn’t. Rarity had chosen the name for her cat because it sounded pretty.

Meanwhile, Muffinhead had wriggled loose from Derpy’s hooves and approached Opal without hesitation. He sniffed at her and started to lick her face. Rarity realized that she couldn’t remember the last time that Opal had cleaned herself, and was grateful that the other cat was there to help.

As the two cats bonded, Karyn had shut her eyes and was trying to think. Derpy noticed her distress. “Is something wrong?”

“This whole thing seems vaguely familiar to me somehow. Like from something when I was a child, or maybe just a story I read a long time ago.”

Rarity went off to prepare the treat that she had bought for her sick pet, as Muffinhead completed his cleaning and sat down next to her. Opal took a swipe at him that vaguely reminded Karyn of when she had sliced off a lock of Sweetie Belle’s mane. It was almost, she thought, as if Opal blamed Muffinhead for her being in the state she was in.

“Derpy, did you say that you stopped letting Muffinhead out after he didn’t come home about two months ago?”

“That’s right. I was worried that he might wander off to the Everfree Forest where something could hurt him. He’s not from Equestria, and he’s only got one eye, so I have to be careful.”

“Rarity!” Karyn called.

Rarity poked her head in with a quizzical expression. “Yes?”

“I think I might know what’s wrong with Opal. She’s about to have kittens!”

“What?!” Carefully, Rarity inspected Opal to find her quite gravid. “Oh, my dear Celestia! How did I not notice this? We should get a doctor! No, we should get Fluttershy! No, we should put something down to protect the carpet. No, what am I thinking, forget the carpet, poor Opal! Should we boil water? Don’t they always say to do that?”

Derpy grabbed her head. “Rarity. Calm down. I’m sure Opalescence knows what she’s doing. She’s just not too happy about it right now, and really wants you to be there.”

Karyn realized that Derpy was the only one in the room who might have empathy for the situation, and deferred to her.

“All right,” said Rarity. “What should we do?”

“Does she have a kitty bed? Let’s put her in it. Also, we should close the blinds. I think cats like it dark.”

Rarity got the bed, and they all waited tensely. Soon enough, nature took its course, and Opalescence was washing six tiny kittens, who then all wanted to nurse. Their mother looked none too happy about it, but gave in, and even smiled a little.

Karyn watched the kittens with a chill. When she went to Equestria, she could tell that the ponies were from a different world. They weren’t exactly like their animated depictions, but they had a stylized look that Opal shared and Muffinhead did not. The native Equestrians’ hair and fur looked more like solid masses, which Karyn’s skin and Muffinhead’s fur had blemishes and variations that gave them more detail.

The kittens were hybrids of both looks. They had Earth cats’ eyes but with the deep yellow color that Opal had. Their faces were wide and ovular like their mother, but with a full complement of whiskers instead of just the six that she had. And their bodies were also round like Equestrian cats, but Karyn wondered if that might not be owing to their just having been born.

The first cross-breeding of Earth and Equestria had occurred, and she felt privileged to be present, but at the same time, she worried. Would the kittens be forever caught in between, belonging to neither world?

The ponies were scowling, but for different reasons. Karyn watched as a comedy played out, each mare dressing down her cat.

“You, young man, are never allowed out again!” said Derpy. “Stealing Opalescence’s virtue like that. She’s an innocent kitty that you’ve ruined!”

“And just what do you think you were doing with him?” Rarity was saying at the same time. “Allowing a tomcat like that to violate you in such an intimate way!”

Both cats meowed in protest.

“Well, yes, you did come here for the birth, so that’s something, but you should give her a proper wedding and plan to stay with her.”

“True, I admit he is a fine specimen of feline grace, even if he’s from another world. I can certainly understand the appeal of the exotic foreigner. But if you were lonely and wanted a companion, I would have found you one.”

Another pair of meows.

“I understand that it’s not the same for kitty cats as it is for ponies, but you’re still a boy and she’s still a girl and that means that she has to have the babies. Still, what’s done is done.”

“I know that you’re independent and don’t need me as much as I need you. And I suppose now that it’s a fait accompli that there’s nothing we can do.”

The cats started purring. Muffinhead cuddled next to Derpy, and while Opal was still busy with her newborns, she stuck her neck out and nuzzled Rarity.

“Oh, I can’t stay mad at you. But we’ll have to have a long discussion later on about being responsible.”

“Aw, there’s my sweet Opal. You just relax now and Mommy will take care of everything you need.”

At last the twin one-sided conversations came to a close. Karyn busied herself cleaning up after the birth. When she returned, ponies, cats, and kittens were all entangled in one big cuddle puddle.

“I hate to be the one to say it,” said Karyn, “but I have to wonder if, Rarity, you’re able and willing to take care of all the kittens.”

Rarity looked up, then at Opal. “I could, I think, but I do so often have to be elsewhere…or attending to customers. I suppose it’s up to Opalescence. Once they’ve been weaned off of you, are you willing to handle six kittens all on your own?”

Opal’s expression gave her answer. If it could be put into words, it might have been, “What, are you kidding me?”

“So, what I’m saying is, we’ll have to find homes for all of them.”

Derpy pawed at the carpet. “I’d like to take another, but that’s up to Muffinhead. What do you think?”

He bounced over to his kittens, sniffed them all, then went to the smallest of the litter and pushed her closer to her mother.

“I think he wants that one,” said Rarity. “He’s caring most about the one who most needs it.”

“So that settles one,” said Karyn. “But that still leaves five.”

“Surely Fluttershy can take them in.”

“One, maybe two,” said Derpy. “But we shouldn’t burden her with all the rest. There has to be a limit to even her kindness.”

Rarity was skeptical, but Karyn, whose opinion of Fluttershy wasn’t as high as the others’, was inwardly pleased.

“There must be somepony else who wants a cat.”

Rarity flashed her “i-deaaaa!” face. “I think I remember overhearing that Mayor Mare was concerned about mouse troubles in Town Hall.”

“A newborn kitten wouldn’t be much of a mouser.”

“It would grow. Mayor Mare is always interested in long-term solutions.”

Derpy kicked her hoof on the ground, counting off. “That’s three, maybe four placed. Who else?”

Karyn took a deep breath. “I can advertise back on Earth to see if there’s anyone around campus who can take them. The students probably can’t, but many have families.”

“I don’t know…separating the kittens across a whole different world?”

“Well, pet population is a big problem on Earth too. We have too many stray cats and dogs that don’t know how to take care of themselves. There are medical procedures that we have to make them not have babies, but I guess you don’t have those in Equestria.”

“Normally we do,” said Rarity.

“What? How?”

“With magic, of course. The same as everything else. That’s why I never considered that Opal might be in the family way. I always keep up with her sterilization spell. Derpy, you don’t do that with Muffinhead?”

“I have. The vet does it for me all the time. But maybe because he’s an Earth cat, it didn’t work.”

“Nothing we can do about it now,” said Rarity as she floated a blanket over Opal. “We just have to place our little miracles.”

“That’s right. We’ll split up. I’ll talk to Fluttershy and the mayor. Karyn, you go home and work on advertising to find homes for the other two or three.”

Karyn took out her new phone and turned on the camera. “Let me get some pictures of the cats first. And what’s Rarity going to do?”

“Stay here and make sure all the cats are all right.”

Karyn and Derpy walked out. “You got the division of labor right. Rarity seemed happy at being allowed to stay.”

“You can only push her so far.”

Derpy dropped Karyn off at home and prepared to head back to make the rounds of Ponyville.

“While you do that,” Karyn said, “I’m going to use these pictures and post some to the online bulletin boards to see if anyone’s interested.”

“I’m surprised that you don’t have big pet distributors to handle the situations. Humans have big stores and big schools, so I would think they would have this too.”

“There are some animal shelters, but they’re not always the best idea.” She didn’t want to tell Derpy about euthanasia. Fortunately, Derpy accepted and went on her way.

Karyn’s graphic art talents were not close to her computer skills, but she was able to make a collage of the kittens that she thought looked good. It explained that it would be a month before anyone could take them, but they would be getting a very special cat. The rest of the day she would check in from time to time, while waiting for Derpy to return.

After lunch and a nap, Karyn checked again. When Derpy got back, she was able to see that one of the students had indeed replied and would take in a cat with his parents.

“That’s only one left!”

“If all goes well,” said Karyn. “We still have to check this guy out and make sure the home’s all right.”

“I know it will be. Cat people are always nice.”

That was a bit of a generalization, but Karyn didn’t argue. She was grateful just to have the problem solved.

“How did things go with the other ponies?”

“Easy as pie,” said Derpy. “Also I talked to the vet’s assistant, who was the unicorn that works on Muffinhead. He said how sorry he was and didn’t even think that it wouldn’t work. He promised to study hard and that Muffinhead wouldn’t father any more kittens.”

“That’s good to hear. Everything is going to be all right.”

When the cats were weaned a month later, Derpy showed up with a nervous look. “So, about the kitten we were going to give to the family of the student here…”

“Yes? Is there something wrong?”

Derpy’s saddlebag opened, and a cuter-than-average kitten stuck its head out. “Hi, Eerie. Welcome to Earth.”

“Eerie?”

“Short for Iridescence. But that’s not the only way she takes after her mother.”

The cat jumped down, looked around the room, then hopped up onto Karyn’s desk and started poking at the keyboard. Karyn stared for a moment, then said, “She’s intelligent?”

Iridescence looked at her and nodded.

“Oh, well. I did tell them they were getting a very special cat.”

Author's Notes:

Sure feels good to be back in the swing of things. Here's next week's preview!

“Last one, I promise. This is the text I was waiting for. And it’s today, bummer.”

“What’s today?”

Karyn shut off her phone and placed it on her desk. “Do you remember when I had that get-together a few weeks back?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They reached the cafeteria, but the roll-gate was down. Karyn pulled out her phone and checked the time. “They’re not supposed to close for another ten minutes! They always do this.”

“Give them a break. Everyone likes to knock off a few minutes early.”

“That’s fine on the weekdays, when they run till nine at night. But on weekends there’s only a four-hour brunch and a one-hour dinner. We’ll just have to make sure that we get there as soon as the dinner hour opens. Meanwhile, we’ll grab a sandwich from the vending machine.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So what do you think? Really boring stuff, huh?”

“No, I was fascinated! Everyone was out there talking about their problems and trying to do something about it. We don’t do that in Equestria.”

“That’s because you don’t have any problems,” said Karyn.

Look forward to it!